Shortcut Romeo one step ahead of Johnny Gaddaar - Neil

MUMBAI: Things seem to be going pretty well for actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, who made his debut in Bollywood with Johnny Gaddaar. It did well at the box office and was well received by critics, too. Neil was praised for his performance and the film on the whole, with its music, proved to be one of the audience’s favourite in 2007.
Though his following films did not do all that well including films like Players and Lafangay Parindey, he has received much appreciation from critics especially for his roles in movies such as Aa Dekhen Zara, co-starring Bipasha Basu, and Jail.
The actor says his forthcoming film Shortcut Romeo, in which he plays a negative character, is a chance for him to take the hatred and vengeance of his character in the 2007 film Johnny Gaddaar one step ahead.
In Johnny Gaddaar, Neil played Vikram, a member of a gang which runs a gambling club and conducts other underhand deals. In the film, his character goes to any extent to make money.
“For the last few years, I was in search of such a script that could carry me one step ahead of Johhny Gaddaar. Then I got a chance to meet Susi Ganeshan [director]. He told me about this story [Shortcut Romeo]. Then I felt that if I had to carry forward the character of Johnny Gaddar, Shortcut Romeo is the film [for me],” Neil said in an interview.
In Shortcut Romeo, the aim of Neil’s character is to get rich in any way possible.
“Through this film, I can carry forward the look and style [mannerisms and character] of Johnny Gaddaar,” added the 31-year-old.
Shortcut Romeo is the remake of Ganeshan’s super hit Tamil film, Thiruttu Payle and also features Ameesha Patel and Puja Gupta. The film hits theatres on June 21.

Source: Tribune

Johnny Depp visited a children hospital unannounced dressed his famous character Captain Jack Sparrow

Actor Johnny Depp visited a children’s hospital unannounced dressed in his famous character Captain Jack Sparrow from adventure film series, Pirates of the Caribbean.

According to franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the actor regularly travels with his famous costume from the fantasy film series, so that he can surprise ailing kids. “He knows he is a very fortunate person and he wants to give back,” said Bruckheimer, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The 50-year-old actor appeared in the first four parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean series and will be seen in the fifth one as well.

In 2010, the actor had accepted an invitation from a nine-year-old girl, who had asked the actor to visit her school in London after she discovered that he was filming for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at the nearby Old Royal Naval College.

Sources: Internatinoal
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2013. 

My mother is my hero - Sonali Bendre

NEW DELHI:  Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre, though retired from the silver screen, is keeping herself busy raising her seven-and-a-half-year-old, while simultaneously judging reality shows like Indian Idol and India’s Got Talent. Bendre stole our hearts when she played Preeti in 1999 blockbuster Hum Saath Saath Hain and as a supporting actor in Shahrukh Khan starrer Kal Ho Na Ho in 2003.

When asked about how she does it all, Bendre says she takes inspiration from her mother. The actor calls her mom her idol for raising three daughters with very limited resources and giving them wings despite not being well-educated. She admits this kind of heroism is not that uncommon in the country.
“My mother has done a great job with her kids,” the 38-year-old actor said in an interview.
“The daily struggle of raising three daughters with a very limited income, yet seeing to it that they get a good upbringing; that person is my hero,” Bendre added.
Hailing from a middle-class family, Bendre entered filmdom through ads and later rose on the firmament with her work in Sarfarosh, Zakhm, and Duplicate.
After playing a successful innings, she tied the knot with film-maker Goldie Behl and settled down. Mother of a seven-and-a-half-year-old son, she has immense respect for women who balance their family and work.
“I had the luxury of making a choice [whether to work or not]. All women don’t have this luxury and I really don’t know how they do it [manage]. If I had to do everything on my own, I would have fallen apart,” she confessed.
“I have an immense amount of respect for women who leave their kids and go to work, because they have to. They don’t have a choice. I couldn’t have done that,” she added.
After becoming a mother, Bendre cut down on her work as her priority was to be a hands-on mother. On and off, she appears on the small screen as a judge of reality shows.
“From what I know and what I have read, the first seven years of a child’s life are very important; be it for their emotional quotient, body type, IQ or habits,” she said. “So for me, it was very clear that the first seven years of my son’s life should be good.”
Bendre is all set to come back on the silver screen this fall with Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Again with Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha.

Source: Tribune

Go Goa Gone doesn’t get banned: Saif

MUMBAI: Actor and producer Saif Ali Khan, who was seen using abusive language in Go Goa Gone, quips that he is hoping the film gets an A certificate and doesn’t get banned.
“The dialogues in the film have Russian and Hindi galis [bad words]. I just hope the film gets an A certificate and doesn’t get banned at the censors,” a smiling Saif told reporters during the film’s music launch.

