Ramu will bounce back like Sachin Tendulkar

RGV ki aag bhuj gayee!
RGV seems to be in confession mood. You can see him giving interviews to everyone and anyone being candid about the film he remade. It takes guts to confess and accept mistakes. And it is indeed a revealation to discover the another side of Ram Gopal Varma.
There's no denying that one section of so called 'film critics' are always on their toes to destroy his reputation and malign him. But in the case of RGV ki AAG, it wasnt's just this section which completely torn apart the movie. It was a spontaneous shock from not just critics and but even Ramu's ardent fans. How can Ramu do this? It was just a shock! Nobody would have taken it so seriously if Sholay remake was attempted by a any C grade director. But Ramu has established himself with his hard work. And he did make a name by making successful and different movies like Rangeela and Satya.
When so many people admire your works and follow your steps, you need to be cautious. And RGV ki AAg wasn't a careless step from Ramu. But Ramu is too strong a filmmaker to get distrubed by these critics or the failure of movies(Infact I don't remember his last hit film). I feel Ramu is like Sachin Tendulkar. People always expect him to score a century or else they'll crucify him.
And criticism always made Sachin more adamant and determined. He always answered them with his bat. I'm sure the best answer Ramu can give to his critics by some path breaking movies. That's the only way to shutup the mouth of critics

Kareena-Shahid split? Shall we care?

We are made to believe that Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur are very much together. Earlier we were made to believe that Bipasha Basu and John Abraham are still together. I can't digest these little games the stars play.
My sources say that Kareena Kapoor herself called the reporter and planted the story of breakup! And it is believed that she herself divulged her proximity to Chote Nawab, Saif Ali Khan, being the reason for the breakup! And once Shahid returned home, they are together at media events, promotions etc etc.
It does good for our obsession with stars! We are too much obsessed with these stars' private life and neglect the basic platform, which is CINEMA. I can hear crores of people yelling out that they're big movie buffs. But the truth is that they are crazy about these stars and their private lives. They are only star-struck people. Their craze is not driven by the art of film making. May be very little percentage of them are really crazy about the art of movie making.
That is the one reason we, inspite of churning out record number of movies every year, are still lagging behind by miles in terms of standard of film making.
Hope, someday this craze for the stars will help Indian movies get a better standard of cinema

Sajid Khan is a self-made comedian

Sajid Khan gets nostalgic recalling his first brush with showbiz. It was New Years' eve 1986, and he got his first ‘salary' for his first job - Rs 100 for hosting a show. Not knowing what to do with the princely amount, the struggling comedian promptly put it in the bank. Today, Sajid has Rs 40 crore riding on his directorial debut, Heyy Babyy, which opened this week. And he is confident enough to tell you that he plans an even bigger summer blockbuster next. Sajid strikes a contrasting persona on and off the screen. In public life and on screen, he wears the weirdest of wigs and spoofs everyone from Amitabh Bachchan to Mallika Sherawat. In his personal space, he comes across as a very serious man. "I am a recluse. I fail to understand why anybody would want to know about my life," he says. "I came in this business to entertain people and make money, not to hog publicity." Indeed, it was the need to earn a living that made him turn his hobby into his profession. "I would joke and mimic, and friends would applaud. By the time I was 15, I needed to earn a living. So I made a career out of it," says Sajid.
‘Career', of course, started about 12 years ago on the tube. Satellite television was just making its way into India, and, armed with an abrasive sense of humour, Sajid would go on to make hay by destroying reputations with a wry smile, tongue firmly in cheek. His first show, Main Bhi Detective, however, was a flop. "Disaster would be an understatement," he recalls. "Critics said that I should be banned," he grins. His luck would change with Ikke Pe Ikka, the music countdown show that first aired on Zee Cinema in 1995, and has made it to the Guinness Book Of Records as the longest running countdown show ever. Inspired by Eddie Murphy Sajid , defines his style of humour as "sharp tongue and below the belt, at times". He also draws from Murphy's manner of interaction and spontaneity .
Produced by his namesake, Sajid Nadiadwala, Sajid has followed his passion for ‘firsts' with his directorial debut."It's the first ‘baby comedy' of India. My entire cast comprises people who have never worked with each other. Even Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have never composed music for any of these actors," he says, of the Akshay Kumar-Fardeen Khan-Riteish Deshmukh-Vidya Balan starrer. Sajid calls Heyy Babyy a "dream debut". It's his homage to his lifelong passion - movies. "I broke off with many girlfriends because of disagreements over films." And he shares this passion with elder sister Farah Khan, the successful choreographer-turned- filmmaker. "We have the same DNA after all," he says, adding that Farah is the reason behind the man he is today .
Ask him about marriage, and he is intricate in his reply: "I am 36 and single. I've lacked a lot as a boyfriend. I am a self-indulgent human being. I wish to settle down, but if I only get someone who understands me, or else I won't."
Courtesy:HT

