Y.M.I. - Yeh Mera India

Certain issues continue to make waves and hit headlines. Issues like the influx of people from the Northern states to Mumbai, or the one where, allegedly, residential societies don't seem too keen to allot flats to members of a particular community...

N. Chandra encompasses all this and more in YEH MERA INDIA. The style of narrating the stories is akin to CRASH, while the storytelling is similar to Chandra's accomplished works ANKUSH and PRATIGHAAT - two films that made him an iconic figure then.
YEH MERA INDIA is sharp as a blade and yes, it does re-open old wounds. The film works in most parts because you identify with most stories, but how one wishes Chandra would've kept the length of the movie in check.

Final word? YEH MERA INDIA has its heart in the right place. Here's a film that pricks your conscience and makes you think. Recommended!

YEH MERA INDIA is an attempt to explore the real stories behind the headlines. These stories deal with racial bias, communal bias, caste bias, class bias, gender bias, lingual bias and immigrant bias that plague the society. It is a story of one day in the life of 12 people from different strata of Mumbai city, which is a melting pot of cultures.

N. Chandra goes back to his roots - topical, hard-hitting themes - and picks up stories that the common man would relate to. These stories are connected to one another and some of them are disturbing, which only goes to prove that the storyteller has succeeded in drawing your attention to the problems.

But what dilutes the impact is the way some of these stories are culminated in the concluding reels. In real life, not all stories have a happy end, but in this case, they do. Also, since Chandra has chosen to raise too many issues, it's sure to take a toll on the length of the film, with each story demanding a justifiable ending and that only makes the goings-on lengthy.

Chandra is best remembered for his first two films [also TEZAAB] and in YEH MERA INDIA, the N. Chandra of yore is visible in several sequences. One only wishes the production values would've been superior.

The film has an ensemble cast and the actors infuse life in their characters. In fact, every actor in YEH MERA INDIA leaves a mark, but the ones who stand out are Anupam Kher, Parvin Dabas, Vijay Raaz, Atul Kulkarni, Seema Biswas, Rajpal Yadav and Smilie Suri.

On the whole, YEH MERA INDIA is a film that grows on you. It's a film that the aam aadmi would connect with. At the box-office, this film should show an escalation thanks to a strong word of mouth.

Akshay shoots for his long pending film titled Hello India in London

A 12-year old film finally got completed this week, thanks to its leading man Akshay Kumar's determination to not have a single film of his in the cans.

This week after completing a schedule of Sajid Khan's Housefull, Akshay Kumar sent Deepika Padukone packing and called producer-director Shabnam Kapoor to London to complete the long-pending Purab Ki Laila Paschim Ka Chaila, now called Hello India.

Shabnam Kapoor flew to London and shot with Akshay Kumar for almost a week before he flew out to Italy on Thursday for the next schedule of Housefull.

With the completion of Purab Ki Laila… which also stars Namrata Shirodkar and Suniel Shetty, Akshay prides himself on being the only leading man in Bollywood who has no films in the cans.

Interestingly, this would be only the second film in Akshay's career directed by a female. Sangharsh directed by Tanuja Chandra was the first.

He now has the enviable record of being the only Bollywood superstar with no incomplete films to his discredit.

London Dreams:

Shashi Kapoor to receive Lifetime Achievement award at Mumbai Film Festival

The 11th Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) organized by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is back and scheduled to take place from October 29 to November 5, 2009 in Mumbai. A Reliance Big Entertainment initiative, MFF has the distinction of being the only international film festival in India to be organized by an independent body of practicing film professionals.

This year MMF will honour two extremely talented filmmakers from India and abroad. Indian actor-director Shashi Kapoor will receive the Indian lifetime achievement award at the inaugural function of the Festival on October 29, 2009. A selection of his films will be screened on this occasion. Considered as one of the world's greatest living directors, Greek film-maker Angelopoulos will be presented the international lifetime achievement award in the closing ceremony of the Festival on November 5, 2009. A retrospective of his films will be organized to salute the maestro.

Divided into five sections viz. International Competition for the First Feature Films of Directors, World Cinema, Indian Showcase, Dimensions Mumbai and Retrospectives, the festival offers something to every film buff. A five member international jury will include celebrated Hollywood scriptwriter, director and Martin Scorsese's long term collaborator Paul Schrader (script writer for the cult film Taxi Driver & co-writer of Raging Bull amongst others) and eminent Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi (who has been awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his work)

"The 11th MFF will showcase the best in contemporary Indian cinema even while it takes a look back at cinema down the ages," notes renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, the chair-person of MAMI. "We also want to encourage young film talent and have a forum for that. Further, our audience will be treated to the works of Shashi Kapoor and Angelopoulos, two filmmakers to be honoured with life-time achievement awards. Both have traversed a long path and made a distinctive niche for themselves in world cinema."

The 11th MFF will also organize an exhibition to commemorate and celebrate 60 years of Dev Anand's Navketan Films. A retrospective from Navketan will be screened to mark the occasion.

MFF carries some of the biggest cash awards in the world for its International Competition of First Feature Films of Directors category. These debut features will compete for the cash award of about USD 100,000 (Rs, 50, 00,000) and Golden Gateway India trophy for the best film and the Silver Gateway India and cash prize of about USD 50,000 (25, 00, 000) for the Jury Grand Prize. The best talent from these films will be given Silver Gateway India. This year MAMI is introducing a USD 20,000 Audience Choice Award (about Rs. 10, 00, 000). Films from all sections except retrospective and tributes will compete for this award.

Also on the anvil is 'Mumbai Young Critics', a brand new initiative from MAMI to encourage young film enthusiasts. 32 college students from various Mumbai colleges will be selected to form a first of its kind jury. These young jury members will vote for the film which will receive the Mumbai Young Critics Award and the Silver Gateway of India.

Finding a place at MFF is 'Dimensions Mumbai', an immensely popular short film competition organized by MAMI. The competition invites short films of up to five minutes duration from young film-makers on the theme of 'Mumbai, The Metropolis'. The films on any aspect of life in the metropolis made in any format will vie for cash awards worth Rs. 1.5 Lakh.

Fun Republic- the 4 screens multiplex at Andheri will be the central venue of the 11th MFF. Festival films will also be screened at Metro BIG Cinema and other theatres.

Himesh launches music of Radio at Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati Mandal

Trust Himesh Reshammiya to do things differently and in style. The singer-music composer-actor launched the music of his latest film Radio today amidst lakhs of devotees at the famous Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati Mandal in Mumbai. Present at this occasion were Himesh, Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, Prashant Pandey of Radio Mirchi besides the cast and crew of the film.

Speaking about this, Himesh says, "Goddess Saraswati has blessed me with superb tunes and Lord Ganeshji has given me the opportunity to launch my film Radio's music at his doorstep. It is a very happy moment for me and truly a lifetime experience."

Radio has Himesh playing a RJ called Vivaan and giving him company would be Sonal Sehgal and Shenaz Treasurywala. The film is produced by Ravi Agarwal and written and directed by Ishaan Trivedi.

