Film News

11:57 PM Unlabelled

‘Linga’ not based on stolen story: Film director tells HC

The director and story writer of superstar Rajinikanth’s under-production tri-lingual action thriller ‘Linga’ today denied in the Madras High Court the charge made by another director that they had stolen his story for their film.
In separate counters to a petition by debutant director K Ravirathinam, ‘Linga”s director K S Ravikumar and story writer S Ponkumaran submitted that the entire claim was based on a “flimsy thread” that the story of their film and the petitioner’s story “Mullai Vanam 999″ are based on Mullaiperiyar dam issue.
When nothing except official teasers and trailers had been released, how could the petitioner come to the conclusion that the story of “Linga” was the same as his story, they asked. Seeking to dismiss the petition, they said the petitioner had not published his story anywhere till date.
He had filed a sketchy report about his story on Youtube. And if one browsed the same, it would reveal that it was concerned with the Mullaiperiyar dam and how the people of six districts (in Tamil Nadu) unitedly fight for their rights over the dam located in Kerala.
It also contained a statement of some artists that the story involved a love affair between a Tamil boy and Kerala girl. Such a sketchy report does not amount to telling a story.
“The story of Linga had not been published anywhere. Public, including the press, would keep guessing about the story. Though the story was by Ponkumaram, the screen play had been done by him and several other original elements had been added to it,” Ravikumar said.
The story writer had registered his story under the title “King Khan” on December 15, 2010 and the petitioner could not claim copyright for an unpublished work. The statements in Youtube did not constitute publication of his story, they said.
Ravikumar said he had given many hit films, including Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Padayappa’ and the case had been filed to spoil his reputation.
It amounted to blackmailing him, he charged. Ponkumarman charged the petitioner was abusing the process of the court. “Though the director has taken his story, he has given a new shape to it and he himself cannot say what would be the story of Linga without watching the released version.”
The petitioner has approached the court stating that he was directing a film named “Mullai Vanam 999″ produced by Ranga Pon Solai films, based on the story of a dam construction, reflecting the Mullaiperiyar reservoir construction.
Claiming that the entire story was uploaded in Youtube on February 24, 2013, and it was telecast by all leading Tamil TV channels, the petitioner submitted that he decided to convert the uploaded movie into a feature film for which a ‘pooja’ was also held at AVM studios on February 24, 2014.
The shooting for the film was scheduled from January, 2015 and pre-shooting inspections were also conducted. The film was slated for release during the Tamil New year.





 Lakshmi Manchu’s next ‘Pilavani Perantam’ poster released

Actress cum producer Lakshmi Manchu is all set to star in a female centric film titled ‘Pilavani Perantam’. The poster of this film was launched a short while ago (18th November). Jagan Nirdoshi movie fame Venkanna Babu is going to direct this movie and comedian Dhanraj will be playing the lead role in this film.
Director Venkanna Babu informed that this film is going to be a horror comedy and it revolves around Lakshmi’s role. Screenplay of the movie will be one of the highlights and the chilling moments will keep audiences glued to their seats. Vijay Kurakula will score music and JL Babu is the Cinematographer.



Shankar’s ‘I’ postponed to Feb 2015
  

Shankar’s magnum opus ‘I’ has recently wrapped its principle shooting and the film’s post production is going on in full swing. According to the sources close to the unit, the post production works which involve heavy visual effects are taking more time than expected and it has delayed the release of the film.
According to the latest update, the film is now pushed ahead to February 2015. Vikram and Amy Jackson will be seen as the hero and heroine in the film and Aascar Ravichandran is the producer. Rahman has composed the music while award winning cinematographer PC Sreeram has handled the camera.




BLOUSELESS TREAT ALLURING AUDIENCE


‘A beautiful woman pleases the eye, a good woman pleases the heart, the first is a jewel, the second is a treasure’- these are the words from the world famous Napoleon Bonaparte and every word of it holds good. So, what do you call a woman who has a mix of both. This alluring beauty is now enthralling the male audience. 
We are talking about the Bollywood girl Nandana Sen and she is seen in the latest release Rang Rasiya. Draped in blouseless outfits, Nandana gave a generous view of her oomph and sex appeal which has raised the temperatures. The lucky man to get a closer feel of her beauty is hero Randeep Hooda. 
Nandana has essayed the role of a muse to the legendary painter Raja Ravi Varma and her Bengali sex appeal is irresistible. Though the film has got mixed reviews, Rang Rasiya is pulling majority of the masses purely due to the treat that is being offered by Nandana. As long as the film scores a hit that’s what matters. 





This Balochi Version of Baby Doll Is the Best Thing You'll Hear Today


If there is one thing you must listen to today, make it this soulful Balochi music inspired by our very own Bollywood. This melodious number is a spin-off of Baby Doll from Ragini MMS 2 and is loop-worthy to say the least - Sunny Leone, the actress who featured in the original video, has nothing on this. Looks like Bollywood has now reached Balochistan as well. 

Balochi, the language of northwestern Iranians, makes this chartbusting item number a hundred times more likeable. You may have heard different versions of this song, be it remixes or translations, but did you ever imagine a cover so beautiful it overpowers the original?

This version may not have any frills, but it works, and works really well because the singing IS that good. The lead singer is accompanied by nothing but an Iranian tanbur and backup singers, and results are nothing short of brilliant. Looking for something to hum today? Well, this is it.   

Lingaa does the expected in double-quick time!


The much-awaited teaser of Superstar Rajinikanth's Lingaa released on Nov 1st evening. The 30 second Lingaa teaser showed a pacy Rajini that revealed nothing much about the story but shows how magnificent the film will be. In just over a day, the Youtube views have already touched more than 1.2 million.

Getting a million views for a big movie has become a common affair nowadays. These number of views were expected, considering the power-packed action sequences and the style that 'Thalaivar' shows on screen.

Bringing back his old 'Alexpandian' energy, Rajini is seen in a stylish attire and looks like he has more than one character in the movie. Everything related to Lingaa is an expectation and creates huge tingle among fans. The movie has taken the social media by a storm and the teaser is expected to increase its number of views in the next few days!

With all the hype going around the movie, looks like Lingaa is going to be a massive December birthday release for 'Thalaivar'





 Black Widow Didn't Try To Lift Thor's Hammer in Avengers: Age of Ultron...For Good Reason?


