Latest Gossips From The Cinema World
Latest Gossips From The Cinema World

A young Indian writer’s words made a huge impact in the minds. And a country, over 50 years old, that was set up to be a beacon of freedom and expression, a country what had inherited several millenna of cultural values and art, is now home to an increasing amount of intolerance, grouchiness and issue raking. With every passing  incident, we seem to have crossed our limits. No large production, nowadays goes off with out being raked. The attractions are many,publicity, air time on the various news channels that will broadcast your sound, byte, money, serious wound to sentimant ad sometimes just a chance to rub shoulders and to share the same stage with a megastar.

Billu, a new name for a movie earlier titled Billu Barber, is a good point to start.  Perhaps they maight have addded a word of insult to our vocabulary. Reportedly, a song from the fame film had angered some learner mambers of the audience, which resulted an attack on SRK’s house.  Then, the actors and music director of Slumdog Millionaire came under some criticism for being invloved in a project that showed Indians in poor light.

Ghajini was not very far behind. It was rocked with controversies about its remake right hours before its release. The tattooing of some numbers had caused some sort of disturbane for the actor. Singh is Kinng had ostensibly hurt the sentiments of certain sections of the community. Om SHanti OM tripped on a certain actor and an oraganisation ably defending the rights of thse with disabilty rights. Fanaa ran into issues because of Aamir Khan’s involvement in a social cuse. A line from Aaja Nachle greviously touched a section’s hearts.

A key song from Dil Se, injured a people’s religious feelings. This list is actually endless. Elsewhere in the issus, Filmfare writer RAchit Gupta explores this macabre phenomenon. Nowadays, it seems certain that a large film will attract some commotion and will have some person asking for a stay on its release. There have been some surprises. Nobody has heard of the Chinese askieng for the screening of CHandini Chowk to China to be stopped. Globally, cinema is thought to be an expression of art. In many cases,  films are hard hitting. These are intended to provoke, to getone to think, it does not have to be visual. We have no right to crib why our directors do not produce glaobally acclaimed cinema, if we do not allow them this license.

Arjun Rampal’s back from a round of heavy duty partying in Dubai at the launch of the Atlantis in the Palm. Among invitees of good friend Shah Rukh Khan’s party were Robert De Niro, Mischa Barton, Mary Kate Oslen, Kylie Minogue, Charlize Theron and Lindsay Lohan. ‘It was great fun, it always is and the music was great,’ says Arjun. And its time to put on the party hatsonce again as the actor blows out 36 candles. ‘ Are you rubbing it in?’ he asks, adding ,’ I don’t feel it, I should be  turning 26.’ Since he’ll be shooting the whole day for Fox, he’ll take it easy this time.

‘It won’t be anything grand, a quite dinner with family and friends. In fact, I always end up shooting on my B’day, and by the time II finish ‘I’ll be too exhausted to party,’ says Arjun.The partying will be reserved for wife Mehr’s b’day. Hers is just 4 days after mine, so we’ll party then,’ he says.  As for the guest list, he says he has no idea as his wife will take care of it. Is he thinking of strumming the guitar for his guests? ‘Actually it is not a bad idea, Farhan will be there, he can sing and I can play the guitar,’ he laughs.

Speaking abou b’day wishes, Arjun says this yearhas been great for him and he shouldn’t be greedy, butjust the duas of his fans and his well wishers should do.  Recently he has been called the coolest dad in India, and he says he is proud of it as it invovles  being a dad. Things look professionally well after ROck On!!! Besides Fox,  there is Prakash Jha’s RajNeeti in which he palys a politcian. Remind im that his first outing as a producer I See You, tanked at the box office, he says that the film was good but not enough awareness was created around it.

One has to learn from failures, and now arjun is back with an eight pack, for amit

Allah Rakha Rehman,or A.R.Rehman as he is popularly known as, is now on cloud nine after being the first Indian musician to have won Oscars, and  it definitely goes without saying that the whole of  India is mighty proud of him and the whole team of Slumdog Millionaire for having bagged eight Oscars.  Coming back to Rehman, he has won awards earlier  that spill out of his cupboard, and has performed with the who’s who of world music, and probably there is no stage beyond his reach.

Yet the man is as simple and as humble as can be. God made man, and then he also made men like A.R.Rehman. And like God, Rehman has also become unwittingly a leveller. Mani Ratnam, Rajiv Menon, Subash Ghai, Govind Nihalani, mix with mortals such as us and the chaiwalas, to  wait patiently outside his house  for this great musical magician to appear, ans spin his mystical musical web.  Famous directors have famously skipped an event to wait for Rehman to give them their song, and stars have waited on the sets, extras in tow, for the first notes to play.  And with every film that bears his signature, the music lovers off the world wait… for the violin strings, for the c-major chord, for the bass, for it all to come together, as the intricate lacework of the great man floats into our senses.

