'Veer' not going strong at box office

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Salman Khan's much ambitious period drama "Veer" has fallen flat at the box office despite having an extended weekend for business, thanks to Republic Day. The movie has not gone beyond an average 45 percent occupancy over the initial weekend.

Released Friday, the film was a solo release, but has failed to attract masses.

" 'Veer' is an average movie. While the constant on Friday and Saturday was only 44 percent occupancy, it dropped to 39 percent on Sunday and has been on an average only 43 percent over the initial weekend," Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas at Noida, told IANS.

"It is now expected to fall around 30-35 percent. We were running 19 shows per day and in the new week, we will change it to eight shows per day," he added.

Written by Salman 20 years ago, the film was co-produced by Eros International Media Ltd presentation and Vijay Galani's Moviez production.

Made at a budget of around Rs.44 crore, (Rs.440 million) 'Veer' has been directed by Anil Sharma and marks the big screen debut of Zarine Khan, who is said to have a close resemblance to Salman's actress girlfriend Katrina Kaif.

Set in colonial India, the film encapsulates a period when the British 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 named Veer.

"There has been a major drop in the movie. 'Veer' is a period movie and audiences have not been able to relate to it. The movie got only around 40 percent of opening because there was no competition considering it was a solo release," said Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas.

"Now that we have an extended weekend due to Republic Day, may be it gets some footfalls as people don't have any other movie to watch," he added.

Piyush Raizada, director of Delite Cinema that upgraded itself into a two-screener, however, claims that movie is diong a good business.

"'Veer' is doing very well and the collections are fantastic considering it's a long weekend," said Raizada.

Avatar' rules with $68.3M, tops $1B worldwide

James Cameron's science-fiction epic "Avatar" had another stellar weekend with $68.3 million domestically, shooting past $1 billion worldwide, only the fifth movie ever to hit that mark.

No. 1 for the third-straight weekend, 20th Century Fox's "Avatar" raised its domestic total to $352.1 million after just 17 days. The film added $133 million overseas to lift its international haul to $670 million, for a worldwide gross of $1.02 billion.

"Avatar" opened two weekends earlier with $77 million, a strong start but far below dozens of other blockbusters that debuted as high as $158 million. But business for other blockbusters usually tumbles in following weekends, while "Avatar" revenues barely dropped over the busy Christmas and New Year's weekends.

"It's like a runaway freight train. It just keeps doing business," said Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "Here's what's happening: I think everybody has to see `Avatar' once. Even people who don't normally go to the movies, they've heard about it and are saying, `I have to see it.' Then there's those people seeing it multiple times."

"Avatar" was Cameron's first film since 1997's "Titanic," the biggest modern blockbuster with $1.8 billion worldwide.

Cameron now is the only filmmaker to direct two movies that have topped $1 billion. Along with "Titanic," the others are "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" at $1.13 billion, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" at $1.06 billion and "The Dark Knight" at a fraction over $1 billion, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

With "Avatar" closing in on No. 2 film "The Return of the King," Cameron is in striking distance of having the two top-grossing movies globally.

"Avatar" has had a price advantage over those other billion-dollar movies. About 75 percent of its domestic business has come from theaters showing it in digital 3-D presentation, those tickets typically costing a few dollars more than admissions for the 2-D version.

Finishing at No. 2 for the weekend was Robert Downey Jr.'s crime caper "Sherlock Holmes" with $38.4 million. The Warner Bros. film lifted its domestic total to $140.7 million after 10 days in theaters.

In third place was 20th Century Fox's family tale "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" with $36.6 million. It raised its 10-day total to $157.3 million.

The top-three movies, along with solid holdovers that included Universal's "It's Complicated" at No. 4 with $18.7 million, steered Hollywood to a big start to 2010 after a year of record revenue.

Hollywood finished 2009 with $10.6 billion domestically, easily surpassing the previous record of $9.7 billion in 2007, according to Hollywood.com.

Factoring in today's higher admission prices, the year was strong but not a modern record-breaker for number of tickets sold. According to Hollywood.com, domestic admissions came in at 1.42 billion in 2009, the most in the last five years, though well below the modern record of 1.6 billion in 2002.

In Hollywood's glory years of the 1930s and '40s, before television eroded the movie audience, estimated movie attendance ran as high as 4 billion some years.

Studios began 2010 with a headstart over last year. Overall revenues came in at $230 million, up 50 percent from New Year's weekend in 2009, when "Marley & Me" was No. 1 with $24.3 million.

Like "Titanic" 12 years ago, "Avatar" has fairly clear sailing now that the holidays are over. Hollywood is entering a slow season, when fewer big movies arrive and competition is lighter.

"Titanic" lingered as the No. 1 film for months leading up to the Academy Awards, where it won 11 Oscars, including best picture and director.

"Avatar" also proved a critical favorite with strong Oscar potential. Cameron broke new ground in combining live-action, digitally-enhanced performances, visual effects and 3-D presentation to immerse viewers in his futuristic tale of humans and aliens on a distant moon.

"Leave it to James Cameron to do this. To not only set the technical world on fire, the visual world on fire, but also the box-office world on fire 12 years after `Titanic,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Avatar," $68.3 million.

2. "Sherlock Holmes," $38.4 million.

3. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," $36.6 million.

4. "It's Complicated," $18.7 million.

5. "The Blind Side," $12.7 million.

6. "Up in the Air," $11.4 million.

7. "The Princess and the Frog," $10 million.

8. "Did You Hear About the Morgans?", $5.2 million.

9. "Nine," $4.3 million.

10. "Invictus," $4.1 million.

