Quantcast
Channel: Movies + Television + Hollywood + Music + Fashion + Regional Cinema
Viewing all 9304 articles
Browse latest View live

Shraddha unwell, still promoting 'Ek Villain'

0
0

Actress Shraddha Kapoor is busy promoting her forthcoming film “Ek Villain”, despite being a little under the weather.

She has been to Jaipur and is now in Kolkata to promote the film that also stars Sidharth Malhotra.

“Shraddha has been a little under the weather. But she is very excited about the release and she is going all out to promote it,” spokesperson of Shraddha said in a statement.

She has also been tweeting photos and updating about her activities during the multi-city tour promotion.

“Ek Villain”, directed by Mohit Suri, will release June 27.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Aamna Sharif opposite Riteish Deshmukh in EK VILLAIN

0
0

The plot of 'Ek Villain' gets thicker. There comes a new twist in the form of Riteish’s wife, Sulochna. Aamna Sharif has been cast for the crucial role.

Up until recently, the Sidharth Malhotra-Shraddha Kapoor romance was at the forefront. But with the newly revealed angle of Riteish-Aamna, the confusion is mounting, as there appear to be two concurrently running love stories in ‘Ek Villain’.

Says a source, "Several actresses were considered to play Sulochana but Mohit and his team eventually zeroed down on Aamna because her look test was exceptional. There is no doubt that she is a seasoned actress and among the best that Indian television has seen. She was instantly confirmed for the film.”

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Tusshar Turns Santa For Family Members

0
0

Tusshar Kapoor, who was recently in the US, came back laden with gifts for his family members.

Knowing that sister Ekta Kapoor has taken to yoga in a big way, he got few yoga mats for dearest sis while gifting mother Shobha Kapoor with home décor items and suits and perfumes for daddy Jeetendra, who had been planning to visit US since a long time.

A source said, “Tusshar is quite close to his family members and everytime he goes abroad, he makes it a point to get something for them, which has earned him the nickname Santa Claus in the family.”

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

'Machli Jal Ki Rani Hai' - horror of horrors

0
0

Film: "Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai"; Cast: Swara Bhaskar, Deepraj Rana; Director: Debaloy Dey; Rating: None

The horror genre in Bollywood suffers because of its inability to reinvent itself over the years.

Linda Blair played the girl possessed in William Friedkin's "The Exorcist". Forty years later the very talented Swara Bhaskar gives the devilish avatar a try. She works hard on getting the twisted and contorted face and body language right. But Swara, bless her possessed soul, is let down by a tacky script and the director's inability to take the spooky genre where it hasn't been before.

It's all familiar, and not done in any way that can be considered even reasonably original. The supernatural murders attempt to be so gruesome that they end up being unintentionally funny.

A maid (more made-up than her 'maalkin') is pierced in her eyes with a hanging on the wall.

Later the hanging reappears on the wall, the blood and gore all washed away.

Admittedly "Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai" has some genuinely scary moments. There is a sequence where his wife serving him fish for dinner surprises Swara's screen-spouse.

Until his eyes fall on the fish tank and he sees their pet fish missing from the tank...

Then towards the end there is a twist in the tale, which is bound to send a chill up your spine, regardless of whether you believe in ghosts or not.

The payoff comes too infrequently, and too late.

Most of the plot is covered in what appears to be an occasion to give idle housewives and aspiring actors a chance to play out their acting fantasies.

The dialogues are delivered in unnecessarily loud voices and the sequences pile up one on top of the other without creating any coherent scheme of storytelling. The narrative follows the weather-beaten track of raising scares through shadows and sound effects.

These are punctuated by bouts of.... err, comic relief that leave you hankering for relief from the comic relief.

As stated earlier the last half-hour when the ghosts go amok as well as the preamble when the exorcist (Deepraj Rana) chases the devil across a dangerous terrain is mildly engaging.

