Team Kaanchi does a Harlem Shake on the sets

The Harlem Shake dance has flooded the internet with innumerable number of versions from all across the world. The rage that it is, Kaanchi has gone on to make its own version.

Kartik Tiwari can be seen prominently in the video along with the crew on the sets of Kaanchi. The "Harlem Shake" is when one person dances at a reserved manner while everyone is minding their own business then about 15 seconds into the song, the bass drops and everything changes. In most videos, the camera cuts and all of a sudden everyone is dancing out of control.

Kaanchi is an upcoming Bollywood musical thriller directed by Subhash Ghai, releasing on 15th August 2013. Ismail Darbar & Salim Suleman have contributed to the tunes of the film. The film also stars Rishi Kapoor and Mithin Chakraborty.

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Me and Rishi bond beyond just films: Subhash Ghai

The filmmaker talks about teaming up with Rishi Kapoor again, 32 years after their blockbuster 'Karz'

Subhash Ghai's next directorial venture stars Rishi Kapoor in a negative role. Though the filmmaker has yet to ascertain the rest of the cast that will include newcomers, he was keen that the veteran actor feature in his next. 

The Ghai-Kapoor link goes a long way back. In his 1980 flick Karz, Kapoor had featured as the hero along with Tina Munim. Later both went on to do several more films but never teamed up together. It took them 32 years to team up again.

Says Ghai, More than an actor, Rishi is a friend. My association with him is like family. We have always been in touch. We bond beyond just films. I refer to him as one of the founding fathers that established me as a director. Karz was one of my earlier ventures with which I tasted success. It was such a big draw especially the music. It is a film I am still remembered for.
The filmmaker had planned to announce the venture with Kapoor on October 24. He was keen to share the platform with his Karz hero again. But due to the demise of Yash Chopra, the event was cancelled as a mark of respect. 

I have not yet decided when I will have the event. Maybe at a later date or at the mahurat of the film,  adds Ghai. 

When asked why he had cast Kapoor in a negative role he says, Rishi is a fabulous actor and can do justice to any role. I love to pull his leg and imitate him. I am looking forward to shoot with him again after such a long gap.

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Rishi and Neetu Kapoor doing a cameo in Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh came together in Do Dooni Chaar (2010) and they also have a cameo in Late Yash Chopra's last film Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Now, Bollywood's real-life couple Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor are likely to feature in director Abhinav Kashyap's next film, Besharam, which also starring the couple's son, actor Ranbir Kapoor playing the title role.

After saying 'NO' to Salman Khan's Dabangg 2, Abhinav Kashyap went through a lot of Struggle to start his next project 'Besharam'. There were news circulating Press and Media about producer's backing out at the alst hour due to budget issues.

But now it seems everything is right for Abhinav in places. Sources from Abhinav;s office says Rishi Kapoor was recently narrated the script by Abhinav, and he liked the story and well as his part. Neetu Singh is about to hear the final script soon.

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Cinematic coup: Rishi Kapoor plays Dawood in D Day

After his wonderfully skilled performance as a gay dean in Karan Johar's Student Of The Year Rishi Kapoor is all set to play Dawood. The super-versatile Rishi Kapoor stepping into Dawood's white shoes is indeed a cinematic coup. It apparently took director Nikhil Advani who has earlier worked with Rishi Kapoor in Patiala House a good six months to convince the temperamental Kapoor.

Rishi initially said no. Arshad Warsi was being considered for Dawood's role. But Advani had his heart set on Rishi Kapoor. And he finally got him.

After Saif Ali Khan in Agent Vinod and Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger it's Arjun Rampal who plays a RAW agent in D Day. Arjun is mighty kicked by the prospect of working with Rishi Kapoor. `I've never worked with him before, wanted to for a very long time. Finally I am getting the chance. Another actor in D Day I seriously wanted to work with is Irrfan Khan. I can't wait to get started. `

D Day takes off in September. But before that Arjun undergoes intensive physical training to get into character.

Says the committed actor, `Nikhil Advani has invited a whole slew of action directors from Hollywood to train the actors. They arrive tomorrow (Thursday). RAW agents posses a certain physique and their combat tactics are learnt mostly from the MOSSAD. It's a specialized kind of combat involving guns and hand-to-hand training. I am looking forward to getting into character. `

D day is about RAW agents, played by Arjun Rampal and Irrfan Khan who are assigned to bring Dawood back from Pakistan by road. Since permission to shoot in Pakistan is impossible Nikhil Advani would be shooting the Pakistani scenes in the Kutch district of Gujarat.

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Subhash Ghai's new film titled Kaanchi

Subhash Ghai has locked "Kaanchi" as the title of his next directorial, a musical thriller with a love story, which is set to go on floors soon and release Aug 15, 2013.

