Hindi cinema has never been short of movies which abound in humor. In fact, there’s a barrage of funny films these days. Whether it’s the gentle humor that keeps us smiling constantly [on the lines of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee's films] or the incisive and sharp wit of TERE BIN LADEN, DO DOONI CHAAR and PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA or the boisterous laughathons attempted by David Dhawan, Anees Bazmee and Priyadarshan, we’ve enjoyed our share of laughs. But I genuinely feel that the comedy scene in Bollywood is slowly, but perceptibly changing, veering more towards realism and this is exactly what we get to watch in Madhur Bhandarkar’s new outing DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI.
Okay, okay, so we associate Madhur with somber/serious cinema, tackling issues that concern us, right from CHANDNI BAR to JAIL. By now famous for his socially relevant, hard-hitting films that take potshots at the upper crust, Madhur changes tracks with this one. DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI is a light entertainer at heart, but there’s something about the landed gentry in this one as well. It exposes the dual lives they lead.
Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji
Shah Rukh Khan said about Salman Khan;
Karan Johar completely broke down when SRK started speaking about his former friends Farah Khan and Salman Khan. The episode of Koffee with Karan will air on January 2.
A source on the sets says, “SRK’s episode with KJo is emotional where Shahrukh Khan has been caught in a mellow, introspective mood. He is emotionally vulnerable, revelaing things that have hurt him in the last year.”
The source continued to add, “When Karan pointed out people feel that old friends Farah Khan and Salman have problems with Shahrukh Khan, SRK said, ‘I don’t know how to make friends and if I did and I have no clue how to keep them. If Salman and Farah are upset with me then it is 100 percent my fault, but I can’t pick up the phone and say sorry. I cannot apologize because I have ego issues, but because I cannot say get myself to ask people to come back to me. Once I did ask my parents to come back to me and they did not.”
He also admitted that one of his biggest enemies is his cell phone as many of his friends have complained that he does not take their calls and ignores them. At one point Karan had tears in his eyes when SRK said, “I feel it is understood that I love them if I have said it once, I cannot keep repeating it. I have some problem in saying ‘I Love You’ twice and thrice and keep repeating those words. Even in my movies I can never keep saying ‘I Love You!’”
KJo said, “It was totally a different cup of coffee this time. it is really awkward to discuss and recreate all those intimate scenes normally again. Till date I have never become emotional on the sets of Koffee with Karan, because that has never been the tone of the show. It is usually controversial and spicy.”
When asked about SRK on the couch he says, “SRK is one of the warmest human beings I have seen in this industry, he has spoken openly about his family, friends and relationships. There is some strength in what he said. He is beyond any kind of issues. You can feel that he has risen above every situation and this comes beautifully through this show. This coffee on the couch episode with SRK was emotionally unplugged and more than humor unplugged. It has a new impact!”
Hrithik Roshan to host dance show
While the whole world went gaga over Hrithik’s dancing skills ever since his debut film, offers kept on pouring in his kitty to host TV shows, something that he kept on avoiding (read ‘postponing’). And now, the news is that Hrithik has finally given into the temptation.
The big news is that he will soon be hosting a TV dance show called ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. Its also rumored that Hrithik will be paid a whopping Rs. 2 crore to play the host! The news doesn’t stop here. Rumors also have it that the show will have Farah Khan as one of the judges.
With the two dancing masters, viz. Farah and Hrithik on board, we are sure, dancing will only get better with every passing day or maybe episode!
Preity tries to break the world record;

Preity Zinta has finally taken a first step towards her television debut. She has started shooting for the promos of Guinness World Records – Ab India Todega, the show that she will be hosting on Colors Channel.
The actress tried to break an international record at Film City herself!
In a promo video while pulling a truck she says, “Australia ka Derek Boyer ka Guinness World Record aaj main toodoongi.”
Later she stated, “Chaliye main naa kar saki toh kya hua? India kar ke dikhadega. Ab garv se har Hindustani bolega, Guinness World record, Ab India Todega.”
This is a desi version of the international show, produced by Miditech and will be aired later this year.
