Movie Review: Khiladi 786 is Wacky Masala Entertainer

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Asin, Mithun Chakraborty, Himesh Reshammiya, Raj Babbar, Rahul Singh

Directed by: Ashish R Mohan

Rating: * * *

What can be said about a film where a couple named Mili and Bhagat conspire to bring their employer's empire down? 

Mili? Bhagat? Get it? 

Khiladi 786 is the kind comic orgy done in shades of green orange and pink which doesn't require us to strain our brain. The kicks and grunts, guffaws and chortles, the antics raillery and tomfoolery flow out unstoppered like an uncapped toothpaste tube.
The formula is simple. And stark. Get the audience to laugh at any cost. And some of it does work quite well. Shukriya. 

We have a hero, no make that a super-duper-hero, who flies across the air, pounds automobiles to a pulp with his bare fists, breaks down a jail cell's stone walls with a flick of his manly fist, gets goofy or gooey-eyed depending on his co-star on screen. 

Akshay's crazily improvised performance as a sham cop borrows dollops from Salman Khan's Dabangg and Akshay's own Rowdy Rathore. The derivative derringdo doesn't diminish the impact of the italicized antics that range from the arresting to the exasperating. 
Sample this. Asin (back in fetching form for the first time since Ghajini) loves a lout who is chronically incarcerated. Each time the jailed loverboy (Rahul Singh, well-cast effectively played) is about to be released he's sent back packing for some unintentional crime or the other. 

Aa ab 'lout' chalen? 

The script seems to be written by someone who loves Akshay Kumar's humorous heroics and his emphatic but spoofy hijinks. Both the traits are amply accentuated in the script. Khiladi 786 ultimately becomes a showcase for its insanely successful superstar hero's talents. 

Akshay as we all know, loves to play the Punjabi Devdas. He did it effectively in Vipul Shah's Namaste London where he stepped back gallantly to let his wife Katrina Kaif make a fool of herself with an undeserving boyfriend. 
Exactly the same triangular situation crops up in the second-half of Khiladi 786 when midway through the anarchic hilarity Akshay decides to play the bleeding teary-eyed martyr `gifting` Asin to the aforementioned jailed jerk. 

Mamta Kulkarni in the early Khiladi film Sabse Bada Khiladi had done the airheaded lovergirl running after the wrong man. Back then Akshay stood guard over Mamta with the same steadfast loyalty as he does for Asin. 

Some things never change in our cinema. Heroines may come and go. Heroes live on forever. 
A sense of continuity runs through all of Akshay Kumar's comedies. He doesn't do anything here that he hasn't done before. The trademark goofy grin and the self-deprecating humour are back. Here, the hero is desperate to get married. That's a sporting part whose subtext screams, 'Look, I am such a big star and I play a character who can't get a woman to marry me, ha ha. '

It's all done in fun, with plenty of unzippered zest and a comforting absence of vulgarity. The ensemble cast particularly Mithun Chakraborty and Raj Babbar, catches on to the shrill sur of a music that suggests a blend of parody and homage to the Formula Cinema. 

So we have long-lost brother of the hero showing up in the climax with a mocking mawkishness that Manmohan Deasi would have approved of. 
The music by Himesh Reshammiya is splendidly in-sync with the film's wacked-out mood. He often uses standard background effects from old Hindi films to remind us that we are laughing at conventions that never grew outdated in our cinema. 

Oh yes, Reshammiya also plays an important part in the film as a hopeless inept wedding planner. It's good to see Reshammiya doing a Gujju act. He was born to play Mansukh. 

As for Akshay Kumar's Khiladi act, he can do the parodic paces blindfolded. Adding adrenaline to the antics are the crashing, tumbling somersaulting cars provide thrills in a very Rohit Shetty way. 
Incidentally one character played by Sanjay Mishra thinks he looks like Amol Palekar. And bursts into Aanewala pal jaanewala hai from Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Gol Maal. 

Wondering if Mishra got the wrong Gol Maal. And did he mean Ajay Devgn instead of Amol Palekar? 

Khiladi 786 is an oddball of a dhamaka that blends slapstick with stunts. It is farcical fun from first frame to the last. Go, have a blast.

read more...

Khiladi 786 Team launches Angry Khiladi Game

With 'Dress Like a Khiladi' contest becoming a hit, the Khiladi team has gone a step ahead by launching an action game titled Angry Khiladi, which will give fans a chance to play as Akshay Kumar himself.

