Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Actress Asin has been voted Youth Icon of Kerala in a public in a poll

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Multilingual actress Asin Thottumkal has been voted Youth Icon of Kerala in a public in a poll conducted by the Asianet TV channel.


"The poll was conducted for over 15 days and involved a lot of personalities. Asin came out the winner since she is intelligent and representative of the thinking youth. She is talented, beautiful and has done Kerala proud," said a source.


On March 26, the actress was given the honour in the presence of the Who`s Who of the south Indian film industry and political leaders.



"A seven-year-old fan of Asin presented her the award since she idolises Asin. It was a touching gesture and overwhelmed Asin," said the source.


The actress was also awarded a cash prize which she donated to a hospital`s palliative care department that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms.

Indian films will compete for top honours at the 43rd Annual WorldFest

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Three Indian films, San Banerje`s `Bodhisattva`, Saeed Mirza`s `Ek Tho Chance` and Nikhil Bhat`s `Saluun`, will compete for top honours at the 43rd Annual WorldFest here. The films have been nominated to receive the prestigious Remi awards at the festival which begins on April 9.


Billed as the oldest independent film and video festival in the world, the annual WorldFest dates back to 1961 and has been entertaining film fans, students and industry experts for decades. Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) production `Ek Tho Chance` starring Purab Kohli, Amrita Arora and Rajat Kapoor is a tale of the millions who get off the train at Mumbai`s VT station every second of the day hoping to latch on to the magic of the city.



"Earlier in 2004, our movie `Jhankaar Beats` won the Remi award. Later in 2007, `Pyaar Ke Side Effects`, a romantic comedy starring Mallika Sherawat and Rahul Bose won the Silver Remi Award for `Best Comedy Feature`," Ishita Nandy, Vice President of PNC told reporters.


Nikhil Bhat`s `Saluun`, revolves around the life of Asok, a small-town simpleton, who gets entangled in the web of corrupt government machinery when his road side salon is burned down by the local municipality. San Banarje`s `Bodhisattva` is the story of Maya (Trisha Ray) and her father, Bodhisattva (Soumitra Chatterjee) and the evolution of their relationship.


"Maya suffers from Electra complex and compares every man with her father and is even willing to commit a crime at his bidding," says Banarje, whose English film `Money` was screened at the 2007 Cannes film festival. "Getting this far was beyond our imagination as we even missed the deadline.


And to be in competition with bigwigs with such a small film only proves that God has stamped our hard work," Trisha Ray, the lead female actress in the movie told reporters.


"The fact that we are nominated alongside movies like `The Joneses` starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny with our little Bengali film with no song, no dance, no regular feel of a typical Indian films or known faces, cant beat that," she said. Indian film `Lahore` had won the Special Jury Award in the Action/Adventure category at the festival last year.


`Mudhal Mudhal Varai` won Remi Bronze in Foreign Feature category, and `Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya`, won the Remi silver Award for family features.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Katrina Kaif has walked out of the Anurag Basu’s Khamoshi flick

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Katrina Kaif is miffed and its all because of Priyanka Chopra. Just days after it was reported that Priyanka Chopra is the latest addition to Anurag Basu’s ‘Khamoshi’ that has Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role, Kat has walked out of the flick.


Wonder why? Its simple, Katrina is in no mood to share the limelight, especially when it’s with an ace actress like Priyanka Chopra. With her opting out the film, Kat hopes to send her message loud and clear that it’s only solo films for her, from here on.



Confirming Katrina’s decision, a close friend of the actress said, "When Katrina agreed to do Anurag Basu`s film with Ranbir, no mention was made of another heroine, and certainly not of Priyanka. However, when word about this reached her, she found the whole idea of the credit titles reading `Ranbir-Katrina-Priyanka` too gimmicky. Not that she has anything against Priyanka or any other co-star."


However, there are other reasons involved too. Sources suggest that the real reason could be that Katrina wishes to get busy with her first production that is the remake of a French film.


Nevertheless, the dazzling actress doesn’t deny that she has decided to do only solo-heroine films. "I am not saying I won`t do films with other leading ladies, but for now, I`m happy in the space I am. Why should I unnecessarily rock the boat? And yes, I am finally about to lock the deal to produce my film. It`s a fabulous role and I`ve been angling for the remake rights for quite some time. I`d like to get down to it as soon as possible," said Katrina.


Well, looks like Priyanka stole the show yet again!

My documentary for the BBC network is coming out soon-Lindsay Lohan

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Actress Lindsay Lohan has urged people to watch her documentary about child trafficking in India which she has filmed for the BBC.


"My documentary for the BBC network is coming out soon... It`s about child trafficking in India... I`d like to encourage everyone to watch it!" read a post on Lindsay`s twitter page.


"It`s a massive world issue, and it goes on every day. I just want people to recognize the more important things in the world-rather than gossip."



The "Mean Girls" actress claimed to have saved lots of lives in just one day while she was making the documentary last year, reports contactmusic.com.


"Over 40 children saved so far... Within one day`s work. This is what life is about... Doing THIS is a life worth living!!!"


"trafficking is a big issue here, I`m doing what I can and I will continue to do so as long as life when time permits it," she posted on her twitter page.


The 23-year-old actress travelled to India in December to shoot the documentary with the British broadcaster and has urged people to watch it Thursday when it airs in the UK.

Neil Nitin Mukesh got a good chance to show his fighting skills in Bangkok

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The talented Neil Nitin Mukesh recently got a good chance to show his fighting skills in Bangkok while shooting for an innerwear ad. Reportedly, the dashing boy not only performed the stunts but also directed it.


Yes, joining the likes of actors Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, Neil too flaunts a spunky side while sporting inners for an endorsement ad and doing action scenes. But, how did he become an action director?



