Bollywood Adda

source:bollywoodsargam.com

Bollywood’s most desirable and sizzling pair Kajol and Shahrukh Khan will soon be back to re-create the magic of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gham. Though she has taken a long time to give nod to the project, finally Kajol has given her consent to star with Shahrukh in Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan.

Karan always wanted Kajol to play the leading lady of Shahrukh in his forthcoming film but he had to keep his project on hold for a long time as Kajol was busy with U Me Aur Hum and she did not get the time to listen to the story and give heed to the project. But finally, she listened and said yes to it. As the shooting is scheduled to take place in US, it is not yet known whether Kajol’s daughter Nysa would also accompany her.

Now that Kajol has signed the project and Shahrukh is also getting over with his IPL, both of the stars will become free to work on the project. The film is expected to roll very soon. The film will definitely be a treat for the cine buffs as after a long time, they will get to see Kajol romancing Shahrukh.

Director: Hansal Mehta

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Gulshan Grover, Arbaaz Khan, Neha Oberoi, Sikandar Kher, Sachin Khedekar

The best thing about director Hansal Mehta's Woodstock Villa is that it's only about an hour and a half long. And for the first hour and fifteen minutes, nobody knows what's going on in the film. Nobody but the characters in the film, I presume.

Sitting there in my seat I felt like I was being repeatedly stabbed in the eye, blinded by the saturated tones, the zip-zap editing, the crazy camera angles and generally by the filmmaker's irritating attempt to show off with stylish technical gimmickry. How you wish he'd paid as much attention to his wafer-thin plot.

Without going into too many details, let me just say the film centres around the kidnapping of a successful businessman's wife and the ransom demand that follows.

The kidnapper, one later discovers, may not be calling the shots in this operation after all. Woodstock Villa is one of those films where nothing is what it seems, it's a story of cheating spouses, double-crosses and mistaken identities. Constructed from a screenplay that's full of little holes, the film trades common sense for convenience.

And as a result, you find yourself gasping in disbelief at the half-dozen or so slip-ups in the plot. It's the kind of film where cops talk in riddles, and Sanjay Dutt pops up in a pop song for no reason at all. It's the kind of film that thinks adultery and murder are the most lethal ingredients for a tight thriller.

On the upside, debutant Sikander Kher delivers a confident performance as a morally questionable lothario caught in a web of deceit. He has an engaging presence and impressive dialogue delivery. Now if only he'd chop those long tresses and take a nice, clean shower.

His co-star newcomer Neha Uberoi is easy on the eye, and fortunately is not expected to perform any acting histrionics. Arbaaz Khan, as the businessman whose wife goes missing, turns in a competent performance.

Much like Rise and Fall, the short film he co-directed with Sanjay Gupta for that anthology of shorts Dus Kahaniyaan, Hansal Mehta's Woodstock Villa too suffers from the same disease - it's all style and little substance. I'm going with two out of five for Woodstock Villa, watch if you have time to spare, it's not a film I can recommend strongly.

Rating: 2 / 5 (Poor)

Aishwarya's pregnancy has become a matter of concern for all. Fans are waiting to hear the good news from Abhishek but every time their speculation turned out to be false. Recently, a magazine again raised up the coveted issue to which Abhishek refuted. He said "The report in one of the magazines about my beloved wife Aishwarya's pregnancy is false". The Bachchans are gearing for the Unforgettable Tour which is starting from July 18.

They will explore the exotic destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Trinidad & Tobago, Houston, Atlantic City, New York, Vancouver, London and Amsterdam. Abhishek further disclosed that Aishwarya will perform on the super hit song Dola Re with Madhuri Dixit and she will also groove in some other hit numbers. Apart from the three Bachchans, Akshay, Madhuri, Preity and Riteish would entertain the global audience with some tremendous performances. Kajra Re is another added attraction.

The stars had already started rehearsing for the unforgettable event and they will follow the dance step of ace choreographer, Shiamak Davar. Vishal and Shekhar will provide the music. Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd is behind this mind-blowing show.

Big Brother Saif is upset over sister Soha’s exposure for Maxim. He does not display in public as how much he cares for her but he certainly does. He keeps a tab on his little sister and make sure that she does not go in any wrong direction. Recently when she starred for Maxim photo shoot in a sexy way without his knowledge, he turned furious. He came to know about the fact only when the magazine which sold like a hot cakes in the market happen to fall in his hand.

