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Shah of charm
It's been a 'happy year' indeed and that's nothing 'new' for Shah Rukh. Not after fifty-five films and two decades down the line. Nevertheless, he's elated and goes for the statistics with Rs 100-crore benchmark already crossed. The critics, he'll address later.
Hereon, the SRK, as we know him, takes over. "So, thank you Chandigarh, thank you Elante..By the way is this how it is pronounced Elaaahnte?" That's the SRK as we know him or rather, as he knows us-the crowd, the audience. The pulse of the audience! "I don't know how I get it right each time. Rather you should ask that question to my directors and script writers, who seem to know how the audience it going to like me, how will I fit into the role." Happy situation At the moment, everything is a 'been there done that' phenomenon; a situation that extends beyond Bollywood and acting. So many years down the line, what excites him before signing onto a role? "It's the role itself. Whether it's an actor's role like in Chak De or a producer's role or a director's role like in Chennai Express. Apart from that I also like to be pampered, so I look forward to working with friends. I don't like to be treated too professionally." That partly explains the never wanting to cross over to the mad Hollywood bandwagon. No settling for five-minute cameos or shall we say two minute Canne's moments. It's about time the fan from the journalist settled down and rationality came to the fore. A part of the audience overlooks, rather remains unaffected by the collections quoted in defence of a film. Who will not like even a hundred crore film. "I think so far, there must have been only two to three films so far that everybody must have liked. You cannot make universal films. Happy New Year was made with the idea of making people happy." Like we said, it has been a happy year for him and that's nothing new for Shah Rukh. Regional shift? Now we catch him. For a Moga boy, it's an obvious one. The fact that we are yet to see Sonu Sood step into the mustard fields, romance a heroine or two, beat up the bad village boys is a complaint rather a question. Isn't it time to give back to the regional cinema? "Get me the right script and I'll begin work tomorrow," he answers in fluent Punjabi. But what would it take to get him to fly down here? "It's very difficult to define what kind of a film but give me any nice action, comedy or romantic script and I will do it."
Figures don't lie She sits amidst the boys, atop the director's chair. Farah Khan has been rather consistent in her choice of films, nothing experimental. She admits, "All my films are like that. When Main Hoon Na released, a lot of people criticised it. Today when it comes on the television, it is considered a cult film…Everybody has an opinion about the film but the collection figures are so big that they show support of the majority rather than their disapproval." It's time to go back to the crowd, comprising young girls who are queuing to take a selfie with the lady of the moment. manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Of sensibility & sensitivity
"I was amazed that Do Dooni Chaar got picked for a discussion!" is how director-screenwriter Habib Faisal opens his interaction with Chandigarh media, expressing candidly that he'd rather talk about the literature fest first before 'getting personal'.
Faisal's directorial debut, Do Dooni Chaar (2010), received critical acclaim and sent him spiraling towards what they now call 'sensible commercial cinema'—his second and third directorial ventures being Ishaqzaade and Daawat-E-Ishq, respectively. Talking about revisiting his work at the fest, Faisal says, "It's always interesting to look back; not that I had forgotten any part of it. When you're doing a film, the film becomes you, you become the film. Not unless I have a stroke of Alzheimer's, I won't forget." Not ready to reveal the project that's currently underway—except the fact that he's in the 'writing' phase - Faisal says every film he does, makes him start from the scratch. "You can never learn from the previous films you've done. Your next film has new characters, different plot, different theme; you're a different person with each project you take on. You're tricked into thinking you've learnt and evolved, but the truth remains that you remain a novice at the beginning of each new film. The excitement of discovery starts afresh; so does the fear. Like for any other artist-a writer, a painter, a musician-that's the inevitable cycle of fear, anxiety and anticipation." Drawing parallels between cinema and literature, Faisal says they're similar at a plane most people fail to see. "That's why I like fests like these; they recognise the literary quality of film writing. Fundamentally, the director of a film is its author-he builds characters, gets lost in their world, take cues from reality, and ultimately, they both have to entertain," says he. Ask him if he'd like to cross over to the other side, like most authors have delved into scriptwriting, and he says, "I'd be interested in writing a novel, mostly because I want to write about things that I can't encapsulate in the two-hour time frame of a feature film; things that need a wider canvas." For now, Faisal is proud being a commercial director. "I love the process of making cinema and am proud of being a commercial entertainer. I'm especially fond of how scriptwriters weave the songs we love so much into the genes of the film." somya@tribunemail.com
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Speaking like a Marathi
Priyanka Chopra has started shooting for Bajirao Mastani. The actress is training with a linguistic expert to study and understand the finer nuances of Marathi language in the 17th century. This is authentic Peshwa Marathi and the actress has a coach for her on the set. The words in Peshwa Marathi are very different and difficult, so Priyanka had to take a 15 day coaching and also Sanjay Leela Bhansali has made sure that he is always there on set for her so that he can help the actress with the nuances and the accent. Priyanka's spokesperson says, "Yes, Priyanka is learning Marathi under the guidance of a special coach."
