Bollywood

Iconic veteran actor Dilip Kumar’s long-awaited biography “Substance and Shadow”, will be launched here June 9 in the presence of the thespian’s wife Saira Banu as well as Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan.

The biography, which was earlier scheduled to be released on Dilip Kumar’s 91st birthday in December last year, is penned by author Uday Tara Nayar, who is also a close family friend of the Bollywood thespian.

Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar is also likely to be present at the momentous occasion, said a statement Saturday.

Television channels have been restrained by the Bombay high Court from telecasting any programme on the hit and run case involving actor Salman Khan or publishing its contents on the Internet.

The order was passed by Justice S C Gupte yesterday on Salman’s application pleading that allegations made in the shows were defamatory and sought to “dramatise and sensationalise” the case in which he is being prosecuted.

The programme was first shown on May 21 on Headlines Today and its contents were submitted before the High court in a CD.

Actress Sonakshi Sinha had to sit for two hours to get her hair tied in a braid everytime she had to shoot for her role in the forthcoming actioner “Holiday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty”.

The actress, who has luscious locks, says she had always wanted to sport the braided look, and “Holiday…” gave her a chance to fulfil the wish. She is impressed with the final outcome of the film, which release June 6.

The actress says “it took about two hours to get the braided look.”

Actress Sonakshi Sinha who garnered positive reviews for her performance in “Lootera” and is now gearing up for the release of “Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty”, says she has recently signed a new project, which is women-oriented.

“I have now signed a new film which has a women-oriented subject. I am quite excited about that project, but I’m not allowed to talk about it till the producers make an official announcement,” Sonakshi told IANS.

Asked if the movie is a remake of a southern film, she said: “Wait till the announcement.”

Actor Sunil Shetty, who will be next seen in Anand Kumar’s ‘Desi Kattey’, says he has accepted the generational change and is happy to see young talent in Bollywood do well.

“I accept the change around me. I don’t like to complain about this generation or the previous generation. I accept both success and failure and just focus on my work and if a film fails, I move on to a new movie,” Shetty told PTI.

“I am secure in whatever I do. I still live with my parents and meet my childhood friends. I have a social life,” he added.

Film: “Citylights”; Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Pratilekha, Manav Kaul; Directed by Hansal Mehta; Rating: ****

The city sucks. And it sucks in the uninitiated, swallows up the innocent wholesale, diminishes the individual’s ego. If you happen to be one of the multitude of faceless migrants, you are in for a really grueling time.

Comedian Kapil Sharma paid a surprise visit to the sets of talent reality show “Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega”, and met his friend and comedian Krushna Abhishek, who hosts the show.

The duo exhibited their craziness and entertained the audience as well as the show’s judges – singer Anu Malik and filmmaker Farah Khan, said a statement.

According to a source, Kapil was shooting at Yash Raj Films studio when his crew member informed him that the shoot of “Entertainment Ke Liye…” was taking place next door.

It was then that Kapil paid a quick visit to his friend Krushna.

“Naya Pata”, a crowdfunded project revolving around the acute loneliness and identity crisis felt by migrants, will hit the screens June 27 .

PVR Director’s Rare will release the movie, directed by debutant Pawan K. Shrivastava, in select cities, said a statement Friday.

The independent film comes from Bihar and is set in the late 1980s. It follows Ram Swarath Dubey, the protagonist, who has been rendered jobless by the shutting down of the sugar industry in Bihar. Having no other option, Ram migrates to New Delhi in search of livelihood, leaving behind his family and young wife.

Debutant director Nitin Kakkar has received wide acclaim at international film festivals for “Filmistaan” that explores India-Pakistan relationships. Now megastar Amitabh Bachchan too has complimented him on his endeavours.

“‘Filmistaan’…the film on release. Cinema in its bountiful glory. Just saw it…films bind, they do not divide. Love is power,” Big B posted on his Twitter page Friday.

Actress Alia Bhatt says playing the female lead in a Yash Raj film is on her wish list.

“Everybody aspires to be a Yash Raj heroine. I would love to be Yash Raj heroine… I haven’t reached there but hopefully one day I will,” Alia, 21, said at the store launch of Diva’ni, the first Bollywood inspired fashion line by Yash Raj Films, last night.

“The whole point of this collection was how Yashji would display all his heroines so it has fusion of romance, elegance, glamour and all of that. Whatever outfit I like I will pick that up,” she added.

Actress Rani Mukerji says her role in upcoming film ‘Mardaani’ is quite opposite of her image.

Rani will play a police officer in ‘Mardaani’ for the first time. The film is directed by Pradeep Sarkar, who last directed her in ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’ (2007).

“It (film) is quite contrasting to my image right now. I am excited about the film. I saw the first poster myself today. I was not aware it will be out today. It was a surprise for me as I was shooting. I have no clue when the trailer will be out,” the actress said at an event here last night.

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has denied that he has an account on photo-sharing website Instagram and said it is fake.

The 49-year-old actor has accounts in other social networking sites including Twitter and Facebook.

“Guys, I am not on Instagram. It is obviously some fake account,” Aamir posted on Twitter.

Actress-producer Lara Dutta, who Thursday launched the new Colgate toothpaste, said people do not give sufficient attention to dental care.

“As a mother, I try to regulate as much as I can. I have been a strong believer of prevention before cure and there is one area which we very largely ignore. Dental care is a highly ignored area,” Lara told IANS.

Lara and her husband, tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati, raise daughter Saira.

The 36-year-old, who launched Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection Plus Sugar Acid Neutralizer, is concerned about the dental health of her daughter.

