Pallavi set for Tamil debut and more

 

Pallavi set for Tamil debut
Besharam girl and our very own Pallavi Sharda has been roped in by filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon for his yet untitled Tamil romantic drama. The film also features Silambarasan aka Simbu. “I wanted a heroine who could give us bulk dates and I know for a fact that all the established actresses are extremely busy, and therefore, I roped in Pallavi. Moreover, when I met her, I liked her confidence and eventually signed her on,” Menon said recently.
Pallavi, who had earlier starred in films such as My Name is Khan and Dus Tola, has already shot for nearly two weeks for the film, which was launched recently and is expected to be completed by February 2014.
Looks like Melbourne girl Pallavi is ready to take on not just Bollywood, but the Indian film industry! Way to go, girl!
 
Karisma and her cause
Actress Karisma Kapoor, who is choosy about her performances, actually bent the rules for Our Girl Our Pride, an initiative to empower the girl child. She said it’s also a ‘tribute to all the ladies’ from her family.
“It was a fabulous day and I strongly believe in the cause. I generally don’t perform. I am quite choosy about it, but today I performed and paid tribute to all the Kapoor ladies, including (late grandmother) Geeta Bali, (aunt) Neetu Singh, and my mom Babita and sister Kareena supporting the cause,” said Karisma, known for her powerpacked performances in Fiza and Zubeidaa. The actress performed as part of a unique programming initiative of NDTV, which in association with Vedanta and campaign ambassador and actress Priyanka Chopra, dedicated Dec 1 to honour the country’s girls on its network channels with a live telecast from 10am. The campaign’s aim is to create awareness about issues related to the girl child and fight for her rights.
Karisma who is also a mother, says her life completely changed after the birth of her daughter Samaira. “My life has become more beautiful after giving birth to a daughter. It’s great to have a daughter,” she said and added, “I am blessed to have a daughter and a son”.
Other participants in the initiative included actress Kajol, and tennis Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza, among others.
Isn’t it great to see Bollywood’s belles getting into the groove to support India’s girl children? Good on you, Karisma!
 
Love is lost on Deepika
Deepika Padukone is riding high on a string of successful movies, is certainly not keen on wasting time on a romantic relationship.
“I don’t think I am ready for a relationship at the moment. I don’t think my career has anything to do with my relationship. It’s just that I am in a happy space right now and not ready to be in a relationship,” said the 27-year-old actress.
Deepika, who had a roaring relationship with actor Ranbir Kapoor in the past, said, “I think igniting the spark means keeping the romance alive in your relationship by doing the unexpected. Surprise your partner in pleasant ways, something that he or she wouldn’t anticipate”.
“Nowadays, couples tend to take each other for granted because they feel they know each other inside out which results in loss of spark and enthusiasm in the relation. The second most important thing is to not lose yourself. Take care of yourself, your space and only then will you be able to take care of your relationship”.
Meanwhile Deepika is basking in the success of her latest release Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela. Her fluid and energy-packed dance in the Nagada sang dhol song from the movie has been widely appreciated, but she doubts if she can recreate the grandeur of the number in other performance forums sans the film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She says the song’s popularity was the “least expected of the lot”.
On the Bollywood front, she has completed Homi Adajania’s English language film Finding Fanny, which should release soon. “I am also doing Happy New Year with Abhishek Bachchan and Shah Rukh, all fun boys to work with. I am also looking forward to start Imtiaz’s film with Ranbir,” said Deepika, whose flight of fame seems to be reaching new heights.
So is there any chance of a holiday sometime soon? “I am sure I can squeeze in some family time, it’s always welcome,” said the 27-year-old.
Well, we hope 2014 is a hit for this young, talented actress.
 
Kareena goes crazy!
In what will be a completely different avatar, Kareena Kapoor-Khan will be reinvented in Dev Benegal’s film Bombay Samurai. Post-marriage, she seemed to flounder in her choices with a half-hearted crusader’s role in Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha and the totally inane social activist’s role in Gori Tere Pyaar Mein. With Bombay Samurai, Kareena finally seems to have got her post-marriage formula right.
According to sources, the film is “a crazy zany rollicking rollercoaster ride with amazing twists and turns. There are seven to eight pivotal characters. But Kareena and Farhan (Akhtar) preside over the show. They play a couple like no other seen before in our films. They are wacky and unpredictable. The two actors will have a ball playing their outgoing zestful characters,” the source added. Both Kareena and Farhan were keen to work with one another. “I’ve seen Kareena’s work. She is consistently excellent. I was keen to work with her. Dev’s film gives us a chance to try something different,” said Farhan.
And of course, Kareena expressed the highest admiration for Farhan, “I admire Farhan for being multi-talented. Which other director has done so well as an actor?
The Farhan-Kareena film starts after Kareena’s annual holiday in Switzerland in December to where she sneaks off without fail every year, to enjoy her annual Christmas-New Year holiday in Switzerland with husband Saif Ali Khan.
So get ready to see Kareena in crazy, zany mode!
 
