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News:
Cola ad war heats up
Gaja Gamini leaves Husain between wonder & blunder
No role taboo for Tabu
High praise for The Cell - directed by Tarsem Singh
Music director Kalyanji is dead
Ayesha Dharker to act in the next episode of Star Wars
"Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya" gets a bumper response
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Cola ad war heats up
Leaving behind the controversy created by their earlier ad campaigns, the two cola giants, Pepsi and Coke, continue to sign top Bollywood stars to feature in their ads and create sensation. This time not only the heart- throb Hrithik Roshan has been cornered, but even his father has been roped in to direct the ad film. And the actress who will be co-starring with Hrithik is none other than the beautiful Aishwarya Rai. The couple has been paid an exorbitant price which no Bollywood star has till date got. In fact, Aishwarya Rai had endorsed Coke right after her first film. Meanwhile, Hrithik is replacing Pierce Brosnan... not as James Bond but as the model for a suiting firm.
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Gaja Gamini leaves Husain between wonder & blunder
The much publicised film Gaja Gamini has left its creator, eminent painter Maqbool Fida Husain, a confused man. And the man himself admitted this fact in so many words while speaking on Sunday evening after the selected screening of a 20-minute film on what he called the 'Making of Gaja Gamini'.
When told that many eminent artistes in the film, including Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, have said they are confused about the theme or message of Gaja Gamini, Husain retorted innocently, 'I am myself confused.' He himself rated the film, slated for world premier in Berlin on September 8 this year, as 'anywhere between wonder and blunder'.
The maverick painter is probably correct about the confusion in the film as it showed glimpses of various Indian dance forms, including classical and folk, but none of them complete in their beauty and finesse.
The film has scenes of Bihu of Assam but the rhythm is different; some mudras of Bharatanatyam are attempted but it remains incomplete; and some men in partial Kathakali make-up appear on the screen but the beats are incoherent.
Perhaps, Husain was attempting to make a collage from among the cultural diversities of the country, but the unifying thread was missing. The only message the snippets from Gaja Gamini and the process of filming it conveyed was that the painter was too obsessed with Madhuri Dixit, a fact he did not attempt to deny.
He further says that he has achieved his life’s dream with this film and adds that had he not made the film, he would have settled down to make a 100-feet-long painting.
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No role taboo for Tabu
Tabu’s first shot at movies was Prem, got noticed with the 'Ruk Ruk Ruk' number and later proved that she’s got something more than just hip-shaking and running around trees.
She proved her acting prowess and versatility in movies like Maachis and Hu Tu Tu, which solidified her footing in the bracket of serious actresses. A beauty with her head well placed on her shoulder and a national award to cap it all.
There are a few people in showville who actually try to get to the core of the character they play. Tabu is one of them few folks.
Chandani Bar, Tabu’s latest project is something other actresses in her league will think twice before they tread the path. The movie is based on prostitution and Tabu haunted the sleaziest joint in Mumbai to get the real feel of the character of a bar girl. To be natural in every aspect of it, down to jiving alongside real life bar girls, not extras. That’s commitment!
Her forthcoming releases Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and Ghaath, backed by sleek promos and the soundtrack soaring the charts, are predicted to be hits. And if everything goes well with the show Tabu might do a hat-trick with Chandani Bar.
Top
High praise for The Cell - directed by Tarsem Singh
The Cell directed by Tarsem Singh opened to rave reviews on Aug 18th.
Singh has also directed the music video for R.E.M's "Losing My Religion".
Here's the last paragraph from Roger Ebert's review @ suntimes.com/ebert:
Tarsem is an Indian, like M. Night Shyamalan of "The Sixth Sense," and comes
from a culture where ancient imagery and modern technology live side by side.
In the 1970s, Pauline Kael wrote that the most interesting directors were
Altman, Scorsese and Coppola because they were Catholics whose imaginations
were enriched by the church of pre-Vatican II, while most other Americans were
growing up on Eisenhower's bland platitudes. Now our whole culture has been
tamed by marketing and branding, and mass entertainment has been dumbed down.
