Billo Barber Releasing on Oct. 24

Films set in the US, Australia and England appeal to NRI and domestic audiences alike; they have done well at the box office. After churning them out relentlessly for many years, Bollywood filmmakers are getting more ambitious and starting to sign up Hollywood stars.

Amongst big ticket Bollywood films still to be released this year, we could identify just one that will feature no foreign locales…

Shah Rukh Khan’s Billo Barber to be released on October 24!

The rest preset a varying mix of foreign actors, foreign setting, foreign technicians and foreign locales:

Love Story 2050 (July 4) , top lining debutant Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra, was shot extensively in Adelaide and Melbourne Australia; and New York City, USA, and features VFX by a team from Germany.

Singh Is Kinng (August 8), top lining Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, is partly set in Australia, was shot there to the extent of 50% using a team of Australians technicians, and features foreign actors in its cast.

Dostana (October 24), top lining Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham and Bobby Deol, is set in Florida, was shot almost entirely at locales there, and features small time US actors in its cast.

Bachna Aye Haseeno (October 24), top lining Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba, is set partly in Australia, was filmed at locales in New South Wales, Australia and Venice, Veneto, Italy.

Yuvraj (October 24), top lining Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, has been filmed at locales in Austria.

Chandni Chowk to China (October 29), top lining Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, features Hollywood star Chia Hui Liu (Kill Bill), is set partly in China and has been filmed extensively at locales in Bangkok and China.

Kambakth Ishq (December 5), top lining Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor, is set in Hollywood, is being shot at locales in US and Italy, and features Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (December 12), top lining Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma will be filmed at locales in Greece, Australia and Dubai.

Bollywood films set abroad help NRIs escape their isolation, and domestic Indians escape reality. The appeal is broad. Foreign technicians and stuntmen make that escape more contemporary and thrilling. However, it is not clear what Bollywood filmmakers hope to achieve by signing up Hollywood stars.

Are Bollywood filmmakers chasing their own dreams by signing up Hollywood actors. The problem is: Selling dreams works, always. Chasing them, only sometimes.

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Amitabh Bachchan on Foreign Market

MUMBAI: Just like the rickshawwallah only showed a penchant for Bollywood’s songdance fare, the NRI audience couldn’t get enough of the mustard fields of Punjab, with Yash Chopra and Karan Johar being happy to oblige. However, recent trends indicate that a shift in videsi taste. Earlier this month, Sarkar Raj debuted at No 11 at the US box-office , almost breaking into the Top 10, a tough act considering the size of the market (the UK top ten is much easier).

In its first three days it collected $642,543 according to Nielsen and has tilled over a million. In the UK, the film debuted at No 8, collecting approximately 200,000 pounds on the first weekend. Previous hits in the last six months are Taare Zameen Par (Rs 19 crore); Jodhaa-Akbar (Rs 20 crore) and Race (Rs 16 crore).

“Foreign markets are showing diverse trends,’’ says Priti Shahni of Indian Films. “The demographics of the market are changing because the overseas Asian population is now an eclectic mix.’’ Keeping north Indian fare company in a foreign theatre are south Indian offerings . Regional films like Shivaji and Dasavatharam have also grossed big numbers. Shahni adds, “While a starstudded romantic comedy is still the safest bet, films of different genres too are scoring in the foreign market.’’

Actor Amitabh Bachchan says that the overseas market has always been a bit of an enigma, largely because the opaqueness of the distribution processes. But with the penetration of renowned production houses, corporate and non-corporate , there is credibility and transparency. “My personal reckoning of the issue was guided by the pioneering efforts made by a few enterprising individuals who took me out on worldwide concert tours in the early 80s,’’ says Bachchan.

“The stupendous turnouts and the excitement generated was an eyeopener . How were thousands of stadia filling up with audiences so conversant with our cinema and our stars?’’ Acknowledging the contribution of Yash Chopra, Adi Chopra and Karan Johar who understood the potential of Hindi films overseas, Bachchan adds that the immense popularity of ShahRukh Khan came as an added benefit and thereafter the market was never the same.

“The same West that virtually scoffed at our content and its escapist song-anddance routine began to see just that as its unique selling point. And the so-called NRI quotient that prevailed began to flourish ,’’ he says. He also feels that the success of Race, Taare Zameen Par and now Sarkar Raj points to a healthy shift towards recognising creativity of a different order. An order that can compare well with what the West produces.