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I don't want to be termed as hot: Lisa
Model-turned-actress Lisa Haydon, who does not wish to be tagged as "hot", says her performance in "Queen" has helped people to pay attention to her acting acumen.
"Before Queen, people perceived me (just) as a model. I worked very hard to prove myself as a good actor. I needed the right opportunity, and now I feel people have started taking me seriously as an actress and have started paying attention to my talent," Lisa said here. She feels there has been an image change for her after Queen. "I don't want to be termed as 'hot'. It was getting offensive after a point. Who wants to be hot," she asked while breaking into guffaws. However, Lisa feels that after Queen, in which she played Vijayalakshmi - an independent, fun-loving and modern girl who befriends Kangana Ranaut's character—she is "getting stuck with the 'bohemian free-spirit' image". She admits it "is so much better than hot", but is clear that she doesn't want to get "stuck with any image". The actress's new film is The
Shaukeens. Talking about the movie and her character, she said: "In my opinion, my 'The
Shaukeens' character Ahana is not hot. Vijayalakshmi (from Queen) is hotter than Ahana though she does not do anything to be hot—she burps, she snores, and has an 'I don't give a damn' attitude which appeals to people.
Ahana, on the other hand, is a very innocent and naive girl."—IANS
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Bhojpuri pays off
While Raju Hirani was planning to have the character of PK speaking Rajasthani, Aamir suggested the Bhojpuri language and Raju instantly felt it was a great idea.
The language in Raj Kumar Hirani's upcoming release PK plays a very important role. During one of the discussions, Raju felt that Aamir's character can speak Rajasthani as a language which will be unusual.
Aamir thought Bhojpuri will give a quirky and humorous touch to the character and at the same time people would be able to understand most of it. The ace actor had been specially preparing for learning Bhojpuri since two years now. He wanted to learn the nuances and get the diction correctly. His efforts have paid off, as we can gauge from the response to the promos.
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Ranbir back in the 60’s!
Anurag Kashyap's most ambitious film Bombay Velvet is going through a gruelling session of high-end VFX and editing. The film that was initially announced as a Christmas release has move to next year in May 2015. Now that he has some extra time in hand, Anurag has decided to shoot a music video with his film's hero Ranbir Kapoor in
January.
Anurag and his team are working on the theme of the song. It will feature Ranbir and they have few months before they start shooting with him. The idea has already been shared with him and he has given his go-ahead. He is currently shooting in Thailand and will come back and have an elaborate chat with Anurag about the
song. Niharika Khan, the costume designer for the film, has also been sounded off about this song shoot. Anurag shot the film in Sri Lanka where he recreated the era of 60's
Mumbai. In the film, Ranbir plays a street fighter while Anushka essays the role of a jazz singer. This song will be shot in Mumbai over four days in January and RK has already given his dates. The theme of the song will be around the 60's and other details are being
finalised. Amit Trivedi has already composed the music on which the video will be featured.
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Shraddha’s musical journey
Shraddha Kapoor has delivered back-to- back hits with Aashiqui 2, Ek Villain and
Haider. But it is not only her films that are doing extremely well. Even the songs from all her films have been topping the charts.
