Sampurn, Bollywood Trade News Network
Is Lara Dutta insecure over her forthcoming film BLUE is what industry insiders are wondering. She may be playing the female lead in the film but she seems to be feeling threatened and losing sleep over Katrina Kaif’s special appearance in the film claim a few industry sources.
Sources also claim that she is waiting to see the rushes of BLUE and is requesting the makers for the same.
”Katrina was a last minute addition to the film reportedly on recommendation of good friend Akshay Kumar who is amongst the three male leads of the film along with Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan. Apart from a lavish song a few scenes too were shot on Katrina. But as reports have began pouring out that her role has increased since she enjoys a bigger star status, Lara is feeling mighty insecure. As it is the film is a full-on male bonding film and Lara despite of playing a significant character is relegated to the back seat as compared to her male counterparts. As it is the entire first round of publicity for the film was hogged by renowned international pop singer Kylie Minogue. Lara’s bikini clad pictures splashed all over the media too haven’t done the trick for her either. Her last release BILLU too saw the trio of Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone hogging all the publicity when in fact she had a bigger n better role in the film. She doesn’t want the same to happen here over Katrina and Kylie. So in a way her feeling of insecurity is justified,” adds the sources.
Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
It’s a massacre situation out there at the box office. Bollywood has witnessed flops earlier as well but a) the volumes have been a little lesser and b) they are interspersed by at least one average runner a month. However, the state of Bollywood today is unbelievable to say the least. Of course the quality of movies has been terrible but its then audiences too are not even willing to give any chance whatsoever to them which is resulting in a horrible state of affairs.
This is pretty much reflected in the way last week’s releases have fared at the box office. EK SE BURE DO, COFFEE HOUSE, PAL PAL DIL KE SSAAT, SCHOOL DAYS and ROYAL UTSAV – each of these six films has struggled to complete a one week run at theaters, hence adding on to the pile of disasters. Collections of most of the films have been so pathetic that numbers read in thousands, let aside lakhs. In fact it appears like quite time has passed by when a film crossed the 1 crore mark at the box office. And to think of it, till about a few months, records were being created for the best first week total (remember SINGH IS KINNG, RAB NE BANA DI JODI and then GHAJINI?).
The downfall of big films started with CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA and from there on all biggies like BILLU BARBER, DELHI 6 and most recently 8X10 TASVEER fell flat at the box office. Such was the after effect of these movies that smaller films were also not spared, something which is reflected in six disasters that have been seen in the week gone by.
With this week’s releases DASHAVTAR and MERI PADOSAN too failing to find an audience, it is only going to be addition of two more disasters in the Bollywood report card this year.
Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday went to the suburban Bandra residence of Shah Rukh Khan’s residence in Bandra, Mumbai and wished him speedy recovery from his shoulder surgery.
SRK underwent the surgery to repair the tear in the main muscle of his left shoulder at the Breach Candy hospital on February 16 and was discharged on Tuesday.
Earlier, Bachchan had a telephonic conversation with Khan during which he told the actor not to take the post- surgery period lightly and avoid any kind of activity.
Ranchi, Feb 18 (ANI) Ranchi hairdressers are in for some royal treatment as they will get to see ‘Billu’, the latest Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, free of cost on Thursday.
The Sujata Cinema Hall, a miniplex has offered a free show of ‘Billu’, which revolves around the life of a barber.
“We have got in touch with the Barbers Association of the region and other reputed hair saloons. All of them shall be able to watch the movie free of cost,” said Chandra Mohan Jha, manager of the cinema hall.
Although barbers say they are excited about watching the movie, it is the glitter around the character of Shahrukh Khan, who plays the role of a Bollywood star in the film, that is attracting them more than that of Irfan Khan who is the barber.
“The movie revolves around the life of a man who lived his entire life as a barber and didn’t go beyond that. We want to look beyond the scissors and want to progress,” said Phenku Thakur, a barber.
‘Billu’ is the story of a village hairdresser who is a childhood friend of a Bollywood actor played by Shah Rukh Khan.
