RE: July 2007 - News - 6

CASH - 6 days to go

With 6 days to go for the release of CASH, one man who would be twiddling his thumbs while waiting for the film to arrive would be Zayed Khan. And why not? After all the film brings him together with Anubhav Sinha who was responsible for the actor's last success DUS.

Ever since DUS released way back in July 2005, Zayed has been waiting for an elusive hit. He has done a comedy (SHAADI NO. 1), an action film (FIGHT CLUB - MEMBERS ONLY) and an intense romance cum action flick (ROCKY - THE REBEL) but none of the three flicks did any wonders at the box office.

With CASH, he looks at being the heartthrob once again as he was after the release of MAIN HOON NAA and later DUS.

Quell: http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/07..._days_to_go.asp

CASH is not ANUBHAV SINHA'S CASH!

A number of titles have been proposed for Anubhav Sinha's CASH, both by the print as well as the electronic media. Some like ANUBHAV SINHA'S CASH are funny, others such as CASH WITH RIGHT BABY, make for interesting reading. Another revolutionary suggestion is GONE WITH THE CASH!

When we talked to the concerned people (who we would not like to name at this stage, at their own request), the matter of fact is that the final release title of CASH is still to be decided. And it will only be by Monday that a conclusive decision regarding the same is expected.

We can also tell you that CASH (the title as of today) will have a huge release, with about 700 prints (including digital) and the opening on 27th July is expected to be breathtaking.

Quelle: http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/07...sinhas_cash.asp

Salman Khan keeps 'London Dreams' alive

Rajkumar Santoshi may have abandoned the idea of directing a musical movie called London Dreams, but Salman Khan is not giving up his hope.

It is common knowledge that Santoshi was roped in to direct a musical film about two childhood buddies who grow to become rockstars in London. Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan were supposed to play the lead roles.

However, for a long time Santoshi has been dilly-dallying about directing the film. Now, he has made it clear that he has abandoned the movie altogether.

While Santoshi has washed his hands off the project, Salman Khan is reportedly eager to see the film made.

He has talked with the movie's producer P J Singh to get another director.

Not just this, Salman has recommended the name of Vipul Amrutlal Shah (who recently made the hit movie Namastey London) to Singh. Salman has also spoken to Vipul Shah and asked him if he would be interested in directing 'London Dreams'.

Vipul Shah has reportedly shown interest in the project but he has not yet given his final word. Shah says he will first read the film's script before making any commitments.

Will 'London Dreams' retain its original star cast of Salman and Ajay Devgan? Or will Vipul Shah's favourite Akshay Kumar replace Devgan?

Shah says everything will be finalized after he reads the script.

Quelle: http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20070722-2.html

Cash - 4 days to go

Promotion of CASH has pumped up phenomenally during the weekend gone by. With just 4 days to go for the release of the film, the film has created a strong buzz for itself, mainly due to funky music and some death defying stunts.

All this while one thought that it is just the three men in the film, Ajay, Riteish and Zayed, who have got all the opportunity to be a part of the action. Now add Esha Deol to the list!

As Pooja, she plays Suneil Shetty's love interest. But she doesn't just dance to his tunes. Instead she also dances to the tune of the music which plays in the night club where she is employed as a dancer. Well, that's just one side of her profession.

Her alternative career requires her to maneuver her car at an amazing speed and make sure that she is at the right time at the right place as and when someone requires her help. So next time you hear the sound of a fast wheeler vrooming past you, you know who is at the driver's seat!

Quelle: http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/07..._days_to_go.asp

Cash isn't about performances

Anubhav Sinha wasn't very confident about his film Dus until it became a hit.

Now, the director is back with his latest movie, Cash, starring Ajay Devgan, Zayed Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Shamita Shetty, Dia Mirza and Esha Deol.

He tells Raja Sen how it all happened.

