Salman proves to be the real superhero

Shah Rukh Khan may have gone all out to be the 'superhero' of Indian cinema through his film RA.One that release in the week of Diwali. However, it is Salman Khan who is being touted as the real 'superhero' given his heart of 'gold'.

The actor who was in Turkey shooting with Katrina Kaif for Ek Tha Tiger wanted to make the Indian cast and crew of the movie feel special especially since they were away from family. He thus ordered a gold coin for each member of the crew.

Katrina Kaif, too, wished to do something similar, and gave another gold coin on her behalf. The 'Ek Tha Tiger' team thus got a couple of gold coins this Diwali. A unit member informs us, "It was Katrina who first set out to do something special for the crew; it was her idea. Salman thought it to be a generous and appropriate one and contributed the second coin. Of course, everyone was very happy."

If sources are to be believed, the Khan family back home distributed some clothes and food to the poor and needy during the festival of lights, on the behest of Salman Khan.

So while SRK tried hard to make it a glittering Diwali at the box office, Salman Khan himself was shining bright in Turkey!

Box Office : Rockstar earns Rs 64 crore over the weekend

Director Imtiaz Ali's latest release Rockstar has rocked the box office by grossing Rs.64 crore worldwide on the opening weekend.

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has praised Ranbir Kapoor's performance and said that the film "tugged at my heartstrings...Hindi cinema is finally coming of age".

Co-produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd and Eros International, the film released on more than 2,000 screens worldwide and registered Rs.53 crore in India and Rs.11 crore overseas in first three days of its release, said a statement.

The musical thriller, made on a budget of over Rs.60 crore, opened with mixed reviews, but everyone praised Ranbir's performance as an aspiring singer who turns into an aggressive lover after being jilted.

Both critics and fans describe it as young actor's finest performance to date and Shabana agrees too.

"Ranbir's performance in Rockstar is totally original he inhabits Jordan's complex world and infuses it with childlike honesty that's believable," she posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Imtiaz Ali's writing in Rockstar is surprising and unpredictable. Tugged at my heartstrings...Hindi cinema is finally coming of age..wow," she further added.

Rockstar introduces two new faces--Pakistani-American model Nargis Fakhri and Brazilian model Moufid Aziz.

IANS

Kareena changes her plans to pay tribute to grand uncle Shammi Kapoor

Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor wanted to pay a tribute to her grand uncle Shammi Kapoor by performing to his tracks at an awards event, now, however, the plan has changed and the actress will pay tribute to her grandfather Raj Kapoor and dance to his chartbusters.

On November1, Kareena's cousin Ranbir Kapoor had paid a tribute to his late grand uncle Shammi Kapoor and performed to his tracks at the A R Rahman concert as part of his film Rockstar's promotions.

Says a source, "As Ranbir had done something similar only recently at an event, it was better for Kareena to not do likewise. It was decided that she pay tribute to her grandfather and his songs."

Channel sources, however, claim it was a typo error the name of Shammi Kapoor was initially announced. Says the source, "The e-mail that they had received stated Shammi Kapoor's name on the basis of which the first announcement was made. Later, they were told that it was a typo and that actually it was to read as Raj, and not Shammi Kapoor."

If you ask us, it sounds like a last minute made-up excuse. Among the other B-Town folk slated to groove at the event are Ajay Devgn and Vidya Balan.

Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif watch 'Rockstar'

Mumbai: It is widely known that Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone cannot see eye to eye. But for rockstar Ranbir, it looks like the two women were ready to fine-tune their personal equations. Both the actresses were seen under the same roof after a long while, as Ranbir arranged an exclusive screening of his film Rockstar for his friends from the industry. 

Says an eye-witness, "Deepika, Katrina and even Anushka were at the film's screening at Yashraj over the weekend. Ranbir was keen that all his closest friends watch it." Apparently, Deepika and Anushka were seen chatting up and having a good time, while Katrina preferred keeping to herself. 

However, there is little doubt that Kat was there to watch the film. Adds the source, "For Ranbir, at the moment, what's most important is to know what people think of the film. He has always maintained a very cordial relationship with his exes. Deepika recently invited him for her housewarming party as well. As far as Katrina goes, she is someone whose opinion would matter to him as well. There were points during the film where onlookers caught Deepika crying." 

