A R Rahman to open new studio in LA

Another great news

Yes, it's true! The 'Mozart of Madras' has just become 'Mozart across continents'! A.R. Rahman will officially be setting up a recording studio in the heart of Los Angeles. The superstar of music composer has been poured with offers this year, and has to divide his time between continents.

Rahman has been busy setting up four different teams that will work in future with him. The first team will be home team Chennai; all Bollywood music will be recorded at a second studio in Mumbai. And there will be two more teams, functioning in London and Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, the heart of the movie world, as Rahman popular in this modern world. But he prefers to record in Chennai! He also has a bulk of projects in Tamil and Hindi which he will complete by the end of this year. The number of calls he is getting from abroad has not abated.

Rahman recently met actor Vince Vaughn and many more Hollywood greats who have expressed their desire to work with him. Saying he didn't expect Slumdog Millionaire to be such a big success, he attributes all its success to his supporters and thanked his well wishers.

In the meantime, the country is getting ready to rock to Rahman's beats, as he continues to go places with his 'Jai Ho' concert. His next live performance will be in Pune on May 31st, 2009.

Apart from this Rahman scores in Couples Retreat, another Hollywood movie. Lets wait and watch for another big success.

Mixed feelings for new Terminator - ARNOLD

Terminator hero, Actor-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, went with his family to watch the latest movie from the super hits franchise and came out with mixed feelings. He enjoyed the movie, but his kids sort of hurt his ego by enjoying it a tad too much!

He says, "Oh yeah, the whole family went to see it. It's a great film, I was very excited. McG has done a great job as have Bale and the others. The only thing about it was, I was a little upset because when we came out, I said, 'What did you think of it?' and they said, 'That was the best Terminator movie ever!' So that's really, like thanks a lot that really helped my ego!" But Terminator is not without Arnold’s appearance. Arnold did not shoot for the movie; apart from it scenes from the previous movies with Arnold in it were inserted at a few points in the movie.

Aishwarya to perform at IIFA

The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) enters its tenth edition this year, and promises to be one of the biggest entertainment extravaganza.

The event will be choreographed by none other than Prabhu Deva. A number of Bollywood stars are expected to perform at the awards function. Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador for IIFA and the event is held every year to commemorate the best in Indian cinema.

Bollywood beauty and ex-Miss World Aishwarya Rai will perform along with several other dancers; the event will commence on June 11th and end on June 13th.

Some of the biggest names in Bollywood and other eminent personalities of Indian cinema are expected to participate.

Saif-Vivek, almost handcuffed!

The location was New York and shooting was going on in full swing. The film is Rensil D’Silva’s ‘Qurbaan’ that sees Saif Ali Khan, beau kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi in the lead. The ‘Qurbaan’ team was shooting a car chase scene in a hilly area will trouble took shape of a cop.

Reports indicate that Saif was driving in full throttle with Vivek in tow. Despite numerous takes things were not coming as expected and the director was asking for a once more. The locals of the place who became irate seeing two guys breaking traffic rules promptly called the troopers.

The cops who immediately materialized before the Bollywood stars asked them to step out to carry out the usual procedure for breaking speed limit rules. The Bollywood stars’ repeated requests regarding their identity fell on deaf ears. Just as the Bollywood duo was about to be handcuffed the production team arrived and produced the relevant documents confirming the statement of the actors.

Only then were the actors released but not before their documents were promptly and thoroughly scanned by the cops. ‘Qurbaan’ sees Saif playing a Muslim activist and Kareena Kapoor as his wife.

First look of Pyaar Impossible!

We recently had the heroine of ‘Pyaar Impossible’, Priyanka Chopra “click” start the official website of the film. Here we have for you now the official first look of the film ‘Pyaar Impossible’ that will be churned out by the Yash Raj banner.

‘Pyaar Impossible’ has Uday Chopra and Priyanka coming together for the first time. The film is being directed by the talented actor-director Jugal Hansraj. The film went on floors this last April and the team has been busy shooting since then. The film belongs to the rom-com category.