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Nana Patekar to direct second film with Deepika Padukone

Bangalore, Versatile actor Nana Patekar says he will direct his second Hindi film soon and that he has finalised Deepika Padukone for the lead role.

“Yes, I am directing a film,” Nana told reporters at a press meet of his first Kannada film “Yaksha” here Wednesday.

“I have already written the script of the film and have selected Deepika Padukone to play the lead role. I haven’t yet finalised other artists and technicians for the film.”

“I am going to my native village in Maharashtra in a few days to make preparations for the film. I have not finalised the launch date of the film. But it will be worked out very soon,” he added.

Nana wielded megaphone for the first time for “Prahaar” that had Madhuri Dixit in the lead role.

The actor, who will be seen in Prakash Jha’s political thriller “Rajneeti”, also said: “I have not signed any new film after ‘Rajneeti’.”

Nana has completed 13 days’ shooting schedule of “Yaksha”, which is his second south Indian film after “Bommalattam”. He played a possessive film director in the thriller that didn’t score well at the box office.

“This Kannada film features me in a special role,” said Nana.

“Yaksha” is being produced by Siddaraju and is directed by debutant director Ramesh Rao.

Young actor Yogeesh is playing the lead, while Ruby will be seen as his love interest. Chandrashekhar is the cameraman of the film while Manju Mandavya has written the dialogues.

Aamir Khan seeks disabled-friendly infrastructure

Mumbai, Bollywood star Aamir Khan, whose recent release “3 Idiots” takes a critical look at India’s education system, feels that the infrastructure in the country should be remodelled so that physically challenged people can move around without hindrance.

“Our society barely thinks about the physically handicapped people. It’s necessary. There should be proper infrastructure – be it buildings, theatres, roads – everywhere so that they can too have a comfortable access to every places like a normal person does,” said Aamir, honouring 18 achievers of the IBN7 Bajaj Allianz Super Idols awards here at the Taj Lands End hotel Tuesday.

The award is an initiative by the channel in partnership with the Dainik Bhaskar newspaper group to recognise and celebrate those who have overcome their physical challenges to achieve success as well as the individuals who worked tirelessly for the rights of people with special ability.

Rajdeep Sardesai, the editor in chief of IBN 18 Network, told IANS: “I think there is so much negativity in the media. Unless we focus on these kinds of positive stories how will we inspire the next generation? In my case, it happened by working with Ability Foundation (a charitable trust that works to empower disabled) on a project. I realised the remarkable work these people were doing and it shook me.”

“It will be an annual event. There are so many such people and it won’t be that difficult to find 18,” he added.

Television actress and politician Smriti Irani, who was also present at the award ceremony, appreciated the effort and said she is also planning to work with Ability Foundation.

“This is extremely appreciable and an inspiration to those who want to achieve something. People who don’t try because of their disablility, I think this award will be an inspiration for them. I am going to work on a project with Ability Foundation and it will be a new beginning for me,” she said.

Music director Anu Malik, Lalit and Aadesh Shrivastava were also present

After London Dreams failure, Asin jobless in Bollywood

New Delhi, After her film “London Dreams” failed to click at the box office, there is no work for Asin Thottumkal in the Hindi film industry.

“I have nothing (no films) as of now. All that I can reveal is that future projects are under production and I can’t talk about them until the producers give me a go- ahead,” Asin told reporters here Wednesday.

The actress was in the capital to announce the 55th edition of the Filmfare Awards. She, however, assured that she will be seen more in movies this year.

Asin, who won the best debutant (female) award at Filmfare last year for her performance in “Ghajini”, kept the media waiting for two hours as her flight was delayed due to the fog in the capital. But she was extremely apologetic for the delay.

The multi-lingual actress was quite at ease when asked about the qualities that she would seek in her man.

“I don’t have a check list for my dream guy. But definitely think integrity of character is a very important quality. I am not a person who values physical appearances more than how the person is at heart,” she said.

I don’t compete with my father – Abhishek Bachchan

Mumbai, For Abhishek Bachchan, constant comparisons with dad Amitabh are an “honour” and not a problem. But as he gears up for his television debut with game show “National Bingo Night”, he says he is not competing in any way with Bachchan senior, who hosted the popular “Kaun Banega Crorepati” TV show in 2000.

“If you are not going to compare me to him (Amitabh), whom are you going to compare me to? I have never had a problem being compared to him and, like I said, who doesn’t want to be compared to Amitabh Bachchan? He is the best we have and the best that we ever will have. It’s a matter of great honour for me,” Abhishek told IANS in an interview.

The 33-year-old has faced comparisons with his father ever since his Bollywood debut with “Refugee” a decade ago. Now he says he doesn’t want to be weighed on the same scale.

“He (Amitabh) has been on TV and he created history on the medium. Do I hope to be able to outdo that? No, because that’s not possible. Nobody is going to be a better actor than him, nobody is going to be able to make a bigger mark than him on Indian cinema and on world cinema and the same goes for TV. Do I have aspirations of outdoing him? No, I don’t compete with my father,” he said.

Abhishek, who will be seen hosting the show on entertainment channel Colors starting Jan 23, says such comparisons don’t bog him down.

“You can’t allow comparisons to deter you. You still have to do what you believe in. I am his son, I love him very much and I am his biggest fan. I want him to be around forever and I want him to be the best. I don’t think any son competes with his father. In fact, they are very happy to stand behind and support their father – just as I do, and I am proud of that,” he said.

