Guard steals Rs 6 lakh from Salman's bodyguard

A security guard, who was an employee of the Tiger security agency run by Salman Khan's bodyguard Shera, is being hunted by cops for having stolen Rs 6 lakh from a cash collection box of a suburban theatre.

Ironically, he was guarding money that had been collected from ticket sales of Bodyguard, Shera's most well-known client's recent release. The accused Arvind Kumar Suresh Pathak is a native of Farfara in Allahabad, and is now absconding.

Posted at Fun Republic multiplex as a security supervisor on Sunday night, Pathak had been appointed to man the box where the cash collected from ticket sales had been stored.

He was assisted by an unidentified accomplice, who went into the cash room to collect the money.

He then slinked away with the sum, unnoticed by the other guards.

Once the theft was discovered, evidence incriminating Pathak was obtained from CCTV footage of the theatre.

"The security guard was aware that a surveillance camera was recording his moves, and thus he tried to reach up and cover the lens. However, failing to do so, he tied a bandana to cover his face," said API Kane of the Amboli police station.

"Three teams have been formed to nab Pathak. He could not be traced at the address that he registered with the security agency. The guard had lately been sleeping at the multiplex quarters," said Vishwas Nagre Patil, ACP (Western Region).

His boss Shera has been contacted for details that he might have been provided with, while employing the 30-year-old accused.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20110185482&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=138968&cp

'M.B.K.D.' touches Rs 50 cr in 10 days, Hit

Film	Cast	Plusses	Minusses	Verdict
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan	Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar, Tara D'Souza, Parikshit Sahni, Kanwaljeet Singh, John Abraham [sp. app.]	Fresh pairing, super music and several entertaining moments	Dips in its post-interval portions	Collected approx Rs 12.1 cr nett in Weekend 2. Total so far: approx. Rs 50 cr nett. Hit
Bodyguard	Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aditya Pancholi, Rajat Rawail, Hazel, Asrani, Vidya Sinha	Salman Khan, the twist in the love story and musical score	Screenplay could've been tighter in its first hour	Collected approx Rs 5.62 cr nett in Weekend 3. Total so far: Rs 141.63 cr nett. Blockbuster

(Ratings are based on the box office collections and the cost of the film)

Source: Bollywoodhungama

Download the full songs of Bodyguard Movie

Bodyguard Songs- Bollywood Insider

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I Love You Unplugged By Shaan Clinton Cerejo Mr Jatt (1.5 MB) 

 

Teri Meri Remix By Rahat Fateh Ali Kha... (1.9 MB) 

 

Teri Meri By Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Shreya Ghoshal Mr Jatt (2 MB) 

 

I Love You Remix By Ash King Clinton Cerejo Mr Jatt (1.4 MB) 

 

Teri Meri Reprise By Rahat Fateh Ali K... (1.3 MB) 

 

Desi Beat By Mika Singh Amrita Kak Mr Jatt (1.5 MB) 

 

Desi Beat Remix Mika Singh Amrita Kak Mr Jatt (1.3 MB) 

 

I Love You By Ash King Clinton Cerejo Mr Jatt (1.5 MB) 

 

Desi Beat Punjabi Hip Hop Mix By Amrit... (1.4 MB) 

 

Body Guard By Salman Khan Mr Jatt (1.3 MB)

Bodyguard gets good opening in UK

Hindi film Bodyguard, starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor, has opened well in the UK.

Movie Review: Bodyguard

Newyork Times Review: Bodyguard

"While expectations from a Salman Khan film on Eid are very high, Bodyguard has beaten pre-opening estimations. It has taken a stupendous start at the global box office. These include the single largest days collections in India and the highest opening day in India and the UAE," a spokesperson of the film said.

The film has also opened to a record mid-week in the UK. Tuesday saw limited screens at 32 cinemas taking 64,000 pounds. Wednesday's full release saw 51 cinemas culminating in 195,000 pounds, making it the highest opening day for any Indian movie to date.

Sanjeev Lamba, CEO of Reliance Entertainment, said, "Bodyguard has capped an extremely successful summer line-up from our stable, which also included stellar performers like Singham and Double Dhamaal."

