Dear Team Vision Asia, Let me start by saying it’s been a wonderful experience getting Vision Asia to our new home. You have been particularly helpful in getting it set up in our house and I would like to thank you for waiting patiently till my landlord’s permission came in. The installation was flawless and reception is good. Keep spreading the smiles. Anil Dear Anil, It is our endeavor to spread happiness through the Vision Asia bouquet. The feedback from our customers helps us to raise the performance bar and motivates the team. Here’s wishing you a great time watching Vision Asia channels. Team Vision Asia Hello. How are you today? I like your programmes. They are very nice. Would it be possible for you to add one Punjabi channel to your bouquet. I love Punjabi programmes! Cheers Kulwinder Kaur Dear Kulwinder, We are glad that you are enjoying the Vision Asia programmes. You may be aware that Zee TV carries Gurbani from Golden Temple twice a day. We will try ourbest to get you more Punjabi programmes. Team Vision Asia LETTERS >>> Vision Asia wishes all its viewers a wonderful festive season. We have lined up great festive programmes for you this month. Moreover, we also tell you how your favourite stars are celebrating Eid and Diwali this season. Hope you enjoy reading this issue! Get ready to watch the fourth season of the exciting Nach Baliye on Star Plus this month. Sony has two new offerings — Bin Phere Hum Tere, a family drama set against the background of the Golden Temple and Hum Ladikyan, the story of four small-town girls. Grab the excitement and masti of emotions in Miley Jab Hum Tum on Star One, a story of six youngsters in college. On the occasion of Diwali, Star Gold is screening Jai Maa Vaishno Devi, Ramayan — Shri Ram Katha, Jai Santoshi Maa, SetMax is screening Hanuman and Return of Hanuman. Other big movies in the month include Aaja Nachle, Laga Chunari Mein Daag on Sony and Amitabh Specials on Zee Movies including Coolie, Andha Kanoon and Hum. Zee brings you a Sufi concert featuring the famed maestro Fateh Ali Khan on the occasion of Eid — something no music lover should miss. MTV and NDTV are receiving strong support from viewers in ANZ. Diwali is a time to spread happiness. This makes it a good time to get your friends and relatives connected to Vision Asia. Gift it some one you love. Australia moves to daylight saving time on 5th October. Please refer to our website for updated schedules. We would like to hear from you. Please write to [email protected]Sameer Goswami, CEO Channel Talk Editor: Quanith Ilahi Advertising Liaison: Mario Desouza [email protected]Editorial/Design: hillroadmedia.com Contact Us: 97 Victoria Road, Parramatta, NSW 2150 Phone: 1300 286 786 Fax: 1300 286 789 REFER A FRIEND Refer a friend in the month of October and get a $50 cheque Vision Asia does not guarantee the authenticity or take any responsibility (in any way) of the material in any advertisement or discount voucher. 2-10 Film reviews 12 Cover story 14-18 Poster 32-33 TV Guide 35-42 CONTENTS Travel 50 Food 54 AB on Drona 56 Gossip 46 Horoscope 64
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Transcript
Dear Team Vision Asia,Let me start by saying it’s been awonderful experience getting Vision Asiato our new home. You have beenparticularly helpful in getting it set up inour house and I would like to thank you forwaiting patiently till my landlord’spermission came in. The installation wasflawless and reception is good. Keepspreading the smiles.Anil
Dear Anil,It is our endeavor to spread happinessthrough the Vision Asia bouquet. Thefeedback from our customers helps us toraise the performance bar and motivatesthe team. Here’s wishing you a great time
watching Vision Asia channels.Team Vision Asia
Hello. How are you today? I like yourprogrammes. They are very nice. Would itbe possible for you to add one Punjabichannel to your bouquet. I love Punjabiprogrammes!CheersKulwinder Kaur
Dear Kulwinder,We are glad that you are enjoying theVision Asia programmes. You may be awarethat Zee TV carries Gurbani from GoldenTemple twice a day. We will try our best toget you more Punjabi programmes.Team Vision Asia
LETTERS >>>
Vision Asia wishes all its viewers a wonderful festive season. We have lined up greatfestive programmes for you this month. Moreover, we also tell you how your favouritestars are celebrating Eid and Diwali this season. Hope you enjoy reading this issue!Get ready to watch the fourth season of the exciting Nach Baliye on Star Plus thismonth. Sony has two new offerings — Bin Phere Hum Tere, a family drama set againstthe background of the Golden Temple and Hum Ladikyan, the story of four small-towngirls. Grab the excitement and masti of emotions in Miley Jab Hum Tum on Star One, astory of six youngsters in college.On the occasion of Diwali, Star Gold is screening Jai Maa Vaishno Devi, Ramayan — ShriRam Katha, Jai Santoshi Maa, SetMax is screening Hanuman and Return of Hanuman.Other big movies in the month include Aaja Nachle, Laga Chunari Mein Daag on Sonyand Amitabh Specials on Zee Movies including Coolie, Andha Kanoon and Hum. Zeebrings you a Sufi concert featuring the famed maestro Fateh Ali Khan on the occasionof Eid — something no music lover should miss. MTV and NDTV are receiving strongsupport from viewers in ANZ.Diwali is a time to spread happiness. This makes it a good time to get your friends andrelatives connected to Vision Asia. Gift it some one you love.Australia moves to daylight saving time on 5th October. Please refer to our website forupdated schedules. We would like to hear from you. Please write [email protected]
REFER A FRIENDRefer a friend in the month of October
and get a $50 chequeVision Asia does not guarantee the authenticity or takeany responsibility (in any way) of the material in any
advertisement or discount voucher.
