Dilip Saab joins twitterati on eve of 89th birthday

MUMBAI: Just a day before thespian Dilip Kumar turns 89 on Sunday, he made his debut on Twitter.

"His twitter handle is Thedilipkumar. The constructionof his official website is underway and pages are being developed right now," said his biographer and family friend Udaya Tara Nayar.

Born on December 11, 1922 in Peshawar, Dilip Kumar joined the film industry in 1944 with Jwar Bhatta. Considered India's first method actor and an inspiration for generations of stars, Dilip Kumar ended his celluloid journey in 1998 with Qila.

"He has been the reference point for generations of actors. Where would Indian Cinema be without his heart-wrenching performances in Gunga Jamuna and Mughal-e-Azam? The wells from where we drink water were dug by this giant, called Dillip Kumar," said director Mahesh Bhatt. Bollywood has long been petitioning the Prime Minister to confer the Bharat Ratna on Dilip Kumar. "The best way to celebrate 100 years of Indian Cinema will be to bestow the Bharat Ratna on Dilip Saab. The History of Nations is the story of its people.

The narrative of free India, which is wholly and solely committed to its secular creed, is epitomized by Dilip Saab. It will be our collective failure, not only as film people but also as Indians, if we do not give this last Mughal of Indian cinema what he rightly deserves."

As he sets out on his 90th year, his friends and admirers from the industry, including 90-year-old Pran, Yash Chopra, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mahesh Bhatt, will visit Dilip Kumar's Bandra residence on Saturday night to usher in the actor's birthday.

Earlier on his birthday, the gates of his bungalow would always remain open to everyone. "The entire day, his fans, friends and colleagues would come and wish him on his birthday as Dilip Saab would sit in the drawing room and meet everyone. Now they have made it a little formal and guests are invited in the evening."

Dilip Kumar's actress wife, Saira Banu, who has sent out all the invites, said, "I am overwhelmed by the respect and adulation my husband is receiving on his birthday from his admirers in India and all over the world. The house is overflowing with flowers that have come from Australia,Dubai, London, Germany, Turkey and Amsterdam. I pray to God to keep my husband well and happy."

Some of the film industry who were present at his residence to bring in his 89th birthday. were 90 year old veteran actor Pran, Yash Chopra, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Mahesh Bhatt and many more.

Aamir is a wonderful actor: Abhishek Bachchan

Abhishek Bachchan is very excited to be working with Aamir Khan too for the first time in Dhoom3. 

He says, "The icing on the cake is that I get to work with somebody like Aamir. He's a senior I have always looked up and whose work I have always admired. I always wanted to work with him but I never had the gumption to walk up to him and say that. 

Dhoom3 is not a one-sided film but about these two characters going at each other and as equal a part as you can get. Aamir is a wonderful actor and top of his game right now. I will get to learn so much from him."

Veena Malik’s dad disowns her

Veena Malik's nude magazine cover kicked up a storm with not just strong reactions in Pakistan, but the actress alleging that the nude photos were fake and suing the magazine.

But the latest salvo came from her own father, who said in an interview to a British newspaper that he was disowning her. "I have disowned her. I have severed all ties with her and I don't want her to have any share in whatever meagre assets I have until she is cleared of the controversy and pledges not to visit India again," Veena's father, Malik Mohammad Aslam, was quoted by the paper as saying.

He added that his daughter should be punished if found guilty of stripping "so that no other woman would think of doing such a thing". "I can ignore (it) if she disobeys me but I cannot tolerate anything against my country and my faith," he was quoted as saying.

This outburst by her father apparently came as a shock to Veena, who only reacted with a "no comments" stance when we tried to contact her.

However, in an earlier interview to DT, Veena had said her family was always supportive of what she did, and it was only after their permission that she said yes to "Swayamvar", which also created a controversy recently due to her nationality. "My parents have always supported me.

I agreed to do "Swayamvar" after I got their permission. Unhi ki vajah se maine yeh offer accept kiya tha. My siblings too suggested I should give it a shot. My parents and friends will come to my show. You will get to see them on the show soon," she had said. The actress also told us that she had only stayed with her parents for two years, and had been raised by her grandmother.