On seeing, Soha’s sexy poses in the Maxim cover, Saif not only refused to talk to her but promised that he would not never ever set eyes on her. Red hot Saif calmed down only when mother Sharmila intervene on the affair and informed him that Soha was not impressed with the idea and she was forced to pose in such a sensuous way. Saif trusts his sister a lot and forgave her. He took the responsibility of shaping her career and zeroed a project in which Soha would play the prime character.

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s relationship is worsening day by day. Their romance may have run its race with Kareena finding Saif's unceasing attention oppressive rather that thrilling.

According to our source, insecure Saif keeps calling Kareena on her mobile to keep tab on her and recently while the two were in a party Saif even didn’t let Kareena chat with her female friends.

This disturbed Kareena so much that she asked Saif to leave the party saying that his attention suffocated her.

Well, it’s really hard to understand this pretty lady since she had gone through a similar kind of problem in her past relationship with Shahid Kapoor. Over there, Kareena was the insecure one while Shahid was a chilled out guy.

We would have to wait and see how this relationship shapes up in the coming future. Meanwhile looking at their past we all know that both Saif and Kareena carry a baggage of failed relationships.

Priyanka Chopra is going to be seen a lot in 2008. Apart from the very futuristic Love Story 2050 - which is also the launch pad for her “good friend” Harman Baweja - she's got more than half a dozen films lined up ahead.

What's keeping you busy? There was a time when we saw you doing films back-to-back, with Hrithik and Shah Rukh. Now did you take a break or were you shooting back to back again?

Priyanka Chopra: I was shooting back to back. I was finishing two mega, mammoth films. Love Story 2050 and Drona which are going to be released now.

Your next releases Love Story 2050 - a completely different film, something we have not seen yet. Tell us something about it.

Priyanka Chopra: Love Story 2050 is definitely a different film. Though everyone goes around saying that, but this film is really different. It's a first of a kind. You will watch an Indian sci-fi film for the first time. The effects are world-class.


There are also many other films lined up. There's Dostana, Chamku, God Tussi Great Ho, Drona. Tell us a bit about some.

Priyanka Chopra: After Love Story 2050, I think the next release would be Chamku - it's a Vijeyata Films' home production - with Bobby Deol in it. It's a sweet film from my point of view. Then will be Drona which is again a different film - a fantasy film based in today's time. After Drona would be Fashion. Which is, wow, a scary film!

You are from the industry. Tell us how real is Fashion.

Priyanka Chopra: Fashion is the story of this model - her rise, her fall, her victory, her failures.

Lot of actors are blogging. Do you guys actually get the time to blog or to log onto websites to check blogs?

Priyanka Chopra: I do get on to the Internet but it's mostly for work. I've never really checked out anybody's blog nor have I ever blogged. But am sure it'd be an interesting thing to share your life with people who love you.

Interview
After the release of her first Bollywood film Jannat, Sonal Chauhan has become the new blue-eyed girl of the Bhatt camp. TWF correspondent Sreya Basu catches up with this new heartthrob of Bollywood during her breezy visit to Kolkata for the promotion of her film.

How did you make it to the Bhatt camp?
Till the shooting for Jannat started I did not have the remotest idea that I will take up acting. I was into part time modelling and wanted to become a journalist. But never thought I will land up being a heroine in a Hindi flick.

Kunal Deshmukh-director of Jannat-saw me at a restaurant in Mumbai. He came to me and asked for my contact number. In a week I was on the floors shooting.

Have you ever taken a formal acting course or felt the need of it?
I don't have a formal training in acting. But now that I have made up my mind to become an actor, I feel that a formal training is very much required. I will soon join an acting school.

Tell us about your character in Jannat?
My character Zoya is not a typical 20th century girl. She knows her limitations and knows how to react in different situations. Unlike a typical girlfriend, she refuses gifts from her boyfriend Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) and prefers shopping with her earnings.

Are you comfortable acting with Emraan Hashmi? Please don't give a politically correct answer.

Emraan is a delight to work with. I know what the media wants to know-it's about my two kissing scenes in the film. Yes there are kissing scenes and I didn't feel uncomfortable with those.

I was a bit uncomfortable about wearing a bikini in the movie and when I told my director Kunal Deshmukh and producer Mukesh Bhatt about it, they said I need not wear it. I will never do any thing that I am not comfortable doing.

