Filmmaker Priyadarshan, whose film social drama ‘Kanchivaram’ won a National Award, has roped in none other than Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan for his next “realistic” project, a film on AIDS.

The director revealed that Aamir has said yes to the film which deals with the disease and the social stigma attached to it.

“My next film is a meaningful and realistic take on AIDS. I have narrated the story to Aamir and he really liked it, though I have not presented him a bound script yet,” Priyadarshan told PTI at the sidelines of Delhi International Art Festival.

This will be the first time that the filmmaker will be working with Aamir but when asked about the one actor he wishes to work with, Priyadarshan did not wait before replying, “Big B“.

“I have worked with Mr Bachchan on advertisements but I want to shoot a feature film with him. It would be a great experience,” said the filmmaker.

AIDS is still a taboo topic in Bollywood though South Indian filmmaker Revathy and Onir had explored the subject in their films ‘Phir Milenge’ and ‘My Brother Nikhil’

While ‘Phir Milenge’ had a star studded cast including Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan, ‘My Brother Nikhil’ starred Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli.

Priyadarshan who has directed superhit comedies like ’Hera Pheri’ and ‘Malamaal Weekly’ said that the National Award, his first ever, has inspired him to take risks with off—beat cinema.

“I finally got an award after 25 years in the industry and it is a great recognition. All those who thought that I could do nothing more than comedies and remakes have been proved wrong and you will see many more realistic films from my side,” said Priyadarshan.

The filmmaker is currently shooting for a yet-untitled film starring Ajay Devgan and Akshaye Khanna in Tamil Nadu, while Aamir Khan is working on his film ‘Three Idiots’ where he stars alongside Kareena Kapoor and R Madhavan.

The Big B of Bollywood will soon be the Bigg Boss. Amitabh Bachchan will be the ‘Pop Philosopher’ of Bigg Boss Season 3, and will appear on the show twice every week – on Fridays and Saturdays.

As the ‘Pop Philosopher’, Big B will bridge the gap between Bigg Boss participants and the viewers – by contextualising events, simplifying emotions and, most importantly, analysing developments that happen within the house.

“This is a show that has intrigued me immensely as a viewer – its format, its contestants and the psychological battle within the house,” said Amitabh Bachchan. “I am looking forward to my role that gives me the unique opportunity to help viewers decode emotions and comprehend simple philosophies of life [without getting philosophical].”

The show will be launched through a special music trailer with a song sung by Amitabh Bachchan and set to music by Vishal-Shekhar.

Koena Mithra, one of the hottest item girls in Bollywood is again captures the cover pages of movie magazines.

The last time we saw her on screen was in the item number from the hit Tamil flick Ayan and a little before that as a special guest on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

And now she`s back with a space dedicated all to herself. Now we know whereto go if we want to hear something candid and in-yer-face. From her bio to her latest videos, you can catch it all on her website.

The star looked quite demure at the launch of her website. Dressed in a sexy yet, classy white shift, she kept the event glamorous.

His directorial debut “Makdee” didn’t rake in the moolah but was widely appreciated. So were “Maqbool”, “The Blue Umbrella” and “Omkara” for their alternative climaxes and literary influences. Now with the huge success of his latest “Kaminey”, versatile filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj has also proved to be a box-office hit.

“Vishal has always been critically-acclaimed but commercially not that successful. For example, ‘Omkara’ was a lazy proposition business-wise… it didn’t even have a good opening. But the opening for ‘Kaminey’ has been huge and it has had a good first weekend too,” trade analysts say.

“He has proved his credentials with the movie that he is also commercially viable. At the end of the day everything boils down to how rosy your balance sheet looks because the stakes are very high and Vishal, after this film, has realised that it’s good to make critically-acclaimed films but it’s also necessary to strike a balance,” he said.

Film critic Omar Qureshi also had something similar to say.

“Vishal is now top of the ladder. He is multi-talented and is of a different league altogether post-’Kaminey’. He is a very intelligent filmmaker and versatile…who even writes, composes and sings apart from directing,” said Qureshi.

“He made a movie like ‘Maqbool’ with lesser-known stars and a great story and then graduated to A-list stars in ‘Omkara’. He then decided that he wanted to make an out-and-out big-budget masala movie and so graduated to level three and that too with a very intelligent film,” he added.

Bharadwaj started his Bollyood innings as a composer for Gulzar’s “Maachis” (1996) followed by movies like “Satya” (1998) and “Chachi 420″ (1998) before taking on the director’s mantle. He proved his genius with his movies and his versatility as a music composer, singer, writer and filmmaker.

Noteworthy is his association with poet-filmmaker Gulzar and singer Sukhwinder Singh in all his films. And he has successfully explored the best in actors like Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in “Omkara” and Shahid Kapoor in “Kaminey”.

“Vishal is a very dangerous director… It’s a challenge for an actor to work with him but at the same time it’s very fruitful too… he brings out a new talent in you every time he takes a shot,” Shahid had said of the director.

In “Kaminey”, Shahid plays morally-incompatible twins — one a ruffian with a lisp and the other a simpleton who stammers. Not only has he bagged accolades for his performance, the film has also changed his image — from the chocolate boy-next-door to an A-lister.

“With ‘Kaminey’, Vishal has given Bollywood its own Quentin Tarantino

and Guy Ritchie combo. He has proven that behind a media shy and quiet face lies a calculating mind. He is indeed Bollywood’s new maverick,” said an industry source.

“Kaminey” was also praised for its songs — specifically “Dhan tan tan” — and its cinematography.

“Vishal has been been a very underrated director for a long time and with ‘Kaminey’, he has taken entertainment to another level and that too without compromising on the aesthetic side. He is a supremely talented person,” said Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures that has produced and distributed the movie.

