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MUMBAI: Following the mega recession faced in the industry many top stars and makers resorted to their price reduction to maintain the right balance for everyone involved.

Like many top stars, Akshay Kumar too seems to have changed his rigid stand as far as his pricing is concerned. Apparently, after initially refusing to reduce his remuneration from Rs. 30 crore, the Kambakkht Ishq star finally brought it down to Rs. 20 crore.
But then there is a catch to it, tells our trade source. He reveals, “Akshay may have reduced his price but at the same time he also wants a third share in the under-production profit of the film. Now, since profit is arrived at after deducting the cost from the total sale price, Akshay insists on knowing the cost at the time of signing the film. There shouldn’t be room for going over-budget, you see! Now, whether producers are happy with the changed stand of Akshay Kumar or not, only time will tell!”

Well Akshay it’s like having your cake and eating it too! Huh!
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MUMBAI: The gorgeous Katrina Kaif won’t be able to marry her present love interest superstar Salman Khan and even if she does it won’t last long. This is what astrologers have predicted.

According to the predictions, Katrina will not marry Salman as they both are completely different people and do not get well with difference of opinion being the main negative aspect. There is no great compatibility between the two and Katrina should avoid taking Salman too seriously.

Astrologers maintain, Katrina’s upcoming film Blue will make her position strong while Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani won’t do well but Ranbir-Katrina will be the next hot onscreen couple.

Are you listening Kat!
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Pakistan says the trial of five men suspected of involvement in the attack on the Taj Hotel in Mumbai last November is likely to start next week.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said investigations were complete for these suspects and named another 12 men still wanted in connection with the case.
The charges show Pakistan is serious in pursuing suspects in the case despite Indian claims to the contrary, he said.
More than 170 people died in the attacks, including nine gunmen.
India has accused Pakistan-based fighters from the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks.
Pakistan has admitted they were partly planned on its soil and the two countries have suffered seriously strained relations.
Timing
Mr Malik blamed India for any delay in bringing the charges.
He said Pakistan had sent India a list of questions on 12 February but only received answers on 9 June. This had enabled them to put a case together against five suspects already in custody.
There was no immediate response to the claims from Delhi.
Mr Malik said that after seeing how this investigation had been pursued, no-one should be in any doubt that Pakistan was serious in pursuing those responsible for the attacks.
“We are pretty sure that based on the evidence which our investigators have collected, the culprits will be punished,” he said.
He said that he wished India had given as much co-operation in finding those responsible for killing Pakistanis when a cross-border train was blown up in February 2007.
The dossier detailing the charges against the five suspects for the Mumbai (Bombay) attack has been handed to the acting Indian high commissioner in Islamabad.
The BBC’s David Loyn in Islamabad says politically this development could not have come at a more opportune time for Pakistan.
The foreign ministers and prime ministers of Pakistan and India will meet next week during the summit of non-aligned nations in Egypt.
In order to begin dialogue again on its terms, Pakistan is eager to counter Indian accusations that it has not done all it can to pursue those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.
Mr Malik said that 15,000 Pakistani citizens had died in terrorist attacks since 2001.
“The terrorist threat in the region knew no boundaries and no-one has been more affected than Pakistan.”
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MUMBAI: Well, it seems there’s good news for the well wishers of Amrita Arora. After her marriage to Shakeel Ladak, the petite beauty is rumored to be expecting her first baby.

The speculations took root after the actress was seen visiting a famous gynaec clinic along with her family members. Moreover, the fact that the actress spots a baby bump and wears loose clothes further adds to the rumours that Amrita might be expecting her first baby.

The actress is also not doing any films at the moment and is rarely seen at social dos too.

Well, let’s hope the good news ushers in a new beginning for the couple who cannot be less excited about the same.
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MUMBAI: They may be the ex-lovers, but Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja seem to be re-kindling the old flame.

The two, who are shooting for Ashutosh Gowarikar’s upcoming film WHAT’S YOUR RAASHEE?, were recently spotted in each others company well after the completion of the shoot. The two were seen partying at a bungalow in Khandala pretty much absorbed in each others company.

The recent reports about Shahid-Priyanka break-up have generated a lot of interest. Though many had thought that Priyanka has a new man in her life, but with Harman making the right moves, looks like the Bollywood beauty has finally decided to go back to her former lover.

Well, with Priyanka’s love life making more news than her movies, we hope Harman is the lucky man who will finally settle her down emotionally.
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Lata Mangeshkar the Melody Queen of India, with a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, finally broke her ’silence’ to come out of seclusion to record for a Bengali film.

It’s been long since honey-voiced Lata Mangeshkar has been heard as she retreated into a self-imposed silence after playback-singing for RANG DE BASANTI in 2006 under the baton of Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman. Hence as she stepped into Swarnalata Studios, Mumbai, for the recording of a Bengali song after 17 years, she created quite a sir. Here are the excerpts of the interview.