Films like Dus and Cash paint you as our very own Michael Bay (director, Pearl Habour, Armageddon, Bad Boys). So what kinds of films do you really like watching? Are you a big fan of the Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer kind of films?

First of all, I also made Tum Bin. And in terms of personal preferences, while I watch a lot of the Bruckheimer-Bay films and think they're a blast, if I was to chill alone with a DVD, it would probably be a Mystic River.

So is Cash bigger than Dus?

That's for the audience to decide, right? We've done our bit to make it something entertaining, though. Let's see.

The scale seems bigger this time. The promos show guys blowing up every vehicle in sight...

(Laughs) I love blowing up stuff. It's fun, and yeah, the scale is bigger, we have more detailed stunts and action scenes, and we're more ambitious this time.

So are you more like a John Woo, in the sense that sometimes the setpieces come first and the story is woven around the stunts?

No no, the story always comes first, and then we spend longer drawing out the stunts. All the action sequences are designed according to the story.

Going back to Dus for a moment, the film did very well. Did you expect that, while making it?

No, I didn't expect it to do so well. It was my first multistarrer, and there was too much pressure on me. The plus point of making a film with stars is that there's an instant credibility; the stars have their own brand.
At the same time, there's huge pressure on the director. If you can't deliver with stars, how will you ever deliver? So there was much pressure, and till the time Dus Bahaane became a huge hit, I was not confident about the film.

How would you personally categorise a film like Dus? To me, it's a slick, action entertainer that relies more on packaging and doesn't make sense in a lot of places. But that's okay, because it doesn't take itself too seriously. How do you react to that description?

Exactly, that's just it. Dus isn't trying to make sense at all. There are no layers to Dus, there are no layers to Cash. They are capers, meant to entertain. And hopefully, make us some Cash. (Smiles)

When you orchestrate an action setpiece -- which are pretty elaborate and detailed, do you ever pick up favourite sequences from other films?

Yeah, there are references. The Hollywood films have done these things before we have, so obviously we're inspired. But you need to realise that we got introduced to jetskis probably 30 years after America did -- in fact there are probably 30, maybe 50 jetskis in the country, right?
So we're using their vehicles, their instruments, so obviously their crews have set the benchmark, and we want to match up. And there's nothing wrong with that.
And one doesn't pick up a shot, one picks up an instrument -- a car, a helicopter, and a jetski. And then you try and bring them together in a way you haven't seen before. Like I haven't seen a helicopter and a jetski coming together before. In Die Hard 4.0 -- which I absolutely loved -- there's a car crashing into a helicopter. One improvises on what one sees.

You called the new film another caper film. So what is Cash about?

It's about three diamonds, and six people who are trying to get them. And they're crossing each other's paths and conning each other and wooing each other. In the end, somebody gets it.

Fair enough. How do you go about setting up the cast for a multistarrer?

While we were still shooting for Dus, we had Ajay, Zayed and Suniel on board. We didn't have a story, but just decided that we'd like to do a film together. And keeping these actors in mind, we developed some story ideas. Once we wrote the final script and all three liked them, we then narrated it to Ritesh and the others.

Interestingly you only mention the men; makes your women stars sound almost inconsequential.

Unfortunately, such films are designed with actors no matter how many actresses play significant parts in the film. In keeping with the economics of our cinema, the food chain first ranks actors, then directors, then and actresses. That's the way it is, and I hope it changes.

But then isn't Cash a complete guy-film anyway? It all looks like that, explosions and gadgets and gimmicks, with the women as eye-candy -- not that there's anything wrong with making a boys' film.

Not really. Girls get to do lot of stuff. All the three girls have a proper share of the action. They're hand-fighting, they're firing, they're riding jetskis. They had a blast.

Did any of the cast spring a surprise for you, while shooting the film?

These films aren't really about performance. The cast is all about doing the stunts, having a good time. I think these actors signed on to do the film because they wanted to do the stunts, they wanted to star in a proper action entertainer, and have a great time doing it. We had a blast on the sets.

