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Newsarchive April 2008
"Bhool Bhulaiyaa" completes 200 days
The excitement that surrounds "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" simply refuses to die. One of the biggest blockbusters last year, the film completes
200 days on April 28, 2008. Directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" opened to a gratifying
response and had a stupendous run at theatres all over India and even abroad. The film was truly admired by the cine-goers for
its mild comedy and psychological suspense.
Apart from Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja and Amisha Patel, the film also stars the comic jodi of Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav along with the veterans Asrani, Vikram Gokhale and Manoj Joshi who come together to complete the team. "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" is a remake of a Malyalam hit, which was also remade as "Chandramukhi" in Tamil. While this film was predominantly a dramatic film with strong angles of myth and horror, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" suggests a comedy, though myth is an underlying force.It successfully grips the audiences' interest by mysterious turn of events and is a perfect blend of thrill and humor revealing undiscovered dimensions of human psychology. Courtesy:
Glamsham
"Tashan" - Law of averages strikes for Akshay Kumar
"Bhagam Bhag", "Namastey London", "Heyy Babyy", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "Welcome".
With five successful films in a row, it seemed like Akshay Kumar couldn't put a foot wrong. Especially so with releases like "Tashan", "Singh Is Kinng", "Chandni Chowk To China" and "Kambakkht Ishq" as his upcoming releases and sure shot blockbusters in the making. It was meant to be a perfect 10 in the offering. However, that wasn't meant to be as law of averages has finally struck. And struck hard."Tashan" has proved to be a disaster. Whether box office too would tell the same story is something that the weekdays would convey (chances seem slim though if the film would be able to recover from bad word of mouth) but at least amongst the audience, the film has proved to be a massive disappointment. The film has failed to deliver, and how! This translates into the fact that Akshay Kumar finds a speed breaker in his golden run and would now have his eyes set on "Singh is Kinng", his next release. So is there any silver lining here? Well, quite a strong one actually! In this out and out mayhem which goes by the name of "Tashan", it is only Akshay Kumar who has come out unscathed and has been appreciated most for his performance and characterization (in no particular order) even though rest of the film (as well as the characters) is nothing more than caricature.As Bachchan Pandey, Akshay has managed to get the graph of his rustic character perfectly right and has brought life to the narrative of "Tashan" which often ranges from being 'OK' to 'Oh My God'. His introductory scene as Ravana and the 'Ramleela' that follows is worth the price of the ticket while his naughty little tiffs with Kareena Kapoor, especially in their initial portions together, are done with a charming awkwardness. In fact one shudders to think what would "Tashan" have been if not for Akshay Kumar. As a 'hanuman bhakt' who wants the lady of his house to be all dressed up and 'sanskaari', he is the sole entity which provides some fun quotient to this film by Vijay Krishna Acharya which makes "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag" seem like a classic.However, the fact remains that in spite of him having fun in this spectacle in futility, Akshay Kumar would eventually have a failure to his name! Courtesy:
Glamsham
Times Music buys rights for Rs 13.5cr
In a landmark deal in the sales of music rights of films, the music of forthcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer has fetched Rs 13.5 crore.
The figure includes the value in terms of promotion and marketing as well. The music right for the movie "Singh is Kinng" has been
bought by Times Music. This is reportedly the biggest acquisition deal in film music business and is significant as the music market
has been in a slump for some years.
"Singh is Kinng is one of the awaited films of the year and it has some great music. The music of Akshay Kumar's films have been selling well. Also that across all sales, whether its distribution rights, satellite or music, Akshay has been commanding good price," says Vipul Shah the producer of the film. "This is certainly one of the biggest music acquisition deals. The music market is looking up and various new revenue streams that has come into existence apart from the cd and cassette sales are making this area more and more lucrative. Also the deal is not for perpetuity as most music deals are but for a limited period of eight years," says Sandeep Bhargava of Indian Films, the worldwide rights holder of "Singh Is Kinng". The various rights primarily mobile ring tones and a vibrant radio scene has added to the film music business. Courtesy:
Times of India
What ban? It's pure bakwas!
Even though Akshay 'Jubilee' Kumar is shooting at breakneck speed at far-flung locations of China and Thailand ["Chandni Chowk To
China" is almost complete; just 10 days shooting is pending], rumours of all kinds [obviously, spread by Akki haters] show their
ugly head intermittently.
