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http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=3b0ed81a-86d8-4f2c-9590-e7ce2a720ffb&MatchID1=4617&TeamID1=3&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1163&MatchID2=4625&TeamID3=1&TeamID4=6&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1165&PrimaryID=4617&Headline=No+sequels+right+now+for+Sangeeth+Sivan
Joe Rajan , Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 26, 2007
First Published: 23:45 IST(26/12/2007)
No sequels right now for Sangeeth Sivan
If the trade buzz is to be believed, Sangeeth Sivan is working on Kya Fool Hai Hum, the sequel of Kya Kool Hai Hum. But Ekta Kapoor won't be a part of it. What's more, Sivan won't be directing it either. He's handed the baton over to Ajay Chandok.
Quiz him on the subject and Sivan insists that Kya Fool Hai Hum is not Kya Kool Hai Hum 2.
"My partner in the production, Sanjay Ahluwalia, had this title with him and we both thought it was quite apt," he says.
It's different
While Kya Fool.. is a comedy, Sivan asserts that it's a completely different story. The reason he didn't cast Tusshar Kapoor or Riteish Deshmukh, he points out, is because he didn't want to mislead the audience.
"That's why I opted for Govinda, Javed Jaffrey and Rajpal Yadav. There's one more actor who is yet to be signed," he informs.
Coming up
So, what's happening on the sequel Ekta Kapoor and he had planned? "I don't know about the sequel but I'll be working with Ekta very soon. Contrary to the rumours, there's been no fall-out," he clarifies.
"But right now, I'm busy with my home production Click."
Sivan's Ek toplining Nana Patekar and Bobby Deol, is also complete.
"We are planning to release it during the summer vacation in April," says Sivan.
© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times |
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Review/Bollywoods_significant_other/articleshow/2643973.cms
Bollywood's significant other
23 Dec 2007, 0127 hrs IST ,Meena Iyer,TNN
Didi, I'm tired of flying to Switzerland," says Jagdish with a world weary air. "Tolaram's passport has more immigration stamps for London than my own passport has," laughs Bobby Deol. Jagdish is Bollywood actor-MP Govinda's man Friday. Tolaram is action-stud Sunny Deol's help for two decades. It would be safe to say that without these two men the two stars would not be able to function.
The impossible lives of our film-stars are held together not by armies of men in suits but by their Jeeveses. These men who have come to Mumbai from UP, Nepal and the interiors of Maharashtra are worth their weight in gold. No one grudges Sanjay Dutt's valet Mohammed his fancy flat in a Mumbai suburb or Manisha Koirala's ex-valet Zakir the Indo-UK film-production unit he now owns.
Officially they earn between Rs 2,500 to 3,000 for an eight-hour shift. The perks include foreign travel, the downside includes jet lag, ducking ashtrays and tantrums. They answer the star's cell phone, ensure his supply of cigarettes, nariyal pani and protein shakes never runs out, clean his ears, bend down to pull off his shoes, and keep his dirty laundry from being washed in public. They fetch chairs and stand for hours with an umbrella over his head. (Little wonder that there are few women valets. "I wish we could have a female assistant," said an actress. "Sometimes it is embarrassing to hand over your lingerie to a man.") The valet knows his master better than his wife or woh. One big star in Bollywood has a valet who does the breaking-up for him. When the affair is over, the valet shows up with a bouquet, code for 'Thank you it's over'.
Jagdish, in his safari suit and wispy choti , has globe trotted so often that he blanches at the sight of the Alps and English countryside where Govinda shoots those comic David Dhawan/Priyadarshan capers. Apart from the asli ghee daliya khichdi he is known for, Jagdish is also Govinda's lucky mascot. The actor admits that when Jagdish left him for a short stint, his career teetered. When he returned to the MP's employ, he brought with him the superhit Partner .
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... some of the nominees include:
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE BY LYRICIST
Shabbir Ahmed – Partner (‘Soni Ke Nakhre’)
Sanjay Chhel – Partner (‘Do You Want A Partner’)
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http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp
Why Katrina prefers Govinda? |
 And the perfect reel-life match for Katrina goes too…??? Govinda. And how is that?
