RE: December 2007 - News - 8

Vidya Balan looking forward to 'Halla Bol'
30th Dec 2007 10.01 IST, By ApunKaChoice

Vidya Balan is all set to allure the audience with her character in Rajkumar Santoshi ’s Halla Bol .

Vidya plays the role of Ajay Devgan ’s wife Sneha in this movie, who always supports her husband and helps him to realize his true being whenever he needs to understand whether something is true or false, right or wrong. She always says the truth to her husband. Her love is the power in her to express the hardcore truth.

The film has Vidya playing a girl from a small town who gets married to a superstar. Santoshi thought of two different looks for the character. One was the look of a woman from a small town and the other one is the look of the wife of superstar.

But with the progression of shooting, he threw away the idea about the second look. That happened only when he realized the fact that when a character is going through so many problems, she cannot think of outfits.

According to Vidya, ‘Halla Bol’ shows that there are problems in everybody’s life and there are some people who try to solve them and some who just evade them. In this film all the characters are conscious about the odds and they all come together to face that. It teaches us the positive sides of unity.

Vidya described shooting at Haji Ali very memorable, saying, “Despite being a resident of Mumbai, I never went to that place. And even though there were crowds I felt the solemnity of the place. There’s a song in that place which is a plus point in the film.”

‘Halla Bol’ is scheduled to hit the theatres on January 11, 2008.

Quelle: http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20071230-0.html

Stars who will shine in 2008

Ajay Devgan
This year was not a great one for Ajay Devgan. Cash and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag were major disasters. But next year promises to be a fabulous one with many firsts. In 2008, Devgan will make his debut as director with U, Me Aur Hum co-starring wife Kajol. This is likely to be one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year. Then there's Halla Bol, marking the comeback of director Rajkumar Santoshi and the director's other two films as well - London Dreams and Ramayana. The latter will see him play Lord Ram, possibly the role he will come to be known by, and one which is sure to quadruple his fan following. He will also be seen in Golmaal Returns, and is also doing Anees Bazmi's Naam

Quelle: http://bangalorelive.in/blive_fullstory....14576913&page=3

Salman mischt sich nicht ein, sagt Anees
By MovieTalkies.com, 17 December 2007

Auszug:

...
In Zukunft wird Bazmee auch Regie bei Vipul Shahs Film " Singh is King" führen , in denen die Hauptrollen Akshay Kumar und wieder Katrina Kaif spielen werden. Weiterhin sagt er, dass er sehr gerne eine Lovestory mit seinen Lieblingsschauspielern Ajay Devgan und Kajol machen würde. Im Moment ist er aber nur mit dem Release von " Welcome " beschäftigt, das eine Komödie über die Mafia ist.

Quelle: http://bedesi.de/news.php
Originalquelle: http://www.movietalkies.com/bollywoodnew...?NewsId=1755&q=

Take a peek into 2008...
By Aly Kassam - BollySpice.com, 31 Dec 2007

Auszug:

The final releases of the year have hit theatres and all eyes are now on the New Year and what it has in store. So far, 2008 looks extremely promising for the industry with several intriguing films lined up. Let’s take a look.

The first quarter of any year is usually quieter since there aren’t many holidays and students are busy writing exams in school. The same goes for this January which doesn’t see any big budget releases. However, Ajay Devgan has two releases within the same month even though they are poles apart. A political drama co-starring Vidya Balan Halla Bol will be the first to release followed by the masala flick Sunday two weeks later. Aside from these two, My Name is Anthony Gonsalves looks like an interesting proposition and is co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan. Don’t be surprised if Nagesh Kukunoor springs another surprise hit with Bombay to Bangkok.
...
As exams come to an end, April usually rejuvenates the industry with a newfound vigour. Kajol will grace the screen after two years with husband Ajay Devgan who has also directed the film. Titled U, Me Aur Hum it’s touted to be a feel-good romantic film. On the same day we’ll witness the clash of two titans with the science fiction flick Love Story 2050 and masala action flick Tashan hitting the screens on the same day. Don’t be surprised if the former backs out of the clash. If that wasn’t enough, the Amitabh Bachchan-Juhi Chawla starrer Bhootnath which also has Shah Rukh Khan in a small role will most likely release in the same month. Preity Zinta’s first flick in ages titled Har Pall is also looking towards an April/May release.
...
Several films haven’t zeroed in on a release date just yet. The Shahid Kapoor-Vidya Balan venture Kismet Konnection will release next year as well. Kareena Kapoor is the latest addition to the cast of Golmaal Returns. Aamir Khan has stated in an interview that his Ghajini Remake co-starring Jiah Khan and Southern superstar Asin will release in the second half of 2008.
...

