May 162018
DestinyKuri
May 152018
After teasing fans throughout the day with trailers from the previous ‘Race’ franchises, Salman Khan finally dropped the much awaited ‘ Race 3’ trailer.
Salman took to Twitter and shared the trailer with the caption,
Intezaar hua khatam. Miliye meri #Race3 family se. #Race3Trailer OUT NOW : https://t.co/Dw8qTBR37U
#Race3ThisEid @SKFilmsOfficial @AnilKapoor @ShahDaisy25 @Asli_Jacqueline @thedeol @remodsouza @RameshTaurani @Saqibsaleem @FreddyDaruwala @tipsofficial @2454abudhabi
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) May 15, 2018
The trailer opens to a super suave Salman all ready to join the race. The scenes then move forward to introduce each character of the film- Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem and Bobby Deol in unique ways. The 3.09-minute long trailer captures some high-octane stunts, packed with strong and witty dialogues. The trailer finally ends with Salman flaunting his high-end gun totting skills, holding a modern bazooka of sorts. Excited much?
The first two films in the ‘Race’ franchise were directed by Abbas-Mustan and the third is being helmed by Remo D’ Souza. While ‘Race’ starred Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy, the second part of the franchise saw John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez and Deepika Padukone along with Saif. Anil Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan starred in both Race films, with Anil being the only one to star in all three parts of the franchise. Jacqueline, who was seen in ‘Race 2’, will once again be seen opposite Salman in ‘Race 3’.
Well, having amped up the excitement levels already, it will be interesting to watch what the film has to offer once it hits the screens on June 15.
May 152018
The makers of the ‘ Race’ franchise are all set to take their film a notch higher with an ensemble cast starring Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol and others. While its on-the-set pictures and posters have been creating a buzz, its trailer remains the most anticipated one.
However, while the fans are waiting for the release of ‘Race 3’ trailer with bated breath, Salman was seen goofing around, fooling his fans by posting the trailers of the previous instalments of ‘Race’ one at a time.
Apparently tired of his own games, Salman finally tweeted saying that the actual trailer of ‘Race 3’ will be unveiled at 5.15 pm today. The ‘Dabangg’ Khan was reportedly trolling his fans as they were abusing ‘Race 3’ team for delaying the trailer release..
Jis #Race se mujhe nikalne ki koshish kar rahe hai yeh bewakoof woh yeh nahi jaante ki is #Race ka Sikandar main hu ! Chalo bahut ho gaya khelna khilana ab dekho #Race3 ka trailer at 5.15pm IST on @SKFilmsOfficial . #Race3ThisEid @tipsofficial @remodsouza @rameshtaurani
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) May 15, 2018
For the uninitiated, a few days back Salman cleared the air on the delay for the trailer release by saying that the trailer is not ready but will surely release on May 15. The actor also promised that the trailer of ‘Race 3’ will not disappoint its fans and that it would be worth the wait.
May 112018
Parveen Babi was born glamorous. Her porcelain skin and chiseled features enthralled many.
Parveen Babi was a much pampered child, as her parents had her after 14 years of childlessness. After finishing her Masters in English Literature, Parveen Babi entered the modeling industry. Soon she got her first film offer opposite then cricketer Salim Durani. The film Charitra was a failure, yet Parveen Babi had already garnered enough attention.
Then after a few average grosser, Parveen Babi got her first major hit Majboor, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. She also became the first Bollywood star to grace the cover of the Time magazine. In the year 1975, Parveen Babi starred in Deewar. This catapulted her to a place of significance as the movie was both critically and commercially successful. This victory also launched her into the top list actresses of Bollywood. The Amitabh-Babi pair was a hit and they starred together in 6 more movies. All of which were major box office hits. Amar Akbar Antony and Kranti were two of her biggest hits.
Unlike Zeenath Aman, who was considered her competitor then, Parveen Babi wasn’t typecasted. Her roles ranged from femme fatale to submissive housewife.
Parveen Babi was a quintessential Bollywood star, a commercial star. Her career graph is very similar to that of today’s Bollywood heroines. She signed numerous brand endorsement deals and was the ambassador for Lux soap, for a year. She was also one of the highest paid Bollywood actresses along with Rekha and Hema Malini. She wore fashionable costumes and spoke stylishly. She made her scenes bright and garish.