If you enjoy watching films about ghostly possessions in normal households then "Machhli Jal Ki..." might of some interest to you.

But the horror genre in Bollywood needs a revamp.

Fast.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Shraddha unwell, still promoting 'Ek Villain'

0
0

Actress Shraddha Kapoor is busy promoting her forthcoming film “Ek Villain”, despite being a little under the weather.

She has been to Jaipur and is now in Kolkata to promote the film that also stars Sidharth Malhotra.

“Shraddha has been a little under the weather. But she is very excited about the release and she is going all out to promote it,” spokesperson of Shraddha said in a statement.

She has also been tweeting photos and updating about her activities during the multi-city tour promotion.

“Ek Villain”, directed by Mohit Suri, will release June 27.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Actress Telangana Shakuntala dead

0
0

Telangana Shakuntala, one of Telugu cinema's popular character artists, died here Saturday, a hospital source said. She was 63.

"She was admitted to the hospital around 2.30 a.m. last night after a cardiac arrest at her residence. She was declared dead on arrival," a hospital source of Narayana Hrudayalaya told IANS.

Shakuntala, who made her cinematic debut in 1981 Telugu film "Maa Bhoomi", went on to act in 74 films. Telugu comedy "Pandavulu Pandavulu Tummeda" was her last film, which was released earlier this year.

Known for popularizing Telangana accent in her comic and villain roles, Shakuntala was a Maharashtrian by birth.

Some of her best films include "Aha Naa Pellanta", "Gulabi", "Bhadrachalam", "Nuvvu Nenu" and "Bendu Apparao RMP".

She also worked in Tamil films such as "Dhool" and "Machak Kaalaia".

Shakuntala's body will be kept at the AP Film Chamber of Commerce for public to pay respects from 1 p.m. onwards and her last rites will be performed in Alwal around 2.30 p.m. Saturday.

Shakuntala is survived by a son and daughter.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Don't intend to harm anyone, only protect myself: Preity Zinta

0
0

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who has accused her ex-boyfriend and industrialist Ness Wadia of molesting her, Saturday said the intention behind the complaint is to "protect myself".

"This is a very difficult time for me and I would like to request the media to pls respect my privacy regarding this matter. My intention is not to harm anyone but only to protect myself," Preity said in a statement.

The "Kal Ho Naa Ho" actress lodged a written complaint against Wadia with the Marine Drive police station Thursday night.

Wadia, who is Preity's former beau and co-owns the the IPL team Kings XI Punjab with the actress, has denied the allegations, terming them "totally false and baseless".

According to sources, Preity has accused Wadia of grabbing her hand and abusing her during a cricket match in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai May 30.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Police probe Zinta's molestation charge against Wadia scion

0
0

Mumbai police Saturday started their probe into Bollywood actress Preity Zinta's molestation charge against her ex-boyfriend and business partner, industrialist Ness Wadia.

An investigating officer said police have started calling witnesses over the issue and will also the scan CCTV footage of the alleged incident which took place May 30 in Mumbai during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match.

On Thursday night, Zinta, in a written complaint to Marine Drive Police Station, accused the Wadia scion and co-owner of the King XI Punjab IPL team of molesting and abusing her.

Wadia Saturday issued a statement denying Zinta's allegations.

"I am shocked at the complaint and the allegations made against me are totally false and baseless," Wadia said.

Police may contemplate any action against Wadia after questioning witnesses and examining video clips of the IPL match in Mumbai a fortnight ago when the alleged incident of molestation took place.

Among other things, Zinta has accused Wadia of grabbing her hand and abusing her during a cricket match in Wankhede Stadium here.

Police are likely to record detailed statements of both Zinta and Wadia over the incident later.

Meanwhile the Maharashtra State Women's Commission is likely to visit the police station later Saturday to ascertain what action has been taken in the matter.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Saurabh Shukla's 'Gupta Clinic' role inspired by Shailendra Singh

0
0

Film producer Shailendra Singh’s directorial debut "Gupta Clinic" will feature actor Saurabh Shukla in a role inspired by Singh himself.

