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Category: Movies

  • Egypt bans ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’

    Egypt bans ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’

    MUMBAI: Exodus: Gods and Kings which stars Christian Bale as Moses, has been banned in Egypt and reportedly also in Morocco. Censors described the film, which is based on the Biblical book of Exodus, as historically inaccurate.

     

    According to the head of the censorship board, the film has depicted that the Jews had built the pyramids, and that an earthquake, not a miracle by Moses, caused the red sea to part.

     

    However according to the book of Exodus, Jewish slaves were led to freedom by Moses. The pyramids are believed to have been built about 1,000 years before the story of the Exodus. The Biblical story tells how the red sea was parted by a miracle performed by God through Moses, allowing the Jewish people to escape from the pursuing Egyptian army.

     

    Exodus: Gods and Kings, which cost a reported $140m, made $24.5m on its debut weekend. The film’s opening was not up to the mark compared to other modern Biblical films, including Darren Aronofsky’s Noah which took $43.7m on its opening weekend in March and 2004’s The Passion of the Christ, which made $83.3m.

     

    Although the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM) had given the film the green signal, Moroccan business website Medias24.com said that officials had decided to ban the movie from being screened the day before its premiere.

  • Top 10 Bollywood actors to look out for in 2015

    Top 10 Bollywood actors to look out for in 2015

    MUMBAI: The past year in Bollywood gave us several groundbreaking performances by celebrated actors as well as debutants.  With the year coming to an end, here’s a roundup of some of the hottest actors to look out for in 2015. Check out the list of top 10 actors who are sure to rule the industry in the upcoming year.

    Deepika Padukone:

    Apart from numerous brand endorsements and appearances, Deepika Padukone tops the list with many exciting projects lined up for release next year. Deepika will essay the title role in Shoojit Sircar’s Piku opposite legendary Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani as Mastani. Last but not the least she also has Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha opposite Ranbir Kapoor in her kitty.

    Kangana Ranaut:

    Kangana Ranaut received numerous accolades for her film, Queen, winning millions of hearts with its simple story. Kangana also won the best actress award drama category for the film in the recent Stardust Awards. Taking the entertainment quotient one notch higher, she will be seen in a double role in Aanand L. Rai’s Tanu Weds Manu 2 in 2015.

    Vidya Balan:

    Vidya Balan is geared up for some ambitious releases in 2015. Mahesh Bhatt’s Humari Adhuri Kahani which stars Vidya alongside Emraan Hashmi and Rajkumar Rao is an anticipated romantic drama. The actress, who is known for her unique choice in roles, was last seen in Bobby Jasoos this year.

    Shraddha Kapoor:

    In 2015, Shraddha Kapoor will be shaking legs with Varun Dhawan in the upcoming dance based film, ABCD 2. Currently, the actress is enjoying the Vegas schedule of the film that promises to deliver cutting edge VFX and outstanding choreography.

    Arjun Rampal:

    Social media platforms have been buzzing with compliments for Arjun Rampal’s look in his upcoming film Roy. Portraying the role of a complex filmmaker Kabir, fans are totally loving his new look and the role. With Roy’s release, 2015 will see the actor playing a role that he has never done before.

    Taahir Bhasin:

    Taahir impressed the audience and critics this year with his powerful performance as the antagonist in his debut YRF film Mardaani opposite Rani Mukerji. In 2015, Taahir has an exciting project film titled Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangada Singh. Looks like 2015 will be promising for the young actor.

    Emraan Hashmi:

    Emraan Hashmi starred in Mr. Natwarlal and Dharma Productions’ Ungli this year. Even though these films did not do well, his future projects in 2015 like Mr. X and Hamari Adhuri Kahani are in the list of the most awaited films of the coming year.

    Abhishek Bachchan:

    With his last super-hit release, Happy New Year, Abhishek Bachchan surely witnessed a successful year in 2014. In 2015, the actor has interesting projects to look forward which includes All is Well along side actress Asin.

    Jacqueline Fernandez:

    Jacqueline Fernandez is riding high on success with the blockbuster KICK and 2015 is touted to be a great year for the actress with films like Roy, Brothers and Definition of Fear among others. Jacqueline will be seen in a double role in her upcoming film Roy and her first international debut Definition of Fear is a horror film directed by James Simpson. These films are sure to keep the actress on her toes for next year.

