Big B complaints against blog

Big B says it is months since he has been suffering from the insults of the unknown guy.

He wrote on his blog: "There is a serious effort by a member that writes and comments on this blog to use language and expression that is abusive, filthy and utterly disgusting." He adds, "...This individual has been sending me the most unprintable abuse on SMS on my phone. I have, after great tolerance for months, reported the matter to the police and they will be taking serious punitive action, not just in my country but in the country of the origin of these missives."

The actor said he had lodged a complaint with the authorities regarding this. "I have brought this to the notice of the authorities and (sought) corrective measures to see none of the stuff that comes from this foul mouthed individual shall ever be allowed on this platform. Any further attempt from this person shall now be under legal cyber space action, now very prominently activated in the country."

Amitabh Bachchan a ‘police informer’ in Jharkhand

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has worked as an “informer” of the Jharkhand Police, or so the police want the people to believe.

The shocking police claim was exposed during a court hearing earlier this week in which the government said money from a police fund was distributed by Jharkhand Police to some bogus informers, including one named Amitabh Bachchan, on the pretext of getting details about Maoists’ activities.

The scam, involving Rs.8 crore, is related to the Secret Service Fund (SSF) of the Special Branch of the state police that is used to distribute money among informers.

The alleged scam was exposed last month by an informer who was made to receive payments under the assumed name of Amitabh Bachchan.

A letter written by “Amitabh Bachchan” to Chief Secretary A.K. Sharma last month gave details of the fraud perpetrated by former director general of police V.D. Ram.

During the hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL), the state government in an affidavit Aug 22 told the Jharkhand High Court that it was not averse to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the SSF scam.

Ram, currently posted as director general of fire brigade services, is under the scanner for misusing over Rs.8 crore from the fund.

The money was withdrawn on two occasions in cash to be distributed among police informers.

The police informer from Giridih district, who wrote to the chief secretary, alleged that Ram forced him to sign a document.

The document on which he signed was related to payment of Rs.21 lakh but he got only Rs.10,000, said the informer.

The informer, in his letter, alleged that two bills of Rs.18 lakh and Rs.3 lakh respectively were signed by him on the instructions of the former police chief.

According to sources, the chief secretary, in his report to the high court, said that Rs.5.60 crore was withdrawn till the end of the 2005-06 financial year from SSF and Rs.2.40 crore was withdrawn in 2006 in the name of “Mission Divide” at Morhabadi by Ram.

Amitabh Bachchan began the second phase of shooting

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan today began the second phase of shooting for advertisements, promoting tourism in Gujarat, at the Sabarmati Ashram here.

Bachchan, who arrived in the city today, has a five-day schedule during which he would be shooting at Sabarmati Ashram, Porbandar and Dwarka, Tourism department officials said.

After completing his shooting today, Bachchan met Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi at the Circuit House here.

The Sabarmati Ashram was closed for general visitors for nearly five hours when shooting for the advertisement was on.

During his previous week-long schedule from May 28 to June 5, the Bollywood veteran had shot for promotional series known as ’Khushboo Gujarat ki’ (Fragrance of Gujarat), at various locations in the state including Bhuj, desert in Kutch, with lions in Gir forests and at the Somnath temple.

Writing about his experience in Gujarat on his blog, Bachchan had said that he was overwhelmed by the warmth and affection of people during his week-long stay in the State.

The actor has documented his experience at every location on his blog and also posted some of the pictures which he himself had clicked.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited Amitabh Bachchan

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited the Indian film industry to shoot in the picturesque locales of the country which is experiencing peace after a prolonged civil war.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who was in Colombo for the official launch of IIFA 2010, met with Rajapaksa and during the 45-minute meeting the two discussed plans to combine the assets and talents of both countries in the area of film production.

Colombo will host IIFA 2010, the largest annual event of Bollywood cinema.

The country is experiencing peace after the government`s military victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)last year.

"Bachchan was the guest of President and his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa. President Rajapaksa and Bachchan discussed aspects of the Indian and Sri Lankan film industries, with emphasis on developing good cinema of the whole sub-continent, combining the assets and talents of both India and Sri Lanka," an official release said.

Bachchan too was appreciative of the opportunities for film production available in Sri Lanka in the current situation of peace, the release said.

Rajapaksa said the Government was keen to develop the Sri Lankan film industry and saw many possibilities of partnership with India in this regard.

"Bachchan was impressed by the work already done in establishing the Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele-Cinema Park, at Tissamaharama, a southern coastal town, which is a brainchild of the President," the release said.