From the promos, the film looks very slick, very racy -- and also, very young. Ajay doesn't somehow seem to be blending seamlessly into this look. How does he fit into the film?

Ajay is the mastermind of the whole plot. He puts the team together for a big robbery. So Ajay had to be a senior character, older than the rest of the crew -- kinda like Sanju in Dus.

Speaking of Dus, the film had a major character arc -- involving the Pankaj Kapur character -- that was completely lifted from The Usual Suspects, and its legendary villain, Kaiser Soze. Is this film also going to have audiences saying 'oh, I saw this on that DVD'?

Yeah, I'm certain. (Laughs,) There'll be things I'm not aware of. Dus had a clear pickup, sure, but in this case, I really don't know about any similarities with foreign films. We haven't had any film clearly used as a reference. But there will be people saying 'this is like that' but I don't care.
I'm not trying to achieve cinematic excellence with Cash. It's a film that supposed to make some people laugh and some people go wow, and supposed to make money for us.

So you'd categorise this in the same space as, say, a Dhoom 2?

Exactly. It's all about the visual.

You're also working on a sequel to Dus...

Yeah, Gyarah.

Shades of Steven Soderbergh right there, with his Ocean's Eleven led franchise. The Dus numbers could go on and on and on, right?

(Laughs) Yeah, Terah, Chaudah, Pandrah... Sure. But no, I'm not directing that film, just producing it. The next film I'm directing is called Chase, and it's a $5 million action film with three new boys in the lead roles.

A big film with newcomers? We don't see a lot of that in Bollywood. Do you think we need more actors out there, more than just that A-list?

Yeah, I definitely think so. Actually, everyone thinks so. Another problem today is that most successful actors have turned producers -- and they're only working for their own banners. Shah Rukh, Aamir, Hrithik, Saif, Ajay... it's rare to see them working outside their own production houses.

So, another action film for you. So will we soon see Cash 2 and The Second Chase?

No, I think I'm done with my adolescence as a filmmaker. (Laughs) It's all great fun, but I think I'll be done. I mean if Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise call me and say 'Anubhav, make me an action film,' I'll say sure, but I'm not holding my breath.

Interestingly, Hollywood is currently resurrecting its big action heroes, its Rambos and John McClanes. We've never had that kind of an action hero, or that genre.

Yeah, that's true. We've never explored the action blockbuster like it should have been. Actually, you know, what has started now will probably have an effect.

So have you already planned what you're doing beyond Chase?

Oh yeah. I want to shoot Chase in September-October, and release early or middle 2008. Then I'm doing a film on the investigation of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. And then I want to adapt a wonderful play, The Accidental Death Of An Anarchist, by (Nobel Prize winning playwright) Dario Fo. It's a farce, a satire on the four estates of a nation. It's a hilarious play.

Quelle: http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2007/jul/23slide1.htm

