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85 Responses to “Mickey Virus, the rest of the box office”
B.O. update: New releases start on dull note!
By Taran Adarsh, Octobe
Despite having diverse films being placed on the same platter, this week’s releases have started on a rather disappointing note at the ticket window. None of them have opened well at the box-office and by the look of it, most of them are likely to get exhausted before the weekend comes to a close.
In comparison, the opening of MICKEY VIRUS is slightly better. The opening has been in the range of 10% to 15%, which is expected to pick up during the evening/night shows. However, the increase is not expected to be substantial enough. Though Manish Paul has a huge fan following owing to his popularity on the small screen, the film will need a miraculous jump over the weekend to sustain at the BO.
It’s a known fact that the biz takes a dip during the pre-Diwali days, since the public is generally occupied in prepping up for the festivity. The audience is now looking forward to the Diwali biggie KRRISH 3, which is expected to take the BO by a storm.
Friday 25th October 2013 12.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Mickey Virus lead the new releases with a 15-20% opening on a decent release. Mickey Virus was probably the reason for the late postponement of Satya 2 as the makers of that film probably thought they would get the screens for good one week run but programmers went for Mickey Virus.
The other releases Dilli Gang, Ishq Actually, Sooper Se Ooper and Wake Up India were all dull with 0-5% starts. Isha Actually and Sooper Se Ooper being better than the other two.
Mickey Virus is the only film with a chance this week, it has good release of 6-8 shows on average at big city multiplexes so a pick up in the evening can give it a good one week run but thats it will get as the expected juggernaut Krrish comes next next Friday.
Friday 25th October 2013 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Boss collected around 46.75 crore nett in its extended nine day week which is 5.75 crore nett less than Besharam which had collected 52.50 crore nett over a similar period.
The film should have dominated till the release of Krrish but due its under performance, multiplex programmers have preferred to go for a film like Micky Virus this week which would not have got the release it has had Boss done well.
Boss could remain Akshay Kumar’s lowest grossing film of the year as Special 26 grossed 66.50 crore nett and Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara grossed 58.50 crore nett. It has no chance to reach the Special 26 number while the best case scenario is a 60 crore nett finish.
Bollywood celebrities return to mudslinging mode! 😛
@karanjohar
Just finished shooting the Promo for Koffee with Karan #KWK..will be out soon!!the steamy journey begins..Opening Episode..on the 1st of Dec
‘Dark is Beautiful’ movement takes on unfair India
Mumbai (AFP) – Looking to find a husband, make friends, and get ahead at work? Then you need to have lighter skin. That’s the all-pervasive message in India, and it’s something that one actress is fighting to overturn.
The new poster girl of the “Dark is Beautiful” campaign, Nandita Das, has called out India’s obsession with fair skin — a prejudice she says has driven some young women to the brink of suicide.
“Magazines, TV, cinema — everywhere being fair is synonymous with being beautiful,” Das told AFP.
Described as having “dusky” skin as opposed to a fair complexion, the 43-year-old is well used to Indian preoccupations with colour, and not just in the film industry, where she has refused requests to lighten her skin for roles.
“How can you be so confident despite being so dark?” is a question regularly asked of Das, who has preferred to star in unconventional, issue-based films but says she would struggle to get ahead in mainstream Bollywood movies.
In May, Das became the face of the Dark is Beautiful campaign, launched in 2009 by activist group Women of Worth to celebrate “beauty beyond colour”.
Her backing has helped to generate increasing debate in the media, but the response has underlined just how ingrained the preference is for fairer skin, which has long been associated with higher social classes and castes.
“I started getting tonnes of emails from young women pouring their heart out about how they were discriminated against. Some wanted to commit suicide because they couldn’t be fair,” she said.
Das found her own photograph had been lightened by a newspaper even for a feature on the campaign. When looking for a nanny, she was told one candidate was “good, but quite dark”.
Amid such pressures to be pale, India’s whitening cream market swelled from $397 million in 2008 to $638 million over four years, according to market researchers at Euromonitor International.
Skin-lightening products accounted for 84 percent of the country’s facial moisturiser market last year, their report shows.
The bias facing darker-skinned women was raised again in September when an Indian-origin woman, Nina Davuluri, won the “Miss America” contest in the United States.
“Had she been in India, far from entering a beauty contest, it is more likely that Ms Davuluri would have grown up hearing mostly disparaging remarks about the colour of her skin,” said an editorial in The Hindu newspaper.
“She would have been — going by the storyline of most ‘fairness’ cream advertisements — a person with low self-esteem and few friends.”
Last year, a commercial for an “intimate wash” to whiten vaginas emerged, showing a young Indian woman who uses the product to successfully regain her boyfriend’s attention.
The advert was widely panned, but a glance through matrimonial websites and newspaper columns suggests that fair skin, at least on a woman’s face, remains key to attaining an Indian husband.
Aspiring grooms often state in their adverts their preference for a fair bride, while nearly all women’s profiles describe their complexion as fair or so-called “wheatish”.
Ekta Ghosh, a fashion designer in Mumbai who specialises in wedding wear, said the message that only fair is beautiful had been passed down to Indian girls for generations.
“Parents, relatives, they all keep saying you should do something to lighten your skin tone,” she said.
India’s mass market whitening pioneer was “Fair & Lovely”, launched in 1975 by Hindustan Unilever and now selling in a range of other countries where pale skin is desirable, across Africa and the Middle East as well as Asia.
Indian consumer group Emami later came up with “Fair and Teen” for girls and “Fair and Handsome” for men.
Promoted by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the latest advert shows him tossing a tube of the cream from the red carpet to a young male fan.
Dark is Beautiful has launched a petition against the “irresponsible” video and its message that “fair skin is a prerequisite for success”.
So far more than 15,000 people have signed up in protest, but Khan has not responded.
“You’re telling people they’re just not good enough,” said Das, who describes whitening cream adverts in general as “so regressive and derogatory”.
Fairness cream producers suggest they help to boost users’ confidence, although both Emami and Hindustan Unilever declined to comment for this article.
Not everyone, however, is convinced such creams are even effective.
Receptionist Prachi Chawan, 28, said she had been using Fair & Lovely products for three years “out of habit”, but was yet to see noticeable results.
“There have been no side effects but no change either,” she said.
Das believes whitening cream developers did not create Indians’ colour bias and insecurities, but have “cashed in” on it, creating a “vicious circle”.
While men’s fairness products are gaining ground, the actress says women and girls still face far more pressure over their skin tone, which she puts down to a general lack of respect and inequality.
“Until we let women have the same space as men and treat them as human beings, all this will carry on.”
Akshay Kumar does what he can to keep things afloat, taking care of the action and the drama and the comedy, but unless you’re Amitabh Bachchan, these one-man circus shows are never a good idea.
Caught Gravity in Real 3D. Excellent stuff. Captain Phillips is next.
Broadway AMC on 84 street with its reclining seats ( smuggling in small wine bottles from a wine store across the street) is the way to watch. Am not sure if I can watch a movie in a theatre any other way now.
Many theaters in the city are lax about this stuff. Actually it’s harder to do this in the suburbs in many ways. Of course on a cold winter night you can smuggle in a small bottle in the right kind of jacket. They don’t search you!
I dont know if you guys have this where you live but here there are what is known as ‘dinner theaters’ . One can have dinner or a drink and watch a movie. Its not unheard of..not all participate for obvious reasons but it is popular here.
Thanks Margaret for the location info. I forgot, anything’s possible in hippie-land!! And that’s a good thing…Right from sex on the beach to coriander chutney to charlie sheen’s hump-a-thon to….
glad you watched it. And Real 3D is really the way to go here even moreso than IMAX. But beyond this its pointless to see this on a DVD or something. As you probably know it’s shown superb trending. Dropped just 21% over the second weekend and I think 28% over the third. Whether Hollywood or Bollywood films that truly strike a chord with the audience trend well even if for some this continues to be rocket science more complicated than the kind we see in Gravity!
