Kanagana Ranaut is the only leading actress who has been openly talking about nepotism in the industry and openly criticising the top actors/directors for indulging in nepotism.

Now after Sushant’s suicide, the likes of Karan Johar, Salman Khan, and Yash Raj films are being targetted for encouraging nepotism within th industry.

Here’s what Kangana said when she was asked if she would help her child if he/she would want to become an actor 20 years down the line, “If I do that, the possibility of him being a good director will be 50 per cent. If I really care for him as a mother, I will let him find his own way, because he can make a good living out of anything, anywhere. But if I want him to be an extraordinary person, I must throw him into the sea. He will either drown or make it.”

Kangana even gave an example from her own life. She said that her brother is “struggling” to become a pilot for the past four years and that he is looking for a job. But she would never make any call to help him.

Kareena Kapoor says ‘nepotism does not exist’, cites Ranveer Singh

Kareena Kapoor Khan says Nepotism does not exist in Bollywood, gives example of new superstar ‘Ranveer Singh’.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, along with sister Karishma Kapoor were present at The India Today Conclave 2018 when Kareena was asked a question on nepotism by journalist Rajdeep Sardesai; she was asked if nepotism exists in the film industry.

Kareena said nepotism does not exist in Bollywood.

Kareena replied: “There are so many superstars from yesteryears and not all of their children are a superstar. If nepotism exists, they would have been a big star by now. The fact that Ranveer Singh has become the new superstar of Bollywood who does not come from a film family proves the fact that they become superstar out of their sheer talent and hard work. Nepotism does not exist”.

“I think it is about the talent that takes you where you go. When you are on-screen, anybody can make or break you; anyone can make a judgment on you irrespective of you are a daughter or grandchildren of someone. And for a youngster who has a huge family and legacy behind, is much tough to make a mark,” added Karishma.

Karan Johar gets flak for ‘Nepotism’ for announcing Sairat remake ‘Dhadak’ with Starkids

Karan is back in the news for nepotism, and this time the barbs are not from Kanagana Ranaut. Its from the public in general, after Karan Johar announced the launch of ‘Dhadak’ (remake of Marathi blockbuster film Sairat) with star kids Jhanvi Kapoor (Sridevi’s daughter) and Ishaan Khattar (Shahid Kapoor’s half-brother).

Ever since Karan (KJo) was announced the film, people have been criticizing Karan on social for signing only ‘children of stars or celebrities’.

Varun, Karan & Saif apologise for their ‘nepotism rocks’ chant at IIFA 2017

Filmmaker Karan Johar and Actors Saif Ali Khan & Varun Dhawan’s ‘nepotism’ act (taking potshots at Kangana Ranaut) at the IIFA 2017 backfired big-time on them. Realizing that their joke on nepotism hasn’t gone down well with the fans, the trio regretted doing the act and for hurting people’s feelings.

“Nepotism doesn’t rock. It sucks. And @karanjohar Saif & @Varun_dvn look like total losers mocking Kangana from the IIFA stage. I dare you to chant “Nepotism Rocks” in the presence of #KanganaRanaut. She has scared you enough to go 3 against 1,” Rajdeep Sardesai’s tweets.

“It was a silly, immature gag. And also badly written. I am against nepotism and unfair privilege, but I also think we are all guilty of it, across sectors. Sadly it’s the system, not the doing of a few. Giving sifarish for friends to get jobs?? Are we not trusting our children to work in the family business when better qualified people exist outside? All this is nepotism. First let’s fix that before we take the moral high ground,” says Writer-filmmaker Apurva Asrani.

Filmmaker Karan Johar, Saif Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan (they all belong to film families) didn’t shy away from bringing up the nepotism debate at the IIFA Awards event in New York.

When Varun joined the two actors on the stage to receive the Best Performance in a Comic Role for “Dishoom”, Saif joked that the actor had made it big in the industry because of his father, director David Dhawan.

“You are here because of your pappa,” Saif quipped.

Varun said: “And you’re here because of your mummy (veteran actress Sharmila Tagore).”

Karan then promptly added: “I am here because of my pappa (late filmmaker Yash Johar).”

They then said in unison: “Nepotism rocks”.

Varun, well aware of Kangana Ranaut’s dislike for nepotism, took a potshot at Karan saying: “There was a song in your film… ‘Bole choodiyan, bole kangana.”

Karan, with his quick wit, then commented: “Kangana naa hi bole toh achha hai… Kangana bahut bolti hai. (It’s better Kangana doesn’t say anything, she talks a lot)”

Kangana Ranaut fights Bollywood’s family business, Karan Johar says don’t play “victim card” all the time

Kangana Ranaut has no filmy background, nor did she have any godfather before she entered Bollywood. He has not done any film yet opposite any of the ‘Top Khans’. Despite that Kangana Ranaut is one of the most sought after and top aid actresses in Bollywood.

She took on Hrithik, openly says that she does not need a Khan to make a movie a super hit, and now she seems to have irritated Karan Johar as well.

Bollywood is dominated by the Khans, Kapoors, Chopras and Roshans (its similar down south as well). The film industry is more of family business (its similar in business as well as politics).

Karan, after maintaining silence for some time (probably waiting for his twins to be born), has now made it clear which side he is on.

“I am done with Kangana playing the woman card and the victim card. I am done. You cannot be this victim at every given point of time who has this sad story to tell about how she has been terrorised by ‘bad Bollywood’. If it is that way then leave,” Johar said during a session with Anupama Chopra at London School of Economics, India Forum.

It all started with the episode of “Koffee With Karan”, where Kangana Ranaut had come to promote her movie ‘Rangoon’ (the movie failed to match the hype at the box-office).

On an episode of “Koffee With Karan”, Kangana had said “Johar would be perfect to play the role of a stereotypical Bollywood biggie who is snooty and completely intolerant to outsiders. Flag-bearer of nepotism. The movie mafia in her biopic if it is ever made.”

Karan Johar was gracious enough not to edit Kangana’s views…

While Karan did not agree with Kangana’s comments, he still aired her comments as he respected her point of view.

“She had a great prospective and point of view. Everyone lauded her for coming on to my show and (how she) ‘gave it off to Karan’. I was gracious enough to not cut anything and let it be that way. I could have edited it as it was my show. I cut none of it. I said, ‘No, let the world listen to her opinion and she must voice it’. I gave her the platform,” Karan

Kangana may have taken a few years to reach where she is today, but she has been hitting headlines ever since she stepped into the industry. Be her looks, her accent, her English, her link ups, her frank opinions, everything has been in news.

So how many more Bollywood Biggies will the girl from Himachal take on?

Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure…the Queen is here to stay, and she is not the one to indulge in diplomacy. So you can expect more fireworks in the future, with her bad ass attitude and super hit blockbusters.

Kangana pairs with AIB to take nasty jabs at Bollywood bigwigs (Video)

Just when we thought Kangana Ranaut would stop after Aap ki Adalat, she’s paired with AIB and come up with a video that takes jabs at the Bollywood biggies – Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and several others.

“The Bollywood Diva Song” featuring Kangana Ranaut is one of the best things that you will see for some time now, on the internet.

The song is basically a series of one-liners put together that taunts the biggies. For example, one of the line is “Papa ne tujhko launch kiya ve, Main boli toh tune taunt kiya ve, tu karti victim play.”

The song is a rehashed version of Chittiyan Kalaiyan, the refrain to which goes “Coz I have a vagina rey.”

I’m sure you would have guessed that the guy in the video is shown as SRK…

Can you guess the names of all the celebrities Kangana took a dig at?

When Karan Johar admitted that ‘nepotism exists in Bollywood’

Kangana Ranaut called Karan Johar the flag-bearer of nepotism in Bollywood, and since then Bollywood celebs have been voicing their opinion on nepotism in Bollywood.

While Karan Johar chose to disagree with Kangana, an old video has surfaced where Karan admits that he cast Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in Student of the Year because they were star kids.

He also admits that he wouldn’t have been a filmmaker had it not been for his father (who was a film producer).

Here’s the video from the chat show hosted by Anupama Chopra.

