An Open Entertainment Blog

I think Vanessa Hudgens sure is feeling good right about now. I mean, REALLY good – as it seems that she’ll soon be joined on the list of "Disney teenage wonders who took off their clothes" by yet another Hollywood hottie – the singing sensation Miley Cyrus a.k.a. Hannah Montana, who shows every sign of being ready to step in Vanessa’s footsteps and show her naked self to the world. I’m not sure how many of you were actually rooting for a couple of Miley Cyrus naked shots (just to make it clear – there are no such photos available YET) but I have a feeling you won’t have to wait too long now. And no, I’m not kidding on that one – although I can’t help wondering what is it with these Disney girls that makes them so ready, willing and able to get involved in scandals involving compromising shots of themselves and that somehow manage to get leaked onto the Internet. should we see this as sexy? The fact is, another three shots of Hannah Montana (or Miley, it depends on who you ask) are now doing the rounds on the Internet, and let me tell you this, they’re… kinda hot. They also happen to be PG 13 – but hey, who cares about that kind of stuff these days, right? Kidding. Allegedly, these shots come from Miley’s MySpace account, and yes, they do seem to be only one step from depicting the Disney star in the same embarrassing position as her elder predecessor, High School Musical alumn Vanessa Hudgens. Trouble is, we don’t know for sure whether these shots actually depict Miley – or Hannah, I’m becoming confused with all these aliases – or whether we’re dealing with a very convincing lookalike. I for one do believe it is her, and no, I don’t think we’re making too much of a fuss over nothing. I Well, what can I say… she’s cute mean, yes, we could claim that Miley was simply having fun and pimping herself out like any other 15 year-old, but then, so was Vanessa Hudgens when she decided to strip out of her undies and expose all her assets to the world. Finally, it’s not like this would be the first time Hannah Montana’s exhibitionist tendencies come to light – I repeat – if it really is her in those shots. I’m not sure how many of you remember THESE SHOTS – but they are definitely depicting her fooling around and getting her groove on with a female friend. What I’m saying here is that there’s nothing wrong with having fun – and ultimately following your inner voice and tendencies, which may lead you in any direction possible, straight or lesbian. Trouble for these young Disney girls is that once they start being seen as "stars", the world will be watching and commenting on their every move. There’s no need for me to tell you just how judgmental people can be. Stay tuned for more news on this hot topic – and we’ll keep you up to speed with the latest developments.

In the 1980s, the South film industry churned out a slew of socials/family sagas with Jeetendra heading the cast. The target audience was, of course, the families. TULSI follows the same path, but lacks the punch to stay in your memory. Sure, a few portions do make you moist-eyed, but the execution of the subject material being archaic, the glimmer of hope diminishes. TULSI tells the story of Tulsi [Manisha Koirala], married to a drunkard Suraj [Irrfan]. The couple is blessed with four kids. One evening, while Suraj is away, his friend [Yashpal Sharma] tries to molest Tulsi. When Suraj gets to know of it, he beats Yashpal black and blue. A furious Yashpal swears revenge. In the meanwhile, Tulsi is diagnosed with blood cancer. Yashpal attacks Suraj and murders him. A distraught Tulsi now decides to get her kids adopted by different families before she’s gone. TULSI has an interesting plot, but the writing is too mediocre. Things have been stretched to such a point that you start feeling restless, in the second hour specifically. Yet, it must be said that the concluding reels are highly emotional. Direction [K. Ajay Kumar] could’ve been better. Music [Vinay Tiwari] is appealing, but the non-promotion makes the effort go waste. Cinematography [Ajayan Vincent] is first-rate. The lush-green locales are a visual treat. Manisha Koirala sinks her teeth in this role and delivers a fine performance. As always, Irrfan is efficient. Yashpal Sharma is getting typecast. Veteran Vikram does a fine job. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is wasted. The film also stars Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Anjana Mumtaz, Tinnu Anand and his wife and Sahil Chadha. On the whole, TULSI has dim chances. And lack of awareness will go against it!