Hope it wins Best Picture at the Oscars. As of now its only real competitor seems to be 12 Years A Slave.
And while Academy is hardly ever kind on these kinds of films, I do hope both Redford’s ‘All is Lost’ and Shane Carruth’s excellent small scale indie sci-fi film “Upstream Colour” can get some nominations- I have not seen the former yet, but the latter is easily one of the best films of the year apart from being my personal favourite.
I plan to watch All is Lost this weekend.. Might end up checking out 12 Years a Slave, more for the performances than anything else. I have less faith in these productions (on such subjects) even if I respect the director here.
Glad that you saw it. I happened to check out Johnnie To’s “Drug War”- have not seen an action thriller like this since ages. It’s better than everything Hollywood has produced in the genre of late. It is right up there with Greengrass’ Bourne films.
I saw Gravity. Visually it was a treat. Can’t say I have seen a film like this at all but it was probably a onetime watch for me overall.
Not that it did not disappoint as it really was a visual delight and one of the few 3D experiences like Avatar that really draws you into the world created, but felt the story was pretty boring. In fact, I suppose I was expecting a real thriller of sorts. The film almost makes you feel claustrophobic in the way it is shot. The movements, the space, the shuttle scenes are as one would imagine.
I think I preferred Captain Phillips overall. But Gravity is a movie experience and the best one since Avatar.
they say nasa has around 40% of person belonging to indian origin and one see glimpse when of the indian guy(part of mission) sings in beginning ” mera joota hai japani”( a song which was more popular in arch rival soviet union) and clooney quips of that jolly natured as the person went to harvard says it all
they here means government only and specifically said indian origin but still they say its around 30% in range ….
indian fascination is more to do with this…in 80’s when rakesh sharma went to space it was with russian team and here in movie indian origin was with u.s one shows how equation has changed
Apparently there is a 7+ min lesbian sex scene. Wonder what the director was thinking, since most guys climax in less than 2 mins. I guess he spared them the other 5 mins to go cleanup in the restroom…
Ha thanx- ‘length’ is not an issue..
Yeah this is an interesting theme -may catch it when get a breather…will revisit this space lol
Perhaps anu-sanju pairing for this ‘lesbian’ flick-jokin 🙂
Ok-talking of ‘coming of age’ flicks jus stumbled upon this–seems reasonable for 5 minuted but my interest was thwarted by the ice-maiden Carey mulligan!
–dunno can never like her
Having said that–may catch this film later for the soundtrack which sounds nice–
Amy may have seen this–any good?
Yeah Amy- managed to -watch15 minutes of ‘an education’
But seeing Carey Mulligan trying to pass off as a giggling 17 year old ‘imoressionable’ teenager was a bit too much, I guess…may give it another try later…
Actually if someone can somehow tolerate the highly irritating Carey mulligan, my reading is that film is v good and the soundtrack is effective…
Check it out oldgold, Amy and others-cheers
Haha nykavi -Btw now got some time to get my head round this one …
“Blue is the Warmest Color tells the tale of Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a 15-year-old high school student in Paris whose initial forays into the realm of sexual experimentation leave much to be desired. One day, she crosses paths with Emma (Léa Seydoux), an art student at a nearby college with a flashy blue ’do, and becomes infatuated with her. After a series of flirtatious encounters in the park, the two fall madly, passionately in love. All the brewing tension comes to a head in their first love scene: a seven-minute paroxysm of sexual desire replete with clawing, slapping, scratching, moaning, and howling. It’s feral.”
Wow –what a script-I would love to film it!! Lol
Perhaps those in self exile ‘taking care of each other types’ –a sanjana aka sanju will be taken as Adele and Anu for Emma 🙂
I saw chennai express finally. The movie is quite decent and has a good structure to it. Couple of comic scenes are good but it’s really the second half and love story which makes the movie watchable. Unlike the masala movie you get these days this has some thought put in it. But the shocking thing about the movie is how bad SRK has performed in the comic scenes. He is almost out of sync with the rest of the cast and he seems out of place. The comedy is loud and that is not his territory but he has no business acting so bad as the comedy itself were amusing if better acted. I would give this movie a 2.5 stars. Special mention to the songs which were quite nicely picturized. Overall rohit sherry has done a better job than usual but srk has disappointed big time. I got the feeling that many people would have got turned off with his performance and with a more competent act the movie could have trended better.
Actually one could have guessed right-away that SRK was way out of league in the comic stuff right from the promos..here’s one – check out at 0:13 regarding his ‘common man’ stuff..ham extraordinaire..
He was looking out of place and haggard right from the word go..
He is truly a director’s actor..but there are very few directors who can make a fine ‘actor’ out of him!!! Mani in DIL SE was one in a decade..
No I left out the strangeness bit because you clearly don’t mind it when it comes by way of steroids! OSO? That was haggard plus steroids!
There were a couple of pieces a year or two back which talked about pretty much every significant star taking them from Shahrukh to Shahid. But each case was somewhat different too. So here’s something from an HT piece:
“The editor of a popular health magazine, who did not wish to be named, told HT City, “When a super star, earlier known for his romantic roles suddenly got six pack abs for a movie, he relied heavily on medications burn fat. During the last two weeks before his shoot for a famous song, he had trouble even going to the loo because it would burn so much.”
They’re all taking these cocktails for various reasons. My larger point is that the debate here isn’t between haggard/natural and youthful/strange. It’s about choosing one’s strangeness! Which by the way includes these days the process of erasing wrinkles and so on digitally. More than one top star has done this! Of course it doesn’t apply to the younger ones.
Hey no need to feel so bad just because I brought up this older link.. It’s ok not to be an honest broker in these matters but one shouldn’t depend on the bad memory of others!
LOL about ‘older link’.
My response is to the *clip of CE* and the *latest* picture of Amir. I’m not digging graves or beating a dead horse here. You like doing that to confuse issues.
OSO doesn’t register because I hadn’t been paying attention to the Bollywood films at that time, and saw the film on a bad pirated link about a couple of years ago.
My comment is about that clip and what is going to come of Amir soon.
Yes but these issues didn’t come about yesterday. And nor did you start talking about them today! It’s part of the same continuum for these stars. I’m a fan of Aamir but I’m certainly not defending him on this score. Because I operate with the rather ‘quaint’ notion that facts can’t be argued with whether one is a fan or not. Nor are facts negotiable depending on the politics of others. One is certainly free to contextualize things differently. As long as one doesn’t deny the basic fact.
Context and facts are difficult to nail down when one looks at everything with “rose tinted glasses” for one thing and the saying “How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct” comes to my mind for another thing. The word denial is more apt.
SO shall we get back to the point under discussion?
Quoting An Jo
>***He was looking out of place and haggard*** right from the word go..
I am NOT talking in contiuum of ANYTHING!!!!
The defensiveness is endearing – but THIS above quote is all I’m talking about, and what is to come of the face of Amir next, most probably in PK as D3 seems to have done him up, and as a clown may have his face painted white all the time LOL.
DISCLAIMER: anything disussed by satyam or his supporter/supporters is not my point of discussion.
BA Pass is such a depressing movie…totally KhaamKhaan kee picchar , same with Ghanchaakar
so far my worst 3 movies of 2013- Go Goa Gone, Ghanchakkar and BA pass !
Bad Grandpa loks set to dominate this weekedn as it has already collected over 12m on Friday pushing Gravity to #2 at BO.
Counselor sounds like it is going to be a dud inspite of the star wattage.
Am trying to get tickets for this – if anybody has any ‘left-over’ ticket or any inkling as to how to get tickets at such a late hour, please enlighten..
