The marketing and distribution rights for Shahrukh Khan starer My Name Is Khan has been bought by Fox Star Studios for an whopping Rs 100 Crore. The is the biggest deal ever for a Bollywood outstripping Rs 90 crore for Aamir Khan starer Ghajini and Rs 70 Crore for Om Shanti Om bagged. The film is being co-produced by Karan Johar and Shahrukh Khan with a budget of 55 Crore. The movoe is set against the 9/11 terror attacks and its impact on an Indian Muslim living in the US.
Buzz up!
My Name is Khan is being touted as the most awaited releases of the year. Shahrukh Khan and Kajol will return to the screen together after a gap of eight long years. They were last seen together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001. Film analysts are banking on the fact that it was the trio of Shahrukh, Kajol and director Karan Johar which had delivered the superhit Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
This deal will serve as a personal satisfaction for Shahrukh has not only has his movie bagged a huge deal it has superseded the previous one held by Aamir Khan. It may be recalled that Shahrukh's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Aamir's Ghajini has clashed at the box office last year. On that occasion Aamir had emerged as the clear winner.
Aishwarya Rai, the international triple threat: model, beauty queen, and movie star, has taken the Indian film industry and the world by storm by leading many roles. Now for "Action Replay" she will be molded to look like an old woman. Sources say that Hollywood make-up artist were brought in to get the right make up on her face.
Vipul Shah the director of Action Replay says, "Ash did her old age make up with Paul, a Hollywood make-up artist. When we did it the first time, it didn't work out well. When you are doing age make-up, you can't correct it so it had to be removed fully and done again."
He also added that actress shows lot of patience in doing this character, "It took us six hours to got her look right. We started shooting at three in the morning and the shooting went on till 7 a.m.," he said.
Action Replay casts Akshay, Aishwarya, Randhir Kapoor.
If you have witnessed Big Boss, Who dares Wins and Fear Factor, you don't need to see Luck, the film. It's all this and more. I guess it is the impact of reality television, which is taking its toll on Bollywood. Before long you want to scream Is Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao!
The dialogues are corny, there is no script and people are forced to gamble with their lives. At times, you feel even the actors are not convinced about what they are doing on screen. Ok. The action is top class. But what use are slickly shot action scenes if a tight script and a believable plot do not back it. Soham Shah, your luck stinks.
Sanjay Dutt is Moosa who runs a betting syndicate. Horseracing, cricket and satta are not for him. He wants to revolutionize the betting industry and has millions of dollars riding on humans who are high on luck. Here, the risk is loss of life. And the highest bet is always placed on Imran Khan (Ram Mehra). To cut back to Imran's story, his father did a Harshad Mehta and committed suicide. He is left with a huge Rs 20 crore debt to pay off and his mother is not even aware of it! Talk about Luck!!
As luck would have it, he meets Danny Denzongpa (Tamang Thapa) who is Moosa's right hand man. He is on the lookout for those with luck. Tamang promises him Rs 20 crore for 20 days of Fear Factor type of work in South Africa. As luck would have it, he comes out alive!
There is also Mithun Chakraborty (Retd Colonel Veer Pratap Singh) along with Ravi Kissen (Raghav) and Shruti Haasan (Ayesha) on who bets are placed. Veer Pratap is there because he needs Rs 25 lakhs for his wife's treatment; Raghav's luck saves him from the noose. He is a serial killer set free because according to the law, if a criminal does not die while being hanged, he has to be set free. His rope gives way. Super luck. And Shruti is there to take revenge for her twin sister who commits suicide. She thinks Moosa is the one responsible for her death.
In one round, there are 12 participants and Moosa tells them that only eight parachutes will open. Shruti says, ''That's sick.'' Exactly.
Shruti Haasan has screen presence and is star material, but she has to work on her dialogue delivery. Danny and Mithun are both trying to find their luck while Sanjay Dutt and Imran continue from where they left off in Kidnap!