The music of Radio features two distinct voices of Himesh Reshammiya- one his popular nasal voice and the other the middle octave base voice. The song 'Mann Ka Radio' featuring Himesh in a new short-hair look has already caught on big time. Hope Radio proves to be a truly musical experience for fans of HR.

Live Chat: Ashish Chowdhry on August 31

This young and talented actor started with a bang in his very first film Qayamat. He later showed his comic streak in films like Shaadi Ka Laddoo and Fight Club. However it was Dhamaal which proved to be a turning point in his career. The film went on to become a huge hit and Ashish Chowdhry ended up becoming the talk of the town.

Post Dhamaal, Ashish has been seen in films like EMI and Paying Guests and is now excited about his latest release Daddy Cool. Bollywood Hungama gives you a chance to have an interesting chat with Ashish Chowdhry only on Celeb Chat on Monday, August 31, at 1530 hrs IST.

Shorts (2009)

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Hindus urge for Best Bollywood Film at Oscars

Nevada, (ANI): Hindus have asked the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to introduce a new award category of "Best Bollywood Film" for films made in India. Rajan Zed, a leader of the Indian American community here, said in a statement that India had the largest film industry in the world and thus it deserved at least one category in Oscars where its movies could compete among themselves. This gesture would bring more credibility to Oscars also in the international arena, as it was long overdue.

He further said that cinema in India, based in Mumbai and various regional centers, reportedly produced much more films and drew much larger audience globally than Hollywood (which released only 610 movies in 2008). It was, therefore, unfair for such an influential cinema not to have its own category at Oscars. Foreign Language Film Award at Oscars, where only one picture was accepted from each country, did not do justice to such a large industry, Zed added.


Academy, launched in 1927 and dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures, has over 6,000 artists and professionals as honorary members, including actors like Jack Nicholson, directors like Steven Spielberg, executives like Steve Jobs, musicians like Elton John and writers like Ruth Prawer Jhabvala etc. Located in Beverly Hills, (California), the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will host the 82nd Academy Awards on March 7, 2010.

A New Yuvraaj of Bollywood

India’s movie industry is still growing. This year the trend should remain positive and projections see 11.5 per cent growth over the next five years. Steven Spielberg signs a deal with India’s Reliance ADA Group for US$ 825 million. The first made-in-Bollywood movie should hit the big screen next year.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – India’s film and entertainment industry is doing well this year despite the worldwide economic crisis. In fact, it expects to increase its revenues over last year. Market trends indicate constant growth, this according to data reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

India’s movie industry, which is largely based in Mumbai, hit 107 billion rupees last year (about US$ 2 billion) and should reach 118 billion (more than US$ 2.3 billion) this year. It is expected to grow a further 11.5 per cent over the next five years. In 2013 Bollywood and India’s regional movie production centres should generate 185 billion rupees (US$ 3.7 billion) in revenues.

Indian TV production should follow the same trend, growing by 11.45 per cent in the next five years, from 244 billion rupees last year (US$ 4.8 billion) to 420 billion rupees in 2013 (over US$ 8.3 billion).

Bollywood, a portmanteau word created by blending Bombay (Mumbai) and Hollywood, exports a thousand movies and 40,000 TV hours, primarily to developing countries but also in Europe and more broadly the West.

The success of India’s entertainment industry is not limited to major hits like Slumdog millionaire, paradoxically a British movie by Danny Boyle which won eight Academy Awards, and which put India back on the movie map. Bollywood’s success has deeper roots and the industry is an economic force to be reckoned with. The numbers tell in fact a different story, especially if we look at India’s movie stars. According to estimates that appeared in the Indian press, top actors like Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan.can earn up to 12 and 4 million dollars respectively in movies alone.

Mumbai’s movie industry goes further back than Hollywood and is giving Los Angeles studios a run for their money. Increasingly the latter are joining forces with Bollywood to produce and distribute movies. In fact California landed on India’s shores long ago.

Recently Steven Spielberg signed a deal with the Reliance ADA Group, a major Indian company with interests in entertainment, worth US$ 825 million, to produce six movies a year in new studies in Mumbai with Walt Disney distributing them outside of India.

The first production is expected next year.

Bollywood doing well despite crisis with Spielberg on his way from Hollywood

India’s movie industry is still growing. This year the trend should remain positive and projections see 11.5 per cent growth over the next five years. Steven Spielberg signs a deal with India’s Reliance ADA Group for US$ 825 million. The first made-in-Bollywood movie should hit the big screen next year.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – India’s film and entertainment industry is doing well this year despite the worldwide economic crisis. In fact, it expects to increase its revenues over last year. Market trends indicate constant growth, this according to data reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

India’s movie industry, which is largely based in Mumbai, hit 107 billion rupees last year (about US$ 2 billion) and should reach 118 billion (more than US$ 2.3 billion) this year. It is expected to grow a further 11.5 per cent over the next five years. In 2013 Bollywood and India’s regional movie production centres should generate 185 billion rupees (US$ 3.7 billion) in revenues.

Indian TV production should follow the same trend, growing by 11.45 per cent in the next five years, from 244 billion rupees last year (US$ 4.8 billion) to 420 billion rupees in 2013 (over US$ 8.3 billion).

Bollywood, a portmanteau word created by blending Bombay (Mumbai) and Hollywood, exports a thousand movies and 40,000 TV hours, primarily to developing countries but also in Europe and more broadly the West.

The success of India’s entertainment industry is not limited to major hits like Slumdog millionaire, paradoxically a British movie by Danny Boyle which won eight Academy Awards, and which put India back on the movie map. Bollywood’s success has deeper roots and the industry is an economic force to be reckoned with. The numbers tell in fact a different story, especially if we look at India’s movie stars. According to estimates that appeared in the Indian press, top actors like Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan.can earn up to 12 and 4 million dollars respectively in movies alone.

Mumbai’s movie industry goes further back than Hollywood and is giving Los Angeles studios a run for their money. Increasingly the latter are joining forces with Bollywood to produce and distribute movies. In fact California landed on India’s shores long ago.

Recently Steven Spielberg signed a deal with the Reliance ADA Group, a major Indian company with interests in entertainment, worth US$ 825 million, to produce six movies a year in new studies in Mumbai with Walt Disney distributing them outside of India.

The first production is expected next year.

Cape Town set to experience influx of Bollywood productions

In another significant step towards cementing its role as one of the leading global film industry destinations, Cape Town could soon become home to the lucrative Bollywood film production market.


And according to the Western Cape Minster of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Minister Allan Winde, "The time is now ripe for the Western Cape to take full advantage of the current global economic crisis by actively marketing your service offering to new markets like the Middle East and India."

Minister Winde, accompanied by the CEO of the Cape Film Commission, Laurence Mitchell, on Monday 3rd August 2009, visited the film set of the latest Bollywood Blockbuster, No Problem, which is currently being filmed at various locations in Cape Town.

