Bollywood Gola

Bhansali replaces Manisha with Divya

2010-07-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

Manisha Koirala has been replaced by Divya Dutta in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s My Friend Pinto.

It is suggested that Manisha herself volunteered to leave the film because of her marriage on June 19 and of course, the honeymoon that followed. However, there are those in the SLB camp who say that they are very happy with having Divya in place of Manisha. They reason that both actresses are equally talented. And Divya reportedly charges much less than Manisha. So as far as SLB is concerned having Divya there is a profitable situation.

Sonam has no time for love

2010-07-27T00:31:00.000-07:00

Newbie director Punit Malhotra doesn’t hate love stories. However, rumours say that his own story moves in fits and starts.

Punit is good friends with his I Hate Luv Storys heroine Sonam Kapoor. In the past the two were often seen sharing popcorn and enjoying a film outing. However, since Sonam is now poised for big things, it is alleged that her well-wishers want her to concentrate on her career and give all her other friendships (that with Punit included) a back seat.

hot topic Bijli, Sallu's family bond

2010-07-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

After Azharuddin’s alleged fallout with wife Sangeeta Bijlani, everyone wants to know where Sangeeta is. Well, the person to call is Salman Khan, because Sangeeta has been in constant touch with the actor for some months now.

That Sangeeta dated Salman before she married cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, is well-known. But she has always been on good terms with Salman’s family and has been a constant visitor to the family home at Galaxy Apartments at Bandstand. She has been in Mumbai for the past few months but no one knows where she is living.

A source says, “Not only did Sangeeta attend the music launch of Hello starring Salman, but also his birthday party at his farmhouse in Panvel last year. Azharuddin did not attend that celebration.

Thereafter, she has visited Salman’s house, irrespective of whether he was present or absent.

Even if Salman is not home, Sangeeta has always been comfortable in his house. She has a very good relationship with Salman’s parents, Salim and Salma Khan, and is exceptionally close to his sisters, Alvira and Arpita.”

Sangeeta’s strong bond with Salman’s family might seem misplaced, considering how bitter she was about her split with him. She didn’t forgive Salman for choosing Somy Ali over her.

Sangeeta was seething with such bad vibes then that she didn’t think twice before talking ill of Salman to the media. Salman, however, remained quiet through all that, as he didn’t feel bitter about Sangeeta’s caustic comments.

Why Salman broke up with Somy is another story. Apparently, she was pressurising him to marry her but Salman kept postponing it. Somy ended the relationship and flew to Florida to be with her mother. Salman followed her there, pleading her to return but Somy stuck by her decision.

That he dumped a soft drink on her head at a discotheque might have played a part in her reticence to jump back into this relationship.

Meanwhile, time did heal Sangeeta’s wounds. A source describes her current equation with Salman, “They have a very healthy relationship. In fact, Salman has a very healthy equation with Somy too, who has been visiting his house as well.”

But Sangeeta shares a much deeper relationship with the actor, we are told. Interestingly, even Azharuddin used to accompany Sangeeta to Salman’s house. “Azharuddin bonds very well with Salim. They talk a lot about cricket and even sat down to see some matches together,” says the source.

But now that Azhar’s marriage with Sangeeta has hit the rocks (supposedly after he started dating badminton champion Jwala Gutta, who, by the way, is half his age), let’s see if he’s able to maintain good relations with Salman’s family.

Despite repeated calls and a text messages, Sangeeta remained unavailable for comment.

Aamir, SRK bond over dinner Jul 25, 2010

2010-07-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

Look who was spotted flashing hashis (Japanese chopsticks) at the Hakkasan restaurant in London on Friday night over sushi and sashimi...

Bollywood superstars Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. And, with them, the film industry’s most celebrated filmmaker, Karan Johar, and the Bollywood Badshah’s stylish wife, Gauri Khan. The foursome gave Indians dining at this Japanese restaurant paisa vasool for their meals.

Aamir is in London (then LA, NY, Dubai...) to promote Peepli Live, Shah Rukh is there shooting for his futuristic RA One with Kareena Kapoor, and Karan flew to the UK to spend 20 days with SRK and Gauri and also work on his own script.

