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Rediff News

Amitabh, Shah Rukh, Karan in Toronto
September 11, 2006



It is easier to have an affair in New York," declared filmmaker Karan Johar on a balmy Sunday morning in Toronto. "The chances of your spouse, family or friends coming to know of it immediately are far less remote than in many big cities in India."
Johar admitted, in responding to a question at the press conference for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna at the Toronto International Film Festival, that he could have set the film anywhere in the world including New Delhi or Mumbai. But setting it in New York made the story of adultery more convincing.

"In Mumbai or Delhi, everyone comes to know the moment you have an affair," he explained.

Originally, he wanted to shoot the film in London but the production ran into logistic problems. "We had made Kal Ho Naa Ho in New York and it made a lot of sense to shoot this film in and around New York too," he said.

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Rediff News

Was SRK disappointed with response to KANK in Toronto?
September 11, 2006



Karan Johar was addressing the press conference at the Sutton Hotel, a few hours before the film had a gala red carpet reception at the TIFF, followed by a seminar on Making Of A Bollywood Blockbuster.
He was flanked by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

The conference started promptly at 9.30 am and got over 45 minutes later as per the schedule. But there were just about 20 journalists, mostly from the India media -- even the Toronto Star sent an Indian reporter.

At the press screening on Thursday, KANK drew about 20 reporters and industry participants while in the theatre next door, the Chinese film My Post-Modern Aunt, drew over 100 people.

Shah Rukh seemed quite disappointed there were just one or two mainstream publications present at the press conference. He was heard asking the organisers why the journalists hadn't turned up.

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Rediff News

'People actually debate the issues raised in the film'
September 11, 2006



By the time KANK had its gala in Toronto, it had grossed about $3.2 million in North America and $4.1 million in the United Kingdom. In India, too, the film is doing very good business, though there are reports that many people were not comfortable with the subject of extramarital relationships.
And Johar had to address that question once again, especially when the moderator at the conference called him the newly minted marriage counselor.

The film has opened Pandora's box, Johar said. People have started discussing the moral issues in the film with the same fervency they discuss politics, he added. "In the case of my previous films, it was like -- We liked it, great film, great fun, or occasionally, I just hated it. But in the case of KANK, there were not just sharp opinions. People actually debate the issues raised in the film. It is not easy for everyone to grasp the conflicts and dilemmas. Marriage is a sacred institution in India and many people do not believe that it can be contentious too."

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Rediff News

'We had to be very careful how we showed passion'
September 11, 2006



As for the physical nature of the film, Johar said given the fact that it dealt with sex and adultery there had to be more sensuality and sexuality to it than his previous films. "But we could not alienate the older and more traditional audiences," he said. "We had to be very careful how we showed passion in the film."
He remembered that Yash Chopra's Silsila also dealt with infidelity and extra-marital affairs, and that film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar raised quite a bit of controversy when it was released in 1981.

Many people in India expect their stars to be exemplary, he said, and that is the reason why some of them are upset that actors in KANK are playing adulterers.

An elderly gentleman sitting next to me quickly scribbled on his notepad: Wasn't Silsila inspired by the real life story in Amitabh's life? I am going to ask the question.

But he did not get an opportunity to ask the question.

Meanwhile, another reporter had asked Shah Rukh if he would have followed the example of his character in KANK if he had an affair in real life?

"Remember I am a Muslim," Shah Rukh quipped, laughing gently.

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Shabana 1st Indian to win Gandhi Peace Prize
Rediff News

September 11, 2006 14:58 IST
Last Updated: September 11, 2006 17:13 IST

Shabana Azmi makes every Indian stand six inches taller as she becomes the first Indian to receive the prestigious International Gandhi Peace Prize for her contribution in social work.

Previous recipients of this award include Nobel Laureates, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The award is granted by the London-based Gandhi Foundation. The actor's husband, poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, will accompany her to the award ceremony in London, where she will also deliver the annual Gandhi lecture at the House of Lords on October 26.
Azmi told rediff.com that she is "overwhelmed and accepts the honour in all humility."