Cash - Have money, have fun

Paisa phenko, tamasha dekho

Words from the title song of CASH are good enough to describe what the film is going to be all about. Have money, have fun. No money, then earn it to have fun! Because cash is what makes the world go left, right and center.
Left, right and center - this is how the world of master conman Ajay Devgan also looked like.
As someone who was at the center of one of the biggest robberies ever that was soon to take place, he had to rope in two young men. The men who would be on his left and right and undertake the job for him - Riteish Deshmukh and Zayed Khan. But as the saying goes, sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the one on the right is doing! Same was the case with Riteish and Zayed, as they hardly realized the existence of each other in this masterpiece of a crime that was about to happen.
Existence? But weren't they buddies once upon a time? Probably yes, but then a girl [Dia Mirza] came in their life which drifted them apart. Both loved her but she loved only one of them. Solution? She walks out of their lives as she can't tell the other guy that she didn't love him.
Meanwhile Ajay had a different problem. He was a conman, yes. He was a criminal, yes. He was a smooth operator, yes. But then he was also a lover.
A lover who by the stroke of luck had a 'Head of Security' at the Indian embassy, Cape town, as his girlfriend [Shamita Shetty].
As a responsible officer, her job was to make sure that there was no mishap when the diamonds were transported to the airport. But then what was so special about these diamonds? Well, this was a set of three unique diamonds worth Rs. 100 crores which were mined more than 200 years back in India and had traveled around the world after reaching the hands of mafia in 1986. The trouble was that out of the three, one was still missing and the mafia head now wanted the third to reach him too.
The mafia head entrusts his most trusted lieutenant to do the job. He further passes on the responsibility to Ajay, who agrees to carry out the robbery knowing little about the real content of what he had to rob.
The game begins. But did it end with the robbery? No ways!
Once the robbery is carried out, Ajay realizes that he has put his own love into trouble. As the Head of Security, she was accountable for the safe passage of diamond. And now, she is after the person who got her into trouble.
Ajay now has to do one bigger job. Along with Riteish and Zayed, he has to put the diamond back into the embassy. And he had to do that fast before the police (and of course Shamita) get to know about the people behind the robbery!
How will he do this? Will he forego all the cash he could have had? Or will it be the power of cash that would make him and his team carries out a super-cool crime once again? Was stealing indeed the toughest way to become rich?
Three diamonds, two heists, four murders, one double-cross, one double-crosser who is triple-crossed, one misunderstanding, one fatal error called trust and beneath it all, friendship and love. Welcome to a world 'Of the cash', 'By the cash', 'For the cash'.
Also starring Suneil Shetty and Esha Deol, CASH is directed by Anubhav Sinha and is aiming at a 27th July release.

Quelle: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/preview/9210.html

Cash’s music has some madness

The hit jodi of Vishal and Shekhar, who have given music for films like Jhankar beats and Bluffmaster, have come up yet again with great music for Cash. And that’s not all, with the music of Cash; they are back with the team of Dus. Now, don’t forget that Dus Bahane was one of their biggest hits. After the bad reviews of the music of Ta Ra Rum Pum, Vishal & Shekhar are back to doing what they are best at, techno, hip hop, RnB, pop with a desi tadka of bhangra.

Quelle: http://www.hindustantimes.com/AudioVideo...74-21e4c949f4b0

Ram Gopal Ka Veeru Ban Gaya Heeru

Court's axe has not just fallen on the title of Ram Gopal Varma's tribute to SHOLAY that has now been renamed as RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG. The latest casualty is now the character played by Ajay which has been changed from Veeru to Heeru!
While Gabbar becoming Babban has made many raise an eyebrow already, the emergence of Heeru only takes the debate further on the naming controversy. One wonders if all hullabaloo is actually worth it because ever since the film was announced, it has been mired with controversies.
First it was the entire remaking of the film that caused fiery reactions from people within and outside the industry. Later the much used and abused word 'inspiration' came into picture. When the court proceedings started, newer arguments emerged. Now to stay away from trouble, the film is plain and simple being called as a tribute to the 70s classic.
All said and done, what the film has succeeded in is to be in news and make sure that audience checks out the film at least once due to the sheer curiosity factor.

Quelle: http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/32514.html

Esha Deol agreed to do an item number in 'Sunday' - July 24, 2007

Esha Deol agreed to do an item number in 'Sunday'. But she put a condition for it. She said producer Kumar Mangat that this track should as hot as 'beedi jalai le...' And ever since she heard the song - 'Khashmakash Hai Ye...' sung by Shibani Kashyap, she couldn't stop dancing.