According to the channel, the never-say-die attitude of Priety echoes the concept of the show and it also represents the spirit of new India. She will try to encourage all the viewers to take a plunge to make or break records.
Surily Goel will be styling Preity for this show. Surily says, “I am excited to style Priety for her television debut. A show like Guinness World Records will be a great platform to experiment with various looks. Her personality is quite sporty, energetic and adventurous, and hence, I will style her keeping her personality in mind. I have given her a waistcoat over a casual shirt teamed with boots and gloves especially for the promo shoot.”
Vishal-Shekhar launch first ever ‘Mobile Music Concert’
Taking mobile entertainment to the next level, Hungama, South Asia’s largest digital entertainment company, and Bharti airtel-one of Asia’s leading integrated telecom service provider-have launched Mobile Music Concert – India’s first live concert on the mobile phone. The first concert will be kicked off in Mumbai on February 9 featuring award-winning Bollywood music composer duo Vishal & Shekhar. Their phenomenal musical successes in 2010 dominated the countdown charts for weeks, with hits ‘Tujhe Bhula Diya’ and ‘Aas Paas Khuda’ from Anjaana Anjaani, ‘Sheila Ki Jawaani’ from Tees Maar Khan to the foot tapping melodies from I Hate Luv Storys.
Vishal & Shekhar are a leading music directing duo in Bollywood today. Over the years, they have created chartbusting music of blockbuster hits like Om Shanti Om, Dostana, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Bluffmaster, Jhankar Beats, to name a few. And now, the music composer duo is the first in the world to be part of a Mobile Music Concert, with a simulcast over the Web.
Shekhar Ravjiani said, “We are really excited to be a part of the first ever concert taking place on the mobile, with a simulcast over the web. This is fantastic medium to reach out to all our listeners across the world. This is the first time in our 11 year career that we will perform our songs unplugged. The musicians who have played the original song recording will be playing with us on stage. And over the last few days of rehearsals, we have found a new vibe to all these songs. Can’t wait to play them for all our listeners!”
Added Vishal Dadlani, “It’s great to be pioneering a new way to reach all the people who’ve loved our music down the years. Airtel and hungama.com have provided us a platform where listeners from Kashmir to Kanyakumari can connect to us simultaneously and that unifying idea is what really excited us. We are using cutting edge technology to reach listeners and viewers, across the world, and it’s always fun to be the first.”
Vishal & Shekhar have had a string of firsts in their career. The duo have introduced some of the most famous playback voices to the film music industry, including Shaan, Kailash Kher, Neeraj Shridhar, Anushka Manchanda, Suraj Jagan. They have introduced new styles of music to Bollywood- Hip Hop, Dancehall, Reggaeton. They are also the first people to regenerate a new original version of an already legendary song- Bachna Ae Haseeno title track, featuring Kishore Kumar and Sumit Kumar. They are the first Bollywood music directors to record an international superstar for a Bollywood film, as in their forthcoming film Ra.One, two songs have been done with Akon.
To listen to the concert and to make song requests, Airtel mobile customers from any part of the country, simply need to dial 50505 and pay a nominal sum of Rs. 15 for registering and Rs. 2 per minute for the duration of the call. The concert will be streamed live as Webcast presented by Nokia, on www.bollywoodhungama.com.
Commenting on this first ever offering, Siddhartha Roy, Hungama.com said, “As leaders in the digital entertainment space, we see a huge potential in the consumption of entertainment content across Video and Voice. As user experiences on mobile and Internet become richer with better bandwidth as well as the launch of 3G, resulting in faster connectivity, thus driving greater consumption across various distribution channels.”
Announcing the same, Mr. Shireesh Joshi, Chief Marketing Officer-Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, “Airtel is committed to continue delivering innovative offerings, which enhance customer’s experience on their mobile phones. We are happy to join hands with Hungama Digital Media Entertainment to take mobile entertainment to the next level, by bringing in world’s first ever music concert on mobile. Not limited by location, Mobile Concert on Airtel offers a unique experience – only for Airtel customers.”
