Forthcoming releases to ring out 2011

Here is what is left for us to view:

Mausam - Pankaj Kapur directs his son and Sonam Kapoor in a love story across time.  Other than a long time in the making, a Veer Zaara hangover, and Shahid's ridiculous mustache, the movie does have some decent songs and curiosity associated with Pankaj Kapur's debut as director.

Speedy Singhs - Akshay Kumar produced this film directed by Robert Lieberman and starring (the only name of note) Russel Peters and many other no names.  All reports say this is a certified dud.

Force - Nishikant Kamath's direction, John Abraham and Genelia D'Souza starring in an action drama that looks like John's muscles are doing most of the acting.  Music is by Harris Jayraj but it has not made many waves yet.

Rascals - David Dhawan directs Sunjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn playing bad boys with teh ever incomprehensible Kangana Ranuat.  Music is by Vishal Shekhar.

Ra.One - directed by one Anubhav Sinha, and produced by Shah Rukh Khan, this one promises thrills and CGI action in 3D. Kareena Kapoor costars as the red saree clad Chammak Challo.  Music is by Vishal Shekhar.

Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl - directed by Band Baaja Baraat phenom Maneesh Sharma, this one stars Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma.  Expect fireworks!

Rockstar - Imtiaz Ali directs Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in this rock music extravaganza.  Music is by A R Rahman, and Sadda Haq and Kun faaya Kun are already making waves.

Don 2 - Farhan Akhtar sheds his actor avatar and dons the director's hat for this sequel to the 2006 remake of Don.  This one promises a unique story and boasts of Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in the cast.  Music is by SEL, and this will close the year out in a grand style!

Tell us how you think each of them will do critically and at the box office.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara continues to surprise and polarize

What started out looking like a Spain tourism ad to some, a Dil Chahta Hai redux from the promos to others, was described by the maker as NOT that as most of the film is spent driving in a car, was slated to tank badly at the box office, have a short life span and be yet another yuppie wannabe film, has now taken on some legs at the ticket windows and continues to delight many viewers into its third week.  The usual gang of reviewers ranged from panning it solidly to loving it unabashedly.  Then we had this salvo fired by none other than Baradwaj Rangan:

I did not review Zoya Akhtar’s multiplex hit Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara for this paper – and I didn’t have to. I’d already reviewed Wake Up Sid in 2009, where I wrote, “It has all the weight of a television commercial showing sad people transforming into happy people in the course of thirty seconds, which is to say that nothing ever seems to be at stake… Everything is frustratingly preordained.” And, “But these bits of growing up are tucked away into inconsequential corners of the film, in song montages and the like, so we’re mainly left with the incessantly happy-cheery story of a boy and a girl getting together after a series of extremely minor hiccups. That’s not a bad way to spend a couple of hours, sure, but how you wish a few dashes of reality had been allowed to temper this unrelentingly feel-good fantasy.” The heft of a television commercial. The minor hiccups. The feel-good fantasy. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara has it all.

Mr. Rangan went on to mock the audience favorite Rock On! (though I must admit that I found it underwhelming):

Read more here!

Don 2 - Farhan Akhtar returns as director

Four new song promos - Delhi Belly, BHTB, Singham and ZNMD

Here they are folks!

Aamir's item number in Delhi Belly:

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara!

Game trailer *ing Abhishek Bachchan updated with new song promo

Don 2 updated with brief clip - Priyanka and Hrithik!

Don 2: filming to start soon - SRK interview

 

The mercury's rising, and the October heat is just setting in, but Shah Rukh Khan is packing his woolies and preparing for a cold, bleak winter.

Not in Bollywood, of course; but in Berlin, where he is jetting off to in a couple of days to begin work on Excel Entertainment's Don 2. It is a two-month-long schedule, 

Khan's 'Don 2' gets German support

Remake sequel will shoot in Berlin early next year

By Nyay Bhushan

September 1, 2010, 01:55 AM ET

Shah Rukh Khan. (Getty)

NEW DELHI -- "Don 2" starring Shah Rukh Khan and directed by Farhan Akhtar will shoot in Berlin early next year and receive a funding of 550,000 Euros, regional film support agency Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg said on its website.

The sequel to the 2006 action movie -- itself a remake of the classic seventies original starring Amitabh Bachchan -- is produced by Akhtar's banner Excel Entertainment, Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and German co-producer Mathias Schwerbock's Film Base Berlin.

Khan has a major following in Germany and has attended the Berlin festival twice to showcase his films "Om Shanti Om" and "My Name Is Khan," which was distributed worldwide by Fox Star Studios India.

Khan is currently shooting his latest production "Ra.One," slated for a June 2011 release.

A double game no one wants

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara remains unsold, because its producers are strapping it with some dead stock — Is it 'Game' over?

Vickey Lalwani
Posted On Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 02:44:36 AM

Ritesh Siddhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment is playing a dirty double game, which has the industry rather baffled.