Neil recently did a crash course in Taekwondo in Bangkok and that was enough for him to wear the stunt director’s cap. He called the shots and everything luckily turned out well. The jubilated actor confirms this to a daily and proclaims that his career as a director has started.


In fact, as per reports, Yashraj Films have already claimed that they possess the rights (verbally) to launch Neil as a director.


Tapping the genius!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Bengali filmmaker decided to pay homage to Rabindranath Tagore

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With the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore being celebrated this year, Bengali filmmaker Pranab Chaudhari has decided to pay homage to the Nobel laureate with his film "Muslomanir Galpo", based on a story written by Kabiguru a few months before his death.


"Muslomanir Galpo" is about Hindu-Muslim harmony and atrocities against women. In the story, the lead character Kamala transforms herself into Meherjan and leads her life for the welfare of abandoned and repressed Hindu girls.


"I was searching for a different story for my film. Tagore wrote the story just one and a half months before his death (on Aug 7, 1941). Probably he wanted to tell his readers to stop these atrocities," Chaudhari told our source over phone from Kolkata. He plans to release the film May 9 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore.


Chaudhari says the story of "Muslomanir Galpo" is relevant even 68 years after Tagore`s death.


"I have made this film to give the message to the wider section of viewers to stop atrocities against womanhood and to keep Hindu-Muslim amity, the main essence of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore`s story.



"The story is still relevant in the prevailing socio-economic condition of our country as well as in several parts of the universe. Perhaps at the fag end of his life he (Tagore) just reminded us about the atrocities against womanhood and also the need for communal harmony," added the director, who has been in showbiz for 30 years.


Chaudhari, who has made documentaries, feature films and television series, said Tagore still remains the main motivating factor for the Bengali-speaking people.


"Bengali culture and mindset is totally encompassed with the writings and philosophy of Tagore. He is an embodiment of Bengali culture. As a minuscule student of literature, I have not come across any writer who has dealt with so many aspects of life," he said.


Produced by Pitrashish Marketing Enterprises Pvt Ltd, "Muslomanir Galpo" is made at a shoestring budget of Rs.85 lakh. Shooting for the film started Feb 17 and has since been completed. Post-production work is going on now.


The film was shot at Itachuna Rajbari, Khannan, Hooghly, West Bengal and the surrounding villages of Itachuna.


Made in the Bengali language, the film will be released in West Bengal, Tripura and other Bengali-populated areas of India.


"At the same time English-subtitled print will be made available for release in different major cities of India as well as English-speaking foreign countries."


For Chaudhari, it will be the most privileged moment if any member of Tagore`s family sees the film.


"In our country atrocities and discrimination against women and Hindu-Muslim riots are still continuing with great vigour. We shall be able to pay our real respect to Tagore when we can eradicate these injustices prevailing in our country," said Chaudhari.

The big cat is all set to make an appearance in Bollywood film

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Mike Tyson`s tiger played a crucial role in 2009 Hollywood blockbuster `The Hangover` and now the big cat is all set to make an appearance in Bollywood film `Housefull`.


The theatrical promo of Sajid Khan directed film, shows a shot where Akshay Kumar is seen introducing a tiger to the audience. There is a widespread speculation that filmmaker
was "inspired" from `The Hangover` for the particular scene.


"I could see this accusation coming from a long distance. But I not so dumb that I will rip off a scene from a recent hit, tweak my original screenplay of `Housefull` to forcibly incorporate it and then also show it to the audience through promos," Sajid told reporters.


The `Heyy Babyy` filmmaker said the situation in `Housefull` is completely different and in fact the tiger scene was written way before `The Hangover` had even released.



"Yes, there is a tiger in the movie but its presence is not incidental. In fact it is Akshay himself who brings this tiger home as a gift for Lara (Dutta). Why does he do that? Well, there is a back story behind that but I would rather want audience to check it out than me spilling the beans right now," said Sajid, adding that he has also brought a monkey and a parrot in `Housefull`.


The director, however, admitted that the scene is not an original idea but has been inspired from an old Bollywood movie.


"There was a film called `Nishana` (1980) starring Jeetendra and Poonam Dhillon, which has stayed with me for three decades now. In the film, it was Asrani`s character which brought home a tiger in the house. Believe me, the scene was so funny that I still fall down laughing while thinking about it. At the back of my mind, I remembered this scene and while writing `Housefull`, there was a situation where I could recreate something similar," Sajid said.


It is surprising to see that he is remembering a scene from a film which is hardly remembered today.


"That`s because I love my Bollywood more than Hollywood. I am not short of ideas but if there is something worth bringing to the audience, I won`t hesitate doing so," he
said.


The film will be the first big release after the conclusion of IPL and Sajid is confident that it will be the biggest hit of the year.


The Sajid Nadiadwala production stars Akshay Kumar in lead along with Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan, Boman Irani, Chunky Pandey and Randhir Kapoor. With music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, `Housefull` releases all over on April 30.

Bollywood is finally waking up to "non-conformist" cinema

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After years of sticking to formulas, Bollywood is finally waking up to "non-conformist" cinema, with filmmakers exploring not only newer topics but innovative techniques.


The Bollywood of yesteryears is making way for experimental cinema, and the audience`s demand for fresh movie experiences lies at the centre of this change, say filmmakers and producers.


The latest and perhaps the most full-blown example in this long line is Dibakar Banerjee`s much talked about, `Love, Sex aur Dhokha`, India`s first digital film.


Dibakar, whose earlier directorial ventures have enthralled viewers and critics alike, has been known to believe in the maxim that the audience wants to feel connected to what is being shown on screen.


"My earlier films were on the periphery of mainstream Bollywood cinema, I agree, but what with their Box Office success and a National Award coming my way, I daresay the audience is accepting my idea of cinema," he told reporters.