"Bachchan and President Rajapaksa were agreed on the need and possibility of building bridges of understanding through the cinema," he said.

The President and Bachchan also discussed cricket which both of them follow keenly and the actor praised the Sri Lankan players for their performances in the current IPL series.

Earlier speaking at the IIFA launch, Bachchan said Sri Lanka, even if it is a small country in size, had a big heart.

"According to me, it`s a very big country because it has a big heart and that makes it big. The kind of reception I have got here is by far the best I have got anywhere else," he had said.

Bachchan added that he would urge the Indian film fraternity to explore Sri Lanka as a shooting destination.

"It`s a beautiful country and I will urge my fellow industry members to come and explore this beautiful land," said Bachchan.

Bachchan Senior to do the song number with Brazilian model

The sizzling, sexciting moves haven’t gone unnoticed. Even as the cine industry is drooling over Maria who grooves seductively to Bachchan Senior in ’Teen Patti’, director Leena Yadav is terribly perplexed!

"Choreographer Ashley Lobo and I chose Maria from the top 50 contenders to do the song number ’teri neeyat kharab hai’," reveals Yadav in a tabloid chat. "Maria is a Brazilian model, her sexy vibes were at par with Salma Hayek, I’d say."

Adds Yadav, "She danced like a dream and promised me before leaving for Brazil that she’d come back to Mumbai in December. She hasn’t and cannot be contacted anywhere! There are so many filmmakers who have shown interest in signing her and I’m trying to locate her myself!"

MARIAAAAAAAAA…………. whr r u, baby?

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Amitabh Bachchan will debut in Malayalam with Mohanlal

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will star with Mohanlal in a Malayalam film based on the hijack of an Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar in Afghanistan in 1999, the movie director Major Ravi said.

The veteran actor held discussions in this regard with Mohanlal and Ravi here last night.

Ravi told reporters that the story of the film, presently named `Kandahar` was narrated to Bachchan last night.

"Bachchan ji was engrossed in the story and after hearing it said I am doing it," Ravi said.

The shooting would begin by June, July or August this year as per Bachchan`s convenience, he said.

Bachchan would be playing the role of the father of a hijack victim and his portions would be shot either at Mumbai or Delhi airport. He would be appearing in the second half of the film and has a `meaty` role`, Ravi said.

On the other actors, he said he was on the lookout for a young Tamil actor. Earlier, it was reported that Kamal Hassan will be acting in the film.

The female artist has not yet been decided, though it could be Ananya of `Naadodigal`, who played the role of Nallamma in the Malayalam film.

Ravi has directed films like `Keerthichakra` starring Mohanlal and `Mission 90 Days` with Mammootty.

Earlier, while addressing a gathering here, Bachchan was asked whether he would work in a Malayalam film, to which the actor replied, "somebody will have to make an offer to me".

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Media can bring about changes in the society-Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan, ‘the phenomenal actor’ seems to have been blessed and showered with the Almighty God’s good will in abundance. We wonder, is this the reason behind his electrifying persona and sparkling energy that he possesses? Though this could be one of the reasons but there are manifold reasons for AB to be noticed-the most important reason however is his humility which has brought him to such great heights. Life has probably come to a full circle for him by performing as a 13 year’s old cute little boy with loads of emotions and sincerity as-Aura. No star can ever be compared to Amitji for the characters that he has played till date. He has come a long way from the angry young man of the seventies to Vijay Harshwardhan the media genius in his forthcoming film Rann, which will be releasing soon followed by Teen Patti.

A brief rendezvous follows-

Do you ever feel irritated of the media?

No not at all. If you feel so then I must say that your thought process is wrongly insinuating you (smiles). Actually media is the strongest medium that can bring about changes in the society. In fact it can be considered stronger medium than film too. We belong to a democratic country where everyone has the right to freely express his will. Any changes for betterment should be welcomed with open arms.

Shed some light on your character in the film? Kindly bring forth your take on the media?

In any profession one undergoes a conflict between his conscious and business. Similarly, there is a conflict between conscious and financial necessities in the character of Vijay Harshvardhan and how knowingly or unknowingly he gets involved in wrong doings due to political, family, peers or other pressures, is all depicted in this film. Relating to a visit at one of the channels he quips,” I visited a channel and I was taken in and around the channel explored the inner world, they restore and rejuvenate their mind and body, profoundly eliminating and adding news and working towards the latest happenings. They had many more television sets where they could notice the first hand news. The competition keeps them going. These days television spots hold for few moments only you may have noticed everything has acquired a fast pace. We need to maintain truthfulness, bringing forth sincere emotions which may finally lead to integrity. Media is the most healthy medium, introspective and wanting to talk about themselves. The more debate we have it works. It’s a powerful medium. Media is the most intelligent and literate media which can educate the common man and make this World a better place to live in.