Last year, Tum Hi Ho from her film Aashiqui 2 was the song topping the charts. This year, Galliyan from Ek Villain is the number one chartbuster. The survey conducted at the end of 2013 clearly showed Tum Hi Ho the winner. The song was leading among all the songs that came out during the year. And towards the end of this year, Galliyan is number one among all the songs of
2014. Shraddha has delivered outstanding performances in her films and even the music of her films have received an overwhelming
response. Shraddha herself comes from a musical background and has crooned two songs, the unplugged version of Galliyan in Ek Villain and a Kashmiri folk song, Do Jahaan in
Haider.
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No conventional roles for Sushant
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who has wrapped up shooting for director Dibakar Banerjee's Detective Byomkesh Bakshi, talks about the film Detective Byomkesh Bakshi
We've wrapped up the film. And I can tell you, it was one more learning experience for me. Dibakar trusted me completely. We had done workshops before we started shooting. So, I knew exactly what he wanted me to do, and how I should go about it. We had a lot of room for experimentation and I think I've grown as an actor. Going back in time
Dibakar gave me lots and lots of tips and reference points. Besides, I had a whole team looking after my clothes, make-up, hair etc. They made sure I looked the character. I also saw lots of films from the 1940s and 1950s. How they walked, the way they talked, the way they did this and that....these were details I had to understand on my own. I had to be convinced that I had to behave in a particular way. Growing as an actor
An actor has to remember the primary reason why he chose the profession that he did. If every role that I do doesn't challenge me then what is the point of being an actor? Every character that I've chosen has made me evolve as an actor. And I am lucky that my directors have shown so much faith in my abilities. There is always that sense of exploration and excitement. I am not bothered with whether my characters are conventional or not. Because I am not in this for the designer labels and the autographs. I don't even want to go there. I am not saying that those who crave for conventional stardom are wrong in their aspirations. But that's not what I want. No conventional roles
If I invest six months of my life in a role, the least I expect is to come out of the experience feeling good about myself. I won't play the conventional role even if I get big money for it. Financial considerations are not an issue for me. If the push comes to shove, I'll make my own movies. So, far I've got the roles I wanted. If in the future that changes then we'll see.
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Ranveer saves the damsel
During the shooting of a song for Kill Dil, Ranveer Singh calmed a horse down named
Toofan. There was a sequence where Parineeti and Ranveer were supposed to be on a horse. They were shooting for the song Happy Budday. There were around 600 junior artistes and it was shot amidst firecrackers.
Ranveer had to sit on the horse and Parineeti had to sit on his lap, she was very nervous as she has never sat on a horse. Animals sense fear easily and this horse instantly felt Parineeti was afraid. The horse misbehaved and ran off with them both and it was Ranveer who calmed him down. He had come two hours prior for the shoot so that he could make friends with the horse. It was due to Ranveer's presence of mind that any mishap was averted.
Trouble in paradise?
Apparently all is not well between Harman Baweja and Bipasha Basu. It seems that Harman is getting close to a foreign model and Bipasha is getting close to a co-star and that has allegedly created a rift between them.
We do not think these rumours are true. They both were spotted together at a party in Bandra, suburban Mumbai this week.
S(h)aving his father's skin!
Shahid Kapoor gave his father Pankaj Kapur a shave on the sets of Shandaar in Leeds, UK, because his father's make-up man did not turn up. So, Shahid perfected his father's look. Alia Bhatt clicked the picture and shared it on Twitter. Take a look. The film is about a destination wedding.
Splitsville for Neha
Neha Dhupia has parted ways with her Venezuelan boyfriend James Sylvester. The two were in a serious relationship since three years and James had virtually settled down in India. But a few months ago, he flew back to the US. Their long-distance relationship was not working for them.
No problem!
Aamir Khan does not care about flying first class. He had to be in Tokyo for the premiere of Dhoom 3 and he flew second class on the airline he preferred as first class seats were not available and he had to be there on time.
