Another Bombay film industry tragedy — Raj Kiran

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It was an unwelcomed plan by destiny. He played the supportive friend to Shabana Azmi in Mahesh Bhatt’s Arth, and made Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho a legendary song with the actress. The actor Raj Kiran, who can immediately be recalled as the one who played Rishi Kapoor’s ‘pre-incarnation’ in Subhash Ghai’s Karz was at the peak of his career in 1970s and 80s, went missing for almost a decade and then later was assumed dead even by friends.

While most had accepted the worst, acquaintance Rishi Kapoor didn’t give up.

Abhishek Bachchan is new Yuva Biradari president

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YUVAK BIRADARI

Mumbai, May 29 : Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan was sworn-in as the new president of non-political voluntary youth movement ‘Yuva Biradari’. Bachchan will be aided by new vice-president, actor Ritesh Deshmukh and industrialist Ashutosh Shirke, who will be full-time director general of the organisation. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony here yesterday, Bachchan said he was hesitant to take up such an important post, when offered by film director and member Trustee Council of Yuva Biradari, Ashutosh Gowarikar.

Hema Malini’s Tell Me O Khuda

Screen piece on Abhishek

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He’s presently shooting in Russia for Abbas-Mustan’s Players. It’s a fast-paced action flick and the gruelling action scenes not only required Abhishek Bachchan to build up a brand new physique, but will also have him jumping across moving boats and slithering down cliffs while chasing baddie Neil Nitin Mukesh. In the recent past, Abhishek has been experimenting with several genres. After being seen in edge-of-the-seat thrillers like Game and Dum Maaro Dum, the actor is now focussing on some hardcore action. But soon he will turn his sights on comedy. Abhishek, who had the audience rolling on the floor with his portrayal of a pretentious gay in the light-hearted Dostana, is now getting ready to dish out more laughter.

The rules of succession… a note on Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki

Raj Khosla’s Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki is a cleverly disguised film about the fall of the princely states and the ascension of the republic. Masquerading as a female-centric plot about the lifelong respect that the wife of a Rajput develops for her husband’s courtesan-mistress, the film actually confronts the idea of a post-independenceIndia, and the struggle of the princely states to come to terms with the loss of power.

Faces You Didn’t Know (Outlook)

thanks to Iamthat…
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“In much the same manner, a few months ago, a young girl-next-door with confidence and poise made the audience take note of her in Tanu Weds Manu. And no, we are not talking about Kangana Ranaut but the girl who played her friend, 26-year-old Swara Bhaskar. Her great screen presence and wonderful voice made her stand out in stark contrast to the gauche heroine. In a big-star production like Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum, 30-year-old Bangalore actor Gulshan Devaiah demanded attention in the throwaway role of drug-peddler Ricky. Twenty-nine-year-old Arjun Mathur impressed with sensitivity and sincerity in the role of Rahul Bose’s lover in I Am. The viewers of Shor in the City came out talking about kohl-eyed stunner Radhika Apte, in the role of a simple, young bride who also happens to be a Paulo Coelho fan. The film also had the mercurial, hyper-energetic tapori Mandook, played by a little-known actor from Bhubaneshwar, 27-year-old Pitobash. And 26-year-old Raj Kumar Yadav, a talent Dibakar Banerjee discovered in his edgy Love, Sex and Dhokha, lived up to the promise as the hero of Ragini MMS, a surprise hit.

You may wonder who they are, you may not be able to put a name to their faces, but each of these actors would have lingered on in your mind much after you walked out of that multiplex. A far cry from larger-than-life, 70-mm wattage stars. Not into multi-crore endorsements. Young, real, like you and me, they are the real triumphs of the recent bunch of Hindi films.”

for more follow the link…

Barcelona beat Man United 3-1

Chennai win IPL4!!!