You share your birthday with the release date of Jannat (May 17). Any comments?
I feel blessed. This is the best birthday gift that I can ever have. I turned 21 this year and I take this as the happy beginning of my career.

Were you nervous before the release of the film?
I almost had a nervous breakdown in anticipation of the fate of Jannat. I was not worried about the box office results but audience reaction-if the audience will accept me or not.

But seeing the response of the film after the first show I am relieved. People have liked the film, and thankfully me as well.

The role of Zoya was first offered to Esha Deol. What's your take on that?
I thank her from the bottom of my heart that she refused the film. Or else my life would never have this 360-degree turn.

We heard that in the climax of Jannat the hand of the heroine shown is not yours. Is it true?
Yes. There was a change in the climax. But as I was shooting for a Telegu film I could not give dates to the film. The hand shown is of Kangana Ranaut's. It was really nice of her to come at such a short notice and literally "lend me a helping hand".

What are your forthcoming films?
I have two untitled films with the Bhatts and one film with Kumar Mangalam.

You don't need to be a member of the Cannes Film Festival jury to have a say in what movies deserve awards. All it takes is an Internet connection and an opinion.
Director Spike Lee was in Cannes to hand out awards of USD 31,360 each to seven emerging directors whose work was championed by Internet users in an online film festival hosted by Babelgum, an Internet company that streams videos online for free.

The awards ceremony late Tuesday was hosted on the sidelines of the famous French Riviera festival. About 2,000 short films were submitted, and 1,012 films from 86 countries were picked to compete. Hundreds of thousands of people watched the movies, posted comments or voted on their favourite picks. A jury whittled down films that generated a buzz online, and Lee had the final say.

Lee believes there's more interesting, innovative material online than on TV or in movie theatres.

"If people want what's standard they're going to watch television," he was quoted as saying. "First of all, people are getting tired of having stuff chosen for them. They want to make up their own program. They also want to be introduced to new things -- new ideas, new thoughts, new stories, new talent, new people."

Richard Recco, a 39-year-old from Brooklyn who co-wrote the screenplay for 2001's 3,000 Miles to Graceland, won the short film award for his directorial debut, Officer Down, about a crooked policeman.

Recco wants to turn his short film into a feature-length picture, and he says his Babelgum success has helped convince investors to contribute USD 5 million to the project.

There just isn’t any other way to say it – a sex slip-up just isn’t sexy, and to save all men from bedroom "disasters", a leading sexologist has come to the rescue.

Dr Yvonne K Fulbright, a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc, has come up with top ten mistakes men make in bed, reports Perth Now.

The biggest mistakes men make include:

1. Foreplay doesn't start in the sack.

The timer for enticing does not start once you hit the sheets. Your pre-game show is best approached as an all day affair. Women love to be wooed. Sex is a head game — in more ways than one - and women want to know you can’t get them out of your mind. We love knowing that we are desired.

2. Don't head south straight away.

Diving in for the genitals too soon usually isn’t the best idea. A woman needs to be properly aroused before any below-the-belt action feels good.

Be sure to focus on her entire body - head to toe - before going for the gold.

3. Remember the clitoris.

Many men think a woman’s orgasm results from penetration.

More than 70 per cent of women experience clitoral orgasm when it comes to maximum reaction, so men need to make sure they are not ignoring the clitoris.

It also helps if you actually know where the clitoris is - some men have been known to rub the urethral opening, which can be a big no-no for some ladies.

4. Get to that G spot.

In digging for buried treasure, many guys don’t know that “X” doesn’t always mark the spot. Found on the front wall of the vagina, a woman’s G spot may be a little higher or lower, or more to one side than the other, than often depicted.

5. Don't be too goal-oriented.

There is nothing more endearing than a man who wants to play. Just don’t get caught up in yourself. Your sexual exploration should be playtime for two.

Stay “present” in the moment - connecting with your partner will bring the ultimate climax for both of you.

6. Thinking you're still hot after gaining weight.

"For better or worse” should include weight fluctuations, but don’t let yourself go completely.

7. Let her be naughty.

Sometimes she needs to get in touch with her adulterated side. In fact, research has found that women are more aroused by explicit fantasies than romantic ones. It's not always about the prince on a white horse or canoodling on the beach.