You could safely bracket this movie in the league of CASH, TASHAN and RGV KI AAG.Ratings 1/5
The Bhatts have often told stories that seem straight out of everyday life. Their new outing Jashnn also mirrors the thoughts of zillions of hopefuls. It's about a nobody who wants to achieve success in life, wants to live his dreams, wants to become a somebody some day. In that respect, Jashnn, with director duo Raksha Mistry and Hasnain Hyderabadwala in the driving seat, drives home the point convincingly.
You can't deny the fact that Jashnn brings back memories of the immensely likable Rock On!!, for Jashnn is also about a boy band, about dreams, about defeat and about success. Like Rock On!!, Jashnn also looks at relationships, but the relationships here are poles apart.
In this case, the protagonist (Adhyayan Suman) is living off his sister (Shahana Goswami), who is reduced to being the mistress of a wealthy entrepreneur (Humayun Saeed) who loathes the protagonist. In fact, the relationship between the siblings and also the volatile relationship between Adhyayan and Humayun are the mainstay of the film. Sequences between them expose the stark reality of life.
But Jashnn is not without its share of hiccups. The romantic track could've been as intense as the volatile ones. Also, it gets long drawn towards the second hour and robs the film of its sheen to an extent. But the climax more than compensates for the blemishes. Thankfully!
All said and done, Jashnn is yet another compelling tale from the house of Bhatts. Super music coupled with bravura performances from its principal cast makes Jashnn an interesting watch.
Akash (Adhyayan Suman) thirsts to become a singing icon. But though he has dreams in his heart, he is unable to find that distinctive voice that he can call his own, that will propel him to the top. Only when he confronts a bitter truth - that he is freeloading off his elder sister Nisha (Shahana Goswami), who, in order to offer him a decent lifestyle, has become the mistress of a rich businessman Aman Bajaj (Humayun Saeed) - is he is able to touch his inner core.
Call it irony or a twist of fate, but the person who sees him through this dark night and mentors him when he's down and out is none other than the sister of the person who he hates most in the world - Aman Bajaj. It is Sara (Anjana Sukhani), Aman's sister, who makes him realize that he is an extremely talented man and is simply going through a bad phase.
In the end, he not only touches his inexhaustible potential and becomes an overnight star, but also humbles his biggest detractor Aman Bajaj and in the process, lives up to the faith that his sister and Sara had in him all along.
Director duo Raksha and Hasnain step into a different domain after attempting thrillers. And the relationships here are too complex. For instance, watch out for the tiff between Adhyayan and Humayun, when the latter abuses Shahana. The subsequent sequence, when Adhyayan apologises to Humayun at his office, is heart-breaking. Then there's the one where Adhyayan and Shahana enter Anjana's party and the confrontation that ensues with Humayun. Another master stroke!
In the post-interval portions, Adhyayan's demo is rejected by the music company baron and his outburst at this point breaks your heart! The same night, he takes refuge in drinks and even robs money from another guest at the hotel. What happens thereafter is astonishing.
In the climax, Adhyayan calls his sister on stage and makes her accept the trophy from Humayun. Clapworthy and deeply emotional!
But, as mentioned earlier, Jashnn loses its grip during the romantic sequences. The film dips in the second hour, which is long drawn and half as convincing at times. The low phase that Adhyayan goes through could've been more effective and shorter.
Jashnn Director duo Raksha and Hasnain show sparks of brilliance in the above-mentioned scenes and they get solid help from writer Shagufta Rafique, whose screenplay is watertight, barring certain portions mentioned earlier. You expect every Bhatt movie to be embellished with melodious and soulful music and the songs in Jashnn are seeped in melody, especially the final track. Dialogues are powerful and dipped in acid at times. Camerawork is up to the mark.
All four actors shine in their respective roles. Adhyayan Suman takes giant strides. Note the helplessness, the sorrow, the dejection and the eventual exhilaration. This is Adhyayan's showreel. Humayun Saeed, from across the border, is brilliant. This film makes you wake up to this talent, which gives the film a rich texture. Here's an actor to watch. Shahana Goswami is already going from strength to strength and Jashnn only proves that she's matchless. She handles her part with amazing understanding. Anjana Sukhani is a revelation. Again, this film should act as a showreel for her. She's excellent.
