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Marriage made in
heaven, or on TV? Rakhi Sawant decides
Will she? Won't
she? Rakhi Sawant moved from being an outspoken item girl to a coy
bride, and now the question whether she will actually get married
through her televised 'swayamvar' has middle class India in a
thrall.
The "wedding" is
slated for Sunday on her show "Rakhi ka Swayamvar" - which saw Rakhi
choosing the most suitable groom from a list of 16 in 25 episodes -
and excitement is peaking.
"It has to be the
Canadian guy", "She will walk out without marrying", "There will be
a wild card entry", "The contestants would be asked to choose
between money and Rakhi", "Who cares?"… just some of the random
thoughts and queries of the many viewers that NDTV Imagine added
after the reality show began June 29.
Dressed in Indian
finery and suitably demure, Rakhi shortlisted five grooms and even
went to their homes to get to know the families. As the feisty bit
actress who hit the limelight with her outrageous statements, not to
forget the kissing controversy with singer Mika, played the ideal
Indian 'bahu', viewers happily tuned in every weeknight.
On Sunday, the
speculation will come to an end when Rakhi announces whom she will
marry. And everybody has a view.
"It's likely that
the show is a farce, because most of the shows that generate huge
publicity are planned for that purpose. Maybe she will marry him for
the show, with a pre-nuptial agreement and then annul the
marriage…unless the chosen one is rich enough to stay with," said
Jaya Kumar Mathur, a housewife.
There are others
who did not share Jaya's cynicism and said Rakhi could actually be
looking for true love.
According to Saniya
Mehta, for instance, it is quite possible she will settle down with
one of the final three contenders - Toronto-based Gujarati boy Elesh
Parujanwala, young aspirant Manas Katyal and businessman Chhitiz
Jain, both of whom stay in New Delhi.
"But unless the
groom shifts to Mumbai, which is Rakhi's workplace, her life would
not be smooth after the show. She should take her decision
carefully," said Mehta who feels Parujanwala is the best suitor for
the item girl.
Channel officials
are equally clueless.
"It would be a big
decision for Rakhi. There is new speculation every day about the
climax of the show, but even we can't tell anything as of now.
Ultimately what will happen on Sunday will be entirely Rakhi's
call," Nikhil Madhok, vice president (marketing and communications)
of NDTV Imagine, told IANS.
"If she says she
wants to marry the same day, we are all set with the preparations.
If not, it's for her to decide because it's her life," he added.
The preparations
are grand. Whatever the decision, Rakhi will be dressed in a Neeta
Lulla creation and wear jewellery designed by Farah Ali Khan,
including a necklace worth Rs.3 million.
Of course, like any
other grand Indian wedding, a multi-cuisine buffet dinner will be
laid out. The menu, planned by Rakhi herself, will include Gujarati,
Punjabi and Maharashtrian delicacies.
The guest list will
be equally impressive, including TV celebrities as well as Bollywood
stars. Rumours are rife that Bollywood's ace director Karan Johar,
who invited Rakhi on his chat show "Koffee With Karan" that saw
A-list actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, is expected
to be one of the invitees.
The show, the first
of its kind in India, has brought unprecedented TRP (television
rating points) success for NDTV Imagine. The premiere of the
one-hour show saw ratings soar to 3.5 percent. The channel is hoping
that Sunday's episode will be even better.
In the original
American show, "The Bachelorette", the contestant in many cases
didn't get married or didn't last too long. There was one exception
- Trista Rehn who married physiotherapist Ryan Sutter in the maiden
season of the show in 2003 and now has two children.
Will it be happily
ever after for Rakhi too?
Good movie needs emotional
director: David Dhawan
One of Bollywood's
most successful comedy makers directors, David Dhawan, says a
filmmaker has to be emotional to make a good movie. He also admits
to getting stressed even now before the release of each of his films
.
"If you don't know
how to cry or laugh, then you can't understand the audience. The
goodness has to be within you to come up with something exciting. A
good movie should have the right mix of emotions, backed by a
powerful script," Dhawan told IANS here.
Dhawan's upcoming
"Do Knot Disturb" is again a lighthearted romantic comedy that stars
Govinda, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen. It is
scheduled for a September release.
He is also working
on another project titled "Hook Ya Crook" that stars John Abraham,
Kay Kay Menon, Shreyas Talpade and Genelia D'Souza.
