Love Story 2 : Hurman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra get back together

All those who were glad that Priyanka Chopra was single again after her break-up with Hurman Baweja, there’s news for you. Priyanka and Hurman are trying to get back together. Their dead relationship got a chance to renew itself earlier this month while the two were shooting together in the snowy landscapes of Chicago. Reveals a source, “It seems Priyanka realised how important Hurman is to her life. They were together constantly in Chicago.”

But in such a scenario, where does Priyanka and Shahid Kapur’s growing ‘friendship’stand? A close friend of Priyanka and Hurman jumps to their defence, asking, “Would it mean that Priyanka is dating Shahid if they exchange friendly banter on a social networking website like Facebook? Well, Hurman did ask her about this and that’s when they realised how deeply they care for each other.”

Apparently, the reason for the break-up was Priyanka’s two hits, Fashion and Dostana, and Hurman’s two flops, Love Story 2050 and Victory. Their friend rubbishes such reasons and says, “People forget that Priyanka knew the Baweja family before Hurman took to acting. They’re both working hard on getting back the magic in their relationship, especially Hurman.”

When contacted about their patch-up, Priyanka didged a direct answer by saying, “I will always stand by Hurman.”

She added, “I enjoyed Victory immensely. He came across very well as a cricketer.”

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She's ready for action

Asin saves a little boy from being run over

Asin jumped from her car to save a child on one of the busiest road in Andheri. A source said,"Asin was in her car near Infinity Mall, Andheri, when she saw a little boy standing right in the middle the road. The poor boy seemed lost and looked complately puzzled with all the cars whizzing by. So much so that he didn't notice a car rushing towards him.

Asin simply ran out of her car, jumped across the barrier, lifted the child and in the process, lost her balance and fell with a thud. The child fell on Asin and was saved. Asin, however suffered severe bruises on her arm and wrist. She did not feel any pain at that moment but was shocked to find swollen hands on the following day. Her arms were wrapped in bandages for several days and Asin had to wear full sleeve costumes for her photo shoots."

Asin confirmed but refused to divulge any other details, she said, " this is somthing personal, I don't want to talk about it."

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At 30, Bipasha Basu looking for serious roles

She came into the limelight with her coffee bean complexion in Ajnabee and was called a scorcher for her skin show in Jism. But Bollywood beauty Bipasha Basu, who turns 30 on Wednesday, has now moved on from being just a sex icon and is signing on mature roles.

Voted the Sexiest Asian woman in 2007 by the British weekly newspaper Eastern Eye, the starlet of films like Rudraksh, No Entry, Omkara and Dhoom 2 is taking steps towards signing on for serious roles.

"If I don't like what's being offered, I won't sign anything (any more)," Bipasha had earlier said.

Her stint with arthouse movie started with Prakash Jha's 2005 political drama Apaharan. He presented her in a deglamourised role, but it was Ajay Devgan who had an author-backed role.

Bipasha's first meatier role was in Madhur Bhandarkar's critically acclaimed 2006 film Corporate. She proved her mettle and both critics and audiences applauded her performance. She was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress award.

Last year she did Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Shob Charitro Kalponik and is currently doing Sudipto Chattopadhyaya's Pankh and Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa.

Despite churning out fewer hits and more misses, the actress, who entered filmdom in 2001, constantly hogged the limelight, thanks to her oomph factor.

Her long-awaited share of fame came in 2008 with hits like Race and Bachna Ae Haseeno. She is now breaking from convention and taking on new challenges.

For Lamhaa, Bipasha is all set to change the dynamics of physical appearances of a Kashmiri girl.

"When you think of a Kashmiri girl in our movies, what comes to mind is a fair-skinned, light-eyed girl. But I want to disprove that myth. The pre-conceived notions have to be overcome," said Bipasha.

The actress is bent on looking convincing in the role and had even invited a Kashmiri woman to Mumbai in order to study her body language, speech patterns and mannerisms to get into the character.

"I think I'm going to be more keen on getting it right than the director. I've never done a film like this before. The role requires me to be someone else altogether.