 However, Dippy and Kat apparently made sure they didn't cross paths and Anushka acted as the buffer. 

"Anushka doesn't really have any history with Ranbir so she was comfortable. The tension between the other two girls was reduced." 

Ranbir, Imtiaz and their gang headed back to choreographer Ahmed Khan's house to party through the night, but the girls chose to stay away. They left the venue in their respective cars post the screening." 

Via Mid-Day.com

A Point of View: Age, beauty and Miss World

As the Miss World contest turns 60, writer and academic Mary Beard takes a peek at the competition and ponders why - unlike her teenage days as a radical feminist - the whole occasion doesn't fill her with fury.

Miss World 2011 was crowned last week at Earls Court - Miss Venezuela, a 22-year-old graduate in human resources, took the title. She was closely followed by Miss Philippines who majored in marketing, and Miss Puerto Rico who wants to go on to a PhD in comparative literature.

A hundred or so feminist demonstrators turned up, outside the venue, to object to what they saw as a degrading human cattle market.

It was a fairly sedate affair, certainly a far cry from the protests against Miss World 1970 when a group of "women's libbers" (as people used to call them then), swapped their dungarees for little frocks, infiltrated the ceremony, and managed to land some bags of flour very close to the compere Bob Hope, some wilting lettuces on the assembled reporters, and squirts of blue ink on the bouncers' shirts.

They had a great slogan - "We're not beautiful, we're not ugly, we're angry." And, as a radical feminist teenager, I was right behind them.

After all those years, I couldn't resist taking a peek at the 2011 contest last weekend - it's no longer shown on UK television, but you can get it streamed live online. I found myself slightly puzzled, slightly turned off - but not any longer very angry.

For a start, the contest has tried to clean up its act. Sure, there is still the awful swim wear and the feeble attempts to make some very unpromising national dress appear sexy, but there is none of the horse-trading run-down of the vital statistics that there used to be (none of the "36-24-36" bit). 

And the whole thing is swamped by a kind of high-minded worthiness. I don't just mean all the emphasis on charity, or on the event held at the Cambridge Union in the run up to the show, where Miss Botswana along with Misses Scotland, Puerto Rico and Zimbabwe led a debate on "social responsibility". It's also the way the 2011 contestants were presented - or presented themselves.

This year, the organisers assured us, roughly three-quarters of the hundred-and-something young women taking part were university graduates or studying for degrees, and the ambitions they spoke of were nothing like the old beauty contest cliche of "my ambition is to travel and start a family."

These contestants talked of becoming international lawyers, museum curators, architects, diplomats - or even of owning a television station (that was Miss South Sudan, representing the world's newest nation, who in the end didn't show up, because she couldn't get a visa in time).

And their choices of favourite literature ranged from Dan Brown and Harry Potter to the unashamedly highbrow. Several opted for Shakespeare, a couple for Marquez or Umberto Eco, Miss Greece chose The Picture of Dorian Gray, Miss Bulgaria and Miss Bosnia Herzegovina both went for Anna Karenina, Miss Mexico for "Queen Elizabeth I's speech to the troops at Tilbury".

It all felt a bit like a scantily-clad, tabloid version of University Challenge - and, in truth, rather less edgy. Which is presumably why no British TV channel chose to spend its money broadcasting it, even though in the bad old days of the 1970s it had attracted almost 25m UK viewers - which is a royal wedding or World Cup final level of audience.

But it's also the case that, since those bad old days, television and other mass media have committed crimes far worse than even the "un-reformed" Miss World ceremony did. This year's competition included a couple of 17-year-olds, the Anna Karenina fan from Bosnia Herzegovina, and Miss El Salvador. Otherwise, just like they've been in all 60 years of the competition, they were a collection of young adults, up to (in the case of Miss People's Republic of China) the age of 25. 

This isn't, in other words, the licensed child abuse (or that's what it looks like to me, at any rate) that we watch on Britain's Got Talent, where there is no age limit at all - you could enter your toddler if you wanted to - and where to see a prematurely-sexualised 11-year-old reduced to tears, or a vulnerable middle-aged lady driven to despair, seems to have become part of the pleasure of the show. A hundred, apparently robust, grown-ups in bikinis don't seem quite as offensive as that.