The actor, who has shown his acting skills in films like “Yuva”, “Sarkar”, “Guru”, “Delhi-6″ and “Paa”, is excited about his newfound role as a TV show host. He says he made an instant decision to host “National Bingo Night”, which will have celebrities as well as common people playing two fast-paced rounds of the popular game Bingo.

“When the concept was explained to me and when I saw the Australian version of the show, it was right there that I knew that it is something that I want to do. The fact that it was interactive and would give me an opportunity to interact with the common man was a major draw for me,” said Abhishek.

The show will feature a line-up of celebrities like Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi and Kirron Kher, but the star attraction will be his father Amitabh, who will grace the opening episode.

“I have called dad just to make sure the show’s TRPs are good,” Abhishek remarked.

After shooting for “National Bingo Night”, the actor says he will be back to his film schedules.

“I think one new thing in a year is good enough. I don’t believe in taking on too much. After ‘Bingo’, I’ll get back to my films as there are lots lined up,” he said.

Abhishek is currently shooting for Abhinay Deo’s “Crooked”. He will also be seen in films like Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” and Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited “Ravana”, in which he will feature alongside wife Aishwarya Rai.

Salman and I had differences over “Veer” – Director

Mumbai, Director Anil Sharma admits he had creative differences with Salman Khan over the making of “Veer”, penned by the actor himself, but everything was finally sorted out.

Anil Sharma, who earlier made “Gadar : Ek Prem Katha”, told IANS: “Salman was not just the main actor in ‘Veer’, he was also the writer. We had a lot of differences of opinion. The way he narrated the story and the way I perceived it as a director were different.

“Moreover I brought in other writers Shailesh Verma, Shaktimaan (who wrote my ‘Gadar’) and Krishna Raghav. Raghav did all the research. So Salman’s story has been interpreted in the way I thought right.”

He said Salman insisted that Anil watch his source of inspiration, the Yul Brynner-Tony Curtis 1962 film “Taras Bulba”. “But we couldn’t get a single print of the film. So I had to make do with the images that I had in my mind from childhood.

“They made the film in Russia last year. I saw that version. ‘Taras Bulba’ was the story of the father Yul Brynner, played by Mithun Chakraborty in my film. ‘Veer’ is not the father’s story. It’s the son Salman’s story. And we had to relocate the entire story from 16th century Russia to colonial India,” Anil said.

While Salman Khan has become the face of “Veer”, the director has taken a backseat so far.

Speaking up finally he says, “For three years now all kinds of things have been said and written about ‘Veer’ and my relationship with the project and actors. The truth is we were making a very difficult film. And there were bound to be creative differences. But we sorted them out.”

Anil admits he never wanted Salman’s favourite composers Sajid-Wajid to do the music of “Veer”. “I had heard their tunes in his earlier films and I was sure Sajid -Wajid weren’t the right ones for a period drama like ‘Veer’. I met them reluctantly and was surprised by their understanding of Hindustani music. We worked really well together. And the fact that I could convince Gulzar saab to work with Sajid-Wajid was a stroke of luck.”

He also brushes off talk of “Veer” being an epic like “Gadar”.

“Please don’t expect ‘Gadar’ in ‘Veer’. ‘Gadar’ was far more dramatic and emotional. ‘Veer’ is targeted more at today’s younger audiences,” he said.

Talk is that Salman Khan had apparently first gone to his friend Sanjay Leela Bhansali to direct “Veer”. When Bhansali declined, Salman vowed to make the same story with another director. Anil Sharma was chosen because of “Gadar”.

I wanted to be named Vijay in “Rann” too – Amitabh

New Delhi, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who first used the onscreen name Vijay in 1973 film “Zanjeer”, Tuesday said he wanted the lucky name in his forthcoming “Rann” as well. The actor added that the much-hyped movie was not aimed at media bashing.

“Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) wanted my character to be called Harshvardhan Malik. But I told him ‘naam se pehle Vijay laga do, shayad picture chal jaayegi (Prefix the name with Vijay, the movie might work)’,” Amitabh told reporters at a press conference.

The actor was named Vijay in Zanjeer and then subsequently in many of his popular films like “Deewaar”, “Agneepath”, “Don”, “Shahenshah” and “Shaan” among others. In fact, the product launched under Amitabh’s tie-up with Max New York Life Insurance was also called Max Vijay.

Looking charming in a formal black suit, crisp white shirt and a fluorescent green tie, Amitabh was here to promote “Rann”.

He said the media would be proud of the way his character has been etched out in the film, which is an attempt by Ram Gopal Varma to expose the electronic media.

“You (the media) would be proud of Vijay Harshvardhan Malik. He takes media’s side. The nation listens to him. He is a man of integrity and respect.

“Personally, I really respect media. Being in the media means great responsibility, it is a very impressive job and needs tough work. I got a chance to visit TV channels and they are all like pythons – need to be fed 24 hours to be alive,” he said.

The thespian clarified that “Rann” is not a media bashing film.

“The film shows that in the media there is often a conflict between business sensibilities and a person’s conscience. Now does a person compromise on his conscience for the survival of his business or vice-versa is what has been highlighted in the movie,” he said.

“Rann”, which releases Jan 29, also features Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal.

I don’t break commitments – Salman Khan

New Delhi, Salman Khan has often been in the news for his relationships and break-ups but the superstar says he is very particular about his commitments – whether personal or professional.

“I’m a very committed person. If it (a personal or official relationship) breaks, it’s always the other person who breaks it and not me. I don’t interfere that much because it matters a lot to me,” Salman, who is currently dating actress Katrina Kaif, told reporters Tuesday at the FICCI Auditorium here.