Sparks are expected to fly as Rohit Shetty who is known for the larger-than-life stunts in his films has directed the action sequences.

Akshay Kumar who plays a Punjabi Munda in the film has gone all out and taken action to another level. While even the gen-next stars depend upon harness, technology and body doubles for all action sequences, Akshay Kumar takes an opposite route.

The Khiladi fearlessly performances all the dare devil stunts and the 'Angry Khiladi' game gives their fans an opportunity to be the 'Khiladi'.

The action game kicked off yesterday and in no time the game has become popular across all age groups. Considering the fanfare of the Khiladi Bhaiyya, fans are enjoying the treat of being the next 'Angry Khiladi'.

read more...

Unwell Asin skips promotional events of Khiladi 786

Asin was in Bangalore for the promotion of 'Khiladi 786' along with Akshay Kumar

The actress suddenly fell ill and was in no position to do the rounds. The next day she even skipped going to Pune leaving her co-star Akki to go solo at the events. Now what ails Asin?

Is she is under the weather or have the hectic promotions tired her down? Hmmm...

read more...

Don't call females a prop: Asin

Bollywood actress Asin says it is unfair to call anyone, let alone a heroine, a prop in a male-oriented film. She says whatever the role may be, a heroine plays a part only she can essay in a movie.

"I don't think anybody is a prop (in a film). You need a female protagonist and only she can do the role. So it is not very fair to call anybody a prop," Asin told. 

After making her mark in the southern film industry, Asin made her Bollywood debut with "Ghajini" in 2008. Since then, she has been a part of many successful films like "Ready", "Bol Bachchan" and "Housefull 2".

"I think I am satisfied with the roles which I have got. They have become hit also. It is not easy to come from south to the north. Both audiences want different (types of) heroines. So it is not like it is an easy task. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it," she said. 

Even if any of her films don't manage to do too well, Asin knows how to take it in her stride.

"Only two of my films have had an ensemble cast. I am proud and happy that I did those films as I formed many professional relationships with many stars. I am sure that there are better films ahead," she added. 

Mostly all her Hindi films have generated success at the box office success. But she laughs it off and says her presence in a movie doesn't guarantee moolah.
"I don't give any guarantee. But it has all been a success so far, thanks to god's grace. But I have no set formula. I work with teams who I like to work with. I think that is the formula. Generally I select universally appealing and fun scripts," she said. 

Asin's new film ""Khiladi 786", co-starring Akshay Kumar, will hit the screens Dec 7. This is her second film with the star and Asin says she shares a comfortable rapport with him.

She is playing the role of a Marathi girl in the film. 

"I am playing a Marathi character for the first time. It is not a delicate character. It is a bit rough. The girl is very confident, and the experience was fun," she said.

read more...

Fan learns bharatnatyam for Asin

Actress Asin Thottumkal is a trained bharatnatyam dancer and her fan Pratyaksh made sure he learnt the dance form before meeting her.

Pratyaksh, 18, was one of the lucky fans of the actress, who got a chance to meet her on UTV Stars' show "Live My Life" and Asin wanted him to learn the dance form like she does. He didn't even hesitate.

The young fan also wrote a song for Asin. The episode will be aired Dec 2.

read more...

Akshay and Asin promote Khiladi 786 at a college

Akshay Kumar and Asin were at a promotional event for their upcoming film at a suburban college on Tuesday night.

When he was asked questions, Akki said that as he was in a college, one could only ask him questions about the educational system! He left at 10 pm - as he claimed it was his bedtime! We certainly had a bedtime story to narrate.

read more...

Asin is not going back to South

South Indian star actress Asin who has made a huge mark here in Bollywood doesn't seem to be interested in doing any more South Indian language films. Before entering in Bollywood, Asin was a very big and respected name back home in Tamil Cinema. Having worked with big names such as Kamal Haasan, Ajith Kumar, Vijay, Surya etc, Asin is open to do south indian films only if the offer excites her.

On Heroine-Oriented films such as 'Kahaani', The actress said "Why not? If i get an exciting Heroine-Oriented offer, I will definitely grab it. I started my career in Bollywood with Aamir Khan's 'Ghajini' which was a Solo Heroine project.

I later did 'Ready' with Salman Khan which was a Solo Heroine film.

I also did Multi-Starrer's such as 'Bol Bachchan' and 'Houseful 2', In Khiladi 786, I am again playing a Solo Lead role of a Marathi Mulgi named Indu Tendulkar."