Your love /hate relationship with the media over the years… please share your positive and negative experiences?

Using strong words as love/hate relationship/experience with the media will be a bit unfair. I have had my share of good and bad experiences with them. Nonetheless it has been sorted out amicably. I remember in the past something that I did not believe in I disagreed to it. However, we cannot correct anyone as it is their point of view. I remember it was during emergency. An unlikely happening, it was ridiculous media had banned me. The photographers too had stopped clicking me in the recent times. I have been sincerely doing my job. Reminicising how his credentials too were not mentioned in their articles… way back in the seventies like they would write the name of Shashi Kapoor and others but there was no mention of my name just few dots were added in the end. But I am happy that everything is over now.

What is your take on life?

Life is a struggle. When babuji (father) was alive I would always look up to him to get his advice and now I find solace in his poems. He would always say films need to be painted in a poetic manner which comprises of just two or three hours. One needs to pursue life sincerely by working hard and defeat can never over take success.

What went wrong with your company ABCL?

I think I am not a very good business man. Our company had shut down with a loss of almost outstanding amount of Rs. 90crores. I owed money to many people and this made me very uncomfortable. After few years I would take the list and go to each one trying to clear out all the debts. As I wanted to clear my sick financial status, I tried to work my way and with God’s good will I was able to get back to my normal way of life.

You have always kept the media at bay during your family functions. Nonetheless, it is obviously a personal affair but being a celebrity the audiences love to take a sneek peak. Comment.

These are very delicate issues while a daughter is getting married it is not only a precious moment for the family members but also a tender and a poignant moment for all of us. Our girl daughter is leaving our home and going to a new home. It is a valued as well as a powerful decision once in the lifetime of the girl as well as the family members which makes our heart sorry as well as happy too. We did treat the media with sweets and soft drinks across the road but there were some disagreements with the photographers. At certain juncture we do not want to lose our privacy. Another sour incident that occurred during Abhishek’s marriage was too very awful. That lady cut her hand in front of our house it was a deliberate and a frivolous act a staged act indeed. Another incident when Sameer [lyricist], I share a long relationship from Allahabad with his father Indivar. He had invited me to launch his book .And during the course of conversation I just said “Jab Abhishek ka ladka paida hoga…” I left the event as I had to go somewhere out. By the time I returned home I was shocked to note that the channels were flashing giving importance to ladka as a gender biased tale. You believe it I was so shocked as my intentions were meaning to a child. I did to have an iota of thought that I am stressing on a baby boy or a baby girl. That news has lashed me into legal issues. I am still fighting it out. Is it not strange indeed?

Celebrities are the soft target of the prying eyes of the media comment?

We are a part of the media and one must accept that. If I am a public figure I need to be extra careful and they should not go beyond the society conduct. I have to be well mannered and well behaved.

Off late children are committing suicides at large number. What is your advice to them?

It is a sad situation. Parents have to groom their children and tell them it’s wrong. It’s the sign of a weakness. We should learn to fight and face life. If one door shuts God opens various doors for you. My parents were always liberal with me and let me do what I wanted to do in my life. On the other hand children should not succumb to this cowardice act.

What is your message on this Republic Day, January 26?

It is a matter of pride for all Indians. India has progressed in all the directions more so after having attained Economic liberalization. Every Indian should strive hard to progress, enjoy and maintain our independence.

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Studio 18 to release a special issue of RANN Times UK-wide

In a unique promotional initiative, leading film major, Studio 18 has collaborated with the Leeds-based publication, Asian Express National newspaper, to release a special issue of RANN Times UK-wide.

Produced by Sheetal Vinod Talwar and Madhu Mantena of GHAJINI and directed by the maverick, Ram Gopal Varma, RANN top-lines the legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan with a well-known ensemble cast comprising Riteish Deshmukh, Sudeep, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Rajat Kapoor, and a host of others.

Bachchan’s character (Vijay Harshwardhan Malik) plays a media baron in the controversial film, which takes a bold and entertaining look at the fierce war between news channels, which drives them to the extent of "creating" sensational and often dangerous news, in order to grab viewership.