Arth
Parveen Babi had numerous affairs. Her affair with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, from 1977-1980,was particularly turbulent. Parveen Babi was recovering after a break-up with Kabir Bedi, when Mahesh Bhatt met her. Since Parveen Babi didn’t have many relatives or friends, Mahesh Bhatt became her pillar of support during turbulent times. However their relationship was ill-fated as Mahesh was already married. When Parveen asked Mahesh to leave his wife, things turned dicey. She was a successful star and Mahesh was a struggling filmmaker. Their match was ephemeral and was doomed to disappear. It was Parveen’s increasing schizophrenia and Mahesh’s LSD addiction that destroyed their relationship. When the Parveen-Bhatt affair ended, both sides were severely wounded.
Parveen Babi did numerous films post the affair. Namak Halal was particularly successful. Little did she know that Mahesh Bhatt was writing a script about their affair.
In the year 1982, just few months after Namak Halal, Arth got released.
Arth was essentially the entire story about the Parveen-Bhatt affair. Had Arth not happened, Parveen Babi could still be alive. Has Arth not happened, Mahesh Bhatt would have vanished, as all his movies till then were mostly unsuccessful. After watching Arth, Parveen was horrified. She finished all the movies she could finish and left India in 1983. Her completed movies got released one by one till 1988.
Her Fall
Several rumors about Parveen Babi circulated in the papers. Some said she was kidnapped by the mafia. Some said she died. When in reality Parveen was in the US to undergo treatment for her paranoia. In 1984, Parveen Babi was detained at the California Airport after failing to submit the necessary document. This was the first official piece of news that spoke about Parveen Babi.
In 1989 Parveen Babi returned to India, barely recognizable and bitter. Due to her affairs many of her relatives had distanced from her so there was no one to celebrate her homecoming. Parveen Babi had not only changed physically but the real change was inside. She called the press to her house and accused many people, including Amitabh Bachchan. She said that the international mafia were after her life and that many famous personalities, like Bill Clinton, Mr.Bachchan, Prince Charles were involved in it. She further feared that her water, make-up, food were all poisoned and that her skin would peel off any moment.
If she ever saw Amitabh Bachchan on TV, she would scream and would become inconsolable. Her paranoia made her give police complaint on 34 people. However none of her allegations were even remotely true and many wanted her to be sent to a mental asylum. Though Parveen was a failure in relationships, her business acumen was sharp. She had invested her money carefully and was never in want. So Parveen moved to a penthouse in Mumbai and lived a largely reclusive life.
Towards the end of 1990’s Parveen Babi became a Christian. This again was criticized by several people. However Parveen Babi remained unperturbed as she has always been. Even in her peak days, Parveen would eat pork, though she was a Muslim. When questioned she said that it would be racist if she doesn’t eat pork.
Her last public appearance was in Shekhar Suman’s TV show Simply Shekhar in 2002. By now she was largely stable and many noticed the difference. Still she never trusted anyone and kept her apartment shabby. Her reclusive life continued and she only had rare visitors. In Jan 22, 2005 her neighbors alerted the police that Parveen Babi hadn’t collected milk from her doorstep for a few days. Upon breaking into her house, they found that Parveen Babi had been dead for 3 days. She lay amid paintings and bandage. The post-mortem report said that she had died of slow starvation. This truly is the worst way to die. Her death had been strange and sudden.
Her funeral was attended by many film personalities. In the end, Parveen Wali Mohammed Khan Babi was interred next to her mother in Santa Cruz, Mumbai.
May 112018
From Romeo and Juliet to Heer and Ranjha, the greatest love stories are tragedies. The story of Parveen Babi and Mahesh Bhatt’s romance is one such heartbreaking tale that will have you reaching for the tissues. On the actress’s birth anniversary, let us take a trip down memory lane.
In 1977, Parveen was nursing a broken heart, after ending her relationship with Kabir Bedi. It was during this time that she found solace in Mahesh, and they began a passionate relationship. The filmmaker was already married to his childhood sweetheart Lorraine Bright aka Kiran Bhatt, but that did not stop him from falling head over heels in love with Parveen. He walked out on his wife and daughter Pooja and began living with Parveen.