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A war almost won
Jasmine Singh
Film: Yoddha-the warrior. How many times have you faced a situation where you think about the worst-case scenario? Well, thinking about the worst only helps! This simple rule can be applied when you sit down to watch a Punjabi film at a theatre and within five minutes, you suddenly see a relief settling in. You had thought about the worst and here is a film that is coming out as a fine piece. How would you feel? Yoddha-The Warrior, directed by Mandeep Benipal, is a well-put-together film. Starring Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, Girja Shankar, Rahul Dev, Unnati, Nasar Khan, Mahabeer Bhullar, Hektor Sandhu, Ajay Jethi, Dinesh Sood, Sandeep Kapoor and Vicky Harwinder, the film is different from the lot that we have been watching off late. Before we begin, here is something you should know; if you are looking for gags and inappropriate punches, stay away. But if you are looking for some people putting a fine display on the silver screen, Yoddha will offer that. Director Mandeep Benipal, the director of Sadda Haq, displays maturity in giving life to the story of a common man whose circumstances force him to fight against injustice. The director removes all frills from the story; in fact you wouldn't find a single loose end in the first half. The scenes have not been stretched and there is no exaggeration. Mandeep successfully says what has to be said. Except for the second half of the film that is slightly lengthy, the film is good. The aerial shots are something used once or twice in the film, lending depth and magnanimity to the scenes. The script, co-written by Kuljinder Singh Sidhu and Amardeeep Singh Gill, is simple, but there is newness to it. Amardeep Singh Gill is a fabulous actor and writer. As for the entire cast of the film, the director and writers have etched the characters with precision. The lead actor Kuljinder Singh Sidhu springs a surprise, as he transforms from a casual NRI to a man on a mission. In the first half, with his curly locks falling free and casual looks good, Kuljinder looks much different than his avatar in the second half. Girja Shankar, the actor who played Dhritrashtra in Mahabharat plays a fine villain. Rahul Dev, as another villain, has also put up a great act. Some actors like Dinesh Sood, who though appear for a short time, have been able to leave an impact. A Swiss actor Hektor Sandhu makes his debut with Yoddha. The boy can look forward to something with a little extra working on his acting and presentation. Leading actress Unnati, who also makes her debut with the film, gels with the cast and doesn't look out of place. The actress has done some watchable scenes. Yoddha as a film has most of the things going right for it, save for a few exaggerations. The transformation scenes where Kuljinder learns gatka and becomes a warrior are pulled beyond acceptable limits. Also an item number generally seems completely misplaced in a Punjabi film; in this, however, it naturally slips in. Even though this item song reminds you of bidi jalaile from Omkara, it is a poorer version. No unnecessary music is a plus point for those who appreciate content. It is for the fans to see whether they want to move beyond 'nachna tapna' and comedy now; eventually they declare whether Yoddha is a winner or not! jasmine@tribunemail.com
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A family drama
Rekha rocks I really like the film, especially because of Rekha. She looks so beautiful and timeless. If you are an ardent fan of Rekha, then you must go and watch the film. — Deepika Kaur, student Too dramatic The film is a complete family entertainer and the best part about it is Rekha. However, what works against the film is that there is just too much melodrama, which becomes very hard to digest at times. — Yudhvir Singh, student Predictable story I did not like the film much because it's too dramatic and the story is way too predictable. Also, the concept of taking the women of the household for granted and then how they try to prove a point is quite a cliché. — Sudeep Dogra, student Wild journey Written and directed by Kamal Sadanah, Roar is a film that tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between a beast and man. Uday, a young photojournalist on assignment in the jungles of the Sunderbans, rescues a white tiger cub ensnared in a poacher's trap and brings the cub to a small settlement where he is based. Soon, panic among the villagers sets in. In order to bring calm back to the villagers, the forest warden takes the cub away. The Royal Bengal Tigress enters the village in the night searching for her cub. She picks up the scent of her cub's blood and reaches the photographer's hut. When she fails to get her cub back, her instinct leads her to avenge the kidnapping. Waste of time Well, the visual effects of the film are pretty good, but it seems like the film is stitched together in parts and most of the time one fails to understand the link. Honestly, it's quite a waste of time. — Varun Sharma, student Boring affair I did not like the idea of the constant commentary about the history and culture of the jungles that bores you the most about the film. I did not like the film at all. — Sneha Gupta, homemaker (As told to Amarjot Kaur)
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No clothes!
The costumes of television show Yeh Dil Sun Raha Hai were recently destroyed in a fire. The makers of the show have ordered clothes, but it will take some time to be delivered. So the cast of the show has decided to use their own clothes as costumes for the show.
Actress Rakshanda Khan, who married beau Sachin Tyagi in a grand affair in March this year, is expecting her first child. Rakshanda was seen in shows like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu
Thi.