That is because her reel-life love stories seem to be all about mismatched couples. Her pairing with Govinda in Partner is a total howler. She says, “People will love my pairing with Govinda! I think Akshay and I are seen as a good pair because we're both tall. But hey, Govinda isn't short at all! In fact he's a bit taller than I am."
Now that’s news.
Justifying her pairing with Govinda and not Salman Kat says that according to the storyline her pairing with Govinda makes more sense than pairing with Salman who is also acting in the film. Her partner in the film has to be everything that She’s not, and vice versa.
We're supposed to be a mismatched couple. Katrina is all praise for Govinda who has made a come back yet again, in an industry where if you are out of sight you are of mind. Says Katrina, "He knows where he comes from and appreciates where he has reached."
Katrina had made her debut with Salman and David Dhawan in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya two years ago but Subhash Ghai's Main Yuvraj will be her first film where she is paired with Salman romantically.
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http://www.businessofcinema.com/boc/?file=story&id=4663
Govinda unplugged on Radio One
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By Businessofcinema.com Team
5 August 2007, 12:59 AM
MUMBAI: True to his name Virar-ka-chokra, Govinda spills the beans on his attachment with the local trains and much more on Radio One FM 94.3's award winning show, "BBC Ek Mulakat" on Sunday, August 5th, 2007. Sanjeev Srivastava, India Editor of BBC Hindi will anchor the show which will broadcast in Mumbai and New Delhi at 12 noon.
Undisputedly one of the best actor and dancer in the country, Govinda talks about his bizarre yet uplifting experience in the train, years back, which made him value both the local train and some important lessons in life.
Chichi, as his mother and now the entire film fraternity addresses with affection, came across as an extremely focused and giving human being. He gives us an insight on how veterans like Dilip Kumar and Dharmendra inspired him to do the kind of roles he did. He also respects and gives credit to his colleagues and co-stars of today like Karisma, Katrina and the others who helped him become a little more 'English' and how he helped them become a little 'desi'. Govinda feels that his rustic, village boy image has played a major role in his success. Whether it was the films with Neelam or Karishma or his recent flick with Katrina, he feels that his simpleton image in contrast with the sophisticated, urban image of his heroines has created a new energy which has clicked with the masses.
On quizzing him about his take on his comic actor image, Govinda replies, "The artist in me is trapped in this image and struggling. But all said and done, I'm happy with it. Now every one has plunged in this genre and is trying their hand at comedy."
Dilip Kumar, Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan are his favourite actors and he enjoys the on-screen equation he shares with Salman Khan and Sunjay Dutt when it comes to comedy. "From the point of view of learning, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are the best, they are great icons", he adds.
Govinda also dwells on his political career, where again his urge to do some good for the betterment of the local trains is evident. He jokes, "When I started campaigning I used to look like a Punjabi hero, however at the end of it I resembled a South-Indian hero", but adds "My thoughts are not just mine; it includes the advice and blessings from elders".
When asked if he was happy with his political innings, he states, "Happiness or not is a non-issue in politics. Here its all about are you together or not?"
One thing is for sure; Govinda is a man of words. "Whether politics drenches you or not, it keeps your feet wet. It's to be seen how much it troubles or satisfies you", he says.
When queried about how he handles the criticism targeted at him, Govinda rather puts it in simple words stating, "If the critic is honest then he's the best friend, if not, then he's just a part of society. My focus is my goal."
For more interesting insights that Sanjeev Srivastava discusses with Govinda, tune-in to BBC Ek Mulakat on Radio One FM 94.3 on Sunday, August 5th, 2007 at 12 noon. | |
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http://www.businessofcinema.com/boc/index.php?file=story&id=6124
Govinda's niece to debut on NDTV Imagine
By Businessofcinema.com Team
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8 December 2007, 09:50 PM |
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MUMBAI: Actor Govinda's niece, Ragini Khanna, is all set to make her debut on television in Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi, which is slated to go on air in January 2008 on NDTV Imagine. Khanna's father is a producer, her mom is a novelist and brother Amit Khanna is an actor. She has also acted in several print and TV ads.
In Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi, she plays the role of Ragini Sharma, an ambitious girl who aspires to be a super model, so that she can fulfill her dreams and see her family happy, rich and successful. The show also stars Supriya Pilgaonkar, Rattan Rajput, Apoorva Agnihotri and Abhimaan Balhara.
Khanna said, "I have grown up seeing my uncle Govinda on screen and have learnt a lot from him. Now, I'm all set to put my learning's to use in Radhaa ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi. I'm very excited about my role in this show. I play the character of a young girl from a small town who has very ambitious dreams. There is no melodrama... It's a fresh concept that a number of mothers and daughters will relate to." | |
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http://www.businessofcinema.com/boc/?file=story&id=5895
Govinda - Akshaye roped in for Venus' next
By ROHINI BHANDARI
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20 November 2007, 08:15 PM |
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MUMBAI: Actors Govinda and Akshaye Khanna have been signed on by Venus Tapes and Records for a film.
The comedy film will be directed by David Dhawan. The rest of the cast is yet to be finalized for the yet-untitled movie.
Confirming the development to Businessofcinema.com, Venus head Ratan Jain says, "We have signed Govinda and Akshaye Khanna for David Dhawan's films. It is a comic film and will go on floors by February next year. We are yet to sign an actress though and work on the final budget of the film." | | |
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http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14579804
"I've been targeted for good work"... Govinda |
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Monday, 24 December , 2007, 09:44
Last Updated: Monday, 24 December , 2007, 10:51 |
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| He is not doing full time politics anymore but big screen's gag bag Govinda, who had people in splits in Partner, says that he hasn't quit politics permanently.
Are you in or out of politics?
I'm like water. My temperature depends on the atmosphere. Things around me had become so volatile I couldn't function properly. In Indian politics deception seems a by-word. I'll have none of that. From now on I want to be a part of only those factions that believe in decency and hard work. That applies to both cinema and politics. I've severed all relations with undesirable elements. I met Soniaji and told her I want to work towards improving my own constituency. Now I find the clouds around me dispersing. I want to get as close to nature as possible.
Why was there so little of you in your comeback film Bhagam Bhag?
My intention was to make a comeback at any cost. I wasn't finding a way out anywhere. Salman Khan and David Dhawan were the first to offer me solace. Then came Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar. I was never bothered about how I was treated. I just needed to return. I didn't want to be caught up in any more problems. At least I found a place back in the industry.
Akshay seems to be playing the kind of roles you used to do.
I believe every actor gets some chance or the other to show his capability. I had one long scene in Bhagam Bhag and I was happy with that. An enlightened viewer knows when it comes to getting into character - Kamal Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan are the kings. To a certain extent you find Abhishek getting into character. How many actors today have the capability to go beyond characters? I feel I've done whatever I could. I think I'm quite okay in Bhagam Bhag.
You were accused of fraternising with the underworld in Dubai.
I know. I wonder what happened to that so-called scandal! Artists are already wary souls. How much more cautious can one be? For 17 years I haven't gone anywhere in the Middle East. Imagine how much money I'd have earned. God knows what force stopped me but now I'm planning to have a show in the Middle East. No one can stop me. Very soon I'll make my announcement.
Will you have time for any politics after so many films?
A person can have time for any thing he desires. There's a great satisfaction in humanitarian work. I've been targeted for trying to do good work, but I won't give up. I'm trying my best to go beyond all nuisances around me.
You've completed 44. What's life taught you?
That if you do good, you'll get good. | | |
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Dec232007/enter2007122242640.asp
Im glad I worked with them because Brits are tough task masters. They made a man out of me, curing me of my insomnia, model-actor Nasser Abdullah chats about his Gandhi experience with Chethana Dinesh.