What is interesting is that in the midst of all their independent work activities, the superstars found time to break bread together. Aamir invited Karan, SRK and Gauri to a private screening of Peepli Live. SRK didn’t make it but Karan saw the film. After pack-up SRK and Aamir went for dinner, though. Accompanied by Gauri and Karan. A fan of both Khans said, “There were some jokes being cracked over which SRK and Aamir were laughing a lot. Gauri seemed to enjoy herself watching these guys cracking up.

Eesha Koppikhar Narang is on a temple-visiting spree. In town, she says these visits shouldn’t fuel her pregnancy rumours.

2010-07-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

Eesha Koppikhar Narang is on a temple-visiting spree. In town, she says these visits shouldn’t fuel her pregnancy rumours.

Any special reason for going on this religious-shrine darshan spree across the country?
I am a very spiritual and god-fearing person. I eat vegetarian food on three days of the week. I’ve a friend in Delhi, Mohan Pal Singahanand Virji. I listen to all that he says. He advised me to visit these temples. That’s why I went to the Kamakhya temple in Assam on Saturday. From there, I went to a Shiv temple on the middle of the Brahmaputra. In Kolkata, I visited Kalighat, Dakshineswar and Adyapith. This was my third visit to Kalighat. At Dakshineswar, I sat in the room where Ramakrishna got his darshan of Kalima.

Is there anything specific that you prayed for?
I asked for the general well-being, happiness and success of every one in my family. Of course, I did ask for something for myself. But then, it’s not right to share one’s prayers unless they are answered.

The buzz doing the rounds is that you are going the family way and this temple-visit spree is only
accentuating the rumours...
Oh! no. Even my mother told me that visiting Kamakhya will accentuate the pregnancy rumours since many go there to pray for kids. I told mom: “Now, you don’t start this...” I wanted to visit
temples and so I did. Earlier, I’ve been to Shirdi, Golden Temple, Vaishno Devi, among others. Don’t read much into this temple-trail of mine. I have changed my style of dressing and am wearing skinny jeans and loose tops. Does a pregnant woman wear skinny jeans?

Did your husband, Timmy Narang, accompany you?
No. He is god-fearing but was too busy to come down. My father too isn’t that spiritual. Whatever he does is only to make my mother happy.

How have you changed after marriage?
I’ve become more responsible. I was never such a perfectionist. Today, I supervise everything.

Have you set any rule for the kind of stuff that you wouldn’t do in films now?
At 30, one doesn’t do stuff that one does at 18. I can’t roam around in a petticoat now. Every individual goes through a metamorphosis. With age, the choice of roles for heroines get more limited. With heroes, it’s different. Besides, my life isn’t dependent on movies. Hello Darling releases in August. I’ve read a script and might begin work in September. Meanwhile, I’ve a second plan of action and will be doing something related to health, food and fitness.

Unlike Tollywood, married heroines in Bollywood want extended maternity leave and often expect the whole unit to be on its toes to look after them, their kids and nannies. Why do married heroines in Bollywood want to be so pampered?
The corporate world is different from the industry, where the actors are their own masters. A heroine wants to look glamorous and fit. It takes some time to regain that before one is ready for a comeback. As an actor, one has more liberties. When I shot for HD and Right Yaaa Wrong, I didn’t meet my hubby for 10 days. That was fine by us. Finally, it’s all about personal choices.

A bunch of Bollywood stars after the director had announced ‘pack-up’, were heard sitting and gossiping about the actress Preity Zinta

2010-07-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Guess who was the hot topic of discussion on the sets of a film? Preity Zinta. A bunch of Bollywood stars after the director had announced ‘pack-up’, were heard sitting and gossiping about the actress .

“When stars have no work, they usually say ‘I’m reading a few scripts let’s see how it goes. Actually in reality, they have no work,” laughed a senior actor and added, “Preity’s now saying the same thing.

