Housefull has a Pirates of the Caribbean connection

A lot is heard and said about monkey business. Mostly referred to in plain humour, seldom does it happen that 'monkeying around' takes any serious connotation.

This is what happened during the shooting of Sajid Khan's Housefull where a monkey plays a key role in a funny fight sequence. Though the film does boast of an A plus setup with the likes of Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal and Jiah Khan towering the cast, it was the pint sized monkey that demanded most attention. Reason? Its Hollywood roots. This is the same monkey who is nothing less than a star after having worked in a mega blockbuster like Pirates of the Caribbean. No wonder, 'starry' tantrums were at its peak during the shooting of Housefull.

Laughs Sajid Khan, "It was as amusing as it gets. My first film Heyy Babyy was a multi starrer and it went along so smoothly. People asked me that how would I handle my three heroes and three heroines in Housefull but I used to laugh it away wondering what was the fuss all about. After all most of the cast members are my friends first, and have immense faith in me and each of them was quite clear about his or her role in the film. This is why I always believed that the shooting of Housefull will go on smoothly. Little did I know that of all characters in my film, it would be a monkey that would end up throwing so many tantrums."

For a highlight sequence in the film, Akshay Kumar gets all troubled due to this monkey which snatches Deepika's mobile and runs away. In the incidents that follow, Akshay gets all beaten up by the monkey; so much so that there are multiple slaps that he ends up receiving with tell tale marks all over his face. While Akshay was sport enough to live with the on-screen humiliation, all for the sake of his audience and the fun that the sequence promised, it seemed that the monkey had other ideas. He wanted to give that 'perfect take' and the makers of Housefull had no choice but to give in to the demand.

There was an entire cast and crew at a location on London where they were paying lakhs by day and here was a monkey, correction - a star monkey, which needed at least 15 days to get into the 'skin of the character'. So it took its own time to get trained, get into a completely perfect state of mind to 'act' with its co-stars and then arrive on sets.

So is it just a monkey that found itself to be in constant spotlight or is there anything more that Housefull has to offer, as far as its non-human cast is concerned? Well, for audience, it indeed seems that there is a promising entertainer ahead once Housefull releases with its mega stars that include human beings as well as animals. As for the rest, watch this space for more developments as the film readies itself for a 30th April release.

Ghajini director signs Shruti Haasan for his next

Filmmaker AR Murugadoss, the man behind the blockbuster ``Ghajini``, has signed Kamal Haasan`s daughter Shruti and Tamil superstar Suriya for his next project.

Suriya, who will soon be making his Bollywood debut, has previously worked with Murugadoss in ``Ghajini``, whose Hindi remake starred superstar Aamir Khan.

Shruti, who made her movie debut with Hindi ``Luck``, has been creating waves not only in Bollywood but also in the South. She had composed the music for ``Unnaipol Oruvan`` and is currently working on a Telegu movie.

The new untitled film with Murugadoss is her debut in Tamil cinema. The music composer for the film is Harris Jayaraj and the cinematographer is Ravi K Chandran.

Udhayanidhi Stalin will produce the movie, which begins shooting this April

Ranbir Kapoor, who has replaced superstar Shah Rukh Khan

Actor Ranbir Kapoor, who has replaced superstar Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador of Pepsi and actor Hrithik Roshan in ITC`s John Players, feels obliged to get the opportunity to take forward their legacy.


"As far as replacement is concern, Shah Rukh Khan is a legend and his contribution to Pepsi was immense. I am taking forward his legacy. As far as John Players is concerned, Hrithik Roshan is a style icon for whom I have immense respect. I believe that I am fortunate enough to get a chance to take his legacy forward," Ranbir told reporters after the logo launch of John Players at ITC Hotel here today.

Ranbir maintains that comfort should be the primary criteria while choosing clothes.

"It`s not about wearing expensive or brands. It`s something that makes you feel comfortable. There are no strict rules. It`s about what you want to wear and how you carry it," said Ranbir.

Ranbir admits that he is not brand conscious at all.

"I am not brand conscious at all. I don`t understand fashion. God has been very kind to me that I could sign up with this brand and I hope my knowledge on fashion increases," said Ranbir.

As most actors do, Ranbir would try to endorse this brand in his films as well.

"I hope so. I will try so that the producers take the help of John Players. The costume designers take clothes from John Players. All I can do is try," said Ranbir.

