ITV

Tag: Dhanush

  • Bollywood Stars Get On a 50cc Moped

    Bollywood Stars Get On a 50cc Moped

    Did you know that scooters and mopeds are the most affordable form of transportation for most families in India? For the majority of Indian families, normal cars are just too expensive, which leads many of them to ride only mopeds when they need to go somewhere.

    In an effort to portray some realism and connect with the everyday person, many Bollywood stars have got a 50cc moped and ditched their expensive cars. So, which members of Bollywood’s star-studded cast have taken to riding cheaper vehicles? Keep reading now to find out more.

    • Amitabh Bachchan

    First up, we have Amitabh Bachchan.  Even though he’s very famous Bollywood star, he was spotted riding a moped in normal street clothes, something an everyday man might wear.
    It was later learned that he was portraying a man of meager means looking for a job in an upcoming film. However, it seems that Amitabh has taken a liking to riding 50cc mopeds and continues to do so even in his time off from filming.

    • Shah Rukh Khan

    Another one of Bollywood’s most famous stars, Shah was also recently seen riding his own 50cc moped. In his most recent film, he was shown riding a 50cc moped down the street. He portrayed an average man, with his wife riding along behind him.

    Shah also rode a moped in another film he starred in, titled Chak De! India. The film was very popular, allowing its audience to feel more connected with Shah as a main character while watching him do some of the things that many of them do daily.

    • Dhanush

    Yet another Bollywood star has been shown riding a 50cc moped on the film sets of Raanjhanaa. He was riding a gray Bajaj Chetak, attempting to keep out of a rainstorm that had blown into the set.

    For the same film, Dhanush is shown riding a bright yellow moped with costar Sonam Kapoor, smiling wide for the audience. There were a lot of scenes in this particular film of the Bollywood star riding a moped.

    • Anushka Sharma

    And finally, Anushka is another star that has been seen riding a 50cc moped recently. Anushka initially had a terrible time learning to ride a moped, ending up on the news for how bad she was while filming Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl.

    However, since then, Anushka has taken a liking to riding on two wheels. She has her own moped and has starred in other films where she was shown riding 50cc mopeds in various scenes.

    It’s clear to see that the 50cc moped isn’t just for the average person but can also be enjoyed by even the wealthiest people across India and the world. Truly, these little scooters are great vehicles for those who are on a tight budget. Their reliability also makes them great for anyone with greater means, too. They are very safe and always remember you need moped insurance always to be legal on the road.

  • ‘Kolaveri Di’ becomes 1st Indian video to touch 100 m views on YouTube

    ‘Kolaveri Di’ becomes 1st Indian video to touch 100 m views on YouTube

    MUMBAI: Kolaveri Di, the song from the movie 3 has become the first Indian video to cross 100 million views on YouTube on 2 December, 2015.

     

    The song was released by Sony Music India on 16 November, 2011 and has been sung by Dhanush.

     

    The song went viral with over a million YouTube views on its release and has attracted many people because of its simplicity, originality and colloquial lyrics, which the viewers could easily relate to.

     

    The video is made in an unplugged recording by the Sony Music team and was also promoted on social media channels. The song has attracted all categories of people and has reached into all corners of the globe.

     

    The movie 3 stars Dhanush and Shruti Haasan in the lead.

  • Tata Sky targets DAS Phase III areas with celebrity driven ad campaign

    Tata Sky targets DAS Phase III areas with celebrity driven ad campaign

    MUMBAI: In a bid to capture a chunk of analogue cable users in Phase III areas of Digital Addressable System (DAS), direct to home (DTH) platform Tata Sky has launched a celebrity driven ad campaign to generate awareness about digitisaton.

     

    The ‘Missed Call’ ad campaign, which features actors Kangana Ranaut and Dhanush, aims to bring on board customers who are still on analogue cable.

     

    With this campaign, Tata Sky is looking to target the 40 million households residing in 7,000 towns and cities, which will now witness the next phase of digitisation.

     

    Tata Sky CCO Malay Dikshit said, “When we asked new Tata Sky subscribers on what motivated them to come aboard our platform, they gave us some brilliant insights on why they saw great value in getting Tata Sky at home. This campaign presents these insights in simple and direct narratives delivered through rooted and relatable characters played by Kanagna and Dhanush, both fine actors. This is our initiative to drive digitisation in DAS III markets.”