Remarks Ram Gopal Varma, "The way the news is presented today is much more entertaining than family soaps and thrillers. What’s worse is that we enjoy this kind of presentation."

In keeping with the film’s theme of Bachchan playing a reel-life news editor, the makers have created a special 12-page newspaper called RANN Times, which features candid and hard-hitting interviews with the film’s talent, including Mr. Bachchan’s views and thoughts, Varma’s candid note on the state of the media, and horoscopes of those born on 29th January, the film’s worldwide release date.

The special issue of RANN Times will be inserted in the Asian Express National newspaper on 22nd January, a week prior to the film release. The founders of the Asian Express newspapers, Nadim and Andleeb Hanif, have been printing the free-to-pick-up regional Asian Express titles for Yorkshire and Lancashire for over eight years. In December 2009 a free newspaper was released with a quarter of a million copies. It currently prints more copies than any other Asian newspaper in the UK.

Remarked Andleeb Hanif, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Express National newspaper, "We are thrilled to be collaborating with Studio18 on a major Amitabh Bachchan release. What Mr. Bachchan is to Bollywood, Asian Express National is to the Asian print media in the UK. We could not have asked for a better brand fit than RANN, in which Mr. Amitabh Bachchan plays an astute news editor."

Tanuj Garg, Head of Studio 18 UK, commented, "As professionals who believe in high-impact innovative marketing, we feel it is important to find newer ways of reaching out to our audiences. An association with Asian Express National is one such initiative that will enable a high drama like RANN to reach out to a large diverse audience."

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Amitabh Bachchan would be spearheading the entire film in Rann

Director Ram Gopal Varma describes his forthcoming movie as a ’men’s film’ and says it was natural for Amitabh Bachchan to spearhead the show in the promos of the movie. "Isn’t that obvious? With the kind of personality and the stardom that he enjoys, it is but natural that Amitabh Bachchan would be spearheading the entire film," Varma said.

If one goes by the film’s synopsis, there are other characters like Sudeep, Riteish Deshmukh, Mohnish Behl, Paresh Rawal and Rajat Kapoor who have been described to be quite important. What sort of space and time has Varma managed to create for these characters? "Every other character is important; otherwise it wouldn’t have found place in the film. There won’t be any character that would feel short-changed or left out in the film," said Varma.



Where do Neetu Chandra, Gul Panag , Suchitra Krishnamurthy or Simone Singh fit in? "Women are supporting characters in Rann which is indeed a men’s film. They may not be directly involved in the conspiracy or the entire drama that ensues in Rann, but they definitely bring in a humane aspect to the proceedings," said the director.


"Suchitra plays the role of a programming head with Amitabh Bachchan’s new channel and she is in constant conflict with him since she can see the cut throat competition in the outside world. On the other hand, Gul is indifferent to what’s happening in the country and first thinks about herself and her man (Riteish Deshmukh) before anything or anybody else."


Neetu Chandra, who had replaced Raima Sen in the film’s cast just before the shooting, is paired opposite Sudeep and also has a few scenes with Amitabh Bachchan. "Hers is one character which keeps her completely out of the entire political equation and does not understand the intricacies of power games and hidden motivations behind actions of people. Bring them all together and they represent the common man," said Varma. Produced by Sheetal Vinod Talwar and Madhu Mantena, Rann is set for release on January 29.


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Actor Vindu Dara Singh won the third season of Bigg Boss

Actor Vindu Dara Singh won the third season of popular TV reality show "Bigg Boss" and walked away with prize money of Rs.1 crore. The finale of the show took place here late Saturday.

Vindhu pipped veteran actress Poonam Dhillon and model Pravesh Rana win the show after staying in the "Bigg Boss" house since Oct 4 without any contact with the outside world.

The 45-year-old, son of former wrestling champion and actor Dara Singh, has been waiting for one big push in his career since making his film debut in 1994.

In the third season, it was Vindu’s bouts of anger which became one of the main TRP-earning factors. He was often the man behind most of the plotting and planning on the show and engaged in many verbal fights with his co-contestants.

But luck worked in his favour and he received maximum votes from the public but his father never voted for him.

"’Yeh SMS karna bachchon ke liye hota hai’ (Sending SMS votes is all for kids). I haven’t sent any vote for Vindu. Our relatives and friends have sent votes for him," Dara Singh had told IANS.

Vindu’s victory would hopefully work in his favour because even though he had his father’s legacy, he couldn’t script the same success story.

Vindu made his acting debut with Hindi film "Karan" (1994).