Dev Anand’s village has hazy memories of the star

The last time Bollywood actor Dev Anand visited his hometown was to attend the last rites of his brother in October 1971

Gharota (Gurdaspur), December 5
Not many in Gharota, where Dev Anand was born as Dharam Dev Pishori Anand on September 26, 1923, remember the legend. The village elders have but hazy memories of the actor. However, septuagenarian Sadhu Ram, who remained in touch with the film icon till a decade ago, was a picture of melancholy.

“Dev Sahib, like a falling star, has disappeared into the darkness forever,” he said, his voice quivering.

Locals said the ancestral house of the Anand family in this hamlet, 22 km from Gurdaspur, was sold for a pittance by the film icon’s father, the affluent advocate Pishori Lal, several decades ago.

The family then moved to nearby Gurdaspur where they lived on rent at the busy Amaamvara Chowk in the heart of the city. Senior Advocate Balraj Mohan, a close friends of Dev Anand’s father, said: “Dev was a reticent person. He studied at the government boys’ school near the old bus stand. His mother was a dignified and deeply religious lady. His father was a leading lawyer of Gurdaspur, whose sole endeavour in life was to provide first-grade education to his children. “I started my practice in 1968 and it was then when I first met Pishori Lal. He was fond of cigarettes and had a good command over Persian and Arabic. He was fond of reciting Urdu poetry to his sons Manmohan Anand, Chetan Anand, Dev Anand and Vijay Anand. Barring the eldest Manmohan, who became an advocate, the other three went on to make a name for themselves in tinsel town.”

Said lawyer Pushkar Nand, Dev Anand’s distant kin: “During the summer vacations, Pishori Lal would rent a small cottage owned by an Englishman (Robinson) in Dalhousie and the family would stay there.”

Dev Anand did his FSc from Government College, Dharamsala, and his graduation from Government College, Lahore, with English Honours.

The actor was very close to his mother, recalled a Gharota resident. “Once she developed TB and Dev, accompanied by a friend, would daily travel to Amritsar, 40 km away, on a bus to buy medicines for her till she finally recovered.”

Local residents said the last time Dev Anand visited Gurdaspur was to attend the last rites of Manmohan, then chairman of the Punjab Khadi Board, in October 1971. After that the actor severed all ties with his native town.

One of the actor’s best friends, 90-year-old advocate Sukhdev Aggarwal, tried to speak about him but was overcome by emotion.

PM condoles Dev Anand's death

NEW DELHI: Describing Dev Anand as a great artiste, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he was an embodiment of life long passion for acting and film-making.

Joining millions of his fans in condoling his death, he said, "Dev Anand was a great artiste who entertained generations of cinema lovers over five decades.

"He was an embodiment of long passion for acting and film-making. I join millions of his fans in mourning his death," the Prime Minister said in a statement.

Political leaders in Maharashtra paid glowing tributes to Indian cinema's legend with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan saying the country had lost an iconic film personality who gave joy to countless movie buffs.

"He will forever be remembered as Hindi cinema's evergreen hero," Chavan said in Mumbai.

"When I saw the news on TV (about his death), I was shocked. Devsaab was an idol for us in college days. He was evergreen. We all waited for his films to release. The youth had an attraction for his action and style," Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

"I got to know him later. True to his name, he always gave ‘anand” (happiness) to millions. There won't be any other Dev Anand," Deshmukh said.

“Be it “Guide”, “CID”, “Hum Dono” or “Johnny Mera Naam”, we loved all his films,” the senior Congress leader said.

Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Dev Anand's love for life and cinema would live on through his films.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the 88-year-old screen legend was a gift of God to the film industry and the country. He was active till the end and never stopped making films, Pawar said.

Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the demise of Devsaab had created a void in Indian cinema. "This is an irreparable loss," he said.

Bollywood's Legendary, Dev Anand, dies at 88

This file photo taken on September 26, 2005 shows veteran Indian actor Dev Anand at a shoot for his film "Mr. Prime Minister" on his 82nd birthday at the city's famous landmark the 'Gateway of India' in Mumbai. Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, media reported on December 3, 2011, prompting a flood of tributes from across India's Hindi-language cinema industry.

MUMBAI — Bollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, prompting a flood of tributes Sunday from across India's Hindi-language cinema industry.

The Press Trust of India news agency said in a report from London that Anand, who with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar reigned supreme in the golden age of Bollywood, died of a heart attack in the British capital on Saturday.

He had been in the city for a medical check-up and had been in poor health for the last few days, the agency said, quoting anonymous family sources.