The movie has a new star cast, teamed with veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who will play the villain, said a statement.

Other cast and credits are in the process of being finalised.

Two songs have already been recorded by Ismail Darbar and Salim-Suleiman for the movie.

Ghai's production banner Mukta Arts will celebrate its 34th anniversary Oct 24. The banner has produced 35 movies, 14 of which have been directed by Ghai.

The 67-year-old's last directorial was 2008 release "Yuvvraaj".

"Karma", "Ram Lakhan", "Saudagar", "Khal Nayak" and "Taal" are some of the memorable films made under Mukta Arts.

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After Karz, Kapoor teams up with Ghai after 32 years as a Villain

They made history together in 1980 with Karz, considered by many to be the best work of producer-director Subhash Ghai and the versatile actor Rishi Kapoor. And now 32 years later Rishi Kapoor is back in Ghai's next directorial venture where Rishi will play an out-and-out villain, though with an unexpected twist. 

Keeping in mind Rishi's immensely popular image of the stage performer in Karz, his character in Ghai's next would be a musician. 

Jee haan, Rishi and I are coming together again. He will play a 'musical khalnaayak' in my film.  Informs Ghai who turned Sanjay Dutt into a very unmusical Khalnaayak in a film of that title released in 1993. 

Reluctant to reveal more on Rishi's role Ghai finally shares some more information. Rishi who played the lovable romantic lover-boy in most of his films has lately discovered his mean bone as an actor. Just look at him in Agneepath!I didn't want to cast him as a conventional evil-man. Rishi is a negative character but a man who is heavily into music. 

Apparently Rishi's character would play several musical instruments in Ghai's new film including the piano. And he won't fake it this time like he did in Karz where playing the rock-star Monty Rishi pretended to pound the guitar on stage. 

Nothing about Rishi's character in my new film would be fake, not his evil streak and not his interest in music, promises Ghai, and is reluctant to shed more light on the film which will be officially launched on October 24, the anniversary of Ghai's production house Mukta Arts. 

We however dug up information on Ghai's new film and came to know that it's the story of a 17-year old girl's journey from the mountains to the city, akin to the journey that Mandakini undertook in Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili. 
Ghai admits, Yes, it is the story of a young innocent girl's journey from the mountains to the city. She's a girl on a mission. Raj Saab made Ram Teri Ganga Maili about a girl's journey. Back then the heroine was Ganga. Today it's Veronica. I have to draw a balance between Ganga and Veronica. 

The Showman says he has zeroed in on three girls one of whom would finally play his protagonist to Rishi's Kapoor's antagonist. 

Ismail Durbar would compose the music. 

Says the director known for his great musical scores, Earlier I had Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Now I feel Ismail Durbar can create a score where music is the backbone because, as I said, Rishi plays a musician. 

I remember I used to have these heated arguments with Laxmikant-Pyarelal. When they composed Ho ramji tere lakhan ne bada dukh di na for Ram Lakhan they insisted only Lataji can sing the song. 

But she was away, so I argued, 'Why not another voice?' But Laxmikant stood his ground.. When I finally heard what Lataji did to Ho ramji I knew why she was the only voice for that song. I need that calibre of dedication in the music for my new film. 

Ghai is kicked about returning to direction after 4 years. I directed Black & White and Yuvraaj in 2008. Then I got busy with my film school Whistling Woods. Now I am ready to direct again. The other day I attended Mr Yash Chopra's 80th birthday where he announced his retirement at 80. I have to make some more films before I reach that age.

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Studying The Big B and Rishi Kapoor

Sudhir Mishra who starts shooting for his ambitious period epic Mehrunissa by yeat-end on location in Lucknow, has found the perfect solution to the problem of getting the old and the young avatars of the Bachchan and Kapoor characters to seem flawlessly synchronized on screen. 

The two theatre actors who will be playing the younger avatars of the Big B and Rishi Kapoor would now spend the entire 40 days of the long Lucknow shooting observing the Big B and Rishi Kapoor shooting. 

Reveals Sudhir, It's the only we can get the actors to replicate what Bachchan Saab and Rishi do to their characters. We'll ask the two actors who play their younger versions to be present on location constantly. And that means, every waking, moment. 

They'll be observing the two actors minutely both on and off camera, and they'll imbibe and absorb the nuances, body postures, hand movements, every little detail and use it in their performance. 

Sudhir says this is the only way the younger versions of the Bachchan and Kapoor can be played. Let's face it. These are super-iconic actors. No one can fully replicate their performances. 