“It goes on the same way from my side. When I commit (to someone or doing something), I stick to it,” said the 44-year-old, who is said to have dated Aishwarya Rai, Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali in the past.

The star was in the capital to promote his upcoming film “Veer”, which releases Friday. The epic, which has been written by Salman himself, has been produced by Vijay Galani and Sunil A. Lulla.

It also marks the big screen debut of Zarine Khan in the female lead. Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan and Jackie Shroff also play pivotal roles in the movie.

The macho star is also undeterred with the failures of period dramas in Bollywood, as both Shah Rukh Khan starrer “Asoka” (2001) and Aamir Khan’s “Mangal Pandey: The Rising” (2005) have been box office duds.

“I’ve given my best and left it for the audiences to decide if it works or not… if it does, the credit will be everybody’s and if it doesn’t, then I will take the blame,” he said.

Shahid Kapoor on award winning spree

Mumbai, It hasn’t even been a month to the New Year, and Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor has already swept three awards for his performances in 2009.

While he was named the most popular male actor at the STAR Screen awards, Shahid also won the heartthrob of the nation award at the fifth Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards.

The 28-year-old also walked away with the Editor’s choice best actor award at the Stardust awards for his portrayal of Guddu and Charlie – the ruffian with the endearing lisp and the simpleton who stammers respectively – in Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Kaminey”.

Last year saw Shahid’s transformation from a chocolate hero to an intense actor.

Though his latest release “Chance Pe Dance” hasn’t been able to pull in a lot of audiences, Shahid is looking forward to good times this year. He will be seen in Parmeet Sethi’s untitled movie for Yash Raj Films apart from his father, veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor’s “Masoom”.

Shah Rukh Khan to visit Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will visit the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Jan 23 to hold “interactive sessions” with the varsity students, an AMU official said Tuesday.

“Shah Rukh recently had expressed his desire to interact with the varsity students. In this regard he even contacted the varsity’s vice chancellor P.K. Abdul Azis,” AMU official spokesperson Rahat Abrar told reporters in this Utar Pradesh town, some 300 km from state capital Lucknow.

“Noted Urdu poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar and versatile actress and social activist Shabana Azmi will accompany Shah Rukh and participate in the interactive sessions. Both of them had also contacted the varsity’s administration for organising the interactive sessions,” he added.

According to varsity officials, the decision to invite Shah Rukh, Javed and Shabana, has been taken following their requests to interact with the students.

“They had just wished to interact with the students. They had not mentioned any particular topic on which they want to interact. So, AMU is inviting them on their personal wishes,” Abrar told IANS.

“Of the three, Javed Akhtar is an alumnus of our institution,” he said.

Ishqiya gets “A” certificate with no cuts

Mumbai, “Ishqiya” with all its colourful expletives and sexually charged visuals was passed without any cuts with an ‘A’ certificate.

Says the film’s director Abhishek Choubey: “Frankly, I expected I’d be asked for some kind of an explanation for the language and content and why they were necessary. I had gone prepared with dossiers on every graphic word and shot. To my surprise I wasn’t asked for any explanation. I was given an ‘Adults’ certificate with no cuts at all. I guess it’s a sign of how far censorship has come in our country.”

The censor board apparently balked at some of the expletives. But finally saw reason. The film was passed by the board Wednesday.

Says the film’s director: “I never claimed the film was for children. The content is adult. So I’ve no problem with the ‘A’ certificate. I feel the profile of the audience is changing swiftly.”

Abhishek also hastens to add that the language is not as strong as people seem to think. “It’s not about creating shock value. It’s the way these people in the small North Indian towns live their life.”

The film, produced by Raman Maroo and Vishal Bharadwaj, stars Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles.

Max Stardust Awards 2010 – Winners List

Superstar Of Tomorrow – Male
Ranbir Kapoor – Wake Up Sid & Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
 

Breakthrough Performance – Male
Abhimanyu Singh – Gulaal

Breakthrough Performance – Female
Shahana Goswami – Firaaq

Hottest Film Of The Year
Love Aaj Kal

Hottest New Director
Ayaan Mukherjee – Wake Up Sid

Exciting New Face
Jacqueline Fernandez – Aladin

STARDUST SEARCHLIGHT AWARDS

Best Actress
Preity Zinta – Videsh

Best Film
Chintuji

Best Director
Ranjit Kapoor – Chintuji

READERS CHOICE AWARDS

Dream Director
Imtiaz Ali – Love Aaj Kal

Best Film Of The Year – Comedy
All The Best

Best Film Of The Year – Action / Thriller
Wanted

Best Film Of The Year – Drama
3 Idiots

Star Of The Year – Male
Amitabh Bachchan – Paa

Star Of The Year – Female
Kareena Kapoor – Kurbaan & 3 Idiots

Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Abhishek Bachchan – Paa

Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Kirron Kher – Kurbaan

Best Actor In A Comedy Role
Ajay Devgn – All The Best

Best Actor – Popular
Akshay Kumar – Blue

Best Actress – Popular
Katrina Kaif – New York, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

Amitabh, Kareena bag top honours at Stardust awards

Mumbai, Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has bagged the Reader’s Choice best actor award for the movie “Paa” while Kareena Kapoor was adjudged best actress for “Kurbaan” at the seventh Stardust Awards here.

Rajkumar Hirani’s well-made “3 Idiots” got the Reader’s Choice best film of the year award even as Imtiyaz Ali bagged the Reader’s Choice best director award at the star-studded ceremony Sunday evening.

Rohit Shetty bagged the Stardust Editor’s Choice award for best director for his movie “All The Best”. The best actor and best actress awards in the same category were given to Shahid Kapoor for “Kaminey” and Kareena Kapoor for “Kurbaan”, respectively.

