An Open Entertainment Blog

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!

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.

“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."

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.

Himesh Reshammiya’s second outing KARZZZ continues to make news-n-noise, even though director Satish Kaushik and producers Bhushan Kumar and Kishen Kumar have yet to embark on a major shooting schedule of the reincarnation film in South Africa and Kenya. While a lot has been said, spoken and written about the remake of Ghai’s KARZ, here’s something you didn’t know.

The makers of KARZZZ have decided to retain the signature tune of the film, which plays in the background the moment the protagonist remembers his punar janam. “It’s a haunting tune and all of us decided that we should use it in the remake as well,” Satish Kaushik tells me.

While Himesh has already recorded fresh songs for the remake, there’s one song that they’ve decided to retain from the original — ‘Ik Haseena Thi, Ik Deewana Tha’ — which comes at the climax of the film.

While on KARZZZ, Himesh is participating in acting workshops to get the character right. After all, not just the film or its music, even Himesh’s performance will be viewed with a magnifying glass and compared to the power-packed performance that Rishi Kapoor pitched in, in the original.