Besides, most of them were a relatively healthy, normal size. In a way, these Miss World contestants offered a much better example to any young woman who might be watching, than all those impossibly thin, size-zero, anorexic fashion-models. They were a bit aggressively hour-glass in shape, it's true, but at least most of them appeared to be hovering around the size 10 - or even size 12 - mark.
 
I confess that I watched the ceremony almost to the bitter end. It didn't exactly make me a fan of the Miss World competition. All the rhetoric about the importance of physical fitness and social responsibility didn't quite ring true - and didn't quite disguise the fact that what counted most was how the women looked in rather revealing clothes (and anyway, if you really want to be an international lawyer, as so many of these women claim, why don't you just work at it, rather than enter a beauty contest?).

Miss Venezuela, Ivian Sarcos, was crowned Miss World 2011 in London

But, at the same time, try as I might, I couldn't any longer summon up much fury about the whole occasion.
The women demonstrating outside Earls Court - some of them proud veterans of the 1970 protest, and clearly still very cross - would no doubt say that I had gone soft, that I had sold out on feminism, and was colluding with the enemies of the cause, from the fashion industry to pornographers and plastic surgeons.

But that's not how it feels to me. I don't think I am getting any more conservative in my late middle age (though, of course, I may be the worst judge of that), and at 56 I count myself as strong a feminist as I was at 26. That said, I do feel a bit more laid back - especially when it comes to the politics of the body.

Myself, I don't any longer have a body that I particularly want to flaunt. I'm quite comfortable in it, thank you. But I am very aware of all the signs of aging - some less attractive than others - from my (thickening) toe-nails to my (greying) hair.

As one carping television critic observed a few months ago, "Mary Beard looks 16 from the back, 60 from the front". It was a bit cruel, a bit misogynist, not wholly original as a turn of phrase - by and large, though, it was a pretty accurate summary of my appearance.

Miss World is still a target for protesters

 

Minus the botox or the face-lift, that is, after all, what 50-something women are like. I am getting, and looking, older. It can be a rather humbling process and it can spring some unwelcome surprises - I catch a sidelong glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I don't see me but my mum. But one of the upsides is that it has made me a lot more tolerant than I used to be about the bodily choices of others.

In fact, the less I see my own body as a positive asset, the less I have wanted to interfere with what other women choose to do with theirs. If they want to parade in bikinis or shroud themselves in burkas, then so be it. I can see the pleasure in both.

To accuse them - as I used to do - of being the victims of social or commercial or religious control now seems to me to be a fairly cheap hit. How we present ourselves to the world is never a free choice. For both women and men dress is always the subject of social constraints.

The question is how you make those constraints work for you. Take women's make-up for example. It can be the ultimate symbol of an oppressive culture that refuses to accept women's faces as they really are; it can also be celebratory, joyous and fun.

So I'm not really sure that the Miss World competition - for all its slightly old-fashioned tackiness - is where we should be protesting.

Don't get me wrong. We certainly needed that demonstration in 1970, because most of us then hadn't quite put together the links between the so-called "beauty industry", male power, and discrimination against women.
It was at the time truly eye-opening, and it was a side of feminism that certainly changed my life and how I thought about myself and about my body forever. It's still giving me the confidence to laugh off sneers about my middle-aged appearance, or - for that matter - to talk happily on the radio about my aging toenails.

But times do change, and some battles honestly do get won. I don't any longer feel that Miss Venezuela is much of an enemy.

Via BBC.Co.Uk

Rockstar actress Nargis Fakhri bags three endorsement deals before film release

 Nargis Fakhri, an American fashion model who made her Bollywood debut with Rockstar, bagged three endorsement deals worth about Rs 9 crore even before her first film released on Friday, creating a record of sorts. 

Fakhri has agreed to sign deals to endorse apparel brand Van Heusen's women's line, a premium brand of Tata Motors and Marico's Parachute hair-care brand, taking home a total of about Rs 9 crore, a person with direct knowledge of the deals said.

Anirban Das Blah, MD of celebrity management firm Kwan, which manages Fakhri, confirmed that the 24-year-old actress has accepted offers from three leading brands, but declined to mention the names.