In the recently-released teaser for Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, the male members of the team take turns attempting to lift Thor's hammer -- which of course features an inscription to the effect that one must be "worthy" to lift it.
An aside: There has, in fact, been some speculation that Thor will be found unworthy at some point in the film, and go through at least part of the story without the hammer. A number of moments in the trailer appear to show him without it, and there is a similar story currently ongoing in the comics. Furthermore, Civil War, the story on which the third Captain America movie will be based, had no role for Thor, who was either off-world or dead at the time.
At any rate, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow declines to attempt lifting the hammer, telling her teammates, "That's not a question I need answered."
Hitfix notes that, in fact, there's a precedent for Natasha Romanoff being able to lift the hammer...in an Age of Ultron tale.
Okay, so it was a "What If...?" story. But still. 
You can see the pages below, from What If: Age of Ultron #3
Could the decision not to give Natasha a chance to grab at the hammer have been a kind of knowing wink to the readers: "...because we all know she'd lift it right up and make Tony look like a schmuck!"?
Well, probably not. But it's a fun theory, and likely will drive a lot of people to re-read the comic it came from.




Did the Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer Tease a Black Panther Film?


Fans are buzzing about the idea that last night's Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser trailer might confirm what many already suspected: that part of the film takes place in Wakanda, or at least sets up the team to head there in a later installment, promising the first on-screen appearance of Black Panther sooner than later.
Black Panter is also T'Challa, the leader of the mineral-rich nation of Wakanda and the latest in a line of costumed defenders of the country. His archenemy, Ulysses Klaw, seemed to appear in last night's trailer for the upcoming Avengers sequel in the form of The Hobbit's Andy Serkis.
After numerous "confirmations" from Stan Lee, who seems to be "in the know" but whose word doesn't mean a lot since he doesn't work for Marvel Studios and isn't always privy when things are going to change, the existence of Klaw seems to be the first really definitive clue that Black Panther is coming.


(Okay, so yeah, Feige has said that the movie was "absolutely in development," but we mean coming imminently!)
And that first, definitive clue is important; it wasn't long between when the words "Stephen Strange" were uttered onscreen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and when Marvel had a director for that film.
Lee recently suggested that Black Panther could be their next new property after Doctor Strange. Feige hasn't commented on when a female or non-white character would be introduced, saying only that the company wouldn't allow themselves to be pressured into expediting the process.
That said, this isn't the first indication that the character's world exists; as far back as Iron Man 2, we've seen references to the fictional African nation ruled by T'Challa. There have also been references on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., including one as recently as three weeks ago in the season premiere (although there's some doubt in the comments thread as to whether that one counts).
The following week in "Heavy is the Head," there was a reference to "Operation Panther Claw," although it's not clear whether that might have been a wink-and-a-nod to the fans, a reference to the real-life British-led military operation in Afghanistan or both.
Perhaps the key moment that tells us when we might meet Panther comes not when Ulysses Klaw is onscreen but rather when Captain America's shield is seen shattered. After all, there are few places in the Marvel Universe you can get vibranium, the super-strong metal from which the shield was forged. Wakanda is basically the only place you can get it in any kind of quantity, which means a broken shield probably implies a trip to Africa to get it patched up.





 'Kaththi' Mints Rs.15.4 Crore on Release Day


CHENNAI: Vijay-starrer Tamil actioner “Kaththi” has collected a whopping Rs.15.4 crore on the first day in the country. It’s expected to register a record opening weekend at the box office, says an expert.

The movie released Wednesday.

“Braving all the controversy and low-key promotions, ‘Kaththi’ has registered Rs.15.4 crore at the ticket window on release day in the country. The numbers are phenomenal and the film is expected to set new opening weekend box office record,” trade analyst Trinath said.

Directed by A.R. Murugadoss, “Kaththi” is about a crook who turns a messiah when faced with the plight of farmers. 

Also starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Neil Nitin Mukesh, the film was reportedly made on a budget of nearly Rs.70 crore.
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KATHTHI MOVIE RELEASE EXPECTATION


CAST AND CREW

Production: Lyca Productions 
Cast: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Samantha, Satish, Totta Roy, Vijay 
Direction: AR Murugadoss 
Screenplay: AR Murugadoss 
Story: AR Murugadoss 
Music: Anirudh Ravichander 
Background score: Anirudh Ravichander 
Cinematography: George. C. Williams 
Dialogues: AR Murugadoss 
Editing: A Sreekar Prasad 
Art direction: Ilayaraja 
Stunt choreography: Anl Arasu 
Dance choreography: Satish 
Lyrics: ‘Hip Hop Tamizha’ Aadhi, Madhan Karky, Pa Vijay, Yuga Bharathi 
PRO: Diamond Babu, Riaz 


EXPECTATION METER

Kaththi - the mere word creates enthusiasm. Arguably, the most anticipated movie of the year, comes out this Diwali as a treat to the fans of Vijay and AR Murugadoss. Here are some reasons why Kaththi is a must watch…

Post their blockbuster, Thuppakki, the super-hit combo, Vijay and Murugadoss returns for what the director claims to be a film that is 10 times more powerful than Thuppakki. This time, the director has also apparently taken a burning issue to be his central theme.

If you just can’t celebrate one Vijay enough, good luck celebrating both Kathiresan and Jeevanantham. Vijay, after Villu, is back in two roles in Kaththi.

After having worked with the senior most technicians in his previous movies, AR Murugadoss has roped in youngsters Anirudh and cinematographer George C Williams of Raja Rani fame for Kaththi. The music album and the teasers show that both the youngsters have proved their class.

The film also has an impressive ensemble consisting of Vijay, Samantha, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Satish and Totta Roy.  

Have a good Kaththi time folks!

Runtime: 163 Minutes

Censor Certificate: U




Hero-heroine pay scale debate should not become a war: Deepika Padukone


Actress Deepika Padukone says the payment disparity between male and female stars in Bollywood is a concern but it should not become a cause for conflict.
The 28-year-old actress has had a dream run at the box office with back-to-back hits like 'Race 2', 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', 'Chennai Express', 'Ram-Leela' and the latest 'Finding Fanny' recently.
Deepika says actresses are trying hard to change the irregularity in pay scale in the film industry. 

Several of Deepika's films are part of the elite 100 crore club
"If you comparing our pay scale with the men, then yes it is very less. If you are comparing what girls used to get before and what they are getting in the last one or two years then I can say that there has been a major shift and we are hoping and trying. But this is not a war," Deepika said in an interview.

The actress feels when people give more stress on monetary gains, the beauty of filmmaking is compromised in the process.
"At the end of the day we are all making movies because we all love films and we should not get into the space of negativity where we are discussing who is getting what amount of money. In that process we are loosing the beauty of film making. Money is the least important to me, fans' appreciation is the most important thing to me," she said.
Several of Deepika's films are part of the elite 100 crore club but the actress said she never signs a film keeping in mind its box office performance.
"I don't choose films based on Rs.100 crore. If one does that then it is a wrong reason to do a film. For me box office at that level is not so important or rather I do not sign films for those kind of numbers. "Like 'Ram Leela', we never thought that the film will make such business. I have got the Filmfare award and the film has made 100 crore as well. You have to choose films from your heart. And also awards are important to me. It is a sign of appreciation for your hard work," she said.
Deepika will be next seen opposite superstar Shah Rukh Khan in Farah Khan's 'Happy New Year'. The duo have previously worked in 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Chennai Express'.
Besides SRK, Deepika has worked with top stars of Bollywood like Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar but is yet to work with Salman Khan. When asked whether they will do a film in future, the actress said, "Films are all in destiny. You can't force a film to happen. People do ask me a lot why I have not worked with Salman Khan yet. Both of us would like to work with each other but every film has a time."






