Posts Tagged ‘sachin tendulkar’
Watching Paa was part of the Indian cricket team’s celebrations after defeating Sri Lanka 2-0 in the recently concluded series. A few team members Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Kumar Raina, Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik watched the film in Nagpur yesterday.
However, Harbhajan Singh missed out on the film as he is in Mumbai. So he called Amitabh Bachchan, who promptly organised a show for him at suburban preview theatre in Mumbai. Our source said, “The Indian cricket team is in Nagpur for the T-20 cricket match with Sri Lanka, which will be held tomorrow (December 9).”
Some of the team members reached Nagpur early yesterday, so they watched Paa there. But Harbhajan was in Mumbai, so he called Amitabh and said he was very keen on watching Paa as he had heard some great things about the film. To this, Amitabh immediately said that he would organise a trial show for him. Amitabh arranged for a show in a preview theatre in Andheri. Harbhajan saw the film at around eight last evening with a few of his friends. Even Sachin Tendulkar had called Amitabh, but he couldn’t make it.”
Amitabh Bachchan confirmed the story and said, “Yes, I organised a show for them.”
 |
| Paa (Pic: Yogen Shah) |
Vidhu Vinod Chopra-3 idiots saves lives (ER… that’s the producer in him hard selling his film)
Posted on: December 5, 2009
• You don’t have too many friends? Why?
I value friendship. For me friendship is not a loose word. If I call myself a friend, I am ready to give my life and if need be the friend should do the same.That Bambaiya friendship where people call you a friend on your face and as soon as you turn around they call you a bi*** or a swine is not friendship. I told Karan Johar, ‘I want friends like you; I want to throw a party.’ He said, ‘I can make you social,’ he tried and then he gave up.
He told me nicely, ‘You are happy where you are.’ I have only four friends now, I started with two. Rakesh Maria, Rajesh Parekh (and Firoza Parekh) and slowly I acquired the third friend, Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, but now, I am not sure, I am perhaps acquiring a fourth, which is Aamir. So my house is full now. I mean if I have four friends in this city, I am the luckiest. I now get invited to social dos. We get wedding invitations, we get party invitations. We are invited to places we have never been invited to before.
• What do you expect the audience will take away from 3 Idiots?
I could be wrong, but I personally believe that 3 Idiots is a step ahead of Lage Raho Munna Bhai. The other day there was a story in the paper of a kid who had jumped off the 19th floor when her mother was in another room and I told my wife that if this kid had seen 3 Idiots, she wouldn’t have jumped. I genuinely feel that if I had released this film a month ago, I could have saved that one life. I think 3 Idiots will save lives.
• Between Aamir Khan, you and Raju Hirani, if there is a clash of opinion, who wins?
We are very clear about this. Raju is head of creatives. At the moment, Aamir is head of marketing. There is no clash. But as head of the family I believe I have a veto and if I really want to use it, I can. I think the three of us are really the perfect 3 Idiots. I had heard horror stories about Aamir and he had heard the same about me but Aamir is the most unbelievable guy I have met in my life unless I am a fool, and he is performing all the time. I have only nice things to say about Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan but Aamir is something else. His level of commitment, his level of dedication, his level of affection, his level of seeking excellence is exceptional.
• Have you forgiven Shah Rukh Khan for trying to woo away Raju Hirani?
Oh totally. I called him yesterday to invite him for my premiere and we chatted for half an hour. Life is too short for all this s**t! Khalil Gibran has said, ‘I use hate as a weapon to defend myself.’ To me hate and love are both very strong emotions. I love my wife and if I have the same degree of negative feeling for anybody, then I am giving that person the same importance as I am giving to the woman I love the most in my life. How ridiculous is that?
• You famously said your films reflect the mood you are in. Given the comedies your production house is bringing out like the Munnabhai series, do we conclude you are in a good mood?
Yes, I am in a very happy mood. I sing songs all the time. I think life is really kind to me and I am just very grateful. My little daughter writes poetry which I don’t understand and my son plays cricket with Sachin Tendulkar’s son. God has given me a movie like 3 Idiots, friends and two families, one in cinema and the other at home. I came to this city to make one Hindi movie. If I had died after making one feature film after coming from the village that I came from, I would have died happily.
