Vidya Balan had asked Satyajit Ray to cast her

Desperate to act in films since her childhood days, Bollywood star Vidya
Balan had once written to legendary
filmmaker Satyajit Ray requesting him for
a role.

"He was not keeping well then. I wrote to
him saying please get well soon and I
would love to work with you in your film,"
the actor told musician Anjan Dutta at an adda session here last night
organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce.

Ray, who was awarded the Oscar lifetime
achievement award, died in 1992.

Vidya, 35, who made her mark with a
series of hits like The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, was a student then
with dreams of making it big in the showbiz business.

"Ever since I was in school I wanted to be
an actress because I want to be in other
people's shoes. I empathise a lot with
people," she said.

As a young girl, she recalled being
fascinated by Madhuri Dixit's superhit
dance number ek do teen and Shabana Azmi's moving performance in the iconic
film Arth (1982). "Not only me but every girl in India that time wanted to be
Madhuri," Vidya said adding another
inspiration for her to become an actor was
Shabana.

Shah Rukh Khan's 'Happy New Year' heroine found?'

Shah Rukh Khan will reportedly star opposite Ankita Lokhande in Happy New
Year.

The Indian TV actress is expected to
make her Bollywood debut in Farah
Khan's latest directorial venture.

Lokhande rose to fame in the Ekta
Kapoor soap opera Pavitra Rishta. She
also participated in the fourth series of
celebrity dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

Filmmaker Farah Khan is yet to officially
confirm the casting of Lokhande.

However, the director previously said
that rumours surrounding the casting of
Indian actress Jennifer Winget as the
female lead were false.

"Jennifer Winget is not the heroine of
Happy New Year... never met her,
haven't tested her. Who spreads these
rumours?" tweeted Khan.

Lokhande is the long-term girlfriend of Kai Po Che! actor Sushant
Singh Rajput. Happy New Year is due to begin filming
in September.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag running ahead at the box office

This Friday three films clashed at the box office -- Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag, Shorts and Sixteen -- and distributors say of these Farhan
Akhtar-starrer biopic is
doing good business at the box office
despite getting mixed response from the
critics. They predict its weekend collection
could reach Rs.30 crore mark.

Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines
told IANS: " Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is going great in multiplexes, but not
that great on
single screens. On Friday and Saturday, the
film has collected approximately Rs18
crore. Most probably the film should collect
around Rs.30 crore by the weekend."

In his bid to familiarise achievers to the
moviegoers, director Rakeysh Omprakash
Mehra went behind the camera to bring
the story of grit and determination of
former Olympian athlete Milkha Singh, also
known as Flying Singh, on the celluloid. His efforts got mixed
response from critics.

Some critics praised it, saying the synergy
in the story is subliminal and Farhan has
got so well under the skin of the Milkha's
character that it seems he occupies the
champion's mind, body and soul. Others
find it too long, and criticised it saying the director has reduced
the human saga to a
melodramatic and over-wrought tale.

But it seems that critics' ratings have not
influenced the viewers judgement.

Sanjay Ghai from Mukta Arts said: "BMB is
doing extraordinary business in Delhi. It
has collected around Rs.5 crore in two
days, which is outstanding."

He added, "Advance booking is on full
swing and there are hardly any tickets
available for Sunday." Lyricist Prasoon
Joshi scripted the film, which collected an
impressive Rs.8.5 crore on its opening day.

Rajasthan-based Sunil Bhansal of Yashraj
Jai Pictures Pvt. Ltd., sees a bright prospect
for the film and says if footfalls don't dip
on Monday, it may join the Rs.100-crore
club.

"So far, the collections are going strong
and if the film doesn't dip on Monday and
goes steadily, then it may be in the
Rs.100-crore club."

The performance of the other two films Shorts and Sixteen is no threat
to Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Ghai said, " Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has completely overshadowed the other two
films."

According to Thadani, Shorts and Sixteen are disasters. "There is hardly any
occupancy."

Dhanush: I enjoy wearing dhoti

Tamil actor Dhanush, seen mostly in dhoti at public functions these
days, on Sunday said he enjoys wearing it because
he swears by the traditional outfit.