    Haider in the time of hashtag nationalism
    The film's success shows we are more willing to look within.


    This week's National Interest is about two things I am least qualified to write about: cinema and the insurgency in Kashmir. Cinema, because I have zero knowledge in an area in which India has the second largest number of experts after cricket. Kashmir insurgency, because by the time it peaked, I had become too old, senior and regrettably, but inevitably, too editorial to go out and report.
    If I am nevertheless persuaded now to wade into the storm over Vishal Bhardwaj's Haider, it is as much a tribute to the mainstreaming of mature political cinema in India as to the growing maturity of our people. A robust campaign has been running in the social media to boycott Haider as it has been condemned as all kinds of awful things: anti-India, anti-Army, anti-Hindu and, even more specifically, anti-Lord Shiva (a key dancing sequence has been shot amid the ruins of the old Martand Temple).
    Yet, Haider has done quite well, so many people have paid to watch it, defying the boycott calls. It tells you how we are growing up as a society even in these times of illiberal hyper-nationalism and are now more willing to look within and at least acknowledge that there might be another side to a partisan story, however deep a shade of grey it may be.
    I say this also because just a year ago, another significant political film,Madras Cafe, had commercial and critical success. That, even more thanHaider, scripted a story of the Indian Army and intelligence's failures in Sri Lanka. Sure, there were protests in Tamil Nadu, but it did better than any other political film in that genre, without either Haqeeqat-ising or Border-ising it.
    The last two references are to two of the most successful "war" movies in our history. I pick these two also because one was the story of a debacle (1962, Ladakh) and the other of a victory (1971, Longewala). Both had more crucial elements in common. Heroism of the Indian soldier, perfidy, even incompetence, of the adversary and, for the record, a dash of the Deol hyper.
    Chetan Anand had Dharmendra dying fighting at Rezang La to the heart-wrenching notes of Kaifi Azmi's "kar chale hum fida jan-o-tan saathiyo...", J.P. Dutta's Border, 30 years later, featured Sunny Deol as the victorious Sikh major who could bust a Patton with bare hands.
    Haqeeqat, though bold for its times, gave the Army its best defence possible, and cemented the belief that the timidity of Indian leaders and the betrayal of the Chinese were responsible for the defeat, and not our generals. That mythology has survived three generations and is the reason why no government wants to declassify the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report.
    Dutta's sillier Border, on the other hand, launched an entirely new fiction, of India's total military superiority over Pakistan, dovetailed nicely into the Pokharan-II and Kargil fervour which followed, and unleashed a genre of so-called war movies that had either Deol or some pretender similarly pulverising the silly Pakistanis. Until even Indian audiences got tired, and every single post-Kargil film bombed. Partly also because people had already seen that "movie" on news TV, with real soldiers.
    Vishal has broken new ground in that Haider is probably the first time mainstream cinema has locked horns creatively with internal conflict, and that too something as polarising as Kashmir. From what I can recollect, the only other attempt in this area was Atma Ram's 1972 Yeh Gulistan Hamara, starring Dev Anand and Sharmila Tagore and set amid the Naga insurgency. The film was as idiotic as your usual Sunny Deol hyper, and cinema halls got vandalised in Calcutta for running it because it demonised the Chinese!
    Three decades have passed since Operation Bluestar and the death of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and two since the death and burial of the Khalistan insurgency, but Bollywood has pretended it never happened. Except Gulzar's brave Maachis - even though, having covered that story in detail, I have differences with it, and he lets me argue with him. So are many entitled to disagree with Haider and its treatment of Kashmir. But a ban or boycott, no.
    It takes a special Indian filmmaker to explore Kashmir as if the "other" side also had a story. It is, similarly, a compliment to the Indian censors, the Army and, most of all, paying public that Haider has been released in this form, torture chambers and all, and is a commercial success, defying hashtag McCarthyism.
    Commercial films carry risk to investments, reputations and physical safety, particularly at a time when blind nationalism has overwhelmed rational, self-questioning patriotism. You have to be a brave and particularly patriotic Indian to explore if the other side, in this case the indigenous Kashmiri, also has a storyline, a point of view or, to flog that much misused word these days, narrative.
    Watch also how shamelessly cautious even I, with my skin thickened after nearly four decades in journalism, prefer "indigenous" for our Kashmiris rather than Indian. No, I do not mean they are not Indian. But if I called Haider, his father and mother and uncle and girlfriend "Indian" Kashmiris, what would you like me to call their cousins on the other side of the LoC? Pakistani Kashmiris? It is just a small illustration of how complex and sensitive this issue is.
    The film has its flourishes. As you would expect from a talent powerhouse that includes, besides Vishal, Gulzar, Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and, not to forget, Basharat Peer, who is one of our most talented Kashmiri writers (besides writing the script with Vishal, he also features briefly as the silent Kashmiri, scared to enter even his own home without somebody first checking his antecedents).
    But the most important one is how each side sees the issue, the Army major who says he knows that Islamabad is also a name for Anantnag but adds, looking over the horizon, "for us, it means only one thing, Pakistan". Militants, who fight for Pakistan, never mind how many Kashmiri lives are lost. And Kashmiris themselves, crushed "like the grass when two elephants fight". They are a test case for two viciously contradictory national ideologies, India's secularism versus Pakistan's two-nation theory.
    See also how differently even the state agencies view a militant, from the Army major ordering the blowing up of the Kashmiri doctor's house rather than storming it because "no militant, dead or alive, is worth more than my soldier's life" - to the cynical cop who shoots three captured suspects, because "even a dead militant is worth a lakh of rupees".
    Rather than malign the Army, Haider shows it in very fair light. No army likes to fight its own people, and that too for decades. There is no military victory in such a war. The dilemma, on this impossible military, ethical and psychological challenge, is portrayed brilliantly. Interrogation chambers, torture, disappearances, marauding, killer militias raised by the intelligence agencies (remember the infamous Kuka Parray, Ikhwan chieftain?) are well documented.
    Talking about them now is cathartic for both sides, armed forces and Kashmiris. In a mature and confident democracy, you expect popular culture to create the space for truth-telling and reconciliation. That's the role Hollywood has played in America, portraying, for example, the pain and dilemma of the American soldier in Vietnam and recently Clint Eastwood's examination of Iwo Jima from both sides, American and Japanese (Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima). These haven't weakened America, or defamed its soldiers.
    India has suffered from an excess of the opposite. Even in the hands of someone as talented as my friend Vidhu Vinod Chopra (himself a Kashmiri). His muscularly "patriotic" Mission Kashmir launched a genre that had Kashmiri Muslims proving their "Indian" patriotism by collaborating with the Army. His bubbly Preity Zinta as Sufiya Pervez (remember that silly "Bumbro-Bumbro") is a fantasy stereotype now challenged by the tragic, confused, sincere but helpless Arshia Lone (Shraddha Kapoor) in Haider.
    She leads an ensemble that portrays the dilemma of the Kashmiri, Army soldier, local cop and, ultimately, Indian filmmaker. Kashmir lends itself easily to comparisons with Hamlet and his unending tragedies. Acknowledging these, rather than burying them under propaganda, does credit to a great democracy. Particularly at a time when the military challenge within the Valley is over, there's been no combat against indigenous Kashmiri militants for a decade, and problems exist only on the LoC and across it.
    Postscript: My last reporting visit to Kashmir was in 1990, for India Today. Edward (Ned) Desmond of Time magazine and I set up a visit to the LoC hoping to catch an Army ambush of infiltrators. The Army, home ministry, intelligence agencies were all helping. Naresh Chandra was then home secretary, his brother GC "Gary" Saxena (former RAW chief) was now Kashmir governor, and we were all set.
    We spent several nights in Uri on the LoC waiting, but nothing happened. Till a day after we had left, empty-handed, when the Army carried out a big ambush. One evening at a lonely outpost, Ned asked the commander how he explained India's case on Kashmir to his soldiers. Were they not confused by rival propaganda, Kashmiri hostility? The officer said, don't ask me, ask my troops. So we did.
    This was a platoon of Grenadiers and our interlocutor, a Gujjar from deep Rajasthan, and still a young jawan yet to earn his first stripe.
    "Hum toh kisaan ke bete hain, sir (we are sons of farmers)," he said. "It is no business of ours to check how our forefathers got the land we have inherited. If you want it, either you kill me, or I will kill you. Bahas kya karni hai, sir (what's the point arguing?)"
    The officer smiled. You can see why that conversation endures.






