Tag: Sujoy Ghosh

Bollywood’s Acclaimed Directors Sujoy Ghosh And Neeraj Pandey’s Films Selected For The First Ever JIO Filmfare Short Film Awards

Filmfare, a brand that’s synonymous with entertainment has taken a leap forward and ventured into the digital space by launching a new awards property, Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards. The awards property has roped in the creme de la creme of the industry including as the jury on board which includes the likes of – Gauri Shinde, Karan Johar, Meghna Gulzar, Vidya Balan, Zoya Akhtar and Kabir Khan. With several accomplished and upcoming filmmakers vying for the iconic Black lady, a first one for short film makers, the competition has become fierce now.

The awards property has succeeded in striking a balance between films from both established and aspiring directors which gives every filmmaker a fair chance to own a Black Lady! The winners will be announced via Facebook Live – a first of its kind – and honored at Filmfare Awards on January 14.

All the shortlisted films have been uploaded on the microsite and the Filmfare facebook page for as the public can also view and vote. Renowned director Sujoy Ghosh’s short film titled ‘Ahalya‘ and Neeraj Pandey‘s ‘Ouch’ are also in the list of the shortlisted movies competing for the coveted black lady. While Sujoy Ghosh has won the title of Best Director at FIlmfare Awards in the past, Neeraj Pandey was nominated for the same title. These familiar faces are coming together once again on the same platform in an interesting turn of events.

On being one of the jury, actress Vidya Balan said, “I’m excited to be on the judging panel of the first ever ‘Short Film Awards’, being championed by a widely recognized awards property like Filmfare. I have been a jury member for multiple film festivals across the globe but this is truly unique given that it’s the short film format. I am also happy to be the only actor on the jury among some of the country’s more acclaimed film directors. It’s wonderful that Filmfare has carved this property to highlight and celebrate the talent that exists in this space”

Director Karan Johar who is the part of Filmfare Short Film Awards Jury said, “I have been a part of innumerable Filmfare award ceremonies and it’s great to see them extend this prestigious platform to short filmmakers. There are lot of talented people out there this is a great way they can showcase it especially on a digital platform. Hope they seize the opportunity and make the most of it. I cannot wait for the awards to unfold and watch some cutting edge content.”

Acclaimed director Zoya Akhtar said, “The first ever Filmfare Short Film Awards is an ideal pedestal for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their work to the world. I am thrilled to be a part of the jury. With all the great digital content available I am sure it’s going to be tough to choose a winner. Also I am excited by the prospect of judging these films with other esteemed members on the panel.”

Director and Jury member Gauri Shinde said, “Having worked on short films in the past, I know for a fact that conveying a story through this medium is by no means an easy task. I think Filmfare has conceived a much needed property, and I’m delighted to be a part of the first ever Filmfare Short Film Awards. The category is very niche, but we need initiatives like these to back such filmmakers and bring them to the mainstream. I am looking forward to being a part of the jury along with Vidya Balan, Karan Johar, and the rest.”

Few films old, Film Director Divyansh Pandit’s ‘Lallan from Ahmedabad’ is also shortlisted for one of the categories under Filmfare Short Film Awards. It took the onlookers by surprise when the young director received an acknowledging tweet from Sujoy Ghosh wishing him good luck. Some of the short films also feature popular names playing pivotal characters, which include actors Sunny Leone, Alok Nath, Deepak Dobrial, Huma qureshi, Manoj Bajpai, Tisca chopra, Radhika Apte, Tota roy Chowdhary and Soumitra Chatterjee. These will be seen in these shortlisted films for the first ever Filmfare Short Film Awards.

2016/12/20
Kangana Ranaut Opens Up On Having A Baby!

Actor Kangana Ranaut has had a very inspiring journey in Bollywood. With no filmi connections, she came from a small district in Himachal Pradesh called Mandi to make it big in Bollywood. She started her career with Gangster – A Love Story in 2006. Today with three national awards in her name for Fashion, Queen, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, she has built a brand for herself.

She has also admitted to the fact that for her parents she was an “unwanted” child who rebelled during her younger days and chose a career against her father’s wishes.

This makes her now think of motherhood for herself.

The Queen of Bollywood says that her maternal instincts have started to kick in after leading an independent life for so long.

In an interview, the 29 years-old-actress said, “I think I have been fairly independent, but when you are in your late twenties, somewhere your maternal instincts start kicking in and you start to get that feeling very badly: ‘I want to have babies’. I never thought I would talk like this, but it gets really hard not to share it. I am hoping to see that day.”

On work front, Kangana has a promising line-up of films with Vishal Bhardwaj‘s Rangoon, Sujoy Ghosh‘s period piece Rani Lakshmi Bai and Hansal Mehta‘s crime thriller Simran.

Also Watch Video: Kangana Ranaut Spotted Partying

2016/12/19
This Is Real Age Of Vidya Balan And Not What Wikipedia Is Saying

Whenever Vidya Balan is on screen, she leaves a lasting impression. The reviews of Sujoy Ghosh‘s Kahaani 2 merely re-affirmation that she is a talent powerhouse.

Following the success at box office and getting raving reviews from the public and media alike, Vidya spoke about her age in of her interviews. She revealed, ”May I tell you on record that my birth date and my place of birth and a few other details too are wrong on Wikipedia. I have been trying to tell them that this is wrong information but they are just not ready to listen to me so, I really don’t know whom they are going to accept it from?”

”Please tell Wikipedia that my birth date is January 1, 1979, it says 78 and it says that I was born in Kerala however, I was born in Chembur, Mumbai,” she further added.

Now, we all know Wikipedia is not exactly the most reliable source of information, but aren’t we all guilty of cross checking things on Wikipedia? We know from the horse’s mouth about the misrepresentation of information.

Let’s hope this error is rectified as soon as possible!!

Also Watch Video: Bollywood Celebs At Vidya Balan’s Kahaani 2 Screening!

2016/12/05
Box Office: Vidya Balan Starrer Kahaani 2 First Day Opening!

Vidya Balan and Arjun Rampal starrer much-awaited film Kahaani 2 has finally hit the screens. The thriller film is a sequel to Kahaani (2012) and the audience has lots of expectation from the film. Kahaani 2 is also expected to show some wonders at the Box Office on the first day. Kahaani was critically acclaimed and it’s time for the test of brand value this week at the Box Office.

More than the star cast, this film majorly relies on its performances and a strong storyline. But did film manage to draw the expected audience in the threatres on its first day? Has Kahaani 2 got a decent opening at the Box Office?

CLICK NEXT TO KNOW IF KAHAANI 2 HAS GOT A GOOD OPENING OR NO!

2016/12/02
Daddy First Look: Arjun Rampal’s Shocking Transformation Into Arun Gawli

He is back with a bang and string of movies after a gap of three years. Arjun Rampal, one of the finest looking actors in Bollywood, just had a movie released, Rock On 2, has two upcoming releases, Sujoy Ghosh‘s Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh and Daddy.

In Daddy, Arjun Rampal portrays the character of gangster Arun Gawli. The actor unveiled, in a short audio-video clip, the first look of Daddy and his transformation into the gangster has uncanny resemblance. The video piece is an interview of the original Daddy, Arun. Yes, the original Daddy (Gawli) speaks for himself!! You hear his story in his voice. The video surely gives a chill down your spine.

