ITV

Category: Movies

  • Gandi baat, badly told

    Gandi baat, badly told

    MUMBAI: Can one say, ‘A love story is a love story’? One cannot; how the story is told makes all the difference. Mughal E Azam, Barsaat, Aradhana, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kabhie Kabhie and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, among others, were all love stories but each was memorable for its own reasons.

    At the opposite end of the spectrum is the recent crop of South Indian-style formula love stories that have been raiding the box office of late. R… Rajkumar is one of them. It is a mindless action film in the guise of a love story, and not a very good action film at that. The villain loses his credibility too many times in a period of two hours 26 minutes to be of any interest by the time the climax comes about. The villain’s superiority, ego and power are all finished long before the final fight; all that remains is finishing him physically. And the film, already bankrupt of ideas, devotes 20-25 minutes just to that. It seems never-ending.

    Earlier named Rambo Rajkumar and later forced to withdraw Rambo from its title, it settled for a suggestive R….. Rajkumar which is explained in the film as Romeo Rajkumar; after all, the Romeo, Shahid Kapoor, falls for Sonakshi Sinha at first sight. He has dropped in to an unfamiliar town in midst of two warring groups exchanging bullets. Sonakshi is caught in this crossfire and he stretches his arm to ward off bullets aimed at her, in the process showing off his tattoo to her. (No, the tattoo does not materialise into any Manmohan Desai kind lost and found story.)

    Shahid loves to poke his nose into others’ business. Ashish Vidyarthi’s goons plan to kidnap truck carrying opium belonging to Sonu Sood. Shahid saves it and earns an entry into Sood’s gang. Shahid can tackle 100 goons singlehandedly, the goons being very sporting as they tend to be in all South Indian action choreography. They always attack one after the other, each waiting his turn. Sood is thoroughly impressed and Shahid is promoted to his right hand man, displacing Mukul Dev who is also a sport and, instead of hating Shahid, makes him his best friend. Shahid’s reason for staying around in the town is probably Sonakshi as he has fallen head over heels for her.

    Producer: Sunil Lulla, Viki Rajani.
    Director: Prabhu Dheva.
    Cast: : Shahid Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukul Dev, Asrani, Srihari, Poonam Jhawer; Charrmy Kaur and Ragini Dwivedi (both in special appearance in songs).

    Soon, Shahid has a competitor. Sood sees Sonakshi and is besotted by her. She turns out to be the orphan niece of Sonu’s enemy, Vidyarthi, but so what? They decide to bury the hatchet and become rishtedaars. Challenges are thrown and a fight sequence is in place when Shahid leaves the scene. He could have taken Sonakshi along at that very moment but he avoided doing that for the sake of taking the film into the second half and eventually to its never-ending climax. No sense ending a film at interval stage.

    In the absence of anything worthwhile, the second half is whiled away with songs, some action and some cell phone romance besides unsuccessfully attempting some Himmatwala, Mawali kind of funny sequences with Asrani, Poonam Jhawar, Vidyarthi etc.

    Prabhu Dheva is handicapped as this time he is directing an original and not a remake; he is totally at sea! The film has one item number which is popular with masses in Gandi baat… The background score is eardrum shattering cacophony. The editing department seems to have been passed over. Action is routine South brand where the hero is superhuman. Besides, every action sequence has been stretched as if to make up for the lack of content. Shahid does a tapori role he is not cut out for. Just growing stubble does not make one a tapori. Sonakshi is too large for the frame. She is unimpressive in all that is expected of her. Sood is routine while Vidyarthi, Srihari, Asrani and Poonam Jhawer pass muster. Mukul Dev makes his presence felt.

    R…. Rajkumar has nothing to offer to multiplex audience and, may be, three days’ worth to single screens before it ends its reign.

  • Peyton Reed to adapt ‘The Fifth Beatle’

    Peyton Reed to adapt ‘The Fifth Beatle’

    MUMBAI: Peyton Reed, who directed Bring it On will adapt the best-selling graphic novel, The Fifth Beatle that chronicles the final years of Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

    The graphic novel that released recently has been on the New York Times best-selling list and recounts the story of Epstein, the visionary who discovered The Beatles and helped guide the band to international stardom. Epstein also secured the band’s first record deal at a time when no one else was interested.

