Lights Camera Action - Reviews,Previews,Gossip and More..

RGV in soup again??

2009-06-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

Another Ram Gopal Varma film and yet another controversy. This time it's the theme song of Rann, Jana Gana Rann, that has hogged the limelight. RGV has used the Indian National Anthem (with additional lyrics) to project the theme of his film which in a way also highlights the state of present-day India where corrupt politics, communal violence etc. have become the order of the day. Definitely not an India our forefathers had dreamt of.

Going by the discussion boards in various news websites, the reaction toJana Gana Rann has been strongly negative. From what I have read, many are accusing RGV of insulting the National Anthem and some have even called him a desh-drohi. Now aren't those reactions too far-fetched? I am convinced that the song does not disgrace our National Anthem in any way, instead it simply instills a thought for a change, a change for a better India, and it does so by exposing the bitter truths. How does it then insult the idea of patriotism? I would have been absolutely against RGV if he had misused his freedom of expression but fortunately he is mature enough to respect it. All I would like to say is that let us not make a mountain of a molehill of every single matter. It is perfectly fine to voice an opinion but before doing so it is also important to understand the true intent behind the matter concerned. We have had too many good films in the past which were banned or which sank without a trace due to irrelevant public and political pressure. This is sad and in one way or the other it puts a big question mark on the freedom of artistic expression.

What RGV said, "I have not tinkered with the National Anthem. Tinkering would be if I would have shown it in bad light. I haven't done anything of this sort. Through this song, we are talking about the disputes in the country but there were no intentions to ridicule anything."

The song is well sung but the lyrics could have been better poetically.

Saif Is Now Agent Vinod.

2008-09-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Director Sriram Raghavan is all set to turn Saif Ali Khan's childhood dream to play a secret agent into reality with his espionage thriller Agent Vinod, being produced by the actor himself.

Apparently, Agent Vinod would be a full take on the James Bond-Tom Cruise genre of sensuous spying with Saif dressed in the best, wooing and bedding some of the most glamorous women in the industry.
Sriram Rhaghavan who in the past has given us gems like Ek Hasina Thi and Jhonny Gaddaar, with Saif who has often experimented with movies like "Being Cyrus"(though he is doing less of those kind of movies), its left to be seen what magic can these two create together. Wishing Saif and Sriram on their new ventures.....

Quentin Tarantino Back With "Inglorious Bastards"

2008-08-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

For all you Quentin Tarantino fans, the latest from the master is the Brad Pitt starer "Inglorious Bastards" which also stars Mike Myers, Eli Roth and Natassia Kinski. The movie promises be a great watch for action buffs and is being made in English,German and French. The movie is extensively being shot in Germany and is slated to release next year....

To talk about the plot, it is set in the Nazi occupied France during the Second World War.It is the story about group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" who are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers....

In the past Tarantino has set high standards with movies like "Pulp Fiction", "Reservoir Dogs"...... It is left to be seen as to how the audience react to his war drama which he describes it as "Once Upon A Time In Nazi Occupied France".

Singh Is Really Kinng!

2008-08-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Singh is Kinng definitely proves to be a king of the box office not only in India but various other countries abroad. The biggest hit this year has also made it to the glittering Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2008). It will be one of the eleven coveted movies to be screened at The Roy Thomson Hall on Sunday, 7th September, 2008.

So we are about to see Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Vipul Shah share the red carpet with the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell, David Schwimmer and Kate Beckinsale.

Rajiv Ghanghi Awards For Darsheel, Saif And Lara

2008-08-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Guess the jury of the Rajiv Gandhi Awards have vowed to surprise people every year. This time they surprised us even more.

They awarded Saif Ali Khan the Best Actor trophy for excellence in acting. Child prodigy Darsheel Safary got a trophy too while the most surprising award was - Best Actress Trophy for Lara Dutta.

Wonder why? Havent seen Lara Dutta do any remarkable stuff last year.. whatever happened to the likes of Konkana Sen, Rani Mukherjee, Nandita Das etc.

SRK and Madhavan Brothers

2008-08-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Shah Rukh Khan has previously worked with Madhavan in Saathiya, but this time they are going to be onscreen brothers in Shahrukh-Karan Johar next flick ‘My Name Is Khan’.

