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Showing posts with label Amir Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amir Khan. Show all posts

Saturday, 12 October 2013

Hollywood & Bollywood Updates 12th October 2013

              HOLLYWOOD UPDATES
Angelina Jolie's opening scenes in 'Maleficent' to be re-shot

Los Angeles: Actress Angeline Jolie`s introductory scenes in Robert Stromberg`s debut film ‘Maleficent’ will be re-shot. The makers have roped in ‘The Blind Side’ filmmaker John Lee Hancock to oversee the shoot.

Contactmusic.com reports that producer Joe Roth told The Hollywood Reporter that it was good to have Hancock on the set of the film.
"We asked (Hancock) to be on set. He`s not directing. He wrote pages and I hired a first-time director and it`s good to have him on set," he said.
The actress plays the sleeping beauty`s evil nemesis in the upcoming project, which will tell the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ tale from the perspective of the villainous Maleficent.


MEANT TO BE' PROVES TLC CAN CUT IT WITHOUT LEFT EYE
T-Boz and Chilli of TLC in their last concert as a group, following the death of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes last year. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' playful lyrical flow was so integral to TLC's classy R&B sound that it seemed unthinkable that T-Boz and Chilli would be able to carry on as a duo following her tragic death in 2002.
However, apart from their misguided reworking of "Waterfalls" with Japanese pop star Namie Amuro, the pair have managed to move forward but without destroying their legacy with a series of sporadic releases over the last decade.
First there was 3D, the dignified studio swansong which combined their final recordings with the late rapper with new acoustic-flavored material ("Damaged," "Turntable") which stood up to the best of CrazySexyCooland FanMail.
Then came a handful of vibrant, if inessential, collaborations especially recorded for hits compilation, Now and Forever, ("I Bet" with R U The Girl winner O'so Krispie, "Come Get Some" with Sean Paul & Lil Jon), well-received sets at the Justin Timberlake & Friends benefit concert and the 2011 American Idol finale and an engaging take on "Rainbow" for a tribute album to Japanese rock band L'Arc~En~Ciel.
However, it's only in 2013 that the twosome appear to have come around to the idea of a proper full-time comeback. In April, they revealed they were thinking of using the same hologram technology that resurrected Tupac at Coachella to go on tour with their late bandmate. In July, they performed at the Mixtape Festival with Lil Mama, the rapper who plays Lopes in the upcoming VH1 biopic, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. Meanwhile an inspired hook-up with J. Cole on "Crooked Smile" took them back into the US Hot 100 for the first time since 2003.
Rumoured to be working on a brand new studio album for 2014, the duo also unveiled the only newly-recorded track this week from their latest retrospective, 20. Co-written with Ne-Yo, "Meant To Be" is a touching mid-tempo about weathering the storms which cleverly fits in with the current 90s R&B revival scene. And while TLC will never be the same without Left Eye, it's the latest example of how T-Boz and Chilli still have plenty to offer.

Paris Hilton faces embarrassment on-air over 'sex tape' 

Wellington: Paris Hilton was reportedly embarrassed on a radio show, after she abused the host on-air.

Hilton, who called into Raleigh, North Carolina`s Bob Dumas and the Showgram radio show to promote her new single `Good Time,` mistakenly called him an "a*shole" after he asked her about her sex tape, Stuff.co.nz reported.
In an audio file, Dumas is heard asking the `Turn It Up` hitmaker if she regretted making a sex tape like Kim Kardashian , to which Hilton replied that it had nothing to do with her and her former beau Rick Salomon was to be blamed.
Hilton, who remained on line through the three-minute interview, didn`t realise she was still on air when she slammed the host.The 32-year-old TV personality was heard fuming at her handler that she was never coming back on the radio show, as the host was a "f**king a*shole" and didn`t even mention her song.
Her handler said that he had already put in a call to them, as he couldn`t believe they brought that crap up, while the DJ was heard Dumas laughing in the background with his team before the call ended.

Miley Cyrus wished she had kept strippers' numbers from engagement party


Melbourne: Miley Cyrus confessed on `The Ellen DeGeneres Show` that keeping one of the stripper`s number when she had last appeared on the show, would have come in handy now, News.com.au reported.

The `Wrecking Ball` hitmaker` also opened up about her split with fiancé Liam Hemsworth saying that it wasn`t as awkward because she was living with the fact.
She believes that when a chapter is done, one has to close it and start a new one.



People think more about my split than I do: Miley Cyrus

Los Angeles: Pop star Miley Cyrus says that she barely thinks about her split from actor Liam Hemsworth and it is others who talk more than her.

The former ‘Hannah Montana’star began dating Hemsworth after they met on the set of ‘The Last Song’ in 2009 and got engaged in June last year, but they announced last month that the romance is over, reports contactmusic.com.

Cyrus has kept largely quiet about the split but she spoke about it during an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and told the host: "It`s not really as awkward (as it seems) because I`m living it. So, I think people spend more time actually thinking about it than I really do."


