After Kareena and Celina, it’s Amrita Arora’s turn to go de-glam for Golmaal Returns
Take three of the hottest heroines in B-Town, put them in a movie together, de-glamorise them and voila! What do you have? Golmaal Returns directed by Rohit Shetty.
Jodi jam
We ask Rohit why he did it and he laughs, “That’s the fun of it. Golmaal Returns is madder than Golmaal. It’s not a sequel at all. Kareena plays Ajay Devgan’s wife, Amrita plays the cute, sweet, girl-next-door who is Arshad Warsi’s girlfriend and Ajay’s sister.
Arshad and Ajay don’t like each other and Arshad keeps influencing Amrita against Ajay. Celina Jaitly, who is paired with Shreyas Talpade plays a simple down-to-earth girl. Her character is the one everyone is searching for in the film for some reason or the other.”
Amrita says, “It’s a challenge to play a ‘unsexy’ character. I will be going de-glam. I will sport spectacles, minimal make-up and checked shirts and trousers. It’s a very simplistic and real character.
Vikram Phadnis is designing my look and we are both going mad trying to find the perfect pair of frames to suit me. I will also be sporting a more cutie-pie, simple hairstyle short ponytail or a plait.”
Thrilled
Amrita is working for the first time with best friend Kareena Kapoor in the film, “I can’t tell you how happy I am! Bebo was thrilled too and jumping with joy when she heard the news.
This is also the first time I am working with Rohit, Ajay Devgan and Arshad Warsi. I had done Dilli Ki Sardi with Rohit and he had promised me a great role then. He has kept his promise. I am a big fan of Golmaal. When they offered me this role I immediately grabbed it.”
Mithun Reunites With His ´Tarana´ & ´Suraksha´ Singer, Shailendra - November 28
Hier wird kurz Ajay erwähnt - es geht um das Bhojpuri Kino, den neuesten Bhojpurifilm und dessen Musiklaunch. Man erwartet einen Aufschwung des Bhojpurikinos und daß mehr und mehr Stars aus dem Hindikino mitmachen, nachdem Leute wie Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini und Ajay Devgan Bhojpuri Kino bereits schon unterstützt haben. (Das war doch Ajays Film Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, oder?)
Auszug:
... Manoj welcomed Shailendra Singh to Bhojpuri cinema and said, "Bhojpuri cinema has finally arrived in a big way and after the likes of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Ajay Devgan supporting the revival of Bhojpuri Cinema, more and more stars of Hindi Cinema are expected to join it. Shailendra Singh has been the idol of many singers and he has a big fan following . To have Shailendra Singh in the team of 'Bhole Shankar' is nothing less than an honor." ...
Hier wird spekuliert, daß Afzal Khan seinen Mehbooba Film erst dann zum Release bringen kann, wenn "God Tussi Great Ho" mit Salman und Priyanka Geld eingespielt hat - allerdings will Salman einen Song wieder und wieder neu verfilmt haben, was die Kosten in die Höhe treibt und den Film eben sehr sehr teuer macht - begonnen wurde mit God Tussi Great Ho vor über eineinhalb Jahren:
Auszug:
... "Afzal Khan has pinned his hopes on God Tussi Great Ho. If it works, he can contemplate releasing the long-delayed Mehbooba that toplines Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala." ...
'For Halla Bol, somewhere it got difficult to play an actor by myself' - Ajay Devgan - November 27
Ein kleines Interview zu Halla Bol
Of the few actors in the Hindi film industry who can carry a potent, author-backed role with super ease, Ajay Devgan finds mention. Films like Gangajaal, Apaharan, Yuva, Omkara and Main Aisa Hi Hoon testify the fact.
Now, once again in his upcoming Rajkumar Santoshi film, Halla Bol releasing on 21 November, Devgan will be seen essaying a film star who gets caught between his human self on one side and his corrupted superstar image on the other.
Agreed, the year 2007 hasn't been good for the actor so far with releases like Cash and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, however this twice National Award winning actor is gung ho to declare Halla Bol.
Here's Devgan in conversation with Businessofcinema.com waxing eloquent on his forthcoming film and how it was not-so-easy to play a film star onscreen.
Excerpts:
You play a film star in your upcoming film Halla Bol, meaning attack. How do the two factors of a film star and an attack blend together? As the title says, Halla Bol is to raise your voice. The story is about a how a small town man dreams of becoming a film star, works really hard and makes sacrifices to attain success, which changes him as a person. He gets caught between fighting for something that is right and loose whatever he has achieved so far or succumb to the wrong. He chooses the former and also wins back everything he has lost.
