Abhay Deol to resurrect Girlfriend's B-Town career

Abhay Deol to help girlfriend Preeti Desai put her non-existent B-Town career on track 

Remember Abhay Deol's girlfriend Preeti Desai who made her debut in Shor In The City last year? The model disappeared from the scene after the film released. The calendar girl who made a splash on the ramp in Mumbai, however, did not have any takers in B-Town. The only time that Preeti has been spotted, of late, is at film previews and at B-Town events as Abhay's arm candy.

Abhay is now apparently extremely keen to resurrect Preeti's Bollywood aspirations. To the extent that he is keen to star opposite her in an upcoming film. Earlier he made an attempt to include her in his zombie film Shaadi of the Dead the film that ran into several production issues and is now stuck.
Navdeep Singh's project however went on the floors with Genelia D'Souza as the leading actress. Still Abhay managed to have Preeti do a cameo. The film was a joint venture of Ekta Kapoor and Siddharth Jain. Later Ekta decided to pull out due to several issues about the production aspects after which the film is lying stuck.

Says a source, After Shor in The City released, Abhay tried his best to ensure that Preeti was cast in the zombie flick. As he had worked with director Navdeep Singh earlier in Manorama Six Feet Under, he shared a rapport with him. 

However he could only make Preeti's appearance restricted to a cameo. Ever since he had been keen to have her as his girl on the screen as well. Adds the source, Abhay is planning a project that will star him along with Preeti. It is in the early stages but things are moving on the front.
A former Miss Great Britain, Preeti was the first woman of Indian origin to ever win the title. Ever since they had been spotted together at events, there has also been buzz that the two were living in at Juhu.

Though Preeti had her pad at Malad, she would always be around at Abhay's place. With Abhay fetching accolades for his B-Town outings like Chakravyuh and Shanghai this year, he is hopeful that a project with his girl will also happen.

read more...

Bollywood awards are rigged: Abhay Deol

Taking a dig at the numerous Bollywood awards, actor Abhay Deol said Saturday that most awards are either rigged or actors attend them because they are paid for their presence.

"Talk to any actor off record and he will tell you, you either go because you are winning an award or you go because you are getting paid. Otherwise, you don't go," Abhay said during an interactive session at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.

"In that case, pay me and I'll perform. If you tell me you are awarding talent, then no. It is just an exercise in appeasing those you have worked with or appeasing those you want to work with," he said candidly.

He recalled an instance from 2009 when his movie "Dev D", a radical take on the iconic "Devdas" film, rocked the theatres, and despite an electrifying and a well-appreciated performance, Abhay was not nominated for any awards.

"I was promoting 'Road, Movie' at the time the Filmfare Awards were happening, and no one wanted to talk to me about 'Road...'. The entire press wanted to know why I wasn't selected for an award. And I said, 'It was a family fare. If you are part of the family, then you will get it.' And I stick by that," Abhay said.

"The validation that I might be doing something right is the fact that I didn't get the award," he joked.

read more...

Cash crunch may lead Abhay to act in own production

Actor Abhay Deol may just have to play the lead role in his first home production because of monetary constraints.

"I'm making baby steps in production... Being a first time producer, I won't get a big-time star to work in those films. So I have to put myself in the film because of money constraints," Abhay said.

The Bollywood actor spoke about it during an interactive session Saturday at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.

Known as one of Bollywood's more circumspect and reluctant stars, Abhay also said that he would rope in the big actors if his debut film, which he is attempting, does well.

Later, in conversation with director Vishal Bhardwaj, Abhay said his role as a south Indian bureaucrat in Dibakar Banerjee's "Shanghai" was the most difficult role he has essayed yet. And he says it was due to the distinct accent he had to cultivate.

"It was a south Indian accent and we traditionally have an infrastructure of accent training factors in our country, we don't have professionals. So even during breaks, I would speak with that accent, and have to keep in mind the accent, and the emotion and the scene and the motive," he said.

read more...

Abhay Deol happy about Sunny Leone in Bollywood

The entry of porn star Sunny Leone in Bollywood with Jism 2 might have made a certain section of the society uncomfortable and disapproving, But actor Abhay Deol has different perceptions altogether. Abhay reportedly welcomes the move and wishes for more adult entertainment stars to join the Bollywood industry.
According to the most talented Actor it's the people who are more open about sex are less obsessed with it as opposed to those who try to repress it and end up having sex on their minds all the time.

