For the lazy me, concerts are rarely a scene. Though I love the energy of stage performances, music for me is best in the quietness of my room. That’s the reason I resisted when my friend Victor Mukherjee, a music fanatic, asked me to accompany him to the NH7 Weekender in Pune. I tried giving all sorts of reasons – from work to money. None worked out. As fate could have it, I got an off on the last day of the music fest. And I found myself making way to Pune with another friend Jigar, early on Sunday the 20^th of November, 2011.

Angarag Papon Mahanta at NH7

After some initial hiccups I reached Pune, a far quieter city than the boisterous Mumbai. I grudgingly made way to the location… Damn! The heat burnt my skin!

More than half an hour of queuing after shelling out Rs 750 for the day’s pass we were into the venue. It was a funny sight at first. People wearing strangest of clothes in name of haute couture, and of course weirdest of wigs! And there were also the ones who were figuring out ways of smuggling in their joints and hash, which were not allowed inside the heavily guarded place.

Victor, who attended the fest the day before too showed us around from stage to stage. We decided to stick to the Dewarists stage. It was where The East India Company was to perform – my only interest in the entire fest. Angaraag Mahanta, now known as Papon, who is the lead singer of the band happens to be a personal favourite.

As we walked in a Swedish band was already performing. But the fun started after that. Swarathma took the stage and belted out some cool numbers, including one from the new album Topiwale. Midway through the song lead singer Vashu Dixt walked off the song into the crowd, and interacted with people as he continued singing. The crowed was suddenly alive as the sun slowly gave way to dusk.

After Swarthma, it was time for Dhruv Ghanekar. With his band members he played out some awesome numbers. Dhruv happens to be the founding members of the famous Blue Frog in Mumbai. Mid-way through the performance though we decided to check out what’s happening at other stages. And given Victor’s love for Rock and Metal, I found myself following him into the Death metal den. Oh… whoever defined noise as music! As you see, I am prejudiced. Never found someone making weird vocal noise and deafening drum beats to be a part of music. Ages back Mohd. Rafi had very beautifully sung ‘teen kanaster peet peet kar, gala phar ke chillana… na gana hai na bajana hai’. And I still find myself singing the song when someone talks about Death Metal.

We quickly made our way back to the Dewarists stage as Dhruv was finishing off his gig. Interestingly as I entered the arena I could smell the whiff of ganja. Where there is a will there is way. Without a doubt some smart chaps had managed to smuggle in their material into the campus. Of course most others had glasses filled with Bacardi – the official sponsors. I have never been able to fathom why getting inebriated is so necessary to enjoy a good evening. Nothing to complain though; each to his own!

Now was the time for The East India Company to take to stage. Though I have met Papon in person and shared an evening of two in his musical company, this was the first time I got to witness him on stage. And I realized why people love him. Charmer, that’s what he is. Easily the singer who bagged most number of female cheers that evening. That was not all. After belting out a number from their forthcoming album Papon sung a new song Dine Dine, which was earlier meant to be a part of Coke Studio. The assamese folk song caught everyone off guard. While some complained, most loved it. And then was his smartest move. Sensing the environment of dope and alcohol, Papon unleashed Banao Banao. He added small anecdotes in between keeping it lively. People sung un chorus. Couple of songs later he had to give up the stage to the most awaited performance of the weekend – Indian Ocean!

Indian Ocean was introduced as the country’s biggest band right now. And their first song justified the tag. As bass guitarist and vocalist Rahul Ram sung out the first line of their most famous track Bandeh the energy in the crowd suddenly grew in magnitude. Each of us screamed in unison at the top of our voices… an untrained chorus. The campus was alive. Indian Ocean performed for close to an hour and by the end we were all drained. The crowed had performed too!

The last bit was to be where all artists were to perform one number each. But by then we were fairly out of energy. As we walked out I heard Papon singing another version of Banao and the crowed singing along.

The comfort of the car was awesome. As we drove through the streets of Pune towards the highway, there was hardly much to be said. The experience was just sinking in. The lazy me had no option but to thank Victor. Yes it was worth all the trouble. Waking up at 4 am in the morning on my day off, heading to Dadar station, a four-hour bus journey to Pune, and the queue in heat… it was well worth it. NH7 weekender at least gave me a new band to listen to. Maybe next year too…

However, there was this one word of caution. Regardless of the fact that I agree kids should be opened up to all such experience, I wonder if parents should taken toddlers to such an event where dope is so much in the air! But then, that’s life… Kabhi  Khushi, Kabhi Gham!

The 17^th International Children’s Film Festival kicked off on November 14 in Hyderabad. No, I cannot comment on what the festival has achieved so far, simply because I have had no idea that such a festival exists in first place. This information I found on my mailbox recently when a publicist decided to spread some gyaan.

Well the release did try its best to create an impression of how grand a success the festival has been. Alas! I am a tough man to please. Has it really made a difference in anyway? And if yes, in what way? If my research goes right, a couple of years back one of the producers were circulating releases saying their film, that was to be screened at the festival, had a lot of farting jokes and hence the children would like it!

Not being too hard on the organizers- Children Film Society of India, we all know about them. We have seen their montages before many a children’s film that we have watched. And also liked! But having said that children films being made in India has always been a point of discussion.

Everyone’s got their point of view. What’s common among most is misconception. Various misconceptions! Some believe that any movie with kids in it is a children’s film. Hence the classification of ‘Taare Zameen Par’ or ‘Mr India’ – complete with it wet saree dance sequence – as a children’s film! Worse, a complex film like Mani Ratnam’s ‘Anjali’ is often regarded as children’s film by many just because it has a child as protagonist!

And many of course take the intellect of our new age kids for granted. Some of these are the same people who would talk of how smart their kids are as they can operate a blackberry at the age of three! Why then make dumb films for kids, is a question they can’t seem to comprehend! We don’t need to feed the kids with blatant moral lesson. That makes the films as boring as a moral science class in school – the period when students would find more interesting stuff happening outside the window!

Renowned filmmaker Satyen Bose once said, “Good children’s films shall be made when we allow children themselves to write and direct them.” Well the least we can do is to understand them!

Lack of ideas has never been as evident in filmmaking as when it comes to children’s films. So while many pull the wrong film into the category, most find the wrong story! What’s doled out, as a result, at regular intervals are tales of mythology. And many of them in sequels of previous badly made films.

Things are not all that bad. We have had great films for sure. This year alone there were films like ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’, ‘Chillar Party’ and of course the kid super hero in ‘Zokkomon’! Things are looking up in fact.

To be just, there have been good films made every now and then. So we have had ‘Boot Polish’ (1954), Jaldeep (1956), Meera ka Chirta (1960), Parichay (1972), Safed Hathi (1978), Aaj ka Robinhood (1988), Kitaab (1777), Halo(1996), Makdee (2002). Satyajit ray’s Goopi Gaine Baga Baine  deserves special mention among non-Hindi films. In fact his Sonar Kella is a thriller which pleases both children and adult equally. But in this case, unlike usual Bollywood films, the bad outweighs the good… slam dunk!

That’s the reason I think would recommend that those who can do it, should visit the film festival with their kids. With 170 films from 44 countries I am sure the kids would at least have some quality entertainment coming up their way. In process maybe the parents could also understand their kids better! And also cinema better!

And for all you know… these kids would grow up to make the scene brighter than what it is today!

Honeymoons are quite an interesting time. More so for people who want to know what the person who has gone on his honeymoon has been doing. The details of someone’s private time, are far more attractive than one’s professional tidings. And if that someone is a star like Imran Khan, it just gets spicier! So when we met him recently to talk about his next film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan we decided to talk about his honeymoon rather – something which he managed seven months after his marriage in January. Excerpts…

You are just back from your honeymoon. How was it?

It was fun man. I went to Prague, Vienna, Nice and then to Paris. This was my first holiday with Avantika in four years. The last holiday was when we were shooting for Kidnap. Sanju had gone to jail and the shoots were stalled.