    CENSOR LEAKS ON 'ROMEO'

    No matter what the speculations are and how the inside reports give a picture, the real fate of a film is decided only when it reaches the censor board office and gets certified. It is here that the actual film is seen and this is the reason why there are always spies snooping around to get the real talk of a film.

    This has been the case with the new movie Romeo and here is some info which got leaked. It is heard that the film is a high energy entertainer and it has the potential to attract viewers with its making standards and subject. The other highlight of the film is touted to be the dialogues which are entertaining and emotional at few places.

    The spies also reveal that there is no idle moment in the film and the performance of hero Sairam Shankar will take the audience by surprise. Overall, the censor leaks suggest that Romeo would appeal strongly with the youth and masses. We will know its fate in the next 24 hours as it is releasing tomorrow.





    We Must Resist the Tyranny of Porn Culture



    Was there ever a stranger time to be born female? On one side of the globe, young women such as Malala Yousafzai are fighting the Taliban for the right to an education, on the other, starlets such as Jennifer Lawrence are battling for the right to stop people looking at their hacked nude selfies.


    What is anyone to make of that dichotomy? Clearly I don't believe a person's private life should be prised open to scrutiny from the gawping public. However, you have to practise rudimentary discretion in order for the term "private life" to make sense.

    So while I feel truly and deeply sorry for Lawrence - who has now spoken of the horror she felt when intimate photos were hacked and distributed online - I also want to ask this smart, savvy woman where her marbles had temporarily gone.

    Lawrence declared in an interview with Vanity Fair, "It's my body, and it should be my choice," and indeed it should be. But the sprawling online badlands of the digital age are careless of most notions of morality, dignity and justice. In such a landscape, the soundest course is not idealism, but pragmatism.

    On some level Lawrence must know this, as she sounds nothing if not pragmatic when explaining why she first sent the photos: "I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn, or he's going to look at you."

    However, this is also the point at which women of my generation shake their heads and part company with younger ones. I don't have a single female friend who ever felt it was her job to outdo the sex industry in order to keep the attention of her man.

    The thought of being in direct competition with pneumatic shaven blondes never really crossed our minds. Not because we believed our men-folk had never glimpsed X-rated photos. Pornography has existed in one form or another since civilisation began, as paintings on brothel walls in Pompeii show.
    We simply didn't see our role as vying with the porn merchant's tawdriest renderings of male fantasies. The warm fleshy rarity of imperfect bodies, as held by memory and feverish imagination, seemed more than sufficient. Passionate letters and telephone calls (listening to the person you love is more erotic than most visual aids) helped bridge any distance. If you did bestow a naked Polaroid or print upon your beloved (yes, such things happened, even then - as the notorious photo of the Duchess of Argyll proves), it lived under lock and key.

    But now pornography is online and readily accessible, to the point where it informs and influences mainstream aesthetics. I've lost count of the number of fashion shoots or sex scenes in films that borrow heavily from porn.

    So it's not surprising that the poses and multi-positional demands have seeped into women's fears and insecurities. And unlike the intimate naked portraits of old - whether they be Boucher paintings of Louis XV's mistresses, or Egon Schiele's sprawled, self-pleasuring models - the images are now in formats that lend themselves to widescale distribution and, sadly, abuse.

    Nobody wants to curtail a young couple's experience of sexual intimacy, but, equally, no one wants to see it become routine for women to offer up trophy photos of their naked flesh. And they are trophies, aren't they? If the exposure was just for the thrill of the fleeting erotic moment, then Skype or Snapchat would suffice - with no lingering evidence.

    But the expectation has become that young men can and should boast, "My girlfriend's hotter than a porn star!" It only takes one ill-judged moment for an insecure young man to prove the sentiment by displaying an image - any 16-year-old can give you an example from their peer group. Nor should we be startled by this. How can teenage girls resist social pressure to flaunt their wares, if Hollywood goddesses can't?

    This is all sadder than I can express, because erotic privacy is one of life's towering glories; how can you discover the pleasure of true intimacy when a lens constantly intrudes? And where will such voyeurism lead? Sex in Google glasses, so everyone judges your performance? Women demanding and distributing photos of men's private parts in the name of gender equality?

    The unthinking tyrannies of porn culture should be fought as fiercely as other forms of injustice. We all know depriving girls of education is barbaric - but persuading educated women to pose like harlots for their boyfriends isn't much more progressive.



    'Bang Bang' outshines 'Operation 021' in Pakistan



    Karachi: Bollywood's latest blockbuster 'Bang Bang' has outgunned the much hyped Pakistani film 'Operation 021' during the Eid holidays with exhibitors being forced to take down the local offering from single screen cinemas after adverse reactions from the audience.