Khan’s TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ earns him more accolades.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The America Abroad Media (AAM) will hold its Inaugural Awards Dinner next month in Washington, DC, and one of the three honorees at the event will be none other than actor Aamir Khan.
The AAM is seeking to honor individuals whose work, they feel, “exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower citizens about the critical social and public policy issues of our time.”
Khan is being honored for his work on the television show Satyamev Jayate (“Truth Alone Prevails”), a talk-show in which Khan sheds light on social problems in India that often get overlooked or ignored altogether by the Indian bureaucracy. Topics that the show has tackled over its 14-episode run include female infanticide, the dowry system, honor killings, the prevalence of the caste system, pesticide poisonings, and sexual abuse towards children.
The show even went the extra step of having special screenings held in poverty-stricken villages across India, so those with no access to television could still view the program – this was especially important because, more often than not, the show’s messages were aimed at poor rural areas such as these.
Khan is best known for his Bollywood films, which combine mass entertainment appeal with subtle social and cultural commentary. His 2009 film 3 Idiots was the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time until last month, and many of his films – such as Talaash (“Search”) (2012), Taare Zameen Par (“Stars on Earth”) (2007), and Lagaan (“Tax”) (2001), which received India’s most recent Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film – are routinely considered among the best in their respective years and deal with issues like prostitution, autism, and the subjugation of the poor.
The other honorees at the Dinner will be Hollywood director Kathryn Bigelow and The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC).
Bigelow is the Academy Award-winning director of last year’s Zero Dark Thirty, the controversial film that detailed the CIA’s decade-long pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, and the 2009 film The Hurt Locker, which won six Academy Awards including Best Picture of the Year. The Hurt Locker also made Bigelow the first (and thus far only) woman ever to receive the Academy Award for Best Director. Her films often deal with the military, government, and terrorism, and are known for their graphic and realistic depictions of violence.
The ICNC is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization. Founded in 2002, the ICNC aims to explore and implement non-violent strategies in defense of human rights and basic civil liberties around the world. Their work has been noted in crises throughout Africa and Asia.
The Dinner, which will take place on October 28th, will be moderated by Ann Hornaday, the renowned film critic for The New York Times. Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao will also be in attendance, as a co-chair. Ashok Kumar Mipuri, the Ambassador from Singapore, will also be present.
Monday 28th October 2013 09.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Mickey Virus had a poor weekend as it grossed around 4.75-5 crore nett in its first weekend. The film showed growth on Saturday but it was limited growth and collections on Sunday were just slightly higher than Saturday. The film fared best in the Delhi NCR belt.
The film has only another four days to collect with Krrish coming on Friday so its lifetime business will be in the 7-8 crore nett range.
The other releases of the week Amdavad Junction, Gang, Ishq Actually, Sooper Se Ooper and Wake Up India all failed to collect and will be additions to the long list of box office disasters in 2013.
Monday 28th October 2013 09.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Boss grossed around 4.25-4.50 crore nett in its second weekend. The business is down 80-85% from the first three days. The business after the second weekend stands at 49.50 crore nett.
The film was sold for fair prices wherever sold but will not be able top recover these prices. Rajasthan will be the best circuit which will do a share of 2.75 crore.
The lifetime business business of the film will be 52-53 crore nett which is lower than all the recent flops like Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara, Satyagraha and Besharam. The all India share will not even touch 30 crore.
After dominating the box office for three-straight weeks, Gravity fell to second place behind Jackass spin-off Bad Grandpa. Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s The Counselor became the latest October release to disappoint with an opening below $10 million.
At 3,336 locations, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa opened to a very strong $32 million. That’s the second-highest start in the Jackass franchise behind Jackass 3-D ($50.4 million); adjusted for ticket price inflation, Bad Grandpa’s attendance was about on par with the original Jackass: The Movie.
Moviegoers have clearly shown an appetite for comedy this year. Bad Grandpa is the fifth live-action comedy to open over $30 million in 2013, and that list doesn’t even include We’re the Millers or This is the End (which burned off demand with Wednesday openings).
Bad Grandpa’s success can be attributed to a number of factors. Even though it was a spin-off, the movie’s painful pratfalls and documentary-style footage aligned nicely with the very strong Jackass brand. Also, the movie had an easily-explainable, universally-related premise—everyone has had an inappropriate older relative, and it’s cathartic to get together and laugh about it. Finally—and most importantly—the previews were laugh-out-loud funny, which is the very basic key ingredient for comedy success.
Bad Grandpa’s audience was 56 percent male and 63 percent over the age of 25. In comparison, Jackass 3-D’s crowd was 61 percent male and only 33 percent over 25. The fact that Bad Grandpa skewed older and was more evenly split between genders suggests that it will play better long-term. While its “B” CinemaScore is nothing to write home about, it should still be on pace for a final total of at least $75 million.
In its fourth weekend, Gravity fell 32 percent to $20.3 million. That’s the movie’s steepest drop yet, though it’s still a fantastic hold for the acclaimed space thriller. To date, Gravity has earned $199.8 million, which ranks ninth on the year. While it’s going to lose most of its IMAX screens to Ender’s Game next weekend, Gravity is still on pace to earn at least $250 million by the end of its run.
It was smooth sailing for Captain Phillips in its third weekend. The movie eased 28 percent to $11.8 million, and has now grossed $70.1 million. It remains around $10 million ahead of Argo through the same point, and should get past $100 million eventually.
At 3,044 locations, star-studded thriller The Counselor opened to a very poor $8 million. That’s generally in line with other recent disappointing R-rated crime movies like Broken City ($8.3 million), Runner Runner ($7.7 million) and Killing Them Softly ($6.8 million), which also starred Brad Pitt.
The Counselor is the latest example of the limitations of “star power” at the box office. The movie was absolutely stacked with top-tier talent in front of and behind the camera—Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Pitt, director Ridley Scott, and writer Cormac McCarthy. Marquee names can only take a movie so far: for audiences to really invest, there needs to be an interesting story on display, and The Counselor’s vague allusions to a crime plot didn’t cut it. The nail in the coffin was the terrible reviews (35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), which likely kept some more discerning audiences away.
The Counselor’s audience was 51 percent female and 85 percent over the age of 25. They awarded the movie a terrible “D” CinemaScore, which suggests it’s going to have a very short run (a final total below $25 million is a guarantee).
Saw Captain Phillips. Liked it a lot, the main reason is Tom Hanks. Last few minutes he was pretty damn good…he knows how to push the emotional buttons! Eagerly waiting the release of Gravity here, heard its a hoot!
Gravity hasn’t yet released at your end? Quite surprised! The best way to watch Gravity is RealD 3D, next is IMAX.
Older comment on Phillips:
[Liked it a lot. A bit drawn out at points but gripping overall. More importantly a rather unsettling film for all the right reasons. And I must say this is one of the better performances from Tom Hanks. He’s especially good in some key scenes. The show stealer though is the young pirate leader. Some extraordinary closeups involving him. And Greengrass certainly is in top form. Leaving aside his obvious visual strengths he manages to produce real empathy in his narrative.]
Very similar thoughts. That younger pirate leader was good for sure…in some ways disturbingly so.
The close-ups of this film are so well shot, it makes you feel like your watching this stuff on the news – it felt quite real in some instances.
Think the final moments when the pirates are killed and Tom Hanks’ reaction was well done.
Also liked All is Lost a lot. Check this out if you get the chance. A smaller film so it might not be playing everywhere but it’s as effective as Gravity from the other end of the spectrum and shows definitively how you don’t really need SFX to produce an equally gripping narrative.
That’s called ignorance. But you can be excused. The people celebrating 100 years of cinema should know. And to forget about it at the very place where the first ever film from India won their award – is unforgivable.
Haha agree og
“But you can be excused. “– thanx madam for always being v ‘lenient’ toward me …
“I bet they were talking about Lagaan!! LOL!!”– ha
Btw have u seen neecha nagar..?