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20110183306&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=130886&cp

Movie Review: New York Times reviews Salman's Bodyguard

Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Hazel Keech, Aditya Pancholi and Mahesh Manjrekar Music: Sandeep Shirodkar, Himesh Reshammiya, Pritam Chakraborty Director: Siddique Producer: Atul Agnihotri and Alvira Agnihotri Writer: Siddique Lyricist: Shabbir Ahmed, Neelesh Misra

The Hindi-language film Bodyguard has nothing to do with the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner love story from 1992, though it does concern an attractive woman and a man hired to protect her, and is a towering geyser of sentiment. But it’s a bit closer to Jason Statham’s Transporter movies, with plenty of over-the-top fight choreography. Except that the male lead isn’t tearing across the countryside in a black Audi. And there’s frustrated ardor. And music-video-style production numbers.

The barrel-chested Lovely Singh (Salman Khan) is a ramrod-straight protector hired by a tycoon (Raj Babbar) to attend to his precocious daughter, Divya (a one-dimensional Kareena Kapoor), at college. Annoyed by his humorless, unflagging devotion to duty, she resolves, with her best friend, Maya (the beguiling Hazel Keech), to distract him by posing as a secret admirer (with an untraceable number) on his cellphone.

But soon her deception lands Lovely and Divya in hot water with her father’s underworld enemies, for reasons not elucidated, and imperils their inevitable romance. This grants Lovely the chance to pummel a horde of scowling grunts in a frenzy of whiplash editing and over-amped sound effects before returning to the fraught courtship.

Mr. Khan, seasoned Bollywood beefcake, is a well-muscled hunk who doesn’t take himself too seriously in fight scenes. (Like Mr. Statham in Transporter mode he manages to doff his shirt in mid-brawl, which prompted howls of delight at the screening I attended.) If only the film’s archly slick director, Siddique, had adopted the same winking attitude toward the romantic arc. A twist near the end sends this contrived movie into a maudlin stratosphere from which it doesn’t recover. But at least, in Ms. Keech’s supporting presence, understated yet palpable, we sense a performer of emerging, and remarkable, star power.

Bodyguard smashes all records

Everyone was forecasting " Bodyguard" to open to big box-office collections, but no one anticipated the massive response the movie ended up generating. The film, which opened on Eid on Wednesday, ran to packed houses in the country, with trade analysts predicting the collections to be in the range of `18-20 crore.

During the last couple of years, it was Salman's other big ticket release, "Dabangg" (`14.35 crore), and Aamir Khan's "3 Idiots" (`12.5 crore), which had shown the biggest openings.

Says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, "Salman is something else now. I think the movie has earned almost `20 crore on day one and over the weekend, it will cross `85-90 crore." Komal Nahta is more conservative in his estimates and pegs the weekend collection at `65-70 crore. However, Nahta says the film has broken all international records too. Says Nahta, "In Dubai, the movie opened on Tuesday because that's when Eid was celebrated. While "Dabangg" had opened with 7 lakh dirhams (`87 lakh), "Bodyguard" made 11 lakh dirhams (`1.36 crore). In London, the movie opened with a collection of 60,000 pounds (`44.4 lakh) on Tuesday, which too is unheard of. It has broken all previous records for any Bollywood film."

While analysts hail Salman and the film as a box office miracle, multiplex and single screen officials tell us that various strategies have come together to help the film. Says Tinku Singh, group president, SRS group, "In NCR, we ran 53 shows in Faridabad, and 22 and 30 shows in Gurgaon and Indirapuram. The total collection on day one was `24 lakh. It is houseful across the country. After the "Aarakshan" fiasco, everyone's rejoicing with this movie. And the thing to remember here is that the movie opened on a Wednesday, so it will have five days, plus two more weekends at least, to make a lot more money."

Also, "Boduguard" opened to weekend pricing across most multiplexes, giving them much more revenue. However, PVR Cinemas chose to go ahead with weekday pricing for Wednesday, and reported 95% occupancy in the morning shows, and 100% occupancy towards the evening. Out of 550 shows in PVR halls, approximately 325 were played in Delhi and Punjab. Says Deepa Menon, vice president, corporate communications for PVR Cinemas, "The movie saw an excellent opening in Delhi-NCR, ending the day with nearly 95% occupancy, which is quite phenomenal. This definitely is one of the biggest openings on day one that we've seen."

