Film Industry

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Discover the excitement of a romantic holiday in Hong Kong

Get romantic in Hong Kong

    It’s time to discover the excitement of a romantic holiday in Hong Kong — a living fusion of East and West. Whether you are planning your honeymoon, celebrating an anniversary or simply getting to know one another, Hong Kong has the magic to make memories for life. Its celebrated Victoria Harbour makes a perfect backdrop for those in love.
    Asia’s World City offers lovers the opportunity to stay in the lap of luxury, enjoy romantic seafood dinners on the waterfront and indulge in some retail therapy at its famed malls and themed street markets. The city is so compact and easy to get around that you can explore its green outdoors or immerse yourself in its timeless heritage and culture.
    Hold your hands at the lofty Victoria Peak or stroll along a white sand beach between lush, green mountains and the South China Sea. Head for a seafood feast at the picturesque Sai Kung, Lei Yue Mun or the tranquil Lamma Island, and when the sun sets, marvel at the dazzling display of A Symphony of Lights unfolding like a dream, followed by a moonlit stroll along the Avenue of Stars at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. If a chauffeured limousine is not your scene, go ahead and hire a helicopter for a thrilling ride over the territory. Or take a tram tour of Hong Kong Island, or an open-top bus along the neon-lit Nathan Road at night.
    Pamper your special someone with a romantic meal at the fashionable dining hotspots like SoHo or Knutsford Terrace while Stanley and Repulse Bay offer a unique alfresco dining experience. Enjoy the drinks at Lan Kwai Fong or at the stylish rooftop bars with fabulous views.

Win a dream holiday trip to Hong Kong with your special someone or a collector’s copy of Hold My Hand, signed by author Durjoy Dutta.

The Bharatiya 9:33 AM

B-Boying, hip-hop popular at this year’s dandiya

Traditional moves get a spin with many revellers including western dance in their routines

    There are a whole lot of new steps around this year, affirms Purvi Vadera, who loves to dance and teach her pals some moves in the run up to the season. She says, “Last year, it was Gangnam Style that was big. This year, Psy’s Gentleman and BBoying steps are big. Each group is also doing their own twist. My husband Ritesh and our friends also have a style. In garba, one usually does the clap, then goes forward and turns, but we clap and go forward, then do two spins, followed by two flips, all done just like B-Boying. It’s not easy though,” she says, adding, “The ghagra is about nine metres, so we have to catch the end part, then do the steps. But it’s fun too.”
    Samir and Arsh Tanna, the husband-wife duo who choreographed Dhol Baaje from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, say while Bollywood is still big, international fusion is catching up as a fad. “The dress and look may be traditional, but some moves are clearly westernised. Lots of couples are doing the dandiya with Locking and Popping, which looks like the breakdance. It’s really energetic,” he says.
    A regular at dandiya nights in the city, Dev Kakkad predicts that the freestyle dandiya trend is going to be around for the next few years too. “People want something new. Earlier youngsters mostly did the traditional ‘hinch’ garba, which is performed to teen taal, as well as popat and dodiya steps. Now you have youngsters grooving to a mix of hip-hop and songs like Dhinka Chika or Hudd Hudd Dabangg. In Mumbai, you won’t really
see the authentic
dandiya,” he grins.

ALSO POPULAR Zumba: An intense dance regime, actually meant for fitness lovers.
Jumpstyle:
Incorporates jumping and kicking with catchy numbers.

The Bharatiya 9:29 AM

An ‘I Quit’ video is the latest viral sensation

This has also led to a counter ‘We’re hiring’ video, as well as spoofs from others from across the world