2-10Film reviews 12Cover story 14-18Poster 32-33TV Guide 35-42
CONTENTS
Travel 50Food 54
AB on Drona 56
Gossip 46
Horoscope 64
October 2008 l 2 l VISIONASIA
INDIAN IDOLIS BACKINDIAN Idol’s fourth season began on September 19,replacing Dus Ka Dum. Audiences can watch the show’sbiggest season yet as it includes participants from India,UK, USA and Dubai. Niret Alva, the head of the Miditechproduction house, says, “This show is like no other. It’sgoing to be really special. The audience will have so manytalented people to choose from.”
However, though the scale is larger, the conceptremains the same. When asked what is going to bedifferent this year, he replied, “There is no need to bedifferent because the format is already very popular.”
About the hosts, he said, “Our anchors Deepali Kishoreand Mayang Chang are fresh and absolutely fantastic. Wehave a very interesting combination of judges. They arevery talented and we even have two new judges thisseason. One is a very good actress — Sonali Bendre — andthe other is a very talented singer — Kailash Kher. Moreimportantly, all of them believe in speaking their minds.”
LARA Dutta and Rani Mukherjeewere the special guests on theDus Ka Dum finale. Before theshow, Lara spoke to us aboutDKD’s concept, Salman Khan andthe one question she isdesperate to ask the superstar— “When are you gettingmarried?”
She says, “It is a uniqueconcept. The audience gets achance to know how theparticipant thinks and what hefeels about India. In this case,they will get a glimpse of theway Rani and I think. Most of thetime, they see us in character. Ifyou play a galmourous character,they think you are glamourous.So, this is our chance to showour jhalak.”
Lara praised Salman’s
hosting skills, but when askedwhether she would ever host ashow, she said, “I do not think Ican host. Only big names canhost reality shows. No one hasever offered me one. You need acertain quality — Salman is verycharismatic and Shah Rukh has avery positive charm too.”
When quizzed about whatshe would like to ask Sallu, sheimmediately said, “Everyonewants to ask him the samequestion — When are you gettingmarried?”
Praising Salman further, shesaid, “Everyone knows that he isa very nice person at heart. Ifyou don’t take panga with him,he will be very polite. And it’snot just him, his entire family isextremely nice.”
LARA DUTTA ON DKD
October 2008 l 4 l VISIONASIA
KAHAANI ACTRESSTURNS DIRECTOR
YASH TONK TOENTER KYUNKI...YASH Tonk, who plays Shiv in Karam Apna Apna, will star inKyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as Shiv Singhania. Yash, whobegan shooting in August, told us all about his character.
Yash says, “I am playing a character called Shiv Singhania, abusiness tycoon and Ganga’s (Shilpa Sakhlani) obsessed lover.They were in love and shared some passionate moments, but sheleft him and got married to someone else. So he comes back intoher life and tries to win her back. It is a negative role. I amexcited about this because my character in Karam is verymellow. It is a two-month cameo.”
Yash returned from a shoot in Australia a few days ago. “I amalso doing a film called Main Aur Mrs Khanna. It was a month-and-a-half-long shoot. It was fun to be there with Salman bhai,Kareena and Sohail.”
Yash also says that he is very busy with the two shows andthe film, and does not have time to take up any new project. Hesays that the only reason he accepted the role in Kyunki Saas...was because it is another Balaji show. The company is managinghis schedule for both the shows.
PRIYA Wal, who plays Aditi in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, has directed adocumentary. An excited Priya told us, “I have made a short film. Itwon’t get a multiplex release. A group of people encouraged me tomake the film. They are going to show it wherever they go — Pune,Kolkatta, Delhi. I am a creative person and have also written a full-fledged script, which I will make into a movie some time soon.”
“The film is about two boys and two girls. It is the story of ayoung girl, who, like many other girls, hopes to meet a macho guyand get married to him. But she ends up marrying the next-doortype. It is a six-minute film. I have written, directed and acted init. My friends are also in the movie.”
About Kahani, she says, “We are currently shooting a scene inwhich we are on a mission to save Parvati. Parvati has never beenin this situation before and needs someone to rescue her.”
Talking about her personal track on the show, she says, “Forme, Aditi is definitely going to be very different than she was inthe show earlier. She used to feel that her mother neglected her. Atthe time, she was vulnerable and emotional. But now that hermother has accepted her, she has become strong. Her characterhas matured.”
Priya also said that she will not be seen on the big screen atall, but would like to direct a film.
October 2008 l 6 l VISIONASIA
DIVYANKA HAS ASLIPPED DISK
JASVEER KAURON A REALITY TRIPJASVEER Kaur, who plays Pavitra in Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiyaan,has just won the dance reality show Ek Se Badhkar Ek and hasalready taken on a new reality show Saas Vs Bahu.
Talking about her shows, Jasveer says, “I’ve always wantedto become dancer and that’s why I joined the industry. Now I’mjust going with the flow. My daily soap is also doing well. Andthough I would never leave the show, dance has always been myfirst love. Ek Se Bhadkar Ek was a very good opportunity for meto showcase my talent. I am still learning about dance though Iam about to start my second show.”