PARKS AND RECREATION' RECAP: MEET THE EAGLETON VERSIONS OF RON, APRIL, AND DONNA (SEASON 6, EPISODE 3)
PARKS AND RECREATION -- "Doppelgangers" Episode 604 -- Pictured: (l-r) Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins -- (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)
Parks and Recreation is determined to come up with a season long arc, and so far, Leslie's (Amy Poehler) idea for a merger with rival town Eagleton is proving to be a good one. This week, the department took on their Eagleton counterparts in order to learn the lay of the land. Ultimately, the episode feels a little light because no matter how much we may want to see more of the Eagleton Parks Department, there was no way the cast was going to double in size, but the conceit was funny enough that it doesn't matter whatsoever.
April (Aubrey Plaza) is back to full agent-of-chaos mode, first rebranding Jerry (whose actual name is Gary) as "Larry Gengrich," and then torturing her doppleganger, Tynnyfer (June Diane Raphael) by mimicing her vapid cluelessness and tricking her into quitting her job and breaking into Dwayne Wade's house in Miami. Ron (Nick Offerman) slowly realizes that his counterpart, played by Sam Elliott and also named Ron, might be another mustachioed man of few words with a love of the outdoors, but while Ron is a libertarian suvivalist and meat-lover, Eagleton Ron is a vegan enviornmental crusader and nut nut ("They make wonderful milks"). They go from instant friends to instant enemies, and it's nice to see the slow build of things our Ron hates coming out of an increasingly gleeful Alterna-Ron's mouth. The only downside to so many great day players was that aside from Leslie's attempts to figure out who to fire, we didn't get to see any of our usual inter-character chemisty. Tom (Aziz Ansari), in particular, was stranded alone in his struggle to conceal that his doppleganger was a super-efficient computer program called E.R.I.C by constructing a fictional drug-dealing, racist, messy jerk identity for Eric who does, indeed, get fired.
And despite all these machinations, Leslie would have never fired someone from the main cast tonight, not just because they are under contract for the rest of the season, but because after recieving the news that Chris (Rob Lowe) and Ann (Rashida Jones) are planning to move out of Pawnee, she becomes hyper loyal, panicking about the loss of a friend by hanging on desperately to her employees, even attempting to get them to sign a Loyalty Agreement that binds them to the town for 50 years. Though Ann tries to soften the bad news with a plate of waffles and a picture of a shirtless Joe Biden riding a horse, Leslie still feels betrayed.
If only things were as easy as they are for Chris and Ben (Adam Scott), who have become close again over the last few episodes but dealt with the news in a mature and kind way. But Leslie's panic is understandable and totally in character. Additionally, Ann is pretty much nowhere to be found in what should have been a much bigger episode for her. Even as Leslie constantly reminds us how they are best friends who love working together, she spends far more time seeking advice from Ron and working with the rest of the department. If there was ever a time to show their friendship and its tightness, it was here. And with Pawnee becoming extreme in its unhealthiness (Chris orders a "salad" filled with gummy worms, cheese, a gumball, and toffee) and this merger giving her a natural break in her job, it's hard to tell exactly how she feels about leaving or about starting a new life with Chris. While it does seem best for the show to lose Ann as Ben becomes a more logical anchor in Leslie's life, that doesn't mean Ann should be unceremoniously shipped off. And the abrupt ending of the episode, which cuts to black just as Ann and Leslie sit down to talk, felt confusing, as the audience doesn't really know the answers to what they're talking about. Hopefully, next week we'll get a chance to hang out with both characters as they think about how to say goodbye.

REVIEW: CARLO CARLEI'S 'ROMEO AND JULIET' IS NICE TO LOOK AT, BUT BORING TO WATCH
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The latest adaptation of Romeo and Juliet gives us a traditional retelling of the well-known tale of passionate lovers... minus the passion. Somehow the film turns a forbidden love story, which is inherently exciting, into a rather bland and unmemorable take on Shakespeare's play. Lacking the intensity that the story calls for, this version of Romeo and Juliet fails to excite.
Assuming that the audience knows the play well enough, the film follows two youngsters, Romeo (Douglas Booth) and Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld), who are destined to never be together because of their feuding families, and explains little else. Director Carlo Carlei (The Flight of the Innocent) wants us to believe in their whirlwind romance, but the film is never able to successfully pull the audience into the supposedly heart-wrenching tale because of the lack of chemistry between Booth and Steinfeld. Steinfeld has difficulty pulling off Shakespeare's prose, Booth comes off as a neurotic boy-band heartthrob who speaks the dialogue well but doesn't seem to know what he's saying, and the both of them together play the part of star-crossed lovers, but with a veil of insincerity. Disappointingly, the story, which is meant to sweep us off our feet and make us believe that these two strangers love each other enough to die for the other, leaves us wondering why they're even together in the first place.
The restrained, and often times awkward romance is further watered down by screenwriter Julian Fellowes' (Downton Abbey) decision to streamline the dialogue and Carlei's lukewarm take on the tale. The intention was to stay faithful to the original Romeo and Juliet — like Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 adaptation did — and at the same time be as fresh as Baz Luhrmann's version with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio (so as to be hip with the younger generation), but instead it comes off as a dumbed-down take of the classic story.
While the film's leads lack chemistry, its older, supporting cast excels. With the likes of Paul Giamatti (Friar Laurence) and Homeland's Damian Lewis (Lord Capulet) — two actors who have had their fair share of experience with Shakespeare — gracing the cast with their dominating performances, the gap between the actors who have come ready to do Shakespeare's words justice, and those who have not, is quite clear. Save for Kodi Smit-McPhee's (The Road) endearing take on Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, the strongest performances generally come from the older cast members.
As for the scenery, Carlei chose to film the movie where it was set: Verona and Mantua. Unfortunately, the background is oftentimes so beautiful that it distracts from the acting, which truth be told, is probably not something to brag about.
With a new adaptation on our hands, it’s a shame that it doesn’t stand out from the rest. Yes, every generation deserves its own Romeo and Juliet, but if we have to wait almost two decades to see it, it better be worth the wait.