FIXTURES

Super days: A remembrance of Bollywood past

Book Link
thanks to Iamthat…
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The year 1976. After being chucked out of college for not wanting to study Chaucer, I embarked on the contrarian option and set about publishing a popular film magazine. My dreams of becoming an academic, possibly a philologist, had been rudely interrupted by karma, kismet and the soon-to-be defrocked Sister Aquinas, principal of Jesus and Mary College, New Delhi.

Nothing much at the box office! (last week’s post updated)

last week’s thread

Bachchan and Nana possibly in different versions of Manjrekar’s Natsamrat film adaptation

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Two aging yet towering and passionate actors in their respective cinemas, Amitabh Bachchan and Nana Patekar have been roped in to portray the same Shakespearean actor on the big screen adaptation of VV Shirwadkar’s Marathi play Natsamrat. Mahesh Manjrekar who has considerable experience in both Hindi and Marathi cinema, will direct the film in the two languages with the two different stars.

Robot sequel in the works?

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It has been only about six months since Rajinikanth’s Robot (Enthiran) released and news of the film’s sequel is already doing the rounds. Director Shankar is expected to start work on the script after he wraps up the Tamil-Telugu remake of the Aamir Khan-hit, 3 Idiots.

Special effects technician V Srinivas Mohan, who won his third National Award for Robot, confirms the news. “Shankar sir is busy at the moment, but after he wraps up his current project, we will speak about it. Of course, Rajni sir will be back, if and when Robot returns.”

Noukadubi trailer

A song I was reminded of (underrated)

gf – hope ya like it

Ready trailers (updated)

Mahesh Babu with Puri Jagannath for ‘The Businessman’

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For the first time, Kajal Agarwal is set to co-star Mahesh Babu in a forthcoming film by Puri Jagannath titled – The Businessman (with the caption – Guns Don`t need Agreements). Venkat of RR Movie Makers is producing the film. Puri Jagannath said that he thought of doing a film with Mahesh Babu after the stupendous success of Pokiri. “For that, I patiently waited for the right script. Now, it has materialized. The present script is just apt for Mahesh and it will bring out a new angle from the actor. The narration and screenplay have been completed.”

Images from Ready (updated)

Tree of Life wins Palme d’Or at Cannes

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CANNES, France — In a strong year that was nearly eclipsed by off-screen scandals, the top prize for the 64th Cannes Film Festival was given to “’The Tree of Life,” the long-awaited film from the American director and writer Terrence Malick. A story about transcendence that divided critics, who were alternately transported and turned off by its religious themes and elliptical storytelling, it is the first film from Mr. Malick since “The New World” (2005). The famously shy Mr. Malick did not appear to accept his award, which was introduced by Jane Fonda, who spoke in emphatic French before saying, “And maintenant, now, let’s cut to the chase.” The competition jury president, Robert De Niro, hurriedly announced the winner.

Panahi’s film smuggled into Cannes!

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Most prints for films premiering at Cannes are delivered to the Croisette by private helicopter, or clutched in the sweaty paws of their devoted directors. Jafar Panahi’s new film, This Is Not a Film, was smuggled into the country on a USB stick buried inside a cake posted from Iran to Paris.

Panahi, the virtuoso neo-realist who won a prize at Cannes for his debut, The White Balloon, in 1995, and, at 50, now has one of the most sagging mantlepieces in cinema, is currently stuck in Iran, awaiting the verdict of his appeal against a six-year prison term, and 20-year-ban on film-making, talking to the press and travelling abroad. The sentence was passed in December 2010, after the Iranian government accused him of “colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic”. Panahi denies the charges.

Lionel Messi: Boy Genius (NY Times)

for Jay and for Rooney…
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BARCELONA, Spain — Given a rare night on the Barcelona bench last Sunday, Lionel Messi yanked on the seat in front of him, hunched his shoulders over the chair back and kicked it with his cleats. He seemed not so much the world’s best soccer player as a restless kid in a movie theater.

He is 23, with a grown-up’s income reported to exceed $43 million this year. Yet Messi still has a boy’s floppy bangs, a boy’s slight build and a boy’s nickname, the Flea. Even the ball stays on his feet like a shy child clinging to his father’s legs.