Abhishek Bachchan Celebrity Photos, Wallpapers, Pics,

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Abhishek Bachchan

Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. He is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai.

Bachchan debuted with J.P. Dutta's Refugee (2000). In 2004, the actor delivered a hit and a critically acclaimed performance, in the films Dhoom and Yuva. His performance in the latter was praised, for which he received several awards, including his first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category, an award he would win for the two next years as well. Since then, Bachchan has starred in films that have been commercially and critically successful, establishing himself as one of the leading actors in the industry.

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There is a some rumors in the Abhishek Bachchan family-tinsel town!

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The rumors of the Bachchan family is never amiss in the tinsel town. We loved the Ash Abhi marriage and then we want to see them as parents.

The Bachchan junior doesn’t want to remain the junior anymore. Abhishek was talking about their plans for kids in an interview. He says candidly, that they want Hum Do Hamare Do and that too pretty soon.

Abhishek Bachchan says “The mantra of `Hum Do Hamare Do` will be my guiding light whenever the time for starting the family sets in. `I think part of the reason why you want to get married is that you want to settle down and start a family and have kids. I think two should be good”.

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'Ravana'- Film has been landed in trouble!

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The troubles don’t seem to end for Mani Ratnam’s latest film, Ravana. The film has landed in trouble with the Ahmednagar forest officials who have filed a complaint against 11 people for illegally setting up a film set inside the jungle for the shoot.

The officials have also confiscated one JCB, and four tractors from the location.

Ravana which stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead also made headlines last month when an elephant near Athirapally waterfalls in Kerala got wild and killed its owner and terrorised the star couple by blocking the main road.

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Agneepath was one of Abhishek’s favourite films To Hrithik Roshan

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Hrithik Roshan will fill in the famous shoes of Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, in the remake of Agneepath. Directed by Karan Malhotra, a long time associate of Karan Johar, the film was long in talks with Hrithik Roshan being considered as the leading man for this cult classic, which propelled Amitabh Bachchan into super-stardom.

Recently, a lot of rumours were doing rounds as to who will star in the lead, as talks were on with both Hrithik and Abhishek Bachchan. It was reported that Agneepath was one of Abhishek’s favourite films and he would love to fill in the shoes of his dad. Abhishek also mentioned, it was his dream to play one of his father’s characters and Agneepath was perhaps the best offer he could have expected.

And so, the producers approached Abhishek; as Hrithik who was the original choice, was unable to take up the role due to lack of dates.

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Lisa Ray said she does not consider ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

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The one time sensation Lisa Ray said she does not consider ‘Slumdog Millionaire ’, which received eight Oscar awards, as one of the best films in the world.“Slumdog is not a bad film. Technically, it is a good film. But I do not consider it the best in the world”, the actress told reporters.

Lisa, who wanted to be a journalist, said she began her modelling career ‘very early’ and came into Hindi films with ‘Kasoor’ in 2001. She has also acted in a Tamil film, ‘Nethaji’ opposite Sarat Kumar.The actor said she had recently completed the shoot of ‘Black Box’, a French film.

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Delhi 6 are getting popular but one song that has attracted everybody

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All the songs from Delhi 6 are getting popular but one song that has attracted everybody’s attention is Genda Phool. This folk song mixed with modern music creating buzz. Apart from its unconventional style what attracts viewers is AB baby’s unique style of dancing.

When asked about it he quipped “Well He is a unique kind of guy so this all was expected right!” Jokes apart, Abhishek told us the story behind this song.

“Rakeysh didn’t want choreographer for this song. He just put on the music and told us to do whatever we want. I am so happy that it has come out so well. It’s called AB dance!”

Delhi6’s music has been given by Oscar nominated music director AR Rehman . It’s written by Prasoon Joshi.

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Abhishek Bachchan is set to produce his first movie titled as ‘Bhanvraa’

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Director Dharmesh Darshan who has experience of directing the movies acted by stars like Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan is set to produce his first movie under his banner titled as ‘Bhanvraa- Love In Aggression’. However, in this movie he has enrolled popular television artist Eijaz Khan, Manav Gohil, Sangeeta Ghosh, Shweta Salve instead of Bollywood Stars.