    After Gangnam Style, twerking and Harlem Shake, this time the latest video to go viral has a personal touch. Marina Shifrin, an American woman working in a Taiwanese animation firm, decided to announce her decision to quit through a video. This new favourite features her dancing around in her office, without really naming who she works for.
    Instead, she just lists out the reasons as to why she’s quitting, while prancing around to Kanye West’s Gone in the song. One gets to see her letter, which come as scroll-text throughout. Before proclaiming ‘I quit’, she writes “For almost two years I’ve sacrificed my relationships, time and energy for this job. And my boss only cares about quantity and how many views each video gets. So I figured I’d make ONE video of my own.”
    Marina has been quoted as saying that she was tired of the Taiwanese work environment, which placed a lot of emphasis on quantity, giving her no time or space outside work. In fact, the first thing she stated post the video going viral was that she wanted to go back to the United States for a job.
    Meanwhile, the video, which has gathered nearly 15 million views, has also caught the fancy of many people who are offering Marina a job. Among them is actress-comedienne Queen Latifah, who has offered her a digital content producer job, tweeted, “This girl was so creative! I had to offer this internet sensation a job.”
A COUNTER VIDEO The Taiwanese company has now made a counter video with their staff dancing. The video has lyrics that scroll which say “We want to wish Marina well and let everyone know… we’re HIRING.”
MEMES AND SPOOFS TOO With the video going viral, memes and spoofs were to follow. Among these included a video by Brenna Jennings, a work-from-home mother, whose video says she is tired of the chores at home, but ends with “I’m kidding, we’re out of milk.”

The Bharatiya 9:26 AM

Love, sex aur dhokha in the Bigg Boss house

Bigg Boss has earned quite a reputation for being a love haven. All chapters of the reality show have seen people falling in love inside the house. This season, while Gauahar Khan and Kushal Tandon’s love story is ruling air waves and making other housemates uncomfortable, romance might be brewing between Tannisha and Armaan Kohli, who are fondly called Tan-Man. Here’s a look at the ‘jodis’ that made headlines over the years on the show.

VEENA MALIK AND ASHMIT PATEL
They set the house on fire with their very public display of affection in the fourth season. Not only did Veena give oil massages to Ashmit inside the house, the cameras even captured them resting on a single bean bag, with them cuddling. But the duo parted ways some time after they left the house.

SARA KHAN AND ALI MERCHANT
Sara, who seemed quite close to Ashmit Patel initially in the fourth season, had a public wedding with Ali a few weeks later on the show. However, the two headed for splitsville soon after the season ended. There was buzz the couple was paid a handsome 50 lakh for the ‘wedding’.

CLAUDIA CIESLA AND PRAVESH RANA
The two were seen all lovey-dovey in season three — cosying up and passionately staring into each other’s eyes. Pravesh even gave her Hindi lessons and sang songs for her. But did it last after the show went off the air? Of course not! The two even avoid speaking about each other, fuelling speculations that it was nothing but a publicity stunt.

SANA KHAN AND RAJEV PAUL
Though the couple always maintained they were nothing more than good friends, Delnaaz Paul’s ex-husband Rajev seemed very charmed by Sana in the sixth season. Sana, however, was accused of playing the pati patni aur woh game and also had a scene going with Vishal Karwal.

GAUAHAR KHAN AND KUSHAL TANDON
Gauahar and Kushal are the latest couple to spice things up inside the house. The lovebirds are inseparable and can be heard singing songs, playing games and holding hands well into the night. Guess what Kushal asked the wishing wall a few weeks ago? Gauahar it was! Seeing the blossoming romance, they were even sent on a date. The love story is a hot topic among housemates, who have disclosed how uncomfortable the couple’s presence makes them. And who can forget how Kushal fumed with jealousy when Asif Azim flirted with Gauahar. Now, we wonder if this romance is for real or is just a way to catch eyeballs.

ANUPAMA VERMA AND ARYAN VAID
They started the trend of ‘love stories’ on this show in the first season. Aryan was inconsolable when he had to leave her inside the house after being evicted. But, nothing much was heard once they were out of the house.

PAYAL ROHATGI AND RAHUL MAHAJAN
The two got up, close and personal in the house pool in the second season. Later, there were rumours that Rahul even invited her to participate in Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. But Payal turned down the offer.

AKASHDEEP SAIGAL AND POOJA BEDI
Pooja and Akash aka Sky Walker developed a liking for each other inside the house in season five. Later, after the show, Sky even got Pooja’s name tattooed on his right bicep, thus declaring his love for her openly.