Mon-Fri, 6:30 pm in vujay india

Looking for some sun, sand and sea? VJ Pia takes you to your favorite beaches across the country alongside also shows you how to relax and soak up the sun! Watch her turn up the heat as she plays her favorite music. So, get your swim, wear out, get your shades on and get ready for some wild fun with VJ Pia.

What are the show’s highlights?
Lots of performances by the biggies including Shah Rukh Khan, who’s the biggest of them all. Then there’s Lara Dutta performing with Jay Bhanushali and few other TV stars. We wanted the TV and film stars to co-exist on the same stage. Then the actors from my brother Tusshar’s starrer Shootout At Lokhandwala will perform.

How would you ensure the awards are credible?
We’ve tried to make sure that the awards are given by people who matter to the entertainment industry. We wanted people with a name and reputation to give these awards. For our awards credibility is the most important. And I want that quality to be attached even to those who give awards. Then there’s the glamour and flamboyance. My mother has made sure we’ve the best of the film industry at the function. But you never know until ‘D’ day who-all will be there.

Tell me about some of the other highlights?
The grand finale will have Shah Rukh Khan performing with 11 girls. We’re very fortunate to have him in our show. He agreed to be in the show because our families have known one another. I’ve known his wife Gauri for years. That helped. Also, the Moranis spoke to him. Most important of all, Shah Rukh doesn’t look down on television. He started on television and has been constantly been part of medium right up to KBC. When we approached him he knew the Balaji name would ensure him a proper platform.

What has the process of starting an awards function taught you?
It’s been a whole new experience. My mother has been working without sleep. She and my secretary Chloe, have put in more than anyone else. I don’t care if people criticize the awards. I’ve lived with criticism. But for my mother’s sake I want the awards function to work. I know how much it means to her.

Are you excited?
I’ve butterflies in my stomach. It’s my first time. We’ve always made sure Balaji stands for quality and commerce. That goes for the awards function. Everyone should see our transparency and honesty. For us it’s a matter of prestige and credibility to be honest. I don’t know how happening the function will be. But we want to be called honest.

Devastated when his fiancée Kate is killed on their wedding day, Henry reluctantly agrees to consult a psychic named Ashley at the urging of his sister Chloe. Despite his skepticism over her psychic abilities, Henry finds himself falling hard for Ashley, and vice versa. But there is a big snag. Ashley is being haunted by Kate’s ghost, who considers it her heavenly duty to break up Henry and Ashley’’s fledgling romance, if it is the last thing she does on this earthly plane.

“Shah Rukh’s persona and the films that he does, speak to an audience that transcends all boundaries,” says well known journalist-author Anupama Chopra whose bestseller King of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema has been translated in German and will be launched on January 30 and a few days later SRK will be having a special screening of his blockbuster Om Shanti Om at the Berlin Film Festival.“The translation has been undertaken by Rapid Eye Movies who are pioneers in disseminating Bollywood in Germany. They were the ones to promote Hindi films in Germany with Karan’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. King of Bollywood…happens to be their first venture in publishing,” an excited Anupama informs. Adding another feather to his blooming cap, Shah Rukh Khan will be honored with the honourable distinction of Officer dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) on January 27 in Mumbai either by French President Nicolas Sarkozy or the French Ambassador to India Jerome Boonafont. Arundhati Roy is the other famous recipient of this award. Anupama, you’ve interacted with Shah Rukh Khan over a period of several years while writing this book. How would you evaluate Shah Rukh Khan’s persona, considering he rules the Hindi Film Industry (many would say the Indian Film Industry), wins whatever possible awards that have been invented, has a great sense of humour, is supremely competitive but he also happens to have lost his parents early in life, has withstood gangster threats and a lot more? “He has had his share of ups and downs and has seen such extremes in life that he is so grounded. Gauri (Khan) once said, nobody actually knows Shah Rukh.”