• Are there any actors you can’t conceive of working with for any reason?
The list is long but to tell you honestly it isn’t about individual actors. It is about attitude. I will not work with actors who have the wrong attitude at this given moment. On the other hand if there is an attitude change, I would willingly work with them.
• What is delaying Munna Bhai Chale Amrika?
If after Lage Raho Munna Bhai we had churned out a Munna Bhai film a year, it would have made Rs 200-250 crores and even if they had been s**t, people would go and see them. But we didn’t and won’t till we are happy with the script. Now we are happy with what we have written and so hopefully we will do it next year.
• Is it tougher to write an original screenplay or adapt a book?
To tell you the truth, I haven’t read Five Point Someone on which 3 Idiots is based. The only person in the team who read it was Raju. But I believe our film is very different. Having said that, the starting point was Raju reading the book.
• If you were given the choice to remake a film with the intention of improving it, which film would that be?
Ram Aur Shyam with Aamir Khan. I love that film and now that I am an admirer of Aamir, I would love to make that film with him. I don’t think he can do it better than Dilip Kumar, who was absolutely superb, but it would be a challenge for Aamir and me.
NICOLE DASTUR Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2009)
Over to his other love – cricket. He’s ‘in form’ right now, scoring half-centuries and centuries in match after match. “These comments about being ‘in form’ and ‘out of form’ don’t bother me anymore. Of course, we go through our bad spells, we can’t be at our best at all times when we’re playing three different formats of the game!” Yuvraj states, matter-of-factly. Speaking of the three formats, which one suits him best? “Test cricket is the basic format of the game, unfortunately, I’ve not played much of it.” But he intends to do just that even as he aims to better himself and his game. “The goals I set are against myself, not against others. I constantly strive to beat myself. It’s hard work, but if you have focus, I believe you can reach for the stars,” Yuvraj says it like it is. And with a mentor like Sachin Tendulkar, it doesn’t look like it will be long before Yuvraj is one among the many cricketing stars in the Milky Cricket Way galaxy. “I always discuss my batting with Sachin and take his advice. Ponting’s a great batsman too, I love watching him bat,” says the humble Prince of Punjab. Where does he see himself 10 years from now? Still associated with cricket, getting into the business of restaurants like most of his teammates or attempting Bollywood? “I’ve never really given it a real thought. Business, nah, I don’t see myself doing that; Bollywood, hmm, well, you never know,” he chuckles, as though hiding something up his sleeve,” and then continues, “But after seeing 2012, I don’t think I’ll be here in 10 years!” (Contributed by Meena Iyer and Sharin Wader Butani)
It is common knowledge that Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are bonding big time these days. Aamir too admits to his close friendship with Salman and says, “Yes, I am very fond of Salman. I also spend time with him whenever we can match our schedules.”
What is more interesting about the Khans apart from their friendship is the buzz about their nocturnal adventures. Rumour has it that when Aamir’s wife Kiran Rao is away at their weekend bungalow in Panchgani, the actor packs off the rest of his staff such as his personal assistant by around 9pm but retains his security staff.
A source says that when Aamir retains his security staff beyond midnight, it is a dead giveaway that he is going to be visiting his best friend Salman.
So what do these two forty plus actors do on their boys’ night out?
A common friend says that Aamir drives to Salman’s home in Bandra; where he parks his vehicle. Then Salman gets his red motorcycle out and the two go for a spin. Both their security staff follow them in their respective vehicles. After their nocturnal spin, they invariably land up either at Salman’s bachelor pad and have a round of drinks; or if Kiran is out of town, they land up at Aamir’s home.
And that’s not all. It is said that Aamir, who is currently on a diet, is known to break his resolve on nights that he is with Salman.
The Aamir-Salman friendship also extends to having special previews of their films for each other. Aamir had a sneak preview of Ghajini for Salman and Sachin Tendulkar. After the trial, Salman had given Aamir some suggestions on ‘changes’ to be made; which Aamir incorporated into the film.
