THE BUZZ

success Chennai Express runaway success

there’s no doubt that Chennai Express trailblazing tracks all the way to the box office. In just ten days since the release of the movie it was well on its way to hitting the rs 200 crore mark, a coup for this entertainment extravaganza.

And now, superstar Shah rukh Khan has come up with another clever idea to ensure that it does reach that target – on Raksha Bandhan 20), the King Khan offered the audience a ‘buy two, get one deal’. A clever ploy to build up the numbers. Patrons who buy two tickets to the movie will get the third free!

A source close to the superstar said this is SrK’s brainchild. the offer was valid only on that special day because the 47-year-old wanted to celebrate with everyone. the source added: “ we have celebrated eid and Independence Day with the entire country and this is his way of celebrating Rakhi as well. this is his small way of giving back the huge amount of love and support he has got from the people”.

If viewers enjoyed SrK’s new avatar in the romantic comedy, they also found Deepika Padukone’s tamil girl act thoroughly entertaining. the film created a record, earning the fastest rs.100 crore at the box office within the first weekend. not bad for a movie that cost rs.75 crore to make!

Seems like SrK is as adept at marketing, as he is at acting!

Arjun Rampal rocks on

Like so many hopefuls in Bollywood, actor Arjun rampal did not have a glorious start, but shot to fame with his bravura performance as a rock star in Rock On! Since then, there has been no looking back for the national Award winning actor. he feels that he has grown with each film and finds his 12year journey in the industry ‘great’ and ‘enjoyable’.

HAppy 50TH SRI!

It was party-time for Bollywood recently as Boney Kapoor threw a bash to celebrate his wife and actress Sridevi’s 50th birthday. the filmi revellers kept the party going well into the night. From rishi Kapoor to Shilpa Shetty and Sushmita Sen, filmdom’s best and brightest came out in full force to wish the birthday girl. hema Malini came with her daughter esha and son-in-law Bharat takhtani, while Juhi Chawla was seen with her husband Jay Mehta, and Anupam Kher was spotted too. Manoj Bajpayee and Vinod Khanna were also spotted along with rishi, who worked with her in successful films like Nagina and Chandni. Sridevi’s brother-in-law Anil Kapoor, who worked with her in hits like Mr India, too came for the do with his wife Sunita.

Last year Sridevi hogged the limelight for her comeback film English Vinglish, in which she gave a credible performance. Before retiring in 1996 after marrying Boney Kapoor, she enjoyed success with hits like Sadma, Himmatwala, Chaalbaaz and Judaai well, 50’s not a great age to start sizzling on the screen again, but Sri seems to have achieved this. Good on her!

the journey for Arjun has been an evolving one. his began as a ramp model and his acting career took off with a dud, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat in 2001, followed by a string of flops. But the actor refused to give up and reinvented himself successfully with Don in 2006, finally taking off in Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd and Om Shanti Om encapsulating the lows and highs of his career, Arjun simply said, “It has been a great journey”.

But the icing on the cake was his award-winning performance in Rock On! and the success of Raajneeti and Chakravyuh cemented his position in filmdom.

“I see myself evolving from film to film. It is good to be in that space. I am enjoying that part,” said the hunky actor in an interview recently. he acted in Housefull which had an ensemble cast, and his forthcoming political thriller Satyagraha directed by Prakash Jha, also has a host of actors, the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee, Kareena Kapoor and Amrita rao.

So what is his criterion while selecting films?

“I look at what’s my scene and part. I need to see what is the starting point of my character and where he reaches. If I can identify with the journey, then I go ahead. this is for all films,” he said.

A convincing story is equally important for the 40-year-old.

“I think you should be a part of a different kind of cinema as long as you have conviction in it and you can believe in it. I would like to be a part of comedy, provided I think it is very funny. the films, which I choose, are the films which I would like to watch,” said Arjun.

