Ajay Devgan: 'We just act like heroes. The real heroes are those who serve the country!' 01 Dec, 2008 09:50 am ISTlINDIATIMES MOVIES
We met up with actor Ajay Devgan at his house. Though the man is shooting for Toonpur Ka Superhero these days, the actor isn't at his cheerest best. After all, the terror that struck Mumbai was the worst of its kinds, and Ajay isn't really in a mood to discuss future projects or even talk about his current ones.
However, news has it that the Ajay Devgan Productions will have as many as three films on floor next year. "But instead of talking about my expansion plans, I'd rather salute the Indian commandos and NSG's who lead from the front and gave their lives for the citizens of this country. There are people who have lost their loved ones, Kajol and I extend our condolence to their families," says Ajay, adding, "The army personnel have done their job wonderfully, but the question here is: Have we done ours?"
Devgan has played the hero is many films like Halla Bol and Gangajal or even Yuva . "We just act like the heroes. We play characters, but the real heroes are those who selflessly serve the country and put their lives on the line for us citizens whom they don't even know personally. And what's more credible is that they put us before family. I salute them!"
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Wir treffen Schauspieler Ajay Devgan zu Hause. Obwohl der Mann gerade für TKSH dreht, ist er nicht gerade glänzend aufgelegt. Schließlich waren die Terroranschläge auf Mumbai von der übelsten Sorte, und Ajay ist nicht wirklich in der Stimmung über gegenwärtige oder zukünftige Filmprojekte zu sprechen. Aber schließlich sollen ja nächstes Jahr drei Filme aus Ajay Devgans Produktion in die Kinos kommen. "Statt über meine Expansionspläne zu sprechen, möchte ich an dieser Stelle lieber den indischen Spezialeinheiten meinen Respekt ausdrücken, die in vorderster Front gestanden haben und ihr Leben für die Bürger dieses Landes riskierten. Und da sind die Menschen, die ihre Lieben verloren haben - deren Familien möchten Kajol und ich unser tiefstes Mitgefühl ausdrücken", sagt Ajay und fährt fort: "Die Armeeangehörigen haben ihre Aufgabe ausgezeichnet erfüllt, bleibt die Frage: Gilt das auch für uns?" Devgan hat oft den Helden gegeben - sei es in HALLA BOL, GANGAJAL oder YUVA. "Wir spielen die Helden nur. Wir sind Darsteller der Charaktere, aber die wirklichen Helden sind diejenigen, die selbstlos dem Land dienen und für uns Bürger ihr Leben riskieren, obwohl sie keinen von uns persönlich kennen. Und was noch bewunderswerter ist: Sie stellen unser Wohl über das ihrer Familien. Ich stehe stramm vor ihnen!"
With the recession hitting the film industry hard, more and more film-makers are getting cautious and watching the situation minutely. It's said that the Studios have decided to adopt a wait-n-watch attitude, while several A-list independent producers have decided to hold on for the time being as well.
Rumours are rife that Vipul Shah has decided to put his multiple films on hold, for the time being. It's said that he's focussing on completing LONDON DREAMS first, before he takes stock of the situation and decides on his next move. “Completely untrue," Vipul quashes the rumours, “No recession can affect a good film. If you plan your film well, keep its economics in check and make all efforts to make a good film, things can’t go wrong.”
Agreed, but has he also decided to adopt a wait-n-watch stance? “I haven’t put any of my projects on hold. I was deep-neck into LONDON DREAMS for some time, hence couldn’t devote much time to the new projects I was planning to start. But let me clear this, the plan to make 4 films next year is definitely on. Right now, I am in the process of putting the projects together and will make an official announcement soon,” Vipul states.