Producer Ekta Kapoor, better known for her TV tear jerkers like `Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi` and `Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki`, took a risk with the film which has voyeurism as the central theme, but her belief in her director was never-faltering.



"It is a film we truly believed in. It was not a formula film. After giving two hits, Dibakar could have easily made a film with big stars but he did not. It is a big risk and speaks highly of his integrity as a filmmaker," Ekta told reporters.


Abhishek Kapoor, director of the highly acclaimed film ’Rock On’ couldn’t agree more.


"I think it is one of the most important films of our times," he said about ’Love, Sex aur Dhokha’.


The reality of the above statement is evident from the critical as well as commercial success of films like ’Kaminey’, ’Dev D’, ’Rock On’ and ’Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’ which are unlike the regular fare that Bollywood has been serving audience for years.


The likes of Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and Dibakar state the cosmopolitan Indian audience of today would immediately trash mediocre, predictable melodrama. It is more demanding, and more receptive. Which is why all these movies have enjoyed critical and commercial success.


Dibakar makes his motivations amply clear when he says, "With the kind of responses films termed as parallel or
unconventional, are getting these days, there might soon come a time when this divide would no longer exist. There would only remain the one key distinction, good films and bad films."


Kashyap, who gave a modern twist to the age-old story of Devdas and Paro in ’Dev D’, has expressed the angst of a film-maker who wants to break away from the mould saying that it was upto the audience to make sure that good cinema stays.


"If good films like the kind new Bollywood has been producing don’t work, then the audience must prepare itself to, go back to the cinema we have tried so hard to leave behind," he wrote on his blog.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Arshad Warsi is taking his own sweet time to decide on a subject

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Arshad Warsi seems to have got bored of his comic acts. Though his last film ISHQIYA portrayed him in a different light, the actor is seeking options to get rid of his comic actor image.


Though a lot of films are being offered to the actor, but Arshad is taking his own sweet time to decide on a subject that is more serious in nature.



The actor has been bombarded with scripts that have a comic tone, without denying their importance; Arshad Warsi thinks that a serious subject is what he has his mind set out for.


Well, while his quest for a serious role continues, let’s wish Arshad keeps entertaining us the way he has done in the past. Serious or comic, whatever it may be.

Actor Salman Khan's real life is no less than a masala film

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Salman Khan’s real life is no less than a masala film if you come to think about it. It has everything, love, controversies and his generosity. Now, keeping all this in focus, a film based on Salman Khan will be of course nothing less than gripping.



Something similar is actually happening. Buzz is that a film is being made on Salman Khan, a fair length of which will deal with his ordeal when he was put behind bars almost a decade ago.


The script of the film will be partly penned by Salman’s ex-inmate, who spent three days with the actor in custody.


The film will not star Salman Khan, but it will be a story based on his jail experience.

Surya, hot Tamil actress movie song

the wake of protest over controversial video featuring singer Akon

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Sri Lanka has denied visa to US hip-hop singer Akon in the wake of protest over his controversial video featuring scantily-clad women dancing around a statue of Lord Buddha.


Akon was to perform in Sri Lanka next month and a major tourism drive was also launched to attract fans from Asia and other regions for the concert.



The decision came after some Buddhist monks asked the government to cancel the concert, accusing the Senegalese-American lyric, singer and producer of degrading Buddhism in his video Sexy Chick. The video shows Akon dancing with a group of women around a Buddha statue at a pool party.


The visa was rejected after a deliberate discussion over the issue between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Tourism Minister Achala Jagoda Tuesday, tourism ministry sources told Daily Mirror online.


However, Lasantha Samarasinghe, Director of Platinum Entertainment, the organiser of the Akon’s concert, said that he has no information about the government decision.


"We will take this up with the relevant authorities tomorrow," Samarasinghe was quoted as saying.

Actor Vivek Oberoi is looking forward to the release of Prince

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Vivek Oberoi is a man on a mission - apart from doing quality work in films, he wants to help the needy and says that "inner happiness is achieved by doing good for others".


"I feel it’s my duty to help the needy. I have been taught by my family that inner happiness is achieved by doing good for others and I totally believe in this. Everyone should take out time from their busy schedule to spread happiness in the world," said Vivek.


The 33-year-old is associated with a couple of charitable organisations.


Apart from being a part of his mother’s NGO The Yashodhara Oberoi Foundation (YOF), he is also the brand ambassador of Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA).


"Today people have a very short span of memory. When I talk about a certain NGO, it generates awareness and leads to more helping hands which they require," he said.


"It is not possible for any NGO to support its cause without any helping hand. I try to be the middle man by creating a right association with NGOs and corporate houses," added the actor, who recently joined hands with Panasonic’s Eco Idea Campaign and gifted a refrigerator to NGO Snehasadan, which works for street children’s welfare.



"A couple of months back I overheard a conversation of a staff about Snehasadan and what they do for the street kids. It caught my attention and I did my own research. I was really impressed with their work. When I met Father Placido Fonseca, he mentioned that in summer it gets tough for the children. I gave it a thought and got in touch with Panasonic to gift a refrigerator," he said.


Going back to his movies, the actor is looking forward to the release of Prince - It’s Showtime, his first solo film in five years.


Asked what took him so long to do a film as a solo actor, he said: "I was reading a lot of scripts but nothing really interested me and I just didn’t want to work in random projects. I believe in quality work and not quantity."


Directed by debutant Kooki Gulati, the film is about a quick-witted thief who wakes up one morning to realise that he has a gunshot on his arm and has absolutely no clue about how he gets it because he has lost his memory.


Vivek will also be seen doing some daring stunts in the film.


"I was a bit nervous doing some daredevil stunts in my film which I had never done before. Prince - It’s Showtime is my first action film and will showcase me in a new avatar. It’s a story that could be every man’s fantasy and every man’s nightmare," he said.


"All the action scenes have been shot in Hollywood style which audiences will see for the first time," Vivek added.


