Farah Khan: Manoj Kumar scenes won't be chopped off

"The Manoj Kumar scenes won't be chopped off from Om Shanti Om," said Farah Khan. The animosity between the makers of the film and the veteran actor has settled down.

On being questioned about the line of action for Om Shanti Om, post Manoj Kumar's threat to sue the makers if the scenes spoofing him were not chopped off, Farah said, "Shah Rukh, Gauri and I met Manoj Kumar again Wednesday night at his house. We also had Yash Chopra along with us. We apologised again."

Were there any cold vibes considering the fact there have been rumours about Manoj Kumar threatening to go to court? "Not at all," said Farah. "His wife and he were very courteous to us. In fact, he told us there never was a problem. We are relieved as I guess all is sorted out now."

"None of the scenes will be chopped off. As I said, all is well now and the movie will continue to be screened in it's original format," said Farah.

Review of Aaja Nachle : Ja Nach le!

Movie
Aaja Nachle
Director
Anil Mehta
Producer
Aditya Chopra
Music
Salim-Sulaiman
Cast
Madhuri Dixit, Akshaye Khanna, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey

Sonia Chopra
A spirited young woman, brave, as she is beautiful, is in a dilemma. Born to middle-class parents in a small town called Shamli, Dia (Madhuri Dixit) has fallen in love with a foreigner photographer, in town to cover Indian art forms. A graceful dancer, favourite of her guru Makarand at the local Ajanta Theatre, she does what most in her position would never dream of. She runs away with her lover and makes a life for herself in New York. A divorce, a daughter and 12 years as a dance teacher later, she is back in Shamli to fulfill a promise. And this time, her dilemma is bigger and more grim. Is she up to it?

Hell, ya. After eons you see an on-screen woman character that you can love, respect, and identify with, for facing challenges head-on, and not throwing preachy dialogues every turn of the way. She's not devoid of street-smart cunning as well, and is resourceful enough to make unsavory deals to get what she wants. To make a hero, or central character, of such an unconventional woman is praise-worthy – look at the way she doesn't mollycoddle her daughter and treats her almost like an equal. Refreshing!

The story's simple, fluid; the storytelling, masterful. You want to congratulate debutant director Anil Mehta and welcome him with open arms for giving the audience such a fulfilling and enjoyable film. It must be noted that Yash Raj Films, that was till recently, known for making star-studded blockbusters is now experimenting (Bunty Aur Babli, Kabul Express, Chak De India), while keeping a firm eye on the box-office; thus proving that experimental stories and monetary success are not mutually exclusive.

Come to think of it, a film on the art of dance with Madhuri is so perfect and obvious a combination, you wonder why no one thought of it earlier. And it's also wonderful that the makers haven't gone overboard in showcasing Madhuri's dancing genius – it's there, interwoven around the story, or rather, the story's interwoven around her. Either way, it works! The film's an ode to Madhuri and celebrates her spectacular talent through the story.

While Madhuri's Dia is extremely well-written (her character faintly reminds one of Chocolat's Juliette Binoche), what's interesting is the attention and love given to each of the many characters in the film—to reveal who would be an unforgivable spoiler. And what a cast – Darshan Zariwala, Raghubir Yadav, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, Ranvir Shorey, Dalai (the little girl) and special appearances by Akshaye Khanna and Irrfan Khan; whew, just watching them is paisa vasool. And the returns are multiplied a hundred times over when Madhuri steps on screen, in the first frame itself, dancing with her heart and soul, while making it look so effortless (choreography by Vaibhavi Mechant) . This particular dance portion, that appears as the movie opens, has her move to extremely subtle dance steps, straight out of a classy international music video. No unnecessary dhak-dhak here. What a shrewd move that is – it reintroduces Madhuri's prowess to the younger audience in the language they best understand. Of course, she performs the Nach Le number as well, in a lehenga, much like the Madhuri we've known.

To see, what is commonly called, "a wholesome family movie", that doesn't insult your intelligence is such a breather. No heroes with unnecessarily bulging muscles, no inserting small-town heroine's character in dream sequences to justify short skirts, no snarling villains, no formula-following. Except for the super-saccharine happy ending, which was a given in the first place, but it's all about how you get there, and this one's a supremely enjoyable and fulfilling ride.

Did I mention Madhuri? Yes I did, but she keeps popping up as this review is being typed. Madhuri Dixit is back, and believe me, she's really back. Beautiful, that smile even more radiant, and an actor who obviously loves her craft, Madhuri's dance is so masterful, you'll regret even blinking. No wonder this film was written for her; it's next to impossible to conjure up another name that could do this role even half the justice.

Technically this film is a treat right from the dialogue and screenplay (Jaideep Sahni), art direction (Sukant Panigrahy, Faili Unwala), music (Salim-Sulaiman), sound designing (Indrajit Noogi), cinematography (Mohanan), editing (Ritesh Soni) and even the imaginative clothes styling (Manish Malhotra, Mandira Shukla, Dolly Ahluwalia).

Very few films can be recommended for repeat watching – this one is definitely suggested. Ja Nach le!

Sanjay Dutt's prison look perfect for film

Sanjay Dutt is likely to take one week's break and then commence shooting for Suniel Shetty's film Easy Monthly Instalment (EMI).

Dutt, who was sentenced in the 1993 blasts case, and was released on bail after spending 37 days in prison on Thursday, looked haggard and worn out.

He was sent to Yerwada jail in Pune after he received an order copy from the Mumbai TADA court on October 22.


One of the reasons Dutt wants to go ahead and shoot for EMI is because of his bearded look. As for the other films, he just needs to trim his beard for a different look. 

The sets of EMI are already in place at Filmistan studio in Mumbai where Dutt had shot some portions of the film before going to jail on October 22.

The film stars Urmila Matondkar and is directed by debutant director Saurav Kabra.

But first things first, the actor is taking a much-deserved break.

"He needs rest and has preferred to stay at home for a week," says a close friend of Dutt on condition of anonymity.

"The only trip that Dutt will likely make would be to Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi, central Mumbai. And if he wishes, he will go to some other temples outside Maharashtra before commencing work," said the friend.

Dutt has been quite a regular to Siddhivinayak temple during his court hearings.

The Supreme Court, while granting bail to the actor, had put a condition that he would have to deposit his passport at the special TADA court in Mumbai.

Dutt would also have to report to the CBI Special Task Force in Mumbai once a month.

At present there are three Dutt films whose shooting is held up: Mr Fraud, Kidnap and EMI.

Now, Sivaji can fly with you!

It will be a mid-air treat for fans of Tamil superstar Rajnikanth as Singapore Airlines has obtained exclusive rights for the in-flight screening of his blockbuster,

"This is the first time that the Singapore Airlines has purchased the rights of an Indian movie. The film will be screened on all its international flights starting December 1," Bharat Mahadevan, Airlines Manager Southern India, told reporters in Chennai on November 28.

He said the rights had been purchased from Ayngaran International, a London-based company which had the distribution rights of Sivaji for the overseas market, by offering "two times more than the normal rate."