Pink Panther was offered to Aishwarya Rai only!

Refuting rumours about other Bollywood actors being offered a role in Pink Panther 2, its casting director Ilene Starger said they only considered Aishwarya Rai.
"Most emphatically, we did not offer the role to anyone other than Aishwarya! Aishwarya was, when I first read the script, the actress I envisioned for the role," Starger told IANS from Los Angeles in an e-mail interview.
Aishwarya shot for a day with Steve Martin and Andy Garcia in Paris Aug 20 for the film by Harold Zwart.
"Her intelligence, grace, beauty and sophistication are just what the role requires. And, of course, she has a touch of mystery too. She fits in wonderfully with our fantastic ensemble cast, and all of us involved with the film are thrilled to work with her."
Rumours had it that Celina Jaitley was offered the role first but rejected it. Also, Hrithik Roshan was asked to play detective Clouseau's assistant Vincent in part two of the comedy, but he too turned it down.
However, Aishwarya's international manager Simone Sheffield dismisses the reports.
Sheffield said: "Negotiations went on for a month to secure Aishwarya and her dates. The script is absolutely wonderful and the wardrobe is great.
"The film's costume designer Joe Aulisi has chosen some really hot items from Dolce & Gabbana. If any one of the actresses mentioned had really been offered this A-level role in such a big-budget international film, they would have jumped to join it and not have passed on the opportunity as they state, believe me.
"What I love about Aishwarya is that she just calmly continues along the path she has chosen, does her work, lives her life and never has a bad word to say about anyone."
Sheffield also has a lot to say about the actresses' absence at the unveiling of her statue at Times Square and for the promotion of her latest international film The Last Legion.
"I see this trend happening more and more in the media with events falsely confirming Aishwarya's attendance to boost sales and media attention. For one, Aishwarya was never confirmed to appear at the unveiling in New York City, nor did we confirm she was appearing on the late night talk show and a morning news programme during her brief visit to Los Angeles.
"She did, however, confirm she was appearing at India Splendor celebrating the 60th anniversary of India's Independence. When Aishwarya confirms an appearance, it is confirmed and she will without fail attend and always has.
"As for the promotions for The Last Legion, it is up to the producers and distributors of the film to make such arrangements and in this case numerous phone interviews with the international media took place over the past two months. There was nothing else requested of Aishwarya prior to the film's US release."
courtesy:HT

Vijaya Raghavendra to marry Spandana

The wedding date of actor Vijaya Raghavendra and Spandana is fixed for 26th of August in Bangalore at Gayathri Vihar, Palace Grounds.
Actor Vijaya Raghavendra the national award winning child actor turned hero from 'Ninagaagi' has got a moderate success rate in his career. He is very closely related to Dr.Rajkumar family. Spandana is the daughter of B.K.Shivaram, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Karnataka.
Dr.Kadri Gopalnath saxophone and Pundit Narasimha Vadavati clarionet Jugalbandi musical program is arranged for the wedding reception.
Courtesy:Sify.com

Warner brothers to make Bollywood movie

Hollywood-based studio Warner Brothers is making its first foray into Bollywood with a movie called Made In China. Starring Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, it is the first Hindi film to be shot in China. Akshay plays a Mumbai cook who is mistaken for a kung-fu hero and the shooting will start in January, Warner Bros said in a press statement on August 21.
According to trade magazine Variety, the film marks the start of a concerted effort by Hollywood studios to break into the Indian film market, where their films account for only eight percent of the total market.
While Nikhil Advani, of Kal Ho Naa Ho fame, will wield the megaphone, Warner Bros will distribute it worldwide. Ramesh Sippy Productions and Advani's Orion Pictures are the co-producers.Ramesh Sippy told Variety that the venture had brought the "globalisation of Indian cinema closer to reality".