"And for this I needed help. I wanted to play the character the way girls really are today in Kashmir. Very basic," explained the actress, who is dating Bollywood hunk John Abraham.

Unlike other actors, Bipasha is not very keen to try her luck in Hollywood.

"No filmmakers of Hollywood are willing to sign any Bollywood actor without a screen test apart from Aishwarya Rai. They seem to know no Hindi film actors, not even Amitabh Bachchan.

"I found out that I will have to start again (there) from scratch like screen tests and other tantrums. They treat you like a newcomer. So I've decided to stay in Mumbai and be the 'queen' here," she had said.

"India is a very comfortable place for us because we have already made a niche here. So why would anyone want to go and struggle there? I don't want to go and struggle. I have gone through my struggle."

Her other future projects include Aa Dekhen Zara and Freeze.

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Shilpa injured, but not out of action

 

Shilpa Shetty’s got a wrist in plaster. She was rendered hors de combat while practising cartwheels for the new action film she is planning to produce that has been written by Mushtaq Sheikh.

“Either that, or I’ve torn a ligament because of the wear and tear of weight training,” rued the actress with the hour-glass figure. She’s been told to take it easy at least for three months. “So I can’t shoot for the film,” added Shilpa, regretting that her ambitious multi-starrer has to be on hold. But, undaunted, Shilpa has picked up all the scripts at hand and is reading them so that she can start working.

“It will have to be a script which is not complicated, less painful and not a multi-starrer,” admitted the actress.
As a first time producer, she realises a multi-starrer might not be the best way to go. “I wouldn’t get dates from the actors. It’s quite a difficult task. I kept other projects on hold because of my film. I realised that I had turned more of a producer and less of an actress. So now I’m going to turn that around and complete the films I’ve signed,” said Shilpa.

Looking at the bright side, she agreed that it was good thing that her mega budget film was hold during this period of recession. “Due to the global meltdown, the financiers want to cut down on costs which is not possible,” said the actress.

So, what does Shilpa Shetty intend to do now? “I’ll wear a long-sleeved dress to camouflage the plaster on my wrist while doing Big Boss for Colours. And a fat kada when shooting for Sunny Deol’s The Man,” said the actress, making light of her problems.

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Actress Dia Mirza, who had walked the ramp during the last edition of LFW in April, will not be seen at any of the fashion weeks in Delhi.

Dia, who was here recently, told us, “I love walking the ramp. Modelling is still very close to my heart and I love the adrenaline rush that a show gives. The thunderous applause and fashionable dresses – I love it all. But this time, I will not be here when the fashion weeks happen in Delhi. I will be in Cape Town , finishing the last leg of shooting for Ramu’s film Acid Factory.”

The actress, it seems, has also fallen in love with Delhi. “I am happy that work keeps bringing me to Delhi. I simply love the city,” she said.

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Sanjay Dutt's 'EMI' role inspired by real loan recovery agent

Sanjay Dutt plays 'Sattarbhai', a bully who collects loan instalments from bank debtors, in his forthcoming film 'EMI'. The character has been inspired by a real-life collecting agent and the Bollywood actor spent a lot of time with him to get his act right.

'Sanju sir's character is modelled on a real-life agent. In fact, the whole film's plot about all these debt collectors who have the thankless job of getting bank loans back from debtors was inspired by the real-life Sattarbhai,' said TV tsarina Ekta Kapoor, who is co-producing the film with Suniel Shetty.

The real-life character's identity is, however, being kept a secret right now.

Said Suniel Shetty: 'We don't want the real Sattarbhai to come into the picture until Sanju baba's fictional avatar is properly unveiled to the public.'

Sanjay Dutt met, interacted with and studied the real-life Sattarbhai very closely to get into the skin of the character. And he was glad that he wasn't playing an underworld gangster yet again.

'This is my most seriously funny and socially relevant character since Munnabhai. And I'm happy to be doing something that doesn't require me to go into the underworld,' he quipped.

As for the real Sattarbhai, he is free to share the thrill of the film unless he suddenly decides to demand a bigger share in the movie's investments.