After teaming up
with stars like Govinda, Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan in several
hits, Dhawan now wants to make a movie with animals as protagonists.
"I love animals and
I want to make one movie with them. I have always wanted to make a
movie with animals, but for that you need a trained animal and lots
of patience too," said Dhawan, who used a chimpanzee in "Aankhen"
and a dog in "Biwi No.1?.
He confesses he was
under extreme stress before the release of his first hit, "Shola Aur
Shabnam" (1992).
"I must admit that
'Shola Aur Shabnam' was my last chance to prove myself as a
director. I had given a series of flops before the film…. and I had
no clue what I would do if the movie would fail at the box-office,"
said Dhawan.
"When the film was
released, I was under extreme pressure and nervous too. My condition
was so bad that I was shivering and my wife had to give me brandy to
put me to sleep. But when I got a call at 5 a.m. from a film critic
who told me that my film in not just good but too good and a hit, I
was relieved. After that I never looked back," he added.
After the success
of the Govinda-Divya Bharati starrer, Dhawan gave a series of hits
like "Saajan Chale Sasural" and "Deewana Mastana", "Biwi No.1?,
"Jodi No.1?, "Hero No.1? and "No Entry".
But even after so
many hits, Dhawan gets nervous before the release of his movies.
"For every film of
mine, I'm nervous. I hide myself in the editing room because I have
raised the level of people's expectations…What bothers me mostly is
whether audience will like my movie or not, whether my movie will
make them laugh or not.
"Sometimes you have
to outdo your own projects," said the director.
Post-"Shola Aur
Shabnam", the Dhawan-Govinda combination was seen as a sure shot
success at the ticket window. But the director has also churned out
hits with other stars like Anil, Salman and Sanjay Dutt.
Film shoot
disrupted by wild elephant to resume
Thiruvananthapuram,
The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer "Raavan",
disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being
shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here
Thursday.
"We will resume
shooting tomorrow (Friday)," Sivan told .
The tusker, whose
name is Kunju, killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan. After the
incident, the road at nearby Athirapally forest was blocked and the
cast and crew of Mani Ratnam's film could not return to their hotel.
"We didn't see much
since we were shooting on the other side of the bridge… so we
couldn't cross over… we had to stop shooting, but I didn't see
anything except the confusion. We had to spend a few hours in a
guest house in the forest," said Sivan.
Neither the actors
nor any crew member of the film was injured.
Later the elephant
was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.
Besides Abhishek
and Aishwarya, "Raavan" also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha
Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.
Big B remembers Gayatri Devi as
picture of grace, beauty
New Delhi, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan remembers Gayatri Devi, the 'rajmata'
of Jaipur, as a "picture of grace and beauty" wrapped in soft
chiffons.
Amitabh recalls
sneaking into the Jaipur Polo Ground when he was a student in Delhi
University to not just watch polo matches but also catch a glimpse
of Gayatri Devi.
"The maharaja of
Jaipur (Sawai Man Singh), a great proponent of the game, would play
there and accompanying him used to be his wife, the Rajmata Gayatri
Devi.
"In her soft and
pastel flowered chiffons, she used to be a picture of grace and
beauty. I never imagined that one day I would get to meet this lady.
But time and circumstances changed that," the actor posted on his
blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.
Gayatri Devi died
Wednesday at the Jaipur-based Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital (SDMH)
where she was admitted Tuesday for breathing problems. She was 90.
When Amitabh learnt
of Gayatri Devi's ill health a few days ago, he sent her a bouquet
of flowers and a get well card.
"Her son had
acknowledged my letter and informed us that she was very pleased to
have received my concern and wishes…May she rest in peace."
Amitabh had met her
on many occasions.
"After joining the
movies, there were many visits to Jaipur for shootings and that is
when a formal introduction with the Rajmata took place. I was later
asked by Gayatri Deviji to inaugurate one of the functions at the
girls school (Maharani Gayatri Devi) that she started, now a
flourishing institution.
"Some years ago she
had invited me to be the chief guest at a charity she promoted for
the underprivileged and cannot forget what a gracious host she was
that evening. On another occasion she called me over for a private
lunch at her Lily Pond residence, serving me personally with
delicious vegetarian delicacies which she had so considerately asked
her kitchen to prepare," he said.