Arjun wrote, “Super excited to give you #Daddy the first look out tomorrow. Here is #Daddy in his own voice. #goosebumps”

Here it is guys the first look of #Daddy let me know your thoughts. #Daddy #Eros #Erosnow #comingsoon pic.twitter.com/R3J1QMkeRv

— arjun rampal (@rampalarjun) November 29, 2016

This is an interesting way to promote the film, isn’t it?

Besides Arjun, Farhan Akhtar will be playing the role of Dawood Ibrahim. Daddy is being directed by Ashim Ahluwalia. The film also marks the debut of South Indian actress, Aishwarya Rajesh who plays Arjun’s onscreen wife.

Also Watch Video: Arjun Rampal’s Funny Take On Rock On!! 2 Being Flop

2016/11/29
Here’s How Vidya Balan Reacted When She Was Called As The Female Aamir Khan

Vidya Balan will be back on the silver screen with her much-awaited film Kahaani 2. The actress stunned everyone by the film’s first look and the trailer. The trailer of Kahaani 2 made the audiences simply spellbound and we can say that the actress is back in her league of films. The film will revolve around the story of Durga Rani Singh who is accused of kidnapping and murder. The suspense thriller brings back filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh and versatile actress Vidya Balan together.

The trailer was launched recently and it got thumbs up from the audience and even the critics were all praises about the trailer. Vidya Balan who was present at the trailer launch of the film was overwhelmed by the response. At the event, the actress was asked how she felt when people tagged her as the female Aamir Khan. The Dirty Picture actress responded with style. She said, “My films should also do the kind of business Aamir’s films do; only then I will believe that I am the female Aamir Khan. But sadly, it’s far away from the truth. After all, Aamir has been working for many more years.”

Well, Vidya Balan surely gave an honest reply. The actress has done many critically acclaimed films including The Dirty Picture, Kahaani and with Kahaani 2, we expect the same power-packed performance of Vidya Balan. Kahaani 2 is all set to hit the screens on December 2, 2016.

After Kahaani 2, Vidya Balan will be next seen in Begum Jaan. Interestingly, Begum Jaan will be the first release of 2017 and it will be hitting the big screen on January 6, 2017.

Also Watch Video:

2016/10/26
Teaser Poster: Vidya Balan Is WANTED In Kahaani 2

Vidya Balan will be back with a bang with her upcoming release Kahaani 2. ‘WANTED: For Kidnapping and Murder’, this is the tagline of the first teaser poster of Kahaani 2 which has been released. The film will revolve around the story of Durga Rani Singh which would be played by Vidya Balan. Vidya and Sujoy Ghosh have a very deadly combination and both the actor-director have come together once again for this much awaited film.

Going by the teaser poster of Kahaani 2, it seems that Vidya Balan will be seen in the avatar of a criminal who is accused with kidnapping and murder. The actress who is known for her versatility will again prove her potential with this film where her character is of a wanted criminal. The makers have surely made the fans curious about the suspense thriller.

The film is a sequel to the 2012 hit film Kahaani. Interestingly, the actress won’t be seen playing the role of Vidya Bagchi which she played in the the first installment of the Kahaani franchise. The movie also stars Arjun Rampal who will be seen essaying the role of a cop chasing Durga Rani Singh in Kolkata. Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh opened up about the film and said that the second part of the film has a complete different story from Kahaani and it would not continue where the first part ended.

The actress has impressed everyone with her power-packed performances in The Dirty Picture, Kahaani and now with Kahaani 2 it seems that she is back in her league. Kahaani 2 which was all set to lock horns with Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi has pushed the film’s release to a week later. Kahaani 2 will now be releasing on December 2, 2016.

Here is the teaser poster of Kahaani 2:

Well, Are you impressed with the teaser poster of Kahaani 2? Let us know

Also Watch Video:

2016/10/18
Vidya Balan’s Kahaani 2 Goes On Floors, Lead Actor Revealed

2016/03/17
Vidya Balan’s Malayalam Movie Urumi To Re-Release After Five Years Again. Watched It ?

[tps_footer]Urumi is a Malayalam movie with a heavy star cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Prabhu Deva, Genelia D’Souza, Nithya Menon, Vidya Balan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Arya and Alexx O’Nell. This, 2011 epic Indian historical drama film is directed, filmed and co-produced by Santosh Sivan and is written by Shankar Ramakrishnan. And now it’s ready to re release again but this time as a Hindi remake and even Vidya got this news just four months ago, when Vidya Balan visited filmmaker Kiran Kumar in his Mumbai office for a photo-shoot and she was presented with a seven-minute freshly cut promo of ‘Ek Yoddha Shoorveer‘, the Hindi-remake of ‘Urumi‘, a south film she had shot for over five years ago. That’s a big surprise !!

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Vidya currently, shocked everyone on social media after Sujoy Ghosh, the maker of Kahaani, posted a pic of Vidya‘s new look in Kahaani 2, where her beautiful face was only covered with green thick liquid. And now, a surprise re-release of a movie that even she won’t be thinking about, but Kiran Kumar has strong opinions in releasing this movie again with a Hindi remake and here is what he said, “Urumi is set in the early 16th century when Portuguese sailors invaded the Indian shores. It is a story about revenge and incorporates the life of Vasco Da Gama and his journey through South India.These concepts have never been explored in the North and the success of Baahubali made us realise that the audiences now is more open to a period saga like this.”

CLICK HERE FOR ALL LATEST BOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Kiran also added, “I began working on the remake a year ago and got in touch with all the actors. They have all agreed to come on board and promote it,” well, a lot of things are said and promised in the industry but very few turn out to be true and just like how Kiran had shared his plan for a re release with Vidya, he is ready to share it with us too. “I told her that I was going to take the epic action drama and give it a new ‘Baahubali style’ release. She was excited and loved the idea. We are dubbing and re-releasing the film across India, since all the actors have a huge fan following up North,”

Good luck for the re release of Ek Yoddha Shoorveer a.k.a Urumi to the entire cast and crew of this movie.[/tps_footer]

2016/03/09
OMG! Big Clash Between Amitabh Bachchan And Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

[tps_footer]2016 seems to be a year of clashes! After ‘Fitoor‘, Sanam Re‘, ‘Neerja‘, ‘Aligarh‘, Bollywood’s two awaited films, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan‘s ‘Sarbjit‘ and Amitabh Bachchan‘s ‘Te3n‘ are all set to clash at the box office on March 20.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL BOX OFFICE UPDATES

This year, not only Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, but also megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be competing with daughter in law Aishwarya. The makers of the film announced the release date of Sarbjit today and surprisingly, the film happens to release on the same date of Amitabh Bachchan‘s ‘Te3n‘.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL LATEST BOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Helmed by Omung Kumar, the movie will take the audiences through the untold story of the Indian slain prisoner Sarbjit who was imprisoned in Pakistan, mistaken for an Indian spy. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be seen playing the role of Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarbjit in the film. It is one of the most awaited biopics of the year. The film recently finished an important schedule in Punjab and Delhi and shot for a crucial sequence at the Wagah Border.

On the other hand, not much has been revealed about the storyline of Big B‘s ‘Te3n‘. But, it is said that the movie is a remake of a hit Korean film Montage. ‘Te3n‘ has majorly been shoot in the city of Kolkata, staring Vidya Balan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui alongside Big B. This would be Vidya Balan’s second movie with Nawazzudin and Sujoy Ghosh after the 2012 release ‘Kahaani’.[/tps_footer]

2016/03/08
Check Out Vidya Balan’s Shocking Look In Kahaani 2

[tps_footer]Vidya Balan has proved her metal in acting and has given brilliant performances in movies like Pa, The Dirty Picture, Hamari Adhuri Kahani, Kahaani and many more. Now, she is gearing up with another movie with Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh and she is doing every bit to give herself a new look for this movie.