Even in single-screen theatres, the film has done record-breaking business in Delhi-NCR. While Vishal in Rajouri Garden reported a total of `4.5 lakh in four shows, all four shows were houseful in Delite, said Sunil Parashar, media coordinator for Dellite. Sheila Cinema in Paharganj too, saw four full shows, totalling a collection of over `3 lakh. Says Parashar, "During "Ready", ticket prices had been increased by 20% even in single-screen halls. But for "Bodyguard", even at normal single-screen prices, the movie has broken all records. Most single screens are houseful till Sunday."

Biggest opening days
Bodyguard: `20 cr
Dabangg (2010): `14.35 cr
3 Idiots (2009): `12.5 cr

Bodyguard has universal appeal: Siddique

'Bodyguard' has already been made in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi languages and is now being made in Telugu, Kannada and even Bengali.

Bodyguard - one film, six languages. Writer Siddique who has directed the film in three languages - Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi says the reason is the story's universal appeal. Irrespective of the language, Indian emotion remain the same says the popular South filmmaker who makes his Hindi film debut with the Salman Khan starrer. While the film is already minting money, Siddique reveals its success mantra in an exclusive conversation with Gaurav Malani .

Many of your Malayalam films have already been remade in Hindi from ' Hera Pheri ' to ' Hulchul '. Didn't you ever think of making a Hindi film before?
I was getting several offers from Bollywood but I never accepted them because I was comfortable making Malayalam and Tamil films. But then I realized one day, why am I not doing Hindi films?

So how did your Hindi directorial debut happen?
I have a friend in Mumbai called Nirupa who always insisted that with the kind of films I make, I should be directing a Bollywood film. When I was making Bodyguard in Malayalam, I thought this is an ideal film for Bollywood and especially with Salman Khan in the title role. I promised myself that if I get Salman Khan for the role, I will direct it in Hindi.

Fortunately Nirupa is a good friend of Salman Khan's sister Alvira. She got Atul Agnihotri and Alvira to come from Mumbai and watch the original film and they loved it. Salman came the same day to watch the film and immediately after the screening he said, I am doing the film. That is Salman Khan - once he likes something, he doesn't need any more discussion. It was literally what you call a 'dream-come-true' moment.

How comfortable were you making a Hindi film?
I cannot read or write Hindi but I can manage to speak in Hindi. Directors in South take classes for the language but I never had to get into that. Also though the dialogues of Bodyguard are translated in Hindi, the content of the dialogue is mine.

Do you find any difference in the working styles of the Hindi and South film industry?
While the basic functioning is same, there is one major difference here. In South we start our shoot sharp at 7 am. That never happens in Bollywood. We always start late here.

So is Bollywood comparatively less professional?
Not really (laughs). Once the stars reach sets, they work very hard and ensure that they finish the scene before leaving, no matter what.

Bodyguard has already been made in Malayalam and Tamil....
Not just that... now the film is being remade by other directors in Telugu, Kannada and even Bengali language. The story has a universal appeal. That's the beauty of our country - irrespective of the language; the Indian emotion remains the same.

But doesn't it get monotonous to direct the same story repeatedly?
It is actually boring to direct the same story again and again. But my thrill comes from bringing some difference and freshness each time. Once you are able to achieve that, you forget the monotony.

So how different have you made the Hindi version from the original?
The content is the same but the way of telling the story is different. The major difference is the characterization of the hero. In Malayalam and Tamil versions, the hero was a college dropout who becomes a bodyguard. In Hindi version he is a professional bodyguard. Other than that, in Malayalam the treatment was more comical, in Tamil it was more romantic but in Hindi we have tried to tap the macho side of Salman Khan.

Is Salman Khan better than Vijay and Dileep in the earlier versions?
Salman can't do what Vijay has done in Kaavalan and vice versa. Also, what Vijay has done in Tamil will not suit Salman in Hindi or Dileep in Malayalam versions. Likewise, what Salman has done in Hindi will not suit Vijay in Tamil or Dileep in Malayalam versions.

Is Kareena better than Asin and Nayanthara in the earlier versions?
In terms of the female lead, they are three very different personalities with different style of acting. Since Kareena had already seen the Malayalam and Tamil versions, it was a challenge for her to portray the same character in a different way. She comes from an acting background where she doesn't need any rehearsals. If you see all the three films, you can definitely understand the difference between them.

Has the Hindi film turned out to be the best amongst the three?
Certainly the Hindi version has a bigger budget and larger canvas so it is a visual feast. But the Malayalam film has its own beauty and so does the Tamil. So there cannot be any comparisons as such.