8. She's not a porn star.

As seen in porn films, many men expect their lovers to fulfill their every fantasy. Remember that porn is fantasy, not reality. Expecting her to act like a porn star is simply not fair.

9. And men aren't supposed to look like porn stars.

Despite what XXX-rated films indicate, most women are not lusting after a three-legged man. Maybe some women are up for the challenge, but many are fine with the guy who fits within the norm. Don’t be too hard on yourself for being just that.

10. One orgasm is not always enough.

Women are not as quick to come down from their aroused state as men are post-sex. Many can be launched right back to bliss, and many women do crave more action and orgasms, even if they were perfectly satisfied the first time round.

Bollywood siren, Mallika Sherawat, who earlier acted in an international production, The Myth, alongside Jackie Chan will now star in an American film called The Aquarian Gospel.

The film is based on Jesus Christ's life (especially his early years) and will be directed by Australian filmmaker, Drew Heriot, who earlier directed the smash hit docu-feature, The Secret.

There has been a belief that Christ, between the age of 13 yrs and 30 yrs, traveled through India, Tibet, Persia, Greece and Egypt. Mallika would be playing the role of Saraswati, one of Yeshua's (Jesus) loyal friends whom he meets while he travels through India.

Interestingly, Mallika even played an Indian princess from the period era in The Myth which bombed at the box-office. In fact, Mallika's appearance after all the hue-and- cry was just a blink and a miss kind of a role.

Well, let's see if Madame Sherawat has a better and bigger role this time around.

The Indian World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star, The Great Khali is all set to make a mark in Bollywood.

The star of the ring makes his debut with a film aptly titled Kushti. At the wrap-up party of the movie directed by TK Rajeev Kumar, Dalip Singh Rana, stood tall, putting even the talented comedian Rajpal Yadav in the shadows.

“Khali has done a great job in the movie. Khali is the requirement of the film. The film revolves around him,” says actor, Rajpal Yadav.

“He’s a fantastic actor and has a lot of rhythm. He is also a very gentle human being,” says director, Rajeev Kumar.
Khali is confident that his work in the film will please and entertain his fans.

“People should watch the film. I can assure you that you will not feel that you wasted your money on the tickets,” says Dilip Singh Rana.

Khali has not only acted in the film, he has also rocked the dance floor with a dance number.

“I use to feel scared to tell him that you need to do this step or that step. He would give me a look and say I will try. However, I think he's done a great job,” says Choreographer, Pony Verma.

The movie will release sometime in June.

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aman Siddique, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla

Director: Vivek Sharma

He sings and dances, arranges the furniture, and even puts the school's lunchbox-raiding principal in place. Yes, that's Bhoothnath for you, the friendly ghost played by Amitabh Bachchan, in director Vivek Sharma's film by the same name.

After a failed attempt at scaring away little Banku and his family who have moved into his sprawling Goa bungalow, Bhoothnath becomes buddies with the precocious kid.

So far, not too many complaints. It's silly and childish yes, but also very watchable. Problems arise somewhere beyond the half-way mark of Bhoothnath when this kids-friendly entertainer turns into something of a rona-dhona heavy Baghbaan rehash. You sink into your seat and cringe with embarrassment as our teary-eyed ghost goes into flashback mode and bores us with those sad stories of his neglectful son.

Despite its fairly basic plot and predictable screenplay, for the most part Bhoothnath works just fine as a children's film. It is after all a formula that never fails when done even half right. Although it's nothing you haven't seen before, the adventures of Banku and Bhooth are enjoyable to watch largely because the chemistry between Bachchan and child actor Aman Siddique is so riveting.

So whether they're pulling a gag on the school principal, or devouring "aloo parathas" that Banku's mother is struggling to prepare, it's this unlikely friendship between boy and ghost that is the film's main draw.

And that's why it hurts as hell when writer-director Vivek Sharma steers his ship in an entirely different direction as the film enters its third act. Melodramatic and needless, the track involving Bhoothnath's back-story is a cumbersome bore. Even Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, who play Banku's parents in the film, look embarrassed to be participating in such sentimental silliness.

For me Chhota Chetan and Mr India are the ultimate children's films, at least to come out of India . Bhoothnath, sadly doesn't compare to either. For one, both Chhota Chetan and Mr India were involving and engaging stories that had heart.

source:bollywoodhungama.com

Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi has said that he's fascinated by Lahore because the city had beautiful buildings and stunning girls.

