Posts Tagged ‘car’
UTV Motion Pictures and director Ken Ghosh have come up with a unique idea to promote Chance pe Dance. The film’s lead actor, Shahid Kapoor, lives in the car through the major part of the film.
So the film’s marketing team decided to create a marketing strategy on similar lines.
Our source said, “Marketing the film is very important and everyone needs different ideas. It’s very difficult to convince Shahid to do something, but he approved of this idea. We will mostly be using an old Maruti 800, which Shahid has used in the film.
He will actually stay in the car and even have meetings inside the car. The event will take place in January, days before the film’s release.”
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| Chance pe Dance |
Shikha Kapur, VP-Marketing of UTV Motion Pictures said, “Shahid is shown living out of his car in Chance pe Dance, so the idea of having him actually live in his car for two days did come up.
However, this is just one of the many plans for promoting the film and nothing has been finalised at the moment.”
What do you say to your ex-flame when you bump into him? Nothing. You look through him, or at least that is the strategy Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is endorsing these days. This is what happened just a few days ago (On Monday to be precise) when Salman Khan and Aishwarya crossed each other’s paths.
The said incident took place at Mehboob Studios where Aishwarya is busy shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish and Salman Khan was shooting for a promo for his next release, Veer.
According to an onlooker, Salman emerged from his car and was talking on the phone with a smile on his face. Soon, his smile turned into a frown as at the same time, Aishwarya stepped out and was walking towards her van.
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Both froze. Our source, who was present at the studio, insists that they did look into each other’s eyes for a moment and immediately looked the other way.
Aishwarya entered her van immediately, so our source couldn’t gauge her reaction. But the source did catch Salman’s discomfort.
The source insists that after the incident, Khan was not too keen on shooting but couldn’t bail out of the shoot.
“Though he walked in talking on the phone with a smile, after coming face-to-face with Aishwarya he didn’t utter a single word, except when he was facing the camera,” the source concludes.
Trust Salman Khan to do the unthinkable. While most actors would think twice before packing up an important shooting schedule to please a cluster of clamouring kids, Salman did not hesitate to do just that. On Tuesday, Salman Khan abandoned his patchwork shooting for his period film Veer at the Khans’s farmhouse in Panvel and rushed to Mumbai to entertain kids at a children’s event.
On Tuesday late evening, while in the middle of the shoot, Salman received a call. When he hung up, he called for his car and informed the crew that he had to leave immediately. Fearing a family crisis, unit members rushed to his side only to be told that he needed to drive back from Panvel to a gymkhana in Mumbai to entertain a large number of kids.
A charitable organisation had organised a children’s nite at the gymkhana. The kids had been constantly asking for an appearance by their favourite star, Salman Khan, but the organisers ignored their request. However, during the event, on Tuesday evening, the kids became adamant and refused to perform on stage until Salman uncle was called to dance with them. In desperation, one of the organisers somehow got hold of Salman’s number and called him up.
A close friend of Salman said, “Salman is always doing such things. He simply stopped shooting, got into the car and rushed from his farmhouse in Panvel to entertain about 400 kids who had gathered to sing and dance on stage.”
Although Salman has been associated with the organisation, which does events for kids, he doesn’t believe in shirking work. He had initially begged off coming to Mumbai, saying it would take him many hours to reach Khar even if he stopped the shooting immediately and left. He only relented when he heard that the kids had refused to perform without him.
The friend added, “When he heard how desperate the situation was and that the kids refused to go on stage without him, Salman immediately left Panvel, leaving director Anil Sharma and the rest of the crew open-mouthed in disbelief. Salman slept in the car until he reached the venue where the kids were waiting for him. He danced on stage for a good hour and then drove back to his shoot.”
No wonder this Khan continues to be a favourite among kids.
SUBHASH K JHA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 7, 2009)
Indecent proposal for Govinda!