Of course I’ve seen neecha nagar!
This proves that you didn’t even read the review or else you’d have seen the link to the film on youtube. Anyway, here it is.
But of course you might not have the patience one develops due to not only interest, but love for old/vintage films , because of scratchy, dark prints.
Thank you Pooja Bhatt. You for sure have given a new twist to the saying that a woman might after all be a woman’s best friend!! As if it was not enough that we had Sunny in New Folder (1) and New Folder (2) ….New Folder (n), you had to bring them to no-sense-of-ratings Indian television and cinema..
Their contribution to Indian cinema will be carved in a memorable epitaph:
Here lie those women who managed to do with their clothes on with stark-equal effectiveness what they did without their clothes!!
=== TIME PASS OF INDIA===
British Playboy star Shanti Dyanamite, who will be seen flaunting her sexy toned figure in an upcoming Bollywood film, says she fell in love with Bollywood while growing up in India. The 21-year-old adult star is of Indian descent from Britain.
“While growing up in Indian culture, I fell in love with the world of Bollywood. My all-time favourite stars are Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Sridevi, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan and now I am going to be part of the great industry, I feel blessed,” said Shanti in a statement.
Shanti, who does adult chat shows for a UK television, began her career as a teenager, starting as a glamour model on the popular Hotel Voyeur, a Britain-based topless show. Her mother is a Punjabi and her father is a Greek and they got divorced when she was very young. Her mother brought her up single-handedly.
Her maternal grandfather was from Jalandhar, called Jullundur those days, and taken to Uganda by the British settlers among indentured labourers to develop railway lines and to work in coal mines. Shanti has a Twitter account with a name ‘Sofiya’. The account introduces her as ‘the first Punjabi to go topless on UK babeshows… an angel with a devil’s mind.’
A few years back, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who is one of the most respectable names in the movie business today, drew a lot of flak for his film Aks that starred Amitabh Bachchan, Raveena Tandon and others.
Even though the film is history now, the news is that Mehra now wants to re-edit the film for the DVD version of the same. Talking about this, he says that post the film’s theatrical release, one cannot go back to the shooting floor, but he can edit the film crisply and make the story telling more effective. He also added that the concept of re-editing offers the director a second chance to make the film more effective.
In fact post the release of his film Delhi 6, he re-shot it and changed the film’s ending to what was planned originally.
though it’s great to have someone in Bollywood finally think along these lines, director’s cut et al, the problem is that all of this doesn’t work without a DVD release! And we haven’t seen one on that version of D6 (it was screened in a few places).
This is great step .. don’t think Aks got any flaks from critics, yes it was commercially not successful given the flying start it had. But it was always considered as quite novel experimental movie with terrific performances. yes it has very loose script and screenplay and some psychic characters were cringe worthy for first time watch, but on repeat viewing I never complained. I consider it Bachchan best performance of last 15 years .. His act was stunning when Bajpayee soul gets in him.
‘Arrambam’- Amazing advance booking
By MOVIEBUZZ
Source : SIFY
Last Updated: Tue, Oct 29, 2013 12:17 hrs
Ajith’s eagerly awaited Vishnuvardhan directed Arrambam is getting ready for release worldwide in a record number of screens. The overseas digital discs and physical prints have been despatched from Chennai lab on Monday evening.
In the overseas market in many places Arrambam is releasing on October 30 evening with premiere shows, which has been sold out. In local Tamil Nadu market the film will start with early morning shows on Thursday (Oct 31).
There has been phenomenal advance booking for Arrambam in Chennai city and suburbs. Many of the multiplexes in outskirts of the city have dedicated all screens for the Ajith action entertainer. The film is sure to take an earth shattering opening.
On the face of it Arrambam has potential to take the biggest ever opening. It will be showcased in maximum number of screens on October 31 and November 1, which is enough to get that gargantuan opening. And even for Diwali weekend when there is opposition, the film has been sold out in multiplexes.
SATYAMSHOT 
October 25, 2013 at 6:24 AM
B.O. update: New releases start on dull note!
By Taran Adarsh, Octobe
Despite having diverse films being placed on the same platter, this week’s releases have started on a rather disappointing note at the ticket window. None of them have opened well at the box-office and by the look of it, most of them are likely to get exhausted before the weekend comes to a close.
In comparison, the opening of MICKEY VIRUS is slightly better. The opening has been in the range of 10% to 15%, which is expected to pick up during the evening/night shows. However, the increase is not expected to be substantial enough. Though Manish Paul has a huge fan following owing to his popularity on the small screen, the film will need a miraculous jump over the weekend to sustain at the BO.
It’s a known fact that the biz takes a dip during the pre-Diwali days, since the public is generally occupied in prepping up for the festivity. The audience is now looking forward to the Diwali biggie KRRISH 3, which is expected to take the BO by a storm.
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October 25, 2013 at 6:25 AM
Mickey Virus Leads New Releases
Friday 25th October 2013 12.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Mickey Virus lead the new releases with a 15-20% opening on a decent release. Mickey Virus was probably the reason for the late postponement of Satya 2 as the makers of that film probably thought they would get the screens for good one week run but programmers went for Mickey Virus.
The other releases Dilli Gang, Ishq Actually, Sooper Se Ooper and Wake Up India were all dull with 0-5% starts. Isha Actually and Sooper Se Ooper being better than the other two.
Mickey Virus is the only film with a chance this week, it has good release of 6-8 shows on average at big city multiplexes so a pick up in the evening can give it a good one week run but thats it will get as the expected juggernaut Krrish comes next next Friday.
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October 25, 2013 at 6:26 AM
Boss Has 46.75 Crore Extended Week One
Friday 25th October 2013 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Boss collected around 46.75 crore nett in its extended nine day week which is 5.75 crore nett less than Besharam which had collected 52.50 crore nett over a similar period.
The film should have dominated till the release of Krrish but due its under performance, multiplex programmers have preferred to go for a film like Micky Virus this week which would not have got the release it has had Boss done well.
Boss could remain Akshay Kumar’s lowest grossing film of the year as Special 26 grossed 66.50 crore nett and Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara grossed 58.50 crore nett. It has no chance to reach the Special 26 number while the best case scenario is a 60 crore nett finish.
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October 25, 2013 at 8:50 AM
Bollywood celebrities return to mudslinging mode! 😛
@karanjohar
Just finished shooting the Promo for Koffee with Karan #KWK..will be out soon!!the steamy journey begins..Opening Episode..on the 1st of Dec
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October 25, 2013 at 10:03 AM
MICKEY VIRUS public review –
LOL at the guy – Humko mobile theek se samajh mein nahin aata; hacking kya ghanta samajh mein aayega?
Bindaas bola bhai tumne; hats off to you
I have no more doubts that KRISSH will be a blockbuster..
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/more/videos/view/id/2188673
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October 25, 2013 at 11:24 AM
‘Dark is Beautiful’ movement takes on unfair India
Mumbai (AFP) – Looking to find a husband, make friends, and get ahead at work? Then you need to have lighter skin. That’s the all-pervasive message in India, and it’s something that one actress is fighting to overturn.
The new poster girl of the “Dark is Beautiful” campaign, Nandita Das, has called out India’s obsession with fair skin — a prejudice she says has driven some young women to the brink of suicide.
“Magazines, TV, cinema — everywhere being fair is synonymous with being beautiful,” Das told AFP.
Described as having “dusky” skin as opposed to a fair complexion, the 43-year-old is well used to Indian preoccupations with colour, and not just in the film industry, where she has refused requests to lighten her skin for roles.
“How can you be so confident despite being so dark?” is a question regularly asked of Das, who has preferred to star in unconventional, issue-based films but says she would struggle to get ahead in mainstream Bollywood movies.
