John Abraham read the holy Quran for New York

John Abraham read the holy Quran for New York
July 1st, 2009

Both critics and the audience are full of praise for John Abraham’s superb act as a Muslim character who takes to terrorism in Kabir Khan’s just released New York. But not many are aware of the preparations John underwent for bringing authenticity to his character.
Our unit source reveals, “To play the Muslim character, Kabir Khan made him read the holy Quran thoroughly so that his dialogues, mannerisms and reactions in the film rang true. John too gladly did as he was ordered. He was excited to play the character which was definitely amongst the most difficult parts of his career. And now the result is out there for everyone to see.”
Despite their Kabul Express having not worked at the box office, Kabir Khan wanted to repeat John in his New York and had in fact told producer Aditya Chopra so that he could only think of John to play the main lead. We won’t be surprised now if John bags a few awards for his act in the film.
-Sampurn Media

Shahid and Priyanka Affair - Are they on or off?

Shahid and Priyanka Affair - Are they on or off?
July 1st, 2009

Few Mumbai tabloids had claimed that the affair between Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapur had gone kaput. However, the couple has been spotted at various spots of the city after that.
Sources inform that just after the story of their recent split was out, Priyanka and Shahid were seen having cosy lunch at a restaurant very close to their residence in Versova, Mumbai. In fact Priyanka Chopra’s brother was also seen accompanying them. Later the same night the two of them were spotted having dinner at China House.
Another source further reveals that the two of them are very much together. The stories of their split up are base less. They have been seen together seen having dinner together often. Their relationship began during the shooting of their film Kaminey. Shahid saved her face from being injured when they both slipped and fell from a scooter. Shahid had extended his hand and buffered her face before the fall.
According to Priyanka’s friends, it was like a Mills and Boon romance for Priyanka. Soon the two neighbors, who live in the same building, became close friends. Their friendship turned to love only a few months ago.
-Sampurn Media

Now, call him Dr. Shahrukh Khan

Now, call him Dr. Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan Shahrukh Khan is set to add another feather to his already studded cap with an honorary doctorate from a prestigious university in London.

The Bollywood superstar has been chosen to receive an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire.

The actor was nominated for the honour by ‘Routes to Roots’, a non-profit charitable organisation that aims to bring people and cultures together across the countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).



Expressing his gratitude at receiving the honour, SRK said in a statement: “I am delighted that Routes to Roots nominated me for the honorary doctorate in arts and culture from the Bedfordshire University UK and it will be my pleasure to receive it personally on 10th July in London.”

According to a co-founder of ‘Routes To Roots’, Shahrukh was chosen for the doctorate because he “has done immense work for the underprivileged and downtrodden and has always come forward for charities in case of natural disasters.”

Juhi Chawla and Mahesh Bhatt are among the patrons of ‘Routes to Roots’

Fardeen Khan fights with sister's boyfriend

Fardeen Khan fights with sister's boyfriend

Tinsel tattle has it that Fardeen Khan got into a fight with sister Laila’s boyfriend at a late night get-together of family members.

The incident happened at the bar of a five star hotel in Andheri East where Fardeen, his wife Natasha, sister Laila, her boyfriend Farhan Furniturewala, Farah Ali Khan and DJ Aqeel were partying together.

Reports say Fardeen, who isn’t very fond of his sister’s beau, got into an argument with Farhan and in a matter of minutes the argument turned into a heated squabble. In fact, tempers flared and the two came to blows.



Explaining to a tabloid, Fardeen denied getting into a fight and said he and Farhan were discussing about their favourite WWF wrestlers and decided to show each other some of their wrestling moves.

Fardeen’s explanation, however, could be a clever way to cover up what actually happened.

Farhan, too, says it was a petty argument, but he does admit that Fardeen over-reacted a bit.

Fardeen has been going through tough time since the death of his father Feroz Khan .

Jashnn – Movie Preview

Jashnn – Movie Preview

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On every street in every home, somewhere in India, there is a 'nobody' who wants desperately to be a 'somebody'. Jashnn is the story of one such nobody.

Character Sketches:

Adhyayan as Akash Verma
Akash is a struggling musician who lives on his singular dream of stardom. Supporting him in his quest for fame and success are three band members. An orphan, Akash is supported (financially) by his sister, who bears the ignominy of being mistress to a very wealthy and powerful man.

Anjana Sukhani as Sara

Full of spunk, Sara wears a don't-care attitude on her sleeve and easily makes Akash fall in love with her. But before you can dismiss her as a frivolous eye candy, Sara takes in the screen by storm, supporting Akash through his struggles, keeping his faith alive himself amid all hopelessness.