What about the script appealed to you? A lot of things, this film gave me immense satisfaction in terms of performance, story and its making. Generally it is difficult to convey a message through a film in a commercial and entertaining way. And this film combined both the crucial elements. So, I think it's a complete film.
Since you essay the role of an actor in this film, did you have to carry your natural self in front of the camera? Not at all. In fact, many a times where I was supposed to play a star, I would be myself, I mean the way I am and Raju (Santoshi) would say 'No, no I want you to be little more flashy and flamboyant'. Personally I'm not like that. So, somewhere it got more difficult to play an actor by myself.
Your film graph so far shows that you prefer films where your character raises his voice against an unjust system. Do such roles invoke you? No. I don't think it is intentional. I have been very lucky that films like Gangaajal, Apharan and others have come my way and have worked too.
Such films also convey a social message; do you think they have an impact on the society? I don't know about the impact of such films. Our basic work is to entertain people; we make films and that is what we are paid for. If while entertaining the audience, you manage to pass on a message, which might impact the society, it should surely be done.
The difference between Devgan and SRK's ASOKA! - November 28
Noch mal der Hinweis darauf, daß Ashoka The Great mit Ajay ganz anders sein wird als der Film SRK - the "Two National Award Winner" Ajay Devgan, der "Mann der wenigen Worte" habe in einem Satz nun alles geklärt... Und es wird darauf hingewiesen, daß Ajay und Santoshi schon drei Klasse Filme geliefert haben, Lajja, The Legend Of Baghat Singh und Khakee
Fans of the Ajay Devgan-Rajkumar Santoshi combo are counting the days left for their latest hard-hitting venture, HALLA BOL, to hit the screens. Well, we do not blame them, keeping the previous track record of the team in mind. Just to recall, the two have given us movies like, LAJJA (2001), THE LEGEND OF BHAGAT SINGH (2002) and KHAKEE (2004), all of which are standout examples and need no discussions.
Now that their HALLA BOL is ready for release (December 21), the actor-director duo is already focused on their next project, ASHOKA THE GREAT. And before the comparisons are drawn with Shah Rukh Khan's ASOKA (2001), the two times National Award winning actor, (true to his on-screen image) clarifies that there is no comparison with SRK's ASOKA because both the movies are starkly different as ASHOKA THE GREAT starts after the Kalinga war.
Trust the man of few words to end all the debate with a matter-of-fact single sentence!
Pankaj Kapoor returns after DHARM with HALLA BOL - November 28
Hier geht es um den Schauspieler Pankaj Kapoor, der großartige Leistung abgeliefert hat in THE BLUE UMBRELLA, SEHAR, DUS und MAQBOOL und nun in Halla Bol den Leiter des Straßentheaters spielen wird, zu dem dann auch Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan) kommt, der davon träumt ein Schauspieler in Hindi Filmen zu werden.
DHARM, which made headlines a few weeks back in reference to Oscar nominations, had starred Pankaj Kapoor as the central protagonist. Though the film was a box office failure, it was critically acclaimed and so was Pankaj Kapoor.
Now the veteran actor, who has worked in only close to 30 films, in his 25 years Bollywood career, would be seen in soon to be released HALLA BOL.
In the film he plays the character of a reformed dacoit by the name of Sidhu who uses street theatre as a medium to bring about an awakening in the masses. This theatre group also has a new entrant in the form of Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan), who is a small town boy and aspires to be a film star in the Hindi film industry.
Earlier this year, Pankaj Kapoor was also seen in THE BLUE UMBRELLA. His performances in his last three films, SEHAR, DUS and MAQBOOL have also been widely appreciated and HALLA BOL is only expected to add yet more feathers to his cap.
The cast and crew of Golmaal Returns are of to Goa soon for a 20 day shoot, and Kareena is going with them.
Yes, you heard it right… Bebo is guest starring in the movie as a love interest for Ajay Devgan’s character. Bebo’s best friend Amrita Arora is also guest starring in the movie, opposite Arshad Warsi.
The film is being directed by Rohit Mehra and produced by Dhilin Mehta.
Director Vishal Bharadwaj has signed Run Lola Run actress Franka Potente for his upcoming film, Julia. The script of the film is based on the life of Mary Ann Evans aka Fearless Nadia, who ruled the Hindi film industry in the '30s. Fearless Nadia was also famously called Hunterwali.