How was that vacation different from this vacation?

This holiday was much better. Back then we had gone to Kerala for around five days. And this time around I had three weeks off in Europe doing what I love doing – eating, sleeping and just chilling. That is what I believe is a holiday. So before going I had checked online for the best restaurants in the places I was going to. So when I reached those places, I knew where to go.

So what was the best thing you ate?

I don’t remember the dish. It was some roasted duck. But it was in this small place in Nice, which is like our Goa but more sophisticated. There was a small restaurant which had some 5 tables. It was run by an old couple. So this Aunty comes with a glass wine and reads out the menu. There were just 4 things in the menu. Three of them duck items and if you did not like it they had a beef dish. We settled for two different dishes and they loaded our plates with fresh and delicious ghar ka khaana! Never ate something like that and it still is fresh in memory. The uncle used to run the kitchen and there were just four dishes as he cooked his grandmother’s recipes.

How is life post marriage?

Marriage does not change a thing. In fact I don’t understand the relevance of the license. Your relationship is what you make of it. There are enough examples to show that marriage does not mean one is committed.

Since we are talking about commitment, do you think a person can love two people at a time?

I don’t think so. Maybe there could be infatuation.

Talking about your film, are you glad that the clash between your film, Rockstar and Mausam have been averted at the box office.

I never thought there would be a clash. I believed that by the time the date approached people would realise and figure out other dates. I am happy that there is no clash. It is always a bad business decision to clash films.

He is often referred to as the original rockstar. He was trained in music and was a splendid actor. And of course he was one of the earliest film stars who got girls crazily in love with his personality.

In fact such is his stature in Indian filmdom that we cannot help feeling miniscule as we talk about him. And we are sure the internet already has loads of information about him; not to forget he himself was one of the first internet users in the country. Hence we decided we would just let some people from the film industry talk… about star, the person and the enigma that Shammi Kapoor was.

Anil Sharma

I have always been a huge fan of Shammi Kapoor the star. And then went on to work with him in two films –Hukumat and Tehelka. He amazed me with his professionalism. I had also approached him for a small role in Gadar but he however politely refused it as he said he felt he would not be able to cope up with the pressures of shooting in outdoors locations. Only a month back he met someone I know and he was praising me. I had thought I should go and meet him but I kept postponing it. Now I feel so bad. If only I had gone and met him… I will have to live with regret that I could not meet him during his last days.  He was the Elvis Presley of India.

Aanand L Rai

Anyone who has been a part of the industry will be grieved. You may have not known the person but you at least knew the actor and it is difficult not to like him. You don’t have an actor who can carry off a golden coat like he did. He was also the one who started the stardom. Girls back then fell in love with him. What is also impressive is that he never changed. He remained a charming man. He may have aged but he never let it get to him. You are remembered when you have a particular style and he had it. He was a style icon. I think he was the most handsome looking man in his family.

Lucky Ali

Shammi ji was a great soul. He was deep, philosophical and commanded a certain respect. He was encouraging of me and being a close friend of my father I had the greates respect for him. May his soul rest in peace!

Minissha Lamba:

Shammi ji defined romance. He defined beauty and vitality. My memories of iconic cinematic moments have his dreamy eyes embedded in my psyche.

Neetu Chandra:

Taarif karu kya uski jisne tumhe banaya comes to my mind the moment I think of Shammi ji. It is hard to imagine that the real prince of Indian cinema is no more with us. For me it feels like a day of national mourning. Last I saw him at the Prithvi Theatre couple of months back and I was blown away by his kindness and humble gestures/ They are timeless immortals.

Nikhil Dwivedi

I have kept a track of his health and activities since the last few years as his grand daughter Pooja Desai is a very close friend of mine. His energy has always amazed me. But today when I saw his grieving yet proud family around his body, despite all the legacy all I saw was a husband, a father, a grandfather who is going to be missed terribly.

Sonal Chauhan

Shammi Kapoor was the ultimate entertainer. His energy, passion and love for cinema are inspirational. He will remain in our hearts forever.

Mahaakshay [Mimoh]

Shammi ji was known as the flamboyant in Bollywood. His style is still copied till date. I personally grew up watching many films of his. His particular head move, which he has been synonymous with him, we will miss all of it. May his soul rest in peace! The legend has left us but his legend still lives on.

Tanuja Chandra

One of the most unique screen personalities! Shammi Kapoor was charismatic yet believable, outrageous yet lovable, making him an undeniable star. There has been no one quite like him in Hindi cinema.

Chunkey Panday

Shammi ji happened to be a friend of my parents. My father and he went to the same school, Don Bosco. So I met him a few times when I was a child. I was always a huge fan. And later I was really lucky to get to work with him. It was one of my first few films Khule Aam. It was directed by Guru Dutt’s son Arun Dutt. He amazed me with his dedication. I kept meeting him on and off. He was always an inspiration.

Tusshar

Had met him a couple of times with my parents and I remember him having sent me flowers for my work in Golmaal Returns. He came across as a very warm person and there will never be another dancing star like him. His songs and dances were unique, stylish and are an inspiration even today. May his soul rest in peace.

Rains have quite a peculiar quality. While it can relieve us from the heat every summer; on screen it has the uncanny ability of turning it up! In our good old Bollywood, rain has a character almost as larger than life the hero himself. The rains bring out romance like nothing else- not even snow capped mountain peaks and a chiffon saree!

And as the rains lash out at our window panes this monsoon, making the home a rather cozy hangout, we decided to look into some songs from desi phillums, all set in rain… and all memorable. Do note, most of them are about couples and romance, but we have also realized that there are some other rainy songs which are equally memorable but have no trace of ‘chemistry’ in them. Also, the songs have not been listed in any particular order… just in case it hurts any of your sentiments!

Pyar hua iqrar hua (Shri 420)

Ok let’s accept it. Dozens of rain numbers may have been shot after this one, but this continues to be as popular. It’s popularity among today’s generation probably also had to do with the Nirodh commercial that used to be flashed in good old DD between every TV epic – much to the dismay of the parents who were watching with growing up kids. Raj Kapoor, Nargis- both wet and yet holding an umbrella. Rain did make people go mad!

Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si (Chalti Ka Nam Gaadi)

Mechanic Kishore Kumar sees Madhubala wet, fixes her car and the money, he forgets! Now you know what rain can do? Kishore Kumar gets naughty and Madhubala turns hotty! Enough to swing up an off screen romance!

Rimzhim Gire Sawan (Manzil) 

Amitabh Bachchan, Moushumi Chatterjee walk the streets of Mumbai, soaked in rain. Pehle bhi yun toh barse the badal… signifies how love suddenly changes the way you perceive rains. Romantic? Oh Yes!

Aaj Rapat Jayen toh (Namak Halal) 

No words required for this one. Just WOW! Smita Patil always had it in her, but she made it clear in this song. Aaj phisal jaaye toh…!

Kaante Nehi Katte (Mr. India) 

Sridevi, saree… correction wet chiffon saree, rains and an invisible Mr. India equals to magic that has refused to die down from our memories almost three decades since the visual treat was first plastered on screens. Till date any mention of saree, Sridevi or rains remains incomplete without this number.

TipTip Barsa Paani (Mohra)

Till years after Sridevi raised the sensuousness bar with her wet saree in Mr India, there were numerous attempts to recreate something similar by many actresses. Nothing was as significant till Raveena decided to don the yellow saree and seduce Akshay Kumar in Mohra. Tip tip barsa paani… and it created what an effect!

On the roof in the rain (Masti)

This one takes romance to the top of the roof – literally! Wet Lara Dutta and Vivek Oberoi dancing on the roof and playing the prem game!