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Recently, Sujoy shared a pic of Vidya covered in green colour liquid and barely her beautiful face is visible. It’s shocking and horrifying. Even the fans and followers on twitter could not digest this new look of Vidya and kept wondering what made Vidya say yes to this look and even allow Sujoy post her pic in this scary avatar.

Increasing and decreasing weight to fit in a character, changing hairstyles, donning different looks are a normal thing for actors worldwide but such a look, for Kahaani 2 is already making us curious to know what kind of story this one has and what type of scene were they shooting for which they required this kind of extraaaa make up ??

CLICK HERE FOR ALL LATEST BOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Right, now they won’t share anything about it soon. We will keep buzzing you about all the latest developments in Vidya Balan‘s Kahaani 2, we also admire this beautiful, brilliant actor and her collaboration with Sujoy Ghosh. Hope we get to see one more hit !! What do you say ?? Will they be able to create the same magic of suspense like the first movie in it’s sequel too ?
And don’t forget to check out this pic posted by Sujoy Ghosh and some hilarious tweets in the response of Vidya‘s new look,

new film. and a new balan 🙂 pic.twitter.com/yrWNh7u0xm
— sujoy ghosh
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2016/03/05
Celeb Sightings: Parineeti Chopra, Vidya Balan And Raveena Tandon At Different Launch!

2016/02/02
Amitabh Bachchan Holds A Press Conference For Wazir In Calcutta

2015/12/30
Photos: Amitabh Bachchan Gets Thronged By Fans At Kolkata!

2015/11/27
Photos: Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui Snapped On Te3n Sets

2015/11/26
Snapped: Vidya Balan Shoots In Kolkata For Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Te3n’

2015/11/25
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Replaces Kangana Ranaut In Her Next!

Bollywood’s blue-eyed beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is on a streak of singing films after films as she has finally made a comeback after five years. Aishwarya has now revealed that other than the two films which were already in her kitty, the actress has now nodded yes for Sujoy Ghoshs’s next film ‘Durga Rani Singh’ as well. And from what it looks, it seems there is one more film for which she will soon discuss things with Ghosh.

Aishwarya apparently confirmed the news over an interview with DNA where she stated that she currently has the following films lined up – Karan Johar’s ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, Omung Kumar’s biopic on Sarabjit Singh and now Sujoy Ghosh’s film ‘Durga Rani Singh’. Apparently she was approached for two films including Balaji’s ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’.

Also Read: Box Office: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Jazbaa First Day Collection

Ash states that she heard that the film has got shelved, but doesn’t know what is going on with it currently. Nonetheless we’re happy for the diva who is being welcomed back to the industry with open arms by prominent filmmakers. Well naturally, when you’re Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, people tend to line up to work with you!

Aishwarya’s comeback film ‘Jazbaa’ starring Irrfan Khan has hit theaters yesterday on October 9. The film is doing decent on the box office, but Ash fans are overjoyed with the actress’ return on the silver screen. Apparently actor Irrfan Khan is eyed to be the lead actor in ‘Durga Rani Singh’. After actresses like Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut and Kareena Kapoor Khan’s link with the film, the venture has finally landed in Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s kitty. Well we’re definitely thrilled to see more from Ash and all we have to say to her is welcome back!

Also Watch: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Opens Up On Working With Salman Khan

2015/10/11
Saif Ali Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan And Nawazuddin Siddiqui In Sujoy Ghosh’s Next!

Since the time Bollywood’s gorgeous actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who announced her comeback with Sanjay Gupta’s Jazbaa, has been bagging back to back films in her kitty. After Jazbaa, the actress signed Omung Kumar’s Sarbjit Singh biopic and now with the latest confirmation the actress will star with Saif Ali Khan in Sujoy Ghosh’s next film.

Sujoy Ghosh, who is making headlines for his stupendous 14 minute thriller short film Ahalya starring Radhika Apte, is now ready to climb another ladder of success by his first feature film after three years which is an adaptation of Keigo Huganshino’s Japanese novel called The Devotion of Suspect X. After creating a buzz on finalizing the lead actors of the film, the director has finally confirmed Saif Ali Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead roles.

According to the leading daily, director Sujoy Ghosh has confirmed that his next film will be with Saif Ali Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as he has never worked with both the actors earlier. However, he has already worked with Nawazuddin in Kahani (2012).

The shooting of the film will soon go on the floors and for the first time Saif and Aishwarya will be seen together sharing the same screen space. Directed by Sujoy Ghosh the shooting of the film will soon start once both the actors wrap up their earlier projects. Saif Ali Khan is currently busy with the release of Kabir Khan’s Phantom while Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is currently shooting for Sanjay Gupta’s Jazbaa which marks her comeback after almost five years.

Reportedly, it is said that The Devotion of Suspect X revolves majorly around two characters, a divorced single mother and her friendly neighbour but nothing is yet confirmed for the same.

On the other hand Bollywood’s beloved villain Nawazuddin Siddiqui who has long way to go is currently garnering all the attention for his brilliant performance as Chand Nawab reporter in Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan and we bundle of talent the actor will be seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s next with Saif and Aishwarya.

Also Read: Salman Khan Won’t Backout For Shah Rukh Khan!

Also Read: Here’s Why Shah Rukh Khan Wants To Walk Out Of Raees

2015/07/30
Shah Rukh Khan’s Reply To Radhika Apte’s Love Confession On Twitter!

Shah Rukh Khan’s recently released poster from his upcoming film Raees has made people go gaga over his complete new avatar. The actor is wooing his fans with his hardcore intense look for his upcoming film Raees directed by Rahul Dholakia.

With everyone thrilled with SRK’s new look, our Bollywood actress Radhika is no were behind complementing SRK’s impressive Raees look. The actress who is soon going to be popular with her upcoming ‘Manjhi – The Mountain Man’ opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui confessed her teenage crush to SRK.

It doesn’t comes as a surprise that a Bollywood actress has a crush on King Khan of Bollywood but what made us so keen is that the actress Radhika Apte literally confessed of having teenage crush for Badshah on her twitter handle. Just after the release of Raees poster, Radhika tweeted, I know I am super duper late to tweet this but my teen age crush began to grow again with this sight. Oh my god..

Soon after her tweet, SRK responded in his adorable manner saying “@radhika_apte thank you so much. Am glad I evoke ‘teenaginess’ in u. All the very best for your film, hear it’s brilliant.”.

Also Read : Revealed: This Is What Shah Rukh Khan Will Be Doing In Dilwale

Radhika who went surprised and blown away with Shah Rukh Khan’s response instantly replied saying that she is having a fan girl moment. She repied saying “@iamsrk Thank you for your such kind reply, it means so much to me. I can not wait to watch your film #fangirlmoment“.

Also yesterday during Vogue Beauty Awards 2015 awards ceremony, the actress was asked about SRK replying on her confession. To which she replied saying, “I know, my heart stopped beating for fractions of seconds when that happened. But he is my all time teenage crush.”