Here are some of the things that Karan mentioned in the video:

• I picked up a chubby girl, I saw something…and maybe the fact – that she was Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter also excited me.
• Because Varun was David’s son, he was on the sets as an AD (assistant director) and spent enough time for me to understand that he can be a movie star. Would I have cast Varun Dhawan had he not been David Dhawan’s son?

“If this is nepotism, then definitely, I am guilty. A lot of factors determine movie stardom in our country and I think true talent is the least of them,” said Karan.

“In my biopic, if it is ever made, you will play the stereotypical villain. One who is intolerant of outsiders, the flag-bearer of nepotism in Bollywood and movie mafia,” Kangana Ranaut.

The post Huge anger against ‘Nepotism’ in Bollywood after Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

Deepika was in Delhi to promote her upcoming film Chhapaak.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said: “It (Deepika’s visit to JNU) sends out a very strong message of not just being in solidarity but of feeling their pain without fear. A lot of people in the film industry don’t do it because it might go against their business but Deepika has managed to negate that fear and give courage to many others who were probably waiting for someone else to take the lead.” Dismissing those who claimed Padukone’s JNU visit was a publicity stunt, Kashyap said: “It’s an even bigger statement when she does it on the eve of her film’s release. Anybody in the business will tell you it is hara-kiri, especially when you are also the producer of the film. She has a lot more at stake.”

Are actors obliged to make a political comment?

Kangana Ranaut recently criticised Bollywood (Ranbir kapoor in particular) for not speaking up on political issues.

She was referring to an old interview of Ranbir where he refused to comment on politics. The ‘Sanju’ star had said that politics made no difference to his life as he lived in a luxurious life and has complete access to basic needs like water, and electricity.

Kangana however felt that it was an “irresponsible” statement to make.

“There are few actors in our industry like Ranbir Kapoor where he has been seen talking in an interview that ‘We have regular supply of water and electricity at my home so, why should I comment about politics?’ But I feel because of this country’s people you are living in your luxurious home and you are travelling in your Mercedes so, how can you talk like that? This is irresponsible behaviour and I am not that kind of person. I also don’t understand why people think so much of their career that they don’t have anything to do with their own country?” Kangana Ranaut.

While that is a fair point, we think people in India should also be receptive towards differences of opinion. Most of the time, its observed anyone who speaks differently from what is the popular belief, gets panned in public. I guess that is why many chose not to give their opinion in public.

After the Pulwama attack, Kangana Ranaut had said that anyone who speaks about peace should be slapped, and made to sit on a donkey. That was a couple of days after Navjot Singh Siddhu had said that “for a handful people, you cannot blame an entire nation.”

I guess that is why there’s a reluctance on the part of actors to share their political views.

Here’s what John Abraham had to say when he was asked if actors are obliged to make a political comment.

“Yes, if they are politically aware. Kangana is very politically aware and she has got a voice. I think you must take a stand if you are politically aware.” The actor said one should refrain from commenting on politics if they know nothing about the country. “But you shouldn’t be stupidly talented. You can’t be an idiot, who knows nothing about which country lies where. If you don’t know what’s happening from Bihar to Syria, then you should shut up and smile and show your mug that you have done so much work on. Don’t talk,” said John during the promotion of his film RAW (Romeo Akbar Walter).

Writer slams Bollywood for not standing up for anyone, anything

Indian writer Nayantara Sahgal (writes in English and is a member of the Nehru–Gandhi family) is unhappy with Bollywood’s silence over suppression of free speech, and feels that the industry does not stand up for anyone, anything. Sahgal says that the Hindi film industry has on numerous occasions failed to defend its own legends fearing a political backlash.

Nayantara Sahgal, who was not allowed to inaugurate the 92nd Marathi Sahitya Samme in Yavatmal following threats from MNS workers, cited the example of Naseeruddin Shah who was called a traitor for saying that the death of a cow had more value today than that of a police officer in India. She said even during the #Me Too allegations, the top Bollywood celebs maintained complete silence on the matter.

Mumbai is known for its film industry and we take pride in it. But why did the film industry not speak for a great actor like Naseeruddin Shah? We are living in dangerous times, and if we remain silent, the regime will come upon us-Nayantara Sahgal

Author Nayantara Sahgal had returned her Sahitya Akademi award following the killing of Mohammed Ikhlaq by a mob in UP’s Dadri in 2015, and as per this report, she was praised by a United Nations(UN) monitor for cultural rights for doing so.

“Art has to ask questions to the society. Art is not only about being pretty; it’s also about disturbance. Disturbance has to be there in art; its job is to be a voice of resistance,” Carnatic music legend TM Krishna, whose concert in Delhi was cancelled due to Right Wing protests.

When Bollywood Took a Stand Against the Government / Political class

Bollywood celebrities have always been targeted for not expressive their political views. I guess that was the reason there was a phase when Bollywood celebrities decided to express themselves; they opined or took a stand against the government/judiciary/political class.

But even that back-fired as the Bollywood superstars, especially the Khans, faced backlash (from all quarters) for their comments on broader issues, plaguing the country. After being at the receiving end for their comments, Bollywood did play it safe by keeping quiet during the JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) controversy.

In recent times, most Bollywood actors have started giving an opinion on almost everything, including burning issues, (Yakub Memon, Church vandalism, Intolerance…and thanks to Twitter for making it so easy)

JNU students had organised an event on on the day after Afzal Guru’s third death anniversary (Afzal Guru who was hanged in 2013 for attack on Indian Parliament) and its alleged that students shouted ‘anti-India’ slogans at the function, which snowballed into a huge controversy in India.

However, it seems, the real reason that most celebrities didn’t speak on the JNU issue is because it could impact their business. It hurts Bollywood more when a movie flops or when they are unable to release a movie because of protests. After all, crores of rupees are at stake.

• No doubt Dilwale was an average affair, but SRK’s comments on intolerance, made collections even more difficult in India
• Aamir Khan’s comments on intolerance cost him endorsements deals.

But this time, no comments have been made by Bollywood celebs on the JNU incident. It seems, Bollywood has become more cautious and is more concerned about business.

Anupam Kher Tweets ‘India Undergoing Pest Control’, Is Compared With Hitler

At a time, when it seemed Bollywood had distanced itself from the JNU controversy (because of their earlier experiences), Anupam Kher got into a war of words with well-known journalist Rajdeep Sardesai on Twitter (the social media platform is turning out to be a platform for such battles).

There’s no doubt that Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is a self-professed supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of late, has been commenting a lot on issues, not related to the entertainment industry.

His latest tweet says that the country is going through “a pest control”, because of which insects like “cockroaches are crawling out”.

Here’s what Anupam Kher said.

Anupam Kher’s tweet didn’t go well with many (some were amused, some furious), including well-known journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, and many of them replied to his tweets.

However, Anupam Kher is a known supporter of BJP and speaks in favor of their actions/policies. So here we take a look at other instances.

When Bollywood Celebs Took a Stand Against the Political Class, Had to Face Backlash…
Here we take a look at the various instances when Bollywood celebs faced the heat for taking a stand or giving their opinion against the government/political class/judiciary.

Aamir Khan on ‘Intolerance’

Next it was the turn of actor Aamir Khan to get engulfed in the “rising intolerance” debate in India. Speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Awards function, Aamir khan casually said that his wife Kiran Rao asked if they should move out of the country, as she feared for the safety of their children in a climate of insecurity.

And all hell broke loose for Aamir Khan after that. Aamir earned the ire of many, including politicians as well as fellow Bollywood colleagues.

Also Read: Aamir Khan’s contract with ‘Incredible India’ ends
Also Read: Aamir Khan, only superstar without any brand endorsements

Shahrukh Khan on ‘Intolerance’

Ever since the BJP government took over, lot of people in India have been voicing concerns about the rising intolerance in India. Shahrukh Khan also joined those select few and commented on the growing intolerance in India. Least did he expect that his comments will snowball into such a big controversy, with several political leaders and religious organisations condemning his statement.

Despite Shah Rukh’s clarifications about what he meant, his film Dilwale was banned across many cities in India. The intolerance row only got uglier when Shah Rukh Khan’s car was pelted with stones in Ahmedabad during the shoot of his upcoming film ‘Raees’.

