2009-05-02
Director Karan Johar Buys Rights to American Film 'Stepmom'
It seems like Bollywood is always ripping off Hollywood film ideas. Whether it's a small subplot or the entire thing-there are always elements from films that seem to be eerily similar to their Hollywood counterparts. Well Kajol and Kareena Kapoor have been casted in a Bollywood film whose rights have officially been bought from the original American film. Director Karan Johar has reportedly bought the rights to the Hollywood movie 'Stepmom' which starred Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. The movie follows the life of one woman who marries a man with children and must deal with the ex-wife who is very much a part of the kids' lives.
It is reported that Karan Johar will being filming the 'Stepmom' remake after he is done with 'My Name is Khan'. The movie will be directed by Siddharth Malhotra. The film is also going to bring Kajol and Kareena Kapoor back together for a second time since their work on 2001's 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'.
Examples of Bollywood films that have been straight up copies or very comparable to Hollywood movies include, 'Meri Yaar Ki Shaadi' ('My Best Friend's Wedding'), 'Ghajini' ('Memento'), 'Raaz' ('Ring 1' and 'Ring 2'). The Indian public accepted these films, will they do the same for the Bollywood remake of "Stepmom"? I guess we will just have to wait to find out.
So we want to know what our readers think about Karan Johar officially buying the rights to the Hollywood movie 'Stepmom'. Of all the Hollywood films out there do you think that this was a good choice? Or do you think that Karan Johar should have looked for a better movie. And do you think that it makes a difference whether or not Bollywood directors officially buy rights to Hollywood films? We really want to hear our readers thoughts on this, so make sure to leave a comment or two.
Are Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mugdha Godse the Newest Bollywood Couple?
Is it just us, or does it seem like nowadays co-stars in Bollywood are hooking up left and right?! There's Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, and most recently, Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. Well it seems like there might be another new couple to add to the list, that is if the rumors are true! Bollywood newbies, Neil Nitin Mukesh and 'Fashion' star Mugdha Godse are busy at work with Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Jail,' but a growing friendship between the two is fueling rumors of a hookup off set!
However, for a year now, Neil has said that he's interested in a girl who hasn't reciprocated the same feeling for him and so he isn't comfortable talking about it. He's been waiting for her for a whole year? Wow, now that's what we call a resilient guy! Wonder what girl wouldn't want to be with the handsome Neil?! He's got a hot new career, plus he's pretty easy on the eyes too!
Well, it seems with this mystery girl not having the same feelings as him, Neil just might be moving on with the gorgeous Mugdha! The two have been spotted going for walks and dinners after finishing shooting 'Jail' in Mahabaleshwar. Rumor has it the two are inseparable on the sets during breaks. Apparently the two have a few friends in common in the fashion industry and their own friendship began developing from there.
Well, it's all rumors now, but you never know, Neil and Mugdha just might be the next hot Bollywood couple on the block! So what do you guys think? Do you think Neil and Mugdha would make a good couple? Drop us a comment with your thoughts!
Desi Brothers In The Music Biz
In the world of Urban Desi and bhangra, some artists are actually siblings trying to pursue the same goal in life. They have either worked in a group together or followed similar paths alone. All of the siblings in this list have influenced each other to be their best in the music world. Here is a list of brothers in the Urban Desi and Bhangra communities. After looking at the list, tell us who you think your favorite group of siblings are.
Part of the So Solid Crew, this brother duo were part of this well known group in the UK. Sef joined his first crew '2hype2young' along with fellow So Solid members including younger brother Mr Shabz. Sef remained the focused, quiet kid of the group, still maintaining his dream of performing to the world. After the whirlwind success of the So Solid Crew, Sef laced no less than three of their top ten chart hits with catchy hooks - including 'So Grimy', 'Broken Silence' and 'Haters'.
Hunterz is an English urban musician with Urdu and Bhangra influences. His brothers Vee, Ishers, and Aziz sang some background vocals with him in some of his albums like 'Most Wanted' and 'Phat Trax Vol. 1: Blazin'.