Releasing April 9, the film also stars Aruna Shields, Nandana Sen, Niroo Singh and Sanjay Kapoor.


Vivek shares an intimate kissing scene with Aruna in the film and says he had to do several retakes to get it right.


"It was our first ever intimate kissing scene and both of us were jittery, which led to too many retakes as it was not looking natural," he said.


Vivek is currently working on Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakta Charitra and has two other films in the pipeline.


Asked about recent reports of him planning to settle down, he said: "Correction, I am not looking at settling any time in the near future and what’s my age...I am still a child."

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Minissha Lamba In Well Done Abba - Wallpapers


Well Done Abba is a film directed by Shyam Benegal, starring Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba and Sammir Dattani in pivotal roles.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Cinema has never taken an ’escapist’ route for filmmaker Shyam Benegal

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Cinema has never taken an ’escapist’ route for veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who continues to weave social issues with entertainment in his movies.


The 75-year-old filmmaker, who is known as the pioneer of New Wave in Indian cinema during the seventies with films like `Ankur`, `Nishant`, `Manthan`, has turned to comedy with `Welcome To Sajjanpur` and most recently `Well Done Abba`.


The filmmaker says his aim is to bridge the gap between the young generation and rural India as he believes that cinema plays a major role in developing our sense of reality.


"I do feel its important to tell our generation about the problems faced by rural India. One of the problem we have had in the past 10-15 years of Hindi cinema is that it has become so predominantly urban that the rural India has just fallen off the map," Benegal told PTI.


"But in reality it does exist. A lot of us know the world through cinema. So if you are going to be so completely urban you would not realise that next to you there is a large rural hinterland. Therefore it became important for me that the problems of rural India are shown once again," Benegal added.



And to attract the Gen Y, the Padma Bhushan filmmaker is using the English titles of his films as a hook.


"English has become a predominant language among the college going kids and working class so the title does help to connect with them," Benegal said.


After making gritty social dramas in the past the multi National Award winning director feels that his style has changed and he now prefers the genre of satire.


"I have mellowed down and I look at the ironic side of the problems now. I feel that they can be explored in a different way with the medium of comedy," Benegal said.


But the multiple National-Award winning director will always be telling the stories of soil through his work as he believes that they are appreciated.


"I was very happy to notice that `Welcome To Sajjanpur` did really well. It was like by people in metropolitan cities, in first class cities, small towns. It had a single screen presence as well as in multiplexes which was very heartening," Benegal said.


The filmmaker hopes that his Boman Irani, Minnisha Lamba starrer `Well Done Abba` which hits the theaters on Mar 26 will also be well received.


"The film has done its rounds in International film festivals like New York, Dubai, Palm Spring and we got good reception. Although its an extremely Indian story, it has been liked by foreign audiences as well," he added.


According to Benegal, `Well Done Abba` is a comedy which has two things at the centre of it-- a political satire and a romantic comedy.


Minnisha, who grabbed eyeballs as the `bikini babe` in `Kidnap`, will be seen in a total de-glam avatar in the film.


"She plays a young, feisty girl. I don`t make my actresses look like they will win Miss World title. But they require a certain kind of personality that makes them very attractive. I look for that and I think she has done a wonderful job in the film," Benegal said.

Actress Deepika Padukone has been linked to Vijay Mallya`s son Siddharth

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Actress Deepika Padukone, who`s been linked to Farhan Akhtar, Shahid Kapoor and most recently liquor baron Vijay Mallya`s son Siddharth, is unfazed by the rumours and says she has learnt to accept the fact that all this comes with the work she does.


"It makes no difference to me because I know that I am leading a life I want. I understand that it comes with the work I do and I am fine with it. I am very happy with my life and the work I am doing," Padukone, who was in the capital to inaugurate the Power Biking Studio of Anatomy Health Club, told reporters. Also present were ace badminton players Saina Nehwal and P. Gopichand.


The actress is also shooting for her new film "Break Ke Baad" starring Imran Khan in Delhi.



A self-confessed fitness freak, Padukone feels that regular workouts, yoga, healthy eating and positive thinking is what makes her look fit.


"I think everybody`s body type is different and it reacts differently to different work outs. It is important for you to understand what suits your body and exercise accordingly," she said.


"I do a lot of yoga. Although I eat everything but at the same time I know there are certain kinds of food that I put on weight with so I try to avoid them. I think eating healthy, regular workouts and positive thinking can help anybody look better," she added.


Unlike other Bollywood actresses, the 24-year-old doesn`t believe in being size zero.


"I don`t think it is healthy to be size zero. The Indian body is not cut out to be size zero. It is always nice to look healthy," Padukone said.


She also refuses to take the tag of being the lucky mascot for Mallya`s IPL team Banglore Royal Challengers.


"I think if the team is playing well the credit should go to all the players. It is very unfair to say that I am the lucky mascot and give me the credit," she said.

A film festival in Poland without Shah Rukh Khan`s movie

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The fourth Bollywood film festival in Poland opens Monday but this time there won`t be any movies of superstar Shah Rukh Khan who has a huge fan following in the country.


This is the first time this has happened. Though the distributors were keen to organise a special show of "My Name Is Khan", they could not persuade the 20th Century Fox, distributor of the movie, to agree.


"To have a film festival in Poland without Shah Rukh Khan`s movie is like playing Hamlet without King of Denmark. Shah Rukh`s popularity in Poland is amazing and every Bollywood buff knows him. His biography has been translated into Polish," said J.J. Singh, president of Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IPCCI).


If King Khan is missing from the event, he is being replaced by "Singh Is Kinng" (Akshay Kumar).



"It is a great opportunity for Akshay Kumar to make a place (for himself) in Polish psyche with his masala dances. I think young Poles will lap him up," said Indian businessman Riki Rana, who is also the son-in-law of legendary Bollywood singer Talat Mahmood.