Salman Khan on Yakub Memon Hanging

When convict Yakub Memon was handed over the death sentence for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, there were some who were of the opinion that Yakub Memon should not have been given the death sentence as he surrendered on his own accord.

With a number of people engaged in this debate on the execution, even our Dabangg star joined in and tweeted several posts against the death penalty…basically saying why Yakub Memon is paying for the crimes of his brother, Tiger Memon.

1. Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam reportedly warned the actor of legal action if he didn’t take his comments back as it amounted to contempt of court.
2. BJP politician threatened to send a letter to the governor requesting for cancellation of Salman’s bail in the car hit-and-run case

The only politician who supported Salman Khan…can you guess? It was Shatrughan Sinha, father of Sonakshi Sinha, whom Salman had launched in Dabangg.

Under pressure from friends and dad Salim Khan, Salman later retracted his tweets.

But just a couple of days back, there was an article in the leading newspapers, where a late RAW official (who was instrumental in getting Yakub Memon to India) wanted leniency for Yakub Memon, considering there was an arrangement and Yakub Memon had surrendered to the Indian security officials.

Neha Dhupia on Mumbai’s Flood Fury

Life in Mumbai comes to a stand still even with moderate rains nowadays. No doubt, Mumbaikars are frustrated, but when Neha Dhupia tweeted about the agony of the people on the streets (basically slammed the government for failing to provide relief to Mumbaikars), she was targeted by a political party.

Neha had posted: “One rain n the city comes to a standstill. Good governance is not about selfies n makin us do yoga, it’s making sure ur citizens r safe.”

Obviously, she was hinting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Selfie With Daughter and Yoga Day campaigns! And she had to face the wrath of Mr Prime Minister’s followers.

Later Neha defended her tweet by saying, “The intention of my tweet was not to demean or personally attack anyone. It was the mere frustration of a helpless citizen of Mumbai. I have wholeheartedly and consistently supported the government’s movements like Yoga Day and Swachh Bharat and will do so in future as well. I hope we can focus on the issues that matter and that my appeal to improve our civic amenities is taken in the right way,” said Neha Dhupia.

Shobhaa De Against Diktat to Screen Marathi Films During Peak Business Hours in Multiplexes

Many had expressed their displeasure when the state government asked multiplexes in Maharashtra to screen Marathi films during the peak business hours.

Author & Page-3 celebrity ‘Shobhaa De’ had expressed her displeasure and tweeted “No more pop corn at multiplexes in Mumbai? Dahi misal and vada pav only. To go better with the Marathi movies at prime time.”

A political backlash followed and the Shiv Sena had even filed a notice of breach of Privilege (where Miss De would have to explain her views before the Maharashtra assembly, with possibility of a jail term) against Shobhaa De for her tweet.

Fortunately, everything calmed down in the end.

Shruti Seth on Narendra Modi’s Selfie With Daughter Campaign

Some time back, actress-anchor Shruti Seth (she was the anchor on the popular show ‘comedy circus’) expressed her views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Selfie With Daughter campaign on Twitter.

She stated, “A selfie is not a device to bring about change, Mr PM. Try reform.”

And the result? As expected! A social media backlash that eventually forced her to delete her tweet eventually.

In an open letter addressed to Modi, she stated, “Selfies don’t bring about change, reform does. So please try and be bigger than a photograph. Come on!”

When Rishi Kapoor Called ‘Beef Ban’ Nonsense

Rishi Kapoor was brought back to Twitter by Abhishek Bachchan, but never did he realize that soon he would find himself in a soup for his tweet. Soon after the Beef-ban was enforced in Maharashtra, Rishi kapoor had called the move as ‘Nonsense’ on twitter. Rishi, who’s known to speak his mind, had said that food and religion must not be equated.

Post the ban, 5-star hotels were found serving see venison, kangaroo and lamb meat for buffet. “This is the effect of banning beef. They start killing other animals for meat.’ Never in my life have I seen venison, which is deer meat. The deer was dear to Bhagwan Shri Ram, we were told, ” said Rishi Kapoor.

However, in a country where majority of the population worships cow/bulls, backlash from Hindu organisations was expected.

Jaya Bachchan Kicked Language Row

In 2008, after the MNS political party launched a campaign asking shopkeepers to convert all shop names/signs in Marathi, Jaya Bachchan insisted on speaking Hindi at the music launch of her son Abhishek Bachchan’s film Drona, in Mumbai. She had then stated, “Hum UP ke log hai, isliye Hindi mein baat karenge. Maharashtra ke log maaf kariye. (We belong to Uttar Pradesh and will, therefore, speak in Hindi. People of Maharashtra, please forgive me).”

Obviously, she had to face the wrath of MNS, especially Raj Thackeray, who had said “Guddi buddhi zhali pan akal aali nahi.” (Guddi…one of Jaya’s famous film characters…has grown old but has not attained wisdom with age). The veteran actress had to apologize later for hurting the sentiments of Marathi speaking people.

Raj Thackeray, chief of Political party ‘Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’ (MNS) had always criticized Amitabh Bachchan for showing more loyalty to his home state, Uttar Pradesh, than Maharashtra, where he had earned all the fame.

When Aamir Khan Refused to Budge

Concerned that the Narmada dam project displaced several villagers without adequate compensation, in 2006, Aamir Khan had extended support to the farmers who got displaced due to the Narmada dam project in Gujarat. Ammir demanded proper rehabilitation and compensation for them, and soon a controversy erupted on this matter.

The ‘Lagaan’ star refused to budge from his stand. The state government, showing its displeasure against Aamir Khan, had imposed a ban on his 2006 film ‘Fanaa’.

The post Deepika Padukone visits JNU to express solidarity appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

For a long time, SRK was the real king of Bollywood. That equation changed after Salman did ‘Wanted’.

And while you talk about these two Khans for most part of the year, Aamir Khan’s movie releases in December and you wonder who’s the real Khan of Bollywood.

Salman Khan: The Most ‘Wanted’ Khan

With the stupendous success of Sultan, Salman Khan has once again proven that he’s a bigger star than Shahrukh when it comes to box office numbers. Salman Khan has the highest number of films in the coveted 100 Crore club. Sultan was the second film for Salman Khan in the 300 crore club. Earlier, Salman’s Bajarangi Bhaijan fell just short of PK’s all time record.

Aamir Khan: The ‘Real’ Khan of Bollywood?

In Bollywood, you cannot be sure which film is the best film of the year, until December. Because that is when Aamir releases most of his film.

And while there are other actors who’re happy doing several films in a year, Aamir sticks to one, and he ensures it counts!

This time also, Aamir has killed it with Dangal.

Although the demonetization drive will have some impact on its box office collection, there’s no doubt that the film is a masterpiece, and perhaps the best sports based movie.

Dangal is clearly Aamir Khan’s film, and the movie probably may not have seen the light of the day (as was in the case of Lagaan) had Aamir not given his go-ahead to the movie. Unlike the other Khans, Aamir is happy to stand aside and let the film (and his co-stars) do the talking.

Aamir Khan: Quality over Quantity

Although Aamir Khan does very few films, he seems to be beating them all (including Shah Rukh and Salman Khan) every few years.

First it started with the movie ‘Ghajini’ in the year 2008, when the Aamir Khan starrer film became the first Bollywood film to cross Rs 100 crore (Rs 190-crore lifetime collection). Post that, there were a few other movies that managed to cross the 100 crore mark in domestic collections.

He repeated the feat again in 2009, but this time his movie ‘3 Idiots’ became the first Bollywood movie to cross Rs 200 crore (lifetime collection Rs 202 crore) in the domestic market. Again, there were a few movies that managed to cross 200 crores after ‘3 Idiots’ achieved that milestone.

But guess what, the perfectionist managed to repeat the feat of breaking records once more with his latest movie PK. Aamir Khan’s PK is now the first Bollywood movie to collect more than Rs 300 crore in domestic collections.

And its the only Bollywood movie to have achieved that feat, as of now!

Now, who’s the Real King Khan of Bollywood? What do you guys have to say?