Blaise Fernandes, manager of Warner Brothers Entertainment India, said they are "excited and proud" about the project. "We will do everything in our power to make a well-crafted, popular and successful Indian film," added Fernandes.
Courtesy:Sify.com

Deepa Mehta's new film

Deepa Mehta will be making a film on domestic violence titled Heaven on Earth. The film will be based on the true story of a Toronto residing Punjabi woman, Amardeep, who is a victim of domestic violence. Deepa had filmed a documentary on Amardeep’s life last year and now she is planning to make a feature film on the same.
If things go as planned, Deepa would also shoot the film in Ludhiana, Punjab. The last time when Deepa was shooting in India for Water, some fundamentalist groups disrupted the shoot due to which she had to re-shoot the film in Sri Lanka.
Talking about the starcast of Heaven On Earth, Deepa says that she has finalized an NRI theatre actor Vrajendar to play the husband’s role. As for the role of Amardeep, Deepa will be signing a Punjabi actress.
The film will go on the floors on October 20 in Toronto.
Courtesy:Sify.com

Amitabh does dare devil stunts at 65!

In Ravi Chopra’s Bhootnath, Big B defied his age (65 years) and performed a ‘heart-in-the-mouth’ stunt that would have scared the hell out of actors half his age. When reminded of it, he brushes off the derring-do as part of a day's work.
"I think far too much is being made out of the stunt. Yes, every action- stunt has its potential dangers and the action directors take adequate precautions and follow safety routines. You could slip and fall while walking ordinarily and break a bone and conversely, not get a scratch by jumping off a building for a film’s action sequence. The stunt I did for Bhootnath was relatively safe. But because of my recent surgery and my several other complicated medical conditions, there was an obvious anxiety. However things went off without any incident. Thank God!"
While performing a stunt in 1983 Big B had suffered a near-fatal injury. "I still remember all the prayers and good wishes of the people. I wouldn't have survived without them." He adds.
Having done this stunt at 65, Big B admits that he wouldn't allow his son to do the same. "I would not permit Abhishek to do his own stunts. I always ask him to use discretion and take immense precaution."
Courtesy:Sify

Akshay Kumar cooks!

Amitabh Bachchan's portrayal as a chef has actors scurrying into the kitchen. And the next actor scurrying into the kitchen is Akshay Kumar. In Nikhil Advani's new film Made in China he plays a chef.
But most people don't know Akshay used to work in a restaurant in Bangkok. Only he was not Akshay Kumar then he was Rajeev Bhatia. Guess the wheel has turned a full circle for Akshay Kumar.
courtesy:buzz18.com

Suniel Shetty says Shah Rukh Khan is the better hockey ambassador

Suniel Shetty is confused about being appointed the brand ambassador for hockey, particularly after watching Chak De! India where Shah Rukh Khan plays the coach of a women's hockey team to great effect.
"I seriously want them to reconsider my appointment. I mean, there I was being appointed brand ambassador for the game while Shah Rukh Khan is bringing hockey back into favour like nobody's business," Suniel told IANS.
"It was an awesome experience to be given the responsibility to revive the game. I may be a right choice. But after seeing Chak De!, I think Shah Rukh is a much better choice for representing hockey for the country," he added.
Suniel is truly impressed by Shah Rukh's performance.
"I saw the film twice and I'm completely bowled over by Shah Rukh's performance. He could play anything. But he chooses to play this serious troubled hockey coach. I think Shah Rukh has his stardom for a good 50 years more. Chak De! proves it."
Meanwhile, Suniel is happy for Sanjay Dutt, who has been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the Mumbai blasts case.
"It's really heartening to hear Sanju is being released on interim bail. What do I say? It's an answer to all the prayers that people have sent for him. It's the janta's goodwill that has kept him going.
"It's Sanju who has brought the concept of Gandhigiri to people. And I believe he truly believes in peace. Sanju is totally converted."
Courtesy:HT