In May, Das became the face of the Dark is Beautiful campaign, launched in 2009 by activist group Women of Worth to celebrate “beauty beyond colour”.
Her backing has helped to generate increasing debate in the media, but the response has underlined just how ingrained the preference is for fairer skin, which has long been associated with higher social classes and castes.
“I started getting tonnes of emails from young women pouring their heart out about how they were discriminated against. Some wanted to commit suicide because they couldn’t be fair,” she said.
Das found her own photograph had been lightened by a newspaper even for a feature on the campaign. When looking for a nanny, she was told one candidate was “good, but quite dark”.
Amid such pressures to be pale, India’s whitening cream market swelled from $397 million in 2008 to $638 million over four years, according to market researchers at Euromonitor International.
Skin-lightening products accounted for 84 percent of the country’s facial moisturiser market last year, their report shows.
The bias facing darker-skinned women was raised again in September when an Indian-origin woman, Nina Davuluri, won the “Miss America” contest in the United States.
“Had she been in India, far from entering a beauty contest, it is more likely that Ms Davuluri would have grown up hearing mostly disparaging remarks about the colour of her skin,” said an editorial in The Hindu newspaper.
“She would have been — going by the storyline of most ‘fairness’ cream advertisements — a person with low self-esteem and few friends.”
Last year, a commercial for an “intimate wash” to whiten vaginas emerged, showing a young Indian woman who uses the product to successfully regain her boyfriend’s attention.
The advert was widely panned, but a glance through matrimonial websites and newspaper columns suggests that fair skin, at least on a woman’s face, remains key to attaining an Indian husband.
Aspiring grooms often state in their adverts their preference for a fair bride, while nearly all women’s profiles describe their complexion as fair or so-called “wheatish”.
Ekta Ghosh, a fashion designer in Mumbai who specialises in wedding wear, said the message that only fair is beautiful had been passed down to Indian girls for generations.
“Parents, relatives, they all keep saying you should do something to lighten your skin tone,” she said.
India’s mass market whitening pioneer was “Fair & Lovely”, launched in 1975 by Hindustan Unilever and now selling in a range of other countries where pale skin is desirable, across Africa and the Middle East as well as Asia.
Indian consumer group Emami later came up with “Fair and Teen” for girls and “Fair and Handsome” for men.
Promoted by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the latest advert shows him tossing a tube of the cream from the red carpet to a young male fan.
Dark is Beautiful has launched a petition against the “irresponsible” video and its message that “fair skin is a prerequisite for success”.
So far more than 15,000 people have signed up in protest, but Khan has not responded.
“You’re telling people they’re just not good enough,” said Das, who describes whitening cream adverts in general as “so regressive and derogatory”.
Fairness cream producers suggest they help to boost users’ confidence, although both Emami and Hindustan Unilever declined to comment for this article.
Not everyone, however, is convinced such creams are even effective.
Receptionist Prachi Chawan, 28, said she had been using Fair & Lovely products for three years “out of habit”, but was yet to see noticeable results.
“There have been no side effects but no change either,” she said.
Das believes whitening cream developers did not create Indians’ colour bias and insecurities, but have “cashed in” on it, creating a “vicious circle”.
While men’s fairness products are gaining ground, the actress says women and girls still face far more pressure over their skin tone, which she puts down to a general lack of respect and inequality.
“Until we let women have the same space as men and treat them as human beings, all this will carry on.”
http://news.yahoo.com/dark-beautiful-movement-takes-unfair-india-054302388.html
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October 25, 2013 at 11:37 AM
was a fan of her in her movies and now fan of her as a person. much respect to ms. nandita das!
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October 25, 2013 at 2:36 PM
BR on BOSS..(posting it just for the last line!!)
Akshay Kumar does what he can to keep things afloat, taking care of the action and the drama and the comedy, but unless you’re Amitabh Bachchan, these one-man circus shows are never a good idea.
====================================================
SHAHID seems to be unmissable..
and now that BR has given his official signature, more folks here would go for this methinks..
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October 25, 2013 at 3:45 PM
LOL, that’s a great line!
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October 25, 2013 at 2:55 PM
Caught Gravity in Real 3D. Excellent stuff. Captain Phillips is next.
Broadway AMC on 84 street with its reclining seats ( smuggling in small wine bottles from a wine store across the street) is the way to watch. Am not sure if I can watch a movie in a theatre any other way now.
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October 25, 2013 at 3:40 PM
So the bottles were in your pockets? Because they search the bags if you are carrying them..
I smuggled a beer once and that was for Khiladi 786 – I was as pleased as I was when I watched Mukherjee’s Golmaal..
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October 25, 2013 at 3:44 PM
Many theaters in the city are lax about this stuff. Actually it’s harder to do this in the suburbs in many ways. Of course on a cold winter night you can smuggle in a small bottle in the right kind of jacket. They don’t search you!
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October 25, 2013 at 5:56 PM
Absolutely, no checking.
These have very limited capacity due to reclining seats. Reduces capacity by more than80%.
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October 26, 2013 at 8:37 AM
I dont know if you guys have this where you live but here there are what is known as ‘dinner theaters’ . One can have dinner or a drink and watch a movie. Its not unheard of..not all participate for obvious reasons but it is popular here.
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October 26, 2013 at 10:32 AM
‘Here’ is where?
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October 26, 2013 at 12:32 PM
There are some in US too but none in NY.
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October 27, 2013 at 8:36 AM
West Coast ..USA ….An Jo
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October 27, 2013 at 9:18 AM
Hey Maggie–if u haven’t tried sundance kabuki sfo—do check it out…
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October 27, 2013 at 2:34 PM
Thanks Margaret for the location info. I forgot, anything’s possible in hippie-land!! And that’s a good thing…Right from sex on the beach to coriander chutney to charlie sheen’s hump-a-thon to….
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October 25, 2013 at 3:43 PM
glad you watched it. And Real 3D is really the way to go here even moreso than IMAX. But beyond this its pointless to see this on a DVD or something. As you probably know it’s shown superb trending. Dropped just 21% over the second weekend and I think 28% over the third. Whether Hollywood or Bollywood films that truly strike a chord with the audience trend well even if for some this continues to be rocket science more complicated than the kind we see in Gravity!
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October 25, 2013 at 4:54 PM
Hope it wins Best Picture at the Oscars. As of now its only real competitor seems to be 12 Years A Slave.
And while Academy is hardly ever kind on these kinds of films, I do hope both Redford’s ‘All is Lost’ and Shane Carruth’s excellent small scale indie sci-fi film “Upstream Colour” can get some nominations- I have not seen the former yet, but the latter is easily one of the best films of the year apart from being my personal favourite.
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October 25, 2013 at 5:50 PM
I plan to watch All is Lost this weekend.. Might end up checking out 12 Years a Slave, more for the performances than anything else. I have less faith in these productions (on such subjects) even if I respect the director here.
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October 25, 2013 at 5:51 PM
by the way liked a Hijacking. Nice complement to Phillips. Would probably still take the latter over it though.
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October 26, 2013 at 8:46 AM
Glad that you saw it. I happened to check out Johnnie To’s “Drug War”- have not seen an action thriller like this since ages. It’s better than everything Hollywood has produced in the genre of late. It is right up there with Greengrass’ Bourne films.
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November 18, 2013 at 8:14 AM
I saw Gravity. Visually it was a treat. Can’t say I have seen a film like this at all but it was probably a onetime watch for me overall.
Not that it did not disappoint as it really was a visual delight and one of the few 3D experiences like Avatar that really draws you into the world created, but felt the story was pretty boring. In fact, I suppose I was expecting a real thriller of sorts. The film almost makes you feel claustrophobic in the way it is shot. The movements, the space, the shuttle scenes are as one would imagine.
I think I preferred Captain Phillips overall. But Gravity is a movie experience and the best one since Avatar.
