CC2C - Biggest Bollywood crossover flick?

Is Chandni Chowk to China the biggest film of an international scale that Bollywood has seen in the recent times? Will it be THE crossover film coming out of our country? If the theatrical promo of this Nikhil Advani directed film is any indication, this seems to be pretty much the case. Unveiled over the weekend gone by, the theatrical promo stuns from beginning till the end as it is truly grandiose and spectacular.Says a source close to the film, "Nikhil (Advani) has gone all out in making sure that Chandni Chowk to China lives up to the mammoth expectations that people have from this Akshay Kumar starrer. The film is being pitched as a film that takes inspiration from Akshay's real life journey from being a chef to a superstar. Due to this the stakes are high and audience has to be presented with a truly grand affair that justifies the claims that have been made." So what one gets is not just an ample dose of Akshay Kumar as he gets into the martial art act but also the kind of visuals that have been associated with Chinese classics such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. "The martial arts have to be seen to be believed. Also, a fortune has been spent on the special effects to make the film look world class. You have a look at the theatrical promo and you would get an idea for yourself that how spectacular the setting of the film has been. Also, what sets apart Chandni Chowk to China from any other routine masala flick is that it is not merely an action comedy but has a deeper storyline to it. There are some Chinese legends that have been unearthed in the film and Akshay Kumar unwittingly becomes a part of them", adds the source. With Deepika Padukone in a double role and music, which seems all set to be a chartbuster, Chandni Chowk to China is all set to be the biggie which would change the fortunes of Bollywood as it enters into 2009.

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Review - Farhan Akhtar's talk show 'Oye! It's Friday'

This Friday, Farhan Akhtar's show 'Oye! It's Friday' debuted on television. In essence, 'Oye! It's Friday' has managed to make a decent beginning on the small screen where reality shows have (thankfully) started proving to be a huge challenge to the yawny 'saas-bahu' sagas. Again, 'Oye! It's Friday' is nowhere close to being 'reality' in look and feel but at the least it talks about 'real' stuff around us belonging to the world of entertainment, politics and current affairs.The conceptIt's the concept of 'Oye! It's Friday' which is its USP. It can't be solely classified as a chat show or a spoof show or a song-n-dance show or a celebrity-host show. It mixes all of this and a lot more in it's one hour duration and though at the end of the first episode (with Hrithik Roshan as the star guest - more about it later!) didn't make a viewer go wow, it at the least had its heart in the right place when it comes to ideation and conceptualization. The show has tried to be genuinely different and new though it would still take at least a couple of episodes more to figure out what it is all about and if it turns further interesting in weeks to come. The hostFarhan Akhtar has the charm. He tries to play a natural game here. He has worked on his voice too, something which was critically analyzed in his debut film as an actor. Of course his familiarity with the industry, due to him being a part of it, helps but there is a certain 'I-am-attempting-this-for-the-first-time' feel that one gets from Farhan's body language. However, he is expected to only get better in episodes to come as he gets more and more comfortable in his sometimes-standing-up and sometimes-sitting-down act! The visuals'Oye! It's Friday' certainly is a glossy affair. Very much in synch with the Friday mood and boasting of a touch of class as well, the sets are just the kind that one expected from a Farhan Akhtar show. Especially impressive is the tunnel through which the stars and the guests and the dancers make an entry, though one expected the props in the prime sitting place to be far glossier! The dancersThe show boasts of quite a few female dancers from 'saat samundar paar' and that of course adds to the visuals. To see the pretty, young and sexy girls dancing to Bollywood tunes may not be something unique (we see that in the biggest and the smallest of Bollywood films these days) but for a TV show, it is not a bad deal at all. Especially, when one looks forward to the breaks during the show, because this is the time when the girls make an appearance. The guestsThe show saw three guests, headed by Hrithik Roshan with song and dance appearances by Neha Dhupia and Hard Kaur. Hrithik certainly deserves 10 on 10 for his appearance since he came across as quite a sport when he took the joke on himself on more than just a couple of instances. The anecdotes he revealed about his growing up years and the camaraderie he shares with Farhan brightened up the show only further. Neha had her moments when she danced to a few songs and though the small stage setting did prove to be a hindrance with regular dance steps not quite helping her cause much; her presence on stage was good enough to have your eyes firmly on screen. This was not the case with Hard Kaur though, who was an unwanted distraction with her strange clothing and hair-do. The jokesAah, now this is one area where I have complains. Seriously, the jokes were not funny all the time. They ranged from good to average to 'Ok, now should I laugh' kinds! They were original yes, were meant to be PJ's at few places - yes, but still didn't make much of an impact. In fact there was nothing that was exceptional here and the blame lies with the writing which could have been much better. Ok, so we are not looking at senseless ha-ha-hee-hee but at least give us something that indeed is good enough reason to stay home in front of TV on a Friday night! The skits and the spoofsThe same holds good for the skits and spoofs. Though they were better than jokes at most of the places, the issue (in some cases) lies with the way they ended. After a very good start, they turned out to be just about average in the end. How one wishes there was more consistency in the mood because the actors didn't really do a bad job. In fact the one on something that went like a pension plan/standard life insurance (or something like that) was in bad taste (Farhan, did you really approve that?), though the Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi 'secrecy spoof' was well thought of. The Magic and the MagikOk, so we are talking about two kind of 'magic' here - one which was real and the other which was the 'ultimate impact'. There was a segment in the show which showcased some real magic around a stunning beauty getting her clothes changed (4-5 times) in a matter of seconds by a magician (yes, it was all happening on National television). Now this one really made one gaze at the happenings wide mouthed. Terrific! And how about some MAGIK of the overall show, (as the team of Rock On would want to call it)? Well, it is not really magiKal in the true sense since the overall impact created wasn't amazing or out of this world. It was good, certainly different and as mentioned earlier, 'Oye! It's Friday' would require at least a couple of more viewings for an opinion to be formulated. Rating: ***