It is well-known in Singh's circle of friends that he doles out advice to all his friends from the film fraternity, and outside.

Singh has woven the comedy about a counsellor on physical relationships, based on his own encounters with various personalities from the film industry.

The filmmaker said: “I am not going to deny the fact that I do like to be known as someone who helps out friends. It’s just not advice on physical relationships. But my film is only about advice on physical relationship."

"A recent survey has revealed that 47 percent of the young couples in the country prefer to spend time watching television or surfing the net instead of being with their partners. This is a disturbing trend. We need to examine why this is so. I’d like to think Saurabh’s character shares my concern for the decline in the intensity level among young urban couples.”

However, "Gupta Clinic" will have no mention of sex.

“Everyone jumped when they heard I was doing a film about a man who offers advice on physical relationships, they thought I was doing a sex comedy based on those self-appointed in those pokey sex clinics in the smaller towns. But my film is not about sex. There will be no mention of the ‘s’ word at all. I’ll be aiming for a U/A certificate.”

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

'Naan Than Bala' a film with good intention

0
0

Film: "Naan Than Bala"; Cast: Vivekh, Swetha, Venkatraj, Cell Murugan, Sounder, Lavanya and Sujatha; Director: R. Kannan; Rating: **1/2

The fate of a good intentioned film sans the elements of entertainment always lies in the hands of the audiences. It's extremely difficult to judge the pulse of the viewers nowadays because they're exposed to all kinds of cinema - from regular commercial material to art house and independent films.

A highly-anticipated film can turn out to be a dud and the most unexpected low-budget movie can rake in the moolah. Vivekh-starrer "Naan Than Bala", which dares to explore an uncharted territory, faces a similar fate at the box office as it doesn't feature all the necessary elements to please the entertainment deprived audiences of Tamil cinema.

Stepping out of his comfort zone as a comedian, Vivekh dons a very serious role of that of a temple priest in the film.

When Poochi, a man Bala has never met in his life, comes forth to help him free his aged father from jail for a crime he never committed, he decides to spend the rest of his life in his service. Bala believes Poochi is the reincarnation of god and it is his duty to serve him till his last breath.

But Poochi is a paid assassin, one who has murdered many for a price and helped Bala free his father from the money he received for killing someone. Bala confronts Poochi and convinces him to surrender to police by turning approver and turn against his boss.

When most comedians are turning heroes to cash in on their popularity, Vivekh attempts to inspire his fans with his earnest effort. With utmost sincerity and dedication, he transforms into a priest, recites shlokas in impeccable Sanskrit and still has his sense of humour intact and uses it occasionally in the film.

We see the best of Vivekh in "Naan Than Bala" that we haven't witnessed in a very long time, not even in his most successful comic roles. He makes us root for the actor who has been concealed under the comedian in him for ages.

The problem is not with Vivekh's decision to don a serious role, but the film's treatment of the subject at hand. Some of the important dialogues are not in sync with the present era, while the melodrama reminds us of television serials as it makes you sympathetic but fails to strike an emotional chord deep within. The use of Sanskrit verses more often in the film is also a turn off because audiences seldom appreciate its intent. Also, the reference to the tale from Mahabharat comes too late when it should have ideally been used to develop the film's story from the beginning.

Despite Vivekh's noteworthy performance, the movie suffers overall because of its sluggish narrative and mediocre performances by the rest of the cast. No matter how hard Vivekh tried to shoulder the film singlehandedly, it fails to keep us hooked when other actors take the center stage and perform poorly.

Shoddy writing and direction makes "Naan Than Bala" a boring film despite good intention.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Varun Dhawan to throw bachelor party

0
0

Varun Dhawan is set to throw a bachelor party! No, he's not getting married, but the celebrations are part of a promotional strategy for his forthcoming Bollywood entertainer "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania".