Praveen Nischol, producer of Sarkar Raj, says, “Our film is not conventionally suited to the palate of the NRI. Perhaps after this. realistic, high-drama films will fetch better prices in overseas territory.’’ Producer N R Pachisia, however, says “a lavishly mounted drama has a better chance of succeeding overseas because the NRI loves all things big’’ . He feels that Jodhaa Akbar and Sarkar Raj have worked well also because Aishwarya Rai is a style icon, whom the NRI loves.

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Bollywood Musical to Travel!

The first-ever Bollywood musical show – City of Dreams by the Moranis is running to a packed house at St Andrew’s Auditorium, Mumbai.

Directed by Gautam Joglekar and Mohomed Morani, City of Dreams stars Lucky Nasreen Morani, Kashmera Shah, Gaurav Chopra, Mandar and Anand Tiwari. Narrating the story through audio-visual are Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Karan Johar, Urmila Matonkar, Arjun Rampal and others.

Says actor Gaurav, “The response is fabulous. We were nervous in the beginning, considering it was a first of its kind in India. Everyone had doubts as to whether we will be able to pull off this dream project or not. And now, we see the same people standing and clapping for us. I hope this will set a new trend in Bollywood.”

While the show is doing extremely well in Mumbai the organisers are in talks with a leading multinational bank and soon, City of Dreams may travel to other parts of the country, including Delhi.

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Bachchan Vs. Khan Tour Prices

After a two-year lull for celebrity world tours, the tinsel town is back in action. The first-ever Bachchan trio tour, The Unforgettable, will fetch Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek and Aishwariya together nearly Rs 60 crore from 16 performances starting from July 18 in Toronto.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan will alone net nearly Rs 40 crore from performing across 25 cities for the Temptations Reloaded tour that will pan out in two phases.

Bollywood stars are making double of what they earned from these tours a few years ago. The Big B of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan, commands Rs 2.5 crore, more than double of what he charged two years ago (around Rs 1 crore) a performance. In a 50-60 days’ tour, there may be around 20-25 performances.

Shah Rukh Khan is not far behind Bachchan. He rakes in around Rs 2 crore currently. Earlier, he earned around Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

However, Khan is challenged by Akshay Kumar, who charges almost the same. The other biggies like Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan charge in the range of Rs 1.5-1.75 crore. Temptations in 2004, which spread across 43 cities has been the benchmark for bollywood tours.

However, in the years that followed, the overseas performances of Bollywood stars have witnessed a downturn. While Temptations witnessed a full house, the tour that followed in 2006, Rock Star, met with cold response with around 70 per cent occupancy even with Salman Khan, John Abraham and Shahid Kapoor performing.

“Stars who attract global audiences have not been available for tours in the last two years. Also, remuneration back then was not compelling enough for them to be willing to perform overseas over a period of 40-60 days,” said Mohammed Morain, the promoter of Cineyug Entertainment, who is organising Temptations Reloaded, in which Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal and Ganesh Hedge will perform along with Shah Rukh Khan.

The Temptations Reloaded tour will be held in two phases, with the first lap rolling out on Saturday in Amsterdam. The second round will be held next year.However, women performers still make much lesser money. The only woman star who matches the men stars is Aishwariya.

The only woman star who matches the men stars is Aishwariya. She earns around Rs 1.25 crore for her stage performance currently. Earlier, she would get in between Rs 80 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Other heroines like Rani Mukherjee, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif and Bipasha Basu earn half of what Aishwariya does (around Rs 45-50 lakh).

Still the fee is less in case of multi-city performances since the star then signs a bulk deal.

“The performance fee varies depending on the market, the kind of performance the actor will deliver and popularity of the star at the time the tour is held. The success of a film at the box office also affects the performance fee,” said Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment, organisers of The Unforgettable, which will showcase Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Preity Zinta and Riteish Deshmukh in addition to the Bachchans.

Meanwhile, industry players are now looking to adopt the Hollywood model, whereby a star is paid a minimum guarantee amount and has a revenue-sharing agreement. Show organisers earn not only from ticket sales, but also from television telecast rights, mobile rights and merchandising.

The challenge, however, organisers face is from television channels, which pay humongous amounts to celebrities either to play host on a show or be a judge, says industry sources. Sources said now with celebrity shows not garnering eyeballs, the focus will shift to tours.

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SRK’s Hot Bod Puts Aditya to Shame!