Apart from the Akshay starrer, films selected for screening include "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag", "Tandoori Love", "Amal", "Dulha Mil Gaya", "Jannat", "Blue" and "Videsh".


"I am pretty sure films like `Laaga Chunari Mein Daag` and `Jannat` will create a niche in the crowd of masala films," observed Janusz Krzyzowski, president of the Indo-Polish Cultural Committee.


The festival is being organised by EPLPOL, a prominent distributor of Hindi films, along with Multikino, a chain of multiplexes in Poland.


The organisers this time selected cities like Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Zabrze apart from capital Warsaw to screen the movies.


"It is really amazing the way Bollywood films have become a regular diet for Poles. Bollywood has raised the profile of India throughout Poland. Wherever and whenever I interact with Polish people, Bollywood invariably creeps in during our conversion," said Rajesh Vaishnaw, the Indian charge d`affaires to IANS.


To attract footfalls, cinema halls have reduced the ticket price by 20 percent. "This is definitely going to encourage young Poles to see the Indian movies during the festival," said S. Kristofer, a young Pole.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Arshad Warsi is all set to take on the challenge of directing a movie

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After carving a niche for himself with some of the most memorable roles, Arshad Warsi is all set to take on the challenge of directing a movie. And the actor plans to dedicate this entire year to learning the nitty-gritty’s of the trade in order to take on the directorial mantle next year.


Buzz has it that the actor is dedicating his first directorial effort to superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Zanjeer’. And even though the entire cast of the film is yet to finalised, industry is abuzz with reports that Arshad’s directorial venture will have Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra in the lead.



Titled ‘Akadd’, the film will is set to go on floor next year. Confirming the news, Arshad said, “I’m ready to direct and the film called Akadd. It will be very realistic quirky action comedy. I won’t be beating up 25 people in the film. The style of acting, dialogue delivery, the actors’ body language would all be life-like. The heroine’s role is very, very important.”


When asked as to why he didn’t consider his favoruite co-star Vidya Balan for the role, Arshad said, “I wish. But the role doesn’t suit Vidya at all. We’re looking at someone else.”


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Bipasha Basu is doing nine different looks in Pankh

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Priyanka Chopra played 12 characters in "What`s Your Raashee" and now Bipasha Basu is doing much the same in "Pankh" where she sports nine different looks.


The actress plays an imaginary character in director Sudipto Chattopadhyay`s film and her different looks will reflect the attitude and mood of the hero, played by debutant Maradona Rebello. Releasing April 2, it is produced by Sanjay Gupta.


According to Bipasha, whenever Maradona feels vulnerable, she has been given a soft look and whenever he is agitated or in self doubt, she is made to look harsh.


Bipahsha also feels that designing her look was the complete teamwork of designer Rocky S, director Sudipto Chattopadhyay and new age producer Sanjay Gupta, who were instrumental and involved in designing the right look to match the attitude of the character.



"Pankh" traces the life of a boy (Rebello) who plays a female artiste as a child in movies. When he grows up and wants to be launched as a hero, he goes through gender confusion and falls in love with an imaginary actress, played by Bipasha.


"`Pankh` is a wild ride through the underbelly of the film industry. Bipasha plays an alter ego, a fantasy and we wanted her to look like the two divas - Sophia Loren and Liza Minelli from `Cabaret`. The conception and execution of the looks were a collaborative effort between the Sudipto, the director and designers Rocky S and Gavin Miguel," Gupta said in a press statement.


The film also features Mahesh Manjrekar, Lillette Dubey, Ronit Roy, Sanjeeda Sheikh and newcomer Amit Purohit.


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Neetu Chandra In Apartment - Wallpapers

Tanushree Datta In Apartment - Wallpapers



Monday, March 15, 2010

Actress Dia Mirza is mighty pleased that friend and co-star Arshad Warsi

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Dia Mirza, who will be next seen in `Hum Tum Aur Ghost`, is mighty pleased that friend and co-star Arshad Warsi kept his word on casting her in the female lead in his upcoming home production.


"I was content with guest appearances and was convinced that such roles would come my way, if not whole some characters. But when Arshad and Maria offered me the lead role in their upcoming home production `Hum Tum Aur Ghost` I was overwhelmed...I could not believe.. he kept his word," Dia told reporters here.



"When we finished working with `Lage Raho Munnabhai`, Arshad told me even though my role was little, I did a fantastic job and that he would surely love to cast me in his home production. I thought he just said it and will forget it," Dia said.


Arshad told me he thought I have not been given my due and that he loved my work, she said.


The vivacious diva has done guest appearances in films including `Shootout at Lokhandwala`,`Lage Raho Munna Bhai`, `Om Shanti Om`, `Heyy Babyy` (special appearance), `Kurbaan` and `Luck By Chance`.


The film, which also stars Boman Irani and Sandhya Mridul in significant roles, releases on March 26 and is directed by Kabeer Kaushik.

Hong Kong Film Festival will pay special tribute to India’s Guru Dutt

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The prestigious 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), from March 21 to April six, will pay special tribute to India’s late actor-director-producer-writer Guru Dutt, whom it calls “Bollywood Guru”.


Festival will showcase his “Kaagaz Ke Phool” (1959, with Waheeda Rehman), “Mr. & Mrs. 55” (1955, with Madhubala), “Sahib Bibi aur Gulam” (1962, with Meena Kumari & Waheeda Rahman), and “Pyaasa” (1957, with Mala Sinha & Waheeda Rehman) films. While “Sahib Bibi aur Gulam” was directed by Abrar Alvi, rest were all directed by Filmfare Award winner Guru Dutt himself.



Commending HKIFF for honoring Guru Dutt, Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged India Government and large private conglomerates of India to promote independent cinema.