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Mit der zunehmend auf die Filmindustrie durchschlagenden Krise werden immer mehr Filmemacher vorsichtig und beobachten die Situation sehr genau. Man sagt, dass die Studios beschlossen haben, sich die Lage erst einmal in Ruhe anzusehen, während einige der großen Produzenten wohl eine Auszeit nehmen werden. Es gibt Gerüchte, dass Vipul Shah deswegen seine diversen Filme auf Eis gelegt hätte und sich zunächst auf die Fertigstellung von LD konzentrieren wird, bevor er entscheidet, was dann als Nächstes passiert. "Völliger Quatsch," weist Vipul die Spekulationen zurück. "Keine Rezession kann einen guten Film aufhalten. Wenn du deine Dreharbeiten gut geplant hast, auf die Wirtschaftlichkeit achtest und dich anstrengst, dann kann nichts schief gehen." Das stimmt wohl, aber will auch er sich die Lage erst einmal in Ruhe ansehen? "Ich habe keines meiner Projekte gestoppt. Manchmal hat mich LD so in Anspruch genommen, dass ich den anderen Filmen nicht viel Zeit widmen konnte, die danach kommen sollen. Aber eins ist ganz klar, die vier Filme für das nächste Jahr sind beschlossene Sache. Im Moment bin ich dabei, die Projekte fertig zu machen, damit ich bald an die Öffentlichkeit damit gehen kann," sagt Vipul.
By Kunal M Shah, Vickey Lalwani and Runna Ashish Bhutda Posted On Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 03:39:41 AM
Celebrity hair stylist Aalim Hakim will launch another branch of his salon in Versova on Thursday evening and the who’s who of Bollywood will be attending the do.
Most of the stars are planning an early pack up to be there for Aalim on his big day. The star studded event will include stars like Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Shahid Kapur, Ranbir Kapoor, Sunny Deol and Ajay Devgan among others.
When contacted an overjoyed Aalim said, “It is overwhelming to know that so many people love you. I am glad that they are going to be there for me despite their busy schedules.”
While an emotional Ranbir Kapoor said, “Aalim bhai is more than family to me. I wish him all the love and best wishes in his new endeavour.”
And Sanjay Dutt said, “I trust him more than anyone else when it comes to my look or my hair styling. I will be there for him always.”
übersetzt von Diwali: Aalim Hakim eröffnet neuen Salon am Donnerstag - Ajay auf der Gästeliste
Am Donnerstag eröffnet der Promi-Hairstylist Aalim Hakim in Versova einen neuen Salon, und die Gästeliste liest sich wie ein Who-Is-Who der Hindi-Filmindustrie; erwartet werden u.a. Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Shahid Kapur, Ranbir Kapoor, Sunny Deol und Ajay Devgan.
At home, she is a docile conservative South Indian girl. But put her on stage and she transforms into a cool chic rock singer with a guitar in her hands and a song on her lips. Apparently, that's what Asin plays in London Dreams.
According to sources, there are two separate looks for her Londoner's character. The traditional South Indian look and the rock singer who takes off with her friends to jam and groove to beat.
Though producer-director Vipul Shah isn't revealing anything, it is reliably learnt that Asin who makes her transition from Tamil-Telugu to Hindi cinema, even gets to sing in her voice and play the guitar in London Dreams.
But it's bye-bye to Tamil and Telugu cinema. Now Asin has moved bag and baggage with her parents to pursue a full-time career in Hindi cinema. The family has been staying in a rented place in the suburbs for a year now.
But now, Asin is ready to buy her own place in Bandra. "We're looking at some places. And we'll zero in on the place we want soon."
About her role in London Dreams Asin is totally tightlipped. "All I can say is, it's something I've never played before. In fact I think it's a role never seen in Indian cinema. Beyond that I can't talk about it. But I'm very excited about both Ghajini and London Dreams. I've a long list of criteria for selecting a role beginning with the director, banner and co-star and ending with the cinematographer...I want them all to be just right. Am I being greedy? Perhaps. I'm sorry. I can't settle for anything but the best," said Asin before bringing in her birthday quietly.
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Es geht um Asin, die in LD selbst singen und Gitarre spielen wird. Sie richtet sich auf eine Karriere im Hindifilm ein. Mit ihren Eltern wohnt sie seit über einem Jahr in einem Vorort von Mumbai und sucht jetzt nach einer Wohnung in Bandra. Bezüglich ihrer Filmrolle in LD gibt sie sich sehr bedeckt: "So eine Rolle habe ich noch nie gespielt - eigentlich hat es so etwas im indischen Kino bisher nicht gegeben. Sonst kann ich darüber nichts sagen. Aber ich bin sehr aufgeregt wegen GHAJINI und LD. Ich arbeite immer mit einer langen Auswahlliste, wenn ich mich für eine Rolle entscheide: Von Regisseur, Produktionsfirma und den anderen Stars bis hin zum Kameramann. Ich will, das alles passt. Anspruchsvoll? Vielleicht. Tut mir leid. Ich kann mich nur mit dem Besten zufrieden geben," sagt Asin, bevor sie auf ihren Geburtstag zu sprechen kommt.