Mahadevan said the exclusive right was only for 3 months, after which other airlines could also opt for the movie.

Stating that the film would be screened to over two million passengers a month, he expressed hope that the airline's customers would welcome the Indian flavour on international flights.

Singapore Airlines also tied-up with actor Madhavan to be the official airline for his maiden production Evano Oruvan.

Expressing happiness over the association, Babu, the CEO of AVM Productions, the producers of Sivaji, said the film had set a record in the Tamil film industry by running more than 100 days in overseas

Amitabh-Abhishek planning world tour together

Bollywood's dynamic father-son duo Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan are all set to show the entertainment industry how to make the right moves on stage.

Titled One Amazing Night, the series of world concerts featuring the father and son on stage, is expected to storm show business.

Says the Big B, "Yes, we're planning a series of world concerts. We're looking at summer 2008. The shows, to be entitled One Amazing Night, will have other leading entertainers from Hindi cinema besides the two of us."


"I've been doing world tours long before they were fashionable in the mid-1970s when (wife) Jaya and I would be on stage along with (music composers) Kalyanji-Anandaji. Jaya and my enactment of the song Mere angnein mein always brought the house down. A lot has changed since then. The concerts abroad have become far more slick and technically advanced," he added.


With both the senior and junior Bachchan being inundated with work, obviously the two-month concert needs meticulous planning.

"Yes, it requires very careful planning. Though I've been on stage a number of times, this is going to be Abhishek's first world concert. The fact that our company AB Corp Ltd is involved does put an extra responsibility on us. Let's see how it goes," the Big B said.

Kareena to perform for Indian Cricket League

SRK did it with Chak De India; John followed that up with Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. And now it seems that Kareena is all set to follow suit by doing her bit for sports, the difference being that SRK and John have done it on reel life, while Kareena will do it in real life.

She is scheduled to perform for tracks like It's Rocking from Kya Love Story Hai and Mauja Mauja from her hit film, Jab We Met, at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev's Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh. The event is being coordinated by Bunty Walia's GS Entertainment and Zee Sports.


Kareena said that she is a cricket enthusiast and has watched a lot of Kapil Dev's performances. She added that being a part of the ceremony would indeed be an honour for her. She is also planning to meet up with Kapil Dev on November 30 before the event. The Australian cricketer Dean Jones and England's Tony Greig would also be

John Abraham: I am glad that I pulled off Goal

John Abraham is thrilled to bits. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal has had a good opening at the box office and he has received compliments for his performance.

"I was in Delhi on the day Goal released and saw it with the audience in a 400-seater multiplex," says John, who plays the role of Sunny Bhasin, a British citizen with a Punjabi background, in the film. "The response from the audience was phenomenal. They were clapping and cheering at all the crucial moments and it was great to get a first hand response."

Tell him that a few feel it's primarily the climax that is the high point of the film and John says, "Isn't it the way it is supposed to be? For a film that is close to two and a half hours, the graph has been kept consistent for the first two hours. There is a certain manner in which the narrative gains and that is why when the escalation starts happening in the last 30 minutes, it becomes much more noticeable."

"There is an exhilarating mood which is required to be created in the end and full marks to Vivek Agnihotri for making it happen," says John. "The climax match has been shot in a mind blowing fashion and people are already telling me that they would watch the film again just for this very sequence."

The film has opened in 80 per cent to 100 per cent range at multiplexes, which was quite unanticipated. "Seriously, even we never expected such a massive response to the film," says John candidly. "We were looking at a decent occupancy since the film has been released on a major scale. But near 100 per cent response has come as a pleasant surprise."

John does look the part of a professional footballer in the team. Says John modestly, "All those training sessions made it possible for us. It was required to get the right body language and physique for the part I had to play. I am glad that I was able to pull it off."

Through with all his existing crop of under-production films, John would now be starting afresh with the yet untitled Sriram Raghavan film, which may star Aishwarya Rai. The film's shooting is expected to begin in December.

Kangna: I haven’t posed nude at all

Kangna Ranaut simply doesn't care about what people have to say about her picture on the cover of a film magazine.

Seen in a body suit, Kangna's picture is accompanied by an equally shocking headline. But though Kangna's so-called nude appearance has caught a lot of attention, the actress herself is unfazed.

She says, "What's the big deal about the picture? Are any of my vital organs seen? I haven't posed nude at all. These days one doesn't need to. Body suits are available readily in the market."

Kangna fails to understand why so many eyebrows are being raised. She says, "Why would I be upset? It was for an annual issue and we just tried doing something different. In my profession, one has to do different kinds of photo shoots. I fail to understand why such a big deal is made about a normal picture."

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal

Movie
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
Director
Vivek Agnihotri
Producer
Ronnie Screwvala
Music
Pritam Chakraborty
Cast
John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, Naveen Andrews

Think of sports-based films made in India and the visuals of Lagaan and Chak De India flash across your mind. Will Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal fall in the same league as these immensely popular flicks? This is one vital question that crosses your mind as the reels of UTV's new sport-based film [their second this year, after Hattrick] Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal unfold.

Goal is a simple story that packs not just the sport, but also dabbles with issues like racism and fanaticism associated with sport. Issues that Westerners can relate to more than Indians, especially racial discrimination.

As a film, Goal has its share of highs and lows. If the first hour is strictly okay, the pendulum swings in its favour in the second hour, in the last 20 minutes, to be precise. The sport succeeds in arousing patriotic feelings, besides involving the viewer in the fight-to-finish finale.

Conversely, there are times when you feel that the film falls back on the predictable, tried-n-tested mundane stuff. And packs in something [Billo, the song] that's just not in sync with the mood of the film.

To sum up, Goal is a simple story, well told. Notwithstanding the hiccups, this film hits a goal, courtesy its brilliantly executed finale.

Southall United Football Club is facing its deepest crisis ever. Bankrupt, with no stars, no coach, no sponsors, no takers, no spectators and most importantly, no owner. After the City Council sends an eviction notice, it's the last chance to save the ground, the club and their honour. Shaan [Arshad Warsi] takes up the challenge to save the club from extinction. After a disesteemed ex-player, Tony Singh [Boman Irani], joins them as the coach, Shaan and he begin work to gather the worn out team.

Sunny's [John Abraham] dreams to play for England crashes after his club does not select him. The reason is apparently not his game, but the colour of his skin. Sunny and Shaan never see eye to eye. Adding to their personal chaos is Shaan's cousin sister Rumana [Bipasha Basu], who is in love with Sunny.

Tony manages to convince Sunny to play for Southall United. It takes a while before Shaan and the team warms up to Sunny. With Sunny joining Southall United, the team gradually starts climbing the points tally. The City Council is worried. Johny Bakshi [Dalip Tahil], a commentator and a frontman of the Council, plans to lure Sunny away from Southall United.

Director Vivek Agnihotri combines style and substance in his second outing Goal. Take the sequence at the very start, when an English woman and her frontman [Dalip Tahil] reveal their plans of coming up with a shopping complex on the ground. The director opens the cards at the very outset. But the narrative dips, rises, hits a low and ascends unfailingly till the first hour ends. The sequence prior to the intermission, at the Manchester United Stadium, leaves you awe-struck and makes you look forward to a powerful second hour.