Anyway, this time around too, Aamir who is currently in Delhi will hold a special screening of 3 Idiots only for Salman. Of course the trial is likely to happen only after December 3, because Salman, Katrina Kaif, Sridevi, Celina Jaitley and Neha Dhupia are expected to perform for a show in Dubai on December 2.
Guess, sooner or later, even Salman will hold a special screening of Veer, which is slated for a January 22 release next year, for Aamir too.
 |
|
| Aamir Khan | Salman Khan |
TIMES NEWS NETWORK (BOMBAY TIMES; November 13, 2009)
Karan Johar is back to doing what he’s best at! Grilling stars over coffee. And guess who he’s got in on the barbequecouch in front of him? India’s hottest pairings, Saif and Kareena. The king of coffeeconversation had the real-life jodi squirming in a special tête-à-tête for ZOOM. And from coffee to conversational chemistry, KJo rocked it along with Saifeena for this exclusive Date With Kurbaan, Excerpts from the conversation:
KARAN: Everyone is talking about your steamy scenes in Kurbaan. Would you guys have been able to do it with any other actor?
KAREENA: I’m a professional but since I have seen the scenes, I realise it may not quite have turned out this way with anyone else.
Saif: I would’ve done it, but then there would have to be more accountability and I would’ve had to explain to myself that this was a part of my job. Since it was Bebo, there was no accountability and it was done more intimately and with abandon.
KARAN: Does your past come up between you two?
SAIF: It can and it should come up. I think the most important thing to remember is every part of your past has brought you to your present. Instead of worrying about it, you should thank it for bringing you to where you are.
KAREENA: I felt the need to know everything about Saif first, considering the Casanova he was! I was petrified that I was getting into a relationship with him… but today, I can say, he’s a changed man.
KARAN: What about marriage?
SAIF: Some days she asks me, “Are you going to do that ever?” And I say “In time”. Marriage does impact an Indian acting woman’s career. Kareena has always worked; and very few want a focussed career as badly as she does. Sachin Tendulkar wanted to play cricket as badly as Kareena wants a career, that’s a fact! Emotionally we’re growing and we’re in love. Marriage is not a way to tie somebody down.
I’m shy, lonely, docile, complex, confused and complicated-Ranbir Kapoor
Posted on: November 5, 2009
|
• How much of the real Ranbir do we know?
Probably 30 per cent. And that too from the films I do because it’s only then that I actually give something of myself to the character. But when I am doing interviews, there is a certain amount of a façade. If you are an introvert or shy like me, you need to exude some confidence, some belief in what you are doing. But honestly, I am scared. I am not that confident an actor to believe and think that everything I do will be a success. I believe, the remaining 70 per cent will eventually come through when I reach a point where I can really surrender to a character. I hope that role turns up some day. As I keep saying, I am very ambitious. I have lots of directors to work with, lots of roles to play. I hope to be a working actor everyday of my life, to be able to go on a set. I really don’t know what to do with my time when I am not on set. |
// • When you are not on your Segway that is…
(laughs) I do that every night. It’s my way of letting go. I know it sounds weird and stupid but it’s kind of spiritual. I do it at 2-2.30 in the night. The roads are empty, the weather is great and you just drive through.
• A girl who has worked with you, describes you as a mixture of the three Khans. A bad boy like Salman, charmer like Shah Rukh and focused like Aamir.
That girl might be drunk or on some drug because I am not even close to any of these characteristics. The three Khans are living legends for me. Even using my name in the same sentence as theirs is an insult to them.
• So you are saying that you are not a bad boy, charming or focused?
(blushing wildly) Actually I am. But I guess to a much milder degree.
• So what is your charm?
I am just a happy person, I like talking to people who interest me. You just have to listen to people, I guess that’s what charm is. It’s not about corny lines, it’s not about the looks that you give somebody. It’s only about the attitude to and the conversations that you have with somebody.
• Which Kapoor do you resemble as an actor?