MATT DAMON AND BEN AFFLECK TO PRODUCE SITCOM FOR CBS

DOGMA, from left: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, 1999, Lions Gate Films/courtesy Everett Collection
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck might be Hollywood's most famous best friends. They grew up together, broke into Hollywood together, and even won Oscars together. And now, they will attempt to conquer the small screen together. The pair is set to executive produce a new comedy for CBS titled More Time with Family. Starring comedian Tom Papa, the show will focus on a man who changes his career path and stops spending so much time on the road in order to spend more time with his family, only to find out that it wasn't something that anyone else wanted. The idea was reportedly inspired by both Papa's stand up routine and Damon's personal experiences.
Damon and Papa conceived the idea when the two worked on The Informant and Behind the Candelabra together, and then teamed up with Affleck to produce. Affleck and Damon's joint production company, Pearl Street, is also set to produce The Middle Man for Fox, a Boston-set period crime drama. Affleck is also set to direct the pilot. There's no word yet on whether or not More Time With Family will also take place in Boston, or if its Oscar-winning producers will make a guest appearance. Although, if Affleck is too busy filming Superman Vs. Batman, we're sure Mindy Kaling would be willing to fill his shoes again.
Damon can next be seen in The Monuments Men with George Clooney, which will be released on December 18. Affleck can currently be seen threatening Justin Timberlake in Runner Runner, and is filming Gone Girl with David Fincher.


THE WOMEN OF 'PERSON OF INTEREST' ARE NO SHRINKING VIOLETS
"Baby Blue" -- When The Machine spits out the number of a 6-month-old baby, Reese and Finch turn into overly protective parents - with an arsenal at their disposal.  Meanwhile, when Elias resurfaces, Detective Carter (Taraji P. Henson) begins to question her new allegiance with Reese and Finch, on PERSON OF INTEREST, Thursday, March 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.      Photo: John P. Filo/CBS   ?©2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.CBS
When you watch a show, there's a good chance you'll see at least one woman who is there solely to be rescued by a man. Person of Interesttakes that idea and stomps on it. This past week's episode had not one, not two but three women, heck, even four if you count one of the villains, who could dismantle a man even before he knew what was happening.
First,we have Joss Carter, a police detective who was busted down to patrolwoman due to a inside crime ring within the police department having a grudge against her getting too close to solving what is going on. She's a tough, no-nonsense woman who is a single mother to a child.Taraji P. Henson imbues her with a fierceness but also a soft side underneath that and is capable of being 'girly' if she has to be.
Then there is Zoe Morgan. She plays a 'fixer' of sorts. If someone or a company is in trouble, she comes in and does what she needs to do. Originally she was one of the people that the Machine designated as someone Reese and Finch needed to save, but she proved more than capable of handling herself and has come in on several of their other cases. She and Reese seem to have a no-strings attached sexual relationship. There's definitely chemistry between the actress, Paige Turco, and Jim Caviezel, who plays Reese. It's not like she sits around and waits for him to call, though.
Rounding off the 'good guys' is Samantha Shaw, who is the least feminine out of them (despite being played by the charming Sarah Shahi). She's a former paramilitary officer who tracked down terrorists before she was recruited by Finch and Reese. She's the wild card out of the bunch - an admitted sociopath who can kill people without compunction. In one of the more recent episodes, she had to be coached by Carter and Morgan about expressing her femininity. I believe the phrase, "Smile!" was used more than once.
In the bad guy camp, Amy Acker has been playing an enigmatic hacker who goes by the name Root. She's been a particular thorn in Finch's side since the end of the first season and it looks like she just escaped her confinement again. She always has things under control and even wound up shooting a veteran assassin at the end a recent episode. There was a tinge of regret in her voice when she found out she had to spare the assassin. It's going to be interesting to see Shaw find Root again since the two had a very unique first introduction where Root tortured Shaw (who actually seemed to be enjoying it).
So.. remember the saying, "You wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley"? Well, we can say the same for these women.


BOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Katrina Kaif down with viral fever!

New Dellhi: Like many, Bollywood actors too have been affected by the changing weather conditions. After Ranveer Singh and Vir Das, it is Katrina Kaif- who is under the weather. The hottie has been diagnosed with a viral fever.

According to a tabloid, the ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ actress, who will be seen next in ‘Dhoom 3’, has been advised by the doctors to take some rest before resuming work.
Kaif is reportedly on very heavy antibiotics and is currently avoiding the camera due to the adverse reaction of the medicines on her face.
“She has not been keeping well and was advised complete rest. She was down with viral fever and the strong dose of medicines had an adverse reaction it led to swelling on her face,” a source said.
It is also said that Kaif is not shooting for films, but her busy schedule -packed with shooting dates for endorsements- have been affected due to her illness.
“As `Bang Bang` and Kabir Khan’s film shoot has been pushed ahead, she had time on hand to complete some of her brand assignments before November. But now she has decided to finish dubbing for `Dhoom 3` instead,” the source added.
Here`s wishing the beauty speedy recovery.