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October 25, 2013 at 4:01 PM
watched it on 3d and its simply marvellous especially if one is gadget freak and has eye for details
spoiler:
best part was how lady got the motivation and belief to survive from hellucination
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October 25, 2013 at 4:14 PM
they say nasa has around 40% of person belonging to indian origin and one see glimpse when of the indian guy(part of mission) sings in beginning ” mera joota hai japani”( a song which was more popular in arch rival soviet union) and clooney quips of that jolly natured as the person went to harvard says it all
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October 25, 2013 at 4:20 PM
that is not a true (40%..) and some minister quoted it in parliament and was ridiculed when facts came out.
ps – http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-03-12/us/27742502_1_indian-origin-indian-parliament-indian-americans
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October 25, 2013 at 4:33 PM
they here means government only and specifically said indian origin but still they say its around 30% in range ….
indian fascination is more to do with this…in 80’s when rakesh sharma went to space it was with russian team and here in movie indian origin was with u.s one shows how equation has changed
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October 25, 2013 at 4:50 PM
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-22/science/43287125_1_isro-launch-date-maven
infact the climax and ending itself of the movie is quite open
spoiler:
wheather the character survived or not or was it all halucination evident where she landed and even just before that
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October 26, 2013 at 12:46 AM
Apex:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/25/inside-blue-is-the-warmest-color-and-the-year-s-most-controversial-sex-scene.html
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October 26, 2013 at 8:53 AM
the 3 hr length is too much for Apex for the sex scene.
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October 26, 2013 at 7:02 PM
Apparently there is a 7+ min lesbian sex scene. Wonder what the director was thinking, since most guys climax in less than 2 mins. I guess he spared them the other 5 mins to go cleanup in the restroom…
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October 26, 2013 at 10:03 PM
Ha thanx- ‘length’ is not an issue..
Yeah this is an interesting theme -may catch it when get a breather…will revisit this space lol
Perhaps anu-sanju pairing for this ‘lesbian’ flick-jokin 🙂
Ok-talking of ‘coming of age’ flicks jus stumbled upon this–seems reasonable for 5 minuted but my interest was thwarted by the ice-maiden Carey mulligan!
–dunno can never like her
Having said that–may catch this film later for the soundtrack which sounds nice–
Amy may have seen this–any good?
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October 27, 2013 at 9:27 AM
Yeah Amy- managed to -watch15 minutes of ‘an education’
But seeing Carey Mulligan trying to pass off as a giggling 17 year old ‘imoressionable’ teenager was a bit too much, I guess…may give it another try later…
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October 27, 2013 at 9:38 AM
Actually if someone can somehow tolerate the highly irritating Carey mulligan, my reading is that film is v good and the soundtrack is effective…
Check it out oldgold, Amy and others-cheers
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October 27, 2013 at 9:32 AM
Haha nykavi -Btw now got some time to get my head round this one …
“Blue is the Warmest Color tells the tale of Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a 15-year-old high school student in Paris whose initial forays into the realm of sexual experimentation leave much to be desired. One day, she crosses paths with Emma (Léa Seydoux), an art student at a nearby college with a flashy blue ’do, and becomes infatuated with her. After a series of flirtatious encounters in the park, the two fall madly, passionately in love. All the brewing tension comes to a head in their first love scene: a seven-minute paroxysm of sexual desire replete with clawing, slapping, scratching, moaning, and howling. It’s feral.”
Wow –what a script-I would love to film it!! Lol
Perhaps those in self exile ‘taking care of each other types’ –a sanjana aka sanju will be taken as Adele and Anu for Emma 🙂
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October 26, 2013 at 8:59 AM
Chennai Express and Hindi version of Makkhi are available on Netflix !!!
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October 26, 2013 at 9:06 AM
good to know..
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October 26, 2013 at 2:28 PM
I saw chennai express finally. The movie is quite decent and has a good structure to it. Couple of comic scenes are good but it’s really the second half and love story which makes the movie watchable. Unlike the masala movie you get these days this has some thought put in it. But the shocking thing about the movie is how bad SRK has performed in the comic scenes. He is almost out of sync with the rest of the cast and he seems out of place. The comedy is loud and that is not his territory but he has no business acting so bad as the comedy itself were amusing if better acted. I would give this movie a 2.5 stars. Special mention to the songs which were quite nicely picturized. Overall rohit sherry has done a better job than usual but srk has disappointed big time. I got the feeling that many people would have got turned off with his performance and with a more competent act the movie could have trended better.
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October 26, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Actually one could have guessed right-away that SRK was way out of league in the comic stuff right from the promos..here’s one – check out at 0:13 regarding his ‘common man’ stuff..ham extraordinaire..
He was looking out of place and haggard right from the word go..
He is truly a director’s actor..but there are very few directors who can make a fine ‘actor’ out of him!!! Mani in DIL SE was one in a decade..
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October 29, 2013 at 10:03 AM
hahaha that was such silly fun. Enjoyed CE absolutely.
Talking of haggard looks. What is one to say about this starnge botox -side affected -strange looking face?
Watch around his eyes and mouth – especially.
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October 29, 2013 at 10:12 AM
So you’re saying you prefer haggard to botox? Just asking..
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October 29, 2013 at 10:16 AM
You have to frame your question differently.
Like this;
So you’re saying you prefer haggard to botox with side effects/strangeness.? Just asking..
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October 29, 2013 at 10:21 AM
No I left out the strangeness bit because you clearly don’t mind it when it comes by way of steroids! OSO? That was haggard plus steroids!
There were a couple of pieces a year or two back which talked about pretty much every significant star taking them from Shahrukh to Shahid. But each case was somewhat different too. So here’s something from an HT piece:
“The editor of a popular health magazine, who did not wish to be named, told HT City, “When a super star, earlier known for his romantic roles suddenly got six pack abs for a movie, he relied heavily on medications burn fat. During the last two weeks before his shoot for a famous song, he had trouble even going to the loo because it would burn so much.”
They’re all taking these cocktails for various reasons. My larger point is that the debate here isn’t between haggard/natural and youthful/strange. It’s about choosing one’s strangeness! Which by the way includes these days the process of erasing wrinkles and so on digitally. More than one top star has done this! Of course it doesn’t apply to the younger ones.
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October 29, 2013 at 10:27 AM
Oh dear! I got satryam started with his loooong comments (his tactic when caught on the wrong foot 😉 )
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October 29, 2013 at 10:46 AM
Hey no need to feel so bad just because I brought up this older link.. It’s ok not to be an honest broker in these matters but one shouldn’t depend on the bad memory of others!
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October 29, 2013 at 10:43 AM
BTW just watched the trailer of xmen (because of Hugh Jackman). I like him a lot, but he *is* looking haggard especially in closeups.
Are you, perchance, getting confused between *gaunt* and *haggard*?
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October 29, 2013 at 10:51 AM
LOL about ‘older link’.
My response is to the *clip of CE* and the *latest* picture of Amir. I’m not digging graves or beating a dead horse here. You like doing that to confuse issues.
OSO doesn’t register because I hadn’t been paying attention to the Bollywood films at that time, and saw the film on a bad pirated link about a couple of years ago.
My comment is about that clip and what is going to come of Amir soon.
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October 29, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Yes but these issues didn’t come about yesterday. And nor did you start talking about them today! It’s part of the same continuum for these stars. I’m a fan of Aamir but I’m certainly not defending him on this score. Because I operate with the rather ‘quaint’ notion that facts can’t be argued with whether one is a fan or not. Nor are facts negotiable depending on the politics of others. One is certainly free to contextualize things differently. As long as one doesn’t deny the basic fact.
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October 29, 2013 at 11:13 AM
Context and facts are difficult to nail down when one looks at everything with “rose tinted glasses” for one thing and the saying “How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct” comes to my mind for another thing. The word denial is more apt.