What next? More Hindi films or South cinema?
I have commitments in Malayalam and Tamil cinema. But if I get a good offer in Hindi, I shall surely consider it.

Paisa vasool: 'Bodyguard' Salman wows box office home & abroad

He is Bollywood's biggest paisa vasool star today. That's what theatre-owner Rachit Malhotra thinks of Salman Khan. Malhotra owns Agra's Jwala cinema, a single-screen theatre with an abundant 1,139 seats. Yet on Wednesday (Eid) and Thursday, they weren't enough to accommodate the frenzied fans who queued outside for a ticket. Every show of Bodyguard, Salman's latest release, was houseful.

"For the audience, Salman is the film. Everything else is secondary. They aren't just whistling when he bares his chest. They are even dancing outside the hall. They know a Sallu bhai movie is always tension-free, with entertainment guaranteed," says Malhotra.

It's a similar tale in each of the four single-screen theatres and the three multiplexes in the city of the Taj. "Combined, there are about 60 shows of Bodyguard every day in Agra. Most are houseful. That's staggering," he says.

The success story is being replicated across India, even abroad. Trade expert Komal Nahta says the film raked in a record-breaking 11 lakh dirham (about Rs 1.36 crore) on Tuesday, the opening day in Dubai. Even in UK, the first-day collection of £60,000 (about Rs 44 lakh) was equally impressive.

"The movie could cross Rs 85 crore in the first nine days. Overall, it could end up netting around Rs 125 crore," says Nahta, editor, Film Information. Bodyguard's box-office figures - his third major recent hit along with Dabangg (2010) and Ready (2011) - might bring a smile on the lips of India's most famous bachelor. Smiling won't be easy though. Salman has trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that causes acute pain in the jaw. He is currently undergoing treatment in the US.

Like Bodyguard, Dabangg and Wanted (2009) were also released during Eid. "He has a huge following among the Muslim youth. With an Eid release he is able to capitalize on it," says Nahta. That's correct but not the full truth. The 45-year-old actor is equally popular among urban lower-middle class youth and the underclass across communities.

Social scientist Shiv Viswanathan believes the secret of Salman's popularity lies in his ability to combine machismo and irreverence, innocence and mischievousness. "He combines opposites effortlessly," he says.

Distributor Sanjay Mehta puts the second surge in the star's popularity in perspective. In the past 10 years, Bollywood was dominated by feel-good family dramas, love stories and naughty comedies. "Salman was the first to spot the shortage of action films. and its possible demand. With Wanted and Dabangg, he reinvented himself as an all-action hero who also delivers one-liners, makes people laugh. With a few changes, Bodyguard continues in the same vein," he says.

Salman's bulging biceps in Veergati (1995) spurred the 'bodybuilding' craze in small town India. Almost two decades later, he continues to be every neighbourhood gym's No. 1 poster boy. Yet, his major early hits were either romantic comedies or emotional dramas: Maine Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam .

The actor's reinvention as an action star became possible after the regular men of muscle -- Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgun and Akshay Kumar -- recast themselves as funny-face comics and uneasy romantics. The new Salman filled that gap. True, he was always at home in action flicks (Garv, 2003). But with Wanted and Dabangg, he repositioned himself as Bollywood's top action man.

Viswanathan says that part of Salman's charm lies in the fact that he makes no claims of being an intellectual. "He is just normal and healthy, a child of nature, the boy next door. And he is sheer entertainment. He is non-problematic intellectually. And that works in an age where everybody seems to be into problem solving," he says. Mehta says that Salman's rebellious streak has also endeared him to the masses. "They find him more human," he says.

In recent years, the actor has matured in real life. Salman doesn't make headlines any more for allegedly shooting black bucks or breaking glass panes of his girlfriend's home or reportedly driving over people sleeping on the pavement. Now he makes news primarily for breaking box-office records, for being able to figure out the people's pulse unerringly. Time and again. There is something about Salman Khan.

Salman Khan's Bodyguard sets record for first-day box office collections of Rs 20 crore

It has been a very happy Eid for Salman Khan three years in a row. After Dabangg in 2010 and Wanted in 2009, his latest movie, Bodyguard, released on Wednesday, has set a new record for first day's box-office collections. It netted an estimated Rs 20 crore, beating the Rs 14.5-crore opening of Dabangg (last Eid), and the Rs 13.5 crore collected by his friend and rival Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots in 2009.

