Vidya Balan highlights Indian cinema's global impact at Wharton

Vidya Balan highlights Indian cinema's global impact at Wharton





Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who was recently invited to the Wharton School in Pennsylvania to be part of the 14th Wharton India Economic Forum, showcased the high points of Indian cinema there.

The 32-year-old was invited to speak March 27 on globalization of mainstream Indian cinema.

"Vidya spoke on how mainstream Indian cinema is going global in every way possible as international production houses including Warner Brothers and Disney are producing Indian films. And how Indian movies are being watched in over 90 countries and are consistently recognised across international film festivals," said a source.

Vidya was part of a panel that discussed the achievements, shortcomings and future prospects of the Indian film industry as it scales new global heights.

Others on the panel included Anil Kapoor, Shankar Mahadevan and Namit Malhotra.

The actress, who has been part of successful films like "Parineeta", "Lage Raho Munnabhai" and "Paa", is currently working on "Chenab Gandhi" and "No One Killed Jessica".

source : dhangout.com

Now, Genelia new face of Fastrack

Now, Genelia new face of Fastrack






Actress Genelia D'Souza is sure moving on the fast track, as far as endorsements are concerned. After endorsing products like Fanta, Garnier light, Cadbury Perk, she is now the face of Fastrack!

"Hey tweeps... yup I am officially the new brand ambassador of Fastrack... just done with shoot and it was fantastic...," she posted on her Twitter page.

Even the company made the official announcement on Twitter.
"Just to make it a little more official, we're singing it from the rooftops - Genelia is our new brand ambassador," said a post from Fastrack.


Source : dhangout.com

Why was Abhishek dropped from Earth Hour event: Amitabh

Why was Abhishek dropped from Earth Hour event: Amitabh

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan didn't hide his disappointment over his son Abhishek's video message on Earth Hour not being shown at the event here, wondering "Is there a pattern in all this". But the junior Bachchan brushed off the controversy, saying he is "too small a person for all this unwanted attention".

"You are perhaps aware that Abhishek has been appointed the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) ambassador for Earth Hour, a campaign that has been initiated by WWF for the preservation of the earth. Many ads in the press have been announcing, with his photograph in place, that on the 27th of March let the entire country observe a simple ritual of putting off the electricity in their homes for an hour from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m," Amitabh posted on his blog.

Abhishek's message was dropped from the Saturday function in the capital at the last minute.

"An audio-visual has been prepared with Abhishek where he is seeking a pledge towards preservation of the Earth and requesting people to switch off their lights for an hour," Amitabh said in his blog.

"The chief minister of Delhi, Mrs Shiela Dixit, and a prominent member of the ruling Congress Party, is attending the moment. A few hours before the show was to start, apparently the audio-visual featuring Abhishek has been asked to be removed and banner posters bearing his photograph as ambassador have been stopped from being. I wonder why??"

"Abhishek, who has been working so hard on the cause is obviously disappointed, especially since he had worked late into the night where he was shooting out of town to accommodate this creative. And I wonder. Am I hallucinating, or is there a pattern in all this?"

Abhishek too commented on the incident on his microblogging website Twitter, saying, "With regards to last night's Earth Hour event at India Gate, I have nothing to say, nor any reaction. I believe that the cause is far more important than a mere mortal like me."

"The event was about Earth Hour (which I am the ambassador for) and about educating people about global warming. Thank you all for making that a possibility. I am too small a person for all this unwanted attention. Let's stick to the point!"

In his earlier post, Abhishek said he couldn't attend the function due to prior shooting commitments.

"I was to be at the India Gate function (Saturday evening) being the ambassador, and all, but prior shoot commitments would not allow me. I'm tucked away in Goa. I had sent a video message for all at the event, thanking them for their participation and support, but for some reason that couldn't be shown."

"I'm told that the Earth Hour was a huge success. Well done guys. You'll have done a wonderful job in spreading the news... I believe the function at the India Gate was also very nice and well attended. Kudos to the team at WWF for pulling all this off," he wrote.

Amitabh Bachchan was recently embroiled in a controversy when he attended the inauguration of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link's extension, leading to protests from some Congress leaders as he is the brand ambassador for Gujarat.
Bachchan posted scanned copies of the official invite he received for the event on his blog, clarifying that he had been invited by a minister.



Source : dhangout.com

Neil Nitin Mukesh learns taekwondo

Neil Nitin Mukesh learns taekwondo



After a rigorous crash-course in taekwondo in Bangkok, Neil Nitin Mukesh not only performed the martial arts for the camera he also directed the action scenes of an innerwear ad himself.