On joining the 100 Crore club, Asin joked "It's not a Club that we join it and hang around. I think i was the one who actually started the 100 Crore club. Whichever producer has worked with me has been benefited."

In her soon to be released film Khiladi 786, Asin plays the part of a Maharashtrian girl.

On preparations of the Marathi Language, Asin adds "I really had no problem in grabbing the Language as everyone on the sets were helpful. Especially Akshay (Kumar) helped me a lot." There's lot more offers happening on her acting front but the actress refused to reveal them on this early stage.

read more...

I don't know the formula for a Rs 100-cr film

Asin is known as the "100-crore" girl. Over a telephone interview, the actress says she hopes her film with Akshay Kumar, Khiladi 786, joins the club

The director of Khiladi 786, Ashish Mohan, says he was very young when the original Khiladi released in 1992. Do you remember it?
It was Akshay who brought it to my notice - "Arre you must have been six to seven years old when my first Khiladi was released". At that time, I had never imagined that in 2012 I would be Miss Khiladi! I never thought I would pair opposite Akshay, whose films I saw during my schooldays. That must be a regular occurrence since most of the actors you work with are much senior to you. (Laughs) I know! Be it Aamir, Salman or Akshay, I have grown up watching their movies.

People have to work their way up, whereas I have been very privileged to start with Aamir, Salman, Akshay, Ajay and Abhishek. I think I am God's favourite child.

You started in films at the young age of 16. Do you feel you have missed out on a lot in life?
I started working at 14; I was in Class 9 when I began modelling for ads. I did films while I was still in school, and also in college. But I was weighing my options because I come from a totally academic family - it was only after I won an award for my performance that I thought, "I can act for the rest of my life".

I think I have got the best of both worlds; I was able to live the student life and be a professional later. My friends have grown up with me; they don't treat me differently because I am an actor. Often, they don't even know what my next film is.
One hears you get along well with Sonam Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez.
Everybody I have worked with is a friend. With hectic schedules, it is difficult to invest time in a friendship...but Sonam, Jacqueline and I have managed to do that.

Do you see yourself falling in love with an industry man?
I have always compartmentalised my life. The film industry is my workplace and wouldn't really want it to overlap with my personal space. I don't see myself getting involved with someone from the industry.

After Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan, Khiladi 786 is your third film in 2012. Now, everyone is wondering whether it will, like the other two, also enter the Rs 100-cr club.
The whole Rs 100-cr talk started with Ghajini. I am the founding member. And I am renewing my membership periodically. But I don't really attach too much importance to the club. As the industry grows, so do the numbers. I am happy that my films have reached that standard but I also know that filmmaking is a collective process. I have not deduced a formula for a Rs 100 crore film. I contribute as much as a leading lady can.
You play a Marathi character in Khiladi 786, Indu Tendulkar. Any relation to Sachin Tendulkar?
Not at all (laughs). The director felt that the name is very Maharashtrian. I had to speak accented Hindi, and I would speak in Marathi with the crew members. Akshay was also a big help. He has stayed in Mumbai for so long, so he is very good at it. I am fluent in six languages; and hopefully, Marathi will soon be added to that list.

Any word that you have been able to memorise?
The bad words (laughs).

read more...

Asin, who?

While holidaying in Greece, a fashion photographer requested Asin to pose for him not knowing who she was! 

Asin was in Santorini in Greece recently for a holiday with her family. While visiting the various tourist spots there, an international fashion photographer happened to see her. He found her face extremely photogenic and European-looking. He expressed a desire to take snapshots of her. 

Says a source, Asin was initially taken aback. He approached her to pose at the scenic spots. He did not know who she was and was unaware about her acting front.
Adds the source, Asin was surprised to receive compliments for her looks and agreed to pose for him without making him realise her real identity. She did not even charge him. Though Asin was without any make up, the photographer liked her face as he thought it had a certain warmness!

read more...

Akshay helped me learn Marathi for Khiladi 786: Asin

Actress Asin Thottumkal had to learn Marathi for her upcoming film "Khiladi 786" and says co-star Akshay Kumar was a great help.

"I had to learn Marathi but Akshay was a great help because he speaks Marathi very fluently and all my dialogues have a Hindi accent with a little Maharashtrian touch and this is the first time I am playing such a character, an out-and-out Maharashtrian girl called Indu Tendulkar," the 27-year-old said here while promoting the film at a mall.

"So, it was a lot of fun. I went all out for the character and hopefully it will have a good response," she added.

