Mumbai: Director Rensil D`Silva says it was not easy to direct
Sanjay Dutt for upcoming film `Ungli` at a time when the actor was
getting ready to surrender and serve his remaining jail term in the 1993
bomb blasts case.
"It`s never easy when someone is going
to jail and you have to direct him. There was a grim mood on the set.
But Sanju himself made things easy for all of us with his calm demeanour
and professionalism. If he had not been comfortable, it would have been
difficult for us direct him," he said.
"I have known him for
quite some time and I feel he has gone through enough in his life and I
wish he does not have to undergo similar things. It is traumatic," he
said.
The Supreme Court on March 21 upheld Dutt`s conviction in
the case and sentenced him to five years in prison. The 54- year-old
actor is currently in Pune`s Yerwada jail to serve the pending
three-and-half years term.
After Rensil`s directorial debut `Kurbaan`, Dutt expressed his desire to work with him.
"We
felt a bit awkward... Bad to go at his place or talk to him every day
(after the conviction) and ask him to come for shoot when he was going
through so much in his personal life. But I had to do it. We are lucky
to have finished our work with him. There were 2-3 scenes to be shot for
which I had waited for one-and-a-half month," he said.
Produced
by Karan Johar, `Ungli`, starring Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut and
Randeep Hooda besides Dutt, has had its own share of roadblocks.
Karan
postponed `Ungli`s release from September 20 to a later date to avoid
clash with Shahid Kapoor`s `Phata Poster Nikla Hero`. Reports also
surfaced about creative differences between Karan and Shirish Kunder,
who was editing the film.
"There had been delay in the release
and one of the reasons was the Sanju factor. We had a delay in music
department and then Shirish Kunder had to go as he had his own film to
edit. Karan Johar gave away the release date to Shahid Kapoor for `Phata
Poster Nikla Hero`. So one thing after another held up the release of
`Ungli`," Rensil said.
Rensil hopes to finish the project by Christmas and release the film early next year.
"We
are looking to release the film in January or February. The film is
about friendship and it doesn`t have too many songs. There is one
promotional song and we are working on it," he added.
Doing intimate scenes with Ashmit was tough: Veena Malik
New Delhi: Former friends Veena Malik and Ashmit Patel may have
worked together in ‘Supermodel’, but the actress reveals it was
difficult doing intimate scenes with him as they were not on talking
terms during the shooting.
Veena and Ashmit were first
introduced as contestants on `Bigg Boss` season 4 and became close on
the reality TV show. However, after the show got over, problems surfaced
in their relationship.
The Pakistani actress says she reunited on-screen only for professional reasons and has moved on from the 35-year-old actor.
"It
was very tough to shoot intimate scenes together... I have never been
through such trauma. A person you talk to everyday, is so close and then
you are not even looking at each other. During the shoot of the movie
we weren`t even talking to each other, we had a cold war going on,"
Veena said.
The duo is now on "good professional terms" and Veena is keen to work with Ashmit again.
"We
have come to a point where we will keep bumping into each other, we
have to live in the same industry so it is important to make peace. I
have great regard for Ashmit. He has been a strong support for me and
after `Supermodel` I realised that we can work together. I would love to
do more films with him," she said.
The romantic thriller, directed by Navin Batra, released Friday.
'Soniye' different from my other songs: Mika Singh
Mumbai: Singer Mika Singh, who has collaborated with Shibani
Kashyap for Punjabi track `Soniye` for the latter`s upcoming untitled
album, says the song is different from his other songs.
Mika`s
forte is Punjabi flavoured pop numbers such as `Mauja hi Mauja`,
`Pungi`, and `Rani too main raja`, but his song with Shibani is a fusion
of desi and Sufi beats.
"It is a very good song. We both (me and
Shibani) have sung it together and our common friend Gaurav Dayal has
composed the music. People are liking all my current songs, but this
(`Soniye`) is all different," Mika told reporters here Thursday at the
shoot of the video.