Print this page Print E-mail E-Mail Bookmark and Share People, not critics, decide my film`s fate: ‘Housefull’ director

Funny man-turned-director Sajid Khan doesn`t mind the `big mouth` tag. He is ready with his second film ‘Housefull’ and isn`t really bothered about reviews as he believes people, not critics, decide a movie`s fate.
"The fact is that critics don`t have to tell me whether my film is good or not. It is the job of the audience and they would decide if `Housefull` works for them," Sajid told reporters.

"Also, one thing I can state on record is that critics may give a one-star or a five-star rating to `Housefull`, but in their hearts they would like the film for sure. The same holds good for audiences who will any way watch `Housefull` multiple times regardless of the review ratings," he said.

‘Housefull’ stars Akshay Kumar in the lead along with Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan, Boman Irani, Chunky Pandey and Randhir Kapoor.

Sajid is known for taking digs at actors and filmmakers. A few weeks back, he even made fun of critics at an awards function. Did he think twice about it?

"What did I do wrong? I just picked on select critics who seem to be completely oblivious to what audiences want. May be most of them know what they are doing but then there are indeed some big critics who have goofed up repeatedly in the past," the director said.

Asked to cite some instances, he said: "I will give you an example where a critic gave three stars to both `Aladin` and `3 Idiots`. Are you telling me that the biggest flop and hit ever are alike in the way they were created? See, there have been so many instances when such critics have given a single star to films that go on to become the biggest hits of the year while movies that get four or five stars have turned out to be flops."

So isn`t he worried about his stance regarding critics backfiring? After all, his own `Housefull` is round the corner and a lot of money is at stake?

"Perhaps not all critics would be kind to `Housefull`, but what`s the guarantee that they would have been nice with their reviews had I not spoken about them at the awards function?" he asked.

According to him, ‘Housefull’ promises to be one of the biggest entertainers of the year. With music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the film is set to release April 30.

Bipasha Basu sports nine stunning looks in Pankh

Priyanka Chopra played 12 characters in "What`s Your Raashee" and now Bipasha Basu is doing much the same in "Pankh" where she sports nine different looks.
The actress plays an imaginary character in director Sudipto Chattopadhyay`s film and her different looks will reflect the attitude and mood of the hero, played by debutant Maradona Rebello. Releasing April 2, it is produced by Sanjay Gupta.

According to Bipasha, whenever Maradona feels vulnerable, she has been given a soft look and whenever he is agitated or in self doubt, she is made to look harsh.

Bipahsha also feels that designing her look was the complete teamwork of designer Rocky S, director Sudipto Chattopadhyay and new age producer Sanjay Gupta, who were instrumental and involved in designing the right look to match the attitude of the character.

"Pankh" traces the life of a boy (Rebello) who plays a female artiste as a child in movies. When he grows up and wants to be launched as a hero, he goes through gender confusion and falls in love with an imaginary actress, played by Bipasha.

"`Pankh` is a wild ride through the underbelly of the film industry. Bipasha plays an alter ego, a fantasy and we wanted her to look like the two divas - Sophia Loren and Liza Minelli from `Cabaret`. The conception and execution of the looks were a collaborative effort between the Sudipto, the director and designers Rocky S and Gavin Miguel," Gupta said in a press statement.

The film also features Mahesh Manjrekar, Lillette Dubey, Ronit Roy, Sanjeeda Sheikh and newcomer Amit Purohit.

Priyanka Chopra witnessed Ranbir-Katrina’s blossoming love

There was one person in the film industry, who knew all along that Ranbir and Katrina are love-birds. She was none other than Priyanka Chopra, who incidentally came across Katrina Kaif, when she was discreetly meeting Ranbir in the US. According to a news daily, Katrina Kaif had frequently flown to the US to meet Ranbir where he was shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala`s ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ with Priyanka Chopra.

During her visits to her beau, Katrina always made sure that she stayed away from the set of Ranbir’s film, and no-one spotted her there. She had an alibi that she was in UK with her family for the holidays but this was not the reality as she would frequently fly from UK to the US. However, Priyanka Chopra spoiled the plans by running into her and she had to be taken into confidence.

Although Katrina`s spokesperson refuted the news calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘sheer rubbish’ but it’s now more than confirmed that Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina are in love and it was one of the major reasons for the actor’s break-up with Deepika Padukone. It all began during the shoot of ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, continued during ‘Raajneeti’ and is still growing strong.

Sources reveal that Katrina and Ranbir visit each other’s house often but they are not revealing their relationship. Well, we are waiting for the official announcement.

