Others Asian Country ~ Entertainment News & Info HERE!

isabel

hello kawan2 semua especially kawan2 yg hardfans bagi malay entertaiment around Asia....

Welcome to Malay News and Info Entertainment thread
~ Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India & Filipino ~

thread khas utk kita semua berkongsi apa saja tentang latest news, articles, ranting drama dan etc berkenaan gan artis kegemaran anda semua.  Adalah diingatkan semua posting dan sumber yg anda perolehi adalah berpandukan peraturan dibawah ni..


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1.   This is only for latest news/info/chart related to Indon & Others Entertainment. You guys can put any articles, news, drama rating, Oricon chart related
      to actor, actress, singer and group.

2.   Make sure all sources is reliable and give credit. No gossip or rumoured news.

3.   News and info only in Malay or English. Please translate first before post.

4.   This is STRICLY for viewing. Any discussion please continue in artist thread




Selamat Berforum...:hug:

[ Last edited by  isabel at 23-6-2008 11:25 AM ]

isabel

STARS INDEX

[size=-2]A
~John Abraham
July 13,2006 : John reveals his thoughts on his favourite female co-stars! Page 1

[[size=-2]b]B
~Amitabh Bachchan
July 17,2006 : Amitabh? Weakness Page 2

[size=-2]July 22,2006 : A Pervez beats Indian hearts bleating for Mumbai - Bachchan? appeal for aid to blast victims yields only ?26,000 with a Pakistani topping the list  Page 2

[size=-2]D
~Bobby Deol
July 21,2006 : Audiences want to see me in energetic roles Page 2

[size=-2]R
~Aishwarya Rai
June 21,2006 : AISHWARYA RAI SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Page 1

[size=-2]July 1,2006 : Aishwarya Rai in Mistress of Spices Page 1

[size=-2]July 3,2006 : Ash turns down ?handramukhi? again! Page 1

[size=-2]July 16,2006 : Aishwarya Rai salutes the people of Mumbai Page 1

[size=-2]2006 : Aishwarya Rai Fans Introduce a Fansite to Ms World Aishwarya Rai, the Beauty of India Page 2

[size=-2]July 20,2006 : Aishwarya Rai Made to Lose, Gain Weight Page 2



[size=-2]~Hrithik Roshan
July 15,2006 : Hrithik Roshan beats superman! Page 2

[size=-2]July 20,2006 : Hrithik Roshan, dangerous stunts in Dhoom 2 Page 2

[size=-2]S
~Jackie Shroff
2006 : Jackie Shroff on why he has chosen to act in regional films Page 1

[size=-2]K
~Shah Rukh Khan
July 17,2006 : SRK: Crowned again! The King Khan will be crowned again Page 1

[size=-2]July 17,2006 : Mumbai blasts 'dastardly act': Shah Rukh Khan Page 2


[size=-2]~ Salman Khan
July 17,2006 : Salman Khan to Marry? Page 2


[size=-2]~ Amir Khan
July 19,2006 : Amir could face probe for shooting chinkara Page 2


[size=-2]Z
~Preity Zinta
July 21,2006 : Visuals of severed limbs will remain with me Page 2

[ Last edited by  isabel at 29-7-2006 03:08 AM ]

isabel

MOVIE NEWS

[size=-2]June 26, 2006 : Beauty queens clash over freedom fighter films Page 1

[size=-2]July 5,2006 : Dhoom 2 and Don to be released during Diwali Page 1

[size=-2]July 6,2006 : Revealed: What Corporate is all about ~ The Rediff Interview | Madhur Bhandarkar Page 1

[size=-2]July 9, 2006 : An Odd Couple ~  Hema Malini and Naseeruddin Shah Page 1

[size=-2]July 10,2006 : Thief Hrithik takes over from Krrish Page 1

[size=-2]July 12,2006 : Bollywood pairs you may never see again in any movie Page 1

[size=-2]July 17,2006 : Rahul-Mallika? fight over World Cup!Page 2

[size=-2]July 17,2006 : Bollywood Eyes Germany for Newest Audiences Page 2

[size=-2]July 23,2006 : How film star date suspects were bust ~ Sunday Times staffers accompany police in sting operation that netted duo selling bogus events and fake tickets Page 2

[size=-2]2006 : THE CHARTBUSTER Actors Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Abhisekh dancing to `Kajra Re.' Page 2

[size=-2]2006 : A different set of comics ~ Shah Rukh Khan is making the transition from real world to reel world to the comic world in Bollywood ComicsPage 2

[ Last edited by  isabel at 29-7-2006 03:18 AM ]

isabel

OTHERS

[size=-2]June 30, 2006 : Star-struck fan spends QR1.5mn on gowns for Bollywood diva Page 1

[size=-2]2006 : Konser Amal untuk Yogya Digelar di Malaysia Page 1

[size=-2]July 9,2006 : Art rides Pakistan's roads ~ Owners express their style with ornately decorated trucks Page 1

[size=-2]July 17,2006 : Bollywood Metrosexual Mess Page 1

[size=-2]July 21, 2006 : Bollywood vixens with the sexiest belly buttons! Page 2


[size=-2]July 22,2006 : Simi to grill Jackie Chan on Rendezvous by Subhash K. Jha (Indo-Asian News Service) Page 2

[ Last edited by  isabel at 29-7-2006 03:14 AM ]

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Swiss jeweller takes a shine to Bollywood stars
By Amit Roy (Filed: 29/06/2006)

Chopard, the Geneva-based watch and jewellery company that is trying to expand its business in India, is encouraging some of the most glamorous Bollywood stars to wear its diamonds.