On the whole, Jashnn is a moving tale with three USPs - its music, the emotional quotient and the performances by its four actors. Despite some loose ends, it should slowly and steadily win over cinegoers based on these three factors.
You won’t regret watching Jashnn but then again don’t expect anything great. Jashnn promises celebration moments as much as an old wine in new bottle.
It’s hardly surprising that Shruti Hasan is immensely talented, considering who are parents are. She’s beautiful too with her mother’s light eyes and delicate features and she is busy making a name for herself in movies.
Basics on Shruti
Shruti Hasan was born on 28th January 1968 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Her parents are the multi talented Kamal Hasan and Sarika. She has a sister, Akshara. Her parents divorced in 2000.
After finishing school at Lady Andal, Chennai, Shruti moved to Mumbai to study Psychology at St Andrews College. She then moved to California to study music at the Musicians Institute.
She came back to Chennai and apart from making music for movies she is planning to become a full fledged actor. She has appeared as a model for magazines like Frappe and Verve.
Shruti Hasan’s Movies
Music Shruti Hasan was six years old when she sang for her father’s movie Thevar Magan. She sang a duet with her father for Chachi 420 and the song Rama Rama for Hey Ram. More recently, she lent her voice for a song in Vaaranam Aayiram.
She is the music composer for her father’s next release Unnaipol Oruvan, which is a remake of the Bollywood movie A Wednesday.
The Actress
Shruti Hasan was supposed to make her debut with Madhavan in Endrendrum Punnagai which was shelved. She is now working with Imraan Khan, who is also her good friend, in a Bollywood movie Luck.
Source : http://www.chakpak.com/celebrity/shruti-haasan/biography/42226
Director: Arup Dutta
Cast: Anupam Kher, Sharmila Tagore, Rajit Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Nargis, Shayan Munshi and Avika Gor
The first thing that goes against this film is its title. Frankly, a title like "Morning Walk" with a plot revolving around senior citizens, has every chance of alienating a large segment of the audience. Also, the film's release is a little ill-timed. Arriving at theatres when there is a plethora of new releases, "Morning Walk" can't be expected to attract audiences enough.
What one gets to see is a tale that immediately reminds one of the 1980s. Of course the makers may argue that the emotions have remained the same for generations, let alone just a couple of decades. But at the end of the day, audiences look for entertainment in whatever shape or format it is served. And that is not really the high point of "Morning Walk".
What is further surprising is that the entire angle of Anupam Kher, his one-time beloved Sharmila Tagore and her daughter Nargis is straight out of a lesser known film called "Lovesongs - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow".
You can't be blamed if you haven't even heard about this English film starring Om Puri and Jaya Bachchan. It was one of films that did really badly in 2008.
That film too saw its lead protagonists accidentally meeting after decades with a revival of bond between them. The film was an exhausting tale that read like a chapter in the life of a woman who had seen major lows in her life and had come out mentally stronger.
In case of "Morning Walk", the story is told from the point of view of a man. Even though the storyline is predictable but it is the performances that keep the film afloat to an extent. Of course that's something which is expected when a filmmaker manages to rope in veterans like Anupam Kher and Sharmila Tagore.
Meanwhile Divya Dutta, who plays Anupam Kher's daughter-in-law, bags one of the meatiest roles of her career. Some of the better scenes in the film are reserved for her. As for Rajit Kapoor, a regular with Shyam Benegal, he plays his part of Kher's son mechanically.
Shayan Munshi may not be the most pivotal part of "Morning Walk" but thankfully perks up the proceedings every time he comes on screen. He carries forward his 'Mr. Nice Boy' image - something that he has built from his "Jhankaar Beats" days.
Actress Nargis, whose claim to fame has been "Garam Masala" opposite Akshay Kumar settles down for a lesser part in "Morning Walk".
All in all, the film is a regular family drama, something that may have worked 20 years back. But in today's time when there are 100 entertainment channels airing 500 daily soaps with 80 percent of them taking a sneak-peak into a regular Indian household, it is expecting too much from audiences to step out of their living rooms and spend money to watch "Morning Walk" in theatres.