Apparently, it was Karan who approached Madhavan to star in his movie, as he was impressed with Madhavan’s recent performance in Guru.Madhavan found the opportunity to work with K-Jo hot and immediately signed the dotted line for the same.

The movie also stars Kajol as SRK’s wife and is rumored to have a guest appearance by newbie Imran Khan.

But do they actually look like brothers???

Vidya Takes A Break.

2008-08-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

After the release of her latest film,Ksmat Konnection, actress Vidya Balan is believed to be taking it easy. The actress is believed to be on a vacation for the next couple of months.The vacation isn't planned but it is a vacation which has been forced on the actress. The actress's next two films, Chenab Gandhi and Pa, do not begin their shooting schedules till another two months. She also has a Vishal Bharadwaj film, which too will begin shooting around September. Besides these few assignments, Vidya hasn't signed any other project. So, till the shoot begins, she has no other option but to sit at home and chill. But she is believed to be putting her vacation to good use. Besides making burkha clad trips to cinema theatres to watch her won film, she is also sitting at home and reading scripts. The actress who is now nine films old in the industry, admits that she was quite nervous before the release of Kismat Konnection. It is for the first time that she rung up people asking them about how they liked the film. Maybe this anxiety has something to do with a certain Shahid Kapur. Incidentally, the director of the film, Aziz Mirza is least bothered by reports on the film, good or bad. He is currently chilling at his farmhouse.

RGV's "Phoonk" movie stills

2008-08-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Neil Nitin Mukesh in "Tera Kya Hoga Jhonny"

2008-08-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

After debuting in a super thriller like "Jhonny Gadaar", NNM is done with the shoot of his second movie, "Tera Kya Hoga Jhonny".The movie is being directed by Sudir Mishra, the maker of critically acclaimed "Hazaaron Kwahishein Aisi", apart from Neil, the movie also stars Kay Kay Menon, Soha Ali Khan, Karan Nath amongst the lead, the movie also has two filmakers displaying their acting skills, filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Aditya Bhattacharya are playing a cameo in the movie.

The movie is about the city of Mumbai and a kid who sells coffee on the streets, in the director's words "It's set at a time when Mumbai wants to be Shanghai".The movie is produced by Pixion Film Company and is entirely shot in Mumbai. After the success of "Jhonny Gadaar", its left to be seen "Tera Kya Hoga Jhonny".

Bollywood Animated

2008-08-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Indian animation industry is sure growing big, with the biggies like Rajnikanth and Yashraj venturing into it. The Yashraj in alliance with Walt Disney is almost done with its first animation "Roadside Romeo",the movie is slated to release this october. In the past movies like "The Hanuman", Anurag Kashyap's "The Return Of Hanuman" have opened to good box office collection there by hinting that the indian audience are ready for it.

Down South Rajnikanth's daughter, Soundarya is all ready with with her mega animation venture "Sultan -The Warrior", the movie is made over a budget of over 70 crores and Rajnikanth is lending his voice for the lead character.Govind Nihlani, the maker of movies like "Dev", "Thakshak" has also lined up 4 animated movies. Singeetam Srineevasa Rao, the maker of "Pushpak", has 3 animation movies under-production after his not so successful "Gatothkach".Karan Johar with SRK's "Red Chilli Production", is all set to make his animated version of "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" Many other studios like UTV Toons,Prime Focus, 2nz Animation are working on many 2D and 3D animations.

Rituparno Ghosh With His "Sunglass"

2008-08-03T01:59:00.000-07:00

Rituparno Ghosh, popular Bengali writer and film maker is all set to make his bilingual venture (Hindi and Bengali) , "Sunglass".The movie is being produced "Planman Motion Pictures" has Jaya Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma, Madhavan, Raima Sen and Sanjay Suri amongst the cast.

The maker has also managed to rope in Naseeruddin Shah for a cameo, Rituparno is also planing a movie with a full-fleged role for Naseer next year. It is also believed that Naseer was more than happy to accept the role from Mr. Ghosh whom he regards to be one of India's most talented young filmmakers.
Konkana Sen has sung for a song in the movie for both, Hindi and Bengali versions."Raincoat" Rituparno's last hindi venture being not so successfull, it is to be seen how the audience react for this venture of his.....