Everything was perfect in their fairytale romance, until one fateful evening in 1979. In an interview with Filmfare, Mahesh revealed that as he entered Parveen’s apartment, he saw her petrified mother in the corridor, who requested him to check on the actress. He walked into the bedroom and witnessed a sight that sent a chill down his spine.
“Parveen was dressed in film costume and sat curled up in the corner between the wall and the bed. Her gait was beast like. She had a kitchen knife in her hand. ‘What are you doing?’ I asked. She said, ‘Shhsssh…! Don’t talk! This room is bugged (installed with a spying device). They’re trying to kill me; they’re going to drop a chandelier on me.’ She held my hand and led me outside. I saw her mother look helplessly at me. Her gaze revealed that this episode had happened before; it was not the first time,” Mahesh said.
Top psychiatrists were consulted, and Parveen was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Mahesh tried being there for her, but her delusions kept getting worse. “Sometimes she’d say the air conditioner had a bug. We had to dismantle it and show it to her. At other times there was ‘a bug’ in the fan or in the perfume,” he recounted.
Mahesh recalled one particular incident when Parveen believed that the car they were travelling in had a bomb. “She threw open the door of the moving car, saying the bomb would burst and ran out on the road with me trying to hold her. People thought ‘Parveen Babi’ was having a fight with her boyfriend. Somehow, I huddled her into a taxi and brought her home,” he said.
“The scene was scary – I got into LSD and Parveen went through a series of nervous breakdowns. I went through trauma and a hell of my own making for two and a half years,” he told The Times Of India.
When the attacks got out of control, doctors said that electroconvulsive therapy was the only option. But Mahesh did not want his ladylove to go through that ordeal. His opposition to this particular method of treatment led to whispers that he was a “user” who did not want what was best for her.
Seeing no other way out, Mahesh ran away with Parveen to his philosopher friend UG Krishnamurti in Bengaluru. “I believed the quiet life there would give her solace even as the drug therapy was on. If she had to heal it would be there under the veil of anonymity. UG saw little chance of complete recovery. He suggested an alternative life, free from the pressures of stardom,” the filmmaker told Filmfare.
Shortly after, in October 1979, he left Parveen in the care of his friend and came back to Mumbai. Mahesh believed that he was part of the problem, and that he needed to distance himself for her to be on the path to recovery. He moved back in with his wife and tried to mend what was left of their marriage. He also began writing his breakthrough film, Arth, and found it to be cathartic.
However, the same year, Parveen returned to Mahesh’s life. Though he had reconciled with his wife, he could not resist going back to her. “Parveen knew I was in touch with UG, who was against her returning to films. He was the voice of sanity, which she didn’t want to hear. So she played the last card,” he said, adding that just as they were about to make love, she asked him to choose between her or the philosopher.
It was then that he understood that their relationship was doomed and walked out into the pouring rain, leaving a stark naked Parveen calling out to him. But he never looked back.
“I understood that the relationship was doomed and that I was deluding myself in hoping for a happy ending. The only person who had cushioned her from ECT, who had nursed her and had suggested a way out; she didn’t want to hear his truth! UG had fathered me and mothered her. There was no way the party would continue. We broke up in 1980,” Mahesh said.
Outlook quotes him as saying, “I remember, the last time I saw her was at a bookshop in Holiday Inn when the Gulf War was on. We didn’t even say hello to each other. She had become a completely different personality.”
When Parveen passed away in anonymity in 2005, Mahesh was the one to claim her body. “I thought if none of her relatives came forward I’d bury her. She was the springboard of my success. Arth (based on his relationship with Parveen) became the lifeblood of my resurrection. You take away this defining watershed tragedy and my narrative ceases to exist. I owe it all to her. By offering to bury her I felt a sense of closure,” he told Filmfare.
May 102018
Singer Mika Singh, who performed at the wedding reception of Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja, says it is very difficult to make two superstars like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan dance together on the stage. Mika Singh was interacting with the media along with model Aarti Khetarpal and Singer Madhu Valli, during the launch of song Sama – The Summer Love on Wednesday in Mumbai. Sharing his experience of the latest Bollywood wedding reception that took place on Tuesday, Mika said: “I will never forget this party in my entire life because it was one of the biggest days of my life.