However, the last
time that the erstwhile maharani of Jaipur sought Amitabh's
involvement, he couldn't make it. And that was the last
communication he had with her.
Emraan Hashmi accuses housing
society of bias
Wondering why
people talked of secularism in India, actor Emraan Hashmi Friday
accused a Mumbai housing society of refusing him permission to buy a
flat because he is Muslim - a complaint echoed in the past by others
in Bollywood.
Emraan has
complained to the Maharashtra Minorities Commission (MMC), which
says the management of Nibbana Complex, a posh society in Bandra's
elite Pali Hill area, is still considering his "antecedents" before
taking a final call.
"This has political
connotations, so they don't want to talk about it openly. Yesterday,
they told me that I can't get the NoC. I asked them why aren't you
giving me the (no objection) certificate -- am I a criminal, or a
terrorist or have I done anything illegal?" Emraan told reporters
here Friday with his uncle and well-known filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt by
his side.
Emraan said: "It is
strange that they don't tell you on your face that you can't get a
house because you are a Muslim. It would have been easier if they
would have told me openly. What they told me is that they can't
allow me to live there because I am a serial kisser and my presence
will have a bad influence on the children staying there."
The actor, who
featured in films like "Murder" and "Gangster - A Love Story",
wanted to buy a house in Pali Hill so that he could stay close to
his parents.
In his complaint to
the MMC, he said he was refused the NoC despite paying the token
amount of Rs.100,000 and the society management ignored his parents'
requests to meet them over the issue.
MMC vice-chairman
Abraham Mathai said: "We have been told that the society is
considering the 'antecedents' of the applicant (Hashmi) before it
can take a final decision in the matter."
"Accordingly, we
have also advised Hashmi to get a Crime Investigation Department
(CID) G Branch certificate, which will effectively prove his
antecedents and submit it to the housing society," Mathai told
reporters today.
Mathai said if the
society is found to have practised communal bias its office bearers
could face action.
An office bearer of
the Nibbana Complex, however, told mediapersons that certain other
formalities had to be completed before Emraan could be granted the
NoC. He added that a society meeting was scheduled for next Sunday
to take a final decision, but the applicant had raised a controversy
before that.
In the past, senior
actress and former MP Shabana Azmi alleged religious discrimination
when she attempted to buy a flat in Mumbai. Actor Arbaaz Khan,
brother of Salman Khan, had also experienced similar difficulties
when he attempted to buy a flat here.
Emraan said: "Being
a celebrity if I'm facing problems in buying a house here, I wonder
what kind of problems others would have been facing. All the time we
are talking about secularism but with such incidents what secularism
are people talking about?"
He said someone
suggested to him that he purchase the house in the name of his wife
Parveen, who is a Hindu. "I can do that, but why should I do that?"
he asked.
Bhatt said such
discrimination was a serious problem plaguing the country.
"Even 62 years
after independence, the virus of communalism is alive in an area
like Pali Hill, which is known as India's Beverly Hills where stars
like Sunil Dutt lived and Dilip Kumar is still living there. It's a
serious problem and is the country ready to accept that communalism
is still surviving?"
'Male Barali Manju
Irali' a must watch
'Male Barali Manju
Irali'; Cast: Srinagar Kitty, Parvathi, Nagakiran, Jai Jagadish,
Mukyamanthri Chandru, Hemachowdhary, Sharan, Sadhu Kokila and
others; Director: Vijayalakshmi Singh; Producer: Jai Jagadish and
Vijayalakshmi Singh; Dialogues: B.A. Madhu; Camera; Ajayan Vincent;
Music Director: Mano Murthy; Ratings:
Director
Vijayalakshmi Singh's 'Male Barali Manju Irali' is a feel good love
story, which is told in a classic style. Singh has returned to
basics to make the film that has a neat narration and top class
performances. It is also technically sound.
The film doesn't
have too much space for special effects, graphics and glitzy
visuals. It's a simple story, but makes an impact. This is Singh's
second directorial venture and she shows her class by making a
stylish film that will appeal to young audiences and women too.
The director has
presented the main protagonist Sneha well in both style and
substance. She represents today's much awakened modern woman who is
confident, mature, transparent and doesn't hesitate in speaking her
mind. Other characters look like prototypes, but Singh has taken
care to make the proceedings as natural as possible.