On the work front, Shah Rukh is currently shooting in Bulgaria for his upcoming film ‘Dilwale’ with Kajol whereas Radhika Apte will be soon seen in ‘Manjhi – The Mountain Man’. Radhika Apte is currently being appreciated for her performance in Sujoy Ghosh’s short thriller film ‘Ahalya’.

Also Read: Box Office: Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan Has A Super Strong Tuesday!

Also See Photos: Spotted: Bajrangi Bhaijaan Salman Khan Enjoying Pro Kabaddi League Match

Also See Photos: Anushka Sharma And Virat Kohli Grab Eyeballs Again

Also Read: Neha Dhupia Attacked On Twitter For Criticizing PM Modi’s Governance!

2015/07/22
It Was A Thrilling Experience For Radhika Apte To Work In Ahalya!

Bollywood actress Radhika Apte gained a lot of attention after her performance in film Badlapur. The actress proved that she is capable of anything and immensely talented. After Badlapur, the audiences saw Radhika in Manjhi: The Mountain Man’s trailer. And now, the actress recently shot for director Sujoy Ghosh’s short film named Ahalya.

Director Sujoy Ghosh is known for his excellent films, be it feature films or short films, his work often leaves audiences speechless. In this Bengali-English film Ahalya, Radhika Apte shared the big screen with veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee and Tota Roy Chowdhury. The Badlapur actress was absolutely thrilled to work with director Sujoy Ghosh in this short film.

Also Read : Here’s Why Radhika Apte Needed No Prepping For Anurag Basu’s Choker Bali.

The film tells the legendary story of Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Maharishi in Hindi mythology. The story somehow goes like this; Ahalya was seduced by the King of Gods, Indra and later cursed for infidelity. Ahalya’s curse was then broken by Lord Ram. The short film was recently released on digital platforms. Radhika Apte has yet again mesmerized the audiences with her mind blowing performance in Ahalya.

On work front, we’ll soon get to see Radhika Apte opposite to actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Manjhi: The Mountain Man. The movie is about Dashrath Manjhi, also known as Mountain Man, who broke a mountain for love. Born in a poor family from the low cast, Dashrath lived in a remote village far cut off from the world, surrounded by edgy and rocky mountains. He was madly and deeply in love with his wife, Phaguniya. Dashrath’s world shattered into pieces when his wife slipped while climbing the mountain and fell to her death. This tragic incident turned Dashrath’s life upside down. Burdened by the grief of lost love, he decided to carve out a safe way through the edgy mountain, where a lot of people have fallen to their deaths. It took him 22 years of carving and breaking to form a path through the mountain. Seasons came and went, but he stood still like a rock, stiff on his decision, with nothing more than a hammer and a chisel, he achieved his goal.

Manjhi: The Mountain Man is a true inspiring story of love, passion and grief. The biopic is all set to hit the theatres on 21, August 2015.

Also See Photos: Airport Spotting: Ranveer Singh Brings Beautiful Flowers For Deepika Padukone

Also See Photos: What Shocked Bipasha Basu And Karan Singh Grover After Being Clicked By Paparazzi

2015/07/21
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan And Saif Ali Khan To Team Up Next?

Glamorous beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who dazzled the red carpet of Cannes 2015 with her mesmerizing trousseau choices is making news already for her film projects.

The actress who launched the trailer of her comeback film Jazbaa directed by Sanjay Gupta at the prestigious film festival shared that she will be a part of Sujoy Ghosh’s next project.

However, the beauty did not give out any grave details about the same as to which project of Sujoy she is considering. Speculations are that Saif Ali Khan will play the lead opposite Aishwarya in Sujoy’s film. It is rumored that Saif andAishwarya will play the leads in the screen adaption of ‘The Devotion Of Suspect X’.

The film is based on a Japanese best seller by Keigo Higashino. The author is famous for his works Naoko, Salvation Of A Saint and Malice apart from The Devotion Of Suspect X.

It is speculated that Aishwarya wasn’t the first choice for this adaption. Nevertheless, Aishwarya apart from the above stated films will be seen in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil by Karan Johar.

Currently, the charismatic actress is enjoying her Cannes visit and is interacting with her fans. Aishwarya has already been claimed as the best dressed Bollywood diva in Cannes. With much experience and elegance we are sure she deserves the claim. Aishwarya’s comeback is gauging huge eyeballs already. Now whether Saif and Aishwarya team up for film or not, only time will tell!

2015/05/22
Saif Ali Khan Signs Three Film Deal With Ekta Kapoor

It’s raining films for actor Saif Ali Khan! Yes, recent reports suggest that Saif Ali Khan has signed a good three-film deal with the ‘Queen of Soap Operas’ Ekta Kapoor. The actor, who had a tough 2014, will be seen in Bollywood adaptation of Japanese murder mystery thriller ‘The Devotion of Suspect X‘.

The film will be produced by Ekta Kapoor and directed by Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh. It is said that Ekta and Saif met with each other after signing the first film to discuss about the other two more films. Though, the details about other two projects are not out yet.

Also Read : Snapped: Saif Ali Khan And Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Bash

The Bollywood adaptation of Japanese film, which is originally based on a book with the same name by author Keigo Higashino, tells a story of a very clever mathematics professor who helps a divorced mother cover up a tragic event. The story is cat and rat chase. It’ll be really interesting to see how well and which character Saif aces in the Bollywood adaptation of ‘The Devotion of Suspect X‘. Also, we are eager to see how the director Sujoy Ghosh takes us through the story. The upcoming film will go on floors in May this year. Currently, Saif is going through kickboxing training. Reportedly, actress Kangana will share the screen space with Saif in this film.

Also Read : Padma Shri Award To Be Taken Away From Saif Ali Khan?

This year is going to be a busy one for the actor as he has got a lot on his plate. If rumours are anywhere to be true, as soon as Saif wraps up this project, he will start shooting for Sameer Sharma‘s upcoming film Jugalbandi.

Also Read : Spotted: Anushka Sharma At Virat Kohli’s Residence In Delhi

Also Read: April Fool’s Day Special: Top 10 Pranksters Of Bollywood

Also Read: Salman Khan Hit And Run Case: Court Urged To Reject Claim Of Actor’s Driver

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2015/04/02
Bollywood Wishes Amitabh Bachchan On His Birthday

Today is officially the Amitabh Bachchan day. Twitter is abuzz with wishes for his and #HappyBirthdayAmitabhBachchan is trending.

Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss Season 8 house : Click Here For Breaking Updates, Photos

This is what celebs had to say about the genius of an actor called Amitabh Bachchan.

2014/10/11
Our Wishlist For Hollywood’s Kahaani

Yash Raj Films announced they will be remaking Sujoy Ghosh’s hit thriller Kahaani for Hollywood audience. Now, it filled us with pride that Uday Chopra is taking best of our stories abroad because it is time they realize we are more than song and dances. That also made us wonder who would best suit for the characters in the film. And here’s what we think…

The lead was played to perfection by Vidya Balan in Kahaani and the only person we can think of who can carry this off in Hollywood is Katherine Heigl. The character needs to look every bit homely while harbouring a sinister plan and she is the only one who can do it with aplomb.

For the role of Vidya’s cop aide in the film which was brilliantly portrayed by Parambrata Chakraborty, Edward Norton would fit the bill. There has to be certain vulnerability attached to the character and Norton excels in such roles.

For Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character, George Clooney will be beyond perfect. Yes, we agree the role isn’t long and might not justify Clooney’s stature, but he will delicious to look at (winks).