The film ran into controversy when hairdressers objected to the use of word ‘barber’ in the title, which they said is derogatory forcing the filmmakers to drop the word from the title. (ANI)
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan underwent surgery at a city hospital on Monday and doctors said the film star would not be able to work for at least a month.
Khan, arguably India’s biggest superstar, was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital after suffering a rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder.
“He is out of anaesthesia and is a bit groggy, but otherwise the situation is under control,” Sanjay Desai, who led a team of doctors operating on Khan, told reporters after a 90-minute surgery.
Desai said the 43-year-old actor would be out of action for “four to six weeks” but full recovery would take up to six months.
“Action will take time, but simple jobs, he can perform in a month’s time. No high demand physical activity,” Desai said.
Khan, whose film “Billu” opened in cinemas last week, is yet to complete work on director Karan Johar’s project “My Name is Khan”.
But trade analysts said Khan’s surgery was unlikely to delay the film, about a Muslim man suffering from Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
“The shooting of the film wasn’t scheduled for some time now and I don’t think any of the remaining scenes involve any heavy duty action,” trade analyst Taran Adarsh said.
Doctors said Khan was advised to undergo surgery only because he was keen to do action roles and perform all stunts himself.
“If he were to lead a sedentary life, there would be no need of the surgery,” the actor’s physiotherapist Ali Irani said.
Khan will be kept under observation in hospital for “one or two” days to track his recovery.
Two motorcycle-borne miscreants hurled a bottle of kerosene at actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Bandra residence, Mannat, at around 2.30 am on Friday. Nobody was injured.
Security personnel at Khan’s bungalow were unable to note the registration number of the bike in the darkness. A complaint was lodged at the Bandra police station.
According to reports, a fundamentalist group was upset with the use of certain words in the song, Marjaani, marjaani, featuring Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the film Billu.
On Friday morning a group of protesters gathered outside Bandra’s G-7 cinema complex, where Billu was being screened, and broke glass panes and tore away posters.
Mumbai, Feb 13 (ANI): Large number of hairstylists and barbers turned up for the screening of ‘Billu’ here last evening.
The film starring Shahrukh Khan, which was initially titled ‘Billu Barber’ ran into controversy when hairdressers objected to the use of word ‘barber’ in the title as derogatory, forcing the filmmakers to drop the word from the title.
Khan spoke with an association of hairdressers and salon owners and said he would hide the word ‘barber’ from posters and billboards, and bleep out the word from the film.
Expressing their happiness at the filmmakers’ decision, the barbers said, “He has kept his word and we are very happy and have come here to watch the movie. It is a special Valentine gift that he has given to us.”
Khan said he hoped the people could understand that the film is all about good feelings and all the negativity surrounding the film could die down.
“I hope they love it. People can understand a film is about good feelings so all this negativity can die down and we can have fun making more films,” he added.
Shahrukh Khan plays a popular Bollywood actor in the film, which is about a village hairdresser and his friendship with a movie star.
The film is directed by Priyadarshan and is produced by Shahrukh Khan. (ANI)
Mumbai, Feb 12 (ANI): Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan has said that he would promote his upcoming film ‘Billu’ in his own style and not to imitate anybody else’s marketing strategy
Khan is extensively promoting ‘Billu’ that was earlier titled “Billu Barber”.
Satirical about use of means like cutting of hair to promote film marketing, Khan said that he would have his own way of film promotion.
“I am happy with the promotion of the film. Every film is promoted in a different way. We promoted Om Shanti Om in a different way; Chak De had a different marketing strategy. I don’t want to be imitate someone the way he or she cuts hair. We don’t copy. There will be innovative ways and every film will have a different way of marketing. But as far as I am concerned, I wouldn’t go and keep somebody else marketing as my standard. I will have my own way of breathing my film out,” said Khan.
Khan had to drop the word barber from the title of his home production house ‘Red Chilly’ after a section of hairdressers objected to the word barber terming it as derogatory.
“Billu Barber” had recently run into rough weather as members of Hairdressers and Saloon Association had approached him with their ‘genuine concerns’ over the use of the word ‘barber’ and its Hindi translation ‘hajaam’.