The post Who’s the Real King Khan of Bollywood? Aamir, SRK or Salman? appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

Kabir Singh is a remake of Telugu super-hit Arjun Reddy. It’s an unconventional love story about an obsessive lover. Kudos to the director Sandeep Vanga and to Shahid Kapoor, the movie engages the audience completely.

There are several scenes where you may not agree with what the protagonist is doing, but I guess its okay (you don’t have to agree with the director’s vision). The movie is gripping, narrative is good, and acting is superlative. It could have been 15 minutes shorter but that’s not a big negative for me.

While its an intense movie, there are several lighter moments in the movie – the college life, camaraderie with close friends and so on.

The background score is riveting, and after you see the movie, the Bekhayali song is surely going to be your favourite track for some time.

The movie will appeal to youngsters, and those who are in the mood to watch something unconventional.

Here are reviews by other critics.

Ratings:.2/5 Review By: Rajeev Masand Site: News18
Shahid Kapoor throws himself into the role, unafraid to come off as unlikeable. There are moments when he commands the screen. But the character is unlikeable, his actions are deplorable, and by the time we’re meant to forgive him it’s too little too late. It’s impossible that you won’t feel sorry for Kiara Advani’s Preeti, but the character offers the actress little to work with.Kabir Singh is an unmistakably misogynistic film, but the sad part is that it’s exactly these troubling portions that the filmmakers peddle as intense love. Even more sad is that there will be many who’ll buy into it.
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Ratings:.3.5/5 Review By: Taran Adarsh Site: Twitter
Not the typical romantic saga. Unconventional, but powerful. Shahid is outstanding, career-best act. Kiara is lovely. Director Sandeep is an incredible storyteller. Overstretched runtime is a deterrent.
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Ratings:.— Review By: Komal Nahta Site: Zee ETC Bollywood Business
The film is a remake of Telugu super-hit Arjun Reddy. The story and screenplay are penned by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and they are both excellent. The story about an obsessive lover is so arresting that it consumes the audience completely. On the whole, Kabir Singh is a surefire hit. The script is supremely powerful, the performances are splendid, and the narration is terrific. This one will definitely join the Rs. 100-crore club and it has very bright chances of crossing the Rs. 175-crore mark and, maybe, even joining the Rs. 200-crore club.
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Ratings:.1.5/5 Review By: Saibal Site: NDTV
Every shot, every scene, every camera angle and every line from Arjun Reddy is replicated in Kabir Singh, leaving one wondering why the director felt the need to mount a separate Hindi version in the first place when all that he has done is give us the same film all over again with merely the language and setting changed for the benefit of a pan-Indian audience. He could have well dubbed Arjun Reddy and re-released it nationwide.In any case, Kabir Singh is a hugely problematic film.
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Ratings:.3.5/5 Review By: Ronak Site: Times Of India
The remake stays mostly true to the original. However, the original had better chemistry between the lead actors, hence the love story seemed more effective. While Kabir Singh is a welcome change from stereotypical love stories, this kind of love affair needs some getting used to. Through his protagonist, Sandeep bets all his cards on his leading man, making sure you either love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him.
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KABIR SINGH STORY:
A brilliant, young surgeon with anger management issues goes into a self-destructive mode after his girlfriend is forced to marry another man due to parental pressure.

KABIR SINGH RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2019 ( India)
KABIR SINGH CAST: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani
Director: Sandeep Vanga
Producer: Murad Khetani, Ashwin Varde, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar
Run Time: 2 hour 52 Minutes

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Most rich families don’t mind spending a few crores on their son/daughter’s grand wedding nowadays, and in some cases (the ultra-rich) it can even be excess of 100 crores! Although they do believe in the institution of marriage, for the elite class, marriage is also another occasion to network with the best and also to live up to their own brand name, and that’s another reason for the huge spending on such lavish weddings.

These luxury weddings last for a few days, with the following being some of their highlights:

• Wedding in some exotic destination
• Have lavish sets, usually based on some theme, and it could resemble some popular location, such as Venice or Sun City
• World cuisine for the guests, you will be amazed at the variety of dishes available. Chefs are flown in from various countries
• Last but not the least, several celebrities from the film industry perform at these events, and renowned choreographers not just dance during the functions, they also choreograph the dance sequences for participants who take part in the Sangeet.

Here are some of the most expensive marriages that took place in recent times, most of these weddings are of the sons’/daughter’s of big industrialists/businessmen.

Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta Wedding

Akash is the oldest son of India’s wealthiest man and top boss of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani. The bride, Shloka Mehta, is the daughter of Russell Mehta, a wealthy diamond merchant and managing director of family-owned company Rosy Blue.

The grand post-wedding celebration was attended by almost all of the Bollywood.

Isha Ambani & Anand Piramal

Reliance Industries’ top boss Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha Ambani and son of industrialist Ajay Piramal (of Piramal Group), Anand tied the knot in a big, fat wedding. The pre-wedding ceremonies were held in Udaipur, the lavish bash saw a live performance from American pop sensation Beyonce. The wedding ceremony at Antilia, was attended by former US First Lady Hillary Clinton, and the who’s who of the worlds of business, showbiz and politics.

Billionaire Businessman Yogesh Mehta’s Son’s Wedding

Yogesh Mehta, a billionaire businessman in Dubai got his son married in Florence in Italy. The marriage lasted three days in a five-star hotel located near the Arno River, and around 140 crore rupees (around 25 million USD) were spent on the lavish marriage. Yogesh Mehta wanted to use elephants during the wedding (for some of the functions) but his request was turned down by the local Animal Welfare department in Italy.

Billionaire Ajay Gupta’s Sons Wedding

Billionaire businessman-politician, Ajay Gupta’s son Kamal got married to Palak Jain (daughter of Delhibased businessman Ajay Jain) recently in Turkey at Antalya’s Mardan palace, a world heritage site, overlooking the Bosphorous river. Take a look at the highlights.

• Hrithik Roshan, Parineeti Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Arijit Singh, Mika Singh, Honey Singh (over 20 Bollywood celebrities) added the glam touch to the destination wedding. 100 dancers, singers and acrobats added to the extravaganza
• 100 chefs flew from Rajasthan who prepared cuisines from across the world , 50 photographers and videographers, a team of 20 event managers were called to cover the event.

Srishti Mittal & Gulraj Behl

Srishti Mittal, niece of steel tycoon ‘Laxmi Mittal’, tied the nuptial knot with Gulraj Behl, in Barcelona. The main wedding ceremony was held at the National Museum of Catalan Art atop a hill. Over 200 chefs, butlers and assistants were flown in from India and Thailand. The wedding bill? Around Rs. 500 crore!

Vanisha Mittal wedding

Vanisha is steel baron Lakshmi Mittal’s daughter, and her wedding was a six day extravaganza in Paris. At Rs. 240 crore (in the year 2004), it was one of the most expensive Indian wedding at that time, with several rich and powerful people attending the big affair. Choreographer Farah Khan choreographed all the performances, Pop diva Kylie Minogue’s performance fetched her 200,000 pounds (for half an hour act). SRK was paid 300,000 pounds (performed a spoof/skit).

And before you start assuming that these guys are wasting their money, you may also look at the brighter side. Most of the money actually goes to businesses/people who’re associated with the event, mostly those in event management and the hospitality industry. So its money-making opportunity for event managers, set designers, various artists, fashion designers, jewelry makers, hotels, and so on, whenever such events happen.

Subrata Roy’s Son’s Wedding

Sahara chief Subrata Roy’s sons, Sushanto with Richa, and Seemanto with Chandni, took place in Lucknow (2004) at the Sahara auditorium. It was a Rs. 552 crore affair with no dearth of glamour, glitz and style in the weddings.

Mallika and Siddharth

GV Krishna Reddy’s (GVK Group) granddaughter Mallika’s wedding with Siddharth, son of Indukuri Syam Prasad Reddy (Indu Group) was a grand Rs. 1000 crore affair, held in Delhi, and one of the most expensive Indian weddings. Bollywood celebrities SRK, Priyanka Chopra, Mallika Sherawat performed at the wedding.

Tanwar Wedding: Lalit and Yogita

The wedding of Lalit (son of congress MP and businessman Kanwar Singh Tanwar) and Yogita Jaunapuria incurred an expense of Rs. 250 crore. Wedding guests were presented with an expensive shawl, safari suit with 2,100 cash and a silver coin. Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia performed at the wedding.