The UK based RDB were a Punjabi DJ production team consisting of three Sikh brothers: Kuly, Manj, and Surj ya punda, who blend western genres with traditional Punjabi beats and vocals. The official new addition to the group is Nindy Kaur, one of the brother's wife. Originally club DJs, the RDB brothers play a blend of bhangra, house, UK garage, Bollywood, RnB, hiphop, ragga, and dance music. They released some studio albums as well as some Bollywood films like 'Namastey London' and 'Sinngh Is Kinng'. The film 'Aloo Chaat' featured Nindy Kaur in her first Bollywood collaboration with RDB.
Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh were among six Sikh brothers having Daler Mehndi being the eldest and Mika Singh being the youngest. Both of these bhangra/pop artists had similar styles of music in their songs. Mehndi appeared in the music scene first with a couple of albums before going into Bollywood. The same went for Mika Singh who recently got a lot of attention after entering Bollywood. The only project that the two worked on together was in the Bollywood film 'Sinngh Is Kinng" where they both performed two different songs.
Rishi Rich is a British Asian music producer from the UK. He is internationally known for his bhangra tracks as well as Hindi remixes. His younger brother Mentor experimented with DJing and rapping while picking up production techniques from older brother Rishi Rich. Mentor's first production was a track on the VR1 album 'Voices' and he went on to produce a number of tracks on the huge selling Asian series Pure Garage I, II and III.
Well, their you have it. If there isn't a group of siblings that aren't on the list then let us know. If not, we want your opinion on who your favorites are. Post your comments below.
Abhishek Bachchan To Play Big B's Dad?
By: Mufsin Mahbub
In Hollywood, films like 'Freaky Friday' gave a new step in playing roles because it had a mother and daughter switch bodies and play each other. In what may be a first role reversal in Bollywood, actor Abhishek Bachchan is all set to play Amitabh Bachchan's father in R Balki's upcoming film 'Paa', Femalefirst reported. Even though the story is not like 'Freaky Friday', it is probably worth seeing as the father-son duo will be seen playing the opposite roles of each other instead of the regular father-son roles they played in their past films.
The details about the film are being kept under wraps but Big B has already hinted in his blog that his look will be a surprise.
A source said that Amitabh will be playing a 13-year-old who's affected by Progeria, a rare genetic disorder. The disorder rapidly accelerates his aging to three times faster than a normal person. Along with Abhishek playing the father, actress Vidya Balan has been roped in to play the mother.
The legendary actor said that he spends five hours a day for his make-up in his role in the film but there is not much known about his character or storyline of the film.
However, some reports suggest that the Big B will be seen without his signature French beard.
The project is being kept a secret, with no one from outside the unit being allowed on the set, and those who are working on the production are not permitted to speak about the film to the media.
This will be Amitabh Bachchan's second project with Balki, who had earlier given the actor a make-over in 'Cheeni Kum'. In the film, the Big B played an odd chef who falls for a woman half his age played by actress Tabu.
So what do guys think about this strange role reversal for Abhishek and Amitabh? Will this film be worth watching to see these two in very different roles? Give us you feedback on this.
Mika Singh Comes to New York City
There are a lot of talented Bhangra artists out there. Mika Singh is one of the most well known names in the industry. Not only has he worked on his own albums, but he has also contributed to the Bollywood film industry. Well now the fresh artist is going to be in New York City.
He has been traveling around the world on tour for a little while now, but this will be the very first time Mika will be performing in the Big Apple. So the artist is very excited to be in NYC and he is determined to give the NYC auidence a great performance. With a new album out, Mika Singh fans will get to listen to him sing his hot new tracks live!
Well if you are in the NYC area you can check him out at Opera formely known as China Club on 264 W. 47th street. Doors open at 7pm sharp!
We want to know what you think about Mika Singh hitting NYC and if you think that he will get the reaction he's probably anticipating. Make sure to leave a comment about your personal thoughts!
How much is your Favorite Bollywood Filmmaker Making?