Quelle: http://www.bollywoodpremiere.com/movies/...jul/esha-24.php

Anubhav Sinha's 'Cash' is a crime thriller

New Delhi, After making the successful action-thriller "Dus", director Anubhav Sinha is back with "Cash", a thriller about a heist, which is releasing Friday.
In the movie, Sinha is repeating Suniel Shetty, Zayed Khan, Esha Deol and Dia Mirza, with whom he teamed up in "Dus". Ajay Devgan, Riteish Deshmukh and Shamita Shetty are also part of the huge cast of the movie.

Set in South Africa, the film revolves around an ace con artist, played by Ajay, who hires a group of robbers - Esha Deol, Zayed Khan, Dia Mirza and Riteish Deshmukh - to steal a set of priceless diamonds.

Ajay is not the only one who is after the precious stones. Underworld don Suniel Shetty too wants them and his interest in the diamonds poses a threat to Ajay and his team. Shamita Shetty, who is the head of security, is also eyeing them.

How these three groups manage to thwart each other in this racy action flick forms the rest of the story.

The action genre is not very popular among Bollywood filmmakers and Sinha is one of the few directors who endorse it with panache. His "Dus", which had mind-blowing stunts, elaborate fight and chase scenes and suspense, was a big hit.

Sinha is leaving no stones unturned to rake in moolah with "Cash". Going by the promos, the film has all the right ingredients to make it an interesting watch. The director has also incorporated a sizzling item number in the movie, which has been picturised on stunning Brazilian dancer Bruna.

Quelle: http://www.bollywoodworld.com/news/bwnew...rom=&ucat=1&;

700 plus prints of Cash to be released

If all goes as per plans, Cash will indeed turn out to be cash making preposition for its investors.

The film is aiming for a mega release on 27th July. Arriving with anywhere between 700-800 prints worldwide, Cash is going to be one of the biggest releases of the season.

"That's true", confirms producer Anish Ranjan, "For a big movie like this, one needs to think big and aim big. We are confident about the product and ADLABS (who are distributing the film) is pleased with the result too. They have massive distribution plan for Cash."

Tell him that 700 + prints is an unheard of number, especially when it comes to a film belonging to action genre, and he says with a smile, "True. Not just that, in fact Cash is the biggest ever release for an Ajay Devgan starrer too. I don't remember when was the last time a film of his was released at such a scale."

Though the promos of the film look quite slick with a promise of an adrenalin ride, one hopes that it's not the case of entire action being highlighted in those few seconds. "Don't worry about that", he assures, "what you see is just a tip of the iceberg. There is a lot which is left unrevealed and I can promise one whale of a ride in this comic thriller."

What about the film's strengths? "The film carries a unique look due to its shoot in South Africa. Also, the action and stunt sequences are entirely unseen. We have applied out of the box thinking to make Cash a unique experience. Mark my words, Cash is going to be an unforgettable experience for the viewers worldwide," says Anish before signing off.

Quelle: http://www.indiafm.com/news/2007/07/24/9783/index.html

Tusshar, Jackie and Ruby Bhatia in HALLA BOL

Though his last film, FAMILY : TIES OF BLOOD, may have sunk at the box-office, Rajkumar Santoshi's Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapoor starrer, HALLA BOL, is very much in the news and for all the right reasons.

Based on the life of 'nukkad natak' pioneer and social activist, the late SAFDAR HASHMI (as we had told you), HALLA BOL has a host of Bollywood personalities.

We already know that Sridevi and Boney Kapoor will be shown giving an award to Devgan and that Kareena will be seen in a clip from OMKARA. Apart from them, HALLA BOL also features Tusshar Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Mukesh Tiwari and model-actress-veejay Ruby Bhatia as well as producer Pahlaj Nihalani along with veteran writer Lekh Tondon and PHIR HERA PHERI director Neeraj Vohra.

Quelle: http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/07...n_halla_bol.asp

CASH - 3 days to go

3 days from now CASH would finally be hitting the screens.

The film begins on an advantage right away since it is the solo major release of the week. The only other film which could possibly be arriving along with CASH is BOW BARRACKS FOREVER which belongs to offbeat cinema.