Quelle: http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/830-t...-into-2008.html

Double bill for Ajay Devgan this January
December 31, 2007 2:03:56 PM IST
Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

With the month of January 2008 being dominated by the likes of medium/small budget films like BOMBAY TO BANGKOK, MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES and RAAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA, two films which are distinctly standing out are HALLA BOL and SUNDAY. And guess what's the common factor between the two films? It is Ajay Devgan!

Though HALLA BOL and SUNDAY are releasing on 11th January and 25th January respectively, hence arriving at a gap of barely a fortnight, even Ajay Devgan would have never planned for such a strategy. To begin with, HALLA BOL was supposed to release in the middle of 2007 and was later pushed to later months. While waiting for an opportune time for the film to be pitched in the market, it seemed judicious for it's makers to move it all the way to 2008, hence closing on 11th January as the D-day.

Meanwhile SUNDAY is a film which was shot in the middle of last year and has been completed in quick time to find a 25th January release. Even this date has been announced by chance rather than choice since the film was originally slated for 1st January release. Because JODHAA AKBAR got postponed from its original 25th January release, hence leaving the slot vacant for a film to arrive, SUNDAY grabbed the opportunity with both hands and announced its claim over the open weekend.

If one goes back in history, even 2006 saw a similar feat for Ajay Devgan when his OMKARA and GOLMAAL arrived within a fortnight of each other in the month of July.

Quelle: http://glamsham.com/movies/scoops/07/dec...-bol-120705.asp

I'm not a DVD chor: Rajkumar Santoshi
Mumbai, December 31, 2007

He has the knack. He has often been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Once there was this story of his one-sided love for Meenakshi Seshadri. Then a kissa kiss ka with Mamta Kulkarni. Now it’s the movies he announces but never makes.

Even his Halla Bol was conceived a decade ago with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead.

Rajkumar Santoshi handles a volley of questions fired by Roshmila Bhattacharya.

Wasn’t Hallo Bol supposed to be a quickie and released last December?
Not last December but may be earlier this year.We had wrapped up the shoot in six-eight months. But the elaborate background score took some time. Also, Ajay had to give out some of his dates to Ramgopal Varma Ki Aag.

Did you see Aag?
Yes and I wasn’t impressed.

Apparently, the commercial failure of Ajay Devgan’s Aag and Cash and your own film Family had steered buyers away from Halla Bol.
We didn’t enter the market till the first copy was out. Pyramid was the first party we talked business with and they bought all the territories. Pyramid is a well-established distribution concern down South. They’re entering the North with Halla Bol.. the fact that they’re releasing the film themselves and not selling any territories speaks for their confidence.
And see, Ajay is not a one-film actor. He has a proven track record and I’m a dependable filmmaker too. Halla Bol has fetched more money than any of Ajay’s earlier solo films.

Why was the release pushed back, from Diwali to December and then to January 11?
We had no intentions of taking on Om Shanti Om and Saawariya. So a Diwali release was never on. And then December 21 would have meant a clashwith Taare Zameen Par and Welcome. Keeping the interests of all the three films in mind, we pushed back the release by three weeks.

Why has Vidya Balan been sidelined in the hoardings?
She’s overshadowed by even Pankaj Kapur. Vidya is playing Ajay’s wife, his conscience keeper. There’s a definite graph to the character and the role is bigger than that of Pankaj Kapur. But I won’t deny that the focus of Halla Bol is Ajay Devgan. It’s his story, his conflict with his conscience.