Often compared to the U.S. actor Gregory Peck because of his matinee idol looks, "Debonair Dev" was best known for his boundless energy and passion for film. He starred in more than 100 movies.

He made his debut in "Hum Ek Hain" (We Are One) alongside his friend Guru Dutt in 1946, and was still working well into old age, starring in "Chargesheet" — made by his own production company — this year.

"I cannot live without my films, my cinema and my work," he told bollywoodhungama.com in 2007.

"For me, until I die, movie-making and acting will always be my first and last love."

Current stars from Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher to Shabana Azmi and Shah Rukh Khan mourned Anand's passing on the micro-blogging site Twitter, praising his youthful optimism and joie de vivre.

Kher said he was "kind, passionate, courageous, forthright, charming, encouraging, contemporary, always a leader and a great human. Will miss him".

The writer Salman Rushdie wrote: "RIP Dev Anand. I grew up watching your films. Sorry to say goodbye."

Dev Anand was born on September 26, 1923 in Gurdaspur in the Punjab area of British-ruled India that is now part of modern-day Pakistan, and was educated in Lahore.

He came to India's film and entertainment capital Bombay (now Mumbai) to forge an acting career and soon found roles at the famous Bombay Talkies and Filmistan studios.

His fame reached its height through films like "Munimji" (Accountant, 1955), "C.I.D." (1956), "Kalapani" (Black Water, 1958), "Love Marriage" (1959), "Kala Bazaar" (Black Market, 1960), "Hum Dono" (Both of Us, 1961) and "Guide" (1966).

"Hum Dono" was re-released in colour earlier this year.

Anand's films frequently tackled contemporary issues in a way that was then pioneering but has since become commonplace. Off-screen, he was also politically active.

In the mid-1970s, he headed a group of celebrities who opposed then prime minister Indira Gandhi's emergency rule, and briefly launched his own political party.

Anand was seen as a style icon, never without his trademark scarf or the latest fashions. His romantic conquests were catalogued in purple prose in his autobiography, "Romancing With Life".

He helped launch the careers of young actresses like Zeenat Aman, who starred in "Hare Raama Hare Krishna" — his critique of the hippie movement — and Mumtaz, who appeared in "Tere Mere Sapne" (Our Dreams), both in 1971.

Another was Tina Munim, who starred in Anand's last recognized hit "Des Pardes" (Home and Away) in 1978 and later married the industrialist Anil Ambani.

Anand had a supreme self-confidence and energy that drove his many acting, producing and directing projects, believing he had a unique creativity and vision to share.

Anand, who received India's third-highest civilian honour in 2001 and earned a string of film industry awards, married the actress Kalpana Kartik (real name Mona Singha) in 1954. They had two children, a son and a daughter.

His brothers, Chetan and Vijay, were both film directors. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, was the mother of Shekhar Kapur, the Oscar-nominated director of "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".

Dev Anand death: Bollywood plunges into mourning

Dev Anand was 88 when he succumbed to a massive cardiac arrest in a London hospital. Ever since the news of his demise broke out, the refrain across his fans and well-wishers was a line from his song from "Hun Dono", "Abhi na jao chodkar ke dil abhi bhara nahin".

On his micro blogging site, Anupam Kherwrote: "Dev Saab was Kind, -Passionate, Courageous, Forthright, Charming, Encouraging, Contemporary, Always a leader and a Great Human. Will Miss him. So as a Tribute to Dev Saab let's only humm his Songs today. Songs which became such an integral part of our lives. Ahbi na jao chodkar...." When Amitabh Bachchan first tweeted about Dev saab, he was still praying that the news wasn't true. "Just reading news about Dev Saheb .. praying it is not true ! He was such a positive person .. never associated death with him... Had just met Dev Saheb at his premiere recently .. he was weak but full of spirit ..the news papers confirming his passing away ..sad. An era has come to an end .. Dev Anand leaves a void never perhaps to be filled again .. his never give up belief, his joy of life!"

Shabana Azmi, who also reminisced about director Manish Acharya who passed a year ago, wrote: "Dev Saheb robustly lived life on his own terms.he will be missed by millions but will live on thru his movies.I salute his spirit."

Mahesh Bhatt saluted the memory of the star "left us with the glow of his smile". "As the new dawn breaks over Mumbai I salute the memory of this star who has left left us with the glow of his smile," he wrote.