This isn't the first time this question has cropped up. When Preity Zinta played a real-life battered wife in Deepa Mehta's 'Heaven On Earth', the woman who inspired the character suddenly came forward to demand a huge amount of money.

'She demanded an obscenely astronomical sum of money that really put Deepa Mehta off,' a member of the 'Heaven On Earth' team said.

However, producers Ekta and Suniel seem pretty sure their real character won't suddenly demand his pound of flesh.

'He's more than happy to be a role model for a character that Sanju baba is playing. We'll include him in the promotional events of 'EMI' very soon,' said Suniel.

There's also the debate of 'EMI' sharing its title with the international music label. Any copyright hassles on the anvil?

'But we've registered our title. And EMI is accepted bank jargon, short for Equated Monthly Instalments. If EMI is a music company, then we're glad to be keeping such musical company,' Suniel joked.

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Movie Review : C Kkompany

C Kkompany (comedy)
Cast: Tusshar Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Raima Sen
Direction: Sachin Yardi

THREE losers -- Tusshar Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav -- form a fictitious underworld gang to solve their personal problems. But soon, the gang ends up as the popular trouble-shooter for the aam aadmi who tries to solve his paani, bijli , pension problems by appealing to the Counterfeit Kkompany.

Munnabhai, anyone? Only, this one is such a pale-pale attempt to create a desi Robin Hood, it almost makes you cry. Actually, this one's hardly a film. Instead, it's more like a promo for Balaji Inc, where all the big and small stars from Ekta Kapoor's factory keep parading up and down, for no reason at all. And if that's not enough, there's the czarina herself trying her hand at emoting. Bad job.

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Wall Paper : God Tussi Great Ho

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movie review Bachna Ae Haseeno

Sorry to disappoint all the young girls, but unfortunately Ranbir doesn't drop the towel in this one but to make it up to you, he looks super hot throughout the film, appearing shirtless in a few scenes. Bachna Ae Haseeno may have flaws as a film, yet it succeeds in entertaining and does so many things right, that you are willing to overlook the mistakes. The best part about the film is that in spite of being slightly over two hours twenty minutes, the film's pace is very crisp and you in fact may walk out of the theatre planning to see the film again. As a director, Siddharth Anand has got this one right because his intention was clearly to entertain and he does that extremely well (without a single double meaning joke, vulgarity or over the top melodrama) while extracting great performances from each of the key four characters.

The fact that the film races ahead is a plus and a minus; a plus because from the time the opening credits roll in the title track music video to the end credits there is constantly something happening and the proceedings are quick, but a minus because things do get left a bit unexplained and at times resolutions and reactions happen because they are supposed to happen and not at a point where they are completely convincing. But yet, somewhere this doesn't bother you once you realize that Bachna Ae Haseeno is just a fun romantic comedy and is not meant to be path breaking cinema and hence you realize that these flaws do not hinder your viewing of the film because they never make the film less enjoyable.

In a nutshell, there are three women who Raj interacts with at various stages in his life; Mahi when he is eighteen, Radhika when he is in his mid 20's and finally Gayatri when he hits his early thirties. He initially breaks Mahi and Radika's hearts and it is only when he finally wants to commit to a woman, that he himself experiences his first heartbreak. It is then that he realizes that even if he never gets the love of his life back, he wants to go back and find the women he has hurt apologize to them and convince them that he was the one at fault and not them.

The film begins with Raj's short but cute love story with Mahi (Minissha Lamba). We are taken back to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge with the very optimistic Mahi who believes luck follows her wherever she goes. This is the one story where things seem to happen very quickly, as she falls in love with Raj and endures heartbreak at his hands in the course of only one day. But then again, at that age, where a girl like Mahi is searching for her DDLJ Raj, Siddharth succeeds in not making you doubt her love too much. Minissha Lamba literally glows on screen as the young, cute, bubbly Mahi and she is completely believable as an eighteen year old. Ranbir and Minissha look so cute together as teenagers that they easily make this track work. What's even more surprising is that when we see Minissha again in the second half of the film, she is just as believable as a married woman with two kids. There is a huge difference between the young Mahi who falls in love with Raj and the Mahi we meet later who seems to have shut the doors of her heart post her experience with Raj and has somewhere become cold and hard. Minissha handles this with utmost maturity ensuring that while making the character cold, she retains the fact that Mahi has become this way only because of her hurt and that hurt is always there in her eyes. When you watch her on screen you find yourself amazed at how much she has matured as an actor and along with strong screen presence, she shares great chemistry with Ranbir Kapoor. Along with Deepika and Sonam, Minissha Lamba is the one actress from the young brigade who is definitely headed for superstardom.

