Posts Tagged ‘singh is kinng’
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 1, 2010)
The last decade in Bollywood has primarily been dominated by three Khans (Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman) and one Kumar (Akshay). And even as his brand equity is at an all-time high, Akshay Kumar’s business plan in the new year is to take his banner Hari Om Production (HOP) to greater heights.
The banner which is a late bloomer, swung into action with Waqt — The Race Against Time in 2005, but has already notched up hits like Namastey London, Singh is Kinng, the entertaining grosser De Dana Dan, and is now ready for its next three productions — Priyadarshan’s Khatta Meetha, Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan and Nikhil Advani’s Patiala House.
Says Priyan, a close associate of Akshay and the HOP, “Khatta Meetha is a satire on the system. It is about the road-mafia which is prevalent all over but more so in Bihar and eastern UP. The main plot line is inspired by R K Laxman’s famous common man. Based on a true incident, this film unveils the travesty of the common man. I have made this film in Malayalam earlier and it was wonderfully received. I’m sure it will be a winner in Hindi too.’’ Both Hari Om Productions and Akshay will move by leaps and bounds in 2010. While the banner will have two releases in Khatta Meetha and Tees Maar Khan, the actor will also be seen in Sajid Nadiadwala’s Houseful and Vipul Shah’s Action Replayy. Of course, it is not all work and no play for this superstar. He is currently on vacation in Goa with his family. Asked what was uppermost on his mind when the clock struck 12, he says, “I sincerely want 2010 to be a year of peace and harmony. I wish BT readers a Happy New Year.’’
Rewinding to his recent Canada trip where he represented India at the Winter Olympics, the superstar says, “I can’t tell you what a proud moment it was when I was handed the Olympic Torch in Canada. It was very moving. In my opinion films and sports are the two passions that can bind any nation.’’ Having talked about his moment of glory on foreign soil, Akki adds, “I’m proud that New Delhi is the chosen destination for the Commonwealth Games. I pray for peace because I want this sporting event to go off really smooth. I want the world to know that India is safe and capable of hosting an event of this magnitude. As a true sports lover this is something uppermost on my mind.’’
ROSHNI K OLIVERA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 30, 2009)
What’s your take on one-night stands?
The problem with one-night stands is that you end up hurting so many people. As long as you are not hurting any one, it’s fine.
In Raat Gayi Baat Gayi you have a onenight stand with a married man…
There are seven characters in the film! Why do you assume it’s my character who’s had the one-night stand? Are you assuming that because I am attractive… Not fair!
Do you think the Indian audience is opening up to sex in movies?
Dev D was a big hit. Indian audiences are open to fantastic scripts. Raat Gayi… is a funny kind of a thrilling experience that takes you through a drunken night. You don’t really know what happened last night. The film is packed with a lot of emotions and it is very relatable. You can relate to one or the other character.
You’ve done movies of various genres… what’s your favourite?
It’s very hard for me to say that. Right from my roles in Singh Is Kinng, De Dana Dan, Mithya, Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local to Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, everything is challenging and at the same time everything is easy. I don’t over-intellectualise the whole acting medium. I’m not working because I have to work. I’m working because I really enjoy doing so.
Are you happy with the way your career has shaped up so far?
I am. I had made a few mistakes, but I don’t regret anything. They have been learning experiences. I have come a long way, but I also have a long way to go…
Babu bhaiyya, they’re back!
Posted on: November 21, 2009
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 21, 2009)
Katrina in Singh Is Kinng 2
Posted on: November 14, 2009
| The announcement of a sequel may be good news for the lead actor but not necessarily for the lead actress. // <
A source says, “Vipul is excited about the sequel to Singh Is Kinng. He has already zeroed in on an idea and the script is in the finishing stages. Vipul has finalised both Akshay and Katrina for the lead roles. The film will be made on a larger scale than the earlier one.”-By Taran Adarsh, November 10, 2009 – 08:47 IST
AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI has emerged one of the biggest openers of all times. According to industry sources, the Ranbir-Katrina starrer has moved into the Top 5 slot, after its magnificent debut. The top openers are as follows:-
GHAJINI: 3-day weekend Rs. 30 cr.; 4-day weekend Rs. 40 cr.
LOVE AAJ KAL: 3-day weekend Rs. 27 cr.
SINGH IS KINNG: 3-day weekend incl. previews Rs. 26 cr.
AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI: 3-day weekend incl. previews Rs. 24.5 cr.
RAB NE BANA DI JODI: 3-day weekend Rs. 24 cr.
Of course, the number of shows and the ticket rates may vary for all films.
