Debina Bonerjee will be seen as Ali Fazal’s girlfriend in “Khamoshiyan”, which also stars her husband Gurmeet Choudhary.

The movie, produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt under their Vishesh Films banner, also features Sapna Pabbi, who plays a lead role.

"It's all a mystery but yes Debina has been paired with Ali in 'Khamoshiyan'. You will have to wait for the release of the film to figure out what is the mystery between Debina and Ali,” Vikram Bhatt, who wrote the script for the film, said in a statement.

“Khamoshiyan” is set for a Jan 30 release.

Want to meet Japanese-American electro-house musician Steve Aoki? Hungama.com, an on-demand digital entertainment storefront, has made it easier by launching an initiative "Meet & Greet" that gives an opportunity to its users to meet him.

Famous for his onstage antics, which include 'cake-ing' fans and showering them with champagne, Aoki will be performing in Mumbai Jan 16, in Delhi Jan 17 and in Bangalore Jan 18 at Vh1 Supersonic Arcades.

Two winners from each city will get a chance to meet their music icon.

One winner will be from a social contest, where the users have to share Aoki's song from the Hungama App on their social media profiles along with tagging Hungama.com. The contest went live on Facebook and Twitter Thursday.

Another will be picked at the venue through a lucky draw and people can enter the draw by downloading the Hungama App on their devices at the venue.

"The events lined up over the next few months will play a key role for both Vh1 Supersonic and Hungama to extend the engagement for EDM fans across on-ground and digital spaces," Siddhartha Roy, CEO of Hungama.com, said in a statement.

Hungama.com's association with Vh1 Supersonic began in December 2014 at the music property's annual Goa event. The association has been initiated for a period of three months -- till March 2015. As a part of the association, Hungama.com has created a curated EDM radio station on its digital properties across mobile and web.

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film "Hawaizaada", says his film is based on the real life story of scientist Shivkar Bapuji Talpade but it is not a biopic.

In the film Ayushmann is playing the role of Shivkar Bapuji Talpade who is supposed to have constructed and flown India's first unnamed airplane in 1895.

"I can not term this (Hawaizaada) film as a biopic because nothing is known about this person (Shivkar Talpade). You know about Milkha Singh, You know about Mary Kom (MC Mary Kom), You know about Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), but you don't know about Shivkar Talpade. So, technically this is not a biopic," Ayushmann told IANS.

"But, of course it's based on true events. And I'm sure public will like it," he added.

Asked what is the best thing about "Hawaizaada", Ayushmann said: "The best thing about this film is the novelty of the script. The one liner that the guy who made the first aircraft was an Indian. That's the novelty."

"Apart from that the look of the film. It gives you very international look, international feel, every frame of the film looks like a painting. The dialogues are beautiful," he added.

Directed by Vibhu Puri, "Hawaizaada" also features Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Sharda in key roles. The film is set to release Jan 30, 2015.

"Jal" actress Tannishtha Chatterjee will soon start shooting for her next Hollywood project "Lion", that will also feature other Indian actors like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priyanka Bose and Deepti Naval. The shoot will start in Kolkata, Saturday.

The film is an adaptation of the book "A Long Way Home" written by Indian born Australian businessman Saroo Brierley. The book talks about his separation from his mother and how he was adopted by an Australian family.

"The film is based on a real life incident. Its about a lost boy who gets adopted by an Australian pair. Its his journey from Kolkata to Tasmania," Tannishtha told IANS.

Directed by Garth Davis, the film will be produced by Australia's See-Saw Films.

Although, Tannishtha didn't reveal much about her role, she said it will definitely be a crucial one and will be a surprise for all.

"My role in the film is pretty crucial. Its a surprise in the story. Its going to be a very changing thing in the plot," said Tannishtha, whose film "Jal" has found a place in the Oscar long list of 2014 in two categories - Best Picture and Best Original Score.

Sharing the details about the shooting schedule, Tannishtha said "the shooting of 'Lion' will start Jan 17 in Kolkata. It is expected to hit the theatres at the end of this year."