‘Pyaar Impossible’ is the story of Abhay (Uday Chopra) who is a nerdy, awkward, socially challenged and bespectacled geek and Alisha who is the epitome of beauty that any man would willingly rip his heart out for!

And when these two worlds collide you get:

Rajesh Khanna to be felicitated with Lifetime Achievement Award at IIFA

In the 60s, there came euphoria, a phenomenon, sweeping women across India off their feet with those naughty eyes, stylish shake of the head and enigmatic smile. It belonged to none other than superstar Rajesh Khanna, whom the IDEA IIFA Awards salutes this year.

The legend will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Videocon IIFA Weekend, which will be held at The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from June 11 to 13 in Macau.

Stalwarts of Indian cinema like Mumtaz and Dharmendra have previously been recipients of this prestigious Award. Each year, IIFA 2009 honours a member of the Indian film fraternity with the Lifetime Achievement Award, who has made innumerable contributions to Indian cinema.

Keeping this in mind, the IIFA Advisory Board and the IIFA Management recognizes Rajesh Khanna in its tenth year.

Katie replaced by Lindsay

Katie Holmes' commitment to Broadway play 'All My Sons' forced the pretty actress to pull out of director David Michael’s The Other Side. And surprisingly, David approached Lindsay Lohan to fill the spot, in spite of discouraging reports on her unprofessional behaviour during the filming of her previous movies. Lindsay, who vouches that she has turned a new leaf, has been on the lookout for a substantial script to prove it, and has jumped at this opportunity with gusto.

"Katie would call me from Berlin at 4 a.m. her time to go over ideas and notes. We did this over successive weeks while she was there with Tom (Cruise) when he was filming Valkyrie. The result of our collaboration has tremendously improved the arc and dynamics of the lead character," says David, with a hint of disappointment that Katie is no longer in the movie. "Lindsay's very aware of people's perceptions of her. She's really committed to doing what she has to in order to change that," he adds.

Karishma Kapoor and David Dhawan to judge reality show

The IPL is over and the television viewers seem to be getting back to their soaps. No wonder then that new TV shows are being launched on such a big scale currently. One of the latest shows featuring Bollywood celebrities is 'Hans Baliye', a reality show featuring Karishma Kapoor and director David Dhawan as judges.

David Dhawan said that he opted to be a judge on the show as it promised uniqueness and of course the comic aspect. He also added that comedy is something he personally enjoys and watching couples showcasing their humorous side will surely be a treat to watch. The show promises to be interesting and engaging.

Karishma Kapoor said that the unique and amazing concept to search for India's best real life comedy couples attracted her towards the show. 'Hans Baliye' gives a platform to real life couples to showcase their talent to a wider audience.

'Hans Baliye' will go on air from May 30 on Star One.

Mallika has a big bite!

Mallika Sherawat, the lady sans inhibitions seems to be eagerly awaiting the release of her thriller film ‘Hissss’. The lady is going places bagging international film one after the other. She is at the moment looking forward towards the release of her bilingual film ‘Hissss’ that will be released in Hindi as well as in English.

‘Hissss’ has completed the filming and is at the moment in the final stages of post production. There have been recent reports which suggest that the film has been taken by Endeavour. This is the same firm that took over the milti Oscar winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ that was directed by Danny Boyle.

‘Hissss’ deals with the story of a naagin and her revenge. Mallika plays the role of the naagin. She avenges the traitors who have captured her pair. The trailer of the film that has been released is simply fantastic. Mallika seems to have worked hard for the film which also stars Irfaan Khan. The makers of the film have decided to showcase the film at the Toronto Film Fest this September.

Bollywood hunks getting real

Bollywood heroes are no more interested in playing larger than life characters anymore. They are more interested to portray characters that provide more scope for acting rather than giving scope for special effects. This can be witnessed by the number of new roles and characterizations that are being taken by numero uno heroes of Bollywood.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is coming up with a film that will see Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai come together once more, but this time it is not going to be for a magnum opus epic but for a down-to-earth realistic story titled ‘Guzaarish’.

Hrithik will be playing the role of a man who is paralyzed from leg down. Aish plays a married woman, as well as a nurse, taking care of Hrithik. The twist in the tale comes when she gets attracted to Hrithik. Sources also reveal that the film deals with mercy killing, which is banned in the Indian sub-continent. This film is being canned amidst lot of expectations.