"No Problem" is a Bollywood police action movie with stars such as Anil Kapoor (Slum Dog Millionaire), Sanjay Dutt and Suneel Shetty.

"The fact that Cape Town and the Western Cape has been able attract some of the most influential and leading men and women of Bollywood is to a large extent due to the fact that we are now truly recognized as a global film industry destination", was said by Minister Winde.

He also added that with the major Hollywood films that have been shot here during the past year and given the fact that Cape Town hosted several Oscar Winners and A-list actors and actresses, this has further amplified the fact that the film industry has come of age and has become a key contributor to the economy of the Western Cape.

Minister Winde also said that our service offering, whether it is in tourism or film, needs to be exceptional and unsurpassed anywhere in the world.

In addition Minister Winde stated that the successful hosting of the IPL earlier this year beamed images of our country into the homes of millions of Indians and this has provided the Western Cape with a wonderful opportunity to access this huge Indian tourism and film markets.

Mr. Laurence Mitchell (CEO of the Cape Film Commission), said that "The Cape Film Commission has over the past 5 years worked tirelessly to attract big Hollywood and in particular Bollywood productions to Cape Town, and we are now truly recognized as one of the leading film industry destinations worldwide."

This particular production of "No Problem" has already had significant spin offs in our Tourism sector and has contributed to 2000 bed nights, many local people were employed as crew and cast members and the service industry has been able to provide catering, transport and security services.

Mr. Mitchell further added that the CFC is already leading discussion with the Department of Trade and Industry to look at a restructured film rebate system that would see a much more seamless distribution of these funds and a system that would make it much easier to enter into co-production treaties with a specific focus on markets such as India.

The CFC will also be engaging with the DTI to look at increasing the subsidy that local film production companies could access.

Anil Kapoor who plays a cop in the movie expressed his satisfaction at how production has progressed and said that he beliefs Cape Town has the right service offerings within the film industry to be able to attract large Bollywood productions.

He remained confident that with big productions such as No Problem, Tasveer, Seasons Greetings and others, Cape Town has become the home of Bollywood films in Africa.

According to Anil Kapoor Cape Town have remarkable locations, diverse cultures, wonderful weather and even world class services that is able to compete with the best in the world.

The Cape Film Commission will later in the year undertake a mission to India to cement this relationship with Bollywood and directly present the film industry`s service offering to the huge Indian film market.

Prom 42: Indian Voices 2 – Bollywood, Royal Albert Hall, London

Following a day of classical Indian music from sarangi to khal singers at the Royal Albert Hall, Shaan, a face of indie-pop and playback vocalist for Bollywood films, burst on to the stage to declare his intentions: "A lot of you must have gone through the day, listening to the various classical musicians. I'm here to wash it all off."


With those words – and the entry of a troupe of eight loose-hipped dancing girls in glittering blue and gold lamé - he whipped off his shades and launched into a three-hour performance of India's best-known "filmi" songs, which at times, had the full house duly roused.

The best he saved 'til last – a gloriously high-octane rendition of A R Rahman's "Jai Ho" (from the film Slumdog Millionaire, which has been adapted in English by the Pussycat Dolls) to which the audience bounced off their seats for a boogie – but there were a few bumps along the way.

Shaan's voice was undoubtedly melodious and nearly three hours later, had not faltered once. But the motley dance troupe, the Honey Dance Academy, some of whom looked like buxom Bond girls, did little to improve the show's overall polish. Many moved out of synch and threatened, at a few comical junctures, to turn the performance into a campy Peter Sellers' sketch.

Shaan's own witty conversational interludes did much to undercut this unintentional comedy – he joked about the exits being locked and his inability to reach a high note – but he admitted to nerves at the start and, indeed, it showed (he mistakenly addressed the audience as "Wembley" before embarrassingly correcting himself).

But half an hour into the show, he had found his stride, belting out some of Bollywood's most recognisable love songs: "This one is called 'My Dil Goes Mmmm'. This is called 'Kuch Kum', which means everything is a bit less than it should be." A hardcore fanbase whistled wildly while the band – the Groove – mixed up the sound by adding Latino and reggae beats.

A homage to the Western world's love of boybands, first with Blue's "One Love" in Hindi (then English) and then a song resembling the Backstreet Boys, ignited the interest of those in the mixed audience who may not have been able to hum along to the Hindi hits.

As the tempo rose through the show, graduating from the softer, slushier love songs to the adrenalin-fuelled dance tunes, Shaan pulled out all the stops, with a voice that carried the show, unaccompanied, bar a couple of duets with a female singer. In spite of his energy, the audience appeared to watch rather than join in. Perhaps it wasn't quite the right venue, perhaps it was the mix of children, grandparents and non-Hindi speakers.

Shaan did all he could to rouse more off their seats. "What's wrong with escapism and having a nice time?" he shouted out. By the end, many more were on their feet, enjoying the true, unapologetically escapist spirit of Bollywood.

Glamour of Bollywood

SHIMMERING silk and polished performers pull big crowds to the latest entertainment wave surging through Western society.

And the excitement and allure of Bollywood music, dance and drama is set to entertain locals on August 29.

A spicy extravaganza, Namaste New Zealand promises to wow the audience with performing artists mixing traditional with contemporary Indian and Western dance.

Co-ordinator and dance teacher Viraf Todywalla says the night will be a fusion of ethnicities producing a multicultural spectacle.

His dance studio in Pakuranga is well-known for providing entertainment for numerous events.

“I will be performing and many of the dancers are from the area,” says Mr Todywalla.

“I teach children at Elm Park Primary School and Pakuranga Intermediate. They are all different ethnicities and they enjoy themselves a lot.”

Namaste NZ is supported by Farmers – Botany Downs in association with Mr Todywalla’s company V4U entertainments. There will also be a fashion show and light refreshments.

Funds raised will be donated to Heart Children New Zealand, the Botany retailer’s charity of choice.

“This style of entertainment has grown a lot since I came to New Zealand,” says Mr Todywalla.

“This month is flat out for me, with Indian Independence Day, and we are also supporting Pakistan Independence Day.”

Mr Todywalla is choreographing dancers for a Bollywood movie about to be filmed with all local stars. Live shooting will include the Auckland high-school Indian dance competition at the Logan Campbell Centre, Greenlane West, on August 22.

Namaste NZ starts at 7pm on August 29 at Edgewater College in Pakuranga.

General admission tickets cost $10 and front-row VIP seats are priced at $20.

They are available from Farmers stores or phone 272-9880.

Katrina's real name is Katrina Turquotte

The world knows that Salman Khan mentored Katrina Kaif and acted as her godfather for her in Bollywood. But the truth is that Ayesha Shroff, actor Jackie Shroff’s wife did all the hard work to pave Katrina's way into the industry. Like many other celebrities in the tinsel town Katrina has completely forgotten Ayesha and never bothered to keep in touch with her.