In a recent interview, the 29-year-old said that the city was not different from New Delhi.

He was on a two-day visit to Lahore to launch his latest film, Jannat.

The actor said Lahoris had been "very friendly with him".

The 'Zeher' star was accompanied by his co-star in the film, Sonal Chauhan, and producer Mahesh Bhatt. The three film stars stressed the need for more Bollywood-Lollywood joint ventures.

They said such efforts would help bring the people of the subcontinent together. Emraan said joint showbiz productions would also help the peace process between the two countries.

Jannat has been co-produced by Javed Sheikh.

Emraan and Sonal said they were visiting Lahore for the first time and were surprised to find that the city was 'very different' from what they had expected.

"I will never forget the love I got from the people at the Lahore Airport," The Daily Times quoted Emraan, as saying.

He said he was visiting Lahore to "explore the city and to know its people".

She's undisputably the number one actress in Bollywood. Kareena Kapoor is not only the highest paid but also the most in demand actress with her line up of prestigious releases starting with Yashraj's magnum opus Tashan, releasing this week.

Says a trade expert, "With Tashan, Kareena has established her clout in the industry. Even though the film hasn't done well, she still remains the number one actress in the country.

She has never looked so scorching hot before on screen and she has never been so good in a film! She positively sizzles. Even though the film hasn't done well, Kareena has made waves with her fiery performance and her ooh la la lime green bikini shot.

Bebo's never looked hotter. In fact the trade has given her a new nickname Czarina Kapoor as she positively rules the industry today."

Well, if King Khan is the 'Baazigar' among men, then the super-successful Kareena sure can be nick named Cazrina!

Name it and Kareena has it in her kitty, whether it is a list of A-grade projects under big banners, huge endorsements or modeling assignments, the actress is surely making it count when sun shines!!

And keeping her Numero Uno status intact is her next project with Aamir Khan no less! Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan are working together, and she's thrilled;

It's finally happening. Bollywood has put together the dream team of Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan for Rajkumar Hirani's film Idiots.

Kareena, who has signed on three big projects lately, including Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakht Ishq with Akshay Kumar, Renzel d'silva's untitled film with beau Saif Ali khan, is thrilled to be working with Aamir.

"It's a dream," she exclaimed, "we recently came close to working on two films together, Vishal Bhardwaj's Mr Mehta And Mrs Singh and Mani Ratnam's Lajjo, but it's finally happening now."

She is also looking forward to doing another film with Saif after Omkara and Tashan. "Renzil's film has a stunning script. " says she.

As for Tashan, she's worked really hard on the film and even lost weight to get the right look for Tashan.

Says Kareena" To be honest, I'm not a size zero. I'm sick of these reports claiming otherwise. I had to get this look for Tashan because the makers wanted me to get into character. Now I'm back to looking like before for my other films."

Weight no no weight, fact is that she's looking fab and feeling great. "I'm proud of my sculpted body. Why should I want to be like anyone else? I look no different from the way I looked earlier. I guess I'm just happy in life, and that shows," says Kareena.

After Aamir Khan caught everyone's attention with his blog entry on Shahrukh, his dog; Shah Rukh Khan, the actor reacted to the dog-blog controversy. And here's what he had to say.

"Moving towards blogs is a way towards joining the journalist fraternity, I love journalists but I am an actor and would like to keep it that way."

Shah Rukh Khan said he chooses not to blog in reaction to Aamir Khan's recent blog entry that talks about a Shah Rukh licking his feet. This is what Aamir wrote in his blog: "Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then. What more can I ask for?"

While Aamir goes on to confirm that he's not referring to the King Khan but a dog named Shahrukh that belongs to the caretakers of his Panchgani home, there were other references.

Read between the lines: "Some of my friends claim that I bought the house just because of the dog. I would have to be a serious fan of Shahrukh's to want to do that."

But it seems like the King Khan is taking it all in his stride.

He said, "Hum log hum umar hai — main, Salman, Aamir. Aur hum jab milte hain toh is se bhi ajeeb batein karte hai. (All three of us — Salman, Aamir and me are the same age and when we meet, we talk stranger stuff than this.) I have to take it with a sense of humour and I do have a sense of humour. If i can do it with others, then I should accept it."

Well, that's the last word on the dog-blog controversy for now.