You had narrated the story to Shah Rukh Khan who had liked it. So why didn’t he do the film?
The idea had struck me10-12 years ago. Yes, Shah Rukh had liked the story and Bharat Shahwas to produce the film. But soon after, Bharatbhai ran into legal problems and Shah Rukh and I got busy with his other films. We drifted apart. Years later, I revived the project with Ajay. When we recently met, Shah Rukh told me he was glad that Ajay had done the film.

Why haven’t Aamir Khan and you worked together after Andaz Apna Apna?
We need, the right script. Also, our schedules don’t match. Aamir likes to focus on one film at a time and I’ve been busy with several projects.

Yes with films like Mahabharat for which you reportedly got an advance of Rs 4 crore. It’s been four years and the film hasn’t even gone on the floors.
Yes, as writer-director I was getting monthly installments. I worked on the project for almost a year. It was Ramoji Rao’s responsibility to get the talent together. I haven’t heard from him in ages. As of now, Mahabharat is not happening but Ramayan is.. with Ajay and Kajol as Ramand Sita.

And what’s happening with Prithviraj Samyukta?
After I heard that Chandraprakash Dwivedi and Sunny Deol were also planning Prithviraj Samyukta, I shelved my film. I didn’t want a repeat of Bhagat Singh.

Will Sunny Deol and you ever make another movie?
I’ll always be indebted to Sunny Deol for launching my career.We did three jubilee hits together— Ghayal, Ghatak and Damini. Ghayal and Damini won him two National Awards but he hasn’t come up with such performances in recent times. We should collaborate on another movie soon.
It won’t be a sequel. I’m not so bankrupt of ideas that I have to make a Ghayal 2. It’ll be a fresh, original film which will prove thatwe’re still a strong duo.

Ranbir, another shelved film, caused your break-up with the Bachchans.
Right? I worked on Ranbir for a year-and-a-half but the story didn’t shape up to my satisfaction. If I find something for either Amitji or Abhishek or better still both, I will approach them.(Smiles) We still talk at parties. And please rememberAmitji and I did Family after Ranbir was shelved?

Would you agree that Family is the biggest blot on your career?
I don’t agree. The film may not have worked but it had its moments. It was one of Amitji’s best performances but unfortunately went unnoticed.

Its producer Keshu Ramsay is still pretty upset with you.
Why?

Because Family was his son Aryaman’s debut?
He’s a sincere boy and the role had range. I even gave him scenes with Amitji. Family was an original idea, I didn’t just pick it up from a DVD. Unfortunately, the film didn’t work.

Talking of DVD lifts, we’re told that Halla Bol has shades of Mephisto .. besides parallels from the Jessica Lall murder case and the Narmada Bachchao Andolan?
Nobody has seen the film yet, so how can they make such assumptions? The film has neither drawn from the Jessica Lall case nor is it Aamir Khan’s Gujarat story. It’s original. I’m not a DVD chor . It’s appalling how some of our top filmmakers blatantly copy from DVDs and then attend award functions proudly.
I wouldn’t step out of my house if I had stolen an idea. Even our stars are knowingly a part of such thefts. Yeh to din dahaade robbery hai! I’m not worried about such allegations.When I’m inspired by a creative work, I buy the rights. Recently, I bought the rights for a highly acclaimed play Jiss Lahore Nahin Dekhiya, o jamian he nahin . It’s about this Muslim family which migrates to Lahore after the partition.

Wasn’t Priyanka Chopra your first choice for Halla Bol?
Yes, but there were date problems.

So then you cast her in London Dreams even though Salman Khan had recommended Katrina Kaif.
Salman is the last person to interfere in a film’s casting.

The buzz is that he’s now trying to revive the movie with Vipul Shah as director.
Really? All I know is that there were some production issues which led to a roadblock. It’s a big film and has to be shot in London. I have just two films in pre-production, Ramayan and Ashoka. Ashoka starts off with the emperor turning into a monk after the battle of Kalinga.