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October 29, 2013 at 11:34 AM
SO shall we get back to the point under discussion?
Quoting An Jo
>***He was looking out of place and haggard*** right from the word go..
I am NOT talking in contiuum of ANYTHING!!!!
The defensiveness is endearing – but THIS above quote is all I’m talking about, and what is to come of the face of Amir next, most probably in PK as D3 seems to have done him up, and as a clown may have his face painted white all the time LOL.
DISCLAIMER: anything disussed by satyam or his supporter/supporters is not my point of discussion.
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October 26, 2013 at 9:22 AM
BA Pass is such a depressing movie…totally KhaamKhaan kee picchar , same with Ghanchaakar
so far my worst 3 movies of 2013- Go Goa Gone, Ghanchakkar and BA pass !
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October 26, 2013 at 5:43 PM
Liked BA Pass (depressing but handled well) and Ghanchakkar.
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October 26, 2013 at 12:39 PM
Bad Grandpa loks set to dominate this weekedn as it has already collected over 12m on Friday pushing Gravity to #2 at BO.
Counselor sounds like it is going to be a dud inspite of the star wattage.
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October 26, 2013 at 1:32 PM
The NY Times gave Counselor a good review but otherwise they’ve been very negative. Might still check it out but will do the Redford first.
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October 27, 2013 at 12:07 AM
Unerlated, to BO. but interesting:
https://sites.google.com/site/storewellclub/knowledge/hindi-songs-copied-or-influenced-from-some-other-song
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October 28, 2013 at 4:51 PM
And they earned money doing this.
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October 27, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Am trying to get tickets for this – if anybody has any ‘left-over’ ticket or any inkling as to how to get tickets at such a late hour, please enlighten..
http://americaabroadmedia.org/awardsdinner
========================
Khan’s TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ earns him more accolades.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The America Abroad Media (AAM) will hold its Inaugural Awards Dinner next month in Washington, DC, and one of the three honorees at the event will be none other than actor Aamir Khan.
The AAM is seeking to honor individuals whose work, they feel, “exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower citizens about the critical social and public policy issues of our time.”
Khan is being honored for his work on the television show Satyamev Jayate (“Truth Alone Prevails”), a talk-show in which Khan sheds light on social problems in India that often get overlooked or ignored altogether by the Indian bureaucracy. Topics that the show has tackled over its 14-episode run include female infanticide, the dowry system, honor killings, the prevalence of the caste system, pesticide poisonings, and sexual abuse towards children.
The show even went the extra step of having special screenings held in poverty-stricken villages across India, so those with no access to television could still view the program – this was especially important because, more often than not, the show’s messages were aimed at poor rural areas such as these.
Khan is best known for his Bollywood films, which combine mass entertainment appeal with subtle social and cultural commentary. His 2009 film 3 Idiots was the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time until last month, and many of his films – such as Talaash (“Search”) (2012), Taare Zameen Par (“Stars on Earth”) (2007), and Lagaan (“Tax”) (2001), which received India’s most recent Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film – are routinely considered among the best in their respective years and deal with issues like prostitution, autism, and the subjugation of the poor.
The other honorees at the Dinner will be Hollywood director Kathryn Bigelow and The International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC).
Bigelow is the Academy Award-winning director of last year’s Zero Dark Thirty, the controversial film that detailed the CIA’s decade-long pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, and the 2009 film The Hurt Locker, which won six Academy Awards including Best Picture of the Year. The Hurt Locker also made Bigelow the first (and thus far only) woman ever to receive the Academy Award for Best Director. Her films often deal with the military, government, and terrorism, and are known for their graphic and realistic depictions of violence.
The ICNC is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization. Founded in 2002, the ICNC aims to explore and implement non-violent strategies in defense of human rights and basic civil liberties around the world. Their work has been noted in crises throughout Africa and Asia.
The Dinner, which will take place on October 28th, will be moderated by Ann Hornaday, the renowned film critic for The New York Times. Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao will also be in attendance, as a co-chair. Ashok Kumar Mipuri, the Ambassador from Singapore, will also be present.
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October 27, 2013 at 6:11 PM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/television/salman-khan-called-unfair-by-fans-for-supporting-tanisha-on-bigg-boss-7/article1-1141123.aspx
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October 28, 2013 at 4:15 AM
Mickey Virus Has Poor Weekend
Monday 28th October 2013 09.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Mickey Virus had a poor weekend as it grossed around 4.75-5 crore nett in its first weekend. The film showed growth on Saturday but it was limited growth and collections on Sunday were just slightly higher than Saturday. The film fared best in the Delhi NCR belt.
The film has only another four days to collect with Krrish coming on Friday so its lifetime business will be in the 7-8 crore nett range.
The other releases of the week Amdavad Junction, Gang, Ishq Actually, Sooper Se Ooper and Wake Up India all failed to collect and will be additions to the long list of box office disasters in 2013.
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October 28, 2013 at 4:16 AM
Boss Second Weekend Business
Monday 28th October 2013 09.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Boss grossed around 4.25-4.50 crore nett in its second weekend. The business is down 80-85% from the first three days. The business after the second weekend stands at 49.50 crore nett.
The film was sold for fair prices wherever sold but will not be able top recover these prices. Rajasthan will be the best circuit which will do a share of 2.75 crore.
The lifetime business business of the film will be 52-53 crore nett which is lower than all the recent flops like Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara, Satyagraha and Besharam. The all India share will not even touch 30 crore.
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October 28, 2013 at 4:28 AM
After dominating the box office for three-straight weeks, Gravity fell to second place behind Jackass spin-off Bad Grandpa. Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s The Counselor became the latest October release to disappoint with an opening below $10 million.
At 3,336 locations, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa opened to a very strong $32 million. That’s the second-highest start in the Jackass franchise behind Jackass 3-D ($50.4 million); adjusted for ticket price inflation, Bad Grandpa’s attendance was about on par with the original Jackass: The Movie.
Moviegoers have clearly shown an appetite for comedy this year. Bad Grandpa is the fifth live-action comedy to open over $30 million in 2013, and that list doesn’t even include We’re the Millers or This is the End (which burned off demand with Wednesday openings).
Bad Grandpa’s success can be attributed to a number of factors. Even though it was a spin-off, the movie’s painful pratfalls and documentary-style footage aligned nicely with the very strong Jackass brand. Also, the movie had an easily-explainable, universally-related premise—everyone has had an inappropriate older relative, and it’s cathartic to get together and laugh about it. Finally—and most importantly—the previews were laugh-out-loud funny, which is the very basic key ingredient for comedy success.
Bad Grandpa’s audience was 56 percent male and 63 percent over the age of 25. In comparison, Jackass 3-D’s crowd was 61 percent male and only 33 percent over 25. The fact that Bad Grandpa skewed older and was more evenly split between genders suggests that it will play better long-term. While its “B” CinemaScore is nothing to write home about, it should still be on pace for a final total of at least $75 million.
In its fourth weekend, Gravity fell 32 percent to $20.3 million. That’s the movie’s steepest drop yet, though it’s still a fantastic hold for the acclaimed space thriller. To date, Gravity has earned $199.8 million, which ranks ninth on the year. While it’s going to lose most of its IMAX screens to Ender’s Game next weekend, Gravity is still on pace to earn at least $250 million by the end of its run.
It was smooth sailing for Captain Phillips in its third weekend. The movie eased 28 percent to $11.8 million, and has now grossed $70.1 million. It remains around $10 million ahead of Argo through the same point, and should get past $100 million eventually.
At 3,044 locations, star-studded thriller The Counselor opened to a very poor $8 million. That’s generally in line with other recent disappointing R-rated crime movies like Broken City ($8.3 million), Runner Runner ($7.7 million) and Killing Them Softly ($6.8 million), which also starred Brad Pitt.