While “Wanted” bagged the best film in action thriller category, “All The Best” was adjudged the best comedy film.

Another special award, Superstar of tomorrow (male), went to Ranbir Kapoor for “Wake Up Sid” and “Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani”, while Superstar of tomorrow (female) was grabbed by Mugdha Godse for “Jail”. The hottest new filmmaker award went to Ayan Mukherjee for “Wake up Sid”.

The new musical sensational (female) award went to Kavitha Seth for “Iktara” from “Wake up Sid” and the award for new musical sensational (male) went to Suraj Jagan for “Give me some sunshine” (“3idiots”).

Piyush Mishra won the Stardust performance by a music director award for “Gulaal”, while Subrat Sinha won the Stardust performance by a lyricist for “Radio”.

Rekha was honoured with Stardust Editor’s Choice Icon of the Industry award at the ceremony.

Actors Katrina Kaif, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor sizzled on stage performing to some of their hit songs.

Big B to feature on first episode of Abhishek’s TV show

Mumbai, As Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan gets ready to make his TV debut with “Idea National Bingo Nights”, he will be seen playing the game with his father Amitabh Bachchan in the inaugural episode of the show to be aired on Colors channel.

Dressed in a formal black suit, Abhishek was at his wittiest best at a press conference here Monday. With his one liners and spontaneous answers, the audience was in splits and enjoying every moment of the session.

Explaining why his father is featuring in the first episode, Abhishek said that he wants him to do some ‘aaram’ (rest) through the show.

“As a son, I want my father to relax a bit, slow down his work and take care of his health. But he hardly takes my advice. So I called him on this show to take some ‘aaram’,” Abhishek told reporters.

Being produced by Fox Television Studios India Pvt Ltd, the show will have two fast-paced rounds of the popular guessing game ‘Bingo’.

Talking about this show, Abhishek said: “The sheer simplicity of the idea and the fact that this show is highly interactive is what attracted me to it. Winning here is easy, you need not answer any difficult questions or perform any strenuous physical tasks. The idea is simple – leave behind all your worries, relax and enjoy.”

Apart from Big B, Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone, Farhan Akhtar, Pravesh Rana, Vindu Dara Singh, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, Sonali Bendre, and Kirron Kher will be seen in subsequent episodes.

The show will go on air from Jan 23 at 9.00 p.m.

Why Priyanka declined Rohan Sippy’s film

Mumbai, Priyanka Chopra was apparently very keen to work in director Rohan Sippy’s next but unfortunately she had to decline the offer as the shooting dates clashed with Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Ek Bataa Saat”, in which she plays a woman with seven husbands.

Rohan, who had earlier worked with Priyanka in “Bluffmaster”, was also keen to cast her in his Goan drug-busting film. He wanted to cast Priyanka in a powerful role opposite the southern star Rana Daggubati, who is entering Bollywood.

The earlier plan was to cast Priyanka opposite Abhishek Bachchan. But now a newcomer will be paired with Abhishek while Priyanka was seriously considered opposite Daggubati.

“Unfortunately the dates on which Priyanka was required for Rohan’s film clashed with Vishal Bharadwaj’s film,” said an industry source.

After “Kaminey”, Priyanka has a unique chemistry with Bhardwaj. And in his “Ek Bataa Saat”, she plays a woman with seven husbands, a big challenge for the actress.

“There was no way Priyanka could let go of Vishal’s ‘Ek Bataa Saath’. So she regretfully opted out of Rohan’s film,” the source added.

“Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?” not slapstick comedy – Ajay Devgn

Mumbai, Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, who has just bagged the Stardust award for Reader’s Choice best actor in comedy for “All The Best”, says his forthcoming film “Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?” is a hilarious movie but unlike any slapstick comedy.

“It is not a slapstick comedy. It’s a lighthearted film. This comes under a different genre. There is sensibility along with humour. There is also an undercurrent emotion in it. After a long time I did a film of this kind,” Ajay told reporters at the official launch of the upcoming film’s website here Monday.

The film, directed by Ashwani Dhir, revolves around the story of Puneet (Ajay Devgn) and Munmun (Konkona Sen Sharma), a happily married couple living in Mumbai. Their life takes a turn when a distant relative Chachaji (Paresh Rawal) turns up unannounced at their doorstep from a far off village.

The chaos that follows makes it a rib tickling comedy where the agonised couple tries out various methods to get relief from him but fails time and again. The film is set to release Feb 26.

“There are mainly three characters and it’s a problem between the three of them,” said Ajay.

Konkona has always been offered serious roles and “Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?” would be her first full-fledged comedy.

“I am mainly seen as a serious actress… I am usually not given a chance to do films which are more lighthearted in nature. That’s why I am very grateful to the director and producer of ‘Atithi…’ that they thought of me for this character. I really enjoyed doing it,” said Konkona.

“I think people will relate to the film a lot because this is basically reflecting on the lives of young couples today in Mumbai. There are people from all over the country coming here to make their lives. People are struggling and if they have guests coming from their village, there is a question of privacy. It’s not like Delhi where you have huge sprawling houses. So I think because of all these factors people will relate to it,” she added.

Veer film actress Zarine Khan at Big FM studios

 Salman Khan’s Veer film actress Zarine Khan at Big FM studios at Andheri.

John Abraham promotes Mumbai Marathon at WTC

John Abraham promotes Mumbai Marathon at WTC

Rahman sings for India-Australia friendship

Sydney, Forty thousand Sydneysiders Saturday night clapped and cheered as the ‘Mozart of Madras’ A.R. Rahman and his troupe provided a spectacular musical extravaganza to salute India-Australia friendship.