`MNIK`s smooth release not a political stunt`: Chavan

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today said that his government`s move to ensure smooth release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer MNIK in the backdrop of Shiv Sena`s threat to stall it was not a `political stunt`.


Chavan shared stage with Shah Rukh at the inauguration of FICCI-FRAMES conference here for the first time after last month`s controversy over the film`s release in Maharashtra. The government can`t react to every development. But, when things go beyond a point and democracy is at stake, the government has to intervene, he said.

A film which has already obtained a certificate from the Censor Board need not succumb to pressures, he said. The Chief Minister thanked people of Mumbai and Maharashtra for not allowing a second censor board (Sena`s diktat). He assured total support to the film industry in terms of policy and infrastructure in the state. Chavan also sought co-ordination from FICCI to address the grievances and problems faced by the industry.

Shah Rukh said it was only because of Chavan that his film got distributed and released in Maharashtra. Yash Chopra, chairman of the FICCI Entertainment committee said the film industry has made plans to celebrate the centenary of Indian cinema in 2013.

"We will begin preparations from this year itself and seek the government`s help to organise it in the city of cinema`s birth - Mumbai," Chopra said.

India offers incredible inspiration to filmmakers and the growth potential is tremendous. Great stories and great talent have no borders, Fox Filmed Entertainment, CEO and chairman, Jim Gianopoulos said. Fox`s first Indian production MNIK is a truly global film for Bollywood, he said, adding, Fox is for forming meaningful partnerships at the local level.

Sex scene to be blurred in `Love Sex Aur Dhokha`

The controversial scene showing a bare-backed woman on top of a man in director Dibakar Banerjee`s much talked-about film `Love Sex Aur Dokha` will be blurred on screen.

The censor board Monday asked Dibakar to tone down the scene.

The director, who is mired in what he sees as an unnecessary controversy, says: `We had submitted a DVD of the film to the censor board so they`d recommend cuts in advance and avoid delays. The censor preview recommendation suggests that we blur the sex scene.`

`We were told this scene was too graphic and needed tempering. There`s no way the censors could allow the love-making scene. We`ve clearly been told that even before the film is submitted for censoring.`

When asked how bare-backed love-making scenes were allowed by censors in other films, the director chose to smile.

`I`ve been in principle against the film being perceived as a voyeur`s delight. `Love Sex Aur Dokha` is not about sex, sex and sex. Those who expect that will return disappointed,` he said.

However, a cut with reference to caste in the love story between a low-caste boy and a high-caste girl by the censor board has left Dibakar unhappy.

`This completely changes the perspective of my story as now the caste-challenged love story is turned into a poor-boy-rich-girl romance. This is not what I intended,` the director said.

Also, the song `Tu nangi achi lagti hai` modified on the audio CD to `Tu gandi achi lagti hai` has been changed in the film.

`But no complaints. Considering the controversial content my film got away easily with little cuts and an `Adults` certificate,` Dibakar said.

Abhishek Bachchan starrer to be co-produced by Fox Star

Abhishek Bachchan starrer `Dum Maaro Dum` set to be directed by Rohan Sippy will be co-produced Fox Star Studios, a joint venture between Twentieth Century Fox and Star.

The film will be Rohan`s third movie with Abhishek, whom he had earlier directed in `Kuch Naa Kaho` and `Bluffmaster`.

"I am happy to team up yet again with Abhishek, who is a marvelous actor, and together we promise to provide edge of the seat excitement to audiences," said Rohan.

"We are committed to working with the best talent in the business and are delighted to be working with the winning pair of Rohan and Abhishek on `Dum Maaro Dum`. It`s an amazing script that we are all very excited about. It`s going to be a film to watch out for in 2010," Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star Studios India, said in a statement.

The movie, an action-thriller, will be shot in Goa and also star Bipasha Basu, Aditya Panscholi and Pratiek Babbar and Telegu Star Rana Daggubati, who will make his Bollywood debut.

Aamir Khan all set to venture into regional cinema

Celebrating his birthday on a rather low note, Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood, Aamir Khan revealed his line of work for the year ahead. The versatile actor has made up his mind to promote regional cinema, which he thinks has a lot of potential both in terms of art and commerce.

Aamir stated that he is now keen to promote regional cinema and is willing to produce regional films hereon. “I would love to produce regional language cinema including Marathi,” said the actor who shared that this year he is “seriously working on to perfect his Marathi and Urdu diction.”