"In today's strife-ridden world," she adds, "Gandhian values of non-violence as a means of conflict resolution have gained great significance. Nowadays, people talk about Gandhigiri, thanks to Lage Raho Munnabhai."

"Gandhi was an uncompromising spirit and a tough negotiator. He had such an all-pervading influence on our lives that his fragrance seems to be in the air till now."

Azmi says her name was chosen last November. In May, the committee had an interaction with her in London.

Though she had been unofficially declared the winner some time ago, she received a confirmation from the Foundation two days ago.

This is Azmi's fourth international award for social justice and human rights. At the bicentenial celebrations of International Human Rights in Paris in 1989, French President Francois Mitterand honoured Azmi along with Mother Teresa and another Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu.

In 2000, the acclaimed actress was conferred the Martin Luther King Award by the state of Michigan in the United States.

Earlier this year, she won an award at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

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Rediff News

Munnabhai 2: Tax-free in Delhi
September 11, 2006 19:27 IST

Rajkumar Hirani's new film, Lage Raho Munnabhai, has been made tax-free in New Delhi.

The Delhi government has decided to make the Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi-starrer tax-free because it promotes the Gandhian ideals of truth and non-violence, an official spokesman told PTI.

"The movie will be tax free with immediate effect," he said.

The film, which released on September 1, is a sequel to the very successful Munnabhai MBBS that released in 2003.

Both films have been directed by Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

The movie is being shown in theatres as the country commemorates 100 years of Satyagraha movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa.

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Rediff News

Deepa Mehta, Nandita Das make up
September 12, 2006 11:52 IST



Over a lunch in Toronto on Sunday, filmmaker Deepa Mehta and actress Nandita Das hugged each other and decided their fractured relationship is water under the bridge.

Nandita, who had played the lead in Fire and 1947 Earth -- the first two films in Mehta's trilogy -- began with a part in the  last film in the series, Water. But when protestors in Varanasi shut down the production, Nandita, according to Mehta's daughter Devyani Saltzman, even offered to act free in the film whenever Mehta revived the project. She knew that Mehta had lost a lot of money following the cancellation of the shoot.

But when the film shoot restarted two years ago in Sri Lanka, Nandita was not in the film. She, along with Shabana Azmi, were replaced by Lisa Ray and Seema Biswas respectively.

Saltzman revealed in her book Shooting Water: A Memoir of Second Chances, Family, and Filmmaking that Nandita was so hurt that she would not talk to Mehta. It looked like their friendship had ended.

But things changed at the Toronto International Film Festival where Chitra Palekar's Maati Maay, in which Nandita plays lead, has become one of the more honoured of the 250 feature films from more than 60 countries. Nandita has given a compelling performance in this Marathi film (and certainly a career best) as a grave-keeper accused of being a witch.

So who initiated the reunion?

"It does not really matter who took the first step," Nandita said. "It is important to know that both of us wanted the reconciliation. We were looking, I guess, for a good opportunity."

The actress explained that her participation in the first two films in the trilogy was not just professional. "I felt I belonged to the family. I was willing to do anything to help Water being started again," she explained.

The $2.5 million movie, which ended its run in North America last week and is now available on DVD, has grossed $5.4 million, making it the highest grossing Hindi language film ever. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is headed for a $3.25 million gross, making it all-time top Bollywood grosser in North America.

"I told myself, after all Water is a film and certainly it is not a matter of life and death," Nandita added. "There are times we collect resentment as if we are collecting stamps. And doing so means hurting one's own self. I wanted to end such feelings (towards Deepa Mehta) for good. And I also told myself that as the director of the film, Deepa had every right to choose her cast. It was solely her prerogative to decide who played what."

"Deepa is going to make more fine films," Nandita continued. "And I am always looking for challenging parts. Surely, we will work together again."

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Rediff News

SRK wins over Brad Pitt
September 12, 2006 14:39 IST



Forget Brad Pitt, declared Screen International in its Monday's Toronto International Film Festival special. 'The biggest stars in town were Bollywood movie titans Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.'

Rani Mukherji could have been on that list too but the actress, who was shooting in New York for the past several weeks, could not get her Canadian visa on time, according to Yash Raj Films.

