UBD's Bollywood-Bytes

Katrina Kaif
On a recent chat show, Katrina entertained the audience by revealing that she was the original choice for Rakhi Sawant's character in Farah Khan's directorial debut 'Main Hoon Naa'. I for one am glad she turned it down. Although I am sure the role would have been altered for Kats. Katrina also said nice things about Deepika, calling her 'glamorous'. Take lesson Deepi!




Rani Mukerji
The buzz around the ex-queen of bollywood continues. She is rumoured to have signed a project with Aamir Khan. The previously collaborated in 2005's 'Mangal Pandey', 1999's 'Mann', and Rani's breakthrough hit 'Ghulam' in 1998. The film will also feature buddy Kareena Kapoor. Rani-Kareena will reunite for the second time after Kunal Kohli's 2002 rom-com 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge'. Rani is busy promoting 'No One Killed Jessica' along with co-star Vidya Balan. The highly anticipated movie opens January 7th, 2011.

 

Deepika Padukone
Deepi has bagged herself a role with the hot and happening Shahid Kapoor. The pair will begin shooting Sabir Khan's follow-up to 2009's 'Kambakkht Ishq' - which despite harsh reviews had a great opening at the box office and went on to do decent business. Sounds like Deeps has got another hit on her hands.








Kajol
Super-diva Kajol has decided to take another career break. When asked if she had planned on doing any more films in the near future she responded by saying "not for another 3 years at least". Looks like we'll have to catch her this weekend in 'Toonpur Ka Superhero".








Priyanka Chopra
The hottest news of the week has to be the much talked about trailer for "Saat Khoon Maaf". The response has been crazy and everyone is praising Priyanka's performance in the 2minute trailer. Look out for the haunting line "Next time I will drink his blood". See below:

Tees Maar Khan Promotions in London

Sheila Mania hits London.

Last night I was one of the lucky few who won tickets to be in the audience of BBC Asian Network Radio's "A Conversation with... Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Farah Khan" - hosted by Raj & Pablo.

Let's start off talking about Katrina. I wouldn't say I am her biggest fan, but I do like her as a performer and personality. She looked absolutely stunning. The entire team were dressed all in black. Akshay in a suit. Farah in a glitzy long top and trousers, whilst Katrina opted for a black fur coat over her shirt and skirt.

I must say that the hosts did a miserable job and asked some of the stupidest questions I've ever heard. You can see for yourself when the mess of an interview appears online. Farah Khan tried her best to up the entertainment. Akshay did a marvellous job, and Katrina was composed but personable, and very endearing.

The interview was all over the place. I hope the editors do a good job because it was half full of trash.

The team later went on to a local cinema in Feltham to launch the sale of a select number of advance tickets.

'Tees Maar Khan' will be showing worldwide this Christmas and is set to break box office records.

UBD's Bollywood-Bytes

Here's a round-up of the goings-on this week in the world of Ultimate Bollywood Divas

Deepika Padukone
After the success of Katrina's "Sheila Ki Jawani", the leggy diva has just shot an item song of her own - a remix of the 70s classic "Dum Maro Dum" which is to be featured in the upcoming Abhishek Bachchan-Bipasha Basu starrer of the same name.



Priyanka Chopra
Little Miss Piggy Chops has been telling her followers on Twitter to watch out for this week's episode of 'Koffee With Karan' in which she responds to Kareena Kapoor's quite uncalled for comments regarding her accent. The funny thing is, Kareena's accent has altered since she started dating Saif Ali Khan. Let's see what goes down, this Sunday on the show which also features Kareena's ex Shahid Kapoor.




Sonakshi Sinha
Rumour has it, that the hot shot debutant of the year has signed on to do 'Race 2'. Joining a huge star cast from the first movie: Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, as well as new additions John Abraham and the rumoured Deepika Padukone.



Kangana Ranaut
Poor Kangana falls victim yet again at the hands of another diva. First off Anil Kapoor failed to pronounce the name of his co-star correctly, lovingly calling her "Kangana Ranawat" on Karan Johar's chat show more than once. A few weeks before that Anil's own daughter Sonam suggested Kangana should seek help with her English. Looks like the claws are out, but I think they are all just jealous of Kangana's National Award winning talent.




Katrina Kaif
The box-office queen will be arriving in London tomorrow along with co-star Akshay Kumar and director Farah Khan for the international promo of their new release 'Tees Maar Khan'. On the trip, the trio will be appearing on BBC Asian Network's "A Conversation With". I was lucky enough to have won tickets, so I will be back with all the gossip. The diva also topped Eastern Eye's 'Sexiest Woman' poll for a third year in a row this week.