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Abhishek described his pairing with John Abraham

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Director Tarun Mansukhani’s ’Dostana’ has hit the jackpot at the box office and Abhishek Bachchan, who pretends to be a homosexual in the fun flick, is happy to be a gay icon.

’I’m very happy with that. Why should I be surprised or shocked? I think homosexuals are as human as anyone else. It’s a matter of great pride if I’m their icon,’ Abhishek told IANS.

Abhishek described his pairing with John Abraham in the film as the ’jodi’ of the moment. ’Other screen couples can go eat their hearts out.’

His effeminate gestures in ’Dostana’ have raised eyebrows and there’s talk that his father hasn’t liked his character or performance in it.

’Why should he take offence? Not at all! The film is not about homosexuality. ’Dostana’ isn’t ’Brokeback Mountain’. It was just a comedy. My whole family has thoroughly enjoyed it. Who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh? It’s a normal fun film. Aishwarya (Rai) is very happy it’s a big hit...my second big hit of the year after ’Sarkar Raj’,’ he said.

Though ’Dostana’ is a fun flick, Abhishek said he slogged while shooting for it.

’We had a lot of fun making the film, but we were serious about the making of the film. I worked very hard on the gestures and mannerisms. We, in this country, tend to take comedies frivolously. Good locales, good songs and that’s it.

’In ’Dostana’, I had to work very hard to portray a straight man acting gay. It could easily have gone overboard. I wanted to avoid making the character caricatural. Barring one portion (the flashback about how John met Abhishek), we kept it controlled.’

This was the toughest character for Abhishek to play.

’It’s unfortunate these kinds of films aren’t taken seriously. It wasn’t a character I could sleepwalk through. People think we partied hard while shooting ’Dostana’ in Miami (in Florida in the US). Wrong. We worked from early morning till night.’

Abhishek said he isn’t surprised by the success of ’Dostana’.

’I knew it was workable when I heard the script. I was convinced it’d be a very entertaining way. We knew the audiences would laugh with us, that they wanted something entertaining to get their minds off a hard day’s work,’ he said.

The actor said the disappointment of ’Drona’ has been wiped away by the success of ’Dostana’.

’It’s always wonderful to be part of a hit. ’Dostana’ was the name of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions’ first film and it starred my dad. When Karan and I put our heads together, we spontaneously decided ’Dostana’ was the best title for our film.’

Far from the madding appreciation, Abhishek is enjoying the hit.

’It gives you back your self-confidence. I worked very hard on ’Drona’. I felt hugely disappointed when it didn’t do well. ’Drona’ will always remain close to my heart.’

Far away in the jungles of Kochi, shooting for Mani Ratnam’s movie, Abhishek has had no time to celebrate the success of ’Dostana’.

’Of course, we’ll have a party when we get back. But at the moment I’m celebrating by doing more quality work.’

Abhishek next moves to Munnar with Ratnam. ’Munnar is where Pa shot ’Nishabd’ with Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma).’

Reacting to media reports that he wore a cap in Mumbai to hide the special look for Ratnam’s film, Abhishek said: ’I know Mani is secretive about his characters’ look. But there’s only so much one can do. An actor has many commitments to fulfil besides the film on hand. I’m sure Mani understands that. No, I wore a cap for no particular reason,’ he said.

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The tastes of cinegoers have undergone such a change that a small budget movie

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The tastes of cinegoers have undergone such a change that a small budget movie that’s finely directed can easily beat some mammoth productions with sloppy direction at the box-office.

Much-hyped big releases with superstars have failed to impress cinegoers this year but small-budget films made by newer and lesser-known filmmakers have managed to draw in the crowds and also rake in big money at the marquee.

While futuristic films like Abhishek Bachchan’s Drona and Love Story 2050 , pegged at Rs 40-50 crore, opened to lukewarm response and were later rejected by cinegoers, dark horses like Rock On , Aamir , Welcome To Sajjanpur and A Wednesday , made with budget of around Rs 6-7 crores, managed to pull audiences for three-four weeks.

According to industry estimates, big banner films such as "Drona", U Me Aur Hum sank without a trace at the box office. Kidnap totalled collection of Rs 23.2 crore after two weeks while "Drona" earned only around Rs 11 crore.