Deol family wants to produce on their own

After delivering a hit with Apne, the Deols have decided to become a self-contained film producing concern with elder son Sunny getting again into direction years after Dillagi.
"We'll be consolidating our company. I'll be directing a film shortly," Sunny told IANS in an interview.
Eventually, the actor wants his father Dharmendra and brother Bobby to be part of one production house.
"The world is going global, and for us to do so we need to work as one family. So, yes, we Deols want to get together."
The big brother is quite protective about Bobby. He wants Bobby, who has lately become enormously prolific as an actor, to have the comfort of a home production at his disposal.
"These so-called friends and well-wishers of his who make films with him take him for a ride. But I've understood how these games work. And I don't want him to go through all this.
"Why even in Anil Sharma's Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo Bobby didn't get his dues. I was too busy at that time to look into it. By the time I became aware of Bobby's role, it was too late."
Sunny has realised family comes first... and last.
"Anil Sharma is planning another film for us. We'll get directors. But we'll produce the films. So we aren't taken for a ride."
He says his period of tumult and transition is over.
"I'm much calmer now. I realise doing films isn't enough. Both critics and the masses have to love your work. With our family film Apne I think we've got the formula right. It was the kind of film I wanted to see. So that's the kind of films I'd like to make."
Throwing light on his next family film, Sunny said: " Apne was an emotional film. Now we'd like to a comedy together. Meanwhile, I'm ready to co-direct a film called Man with Neeraj Pathak."
Promoting new talent has always been a passion for Sunny.
"I like to work with new talent. While Bobby is only interested in being an actor, I've been involved with everything from editing to screenwriting right from the time of my debut film Betaab.
"But once they become established these people who start off with me move away to what they consider better prospects. But we Deols will continue to nurture new talent. I've many ideas. And I need talent to implement those ideas."
Sunny wants to make realistic films.

"But still larger-than-life, to go with my image... I see my career as having many curves. Yes, I've made many mistakes, though neglecting my career to look after my brother Bobby isn't one of them. I've been too trusting and emotional. Even now I trust people around me. But I don't have blind faith. I won't spend money on films with my eyes closed."
Post-Gadar - Ek Prem Katha (2001), the actor didn't enjoy much success at the box office. Most of his recent releases like Kaafila, Naksha and Jo Bole So Nihaal, turned turtle at the box office.
Sunny, who also produced Dillagi(1999), says the mistakes as a producer and as an actor have been a learning experience.
"Life is the biggest teacher. Today I'm very clear about what I want. All people creating cinema around me have to be as disciplined as me. Except Bobby, all of us wake up early and get to work."
"So far we've all been just doing our work and letting it speak for us. But when we did Apne we Deols decided that it's time we also spoke for our work."
Courtesy:HT

Big B hates B word, Bollywood!

Amitabh Bachchan was at his patriotic best at a press conference in New York ahead of 'Bachchan Sandhya' - an event which pays tribute to his father, poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. And the Big B took the opportunity to wax eloquent about Indian culture and traditions.
"I think that what is missing in Western culture is traditions. In our culture it dictates almost every younger generation to look after the older generation. These are some of the values and many, many more values that I learned from my father, it would take a very long time to describe them," said Bachchan.
Well, lots to be learnt from the Bachchan Parivar. And if you really wish to emulate Mr Bachchan you dare not use the word Bollywood.
"I don't like the word Bollywood. I think it is very demeaning to our Hindi film industry. I've always strongly opposed it because I think that it almost sounds like an abuse every time it is used," he said.
That’s not all, the erstwhile ‘angry young man’ had more to say. “I think that the Indian cinema and India itself has a lot of qualities which are conquerable to the very best in the world, I would rather want to find out today when does Hollywood wanting to come to India, rather than the other way round."
That’s a good question? Meanwhile, New York is already taking notice as the Big B read his father's poems to a sold-out crowd at the famed Lincoln Center on Saturday evening.
Courtesy:buzz18.com

Himesh Reshammiya demands 5crore!