It was a sure sign of this young actor's progression towards his ultimate goal -- direction. In fact Neil's mentor Yashraj Films have already reserved the rights verbally to launch Neil as a director.

Laughs the young actor: "That is some way off. But yes, I do plan to direct my own film some day, and not in the distant future. In the meanwhile I am here in Bangkok and I've directed all the stunts for an ad we shot for Gen-X innerwear. You could say my career as a director has started."

It was Neil's idea that the ad have plenty of adrenaline-pumping action.

Last week after his leading lady Deepika Padukone left to shoot with Imran Khan in Delhi, Neil Nitin Mukesh suddenly took off for Bangkok for a week to learn the popular martial art taekwondo, shoot the action ad and then shoot another very erotic ad.

Speaking from Bangkok and sounding quite out of breath, Neil said: "It was my idea to combine the shooting of two back-to-back ads in Bangkok after my dates for Yashraj were readjusted. It's been a super-hectic time since I arrived here. I first shot an action ad for the innerwear and then I'm now shooting a really erotic ad for a deodorant with all these firang babes. It was supposed to be like... first the action and then the araam."

Since the deodorant is aphrodisiacal, Neil suggested the concept with a dozen sexy models.

Neil is seen in the company of at least a couple of these Caucasian models in Bangkok after shooting. A sure sign of his newly acquired single status.

"It's more a sign of the fact that I get lonely and bored every time I'm away from home. Fortunately the work schedule here has been really tough so I've no time to get lonely. First the training in taekwondo, then the shooting for the action ad. And then the erotic ad with the babes. I thought the first ad would be strenuous and the second one will be relaxing. But shooting with all those sexy women is even more hard work than doing stunts," Neil winks.

Incidentally, the taekwondo training is not just for the ad that Neil has just shot in Bangkok. It's also for "Dhoom 3" which Yashraj is getting ready to shoot.
But Neil isn't talking about that yet.




Source : dhangout.com

My 'lovely ladies' helped me with intimate scenes: Vivek Oberoi

My 'lovely ladies' helped me with intimate scenes: Vivek Oberoi


Vivek Oberoi has done many daring stunts for his film "Prince - It's Showtime", but when it came to intimate scenes, it was his three leading ladies in the film who took "care" of him.

"It's been a dream to work with three lovely ladies together. I had a really good experience working with them but, while shooting the intimate scenes, I was way too shy and felt awkward," Vivek told IANS in an interview.

"All through the movie you will see me doing brave stunts. While shooting the action sequences, when they were scared I took care of them, but while sharing intimacy I was taken under confidence by them saying: 'Don't worry, we will take care of you'. Which left me embarrassed but it was sweet of them to help me get through," he added.

The 33-year-old, who shares an intimate kissing scene with model-turned-actress Aruna Shields in the film, says he had to do several retakes to get it right.

"It was our first ever intimate kissing scene and both of us were jittery, which led to too many retakes as it was not looking natural," he said.

Directed by debutant Kooki Gulati, the film is about a quick-witted thief who wakes up one morning to realise that he has a gunshot on his arm and has absolutely no clue about how he got it because he has lost his memory.

Vivek, who has lost 12 kilos for the film, will be seen doing daring stunts in the film that needed rigorous physical training.

"I was a bit nervous doing some daredevil stunts in my film, which I had never done before. 'Prince...' is my first action film and will showcase me in a new avatar. It's a story that could be every man's fantasy and every man's nightmare," he said.

"I have given my life, literally, for getting myself prepared for the stunts that are all done by me without substitutes and it increased the risk factor. I had to undergo five months' physical training, which included skate-boarding, stunt biking, cable training, marshal arts, kicks and punches. I have jumped from a 32-storied building to a 28-storied building and that too on a bike," he said.

"All the action scenes have been shot in Hollywood style which the audience will see for the first time," Vivek added.

Even though the cast and crew of the film boasts of a number of newcomers starting from the director, the three female actresses, Aruna Shields, Nandana Sen and Niroo Singh, to music composer Sachin Gupta, Vivek doesn't take it as a baggage but instead as an opportunity.

"Yes you can say I am carrying the film on my shoulders with all the others being newcomers. But I don't take it as a burden; instead it's been an opportunity to nourish, explore myself better," he said.

Vivek said that the change in appearance and choice of roles are a deliberate effort on his part.

"My look and role in movies like 'Kurbaan', 'Shootout At Lokhandwala', 'Prince' and even in future projects are very different from the other and that is my effort to evolve as a versatile actor and not get tagged in one genre," he added.
Vivek is currently working on Ram Gopal Varma's "Rakta Charitra" and has two other films in the pipeline.