     

    The series of three ad films with each actor, leaves viewers with a sense of realisation and a smile. It also highlights payment flexibility options such as daily recharge and various monthly subscription packs.

     

    The ‘Missed Call’ campaign launched in the South with Dhanush is targeting 1200 towns that have been identified under DAS III and have the least DTH penetration. Tata Sky offers a range of innovative offerings and has been expanding its bouquet of channels across regional languages.

     

    Commenting on the thought process behind the new communication, Ogilvy India ECD Sukesh Nayak said, “Tata Sky is the segment leader who is known for innovation and redefining the sector with its value propositions. The hard hitting, single take talkies are delivered by Kanagna and Dhanush, who play an average Indian consumer, who are delighted with a Tata Sky connection at home.”

     

    Ensuring its reach is extended to the hinterland, Tata Sky has launched the campaign in 11 languages namely Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Odiya, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Bengali as well as in four dialects namely Manipuri, Bhojpuri, Marwadi and Tulu.

     

    The ‘Missed Call’ marketing campaign includes TV, print, outdoors, cinema halls and radio.

  • 7UP to launch reality show on Udaya TV

    7UP to launch reality show on Udaya TV

    MUMBAI: Taking a step towards advertiser funded programming (AFP), PepsiCo India’s brand 7UP is all set to launch a six-week reality show titled 7UP UPstarters, which will feature original talent from South India.

     

    Featuring budding dancers, singers and actors, the first episode of 7UP UPstarters will premiere on 7 June on Udaya TV at 5.30 pm.

     

    The contest saw huge participation from aspiring singers, dancers and actors during the on-ground auditions across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and through a unique wild-card system on Facebook.

     

    With talent including brake-dancers, classical singers, beat-boxers and acting enthusiasts among others, seven teams will fight to finish through a series of week-on-week performances. The winning 7-member team will win a cash prize of Rs 7 lakh.

     

    The grand-finale of the six-part series will be judged by actors and 7UP brand ambassadors Dhanush and Puneeth Rajkumar.

     

    PepsiCo India senior director marketing, social beverages Ruchira Jaitly said, “7UP UPstarters is not just another reality show but a search for the next generation of original, authentic talent from Karnataka. The entire journey from audition to the finale has been packaged into six action-packed episodes to bring viewers closer to the actual experience of each contestant.”

  • ‘Roy’ fails to grab eyeballs at the BO

    ‘Roy’ fails to grab eyeballs at the BO

    MUMBAI: Roy does not quite go well with the moviegoer; a confusing film moving at snail’s pace with nothing happening through its lengthy trudge, the film had fair collections on the opening day thanks to names of Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the cast.

     

    The film maintained about same figures on Saturday but suffered a huge drop of about 50 per cent on Sunday because of India Pakistan World Cup match. The film managed weekend collections of Rs 24.9 crore.

     

    Controversial film MSG: The Messenger fails at the box office.

     

    R Balki’s experiment of a ventriloquist played by Amitabh Bachchan landing his rich baritone to an aspiring mute actor, Dhanush, fails to catch the audience’s fancy. While Bachchan may still be a media star, casting him in such a film is tricky business, Dhanush has little to charm the Hindi audience. Shamitabh does not add much to its already deficient weekend, ending its first week with a figure of Rs 17.6 crore.

     

    Baby continues to make the most of a run of poor oppositions over last three weeks. The film adds a reasonable Rs 6.5 crore in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 75.3 crore.

     

    Khamoshiyan has collected Rs 75 lakh in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 6.5 crore. Forced horror film sans content don’t work. A disappointing outcome for the investor.

     

    PK has added Rs 20 lakh in its eighth week. The film has put together Rs 329.95 crore in eight weeks.

  • ‘Shamitabh’….Amitabh unleashed!

    ‘Shamitabh’….Amitabh unleashed!

    MUMBAI: R Balki’s films are described as novel by Shamitabh’s lead actor, Amitabh Bachchan. But the system of a Hindi-speaking person dubbing for South Indian actors or vice versa is age old reality. So is that of one person dubbing for another. There is nothing new in Shamitabh except that here a mute person aspires to be a star and a voice is found for him.