Asin's last two films "Housefull 2" and "Bol Bachchan" were superhits and she hopes "Khiladi 786" turns out to be even a bigger hit.

"Hopefully, keeping fingers crossed for a hat-trick. This year really has been very good for me with 'Housefull 2' and 'Bol Bachchan' doing really, really well. I hope 'Khiladi 786' follows and hopefully breaks the record of the last two ones and I am looking forward to that," Asin said.

Directed by Ashish R. Mohan, "Khiladi 786" hits theatres Dec 7.

read more...

Khiladi 786 is promising but has shortcomings

Music Director: Himesh Reshammiya

Lyricists: Sameer, Shabbir Ahmed and Himesh Reshammiya

Singers: Himesh Reshammiya, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Hamsika Iyer, Mynampati Sreeram Chandra, Shreya Ghoshal, Mika Singh, Vineet Singh, Aman Trikha, Yashraj Kapil, Alam Gir Khan, Rajdeep Chatterjee, Javed Ali, Shreya Ghoshal, Chandrakala Singh and Harshdeep Kaur

Rating: * * *

Bollywood's 'khiladi' Akshay Kumar is back in action to pack a punch with his new outing "Khiladi 786". The film's soundtrack has been composed by Himesh Reshammiya. It has seven original tracks and five remixes. 

First up on the playlist is "Lonely", whose initial tune sounds similar to Alexandra Stan's hit number "Mr.Saxobeat". The song has rap by Yo Yo Honey and, on the whole, the number has good dancing beats. 

There are good vocal inputs by Himesh Reshammiya and Hamsika Iyer. The song is addictive, thanks to Himesh's nasal touch as he croons "Oh bawariya" at regular intervals during the song. The track has a remixed version too, but that isn't too great.
"Balma" pays tribute to the music of the late R.D.Burman and features sounds from the past. However, it also takes some inspiration from LMFAO's track "Sexy and I know it". 

It is full of energy and manages to charm the listener with its groovy beat and the seductive voice of Shreya Ghoshal who has good company in the vocals with Sreeram Chandra. Surely a track that can make you hit the dance floor. The remix though is quite ordinary and it is better to stick with the original.

The next track "Long drive" starts off as a rock number with the guitar but suddenly moves into desi beats. The sounds then fuse and it transforms into a hip-hop and rock mix. 

It's a daring experiment by Himesh, who has got Mika behind the mike in a different avatar altogether. He is slow, yet his voice doesn't dilute the track; instead, it allures you all the more towards it. It also has a fun Bhangra remixed version which features dhol and tumbi to make you sway. 
Next up is the romantic number "Sari sari raat", crooned by Himesh. It has a very dreamy and beautiful composition, and will surely strike a chord with lovebirds.

It is followed by "Hookah bar", which has the trio of Himesh Reshammiya, Vineet Singh and Aman Trikha sounding quite celebratory. However, despite some fine music, the song is unable to move the listener. It's remixed version is passe. 

The title track gets the smiles back. However, it sounds like a new version of "Hud hud dabangg" with fresh lyrics. Despite the vocals by Vineet Singh, Aman Trikha, Yashraj Kapil, Alam Gir Khan and Rajdeep Chatterjee, the listener is unable to get out of the "Dabangg" mode. There is a racy remix of this one too, but it suffers because of the same trajectory. 
Last but not the least is "Tu hari peer", which musically speaking has a lot to offer as Himesh combines qawwali and Punjabi folk to dole out an eclectic mix. Javed Ali, Shreya Ghoshal, Chandrakala Singh and Harshdeep Kaur mesmerise with their voices.

Overall, the album is a mixed bag that has some shortcomings, but there are tracks which are capable of making it to the music charts.

read more...

Asin unable to attend F1 Grand Prix in Delhi despite personal invite

A recent visit to London brought a big surprise Asin's way. She received a special invitation to attend the F1 Grand Prix in Delhi

However, the actress could not attend the event, as she was busy filming her next with Akshay Kumar. The actress says, Ronald Dennis, the chairman of the McLaren Technology Centre extended a personal invitation to me and also took me on a tour of the facility.

However, since my film dates are clashing with the races, I could not attend.

read more...

Raveena and Asin share birthday

National Award winning Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon and talented B-town beauty from the South Asin Thottumkal celebrated their birthdays on Friday. 

Raveena, who was born in the year 1974, turned 38, while Asin turned 27. 

Asin, who made her Bollywood debut with 'Ghajini' in 2008, will spend her birthday by working on the sets of her next movie. 

