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| Rajnish Sharma is an India-based journalist who has worked for leading Indian dailies like The Times of India and Hindustan Times. A familiar name with the overseas NRI and PIO readers, he has been writing columns and articles for a host of magazines and portals in the US, Hong Kong, Mauritius and Australia. Over the years, he has covered virtually every aspect of journalism with his wide ranging interests ranging from culture & cuisine to finance & technology and from politics & Indian diaspora to environment & Bollywood. He can be contacted at
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BOLLYWOOD COLUMN
BY RAJNISH SHARMA & GITANJALI CHAK
(COURTESY KHABAR,ATLANTA, US)
Meera’s ‘Kiss’a!
Popular Pakistani actress Meera is used to being the cynosure of all eyes in her
country but with Nazar, she is now in the ‘eye’ of a storm. The beautiful star’s
kissing scene with co-star Ashmit Patel in Nazar, her debut film in Bollywood,
has caused a furore in her country with people claiming to represent religious
groups in Pakistan, making death threats to her. The problem started when some
stills of Meera and Ashmit were circulated during the Kara film festival last year. There were reports that the Pakistan government had imposed a fine on
Meera and was considering banning Pakistani artistes from working in India. The
Pak government though has categorically denied the reports dismissing it as propaganda by vested interests. Said an angry Mahesh Bhatt, one of the producers
of this Indo-Pak joint venture being directed by his wife Soni Razdan: “The kiss
in the film is the culmination of a romantic scene. And nowhere does Nazar cross
the threshold of Jism or Murder.”
But the last word on this must go to Meera: " If I have kissed Ashmit, it's like
Pakistan kissing India. If I have hugged him, it's as if every Pakistani has hugged every Indian.” Touche!
Preity’s ‘date’ with history
Whenever the media linked the perky Preity Zinta to Abhishek Bachchan and Saif
Ali Khan, she retorted by saying that she only shared a “warm rapport” with
them. It turns out that the lady was right after all for Ms Zinta’s current boyfriend is neither Aby’s baby nor the chote nawab, but Ness Wadia. And who
might he be! Well, the suave guy is the scion of the Bombay Dyeing family and
great grandson of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Never known to
keep her lovers under wraps, Preity is open about Ness too.
While on Preity, she and Saif will be saying salaam namaste soon to their fans.
What we mean is that the two are coming together again in a new romantic comedy
titled Salaam Namaste. The film, which also has Arshad Warsi, explores the casual attitude of youngsters these days. So is it an extension of Hum Tum? "No
way. Hum Tum was a little more mature but this one is an effervescent, romantic
story," says debutant director Siddharth Anand, who happens to be Tinnu Anand's
nephew.
Sister act !
After the great onscreen bonding between Kareena Kapoor and Sushmita Sen in
Bewafaa, it’s the turn of two more ladies to shower each other with sisterly
affection. Evergreen diva Rekha and sexy siren Mallika Sherawat will be seen as
siblings in Govind Menon’s Bachke Rehna Re Baba due for release on April 22.
Presented by Boney Kapoor, the film has Rekha in the role of a glamorous con- woman who tricks rich men off their money. Mallika plays her sister and
accomplice. But while Bebo and Sush have become the best of friends off-screen,
no such thing has happened with Rekha and Mallika. On the contrary, the senior
actress reportedly keeps her co-star at an arm’s length, refusing to even be
seen in her company at film functions. Really, Mallika does manage to rub her colleagues the wrong way! Remember Ashmit Patel and
Emran Hashmi?
Brosnan ‘bonds’ with Bollywood
Talking about Mallika, we hear that Pierce Brosnan made her day at a do in Mumbai hosted in his honour. The Bond guy, who was in Mumbai recently as
Omega’s brand ambassador to launch the brand’s new line of watches, gave the Murder lady
a really long and warm handshake. The Hollywood icon also popular as Remington
Steele, had his share of Bollywood at the glittering party where he met film personalities like Yash Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Arshad
Warsi and of course Mallika. Brosnan also revealed that he planned to shoot his
next film in India.
Incidentally, after Brande Rodericks, Antonia Bernath and Tata Young, it’s now
the turn of Tania Zaetta to be bitten by the Bollywood bug. There is a strong buzz that the Baywatch babe, who has also acted in popular television shows
like Who Dares Wins, has been roped in to do an item number in Shaad Ali’s Bunty Aur
Babli which stars Big B, Junior B and the current Bollywood queen Rani
Mukherjee.
…And news has just come in that Madhuri Dixit and her husband Dr Nene were
blessed with another baby boy on March 8 at a private hospital in Denver.
Congratulations to the proud parents!
MOVIE UPDATE
Among the most awaited releases of April is Kaal, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh
Khan’s first joint venture. This thriller that’s directed by debutant Soham
Shah, stars Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, John Abraham, Esha Deol and Lara Dutta.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Bachchan has after all, been signed for Karan’s third directorial venture. In the yet-to-be-titled film, Abhishek has one of the lead
roles, with the other going to of course Shah Rukh Khan.