Taal Se Taal Milaa – Taal

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is probably the only one who has this ability-She does not need a man around her as she dances around in the rain. She just creates romance out of nothing. She did the same in Barso Re Megha from Mani Ratnam’s Guru too. Not referred to as one of the most desirable women in the world for nothing. Well, to be fair… she did need a man – AR Rahman!

Ghanan Ghanan Ghir Ghir Aye Badara (Lagaan) 

Ok we got to give it to AR Rahman and Ashutosh Gowariker. There was actually no rain in this song… just the mention of it. There have been many other such songs which have mention of the rain but few could ever create the joy and romance around it. A whole drought-hit village break into a joyful song and dance at the sight of dark clouds… that’s what rain can do!

Bhaage Re Mann (Chameli)

Kareena Kapoor really cannot be left out. She has had her share of wet saree too! Not the most romantic, as she has only a bewildered Rahul Bose staring at her. While Kareena looked every bit of the character she played in the film, which did not make her any less appealing in the saree. Rain can do things!

The list really does end. But you would not have the time to read an entire book on this topic.

So Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is pregnant. And the whole country seems to be discussing about it, giving her a new found star status.  I fail to recollect the last time she gathered as much attention. Her last film, another effort with her husband Abhishek Bachchan, was the ill fated Raavan. Not that they have not had successful collaborations – Guru is an example – this child certainly will remain the most talked about partnership.

Funnily this partnership has suddenly hijacked quite a few other plans – a case of reproduction stalling production! The most prominent being Heroine, the film that Aishwarya was shooting till her family declared she is five-months pregnant. The shoots of the film were just into the second week and the Bachchan family says that Ash could very well shoot for the film, once the director removes the ‘unnecessary’ scenes. However the producers are confident that Ash can’t be their ‘heroine’ anymore! Naturally money is lost and quite a few crore for that matter – money that will just add to the budget of the movie, which in turn affects the recovery on investment. Heroine for now is stalled, till another worthy actress takes over.

Ladies and Gentlemen is another film which has lost its lady. The film which was to star Abhishek Bachchan with his wife will probably have to go girl-hunting. The director Rajkumar Santoshi apparently admitted that his eyes are now fixed of Preity, who is suddenly pretty busy starting her own production house.

Yet another director whose hopes to cast Ash dashed is Soham Shah. The guy who last directed Luck seems to have gone luckless as he tried chasing Ash to play the lead girl in his remake of Satte Pe Satta. With Ash unavailable and hero Sanjay Dutt willing to work only with her the film is stuck. Unless Vidya Balan accepts the film, and the fact that she was not the first choice of her hero who is also the producer!

In the meantime fingers continue to be raised about how a 38-year old actress could not figure out that she is pregnant well into the fourth month when she started shooting for the film. Accusations and gossip fly… as does muck. In the meantime she steers clear with declaration that she is still as much in demand by signing a film with Viacom 18, which she will shoot end of 2012. UTV, producers of Heroine, however seems to have become wary of a married actor. They are apparently fixed on putting an anti-pregnancy clause in contracts that they sign with heroines in future. Only goes further to prove how important Ash’s pregnancy is in Bollywood history! Strangely such a thing did not happen when Madhuri Dixit got pregnant mid-way through the shoots of Devdas. Or for that matter when Kajol turned pregnant during the shoots of We Are Family. Of course both Madhuri and Kajol went on to complete the respective films.

Necessity if the mother of inventions, while Ash definitely heads towards the mother of certain changes! Cheers to that!

Preity Zinta was last seen in Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth. While the film was not accepted by the audience, the actress’s work received appreciated. And two years since then the actress has finally given her nod to do another film. She says the break was deliberate as she wanted to concentrate on business – her IPL team. But now she believes that it can sustain on her own and she can get back to her first love and primary profession– acting.

Why would you make such a spontaneous decision to take a sabbatical from Bollywood for so long, right at the top of your career?

Yes my decision to jump into cricket at the peak of my career and staying out of films for so long was rather spontaneous. That’s how I got into films too. I remember Shekhar Kapur lecturing on what it is like to be an actress and a star.

Preity Zinta

You have been known to be different as an actress as well as a person. In fact we hear you were quite a tom boy earlier.

I think I am the only heroine who has a fracture or a cut or a bruise or a tape on all her pictures from childhood. I don’t want to show those photographs to anyone but they had once been shown on a show called Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai where my friends betrayed me and gave away all information!

And how would you injure yourself?

Beating up boys! The age difference between me and my elder brother and me and my younger brother is one and half years. Till the age 12-13 a girl is like a boy only, especially if she grows up with boys!

Beating up boys sounds interesting. Ever beaten anyone after growing up?

Oh Yes I have! In Delhi I have! I have done it once in Mumbai too. But then you should also know how to run when you hit someone. Don’t wait there and be a

commando!

Any good memories from your time spent with the guy gang, apart from beating them up?

You know, I learnt to be say things right on a person’s face from guys. I sort out things there and then and forget about it, unlike other women who keep silent and keep it inside them!

Getting back to the present, you look fit again. Last year you had put on a lot.

Yes I have been working on myself since I decided to get back to entertainment. When you are acting and in front of the camera and you know you have to wear a short skirt or your midriff is showing you don’t want to be looking bad. But in cricket it was all about wearing jeans a t-shirt. I had put on seven kilos!

So now back to films?

Yes there are some interesting offers. The producers will talk about them soon

His excellence is portraying various characters. Be it playing a physically disabled person in Iqbal, a street smart guy in Apna Sapna Money Money, a student leader in Dil Dosti Etc., a villager in Welcome to Sajjanpur or a junior artist in Om Shanti Om – Shreyas Talpade has beautifully painted various characters in the few years that he has been a part of the movie industry. And this time around he will be seen playing a dumb guy in 3 Thay Bhai – a film produced by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. We decided to let him speak the film, his love for acting and his ambitions around it.

Shreyas Talpade

Over to Shreyas Talpade:

I play a struggling Punjabi actor in 3 Thay Bhai. He considers that what he is doing is “time pass”, just for pocket money. But his ambition is to reach Hollywood. My character believes he is made for Hollywood and he is waiting for the day when someone comes and recognizes his talent.

No, the desire to reach out to Hollywood is not foolish. It is the character. The wish to reach out to a larger audience is always there in every performer.

I got popular in school because I used to do dramas. People used to know me. In college too I was popular because of theatre. I used to get trophies for my college and my name used to be recognized. People start appreciating my work. All these built an urge to expose myself to more people. From there I went on to do Marathi television and then Hindi television. Then I did Marathi films and subsequently Hindi films happened. It is just about trying to get more people to see your work. So Hollywood is just a logical expansion!

Plus the wish to be a part of a Hollywood film also comes from the fact that they make wonderful films. The filmmakers and technicians there make films like Avatar and Inception possible – films which are completely beyond us. We can only wish that we were associated with such films in any way possible.

But then it is not like our actors are not approached. We cannot deny the fact that people who have established themselves here will look for meatier roles. You want to be a good part of good film.

Having said that, I have had opportunities to work with some great directors and consider myself lucky for that. I have worked with directors who are very diverse in their approach to filmmaking – be it Farah Khan, Shyam Benegal, Nagesh Kukunoor or Rohit Shetty. And now I am working with Shirish Kunder.

One thing an actor should be able to do is understand the particular style of filmmaking that the director adheres to. The job gets easier and things automatically fall into place. And I hope I can keep everyone entertained like this as long as possible.

An ex-Miss India and also one of the most successful actresses in Hindi cinema, Juhi Chawla has seen stardom like few others. She has one of the most impressive filmographies among Bollywood actresses with hits like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Darr, Yes Boss and also sensitive films like My Brother Nikhil and the forthcoming I AM to her name. And these apart, she is also a business person. She is a co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders along with her husband Jai Mehta and Shah Rukh Khan.

Here she talks in first person about woman liberalization as she sees it.