After remaining silent for years Ayesha has revealed some of Katrina's unknown secrets. Biggest of all Katrina Kaif's real name is Katrina Turquotte. Since the English surname was difficult to pronounce they changed it to Kaif after even thinking of naming her Katrina Kazi. Ayesha added that the name on Katrina's passport when she came to India was Katrina Turquotte.


Katrina always maintained that her Kaif surname was due to her Kashmiri father but Ayesha did not give much weight to her claim. Ayesha also revealed that she was the first person to make Katrina aware of Bollywood and it was only later that she came in contact with beau Salman Khan . Ayesha though is a shade upset as Katrina never acknowledged her role and did not even bother to keep in touch with her.

Peter Andre to head to Bollywood

SINGER Peter Andre whose latest single, Behind Closed Doors has gone straight into number four in the charts, is in talks with producers to star in a Bollywood film.

The star made the announcement at the London Mela, which was held at Gunnersbury Park in the weekend.

Andre, who had a brush with Bollywood at its annual Academy Awards, held in China this year, met with producers who showed an interest in Andre making a Bollywood debut.

He told Sky News: "When I was out there we did have a meeting with one of the producers and I know it was mentioned in the British press, but it's actually true.

"I'm going to go back now and we're going to talk and hopefully it'll be within the next three or four months," he revealed.

Mallika receives Honorary Citizenship by City of LA

One can always trust Madame Mallika Sherawat to do something that's worthy enough of being national headlines. Right from the time she entered Bollywood, till date, anything and everything she does becomes iconic statements!

This time round, she added yet another feather in her already overloaded cap by being the first Bollywood star to be bestowed with an Honorary Citizenship and Official Resolution by the City of Los Angeles. Mallika Sherawat received the prestigious honor in front of members of the entertainment industry, friends, family and fans during a ceremony at Los Angeles City Hall on the eve of the Indian Independence Day.

In the City Hall Council Chambers, Councilmember Jose Huizar presented Mallika with the said honour. Mallika accepted the Resolution, which was signed by the Mayor and all City Council members, before giving an inspiring speech to numerous rounds of applause throughout the hall. In her profound speech of thanksgiving and acceptance, an emotional Mallika said that she is deeply, and humbly, grateful for this grand honor, in addition to thanking the Councilmember Huizar, Mayor Villaragosa, Mayor Riordan, and all the City Council. Said the actress,

"As the first Indian Bollywood actor to receive this Recognition, I proudly accept it in honor of my home country, mother India, and my beloved Bollywood, the world's largest film industry." She concluded the heartfelt speech saying "I am deeply touched, and eternally thankful for this acknowledgment. Jai Ho, Los Angeles!" Way to go, Mallika. India and Bollywood are equally proud of you!

10 Reasons why SRK's detention wasn't a disaster

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan returned Tuesday to India, stung by his treatment at the hands of U.S. immigration officials, and told fans the screening process was discriminatory and embarrassing.

He also denied he was highlighting the incident as a publicity stunt for his new movie, "My Name is Khan," about the discrimination Muslims face in the U.S. after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Khan, 43, was taken for secondary screening at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey for about 90 minutes Friday, which he said happened because of his Muslim name and South Asian origin.

Khan may not be a household name in the United States. But "King Khan," as he's known here, is among India's — and the world's — top film stars. By some estimates, Bollywood enjoys 3.6 billion fans globally compared with Hollywood's 2.5 billion.

The Muslim actor, who is married to a Hindu, has starred in more than 50 Hindi films, many involving stories in which love trumps bigotry. He has won 13 Filmfare awards, India's equivalent of the Oscars.

In 2008, Newsweek named him the world's biggest movie star and one of its 50 most influential people, ahead of Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama and Osama bin Laden.

Thus for many Indians, it's all a bit unthinkable that others wouldn't treat him with the same respect and near godlike reverence he's afforded at home.

The incident is "as absurd as Brad Pitt coming to India, being strip-searched, investigated and interrogated," Bollywood director Karan Johar wrote on his blog.

Khan was on his way to Chicago to attend a celebration for Saturday's Indian Independence Day when he was asked to step aside. In recent months, he has traveled repeatedly to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York to shoot the upcoming film without immigration problems.

"Routine security procedures weren't followed," he said, adding that border guards could have compared his fingerprints and retina scan against data on file. "We should not be treated on the basis of our color or nationality."

His protest hit a nerve with upwardly mobile Indians who have faced enhanced and sometimes intrusive scrutiny since 2001 when trying to attend U.S. schools, visit their relatives or participate in business meetings. His popularity also guaranteed that millions of less well-heeled fans heard his complaint.

"This has definitely done huge damage to the U.S. reputation in India," said Shyamal Sengupta, a professor at the Whistling Woods International film school in Mumbai.

Hoping to turn perceptions around, U.S. Ambassador Tim Roemer said through a spokesman that Khan had millions of American fans and was always welcome.

U.S. border officials denied Khan was detained or discriminated against and said normal procedure was followed.

The U.S. has every right to defend its borders, Khan said, dressed in a gray V-neck shirt and dark glasses. But it might want to balance this against a greater openness toward peoples around the world.

But some analysts blamed Indian media for blowing the issue out of proportion. "You can't expect (border guards) to know each and every actor or celebrity," said Dr. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the Center for Media Studies, a New Delhi-based watchdog group.

Others wondered whether the shrewd and eloquent actor might not be fanning the flames to publicize his film.

"Shah Rukh Khan is an actor," said Sajid Wadood, adviser with New Delhi's Islamic Cultural Center. "I think he's acting."

Khan denied any ulterior motive in highlighting the incident. "I don't mean to sound pompous," the actor said. "But Shah Rukh Kahn doesn't need publicity."

Burmese siren sizzles in Bollywood movies

Bollywood fans are in for a delight to watch a hot babe in “Kool Nahi Hot Hai Hum” released last November. Called Laila Khan, this chink beauty has made her presence felt in the over crowded Hindi film industry.

Curiosity since then has been building up among the Hindi moviegoers to know more about this new Bollywood siren. Speculation were rife, the new import into Hindi cinema could be a ‘desi stuff’ from our northeast region, somewhere near home to actor ‘Danny` Denzongpa of Sikkim.

Others speculated she could be a true import from foreign land, maybe from Central Asia, the land of Changiz Khan, as her name suggests.

Slowly, the mysteries are unraveling about this round faced girl. Laila Khan is actually Sandar Win, a native of Burma , now called Myanmar .

Sandar was discovered two years ago while working as a general manager at an advertising company in Dubai . Many Bollywood directors and producers frequented this ad firm where this Burmese girl worked, to advertise their films. Sandar’s looks caught their attention and they coxed her to act in Bollywood films.

“They encouraged me to try my hand at acting because they thought I looked gorgeous,” said Sandar Win, who actually comes from Rangoon .

“Feeling confident from their encouragement, I flew to Mumbai with a dream of becoming a Bollywood star. But when I got there, I saw many attractive girls from around the world and was really nervous,” she said.