Since then, he has acted in many films, mostly in supporting roles. He has also acted in TV serials, including the role of Lord Hanuman in the serial "Jai Shri Hanuman", like his father did in the super-hit Doordarshan serial "Ramayan".

He has played negative roles in serials like "Ssshhhh...Koi Hai" and "Karma" and also did Punjabi movie "Rab Dian Rakhan" (1996), directed by his father. Vindu was recently seen in "Kambakkht Ishq" and "Partner".

Even his father is pinning his hopes that his victory on "Bigg Boss 3" would do good to his acting career as he feels his son has not got his due in the industry.

"I don’t think Vindu has got many opportunities to show his acting calibre. He played Hanuman in ’Jai Shri Hanuman’ for which he is remembered, but I always tell him to keep trying. Being in a famous show like ’Bigg Boss’ will be very advantageous for him, but even if that doesn’t work in his favour, I believe he should keep trying," he said.

The finale, hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan, saw performances by evicted contestants of the season like Raju Srivastav, Claudia Ciesla, Kamaal Rashid Khan, Sherlyn Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Tanaaz Currim and Aditi Govitrikar.

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Movie RANN have decided to shift the release by one week

A lot of release dates are likely to change. While the makers of RANN have decided to shift the release by one week [it was slated for release on January 22 along with VEER, but is now shifted to January 29], the makers of TEEN PATTI have also decided to shift the film from January to February. Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley, TEEN PATTI will hit the screens on February 26.

Interestingly, three more films are slated for release on February 26: KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK [Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone ], ATITHI TUM KAB JAOGE? [Ajay Devgn, Konkona Sen Sharma] and SHAAPIT [Aditya Narayan]. Will these films stick to the already confirmed date or shift ahead, is to be seen.

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Bollywood Top stars remember 26/11 Attack

Bollywood stars remember 26/11 and tell where they were last year...

Bipasha Basu : “I was shooting for Aa Dekhe Zara at Royal Palms on 26/11. While I was on the way back I saw the Vile Parle blast and was stranded in the crazy chaos.

We somehow drove through the melee to reach home that night. This year on 26/11 I’d be rehearsing for a show. I want terrorism to be wiped off the face of the earth. Is that asking for too much?”

Amitabh Bachchan : “I was in Mumbai on 26/11 last year. I will be in the city again this year.”

Hema Malini: “I was in Mumbai. Someone told me to watch television. I couldn’t believe what I saw. 26 November used to be associated with so many wonderful things. It is a meat-less day and a friend’s wedding anniversary.

Now the joy of that day is gone forever. Now 26/11 is a day of terror forever. I’ll be in Turkey shooting this year. I will remember the day with a heavy heart. My love to all those who lost dear ones on that day.”

Neil Nitin Mukesh: “I remember I was shooting in at Film City on 26/11 last year. I wish we could change that day in Mumbai. I wish people who lost their loved ones would get back their happiness. This 26/11 I’ll pray for the soul of the dead and hope that their families’ wounds would heal.”

Pooja Bedi: “I was at home on 26/11, 2008 watching the horror unfold on tv. This year I’m hosting a 26/11 memorial function by the DVK Foundation in London at the Kensington Palace. It is to support victims of terror attacks and to provide financial assistance to families.”

Imtiaz Ali: “I remember I came home from a late-night film.I got messages to switch on the tv. Then I was watching horrified for the next 70 hours.

When we relive that horror this year we have to be sensitive and not remind the families of 26/11 victims just to create media content. On the other hand this year media should ascertain from the authorities and tell the common man what he must do if a similar situation were to arise again.”

Celina Jaitly: “I was saved from the attack on Trident hotel by 15 minutes. It’s sad that after the ghastly 26/11 attack the Indians’ anger and outrage lasted only a few days. Qasab is still in jail and everyone has moved on without making the correction in our security system that made the attack possible. This is alarming.”

Adnan Sami: “I remember I was heading towards the Taj for a Japanese meal on 26/11. My song ‘Mumbai City’ with Jermaine Jackson contains my tribute to the spirit of 26/11. We won’t go down into the night, no matter what.”

Rahul Khanna: “Last year on 26/11 I was traveling out of the country and was glued to the live tv coverage feeling helpless watching home hometown under attack. I hope all the brave innocent souls we lost are at peace and in a better place.”

Tusshar Kapoor: “I was in Cape Town shooting when 26/11 happened. Ideally I’d never want such a horror to revisit Mumbai. But life is not about ideal situations.”