Won’t it be lacking in passion and drama?
It has everything a moviegoer would want.. love, action and drama. There are even flashbacks of young Ashok. But it’s not a teeny bopper love story. It’s a historical along the lines of Gladiator and Braveheart. Shah Rukh’s Asoka had plenty of love and passion. It didn’t work. Let’s see how my film does.

Quelle: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/...ebf&&Headline=I

Blog: New Year's Resolution for Bollywood
By IndiaFM News Bureau, December 31, 2007 - 10:25 IST

Auszug:

It's that time of year again-2008 is lurking right around the corner, and people are busy jotting down their new year's resolutions. Here are a few New Year's for Bollywood…

1. A few young men-With young actresses like Jiah Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, and Deepika Padukone flooding into Bollywood, actively recruiting a few young actors will not only bridge the age-gap but will also offer more realistic on-screen chemistry. It is rather agonizing to watch a 38+ Ajay Devgan romancing 25-year-old Nisha Kothari and a 35+ Himesh Reshammiya wooing a 16-year-old Hansika Motwani. No wonder filmmakers have to churn out controversial films like Nisshabd and Cheeni Kum-actresses are getting younger and younger by the day, as Bollywood actors are rapidly approaching the 35 and 40 mark.
...

Quelle: http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/12/31/3416/

Looking forward to Bollywood in 2008
31st Dec 2007 22.20 IST, By Aparajita Ghosh

Auszug:

...
January will be the month of actor Ajay Devgan . The first big release of the year would be Rajkumar Santoshi’s Halla Bol , a film that tackles a socially relevant subject. This would be followed by another Devgan-starrer Sunday , a comedy starring a host of talented actors. Later in the year, we would also see Devgan making his directorial debut in U Me Aur Hum which has him pairing with wife Kajol .
...
Compared to 2007, which saw her in one film ( Jab We Met ), 2008 will be a busy year for Bebo. She will be seen playing a suspicious housewife in Golmaal Returns , a fearless bimbo in ‘Tashan’ and a high society girl in Kambakht Ishq opposite Akshay.
...

Quelle: http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20071231-6.html

Ajay made me look like big fool: Vidya Balan

Vidya started her career in the Hindi film industry with ‘Parineeta’ and since then the actress has not fallen short of praise from audiences and critics alike. She is now all prepared to allure the audience with her character in Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Halla Bol’.

Q.: Please tell us about your character in the film ‘Halla Bol’?
A.: I’m playing the role of Ajay Devgan’s wife Sneha in this movie. She is always a support to Ajay. She helps him to realize his true being whenever he needs to understand whether something is true or false, right or wrong.

Actually I am a mirror to him. She always says the truth to her husband. Her love is the power in her to express the hardcore truth.

Q.: You will be seen as the mother of a four year old boy and your screen time is supposed to be short. Don’t you think that your character will go unnoticed?
A.: There’s nothing like that. I always play roles which inspire me. At the same time, its better not to think that all your characters will always be glamorous. I always look for better characters.

If I have to look at the length, I cannot always be the leading lady of all my movies. Even when I signed the movie, I knew the movie is for Ajay Devgan. I only believe in characters that are indispensable to the story.

Q.: Rajkumar Santoshi’s heroines have always been presented as strong characters. Is that the reason why you agreed to be a part of the project?
A.: May be. I look for characters with some substance. I believe in women with some power in them. That’s the reason why ‘Lajja’ is my favourite film.

Q.: Please tell us about your look in the film?
A.: In the film I am actually from a small town and I get married to a superstar. The director of the film, Raj ji, thought of two different looks for me. One was the look of a woman from a small town and the other one is the look of the wife of superstar. But with the progression of shooting, he threw away the idea about the second look.

That happened only when he realized the fact that when a character is going through so many problems, she cannot think of outfits.

Q.: Usually Ajay Devgan is accepted with his serious look. What do you think?
A.: That’s true but he plays few great comic characters too. And that’s very natural and goes with the character of the actual Ajay Devgan we see on the sets. Working with him was a great experience.