The film also stars Hollywood actors Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel.

After Kolkata the shooting will reportedly move to Australia.

Tannishtha has previously appeared in international films including "Schatten der Zeit" (Shadows of Time), "Brick Lane" and "Anna Karenina".

Picture this-- a candid chat with a celebrity on a flight. Sounds unrealistic. Not anymore as a start-up venture Fly with VIP is offering a seat next to a star on a flight through online auction, starting with megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

After Big B, the unique initiative will be followed by the team of forthcoming movie “Shamitabh” - Dhanush, Akshara Haasan and R. Balki when they will fly on a private jet.

The chance to fly with Amitabh is likely to occur in the first week of February. The bidding will take place at FlywithVIP.com.

The treat by the company doesn’t end with “Shamitabh”. They have signed up celebrities across 14 different genres including film directors and producers, sportsmen, fashion designers, spiritual leaders, TV stars among others.

The users can take their pick from stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Virat Kohli, Farah Khan. One can also take styling tips by sitting next to ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra.

The company founded by Mumbai-based entrepreneur Gautam Chhabria and co-founded by Bangalore-based social entrepreneur Anil Shetty in 2011, has patented the concept in India, US, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia and other places.

"There is a rigorous screening process adopted to ensure unwanted bidders like bookies who may want to fly with the Indian cricketers are kept out," said Chhabria in a statement.

There are two methods of participating- an auction model which shall see the highest bidder get the seat and a raffle model where multiple participants pay as little as Rs.100 and get selected by a lucky draw.

There is also an advance booking section where interested participants will give non-binding offers without knowing the celebrity's flight date or sector. And then, when a celebrity makes a last minute travel plan, there would be a short duration - one hour auction open only to the advance bookers.

About 85 percent of the collections will go to a charity close to the celebrity’s heart.

India will be a no-show at the 87th Academy Awards as none of its probable contenders, including Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, have made it to the final nomination list, which was announced here Thursday.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences revealed the final nominations across all 24 categories at an event here.

Four of Rahman's compositions -- three from "Million Dollar Arm" and one from "The Hundred-Foot Journey", stood a chance to be nominated for an Oscar in the Original Song category.

Rahman, who had earlier made India proud with his twin Oscar win for "Slumdog Millionaire", was also in the longlist of 114 scores in contention for a nomination in the Original Score category this time, with three mentions for "Million Dollar Arm", "The Hundred-Foot Journey" and Indian film "Kochadaiiyaan". But he's not part of the shortlist.

Besides him, even Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh were part of the Original Score category's longlist, for their compositions in "Jal", which also missed a possible nomination in the Best Picture category.

"Jal", along with other Indian films, including "Dhag", "Kapus Kondyachi Goshta", "Kochadaiiyaan", "Minugurulu" and "Youngistaan", were part of a 'Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 87th Academy Awards' in the Best Picture section. There were a total of 323 movies eligible for the category, and out of that, only eight films are part of the final nominations.

India had already lost hope of a nomination in the Foreign Language Film category as its official entry "Liar's Dice" had failed to make a cut even to the longlist of nine out of the 83 films that had qualified for the category.

The Foreign Language Film nomination list has now been winnowed down to five, which include "Ida" (Poland), "Leviathan" (Russia), "Tangerines" (Estonia), "Timbuktu" (Mauritania) and "Wild Tales" (Argentina).

Censor board chief Leela Samson has resigned protesting alleged interference by the government. But she denied Friday that her exit was linked to controversial film "MSG".

"It is absolutely true that I have resigned. (I resigned) last night by SMS and today by email and hard copy letter," Samson told IANS on SMS.

Samson has headed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), a statutory body under the information and broadcasting ministry, since 2011. It regulates the public exhibition of films under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

An acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer, Samson said her resignation followed interference by the government in the censor board's working and what she described as coercion and corruption of panel members.

But she denied speculation that her departure was due to the clearance given by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) to Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's film "MSG - The Messenger of God".