A glittering Golden Globe can also be added to his   choc-a-bloc  shelf of trophies. His score for Slumdog Millionaire, has bagged him all these awards, yet another feather in his cap. At each stage, his contribution has been applauded with various accolades including 23 Filmfare awards. And Rehman has beautifully managed the delicate balance between art and commercial cinema. He has cut across all genres, creating a sound that appeals to one and all. And in spite of all this commercial success, he has remained grounded. His spiritual path has always been part of his growth as an artist.  His rqange has been varied, what with more than 100 films to his credit. Each innovation has had a fresh appraoch, departing from where the previous one left off.

Rehman has the music in his mind and used every musician as an artist, probably becasue he has been an instrumentalist himself.  He tries to extravt soemthing extra from every one of his musicians as well as his playback seingers.  Most important he beleives in their potentials and improvises. You can say ther’s a lot of youthfulness as well as a lot of maturity in his music. The arrangement of his composition and the way they are placed is remarkable- they don’t just add up to a cluster of sound. The use of  slience….of pauses……is brilliant. And I must say his complete faith in his religion, in a spiritual core, has given him this strength, peace and mental balance.  His virtues and praises keep on adding  and it would be very difficult to put a stop at any particular place.  So, lets all just pray that this young magician who has already spun us  into his web of music, continues to do so, so that we are  drowned by it.

The media loves Salman Khan, for where he goes Tamasha is bound to follow. Salman came to Amrita Arora and Shakeel Ladak’s sangeet in a blue tee and jeans. When he stepped out at 4.30am in a white shirt and high spirits, the press and TV cameramen knew big things were about to happen. The action began when a journo asked if Sallu got the chance at the sangeet to patch up  with SRK.

Visually irritated, Salman looked like he might pounce on the journo, but instead looked for his car. Nowhere in sight!!!Any other Bollywood biggie would have gone back inside, called for the car and then given the driver hell.  Not Salman- he does things differently. Hailing a passing auto, he jumped in beside the driver and asked the astonished man to speed away.

The media gave chase, but somewhere along the way taking a leaf out of Michael Schumacher’s book, Salman asked the autowallah to surrender control to him and he zipped off into the night. The story ended with his car being spotted and Salman Khan giving the autowallah a generous baksheesh. Amrita and Shakeel missed the scene, but it provided the extra show to their sangeet.

NRIs are a frequent fixture in Bollywood flicks. They may be out of India, but they are an active part of Indian films-right from Subash Ghai’s Pardes to Rakyesh Om Prkash Mehra’s latest Delhi 6, and the upcoming New York starring John Abharam and Katrina Kaif. Bur much used as these characters  who belong to a unique social milleu are, how right does Bollywood get their portrayal?

VJ-turned actress Sophie Choudary who was born and brought up in UK, feels the characterisation of NRIs in most films is cliched. “NRIs are often shown as rich spoilt brats who know nothing about their culture. Many movies like Pardes and Namastey London, depict NRIs as having a negtive image of our culture and tradition,” she says, “but despite being born adn brought up outside the counrty, we have a deep rooted connection with Indian values, which we imbibe from our parents. It’s ok to show a clash of culture the NRIs face when they return to India, but it’s wrong to show them disrespecting Indian ways.”

Kabir Khan, director of New York, feels any kind of generalisation is wrong. “There are two extreme stereotypes of NRIs in  Bollywood -one is of NRIs who don’t like their life abroad and long to return to India, and the other is of those who get carried away by the western ways.” He beleives Bollywood today has become more sensible. “There’s less exeggarationand more practicality. In New York, I’ve sketched the NRIs characters as people with as normal a life  style as anyone else,” he adds. But he feels that heavily accented NRIs accents won’t be right for the mainstream audiences and whether they’ll be able to understand the heavy accent.

” The role Kal Penn played in The Namesake was that of a perfect NRI with the right acent and mannerisms, but that’s a cross over film for the multiplex audience.  We can’t use the same formula in commercial films,” he says. Trade analyst and film critic Komal Nahata feesl this balance is needed for mainstream Bollwyood films. “If the story and charcter fall in place, it sfine. The audience must be convinced about the character, only then it serves its purpose,” he says.  Sandal wood actor Chetan, who is also an NRI, feels that casting is everything. ” Once the director is able to choose the right actor forthe role, half the battle is won. Actors like Kal Penn and Nagesh Kukunoor were able to play NRIs to perfection in THe Namesake and Hyderabad Blues. So, it depends on the actor, the story and if the role fits well within it. It’s also imortant for the actor to be convincing enough for the audience to empathise with the character. Mastering an accent won’t do,” feels Chetan.