"Shibani has sung very well and you all will love it. It is a club song and has disco beats, but it is Sufi as well," he added.
Mika said that the video got delayed because of his busy schedule.
"We
were planning to come out with the video, but I was busy with my shows.
Now finally we are shooting the video and it`s a very good song," said
Mika.
Love should be extraordinary: Ranbir Kapoor
Mumbai: The heartthrob of many, Ranbir Kapoor`s heart throbs for
true love. The young star says he treats love as sacred and wants to
keep it on the highest pedestal.
The 30-year-old, one of Bollywood`s most eligible bachelors, does not intend to settle for an arranged marriage.
"Today`s
new generation takes its own decisions. I don`t think I will go for an
arranged marriage, but I am not against arranged marriages," Ranbir told
reporters in an interview.
"Personally, love is very important
for me. There are lots of ordinary things in life, so love should be
extraordinary. I hope I achieve that," he added.
He is young and successful. His fans want to know whom he will marry.
Currently,
the `Jawaani Deewani` star is reportedly crazy about Katrina Kaif. They
worked together in `Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani` and `Raajneeti`.
He neither accepted nor denied the relationship, but said: "I am single till I get married."
"If
I am in a relationship and if I talk about it and in case my
relationship doesn`t work, that puts a lot of pressure on the girl and
her reputation. People get very judgemental and our society judges girls
a lot," he added.
The `Rockstar` star wants to keep his love life under wraps but says he will share the news of his marriage.
"Of course, if I get married, I will not hide it, or even if I want to live my life like a free bird," he said.
"I
have realised that as much as I can, I should hide my personal life and
save it and not make my life a reality show. I will try my best," he
added.
When asked if this was the lesson he had learnt from his previous relationship with Deepika Padukone, he replied: "Yes."
"The
last time when I was in a relationship, I used to talk about it, but
the spotlight gets to your personal life," said the actor.
"Wherever
you go people ask the same question. At times it gets difficult. You
work so much on a film and people only want to know about your personal
life. I feel bad that they don`t talk about your work, but it`s part of
my job," he said.
Pictures of Ranbir and Katrina were recently leaked, but he says he is not upset about this.
"I
don`t get upset about anything. I am an actor and today everybody is a
photographer as everyone has a camera. People want to know about you.
When I was a child, even I wanted to know about my favourite actor. So
they will write about it," he said.
"Yes, I feel bad when
everybody is talking about your personal life, but it`s part of my
business. As an actor we always want people to write about us and talk
about us. And when they are actually writing, then we say don`t write
about this. I am an actor, I am a public property. I don`t own myself,
public owns me," he said.
Rumours are not good for anyone. But Ranbir gets ample support from his parents - Neetu and Rishi Kapoor.
"Thankfully,
both my parents are from the film industry and a lot has been written
about them when they were dating each other. Of course, they feel bad
when so much of negativity happens," he said.
"At times, of course, they (parents) must be feeling bad, but they don`t say anything. They are very supportive," he added.
Ranbir is now gearing up for the release of his new film `Besharam`.
‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ review: A childish masala film!
After rom-com ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab
Kahani’, Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ comes across as a
simple childlike Hindi film that now is a rarity. The film starring
Shahid Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz is one of its kinds because the
audiences have now matured and expect more than what has already been
delivered.
Santoshi’s previous film- ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab
Kahani’- had laughter elements scattered across the film evenly. But
that’s not the case with ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’, where the audiences
are left to wonder whether to laugh or cry!
That’s certainly
doesn’t mean that the film isn’t worth a laughter. A number of
thoroughly entertaining comic sequences are sporadically placed in the
film. Nonetheless, some clichéd
filmi scenes peppered on the top somewhat dilute the true essence of the film.
The
story is about a small town mother’s aspirations and her dream to see
her son becoming an honest police officer. Savitri (Padmini Kolhapure)
wants her son Vishwas (Shahid Kapoor) to join the police force. But her
son is a wannabe actor who cannot think of anything beyond films.