Jasveer’s competitor will be Vaishnavi, who played her saason her first show. “We are best friends and though our show waswrapped up two years ago, we kept in touch. She is verytalented. On screen, we have to show rivalry, but off screen, wehelp each other out and go to each other’s rehearsals. It was funto work together after so long.”
She adds, “Her first performance was so amazing and I wasscreaming so much, I got a tonsil problem. I am really happy forher. It is going to be a good competition. And surprisingly, all thesaas are so good that we really have to work hard to compete.”
DIVYANKA Tripathi, who plays Divya in Banoo Main Teri Dulhann,has had a slipped disk. Divyanka told us how she is coping right now.She says, “It is improving slowly. I really need rest. But I can’t affordto. Even when I get an off, I have to go out to buy stuff because Ilive alone in Mumbai.”
The star explains that the problem began while filming asequence earlier this year. She says, “While filming the Holisequence, I hurt my upper back. I could not rest as Sharad and I hadmany major scenes together. So, I had to bear the pain.”
She adds, “My upper back pain turned into lower back pain. I donot know how that happened. Even the doctors could not diagnose itfor a few days. Eventually, I was told that I had slipped disk. I amnow taking homeopathic medicines.”
Talking about the treatment, she says, “My physiotherapistcomes to my place everyday. She is very supportive. While shooting,I don’t bend my back, I have to bend my knees if I want to picksomething up. The doctor has also given me exercises to do.”
Divyanka’s friends are also worried about her. She says, “Not justmy mother, even my friends call me regularly to ask about myhealth. I cannot even go out as often as I used to. I can’t dance asmuch either. Recently, at a party, I was sitting alone while everyonewas on the dance floor.”
DANCING FORTHE STARSWE asked some Zara Nachke Dikha contestants how they feltabout performing in front of Tusshar Kapoor and Raima Sen.Here’s what they had to say:
Amit Tandon: “I don’t get nervous, no matter who is in frontof me. There is nothing to be scared about. You are a contestantand have to do your best. It doesn’t make a difference who isjudging. That’s how it works for me.”
Gaurav Chopra: “It was good performing in front of them. Ididn’t get nervous. I think they were very sincere. We, thecontestants, didn’t get stressed out one bit, but Tusshar andRaima looked a bit frazzled.”
Chaitanya Chowdhry: “Performing in front of them was fun.I was pretty sure I showed no sign of nervousness. According tothe judges and the other contestants, it was my bestperformance till date. All the judges were happy and spoke wellabout my performance. This has boosted my morale. I am reallycharged up now. I never feel stressed out, even for a second,because I have performed in front of Amitabh Bachchan, KaranJohar and many other celebrities.”
LOTS OF LAUGHS, GUARANTEEDAN all-new sitcom, Paani Puri, showcases the lives of twofamilies, hailing from different cultures, but living under oneroof. A character-driven comedy, it is sure to have theaudiences in splits. Vikas Puri is played by Sumeet Raghavan andDivya Paani is played by Smita Bansal in this unusual anddistinctive sitcom.
Paani Puri is essentially the love story of Vikas and Divya.True to the adage that opposites attract, cupid strikes thesetwo diametrically opposite individuals. Vikas is a strugglingactor from an over-the-top Punjabi family, which believes thatthe human voice must be used in variable octaves. Divya, whoworks for an MNC, comes from a refined Oriya family, which
feels that the human voice must only be used when needed.Divya and Vikas have diverse personalities. While the former
is a stickler for perfection, the latter takes pride in beingmessy. Bigger challenges lie ahead of the couple, as Vikas has toseek the approval of the Paani family for their alliance. Divyaand Vikas do settle into marital bliss but little do they knowwhat fate has in store for them.
Circumstances force the two families, as different as chalkand cheese, to live under one roof. With no other choice, thePaani family moves into the Puri household. Needless to say,comic mayhem of the most chaotic order ensues.
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WHAT ARE THEEX- ROADIES UPTOTHERE is life after Roadies! After leaving the showmany of the contestants are still familiar faces ontelevision. Rannvijay Singh from Season 1 is the mostpopular of them all. This Delhi boy is the host of MTVHero Honda Roadies and Vodafone MTV Splitsvilla,among other shows. He just shot for his Bollywooddebut film, TOSS, and signed up for Vipul Shah’s nextfilm London Dreams, which also stars Salman Khanand Ajay Devgan. Roadie Shambhvi from Season 5 isalso on her way to stardom. She is alreadyshooting for Suneil Shetty’s next film underPopcorn Entertainment — The LittleGodfather. This pale beauty has also beenroped in to play a role in a South Indianflick. Roadie Anmol, also from Season 5, gotnoticed because of her attitude and thiseven got her a role in Ekta Kapoor’s serialKuchh Is Tara. Another Season 5contestant, Aashu,who won the heartsof many, is nowone of the 14participants onBigg Boss Season 2.
October 2008 l 10 l VISIONASIA
GET your daily dose of news on the fresh, cool and instant 8-10minute news bulletin from MTV’s newest brigade, which includesGurbani Judge, Ayushmann Khurrana and Archana Jani fromMumbai, Parul Choudhary and Vineet Modi from Delhi andSoumya Ganesh from Bangalore. They will keep you updated onthe news that you can use, in a language that you can use, inthe format that you can use only on Pepsi & MTV Wassup!