Seamlessly blending the traditional with the modern, the music spanned the differences of language, enthralling old and young, touching the very heart strings at a time when Australia-India bilateral relations have come under strain following attacks on Indians in this country.

Music transcends boundaries and Saturday night it did, as Sydneysiders were taken on a journey of peace and joy by Rahman and his amazing troupe of nearly 40 musicians, dancers and supporting artists over 2-1/2 hours even as ominous clouds threatened to give way. A steady drizzle began as the sonorous sounds of “Khwaja Mere Khwaja” filled the cool night air.

It being one of the most anticipated concerts staged as part of the three-week Sydney Festival, people had begun securing places as early as 12 p.m. to get up and close with their music idol at the Parramatta Park, in the western Sydney suburb of Parramatta which has the largest population of Indian and South Asians in Australia.

Even the American-born Premier of New South Wales, Kristina Keneally, couldn’t conceal her excitement.

She said: “This event is a celebration of Indian culture, music and dance and acknowledges the invaluable contribution that the Indian community has made to the social fabric of NSW. It sends a clear message that NSW is a welcoming place for people of every country to study, live and work.”

For the 20 young boys and girls, who got a chance to perform with the world renowned maestro, it was the most exhilarating experience.

“It was a mind blowing opportunity that comes probably only once in a lifetime. We had intense rehearsals for five days and were really nervous, but once on stage, the energy and power of the music just consumed us all,” Akshita Mohan, 18, a resident of suburban Westleigh who was one of the supporting dancers, told IANS.

It is not often that an artiste of Rahman’s calibre performs for free, but that is typical of the man and his music.

“The concert is a gesture of friendship and goodwill between the two countries. I hope this solidarity continues to grow and blossom through the coming years,” said Rahman amidst deafening applause.

For those who couldn’t brave the crowds, the concert was telecast live by Australian Broadcasting Corporation to 44 countries with Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden, who plays for Chennai Super Kings as one of the hosts.

Rahman, who flew back home Sunday morning, was a guest of the NSW state government and Sydney Festival, which is Australia’s largest annual cultural event, showcasing a broad spectrum of Australian and international dance, theatre, visual arts and music.

As festival director Lindy Hume told IANS: “There are only a handful of living artists in any genre whose work is instantly and easily embraced in both eastern and western cultures – and one of them is A.R. Rahman. The message of this concert is one of harmony and cultural understanding between Australia and India, two countries who share so much more than a national day (Jan 26) and love of cricket.”

The mesmerising performance, enhanced by state-of-the-art digital projections, ended on a high with the magical power and vitality of “Jai Ho” reaching a crescendo in “Vande Mataram” as fireworks lit the night sky.

“Big Switch” has given me a reality check – Genelia D’Souza

New Delhi, Actress Genelia D’Souza says she has become more aware of the extent of poverty in India after hosting reality TV show “Big Switch”, which featured 10 rich children who gave up their comfortable lifestyles to fulfil the dreams of slum children.

“‘Big Switch’ was about a rich dreamer giving up his dreams to make another dreamer’s wish come true – helping someone who couldn’t afford to realise his or her dream. I have seen some of the most emotional moments between the rich and poor kids, which has given me a serious reality check in life,” Genelia told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

“There’s so much poverty in India, yet the people in slums have the courage to dream. I took up ‘Big Switch’ simply because it was a reality show in good light. The concept exuded positivity, and the soul of the show was very clean,” she added.

The show, which aired on UTV Bindass, had its finale Saturday. Genelia played a host, a friend and an advisor to all the children throughout the show. She says she was extremely touched during one episode.

“I have seen the rich kids do some of the sweetest things for their slum friends. I have seen them going to the extent of collecting cow dung with their bare hands – and all this for someone they have no relation with. I had tears in my eyes that day and it really gave me a reality check,” the 22-year-old said.

Though Genelia is happy with the way her small screen debut turned out, she isn’t too sure if she will be seen on television shows again soon.

“I haven’t really thought about doing any other shows on TV. Films are my main focus at the moment. I have been working very hard for them,” she said.

Genelia has been juggling between the southern film industry and Bollywood for the past five years but it was Imran Khan-starrer “Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na” that brought her to the forefront of Hindi movies.

Her latest movie “Chance Pe Dance”, which paired her with Shahid Kapoor, released to average reviews Friday. Genelia is now working with the likes of Anees Bazmee in “It’s My Life” and David Dhawan-John Abraham in “Hook Ya Crook”.

Asked if there were any specific roles she wanted to do, Genelia said: “I have never planned my career. Whatever comes my way, I try and make the best of it.”

Salman races with top jockeys to promote “Veer”

Mumbai, Bollywood star Salman Khan is leaving no stone unturned to promote his upcoming period drama “Veer” that releases Friday, even if it means participating in a race with top jockeys.

Clad in a black t-shirt, blue jeans and donning a yellow helmet, the 44-year-old raced with six jockeys at the Mahalakshmi race course Sunday, winning the event and being awarded a trophy.

“I was a bit nervous (before the race). If I’d have lost, people would have thought Salman lost the race and if I’d have won then they would have said that he had to win because he is a star,” Salman told reporters here after the race.

“But I’d like to clarify that it was not a set-up and was a genuine race. I gave my best along with the jockeys and so did they,” he added.

The epic has been produced by Vijay Galani and Sunil A. Lulla. It has been written by Salman.

It also marks the big screen debut of Zarine Khan in the female lead. Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan and Jackie Shroff also play pivotal roles in the movie.

