Paathshala

Shahid Kapoor’s new film ‘Paathshala‘ has been one of the most awaited film and is creating a buzz around the fans. It also stars Ayesha Takia and Nana Patekar. The film is directed by award winning Marathi film director Milind Ukey.

Filmfare Power List topped by Chopras

Proving once again that the golden levers of power in Bollywood are really behind the screen and not on it, the father-son team of Yash and Aditya Chopra have, for the third year in a row, come out at the top of the Filmfare Power List.

The Filmfare Power 2007 survey was conducted by AC Nielsen-ORG MARG, the largest market research and information company in South Asia. Respondents included actors, technicians, financiers, distributors, exhibitors and photographers. The results have some major surprises and some rude shocks in store.

Following the Chopras is Shah Rukh Khan, who maintained his No 2 position, riding largely on the success of his home production Om Shanti Om and the Chopras' Chak De , the two biggest grossers of the last year. At No 3, in a surprise elevation is Akshay Kumar, who had not two but four hits in 2007 - Namastey London , Heyy Babyy , Bhool Bhulaiyya and Welcome .

Amitabh Bachchan, No 3 last year, has slipped four notches to No 7, and is now only one ahead of his pretty daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Bachchan. Between Akshay and Amitabh is the solid bankable quotient - Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and A R Rahman. Aishwarya, who leads among the heroines, has pipped Rani Mukerji, who is a hair's breadth below at No 9.

Karan Johar may have sat the year out as far as film-making goes but his natty turn as television anchor in Koffee With Karan has won him the hamper at No 10, ousting in the process the more productive competition. Sanjay Leela Bhansali Saawariya and Vidhu Vinod Chopra Eklavya don't seem to have cut the mustard, with their lavish productions having failed to stir the box office.

According to Filmfare, the criteria that decides the winners include factors like their box-office draw, their ability to generate funds for others, and their ability to call the shots no matter what.

Which perhaps explains why Yash and Aditya Chopra, who gave the country an anthem of sorts of with Chak De India , were catapulted to top spot despite four damp squibs - Ta Ra Rum Pum, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Aaja Nachle .

Katrina Kaif stars in Yash Raj Film's next

Kabir Khan, the director of Kabul Express which released in Dec 2006, is now set to direct his next film. It was said that the film would star John Abraham and Neil Mukesh in lead roles. Now, the latest addition to the cast of the film is Katrina Kaif. Katrina will play the female lead opposite John Abraham. The film which will go on the floors in July this year will release in 2009. The rest of the cast members are still being finalized.

Says Kabir Khan, “This is a very relevant and contemporary story and very close to my heart. I am excited to start my second film under the Yash Raj banner.”

John and Abhishek's Dostana

It's a proud moment for Yash Johar's son. Because he has decided to name his new production starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra after a hit film of his father from 1980.

The film directed by his assistant Tarun Mansukhani set in Miami starts shooting this summer.

And it's just been named Dostana.

Says Karan Johar, "For a long time we had no title for Tarun Mansukhani's brilliant script. It's funny sassy hilarious…and it's about the friendship between these two guys played by Abhishek and John.

So I don't know why it took us so long to hit on the right title. Dostana, it is. I was waiting for Tarun to return from location scouting before firming in on the title."

Karan gets nostalgic about the title. "You know when my father produced Dostana in 1980 he was going through hard times. But all the three principal actors Amit Uncle, Shatrughan Sinhaji and Zeenat Aman co- operated to the fullest. That's how the film was made."

So is the new Dostana a love triangle like the old one?

"Ha! Well, yes and no. Though it's a love story. There's a never-before twist in the tale. All I can say on-record is that we've never had a love triangle like this Dostana before.And you'll never see Abhishek and John playing something like this again," promises Karan.

He's also relieved that there was no title hassle. "For Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna I had to ask Aroona Irani aunty. She sweetly gave me the title in exchange for a pappi (kiss). For Dostana I had to kiss nobody.Execept my father's memory."

Abhishek-Priyanka-John in a "unique love triangle"

Karan Johar promises that his upcoming production has three Bollywood stars in a unique love triangle.

It is common knowledge by now that John Abraham , Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra are set to team up in Karan’s next production that will be directed by his trusted assistant Tarun Mansukhani.

Now, Karan has revealed some inside info about the film.

The movie will have Abhishek and John playing two thick friends. So, in keeping with the film’s theme, Karan has titled it Dostana , which was the title of the yesteryear film starring Amitabh Bachchan , Shatrughan Sinha and Parveen Babi that Karan’s dad Yash Johar produced in 1980.

Karan says the similarities between the two films end at their titles. Although his film also has a love triangle like his dad’s film, Karan says his flick has a “twist in the tale” that makes its story something that Indian movie buffs haven’t seen before.

Though the claim does sound a bit pompous, Karan stands by his statement and even goes on to say that John and Abhi are cast in very different roles in his film.

‘Dostana’ will be shot in Miami. The shooting locations have already been finalized by the director.