    Nargis Fakhri:

    Nargis Fakhri was praised this year for her item song in KICK and for her quirky performance in Main Tera Hero alongside Varun Dhawan. In 2015, she will be making her Hollywood debut with her upcoming film Spy with Jude Law. Nargis will also be seen in a Tamil film Saahasam.

  • ‘Ugly’…Horribly so!

    ‘Ugly’…Horribly so!

    MUMBAI: Ugly defies slotting. The closest it comes to in genre is 20th Century Hollywood noir thrillers shot in low lights. While the film adopts this pretentious low light option to look intelligent, its content lacks grossly in thrill of any kind. The film is a saga of double-crossing and backstabbing among friends and family members. But the content in the film has nothing to do with the film’s main story: that of kidnap of a 10 year girl.

    Ronit Roy is the top cop married to the girl he loved in college. It was a love triangle, with Ronit, Tejeswini Kolhapure and Rahul Bhatt, now a full time struggler wanting to make it as a star. Rahul seems to have been the lucky one who marries Tejaswini. The couple get one girl child who is usually witness to the violence between Rahul and Tejaswini who are eventually divorced. Ronit, by virtue of being next in line, marries her. But their marriage is cold with Tejaswini having turned an alcoholic.

    Saturday is the day for Rahul to meet his daughter, Kali, and as usual he takes her out. Rahul goes up to meet his casting director friend, Vineet Kumar Singh, leaving Kali in the car when Kali goes missing. She has been kidnapped. Initially, the film is all about finding her but soon turns in to blame game and finally into all the characters wanting to exploit the situation to their own advantage.

    Producers: DAR Motion Pictures, Phantom Films.

    Director: Anurag Kashyap.

    Cast: Ronit Roy, Rahul Bhatt, Vineet Kumar, Singh, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Surveen Chawla, Siddhanth Kapoor, Girish Kulkarni.

    Since nobody trusts anyone else they all suspect each other of the kidnap and don’t bother to check other possibilities. Ronit, being a cop, uses his office to tail and record the conversations of others including his wife, Tejaswini. He as well as his staff are completely devoted to this task. Rohit and Vineet are put behind bars and tortured in Ronit’s backroom. He has a motive since the court has restricted his visits to Kali to once a week only.

    A missing ad is put in the newspapers and Tejaswinis’ crook brother, Siddhanth Kapoor, decides to take advantage. He calls up his sister demanding 50 lakh ransom to return the girl and Tejaswini asks her father, the only moneybag around, for 65 lakh, keeping her share in the ransom! Tejaswini gives her 15 lakh to her friend, Surveen Chawla, who happens to be Rahul’s current girlfriend. Surveen, an ex-item girl is married to a filmmaker who is useless in bed. 

    Surveen thinks she can use the 15 lakh left with her and she absconds with Rahul and Vineet. The latter is killed by Rahul in a frenzy, and Tejaswini decides to shoot Ronit even as Kali’s rotting body is lying dumped in a public place, the stink of which nobody smells until police does!

    Script, direction as well as other aspects are negative in this senseless film. The characters don’t fit in our kind of films or mind-set. The film has been designed to be gloomy and drab with planned exposure of Mumbai’s poverty ridden locations and garbage so much so even the ACP Ronit’s office is in some dilapidated housing board tenement.

    Ugly is a pretentious, bad film.

  • Jackie Chan’s son charged for drug offense

    Jackie Chan’s son charged for drug offense

    MUMBAI: The 32-year-old son of Hollywood actor Jackie Chan has been charged with a drug offense. Jaycee Chan was prosecuted in Beijing for allegedly providing a venue for drug users. The prosecution happened three months after he was arrested following a drugs bust at his residence in the capital. It is said that Chan could face up to three years in jail.

     

    Beijing police had detained Jaycee Chan and Taiwan movie star Ko Chen-tung for drug offenses earlier this year in August. Chan and Ko Chen-tung tested positive for marijuana and both admitted to taking the drug. Police seized more than 100 gm of marijuana at the junior Chan’s home. Ko Chen-tung was released 29 Aug after 14 days of administrative detention.