For Arnab Bagchi or Milan Damji which was played by Indraneil Sengupta in the original, we can easily pick Bradley Cooper for the same. Do we need to explain the reasons here?

2014/07/28
Bollywood Pays Tribute To Rahul Dev Burman

2014/06/28
More Arsenal For Bang Bang! Director Ropes In Two More Directors!

Now, this surely is a first for Bollywood. Director Siddharth Anand, who is busy at work, shooting for the Hrithik Roshan starrer Bang Bang, will rope in two additional directors on the team.

Siddharth Anand confirmed the news that he has roped in Abbas Tyrewala and Sujoy Ghosh, as additional names in the writing department. Abbas is best known for Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, while Sujoy’s Kahaani is renowned.

Said Siddharth, “Yes, the information you have is true. The writing department of Bang Bang has the likes of Sujoy Ghosh and Abbas Tyrewala. In fact, Sujoy and Suresh Nair, the team that wrote the brilliant screenplay of Kahaani (2012) is writing the screenplay.”

He further added, “I don’t have words to describe what Abbas brings to the table. He is simply awesome. He and I had worked together in my first directorial venture, so it’s just great to team up with him again.”

Apart from a brilliant writing team, the film shall also have some super locations. A source on the film’s production unit also revealed that the film would include scenes featuring some of Abu Dhabi’s best-known landmarks. “We would like to film at Emirates Palace, but we haven’t decided yet. We will also be shooting at the Capital Gate.”

The leaning tower; known to some as Abu Dhabi’s own Tower of Pisa – is on the film location map and is bound to attract more Indian visitors to enjoy its panoramic views.

“We have also shat at the bridge to nowhere, as this is a quiet spot which is ideal for action scenes,” the source said. “We don’t have plans to actually film at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, out of respect for the people who would be using the space, but we will try to feature the landmark in some way from a distance.” reveiled our source.

Bang Bang is the official remake of Hollywood flick Knight And Day, and stars Katrina Kaif as the female lead, along with Hrithik Roshan.

2014/05/04
Vidya Balan Opts Out Of Sujoy Ghosh’s Durga Rani Singh

Well you have head it right; Vidya Balan has opted out of Sujoy Ghosh‘s Durga Rani Singh due to health issues. From the past few months, there has been too much talk about Vidya Balan being pregnant. Well the actress very clearly says that she is not ready for motherhood.

Vidya Balan is fed up of her pregnancy rumours and stated that she will have children in the near future.

“Inshallah, I will have a baby but not so soon. I’m not mentally ready for motherhood yet. It’s a daunting task to be responsible for another human being.” stated Vidya, how looked annoyed with all that being talked about.

Currently she is having niggling health issues that she is trying to sort out and that was the soul reason she had to say no to Sujoy Ghosh.

“It was not an easy decision. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, I couldn’t believe what I was saying. But I had a valid reason. In our industry, health is the last priority but I couldn’t afford to neglect mine any further. If Mohit Suri’s Hamari Adhuri Kahani had started in March according to the original schedule, I would have opted out of that film too.” stated Vidya Balan in a leading tabloid.

Vidya is very upbeat about Hamari Adhuri Kahani that is expected to go on floor in October/November 2014. The main reason she took up this film was the fact that Mahesh Bhatt has written a script after fourteen years.

On the personal front too things are looking good. Vidya Balan, who married producer Siddharth Roy Kapur has certainly changed her tastes. Her once well known passion for South Indian food has disappeared.

Vidya, has now reportedly found new culinary cravings for all things Punjabi. Of late Vidya Balan has been searching for a North Indian cook. Her taste now favours rajma-chawal, chole-bhature, and all other Punjabi food delicacies.

Here’s wishing Vidya Balan all the best and we do hope that she gets all her heath issues sorted out as soon as possible.

2014/05/01
From Queen To Mother: Kangana Ranaut’s Next

After receiving rave reviews, both from within the industry, and from audiences and critics alike, Queen aka Kangana Ranaut is gearing up to play a mother in Sujoy Ghosh’s upcoming film.

Yes, after Vidya Balan (of The Dirty Picture and Ghanchakkar fame) walked out of Sujoy Ghosh’s project, Kangana has plumply replaced the Kahaani star. The actress, in her own sweet way, confirmed the rumours that she has replaced Vidya Balan in Durga Rani Singh (tentative title), when she said, “I would be doing the film with Sujoy. I am excited about it. It is a suspense thriller and beyond this I cannot reveal anything

Interestingly, Sujoy’s film will see the Queen star essay the role of a 35 year-old mother to a paralytic 14 year-old girl.

Naturally, Ranaut is still flying high post the stupendous success of Vikas Bahl’s Queen, and is grateful to her fans for loving her. “”I am very happy with the response to Queen. We had not expected this kind of appreciation. We are overwhelmed. We are thankful to the audience for this love for the film,” Kangana said.

Interestingly, this will be Kangana’s third film with the Queen connect! The first being Bahl’s stunning masterpiece, the next being Revolver Rani which will release shortly, and then will be Ghosh’s Durga Rani Singh. So the title Queen/ Rani really is becoming her pet project and her identity.

We wish Kangana Ranaut all the very best for all her upcoming projects.

ALSO READ:
Kangana Ranaut And Her Birthday Celebrations

2014/03/28
Bollywood Mourns Bobby Chawla’s Death

2014/03/10
Sujoy Ghosh Dumps Vidya Balan!

Sujoy Ghosh who struck a cord with the audiences post the release of Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani in 2012 had announced his plans for starting a sequel soon. But, now the fate of the same looks shaky.

Sujoy Ghosh now reveals that he has no plans to start the sequel of the film soon. “I am done with Kahaani; I am not taking that brand forward at this moment. I want to go beyond that,” said Sujoy.

Although he has just finished writing another thriller, he insists that it has nothing to do with the Vidya Balan starrer.

Also, if sources are to be believed then Sujoy is not so keen to cast Vidya for his next project and has left the decision to fate and destiny. This one hurts.

Meanwhile, Sujoy is all set to start a project for Balaji Telefilms. He will only be directing the film. The creative team at Balaji Telefilms is currently busy scripting and casting for this film and once its ready, Sujoy is expected to take over and start shooting. The yet untitled film is an adaptation of Japanese author Keigo Higashino’s book, The Devotion Of Suspect X.

Kahaani that was released on March 9, 2012 got thumbs up from both, the critics as well as the masses, and it was expected that the team of Sujoy and Vidya would start work on another project soon. But, then here has been no news about it so far.

If sources close to Sujoy are to be believed then, Sujoy is already ready with the script of the sequel and has had some close door meetings with Vidya Balan on the same.

What is strange is the fact that he is trying desperately to keep this news under raps for reasons known to him.

2013/11/27
Meet The Jury! FFI Members Who Selected ‘The Good Road’ – India’s Oscar Entry

MUMBAI: On Saturday, the Film Federation of India (FFI) committee chose the Gujarati film ‘The Good Road’ as India’s official entry to the Oscars for 2014 in the Best Foreign Language Film Category.

Acclaimed Bengali director Gautam Ghose was the Chairman of the jury. The other names on the jury included Hindi film directors Sujoy Ghosh and Onir, and other directors such as N Shankar, K P Kumaran, Mahesh Kothare, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Kavita Lankesh and C V Reddy,

It also included actorss Rupa Ganguly, Vijay Patkar, fashion designer Agnimitra Paul, screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey and music director Vidya Sagar.