Bono To Be Godfather To Brangelina' Twins

2008-08-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Rocker Bono is set to become the godfather to the new Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie twins. The Sunday Mirror reports that the U2 frontman will be godfather to the two children, Knox Leon and daughter Vivienne Marcheline, who were born in France earlier this month.

A source told the newspaper: "Brad and Angie think the world of Bono. They have been friends for years. Brad is a massive U2 fan and told Bono how much he admired him when they were introduced at a party a few years back.

"Since then, they’ve become very close, which Brad is thrilled about.
Angelina is inspired by Bono’s humanitarian work and gets on with his wife Ali Hewson." The source added.

Sridevi Says No To Yash Raj

2008-08-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

With many actresses coming back these days after a 'break',many are wondering when Sridevi will be doing it.With Kajol and Madhuri Dixit
having made their comeback,Tinseltown is buzzing with names of others who could be back.It has been confirmed that Sridevi
was offered a film by the prolific filmmaker Yash Chopra,opposite Amitabh Bachchan with whom she has been seen in Khuda Gawaah.
But the profilic actress rejected the offer and it is being reported that husband Boney Kapoor is the reason for her refusal.
Apparently Boney wanted her to make that awaited comeback of her' with a home-production rather than with an outside
production house.Though Boney has denied these charges,he has also not given away any reasons as to why the movie with Yash-Raj
din't happen.Looks like we'll have to wait longer to see Sridevi on screens again.

Ajay Turns Green

2008-08-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

Ajay Devgan is turning green these days.No no..not with envy,it is because of his next movie titled 'Toonpur Ka Superhero'.
The film is a mixture of animation and live action and for many of the scenes Ajay has to shoot against a green screen.
Being an animation film with some real elements,the film is supposedly a very big undertaking and has around 200 crew members
for every shoot.Ajay is reportdly very excited about the project and is always hooked to the off-line camera to get a glimpse
of how he is going to look with the animated charecters.Besides this film,Ajay also has 'London Dreams' with Salman Khan and
Asin in the pipeline which is going on floors in mid-september.The film will have a long shooting schedule.

Sajid Gets A 'HouseFull' Of Stars

2008-08-03T00:46:00.000-07:00

Sajid Khan has signed some of Bollywood’s biggest stars for his next release scheduled to release in 2009. The cast will
include Akshay Kumar,Riteish Deshmukh,Deepika Padukone,Jiah Khan and Boman Irani.Contrary to rumors neither Amitabh Bachchan
nor Kareena Kapoor are part of the film.Sajid is reportedly on the look out for a third heroine and will be announcing
who that will be soon.The movie is titled 'Housefull' and is set to go on floors in January 2009.Housefull, will be a
romantic comedy and will be filmed in several different locations including New York, New Jersey, Rio and the Bahamas.
According to reports Sajid named the movie 'Housefull' because he is very sure that this movie is going to be the biggest hit
of 2009 and all the theatres would be running the movie,hence the name.Lets hope that at least this time Sajid is not joking
around..Remember what happened the last time he said this..I know you do..how can anybody forget the brainless 'Heyy Babby'.
Fingers crossed this time...

Neil Nitin Mukesh Heading To 'Jail' After 'Freeze'

2008-08-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Neil Nitin Mukesh is about to wrap up his new movie 'Freeze' opposite Bipasha Basu and then he's zooming off to New York
to work opposite Bips' other half John Abraham and Katrina Kaif in a new Yash Raj production.
Neil, who caught the attention of tinsel town with 'Johnny Gaddaar' last year,is all set to star in Madhur Bandarkhar's
next venture titled 'Jail', a tale of three prisoners.According to sources 'Jail' is going to be a thriller and it is
believed that it took Madhur a very long time to finish the story which he has apparently been scripting since he did
'Chandini Bar'.Madhur has promised that like all his movies Jail is also going to be entertaining and real.The film is about
a normal middle class boy,Prakash Dixit who lands in jail due to some sudden change in circumstances.What happens in
jail and to him forms the core of the story.