As we already know Aamir will not be indulging much on the acting side, however he’ll be at the helm of some important projects of Bollywood. With his usual charismatic smile and the focus towards production of films, the actor said, “This year I want to spend my time with my family members and will concentrate on my banner`s three under-production films — Peepli Live, Dhobi Ghat and Delhi Belly.”

The film industry sure has reasons to celebrate now, considering Aamir Khan diversifying with his plethora of ideas!

Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor to sizzle in a lovemaking scene

If Salman had blown his top over his lady Katrina Kaif’s growing proximity with Ranbir Kapoor during the shoot of ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani’ then wait till he hears this. Believe it or not, but industry is abuzz with reports that the taskmaster Anurag Basu, who is known for churning out steamy scenes in his films, is all set to shoot Katrina and Ranbir in a super-hot lovemaking sequence in his untitled venture.

Be it the steamy kisses in ‘Murder’ or the intimate scenes in ‘Metro’, Anurag Basu is known to stir passions of the audience with erotic shots in his films. Not to forget his latest ‘Kites’ that has stirred much controversy even before its release.

Confirming the news a source told a daily, “Anurag’s next untitled project starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif too will also have some steamy scenes.”

As for Kat’s no kissing deal, the actress might just give a waiver this time since she is quite keen to work with Basu. “Even though Kat has a no-kissing clause in her contract, there`s a chance that she might drop that one for this film," adds the source.

I remember when I met Will Smith: Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan spoke passionately at the inaugural session of FICCI – Frames which kicked off in Mumbai, as he urged the film fraternity to be a little more adaptable and absorb important features from ‘smart cousin’ Hollywood. During his speech, SRK also talked about meeting Will Smith and his little talk with the acclaimed actor.

“I remember when I met Will Smith, an actor who does just two films a year and I asked him how he picks his films. He said, `On the basis of creative satisfaction and a great superstar for a co-star.` When I asked him how did he judge if his co-star was a super-star, he said his superstar was `VFX and technology,” the actor said.

SRK highlighted some key issues plaguing the Indian film industry. "The three basic needs of every Indian - roti, kapda aur makaan - seem to have been fulfilled for most. There is now a fourth desire and that is entertainment and movies are a popular source of this fourth requirement. Another concept popularly emerging and posing to have a great future is sport entertainment. We are at the threshold of a huge burst on the entertainment arena in India and entertainment is the packaging of a growing economy."

The actor pointed out the areas where Indian cinema needs to learn from Hollywood. "The first is screenplay writing. It is not an art but a science. We need to find expertise in screenplay writing in order to globalize Indian cinema. The second is technology. The third thing that we need to learn from Hollywood is discipline and organization in filmmaking coupled with the science of marketing films. We need to learn from them. Only then we can ask their help and not just monetary help. We don`t need their investment as much as we need their advice and expertise."

SRK also gave a discourse on ‘crossover films’. “I don’t think that a term such as ‘crossover’ really exists. You have genres of cinema like romance, drama, action... or then a movie can be an Indian movie, or a Hollywood movie or then a movie from some other part of the world. ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ is not a crossover film, it’s a Hollywood movie just as is ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ or Mira Nair’s ‘Monsoon Wedding’. So when filmmakers say they are making a ‘crossover’ film, I want to tell them that they are chasing an illusive dream,” he said.

Salman Khan laughs as his bouncer misbehaves

Bollywood’s bad boy is back to doing what he often does best- making news for all the wrong reasons.
While that may not be news anymore to your eyes, what the ‘Veer’ brat of filmdom did on Tuesday is sure to shock Salman Khan’s fans.

The star’s attitude left everyone stunned when he actually encouraged his bouncers to misbehave with a lady reporter instead of stopping them.

A lady reporter posed questions to Salman, who was attending the ‘muhurat’ of a film in Mumbai. But the actor’s unruly bodyguards misbehaved with the reporter, who was just doing her job. However, even worse was Salman Khan, who wore a sarcastic smile and passed an insolent comment at the incident.

Eyewitnesses say that the lady, who was pushed aside in an undignified manner by Salman’s bodyguards, screamed after the showdown. “Don’t you have any brains,” the lady shouted. It was evidently followed by an abuse from his bouncer, instead of an apology.
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But it didn’t stop there. Salman Khan turned, laughed sarcastically at the reporter and walked away in a cocky manner. He was also heard saying, “Have the abuses been recorded?”

The latest in the star’s list of scandalous behaviour is sure to open a new debate on how far the stars can go on the base of their so-called star power.