Don’t miss daily segments like Rightbackatcha, which coversnational,international and local happenings with youngconsumers across cities. The Big Dope is a feature on youth andinfo-tainment. Wat Say Youngistan is a daily poll conducted ontopics that affect, concern or irritate the youth. Also, getupdated on the all the light-hearted news of the week with WTF.Get your fill on global happenings with weekly segments likeWWW (Wassup Worldwide). E – Goss features apna Bollywood orIndian entertainment news. Catch MTV’s unique take on Hindiand English movie reviews with My Take and be in on all thehottest events across the country and get to know the hottestnew gadgets with Wassapenin!
MTV Lost in Translation is theonly show where ‘There was acold day’ actually means‘Darwaza khol de’. Here, MTVtakes old and new songs,listens to them, and thenwrites whatever they hear.
Like Daddy Yankee's‘Gasolina’ has twisted lyricslike ‘Taali maar, ghaas oh lena’and ‘Tumhare maa ko pakde,gaana same hai ro mat oye’.Singing these lyrics will notonly elevate your socialstanding and your ability tograsp lyrics on the first listen,but it will also make you looklike an idiot.
billu
October 2008 l 12 l VISIONASIA
Director: Anurag Kashyap
HANUMAN decides to take human form and come down to Earthwhen he cannot bear to watch Minku, his little disciple, beingbullied by his schoolmates every day. He is born in a family livingin the same village as Minku and grows up to be a small school-going kid in three months flat. Now called Maruti, he becomesfriends with Minku and astonishes the bullies and the villagerswith his crazy antics. Just around the same time, the centuries-old Gods vs Demons war raises its head again. It is up to Maruti tosave planet earth from destruction and keep the Demons at bay.How he manages to do that is what the rest of the film is about.By mixing heavy duty mythology with all the popularentertainment formulas, Anurag Kashyap has ensured that hisaudience does not experience a single dull moment. Agreed the 2-D animation quality cannot be compared to the hi-quality 3-Danimated films kids get from the West these days. But the filmhas plenty of entertaining moments that will appeal to kids andthe kid in you.
With many characters in the film mimicking popularBollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjeev Kumar andShatrughan Sinha, it is added fun for all. The songs are fun towatch and have some innovative, humorous lines. Overall, Returnof Hanuman is a good film for the kids to enjoy this holidayseason. And adults will be pretty impressed too. Catch this filmat 12:00 AEST on Oct 10 on Star Gold
THRILLERS have not done very well at the box office oflate. Johnny Gaddar and Manorama Six Feet Under got criticalacclaim but did little to make the producers happy. WoodstockVilla is not likely to do well on either front.
Zara Kampani (Neha Uberoi) asks Samir (Sikandar Kher), astranger she meets in a pub in Mumbai to kidnap her so thatshe can find out how much her husband Jatin (Arbaaz Khan)loves her. Samir can’t say no because he is in desperate needof money. But, he falls for Zara and lies to her husband that hehas killed her when Jatin brings the police with him. When hegoes back to the Villa, he finds Zara dead. Desperate to getaway, he flees to Bangalore but receives another jolt when hesees Zara performing in a video. He immediately heads back toMumbai to find out the truth. Woodstock Villa has made agenuine effort to concentrate on the script. But, there are waytoo many twists and turns. The events leading up to the climaxare interesting, but they cannot salvage the film. On thewhole, it’s not a bad film though a less complicated scriptcould have made it a more thrilling ride.
Catch this film at 13:30 AEST on Oct 27 on Star Gold
ENTER ATYOUR OWN RISK
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
WOODSTOCK VILLA
RETURN OF HANUMAN
October 2008 l 14 l VISIONASIA
FESTIVALS ARE A TIME OF GREAT FUN IN INDIA. FROMSHOPPING FOR NEW CLOTHES TO BUYING GIFTS FOR EACHOTHER, PEOPLE USE THEM AS EXCUSES FOR HAVING A
WHOLE LOT OF FUN. THIS MONTH BRINGS US DIWALI, EIDAND NAVRATRI. FROM THE COMMON MAN TO THE
BIGGEST CELEBS, EVERYBODY IS IN THE FESTIVE MOOD. WETELL YOU HOW SOME OF OUR BOLLYWOOD STARS LIKE TO
SPEND THIS FESTIVE TIME.
Genelia D'Souza: For Diwalimy family indulges in burstingcrackers! And of course, we visitfriends. This year, it’s going to bedifferent as I will be shooting forIt’s My Life with Harman. But I’mpositive we will have a real blast onthe sets too!
Imran Khan: Allfestivals are celebratedwith a lot of fanfare athome. For Diwali, thewhole house is lit up withdiyas. But we never burstany firecrackers. I amcompletely against thatbecause it simply adds tothe pollution! Eid meansdressing up traditionallyand eating lots ofbiryani! My new film willrelease on Eid this year. Ihope it does well andpeople enjoy it.
October 2008 l 15 l VISIONASIA
WHAT IS DIWALI?