Milan Luthria Decides To Cast Sanjay Dutt

2008-08-02T22:19:00.001-07:00

So Sanjay Dutt it shall be.It has been confirmed that Milan Luthria’s epic gangster movie, 'Once Upon A Time in Mumbai' will
star Bollywood’s Big Bad Boy,Sanjay Dutt. He will play the role of gangster Haji Mastan, who along with Karim Lala and
Varadarajan ruled the streets in Mumbai in the 1970s, extending their influence into politics and Bollywood.The film is said
to be based on how these gangster' came into power and changed the face of the city overnight.It is not the first time that a
Bollywood actor is playing the role of Haji Mastan on celluloid.Amitabh Bachchan played a role based on him in 'Deewar' and
is said to have met him to observe his mannerisms.Mastan, who had connections with Dilip Kumar, died in 1994.50-year-old
Sanjay Dutt is currently shooting in South Africa for the movie 'Chatur Singh Two Star' and has recently signed a
nine-movie deal with Balaji TeleFilms.

'Sarkar Raj' Script Heads To Oscar Library

2008-08-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Another film has been honoured with the request to place its script in the Academy of Motion Pictures library. The honour
to be part of the prestigious Oscar library has been previously given to Devdas, Kal Ho Na Ho, Lagaan, Lage Raho Munnabhai,
Namastey London and now Sarkar Raj joins the shelves.The film, made by Ram Gopal Verma starred Amitabh Bachchan,son
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
The script will be permanently housed in the library and available for students and other filmmakers for reference and
study. The library has a huge collection of not only scripts but also books, photographs, periodicals and manuscripts as
well as musical scores and recordings plus costume sketches, artifacts and oral histories.

High School Musical 3 : Senior Year - First Look

2008-08-02T21:50:00.001-07:00

Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman return to the roles they created
in the international smash hit 'High School Musical' and the record-breaking 'High School Musical 2' in the third part of
the Disney series.
'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' finds high school seniors Troy and Gabriella facing the prospect of separation as they
head off to different colleges. Joined by the rest of the Wildcats, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their
experiences, hopes and fears about the future. With incredible new music and exciting dance numbers designed to take maximum
advantage of the big screen, this motion picture extravaganza delivers plenty of high-energy entertainment from East High’s
talented ensemble.

Soundtrack For The New Bond Movie To Be A Duet

2008-08-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Billboard are reporting that Alicia Keys and The White Stripes' Jack White are uniting to perform the theme song for the
new James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace'.The song, "Another Way To Die," will be the first duet in Bond soundtrack history.
White has written the track and will record it alongside Keys with the 'White Striper' also playing drums.The soundtrack to
the movie will be released Oct. 28.The score for the film will be composed by David Arnold. The film itself, which once
again sees Daniel Craig as 007, hits theaters in the U.S on November 7th.

The 'Inspired' Remake Of 'My Sassy Girl' : Ugly aur Pagli Review

2008-08-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

As I had mentioned earlier in my preview,'Ugly aur Pagli' is based on the Korean film 'My Sassy Girl'.So,i decided to check
out the story of the 2001 Korean movie before watching our so-called 'inspired' Indian version.'My Sassy Girl' is about a
loser who meets a drunken girl one evening on his way back home.He takes the girl,who falls unconscious, to a hotel for the
night as he does not know where her house is. The story takes off from here as he gets a call from the girl the next day to
know what happened the last night. They meet again and again and become good friends. But the relationship is strange as
the girl is completely whacked out..And the guy just keeps trying to please her..Now after this little piece of gyaan,I
decided to check 'Ugly aur Pagli' out..turns out the movie is not just inspired but is a complete frame to frame copy of
the original.Just that the charecters in this case are called Kabir(Ranvir Shorey) and Kuhu(Mallika Sherawat).If you forget
about the fact that the movie is a 'copy' and actually look at it as a different movie all together,'Ugly aur Pagli' is
quite an intresting film..considering that it is a kind of love story that has'nt been seen on Indian screens before and for
the sheer freshness of the narration and the screenplay.But the script is too weak and leaves you with too many unanswered
questions.Debutante director Sachin Khot fails to impress,though the movie is very well shot,it fails to keep the viewer
hooked to his seat.The second half does get better but by then the whole attention-factor to the movie is lost.The movie
does manage to muster a few laughs in its course.Mallika Sherawat as Kuhu is just average and she does show that she is
absolutely horendous with emotional scenes.Ranvir Shorey is brilliant as usual and is certainly the actor to look out for in
the coming years minus his dance ofcourse..After watching the movie I really regret having rated Anu Malik' music as even
good.It has no relevance what-so-ever with the movie.
Overall 'Ugly aur Pagli' is an average movie.Watch it if you have nothing else to do.