Arshad Warsi: “I was shooting in Wai. I drove into Mumbai and out on 26/11 last year. I’m going to a charity dinner hosted by Prince Michael in memory of people who lost their lives on 26/11.”

Dino Morea: “I was in Los Angeles on 26/11 last year. Watched it all on tv. If I could reverse the clock I’d love to wipe out the horror of that day and make it just another normal day in Mumbai. This year on 26/11 I want Kasab to be sentenced. What is this game that is being played regarding his hand in 26/11?”

Kabir Bedi: “Last year my companion Parveen and I were at the Juhu Marriott receiving frantic calls from my children Pooja and Adam begging us to go home.

Even the Press at the event only talked of gang-land shootings in South Bombay but we took the children’s advice. I’d have liked it if the terrorists had sunk to the bottom of the sea before landing. This year I am a hosting a charity fundraiser in London, along with Pooja, for the benefit of the victims of 26/11.”

Abbas Tyrewala: “I was in Chennai working on my music on 26/11 last year. There was cyclone that day, almost as if the elements were reflecting on the darkness and turmoil in Mumbai. This 26th I am tempted to be at the Taj for dinner.

But maybe that’s just being stubbornly sentimental. Maybe I’ll just say a prayer for those who were murdered by pathetic, desperate imbeciles, misled by enemies of God and humanity.”

Neha Dhupia: “On 26/11 last year I was in a movie premiere. Everyone started to leave. That was very unusual. Little did we know what was happening outside. Wish it had never happened.”

Manoj Bajpai: “I had just returned from Malaysia on 26/11 last year. I’ll be shooting in Dubai this year.”

Sonu Sood: “I was in an event at the Marriot on 26/11 last year when suddenly everyone panicked. I didn’t realize anything was seriously amiss until I saw the news. Nothing worse could’ve happened to Mumbai. I feel it’s time we collectively stood up against terrorism.”

Shreyas Talpade: “I was in Cape Town last year when it happened. As a token of respect to the people who lost their lives, we should torture and kill that bast..d Qasab.

Instead we’re behaving like a bunch of idiots trying to prove he isn’t guilty. I really feel ashamed. Let’s hang Qasab for what he has done. It doesn’t matter if he is Indian or Pakistani.”

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Rann and Veer are both slated for a January 22 relaese

This has been a year of clashes and collisions. And this a trend which is likely to be carried over onto the next year. According to sources, Ramgopal Varma’s ’Rann’ and Anil Sharma’s ’Veer’ are both slated for a January 22 relaese. It seems that Vishal Bharadwaj’s ’Ishqiya’ too was supposed to join them but has now decided to release a week earlier.

There was a time when Salman Khan, the hero of ’Veer’ and Amitabh Bachchan , the protagonist of ’Rann’, were on quite good terms with each other. But of late, after Aishwariya became the Bachchan bahu, equations have changed slightly. And now their films are set to clash at the box office.

While ’Veer’ is a period film, mounted in epic style by the Gadar director Anil Sharma and produced by Vijay Galanai on a mega budget of Rs 40 crore, ’Rann’ is a film by Ram Gopal Varma and is produced by Mandhu Mantena and Sheetal Talwar on a much smaller budget.

It seems that ’Rann’ was initially set for a release on October 2, but after the strike fresh dates were set by the United Producers and Distributors body and the movie was pushed to January 22, which coincides with the Republic Day week. All the film’s promotions are being planned keeping that date in mind.

As for the makers of ’Veer’, January 22 suits them fine as their movie is patriotic in tone. As of now, both parties are making light of the clash and talking rather nonchalantly about ’Veer’ and ’Rann’ releasing on the same day.

But as everybody knows, clashes like this , do no one good. Of course, going by track records, Ramu has been in rather indifferent form these days and hence nothing can really be predicted about him or his movies. As for Sharma, his last film, ’Apne’, starring the Deols, crashed at the box office. Both directors need a hit desperately. And ’Rann’ and ’Veer’ may be the best chance for them.

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Big B still believes in the richness of India’s national language

In today’s generation when actors are demanding that their dialogues be written in English, here’s an actor who stands tall and different. Yes, we are talking about Big B who recently demanded that his dialogues be drafted in Hindi instead of English.

The incident happened during the shoot of his upcoming film RANN. According to reports when Big B demanded his dialogues to be written in Hindi, it first took everyone by surprise.

But, later considering the fact that the veteran actor comes from a literary background and is the son of the well known literary poet Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan , it must not be tough to fathom the actual reason for the actor’s preference of Hindi over English.