Posted on: November 27, 2009
A man insisted that Govinda should marry him. When Govinda refused, he started stripping, forcing the actor to run away from the spot
A few days ago, Govinda got quite a scare when man dressed up as a woman entered Jal Darshan building in Juhu, where Govinda resides, and demanded to meet the actor.
Although the building’s security guards did not allow the man inside the premises and tried to talk to him, he refused to relent. An eyewitness says, “The man said that he wanted to meet Govinda at any cost. He refused to budge.”
When all efforts made by the security guards failed, they were left with no choice but to inform the star about the visitor. On getting to know about the hullabaloo created by the man, the actor agreed to meet him thinking that he might be one of his ardent fans.
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| Govinda |
The actor was in for a shock when the man directly told him: “I am a man but I want to marry you. If need be, I am even ready to undergo a sex change operation, but please let’s start a life together.”
At first, Govinda was shocked by the revelation. Thereafter, he tried to explain to him that this was simply not possible. However, the man was in no mood to listen. When he realised that his sweet-talk was failing to do the needful, he started removing the padding he had worn, right in front of Govinda’s eyes, embarrassing him to no end.
That’s when the security guards took stock of the situation and had no choice but to manhandle the visitor. Meanwhile, Govinda, fearing that the man may get even more obscene, ran to his car and drove off.
Confirming the incident, Govinda says, “Haan, yeh sab hua tha. Woh aadmi mujhse shaadi karna chahta tha. He told me that his name was Sameera, but obviously, that was a false name. I told him yeh nahin ho sakta. Usne bahut masti aur battameezi ki. Ab sab kucch to main bayaan nahin kar sakta, na?”
Any kind of calamity, whether natural or man-made, is immediately picked up by the film fraternity to capture the event in celluloid. The 26 July 2005 Mumbai deluge was one of the biggest natural disasters in India in this decade and surprisingly, no film, comprising A-listers was based on it yet. Finally, Tum Mile takes the initiative. It’s a love story and the floods serve as a backdrop. Unfortunately, the ‘flood’ connection wasn’t utilized well and hence, the film fails to impress fully.
The story of the movie: Akshay (Emraan Hashmi) and Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan) become friends when they both were based in Cape Town. Although Akshay was struggling painter and Sanjana was a creative writer cum environmentalist and a daughter of a rich billionaire (Sachin Khedekar), they both hit off well and fall in love. They decide to move in. Unfortunately, both face problems, more so because of Akshay’s financial insecurity. Finally, both have to break up. Six years later, they meet each other once again in a London-Mumbai flight. Things have drastically changed for both Akshay and Sanjana now. However, once they land in Mumbai, they have to go through a roller coaster ride as heavy rains have crippled the entire city. The date was July 26, 2005. They have no choice but to be together in this dark time.
Let’s get one thing straight-although Tum Mile was promoted as a film based on floods, it is actually not. 70% of the film is Emraan-Soha’s flashback in Cape Town. The remaining 30% focuses on the deluge. However, the story wonderfully moves from the present to flashback and back and that’s why the film works a bit.
The first scene of the film is in fact the best one! Weather dept officials who were more interested in playing cards than looking at the warning they received about a downpour just a day before July 26 is a rocking scene! It gives an indication that how the careless attitude of these officials led to a disaster.
The first half of the film has no glitches. The flashback portion begins wonderfully and goes ahead nicely too. Also the scene inside the flight were well executed. The intermission point was scary. However, problems start in the second hour. The flashback scenes quite dragged. Director Kunal Deshmukh could and should have had a crisp narrative. The problems faced by the couple in the floods were engrossing but the climax disappointed. The way both Emraan and Soha accept each other in the climax (after the rains stopped) seemed little indigestible, because their interactions with each other was very limited during the time of crisis. But then it is said, “When you bond during a crisis, the bonding goes deep”. So maybe only the very limited bonding was more than enough for the characters!