India was full of creative and excellent filmmakers and they only needed an integrated effort in funding, encouragement, marketing/promotion, exposure in global avenues, and organization of world-level film festivals in India, Rajan Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, added.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Abhishek Bachchan declared the winner of the worst accent in Delhi-6

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Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan is a happy man after having won at least one award for his work in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi-6 - even if it was for the worst accent.


The actor was declared the winner of the Dara Singh Award for worst accent in Delhi-6 at the second annual Golden Kela awards, a spin-off on Hollywood’s Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as the Razzies, which recognizes the worst in cinema.



"Another milestone in my career. I won the Golden Kela award for worst accent in Delhi 6. Chalo at least, Delhi-6 won something. I’m overjoyed!" Abhishek posted on micro-blogging site, Twitter.


Abhishek had no competitors for this special award.


The Golden Kela awards night was held in New Delhi on Friday with funnyman Cyrus Broacha as the chief guest. None of the stars who were named for the awards were present at the event.

Resul Pookutty met one of his idols Quentin Tarantino

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He wasn’t nominated for the Oscars this time, but Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty struck a deal for his second major international film after Slumdog Millionnaire and met one of his idols, Quentin Tarantino, while he was in the US to attended the awards ceremony.


"I am an absolute fan (of Tarantino). And I had to tell him how I liked his Inglourious Basterds. When I spoke to him, Quentin turned out to be a great guy with a warm sense of humour. He asked me a lot of questions about my work and Indian cinema," said Pookutty, the sound recordist who the Oscar for his work in Slumdog Millionnaire last year.


He, however, said his Oscar experience was nothing compared to the last year’s.



"I realised unless you’re nominated there’s no fun in attending the Oscars. This time I was just a spectator and to that extent I got to meet a lot of interesting people, including the best actress and best director winners, Sandra Bullock and Kathryn Bigelow, who were absolutely charming," Pookutty said from New York.


Behind the visit to the Oscars, the sound recordist had a far bigger mission to accomplish. On Wednesday, he closed the deal for his second major international film, this one starring Joaquin Phoenix of Walk The Line and Gladiator fame.


"My second international film after Slumdog... had to be an honourable follow-up. I couldn’t he happier because I am doing a period film. It is a very special challenge because I’ve to recreate the sound textures of New York in 1854."


Throwing more light on the project, Pookutty said: "It’s an adaptation of a haunting thriller entitled The Beautiful Cigar Girl by Daniel Stashower. It’s based on an eerie real-life experience of author Edgar Allan Poe which happened just months before his death. Joaquin Phoenix plays Edgar Allan Poe."


The film, to be directed by Henry Miller, will be shot in the US this summer and Pookutty needs to wrap up his work in India before he devotes three months to the project.


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Aamir Khan is on top of the wish list of director James Cameron

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Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is on top of the wish list of Avatar director James Cameron who is keen to cast the actor in one of his films.


The director of two of the highest-grossing films in the history of cinema, Titanic and Avatar, Cameron shared the stage with the actor known as ’Mr Perfectionist’ at the India Today Conclave 2010 in New Delhi and said that he was honoured to do so.


When speaking about the meeting of Western filmdom with India’s own Bollywood, Aamir said that he has not yet been a part of a Hollywood film, to which Cameron quickly replied, "We could fix that as soon as possible."



Aamir too expressed his admiration for the Terminator director saying that he came to listen to him and learn as much as possible.


The director and the actor have a lot in common, including the fact that they hold records for highest grossers.


While Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic Avatar broke global box-office records, Aamir’s 3 Idiots is the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time.


The two were speaking on the topic Future of Cinema at the conclave, where the audience included Cameron’s wife actress Suzy Amis and Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Asin among others.


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Friday, March 12, 2010

Actress Tanushree Dutta has zoomed right back into the cine fray

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Her portrayal in ’Rokkk’ is earning accolades for the former Miss India 2004. And Tanushree Dutta has zoomed right back into the cine fray after a hiatus.


Presently, she’s all gung ho over her ’new look’ in ’Apartment’. Industry insiders who’ve been privy to the rushes claim TD’s fab in the thrilling flick.



The actress cropped her hair real short and reportedly, she alters between enacting a super glam doll and a simple ’desi’ belle in ’Apartment’. One movie, two contrasts.


Rivals, meanwhile, can tear their hair out over Tanu’s tresses…

Aamir Khan has again decided to take a break from acting

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Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan seems to be back taking to his famous way of career planning. Well, it appears that the actor has again decided to take a break from acting for a long time.


According to the latest buzz, Aamir has decided to only focus on his wife’s directorial debut, ‘Dhobhi Ghat’, and his next production ‘Peepli Live’, for now.



Soon after that, he would just be concentrating on nephew Imran Khan’s much-awaited venture ‘Delhi Belly’. Considering that the film is long due, Aamir will be giving his undivided attention to Imran’s flick.


So for now it seems that the actor won’t be seen doing a lengthy role till 2012. We are sure he’ll be missed, especially around the end of each year till then!

Anurag Basu to describe the passion between Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mo

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Filmmaker Anurag Basu says the title of his upcoming movie `Kites` is a metaphor to describe the passion between the film`s lead pair Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori.


"Kites is the metaphor of the film. Kites fly against the wind and not with it, stronger the wind blows, higher the kites fly," said Basu, the director of the film.


"Our protagonists in the movie too face obstacles, their love grows deeper with every increasing obstacle," he said.


Meanwhile, films`s producer Rakesh Roshan said that he coined the title while gazing at two kites flying in the sky which looked "too intriguing and romantic".



“The idea for `Kites` came to me when I was gazing at the sky and saw two kites flying. It looked very romantic. It was very intriguing. The way they came close, played, almost
embraced each other and then drew apart. Unaware that someone else was pulling the strings and could cut them loose. I sat down and penned a story around this idea," Rakesh said.