Abhay was last seen playing a police academy drop-out, who volunteers for an undercover mission in Prakash Jha's less appreciated Chakravyuh.

read more...

Box office: Three's a crowd at the box office

'Chakravyuh', 'Ajab Gazabb Love' and 'Rush' ate into each other's share of the pie, resulting in a box office disaster 

Again a crowded week and the end result spelling a disaster at the box office! Three major Bollywood films - Chakravyuh, Ajab Gazabb Love and Rush released in the same week, eating into each other's business and spelling doom for its investors. 

While Chakravyuh collected Rs 10.87 crore (Wednesday - Rs 3.36 cr, Thursday - Rs 1.75 cr, Friday - Rs 1.50 cr, Saturday - Rs 1.75 cr, Sunday - Rs 2.50 cr) in its first five days (the film released on a Wednesday), Azab Gazabb Love made R 4.75 crore (Friday - Rs 1.25 cr, Saturday - Rs 1.50 cr, Sunday - Rs 2 cr) in its initial weekend. Finally the Emraan Hashmi starrer Rush made only Rs 2.16 crore (Friday - Rs 52 lakh, Saturday - Rs 66 lakh, Sunday - R 98 lakh) in its first weekend.

Meanwhile, the collections of Student of the Year in its first week are R 47.52 crore and second weekend are Rs 2.10 crore on Friday, Rs 3.25 crore on Saturday and R 4.75 crore on Sunday making its weekend total to R 10.10 crore. The total collection from its first 10 days is R 57.62 crore making it one of the biggest hits with newcomers. 
The worst film to be affected by the mad rush was Azab Gazabb Love who in spite of decent reviews only managed to collect around Rs 4.75 crore. Our source says, Much was expected out of Chakravyuh as it was a Prakash Jha film but the collections could have been better. Rush is a complete disaster at the box office.

Trade analyst Amod Mehra says, There is nothing to write home about. The period is extremely bad and will remain so till Diwali.

Atul Mohan, trade expert elaborates, It is a classic case of too many cooks spoil the broth. How else would you explain the dismal collections of a Prakash Jha film or a good entertainer like Azab Gazabb Love? An Emraan Hashmi film doesn't bring in the masses? I guess too many English films also divided the audience. Next week is going to be equally bad!

read more...

Our movies need to reflect our culture: Abhay Deol

Abhay Deol is one of those actors who has a filmography that reflects back-to-back socially-relevant films. However, he was part of chilled-out films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Aisha too before arriving on the serious actor scene.

On being asked whether it's a conscious decision to agree to hard-hitting scripts, the actor took time to contemplate but came up with a really good answer.

He told B-S, I think it's important to do what I'm trying to do. Our movies need to reflect our culture - not merely shaadi, naach, gaana - but also that part we aren't very proud of. It's high time we highlight that side as well.

read more...

Critics ratings is irrelevant: Abhay Deol

"Chakravyuh" has opened to a good response, but Abhay Deol, who plays an important role in the film about the Maoist movement, says he does not believe in critics' ratings.

"There have been films with a lot of stars and people have liked them. But there have also been films, which have got a lot of stars from critics but people didn't like them. I don't believe in stars, I believe that the audience will watch what they want to," Abhay told reporters here Thursday at a theatre.

Abhay is glad that they could release a film like "Chakravyuh" on the mainstream platform.

"I am feeling extremely satisfied (with 'Chakravyuh'). I am happy that people are liking it, I am happy that there have been good and bad reviews, I am happy that people are talking about it - whether they hated or loved it, but they are talking about it," Abhay said.

"I am glad that we managed to make a film on such an issue today and have it out there on a mainstream platform with the press and people supporting it...feels good," he added.

"Chakravyuh" is Abhay's second film in a row that sees him in an intense role, but he says his next could be a romantic movie.

"I have been getting such characters, I liked them and I did them. But right now I don't have much work, I haven't accepted a lot of films but I may come up with a love story," he said.