His enthusiasm for life can be infectious. He is also unassuming. In fact, he is so unassuming that he's unlike most others in the film and fashion industry. Though he handles the dual role of a model and an actor with admirable ease, he feels that he still has a long way to go and that he will take the path less trodden. That's Nasser Abdullah for you, a model-actor whose tryst with the big bad world of films and modelling began way back in 1979. Since then, Nasser Abdullah has carved a niche for himself as a dependable model and a sensitive actor who can bring life to the characters that he portrays. Justly so, going by the success of his ad campaigns and his performance in critically acclaimed movies like Mitr.
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What does he enjoy most - modelling or cinema? "Well! Each has its own charm. I definitely enjoy both, though modelling is my bread, butter and jam," he says, admitting that he still remains the confused lad he was many, many years ago.
Nasser however has many movies lined up in the near future. Chief among them are Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion and two yet-to-be-named movies with Govinda and Abhijeet Sawant.
This model-actor with killer looks even at 51, writes poems and plays the keyboard too. But, despite the obvious trappings of success, Nasser remains quite humble in his outlook. "I take life as it comes," he says. Any plans for future? "Not really. But, my greatest ambition in life is to make short films with social messages," he says.
It sure is a dream that is not far-fetched, especially when it comes from a model-actor of Nasser's calibre, ain't it? |
Saif messages me at three in the morning: Sharmila
By Subhash K. Jha, Mumbai, Dec 4 : Sharmila Tagore is a doting mother, but she has a grouse against son Saif Ali Khan. She says he does not keep in regular touch with her.
"At least when I SMS my daughters Saba (Ali Khan) and Soha (Ali Khan) they reply immediately. But Saif is impossible. He gets in touch at three in the morning when he's in trouble. But when I want him he's nowhere to be found," Sharmila told IANS. . . . Sharmila knows that her kids have to find their own way of life. "As a mother I'm happy they're working, making a living and trying to make sense of their lives. But every generation has to learn from its own mistakes. What worked for me may not work for them. I can't run Saif and Soha's life by remote control. Parents often believe they know best but that's not how it is always." Sharmila and Soha will be seen in Aparna Sen's film " Jewel Box" [" Jewellery Box"]. "That project will happen if the finances are in place. I love my character. If it's made I'll have a ball doing it." "It's very culture-specific drama, about three different generations of Bengali women and what jewellery means to them. For my character it means better bargaining power in the household. For the second generation jewellery is an investment. For the third generation it funds a vision. Like ' Omkara', Aparna's film is culture-specific. It'll work only in Bengali." She speaks highly of her co-stars - Govinda and Konkana Sen Sharma - in the project. "Like Shammi Kapoor, Govinda is very under-utilised. And Konkona...I'm really looking forward to working with her." But apart from this project, Sharmila does not have any films. Her charity work, gardening and reading keep her busy. "At the moment I don't have any other films on hand. I keep myself busy with my work for Unicef and with gardening and reading which are my passions. And of course meeting my children, which I don't get to do that often."
--- IANS |
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Telegraph India has a squib on Govinda posted December 21st, 2007, however, they are transferring servers and their archives are erratic.
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http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Dec222007/living2007122142459.asp
2007: Glories & follies |
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| Well, another year bites the dust. And here we go (rubbing our hands in glee) for the opportunity to trash all those big and beautiful people who made us weep in the year that is drawing to a quick close. And applaud those who didnt, of course. Like always, we say some sweet things with a bit of mirchi thrown in. Rachna Bisht Rawat does a round-up of the year that went by, tongue firmly in cheek. |
Dowdy Dressing Dept
If you go by what the hottest celebrities were wearing this year, then it was fashionable to look dowdy. There was Abhishek Bachchan with his sticky tresses, girly hair bands, forever stubble and dark scowls; almost cracking out television screens with sheer ugliness. Giving him good company was his new bride Aishwarya Rai Bachchan — sometimes doing a Plain Jane in shapeless jeans and oversized jackets and sometimes dutiful bahu (straight out of an Ekta Kapoor serial) with flashy Indian wear and shiny sindoor.
Giving the one-time Miss World stiff competition in the most-badly-dressed department was Vidya Balan, who desperately needs to change her designer in reel as well as real life. Her outrageously ugly, badly-fitted, terribly-co-ordinated outfits made holes in our eyes. While Govinda, as always, made a rainbow blush with his fluorescent shirts.