Fortunately, the drama only gets better in the post-interval hour. The cold vibes that Arshad and John share as also John's volte-face, when he decides to abandon his club for the riches, give the film that extra dimension, camouflaging the defects that raised their head not too long back. The film dips at times in this hour too, but the journey to the finale is well structured. Yes, John's change of heart is slightly filmy and clichéd, but the climax is astounding. The penultimate 20 minutes in the stadium are awe-inspiring and that's what you carry back home.

Vivek Agnihotri knows what he's talking and though you know that he got swayed by technique in his very first film Chocolate in Goal, he never lets technique overpower content. The story is simple, but absorbing and presented stylishly. He's truly evolved into a fine storyteller.

There're just two songs in the narrative, the anthem Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, which is excellent and Billo Rani, which is well-tuned, but the mujra doesn't go well with the mood of the film. Attar Singh Saini's cinematography is striking. The camera movements, which are so difficult in a film like this are exemplary.

Both John and Arshad are the Men of the Match. John is a revelation. Wrongly dubbed as a clotheshorse in his earlier films, he hits a goal in Goal. John lends the right texture to his character. He not only looks right for the part, but also plays the sport like a pro. Goal should occupy the top slot in his body of work!

Arshad Warsi is superb. An incredibly talented actor whose versatility speaks volumes. Cast in a sober, serious role this time, Arshad enacts the part with as much ease as he portrayed Circuit. Bipasha Basu may not have a lengthy role, but she adds zing when she appears. Her love story with John is really cute.

Boman Irani is top notch. Note his roar at the intermission point or the uneasiness he displays whenever his team locks horns with the rivals on field. It's a flawless performance. Raj Zutshi is first-rate. Dalip Tahil carries the venomous part well. The actor enacting the role of Arshad's wife does a commendable job.

On the whole, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal has an ordinary first hour, but the post-interval portions, especially the exhilarating climax, makes up for everything. At the box-office, the producers [UTV] have already recovered the cost of production from various sales and in-film advertising. The theatrical business will only add to the booty, considering the film has the merits to work with the moviegoers. Another factor that goes in its favour is the fact that the moviegoers haven't had a release post-Diwali. That should reap dhan for Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.

Review of Elizabeth : Too much of history, too little drama

Despite two powerful performances -- with Cate Blanchett playing a British Queen who is trying to save her kingdom from the ruthlessly ambitious Spanish monarch and Clive Owenas dashing explorer Walter Raleigh -- Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth: The Golden Age suffers considerably for want of a strong focus and dramatic tension.

The first Elizabeth, which was made for $35 million grossed a handsome $100 million worldwide over nine years ago, surprised many because it had an intriguing story told by a director who had never handled a big budget film in the West.

Everyone seemed to want to know where Kapur had been hiding till he was signed for Elizabeth. The new film, which cost twice that of its predecessor, does not offer enough intrigues and moral ambiguities to make it a compelling watch. It also has just a few moments that might tug your heart. And that is surprising because scriptwriter Michael Hirst (who wrote the first Elizabeth) is joined by William Nicholson (Gladiator) this time. And the bombastic music -- with AR Rahman being one of the two composers -- robs the film of whatever subtleties it might have had.

Trade publications like Variety say they would be surprised if the film has a gold rush in theatres. They don't expect it to make the kind of money the first  Elizabeth did. But you never know how the new film will shape out till the box office receipts come at least three weeks after its release, especially abroad.

In the acting department, the film could get four stars out of five. Blanchett, who got ecstatic reviews for playing Elizabeth in the first film and is also getting strong reviews this time, is grand and powerful.

The filmmaker has said in interviews that he sees the new film as a fable for our times since it deals with absolutism and religious fundamentalism and the sins accruing from such arrogance. But you wonder at the end of the film what happened to that vision.

The fundamentalism of the Catholic ruler Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla) and his efforts to conquer a Protestant England  ruled by a woman caused great tension and suffering in Europe. But the film spends more time on Elizabeth's attempts to find love and her fascination for the roguish explorer Walter Raleigh than on the Spanish threat.   

Geoffrey Rush plays the queen's loyal adviser Francis Walsingham, who goes after anyone perceived as a threat to the Crown with a vengeance. He is convinced that 'papist conspiracy' to dethrone Elizabeth is connected to the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton), a Catholic and her collaborators.

But victory comes to Elizabeth and England not so much because of people like Walsingham but the bad weather which dooms the ill-fated invasion by the Spanish Armada.

While gorgeous costumes and handsome interiors, make the new Elizabeth one of the most sumptuous-looking films in recent months, it doesn't have enough of an interesting plot twists (despite filling in plenty of history) to make it a compellingly viewable film.

Even those allergic to history or knew little of British history could enjoy the first Elizabeth because we were watching a young woman, who seemed to have no real political ambition, going from prison to the throne. In the process, she has become resourceful, cunning, egoistical but also filled with self doubts from time to time.

Here, there was an opportunity to look deeper into the life of Elizabeth, one of the most colourful of English rulers, whose time also saw the rise of a literary movement that included Shakespeare.

But what we get in the end is too much of history, too much of music, too many costumes and little drama that pulls at one's heart. You wonder what went wrong. Perhaps the emphasis on the tension between England and Spain changed in the editing room with the abortive romance getting more preference. 

Goal Film Review : Iss Goal ko chuck de.

Remember when Saif Ali Khan played the guitar fo r Parikrama? It was a nice gimmick, with Saif doing just about okay but backed up by a solid rock act, and everyone more pleasantly amused than impressed. Except for giggly Saif-groupies, who went into obvious paroxysms of oh-he-can-do-this-too joy.

 

Similarly -- since apparently every actor's extracurricular talents must be lauded -- John Abraham can juggle a football well. Which is why a couple of scenes in his latest film , Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, are watchable: they're standard-issue Pepsi-advertisement style shots, with John and a bunch of talented kids playing stunt soccer while calling each other by legendary nicknames. Clap, clap.

 

Outside of that, however, this film is a complete and utter drag, and a case in point against thoughtless derivative sports films, a trend threatening to grow following the success of fine films like Chak De! India and Iqbal.

 

And when I say devoid of thought, I don't mean a harebrained cliche-parade (oka y, that too) but Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal is a very callous film, one that raises an extremely bizarre perception of anti-Asian racism in the UK. While the concept of Aston Villa not playing their top striker simply because of 'colour' might have been plausible in the 1950s, today's Britain is one of extreme diversity, where Sahas and Ronaldinhos are heralded just as much as Rooneys.

 

In sport, it's doubly so. I remember signing up for cricket sessions at University and -- while I'm no S Ramesh T -- the English lads, gleeful at an Indian joining, scribbled my name optimistically in the first-string sheet. English sport positively thrives on getting the best from all over the globe. Outside of Lewis Hamilton, the UK hasn't had a homegrown world-class hero in years, but this doesn't stop them from picking top players and making them their own.

