Pop diva Madonna's ex helped her on 'W.E.'

Pop diva Madonna's ex helped her on 'W.E.'
by Kiran Pahwa on Sat, 12/24/2011 - 09:17

London, Pop diva Madonna,admits, ex-husband Guy Ritchie

London, Dec 24 - Pop diva Madonna admits she took help from ex-husband Guy Ritchie for camera handling and cinematography while shooting her directorial debut project "W. E.".

"I gave the screenplay to Guy and shared the concepts and the stories and the ideas with him because he was interested in it from a historical point of view," contactmusic. com quoted her as saying."Guy would give me technical advice about cameras or using digital versus film or one cinematographer being better than another - just technical things," she said. "W. E." is a film about the life of Britain's King Edward VIII and his American wife Wallis Simpson and a modern-day woman called Wally. (IANS)

Celebrating singing legend Mohammad Rafi's 87th birth anniversary Saturday, fans in Mumbai

Mumbai celebrates Rafi's 87th birth anniversary
by Kiran Pahwa on Sat, 12/24/2011 - 09:02

India, Mumbai, Mohammad Rafi, celebrates, Rafi's 87th, birth anniversary,

Mumbai, Dec 24 - Celebrating singing legend Mohammad Rafi's 87th birth anniversary Saturday, fans in Mumbai will participate in 10 public shows across the city.
Different groups of Rafi fans are celebrating the day in their own way.
"With his vocals transcending all human barriers and frontiers, Rafi-ians, as we like to call ourselves, based in Mumbai have formed the Rafi Foundation since 2007 and strive to bring Rafi sahab's music on a common platform," said Binu Nair, the founder of the foundation.
Nair said that a group of fans has already offered flowers at the Mohammad Rafi Chowk in Bandra in northwest Mumbai.
"We will go to his residence where his three daughters and a son live and cut a cake in his honour," he said.

"We have also organised a musical evening in his honour where nearly 3,000 fans will enjoy the evening amidst Rafi songs played by a 60-piece orchestra," he added.
Nair said at least 10 public shows have been organised in Rafi's fond memory across Mumbai.
"We have lost count of the private gatherings at residences of Rafi fans in his memory," he said.
Another big celebration is slated at Rang Sharda auditorium in Bandra organised by Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar.
"We have been remembering Rafi sahab on his birth and death anniversaries and have been organising musical evenings since many years now. This is a small way to acknowledge his legendary contribution in the field of Indian music," Shelar said.
Rafi gave Indian cinema 40 golden years of haunting melodies like "Chaudhvin ka chand", "Teri aankhon ke siva" and "Tum jo mil gaye ho".
Born in Punjab, he began his tryst with music by chanting the notes that a "fakir" (Muslim seer) sang in his village. The family later moved to Lahore.
Rafi trained under Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwanlal Matto and Firoze Nizami. He sang with K. L. Saigal at a concert for the first time at the age of 13. That was the turning point in his life.
He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1967. He died of a heart attack in Mumbai July 31, 1981, at the age of 56.(IANS)

Rakhi Sawant says Katrina follows her dance moves

Rakhi Sawant says Katrina follows her dance moves
by Kiran Pahwa on Sat, 12/24/2011 - 09:21

India, Mumbai, Rakhi Sawant, Katrina follows her dance moves

Mumbai, Dec 24 - Rakhi Sawant, perhaps true item-girl in Bollywood today, alleges that actress Katrina Kaif has copied her antics in her "Chikni Chameli" act in "Agneepath" remake. "I think 'Chikni Chameli' is a good song. Katrina has danced very well but it's not something new. I have already done all this before. You can watch all my songs, I have already done that," the 33-year-old controversy queen said here at the Big Stars Entertainment Awards. "I have done this in 'Dekhta hai tu kya' and she did this in 'Shiela ki jawaani'. In 'Chikni Chameli', she is again following me. It seems Katrina really likes me... It's alright if someone wants to follow me and dance," added Rakhi, who did a cameo in a few films before featuring in a full-fledged item number "Chura liyaa hai tumne" in 2003.