It has been a crazy and chaotic month for me so far so I have not even thought about my birthday as such. My film is releasing in December and we have to finish work as all of us are racing against time, Asin told Bollywood-Stop. 

Earlier I have been lucky enough to get my day off on my shoots and I have also shot during the day on my birthdays but never in the nights. My immediate family, my mom and dad are here with me. I guess after pack up when I land up at home early morning, we will have our small little celebrations before I crash, she said. 

Asin featured in several Bollywood films like 'Ready', 'London Dreams', 'Housefull 2' and 'Bol Bachchan'. 

Her upcoming project includes 'Khiladi 786', where she will be cast along with her 'Housefull 2' co-star, Akshay Kumar. 

In Kollywood, she has showcased her talents in movies like 'Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi', 'Shivamani 9848022338', 'Gharshana', 'M. Kumaran son of Mahalakshmi', 'Ghajini', 'Sivakasi', 'Varalaru', 'Pokkiri', 'Dasavathaaram'.
Raveena, on the other hand was seen busy thanking her friends on microblogging site Twitter for wishing her on the day. 

She made her debut with the film 'Patthar Ke Phool' in 1991 which was box office hit and the she received the Filmfare Lux New Face Award for her performance in the film. 

Raveena then starred in films like 'Mohra', 'Dilwale', 'Laadla', 'Imtihaan', 'Andaz Apna Apna', 'Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi', 'Ziddi', 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'. 

Her performance in films like 'Shool', 'Aks', 'Satta', 'Dobara' and 'Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence' won her critical recognition and was praised by critics and fans for her power packed performances. 

She also won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Kalpana Lajmi's 'Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence'. 

Raveena married film distributor Anil Thadani in 2004 and the couple are now proud parents of a girl named Rasha and a boy named Ranbir. 

Much before her marriage and motherhood Raveena had adopted two girls, Pooja and Chhaya, as a single mother in 1995.

read more...

Asin is having a quiet birthday for the first time

Asin Thottumkal, who turns 27 Friday, is busy working on her birthday. The actress says that "for the first time" she is having a "quiet birthday"

While most people like to have a blast on their birthdays, Asin decided to bring in her special day while working on the sets of her next film. The actress is known to party with her close circle of seven friends but this time it was different. Asin is currently shooting at Film City. 

Speaking to us on the eve of her birthday, the actress said, It will be a quiet birthday this year...will bring it in on the sets of 'Khiladi 786', which is a first for me. It will be a working birthday, haven't really planned anything since the shoot schedules have been very hectic.

It has been a crazy and chaotic month for me so far so I have not even thought about my birthday as such. My film is releasing in December and we have to finish work as all of us are racing against time.` Apparently, the actress has slept very little, as she has been busy shooting and travelling for work.
Asin added, Earlier I have been lucky enough to get my day off on my shoots and I have also shot during the day on my birthdays but never in the nights. My immediate family, my mom and dad are here with me. I guess after pack up when I land up at home early morning, we will have our small little celebrations before I crash.

Asin's friends too are apparently busy travelling across the globe. Better luck, next time we say!

read more...

Asin Thottumkal wants a change!

After featuring in back-to-back comedies - "Ready", "Housefull 2" and "Bol Bachchan" - Asin Thottumkal wants a change! She says she has no special corner for the genre and is definitely looking forward to performance-oriented roles. 

Asked for the reason behind the string of comedy projects, Asin told: "I would like to change that. I have a soft spot for these universally appealing, fun, emotional stories, not that I have an affinity towards comedy as a genre.

"Now I am looking for more well-written roles and characters that have a scope for performance. I am looking for roles where the woman's character is more fleshed out, but by that I don't mean it has to be a woman- centric film. 

Luckily, all her comedy forays have been successful at the box office. However, Asin says "getting hits is great, but after a while you want to do something meaningful as well because for an actor, creative satisfaction is very important". 

The 26-year-old is on a high after the success of "Bol Bachchan", in which she shared screen space with actors like Abhishek Bachchan and Ajay Devgn.
"It feels great when your film you does well and gets so much appreciation. The purpose of a film is to entertain viewers and when it achieves that, it is good, " said the actress, who has climbed the stairs of success in Bollywood after making a mark down south. 

She made her Bollywood debut in 2008 with "Ghajini", a Hindi remake of her own Tamil film of the same name. 

With four out of her five Hindi films being a success, Asin is quite satisfied with her journey so far. 