Radhika is Raj's live in girlfriend and he is thrilled at this arrangement, that is until his transfer to Australia is announced and Radhika proposes they get married and go to Australia together. This track has a several funny moments making you wish Bipasha Basu would try her hand at comedy more often as she is so good at it. Her track is quite fun to watch and at no point in time do you feel she looks older than Ranbir. Her switch to the cold hearted super star Shreya in the second half is just as convincing and fun to watch, especially when she makes Raj truly earn her forgiveness. Here Siddharth has subtly shown that because Raj and Mahi's story was a bit more innocent and whatever Raj did was a more innocent mistake, Mahi is able to forgive him more easily. But leaving Radhika at the altar after a one and a half year live in relationship has scorned her deep and hence her forgiveness does not come easy. Bipasha is extremely likable and of course looks stunning but it's the way she has performed with such ease that truly deserves credit.

Raj meets Gayatri (Deepika Padukone) in Australia and he can't get over the fact that there are female taxi drivers there. She is someone who lives life on her own terms, drives a taxi and works as a cashier at a grocery store to fund her MBA education. This track too, is filled with several funny moments and Deepika has improved tremendously from her debut in Om Shanti Om and of course, this time her voice not being dubbed, adds to her performance. As usual she looks stunning on screen and her chemistry with Ranbir is undoubtedly superb but that chemistry is strong in the comic and fun scenes as well, and not just the romantic ones. She is quite likeable as the carefree Gayatri and when she smiles or laughs on screen, you instinctively find yourself smiling too; such is the power of her dimpled smiled.

It would be wrong to call Ranbir Kapoor's Raj a Casanova in the true sense as right from his "first love" Mahi, you get the feeling that his intention is never to hurt any woman, and yet without realizing it, his actions scar them for life, or at least until he reappears in their life to apologize. Ranbir Kapoor is the perfect choice for the character because even while breaking hearts, he exudes a certain innocent vulnerability making this character all the more loveable. He lights up the screen like magic, his comic timing is great and he is just a pleasure to watch on screen. In fact the film is out and out a Ranbir Kapoor film and he laps up the opportunity, not letting the audience down in a single scene. Also, he is as believable as an eighteen year old as he is as a thirty year old which is also noteworthy for an actor in only his second film. Heroes beware, Ranbir truly is set to take on the industry and this young lad is set to rule hearts and the box office for years to come.

The film is not saddled with too many supporting characters but Hiten Paintlal is great fun to watch as Raj's friend and Kunal Kapoor in a special appearance as Mahi's husband also does a fine job.

The cinematography (Sunil Patel) is breathtaking as you are exposed to various locales of Switzerland, Italy and Australia. The music has been steadily climbing the charts and the songs are smartly placed in the film so that even when two songs do happen almost within five minutes of each other, it is justified and doesn't bore the audience. The editing is crisp, the dialogues fresh and overall Bachna Ae Haseeno is like a breath of fresh air which the audiences will thoroughly enjoy.

Watch Bachna Ae Haseeno because it is what entertaining cinema should be; watch it for great performances from the young brigade and watch it knowing you will want to come back to the theatre to watch it again.

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No one ever called me sexy: Deepika

Model-turned-actress Deepika Padukone, who is set for her second release "Bachna Ae Haseeno", is feeling ecstatic after topping the popular Maxim Hot 100 girls' worldwide list.

"I really didn't expect it. I'm really excited. People always used to call me either cute or pretty, but no one ever called me sexy. I take it as a compliment," Deepika told IANS.

Although the young actress is flattered by the title, she did not feel even a tad embarrassed.