Is it possible that the next infusion of creativity will come from cultures
like India, still rich in imagination, not yet locked into malls?
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Music director Kalyanji is dead
Noted Hindi film music director Kalyanji of the famous composer duo Kalyanji-Anandji, who took the Hindi film music to dizzy heights for nearly three decades, died in Bombay Thursday evening at the Breach Candy hospital following a prolonged illness.
He was 70. He is survived by his wife, five sons and musician brother Anandji.
Kalyanji was suffering from acute asthma and was hospitalised on August 10. The music composer complained of breathlessness and passed away at 5 pm due to complications.
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Ayesha Dharker to act in the next episode of Star Wars
In what may be best desribed as a huge achievement for an Indian
actress, Ayesha Dharker the Mumbai-based actress has landed herself a
role in George Lucas's latest Star Wars instalment, the fifth part of
which is easily the world's most successful film franchise of all
time. Ayesha, daughter of columnist Anil Dharker and painter-poet
Imitiaz Dharker, has featured in several acclaimed international films
including Roland Joffe's City of Joy with Patrick Swayze and Shabana
Azmi and Hallmark Entertainment's television series Arabian Nights. In
India, she has played pivotal roles in Santosh Sivan's multi-award
winning Tamil film Terrorist and Dev Benegal's Split Wide Open. Both
films were part of several international film festivals, and her
performance in these films won her much acclaim. She has also been
signed to play a lead role in Ismail Merchant's next, The Mystic
Masseur. The 22-year-old actress, when contacted to confirm the news,
politely declined to comment. "I've signed an agreement which
restricts me from speaking on this subject," she said. However, the
film's official wensite (star-wars.com) clearly states "Dharker will
be bringing her talents to Episode II as a regal leader.". The film's
casting director Robin Gurland was in New York earlier this year,
casting actors for the film when she happened to chance upon an
article in The New York Times by Hollywood actor John Malkovich
describing Dharker's performance in The Terrorist. Gurland was unable
to catch the film at the Cairo Film Festival, where it was playing
then, but borrowed a video casette of the movie from actor Samuel
Jackson. Having watched the film, Gurland says she was mesmerised by
Dharker's talent. Subsequently, she tracked down the actress in
London, and cast her for the part.
Top
"Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya" gets a bumper response
After his debut film "Refugee" failed to become a big hit, Abhishek
Bachchan's second film with newcomer Kirti Reddy titled "Tera Jadoo
Chal Gaya" is running successfully throughout India. All theatres have
reported 100 per cent collections at the box office on the opening
day. The film also stars Sanjay Suri, Kader Khan, Johny Lever and
others. The story is a typical bollywood masala movie. Pooja (Kirti
Reddy) works in an advertising agency in Mumbai and is always late for
work. She goes to Agra to attend her friend's wedding where she meets
Kabir (Abhishek Bachchan) who is a local videographer. Kabir falls
madly in love with Pooja and he is convinced that she's in love with
him. He gathers enough courage to propose to her but is heart broken
to find out that she has left to resume her job after a prolonged
holiday. Her boss, Mr. Oberoi (Kader Khan) fires her for rejoining her
job late. Just in time, her friend, Maggi (Johny Lever), picks up a
photograph of Kabir and herself posing against the Taj Mahal and tells
the boss that Pooja had a genuine excuse for coming late this time and
that she's got engaged in Agra. Pooja is horrified at the lie but this
saves her job. Pooja, then meets the man of her dreams, Raj (Sanjay
Suri), the boss' handsome son and falls in love with him. However
everybody in her office believe she's engaged to be married soon.
Meanwhile Kabir leave for Mumbai and after some misunderstanding is
finally united with Pooja. Abhishek Bachchan looks much more handsome
in this film compared to his debut film "Refugee" where he always
sports a beard. In this film he shows his talent as a dancer and puts
a good all round performance. Newcomer Kirti Reddy looks gorgeous and
gives a reasonble performance. The film is well mounted and slick in
production. Overall, a film not to be missed.
Top
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