"A lot of people have asked me why do I
wear veshti ( dhoti) to public functions? My answer to them always has
been that I
enjoy wearing it. And moreover I'm a
Tamilian, and I swear by the traditional
outfit dhoti," Dhanush, who came dressed in white dhoti-grey checked
shirt for an
event here, told reporters.

He was speaking at the audio launch of
upcoming Tamil romantic-comedy Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam , which
is being directed by debutant Ponram. It
features Sivakarthikeyan, Sathyaraj, Bindu
Madhavi, Regina Cassandra and Soori in
important roles.

Dhanush, currently basking in the success
of his first Hindi movie Raanjhanaa, is awaiting the release of Tamil romantic-
drama Mariyaan.

He is also busy shooting for Tamil comedy Naiyaandi.

Unhappy endings the flavour of the year in Bollywood?

Suddenly why are so many of our heroes cashing in their chips on the silver
screen almost every other Friday?
Filmmakers say tragedy is the reality of
life and, presented in the right manner, it
connects with the audience -- but they
hasten to clarify that it is neither a new trend nor a success formula.

In Aashiqui 2, Aditya Roy Kapoor's character drives himself to a drunken
death at the end. The film was a
blockbuster. In the haunting tragic hard
hitting BA Pass, the young hero played by debutant Shadab Kamal dies a wretched
horrific death at the end.

And yes, in Lootera it is Sonakshi Sinha who is fatally ill, but it's
Ranveer Singh
who finally dies!

Writer Prasoon Joshi feels the grim side of
life is inevitable to every individual's
existence. "Tragedy is the reality for the
majority. Sadness and dread are feelings
we live with every day. Whenever
tragedy is presented well it will connect with the audience," he said.

In June, two releases on the same Friday
-- Aanand L. Rai's Raanjhanaa and Susi Ganesan's Shortcut Romeo --
both end with their heroes breathing their last
before the finale.

They die for different reasons. If in
Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera, Ranveer, like Shah Rukh Khan in Devdas
and Aditya in Aashiqui 2, dies for love, in BA Pass, the young hero
dies for money.

Sob!

Coming up are a slew of films where the
protagonists die at the end, and the
distributors are poised to laugh all the
way to the bank.

In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela, protagonists Ranveer Singh and Deepika
Padukone are apparently killed at the end.

And if reliable sources are to be believed,
Akshay Kumar in Milan Luthria's Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara,
Amitabh Bachchan in Prakash Jha's Satyagraha and Saif Ali Khan in
Tigmanshu Dhulia's Bullett Raja also perish at the end of the film.

So are unhappy endings back in vogue?

Protests trade expert Taran Adarsh: "But
tragic endings never went out of vogue!
The biggest love story of all times Mughal- E-Azam had a sad ending.
Later there were Ek Duuje Ke Liye and Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. If one
looks at Sholay, the Amitabh-Jaya track also had a tragic
conclusion."

However, he agrees that tragic endings
seem to be the flavour of the year.
"Recently Aashiqui 2 has triggered off a trend for tragic endings. Now
there is Raanjhanaa as well."

Issaq, Manish Tiwari's Varanasi-based take on Romeo and Juliet, would also see
the protagonists come to a tragic end.

Tiwari feels the protagonists of every film
come with their own destiny. "Each film
undertakes a journey for different
reasons," he argues.

However, according to Tiwari, the tragic
outcome in the protagonists' lives is also a
sign of the times.

"In today's times, when cynicism rules, it
is very attractive to showcase stories of
true love for the audience. And yet the
authors of these love stories can't escape
the harsh truth that true idealised love is
an impossibility and have to settle for unhappy resolutions to the romance."

Rai recalls how during a screening of Raanjhanaa at Chandan cinema in
Mumbai, the gatekeeper accosted him pleading:
"Dhanush is not dead, right? He's only gone
into a coma. He will be back in the sequel,
right?"

"I had to unfortunately break his heart and
tell him there is no sequel and Kundan, the
character Dhanush played, is gone. My hero
had to die. That's the life I saw for him,"
said Rai.

Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan feels tragic
endings are frowned upon for fear of
hurting audiences' penchant for a good
time.

"Tragic endings got a big boost from the
success of K Balachander's Ek Duuje Ke Liye. But filmmakers shied away
from tragic endings fearing public rejection.
Although Aashiqui 2, Raanjhanaa and Shortcut Romeo happened to be
released together, I don't think tragic endings
would catch on."

Producer Ramesh Taurani refuses to see
tragedy as a formula. "There is never a formula for a hit film.
Films with tragic endings do well because
they're good films. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani has no tragic ending and
it's the biggest hit of the year. Content is king."

Vidya Balan cheers for differently-abled children

Actress Vidya Balan left spellbound to
see a dance-performance by children
suffering from cerebral palsy during a
charity event in Kolkata.

"Please forget everything else about us.
Today we are before you only as
dancers," said a kid from Indian Institute
of Cerebral Palsy (IICP) before starting
the performance.

As the children started swinging their
hands to the tune of the inspirational
song Aashayein, the entire audience
including Balan were left mesmerised.

"It really touched my heart," said the
Kahaani star, who was here for a fund-
raiser organised by the Bengal Chamber
of Commerce to help children with
disabilities.

A congenital disorder, cerebral palsy
causes physical disability in human
development in various areas of body
movement.

Vidya Balan, 35, who had donned the
role of a brave mother in Paa- a film
based on a rare genetic condition
progeria, said she does not think of
herself as a social activist after putting
her weight behind various women and children issues.

"I don't think I see myself as an activist
at all. I am an actor first and the more I
focus on my acting the more I can
leverage attention on issues," she said.

Dhoom: 3 not postponed, all set for Christmas release

The year's most awaited biggie, Dhoom:
3 satrring aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif,
Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra, is
staying on course with its Christmas
release plans.

Contrary to speculations and rumours
making the rounds, all is well with the
film's release plans.

"There was never a shift to begin with
either," says a source. "It was rather
unnecessary and unwarranted to see
some out there coming up with their
own versions of release plans for the
film. The film was always announced as a Christmas release and the makers had
stood their stand. However, out of the
blue, there was this whole brouhaha
around the exact date in jeopardy. First
it was said that Aamir Khan was
delaying the film and later it was being whispered that Katrina Kaif had to work
despite illness, since she didn't want the
film to be delayed any further. None of
that has any iota of truth though."

However, the word around an apparent
postponement further led to an inference
that Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif won't
have a release to their name this year. It
was enough to result in widespread
disappointment amongst millions who have been waiting patiently for the
film's third installment to finally hit the
screens.

"Dhoom: 3 is not being postponed,"
confirms Rafiq Gangjee, Vice President -
Marketing & Communications, YRF.
"There has been a lot of conjecture
around the arrival of this most awaited
film. However, to set the record straight, we are indeed bringing the film this
Christmas."

Now that should set the records straight
once for and all.

Due To Pran Sahab’s Demise, ‘Bajatey Raho’ Music Launch Cancelled

Pran Sahab is no more and while one can
well celebrate the fact that the man
lived his life in glory and went away on
a high with respect galore. With the kind
of status and standing that the legend
earned for him in a career that spanned over half a century, it is but
natural for
the industry to give him a fitting
farewell. In order to ensure that, the
team of Bajatey Raho decided to cancel the film's music launch which was
supposed to take place yesterday
evening.

"Pran Sahab deserves all the smiles and
the tears as he takes his final journey,"
says a source attached to the film, "It
just didn't make sense to have an event
of any other kind when we should
instead be talking about Pran Sahab and his various achievements. We would
rather cherish his work spread over the
decades and remember the times spent
with him and his movies instead of
promoting our own film. We discussed
this with other prominent people attached to the film and unanimously
decided to cancel the music launch."

The event was expected to take place in
a suburban mall of Mumbai but with
announcement of its cancellation, a quick
note was sent to all invitees and guests.
Though it would indeed be disappointing
for those who were planning to catch all the stars and other
celebrities in action,
director Shashant Shah as well as his cast
(Tusshar Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir
Shorey, Dolly Ahluwalia, Ravi Kissen and
Vishakha Singh) feel that the film, which
is all set to be released on 26th July, would be entertaining enough to
compensate for the loss.