If one took a look at the hordes of desis, and movie fans from Trindad, Guayana, South Africa, and the Arab countries outside the theatre where Never Say Goodbye (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna) had a red carpet gala release, the Screen International comment made perfect sense.
The movie fans at the theatre where Brad Pitt was attending the premiere of his critically acclaimed Babel was miniscule (some 500 people) compared to over 2,000 outside the KANK venue.

But the mainstream publications, which in the past years have run glorious pictures of Lisa Ray and John Abraham (Water), Mallika Sherawat (The Myth) and Padma Lakshmi (tiny role in the little seen The Mistress of the Spices), have been ignoring the Indian star presence at the festival this year.

India has eight films (out of over 350 features and documentaries) at the festival. John Abraham is here to promote Kabul Express, with Bipasha Basu giving him company. And Nandita Das is promoting Maati Maay (A Grave-keeper's Tale), one of the most thought-provoking films at the festival.

But the Toronto Star newspaper ran a 400-word piece on page two of its festival special section under the headline, 'Bollywood stars thrill fans'. It also carried a picture of director Karan Johar.

Although many fans had seen KANK during its record-breaking run in the city, they still bought the tickets for the gala.

"We could have brought 1,000 friends to see Amitabh and Shah Rukh if tickets were available," said one teenager who had come with three of her friends.

Another teenager, who said he has seen most of Amitabh films, said, "Shah Rukh is great but Amitabh is like a god," he said smiling broadly. "At 65, he is like a superstar and he doesn't look his age at all."

Many said they had waited for over four hours to get a glimpse of Amitabh and Shah Rukh.

For Shah Rukh, the current Toronto visit makes up in some ways for the loss in 2001 when his home production Asoka was to have a gala screening at the festival. But Shah Rukh and his production team had booked their flight from New York either on September 11 or the next day. In the commotion that followed the terrorist attack on 9/11, the print of Asoka was reportedly misplaced at the airport and the film never made it to the festival.

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Rediff News

SRK roots for Chitra Palekar
September 13, 2006 13:49 IST

Chitra Palekar's eyes well up when she recalls how Shah Rukh Khan held her hands the other day telling her how much he had heard about her directorial debut, the Marathi-language film Maati Maay (A Grave-Keeper's Tale). The movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"I met him at a party to celebrate the gala presentation of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna at the festival," Palekar said. "He also introduced me to Karan Johar and Amitabh Bachchan."

"These are kids, I hardly know them," Palekar said, "I was overwhelmed with the attention my little film is getting. Karan too said he was looking forward to seeing it. "

"I felt for the first time that I am being recognised for my own achievement," she continued. Her 32-year-old marriage to actor-director Amol Palekar ended about seven years ago. Amol directed last year's Paheli, starring Khan.

"I have done a lot of work in theatre and have also written for films," she continued. "But somehow, I felt overshadowed. But now, I can say that I have made a small but good film."

The film is based on a story by Mahasweta Devi, one of India's finest writers, and centres on a caring and generous woman (Nandita Das) who inherits her father's vocation of looking after a children's graveyard. But she gets branded a witch. After the birth of her son, she begins to worry about performing the ceremonies. Her weak husband (played admirably by Atul Kulkarni) cannot defend her. She is ostracised by the villagers and forbidden to go to her son who is living with his father and stepmother.

"I could have made the film in Bengali or Hindi," says Palekar, who put her own savings into the film and will also be distributing it in key centres in India in a few weeks. "But I know the rural Marathi milieu very well."

She adds, "But even when the film was shot in Marathi, I never looked at it as a regional film. That is one of the reasons I have an outstanding artist like Nandita playing the key role. I also told myself I was making a film that would appeal not only to Indians across the country but also people abroad. It is a strong and touching story, and it raises universal issues about integrity, community's responsibilities and the need to stand up and do the right thing."

The film will also go to the London Film Festival. "Each day I hear from various festival authorities about wanting to show the film," she added.  "I am overwhelmed but I am not complaining.'