As an actor, nobody. My grandfather, Raj Kapoor, was a stylised actor. I have always preferred him more as a director than an actor. Of course, though he was an amazing actor, his directorial abilities blew me away. Shammi Kapoor again had his own style. Shashi Kapoor had his own style. My father has always been a natural actor. So thankfully, I was never compared because you cannot compare natural acting. I would like to believe I have my own style and I am a natural too. I have my own good and bad qualities and I hope it remains like this. I anyway have the baggage of a lineage. If my acting reminded people of actors who they have worshipped earlier, I don’t think anybody would want to see me at all.
• But you do want to direct at some point of time?
Yes, I do but it’s an immature dream. It is something I aspire to do one day. I am extremely passionate about movies, but right now I need to solidify my career as an actor. I need some bonafide blockbusters, I need people to have faith in me so that banks can give me money to make movies.
• For a 27-year-old boy, you keep an extremely neat room. How come?
I am basically neat. I don’t like chaos, I can’t work like that. I like silence, I like loneliness. I like everything which is soft. I think because of my docile nature, it reflects in the environment I live in.
• Even in your work?
Yes, of course, it just causes less confusion. But where my acting process is concerned, I am not bothered. I could be doing a scene in front of ten thousand people on the road, they could be loud and passing remarks, but it wouldn’t affect me. But I guess when the camera is rolling, you just change as a person.
• Do you seek characters that are different from you as a person?
Not at all. An actor can only wish that these roles come to him. You can’t seek them. If I am not excited by a character, I can say no, irrespective of who the director or production house is. I need to connect with the characters I am playing.
• One hears you were often beaten up by the principal in school?
My principal used to beat me up because I was very naughty in school. I used to do things which I should not have done as a student. I didn’t do it because I was somebody’s son. It was pure masti.
• You were shy and naughty? That’s a strange combination.
I think I am just a confused soul. Confused, complicated and a bit complex. I am often told that. I think I am an amalgamation of everything.
• And docile too?
That’s what I believe and that’s what my mother believes. I am just a calm soul.
• Have you ever rebelled?
Not majorly, but I do believe that I have a rebel in me. I really don’t like to be told what to do.
• You are most written about for your affairs…
It really hurts me that my affairs are being written about. I am suddenly acquiring this new image. It is not me. I have been in very few relationships in my life. Few have worked, few haven’t. And I am extremely sad about the ones which haven’t worked. I am not this lover boy, people think I am. The character I did in Bachna Ae Haseeno is not me. I am quite a romantic at heart, but at the same time, being in a relationship or being with a girl is not my priority. I do believe there are great things in store for me. I need to believe that if I need to move ahead. Women are lovely. I love and respect them, but that’s not my true calling in life. My true calling is cinema and acting.
Five films I can see again and againnd again:
1. Shree 420
2. Kaagaz Ke Phool
3. Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
4. Sanjay Bhansali’s Devdas
5. Andaaz Apna Apna
Six books that I can read again:
1. Songs That My Mother taught me by Marlon Brando
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
3. Dreams from My Father – A story of race and inheritance by Barack Obama
4. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
5. Ingrid Bergman’s autobiography
6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It is cinematic in its writing. I could actually smell the kebabs in Afghanistan.
Six people whose lives I want to see chronicled in pictures:
1. Charlie Chaplin
2. Raj Kapoor
3. Michael Jackson
4. Amitabh Bachchan
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Lata Mangeshkar
Five songs always on my Ipod:
I can think of just one… Kisi ki muskuraahaton pe ho nisaar
//
Meena Iyer | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 28, 2009)
Mumbai: Bollywood is no stranger to hiding behind the anonymity offered by private numbers and leads the pack with the most connections. But initially a facility provided to preserve the identity/security/privacy of a person, private numbers in tinseltown have fast emerged as status symbols, flaunted mostly by wannabes keen to make their importance felt. A-listers, many of whom do have a second phone equipped with the caller line identification facility, don’t think it is a big deal.
Superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar usually don’t call from private numbers though most of them have two numbers, one private which they prefer to use sparingly. And the big stars who do use their private numbers often, are clear about the purpose. Sanjay Dutt uses a private number because he doesn’t wish to be disturbed by all and sundry. Another top actor who has a second phone with a private number says, “I don’t want this number leaked out.’’