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
By Taran Adarsh, October 30, 2009 – 08:26 IST
In real life, if you feel your colleague is far more superior to you in intelligence, talent, charisma, efficiency, chances are you might feel the heat. Jealousy, generally, stems from there. In the process, the best of relations get strained. LONDON DREAMS, directed by Vipul Shah, talks of two musicians, thick pals actually, and how jealousy drives a wedge in their friendship.
Let’s clear a few myths before discussing the positive and negative factors of this film. LONDON DREAMS is not BAIJU BAWRA. LONDON DREAMS is not ROCK ON!!, ABHIMAAN, YAARANA or SAAJAN either [a section of the industry wants us to believe that]. The truth is, LONDON DREAMS borrows from Milos Forman’s brilliant film AMADEUS [1984], which was based on Salieri and Mozart’s life. In fact, Suneel Darshan too had made a film based on AMADEUS called SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM [2007; Bobby Deol, Upen Patel].
| BY BOLLYWWOD HUNGAMA.COM |
LONDON DREAMS is a complete departure from Vipul Shah’s earlier outings, AANKHEN, WAQT, NAMASTEY LONDON and SINGH IS KINNG [produced by Vipul, directed by Anees Bazmee]. This film is about relationships and tends to get very real and intense, in the post-interval portions specifically. The scale of LONDON DREAMS is gigantic and the execution of concerts [it’s about a band] sweeps you off your feet.
In terms of execution, it wouldn’t be erroneous to state that LONDON DREAMS is amongst Vipul Shah’s most accomplished works to date. Also, it boasts of incredible performances by Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. But there are hiccups too and it’s these deficiencies that bog the film down!
They were childhood friends. But they had little in common except their family’s connection with music. While Arjun’s [Ajay Devgn] life was consumed by a passionate drive to get on stage and realize his grandfather’s unfulfilled dream, Mannu [Salman Khan] was content with remaining a child at heart with no higher ambition than enjoying the good things in life.
As Arjun forges a band with Zoheb [Rannvijay Singh], Wasim [Aditya Roy Kapur] and Priya [Asin], a music enthusiast from a conservative South Indian family, far away in Punjab, music becomes a survival tool for Mannu, who takes to playing in wedding bands in his village.
Arjun gets Mannu to London and makes him a part of the band, but soon realizes he’s created the biggest threat and obstacle to his own ambitions.
Mannu, with his inherent musical gift, becomes an instant darling of the crowds. Arjun’s unbearable pangs of jealousy and insecurity only worsen when Mannu also unwittingly woos and wins his secret love, Priya. As he battles his inner demons, Arjun slowly devises a sinister plan to destroy his best friend.
It takes time to get into Ajay’s world [its Ajay who’s narrating the story here]. The film moves back and forth and it’s only when the two buddies, now adults, meet that you realize where the story is headed. The first hour depicts the two extreme characters – Ajay, who’s an introvert and who cannot think of anything but his goal and Salman, a happy-go-lucky guy, laidback and fun-loving, least focused.
The narrative has some interesting moments in the first hour, but the actual story unravels only towards the second half. The first half, frankly, only sets things up for the explosive drama that is to follow. The wheels start moving when Ajay plays a vicious game and hatches a conspiracy to ruin his buddy’s career.
It’s the second hour that does the trick. You can’t help but carry several sequences in your heart, even after you’ve made an exit from the auditorium…
- Note the scene when Salman makes four different tunes from the original tune created by Ajay.
- Note the scene when Ajay meets an inebriated Salman and professes revenge, while Salman is completely clueless about Ajay’s sinister plans.
- Note the scene when the band arrives in London after a 3-city concert and they’re received by aggressive mediapersons.
But there’re roadblocks too. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is a downer. LONDON DREAMS is about a rock band, about music, about concerts and the music had to be the soul of the film. Unfortunately, it’s not! The songs have been filmed in the most energetic fashion, but how one wishes the music was one of the strengths of the film.
Also, the film could’ve concluded when the two friends re-unite at the station. Adding one more song thereafter only dilutes the impact of the emotionally correct sequence that has just been witnessed. Besides, the song in question hasn’t been promoted either, so it only comes across as an aberration.
Prior to that, Ajay’s outburst at the end of the concert is far from convincing. The film has a real feel, real characters and real situations, but the outburst looks unreal and is one of the drawbacks, from the writing point of view. It’s just not convincing!
Besides, Ajay’s childhood character is shown fleeing from the airport and making it big in a foreign land [London], without any support whatsoever. It’s unpalatable!