    Dhanush is a small time lad from Igatpuri in Maharashtra helping his mother sell batata vada at the local state transport bus stop. Whatever money he gets, he spends on movies. When the cinema hall is brought down he barters with a video library, giving free batata vada and pakoda in exchange for a movie. That is where he also gets introduced to Hollywood movies.

    Dhanush is mute but is convinced he is an ace actor and can somehow make it big in the films. He often tries to run away from his village to reach Mumbai but is brought back once by convincing him that he is still too young to become a film star and again when his mother pretends to be sick so that he stays back.

    There comes a time when his mother is really ill and passes away. The way is open for Dhanush to go to Mumbai and try his luck. After a couple of failures in entering studios and trying to reach the famous film directors like Raju Hirani, Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty and so on, he finally makes it to a studio where he comes across Akshara Haasan, an assistant director who sympathises with this mute guy from a small town. She asks him to perform a scene and shoots it on her cell phone. Her director boss is duly impressed and decides to give him break. But what to do about his voice?

    Producers: Sunil Lulla, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, RK Damani, Gauri Shinde, Abhishek Bachchan.

    Director: R Balki.

    Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush, Akshara Haasan and cameos by Rekha, Javed Akhtar, Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty etc.

    The way out is to find a voice for him who will not dub for him but will playback his dialogue on his behalf. After some voice tests, they suddenly come across Bachchan, a weird character and a drunkard with a Christian cemetery as his abode. Bachchan has no solid back story for turning into what he has. The cemetery keeper charges him rent and also doubles up as his Man Friday. Now everybody knows about Bachchan’s rich voice, which does not quite match Dhanush’s personality. But, in the film’s story, that is what works for Dhanush since the film highlights mainly this aspect leaving aside his famous acting prowess which impressed those concerned.

    After some coaxing, Bachchan agrees to be the voice of Dhanush because he can get even with the entertainment industry; he had come to Mumbai forty years back to try his luck first in films and later on radio (the radio rejection happened to him in real life). Both rejected him because the filmmakers found his voice like that of a villain (no idea why he did not get a villain’s role!). He can now make a star out of Dhanush on the strength of his voice.

    Dhanush’s debut film makes it to the screen and in the very first weekend, he has become a superstar breaking the collection records of Aamir Khan as well as Salman Khan! He has taken the screen name of Shamitabh, combining his and Bachchan’s name as that makes him complete as an actor. But, no sooner does Dhanush become a star, he gets into an ego struggle with his voice, Bachchan: is he successful because of his acting or is it the rich voice he borrows from Bachchan?

    The voice acting conflict is introduced too early and goes on and on, becoming repetitive. If acting is what took Dhanush to the top, it is not emphasised on with most of the time the focus being on Bachchan and his booming voice. Finally comes a time when the ego clash leads to a parting of ways. While Dhanush attempts to prove himself with a film about deaf and mute love story, Bachchan tries to prove his point by lending his voice to another aspiring actor, who stammers and can’t deliver dialogues. Both fail in their respective efforts and realise that they complement each other. Akshara plays the mediator to bring them together.

    If Bachchan were to play only Dhanush’s voice, there would not have been much to do for him in the film. So there is extended footage on his lifestyle. Also, what he did very successfully for the first time in Amar Akbar Anthony, the mime in front of a mirror, and later in another film has been overused here. Bachchan is made to give multiple monologues which not only stretch the film but also bring negative returns. Director Balki seems to sell Bachchan more than his idea of a ventriloquist for mute actor.

    With a loose script which comes in bits and pieces as it moves from one artiste to another while also trying to build a romance between Dhanush and Akshara (one sided though from Dhanush) it leads to many tedious moments. The director seems to have little control thereafter stretching the film to 153 minutes with a story based on just three artistes. The music by the legendary composer, Illaiyaraaja, is mediocre, best of the lot being two ringtone kind of numbers in Ishq e phillum…. And Piddly si baatein…. Background score is fine. Dialogue, mainly Bachchan’s lines, are good. Editing is slack. Climax is abrupt and poor.

    It is an Amitabh show all the way though he is overburdened. Dhanush overacts at times and is just passable. Akshara fails to make a mark, her dressing may be contemporary youth kind but makes her lack femininity.

    On the whole, Shamitabh fails to deliver.