–

For some time now there has been a lot of talk about women’s liberalization. I would not be a part of it because I can’t speak from a national point of view. I would rather talk from a personal point of view – from what I have seen in life.

World over women are perceived in different light. I am more acquainted to how things are in Mumbai and places around. And I am pretty sure that the scenario here is quite different from what the scenario is in smaller towns and villages. Here women get much more opportunities. I have not seen that life.

And from my experiences I can confidently say that today women are capable and also have lots of opportunities. There is scope for women to be independent so that they are not taken granted by anyone, which generally is one reason why women were ill-treated in some quarters. This is something that delights me. So my experiences tell me that women have been able to create identities of their own.

A woman has her individuality and under no circumstances is she supposed to be treated like a doormat. With changes in society she has been able to sit up and speak out. This is what liberalization means in my dictionary. It means both the sexes are treated with equality.

This brings me to the topic of celebrating Women’s Day. On first thought it is fine to have such a day considering there are days for almost everything else. But then some wise man rightly pointed – why just one day for women! It should be every day!

Women deserve more for the capability to be so much more!

While the entire country was looking forward to the budget, there was also a level of excitement towards the Oscars which were being telecast live the same morning. Reason – AR Rahman was nominated in two categories. It ended being quite a disappointing day for his fans as the awards went to The Social Network and Toy Story 3 in Original Score and Original Song category respectively.

Nevertheless the awards proved one thing yet again – stories about underdogs do fantastically well. This time it was The King’s Speech, which is about King George VI and his stuttering problem. The story of the king’s journey to become a fine orator from being a stuttering recluse not only moved the audience but also critics alike. And after being a box office success The King’s Speech went on it wing four of the most anticipated Oscar awards – leaving behind extremely hyped films like Inception and The Social Network. Tom Hooper directed The King’s Speech won The Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

A close second is Christopher Nolan’s Inception. This film too won four of the technical awards – Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. David Fincher’s The Social Network won three out of the eight nominations that it received. While Inception and The Social Network have released and done very well in India, The King’s Speech is yet to release in the country.

Here’s a list of all the winners:

Best picture
The King’s Speech

Best actor
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best actress
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Supporting actor (Male)
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Supporting actor (Female)
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Director
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

Animated feature
Toy Story 3

Foreign language film
In a Better world

Documentary feature
Inside Job

Documentary short
Strangers No More

Adapted screenplay
The Social Network

Original screenplay
The King’s Speech

Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland

Cinematography
Inception

Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland

Makeup
The Wolfman

Film Editing
The Social Network

Visual Effects
Inception

Original Score
The Social Network

Original Song
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3

Sound Editing
Inception

Sound Mixing
Inception

Animated Short Film
The Lost Thing

Live Action Short Film
God of Love

Priyanka Chopra and UTV have been trying to promote ways of getting rid of your valentines – which they are doing as a part of their campaign for 7 Khoon Maaf. But then at Fried Eye we know the bigger truth. It is always a bigger task to get a valentine than to get rid of it. And equally big task is to keep the valentine and not lose it! So we thought we will go the conventional way. Here we bring out names of few of the best told love stories in Bollywood, in last five years. All these films are available on DVD and we are sure your valentine would not mind some of them as a gift. Romantic movies always work!

And hey, just to keep the balance, we have also included a list of worst told love stories. Ones that you could easily stay away from, and hope not to replicate in real life!

Statutory Warning – This could be more helpful for guys that girls! In fact it is the guys who need the help rather than the ever-so-romantic girls!

Band Baaja Baarat:
Easily one of the sleeper hits of 2010, Band Baaja Baarat was equally loved by boys and girls – for different reasons. Interestingly such is the success that the film continues to run at the theatres two months after its release! In the meantime Yash Raj Films have already brought out the DVD of this debut movie by Maneesh Sharma.
Price: Rs 299

The Japanese Wife:
Aparna Sen’s The Japanese Wife is probably one of the most idealistic love stories made in recent times, where the loves never meet but connect at a platonic level. Rahul Bose portrays a character who overcomes strong urge of adultery to stay faithful to his wife. The DVD has been brought out by Sa Re Ga Ma.
Price: Rs 299

Love Aaj Kal:
Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal showcased the modern generation and the confusion it goes through as each from the generation tries figuring what is more important – career or love. The film shows both protagonists breaking up as they leave for different countries to pursue their dreams but in some years realize that their success would never taste good enough unless they have each other’s company. Also the film showed how important it is for the relationship of love to be based on friendship. Eros brought out the DVD.
Price: Rs 399

Wake Up Sid:
Ayan Mukerji’s Wake Up Sid was more of a coming of age film about a guy called Sid. However the underlying love story between a younger boy and a older a much calmer girl touched many hearts. It has its own ‘awww’ moments, enough to make a girl love it. The DVD has been brought out by Big Home Entertainment.
Price: Rs 399

Jodhaa Akbar:
Ashutosh Giwariker’s Jodhaa Akbar is often criticized for its long running time. However even the strictest of critics would admit that the love story shown, along with the grandeur of the period settings, were simply enough to melt the romantic in you. To top it, both Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan looked awesomely hot in the film! The Dvd was brought out by UTV.
Price: Rs 499

Rab Ne bana Di Jodi:
Frankly this is not the best of movies we have seen. Definitely not the best from Aditya Chopra whose first film was the evergreen Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayega, which continues to run in a theatre in Mumbai 800 weeks after its release! But Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi took the love stories beyond good looks and glossy locations. A very normal looking Surinder Sahni, complete with a moustache and unappealing dressing sense scores over a stylish Raj, as the heroine Taani looks to find true love. This one could be handy for the guy who is not too confident of his looks! The DVD of this film was released by Yash Raj films.
Price: Rs 399

Jab We Met:
Opposites attract and how! Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met was about two completely different characters, both from different walks in life, and how they find love in each other. There is hardly anything to say about this film that you don’t know already. It is one of the biggest romantic comedies of Bollywood ever! The characters are immortal and the love story is completely ‘wow’! The DVD was brought out by Moserbaer.
Price: Rs 149

Pyar Ke Side Effects:
A hilarious story, Saket Chaudhary’s Pyaar Ke Side Effects brought to Bollywood an increasingly rampant phenomenon – commitment phobia. The film is about a couple who have been in a relationship for three years, but when the girl wants to get married the guy loses his cool leading to a breakup. The story obviously has a happy ending. The DVD of this entertainer was brought out by T-Series.
Price: 99

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna:
Karan Johar stepped out of family dramas to a more adult subject of adultery with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. While many in India refused to accept the film, it did come at a time when the belief in marriage as an institution was being questioned. The film shows the protagonist finding love outside each other’s marriage and yet they are never termed the villains. Not exactly the most romantic subject, but Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji’s chemistry make it a memorable love story. Yash Raj Films brought out the DVD of this film.
Price: Rs 145

Now that we are done with the list of movies you could gift your date, here’s a list of films you could very well stay away from – especially on days you want to make special.

Milenge Milenge – This Shahid Kapoor- Kareena Kapoor starrer is nowhere near Jab We Met, which too starred the two actors. Steer clear.

Pyar impossible- The name indicates it all!

Kambakkth Ishq – Another film where the name says it all! This is probably one of the worst love stories of recent times, with the crude language used in an already outrageous story.

Love Khichdi – The tag line of the movie was ‘Too many girls spoil the cook’. In no way does this make it to your DVD library.

Love Story 2050 – This film scored pretty high in an online poll to find out the worst love stories in Bollywood recent past. We particularly liked one remark about the film – “The film had everything from flying cars to robots to pathetically coloured hair. The only thing it missed was a love story that made sense.”

Salaam E Ishq – A tribute to love – With a name like that least you could expected is a sensible story. But director Nikhil Advani got too entangled in his attempt to show six love stories together and ended up messing up all of them!

Laga Chunari Mein Daag – Gifting the DVD of a film that degrades women’s respectability to your date is the last thing you should be doing!

