... A source revealed, “Salman has personally taken efforts to revive his shelved project London Dreams which was originally supposed to be directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi.”
The film which is based on the desi music scene of UK will now be made at a larger scale than originally planned and is to be directed by Vipul Shah who’s last film Namastey London was a runaway hit. Not surprisingly, Salman is set to play the pivotal role in the film, which is now being made at a staggering budget of 65 crores.
More than 75 per cent of the film will be shot in London and is touted to have a huge appeal for the desi population there.
“Yes, London Dreams is on now and I would be directing the film,” confirms Vipul Shah. “Salman is very excited about the project and we would be making the film at a much larger scale now. As for the heroine, she is yet to be finalised. The film is set in the desi milieu of London. The music scene over there is very vibrant and you have some very talented artists like Rishi Rich, Juggy D, Bally Sagoo, and various other bands making some very distinct music,” he adds.
And though Shah is tight-lipped about the lead opposite Salman, a source reveals that the star’s girlfriend Katrina is a strong contender. “Salman is very keen on casting Katrina, though it’s too early for anyone to commit. She has not been finalised, but she is being considered,” the source added.
February 5, 2008 2:56:10 PM IST Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
After suffering a poor response for the music of box office disaster NO SMOKING, composer Vishal Bhardwaj has a potential ace up his sleeves in the form of U ME AUR HUM.
A project which has Ajay Devgan playing multiple roles as an actor, producer and director, U ME AUR HUM is a romantic comedy cum drama which has ample scope for heartwarming music. And if 'Jee Le', Adnan Sami's signature number that has kick started the promotional campaign of U ME AUR HUM is any indication, there seems to be lot more in the offering from the film's soundtrack.
Ajay Devgan-Vishal Bhardwaj association is also special since this will be their second project together after OMKARA. Now with U ME AUR HUM soundtrack expected to hit the stands by end of February, one waits to see what the MAACHIS composer has in store for his fans.
But director Raj Kumar Santoshi clueless about his London Dreams being revived again
London Dreams is being revived again with Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar (provided dates get worked out). Akshay Kumar has been approached for Ajay Devgan’s role after Ajay turned it down. London Dreams will now be produced by Vipul Shah and Delhi-based businessman Paramjit Singh. Vipul will direct. But Santoshi (the original director and story writer) is clueless about what’s happening.
Says Santoshi, “I am not aware of this. It is my subject and I have designed and conceptualised it. Some time ago, Vipul had asked me if he could go ahead with it with Salman and Katrina, and told me clearly he wouldn’t go ahead with it unless I give him my consent. He’s a good guy and I know he won’t do something without asking me. I told him then that I had issues with the producer that were getting settled. I also said that if Salman wants to go ahead with the film with another director, he can. Whatever Salman is comfortable with, I am okay with that.”
Change of guard
But this time around, when Vipul approached Devgan to do the role, he turned it down. The source says, “Ajay felt that as he had stood by Santoshi, it wouldn’t feel right to go ahead with another director. That’s when Vipul decided to approach his good friend Akshay Kumar for the role and this time Akshay is seriously considering it. He is trying to work out his dates, as his diary is full this year.”
Santoshi says he doesn’t know that Devgan has turned down the role and Akshay is being roped in. “I have been out of town and am unaware of these developments.”
Long ago...
When Santoshi was doing the project, it was to be produced by Paramjit Singh, and the cast included Akshay, Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra. There was a stalemate when Salman tried to get Priyanka replaced by girlfriend Katrina.
Says a source, “Santoshi didn’t give in to Salman’s demands as he didn’t want to be unfair to Priyanka. When Santoshi got busy with his other commitments, Salman decided to revive the project again with Paramjit Singh and good friend Vipul Shah. They will both produce the film while Vipul will direct. Katrina will be the leading lady.”
Cast undecided
Says a source to Paramjit Singh, “We are in negotiations with Vipul Shah to revive London Dreams. Ajay is not doing the film and though we are in discussions with Akshay Kumar, both he and Katrina are yet to be finalised. Katrina is also very busy today. We should be announcing the cast in a week’s time.” Vipul Shah says, “There is nothing to talk about as nothing is finalised yet.”