Whereas surprise films like "A Wednesday" and "Welcome to Sajjanpur" collected around Rs 11 crore from ticket sales. Adding to the list is Farhan Akhtar’s "Rock On", which garnered more than Rs 26 crore.

"You can’t fool the audience with special effect technology, promos and big stars now. Big budget has nothing to do with success. A big film minus a good script cannot work. It all depends on the content of the film whether it will work or not," says film analyst Taran Adarsh.

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Abhishek-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be coming on stage to address the crowds

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It’s got to be the biggest rock concert ever. On the initiative of three like-minded people --Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal and Ritesh Sidhwani --12 rock bands are getting together on 31 October for the Rock On For Humanity concert at the MMRDA Ground at Bandra-Kurla to raise funds for a pediatric medical camp in Bihar.

Farhan who spearheaded this charitable concern asks, "Why a rock concert? Why not the usual film-related naach-gana that is far easier to organize as a fund-raiser.

We at Rock On For Humanity felt the idea of raising money for medical assistance must connect with the young urban youth. Though this concert has nothing to do with my film Rock On somehow the idea of a rock concert does have a bearing on the way the young responded to the film."

At the core of this sprawling charity concert will be 12 rock bands from all over the country.

"And that would include Parikrama with whom Saif Ali Khan plays guitar.And yes Saif will be playing the guitar with Parikrama that evening.

I’ll be performing with Shankar-Ehsaan Loy. In addition Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be coming on stage to address the crowds.

We hope to raise a sizeable amount of money that evening because it’s a one-off endeavour. We hope to raise enough money to a pediatric camp in Bihar."

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Rozza claims that she has not been paid by the producers of the film

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Things do not seem to be good for Saif Ali Khan’s former girlfriend Rozza Catalano as the producer of her forthcoming film ‘Deshdrohi’ has charged her of violating the agreement signed with him. In the film Rozza has done an item number but now she is asking extra money for the promotional activities of the film.

The producer Kamal claims that the actress does not have a working visa and he has also written to the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association, asking them to ban her from working in Bollywood films, if the actress does not fulfill her commitment as per the agreement signed with him.

He claims that Rozza had signed an agreement which requires her to give four days for the promotion of the film. Kamal said, “Though she attended the film’s music release, she has refused to participate in any other promotional event for it. She is now asking for extra money for attending functions and promotional events for the film. This is contrary to the agreement signed by her with us, wherein she is required to give four days for the music release and promotional events of the film. The agreement also says that she will not be paid anything extra for taking part in the promotional events.”

On the other hadn Rozza claims that she has not been paid by the producers of the film. In an interview to an English Daily, Rosa alleged that a cheque paid to her by Kamal bounced.

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Abhishek said he was looking forward to Aishwarya's presence

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Abhishek Bachchan, who is all geared up for the release of "Drona" this week, says he doesn’t mind being overshadowed by his wife Aishwarya Rai.

At this year’s Cannes Film Festival attended by him and his wife, Abhishek was repeatedly asked how it felt to be overshadowed by his wife.

"Although the intention behind such questions is obviously not honourable, I don’t get rattled at all. It’s a pleasure to be overshadowed by the most beautiful woman in the world. I had a ball doing the ’Unforgettable’ concerts with Aishwarya, " Abhishek told.

After "Guru", the actor is teaming up with his wife once again for Mani Ratnam’s next film.

"I know I’ll have a great time shooting Mani Ratnam’s film with her. Right now I’m looking forward to her return from Brazil, " he said.

Aishwayra was in Brazil shooting for Shankar’s "Robot". Abhishek said he was looking forward to Aishwarya’s presence at the premiere of "Drona".

"It sounds very romantic to say my wife is flying down especially to be at my film’s premiere. But sadly, it is not true. Her schedule for Shankar’s ’Robot’ was supposed to wrap up a week before the premiere, and it did. So she was going to be in Mumbai for the ’Drona’ premiere anyway.

"Having said this, let me add, she’d have come back to Mumbai for the occasion from any part of the world even if she was shooting."

Aishwarya was recently in Paris to shoot the latest L’Oreal ad. Both her in-laws, Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, were also there, but they couldn’t meet her.

"Yes they were there. Unfortunately ma and pa left a day before Aishwarya arrived in Paris. Pa had to be back to shoot a television programme to promote the ’Unforgettable’ concerts in India."