"It's not surprising, considering she's had one of the biggest career debuts with Ranbir Kapoor and Imtiaz Ali," he said.

Fakhri, a New Yorker born to a Pakistani father and Czech mother, told ET, "I'm actually quite speechless to have received such warm feedback from brands that consider me appropriate to represent them."

It is a first for an actor to grab three endorsement deals before making a career debut.

Deepika Padukone had endorsed two brands- UB Group's Kingfisher and Tissot watches-before her first Hindi film, Om Shanti Om, was released. Sonam

Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor too were signed by L'Oreal and Pepsi, respectively, before the release of their debut film Saawariya.

Atul Kasbekar, fashion photographer and CMD of entertainment management firm Bling, which manages Sonam Kapoor, says it's a calculated gamble to sign new faces before any big success.

The upside could be huge if the star becomes successful, because the deal price will be much less than what they will charge when they become big, he says.

It is expected that Fakhri's deals will be announced within 10 days. Spokespersons of Van Heusen and Marico declined comment. An email sent to Tata Motors remained unanswered.

Film trade analyst Komal Nahata says introducing new faces in films is largely driven by advertisers wanting to present new faces to their audience.

Movie Review : Rockstar

Director: Imtiaz Ali; 

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor, Shikha Jain, Jaideep Ahlawat, Aditi Rao Hydari, Piyush Mishra; 

Running time: 160 mins; 

Certificate: PG

 Borne entirely of the imagination of Imtiaz Ali, Rockstar is the fictional story of Janardhan Jhakar, a small town boy with big dreams of becoming a rock star like his idol Jim Morrison. Lacking any personal tragedy that might infuse his music with passion, Janardhan goes on a quest for love and unwittingly embarks on a journey that culminates in his dramatic descent into oblivion. Using a non linear narrative style, the film depicts his emotional journey, from Janardhan the college geek, to Jordan, the angst ridden rock god who fills out stadiums.

The film opens with a bedraggled Jordan, fighting off police as he makes his way to his own concert. The footage is interspersed with flashbacks to the character in his youth, a gawky guitar wielding rock star wannabe, who sings to queues of people at bus stands.

Rockstar engages you from its very opening sequence through to its emotional denouement. Director Imtiaz Ali adeptly employs a range of elements that, in combination, render the film enthralling. The film is smattered with wry humour and witty dialogue where you least expect it. The non-linear style works brilliantly, maintaining a sense of escalating drama and building to a crescendo, as piece-by-piece we discover the incidents that lead to the genesis of the tormented artist.

Key to the film's authenticity is an outstanding performance by Ranbir Kapoor, who has immersed himself in the role. Kapoor's performance as the wilful Jordan, a loose canon and a free spirit with a sense of entitlement, belies his years, as he undergoes a dramatic transformation. We trace the emotional trajectory of Jordan over a period of seven years, and with subtle nuances Kapoor captures the character's unravelling. Jordan's burgeoning angst is conveyed in his physicality as he transmutes into a Che Guevara styled urban guerilla. Kapoor reportedly learnt to play the guitar for the role and his performance is so realistic that, coupled with the documentary style concert footage, it's easy confuse the film for a real life biopic.

Nargis Fakhri, meanwhile, is well cast as Heer and makes a bold cinematic debut. She brings naturalism, effervescence and incandescent beauty to the role, though her lack of experience is evident in the more intense stand-offs with Kapoor. Both actors have a natural chemistry and convey the unfettered spirit that unites the lovers, and depicting the carefree lunacy of their youth which is displaced by the torment of a forbidden passion and illicit love.

The music is integral to the story and bears all the hallmarks of A.R. Rahman's personal brand of genius. The soundtrack complements the emotional peaks and troughs in the narrative, and set against the backdrop of the stunning planes of Kashmir and Prague, is entirely compelling.

With subtle allusions to classic stories of forbidden love such as Romeo and Juliet and Heer Ranjha, Rockstar is a riveting portrait of the destruction that ensues in the face of passion and desire borne of forbidden love.

A simple story, beautifully enacted, perfectly crafted, there is not much to fault in this film. Exemplary cinema by any standards. 