It took a while for the news to sink in for Madhur Bhandarkar even as he wrote: "Shocked to the core, a painful loss, a personal grief, cant believe DEVSAAB is no more ! Still the news is not sinking in,had celebrated his birthday with him,Devsaab was full of energy and life then,just cant believe !"

Director Kunal Kohli, on his part, wrote: "RIP Dev Anand. His spirit, energy, love for life and cinema will live on through his films. Love you Dev Saab."

Abhishek Bachchan was equally shocked. Wrote the actor, "Never believed I would ever wake up to this news. Very sad! Shocked to read of the passing of Dev Saab. Such a great man and actor. A symbol of positivity." Actor Divya Dutta has vivid memories of her last meeting of the legend at the premiere of his movie. "T last I met devsaab was at his premiere,sitting nxt to him, n seeing his smiling face,full of zest energy n ethusiasm..memories! Main zindagi ka sath nibhata chala gayam..RIP devsaab! Knowing u wrkin wt u is cherished!my evergreen hero!will miss u sir!" she wrote.

Shah Rukh Khan said in his tweet, "Dev sahib's sad demise makes me feel that the film industry is incomplete & has lost its magical energy. May Allah bless his soul."

Arjun Rampal tweeted, "Woke up to the saddest news and an emptiness in the heart, Dev Saab the man who lived every moment to the fullest with greatest energy. RIP."

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh said: "Just got the sad news that Dev Anand sahab passed away. I've always been a huge fan of his. And grown up watching his dynamic films. RIP." India's music fraternity was equally shocked with the news. The legend who left behind countless film hits will be dearly missed, said Shreya Ghosal. "Dev saab's films being talked abt on d news. What legacy of great films n music! He indeed was a man of excellence and passion for cinema," the singer wrote.

Composer Ehsaan Noorani, on his part, said, "Another jewel begins his skyward journey ...... Dev Saab alvidaa." Sophie Choudry, on her part, wrote: "Can't believe Dev saab is no more? A real institution,dreamer,believer & the grtest romantic because he LOVED life. A truly sad say. RIP sir."

Poonam Pandey too paid her respect to the evergreen star by writing: "Life is like a poker game; it's not what you're given, it's how you use it.- The Gr8 Gambler - "RIP Dev Anand""

The Dirty Picture - Only surface level dirty

Picture this: A sexy Scarlett Johansson (or Zuleikha Robinson if you want some Indian blood) in a Kimi Katkar biopic directed by Danny Boyle. There's meticulous attention paid to recreate the feel of Mumbai with Hindi film posters, Bollywood dance choreography, low-cut cholis etc., but... all the speaking parts and even some of the songs are in English. Except for one. Say ‘Chamma Chamma'!

Think that would make for a credible biopic set in the Eighties? Yes, Milan Luthria may not be our Danny Boyle. ButThe Dirty Picture is just as out of place in Madras as that Scarlett film in Mumbai. All the posters and a lot of the production design are in Tamil, but the songs and speaking parts are in Hindi. The only Tamil song used is the jingle-savvy ‘Nakku Mukka', which is anything but representative of the Eighties. And this fish-out-of-water feel of this biopic considerably waters down the impact. We are never able to take this film seriously beyond what the title promises. A dirty picture. That too, almost.

Vidya Balan performs with an attitude that Scarlett may never be capable of. This is the single-most boldest performance by a woman in the history of Indian cinema not because of the reels of cleavage, in almost every frame in fact, but because of the large frame she flaunts and carries off on screen in an age where heroines are called fat if they cannot maintain a size zero figure. Vidya apparently put on 12 kilos for this film and they all show. It needs some amount of guts and sass to pull it off and she sizzles in this role tailor-made to show off her acting chops.

Like she says, “Films run only because of one reason: Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. And I am entertainment,” this is a film that will truly run because Vidya Balan is entertainment. She wears slutty clothes, makes dirty noises, pouts out horny faces, dances with thunder thighs and delivers some great old-fashioned dialoguebaazi, speaking mostly in punch-lines. She makes it impossible for you to take your eyes off the screen even when things get predictable in the latter part of the film.

sass and sizzle The Dirty Picture

The makers (Milan Luthria and writer Rajat Arora) seem a little too afraid to get into the darker aspects of the tragic life of a star like Silk and most of the sadness is limited to showing the dark circles under her eyes. Even when her life is spiralling down, the film wants to go away from the tragedy and show you a love song. Clearly, they don't want to depress you because depressing films don't do well at the box office.