"There is nothing wrong in being called sexy. I think the term itself has been misunderstood. People think that a person is sexy only if she is wearing tiny clothes. But for me, being sexy is about being mysterious and having your own personality and certainly has nothing to do with a person's fashion sense," she held.

After being a top model, and coming up with a successful debut with super hit "Om Shanti Om", Deepika has become a Bollywood star, but she says stardom hasn't affected her as her feet are firmly grounded.

"Stardom has not changed me. I believe I am the same person. I am too new in the industry. I like being in front of the camera and I love acting," said the 22-year-old.

"I'm very close to my parents and they handle my money. I even discuss my work with them every evening," added the actress who is set for her second release, "Bachna Ae Haseeno".

While in "Om Shanti Om" Deepika shared screen space with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, she has been paired opposite real life beau Ranbir Kapoor in "Bachna Ae Haseeno". The romantic drama also stars Minissha Lamba and Bipasha Basu and is being directed by Siddharth Anand.

In the film, Deepika plays an NRI girl called Gayatri.

"Gayatri is an independent girl who knows what she wants. She is focussed. She is modern as well as traditional in her thoughts. The role is very similar to the person I am."

The actress, who will be seen with Akshay Kumar in "Chandni Chowk To China", says both she and Ranbir are focussing on their career and try to give as much space as possible to each other.

"Right now we are focussing on our career and what we are doing in front of the camera. At the end of the day, we are both actors. One plays a certain character in a film and so we cannot let possessiveness come in between. We have to understand each other."

Having already worked with big banners like Red Chillies Entertainment and Yash Raj Films, will Deepika stick to only big banners in future?

"I want to focus on commercial cinema as of now. But, if I find any offbeat film or a small production house with a good role, I would love to go for it," she said.

She has been roped in to play an important role in "Jab We Met" fame director Imtiaz Ali's next venture.

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Rab is on Shah Rukh’s side

Never mind if Tashan and Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic weren’t eventful. Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is all set to bring back Yash Chopra’s lost glory.



Looks like Shah Rukh Khan will prove to be their lucky charm once again after Chak De... India. At least that’s what numerologist Niraj Mancchanda predicts.



He tells us, “Rab Ne... will be the biggest hit of 2008. It comes to number 42 just like Dil Toh Pagal Hai did and that number vibrates with both Yash Chopra who is a number 9 and Aditya Chopra who is a number 3. The movie may might break records.” So, SRK need not worry about losing his throne or crown.

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'RK' breathes down Deepika's neck!

Don’t know how far this is true, but the word is strong that Deepika Padukone has taken a tip from Saif Ali Khan and professed her devotion to her beloved with a tattoo.



Saif’s “Kareena” tattoo on his forearm is now legend. But Deepika, being shyer and more private than the flamboyant Khan, is reported to have got the initials “RK” daintily tattooed on the nape of her neck.



It can’t be seen, naturally. But Deepika is said to have revealed the tattoo to a friend and spoken about it on the air waves. Bollywood, of course, loves such displays of affection, and if true, some crafty filmmaker must already be considering how to show Deepika’s RK on screen first!

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I rarely talk to Kareena: Shahid

That Shahid Kapoor is a man of few words is fairly well-known. After maintaining a dignified silence over his much-publicised break-up with longtime girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, the only thing he wants to talk about is work.



To begin with, after a six-month stint away from the media, the reclusive Shahid, who’s not really basked in the success of Jab We Met, finally has plenty to look forward to.



And we are not talking about his ‘friendship’ with Sania Mirza, Vidya Balan or Amrita Rao, which has ensured he’s got reams of printspace. Shahid’s got a brand new film (Kismet Konnection), what looks like an image makeover and a cheerful attitude about life in general.



His character in KK is a lot like the real Shahid. “Much like him, during my struggle days, I have spoken white lies just like we all do in our quest for success,” he says.



Quiz him about those rumours linking him with Vidya Balan, who’s rumoured to be ‘close’ to him and Shahid firmly admits that while shooting, “Vidya and I have become good friends. It was fun working with her as she is a great actor and an easy person to work with. We look good together on screen and I hope people like us”. A gentle query about his one-time friend Kareena Kapoor, and Shahid sounds diplomatic and cagey, “Kareena and I rarely talk. Beyond that I would not like to talk about it.”