With several full-house shows and strong advance bookings even for weekdays, Bodyguard could even emerge as one of the biggest grossers of all time, cementing Salman's position as Bollywood's biggest boxoffice draw more than 20 years after he made his debut in Maine Pyaar Kiyain 1989.

Over the last two years, in terms of box-office collections, Khan's movies have also been beating high-decibel releases of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. But a reason for that could be the wider reach that Khan's Hindi movies get across the country, whereas Rajinikanth's Tamil movies are released primarily in theatres in the south, an exception being Robot, which had a Hindi version.

Long queues reminiscent of the openings of Amitabh Bachchan's movies in the 1970s and 1980s were reported from cities and towns. "Our theatres in Gorakhpur, Patiala and Bijnor are witnessing a deluge of Salman fans. We are sold out for the next few days," said Tinku Singh of SRS Cinemas, which has theatres across UP, Haryana and Punjab.

At Anurag Cinema in Meerut, shows of Bodyguard are sold out for a few days, said head booking clerk Bharat Kumar. "The crowds have gone mad. There is commotion all around here."

The movie's co-producer, Reliance Big Pictures, which spent Rs 22 crore on marketing, says it will raise thatamount through Day 1 collections alone. "We estimate the first day's business can touch Rs 20 crore net, which will be unprecedented," said Sanjeev Lamba, chief executive officer of Reliance Entertainment.

Bollywood trade analyst Komal Nahata said the movie would have garnered Rs 18-19 crore in collections. "This looks like the biggest opening weekend ever.

Salman Khan has achieved superstardom," he said. "Bodyguard has monstrous, earth-shattering, mindboggling opening," tweeted Taran Adarsh, another trade analyst.

Khan and his team followed a recent trend in Bollywood of launching films ahead of Friday - the day films are traditionally released in India - to take advantage of the extended weekend, which began on Wednesday with Eid. Many parts of the country will be closed for Ganesh Chaturthi on Thursday. The movie has been released across 2,800 screens in India. Multiplex chains are reporting houseful shows, with occupancies ranging between 85% and 100%.

"Bodyguard is witnessing 100% occupancy across shows. Even advance bookings for several shows in the coming days are sold out. We believe there will be repeat audience for the film," said Gautam Dutta, chief operating officer at PVR, which operates multi-screen theatres in many cities in the country.

Tushar Dhingra, the COO at the ADAG-owned Big Cinemas, which runs theatres in many cities in India, said the film has done well across both big and small centres. "Bookings are averaging 85-100% across board. Audiences are pouring in and advance bookings for the rest of the week are also strong," he said.

Hat-trick for Salman as Bodyguard grosses Rs20cr on Day 1

Actor Salman Khan has scored a hat-trick at the box-office with his latest release, Bodyguard, which net Rs 20 crore on the first day of its release. His two other recent films, Dabanng and Ready, raked in the moolah


While Dabanng collected Rs 14 crore on the first day, Ready garnered Rs 12.5 crore. Till then, these Khan capers hit the silver screen, actor Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots had been the highest first-day grosser with Rs 13 crore.

The massive opening for Bodyguard, which also stars Khan along with Kareena Kapoor, could not have come at a better juncture for Salman Khan, who is battling ill-health. He is in the United States for two surgeries to tackle his neurological problems-trigeminal neuralgia and a form of brain aneurysm. The neuralgia results in painful spasms across the actor's jaw.

He is scheduled to undergo the procedures within a couple of days. Regarding Bodyguard's opening, Fun Cinemas' head of operations Vishal Anand, said, "This has to be the highest-ever opening in Bollywood, beating Dabbang by nearly 15% or so.

" He feels Bodyguard should be able to net Rs 70 crore because of the present five-day weekend due to the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. "It is on the verge of making a record in Bollywood," he said. Bodyguard could have gained from the fact that there was "30-day lull at the box office". However, the impending release of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Mausam may change things.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, "Salman has become a phenomenon if one goes by the first day collection alone." He credits the first-day rush to the "Salman phenomenon". He said, "I feel after Salman has started doing charity he has found a special connect with the audience and they make his films work."

However, many other industry watchers have panned the film. "In terms of content, 'Bodyguard' is an average film as compared to Dabanng and Ready.

