Ranbir gets Rs 7 crores for a film
Raj Santoshi is a very happy man.
Belying all rumours of a fall-out with Ajay Devgan Raj Santoshi is all set to make another film with his favourite actor.
“We’re just about to zero- in on the subject. It’s a contemporary film, not the two period films on Emperor Ashok and the Ramayan that we were planning to do together. Those are on hold right now.
For now Ajay and I getting ready for another film, though I’ll definitely make Ramayan and Ashok with him. But we haven’t fallen out just because a couple of our films together haven’t clicked. That’s not how we work.”
For now Raj is on another trip. “I’m finally starting Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir and Katrina from tomorrow (Wednesday).
It’s my first love story, though people seem to think it’s an intense love story. Which it is not. It has lots of very light very humorous moments. I haven’t worked with Ranbir and Katrina before. So I’m really looking forward to that.”
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is to be shot in Mumbai (from tom) then Goa and finally Italy.
“A lot of elements in Ranbir’s character will remind people of his grandfather Raj Kapoor. I’ve worked with Ranbir’s father in Damini.
When I saw the boy in Saawariya I wanted to work with him immediately. Katrina and I were supposed to do a film that had Shahid in it. That didn’t work out. This is a totally different subject.”
Ask the director about Ranbir’s reported remuneration of Rs 7 crores, and Raj shrugs. “That’s between Ranbir and the producers Tips.”
Oh one more thing. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani also stars Upen Patel.
“It’s a pivotal role. Upen expressed a desire to work with me. We met up. When I narrated the subject he fell in love with it. I’m working with an entirely new team including music composer Pritam.”
Sexy Julie will never ever leave me
Four years back the sexy Neha Dhupia sizzled in the box-office hit, Julie. Is it any coincidence that in her next keenly awaited Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer Singh Is Kinng, Neha’s character name happens to be Julie yet again!
Blushes Neha, “I don’t think the Julie connection will ever leave me! Even today when I go up north and to the small towns, people say Arre Julie Aa Gayi!
Since the association is so strong, I said why not christen my character Julie!”
Was Julie the initial choice? “No! I’m not sure what they had in mind initially! I think it was Rosy!” she laughs.
On how she landed herself a juicy role in the film, Neha reveals, “Vipul’s (Shah) office approached me. I was slightly apprehensive initially because I wasn’t playing the romantic interest.
But I was assured that being the girl of the gang I’d have a plum part. And because I am a sardar in real life as well that helped!”
I don’t think the Julie connection will ever leave me! Even today when About Singh Is Kinng, she smiles confidently, “Just watch it! It’s an absolute blast!”
Vijay Mallya rescues Katrina!!!
Look at her! The pretty girl barely out of her teens is running from pillar to post. On Saturday 3 May she was in 3 cities within 12 hours.
“I was shooting in Goa and had to catch a flight to Bangalore for the IPL match on Saturday,” she explains breathlessly.
“But I missed my flight. Fortunately Dr Vijay Mallya had me flown in his jet or I wouldn’t have been able to make it…That’s one of the advantages of being the brand ambassador for Dr Mallya’s team (Royal Challengers). You know they’ll make sure you’d reach where you are required in spite of maddening schedules.”
Katrina loves cricket. “Everyone in London is crazy about the game. So I kind of grew up with the game. Here in India too it’s a passion.
So when Dr Mallya asked me to be be their brand ambassador I agreed. I’ve known him for years and can’t say no to him.We shot the music video with Sanjay Gupta and it was great fun.”
She loves watching the IPL games and cheering for her team.
“The only thing I hate is to have fans approaching me, not because I don’t like to connect with fans. In fact I love it. But while watching a match I don’t want to be disturbed. People tend to get in the way when the matches are on.”
The lovely lass from London is only now learning to connect with the public.
“Whether it’s the IPL matches or my songs and dances for movies, I think I’ve really started having fun only now after Race. I’ve never enjoyed my dancing so much.
Yeah I think I’m finally unwinding both on screen and on stage. I recently started enjoying dancing on stage. I realized that at the Zee awards. Earlier I had neither the songs nor the confidence. Now I guess I’ve a bit of both.”
Katrina Kaif was really very Upset!
For Siddharth Anand directing his childhood chum Ranbir Kapoor was an inevitability. Not only are their parents close friends Ranbir and Siddharth grew up together. “We had no choice but to be friends,” jokes Anand.
In fact the two had made a pact that they would start their careers together. But then Siddharth got busy with his two back-to-back Saif starrers.
“Ranbir and I are like brothers. I know him from the time he was born.I’m shocked by Ranbir’s expertise in front of the camera. In my film he’ll be completely different from the way he was in Saawariya.
Ranbir is full tayyaar on the sets. Superb energy and a great dancer, ” Anand exulted just before the crew left for a 50-day shoot of his Ranbir starrer Bachna Ae Haseenon all over Europe.
So how does it feel to be making his third romantic comedy? Anand corrects me. “Salaam Namaste was a romantic comedy. But Tara Rum Pum was a family drama. I never executed it as a romantic comedy. …It didn’t do as well.