Sources also suggest that this will be the first full fledged film where Hrithik will be seen in a serious role. Yet another film will be My Name is Khan which has Shah Rukh Khan playing the lead. The film sees SRK as an Asperger's Syndrome patient.

To look at it another way these films will also increase the general awareness of the public about the diseases which otherwise will not be paid heed to.

Rahman in Couples Retreat!

Universal Studios has officially signed up A.R. Rahman who to score the music for their forthcoming project. Rahman has been busy ever since he won the prestigious Academy awards this year and has made several trips to the United States to meet filmmakers and finalize his next projects. The name of the film is Couples Retreat; the cast and the crew have not been confirmed yet.

The film, a romantic comedy, will be directed by Peter Pelensky. Rahman was not available for immediate comment. The 'Mozart of Madras', as he is popularly known, is expected to start working on this project very soon and may have to set up a high tech studio in Hollywood where he can mix and record music instantaneously.

Couples Retreat is expected to be released by end of this year. Another major project that Rahman is working on is 19th Step, directed by Bharat Bala.

We hope Rahman's Hollywood score is a musical treat and bring encores in terms of Oscars!

Salim-Sulaiman nominated for Emmy Awards

Indian music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman has been nominated for the prestigious television production awards Emmy for their composition in popular American show 'Wonder Pets'. The composers bagged the nomination for the song 'We like being small" in the outstanding original song category in the Children’s animation section. The awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on August 30.

The duo, brothers Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant, have been composing music for over a decade, having scored for several Indi-pop performers and movies such as Chak De India, Bhoot, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Matrubhoomi and Fashion.

"It gives me great joy to be nominated for this award, as I remember while we were working on this project I experienced a kind of musical fulfillment and moments that will remain with me for a long time to come," Salim said.

While talking about the nomination, Sulaiman said, "We hardly expected this and were rather taken aback when we received the call from America. It’s honestly fantastic being nominated for this Emmy. Internationally, Indian music is being recognized and enjoyed, be it film music or classical, the appetite is simply growing and we look forward to creating more music."

Subhash Ghai impressed by music composer Wajid's work on Paying Guest

Sajid and Wajid have given quite a few chartbusters for number of Salman Khan starrers in the capacity of composers. However, when Wajid decided to lift the pen for the track 'Jack & Jill' in Paying Guest, he managed to impress none other than Subhash Ghai, the producer of the film.

"I wasn't meant to do lyrics for Paying Guests. In fact officially I have never been in charge of the lyrics department, though on and off I do come up with suggestions. However, it was by default that I ended up writing a song for Paying Guests", informs Wajid.

The song had traveled quite a few hands before it reached Wajid. The basic requirement was to come up with a song that revolved around the nursery rhyme 'Jack & Jill' and would appeal to both children and youth. When none of the other lyricists succeeded in delivering the required results, Wajid took up the challenge on himself.

"I asked Paritossh Painter, the film's director, for a couple of days and assured him that I would revert with the appropriate lyrics for 'Jack & Jill'. When I returned to him with the song, he liked what he saw but the biggest reaction came from Subhash Ghai himself", says Wajid in an excited tone.

And what exactly was the reaction?

"He was very impressed with the song and complimented me in as many words. Coming from a man like him who has been known for his great taste of music for decades, it was nothing but an honour", says Wajid.

This was not all as Subhash Ghai now wanted him to sing for Paying Guests as well. On his insistence, Wajid went on to sing the title song Paying Guests where he has gone solo. "He loved the base rhythm of the song that I hummed to him", says Wajid, "He then and there insisted that I sing the song as well and wasn't even willing try any other singer."

Incidentally, Ghai hadn't heard any of his songs from other films earlier and heard him for the first time only during the recording of Paying Guests.

"Thankfully, the song was completed in almost a single take and I was relieved because Ghai saab was there in the studio and seeing it all. It was a very good experience to be working under the mentorship of the Showman himself", gushes Wajid.

