Strange! Uday Chopra follows Ajay Devgn on Twitter after recent spat

On his microblogging site, Ajay Devgn follows no one. The star is not too keen to know what others on social media are up to. 

Recently Uday Chopra has started following Devgn. Uday follows several people but his recent addition is raising eyebrows. 

With both their production houses locked in a bitter battle over their recent releases (Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardar), there has been no love lost between the two camps. 
Wonder what made Uday follow Ajay? To keep tabs on what the collections are or to create another controversy? Or perhaps just like that? 

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It's cool to be linked to good looking girls like Nargis Fakhri

Actor talks about moving away from the big screen, being nervous about his upcoming action flick and his recent romantic link-ups 

After his long break from the big screen, Uday Chopra is raring to begin the next franchise of an action film, co-starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aamir Khan. In the meanwhile, the actor has just launched his comic book and speaks to us about his production plans, his nervous anticipation of facing the camera again and recent link-ups with Parineeti Chopra and Nargis Fakhri.

Acting to comics, that's quite a leap...
I always wanted to do something in the comic space and had been sitting on it from a long time. In fact when I was a kid I used to buy comics in bulk and send them to my friends in UK. Archie comics was one of my favourites besides Richie Rich and Tin Tin. In fact, I only went to my school library to read the comics (laughs).
What are your future plans in this medium?
I want to create a super hero for India which will have no mythological connect. Mythology is not cool anymore. I want to present something that is cool and relatable. The character will be a home-grown Indian.

Are you nervous about sharing screen space with Abhishek Bachchan once again besides Aamir Khan?
Yes, of course I am nervous. But now things have changed for me, my focus has shifted. I have taken a back seat from acting and gone on to production. I will continue acting as a hobby. It's more fun for me now. Acting is not my career now, but I hope I can deliver my best.
A lot was written about your equation with Parineeti Chopra and then with Nargis Fakhri...
Well, honestly if you ask me it's always cool for a guy to be linked to good looking girls. For girls however, I know it's different. They are good friends, but the society takes it in a different way.

So you already have a lady love?
Ummm...I don't like to talk about my personal life.

We heard you are quite a foodie!
Yes, that's true! I love sushi. I make sure I go to my favourite sushi restaurant Wasabi once a month. Also whenever I travel, I like picking up Japanese food, as it's easier to carry. I also like to watch all the cookery shows on TV.

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Dhoom 3 is a boy's thing - cool bikes and hot women

Uday Chopra has launched his new label of comic books Yomics... Not Just for Kids with the wish to revive the Indian comic industry. Sreya Basu catches up with the actor-director in Mumbai as he speaks about his new venture and Dhoom 3

How excited were you about comics as a kid?
As a kid I had my passion for the comic book space. It used to be great fun and there used to be a lot of joy in it. This was my passion since childhood. Me and my friends like Abhishek Bachchan used to sit in my father's (filmmaker Yash Chopra) garden and enact all his films and have our own characters.

So that passion made you come up with Yomics?
I was thinking about launching a comic title for four-five years. I first thought of creating a character out of Ali (his screen name in Dhoom and Dhoom: 2) and calling it Adventures of Ali. You see I had a lot to time those days and I sat down to write a script for it. 

Then I sat with a storyboard artist who used to work at YRF (Yash Raj Films, production house) and said, 'Let's create an impromptu comic book with the speech that bubbles at the moment.' 

So we had a little bit of comic book going between us at that moment, after which I thought of finding artists and see if I can produce this comic. But at that time the costs (of production) were very prohibitive for whoever doing it.

It was charging so much that Indians did not see it as a good business venture. So I just parked my thoughts, put the file (script) in drawers and forgot about it. 

What happened then?
Then one day, this guy Gautam Thakker of Division 91 Studios Pvt. Ltd came into my office with a poster of an Ali designed in a comic book way. I asked him what is this. He said his company is trying to make comic books.

Then I took out my old file and said, 'Here it is. Just take and do it.' He said he loved it but wanted to start with Dhoom as he said, everybody loves the film. I agreed and that's how the idea literally got born...to start out a comic book, later make it a label and to come up with more titles.
Do you think we have an audience for comics?
Till 60s, 80s, 90s, there was a good industry for comic but now it's not there any more. So I thought of using our properties, films, which people have already accepted and loved, to revive it. 