Q.: Has he played any prank during the shooting of this movie?
A.: I would like to mention one incident. Once he made me look like a real big fool. One scene was okayed in the first take but Ajay Devgan and Raj ji made me do it several times. They kept on inspiring me to give the take again and again and I went on following their instructions.

But when I saw that they are just laughing at me I realized that there must be something terribly wrong. And I found that they were just playing a prank on me.

Q.: How was the experience of working with Rajkumar Santoshi?
A.: That was a nice experience. He used to explain every minute thing before the shooting and at the same time he used to inspire all the crew members and actors. I enjoy talking to him as he is very intelligent. Whether it’s History, religion or current affairs he has knowledge of every field.

Q.: Is there any message in the film?
A.: Actually the film shows that there are problems in everybody’s life and there are some people who try to solve them and some who just evade them. In this film all the characters are conscious about the odds and they all come together to face that. It teaches us the positive sides of unity.

Q.: Are you aware that Priyanka Chopra was the first choice for the character you are playing?
A.: Yeah, I know. I got a call from the film makers regarding the movie. It was after they were done with two weeks of shooting I had some information about the casting of the film.

I remember that I went to Raj ji’s office and after listening to the whole story I just came back. I reached my car but suddenly went back to him and said that I liked the script and agreed to do it.

Q.: Is there any memorable incident that must have taken place during the shoot?
A.: It was the time when we shot at Haji Ali. Despite being a resident of Mumbai, I never went to that place. And even though there were crowds I felt the solemnity of the place. There’s a song in that place which is a plus point in the film.

Q.: In the last movie your outfits were not accepted well…..
A.: I took all the negative comments regarding my outfits in a positive way. I was really very idle but now I’m concerned about that. I wear only those outfits which make me feel comfortable. I enjoy less make-up. I like to wear T-shirt with slacks and jeans. And I also love cotton salwaar suits.

Q.: You are basically known as serious actor. What’s your opinion on comedies?
A.: (Smiling) I have acted in comedies, too. It’s a different issue that my character was not comic. No director has allowed me to be a comic and I’m waiting for the day when someone will approach me with a comic character. I hope directors are getting my point.

Q.: It was John and now Shahid. How do you like when people attach your name with someone in that way?
A.: I used to get tensed with these things but now I’m used to all that. I used to get very angry initially. And sometimes I cried, too.

Now I think that till I stay alone my name will be linked to one or the other guy. And it’s after all a part of celeb life. And now I don’t get worried about these issues. - Rajnee Gupta

Quelle: http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=18295

Ayesha: All by myself
29 Dec 2007, 0000 hrs IST,ASHWINI DESHMUKH ,TNN

Ajay Devgan lived up to his reputation of being a prankster on the sets of Sunday.

The cast and crew members of the film had a great time during the lengthy shooting schedule in Delhi as everybody, from director Rohit Shetty to the actors, was at the receiving end of Ajay’s pranks. Rohit Shetty said, “We had a great time as Ajay was always up to some mischief.”

When quizzed about the prank that Ajay played on Ayesha, Rohit laughed and said, “We were shooting for an action sequence at a hotel in Delhi. Ayesha was supposed to stand with her back to the camera and turn when a car came close to her.”

Ajay along with the entire crew planned the prank. Rohit said, “When Ayesha was standing with her back to the camera, I quietly signaled all the crew members to leave. One by one, everyone left the sets till the place was completely deserted. As Ayesha was unaware of the prank, she continued to stand with her back to us. After a long time she realised that nothing was happening and there was complete silence. She suddenly turned and was extremely shocked to find nobody around. As there were no cameras or crew members, she started screaming.”

Although Ayesha was quite amused, she made sure that she checked twice before she was asked to do something after the incident.

Quelle: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India...how/2657763.cms

Spotted: Ajay Devgan on the sets of Sunday
December 31, 2007 16:30 IST

Reader Ruth Sch�trumpf from Germany [Images] came down to Mumbai for a vacation in October, and met Ajay Devgan [Images] on the sets of his new film, Sunday, when the title song was being shot.

Ruth says they were deeply impressed with Ajay's generousity and friendliness.

Quelle: http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/dec/31celeb.htm