Ghajini star Asin Thottumkal has slammed tabloid reports that Salman Khan has been paying special attention to her.
Asin, 23, who co-stars with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan in London Dreams admits she is excited about working with Salman in the film, just as she is happy to be working with Devgan and director Vipul Shah!
"It was exciting working with another Khan, a professional like Ajay Devgan and a cool director like Vipul. I'm looking forward to the next schedule," she told HT in an interview.
Asked to comment on reports that Salman gave her a gift on Onam and she returned the gesture on Eid, Asin said:
"How I wish that was true! But there has been no exchange of gifts. We weren't shooting on Onam, in fact we were traveling. On Eid, we were shooting. So, I got no gifts from Salman, neither did I gift him anything in return."
As to rumors that Salman is helping her buy an apartment in Mumbai.
"I've been in Mumbai for more than a year now. I moved into my house in Lokhandwala in January this year. So why should anyone help me to find another home? What would I do with so many homes?" Asin asked.
How about reports that Salman Khan's girlfriend Katrina Kaif isn't too pleased with the attention that he has been paying Asin?
"I find these reports funny. Those who spread such stories should become scriptwriters for a pukka Bollywood masala movie," Asin countered.
Asin, 22, is a Malayalee who was born and brought up in Cochin. She has now settled in Chennai.
In Ghajini, Asin plays Kalpana, an ad film actress and activist who is the love with Sanjay Ramasamy (Aamir Khan), a rich tycoon.
When she successfully saves a bunch of children in danger, she is brutally murdered by a gang leader and the entrepreneur himself gets hit hard on the head when he tries to save her. The injury results in Sanjay being afflicted by short term memory loss. He is later studied about and helped by a psychology student (Jiah Khan) to take revenge on those who murdered Kalpana.
In London Dreams, Asin plays a South Indian musician in London.
Explaining his choice of Asin for the role, Vipul Shah says, "I needed a proper South Indian girl speaking accented Hindi. I also required a face not seen in Bollywood. At the same time, I needed an actress, not just a looker who could sing and dance."
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Nuja, von LD ist da nicht viel die Rede - es geht mehr um die Gerüchte, ob sich jetzt Asin und Salman zu Onam und Eid gegenseitig beschenkt hätten, was wohl Katrina dazu gesagt hätte ... blah ... Im letzten Absatz wird nochmal wiederholt, warum Vipul Asin gecastet hat: neues Gesicht, Hindi mit südindischem Akzent.
By Faridoon Shahryar and Suleman Mobhani, December 12, 2008 - 14:53 IST
London Dreams
Set in London, it's a story bound by a rock band that banks on the scaffold of friendship. Director Vipul Shah is trying to blend mercurial Salman Khan and Mr Intensity Ajay Devgan. Ghajini star Asin will surely be a cherished attraction. A R Rahman's music and Shridhar Raghavan's screenplay are the notable highlights of the film. With Vipul Shah emerging as quite an Ustaad at packaging his products according to a huge spectrum of audience, we expect London Dreams to be a potential blockbuster of 2009.
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Über LD heißt es: Spielt in London, die Story rankt sich um eine Rockband und Probleme zwischen den Musikerfreunden. Regisseur Vipul Shah versucht den lebhaften Salman Khan mit dem superintensiven Ajay Devgan in Einklang zu bringen. Und GHAJINI-Star Asin wird sicher eine willkommene Augenweide werden. Auch A.R. Rahmans Musik und das Drehbuch von Shridhar Raghavan gehören zu den Highlights des Films. Mit Vipul Shahs Geschick, seine Filme so zu machen, dass viele Menschen davon angesprochen werden, denken wir, dass LD einer der potientiellen Blockbuster von 2009 wird.
Keine Ahnung ob daran was wahr ist, es wurde heute in Ajays Forum gepostet
Zitat von Ajays ForumHello guys........I have one good news for all Ajay fans. Yash Chopra Films signs Ajay Devgan and Twinkle Khanna for a love story film name SAAWAN. Saturday Twinkle Khanna was talking to one Pakistani Tv program NEWSLINK and they ask her about his next any work in bollywood.And she replied I AM STARTING SHOOTING IN JAN 09 WITH YASH CHOPRA FILMS....FOR SAAWAN. AJAY DEVGAN IS PLAYING LEAD ROLE.IT'S NICE LOVE STORY LIKE OUR LAST BLOCKBUSTER "JAAN". I hope soon other channels also give other details.
