What stars have to say

"I think ( awards season) is total,utter bull-bleep,and I don't want to be part of it.I don't believe in it.
It's a carrot but it's worst tasting carrot I have ever tasted in my whole life.
I don't want this carrot"

JOAQUIN PHOENIX

What Stars Have to say

"I have always wanted(babies)...I am going to be 38-It's time (my eggs are) hard-boiled and fried and scrambled up in there, so it's time to get those eggs working"

Tyra Banks

Divya Dutta at Toronto, August 2012

At Rose theatre Toronto
Play: Teri Amrita by Javed Siddiqi
August 5,2012

 First Punjabi International Film Academy Awards  were organized at Toronto,Canada.
 Amonst leading personalities  from Bombay Films  were Dharmendra, Divya Dutta, Prem Chopra,
 Om Puri. Much publicity and media coverage brought this event to international platform though it was not expected to be at same level of perfection and grandeur as of most of Bollywood Awards events held internationally or in Mumbai. Overall, it was a daring and herculean task for organizers to initiate such event keeping in mind that even IIFA awards held here in 2011 were not very successful.

The best thing to happen next day on August 5th ,2012  was a play written by Javed Siddiqi where Om Puri and Divya Dutta played the main characters. A simple play with very simple story telling, the two great actors kept audience spellbound. After the play, as lights turned on, people were seen with tearful eyes and emotions which only could be evoked by brilliance of acting and direction.

Irfaan Khan's Official website is here. A good trend that today's stars recognize the value of technology and promote themselves accordingly. Whose website is better is for readers to comment.

Here is link
http://www.irrfan.com/

 Here is MallikaSherawat's Website link. Enjoy browsing

http://www.mallikasherawatwow.com/

Nanda resurfaces

Nanda,the famous star of 60's- never forgotten by millions of her fans but after her self imposed exile didn't make any public appearance for a long time.
Following link reports her recent appearance with Waheeda Rehman.

Nanda resurfaces- A press clipping

Aayeeye Bahar Ko Hum - Farida Jalal & Jalal Agha - taqdeer

March 14th is birthday of our talented beautiful actress Farida Jalal. Wishing her a very happy Birthady.

Thought to ponder

Colonel chats with a Soldier posted during British Days

Posted to India during the days of the Raj, a young soldier was

Posted to India during the days of the Raj, a young soldier was greeted by the colonel of his new regiment.

“You’ll like it here, Caruthers,” he said.

“We keep ourselves entertained. On Monday evening we have a poker session and...”

“I don’t gamble, sir,” interrupted Caruthers.

“Oh,” said the colonel. “Never mind. Tuesday is drinking night.”

“I don’t drink, sir,” said Caruthers.

“That’s all right,” said the colonel. “Maybe Wednesday night is up your street. Girls come and entertain us, if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t associate with loose women,” said Caruthers loftily.

“Look here!” barked the colonel. “You’re not gay, lad, are you?”

“Certainly not, sir,” replied Caruthers.

“Ah, well,” sighed the colonel, “then you won’t like Thursday night, either.” Terry Burgess in Reader Digest Australia

Snake Dance - Waheeda Rehman - Dev Anand - Guide - S.D. Burman - Bollywo...

The famous snake dance of Waheeda Rehman in "Guide" is one of the best ever dances picturised in any Hindi movie

Found a great Canadian Magazine on a recent visit to Buffalo (USA)
here is link:
tm

Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet 36 year old British actress will receive an honorary Ce'sar award on Februry 24th from organizers of French equivalent of Academy Awards for Roman Polanski's Clashing couples film Carnage.

Worst films awards are given by Razzies in the west.
check the link below.

Razzies.com

Bollywood stars better watch out. Movie fans in India are handing out their own versions of Razzies,the annual Oscars spoof that spotlights Hollywood's worst performances.
The second Ganta(Bell) Awards and fourth Golden Kela(Golden Banana) awards are doing rounds of social media networkks with fans voting in various categories for the worst films in 2011-Reuters
The Ghanta Awards
Golden Kela Awards

Raj Kanwar eminent director died at Singapore due to kidney ailment on February 3,2012 . He was only 50. Deewana and Andaaz were his most successful films.

he directed following films:

Sadiyaan (2010) Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006) Andaaz (2003) Ab Ke Baras (2002) Farz (2001) Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke (2000) Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega... (2000) Badal (2000) Daag: The Fire (1999) Itihaas (1997) Jeet (1996) Jaan (1996) Kartavya (1995) Laadla (1994) Deewana (1992)

The Stoning of Soraya M. - Official Trailer [HD]

A "Must watch " movie. Some true stories are so touching and heart rending to push one into thinking how some people suffer in agony of misfortune caused by none other than their own people.