Madhuri Dixit
The Queen Bee is back in B-town. Starring as a judge on season 4 of  'Jhalak Dikhla Ja' alongside fellow dancing diva Malaika Arora. Mads was seen at a few recent events in Mumbai looking ravishing as seen here in a red sari.

Movie Review: Band Baaja Baaraat

Yash Raj Films - the name spells class, entertainment and great music. However their last few productions have fallen short somewhere along the line. So what chance does this team of a new director, a debut actor and a 2-film-old actress have you might ask yourself?

Right from the get-go, the viewer is made aware that this is a tale of boy-meets-girl and how they will end up falling for each other after first becoming close pals. We have been there done that so many times, whether it was Kajol-SRK in 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', Rani-Saif in 'Hum Tum', or Kareena-Shahid in 'Jab We Met'; the list is endless.

What makes BBB stand out is it's crisp screenplay and energetic performances. It's a well shot film and technically brilliant. Aseem Mishra has done a superb job with the cinematography. Niharika Khan's costumes are striking. And Vaibhavi Merchant has once again done an exuberant job with the choreography.

Anushka is breath-taking. She acts so naturally well. Her ability to connect with the camera is astounding for such a young actress. Ranveer on the other hand is refreshingly effervescent.

The film falls into the category of other young-love films of this year such as 'I Hate Luv Storys', 'Break Ke Baad', 'Aisha' - but it has one thing that lacks in all of them, which is a tight screenplay. Which makes it one of the most watchable movies of the year.

The music is splendid - Salim-Sulaiman do a fab job of bringing something fresh to the soundtrack and it gels very well with the characters and the world of BBB. The composer duo also do an enchanting job with the background score.

Verdict: Go and see this, and see it again!

Rating: 4 stars

Movie Review: No Problem

This movie is a disaster.

I know as a reviewer, I'm supposed to keep the reader interested and definitely not break the first rule of a good review which is to give away the verdict in the first line but I just could not help myself.

There are about 2 funny moments in the 2 hours+ of the reel. What is it with Kangana Ranaut - she is a talented actress but I felt like she was sleep-walking through her role. Sushmita is a fabulous performer no doubt, and she was excellent in her part, even if the things she was made to do were beyond ridiculous. Sanjay Dutt was boring as usual. Sunil Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Paresh Rawal and Anil Kapoor were good - but with a story that is going nowhere fast, does it really matter? They cannot save the film.


I know it's meant to be a "brainless entertainer" and I love nothing more than laughing at stupid things, but this just felt short on the humourous side of things.

The story is so far fetched that after the first 45 minutes, you might as well just sit back, talk to the person beside you and wait for the 2 good songs.

Music: Composer Pritam delivered a hot track in the shape of 'Shakira' - but the version in the film is a far inferior remix, majorly disappointing, when the version used in all the promos is the original version. I don't understand why the makers would do that. The other hot track is composed, arranged and sung by Anand Raj Anad, duetting with the stunning Sunidhi Chauhan titled 'Mast Punjabi'. Videos to both songs are very well shot, with all credit to Chinni Prakash and Vaibhavi Merchant who are the respective choreographers. In fact these 2 songs are the only saving grace of the film. The rest of the soundtrack is a hot mess.

Verdict: Waste of time and a Hot Mess.

Rating: 1 Star

Sequel Bonanza: The Lowdown

Sequels are all the rage these days. Producers are cashing in on the success of huge brands such as Dhoom and Golmaal. Looks like the Bollywood Babes will have to battle it out for these all important roles. Let's take a look at the upcoming planned sequels and speculate...

DHOOM 3
Rumoured star cast:
Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif

DOSTANA 2
Confirmed cast:
Abhishek Bachan, John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra (special appearance)


RACE 2
Rumoured cast:
Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Asin

HOUSEFULL 2
Rumoured cast:
Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif


PARTNER 2
Rumoured cast:
Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Lara Dutta

BLUE 2: AASMAN
Rumoured cast:
Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma

DON 2
Confirmed cast:
Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Hrithik Roshan (special appearance)

DABANGG 2
Confirmed cast:
Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha

Filmfare Awards 2010: Predictions

 With one month to go until the end of the year, let's see who is vying for what in the world of Bollywood awards.

Here is a list of contenders:

BEST FILM
DABANGG
GUZAARISH
HOUSEFULL
MY NAME IS KHAN
RAAJNEETI

Other contenders:
GOLMAAL 3, PEEPLI [LIVE], TEES MAAR KHAN

BEST ACTRESS
Aishwarya Rai as Sofia D'Souza/Mascarenhas in GUZAARISH
Kajol as Mandira Khan in MY NAME IS KHAN
Kajol as Maya in WE ARE FAMILY
Priyanka Chopra as Kiara in ANJAANA ANJAANI
Vidya Balan as Krishna Verma in ISHQIYA

Other contenders:
Deepika Padukone [Lafangey Parindey, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey]
- Deepi has had a successful year, and she has been nominated twice in the past, but it is very tough this year so let's see.