In fact, Wajid is wearing an all rounder cap today by not just composing the music but also frequently coming behind the mike for rendering a song or two. Most recently he flexed his vocal chords for films like Kal Kissne Dekha, Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge and Hello as well besides composing the music along with Sajid.

Dare devil stunts in Sallu film

Dance choreographer and actor turned director Prabhu Deva directed film ‘Wanted’ is gearing up for completion. The film is the remake of the blockbuster film in Tamil as well as Telugu titled ‘Pokiri’. The film is reported to have hair-raising stunts, the filming for which recently took place in Bangkok.

The stunt director for this film is Vijayan. The stunt scene shot was a duel between a couple of female boxers from Thailand and a crowd of spectators watching the fight. ‘Wanted’ is being produced by Sahara One Motion Pictures and Boney Kapoor.

'Wanted’ is getting ready for a July release and the post production works are going on in full swing.

The film deals with a gang of goons battling and finally good pervading over evil. There are also unexpected twists in the film which is being eagerly awaited by Salman fans.

The film sees Salman Khan in the lead role with Ayesha Takia playing is heroine. The music for the film is by Sajid-Wajid. The film also features south Indian artist Prakash Raj. It was Prakash Raj who played villain in the Tamil version.

Barbara Mori knew no English before she began Kites

Did anyone in India know who Barbara Mori was until the Roshans brought her over for Kites? And now after Cannes, Barbara is being recognized on an international podium.

It's not just fame that Kites has brought Ms. Mori. She knew no English before she started shooting for Kites. But by the time the shooting concluded, she could grope around the English language, thanks to Hrithik Roshan.

Apparently, Barbara and Hrithik made a pact. Hrithik would teach Barbara English and Barbara would teach him Spanish.

"I don't know how much of the promised linguistic exchange worked. But Hrithik knows enough Spanish to understand Mori better than his character in Kites, who can't follow a word of what she says in the film," says a crew member.

As for Barbara's angrezi, she has picked up enough to conduct herself coherently with the media in Cannes. Although apparently, she would often turn to Hrithik to get the right word.

Says Hrithik's father Rakesh Roshan, "Barbara knew only Spanish when she started shooting for Kites. That suited us fine since her character is supposed to understand only Spanish. During shooting, she needed to communicate with her co-stars and the crew. She was forced to learn English. Now she speaks just enough to make herself understood."

The film's shooting is over but the editing remains. Rakesh Roshan is hoping for an October release. "All the prospective buyers and media persons loved the trailer we took to Cannes. This was my first official visit to Cannes, though I've been to this city on holiday," says Rakesh Roshan.

Asin in Hollywood?

Asin dreams big, thinks quick and acts faster! The actress made it big in Bollywood with Ghajini directed by A.R. Murugadoss. Now, she already has a string of projects lined up in Bollywood! Asin will soon be seen in London Dreams opposite Salman Khan, and has also signed up for 19th Step directed by Bharat Bala.

Looks like she has now set her sights on Hollywood. Rumourmongers say she will soon be be seen in a Hollywood film. According to recent reports, A.R. Murugadoss has just entered into an agreement with Fox Star Studios to jointly produce and direct movies, and speculations have already started on whom he would cast for the lead roles.

Director Murugadoss, who shot to fame with Ghajini in Bollywood, will now be working on some new projects and Asin might find a berth in at least one of his forthcoming flicks. But is this a Hollywood project?

The actress has just moved shifted residence to Mumbai and is believed to be doing up her new house by herself. She now has actress Sridevi and Tabu as her neighbours and hopes to rule Bollywood too! All the very best, Asin!

Shilpa Shetty turns down Akon

Shilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with the American R&B star Akon at the IPL finals on Sunday night. But she decided to opt out at the last minute.

When contacted Shilpa explained, "I was just not prepared. It was an international platform, not some village nautanki. I had to be fully ready. And I just didn't get time to rehearse. So I regretfully had to say no. But I'd rather not give anything less than my best when I'm representing my country."

Shilpa says she was happy to be just a spectator at the finals. "So what if my team wasn't playing. I think I'm sporting enough to enjoy the game as just a part of the audience."