Speaking on the Webcast, Viral Oza, Head- Activation, Media, Online Sales & Marketing at Nokia India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Music is an integral part of Nokia’s offerings and we are always looking at innovative ways to reach out to our consumers. With more and more young people listening to music on their mobile phones, this unique initiative is very timely. We are happy to be associated with the first ever live web & mobile concert and are excited about the possibilities of bringing live music to the consumers.”
The first Mobile Music Concert featuring Vishal & Shekhar will go Live on February 9 at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai at 5 PM. Airtel mobile customers across the country who have registered for the service will be able to hear the concert Live on the mobile phone, and even make their song requests to Vishal & Shekhar from their phone
Tanu Weds Manu (Cast & Crew)
Banner:
Viacom 18 Motion Pictures
Paramhans Creations and Movies N More Pvt. Ltd.
Status:
Completed
Color:
C
Release Date:
February 25, 2011
Language:
Hindi
Genre:
Comedy / Romance
Producer:
Vinod Bachchan (1)
Shailesh R Singh
Surya Singh
Director:
Anand L Rai
Star Cast:
R Madhavan…… Manoj Sharma
Kangna Ranaut…… Tanuja Trivedi
Jimmy Sheirgill…… Raja
Ravi Kissen
Deepak Dobriyal…… Pappi
Rajendra Gupta
K K Raina
Eijaz Khan…… Jassi
Swara Bhaskar…… Payal
Cassettes and CD’s on:
T-Series
Singers:
Lehmber Hussainpuri
Mohit Chauhan
Ujjaini
Shafqat Amanat Ali
Sunidhi Chauhan
Mika Singh
Wadali Brothers
Lyricist:
Rajshekhar (1)
Music Director:
Krsna
Cinematography:
Chirantan Das
Choreography:
Saroj Khan
Editor:
Hemal Kothari
Story / Writer:
Himanshu Sharma
Utt Pataang (Cast & Crew)

Cast & Crew
Banner:
Rash Productions
Warner Bros
Status:
Released
Color:
C
Release Date:
February 4, 2011
Language:
Hindi
Genre:
Comedy
Producer:
Aparna Joshi
Director:
Srikanth V. Velagaleti
Star Cast:
Vinay Pathak…… Ram / Lucky
Mahie Gill
Saurabh Shukla
Mona Singh
Sanjay Mishra
Brijendra Kala
Govind Namdeo
Delnaz Paul
Murli Sharma
Cassettes and CD’s on:
Junglee Music
Music Director:
Shamir Tandon
Background Music:
Sanjoy Chowdhary
Cinematography:
Arun Varma
Art:
Tina Dharamsey
Editor:
Sankalp Meshram
Screenplay:
Saurabh Shukla
Dialogue:
Saurabh Shukla
Media Relations:
Aarti Salgaonkar
Perception Managers
Story / Writer:
Srikanth V. Velagaleti
Yeh Saali Zindagi
A while ago, while chatting him up for my show on TV, I had queried Sudhir Mishra as to why Hindi film industry fails to produce qualitative movies, unlike the 1960s and 1970s, which have tremendous recall value even in the present day? I markedly remember, Mishra didn’t blink an eyelid while answering this one: “That’s because most producers are not literate enough to understand scripts that could elevate the standards of Hindi films. Film-making for them is limited to the weekend business these days.” The proclamation stayed with me!
Before I proceed further, let me tell you that the title is of immense significance to the film. Sure, it may sound offensive [the Censor Board chief too raised a hue and cry, asking Mishra to change the title of the film], but why does a commonly used word ['saali'] create an uproar?
Actually, I am quite amused at the brouhaha. In our society, we refer to the sister-in-law as saali, don’t we? Besides, almost three decades ago, the Dilip Kumar starrer SAGINA had a very popular song [which we recall to this day], ‘Saala Main To Sahab Ban Gaya’ and more recently, ‘Pappu Can’t Dance Saala’ from JAANE TU YA JAANE NA took the nation by storm.