Bharadwaj’s future projects include “Ishqiya” and a movie with Hrithik Roshan.

Ace director Mani Ratnam, was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai last night, following a complaint of breathing difficulty and dizziness. Doctor’s report that there is nothing to panic and the director’s health is stable and sound.

Doctors attending to the 52 year-old filmmaker informed that his condition is stable, and there is nothing to panic. He will be kept under observation for sometime, and will be discharged in a day’s time.

The cause of concern was that he had survived a heart attack earlier during the shoot of ‘Yuva’. Sources close to the director’s family, informed that just a routine check-up is underway, and he needs few days of absolute rest before resuming with his work.

The revolutionary filmmaker is credited for introducing the twin Oscar winning prodigy AR Rahman to cinema in ‘Roja’, Aishwarya Rai to Tamil with ‘Iruvar’.

‘Pallavi Anu Pallavi’ marked his debut as a director in 1983. His second film is Unaru, with Mohan Lal in Malayalam.

He made his debut through the movie Pagal Nilavu, produced by his brother late GV.

Notable films made by him include ‘Geethanjali’, ‘Anjali’ ‘Thiruda Thiruda’ scripted by Ram Gopal Varma, ‘Bombay’, ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’. He is currently directing a huge venture starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Bachchan and Vikram.

The dutiful daughter Bipasha Basu is gifting her parents an all-expenses paid trip to the US. Mr and Mrs Basu will be in Obama country next month. The day we caught up with the sexy actress she was going with her dad to the US consulate to arrange for their visas.

Bipasha says, “Giving them a holiday is the least I can do. Though my dad has travelled all around the world this will be his first trip to the US. Mom has been there before. I want to make it very Special for them. We are still deciding on their route and which cities they will visit. In fact I keep telling them to splurge but my dad refuses to spend my money. Mom is as bad. She will love spending her husband’s money but not mine!”

When asked why she wasn’t joining them Bips smiles, “My parents are very independent and self-sufficient and love travelling on their own. Last year they visited Europe by themselves. Also, they will be gone for a month. I can’t take that much time off from my work schedule,” says Bipasha who starts shooting for Rohit Shetty’s All The Best next month.

Though Bipasha is happy to pack her parents off to the US she’s greatly disappointed by the poor response to Aa Dekhe Zara and blames it on the multiplex strike. “I am disheartened. This is my first film that I have felt so terrible about, otherwise normally I move on quickly.

We work so hard for a film. Money and effort go into it and then the film doesn’t get a proper release it’s unfair! The multiplex owners should understand what film producers go through. I have no problem with the producers as they promoted it to the best of their abilities. If we had released it in the multiplexes it would have definitely done so much better. It makes one feel so helpless.”

The actress was so disappointed that she took a day off from work and spent it by her beau John Abraham who was in Hyderabad shooting for Hook Ya Crook. She recalls, “I was feeling very low so I called up John. He asked me to join him there and I just flew down. When I reached there I told him that I just wanted to sleep and watch TV.”

Working with Rajini is the most amazing and exciting experience of my career!

Popular Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra, was in the city to announce the launch of the first of its kind fine dining restaurant in the city, Influence, which is styled by him.

The designer is full of praise for superstar Rajinikanth, who, he claims, is a down-to-earth person.

‘I have worked with Shahrukh Khan, Aamir and Amitabhji but working with Rajinikanth, in recent films like Sivaji, Sultan and Enthiran, has been one of the most amazing and exciting experience in my 18-year-old career.

Working with him closely, one can learn so much. I am also thrilled about the whole cast of Enthiran. Rajinikanth is also very punctual. After a very long time (about 8-years after Mohabbattein), I am working with Aishwarya Rai for a movie.”

]]> http://www.boxofficesouth.com/2008/12/manish-speaks-about-rajini/feed/ 0 http://www.boxofficesouth.com/2008/11/abhi-ash-moving-out-of-jalsa/ http://www.boxofficesouth.com/2008/11/abhi-ash-moving-out-of-jalsa/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:32:28 +0000 admin http://www.boxofficesouth.com/?p=131

Not surprisingly golden couple Abhishek Bachchan – Aishwarya Bachchan has everything going for them. Reportedly they have properties all over the country and in Dubai too.

The buzz is that the latest acquisition is a flat in Juhu’s Pinnacle Dreams which has 7 flats of approximately 2000 sq ft. each. For the uninitiated, it is producer Vashu Bhagnani’s property and is located just opposite their home Jalsa. Shilpa Shetty and beau Raj Kundra also have a flat there. Shilpa is currently doing up the place.

It’s being said that Bachchan Jr. and wife are moving out of Jalsa and shifting base to the newly acquired place. That way they can also be close to their parental home and yet have space of their own. However Papa Bachchan has claimed that his beta and bahurani have no plans to move out. He maintains that the Bachchans are one big happy family. Mr. and Mrs. Abhishek Bachchan are busy shooting in the jungles of Kochi for their big film Ravana.

It seems as of now; they too would deny the news. But no one knows what the future holds. So we’ll have to wait and watch to see what happens!

The first duet song of Rajini –Aishwarya for the never ever magnum opus in Indian film industry Eanthiran- The Robot, took place in Peru and Brazil.

According to the reliable sources, director Shankar has completed the first song with the top class actors of the country in the historical place Machu Picchu located near the Amazon forests in Peru.

The other song will shot in a studio in Hollywood in which the superstar will play solo with the amazing scientific set back drop.

Earlier Shankar had issued a press release prior to leaving Chennai saying he is shooting the film in USA, but he never mentioned anything about the exact location or region.

According to our sources, the song had Rajini’s stylish dance movements, as he danced with Aishwarya and the buzz is that he even did a Spanish salsa dance movement under choreographer Raju Sundaram. The second song will be choreographed by Ragava Lawrence.