Shahana Goswami as Nisha

She can easily be summed up as a pitiable whore, who survives on the largesse doled out by her benefactor. Pity, however, begins to give way to compassion for the character of Nisha, as one discovers her love for the man in her life to be greater that the need for him.


Humayun Saeed as Aman Bajaj

Dashing and charismatic, this is one negative character you find to hate! Playing Nisha's man and Akash's enemy on screen, Aman's character seeks to explore a whole new way in which we view the bad guy in Bollywood! Aman's character exudes shades of grey, where the thin line between right and wrong often seems blurred.

Synopsis

Akash Verma (Adhyayan), a twenty-year-old Indian lad, thirsts to become a singing icon that can blaze a trail for him among the galaxy of existing stars. But though he has dreams in his heart, he has been unable to find that distinctive voice that he can call his own, that will propel him to the top. Only when he's shattered by life and unflinchingly looks at the sordid truth straight in the face - that he is freeloading off his elder sister Nisha (Shahana), who, in order to offer him a decent life style, has become the mistress of a rich businessman, Aman Bajaj (Humayun Saeed) , is he is able to touch his inner core.

Call it irony or a twist of fate, but the person who sees him through this dark night and mentors him when he's down and out is none other than the sister of the person who he hates most in the world...Aman Bajaj. It is Sara (Anjana Sukhani), Aman's sister, who makes him realize that he is an extremely talented man who is simply going through a bad phase and that the biggest crime a human being can commit, is to give up on himself.

Spurred by life's bittersweet lessons, and Sara's genuine love and support, Akash, in the harshest winter of his life discovers an invincible summer within himself...thereby discovering his own voice. With this very special tune which has been soaked with the passion of his lived life, he not only touches his inexhaustible potential and becomes an overnight star but also brings dignity it his beleaguered sister, humbles his biggest detractor Aman Bajaj and in the process, lives up to the faith that Sara had in him all along.

‘Jashnn’ is directed by Raksha Mistry and Hasnain S Hyderabadwala. The film has music by new composer duo Toshi and Sharib.

The movie is presented by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films.

Katrina Kaif plays dumb!

Katrina Kaif plays dumb!

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Katrina Kaif A dumb girl who has trouble controlling her emotions, she is hysterical and others find her over-blown problems funny. So much for this young actress, but don’t get shocked. This is only Katrina’s character sketch in one of her forthcoming movies.

Katrina Kaif portrays a young, clueless catholic girl who is from Mumbai. She gets too emotional at times, suffers from hysteria, gives herself too much importance and all her problems seem big to her while others simply laugh at it. In a nutshell, she plays a stupid, superficial character in the comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani , where she is paired opposite Ranbir Kapoor .

Well, director Rajkumar Santoshi has put her to the ultimate litmus test as it wasn’t easy for Katrina to act like a silly, dumb person who is capable of evoking laughter. Though Katrina’s career graph shows many hit comedies, the actress still has to prove that she’s got a few funny bones in her hot bod.




And since comedy is a serious business, Kat did have her share of troubles while enacting the character. But Santoshi drew examples from his yesteryear superhit, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, and taught her comic acts that even involved rolling her eyes.

On the contrary, Ranbir who has acting in his blood, working in ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ was a smooth sail. He plays a boy with a good heart but clumsy actions. He stumbles, he staggers and that makes him humorous. As reported, his character is “a satirical synthesis of Raj Kapoor’s ‘Awara’ and Charlie Chaplin’s ‘City Lights’.”

Now after working with both Katrina and Ranbir, Rajkumar Santoshi is eager to work with them again and this time he plans a serious flick.