Er hat auch Links gepostet, jedoch sind die für mich in einer unlesbaren Sprache :D , vielleicht kann Rohollah da mal schauen ;)
By Subhash K Jha Posted On Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 02:30:33 AM
For those who think Ekta Kapoor has been hit hard by the termination and debacle of some of her serials, think again! Ekta is all set to produce a string of mega budget films, beginning with Milan Luthria’s Once Upon a Time In Mumbai, starring Ajay Devgan and Emraan Hashmi as Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim respectively. Art director Nitin Desai will be constructing a set costing Rs 8.5 crore at his studio in Karjat.
A source close to the production house said, “When Ekta heard the set was going to cost Rs 8.5 crore she was slightly hesitant. But when she saw the design of the set she agreed immediately.”
Why was Ekta lying low when accusations were hurled at her? Ekta replied, “Have I been lying low? If I have it’s because that’s what I wanted to do. Do you really think I care about what my well-wishers would think about me?
Anyways, I don't think I owe an explanation to anyone, except my parents, my company and myself. If I’ve chosen to remain quiet it’s because I didn’t want to talk about my plans until I was ready to hit the road. Now we are all set to start Once Upon A Time In Mumbai.”
übersetzt von sylva: eigentlich gehts es hier um die Produzentin von *Once upon a time in Mumbai* Als Hauptdarstellere werden Ajay und Emraan Hashmi genannt. Das Set, das Art Director Nitin Desai gebaut hat soll 8,5 cr kosten. Erst war es ihr zu teuer, aber als sie das Set gesehen hat war sie begeistert und hat sofort zugestimmt. Der Dreh beginnt im April 2009.
Mumbai, Dec 16: Kajol may be blessed with commendable histrionic skills, but when it comes to performing dangerous action sequences, the actress becomes uncomfortable, reveals Hollywood action director Jack Gill of Spider-Man and Superman fame. The action director has been directing some really stunning action scenes in Mehboob Studios for Ajay Devgan-Kajol starrer, ‘Toonpur Ka Superhero’.
Kajol was apprehensive while performing some stunts but Jack Gill convinced her to go for it. "Kajol is quite a lot like my wife in the sense that she does not want to do action. She likes love stories and drama. I kind of identify with her. She is a beautiful lady but I had to coax her to do the stunt with Ajay. It was not a very difficult shot, but I could see fear in her eyes. She is not comfortable with it, like Julia Roberts who does not like action at all. Julia had this fear of heights and I had to go slow with her. It took her a while to get used to it, too," said Jack to a news daily.
Even Ajay had a tough time, managing the high action-packed stunts. “It took a while for him to get back to action…. He was sore for the first three to four weeks. He didn't realise that it would get so rigorous," Jack stated.
Jack Gill feels that Hollywood style action is fast becoming a trend in India. "I always thought Bollywood was just one area in Mumbai, but when I came here I realised it was spread all over Mumbai."
Now, with so much action going on, ‘Toonpur Ka Superhero’ may well strike the right ‘action’ chord with the audience.
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Kajol mag mit bemerkenswerten schauspielerischen Talenten gesegnet sein, aber bei gefährlichen Actionsszenen fühlt sich die Leinwanddiva nicht besonders wohl, wie Hollywood-Actionregisseur Jack Gill, der Macher von Spiderman und Superman, enthüllt. Der hat nämlich ein paar ziemlich atemberaubende Actionszenen für den Ajay-Devgan-Kajol-Film TKSH in den Mehboob Studios gedreht. Kajol hatte ziemliche Bedenken, die Stunts zu machen, aber Jack Gill überredete sie letzten Endes doch. "Kajol verhält sich da ähnlich wie meine Frau - die mag auch keine Actionszenen machen. Sie bevorzugt eben Liebesgeschichten und Dramen. Ich kann das irgendwie schon nachvollziehen. Sie ist eine wunderschöne Frau, aber ich musste ihr gut zureden, bis sie den Stunt mit Ajay gemacht hat. Es war keine schwierige Einstellung, aber ich konnte die Angst in ihren Augen sehen. Sie fühlt sich einfach nicht wohl dabei, genau wie Julia Roberts übrigens, die überhaupt keine Action mag. Julia hatte Höhenangst und ich musste wirklich vorsichtig mit ihr sein. Sie hat lange gebraucht, um sich daran zu gewöhnen," sagte Jack in einer Nachrichtensendung. Sogar Ajay musste sich ziemlich mit den anspruchsvollen Stunts plagen. "Es hat eine Zeitlang gedauert, bis er wieder drin war ... Die ersten drei, vier Wochen tat ihm alles weh. Er hatte nicht erwartet, dass es so hart werden würde," stellte Jack fest. Jack Gill ist davon überzeugt, dass Action im Hollywoodstil schnell ein Trend in Indien werden wird: "Ich dachte immer, Bollywood sei ein Stadtteil von Mumbai, aber als ich dann hier war, wurde mir klar, dass Bollywood überall ist." Nun, mit so viel Actionszenen wird TKSH wohl den Geschmack des Publikums treffen.