Member of Aamir Khan film crew arrested


New Delhi: A unit director of Aamir Khan`s upcoming movie ‘PK’ has been arrested for hurting religious sentiments during the shooting of a scene for the film, police said Friday.
The film crew member, whose name police refused to reveal, was arrested Wednesday and a case was registered against him after locals objected to a scene in which a man dressed as Lord Shiva was pulling a rickshaw in which two burqa-clad women were sitting.
"A case under section 295 A (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religious of any class) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the unit director and the three actors at Kotwali police station," said a police official.
The unit members were shooting the scene in Chandni Chowk area Wednesday.
Initially, people thought the actors were members of a Ram Leela party but on seeing cameras, they inquired about the issue.
The actors told police that it was a dream sequence of the movie and they had all the legal documents and permission for shooting.
But a mob that gathered at the police station started shouting slogans that the film-makers were hurting religious sentiments, forcing police to take action.
The officer said that no case has been registered against Aamir Khan.


Drashti Dhami strikes gold, to do a film?

Mumbai: Popular TV actress Drashti Dhami might be the lucky one to romance Bollywood heavyweight Ajay Devgn in his next.
The pretty lass, who is currently essaying the role of Madhubala in a popular TV daily soap is reportedly being considered to play the lead opposite Devgn by Rohit Shetty for ‘Singham 2’.
‘Singham’ starring Devgn and south sensation Kajal Agarwal went on to become a super-hit film and a sequel to the film was in the pipeline.
And hence Shetty is on the verge of finalising the leading lady of his film.
Drashti had recently won the finale of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’, a dance reality show judged by Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo D’Souza. The beauty had won the hearts of a number of celebrity guests who had made their presence felt on the show. Many had even said that Drashti has the potential to make it big in the world of cinema.
And if all goes well, fans of Drashti might get to see her sizzle on the silverscreen.
Here’s wishing the girl all the very best.


Jiah Khan suicide case: Don’t want to comment on anything, says Aditya Pancholi

Mumbai: Actor Aditya Pancholi in an exclusive interview to Zee News said that he will wait for the court’s verdict on the Jiah Khan Suicide case.
The actress’s mother, Rabbiya had moved Bombay High Court stating that her daughter did not commit suicide but was murdered. Jiah, who was launched by Ram Gopal Varma opposite Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Nishabd’ was found hanging at her Juhu apartment on June 3.
Jiah was in a relationship with Aditya’s son Sooraj. The actress’s mother is determined to prove that her daughter did not commit suicide.
However, while talking to Zee News, Aditya said, “I do not want to comment on anything right now as it might affect the case. Let the law take its own course. We know what the truth is and I know my son is innocent. But for the moment it is better to say the least.”
The petition filed by Rabbiya alleges that Jiah may have been hanged after being killed. It cites some reasons to support this theory.
The petition says that a person who commits suicide would have his or her eyes popping and tongue protruding out, while in the case of Jiah it was not so. Also, in such cases lung or brain haemorrhage is generally noticed, but in this case this was not observed.
The petition further says that besides ligature marks that occur in death due to hanging, injury marks were noticed on Jiah`s face and body. An injury was noticed on the right side of her lips and a mark on her left arm suggested as if someone had held her tightly.
While police claimed that Jiah had hanged herself with a muslin `dupatta`, forensic expert Dr R N Jerajani opined that the depth of ligature marks in Jiah`s case was difficult to achieve with a soft material.
Dr Jerajani has further opined that the ligature marks on Jiah`s neck are not like the ones usually found on the body of a person who hangs self from a ceiling fan. The possibility of strangulation is not ruled out in this case, he said in the forensic report.
The petition further said that CCTV camera footage showed that Jiah had entered her house a few minutes before she committed suicide. At that time, she was wearing a track suit but her body was discovered in a night gown. Would a person about to commit suicide change her dress, the petition asks?
Moreover, the ceiling fan was located in between two single beds and it was not possible for Jiah to hang herself without a stool and there was no stool in her house.
There is a window in Jiah`s room at a low level in the first-floor flat. This window was found open although air-condition machine was on at the time of the incident, the petition said, adding that the window could have been used to gain entry into the room.
Jiah’s boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi, who Rabbiya believes is responsible for her death, was arrested on charges of abetting her suicide, but was released on bail after serving 21 days in jail in the month of June.