Says producer Krishika Lulla, "Having an
event at such a time was out of question
and the entire team felt the same. Pran
Sahab was one of the legends of Indian
Cinema and it is out of respect that we
decided not to go ahead with the music launch. My team joins hands together
with the entire industry in mourning his
loss."

Bad Richa Chadda begins shooting in Udaipur

Bollywood actress Richa Chadda has begun shooting Pooja Bhatt's next
production venture Bad in Udaipur.

"In Udaipur for the film Bad... Working Sunday," Richa posted on Twitter.

The 24-year-old actress will be seen
alongside Randeep Hooda in Bad, which is inspired by the infamous serial killer,
Charles Shobraj's sensational jailbreak
from the Tihar Jail in 1986.

The film is being directed by Prawaal
Raman. Richa's performance in her last
outing Fukrey as the feisty Bholi Punjaban, was given a thumbs up from
the audience.

Arshad Warsi: Dedh Ishqiya kissing not as wild as in Ishqiya

Actor Arshad Warsi has shot a lip-lock scene with Huma Quereshi for
Dedh Ishqiya and says it's not as raunchy as Ishqiya.

"Yes, a lot has been written about it and
the same happened during Ishqiya as well. Yes, we shot for the scene,
but it's not as
wild as Ishqiya," Arshad told IANS.

For the 2010 crime thriller, director
Abhishek Chaubey had shot intimate
scenes between Arshad and Vidya Balan.
However, the actor says the kissing scene
in Dedh Ishiqya has been "shot differently" by the director.

"We have almost shot for the film, just
four days' shoot is left and some patch
work - that's it," he added.

Dedh Ishqiya also stars Madhuri Dixit and Arshad calls her an
"excellent actor" and
added: "It's a pleasure working with her.
She is unbelievable and a thorough
professional."

Dedh Ishqiya also features Naseeruddin Shah.

Salman's 'Mental' likely to be called 'Jai Ho'

Salman Khan's next that is scheduled to
come on January 24, 2014 and is tipped off as the big-ticket Republic
Day Bollywood release has shades of patriotism in it.

It is the remake of Andhra superstar Chiranjeevi's Stalin (2006) where
the hero was a Major in the Indian Army. And the hero's sole
aspiration in the film was to make the world a better place for
civilians.

Keeping the subject matter and the release period (Republic Day) in
mind, Salman and his team of advisors are
contemplating calling the film Jai Ho instead of Mental.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag: Saturday (Day 2) Box Office Collections

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's biopic
based on the life of India's star athlete
Milkha Singh has received rave reviews
and is doing well in terms of collections
at the domestic box office. Farhan
Akhtar incurring praises for his fascinating portrayal of Milkha's
character, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag from Friday evening onwards showed a
positive pick up trend.

According to early estimates the film on
its 1st Saturday collected over 10 crores at the domestic box office.
The final numbers are still being compiled,
however, the collections are approx 10-10.30 crores range.

The movie now stands at a domestic box
office total of over 19.80 crores approximately. The film is made on a
lavish budget and hence it is crucial that
it sustains its good income to make a
good profit off it.

The positive word of mouth is spreading
for it, and hence its Sunday collections
will also remain high elevating its first
weekend collections to an estimate 30
crores+ figure!

Will Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Beat Himmatwala, Shootout At Wadala’s 1st Weekend Box Office Record?

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag's total collections so far stands at an approximate total of
over 19.80 crores according to early estimates. The film which has barely
finished a 2 day run at the box office has
already caused ripples on #StarREPORT's Top 10 Opening Weekend's list.

The film's estimated collection for
Sunday should be in the rage of 11
crores. In its first weekend, Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag should collect an average of 30
crore+ income. As per predictions there
is a high chance that this Farhan Akhtar starrer displaces the opening weekend
income of Shootout At Wadala and Himmatwala.