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Rediff News

Rs 150 crore riding on Sanjay Dutt
September 14, 2006 12:32 IST



Sanjay Dutt starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai may have grossed a whopping Rs 6 crore (Rs 60 million) in its first week of release, but the future of his forthcoming films hangs in the balance till the TADA court in Mumbai delivers its verdict on the actor's alleged involvement in the Mumbai blasts case.

Dutt has decided not to sign any new films till the verdict is announced.

Industry analysts say Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.5 billion) is riding on Dutt currently. This includes films which are due for release; partly complete or those signed by him.

A typical Dutt film has a budget of about Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore (Rs 100 million to Rs 150 million). With five films on hold, Rs 50 crore to Rs 75 crore (Rs 500 million to Rs 750 million) is at stake. Says Trade Guide editor Taran Adarsh, "Dutt is an important actor and money is certainly at stake."

Dutt has completed work on Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya and the film's distribution rights have been been picked up by Sony for Rs 15 crore to Rs 17 crore (Rs 150 million to Rs 170 million). But the actor has around five films on which work is pending.

He has finished dubbing for Raman Kumar's Sarhad Paar; will begin dubbing for Ajay Chandok's Nehle Pe Dehla; has completed 50 per cent of the shooting for Astavinayak's Mr Fraud; and has finished 80 per cent work on Indra Kumar's Dhamaal. He is yet to start shooting for Shootout At Lokhandwala.

"The films which are ready for release or are near completion will not lose much money but films partly completed will definitely be affected," says Komal Nahta, editor, Film Information.

According to Navin Shah, CEO, P9 Integrated, an entertainment marketing company, "A lot of producers may change their mind depending on the verdict. Of the films Dutt is involved in right now, almost Rs 75 crore has already been invested, and these could be in trouble. If the verdict takes longer than six months, producers might change their mind."

However, if the producers have insured their films, they might get relief.

"If any of the producers have gone in for insurance, they can recover the cost to some extent," says Shah.

On whether the market is jittery, Adarsh says it is too early to say anything as the film industry is not talking about the issue. However, Nahta says the market is jittery for sure.

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Rediff News

When John Abraham was scared...
September 14, 2006 13:01 IST



When John Abraham famously declared in Toronto this week that the threat by the Taliban seemed so real that he was scared to take a pee while shooting amidst the rugged locales, the Bollywood star was making an understatement, says Kabir Khan, the writer and director of the movie Kabul Express.

Abraham says the fear of landmines scared him stiff. And then there were bomb threats from the re-emerging Taliban when the film was shot in Afghanistan for over six weeks last year.

"The threats were very real," says Khan. "The Afghans could be one of the biggest admirers of Hindi movies but the Taliban have a different way of looking at the world. Remember these are the guys who banned movies and music in their country."

Once the threat seemed so dangerous that he shut down the shoot for nearly a week. "We had to find out how serious the threat was," he adds. After the government offered additional security, the shooting restarted.

Towards the end of the shoot, Abraham fell sick, and Khan suggested the shooting be postponed.

"I refused," says Abraham, who was flown to Mumbai soon after the shoot was over, and spent nearly three weeks in hospital battling a raft of problems some caused by a miserable diet (he is mostly a vegetarian).

He was afraid that if the shoot is postponed, it might take some time to get back to Afghanistan. "And who knew what the Taliban was going to do?" the actor asks with a sigh.

The film tells the connecting stories of three journalists, two Indians (Arshad Warsi and Abraham) and an American, a fleeing Taliban supporter from Pakistan and an Afghan who hates the Taliban. It is one of the half a dozen Indian feature films at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"We knew we were going to face problems in Afghanistan," says 36-year-old Khan who has shot a documentary in Kabul soon after the fall of the Taliban in October 2001. "But I never thought that the problems could threaten our lives. However, there was no way I could give up this project."

It was during the shoot of his documentary that he got the idea to make his first feature film, set in post 9/11 Afghanistan. He recalls a Taliban prisoner he met during the documentary shoot who begged Khan to lend him a satellite phone for a few minutes. The distraught man then called his family in Pakistan and spoke to his five-year-old daughter.