Despite having a
simple love triangle, 'Male Barali Manju Irali' will strike the
chord with the viewers as it has high degree of emotional intensity,
not seen in the Kannada films recently.
That is precisely
because of charged performances by leading artists Parvathy, Kitty
and Jai Jagadish. And Singh gets ample support from top class
technicians that include cameraman Ajay Vincent, dialogue writer
B.A. Madhu and composer Mano Murthy, whose background stands out in
the film.
The films is about
a well-educated young girl Sneha who comes to her village to spent
time with her father Shivappa who works for a rich estate owner.
Sneha's childhood memories are rekindled when she sees the two sons
of the estate owner.
She takes a liking
to Vishwas, elder of the two who is an introvert but with a heart of
gold. While the younger brother falls in love with her. Since Sneha
has been closer to Prem as a child, she seeks his help to strengthen
her relationship with Vishwas. And then starts the drama.
Malayalam actress
Parvathy gives a brilliant performance. She is extremely natural in
her role. Her body language, dialogue delivery sinks suits the
modern girl that she plays. She is terrific in the climax where she
doesn't speak even a word, but shows a range of emotions.
Kitty comes off
very good in the climax sequence as well. This is veteran actor Jai
Jagadish's best role so far. All the other artists have given
satisfactory performances.
Ajay Vincent's
camera work captures the beauty of the locations as much as the mood
of the sequences. The title song and 'Ondhu Sala' are well shot.
Over all 'Male
Barali Manju Irali' is an enjoyable fare, which could be appreciated
for its narrative, direction and high voltage performances.
'Love Aaj Kal' is
just another love story
'Love Aaj Kal';
Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna;
Director: Imtiaz Ali; Rating: ***
Midway into the
second half of 'Love Aaj Kal', Rahul Khanna screams at Deepika
Padukone and asks her to make it clear what she actually wants in
life. That's one of the very few moments in the film audiences can
really empathise with.
After all, this is
what you as a viewer also feel throughout the love story of Saif Ali
Khan and Deepika - what do they really want?
They break off, but
haven't quite drifted apart. 'After all it's an era of
communication,' says Saif. So much so that even when the 'once in
love and perhaps still in love' couple decide to take care of their
lives separately rather than getting into an ugly long distance
relationship, they continue to meet and greet and paint the city of
Dilli red.
It's just that
continuous talks around 'how we are happier today when compared to
yesterday' become monotonous after a while. It seems good though in
the initial reels of the film. In fact, the first 20 minutes of the
film are excellent when the director wraps up the beginning and the
end of the Saif-Deepika love story.
While watching this
portion of the film, you do feel that 'Love Aaj Kal' is indeed
treading a very original path. In fact, the entire 'break up party'
introduction is an ace in the hands of Imtiaz Ali and he plays his
cards brilliantly.
So far, so
excellent but this is the point from which the film starts taking a
dip. Rishi Kapoor's emergence in the story gets a good kickstart.
But the entire flashback angle with Rishi narrating his own story,
something which sounds quite exciting on paper, doesn't really carry
the same punch as the Saif-Deepika story.
In fact, whenever
the film goes into past mode, it dips and only Deepika's
re-emergence on the scene lights up things. Watch out for the scene
where she finally decides to move on and brings on a fake smile in
front of the mirror.
The interim love
story of Saif and his Swiss girlfriend brings the pace down again,
hence making for an uneven ride till interval.
Post interval
portions don't quite help things much as the 'Dilli bhraman' of Saif
and Deepika looks fake.
Just when it seemed
that the film had come to an abrupt end, there is this twist in the
story that makes one wonder if 'Love Aaj Kal' is the same movie that
started so impressively and ended in such an ordinary manner!
If not for the
performances and the music, the film would have dipped even further.
Deepika is
excellent as she brings in a certain casual feel to the entire
'getting in love and then breaking up' part. Watch out for Saif in
those excellent monologues once every 30 minutes or in the
brilliantly narrated sequence that goes along with 'main kya hoon'.
Rishi hardly gets
scope but is nice in his earlier scenes; one wonders though what
made Rahul sign a film that doesn't fetch him a single decent scene!
Yes, one
understands where Ali was coming from when he decided to convey that
the emotion of love was just the same across different generations.
In the end, however, 'Love Aaj Kal' turns out to be just another
love story.
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