Source : dhangout.com

Big B joins 'save the tiger' campaign

Big B joins 'save the tiger' campaign

Concerned over the dwindling number of tigers in India, Amitabh Bachchan megastar Amitabh Bachchan Thursday joined a campaign to save the big cat, which he described as "symbolic" of the country's wildlife wealth.

The awareness and tiger conservation initiative is a joint venture of cellphone service provider Aircel and national news channel NDTV.

"The tiger is symbolic of India's wildlife wealth. It is in danger because of rampant poaching and the ineffectiveness of our system to stop its killing. Collective action is the need of the hour," Bachchan told reporters at a function here.

"It is our responsibility to not only initiate a public movement but also ensure that it gains momentum," he added.

The campaign intends to provide a common platform to tiger conservationists and concerned citizens to raise issues and voice their opinions, according to organisers.

The function was organised to announce NDTV joining Aircel in the campaign, which the cellular service had initiated last year.

source : dhangout.com

We want Deepika, Imran to become youth icons: Kunal Kohli

We want Deepika, Imran to become youth icons: Kunal Kohli



Filmmaker Kunal Kohli has roped in new designers to design a younger and trendier look for Deepika Padukone and Imran Khan in "Break Ke Baad" and says he wants them to become "youth icons".

The two will sport separate hair-colour schemes for the pre and post interval halves of the film.

"Both Imran and Deepika showed up in Delhi looking younger and trendier. Their clothes are younger and cooler than before. We've brought in completely new designers for Deepika and Imran," Kohli told IANS.

While Imran's clothes have been done by the Delhi-based designer duo Harmeet-Neha, Deepika's designer is Ayesha, a former assistant to Anaita Shroff.

"We want Deepika and Imran to look so cool together that they become instant youth icons," said Kohli.

Says Deepika: "Well, I do have two distinct looks in the first and second half of 'Break De Baad'. Beyond that it's too early to discuss anything."

Deepika, who's in Delhi to shoot for "Break Ke Baad", was apparently hit by a strong current of dejvu.

Just a year ago she was in the capital shooting for Imtiaz Ali's "Love Aaj Kal". Even then her co-star Saif Ali Khan had his lady-love Kareena Kapoor along and Deepika had voluntarily kept to herself.

"Not this time!" reports a source from Delhi. "Imran and Avantika have made Deepika feel most welcome and a part of their circle. In fact, Deepika is completely at home hanging around with Imran and Avantika."

Deepika has for the first time become so gregarious during shooting.

"During the shooting of 'Love Aaj Kal', Deepika barely exchanged anything beyond a hello with her co-star Saif in London and Delhi. Even with Neil Nitin Mukesh, whom she just shot with, Deepika was polite. But with Imran, she is at her warmest, thanks to Avantika who has gone out of her way to make Deepika comfortable," said the source.

"You're taller than me," was Deepika's first reaction when they started shooting together.

Imran and his fiance Avantika landed in Delhi a day before Deepika.
"Deepika and Imran shot in and around Delhi's streets from Wednesday. Everywhere they were greeted by mobs. Avantika has been a big support for Deepika... Though Imran and Deepika are friends, they are fiercely competitive on screen," said Kohli.

source : dhangout.com

'Kites' team starts new trend, premieres music on radio

'Kites' team starts new trend, premieres music on radio





The music of Hrithik Roshan's eagerly awaited film "Kites" has been launched and this is the first time a movie album has premiered on a radio channel.

"I think, this is for the first time there is a music premiere happening on a radio channel, which is great. I am hoping for some good feedback," Hrithik told reporters at the Radio Mirch studio here Thursday.

There has been a lot of buzz about the film and finally the promotion has started.

Asked how different the promotions will be from other movies, Hrithik said: "I am not the marketing guy, so I am clueless. I am just an actor and am happy doing acting. I don't think on those terms.

"They (marketing team) must be doing something to promote the film. They will tell me what to do and I will do whatever I can do."

Directed by Anurag Basu, "Kites" will be released in both Hindi and English. The film is about two lovers and their thrilling journey filled with precious moments and unexpected betrayal.

Mexican actress Barbara Mori, who plays Hrithik's love interest in the movie, is expected to come down for the promotion activities of the movie set for a May 21 release.

"Yes, I think she will be coming down on the 20th of next month and help in promoting the film," said Hrithik.

Kangana Ranaut also features in the movie, but she has not been highlighted so far.