Our source reveals, “Vishal met Franka in Berlin sometime in August. He had discussed the subject of his film, Julia with her and told her that he was keen to cast her in the lead role. Ajay Devgan is being considered for the film, too.” Vishal finally got Franka flown down to Mumbai a few days ago. Our source says, “Franka has already done the screen test yesterday at Mehboob Studios.” Vishal wanted to see if Franka could carry well the costumes that Nadia wore in her films during those days.
Our source adds, “Vishal wanted to give Franka an idea about the kind of character she's about to play.”
Franka was screen-tested in four different costumes. “Nadia was known for her trademark hunter and mask besides loose shirts, baggy pants and knee-length boots.
Incidentally, Nadia was the first Bollywood actress to perform her own stunts and soon gained recognition for it. Anyway, Franka was given similar costumes. Vishal even made pose with a hunter,” our source says.
Vishal is very happy as he feels that the German actress is just right for the role. “Vishal is pretty impressed with the end result. He feels that Franka's face is quite similar to Nadia's,” our source says.
When contacted, Poonam Sahni, the executive producer of Julia, said, “We cannot comment on this. Please contact UTV because they are looking after the film.”
Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV, when contacted said, “I don't want to comment on right now.”
... They spoke after several months, and both were extremely cordial with each other. Priyanka had terminated all kinds of communication with Salman after she was unceremoniously dropped from London Dreams at Sallu's orders.” ...
Amrita Rao spricht über ihre Karriere und Ajay Devgan:
Auszug: ... So far Amrita loves the film industry. "I've only worked with people who are nice. I've worked with big stars like Ajay Devgan in Bhagat Singh, and they've all been wonderful. I never expected to work with Ajay again in Masti and Shikhar. Actors like him make us youngsters feel welcome."
Über den Musik Launch von Halla Bol und unter welchem Banner der Film erscheinen wird:
Shiney Ahuja, Soha Ali Khan, Sudhir Mishra, Prakash Jha and Shantanu Moitra and guests Vivek Vaswani, Shekhar Kapur, Sarika, Satish Kaushik, Rajkumar Hirani,Sikander Kher, Kirron Kher, and many others were present at the music launch of Prakash Jha’s Khoya Khoya Chand directed by Sudhir Mishra. The music was recently released at Mumbai’s Bollywood Mischief bar in a unique way with several directors coming together to formally release the album.
T-Series released the music of Rajkumar Santoshi’s Halla Bol starring Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapur on November 24. Sukhwinder Singh tunes lyrics by Sameer, Mehboob Kotwal and the late Dushyant Kumar. Halla Bol is presented by Indian Films and Sunrise Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and is produced by Abdol Samee Siddiqui.
"I am not fussy about food. While I do keep a check on what I eat, I also binge once a week. I would die if I had to live on salads the whole month," Ajay Devgan said in an interview to B4U.
Watch B4U Star Stop this month to know more about what he likes and dislikes and why he wont pamper Kajol.
Halla Bol is the story of a small town boy aspiring to be a film star. Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan) joins a street theatre group run by Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur). His initial struggles pay off when he gets a break in the Hindi film industry.
He goes on to become a superstar under the screen name of Sameer Khan. And just when his career is soaring to magnificent heights, he starts to lose his way. In a psychological make over, Ashfaque imbibes the characteristics of his film roles and goes on to become a corrupt and arrogant individual. His new self pushes away everything and everyone dear to him including his wife Sneha (Vidya Balan).
A dramatic development puts Ashfaque in a dilemma, as he struggles to deal with the contrast of his humble humane self and his corrupted superstar image. The film speaks about this conflict within a person that leads people to head changes in themselves and society.
Director Rajkumar santoshi “Halla Bol revolves around Sameer Khan (Ajay Devgan), a small-town youngster who aspires to become an actor. He eventually makes it big, but success makes Sameer lose his modesty and humbleness. His reputation takes a beating when he’s involved in a murder controversy.
Halla Bol means attack and the film says that one must not take injustice lying down. I am not advocating violence in my film, but talking about raising our voice against injustice.
We shot for Halla Bol in 65 locations and completed it in a mere 75 days. Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapur have done outstanding jobs portraying their complex and layered characters.
I have always followed my heart, instinct and conscience and made movies. I have made Halla Bol, a film about how we all can make a difference to the society, and how each of us should be ready to attack wrongdoings with our collective spirit.”
Actor Ajay Devgan expresses his views on yet to be released movie 'Halla Bol' Actor Ajay Devgan expresses his views on yet to be released movie 'Halla Bol' (starring him and Vidya Balan) to TIMES NOW correspondent Beverly White.
