Big B to launch his news channel

After conquering the film industry, superstar Amitabh Bachchan is all set to dominate the media. Buzz is doing the rounds that Big B is going to launch his own news channel by the name India 24/7.

An industry source says, "Apparently, Amitabh Bachchan is starting a news channel called India 24/7 and the preparations for starting it, is on in full swing.

It is being planned in collaboration with a big corporate house. Of course, right now nobody wants to confirm anything and everything is hush-hush."

However, it is learnt that Amitabh’s interest in owning a news channel started when he was shooting for Ram Gopal Varma's Rann
where he is in the role of a news channel owner.

Big B wants to launch the channel pre election but now it seemed quite impossible as lots of work has to be done. When asked, Amitabh denied the report, he said, "It's not true".

Shilpa to watch T20 match with queen of Jordan

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty invited the queen of Jordan to watch T20 cricket match between South Africa and Australia. Shilpa happened to share the same hotel with Queen Rania and she invited her to watch the first T20 match with her.

"While at the hotel I was staying in at Johannesburg, I got to know that Her Highness Queen Rania of Jordan was staying there too. I invited her for a match. Queen Rania was kind enough to accept the invitation I extended and join us in the president's box at the Wanderers stadium to watch her first ever T20 cricket match, South Africa vs Australia. Very sweetly she was trying to understand the game" said long legged Shilpa on her blog.

In her honour, Shilpa said that Queen Rania made her realize "the importance of charity".

"Every time I met her, respect for her just grew. Her radiance, her kindness left me spell bound. She made me realize the importance of charity and giving back to society. It really amazed me that a lady in her position is still so down to earth, her simplicity just amazed me. For me, she wasn't just the Queen of Jordan but the Queen of hearts."

Shilpa is highly impressed with queen Rania's personality and attitude.

Big B fulfills Preity's request

As IPL is around the corner, Preity Zinta is working hard to boost up the confidence level of her team, roping in her endeavor is Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. She requested Mr. Bachchan to give a short TV bite that would cheer up her Punjab Kings which has players like Yuvraj Singh, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan.

Kareena is a Hollywood supermodel in Kambhakkt Ishq

She already has Bollywood in awe of her looks and attitude and now Kareena is all set to take the west by storm with her forthcoming flick ‘Kambakkht Ishq’.

It is believed that Bebo will be seen playing her real stylish self in this super stylish flick. The only difference between the real and reel Kareena is that she will be seen playing a Hollywood diva. Kareena’s character will be high on fashion as she plays a supermodel.

Reportedly, her makeup and hair has been done by Hollywood make up artists and hairstylists. Since she has a super glam look in the film, designer Akki Narula has designed her attires. Aki Narula had earlier designed her super hot, super trendy look for Tashan. Those who have seen the rushes of ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ feel Bebo looks simply superb.

Is Hollywood taking note of our Bebo?

Genelia D'Souza to endorse Cadburys Perk

Genelia D'Souza to endorse Cadburys Perk Click here to add this article to My Clips

By Bollywood Hungama News Network, March 26, 2009 - 12:47 IST

Genelia Dsouza In Bollywood, two sayings always reign supreme. They are 'You are as new as your last film’ and also ‘Make hay while the sun shines'. True to both the sayings, Genelia Dsouza, who has become a hot property in both the ad world as well as in Bollywood, will now be seen endorsing Cadburys Perk.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama about this development, the bubbly Genelia confirmed the news saying ''Yes, I am endorsing two variants of Cadburys Perk. One is 'Ulta Perk' and the second one is called 'Perk Poppers', a variant that's yet to be launched''. When asked about how she feels about the whole 'Perky' episode, she summed it up saying, ''I think that the tagline describes it all: Take It Lightly.''

Way to go, 'Aditi', we mean...Genelia! We just can't wait for the Poppers!

Ranbir Kapoor talks about losing his virginity

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor is at his candid best in the latest issue of the famous men’s magazine 'GQ'.

Not every actor or celebrity is as open to talk about personal matters as Ranbir has been since the start of his career with Saawariya . The guy who bared his derriere for his very first film did not keep his romance with Deepika Padukone secret and the couple even gave an elaborate interview to a magazine in which they talked in detail about how they fell in love.