Ayushmann Khurrana plays a scientist in Vibhu Puri’s “Hawaaizaada”, a near-illiterate in “Dum Lagake Haisha” and also doing Shoojit Sircar’s football film. The actor, who chooses his projects carefully, is not unnerved by failures or swayed by success.

Excerpts:

Q: You’re playing scientist Shivkar Babuji Talpade in Vibhu Puri’s “Hawaaizaada”?

Rani Mukerji has taken on effervescent roles in the past — but for the forthcoming entertainer “Mardaani”, where the recently married actress essays a police officer’s role for the first time, she has shed frills and style to get under the character’s skin.

In the Yash Raj Films (YRF) movie, produced by her husband Aditya Chopra, Rani plays Shivani Shivaji Roy, an astute police personnel working in a Mumbai Crime Branch unit.

The raw and gritty film, a distinct departure from Pradeep Sarkar’s style of filmmaking, will hit the screens Aug 22.

Saif Ali Khan’s funny side will be on show in “Humshakals” as he has donned the garb of a woman for the comedy. He says his wife and actress Kareena is taking his experiment “sportingly”, but he would have reacted differently to such a weird look.

When asked what was Kareena’s reaction to his look, he said: “Kareena is amazingly sporty… she laughed looking at me. Had I been in her place I would have filed for divorce. She found my chest too large (laughs).”

Director Sajid Khan’s “Himmatwala” remake was a flop and now he blames the film’s failure on his arrogance.

“I am a changed man now. I was very arrogant then and I was talking anything to get attention and make statement. Now I am back on track and thank god ‘Himmatwala’ flopped. In the middle, I lost it completely,” Sajid told reporters during the press conference of his next “Humshakals”.

“I wanted people to respect me as a filmmaker. ‘Heyy Babyy’ did well, then ‘Housefull’ did well, so I wanted people to take me seriously. I am glad ‘Himmatwala’ didn’t work,” he added.

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, a non-smoker off-screen, had a hard time learning how to smoke for his upcoming film “Dam Laga Ke Haisha”.

For the first time, he will be seen holding a cigarette in a film.

When Ayushmann was described the scene, he requested director Sharad Kataria to change the smoking part but it was essential, said a statement.

So, he practiced smoking and even mastered the art after a couple of initial glitches and coughs. He is said to have given a natural and effortless shot.

Releasing next year, Bhumi Pednekar also features in the film.
(IANS)

Choreographer-director Remo D’ Souza, who is back on the judge’s panel of the seventh season of celebrity dance reality show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa”, says the reason he chose to judge the show is that it’s a learning experience for him.

” ‘Jhalak…’ is a learning process for me as a technician. I get to learn a lot from the choreographers who showcase their talent on the dance floor,” Remo told IANS.

Alongside Remo, the show will be co-judged by filmmaker Karan Johar and actress Madhuri Dixit.

Supermodel and dancer Jesse Randhawa, who is ready to debut in the fiction space on the small screen with “SuperCops v/s SuperVillains… Shapath”, says her role as an Interpol officer requires her to perform intense action.

The tall, fit and flexible artiste, wife of dancer par excellence Sandip Soparrkar, will play the boss of the character essayed by Aman Verma.

Since Jesse will be a permanent member of the cast, she has been training aggressively to fit in the role. She has recently started martial arts training and yoga to help her in this role.

“Comedy Nights With Kapil” blazed a trail for standup comedy shows in the Hindi general entertainment space when it started in June 2013, and now SAB TV, a channel which offers humour galore for its viewers, too is set to cash in on the trend with a novel concept.

“We are coming up with a standup comedy show very soon,” Anooj Kapoor, executive vice president and business head, SAB TV, told IANS here.

Kapoor remained guarded on the name of the standup comedian whom they have roped in for the show, but he seemed confident that the entertainer will be able to draw attention.

Actress Rani Mukerji will play the role of a cop in ‘Mardani’, her first release post marriage to Aditya Chopra.

The Yash Raj Film, out on August 22, is directed by Pradeep Sarkar, who last helmed Rani in 2007 film ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’.

Rani plays Shivani Shivaji Roy, an astute cop working in a Mumbai Crime Branch unit, who stumbles into the kidnapping case of a teenage girl.

Shivani embarks on an obsessive hunt for the girl and what follows is a cat and mouse game between a fearless cop and a ruthless mafia kingpin.

Music maestro AR Rahman has composed music for ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’, the debut film of Bollywood ‘showman’ Raj Kapoor’s younger grandson Armaan Jain, and will perform at a live concert scheduled next month here.

Rahman had also performed live at an unplugged concert for Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Rockstar’ starring Ranbir Kapoor.

“Having composed all the songs, the makers of the movie revealed that Rahman has taken his unique music-making-process to a new level and has created something radically different from his previous compositions,” producers said in a statement.

Actress Lara Dutta, who had taken a sabbatical post the birth of her baby, says she is focussing on movies now and will be shooting for a film this year.

Lara married Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi in 2010 and in January 2012, she delivered a baby girl. Now, the actress-producer is gearing up for a comeback in films.

“Right now I am focusing only on doing films. I am definitely going to be back in films, you will see me soon. I am shooting this year, the release is not in my hands. I can’t talk about which films I am doing,” Lara said in a media interaction here.

Actor Vivek Oberoi has been named the brand ambassador of Zeel Rainwear, an Indian brand that has unveiled its latest range of rainwear for men, women and children for the monsoon.

The company, part of N.Z. Seasonal Wear, showcased its latest advertising campaign featuring the actor, 37, on the occasion.

Ranging from Rs.300 to Rs.1500, the rainwear clothing will be available across Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and other key states.