At Cannes this year, Chopard hosted a lunch for "the very pretty and fresh" Preity Zinta, a sought- after Indian actress, who turned up in a simple black dress to show off Chopard's diamond earrings and necklaces to best effect.

The 'Queen of Bollywood', Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World who is often described as "the most beautiful woman in the world" - in many ways she is the face of modern India - has also worn Chopard jewellery, something done routinely at the Oscars by Hollywood actresses.

Chopard, which is excited by the consumer boom in India, has opened stores in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad and will also do so in Bangalore.

One Indian businessman close to the Chopard management is the Antwerp-based diamond dealer, Rashmi Mehta, who said: "Chopard gets its diamonds from Russia, Belgium, New York and other countries, but the Indians are right up there with them."

Chopard's boss, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, co-president and creative director of the company, said: "Next to China, it's the fastest growing economy. There are a lot of rich, talented people in India. We are making contacts with Bollywood."

The contacts are being cultivated by Thomas Sczyrba, Chopard's area manager for India, who disclosed that, in Calcutta alone, nearly 30 Chopard watches had recently been sold. "Our watches go from $1,000 (?625) to no limit, but a popular model sells for $4,000 (?2,500)."

Sczyrba believes that although India has a long jewellery tradition of its own, Chopard's "trendy" image will appeal to the "young, affluent, educated, discerning and stylish Indians".

The company, which sponsors Sir Elton John's Oscar party, is hoping to fund a similar Bollywood event in Bombay in August, said Sczyrba, adding: "Next year in Cannes, we will hold a big Bollywood party." He also did not rule out product placement in Bollywood films: "Everybody follows what the stars are wearing. India has very big potential for us."

Chopard's plans will be of considerable interest to fashion magazines, notably Vogue, the industry's bible, which is due to launch an Indian edition soon, provided permission is given by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It will be published by Cond? Nast whose managing director, Nicholas Coleridge, has made several trips to India.

"Vogue India will have 99pc Indian staff," said Coleridge. "Vogue always adjusts to the culture of the country where it's published."

India is blessed with beautiful women and Vogue's consultant in India, Alex Kuruvilla, has been pondering candidates, mostly royalty, writers and actresses of the likes of Arundhati Roy and Ms Rai.

These are also the kinds of women who will figure on Chopard's hit list.

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Star-struck fan spends QR1.5mn on gowns for Bollywood diva
Published: Friday, 30 June, 2006, 12:55 PM Doha Time


Sultan with the 25-odd dresses at his Doha boutique

By Rohit William Wadhwaney

A MUMBAI tabloid mistook him for a ?heikh? and a Dubai daily national wrote a three-page sympathetic article on him. However, Doha-resident Sultan is nothing more than one of the hundreds of men around the globe smitten by Aishwarya Rai, one of the world? most beautiful women.

However, one thing that sets the mediocre fashion designer apart from the rest of the Indian diva? fans is that he probably is the craziest of them all.

Sultan, who runs a boutique at Doha? Gharrafa Shopping Complex, has in the last eight years spent "about QR1.5mn" creating gowns dedicated to the former Miss World. The 25-odd rather loud gowns that Sultan has designed have Aishwarya? face or eyes painted on them.

The 38-year-old designer, who has lived in Doha for the past 10 years, claims he makes about QR10,000 a month on an average selling regular dresses to Qatari women.

And every penny of his earnings goes towards designing the not-for-sale Aishwarya gowns. Sultan hopes "one day she?l wear them."

Sultan has just returned to Doha from his hometown Mumbai where he had gone not to meet his wife or two daughters, but to woo his obsession.

For two full months Sultan spent hours each day outside the 32-year-old actress? home hoping to meet and present her with the gowns, better still, make her fall head-over-heels in love with the designs and himself.

Aishwarya, however, seemed least interested. Apart from the fact that the actress is hardly ever home, with hectic outdoor schedules in various parts of the world, Aishwarya? mother actually asked the watchman to have Sultan arrested.

Realising things were not exactly going as planned, Sultan returned to Doha more determined than before to carry on with his obsession.

"I can? help it. I? just crazy about her," he says. "My heart tells me what I am doing is right."

Sultan is currently making a 20-meter long crystal-studded dress with Rai featuring on it. He claims it will cost him approximately QR300,000. This at a time when Sultan? family back in Mumbai is struggling to make ends meet.