Christian slept through Scene one

Christian Bale insists that he is so calm and composed on set when the camera starts rolling that he has often fallen asleep! This even happened while filming the first scene for Batman Begins, he admits! "I fall asleep on sets all the time. I've done it in the middle of scenes. In Batman Begins, in the first scene I had with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, I fell asleep," he said. Adding, "I didn't hear 'action'. Michael and Morgan were talking and I was supposed to join in. I woke up with Michael Caine poking me in the ribs, going, 'Look at that! He's bloody fallen asleep.

Vashu postpones 'Kal Kissne Dekha', releasing in June

There's a dramatic twist in the producers/distributors versus multiplexes tale. Vashu Bhagnani's film KAL KISSNE DEKHA, which was slated for release on 29th May, has been shifted ahead, to some time in June. The release date is uncertain, as of now.

Vashu had decided to release the film in single screens and standalone multiplexes the coming Friday [29th May], standing by the directive issued by his association. But there were rumours throughout the week that Vashu had decided "to break the unity" by releasing the film at the national chain of multiplexes.

In fact, there was talk that the national chain of multiplexes were trying hard to convince Vashu to release the film in their properties, in view of the fact that KAL KISSNE DEKHA happens to be Vashu's son Jakky Bhagnani's film.

But Vashu has decided to put an end to all controversies and postpone the film, till the issue with multiplexes is sorted out. When this writer spoke to Vashu on Saturday afternoon [23rd May], the prolific producer confirmed the development, "Yes, KAL KISSNE DEKHA is not arriving on 29th May. I've decided to release the film after 2 or 3 weeks. I just hope that a solution comes out in a couple of days."

Vashu has spent a fortune publicising the film and now that the film has been shifted ahead, Vashu will have to spend an additional amount to keep the promotion in the same gear.

Paris’ phone goes missing

Paris Hilton, currently at the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, is having a rather traumatic time trying to find her missing Blackberry phone. In 2005, her phone was hacked into and all her celebrity contacts were leaked on the Internet. Paris is absolutely terrified at that happening yet again. She was spotted rushing through Antibes' Hotel Du Cap on Friday trying to retrace her steps, hoping it would lead to her phone, but in vain.

"I don't know where or when it went missing but I know I've got to find it. It's the worst thing that could have happened. It has all my contacts in it and the last thing I want is for it to fall into the wrong hands," she said to the press.

Big B's new wax statue unveiled at Madame Tussauds New York

Who doesn't want to live forever… if not in real then at least as a wax statue! Well, Bollywood's Big B, Amitabh Bachchan, is one person who will surely live for ages to come. The man has created history with his films and has won world acclaim for his work. Now, there is yet another honour that has come his way. After London, Madame Tussauds New York unveiled Amitabh Bachchan's new wax statue.
The figure dressed in a traditional black sherwani suit with a gold and black scarf draped around the neck, is the first to be part of Madame Tussauds New York's all new 'Bollywood Zone' at Times Square.

Rann to release on Gandhi Jayanti

While it was confirmed last week itself that Ram Gopal Varma's much hyped and already in controversy Rann would be releasing in the month of October, the latest piece of news that has just come in is that 2nd October has been locked in as D-day for the film's release. Considering the fact that the film comes with a volatile theme and is expected to boast of a power house drama, a Gandhi Jayanti release is obviously not just a coincidence.

"The world knows that 2nd October was the day when the Father of the Nation was born. He taught the world the power of tolerance. Now on the same day, Rann will show the world something that will make them lose their faith in this blinded tolerance to each and everything", comes a very strong statement from an insider who wished to be unnamed.

With Rann already been in controversy due to it's theme track 'Jana Gana Rann', isn't it's 2nd October release adding fire to the fuel?

"To each his own", says the source, "Why don't we also look at the business angle of affairs. Any film would like to come over a long weekend and with 2nd October being a Friday (a National holiday), the film is already looking at an extended weekend. Which film won't want to arrive in such productive time frame?"