Sad but true -another story of once shining star fading away.
This is the news which appeared in the media.



The song never failed to bring a smile on your face. When Balraj Sahni serenaded his Zohra Jabeen, in possibly one of the most romantic songs picturised on a mature couple, Achala Sachdev's coy smile and twinkling eyes melted a thousand hearts.

Those eyes are weighed down with pain, the lips now parted in agony as the veteran actress remains confined to a nondescript hospital bed in Pune.

If you are lucky, you may be able to catch the song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen on a special segment on the radio or perhaps on national TV. The actress, who has acted in more than 250 films in her career, should be lucky if she is remembered. Such is the vagary of stardom.

Forty years ago, Achala Sachdev moved to Pune after marrying British national Clifford Douglas Peters, making the city her home. However, despite attempts at philanthropy, Sachdev has been abandoned by the same city in hard times, after her husband passed away in 2002. For the last 12 years, the actress has lived a lonely life in her two-bedroom Konark Estates apartment near Poona Club, with only a night attendant to take care of her.

On September 8, Sachdev suffered a fracture in her femur when she went into her kitchen to get a glass of water. She was shifted to the Poona Hospital and Research Centre but discharged soon. Then, she was re-admitted after she being diagnosed with multiple emboli in her brain leading to quadriplegia - total paralysis of all four limbs and torso. Since October 21, Sachdev is under treatment at Poona Hospital. It would be a miracle if she survives this.

Rajiv Nanda, a close family friend of Sachdev, told Mirror that he has been contacting people from the film fraternity and updating them about Sachdev's heath. However, he complained that there are no attendants to take care of her at the hospital. "She needs proper care and right treatment. There should be two full-time attendants with her."

After her husband's death, Sachdev spent most of her time meditating and listening to meditation music and discourses. Five years ago, she gifted her flat to the Janseva Foundation. In return, founder-chairman Dr Vinod Shah took on the responsibility of looking after her. When Mirror spoke to Shah, he said Sachdev's condition is improving and she is responding to medication.

"I am taking proper care of her. For the last few days there have been no attendants, because they are squabbling with hospital staff. Otherwise there are always two attendants looking after her. Her son will reach Pune on December 27 from the US," Shah said.

Nanda narrated how Sachdev met and married Peters and came to Pune. In an almost filmy turn, Sachdev was introduced to Peters by Yash Chopra on the sets of a film in Mumbai. Peter's first wife had passed away by then and Sachdev herself was a divorcee. They ended up tying the knot. Peters, a mechanical engineer, had a factory in Bhosari and the couple lived in a bungalow in the same area for a while before shifting to Hadapsar.

"I was introduced to the couple when I had gone to attend to a leakage problem in their house some 27 years ago. We soon became very good friends. Peters always motivated Sachdev to keep acting as she was so passionate about it," Nanda recalled.

Sachdev's son Jyotin from her first husband, says Nanda, studied and worked away from home. Though in 2006, Sachdev visited him in the US for her granddaughter's wedding, the son hardly ever visited her,

preferring to keep in touch over the phone. Sachdev also has a daughter in Mumbai, who is not in touch with her.

About Achala sachdev

Achala Sachdev began her career in Bollywood as a child star. But soon, she became popular for essaying roles as a mother and grandmother. Her most memorable films

Arzoo 1965
Waqt 1965
Mere Naam Joker 1970
Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971
Chandni 1989
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995
Kabhi Kushi Kabhe Gham 2001
Kal Ho Naa Ho 2003

Bollywood fans line up outside the TIFF Bell Lightbox to see Shah Rukh Khan - 680News

Bollywood fans line up outside the TIFF Bell Lightbox to see Shah Rukh Khan - 680News

Love Breakups Jindagi(2011) is simple yet story of contemporary youth- ambitious, independant fun loving and still facing challenges on personal lives.
Nothing new to talk about yet it's refreshing movie with different shades of emotional ups and down.
Both Zahed Khan and Diya Mirza make cute on screen couple (though bit stiff in their acts at times.)
Highlights of movie however, are Cyrus Sahukar and Tisca Chopra in small but key roles, they steal scenes from main characters.Javed Akhtar's lyrics are beautifully penned.