The other biggies due for release in April are Boney Kapoor’s No Entry, Govind
Menon’s Bachke Rehna Re Baba, Ram Gopal Varma’s D, which is a prequel to his
super hit Company and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parineeta, a new celluloid version of
the Bengali literary classic Parineeta starring Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Kan and Raima Sen. This is the third time Bollywood will bring the poignant story of
Parineeta on screen, the two earlier versions having starred actors like Meena
Kumari, Ashok Kumar, Jeetendra and Sulakshana Pandit. Another movie, the long-in-the-making Mere Jeevan Saathi, starring Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor and Amisha
Patel will finally see the light of day on April 15.
After months of speculation, Marigold, Salman Khan’s first step towards Hollywood, is finally set to take off. Ali Larter plays Salman’s leading lady in
the film. The Hollywood project to be directed by Willard Carroll, will be shot
in Mumbai, Goa and Rajasthan.
Undeterred by the lukewarm response to Swades, Ashutosh Gowariker is charged up
about his next film which is going to be a huge historical epic about the romance between Mughal king Akbar and his Rajput wife Jodhabai titled
Jodha-Akbar. It'll be a romantic musical. It would show them in the prime of their
togetherness and probably end where Mughal-e-Azam begins. Gowariker plans to start shooting in December 2005 and complete it at a stretch by April 2006.
After being acclaimed at film festivals in Pusan, London and Goa, American Daylight, directed by Academy Award winner Roger Christian, is set to hit the
screens. Koel Purie, Vijay Raaz and Gulshan Grover tie up with Hollywood actors
Nick Moran and Jennifer Siebel.
The younger brother of national award-winning cameraman Santhosh Sivan is to direct Amitabh Bachchan in a Hindi film titled TheStranger which is slated for
release next year. The movie will be a remake of Sivan’s Malayalam film
Aparichithan starring Mammootty that was released last year.
MOVIE REVIEW
Bewafaa
Starring: Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen
Director: Dharmesh Darshan
Music Directors: Nadeem-Shravan
Bewafaa had everything going for it — a great star cast, a lavish budget, an
potentially dramatic storyline (never mind if it is inspired by BR Chopra’s bold
1960s’drama Gumrah) but director Dharmesh Darshan just throws it all away. For
those not familiar with the Sunil Dutt, Mala Sinha-starrer, the film is about the dilemma of a woman who must marry her widowed brother-in-law for the sake of
the children even though she loves another man. The saving grace of the film is
Sushmita didi Sen but alas, she is there for too short a time. Yes yes, Bewafaa
has shades of Hum Aapke Hain Kaun too!
The film opens in Canada where Anjali (Kareena) lives with her foreigner mother
and Indian father. Pregnant sister (Aarti) Sushmita comes home, meets Anjali’s
secret lover Raja (Akshay Kumar), a struggling musician, and advises the couple
to wait before telling mom and dad. Then she dies during the delivery leaving twins behind. Anjali just vanishes without telling her boyfriend anything,
marries her brother-in-law Aditya (Anil Kapoor) and shifts to New Delhi. Things
hot up when Raja comes to the Capital for a show. He’s a struggler no more, but
a singing star. And Anjali plunges headlong into an affair, yet remains torn and
morose throughout. The climax almost promises a twist as Raja gets defiant but
sorry, that lasts for only a couple of moments.
The basic problem with Bewafaa lis in the script and the leading lady’s shallow
characterisation. Anjali doesn’t love Aditya, but won't leave him. She loves
Raja, but doesn't really care how he feels, or what he goes through. In the end,
to justify her position, she sobs out a 'mother can't leave her kids' finale.
Kareena looks listless and speaks in undertones. Bebo, we don’t want to see you
in roles beyond your age, at least not yet. Akshay is good enough. Manoj Bajpai
as Aditya’s friend goes completely over the top. He hams to the hilt! Shamita
Shetty's role has negative shades and she carries it off well.
Music by Nadeem-Shravan is pleasant enough, the title track being its high
point. Old fashioned lore, Bewafaa is a bore!
Current Top 10 Songs
1. Ek Bawafa Hai (Bewafaa)
2. Sun Zara (Lucky)
3. Main Yahan Hoon (Veer-Zaara)
4. Khoya Khoya (Shabd)
5. Tauba Tauba (Kaal)
6. Dhoom Macha Le (Dhoom)
7. Chak De (Hum Tum)
8. Bheege Honth (Murder)
9. Tera Hi Karam (Karam)
10. Yuhin Chala Chal (Swades)
Current Top 10 Movies
1. Bewafaa
2. Black
3. Karam
4. Socha Na Tha
5. Page 3
6. Fun Can Be Dangerous Sometimes
7. Jurm
8. Shabd
9. Chaahat
10. Sheesha
BOLLYWOOD PACKAGE BY GITANJALI CHAK & RAJNISH SHARMA
Old Articles...
April 2005 Article
March 2005 Article
February 2005 Article
January 2005 Article
November 2004 Article
October 2004 Article
September 2004 Article
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