Bollywood is like a conveyor belt, if you are off it, you can’t get onto it again,” he said. “Preity’s ‘innings’ is over,” he added. To that another actor said, “When their career is rocking, they say ‘I’m tired of doing commercial films, I want to do something more meaningful and then when they get a jolt, they promptly go on to say, ‘I’m dying to do a hard-core masala film.’” Gossip mongers beware, the fiery Preity Zinta won’t take any of this lying down.

“People don’t know that today I’ve made so much money that I don’t need to work for the rest of my life. But I can’t sit doing nothing. I’m busy with my IPL team, my production house and also with the TV show I’m going to host,” she had said besides of course, “reading a few scripts!”

Kaveri Jha Looking Sexy

2010-07-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Kaveri Jha in Cleveage

2010-07-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Kaveri Jha Looking Glorious

2010-07-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Kareena Kapoor Gergeous

2010-07-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Kareena Kapoor Sexy In red

2010-07-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Kareena Kapoor Cuety

2010-07-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Kareena Kapoor Looking hot

2010-07-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sexy Kareena Kapoor

2010-07-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

Kareena Kapoor In Add

2010-07-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Bipasha Basu Max Hot

2010-07-21T05:32:00.001-07:00

Bipasha Basu Hot Latest Photo

2010-07-21T05:15:00.001-07:00

Bipasha Basu Getting Hotter

2010-07-21T05:13:00.001-07:00

Rock Kangana Ranaut

2010-07-21T05:00:00.001-07:00

Kangana Ranaut Deep Cleveage

2010-07-21T04:58:00.001-07:00

Kangana Ranaut Nice Look

2010-07-21T04:53:00.001-07:00

Kangana Ranaut Looking Beautiful

2010-07-21T04:46:00.001-07:00

Sexy Sameera Reddy

2010-07-21T04:42:00.001-07:00

Sameera Reddy A Busty Babe

2010-07-21T04:38:00.001-07:00

Sameera Reddy Cleveage

2010-07-21T04:36:00.001-07:00

Sameera Reddy Looking Smile

2010-07-21T04:31:00.001-07:00

Smiling Anushka Sharma

2010-07-21T04:27:00.001-07:00

Anushka Sharma Nice

2010-07-21T04:24:00.001-07:00

Amritarao Launches Titan Watch

2010-07-21T04:04:00.001-07:00

Amritarao Hot And Cuety

2010-07-21T04:01:00.001-07:00

Amritarao In Shopping

2010-07-21T03:56:00.001-07:00

Amritarao Looking Hot

2010-07-21T03:54:00.001-07:00

Amisha Patel In Party

2010-07-21T03:47:00.001-07:00

Amisha Patel Cleavage Show

2010-07-21T03:45:00.001-07:00

Amisha Patel Cute Smile

2010-07-21T02:57:00.001-07:00

Latet Photos of Amisha Patel

2010-07-21T02:50:00.001-07:00

Sexy Katrina Kaif

2010-07-21T02:46:00.001-07:00

Katrina Kaif Looking Fresh

2010-07-21T02:41:00.001-07:00

Katrina Kaif Sweet

2010-07-21T02:39:00.001-07:00

Latet Photos of Katrina Kaif

2010-07-21T02:32:00.001-07:00

Katrina Kaif Looking Sexy

2010-07-21T02:30:00.001-07:00

Katrina Kaif Looking Cuety

2010-07-21T02:28:00.001-07:00

Sexy Tanusree Dutta

2010-07-21T02:24:00.001-07:00

Tanusree Dutta Showing Her Fig

2010-07-21T02:21:00.001-07:00

Sexy Exposed Tanusree Dutta

2010-07-21T02:19:00.001-07:00

Tanusree Dutta Cleavage Show

2010-07-21T02:16:00.001-07:00

Tanusree Dutta Beautiful

2010-07-21T02:14:00.001-07:00

Rani Mukharji Hot

2010-07-21T02:08:00.001-07:00

Rani Mukharji In Saree Exposing Her Clevage

2010-07-21T02:05:00.001-07:00

Rani Mukharji In Saree

2010-07-21T02:02:00.001-07:00

Rani Mukharji Gorgeous

2010-07-21T02:00:00.001-07:00

Rani Mukharji Cool And Spicy

2010-07-21T01:58:00.001-07:00

Neha Dhupia Hot Girl

2010-07-21T01:55:00.001-07:00

Neha Dhupia Looking Hot

2010-07-21T01:52:00.001-07:00

Neha Dhupia Cutey

2010-07-21T01:50:00.001-07:00

Neha Dhupia Clevage

2010-07-21T01:46:00.001-07:00

Hot Exposed Neha Dhupia

2010-07-21T01:28:00.001-07:00

Neha Dhupia Looking Sexy

2010-07-21T01:21:00.001-07:00

Sexy Photos Of Neha Dhupia

2010-07-21T01:17:00.001-07:00

Hot Photos Of Celina Jaitley

2010-07-21T01:02:00.001-07:00

Hot Photos

2010-07-21T01:00:00.001-07:00

Hot Photos

2010-07-21T00:59:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:57:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:56:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:54:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:52:00.001-07:00