"It was the first call he had made to his family in more than five years," Khan recalls. "And that made me think differently of terrorists. We often tend to think of them as despicable, cruel people but within a movement like the Taliban, there were people who weren't your typical militants. Some of them had left their countries, in my film's case Pakistan, at the behest of the government to work with the Taliban."

In the film, the Indian journalists slowly get to know the reluctant Taliban supporter and the love for his daughter.

Just as the film was being shown in Toronto, the newspapers and television stations in Toronto were still carrying stories on the families of the Canadians killed in explosions in Afghanistan.

"Perhaps our film is being shown at the wrong time. I have been asked by some viewers why I show the Taliban in a sympathetic light," muses Khan. "But this movie also challenges the viewers to look at Afghanistan in a new light. It makes clear our opposition to terrorism and the Taliban but it also makes a case for redemption some people can have."

"I could have made the film in India and saved a lot of money," Khan says of his $2.5 million film. "But it would not have been the same film. Each of the actors including the Afghan who plays the Taliban-hating driver helped to make the film authentic."

Khan worked on the script for over a year and got positive response from many Bollywood producers. But most of them either chickened out or suggested drastic revisions. Some certainly wanted songs. "I love good Bollywood musicals," Khan says. "But this film was not going to have songs."

Imagine his surprise then when filmmaker Aditya Chopra, who has directed one of the all-time great musicals Dilwaye Dulhania Le Jayenge, came forward to produce the film under the Yash Raj Films banner.

"He has been looking for offbeat subjects that could attract international audiences to his films," Khan says. "He believed in the script and there was not a line he wanted changed. What was even more surprising is that Adi signed me to direct three films for him, just based on his faith in the Kabul Express script."

Khan is not sure what his next project would be. "It could be set either in Kashmir or Burma," he said.

Whatever the fate of Kabul Express at the box-office is, Khan says, the fact that the film was produced by one of Mumbai's best-known studios, and that two leading actors readily agreed to act in it shows how the Indian film industry is maturing.

"Looking at many of the recent films made in India including the fabulous Lage Raho Munnabhai," he asserts, "All of us, all the filmmakers, can take pride that we belong to the Indian movie industry."

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Rediff News

Toronto loves Lage Raho Munnabhai
September 14, 2006 14:53 IST



Karan Johar's mega hit Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna drew an impressive 1,500 people when it had a gala screening at the Toronto International Film Festival last week.

But the presence of its stars -- Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and director Johar -- has not given it a boost as it enters its sixth (and perhaps) last week. On the other hand, Lage Raho Munnabhai, which has an excellent second week, is forging ahead. In fact, Arshad Warsi, who stars with Sanjay Dutt, is being warmly welcomed by Bollywood fans here, more for his work in Lage Raho than in Kabul Express, one of the Indian entries at TIFF.

When fans stop him for autographs, they recite dialogues from the movie; some even ask him to recite a line or two. Even Kabir Khan, the director of Kabul Express, is in love with the movie. He says it is one of the most entertaining films he has ever seen. "Films like Munnabhai show that entertainment doesn't have to be crude," he says.

The first mega hit for Sanjay Dutt in North America and the United Kingdom (and the first hit ever for Arshad overseas), the film has grossed a very impressive $1.4 million in 10 days in Canada and America. Unlike most Hindi films that plummet by 50 per cent in the second week, Lage Raho saw a 40 per cent decline. The movie was at 22 on the weekend box-office chart in North America. In Canada alone, it stood at the 12th spot.

The first film, Munnabhai MBBS, hardly made a dent at the box-office in North America. But, Lage Raho has a good chance of riding past the $2.2 million grossed by Rang De Basanti.

In the United Kingdom, the film came down by just about 35 per cent on its second weekend and at number 15 on the chart, it grossed about $250,000 and took its total to nearly $1 million.

Meanwhile, the newcomer Naksha was a box-office fiasco on both sides of the Atlantic, grossing just about $20,000.

KANK is heading towards $3.25 million in North America and at least $4.1 million in the United Kingdom. It could be a very long time before a Bollywood film beats that record.