Jaan- E-Mann – So there were two heroes, one heroine, one dwarf, some well-choreographed sons and some comedy. And there was also supposed to be a love story. Four and half years after release we are trying to make sense out of the film. Do let us know if you could!

Mere Jeevan Saathi – Err… what? No more love-triangles please! Let’s handled regular love stories for now!

We will be waiting to hear what you have to say to our lists! Till then, best of luck with you date!

We at Fried Eye spoke to the rapper and returned quite inspired and awed.

When HK reached UK she was called a ‘Freshy’- a term used for people who just immigrated to the country and are not familiar with the ways there. “It was terrible but I used tell them that one day I will become the freshest!” she says in an UK accent. And when she did start talking in English the Indians were upset. “They used to say why I speak n English. Now what am I supposed to speak in when I am in England. All Indians there know Punjabi as that’s officially accepted,” she says. But the accent does not take away her love for India and her culture. “I am proud to be an Indian and a Punjabi,” she says adding that being a Punjabi also gives her spirit to fight adversity.

And how she has fought it this far! “You don’t know what I have gone through. UK is very male dominated. Girls can’t do it. These boys get so bad. My shows used to get cancelled. Then I found out what was happening and started sending bhai log to them. Everything was sorted!” she says without any regret. “They have always believed that Indians don’t fight back. But they have only known the older generation. Our parents always preferred staying safely but our generation gives it back! I believe we are better and that was a prominent part of my songs too when I started,” she explains.

Becoming a rapper was not easy. Among other hurdles was opposition from her family. “My mother tried forcing me to learn singing and dancing. But that was not me. Singing meant I would have to be girlie. Rapping was more like what I wanted to be and I decided to get into that. But then there was no point just being one if I could not be among the best. I trained myself for over ten years,” HK says. She taught herself the art of rapping till she was confident that she could take on any challenge once she goes into the streets.

She was doing pretty well and on the verge of going to America when her mother told her that she should try India. That’s when she did ‘Ek Galasi’, which became so popular in India that she discovered a whole market for her talent. “‘Galassi’ was supposed to be a cheeky song which I expected to be banned. But it became a hit!” she laughs. “I came to India to do a few shows and then I met Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy who asked me to come over to their studio to jam. Move You Body in Johnny Gaddaar followed and today I have done quite a few numbers in Bollywood!” she says

And as she rises in the industry she says that she never had to struggle except in one thing. “The struggle is not to be a whore!” she says. “It’s about staying the same rather than being the same as everybody else. What’s the use if you turn out to be the same as everybody around? I am different and I like it this way. And people like me too!” she adds explaining her stand. Her aim right now is to become far more popular, earn good money and make rapping a more accepted art in India. “You think of Bappi Lahiri when you think of disco and you think of me when you think about
Hip hop. People are getting educated but there is a long way to go. Lot of people do not know what rap is and they need to be educated. And also right now what I am doing in Bollywood is a rather diluted form on actually rapping.

Now she is even getting into acting! She has done a role in Akshay Kumar’s soon to release ‘Patiala House’ and HK says she had good fun doing it. “Beside the fact that the character is really funny I connected with the script. It is about Indians in London, people who stay in Southall,’ she says. “And now I am looking forward to act more. I am actually hoping to do a villain’s role some day. That will be awesome fun. Maybe something like Kill Bill!” she quips.

Amidst these, the 30-year old also negates pressure from her mother to get married. “But thankfully my mother keeps changing her mind every week. One week she is after me to get married, next week she will say I can follow my dreams. I tell her I am busy right now. I have to earn money first,” comes her trademark laugh. Hard Kaur is here to stay!

She has not been an active part of Bollywood for quite a few years now but that has not diminished her star power and neither has the long break faded memories of her performances on screen. Her dancer numbers are still a hot favourite and her looks still make you go weak in your knees. Yes that happened to us as we caught up with ‘dhak dhak’ woman and mother of two, Madhuri Dixit Nene.

What made you agree to do a dance based show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa?

Dance is up my alley. It is something that I am good at and my comments will have some weight. So I thought it was a good opportunity. Plus TV is a great medium to reach out to the fans and meet them.

This is not the first time you are doing television though. The first attempt was not too successful.

When I had done ‘Shubh Vivaah’ it was a good concept but came too early. Back then reality shows were not so popular and people could not accept it. People had a problem with getting a private thing like marriage on television. The show would have done much better today.

Your dances are still remembered. Interestingly, the best of them were choreographed by Saroj Khan.

Yes that’s right. You know we have a great understanding. There are times when she does not even need to tell me what she wants and I understand. She understands me likewise. That rapport works very well for us. We would have a discussion before every song so that we don’t repeat any step. That helped us in shooting some good songs. And then I am always ready to put in the hard work.

Do you have any favourite dance numbers from all your songs? Also which one song did you have to put in maximum effort into?

Touchwood, I always got good songs hence it is difficult to point any favourite numbers. Back then the beats used to be very good. Talking about difficulties, I think ‘Tamma Tamma’ is the song that I had to work really hard on. Every music piece in that song was done in one shot. There were times when we used strain our knees so much!

You danced with a lot of actors. Who would you consider as a bad dancer?

I have not danced with anyone who is bad. They are all good dancers and have their own styles of dancing. Even Aamir (Khan) is very hard working and does not leave till he gets a step right. I remember we had done ‘Dum Duma Dum’ and we rehearsed a lot for it before he was confident enough.

And has there ever been a time when dancing with someone scared you?

I was really scared to dance with Prabhu Deva. He is such a good dancer and when he choreographed ‘que sera sera’ (Pukar) I remember telling him that it would not be possible for me to match him. But he was very positive and kept telling me that I could do it. The video turn out really well.

So do we see you getting back to films?

Depends on what the film is. It has to be something that has been written for me and suits my image. The character of course has to be in a different mould and not a role of a giggly teenager running around trees. But I don’t wish to do too serious cinema either. I don’t want to do serious or comedy but something that suits where I am now.

What is your most challenging role so far?

That has to be my part in Mrityudand!

How do you look at the change in Hindi cinema over the last few years?

There are vast changes in the way films are being made. Also the variety in the kind of films made is tremendous. We have a Raajneeti as well as a Dabangg and both doing well. The audience is open to watch different films and this is a very good time for filmmakers, actors and actresses.

Finally, which film of late have you loved?

I found Dabangg very entertaining and Salman Khan was very good in it.

2010 is easily one of the worst years for the Hindi film industry in terms of business. Even as country limped out the west-spread plague called recession the positivity didn’t reflect all that much at the box office. Hugest of films – Raavan, Kites, Guzaarish, Action Replayy, No Problem – flopped miserably. The crisis continued right till the end with films Tees Maar Khan doing very disappointing business.

But then every dark cloud has a silver lining. We were taught that in school and it rarely seemed as this year. In the rough weather arose the scope for some independent cinema made more remarkable low budgets when compared to the money they made! And somewhere there is a beautiful lesson learnt.

Back-story

The pre-recession time had seen a bunch producers and corporates cropping up with all eagerness to cash in on the newly found multiplex audience. The family audiences and the richer classes were venturing back into the theaters with the dawn of multiplex era. Cooler services, ambience and the option of choosing one film out of many made these people, who had stopped going to the theatres and rather opt for home entertainment, get back to enjoy movies at the big screen. And the cash rich producers were quick to realize this. Subsequently there were a slew of small but intelligent movies made and released to cater to this audience, that was not star struck but searching of quality story and entertainment. Plus many of them were bred on Hollywood features and nothing unintelligent and straight of Bollywood’s mainstream was appealing enough!

However where we got classics like Bheja Fry, A Wednesday, Ek Chaalis Ke Last Local, Dasvidania and Mithya we also saw the eagerness going haywire in judgment and films least worthy of being made getting made!