The party will be held June 20.

Talking about it, the 27-year-old "Student Of The Year" actor said: "On June 20 night, we have planned a very big thing with MTV. I am throwing a bachelor party. So I will be there and I will dance with everyone."

He spoke at the Radio Mirchi studio where he was present here with his "Humpty Sharma..." co-star Alia Bhatt to promote the film.

"Please, everyone is invited. So on Saturday night, there is going to be a lot of dance and masti (fun)," he added.

"Humpty Sharma...", produced by Karan Johar, is directed by Shashank Khaitan. It hits theatres July 11.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

I will not do item numbers: Vidya Balan

0
0

Actress Vidya Balan, who featured in an item number in the 2012 release "Ferrari Ki Sawaari", says she won't take up dance numbers anymore as she doesn't enjoy them.

The 36-year-old was present at the launch of a blog - Bobby Ko Sab Malum Hai - to promote her upcoming film "Bobby Jasoos", in which she plays a detective.

At an event here when the actress was asked if she will be seen doing any item number in future, she said: "No, I will not do item numbers as I don't enjoy them. You will not see me doing any item number now."

"Bobby Jasoos" is set to release July 4. Also featuring actor Ali Fazal, it is directed by Samar Sheikh and produced by Dia Mirza and her fiance Sahil Sangha under their production banner Born Free Entertainment.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

'Ramanajun' music represents his life's tribulations: Composer

0
0

Music director Ramesh Vinayakam, widely known for his melodies, has composed the music for upcoming Tamil-English bilingual biopic "Ramanujan". He says his music represents the hope and despair of maths wizard Srinivasa Ramanujan, on whose life the movie is based upon.

"It's an honior to have composed music for the film 'Ramanujan', which is about such a genius. The music represents the tribulations of Ramanujan's life, torn between hope and despair, and the loneliness that came along with the genius," Vinayakam said in a statement.

Directed by National Award winning filmmaker Gnana Rajasekaran, actor Abhinay Vaddi will be seen playing Ramanujan in the film.

"It was great working with director Gnana Rajasekaran and Camphor Cinema, they gave me the creative freedom required to compose music for such a film: a historical biopic," he added.

The composer used no modern instruments, and made sure all old world instruments were used in order to bring the period alive. The background music has been subtly woven into the narrative, aiming to transport the audience back in time.

The film also features an ensemble cast of Bhama, Suhasini Maniratnam, Abbas, Sarath Babu, Y. Gee Mahendra, Radha Ravi, Nizhagal Ravi and a host of foreign actors as well.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

'Fugly' collects Rs.2.95 crore on first day, director happy

0
0

"Fugly", the acting debut of boxing champion Vijender Singh, managed to mint Rs.2.95 crore on its opening day, leaving director Kabir Sadanand happy.

"Good 1st day for @FuglyTheFilm, domestic box office collection of 2.95 cr. So guys go out there and watch the film.. fight against the Ugly," Sadanand tweeted Saturday.

The movie, also starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Arfi Lamba, as well as newcomers Mohit Marwah and Kiara Advani, released Friday.

"Fugly" tackles issues such as gay prostitution, khaki-clad fascism, the excess of television journalism and more such social issues in a light manner.

This is Sadanand's third directorial after "Popcorn Khao! Mast Ho Jao" (2004) and "Tum Milo Toh Sahi" (2010).

"Fugly" hit the screens along with "Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai" and "Chal Bhaag".

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Unfortunate end to Preity-Ness romance: Mahesh Bhatt

0
0

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt Saturday called the souring of Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia's "love story" into a "hate story", "unfortunate" after the actress accused her former beau and industrialist of molestation.

"A Fairy tale love story turns into A HATE STORY! What an unfortunate end to the Priety Zinta Ness Wadia romance," tweeted Bhatt, who co-wrote the Preity-starrer, 1999 film "Sangharsh".