However, one can't deny the fact that by choosing 2nd October as D-day, Rann has made a smart move by making quite a few other films do a rethinking around their release strategy. With this Ram Gopal Varma film being one of the biggest to arrive this year, what with a power packed star cast spear headed by Amitabh Bachchan and well aided by others like Riteish Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Sudeep, Rajat Kapoor, Gul Panag, Neetu Chandra, Rajpal Yadav and Mohnish Behl, it is only bound to create ripples amongst other production houses that may be looking at bringing their film over the stated weekend.

Says a member of Rann, "The film has been shaping up exceedingly well and it will not just wake you but shock you. And please, it is not an out and out political drama per se, as is being speculated by a few out there. In fact that's just one part of it. Believe me, when you will walk out of the film, you won't want to move on to doing something else. Instead you will want to sit down and put your thinking cap on to retrospect on the drama that just unfolded."

Though Ram Gopal Varma was unavailable for comment, the know-how of the industry are quite sure that he won't miss the opportunity of bringing his topical Rann on 2nd October.

Lindsay back to acting

Lindsay Lohan has been partying hard in her effort to prove that she is over Samantha Ronson and their nasty split. But now, she has realized that it's time to get back to what she started out doing – acting! Bosses of her last movie Geaorgia Rules were very upset with her nonchalant attitude and lack of professionalism, but now she has decided to change that perception. She has landed the lead roles in fantasy comedy The Other Side, the story of a graduate science student on a remote island. She will share screen space with Woody Harrelson and Alanis Morissette in the movie for which shooting will begin in October. David Michales, the director, says, "Lindsay's very aware of people's perceptions of her. She's really committed to doing what she has to in order to change that."

Mahesh Bhatt: My book 'A Taste Of Life' will outlive all my movies

The irrepressible Mahesh Bhatt is ready with his latest shocker.

This time, it isn't a film. No way. Bhatt says he will never return to direction. "It's something far more vital. It's my book 'A Taste Of Life'. It will outlive all my movies. It's the diary of my last days with the breath of my life U.G. Krishnamurthy. This is by far the best work I've ever done in my life. It's the most naked expression of my heart. It's going to be a shocker."

The book hits stores at the end of May. "It tears down the sacred ideas of the human race. It stares unflinching into the face of death. And it celebrates life."

Speaking on the end of his career as a director, Bhatt says, "The page has turned. Chances of me directing another film are almost nil. I now want to watch the young directors in our production house make films. When you teach the young you touch the future. Some people have said I ghost-directed our latest production Jashn. The film is the brainchild of the co-directors Raksha and Hasnain. It is unfair to strip them of the credit."

Excited about the release of his book, Bhatt concludes, "It's not as though I've given up on creativity. I'm now more vigorously engaged with the stream of life than ever before. Like the flower that blooms, gives its fragrance and then fades away, I'm also moving on. As a creative artiste I'm right now most excited about my book."

Sonam Kapoor all set to walk the red carpet at Cannes

Despite the poor performance of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya at the B.O., one saw its debutant hero Ranbir Kapoor's career zooming to dizzying heights, while it took some time for Sonam Kapoor to make it to the 'it' list. But when she did, she simply did it in style! Today, Sonam has not only become the face of cosmetic major L'Oreal, but will also be walking the prestigious red carpet at the forthcoming Cannes International Film Festival for the brand. In fact, she will be walking the red carpet with none other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan!

On this development, an excited Sonam says, "The name L'Oreal Paris is immediately evocative of the brand's signature phrase: 'Because I'm worth it'. Representing L'Oreal Paris as a woman and an artiste is an honour and a privilege, and the pleasure is mine!" Sonam also added that for her, being on the same platform as Aishwarya was a big deal in itself and that she has always adored her, but met her only once, during the Delhi 6 Premiere.

Not just that, this pretty young lass is confident of carrying off Indian outfits by designers Anamika, Manish and Gaurav, on the red carpet. If that's not enough, then the icing on the cake is that she will also be dressed by an international designer for one of the events!

It is also learnt that Sonam will be accompanied by her daddy dearest Anil Kapoor to Cannes. Way to go, Sonam!