The 36-year-old is currently shooting for "Rock The Shaadi" with Genelia D'Souza, a zombie-comedy being directed by Navdeep Singh.

read more...

No hope of Abhay Deol doing a film with cousins Sunny, Bobby

Abhay Deol does not want to tread the path of his cousins Sunny and Bobby Deol

He only wants to do hatke roles, which are clear from the choices he makes in Bollywood. So that means no masala movies or comic capers for him.

This Deol does not want to do anything his senior cousins have done. So there is no hope of this Deol ever doing a film with the cousins.

read more...

Movie Review: Chakravyuh could have been better

Star Cast: Arjun Rampal, Abhay Deol, Manoj Bajpayee, Kabir Bedi, Om Puri, Esha Gupta

Direction: Prakash Jha

Duration: 2 Hrs 36 Mins 

Censor Rating: U/A

Rating: ** 1/2

Since its evolution, Indian cinema has witnessed a diverse brigade of cine sorcerers who have always succeeded in leaving their impact by painting celluloid in diverse shades of romance, action, humour and many more. But besides these evergreen shades of Bollywood, there is another genre of cine-tales which never lost its lustre, and that is of near to life cinema. 

And the director who is known for his utmost dexterity in showcasing the home-truths of real life is Prakash Jha. The latest cine cantata, which has come out of the creative lab of Prakash Jha, is Arjun Rampal, Abhay Deol and Esha Gupta starrer, Chakravyuh. 

This cine tale with its roots embedded in the `Red Corridor` of India, opened with occupancy of around 60% at the multiplexes. 

Synopsis: 
Chakravyuh is a cine tale showcasing the causal factors responsible for the onset of Naxalism in the red corridor of India, but at the same time it also showcases the evolution of crevice among two friends Aadil (an IPS) Kabir (Abhay Deol a free spirited man), who despite having a common objective in the beginning, part their ways because of their varying perceptions about the wherefore of Naxalite movements.
Story:
Chakravyuh opens with a sequence showing the arrest of a Naxalite mentor Govind Suryavanshi (Om Puri) by Superintendent of Police Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal) followed by a massive massacre in Nandighat, a Naxalism ridden district in which 84 cops loose their lives, after which Aadil Khan is posted to Nandighat to curb the prevailing problem.

But, despite his best efforts Adil fails in uprooting the problem. Subsequently he is joined by his friend Kabir (Abhay Deol) who comes up with an idea to bore into the fortress of naxalite movement. 

After a bleak remonstrance, Adil agrees to go with the plan and manages to get Kabir planted in the herd of naxalites, lead by comrade Rajan (Manoj Bajpai) and Juhi (Anjali Patil). Initially everything goes fine, but soon after being the part of Naxalite herd, Kabir has a rendezvous with the latent realities of Naxalite movement which are normally brushed aside by the politico-capitalist nexus in order to tailor a comfortable scenario for their self-centred objectives.

After witnessing this conspicuous gimmick of abuse of power by the elites and Police, when Kabir tries to apprise Adil about the truth the situation, it just makes them bitter rivals. 

Later on Rajan gets arrested, in an attempt of getting Govind Suryavanshi released after which group turns to Kabir, for direction and assigns him with comrade name Azad.
Script:
It is not for the first time that any of the cine biggie has tried to expose the realities of Red Corridor. Some of the cine biggies tried to exploit the genre in the past also. But the excellence with which Prakash Jha, Anjum Rajabali and Sagar Pandya have knitted the tale with a blend of friends parting their ways because of their ideological differences, is an innovative touch to the story. 

With parallels being drawn between real life Maoist leader, Kobad Ghandy and Om Puri's character Govind Suryavanshi, script of Chakravyuh is a tale up till a great extent inspired from real life incidents pertaining to Maoist activities in the Red Corridor of India in past five years. 

But one thing that can't be denied about the script is that, it somewhere falls short of being an outstanding tale because of the constant prevalence of predictability.

Though script of the Chakravyuh constantly tries to exhibit the politico-corporate aspirations and atrocities as the root cause of Naxalite movement, but it somewhat fails in showcasing the same with a powerful impact, which is Prakash Jha's signature style of serving onscreen substance. 