Ekta Kapoor Shifts back to Parents’ Home June 30th, 2009

Ekta Kapoor Shifts back to Parents’ Home

June 30th, 2009


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Ekta KapoorTelevision industry Big Momma Ekta Kapoor is actually a Momma’s little girl in real life. Two years after having proudly moved into her new swanky apartment Ekta is back where she started. After quite a few all-night parties and a multiplicity of meetings in her own fancily done-up pad Ekta is back in her parents’ place. Back to her old room and a far more happy and comfortable life. Says a source very close to Ekta, “Ekta thought it was time for her to move into her own private space away from her parents. After all, she was 30 and at that age one does tens to have a life away from once parental home. Ekta didn’t really want that independence. But she did it because it seemed politically correct.” After nearly two years of living on her own Ekta couldn’t bear the separation pangs. Says the source, “It came to a point where her parents wanted her back, Ekta wanted to get back home even though she lived a hollering distance away from her parenrs. So Ekta asked herself and her friends why on earth she must stay alone when neither she nor parents wanted it.” Now happily back with her parents and in her old room where was born and grew up, Ekta is in a happier and more peaceful state of mind that she has been in recent times. Says the source, “Ekta is back to being Mama’s and Papa’s girl. And that’s the way she has always wanted it to be. Now the home she built for herself is locked away. She now follows all the curfew rules at home. She’s allowed to party. But she isn’t allowed to have meetings in her office after a certain time each day. Her father has asked her to have all her late-night meetings at home. So Ekta dutifully drives back home from wherever she is to have her meetings. And just this once Ekta is happy being bullied.”

Luck Movie Preview June 29th, 2009

Luck Movie Preview

June 29th, 2009


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LuckLuck is an action, adventure film.

The only thing sure about LUCK is that it will change.

Following this saying, this film traces the path of various characters and their lives of how with time and circumstances, peoples life change with their changing luck.

Luck is a story about this boy, Ram Mehra (Imran Khan), who is burdened by a lot of circumstantial problems, and reaches a point in life, where he has the capacity, but no opportunity, to come out of the mess that unfortunately life has offered him.

They say:

LUCK IS WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS AND YOU ANSWER.

Something like this happens to Ram, and as he accepts the opportunity, by chance encounters, Ram recognizes his own strengths to pull him through the difficult times that lie ahead………

Only he did not know, that the problems do not end, but a game of betrayal and putting his luck at test at every step starts……

He has to conquer the hurdles raised by Moussa played by Sanjay Dutt to win this game of Money, greed and the biggest addiction of betting………

On his way he has the support of Shruti Haasan, playing his love interest, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Dengzongpa, Ravi Kishen, Chitrashi Rawat etc………

The game of luck begins.

New York Review

New York Review

June 26th, 2009

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New York Movie ReviewMovie Review: New York; Star Cast: John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Irrfan Khan; Director: Kabir Khan; Rating: ***1/2 - Is a must watch.

Omar (Neil) is picked up by the FBI and detained for arms found in his owned taxi. Basically it’s a well planned set up by FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan) and his boss to get Omar agreeing on to work as an undercover agent for them and infiltrate the family the life of Samir (John) and Maya (Katrina) who were Omar’s college friends 7-8 years back. Roshan suspects Samir of running a sleeper terrorism cell and he wants to nab him red handed. Omar is left with no option but to comply with Roshan’s orders but he agrees on one condition that the FBI won’t kill Samir if he agrees to surrender. Years back when in college Omar, Maya and Samir were thick buddies and Omar silently loved Maya but when she expressed her love for Samir, Omar had gone away from them. What truth Omar uncovers when he meets Samir and Maya both now a married couple with a small kid Danielle and what it all leads to forms the rest of the film.

New York can easily be considered the best film to come out of the Yash Raj stable after Chak De India. Shot entirely in the US, the film not only is on par with the best of the Hollywood films made in this genre but is a completely different experience which the Bollywood audience is not used to. You are completely hooked from the first scene of the film when Neil is arrested by FBI and the interrogation that follows by Irrfan of Neil’s. The first half is extremely well narrated and keeps you constantly guessing as to what will happen next. The interval point is a shocker and you look forward to an exciting second half. But then the pace of the second half somehow doesn’t match up that of the first half and there are some predictable things in store. But nonetheless it is packed with some really great moments. The whole frisking episode of Katrina Kaif by a cop on the road late at night and the sequences that follow it linger on your mind for long. The climax though a bit word heavy is superbly shot as well. The torture scenes shown immediately post the interval send a shiver down your spine. Pritam’s music is easy on the ears and there are no lip sync songs to hamper the proceedings.

New York scores high in the acting department with each single actor delivering his/her best. John Abraham often termed as an expressionless actor has delivered his career’s finest performance. Katrina Kaif has finally got the meatiest role of her career and she has taken full advantage of it. She is very good in emotional scenes as well. Neil in a difficult part shines. Irrfan Khan never disappoints and here again he is in great form. His scenes with Neil and also his senior officer have turned out well.

New York takes up a topical theme and perfectly exposes the wily ways of the American FBI to which over hundreds of innocent Muslim people had fallen prey to post 9/11. It is a must watch for many reasons so just don’t miss it.