However, The Dirty Picture makes up for lack of depth with spirit and attitude.

It is commendable that there's no attempt to make a dirty picture look too clean or classy. Milan stays loyal to the genre and makes sure the frontbenchers get all the titillation. This is about bringing the subaltern into the mainstream and giving that genre and the women fronting that cinema their due. And that grand statement of the film comes a tad too early — at the halfway point. When Silk goes to pick up her award and calls the film industry's bluff. “I am your dirty little secret,” she says.

She truly believes that what she does is ahead of her time and would one day be seen as a revolution against the male-driven film business.

For all that talk of feminism, the film regresses a little towards the latter part when it strays into Madhur Bhandarkar territory when a broke heroine of dirty films has to resort to porn to save her house. And with that one scene, by depicting pornography as an evil compromise she must do, The Dirty Picture draws its moral line between the mainstream and the subaltern. All the good work is undone because we are told dirty pictures are OK for a woman of spirit, but soft-porn... No, too low? Talk about hypocrisy.

If this film proves anything at all, it is this. We haven't lost our appetite for dirty pictures. We are a country of voyeurs. And poor Silk Smitha continues to be exploited even after her death.

For, barring her screen name, this picture has nothing to do with her story.

The Dirty Picture

Genre: Drama

Director: Milan Luthria

Cast: Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah

Storyline: Small town girl runs away from home to become a star of dirty pictures

Bottomline: A fantastic Vidya Balan fronts this entertaining, titillating romp that delivers one tight slap on the face of hypocrisy of showbiz... but does little else.

Desi Boyz - Movie Review

Story: Jerry Patel (Akshay Kumar) and Nick Mathur (John Abraham), two victims of the global recession in UK are jobless and clueless about their future, despite having onerous responsibilities to shoulder. Jerry must look after his sister's orphan little son and Nick has a high maintenance girlfriend ( Deepika Padukone) seeking fast matrimony. Desperate times force them to seek desperate measures for survival and they meet Sanjay Dutt who hires them as male escorts in his recession-proof company, Desi Boyz. Will our million dollar male escorts meet their responsibilities with their new and dubious credentials? 

Movie Review: It's the crackling chemistry between John Abraham andAkshay Kumar which makes Desi Boyz such a fun film. The guy bonding between them had already been showcased in Garam Masala but this film carries the camaraderie even further. True, the film doesn't boast of anything that even comes close to an intelligent quotient, but the perfectly tuned tango, salsa, hip hop between the boyz gives it a spicy edge and keeps you in your seats, goofily munching your popcorns. 

John's Nick, a high profile MBA from the London School of Economics, is the ambitious types who dreams of the great suburban life, with a beautiful wife (Deepika Padukone), two kids, a dog and a substantial bank balance. His girlfriend too believes that life cannot be lived on a mere chicken roll. Akshay's Jerry is the more earthy kinds, happy to eke out a living as a mall attendant, as long as he is able to share his highs and lows with his best buddy and housemate, Nick. It's Jerry who forces a reluctant Nick to join Sanjay Dutt's Desi Boyz enterprise, when the ugly face of unemployment stares them in their face. Naturally, with their characteristic abs and biceps, it doesn't take them long to become the hottest beefcake in town and life seems to be a roller coaster ride.Until Nick's girl friend discovers them pole dancing and the social security officer sends Jerry's ward off to foster parents. Time for turning the page and getting back to good, right and ethical life. 

Debutant director Rohit Dhawan tells his story in a light vein and never compromises on the fun quotient. He seemed to have learnt his craft from his father, David Dhawan, well, but never plays it over the top like him. Moreover, he keeps the drama dizzily moving on and peppers it with a feisty screenplay, with some funny one-liners thrown in here and there. The telepathic conversation between John and Akshay is specially humourous and only augments their chemistry. Pritam's music is full of verve and the title song, Desi Boyz, has already become a chartbuster. The girls, Deepika and Chitrangada maybe eye candy, but they are delicious, succulent and sizzling. If Deepika's act is eyeball-grabbing, then Chitrangada's Economic's professor who sheds her clothes for every right answer is the stuff that dreams are made of: isn't it guys! But eventually, ladies, this one is for you. Too much sizzle on screen. End result: Can't take your eyes off. 