Diwali is a major Indian festival. Many legends are associatedwith Diwali. Today, it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhsacross the world as the Festival of Light, where the lightsindicate the victory of good over the evil within every humanbeing. This festival of lights comes either in the month ofOctober or November. This year Diwali is on October 28.According to north Indian tradition, Diwali is celebrated as thevictory of Lord Rama over Ravana. This festival also includesLakshmi puja. It is the most awaited festival for Indians acrossthe globe.
Ajay Devganand Kajol:From bursting crackersto lighting diyas, thisBollywood couple doesit all. Their secretaryreveals that this yearthe Devgans will be inLondon for Diwali asAjay is shooting there.It’s a rockinginternational Diwalithis year!
Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif: No matterwhat the occasion, everyone knows the Khans will throw aparty! Eid, Diwali or Christmas, the party is always atSalman Khan’s sea-facing residence. The whole familyincluding Sohail, Arbaaz and their wives, Katrina and friendslike Sajid Wajid, Sajid Nadiadwala, Shirish Kunder, DavidDhawan, Govinda are a part of the do. And, it’s no surprisethat food is a big part of the Khan’s daavat. Guests areexpected to feast on mouth-watering kebabs and biryani!
October 2008 l 16 l VISIONASIA
Prachi Desai: Diwalimeans family time to me. Eventhough my dad lives in Gujarat,my sister in Pune and my momand I in Mumbai, we make it apoint to get together forDiwali. Even when I used toshoot for soaps, I used to havea blast with my friends duringthe breaks. Unfortunately thisyear, I will be in Cape Townshooting for Life Partner.
WHAT IS EID?
Around the same time as Diwali, Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr.Eid is a joyous occasion as it is the day for forgiveness, moralvictory, brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate the end ofRamadan, the month of fasting, and thank God for the self-control and strength that He gave them. It is a time of givingand sharing.
WHAT IS NAVRATRI?
This is a nine-day day festival. Along with Goddess Durga,Goddess Vijayashtami and Mahanavami are also worshipped.The dance forms of dandiya and garba are performed all overthe country during these nine days. Bengalis celebrate this asDurga Pooja, while the rest of the country celebrates Dusseraon the tenth day.
Shah Rukh Khanbelieves in celebrating allfestivals at home. ForDiwali, his close friends, theMoranis, bring sacks full offirecrackers to his Mannatgarden where the Khan kidsenjoy the show. Eid too is anequally big day at the Khanhouse as a big feast isprepared for family andfriends who come to wishthe star.
Hrithik Roshan is aself-confessed Diwalienthusiast. When he is notbusy travelling, he goes allout and celebrates with hisfamily. Eid too is a time forcelebration, especially in hiswife Suzanne Khan’s home.So, soon afterDiwali wraps up, it is timeto head over to the in-lawsfor HR!
October 2008 l 18 l VISIONASIA
STARLike every year, channels are coming up with quite a few shows aroundDiwali. One of the promising ones is Nach Baliye, which will be back withits fourth season on October 10. Nach Baliye is a show where celebritycouples are pitted against each other in a dance competition. Big names inthe television industry are given a platform to showcase another side oftheir persona. So far, the show has had three successful seasons.
One judge, Farah Khan, has been finalized for the new season. Theother two judges are likely to be an actress and a director. Last season'swinners, Aamir Ali and Sanjeeda Sheikh, are expected to host this season.Couples likely to be part of the show are Ali Merchant-Sara Khan, KaranSingh Grover-Shradha Nigam, Yasir Shah-Mitika Sharma, Ravee Gupta-ManojBidwai, Reshmii Ghosh-Amit Gupta, Karn Vir Singh-Teejay Siddhu amongothers.
Jaha Pe Basera Ho is another show expected to air during the noon sloton Star Plus. Jaha Pe is a story of family values and of a girl, who believesin her dream. She does not have any huge expectations from life butdreams of a good, caring and loving family and a supporting husband.
IN CASE YOU PLAN TO STAY INDOORS ON DIWALI THIS YEAR,HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE ON THE TELLY.
SONYBin Phere Hum Tere is a new show on Sony which will be aired duringDiwali. The show will have a Punjabi background and is set around thegrandeur of Golden Temple. This show will remind audiences of Punjabimarriages—dhol bajaana, mehndi ki rasam and a bride dressed in red willall be a part of the show. All the characters in the serial will havetypical Punjabi names such as Preeto, the elder sister of Panchhi—themain female lead in the serial.
The male lead will remind many of us of Akshay Kumar’s character inNamastey London. His name is Sukhi and he can be seen perpetuallyteasing the pind ki kudiyan.
Other than Bin Phere, Sony has another serial coming up based in theholy city of Banaras. Titled Hum Ladkiyaan, the story revolves around foursmall town girls and their aspirations, which slowly convert into a socialdrama. It's the story of Saumya, Sapna, Pooja and Ajju who are bestfriends. They are parted because of some circumstances. Will these girlsbe able to reunite their families in the end? Will they achieve what theyhave dreamt? This is what Hum Ladkiyaan will show us on Sony.
October 2008 l 20 l VISIONASIA
AMITABH Bachchan’s latest release The Last Lear has himpotraying the role of an actor. It starts with Siddharth Kumar’s(Arjun Rampal) film The Mask premiering on Diwali night. Sadlyfor him, the film’s two protagonists Harish Mishra (AmitabhBachchan) and Shabnam (Preity Zinta) are absent. As the filmmoves on, you are told that Harish has met with an accident thathas left him bedridden while Shabnam doesn’t want to be a partof the premiere. She wants to get away from her dominatinghusband and be by the side of the man who changed her attitudetowards life.