The latest rumour [or should I say, joke?] is, Yash Raj has 'banned' Akshay because [a] The actor has had the guts to refuse a new script offered by the Chopras and [b] He isn't promoting a particular IPL team that has had a tie-up with "Tashan". Expectedly, Akshay is flummoxed when I question him about the reported 'ban'. "YRF bans me? Impossible. Mr. Chopra and his son are thorough gentlemen. They would never ban their actors. Besides, they love me. By next week, watch out, I'll be their new 'Tashan'," is all that the modest Akki is ready to say.Having known Akshay since the time he started out in "Saugandh" and also knowing how gracious and professional the Chopras are, I refuse to buy the story that they have decided against working with each other. Talking of the actor, he's humility personified even today -- a rarity when you hit big time. Well, "Tashan" releases today and all eyes are on this movie. Will Akki have yet another trophy to decorate on his over-crowded shelf? Will he walk away with ceetees and taalis once again? Courtesy:
India FM
Fists of fury!
Forget Jackie Chan, come in Akshay Kumar.
Yes, that’s him with the swords drawn in Rohan Sippy’s "Chandni Chowk to China" (CC2C), the film that promises to bring back martial arts to Bollywood. If the last few years in Bollywood belonged to comedies and romance, this year will see action rule the roost. And we’re talking action in its rawest form. Good, old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat. Not the dishum-dishum stuff of the Seventies, of course, but sleek, high-end, digitally-enhanced action sequences. Yash Chopra’s "Tashan", Sippy’s "CC2C", Ram Gopal Varma’s "Sarkar Raj", Aamir Khan’s "Ghajini", Rakyesh OmPrakash Mehra’s "Dilli 6" and Vipul Shah’s "Singh is Kinng" are all going to rekindle the audiences love for unadulterated action. Akshay, confirming the comeback, said, "I’d rather raw fight with skill than stand there and blast someone away with a machine gun. I find direct combat scenes physically more challenging and exciting." The actor, whose forthcoming films are full of high-octane action scenes, added, "Even though the raw fights are given slick treatment, they retain their desi flavour. I am back to doing martial arts. It’s definitely more thrilling than computer-enhanced sequences."Hollywood action director Dee Dee Ku, who’s worked on films like "Matrix" and "Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger" and choreographed "CC2C", said, "In direct fights, you use your body without any gadget, your body is the prop. That makes it more thrilling and challenging. I must say that action in Bollywood is soon going to beat Hollywood standards." Actor Anil Kapoor, who’s seen action evolve over the years, agreed there’s a trend resurfacing. "Action has come a full circle. From "Tezaab" to "Race" and now "Tashan". It’s back to the typical masala maar dhaad. The mass hero is back with his herogiri, macho men are side-stepping their metrosexual counterparts. I prefer the direct physical fights over sleek, animated ones any day."Action director Alan Amin, who wiped out the blood and gore in Bollywood and gave the industry stylised action like in "Dhoom", also said action is more natural once again. "The emphasis is on realism and, yes, it’s back to raw fights. Stylised action that’s realistic, yet panders to the hero’s ego, because that’s what our junta wants," True, and plenty of it! Courtesy:
Times of India
Akki cheers for Delhi DaredevilsAkshay Kumar came, rappeled, did many other breathtaking stunts and left cricketers looking like guest actors at their own match in Delhi’s Ferozshah Kotla. But hey, didn’t someone say this series is 51 per cent cricket and 49 per cent entertainment! And once in a while, the balance will shift by a little margin! How can stunt genius Akshay Kumar leave the opportunity of cheering for the team that he has endorsed? Despite hectic schedule, he landed in Delhi with his wife and child to encourage his team Delhi Daredevils to defeat Rajasthan Royals.  The actor had flown all the way from Bangkok where he was shooting for "Chandni Chowk To China" opposite Deepika Padukone. The action king had received royal treatment from GMR Sports.  The company had provided him with a private aircraft to fly from Bangkok to Delhi. Akki with his wife Twinkle and son Aarav had board the flight in Bangkok in the morning and the same night after the match Akshay flew back to Bangkok to resume his shooting.  He is also expected to do some daredevils stunts in the Ferozshah Kotla Ground which he has been practicing for quite sometime. Along with films, Akshay is equally taking interest in sports. His big project "Tashan" is ready to hit the theatre this Friday and it is expected that with the success of "Tashan" many new windows will open for Akki.  Nadiadwala takes Akshay Kumar to Hollywood
After doing back-to-back comedies last year, it looks like Bollywood's star Akshay Kumar is hell bent on making 2008 his year of actioners.