Sanjay Dutt is Sirsa Gullies T-10 team owner

New Delhi, Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt is the owner of the Sirsa Gullies cricket team for the T-10 gully cricket season 2 “Ab Har Koi Khelega”, it was announced here Sunday.

The team will see Dutt involved in all aspects like grooming of players, supporting and cheering them and getting various corporate sponsorships for the team that is making its T-10 debut.

“I am genuinely delighted to be an owner of this promising and talented team. This talent hunt will give an opportunity to players to showcase their talent and live their passion of playing cricket,” Dutt said in a statement.

“There are some extremely brilliant players who play in the gullies of our country, and in the process have sharpened their skills, continuously bettering their performances. It’s time that their skills are projected in front of the country and they get their due,” he added.

Ritesh Deshmukh is the brand ambassador of the event while Jimmy Shergill, Rajpal Yadav, Divya Dutta and Prachi Desai have also been signed as the owners of teams from Jalandhar, Kanpur, Ludhiana and Surat respectively.

To be played among 17 teams, T-10 will be played under lights and matches will be telecast live on DD Sports, commencing Jan 19. The tournament concludes Feb 3.

The other teams featuring are from Nashik, Latur, Daman, Allahabad, Lucknow, Gwalior, Amritsar, Panchkula, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Ballia and Patna.

“Veer” movie is of a different genre – Salman Khan

Mumbai, 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 IANS 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.”

My next movie has to be a lighter affair – Karan Johar

Mumbai, Director Karan Johar wants to go back to “song and dance” movies after “My Name Is Khan”, which is about the journey of an unusual couple living in the US post- 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“I have given my three years, heart, soul and body to ‘My Name Is Khan’. Now I would love to get back to songs and dances. I guess it’s the need of the hour for me,” said Karan who is known for making light movies like “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham”.

“Making a film is all about the state of mind – three years back I felt that I had to tell the story of ‘My Name Is Khan’. Perhaps after making my ’song and dance’ film, I would be fed up again and make something else thereafter. However, as of now I am very clear that my next movie has to be a lighter affair,” he said.

Talking about the trigger point that led to conceptualising of “My Name Is Khan”, he said: “It was basically a film that was needed to be addressed. I had certain feelings and wanted them to be translated for screen. Moreover, this idea also required me to get out of my safety zone.”

Releasing Feb 12, “My Name Is Khan” stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol and Karan worked with writer Shibani Bathija on the movie. He did a lot of research work for the movie.

“More than just the visual presentation on screen, what was of pertinent importance was the fact that ‘My Name Is Khan’ required a lot of external research. All this while it was about my own world with which I was comfortable but here I was looking at certain perceptions which are a global phenomenon.”

It has been reported that “My Name Is Khan” is picking upon the issues and challenges faced by Muslims globally and aims at addressing them through the medium of cinema.

“Please let me set the record straight that ‘My Name Is Khan’ is not an issue- based film. Instead it’s a human drama about a couple. The film will make you smile and result in tears in your eyes.

“At the end of it all, it’s a human film with emotions that are universal. It’s a film which connects with you. But I’m not taking forward the baton of an issue. Instead I am just using it as a part of the narrative.”

“My Name Is Khan” also stars Soniya Jehan, Jimmy Shergill, Zarina Wahab, Parvin Dabbas, Arif Zakaria, Navneet Nishan, Sheetal Menon, Arjun Mathur and child artist Tanay Chheda seen in “Slumdog Millionaire”.

A co-production of Karan Johar and Gauri Khan, “My Name Is Khan” is being marketed and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Karan Johar keen to work with Aishwarya Rai

Mumbai, If grapevine is to be believed, Karan Johar is toying with the idea of finally working with Aishwarya Rai, with whom he hasn’t made a single project in his over decade-long career.
“Karan said that Aishwarya is his ideal heroine and all the scripts that he writes are keeping her in mind. He also said that various reasons have veered them from working together. But he is hoping that it is the right time that he gets her to work in his production sometime soon,” a source, who overheard Karan’s conversation with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, told IANS on condition of anonymity.
The two filmmakers were discussing Aishwarya at Sonali Bendre’s birthday party Dec 31.
“Sanjay Leela Bhansali was overheard telling Karan Johar that Aishwarya is very original and there is no one like her. He further said that if a director has not worked with her in his or her career, it’s a big loss for them. Sanjay also praised her work in ‘Guzaarish’,” the source said.
Aishwarya has worked with Bhansali in “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and “Devdas” – both of which did well at the box office. Now she is being directed by him in “Guzaarish”, which also features Hrithik Roshan.

Preity Zinta espouses cause of widows, cites Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi, Citing the example of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta Wednesday pledged to work for the welfare of widows and said they could achieve a lot if given an opportunity.

Preity, 34, became the brand ambassador of Loomba Trust that supports widows and their children around the world.

“Sonia Gandhi is a perfect example. If a woman is not stolen off her opportunities, even if she is a widow, she can do great things and achieve a lot. This is more than enough reason to say that a woman can stand shoulder to shoulder with any man anywhere in the world,” Preity said at a press conference here.

“I have always held women’s causes in India very close to my heart. I have always felt that women get a raw deal. This cause was a little more close to my heart because I lost my father when I was very young,” said Preity, who lost her father at the age of 13.

“I was lucky to come from a family that was financially stable but I did grow up realising that it was definitely more difficult for a woman. I can identify with this problem very closely,” the actress told reporters.

Preity also revealed that a documentary by filmmaker Deepa Mehta’s brother influenced her and she realised it was important to work for the welfare of widows.