     

    Following Jaycee Chan’s detention, Jackie Chan released a statement on microblog Sina Weibo, saying he was “angered and shocked” by the news.

     

    Commenting further on the issue, Kung Fu star Jackie Chan said that he felt shamed by his son’s behaviour and hoped that he will behave in the future.

     

    “As Jaycee’s father, I feel ashamed and heartbroken. I hope that teenagers will draw lessons from Jaycee and stay away from drugs,” read the statement.

     

    He further added, “I hope that in the future, he could become an anti-drug spokesman and tell his experiences to young people.”

     

    Chan maintained that he never used any connections to help Jaycee Chan out.

     

  • Amitabh Bachchan receives the 2nd Yash Chopra National Memorial award

    Amitabh Bachchan receives the 2nd Yash Chopra National Memorial award

    MUMBAI: The second Yash Chopra National Memorial award was held at JW Mariott in suburban Mumbai on 25 December 2014.

     

    The award has been instituted by the renowned statesman and MP, T Subbarami Reddy in the memory of late illustrious director, Yash Chopra. The second Yash Chopra National Memorial award went to the living legend Amitabh Bachchan for his phenomenal contribution to the Indian film industry.

     

    The ceremony was held in association with ITA president and GR8! TV magazine editor, Anu Ranjan and ITA and GR8! producer, director and the sheet-anchor, Shashi Ranjan. In association with the Ranjans, Reddy, who has been a close associate and a very dear friend of Yash Chopra, wanted to perpetuate his memory and commemorate Chopra’s outstanding contribution to the world of art and Indian cinema.

     

    The jury constituted of notable names such as Simi Garewal, Hema Malini, Anil Kapoor and Reddy himself and they unanimously decided that the prestigious honour should go to Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    Last year, the award was conferred upon Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar for her monumental contribution to the sphere of music in the country.

     

     The ceremony was conducted in a very dignified way and included the presence of distinguished personalities as Governor of Maharashtra, Vidyasagar Rao, honourable former Union Minister, Susheel Kumar Shinde, honourable Union Minister, Prakash Javadekar along with Videocon Industries Chairman & Managing Director, V N Dhoot and a host of celebrities from TV & Films.

     

     Celebrities who attended the event included Pam Chopra, Jaya Pradha, Simi Garewal, Bhagayhree and her husband Himalaya, Madhoo, cricketer Mohammed  Azharuddin, Arjan Bajwa,  Ellie Aviram,  Ramesh Sippy and Kiran Juneja, Poonam Dhillon, Ramesh Taurani, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Raj Kumar Barjatya, Satish Kaushik, Mukesh Rishi, Manish Paul, Mazher Syed and Mouli Ganguly, Shashank Vyas, Tina Dutta, Karan V. Grover,  Munisha Khatwani, Karan Sharma and Digangana Suryavanshi. 

  • Another Pakistani actor enters Bollywood

    Another Pakistani actor enters Bollywood

    MUMBAI: After Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, one more Pakistani actor is set to make his debut in Bollywood.

     

    Shehroz Sabzwari will be seen in Riingo Banerjee’s upcoming film Luv Story.

     

    The 29-year-old actor was chosen by producer Shamik Basu after watching his Hum TV Awards performance. Sabzwari will be playing a challenging role of a slightly mentally off character and will undertake workshops to prepare for his character.

     

    The project will start early next year.

     

    The film, which also stars Riya Sen, Zarina Wahab, Aryann, Bidita Beg and Mukesh Tiwari among others, revolves around three friends – Luv (Sabzwari), Madan Chetri (Aryann) and Kushali (Beg), who grow up in an orphanage in Kalimpong and the dynamics of their relationships. Wahab’s character adopts Luv after her son’s death.

  • Adam Sandler is highest paid actors: Forbes

    Adam Sandler is highest paid actors: Forbes

    MUMBAI: As the year comes to an end, Forbes listed Hollywood’s highest paid actors of 2014. Forbes compiled the annual ranking by looking at the estimated salaries of Hollywood’s top stars, the budget and revenue of the last three films each actor starred in before June 2014 to determine a return on investment for each actor.