"Very few artists enjoy an audience in both south and north. I'm glad the way I have been treated in Bollywood despite being an outsider. Having made a place for myself here, without having any grandfather or father in the industry, it feels great and I know I can do much better. For now, I feel very content with my journey, " she said. 

In the southern film industry, Asin has a reputation of choosing her films carefully. But now she has date hassles thanks to her Hindi movie projects.
"I have been approached for a few south Indian films but could not take them because of the issue with dates; so that could not work out. But that does not mean that I am going to stay away from southern films. 

"If something very interesting comes up, I will take it up because I don't want to be repetitive down south. I have a body of work there and so if something different comes my way, I would love to take that, " said Asin, who made her acting debut with a Malayalam film in 2001.

The actress will next be seen in action comedy "Khiladi 786" opposite her "Housefull 2" co-star Akshay Kumar. 

She is all praise for Akshay, saying "he is a fabulous co-star. We gelled together very well during the shoot of 'Housefull 2'. He is somebody who has got the right balance of professionalism with fun. He entertains everyone and brings a smile to everyone's face".

read more...

Asin: I don't judge a man by his chest hair

Rewind to the 1980s - Amitabh Bachchan's many heroines leaned over his hairy chest and twiddled with the curls - scenes which left that generation of women romanticising male chest hair. Fast forward to 2000 - an era of male stars with clean-shaven, chiselled torsos topped with the perfect six-pack.

"Chest hair was the six-pack of the 1980s," filmmaker Shirish Kunder tweeted recently, sparking a pertinent thought - Where's the male actor who came on screen with his torso as it was? 

The answer lies in the common man and woman's choice itself!

A survey conducted by consumer electronics manufacturer Philips India, which is set to launch a range of grooming products for men, indicates 65 percent men (out of 500 respondents aged between 18-25 in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi) are comfortable with the idea of removing body hair below the chin.

What drives this? The urge to look good and attractive for one's partner. 

"A well-built body and an overall well-groomed personality have now become the benchmark for one's macho quotient instead of the amount of body hair one sports," actor John Abraham, who has unabashedly sported his neat, toned chest on the big screen, told.

"In recent years, we have seen a huge style revolution among men and they have started taking their grooming very seriously, be it experimenting with their clothes, facial hair, or body hair. 
"Women today also prefer their partners to be more hygienic and well-groomed in every aspect, even if that means shaving off their body hair," added John, who is also the brand ambassador of the Philips Male Grooming Range. 

According to 80 percent of the women who were part of the survey, too much body hair on their partner is a turn-off. 

Amita Biswas, 56, feels "chest hair is sexy and men with hairy chest can be trusted", while 25-year-old Kavita Bansal said: "It is totally uninviting and unhygienic."

It surely is a matter of the generation gap.

But in its own little way, chest hair played a memorable part in romantic, action and comedy sequences involving actors like Amitabh, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar and even the Khans - Salman ("Maine Pyar Kiya") and Aamir ("Lagaan"). 

Cut to the 21st century, the younger lot of these actors and many more a la Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor, barring the fuzzy Abhay Deol, resorted to shaving, waxing, epilators, hair removal creams and even laser hair removal treatment for a smooth and clean look.
And just like most Bollywood trends do, this trend moved to the streets among commoners too.

Women are increasingly backing it and encouraging their male partners to shed their body hair. They are open to presenting their man with a razor or bodygroomer, booking him a waxing session and also discussing their likes or dislikes regarding body hair - all facts reaffirmed by the survey. 

"It is good to be open to your partner and if it means talking about things like removing chest hair, why not?" said Pragya Sinha, a professional who prefers the waxed look.

But some, like actress Asin Thottumkal, laugh about it. "I don't judge a man by his chest hair. Whatever he is as a person matters more to me. I would go for his personality rather than his chest hair," she said.

Director Rohit Shetty was into splits when we posed the question to him and, amid laughter, he uttered: "I am a man, how can I answer this?"

read more...