One will have to wait and watch to see how it fares beyond the first day," said a film analyst. Adarsh feels otherwise: "Salman and Eid are a lethal combination. I think this film will break the first weekend record as well."

Box Office: Bodyguard takes gigantic opening across multiplexes

Salman Khan's Bodyguard has taken a super duper opening at multiplexes across India. The movie opened at multiplexes and single screens across the country on Wednesday.

Given by the initial reaction to the movie, Bodyguard is all set to give tough competition to previous opening weekend toppers like Dabangg, Ready and 3 Idiots.

According to initial reports, multiplexes in metros saw packed houses in the morning show for Bodyguard. Moreover, the five day festive Eid weekend is only going to bolster collections for the movie.

Also slated to release alongside Bodyguard are movies like That Girl In Yellow Boots, Bas Ek Tamanna, Bol and Mummy Punjabi. While chances for these films are bleak at the box office, they might have a spillover audience in those who failed to get tickets for Bodyguard.

Movie Review: Bodyguard

Movie: BodyguardDirector: Siddique
Starring: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor
Rating: * * *

There are three movies struggling to emerge from Salman Khan's Popeye-like biceps. A cheeky, live-my-life movie where a bodyguard who travels by local train gets to share space with a princess who lives in a palace in the fictional Jaisinghpur. A sexy, physical romance where Khan's pectorals are in conversation with Kareena Kapoor's aesthetically curved belly, bared in a sari that stays up through sheer will power. And a social drama which pits a feudal sarkar-raj mindset with a modern urge to choose love. 

Unfortunately all three sub plots are crushed under the mighty weight of the Khan star machine. It is relentless. Khan invents dance steps which will no doubt be immediately cloned in wedding parties across India, flexing his biceps and twisting his calves. He finds everyday elements to beat his opponents, from tree trunks to shovels, and doesn't think twice about using the latter as a back-scratching device. He also makes jokes in rhyme (I'm not a fool/You think I'm in nursery school?). When a local train is going in the wrong direction, he simply flies through the air using cables to get to his destination. 

Anyone who has watched Khan's recent movies will recognise the signs -- a killer dialogue which will be remembered till the next blockbuster is manufactured, a signature ring tone, and a pre-fight ritual-in this case, it is taking off his watch. The familiarity is somewhat comforting. The fort where the climactic action scene is staged, with Aditya Pancholi as a worthy opponent, has appeared in Wanted. The shirt flying off and revealing Khan's taut torso is achieved with a jet of water and not wind as in Dabbangg, though the effect is the same. And Khan, as bodyguard Lovely Singh, is as enterprising with his fights as Ready's Prem. 

The viewer is not enthralled but bhaijaan has done the best that his comic strip straitjacket could allow him. It helps that Kareena Kapoor doesn't break into giggles when he plays the tentative lover.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bodyguard-movie-review-salman-khan-kareena-kapoor/1/149622.html?cp

Preity Zinta, Kareena Kapoor make up

Preity Zinta and Kareena Kapoor have finally decided to put past differences aside and try to be friends.

While Preity has gone public with her praises for the Bodyguard actress via a social networking site, Kareena too chose to compliment Preity on her sweet and genuine nature.

Preity tweeted: Just saw BODYGUARD! Salman U n Kareena Rock! Its FAB & the action is AMAZING ! All da best This one is full Paisa Vasool :)

The gesture obviously comes a surprise, since it was Preity who had once at a Diwali party hosted by Akshay Kumar in 2008, snubbed Kareena publicly. In fact, the rivalry started when an unsuspecting Zinta commented on the 'new lot of actresses' in those days - a list that included Kareena.

The rivalry intensified when Preity was chosen for Karan Johar's Kal Ho Na Ho, to play a role that was initially offered to Kareena. A war of words followed between the actresses. In fact, on Karan Johar's chat show, Kareena made it clear that she was not too fond of Preity. Preity on the other hand, said that Kareena only acknowledged her in Karan's presence.

Both actresses seem to have moved on from their warring days. On Sunday night, Preity was a part of Salman Khan's exclusive show of Bodyguard at YRF Studios. On Monday morning, the actress praised both the lead actors Salman and Kareena for their performances in the film. Needless to say, Kareena is rather pleased with this gesture.

When contacted, Kareena said, "I am really flattered with Preity's compliment. She is really sweet and very genuine as a person. She always speaks her mind so I know whatever she wrote was heartfelt.