... Only a handful of films ticked at the overseas box office this year. Jodhaa Akbar opened the innings with a solid run in the US and some other markets, while, in the UK, it scraped into the millionaire's league (£1m) by a few pennies, aided by an uninterrupted run. That thrillers don't fare well overseas was dispelled by the jubilant marathon of Race, notwithstanding the lucrative Easter factor. Kajol's presence lent incredible gravitas to U, Me Aur Hum delivering reasonable box office numbers, the chartbusting soundtrack of Jannat gave Emraan Hashmi his fifth overseas release (and second mini hit), while Aamir Khan's marketing hurricane for Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na was effective in introducing his nephew to the Asian households. In August, Singh Is Kinng stormed the scene re-writing box office history and thus emerging as the biggest overseas grosser of Akshay's two decade-long career. Eid (the best time to release in the UK & Middle East) saw two of the unconventional titles of which Kidnap was the more successful one. Though largely tepid, it surprised in the UK with a reasonable gross despite an overseas-unfriendly cast and genre. Predictably, 'Golmaal' brought tidy 'Returns' on Diwali and Dostana hit the bull's eye straight away and how! Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opened to good numbers though what remains to be seen is if this SRK-Aditya Chopra combination (after eight years!) can notch up a lifetime gross to match that of Veer Zaara, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. ...
Be it her portrayal of Simran in Dilwale Dulhania... or of Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai...or now when she plays herself in television commercials, the one thing that comes across when Kajol is on screen is her spontaneity.
And the ace actress is no different in person either. A straight talker who doesn’t mince her words, Kajol had some really nice things to say about the Pink City on her recent visit here. It was business as usual for the lady who was here to promote the products of a telecom company. But if Kajol had the option of mixing business with pleasure, she would have really done so in Jaipur. And here’s why. “Jaipur is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I am really missing Ajay at this moment,” was her candid confession.
That her family is her topmost priority is something that Kajol has reiterated again and again, so when a journalist asked her, “Are you lucky for SRK or is he lucky for you?” she stepped back from her candid self and said, “Lets talk about the product I am launching.”
That hubby Ajay and her buddy Shah Rukh are not the best of friends is no secret in the industry, and like the nice wife Kajol decided to skirt the topic. SRK might be taboo, but Mumbai isn’t and the lovely lady was more than vocal about the state of her city after the recent terror attack. “People in Mumbai are very scared and I think they have every right to be scared,” she says. And as a responsible member of the film industry she doesn’t miss the opportunity to say that the entire film fraternity is annoyed with what has happened and the way the government has handled the situation. “We are the highest tax payers in the country, but in the security front we were made to face a huge security flaw,” she says visibly disgusted adding, “In fact, I was too annoyed with myself thinking why I didn’t do something when all this was happening.”
But like the city she lives in, Kajol’s spirit seems to have overtaken her fear for she has not changed anything about her life even after the attacks. “I haven’t added a battery of personal security guards in the fear that terrorists might strike again and this time it might be me. But, being a public figure I require guards when I attend public meetings,” she says. And though the Christmas and New Year season is round the corner, Kajol wants to keep it a low-key affair and says, “I don’t think we are in the mood to celebrate, and in any case I’m not a party animal and would prefer to be with my family.”