Not to invoke the wrath of any section of the society, Khan had said that he would not like to hurt the sentiments of the hairdressers and dropped the word barber from the title.
Further addressing the concerns of Hairdressers and Saloon Association and also in an innovative marketing strategy, Khan has invited selected barbers and hairstylists along with their spouses to the premiere of the film.
“The story is about hairdressers. So we want the hairdressers to watch the film with their spouses. Premieres are thronged by stars generally. We want the real stars (hairdressers) to come and watch the film,” said Khan.
Khan plays a popular Bollywood actor in ‘the film, which is about a village hairdresser and his friendship with a movie star.
“Billu Barber”, directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Khan, is all set for release around Valentine’s Day.(ANI)
Mumbai, Feb 9 (ANI): Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, slamming critics of Oscar nominated ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ has said that the film presents to the world a ‘visually appealing’ India.
Khan said that there is no reason for people to become cynical if a filmade on Indian uniqueness has made a mark in the world.
“I think it’s really nice that it will open doors for people to understand that there is a lot of visual appeal to India. I hear a lot of people saying that India has been shown in bad light. But then my logic to everyone is that why is it that somebody comes from outside and makes a film like Gandhi and Slumdog. It becomes internally acceptable.
All we can say about it is that it is showing India in a poor light,” said Khan while speaking to reporters here last evening.
He added that the music of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a hit across the globe and that he does not regret declining Anil Kapoor’s role in the film.
Incidentally, the film in which Kapoor played the role of a cynical quiz master was shot when Khan was already hosting ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC).
Many critics including Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan have said that British filmmaker Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, a hard-hitting but exuberant tale of life in a Mumbai slum, is being lauded because it has a Westerner at the helm.
The movie’s international success has been tempered by objections in India to the name, which some slum dwellers find offensive, its depiction of the lives of impoverished Indians and the treatment of the cast.
Its director, Danny Boyle, has faced accusations from some parts of the Indian media that his film was “poverty porn.” Boyle has said he was trying to capture Mumbai’s “lust for life.”
Dozens of residents of Mumbai where “Slumdog Millionaire” was partly shot have staged protests hurling insults and hitting pictures of its cast and crew with slippers. Slum residents of other Indian states have also staged similar protests.
The low budget film, which has scooped several international awards including the BAFTA film awards on Sunday, triumphed at the Golden Globes last month with four honours including best drama and won ten Oscar nominations.
Shahrukh Khan also took the opportunity to slam the self-styled ‘moral policing’ elements who object to open display in public of affection on Valentine’s Day.
“We should see Valentine’s as a day of friendship and love and not as a western culture attack on the Indian culture. I would say all youngsters should give roses to all the people they love in a good way,” said Khan.
The Bollywood heartthrob, who had called for a news conference to clear the controversy surrounding his forthcoming film, ‘Billu Barber’ against which hairdressers had raised objections to the word ‘barber’ terming it as ‘derogatory’, said that he has read the original book as well as the script and really liked the film. (ANI)
New Delhi, Feb 5 (ANI): Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan shared his thoughts on his upcoming movie ‘Billu Barber’ while promoting it in New Delhi on Wednesday evening.
Produced by his wife Gauri Khan, the movie is a remake of the hugely successful Malayalam film ‘Kadha Parayumbol’.
However, on being asked as to what he is gifting to his wife on Valentines’ Day, he at his romantic best replied by dedicating his entire life to her than just ‘Billu Barber’.
“I have gifted my entire life to her. She produces all my movies and only if the film does well, she accepts any gifts. If my movie flops, then she does not accept any gift,” he said.
“I feel ‘Billu Barber’ is a beautiful film about relationships, love and friendship. I also have a good part in the film along with Irfan Khan and Lara Dutta,” he added.
He also said that he would soon undergo shoulder surgery since it had been delayed before due to a busy schedule, including the promotion of his next film
Khan plays a popular Bollywood actor in ‘Billu Barber’, which is about a village barber and his friendship with a movie star.
Directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Khan, the film is all set for India-wide release in the second week of February. (ANI)