It seems success has really gone into Himesh Reshammiya's head. And post the success of Aap Ka Suroor Himeshbhai seems to be suffering from delusions. Following in Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi's footsteps he first hiked his price. But now, he doesn't stick to a rate. He just quotes an exorbitant amount as per his moods. Last we heard he quoted Rs five crore for acting, composing and playback in a new film. According to the buzz, the other actors who have been approached for the film are Arshad Warsi and Urmila Matondkar.
courtesy:Buzz18

Shah Rukh Khan to play hockey in real

With Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chak De India fanning resurgence of interest in hockey, two exhibition matches have been planned next month in Chandigarh — one between India and Pakistan and the other featuring film and TV stars and former hockey players.
The match between India and Pakistan, who once were at the top of international hockey, for the AHA Glorious Hockey Cup will see international hockey stars from current teams of both countries sweat it out in the 70-minute encounter. The matches on September 11 are being organised by Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) at the hockey stadium in Sector 42 in Chandigarh.
And to add glamour to the entire event, the IHF has roped in Bollywood star Suniel Shetty, a known sports enthusiast, as its brand ambassador for the game. The game between film stars and hockey veterans will also feature members of the women's team in Chak De India.
IHF president K.P.S. Gill, who is normally in the firing line for the whimsical handling of the national team, is upbeat about the event and the revival of the game through Chak De India.
"This film has come on an historical occasion. It coincides with 60 years of our independence. We started the PHL (Premier Hockey League) tournament that has been a success. Now we want to do new things to help hockey get its rightful place in the country," Gill said.
Shetty, who will be leading the film stars side in its 30-minute match against hockey veterans, says all that the sport needs a star player who can be idolised by the youth.
"I am obsessed by sports, especially cricket and hockey. This game (hockey) has lacked infrastructure and sponsorship. These things are gradually coming now and the game can be revived," Shetty said.
The event is being sponsored by the Air Hostess Academy (AHA) and promoted by Shetty's Popcorn Entertainment.
Courtesy:Buzz18

Kamal Hassan's daughter makes her debut

Shruthi Hassan, daughter of Kamal Hassan has sung a peppy number for this film. She is doing the playback for Mallika Sherawat in the soon to be released Dashaavtaram. The music for Dashaavtaram is by Himesh Reshammiya.
Kamal's daughter is said to be passionate about music. She hopes to pursue a career in music. Dashaavtaram, is a long-awaited film where Kamal Hassan plays ten different roles.

Ram Gopal Verma says Nisha Kothari is not his darling

Ram Gopal Varma is livid with reports linking him with Nisha Kothari who is playing Basanti in his much talked about movie "Aag", a remake of "Sholay", and also featuring in his forthcoming "Darling". He insists he hasn't seen her in the last two months.
Some reports say that Varma is so possessive about Nisha that he insists on picking her up from her home and dropping her back
Varma says "What can I say or do about these write-ups? Maybe they should place these stories in the comic book section of the paper. The fact is I finished shooting with Nisha for 'Aag' five months ago. For the last two months I've been in Hyderabad shooting for 'Sarkar 2'.
"Only god and the creators of these fictional tales know when and where I'm picking up Nisha and where I am taking her. Honestly, when I get into the car I've no clue about my whereabouts. How will I escort anyone else when I don't know my way around Mumbai?"
On her part, Nisha said: "I really don't know how to react to such stupid and baseless stories. I respect Ram Gopal Varma as a director and I am grateful for his belief in me. Beyond that there is nothing between us.
Courtesy:Sify.com

Rani Mukherjee praises Shefali's Kasturba role

Though colleagues in the industry are known to praise one another's work it's still very rare for one actress to openly praise another. But after seeing Gandhi My Father Rani Mukherjee sought out Shefali Shah's number to congratulate her for her performance as Kasturba. Says Shefali, "It's not as though Rani and I are friends or anything. She called me out of the blue and said, 'You're the first person I'm calling after seeing the film.' I felt so happy. Not because she is Rani Mukherjee. But because here was an actress reaching to another."
Says Rani, "I just had to do it! When I saw the film I realized Shefali was overwhelming. Even though Gandhi My Father is a father-son story Shefali is exquisite. I just had to tell her that." And to think we always thought actresses found it hard to appreciate one another!
"Not at all”, says Shefali. “In fact during the shooting of Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear my co-stars Prity Zinta, Divya Dutta and I got along like a house on fire. On the last night in Kolkata we partied and giggled ourselves silly. Preity is so hassle-free. No hidden agendas behind her niceness. Divya was also a joy. It's very difficult working with people who are full of themselves."
Courtesy: Sify.com

CHAK De in a copy of Miracle!