Till money was in abundance there didn’t seem to be a problem green lighting more such projects. Things changed overnight though when the markets crashed and suddenly people found themselves in position to shut well established offices. While many would say filmmakers was affected universally there were still high-budget films such as Kambakkth Ishq, Blue and Housefull that were made right at the peak of recession. What got stuck are the films that were meant for only the multiplexes. Investors unabashedly decided that it is films which aim to cut across all barriers of audience that needs to be funded rather than niche projects, where returns on money was uncertain. Of course decisions made are quite arguable with big movies such as Kambakkth Ishq, Blue, Chandni Chowk to China, De Dana Dan, London Dreams, Luck falling miserably at the box office.

Sweet returns

As mentioned earlier the year continued to see massive failures. But there were smiles too in form of films like Love Sex & Dhokha, Udaan, Tere Bin Laden, Peepli Live and Phas Gaye Re Obama.

While the presence of huge budget films like 3 Idiots, My Name is Khan, Housefull and Robot was felt across the year, the glaring holes were covered by ventures which were hooted as non-commercial by many. Apart from the earlier mentioned names there were films like Striker, Thanks Maa, Hide & Seek, Well Done Abba, The Great Indian Butterfly, City of Gold and Antardwand that kept the flavor going. And most of these movies saw through the tough times of recession when they- like so many others were almost shelved! Well if not shelved, at least they had hell of time finding distributors and exhibitors.

The latest success, As Phas Gaye Re Obama, is one more such instance. A movie well made was forced to a long wait before finally managing to set up a clash with Ashutosh Gowariker’s Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. The result? Survival of the fittest! And with the failure of Tees Maar Khan and No Entry fit definitely has been established as – a project with good script and the correct budget.

And if filmmaker Rajat Kapoor, a champion at being part of movies made for shoestring budgets, is to be believed the scene is just getting better. Kapoor, who has made films such as Raghu Romeo, Mithya and Mixed Doubles, admits that quite few of these small films were shelved with the recession and others failed to find screens. “But with the recession over, this could just be the start of a new era where people give a chance to films with good scripts and made for smaller budget. 2011 should be a happy year!” he cheers.

With the New Year lot of filmmakers are hoping Kapoor’s future telling skills work for them. Some of these filmmakers include Saeed Mirza, Manish Gupta, Saurabh Shukla and Sudhir Mishra. All we can say is ‘Happy New Year’!

Our list of the year’s most played songs

Alright the year is at its end! Well we know there are still a couple of weeks before it actually ends but then this is our last issue for the year. We rolled out our first issue on January 1 this year and as we complete on whole year of existence we cannot deny that it is all because of the love and attention that you have showered.

The love of hits has worked like good music for us, helping us grow – research does show that good music help plans grow, if not human beings! Keeping music in mind we thought we would bring out a list of songs released during the year that you completely loved and grooved to. So when you are selecting the songs for a special year end party you will know just where to look into for some ideas. Here we go…

1) Ibn Batuta: The year kick started with the super flick Ishqiya. While the movie was superlative the song Ibn Batuta sung by Sukhwinder Singh became a rage.

2) Love Sex aur Dhokha: A completely unconventional film and a completely suiting song. Love, Sex aur Dhokha had great sounds and makes a great dance number.

3) Tere Liye: Though Vivek Oberoi starrer Prince didn’t do well at the box office it saw one of the biggest openings on the year. And that despite the absence of any big star in the cast. The reason attributed by many analyst was one – Tere Liye. The track was such a rage that it single handedly took care of the entire promotion of the film!

4) More Saiyyan: One of the best films of the year Rajneeti deserved at least one good track. And Aadesh Srivastav came up with just that as he composed and sang More Saiyyan. It is not your typical dance number but this one can surely warm up the party and put you into just the right spirit.

5) Pee Loon: A film starring Emraan Hashmi and not having good music is an absolute rarity. And when he gets just one song in the film it has to be good! Pee Loon, where Emraan serenades Prachi Desai and even makes her wear Dimple Kapadia’s outfit from Bobby, is just that number. Like More Saiyyan this one too is not a dance number. Rather it’s one of the foremost romantic songs of the year – just right to bring some romantic balance to your party.

6) Gal Mitthi Mitthi: Amit Trivedi is indeed the new sensation in Hindi film music. The composer who took us by surprise in Dev D and then his single track in Wake Up! Sid does a complete departure from the type of music he has done before and brought out Gal Mitthi Mitthi in Aisha. An out and out dance number this is one of the biggest hits of the year.

7) Munni Badnaam: If we are talking biggest hits and dance numbers we really cannot leave out Munni Badnaam. This track from Dabangg, often criticized by many as extremely vulgar, is the most hyped song of the year. And there are no two ways about it.

8 ) Hairat: Lucky Ali does not sing often. And when he does he strikes! The singer brought a completely different side of his singing as he sang Hairat Hai from Anjaana Anjaani. The track composed by Vishal Shekhar is one of the most played tracks in discotheques across India this year.

9) Zor Ka Jhatka: Assamese folks can rejoice. Zor Ka Jhatka, composed by Pritam and a part of the Action Replayy album, has it’s inspirations in the state’s folk music. So we could boast ‘It’s got to be a hit’! Zor Ka Jhatka continue to play at every corner store and auto-rickshaw, as we continue to tap our feet to the beat!

10) Sheila Ki Jawani: There are really no prizes for guessing this one. Sheila Ki Jawani pips a whole bunch of other numbers as the latest track in the list. The song and its video, featuring the ultra-hot Katrina Kaif gyrating in her sexiest best, have captured the imagination of elders and youngsters alike. So much that every known Sheila in the country is suddenly the centre of attention. Goes without saying the film Tees Maar Khan’s promotions are riding on it!

There are host of other numbers. For example Uff Teri Ada from Karthik Calling Karthik, Thok De Killi from Raavan, Bin Tere from I Hate Luv Storys, Dum Dum from Baan Baaja Baarat and the title track of Tees Maar Khan. Each one has been extremely popularly throughout the year and are distinct.

We are looking forward to your comments and reaction to our list. You could even bring out your list, which you think is better than ours. Music is always welcome. Till then, enjoy the party!

My first meeting with him was aimed at getting him to speak against Aamir Khan but he simply refused. He said whatever had to be written was already out there against his will and he would just like to keep mum, to not hurt the film anymore. “I would not like to hurt my baby anymore,” he told me back then. By baby he was referring to his film, and that despite the fact that he was no more being credited as the director of the film. Aamir Khan had taken over the directorial reigns. Amole and I chatted for an hour as he smoked his cigarettes.

Over the chat I realized that the filmmaking was not his ultimate aim. He was making a film just trying to bring out problems that he has come across over the time. The man and his wife and editor Deepa Bhatia has been working with children for almost 20 years. “All films that I make hence will be about children,” he told me then.

Three years since then when I met him recently at a press conference for Phas Gaya Re Obama, a satirical film where he plays a minister, I had to ask him about updates on his next film. He has been working on film called Stanley Ka Dabba. The film’s cast is primarily children. And unlike others who shoot at a stretch Amole decided to bend his schedule for his cast. “Children need to stay to study and also spend time with their parents. For my selfish purpose I would never make them sacrifice on these. So all children I shot with went to school from Monday to Friday and spend Sundays with their parents. I shot only on Saturdays,” reveals Amole. And that stretched his shooting schedule alone to almost a year. “The film is now into postproduction and we should be able to release it next summer,” he adds. That’s almost two years since he started shooting! I assume that’s good enough an example to showcase passion. And if the writing of Taare Zameen Par is anything to go by Stanley Ka Dabba should be another heart rending story.

In the meantime Amole continues to act in films and teach in college to keep his finances going. Though he is best known for his role in Kaminey, he has been an actor for more than two decades. He has been a part of films like Mirch Masala and Holi is smaller roles and Phas Gaye Re Obama (releasing December 3) promises another class act from him. Here’s a human being in the city for stars, unmoved and undistracted from his vision – Amole Gupte.