 

Is the film a rip-off? The question is inevitable, the answer even more so. Sure, every sports movie is. But here director Vivek Agnihotri -- who last massacred The Usual Suspects to make his Chocolate -- while picking significant plot-points from the decidedly middling Goal, even riffs off bits from the completely undeveloped desi sports genre, with moments from the aforementioned Chak De (SRK's speech is reproduced near-verbatim) and Iqbal. There's even a wet Dhoom 2 moment, if you so wish to call it.

 

This is a how-do-you-count-the-ways kind of bad film. The dubbing is hideous, with characters often appearing more adept at ventriloquism than soccer, not moving their lips -- as a result, you don't know who's saying what; not that it matters much.

 

The 'ensemble' cast isn't one to speak of, with less than a half-dozen players getting speaking parts, while the rest of the team skulks around anonymously in the back of the badly-painted bus. The ones who do get to talk are severely underwritten -- save for Raj Zutshi's garrulous Sikh, who aces a few one-liners -- but this is clearly not a team you can care about.

 

For one, they aren't British. This dogged Southall United Football Club is supposed to be a band cobbled out of Brick Lane butchers and Southall softies, and while we're told these kids were born and bred there, it doesn't seem ruddy likely, with not one of them even trying to attempt an accent. Instead, they speak in Bombay-Hindi, their eyes opening wide as they look at a bunch of big banknotes with the Queen's head on them. "Pounds," they say with awe, one awestruck footballer after another, giving you enough time to roll your eyes between players. That is, of course, when they aren't being pissy drunks.

 

And then there are the pained subplots. Boman Irani -- who acts very well indeed, simply because it's hard for him to do otherwise -- frowns in the middle (presumably for being in this film) of these inane morons, penance for once having Geoffrey-Boycotted (read: vanished and ditched) his team during their potentially finest hour.

 

Arshad Warsi , an irritable Pakistani diner-walla, is also required to glare balefully and pretend to be focused, while his wife goes from pregnancy test to baby in the course of what must be football's longest-running tournament.

 

John Abraham plays bratty super-striker Sunny, looking out for himself, free of all kinship towards Southall, or India, for that matter. It seems justifiable, him having lived in the UK all his life. Yet there is a strain of unexplored jingoism through the film -- imagine a cricket film with Monty Panesar getting dirty looks at the local Gurudwara -- and his actions are given some bizarre psycho-babble roots in his father's past. Honestly, years of familial strife could have been avoided had Daddy told Sunny about his past, instead of waiting for well-timed happenstance.

 

Bipasha Basu -- in absolutely the single most moronic role of her career -- plays Warsi's sister, an incompetent physiotherapist who applies lotion on the nostrils of a man with a smashed septum. Of course, this could be because the bimbette is utterly smitten with Sunny, and makes use of these extreme close-up shots to tell him she cares because she's a doctor. And, um, that she's 'bahut sexy.' No kidding. She follows this up with, 'you're pretty sexy yourself,' in staccato Hindi, and giggles.

 

I could go on and on -- a la this most predictable of movies -- but I'm hoping you get the idea by now. While the matches are competently shot, the football itself is unspectacular -- save for a neat panoramic shot introducing us to the Manchester United grounds -- and the matches bore, simply because the team doesn't grab your interest. If there is one scene in this whole film you find unpredictable -- save for John Abraham driving his Porsche down the wrong side of the road and resultantly getting zero traffic -- tell me. I liked the 'Pammi's Hair Salon' sponsorship gag, sure, but this was ditched sooner than you could spell R-e-e-b-o-k.

 

In the mood for soccer? Switch on Man-U TV or Futbol Mundial. For a sports film? I hear the Chak De DVD is fun. For John? Dhoom, No Smoking, Karam -- take your pick.

 

Just chuck this Goal. It's infuriatingly ironic for a soccer film to be this lame.

Dus Kahaniyaan Review

Touted as one of the biggest directorial ventures in Bollywood, Dus Kahaniyaan is a movie that has an impressive cast of various popular actors of Bollywood. The movie is a culmination of ten short stories, directed meticulously by seven talented directors. The stories talk of real life situations and how one person's life can simultaneously affect others, irrespective of the fact whether they are related or not. Some popular actors signed in for the movie include Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Mahesh Manjrekar, Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher, Minnisha Lamba and Diya Mirza among others.

 

The stories deal with a variety of issues that affect common man in a big way. One story deals with friendship, love and companionship in a different way while one story talks of a writer who goes insane when he makes a shocking discovery about the love of his life. Another story talks of five friends who tell stories that finally involve them too and another story deals with the relationship between an underworld Don and his one time best friend.

 

The directors whose short films are a part of this movie are Apoorva Lakhia, Sanjay Gupta, Jasmeet Dhodi, Meghna Gulzar, Sudhir Mishra, Shyam Benegal and Hansal Mehta. The music is directed by many artists that include Strings, Anu Malik, Anand Raj Anand, Bappa Lahiri, Shibani Kashyap and Shafqat Ali Khan. The lyrics have been penned by Gulzar & Javed Akhtar.  

The stories highlight crucial human emotions and experiences like modern romance, too-good-to-be-true strangers, the power of having power and living a life in a free world. The film conveys messages like where there are friendships, there are betrayals; where there is money, there is loss too; where there is love, there is heartbreak and so on. The film is produced under White Feather Films and is a must watch for all you movie buffs!

Shah Rukh disappointed with BCCI's comments

Shah Rukh Khan found himself in the centre of a controversy after a senior Cricket Board official alluded that cricket matches were being used by stars to promote films, but the superstar hit back saying he did not have to depend on others' platforms to push his films.

Khan said he was sad and disappointed over the remarks by Ratnakar Shetty that stars using the platform of cricket for promoting films is "slightly debatable" in the wake of his latest film Om Shanti Om coming up for discussion during a chat with TV commentator Rameez Raja at the recent Jaipur ODI cricket match between India and Pakistan.

Shetty, however, said film stars were welcome to watch cricket matches. BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla said the Cricket Board had no objection to Khan or any other film personality coming to watch international cricket matches involving the national side.

A visibly hurt Khan said in Mumbai that "God has given me enough and I don't crave publicity".

"I went to watch the match for the love of the sport. It is not in my nature to promote my films in others' platforms," he said.

"I think it is strange that just because I am popular, I can't take my children to watch a spectator sport without creating some kind of ill will or ill thought in the mind of people. I am very disappointed," Khan said.

Khan wryly said, "Maybe I will just send the children next time and tell them not say they are my children."

Khan said he is not going to watch cricket matches in the future if it has not gone down well with the BCCI. He said he had gone to watch the Jaipur match for the love of the sport.

"My kids are fans of Sachin, Dhoni and Sourav," he added. "God has given me enough. I don't crave publicity."

Khan said his latest film came up during the Jaipur match proceedings when Rameez Raja said he and his family would like watch it.

It would be strange if film actors do not talk about films, he added.

Shukla's statement comes in the wake of a media report which quoted a BCCI source saying the board officials are unhappy with King Khan as he is using cricket to promote his movies knowing that this is a "much bigger platform" than a private television station.