Priyanka on her perfect partner
“My partner should be a male version of me,” said  actress Priyanka Chopra when asked recently on what she was looking for in a prospective life partner.
The actress admits that she has a long list of benchmarks, so watch out boys, this lady isn’t going to be easy to please. “I have a very long list and very high standards. He has to be a gentleman, he has to be intelligent, someone I respect and funny, not stupid funny but witty funny, charming,” the 31-year-old said recently.
Priyanka added that it does not matter whether he is an actor or not, but she “would never respect a guy who is not an achiever”.
Let’s wish Priyanka luck in finding her Mr Me!
 
Bachchan at his best
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan delivered the Penguin Annual Lecture 2013 podium, much to the joy of an eclectic audience of almost a thousand, and left them more star-struck as he spoke about empowering the country’s women, Indian cinema, poetry and more.
The 71-year-old, looking handsome in a black formal suit presented the lecture at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi.
He touched upon his memories of his father, the late legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, whose birth anniversary was on Nov 27. “A decade without him,” sighed Amitabh as he shared some of his conversations with his father during the lecture.
Big B tried to convey a connect for his presence at the event by saying the invitation for him to address the gathering has to do with the growth that the Indian cinema has witnessed over the years.
He ended his lecture by reciting lines of his father’s poem Khoon ki chhaap (Imprints of blood), to tremendous applause. The Big B also sat down for a tete-a-tete with TV host Rajdeep Sardesai and spoke about a range of things, and patiently answered some questions from the audience. In answer to a question by an enthusiastic fan, Amitabh claimed that the character he would love to bring alive on screen would be his father’s role from his autobiography, In the Afternoon of Time: An Autobiography. You mean you want to play Harivansh Rai Bachchan, asked the startled host. To that, Big B smiled and said, “It’s a tough call, but I want to try”.
Amitabh said his father once told him he was his “greatest poetry”. But “I do not know whether I am a free verse or a couplet, a chaupai or a shloka. I wish I had asked. Now it is too late,” he lamented even as he proudly recited some verses from his father’s Madhushala in his distinct baritone at the behest of the audience.
No matter what, Amitabh Bachchan will remain one of India’s most erudite, humble and memorable individuals.
Shahid stands in a ‘different’ space
Actor Shahid Kapoor, who is teaming up with Kaminey director Vishal Bhardwaj yet again, says his new movie titled Haider, has given him a chance to explore a new space. Talking about Haider, Shahid said: “It’s awesome. I love working with Vishal sir as he has given me the best character of my life”.
Haider is the director’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet. “Vishal sir is doing the third adaptation of Hamlet. Earlier he has done Omkara and Maqbool, so Haider is very different from R… Rajkumar, and it has taken me to a different space. I am enjoying that,” he added.
Shahid refrained from revealing much about his role in Haider, and only admitted that he was having a great time working on the film which also stars Shraddha Kapoor and Tabu.
But he has admitted to going bald for the film, and says the decision was driven by the fact that the look is justified for his role in the movie. “I thought it is justified. When I read the script, I found it very interesting and I have tried to do something shocking whenever I have worked with Vishal. With him I have always tried to do something different,” the actor said recently
Let’s hope his bald look in Haider works for Shahid, its been a while since he delivered a hit!
Releases roundup
The Bollywood filmmaking scene is buzzing currently, with anticipation for some and disappointment for others.
Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia’s much anticipated Bullett Raja didn’t quite shatter the box office as many expected, but it did reasonably well by earning about Rs13 crore in just two days after its release. Wonder if that made Dhulia happy or sad?
The film starring Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha is based in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, and has been described as a fest of guns, grime, and glory.
R…Rajkumar starring Shahid Kapoor and again, Sonakshi Sinha will release soon, and sources say that it’s a very impressive crime thriller. Being a Prabhudheva film, there is a lot of hope from the film, as he has a reputation for solid box office hits.
The Aamir Khan-starrer action thriller Dhoom 3 will hit screens on December 20, and will see Aamir in a negative role. This is another sure-hit film, say pundits, what with Aamir’s renowned Midas touch.
Director-producer Anubhav Sinha is gearing up for the release of his Madhuri Dixit-starrer production Gulaab Gang, about the women vigilante group. Sinha has directed Shah Rukh Khan-starrer superhero film Ra.One and multi-starrer Dus, so this may be his next hit. Gulaab Gang is directed by Soumik Sen and will see Madhuri as the protagonist, while Juhi Chawla will be seen as the antagonist.
So that’s what Bollywood has in store for its fans, watch this space for more movie masala…