Hrithik Roshan surely is a destiny’s child. Throughout his life he has seen obstacles that promised to halt his march ahead. But never for once did he lose spirit. And probably that’s why the divine power too repeatedly helped him – be it overcoming stammering, back pain, knee problems and other such issues.

Image Courtesy: http://www.guzaarishthefilm.com/

Many know that Hrithik used to stammer as a child which he got rid of after endless hours of practice in front of the mirror. But only few know that he had a back problem so severe that he could not even stand all by hiimself. That was before he turned an actor. The doctors had told him clearly that his dreams would remain dreams. But miracles happen… it happened with him at least. The pain subsided one sudden day and he hit the screen like a tornado. That was over a decade back.

The doctor resurfaced in his life again. This time to tell him that he better stop doing action scenes and dance number else he would lose him leg movement completely. Hrithik didn’t lose heart yet. As he struggled around with a crutch to support him he was approached by two filmmakers – Anurag Basu and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He liked their scripts and agreed to act in the films. Basu made Kites and Bhansali made Guzaarish with him. While Kites released on May 21 this year, Bhansali’s film is readying up for release. As a part of the film’s promotional drive the actor spoke to Fried Eye.

The actor is quite kicked about the film. This is the first time he plays a paraplegic person and also a magician. His character, Ethen, is a magician who suffers from paralysis post an accident. And yet he never loses heart and enjoys every moment of his life till he knows his body organs won’t support any more. “The film is not about mercy killing and neither is it pessimistic. In fact I was slightly upset before reading it but by the time I finished reading the script my spirits were up and high. There is so much to learn about life from the story that I decided that I should do it. This is my way of spreading a very beautiful message about life. My state of mind back then helped me understand the story better,” says the actor. “And to prepare for the role I met people who were paraplegic. And all of them were so positive about life that it amazed me. They taught me a different outlook to life. Today I am not worried about small things in life. They don’t upset me. They taught me to smile through bad times. I learnt to have gratitude in life” he adds.

Playing the role was not easy though. And it was not about putting on a lot of weight and looking different. “The fact that I had to represent them (paraplegic patients) well was a huge a responsibility. It was biggest responsibility I have carried in my entire life!” he says. He had his good times too in preparation for the role. “I had to look unhealthy and gain weight. Hence I dived into a whole lot of junk good. I used to pick up a dozen samosas and while watching movies. I tasted things that I had stopped eating 15 years back as a part of my diet!” he laughs.

Of course he is back to being as fit as ever now – working out hard. And he went on to prove that doctor wrong again. We saw him doing an astonishing dance number in Kites and in Guzaarish, the actor reveals, he will be seen doing one of the toughest dance numbers in his career. “I have never done a spin on one leg. It’s really though and I had to work on it for one whole month. The one dance track Guzaarish is probably the hardest one I have done in my entire life!” he says. And this came right after the doctors around the world told him that he could never dance again. Even as the actor sets out to spread a message through his film, he seems t be doing just that by living his dream too!

It’s the season of festival. Time that you spend with your family… doing what you like best. And for the movies lovers like me, we love watching movies. And preferably get our loved ones to watch them along with us. Some movies that you have loved and you would like your family to watch… and some that you just could not find time or money to watch and would like to catch now at home! Original DVDs of course…

There have been good films and also hit films. We thought of bringing out a list of good movies which we think you may have missed. Take a peek and take your own pick.

1) Road to Sangam

This movie was stuck for long before it finally found it’s time. But it was quite a wrong time as it clashed with big movies Ishqiya and Rann (January 29). It just could not get any attention. That apart, Road To Sangam got rave reviews all over.
Director: Amit Rai
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Om Puri,
Story: The film is about a god fearing Muslim mechanic called Hasmatullah who was given the job of repairing an old lorry. He is oblivious of the fact that the lorry was the vehicle which carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi as it was taken to Triveni Sangam.

2) Thanks Maa

This movie too released amidst too many other hypes movies like Road, Movie (March 5). And never got any of the news space it deserved. It went on festivals around the world including Pusan Film Festival, International Film Festival of India, Edinburgh International Film Festival etc.
Director: Irfan Kamal
Cast: Barry John, Master Shamas Patel, Mastar Salman, Mastar Fayaz, Baby Almas
Story: The film deals with child abandoned. The story goes about a child and a search for his family. Heartrending tale of how the boy goes abound finding the mother who left his by the streets right after birth.

3) Lahore

Released on March 19 this movie suffered the fate of having no stars in the cast. Though extremely positive reviews the movie never did business. The movie won two National Awards this year – Best film by Debut director and also Best Supporting actor for Farooq Shaikh.
Director: Sanjay Puran Singh
Cast: Aanahad, Nafisa Ali, Sabyasachi Chakavarthy, Farooq Shaikh, Sushant Singh
Story: Lahore is a sports film propagating Indo-Pak relationships. The protagonist is a cricket player who gets into kickboxing to avenge the death of his brother. He trains to be fit for international tournaments in matter of months and goes on to teach everyone a lesson in sportsman spirit.

4) The Japanese Wife

The Japanese Wife is essentially a Bengali film but the love story is appealing enough to be watched by anyone irrespective of the language they speak. The subtitles help. It however didn’t release in too big a scale and did not reach out to all corners of the country.
Director: Aparna Sen
Cast: Rahul Bose, Raima Sen, Moushumi Chatterjee, Chigusa Takaku
Story: The story revolves around small town Bengali school teacher who falls in love and subsequently gets married to his Japanese pen friend – over letters. And they never meet! Yet the two keep their loyalties to each other.

5)City of Gold

This film was made in two languages – Marathi and Hindi. While the film is called Lalbaug Parel in Marathi, it’s called City of Gold in Hindi. It happens to be return of Mahesh Manjrekar to direction after five years. One of the highlights of the film includes the huge cast of 60 plus people – and everyone gets a bit to do.

Director: Mahesh Manjrekar
Cast: Seema Biswas, Satish Kaushik, Kashmira Shah, Karan Patel, Siddharth Jadav, Shashank Shinde, Sameer Dharmadhikari
Story: The story of this film is based on true settings of 1982 Mill strike. It depicts the birth of underbelly of Mumbai. It is the first time the strike, which is officially yet to end and is easily the longest running strike in the history, has been depicted on screen. The strike had rendered lakhs of people unemployed and that’s when the underworld suddenly got stronger with survival of fittest coming into full force.

There are more movies like Antardwand, Hide and Seek, the Great Indian Butterfly, Udaan and Tere Bin Laden which could have done better than what they did. The list never ends… but you could start somewhere. As I said… take your pick. Happy Dusshera!

*This is an old speech, but we thought that it is relevant even today so we thought about sharing with you.

There’s the world way of thinking and the Indian way of thinking, says Aroon Purie, chairman at media conglomerate The India Today Group. In his own words, India media veteran Purie on the underbelly of the Indian broadcasting industry…

Call it the slumdog syndrome but I want to expose the underbelly of broadcasting. I know many Indians didn’t like Slumdog Millionaire for its negative portrayal of India but please excuse me for slumdogging and not doing what former US president George W Bush calls the ‘vision thing’.

I think it’s high time we recognised and dealt with some ground realities. As I am a practical person who likes details, I will get into the nitty-gritty of the broadcast mess.

What is this mess? I see it as three-pronged. First and most important is that our distribution system is completely outdated. So it can be likened to the great Indian traffic jam. Everybody is stuck and nobody can move forward. Even if you do, it’s only at the expense of someone else. Nobody obeys rules here. And that has made it difficult for the industry to move forward. Second is the lack of transparency in our industry. We see this industry growing at 10 per cent annually in the coming years. But there is no transparency whatsoever for the stakeholders on how revenues are shared. The third is there is inadequate audience measurement system.