'War Chhod Na Yaar' review: Brave concept, engaging war satire

Political satires are easily the most difficult genre of comedy in cinema. They have to serve up a telling lesson to self-serving politicians while providing audiences with a good laugh. We had Kunal Roy Kapur attempting one of `dose` in ‘The President Is Coming’.But that`s it. Full credit to writer-director Faraz Haider for going into the war zone and emerging from the battle-scarred scenario with his sense of humour intact.
War satires are extinct in a country that takes cross-border matters dead seriously. Though ‘War Chhod Na Yaar’ is a very one-sided view of barbed-wire offences, it does nevertheless fire some mirthful missiles at politicians on both sides who make mileage out of the mythical animosity between the two countries. In the middle of the crackling tension of Indo-Pak differences, there suddenly comes the cackling sound of loud laughter breaking the eerie silence of the desertscape where ammunition is aimed at both ends.
Sitting in No Man`s Land across the barbed fence are the two squadron leaders from both ends played smartly by Sharman Joshi and Jaaved Jaffrey playing cards, exchanging jokes and making light of one another`s country`s ongoing burden of being border-line belligerent. That the film is shot in the Rajashtan deserts serves the film`s locational purpose creating a battle-ground realistically, if not opulently.
Faraz Haider has scripted a plot that tickles border-line tension. There are passages of breezy bantering between Joshi and Jaffrey. Both actors possess subtle acting skills that they put here to potent use as two army-men who bond across the border even as war escalates overnight. The soldierly bonding over the barbed wires is a heartening thought, not quite executed with the finesse that, say, J.P. Dutta would have invested into his border-line satire.
‘War Chhod Na Yaar’ is a film with a large heart. `Hate war, not the warrior` seems to be the subtitled slogan of this anti-war satire. Rather than taking long shots of battleground images mercifully, the debutant director goes easy on the gunshots and preaches to focus more on the personal interaction between soldiers from both sides. The cross-border antakshari culminating in the Pakistanis crooning ‘Yeh mera India, I love my India’ is a cleverly designed episode, though much too obvious an effort at taming the enemy.
Then there is a sequence where Indian soldiers unleash a poultry of roosters across the barbed fence to trap their opponents.
Barb re barb!
The problem creeps into the blithe narrative when the Pakistani army men and politicians are shown largely as bumbling imbeciles, if not outright jokers. Dalip Tahil`s triple role as the Pakistani president, the Chinese premiere (whose native tongue is translated into Punjabi in Navjot Singh Sidhu`S voice) and the American President`s yankee-accented aide, ceases to be funny beyond a point.
Not that this sort of standup comedy material renders itself effectively to cinematic laughter in the first place. Nonetheless, credit must go to the writer-director for attempting to show the utter futility and the underlining farce that define cross-border aggression.
Some episodes in the film are neatly written. The actors add a layer of conviction to the satire. The underrated underused Sharman Joshi puts up a convincing show as an Indian soldier trying to keep his and his army`s spirits high in the face of violence. Why don`t we see more of him? Jaaved Jaffery, who was effective as a snarling villain in last week`s ‘Besharam’, puts up another bravura act as Sharman`s colleague from the other side of the firing line. Soha Ali Khan as a television journalist modelled on Barkha Dutta (not again!) gets into the satirical spirit with ease.
The film has a vast cast of comic performers. But I must make special mention of Mukul Dev as an Afghani infiltrator, who gets it wrong each time. Mukul`s accent and comic timing are fodder for the funny bones.
Very rarely do we get a chance to smile about the grim reality of war. This film gives a nimble twinkle-eyed satirical slant to the scourge of war. Warm and well-packaged with intelligent performances, ‘War Chhod Na Yaar’ flounders when it abandons the human aspect to get into the nuclear zone.
Then it`s time to groan.
Subhash K Jha


Rohit Shetty, Imran Khan for 'Soodhu Kavvum' Hindi remake


Chennai: Filmmaker Rohit Shetty will team up with Imran Khan for the Hindi remake of recent Tamil crime-comedy drama ‘Soodhu Kavvum’. The film is expected to go on the floors soon and Shraddha Kapoor is being considered as the female lead.

"The necessary formalities took place in Mumbai. Imran Khan will play the lead while Shraddha Kapoor is likely to be paired opposite him," read a statement from Rockline Productions which acquired the remake rights of the original.
"The (Hindi) remake will be jointly produced by Rohit Shetty`s home banner, in association with A&P Groups and Rockline Productions," added the statement.
Actor Vijay Sethupathi played the lead in ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ which is a story of four misfit kidnappers. The film will also be remade in Malayalam soon.
"The project has been pitched to leading actors in Kerala. Since `Soodhu Kavvum` has a universal concept, it is easily applicable to any language. The project will go on the floors soon," read the statement.


Karan Johar wants 24-hour security?

Mumbai: Producer-director Karan Johar has reportedly requested the Protection and Security Branch of the Mumbai Police to give him 24-hour security cover.The filmmaker had lodged a complaint with the Khar police station in Mumbai last month after he received an extortion threat via SMS from an unknown number. The case was then transferred to the anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Film personalities have often been targeted by the underworld. Prior to Johar, producer Boney Kapoor too had received threat calls from a gangster. Kapoor had then filed a complaint with the Oshiwara Police station and the case was later transferred to the anti-extortion cell of the Mumbai police.
Recently, playback singer-composer Sonu Nigam too had received threat calls from the underworld.



Amitabh Bachchan not doing 'Welcome Back'

Mumbai: Amitabh Bachchan has denied reports that he will join the cast of ‘Welcome Back’, saying he is not aware of it.

"I am not doing the film. I don`t know nobody has approached me for this," he told reporters Friday.

There were also reports that Rekha will be part of ‘Welcome Back’.
To be directed by Anees Baazmee ‘Welcome Back’ is a sequel to ‘Welcome’.

Sunday, 6 October 2013

Hollywood & Bollywood Updates 6th October

HOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Jennifer Lopez quits 'The 33' over 'prettier' stars?


Los Angeles: Actress Jennifer Lopez has reportedly quit movie `The 33` because producers refused to cast only those actresses who are less attractive than her.

`The 33` is based on the true story of the trapped Chilean miners, reports contactmusic.com.

"JLo kept going through the hundreds of casting photos and whenever she spotted a female who looked too sexy she`d slash a big, black X across their face,” a source told the Daily Star newspaper.