When IANS asked Samson if "MSG" was the factor, she said: "That is not the reason."

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said Samson's resignation was her personal decision and there was no coercion by the government.

"Whatever the decision, it has to be acceptable to all," he said, in an obvious reference to the FCAT's green signal for "MSG". "There was no coercion by the government. If she feels so, let her convey it to the government."

"MSG" was reportedly first rejected by the examining committee of the censor board and referred to the revising committee.

When it too decided against clearing the film, it was referred to FCAT, which cleared it for release after asking producers to mute a word or two, according to an informed source.

The film did not hit the screens as scheduled Friday. A spokesperson for the movie told IANS that it was ready for release in a week.

"MSG" features Ram Rahim in the lead role. According to his sect, the movie has seven songs and will be released simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and English.

Ram Rahim has composed the music and sung the seven tracks.

Samson said in an earlier statement: "Interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation appointed by the ministry and having to manage an organisation whose Board has not met for over nine months as the ministry had 'no funds' to permit the meeting of members."

"The term of all members and the chairperson is over. But since the new government failed to appoint a new board and chairperson, a few were given extensions and asked to carry on till this procedure was completed."

"However, recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the ministry, through an 'additional charge' CEO and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values the members of this Board of CBFC and chairperson stood for," Samson added.

Telugu actor Vishnu Manchu has announced a short film contest which he plans on making an annual affair to give young talent an opportunity to enter the industry.

The winner of 'Vishnu Manchu Short Film Contest' will get to direct a feature film for his home banner 24 Frames Factory.

The details about the contest, which will be hosted every year during the Pongal festive season, will be announced in a week's time.

"Getting an opportunity to enter this industry for many is extremely tough. There are people who have the ability to approach films in a whole new perspective. I'm just opening a path for those who actually have talent, an opportunity to materialise their dreams," Vishnu said in a statement.

"My vision is to make this platform as a huge enabler for gifted, undiscovered film makers and fresh talent. It's also a wonderful way to discover gems for the industry," he said.

The short film contest winner for this maiden year as well all coming years will be announced on Vishnu's father and actor-producer Mohan Babu's birthday March 19.

Film: "Aambala"; Cast: Vishal Krishna Reddy, Hansika Motwani, Vaibhav Reddy, Santhanam, Satish, Ramya Krishnan, Kiran Rathod, Lakshmi, Maadhavi Latha, Madhuurima Banerjee, Manobala, Thulasi and Pradeep Rawat; Director: Sundar C; Rating: *

Spoilers ahead!

"Aambala", which directly translates to masculine, is like film made by "Singam" fame Hari Gopalakrishnan, who is known for making films with flying objects, say cars and throws in some humans too occasionally.

Maybe Hari was hired to direct the action portion because Vishal as the producer may have felt that nobody else can do justice to his action avatar. So when Vishal makes a grand entry in a scene seated on the bonnet of a car about 30 feet above the ground, you know he's quite right about Hari because he's Tamil cinema's Rohit Shetty when it comes to action, while Sundar is known for churning out some great comedy, the kind audiences in B and C centres will guiltlessly lap up.

Vishal's (who plays Saravanan) political leanings are very evident in "Aambala", at least in the initial few minutes where he impresses a local politician and is subsequently asked if he'd like to enter politics. Saravanan replies, "Why would we take your place, if you do your job well?" Not that it's so important, but this line reminds us of a recent incident between Vishal and a senior actor, who heads a film body. This is Vishal's subtle way of letting everyone know that he's happy being an actor. Otherwise, the film turns out to be a cliched rehash of several family stories with adequate dose of action and nauseating comedy.

A southern filmmaker's idea of a commercial family drama is becoming very formulaic. Most of these stories are about fixing a broken family, reuniting with long separated family members and endorsing inter-familial marriage (in 21st century, really?). Here, three pairs of cousins plan on getting married. And the whole idea of the family reunion in "Aambala" is so dumb.