"Yes, the ’Unforgettable’ concerts are now going to be staged in India, beginning with Mumbai.

"We’re in the process of working out the venues and dates. There’ll be more time for all this once ’Drona’ is released, "said Abhishek.

Directed by Goldie Behl, "Drona" also stars Priyanka Chopra and Kay Kay Menon.

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Abhishek and Priyanka, one can expect them to be seen in many more films

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There was a time when Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar ’jodi’ spelt success in each of their outings. All their films were successful at the box office until there were clear signals that Akshay won’t be working with Priyanka again in future. While Akshay quickly moved on to Katrina Kaif and started delivering even bigger successes with her, Priyanka did get a jolt but recovered to work with Shah Rukh Khan [DON], Hrithik Roshan [KRISSH], Salman Khan [SALAAM-E-ISHQ].

However, the man with whom she went on to sign maximum number of films has been Abhishek Bachchan. After BLUFFMASTER which turned out to be a decent box office runner, Priyanka now has two movies with Abhishek lined up for release. These are DRONA and DOSTANA. Both the films would be releasing within six weeks of each other. While DRONA arrives on 2nd October, DOSTANA is confirmed for 14th November.

The two films are quite different from each other though. DRONA is a fantasy/mythological action thriller and has Priyanka playing Abhishek’s bodyguard. Though there is a love angle to their coming together, the film, as per the makers, centers itself on the theme of ’one man’s (Drona) spectacular voyage through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies.’

DOSTANA is chilled out though by miles as it sees Abhishek and John Abraham getting into a hilarious one-on-one (pun intended) as they masquerade as gays with Priyanka being the center of attraction. A fun film that comes from the house of Karan Johar and is directed by debutant Tarun Mansukhani, DOSTANA would be third release of Abhishek this year (after SARKAR RAJ) where he features as a protagonist and sixth outing for Priyanka after LOVE STORY 2050, GOD TUSSI GREAT HO, CHAMKU, FASHION and DRONA. It would be John Abraham’s first release of 2008 though after his DHAN DHANA DHAN GOAL in late 2007.

Coming back to Abhishek and Priyanka, one can expect them to be seen in many more films to come if DRONA and DOSTANA turn out to be twice the reason for celebrations for the two youngsters.

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Amitabh Bachchan, says he has always been a big fan of Bachchan's wife Jaya

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Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan’s performance in The Last Lear has won him immense acclaim in India and internationally. It is being described as his best performances ever. But Amitabh Bachchan doesn’t agree. Bachchan says that his best is yet to be seen.

"It would be a terrible day for an artiste if people classify his contribution as his best. That would be the end of his work. There is always an opportunity to work better and the best is yet to come," Amitabh said.

He added: "I am a simple actor. As long as I am offered challenging roles, I would like to take them and experiment with acting always."

And while the world can’t get enough of the Big B’s superb performance, the film’s director Rituparno Ghosh, who has for the first time directed Amitabh Bachchan, says he has always been a big fan of Bachchan’s wife Jaya and that working with Amitabh will not change that.

"I have grown up with Jaya di’s films. I used to be a major Jaya Bachchan fan and I am a major admirer of her acting prowess. After working with Amit da, I can say that he gives a lot of warmth and works with immense sincerity. It was a valuable experience working with him, but my loyalty towards Jaya di will never change," Ghosh said, "She is for us a trendsetter of modernity in Indian cinema. Her acting comprised all moods."

The filmmaker has earlier worked with Amitabh’s son Abhishek in the Bengali film Antarmahal and with his daughter-in-law Aishwarya in Chokher Bali. He is also working with Jaya for his next film Sunglass that also stars R. Madhavan, Konkona SenSharma, Raima Sen and Naseerudin Shah.

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Bollywood stars were in New Delhi when the capital was rocked by the latest terror attack

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Abhishek Bachchan was just a few kilometers away from the blast site in Connaught Place, while Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor canceled their plans to venture out after the serial blasts in Delhi on Saturday.

Also in town was Imtiaz Ali - who’s a Delhi boy - to finalize the shooting locations for his next film which stars Saif and Deepika Padukone . Kareena was in Delhi to inaugurate a spa before heading off to Ladakh to shoot Raju Hirani’s movie 3 Idiots .