What made you stop lending your voice to films?

I have had a very long innings in music, in and out of films. I am 80 now and do not keep well all the time. Our youngest sister Usha is by my side all the time though she has a singing career as well. Some of the younger crop of singers are doing very well and are committed to their work. I had severe problems with my legs. All this put together somehow put a stop to my singing and recording.

Then what it is that spurred you to come out?

I have lent my voice to the directorial baton of music composer Mrinal Saab (Bandopadhyay) for five songs many years ago. This February, he requested me to sing again for another song of his for a Bangla film. I was a bit reluctant, of course, because a knee replacement surgery was due. But he was patient. He was ready to wait till I was ready just to talk it over. Then, on May 26 this year, I found myself lending voice to a Bangla song after 17 long years!

When did you last sing for Mrinal Bandopadhyay?

The last time I sang a Bengali number with the music scored by Mrinal Bandopadhyay was in 1992. He had persuaded me to sing five Bengali songs. Among these, the most popular was poth boley dao maago from the film TUMI KATO SUNDAR. I had begun to sing to his compositions in 1981 and our relationship goes back to that time. The first song under his musical baton was monomoyuri roynaa mone for the film SUKHER KACCHEY. I loved his lyrics and his music.

Is Mrinal Bandopadhyay the only reason for you to change your mind?

Not really. But he has been a major reason. Bahut asaan gaana thaa. Sur mein badi mithaas thhi. When I asked him to send me a cassette, he strummed a guitar and sang the song himself and sent it to me. I loved the song the minute I heard it. It brought back sweet memories of the old Bengali songs I sang for Bengali films many years ago. This song is similar to the ones that made me known in Bengal, with music by Mrinal Saab. My music arranger Uttam Singh arranged the music and my sister Usha sang the entire song after that. I really loved the final product. After the recording, I told him, - give music like this and I will keep on singing.

Do you know which film you lent your voice to?

Of course, I know it. It is a Bengali film called AMAAR BHALOLAGA, AMAR BHALOBASHA starring new actors I do not know at all such as Rituparna Sengupta, Firdaus and Amitabh Bhattacharya. The song is the title song of the film. The film, if I remember right, is under Rekha Films banner, produced by Saibal Chakraborty and directed by Chanchal Chakraborty.

You put in everything in every single song. What did you do this time?

I asked Mrinal Saab the emotional backdrop and the situation of the song that is mandatory for any film song I lend my voice to. The emotions that come across through the singing voice must be just right. I went for a voice-test a month before recording. I rehearsed for one full month before readying myself for the recording. I went on asking again and again if my Bangla pronunciation was right because after all, I was singing in Bangla after a very long time so it was likely that my Bangla had got rusty. I also requested Mayuresh, owner of Swarnalata Studio, to record the entire song again because he told me immediately after the recording that there was some slight technical error that can easily get corrected with the new technology we now have. But I was adamant about singing it again at once because I might not be in the mood later if a re-recording was called for and he obliged. When Mrinal Saab went back to do the mixing, I called him up again to find out if it sounded okay after remixing.

What was the studio experience like after this long gap?

I didn’t expect such a huge crowd and was a bit discomfited by it because of my indifferent state of health. But the media was nice and courteous and I was very happy to find youngsters like Udit Narayan and Shreya Ghosal in the studio waiting to meet me. I spent around three-and-a-half hours in the studio. It was tiring but it made me happy too.
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By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner, who has made films like “Rush Hour” and “X-Men: The Last Stand”, has tied up with Reliance’s Big Entertainment to bring cinematic material from all over the world to India.

He has now acquired a French graphic novel on behalf of the production house to be made into a film.

“It’s to be titled ‘Infinity’. It will be directed by Sylvain White. I feel the boundaries between Bollywood and world cinema are evaporating. And material with a strong visual appeal will enable Bollywood to go global,” Ratner told IANS over phone from Berlin.

“This tie-up with Reliance has given me more creative and financial freedom. For example, I’ve this deal with Paramount. I can go to them now with Reliance’s financial proposal and get more room for quick and effective negotiation,” he said.

Ratner can’t believe how quickly he cut a deal with Reliance.

“I met the Reliance team at the Cannes film festival. And before I could get back to the US, the contract was ready. When I met these guys, I realised they loved cinema. And that’s very important to me. In the US, the studio system is run by business giants who are not necessarily movie fans,” he said.

Ratner wants to use his partnership with Reliance to distribute Jackie Chan movies in the Indian market.

“I did those ‘Rush Hour’ films with Jackie Chan and I share an incredible relationship with him. And Jackie has told me that his cinema has an amazing market in Bollywood. I thought if I cut a deal with Reliance, I could bring the Jackie Chan movies into India.