Needless to say Sultan does not bother to send any money to his wife and two daughters. Rather surprisingly, he has no regrets.

"Like I said, I am doing what my heart? tells me. No one else understands my pain, my love for her. Even my family. In fact, my family has totally given up on me. They know I? not going to change. They?e right," Sultan told Gulf Times.

Sultan? obsession gained publicity after Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day had an employee wear one of his Aishwarya Rai gowns and sent her to a Page 3 party. The loud design sparked a media frenzy.

Renny Jhaveri, the woman who wore the gown, was quoted as saying: "I initially hesitated wearing it. I go for understated clothes and this had Aishwarya in the front and Shah Rukh Khan on my back! I nearly called in sick, but my friends backed me up."

Sultan is, however, quite happy with all the publicity, feeling the actress is at least now aware of him. However, he is upset that the Dubai-based Gulf News reported that Aishwarya? mother wanted him arrested.

"Aishwarya will read that and she?l get angry," he says adding quickly "do you have her contact number or e-mail address? I?l apologise personally."

Sultan is currently trying his best to get hold of the actress? contact details - from making desperate phone calls to a few friends in Mumbai, to asking anyone he meets from the media. He wants to ask her for her measurements so that the QR300,000 dress he? making would fit her perfectly.

"I know she?l wear it someday," he says. "But even if she doesn?, I?l still go on making dresses for her. At least it?l make me feel she? near me."

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contact music

AISHWARYA RAI SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE   
21/06/2006 17:13



Bollywood actress AISHWARYA RAI's new film on domestic violence has prompted an emotional recollection of the violence she suffered at the hands of an ex-boyfriend. Controversial movie PROVOKED explores a Punjabi woman's fight against abuse by killing her bullying husband, and her subsequent punishment by the courts. And Rai found the project the perfect vehicle to explore her own turbulent romantic history. The 32-year-old says, "We're all extremely aware of such violence and it's something I've experienced, too. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to be involved in this project."

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the age.com.au

Beauty queens clash over freedom fighter films
June 26, 2006 - 12:00AM



Two of India's beauty queen-turned actresses, Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai, will star in separate movies about the life of Rani Lakshmibai, a fiery freedom fighter.

Rai announced last year she would play Lakshmibai in a film with well-known director Ketan Mehta, and Sen said recently that she too had decided to produce and star in a film on the same subject.

"Why should I shelve my film because Ash is playing Lakshmibai in Ketan Mehta's film?" said Sen in an interview published in the Mumbai Mirror newspaper. "She will do it in her own way and I wish her all the best."

Bombay, India's entertainment capital, is also called Mumbai.

Sen described it as her dream project and said she intended to train in horse riding and sword fighting to prepare for the film.

"Recreating the era will be difficult but not impossible," she said.

Sen did not specify when she would start shooting, but said the movie about the Indian queen, who fought against British colonial rule in the mid-19th century, would be filmed from the angle of Lakshmibai as a mother.

"She fought her battle as much as a mother as a queen. She didn't want the British to kill her adopted son, Damodar Rao," she said.

Sen was crowned Miss India in 1994 while Rai was the runner-up in the same competition. Both went on to win world pageants - Sen as Miss Universe and Rai as Miss World.

In an earlier interview with the same newspaper, Rai had spoken about her commitment to the film.

"I would love to play the role of Rani Lakshmibai because I see her as a woman of strength, courage and affection," she said.

- AP

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June 29, 2006   

Coming up, this July

If June saw hits like Phir Hera Pheri and Krrish, July will see some interesting movies like Madhur Bhandarkar's Corporate and Vishal Bharadwaj's much-awaited Omkara hitting theatres.
Here's a look at what's on the menu.

Corporate

Cast: Bipasha Basu, Kay Kay Menon, Minissha Lamba, Raj Babbar
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Release Date: July 7

Bhandarkar says Corporate is the second of a trilogy that he began with Page 3, a take on the make-believe world of glamour and 'high society.' The small budget film without a big star cast -- featuring Konkana Sen Sharma as a journalist -- went on to become one of the big hits of 2005.

The filmmaker will now follow it up with his take on the corporate world.

He first offered the leading lady's role to Aishwarya Rai. But when it did not work out, Bipasha bagged the role.

From the director of such highly acclaimed movies as Chandni Bar and Page 3, Corporate seems worth looking forward to.

Text: Syed Firdaus Ashraf

Golmaal

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi, Tusshar Kapoor
Director: Rohit Shetty
Release Date: July 14

Rohit Shetty was out of action for nearly three years after his directorial debut Zameen, which was a surprise hit.

After the action-packed Zameen, Shetty tries his hand at comedy.

Ajay Devgan teams up with Arshad Warsi along with the original comedy king, Paresh Rawal.

The slick promos are already catching on, and Vishal-Shekhar's music is steadily climbing up the charts.

Let's see what the real thing is like.

Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota (top) & Ahista Ahista (below)

Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ayesha Takia, Ratna Pathak, Saroj Khan, Paresh Rawal
Director: Naseeruddin Shah
Release date: July 21

After acting in more than 100 films, Naseeruddin Shah turns to direction.

And the industry is eagerly awaiting to see whether Naseer, the terrific actor, will be just as terrific a director.

Yun Hota... is a mixture of romance, thrills, comedy and drama. It has been extensively shot in New York. Naseer attempts to weave together four stories in his central plot.

Ahista Ahista
Cast: Abhay Deol, Soha Ali Khan
Director: Shivam Nair

Soha Ali Khan's standing in Bollywood has changed after this year's blockbuster, Rang De Basanti. From being tagged as Saif Ali Khan's kid sister, the actress has proved herself with RDB.

Ahista Ahista will be her first solo attempt.

Abhay Deol looked promising in Socha Na Tha, but unfortunately, the film sank.

All eyes are on this film, to see whether this young couple will make the next hit jodi.

Omkara

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Viviek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Konkona Sen Sharma
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Release date: July 28

Omkara -- based on William Shakespeare's famous play Othello -- is the biggest movie of the month.

Not only does it have a stellar star cast, the director (Makdee, Maqbool) is being looked upon as one of the brightest in the business. Besides, the promos look very promising.

Saif, who plays the villain Langda Tyagi, has apparently given one of his best performances till date.

Will Omkara be even better than the original, as the actors claims it will be?

We will know soon enough.

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from Kerala News
Posted on 03 July

Akshaye Khanna signs Anil's new film

By Nitin N. Sethi, Mumbai: Good times continue to roll for actor Akshaye Khanna, who has just returned from a holiday to sign Anil Kapoor's new film starring Aishwarya Rai.



"It's been a nice and rejuvenating break. I am excited and looking forward to my forthcoming releases," said Akshaye, whose performance in "Mahatma Vs. Gandhi" is said to have wowed Anil.

After the success of "36 China Town", Akshaye is looking forward to the release of Ratan Jain's "Aap Ki Khatir", Anil's "Mahatma Vs. Gandhi" and Nikhil Advani's "Salam-E-Ishq", reports Bollywood Trade.



Akshaye's fan list includes Ayesha Takia, who can't stop raving about him since their last film "Shaadi Se Pehle" together, and Priyanka Chopra, who stars with him in "Aap Ki Khatir".

Akshaye is equally popular with his producers - from Ghai ("Taal" and "36 China Town") to Ratan Jain ("Humraaz", "Hulchul" and "Hungama"), all love to repeat him in their films.

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from paktribune

Ash turns down ?handramukhi? again!
Monday July 03, 2006 (1259 PST)



Not often does an actor get approached for the same role by different filmmakers at different points in time!  But Aishwarya Rai is no ordinary star, as obviously these movie moguls believe too.

She was recently approached by T Series to act in the Hindi remake of ?handramukhi?. Unfortunately, she had to turn it down once again due to date problems.

Says Bhushan Kumar of T Series, ?e had approached Aishwarya Rai for the Hindi remake of ?handramukhi?. Unfortunately, her dates could not be worked out.? Akshay Kumar is the other actor in the film, which will be directed by Priyadarshan.   

After Hours had earlier reported that Ash had been approached by four filmmakers for the remake the original Malyalam hit. Bangalore-based producer Dwarkesh, Chennai-based P Vasu, Hyderabad-based director Naren Aditya and writer Hyder, and a well-known Mumbai producer had all shown interest in remaking the South hit with Ash.

But she had no immediate dates to spare even then, as she was shooting for ?he Last Legion? in Russia and had other commitments such as ?mrao Jaan?, ?hoom II? and ?kbar-Jodha?.  

Ash? business manager Harii Singh confirms, ?es, Aishwarya was approached for a film by T Series, but we couldn? work out the dates this time. However, Ash would definitely like to do a film with them in the future.

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from the press

Lacking in spice
01 July 2006

MISTRESS OF SPICES (M) Directed by Paul Mayeda Berges
**? Reviewed by Margaret Agnew


SPICE GIRL: Aishwarya Rai in Mistress of Spices.
The Press


Who better to embody the idealised exotic appeal of Indian culture than the stunningly gorgeous model/actress Aishwarya Rai.

Marking Rai's second venture out of Bollywood into the mainstream American market, Mistress of Spices is based on the novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

Rai plays Tilo, an Indian mistress of spices who magically helps her customers use the right spices to effect change in their lives.

Among her clients is a man who wants to control his own life, but may be endangering it as a taxi-driver; a grandfather alarmed by the modern ways of his granddaughter; a woman looking for a boyfriend and a teenage boy in need of a friend.

Her devotion to the spices means that Tilo must follow three strict rules: she must only use the spices for others, not her own desires; she may never leave the store so there is no danger of straying from the spices; and she may never touch another's skin. If she fails in her duty, the spices will punish her.