Big B’s act has shown that the actor still believes in the richness of India’s national language despite everyone getting carried away by the lure of the western lingo.

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Amitabh Bachchan is still a phenomenon on bollywood

A ghost, an eccentric theatre actor or a flamboyant genie, Amitabh Bachchan has done quite a few over-the-top roles and not delivered big hits in four years. But for filmmakers, the megastar is still a phenomenon they can’t wait to sign on."I would love to cast him for all my films. I just hope that I keep getting ideas where I can fit him," said R. Balakrishnan, director of his forthcoming film "Paa".

Relasing Dec 4, "Paa" features Amitabh as a progeria patient."Amitabh Bachchan has crossed that mark of a hit or a flop affecting him. He is a phenomenon. He is the first veteran where stories are written keeping him in mind. Whether or not a film works is besides the point. He is not competing with anyone here," trade analyst Taran Adarsh told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"Every director wants to work with him at least once in his career. They’ve grown up watching him on the big screen. He is an encyclopaedia on acting. He has a different range altogether. He is a superb actor...and we can’t deny that fact, no matter what the fate of a film," he said.

Some of the 67-year-old thespian’s films have turned out to be over-hyped in terms of both content and characters, with the recent one being "Aladin" that was declared a dud on the first day itself. Amitabh plays a flamboyant genie in the movie.Even his special appearance in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s "Delhi-6" early this year, as Abhishek Bachchan’s grandfather, could not save the film from sinking. But he still rules the desire list of filmmakers.

"He is in demand because he is Amitabh Bachchan. He is a cult (figure). He has worked very hard and given success after success earlier. After his comeback from a break a few years ago, he is now having fun with cinema," said film critic Omar Qureshi."And he can afford to do that even if it means doing a crazy character in ’Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’. He is doing roles that he finds interesting. If the film doesn’t work, that is not his fault."

And cinema too has undergone a sea change with time."Take his characters in ’Nishabd’ and ’Aladin’. No one could dare do that earlier. He is just going with the flow. His performance cannot be doubted. He is too good as an actor," explained Qureshi.

While Amitabh featured in duds like "Family", "Darna Zaroori Hai", "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" and "Baabul" in 2006, a string of flops followed in 2007 too with "Eklavya: The Royal Guard", "Nishabd", "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" and "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag". Two of his outings the same year - "Cheeni Kum" and "Shootout at Lokhandwala" - were critically acclaimed but were not money grossers.

Last year was again disappointing with commercial failures like "Bhoothnath", "Sarkar Raj", "God Tussi Great Ho" and "The Last Lear".But writer-turned-director Rumy Jafry has no regrets for the failure of his film "God Tussi Great Ho" because it starred the Big B.

"It’s a dream for every director to work with him. Despite his age, he still works as a student and is completely a director’s actor. Neither does he interfere in anything. Look at ’Paa’ for instance. He sat for close to five hours just for the make up and that shows his patience," said Jafry, who cast the Big B as God Almighty in the movie.

Jafry can’t stop praising the veteran’s professionalism."The whole world knows that there is no bigger actor and star than Amitabh Bachchan. There is no star in the industry more disciplined than him. Even if he was 10 minutes late, he would make sure to inform, while there are actors who are over two hours late without any notice," Jafry told IANS.

But Bachchan prefers to be modest and says he is just a character artist nowadays."May be in the early years, they (audiences) came to watch my films because I was in it. But now I am just one of the credit titles. I am not that important," Amitabh had told IANS in a recent interview.

"I am a part of the crew and the cast. Even in my early years, I used to think that. I think the product itself is more important. It’s the film that is going to make you or your name or give you visibility. If that goes wrong then everything goes wrong. So one must work as a team so that the product works," he added.The star is still on a signing spree and has four projects lined up - "Paa", "Teen Patti", "Rann" and "Johnny Mastana".

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Young at heart and fresh in treatment “Aladin”- Amitabh

“I am still a teenager”, says Amitabh Bachchan right at the beginning of “Aladin”, setting the mood for the film to follow. Young at heart and fresh in treatment, “Aladin” wouldn’t have been possible without him.

Playing Genius - The Genie could have gone either way since he is expected to be whacky, quirky, a little eccentric, a bit mad and hugely lovable.

The narrative is clearly divided into two sections. If the first half is more children friendly, the second half has a lot going for teenagers and above.

There is some fun in store for children with a donkey’s head replacing Riteish’s, his guitar turning into a frog and him being thrown in the air after being turned into a balloon. The funny antics that follow may not have grown ups rolling with laughter, but should surely keep the smiles on.