Boman Irani in a very short appearance is joy to watch.

Overall a nice, refreshing and a worth seeing movie.

****

****

Shammi Kapoor

August 14th ,2011 Indian film industry lost one of its most beloved actors- Shammi Kapoor.
Entire industry paid homage, showcased his immense popularity. This 79 year veteran had a career spanning over 50 years.
His personal life was like rollercoast rides with peaks and lows in personal and professional life.
At the peak of his career, he suddenly lost his wife Geeta Bali.Family turmoil with young kids, left Shammi disillusioned and aloof. His career took a sharp dip from a level when he was regarded as one most successful stars of the ara after front liners of Dilip,RajKapoor,DevAnand.

In one of the interviews ('Shammi Kapoor unplugged')he revealed his desire ever was to work with Ashok kumar, the opportunity he never got in a film but sometime in 1980's an offer to do a Paan Parag commercial with Dadamuni(Ashok kumar) impulsively made him accept the offer to fulfil his dream.The commercial advertisement made both product and Shammi popular again.
The incident , Shammi kapoor narrated was of a family visit to Honkong where crowd cheered his brothers Raj & Shashi Kapoor. But as reached airport, crowd screamed at him as Paan Parag.
Raj according to Shammi's own words was dismayed and reacted what di he do to his glorious successful films like Teesri Manzil, Junglee, Professor, Tum sa nahi dekha. His PanParag ad had erased his image with this name. Shammi was always impetuous and respected Raj's advice,yet he just wanted to work with Ashok Kumar

Signature Film: Brahamchari

Shammi Kapoor’s death saddens his childhood friends

Peshawar—Death of Indian film industry legend, the versatile Shammi Kapoor has not only upset his fans but also his childhood friends, the residents of Dhaki Munawwar Shah in Peshawar city, birth place of Kapoor family which has produced great actors in Bollywood after migration to India.
The elders of Dhaki Munawar Shah still reminisce the good days they spent with Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor.

The house of the legendary Kapoors at Dhaki Munawar Shah, in the heart of the Peshawar City, is still known as “Kapoor’s house” and the dwellers recall that before partition, Prithvi Raj, father of Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, used to live in this house along with other family members.

In late 1930, Prithvi Raj went to Bombay and started his acting career. He was followed by his son Raj Kapoor.

“I used to play with Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor and had friendly association with them,” recalls Muhammad Yousaf, an octogenarian who resides in neighborhood of Kapoor’s house. Shashi Kapoor was much junior at that time and therefore I did’nt have association with him, he added.

Yousaf said though he had no contact with Kapoors after migration to India, but the death of Shammi Kapoor has saddened him. “In fact he was my childhood friend,” he murmured.

During our childhood there was no concept of Hindu-Muslim and we used to play together in streets and even eat meal at each other houses.

There was no restriction in visiting each other houses and people of that time were very loving and relations between neighbors were very cordial. Another man Yaqoob Khan who was a schoolfellow of Raj Kapoor and an erstwhile milk-seller said he had studied with Raj Kapoor in a primary school and later both got admission to Khalsa Dharam School at Khyber Bazar, Peshawar to seek education in higher grade.

Fawad Ismail, a city dweller, informed APP that his father Muhammad Ismail who died recently, was not only a class fellow of Shammi Kapoor, but also his desk fellow in a primary school at Dhaki. “My father told me that he and Shammi Kapoor studied together in primary school of Headmaster Devan Dena Naath. The school building was later acquired by Muhammad Aashiq who made it his residence”, Fawad Ismai added.

Fawad said death of Shammi also saddened him because he regarded him as friend of his father. In early sixties, my father (Ismail) along with some other friends, including trader’s leader Haji Haleem Jan, Gama Pehalwan (paternal uncle of Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan) and Abdul Manan went to India and met the Kapoors who welcomed their Peshawari friends with open arms and played host to them, Fawad said. “My late father was very happy that Kapoors had not forgotten their childhood friends, and that their love for their native city-Peshawar-and its people was intact,” Fawad said with sense of pride.

“Being a human being, Shammi departs, but his memories will remain alive in the minds of his fans and people of his birthplace,” commented Yaqoob.—APP
Source: an article from Pakistan Observer.
His Son aditya pays homage to his father:
Late legend Shammi Kapoor's son Aditya Raj Kapoor says his father "wrote the manual for our future generations" but yet he would like to be compared to his mother Geeta Bali for his acting.