Now, Ranbir has bared a few more daring truths of his life in the March issue of ‘GQ’ that has the actor posing in a white suit and stubble for the cover.

Inside the mag, the Kapoor lad talks about doing the usual experiments which many youths today (not all) dabble in at some point of their lives.

"There was marijuana, there was alcohol; I started smoking cigarettes," Ranbir bares the truth in the interview to GQ.

Not just this, the actor talks about his first sexual experience and losing his virginity at the age of 15.

That’s brave, Ranbir! Wonder what Deepika will have to say about that.

Slumdog Millionaire kids to contest elections? Click here to add this article to My Clips

The Slumdog Millionaire hysteria is far from over even weeks after the film swept the Academy awards. While Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan are still basking in the glory, even the slum-kids who walked the red-carpet at the Oscars can't get over their excitement of being part of this blockbuster.

Recently, two of the slum-kids who featured in the film (Azharuddin Mohammad and Rubina Ali) were asked to make a special appearance in Vashu Bhagnani's Kal Kissne Dekha and the kids surely couldn't have asked for more. They played themselves in the film and shot with debutant Jackky Bhagnani for a pivotal scene in the film.

Now with elections round the corner, don't be surprised if you see these very tiny tots riding the current wave and campaigning for a particular political party, is what this artist seems to be hinting. After all, a leading political party has already bought the rights of the popular track 'Jai Ho' to use in its campaign so the day may not be far when the Slumdog kids would be seen shouting 'Jai Ho' along with political bigwigs.

Abhishek to enter Guinness Book?

Stars are known to aggressively promote their films, but few can match Abhishek Bachchan's enthusiasm, as he attempts to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by making maximum public appearances in at least six cities in a span of 12 hours to promote his latest film "Delhi 6".

Starting on Friday morning when "Delhi 6" releases, Abhishek will travel to as many events in as many cities as possible within 12 hours.

Speaking from Dubai Wednesday where he was attending the film's premiere, Abhishek excitedly said: "It's an idea that has been with me for a while ever since I heard about some German actors who set a world record by attending five public events in twelve hours. I want to beat their record. I'd do at least 6-7 appearances in 12 hours in six cities. It could go up to seven cities."

"By the look of it, we could do Gurgaon, Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Chandigarh, Baroda and Mumbai and break this record on the 20th itself or on 21st... starting time could be 10 a.m. or 12 noon doing a 12 to 12. We could do seven cities instead of the current record of 5 cities," said Sabbas Joseph, director of Wizcraft International who would be manoeuvring the record-breaking endeavour for Abhishek.

The current record-holder in the category of the greatest number of public appearances by a film star at different cities in 12 hours promoting the same film is five by J?rgen Vogel and Daniel Br?hl (Germany). They walked the red carpet, signed autographs and introduced the film "Ein Freund von mir" (Germany 2006) at cinemas in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, D?sseldorf and Cologne, Germany, on Oct 22, 2006. They were accompanied by the director of "Ein Freund von mir" Sebastian Schipper.

Would Abhishek be able to break that record?

"I hope so. And I think I will. Actually I'm quite excited by the idea, more so because I'm implementing it for a film that's so close to my heart."

Guinness Book officials are expected to be present to watch Abhishek make history.

SRK discharged from hospital

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who underwent a successful shoulder surgery at the Breach Candy hospital here Monday evening, has been discharged, said a hospital source.

"Shah Rukh has been discharged from the hospital. He left at around 5 p.m.," a source at the south Mumbai hospital told IANS Tuesday evening.

The actor had to undergo an arthroscopic surgery for acute pain in his left shoulder. Though he had planned to fly to London for the surgery, he chose to get it done in Mumbai under the guidance of Sanjay Desai, the orthopaedic surgeon at Breach Candy.

For now, Shah Rukh has been advised by doctors to refrain from indulging in any heavy-duty action scenes.

"It's a normal precaution that one has to take. The surgery was long pending and it is good that he finally took out time for it. Keeping in mind that he would only become busier in months to come, it made sense that he got himself operated before it was too late," Desai had told IANS.