Amitabh’s ‘Yo dude’ act keeps the fun going. He adopts a completely different body language as the flamboyant genie, who is happy moving on with the times, and could give the younger generation a run for its money.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Dutt’s Ringmaster character makes on and off appearances, though one would have expected to see more of him.

The entire past about Aladin and the Genius gets a little confusing.

The real fun begins in the second half with the battle between good versus evil. Sanjay becomes more prominent on screen, the past is unearthed, action and thrills take centrestage and the best of VFX is unveiled.

The visuals belong to the never-seen-before variety, especially the ones where Big B is shown repenting about his misdeeds. The flashback sequence is extremely well done too.

Sujoy Ghosh does well in conjuring the imaginary world of ‘Khwaish’ that gives the film a visual appeal. This is further enhanced by the presence of newcomer Jacqueline Fernandes. Riteish is likeable as the young man who gets superpowers towards the film’s end, hence keeping an option for a sequel.

Sanjay is good but how one wishes that he had at least a couple of dramatic scenes with Amitabh.

However, the film completely belongs to Amitabh who totally steals the show. Watch him in “Genie Rap” and you’ll know why.

The story of “Aladin” is legendary and Genie and Jasmine are known worldwide. This is why it requires courage for a filmmaker to set the film in contemporary times and come up with his own take on a well loved tale.

Ghosh does exactly that as he lets his imagination go wild and spins a tale that ends up relating the past, present and future of these characters. This VFX filled entertainer is just the right recipe if one is looking for a family entertainer.

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Big B insists the birthday would be just another day

Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan drove from the location of Mani Ratnam’s film Ravana to bring in the family’s patrirach’s 67th birthday.

The Big B would have it no other way. If it’s a family celebration then it has to be spent with the family.

Big B in the middle a dozen commitments said, “I was with my family in the night to bring in my birthday. Abhishek and Aishwarya drove down from location to be with me.”

The Big B’s close friend and adopted brother arrived from Delhi to Mumbai for the birthday.

“Amar Singh ji was here already and Anil and Tina Ambani and Aishwarya’s parents Krishnaraj -ji and Vrinda- ji, joined me. That was it. I am happy when family gets together. On 11th I was at home and a quiet family dinner followed.”

That apart the Big B insists the birthday would be just another day. “Yes another day another year. I am grateful and feel blessed that it means something special for those around me. The Almighty and the prayers of my loved ones and those of the millions that have supported me are to be thanked.It is because of them that I breathe and exist.”

Looking back during the year the mega-star says he has no thoughts on the year that has gone by. “I really have no recollection of what went by. I know what I am doing now.

Age does have this adverse effect on one and I am no different from any other. It may seem power- packed for you but for me it is just another day, another job. I endeavour to do what is assigned to me to the best of my ability.”

His birthday thoughts are more about the world around him than himself. “I wish, much like all else for there to be peace and harmony. For humans to understand that we are all one and that we all have common characteristics.

To understand that all faiths need to be respected, for none of them are different in their beliefs. That we are one nation, united by our independence and our sovereignty.

That this world we live in belongs to all of us and we need to protect it for its survival. That a kind word and a smile never did harm anyone. That a fragrant flower decorates our lives more than the vicious odour of hate.”

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Tabu and Amitabh sizzled onscreen with their performance

Amitabh Bachchan has been wearing Jani and Khosla’s clothes for a while now and wife Jaya pretty much swears by their clothing. Tabu too has been an avid follower of the designer’s clothing line and it seemed only perfect to have the two walk for them for the HDIL Fashion show. The show begins on October 11th and it is also the day of Big B’s 67th birthday.

The designers are ecstatic that Big B will be walking the ramp for them and told the press, ‘Mr Bachchan has been wearing our clothes for a long time now and we wanted someone who knows our clothes well. And of course, it never gets bigger than Amitabh Bachchan. Besides Mr Bachchan, Tabu is someone who has been wearing our clothes for long too.’ Tabu and Amitabh last sizzled onscreen with their performance in the hilarious romcom Cheeni Kum, audiences loved their chemistry and are waiting with bated breath to see the two together.

Apart from the fashion show, Tabu and Amitabh will finally be seen onscreen in the period film The Legend of Kunal directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Dwivedi who is known for his expertise in historical cinema has already begun with the pre-production work of the film. The show will be a great teaser to see the two together till they finally grace 70mm again!

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