Last week, he was issued a notice by the Bombay High Court after a disabled person alleged he had misused her photograph to promote his film 'Veer'.

Salman Khan takes favours for his family!

Salman Khan is a family man or so it seems considering that the actor is signing one family sponsored project after the other. The actor, who is all set to be seen in brother Arbaaz Khan’s production ‘Dabang’, will next be seen working on brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri’s Hindi version of southern super hit ‘Bodyguard’.

The Malayalam film, which was originally to be made in Hindi by Boney Kapoor, will now be produced by Atul Agnihotri after Salman personally asked Boney to hand over the reins to his beloved brother-in-law.

Buzz has it that Boney had bought the rights to remake the southern super hit and had even laid out all plans to get the film on floors. But after Salman personally requested the producer to hand over the rights to Atul Agnihotri, Boney obliged the actor’s demand with keenness.

Talking about the incident, a source told a daily, “Boney did not hesitate to give up remaking ‘Bodyguard’. He loves Salman too much and considers the actor’s wish as his command.”

Confirming the news, Boney said, “It’s fine if Atul will make it with Siddique. Salman was keen that Atul should make it and I have no issues whatsoever. I have not done anything great. I was simply on the verge of buying the rights of ‘Bodyguard’. Salman is family to me. I love fulfilling all his wishes and will always continue to do so.”

As for Atul, he is much too pleased with Sallu ringing in favours for him. “I am quickly going to finalise the heroine and most of the things will be in place by end of next week. However, I am not aware that Boney too was interested in making the same film. Salman is very happy that I am producing it. Siddique will direct the film,” said Atul.

Abhishek in Zanjeer remake

The grand persona of the greatest icon of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan has no parallel. But, the only person who comes closest to the personality he attains is undeniably his own son, Abhishek Bachchan.

Buzz has it that Abhishek will be portraying the role of a tough cop, very much in the lines of his dad’s path breaking role in ‘Zanjeer’. The intense, no-nonsense role of a cop played by Big B is considered to be one of his best-known performances. And now his son Abhishek is all set to reprise the role.

The film that carved a definite image of Amitabh as one ‘angry young man’ of the time was appreciated worldwide and the same is expected to happen for Jr Bachchan. According to the reports, in the upcoming film ‘Dum Maro Dum’, Abhishek will play the role of a tough cop who is up against the drug mafia.

In order to make this role a repeat of Big B`s classic act, the makers are working overtime to give Abhishek some special attention and are keeping it as close to Big B`s character in ‘Zanjeer’ as possible.

Milenge Milenge promotion

Plans to bring Kareena Kapoor and ex-beau Shahid Kapoor together to promote their film ‘Milenge Milenge’ have been called off. While Shahid had no problems with the idea, producer Boney Kapoor feels the publicity would be doubled if the stars do the promotions individually.

Asked if he`d be willing to promote the film jointly with Kareena, Shahid said: "Yes, I`ll do everything I can to promote it. Of course, I`ll do everything in my power to see the film gets properly released. It`s my film."

However, Boney Kapoor felt otherwise.

"We`re getting Shahid and Kareena to do separate promotional activities. That way we give them space to be comfortable with the situation and also we get twice the publicity for `Milenge Milenge` that we would if the pair promoted the film jointly," the producer said.

"Milenge Milenge" is special because the former couple will be seen together after Imtiaz Ali`s lovable "Jab We Met" in 2007. Kareena is currently dating actor Saif Ali Khan.

Shahid has not only decided to go all-out for "Milenge Milenge", he has also been taking interest in the release date to ensure that it hits screens at a time when it is likely to get the best audience.

He met the producer and they mutually agreed to postpone the release from April to later in the year.

"We met and took a joint decision. Boney-ji was co-operative. Otherwise I`d have had three releases -`Milenge Milenge`, `Paathshala` and `Badmaash Company` - in one month," said Shahid.

Boney said he plans to release the film, which has been directed by Satish Kaushik, in the last week of June or the first week of July.

"`Milenge Milenge` would be Shahid`s last release until his father`s film `Mausam`. Kareena and he look gorgeous together," he said.

In fact Shahid enthusiasm about "Milenge Milenge" is seconded by Satish Kaushik. Last week, they met on the steps of the highrise apartment building they share.

Said Kaushik: "Though we live in the same building, Shahid and I never meet! I know him from the time he was a child. On Saturday night we bumped into each other in our highrise compound after a party. We spoke for nearly an hour about `Milenge Milenge`.