So we all know what Bollywood brings in a lot of money. But did you ever wonder how much the people behind the scenes makes. Here's a list of five of your favorite filmmakers and how much they make for a film. Let us know what you think about their salaries for each film, should they be getting more or less, and which filmmaker is your favorite.
Rs 2.5-3 crore
In the 90's David Dhawan was the comedy king. He had his first major hit with the 1993 Govinda film "Aankhen." Dhawan gets a lot of criticism for copying old Bollywood films and Hollywood films, most recently, "Partner." It was a remake of the Hollywood hit "Hitch" starring Will Smith. Dhawan would later push out hits such as "Biwi No 1" and "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi." Currently Dhawan is working on "Partner 2" and "Hook Ya Crook." Madhur Bhandarkar
Rs. 3.5-4 crore
Madhur Bhandarkar has come to be known as perhaps the most realistic director in Bollywood. His first hit came in 2001 with "Chandni Bar." He would continue to create films that look at real life situations. "Corporate" gave us an inside look into the dark world of business and "Traffic Signal," one of his most acclaimed films showed us a cross section into the lives of people living around a traffic signal in Mumbai. When asked about his take on films he says "My movies are not exposes, maybe they just hold up a mirror to society. My movies are not judgmental; I just show what happens in our society, sometimes there could be a solution and sometimes there may be none. Life goes on." Right now Madhur Bhandarkar is finishing up work on "Jail" starring Neil Nitin Mukesh.
Abbas Mutan
Rs 4-5 crore
Abbas Mustan can probably be called the copycat in Bollywood. He has used Hollywood storylines on several occasions. For "Daraar" he copied "Sleeping with the Enemy and "Dewaangee" was basically "Primal Fear." But that hasn't stopped people from checking out his films. "Soldier" and "Race" were two his biggest films. Right now he's working on a sequel to "Khiladi."
Rs 7-8 crore
Farah Khan is a neophyte in the world of filmmaking but she has been behind the scenes since the early 90s. See all those fancy dance moves in films like "Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai" and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham," Farah Khan is the one choreographing them. And she hasn't just stayed in Bollywood, she's crossed over to help choreograph films such as "Monsoon Wedding" and the play "Bombay Dreams" and has worked with singer Shakira on her dance routine for the MTV Music Awards. She has only two films under her belt but they were blockbusters, "Main Hoon Na" and "Om Shanti Om." We think she's going to be alright, especially when your biggest fan is Shahrukh Khan.
Anees Bazmee
Rs 9-10 crore
Aamir Khan's Lofty Demands Equal No Movie?
Ever since Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar worked together in the immensely popular, 'Dil Chahta Hai,' the two have yet to make another film together apart from a special appearance from Aamir in 'Luck By Chance.' Now it seems the negotiations for the two to work together again, haven't been successful. Aamir was in talks to do a film produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.
Reports indicate that Farhan Akhtar's business partner, Ritesh Sidhwani met Aamir Khan on the set of his film, '3 Idiots' to talk about the film and this is where things got sticky. It seems Aamir Khan demanded an astronomical acting fee and a share in the film's profits (an act which he has been rumored to do in the past as well). Apparently the demands didn't sit well with Ritesh Sidhwani who walked away from negotiations and since then decided to work with another star instead of Aamir Khan.
This isn't just speculation however; as Ritesh Sidhwani sort of confirmed the news himself saying that the project with Aamir Khan is not happening because the actor had certain demands that were not acceptable to him and Farhan Akhtar. However, he refused to go into details on Aamir's demands, leaving us to speculate.
Obviously now that Aamir Khan is out, we can only wonder who will replace him. Rumors are flying that the producers want to rope in Shahrukh Khan, however, again Ritesh Sidhwani refuses to confirm or deny those reports. Seems like Shahrukh Khan would be the ideal alternative if that were the case. Aamir Khan on the other hand is saying that he refused the film because he didn't like the script. Hmmm... sounds like a game of he said, she said to us!
So what do you think about the Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar dilemma? Would you like to see the two work together in a film again? Drop us a comment with your thoughts!
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