“No other director in Hollywood is as close to Jackie Chan as I am. Every Chinese production that Jackie Chan acts in, he wants me to be part of it. The guy is a workaholic. He does four-five films a year. A part of those films will be produced by a banner Jackie and I will float together. And I’ll pass on those movies to Reliance for the Indian market,” Ratner explained.

Ratner feels Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” has irreversibly changed the global fortunes of Bollywood.

“Look at how a small-budget film with unknown actors is garnering Oscars. ‘Slumdog…’ has opened up doors. It shows the US market that a hit movie can be made without Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks,” he said.

Asked what he is doing in Berlin, Ratner said: “I’m here in Berlin because Roman Polanski is directing a new movie ‘Ghost’. Every time he does a film, he asks me to visit him. And Pierce Brosnan, who starred in my film ‘After The Sunset’, is in Roman’s film.”

He is also set to make a movie out of Rob Liefeld’s popular “Youngblood” superhero comics from the 1990s.

“‘Youngblood’ is the number one independent comic book in the world, on a par with Marvel and DC comics. So many studios wanted it. I was able to acquire ‘Youngblood’, thanks to Reliance who were very proactive in their decision. I’m very excited at the thought of making this film because I grew up on superhero comics. That’s why I eventually made ‘X Men’,” the filmmaker said.

At one point, Ratner was supposed to direct “Superman”.

“That’s true. And when I couldn’t do it, I was very upset. I thought there were no comic books for me direct. Brian Singer had ‘X Men’, Sam Raimi had ‘Spiderman…’ Which comic book would I do? Then of course I was able to do ‘X Men’. After that I was hungry to do a series based on a comic book. I didn’t want to do ‘Iron Man’ because it’s considered a ‘b’ comicbook. ‘Youngblood’ has such a huge fan base,” the director said.
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MUMBAI: As 2009 moves into its second half, the Bollywood box office can look back at just a handful of success stories. While a film producers’ strike resulted in a virtual drought of movies for two whole months, the poor quality of the few that were released didn’t help either. From January to June, about 55 films hit the screens but only six were able to do good business.

Among them Kabir Khan’s directorial venture “New York” tops the list. This John Abraham, Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh starrer is clearly the hot favourite. Not only is the audience still flocking in. Yash Raj Films has refused to divulge budget details as per company policy.

Next is “Dev D”, a punk and grunge version of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s “Devdas”. After making the film, Kashyap has ensured one thing - for the next few years at least, no filmmaker will think of remaking “Devdas” the old way.

Kashyap’s “Gulaal” also did well. Released after “Dev D” March 13, the film got a good initial courtesy.

Director Vikram K. Kumar’s small-budget horror film “13B” starring R. Madhavan too finds a place in the list.In this film, spirits use a TV set to create havoc in the lives of Madhavan and his family members, telling them a story and revealing a crime. What worked most for “13B” was its tight narrative.

Then comes director Zoya Akhtar’s directorial debut, “Luck By Chance”, which had her brother Farhan Akhtar in the lead.

“Luck By Chance” had everything going in its favour. Zoya made an excellent debut as a director, but surprisingly audiences didn’t really make a beeline for it. This was truly an insider’s take on the state of affairs, as evident in every dialogue, mannerism and costume.

If 2008 had “Phoonk” as a surprise success, then it was hardly surprising to see “Raaz - The Mystery Continues” as the bona fide hit of 2009 before “New York” arrived.

Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt did an excellent job in promoting the film, the songs were chartbusters and Emraan Hashmi and Kangana Ranaut lived up to expectations. And director Mohit Suri surely came out with a quality product.

It was the first hit of the year after much-hyped “Chandni Chowk To China”.

Now the second half of the year seems to have got a good start with “Kambakkht Ishq”. The Akshay Kumar-Kareena Kapoor starrer has had a good opening.
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MUMBAI: They might be the best buddies in B-Town, but SRK will not be able to attend the opening ceremony of close pal Arjun Rampal’s restaurant LAP, since he’s busy shooting for his film MY NAME IS KHAN till mid-August.

Keeping this fact in mind, Arjun has made changes in his plans and deferred it by a month to fit in SRK’s presence. Now, the launch date of the restaurant will be mid-August when King Khan will be in town to grace the occasion.

It must be recalled that Arjun and SRK bonded big time during the making of OM SHANTI OM and the friendship between the two seems to be growing by the day.
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MUMBAI : The two young actresses have apparently bonded really well. In fact, we hear that the two spend a lot of time together, indulging in typically girlie activities like shopping, spa visits, partying and gyming. Recently the two girls went on a shopping spree at a popular designer’s store and literally ransacked the place.

That’s not all. The two will soon be hiring the services of the same fitness instructor. Papa Anil, who’s happy with this new friendship, treated the girls to a dinner at his home. Sonam is keen to act with Amrita and has in fact, asked papa dearest to cast them together, we hear. Dosti ho toh aisi!
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