     

    The movie will be produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen and Vivek J. Tiwary, who has written the graphic novel. Tiwary is also writing the screenplay. The production of the film is slated to begin in 2014.  

  • Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper joining Legendary’s ‘Warcraft’

    Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper joining Legendary’s ‘Warcraft’

    MUMBAI: Ben Foster, Toby Kebbell and Robert Kazinsky have joined the cast of Warcraft, Legendary’s live-action adaptation of the Blizzard Entertainment video game.

    Dominic Cooper also is in final negotiations to join the fantasy which is being directed by Duncan Jones and is set in a world of orcs, trolls and the undead.

    The film is produced by Charles Roven, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Alex Gartner and is set start shooting by January in Vancouver.

    The script was written by Charles Leavitt and rewritten by Jones.

  • ‘Yaariyan’s’ ‘Baarish’ gets over a million hits

    ‘Yaariyan’s’ ‘Baarish’ gets over a million hits

    MUMBAI: When Bhushan Kumar, son of T-series founder, late Gulshan Kumar, entered in the business, nobody was sure if he would be able to create the same musical magic that his father created. But it seems he is rising above his father’s shadow. After creating ripples with the melodious music of Aashiqui 2 earlier in the year, now even T-series’ second venture Yaariyaan seems to be getting a lot of attention, especially from the youngsters.

    One of the songs, Baarish from the film that was launched earlier this week already seems to be popular among the masses. Reports suggest that the song that features lead actors Himansh Kohli and Rakul Preet, has already got 1,138,752 hits in just four days. Despite a fresh cast, such an overwhelming response is really surprising.

     

    The film is being directed by Divya Khosla Kumar and is based on the life of college-going youngsters. It is scheduled to release on 10 January 2014.

  • PC launches the GUESS 2013 holiday collection

    PC launches the GUESS 2013 holiday collection

    MUMBAI: Actor Priyanka Chopra, who became the first actor from Bollywood to represent the international brand GUESS, recently launched the brand’s 2013 Holiday Collection at its flagship store in Mumbai.

     

    Priyanka portrays a movie star at home in an elegant Mediterranean villa wearing some of the season’s most stand-out dresses in the Holiday collection. The actor launched and unveiled the line’s signature form-fitting dresses and a headliner this season – the black mini with a floral twist.

     

    Singer-turned-photographer Bryan Adams captured the actor in her glamorous free spirited best in a series of black and white photographs when Guess had announced the association earlier in November.

     

    Guess creative director Paul Marciano in a release said, “Priyanka’s confidence, strength and sensuality reflect the qualities I always look for in a model. Priyanka Chopra reminds me of Sophia Loren, the top actresses of the 1950s. With the Indian movie industry exploding on a global stage, and Guess having a brand presence in 87 countries, we could not have found a better global brand ambassador. Choosing Priyanka reinforces our celebration of multi-talented, dynamic and accomplished women.”

     

    Priyanka exulted, “For as long as I can remember, Guess has been at the epicenter of fashion for women. I am honored to be face of the brand and this iconic holiday campaign. Guess is aspirational, inspirational and so relatable to women from across the world and I think this is a remarkable opportunity which in its own way, erases boundaries and makes the world a smaller place. When you look good, you feel great…and to me, that’s what Paul Marciano captured in these pictures and what Guess is all about.”

  • Yaariyans Baarish gets over a million hits

    Yaariyans Baarish gets over a million hits

    MUMBAI: When Bhushan Kumar, son of T-series founder, late Gulshan Kumar, entered in the business, nobody was sure if he would be able to create the same musical magic that his father created. But it seems he is rising above his father’s shadow. After creating ripples with the melodious music of Aashiqui 2 earlier in the year, now even T-series’ second venture Yaariyaan seems to be getting a lot of attention, especially from the youngsters.