The visual effects in the film at some places were tacky and could have been better. The film also exhibits some of the actual footage depicting the horrors of 26/7. But that doesn’t work. Also, factual errors can be noticed-the lead actors are shown wading through chest-deep water in Lower Parel area of Mumbai. However, nothing of that sort had happened there on that day.. In fact, it was in the suburban areas like Juhu, Kalina etc where water had arisen till the first floors. However, some of the horrors of that day were wonderfully captured. Most notable is how the central locking system caused the death of many inside the car after their car’s doors and windows failed to open.
Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan carry the film on their shoulders wonderfully. Emraan delivers a sparkling performance and proves that he’s one of the best performers around. He looked charming, esp in the flashback portions. However, his bespectacled look in the present track is not as great as the similar one he had in Gangster. But still, he manages to do a great job. Watch out for him when he’s high-tempered and in the scene where he enthusiastically paints Soha. A fine actor indeed!
Soha Ali Khan too comes up with a brilliant performance-one of the best of her careers after RDB and Khoya Khoya Chand. She appears confident and it’s great to see that she slipped into her role so easily. Actually, she wasn’t the original choice-Esha Deol was offered the role initially. After she refused due to some reason, Soha was approached!
Mantra, who plays Emraan’s pal, also gives a confident performance. Sachin Khedekar was impressive. Others were good.
Pritam’s music was one of the USPs of the film. The 3 songs which completely rock are the title song, Tu Hi Haqeeqat and Dil Ibaadat. Watch out for Dil Ibaadat-it was just brilliantly executed!
Prakash Kutty’s cinematography was flawless. So was the design.
There was nothing wrong in the story; it was the screenplay that failed at places. Ideally, equal emphasis should have been there for both the tracks. The flood portions were underutilized. Although Kunal Deshmukh’s first venture Jannat was fantastic, Tum Mile isn’t, unfortunately.
Some of the best scenes of the film:
1. The first scene
2. Akshay restructures Sanjana’s cake
3. The title song and Dil Ibaadat
4. Akshay’s confrontation with the curator
5. Sachin Khedekar’s only scene
6. Akshay and Sanjana’s argument the next day
7. The intermission point
8. Akshay and Sanjana in the bus and in cracked building
On the whole, Tum Mile unfortunately doesn’t work in totality. Performances and music were brilliant but the film was too dragged for no reason. But the film doesn’t bore even for a moment and the first half was great. Watch it if you are an Emraan/Bhatt fan!
My rating-** ½ out of 5!
This review first appeared on MouthShut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Tum_Mile-179553-1.html
Acid Factory-Fast and faster!
Posted on: October 9, 2009
SHARIN WADER BUTANI Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; October 8, 2009)
“All six actors — Irrfan Khan, Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpayee, Dino Morea and Danny Denzongpa, have added a clear definition to their roles,” said Mumbai Mantra CEO Andrey Purushottam, adding, “Bollywood action has come of age and this film proves just that.”
The one person who had the time of his life working inside this “factory” was director Suparn Verma. “If the cast and crew, while shooting the scenes, thought that they could have probably died, then let me tell you… they could have! The scenes were dangerous,” said Suparn. There’s not a single place in Cape Town where they’ve not blown a car or had a helicopter chase. “By the time we had completed shooting, the place looked like a war zone,” laughed Suparn, giving all the credit to action director Tinu Verma.
Dia Mirza, who has surprised all with her daredevil acts, said, “I insisted on doing the stunts myself. I’ve proved that I can kick some butt too!” she said. Irrfan had other reasons for signing the film. He said, “I asked the director, ‘You think this will work, the critics will like the film?’ He said, ‘NO’. So I said, ‘Hell, man, let’s do it’.”
Fardeen is confident that the film will keep audiences at the edge of their seats. “The plot is such that you don’t know what the other person is going to do next,” said the actor.
John crosses the bridge!
Posted on: October 1, 2009
AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; September 30, 2009)
The story goes that John was shooting for Abbas Tyrewala’s 1-800-Love in London and, miraculously, the director managed to get permission to shoot on the iconic Tower Bridge for four nights. Which is astonishing, because many Hollywood films including Bourne Ultimatum and National Treasure were denied permission to shoot there. And even The Mummy, which has the famous chase sequence on the Tower Bridge, was allowed to shoot for only one night.