“I had to undergo exhausting screen tests but despite issues with the language barrier and learning Bollywood style dance, my screen tests went well. They liked my acting and sent me to a choreographer, and after two days I was able to perform Bollywood dance,” she added.

“A month later, I received a call that I have been selected to act in “Kool Nahi Hot Hai Hum.” I was incredibly happy… I did not expect this to happen… I had never dreamt that I would be an actress,” she said in an interview.

How Sandar Win did become Lalia Khan? “Well, they wanted to label me on the lines of Bollywood nymph Helen,” another import from Burma , who sizzled on Hindi sliver screen for the decades of 60s, 70s.

“And since I was coming from Dubai , where Laila is a common name, and this they suffixed it with Khan, a much circulated name in Bollywood dictionary, and give me the screen name Laila Khan. I had no issues with this name,” Sandar said.

So far Sandar Win has acted in three films. “Kool Nahi Hot Hai Hum” that was released last year. Her two more movies, “Faraar” and “Choore Pe Moore,” are set for release this festive season of November and December 2009.

She has signed contracts for another four Bollywood films. These are big budget films to be shot in Germany , Austria and Russia and for each film, Sandar will spend 40 days in each country.

The journey of Sandar Win from Rangoon to Dubai and from Dubai to Mumbai is a story of luck by chance. Truly it’s a story of someone on whom destiny is bestowed.

Sudeep to direct Bollywood film

Sudeep is all set to work in his third Bollywood movie. This time, he will be directing a movie, a remake of his yet to be released 'Just Maath Maathalli'.

Sources say, he has already narrated the story to Shahid Kapur and Riteish Deshmukh and that both the actors were thrilled to be part of the project. The rest of the team is yet to be finalised and Sudeep will start on the project once the Kannada version is released.

Meanwhile, the actor is getting ready for a journey to Germany for the last schedule of 'Just Maath Mathalli'. The shooting would be concluded by this month end and Sudeep is planning to release the film in October.

Lara Dutta, latest Bollywood entrant on Twitter

After Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and Mallika Sherawat, Bollywood actress Lara Dutta is the latest celebrity to enter the world of Twitter.

The former Miss Universe, who is currently shooting for her upcoming film 'Housefull' that also stars Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Jiah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, was helped by her co-star Riteish in setting up the Twitter account.

"Hiya! Just set up my account with help from RD on the sets of Housefull! Very excited!," Lara wrote in her first tweet on the micro-blogging website.

Riteish also expressed his happiness on Lara's entry in the world of Twitter.

"Guys. just got Lara on twitter.@DuttaLara," the 'Hey Baby' actor wrote on his webpage.

However, 'Housefull' director Sajid Khan was not too happy with the 'Twitter' activity on the sets of his film.

Shahid Kapoor finds it difficult to be friends with ex-lover

Mumbai: Bollywood's chocolate boy Shahid Kapoor is on top of the world with the success of his latest released ‘Kaminey'.

The actor has come a long way from his chocolate boy image in ‘Ishq-Vishq' to the new rugged avtar in Kaminey. The actor has wooed the audience with his acting prowess. The hard work that he has put in to shape up his body for the film has also been appreciated.

In a recent interview he was non-committal when quizzed about his link up with Priyanka Chopra. He said he doesn't want to discuss his personal life at the moment. When asked whether he would like to work with Kareena Kapoor again he said if required he will.

Shahid did mention that it is difficult to be friends with ex-lover. It all depends on the kind of break-up one had.

And his being the most talked about break-up so far must be making him uncomfortable.

SRK's detention in US to be taken up by India

The detention of Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan at an American airport continued to spark outrage in the country with the Government saying the action was "offensive" and unacceptable and that it will "strongly" take up the issue with the US.

"We will take the issue with the United States government strongly. Such incidents involving Indians due to their religion or nationality should not happen... we will not accept it," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Patel told reporters in Bikaner.

Tweeting in the social networking site 'Tweeter', Minister of state for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said, "we all found it offensive".

Tharoor however said SRK himself spoke about the matter with "great dignity."

"This also happens to 100s of innocent Muslims daily who don't have 1 billion people (population) to stand up for them. Raises real qsns( questions) about US procedure."

But star cricketer Harbhajan Singh had a different take. Singh said he cannot understand the fuss about Shah Rukh's grilling which he described as a 'routine' affair.

Harbhajan said he has undergone numerous checking and screening procedure and never found anything wrong with it.

"I don't know what exactly happened there. But I just heard that he was detained for two hours which I think is a routine procedure. You people have made it a big news," the off-spinner told reporters after laying the foundation for a cancer research institute in Baruipur in West Bengal.

Harbhajan said Shah Rukh deserved respect as a public figure but screening is a routine procedure followed in airports across the world.

"They check everybody. Even I was checked and screened a number of times. It's a routine procedure," he said, before adding "however, SRK is a public figure and he should be respected."

At 43, Salman Khan still gets beaten up by mom

NEW DELHI - Salman Khan has often made headlines for getting into verbal and physical fights, but very few known that the 43-year-old Bollywood star still gets beaten up by his mother Salma.

“As a child, Salman was very naughty He used to get the most beating…still does,” Salma told choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan on her soon-to-be-launched celebrity chat show “Tere Mere Beach Mein” going on air on STAR Plus Sunday.

When Farah asked “Is it just a pat?”, Salman, who was the first celebrity guest for the show, said: “Are you mad or what? It comes as such a phatak (tight slap)…I reel under its heavy impact and wonder where it came from! I tell her that how can you beat me mamma, I’m a grown up man now.”

Some of the actor’s best kept secrets were also unravelled on the show. For instance, she revealed that she still stays up waiting for him at the window till he returns home. Salma said that all her kids tease her for this habit.

“They say that the building doesn’t need a watchman with me keeping guard all night,”

iDhun.tv - The one-stop Site for Bollywood Music Videos and Gossip

iDhun.tv offers the latest Bollywood gossip, news and music videos from evergreen gems to the hottest chart toppers. An extensive search, personalised playlists, exciting contests and place for friends to share put the site high up on the popularity graph.

London, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/11/2009 -- Are you looking for Hindi movie songs? Want to catch up on the latest Bollywood gossips? iDhun.tv is here to satisfy all your Bollywood quests. With its vast repertoire of over 10,000 Bollywood hits spanning across eras and artists, the site is already achieving a great volume of video-hungry viewers. Unique features like four channels, diverse user playlists and a comprehensive search are the underpinning highlights of the site.

The promoters of iDhun.tv, undeniably proud of their offering, says, “The website has great potential for NRIs settled in US, UK, Canada and other Eastern and Western countries, who unanimously love their Indian roots, especially the music.”