In fact, even though he has been spotted watching Sania Mirza’s matches at Wimbledon and the two are reported to be serious about each other, Shahid



doesn’t seem to be in a tell-all mood. Not that he denies his liaison with Sania, but he doesn’t seem keen on talking about his love life at this point. “I am a normal 27-year-old guy. But honestly, there’s no romance

brewing in my life. I don’t want to hide the details, but I don’t want to talk about them either. I believe some things in my life are personal and I would like to restrict information on my personal life. Eventually, people will know what the truth is.” he says.

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Review : Mehbooba

Mehbooba (romance)

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Manisha Koirala

Direction: Afzal Khan 



SANJAY Dutt looks young and natty. Manisha Koirala is slim and trim. Kader Khan is still around. And Ajay Devgan is callow and boyish. Well, it doesn't take long for you to guess the time period of this of the film. Neither through the characters nor through the plot which is older than the formula itself.



Sanjay Dutt is the immoral playboy who wants a one-night stand with the virtuous Manisha Koirala who teaches him a lesson. She slaps him, not once but twice, in full public view, and ends up being slapped, duped and dumped by the raging tycoon who's still lusting. This time, for revenge. Enter brother, Ajay Devgan, who rescues the damsel and offers her marriage, only to find out that his brother is still longing for the crying girl. Only this time, it's love not lust.



So who gets the girl? Game to find out? Guess the time's over for these treacly tales by now. Specially when all the actors have aged and progressed to more meatier roles.  

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Movie Review : Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (romance)

Cast: Imran Khan, Genelia D'Souza, Paresh Rawal

Direction: Abbas Tyrewala 



IT'S the frivolity of the tale that does it in. Yes, Jaane Tu...could actually have been paisa vasool fare with it's coming-of-age tale of two college friends who discover they can be lovers too. In fact, the film has its moments: great restraint, some funny sit-com, a pleasant and youthful lead pair (Imran-Genelia), peppy music (AR Rahman) and riveting cameos by the character actors. But the kahani mein twist is so silly, it makes you want to cry over all the spilt milk.



Jai Rathore (Imran) is a polite, peace-loving, almost cowardly Rajput who doesn't take offence even when he is humiliated by best friend Genelia's brother (an interesting debut by Prateik Babbar). His mom (Ratna Pathak Shah) loves him this way and has specially brought him up to be placid and pliant, to protect him from his violent family history. But deceased dad Naseeruddin Shah, who talks from a photo frame, knows his son will reclaim family legacy and become a true Rajput someday. He does, and manages to win his girl friend too who dreams of a beau who will beat up all the guys who trouble her.



The film works well in the first half, where the archetypal college group prepares itself for life after college. Everyone thinks Jai and Aditi (Genelia) will end up happily-ever-after, except Jai and Aditi. They spend half of the film proving everybody wrong by finding a suitable match for each other. That's the fun part. And then, spend the other half, trying to come to terms with their more-than-friends feelings for each other. That's the unfunny part, especially since it is too prolonged.



Although it has a similar story-line, this one isn't in league with the Shahid Kapoor-Amrita Rao film, Ishq Vishq or Karan Johar's iconic Kuch Kuch Hota Hai . A word about Imran Khan: he begins on unsure footing and gradually slips into the role of Mr Nice Guy with consummate ease. Watch out for a great act by Ratna Pathak Shah as the new age mom and Naseeruddin Shah, as the dancing dead thakur who's left waiting for a certain Mr Godot, in the end!  

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Movie Review : Love Story 2050

Love Story 2050 (romance)

Cast: Harman Baweja, Priyanka Chopra

Direction: Harry Baweja 



PRIYANKA Chopra makes a promise to boyfriend Harman Baweja in India's first full blown sci-fi film. She promises to give him a thandi-thandi kiss after feasting on some strawberry ice cream. Well, the kiss never happens -- the ice cream's bumped out of her hands -- and all that we are left with is a thandi-thandi film.