     

    For the second consecutive year, comedian Adam Sandler topped the list, leaving behind stars Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks. According to Forbes, for every $1 Sandler was paid, he returned an average of $3.20 approximately.

     

    Adam Sandler’s latest film Grown Ups 2 was a hit, raking $246m at the global box office.

     

    Depp, the star of the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean films, came in second, returning an average of $4.10 for each dollar paid, because of recent flops like The Lone Ranger and Dark Shadows.

     

    Comedian Ben Stiller, whose film Night at the Museum: Secrets of the Tomb opened in US theaters earlier this month, ranked third with a $4.80 return, due to Tower Heist and The Watch, which did not perform well at the box office.

     

    Ryan Reynolds, who starred in Green Lantern, was fourth with $4.90 for each dollar paid, followed by dual Oscar winner Tom Hanks, who pulled in a $5.20 return, rounding out the top five.

     

    Animated and limited release films and movies featuring cameo roles were not included in the calculations.

  • Eros International acquires international rights of Excel’s upcoming movies

    Eros International acquires international rights of Excel’s upcoming movies

    MUMBAI: Eros International Media (Eros International), one of the leading global film company in the Indian film entertainment industry has acquired the international rights of Excel Entertainment’s eagerly awaited films – Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do and film critic turned director Karan Anshuman’s Bangistan.

     

    Dil Dhadakne Do, in Zoya’s trademark style boasts of an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Shefali Shah. Shot mostly in foreign locales on a cruise ship, the film is a drama centered around a dysfunctional Punjabi family.

     

    Anshuman’s Bangistan, a hilarious parody stars Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat as two rival, blundering terrorists with Jacqueline Fernandez making a special appearance.

     

    Eros International CEO Jyoti Deshpande stated: “After a successful association for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, we are happy to once again partner with Excel who are known to make films that entertain as well as consistently offer a fresh take on cinema. Dil Dhadakne Do and Bangistan are looking extremely promising and we are looking forward to showcase these films internationally through our digital and distribution network.”

     

    Excel Entertainment producer Ritesh Sidhwani added: “We are happy to collaborate with Eros for these two exciting projects and present them on a worldwide platform through their outstanding distribution network.”

     

    Eros will release Bangistan on 17 April 2015 and Dil Dhadakne Do on 5 June 2015 in the international markets.

  • Sony mulls alternate distribution options for ‘The Interview’

    Sony mulls alternate distribution options for ‘The Interview’

    NEW DELHI: Sony Pictures is still considering options for distributing controversial comedy The Interview following the decision to pull its theatrical release in the wake of a rumoured North Korean hacking attack.

     

    David Boies, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, said Sony had “only delayed” any release. “Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed. It will be distributed,” Boies claimed. “How it’s going to be distributed, I don’t think anybody knows quite yet, but it’s going to be distributed.”

     

    Midweek, following the theatres owners’ decision not to screen the movie, Sony Pictures said it had “no further release plans for the film,” and company representatives declined to elaborate on Boies’ remarks.

     

    Nevertheless, Sony did refute a New York Post report that it was seeking to release the film for free via ad-supported online video site Crackle, which it owns. “No decisions have been made. Sony is still exploring options for distribution,” said a spokesman.

     

    Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton told CNN on Friday 19 December that the studio had not “given in” to pressure from hackers and was still considering ways to distribute the movie.

     

  • Third ‘Star Trek’ movie to be directed by Justin Lin

    Third ‘Star Trek’ movie to be directed by Justin Lin

    MUMBAI: Justin Lin, the fame behind directing many of the Fast and Furious films, has signed on to direct the third Star Trek movie. He has replaced Roberto Orci, who exited the project in early December.

     

    The first two instalments in the Paramount, SkyDance Productions and Bad Robot Star Trek franchise were helmed by J.J. Abrams, who did not return for the third so he could direct the new Star Wars film.

     

    Lin helmed Fast and Furious 6, Fast Five, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and 2009’s Fast and Furious. He was most recently attached to The Bourne Betrayal, which was to star Jeremy Renner, but plans have been put on hold as another Bourne film, starring Matt Damon and directed by Paul Greengrass, moves forward.

     

    Lin is repped by CAA, Cinetic Management and Sloss Eckhouse.