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Multiplexes have big expectations from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

It's not even 24 hours since Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi released across cinemas worldwide and the first set of positive reactions of the cinema owners from Mumbai have started to pour in about the film, the actor and the director. Bollywood Hungama got a few first hand reports after the first day first show from the men behind Cinemax, PVR and Fame.Mr. Devang of Cinemax who saw the film told us in a joyous tone, "Rab Ne... is a fantastic film. Once again, Adi and SRK have proved that they rule the box office. The film has got a repeat value and people are flocking to see the film especially in our red lounge where all shows are house full. It goes to show that SRK can change the seats and pull back the audience. We have also got a meet and greet SRK contest if you buy a combo meal pack and drop in your coupon in the drop box. Such offers usually attract a lot of attention. We expect a lot more crowd in the weekends which will be a good sight after what's happened lately". Mr. Joshi of PVR cinemas who loved the start and the end of the film informed, "There is increased security at the cinemas and it's nice to see audiences coming with their family to see this entertaining film with their favourite hero, Shah Rukh Khan. His magic has once again worked with Yash Raj Films. We have had a very strong opening in all our sites and expect a lot more in the days to come by a strong word of mouth". Our last comment came from Mr. Abhishek Raina of Fame who gave us an interesting point of view, "I feel the only reason that people are coming to the cinemas to watch Rab Ne… is because this is Shah Rukh's first film of 2008 and very few people seem to know that. Surely expectations are bound to double up. It's SRK in a never before seen role with a different look and a funny hairstyle. He has put the smile back on the faces of the people. Both Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan have packaged the film very well and because of a long gap till the next big film releases on December 25, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi seems to be a clear winner with more number of shows running at the multiplexes". With 'Rab' listening to the cinema owner's prayers 'haule haule', it's time that SRK, Adi and the rest of the cast and crew enjoy the positive outcome on the first day of their film's release.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the Brand Ambassador of Longines, at the presentation ceremony of the Longines Race

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the Brand Ambassador of Longines, at the presentation ceremony of the Longines Rac,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan pictures,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan photo gallery,Aishwarya Rai Bachchanimages. Source.