He said when he was performing, Shah Rukh and Salman came on stage and “took the whole atmosphere to another level. It is very difficult to make the two superstars dance together on the stage… Both of them were dancing on stage for almost an hour… Then Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor did lot of fun on stage,” Mika said.
Watch: Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan & Bollywood Stars Dances at At Sonam Kapoor’s Wedding Reception
When asked whether Salmam should also marry now, Mika said: “I think Salman is an ultimate human being. He is really handsome and down to earth individual and when he sings, he looks really cute… I think he is the real King. Earlier, Kings used to have so many girlfriends… I don’t think he needs anyone.”
Talking about the challenges he faced while producing “Sama – The Summer Love”, Mika said: “Today’s generation like to listen new sound, music and voice. It’s already a hit and popular song. We had a meeting with Sa Re Ga Ma when we decided to recreate this song because original rights of the songs are with Sa Re Ga Ma.
Sama- The Summer Love is produced by Mika Singh’s Music and Sound and sung by US-based model and singer Madhu Valli. Sumit Bharadwaj has directed the music video. Madhu Valli, Aarti Khetarpal and Raika Khan has featured in the song along with Mika Singh.
May 102018
Amidst Sanjay Dutt’s biopic up for release, essayed by Ranbir Kapoor, the makers of Yash Raj Films have surprised their fans by announcing Shamshera. Sanjay Dutt will be seen in a negative role in this film opposite Ranbir Kapoor
In what can be called the ultimate casting coup, director Karan Malhotra has got Sanjay Dutt to play the ruthless, merciless villain in Yash Raj Film’s period action-adventure Shamshera! He will be pitted against Ranbir Kapoor in the mega action spectacle. Interestingly, Shamshera will be Sanjay’s first ever film with YRF.
Talking about it Sanjay Dutt said, “My father and Yash uncle were very close friends and now that I’m doing my first YRF film, it is an extremely emotional moment for me. When I heard Karan’s idea to pit Ranbir against me, I thought it was just brilliant. I’m looking forward to shooting this incredibly exciting film, my second with the hugely talented Karan Malhotra.”
On the other hand, director Karan Malhotra says, “Shamshera is a highly ferocious and fearless character in the film. Therefore his nemesis, the villain had to be even more fierce and monumental in every aspect. Who’s better than Sanjay Sir to give us that impact on screen.”
This high-octane adventure film is set in the heartland of India and will have jaw-dropping action sequences and a never seen before Ranbir Kapoor.
Shamshera is set to go on floors end of this year and shooting will wrap by mid-2019.
May 102018
Despite their similar sensibilities in cinema, Aamir Khan and Kangana Ranaut are yet to team up on screen. When a picture of the two along with producer Kamal Jain started doing the rounds of social media on Monday, it led to speculation that the duo might be joining hands for a film. Jain, who is producing Ranaut’s Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, revealed to mid-day that “a collaboration” is in the offing.
The producer said, “The meeting was regarding a collaboration that is in the works. It was a positive meeting. We had a long discussion, and are hopeful that something more fruitful comes of it.” A quick probe in the trade circles suggested that Ranaut and Jain discussed the Arunima Sinha biopic with the superstar. A source said, “The film was originally expected to be backed by Farhan Akhtar, but was later acquired by DAR Motion Pictures. Given its compelling storyline, it won’t be surprising if Aamir Khan also comes on board as producer.”
However, Jain remained non-committal about Khan’s possible involvement in the film that traces the journey of the first female amputee to have scaled Mount Everest. “When things are finalised, we will make an announcement. For now, we are in the process of putting things together. I can’t divulge any further details on the project,” he said.
Kangana Ranaut is also believed to be keen on releasing Manikarnika in China. It is learnt that her ambitious film on Rani Laxmibai formed an integral part of their conversation. The source said, “Kamal and Kangana are keen to release the Rani Laxmibai biopic in China. They had gone to seek advice from Aamir on the subject. Since Aamir has cracked the Chinese market with his string of hits, his feedback is important to the film’s strategy.”
May 102018
Well, it’s not every day that you get to meet seasoned actor Naseeruddin Shah. And when you do, it definitely turns out to be an intellectual conversation about being hopeful, life and staying determined. With his film Hope Aur Hum up for a release on May 11, we sit at his palatial abode and talk about the message the film has in store for us, and how it touches base upon the complexities of life through this simple film.