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Astro Turf
ARIES: Don't be amazed at good luck. Take a break from work. That recent of burst of enthusiasm has run out of steam temporarily, so take it easy. If you get a chance to go to the theatre, avail it.
Tarot message: Put your terms and conditions in writing. Lucky colour: Fuchsia. Magic number: 31. TAURUS: Parents can experience a degree of stress and tension involving children. Making money and having fun are not a good Tarot message: You find within yourself a fountainhead of a will-power. Lucky colour: Rainbow pastels. Magic number: 21. GEMINI: Sweeter moments are in store during a pleasant day. Shopping for a gift as a token of affection is a delightful way to spend money. You will find people generally hard to pin down. Tarot message: Do what is right and watch your best interests. Lucky colour: Yellow. Magic number: 61. CANCER: Fashion accessories enhance your look at little cost. Spending on health makes sense. Enduring relationships can be formed with new people who live at a distance. Tarot message: Focus on professional changes. Lucky colour: Peach. Magic number: 55. LEO: Do not get involved in any mutual venture without investigating the economic situation of the other party. Give your creative talent a vent. Tarot message: You must share responsibility with others before continuing. Lucky colour: Grey. Magic number: 26. VIRGO: Anticipate a bit of craziness creeping into your day. Avoid gossiping because it can spoil your chances of success. Think longterm. Do not try to rush other people. Tarot message: Think positive and be optimistic. Lucky colour: Pink. Magic number: 28.
LIBRA: Plans for a romantic rendezvous can be disrupted by a call from office. Do not be afraid to get things off your chest. Go along with the wishes of your family members. Tarot message: You gain by being practical; don't be emotional. Lucky colour: Peach. Magic number: 64. SCORPIO: If single; you are likely to expand your social circle. Give more attention to your health today. Do not take on chores that will task you physically. Keep your sense of humour alive. Tarot message: Focus on your emotional and spiritual place. Lucky colour: Green. Magic number: 30. SAGITTARIUS: Your card 'Three of Cups' suggests that emotions have to be controlled. Compassion and forgiveness are needed for love to keep growing. Partners will not agree with your plans. Tarot message: At work, don't hold back anything from your employer. Lucky colour: Purple. Magic number: 28. CAPRICORN: Rise early to greet the day with morning exercise to get your energy flowing. Walking or running will suit some of you. Yoga or meditation can appeal to others. Tarot message: By applying yourself you can build great success. Lucky colour: Brown. Magic number: 59. AQUARIUS: Today attention revolves around your home, property, family and long-term decisions. Money rolls after lunch. Keep moving ahead with the progress you have been making. Tarot message: Focus on the better to mitigate the bitter. Lucky colour: White. Magic number: 33. PISCES: You should be very satisfied with what is being accomplished. Soon enough you will be ready to show the world what you have been working on. Tarot message: You have to push to succeed and your efforts will pay off. Lucky colour: Black. Magic number: 27.
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The presence of Shah Rukh at PVR Elante, obviates the need for a second focus. The fact that there are Farah Khan, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah from the team Happy New Year, it is like the proverbial icing. The absence of Abhishek and Deepika is yet to cross the mind, when he starts off, "Deepika is shooting for a film and Abhishek had some work, so they couldn't join us. We came here straight from Kanpur. We couldn't visit Chandigarh before but I had promised and told Sonu that I would come after the success of the film and here I am…So hello, satsriakal, salaam vallekum Chandigarh." 
Directed and produced by Indra Kumar, the film, Super Nani, is an Indian drama film, starring Rekha, Sharman Joshi, Randhir Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Rajesh Kumar in the lead roles. The film is based on the Gujarati play Baa Ae Maari Boundary.
Actress Sana Khan, her boyfriend Ismail Khan and their servant Ismail Khan were allegedly arrested for assaulting a media consultant recently. However, Sana Khan vehemently denied the reports and tweeted: "No one is arrested, it's just the legal procedure we had to do, finally people understood it's a false case. Some can do anything for money and PR!" Last year, Sana had allegedly attempted to kidnap a 15-year-old girl. Sana's cousin was interested in the girl and on his behest she had made the attempt. Navi Mumbai police had booked Sana in the case.