The others included on the jury were Bharthiraja, Indraneel Bose, Sanjay Verma, Ramadoss Naidu and Aarti Anand.

The FFI committee is the one that selects the one film from India to represent the country at the Oscars every year. Last year, the committee (a different one) had included ‘Barfi!’.

2013/09/26
UPDATE: Kundan Shan Not Captain For ‘Kahaani 2’

MUMBAI: Sujoy Ghosh will be a happy man. He has found his way with the ‘Kahaani’ sequel and it may well be that Sujoy himself will helm the sequel of the Vidya Balan starrer.

It was reported by a leading tabloid that post the fallout with Sujoy Ghosh, PEN India has finalised Kundan Shah of ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ fame to direct the sequel. Our story (Read here) also had Sujoy Ghosh being unhappy about ‘Kahaani’ slipping away from his hands.

But now Kundan Shah has cleared the air and confirms that he isn’t directing the sequel anymore.

“Why would I want to make it? That’s Sujoy Ghosh’s domain. He did a brilliant job in ‘Kahaani’. No other director can do justice to the brand”, said Kundan Shah. He also said that he had approached PEN India and Jayantilal Gada with a women oriented subject. And it was Jayantilal Gada who suggested it be made into ‘Kahaani 2’. He also says that his next film is a political satire called ‘Masquerade’, based on a dead body coming alive.

“He says the rights are with him. I am not comfortable with this at all. Why should I claim any creative right over the franchisee? It’s Sujoy’s baby”, added Kundan. He also wishes that the producers PEN India and Sujoy Ghosh patch up and make ‘Kahaani 2’, but says to keep himself from all the controversies surrounding the sequel. Meanwhile Sujoy Ghosh says, “No one can make ‘Kahaani 2’ without my consent. I will make the sequel. Its mine.”

With so many twists and turns in this ‘Kahaani’ we hope that there is some consensus reached and audiences get to see some action soon. With Sujoy holding his ground and producers fighting over the remake, we wonder who will direct this saga? The hunt is on!

2013/07/22
‘Ship Of Theseus’ In The Art V/s Box Office Conflict

MUMBAI: We are celebrating the 100 glorious years of Indian cinema. But in the recent trend of the ‘100 crore’ club, how many films with great content can we boast of? Sadly, not many. The list remains confined to mass entertainers. But what about Art? With films like ‘Bombay Talkies’, ‘Lootera’ getting thumbs up from critics but slammed by audiences, Indian audiences, don’t think are matured to receive a film like ‘Ship Of Theseus’.

A lot of credit has to be given to the power of Twitter and Social Media for bringing a festival bound film like ‘Ship Of Theseus’ to life amongst Indian audiences. A campaign to engage audiences to release the film in their city may work amongst a few sets of ‘classy’ audiences but not among the aam junta comprising the autowallahs or sabziwallahs. For them a movie outing means ‘Entertainment’ (in true Vidya Balan Style). Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan and UTV might have thought smart to release the film majorly in metros, but guess they aren’t bothered about making money at the box office (read reaching the elite club). For them art is more important than numbers, it seems.

Sadly our audiences have been choosy about the films they watch and even a film as aesthetic and strong as ‘Lootera’ gets a whip from the ordinary movie audiences. This shows that our audiences haven’t matured and do not wish to.

Businessofcinema.com spoke to Milap Zaveri, writer of commercial potboilers like ‘Shootout At Wadala’, ‘Masti’ and the upcoming ‘Grand Masti’ and he says, “Our audiences are too huge and scattered. Films like ‘Ship Of Theseus’ may get praise from a handful of critics and cinema buffs over Twitter, but Twitter is detached from reality. These films are restricted to festival circuits and niche audiences. With films like these getting released, only one or two get acclaimed and noticed. The masses of India may not understand. For them entertainment is when there is dialogue, scenes eliciting claps, people whistling. They spend close to Rs 250 on a single ticket and if with family spend close to Rs 1000 and all they want is ‘Paisa Vasool’.”

He acknowledges that a star presence makes a huge difference and also says that Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ekta Kapoor have been smart backing ‘Ship Of Theseus’ and ‘Lootera’ respectively, which otherwise wouldn’t have seen a release.

So what is it that we need to do to get closer to offbeat content? Will we continue to see logic defied content in our movies and arty stuff goes for a toss? Or are we headed for a sea change in the hundred years of cinema that we have seen?

Milap confidently says, “Commercial movies will always rule. Niche content overtaking commercial cinema will never happen. But even experimental cinema and offbeat content, if made with a striking balance (giving the example of ‘Kahaani’) will have commercial value.”

While UTV and Kiran Rao have gone ahead with a well placed Voting campaign, thanks to inspiration from Aamir Khan himself, it needs to be seen if the audiences who have opted for to watch ‘Ship Of Theseus’ embrace it with full heart. What also needs to be seen is the road ahead for Indian cinema.

Whether we are able to strike a fine balance between fine content and commercialism?

2013/07/19
Nayi Kahaani – Kundan Shah To Helm ‘Kahaani’ Sequel

MUMBAI: Unreasonable demands made by Sujoy Ghosh has allegedly led to his ouster from directing the much awaited ‘Kahaani’ sequel. It seems that after demanding Rs 35 crore to direct the sequel, Sujoy Ghosh has been shown the way with Kundan Shah replacing him as the new director on board.

This time, PEN India Pvt Ltd. and the CMD Jayantilal Gada have taken the decision to rope in Kundan Shah of ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ fame to direct the sequel.

A source close to Jayantilal Gada has said, “Sujoy never sent any reply to Gada’a mail and after contemplating for a while, PEN India decided to replace Ghosh with Shah.”

Jayantilal Gada also added and said, “Movies are made with teamwork and not greed.”

Reportedly, Sujoy Ghosh expressed his displeasure on the situation and has laughed off the incident stating, “Anybody can make a women oriented film. Be it Kundan Shah or Jayantilal Gada. Let them do what they want. As far as story of Vidya Bagchi is concerned, nobody can take the story forward except me…But it’s only me, who has the right to work on that story.

The director has also expressed his angst on Twitter:

and if you believe everything that you read.. then let me tell you.. i just saw a pink elephant fly past..

— sujoy ghosh (@sujoy_g) July 17, 2013

yo KAHAANI fans.. you have no idea how much love you gave to our film & us. so whatever i make next.. will honor that love. i promise you 🙂

— sujoy ghosh (@sujoy_g) July 17, 2013

Looks like, Sujoy Ghosh does not want to part with his baby. But a twist in the ‘Kahaani’ seems certain!

2013/07/17
No Doosri ‘Kahaani’ For Sujoy Ghosh?

MUMBAI: Sujoy Ghosh seems to be riding really high these days. The director who garnered huge praise after ‘Kahaani’ starring Vidya Balan became a hit has demanded a whooping Rs 35 crore from co-producers Pen India for the film’s sequel.

The script of the film isn’t even ready and the sudden demand made by Sujoy Ghosh for such a huge amount has surely baffled CMD Jayantilal Gada.

‘Kahaani’ was made with a modest budget of Rs 8 crores and collected almost four times the amount at the box-office. Sujoy Ghosh has sent a letter to Pen India, stating that he requires Rs 35 crores for the sequel.