When three sisters banish their brother from their family, the latter sends his three sons, many years later, to woo the daughters of his sisters. Imagine how simple life would've been if all family tussles were ironed out by making its members marry each other (doesn't matter even if you were to kidnap someone and marry)? This pattern of storytelling was started in the 1980s and it's disappointing to see that it's still being milked dry.

Another problem is the size of these families, which usually feature more members than a cricket team (including non-playing members). Why can't family stories be about, say a family of two or three, like the older couple in Telugu film "Mithunam"? There's no hard and fast rule that it should be about a smaller family but the same applies for stories featuring bigger families as well. In "Aambala", the additional characters in the family may have been included just to give hero Vishal an opportunity to prove he's got more relationships to fix besides his own and his brothers'.

This is the third time Hansika has collaborated with director Sundar, who by now has proved she's got much more to showcase than her acting chops. Santhanam on the other hand, who is still capable of carrying the weight of a film singlehandedly, has started to get extremely nauseating with his funny one-liners that are mostly offensive and racist. Sundar's choice to cast Ramya Krishnan came as a surprise but her role not so much as she plays a toned down version of Neelambari from acePadayappa".

It's still tough to understand why Vishal would do two back-to-back masala entertainers after experimenting with films such as "Pandiya Naadu" and "Naan Sigappu Manithan", which performed well commercially at the ticket window. Maybe he underestimates his own talent and trades it for garbage like "Aambala", which is unarguably the worst product to have come out of Sundar's factory.

If masculinity is all about making Vishal drool at the slip of Hansika's pallu, her back and when she slips her mobile into her blouse (while on a video call), the makers have got everything right. Otherwise, there's nothing masculine about "Aambala".

) Director Radha Mohan, who is for the first time trying his hand at full-length Tamil comedy "Uppu Karuvadu", says he's been wanting to make a film in the genre for quite some time.

"It has been my intention all through to make a humorous film. Somehow I do not believe in mindless humour, and here in 'Uppu Karuvadu', I had a perfect platform to infuse sensible comedy," Mohan told IANS.

It's the story of human ambitions and compromises, "the two factors that are an inevitable part of everybody's life".

"If you are nursing an ambition, you should never compromise for a short-term benefit. This could jeopardise the ambitious travel. This theme is laced with intense humour," he said.

Starring Karunakaran and Nandita in the lead roles, "Uppu Karuvadu" features choreographer Satish in an important role.

The film is being shot over the coastal regions and it will capture the lifestyle of the people who live there.

The Dharavi Project, an initiative by Universal Music, will fund the expansion of a music and dance school in Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum, which featured as the backdrop of Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire".

The dance school was established in March 2014 by Qyuki.con, a multi-channel network, co-founded by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, "Slumdog Millionaire" composer A.R. Rahman and Samir Bangara, former managing director (Digital), Disney India.

The school aims to discover fresh talent from Dharavi, nurture it through the programme and amplify it on a domestic and international scale via digital and traditional media.

Universal Music will deploy funds from its corporate social responsibility budget that will go towards basic infrastructure, rent, utilities and equipment for the students of the school.

To further enhance learning and exposure, the music giant will periodically bring in prominent singers, musicians, choreographers, producers and the like to mentor young artists from Dharavi, while Qyuki will amplify content via its digital broadcast network.

Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO Max Hole, who is in India currently, said: “Music has extraordinary power and I'm very proud to be here in Mumbai on behalf to help give these children an education in all aspects of making music."

"Whether we produce stars out of the programme or simply a lifelong love of music, we will have succeeded in giving them a start along the path of discovery of this beautiful form of expression.”

Hole was also mighty impressed by an "extraordinary" performance by the SlumGods, a hip-hop crew from the shantytown, at the launch event of The Dharavi Project.

Oscar-winning composer Rahman is glad the project is "maturing into a platform that provides underprivileged children a level playing field with equal opportunity as their domestic and international peers”.