Abhishek had arrived in Delhi for a number of assignments which included the promotion of Drona , shooting of Dilli 6 and a brand event. On Saturday evening, Abhishek was reportedly heading to one of the venues via Connaught Place when the bomb placed at Barakhamba Road went off. Thankfully, Abhishek was minutes away from the spot.

Needless to say, the event to which Abhishek was headed got cancelled and upon his return the actor got to see the devastation caused by the bomb.

According to Abhishek’s friend Shrishti Behl, Abhishek was deeply disturbed by the blasts. So much so that he cancelled the promotional event of ‘Drona’ on Sunday as he did not deem it fit to promote his film when the city was reeling from terror attacks.

On the other hand, Saif and Kareena stayed put in their hotel, Maurya Sheraton. Saif and Imtiaz Ali had planned to shoot their film in Delhi from September 16. When last heard, their plan had not changed. In fact, Deepika Padukone is expected to join the team in Delhi soon.The show, after all, must go on.

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The swords are a very important part of the character which I am playing-Abhishek

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This kind of experience, you would expect on the sets of Indiana Jones, The Phantom, Pirates of the Caribbean or even The Mummy... not Goldie Behl’s Drona. But the story goes that strange incidents have been occurring around a set of three titanium swords made in Johannesburg with Sanskrit mantras on them that Abhishek Bachchan uses in the film.

According to both, Behl and Abhishek, weird things would happen whenever the three swords were separated. They first lost one at a remote location in the desert of Namibia. The next day, a man mysteriously returned the sword (each costs Rs 10 lakh) to the hotel where the cast was put up.

Then, while shooting in the Thar desert at a place in Bikaner, the swords were separated again... and lo! thunderclouds gathered and that area received very heavy rainfall for the first time in years. Next day, when the swords were still not brought together, a hailstorm lashed the desert, which was an eerie coincidence, uncommon in that area.

Freak explosions on flatbed rail cars used in the film followed and there were close shaves that could have been major mishaps thrice during a car chase sequence in Prague. All of which prompted Behl to keep the swords together from then on. “In the beginning, we just couldn’t understand what was happening, but now we don’t take any chances,” said the director. “Though magic and fantasy is part of the film we couldn’t relate this with what happened on the sets.” While Abhishek admitted, “It was bizarre... the incidents in Namibia and Prague, and ice falling from sky in the Thar region. The swords are a very important part of the character which I am playing. It’s actually difficult to explain...”

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DRONA also has certain sequences choreographed by London based sword master Richard Ryan

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DRONA is truly a project of an international scale. And this has been pretty much apparent through the sleek promos that have been unleashed over the fortnight gone by. While the special effects are indeed looking slick for this extravagant movie that brings together Abhishek Bachchan and Goldie Behl again after BAS ITNA SA KHWAB HAI, its action is also touted to be belonging to an altogether different style.

That’s because apart from top action director Shyam Kaushak choreographing some breathtaking sequences for the film, the film also sees the arrival of award-winning action coordinator Tom Delmar, who has worked on Guy Ritchie’s much acclaimed SNATCH. One of the highlights in the film has been a high-speed car chase which Delmar executed in Prague.

Not just that, DRONA also has certain sequences choreographed by London based sword master Richard Ryan (who trained Brad Pitt and Eric Bana for TROY). He trained Abhishek Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon in sword fighting for which the weapons were custom-made in Johannesburg. As a result, DRONA sees the climax boasting of a brilliantly choreographed fight sequence between the two actors.

In addition, closer home, sword-based martial arts like ’Kalaripayat’ and ’Chhau’ are also featured in the film along with the much Sikh martial arts Gatka which has Priyanka Chopra seriously turning into an action woman. For getting the body language and mannerisms just right for this part, Sikh martial arts trainers specializing in ’gatka’ were also flown down from Jalandhar.

As per the makers, DRONA is rooted in the vibrant tapestry of Indian mythology. It is the compelling modern tale of one man’s spectacular voyage through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies. Of a journey that will force him to face his fears and make him the hero he was born to become.

Also starring Jaya Bachchan, the film is all set for a 2nd October release.