Latet Photos

2010-07-21T00:50:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:49:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:47:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:45:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hot Photos

2010-07-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:35:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:34:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:28:00.001-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:25:00.000-07:00

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2010-07-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

BUMM BUMM BOLE FULL TRAILER 2010

2010-07-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

Rajneeti Trailer 2010

2010-07-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta - Trailer 2010

2010-07-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Krantiveer 2010 Trailer

2010-07-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

I Hate Love Storys Trailer - 2010

2010-07-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Milenge Milenge 2010 New Movie Trailer

2010-07-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

Tere Bin laden - Official Trailor

2010-07-20T23:44:00.001-07:00

Udaan Movie Trailer 2010

2010-07-20T23:38:00.001-07:00

Red Alert 2010 Trailer

2010-07-20T23:35:00.001-07:00

Lamhaa Trailer

2010-07-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

Khatta Meetha - Theatrical Trailer

2010-07-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Badmaash Company 2010 Movie Reviews

2010-07-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Film: Badmaash Company
Director: Parmeet Sethi
Actors: Shahid Kapur, Anushka Sharma
Rating: **

The father (Anupam Kher), an old, stable, middle-class family man, and a salaried employee of 25 years in the same company, can barely recognise the son he’s raised. This may have little to do with the upbringing, more to do with the times of opportunities and restless ambitions they’re in.

The son is clear: “Meri mehnat ka fayda sirf mujhe hona chahiye. Mere boss ya meri company ko nahin (The fruits of my effort should accrue to me alone; not to my boss, or my company).”

The boy’s still intrinsically bright, and the father warns, “You have sharp brains. The problem is, you know it. This can either take you really far, or eventually pin you down, depending on the direction you take.” As an audience, you’re aware both will happen. This is a film -- with its own notions of redemption and poetic justice -- after all.

You’re also somewhat ready for this ‘Catch Me If You Can’ ride. The kid chucks his MBA entrance preparations. His friends join in. An idea strikes him. He scores a bronze. Another idea hits his head – supplying useless leather gloves to an import firm, and scramming off with the loot. He scores silver. Yet another scheme – a silly mortgage-foreclosure swindle in the American real estate. He picks up gold again.

But he’s still at this point a small-time scam artiste. The film suddenly assumes it’s time to get self-seriously preachy, lest its intentions be misunderstood. The group breaks up. The father shows off his honest achievements. The hero, ascribed the “bada aadmi” (big man) is deserted, desolate, and done with. The thrill’s over, already.

We sit through reels contemplating the corrupting nature of dishonesty, over-ambition, greed, arrogance and sundry other hungry beasts -- not very different from the other Shahid Kapoor film (John Matthew Mathan’s Shikhar). And you forget why this ride had started out being so much fun in the first place.

Well, here’s why. The year’s the mid ‘90s, the opening curve of India’s liberalising economy. Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma play the typical Bunty and Babli pair: girl wants to be "top model"; boy, the richest dude in town. This is the time, the film superbly captures, when FM meant a certain minister, and not the radio. Cellphones were a figment of science fiction. Two TV stations entertained an entire country. You even had a piddly $500 limit on how much of your own money you could spend abroad. You could barely shop in dollars if you made your money in rupees.