Katrina Kaif [Raajneeti]
- Katty was nominated last year, and has had a successful 2010, so the jury may just throw her in the shortlist.

Sonakshi Sinha [Dabangg]
- It is not unusual for Filmfare to nominate a newcomer from a very successful film just for the sake of it. And on the plus side she is a star kid, and 'Dabangg' is the biggest hit of the year.

BEST ACTOR
Ajay Devgan as Sooraj Kumar in RAAJNEETI
Hrithik Roshan as Ethan Mascarenhas in GUZAARISH
Hrithik Roshan as J in KITES
Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey in DABANGG
Shah Rukh Khan as Rizwan Khan in MY NAME IS KHAN

Other contenders:
Akshay Kumar [Tees Maar Khan, Housefull]
- Although they are comedies and comedies are not usually favoured at these ceremonies, Akshay deserves a nomination as he has worked his butt off.

Ranbir Kapoor [Raajneeti, Anjaana Anjaani]
- Looks like he will be nominated for something or other, partly because he is a star kid, and partly because he is popular.

Imran Khan [I Hate Luv Storys, Break Ke Baad]
- I'm not sure if he will be nominated, but if Ranbir gets a nod, then Imran surely deserves one too.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Dimple Kapadia as Naina Devi in DABANGG
Kangna Ranaut as Gina in KITES
Kareena Kapoor as Shreya in WE ARE FAMILY
Lara Dutta as Hetal Patel in HOUSEFULL

Kareena should win. If not Lara deserves it.

BEST FEMALE DEBUT
Amrita Puri as Shefali Thakur in AISHA
Barbara Mori as Linda in KITES
Pakhi Tyrewala as Mishka in JHOOTHA HI SAHI
Sonakshi Sinha as Rajo in DABANGG
Trisha Krishnan as Gehna Ganpule in KHATTA MEETHA
Zarine Khan as Princess Yashodhara in VEER

Looks like Sonakshi has this one in the bag, as the others are just making up the numbers. None of the others have made an impact half as much as Miss Sinha. She may even get a nod in the Best Actress category, as we know Filmfare does tend to slot the lead heroine from the highest grossing film into that category despite their role or performance (see: Aishwarya Rai 'Dhoom:2')

BEST MALE DEBUT
Ali Zafar as Ali Hassan in TERE BIN LADEN
Luv Sinha as  in SADIYAAN
Maradonna Rebello as Jerry Dacunha in PANKH
Ranveer Singh as Bittoo Sharma in BAND BAAJA BAARAAT

I know there are a thousand other male debutants this year but I can't remember them. I think it's between Luv, Ali and Ranveer.

BEST MUSIC
A.R.Rahman - RAAVAN
Amit Trivedi - AISHA

Sajid-Wajid - DABANGG
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy - HOUSEFULL
Vishal-Shekhar - ANJAANA ANJAANI

Other contenders:
Sanjay Gupta - PRINCE
A.R.Rahman | ROBOT
Pritam | ACTION REPLAY
Pritam | ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI
Sanjay Leela Bhansali | GUZAARISH
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy | KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK

BEST FEMALE SINGER
Mamta Sharma | "Munni Badnaam" [DABANGG]
Rekha  Bharadwaj | "Ranjha Ranjha" [RAAVAN]
Shreya Ghoshal | "Tere Mast Do Nain" [DABANGG]
Shruti Pathak | "Tujhe Bhula Diya" [ANJAANA ANJAANI]
Sunidhi Chauhan | "Sheila Ki Jawaani" [TEES MAAR KHAN]

Other contenders:
Alyssa Mendonsa | "Oh Girl" [HOUSEFULL]
Alisha Chinai | "Jiyara Jiyara" [PRINCE]
Rekha Bharadwaj | "Ab Mujhe Koi" [ISHQIYA]
Shilpa Rao | "Nain Parindey" [LAFANGEY PARINDEY]
Shreya Ghoshal | "Tere Liye" [PRINCE]
Sunidhi Chauhan | "Udi" [GUZAARISH]

BEST MALE SINGER
Atif Aslam | "Tere Liye" [PRINCE]
K.K. | "Guzaarish" [GUZAARISH]
Mohit Chauhan | "Pee Loon" [ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI]
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | "Tere Mast Do Nain" [DABANGG]
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | "Dil Toh Bachcha Hai" [ISHQIYA]