Even the otherwise fashionable Salman Khan had no mercy on us this year, making the finer senses burn with his obscene thigh-hugging jeans, big belts and bigger heels. He also made our eardrums collapse from the strain of deciphering his ever-deepening American accent and his amazing ability to drawl with his mouth shut. However, he seems to have found a fan in director Sanjay Leela Bhansali who remained inaudible to those of us not versed in the technique of lip reading.
Comeback kids
It was comeback year for the gorgeous Madhuri who proved that the eyes sparkle still, the smile continues to sizzle and nobody, simply nobody, can do the bust heave and the kamar-ka-thumka like her. Unfortunately, with Aaja Nachle she picked a script that almost put us to sleep. Another comeback that put the smile back on our faces was Govinda's when he found his comic timing once again. A much-appreciated comeback, this time on television, was of one-time controversial hockey coach Mir Ranjan Negi, who chucked the hockey stick, caught on to his choreographer's arm and showed us some straight lifts and pelvic thrusts that brought him within kicking distance of the Jhalak Dikhla Ja trophy.
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Happy 44th Birthday to Govinda |
All that glitters is old
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Bollywood is getting older. Our superheroes are happily in their 40s. Whatever happened to the teenybopper trend? |
| Posted On Tuesday, November 13, 2007 | |
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| 40+ SUPERSTARS |
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Shah Rukh
This acclaimed actor tasted success with his debut film Deewana (1992), and ever since he has never looked back. Even at 42, he made the entire nation drool over his six-pack abs. |
Aamir khan
42-year-old Aamir Khan has Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, Mangal Pandey The Rising and Rang De Basanti to his credit. In Taare Zameen Par, he looks very young in his mohawk hairstyle. |
Salman Khan
Bollywood's apna Sallu Bhai has ruled the roost with Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Biwi No.1 and No Entry. The actor, who turns 42 this Dec, plays the leading man in Main Yuvraj and Wanted Dead or Alive. |
Sanjay Dutt
This 48-year-old actor continues to face a deluge of offers. From time to time he has rediscovered himself with films like Sadak (1991), Khalnayak (1993) and most recently the Munnabhai series. |
Govinda
This 43-year-old actor rose to fame during the late '80s. In early 2000 he faced a string of flops, before resurrecting his career with Bhagam Bhaag and Partner. |
Hrithik Roshan
His debut Kaho Naa Pyar Hai in 2000 made him an overnight star. With no major flop shows, this 33-year-old continues to be one of the A-listers in Bollywood. |
Abhishek Bachchan
He started his career with Refugee. However, he became hot property with films like Yuva and Dhoom. 31-year-old Abhishek Bachchan has braved flops before emerging as a sought after actor in the industry today. |
John Abraham
For this 34-year-old model-turned-actor it has been a dream come true. Every new release at the box office ensures a rise in his popularity among fans and filmmakers. His forthcoming film is Goal. |
Shahid Kapoor
Shahid debuted as a leading actor in 2003 with Ishq Vishk. This 26-year-old has suffered a string of flops before emerging as a winner in his last film, Jab We Met. |
Ranbir Kapoor
The 25-year-old scion of the celebrated Kapoor family has shown great promise with his debut film, Saawariya | | | |
http://www.jansamachar.net/display.php3?id=&num=9044&lang=English
20 December 2007
Indian films ready for journey beyond diaspora
By Madhusree Chatterjee
New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) The billion-dollar Indian film industry is reinventing itself to get the maximum out of digital proliferation in the mass media. And the role model is Hollywood.
It is preparing to go beyond the diaspora audience in the West by making full use of digitised distribution networks, which are gradually replacing traditional methods. Digital distribution has an edge in terms of cost and speed.
Efforts are on to work out a two-edit format for Indian films, especially those from Bollywood that are distributed abroad.