Kanye West amazing boyfriend to Kim Kardashian, says mother 

Los Angeles: Kris Jenner has given a thumbs up to Kanye West for being an amazing boyfriend to daughter Kim Kardashian and a great father to North.

The `Keeping Up With the Kardashians` praised the rapper on Ross Mathews` show and said she enjoyed having Kanye on her own chat show, reported Us magazine.

"I love him so much and he`s such an amazing boyfriend to Kim and a great dad and a wonderful person. And that`s why I thought it was so cool to have him on my show, and I got to sit down with him for an entire hour, and I think people saw this other side to him," Kris said.

"He`s creative and he`s an amazing, amazing human being, he really is. And he doesn`t always do interviews and get the chance to really express himself like that, so I was really glad that I got a chance to sit down and talk with him," she added.
Kris enjoyed babysitting North while Kim and Kanye were attending Paris fashion week. 


Returning to 'American Idol' was difficult decision: Jennifer Lopez

London: Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez says her decision to go back to singing talent hunt `American Idol` was quite difficult for her.

The 44-year-old singer is making a comeback to the show`s 13 th season after a gap of one year, reported Digital Spy.

"It was actually a difficult decision because I had a lot of stuff going on. It was going to be hard to fit it in. But, to be really honest, I just love the show and I love working with the singers," she said.

Lopez will be accompanied by two other judges Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.

"And, this is working really great. So yeah, we`re having a great time. At the end of the day, everything that`s meant to be happens," she said.
`American Idol` will return in January 2014 on Fox.

Paul McCartney writes music in toilets


Los Angeles: Former Beatles singer Paul McCartney likes writing music in the bathroom or in cupboards.

The Beatles legend loves to "escape" by writing new lyrics and often finds the best place to explore his ideas is in the bathroom or a cupboard, reports contactmusic.com.

"(Songwriting) is a solitary process but that`s nice. The rest of the day isn`t solitary. I`m doing interviews or taking my girl to school or doing some filming. So I`m with loads of people,” said McCartney.

"It`s actually quite nice to go into a cupboard, or often bathrooms or toilets which have got good acoustics. So I go in there with a guitar. That`s kind of nice. And you escape into a world of your own thoughts,” he added.

Miley Cyrus poses in nude again for Terry Richardson photo shoot


London: Miley Cyrus has shed her clothes yet again for Terry Richardson`s racy new photo shoot.

The American photographer recently posted a few of the pics from the shoot on his website, Metro.co.uk reported.

In a few of the pictures, the `We Can`t Stop` hit maker can be seen wearing a minute leotard and posing provocatively with a soda can.
One snap shows the controversial star pulling her leotard up to her crotch.
The 20-year-old singer was recently asked by Irish singer Sinead O`Connor to resist the music industry`s pressure to "prostitute" herself.

Michael Fassbender flattered by sexiest movie star poll


Los Angeles: Actor Michael Fassbender is flattered to have been named the eighth sexiest male movie star worldwide in an online poll.

The 36-year-old actor was honoured to have made the top ten in a recent Empire online poll of the 100 sexiest movie stars, and especially to have placed ahead of Hollywood heartthrobs Hugh Jackman, who ranked ninth, and Bradley Cooper, who came tenth, reported E! online.
"They`re wonderful guys and very handsome, so thank you for packaging me together with them," Fassbender said.
The actor was beaten by British star Benedict Cumberbatch, who came first, followed by Tom Hiddleston and Henry Cavill.
Ryan Gosling took the fourth place, with Robert Downey Jr in fifth, Chris Hemsworth in sixth, and Robert Pattinson in seventh.



Sylvester Stallone-Schwarzenegger 'fake brawl' included in 'Escape Plan'

Los Angeles: Known to be the best of friends, action heroes Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are also very competitive and this was shown when the two put up a fake fight and were seen blowing punches to each other on the sets of their film, `Escape Plan`.


The "fake brawl" that the two shared seemed so real to the director of the film Mikael Håfström that he decided to include the sequence into his film, said a statement.

The film is distributed by PVR pictures in India, and is all set for release Oct 18.






Mo' #PETAProblems: Pop Stars and the Wrath Of PETA

Katy Perry

Despite being a longtime advocate of animal rights, Katy Perry found herself under fire from PETA this week after the charity claimed that the likes of the elephant, monkey and tiger used in her "Roar" video could have suffered great distress during its filming. The Billboard chart-topper has since responded with a letter from the American Humane Association which confirms that none of the animals in question were harmed in the shoot. But she's not the first pop star forced to defend her honor in such a manner. Here's a look at five others who incurred the wrath of the controversial activists.

Lady Gaga
After wearing a bikini made of meat for the front cover of Vogue in Japan, pop's least shy and retiring wallflower then went the whole hog for the 2010 MTV VMAs by sporting an entire dress made out of raw beef. Understandably, PETA didn't take too kindly to such a publicity-seeking use of animal flesh. But after offering a mumbo-jumbo explanation for its creation, Gaga remained unrepentant and recently described it as her favourite outfit ever.



Beyoncé
At the same time most viewers of Beyoncé's Super Bowl half-time show were transfixed on her bootylicious dance moves, PETA were instead focusing all their attention on the scantily-clad costume made from the skins of pythons, iguanas and cows. Coming just a month after she wore a mink coat during her appearance at President Barack Obama's inauguration, it seems fair to say that Mrs Carter is unlikely to be on their Christmas card list this year.