So we're getting the two young new actors to come on the sets, observe them and model their characters accordingly. That's why we decided to shoot out of chronology. We'll shoot the older portions first only so that the two actors would have reference points to base their characters on. Then we go back to shoot the first-half with the new actors. 
The other option was to let the Big B and Rishi play their own young avatars with the use of prosthetics. That option was quickly dropped since the end-result would have been artificial. 

Sudhir Mishra has also decided to use completely new faces. We've two casting directors working on finalizing the young Bachchan and Kapoor. There are are a 100 names on the short list.

We'll take a call in two weeks. But whoever they are, both the actors chosen to play the young Bachchan and Rishi would cease to have a life of their own once the shooting with Bachchan Saab and Rishi starts. They'll be following the two stalwarts like understudies.

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Rishi Kapoor's autobiography to release next year

Actor Rishi Kapoor, who has been around for more than four decades, will release his autobiography in 2013.

In the book, he will look back on his acting career in an era that has witnessed incredible change in the film industry, and his personal life as a member of Hindi cinema's first family.

To be published by HarperCollins India, the book promises to break new ground in writing on Indian cinema.

Second son of legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, and grandson of veteran Prithviraj Kapoor, Rishi starred in over 130 films, starting as a child artist with 1970 release "Mera Naam Joker" and moved on to lead roles with 1973 super hit teenage romance drama "Bobby".

Among his many successful films are "Khel Khel Mein", "Doosra Aadmi", "Kabhi Kabhie", "Karz", "Prem Rog", "Sagar", "Naagin" and "Chandni".

He won the National Film Award in 1971 for best child artist for "Mera Naam Joker", Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1974 for "Bobby" and Filmfare Critics Award in 2011 for Best Actor for "Do Dooni Chaar".

Known as the chocolate boy of 1970s, his most recent avatar as villain Rauf Lala in Kara Johar's "Agneepath" gave goose bumps to the viewers. Last seen in "Housefull 2" in a funny role, Rishi turns 60 Sep 4.

Married to actor and co-star Neetu Singh, Rishi two children - daughter Riddhima, who is married to a Delhi-based businessman Bharat Sahni, and son Ranbir.

Rishi has passed on his acting talent to Ranbir, who has proved his versatility in a very short span and is set to take it further with his next release, "Barfi!".

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Rishi hopes Kapoor clan continues to entertain

Four generations of Bollywood's popular Kapoor family have entertained Hindi movie buffs across decades, and Rishi, grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor, and son of Raj Kapoor, hopes the family continues to do so.

"This is the fourth generation of male actors (from Kapoor family). I'm grateful to god for this, his blessings on us. Our fourth generation of actors is because of your (fans') love, I'm thankful for that," the 59-year-old said here at the Nathdwara festival.

"Bless us that we continue to entertain the public through our work," he added.

Prithviraj got his first lead role in 1929 in the movie "Cinema Girl". He started a legacy of actors in his family, that has continued till date. All three of Prithviraj's sons - Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Shashi Kapoor - became successful actors.

Raj's sons - Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv - too grew up to become actors, even though Rajiv didn't taste as much success as his two elder brothers.

While both of Randhir's daughters - Kareena and Karisma - broke the convention for Kapoor girls in the family by turning actresses, Rishi's son Ranbir is the current Bollywood heartthrob.

Meanwhile, Rishi recalled his trips to Rajasthan during his heydays and is happy with the progress in the state's infrastructure.

"I shot for 'Laila Majnu' here around 1974. At that time, the infrastructure was not good. There were no roads. It used to take around 12 hours to reach Bikaner from Jaipur, it was a tedious journey. But now I saw the Expressway double-lane highway, there have been some definite infrastructure improvements," Rishi added.

Rishi was last seen in Sajid Khan's "Housefull 2" and will soon be seen in Karan Johar's "Student of The Year".

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Rishi Kapoor to play villain in Aurangzeb

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who won accolades for playing a villain in Karan Johar's remake of 'Agneepath', will be seen in a similar avatar for Yash Raj Films' 'Aurangzeb'

In 'Agneepath', Rishi played the role of Rauf Lala, being dressed up in a kurta-pyjama, alongwith a karakul cap and kajal in eyes.

"Yes Rishi Kapoor will be playing the role of a villain in 'Auragzeb'," a Yash Raj Film spokesperson told. After the success of 'Ishaqzaade', actor Arjun Kapoor will also be seen in 'Aurangzeb'.

Directed by Atul Sabharwal, the film will portray Arjun in a double role and will also pair up Jackie Shroff and Amrita Singh again after almost two decades. This film is rumoured to be a fresh take on the 1978 blockbuster film 'Trishul' and will release next year.

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