In what is probably the highpoint of Chak De India, Shah Rukh Khan delivers an inspirational speech to his team. Telling them that this is their time, he concludes with the now-famous dialogue, "Yeh sarttar minute, tumse Khuda bhi nahin cheen sakta (Even God will not be able to take these 70 minutes from you)."
The film, which after a slow start is doing great business at the box office, however eerily reminds one of the 2004 release Miracle, starring Kurt Russell. "You were meant to be here tonight... This is your time," Russell, who plays the coach of the US hockey team, tells his players at a similar moment just before a crucial match.
Miracle is based on a true-life story of US hockey coach Herb Brooks. It is the tale of a ragtag college hockey team taking on the mighty USSR in the 1980 Olympic games. Strangely enough, Chak De India is also based on the life of Mir Ranjan Negi, a hockey coach who led the Indian women's team to victory in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Despite drawing upon two different incidents, Miracle and Chak De India do have quite a few things in common. For instance, both the actors coach an underdog team and have to overcome their respective politicking federations. The similarities do not end there. At one point Khan insists on having the players say that they play for the country and not individual states. Russell's first aim is to get his players rise above their college team identities. Like Kabir Khan, who reprimands his team for not identifying with the country, Russell punishes his team till one of them, on the verge of collapse, yellsback, "I play for the United States of America."

Chak De India review in Indian media

Hello hockey, hello hope
Khalid Mohamed in Hindustan Times
Rating:***1/2

Milk shake, rattle and roll. Sporty girls are bashing up a bunch of eve-teasers in a fast-food restaurant. The hockey coach doesn’t intervene, whips on his dark glasses and smiles lightly. His girls have scored a hit.
Cheers for Chak De! India, which may be predictable but compels you to root for a team of losers whom only an earth-angel can save from disastrous defeat. Written by Jaideep Saini and directed by Shimit Amin, this inspirational effort echoes Hollywood’s Hardball, The Replacements, and Escape to Victory whose influence has already been evidenced in Lagaan.
But what the hell? If a story is retold with varying riffs, a sliver of imagination and sufficient skill, just chill.
Over to Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), the disgraced captain of the Indian hockey team, who’s out to redeem himself after seven years of vanvas. He lands the assignment, just by a whisker, of coaching the raggedy Indian women’s hockey team. So far, so hopeful.
The 16 girls from various states are a mess – either too raw or too cocksure. Begins the training which does get far too protracted, what with the girls snarling, whining and ready to tear one’s eyes out. Slowly but surely, Khan makes them understand their strengths and above all, their Indianness which alone can get them to the winning goal.
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Shah Rukh leads hockeybabes to glory
Raja Sen in Rediff.com
Rating:***1/2

The prodigal Khan returns.
Chak De! India is the basic, every-single-sports-movie story of a disgraced player, here called Kabir Khan, pulling together a team of misfits to do the impossible -- here winning the World Championship.
This is also a return to glory for Shah Rukh Khan, the superstar doing excellently as he tackles a cast with (almost) entirely deplorable acting chops and makes you believe. Director Shimit Amin shoves a hockey stick into the actor's hand, and -- fitter than he's looked in years -- Khan flies across cinematic AstroTurf, and shines.
Stop looking up Miracle, A League Of Their Own or The Mighty Ducks DVDs -- it's a straight sports film, and you walk into the theatre knowing how it's going to turn out.
We start, of course, with the fall. Kabir, India's most successful Centre Forward of all time, flubs a crucial penalty and is castigated by his nation -- an Islamic last name and a meteoric temper make for a media-unfriendly mix -- as Pakistan win the cup.
Thus surrounded by awful actors, Khan bids farewell to his beloved sport, even as insufferable little kids clamber onto shoulders to get a better look at the traitor. Insert typically strained background music here, and you're wincing for both Khan and the film.
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It's all about loving hockey
Sarita Tanwar in Mid-Day
Rating:***