The 43-year-old superstar will be on a forced break for six weeks to recuperate completely. However, he will host the Filmfare Awards on March 7, which were scheduled for Feb 28 earlier. The organisers postponed the date for Shah Rukh's sake.

I am a good husband : Abhishek Bachchan

Not so for Abhishek Bachchan, who has already carved out his niche in Bollywood in his nine-year long film career. Riding high on the box-office success of Dostana , Abhishek took time out for a candid chat with TOI. We caught his many moods. Exclusive excerpts:

Different strokes
“I know what is required out of an actor. I think I have become more experienced and I am prepared as an actor. I have learned many things over the years. As an actor I want to play a variety of characters. I am fortunate to get to do such roles. I have never deliberately tried to do different roles, I just happened to get them. I don’t regret doing any film.”

Rakeysh & Sonam
“I am nervous about Delhi 6. I always get nervous on Fridays when my film releases. We put in so much hard work for a film, that’s why Fridays make me so nervous. But Delhi 6 is a good film and made very well. It is a very realistic film and its music is really appealing. As an actor I hope to meet the expectations of people. Rakeysh Mehra and I had wanted to work with each other for very long. He met every expectation of mine. It was wonderful working with him. Sonam (Kapoor) is a wonderful person and a very promising actress. It was a pleasure having her on the sets. She is really hardworking.”

Family album
“I do consult my family before taking up a film, but I take the final call. I would be dumb not to take their advice.”

Ash you like it...
“I don’t think I have changed after marriage. I am still the same guy I used to be. I guess I am a good husband. Aishwarya is extremely down-to-earth. She is very humane.”

Beyond movies
“I am passionate about cinema and acting. I never get time for myself because I am always working. But I am happy that I am getting that much work. When I get a little time off work, I like listening to music, watching movies and reading autobiographies. My favourite autobiography is Marlon Brando’s Songs My Mother Taught Me.”

Fashion code
“I know people say, I’ve often been spotted wearing blue denims and white shirt but that’s coincidental. I wear whatever comes in my hand when I wake up from bed.”

Fit hai to hit hai
“As an actor I have had to put on and shed weight to fit into the character that I am playing. That’s what my directors expect from me. But in personal life, I don’t follow any diet or any fitness chart.”

I, me, myself
“I don’t look within myself to find out what my strengths or weaknesses are. I am just another normal guy.”

Ajay Devgan makes friends online!

The actor/director who is known to keep a low profile, recently made a sweet gesture by talking to fans over the internet on the occasion of Friendships Day almost the entire day !

Apparently Ajay was looking for an appropriate day to interact with fans and took this opportunity to answer friend requests all over the web based social networking sites and communities like Facebook, Myspace along with his personal website. Unlike Ajay's abilities and understanding of the technical aspects involving film making, nowadays Ajay concentrates and devotes a lot of time on his computer and web. Interestingly it was observed that Ajay also insisted on the true identity like the picture of the person who wishes to be his friend before accepting their request.

Looks like nothing stops the man from insisting on perfection. All we have to say is, Good going Ajay, as there are millions who wish to reach you!

Pooja Bedi just got 'netted'

Look who's blogging these days! It's none other than Pooja Bedi, who has suddenly found the need to connect with her fans! Pooja believes that there is more to her than that which is gossiped about and it's through her blog that she intends to reveal the real Pooja. Well, with her bold and speak out loud attitude, we guess the woman can prove to be one hell of an agony aunt on the Net, besides of course her revelation part of it!

Now, Shah Rukh, Aamir, Abhishek make it to Forbes list

NEW YORK: After the business titans like Ambanis and Mittals, it is the turn of the three young icons of Indian entertainment world - Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Abhishek Bachchan -- to make it to a Forbes list.

The US publication, known for its rankings of wealthiest persons across the world, has named these Bollywood stars among ten celebrities adding star-power to mobile phones.