The Dharavi Project went live Thursday and will cover all elements in the making of a music star, including scouting talent, styling, mentoring, providing studio time, producing videos, optimising their online video presence across digital video platforms and eventually rewarding the most promising talent with a 360 degree label deal.

Tamil production house JSK Film Corporation has decided to make some of their films available for viewing on their official YouTube channel in order to take advantage of the rapidly growing digital and mobile user base.

"Besides the YouTube channel, the films will also be available on Google Play, iTunes and different DTH operators in India, Malaysia and North America," read a statement.

On Saturday, their Tamil film "Velu Prabhakaranin Kadhal Kadhai" will be made available on the YouTube channel.

To distribute movies and music online, JSK Film Corporation has tied up with Divo, a digital entertainment company.

Some of JSK-produced films include "Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom", "Aarohanam" and "Paradesi".

The producers of Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh starrer "MSG - The Messenger of God" claimed Friday that they have got the required permission from the censor board for the movie's release.

Dera Saccha Sauda's spokesman Pawan Insan told IANS that they received the formal letter of approval from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Friday. He added that the film can be released within a week.

Director Bhushan Patel says he is hoping to score a hat-trick of hits with his latest release “Alone”.

"I've lot of expectations (from 'Alone'). The public loved my previous film 'Ragini MMS 2' and made it a hit. I'm expecting the same. I've put the same efforts this time too and I think 'Alone' is better than and more scarier than 'Ragini MMS 2', ”Bhushan said here in a group interview.

"My films '1920: Evil Returns' and 'Ragini MMS 2' both did well at the box office. So, I'm expecting a hat-trick of hits,” he added.

The director also said that “Alone”, which is a horror film, is a complete film with not just scary elements, but also the angle of a love story.

"There is a ghost who is villain in the film. It's not only about horror, it's a complete story. Till now everybody has liked the film and congratulated me," he said.

“Alone” hit the screens Friday. It marks the launch of TV heathrob of Karan Singh Grover in Bollywood.

Comedy is often considered the toughest genre for actors, and for Pulkit Samrat, the going became tougher when he had to match the comic timing of Riteish Deshmukh.

The two actors feature together in "Bangistan", being directed by Karan Anshuman.

Talking about it, Pulkit told IANS: "'Bangistan' is a film which is closest to my heart. We have shot the entire film and it was a great experience working with Riteish.

"Riteish is known for his comic timing and it was very difficult to match up to his talent."

Pulkit describes the film as a satire rather than a "complete comedy film".

"It’s light-hearted," he said of the project, which also features Chandan Roy Sanyal.

Meanwhile, Pulkit is busy promoting his forthcoming release “Dolly Ki Doli". He plays a Haryanvi policeman in the movie, which also stars Sonam Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.

"It was fun doing this film. Arbaaz (Khan) is one of the best producers I have worked with. He used to pamper us a lot on the sets," he said.

Film: "Darling"; Cast: G.V Prakash Kumar, Nikki Galrani, Balasaravanan, Karunas and Rajendran; Director: Sam Anton; Rating: ***

"Darling", a faithful remake of Telugu hit "Prema Katha Chitram", is better than its original for the simple reason that it manages to entertain with a new set of actors. It wouldn't have mattered so much if the same film featured Santhanam instead of Karunas and maybe Soori in the place of Bala. The comedy would've worked, but you wouldn't have been completely taken by surprise because you already know what to expect from a film featuring seasoned comedians.

Even composer-turned-actor Prakash and Nikki, who are making their acting debut, bring something fresh in terms of their performance for the audience.

Cashing in on the current trend of horror-comedies in Tamil, there's not much creativity, story-wise, in this remake as most of it stays true to its original. But there's enough creativity in the lines and humour to keep you hooked from start to finish. Almost every scene featuring Karunas, especially the little set piece involving him inviting the ghost for dinner, is a laugh riot. And there are a few hilarious scenes linked to his bad eating habit. All this proves why he's one of the most underrated comedians in the industry.