"There is a lot of curiosity about Indian films from the mainstream audience abroad. But the novelty factor wears off very soon. There has to be a mechanism to make Bollywood cinema compatible with the Western audience," said Navin Shah, CEO, P9 Integrated, a Mumbai-based film marketing giant.
Films will be edited twice - once for the audience in India and then for the 'white market' abroad. For the foreign audience, the duration of Indian films will be cut short. According to Shah, the time period will be reduced from two-and-a-half hours to roughly 90 minutes.
"Indian films are full of song and dance sequences, but the white audience is not used to it. The number of songs and dances will be cut down," Shah told IANS.
"Alam Ara", the first talkie film in Hindi, reportedly had seven songs and several films that followed it were all musicals. Early productions sometimes featured as many as 40 songs. However, the number of songs and dances, on an average, now is restricted to six.
The industry is even planning to change the nature of promotionals. Bollywood film promos are mostly collages - a jumble of shots and snatches of dialogues, whereas Hollywood promos usually convey the stories in a nutshell.
"The industry will employ people to design promos and media footage like those in Hollywood so that the audience abroad gets an idea what the film is all about," Shah said.
Another medium that distributors intend to make use of is YouTube.
"It is one of the top 15 popular sites in the world. Indian films can be uploaded on YouTube to build a movie library and viewed by users for free. It will check piracy," said Marcus Stuart, executive vice-president, Eros International, Britain, a content distribution firm.
Outreach tools in the entertainment media have been morphing for some time. At least 50 top Indian brands are now talking to the global audience. Banks like ICICI and companies like MDH and firms that make tobacco products are using local content for brand promotion abroad.
"This helps small-time filmmakers market their wares to the mainstream audience in the West," Shah said.
Tourism boards are also promoting Bollywood abroad in a big way. "I have at least nine foreign tourism boards on my list of clients, who sell Bollywood destinations and also push Indian content in their respective countries. The Singapore tourism board is one of them," Shah said. NTOs like VisitBritain have unveiled special Bollywood tourism maps this year.
The popularity of Indian film events, featuring Bollywood stars abroad and live telecasts of the same, has also taken Indian mass entertainment beyond the Asian audience in the West.
2007-12-21 10:07:46
Original Source : agency
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It's groovy, baby Author: Sonal Chawla Date: 20 Dec 2007
Chi Chi jumps on the hip-hop bandwagon for his new movie
After Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan now Govinda has gone the hip-hop way. He recently shot for a hip-hop song on a beach in Mauritius for his film Money Hai Toh Honey Hai along with Upen Patel.
Twenty-twenty
A source from the unit reveals, "Four different sets were made on the beach. Choreographer-turned-director Ganesh Acharya called 20 dancers from London for this song that was shot over three days."
The source further adds, "Ganesh had to hire 20 guards to handle the huge crowd that gathered around."
'It's rocking'
Chi Chi is very excited about the song, "It's rocking and has a brilliant idea. Ganesh has given the song a sexy look!" He further adds, "Manoj Bajpai, Ravi Kissen, Upen and I were in Mauritius for almost a month; living like one big family."
Whatta jodi!
The director then adds in his two cents, "Not only the song, the entire movie has a hip-hop theme, which shows through the dance steps, and the African-American dancers." The director then talks about the Govinda-Upen jodi, "As everyone knows Govinda is an amazing dancer, while Upen does really great hip-hop dancing." |
Published on Thursday, December 20th, 2007at 9:55 pm
Mumbai: In 2007, Bollywood's fortunes swung like a wild pendulum. The industry was buffeted by a slew of potential blockbusters that fell way short of trade expectations.
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To make matters worse, Nikhil Advani's "Salaam-e-Ishq" keeled over under its own weight. Suneel Darshan's "Shakalaka Boom Boom", Milan Luthria's "Hattrick" and Vikram Bhatt's "Red" and "Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi" also sank without a trace. April-end saw the release of "Tara Rum Pum", starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee. The first of Yash Raj Films' five releases of the year did nothing to lift Bollywood's sagging spirits.
Succour came from completely unexpected quarters. First-time director Sagar Ballary's "Bheja Fry", which opened in mid April, had no saleable star names and rested on an unconventional plot premise - the film was inspired by Francis Weber's French satire "The Dinner Game" - but it clicked big time.