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Priyanka Chopra chosen to be the 'Goddess of Atlantis'

'Desi girl' Priyanka Chopra just couldn't have asked for more from life. On one hand, while she has got the critics and masses under her sway with her brilliant performances in her two back-to-back hit films - Fashion and Dostana, one the other she has added one more jewel in her cap of already glittering feats and achievements, by being chosen as the 'Goddess of Atlantis' at the mega inauguration function of Dubai's latest iconic luxury resort, the $1.5 billion hotel 'Atlantis The Palm' on Palm Jumeirah on November 20. This was one magnanimous function which saw the coming together of all the crème de la crème of Hollywood and Bollywood.

Priyanka also did the gracious act of introducing 'Atlantis Rising', an aerial ballet of fireworks, performed by Grucci family, who did the pyrotechnics in the Beijing Olympics. Amongst the heavyweights who graced this occasion included the likes of Janet Jackson, Robert De Niro, Kylie Minogue, Michael Jordan and Shah Rukh Khan, to name a few.

All in all, Priyanka Chopra is shining on the international map… all over again!

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Hot ! Priyanka Chopra's Fitness Mantra

Think Priyanka Chopra, think Hot Bod. But here is a self-confessed gym-hater! Find out what keeps Piggychops ticking, and in style.

Priyanka Chopra's Fitness Mantra : Working out is always dull; I don't like working out, I hate it but I was training for Dostana along with Fashion.

I had put on a little bit of weight for Fashion, so I had to lose that plus I had to tone in. It was tough and I won't deny it. I was training every day, I would go to gym for two hours and I hate it.

Priyanka Chopra's Style Statement : I like solid colours, I don't like wearing too much jewellery, so I am very subtle in my taste that way.

I try to experiment once in a while may be with a little bit of bling and then I come back to the safety zone.

I like simple cuts and solid colours and that is what my character in Dostana is. She is just wearing stylish great clothes but does not over accessorise at all.

Priyanka Chopra's favourite role : This is one character I have played which is closest to me. If anybody asks me in my entire career which is the one character that is most you, I would say Neha in Dostana.

In every film, I detach from myself because every character requires me to become something else but with Neha I was just myself and that is what it was. I have the American accent. I had the clothes that I wear, the attitude, the body language was all me! Source.

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Richard Branson feels Priyanka is Goddess

When Priyanka Chopra walked the red carpet for a gala opening of a Billion Dollar state of the art Hotel in Dubai, she was least aware of the fact that she would receive one most fabulous compliment from a Hollywood personality, Richard Branson. Her personality, smile, attitude, fashion statement everything impressed Branson so much that he regarded Priyanka as Goddess.

"You’re the only woman worthy of being called a Goddess. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world,” said businessman Richard Branson pointing to Priyanka. She commented to this remark in the following words, “Yes, the incident with Branson really happened. He was just being sweet and chivalrous. I didn’t know how to react. I gathered my wits and said a calm ‘Thank you’. 

Priyanka’s beauty has not only made Branson fall weak at her knees but other Hollywood biggies like Gerard Butler and Robert De Niro also admired her. Piggy Chops reacted to  Robert De Niro as, “He is De Niro, man! He just kept smiling. His wife spoke more than him. He said he was very happy to meet what he called young talent from Bollywood”. 

From the above comment, we came to know that Priyanka is equally important in Hollywood as she is in Bollywood. Source.

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Amita Pathak Wallpapers.

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Katrina Kaif’s Intimacy With Salman

After winning hearts for Race and Singh Is Kinng, Katrina Kaif is looking forward to Yuvraaj which is ready to hit the marquee. She is partly optimistic and partly nervous about Yuvraaj and as for the first time she is deeply involve in intimate scene with beau Salman Khan. 

In an interview Katrina said, “Some of the most intimate moments in the film are between Salman and me, and what you see on screen doesn’t come across as forced.” Director Subhash Ghai is also in agreement with the actress, he said, “The Salman-Katrina magic is all set to cast its spell on the audience.” He added that they rock as a couple and are lucky for each other.

Yuvvraaj talks about relationships, love, hatred and animosity. Katrina is playing a musician who plays cello and Salman falls for her. She is a very strong girl, who believes in the power of love and music. The music of the flick has hit the music chart and music maestro AR Rahman has scored the melody. Source

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