“Deepa Mehta’s brother made a documentary called ‘The Forgotten Woman’. It’s a documentary on widows and what really happens to them. That was the first time I looked at this besides something I had grown up with and that stayed with me,” she said.

“So when I was asked to be a part of this Trust I thought that god has given me more than I can ever imagine and if I can give back, it will make a difference and in whatever way we can to raise awareness we will,” she added.

Bollywood numbers game is too fickle – Priyanka Chopra

Mumbai, Priyanka Chopra was marching towards the top with back-to-back hits “Dostana” and “Fashion” in 2008. Last year her “Kaminey” succeeded and if “What’s Your Raashee?” had worked, she would have certainly come closer to being number one. But the actress refuses to get drawn into the numbers game.

“When a couple of my films would succeed at the box office, then people would start commenting ‘Oh yes, you are at the number one spot’. But one flop later they may end up stating ‘arrey, yeh spot toh thoda hil gaya’,” Priyanka told IANS.

“In fact, sometimes you experience something even worse because the same people may even end up stating that she is gone and there is no future for her…However, one hit later, every statement would be retracted. No one can be really blamed because this entire numbers business is so fickle,” said the actress who has seen quite a few ups and downs in her career.

Was this why she didn’t worry much while signing a relatively smaller film like “Pyaar Impossible”? Though she claims it was the film’s script that made her sign, she admits that big banners like Yash Raj Films have their relevance.

“Yes, one can’t deny the relevance of big banners. However, a fact that also cannot be denied is that sometimes even big films don’t work. I have first-hand experience in that because there have been some really big films that I wasn’t convinced about and hence had to decline them,” Priyanka said.

Unwilling to divulge the names of these films, she does reveal though that most of these films didn’t work at the box office.

“This is what further convinced me that I had taken the right decisions,” she said.

“On the other hand I have also done small films out of sheer gut instinct and they went on to be very good successes. So, you know, one can’t really be sure about this industry which is anyway so unpredictable,” the former beauty queen added.

“Pyaar Impossible” also starred Uday Chopra. Directed by Jugal Hansraj, the romantic comedy shows how fate brings Uday, a complete geek, and Priyanka, a beauty, together and love blooms amidst all odds.

Describing her fundamentals about working in films, she said: “It’s best not to do any prior calculations and instead just step into doing something where your instinct drives you. This is why I concentrate completely on my work.”

“As long as people say that I am a decently good actor and a very fine professional, I can say that I am at a happy place. I would be quite worried if they start saying anything to the contrary,” added Priyanka, who has worked in around 30 films during the last six and a half years in Bollywood.

Priyanka will next be seen in Siddharth Anand’s “Anjaana Anjaani” with Ranbir Kapoor. After that, she will begin work on Vishal Bharadwaj’s yet untitled film.

“3 Idiots” grosses Rs. 315 crore in 19 days

New Delhi, Aamir Khan starrer comedy-drama “3 Idiots” has grossed over Rs.315 crore ($70 million) globally in the 19 days since its release, a statement by Reliance BIG Entertainment, the film’s distributor, said Tuesday.

Based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller Five Point Someone, the film has been produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

“‘3 Idiots’ has opened new vistas for the Indian film industry. The huge response across continents reinforces our belief that a well-made, well-exploited film can still create magic in the darkened auditorium. We are proud to be associated with Vinod, Aamir, Raju and the talented team of ‘3 idiots’,” said Amit Khanna, chairman, Reliance BIG Entertainment.

Added Chopra: “I am thrilled and humbled that so many people all over the world have loved this film. It proves true Rancho’s (the protagonist in the movie) mantra – chase excellence and success will follow.”

Aamir echoed the sentiment, saying: “As a member of the team I am so happy with the kind of success that the film is achieving. Thanks to Raju (Hirani), for making the film so well, to Vinod for doing such a great job as a producer and to Reliance BIG Pictures for the kind of release they gave the film.”

According to the statement, more that 60 million people have so far watched the film in theatres since its release Dec 25. Its box office collections have exceeded the over Rs.260 crore earned by another Aamir starrer, “Ghajini”, considered Hindi cinema’s highest grosser till date.

“3 Idiots” is also being touted as the highest grossing Indian film ever to release in the US, Middle East, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Kenya and Fiji.

The film has retained its position in the top 10 film at the British Box Office and is also Aamir’s biggest grosser so far and highest box office grosser of 2009. The screen count in the US for “3 Idiots” has increased by 25 percent by the third week.

Indian multiplexes added on an average 14 to 21 new shows in the second week of the movie compared to its first week with 150 additional shows.

The paid previews of the movie also garnered over Rs.9 crore worldwide, above those of the paid preview collections of “Ghajini” that were Rs.7 crore globally.

The film also stars R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani and Kareena Kapoor in pivotal roles.

Boney Kapoor-Sridevi to distribute Ishqiya in India

New Delhi, Boney and Sridevi Kapoor’s film and television entertainment company BSK Network and Entertainment Pvt Ltd has acquired the all-India theatrical domestic distribution rights of Vishal Bhardwaj’s forthcoming movie “Ishqiya”.

Releasing Jan 29, the movie is BSKs first release this year after its last year’s hit “Wanted”, a statement released by the company said.

Co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Bharadwaj, it is the directorial debut of Abhishek Chaubey. It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan in the lead.

Apart from “Ishqiya”, BSK will also release two of its in-house productions – “Milenge Milenge” and “It’s My Life” – this year.

Other future projects in BSK’s kitty include “Mr. India 2″, “Be Positive” and “Most Wanted”.