The Counselor is the latest example of the limitations of “star power” at the box office. The movie was absolutely stacked with top-tier talent in front of and behind the camera—Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Pitt, director Ridley Scott, and writer Cormac McCarthy. Marquee names can only take a movie so far: for audiences to really invest, there needs to be an interesting story on display, and The Counselor’s vague allusions to a crime plot didn’t cut it. The nail in the coffin was the terrible reviews (35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), which likely kept some more discerning audiences away.
The Counselor’s audience was 51 percent female and 85 percent over the age of 25. They awarded the movie a terrible “D” CinemaScore, which suggests it’s going to have a very short run (a final total below $25 million is a guarantee).
http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3744&p=.htm
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October 28, 2013 at 2:28 PM
OT :
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November 5, 2013 at 3:58 AM
Saw Captain Phillips. Liked it a lot, the main reason is Tom Hanks. Last few minutes he was pretty damn good…he knows how to push the emotional buttons! Eagerly waiting the release of Gravity here, heard its a hoot!
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November 5, 2013 at 6:49 AM
Gravity hasn’t yet released at your end? Quite surprised! The best way to watch Gravity is RealD 3D, next is IMAX.
Older comment on Phillips:
[Liked it a lot. A bit drawn out at points but gripping overall. More importantly a rather unsettling film for all the right reasons. And I must say this is one of the better performances from Tom Hanks. He’s especially good in some key scenes. The show stealer though is the young pirate leader. Some extraordinary closeups involving him. And Greengrass certainly is in top form. Leaving aside his obvious visual strengths he manages to produce real empathy in his narrative.]
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November 5, 2013 at 6:55 AM
Very similar thoughts. That younger pirate leader was good for sure…in some ways disturbingly so.
The close-ups of this film are so well shot, it makes you feel like your watching this stuff on the news – it felt quite real in some instances.
Think the final moments when the pirates are killed and Tom Hanks’ reaction was well done.
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November 5, 2013 at 6:59 AM
Also liked All is Lost a lot. Check this out if you get the chance. A smaller film so it might not be playing everywhere but it’s as effective as Gravity from the other end of the spectrum and shows definitively how you don’t really need SFX to produce an equally gripping narrative.
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October 28, 2013 at 10:38 AM
What a shame!
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sad-that-neecha-nagar-didnt-get-a-mention-at-cannes-kamini-kaushal/1187856/
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October 28, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Fortunately not everyone forgets or ignores.
http://dustedoff.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/neecha-nagar-1946/
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October 28, 2013 at 3:23 PM
Nicely written post there oldgold –I didn’t know this film existed…
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October 28, 2013 at 4:49 PM
>I didn’t know this film existed…
That’s called ignorance. But you can be excused. The people celebrating 100 years of cinema should know. And to forget about it at the very place where the first ever film from India won their award – is unforgivable.
I bet they were talking about Lagaan!! LOL!!
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October 28, 2013 at 6:43 PM
Haha agree og
“But you can be excused. “– thanx madam for always being v ‘lenient’ toward me …
“I bet they were talking about Lagaan!! LOL!!”– ha
Btw have u seen neecha nagar..?
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October 29, 2013 at 5:41 AM
>Btw have u seen neecha nagar..?
Of course I’ve seen neecha nagar!
This proves that you didn’t even read the review or else you’d have seen the link to the film on youtube. Anyway, here it is.
But of course you might not have the patience one develops due to not only interest, but love for old/vintage films , because of scratchy, dark prints.
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October 28, 2013 at 3:00 PM
http://businessofcinema.com/photos/photos-abhishek-bachchan-ranbir-kapoor-play-ball/114847
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October 29, 2013 at 6:50 AM
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October 29, 2013 at 6:51 AM
Naseer and Sunny Leone in the same film. Who says Bollywood doesn’t do different?
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October 29, 2013 at 11:25 AM
Thank you Pooja Bhatt. You for sure have given a new twist to the saying that a woman might after all be a woman’s best friend!! As if it was not enough that we had Sunny in New Folder (1) and New Folder (2) ….New Folder (n), you had to bring them to no-sense-of-ratings Indian television and cinema..
Their contribution to Indian cinema will be carved in a memorable epitaph:
Here lie those women who managed to do with their clothes on with stark-equal effectiveness what they did without their clothes!!
=== TIME PASS OF INDIA===
British Playboy star Shanti Dyanamite, who will be seen flaunting her sexy toned figure in an upcoming Bollywood film, says she fell in love with Bollywood while growing up in India. The 21-year-old adult star is of Indian descent from Britain.
“While growing up in Indian culture, I fell in love with the world of Bollywood. My all-time favourite stars are Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Sridevi, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan and now I am going to be part of the great industry, I feel blessed,” said Shanti in a statement.
Shanti, who does adult chat shows for a UK television, began her career as a teenager, starting as a glamour model on the popular Hotel Voyeur, a Britain-based topless show. Her mother is a Punjabi and her father is a Greek and they got divorced when she was very young. Her mother brought her up single-handedly.
Her maternal grandfather was from Jalandhar, called Jullundur those days, and taken to Uganda by the British settlers among indentured labourers to develop railway lines and to work in coal mines. Shanti has a Twitter account with a name ‘Sofiya’. The account introduces her as ‘the first Punjabi to go topless on UK babeshows… an angel with a devil’s mind.’
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October 29, 2013 at 6:58 AM
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra to re-edit Aks
A few years back, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who is one of the most respectable names in the movie business today, drew a lot of flak for his film Aks that starred Amitabh Bachchan, Raveena Tandon and others.
Even though the film is history now, the news is that Mehra now wants to re-edit the film for the DVD version of the same. Talking about this, he says that post the film’s theatrical release, one cannot go back to the shooting floor, but he can edit the film crisply and make the story telling more effective. He also added that the concept of re-editing offers the director a second chance to make the film more effective.
In fact post the release of his film Delhi 6, he re-shot it and changed the film’s ending to what was planned originally.
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October 29, 2013 at 6:59 AM
though it’s great to have someone in Bollywood finally think along these lines, director’s cut et al, the problem is that all of this doesn’t work without a DVD release! And we haven’t seen one on that version of D6 (it was screened in a few places).
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October 29, 2013 at 10:29 AM
This is great step .. don’t think Aks got any flaks from critics, yes it was commercially not successful given the flying start it had. But it was always considered as quite novel experimental movie with terrific performances. yes it has very loose script and screenplay and some psychic characters were cringe worthy for first time watch, but on repeat viewing I never complained. I consider it Bachchan best performance of last 15 years .. His act was stunning when Bajpayee soul gets in him.
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October 29, 2013 at 1:28 PM
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October 29, 2013 at 3:07 PM
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October 29, 2013 at 1:17 PM
‘Arrambam’- Amazing advance booking
By MOVIEBUZZ
Source : SIFY
Last Updated: Tue, Oct 29, 2013 12:17 hrs
Ajith’s eagerly awaited Vishnuvardhan directed Arrambam is getting ready for release worldwide in a record number of screens. The overseas digital discs and physical prints have been despatched from Chennai lab on Monday evening.
In the overseas market in many places Arrambam is releasing on October 30 evening with premiere shows, which has been sold out. In local Tamil Nadu market the film will start with early morning shows on Thursday (Oct 31).
There has been phenomenal advance booking for Arrambam in Chennai city and suburbs. Many of the multiplexes in outskirts of the city have dedicated all screens for the Ajith action entertainer. The film is sure to take an earth shattering opening.
On the face of it Arrambam has potential to take the biggest ever opening. It will be showcased in maximum number of screens on October 31 and November 1, which is enough to get that gargantuan opening. And even for Diwali weekend when there is opposition, the film has been sold out in multiplexes.
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November 5, 2013 at 6:57 AM
And these guys have also throughout been between BOI and Taran/Nahta!
http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/krrish-3-day-four-all-india-nboc/
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