    'Operation 021', which stars Pakistani superstar Shaan, was expected to emulate the business done by 'Waar' last year at Eid. 'Waar' earned over Rs 200 crores at the Pakistani box office last year.


    At the famous Capri and Bambino single screen cinemas, the owners took the film off screen after just one or two shows on Eid as the crowd resorted to throwing objects at the screen, booing and demanding refund of their tickets.


    They then decided to salvage the situation by scheduling in extras shows of the Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif starrer and another Pakistani release, comedy 'Na Maloom Afraad' to replace 'Operation 021'.


    "It was a bad situation on Eid day as we had kept extra shows of 'Operation 021' but after the crowd rejected the movie we had no option but to pull it off screen," Adeel Siddiqui the owner of Bambino cinema told PTI.


    "We always do bonus business on Eid holidays when all shows are housefull. Unfortunately, this time things didn't go as planned. Maybe the film was just too slow paced for the average cinema goer," he said.


    Manager Saleem at Capri cinema had a similar story to tell. "The crowds just didn't want to watch the movie and were demanding refunds for their tickets."


    An employee at one of the four main cineplexes in Karachi said 'Operation 021' was screened there because of advance bookings for the four-day Eid holiday period.


    But in two of the cineplexes of Karachi, the exhibitors brought in extra shows of 'Bang Bang', 'Na Maloom Afraad' and 'Khoobsurat' later on.


    'Bang Bang' had till the first day of Eid collected Rs 35 million in ticket sales across Karachi and exhibitor-distributor, Nadeem Manviwalla said the film collected around Rs 8 million on Eid while 'Operation 021' and 'Na Maloom Afraad' each earned Rs 5.5 million primarily due to advance bookings.


    Even 'Khoobsurat', starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, which has been running in cinemas since last month, managed to generate another Rs 1.2 million on Eid day.


    Pakistan has become an attractive market for Bollywood film distributors since a ban was lifted on screening of Indian films in Pakistan during the tenure of former President, Pervez Musharraf, in 2008.





    Dikkulu Choodaku Ramayya Censor Cuts List



    Movie Name :
    DIKKULU CHUDAKU RAMAYYA (PAKKANE VUNNADI SEETAMMA)

    Movie Language :
    TELUGU

    Movie Category :
    UA (Unrestricted Public Exhibition-But With Parental Guidance)

    Certified by Regional Office :
    HYDERABAD

    Certificate No. :
    DIL/2/96/2014-HYD

    Certificate Date :
    08/10/2014

    Certified Duration
    150:2 MM:SS

    Name of Producer :
    K. RANGANATHA SAI, VAARAAHI CHALANA CHITRAM

    Sr.No
    Description
    Guide Line
    1
    Delete the visuals of hip exposure in college ragging scene.
    2(vii)
    2
    Delete the visuals of brand label on liquor bottle in Song (1) and wherever it occurs in the movie and in Reel No.2
    2(v)
    3
    Delete/mute dialogues – neeyamma, neeyabba (3 times), doola teerinda (Sc.No.34).
    2(viii)
    4
    a) Delete the visuals of arm pit exposure and dialogue ‘ee darshanam kosame’. b) Mute ‘missed call ichchi vunte’; c) Daani kosam nuvvu nannu elaganna vaadukovachchu; d) Vaadukovalante panikiravaliga; e) Nene doctor daggaraku veltaanu; f) Annee panikostaayi annaru; g) Nannu nammi nee body ivvu nokkesta, adhe chekkestaa antunnaa; h) Konchem paiki choodu
    2(viii),2(vii)
    5
    a) 150CC bike laaga manchi pick up meeda vundevaadu; b) Nuvvu structural engineering lo baagaa week;
    2(viii)
    6
    Delete the visuals of thigh exposure in green top in song in Reel No.1
    2(vii)






Jennifer Lawrence Comments On Leaked Nude Photos

Trending News: Jennifer Lawrence Says Anyone Who Looked At Her Leaked Photos Should 'Cower With Shame'




Why Is This Important?
Because of all the opinions and commentary on this topic, this is the opinion that matters the most

Long Story Short
Jennifer Lawrence agreed to talk to Vanity Fair about the being the victim of hackers who leaked nude photos of her over the internet. In the interview, she calls the act "a sex crime" and says that those who looked at the photos should "cower with shame."

Long Story
Jennifer Lawrence had no obligation to comment on the callous violation of her privacy that occurred on August 31. However, thanks to Lawrence and Vanity Fair, we are now lucky enough to have her stern and intelligent response to what she calls, and what we should all be calling, "a sex crime."
Lawrence was interviewed by Vanity Fair roughly two weeks before thenude photo leak occurred. After the leak, her interviewer, contributing editor Sam Kashner, decided to offer her the chance to speak about what it felt like to be the victim of such a thoughtless crime. Lawrence spoke volumes.
The full interview comes out in digital form tomorrow, October 8, but asneak preview with many of Lawrence's comments is available today.

Lawrence Responds To The Hackers
The 24-year-old actress asserted that what happened to her should be considered a violation of the law. "It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime,” she told Vanity Fair. "It is a sexual violation. It’s disgusting. The law needs to be changed, and we need to change. That’s why these Web sites are responsible. Just the fact that somebody can be sexually exploited and violated, and the first thought that crosses somebody’s mind is to make a profit from it. It’s so beyond me. I just can’t imagine being that detached from humanity. I can’t imagine being that thoughtless and careless and so empty inside.”
She dismissed the notion that celebrities forfeit their privacy as a trade-off for fame. “Just because I’m a public figure, just because I’m an actress, does not mean that I asked for this,” she said. “It does not mean that it comes with the territory. It’s my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe that we even live in that kind of world. ” 
Lawrence On Her Reaction To The Leaked Photos
Lawrence commented on her initial reaction to hearing about the leak: “I was just so afraid. I didn’t know how this would affect my career.”
She talked about the experience of having to call her father and explain what had happened: "When I have to make that phone call to my dad and tell him what’s happened … I don’t care how much money I get for The Hunger Games,” she said. “I promise you, anybody given the choice of that kind of money or having to make a phone call to tell your dad that something like that has happened, it’s not worth it.”

Lawrence On Trying To Write A Public Response
This is the first time the actress has addressed the photo leak publicly. In the interview, she talks about her thought process when trying to write a response: "...every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for. I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.”