The site has one of the fastest growing online collections of Hindi songs and music videos, providing Bollywood news and gossip on a sizzling platter. Featuring channels like Bollywood Masala, Behind the Scenes and Bollywood Now, the site puts the viewer right in the middle of all the fervent action. One can watch old Hindi movies videos, listen to Hindi songs and take a peek at the latest scandals and masala news.

http://www.iDhun.tv allows users to create unique profiles wherein they can store playlists of their favourite videos and invite friends to register. The videos are sorted according to artists, actors, eras, albums and composers. All aided by a search option that makes it very easy to locate a particular video, one is looking for. The site also features special sections dedicated to artists in limelight. One such section is the currently featured Rahman Rocks for A.R. Rahman. Registered users can win goodies like autographed CDs and much more by referring friends to the website.

iDhun.tv not only satisfies the appetite for Bollywood songs and videos, but is visually appealing and user-friendly. With just a few clicks of the mouse, users can get the key to the unparalleled treasure chest of all things of Bollywood. The website has gained popularity among the Bollywood lovers within a short time owing to its easy search features and exclusive videos of the latest buzz in B-town.

About iDhun.tv:

iDhun.tv is UK based Bollywood portal targeted at South Asian ex-pats residing in USA, UK, Canada and other countries. The site is making waves with Indian online music lovers with a massive collection of old and new Hindi movie song videos.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Down With Swine Flu?

News from the Bachchan household appears to be a little glum over the past few days. Wild rumors are flying rife that the Bachchan “Bahu” (daughter-in-law) is down with the latest fear that has gripped the subcontinent, the swine flu. Seemingly, even the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has not been spared.

Fans of the former Miss. World and popular Bollywood actress are much worried about her present state of health. Reportedly, she is down with a bout of flu like symptoms, that is giving the Big B a lot to worry about. In fact, so worried has he been regarding the present condition of his world famous daughter-in-law, that he has taken to sharing his distress with his fans and well-wishers.
His blog reportedly displayed the post for public viewing on Saturday from Singapore, “Aishwarya has taken ill and is down with chest infection and flu like symptoms. She had a high fever yesterday, but is settling down today.”

The 66 year old Amithabh Bachchan is presently in Singapore with his friend, the Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who is undergoing medical supervision there. “It’s worrying to be so far away from children and not be there to look after them. Yes, they are mature and married and responsible, but children will always remain children.”

However, it remains to be validated by authentic sources whether or not the “flu like symptoms” have been tested positive for the H1N1 virus and confirmed the Big B’s worst fears. Reportedly, the reason for the illness of the 35 year actress has stalled the shooting of the Mani Ratnam directed venture “Ravana.”

Looking like a lean, mean machine, Saif Ali Khan fresh from the success of his latest film, is positively

“This is the biggest hit in my 20-year-old career,’’ he says, “but I’m very grounded because somewhere at the back of my mind I have these niggling thoughts about the law of averages catching up. All that blah on ‘what goes up must come down’.’’

Absolutely unperturbed by the mixed reactions to his film, Saif says, “There are some people who didn’t like the film. Earlier on it would have bothered me since this is my first production. But I think overall you have to understand that this medium is open to criticism and people must be allowed to express their opinion. Now I can take the barbs on my chin. To make everyone happy is a tough call.’’

And to critics who felt Jab We Met — director Imtiaz Ali’s earlier project with Kareena Kapoor — was better, Saif says, “I myself loved JWM when I saw it for the second time. It was a younger, very entertaining film that dealt with two people who ran away from home and found each other. My film is like an older wine. It is different.’’ He’s spending his birthday with Kareena in the US. Is there something special he’d like tomorrow? “Yes, I have given my list of electronic toys to people who are close to me,’’ he says. At 39, Saif is still a boy at heart, and films apart, toys and a certain Ms. KK do make his world go around.

Saif Ali Khan : Celebrity Astro Numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi´s Birthday Predictions

Riding high on the success of ‘Love Aaj Kal’, the suave and sophisticated Saif Ali Khan celebrates his birthday on August 16. Celebrity astro numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi predicts what’s in store for him in days to come ?. “ Saif was born on 16th August, 1970 which makes him a Number 7 person in numerology. Being ruled by Number 7, he is also ruled by Number 2. Numbers 2 and 7 always go hand in hand. He is a Leo ( ruler Sun – Number 1 ) and his destiny number adds up to Number 5 ( Mercury ) ” explains Bhavikk. “ Saif has now entered his 40th year, which indicates not so good times for him ahead. After delivering a hit in ‘Love Aaj Kal’, his next release will be ‘Qurbaan’ where he is paired opposite his real life sweet heart Kareena Kapoor. The film will do just about average business and it will be Kareena who would walk away with most of the laurels for this movie. Not that Saif will be completely ignored, but he would not be able to claim all the accolades for this film ” predicts Bhavikk. Bhavikk continues “ On the personal front, marriage between Saif and Kareena is also not likely to happen so soon. Kareena was born on 21st September, 1980 which makes her a Number 3 ( Jupiter ). She is a Virgo ( ruler Mercury – Number 5 ) and her destiny number also adds up to Number 3 ( Jupiter ). Nos.3 and 7 ( Jupiter and Neptune ) do not gel well with difference of opinion being the main negative aspect. Although they share a common No.5 ( Mercury ) making them both communicative and frank about their feelings for each other ”. “ 2009 is a good for marriage for Saif while it is not for Kareena. If at all, they want to get married, then it must be before September 2010. But all said and done, Saif’s relationship with Kareena is not that great ” reaffirms Bhavikk. “ I would advise him to wear a Red Coral set in gold set in gold to stop unnecessary delays in his life ( whatsoever ) and to stay away from any health problems especially blood related ” concludes Bhavikk.