Speaking about the film which is releasing this summer, Anurag said `Kites` goes beyond boundaries and cultures.


"It is a story of passion that defies every rule, of a relationship that takes two lovers on a thrilling journey filled with precious moments and unexpected betrayal," Basu said.


`Kites` has been made in two versions, Hindi and English. Both will release on May 21 across over 60 countries.


The film also stars Kangana Ranaut, Kabir Bedi and Nick Brown. The stunt coordination has been done by Hollywood`s Spiro Razatos. The English version of `Kites` is presented and reworked by the well known Hollywood -director Brett Ratner.

Hot actress Deepika Padukone


Deepika Padukone is most sexiest actress of Indian cinema. Loot at her pictures sideshow and enjoy the beauty.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt is out to scare again


Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt, after two successful horror films to his credit, is out to scare again. He describes his forthcoming film `Shaapit` as a narration of how a curse works.

"The curse is such an old thing in Indian ethos and we have seen its influence even in Indian mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata," Vikram Bhatt told reporters.

"The curse played a pivotal role in Indian stories and mythologies, but I don`t think there is any film made on the subject. So I thought that it would be an interesting thing to make a film on a curse and how it works in one`s life," Vikram said.

"I did some research and a very important fact emerged. It was how a curse actually functions. The person who has cursed and the person who has been cursed may no longer be there but the curse remains on their family for generations," he explained.

Vikram is known for launching new faces and in "Shaapit" he introduces Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal in the lead roles.


"I think the casting of any film depends on the subject you are dealing with. There are some subjects that don`t work without a star and there are some subjects that don`t need a star. I think horror by itself is a star, because people go to get scared and in that if you have Shweta and Adi, it is a fantastic launch for them," Vikram said.

The story of "Shaapit" revolves around Aman (Aditya Narayan) who proposes to Kaaya(Shweta Agarwal) but neither of them knows that there is a curse that plagues Kaaya`s family.

"Before starting this film, I did a course of psychic meditation. By psychic meditation we can speak to spirits. With constant meditation you can avoid that too. I have seen spirits. If we believe that there is a spirit in every body then we have to believe that after we die the spirit remains. It`s all about belief," Vikram said.

Vikram Bhatt had directed the horror film "Raaz" in 2002 and "1920" in 2008.

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Minissha Lamba will be seen in Shyam Benegal`s new film



Actress Minissha Lamba admits her ultra-glamorous look in `Kidnap` opened a whole new range of opportunities for her. But the young actress, who will be seen in Shyam Benegal`s new film, feels that at the end of it talent plays an important role.

"My looks in `Kidnap` helped open a whole new and different range of opportunities for me. It is something I cherish. Being good looking is important, but not always. You need talent as well. If you have talent, people accept you regardless of the way you look," Lamba told reporters.

She also feels being short is not a disadvantage in the film industry.

"If you are a model, having height is imperative, but cinema is a medium where it doesn`t matter. You are on a platform where being tall or short loses relevance," she said.

After her glamorous avatar in `Kidnap`, Minissha will be seen in a non-glamorous role in Benegal`s forthcoming film, `Well Done Abba`.

"At first I was really scared to work with Mr. Benegal. But once we started shooting, he turned out to be a really calm, jovial and humorous person. We never saw him upset on the sets," she said.


`Well Done Abba`, a political satire, narrates the story of Armaan Ali (Boman Irani), a driver working in Mumbai. He takes a month`s leave to find a husband for his teenaged daughter, who lives in a small neighbourhood near Hyderabad. But he returns to his job after three months. His young employer wants to sack him, but is persuaded to listen to the reason why he got so delayed.

The film, produced by Reliance Big Pictures, is inspired by two short stories - `Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi` by Jeelani Bano and `Phulwa Ka Pul` by Sanjeev.

Benegal had said in an interview that Minissha hasn`t got her due in Bollywood, but the 25-year-old says she has no regrets.

"That`s extremely generous of him to have said that, but it`s all right. I hope with this film my talent gets appreciated and I get more opportunities to show my potential," she said.

Minissha started her journey as an actor from the critically acclaimed film, `Yahaan`, alongside Jimmy Shergill in 2005. She was later seen in `Corporate`, `Shaurya`, and Yash Raj Films` `Bachna Ae Haseeno`.

"It has been a great journey. There were disappointments and heartbreak, but I am grateful for where I am today. There is a lot more I need to do and work even harder," she added.

Releasing March 26, it also stars Samir Dattani, Ila Arun, Ravi Kisshan, Sonali Kulkarni and Yashpal Sharma.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Rapper Hard Kaur is now focusing on an acting career in Bollywood

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Billed as the country`s first female rapper, Hip-Hop star Hard Kaur is now focusing on an acting career in Bollywood and is kickstarting it with `Patiala House` alongside superstar Akshay Kumar.


Kaur, who rose to fame with the song `Glassy` sang her first Bollywood number `Mover Your Body` in `Johnny Gaddaar` and then delivered a string of hits in movies like `Singh Is Kinng`, `Kismat Konnection`, `Bachna Ae Haseeno` and `Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani`.


"In `Patiala House` I play the role of Akshay kumar`s cousin. I first met him for `Hello India` in UK for which I recorded a song. He is very naughty and cracked lot of jokes when we were shooting," Hard Kaur told reporters.


She also featured on a TV dance show recently and insists she believes in being the best in whatever she does.



"I have always believed in being the best whether it was singing or dancing during `Jhalak Dikhla Ja`. I am not a big star but I would love to do more acting in the future and need to be careful about what I choose," Kaur told reporters.


The film to be directed by Nikhil Advani is about generation gap in a family living in London. It also stars yesteryear`s heartthrob Rishi Kapoor.