Rating : 2/5

Rajinikanth Shows The Real 'Him' : Kuselan Review

2008-08-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Wow..This is certainly something new..'Kuselan' has three very notable differences from other Rajinikanth movies.
unlike most of the Superstar' movies Kuselan is going to have you emotionally choked up,it is surely the first movie where
you won't see him uttering a punch dialogue and you also won't see him flexing his muscles to bash up the baddies.
'Kuselan' is about two childhood friends,with one growing up to become a star in the film industry,while the other lands up
as a barber in a hamlet.Balakrishnan(Pasupathy) is the poor barber who leads a happy and content life with his wife in his
village.One day his friend and now,Superstar Ashok Kumar(Rajinikanth) ends up in the village as it was the shoot location of his upcoming film.
How the two friends meet and what happens when they do meet forms the rest of the story.
‘Kuselan’,i feel is where you get to see Rajinikanth – the real Rajinikanth, the human being.In fact i feel its the first
time the 'superstar' has actually acted in a movie..in the sense that,he has always played that larger than life charecter
and this is one movie where he sheds it.Rajinikanth plays himself in the movie and goes about his job at ease.He actually
manages to get a tear or two in the eyes of even the most emotionally unchallenged people in the climax scene that he shares
with Pasupathy.Intrestingly,the superstar also takes the oppurtunity to let people new about a few facts about his life..
like the one' regarding his political aspirations and stuff.Pasupathy,playing the poor barber is extremely good and manages
to garner all sympathy.Itb was'nt an easy job for the actor considering that he was cast beside a show-stealer like Rajinikanth,
but he does an absolutely commendable job.Meena who plays the barber' extremely loving and caring wife is good as well.
Her portrayal of the charecter in some of the scenes are brilliant.Hey hold on..if you are thinking that 'Kuselan' is all
good and a delightful movie,here comes the pain..Nayantara and vadivelu,who though do the job entrusted to them,I feel were
of absolutely no use in the movie.Nayantara manages to lend the glamour quotient to the movie but with no significance and
Vadivelu just adds another slow-down factor to an already slow-paced movie..I geniunely feel that the director could have
done away with his charecter.There is also a song featuring many stars from the South-Indian industry (a la OSO).P.Vasu'
direction is just good.He fails to make a brilliant movie out of this by wasting his resources,sometimes even misusing
them.Music by G.V.Prakash is average.Though the movie has a very proviking thought to it,I really don't know if it would
be able to make an impact afterall..For a hardcore Rajinikanth 'Kuselan' provides all the reasons to celebrate.

Rating : 3/5

James Bond 007 - Quantum Of Solace Preview

2008-08-02T02:43:00.000-07:00

Cast : Daniel Craig,Mathieu Amalric,Judi Dench
Director : Marc Forster

Quantum of Solace continues the high octane adventures of James Bond in Casino Royale. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he
loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M
interrogate Mr White who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone
had imagined.
Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to
the beautiful but feisty Camille, a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene, a
ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organisation, Quantum.
On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control
of one of the worlds most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano. Using his
associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government,
Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in
exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land. which is however a main source of the South American water supply. In a
minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer
to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even
M, to unravel Greenes sinister plan and stop Quantum getting its way.

Mark Wahlberg To Star In Max Payne Movie

2008-08-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

Yes you heard it right..the Max Payne movie is coming.It is based on the popular video game series of the same name,
the movie revolves around an undercover New York City detective investigating a powerful crime family responsible for the
murder of his wife and child.I dont really know much about the game so i'm really unaware of what those mysterious
creatures with wings shown in the trailers.From what i could make out the story is a fairly standard crime saga..or may be
there is some super-natural element linked to the story that i m not aware of.Anyways,from the first look the movie does
seem exciting.It is being directed by John Moore, the man responsible for 'Behind Enemy Lines' and the horendous remakeof the
Omen.It stars Mark Wahlberg in the lead role and co-stars Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges and Chris O’Donnell.It is slated to hit
theatres in the U.S on October 17th.

The New Charecter In Transformers 2 : Exclusive Pictures

2008-08-01T20:26:00.000-07:00