Though Himmatwala was a damp squib,
in its 1st weekend itself the film earned
a hefty sum of 31 crores where as the action packed thrilling gangster drama
Shootout At Wadala, earned 30.80 crores. The film will try its best to
push the income range beyond 10 crores and
beat both Himmatwala and Shootout At
Wadala.

Sunday trends are already showing a
remarkable growth at the domestic box
office. And so far there is solid chance
that the film's Sunday collections will be
way greater than its Saturday
collections. Going by this idea itself, the film's opening weekend
collections will
easily beat that of Himmatwala and
Shootout At Wadala and occupy the 3rd
position on our list of the year's highest
opening weekends preceded only by Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani and Race 2.

Missing producer Ravi Shankar Prasad found dead

Southern producer Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has been
missing since July 8, was found dead in Yanam (Kakinada)
on Saturday, police said.

The body was found near Gogulalanka, a
small village near east Godavari district.
Police have not confirmed the cause of
death.

"His body was recovered a few hours back
near Gogulalanka. He was last seen
walking on the Yanam bridge on July 8 at
3:22 am," said a police official.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was the
chairman of Regency Group of chain hotels,
where he was staying since July 7. On the
next day, he left the hotel early in the
morning for a walk and never returned.

Earlier, police were suspecting it to be a
case of kidnapping and even investigated
the family if they had received a ranson
call, but now police officials are not ruling
out the possibility of suicide.

"The businesses he had set up recently
were running in losses. The high-end film
processing business and the recently
started Rs 20 crore dairy farm in Yanam
incurred losses. He was under lot of mental
agony due to heavy losses," added the police official.

Grandson of renowned southern producer
LV Prasad, Ravi Shankar has produced
southern films such Shankar Dada MBBS, Mayakkam Enna and Nanban. Ravi
Shankar was also managing director
of Gemini Film Circuit, a leading production
and distribution company in the south. He
is survived by his wife and two daughters.

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Vidya Balan: Farhan Akhtar is fabulous in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Actress Vidya Balan, who paired opposite director-actor Farhan Akhtar in
the movie Shaadi Ke Side Effects, on Saturday lauded the actor's performance
in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

"I have just seen the movie and he has
done a fabulous job as Milkha Singh,"
Vidya Balan told IANS on the sidelines of
the launch of artist Sohini Mukhopadhyay's
first solo Rabindra sangeet album Dukkho Rakhi Sukh O by Asha Audio
Company in Kolkata.

Directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra,
the biopic based on legendary Indian
athlete Milkha Singh's life that released on
Friday managed an impressive Rs.8.5 crore
business on its opening day.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag also stars Sonam Kapoor, who is still riding high on the
success of her last release Raanjhanaa.

Vidya Balan's forthcoming movie Shaadi Ke Side Effects is a sequel to
the 2006 hit film Pyaar Ke Side Effects .

Shruti Haasan: Sensuality a key element in D-Day

Actress Shruti Haasan, who plays a prostitute in her upcoming release
D- Day, shot some bold scenes with Arjun Rampal for the film. She
asserts that
sensuality is a key element of her
character, and says it hasn't been used just
for titillation.

Directed by Nikhil Advani, D-Day is an espionage thriller slated to
release on July
19.

"I'm playing a prostitute in the film and
sensuality is a key element. We've not
done it for titillation or unnecessary
scandalising. The character is like that,"
the 27-year-old actress said here in an
interview.

"If you do it in a wrong way, then the
audience and actors both don't like it as
the conviction is lost. It's very much
integral to the character (in the film). As
an actor, I feel we get to express all the
emotions, and sensuality is a part of human emotion so its very important," she
added.

The film also features Irrfan, Rishi Kapoor
and Huma Qureshi in key roles.

Ranbir and Parineeti together?

Bollywood's latest powerful actor
Ranbir Kapoor is truly lucky. He's not
only born with a silver spoon in his
mouth, but had various golden
opportunities to mingle with the
hottest chics of the B-Town.