  • ‘When two work together towards a common goal, it helps both’: Bachchan

    ‘When two work together towards a common goal, it helps both’: Bachchan

    NEW DELHI: It is not right to equate a character he or she plays on screen to the person, and the film Shamitabh in many ways gives this message, according to megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    Bachchan said that while Dhanush used his voice in the film, he took the character further by bringing his own originality to the character he enacted.

     

    Speaking at a press meet, Bachchan revealed that he recorded the entire voice-over of the film in the editing room under the supervision of the film’s director R Balki before the film was shot.

     

    Shamitabh, starring Bachchan and Dhanush, will see the debut of Akshara Haasan. The movie is about a journalist who comes across a good actor without a voice and then meets a decrepit haggard elderly man with a good voice, and tries to match the two. While she succeeds, the two men gradually are overcome by their respective ego problems, and she has to resolve that.

     

    Bachchan related a dialogue in the film to stress the fact that every person has his or her own value. He said there was a dialogue, which says whisky can be had with or without water. He said, “I do not drink. So, Dhanush is both whisky and water.” But when two people go together, they are bound to succeed, and the film also stresses this, he added.

     

    Asked about his writer-director Balki, Bachchan said he had worked with Balki in Cheeni Kum and then in Paa and had found the director gives a different touch to his style of filmmaking.

     

    Speaking about the difference between Bollywood and Tamil cinema, Dhanush said, “Except for the language, almost everything is the same. One difference however is that down in the South, we have to give just five interviews whereas here we have 523 interviews lined up for us.”

     

    Akshara, whose mother Sarika, father Kamal Haasan and sister Shruti are all part of the film industry, said, “It was a wonderful opportunity and an amazing experience for me.” She went on to say that she did not feel intimated because of any comparisons, since each of her family members have their own style.

     

    The song Piddly, rendered by Bachchan, which has become really popular, was brought in conversations frequently as it has been used to fight piracy.

     

    Bachchan also said that since the film is about the film industry, several other known personalities would be seen on screen. Answering a question about his stint in the industry, he said, “I have found that over the last forty-five years, filmmakers are becoming more impatient. However, they are more knowledgeable now about what’s happening all over the world, and this includes usage of new technologies.”

     

    Presented by Eros International, the film has music by Ilaiyaraaja and has been produced by Sunil Lulla, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R K Damani, Gauri Shinde, and Abhishek Bachchan. The lyricists are Swanand Kirkire, Kausar Munir for ‘Sha Sha Sha Mi Mi Mi’.

     

  • “I have nothing to lose in Bollywood”: Dhanush

    “I have nothing to lose in Bollywood”: Dhanush

    MUMBAI: R. Balki’s upcoming movie, Shamitabh will feature Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Kamal Haasan’s daughter Akshara Haasan in lead roles.

     

    Dhanush, who has always played larger-than-life roles in his south flicks, has picked an unconventional role this time round. He feels motivated to experiment with roles in Bollywood as according to him, he has nothing to lose here.

     

    Last seen in the romantic drama Raanjhanaa opposite Sonam Kapoor, Dhanush said, “I have been trying to mix my characters as much as possible down south. There, one image is stuck, so I am restricted. Here in Bollywood, I have nothing to lose. So, I experiment with my characters. I am thankful to Balki who has given me this film.”

     

    Talking about his experience of working with Amitabh Bachchan, he said, “I don’t know if I have done enough work to deserve to be working with Mr Bachchan. God has blessed me with this film.”

     

    Akshara Haasan, who will be making her Bollywood debut with Shamitabh, added, “I really look up to Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush but when we got on the sets, they made me feel very comfortable and made things easier for me.”

     

    Shamitabh, which also stars Rekha, is set to release on 6 February 2015.

     

  • Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan together in ‘Shamitabh’

    Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan together in ‘Shamitabh’

    MUMBAI: Award winning actor Dhanush, who made his debut in Bollywood with Raanjhana has just wrapped up the shooting of his second hindi film Shamitabh. The latest buzz is that, the film with Dhanush, Akshara Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan in lead will also star yesteryear sensation and an evergreen beauty Rekha.

     

    This was reveled by the Dhanush at the micro-blogging site Twitter, “LOOK whom I’m sharing screen space with, in Shamitabh. The one and only REKHA JI !!! #beautyforever,” he tweeted.

     

    Although it’s not clear whether they will have any scenes together, but Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha will be in a movie together after three decades.