According to the buzz, Rajkumar Santoshi’s London Dreams, which was on the back burner for some time, has now been revived. The Salman Khan-Ajay Devgan starrer was shelved after the first day of shooting, for reasons unknown. Salman recently put forth a suggestion to Santoshi, about rekindling the project. Interestingly, Santoshi was also considering the same.
While Salman and Ajay are still his choice for the lead roles, there may be changes for the rest of the cast. Also, as Santoshi wants people to look at it as a brand new project, he may change the title to Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Na. This will be Salman and Ajay’s first project together after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Let’s hope they still have that magic.
Ich würde auf den Bericht im mid-day tippen. Erstens, weil Uppala persönlich guten Kontakt zu Mangesh zu pflegen scheint, zweitens, weil der Artikel in gobollywood mir eher wie eine leicht veränderte Kopie einer alten Nachricht vorkommt....
It's a little over two months to go for the release of U Me Aur Hum and the countdown has begun for the much awaited return of Kajol on the big screen.
In a main lead, Kajol was last seen alongside Aamir Khan in Fanaa (May 2006). Now it would be exactly after a couple of years that die hard Kajol fans would be cheering aloud on the lady's comeback. In between she was seen in a guest appearance in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Om Shanti Om though. Both the films have one common factor - Shahrukh Khan.
In U Me Aur Hum, her home production which has hubby Ajay Devgan making his directorial debut, Kajol would be seen as Piya. The film sees her making a transition from a girl to woman as she meets Ajay Devgan, marries him and later sees ups and downs of marriage hood.
U Me Aur Hum also stars Karan Khanna, Isha Sharwani, Sumeet Raghavan, Rituparna Sengupta, Sarika and Divya Dutta. Vishal Bhardwaj is the composer for the film and the soundtrack is expected to hit the stands late February.
Rohit Shetty will be a happy man listening to this since his film 'Sunday' which has opened with a mixed reaction from the audience gets to hang around and make some more money, thanks to the other film 'Rama Rama Kya Hai Drama'. Incidentally, the Rajpal Yadav - Neha Dhupia starrer has failed to get a good response, which has paved way for the Ajay Devgan - Ayesha Takia starrer to carry on with its audience till the other films like 'Superstar' and 'Mithya' arrive.
Junior Devgan inspires Kajol and Ajay 05 Feb, 2008 05:27 pm ISTlReshma Kelkar/INDIATIMES MOVIE
Apart from the appropriate choice as characters in Toon Pur Ka Super Hero, its lead actors Ajay and Kajol had some valid reasons to accept the film. Toonpur Ka Superhero is going to be India’s first live action animation film.
Ajay who plays himself in the film falls into the animated world of toons and becomes a hero to them. When asked what made them sign this film, Ajay informs, “the script and concept of animation with live characters is unique. It’s not just for children but for everyone. It has lots of fun and entertainment value.”
While wife Kajol has more to reveal. She says, “After Nyasa’s birth I started watching cartoon network. Nyasa and I are very fond of cartoon Disney. Both of us love watching Hungamaa and other cartoon channels.” Needless to say mother daughter share the same interest and Nyasa is the real inspiration for the couple to do an Animation film. When asked How excited Nyasa is to see her parents in the film? Ajay replied, “She is excited but she is too small to understand this.”
It can be recalled that recently Anurag Kashyap made an animation film called Hanuman returns. He too informed us that the reason behind making an animation film was his daughter. Add lyricist Prasson Joshi to that list.. He was inspired by his two year old daughter to write lyrics for Taare Zameen Par.
It seems that at least in Bollywood, daughters are the real source of inspiration for these celebrities.
February 6, 2008 2:04:48 PM IST Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
Auszug:
... Now as the New Year has begun, he is looking forward to the arrival of U ME AUR HUM. Yet again, the young actor finds himself in a supporting role since the film is primarily centered on Ajay Devgan and Kajol. Others in the star cast are Isha Sharwani, Rituparna Sengupta and Divya Dutta.
While U ME AUR HUM arrives on 11th April, one waits to see if Karan would have any other release before 2009!