Vineeta and Muqit Teja

U.K based billionaire Pramod Agarwal’s daughter Vineeta and her fiance Muqit Teja had a grand wedding in Italy’s sea side city of Venice. Around 800 guests were entertained at the luxurious San Clemente Palace hotel and resort on the private 17-acre San Clemente Island. Pop star Shakira also performed at the wedding, which was attended by the likes of Mittal (Indian billionaire). How much did the wedding cost? Approximately Rs. 130 crores.

Kajal Fabiani and Gaurav Assomull

Socialite Kajal Fabiani’s marriage with Gaurav Assomull (CEO of luxury purveyor Marigold Group) was held in Monaco (near France). The Mehendi ceremony was held at hotel hermitage and the Sangeet (in the evening) was held at Salle Empire at the Hotel de Paris. The wedding happened at Salle Garnier and the post wedding treat was at Casino Atrium. Hip hop star Akon (who also sand ‘Chamak Challo’ song in Ra One) performed at the wedding. The total cost of the wedding was Rs. 44 crore.

Payal Bansal and Deepak Kanodia

Indian real estate developer Basant Bansal, planned his daughter Payal’s wedding in Istanbul, Turkey at Mardan palace, Antalya. Celina Jaitely and Eesha Koppikar performed at the wedding. The overall cost of the wedding was around 2 million Euros.

Dubai Real Estate Billionaire Rizwan Sajan son has grand wedding

Dubai based real estate billionaire Rizwan Sajan (of Danube Group) hosted a royal affair for his son’s wedding in 2017.

Rizwan’s son, Danube’s Group Director Adel Sajan and former beauty queen Sana Khan tied the knot on a luxury cruise liner (on a four-day European voyage).

Top Bollywood celebrities like Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Gauhar Khan, Dia Mirza, Malaika Arora attended the wedding.

The wedding theme was based on the film ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’. Guests boarded the luxury cruise liner at Barcelona in Spain. The four-day European journey covered scenic locations like Marseilles (France), Cannes(France) and Savona (Italy).The guests were treated to several themed parties, musical performances by Bollywood’s best and more.

Rizwan Sajan was at Number 7 on the Forbes list of Top 100 Indian leaders in the UAE. In the past, Indian celebrities like Sunil Gavaskar, Juhi Chawla and Shilpa Shetty have been brand ambassadors of Danube.

Also Read:
‘Kapoor’ family loves to go on Cruise Holidays
Barcelona wants fewer tourists, want more space for locals
Cruise ship almost crashes into a beach-facing home

Mining baron spends Rs. 500cr on daughter’s wedding, cash strapped Indians angry

Mining baron Janardhana Reddy recently spent Rs. 500cr (80million dollars) on his daughter’s wedding. Cash strapped Indians angry at ‘Obscene display of wealth’.

In the past, there have been several big fat Indian weddings, but this one raised several eye-brows…because of its timing.

At a time when cash-strapped Indians are queuing up for hours at ATMs to withdraw cash (Indian government banned high value notes), Mining czar Gali Janardhana Reddy splurged a staggering amount of money on his daughter Bramhani’s wedding with Hyderabad business baron Rajeev Reddy.

The politician spent around 5billion rupees (Rs500cr or 80million dollars) on designer sets, bespoke jewellery, celebrity performances, etc. The hi-profile wedding drew the attention of all, including income tax sleuths.

Mr. Reddy spent almost a crore rupees ($150k) on the digital video invitation alone.

Critics in India described the event as an “Obscene display of wealth”. Several ministers did not attend the wedding fearing a backlash.

The post Band,Baaja & Bollywood in Lavish & the Most Expensive Indian Weddings appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

I surely think it was a mistake on the part of the organisers. They could have definitely invited Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai or Farah Khan. Even the presence of Smriti Irani may not have attracted criticism. I am sure they will be careful the next time.

So why is it that, despite the availability of beautiful locations in India, most film-makers opt for foreign locations?

Here are few important reasons:

1. Getting the various clearances to shoot at various locations in India can be a very tough task.
   It takes time, and can be lots of hassle, to deal with the bureaucratic steps to obtain the various permissions. So for instance, if you want to film in Kashmir, you’ll need to take permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs. If you want to film in some forest, you’ll have to approach the Environment/forest Ministry and so on.

   As you can see, if you want to shoot in multiple locations in India, you may have to take permissions from several government bodies in India, which can really be a challenge. This is what puts off most film studios.

   And perhaps that is the reason so many filmmakers are more than happy to shoot their films abroad, despite it being a bit expensive. At least they know for sure that the shooting will happen as per the schedule.

   Says director Anees Bazmee, “In India, people do not even know about the script and how the film will shape up, but still object to shooting because they have certain pre-conceived notions. From morning till night, police keep barging into our sets to ask us for proof of permission and pose random questions only to scare us. However, in a foreign country, police come on the sets to check if our shoot is going on smoothly and if there are any concerns. That’s the attitude difference. Undoubtedly, it is difficult to shoot in India.”

   

2. Need for better support
   In India, its difficult to control things such as crowd and traffic. People in India love movies and the moment they come to know that there’s a film shoot going on, it can quickly turn into a very crowded spot. That’s where you need adequate support from the local bodies, including the police, to help control the crowd and also to transport the crew from one location to another.

   Says Filmmaker Vipul Shah, “The team has to start looking for a location all over again to ensure the scripted scene suits the planned location. This sometimes can be really tough. A lot of time and effort go waste. Forget abroad, at least in India, we should have the freedom to shoot anywhere within the country.”

3. Filmmakers don’t get subsidies or concessions from the government.
   Making a movie is like undertaking a big project, and you need the right budget, as well as all the support to execute the various stages in the film-making process.

   For most studios, it turns out to be cheaper to shoot in foreign locations because of the several concessions they’re offered. Some foreign tourism boards also help with the logistics to the production team.

4. Need for lower Entertainment Taxes
   This may not have a direct impact on filming in India, but those who’re in the entertainment sector and wish to do business in India, find the higher entertainment taxes a major hindrance.

   Especially in states like Maharashtra, the entertainment tax is very high, and most feel that it needs to be revised downwards.

“What we need is better infrastructure and studios everywhere in India, not only to showcase poverty and elephants, but other aspects too. There is much more to India.” – Anumpam Kher

Government Mulling ‘Single Window’ for Easy Film-TV Permissions

However, the situation has been improving lately, although a lot more needs to be done. Lot more transparency and consistency needs to be introduced. Best would be to introduce a single window clearance for shooting films in India, that will make obtaining the permissions much faster and hassle-free. That will attract even foreign film-makers in India.

In a bid to look more business friendly, the state government is planning to introduce a sinle-window system for alll neceaasry permissions required for producing films and televisin serials. The authorities intend to provide the requisite permssions within 7 days.

Getting the various permissions from the various government agencies is indeed a pain area for the film industry.

Can you believe there are around 30-32 permissions required, invloving the police, fire brigade and the local BMC ward, which is a colossal wate of time on the part of the film production team.

So this is definitely a welcome news for the film industry, and the good thing is that the ‘one-wondow’ facility will be setup at Goregaon film city.

Foreign film permissions to go online via Film Tourism Portal

The Film Facilitation Office (FFO) of India, operated by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), setup to assist international film shoots in India, will now provide film permissions online.

The single window clearance office will start assisting foreign films first and soon will extend the facility to Indian films as well.

The online film permissions will help cut red tape.

“If any Indian filmmaker wants us to connect to any foreign film commission, we will do so,” Film Facilitation Office

Besides, FFO is a collaboration of the I&B ministry and NFDC, so the focus of FFO will also be on co-productions where Indian and foreign filmmakers can make films together (for example The Lunchbox).

Promoting Film Shoots in India

The Indian film industry is big, they churn out thousands of movies every year, it attracts several foreign technicians, but for some reason, most filmmakers chose to shoot their films in foreign locations, and not as much in India.

To promote India as a film tourism hub, the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) was set up recently to make the country a “film-friendly destination.”