Preity lodged a written complaint against Wadia, the Bombay Dyeing scion, with the Marine Drive police station Thursday night. She is said to have accused him of grabbing her hand and abusing her during a cricket match in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai May 30.

Wadia, who co-owns the the Kings XI Punjab IPL team with the actress, has denied the allegations, terming them "totally false and baseless".

The duo had started dating in 2005, and their relationship came to an end in 2009.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Boman Irani keen to host own photography exhibition

0
0

He started his career as a professional photographer, but joining Bollywood and tasting success soon left him with less time to continue his passion. However, now actor Boman Irani says he would love to put the best of his photographs together for an exhibition some day.

Asked if he had ever thought of putting together candid moments captured out of film sets, Boman told IANS: “One day, of course. I really need to devote time for this.”

Boman, who essayed memorable roles in “Munnabhai M.B.B.S.”, “Being Cyrus”, “Lage Raho Munnabhai”, “Khosla Ka Ghosla” and “3 Idiots”, says he hardly gets time to pursue his love towards photography.

“You can't just work on selfies. Photography is a very focussed art. It is one of the few things that you do very beautifully, but you really need to pull yourself and devote time to it. (However) I will continue it at some point of time. I enjoyed it very much initially, but it's fun at the moment,” he further added.

The actor, who was last seen in Amitabh Bachchan starrer “Bhoothnath Returns”, is also part of Farah Khan's much-anticipated movie “Happy New Year”, which also starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

I've truth by my side: Preity Zinta

0
0

In a fresh and detailed statement Saturday, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta said she was "abused and insulted publicly" in the past, but now she was left with "no option" but to take the "stern step" of lodging a complaint of molestation against her former beau Ness Wadia.

The 39-year-old actress, who made her Bollywood debut in 1998, filed a complaint against the Bombay Dyeing scion and her IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness, Thursday night.

After issuing a statement earlier Saturday, she took to her Facebook page Real Preity Zinta to give a detailed account of the matter.

Her statement read: "I may not be super wealthy and powerful but I have truth by my side and I’ve worked very hard all my life and tried to earn respect for myself as a self-made professional. It saddens me that no one at work or around ever stood up for me in the past when I was abused and insulted publicly.

"This time I was left with no option but to take this stern step as this incident happened in front of way too many people."

Preity and Ness dated for five years starting 2005, and they parted ways in 2009. They have been since working as business partners for Kings X1 Punjab.

The "Kal Ho Naa Ho" actress has accused Ness of grabbing her hand and abusing her during a cricket match in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai May 30.

Talking about it, she said: "Ironically what happened at Wankhede is being diluted by every other fabricated story about my character, except the truth of what happened. I'm sure the witnesses will speak the truth and I trust and believe that the police will do their job fairly and quickly."

She further said that "no woman likes to be involved in a controversy like this which makes her open and vulnerable for all to take a dig at."

"I have worked for over 15 years in the film industry and have never been subject to such humiliating behaviour and for that I really want to thank all the men that worked with me. Through all our highs and lows my head was always held high," said Preity, who made her acting debut with "Dil Se.." in 1998.

Bold and frank, the actress said: "Every human being has a limit to how much they can take; some of us foolishly call it strength and try to look ahead focusing on the positives of work and life. All these years I have never said anything about him (Ness) in the media but now I have no choice."

She hoped the media and her supporters will "focus on the issue and the incident that happened in Wankhede and not turn this and me into a TV soap".

"This is not easy for me and my intention is not to harm anyone but simply to protect myself and to stand up for myself. I don’t want any sympathy from anyone but I will sincerely appreciate it if people do not try to take away my dignity in the process of my fight for respect at my workplace.

"I think after all these years I deserve it and I’m not asking for too much."

On the Bollywood front, Preity has featured in films such as "Sangharsh", "Kya Kehna", "Veer-Zaara", "Lakshya", "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" and "Heaven On Earth".