But when a scruffily handsome architect called Doug (Dylan McDermott) crashes his motorbike outside her San Francisco shop, she feels unusually drawn to him, despite a warning from the red chillies. Soon, she is tempted to break all the rules to see Doug again, and the spices begin to punish the people she's trying to help.

Mistress Of Spices is the directorial debut of Paul Mayeda Berges, who has been helping his wife, Anglo-Indian director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice), make films for years, as a writer, producer and assistant director. Both Chadha and Berges wrote the screenplay for Mistress, which means that any laxity can be laid at their feet.

The movie starts with some over-the-top action and melodramatic slayings, then we slowly get to the romance, where Doug speaks to Tilo almost exclusively in deep-voiced whispers.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the cast and filmmakers to make this the next Chocolat or Like Water For Chocolate, Mistress of Spices lacks enough spice. While the two romantic leads are gorgeous in their own ways, they simply don't gel together, with the only spark coming when the chillies accidentally catch fire.

Magic realism is all very well, but for real cinematic magic we have to believe in the fairytale romance that the flick is trying to sell, and as the Black Eyed Peas put it: Where is the love?

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Regions no bar for this hero

Jackie Shroff on why he has chosen to act in regional films  



Actor Jackie Shroff means it when he says he has no qualms about acting in regional films. Proof of this, is his presence in the Bengali film Antarmahal directed by Rituparno Ghosh, the Telugu film Astram, and the Kannada film Care of Footpath. Shroff, who is away in London shooting for Priyadarshan's film, shares his `southern experience.'

Passionate about films: On his decision to act in Astram, he says, "One of the prime reasons, apart from the production unit, is the passion that people in Andhra Pradesh have for films. I also wanted to see whether people there would accept me in a Telugu film. They've seen my Hindi films earlier but this was different. I had to play a Carnatic singer."

More Telugu films: The actor says he is open to doing more Telugu films. "Why not? I haven't seen Astram since I've been travelling. I am waiting to see the response. If there are good scripts, you will see me more in Telugu films," he quips.

In awe: "I've said this often but I've always been in awe of the way actors are respected and idolised in the South. For actors in Mumbai, the respect actors like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Mohanbabu or Balakrishna command, is unimaginable."

Footpath: Shroff has also done a cameo for the Kannada film directed by 10-year-old film-maker Kishen. He reminisces, "I met Kishen at a function and was told that he is the youngest film-maker. I asked him what film he plans to make. He replied, Care of Footpath. I told him that before I became an actor, I too was in the care of the footpaths of Mumbai. I then asked him to call me if he had a suitable role for me. A few days later, he called and asked me to do a cameo - the Chief Minister of Karnataka. I was touched. I enjoyed shooting with such a young director who would call me uncle."

Multi-lingual: Language is not a problem, Shroff insists. "There are people to prompt you on the sets and teach you how to say the lines. Acting in other languages has helped me widen my perspective of cinema. When there are so many actresses from the North acting in regional films, why not we, male actors?"

More acceptability: "Actors are breaking free from their rigid images. This explains why Ajay Devgan, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan have tried Bengali cinema. The audience today is more open."

SANGEETHA DEVI. K

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July 5, 2006
Dhoom 2 and Don to be released during Diwali



Shahrukh Khan at one point of time was one of the major stars in the Yash Chopra production house. The Chopra production house is extremely big and holds a lot of clout in the industry. Actors and actresses are more than happy to work with such a big banner.

However it was later rumoured that there was a fallout between one of their biggest stars Shahrukh and the Chopra production house. Shahrukh was a superstar, but the Chopras refused to pay him his price for films. Unfortunately for Shahrukh one of the oldest and biggest production houses was not going to bend and instead signed on Aamir for their film Fanaa. Now yet again Yash Raj Films is trying to gain clout for their next release Dhoom 2 which will release around the same time as the Shahrukh starrer Don.

Even though the Chopras and Shahrukh have patched up, the Chopra camp is taking no chances for the release of their next production Dhoom 2. According to distributor Amod Mehra ?ash Raj has booked all the main theaters all over India for Dhoom 2.? According to sources Yash Raj Films (Chopras) who were also distributing Rakesh Roshan? Krrish have got theater and multiplex owners to make a verbal deal. According to this deal those theaters that are screening Krrish currently will also have to screen Dhoom 2. The problem arises as both Dhoom 2 and Don are slated for a Diwali (October) release. Hence Don will have to be screened at fewer theaters.

However producer of Don, Ritiesh Sidhwani seems unperturbed by the Yash Raj strategy and says ? think there is enough room during Diwali for both films.? However according to sources from the industry when two big films clash they are bound to affect the business of the other. Nonetheless Yash Raj has a major clout over distributors and theater owners which was quite evident during the price hike for the screening of Fanaa. Hence the release of Don which releases during the same time is bound to get affected.