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan who began shooting for Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar Raj after marriage were conscious in front of the entire unit when they faced the camera for the first time.
Director Ram Gopal Varma captured their consciousness and tentativeness on camera to shoot a sequence where their characters in the film interact for the first time trying to weigh each other as people.

"The director Ram Gopal Varma was very clear that he wanted to shoot a sequence where Abhishek's character interacts with Aishwarya's character for the first time.

Abhishek's character in the film is shown as a supporter of a power plant while Aishwarya plays the head honcho of the plant.

There is lot of tentativeness and they are trying to weigh each other as people. Since they were shooting for the first time after marriage, there was newness to their relationship and they were a bit conscious or rather a bit tentative in front of their entire unit... this worked beautifully for the scene, where they are shown getting to know each other," sources close to the film said.

Sarkar Raj releases on June six and will be premiered during the IIFA weekend in Bangkok. Even though Varma's previous two films with Amitabh Bachchan -Nishabd and Aag have been box office duds, the Big B has said that he had full faith in the filmmaker's capabilities.

"Nobody has challenged me more as an actor in recent times than Ramu," the Big B said during the unveiling of the first look of the film in April

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan's dog at his home in Panchgani is called "Shah Rukh".
Aamir, who is recuperating from a hamstring injury suffered on the sets of Ghajini, said he has nothing to do in the naming of the dog.

"Shah Rukh is the dog of the caretakers of our house. When I bought this house it came with the caretakers," he said.

Apparently, Shah Rukh, the actor was shooting a commercial in this house ,a few years ago, and that very day, the caretakers bought a pup and named him Shah Rukh, said the actor.

"What are the chances of me buying a house which comes with a dog called Shah Rukh. Some of my friends claim that I bought the house because of the dog. I would have to be a serious fan of Shah Rukh's to want to do that. All I can say is that I'm waiting for him to come over," Aamir wrote on his blog.

Referring to his injury, the actor said that the hamstring muscle seems to be healing, slowly but surely.

In its latest edition, (Bollywood Special), Outlook magazine has put Amitabh Bachchan on the cover. The veteran actor has been voted ‘the biggest star’ of all times in a poll conducted by the magazine, leaving SRK, Aamir Khan, Dilip Kumar and others way behind.

Bachchan won 32 per cent of the votes while SRK won 14 per cent and Aamir only nine.
Way behind also are names such as Hrithik Roshan (three per cent), Akshay (three per cent ) and Salman Khan (only two per cent of the votes).

The survey also answers questions to the ongoing debate over the all-time favourite female star, best funny man, most accomplished actor of all time among other things. In most cases Aishwarya and Kajol seem to be the favourites while John Abraham has been voted the most stylish by the magazine’s readers.

The special edition also features a bunch of interesting essays that cover everything from the changing face of the female lead in Hindi cinema to why Dharmendra never got his dues as an actor in the industry.

We at buzz18.com recommend this special issue for all you movie buffs out there. Specially recommended are the pieces by Sadanand Menon (where he compares the southern stars with their northern counterparts in ‘The Systolic Tide’), Arnab Roy (on why Mithun is the real superstar in 'Acidwash Adonis') and Subhra Gupta’s delightful take on the ‘real heroes’ who thrive without PR machinery.

A huge letdown however is the lead interview, that of Amitabh Bachchan by Namrata Joshi. True to his current sullen avtar, Bachchan’s response to all the questions seem cursory, trite and at times so utterly indifferent that you wish he was best left alone. Maybe, Bachchan is tired of polls and surveys and opinion meters, a reason why he chooses to be animated only while writing his blog.

Even then, do turn the pages for some interesting starspeak on favorites and some nice pictures of yore.

Eros International released Bhoothnath simultaneously in Pakistan along with the other international markets. It is the first film of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to release in Pakistan. The film opened on 9th May across all major cities in Pakistan, including Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujaranwala, Hyderabad and Gujarat, in association with Evernew Group and HKC Entertainment, who have been in the business for more than 50 years.