In producer Sajid Nadiadwala's "Kambakkth Ishq", he plays a Hollywood stuntman and it will be shot in Universal Studios. "Kambakkth Ishq" is to be shot in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the producer has roped in a new director Sabir Khan to helm the
film. Nadiadwala agrees shooting "Kambakkth Ishq" in Hollywood won't be an easy task. "It will be expensive, yes. We'll have 40-50 crewmembers flying to LA. We're thinking of chartering a flight from Mumbai. It'll be more economical. Or maybe we should just buy a jet," he joked. This is Nadiadwala's most ambitious film to date with a budget of Rs 600 million. Kareena Kapoor plays a brand model.Why a new director for such a lavish film? "After a lot of introspection, my company has decided that we need to continue making commercial films, but with a little deviation. That's where my three new directors Sabir Khan, Siddharth Anand and Imtiaz Ali come in. They have the discipline of commercial cinema and the ability to take cinema further. "Siddharth's film, which will probably star Saif Ali Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, isn't the routine candyfloss film. We start at the end of 2008. Siddharth wants to do something different. So do I. It's a film set against Mumbai. It isn't a dark film. But not frothy either." Imtiaz Ali will first direct a film for Saif's production house. Courtesy:
Hindustan Times
Akshay Kumar’s new stunt
The khiladi will play a stuntman to Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Kambakkht Ishq"; film will also star Beyonce Knowles, reports Soumyadipta Banerjee.
Even before Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp could get his act together with Amitabh Bachchan in Mira Nair’s "Shantaram", actor and governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office has confirmed that he would be acting alongside Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in Sajid Nadiadwala’s "Kambakkht Ishq". The film will be shot extensively at Universal Studios in Hollywood. International pop star Beyonce will also feature in the film.According to sources, the letter from the governor’s office in California has already reached Nadiadwala who will soon fly there to sign up Arnold. Sources add that Arnold and Sajid have still not agreed on the final fee. Nadiadwala confirmed that Arnold has agreed to do his film but said, "My company is in talks with the Arnold’s office. However, I won’t be able to make an official announcement until Arnold signs on the dotted line." Another source from Nadiadwala’s office said, "Arnold will be playing a Hollywood star in the film and Akshay will be his stuntman." Apparently, Beyonce will be making a ‘sizzling entry’ in the film. She will supposedly be playing an international pop diva. "We would have ideally wanted to do her an item number, but we don’t think that would now be possible," the source added. It is rumoured that Beyonce is pregnant after her marriage to musican Jay Z.Nadiadwala has also appointed the casting directors of the reality show Entourage-Susan Paley Abramson and Justine Hempe— for roping in more Hollywood stars. Prashant Shah, line producer of the film, based in Los Angeles confirmed this. Courtesy:
DNA India
Akshay is all happy!
Punjabis will perform the bhangra and gidda dance today as farmers celebrate Baisakhi and welcome the harvest of the rabi crop.
Born a thorough Punjabi, the day is special for actor Akshay Kumar, who got nostalgic with BT, as he shot for "Singh Is Kinng" in the colourful khets of Chandigarh. The khiladi who plays a Sikh in this one, reminisced about Baisakhi when he was just an ordinary lad. "Every day began at 5.30 am for my grandma and me. We used to visit the Sheeshganj Gurudwara in the early hours. Baisakhi was beautiful. It meant food and more food. And if you blinked, there would be even more food," said the now health conscious Akshay, smiling.He devoured the Sarson Da Saag, Makai Di Roti and Kheer then, but what Akki loved most was 'mom-made Baingan Da Bharta'. A cook in Bangkok in his early, bread-winning years, how good is the khiladi-bawarchi at preparing Punjabi khaana? "I was a cook and a professional one at that. Put your money where your mouth is, and I promise to send you some food home be it Punjabi or Thai," he says rather confidently. With a choc-a-bloc diary, visits to the Gurudwara musn’t be frequent?"There’s a certain sense of pride and calm in visiting a Gurudwara. No matter what country I visit, there is always a place for me to worship," insists Akshay, "Punjabis are spread far and wide. It may not be possible for me to visit a Gurudwara everyday like earlier, but God is within me, and I remember him every minute of every day." It’s mid-day. The farmers are at work. His take on their plight? "When the going gets tough, the tough get ploughing," he declares wittily. "We are men from farmlands and we understand the plight of farmers. We need to keep away the land and money sharks Look at them," he says, pointing to the simply clad, "There’s so much to learn from them. In happiness and pain, they never stop smiling." It is ‘crowd-surround’ time. The farmers come up to Akshay and shake hands vigorously with him. It reminds us of Dharam Paaji’s popularity up North. And now with the hits under his belt, has Akshay become the King of Punjab? He humbly states, "I’m no King! I remain but just the son of the soil!" Courtesy:
Times of India
Akshay insecure? What a joke!