Beverly: You always seem to attract films with social messages and 'Halla Bol' is no different. What messages do you want to get across to the audience? Ajay: Not that I attracted but I've been lucky enough to do couple of such movies. 'Halla Bol' is also such a movie, where you're trying to say something but in a very subtle manner. If you can read in between the lines, then you get the message, otherwise it's a completely commercial film.
Beverly: Do u think that the Indian audience has the time and the patience to read in between the lines? Ajay: I'm sure Indian audience has the time as long as you entertain them. I think, they're all sensible poeple and the litreracy rate is going up. People understand and do appreciate good films.
Beverly: Raj Kumar Santoshi wanted you to put on more flamboyant airs since as an actor, you're not so flamboyant yourself. Was that difficult? Ajay: It was difficult in the sense, that you had to work on it. You tend to fall into a trap when you're supposed tp play an actor, you feel that you can play yourself but that's not the scenario. So there's a conflict between between playing yourself and the way the character demands.
Beverly: There are rumours that the film has been inspired by the Jessica Lal murder case. Ajay: No I think, similar to Jessica Lal murder case, there's an incident in the film. That's all about it. It's about this character, who witnesses something, and does not know what to do about it. He fights for it, he loses everything what he'd struggled for. Again if he keeps quiet, he would still be fine as he has everything in life. But he decides to go against his consciousness, fights for what is right. In the process, he loses everything and finally gains back, what he had lost in his glory.
Beverly: You've turned to direction as well. We alaways associate you with a macho man and an action hero. But this is a romantic movie. So what made you take that decision, was Kajol an influence in that? Ajay: No, it was an idea that I was toying with. I was working on a script. I thought what I wanted to say, I could say that myself. So I decided to make this film.
Beverly: What was it like directing you wife? Ajay: We'd all planned it out and she's done very well in the film as always.
Ajay Devgan plays Samir Khan, a superstar who takes on a powerful state leader in Halla Bol
Narendra Modi busy with elections in Gujarat may be surprised to find himself in the news for an altogether different and not very happy reason.
The chief minister and his rather public differences with Aamir Khan have become the inspiration for a new Bollywood film starring Ajay Devgan and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
Bollywood is often inspired by real life events but Halla Bol, reveals a senior member of the film's unit, for the first time directly shows the Modi-Aamir Khan fracas.
"In the film Devgan's character called Samir Khan, starts out as a theatre actor, goes on to become a superstar before a major event in his life turns him into a conscientious activist," says the sources not wanting to be named.
What follows is a thinly-veiled recreation of Aamir Khan's support for the Narmada Bachao Aandolan, his remarks against Modi, the Gujarat government and the subsequent backlash when BJP activists stopped the screening of Fanaa in Gujarat.
"The filmmakers have used actual television footage of what happened at that time," says the source. Scenes of graphic violence with the supporters of a political party going on the rampage and vandalising movie theatres in Gujarat lend a gritty real-life, says the source.
Director Rajkumar Santoshi acknowledged that the film has been inspired by what happened to Khan after his support of the NBA.
The film releases on December 21 ironically clashing with Aamir Khan's directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, and exactly a week after Gujarat election when, if pollsters are to be believed Narendra Modi could be back as chief minister for another five years.
Here’s the hottest news of the week and as always, it’s first on IndiaFM…
The Christmas week [21st December] was supposed to witness the clash of the mighty three -- WELCOME, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and HALLA BOL -- but HALLA BOL has now decided to shift ahead, to 11th January, 2008. Reportedly, Ajay Devgan, who enacts the principal role, wasn’t too keen on the clash since the business would get divided. The actor voiced his concern to the distributors, Pyramid Saimira, who also felt that it was better to shift the film to the new date.
So, this Christmas, it’s WELCOME and TAARE ZAMEEN PAR finally.
Halla Bol Release Shifts to 11th Jan By MovieTalkies.com, 30 November 2007
The much awaited Rajkumar Santoshi film starring Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapur was to be release on 21st December along with Welcome and Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, has been shifted to 11th Jan.
Halla Bol is a film with a message and will see a promotional strategy unlike the ones being followed by all the other film makers. The producers on the film want to stick to the ethos of the film and have crafted a promotional strategy in sync with the message the film wants to send across. Halla Bol promotions will see a series of street play contests being activated around the country to garner momentum for the film and the cause.
The film now releases on 11th Jan along with Mukta Arts’ Bombay to Bangkok and My Name is Anthony Gonsalves.