A new film tourism portal will be operational soon that will allow filmmakers to submit online applications for filming in India. The site will provide information on the various ministries involved/clearances needed to begin shooting, various scenic locations and service providers in India.

India offers a range of locations for shooting films, be it forts, lakes, ancient cities, historic landmarks or the breathtaking Himalayan mountain ranges.

There have been some Hollywood films that have been shot in India, and even Bollywood movies are filmed in India, but the scales are smaller, and in terms of percentage, the movies filmed here are very few in numbers.

There’s no doubt that India is as a good shooting location and offers a variety of landscapes to filmmakers; you can capture beauty even in tough places or slums.

The post Top 5 Reasons why Filming in India is NOT convenient compared to foreign locations appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

Birthday: 23 March 1987
Birth Place, Bhambla, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Zodiac sign/Sun sign: Aries.

Kangana Wants to Turn Filmmaker

Kangana has been thinking about getting into filmmaking for some time now (I’m sure she has the moolah now, and she has also been attending film making courses abroad). To take that dream one step towards reality, Kangana Ranaut recently gifted herself a 3-storey bungalow in Khar on her 30th birthday, which will also serve as her office space.

Kangana Ranaut was recently in the holy city of Varanasi to promote her upcoming period drama, Manikarnika — The Queen of Jhansi, at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. The script for Manikarnika has been written by KV Vijayendra Prasad (who has also written the Baahubali series).

“I feel whatever I have done in the last 10-15 years has led me to it, it completes me, I am 30 now and I don’t see myself working with another director after this. I will focus on being a filmmaker,” said Kangana.

Read: Kangana Ranaut came to Mumbai with only Rs.1,500

Kangana Ranaut today is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and has won several awards, including the National Film Award. Kanagana’s stock rose rapidly after hits like Queen and Tanu Weds Manu. However, critics got an opportunity to pan her after Rangoon and Simran flopped at the boc office.

Kangana Ranaut makes a lot of revelations on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’

Kangana Ranaut reveals all on Rajat Sharma-hosted Aap Ki Adalat. Simran’s lead actor Kangana made a lot of revelations on the show. As always, she was outspoken and did not play with words while answering the questions.

Here are things that Kangana spoke about on Aap Ki Adalat:

1. Aditya Pancholi – Kangana confirmed that it was Aditya Pancholi who used to physically abuse her. The Queen actor revealed that she had even approached Aditya’s wife Zarina Wahab for help. She said, “I’m a year younger than his daughter. I was a minor. For me, this was all very new – the world that I had come into. I remember going to his wife and meeting her, and I’m like ‘Please save me! I’m younger than your daughter. I’m a minor and I can’t tell my parents.'”
2. Kangana alleged that the Women Commission was bribed by the Roshans. She explains how they had initially wanted to help her, however, later they tried to convince her that what she was doing was a mistake as the Roshan family had influence.
3. Kangana laughed out loud when speaking about Adhyayan Suman’s claims of her performing black magic on him and that Kangana used to hit him, and he could not do anything. She actually asked, “Who would do black magic on him?”
4. Writer-editor Apurva Asrani also featured in this long conversation (he has accused Kangana of discrediting his work for movie Simran by claiming it to be her own).
5. Kangana also said that Bollywood award shows were fraudulent and that there are groupism and favouritism. She also said that there is a reason she doesn’t attend award shows as she feels they are biased. “If I don’t go to award shows, bigwigs of Bollywood have threatened me that you’ll be banned. Even if I’ll win an Oscar in future, I won’t attend it,” said the actor.
6. “Ketan Mehta’s script about Rani Laxmibai was rubbish and I told him that,” said the actor about the Manikarnika controversy (Filmmaker Ketan Mehta has sent a legal notice to Kangana for ‘hijacking’ his film based on the life of Rani Laxmibai).
7. About Karan Johar, Kanagana said he had offered her a movie which had a role that was 10 minutes long (Ungli), and the film happened to be the biggest flop of her career.

While we like Kangana’s guts and the kind of movies she’s doing nowadays, it seems like she has a grouse against every one in the industry.

Kangana Ranaut: Bold & Beautiful

She has made it big in Bollywood without any god father, and unlike other actors doesn’t believe in being diplomatic. Today she is an insider yet, has the courage to show the mirror to our film industry.

Also Read:

• Kangana Ranaut & Karan Johar public spat
• Kangana Ranaut & Hrithik Roshan nasty fight

Kangana Ranaut’s Family

Wondering what Kangana Ranaut’s family looks like? Here are some pictures.

Kangana, whose latest film Simran is doing well at the box office, celebrated the success of her film with no one else but her family.

Kangana, along with her family were spotted outside a restaurant in Mumbai. The Ranaut family was all smiles as they happily posed for the shutterbugs.

Of late, the actress has rubbed almost everyone in the industry the wrong way, through her honest interviews. Perhaps, her family decided it was the right time to be beside her. The camaraderie between every member in the Ranaut family was clearly visible.

In the picture, you can see Kangana at the centre with the other family members:

• Her father Amardeep Ranaut, a businessman.
• Her mother Asha Ranaut, a school teacher
• Younger brother, Akshat.
• Her elder sister, Rangoli with husband Ajay Chandel

Kangana’s great-grandfather, Sarju Singh Ranaut, was a Member of the Legislative Assembly and her grandfather was an IAS officer. Kangana grew up at their ancestral haveli (mansion) in Bhambla (MANDI, HIMACHAL PRADESH).

Also Read: Simran movie review

Kangana Ranaut’s Pali Hill Bungalow/Office

Kangana Ranaut Says Asia, and Not Hollywood, is the Future

Everybody knows that the film industry is a very competitive place, and its very easy for actors to feel insecure. Reacting to Priyanka Chopra’s and Deepika Padukone’s Hollywood assignments, Kangana Ranaut recently said that she would prefer to be in Asia as that is where the future was.

The post Bollywood’s queen (and its fiercest critic) Kangana Ranaut wants to become a film-maker appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

Hollywood Actor Nathan Jones (Seen in Mad Max:Fury Road) Makes Bollywood Debut

Australian actor Nathan Jones is a former wrestler and was seen playing the bad guy in Mad Max:Fury Road. Now the giant is going to play a baddie in the Bollywood film ‘Flying Jatt’ (featuring Tiger Shroff).

According to sources, he has been paid a bomb for playing the part.

It’s awesome seeing them (Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone) working there (in Hollywood). It’s a pleasure working here (in Bollywood).

“I have seen couple of Bollywood films. Romance is not my style. I am an action guy. I don’t mind doing romance but there should be action as well,” said Nathan.

So how was Nathan Jones’s experience working in Bollywood?

The Mad Max actor is quite impressed with our Hindi film actors.

“The better the actor that I am working with, the better I become. Bollywood actors are top notch and that made my job much easier,” said Nathan.

Chinese Actress Zhu Zhu to Feature Opposite Salman Khan in Tubelight

Chinese pop star Zhu Zhu will be paired opposite Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in his upcoming film Tubelight (directed by Kabir Khan).

When the movie was announced, there was lot of speculation as to who would play the heroine in the movie. Several names cropped up, including that of Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone. But the role finally went to Chinese actress Zhu Zhu.

In the past, Zhu Zhu has done films with Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks and Russell Crowe.

Set during the 1962 war between China and India (at the Sino-Indian border), the film has been shot in Leh Ladakh.

Bollywood is the Buzzword in Hollywood, Most Foreign Stars Keen to Work in India

Today, in terms of popularity, the hindi film industry is just as popular as Hollywood in most parts of the world (especially the emerging markets where investors are more than happy to pump in their money). With film budgets increasing, more professional working environment, the presence of several foreign technicians, Bollywood today has several admirers from Hollywood.

Not only stars like Coldplay and Beyonce are keen on working in India, Beyonce’s renowned French choreographer duo – the Les Twins were in Mumbai to choreograph a special ballad for Moses Singh’s Bollywood film ‘Zubaan’ (the song will feature actors Vicky Kaushal and Sarah Jane Dias). And guess what? They did not charge a single penny for their work. Well, that’s alright, because once you’re on the radar of the top filmmakers in Bollywood, the money will flow in eventually. The choreographer’s were reluctant initially to take up the offer because of the language barrier but eventually agreed to choreograph the song and also to feature in it.