However Yash Raj Films completely denies making any verbal agreement with theater owners and claims that Dhoom 2 is a sequel to Dhoom which was a hit and the sequel will also star some big bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Bipasha Basu and Aiswarya Rai, hence there is no other strategy being used to lure audiences. Shahrukh Khan too is a superstar and has a huge fan following worldwide, hence it now remains to be seen whether Shahrukh can hold his own against the Chopra production house?

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Revealed: What Corporate is all about
The Rediff Interview | Madhur Bhandarkar
July 06, 2006


Madhur Bhandarkar

When Madhur Bhandarkar makes a movie, a kind of hush descends on Bollywood. A hush of anticipation.

After all, the filmmaker has given us such close-to-reality hits as Page 3 and Chandni Bar.

But the director says though he researches a lot for his movies, they are not based on real personalities. Like about his next movie, Traffic Signal, which will complete his trilogy on "the extreme parts of society," he says it will be about Mumbai's street children, and that Kunal Khemu, Neetu Chandra and Konkona Sensharma will feature in it.

He also tells you that he hit upon the subject during one of his weekly visits to Mumbai's famous Siddhivinayak Temple. He walks to the temple -- which is quite far from his house -- every Tuesday.

But more on that when the time comes; for now, let's hear about the film everyone is eager to find out more about, Corporate.

Over to the director.

About Corporate



I like to make films based on real-life characters -- characters you can see in day-to-day life. I had lots of leftover research material from Page 3 -- many corporate honchos feature in Page 3 parties --  which I thought could be used for my next movie.

I felt the business world has not been portrayed on celluloid well. Nobody has done a complete film on the corporate world. How they function, their style, their language -- these things have never been tapped in our movies.

I was anyway thinking of an idea to be made into a movie after Page 3, and I thought why not the corporate world -- the boardroom drama, the ups and downs, rival groups fighting for one-upmanship, the emotional turmoil of the employees...

That's when I thought of Corporate.

About Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu plays Nishigandha Dasgupta, a vice president in a firm. She has Minissha Lamba and Samir Dattani -- along with others -- working under her. The movie is about how she handles the corporate world and her relationship with Kay Kay Menon.

Actually I had Aishwarya Rai in mind and had spoken to her too. But she had date problems because of her foreign commitments. Aishwarya wanted to do the film as she loved the script and she asked me whether I could delay the project. But I couldn't, as all my other characters and my script were ready.

I appreciate Ash -- she did try to manage dates, but couldn't. I am definitely looking forward to work with her.

The next actress I thought of was Bipasha. But I didn't change an iota of the script. The character of Nishigandha Dasgupta is very much same as I wanted. I didn't want to repeat Konkana Sensharma as she already had a good role in Page 3 and the movie was a huge hit. I wanted someone contrasting.

A lot of people told me Bipasha was not the right choice. But when I narrated the role, she loved it. Recently she said in an interview that she would be mad to say no to me. It's a great compliment for me.

I had met Bipasha before Corporate and we would always tell each other that we should work together.

Bipasha is very punctual and disciplined. In fact, everybody was good on the sets. I have almost 50 characters and everybody was nice.



My sets are basically very lively -- there is a lot of humour and leg-pulling. I make serious cinema behind the scenes, I am very slapstick. That is one more reason why our movie was completed fast.

I think Bipasha did 100 per cent justice to the character. And I feel that once people see the film they will have a different perspective of her.

On whether Bipasha's character is inspired by a real-life person

I don't know why people always judge and scrutinise my movies. Why do they always feel that it is based on some real-life character? A lot of other filmmakers make movies but they are never questioned on all this!

I faced the same problem during Satta. People started saying that it is based on some politician and for Page 3 I had same problems. Let me tell you that Corporate is a work of fiction. No real-life character has inspired it.

About Kay Kay Menon

Kay Kay plays Ritesh Sahani. Bipasha and Kay Kay work in the same firm and on the same project. There is a very strong bonding between the two. Don't ask me whether it is based on real-life character or not, you should see the movie to know that!

Just because I researched a lot for my movie doesn't mean it is inspired from anyone. I wouldn't give anyone's reference. Let the audience decide.

I say my movies are inspired by real-life characters, but that doesn't mean I will have caricatures of characters.

People do speculate about it, but I don't know why only with my movies. Any commercial movie may have a cop, a businessman or any character, but when it comes to my movies people start speculating.

Kay Kay is a brilliant actor. When I thought of making Corporate, at first people discouraged me. Then they said if I want to make a movie on the corporate world I should have a big star cast. But I can't go with the regular norms of the industry. Any big star would have done the role, because the role is fantastic. It is intense and has great scope.

But I wanted Kay Kay and no one else.

About other characters

Raj Babbar plays Dharmesh Marwah, the managing director of Marwah International Private Limited. He is a god-fearing man. He wears the rings his godman advises him to. Even when he goes to sign a document, he calls up his godman.

Marwah's rival is Vinay Sehgal, the MD of the Sehgal Group, played by Rajat Kapoor. Sehgal is a stylish, Page 3 kind of person.

