|
|
|---|
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Manjari Phadnis is sharing screen space with Lakshmi Rai in the film Muthirai. The lass from Bollywood, who is known to be very disciplined, thinks highly of the Kollywood industry and is determined to make a mark here. On how comfortable she is speaking in the local language, she says, “I have started to learn the basic words. Obviously, I will soon start rehearsing my dialogues and hope to learn the language soon.”The lady, who is working on an Aamir Khan production up north, began her career in Bollywood by starring in the film Rok Sako To Rok Lo.However, it was her role in the movie Mumbai Salsa that brought her talent to the fore and made people sit up and take note of her.
Having an army background helps and Manjari has one. The dame, who a few years back had said that she wanted to rise high in life, is sure to create a stir in Kollywood
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Ad filmmaker-turned-director Robbie Grewal's brother Gary needs to realize that his tantrum throwing will not work. As you may be aware that Bollywood hottie Celina Jaitley who had initially agreed to work in Gary's directorial debut has quit it for the latter's allegedly unprofessional behavior. This is significant for both Robbie and Gary as both don't have enough work with them. Though Celina herself doesn't have much in her kitty , yet she even hates the mention of Gary and hotly denies ever being a part of his debut.
Sameera Reddy fans and admirers, who loved her dumb bimbo number with Anil Kapoor in Abbas-Mastaan’s Race, will find it difficult to recognize her in Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s just-released Bengali film Kaal Purush (Memories in the Mist.) Sameera flew down for the premiere to Kolkata and flew back even before the film was over.Her role in Kaal Purush was followed by another role in Dasgupta’s latest film The Voyeurs. TWF correspondent Shoma A. Chatterji spoke to the very friendly and beautiful Sameera.
Considering that your debut in films began only in 2002 with Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, you have come a long way, right?
I consider myself lucky to have worked with the best directors in the industry. It has not been easy but it is not easy for anyone in the industry. It is an uphill climb for all of us here, including Shahrukh Khan.
I have worked with directors ranging from Sanjay Gupta through Ram Gopal Verma to Buddhadeb Dasgupta and Aruna Raje.
I worked with Mira Nair though that was for a short film Migration, screened at the Toronto Film Festival in 2007. I play a housewife who is HIV+. The Voyeurs, my second film with Buddha-da, was screened at the same festival.
How did it all begin?
When I was still studying at the Sydenham College in Mumbai, I happened to be chosen for a Pankaj Udhas video called Aashita.
My sisters, Meghna and Sushma were also very inspiring for me. I used to be a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky girl in college. But after this video, I became serious and decided to concentrate on two things – training in Kathak and acting in films.
After my debut in Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, I did two Telugu films, Narasimhudu and Jai Chiranjeeva.
How do you look at the polarities between the two characters you have played in Race and Kaal Purush?
I am not bothered about polarities because the films are different, the directors are different and even the audience is different.
Though I consider myself a spontaneous actress, I need a director to guide me so that it makes me a director’s actress as well. Playing a dumb bimbo in Race is equally important to me as is playing Supriya in Buddha-da’s Kaal Purush.
I was looking for a comic role after serious stuff like Sanjay Gupta’s Musafir and Ram Gopal Verma’s Darna Mana Hai. I am thrilled that the film is a big hit. Kaal Purush on the other hand, thanks to Buddha-da, really made me understand and learn to love what I was doing.
How close are you to Supriya, the ambitious housewife you played in Kaal Purush?
I loved the character of Supriya because it has several shades to it, beginning as a hard and bitter woman and then, unable to cope with a husband who turns out to be a ‘failure’ by her definition, she slowly realises that she must become independent.
The great American dream is just a trigger to turn her into a writer of travelogues on places she has never visited but has seen only on video. Love for Supriya, slowly turns to pity, as her husband tells his father at one point in the film.
I do not equate any character I play with my real self as Sameera, the woman and Sameera, the actress. An actress need not be ‘close’ or ‘distant’ to a character.
Which scene in the film do you carry with you in your heart?
I love the scene in which I play the prostitute who the hero suddenly visits one night. She finds his behaviour rather strange especially when he asks her, ‘why don’t you put on your sari?’
Then, with a sad and puzzled ex-pression on her face, she says, “You won’t begin to pull at it again, will you?” She somehow feels he is a good man but is confused and sad.
It is a scene I will carry with me forever. Thanks to Buddha-da, he really pushed me beyond my expectations. That is why when he asked me whether I would like to feature in The Voyeurs, I did not even ask him for the script. It has been a pleasure working with him.
You are very disciplined in your daily life, we hear.
I wasn’t before. But after I began training in Kathak from Pandit Viru Krishna Maharaj and then entered films, my life changed forever. I am grateful to Guruji for having taught me how to use Kathak in a film situation.
Today, I wake up early, do my yoga, followed by my Kathak riyaaz, regular work out and I am sorted for the day. My turning point came with Musafir and though I have had my share of flops, there have been milestones too.
Kaal Purush is my career best till date.
The film and the director helped me develop a new dimension – imbibing the Bengali culture in terms of its language, its food, the way a woman like Supriya dresses, making me fall in love with our traditional mode of dress – the sari.
Your future projects?
I am playing the female lead, a Naxalite, in Aruna Raje’s Red Alert on the contemporary nationalist movement.
It explores and shows how circumstances decide the destiny of a person who evolves into a Naxalite in course of time. Along with me are Sunil Shetty, Ayesha Dharkar and Naseeruddin Shah.