Here are the excerpts from the conversation:
Firstly, the film’s title, Hope Aur Hum is very catchy. Who are the ‘Hum’ here?
It’s a lovely title. ‘Hum’ is the family, the world because this family is a microcosm of different disparate individuals, who make up a unit, and who have different interests and priorities. The woman (Sonali Kulkarni) has the priority to keep the home running and keep everybody harmonious. The father (Aamir Bashir) has the priority to earn the bread, younger brother (Naveen Kasturia) has to get married. The old man (Naseeruddin Shah) feels, it’s his responsibility to continue his artistic endeavours on his old-fashioned machine, which is so unwieldy, it’s like a small car, but he insists on keeping it. So, it’s a parable for not necessarily clinging to what is old but preserving what is worthwhile. Everything that’s old is not necessarily useless; no doubt better versions of it have appeared but it still has its own function and is aesthetic.
The film’s trailer has too many elements, a kid and his passion for cricket, a young lad, and his issues, and a man with his classic printing machine… What is the common thread between all of these elements?
Each one has a hope. The child (Kabir Sajid Shaikh) wants to be a cricketer, his elder sister (Virti Vaghani) wants to study, his uncle wants to find a suitable girl and his phone is a symbol for which is lost for the hope, and the older boy wants to be successful. Each one has his own threat, and with each one, there is an element of wanting to achieve.
Do you believe in destiny? Which one do you think is true- man creates his own destiny or we get what destiny has in store for us, and why?
It is impossible to give a definitive answer to that kind of a question, one doesn’t know. It’s like asking, ‘Does God Exist?’ There’ll never be a definitive answer to that. But, I believe one’s destiny is in one’s own hands to a large extent.
With things becoming so complex in our daily lives or different phases that we go through to, people tend to lose hope, how does one still stay hopeful?
By continuing to practise what you believe in. When photography came in, painters thought that this is the end of the road for us, because what we can do so well – a photograph can do even better, and those were the realistic painters, who made these still lives and so on – and absolutely incredibly beautiful painting. But then, when photography came in, it could do the same thing better. So, the painters resorted to cubism, to expressionism, impressionism, abstraction etc. Even writers resorted to the same things. So, you’ve got to set the challenges for yourself, otherwise, there’s somebody just waiting in line to take your place.
As an actor, you must have seen many highs and lows in your career and life as well. How did you manage to cling on to hope even when the tides were against you?
Because of the fact that I knew that nobody could prevent me from doing the work I love, which is – acting. I may not become a big star or I may not earn lots of money, I may not be the most famous guy in the country but at least, I will be able to do what I love and continued to do, what my passion is, and that is to act. And, that’s what I continued and that is why my association with the theatre continued and today it is too highly beneficial to me and to several others.
How was it working with the little kid, Kabir? You’ll seem to share an endearing chemistry in the trailer of the film.
He’s a brat, and he’s a very seasoned actor and a hard guy but, he’s a very clever actor. He knows what he’s doing. It was fun. I tried to induce a couple of spontaneous reactions from him because he’s done a lot of work. He’s done several advertisements, I believe. Getting into reacting naturally was the challenge there and I think he managed it very well.
May 102018
Pictures of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor went viral with fans wondering if the two were an item. Well, tongues went wagging when Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor made a joint entry at Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja’s reception.
There has been buzz that the Brahmastra actors are seeing each other. Alia Bhatt, 25, has said that she always had a crush on Ranbir Kapoor, 35, ever since his Saawariya (2007) days. Whether they are together or not, time will tell.
Meanwhile, Alia took to Instagram to share her picture with her rumored boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor and many celebs showered all hearts and awws and smileys on their photo.
While Mouni Roy posted heart smileys on their picture, Bipasha Basu mentioned “Cuties”. But what caught our attention was Shaheen Bhatt, Alia’s sister, posted a heart emoji with an arrow through the center, like the arrow that cupid shoots for love. Hmm! Well, that confirms a lot we think!
On the work front, Alia Bhatt is all geared up for her film Raazi. When asked if she had signed anything new, she said, “Actually, I have. But I leave the announcement to the producers. At the moment I have ‘Gully Boys’, which is complete. Now one year would be taken up with ‘Bramhastra’ and ‘Kalank’, both Karan Johar’s productions which is like home to me.”