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November will witness another burst of big ones like "Dostana", "Golmaal Returns", "Yuvraaj"

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When the original maverick of Hindi film industry gets outmanoeuvred by a newcomer, then one knows that change is here to stay.

In a week that was expected to belong solely to a chilling horror tale from Ram Gopal Varma who left no stone unturned to pitch "Phoonk" as the scariest Hindi movie ever, it is Nishikant Kamat’s off-beat "Mumbai Meri Jaan", a small-budget fresh take on terrorism, that has set people talking.

Release of "Phoonk" was accompanied by innovative promotions and publicity stunts. The hair-raising promos did succeed in raising the curiosity level in a way that no recent horror flick has done.

News reports say that the traffic to the film’s website outnumbered that to any of the other recent releases, including a hit film on teenage romance. But it is "Mumbai Meri Jaan" that is raking in all the critical acclaim and is making a mark among the most critical category of viewers -- the Gen Now. Kamat had earlier made "Dombivli Fast".

After a spate of big-budget archetypical Bollywood potboilers, it is heartening to see that the faith in low-budget tales told from the heart is very much intact. The phenomenon that made small-budget film "Aamir" a success, though it was released alongside "Sarkar Raj" that had Amitabh Bachchan his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, was not a flash in the pan but is here to stay.

"I don’t hold a grudge against blockbuster filmmakers. I only want all kinds of cinema to coexist," says filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. "The industry needs a blockbuster like ’Om Shanti Om’ to fund my kind of movies," he adds.

The sheer diversity in this week’s releases goes to show how far Hindi cinema has come from the days when films strictly followed formulas and points to where the industry is headed.

"Phoonk" hit the marquees along with three other diametrically different films. On one hand was a sequel to the popular animated feature "My Friend Ganesha 2", on the other was "Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam", based on the most box-office-friendly format of a bumbling romantic comedy.

While not much was expected from "My Friend Ganesha 2", "Maan Gaye..." had got many people excited. In the final analysis in "Maan Gaye...", Mallika Sherawat does unleash all her oomph while Rahul Bose becomes her perfect foil even as Paresh Rawal did what he does best. But the film about a small-town drama company’s rendezvous with terrorism is far from a scorching success.

The film has its funny moments but filmmaker Sanjay Chhel could not manage to keep viewer’s interest till the end.

In contrast, Kamat’s take on terror "Mumbai Meri Jaan" has emerged as the dark horse among this week’s releases. The more intense and in your face film explores the impact of the devastating serial bomb blasts of 7/11 that paralysed life in Mumbai two years back. It has powerhouse performances by R. Madhavan, Irrfan Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Kay Kay Menon.

For upcoming directors, the appreciation being showered on "Mumbai Meri Jaan" is confirmation that the industry and the box-office has finally let go of old prejudices and is welcoming new ideas with open arms.

With so-called multiplex movies like "Mithya", "Jab We Met", "Khosla Ka Ghosla", "Bheja Fry" and "Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na" - doing well, the day when independent expression and mainstream masala films begin to co-exist at the turnstiles are not far. The Hindi filmdom will no longer call filmmakers who harbour this dream, maverick or the unbecoming fool.

Among the bratty brigade of new-age directors who are getting dime-a-dozen producers willing to finance them are some who are as young as Kunal Deshmukh who directed the box-office hit "Jannat" at only 26.

"Bheja Fry" director Sagar Bellary says: "The audience has grown up. With more than eight channels beaming the best of cinema -- local and global -- right into your living room, movie consumption has tripled, so exposure is tremendous."

All eyes are now on writer Sachin Yardi’s directorial debut "C Kkompany", Kabeer Koushik’s "Chamku", which is coming after his brilliant directorial debut "Sehar", hype-sounding "Rock On" by newcomer Abhishek Kapoor, debutant Neeraj Pandey’s "A Wednesday" that brings together Naseerudin Shah and Anupam Kher after 12 years, Bellary’s next, "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!" by Dibakar Banerjee of "Khosla Ka Ghosla" fame and interesting sounding "Ru Ba Ru" by Arjun Bali.

All this before the Diwali and Eid big offerings by Bollywood arrive - biggies include Goldie Behl’s Abhishek Bachchan-starrer "Drona", Yash Raj Film’s animation film "Roadside Romeo" with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor voiceovers and Priyadarshan’s comedy "Billo Barber" with Shahrukh Khan, Irfaan Khan and Lara Dutta - all are schedule for October release.