Then there is Mahayoddha Ram, an animation film where I have done the voice-over for Sita, and two more comedies about which I am not supposed to say much at this point.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Bollywoos Actress Mallika Sherawat – India highest paid female brand ambassador
Posted by manto at 2:42 AM
She may not have had even a single release in over a year, but Bollywood sex-kitten Mallika Sherawat is all set to become India’s highest paid female brand ambassador.Yes, reports are that Mallika is charging Rs 3.5 crore for an advertisement.
The commercial, to be directed by Pradeep Sarkar will include print and video ads for CDs and cassettes and the jingle will reportedly be penned by none other than Gulzar .
With this present assignment, Mallika is expected to surpass her more successful Bollywood contemporaries like the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who commands a price of Rs 2-2.5 crore in the advertising circles.
Even Kareena Kapoor charges around Rs 1-2 crore per endorsement and Bollywood's latest dream girl Deepika Padukone is said to command around Rs 1-1.5 crore per advertisement.
Mallika, who will be seen doing a pole dance in Kamal Haasan 's Dasavatharam , had earlier charged Rs 1.5 crore for a 10-minute role in Himesh Reshammiya 's Aap Ka Suroor .
Her elder sister Kajol is considered as one of the best performers and her mother is one of the legendry actresses from the history of Bollywood.The cute Tanishaa has still not managed to turn any favourable winds of change to her direction from the time she decided to take the plunge into acting.
She tried to get the film buffs attention in her last film 'One Two Three' and now it seems the patience of Tanishaa has started to bring her fruits in the form of some good roles.
The actress will be soon seen in Ram Gopal Varma's 'Sarkar Raj' in a very simple non glamourised role of a traditional Maharashtrian wife.
Tanishaa's glam doll roll in the film 'Neal N Nicky' couldn't do any wonders for her career in the tinsel town.
The upcoming actress seems to have started to experiment and decided to get noted.
Her character in 'Sarkar Raj' has come in the right time for the actress as she is yet to reach a stage where she will have the pleasure of choosing great characters from the different roles offered to her.
There is also the news of Tanishaa doing a Bengali movie to be directed by the award winning director Gautham Haldar in which her mother Tanishaa will also be acting floating in the B-Town air.
You came to Bollywood with style, now it is high time to show the right substance too.
Right, Tanishaa.
There is also the news of Tanishaa doing a Bengali movie to be directed by the award winning director Gautham Haldar in which her mother Tanishaa will also be acting floating in the B-Town air.
You came to Bollywood with style, now it is high time to show the right substance too.
Right, Tanishaa.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Spunky Jiah Khan, who wasn't seen much after her debut in the controversial Nishabd, says she was waiting for Ghajini to roll out. In it, co-star Aamir Khan presents her in a different avatar."I haven't been hiding. I was just waiting for Ghajini to start. I had no reason to be in the news. In between, I did a brand endorsement, that's all," Jiah told IANS.
"I don't go out to party. Not that I'm a recluse. But at this age, I don't want to get unnecessarily influenced by the wrong kind of people. Once I'm 30 and achieved what I've set out to, I can visit all the night places that I want to."
Jiah started as the audaciously saucy desi Lolita in Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd in which Amitabh Bachchan played her male lead.
Commenting on choosing an unconventional role, she said: "Being so young and coming into the industry with no knowledge of how it worked, I picked an unconventional role. No regrets. I maintained my distance after Nishabd. I waited for the right opportunity.
"For Aamir's film Ghajini I did an audition. It was a long process. At the end of the day, it's a fantastic role, and it's going to be one of the biggest releases of 2009. Aamir has given me a completely different look."
Tell her she's a misfit in Bollywood and Jiah chuckles in amusement.
"Really? You think so? I had no problem fitting in. As long as you're respectful to people who are older and more experienced there's no need to try to fit in."
She is currently working with two generations of stars, Aamir and Shahid Kapur, in two different films.
"And if you consider the fact that I started my career with Mr. Bachchan as my hero, I've got three generations of remarkably talented co-stars in my first three films. I'm lucky. First, Mr. Bachchan, then Aamir and although Shahid hasn't got to their stature yet, he's equally dedicated and passionate. I think Jab We Met was fantastic."
Jiah says she's equally comfortable with all three generations of actors.
"I can get along equally well with someone 16 or 60. It's a gift, I guess. I really think I'm lucky. As for my so-called audacious launch, I was very comfortable with my role in Nishabd. Maybe other people weren't. It didn't affect me beyond a point.
"If they reacted violently against my relationship with Mr.Bachchan in Nishabd, then good. Aggressive reaction is far better than indifference. Now in my next two films, I'm totally conventional. It's quite shocking, really. Suddenly, after Nishabd when I see myself on the monitor doing the heroine's routine, I am shocked. I like it."
She is currently working with two generations of stars, Aamir and Shahid Kapur, in two different films.
"And if you consider the fact that I started my career with Mr. Bachchan as my hero, I've got three generations of remarkably talented co-stars in my first three films. I'm lucky. First, Mr. Bachchan, then Aamir and although Shahid hasn't got to their stature yet, he's equally dedicated and passionate. I think Jab We Met was fantastic."
Jiah says she's equally comfortable with all three generations of actors.
"I can get along equally well with someone 16 or 60. It's a gift, I guess. I really think I'm lucky. As for my so-called audacious launch, I was very comfortable with my role in Nishabd. Maybe other people weren't. It didn't affect me beyond a point.
"If they reacted violently against my relationship with Mr.Bachchan in Nishabd, then good. Aggressive reaction is far better than indifference. Now in my next two films, I'm totally conventional. It's quite shocking, really. Suddenly, after Nishabd when I see myself on the monitor doing the heroine's routine, I am shocked. I like it."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