But for John and Abbas’s unit of seven cameras, the Tower Bridge and also the historical London Bridge — both of which cross the River Thames — were readily made available. The authorities even had the boat traffic on the Thames shut down for one night. An excited John reported, “I was reminded regularly for two months that Tower Bridge would be blocked off, but that night, as the clock struck 9.30 pm, and four police bikes escorted my car on to the middle of the bridge, I was over awed! The grandeur of virtually owning one of London’s greatest land marks — what an experience!” aakanksha.navalshetye@timesgroup.com
Let’s talk about Sex baby!
Posted on: September 30, 2009
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL: (From top) Stills from Luck By Chance, Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal
DEEPALI DHINGRA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; September 29, 2009)
Did you cringe with discomfort when a seemingly innocent child woman Isha Sherwani seduced Farhan Akhtar into bed in Luck By Chance? Or, more recently, when a salwar kameez-clad Priyanka Chopra managed to convince a reluctant Shahid Kapoor to have sex with her in Kaminey, by telling him that she knows ‘homescience’ and that it’s ‘safe to do it’? More likely than not, you smiled at their boldness and prepared for more to come. Seduction was a game played by vamps in Bollywood in the 70s and 80s. Much later, lead actresses like Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra were sexually charged in Jism and Aitraaz respectively. But even then, they were the ‘bad girls’. Well, times have changed — even the ‘good’ girls are taking a turn for the ‘bad’ and the audiences are lapping it up!
Watch newcomer Mahie Gill throwing herself in full abandon at Abhay Deol in a mustard field in Dev. D and you’ll know what we’re talking about. Trade analyst Komal Nahta says he isn’t surprised at this change. “Films, after all, are a reflection of today. Girls are proposing to guys, they are using seduction as a tool even in real life. The major composition of the audience comprises youth, so they have to show what the young generation identifies with,” he says. So Kareena Kapoor playfully hands Akshay Kumar her bra in Tashan and Konkona SenSharma suggests a quick bout of love-making to Rahul Bose in Dil Kabaddi before they turn in for the night and Deepika Padukone has no qualms with Saif Ali Khan kissing her full on the mouth in the car in Love Aaj Kal. Agrees Mahie, “Reel life follows real life. Women today are more vocal about their sexual desires than what they were about a decade back. The audience today wants to see characters they can identify with. That’s why the boldness depicted by the newer lot of actresses has been accepted.”
According to film director Onir, a growing section of audiences in urban centres are accepting this change. “Independent working women watch these films with their male friends and colleagues who treat them as equals and therefore, accept their portrayal on screen as well,” he says. Also, the younger generation of filmmakers who have grown up seeing women as friends and colleagues, are showing female characters as they are, says Onir.
deepali.dhingra@timesgroup.com
Currently in Cape Town, South Africa, for a shoot, Neetu Chandra was in for a terrible shock on Sunday night as a drunk threw himself at her car, injuring himself gravely. Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty, her co-stars in the film, No Problem, rushed to the spot to sort out the matter and soothe Neetu’s frayed nerves. Our source from the unit of No Problem said, “Neetu was on her way back from the sets to her hotel room on Sunday night when suddenly this drunk lunged in front of her speeding car, crashing against the windscreen. He was severely injured. Neetu and her driver were in a complete state of shock and she didn’t know what to do. As a crowd started gathering, a crying Neetu called Sanjay to handle the chaos. Sanjay rushed to the spot with Sunil in tow and took stock of the situation. They spoke to the cops and had the injured man sent to the hospital.”
Anees Bazmee, the director of No Problem confirmed that the accident took place, while Neetu said, “Sunil and Sanjay handled the situation well. I am really thankful to the two. If it were not for them, I wonder what would’ve happened to me. I was so scared on Sunday, that recalling the incident still gives me goose bumps.” The injured man is currently recuperating in the hospital in Cape Town. |
Fenil and Bollywood 