"The BCCI has no objection if any film star watches any of the matches involving the national team," Shukla said.

"We do not think the players get distracted by film stars or any other spectator," he said.

Of late Khan has been appearing in matches involving the Indian team. He was there to cheer the team in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and then again at the Twenty20 match against Australia in Mumbai, where Deepika Padukone, his co-star in his recent movie Om Shanti Om, was also present. He was also present at the last ODI against Pakistan in Jaipur and talked about his new movie in the commentary box.

He wanted to see the Kanpur ODI as well, but the local authorities vetoed the move saying it would be difficult for them to arrange for security and control the crowd.

OSO holds strong overseas.

The first time 20-something Raj Sharma saw Om Shanti Om in a New York theatre was with his friends. He admits that he missed out a lot of references to the old Hindi films in the movie. But he enjoyed it enormously.

The second time he saw it, he brought his parents along. "They generally like to watch movies on television," he said. And they wanted to wait until the DVDs came out. But he had told them -- after hearing people discuss the in-jokes and references to old movies -- that they will enjoy the film more if they saw it on the big screen.

"The film has become a community event," says Ken Naz, the North American president for distributor Eros International. "I have been in business for a long, long time and I have seen many Shah Rukh films do extraordinary business. But this film beats them all."

On Sunday evening, based on preliminary reports, Eros announced the film had grossed $1.5 million in North America, and had beaten the weekend gross of such mega hits as Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna  by about 25 percent. But the next evening when the actual figures for Sunday came, the final gross was much more: $1.76 million.

"On Sunday we usually estimate a drop of about 30 percent but in the case of this amazing film there was hardly any drop at all," Naz said. "Even the late night shows went almost full. We expect a solid business in the second week too."

The film had also done excellent business in cities such as Indianapolis or Austin or Baltimore where Hindi films hardly get a houseful audience.

Besides, many multiplexes that were also showing American films started asking Eros for more prints of OSO. "They were knocking off couple of shows of other films and showing OSO in the other theatres," he added.

In America, OSO was 11^th on the box office chart led by the Bee Movie, which in its second weekend has grossed $25 million.

But outside North America, OSO wrote movie history as it grossed over $18.5 million, most of it coming from India and the rest from the UK, Australia and UAE. And Saawariya, which some people thought would be dead on arrival, stunned many by its $14.5 million gross; once again, most of it from India. The Indian films led the box office outside America, easily triumphing over the Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise  staring political drama, Lions For Lambs, which took in $10.5 million.

Box office analysts believe there has never be a time when Indian films dominated the box office outside America over a weekend.  

In some theatres, ushers said they saw people heading for the box office soon after the OSO show to buy the tickets for the next show. Several young women at a New Jersey theatre could not get the tickets for the next show on Saturday. They waited to see the film again even it meant they would be seeing the midnight show.

The first week gross for OSO worldwide could exceed $25 million. In the final reckoning, the film which reportedly cost about $8 million could have a jaw-dropping $50 million gross.

It would be a very tough act for anyone to follow. Whether they expect to come anywhere near the global success of their second film together, following the smash Main Hoon Na, there are expectations that the writer and director Farah Khan and producer and actor Shah Rukh Khan would be working together in 2008.

While the OSO weekend gross grew when the collections were tabulated Monday morning, Saawariya, which had a decent run, saw its actual figures come down from the estimated $600,000 to $540,000.

Soha Ali Khan: I won't repeat my mom's mistake

Sharmila Tagore shocked all and sundry by wearing a two-piece bikini in An Evening in Paris, but she has a very different approach towards daughter Soha Ali Khan and tells her how to fight off the minimal-clothes menace.

"She told me that if producers want me to get into a bikini just because she did so once, I'm supposed to say, 'My mom made some mistakes. I won't repeat them.' There are some things which I don't need to be told not to do, just as I've my own list of dos," Soha told IANS.

It took Soha's glamorous mother quite a long time to go from Satyajit Ray to a glamorous double role in Shakti Samanta's An Evening In Paris.

But Soha is already there in less than a year and will be seen in a double role in Aparna Sen's next.

"And the best part is mom too is part of the film. So it will be great fun to shoot. It will also be my first film with a female director, and I'm really looking forward to being directed by a woman," said Soha whose period love story Khoya Khoya Chand is ready to hit the screens soon.

Soha got rave reviews for her performance as the stifled bride in a feudal household in Rituparno Ghosh's Antarmahal. She had a lot of difficult, explicit scenes with Jackie Shroff in the movie.

"They may look difficult to the spectator. But they weren't that tough to do. Rituda showed me exactly what to do. My co-star Jackie was far more nervous and embarrassed than I was. He told my mother he'd never be able to do those scenes if she was around on the sets. We took every precaution. Everyone except the immediate crew and cast was ordered out of the sets. Rituda took good care of me. It didn't seem tough. "

Soha makes no bones about her aspirations as an actor.

"I'm not too old in the industry, still finding my way around. I can't say whether I'm cut out for 'Shaadi No. 1' or 'Antarmahal'. Ideally I'd like to do both kinds of cinema, just like my mom did. There're some things I won't be comfortable doing.

Anil Kapoor gets tattooed all over

 MUMBAI: Anil Kapoor has done the unthinkable. He has shaved off his chest and got tattoos done all over his body for his role in upcoming film Tashan .

"I've never done that before," he chuckles. "But re-invention and makeovers have been part of my acting repertoire long before they became fashionable. For Badhai Ho Badhai I had put on oodles of weight and for Musafir I lost a lot of weight. My role in the new Yashraj film Tashan required me to get rid of the hair on my chest.

"It was for the tattoos that I had to get done for my character. I've got them done on my back, chest ... you name it."

The actor has certainly gone all-out for this part. "Yup. I still remember my co-star Dimple Kapadia had called me a barber's delight after we shot a love-scene in Janbaaz . Wonder what she would have to say about the way I am now."

And Anil says he will continue experimenting with his looks for his roles. "For every part that I play I want to create a new look for my character."

Other actors who have worked extra hard for a new look in their films include Saif Ali Khan, who shaved his head and got yellow teeth for Omkara , and Abhishek Bachchan, who put on lots of weight for his character in Mani Ratnam's Guru .

Saif's son makes his debut in Tashan

Yash Raj Films Tashan will feature Saif Ali Khan's son Ebrahim. Eight-year-old Ebrahim has started following his parents footsteps very early. He plays the role of Saif's son in the film. Both Saif and Amrita Singh, accompanied Ebrahim on the sets.

Amrita Singh stood by him throughout the shoot and applauded him for his performance. Ebrahim sure steals the glare of publicity from his father in the film. Spending quality time with both his parents, while facing the camera for the first time, was surely an added bonus for the young star. Saif jokes that this young 'nawab' has the charisma to steal the limelight from him.

Saawariya Review : Oh, how Sanjay Bhansali hams!

First off, using the ever-fantastic words 

of Pete Townshend entirely out of context, The Kids Are Alright.