Entertain yourself. Watch Desi Boyz. 

Cast: Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh, Anupam Kher

Direction: Rohit Dhawan

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours

Akshay, Deepika and Chitrangda at Kabaddi World Cup 2011 in Ludhiana

Ludhiana/Chandigarh: The second Kabaddi World Cup being held in Ludhiana narrowed down the exciting tournament final on Sunday. The men’s final was being played amongst India and Canada whereas England and India will collide in the women’s final. The 2nd World Cup Kabaddi tournament also witnessed the Bollywood glamour with the performances by Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh on Sunday.

The teams from Pakistan and Italy competed to seal the third and fourth position in the men’s segment of the world cup. The star studded Bollywood gave a 70 minutes performance to take the stadium by storm and entertained the spectators at the Guru Nanak stadium in the city. Also, various Punjabi singers with the likes of Harbhajan Mann and Raj Barard gave a regional taste to the spectators.

The evening warmed up with 'Jai Ho', the beautifully choreographed dance, which gave a new energy to the audience with 295 dancers making beautiful patterns, intermingling with each other and making a new figure every other second. Also, performing on the song of 'Singh Is King', Akshay Kumar along with Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh set the stadium on fire.

Demi Moore To Divorce Ashton Kutcher

After six years and two alleged affairs Demi Moore has finally had enough.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton," the Ghost actress said in a statement released to the media.

"As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life,” she continued. “This is a trying time for me and my family, and so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to anyone going through a similar situation."

For his part, Kutcher took the matter seriously enough to keep his thoughts within 140 characters.

"I will forever cherish the time I spent with Demi," Kutcher (or his media oversight company) Tweeted. The message continues: "Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail. Love and light, AK."

Moore, 49, and Kutcher, 33, were married in 2005 in a private ceremony.

Judging by Moore's statement, it appears no amount of Kabbalah counselling nor couple's retreats could save the marriage. In September, a flurry of tabloid headlines were roused by the Two and a Half Men star's alleged affair during a guys' weekend in San Diego.

There is no official word as to when Moore plans on filing the necessary papers.

Music Release of new Telugu Movie 'Panjaa'

Panjaa (Telugu: పంజా), is an upcoming Indian Telugu action film directed by Vishnuvardhan, starring Pawan Kalyan. The film, jointly produced by Arka Mediaworks and Sanghamitra Art Productions, also stars Sarah-Jane Dias, Anjali Lavania, Jackie Shroff and Sesh Adivi, while featuring music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography handled by P. S. Vinod.[1][2] A gangster film with mafia backdrop,[3] Panjaa is currently in its post-production stage with re-recording alone remaining and is scheduled for a release on 9 December 2011.

For Music Release Event click on links below:http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/events/30704.html
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/events/30708.html
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/events/30709.html

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivers a baby girl

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have become proud parents of a baby girl. The actress gave birth to a girl this morning at the Seven Hills hospital in Andheri, a western Mumbai suburb
Ash was accompanied to the hospital by her parents Vrinda and Krishnaraj Rai, brother Aditya, husband Abhishek and in-laws Amitabh, Jaya and Shweta Nanda. 

The news of Ash's pregnancy was broken by Amitabh Bachchan through Twitter in June this year. As Bollywood's first family  and their well-wishers celebrated the Big B  received over 2000 congratulatory tweets the same day and people thronged the Bachchan residence in Juhu  to celebrate.

The Bachchans chose a suburban hospital for the delivery, presumably to avoid media glare. While TV news channels, on their part, had agreed to stay away from the developments, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had ordered television media not to park their vans outside the hospital.

Bachchan was questioned about having asked the I&B ministry to intervene in the matter. To which, he replied: 'HaHa ! Print MidDay asking if I have told I&B Ministry to block media news of Aish delivery ! Absolute rubbish ! Good try MDay ! &B and media matter ! Firstly I have no such intention ever, secondly do you really think I&B would listen to me !?? No way baby !'

Ash and Abhishek got together during the filming of Guru and got married in a glitzy ceremony in 2007 in the presence of the family's closest friends and associates.


Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan are also grandparents to daughter Shweta Nanda's two kids -- daughter Navya Naveli and son Agastya.