November will witness another burst of big ones like "Dostana", "Golmaal Returns", "Yuvraaj" and later on "Chandni Chowk To China", "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and "Ghajini" hitting the big screen. The newcomers have until then to prove their might.

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The most bankable Bollywood stars, hoping their legions of fans will follow

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With India emerging as what Forbes calls “the global capital of celebrity cell phone promotions”, three Bollywood stars - Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan - figure in its list of “Ten Celebs and Their Cells”.

“Though the practice permeates the US, Europe and East Asia, India is the global capital of celebrity cell phone promotions,” said the US business magazine, with cell phones beginning to rival cosmetics and fashion in their pursuit of celebrity star power.

India is blessed with two unique characteristics: the world’s fastest-growing cellphone market and a plethora of home grown superstars, said the publication, known for its list of world’s wealthy on its Forbes.com. “That has phone makers competing to snap up The most bankable Bollywood stars, hoping their legions of fans will follow.”

Motorola recently signed Abhishek Bachchan, whose celebrity stems from his own acting career - the legacy of his actor father Amitabh Bachchan and the fame of his actress wife, Aishwarya Rai. As recently as March, Bachchan had been the face of LG in India.

Samsung has actor/director Aamir Khan, whose work, the company says, mirrors its brand’s “qualities of innovation, change, discovery, self-expression and excellence in performance.” Samsung has said it is counting on Khan’s popularity to help it double its market share in India this year.

Even the world’s largest phone manufacturer Nokia, which abstains from celebrity marketing elsewhere in the world, has a partnership with Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan that includes TV commercials and sponsorship of Khan’s cricket team.

Sony Ericsson has tennis star Maria Sharapova. Motorola has David Beckham, Danica Patrick, Wyclef Jean and Fergie. Samsung has soccer studs Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba.

And that’s not counting the corps of Bollywood, Cantopop and K-pop stars the companies employ in Asia, Forbes said.

Motorola has used brand ambassadors for about two years. The celebrities “help elevate and build credibility for the Motorola brand and products,” Forbes cited Jeremy Dale, vice president of marketing for Motorola Mobile Devices as saying. The trend is growing as more people around the world acquire cell phones - 3.5 billion and counting - and phone makers realise they need to work harder to sell their wares.

David Beckham frequently promotes Motorola’s RAZR2 while competing abroad. In February, he made a pit stop in Seoul, where Motorola has struggled to unseat Korean rivals Samsung and LG. One local newspaper that covered the event noted, “Beckham Comes to Rescue Motorola.”

Not every celebrity wants to be associated with a phone, even the latest, coolest models. Some endorse phones on the sly, limiting endorsements to companies based abroad. Actor Chris Noth - of “Sex and the City” and “Law & Order” fame - represents LG’s Secret phone in Australia, halfway around the world from his New York home, the publication said.

IKLAN

A lot of people feel that DRONA is a super-hero film, on the lines of Batman and Superman

IKLAN

Another director who’s back after a sabbatical is Goldie Behl. There has been a substantial gap between his directorial debut BAS ITNA SA KHWAAB HAI and his second outing DRONA. “Two reasons, ” Goldie spells out, “Nothing inspired me to start a film in the intervening period. Besides, I decided to dabble in television and establish my company.”

He gets into an introspective mood. “I was completely disillusioned. I took failure to my heart. But with the passage of time, I realized that one should never take failure to heart or success to head, ” the soft-spoken director states.

Goldie penned a couple of scripts in the intervening period. “And also made 3 / 4 films in my mind, ” he laughs. DRONA was ‘born’ after a lot of thinking and brainstorming sessions.

Now this is important: A lot of people feel that DRONA is a super-hero film, on the lines of Batman and Superman. Is it? “It’s not! It’s a modern-day fantasy adventure. Let me clarify, we haven’t copied the West or the East. It’s an original concept, very Indian at heart, a desi film, but presented in a contemporary format, ” he divulges.

Please continue. “I’ve grown up on popular Indian cinema and having grown up in a family environment, you’ll see a lot of familial bonding in DRONA.

IKLAN