




Movie stills of the most anticipated movie of the year. Releasing december 25th
Nine Hollywood actors/actresses, including Oscar nominated Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Denise Richards (Finding Bliss), Brandon Routh (Zack and Miri Make a Porno), Diane Sellers (Cordially Invited) are reportedly acting in this Bollywood international romantic comedy with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead.
Directed by Sabir Khan (Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya?) with a budget reportedly of over 12 million dollars in which Kumar plays a Hollywood stuntman, its title track is composed by United Kingdom bhangra group RDB. It has been reportedly shot in-around Los Angeles in USA (Universal Studios, Kodak Theatre, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles International Airport, Malibu, Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica Pier, etc.), Venice in Italy, Mumbai India, etc.
Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has welcomed Hollywood-Bollywood working together to provide universal entertainment. He hoped more Hollywood-Bollywood joint ventures in the future, thus bringing East-West closer.
Various India focused international film projects reportedly in the pipeline include British projects ambitious “Indian Summer” of Working Title, producer Leslee Udwin’s “West is West”, producer Graham Broadbent’s “These Foolish Things”, a detective series and a film about a crazed elephant by David Thompson of Origin Pictures, Gurinder Chadha’s two new projects, etc.; and Australian ventures “The Waiting City” by Claire McCarthy, “Bollywood Down Under”, “Family Unit”, documentary “Bollywood Bazaar”, producer Bill Bennett’s thriller, John Winter’s two India-centric films, projects by Anupam Sharma and Jim McElroy and David Wood, etc. Hollywood recently co-produced Bollywood films like “Chandni Chowk To China” and “Saawariya”. Los Angeles based PCB Productions reportedly is looking at mobile gaming to supplement major Bollywood releases for Western audience.
Reasons cited for this sudden passion for India are: Slumdog effect, globalization, Bollywood’s growing technical sophistication and resources, cost-effectiveness, exoticism, irresistible locations, exploding global market for India-centric films, etc.
“‘Paying Guest’ is an out-and-out comedy based on a play of the same name and directed by Paritosh Painter. It ran for two years in the US, UK and UAE. Now the movie too is being directed by the director of the play,” Ghai told IANS in an e-mail interview.
“Paritosh has done an equally good job as the director of the film. It will sure be a blockbuster, something I can predict at this moment,” the filmmaker said.
The multi-starrer revolves around five close friends who stay together in Dubai and is set to hit screens next month.
“In a comedy film like this, you really need genuinely talented actors rather than only a star who has a sale value. So we decided on Shreyas (Talpade), Javed Jaffery, Ashish Chowdhary, Celina (Jaitley), Neha Dhupia and so on,” he said.
So does he feel comedy is the flavour of the season?
“I completely feel that comedy is the flavour of the season. Today stress levels are so high that people like comedy, even mindless comedies if it’s entertaining,” said Ghai.
“Nowadays, people don’t have time to appreciate your poetry or cinema unless you compel them to go and watch it, but that’s a tough proposition for a filmmaker today,” he added.
Ghai, whose production house Mukta Arts Pvt Ltd has produced successful films like “Aitraaz” and “Iqbal” among others, says his banner believes in churning out films of all budgets and genres.
“My company is a major movie production company in Mumbai for which I direct one film and we produce three to four films a year with various directors and all kinds of budgets and genres.
“For example, we produced ‘Aitraaz’, ‘36 China Town’ and ‘Yuvvraaj’ with big budgets and ‘Iqbal, ‘Apna Sapna Money Money’ and ‘Black and White’ as small budget movies,” said Ghai.
The director-producer has himself directed hugely popular films like “Karz”, “Hero”, “Karma”, “Saudagar”, “Pardes” and “Taal”.
Ghai has planned five more productions this year including “Right Yaa Wrong”, “Hello Darling” and three new projects to be launched soon.
Asked about the ongoing tussle between the producers and multiplexes over sharing of revenue, Ghai said the root of the problem is that both the sides are not considering the other’s grievances.
“It’s a tussle of business interests. Both are right with their grievances but not ready to consider the other’s point of view. I think producers asking for 50 percent, 40 percent and 35 percent in first three weeks respectively is a fair demand whereas in the fourth week it should be re-negotiable as per the merit of the film.
Here is the first look poster of malaika shewrawat’s upcoming movie hisss which is directed by jennifer lynch.
do you think it is scary????
The film would star Rajan Verma, who essays the role of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist caught alive during the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008.
Produced by Hari Om Sharam, Anand Pandrey and Kumar, Total Ten is budgeted at a meagre Rs. 3 crore and shows the journey of Kasab from Pakistan to the trial court in Mumbai.
The other actors performing the movie are Sudesh Berry, who plays Vijay Salaskar (former Senior Police officer and encounter specialist), Homi Wadia, who plays Hemant Karkare (former Chief of Mumbai anti-terrorist squad), Ashok Kulkarni, who plays Ashok Kamte (former Additional Commissioner of Mumbai police) and Ashish Vidyarthi, who plays Tukaram Ombale (former assistant sub-inspector of Mumbai Police).
All these brave men were killed while fighting the terrorists in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Describing the theme of his movie, Surendar Suri said that Total Ten was a tribute to these Mumbai police officers who paid the ultimate price while fighting for their countrymen.
“The title of the film ‘Total Ten’ if you read then you will come to know that there were only ten Mumbai police officers who got Ashok Chakra (bravery awards) and only those people get Ashok Chakra who have performed some heroic deeds. So this film is my tribute to their bravery,” said Suri.
Rajan Verma said he believes that the movie will give a message to those youngsters who have gone off track but not to trod the path of terrorism.
“This is not a mere film but it’s a message from those terrorists who are churned out of so called terror factories. We don’t have to finish one terrorist but we have to close those terror factories. And these terror factories will stop when the raw material (the youngsters) supplied to them is stopped. Through this film I have to give a message to those youngsters who have gone astray not to become terrorists,” said Verma.
Kasab was one of 10 gunmen who arrived in Mumbai last November via sea route from Pakistan to terrorise the city, killing 166 people. (ANI)
‘When the song was completed and the whole crew had a look, it looked very beautiful and eye catching. But most importantly everyone’s eyes were stuck at seeing Kareena’s dress. Kareena was looking gorgeous. The dress cost Rs.800,000,’ said a source close to the producer.
The filmmaker has also gifted the dress to Kareena as she looked really pretty wearing it.
‘Sajid Nadiadwala is a wonderful person at heart. He always makes sure that his cast and crew is happy. Kareena was happy after receiving such an extra-ordinary gift from Sajid bhai. She was short of words to express her feeling after she received the gift.’ added the source.
Kareena plays a supermodel in the movie, which has Akshay Kumar in the male lead. It also stars Hollywood biggies Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.
IANS