"Shahid told me the project is very dear to him and that he would go all out to promote the film."

shahrukh and aamir khan

The ageless Aamir Khan, who turned 45 on Sunday, has denied any rivalry with Bollywood’s King Khan. SRK and Aamir, who have been the celluloid arch rivals for really long now, seem to be bonding well these days as not just Aamir, Shah Rukh too has hinted on their off-screen friendship.

Like always, the politically correct Aamir recently said that there was never any war of supremacy so there is no question of starting or stopping any debate.

On the other hand, SRK clarified, “We’re friends. At least, I’d like to think we are. We both have a sense of humour. At least, I do. I’d like to think all our exchanges are in good humour. Quite honestly, I’ve no desire to look at what he or anyone else is doing. I never look at my own Box-Office figures. Why would I look at others’ collections?”

Aamir Khan’s latest offering ‘3 Idiots’ was a mega blockbuster, and at the same time Shah Rukh’s ‘My Name Is Khan’ too went on to become a hit worldwide. Well, so let’s just call Aamir-SRK’s famous rivalry a media-tale, as the actors wish us all to believe!

Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan share friendly relation

Are Bollywood’s two most formidable Khans losing their steam? Well, it does seem so!
With Salman Khan’s ambitious project ‘Veer’ and Shah Rukh Khan’s crucial film ‘My Name Is Khan’ ready for release, grapevine has it that both stars are headed for a truce!

According to the latest Bollywood news, with the release of Salman’s period film ‘Veer’ just around the corner, the hunk of an actor is on a goodwill hunting as the star is indulging in garnering social niceties with his long time rival Shah Rukh Khan.

News has it that when Salman saw the rushes of SRK’s ‘My Name Is Khan’, the temperamental star called up Karan Johar and congratulated him.

Incidentally, during a recent awards function, SRK praised ‘Veer’ and said that it is one of the movies he is looking forward to watch in the year.

Talking to a news daily, a close source said, “Salman was the first to extend the olive branch by calling Karan after watching the promos of ‘My Name Is Khan’ and SRK returned it by praising ‘Veer’. They had both come face to face for the first time after the ‘3 Idiots’ premiere.”

Meanwhile, when enquired Karan Johar, the director confirmed the news and said, “Yes, Salman did call to say he loved the promos and the look of the film. I appreciate the feedback. It was very gracious of him. I have worked Salman in my first film and have a great amount of respect for him and his family.”

Salman Khan lambasts the makers of Veer

Hot-headed Salman Khan is fuming again! This time his ire is against the makers of ‘Veer’ – producer Vijay Galani and director Anil Sharma, who have refused to comply with his wishes.

The actor, who has also written the script of the film, wanted some changes in the final print but the makers simply refused to budge. The actor wanted to edit few scenes, which were redundant but producer Vijay Galani and director Anil Sharma did not budge and refused to make any changes in the final print.

When Salman saw the rough draft of the film, he found it unsatisfactory. He also had issues with ‘color gradient’ of few action sequences in the film.

Sources reveal that when the producer-director duo refused to make changes, Salman used harsh language and there was some heated exchange of words.

Earlier, Vipul Shah had done a similar mistake during the making of ‘London Dreams’. He had refused to edit the length of the film, in spite of Salman’s advice, as a result the film bombed. Salman doesn’t want a similar fate for his ‘Veer’.

Rakesh Roshan is worried about Krrish sequel

It seems like James Cameron`s "Avatar" has affected Bollywood in unexpected ways. Director Rakesh Roshan is having second thoughts about making the sequel to "Krrish" after watching the Hollywood sci-fi saga.

However, he thinks it is possible to create effects on par with Hollywood.

"I saw the film (`Avatar`) in Los Angeles. And it certainly made me sit up and re-think about `Krrish`. But I don`t think it is impossible to create effects on par with Hollywood. We need to budget the sequel intelligently," he said.

As far as starting Krrish`s sequel goes, Roshan senior admits there`s no immediate chance of it taking off. "I am not even thinking of directing my own film until our production `Kites` is released May 14. Only then will I seriously start planning my directorial project. For now, the next film I direct is Krrish`s sequel. But it may change if I`m unhappy with the script."

What the patriarch of the Roshan empire leaves unsaid is that he and son Hrithik Roshan sat together and discussed the feasibility of doing a lavish big budget film in the light of "Avatar" and other Hollywood extravaganzas dubbed in Hindi.