Probably my concept of poverty, not getting good food, didn’t jell with the audience. That was my interpretation of poverty because I’m a foodie and not getting great food is the biggest deprivation for me. I need good food to keep me happy healthy and fat.
Anyway people have been catching up on it belatedly on the cable and dvd. I was happy the producers didn’t lose money. Bachna Ae Haseenon is again a romantic comedy. It feel it stretches the genre.”
His film releases on 15 August. “I just saw my poster with the date and my hands went cold.”
The director feel there’s an instant connectivity with the audience through the title. “And it’s not just because Rishi Uncle sang the words Bachna ae haseenon. Anyone who’ll see my film will know it’s the most apt title. However Ranbir being in the film the title does acquire an added dimension.”
Interestingly Sid Anand decided to knock off one whole portion of the plot thereby knocking Katrina Kaif out of vision.
“And only because it was getting too long. If we had kept Katrina’s portion Bachna Ae Haseenon would’ve been one of the longest films in the history of Hindi cinema….much much beyond three hours.”
Siddharth admits it wasn’t easy breaking the news to Katrina. “Nobody had the heart to break the news to her. When she heard she was out Katrina was really upset. But what to do?
In fact Katrina’s track was one of our favourites. But she saw our point of view when she saw the film. The only reason we dropped her track was because it hadn’t been shot.
Otherwise she’s the biggest star we’ve in our film. Katrina has had only one flop in her entire career. Dropping her track upset all of us.”
Siddharth feels Yashraj Films is like a second home for him. “I’ve been part of the the banner for ten years. I started by assisting on Mujhse Dosti Karogi.” He now plans to make a film for Sajid Nadiadwala.
Stars, Siddharth admits, bring in the audience. “But I think a film like Taare Zameen Par would’ve worked even without Aamir. We’ve some supremely talented actors like Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon. Hopefully I’ll be working with them soon.”
Provided Ranbir and Saif let him.
Who’s this Isabel in Sallu’s life now
Isabel, a young starlet from the United Kingdom, is bent upon gatecrashing into Bollywood. But why is Salman Khan equally bent upon helping her out?
It would be natural for anyone maybe, not only for Salman, to play godfather to a sexy young thing especially if she has a striking resemblance to his steady Katrina (remember how he cast Sneha Ullal, an Aishwarya Rai look-alike, in Lucky?). What’s more, Isabel even shares Katrina’s surname, Kaif!
Well, she would share the surname, but not Katrina’s boyfriend Salman. That’s because she is one of the seven Kaif sisters, and Katrina happens to be one of them!
Isabel Kaif is Katrina’s kid sister, and has been seen in the background of recent Katrina photographs at various events. A sureshot signal of things to come, especiall pretty young things.
Salman Khan’s Veer, whose story is credited to Salman, will commence shooting in August and director Anil Sharma is busy polishing off the dialogues at the moment.
Meanwhile, the buzz is that Isabel Kaif will be paired opposite Sallu Bhai! Salman has always been strongly bonded with his siblings, and they have all been one for all, and all for one.
Arbaaz and Sohail have produced and acted in films sharing the Khan synergy, as in Hello Brother and Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya.
Earlier, he gave music director duo Sajid-Wajid great breaks, as also cousin- singer, Kamal Khan. Lately, Partner was a film made only to help Govinda out of his career crisis.
So, is it any wonder that the story writer and star of Veer has been rooting for Isabel as the leading lady, especially when it has come out into the open that Katrina herself has nudged and pushed Salman and Anil Sharma!
Veer is a period drama set in the years 1852 to 1900. Salman’s first period film looks like the perfect launch for her kid sister, feels Katrina. Officially however director Anil Sharma denies it all, calling it the usual rumour.
“I am working on the dialogues of the film. I am yet to finish some parts of the script. Once that is done then I will think about the casting.
All I can say at the moment is that Salman is in the main lead, but we are yet to finalise the leading lady,” said Sharma.
Reportedly, Priyanka Chopra who starred in Anil Sharma’s The Hero with Sunny Deol in her early career, has always wanted to be a part of all his films. Apparently, when she heard the story of Veer, she expressed her keenness to do the film.
Sharma denies this too. “No, it’s not true. As I said before, we are yet to finalise the leading lady,” he says. “I haven’t signed any actress opposite Salman yet.”
Sharma added that Salman gives major inputs in the script and dialogues though it’s only the story that is his. “Being the son of the famous writer, Salim Khan, Salman has a great story sense. He has a very good sense of humour too.”
Maybe it’s Sharma’s sense of humour too while denying all ‘rumours’. So, who will it be as leading lady opposite Salman Khan in Veer? We would put our money, all of it, on Isabel Kaif.
If it turns out it’s not she, but Priyanka or someone else, that would be a cruel joke by Sharma or Salman or both!
I don’t want to be called hot: Katrina
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Katrina Kaif’s sizzling number ‘Sexy Lady’ in Race, followed by the announcement of an item song in the sporty film Blue, has given the lady a va-va-voom image.
Even rumours of us actresses fighting for space in Race is way off the mark. I’ve my own place in Race. My confidence-level has grown in recent times, and yes, it’s partly because of the hits that I’ve had.”-
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