Southern invasion in Bollywood

We take a look at big names down south who've made a mark in Bollywood 

Ileana D'Cruz made her debut in the Telugu film 'Devadasu' which became the year's first major commercial success. After a successful stint down south, the actress is set to make her Bollywood debut with Anurag Basu's 'Barfee' starring Ranbir Kapoor. 
Asin Thottumkal reprised her role in the Hindi remake of 'Ghajini' opposite Aamir Khan after she won her second South Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Tamil film 'Ghajini'. Her next project 'London Dreams' opposite Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan flopped badly at the box office, but 'Ready' opposite Salman Khan sawhuge success at the box-office
Siddharth made his Bollywood debut as part of the critically acclaimed 'Rang De Basanti' alongside Aamir Khan and Kunal Kapoor. His second Bollywood movie 'Striker' portrayed the life of a carrom player and became the first Bollywood film to release on YouTube and in theatres on the same day
Kajal Agarwal made her acting debut in 2004 in 'Kyun... Ho Gaya Na!' in a minor supporting role as the friend of lead actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In 2009 'Magadheera' became the biggest blockbuster of all time in Telugu cinema, by which she became one of the most sought-after actresses in the Telugu film industry. The actress struck gold with Rohit Shetty's action flick 'Singham', paired opposite Ajay Devgan

Priyamani doesn't need an introduction in the south film industry. It was only a matter of time that the National Award winning actress turned her attention to Bollywood and made her Bollywood debut in Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan' sharing screen with Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She only grabbed more attention with Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rakht Charitra'. 
Shriya Saran appeared in several South Indian movies, the most famous being 'Sivaji: The Boss' opposite Rajinikanth. Her Bollywood stint includes movies like 'Mission Istanbul' and 'Awarapan'
Bhumika Chawla is best known for her performances in 'Tere Naam', 'Gandhi, My Father' and the south film 'Sathyabhama'. She even won a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for her performance in her debut Bollywood movie, 'Tere Naam' opposite Salman Khan
The Kolavari Di singer Dhanush took the world by storm with the promotional video of the song from the movie '3'. Down south he has a number successful flicks and the Rajinikanth's son-in-law is all set for his next Bollywood venture 'Raanjhnaa' opposite Sonam Kapoor
After a series of hit films in Telugu and Tamil, Trisha debuted in Bollywood with the movie 'Khatta Meetha' opposite Akshay Kumar
Ram Charan Teja, better known a son of Chiranjeevi, is all set to make his Bollywood debut with upcoming remake of 'Zanjeer'

read more...

Where is Asin?

Actress's inability to turn up at 'Bol Bachchan' premiere did not go unnoticed 


Asin was conspicuous by her absence at the premiere of her recent release. While every cast and unit member was present at the screening held at a suburban multiplex on Thursday, the actress’s no-show raised eyebrows.

According to her spokesperson, Asin did not attend the event, as she was under the weather. Apparently she was not feeling well and suddenly developed high fever making it impossible for her to step out. As a result she was forced to skip the event. 

But according to a source it could also have something to do with the promos of Anurag Kashyap’s Ranbir-Priyanka-Ileana starrer that were attached to her film. Says a source, “Anurag had offered Asin a role in his film first, immediately after he completed writing it.

But at that time she chose Rohit Shetty’s film. As the shoot schedules were clashing, she could only do one of the projects. With the promos creating a buzz and people wondering why she decided not to do the Ranbir-starrer, Asin just wanted to give the scenario a miss.” 


The source adds, “She also realised that it was her male co-stars of her recent release that were hogging the limelight, so she was better off not being in the picture.” 

read more...

Movie Review: Bol Bachchan falls short of expectations

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Prachi Desai, Krushna Abhishek, Archana Puran Singh, Asrani, Neeraj Vora

Direction: Rohit Shetty

Rating: **1/2

Amid a flurry of speculations and apprehensions about its being an eligible entrant for 100 Cr club of cine flicks. Finally Rohit Shetty's Bol Bachchan strikes the celluloid this Friday. The movie featuring Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin and Prachi Desai and reportedly inspired from cult classic Golmaal opened with an occupancy of around 50 % at the multiplexes. 

Synopsis: 
Bol Bachchan is a story about a humble guy who after loosing all his hope of survival in a metropolitan city, migrates to a small village and has a rendezvous with the the manoeuvre of destiny, which lands him in a situation where he conceal his one lie from his master by draping it in the cloak of other lie, leading to hilarious circumstances. 

Story:
Abaas (Abhishek) and Sania (Asin) after loosing their parents patronage struggles very hard to make the both ends meet. Viewing the drowning financial conditions of Abbas one of his well wishers, Shastri [Asrani] advises Abbas to migrate to his native village in Ranakpur, and also ensures him about getting him job at native landlord Prithviraj Raghuvanshi's (Ajay Devgn) place. 