"I really am not the person who decides on promotion and marketing. The film is a love story between Barbara and me. The idea to project the first promos of the film comes from the director's vision, what he wants to tell the audiences and that's how the promos are made," said Hrithik.
Asked whether he has flown kites, Hrithik said: "Yes, I remember papa used to teach me. We used to live on the 13th floor of a building... I was too small and I used to wonder that the kites seems so light but when it's flying, it's really hard to hold the 'manja' (string). I remember that really clearly because I could not hold it and it used to keep flying away from my hand."


Source : dhangout.com

Over Rs.300 crore riding on Ash this year

Over Rs.300 crore riding on Ash this year

Last year she was seen in just one film - Hollywood's "Pink Panther". But this year Aishwarya Rai has four films lined up for release - two southern projects "Ravana" and "Endhiran" as well as "Action Replay" and "Guzaarish", collectively costing over Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion).

While her bilingual sci-fi film "Endhiran", starring southern star Rajnikanth, is said to be made at a budget of Rs.125 crore (Rs.1.25 billion), approximately Rs.45 crore (Rs.450 million) has been spent on Mani Ratnam's much-awaited "Ravana", which is set for a June release.

Vipul Shah's "Action Replay" costs around Rs.60 crore (Rs.600 million) and if reports are to be believed, UTV is shelling out close to Rs.80 crore (Rs. 800 million) for Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed "Guzaarish" for which Aishwarya is currently shooting along with Hrithik Roshan in Mumbai.

Aishwarya has been busy shooting all these films for the past one year and even suffered health problems due to her hectic schedules.

According to a well-placed source from the team of "Ravana", the Hindi version of which also features Abhishek Bachchan, the actress has given some of the most difficult shots in the movie without complaining about geographical or weather conditions used to can the scenes.

"Aishwarya's role in 'Ravana' is the toughest. In the Hindi version, Vikram (southern star) plays Ram and Ravana in the Tamil vesrion. And Aishwarya plays Sita in both the Hindi and Tamil versions. Both the versions were simultaneously shot. Mani Ratnam canned the film in the most difficult and dangerous places. Still Aishwarya gave the same shots twice for the two versions - be it in the rain, on mountains, jungle, etc," a source told IANS.

"People say Vikram's role in the film is the toughest, but the actor himself feels Aishwarya's role is the most difficult," the source added.

While shooting for "Ravana" in the jungles of Kerala, the entire cast and crew had a scary experience when an elephant ran amok and killed a 51-year-old mahout, Andavan. The actors including Abhishek, Aishwarya, Vikram, Prabhu and Munna had to take shelter in a guest house and survived on bread and eggs.

"Ravana" is said to be a modern-day version and a loose adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Apart from "Ravana", Aishwarya's role in another southern project "Endhiran" has been a well-guarded secret till now, but some leaked photographs of the film's shooting show her in a different avatar.

"Action Replay", starring Akshay Kumar, is a time-travel tale in the 1950s and its storyline is based on an eponymous 1994 Gujarati Indian play. The director has emphasised a lot on the lead actors' "retro looks" in the movie.

"We, Akshay's designer Shabina Khan, Aishwarya's designer Manish Malhotra and all of us have worked really, really hard to give 'Action Replay' a unique look. If that look is leaked out, we'd lose our biggest USP," Shah had told IANS.

In "Guzaarish", the actress will play a married nurse who falls in love with a paraplegic patient essayed by Hrithik.
Though each role is different from the others, it remains to be seen which one of these strikes gold at the box office.


Source : dhangout.com

'MNIK' becomes highest Bollywood grosser in Middle East

Shah Rukh Khan starrer "My Name Is Khan" (MNIK) has become the highest Bollywood earner in the Middle East with $3.3. million collections.

"In other Islamic markets too, it continues to grow and has crossed over to non-diaspora audiences. In Indonesia, for example, the film has grown from six to 14 screens and has seen a jump of 300 percent in week three," Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star Studios India, said in a statement.

The film is to open in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria March 10.

So far, "MNIK" worldwide earning is about Rs.174.6 crore ($37.5 million) with India contributing Rs.102.2 crore and international markets recording around Rs.72.4 crore.

Directed by Karan Johar, "My Name Is Khan" explores lives in the post-9/11 period in the US. The movie has Shah Rukh playing a man with Asperger's Syndrome and Kajol plays his love interest.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), "MNIK" is now tracking to become the number four movie of all time, competing with Hollywood blockbusters like "The Dark Knight", "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen", "Spider Man 3" and "Twilight: New Moon".