... Q: Whose music among the recent films – ‘Sunday’. My Name is Anthony Gonsalves’, ‘Halla Bol’, ‘Superstar’ and ‘Jodha-Akbar’ – is better? A: I personally like the song ‘Missing Sunday’ from the movie ‘Sunday’ very much. Apart from this, I also like the music from the film ‘Jab we Met’. ...
Actor-debutant director Ajay Devgan seems to love directing his dear wifey Kajol.
Yes, she is a part of his directorial debut U Me Aur Hum, but she is also a part of a jewellery ad commercial which, in fact, Ajay took upon himself to direct. It’ll feature both Ajay and Kajol. Shot in Filmistan only recently, the ad will hit the small screens in mid-March. Also, the storyline of the commercial has been formulated keeping in mind the theme of the romantic, feel-good U Me Aur Hum. Well, let’s hope the movie proves to be a gem, and worth its weight in gold, too.
When U, Me Aur Hum hits cinemas this summer, lead actor Ajay Devgan will mark his debut as director, joining a select list of Bollywood film stars who also wield the directorial baton.
Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah and Rajat Kapoor have successfully made the transition in previous years, with their films earning commercial success, critical acclaim or both.
For Devgan, who made his mark as an action hero in the early 1990s, turning director seemed a natural progression after familiarising himself with the job profile over the years.
"Once you are an actor and you spend years in the industry, you learn a lot by looking at some of the best people (directors) in the business work alongside you," Devgan told Reuters on the sidelines of a film launch in Mumbai.
"It is only a transition for an actor when he becomes a director. If you enjoy cinema, you want to be part of the industry be it as an actor or director or something else."
Actors doubling up as directors are not new to Bollywood. The names of Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar and Dev Anand are associated with several Hindi classics in the latter half of the 20th century.
But their number declined steadily by the turn of the millennium and the few actors who continued to dabble in film-making found no takers for their efforts.
In 2001, Ashutosh Gowarikar, who had appeared in several films in supporting roles, achieved success as a director in Lagaan, a film that made it to the Academy Awards shortlist in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
The decade also saw actors Naseeruddin Shah and Rajat Kapoor earn praise for their first outings as director.
But no Bollywood superstar had taken the plunge till last year, when Lagaan actor Aamir Khan impressed critics and audiences with his directorial debut "Taare Zameen Par", a sensitive film about a child with the learning disability dyslexia.
Being at the helm of a film was a new and exhausting experience for the actor, who has been one of Bollywood's top onscreen stars for two decades.
"The past few months have been quite a ride," Khan wrote on his blog. "Am I ever going to recover?"
"I feel like I've been stuffed into a washing machine which doesn't have an off button. After this I really need to be put out to dry in the sun and left alone."
Directing a film can be more of an ordeal for lesser known actors especially if it lacks star power and its content deviates from the time-tested formulas of revenge sagas or romantic melodramas.
The shooting of Rajat Kapoor's third film Mithya, which releases this month, had been delayed by nine years for want of a producer.
"If you want to do something different and you don't have stars then you will have a tough time to find someone to fund your film," he told Reuters at a promotional event for Mithya.
But Kapoor believes things can only get better in the coming years.
"It was very frustrating, you know you have a good story but people want to fund routine films. But things are definitely changing. Producers have started trusting fresh scripts after seeing audiences liking new content."
After his trial by Aag, meet a mellower Ramu who sounds different!
Ram Gopal Varma is a changed person. No longer willing to make films at the drop of a hat. No more the dial-a-quote wizard, this maverick movie- maker has mellowed, though not melted down. In a no-holds-barred interview, Ramu finally speaks out after months of silence.
... People believed you’d gone into hiding after Aag? Why would I hide? I’ve made flops before. I didn’t speak because there was nothing to say. I went into a phase of introspection. I now feel I was making films lately with a certain frivolous, even callous, attitude. I was also making press statements for effect, for shock value. I decided to keep quiet for a while. Now it’s high time that I stopped talking stupidly.