"At the age of 76 he played my career guide and mentor. My father allowed me to go where I wanted away from home and do whatever I wished. Today, I've allowed both my children the same freedom. My father wrote the manual for our future generations," said Aditya.

"Nothing can compare with my father. I recently told my dad I look, walk and talk like him. But for my acting I want to be compared with my mother. I can only try to be a good human being. Besides that I want to build a memorial for my parents. My first mother grew up in penury and died before she could enjoy a good life. Today my parents are united."

Shammi Kapoor, known for hits like Dil Deke Dekho and Teesri Manzil, died Monday after kidney failure.

Aditya fondly remembers his father as someone who allowed him to chart out his own life and says that he followed his dad's footsteps by letting his children chase their dreams.

"There's a black-and-white photograph we put up for the chautha. That's the first picture I remember of my dad taken when we moved into the house where I now live. We moved in when I was three years old after his first flush of success with the release of Tumsa Nahin Dekha. Looking at that photograph, I remembered how much fun I had going for the shooting with him," said Aditya.

"When I was driving down to the cremation ground with his body, people had put his songs on loudspeakers. Chahe mujhe koi junglee kahe was being played for the final send-off.

"People peeped into the ambulance, threw flowers inside and said, Yahoo. I realised my father's mantra only after he died. Shammiji ka mantra Yahoo tha. At that moment I had the full and complete realization of what it meant to be Shammi Kapoor's son," he added.

Aditya was sent to Lawrence School in Sanawar when he was only six-year-old.

"Dad came every year for the Founders Day. Pran saab and Sunil Dutt saab also came because their children were also there. Sanju and Pran saab's daughter Pinky in fact came to meet me yesterday. Pinky was my local guardian-sister in Sanawar. When I wanted more money, I had to take her permission.

"My mother Geeta Bali, an almost-uneducated woman, came to see me at boarding school more often than my father. My mother had given up her career and my father's had just started. So she had more time to visit me. My mother was the original Sridevi. She passed away when I was 9."

Those were not easy years for Aditya.

"Mom was gone. Dad had become so successful he had no time for me. Superstars today have organised lives. In my father's time, fans used to barge into our home at any time. I was left with no space that I could call my own with my father," said Aditya who gives credit to his step mom Neela Devi for putting his life on track.

"She (Neela Devi) devoted her life to my father, decided not to have any children of her own because me and my sister were already there. Neela Devi was the best bandage on my tender wounds. She turned me from a wounded anguished rebellious howling animal to a human being."

Aditya never stopped missing Geeta Bali, though.

"My first and second mothers were different persons. Do you know, my second mother was a fan of Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali. She once went for an autograph. Geetaji wrote, 'Remember 'M' remember 'E', put them together and remember 'Me'. Geetaji almost blessed Neela Devi as though she knew what was going to happen.

"Geetaji was very adventurous. She was the only woman in the word who could punch my dad and get away with it. She is the one who made Shammi Kapoor into a star. Before Geetaji, Shammi Kapoor was under the shadows of his father Prithiviraj Kapoor and his brother Raj Kapoor."

Geeta Bali's end came all of a sudden.

"My mother was gone in just 15 days. She had gone on location in rural Punjab where she contracted smallpox. It was for a film called Rano, which was later made with Rishi Kapoor and Hema Malini as Ek Chadar Mali Si. At that time Dharmendra was playing Rishi's role and Mummy was playing Hema's role. Then she fell ill. My father left his shooting and picked both of us up. She got worse and died. Dad was doing Teesri Manzil when she died." The death of his mother scarred Aditya for life.

"It took my second mother a good 10 years to heal me of that loss. By the time I was 17. I was a rebel without a cause. I was going to make my film debut. Then I found my spiritual guru and he told me - Leave The Film Industry'. I left. My father questioned my decision over and over again. But I was adamant.

He worked with shipping magnate Yogendra Madhav Lal and then Rajan Nanda.

"Then I started my own company. For 25 years, I never looked at cinema, stopped seeing films... After my Guruji's death too I didn't look at the film industry. Only after I migrated to Dubai did I return to movies. Circumstances forced me to direct 300 episodes of a TV serial. I directed my first English-language film, followed by two other films. Then I returned to Mumbai at the age of 52, I became an actor...finally

Shammi Kapoor developed his own website. Here is link:
Shammi Kapoor website