Saif Ali Khan showed off his hitherto less known rock-star side to thousands of screaming Mumbaikars, as he performed along with rock band Parikrama at the Seagram’s Royal Stag Mega Music concert in Andheri last evening (Jan 20).

The actor sporting a dark blue dotted bandana with a black tee and jeans looked at ease as he strummed the guitar to popular rock numbers like ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple, AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ and Pink Floyd’s ‘Run like Hell’.

The actor also showed that he can definitely sing much more than a line or two as he crooned Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B Goode’ and even dedicated the song to his daughter who was in the audience.

The concert also featured Pakistani band, Strings, who rendered some of their popular hits like ‘Aakhri Alvida’ from Shootout At Lokhandwala.

However, those wanting to see Saif’s lady love, Kareena Kapoor, at the concert were disappointed as she was busy shooting out of the country. Nevertheless, her name was seen tattooed prominently on Saif’s forearm. So, what if Kareena couldn’t be Saif’s arm candy for his special night, she sure ended up being his fore-arm candy.

Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS) Hrithik Roshan and his wife Sussanne are expecting their second child in May and the actor says he would like to have a daughter this time.

"I don’t want to say much about this. But, yes, we’re very excited. I thought my excitement level would be lower the second time around, but it’s as high," Hrithik told IANS.

Would Hrithik like his second child to be a baby brother for Hrehaan? "No," he says firmly. "I want a girl this time."

Hrithik, who will be seen in the periodical "Jodhaa-Akbar", set to hit the marquee Feb 15. He has gone straight to the pop art of advertising biscuits.

Last week, he was in Goa shooting for an ad with the gifted Navdeep Singh, who last year directed the talked-about noir film "Manorama Six Feet Under".

It’s one more ad for a biscuit company. The last time Hrithik shot an ad for the same guys, it showed him waltzing ethereally with Isha Sharvani. This time, Hrithik’s partner in the ad format is upcoming model Gunjan Bakshi, who has so far mainly done ads for the print medium.

But sad luck, Gunjan! This time Hrithik doesn’t dance in the ad. And that’s quite a change for the actor.

"I’m aware a majority of the ads expect me to put on my dancing shoes. I can’t say I’ve consciously avoided dancing for this one. But yes, when you sit down to create something with likeminded people, ideas do tend to be tossed freely and feelingly. I did feel the dancing bit in the ads was becoming tedious."

Hrithik doesn’t do much dancing in his next release "Jodhaa-Akbar". And that isn’t because he injured his knee during the shooting.

"That’s completely untrue. I didn’t get injured during ‘Jodhaa Akbar’. My knee had been suffering for a long time. I just let it be until it came to a point where it could take no more."

The plus side of the injury is that Hrithik got to spend more time with his wife and son Hrehaan.

The downside? "Well, here I am in Goa surrounded by the sun and sand. I’m staring at this inviting expanse of beach leading into a stretch of the bluest sea I’ve ever seen.

"And all I want to do is run with the sand and sea flapping on my feet and face. But I can’t do that. Thanks to my knee. I’ve to behave myself if I want to again do what I love doing the most, namely action and dance."

Nishikanth Kamath’s ‘Evano Oruvan’, a Tamil adaptation of Marathi film Dombivily Fast by the same director, tries to focus on the disgusting anomalies of the system.

The film opens with showing the routine of a family that lives in the outskirts of Chennai. The routine is full of struggles for various things like water, space in a train, time to relax, and of course, money.

Sridharan Vasudevan (Madhavan) is constantly disturbed by the corruptive and insensitive system.  He is too sensitive to tolerate these things. He is too honest to indulge in dubious methods to fulfill his desires.

Result? He becomes unfit in the society. He is humiliated by everyone. His honesty is perceived as weakness by his wife (Sangeetha). The submissive man is provoked by his wife. Provoked by his colleagues. Provoked by the shop keepers.

The pressure grows. It gets more and more intensified by each passing day. One day he bursts into action. He turns violent.

The violence puts him in more isolation. He swings into impulsive action whenever and wherever he sees injustice. He is now chased by the police. Finally he is defeated but his actions touch the right chord in the public conscience.