Ameesha rejects marriage proposal from her London-based boyfriend

SAIF Ali Khan and girlfriend Kareena Kapoor joined Shahrukh Khan, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif in Chicago for an Asian Day event to cele- brate the independence of India and Pakistan. All eyes on the ladies to see how they get along, Bips and Kats don’t get along because of their boy- friends but Bebo is cordial towards both. With Sallu and John Abraham absent, perhaps some patching up may occur. THIS Kat is on the move — she has landed a plumb role in Dostana 2 in which Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham will once again put on their comical gay act but this time with competition from another pink couple played by Arjun Rampal and Riteish Deshmukh. She also is being lined up for a Yash Raj production opposite Shahrukh Khan. SRK has spoken for the first time about his new film My Name is Khan, clarifying “it’s not about terrorism or 9/11. It’s about a relationship between two people, between an individual and the state and between an individual and the country. In short, there are the three important components: love story, Islam and a mild form of autism, which form the core of the movie.” 20th Century Fox is involved in talks to distribute it. GOVINDA and Salman Khan are poised for their third film in quick succession with a sequel to Partner set to roll and as far as Chi Chi is concerned, Sallu is the man! “Sal- man is the best person in the industry and his family is fabulous. When I was in trouble (after failing in politics), I call- ed David Dhawan and told him that I wanted to make a comeback. David contacted Salman and he gave me work. He also gave me a lot of love and respect. When you are insecure and need work, the environment that you work in matters a lot. I had debts and he stood by me and helped me out. That’s why I am thankful to him.” THE director of Love Aaj Kal, Imtiaz Ali, has revealed why newcomer Giselle Monteiro hardly spoke in his movie. She’s Brazilian and although she plays a demure Punjabi lass, she doesn’t know Hindi, nor can she do Indian dance “to save her life”. Monteiro approached Ali for the role of Saif Ali Khan’s European girlfriend but didn’t have the look he required. It was only after his wife suggested she may be suited to play Harleen that he decided to give her a break. Her two dialogues were easily dubbed but she had choreographer Saroj Khan pulling out her hair as she struggled to master the steps for the song. SAIF Ali Khan attributes the choice of a lion-head logo for his Illuminati Films banner to girlfriend Kareena. Bebo gifted him and his partner, Dinesh Vijan, a pair of silver lions on the day they initiated their office, as both are Leo’s and before long it became their official logo. Saif’s convinced that Bebo’s turned his life around, pointing out that Love Aaj Kal did better business than Singh Is Kinng abroad and just marginally less than Ghajini in India. If he wants to repay her, he should start by buying a house in the Alps as Bebo is keen to settle in Switzerland. She reckons, “If Johnny Depp can stay in Paris and work in Los Angeles, then surely I can stay in Switzerland and work in Mumbai or wherever it is that I am required to be.’’ PRIYANKA Chopra has racked up a following of some 22000 followers on Twitter in just a month, overtaking Mallika Sherawat (12000) and Gul Panag (13000) who got in before her. Although Mallika may be trail- ing right now, one thing that she can boast about is that she was the first Asian star to be invited to Twitter’s HQ in San Francisco. In another first for the buxom babe, the Los Angeles City Council has declared her an honorary citizen. All that for someone who isn’t even a Bollywood A grader, proof that it’s not what you know... TWITTER has its downside too — just ask Sonam Kapoor. She reflected recently on how much she enjoyed a meal of butter chicken and biryani which came back to bite as it led to this subsequent tweet, “I am in major trouble. Apparently my updates are also checked by my trainer, who read my messages about biryani and butter chicken. He got me!” WORD around Tinseltown is that Rani Mukerjee has donned a bikini in her comeback movie Dil Bole Hadippa opposite Sha- hid Kapur. If it’s true, it’ll totally eclipse the scenes in which she dresses up as a boy to join Shahid’s cricket team. Rani’s been working out with Satyadev Chaurasia who gave Aamir Khan his Ghajini look and is keen to show off the results “if the role requires it”, off course. Rani’s comeback will continue with Ashutosh Gowariker’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se, a period film about the Chittagong Uprising of 1930, based on Manini Chatterjee’s acclaimed novel Do and Die. SHAHID Kapur’s moving out of the building in Mumbai’s Versova suburb where former girlfriend Priyanka Chopra also owns an apartment. No sinister reason, just that he needs a more spacious pad although it could be that he wants to get away from his folks as his father Pankaj resides a floor be- neath him and his mother, Neelima Azim, is also close by. JOHN Abraham gave girlfriend Bipasha Basu an assortment of expensive light fittings for her new apartment. According to Bips, he imported all the chandeliers and light fixtures that she liked from Spain and Italy and had them installed just before she took occupation. HAVING dropped her surname Patel, Ameesha isn’t ready to add on another one just yet and has turned down a proposal from her London-based tycoon boyfriend Kanav Puri. Although she is committed to the relationship, marriage isn’t on the agenda as she wants concentrate on her career. The couple are currently conducting a long- distance relationship as Puri is in London. If Ramadaan is a time for fasting, then Eid is a time for feasting, but for Salman Khan’s it will be a time for fisting as Boney Kapoor’s long- delayed Wanted is set to release. Sallu stars opposite Ayesha Takia in this Pokiri remake, directed by dance master Prabhu Deva, who used his choreographing skills to devise some thrilling fight sequences. Sallu plays a goon who carries out all his master’s instructions without asking questions. After God Tussi Great Ho and Yuvvraaj, a hit at the box office is where he really needs it. There must have been a major catastrophe worse than “hell or high water” because Kandhasamy will now be releasing worldwide on August 21, a week later than last announced. At the last media conference, director Susi Gan- esan and producer Kalaipuli S Dhanu announced that “come hell or high water, Kandha- samy will release on August 15. The latest delay has been attributed to final editing and the signing of agreements for international release. The film will release across more than 950 screens, a new Indian record. Vikram saw the film at a special screening a week ago and said it would compare favourably with any Hollywood film. Will Kandhasamy release on the South African circuit? If there is any Tamil film that should release in South Africa this year, it should be Kandhasamy. The delay in the release of Kandhasamy will mean that Cheran’s Pokkisham will now enjoy a solo release on August 14. Widely touted as the sequel to the record-breaking Autograph, Pokkisham sees Cheran and Padmapriya in the lead roles. The success of this film is crucial to Cheran whose Maya Kannaadi was a colossal flop. His last film, Raaman Thediya Seedhai saw Cheran share the lead with Nithin Sathya and he must now prove he had what it takes to be a solo lead star. Following the entry of Radha’s daughter to films, another yesteryear actress is getting ready for the introduction of her daughter to films. Sri Devi, who was a firm favourite with audiences from the late 1970s through to the 1980s, is looking at scripts to launch her daughter, Jhanvi, in a Telugu film. Sri Devi started her film career as a child artist and her many film credits as a child artist included Sivaji Ganesan’s Vasantha Maaligai and MGR’s Nam Naadu. As an adult, she ruled Kodambakkam in the 1980s with a string of hit films that included 16 Vayathiniley, Kavari Maan and the national-award winner Moondraam Pirrai (dubbed into Hindi as Sadma) before moving to the North and conquering Bollywood with her stunning looks and unrivalled talent. By a remarkable coincidence, while Radha’s daughter is to make her debut opposite Nagarjunna’s elder son, Sri Devi’s daughter will make her debut opposite Nagarjunna’s younger son. Is there romance brewing between Sandhya and Saandhanu Bhagyaraj? The two have been seen a lot in each other’s company until Saandhanu commenced work on his Telugu film. A family friend said that Sandhya and Sanadhunu’s sister, Saranya, were close friends and that is the reason that the two of them have been seen together. Could this have anything to do with Sandhya’s recent announcement that she would not like to continue her acting career after marriage? (Nudge-nudge-hint-hint.) The computer graphics team from Hollywood’s The Lord of the Rings will test their skills in the forthcoming Tamil film Ponnar Shankar. Prasanth plays the lead role in this film penned by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. The team have a plan to transform Kushbu into a 16-year-old girl (That I’ve got to see!) and Jayaram into a 20-year- old youngster. I wonder if this is now going to prolong the shelf life of our superstars who still want to play 20-something characters in their films.

Life Partner (2009)

Life Partner: Timepass flick

Rating: 2.5 out of 5*

Starring: Govinda, Fardeen Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, Genelia D’Souza, Prachi Desai, Darshan Jariwala and Amrita Rao in Sp.App

Director: Rumi Jaffrery

‘Marriage’ is the union of two souls in a bond, which lasts a lifetime. Though practically, there is far too much that goes into actually managing a ‘marriage’. This is what ‘Life Partner’ is all about in a nutshell.