Interview: Saif Ali Khan
Competing with Akshay Kumar, covering up the Kareena tattoo, cold war with Rani Mukerji and all those shaadi rumours—Saif Ali Khan comes clean
How was the experience of running in the Olympic torch relay?
It was a huge honour but sadly it turned out to be more of a controversy. There were too many bad vibes associated with the whole thing and to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it very much. Whenever there is too much negativity, the joy of doing a thing goes away. There was hardly any crowd and nobody to cheer us along. It turned out to be a bit of a bummer. In hindsight, I think maybe I shouldn’t have gone. But I also stand by the basic thought that sports and politics shouldn’t be mixed. I’m totally against the oppression of Tibet and when the Dalai Lama himself has said he has no issues with the Olympics being held in China, why are these things happening? We have problems with Pakistan over Kashmir, but that does not stop us from playing cricket with them. Sports is meant to be enjoyed and not to be politicised.

The year has started on a positive note with Race. What’s the best compliment that you have got for the film?
Lots of people have said that I looked hot in the film and that I underplayed the character, but that’s all background noise. The biggest compliment is the box office figures.

How did your kids, Sara and Ibrahim, like Race?
Sara was pleasantly surprised. She was expecting something tacky and eventually found it to be slick. Ibrahim loved it.

What’s all this talk of you overtaking Shah Rukh Khan in the endorsement race?
Come on, you know this is just a part of all the PR vibe that’s going on in the industry. Someone somewhere must have said that I have 12 endorsements and SRK has 14. Sometimes people talk rubbish. SRK is a great businessman and a huge superstar. I don’t compare myself to him. My comparison is only with myself. Maybe at this point of time, I seem to be a good choice for brand endorsements.

You’re paired with Akshay Kumar after almost 10 years in Tashan, how is that going?
It’s been great. I think both Akshay and I are acting better than we did back then. We’re definitely looking better, or at least I’m looking much better. (Laughs) We also have better haircuts now. Akshay is a very competitive actor and my feelings for him oscillate between really liking him and getting frustrated by his last-minute improvisations on the sets. Sometimes I want to kill him since he really annoys me. But he’s great to work with. In many ways, Akshay has been like a big brother to me. We’ve shared a lot over the years and there is genuine respect between us.

So why did you reject Garam Masala opposite him?
I don’t know why I refused that film. Actually I don’t even remember being offered that film.

It was recently reported that you and Kareena will be tying the knot after Tashan. True?
Totally false. We’re concentrating on our individual careers right now. It’s hard enough to get a weekend together. Whenever I get married it will be to Kareena and everybody will know.

Glossies are terming Kareena and you as the desi Brangelina or Saifeena, which one do you prefer?
I don’t like either. Both sound silly. I don’t understand what the need for all this is. Just call us Saif and Kareena, thank you very much.

Tell me won’t the Kareena tattoo pose continuity problems during film shoots?
See, I’ve to be careful while shooting but it’s easily done. With the help of technology the tattoo can be easily hidden. It takes me just over a minute to cover it.

So what’s happening with your production house, Illuminati Films?
Well, we’re rolling our first project on June 1. It’s directed by Imtiaz Ali and stars Deepika Padukone and me. My banner is going to be associated with really cool movies. And my definition of cool movies includes films like Omkara, Salaam Namaste, Hum Tum, Parineeta, Dil Chahta Hai, Being Cyrus and Ek Hasina Thi.

As a producer, will you hard-sell your film?
I don’t know. I might go all out to promote it because at the end of the day, visibility is very important. Also, when a team aggressively promotes a film, it means that they believe in it.

So when do we see you and Kareena doing a film for your banner?
For that someone has to give us a good script. I’m very keen for the both of us to work together but we haven’t come across a good script.

Why don’t you think of an idea and tell someone to develop it?
(Laughs) In the last 50-odd films that I’ve done till date, I haven’t come up with any idea. But I’d like to try and think of something now that I have a production house. See, the basic problem is that there are very few films that have good roles for women.

And you and Kareena would want equal roles?
Or probably unequal roles. I think Kareena would want to have a better role than me. (Laughs)

Any recent film you wish you had been a part of?
Don. When I saw that film I told myself, “Hmm, I could’ve done that.”

Like Kareena, will you be launching your own fashion label?
God knows. I’ve been thinking that maybe I should design some jeans. Maybe I’ll do it.

Finally, is it true that you and Rani Mukerji have a cold war brewing?
It’s bulls**t. Both of us are moody. Someone might have seen us frowning on the sets and started this rumour. I have the highest regard for Rani. We make a great pair on screen and I enjoy working with her. Yes, we don’t hang out together but that doesn’t mean that we don’t like each other.