This is third week in succession when Bollywood has seen only one notable Bollywood release. First it was NAQAAB that came sans any opposition though
c from Hollywood did eat into its business considerably. Last week's PARTNER was far luckier since it came alone and has been doing phenomenal business ever since it hit the theatres.

One expects the same from CASH since a) it is a solo release and b) it has number of positives, most notably being the action theme and popular music, which makes it a first choice of moviegoers this Friday.

Quelle: http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/07..._days_to_go.asp

Ajay Devgan follows Gandhi

Ajay Devgan the famous action hero has finished shooting his film U, Me Aur Hum with wife Kajol. However there are rumours that the sizzling action hero has decided to omit any fight scenes from his movie all for the sake of his daughter Nysa.

The actor says that he decided to do so because he did not want his daughter to be influenced by such notions early in life.

Quelle: http://movies.indiatimes.com/Ajay_Devgan...how/2230403.cms

Ram Gopal Varma ke dragons

It would be so-so-so boring to ask him about Ram Gopal Varma ke Sholay, Aag the Fire, Raakh the Ash..whatever. I just ask him an assortment of questions which he answers diligently, expressionlessly.. the only time he smiles is when I leave at the end of the interview.

Do you think there is a common theme running through all your films?

Yes, it's possible. I like this idea of a guy coming from somewhere and getting into these situations. That's what I picked up from the Bruce Lee films – Enter the Dragon, Return of the Dragon and Fist of Fury.

Also, films based on James Hadley Chase novels would be a very effective way of getting the audience involved -- because you connect to the protagonist, and through his eyes, into the story. Even in a horror film, a family coming into your house gets you involved. I guess I'm obsessed with the idea of someone coming somewhere from elsewhere.

Do you see ghosts behind the doors in your house?

I used to feel that way when I was making Bhoot.. I have this L-shaped bedroom, and if I was on the bed, I used to feel that Manjeet, the ghost in Bhoot, was behind the wall.
I used to laugh at myself and turn to one side and sleep.. and then hear this breathing sound. I would want to turn and see, angry at myself for being imaginative.

Have you ever got into a crisis, felt helpless?

No, I've never got into a crisis or felt helpless. If something happens which is not in my control, I usually think of a way of getting out of it. And if I can't, then I'll face it.

Have you ever been lost?

Never, because I don't drive. I always have a driver with me, or someone else driving.

No bizarre situations, robberies or rapes?

Rape?

Ok robbery.

No, I've never been involved in a situation, which is out of the ordinary.

What attracts you musically?

Whether it's my stories, or the music of anything I do, most of it is from how I was influenced in my teens or childhood.
There is a heavy influence of Ilaiyaraja. Like when I brief my music director about the sound I want, I probably take it from a memory of what I felt when I heard a particular song in my growing years.

Tell me about some of the western influences on your music?

Western influences, too, would be the music I grew up on. for I rarely listen to contemporary music now. I have very little knowledge of it.

What did you listen to?

More than songs, I used to be heavily into background scores. There were no CDs then. I used to take a small tape recorder and record the background scores of Enter the Dragon, The Omen or Jaws.. those kinds of films.

Did you have any favourites?

Abba was my favourite.I knew most of the songs but I can't sing any of them.

You worked very well with AR Rahman in Rangeela and Daud. So what happened? Break-up?

I don't think I could call it a breakup. Rahman is a very rare individual. I know only one of his kind, I don't think there's anybody nearly as sincere as Rahman in the music business.
When you listen to his music, you don't have a choice.. while making Rangeela, I used to have sleepless nights, trying to work out how I would do justice to the music he had composed.
I work at a certain pace and am very impatient by nature. I want to do things yesterday and Rahman will do it day after. It's basically that delay in time – I don't have the patience to wait – this is the only reason I haven't worked with Rahman after that.

Quelle: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/...ke%2fEM+dragons