The Bharatiya 9:24 AM

Hrithik, Farah launch Krrish 3-inspired jewellery

    For Hrithik Roshan, his on-screen superhero avatar is more than just a reel character. “The values that define Krrish have by far had the biggest impact on my life. He is a symbol — of courage, strength and harmony — and a symbol is more powerful than any actor, movie or person. I believe anyone can choose to be a superhero…it’s not about the cape or the mask, but a mental stance,” he says.
    In keeping with that sentiment, the actor has collaborated with his sister-in-law — jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali — on an exclusive collection inspired by his much-awaited film, Krrish 3. Set in sterling silver and diamonds, the line — which includes a range of accessories like leather bands, mobile charms, pendants, pins and the Krrish superhero mask — will be available on Farah’s web portal,
www .farahkhanfinejewellery.com, as well as her store in Mumbai.
    Farah says, “The thought behind the Krrish symbol is so powerful that I wanted to immortalise it in my jewellery. It is symbolic of the idea that each one of us can make a difference. It is not meant to be a fashion fad, one that will die out after the movie has released. It can be passed down generations.”
    As for Hrithik, he says he keeps the symbol to remind him in times of despair that he can overcome anything. “This symbol has constantly helped me find the hero within, through my innumerable struggles. It empowers me to rise each time.”

Hrithik Roshan and Farah Khan Ali

The Bharatiya 9:24 AM

Ranveer-Deepika’s sizzling chemistry

Here’s another exclusive picture of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram-Leela

The Bharatiya 9:23 AM

SHAH RUKH AND I HAVE THE BEST DIRECTOR-ACTOR CHEMISTRY ANYONE CAN HAVE

Karan Johar may easily be the most loved man in the film industry. He is not just versatile, but also a big individual brand to reckon with. He is a cinema child, who loves Bollywood music. He is not only unapologetic about what he does, but also does it with panache. He loves the flashbulbs and the paparazzi and would hate it if he is not recognised. In a conversation with Bombay Times, he talks about his vision for Dharma, his enhanced stardom through TV and his unbeatable jodi with Shah Rukh Khan. Excerpts:

How do you see Dharma from here? We are on the brink of something larger. Just like me, we are also playing two roles. My company is as Gemini as I am. We are boutique in operation, but studio in content supervision. We are walking like a line in between the two and finally, we have to take a side and I am hoping that the side is the larger vision. But I am not interested in getting into distribution and exhibition. I am definitely interested in upscaling the infrastructure and the physical space I operate in. Apoorva (Mehta) and I are just two people running the show. I look after creative and he, the financial side of our business, just like two brothers would do in a company. And we are very excited with the growth. I lost my dad in 2004. In 2013, we have upped the ante and positioned ourselves in the bracket of leading production houses and studios. While films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani made money for us, equally important is a film like Student Of The Year, which helped me build my brand value amongst the youth. I am really proud that at 40, I made my youngest film. We launched 13 filmmakers and created new stars through SOTY and want to continue to be the ground for new talent.

Is it a conscious shift for you to be associated with films like The Lunchbox and Bombay Talkies that you did not do before? Yes. We would now like to spread our wings to making and supporting all kinds of genres. The image I have had of making the more family, bubble-gum, NRI kind of films, will take me a lot of time to deconstruct, but whether it was directing a film like My Name Is Khan or being a part of Bombay Talkies or associating with films like The Lunchbox, we do want to spread our wings. You could argue that why would I want to deconstruct at all, but that is because my sensibility adheres to all kinds of cinema. While I love the films that I have made in the past, I am also an audience that would clap in my seat watching The Lunchbox. I am a cinema child. I grew up watching parallel films as much as I watched potboilers. That kind of varied repertoire that I have for cinema is what I am trying to bring into Dharma.