Silk's family irked by 'The Dirty Picture'

Time for some controversy for the much talked ' The Dirty Picture'. Reports suggest that the family of Silk Smitha, on whom the film is based, is not happy with the movie. Apparently, Silk Smitha's brother V Naga Vara Prasad has accused Ekta Kapoor and Milan Luthria, the makers of 'The Dirty Picture', of making a film on her life without the family's consent. The family has also called the film 'obscene' and have sent a legal notice to the team. However, the makers are yet to respond to it.

Stallone stuntman dies on set

A stuntman has died and another is fighting for his life while filming on the set of Sylvester Stallone's new film "The Expendables 2" in Bulgaria. The stuntmen were filming a scene on an inflatable boat on Thursday (October 27) when the accident happened. Chinese-American Sun Nu O was rushed to hospital in the capital Sofia and according to the Head of Intensive Care at Tokuda Hospital, he was severely injured. SOUNDBITE: Dr. Georgi Simeonov, Head Of Intensive Care At Tokuda Hospital, saying (Bulgarian): "He is in a stable condition at the moment, breaths by himself, sociable, doesn't have complaints, well anaesthetized, but still there is a huge risk for his life." Police are still investigating the exact cause of the incident. Stallone and others stars of the action film were filming in a different location when the accident occurred. Other actors set to reprise their roles from the first "Expendables" include Bruce Willis and Dolph Lundgren. The movie is due for release on August 12. Cindy Martin, 
Source:Reuters

Secrecy surrounds new James Bond movie "Skyfall"

Daniel Craig will be back dodging bullets and vanquishing villains from China to Turkey in the 23rd installment of the James Bond film franchise, but the stars and director of "Skyfall" are keeping the who, what and how under wraps for now.

As previously announced, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes directs his first Bond adventure, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012 when Skyfall is released.

One of the few details Mendes revealed to more than 100 reporters from around the world at the film's London press launch were his cast and the locations of the blockbuster, which starts production on Monday.

Bond regulars Craig and Judi Dench, as his stern spymaster M, return to their roles, Spanish actor Javier Bardem plays the villain and French actress Berenice Marlohe and Britain's Naomie Harris are Bond girls.

All five were at the press briefing, where they were joined by Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson.

In addition, Mendes said the latest installment in one of cinema's longest and most successful film franchises will feature Ben Whishaw "who will be playing a part I can't tell you about in scenes I can tell you nothing about.

"And Albert Finney, who will also be playing a part I can tell you nothing about in scenes that I can't really tell you about and Ralph Fiennes, who, similarly, I can give you very little information about."

Asked whether he had not named all of the characters the leading actors would be playing because Bond fans might recognize them, the "American Beauty" director replied: "They might do. On the other hand they might not."

What producers have confirmed is that Skyfall will take Bond on another action-packed mission to London, Shanghai, Istanbul and Scotland.

A press release gave a brief plot outline, saying Bond's loyalty to M is tested "as her past comes back to haunt her.

"As MI6 (British intelligence) comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."

NO "AUSTERITY" BOND

Mendes and his producers sought to reassure fans that tough economic conditions in the real world would not make the fictional exploits of the suave superspy any less spectacular.

"It, I think, has all the elements of a classic Bond movie, including, to quell any rumors, a lot of action," Mendes said.

Wilson added: "I think it's in the same (cost) range as the last film and we really haven't had to change anything in the script. We haven't had to sacrifice anything."

The 22nd Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace," cost an estimated $200 million to produce, more than the previous installment and Craig's Bond debut "Casino Royale," which cost a reported $150 million.

Any extra outlay did not translate into higher ticket sales, however, with Casino Royale earning $594 million at the global box office and Quantum of Solace $586 million, according to website www.boxofficemojo.com.

Sony Pictures, part of Sony Corp, will distribute Skyfall, which is set to hit British theaters on October 26, 2012 and U.S. cinemas on November 9 after a studio bankruptcy put production on hold for months and the last movie earned mixed reviews.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the series, which began in 1962 with Sean Connery -- breathing life into the character created by former intelligence officer and novelist Ian Fleming -- on Her Majesty's secret service in "Dr. No."

Debt-laden Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, known for its roaring lion logo and behind some of Hollywood's most fabled films including "The Wizard of Oz," filed for bankruptcy in November last year.