Saif-Kareena want to do films together being "UNMARRIED"

Saif Ali Khan has made no secret of his desire to have sweetheart Kareena Kapoor in films to be produced by his home production.

But just Saif’s desire is not enough. The directors he signs for his productions will have the last word, as was the case with Imtiaz Ali who chose Deepika Padukone over Kareena to be Saif’s heroine in the film he is directing for the actor’s production house.

“Of course, I’d like Kareena to be in every film I make. But my directors may have other plans,” Saif told a Mumbai tabloid recently.

Coincidentally, Saif and Kareena’s wish has been granted. The two lovers have been signed to play the leading roles in one of Karan Johar ’s forthcoming production ventures to be directed by Rensil D’ Silva, who wrote Rang De Basanti .

However, the film may not go on the floors soon. If things go as planned, its shooting will begin in October this year.

Before that, Saif and Kareena will be seen together in the Yashraj banner’s upcoming film Tashan .

And who knows, by the time they start Johar’s film in the last quarter of this year, Saif and Bebo may be man and wife. Now, this is just a speculation.

Shahid to pay tribute to Aamir Khan…

Shahid Kapoor has always admired Aamir Khan for the different roles that he has played on screen.

Now, Shahid’s close friend Ahmed Khan, choreographer-turned-producer has signed him for his new film Paathshaala, which will be directed by Milind Ukey who has assisted Sanjay Leela Bansali. In the film the audiences will get to see Shahid paying tribute to Aamir Khan.

His character is about an English and music teacher who comes to live with a group of young troubled students almost similar to what Aamir played in TZP.

One cannot deny the fact that Aamir’s latest hit created a huge difference and changed the way in which a parent-children relationship was looked upon.

Paathshaala also deals with a teacher’s interaction with the group of young kids. The children who would be seen playing students to Aamir are Swini Khare from Cheeni Kum, Ali Haji from Fanaa and Dwij Yadav from Nanhe Jaisalmer.

Ahmed Khan has directed two films before- Lakeer and Fool N Final; both flopped at the box-office. However, the producer is very confident with his latest project as it comes straight from his heart and took him almost a year to finalize the script.

Let’s just wait and see whether Shahid does justice to the role which has already been played by his mentor.

Un fair share of bollywood

Their smiles brighten up the screen, their stunts make you hold your breath and their histrionics are enough to hold their own against the biggest heroes. But when it comes to the share of earnings, the leading ladies of B-town come way below their male counterparts. While the imbalance has been there since films first started being made in India, even now, despite corporate funding in the industry, and a lot more players, the gap has only widened.

“While heroes like Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar are earning around Rs 25 crore per film, plus profits, the top heroines are still within the Rs 5 crore bracket. A top leading lady like Kareena Kapoor or Aishwarya Rai may get as much as Rs 5 crore per film, which is lesser than what even second rung stars like John Abraham or Shahid Kapoor get,” trade sources say.

Despite the fact that Kareena carried Jab We Met on her shoulders, the fact remains that she was paid around Rs 2 crore for the film while Shahid got more than that.

Aishwarya’s co-star in the upcoming Robot, Rajnikanth, is the highest paid actor in the country, with a remuneration somewhere between Rs35-40 crore, Aishwarya herself is said to have been offered only Rs5-7 crore for her role.

While the leading ladies readily admit the gaping inequality, they also seem to be resigned to Bollywood’s scheme of things. “I know that there is huge difference in what we earn as compared to our male counterparts, but that’s the way things work. There is no point in fighting it and nor do I have any regrets about that,” says Kareena.

RAB NE BANA DI JODI

The wait is over. Eight years after he last directed a film, Aditya Chopra is back helming a Yash Raj Films production. Even as his directorial debut DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE continues its record breaking run in its 13th year, Aditya is ready to direct his third film.

After directing his second film, MOHABBATEIN, back in 2000, Aditya had taken a conscious break from direction to set up and develop India's first studio model making Yash Raj Films a name to reckon with. In the years that followed, YRF, under the keen eye of Aditya, produced such blockbusters as DHOOM, DHOOM 2, HUM TUM, BUNTY AUR BABLI, SALAAM NAMASTE, FANAA and CHAK DE INDIA. While Aditya was the creative producer in all these films, he also kept up with his creative juices by writing his father Yash Chopra's directorial venture VEER-ZAARA in 2004, as well as the stories of other films.

Aditya's third directorial venture will be titled RAB NE BANA DI JODI and will star the formidable Shah Rukh Khan... indeed the jodi of Adi and SRK will once again be a treat for film audiences the world over.

Aditya will introduce a new girl opposite King Khan in RAB NE BANA DI JODI. The hunt for a new girl is currently in progress.

The film, to be produced by Yash Chopra, will be written and directed by Aditya Chopra. Shooting for the film will commence in May and RAB NE BANA DI JODI will release by the end of 2008.

Ranbir-Deepika??????

Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor, touching skies of success with their debut films, would surely make a great couple. Although former rumours of Deepika and Ranbir were left unfinished, shooting together for Yash Raj Films might set off sparks between them giving their romance a second shot.

After Saawariya and Om Shanti Om, both the young talents have decided to give their work more dedication and move up the ladder of success. Ranbir's link-up with Sonam and Deepika's sudden interest in cricket took heat off the Deepika-Ranbir romance.

Ranbir, who blames presuming minds for their shortlived fallout said: "We were friendly, we used to go out for dinners with a bunch of friends. However, because people recognise her face and mine as well, they tend to link you up."

Deepika, when quizzed on her engagement status with Yuvraj Singh made it clear that she had no interest in marriage and said: " Very honestly, I think I am fond of all of them. I'm twenty-one and do you want me to get married at this young age?"

Although she did show keen interest in Yuvraj Singh, when they were spotted having a meal together, dinner with Yuvi could have just been a ploy to distract the media. Deepika has surely left us guessing whether or not Ranbir has been her main man all along.

Indu Mirani -- a film expert, suggests that Deepika and Ranbir should concentrate on their respective carrers.

From previous reports, one clearly recalls Ranbir Kapoor saying that it was the pressure of their debuts that kept them apart. However, recently Ranbir said: "The media blew it out of proportion. They were writing really nasty things and linking us together, which made it awkward between us. So we decided then that instead of this media circuit, we should just concentrate on our respective careers."

One will just have to wait and see if the foccused duo create space for their romance to blossom all over again or not.

Yash Raj and VSNL tie up

VSNL and Yash Raj Films have joined hands for the Web premiere of the 2007 blockbuster Chak De India. VSNL is an international solutions company, which offers broadband and Internet services in India under the Tata Indicom brand name. Yash Raj Films is a leading player in the Indian film
industry. This film is available online in DVD quality and Tata Indicom Broadband customers will be the first to view these films in the innovative web format within India.

Users of Tata Indicom Internet services already have access to a huge content library comprising over 300 movies, 600,000 songs and innumerable consumer and business applications. VSNL has its Broadband operations in over 40 Indian cities and has around 500,000 Broadband and Internet subscribers. It also has over 350 Wi-Fi hotspots across the country.

“Yash Raj Films, through its digital strategy, intends to offer consumers its full range of films for online digital download across various sites, including that of Tata Indicom Broadband within India. Our aim is to reach our customers in every way possible, through all touch points – like movies, home entertainment, music and Internet. The growing demand for online digital downloads of films across the globe, coupled with the emergence of new mediums to offer our movie content, makes the digital arena one of our key focus areas for future expansion,” said Mr. Sanjeev Kohli, Director & CEO of Yash Raj Films Pvt. Ltd.

“The web premiere of this blockbuster reinforces the power of the Internet today. It is a proud moment for us to be partners in this endeavour to provide the best for our customers. This is yet another addition to our existing portfolio of over 300 Hindi and language movies,” said Mr. Shankar Prasad, President, Tata Indicom Retail Business Unit.

King khan to star in Aditya Chopra's new film

MUMBAI: Eight years after he last directed a film, Aditya Chopra is back at the helm of a Yash Raj Films (YRF) production.

Even as his directorial debut 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' continues its record breaking run in its 13th year, Aditya is ready to direct his third film, a Yash Raj films spokesperson said here on Friday.

Aditya's third directorial venture will be titled 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and will star Bollywood Badshah Shahrukh Khan.

Aditya will introduce a new girl opposite King Khan in the movie. The hunt for a new girl is in progress.

The film, to be produced by Yash Chopra, will be written by Aditya Chopra. Shooting for the film will commence in May and will release by the end of 2008.

After directing his second film, ''Mohabbatein'', back in 2000, Aditya took a break from direction to set up and develop India's first studio model making Yash Raj Films a name to reckon with.

In the years that followed, YRF, under the keen eye of Aditya, produced blockbusters as 'Dhoom', 'Dhoom 2', 'Hum Tum', 'Bunty Aur Babli', 'Salaam Namaste', 'Fanaa' and 'Chak De India'.

While Aditya was the creative producer in all these films, he also wrote his father Yash Chopra's directorial venture 'Veer-Zaara' in 2004.

Kareena,Saif also in karan johar film

Saif Ali Khan may have denied marrying his sweetheart Kareena Kapoor, but the couple have been signing films together.

The pair is all set to star in Karan Johar's new film to be directed by Rang De Basanti writer, Rensil D'Silva.

The untitled film will go on the floors in October and will release early next year.

But before this film, Saif and Kareena will be seen in the YashRaj production, Tashan, which is set for release this year. They had earlier starred together in Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara.

Meanwhile, Karan Johar has some exciting projects lined up including Kuchi Kuchi Hota Hai, the animation version of Karan's debut film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Another project is Dostana, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, and starring Abhishek Bachchan [Images], John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra , with Bobby Deol in a special role. The film is slated for release this year.

And then there is the Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol film, which is yet untitled.