Even though your film was much appreciated, did you feel uncomfortable directing Bombay Talkies? Not at all, as I made a film I strongly believed in and thoroughly enjoyed making. When you don’t have the sword of the box office hanging on your head, you can really flourish in the film business. I wish I had the courage to make a film with what we call risqué content at a large level. Some of us are so scared of failure and going wrong as individual brands, that we tend to protect ourselves and land up making films only in our comfort zone. I would personally like to break out of it. I can’t at this age, at this stage, still be worried about success and failure. But I also know that whatever I write will always be mainstream, as that is what I am as a viewer. I am a Gemini and can adapt to most atmospheres. You get two for the price of one when you are a Gemini.

Geminis are known to be doublefaced. Can you portray what you are not? I do that on a daily basis. I am not always myself. Who in the industry does not? I am always acting, be at a party, at work or in office. My attitude changes from meeting to meeting, from being serious to intense to funny, depending on who is in the room.

When are you yourself? Only at home with my mum when I am silent watching TV and we are both staring at it. She will ask me how my day was and I give her an organic reaction. That is the only time I am myself.

What made you judge a dance reality show? While the reason for judging the show was initially monetary, as TV pays you a lot, I actually enjoyed it. I spend so much monies on my films that the money I make from television supports my personal indulgences. There is this whole perception that we are this multicrore company, but we spend a lot of money in our movies and we are amongst the few people who pay well, spend well and project our films in a certain way. That indulgence to invest in films is me and me alone. I would clearly choose to make a great film with no money versus one which is okay with lots of money. Money is a great upside, but cannot be the only motivating reason to be in the business. Yes, cinema is a balance between the art and commerce, but if the tilt is not in favour of the art, then I am in the wrong place.

Has TV made you a bigger celebrity? Yes, and I love the limelight. I feel if you do something don’t be apologetic. So, I won’t feel apologetic about dancing because I am a filmmaker. You can either be apologetic and have people laugh at you or enjoy what you do, so that people think that if he is enjoying it so much why should we judge him. But that is me and I am not apologising. No other filmmaker in the world will dance on a reality show, but I am a museum piece and there is only one of me in the world. I love to dance whatever my ability may be and I am truly proud of whatever I have done. I am very happy when my name is screamed out and I have to wave. I have an outof-body experience because as a child, I had always dreamt of walking the red carpet. I do it with a lot of panache and am very happy when I am recognised. I like the flashbulbs on me and the paparazzi invasion and walking the red carpets all over the world wearing my black suit and tie, with all the attention. I am very happy when I am recognised and very unhappy when I am not.

Will you direct Shah Rukh Khan again? Yes, I can’t wait to. Shah Rukh and I have the best director-actor chemistry anyone can have. He knows it, I know it, we know it. Every time we come together, we will make a magical movie. He knows my beats as a filmmaker and I know his, as an actor. The way we understand each other, I don’t think I will be able to have that tuning with any other actor. When I write a film with Shah Rukh in it, I will put in that pause I know he will take. Likewise, he knows the emotion I need. He will look at me and say, ‘You want it more teary, right?’ We have that understanding that comes from the amount of time we have spent together. I have spent 500 days of my life on set and 2000 days personally with him. So how will I not know him better than any other filmmaker? The connection we have can be rekindled any time and it will always be like it always was. We have the synergy that words cannot have. We have a silent understanding that from my end, is a lot more respect, and from his end, is a lot more love. We will work together when I write that script for him that not only warrants his superstardom, but also a film that he has not done before.

No one can multitask like you do. How do you manage? I have no personal life and no spouse and kids with all the time in the world. Those eight hours that you would give to your relationship or spouse, I give to my work. Me and mum are my life. She is an extremely understanding woman and she understands my passion. All I do is work. I am in office sometimes first thing in the morning and here, till midnight at times. I have no social life beyond a point. I am at parties where I have to be, but my heart is not at parties anymore. Very few people engage me and few conversations excite me. I have no interest in anything that is not work-related. It’s not that I am a workaholic, but it’s just that I am lucky that my work is my biggest hobby in the world.

Have you found a successor for Dharma? I don’t have one right now. Main aur meri tanhayi aksar yeh baatein karte hain.