Rakhi hasn't got any awards so far. When asked about it, she compared herself with Aamir Khan, though in a light-hearted manner, and said: "Aamir and I are similar. Neither he gets awards, nor do I. But we have won the heart of India and we do not need an award."
The loud-mouth actress, who has dabbled both in television and films, was last seen on the big screen in an item song in "Loot". On small screen, she hosted the reality talk-show "Ajab Desh Ki Ghazab Kahaaniyan".(IANS)

Watch Move over 'Sheila', 'Chikni chameli' is here

Move over 'Sheila', 'Chikni chameli' is here
by Kiran Pahwa on Sat, 12/24/2011 - 10:11

India, New Delhi,Katrina Kaif,Move over 'Sheila', 'Chikni chameli' is here

New Delhi, Dec 24 - Katrina Kaif can move, and how! The Britain-born actress might have taken time in perfecting her Hindi accent, but Bollywood's latka-jhatkas is something she has mastered, and proves with her latest item song "Chikni chameli".
Industry members are smitten with the song. They feel it will definitely be a USP of Karan Johar's remake of his father's classic "Agneepath", and overshadow "Munni", "Sheila", "Shalu" and "Jalebi bai" item numbers. Composed by national award-winning duo Ajay-Atul, the spicy song, sung by Shreya Ghoshal, is the Hindi version of their own Marathi hit "Kombadi palali". The lyrics of the number, penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, are as cheesy as they could get, but the rhythm is extremely peppy and catchy. And Katrina's vigourous moves and sensual expressions, choreographed by Ganesh Acharya, go in total sync.The 26-year-old had set a benchmark with "Sheila ki jawaani" last year, but with this song, she has surpassed it with her killer desi look. "Agneepath" director Karan Malhotra is all smiles and believes Katrina has done full justice to the song.

"I think the way the song was made, it was so wonderful, that only a topmost actress could have done justice to the song. And as far as Katrina is concerned, her USP is that she has never been seen in any film in that kind of zone that 'Chikni chameli' is in... which is why she also stands out in that atmosphere and that is why the song is catching a lot of eyeballs," Malhotra said at the music premiere of "Agneepath".
As much as he avoids talking in media about Katrina, even Salman Khan, her former beau, couldn't stop raving about the song.
"I love the song! I saw it a few days back and I am completely smitten by it. A lot of hard work has gone behind it and it is visible on the screen. Hats off to Katrina. She has come a long way," Salman said at a recent event in Mumbai.
A 30-second promo of the song was first launched, followed by an over two minutes-long video on YouTube. The video has registered over 3 million hits so far, and producer Karan Johar is ecstatic. "The nation is singing and dancing to 'Chikni chameli', so I am really excited about it. It is already an established big hit song," Johar said.
According to Atul Gogavale, "Katrina spent eight days in rehearsal before starting to shoot the song. It took nine days to finish the shoot, and her energy levels never saw a dip." "This song has a very high tempo and requires speed in steps. Even if I or someone else wants to dance to it, you cannot match up to the tempo for more than two minutes. But Katrina just took it to another level. She has left us speechless," he said.

Celebrities from the film fraternity feel Katrina has raised the bar of item numbers with her energetic dance steps.
Writer Milap Zaveri tweeted: "Katrina's dance steps in 'Chikni Chameli' are too brilliant and energetic! But there should be a disclaimer saying 'Don't try this at home!'"
"'Chikni chameli' from 'Agneepath' is just outstanding. I have never seen an actress dance like Katrina does - she raises the bar to another level," tweeted Ritesh Deshmukh, who recommended Ajay-Atul as composers for the film. Even choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, who has choreographed item numbers like "Kajra re" says she is in awe of Katrina's effort.
"Katrina is looking very good in 'Chikni Chameli' and I told Karan (Johar) about it. I really loved it and whenever Katrina comes and does a song like this, you know what the effect is," she said. The action-drama slated for a Jan 26, 2012 release, features Hrithik Roshan as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, originally played by megastar Amitabh Bachchan in Chandan Barot's directorial venture of the same name.Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor will also be seen in key roles in the movie.(IANS)

Bollywood Actor Aamir can't get enough of his newborn son, Azad.

Bollywood Actor Aamir can't get enough of his newborn son, Azad.
by Kiran Pahwa on Sat, 12/24/2011 - 10:15

India, Mumbai, Aamir Khan,newborn,son, Azad.

Mumbai, Dec 24 - If there's anything that actor Aamir Khan loves doing these days, it is spending time and playing with his newborn son, Azad.
"It's a great joy being a father again. Both Kiran and I are so overjoyed with our baby being born and I just can't get enough of Azad," Aamir said at an event here.
The 46-year-old and his wife Kiran Rao were blessed with the baby boy Dec 1, through IVF to a surrogate mother. Aamir is simply in awe of their little bundle of joy.
"I tickle his little toe and then I snuggle up to him. Right now he doesn't even know who I am. He's too young but he knows that somebody comes and troubles him everyday. Every two, three hours somebody comes and troubles him. So, when he gets a little older, he will get to know that I am the guy," said Aamir, who already has two kids from his first wife Reena - a son, Junaid, and a daughter named Ira.