When asked how his family reacted to the abusive language he used in the film he said: “My mom thought this was not the best idea I had. She was a bit concerned about the subject and the language. But my sister [Soha Ali Khan] thought it was pretty cool as her boyfriend [Kunal Khemu] is in the film.”
“As far as my wife [Kareena Kapoor] is concerned, she is supportive and she is happy with the positive response that we have received from people,” he added.
There was a live performance by the zombies at the music launch. The music of the film is given by music directors Sachin and Jigar.
Saif, who is also producing and experimenting with the zombie genre for the first time, says there is a market for everything in India.
“I had a great time shooting for this film. It was a great team and we had wonderful technicians. I feel there is a market for everything in India,” he said.
“I am glad people have liked my role in the movie but I would like to say that the film is about two friends Kunal and Vir and how the third friend joins them and what happens in Goa.”
Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, Go Goa Gone also features Vir Das and Puja Gupta among others. The film is scheduled to release on May 10.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2013.                   

Working with Bollywood is High Quality - Shiraz Uppal

LAHORE:  It is no surprise that an increasing number of talented Pakistani singers are now making their way to Bollywood. From Adnan Sami Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam, it seems like  the Indian film industry is giving these singers their due credit.

Such is the case with our pop singer, Shiraz Uppal, as well. After a short hiatus last year, Uppal has now made a powerful comeback with an upcoming B-town film. He lent his voice to the title track of Anand L Rai’s upcoming movie, Raanjhanaa; the music of which has been composed by the famous AR Rahman.

Due to release on June 21, the film stars Dhanush of Kolaveri Di fame and Sonam Kapoor.

Raanjhanaa – the song
“I am very excited about the track. It’s always fun to do a song with AR Rahman,” says Uppal, who was contacted by Rahman for the title track. “I love his arrangement and composition.” For Rahman, this soundtrack silences those who were lamenting the monotony of Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Ek Deewana Tha.

Uppal shares that Rahman has always inspired him and the two have teamed up on various occasions. More recently, at the One World Peace concert held in New York, the two shared the stage with other leading artists such as Dave Mathews, Natasha Bedingfield, Philip Philips, Cyndi Lauper and others. Uppal has previously also sung soundtracks composed by Rahman for Bollywood film Nayak and Tamil movie Boys.

Uppal says that the main track, which has energetic lyrics by Irshad Kamil, is melodious with a classical touch, but is also upbeat and fresh. “He [Kamil] is one of my favourite lyricists; I really like his poetry,” says Uppal. “The song has a classical tune. Singing it was a lot of fun since I haven’t done a song which is classical and fast at the same time.”

 

 

Work in Bollywood, Uppal says that his focus will be on films and he is planning a visit to India in the coming weeks to promote the soundtrack. He feels that collaboration between Pakistan and India is a positive approach. “I think the work being done in India is of very high quality,” says Uppal. “Seeing Pakistani artists there means a lot, since it’s a big platform.”

His own focus has always been biased towards making music for films, despite the fact that he has done four pop albums, as well. “I have always wanted to make music for films,” shares Uppal. “I like to see my songs being played on the big screen.”

Uppal explains that Bollywood has shifted from traditional sounding music and has now become more experimental. He also says that experiments with music occurred in every era, but not all types of music succeed.

“The real test is whether the public accepts this type of music,” says Uppal. “The one which is accepted becomes a trend.”
“Pakistani pop music has been popular for many years,” explains Uppal, adding that music trends are changing in films. “If you look at the music being produced in Indian or Pakistani films, it’s more towards pop.”

Uppal feels that Pakistani music has always been of great standards. He also believes that the latest trend in music for Pakistani films is very beneficial for the country’s music industry. He produced the track Hona Tha Pyar for the original soundtrack of Bol and would like to do more projects like that.
“I would love to do it if someone is interested,” says Uppal. “But I don’t go out searching for work; I only work on merit.”

Source: The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2013.

 

Veena would like to have all three Khans of Bollywood

KOLKATA:  While praising actor and nawab scion Saif Ali Khan’s sense of style, Pakistani model-turned-actor Veena Malik voiced her aspirations of working with all the three Khans of Bollywood.
“I love Saif’s sense of style. It comes naturally to him because he is a nawab. If a nawab doesn’t know how to dress up, then who will? He is a very stylish guy and I think Kareena [Kapoor] is a lucky woman,” said Malik.
“I would like a bit of Shahrukh [Khan], a bit of Salman [Khan] and a bit of Aamir [Khan]. I would go with Aamir for his acting, Shahrukh for his romance and Salman’s Dabangg style,” Veena told reporters during a media conference on Wednesday to promote her forthcoming movie Zindagi 50-50.
Zindagi 50-50, scheduled for a May 24 release, will see Veena in the role of a sex worker opposite actors Rajan Verma, Rajpal Yadav and Riya Sen. She was last seen in Daal Mein Kuch Kaala Hai.
Acknowledging that Bollywood has been generous to her, Veena said her success mantra is “quantity over quality”. “Bollywood has been very generous to me. It has welcomed me with open arms. I feel proud to be associated with it; I am working really hard.”
“I want to act in so many films, but I prefer quantity over quality,” expressed Veena. The actor is also working in film-maker Haroon Rashid’s The City That Never Sleeps.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2013.