Some time back, celebrity supermodel, Cindy Crawford was in Mumbai to celebrate her 20-year association with the watch brand, ‘Omega’ and she talked about how Bollywood has turned into a global ‘phenomenon’. The supermodel even seemed to be open to an idea of acting in a bollywood movie if the opportunity arose.

Teen sensation, Kristen Stewart had a created quite a buzz when she gushed over Hrithik Roshan. Kristen’s liking for hindi films is not a secret and the actor has often raved about Bollywood and has repeatedly expressed her desire to work in a hindi movie with a good script.

Jackie Chan’s connection with Bollywood is quite well known. He has worked with Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat in the past for a foreign film but the actor has always been vocal about his interest in Bollywood. In fact he has also offered a special discount for hindi cinema if offered a good role. Hope the producers took note of that!

Hollywood Heart throb Brad Pitt also seems to have taken by the color and drama of desi movies and had expressed his desire to work with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a hindi movie if he gets a chance. Aishwarya Rai had been offered a role in Troy alongside Brad Pitt but she refused the offer.

The Basic Instinct star, Sharon Stone was in India recently and seems to love India and Bollywood. She has infact also watched many hindi movies and hopes she gets to be in one.

The list however does not end here. Actors Julia Roberts, Daniel Radcliff, Jean-Claude Van Damme too, have on occasion, talked about how much they would love to be a part of a good desi flick. With many of our actors getting roles in Hollywood movies now, perhaps, we may also get to see some Hollywood celebrities sing and dance to Bollywood tunes!

Bond Girl Debuts in Bollywood

After working with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, this bond girl made her debut in Bollywood. She kissed Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, and now Caterina Murino was seen kissing Rajeev Khandelwal in the Bollywood thriller film ‘Fever’.

So did the intimate scenes with Rajeev made her uncomfortable?

“Not at all, I have done lots of kissing scenes in Casino Royale too so I’m used to it now,” says the Bond girl.

Several scenes of the film were shot in Switzerland and now Caterina will be in India to promote the film.

The actress is keen to do a typical, full-fledged Bollywood film, wear sarees and dance.

And she doesn’t mind learning Hindi (she didn’t do much talking in Fever). The bond girl can speak English, French, Spanish and Italian.

Moroccan Model Nora Fatehi Makes Inroads in Bollywood

Yet another foreign import in Bollywood, and this one seems to be on a roll (might as well say roar). Moroccan model, Nora Fatehi who made her debut in Bollywood with the movie ‘Roar – Tigers Of The Suburbans’ has got several offers, including item songs, and seem set for a long innings in India.

Nora Fatehi is an International model, who has featured in several several promotional materials for many international brands. She’s a Moroccan but has been living in Canada for the past many years.

Not sure who she is? Checkout this video.

So while some Indians definitely love Moroccan cuisine (its hot & spicy), they will now also get a taste of Moroccan beauty. Nora Fatehi seem to be making all the right moves and looks all set to roar in Bollywood.

Also Read: Bollywood movies filmed in Morocco

The post Bollywood is the Buzzword in Hollywood, Most Foreign Stars Keen to Work in India appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

Although Bollywood is growing by the day and the popularity of our stars such as Shahrukh is increasing across continents, India is still in awe of Hollywood (actually it applies to other countries as well). Its indeed a big deal when the Hollywood biggies decide to shoot their films outside the US.

Several Hollywood films have been shot in India in the last few months or so. Most of them happen to be medium-budget movies (not the blockbusters) though. The recently released Lion (featuring Dev Patel) was shot in Kolkata and in Indore.

Watch: Lion Official Trailer

Viceroy’s House, starring Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson and Huma Qureshi, was shot in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Watch: Viceroy’s House Official Trailer

Love Sonia, based on human trafficking (stars Freida Pinto and Richa Chadha) has several scenes that were shot in Mumbai. Ali Fazel and Judi Dench starrer Victoria and Abdul, has been shot in Delhi and Agra. The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Wardrobe, will be shot in Jodhpur. Another Hollywood film, Hotel Mumbai, will be shot in Mumbai.

In the past, there have been few more Hollywood movies that were filmed in India. Here we take a look at the Hollywood movies where the directors have tried to put India on the global map.

Some of these movies make you proud, some come as a surprise (not publicly known fact), and for some movies you just wish they had shown the country in a better light (you’ll feel that way if you’re an Indian, although reality hurts).

Here are Hollywood films that were shot in India, some of these may come as a surprise to you.

The Man Who Knew Infinity

Starring Dev Patel, the movie had scenes that were shot in Chennai, India.

Million Dollar Arm

The movie is about a sports agent trying to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball in the US. It was shot in Mumbai (Jamboree Maidan), Lucknow (Lucknow university campus) and the Taj Mahal, Agra .

Jobs

Based on the founder of Apple ‘Steve Jobs’, the movie had scenes that were filmed in India – Hauz khas complex & Safdarjung Tomb, Delhi.

Zero Dark Thirty

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (onky woman to win the Oscar Award), its about hunting down Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. However, because the crew did not get permission to shoot there, the movie was shot in Chandigarh (Manimajra fort, Punjab Engineering College premises in Sector 12, DAV College canteen in Sector 10).

Manimajra in Chandigarh, India shown as Abbottabad in Pakistan in the movie Zero Dark Thirty

Life of Pi

Oscar award winning film Life of Pi (Directed by Ang Lee) was partly filmed in Pondicherry and in Munnar (Kerala) in India. Pondicherry (now known as Puducherry) was a former french colony, so you can see the blending of French and Indian cultures here. In the movie, the Botanical Gardens was transformed into Pi’s family’s zoo. You can even see the Pondicherry pier, and the town’s idyllic French Quarter serves as the backdrop for several sequences in the film. You can even see the green tea plantations of Munnar in some scenes.

Old Pondicherry pier in one of the scenes in Life of Pie

The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan loved Rajasthan and its beautiful locations when he was in India. For ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, the jail escape scene of Batman was shot at the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Chand Baori at Abhaneri.

The jail escape scene in the movie Dark knight Rises was shot at mehrangarh fort in jodhpur

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

The climax scenes were shot in the by-lanes of Bora Bazaar, Mumbai. A couple of scenes were also shot in the Sun TV office, Bengaluru. There was a lot of hype about Anil Kapoor’s role in the movie, which turned out be minuscule in the end.

Slumdog Millionaire

Oscar award winning movie Slumdog Millionaire (directed by Danny Boyle) showed the slums of Mumbai, railway stations, and many more places (Dharavi, CST station & Taj Mahal Agra). Indians of-course didn’t like the poor depiction of India and Indians.

A Mighty Heart

Based on Daniel Pearl (the Wall Street Journal journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al Qaida), the crew didn’t get permission to shoot in Karachi, Pakistan. Hence the filmmakers decided to shoot in Pune (Sindh society) and Mumbai (Gateway of India & Churchgate station). Angelina Jolie played the role of the widow, Martane Pearl (the movie is an adaptation of her book).

The Bourne Supremacy

‘The Bourne Supremacy’ (The second of the Bourne series – 2004) had a few scenes that were shot in Goa. You get to see a high-speed chase (featuring Matt Damon) through the lanes of a Goan town.

Eat Pray Love

Julia Roberts played the lead in this movie, which was partly shot in India, at the Ashram Hari Mandir in Pataudi, Haryana.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Starring Judie Dench, Maggie Smith and Dev Patel, the movie was shot in Jaipur (Railway station, Airport, Castle Kanota) and Udaipur (Ravla Khempur & Taj Lake palace) in Rajasthan. The sequel to the movie, titled “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” also has sequences that have been filmed in India, but captures mostly the sights, sounds, smells and traffic, that are part of the country’s culture.

The Myth

Starring Jackie Chan & Mallika Sherawat, the movie was partly shot in India near Hampi, Karnataka.

Holy Smoke

Starring Kate Winslet, the movie was shot in Paharganj in Delhi and Pushkar in Rajasthan, India.