Karunas is aptly supported by Bala, who makes a great sidekick to heroes. It's finally time to give Santhanam and Soori a break to just breathe, but not because they're bad actors.

It would've been awesome if the makers kept the role of Rajendran as a surprise but it's understandable they used it to create some buzz. He plays an exorcist, Ghost Gopal Varma, who comes to the rescue of a group of youngsters who believe to be living in a haunted bungalow where they've come to commit suicide. The film's best moments, although short, are with him and you can't deny it. The scene where he takes the ghost head on, and the following moments, are extremely well-directed.

With a disappointing first half, the film bounces back strongly post-interval. One wonders why spend all the time on explaining with a flashback, what forced the hero to decide to end his life. A simple one-line explanation would've sufficed instead of weaving a backstory that's mostly irritating. In fact, I wonder, why even tell audiences why the characters want to end their lives? It could be a story about a few characters on the brink of committing suicide. This is where remakes should show some creativity and not blindly reproduce a hit story.

Director Sam Anton has proved there's so much one could achieve with a new group of actors. While Prakash does struggle in the romantic portion, he's good otherwise. It's a great debut for someone who's spent all his life composing music. When it comes to the music, he hits the bull's eye with songs as well as background score in "Darling".

Nikki, the pretty damsel, has played her part really well as the ghost too.

Despite its flaws, "Darling" turns out to be a crowd-pleasing tale of horror. While there aren't many thrills to send chills down your spine, the comedy gives you company throughout.

Indian director Anurag Kashyap's award-winning epic "Gangs of Wasseypur" is India's answer to "The Godfather" and "Oldboy" and India's coming out party as an international storytelling powerhouse.

So says Adi Shankar, Kolkata born Indian-American filmmaker who at just 29 has created his own counter-culture 'brand' with critically acclaimed R-rated violent feature films and superhero "bootleg" films like "The Grey" and "A Walk Among the Tombstones."

"Outside of the Indian population in the US, there is a growing audience for 'arthouse genre' films," Shankar, US presenter of the Indian crime saga, told IANS in an email interview.

"It's unabashedly violent action and crime films for the 'thinking person,'" he said calling the 'Gangs' India' first entry on the list of films like "Oldboy" and "I Saw the Devil" from Korea and "Drive" and "Nightcrawler" from America.

Part 1 of the film charting 70 years in the lives - and spectacular deaths - of two mafia-like families fighting for control of the coal-mining town of Wasseypur, India, will be released Friday for an exclusive one-week-only run at several AMC theatres across the US.

Part II will release in the same theatres the following week on January 23, also for one week only. In New York City, the full film will play at the prestigious Lincoln Centre opening on January 16 for one week.

Shankar said he considered it his "civic duty" to help get Gangs a mainstream US release because the success of a movie like "Ek Villain", "a clear unlicensed rip off of Kim Jee Woon's 'I Saw the Devil'" is "shameful and not only hurts the creditability of the Indian film business, but also reflects badly on India as a whole."

"We are better than that, we are a nation of smart, innovative and creative people who have interesting stories to tell," he said. "We must defy the status quo of the vapid consumerist mosh pit India has become."

"This is why Gangs of Wasseypur is great. It's our answer to 'The Godfather' and 'Oldboy', but it's not a rip-off, and if I can help it find an audience internationally, I have a civic duty to do so," Shankar said.

Describing Gangs as "India's coming out party as an international storytelling powerhouse", Shankar hoped to draw the NRI film audience to the theatres with a simple strategy he calls "guilt tripping".

India had a "robust domestic film economy," he said. But "unfortunately, when it comes to making a global cultural impact India's films have either been lacklustre due to being reactionary to global cinematic trends instead of setting them or in the case of 'The Lunchbox', buried due to asinine politics."

"With 'Gangs of Wasseypur' we have something to be proud of," Shankar said.

He does not think that at 319 minutes, Gangs is too long noting that "True Detective", "Breaking Bad", and "Game of Thrones""were much longer than 319 minutes and held audience's attention just fine when binge watched."