No, 

Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor -- megahyped bachchas sharing a surname but entirely different Bollywood legacies -- aren't, as the hype might have had you believe, the instant quick-mix superstars ready to take Bollywood into the next generation. He's occasionally likeable, she's undeniably attractive. And that's that. As said, they're alright.

 

The problem lies with their puppeteer, the all-conquering badshah of bluster. Sanjay Leela Bhansali  takes 

Fyodor Dostoevsky's WhiteNights -- a stark, lovely story about romance born and rekindled over four nights -- and, picking out its barest heart, proceeds to smother it in mixed-up layers of trite melodrama. And money. And so this soft core, this tender tale, is hidden -- under several reams of indiscriminately wrapped silk and velvet, of loud noise and harsh light, of bewildering backdrops and the colour blue -- so deep beneath smug self-indulgence and a bizarre budget that you can't even hear the heartbeat anymore.

The story is simple: a minstrel, full to the brim with can-do enthusiasm, falls in love with a fair maiden. All would be well, except she is awaiting her faraway lover. Doggedly the singer tries to awaken her love, while she loyally stalks the bridge assigned to the some-night rendezvous. Over four nights, love, loyalty and longing are all born and questioned.

We're told, most redundantly, that this is a tale set in a different world. It is a fairytale realm reminiscent of the classic Prince Of Persia video game, with gondolas and prostitutes scattered around a wet Venetian nightmare. The architecture is whimsical, as is the generous use of flickery neon. Clock towers with hyperactive needles coexist merrily with sprawling mosque courtyards and numerous tiny cobalt by-lanes lead arterially out of the central tiny bridge area, most such roads seeming to lead to the exorbitantly built brothel or the one-resident-only guesthouse. It sounds fantastical and brilliant, and could certainly have been, except it doesn't really have a concept. Or a point.

Thus Omung Kumar gets to play madman art-director, Bhansali letting him go wild and asking only that he be theatrical and sporadic. 'Just paint everything blue and leave lots of room for Raj Kapoor film references,' the brief could well have read. And so runs the gamut, from azure to cerulean, with walls and pillars and peculiar choices of artwork.

And while dollars are positively dripping from the scenery, nothing is spectacular. Remember MF Hussain's Gajagamini? Now replace the high concept in that film with a big budget. The result is Saawariya , an underwhelming waste. Thousands of Bollywood songs are shot with madcap little unreal backdrops; Bhansali has just used one of those for his entire film. One imagines it'll be a while before Sony Pictures grandly bankrolls another Indian project.

Black, flaws and all, was very well shot. Here one can imagine cinematographer Ravi K Chandran stifling a yawn. And if, for God's sake, you're building an absurdist city-of-many-cities, at least leave physical room for some mindblowing camerawork. There are a few -- four, count them -- well-executed shots in Saawariya, most of them simple cutaway shots. What in the world has been thought-through in this movie?

Not the characters, certainly. Ranbir's Ranbir Raj tells Sonam's Sakina that she knows everything about him: his name, where he lives, what he does. One assumes that is all there exists in their character sketches as well. Oh, and the boy is told to be restless, the girl, patient. Outside of that, there is no depth, despite the actress' limpid eyes and the actor's sometimes cheeky grin. These are cardboard characters, lazily written and ineffective. In a stylised world impossible to relate to, at least the protagonists should have been flesh and blood.

Instead, the director hams.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali needs to be thwacked with a subtlety stick, much like Sakina messily beats carpets hanging around her. Everything is overblown and hyper-real in the director's head, and there is no room for soft reality. The characters populating his movie, therefore, cannot sob without hysteria or laugh without sliding off a chair. A glare is held for ten minutes, a coy glance for five. And the dialogue is immeasurably grating, making the film's sub-130 minute length seem twice as long.

It is a testament to the star-kids, then, that they've gamely gone through these dizzying motions without afflicting career hara-kiri. Ranbir, playing a character labeled over-lovable from start to scratch, is often painfully exaggerated and moronic, but he does salvage a few moments of charm where you feel for him -- even if only sympathy at his debuting in this production. There might be hope, sure. But then there's that towel song, the most homoerotic picturisation in Hindi cinema, which could likely take a few years to live down.

The gorgeous Sonam Kapoor is armed with a great laugh -- almost as infectious as her father's -- and one wishes she was allowed to simper softly, instead of having a clearly overdubbed plastic giggle plastered onto her. She has the worst lines and moments in the script -- save for Rani Mukerji's , where Bhansali clearly cashed in all his Black chips -- but there is a merciful agility to her movement, a fluidity to her style. It is a character impossible to like, and yet she warms you up to her.

The only times in the film the kids really, really work are when the tension abruptly breaks and they burst into laughter. It is almost as if -- or, possibly, because -- the director yelled cut and two old friends dropped the painful masks and chilled. God, how much better a Jab We Met  style debut would have been for these two.

It's hard to fathom what Bhansali expects anybody to like in this film. With close to a dozen songs assaulting us once every seven minutes, on average, there is no room for the narrative to flow. The background score is deafening, and the writing is so emotionally manipulative -- wait for the way Ranbir convinces Zohra Sehgal to let him bunk with her -- it makes you want to pen down an alternate script in immediate protest. And, despite conjuring up moments with legends like Sehgal and Begum Para -- irresistible when devoutly mouthing Mughal-E-Azam dialogues -- these are too few and far between. Are we actually supposed to enjoy Ranbir doing dad Rishi's rabblerousing lines from Karz, or laugh at Rani's pathetic half-malapropisms? Please.

What's the deal, Mr Bhansali? This isn't a

Luchino Visconti remake, as many had feared, but a bizarre reworking, an overbaked version of a very simple romance. Dozens of dancing prostitutes do not  

a Federico Fellini make, sir.

This film opens with Ranbir, off-screen, persuading a whore to listen to two lines of song. She deigns to listen and he picks up his blue six-string. And instead of an eager-to-please youth fumbling with a scratchy guitar, we get -- after a sudden title screen with the star-kids' name, a la Rajnikanth -- a mega song-and-dance production, a full-blown intro. No wonder the heartbeat is muted.

I believe in Black as much as Bajirao Mastani

It's official! Sanjay Leela Bhansali has decided to make two films in quick succession. Bhansali's Devdas made waves in India and all over the world last year. Now, he's back with yet another period film based on the historical romance between the legendary Maratha general Bajirao Peshwa and the courtesan Mastani.

For the coveted role of Bajirao, Bhansali has signed Salman Khan who worked in his earlier films – Khamoshi: The Musical and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. For Mastani, the astute filmmaker has zeroed in on the hot-and-saleable Kareena Kapoor.

In an exclusive interview, Bhansali said, "I couldn't see a better Bajirao than Salman. I know people will challenge me for my casting. But they did the same when I cast Shah Rukh Khan as Devdas and Ajay Devgan in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The doubts are in their minds, not mine. Everyone has a different take on every issue. But the final decision has to come from within me. While writing the screenplay I saw only Salman and Kareena in the title roles. I think Salman fits in perfectly, no doubt about that. When audiences see him they'll know what I mean. I write all my scripts with Salman in mind. He understands me perfectly on the sets. There is a sense of fun underlining the seriousness on the sets."