It is a story about three friends, Karan (Fardeen Khan) for whom ‘Love marriage is the perfect bet’, Bhavesh (Tusshar Kapoor) who does not believe in the concept of ‘Dating’ and prefers an arranged set up and then there’s Jeet (Govinda) a divorce lawyer who believes in ‘No marriage’. Karan’s and Bhavesh’s lives turn upside down when they marry their respective partners, Sanjana (Genelia D’souza) and Prachi (Prachi Desai) and how they re-affirm their faith in the institution of marriage is what the rest of the film all about.

Turning producers, director duo Abbas Mustan have not left any stone unturned from giving the film a grandiose look. Wish they were equally charged about promoting the film as there is no buzz around the movie. The locales of Cape Town are eye catching and Sameer Arya’s cinematography makes it look so much better.

Writer-Director Rumi Jaffery has already proved his prowess in writing in the past and after seeing this film one can easily say that his craft in direction is equally good as far as films of this genre are concerned. But the screenplay (Yunus Sajawal) suffers on many counts as the film starts off well, dips intermittently, gathers momentum in the second half and drops again during pre-climax and climax. Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are funny at most places and tickle your funny bone at most occasions. Less said about Pritam’s music the better. We also wonder how could a master lyricist like Javed Akhtar could come up with such mediocre work. Though each of the song numbers have been shot well, there is not a single song you want to carry home or even hum around. Watching Kuke Kuke number is fun because of Govinda and Genelia’s histrionics. Editing by Sanjay Sankla needs some serious trimming especially in the second half.

Fardeen Khan has by now got comfortable with the camera and it shows. Tusshar suits in his part well and does full justice to it. Genelia looks cute but her dialogue delivery needs to be improved. Prachi Desai is very likeable and gives an earnest performance. Govinda once again plays to the gallery and succeeds in evoking laughter. Anupam Kher is like always, ever dependable. Vikram Gokhale and Darshan Jariwala are sincere in their respective roles. Amrita Rao in a guest appearance as a bar girl fails to create any impact again with her miniscule clothing.

All said and done, Life Partner can be a good fun filling experience this weekend (if you are not living in Mumbai) and can be watched along with your partner. For those who are still single, it teaches you the repercussions of having one in your life. So, be prepared!

Dan-Te-Nan Life Partner brush shoulders with Kaminey

Last week again saw a huge dip in the business at the box-office with Chal Chalein, Teree Sang and Agyaat falling flat on expectations. Love Aaj Kal is still ruling the roost, but it has a huge competition ahead with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey releasing this Friday. Kaminey has already created buzz and let’s see what is in Kaminey that promises to click at the box-office, along with Life Partner and Mohan Das-A Man Lost In His Own Nation.

Kaminey: Dan-Te-Nan… Kaminey, indisputably, the most awaited film of the year will hit the silver screen this Friday. Everything about this film is so well placed, which makes it a huge contender for Love Aaj Kal, which is the only film in the recent past that has created waves all over. Shahid Kapoor is to attempt something, which has never been ventured by the so-called ‘Hero’ of an Indian film, and Amol Gupte will wear actor’s cap after a huge gap, this has created a surplus of expectations. Music does not need a mention because the name Vishal Bhardwaj explains it all. On the whole Kaminey has a huge potential to work wonders despite the terror of SWINE FLU, which is withholding cine-goers to enter cinema halls.

Life Partner: Life partner has a fair chance to divide the attention of cinema lovers, if et all it proves to be rich in content. So, this film needs tremendous word-of-mouth publicity, because promos don’t look appealing, considering the ‘thakeli’ star cast. The amazing part of Life Partner is that it is a female-driven film, unlike other films where the Hero pulls the audiences inside the halls. The selection of Prachi Desai and Genelia D’ Souza has given tremendous boost to the film for it has a potential to attract male-fans. Overall, the situation is very uncertain for this film, and as said earlier, good amount of word-of-mouth is necessary for it to survive.

Mohan Das- A Man Lost In His Own Nation: Nothing can save this film from the poor fate of drowning in anonymity. Mohan Das- A Man Lost In His Own Nation lacks promotion big time. It will prove to be another Chal Chalein, which will come and go without a mention. For everyone’s information the film directed by Mazhar Karman has Sonali Kulkarni, Nakul Vaid and Sushant Singh in the lead roles.

Indian Star Questioned At Airport, Raising Ire

NEW DELHI, Aug. 15 -- One of India's biggest movie stars said he was detained and questioned at Newark Liberty International Airport early Saturday, causing outrage across his home country and reigniting discussion of the hardships many Indians say they face while traveling abroad.

Shah Rukh Khan, 43, known here as the King of Bollywood, was on his way to Chicago for a parade later Saturday to mark India's Independence Day when immigration officials at Newark pulled him aside and interrogated him. The star of scores of top-grossing films was released after Indian consular officials vouched for him.

"I was really hassled -- perhaps because of my name being Khan," he said in a text message to reporters in India. "These guys just wouldn't let me through."

Khan recently finished a shoot in the United States for his upcoming film, "My Name Is Khan," which happens to be about a Muslim's harrowing experience with racial profiling. Khan told reporters that in real life he "felt angry and humiliated."

Jen Friedberg, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said the agency did not request that Khan be detained, the Associated Press reported.

A spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection said Khan was questioned for 66 minutes as part of the agency's routine process to screen foreign travelers and was not detained, the AP reported.

The incident followed another recent example of an Indian coming under suspicion for what talk show pundits here call "flying while brown." Last month, Continental Airlines apologized to former Indian president Abdul Kalam for frisking him at the New Delhi airport.

News of Khan's detention broke on a day of national pride, marked by parades, family picnics and girls wearing bangles in green and orange -- the colors of the Indian flag. News channels aired nonstop coverage of Khan's troubles, along with reactions from Bollywood A-listers, civil rights officials and security experts, some of whom defended the questioning in a post-9/11 world.

U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer released a statement Saturday saying the American government was "trying to ascertain the facts of the case -- to understand what took place."

"Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States. Many Americans love his films," Roemer said.

India's information and broadcasting minister, Ambika Soni, suggested that Americans should be treated the way Khan was when they arrive in India.

"There have been too many instances like these in the U.S. concerning Indians," Soni said on television.

Actress Priyanka Chopra, a friend of Khan's, expressed on Twitter a widely held view: "Its such behavior that fuels hatred n racism. SRK's a world figure for Gods sake. GET REAL!!" But not everyone appeared upset.

Meghnad Desai, an Indian-born economist, member of Britain's House of Lords and author of books on Indian cinema and globalization, joked in an interview in New Delhi that the whole thing seemed like a publicity stunt for Khan's new film.

"The U.S. government was an inadvertent accomplice to 20th Century Fox, which is investing millions in this movie," he said.

"This was a no-no for India-U.S. relations."