There is no passion, no action, no jaadu in this mega-budgeted futuristic love story. Even the special effects are more of the picture postcard variety -- vignettes from the future, where the Mumbai skyline is dotted with pink and purple highrises, flying cars, sky buses, shell houses and the sci-fi menagerie comprises a pink teddy bear, a female robot, a Harman-look alike evil android and a poor cousin of Darth Vader (was that Gulshan Grover behind the iron mask?). Of course, there's the old-fashioned oval time machine, chauffeured by a buffoonish Boman Irani with a bad hair day, as he push-buttons our hero to Mumbai 2050.



And thank God for that! For the only thing that works in favour of the film is the gawk factor. Curiosity about the futuristic vision does make for a few compelling moments, post-interval. Specially since the first half is a soppy tale of two lovers who swear eternal love that is abruptly cut short by a banal accident. Desperate lover boy follows his dear departed into the next janam where she's a red-haired diva, with a terrible dress sense, entertaining the world from the Mumbai skies. Of course she's forgotten him, but he's brought her old janam's diary along. So that, all it takes is a few flips of the dog-eared pages to rekindle the thanda-thanda flame.



Harman may have hogged the headlines for his Hrithik-like dance moves and resemblance. Ironically, he doesn't seem to have a Hrithik-like dream debut ( Kaho Naa Pyar Hai ). The actor actually struggles in the small emotional bits, while Priyanka Chopra displays nothing of her characteristic on-screen verve. Finally, it's the zero storyline that works against this sigh-fi film. 

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Yukta makes a comeback

Former Miss World, Yukta Mookhey is making her much delayed comeback in a film called Memsaheb.

And we must admire the guts of the makers who have put up larger than life hoardings of Yukta all over the city.

“This is my best performance till date,” a source quoted her as saying. Really? Which other performances is she talking about? Anyway the big question is.. are we really interested to see this Memsaheb on the big screen?

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Review : Mr White Mr Black

Mr White Mr Black (comedy)
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Suneil Shetty, Rashmi Nigam, Sandhya Mridul
Direction: Deepak Shivdasani


SOMETIMES, it surprises you with the choices that men make, specially actors. If, last week, it was Anil Kapoor who aggrieved you with his incoherence as Bhaiyyaji in Tashan, this week Arshad Warsi makes you wonder wassup mister! Now why would an actor who has already proven his calibre, both at the box office and with the fastidious cineaste, say yes to such a brainless film? As Kishen, the small time trickster who leaves his village in Hoshiarpur to earn the title of Mr Fraud in Goa, Warsi is whiny, woe-begone and completely wasted. All his attempts to tickle your funny bone and kick up a storm end up as desperate measures to seek meaning in the mess. And if that's not enough despair, there's Ashish Vidyarthi, another talented actor, trying to make a comeback in Hindi cinema with a parody of himself. Surely, considerations of quality must be more important than quantity in Bollywood too!

For the no-brainer script, there is just this: Mr White (Suneil Shetty) comes to Goa to take Mr Black (Arshad Warsi) back to Hoshiarpur to take possession of a land bequeathed by his father. In between, he meets an oversexed hotelier who cries ‘Kiss me, kiss me,' and gives him a chance to play Mr Bharat to the un-Bharatiya lady. Meanwhile Mr Black is not ready to give up his life as a dirty rotten scoundrel, specially when he overhears some talk of some diamonds somewhere... Again, a heartbreak in store, as you watch sensible actress, Sandhya Mridul make a fool of herself as a tapori girl.

Really, why would anyone want to end up brain dead, even if comedy is the flavour of this silly season.