This includes Rs 28 crore as the film’s making cost and his directorial fees and Rs 7 crore on publicity. Sujoy Ghosh has also set pre conditions and asked Jayantilal Gada for the amount to be paid in advance. One of the top conditions that has been mentioned is that if Pen India (who will only finance the film) does not reply stating his ‘unconditional’ acceptance Ghosh will go ahead without Jayantilal Gada on board.

Sujoy Ghosh said, “An offer has been made to Pen India, but they have every right to refuse ‘Kahaani 2’. If they agree we will make it together, else I will find someone else.”

Meanwhile Pen India, CMD Jayantilal Gada is not willing to accept this offer and says, “How can I accept such things unconditionally? As per our agreement Sujoy cannot make the sequel without our consent. We are 50-50 partners in the franchisee.”

Gada has also termed Sujoy Ghosh’s letter as ‘irrational’ and has replied back to Ghosh clearly stating that ‘Kahaani 2’ will only be made if Vidya Balan gives the final nod (in writing), there is a proper break-up budget and the full script of ‘Kahaani 2’.

With so much controversy and exchange of words, the wait for the much anticipated sequel has just got longer.

2013/07/02
Auteur Rituparno Ghosh’s Last Journey

KOLKATA: Yesterday, visionary director, actor and gay rights activist Rituparno Ghosh passed away after a cardiac arrest, at his residence in South Kolkata.

His last journey was atop a truck, in a procession attended by many of cinema’s greats like Mrinal Sen, Aparna Sen, Soumitra Chatterjee and many others. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also attended Ghosh’s funeral, and was seen in white.

Hours after Ghosh’s demise, the industry expressed their sorrow of losing a great filmmaker like Rituparno, best known for his sensitive portrayals of the human condition, love and death in films like ‘Chokher Bali’, ‘Antar Mahal’, ‘Chitrangada’, ‘Memories in March’ and many others.

The Shehenshah of Indian cinema too, Amitabh Bachchan expressed his grief upon hearing the news.

“I have no words for the grief which I am feeling today. The country has lost a great artist,” Bachchan said.

Having worked together in ‘The Last Lear’, Bachchan said he was shocked at Ghosh’s sudden demise. He said: “We had spoken on the phone a few days back about a film which we wanted to make together.”

2013/05/31
Bang Bang: Hrithik And Katrina All Set To Recapture Their Chemistry

MUMBAI: One of the hottest on-screen Bollywood jodi Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, will begin shoot for their next big film together in May, 2013. The duo was last seen putting the screen on fire in ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’

The actors will get back together to shoot for director Siddharth Anand’s ‘Bang Bang’, a remake of the 2010 Hollywood hit romantic-action-comedy film ‘Knight and Day’ starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

‘Bang Bang’ will be produced and distributed by Fox Star Studios’, who have movies like ‘My Name Is Khan’ (2010), ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ (2011), ‘Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola’ (2013) and ‘Jolly LLB’ (2013) to their credit.

The film is expected to recapture the intense chemistry between Hrithik And Katrina and showcase amazing stunt sequences. It will be shot in the exotic locations of Europe, Far East and India.

Sujoy Ghosh and Suresh Nair have penned down the film’s screenplay, while Abbas Tyrewala has written down the dialogues.

Meanwhile, in 2013, both Hrithik and Katrina will be seen Krrish 3 and Dhoom 3 respectively. ‘Bang Bang’ has an initial release date scheduled for May 1, 2014.

2013/04/17
Dream Cast For Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Badla’ – Amitabh, Vidya, Naseeruddin

MUMBAI: Director Sujoy Ghosh, whose last film ‘Kahaani’ was a super hit, is planning to make his next even bigger with a cast filled with brilliant stars like Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Amitabh Bachchan.

According to reports, Sujoy Ghosh’s next film ‘Badla’, a Bollywood revenge drama will star the three industry powerhouse actors.

‘Kahaani’ bagged three national awards and multiple awards for best actress, best direction and best film at other award shows. Vidya has previously shared screen space with both actors. She played the role of Amitabh’s mother in the critically appreciated film Paa (2009) by R Balki. Vidya also played Naseeruddin Shah’s love interest in Abhishek Chaubey’s ‘Ishqiya’ (2010) and Milan Luthria’s ‘The Dirty Picture’ (2011).

The director had expressed his desire to work with both Amitabh and Naseeruddin as long as he had a good script. Looks like his dream is about to come true. However, there has not been any official announcement yet. But if at all the three megastars agree for the film, this movie would have to be at the top most priority of cinema lovers.

2013/04/15
Homebound: Bollywood Stars Return From TOIFA

MUMBAI: A galaxy of glittering Bollywood stars were spotted returning from Vancouver, Canada after attending the maiden edition of the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) there.

Shah Rukh Khan and his ring of security personnel were spotted arriving at Mumbai International Airport. The superstar, dressed in a black blazer and jeans, looked tired yet relieved to be back home, after his energy-packed performance at the TOIFA.

SRK’s ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ co-star Katrina Kaif was also spotted in an all-black ensemble, and no makeup, where she rushed straight from the arrival terminal into her waiting car. (SEE PHOTOS HERE)

Malaika Arora Khan aka ‘Munni’ followed Katrina’s example, and also donned minimal makeup while landing in Mumbai. Manish Malhotra was probably the most forthcoming Bollywood personality who stopped and posed for pictures for the waiting paparazzos.

Ranbir Kapoor exited the airport separately, dressed in black. On his head was a black ski cap, and slung around one shoulder was a blue travel bag. (SEE PHOTOS HERE)

Chitrangada Singh flaunted her skinny frame in a tight grey tee and jeggings, and brown leather boots. Boman Irani chose a black leather jacket over a checked shirt and jeans, while Sujoy Ghosh rocked the airport lounge look in a loose grey pullover and yoga pants.

Prabhu Deva kept it casual in the sweltering heat with a cotton shirt and jeans, while ‘Barfi!’ director Anurag Basu was seen in white (and a green Adidas cap).

2013/04/09
Golden Kela Awards: Ajay Devgn – The Worst Actor, Dabangg 2 – The Worst Sequel

MUMBAI: The Fifth edition of the Golden Kela Awards are back… with their satirical take on the worst performances of the year in Bollywood! The “Winners” are below:

Worst Actor Male: Ajay Devgn (‘Son of Sardaar’ and ‘Bol Bachchan’)

Worst Actor Female: Sonakshi Sinha (All her films including hits like ‘Dabangg’, ‘Dabangg 2’ and ‘Rowdy Rathore’)

Worst Director ‘Beta Tumse Na Ho Payega’: Shirish Kunder (Joker)

Worst Film of the Year: ‘Joker’

Worst Sequel: ‘Dabangg 2’

Bawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke Award: Viewers of ‘Dabangg 2’

Most Irritating Song: ‘Chinta Ta Chita Chita’ (Rowdy Rathore)

Most Atrocious Lyrics: Anvita Dutt for ‘Ishq Wala Love’ (Student of the Year)

Super Hit of 2012: Shah Rukh Khan for hitting Shirish Kunder in a party last year.

Why Are You Still Trying Award: Jackky Bhagnani (‘Kal Kissne Dekha’ and ‘Ajab Gazabb Love’)

Bas Kijiye Bahut Ho Gaya Award: Bhatt family

However, other than humorously criticizing Bollywood actors and filmmakers, the event also appreciated some of the talented directors in the industry with the “Anti-Kela” awards.