     

    One of the songs, Baarish from the film that was launched earlier this week already seems to be popular among the masses. Reports suggest that the song that features lead actors Himansh Kohli and Rakul Preet, has already got 1,138,752 hits in just four days. Despite a fresh cast, such an overwhelming response is really surprising.

     

    The film is being directed by Divya Khosla Kumar and is based on the life of college-going youngsters. It is scheduled to release on 10 January 2014.

  • PC launches the GUESS 2013 holiday collection

    PC launches the GUESS 2013 holiday collection

    MUMBAI: Actor Priyanka Chopra, who became the first actor from Bollywood to represent the international brand GUESS, recently launched the brand’s 2013 Holiday Collection at its flagship store in Mumbai.

     

    Priyanka portrays a movie star at home in an elegant Mediterranean villa wearing some of the season’s most stand-out dresses in the Holiday collection. The actor launched and unveiled the line’s signature form-fitting dresses and a headliner this season – the black mini with a floral twist.

     

    Singer-turned-photographer Bryan Adams captured the actor in her glamorous free spirited best in a series of black and white photographs when Guess had announced the association earlier in November.

     

    Guess creative director Paul Marciano in a release said, “Priyanka’s confidence, strength and sensuality reflect the qualities I always look for in a model. Priyanka Chopra reminds me of Sophia Loren, the top actresses of the 1950s. With the Indian movie industry exploding on a global stage, and Guess having a brand presence in 87 countries, we could not have found a better global brand ambassador. Choosing Priyanka reinforces our celebration of multi-talented, dynamic and accomplished women.”

     

    Priyanka exulted, “For as long as I can remember, Guess has been at the epicenter of fashion for women. I am honored to be face of the brand and this iconic holiday campaign. Guess is aspirational, inspirational and so relatable to women from across the world and I think this is a remarkable opportunity which in its own way, erases boundaries and makes the world a smaller place. When you look good, you feel great…and to me, that’s what Paul Marciano captured in these pictures and what Guess is all about.”

  • Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper joining Legendary’s ‘Warcraft’

    Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper joining Legendary’s ‘Warcraft’

    Ben Foster, Toby Kebbell and Robert Kazinsky have joined the cast of Warcraft, Legendary’s live-action adaptation of the Blizzard Entertainment video game.

     

    Dominic Cooper also is in final negotiations to join the fantasy which is being directed by Duncan Jones and is set in a world of orcs, trolls and the undead.

     

    The film is produced by Charles Roven, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Alex Gartner and is set start shooting by January in Vancouver.

     

    The script was written by Charles Leavitt and rewritten by Jones.

  • Peyton Reed to adapt The Fifth Beatle

    Peyton Reed to adapt The Fifth Beatle

    Peyton Reed, who directed Bring it On will adapt the best-selling graphic novel, The Fifth Beatle that chronicles the final years of Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

    The graphic novel that released recently has been on the New York Times best-selling list and recounts the story of Epstein, the visionary who discovered The Beatles and helped guide the band to international stardom. Epstein also secured the band’s first record deal at a time when no one else was interested.

    The movie will be produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen and Vivek J. Tiwary, who has written the graphic novel. Tiwary is also writing the screenplay. The production of the film is slated to begin in 2014.

  • ‘Fast & Furious 6’ proceeds to go to Paul Walker’s charity

    ‘Fast & Furious 6’ proceeds to go to Paul Walker’s charity

    MUMBAI: When the Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker passed away during an accident earlier in the week, the entire industry mourned. Now, Universal Pictures has decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from DVD sales of Fast & Furious 6 to Paul Walker’s charity.

    The proceeds will be donated to Paul Walker’s non-profit Reach Out WorldWide, a network of professionals with first responder skill-sets who augment local expertise when natural disasters strike in order to accelerate relief efforts. Walker founded the organisation after witnessing deficiencies in local activations following the January 2010 Haiti earthquake, and he remained passionately devoted to the charity.
    Fast-Furious-6-box-office“With the passing of Paul, the world has lost a man who spent a great deal of his life in service to others. We share in the deep grief of his family, friends and the countless fans who love him,” said Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley in a release.

    The actor died at the age of 40 on Saturday while in the passenger seat of a Porsche that struck a pole.