Lawrence On Her Opinion Of Those Who Looked At The Photos
The actress told Vanity Fair: “Anybody who looked at those pictures, you’re perpetuating a sexual offense. You should cower with shame." She went on to talk about finding out that even people in her own social circle weren't above looking at the pictures: "Even people who I know and love say, ‘Oh, yeah, I looked at the pictures,’" she explained. "I don’t want to get mad, but at the same time I’m thinking, I didn’t tell you that you could look at my naked body.”
She urged the paparazzi and the media to take this occurrence as an opportunity to rise above: "You have a choice. You don’t have to be a person who spreads negativity and lies for a living. You can do something good. You can be good. Let’s just make that choice and—it feels better.”
The full 3000-word interview will be available tomorrow on the Vanity Fairwebsite.
Own The Conversation
Ask The Big Question: Why does such large portion of society have such little regard for women and their privacy?
Disrupt Your Feed: The law regarding hacks of this nature needs to be changed. This needs to be regarded as a sex crime and the punishment for it should be fitting of a sex crime.
Drop This Fact: Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Hogan, was the first male victim of the nude photo leak.
Expand Your Expertise
  • Cover Exclusive: Jennifer Lawrence Calls Photo Hacking a "Sex Crime" [Vanity Fair]
  • The Great 2014 Naked Celebrity Nude Photos Leak Is Just The Beginning [The Guardian]
More Conversation Ammo On AskMen 



'No plans to remove DDLJ from Maratha Maandir'


  
Mumbai: Quashing reports that "Dilwale Duhania Le Jayenge" (DDLJ) will be removed from Maratha Mandir in December after running for 19 years, its managing director Manoj Desai said that the news is "false".


The boy meets girl story narrated by Aditya Chopra into the magical DDLJ worked wonders at the box office despite a predictable plotline.


The movie has been playing in Maratha Mandir since its release on Oct 20, 1995. In 2007, it broke the record set by "Sholay" by a full seven years.


And the movie buffs with a taste for romance are still coming in, notwithstanding its many re-runs on the TV channels, online viewing facilities as well as many DVDs floating around.


"We are not planning to remove DDLJ show. It was a false report. In fact, this December DDLJ will be in its 1,000 week," Desai told IANS.


A single screen theatre, Maratha Mandir runs other movies as well, but the matinee show has been booked for DDLJ.


"We have DDLJ show daily at 11.30 a.m. and on weekdays there is 40 to 50 percent occupancy and on the weekend it runs houseful.


"Myself and Aditya Chopra will continue to show the film in Maratha Mandir as long as we want to," he added.


Though the story was insipid, its presentation and the chemistry between the lead pair - Shah Rukh and Kajol - struck the right chord with the audience and the film's music was like a icing on the cake.






"I signed HNY not knowing what the script is"
The actress talks about her upcoming big release, Happy New Year



With Happy New Year, you are back with the dream team of Om Shanti Om…
Today, when we were driving up the road of Film City to reach the helipad, I told my manager that my first shot for a film happened here. I said my first ever dialogue, ‘Kutte, kamine, Bhagwan ke liye mujhe chhod de!’ here.

So life has come full circle.
Clearly, today it has. Shah Rukh (Khan) and Farah (Khan) have shot at the helipad before, I’ve also shot but today we are all shooting together at the same place after so many years. I have to tell Farah this, she’ll feel happy. It feels nostalgic to work with them. Whenever Shah Rukh, Farah and I are together, we tell each other ‘yaad hai yeh hua tha, yaad hai woh hua tha.’ There are so many fond memories. Farah is like a proud mother. She keeps talking about how I was before and how I have become today. 
Wouldn’t Farah scream at you?
Farah just yelled at me once. And that was the time I cried also. But Farah spoilt me, which is why I felt lost later. I assumed all the directors would be sweet like Farah. Alas! I realised every director is different and I had to take care of myself.

You left Fast and Furious 7 for Happy New Year?
Yes, I did. Well, it didn’t work for two reasons. I had already committed to HYN. Also, a major part of the movie was supposed to be shot in November in Abu Dhabi when Ram-Leela was releasing. And it would have meant not promoting it. Hence, I gave up Fast And Furious 7.

Considering Farah’s last film Tees Maar Khan bombed, didn’t you have any apprehension signing HNY?
I signed HNY not knowing what the script is. We were towards the end of Chennai Express and they were still looking for a girl. And my dates opened because Imtiaz’s (Ali) film shifted. So they asked me to be a part of it and I said yes instantly. I would never bat an eyelid for Farah and Shah Rukh. I’d never think twice.






Bang Bang! and Haider score at the BO
While Bang Bang! has become one of the biggest hits of 2014, Haider has craved its own niche


Even though Bang Bang! and Haider are poles apart considering their genre, sensibilities, cast, content, budget, screens and target audience, their  success boils down to their performance at the box office.

Bang Bang! made it to the top 5 openers of all times by banking Rs. 27.54 crore on the first day. It also managed to cross the Rs. 20 crore mark everyday, thus making a total of Rs. 95 crore nett in four days. The film has maintained a good hold over the single screen as well as the multiplex audience and will easily join the 100 crore club today. Made on a budget of Rs. 140 crore, a lifetime total of around Rs. 160-175 crores looks realistic for this Hrithik-Katrina starrer.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider has too sustained well. Despite having a film like Bang Bang! as competition, Haider has turned out to be a crowd puller. The film managed to bank a sum of Rs 26.69 crore in four days. Critic’s appreciation and a strong word of mouth are working well for the film. Made on a budget of Rs. 24 crore the film has the ability to make a lifetime total of around Rs. 60 crores.

Both the films have enjoyed a festive and extended weekend so far and today being a partial holiday will also benefit them to a great extent. Also, with no big releases this Friday, the films can bank a hefty total in the coming days.

Following are the collections of Bang Bang! and Haider so far…


Bang Bang!

Thursday- Rs. 27.54 crore approx

Friday-Rs. 24.08 crore approx

Saturday- Rs. 20.10 crore approx

Sunday- Rs. 22.41 crore approx

Total Domestic Collection- Rs. 94.13 crore approx

Total Worldwide Collection- Rs. 130.13 crore approx


Haider

Thursday- Rs. 6.14 crore approx

Friday- Rs. 6.93 crore approx

Saturday- Rs. 6.38 crore approx

Sunday- Rs. 7.23 crore approx

Total Domestic Collection- Rs. 26.78 crore approx

Total Worldwide Collection- Rs. 33.68 crore approx





KARAN- ARJUN SAATH HAIN YA NAHI?: Salman Khan speaks about his 'friendship' with Shah Rukh Khan!

New Delhi: The Sunday episode of Bigg Boss was not only an eviction episode but Bigg Boss host Salman Khan brought in some previous issues in a statement that made us recall his tussle with another Bollywood Khan- Shah Rukh Khan.


When Sukirti Kandpal was evicted from the Bigg Boss house on Sunday, while talking to Salman Khan, she was asked about what she thinks about the rest of the inmates. To this, she replied that Upen Patel and Arya Babbar’s friendship reminded her of ‘Karan Arjun’. To this, Salman Khan without a thought commented, “Par Ye Karan-Arjun saath mein nahi hote kabhi, alag alag raste chale gaye”.