As soon as the Abbas arrives at Ranakpur along with his sister Sania, destiny opens its Pandora's box for him, where Abbas accidentally falls prey to an indistinct situation which makes him lie about his identity in front of villagers and especially Prithviraj Raghuvanshi who has a disdain for lie. 

This suddenly erupted situation brings an important twist in Abbas's life, who is hired by Raghuvanshi as as a supervisor, but as the frames proceed, Abbas constantly has tryst with the circumstances where he has to drape his prior lie with a new cloak of lie in front of his lie-hater boss. 

With story rolling ahead Abbas begets his fictitious identical brother, an impersonating mother (Archana Puran Singh) leading to a volley of humorous situation.

Script: 
Post the release of Bol Bachchan, finally the reasons behind Rohit Shetty's obtaining the rights of cult classic Golmaal have become quite conspicuous.

Through out the pre-release period it was constantly said, that Bol Bachchan is inspired from Golmaal but actually it won't be wrong to say that Bol Bachchan is the reincarnation of Amol Palekar's landmark cine flick. 

With majority of sequences and components identical to Golmaal (except the characters) the script of the movie seems quite weak and monotonous. With the constant prevalence of high predictability, curiosity never seemed leading from the front. In nut shell script of Bol Bachchan thoroughly lacks the innovation and novelty.

Dialogues and USP: 
Prior to release Ajay's witty one liners were considered as the USP of the movie but, going by the facts even Ajay's witty one liner's could not succeed in doing any miracle for already crumbling script. As far as dialogues are concerned then their predictability is so high that at times it takes a shape of monotony even for die hard Rohit Shetty fans.

Screenplay and Direction:
After watching the previous cine flicks like Singham, and Golmaal triology of Shetty- Devgn duo, fans may get disappointed by Bol Bachchan because the slow pace of the story in the first half of the movie looked completely contrary to Shetty's signature style of cinematography. 

Camera consistency and cutting edge sequential shifts somehow manage to keep the fan's gaze glued on the screen. As far as direction is concerned, then after delivering a volley of hits and setting up remarkable benchmarks, this time Rohit failed in making people under stand his Bol Bachchan, because in spite of his exceptional dexterity in direction excess dose of drama succeeded in confining the performances of his celluloid sorcerers. 

After slow start in the second half movie takes cine fans for roller coaster ride, but that to for a very short span of time ultimately succumbing to dull climax. 

In addition to it another reason which completely marred the potential of the movie is protagonists constant struggle to mouth the regional dialect and portraying the regional persona. 

Acting: 
As compared to the hype created about the movie the performances delivered in the Bol Bachchan, are also full of surprises where fans will may get dis-hearted, because of the absence of performances they expected from the star cast of the movie. 

In the movie it's only Ajay who somewhat succeeded in meeting the expectations of the fans, by his quick witted one liners, as a typically Rajasthani rajput. 

As Prithviraj Raghuvanshi Ajay once again succeeded in making fans laugh, but the the only thing which impacted his performance a bit is his constant struggle with rajasthani dialect. Abhishek once again tried his level best to please leave fans mesmerised by his acting skills, but completely failed in doing so, from the very first frame, Abhishek constantly struggled to get into the skin of his role but couldn't do it with utmost excellence, leading to the exhibition of a an average performance. 

Being a movie knitted around the male protagonists, movie's female leads Asin and Prachi Desai didn't have much to do, but whatever share of performances they had was quite fare as compared to the other supporting cast. 

On his debut flick Krishna looked clearly confined in his stand-up comedian persona, with no quality punches to offer on the celluloid. In the item song Big- B seemed at his best with leaving no scope for shortcomings.

Music: 
In music department Himesh Reshamia and Ajay-Atul could not offer any thing innovative or soothing, tracks Chalao Na Nain' and the title track filmed on Sr Bachchan and the principal leads are the pick of the lot, but all in all the music and background score of Bol Bachchan fell short of the expectations of cine buffs.

BO Potential:
After so much hype about it Bol Bachchan completely fails in delivering what fans expected from Rohit Shetty. Not negating the the possibilities, Bol Bachchan may pick up on weekend, especially because of the cinematography notions prevailing about Devgn- Shetty duo followed by a steady fall in its BO collection in days ahead. And as far as it's entering in 100 Cr club is concerned then Bol Bachchan is expected to fall short of that too.

Verdict:
To sum up, knitted on the lines of cult classic Golmaal, Bol Bachchan is an average entertainer with an ok quantity of humor and an imposed dose of action. A perfect one time watch to entertain oneself.

read more...