"Rishi Kapoor plays my Bauji and Akshay`s father. He is an amazing actor and even at this age he is very professional. My character is very different from the real me. She is a very simple girl," Kaur said.


She is also upbeat about her upcoming show `IPL Rockstar` on TV channel `Colours` which she will be hosting.


"I love cricket and I am a good batsman myself. I am very excited to be a part of this show. There`s music and it will be on the ground so it would be good. It`s my first time as a TV host and I am just worried about speaking Hindi," Kaur said.


Kaur, whose first solo album `Supawoman` was released in 2007 is happy with different opportunities coming her way but wants to break into the mainstream as a rapper.


"I have just finished an album but my first dream still remains to break into the mainstream and I would like to go and meet D-12 from Eminem`s group, I already have a song ready with him," she said.


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Aamir Khans `3 Idiots` took a critical look at India`s education system

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Bollywood star Aamir Khan, whose recent release `3 Idiots` took a critical look at India`s education system, says that he gets inspired by stories of real-life heroes who go beyond their limitations to bring change in one`s life and in society.


"When I see real heroes and listen to their stories, it really inspires me. I think we have, in different degrees, strengths and abilities," said Aamir presenting an award at the Real Heroes Awards of CNN-IBN and Reliance Industries Limited here Wednesday.


"When we use our abilities and strengths to better our lives, that`s normal but when you use your strength and abilities to help others, you become a real hero," he added.


Irfana Ismail Mujawar, who was honoured in the Education and Children Category, is a teacher by profession. Irfana along her colleague Gazala, used the money set aside for her wedding and started a school that provides free education to those who cannot afford it.


"It was really a long struggle. I started with 34 non-privileged students and now around 350 students are there in my school," Irfana told reporters.



Twenty-four real-life heroes from across six regions of the country were shortlisted and their work classified into categories such as Women`s Welfare, Social Welfare, Health and Disability, Youth Education and Children and Sports.


Ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was present on the occasion and received a standing ovation before he gave away the award in the Sports category.


"Real heroes are not ordinary people, they are extraordinary people. They haven`t got anything, but they still have the courage to go through all the obstacles, find the solutions and they are selfless. They don`t have any expectations. All they want is to see smiles on the faces of people around. We should get inspired from them," Tendulkar said.


Merzaban Patel, who was presented the award in the sports category, is on a mission to hunt for the best hockey talent in the country.


"I am extremely happy to get this award. I would appeal to everyone that they should do something to promote hockey," Merzaban told IANS.


Among those who attended the function were actors Sunil Shetty and Rahul Bose, producer-director Yash Chopra, businessman Mukesh Ambani and the entire Mumbai Indians IPL team.


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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

There is a lot of curiosity about Imtiaz Ali's next venture

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There is a lot of curiosity about Imtiaz Ali’s next venture. And why not it will be the next project after great and entertaining films like SOCHA NA THA, JAB WE MET and LOVE AAJ KAL.


It was recently publicised that for his next project, ROCKSTAR, Imtiaz had signed Katrina Kaif opposite Ranbir Kapoor, though there was no confirmation from the concerned people. To know the exact situation we decided to ask the person at the helm of affairs, Imtiaz Ali.



As per Imtiaz, "It is true that that the name of my next project is ROCKSTAR, but it is only a working title. As you know JAB WE MET too was TRAIN initially (as we had broken the news from Shimla in May 2007) but got a final title only after completion."


As for the cast, Imtiaz says, "Ranbir is there definitely but as of today we have not finalized Katrina or for that matter any leading lady for the film being produced by the same production house as JAB WE MET, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd."


Before signing off the soft spoken and down to earth Imtiaz discloses the shooting venue, "We will shoot predominantly in Delhi."

Southern star Siddharth plans to turn producer next year

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Southern star Siddharth, who plans to turn producer next year, says he is the "Shah Rukh Khan" of the Telugu film industry and that romance will always be his forte even though he is popular for his intense roles in Hindi movies like "Rang De Basanti".


"I do a lot of romantic roles in Telugu films. In fact when people say you are the Aamir Khan of Telugu films, I say I am the Shah Rukh Khan of the film industry. I do all the `Tujhe dekha toh ye jaana sanam` type of sequences in Telugu," Siddharth said in an interview.


"I do romantic movies as my mainstay and when I want to change my mood, I do a `Striker` or a `Rang De Basanti`. Now that I have done a serious film like `Striker`, I need to go back to my strengths and do a romantic film," said Siddharth, who has done Telugu films like "Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana" and "Bommarillu".


At the same time, the actor, who played the intense Karan Singhania in "Rang De Basanti" and a Mumbai-based carrom player in crime thriller "Striker", stressed that doing romantic roles is not a cakewalk.



"I find romantic films, which are on a lighter vein in Telugu, as challenging as serious dramatic films in Hindi - both are equally tough. The important thing is that you have to find a nice script and I think `Striker` was one of the nicest scripts I have read in my career because I found it a very realistic film.


"My next Hindi film would be a more light-hearted one. I wanted to do a light-hearted one for now because when you do a serious role, you need to come out of it. I want to give as much time as I can to Hindi," he said.


Siddharth made his debut in Bollywood with "Rang De Basanti" in 2006. He took a four-year break before his second release "Striker" but now plans to do more Hindi films.


"At this time, I am shooting for two Telugu films simultaneously so that I can have a year to do Hindi films," said the 30-year-old.


The actor is currently busy with a Rs.300 million fantasy adventure film in Telugu and a village comedy.


He also has his plans set for launching his own production house in 2011.


"I am starting my own production next year. India is becoming a great country to make small, independent films that are content driven, just like `Striker`. These films need to be made because these big studio films with the routine `naach gaana` (song and dance) and foreign locations will always be made because they are fun. But it`s important to make realistic cinema as well.


"I want to get into production very soon. We are going to make an announcement in a couple of months. We have got our funding," he said.

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