The recipients of the award were Anurag Kashyap for ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, Tigmanshu Dhulia for ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, Shoojit Sircar for ‘Vicky Donor’ and Sujoy Ghosh for ‘Kahaani’.

2013/04/01
Photos: Bollywood Rallies Around A Convicted Sanjay Dutt

MUMBAI: Bollywood has united to rally around convicted actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been sentenced to five years in jail for illegal possession of arms, in connection with the horrific 1993 serial terror attacks which rocked Mumbai.

Under the Arms Act, the Supreme Court has upheld the sentence awarded to Sanjay Dutt in 2007 which acquitted him of conspiracy charges but held the actor guilty of receiving guns from the terrorists’ associates involved in the bombings.

Yesterday, the apex Court awarded Dutt 5 years in jail, of which he has already served 1.5 years previously. Sanjay Dutt has been given a time frame of 4 weeks either to file a review petition, or surrender himself.

As soon as news broke of Dutt’s sentence, Bollywood rallied around their ‘Munnabhai’ aka Sanjay Dutt, expressing shock and disbelief, and not to mention an immense sense of grief for Sanjay.

Many, like Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan, Pritish Nandy, Arjun Rampal, Ritesh Deshmukh took to twitter to express their shock and outrage at the conviction.

Spotted rushing to Sanjay Dutt’s residence soon after the SC verdict was made public, were a host of Bollywood actors, film-makers and producers. Among the first to arrive were Dutt’s good friends Bunty Walia and Milan Luthria, who came around the same time that ‘Kahaani’ filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh arrived. Good friend Rajkumar Hirani was also spooted at the Dutt residence.

Congress MLA Baba Siddiqui, who is a close friend to the Dutts, also came to show his solidarity with the family. Sanjay’s sister Congress MP Priya Dutt was also spotted at his residence, looking distraught at the news.

Superstar Ranbir Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Prabhu Deva, filmmakers Anees Bazmee were also seen at the Dutt residence.

As we reported yesterday, the makers of films which star Sanjay Dutt were in even more turmoil, as they would have to decide how to wrap up shoots involving Dutt, or whether to snip his role in their films. Dutt’s upcoming lineup of films includes ‘Unglee’, ‘Policegiri’, ‘Zanjeer’ and ‘Peekay’.

2013/03/22
Unconventional Cinema Shines At 60th National Awards

MUMBAI: Critically acclaimed and unconventional Bollywood films, which were in abundance in 2012, emerged big winners at the prestigious National awards announced Monday.

The cast and the crew of these unique films were duly rewarded at the 60th National Awards organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, I&B Ministry.

The winners were announced in New Delhi in a joint Press Conference addressed by the Chairpersons of the three juries, Shri Basu Chatterjee for Feature Films, Ms. Aruna Raje for Non-Feature Films and Shri Swapan Mullick for Best Writing on Cinema .
Here’s the list:
Best Actor – Irrfan Khan (Paan Singh Tomar)
Best Film (Hindi) – Paan Singh Tomar
Best Film providing wholesome entertainment – Vicky Donor
Best Supporting Actor – Annu Kapoor (Vicky Donor)
Best Supporting Actress – Dolly Ahluwalia (Vicky Donor)
Best Singer – Shankar Mahadevan (Chittagong)
Best Screenplay (adapted) – OMG Oh My God
Best sound recording: Gangs of Wasseypur
Best original screenplay – Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani)
Special Jury Mention – Parineeti Chopra (Ishaqzaade)
Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Gangs Of Wasseypur, Talaash)
Best Animation Film – Delhi Safari (Nikhil Advani)
Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director – Chittagong (Hindi)
Best Singer Male – Chittagong (Hindi)
Best Editing – Kahaani (Hindi)
Best Lyrics – Chittagong (Hindi)
Special Jury Award – Kahaani (Hindi), Gangs Of Wasseypur (Hindi), Talaash (Hindi)

Irrfan Khan, who won the Best actor award, for ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ said, “I am really grateful to the story that came my way. Film is not just a business, it has to have a passion. You have to enjoy the part. Connection with the part is important.”

And a very excited Akshay Kumar tweeted, “Superb news, our first film OMG! Oh My God under Grazing Goat Pix won a National Award for Best Adapted Screenplay! Truly an OMG moment for us :)”

2013/03/19
A Sequel AND A Remake Of Vidya Balan’s ‘Kahaani’

MUMBAI: Not only are there plans for a sequel of Bollywood suspense thriller ‘Kahaani’, but now, we also hear news of a remake. Featuring Vidya Balan in the role of a pregnant woman in search of her missing husband in Kolkata during the Durga Puja festivities, ‘Kahaani’ reigned mighty at the awards show for 2012, with Vidya bagging away the ‘Best Actress’ in most.

Sources tell us that renowned director Sekhar Kammula, who represented Indian Cinema at the Cannes Film Festival (2011), plans to remake the sleeper hit film in Telugu. This would be a first in his 14 year career.

The shooting of the South version of ‘Kahaani’ will commence most likely in the month of April. The source reveals, “Nayantara who will step into the shoes of Vidya Balan. But, Sekhar Kammula will not remake the film as a straight adaptation like an outright remake. While, the Telugu version will retain the thrills and essence of the original it will have some new ideas added to it. Yendamuri Veerendernath is working on the script adaptation and the film. However, the movie is an official remake of the original Bollywood film ‘Kahaani’ and will be produced in Telugu and Tamil.”

Sujoy Ghosh the original director, writer and co-producer of ‘Kahaani’, will reportedly co-produce the remake as well.

As for the sequel to the saga of Vidya Bagchi, says Ghosh, “The film is in its scripting stage. I have just started writing it so we have a long way to go. Of course, we will have Vidya Balan in the film and rest of the characters will also be the same.”

2013/02/18
Glitz And Glamour At Launch Of Filmfare’s Special Issue

MUMBAI: Filmfare has launched a special issue incorporating the winners of the Filmfare awards. We saw a gaggle of newbie Bollywood entrants at the unveiling of the Filmfare awards special issue cover at Hotel Novotel, here in Mumbai.

Rising stars Ayushmann Khurana, Ileana D’Cruz, Richa Chaddha and director Sujoy Ghosh were chosen to unveil the special issue cover, in order to promote new talent in Bollywood. Ayushmann looked dapper in a simple black suit, while Sujoy Ghosh (of ‘Kahaani’ fame) was a tad more casual in a black shirt and (we couldn’t believe it either!) baggy track pants. Aiming for a new style statement, Mr. Ghosh?

The ladies were suitably pretty in black; with ‘Barfi!’ star and acclaimed debutante Ileana D’Cruz choosing a stylish yet elegant black scoop-neck gown and a chunky necklace to match, while Richa Chadda (appreciated for her role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’) chose a demure but pretty black, white and grey dress. Tres chic!

The quartet were joined by Filmfare editor Jitesh Pillai, who was beaming from ear-to-ear at the successful launch of his firm’s fabulous special issue.

Ayushmann Khurana was grateful to Filmfare, when he said, “I came to Mumbai to be an actor; and of course, I wanted to win a Filmfare… Thanks Filmfare for giving me two awards this year.”

Ileana D’Cruz also added: “It’s an honour to be here and to be recognized for your work is such a boost for you; it makes you believe that the hard work was really worth it.”

2013/02/13