Like we have Dhoom and also Ek Tha Tiger, which is already showing a lot of interest, and hence thought of using them to create an audience or readers who are not here at the moment. My endeavour is to lure and entice the first batch of readers by this connection to films.

So, isn't it risky? 
Yes it is. But we are trying to bring out something that does not have an industry or a readership at the moment but we hope that with our passion and excitement, we can create a space for comics. We will be using our movies to fuel that.

Do you think people will want to read films in comic books?
We are of course going to use the characters (from films) that people already know and love. But there will be absolutely new stories ... they have nothing to do with the film ... at all. 
Will there be superheroes in the comics?
Fantastical superheroes? Why not? But has to be something home-grown. 

What are your expectations from Yomics?
I am super excited about Yomics. I am putting out there in the world hoping it will find its audience, its attractions so that I can create more characters and more universes that people will like, something vastly different, experimental that they will find out-of-the-box.

What are the titles you are releasing at the moment?
We have with four major comic series including Dhoom, Hum Tum, Ek Tha Tiger and a brand new character Daya Prochu, which incidentally is an anagram of Uday Chopra, my name. I have written the scripts of two of the comic series including Dhoom and Daya Pronchu. The comics have been launched in English and Hindi and will be translated into regional languages as well. 
Tell us more about Daya Prochu.
I created this character on Twitter just for fun and used to tweet in his name ... sometimes philosophical, sometimes funny, at time irreverent. But when people started liking it, I thought why not introduce this character, who is my alter ego, in the comic books. He is a child but does things which I could not do in school. 

Like?
Like if someone tries to bully him, he can scold that person, something which I could do when I was in school. There is a Daya Prochu in all of us who wants to come out.

Why don't we see in you films these days? 
As far as me being in front of the camera as an actor in concerned, I am continuing with that in Dhoom 3. But my focus has now shifted slightly and I am concentrating on my production company (YRF Entertainment -YRF's Hollywood wing, based in Los Angeles).

Tell us about your Hollywood projects.
We have finished our first film (The Longest Week) and going for the production of our second film (Grace To Monaco) in September. So my time is spent mostly abroad and handling that.
You have just started shooting for Dhoom 3? How it is going? 
I am totally excited. It's like a boy's thing ... what we grown up wanting to do, that is, play with guns, do stunts on bikes and romance hot women. And that's exactly what Dhoom 3 is... all Dhoom is. So for me, it's superb going back and working again with Abhishek (Bachchan) and working first time with Aamir (Khan). I am sure it's going to be an amazing experience and fun.

Will you use your comic label to promote Dhoom 3?
Dhoom 3 will come and we can do a separate book on that movie and that story itself. But that's not going to be the thought behind the comics. They will have new stories with new villains, new characters and new locations.

Whatever it is, you will have something that you have not got in the films. I am not using Dhoom as a promotional tour for the movie. In fact, it's exactly the reverse. I want to use the films as promotional tours for the comic books.

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Fling with Uday: There is no smoke without fire, Nargis Fakhri

Of late good friends Nargis Fakhri and Uday Chopra were spotted at a multiplex in Juhu on Tuesday 

The starlet was heavily made up for a mere film outing with some elaborate eye make up. She also left with Uday in his car.

Later Nargis stated on her micro-blogging site, `I'm just wondering if paparazzi can cause an epileptic 2 have a seizure when they sneak up on people & start snapping pics.`
But even a cursory look at the snapshots reveals that Nargis looks happy to be photographed! She furthed tweeted, `I'm totally not in 2 comic books but my friend just sent me his new stuff n umm I can't put it down! Its awesome.`

This friend happens to be Uday again who has just launched comic books of his production house's films. Uday loves reading comics, guess it is matter of time that Nargis will be hooked on to it as well. 

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Spotted: Nargis Fakhri and Uday Chopra

After rumours making rounds about their alleged romance, the duo was seen catching a flick at a suburban multiplex

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I cannot become an Aamir Khan today: Uday Chopra

Uday Chopra has decided to put his acting career on the back burner and says his entire focus is on his home banner Yash Raj Films' (YRF) Hollywood wing, based in Los Angeles.