Now, you may be wondering what all of this has to do withThe Last Lear or Shakespeare for that matter. The Shakespeareanconnect comes in through Harish Mishra who eats, breathes andlives Shakespeare and theatre. But, just as he was about toperform one of his dream roles — that of King Lear — he leavesthe stage for good. Despite being a prolific actor on stage, he hasnever ventured onto the big screen — that is, till Siddharth comesknocking on his door. However, sadly for Harish and for the rest ofthe crew, the filming of the climax scene marks the end of Harrybaba. All in all, The Last Lear is a good watch for all those wholove Shakespeare. And, for all those who like what we in Indiacall alternative cinema. And, for all those who want to see Big Bat his finest!
1920 starts with two people being murdered by a vengefulspirit who does not want his lair to be demolished. The lair inquestion is a very old haveli, more like a castle.
Arjun (Rajneesh Duggal) leaves his family and Hindu faithfor Anglo-Indian Lisa ( Adah Sharma). The two go to Bombayand get married. But, strange things start happening to Lisaand she believes the palace they live in is haunted. Arjun isaway for work when she gets possessed by the restless spirit.The second half reveals why Lisa is the spirit's chosen one.
The movie has excellent production values andcinematography, but you cannot fully believe that AllertonCastle in Yorkshire is a haveli in Palanpur, a hill station inBritish India. The first half is especially spooky. It keeps yougripped, but the second half gets predictable. It is scary inparts though some parts appear comical. There is nothing wehaven't seen before. 1920 is essentially a love story. The horrorand period aspects are backdrops against which the love storydevelops. On the whole, it succeeds in scaring and entertainingyou. Leave your brains at home and you will not bedisappointed.
ENTER THEHAUNTED HOUSE
TAKE A BOW,MR BACHCHAN
October 2008 l 21 l VISIONASIA
RANBIR’S TO PLAYGRANDFATHER’S CHARACTER?AFTER Bachna Ae Haseeno, RanbirKapoor is now shooting for Raj KumarSantoshi’s Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani. Inthis film, Ranbir plays the depressedlover-boy hopelessly in love with theidea of being in love. It’s said that hischaracter in this film is inspired by theone played by his grandfather Raj Kapoorin Mera Naam Joker and Charlie Chaplinin City Lights.
A source reveals, “He plays Prem, aninnocent guy. And yes, his character issimilar to those played by CharlieChaplin and Raj Kapoor. He is veryexcited about this role since he loves hisgrandfather’s style and wants to revivehis humour.”
However, Ranbir’s character in AjabPrem Ki Gajab Kahani will be in sync withmodern times.
According to our source, Ranbirwatched his grandfather's films such asShri 420, Mera Naam Joker among othersfor this role. “His mother and fatherhave also helped him a lot for thecharacter. He is working very hard forthis film and almost 25 per cent hasalready been shot.”
Ranbir has been shooting for this filmfor almost four months now.
The music of film has been composedby Pritam while Katrina Kaif playsRanbir’s premika. Ajab Prem Ki GajabKahani is expected to release in 2009.
SETTLED in Benaras, Shivshankar Sahay (Anupam Kher) and hisfamily — wife Savitri (Jaya Bachchan) and daughters Badki (RaniMukherjee) and Chutki (Konkona Sen) — are facing tough times.Badki sets off to Mumbai, telling everyone that she has found ajob. But, to survive and help her family, she gives in to trading herbody and becomes a high-society escort girl who calls herselfNatasha.
Badki starts sending money back home regularly and happinessengulfs the Sahay household. On one 'assignment' abroad, Badkimeets Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan) and both start liking eachother. But before Rohan can make a move, Badki leaves. Timepasses, Chutki secures a job in Mumbai and surprises Badki by herarrival. Chutki's senior at work, Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor) falls for herand they decide to get married. The rest of the film deals withwhat happens when Badki’s double life is exposed to Chutki. Raniis excellent and Abhishek, in a small role, leaves his mark. Therest of the cast too is simply superb. A must watch!Catch this film at 19:00 AEST on Oct 20 on Sony
Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Konkona Sen, Kunal Kapoor, AkshayeKhanna and Irrfan KhanDirector: Anil Mehta
DIA (Madhuri Dixit) returns to her small hometown Shamli fromNew York to attend to her ailing dance guru. But, it’s too late.He passes away just before her arrival and Ajanta, theinstitution where she learnt dancing under him, is now underthreat of demolition.
With the help of Doctor (Raghubir Yadav), the caretaker ofAjanta, Dia sets out on a mission to save it. She is challengedby Rajasaab aka Uday (Akshaye Khanna), the local MP whobelieves that Ajanta has no takers and therefore, its demolitionto construct a shopping mall is the right thing to do. When Diaconfronts him, he throws her a challenge. She has to arrange atheatre production which will include only the locals and itssuccess will decide the fate of Ajanta. Dia accepts his nearimpossible challenge with only two months in hand. The cast isvaried and the actors all do a brilliant job. Madhuri is at herbest and we can clearly see why! Her performance and sheercharisma is outstanding.Catch this film at 19:00 AEST on Oct 27 on Sony
MADHURI ROCKS
KEEP THE TISSUESWITHIN REACH
AAJA NACHLE
LCMD
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October 2008 l 24 l VISIONASIA
AMRITA Rao will next be seen in Shyam Benegal’s Welcome toSajjanpur as the gaon ki chokri Kamla. We spoke with Amritaabout her role and working with the legendary director.� What’s Welcome to Sajjanpur all about?