Storyline of Big B starrer Teen Patti

We all have read about the various Hollywood celebrities going in and out of Leena Yadav's Teen Patti but what we are really interested is what the film is all about. Some say it's the remake of a Kevin Spacey starrer 21, a high powered gambling movie. But now the entire speculations end here as we at Bollywood Hungama bring you the exclusive preview watch of what Teen Patti is all about. Here's a sneak peek into the film.

Perci Trachtenberg (Ben Kingsley), widely regarded as the world's greatest living mathematician, meets Venkat Subramaniam (Amitabh Bachchan), a reclusive math genius from India, who has cracked a theory that could redefine the principles of probability and randomness. Aware that he is on the precipice of an extraordinary discovery, one that could find applications across various sciences, Venkat is encouraged to test his theory in the real world. But what starts out as an experiment between a charismatic young professor and an eccentric older one soon descends into a game neither of them can control. Convinced that Venkat's discovery has the originality and significance to change the narrative arc of mathematics, Perci understands that Venkat's theory, in essence, questions the idea of what is random and what is fated. A surprising and deeply moving redemption, initiated by Perci, closes this stupendously modern film that is as much about the private equations of honour and chance, as it is about knowledge that can change the world.

Is kunal unhappy with Imran?

Reports in sections of the media suggesting that Kunal Kohli submitted the same script to Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan have intrigued not just the director but also his colleagues from the filmmaking fraternity who wonder why the two actors needed to make a public issue of the matter, and if Yash Raj Films, from whom Kunal is supposed to have broken away with some acrimony, are in way behind these 'stall' tales.

Says a director - colleague also a part of Yash Raj once, "I wonder which is more unethical! To give the same script to two actors or for the actors to compare notes and gloat in the press about it?"

Kunal is reluctant to speak on the matter. When coaxed he finally says, "I know Ranbir would never speak to damage my project, regardless of whether he does my film or not. Besides I did not submit the same script to the two actors."

That leaves us with the question on why Imran Khan has been comparing notes about his scripts with his colleagues and tomtomming the fact in the press when in fact Kohli says he has just finished his script and will now approach the suitable actor (apparently, it's Saif again).

According to Kohli, he's producing two films. One of the subjects is to be directed by Kunal's assistant while the other is a political satire which he will co-produce with BIG Pictures.

A theory doing the rounds is that sections of Yash Raj Films from where Kohli broke away last year were spreading the rumours in the bid to stop top actors from working with him.

But Kunal Kohli gives Yash Raj a clean chit. "My wife Raveena still works for Yash Raj and my relations with them are cordial. Aditya Chopra is too above all these things. But I would like to say that no actor should disclose which project comes to him. Have you ever heard Mr. Bachchan or Shah Rukh talking about what they are offered? My Hum Tum went to Hrithik Roshan and Vivek Oberoi before it came to Saif. Did you ever hear those two actors talking about Hum Tum? Are you aware of how many actors were offered Lagaan? All these premature efforts to talk about my cast are just so annoying."

In brief, Imran Khan's statements suggesting that Kunal Kohli came to him with the same script that he gave to Ranbir are premature and unethical.

Hrithik-Barbara Mori to promote Kites at Cannes

By now, it is common knowledge that Rakesh Roshan is taking his ambitious project Kites to the prestigious Cannes film festival this year. However, the film won't be screened for the public or the media at Cannes; instead, this is just a screening for potential buyers from the West.

Kites is a story of love that goes beyond barriers, boundaries and cultures. The film stars Hrithik Roshan, Kangna Ranaut and Latin sensation Barbara Mori. The chemistry between Hrithik and Barbara is said to be among the high points of the film.

Kites is the first film by Filmkraft that has a truly international appeal. Hence the makers are leaving no stone unturned to promote the film at various international platforms. The Kites unit, comprising Hrithik Roshan, Rakesh Roshan, Barbara Mori and director Anurag Basu, will be in Cannes from May 14-17. A specially-prepared trailer will also be screened to attract potential international buyers.

Indeed, the makers of Kites are going full throttle to ensure that the film gets maximum publicity across various media.

Kat's speciality

Katrina Kaif meets Royal challengers contest winners

Hello World

Hello World

New to this blogging!!

Thameem