Superstar ShahRukh Khan’s six-pack abs in ?Om Shanti Om gave a complex to many including 20-year-old Aditya Narayan, best known for hosting Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. He says he was ashamed of his paunch after seeing King Khan’s toned body.

“When I saw Shah Rukh’s six-packs in Dard-e-disco song in Om Shanti Om, I felt so ashamed. At 42, he is so fit, so popular and has so much money. And at such a young age, I had a paunch. I was so ashamed,” singer-actor-anchor Aditya.

Aditya is set to host the new season of popular music reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2009 that starts July 4 and he will be sporting a new look. “I will look sexier this season. I have lost a lot of weight and I am also sporting a new hairstyle – a slight mohawk,” he said.

Aditya, son of well-known playback singer Udit Narayan, debuted as an anchor with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 and later went on to host Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs as well. He also won several television awards for his stint as a host.

As a child, Aditya sang alongside his father in Akele Hum Akele Tum in 1995 and then with Asha Bhosle in Rangeela. He shot to fame for his song Chotta bachcha in the 1996 film Masoom.

He also appeared in movies such as Pardesand Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota as a child artiste.

Now set to become a full-fledged hero, Aditya is quite sure of the kind of films he wants to do. “I want to do love stories, maybe college romance stories or some new genre. I don’t want to do offbeat films in the beginning; so commercial cinema is what I want to do first,” he said. Whether commercial or offbeat, Aditya says he will sing for himself in his films.

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Shiamak Keeps RNBDJ Dancing A Secret

Top choreographer Shiamak Davar has a long association with Yash Chopra and his banner, Yash Raj Films.

One can remember his superb choreography in ‘Le gayee le gayee’ (DIL TO PAGAL HAI), way back in 1997. Some of his subsequent projects with Yash Raj include BUNTY AUR BABLI (2005) and DHOOM 2 (2006).

Shiamak is presently involved in one of the most prestigious projects of recent times, Aditya Chopra’s Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Vinay Pathak starrer, RAB NE BANA DI JODI (RNBDJ).

However, he has just not restricted himself to Bollywood and is also busy with other non Bollywood projects, including a hot dance routine for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.

He is also a frequent globe-trotter and during one such foreign trips (Vancouver, to be precise), he was asked about the storyline of RNBDJ.

The guarded choreographer said that the film is about a dancer and apologized saying that he was sworn to secrecy and so would not be able to disclose anything further.

Well, it seems like we will have to wait for December 12 to decipher what exactly Shiamak means; though another section of the media terms RAB NE BANA DI JODI as a romantic comedy.

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Aziz Mirza On SRK’s Success

Aziz’s association with Shah Rukh spans more than two decades.

They have worked together in Chalte Chalte, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.

Aziz also directed Shah Rukh for the TV serial Circus. However, not many know that Shah Rukh had even acted in another tele-serial with Aziz before Circus. “I started working with Shah Rukh in the TV serial Ummeed, which nobody knows. It’s one of Shah Rukh’s best performances,” he says

Aziz also goes on to narrate an interesting episode with Shah Rukh’s mother. “I had met her about a week or 10 days before she passed away. She asked me ‘will my son become a star’. I said ‘I don’t know if your son would become a star. But I can assure you that he will never run out of work. He’s a good actor. And good things will happen to him’. Mashaallah, today he is gone a lot ahead of his time.

And it’s all because of his mother’s dua. Wherever he’s reached today, it’s because of his mother,” he says.

Aziz’s latest film Kismat Konnection with Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan is also the first film made by Aziz that does not have Shah Rukh Khan associated with it. “It didn’t require Shah Rukh. It’s about a young boy. Juhi (Chawla) had said ‘this is a Shah Rukh role 15 years ago’. But now 15 years have passed,” he says.

Though Shah Rukh is not a part of this film, Aziz still has a tremendous bonding with him. They both, along with Juhi, had set up Dreamz Unlimited, their production house. So how come Kismat Konnection was not part of the Dreamz stable? “Dreamz comprised Shah Rukh, Juhi and myself. But here there was no Shah Rukh or Juhi. Inshaallah, the moment I make a film with Shah Rukh, it will be under the Dreamz banner, or now maybe even Red Chillies,” says Aziz.

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Shah Rukh Not Pleased With Don Sequel?

Reports are that Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan has demanded changes in the script of Don sequel.

Recently when Farhan Akhtar approached SRK with the script, King Khan demanded changes in it and sources says that this is his way of showing disinterest.