The film is set in a village. There are villages where theliteracy rate is very low. With this film, we hope to spreadthe message of education. While shooting, I was remindedof the old serial Malgudi Days. This is the new Malgudi days.
� Tell us about your character Kamla.She is an illiterate girl from Sajjanpur. You could say thatshe is very dumb. Yet, she loves Mahadev, the only educatedman in the whole of Sajjanpur.
� How was it shooting with Shreyas Talpade?He is a wonderful actor and I was very comfortable workingwith him. He is such a professional. Despite hisMaharashtrian upbringing, he speaks Hindi without a hint ofthe Marathi accent.
� And working with director Shyam Benegal?I never imagined I would get a chance to work with a greatdirector like Shyam babu. While talking, we realised thatour villages in Bengal are very close to each other. He knowsKonkani, so we would talk in the same language, whichmade me very comfortable on the set.
AMRITA RAO ONWELCOME TO SAJJANPUR
SHREYAS IS ATERRIBLE BAWARCHISHREYAS Talpade, who plays a cook in Paying Guest, a filmsimilar to Rajesh Khanna’s famous comedy Bawarchi, says he is nomaster in the kitchen.
He says, “I’m a terrible cook. My wife laughed when she heardI was doing this role. She couldn’t wait to see how I would play acook. I can only make tea and omelettes. While shooting, I oncemade tea for all my co-stars, and it was all right.” On his role, hereveals, “In Paying Guest, I play Ramu, who has to become a cookif he has to have a roof over his head. It was a great experiencelearning to cook. I still remember making rotis. It took me aroundtwo-and-a-half days, but I learnt it. Overall, it was great shootingfor this role. This is not the first time I’ve worked with MuktaArts. I accepted this role because I’m a great fan of Kaka (RajeshKhanna) and he was amazing in Bawarchi. I have watched it atleast five times.”
About the film, he adds, “It is a romantic comedy — the storyof four friends who are in desperate need of a home. It has beenshot in Dubai.” When asked about his upcoming films, he said, “Ihave done Welcome to Sajjanpur, Golmaal Returns and Click. I amdoing everything, from comedy to horror. I want to try outdifferent roles now.”
October 2008 l 25 l VISIONASIA
SRK FINDS PEACE AT GOLDEN TEMPLESHAH Rukh Khan is currently in Amritsarfilming at the Golden Temple for AdityaChopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. His look for thefilm — with a moustache and head covered —makes SRK look quite serious and unlike hisnormal jovial self. While many believe hissombreness was for his role, a close associatetells us that SRK has in fact been upset forthe last few days. Coming to the GoldenTemple has brought back a lot of childhoodmemories for the superstar.
“Every time he comes here, heremembers happy times when he had visitedthe holy place with his parents. However,because of the stress he has been under forthe last couple of months, with his ill-healthand work commitments, going there madehim a bit melancholy,” says our source.
SRK was unusually quiet and didn’t eveninteract much with the cast and crew —something that almost never happens withthe King Khan. He would come out of his van,finish the shot and go back in.
At one point, he even turned to thecrowds and asked them to let them get onwith the shot. Everybody thought he was in ahurry to fly back to Mumbai. But that wasn’tthe case. “After everyone packed up, SRKwent back in to pay his respects. He wasinside the temple for 20 minutes. He spoke tothe heads in the temple and paid hisrespects,” says the source.
When the media asked him about hisprayers, Khan said he had prayed for his kidsand for the betterment of India and theworld.
October 2008 l 26 l VISIONASIA
By RAMA GAIND
AN exhilarating musical — The Merchants of Bollywood —revealing the glitz, gloss, glamour and opulence associated withHindi cinema is on show at Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coastuntil October 19.
After successful seasons in London and Europe, thisinternational smash hit brings you the essence of India, its rich,colourful, diverse culture and its people in a world oftechnicolour brilliance. It reveals the part cinema plays in theheart and soul of Indian society through an extraordinary eveningof music and dance. At the heart of it lies a genuine story of ayoung girl, her grandfather and their love for dance. Theenergetic celebration features 40 actors, who dance and singtheir way through the fest. The show has been choreographed byVaibhavi Merchant, the granddaughter of Harilal Merchant, oneof the founding fathers of classic Bollywood cinema.
On stage, the pivotal performer is Ayesha (Carol Furtado)who looks back on the traditional start to her career and herseparation from her mentor-grandfather when she goes toBollywood and makes her name as the Princess of Romance.
Her grandfather, Shantilal (Arif Zakaria), rejects Bollywood’sstyle and distances himself from Ayesha — until she returns to
her birthplace and meets her former boyfriend Uday (DeepakRawat). This sets the scene for dance that reflects the style ofthe most popular of the 800 films made every year in Mumbai.Lip-synching their way through the songs, they perform stepslinked mostly to recent movies, but also to a clutch of classics,naming legendary actors from 1955 to 1974. From disco and hip-hop to classical, they look like they're having a fabulous time andtheir vivacity carries the audience on a collective surge ofharmonious clapping and foot-tapping.