She turned film producer with "Ishkq In Paris", which she also co-wrote. The movie released in 2013 but didn't fare well at the box office.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

Ness Wadia booked over Preity Zinta's charge

0
0

An FIR on Bollywood actress Preity Zinta's alleged molestation charge against her ex-boyfriend and business partner, industrialist Ness Wadia was registered Saturday, police said. The Wadia scion, however, said the charges were "baseless" and he was "shocked at the complaint".

The first information report (FIR) was lodged on the basis of a detailed written compliant handed over at the Marine Lines police station by Zinta late Thursday.

An investigating officer said police have started calling witnesses over the issue and will also the scan CCTV footage of the alleged incident which took place May 30 in Mumbai during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match.

On Thursday night, Zinta, in a written complaint accused the Wadia scion and co-owner of the King XI Punjab IPL team of molesting and abusing her.

Among other things, Zinta has accused Wadia of grabbing her hand and abusing her during a cricket match in Wankhede Stadium here.

Wadia issued a statement Saturday denying Zinta's allegations.

"I am shocked at the complaint and the allegations made against me are totally false and baseless," Wadia said.

Police may contemplate any action against Wadia after questioning witnesses and examining video clips of the IPL match in Mumbai a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Maharashtra State Women's Commission led by Chitra Wagh visited the police station Sasturday afternoon to ascertain the probe status and action initiated by the police in the matter.

"The police have informed that they have completed most of the inquiries into the incident. Some witnesses and CCTV footage are still to be probed and will be done soon," Wagh informed media-persons.

She said she had demanded that the police immediately arrest Wadia and present him before a court to give justice to Zinta.

In a statement to the media Saturday, Zinta claimed that her intention (behind the complaint) "is not to harm anyone but only to protect myself".

"This is a very difficult time for me and I would like to request the media to please respect my privacy regarding this matter," Zinta appealed in the statement.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

When will Vidya work with SRK?

0
0

Actress Vidya Balan, who has always expressed her desire to work with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, says she would love to work with Shah Rukh provided both the actors' presence in the film is justified.

"If any good script comes where the presence of both the actors (Shah Rukh and I) is justified, then definitely I would love to do," Vidya said here Friday at the launch of the blog for her upcoming film "Bobby Jasoos".

"If the script will be such where I won't have much to do, then I will not do it," she added.

The 36-year-old is currently busy promoting her soon to release "Bobby Jasoos", where she is in the lead role.

Asked if there is anything left for actresses to do in films starring Bollywood's Khans, the National Award winning actress said: "Not always...but most of the times there is nothing much to do."

Directed by Samar Sheikh, produced by Dia Mirza and her fiance Sahil Sangha, "Bobby Jasoos" also features Ali Fazal. It will hit the theatres July 4.

Social Publishing: 
lable_on

It's Hollywood calling for Sana Khan

0
0

Sana Khan has been lying low after featuring in Salman Khan-starrer "Jai Ho", but that's because she's been waiting for the right project to come her way. Now, the grapevine is abuzz that the "Bigg Boss 6" beauty is heading to Hollywood.

Sana, who has featured in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films in the past, has now given her nod to a project to be directed by a "whiz kid director from Hollywood", a source told IANS.

The source said that Sana will be "essaying the title role of the queen in the magnum opus costume drama", which deals with the "life and times of one of the royal figures from the erstwhile Hyderabad as known in pre-independence era".

While other details of the project are still in the process of being finalised, Sana prefers to stay tight-lipped about it as she is said to have signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with the production house.

Meanwhile, Sana, who has also been part of item numbers in the past, is gearing up for the role.

"She is spending more time at the gym, and the right kind of support staff has been hired as Sana believes god lies in detailing," the source said, adding that she's "all set to silence her critics".

Social Publishing: 
lable_on
Viewing all 9304 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images