Hrithik has made it clear to his father that there`s no point in doing a Hollywood-style special-effects film unless there`s scope and space for the `desi` counterpart to make an impact at the box office.

Says a source: "Hrithik is not sure about the feasibility of the Krrish series any more. Not after James Cameron`s `Avatar`. He wants the project to go through a budgetary scrutiny to see whether they can create effects comparable with Hollywood`s `Avatar` and `2012`. Otherwise what is the point?"

I couldn`t take my eyes off Katrina Kaif: Zarine Khan

Debutante Zarine Khan doesn`t mind being compared to her ‘Veer’ co-star Salman Khan`s girlfriend Katrina Kaif and says that the actress is so beautiful that even she couldn`t take her eyes off.
"Being compared to Katrina Kaif is a huge compliment for me because I feel she is very beautiful. When I am compared to her, I feel overwhelmed. I have met her a couple of times and she is so beautiful that even I couldn`t take my eyes off her," Zarine told reporters.

"Being compared to her is always a delight. Personally speaking, when I see myself in the mirror, I find no similarities."

Zarine, who is playing female lead with Salman in ‘Veer’, says that she wanted to be a doctor and that acting happened to her by chance.

"I was always a very brilliant student, but not a nerd type. I wanted to be a doctor. But I couldn`t continue my studies due to a financial crisis and the responsibility of my whole family fell on my shoulders. Acting happened by chance. Now I can be everything - a doctor, pilot, everything," said Zarine.

"I was a struggling model and was looking for some kind of work to take care of my family. I was doing very small print ads now and then for saris to earn money to run my house. One day I was home surfing the net when I got a call from Mukta Arts. They called me on the sets of `Yuvvraaj`. There I met Salman.

"Salman is a huge actor and I am one of his great fans. I started talking to him like his fans would do. I had no clue that he was planning to take me in his film (`Veer`). Finally, when I asked for his autograph, he said, `No sweetheart you will sign autograph for the world`. Later I got to know that he has selected me for this film," she added.

Though Salman chose Zarine, she had to pass an audition test.

"They had auditioned lots of girls because the female lead has two different looks in the movie - one is Indian and other Western. Whoever they auditioned looked good in either of the looks, not both. Some had language problem too. They tried me and I was lucky enough to fit into both the characters and they signed me," said Zarine.

‘Veer’ is directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Vijay Dalani and Sunil A Lulla. The makers kept Zarine`s name secret for a long time.

"Even I got strict instructions to keep it a secret from friends and family. I was allowed to give some clue to my parents," she said.

Asked why they were hiding her, she said: "I don`t know. I was too junior to question them why they are asking me to do so. I just did what they asked me to do."

Set in colonial India, the film encapsulates a period when Britons enslaved India with their divide and rule policy and kings and nawabs fell for it, except for the Pindaris who preferred death to dishonour and fought till their last breath. Salman plays one of the bravest and strongest Pindari soldiers.

"It`s a love story set in the backdrop of a war for independence. I play a Rajasthani princess," said Zarine.

Salman is known as an angry man, but Zarine got to know the caring and understanding side of his personality.

"I had heard that he is a very tough guy, he hardly speaks. But he spoke to me very nicely... may be because I met him first as a fan. In due course I realised whatever has been written about Salman is not true. He is so sweet. He has a heart of gold. He is a very genuine man.

"While shooting sometimes I couldn`t understand some parts of my role. I used to be scared that Salman would get angry. But he used to patiently explain how to go about it," said Zarine.

She has already bagged a few offers but she hasn`t signed any as she is waiting for the release of ‘Veer’ Jan 22

Veer is of a different genre

Salman Khan says period dramas usually give the impression that people in past eras never used to laugh, but promises that his new movie ‘Veer’ will have its light moments.
"We haven`t followed the regular format. This has emotion, drama and comedy unlike other period films, which always casts an impression that no one used to laugh in those days," Salman told reporters in an interview.

"The language has undergone a huge change. The dialogues are in contemporary language but would show that people of that time used to speak and behave like this," he added.

"Veer", slated to release Jan 22, is a story of bravery, treachery and love. The story revolves around the 18th century Pindaris who preferred death to dishonour and fought to their last breath to save their land. Salman plays the lead role.

Throwing light on how his co-star Zarine Khan joined the cast, Salman said: "The film is of a different genre, so we needed a young fresh look. More than that we needed somebody with a yesteryear look. How our grandmothers and great grandmothers used to look, we needed someone like them.