As I said, the mother of all problems is distribution. It’s often said that content is king and distribution is god. And it couldn’t be truer than it is today. A diverse country like India has billions of gods but this one is the supergod right now. At least for the broadcasting industry. Of the 84 million viewers the country has, 76 million, or 90 per cent, use the multiple system operator (MSO) route. About 6 million are direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers and 2 million are conditional access system (CAS) ones.

The burgeoning increase in the number of channels is making analogue cables burst at the seams. They can’t carry that many channels. So broadcasters are vying with each other to put their channels on air at the cost of someone else’s channel. They are paying carriage fees to cable operators and MSOs to carry their channel. No surprise then that in the last one year, registration cost has shot up 50 per cent.

This cable race has had an impact. Today, if you want to launch a channel, it’s hard to do it in this scenario because the cable operator doesn’t care what kind of a channel you are. Whether you are an entertainment channel or a news channel or even a kiddie channel, he’ll ask you to shell out whatever the market price is. Today, it takes nothing less than Rs 25-30 crore to secure national distribution for any channel in this country. That means even before you produce one minute of content, you have to loosen your purse strings by Rs 25-30 crore for national distribution!

When we launched our news channel Aaj Tak in 2001, our distribution cost was zero. But now, carriage fee is the biggest expenditure for us. Our up-linking costs are higher than the salaries of all the employees combined.

The positive fallout of the financial meltdown is that it has stopped what I call spreadsheet capitalism, which means a spreadsheet that shows a great future in the broadcasting industry. Whenever a new channel comes in, all existing channels get displaced. Money flows freely and broadcasters try to outdo each other and kill each other altogether.

Every year, channels pay carriage fees of about Rs 1,500 crore. But broadcasters don’t share information with each other on how much they’re paying. So there are no standards and you can be charged any amount any time.

This is where the government needs to step in and make digitisation mandatory within a certain timeframe. And broadcasters should help in this process. I would even say that broadcasters should start a digitisation fund like all carriage fees that we pay. On its part, the government has made very feeble attempts at digitisation. It was to start CAS with four cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore. But it succeeded only in Chennai. CAS had ambitious dreams of going to 55 cities by 2007, something that doesn’t seem likely now. Digitisation is the only way to make the consumer pay for what he wants and ensure that the broadcasters get their fair share of that payment. At the moment the consumer pays a lump sum, getting a whole bundle of channels, 90 per cent of which he doesn’t watch.

Ironically, even broadcasters seem to be resisting digitisation. Perhaps because they fear that once digitisation is done, the ‘real’ viewership numbers would emerge, affecting advertising revenues. But then the whole industry seems to be at war anyway. Broadcasters are fighting each other over eyeballs, and the MSOs over the carriage fees. And MSOs are fighting with cable operators as they aren’t getting enough money.

Despite this free-for-all the government hasn’t done much to set things right. The government is more interested in the price of the channel and the bouquet. The government of India is probably the only one in the world who thinks that having a cheap cable connection is the fundamental right of every citizen. What right does the government have to decide how much a channel should charge a consumer? It has not spent a rupee on setting up any infrastructure, be it distribution or anything else. It doesn’t tell print how much to charge so why broadcast?

What the government should be doing is setting standards and encouraging broadcasters to go ahead and digitise and even help them do so. They should make it mandatory. The industry then can move forward. Unfortunately in India, most of the time, the government has it head in the sand while drafting policies for the broadcasting industry.

I remember the first satellite TV channel made its way to India in 1991 during the Gulf War. The government suddenly woke up in 1994 with an ordinance and by that time there were already 75,000-80,000 cable operators in the country. Besides, the only thing the government woke up to was the tax potential of this industry. Since then, it has come up with very few legislation, a case of too little, too late. But then, the government has always been out of synch with what happens in the world. For example, in the earlier days of satellite TV, there were too many restrictions on up-linking for foreign countries. At that time, media baron Rupert Murdoch wanted to set up a big base in China. He said then that India is the only country that has no down-linking restriction but has only up-linking curbs.

Even when DTH was introduced in 1997, the government first banned it. Only after 2000 was it allowed and that too with conditions that destroy the idea of exclusivity of content by different DTH players. Now, DTH has become just a clone of cable where you get a bundle of channels. Besides, DTH also charges carriage fee! So there is the world way of thinking and the Indian way of thinking. And this is what we ended up with. The industry has not grown the way it should have.

In India, the government has the largest terrestrial network that nobody can compete with. But if the government did its job well all broadcasters would have been out of business. The government has the capacity to reach every home.

If there was digitisation, there would have been a lot of transparency. Consumers pay cable operators about Rs 15,000 crore. Of this, cable operators pass on only around Rs 2,500 crore as subscription fees, a measly 15 per cent of what they collect. So even though they pay Rs 1,500 crore as carriage fees, broadcasters earn only Rs 1,000 crore of the Rs 15,000 crore that is actually forked out by consumers. This is rather unfair!

This is what the government needs to look at more than what a channel should charge. In a developed country, broadcasters get about 35-40 per cent of what the consumer pays. And they don’t pay carriage fees! So you see, India has a long way to go. And the economic slowdown has only put the spotlight firmly on this problem.

I also believe that media comes cheap in this country. Not only broadcasting but even in print. An Indian newspaper costs around Rs 2.50 to Rs 3.50 for a full 32-page issue. Similarly in cable, you are getting around 100 channels for Rs 150. Compare this to America or elsewhere, you will get only 40 channels for Rs 450. But the consumer there is ready to pay for what he wants. And there is enough money for everybody.

The last point I want to make pertains to audience monitoring. TAM is not efficient enough a measure of viewership. It is also inadequate for niche channels and detailed market analysis. For example, an English channel showed zero rating in an important city like Ahmedabad in January 2009, which is really impossible. At the moment the audience meter is tracked by the ministry of research. I believe there should be a body to looks into this.

There are many other issues like content regulations as well. Distribution has now become so profitable that even politicians are getting into it. And that’s an interesting phenomenon, especially for news channels because it gives content regulation a whole new meaning.

What I want to say is that bringing about some logic to the broadcasting industry will only bring in a better system. In the end, we have nothing to lose but our losses.

Sonam Kapoor is not exactly the most dependable actress around. Her hit to flop ratio is miserable with just one hit so far in her career of four films, which include two massive disasters. Nevertheless she has managed to achieve something which very few actresses get – the tag of a style diva.

Every time she makes a public appearance the actress makes a statement. Interestingly she is ridiculed for the same style sense by a couple of her friends. For one she has a penchant of huge bags, which co-star Imran Khan compared to suitcases! Even when we met her for this interview she was carrying one such huge blue bag. Well she does carry a lot of things too which makes the bag of good use. It of course is a different matter altogether that she never finds what she keeps inside. “I have no clue about 50 per cent of what I carry in it. I carry a lot of things actually,” she admits listing out items like cell phones, notepads, pens, cosmetics and camera. “I carry notepads but then I realize that I can make notes on my phone as well. But I still carry them!” she giggles adding that there are so many other things which are redundant.

And the large bag is not all. Sonam has one more quirk. She loves old clothes, So much that she actually goes to New York once in a while. The actress informs about this quaint but expensive shop in the US city where she finds extremely old clothes, one of which she even wore in her film Aisha. “My dad finds it strange that I like collecting old clothes and that they actually cost that much. But trust me it is fun. I preserve lot of clothes. They need a lot of care else they get damaged. I keep them covered properly,” she tells us. And you thought being a style icon was easy!

Well let’s hope that she turns out to be much more than just a style icon considering she has such an illustrious father to emulate. Post the debacle of Aisha one thing is certain for sure – Sonam needs to refine her taste in scripts to at least half way near her taste for costumes. Hopefully Mausam – that releases on next year – will prove just that to keep her in running for bankable actresses.