What’s it about: Feel-good, emotion-stirring tales of victory — it’s almost a genre in Hollywood. Back home, you seldom find films based on sports.Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal flirted with a new trend and Shimit Amin takes the effort on a much lavish platform. But while Iqbal was about personal triumph, Chak De! India highlights the significance of team spirit. Kabeer Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) misses a penalty shot and loses the hockey World Cup final to Pakistan.Angry spectators and the media label him a traitor and accuse him of match-fixing. Unable to bear the humiliation, Kabeer returns to his ancestral home to restore his sanity. Seven years later, he returns to his favourite sport, this time with the dream of getting the neglected Indian women’s hockey team to win the World Cup. He manages to become the coach against all odds. He fights for his team; his team fights with him and battling all adversities, together they embark upon a mission almost-impossible.
What’s hot: The film begins well and establishes its intentions in the first reel itself. It’s clearly all about loving the game. Although one would’ve liked to see a little more of Kabeer and the team’s background, the director makes up for it with his inspiring narrative. No loud melodrama, no unnecessary romantic angle for the protagonist and no excess baggage in terms of futile characters, Shimit stays true to his subject and that’s commendable. The second half of the film is exceptional; it has all the edge-of-the-seat moments you’ve been craving. Besides the final tense moments, the scene where the girls beat up guys at a restaurant is super. All the new girls deliver what’s expected, but Komal Chautala and the angry girl from Punjab stand out.But, of course, the star of the film is Shah Rukh Khan, who rocks it right from the first frame. This is yet another addition to his illustrious line-up of work after Swades and KANK. The actor breathes fire into his character; it’s Kabeer that stays with you long after the film is over. It’s Rock De! SRK all the way.
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Shah rukh hits a goal!
Mayank Shekhar in Mumbai Mirror
Rating:***1/2

This film is almost entirely in its exquisitely mainstream yet intelligent piece of screenwriting (Jaideep Sahni). It's then about inspired pieces of casting (and acting thereby). Sixteen carefully selected but relatively raw players from different parts of the nation make up the Indian women's hockey team. They're the sorts, the administrators munching biscuits in their boardroom believe, should rather play the 'belan' in the kitchen. As region-specific selections go with Indian sports, members of the team come from everywhere: the tribal belt of Jharkhand, to the untouched hills of the North-East, to the richly chic environs of small and big cities. Nothing unites them but the colour of their sports jerseys. Put together on paper, they are unlikely to match skill and speed with a European school squad. On the practice field, they appear a bunch of uncontrollably nutter hooligans. The team also shares a coach that pretty much no one can stand (Khan). The coach has an immediate task at hand, the World Championship. He also has a wider point to prove.
This is perhaps the first film since Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades where Khan truly portrays a character (even if largely undefined beyond his given profession). He is Kabir Khan, a former India captain, fallen from grace. He desperately needs to settle the public humiliation of a lost penalty shot against Pakistan at a World Championship final. The central plot, it is said, is loosely based on one, Mir Ranjan Negi, the disgraced Indian goalkeeper, who conceded 7 goals against Pakistan at the '82 Asian games. This had led to speculations over his intent then. He had trained the national women's team to a Commonweath gold later. The premise is roughly retained. Talking of the protagonist again, or actually his name, this is also the first Yash Raj product since Kabir Khan's Kabul Express (last year) that truly sticks to sense and sensibilities of a story-line. A loser-coach with a losing team that teaches us the finer art of winning is an established Hollywood genre. You could think up a laundry list of films that make up the variety: Wildcats, Young Blood, Hoosiers … (Prakash Jha's Hip Hip Hurray is the best Bombay effort that comes to mind).
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Anubhav Sinha to make animation film, SHLOK

Seems like Director Anubhav Sinha has made enough cash with his latest film Cash as there are rumours that he is now set to make an animation film Shlok, featuring a teenage superhero. Sinha who was introduced to animation during his last film, decided to give this film as a gift to his five and a half year-old son Shlok.According to sources, the dearth of Indian comic book superheroes has prompted the filmmaker to create one. Shlok is based on a setting that dates back 3000 BC, and will therefore be far removed from modern fighting techniques.
Courtesy:NDTV