Aamir and Kiran spoke at the launch of the CDs and DVDs of the latter's directorial project "Dhobi Ghat", and were in a bit of a hurry to be back home.
"For the first time Kiran has left the house since the baby was born. So, we are also keen to get back fast. It's a miracle. A baby being born is a miracle and nothing comes close to it," said Aamir.
Aamir is currently busy with his co-production "Talaash", being directed by Reema Kagti. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are the other two producers for the film, which will also feature Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. (IANS)

Watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' is best Christmas movie

'It's a Wonderful Life' is best Christmas movie
by Kiran Pahwa on Sun, 12/25/2011 - 07:37

London,The classic movie,It's A Wonderful Life, has topped, a poll of, the best, Christmas films

London, Dec 25 - The classic movie "It's A Wonderful Life" has topped a poll of the best Christmas films of all time. The 1946 drama, starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, toped the survey conducted by Britain's Radio Times. "The Muppet Christmas Carol" came second, while "Love Actually", starring Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, was third. A surprise entry on the list was "Die Hard", which was at the eighth spot.
"As it is the season to be jolly, I won't disguise my rosy-cheeked joy that the poll named 'Die Hard' one of the top 10 Christmas movies of all time," contactmusic.com quoted Radio Times film editor Andrew Collins as saying.

"It's just as capable of producing festive tingles as the more traditional, December-released 'Muppet Christmas Carol' or the cockle-warming 'Love Actually', which was literally gift wrapped in 2003 with a lovely red ribbon tied around its twinkling poster image," Collins added.(IANS)

Hollywood Movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Movie Review

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Movie Review
Saturday, December 17, 2011, 8:17 [IST]

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Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, like its’ franchisee has all the elements that made the previous installment a huge success. Director Brad Bird has ensured that like its previous installments, Mission Impossible 4 too doesn’t fail to keep the audience glued to their seats.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a fast paced action thriller with amazing jaw-dropping stunts and high tech gadgetry. The Kremlin blasts seem extremely authentic, though we know that it’s all computer generated.

Though it might be difficult to believe, the action sequence showing Tom Cruise climbing the 124th floor of Dubai's landmark and the Tallest Building in the World, Burj Khalifa and many such sequences are extremely exciting to watch.
While most of the scenes in Mission Impossible 4 have been shot in Russia, Dubai and a bit in Mumbai, the sequences showcasing Tom Cruise in Mumbai is pretty disappointing. Ladies walking in out-dated rich zardozi salwar-kameezes on the busy streets of Mumbai is a little strange! It’s quite easy to comprehend that the scenes were actually shot in Canada and not in India.
There is a scene in Mission Impossible 4 where Tom Cruise does a Spiderman as he slides and makes his way to the top, rests on the glass of a building vertically over the 124th floor from the outside. Tom Cruise then makes reptile crawls and then is so scary!
The buzz doing the rounds in the industry is that no special effects were used and the actor hung on to several safety wires.....

Hindi Movie Don 2 grand opening at Box Office on first day

Hindi Movie Don 2 grand opening at Box Office on first day
Saturday, December 24, 2011, 11:12 [IST]

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Hindi movie Don 2, starring Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, has received a grand opening at the Box Office. Farhan Akthar directed film has opened to fabulous response at multiplexes, but its opening looked average in single screens when compared to multiplexes. It is expected to earn around Rs 15 crore net at the collection centres on the first day of its release in India.

The much-awaited movie Don 2 opened in 3,105 screens in India on Friday, 23rd December. Shahrukh-starrer action thriller registered an average of 70% occupancy at multiplexes across the country. Though its business was very low in single screens in the morning shows, yet it seemed to be picking up slowly in evening shows.
However, Don 2, which is the last big offering of 2011, has been released as a treat for this Christmas and it was expected to debut with huge earning. But the opening response is not up to the mark and biggest reason for it is that it was a working Friday. Besides this, the film received mixed reviews. It is expected to pick up its pace on Saturday and Sunday.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan gives filmy tips for Sonam Kapoor

Actor Abhishek Bachchan gives filmy tips for Sonam Kapoor
Saturday, December 24, 2011, 11:21 [IST]

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Bollywood fashionista Sonam Kapoor gets few filmy tips from co-star and friend Abhishek Bachchan on Bollywood. TOI reports that Sonam has been receiving useful professional tips to survive in Bollywood.

"He thinks I am a little bit too naive for this industry and he said - 'You need to become smarter, Sonam. This industry will spare nobody. You have to be smart and not say or do whatever you feel like," Sonam said while promoting her latest film at a radio station, TOI reports.

Sonam added, "Generally, whenever somebody hurts me, you can see it on my face. I cannot hide anything. So he (Abhishek) kept telling me to be smart". Sonam and Abhishek have acted in films like Players and Delhi 6.