 By Priya Joshi 

` Vidya balan rocks at a stage show `

Rockstar earns Rs 11.25 crores on day 1

Call it the coincidence of its release date 11.11.11 but the opening day figures are in the same range. However, the fate of film depends on its weekend collections.

Ranbir Kapoor's much-awaited Rockstar which released all across yesterday might have received mixed reviews but has got a decent opening. The film has opened in the range of 70-100% occupancy at most centers thanks to the immense hype surrounding the film. Also the fact that it was a solo release helped the film get a good initial. The business is certainly good at multiplexes as compared to single screens with the film catering to the elite audiences than the masses.

Call it the coincidence of its once-in-a-lifetime release date of 11.11.11 but the opening day figures are in the same range. Early trade reports reveal that the opening day collection is around Rs 11.25 crores. This is Ranbir Kapoor's biggest opening-day collection till date, beating the Friday figures of all his earlier films.

However the overall fate of the film largely depends on the weekend figures. With mixed response, the collections could vary over Saturday and Sunday and Monday morning figures will decide on the final destiny of Rockstar.

Karan Johar praises Ranbir Kapoor

High praise for Ranbir Kapoor flowing in from all sides for his portrayal of rockstar Jordan in his latest film. 

However, his most recent "certified fan" is none other than B-town biggie Karan Johar who recently expressed his liking for RK junior on a microblogging site. Significantly, the film-maker has been shooting for his next "Student Of The Year" for quite some time now. Noting how hectic his schedule has been, Johar posted on the site, "Been shooting crazy hours..hectic but super fun...watched ROCKSTAR...and am a certified Ranbir Kapoor fan!! His performance is unbelievable!" Interestingly, most fellow actors, directors and veteran film stars have also been praising Ranbir for his performance. Well, we do like the admiration club in B-town.

Sreemita Bhattacharya, TNN 

Amitabh Bachchan can't wait to see the baby now!

New Delhi: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, whose daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai is expected to give birth mid-November, can't wait to see the new arrival and says he is enjoying the hustle bustle in the house. 

"The family gathers together from all over as we wait for the 'arrival' ... Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel' (hustle bustle)," the 69-year-old posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. 

Aishwarya is expecting her first child with actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan. 

Apart from waiting excitedly for the baby, Amitabh also took some time off to watch Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar which released Friday and the actor says he is impressed with the entire team. 

"It's late but not without cause... just back from Rockstar and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis... Still with Rockstar and its beauty," he further posted. 

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Rockstar chronicles the journey of an aspiring singer Janardhan Jakhar, who wants to make it big in the music world. It introduces two new faces - Pakistani-American model Nargis Fakhri and Brazilian model Moufid Aziz.

Look how Deepika Padukone likes to spend her Sundays

Actress Deepika Padukone may have chosen films over sports as her career, but the Bolly star admits that sports is always close to her heart. And that’s also one of her fave indulgences if the actress manages to get a Sunday off. “Well, any day that I am not working is treated as a Sunday. I think, as actors, that’s one of the things that we let go — the luxury of a Sunday,” shares Deepika.

“As a kid, I recall spending the day with family and doing fun things with them like picnics, movies. 

Badminton, of course, was a huge part of our growing up years and I enjoyed the game too,” says the actor. In fact, Deepika reveals that she still plays the sport. “I’ve always been quite an athlete, so for me indulging in sports is one of the best de-stressers. I prefer a good game of badminton over a spa visit to relax any day,” she smiles.

So, what’s an ideal Sunday like? “Well, I definitely catch up on sleep on the day off. And then it’s a huge breakfast. I also look forward to a no-make-up day,” she laughs. “The rest of the day is never a fixed schedule. But I do try and catch up with my friends, go shopping or watching movies. And of course, play badminton,” adds the actor.

“I actually try and not chalk out a particular plan for a Sunday as such, because then it becomes like the rest of the days when everything is kind of pre-planned for you. So yes, in a way I crave for spontaneity and on the spur of the moment decisions,” she says.

Though the actress admits to missing a lot of Sundays, she also says that she doesn’t mind shooting on the day. “I think when you enjoy work then it really doesn’t matter.” As for playing badminton, she reveals that she is quite good herself and would rather play than workout in a gym. “It’s not that I hate working out, but I think these sports are a more fun way to enjoy the day off,” she smiles.