Bhansali says he didn't sign his favourite Khan for Devdas because Shah Rukh Khan suited the role better. Salman, admits Bhansali, was hurt. "I should have told him I intended to cast Shah Rukh. He wasn't hurt about not being cast, but about not being told. Finally it's the film that matters. Friendship and loyalty shouldn't come in the way of casting. If you compromise in the casting it is bound to expose eventually. Black has to be made only with Amitji [Amitabh Bachchan] and Bajirao Mastani with Salman."

According to Bhansali, Kareena has extraordinary talent that is waiting to be tapped. "She has the pathos of Meena Kumari and the fire of Nargis. Kareena also exudes a unique mystery and power in her personality. There's something very striking and untamed about her personality. No one can play a female warrior better than her. Mastani has to be larger than life. Kareena is perfect for the role. She is going to be a revelation as Mastani. I wouldn't have anyone else playing Mastani. She possesses a completely different area of attitude, personality, beauty and femininity."

"Everything about her is different from the actresses I have worked with before," he says. "That gives me the impetus to explore the utterly fascinating character of Mastani in all her glory. Mastani is one of the most important female characters in Indian history. With Kareena playing her I feel I can capture the essence, ethos and spirit of Mastani."

In the other pivotal role of Bajirao's wife, Bhansali has cast Rani Mukerji. The Chalte Chalte star also features in his other project Black. The shooting of Black commences in December 2003. "Only she [Rani] can play Bajirao's wife Kashibai the way I see the character. I needed a great performer who is also dignified. Without Rani in Bajirao Mastani I would be as confused as Devdas without Madhuri [Dixit]. I have signed her [Rani] for both Black and Bajirao Mastani. She is a fabulous actress. It would be as wonderful to put her on screen with Amit ji in Black, as it would be to put her with Kareena Kapoor and Salman Khan in Bajirao Mastani. The two films offer her a range that actresses only dream about. Rani and I are very good friends in real life. That will help us while working together."

Before Bhansali begins work on Bajirao Mastani in May 2004, he plans to start an English-Hindi bi-lingual called Black starring Amitabh Bachchan. "I am grateful to Amit ji for accommodating my film in his busy schedule. It is fascinating to know that even today filmmakers are devising projects with him in mind. I think that makes him the greatest star-actor of our country. I have been a diehard fan from childhood."

Like most filmmakers, it was Bhansali's dream to work with the Big B. "Even my first film Khamoshi was written for Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. But at that point he had taken a break from acting. I felt with a baritone like his, he would never choose a role that required him to be mute [for his comeback film ]. The fear of rejection prevented me from approaching him," he says.

Cynics are doubtful about how a man of Bhansali's consuming vision plans to make two films back-to-back. He is clear about his plans. "Both projects are very close to my heart. Once I decided on making these films there was never any question of turning back. Rather than standing by my convictions, people are busy spreading rumours. Each day there's a new rumour about the casting. The fact is I have cast my first choices in both projects. It was reported that Rani had walked into Bajirao Mastani and Kareena had walked out. What was the need for this baseless media report when they are playing two different roles?" he quizzes angrily.

To Bhansali, Black and Bajirao Mastani are not only means of creative rejuvenation. It is also a chance to prove his capabilities in two contrasting genres and moods. "It is a conscious process of rejuvenation as a filmmaker. I have to reinvent myself as a creative person."

Bhansali cites the example of his cinematographer Ravi Chandran in both films. "We [Chandran and Bhansali] will be constructing two totally different perspectives in the two films. I will have to work extensively with all my actors before shooting starts. With Amit ji I've to get over my awe before I can get to a comfort level. I'll have to learn to take him into confidence rather than look up to him. Neither he nor I have done anything like Black before. Fortunately he's one of finest human beings I know, so communication should be easy. With Kareena and Rani it'd be much easier. They just need to surrender themselves to me in order to come into their own. I know can I mould her [ Kareena] into my vision. Mastani is a very crucial role. It's imperative that Salman and Kareena play this historical character correctly, and I know they will," he says.

The filming of Black will take place between December and April 2004. Bajirao Mastani goes on the floors in May 2004.

Contrary to the title, Black isn't a depressing subject at all he says. "It is an uplifting tale on the triumph of the human spirit."

Black is also Bhansali's favourite colour as it has a universal resonance. "I think it's a powerful striking colour which describes the film's sensitivities," says the passionate director. "Black isn't a small project I have squeezed into my schedule. How can any film with Amitji be small? It's going to be a very important film in my oeuvre. Amitji's and Rani's [as well]. I plan to make it in both English and Hindi. Bhawani Iyer's English dialogues are too lucid to be left behind in translation. I believe in Black as much as I believe in Bajirao Mastani. The two are so different from each other. I feel creatively stimulated and challenged like never before. Here's my chance not just to do two antithetical films but also something completely different from what I have done in my last three films."

Ajay Devgan, Aamir, Akshay clash at the marquee

The

Jessica Lal murder case has caught the attention of director Raj Kumar Santoshi, who has made films like The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Khakee. H is latest film, Halla Bol, starring Ajay Devgan and Vidya Balan is about this incident.

Santoshi highlights this case which rocked the nation for seven years. Jessica was murdered in 1999 while serving at a bar in New Delhi by Manu Sharma, son of an influential political leader.

Jessica's family never got justice and they ran from from pillar to post. Seven years later, the media and social activists intervened and the case was reopened.

The court finally

convicted Manu and sent him to prison for life, thus bringing justice to the family.

Halla Bol has been in the making for quite a long time and did not find any takers until Chennai-based company, Pyaramid Saimira group, intervened and acquired the film recently.

Halla Bol releases on December 21, along with Aamir Khan's  Taare Zameen  Par and Anees Bazmee's

Welcome.

Akshay, Katrina in Welcome

Finally, Anees Bazmee gives us a peek.

After success of No Entry in 2005, director Bazmee comes up with his first film, Welcome.

The film stars Nana Patekar, Feroz Khan and Anil Kapoor  as gangsters who are looking for a suitable groom from a respected family for their sister, Katrina Kaif.

They finally zero in on Akshay Kumar but his uncle Dr Ghungroo (Paresh Rawal ) does not want his nephew to enter into any association with a mob family.

And to add to the confusion, Mallika Sherawat lands up, claiming that she is already engaged to Akshay.

Produced by Feroz Nadiadwala, Welcome will release on December 21, 2007 along with Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par.

 

Synopsis........

 

Uday Shetty (Nana Patekar), Majnu (Anil Kapoor) and their boss, Sikander (Feroz Khan), three Hong Kong-based serio-comic mobsters, are keen to get their sister Sanjana (Katrina Kaif) married into a respectable family.

Uday, upon a chance meeting with a handsome bachelor, Rajiv (Akshay Kumar), is convinced that the latter would be an appropriate match for Sanjana. However, Rajiv's uncle, Dr. Ghunghroo (Paresh Rawal) does not approve of his nephew's association with a dubious family.