But the home-bound lady has her share of work as well and though she might not be doing as many films as her husband, but she is still game to working with friends. “From January onwards I’m going to work in a Karan Johar movie. In fact 2009 is going to be quite a busy year,” she says. And talking about films, we can’t but ask her if she would want to fulfil cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s desire to play his mom or sister on screen, and the 33-year-old actress blushes but adds with a tinge of humour, “Playing the mother of a star cricketer, even if on screen, is a great achievement.”
But we found out that Jaipur is not the only basis of her Rajasthan connect even as she is a frequent visitor to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. “I have a lot of faith in the dargah, but unfortunately this time I am not being able to make a trip there, even though I am so close,” she says. Well, we are sure she’ll make another trip to Ajmer soon enough for Rajasthan to host this bindaas babe again.
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Egal ob ihre Rolle der Simran in DDLJ oder die der Anjali in KKHH oder ihre Selbstdarstellung in der Fernsehwerbung, eine Sache kommt einem sofort in den Sinn, wenn Kajol zu sehen ist: Spontanität. In richtigen Leben ist die Topschauspielerin auch nicht anders: Obwohl sie sonst nicht mit deutlichen Worten spart, sagte Kajol bei ihrem letzten Besuch dort ein paar wirklich nette Sachen über die Pink City. Die Dame war gekommen, um die Produkte einer Telekommunikationsfirma zu bewerben. Wenn sie die Wahl gehabt hätte, Geschäft mit Vergnügen zu mischen, würde sie das in Jaipur gern getan haben: "Jaipur ist eine der schönsten Orte auf der ganzen Welt. Ich vermisse Ajay gerade wirklich sehr," lautete ihr freimütiges Geständnis. Dass ihre Familie für sie höchste Priorität hat, betont Kajol ständig. So lautete auch ihre Antwort auf die Fragen eines Journalisten, ob sie SRK oder er ihr Glück wünsche: "Lassen Sie uns über das Produkt sprechen, das hier vorgestellt wird." Das Ehemann Ajay und Freund Shahrukh nicht die allerbesten Freunde sind, ist in der Filmindustrie kein Geheimnis, aber als nette Ehefrau entschied Kajol, das Thema zu wechseln. SRK mochte also tabu sein, aber Mumbai war es nicht, und die wunderbare Frau äußerste sich sehr bestimmt über den Zustand ihrer Heimatstadt nach der letzten Terrorattacke: "Die Menschen in Mumbai haben Angst, und ich denke, damit tun sie gut," sagte sie. Und als ein führendes Mitglied der Filmindustrie nutzte sie die Gelegenheit dazu, zu betonen, dass alle Filmleute sehr verärgert über die Vorfälle und das Vorgehen der Regierung sind. "Wir zahlen die meisten Steuern im Land, aber in Sachen Sicherheit wurde nichts getan," sagte sie sichtbar angewidert. "Während der Ereignisse dachte ich ständig, warum ich nie etwas dagegen unternommen hatte." Aber wie ihre Heimatstadt scheint sich Kajol nicht von ihren Ängsten unterkriegen zu lassen; ihr Leben hat sie nach den Anschlägen jedenfalls nicht geändert. "Ich habe nicht aus Angst, das nächste Mal könnten die Terroristen mich ins Visier nehmen, eine Horde von Bodyguards engagiert. Trotzdem brauche ich natürlich Schutz, wenn ich mich in der Öffentlichkeit bewege," sagt sie. Die Festtage, die vor der Tür stehen, werden ebenfalls nicht besonders gefeiert werden: "Ich denke nicht, dass wir in Feierlaune sind. Ich bin sowieso keine Partygängerin und würde es immer vorziehen, die Zeit mit meiner Familie zu verbringen." Aber die bodenständige Schauspielerin hat eine Menge zu tun - wenn auch nicht ganz so viel wie ihr Ehemann -, und zieht es vor, mit Freunden zu arbeiten. "Von Januar an arbeite ich für einen Karan-Johar-Film. 2009 wird überhaupt ein arbeitsreiches Jahr werden," sagt sie. Danach können wir es uns nicht verkneifen, sie zu fragen, ob sie wirklich Yuvraj Sings Wunsch nachkommen wird, die Mutter oder die Schwester des Kricketstars fürs Fernsehen zu spielen. Die 33jährige Schauspielerin errötet und antwortet dann mit ein bisschen Spott: "Die Mutter eines berühmten Kricketspielers zu spielen, und das sogar im Fernsehen, das wäre ein wirklicher Fortschritt." Wir fanden außerdem heraus, dass Jaipur nicht ihre einzige Verbindung zu Rajastan ist - sie besucht häufig das Grabmal von Sharif in Ajmer. "Ich fühle mich dem Grabmal sehr verbunden. Unglücklicherweise habe ich dieses Mal keine Zeit, um dorthin zu fahren, obwohl es so nah ist," sagt sie. Nun, wir sind sicher, dass sie bald wieder nach Ajmer aufbrechen und Rajastan die Ehre erweisen wird.