[ Last edited by  ldg at 18-9-2006 01:12 PM ]

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Rediff News

Witness in Salman's poaching case shows up
September 14, 2006 18:10 IST

A key witness who turned hostile in the 1998 chinkara poaching case  for which Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in prison, has claimed that he had been absconding since 2001 due to a threat to his life and inadequate police protection.

Appearing before the police last night, Harish Dulani did not disclose who the people threatening him were.

The court had convicted Salman for killing chinkaras at the Ghoda Farm while he was shooting for the movie Hum Saath Saath Hai. Dulani said he appeared before the police to receive a notice issued by the court against him for allegedly giving a false statement. He said he had been pressurised to make a statement that he had seen the actor killing the endangered animal.

Dulani has come to the limelight after a Mumbai-based film producer offered him the role of a driver in his film Quadi No 210, based on the poaching case against Salman. After two days of drama following media reports regarding his probable appearance in the film, he approached the Sardarpura Police Station in Jodhpur with his lawyer Anil Gaur and received the notice issued by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate.

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Rediff News

Will Hrithik's Dhoom 2 prove lucky for Brazil?
September 15, 2006 13:04 IST



Brazilian business and tourist officials hope Hrithik Roshan will do for their country what he did for New Zealand among Indians and people who love Bollywood cinema.

In 2000, his debut film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai was shot in New Zealand and became a megahit. Almost immediately, Indian tourists flocked to the country to see its scenic beauty.
Hrithik shot for Yash Chopra's Dhoom 2 on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro this year, and Brazil hopes for the same after-effects.

"Brazilians know that Bollywood is a big influence on the Indian masses," says Roberto Paranhos do Rio Branco, President, Camara De Comercio Brasil-India (the Indo-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce). "We can really know each other through films. We hope that after Dhoom 2, more Indian filmmakers will capture our beautiful country on the big screen."

"I am sure children have learnt about Brazil's Amazon forests in school," says do Rio Branco. "But no Indian film has captured this beautiful forest. There have been many documentaries made on the Amazon, but never a feature film. I think it would be wonderful if a Bollywood film is set in the Amazon forests. Indians would love the scenic beauty."

Dhoom 2 is the first major Hindi film to be shot on the beaches of Rio, a popular international tourist destination.

Brazil is committed to promoting Indo-Brazil business ties after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's three-day visit to Brasilia earlier this week. Brazil and India have signed an agreement to promote films and entertainment between the two countries.

The Brazilian film industry is in a bad state and not more than a dozen films are made every year. Brazilians look to Hollywood for their entertainment though Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles' City of God won an Oscar in 2005.

This reporter asked college student Thiago Melow whether he would like to watch Hindi films. "I know that Bollywood films are about songs and dances," he said. "I have never seen one. I am a big fan of Hollywood films though I don't understand English. I read the Portuguese subtitles and understand the film."

Do Rio Branco says Brazilian film festivals do not showcase Indian films. "We have signed agreements for the exchange of films but we want to show Indian films in festivals and theatres so that Brazilian people know more about Indian films," he says.

Adds R Vishwanathan, joint secretary (Latin America) at India's ministry of external affairs, "There are many beautiful locations in Latin America. There is a beautiful waterfall called Foz Do Iguacu on the borders of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. I would say it is more beautiful than the Niagara Falls but no one knows these things. If films are shot in Brazil, then we will have a better cultural exchange."

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Bollywood Press



September 11, 2006
The true colour of SRK

Farhan Akhtar? Don is one of the big Diwali releases this year. The film? promos, now out in theatres and playing out on television, have generated considerable amount of curiosity with SRK, all leather and steel, blowing out rings of smoke. The film, a remake of the 70s saga, sees Shah Rukh Khan play a double role. Giving him company are Arjun Rampal, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor and Isha Koppikar.

Rumours about the climax of the movie have generated considerable excitement. Grapevine is abuzz that Farhan has filmed two endings for the film. In both the versions, sources say, the good and the bad meet, hence making two climaxes possible. One where the hero is killed and the other where the villain is killed.