Jennifer Lopez
A long-time arch nemesis of PETA, Jenny From The Block first caused offence when she introduced fur into her Sweetface clothing line in 2005. Two years later, several protestors stormed the audition stage of her Glow In The Dark reality show to label J-Lo as a 'fur-ho.' While the organisation even created a computer game, J.Lo Fur Bully On The Block, in which players try to rescue animals from her clothing factory.



Britney Spears
Like Perry, Britney Spears found herself at the centre of a PETA storm following a video shoot in 2008. The pop princess had previously been criticised by the charity for draping a snake around her neck for her iconic 2001 MTV VMA performance. But she angered them even more when she failed to take any notice of their warning about the use of "cruelly trained lions and elephants" in the promo for "Circus."

Rihanna
PETA certainly didn't mince their words when they saw Rihanna parading around in a pair of thigh-high snakeskin boots during a night out in central London last year, labelling the R&B workhorse "a desperate freak." Using her beloved Instagram page, the unapologetic star then posted a photo of herself dressed in a white fur coat with the caption #petaproblems.


               BOLLYWOOD UPDATES


I don't think I am a star: Alia Bhatt


Mumbai: Actress Alia Bhatt doesn`t feel like a star despite being in news for her line up of films and brand endorsements.

Post her debut film `Student Of The Year`, Alia will next be seen in Imtiaz Ali`s `Highway`, Karan Johar`s `2 States` and a film with Varun Dhawan.

"I don`t have much acting experience. I am not a star. I am learning... There is a long way to go. As of now I am dependent on my directors," she told reporters.

Alia was nervous before shooting for `Highway`, an intense road movie, as `Student Of The Year` was a light hearted film. She says her `Highway` co-star Randeep Hooda helped her.

"He is a great actor and helped me a lot, he made me feel comfortable. Though he is senior, he is as young as I am. It is just a perception that he is older. Rather, there were times when I was acting older and saying don`t do this or that," she said.
Alia, who would be seen opposite Arjun Kapoor in `2 States`, finds him extremely supportive.
"He is a great actor, I loved him in `Ishaqzaade`. He is an amazing person. He helped me in preparing for the role," the actress said who plays a South Indian girl in the film.
The actress, who is also the ambassador of cosmetic brand Maybelline, feels it`s good to be trendy.
"Fashion is important for all... It is the way of depicting yourself. People should groom themselves," she said.


Mom and I are misfits in our house Ramayan: Sonakshi Sinha


Mumbai: Her father, uncles and brothers are named after characters from the Ramayana. So, actress Sonakshi Sinha feels that she and her mother, Poonam Sinha, are misfits in their own house which is named Ramayan.

The family stays in Mumbai`s Juhu area.
"My father (Shatrughan) has three brothers - Bharat, Laxman and Ram. And my brothers are named Luv and Kush. So my house is aptly named as Ramayan. Just my mom and I are a misfit in this Ramayan," Sonakshi said on the sets of ‘Breakfast to Dinner’.
The actress has been a part of films like ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Rowdy Rathore’. She has also performed an item number for Akshay Kumar`s forthcoming action film, ‘Boss’.
Sonakshi will be the guest celebrity on ‘Breakfast to Dinner’ Sunday.


Aamir Khan supporting 'Shahid' is big thing, says Hansal Mehta 


Mumbai: Filmmaker Hansal Mehta is happy that superstar Aamir Khan is promoting his upcoming film `Shahid`.
After Aamir saw the trailer of `Shahid`, based on the life of slain lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi, he decided to support the movie. The actor also posted the trailer on his official Facebook page.
"I am thankful to him (Aamir)... It feels good that he is promoting the film. It is a warm gesture," Mehta said.
"There was no reason for him to do so but he went ahead and spoke well about the film. He supporting the film is a big thing," Mehta said.
Recently, filmmaker Karan Johar played an active role in the promotion of Irrfan Khan starrer `The Lunchbox` as a presenter, while director Kiran Rao presented `Ship of Thesus`.
Both films, falling in `parallel` bracket, were benefited by the support, and did well at the box office. 
However, Mehta clarified that Aamir was not "presenting" the film.
Releasing on October 18, the film, starring Rajkumar of `Kai Po Che` fame, is distributed by UTV Motion Pictures.


Shah Rukh Khan copied JK Rowling’s Harvard speech?

New Delhi: We have heard Shah Rukh Khan tell his struggle tales several times in the past. But what makes his speech at the All India Management Association (AIMA) conference held in September is the fact that it resembles famous author JK Rowling’s speech at Harvard University in 2008.
The author of the `Harry Potter` series and the bestselling novel ‘The Cuckoo`s Calling’, JK Rowling, too had had her share of miseries such as poverty, broken marriage, failure and her tryst with success later in life which she spoke about during the speech given by the novelist at the Harvard.
Bangalore-based social media consultant Agratha Dinakaran was the first one to notice and report the apparent plagiarism of Rowling’s speech by Shah Rukh in his blog (mercurialpurple.blogspot.com).
In her speech, Rowling said that poverty was not an `ennobling experience`. She further said, "Poverty entails fear, and stress, and sometimes depression; it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships."
Now what really raises the eyebrows, are these words, courtesy – Shah Rukh Khan: "Let me tell you, poverty is not an ennobling experience at all. Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes, depression. I`ve seen my parents go through it many times - it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships."
JK Rowling further said, "Happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone`s total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes."
Taking a cue from the above lines, Shah Rukh Khan said: "I`d like to tell you all that life is not just a checklist of acquisitions, attainments and fulfilments. Your qualifications and CVs don`t matter, your jobs don`t matter. Instead, life is difficult and complicated and beyond your control, and to know that with humility, respecting your failures will help you survive its vicissitudes."
Now we wonder who to blame for the blatant plagiarism – SRK or the one who really wrote the speech for him!