... You star in London Dreams opposite Salman Khan.What would you say is the difference between the two Khans? On the contrary, I find a lot of similarities between the two. Both of them are cool to work with, only Salman is more spontaneous. Even Ajay Devgan is a pucca professional. He is quite a prankster and the three of us had a great time. In fact, it was one of my best outdoor shoots. ...
Friday, December 19, 2008 By Subhash K. Jha. Maharashtra, India, 08:00 AM IST
Auszug:
... Here is more title trouble. Anees Bazmi, director of 'No Entry' fame, is set to direct 'No Problem' for Anil Kapoor Productions. But will UTV, which owns the title, be willing to part with it?
'That's right. The title 'No Problem' is with UTV. I was supposed to make another comedy with that title for UTV with Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar and Riteish Deshmukh. That didn't happen. I'm committed to make another comedy with Akshay Kumar for UTV. But the title 'No Problem' suits Anil Kapoor's film. I hope UTV will part with it,' Bazmi told IANS. ... 'But Ajay Devgan is a dear friend. And I'm very proud of Rohit Shetty who was my assistant... just like I once assisted Raj Kapoor saab. ...
During the last one year, there have been countless spoofs being made around Saawariya, its situations and its director. Though people associated with the film have let it all go in number of instances, they have taken it rather seriously in case of Golmaal Returns where Saawariya reference turned out to be pretty blatant and rather in-your-face.
In the week when Golmaal Returns completes it's 50 days at the box office, it has some trouble ahead for itself with SONY BMG filing a case in the Mumbai High Court against Shree Ashtvinayak Films, for the illegal use of the song 'Jab Se Tere Naina' in the film's narrative. The company's charge is that the composition (with lyrics intact) of 'Jab Se Tere Naina' have been used in multiple scenes of the film without any permission or license from SONY BMG who own all rights to the song.
Since the matter is subjudice, no official from SONY BMG was willing to come on record to talk about the issue. However, a highly placed source close to the company says, "We can understand when spoofs around the film's situations are made. That's understandable and acceptable as long as it is healthy and in good taste. The trend has been prevalent in West for long and is catching up in Bollywood too. It happens to the best and the worst of the movies. However, the issue here is about using the song from Saawariya in the narrative of Golmaal Returns, and that too on multiple junctures, without any approval."
Why is the case being filed now when the film is all but gone from the theaters? "Golmaal Returns had released on 29th October, 2008 and within a week, SONY BMG sent it's first notice to Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision asking them to take permission for the use of the song. This was done on 3rd November'08. Since Ashtavinayak didn't revert on this, SONY sent another notice on 7th November'08", informs the source.
Apparently, Ashtavinayak refused to budge from their stand and retained the portions of dispute in the film. "That's right, in reply to the 2nd notice, Ashtavinayak refuted the claims made by SONY BMG. This is when SONY BMG decided to file a case against Shree Ashtvinayak Films and named the worldwide distributors of the movie - Indian Film Company and the Home video licensees - Moser Baer as co defendants", reveals the source.
Well, the ball is in Ashtavinayak's court now. It has to be seen what they have to say on this matter now.
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Genauer gesagt geht es um den Song 'Jab Se Tere Naina', der häufiger in der Hintergrundmusik des Films auftauchen soll. Sony BMG hat die Rechte an dem Stück und sich gleich nach Erscheinen von GR mit dem Produktionshaus in Verbindung gesetzt. Die haben aber auf dieses und weitere Schreiben nicht reagiert und so trifft man sich jetzt irgendwann vor Gericht ...
Jack Gill is a name you may not instantly connect with. But in the West, Jack is a name to reckon with when it comes to directing high-octane action sequences. He is one of the leading action directors in Hollywood and has directed action scenes for films like Terminator-2, Wild Hogs, RoboCop, Bad Boys 2, Gone in 60 Seconds, Pearl Harbor and Dare Devil to name a few.