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Review : Tashan

Tashan (drama)
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor
Direction: Vijay Krishan Acharya

DESPERATELY seeking some scriptwriters for Yashraj Inc. After the no-brainer Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, get ready for another plot-dead film that tries to score on presentation alone. Sadly, there isn't even a zany, new age tashan to boast about here. There is a pathetic attempt to exploit the Nostalgia Inc, but unlike Om Shanti Om which made an art of retro, Tashan fails to whip up old-is-gold sentiment, despite rendering Amitabh Bachchan's seminal Deewar soliloquy before Bhagwan in tootie-frootie Angrezi and milking good old Gabbar dry. More importantly, the film fails to capitalise the Saif-Kareena chemistry completely and almost relegates Saif as a sidekick, a role he has ably played against Akshay Kumar in the 1990's with films like Main Khiladi Tu Anadi, etc. But what saddens you the most is the gangster act by Anil Kapoor. As the English-loving Bhai, hailing from small-town Kanpur, Kapoor is absolutely unintelligible and ends up a pale copy of Jaaved Jaafrey's rib-tickling cameo in Salaam Namaste. Now that from an actor of his calibre is absolutely heartbreaking.

So what's worth a dekko? Akshay Kumar as a small-time thug who dreams of becoming a big-time ‘sooter' (shooter) and a zero-size Kareena Kapoor in a bikini, recreating the oomph of Ursula Andress in Dr No. Akshay has progressed into a natural scene-stealer by now and simply walks away with the applause, be it action, comedy or emotion. As Bachchan Pandey, the goonda who is pulled out of Kanpur to work as a ‘recovery agent' for Bhaiyya ji (Anil Kapoor), Akshay creates a tashan that actually works. His job is simple. He must find the two fugitives, Saif and Kareena, who have walked away with Bhaiyya ji's moolah. And he does it with a pizzazz that makes the film work, in bits and pieces. Watch him jump around like Hanuman (or is it Keanu Reeves in Matrix) in a death-defying fight sequence or ward off the slutty con-girl Kareena and then get goofy and giddy in love: you'll join the audience as it applauds his antics with taalis and seetis.

That's it. After that, it's khallas. All the conmen and their crooked acts fail to create a jagged edge, even though you have Saif and Kareena trying to dupe any and everyone, including each other, in the frame. Truly, it's the season of wickedness in Bollywood. Yet, unlike the bhai versus bhai treachery of Race, this roulette of deceit and upmanship lacks sophistication. Stylistically, it is loud and gaudy and peppered with strange lyrics that make a mockery of Hinglish. No, this one's not really a film that lives up to the repute of YRF productions and can be viewed merely for moments of pleasure, whipped up by a manic Akshay.

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Riya Sen- The hottest Bollywood actress and model!

This 5"1 Bollywood actress was born on January 24, 1981 in Kolkata, India. She belongs to a famous family clan of West Bengal. She is the grand daughter of Suchitra Sen, a legend in Bengali cinema, and daughter of Moonmoon Sen, a former actress. Before moving to Mumbai, she lived with her parents and sister Raima Sen, also an actress, in Kolkata. Her father Bharat Dev Varma belongs to the illustrious royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch Behar, whose younger sister Gayatri Devi is the Maharani of Jaipur.

This gorgeous lady first stepped under the arc lamps at the tender age of 15 when she faced the camera for the famous Tamil flick "Taj Mahal", directed by Bharati Raja. And this is how her acting career started blooming.

Her Bollywood film debut was supposed to have been in Love You Hamesha, opposite Akshaye Khanna. Soon after that it was her comedy movie Style that took her to the success.

Well, most of her other films have not done well on the box office. An exception is Jhankaar Beats, another comedy in which she co-starred with Shayan Munshi, Juhi Chawla, Rahul Bose, Rinke Khanna and Sanjay Suri. Most of her appearances have been item numbers and cameos. Her few leading roles have been in low-budget films.

She has also made her career in modeling, where she appeared in numerous music videos for songs by popular singers, including Asha Bhonsle, Falguni Pathak, Jagjit Singh and Sonu Nigam. She was one of many Bollywood stars who appeared in Haath Se Haath Mila an anti-HIV/AIDS music video.

She is also a successful advertising model. The high point of her modeling career was started when she replaced Lisa Ray as the Lakmé Girl. Her other notable assignments include Colgate, Limca, Vatika, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, and Margarita King.

After doing her last movie "Apna Sapna Money Money" this young and charming lady has lost again- there is no other fourth coming movies in the row that shows her-Might be she will come back with a new style and passion again.

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