Sunday, December 23, 2007

Arbaaz's big break opposite Priyanka

After years of playing marginal characters in Priyadarshan's comedies and languishing in sundry supporting roles, things are finally happening in Arbaaz Khan's career.He has just been signed to play the main lead opposite Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion."When Madhur offered me the role I was least worried about the space I'd have in the film. Even though two beautiful ladies, Priyanka and Kangana, were already signed, I'm handsome enough to hold my own," Arbaaz jokes."I am the principal lead and the guy who's instrumental in the rise of the Priyanka's character in the fashion world," Arbaaz told IANS."Fashion would be interesting because I get to work with a director of Madhur's calibre. I also get to work with the two actresses for the first time. Priyanka, I've known well since she has been in many of my brother Salman (Khan's) films. But Kangana I've only met socially. She's a wonderful girl."

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Aamir bares heart, says media underplays him

Actor Aamir Khan is all set with his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par which releases on December 21.
CNN-IBN’s Anuradha SenGupta gets chatty with the actor, talking about the change in his image from a ‘good-looking’ actor to an intellectual one, who surely, ought to be taken seriously.

Anuradha SenGupta: With Taare Zameen Par, you turn director. All these years we have heard accusations and charges saying Aamir interferes and second-guesses his directors, and if this is not your planned directorial debut, then how petrified are you?

Aamir Khan: Petrified in what sense? Are you talking about the release of the film?

Anuradha SenGupta: You must know that there are a lot of eyes on this film, not just the ticket buying public, but people you worked in the past with, people who may have things to say because this is finally when you come out of the actor who could direct and become the director.

Aamir Khan: Well, I do know that, but I am not making films for these reasons, so these things don’t bother me. I am making a film in which I believe in, and my concern is that have I been able to bring on to celluloid what was on paper. When I look at the film now, I feel I have managed to do that, so I am really happy with it. If I have any concern, it is that how my audience reacts to the film.

Anuradha SenGupta: We are talking as the first phase of Gujarat elections starts. Are you watching closely? Are you interested, because we know what happened with Fanaa because you supported the Narmada Bachao Aandolan. Are you anticipating trouble with Taare Zameen Par?

Aamir Khan: I have no idea and I have not been following the news because I have been very involved in the post-production of my film. So I really have not had the bandwidth to keep in touch with what’s happening around the country at this point of time.

Anuradha SenGupta: Is the film releasing in Gujarat? Do you know?

Aamir Khan: As far as I know, it's releasing.

Anuradha SenGupta: So you are not expecting any trouble this time?

Aamir Khan: No, I hope not.

Anuradha SenGupta: Tell me, after the response of this film, are you going to become like Woody Allen, directing yourself a lot?

Aamir Khan: I haven’t thought about that. I mean, no. On the face of it, I’d like to say that I would like to direct and I don’t want to act in the film I am directing. That’s something that I always felt. In this case I did not have a choice. But frankly, I am not comfortable acting and directing in the same film.

Anuradha SenGupta: I was wondering, you do a shot and you go running and play it back and you see it?

Aamir Khan: No, I don’t do that. I pretty much go with my instincts. So when I am giving a shot, my instincts tell me whether it is right or wrong and when I have finished with the takes and I think that I have got it, then I go and check once. Fortunately, as an actor, I never depend on the monitor. In my entire career, I have never looked at the monitor.

Anuradha SenGupta: And did you depend on the director?

Aamir Khan: Of course I do. I have the ability or I would say, I have retained the ability to keep my instinct alive, on how well the shot has gone or how well we have got the moment without having to check the monitor.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Now a Salman Khan statue at Madame Tussauds

Salman Khan has topped the poll that was to decide who from Bollywood should be featured at the Madame Tussauds Studio, next. It has been decided that Salman Khan will be immortalized in wax by early 2008!

Salman Khan fan’s voted for him and took him to the topmost slot, leaving others like Madhuri Dixit, Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan behind. The others in the poll were Rani Mukherjee, Karan Johar, Kajol, Lata Mangeshkar, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham.
The poll was conducted in the summer of 2007 by Madame Tussauds, British Asian entertainment magazine Ikonz and the BBC Asian Network. 10,000 votes came in for the ten Bollywood celebrities. However, Salman was clearly on the top.

He will be sitting for the Madame Tussauds’ sculptors soon, so that the statue can be unveiled by 2008. After Amithabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan is the fourth Bollywood personality to be featured at Madame Tussauds. We know at desifans that Salman has a huge fan following and these are no ordinary fans, they are fans who can die for Sallu !!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Dard-e-Disco & Disco Dancer

It was the launch of E Niwas’s My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, starring debutant Nikhil Dwivedi, Amrita Rao and veteran Mithun Chakraborty, scheduled for 8 pm on Friday night.
Mithunda walked in first, followed by the rest of the cast. But there was one person who was yet to make a grand entry, King Khan — he was supposed to unveil the music of the film.
Mithun propped up the bar, chatting with all, drink in hand, smiling for the shutterbugs and trying to pass his time. It was nearing 11 pm when someone announced that Shah Rukh Khan was about to make an entry.
Mithun had by then moved to the first floor of the venue. Going to the balcony, he started bellowing, “Shah Rukh, Shah Rukh, kahan hain tu, yaar?” Moments later, SRK entered escorted by bodyguards. Again, Mithun called out the Bollywood Badshah’s name, this time louder than before to everyone’s surprise. Shah Rukh, unaware of the great presence above him, waved out the way he does to hysterical fans.
“He didn’t see me!” exclaimed Mithun, throwing his hands up in the air. But when SRK stepped out of the lift, the first thing he said was “ Da ,” on seeing Mithun.
The original Disco Dancer forgot his long wait and held open his arms to hug the Dard-e-Disco star. “I was calling out and you waved to me as if I was one of your fans,” complained Mithun. “Oh, was it you Da? I’m so sorry, I really thought it was just another fan calling out my name,” apologised the six-pack Khan. To which Mithun replied in jest, “It’s not your fault, dear, I’m so dark that you wouldn’t be able to see me from that distance anyway.”

Sunday, December 9, 2007