The Lovers

Directed by Roland Joffé (of The Killing Fields and The Mission fame) and starring Josh Hartnett (& Bipasha Basu in a small role), the movie was partly shot in Madhya Pradesh’s Orchha region, Gwalior, & Chambal Valley.

Octopussy

The 1983 James Bond movie had a couple of scenes shot in a palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The movie also featured Kabir Bedi in a small role.

The Darjeeling Limited

Starring Adrien Brody (of ‘The Pianist’ fame), Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman, the movie was extensively shot in Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

Bandit Queen

Directed by Shekhar Kapur, the movie was shot in India, because of its theme.

Outsourced

Starring Josh Hamilton & Ayesha Dharker, the movie is about an American salesman who heads to India to train his replacement.

City of Joy

Starring Patrick Swayze, Pauline Collins, Om Puri, the movie was filmed in and around Calcutta in West Bengal.

The Deceivers

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Shashi Kapoor, Saeed Jaffrey, the movie was shot in India as well. Its based on the Thuggee movement in India during British imperial rule.

Gandhi

This Oscar award winning movie (directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Ben Kingsley) was shot across various locations in India.

Movies Not Filmed in India

Alexander
Based on Alexander the Great (starring Colin Farrell), the movie was actually NOT shot in India at all (contrary to what many think); it was shot in Thailand. The river scenes were shot in Ubon Ratchathani province on the Mekhong River in Thailand, near the Laos border. Thailand was also preferred because of the availability of trained Asian elephants that were needed to stage a battle scene. Read more here…

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Even this movie was NOT shot in India, it was shot in Sri Lanka (to make it appear like India), since govt. of India denied permission to the producers as the story depicted Hinduism.

Jon Hamm Gets a Taste of India

Though India can offer some great locations for filming, you still have to take into account the best time to shoot at those places. For the movie ‘Million Dollar Arm’, Jon Hamm shot in India during the summer months, and was literally sweating like a pig during the filming. Despite the advice of Bollywood stars, the crew had to shoot during summer because of the time constraints. May in India is literally the hottest month with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius. Even Bollywood goes indoors during this period. Unfortunately for the ‘Million Dollar Arm’ team, the crew and stars had to struggle not just with the heat when they were in India, some of them were down with digestive problems as well. When it comes to food, you have to be a bit careful!

Uday Chopra would like to direct a film in India, and not abroad
Actor-producer Uday Chopra, who recently produced (jointly with other players) Hollywood film “Grace Of Monaco” (featuring Nicole Kidman), has plans to direct a film, but in India and not abroad. Although he has access to Hollywood and spends a lot of time in Los Angeles, he thinks it will be easier for him to direct a film in India, although it could take few more years. Nevertheless, Uday says that the film will definitely have an international flavor, but made in Indian language.

The post These Hollywood Movies Were Filmed In India appeared first on Bollywood Presents.

Instead of producing Indian films, Disney will now focus on marketing Hollywood films in India.

Disney India did wear the producers hat successfully in India for some time. ‘Khoobsurat’ (starring Fawad khan) just about managed to recover the money, but ABCD 2 was a commercial success in India. Baaghi, starring actor Tiger Shroff and actress Shraddha Kapoor, also had a good run.

Disney had set the box office records in India on fire with the super success of ‘The Jungle Book’ but also gave a couple of big flops – first it was Katrina Kaif and actor Aditya Roy Kapoor’s ‘Fitoor’ and now Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Mohenjo Daro”.

Disney’s upcoming Bollywood releases include Aamir Khans’ Dangal, going by Aamir’s track record this should be a ‘hit’. Another movie to be released is Jagga Jasoos (featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif).

Also Read: List of Upcoming Films

The other Hollywood studios who’re producing Bollywood films include Fox Star Studios India, Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Sony (first U.S. studio to produce a Bollywood film – Saawariya.)

Disney does more than making movies
Globally, Disney does lot more than movies, and that’s what it plans to do here as well.

• From merchandising to reality shows, amusement park rides and several other digital properties, Disney plans to make successful franchises in India as well
• The studio has tied-up with companies to sell branded apparel, inspired by their films
• They’re making apps that will help you make-up or do your hair like the lead actors (for example, Shraddha Kapoor in ABCD 2)
• Reality shows based on their successful movies. In this case, a dace reality show that is inspired by ABCD 2
  Dancing themed Video games for gamers

U.S. (Hollywood) Studios Eye Massive Bollywood Business

U.S. Studios are chalking out plans to garner a bigger share of Bollywood Business, considering its increaching reach across the globe. Having completed 100 glorious years and with films getting made on a variety of topics, the Indian film industry is in for exciting times ahead.

Hollywood’s share of the Indian film market may still be small but it’s definitely growing.

There’s lot of excitement among the Indian film-makers as the fact that “Indian cinema has completed 100 years” is getting a lot of media attention abroad. Various international award ceremonies, film festivals, events are acknowledging this fact, and Cannes Film Festival has even announced that it’s going to feature a special tribute on this landmark occasion. This is also a reflection of the fact that Bollywood business is growing big time, and no one doubts that thing.

Hollywood Studios Want Bigger Share

The fact that India itself is growing, and there’s going to be massive investments in the area of infrastructure augurs well for the entertainment industry as well.

Indian film industry is not only the world’s most productive, it’s also the most popular. Around 1,000 films are made every year.

As per KPMG, India is all set to surpass Britain as the world’s fifth-largest film market by sales, in the next four years.

To capitalize on this opportunity, several huge US-based studios such as Disney, Viacom and Fox are making plans to win a larger share of the Indian film market.

Regulations for International Participants

Experts believe that for international studios to seek growth in developing countries, it’s important for the regulations to be fairly favorable to them.

For example, one of the largest market for films is China (like India, even China is growing but much faster), but then foreign studios have strict guidelines on how many movies they can make & distribute.

However, Ronnie Screwvala (head of Disney UTV) feels that Indian market/regulations is much more favorable to international investors compared to several other emerging film markets.

Other Challenges

Another challenge that the US studios face is that Indian audience is not that receptive to English movies, despite its huge size.

This is in contrast to the Chinese market, where English-language films account for almost half of the market in China.

So the Indian public is clearly showing preference to films made in Hindi & other regional languages such as Tamil (which is also a huge market).

Go Domestic

That is where these foreign studios have adopted a different strategy – by setting themselves up as domestic film studios.

So even though every where else in the world, Hollywood studios have setup local distribution offices to push their own American movies, India is the only place where they’ve been forced to go local.

These studios have been producing Indian-language films, with minimal interference from their parent groups in California, US.

Can Indian Films Earn Huge Profits?

So can Bollywood films earn huge profits, somethings on the lines of Hollywood movies?

It seems unlikely, at least in the short term future. Here are few reasons for that.

Fewer Screens
Despite the fact that several multiplexes are opening, there are much lesser number of screens if you consider on a per-capita basis, compared to other big markets.

Ticket Prices are Low
Barring some multiplexes located in the plush localities, the domestic ticket prices are among the world’s lowest, which limits profitability.

Crossover Bollywood Hit Still Elusive
Indian movies are popular abroad, but mostly among the Indian/Asian diaspora; they’re still not very popular with the general public. A hit “crossover” Bollywood film capable of winning over a wider international audience, has remained elusive.

So until the time these big studios figure out how to crack the global export market, Bollywood films are going to earn a fraction of their Hollywood counterparts.

Good Times Ahead

In spite of the challenges, the fact that international groups are eyeing India means there’s definitely an exciting future for Indian cinemas. You’ll now have professional sources of finance and professional management as well, which is a massive change as opposed to the norm that existed for the past several decades. And hopefully some day, we’ll have that blockbuster crossover Bollywood film that matches a top Hollywood grosser.

Hollywood meets Bollywood in new joint venture
Success of recent bollywood movies overseas indicates that overseas audiences are lapping up Indian content. On the other hand, the success of the latest Hollywood blockbusters in India have validated the foreign studios’ focus on the Indian market. Taking a cue from these, Hollywood studio Relativity Media has decided to enter the Indian market through a joint venture (announced during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival) with media house B4U, owned by Lakshmi Mittal, Kishore Lulla, and Gokul Binani. Read more here…

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