On the whole, Prakash deserves to be patted for taking up an issue like Naxalism with utmost dexterity, on the big screen and that too without much of the unwanted ado. 
Screenplay: 
There are no doubts about the fact that, whatever subject Prakash Jha picks up to weave a cine cantata, he succeeds in doing an absolute justice to the same. Even in Chakravyuh, the ace director has thoroughly succeeded in offering a concrete ground to the plot of the story.

But in the first half the repeated showcasing of similar Naxalite-cop encounter and that too at a relatively slower than the optimum required pace, somewhere allows monotony to poke in.

In fact it won't be wrong to say that, a slightly better preening of the first half could have supplemented the flow of the narration miraculously and would have left a better impact on the audience.

As far as second half is concerned then, it is thoroughly impressive and completely captivates your attention till the climax. The only thing that seems to be completely obtruded is item songs of Sameera Reddy which may leave you scratching your head with a thought that, "Was it really required?" 
Dialogues: 
Unlike previous cine cantatas of Prakash Jha, Chakravyuh lacks in literary richness in dialogues department. But one thing that is surely going to impress you is the impeccable mouthing of the regional dialect by the cast, which thoroughly authenticates the validity of the onscreen proceedings.

Music and Background Score: 
In the music section, Chakravyuh hardly has anything to offer, even the tracks which are incorporated in this cine cantata are completely forgettable. Whereas the background score is somewhat ok and gels well with the onscreen substance. 

Performances: 
Coming to the performance score card, Arjun's new cop cape avatar gives you an opportunity to have a glimpse of all new Arjun, but as far as performance is concerned then this otherwise talented actor could not succeed in delivering a sinewy performance this time. 
After watching the memorable performances of star like Ajay Devgn, while posing as a cop you may find Arjun to be falling short of that benchmark. 

Esha seems to be more of a mobile mannequin draped in uniform, who completely fails in delivering what is expected out of her. 

The actor who succeeds in leaving an impact is, Abhay Deol. Abhay manages to hold up much of the film with his dynamic acts. Anjali Patil, is somewhat impressive and besides this, despite having nothing much to do, supporting cast comprising of Manoj Bajpai, Om Puri does a complete justice to their share of performances. 

BO Potential:
With ongoing festive season and an extended weekend ahead, Chakravyuh may succeed in pulling the masses because of the repute of Prakash Jha, where as on the commercial front the movie may perform slightly above average on BO.
Verdict:
Despite being a mild entertainer, Chakravyuh is a good depiction of a burning issue on the celluloid which will be liked by the serious movie goers. In nut shell it somewhat succeeds in sending across the message among the die hard Prakash Jha fans.

read more...

My every film can't cross Rs.100 crore: Abhay Deol

The creative aspect of a script lures Abhay Deol more than its moneymaking prospects. But if he gets another film like "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", a potent mix of commercial and creative elements, he would happily accept it.

"Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", the story of three friends and their adventurous road journey, has joined the Rs.100 crore club and the actor points out that the film was high on creativity too.

"My film 'Zindagi' hit Rs.100 crore, so I have already been there. It depends upon subject to subject...every film can't cross Rs.100 crore...If I just want to be in the Rs.100 crore game, it depends on who you work with and what kind of subject it is."

"I am not playing a number game, I am playing a creative game where I can be as creative as I can be. I liked 'Zindagi...' because I saw the potential to cross the Rs.100 crore mark; at the same time it was a creative, well-written story, yet commercial. If I get a film like that, then I will definitely take it up. I hope 'Chakravyuh' hits high numbers too," he added.

As an actor, he had an interesting journey starting from his first film "Socha Na Tha" followed by "Dev D" and "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye". He surely has been constantly pushing the envelope.

In terms of getting offers, the number of first time directors approaching him is larger than the established ones.

"I get offers from first-time directors more than I get from established ones, for commercial projects. But I am happy...people love your work; what more do you want," the 36-year-old said.

Does he want to direct?

"Not now. But I don't want to say no because I don't know what the future holds for me. May be I will, may be I won't," said the actor who is busy promoting "Chakravyuh", releasing Oct 24.

Prakash Jha finished the shooting of "Chakravyuh" before the deadline.