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Bollywood Press



September 13, 2006
Priyanka Chopra trained in Martial Arts for DON

Priyanka Chopra is essaying the stunning Zeenat Aman? character [Roma] in Farhan Akhtar? eagerly anticipated DON, releasing on Diwali / Eid this year. In an interview to the BBC Asian Network to be aired soon, when she was asked about comparisons with Zeenat Aman, she exclusively divulged, ? am not trying to step in to Zeenatji? shoes.

She was in a league of her own. My character is very different from the one in the original. I? playing a killer and have received special training in Martial Arts by a Shaolin teacher to prepare for the role! DON will show me in a completely new avatar!?

For long, there has been talk that contrary to perception, the new DON is replete with twists, turns and unforeseen surprises and thrills, and looks like this is only one of them!

U T V is releasing DON internationally on October 20.

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Rediff News

Bank issues legal notice to Amisha Patel
September 20, 2006 19:20 IST



Canara Bank has issued a legal notice to Amisha Patel and her family seeking recovery of dues amounting to Rs 11.75 crore, loaned to them for financing their business.

The notice has been sent to Amisha, her mother Asha, father Amit, actor-brother Ashmit and the office of their Nashik-based firm Messrs Jai Electronics, said Nishit Dhruv, the lawyer representing Canara Bank.

The notice, issued by M Dhruv and Co on September 9, has asked the Patels to pay the amount within seven days, failing which the bank would be compelled to take legal action by filing a recovery suit in an appropriate court.

"We shall proceed in accordance with law and if necessary, file a suit for the recovery of dues," Dhruv told PTI.

Asha Patel claimed she was not aware of this. "There are attempts to malign our family and some vested interests are behind this," she said.

Other members of the Patel family were unavailable for comment.

Amisha, Asha, Amit and Ashmit are directors of the family-run firm Jai Electronics, which had obtained overdraft and other credit facilities from Canara Bank's Queens Road branch in Mumbai in 2001. Later, the credit facilities were transferred to Canara Bank's Girgaum branch. All members of Patel family, including Amisha, had guaranteed repayments to the extent of Rs 10 crore alongwith further costs and charges, the notice pointed out.

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Rediff News

'Playing a dwarf was risky'
September 21, 2006 15:55 IST



Two decades, 300 films. What started off with a stellar performance in Saraansh is still going strong with his portrayal of an NRI in the just-launched Gandhi Park. Anupam Kher looks a simple man, and seems blissfully content. We caught up with him during the launch party of his latest film Gandhi Park, directed by Tom George.

"This is a love story and I am playing Sneha Ullal's father in the film. Tentatively named Simon -- which might change any moment since there is a mystery which I cannot disclose at the moment -- I stay in New York and yet am connected to my roots. I will be the main hurdle Sneha has to cross to get married to her love in the film," says Kher, who is dressed in black trousers and an off-white kurta.

Does Gandhi Park have something to do with the Mahatma, now that Gandhigiri is the latest buzzword? "Not at all. It has a totally different storyline." By a strange coincidence, Kher has been considered for most of the films which had something to do with Mahatma Gandhi. Is it because of his looks? Kher smiles. "I really don't know why. In this industry once you have a reputation of being a good actor and perform well in a role, people like you in the same role again. Perhaps that is why I am being considered for similar roles. But let me tell you again, I am not playing Gandhiji in Gandhi Park! The story revolves around a park in New York."

Kher clarifies that Gandhi Park is not there to cash in on the latest buzzword. "The script was conceived two years back. In fact, come to think of it, Jahnu Barua had conceived Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara 10 years back. Just that people wait for the right opportunity to make the film and it is a coincidence that Gandhi Park is being launched after Lage Raho Munnabhai became a craze."

Gandhi Park is an English film; does he think language would be a deterrent? "Actually, it is the other way around. Making it a bilingual would have spoiled the film. We tried it with Bend It Like Beckham and I don't think it worked too well. Post Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho, people want to watch films with substance. I hope Gandhi Park will offer them that."