Indian Customs protected us from the pleasures of a good life. It was their duty. And that's what they applied -- a duty on everything from a watch to your shoes, sometime about 120 per cent.

The factory outlet those days (if you knew someone at the Customs) was the Custom House that auctioned seized stuff at dirt-cheap rates. Anyone would turn smuggler on such terms. So does the hero, his girlfriend, and two loyal friends -- one’s a slick womaniser (Vir Das); the other, a northeastern lad who, like everyone from the north-east, has to bear Chinese jokes, being Indian (Meiyang Chang, sweetly inspired character).

They import un-wearable shoes; reject their own consignment; pick it up from the Customs auction later. The picture’s premise is strong. The setting is solid. The scam’s quite awesome. The friends make for quite a foursome. All are equally endearing. As are their antics. And then the screen flashes, Interval. Everything dopily goes down a slope thereafter, and onward to America, arrogance and all that jazz.

You can tell when a script's half-written. But up till that point, written phenomenally well. Shriram Raghavan’s Ek Haseena Thi remains the finest example. From Yashraj (the producers of this film), Siddharth Anand’s Bachna Ae Haseeno is a decent instance. This one’s really quite a case study as well.

Bumm Bumm Bole 2010 Movie Reviews

2010-07-20T21:52:00.001-07:00

New Delhi, May 14 -- Genre: Children Director: Priyadarshan Cast: Darsheel Safary, Atul Kulkarni, Rituparna Sengupta, Ziyah Vastani Synopsis: Khogiram, his wife and their kids Pinu and Rimzim belong to a terrorist dominated region. Khogiram and Ritu have a hand-to-mouth income working for a tea plantation and can barely manage things.
The kids go to a respectable school as it is Khogiram's ambition to give them the educational opportunities he missed. But the financial crunch makes it difficult for kids to match the standards of the school. They don't have enough money for uniform or shoes. Things become worse when Pinu misplaces Rimzim's only pair of shoes in the vegetable shop!
Rimzim can't go to school without her shoes. They work out a scheme where both of them share the same shoes. However, Pinu always gets into trouble at school waiting for Rimzim to give him the shoes. He comes to know of the Inter-school Marathon where one of the prizes is a pair of shoes. Pinu plans to run for it and win the shoes for Rimzim. Will Pinu be able to win the shoes for his sister? Darsheel's big ticket after Taare Zameen Par, kids should like this one.

Kites 2010 Movie Reviews

2010-07-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

Film: "Kites"; Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut, Kabir Bedi, Nick Brown; Director: Anurag Basu; Music: Rajesh Roshan; Producer : Rakesh Roshan

Too many strings attached to this "Kites" that never soars to the heights it should and becomes a predictable tale of star-crossed lovers set in the glittering lights of Las Vegas and the brooding deserts of Mexico. It's "Matchpoint", "Bonny and Clyde" and much else rolled into one, failing to take off on its own.

The problem with "Kites" is that it is never truly its own film. The first half constantly takes you back to Woody Allen's compelling "Matchpoint" with the doomed quartet of Jai (Hrithik), his girlfriend Gina (Kangana Ranaut), her brother Tony (Nick Brown) and his fiancée Natasha (Barbara).

Life is set to roll for the rakish, down and out Jai with Gina, the fabulously rich, hopelessly in love daughter of a Vegas casino owner, until he meets Natasha, the exotic Mexican immigrant also looking out for the good life. The attraction is inevitable - and fatal.

The pull is irresistible. Designer watches, flashy cars and jewels beckon but Jai and Natasha are caught in a relationship that transcends language. She knows no English and he knows no Spanish.

So far so good, before the script decides to meander into a "Bonny and Clyde" caper with the couple on the run from the powerful Tony robbing a bank. Completely unnecessary and giving no time for the intensity of the romance to develop.

The narrative moves back and forth in time, beginning with a bloodied Jai tumbling out of a train wagon and stumbling across the desertscape to look for his ladylove.