"I feel that this (production) is the next thing I can do. I feel that I can't go beyond a certain point (as an actor). I cannot become an Aamir Khan today, I know that. I can't become that big a star, no matter what I do, " said Uday, who was last seen in 2010 film "Pyaar Impossible".

Nevertheless, he is trying to break new grounds now.

"I am ambitious and I want to try something new. Maybe doing what my father (Yash Chopra) has always done, might be lucky for me. I'm concentrating on the production part. I'm taking a backseat in terms of acting. I might just do a film here or there, but mostly I will be behind the camera, " he added.

He is currently the CEO of YRF Entertainment, which has already completed "The Longest Week", to be released soon. They will be starting work on their next project, "Grace To Monaco" in December.

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Uday Chopra launches Yomics comic book label

Bollywood actor Uday Chopra is all set to launch a new label of comic books, "Yomics", based on Yash Raj movies like "Dhoom" and "Ek Tha Tiger". The actor says that it is his passion for comics and graphic novels which has led him to embark on this endeavour.

"I love reading comics and it's my passion. Most people don't want to get into this (comics) because they don't want to put money into it. But I feel if I am able to create an industry which doesn't exist today, I will be the one to start it. But more than that, it is the love for comics which has led me to this," he said at the launch of "Yomics" at Yash Raj Studios Tuesday.

There are four titles which are ready as of now; "Dhoom", "Ek Tha Tiger", "Hum Tum" and a new character based comic called Daya Prochu. The actor says that the fifth title is in the pipeline and will be introduced during Diwali.

"Every month a new 'Yomic' will come. We will be adding the fifth title during Diwali. The new title is very different to 'Dhoom' and 'Ek tha tiger'. I want to give the readers something completely new," he said.

Daya Prochu is an original addition by Uday Chopra. He is shown to be a fun school-going boy and Chopra feels that everyone will be able to relate to him.

"Daya is a school child and his thoughts are different. We all have a Daya Prochu in us. We have all been bullied, but his character bullies other people. It's a fun character," he added.

Talking about the impact of his venture, Chopra says that it purely depends on how the audience accept this medium. He is introducing four titles together in the hope that different people will associate to and like different characters and will like to read more about them.

"The success of any skill depends on the audience. I am bringing out four titles together so that they might like at least one. They might identify with at least one character and people will like to read their stories. I will keep at it for a while," he added.

Chopra said his "Yomics" are very different to conventional comic books which are available. Their look and feel makes them distinct.

"I have kept the art work very colourful and simple. It is not grim. Today's comics are very grim and dark. I want to stay away from that. I want to cater to a universal audience and make them feel happy about it. I will enter that realm also but right now I want to make them very appealing," he said.

The Yash Raj banner is known for its love sagas and these surely will not be kept out of their comic books. Chopra plans to introduce them eventually.

"I have thought about it. I don't know how they will do in a comic book format. This format needs action to get moving. But in the west they don't only have action comic books and I don't see any reason for not doing that here. We will love to do it in a while," he added.

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Dhoom star Uday Chopra falls off bike, gets hurt

"Dhoom" star Uday Chopra rode bikes confidently in the hit action series, but he fell off in a real life ride. "My riding got jinxed…fell off the bike and twisted my foot…damn! Now I can't walk," tweeted Uday. These days, the 39-year-old is busy handling Yash Raj Films's Hollywood wing -- YRF Entertainment, which develops and produces feature films for the US and international market.

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I am not dating Parineeti: Uday Chopra

Actor Uday Chopra finds rumours of a relationship with Yash Raj Films (YRF) discovery Parineeti Chopra "ridiculous". 

"Whoa! @ParineetiChopra and I are NOT dating guys...it's kinda ridiculous! And she doesn't call me Sir, though I think she should start," tweeted Uday. 

Parineeti's Bollywood career kicked off with Yash Raj Films' (YRF) "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl". She followed up its success with "Ishaqzaade".

Meanwhile, Uday is looking after the banner's Hollywood wing -- YRF Entertainment, which develops and produces feature films for the US and international market.


The duo were spotted enjoying together at various nightspots, sparking rumours that there's something beyond a professional camaraderie.

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