With this statement, the whole crowd cheered and all of them clearly understood that it was a hint towards the tussle between him and Shah Rukh Khan.

Salman Khan has repeatedly said in various events that he and SRK are just acquaintances and are not friends.

It’s evident that at various public appearances, award shows and grand events, our ‘Karan- Arjun’ show the world that they don’t have any differences, but at moments like these, the real feeling comes out!

Hope their differences get resolved soon and we actually see our Karan- Arjun together!




Nina Dobrev Heading To ‘Originals’ — Is Elena Leaving ‘Vampire Diaries?’


Leave it up to Nina Dobrev to play multiple supernatural roles at once! ‘The Vampire Diaries’ actress is now heading to ‘The Originals’ as yet another doppelgänger.
  
Nina Dobrev already played three different characters in one episode of The Vampire Diaries last season, but now that Katherine is gone for good, does that mean she can just be Elena? Not so fast. Introducing . . . Tatia. 

Nina Dobrev Heads To ‘The Originals’
“There’s a lot of people that could cross over, and when we plan our crossovers, we like to think of the most clever way to integrate The Vampire Diaries mythology intoThe Originals mythology,” Julie Pelc told E! Online. “There was a character’s name introduced a long time ago in season three in association with Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and how they became vampires and a girl that they both loved a long time ago who was the original doppelgänger, Tatia.”
  
Now you may remember when Tatia was mentioned was during season three when Rebekah (Claire Holt) explained that she was “The Original one” who “was much prettier” than the doppelgängers today. However, it was believed that she was dead since Elena and Stefan (Paul Wesley) were the only doppelgängers left.
  
“What we remember from The Vampire Diaries, for those who watch both shows, is that [Klaus and Elijah] both loved her, so it’s a little bit of history repeating itself like with Stefan and Damon [Ian Somerhalder],” Julie added. “And then Esther [Alice Evans], their mother, killed her so that she could make Klaus not a hybrid. There’s lots of secrets and scandal and romance and terrible tragedy attached to her character. We’ll get to go back into the past to see how that all played out.”

TVD & Originals Cross Over: Why Now?
It’s strange that we’re just seeing Tatia now, three whole seasons later.
“We made a rule at the very beginning, like, ‘Let’s not be number whores or number grabbers.’ We don’t want to be doing crossovers for the sake of, ‘Look at us!’ You know? But in this particular case, the character of Tatia is part of their history and is kind of a dangling chad,” Julie added. “It’s something we brought up a long time ago and never paid off.”

You can expect to see Nina on episode five of The Originals. However, you won’t have to wait until Nov. 3 to see Nina — The Vampire Diaries comes back this Thursday on Oct. 2 at 8PM on The CW. Are you excited to see Tatia?



Blame it on Yash Raj

Shashank Khaitan’s obsession with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge inspired his directorial debut. Filmfare meets the director who’s first a fan

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) doesn’t have fans. The iconic Yash Raj film has motivated a legion of fanatics. One such example is Shashank Khaitan. Bred on Hindi films, the turning point in young Shashank’s life came when he watched DDLJ at the age of 13. Till date he continues to be besotted with the Shah Rukh Khan- Kajol romance. In fact, such was his fascination that he chose to dedicate his directorial debut Humty Sharma Ki Dulhania (HSKD) to this legendary musical. Like his lead character Humpty Sharma (Varun Dhawan) had to go out of his way to win his love, Shashank too had to face myriad problems to become a filmmaker. He started off as a dance instructor and held events across the country. He soon moved to Mumbai where he knew his dreams would turn into reality. “I did a few shows in Mumbai. Then Subhash Ghai’s film school Whistling Woods was launched. I did a two-year course there in filmmaking. Then I got into assisting,” he says tracing his journey.

Right now, he’s feeling gratified with the fact that so many have enjoyed HSKD. “It took me a year and a half to write HSKD. I wrote during my days as an assistant director.” He pitched the script to the king of celluloid romances Karan Johar. “Karan showed faith in me. The success of HSKD goes to Karan and Ryan Stephens (creative head of Dharma Productions). My idea had the basic premise where the boy meets the girl and he follows her to her place to win over her family. I was allowed to add clichés, have fun and make HSKD the way I wanted to.?The fun quotient was quite obvious even in its quirky title. The Internet is teeming with dozens of trailers at a time and the audiences tend to forget the film’s name even after watching the trailer. That’s why I wanted Humpty to be in the title. It was catchy and stuck with the viewers. Karan was happy with the name. Though the film was initially titled Humpty Sharma Ki Love Story, Karan suggested the appropriate twist of Dulhania.” 

Whether it was Gaurav Pandey playing the hilarious Shonty, Ashutosh Rana playing a new-age Amrish Puri type father or Siddharth Shukla playing Mr Perfect boyfriend Angad, the casting scored a perfect 10. And then of course the lead pair, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, was a delight. “Varun and Alia were my first choice. They loved the script and were on board almost instantaneously. For the other characters too, I didn’t mind if the actors hadn’t done too many films. People asked me why Ashutosh Rana? For me, it was perfect casting. He is a great actor and good actors can do any role. The final result speaks for itself.”
He gets emotional when talk veers to his icon Shah Rukh Khan. He recalls his first encounter with King Khan, “Shah Rukh Khan was at Mehboob Studio. He was shooting for Happy New Year and we were doing a camera test for HSKD. Varun and Alia were kind enough to introduce me to him. He said ‘Hi’ and hugged me. He ensured that we had lunch with him. He was so gracious towards us.” Another moment he cherishes is when his parents visited him on the sets. “It was moving to have my parents see me doing what I’ve always wanted to do. Karan, who doesn’t normally visit the set, came to our set for two days as well.” 

Shashank made sure the talented Alia sang in his film. Alia’s version of Samjhawan became the anthem of the movie. “Karan had an idea she could sing. During the making of Student Of The Year she used to constantly hum on the set. We already had a final version of Samjhawan, but we decided to have a different version too. The effort was to get Alia to the studio and composers Toshi and Sharib had to come up with something interesting, retaining the flavour of the song. We asked Alia to sing as an actor and not as a traditional singer.” The film has had its share of yin and yang. Some have thrashed it whilst comparing it to DDLJ. “It is unfair to compare HSKD to DDLJ. It was our effort to capture that romance. But one thing that has been common is that the performances have been appreciated. The writing has been appreciated. Samjhawan and Saturday Saturday became popular. The biggest victory was that it was appreciated for being a sweet and simple story. A lot of people have told me that they had a constant smile on their face while watching the film.” 