It’s a trip down memory lane with some numbers from Rangde Basanti, Devdas, Dhoom, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, KabhiAlvida Na Kehna and Kal Ho Naa Ho. After the intense openingwith the Natraja in the Temple of Shiva, some of the singinghighlights include blockbuster songs such as Rang de Basanti,Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Nach Baliye, Kajra Re, Say Shava Shava,Dhoom Machale Dhoom and Rock and Roll Soniye. What’s more,there’s also some comic relief with antics from Pramod Pathakand Romi Jaspal, who play Tony Bakshi and Happy Singh.
The show is the brainchild of writer-director Toby Gough andthe music — written by Salim and Sulaiman — has an irresistiblebeat. Shimming costumes, sensational lighting and frenetic flowadd to the razzle-dazzle, resulting in a totally electrifyingexperience.
WITNESS THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUROF THE MERCHANTS OF BOLLYWOOD
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October 2008 l 28 l VISIONASIA
AADESH-ADNANKA JHAGDAYET another jhagada in Bollywood! But no superstars this time.It’s musicians Aadesh Sirvastav and Adnan Sami who got into anargument recently.
Our source reveals, “They had a fight during Richa Sharma’sbirthday party. We never imagined that Aadesh and Adnan wouldfight with each other.” On the reason behind the fight, thesource adds, “Aadesh accused Adnan of being a bad singer. ‘Youdon’t know how to sing,’ he said. The spat became worse whenAadesh, who was drunk, went a step further and told him, ‘Youare not a singer, so please don’t sing’. It all began when RichaSharma asked her guests to sing. The argument lasted for almosthalf an hour.”
When contacted, Aadesh confirmed the news, saying, “Yes,Adnan and I did argue. Whatever I said was true. He thinks he isa wonderful singer but, as a musician, I don’t find his voiceeffective. Also, Adnan was not happy when he was not selectedas a member of the Cine Music Directors Association as he wasnot able to furnish all the required documents.” A source close toAdnan said he does not wish to comment on the matter.
AMRITA Arora, whose last film Red bombed at the box-office,is now hoping to set the record straight with her performancein Golmaal Returns. Playing Ajay Devgan's sister Esha in thefilm, Amu is dropping her sexy avatar and going for the plainJane look. And Amrita says that she hopes this role will appealto her fans.
"For the first time, I will be wearing specs and very lightmake-up. I will also be wearing checked shirts and trousers inthe film, so the audiences can relate to the simplicity of mycharacter. Vikram Phadnis has worked on my look and we wentmad about small details such as the right frame for my specsand whether my hairstyle should be a ponytail or a small choti."says Amrita.
The actress says director Rohit Shetty has kept the promisehe made her during the shooting of Dilli Ki Sardi. “He hadpromised me a great role. Everybody thinks I got the rolebecause of my friendship with Kareena but that was just acoincidence,” she says. The actress says that working with herbest mate was lots of fun. Golmaal Returns hits the screens thismonth.
AMRITA CONFIDENTABOUT GOLMAAL RETURNS
October 2008 l 30 l VISIONASIA
TWINKLE Khanna, whose last film Love Ke Liye Kuch BhiKarega was released in 2001, says she is happy being an interiordesigner. The co-owner of The White Window store, Twinklesays she has no intentions of making a comeback and has herhands full with her business and helping her mom in the wax-making business.
Twinkle says, “I’m enjoying the outer world of Bollywood asI’m busy with my interior work. Recently, I designed interiorsfor actresses such as Rani Mukherjee. I do not want to comeback to Bollywood. I’m not interested in it and I’m quite happymanaging my family and my business. I have to look after Aaravand his studies, and Akshay, who is working harder and harder,and has reached the top in Bollywood.”
She explains, “It’s important for me to look after my familyrather than my filmi career. My mother did the same when wewere born, so I’m happy with my family life.”
Twinkle Khanna married Akshay Kumar in 2001 and decidedto quit films immediately after that.
TWINKLE DOESN’TWANT A COMEBACK
JACKIE CHAN TODIRECT AKSHAY?RECENTLY, Bollywood was abuzz with the news that AkshayKumar will be sharing screen space with Jackie Chan. While thenews of the two stars getting together is true, sources involvedwith the project say that V. Ravichandran, the producer of KamalHassan’s Dashaavtaram, will be producing the film. “Jackie flewdown to Chennai for the music launch of Dashaavtaram and that’swhen the talks between Ravichandran and him took place. Jackiehas expressed his desire to direct the film,” says a source.
“The budget is pegged at Rs. 550 crore. The script is presentlybeing worked on, after which Jackie will fly down to Chennai towork out the technicalities and locales for filming. Akshay Kumarhas already had preliminary discussions with the producer abouthis dates and availability,” informs the source.
Describing the plot of the film, the source adds that it will bean all-out action movie. “Jackie and Akshay will be playing thelead roles. Obviously, considering both their backgrounds, therewill be a lot of martial arts-based stunts and fight sequences. Thefilm will be shot in the US, and major technicians and fightmasters from Hollywood will be collaborating,” adds the source.