The number game does matter and those who feel it doesn’t, are either living on another planet or it’s a case of sour grapes. Every
Friday, the ratings change and so do the equations. Take Akshay Kumar, for instance. Not too long ago, he was in the B-list, with
film-makers offering him done-to-death roles, which stifle the growth of any actor. But Akshay smelt coffee and decided to experiment.
The journey from being an ‘action hero’ to a ‘complete actor’ has taken time, with the actor working doubly hard and burning the night candles to attain the super-successful results. As things stand today, Akshay occupies the prime place in the Premium List and his companions are SRK, Aamir, Salman, Hrithik and now, Saif. Of late, there’ve been news-reports that suggest that Akshay has grown insecure of Saif’s increasing popularity, post "Race". On a personal level, I feel there’s not an iota of truth in this spiteful write-up, for Akshay’s movies enjoy tremendous pull at multiplexes/single screens or metros/mini-metros/towns. If we get real and talk of facts-n-figures, the volume of business of Akshay’s films has put him on the pedestal, right next to SRK.In Overseas, the biggest territory today, Akshay has attained a strong foothold. In U.K., SRK occupies the top position, with Akshay being the No. 2 star there, if the business of "Namastey London", "Heyy Babyy", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" and "Welcome" is an indicator. Let’s talks facts! Four years ago, in 2004, the Akshay starrer "Aan" fetched a miserable £ 19,460 in its opening weekend in U.K. The same producer’s "Welcome" [2007], also starring Akshay in the lead, fetched £ 369,321 in its opening weekend, which, to enlighten the gullible souls, is the second biggest opener of 2007, after "Om Shanti Om".In the U.S., Akshay is next to SRK and Hrithik [both "Dhoom 2" and "Jodhaa Akbar" were massive hits] and if Akshay starts featuring in romantic movies, the business should reach the same figure for sure. Hence, all insinuations of Akshay being insecure could be the handiwork of an over-enthu mind who has zilch knowledge of movie business. The popularity of any actor is gauged by the price his films fetch and a solo Akshay starrer, "Singh Is Kinng", has fetched Rs. 71.4 crores, which clearly puts him right next to SRK and Aamir.Also – this is very important – had Akshay been insecure, he wouldn’t have told Vipul Shah to plan a project with Saif and him [Akshay] together. "Yes, he told me he enjoyed working with Saif in "Tashan" and would love to work with him again. ‘Why don’t you plan a project that teams us together?’ Akshay told me," Vipul Shah enlightens me. If Akshay was indeed feeling the heat, he wouldn’t have uttered these words, right? Am sure, Akshay must be laughing at the ignorance of some wannabe journos! Courtesy:
IndiaFM
"Singh is Kinng" team goes to EgyptVipul Shah's Akshay - Katrina starrer "Singh Is Kinng", directed by Anees Bazmee, is truly going places. After nearly completing the major shoot in Australia, Mumbai and Punjab, the cast and crew will be heading to Egypt next month.Egypt, a land of personified beauty and serenity, is where Bazmee would shoot the romantic song picturizing Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Vipul Shah and Anees Bazmee want the romantic song to be shot in places that the audience probably hasn't seen on celluloid before. The production team is already in Egypt looking for beautiful unexplored locales. The kind of efforts that are being put in Singh Is Kinng is raising its expectometer and it's surely worth the wait. Courtesy:
IndiaFM
"Chandni Chowk To China" travels to 70's
And that is evident from our Bollywood industry. Filmmakers these days are loving to capitalize on the emotional appeal of the
old plots/songs and actors are equally pushing the envelop in a bid to serve up old wine in new and fancy bottles.