The two Khans and the junior Bachchan have been joined by two international sport stars Maria Sharapova and David Beckham, four singers Usher, Fergie, Rain and Andy Lau and race car driver Danica Patrick in the 'Ten Celebs and Their Cells' list published on the Forbes website.

"Once upon a time, perfume and designer jean makers were the ones who relied on celebrities to add a bit of star-dust glamour to their products. Add to that list, now, mobile phone makers," the report said.

While Shah Rukh endorses mobile phones made by Nokia, the world's biggest cellphone maker, Abhishek and Aimer are brand ambassadors for Motorola and Samsung phones respectively.

Among other celebrities, Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova endorses Sony Ericsson phones, while soccer star David Beckham is a brand ambassador for Motorola RAZR2 phone.

Forbes said the ten celebrities are "some of the big ones who want you to join their handheld club."

"As nearly everyone on the planet seems to have a cellphone, device makers must work harder to win new customers. Cool designs and low prices help, of course. But so do celebrities. That's led phone makers to recruit some A-listers from Usher to David Beckham to lend an ear-- and a smile-- to selling cellphones," it added.

Kareena Enters The Cover Page Of Verve

The actress Kareena Kapoor has been going places post jab we met and the weight loss. And one of the places she has made her mark is on the coverpage of Verge. The latest issue has the profiles of top female achievers of which, Bebo is one. The magazine though, hasn’t given any ranking. The list includes ladies like Katrina Kaif, Ekta Kapoor, Preity Zinta etc…
With Kareena being the 1st choice of most of the magazine covers, looks like she’s gonna ace this field too.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

My first income was just fifty rupees: SRK

All time hot item for news, Shah Rukh Khan, has recently started hitting news for his television appearance for Paanchvi Pass, too. Starting his career with 1988 Doordarshan serial Fauji, Shah Rukh Khan has traversed a long to reach his status of King Khan. Here he has taken out few moments to have a bird’s eye view at his past life, his true colour and bit more…

Q. Who is the actual Shah Rukh Khan – an actor, a businessman, a father or a husband?A. Even I don’t know who the actual Shah Rukh is as because I spend most of my time portraying different characters. Most of the time we play such characters who are much superior from any point of view. But there is one common factor in each of the character I play and that factor is emotion. It’s impossible to depict a true sketch of a character without proper emotion. But, when I stay at home I show my true emotions as a father and a husband. And I don’t know how much truth I can maintain while talking about my role of a father outside my home.

Q. Where do you find yourself at the best of your professional graph – as a host or as an actor?
A. Whether it’s in acting or hosting a show, success stays with me for very short period of time. I feel reaching height only when I make my cameraman or director astonished with the best of my performance. I feel really happy when all those shots reach the remote areas of the country and people feel them from the core of their hearts.

Q. What did your teachers think about when you were in school?
A. I used to be very mischievous in school but teachers always forgave me seeing the beautiful dimples. That’s how my smile was famously known as the Satan’s smile. Despite being so naughty I was the monitor of my class because I always topped in the class. Reading less was enough for me to bag best numbers. I had interest in everything other than learning.

Q. Any memorable incident of those days?
A. I still can remember that my few friends, including me, were doing masti because of which all of those friends were suspended from the school. My absence from the school on that very day saved me from suspension. The five of us were the best buddies in school. We later on decided to beg pardon from the principal. All my friends were very jealous of me as I was not suspended. I agreed on going with them to the principal and told them that everything would be alright. We went to meet the principal. He was quite friendly with me and that day also he started talking to me very generously which my friends could not accept. All of a sudden they started revealing my tomfooleries one after the other. The aftermath was very obvious. Along with my friends, the principal suspended me also. Still I can remember all those four friends.

Q. With your KBC you offered people an amount of two crores and the amount has reached to five crores with your on going show Paanchvi Pass… What was your first income?
A. If I am not wrong then my first income was just fifty rupees. There was Sri Ram center beside my home. Even Film Fare Awards ceremonies were held at the center. Once there was the concert of Ghulam Ali Sahab at that center. I volunteered in the show and earned fifty bucks for that. I took my friends to visit Taj Mahal with that amount.

Q. What do excite your children most?
A. They feel excitement in all those things that excites me. They are all very excited with what their father does.