Meanwhile, Sanjana, unaware of her brother' contrivances, meets Rajiv on a cruise and the two fall in love. She has the acceptance of Dr. Ghunghroo, who doesn't realize that she is the sister of the Mafia.

When Dr. Ghunghroo realizes his faux pas he tries escaping the fury of the brothers. Hilarity ensues as each of the diametrically different brothers begin engaging in smart and engagingly comic stunts to get the uncle to agree to the alliance.

This fall-down funny comedy takes another turn when a stunning bomb (Mallika Sherawat) who claims to be Rajiv's fiancée shows up on the scene and adds to the commotion and mayhem.

From the producers of "Hera Pheri" and "Phir Hera Pheri", the director of "No Entry" and the distributors of "Jab We Met", this mega Christmas release boasts of lavish locales, chartbusting music (Himesh Reshammiya, Sajid-Wajid, Anand Raj Anand) and major star power; all making it the biggest knockabout comic caper of 2007.

Ghai signs for Sunny Deol

Subhash Ghai is doing a film with Sunny Deol.

 

Not exactly earth shattering news now, is it? Well, maybe not.

 

Still, the signing up of Sunny may come as a surprise to many as Ghai  always preferred Jackie Shroff  to Sunny.

 

And this dates back to the time the two actors made their debuts in 1983 -- Sunny in Betaab and Jackie in Hero . Subhash Ghai had launched Jackie with Hero.

 

Now, Ghai is signing up Sunny for Right Ya Wrong, to be directed by 

Neeraj Pathak. The film also stars Irfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma , Isha Koppikar, Kirron Kher, Aryan Vaid  and Anjan Srivastav.

 

Apparently, Neeraj started his career as a scriptwriter for Mukta Art's Pardes. He also wrote Apne starring the Deol's -- Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby, which was directed by Anil Sharma.

 

Right Ya Wrong will release early 2008.

Buy Khoya Khoya for the title song

Soha Ali Khan in Khoya Khoya Chand

It's a tough call, when setting tracks into order on an album. Where to put the best track? Sudhir Mishra's Khoya Khoya Chand takes it head on by starting with the title track, one so brilliant that the rest of the album can't quite match it.

What a track, though. Lyricist Swanand Kirkire -- decidedly one of the most interesting men in music today -- takes the microphone himself, along with Ajay Jhingran, to craft an unexpectedly profound track -- that superb tabla-driven ' idhar bhi noch lu, udhar bhi noch lu' chorus is most distracting.

'Kyon apne-aap se khafa-khafa, zara-zara sa naraaz hai dil?' Why is the heart a little annoyed at itself?

This is a lament, not just about a lost, lost moon (forgive me) but a magnificently worded ditty about how life follows its own path and everything finds direction on its own. Why then, it asks, does the heart try to heed the bumps in the road?

After that one song itself well worth the price of admission, we move into the next track, Yeh Nigahein. Composer Shantanu Moitra -- who simply can't do without shamelessly stealing a classic or two -- here making Sonu Nigam and Antara Choudhary cover Bobby Helms' 1957 anthemic Jingle Bell Rock. Kirkire's lyrics are old-school and poetic while naughty enough to take the happy country song into cabaret territory.

Shreya Ghoshal, while possessing a fine voice, doesn't have the required timbre (or is it just better aged vocal chords?) to carry off Chale Aao Saiyan, a fine yet typical song about kothas and birha and the like. A track that doesn't make you weak in the knees, but solid picturisation could enhance it tremendously.

Hamsika Iyer turns on the seduction for Khushboo Sa, one of those high-heeled evening-gown'd tracks. It's well-orchestrated by Daniel George (who was exemplary in

Johnny Gaddaar) so we end up with a smooth, jazzy track. Perfectly likeable, but nothing to go gaga about. Again, unless we have someone stunning on screen doing the crooning.

O Re Paakhi, a Sonu Nigam ballad, like all his best songs, sounds refreshingly unSonu. It's soft, mercifully underplayed, and the lyrics come through clear and heartfelt. Not instantly impressive, this is a track that gets better with each successive listen.

We flow into more classical influence with the guitar-and-alaap start of Sakhi Piya, an admirably vocalised track by Pranav Biswas and Shreya Ghoshal. The guitar slides subtly while the vocals get increasingly ambitious, and this is one of those powerful yet largely background-score songs, invaluable when it comes to setting the mood.

And now, the closer. Thirak Thirak has an intoxicating start, a slow-starting confluence of percussion that climaxes as suddenly as it starts, segueing into a Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal vocal that, while pleasant enough, is unfortunately formulaic. It's only the thirak-thirak phrase, and the high-energy throwback to that great first track, that pushes this to a nice finish, fitting for the album.

Sudhir Mishra's soundtracks are always inevitably tinged with nostalgia -- God, that goosebump-inducing Hazaaron Khwaishein title track -- and in this throwback to Bollywood's true glory days, the mood is well-established, the harmonies ring true.

And Guru Dutt himself would have smiled at the title track.

Shah Rukh: Diwali is all mine

Shah Rukh Khan isn't leaving anything to chance.

Hours before leaving for the London  premiere of his Om Shanti Om on November 8, Khan took the stage at a Nokia event on Wednesday evening in Mumbai's JW Marriott Hotel and decided to give the folks behind rival Diwali release Saawariya something to chew over.

Speaking about his stellar track record with Diwali releases, Khan laughed. " Diwali sirf meri hain. Yeh sirf main manaata hoon," he joked. ('Diwali is all mine; only I get to celebrate it') Khan's jibe is only half a joke. He's had major Diwali hits each time, and his Don last year completely buried Jaan-E-Mann, starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar  .

This time, Saawariya  doesn't have star power -- with newcomer star-kids Ranbir and Sonam -- but is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali Film. Khan said that cinema is about the complete package. "Saawariya may be a wonderful film, lekin 17 saal maine bhi jhak nahin maara." (but I haven't been idle for 17 years either)

There have been difficulties for OSO in getting multiplex owners to agree to their distribution deals, even as Saawariya is picking up the bookings across India. Khan is all too aware, and appropriately quoted the Om Shanti Om dialogue, 'Picture abhi baaki hai, mere dost.' ('The movie is still left, my friend.')

"I am promoting this film so much," Khan said, about the publicity going into probable overkill. "Now I feel all that's left for me to do is write Om Shanti Om on my forehead. People will say 'itna bol raha hai, dekh hi lete hain.'" ('He's saying so much, lets see the film anyway.)

Khan's words pretty much eclipsed Nokia's event, where the firm was tying up with the film and bringing exclusive deals for Nokia customers. As a part of this tie-up, Nokia users can video clips, crazy OSO mobisodes, and animated characters of Om, played by SRK, that can be downloaded by dialling 55555 or from nokia.co.in/oso.

'We are just exploring if mobile devices can take entertainment further. This tie-up is just the beginning,' said Khan. Consumers purchasing select Nokia phones will also get a chance -- via a lucky draw across the country -- to meet King Khan in person this December.