Vipul Shah has handled this intricate subject well, but the writing could’ve been tighter. Sejal Shah’s cinematography is super. Brownie points for capturing the concerts brilliantly. Salim-Sulaiman’s background score matches international standards.
Both Salman and Ajay vie for top honours. Salman has a role that the junta would take to instantly and the actor too endears himself to the viewers. He’s stupendous. When it comes to displaying intensity on screen, very few can live up to the standards set by Ajay. To state that he packs in a power-packed performance would be an understatement. They, in fact, compliment each other wonderfully well.
Asin is admirable and pairs off very well with Salman. She is sure to have a new name after this film – Chennai Express [that’s how Salman addresses her affectionately, all through the film]. Om Puri has a brief role. Aditya Roy Kapur is very good and registers an impact. Rannvijay Singh doesn’t get much to do, except throw nasty looks at Salman. Manoj Pahwa provides some funny moments. Brinda Parekh is okay.
On the whole, LONDON DREAMS has superb performances from its principal cast and several emotionally-charged sequences as its two trump cards. But its biggest drawback is its climax and also the music, which is the weakest link of the movie. At the box-office, the film should appeal more to the multiplex audience than the masses. Business at big centres, especially at metros, should be better, but mini-metros and towns will be a contrast.
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Nikhil Advani is reportedly borrowing a leaf out a South Mumbai family’s life… and basing his film Patiala House on them. The family is apparently the Malhotras of Malabar Hill who, for three generations, have been living together. The head patriarch Malhotra still rules. All additions to the family are put in adjoining buildings and this is one of the largest joint families in India. Important decisions are taken by the senior Malhotra and everyone else adheres to it. The trade buzz is that Akshay Kumar, who heard this story from Nikhil Advani, was very kicked about it. In fact, he even suggested the title Patiala House to Nikhil, just like he had suggested Singh Is Kingg to Vipul Shah. Akshay Kumar agrees, “I wanted a title that suggested largeness in terms of numbers. Patiala is synonymous with a large peg and that is understood universally as something which is bigger than regular. Hence, Patiala House, a cluster of several houses that hosts a whole of family and cousins.” In the movie, the character of the patriarch is played by Gurkreeat Singh Kalon (Rishi Kapoor) who rules and runs his family life just like a prime minister would run a government. He is a strict disciplinarian whose authority and rules are not questioned in Patiala House. Set in London’s Southall, every addition in the family be it a cousin’s cousin all get accommodated in Patiala House. Every new wedding needs the house to expand a little more. Nikhil Advani, who is directing this film that is being co-produced by Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Mukesh Talreja, explains, “Our story is universal in spirit as it is a story about all joint families who have a patriarch who makes their decisions and wants to keep everyone under one roof. Kalon family has been living for the last four generations in Southall and he has created his own fiefdom in Patiala House.’’ |
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Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 72
Posted on: October 29, 2009
LONDON DREAMS OR ALADIN?
The following two Fridays are going to see the release of four big films two in each week. While Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Jail are releasing on Nov 6, London Dreams and Aladin are hitting the screens tomorrow, i.e. Oct 30.
London Dreams (LD) was originally to be directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi and he had planned the impossible-casting Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan together! Santoshi even managed to do a joint narration with Aamir and SRK. Both seemed genuinely interested while the narration was going on. But later, due to some unknown reason, both of them stopped responding to Santoshi’s calls and the project was put on the backburner. At that time, the film was titled Rashque (jealousy).
LD is now Vipul Shah’s venture and in place of SRK, he has casted Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan is replaced by Salman Khan. Although the current version has created curiosity amongst moviegoers, I really really wished the film was made with the original cast. Just imagine, SRK and Aamir Khan together would have rocked completely. Even if the film was bad, just seeing them together would have been a paisa vasool experience!
LD has impressed overall everyone ever since its first promo was out. The song and the musical theme of the film have made it a must watch for everyone. Also, director Vipul Shah’s track record has been fantastic. All his past films (Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, Singh Is Kinng) were big time hits. Asin, who is very choosy when it comes to signing films, is also a part of this bid budget project. The film is expected to get a good opening and become a hit.
Since LD will be the first choice for majority, the 2nd release tomorrow, Aladin, may suffer. Frankly speaking, Aladin seems more impressive than LD to me as somehow I have never been interested in films about music bands (I wasn’t even excited for ‘Rock On!!’ before it released). Coming back to Aladin, it has the finest special effects ever seen in any Bollywood movie so far. The film’s star cast is amazing and it may turn out to be a fantasy joyride. On the flipside, the film isn’t well promoted. Also, there are chances that the film may highly disappoint. In the past, there have been countless big budget films which were pathetic and Aladin may also turn out to be the same. Also, the co-producers of the film are Eros who had come up with a similar kind of film last year which became the disaster of the season. That film was DRONA! What if Aladin is also on the same lines? So I’ll prefer to wait for the response and then decide whether or not to go for it!