"I don't make dumb statements"


How excited are you with regards to Khoobsurat?
I’m not excited. I’m nervous.  I’ve given my heart to this film. When you’ve had such an amazing experience working on it, it’d be disheartening if it didn’t do well. We’ve worked hard; it’s been a tough journey. But we had a good time. The experience has changed me. The culmination has to be positive. 

Is it a make or break thing for you?
There’s nothing like ‘make or break’ for anyone in life. People get many chances in life. If you work hard then eventually good things happen. At the end of the day it’s only a film. Whether it’s a relationship, a job or marriage there’s always space to move on. That’s my attitude. Be a fighter or you’ll get screwed!

Are you worried about comparisons with Rekha, about the film being compared to the original?
No. She’s a legend. How can anyone be compared to her? It’s a Hrishikesh Mukherji film. It was made before I was born. I’m an old movie buff which is why I have watched these movies. I don’t think anyone from today’s generation knows about them. So, they don’t have a reference point. To them our movie is original. The reason we made Khoobsurat is because for my sister Rhea (Kapoor) and me, Hrishikesh Mukherji’s and Vijay Anand’s films were both entertaining and meaningful. People find art films sensible but dark - people are dying, crying.  In commercial films you have cars piling up and one doesn’t know what’s happening. I’m not saying we’ve broken any barrier by making Khoobsurat. But it’s a happy film. It’s not nonsensical. This is what is missing in our movies. For instance Guddi is a sweet and entertaining movie. Ditto Anamika. In today’s times Raj Kumar Hirani makes these kind of movies. English Vinglish and Queen were also great entertainers.

What made you choose a less experienced director like Shashanka Ghosh ?
Shashanka is an ad man who’s done some good ads and incredible music videos. He has revolutionised television. He came to me with a project called Alice In Wonderland. It’s been five years since we’ve been wanting to work together but somehow things didn’t work out. When we bought the rights for Khoobsurat, he said let’s do it. We called Sukanya Venkatraghavan to conceptualise it. We got Indira Bisht, who’s a copywriter, to write the screenplay. We got in Juhi Chaturvedi (of Vicky Donor fame) for the dialogue. And we came out with the most beautiful, romantic, clean film. Everyone makes movies either to make money or to win awards.  We were just doing it to make a positive film. Shashanka knew what he wanted. We owe our performance in the film to him. He’s so patient with the actors. A film with so much collaboration requires generosity of spirit. You can’t be selfish, it can’t be a monologue. It’s a team sport. It cannot be about you. The captain of our ship was good. He was never rude; believe me I’ve worked with those. Directors like Rakeysh Mehra, Aanand L Rai, Shashanka and Sooraj Barjatya are so polite. It’s a pleasure to work with them.  

How did you zero in on Fawad Khan?
We wanted someone who looked like a prince and acted well, someone who looked like a man, a Jane Austen hero. He had to be good looking. There are only boys in the industry, no men. We had zeroed in on someone. But he said he could start only after two months. So we decided to wait. Then my mother (Sunita Kapoor) and her friend told us about this Pakistani actor. They both love watching Pakistani plays. They’d seen his TV serial Zindagi Gulzar Hai. Later, a friend also suggested his name. Rhea said everyone’s raving about him let’s consider him. He sent us his tape and our mouths fell wide open. We were stunned. We sent him the script and he loved it. We didn’t realise what a big star he is there. He’s the Shah Rukh Khan of Pakistan. He’s that popular there.

Did he live up to the expectations?
He’s Prince Charming. We play off each other well. The chemistry is good. He’s calm and goodhearted. He’s smart and picks up things well. At no point did he make me feel small. A lot of people who don’t understand me say ‘she is a spoilt brat’.  But Fawad got me in an instant. He doesn’t throw his weight around; he’s more of a listener and a learner. He understood where I was coming from. He understood my insecurities. He’s game for everything and I like to improvise. I’ve worked with incredible co-stars but no one has been as generous and selfless an actor as Fawad. And he has the language to improvise or play off with me. It was like playing a game of verbal chess. I have had the best time with him.

11 Reasons Why Indian Festivals Are The Best Time To Meet Women



It is that time of the year again when the whole country would once again come together to celebrate the festive season with their heart and soul. Navratras and Durga Puja are here, promising us a great time ahead. If you're searching for some love, look no further, for we tell you why this is the best time to meet women! Love stories are in the making.


1. First things first, women look their best at festivals. Period. There is something about theIndian attire that brings out the innate beauty in them.


2. It is the ideal time for your friends to return all your friendship favours by playing wingmen and introducing you to their hottest friends. Just ask them to bring along their friends to the Durga Puja pandal and hope that hot friend of theirs you've been stalking on Facebook all this while turns up too!


3. Oh, that joy of flirting with a girl with just smiles and stares! No words spoken. Stealing glances at the girl you like every now and then is the best feeling ever. And, even Bollywood has proof that festivals really are the best times to play this game. Who knows, it might just lead you somewhere.


4. There are definitely more chances of a girl checking you out when you're dressed traditionally. There is something about men wearing ethnic clothes that sway women off their feet. Be prepared for some jealous glares from other men, though.


5. And, of course, you can always impress women on the dance floor with your Dandia and Garba skills. Even if you can't dance, you can make a total fool out of yourself and make her laugh.


6. The mood is so celebratory and festive that conversations just flow into one another. There isn't much you need to do to start off a conversation with a girl you just met at the Durga Puja. Just talk about how beautiful the pandal looks and how lovely the ambience is and the rest will take care of its own.


7. The setting is so larger than life at Indian festivals, even if you're not looking for women, you will definitely find someone you're attracted to. It's in the air.


8. And when a friend introduces you to her friend, there's no first-time awkwardness, for you always have your mutual friends around who get the conversation flowing in the most natural way.


9. If things go even better than planned, you can always sneak out for a romantic walk with the girl and nobody would even get to know! Festivals always make great stories, don't they?


10. Festivals are probably the only times when your mother would not only be glad you're talking to women, but would also go out of her way to introduce you to Mr and Mrs Ghosh's daughter!


11. There's so much of lip-smacking food around that can bring you together - just imagine! And, legend has it-great food makes great love stories.



Deepika, Varun finalised for The Fault In Our Stars remake?


Deepika Padukone and Varun Dhawan have been reportedly confirmed for the Indian remake of Hollywood film 'The Fault In Our Stars'.
Helmed by director Homi Adajania, the film will be produced by Dinesh Vijan and Fox Star studios.
While there is no official confirmation yet, the industry is abuzz with names of Deepika and Varun as the lead pair of the Hollywood blockbuster based on a novel of the same name by John Green.
This will be Deepika's third film with Homi Adajania after Cocktail and Finding Fanny and first with Varun Dhawan.
The film revolves around two young cancer-afflicted patients who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love.
Hollywood version of the film starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort was a huge hit globally.


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