Praising his efficiency and preparation, he said that he had a lot of fun while making the film.

"There was a lot of action and I loved doing it. He (Jha) was so prepared; he didn't work for more than 10 hours a day. We finished three days before the schedule. He lets you work as an actor and gives you your space."

"Chakravyuh" also features Arjun Rampal, Esha Gupta and Manoj Bajpayee.

read more...

Women who find me sexy should think again: Abhay Deol

When it comes to evaluating his own acting skills, the actor prefers to play it down

Notorious for keeping a 'safe' distance from the media, Abhay Deol states that he has his reasons nonetheless  However, he acknowledges the mechanics of journalism and has `learned to keep answers short and concise`. 

For instance, the only thing he is willing to say about his romance with Preeti Desai is `...so far, so good`. In a tete-a-tete, Abhay gets philosophical about the need of good films, his next and much more.

How comfortable are you with the 'Different Deol' tag?
Not much. If I'm different, I'm different not just from my family but also due to the kind of work I do. Why should I be compared just to my family why not to the entire industry?

And how do you rate yourself as an actor?
(Pauses) Minus nine! (Laughs) C'mon! How can I rate myself? People rate you, not you yourself. Since you're asking me, I'd say zero. To me, that's the best place to be (smiles).

This is why you're a thinking woman's sex symbol...
Maybe those women should think again (laughs again).
Is it a conscious decision to portray socially relevant roles?
I think it's important to do so. Our movies need to reflect our culture not merely shaadi, naach, gaana but also that part we aren't very proud of. It's high time we highlight that side as well.

What are your views on Naxalism?
First of all, it's not very simple. We have a major issue in our country today and we must tackle it as human beings. We're not talking about a disease here. It's about our fellow citizens. We should try to understand why they are the way they are and what's needed to bring them within the national psyche.

So you believe that cinema can make a difference?
Not a huge difference, so to speak, but it can at least help showcase that side of India that is in dire requirement of a dialogue. There are different viewpoints that can't be ignored for way too long. And Prakash sir has shown them through this film.

Is Prakash Jha a taskmaster?
It was a delight to be associated with him. He's the most prepared and disciplined filmmaker I've ever worked with. He made the whole process easier for his actors. We are known for putting in extra hours but thanks to his knowledge about the subject at hand, that wasn't the case.
What is the status of your long-pending project Rock Da Shaadi?
I've got no idea! You'll have to ask the producers...

read more...

Abhay Deol get's angry while promoting Chakravyuh

The talented Abhay Deol, known for his brilliant performances and following against all the norms, finds shooting a film easier compared to getting involved in the pre-release promotional activities. Recently while promoting his upcoming Prakash Jha's political thriller Chakravyuh, The actor lashed out to media.

"It`s harder to promote than to shoot a film. You just have to be patient. It gets a little tiring, " he told reporters. "Anybody would get bored. There are so many publications, so many channels. It is also frustrating when there are silly stories that are completely false and everybody asking the same question legitimises them. You can put the sources and legitimize anything, " he added.

The 36-year-old was miffed with Prakash Jha for playing favourites and not taking interest in the promotion of the film. When asked, Abhay clearly refused to answer this said "Ask your sources". It was reported that he was angry with the director for giving more scope and footage to Arjun Rampal in ‘Chakravyuh’. But the actor still claims he is not upset with media.

"No I am not pissed off with the media at all. The media does what it has to do. If a paper has its integrity, then it won't put story for TRP, as they say..." Abhay said.

When asked why doesn't he open up and clear rumours by speaking to media, he said: "Then they will just call me preachy. Do you think they care? Don't you want to cross check your stories before publishing? It doesn't upset me."

Another reason why Abhay sounded little upset was maybe because his email account was hacked. Abhay is travelling out of Mumbai for more promotions, He will soon lodge an F.I.R in Cyber Crime division once he comes back.

read more...

Abhay Deol: Promoting a film harder than shooting it

Versatile actor Abhay Deol, known for his brilliant performances, finds shooting a film easier compared to getting involved in the pre- release promotional activities.

"It's harder to promote than to shoot a film. You just have to be patient. It gets a little tiring," he told IANS.

