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BOLLYWOOD | Guftugu | SEPTEMBER 2010

Anil Kapoor 24 on AXN Four Times Weekly
Iconic Sholay Completes 35 Years
DEEPIKA: No to Proposal
KAJOL: Expecting
LARA: Constant Reinvention
Patriotic Akki
VIVEK: No More Toxic Relations
SRK: Nervous with Wife

Anil Kapoor's '24' on AXN Four Times Weekly


Anil Kapoor in the Hollywood TV show “24.”

American action series 24, which stars Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, will now be shown four times instead of on the weekend as earlier.

The eighth season of the show with English subtitles will be aired on AXN channel from Aug. 23, channel's senior vice-president Rohit Bhandari told reporters.

The show, in which Anil plays Omar Hassan, president of a Middle East country, will be telecast from Monday to Thursday, he added.

"We expect that because of Anil Kapoor's presence, it may get more eyeballs," Bhandari said, adding that there are plans to market it better than earlier.

He also accepted that English entertainment is not a priority for Indian audiences. Still a better response is expected because of Anil Kapoor, he said.

On his experience of working with the Fox Studios, Anil Kapoor said it has given him a tremendous exposure.

"While shooting for 24, I discovered that Omar Hassan was a liberal man. The writers told me that he had the charisma and depth of young Gandhi or Mandela who want peace at any cost.

"Since I had produced 'Gandhi My Father,' I had learnt a lot about Gandhi and had also met Mandela in South Africa. So I was thrilled when I got to play Omar Hassan," he said.

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Iconic 'Sholay' Completes 35 Years


Dharmendra (top) and Amitabh Bachchan (bottom) in “Sholay.”

Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, the cult Bollywood film, just turned 35.

It was on Independence Day more than three decades back when Sippy's third film opened to a lukewarm response but soon word spread about the movie. The rest is history.

The cast included the who's who in Bollywood of that time — the leading pairs of the ‘70s, Dharmendra and Hema Malini (Veeru and Basanti), versatile Sanjeev Kumar (Thakur), rising star Amitabh Bachchan (Jai) who had proved himself in Anand and Zanjeer.

Though the entire cast put up a stellar performance, it was Amjad Khan, the ferocious dacoit leader Gabbar Singh, who captured the country's imagination so much that he was immortalized by the very name.

Sholay's mastery lay in its sub-plots and minor characters, all of which were etched out with the greatest of detail and completeness, says Mahesh Sarang, a computer engineer who has lost count of the number of times he watched the classic.

Superstar Rajnikanth said the film's success did not lie with the fact that it was a multi-starrer, it was well received because of the story, characters and the human emotions and sentiments attached with it.

Dialogues like “Hum angrezon ke zamane ke jailor hain” (Asrani), “Kitne aadmi the?” (Amjad), “Sardar maine aapka namak khaya hai” (Viju Khote), “Basanti in kutto ke samne mat nachna” (Dharmendra) remains fresh in the memories of its countless fans.

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DEEPIKA: No to Proposal


Deepika Padukone in “Lafangey Parindey.”

She may be the dream girl for many but not everyone has the courage to go up and propose to Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone.

So the 24-year-old actress was shocked when a youngster went down on his knees and asked her, "Will you marry me?"

An amused Deepika turned down the proposal saying, "I am not ready for marriage yet."

"But I am ready for you," shot back the youth, which left the former model laughing.

Deepika, who turned up in a gorgeous white saree to promote her upcoming film Lafangey Parindey along with co-star Neil Nitin Mukesh and his father, has constantly been linked to liquor baron Vijay Mallya's son Siddhartha.

The actress, who was previously dating Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, was first spotted with Siddhartha at an IPL match cheering for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Deepika had earlier said that she will not stop leading a normal life because of the media's excessive interest in her personal life.

"It does not matter if you link me up with someone because I know that I am leading a normal life. I have my guy friends with whom I go out like everybody else," she had said.

Her latest film has been directed by Pradeep Sarkar of Pareenita fame and released Aug. 20. The story revolves around a group of youngsters living in the back streets of Mumbai and sees Deepika playing a blind girl.

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KAJOL: Expecting


Kajol with Shah Rukh Khan in “My Name is Khan.”

Bollywood actor Kajol, who is expecting her second child in October and has a film up for release the next month, says that she is not feeling nervous as that crucial day nears.

"I am not nervous about both. I do not believe in stressing about things which I cannot change. There is no point in worrying for situations which cannot be changed," Kajol, who is busy promoting her next film, We Are Family, releasing in the first week of September, told PTI.

The 35-year-old actress said that she plans to work till the end of her pregnancy.

"It is good to know that I can work. I was very nervous the first time around. Now I am comfortable because I know what to expect," she said.

We Are Family, is a remake of Hollywood movie Stepmom but Kajol is of the opinion that some films are best not remade.

"There are a lot of films that should not be remade. Magic cannot be duplicated," she added.

According to her, if Stepmom was remade in English, it would flop.

"We are making it in a different language and hence the script had to be changed and Indianized. It has become a different movie. The premise is, however, same," she said.

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LARA: Constant Reinvention


Lara Dutta in “Housefull.”

From a beauty queen to a promising star in show biz, Bollywood actress Lara Dutta has come up a long way and she owes her success in films to the mantra of reinventing herself constantly.