Savitri,
raises her son with great difficulties and instils good values in him.
She doesn’t want him to indulge in anything that is unethical. But her
son has other plans.
The acting ka
keeda in him tempts him to opt for a different route to build a career- yes a career in films. He dreams of becoming a superstar.
The
wannabe actor gives a miss to his enrolment in the Mumbai police for
his Bollywood aspirations. His chance encounter with real
goondas while he is wearing a fake Police uniform helps him meet his ladylove Kajal (Ileana D’Cruz).
Kajal,
who is a socially responsible young woman, is stumped by Vishwas’s
daredevilry as he accidentally becomes a catalyst in rescuing an
innocent girl from the clutches of the
goondas.
And the
silsila
of Kajal’s misunderstanding continues. In the meanwhile, Vishwas gets
the shock of his life when he is informed of his mother’s arrival to the
city. And the troubled son looks for ways to keep pretending to be a
Police Officer.
But how long will Vishwas be able to keep his mother’s
Vishwas in him intact. The remaining part of the film answers the question.
Coming
to the acting- ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ is an out and out Shahid
Kapoor film. The actor delivers applause worthy performance in the film
which has him in the limelight from the start to finish. ‘Barfi!’ girl
Ileana has very little screen space yet manages to impress. And
‘fabulous’ is the word for veteran Padmini Kolhapure.
The songs
in the film are a treat to the ears. The picturisation of the song ‘Mere
Bina Tu’ will certainly remind you of ‘Tu Jaane Na’ featuring Ranbir
Kapoor and Katrina Kaif from Santoshi’s ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’.
And the song ‘Main Rang Sharbaton Ka’ by Atif Aslam and Chinmayi Sripada
is truly melodious.
PPNH in totality doesn’t have too much to
offer apart from Shahid’s flawless performance. The screenplay was good
but the story failed to hold the attention of the audiences.
The
first half of the film promises sheer entertainment. But the film goes
flat in the latter half. Santoshi’s idea was good but perhaps he failed
to implement it well.
If you want to take your kids for a movie,
then ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’ is definitely a good choice this weekend.
And even otherwise if you still want to watch the film, do not go with
great expectations.
‘The Lunchbox’ review: A rare fare through and through!
Director Ritesh Batra’s debut Hindi feature vehicle - ‘The Lunchbox’ – runs on the theme that reads “Kabhi kabhi galat train bhi sahi jagah pahuncha deti hai” (Sometimes even a wrong train can get you to the right destination).
‘The
Lunchbox’ is a journey of Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan) and Ila
(Nimrat Kaur) who are living a spice-less existence. Saajan is a widowed
government employee on the verge of retirement after serving his
company faithfully for 35 years. Ila, on the other hand, is a duty-bound
young housewife, who lives to serve her husband Rajeev and nurse her
daughter Yashvi. To rev-up her marriage, Illa decides to cook a delish
meal for her indifferent (and infidel) hubby and get it delivered by the
impeccable hands of dabbawallahs. As fate would have it, the dabba
lands up at Saajan’s desk leading to a series of written notes being
passed on from one end to another. Ila gets an anchor that was missing
in her life and love brings a breath of fresh air in the autumn of
Saajan’s life. What pulls the strings of the audience’s heart the most
is the way ‘love’ cooks up between the pair sans any form of new age
communication. To add zing to this love story, there is Aslam Sheikh
(Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who has been hired as Saajan’s post retirement
replacement. Nawazuddin as Aslam is unintentionally funny and he has got
his comic timing right. His interesting conversations with Saajan make
the film more engaging and original. Ditto for Bharati Achrekar (Mrs
Deshpande) who plays Ila’s neighbour in the film. It is her voice that
can be heard from upstairs whenever Ila engages in conversation with
her.
What makes ‘The Lunchbox’ a rare fare is the fact it
follows the uncharted path, never goes into the predictable zones and of
course, steers clear of the clichés such as masala song sequences.