Q. What do you think of education?
A. All throughout my life I have believed that there is nothing more important than education. But the same education sometimes brings in tension and creates lot of problems. Today people stress more on becoming first than learning something. When I hear the cut off marks for colleges now-a-days, I get traumatized thinking that was I a student at this time, I would never have reached college though I passed my tenth with 92%. I think about how to make today’s generation realize to go ahead despite having all the pressures from education and job. I want an environment where children themselves wish to go to school. I would request all the schools not to create pressure on children for education.

Shahid Plays a spooky prank on Vidya Balan

Shahid Kapoor’s kismat didn’t konnect well with him when he decided a prank on her co-star Vidya Balan while shooting in Canada for his upcoming flick Kismat Konnection. After knowing Vida’s weakness of getting petrified of spooky stories and ghosts, the chocolaty boy bought a horrifyingly mask to scare the day lights out of her. As planned, Shahid, along with the other unit members waited for the night to carry on their Vidya darao mission.Accompanied by his team, Shahid wore the mask and knocked at Vidya’s door, expecting none other than Vidya to open the door. Even the unit members were pretty excited to catch a glimpse of Vidya’s scared stiff reaction and eagerly waited outside Vidya’s room to watch the fun.A source reveals, “The entire unit was waiting with bated breath outside Vidya’s door as they were all in on Shahid’s prank. But guess what happened?” Well, it was time for the joke to be on Shahid because it was not Vidya but her mother who opened the door. Shahid was shocked out of his wits when he saw Vidya’s mother, while Vidya’s mother stood too stunned to react.

A unit hand reveals, “Vidya’s mom didn’t know it was Shahid who was behind the mask. She thought he was an intruder so she held on to him tightly and called for security. Of course when the security guys came, everyone cracked up because the entire unit was in on the plan as Shahid had taken everyone into confidence”.

The entire unit burst into laughter and Shahid joined in on the joke by laughing nonstop. Well, Shahid, being in Bollywood for so long, you must have guessed, where there’s an actress there has to be her mom, too.

Bollywood Columns -Learning and some gyaan

Bhopal is a city of beautiful lakes, but nothing can beat it’s heat. We were shooting on the rocks which were like an oven. Some people fainted. But the local populace are a cool lot.. I have seen people traveling in open jeeps around the lakes. Since Bhopal is a very Nawabi City, it is a very good break from the busy life of Bombay.

I am learning the flute from Raghuveer Yadav, inspite of the very little spare time we get. Paresh Rawal is such a diligent man that I have never met an actor like him. He has all healthy habits. I have been inspired by him. So every morning I drag myself to the gym. He is very particular about exercises. And here I am, a complete foodie. I just sit and eat. I like their salads and deserts. I haven’t had sweets for a very long time. I love the local desserts like Kheer, Phirni, Gulab Jamuns.

Apart from eating, I love horse riding. I sat on a horse last march, after fifteen years and I got completely hooked. I even wanted to partake in the Olympics. Today, I have got myself a really expensive horse from Germany. And to make matters more promising, this year in February, I got the best upcoming rider title.
So as long as I am in Bhopal, its learning to play the flute and exercises that is keeping me busy.

U me aur Hum Movie Review

Subhash K. Jha, Film: “U, Me Aur Hum”; Cast: Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Sumeet Raghavan, Divya Dutta, Isha Sharwani and Karan Khanna; Director: Ajay Devgan: Ratings: ***1/2

Nothing that Ajay Devgan has done in the past prepares us for the poise, poignancy and sensitivity of his directorial debut. “U, Me Aur Hum” is one of those tender and tactile melodramas that leave you with minty thoughts and dewy eyes.

The heart is completely at the right place as Ajay, turning director with a élan that thumbs its nose gently at all those who scoff at his actioner’s antecedents, tells the story of a husband whose gentle ministrations take his Alzheimer’s stricken wife from her absentminded youth to blanked-out old age.

The journey gives us insights into the man-woman relationship and the intricate commitments of a marriage as seen through the eyes that go beyond the romance and excitement of courtship to an area where dark clouds gather over a relationship and threaten its annihilation.