Salman Khan is Katrina’s trainer for Dhoom 3

Katrina Kaif is definitely a multi tasker. She is currently shooting for Yashraj’s Ek Tha Tiger. But, that’s not it. The actress is simultaneously working on her look for Dhoom 3 too. And you know who is guiding her this time??? It’s none other than our very own Sallu Bhai.

Katrina Kaif is the hotness factor in Dhoom 3 and so, the actress has to work really hard in order to live upto everyone’s expectation. Rumors also has it that Kats will be donning a bikini in the film, however, that is not yet confirmed. But,Kats will definitely be showing off her hot body in the film.

“She may or may not be wearing a bikini, but she will need to look her toned best, as the franchise is high on the ultra-glam looks of the actors as well,” the source is quoted as saying by a tabloid.

So, where does Salman’s role fit in the picture??? Well, since the duo have been shooting together, they have been in continuous touch with each other. If rumors are to be believed, Kats has been advised by Salman to swim and cycle on a regular basis, in order to ger a tanned, fit and fab bod.

Dhoom 3 will go on floors by December 2011. If all goes well, the film is expected to release on Christmas 2012. has Aamir Khan plays the baddie in the film.

‘RA.One’ box office obsession: The danger of reducing movies to money

RA.One didn’t break Bodyguard’s opening day record, but it did set a new three-day benchmark, raking in Rs 60 crore in India

The sound and fury around Shahrukh Khan’s superhero saga, RA.One, reached a cacophonous climax last week. There was much debate, of course, on the quality of the film (it was largely panned by critics in India), but the real entertainment was in the breathless number-crunching. The question on everyone’s lips was: could Shahrukh beat arch rival Salman Khan’s grosses? Would Shahrukh’s relentless 10-month-long marketing campaign deliver a bigger opening day than Bodyguard’s Rs 20 crore Eid take?

As it turned out RA.One didn’t break Bodyguard’s opening day record, but it did set a new three-day benchmark, raking in Rs 60 crore in India. The heated speculation about whether the film was a hit or flop, how much it needed to make to qualify as the former, and how long it would take to get past the Rs 100 crore benchmark continued in the media, blogs and on Twitter well past the first few days. I felt like a participant in a spectator sport, and wondered, when did we become so box office-obsessed?

When I was a rookie reporter in the early 1990s, the vocabulary for viewers at least was restricted to ‘hit’ and ‘flop’. The ‘trade’, which sat in Mumbai’s Naaz building, discussed minimum guarantees, a film’s initial deficit and overflow. Ego-massaging ads that declared a film a ‘bumper-success’ routinely appeared in trade papers, but ads in mainstream media with box office figures were unheard of (one reason might be the mafia threat that loomed over Bollywood from the late 1990s to mid-2000s—producers didn’t want to advertise how much money they had made for fear of extortion threats from the ‘Bhais’).

These days, trade news makes mainstream headlines. There is frequent talk of the ‘100 crore club’—films that have made more than Rs 100 crore. The first to break the barrier was Ghajini in 2008. This year has been especially bountiful with a slew of films like Ready, Singham and Bodyguard achieving this—in fact, Bodyguard set a new record by doing it in less than a week. Each milestone was duly celebrated with full-page ads in newspapers. And Kareena Kapoor was anointed the 100-crore heroine, having worked in three such films—3 Idiots, Golmaal 3 and Bodyguard. The fact that she was the decoration (at least in the latter two) was happily overlooked.

An industry flush with funds and expanding its markets is a wonderful thing. But our growing obsession with numbers is less so. Flashback, if you will, to Hollywood in 1975. Steven Spielberg, only 28, had made a film with a mechanical fish in the starring role—Jaws. It tested so well that Paramount Studios created a massive TV campaign around it and released it in hundreds of theatres—both were a first for the industry. Jaws was the first film to break the $100 million mark and is now acknowledged as the movie that changed the business forever—studios discovered the formula that hype plus carpet-bombing equals the event film (read mega-money). Slowly, the more personal, director-driven cinema of the early 1970s was replaced by the blockbuster film. Jaws, in the words of a Public Broadcasting Service headline, became the monster that ate Hollywood.