Ritesh
Batra’s has given a sensible direction to the film and needless to say,
when there are honed actors like Irrfan Khan and Nawazudddin Siddiqui,
performances are bound to be one of the other unique aspects of the
film. Nimrat Kaur looks real on the frames as a middle-class housewife
seeking someone to share her feelings with.
The ending of the film has been left to the viewers` imagination or perhaps there is a a sequel in making.
Clearly,
‘The Lunchbox’ is a wholesome affair – one that shows how it feels when
mundane seems magic and attempts to explore the concept of age bar in
love.
'Bigg Boss 7': Pratyusha Banerjee's ex-flame to join her in the house
Earlier, Sara Khan and Ali Merchant had done the same in the fourth season of the popular reality show.
Telly
actress Pratyusha Banerjee, who is seen on the latest edition of Bigg
Boss, has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons lately.
The TV`s favourite bahu first made waves when she decided to quit her popular show `Balika Vadhu` midway.
Later,
it was her break-up with businessman-boyfriend Makrand Malhotra and
filing of a police complaint against him accusing him of abusive
behaviour.
Now, rumour has it that her ex-beau Makrand may follow her into the Bigg Boss house.
Earlier, Sara Khan and Ali Merchant had done the same in the fourth season of the popular reality show.
The
couple even had a much-hyped wedding on the show, but parted ways soon
after the show came to an end. Well as they, anything for TRPs.
Interestingly,
Makrand had thrown a lavish bash to celebrate his break-up with
Pratyusha and had denied it being a publicity gimmick.
Now, only time will tell what turn the Pratyusha-Makrand saga will take and whether it is for real or is just a publicity stunt.
Mard nahi hai is baar 'Bigg Boss' me: Shradha Sharma
New Delhi: Former contestant of
‘Bigg Boss’, Shradha Sharma is excited to watch ‘Bigg Boss Season 7’.
She is happy that her favourite star Salman Khan is once again hosting
the show and is also impressed with the theme of Jannat v/s Jahannum.
She says, “I like the whole concept of Jannat v/s Jahannum. See, we all
have both negative & Positive aspect within us but unfortunately
negativity always influence more than positive, It depends on us which
way to go.”
Commenting on ‘Bigg Boss Season 7’, Shradha
says, “The number of male contestants is very less. Among male
contestants some are good and I personally like them but ‘Mard nahi hai
is baar Bigg Boss me jise Bigg boss ke ghar me dekhne me mazaa aaye’ and
I think girls will dominate the house in this season only if they get
united”
Well, according to a secret source or should say rumors
Dancing Doll Shradha Sharma may take a grand wild entry in this season
of Bigg Boss. Finger crossed!
US organisation to award Aamir Khan for 'Satyamev Jayate'
Washington: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has been selected for
a US award for his television show `Satyamev Jayate` along with eminent
American director Kathryn Bigelow and the International Center on
Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC).
They will be honoured at the inaugural awards dinner by the America Abroad Media (AAM) in Washington DC on October 28.
"Their
work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower
citizens about the critical social and public policy issues of our
time," America Abroad Media said in a statement.
America Abroad
Media said Aamir`s TV series, `Satyamev Jayate`, explores India`s
biggest social challenges and has been seen by hundreds of millions of
people in his country and across Asia.
Khan was also recently selected as one of TIME Magazine`s 100 most influential people.
Bigelow
is the director of films like `Zero Dark Thirty` and `The Hurt Locker`,
which have received widespread acclaim for their honest portrayal of
war and counter-terrorism. In 2010, Bigelow became the first and only
woman to date to win the Academy Award for Best Director.
Founded
by Peter Ackerman, the ICNC produces award-winning documentaries on the
role of non-violent resistance in promoting democratic change.
The
ICNC - which was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 - will
release a new documentary on the Arab Spring and uprising in Egypt later
this year.