Both are into the food business.

The entire movie is based on Bipasha and Kay Kay. All others are part of sub-plots. Samir Dattani and Minissha Lamba have a cute love story between them.

I don't want to reveal too much about the movie. I want the audience to watch it.

ldg

Art rides Pakistan's roads
Owners express their style with ornately decorated trucks

Associated Press
Originally published July 9, 2006

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan // Much larger than life, Miss World 1994 serenely gazes from a truck's back gate as body shop artisans create the vivid decorations that adorn the semis and other big vehicles that haul Pakistan's goods to market.
Along the country's roads, big trucks sport aluminum trim, bells, reflective tape of many hues and intricately painted tableaux including the oversized, placid visage of Aishwarya Rai, the former Indian beauty queen who is a Bollywood star.

Like the purple sunset airbrushed onto a 1970s van in the United States or the running lights and spinning hub caps of a teenager's car, Pakistani trucks are an expression of their owners' style and fodder for rivalries.

"It's a race among the owners. One gets a good-looking truck and the others have to do better," said Mumthaz Ali, a 72-year-old grandfather and owner of the half-finished truck bearing Rai's enamel-painted smile.

Ali was at a shop yard in Rawalpindi, where about a dozen trucks were getting makeovers amid a cacophony of bumper-hammering, belt-sanding and the sizzle of welders.

"Personally, I'm against this, spending all this money," he said of the $2,800 adornment that equals about six months of his earnings from the truck, which he has someone else drive. "I do it for my kids. This is a colorful world, and the kids demand it."

In many parts of the developing world, trucks, buses and taxis are elaborately decorated. Minibuses are painted with the images of religious leaders in Senegal, on Africa's westernmost tip, and stylish "jeepneys" ply the streets of the Philippines.

But few vehicles can match the intricate artwork in Pakistan.

Truck painting is part of a long tradition of decorative arts here. Riaz Ahmed, a noted Pakistani painter, called it a form of folk art and said it tells something about the people behind the wheel.

"These truck drivers spend much of their life on the roads, and when they are away from home they try to keep memories of their valleys, families and other dear ones with them in the form of paintings on the trucks," Ahmed said in a telephone interview from the eastern city of Lahore.

"If you see portraits of beautiful women, it reflects the psychological behavior of the truck driver. Since he is away from the family, he travels with paintings of women. You also see beautiful landscapes on the body of trucks. It indicates the love of the driver for his own valley."

Ali, the truck owner, is a little more pragmatic. He thinks it is an extravagance, but concedes that elaborate artwork on his truck can attract customers, boosting his earnings.

ldg

Bollywood Press : Movie and Star News

July 9, 2006
An Odd Couple



Hema Malini and Naseeruddin Shah are as different as Sea and Sand. So, what do you think may happen if they come together onscreen? Some great chemistry. And, a great opportunity for the movie-lovers to watch an odd couple setting the big screen on fire. So all you guys who savored Hema Malini in ?aaghbaan? with Mr Bachchan, gear up to see her in Milan Luthria? next film ?atrick? with the flavour of the season Naseeruddin Shah.

Naseer has left an impact in Hrithik Roshan? ?rrish? and he is also ready with his directorial debut film ?un Hota To Kya Hota? which is releasing this month. Hema on the other hand is busy with Ravi Chopra? ?abul?. When Milan narrated the story of ?attrick? to Naseer and told him that he is considering Hema for the female role, Shah was very excited and told Luthria that if Hema agrees, then he would surely love to do it. Hema on her part was very excited too and said that if Nasser agrees then he would love to do ?atrick?. It was a double bonanza for Milan Luthria who signed both of them. It? a casting coup. Lucky guy.

ldg

Bombay boffo
India's colossal film industry inspires Andrew Lloyd Webber musical

By Lisa Bornstein, Rocky Mountain News
July 10, 2006



The world's biggest film industry isn't in West L.A. It's farther west, by several thousand miles, in Bombay, India.
Little seen on big screens in the United States (DVDs are another matter), Bollywood films are boffo box office in the rest of the world.

Bollywood - the nickname given to the Indian film industry, dominated by Mumbai (formerly Bombay) - produces 1,000 films a year, more than twice the number of Hollywood. Each year, those films sell four billion cinema tickets. And yet, while most of the world has heard of Tom Cruise, few Americans are aware of Shahrukh Khan.

Andrew Lloyd Webber thought he saw a captive audience in those millions of fans, and along with film director Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth), he conceived of Bombay Dreams, the stage musical that has played London's West End, New York's Broadway and arrives Tuesday in Denver.

Both in the style of and about Bollywood musicals, the show tells the story of a poor young man who rises through the star-maker machinery. Before you go, there are a few things you need to learn about the Bollywood institution.

? Bindi: There are many interpretations of the small appliqu? some Indian women wear on the forehead. Some say it's a sign of marriage; others say it represents a chakra above and between the eyes.