Star kid, rock star, all are terms that have ben used to describe Shrut Haasan, and she will finally make her Bollyeood debut opposite ImranKhan in Luck this year. But she’s not the only star kid making her B-town enrty, so is Shruti feeling the heat of the competetion?  ” I dont’ even know who the other debutants are. I don’t feel the need to be compared with any body else.I’m the only personI am answerable to.  I’m here to do my own thing,”says Shruti.

Since she turned down many prominent offers before she accepted Luck, she was looking for the right kind of project as her launch vehicle. “There’s no formula I ws looking for when I was considering offers. Luck happened when I was ready to get into films and it’s worked  for me. I’ve known Imran for sometime now an working with him was thoroughly enjoyable,” she  adds. Did Shruti always imagine  herself following her celeb parents’ footsteps, seeing that she studied music and not films.

” Coming from a family where movies play an  integral role, becoming an actress was more of a sub-conscious decision than a conscious one,” she laughs  “growing up in a film oriented enviornment , I couldn’t have said no to acting. Now that I have explored my skills in music, I want  to move onto acting. I wouldn’t mind fusing acting and singing. Since it’s already  been done in Bollywood, it has to be something that makes sense and worth it,” points out Shruti.

What iis it like being the daughter of legendary star like Kamal Haasan? ” There always will be a lot of speculation and expactations. But I don’t feel the pressure because I’m focussed on what I have to do.Although I’ve had the best advise and guidane from my parents, in the end, my hard work and talent will speak. I’ve learnt a lot from my dad and I’m proud to be his daughter,” states Shruti.

With him, you see is what you get, there are no frills, no trappings of celebrity, no sugar coated dialogues to inveigle you to his side. That is Randeep Hooda-candid and upfront, take him or leave him. He won’t budge from his trajectory. the industry seem to have temporarily left him.  It is his blunt ways what he is best known for, that seems to have cost him his career, and he blames his genes for that. “I am a Jat and if you ever see two Jats talking, you will assume that they are fighting with each other because we are such loud people. So, you can’t blame me for being brash,” he says.

Neither is he very affected by all the negative talk he’s attracted over the years. His theory, “everyone gets bithced about atsome point or other ad so do I. I’m not someone special.” he is aware  though that his politically incorrect ways may have derailed his otherwise promising career. After all, he entered the filmland with a bang with dilms like DevD, that hd everyone sitting up and noticing this Haryanvi-on-the-block.  “I was stupid not to capitalise on the success of D,” he drawls addding that he should have done a Rang De Basanti after D. The fact is that there are very few actors who can carry films on their shoulders, him included.

He’s glad for the knocks he’s recieved in his short stint in the film industry though. They’ve made him down to earth, balanced and grounded as a person, he claims. He has realsied that when things work out, it’s superb, but one should not get too carried away with success. Also it helps that he has finally reealsied that it was his own conduct that was responsible for the way his career course has run. He candidly admits,” I am one of the actors who could have been much more successful in terms of media popularity and marketability, but I suffered due to my own choices.”

Also, his mistakes inculde a fall out with his mentor Ram Gopal Verma. Its clear that Randeep is fast growing up in many ways. He’s learnt the showbiz natter and is keen to make amends. he feels he would have been better off had he built  personal relationships that would benefit him later. He says he realises now that you need to be extra polite and you need to do things that give you stragetic alliances with people.  Randeep points out that the most important thing he has learnt here is that it does not matter waht you do but it matters who you know.

Showbiz’s got the bug. Several stars  have been afflicted by the viral flu and Koko is no exception.  Holed up in a dust -ridden set put up for the frothy romantic comedy, Wake Up Sid, she trudges in a tad wearily, with wet hair and clothes {thanks to a scene they have been shooting all day} and by the looks of it, her mood is damp too. “Stupid viral fever,” she says, “plus I just moved house so I haven’t had a minute to myself. ” Co-star Ranbir Kapoor troops in looking a bit like Rudolf the red-nosed raindeer himself.

“Ranbir isn’t well either,” she says.  Now, coming to her attraction for Luck By Chance, she says that Zoya Akthak has done a very good job with the script. It’s not just a of incidents where two  people fall in love, its something more complicated. It’s about being in the right place at the right time, says Konkana. She plays a struggling starlet in the film- is she by any chance identifying with the role?  “I haven’t struggled at all , in fact, if I had to struggle like that, I might not have been an actress at all,” says Konkana.