Even recently, the word ‘Saali’ was used in a song from NO ONE KILLED JESSICA, ‘Aali Re Saali Re’. Also, when you view YEH SAALI ZINDAGI, you realize that ‘saali’ has been used as a symbol to the vagaries of life and not as a derogatory, abusive, swear word. It’s not slang, but a flare-up of expression. In an industry where mediocre scripts rule and funds are readily available for projects only if ‘saleable stars’ are ready to sign on the dotted line, in an industry where tried and tested formula and shortcuts have become a habit, YEH SAALI ZINDAGI comes as a courageous attempt. It may not be this fiercely independent film-maker’s most accomplished effort, but it has the guts and valor to narrate an innovative story with a brand new approach.
At the same time, I’d like to add that the content is quirky, the relationships depicted in the film are complex and twisted and the format of narrating the story [including the edit pattern] is poles apart from what one is used to watching in the customary Hindi film. Even the spoken language is harsh, crude, with lots of expletives and swear words thrown in. But that’s the beauty of this film. It walks a different path.
Final word? Sudhir Mishra is back in form. You need a strong belly to stomach this one!
Arun [Irrfan Khan] has to save Priti [Chitrangda Singh], the woman he loves, but for that he first has to save the man Priti loves, Shyam [Vipul Gupta], the future son-in-law of a powerful Minister. Meanwhile, time is running out for Kuldeep [Arunoday Singh], the young gangster who is on his last job as his wife [Aditi Rao Hydari] is threatening to walk out on him and he begins to suspect she is leaving him to go into the arms of another man.
Rahman’s and nephew Prakash to compose for Joker
A new music director is all set to step into Bollywood this year. G.V. Prakash would be composing music for Joker. The 23 year old young man has already started work on the music and would be responsible for the entire soundtrack. He has bagged this break courtesy Shirish Kunder, the director of the film, after having arranged the music for his last film Jaan-E-Mann which has music by Anu Malik.
“Prakash had shown great promise even then”, gushes Kunder who has promised the then teenager Prakash that he would give him a huge break in his next outing, “His work had promised one and all and even then the kind of sound that he created found instant appreciation and recognition.”
In fact such huge was the difference that Prakash’s arrangements had made on the songs of Jaane-E-Mann (remember ‘Humko Maaloom Hai’ and ‘Sau Dard’?) that there were speculations around him being an influencing factor on the soundtrack more than Malik himself.
“Let’s talk about the future”, immediately says Kunder, “What matters is that Prakash is now neck deep into composing for the entire album. What I like about him is the kind of innovative sound that he brings in.”
One can expect that from Prakash, courtesy the kind of lineage he comes from. A.R. Rahman’s nephew and protégé, Prakash started young in the world of music and other than arranging for number of films, he has also composed for a dozen odd films down South, including Rajnikanth’s Kuselan. Now Joker would be his first ever Hindi film.
“Prakash has recorded two songs and is working on the rest currently”, says Kunder who would be kick starting the shoot of Joker this month, “The kind of sensibility that he brings in his music is so different from that of some of our established music directors. Of course they all are doing good but just like Jaan-E-Mann, I wanted something unique and ‘hatke’ in Joker as well. I am sure Prakash would live up to my expectations.”
Joker that stars Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Shreyas Talpade and Minissha Lamba is a co-production of Farah Khan & Shirish Kunder’s ‘Three’s Company’ and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Hari Om Entertainment Co.’.
After Hum Dono premiere:Ranbir takes rickshaw ride
The premiere of the colourized yesteryear film Hum Dono saw a massive turnout of Bollywood bigwigs paying homage to the legendary star Dev Anand. Though the event was as star studded as the night sky on a moonless night, the younger generation namely Ranbir Kapoor and Imtiaz Ali decided to paint the town black and yellow.
Passers by in Andheri were shocked on the night of the premiere to find the suave and stylish Ranbir Kapoor along with director Imtiaz Ali entering a rickshaw ala Salman Khan.
It is learnt that after attending the ‘rangeen’ premiere of Hum Dono, Ranbir who was in a hurry to reach home couldn’t wait for his car. The car which was parked in the basement seemed out of option as there was too much crowd outside the venue for the actor to wade through to reach the basement.
It was then that Ranbir, along with director Imtiaz Ali, ran across the road, hailed a passing rickshaw, jumped into it and rushed for Bandra.