Star stylist Hakims Aalim who styles Sachin Tendulkar, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt has a private number because he gets at least 50 phone calls a day, which are a huge distraction at work. Hence, he adds, he doesn’t want his number compromised.
Then there are other uses too of calling from an unidentified number. A star secretary who has a private number, thanks to his actor-politician boss, jokes that when producers don’t pay up, calling from a private number helps because they don’t know your identity and pick up the call. “Otherwise they refrain from answering the phone knowing you want a payment,’’ he says.
Among other actors who use private numbers are Upen Patel and Isha Koppikar. Producer Madhu Mantena says, “In Hyderabad most celebrities use private numbers. They see it as a status symbol.’’ Mantena also says that private numbers are exasperating because you don’t know how to return a call and sometimes miss an important one.’’
Getting a a private number is no easy task. One has to visit the service provider’s office and give a written application requesting a private number and stating reasons why it should be granted to the person. The application is studied by an expert team at the company and a copy is forwarded to the police commissioner. If both the service provider and the police commissioner are convinced of the applicant’s bonafides and reasons for seeking a private number, he is allotted one. Alternatively, a letter from either the chief minister, deputy chief minister or home minister may also do the trick.
Can you track private numbers?
In many countries you can dial *69 or *71 and track the last private number that called you. However this method varies with each country
Can you bar a private number?
Phone companies offer services such as call block or call rejection
MARK MANUEL Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; July 28, 2009)
He sprinted up two flights of stairs like a spirited young colt to scrambled eggs and multi-grain toast, yelling at me over his shoulder, “When your hands are full, you don’t need to work on fitness.” Then, over coffee, he talked about the Hollywood press’ glowing reports on his success. “This is… what… I… the whole thing is like getting an opportunity to learn so much… I feel like a newcomer, like I’m just beginning. My daughter said, ‘You have a family, you have money, you have fame and the back-up of work at home, and here’s the opportunity to be there, to work with big players on a global stage. What more could anybody want?’ It is true. I was also offered a few studio roles in Hollywood. But I said no. I don’t need the money and I have enough work at home. My hands are full.” That is also true. He is launching Ayesha on August 2, and he’s already got No Problem, another film he is producing, happening in South Africa since July 11. As for being among the best-known Indian faces on the planet, Anil muttered uncomfortably, “I’m humbled by it. But better I be modest, down to earth and rooted, let my work speak… yet, in my own small way I feel I was a stepping stone, I’m convinced there will be another Slumdog, and there will be many Indians actors who will be ten times bigger than me… but I feel proud, I’m one of the first mainstream actors to do a film like this out of the box.”
He’s busy juggling two careers now (“let’s see where it takes me”), last week he travelled three continents, from LA to Durban and then Mumbai, taking advantage of one night in transit to meet filmmakers in London for future international projects. “I love my work passionately,” Anil said. “Saturdays and Sundays in LA, I get restless, because everything shuts down. I just learned what a weekend is. In Bollywood, we work 24/7. There it’s bad manners to call up anyone for work on the weekend. Duniya ulti-seedhi ho jaye, but they remain shut. So I go hiking!” But his heart is still in India. “I’m doing a film for Anees Bamzee, there’s Ayesha, No Problem,
and if there’s something else that’s exciting, I’ll do it here,” he said, undeterred by the failure of his recent film Short Kut at the box office. “I’m ready to fail, I love it when people make fun of me, it makes me feel superior,” he said. “It means I’m up there. I get upset if people ignore me.” People, meanwhile, were not ignoring him at our breakfast table. They were looking at him curiously from afar, giving him space. Anil Kapoor, despite the burnished copper hair, spectacles, and tracksuit, still looks and behaves like a film star. “Being recognised anywhere in the world, that’s the most exciting part,” he told me. “Earlier, when I travelled, it was only the Air-India crew that knew me. Now on any airline, even in China, they come for autographs and pictures. I like that!”
Fenil and Bollywood 