Advance Drama For Bodyguard

Even though the Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer " Bodyguard" is keenly anticipated this Eid, it seems that the advance bookings for the movie haven't exactly seen the kind of start that Salman and producer Atul Agnihotri had imagined.

On Sunday, advance for the movie opened only at PVR and single screens in the country, but at no other multiplex. The reason yet again was the breakdown in discussions between the distributor, Reliance Entertainment, and the Multiplex Association of India (MAI). While the multiplex chains are trying to get the movie and open advance bookings at the terms agreed upon a fortnight ago, the distributors are trying to push through a multi-film deal for an English movie release along with "Bodyguard" and at new terms.

A source tells us, "Everywhere in the country, at all the multiplexes, advances have been put on hold. Reliance is trying to push through a multi-film deal. They are saying that you also ensure release for our forthcoming English films, and are asking for new terms. It is only then that they will they give "Bodyguard" for release to the multiplexes. This is in breach of the agreement that was done between MAI and the Producers Guild a fortnight ago for terms for Hindi movies. Even though the agreement was done verbally at that time, everyone had agreed to the new terms and that agreement is being worked out now. But the distributors for "Bodyguard" are suggesting their own deal now."

And the buzz in trade circles is that Salman and Atul are both unhappy with the development since they were expecting advances to open on Sunday. Adds the source, "Even though Salman is traditionally thought of as a single screen hero, the truth is that no one can ignore multiplexes, especially after the business that they had generated for "Dabangg"." Producer Atul Agnihotri said, "I'm only concerned with the promotions and not distribution. You should ask the distributors about this. I have got reports about advance opening at places like Delite from Delhi. And negotiations always happen between the two parties. I don't have any more info on this." However, the news is that Mukesh Bhatt is mediating between the distributor and the exhibitors for the movie to release without any hassels.

Utpal Acharya, head, acquisition and distribution for Reliance Entertainment, says, "We have a commercial agreement, under which I am exercising my distribution strategy. This simply means that under the agreement, they can choose the total number of shows they want to give a movie, while I can choose which all locations I want the movie to play at. There is a problem in that that these guys have. We also have some past issues of financial clearance with them and we were not happy with the way they showcased"Singham". We want "Bodyguard" to release in each and every theatre, and are still open to negotiations."

According to a source, other multiplexes too have opened advance bookings. Till Sunday night only PVR had opened advance bookings. Wave and INOX may open bookings in some hours, but DT Cinemas, Satyam have not and they haven't signed the movie yet.

Kareena Kapoor wants Salman as bodyguard!

What could be better than a long drive during the monsoons in a Range Rover with Kareena Kapoor? She comes across someone who has no starry tantrums and is very warm and friendly.

She was in Ahmedabad to promote her new film Bodyguard with Salman Khan. She inquires about the new things in the city and it feels like one is chatting with a new friend who was trying to know more about the city and not someone who is Bollywood's top heroine.

The talks gradually shift to her upcoming film Bodyguard where Kareena plays the character of Diya. Though her last two films with Salman didn't work, she is sure the tables will turn this time. ""In the past, our scripts let us down. While for my current film, our chemistry comes alive as it is based on romance. Audience have also not seen Salman in this avatar since long romantic hero. This film is a package of action, comedy and romance. I feel a script and character are important to make a film successful,"" she says.

Personally, Kareena hates to be surrounded with bodyguards. ""I don't mind having one, only if Salman agrees to be my bodyguard. Which girl would say no to him?"" she laughs.In reel and real life, Kareena is fashionable yet traditional. How does she strike a balance between the two? ""In the film, I had to maintain the Indian look and yet look fun and vivacious at the same time. Personally, I love to wear casual clothes as I am more comfortable in them,"" says this fashion icon who loves to shop only from abroad.

Not just films, Kareena is also ruling the commercial world. Today she is seen in a lot of commercials with Saif Ali Khan. ""I have been seen in the same brands that I am doing since years. Saif and I are seen together now as the brand owners have signed us together, it isn't something that we are promoting as a couple. I try and do whatever I can do special and different to stand out from the rest. I have worked hard and finally it is paying off,"" says Kareena.

If you are someone who wants to know more about Kareena, then she says that she has been busy with work since four to five years and has hardly got any time for herself. ""I haven't got the time to think about what I like to do,"" says Kareena on a parting note.