? Gestures: You won't see much kissing in Bollywood movies; it's too risqu?. But you might see an actor tug on his ears, in a sign of apology. Touching someone's feet is a sign of respect, as is pressing one's palms together.

? Music: An average movie has as many as 10 full-scale production numbers in it. Songs are a mix of Indian instruments and contemporary pop and tend to end up as popular radio hits.

? Singers: Few Bollywood stars record their own music. Most songs are recorded by professional singers with the stars lip-syncing on screen. Singers have their own fans and get on-screen credits.

? 'Lagaan': The 2001 epic broke new ground for Bollywood films. It marked a marriage of Bollywood style with more serious subjects, dealing with the rebellion of Indian farmers against the harsh tax, or lagaan, imposed by the British. But it still made room for song and dance, and was Oscar-nominated for best foreign film.

? Aishwarya Rai: Winner of the 1994 Miss World crown, she is one of Bollywood's biggest stars, and Julia Roberts called her the most beautiful woman in the world. In 2004, she made her English-language debut with Bride and Prejudice. She'll soon be appearing with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley in The Last Legion.

? A R Rahman: The composer of Bombay Dreams has lived his own: He's one of Bollywood's hottest composers. His first soundtrack, for 1992's Roja, brought multiple awards. He wrote the score for 2001 film Lagaan, nominated for an Academy Award. Rahman has sold more than 100 million soundtrack albums and composed music for more than 75 movies. Producer Andrew Lloyd Webber hired him to write the music for Bombay Dreams.

? Language: Most Bollywood movies are recorded in Hindi and the poetic language Urdu, with a smattering of English. Smaller (by Bollywood standards) industries in other Indian regions make movies in Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

? Item numbers: Song and dance numbers separate from the plot that feature one or two performers who are not the leads; for example, a nightclub scene with a performance may be an item number.

? Gossip: Bollywood fans make Page Six and US Weekly look like mere dalliances. Every romance, every moment in history, every scandal is well-digested by the many fan magazines and Web sites discussing the Indian film stars.

Information for this story was culled from "Bombay Dreams" press materials, bollywoodworld.com and bollywhat.com.

QueenLove

Jakarta, Dahsyatnya gempa Yogyakarta ternyata turut menimbulkan keprihatinan di hati masyarakat Malaysia. Untuk membantu meringankan beban korban bencana, konser amal pun digelar.

Konser bertajuk 'Force of Nature Concert for Jogja' itu rencananya akan digelar di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pada 19 Agustus 2006.

Meski digelar di negeri seberang, namun musisi Indonesia tetap ikut terlibat. Salah satunya adalah grup musik yang terkenal dengan hits 'Sobat', Padi. Demikian seperti detikhot kutip dari situs resmi Padi, Selasa (11/7/2006).

Jika 'Force of Nature Concert for Jogja' jadi dilaksanakan, maka itu adalah konser amal pertama untuk Yogya yang digelar di luar negeri. Di Indonesia sendiri, konser-konser serupa sudah kerap dilangsungkan.

Di antaranya 'Konser Kemanusiaan Peduli Jogja-Jateng' yang didukung ratusan musisi papan atas Indonesia, lalu ada juga 'Soul for Jogja' yang diprakarsai Glenn Fredly, dan konser sekaligus lelang amal '5,9 Skala Richter'.

ldg

July 10, 2006
Thief Hrithik takes over from Krrish



From superhero to smooth-talking thief - Hrithik Roshan is getting an image makeover in his new movie Dhoom2.

The popular Indian actor? current star turn has him playing the country? first silver screen superhero - a man who leaps over buildings in the blockbuster Krrish.

But later this year, he?l be gracing the big screen in Dhoom2, the sequel to the 2004 hit Dhoom, as a suave gentleman with sticky fingers, although the actor is quick to note that his character is no villain.

?e is a suave, charming man of few words. He is intelligent,? Roshan said on Friday. ?e? another kind of superbeing.?

Dhoom2? plot is being kept under wraps, but Roshan said his character ends up on the wrong side of the law.

?e is quite fantastic in his own way and he? so good at what he does. There is no other way for him but to be a thief,? he said.

In the original, a policeman played by fellow star Abhishek Bachchan chases a gang that uses souped-up motorcycles to rob rich Mumbai businessmen.

Bachchan is back for the sequel, which also stars Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu along with Roshan.

?hoom2 is much, much more than bikes this time. There are other kinds of sports and different kinds of wheels,? Roshan said.

In fact, the cast and crew are currently shooting action sequences in Swakopmund, Namibia, a world-renowned spot for sandboarding, which is like snowboarding but on sand dunes.

?? shooting my introductory sequence here. There is a lot of action - sky diving, sandboarding,? Roshan said. ? had to train a lot for it.?

After finishing up in Namibia, they?l head to Durban, South Africa, to wrap up the action shoots before returning in August to Mumbai.

Despite the fun he? having, Roshan said he misses his 3-month-old son and wife so much that for his next film, ??l try and plan shoots closer home.