Arjun admits working with a talented director and star cast makes it easier. “It is about the film - what is the director trying to say and if he is able to do this without the film becoming dry and boring. when you are working with good actors, it makes your job easier,” he said. talking about future projects, Arjun will shoon be shooting for Villain and then Roy

From ramp to rock star, Arjun’s certainly come a long way!

Lucky nargis Fakhri

Actress nargis Fakhri considers herself particularly lucky to have enjoyed so much success in Bollywood, and to have had the opportunity to work with A-listers. nargis says it’s tough for an outsider to make a place for themselves in the industry, but it was her debut film that shot her to the top. Playing ranbir Kapoor’s love interest in her debut film Rockstar catapulted the actress into the limelight, but that was just the beginning.

In her second film, the Shoojit Sircar directed political thriller Madras Cafe which is scheduled to release soon, nargis she will be seen with another top actor - John Abraham.

“I’m still in awe of how I got so lucky to work with the actors like ranbir and John. I hope to continue to work with more A-listers,” nargis said recently.

“It is pretty difficult for a newcomer to make it in Bollywood. you need guidance, and I was fortunate that agencies took me on. If it wasn’t for the team, I think I might not have been here,” she confided. “In this industry, you need to know people or have family that is already in it, to make it big. I still have so much to learn and so many people to meet”. the actress, who likes donning a chef’s cap while at home, is essaying the role of a foreign journalist in Madras Cafe nargis feels when she did Rockstar, she had no clue about the industry, but acclimatised herself while working on her second film.

“ with every new film you hope that you have grown, and I think I have grown a bit. I have put in a lot of hard work and time into Madras Cafe. As the time moves forward, you start understanding and learning more when it comes to the craft,” she said.

Sharing her experience of being a journalist in the film, nargis stressed, “It was difficult as I am not a real journo.

wHO wORE IT BETTER?

But with the help of workshops, people, documentaries as well as footage from on the field war correspondents of BBC and Cnn, and my own effort, have helped me understand my characterJaya,” said nargis.

the actress will soon also be seen in an item number with Shahid Kapoor in director rajkumar Santoshi’s Phata Poster Nikla Hero

“It’s my first item number. It was fun, but at the same time very difficult. I have learned so much from this experience. I’m not a trained dancer. I had taken classes though,” revealed nargis.

On being asked the kind of roles she is looking forward to do, nargis responded, “I’d love to do an action film where the woman is some kind of hero. I just want to kick some b***. But I’m open to all sorts of roles, because with each role your portray, you learn something new about other people as well as yourself”. nargis certainly seems to be on the path to success. hope she’s as tough in real life as she is in reel life!

Sallu’s Marathi movie debut riteish Deshmukh and Salman Khan have always been close friends, claims the buzz around Bollywood, but now the superstar actor has proved it! Salman will be seen in a special appearance in riteish’s second Marathi production venture titled Lai Bhaari, in his debut in Marathi films as an actor. kangana r anaut or keira knightley in burberry Prorsum?

Share

CApTION CONTEST

What’s the chitchat here between Naseeruddin Shah and gulzar?

Send in your responses to win@indianlink.com.au and win a surprise prize

“It was extremely gracious of Salman to himself offer to be part of our film Lai Bhaari. It was great to do a Marathi scene with him,” riteish said in a statement. Apparently Salman was very intrigued by riteish’s approach to his production venture and enjoyed hearing about the film and the story. he then came forward and suggested being part of riteish’s production venture. riteish was overjoyed with the idea and a special sequence was created for Salman, which will be one of the highlights of the movie.

Good for Sallu, he’s proved to be a real friend!

Last

ISSUE CApTION CONTEST wINNING ENTRy

What’s the chitchat here between Sonam Kapoor and dad Anil Kapoor?

Anil: And I have another funny story to tell you about Sonam when she was a baby…

Sonam: Oh no, I’m leaving! Never going to go out with my dad again!!

Nicky Pradhan St.Marys NSW

Nicky wins a CD of the new film Chennai Express