"We simply don't like to be dictated the terms of when and where we have to consume the content we love," he said suggesting "Gangs will find its greatest success on VOD (Video on demand). It's the ideal film for the VOD generation."

Turning to his own work, Shankar said he was inspired to make the kind of films he makes by films like "Road Warrior", "Robocop", "The Warriors", "Escape from New York", "Judge Dredd" and "X-Men: The Animated Series."

But his films don't have a USP as such. "I just make stuff that I want to see. This 'brand' I've built for myself wasn't by design."

Shankar said he would "love to" make films for the Indian audiences. "I have a project in mind, it's effectively 'Die Hard' on the Mumbai bridge. It's a hard hitting action thriller that much like 'The Grey' becomes philosophical.

Actress Raveena Tandon has completed filming Onir’s intense love story “Shab”.

“Last day @Shab shoot !! Windup for my character #sonalmodi thanks @sanjaysuri @IamOnir fabulous time!??missthe fun,” the actress tweeted.

The actress also shared a photograph with team members of the film, which was being shot in the capital.

The movie also features Ashish Bisht, who is being styled by fashion designer Wendell Rodricks.

"Shab" will also feature Bengali superstar Prosenjit's wife Arpita Pal, who is considered one of the finest contemporary actresses in Bengal.

Superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh with dancing legends Prabhudheva and Ganesh Acharya have come together for the video of a song “Birju” of an upcoming movie “Hey Bro”.

Singer Mika Singh, who has sung the track with Udit Narayan, shared the video on micro-blogging site Twitter.

“All Superstars in one video. My latest song #Birju,” he tweeted with a link of the video.

The song has a touch of humour, with stars asking a certain Birju -- whose identity is not revealed in the video -- to return bangles with lyrics “Maa ke kangan wapis karde re”.

The video oozes style, action and drama. The lyrics of the song are penned by Pranav Vatsa and the rap is by Arya and Naezy.

Film: "Crazy Kukkad Family"; Cast: Swanand Kirkire, Shilpa Shukla, Ninad Kamat, Kushal Punjabi and Siddharth Sharma; Director: Ritesh Menon; Rating: **

Where there is a will, there is a greedy family. Ha ha ha!

This one-lined adage serves as the guiding light of debutant director Ritesh Menon's misguided comedy.

"Crazy Kukkad Family" is a comedy desperately in need of genuine laughter. You can't even force yourself to giggle at the sheer asininity of the goings-on. The characters behave stupidly and seem very proud of it. This is how dysfunctional families behave, so who are we to change the rules...they seem to suggest by their exhibitionistic antics.

Some comedies are so frightfully misdirected that they appear to be horrors. "Crazy Kukkad Family" must have sounded hilarious and wacky on paper. In fact, I can close my eyes and see the entire cast and crew falling off their collective seats as they read the script.

Alas, there is many a slip between the cup and lip-sync. Characters screaming their lungs off to prove they are part of a dysfunctional family, do not necessarily constitute an occasion for humour.

It is truly sad to see talented actors straining to be funny when the material provided to them is pulling the other way. The plot about a dysfunctional family of four unbecoming progenies who wait for their rich father to kick the bucket required much more fleshing out. In the absence of meat to chew on, the characters nibble on the edges of their edgy characterisations trying desperately to keep the comic spirit alive.

There are brave concessions to new age values such as a cross-dresser and a son declaring himself to be gay. But you really don't care if these characters are gay or fey.

Death as a laughing matter is hard to achieve in Indian cinema. Kundan Shah managed to make mortality worth some mirth in "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro". The feat seems way beyond Ritesh Menon's abilities. He gets some sturdy support from actors who know their jobs. Shilpa Shukla, Ninad Kamat, Kushal Punjabi and specially Swanand Kirkire are in fine form.

Sadly, the humour is decidedly more dead in "Crazy Kukkad Family" than the patriarch who just refuses to die. The writing could have done with less lungs and more brains.

This is one crazy family we don't want to run into.