"Anybody would get bored. There are so many publications, so many channels. It is also frustrating when there are silly stories that are completely false and everybody asking the same question legitimises them. You can put the sources and legitimize anything," he added.

It was reported that 36-year-old was miffed with Prakash Jha for playing favourites and not taking interest in the promotion of the film.

When asked about the same, he said: "Ask your sources."

It was reported that he was angry with the director for giving prominence to Arjun Rampal in "Chakravyuh".

But the actor claims he is not upset with media.

"No I am not pissed off with the media at all. The media does what it has to do. If a paper has its integrity, then it won't put story for TRP, as they say..." the 36-year-old said.

When asked why doesn't he open up and clear rumours by speaking to media, he said: "Then they will just call me preachy. Do you think they care? Don't you want to cross check your stories before publishing? It doesn't upset me."

"Chakravyuh" is slated for a Oct 24 release.

read more...

Chakravyuh one of my easiest films: Abhay Deol

Abhay Deol, who plays a Maoist in "Chakravyuh", says despite some daunting stunts, it is one of the easiest films he has done so far.

"Physically, I was running a lot, jumping around, cycling, shooting guns, jumping out of trucks... So physically they were tiring scenes.

But because I was enjoying all this, I did not feel anything. Honestly speaking, this is one of the easiest films that I have shot, " the 36-year-old said here Sunday in an interview.

Talking about co-star Arjun Rampal, Abhay said: "He is a fabulous actor and he is really dedicated to his work. He'd understood the character so deeply, so it was nice to be, sort of, first his friend and then to see him portray the character and to see how he do it, so then I would just feed off him."

Directed by Prakash Jha, "Chakravyuh" hits theatres Oct 24. It also features Manoj Bajpayee and Esha Gupta.

read more...

Is Abhay Deol scared of Prakash Jha?

The actor was too frightened to tell the filmmaker that he had missed his flight!

Prakash Jha could be known for making serious films but someone seems to be mighty scared of his off screen image too.

Our sources told us that after missing his flight to Bhopal for a shoot schedule of their upcoming film, Abhay Deol was too scared to inform his director Jha about it.

A source says, Abhay missed his flight and his scenes were slotted for the next morning. He was frantically calling up crew members to inquire about the next flight to Bhopal. Finally, after managing to take the 5 am flight out of Mumbai to Bhopal the following day, he finally reached the sets and confessed the truth to Jha.

Anticipating the worst, the actor was unable to sleep all night. Jha confirms the story and states, I told him to sleep in the vanity van for two hours before coming for his shot. After all, all's well that ends well.

read more...

Shanghai takes the Reverse Route to the Festivals

In what appears to be the very first instance of an Indian film journeying from commercial release to the film festivals, Dibakar Bannerjee's Shanghai is all set to first proceed to the Toronto Film festival and then to other selected festivals after the film has had its full commercial run in Indian theatres. 

This, according to a very reliable source from within the project's core crew was a decision taken by the producers. 

Says the source, Festival films are automatically perceived as non-commercial projects. If a film goes to the film festivals it is presumed that the film is meant for discerning audiences. Masses stay away from it. The producers of Shanghai willed that the film be released commercially first. They didn't want it to be branded a festival' film. 

When asked about this unconventional route taken by his film, director Dibakar Bannerjee said, It's true we had to release Shanghai in India commercially before it could go to any of the festivals. That's because of some interesting compulsions regarding the marketing and release.

We had no choice but to release the film in India before it went to any festival. Having said that I'd like to point out that the profile and outlook of the audience in India has changed substantially thought not radically in the last ten years. 

A new brigade of filmmakers has emerged in our cinema with films that dare to go against norms. My film Love Sex Aur Dhokha was shown in festivals and was a big commercial success. 
However Dibakar admits that the journey of Shanghai into festivals has started only now. We are now taking the film to selected festivals. And also releasing it commercially in several countries where it has not been released so far. 

Says Dibakar, As far as I understand, Shanghai has opened up a new kind of Indian cinema to the outside world and westerners are re -orienting their image of Indian cinema according to the India that they've seen in Shanghai. 

So far they've imagined India and Indian cinema to be one way. In my own way I've shown the existence of another India and another kind of cinema which shows a society in a state terrible flux. 