In the last few years, Bollywood has also discovered the event movie. Essentially a film so big and hyped that viewers turn out in droves to see it because it’s almost like there isn’t a choice. The multi-crore grosses that eventually follow are then bandied about as proof of quality. The art becomes irrelevant.

I love blockbusters—scale, stars, mega-budgets. But there is a real danger in reducing movies to money. After Asoka’s release, Shahrukh had said to me, “I have never done a film with the market in mind. Cinema is a mishran of Lakshmi and Saraswati. I have always gone for Saraswati and Lakshmi has followed. I may be stubborn and an idiot, but it works for me. I know this is a business, but I will always dole out art.” Now seems an opportune time to remember that.

Exclusive: I have been thinking about marriage - Salman Khan

Salman Khan is all set to bowl his UAE fans with his charismatic presence in the Celebrity Cricket League to be held in Sharjah next year.

In this exclusive Salman talks about surgery, kids and Bollywood’s younger generation

Excerpts:

 

1. What is it like playing in Sharjah?

Firstly, it feels great to be part of Celebrity Cricket League and Sharjah being our home ground (Mumbai Heroes) adds that extra excitement. Feels great to be here.

2. Have you watched any matches played in Sharjah?

This stadium is a historic venue. As a kid we have watched so many cricket matches being played here. I am glad that Sohail has chosen Sharjah Cricket Stadium as Mumbai Heroes’ home ground.

3. Any memorable Sharjah match?

Miandad hitting a six off last ball against India in Sharjah cup final 1986, bowler was Chetan Sharma. It was such a close match and India lost it.

4. Team India has not visited this region for some time...

That’s why we are here to promote the match and the stadium.

5. Do you think Team India should resume playing matches here and we should see more India-Pakistan matches being played?

Yes of course they should visit. They should play.

6. What other sports you like to play?

I love sports. I like cycling, swimming. I also enjoy tennis a lot.

7. Who is your favourite cricketer?

None other than Sachin Tendulkar

8. Do you enjoy watching any other team play cricket other than Team India for their skills?

I don’t follow cricket much these days. Don’t get that much time anymore. I am sure my fans will like to see me spending more time making movies than sitting in front of TV watching cricket.

9. How do you feel being called the sexiest Bollywood star?

I don’t take these things seriously. They don’t matter to me much. I feel nothing at all.

10. Who among the young stars do you think looks promising in the industry?

I think there are many of them. There’s Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan. Arjun Kapoor also looks promising among the newer ones.

11. Who among the ladies do think will top the charts?

Katrina Kaif is good. I think she’s going to be there for quite some time.

12. Are you dating someone?

(Long pause)….Let me think………ahhhh. I don’t know. I forgot actually…ahh I don’t know.

13. Do you ever want to get married?

(Again a pause) I have been thinking about it. I have been married four times earlier (jokes). But it hasn’t worked out for me. But I will try for the fifth time (laughs).

14. Do you like kids?

I love kids.

15. Do you prefer kids or beautiful ladies around you?

Any day, I will love to have kids around me more.

16. You have resumed work after your surgery. Are you feeling fine now?

I have gone through this surgery to fix whatever went wrong. I hope it’s fixed. I am feeling better now. I will have to go back once more to check if it has been actually fixed.

17. Are your fans going to see you on field playing cricket?

Unfortunately I won’t be playing this time. Due to my health conditions I will have to stay out of the field this time. But I will be here every time Mumbai Heroes play. I will always be there cheering for them.

Download the latest Bollywood Songs of The Dirty Picture Movie 2011

	Ooh La La (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [1.97 mb]
	Ishq Sufiyana (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [2.5 mb]
	Ishq Sufiyana (Female) (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [2.52 mb]
	Honeymoon Ki Raat (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [2.08 mb]
	Twinkle Twinkle (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [1.42 mb]
	Ooh La La (Dhol Mix) (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [1.9 mb]
	Ooh La La (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [1.97 mb]
	Ishq Sufiyana (The Dirty Picture).mp3 [2.5 mb]

Kareena is already family: Soha Ali Khan

A few days ago, it was reported that actor Saif Ali Khan had confirmed his plans to marry Kareena Kapoor in February-March 2012. And even though Kareena is yet to talk about the wedding, Saif’s sister Soha Ali Khan says Bebo is “already part of the family.”