So you get a sense of what is in store. The predictability of the script is not really a problem - the opening line of the film lays the tenor, with Jai in a voiceover telling you that two kites flying together can never soar very high or very long because one has to get cut.

This is a chronicle of a tragedy foretold, much in the way of other epic romances. Dare I say Romeo Juliet!

It could have worked. The much talked about chemistry between the lead couple is in evidence, but not enough. Director Anurag Basu is at his best in the intimate scenes.

Like when Jai looks out of his window to see Natasha being roughed up by Tony and goes to comfort her. There are no words but the shadow play on the wall of their fingers intertwining is romance as it should be.

The soul of true love is there somewhere, but it gets lost in the two-hour film that also brings in murder, torture and gunmen galore. Basu seems lost in the larger macro frame of the film.

The two main characters are not fleshed out enough, and the others around them are like caricatures. How many Bobs (Kabir Bedi as the powerful, ruthless casino owner who does not balk at shooting down cheaters) have we seen, or Tonys, the archetypal jealous boyfriend with an army of goons behind him?

Many loosely scripted scenes as well and gaps that really should have been filled for a lucid narrative. A script doctor was badly need to stitch up the loose ends.

But the superb cinematography of "Kites" that has the look of a truly international film, Rajesh Roshan's lilting music -- "Zindagi, zindagi" is true winner -- and some heartwarming moments score.

Barbara Mori also strikes a chord, and she's a real good looker. But the best for the last -- Hrithik Roshan looks better than he has in any other film, and with him dominating virtually every frame, this one is a treat for his fans. Go swoon, if you must.

Raajneeti 2010 Movie Reviews

2010-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Director: Prakash Jha
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: ***

Ranbir Kapoor, the younger brother, plays what clichéd cricket commentators would call a “cool customer”. He has a life beyond his immediate family, is least interested in his ancestral business (politics), is settled in with a girlfriend abroad. Were it not for a tragic circumstance, he could continue with his innately quiet, private life.

The elder one (Arjun Rampal), fully enmeshed in the intricacies of his family’s murky trade, is the mercurial dude; given to violent outbursts; his ego, quite easy to prick.

These two brothers Samar and Prithviraj could well be Michael (Al Pacino) and Sonny (James Caan) from the Corleone family in Godfather. Or, their equations may as much match the ‘80s siblings Rajiv (reserved), and Sanjay (rabid), from the Gandhi dynasty.

After his father’s assassination, young Samar (Ranbir, first-rate) slips in like a fish into his family’s dirty pond. This transition appears too hastily unexplained for someone who’d been pursuing for years a PhD in Victorian literature before this.

Bloodlines in this Rajput family tree are too complicated to recount. Suffice it to know, for simplicity’s sake, the conflict is roughly over who's the heir to a political legacy: the eldest son (Manoj Bajpayee); or the younger brother and, given such a situation’s arisen, his progenies (Prithviraj, Samar).

The latter also share a step-brother (Ajay Devgn), a locally popular Dalit youth leader. But no one knows this yet. He’s Karn from the Mahabharat, picked up and elevated in the rival Kaurav camp. His birth also honours a popular Bollywood tradition: random one-night stands inevitably lead to instant pregnancies.

Nana Patekar, the Krishn like figure, manipulates from the backroom. In rajneeti, or politics, he says, “Faisle sahi ya ghalat nahin hote. Unka mol toh maksad poora karne ke liye hota hai. Chahe jaise bhi ho. (Decisions taken are never right or wrong. Their worth is restricted to meeting an immediate end: by hook, or by crook).”

Jha, the director, makes for an odd, relatively grass-root politician among mainstream filmmakers, if you may. Back in his home state Bihar; he’s known to be close to its progressive CM Nitish Kumar. He’s himself fought the general elections twice, both as a party candidate, and an independent from a hinterland constituency. Outside of a script from Karunanidhi (once a screenwriter himself), I suspect, we’re unlikely to get a more authentically insider account of the intrigues within state politics, suited still for blockbuster cinema. Jha also knows a thing or two about producing shock and awe on screen. This helps.