There is another reason for Kher to be so upbeat -- his upcoming Khosla Ka Ghosla has been received warmly by critics at advance showings so far. "It has been an extremely satisfying experience working in the movie. After a long time, I was completely satisfied with my performance in a film."

"I feel one of the toughest jobs for an actor is to portray an ordinary character. That is precisely what my character demanded in Khosla Ka Ghosla. But the script was so well written and my character so well created that the task became much easier for me. But let me tell that besides laughing, you will also come out with a lump in your throat."

Kher is very comfortable with the new breed of directors. "Whenever any person takes up a new profession, be it direction or anything else, the passion and burning desire to do something good in him or her is exemplary. And I have always seen that passion in young directors works wonders for me."

The veteran actor has an impressive line-up of films coming up this year, including American Blend, Vivah, Apna Sapna Money Money and Jaan-e-man. "In Jaan-e-man I have played a dwarf's role," says Kher. "After Kamal Hassan I will be the first Hindi film actor to play a dwarf! I was thrilled when Shirish Kunder offered me the role and thought I'd try this out. But I never knew what was in store for me!"

Anupam is extremely appreciative of the way Shirish Kunder conceived his character 'Chachu' in Jaan-e-man, (left) a happy-go-lucky suit-clad dwarf who happens to be a successful lawyer and is the friend, philosopher and guide to Salman Khan in the film. But playing a dwarf was quite challenging and pain-staking for an actor his age. Kher had to be on his knees throughout long shooting shifts.

"Imagine how it is for a 5' 9" man to play a dwarf! Every day I used to carry an ice box and a pair of knee caps for the shooting. Even today when I climb the stairs, a rattling noise comes from my knees -- all an effect of 40 strenuous days of shooting. Sometimes I feel it was too much of a risk, but when I look back at my character, I feel I would have missed a very good role if I did not take this up."

Kher is also ready with the script of his new directorial venture. "After Om Jai Jagadish fared badly at the box office, I have become a bit careful. I have been working on the script for quite some time now and it is ready now. The film's shooting is scheduled to start in March next year. I have even thought of two titles  -- Happy and Gay and Pyaar Hai To Keh De Yes! But I am yet to decide on the star cast." Kher will be producing and directing the movie.

However, Anupam feels films are not his crowning glory. That honour is saved for his acting school An Actor Prepares. "I feel this is my greatest achievement in life. Just a few days back the first batch of 160 students passed out. It was a really momentous day for me � the joy of seeing your own creation is something unparalleled."

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BollywoodPress

Priyanka Chopra has been voted the sexiest Asian Woman in 2006
September 18, 2006



Last year the same crown was given to Bipasha Basu. Priyanka Chopra seemed quite flattered when the news was given to her but she was also surprised as she does not look at her in that sense.

Other prominent Indian faces in the top 10 are Bipasha Basu, Aishwarya Rai, Mallika Sherawat, Riya Sen and Malaika Arora Khan. Well we have to say Indian beauties are going places.

Priyanka Chopra will definitely be a big contender for the crown again next year because she is looking stunning by the day. Her next few releases include Don, Salaam-E-Ishq and God Tussi Great Ho.

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BollywoodPress

September 18, 2006
Sanjay Dutt Proposes Marriage to Girlfriend Nadia



Sanjay Dutt is going through a gamut of emotions right now. His latest release ?age Raho Munnabhai? is turning out to be the biggest hit of his career. And not only its hit status but the fact that this film has changed his gangsta ?aastav? image to a charming do-gooder. The verdict on the 1993 Bombay Blast case is still pending and Sanju is having a tough time grappling with time.

The other day he went to his favourite jaunt ?oisson? in Mumbai with his Afghani girlfriend Nadia. And once he was high on alcohol he ended up proposing marriage to Nadia. A fan made a video of Sanju? shenanigans in the Pub and it ended up playing on National TV.

Sanjay accepted the applause from his fans gathered there and appealed to them to pray for him. Sanjay Dutt has lived a strange life. Of Highs. Ana amazing lows. One sincerely hopes he gets away blot free this time around. He really has done enough for the society to be given another chance, especially when he has reformed.