The trick, says Ajay’s soft but persuasive film, is to hold on, to value the things that make life worth living. There is an interesting reversal of the age-hold cinematic formula where the husband is looked after by the wife through rain and shine.

Ajay plays the caring husband who wins the feisty (if it’s Kajol it cannot be any other way) waitress on a cruise that seems to go on and on and on.

Luckily, the narrative doesn’t get ’see’ sick. To be sure, the film could have avoided a prolonged courtship that tells us nothing more about life than what we don’t already know in the first 15 minutes.

Ajay gets to the point halfway through. The narrative quickly comes to grips with the theme as the solemn doctor (Sachin Khadekar) announces the absent-mindedness, which has been stalking Pia for a while, is actually Alzheimer’s.

The realisation of the gravity of the illness, coming to terms with it and finally recognizing the reality of an unshakeable love and faith beyond the obvious hardships of a troubled compatibility…. these are themes that are given a surprisingly low key treatment by the first-time director.

Ajay’s directorial speciality is the interweavement of the characters through some wittily and cleverly written dialogues (Ashwin Dheer), which always tell us more than what we hear.

The film’s substantial emotional impact depends entirely on the performances, not just Ajay and Kjaol but their two sets of friends - Sumeet Raghavan and Divya Dutta as the constantly quarrelling divorce bound couple, and Karan Khanna and Isha Sharwani as the soon to be wed couple.

Sumeet is a special revelation. He’s quiet and attentive in scenes that require him to be that.

But of course the chemistry between the lead players guides the destiny of this remarkable film. Kajol’s powerhouse performance, punctuated and italicised by moments where she hungrily sinks her teeth into emotional depths seldom afforded to commercial actors, comes as no surprise.

However, her makeup sometimes gives her a caked look. Never mind. This is a film where we can easily look beyond the mask.

Ajay bowls you over. To find him measuring up to his wife’s dizzying histrionics is an amazing experience. Jim Broadbent looking after his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife Judi Dench in “Iris” couldn’t have done better.

One sequence in the restaurant where Ajay is required to give a long, bitter and ironical monologue on man’s innate selfishness after he leaves his wife at a care centre, will stand out among the sincerest expressions of the human ego seen in cinema.

Ajay’s command over his craft and the language of heart take you by surprise.

Some of the sequences showing Kajol’s mental blanking-out are so vivid they make your hairs stand on end. That nerve wracking moment when the mother nearly ends up drowning her baby in the bath tub or that poignant interlude when the husband leaves his wife at the hospital are so wonderfully devised and executed you wonder which came first: the thought to make a film on Alzheimer’s or the characters who inhabit this dark yet uplifting theme.

The film has its flaws. It sometimes tries too hard to be trendily philosophical in its dialogues and ends up sounding phoney.

The pseudo-philosophical lyrics for the songs sound like cheap rip-offs of Gulzar. Also, the narrative doesn’t seem to follow the linear path.

The back-and-forth editing pyrotechnics where key incidents are recreated in flashy flashbacks are distracting. However, Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography does much to create a smooth homogenous look and mood for the narrative.

The film takes us through a world of love pain and acceptance with such transparent honesty of purpose that at the end of it you only wonder one thing… why can’t more movies be like “U, Me Aur Hum”?

Breaking the mould Bollywood pegs hope on special roles

A common thread running through over-the-top comic caper "Krazzy 4" and sombrely romantic "U, Me Aur Hum" is the theme of mental illness.

While actor Ajay Devgan has chosen Alzheimer's, which leads to gradual memory loss, as the subject for his directorial debut "U Me Aur Hum", actor-turned-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan has depicted the world from the eyes of four mentally unstable men in the much hyped "Krazzy 4".

In the former, Kajol, one of Bollywood's most talented female actors, essays the role of a young woman who suffers from Alzheimer's. How the aliment tests her marriage forms the core of the film, which tries to strike a balance with a breezy first half.

The last time Kajol was seen on the big screen was in "Fanaa" in which she portrayed the role of a visibly challenged Kashmiri girl to perfection. The actor has become very selective after her marriage to Ajay and it seems she is willing to take up only very special roles.