Nishikanth Kamath has successfully depicted the pressure undergone by an ordinary citizen, who wants to live according to the laws and rules. The metamorphosis of the protagonist is convincingly portrayed. Nishikanth hasn’t shown him as a superman who could bring about miraculous change overnight. He has shown the power of righteous anger of an honest man and the limitations of an average middle class man. He raises sharp questions against the system on behalf of the ordinary citizen without providing any solution.

The director has conceived and executed many scenes well. The telephonic conversation between husband and wife is one such scene. The two living in two different worlds unsuccessfully trying to communicate with each other has been excellently portrayed. Seeman’s introspective conversation with his wife in the midnight too stands out. The investigation process – particularly the interrogation with the wife – is credible. The character of the beggar boy is etched out well.

The director however, slips in his approach to the script and the concept. Though Sridharan’s outburst against the shop owner is a stupid act, it can still be accepted as a natural outburst of a terribly disturbed man. But the stupidity continues and the film moves on the same path. The film struggles to move ahead. Madhavan and Seeman keep on churning out thought provoking messages. The ending is touching but not revealing.

If you look in to the concept, you feel less convinced. The focus on social deceases is not new to Indian cinema. The movie tries to approach the whole issue from an ordinary citizen’s perspective. It doesn’t offer any solution. But it shows the violence of a frustrated man. Does the director suggest that everyone should be ready to come to the streets to fight the system? But then he also advises through an old man that this method is not acceptable.

What does Nishikanth want to convey? Is he just content by highlighting the problems? Does he want to warn about a possible middle class upsurge against the system? Does he, at the same time, want to advise the middle class that violence is not the solution? Or does he just want to tell you the story of Sridharan Vasudevan?

Why can’t Nisjikanth see thousands of youth in India sacrificing their comforts to make a difference in the society? Why can’t he see many middle class citizens go beyond criticizing the society and render their services to see a better world? There is no doubt that Nishikant has made an honest attempt to highlight the darker side of our society and the system. But he has done it with some striking inadequacies.

Performance wise, Madhavan has done a commendable job as Shridharan Vasudevan. He has amazingly handled varied emotions of agony, despair, and anger. The metamorphosis of Sridharan is credibly portrayed. He has successfully underplayed the emotions in many places. His outburst in the midnight scene too is effective.

Seeman as a police officer with heart and self criticism is outstanding. He has never gone overboard. He has shown a lot of improvements as an actor. His successful rendition could well make him a full time actor.

Sangeetha has once again proved her caliber. She has handled her role as a middle class housewife with ease. Her performance is almost perfect. She excels in the scene when she blasts her husband for his inaction and the scene when she breaks down after losing him.

Te background score by P. Sameer is highly effective. The camera work by Sanjay Jadav is marvelous. The visual quality is superior and the lightings are natural. G.V. Prakash Kumar’s tune for the sole song is touching.

Madhavan’s effort in penning the dialogues is the surprise of the movie. The actor has proved his mettle as a writer too.

Overall, Nishikanth has made a sincere and commendable effort. He has executed many scenes well and extracted some top class performances. Had he worked more meticulously on focusing his ideas and the way they have been translated into a film, ‘Evano Oruvan’ could have been a memorable experience.

Shankar, a petty thief, in desperate need of money steals from the local Don and escapes his way into a team of Doctors heading for relief work to Bangkok but loses the all important money bag in the chaos. In Bangkok his world turns upside down at a bar where he bumps into lovely Jasmine. The hitch is she is all Thai and he can’t converse with her at all. A ray of hope comes his way the next day when Jasmine turns up desperately in need of a doctor! Shankar posing as a doctor along with the goofy Sardar buddy Rachinder, jumps into this whirlpool while Jasmine soon gets pulled into his bumbling adventures while running away from the Don & his henchmen. Hop onto this hilarious comedy of errors with Shankar as he discovers love and life on a rollicking ride from Bombay to Bangkok.