Even before the release of ‘Don’, Akhtar supported by SRK had announced that a sequel to the movie, tentatively titled ‘Don 2’, would be made.

The film, a remake of Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don (1978) , bombed at the Box Office, but that did not stop King Khan from expressing his commitment towards the sequel of the film.

The sequel to ‘Don’ is a joint venture of SRK’s production house Red Chillies and Akhtar’s and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment.

‘Don 2’ is to show SRK in a devilish avatar and he would be immensely laced up with power.

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Love is in the Air on KAPPS

This weekend is indeed a remarkable one as King Khan finally gets a chance to meet up with his ‘Bichdi hui Behen’ Yogita Sethi & his crazy fan Sweety Sharma on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Friday, June 27.

The rollover contestant Yogita Sethi continues to play smartly and wittily as she gets her answers right keeping her cheats till the end. Yogita ends up winning a handsome amount on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? and wishes to buy her husband their dream car. The couple is much in love and expresses their affection on screen as they lovingly exchange flying kiss.

SRK humorously comments that “love is the air”. Yogita blushes while she goes on to reveal another secret that she was once madly in love with Shah Rukh. Acknowledging her confession, SRK makes her the ‘Bichdi hui Behen’.

The second contestant of the day on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? is the hilarious Sweety Sharma. SRK addresses her as Swe throughout the show as it’s her nick name. Swe turns out to be a great fan of King Khan and gifts him a red rose as soon as she enters the set.

Being confused with the questions, Swe admits that she has come to the show completely unprepared but meeting SRK is the finest experience. King Khan appreciates her sense of humor and insists her to say ‘maal pahunch gaya’ in DON style. Sew also gets an extra doze of gyan from SRK as he shares his tips on success & hard work.

So who will win the heart of SRK on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? Will Yogita be able to gift her husband their dream car or Sweety be able to crack the jackpot?? To know this, watch Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Friday, June 27th, 8 pm only on Star Plus.

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RNBDJ Buzz

One of the most awaited releases of the year, RAB NE BANA DI JODI (RNBDJ), which marks the return to direction of the scion of the Chopra family, Aditya Chopra, is progressing briskly. As we had broken the news, earlier this month, the latest addition to the film’s cast is Vinay Pathak, and he has confirmed the news officially.

Unlike the popular perception, the reason as to why it took eight years for Aditya Chopra to return to direction is very simple. The DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE and MOHABBATEIN director was busy in production work and had assigned the job of direction to different directors, several of them new. He also completed the setting up of the formidable state-of-the-art Yash Raj Studio.

Coming to the Shah Rukh Khan-Anushka Sharma starrer, RNBDJ, unlike Aditya’s previous directorial ventures, as mentioned above, this one is going to be a quickie and if things go according to plans, RAB NE BANA DI JODI will release before the year 2008 ends.

Also, says grapevine…

That there may be one more hero for SRK’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Off late, a certain section of the media in New Delhi has been buzzing with wild rumours that Anant Narayan is all set to make his silver screen debut with Aditya Chopra’s much-talked about directorial next Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi that is slated for a Dec 12th release later this year. It is also being speculated that the illustrious filmmaker will launch two newcomers in his Shahrukh Khan magnum opus.

While Aditya Chopra has officially announced that 19-year old model from Bangalore Anushka Sharma will star opposite superstar Shahrukh Khan in this interesting love saga, the rumours doing the rounds suggested otherwise. The grapevine suggests that Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is actually not a pure and simple love story but a love triangle in which Anant essays the part of the third lead and Anushka’s love interest in the film.

Inundated with calls and messages since the last few days, Anant has been battling some rather inane queries from random people.

“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing for the past few days. I’ve been receiving calls from all kinds of people congratulating me on my big break with the Yash Raj banner. My inbox has been flooded with some messages congratulating me on my ‘dream role’ in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, while some requesting me to send my pictures across. One even demanded my autograph! It has all been pretty bizarre!” says the 21-year old celebrity journalist.

And that’s not all.

“There are all kinds of other rumours doing the rounds too. I allegedly met up with Mr. Aditya Chopra and pleaded him to give me a break in his film. He then took my screen test following which I was finalized for his film. I find it all extremely amusing because the truth is that I’m not starring in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I haven’t even met or spoken to Aditya Chopra, forget about approaching him to give me a break. There is no doubt that I have received some interesting film offers, but I haven’t said yes to any as yet. And even if I have, I’m not allowed to talk about them at this point”, Anant sets the record straight.

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