It’s clearly possible, the filmmaker smartly suggests here, to set the Mahabharat around India’s present democracy, given the business of competitive politics is just as dynastic. The political party itself is the new monarchy.

He deftly shows us “the party’s” abuse of news media, business, caste, qom (a religious vote-bank), coalitions, law courts, police, bureaucracy, even marriages and friendships: all to satiate a power trip. None of the actors assembled on stage let him down: right from an unusually inspired Rampal to his powerful, polar opposite Bajpayee.

What does the film in more than slightly is, but, the sheer commercial relentlessness of its drama. There’s absolutely no relief, respite, rhythm, or ‘thehrav’ (for lack of a better English word). Impact of no tragedy calms this picture down. Introspection is wasteful; redemption, unnecessary. Eventually, when deaths become so cheap, so should your cinema ticket.

All characters finally discover for themselves their own awkwardly lame conclusions within enough sub-plots to pack in an entire Godfather trilogy. A state poll is the ultimate Armageddon.

It appears these politicians will either never contest another election, or the filmmakers will never make another film on politics. Editing of thought, let alone scenes, may not have been a poor idea in retrospect.

Jha’s GangaaJal (2003, on vigilante justice) and Apaharan (2005, on politics behind a kidnapping and ransom industry) were, in comparison, finely focused works. The ambition of its sweep screws this up alone. This problem has as much to do with silly diktats of a mainstream multi-starrer as with the size of the Hindu epic the film supposes to borrow from.

There's a reason Mahabharat was a television series. Shyam Benegal could brilliantly adapt it around India’s corporate boardroom, only for his contained minimalism (Kalyug, 1981).

What you sense here instead then is an over-dramatic, over-written screenplay: an over-boiled egg.

Just to let you in on a mental note I made smilingly stepping out of this film’s interval: “You so know it when you’re watching one of the most powerful Bollywood dramas ever!” I wish I could say that for the rest of the movie. Well. Halfway there then, I guess.

'Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De Movie Rewies 2010

2010-07-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) After starring together in movies like "1942: A Love Story", "Agni Sakshi", "Grahan" and "Lajja", Bollywood actors Manisha Koirala and Jackie Shroff will be sharing screen space again in "Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De", which releases Friday.

Produced by Sunil Singh and Agastyaa Singh for Rs.4 crore, the thriller has been directed by Partho Ghosh. Also starring Aman Verma, Nikita Anand, Pakistani actor Moammar Rana and Roza Catalano, it is releasing worldwide with 300 prints.

Manisha, who was last seen in the Bengali movie "Khela" in 2008, plays a complex role in "Ek Second...".

"It's not a double role but shows two characters within a single person. One side of the character is very submissive, docile and innocent. The other side of her is very strong; she is decisive just like women of today's world. I am playing two shades of the same character. It's quite an interesting concept," Manisha had told IANS.

Shot and based in Malaysia, the movie revolves around Rashi (Manisha) who is engaged to Vikram Sehgal, a famous novelist. But she is unaware about his numerous affairs with other women.

One day destiny plays a game. Rashi misses the metro train to office and loses her job as creative head in a big company. The story then on splits into two parts.

In one part, the narration continues with her being unable to catch the train while the second shows what would happen if she got on board the same train. The incidents that happen in both the situations come out as shocking and surprising.

In the first part, when she comes out of the station dejected at not being able to catch the train, a robber snatches her purse and she gets hurt. She is then taken to a nursing home by a taxi driver.

On the other hand, when she boards the train, she meets a stranger and falls for him. However, after the journey she comes out of the train and heads to her fiance's house where she catches him with another woman.

Then both the stories are merged to show that Rashi goes to her beau's house from the hospital. Both the stories of Rashi's life go on differently and separately. In one part she has her fiance and in the other part she finds another man.

Both the stories, however, come to one end and show that a decision made in one second can turn the way of life.

A low-budget venture with almost no buzz, one wonders if this solo Bollywood outing manages to strike a chord with the audiences.