Brad Pitt wants David Beckham to teach kids soccer

LOS ANGELES: Actor Brad Pitt says he wants footballer David Beckham to teach his six children how to play the sport.

The 49 year old actor has six children with fiancee Angelina Jolie – Maddox, eleven, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four year old twins Knox and Vivienne.




“I want him to teach my kids soccer,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Pitt as saying.
The 49 year old also believes the retired soccer star could make it in Hollywood if he decides to pursue a career in acting.
“I think he’s got what it takes,” he said.

Sources: tribune.com.pk

Saif Ali Khan goes Without Makeup for Bullet Raja

MUMBAI: Saif Ali Khan has opted for a naturally tanned look instead of make-up to play a rural gangster in Tigmanshu Dhulia directed Bullet Raja.

According to a source, the actor was required to get a tanned look for his character and to achieve that the 42 year old would sit outside in his van in the afternoon.
“Saif really puts in a lot of effort to get into his character. Tigmanshu wanted a certain tanned look since he is playing a rural gangster. When Saif learned this, he decided that instead of the make-up he would sit outside his van in the afternoons to get the natural tanned look. We all told him that it was not necessary to do that as it was really scorching hot, but he did not listen to us,” said the source.
The actor went to great lengths to get under the skin of Langda Tyagi, his character in critically acclaimed Othello-inspired 2006 movie Omkara.
Bullet Raja narrative will be set against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh-based mafia, and it will deal with the underworld. It also stars Sonakshi Sinha and Jimmy Shergill.

GI Joe sequel banned in Pakistan

LAHORE:  The latest installment of the Hollywood film franchise GI Joe, has been banned in Pakistan for its negative portrayal of the country, according to officials of the Central Board of Film Censors.

Officials within the censor board said there was no chance that the sequel, titled GI Joe: Retaliation would make through censors.
The film starts off with an American special security team recovering lost nuclear warheads in Pakistan, where it is attacked and framed for stealing nuclear undertones; it stars actors Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, and Channing Tatum. The story also depicts Pakistan as an unstable country in which terrorists are on the verge of stealing the country’s nuclear assets.
“I wonder how anyone thought this film would pass the censor, and this is a question one should ask the importer,” said Iftikhar Durrani, the adviser on national regulation and services.
Durrani explained that the film portrays Pakistan negatively, not just on the issue of the war on terror, but also in the context of the country’s international standing.
“There is a scene which shows the assassination of the Pakistani president and the imposition of martial law, which is not a fair representation of the country,” he added.
Mohsin Yaseen, the general manager for Cinepax and the marketing manager for Footprint Entertainment, said it was expected that the film would be banned.
“We are the representing agency for the film so we, as a policy, try and see if the film could pass censors,” explained Yaseen.
“There were obviously several objectionable things which would never have passed the censors, but these things are also relevant to the content of the film.”
Meanwhile, Atrium Cinema elaborated that the film had been banned as it showed Pakistan in a negative light. “Due to initial scenes depicting Pakistan as a failed state and fictionally portraying foreign invasion of Pakistan’s nuclear installations,” the Atrium Cinemas management posted on Facebook, to the dismay of moviegoers.
All cinemas have been directed to stop screening of any trailers of the film.
Over the years, many Bollywood and Hollywood films have been banned in Pakistan due to their negative portrayal of the country and its institutions. The most recent ones were Saif Ali Khan-starrer Agent Vinod and Zero Dark Thirty, which was based on the operation: Neptune, the pursuit and killing of Osama bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad.
Earlier, internationally acclaimed video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Medal of Honor: Warfighter were banned for their controversial depiction of Pakistan and its intelligence agencies.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013.

Lollywood actress Laila arrested in Multan

MULTAN: Lollywood actor Laila was arrested in Multan in relation to a case filed in 2010 by producer Sheikh Naeem regarding a bogus cheque, reported Express News.

Earlier reports suggested that it was a case relating to non-payment of purchased items however the case is between Laila and a producer she frequently works with.
She was in Multan to work on a drama produced by Sheikh Naeem himself. Today was the last day of their scheduled shoot and Laila was at a local hotel before she was arrested.
Laila reportedly paid her dues of Rs0.4m with a cheque that was not honoured by the bank, however the dispute was resolved verbally between the two parties.
The producer was also present at the police station and may even give in writing that the matter has been resolved.
Laila maintains her innocence and said “Truth will be victorious and these people will have to answer to God.”
If the producer provides a written notice to the police, actor Laila may be released immediately.

Source: tribune.com.pk