She had always wanted to pursue journalism or advertising. She did one or two films that came her way in her college days, but wasn’t really planning on making that her career. Has it bothered her that Tabu was offered the role in Luck By Chance, before her?  “Not at all, now not everyone can do all the roles. I was offered The Namesake before it went to Tabu. I heard that Rani Mukherjee was  offered the film too. Kareena Kapoor was asked to do Page 3 before Madhur Bhandarkar thought of me. But I am glad I did Luck By Chance,” she says.

After working with other women directors, { her mother Aparna Sen and Shonali Bose who made Amu}  other  than Zoya Akthar, Konkana feels that it is better to work with women directors, as you can esily tell a woman if something is bothering you of is you are uncomfortable with your lines. But there are some male directors who are equally sensitive. There were reports that Zoya and she did not get along well during the shooting of Luck…, but Konkana is shocked by that and disagrees that there was  any misunderstandiing between them.

Actor, director, producer, talk show host…. and still counting! Wow!! where is the real Farhan Akthar?  Some gifted people may really beat you with it. They may not mean to but nonetheless, the sheer ease with which they accomplish so many things is enough to render you into pounds of chewed bubblegum. Improbable, as it may sound, Farhan doesn’t wear his talent on his sleeve, it’s one of those seamless things. True, the things that he has achieved of late are kind of preposterous. Everyone knew him as an ace writer-director. But now  that he can do a jig in front of the camera too, what’s more can give some of our accomplished a run for their money.

He can croon into the mike, make a living out of it if he wants, he can be a whacky show host. Not to forget that he is also successful co-producer with Ritesh Siddhwani.  Hmmm, superman anyone?  ” Seriously, I enjoy doing all this. I’m sure a time will come when I will want to stop doing so many things and focus on one. But right now, my creative impulses are ushering me to get involved in all this stuff, fortunately,” says Farhan earnestly. All this of course, includes acting, producing, and devising publicity strategies for his sister Zoya Akhtar’s movie Luck By Chance. Quiz him about the movie and he says it revolves around two characters who are negotiating their way around in this extremely complicated film industry.

And how luck plays a crucial role in deciding who will make it and who don’t. ” Thousands come to the city everyday, to try out their luck in the movies. Out of them, only about .5 or .25 % get any kind of success, much less become a big star. How is that decided? Is it your attitude, is it your being at the right time at the right place, or is it your blinkered focus that nothing else matters but  this. The movie talks about all this,” he says. Bedsides Farhan and Konkana, the movie boasts of an eclectic cast comprising Rishi Kapoor plying a director, Hrithik Roshan playing a superstar, Sanjay Kapoor playing a producer and Dimple playing the Debutante’s mother.

His confidence misinterpreted as attitude problem didn’t deter the young debutant from swimming against the tide to reach his destination-Bollywood! Muzamil Ibrahim, the man who dared to speak against his own director Pooja Bhatt in his very first film, fought with people where he lived and even lost his cool many times when blogged down by questions pelted at him, some accusing and some not so flattering; only to stand up for his beleifs. Today he is a more matured and calmer person who realises  his mistakes from the past and is man enough to laugh at them and put it behind, as he turns over a new leaf.

This handsome hunk isn’t shy to speak about controversies that seem to have take a liking to him.  He is now ready with  the release  of his film Horn, Ok Please! a film that has garnered  more controversies than the film’s cast of the content. What immediately comes to the mind is  the incident when Tanushree accused Nana Patekar of indecent behaviour and the consequent media chaos.  Muzamil has been cotroversy’s favourite kid, so where he was during the incident was an obvious choice of question.

A showdown with Pooja Bhatt and the fight he got into with his residential colplex, who accused his of his ill behaviour and abusing the kids in the complex, are only a few to mention.  His second film with an actor like Nana Patekar, who is known to be a bit eccentric, did give him jitters knowing that he will be paired along with a man known for his infamous temper, though he says, ” I have grown up watching actors like Nan Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah, and was looking foward to working with them. What people think and say doesn’t matter because I beleive in my own personal experiences. When I met Nana Patekar for the first time, he told me I ws like his son and took care of everything.”

Did his outbursts with Pooja Bhatt  after Dhoka effect his success story,  because after that  it became all the more important fot him to prove himself. And also, the Bhatts are known to  repeat their cast, then why did we find Muzamil not working with them again? “Yes, they did offer me Raaz, but the role was something I couldn’t relate to, so I didn’t sign. If they have anything suited for me, they will let me know,” says  Muzamil.  He sure does rub a lot of people in the wrong  way with his beliefs in himself, then what makes him tick? For someone who has a lot of female  populace vying for his attention, he does have someone special in his life but not form the film field.