 “All of us are very fond of Kareena Kapoor. Besides being fully supportive, she is a very caring and nice person. Both bhai (brother) and Kareena are very good together. 

She makes him happy and completes him in so many ways. They make a very good couple,” said the Rang De Basanti (2006) actor a few days ago, adding that the entire country is looking forward to their marriage.

“Their relationship has become very strong. Both Kareena and bhai have grown a lot as a couple. Since both of them have openly declared that they want to get married next year, we are completely expecting a marriage,” said Soha.

In the above-mentioned report, Saif had stated that he and Kareena would definitely get married by early next year.

“We plan to get married in February 2012 after Agent Vinod releases, but if the film’s release gets delayed we will still get married by March. We won’t postpone the marriage beyond that anymore,” he had said.

Showbiz: Be curvy, be feminist, be smart

O la la la! How incredibly delicious is Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture. Her gorgeous, lush curves, her generously rounded belly, her unabashed sensuality...Even as a straight woman, I have to remind myself not to physically drool when I see the promos of Ekta Kapoor's latest film. But then Balan has always been one of our most interesting actors.

She started her career in music videos and graduated to the big league with her first film itself. Parineeta won her the Filmfare best debut award and since then her career trajectory has skyrocketed. But while her skill set was great, we were determined to find a fatal flaw. So, we hit on the fact that Balan wasn't skinny and she didn't give a damn about her appearance.

This tiny, curvy pocket Venus refused to kowtow to industry standards and didn't agree to be cut from the same size zero mould as our other lovely heroines. What was even more abhorrent is that she refused to go on a diet or share the secrets of her newly-discovered weight loss routine because - and wait for this - she had none!

So, changing tactics, the focus shifted to her dress sense. It really didn't help that she just didn't care and Heyy Baby was evidence of that nonchalance. Imagine the field day the press had when she agreed to star in a biopic based on South Indian vamp Silk Smitha.

Given that the former actor was reputed for her bordering-on-tacky, soft porn wardrobe, Vidya Balan was actually advised not to do the film. She had recently cleaned up her act and was making appearances in elegant Sabyasachi Mukherjee sarees. Plus, horror of horrors - she actually had to gain many many pounds for the film. And we all know how our stars react to method acting. Critics had predicted the demise of her career until promos appeared on television screens.

Suddenly the date of December 2 is penned in everyone's calendar. And the entire nation wants to take Balan home. Men because it's obvious - and women because they want to be just like her.

 Compare this to 2008, when Kareena Kapoor dropped a few dress sizes for her film Tashan.

Newspapers, blogs, TV channels spoke of nothing else but size zero. Even today every time Bebo's name is mentioned this numeric pops up. We were subjected to the most inane questions that demanded the most ridiculous replies. I must admit she handled it well and when her films flopped she quietly put on weight and questioned the rationale behind size zero becoming a national obsession.

` Shruthi haasan cute photos in reD `

Salman Khan’s sister makes fun of Shahrukh Khan and 'Ra.One'?

Trust us; this will do nothing good to the already sour relationship between the two biggest Khans of Bollywood: Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan. Salman Khan’s sister Alvira Khan has poked fun at Shahrukh Khan and his opus Ra.One.

Reportedly, after the release of Ra.One, Alvira Khan’s Blackberry status message read: “Even a Superhero needs a Bodyguard!”

While Shahrukh Khan’s fans are not taking this slight humorously, Alvira Khan’s friends feel that it was just status message and was meant for pure fun and was not targeted to take a dig at SRK.

The most controversial part is that SRK’s supporters are even claiming that Salman Khan must have been the one to have asked Alvira to put that status message! If reports are to be believed, Alvira would never put such a drastic status without the consent of brother Salman Khan. Even if Salman did not ask her to put this status message, he should not have allowed her to post it either! The clear picture, however, is yet to emerge!

Nevertheless, looks like a possible chance of friendship between Mr. G.One and Mr. Bodyguard has further taken a beating after this incident.