In contrast my next film would enter a world of absolute tranquility torn apart by the kind of evil that they are too innocent to comprehend.

read more...

My Tamilian accent was appreciated, says Abhay Deol

Abhay Deol is on cloud nine after being appreciated for his role as an IAS officer in Shanghai

But it isn’t the critics’ review that the actor is excited about. Abhay feels that public review is most important and honest. Abhay told CS, “I enjoyed acting in the film and that shows on the screen.

All my efforts were appreciated, especially my Tamilian accent.” He further adds, “Few of the best compliments I got for my role were when Tamilian friends and fans called up to say thanks. They were so happy that I didn’t make the character look funny and typical. I’m proud that I got it right.”

read more...

Abhay Deol likes getting his hands dirty

Abhay Deol is getting a house built for himself in Goa and the actor reveals that he loves to get his hands dirty on the job as he likes to do interiors.

"I like doing interiors, it's kind of a hobby. I have hired a contractor for my apartment and right at the end I hired an architect to help me out. So I like getting my hands dirty, " the 36-year-old said here Friday at the launch of an interior designing line "The Pure Concept".

"Going out finding tiles, finding samples for colours, matching the tiles and colour together, so it's something that I enjoy, " he added.

Meanwhile, Abhay, who is a Greenpeace activist, has chosen to go eco-friendly with his new house.

"I am going a bit eco-friendly, water harvesting, water treatment, on-side solar panels, I am going to use all this. My taste is very minimalistic, I don't like flashy stuff, " added Abhay.

Abhay's girlfriend Preeti Desai is also helping him out in getting the house done.

read more...

Aisha opens to a mixed response

The chick-flick Aisha toplining Abhay Deol and Sonam Kapoor, that released last week, opened to a mixed response.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, “The film was received well at multiplexes with 70 to 80 per cent occupancy on Friday.

However, the response at single-screens and small centres was dull, with the opening being in the range of 20 per cent to 25 per cent.”

This was corroborated by Prakhar Joshi, Head of Programming, PVR Cinemas, who said, “The film has taken a good opening.

It has collected about Rs 2.45 crore across the country. Our multiplexes in South Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai have opened with almost 90 percent occupancy over the weekend. Compared to this, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai collected Rs 1.2 crore in the same period.”

Aisha is a joint production between PVR Pictures and Anil Kapoor Film Company. Debuting with 475 screens in India and 135 screens overseas, an official release from PVR Pictures puts the first weekend collections at an optimistic Rs 26 crore. However, apart from these enthusiastic bursts, it was a picture of gloom for other exhibitors across the country.

In fact, Manoj Desai of G-7 and Maratha Mandir said that single-screens have already moved on and are looking forward to next Friday’s releases Peepli [Live] and Help to provide succour to their already-battered trade figures.

As for Aisha, exhibitors have hinted that if collections don’t pick up by this week, there are chances that the number of screens will be reduced. Devang Sampat, president of Cinemax India, said, “We will take a decision on Wednesday (August 11).”

At most places, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, which released on July 30, was doing better business than Aisha. Manoj Desai confirmed this and said, “Please don’t ask me about Aisha’s collections. All I can say is that Once Upon A Time.. is going stronger in its second week than Aisha collected over its first weekend.” At Cinemax India, the movie did not even cross the Rs 1 crore barrier over its first three days. Devang Sampat said, “The results are not so great. Aisha is doing average business.

It has collected Rs 85 lakh across all Cinemax properties in the country in the first three days.” Trade analyst Amod Mehra called the film a washout. The movie opened with 30 per cent collections on Friday and Saturday, which grew to 40 per cent on Sunday across multiplexes.

The English film Predators is actually doing better business than Aisha. The film has a chance to just about break even given its low production costs.” Adarsh explained the break-up and said, “The factor that goes in its favour is its costing.

The cost of production is around Rs 14 crore and the makers have recovered a big chunk of the investment from the sale of satellite rights for Rs 9 crore and music rights for Rs 1.5 crore.” According to sources, PVR has reportedly spent close to Rs 6 crore to promote the movie. This leaves a total of Rs 10 crore to be recovered by theatrical revenues.

read more...