The 32-year-old beauty, who is in the seventh year of her professional career, has essayed a variety of roles and is positive about playing a long innings.

"It's as simple as that; I don't want to just sit down and say that I have been a model in the past and a Miss Universe with some good Bollywood hits behind me so I should just sit back and bask in that glory. Sorry, there is no point in doing that. I have been enjoying a certain standing right throughout my career and I am not going to let anyone down", said Lara, who was last seen in comic-caper Housefull.

Lara says that she is one of the few leading ladies who have managed to carry off the skimpiest of outfits without even bordering upon vulgarity.

"Thankfully I can never come across as someone who is cheap. I want my audience to react positively to me and thankfully, so far the reactions have been heart-warming enough to make me feel good that I am doing things right," she told PTI.

"For me, reinvention is the name of the game. It has always been the case. For my role in Blue, I had to be fit and be in perfect shape since the role required a good deal of underwater sequences. Now that's not something that you normally see a girl to be doing. Then again in Housefull, I had to be totally glam even though I played the role of a wife. All these films have helped a great deal for me personally," Lara added.

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Patriotic Akki


Akshay Kumar in “Blue.”

Bollywood's original khiladi Akshay Kumar added some star power to the Independence Day celebrations here, with thousands of Indo-Canadians who gathered for the annual India Day Parade.

The 43-year-old actor attended the India Day parade at the Dundas Square, an annual event held on the eve of Indian Independence Day.

People had started gathering at the venue since morning to have a glimpse of Akshay, who commended the contributions made by Indo-Canadians to the country.

"The people of Indian origin can not only look back at history with pride, but also look ahead to a future filled with hope and accomplishments," said the actor.

Akshay and Canada go a long way and he was one of the 14 international torchbearers at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. The actor is also the Canadian Tourism Commission's Ambassador to India.

Consul General of India Preeti Saran hoisted the tricolor and the revelers sang national songs of India and Canada at the event.

More than a dozen floats, from the Indian states of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Goa, Orissa, Kerala, ISKCON, Indian Tourism, several marching bands, and hundreds of marchers joined the parade and attended the daylong event.

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VIVEK: No More Toxic Relations


Vivek Oberoi (l) in "Prince."

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, who is gearing up for his next release Rakta Charitra, has decided to distance himself from controversies and let bygones be bygones.

"I do not want to get into any more controversies. I have learnt from my personal life that revenge is a waste of time. Enmity, anger are all negative. True strength lies in forgiveness and not punishment," Vivek told PTI.

"Life is a roller coaster ride, there are ups and downs. Experience teaches you a lot, be it good or bad. I decided one day, I was done with all unnecessary drama, toxic relations, enmity, feud and hatred. There was too much baggage to carry. I wanted to be free, feel positive," said the actor who courted controversy since 2003 by calling a press conference accusing superstar Salman Khan of harassment.

"I decided I want to be a happy person, want to do good work, take up social causes. Since then everything started falling in place," he further said.

The 33-year-old considers himself lucky to have such a supportive and understanding family.

"My family always stood by me, they motivated and supported me every moment. They are my pillars of support," Vivek said.

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SRK: Nervous with Wife


Shah Rukh Khan in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi."

He may have faced the camera for numerous brand endorsements and films but superstar Shah Rukh Khan is feeling jittery as he prepares to shoot with his wife Gauri a television commercial for the first time.

"Preparing for a ‘big shoot’ 2maro. No it's not ra.one with ten cameras. it is with Gauri for D decor brand furnishings....very nervous," he tweeted.

Ajay Arora, MD of D decor, the furnishing brand for which the star couple are the brand ambassadors, said Shah Rukh and Gauri as a couple highlight the aspirations of millions of homes.

"They are a dream couple and it is the dream of millions of couples that their homes should be fashionable," Arora said.

He insists that Gauri agreed to be part of the team because she believed in the concept of the dream of having a beautiful and fashionable house.

"Gauri is better prepared for the shoot and Shah Rukh is much more talented. Hence together, they make a unique combination. The commercial depicts how fabrics can make a home so beautiful," Arora said.

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COVER STORY
Ground Zero:
An All-Faith Center?

Human rights activist Partha Banerjee writes that peace activists should consider a campaign for an all-faith, peace center near Ground Zero in New York.


SUBCONTINENT
Peace Caravan:
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YOUTH PERSPECTIVE
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And the Challenge

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NEWS DIARY: August
INDO-U.S. TIES: Clean Energy Research
SUBCONTINENT: India’s I-Day Celebration
COMMUNITY: Indian Americans Mark India's Independence Day in U.S.: Dil Hai Hindustani
COMMUNITY RIGHTS: SSA Loses Lawsuit
SUBCONTINENT: Blackberry Brouhaha
SUBCONTINENT: India’s ID Mess
TRAVEL: Las Vegas Hotels: A Kid's Eyeview
AUTO REVIEW: 2011 Toyota Sienna
RECIPE: Bhindi Jaipuri
BOLLYWOOD Review: Peepli Live
BOLLYWOOD: Guftugu
CINEMA: Hollywood Beckons: Chat with Fagun Thakrar
TAMIL FILM: Kadhal Solla Vandhen
PHILANTHROPY: Nobelist Ally
COMMUNITY: Sunnyvale Hasya Kavi Sammelan
COMMUNITY: News Briefs
INFOTECH INDIA: Briefs
HOROSCOPE: September

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