Reportedly, Ranbir Kapoor and
Parineeti Chopra will be seen together
in Karan Johar's next directorial
venture. If this pairing goes ahead,
this may be the first time that the
two will team up and that film is will go on floors after Ranbir wraps up
'Bombay Velvet'.

It is not officially confirmed yet. The
director, Karan himself denies
finalizing on anyone for the role yet.

"I'm still scripting the film and
have not offered the film formally
to any lead actress,"

And it seems that not even the lead
actor Jr. Kapoor because Karan
jumped between three actors so far,
they are - Ranbir Kapoor, Shah Rukh
Khan, Siddharth Malhotra, and now
back to Ranbir.

Ranbir is roped up with busy schedule
as 'Besharam' and 'Bombay Velvet'
are on his way and most possibly he
will also star in Anurag Basu and Ayan
Mukherji's next. WhereasParineeti
Chopra, on the other hand, has a relatively freer schedule. Let's wait
and watch how this casting game
goes.

Stay tuned to this space for more
updates.

Sharman Joshi to play exorcist in Vikram Bhatt's 1920 London

3 Idiots actor Sharman Joshi is planning
to experiment with the horror genre, as
he will be seen as the male lead in the
upcoming third installment of the 1920
franchise, titled 1920 London.

Sharman Joshi was recently seen in a
simple role of a Parsi guy in Ferrari Ki
Sawaari.

The film will also mark Priyanka Chopra's
cousin Meera's debut in Bollywood.

This is Sharman's first film in the
supernatural genre, where he will be
seen playing the role of a Rajasthan
based exorcist who moves to London to
help a friend.

Also, co-producer Vikram Bhatt claims
that this period film set in the 1920s will
have more of haunting compared to the
other films in the franchise which
revolved around possession.

1920 London is produced by ASA
Production. The film will go on floor this
year and is set to release early summer
next year.

Aarti Chabria exits Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6

Actress Aarti Chabria is the latest
contestant to be eliminated from Jhalak
Dikhhla Jaa after spending seven weeks
on the show.

Aarti Chabria, 30, who had injured her
rib during the show, said it was her
dream to perform in front of dancing
diva Madhuri Dixit.

"I grew up watching Madhuri Dixit and
used to imitate her dance moves and eye
movements. I am happy that Jhalak...
gave me a platform to perform in front
of her. I learnt many new dance forms,"
Aarti said.

The actress started her journey on the
show as a moderate performer but
gradually proved her mettle with some
brilliant dance offs with choreographer
Cornell.

"I injured my rib at the end. Doctor
advised me bed rest but I didn't pay
head to it and tried to perform as much
as I could," she added.

The Pyaar, Ishq aur Mohabbat star said
she was away from the big screen
because she busy learning filmmmaking.

"I went abroad for two years to learn
film making. It's necessary for artiste to
know all the aspects of film making to
better his/her craft," said the actress,
who was last seen in Manoj Bajpai
starrer Dus Tola.

Pran and I shared Punjabi jokes: Dilip Kumar

Yesteryears star Dilip Kumar has fun and special memories of his
association with his late friend and co-star
Pran. He remembers how they used to
share Punjabi jokes and how they had
become phone friends of late.

"My dear friend Pran liked to talk to me on
the phone till recently. (My wife) Saira
(Banu) and I visited him whenever we
could. We had our Punjabi jokes, bringing
back memories of the great times we
shared as co-stars. He was a through gentleman," Dilip Kumar wrote on Twitter.

Pran died on July 12, 2013 following
prolonged illness. He was 93.

The news of his death pulled Dilip Kumar
back to Twitter after almost five months,
and why not. They worked together in
memorable films like Azaad and Madhumati, and shared a great rapport too.

Dilip Kumar also shared with the
twitterati as to how Pran managed to
attend his wedding, braving bad weather
in Srinagar.

"I can never forget how Pran managed to
come to my marriage, braving bad
weather in Srinagar where he was
shooting. He took a flight to Delhi and then
to Bombay and reached by evening, in
time to hug me before the nikaah ceremony," wrote the ailing 90-year-old.

Pran was cremated at Shivaji Park electric
crematorium in Mumbai on July 13, 2013.