Now the man who has worked with the who's who of Hollywood is in Bollywood to direct the action sequences for the Ajay Devgan- Kajol-starrer Toonpur Ka Superhero. Produced by Kumar Mangat and presented by Eros International, Toonpur Ka Superhero is India's first live-action and 3D animation feature film. which is directed by Kireet Khurana. In the midst of directing some never-before-seen action sequences at Mehboob Studios, we caught up with Jack. Excerpts from the interview:
Auszug:
After having directed some heavy-duty action sequences for films like Déjà Vu, The Day after Tomorrow, Dare Devil, Pearl Harbor, and Gone in 60 Seconds, you are now making your debut in Bollywood with Toonpur Ka Superhero. How does it feel? It's fantastic to be here. One of the perceptions we had about India is that you still have elephants roaming on the streets and that it's a land of king cobras, but I don't think that is the case. It's very civilised and you have the same equipments that we use in the States. So that's great
How did you get this offer and what made you say yes? I was working on a film in Louisiana when I got a call from the makers and here I am.
What had you heard about Bollywood before you came down? We didn't really know much except for the fact that the whole film industry is in one area. However, we figured out that it's not true and that Bollywood is spread across Mumbai. We thought there would be just one big gate, surrounded by walls (something like our Universal Studios in Hollywood) where all the action takes place but it is really spread out over here.
You are doing action sequences for Toonpur Ka Superhero which have a mix of real and animated characters. So what special action do we get to see in this film? You get to see an amazing interaction between both the animated characters and real-life characters. We have action sequences with the regular characters and then you have the animated characters doing some action. So you get the best of both sequences.
Do we get to see the animated characters kick some butt a-la Kung Fu Panda? They do... they kick butt, they throw people around, they get squished and smashed. It's simply hilarious and a lot of fun
Which is your favourite animated character in the film? Well... we have a lot of characters... they are all really good. If I pick any one favourite and tell you why, I am going to give away the plot and don't want to do that.
Ajay Devgan started off as an action hero. Have you seen any of his films? How has been the experience working with him? Yes, I did see some of his films before I came here. He has done some amazing action stunts during his younger days, but now that he has been kind of out of the action genre for a while and we had to get him back to the physical aspect of it. So it's good to get him back to doing some action and I must say he has adapted to it really well. It has been fantastic working with him. He is a very professional actor and knows exactly what he wants and how to do it. From an action director's point of view, you tell him what to do and he does it exactly in the first take, which is fantastic.
Are you aware that Ajay's father Veeru Devgan is a noted action director himself? Yaa... he told me that his father was a noted action director of his times and it's great to know that Ajay comes from such a family
How many people have you got along with you for the shooting of Toonpur Ka Superhero? We are a team of six, including me.
How many days have you guys shot for and how much of it is left? We have been here for about two and a half months and we have another week to go.
In the recent past, Bollywood films such as Tashan have seen new forms of action such as Parkour. Do we get to see any action of that sort in Toonpur Ka Superhero? We have got some stunts in this film that has never been seen, even in any American cinema. I can't tell you what it is but it is bigger and better and faster than any stunt that you have seen in American cinema. ...
übersetzt von soulsurfer: Ajay Devgan begann seine Karriere als Actionheld. Haben Sie seine Filme gesehen? Wie war die Arbeit mit ihm? Ja, ich habe Filme von ihm gesehen, bevor ich hierher gekommen bin. Er hat in seinen jungen Jahren ein paar wirklich tolle Stunts gemacht. Aber jetzt war doch schon ein wenig raus aus dem Genre, und wir mussten an seiner Physis arbeiten. Aber es ist toll, ihn wieder Action machen zu sehen, und ich muss sagen, er hat das wirklich gut hinbekommen. Es war einfach klasse, mit ihm zu arbeiten. Er ist ein sehr professioneller Schauspieler und weiß genau, was er will und wie er es am besten hinbekommt. Aus Sicht eines Actionregisseurs sagst du ihm nur, was du willst, und genau das tut er bereits in der ersten Einstellung. Das ist fantastisch.
Wissen Sie, dass auch Ajays Vater Veeru Devgan ein bekannter Actionregisseur ist? Ja klar, er erzählte mir, sein Vater sei früher ein berühmter Actionregisseur gewesen. Es ist gut zu wissen, dass Ajay aus so einer Familie kommt.