Raavan 2010 Movie Reviews

2010-07-20T21:38:00.001-07:00

Director: Mani Ratnam
Actors: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Vikraam
Rating: *1/2

Every once in a while, he hushes and shrieks: “Chiki-chiki-chiki-chiki-chik…” Those on cocaine are known to sound like this shaken box of Chiclets. But coke’s an urban drug, and he, I presume, is a bachelor, bumbling around naked in the rural badlands. His face is smeared with white mud, he growls, even sticks his tongue out, before he pats his own head and goes, “Bak bak bak bak…” Ok. Then.

Beera (Abhishek), I suspect, is short for the famed, dead sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. No one knows quite what to make of his legend: “Is he Ravan (a villain), or Robin Hood.” This is not a surprise. This gent before us seems neither disturbingly menacing nor adorably maniacal.

Of a lower caste, with strong base of local followers, he could well be a Naxalite, fighting against tribal injustice. Or, he could be Tarzan, reminding us of our wild origins.

Lalgarh, a supposed village, is Beera’s own Lanka. His writ, apparently, runs supreme here. The reference to red (lal) in the village’s name may even assign the anti-hero to communist blood, and his kingdom to a countryside in India, cornered away from the rule of the state (a ‘lal durgo’ or ‘red fort’, if you may).

I really don’t know. I’m just guessing, and truly enjoying this silly game for myself.

All these details should matter, for a film centred and named after the villain itself. There’s nothing that you eventually learn or realise. Allegory ‘n’ all is fine. Lonely conjectures can take you only that far, when an entire movie’s merely in the moviemaker’s mind, and a plot so thin. Sometimes the camera circles so much in nothingness, your head spins. And you wonder if a film about this film would be a better idea.

The reference to Ravan’s ‘deca-head’ and decadence may be unclear. Yet, the allusion to the mythological Ramayan is complete. There’s a ‘Hanuman’ (Govinda), a local forest officer with monkey-like qualities, who helps ‘Ram’, the district’s superintendent of police (Vikram) trace his wife (Aishwarya) back. She’s been abducted by the ‘Ravan’, or Beera, and hidden deep within the jungles. The reason for this abduction, from what I could tell, is to avenge the rape of the anti-hero’s ‘sister’. It’s an old core of Bollywood’s B movies. It tells you a lot of the quality of this script.

A stack of Mani Ratnam's DVDs, generations later I hope, will serve as fine archaeological evidence of a scenic wonder that’s India. He's strikingly shot all his films locally -- with the possible exception of a small portion of Guru, and the whole of Kanathil Muthamital (though Sri Lanka needn’t quite count as ‘foreign location’).

Here, we wade through monsoon lushness, by the wilds, waterfalls, and slippery, wet terrain, of what I’m told, is western India. The characters insinuate a twang of the east. Visuals still don’t disappoint. National Geographic alone should be pleased.

Cinematography (Santosh Sivan) attempts an occasion out of every moment. Rahman sounds a pastiche of his own past soundtracks (besides the first-rate number, Beera; that's already done with in the opening credits). Dialogue is terse.

And then, strong waves splash over black rocks around stunning ruins. Heroine, in her non-makeup look, curly hair fluttering against the gust of wind, runs in balletic shots. It’s the same way she falls off a cliff, her body first entangled to the obstructing branch of a tree, which lets go, and she swiftly freefalls into the stream in slow motion. As does the villain later, having matched punches with the hero over a hanging bridge. The hollowness beneath shows. Why? Because, besides an aesthete, Ratnam is of the few mainstream directors in the country, gifted with a sharp voice (Yuva, Anjali), an ear for a plot (Guru, Nayakan), and an eye for contemporary context (Roja, Bombay, Dil Se). He’s scarily dumped all three at once.

This is that severely unexpected self-indulgence in a career of close to three decades, which digs out nothing but his own cinematic clichés. It seems a first for a director who’s until now cared for his name before a title (made only 20-odd films). You look forward to the filmmaker’s works. That’s probably why this one hurts. It so does. We should want our Mani back, really.