Global recession seems to have also affected Bollywood, with the lead stars and director of London Dreams having to take a pay cut of at least 25%.
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WEDDING BELLS: Bollywood beauty Shilpa Shetty and her boyfriend, London tycoon Raj Kundra, after their engagement this week
The trio of Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Vipul Shah, the man who made blockbusters like Namastey London and Waqt, did so with a smile only because of the high cost involved in shooting in Paris and London and because of the confidence they had in the project. Khan and Devgan play rock stars in this movie that has Asin Thotumkal as the leading lady.
Just weeks after being released on bail for allegedly raping his domestic worker, Shiney Ahuja has bagged a project titled Hitman, which will be directed by Sudhir Mishra, who gave him his big break in Hazaron Khwahishen Aaisi.
With the overcrowding of movies at the box office, two eagerly awaited ones will now release only in January next year. The first is Pyar Impossible, a movie that stars Priyanka Chopra, Uday Cho- pra and Dino Morea that is being described as the story of a beauty and a geek. The second project that has been delayed is Vivek Oberoi's action thriller Prince - It's Showtime, a movie that was shot extensively in Durban.
Finally it's confirmed - Shilpa Shetty and boyfriend Raj Kundra have marriage on the cards and the couple celebrated their romance by getting engaged last Saturday. Kundra, a businessman from London, popped the question during the Diwali celebrations. The couple met and fell in love just after Shetty won Big Brother UK but then had to face much controversy when Kundra's ex-wife accused the lovely actress of being a home breaker. Someone who was missing from the engagement was Shilpa's younger sister, Shamita, who is currently taking part in the reality show Big Boss. Makes me wonder if Shamita hopes to achieve the same success as her sister.
So has Vivek Oberoi finally moved on since being dumped by Aishwarya Rai Bach- chan? According to insiders, there's talk that Oberoi, who was linked to Amrita Rao and Vidya Balan, is romancing Neeru Bajwa, his co-star from Prince - It's Showtime. Seems to me that this is a publicity stunt for their next project.
Actor-Writer-Director K Bhagyaraj is to make a welcome return to directing in the forthcoming film Siddhu. Bhagyaraj hopes to relaunch the acting career of his son, Santhunu, who made his debut in Sakkarakatti. The film bombed at the box office but won two awards for Santhunu for best debut performance. Three years ago, Bhagyaraj launched his director, Saranya, as a lead actress in Paarijaadham - a film that proved that, even after three decades in the film industry, he can still stand tall among the best. Siddhu tells the story of two youngsters from different towns who run away from their respective homes after failing their Plus 2 Exams. They meet at the railway station and how they eventually return to their families forms the rest of the story. Billed as a lively and youthful comedy entertainer, Siddhu features the music of Dharan. For the first time, music composer Yuvanshanker Raja has sung a song for another music composer.
Suray's Aadhavan has surprised everyone by its opening weekend takings. The film has outperformed Vikram's Kandhasamy and Kamalhassan's Unnai Pol Oruvan for its opening weekend and seems set to become a huge hit. In the US, there was a similar pattern and this firmly established Surya as the third-biggest, box-office drawcard after Rajnikanth and Kamalhassan. The good news for South Africans is that Aadhavan releases in Durban on November 6, the first of Surya's films on the big screen.
The Indo-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industries is engaged in earnest talks with various film directors to screen Tamil films in Russia. Some of the films currently on the list are oldies like Sivaji Ganesan's Pudhiya Parravai and Vassantha Maaligai, Rajnikanth's Netri Kann and Muthu and Kamalhassan's Punnagai Mannan and Vettaiyaadu Villaiyaadu. Kamalhassan's Vettaiyaa- du Villaiyaadu was recently dubbed into Hindi as The Smart Hunt and it is likely that both versions, with Russian subtitles, will release there. Two decades ago, director Balachander won rave reviews in the then USSR with his groundbreaking film Thaneer Thaneer. Can they do the same with a new-generation audience?
Soundarya Rajnikanth's Ocher Studios and Mahesh Bhupathi's Globosport have combined forces to change the face of South Indian cinema. Among the changes they plan to implement in India's busiest and most successful filmmaking region is the introduction of the South Indian Film Awards Extravaganza, an international event that will honour the achievements of South Indians on and off the screen.
Rajinikanth, Vijayakanth and Sarathkumar are among the Tamil stars who will participate in Star Night to raise funds for flood-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh. Other actors are also expected to come together to stage a massive show to supplement the state disaster fund.
The birth centenary of actor-singer-producer MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar will be celebrated with song and dance at a special free show to be held at the University Hindu Centre at the Westville campus of UKZN. Recording artists Madhavan Nair and Kumaran Raman head an impressive array of local talent. Call Deepam Film and Audio Distributors on (031) 507-3246 for more information.
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