Whether the age-old popular song 'Khaike Paan Benaras Wala...' or 'Yeh mera dil...' of "Don" or for that matter 'mehbooba mehbooba' of "Sholay"; filmmakers deem remakes as one of the successful formula to attract audience. And the fact of the matter remains that originals or remakes both have been enjoyed by the public and topped the charts. Now the makers of "Chandni Chowk To China" starring Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone in the leads are ready to espouse the same Bollywood formula by roping in two most successful songs of the 70's. One of them being 'Bambai se aaya mera dost...' from "Aap Ki Khatir" and other one from "Caravan", the famous Helen number 'Piya tu ab toh aaja...'Well, all you guys have one more reason to stay tuned for the bygone Tadka. Courtesy:
Glamsham
Akshay face the fearAkshay Kumar has taken the battle of superstars raking in moolah on TV to the different dimension altogether. We hear that this uncrowned king of box-office is getting bigger bucks than even SRK for hosting the second season of Fear Factor. According to sources in the TV industry, Akshay will be paid Rs 1.5 crore per episode, which is more than what SRK is getting for Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain? Incidentally Sallu has been booked for Rs 89 crore for 104 episodes.Akki will host a desi version of Fear Factor with Bollywood actresses as participants. This show will enable him to pursue his passion for action as well the Khiladi will be doing his own bit of stunts as well before he goads the contestants to overcome their fears. However, this is not the first time that Akshay will be seen in a television show. Four years ago he had hosted a martial arts show Seven Deadly Arts for National Geographic. The seven-part series took viewers on a journey through the world of martial arts. Fear Factor is Endemols International’s biggest selling ready made formats in the world. Aired in about 106 countries around the world, it is one of the most popular reality television shows in the world with a proven track record in these countries.The first season was aired on Sony. Shot in the exotic locales of Kuala Lampur and Malaysia and hosted by Mukul Dev, it was then the ultimate in adrenaline rush- a true test of stamina and guile for those willing to put their body and soul on the line for Rs 10 lakh. Courtesy:
Santabanta
"Welcome Back" Akshay, Anil, Nana, Kat, Mallika!
"Welcome" enjoyed the grandeur success and rave reviews from all corners. It even broke all records turning out as a true Box-office champ.
Few days back we even told you that "Welcome" completed 100 days. It is counted as one of the solid blockbusters of 2007 grossing maximum moolah not only in India but overseas also. Later it was also released in Pakistan where it again made a good business and was well appreciated by the audience there. Now seeing such overwhelming response Firoz Nadiadwala is so much so impressed that he is planning for the sequel titled as "Welcome Back". This sequel will have the same star cast - Akshay Kumar, Anil kapoor, Nana Patekar, Katrina Kaif, Mallika Sherawat.So fasten your belts again for the hilarious sequel to come! Courtesy:
Glamsham
Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal team up againYet another laughathon is on the cards as the winning combo of Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal team up again.Their incredible camaraderie in "Hera-Pheri" is still fresh in the minds of movie buffs. Though their re-teaming in "Phir Hera Pheri" did not win as many hearts, Akshay, Sunil and Paresh are now coming together again for a comedy film. The movie in question will by produced by the Jains of Venus. And none other than Priyadarshan himself will direct the film. Now, could we ask for more? However, the Jains have clarified that their film is not even remotely similar to "Hera Pheri" or its sequel. It is an original story that will also have three heroines. The producers have yet to finalize the actresses.The film, yet untitled, will go on the floors in September and will be shot in a single schedule till the end of 2008. Courtesy:
Apunkachoice
Teaser of "Singh is Kinng" out with "Tashan"
"Singh is Kinng", as the title of the film suggests, is about the Sikh community and Akshay Kumar is playing the role of a Sardar.
In conjunction with this, the makers of the film have coined a one minute tactical teaser for the film.
This teaser will be aired on television channels on the occasion of Baisakhi festival on 13 April. "The film will be releasing on 8 August, but we plan to air this teaser for a single day on channels on the occasion of Baisakhi because it suits the subject of the film," says The Indian Film Company senior vice president Priti Shahani. TIFC is the distributor of "Singh is Kinng". The film also stars Katrina Kaif. It is directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Vipul Shah. Kumar recently shot for the teaser, when he was in Bombay.Further this teaser will also be played with "Tashan" which is releasing on 25 April, which also stars Akshay Kumar along with Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. Courtesy:
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