Which film will be your first choice? Do let me know!
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BLUE’s SEQUEL IN THE OFFING?
There is no certainty yet as to whether Blue has managed to recover its 80-90 crs (or maybe more) cost and yet, its producers are planning its sequel! According to the reports, Katrina will have a longer role in the sequel. Director Anthony D’Souza has announced that John Abraham will be a part of the sequel without even consulting him, thus, pissing off John! Anthony also says that this time the adventures will take place in the sky too!
I was just wondering-what will they name the sequel to Blue? How about ‘BLUE TWO-TH’?!!
Paa banega Grandpa?
Posted on: October 12, 2009
TIMES NEWS NETWORK (BOMBAY TIMES; October 11, 2009)
If Jumaani is to be believed — last year he warned Big B about stomach ailments and, right enough, he landed in hospital — the Paa actor may become a Grandpa in 2010. Ash, who is a primary No 1 (born 1/11/1973), enters her 37th year — and 3+7=10 which is 1, and this is eventful in numerology. Jumaani says the same about Ranbir Kapoor, a primary No 1 (29/9/1982) entering his 28th year — where 2+8=10 = 1 again. Ranbir did start his 28th year with a bang through Wake Up Sid. Ditto Priyanka Chopra and Sonia Gandhi, both primary No 9s, who rocked in their 27th (2+7=9) and 63rd (6+3=9) years respectively. And primary No 7 Katrina Kaif (born 16/10/84) who came into her own in her 25th (2+5=7) year with Singh Is King. More lately, primary No 4 US President Barrack Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize in his 49th (4+9=13; 1+3=4) year Born on 11/10/1942, Bachchan’s destiny number is 1 (11+10+1942=1) which represents the powerful Sun which also represents leadership. In fact, 90 per cent of his films with primary No 1 Rekha were super hits! Bahu Ash is a primary No 1, too. So, the Paa and bahu seem linked by numerology. However, the Big B enters his 68th year, and 6+8=5, which is Mercury, known to be the planet of speed and communication. The flip side of Mercury is that it makes a person live on nerves and causes over-anxiety which leads to diabetes, stomach related problems and blood pressure. Jumaani advises Bachchan to take it easy and not let his imagination go astray. “Yoga and meditation should do the trick,” says the numerologist.
English titles chalta hai!
Posted on: September 16, 2009
AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; September 15, 2009)
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh agrees, claiming that it’s a healthy trend looking at global cinema, “Bollywood films have an international audience. Ever since English lyrics in Hindi songs became a hit, filmmakers began exploring these options. As long as the title suits the content of the film, it’s bound to work.” Vashu Bhagnani, whose next film is titled Do Knot Disturb, adds, “When the masses can accept English songs and words in our films, why not titles? The audience targeted is largely the youth and they can easily identify with such names.” Rohit Shetty, director of All the Best and Golmaal Returns, defended his titles, “Words like Welcome, All The Best, Luck, and No Problem work well even with the non-English speaking masses in the interiors. These titles have tested positive with the multiplex audience so it’s a win-win scenario all across.”
Trade analysts also believe TV has made English and ‘Hinglish’ popular. “Thanks to the serials, talk shows and advertisements, ‘Hinglish’ has become well-accepted. So if the words are simple and part of daily usage, the names are more likely to work than not,” say trade analysts.
However, filmmaker Vipul Shah, whose films — Singh is Kinng, London Dreams and Action Replayy — all have English names, has a different take. “London Dreams is the name of a band associated with my film, whereas Action Replayy was the name of my play done several years ago. So, the name has to show some connection with the film theme and should not be a random word,” he says. Will the trend of long names that kickstarted with Hum Aapke Hain Kaun pave way for English shorties? Time will tell.
ENGLISH SHORTIES RELEASED THIS YEARFox, Luck, Three, Life Partner, Daddy Cool, Sankat City, Shortkut: The Con is On, Quick Gun Murugan, Bachelor Party, Bad Luck Govind, Chandni Chowk To China, Luck By Chance, Victory, The Stoneman Murders, 13B, Straight, Team, Runway, Let’s Dance, Morning Walk, Perfect Mismatch, Shadow, Toss
ENGLISH SHORTIES TO COME