     

    Shamitabh is an upcoming Hindi film scripted and directed by R Balki. The film is jointly produced by Sunil Lulla, R Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, RK Damani, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sunil Manchanda and Dhanush under their respective production banners. Ilaiyaraaja has composed the soundtrack album and background score for the movie, while cinematography was handled by PC Sreeram

     

    Shamitabh is slated to release worldwide on 6 Feburary 2015.

     

    Last seen together in Silsila, Bachchan and Rekha have co-starred in many movies in the past including like Immaan Dharam (1977), Khoon Pasina (1977), Ganga Ki Saugandh (1978), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), Mr Natwarlal (1979) and Suhaag (1979). She has also dubbed for two Bachchan-starrers; she was Sridevi’s voice in Aakhree Raasta (1986), and also dubbed for Soundarya and Jayasudha in EVV Satyanarayana’s Bollywood debut Sooryavansham (1999)

  • 61st Idea Filmfare Awards 2014 (South) A night to remember

    61st Idea Filmfare Awards 2014 (South) A night to remember

    MUMBAI: The 61st  Idea Filmfare Awards 2014 (South) saw the cr?me de la cr?me of the South Indian film industry converge to one roof in Chennai. It was a night where upcoming stars rubbed shoulders with veterans and legends. Scintillating performances and entertaining hosts gave perfect complement to the awards winners. It was an evening of excellence and grandeur.

     

    The cutest couple in Chennai, singer Chinmayi and actor Rahul played the perfect hosts entertaining the audiences with their wit and flawless chemistry. Sizzling performances by the most glamorous girls in all of South India added the extra oomph in the night. Asha Sarath danced to the tunes of Malayalam songs like Arrivin nilaave and Angopangam.  Sruthi Hariharan swayed to Kannada hits Thinbedakami and Nee Thorebeda from Lucia and Tamil numbers Nallavannu Solvaanga from Veeram and Yeppa Mama Treatu from Jilla.

     

    Tamil diva Sanchita Shetty rocked the stage with chartbusters like Kasu Pannau Duddu Money Money, Mama Dowser and Ethir Neechal title track. The prettiest face in Bangalore, Parul Yadav scorched it up with Kannada numbers like Pyarge Aagbittaite (Govindaya Namaha), Kai kaya (Chingari), Baite baite (Varadanayaka) and Darling darling (Madarangi).

     

    Rima Kallingal wowed with Malayalam numbers Chillane (22 Female Kottayam), Theerathe neelunne (Thira), Nenjile from the movie 1983 and Mangalyam from Bangalore Days. The super-hot c boogied to hit Rajinikanth numbers in both Tamil and Telugu. Songs like Style from Sivaji, Rakamma kayya thattu from Thalapathi and Elephunk by the legendary Ilayaraja brought the house down.

     

    Taapsee Pannu electrified with Tamil hits like Anjana anjana from Vandhan Vendran, Yathe yathe from Adukalam, En Fuse Pochu from Arrambam and followed up with Telugu numbers like Ekkadekkada from Veera, Akasham Baddalaina from Mr. Perfect and Naughty girl from Shadow. And finally everyone’s favourite Shruthi Haasan pulled out all stops with hits like Dappa Dappa, Why this Kolavari Di, Pilla Nuvuu Leni Jeevitham and Cinimaa Chupista Mama.

     

    Stars and celebrities from the four South industries showed unparalleled gusto in celebrating the winners and the nominees. The well-deserved Critics’ Award winners Dhanush for Tamil film Mariyan and Prithviraj for Malayalam film Celluliod were received with thundering applause. And the Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Jayabharathy and to Late Balu Mahendra, which was received by his wife who were visibly humbled by the adulation showered on them by their peers and the cheering crowds alike.

     

    The title sponsor for the show was Idea Cellular and the associate sponsors were  NAC Jewellers and Reliance Trends  The other sponsors were Radio Partner – Radio Mirchi; Beauty Partner – Close Up; Beverage Partner –  Signature, Packaged Drinking Water;  Multiplex Partner – Orienta Cine Advertising and  Trophy Partner – The Award Gallery;

     

    Catch all the excitement of the 61st  Idea Filmfare Awards 2013 (South) aired exclusively on Asianet (Malayalam,  Vijay TV (Tamil),  Suvarna (Kannada) and  Maa (Telugu)  the telecast partners for the event