Why do you think your utterances were stupid? I want to make films that excite me and which, hopefully, will excite the audience. Once you start getting addicted to media interviews, you tend to forget you are a filmmaker, and not meant to entertain people through your interviews. I made Aag out of arrogance. I think I just wanted to be cocky by remaking a film I loved and respected.
Has Aag changed you? Yes. But I don’t blame anyone else for going wrong in Aag. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan trusted my vision and intention. But I feel my intention was wrong. Aag was a three-year-old dream. Many changes happened. I was told by lawyers to change the story because my Sholay had to be different from the original. I lost my way along the way. Aag ended up being a caricature of Sholay.
You admit that? When people around you keep saying it’s turning out well, you tend to get carried away. Aag was a special flop for me. Just as Sholay was a benchmark, Aag was a landmark for me. If Aag wasn’t attached to Sholay it’d have been just another flop. But because of the Sholay factor, my blunder was magnified manifold. It was time for me to take time off to think deeply.
You sound different! Eventually you are what you are. Now I’ve become more intense and objective. And I’m very clear about what I want to do. I was making callous cocky statements. But somewhere I felt I was going wrong. I’d never again jump into a project because it sounded good on the idea level. I’ll only do films with scripts, and with full objectivity and make sure that it has the potential to get an audience. Nobody realises mistakes until he gets a solid slap. Aag was that slap. Making a success isn’t in my hands. But making sure that I make films with objectivity is something I can do, and I will. ...
Bhatt wants Ajay Devgan to play the lead role for his docu-drama
Mahesh Bhatt quit direction with the Ajay Devgan-Sonali Bendre starrer Zakhm (which also won Devgan his first national award).
He now wants to return to filmmaking again with Ajay Devgan with his docu-drama based on the life of speaker-philosopher, UG Krishnamurthi.
Buzz is that he approached Ajay Devgan to play the role of UG. Bhatt says cautiously, “I would love to have Ajay Devgan play the role and have approached him for it.
However, one has to see whether Ajay will allow himself to take the risk of an experimental film of this nature. He is the best actor for the role.”
Humility counts
Bhatt explains his reasons for selecting Devgan to play his mentor’s role, “ In Zakhm, he was at his most brilliant and brave (he had played Bhatt himself). Ajay is the only actor I can think of presently who has an emotional point.
Only his acting has that humility which allows somebody else’s life to invade him and portray that character without any pretensions. He soaks up information like a sponge and becomes the character. I don’t think he has stagnated as an actor you are as good or bad as the writer or director is.”
Not a comeback
Talking about the project Bhatt says, “I want to clarify that I have no intention of making a comeback into fictional feature films again. After giving up feature films, I have been making documentaries on the super cyclone of Orissa, the drought of Rajasthan, Nagaland, the lives of the Bastar tribals and the Jamiyat Ulema E Hind. I am going to make a documentary of a four-hour duration, which chronicles my own perspective of UG. It will be a non-fiction film like A Mighty Heart.”
The couple had a heated argument over leaking private text messages
They like to keep things private. We rarely get to hear about any tiff between Ajay Devgan and his wife Kajol. However, a source close to the couple spills the beans.
Flare-up
A recent argument between Kads and Ajay didn’t remain behind closed doors as it was heard an eavesdropper. The reason behind the drama? A source close to the couple tells all, “Ajay discussed some of Kajol’s private messages with Kumar Mangat who is his good friend.
The drama began when Kajol texted Shah Rukh about a project offered to her by Rajkumar Hirani. She was enquring about Hirani and his views on the script and her role.”
Kajol who discusses her work with Ajay, told him about the messages she sent Shah Rukh. She even shared with him other details about the film. But when Kajol, known for her fiery temper, realised that Ajay had shared this information with Kumar Mangat, all hell broke loose.
“When Kajol heard other people talking about her private messages with Shah Rukh, she was shocked. Especially because it showed her ignorance about Hirani’s calibre. This was something she had only shared with Ajay. Kajol confronted Ajay and asked him if he had discussed their conversation with anyone else.”
Ajay denied the allegation and told her it was a case of pure misunderstanding. “Kumar Mangat later met Kajol and sorted out the matter with her. However, it took quite a while for her to cool down and forget the fight.”
When contacted, Ajay just laughed off the incident.