"Bheja Fry", driven by a clutch of fine actors who aren't saleable stars, wasn't the only offbeat film that achieved commercial success. The substantial domestic gross of Mira Nair's English-language "The Namesake", a fine adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, gave UTV Motion Pictures much cause for cheer. Another surprise hit from the UTV stable in 2007 was Anurag Basu's freewheeling "Life in a… Metro".
Debutante Reema Kagti's "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.", a lively comedy of manners produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment, recovered its cost - and more.
By far the biggest disappointment of 2007 was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's self-indulgent "Saawariya", co-produced by Hollywood major Sony Pictures Entertainment. Critics pilloried the film. Moviegoers stayed away. No other Bollywood film of 2007, with the exception of "RGV Ki Aag", was as universally disliked as "Saawariya".
Reverses that YRF suffered in the shape of "Tara Rum Pum", "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom", "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag" and "Aaja Nachle" were somewhat offset by the superhit "Chak De India".
Directed by Ram Gopal Varma protégé Shimit Amin and scripted by one of Bollywood's most gifted screenwriters Jaideep Sahni, the film was as offbeat as a mass entertainer can ever get. The tale of a hockey coach who has a point to prove and a bunch of women who have nothing to lose may have had shades of "Lagaan", but it was driven by its own rhythm and logic. Shah Rukh, for a change, shed his starry mannerisms to come up with one of his most convincing screen performances ever.
The second Shah Rukh starrer of 2007, Farah Khan's "Om Shanti Om", bettered the stunning box office performance of "Chak De India". OSO, produced by the superstar himself, hit the screens on the same day as "Saawariya" and romped home with ease.
The appeal of the crowd-pleasing fantasy about a 1970s film extra enamoured with a female star hinged on stale plot devices and infantile in-jokes, yet the film hit bull's eye owing to Shah Rukh's matchless ability to inveigle the masses with his unabashed hamming. OSO was unapologetic masala, and its runaway success proved that the song and dance formula will never go out of vogue, no matter how much Bollywood changes.
The other male star who could do no wrong in 2007 was Akshay Kumar. His report card for the year had a trio of huge hits - "Namaste London", "Heyy Babyy" and "Bhool Bhulaiya". Not one of the three films was cinema at its best. They worked because in 2007 audiences were in the mood for kitsch.
OSO established that beyond doubt, as did "Aap Ka Surroor", music man Himesh Reshammiya's first film as an actor, and David Dhawan's "Partner", which saw the return of the once-successful Salman Khan-Govinda onscreen team.
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–By Saibal Chatterjee, IANS |
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2634351,prtpage-1.cms
Mischief with the mantri!
20 Dec 2007, 0000 hrs IST,SHARIN WADER ,TNN
If dropdead gorgeous former supermodel and singer Carla Bruni, who is 38, can develop a liking for 53-year-old French President Nicolas Sarkozy, why should not Indian models have fantasies about Laloo Prasad Yadav!
The French press, naturally, has gone to town with lurid details and pictures of the recently-divorced President's romance with the former girlfriend of rockers Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton. The two were last seen romping around Disneyland in Paris.
Simultaneously, BT got in touch with several of our sexy models and inquired, if they could and would... which desi mantri would they like to get publicly cozy with. And the coy answers...
Pooja Chitgopekar: Rahul Gandhi, I think he is a charismatic and charming person. He is the most appealing Indian politician around.
Shamita Singha: Just for the heck of it, I think I would date Govinda, because he would make me laugh; Sachin Pilot, because he's the youngest of them all; Rahul Gandhi, because he appears to be the only sophisticated one; Vinod Khanna, because he was the superstar of yesteryear; and, Laloo Prasad Yadav, just to cheese off Rabri Devi!
Carol Gracias: It would be Govinda because he's the only one whose madness makes a little bit of sense!
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Chal Chala Chal is expected to be released on December 21st, 2007, which coincides with Govinda's 44th birthday. |
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