"Just two weeks were left to start the film and we didn`t have anyone who would fit the role. We were searching left, right and centre and met her by coincidence on the set of Subhash Ghai`s `Yuvvraaj`."

Salman denies any resemblance between Zarine and his girlfriend Katrina Kaif.

"Except being fair and having a sharp nose, I don`t see any similarity between them. Give god that credit for not making two people identical," said Salman.

The film`s story has been written by Salman himself and while scripting it he was scared whether his father Salim Khan, a noted writer, would approve. "I showed the story to my father and the biggest fear was what is he going to say. But he said it`s a good story."

When asked why he chose to make a period film now, he said, "I had written the story 20 years ago but at that time it wasn`t possible to make the film. I thought now is the right time to make it, so I did."

This is Salman`s second film as a scriptwriter. His first was the 1990 movie ‘Baghi’ and there is a common thread running through both the scripts - the father-son relationship.

" `Baghi` showed a good relationship between a father and son, `Veer` does that too. I believe that father and son should be the best of friends. Today, my father and me chat, drink and chill out together.

"But if I cross my line, I run away. I stay outdoor for two months. That`s the chemistry they should share. The respect should also be there," said Salman who claims that he could be a good father.

"I am not sure how good I would be as a husband, but I believe I would be a good father. One has to get married, I will also get married but haven`t decided when."

The actor has been in the industry for more than two decades and has played a variety of roles, worked in various genres and sported different looks.

Asked if there was anything particular he looked forward to as an actor, he said, "No yaar. I do whatever comes my way."

Shahrukh khan is in Krrish 2

Till now, we were hearing a lot about who would be Hrithik Roshan’s leading lady in the sequel of the super hit ‘Krrish’. While buzz has it that the lucky lady is going to be Deepika Padukone, it’s been now revealed that the film would star none other than the King Khan.

No, he surely hasn’t replaced Hrithik as Krrish, but Shah Rukh will be playing a negative role in the much-hyped ‘Krrish 2’, reports suggest.

Grapevine has it that Shah Rukh’s entry in the movie can be guessed by noticing the way he’s been bonding with the Roshans of late.

Once competitors, Hrithik and SRK were recently seen with their families at the starry reception of Shilpa Shetty’s wedding. A source says that before going to the reception venue, the Roshans had reportedly gone to Shah Rukh’s residence to pick him up and after the ceremony, they all moved to Mannat to continue the bash!

What else, the stars recently met up on Hrithik’s 36th birthday bash where SRK “had a good bash” (as said by the superstar himself)!

Well, what more can we ask for than having SRK and Hrithik dazzling on the silver screen together.

Priyanka Chopra wants to work Abhishek

Priyanka Chopra is one levelheaded actress who doesn’t let her emotions hamper her professional decisions. The actress, who after a tiff with Abhishek Bahchcan had been snubbing the hunk, has now decided to let bygones be bygones and is vying to sign a film with him. Hoping to bag a hit this year, the actress has gone all out to make peace with Abhishek with whom she shares remarkable onscreen chemistry.
Going back one recalls that the two had fallen apart during an award function wherein both had wanted to dance on the same number. Unwilling to budge, it was Abhishek who had won the trivial battle. Ever since the two had been seen giving a cold snub to one another.

However Priyanka has now decided to take the high road. The actress is looking forward to share screen space with the him and has sent feels to director Rohan Sippy to consider her in his next film opposite Abhishek.

Confirming the news a source told a daily; “Priyanka has sent feelers to Rohan and is keen to work on this project. She has heard the gist of the script and she liked it. Moreover, Abhishek Bachchan’s presence has attracted her to the film. She finds him fabulous as an actor and loves their on-screen pairing.”

Well with a beauty like Priyanka vying to work with him, Abhishek sure has reasons to smile.

Shah Rukh Khan promotes my name is khan in awards function

ShahRukh Khan who has begun promotions of his ambitious film `My Name is Khan` will perform live at a film awards function after a gap of two years.

The Apsara Producers` Guild awards will be held at Chitrakoot grounds in suburban Mumbai on January eight.

The night will see over 30 awards being presented in categories of films and television.

The mega event will have performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi will present a number from their upcoming movie `Ishqiya`. Vivek Oberoi will also perform.

The Television industry is represented in the Best Non-Fiction Series, Best Drama Series (Fiction), Best Director ? Fiction, Best Actress and Best Actor in a Drama Series. The 3 special awards will honour the Best Debutante (Male and Female) for 2009 and the Lifetime Achievement Award