'Ram Leela' is my huge ticket: Gulshan Devaiah


Mumbai: Actor Gulshan Deviah admits that his negative character in ‘Ram Leela’ is like a dream role for him but he also feels that he is getting typecast in Bollywood. Nevertheless, he believes ‘Ram Leela’ is going to be his "big ticket".
"I feel now I am getting typecast in Bollywood, but it`s not the makers` fault," Gulshan said.

"I am glad that soon after this film, I am doing two films in which I am not playing a negative role. I think it will be the right way to break the image," he added.
Gulshan was earlier seen in films like ‘Shaitan’ and ‘Hate Story’.
Bagging a role in ‘Ram Leela’, a film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has been a dream come true.
"`Ram Leela` is like my huge ticket. I am thankful to Sanjay sir for casting me in the film. I am playing a negative role... a man who is very proud of himself, egoistic, angry and a complex character. I thought I won`t be able to pull off the role, but luckily I managed to," he said.
‘Ram Leela’ features Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in the lead.


India is the new flavour in Hollywood: R Madhavan


Mumbai: Actor R Madhavan says filmmakers in West have realised the potential of Indian actors being able to take a film to wider audience which is why they want to rope them in Hollywood films.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and others have been part of Hollywood films. Now, Madhavan is set to do `Night Of The Living Dead: Origins`, produced by Simon West of `Con Air` and `Lara Croft: Tomb Raider` fame. It is a remake of 1968 zombie film `Night Of The Living Dead`.
"India has become the flavour in Hollywood... They (filmmakers) suddenly realised that Indian actors get more eyeballs than Hollywood actors," he said in an interview here.
"So, if they have an Indian actor in their TV series for example, it gets watched in Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Africa, South Africa much more than if American actors are there," he explained.
"Like by having Mr Amitabh Bachchan in `The Great Gatsby`, the number of people watching the film online or offline increases 25 times, that is where the money is. So now they are including Indian as well as Chinese actors, which is a very smart thing," he said.
The 43-year-old actor said he is doing a film in Hollywood just to experience working in a different set up.
"It is just another opportunity to do a film in different language that I am comfortable with. If I could speak Chinese, I would have done a film in that language as well. The excitement is to do a film in different set of technology. I am not doing it to prove a point to anyone... It is basically a small film in terms of what it is in Hollywood," he said.
The Hollywood venture happened by chance for Madhavan, who had gone there for a personal reason and through his friend he met filmmaker Simon West.
"`Night of the Living Dead` is a classic American film, it
is like `Sholay` with a foreigner. Simon and me got along well. We did a screen test and next day I got the film," Madhavan said.
He will play the role of a US marine officer who gets caught up in a zombie attack in New York City.
While Indian actors are often criticised for doing a small role in Hollywood films, Madhavan made sure not to end up doing the same.
"I told them very clearly that if you are giving me a small role like of a doctor, etc then I will not do it, I don`t need to do it. I was clear I will not do a small role. But they said it is one of the main leads, there are four lead actors in the film," he said.
Despite being part of the industry for over a decade, shooting for a Hollywood film was a bit intimidating for him. When he was doing the film, the makers were told about his work in films like `3 Idiots` and others.
"There was a hype that was built around me. I was really nervous, everybody told me do the rehearsals and start with an easy scene. I told them to start with tough part, I did the emotional scene - yelling and crying part first, as they think it is the toughest part. But for an Indian actor it is easy as we do it every day. They liked it, found it amazing," he said.
Madhavan was amazed with the technology used for the film.
"It is like in the coming years one can shoot a film with Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone where both will look the same age and the shoot can happen at their home, they don`t have to come out. I think this type of technology will be a new technique of filmmaking," he said.
He said in Hollywood, actors do not perform stunts, they have a stunt man for it.
"Unless you are a trained stunt man you can`t do anything. So `Superman`, `Batman` is all done by others, they don`t do anything. That is the reason you will not hear of actors getting injured over there," Madhavan added.


Anita Advani bids adieu to 'Bigg Boss-Saath 7'


Mumbai: After British-Indian actress Hazel Keech and actor Rajat Rawail, Anita Advani ended her stint in the `Bigg Boss` house Saturday.
Advani, who claims to be Rajesh Khanna`s live-in partner, was seen sharing anecdotes of her life with the late superstar with inmates VJ Andy and Shilpa Agnihotri.

Advani had earlier confessed on the show that she was in the house to over come her depression after the superstar`s death in July last year.
She was seen bonding with actors Armaan Kohli and Tanishaa Mukerji off late.
Along with her, the other contestants who were nominated for this eviction included VJ Andy, Gauhar Khan, Elli Avram and Asif Azim.
Now the remaining contestants include VJ Andy, Gauhar, Kushal Tandon, Apoorva Agnihotri and wife Shilpa Agnihotri, Tanishaa, Armaan, Asif, Sangram Singh, Elli, Ratan Rajput, Kamya Punjabi and Pratyusha Banerjee.