And such roles are coming by much more frequently in Bollywood, which is desperately seeking to break the mould in a bid to keep its increasingly discerning audiences hooked.

"After a spate of movies featuring roles of physically challenged people, including 'Black' and 'Iqbal' on one hand and slapsticks like 'Pyare Mohan' and 'Tom, Dick and Harry' on the other, Mumbai dream merchants now seem to be focusing on tales of the mentally challenged," said a trade observer.

Ajay's film comes on the heels of superstar Aamir Khan's directorial debut "Taare Zameen Par", which was based on autism. The film, a surprise blockbuster, took a sensitive view of the differently-abled and promoted inclusiveness.

On a less serious note, "Krazzy 4", which also released Friday, brings together acting powerhouses like Irfan Khan, Juhi Chawla and Arshad Warsi in an attempt to trickle the funny bone and at the same time deliver a moral message.

Produced by Rakesh Roshan, the film is a comedy about four mentally unstable men and how their view of a world, which is going increasingly insane, makes more sense.

The film that features two special item numbers by Shah Rukh Khan and Rakhi Sawant, respectively, and one promotional number by heartthrob Hrithik Roshan has generated a lot of buzz but is also facing rough weather.

The controversy surrounding the film's music has died down but now the film has been branded as "insensitive" for its portrayal of the mentally ill.

A concerned citizen, Rukmini Pillai, has filed a complaint with the Central Board of Film Certification, stating: "The filmmakers need to be more attuned to the social fabric and appreciate that people with mental illnesses aren't just lying on the streets and in asylums."

Earlier, Pillai had reportedly succeeded in securing three cuts to the film "Woh Lamhe", which depicted schizophrenic film star Parveen Babi.

For long, the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry represented the mentally challenged as comic supporting characters that add an amusing sideshow to the central story.

Dinesh Bhugra, who has written a book that analysis depiction of mental illness in Hindi films, says that compared with Hollywood's portrayal of psychological ailments, Indian cinema is perhaps less enlightened.

"There are fewer Bollywood films that look at mental illness in a serious and sympathetic way," he said.

This, he argues, gives an impression that "Indian cinema may be 30 to 40 years behind Hollywood's image of psychiatry."

Remember Salman Khan in "Kyon Ki", where the lead's illness bears no resemblance to any realistic mental illness, Ajay in "Main Aisa Hi Hoon", which tried hard to deal with autism, and Hrithik in "Koi... Mil Gaya", where he has a developmental disorder about which almost nothing is known, except perhaps that it's 'cute'.

Most such films played up mental illness for pathos, trying very hard to make their protagonists earn the audience's sympathy, but came out as non-serious.

At the same time, films like "15 Park Avenue" and "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara" had their heart in the right place, but not the marketing power.

It remains to be seen whether films like "U, Me Aur Hum" and "Krazzy 4" can find the balance between marketability and sensitivity like "Taare Zameen Par" did.

Source: indiatimes.com

Mallika in demand

Mallika Sherawat has always been in demand. Sometimes by the media, sometimes by older men.. remember Parresh Rawal and Nana Patekar are her big friends.. and now it's the men on her set.

Mallika is currently shooting for Sanjay Chhel's Maan Gaye Mughall-e-Azam and the schedule has been a long and tough one. After a long and gruelling day, the director fired some spot boys for their slipshod work.

To the astonishment of one and all, Mallika stood up for the spot boys and asked Chhel, the director to take it easy. She said, Please don't shout on the sets. It creates too much of unpleasantness and no work is done. So please calm yourself and talk to them properly."

There was a stunned silence. Sanchita, who is the production in charge of the film remarked, "I have never seen any actor stand up for these workers. It's a great feeling. I wish more and more actors would take up the cause for them. They are under paid and over worked, so a little bit of compassion helps their morale."

Since that day, all the workers are Mallika's biggest fans. They attend to her slightest whims and pamper her. Good going, Mallika. It’s nice to see someone stand up for the cine workers who contribute a lot to India's glitz and glamour.