But two months later it confirmed Bond 23 would hit theatres in November, 2012, and in April MGM and Sony announced they would co-finance and distribute the next two Bond movies.

Craig's first appearance as Bond in 2006 was hailed as a refreshing change in direction toward a tougher, more serious 007, and reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

Quantum of Solace fared less well with the critics, although positive reviews still outweighed the negative and both films were commercially successful.

When Craig was asked if he would continue in one of cinema's most recognizable roles for a few more years, Broccoli interjected and said: "Yes, definitely."

Ra.One's interesting facts

Ra.One is Shah Rukh Khan's most ambitious sci-fi superhero film that is came out on Diwali.  

After extensive promotional activities, the five-day long weekend seems to be perfect setting to release Ra.One. The film is releasing this Wednesday and the cash registers are already ringing thanks to advance bookings.

The film is releasing in more than 3,000 screens in the domestic market in 2D and around 500 screens in 3D. The film has been dubbed in Tamil and Telugu and it will also make inroads in South Korea and Hongkong, where Bollywood movies are not so popular.

Describing it as his most ambitious project, Shah Rukh Khan has been on a multi-city tour and travelled all over India, from Chennai to Jaipur, from Bhopal to Bangalore and from Kolkata to Delhi to promote this film and to reach out to his fans.

According to Shah Rukh, the idea of the whirlwind tour was to inform people about the movie so that they know what to expect when they come to the cinema halls.

Sunil, deputy manager of Jaipur's Golcha cinema, says that people are counting days to watch Shah Rukh on the big screen after almost two years. Looking at the pre-release histeria that the film has created, Sunil plans to add more shows.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Ra.One, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, is made at a budget of about Rs.150 crore and boasts of world class special effects and graphics. The festive mood seems to have added extra enthusiasm among people.

The promos have generated enough curiosity among people to watch this superhero film in which Shah Rukh is playing G.One or Jeevan, while Arjun Rampal plays the evil character of Ra.One.

The enthusiasm of people is evident in Chandigarh too where fans have been enquiring about advance booking for the past two weeks.The advance booking scene is equally encouraging in cities like Bangalore and Indore.


Interesting facts:

• Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, has been made on a Rs.150 budget crore and has already created a lot of buzz.
• The film is releasing in more than 3,000 screens in the domestic market in 2D and around 500 screens in 3D. The film has been dubbed in Tamil and Telugu and it will also make inroads in South Korea and Hongkong, where Bollywood movies are not so popular.
• The idea of the film originated when Anubhav was watching a commercial about six years ago which showed two children controlling a human with a remote.
• Anubhav and Shah Rukh watched as many as 200 superhero films in multiple languages from all over the world before making "RA.One".
• Shah Rukh has roped in Oscar winner Resul Pookutty for the special sound effects. The team went to Los Angeles get the sound effects done for the film.
• Jeff Kleiser of 1994 Hollywood film "Stargate" was hired as the supervisor of visual effects.
• Nicola Pecorini of "Loathing in Las Vegas" fame is the director of photography, while the film is edited by Academy-award winner Martin Walsh.
• It has 3,500 VFX shots, which could mark a new beginning for the use of the technology in Indian films.
• The task of adding special effects was outsourced to multiple specialty studios including in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also in the US.
• Dolby surround 7.1 system has been installed in several multiplexes in the run-up to the sci-fi's release.
• Chinese actor Jackie Chan was reportedly approached for a role in the film and later Chinese-American actor Tom Wu was signed on to be a part of the film.
• Shah Rukh roped in international singer Akon for two songs -- "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal" -- and both of them are a rage.
• The G.One suit that Shah Rukh wears in the film is made of silicon, styrofoam and rubber and is said to be considerably heavy. SRK said he lost 5 kgs after shooting in the superhero suit.
• Shah Rukh had to don prosthetic make up for 8 to 10 hours a day without a break which made it difficult for him to even eat and drink.
• Tamil superstar Rajinikanth and actress diva Priyanka Chopra will be seen in cameos in the film.
• Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has given his voiceover for the film.
• The music launch of "RA.One" was streamed live on a video-sharing site for an undisclosed amount. The event's telecast rights are believed to have been sold to the TV channel for a Rs.10 crore.
• Satellite rights of the film have reportedly been sold for Rs.35 crore, while distribution rights have been sold for Rs.77 crore.