Excel Entertainment is insistent that film corporates buy Hrithik-Katrina starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Abhishek-Kangna starrer Game as a twin package deal.

Worse still, Siddhwani is demanding Rs 100 crore (approximately) for the same. The unjustified hubris is proving costly - both Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Game are still unsold.

Mumbai Mirror learns that two leading corporate houses have heard out Siddhwani and not got back to him as yet.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Spain shoot

Da.One - Don 2 and Ra.one sold for impossible to recover prices?

A whopping amount of Rs 300 crore is riding on Shah Rukh Khan’s next two films, RA.One and Don 2

Agreed, Bollywood has lost crores this year because a lot of expensive films failed to retrieve their expected turnovers (Blue, of course, stands apart for its sheer wastage of money). But the biggest production companies seem to have blind belief in films that star Shah Rukh Khan. Nearly Rs 300 crore is riding on King Khan’s shoulders.



Newsflash: Reliance Big Pictures has not hit rock bottom with the poor turnover of the Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer Raavan. Neither has Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori’s Kites debacle at the box office obstructed their soaring fund levels.

The buzz in the trade is that Reliance Big Pictures has bought the rights of Don 2 from Excel Entertainment for Rs 125 crore, which is about Rs 25 crore more than what they purchased Kites for. The deal has taken place even before Don 2 has gone on the floors, which implies that even in today’s times when films are flopping days after their release, the buyers in the market have extreme faith in a film that has Shah Rukh playing the lead.

Added to this is, there is talk in the industry of Eros International buying Shah Rukh’s home-production RA.One for a whopping Rs 175 crore.

A leading distributor says, “Shah Rukh rocks. He is still one of the top three stars in this country. His film guarantees good returns. Yes, Reliance Big Pictures has bought Don 2 for an amount which is definitely more than Rs 100 crore. But I think that Shah Rukh’s deal with Eros International on RA.One could be a funding proposal, which implies that Shah Rukh can still sell the film to other buyers.”

Even trade analysts in the film industry seem to second this view. A leading trade-analyst says, “I am unaware of the exact figures between Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International, but I know that Shah Rukh is asking for at least Rs 150 crore for RA.One, wherein he has used some top-notch technicians to take his project to a very high level.”

Priti Shahani, chief strategy and marketing officer of Reliance Big Pictures confirmed, “It’s true that we have Don 2 in our slate of films for next year, but there is no truth in the purchase price that is being speculated in the market.”

An official from Eros International also confirmed that their latest purchase is RA.One, while refusing to reveal the exact terms and conditions of the agreement.

Sunil Lulla (President, Eros International), Amit Khanna (CEO, Reliance Big Pictures), Ritesh Siddhwani (Excel Entertainment) and Shah Rukh Khan remained unavailable for comment.

Currently, Shah Rukh is busy shooting for RA.One. As soon as he completes it, he’ll start work on Don 2, which co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal. And all this hard work does indeed pay off. And how!

LINK

Granted it is Mumbai Mirror (and Vicky Lalwani) and could be complete fabrication, but not good news if it is true. The logic might have been that if MNIK could almost recover 95 cr as a serious film, maybe entertainers will be huge. BUT the non-traditional overseas market that MNIK tapped was very niche and I doubt those people will come out for Ra.one and Don 2.

Da.One - Don 2 and Ra.one sold for impossible to recover prices?

A whopping amount of Rs 300 crore is riding on Shah Rukh Khan’s next two films, RA.One and Don 2

Agreed, Bollywood has lost crores this year because a lot of expensive films failed to retrieve their expected turnovers (Blue, of course, stands apart for its sheer wastage of money). But the biggest production companies seem to have blind belief in films that star Shah Rukh Khan. Nearly Rs 300 crore is riding on King Khan’s shoulders.



Newsflash: Reliance Big Pictures has not hit rock bottom with the poor turnover of the Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer Raavan. Neither has Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori’s Kites debacle at the box office obstructed their soaring fund levels.

The buzz in the trade is that Reliance Big Pictures has bought the rights of Don 2 from Excel Entertainment for Rs 125 crore, which is about Rs 25 crore more than what they purchased Kites for. The deal has taken place even before Don 2 has gone on the floors, which implies that even in today’s times when films are flopping days after their release, the buyers in the market have extreme faith in a film that has Shah Rukh playing the lead.

Added to this is, there is talk in the industry of Eros International buying Shah Rukh’s home-production RA.One for a whopping Rs 175 crore.

A leading distributor says, “Shah Rukh rocks. He is still one of the top three stars in this country. His film guarantees good returns. Yes, Reliance Big Pictures has bought Don 2 for an amount which is definitely more than Rs 100 crore. But I think that Shah Rukh’s deal with Eros International on RA.One could be a funding proposal, which implies that Shah Rukh can still sell the film to other buyers.”

Even trade analysts in the film industry seem to second this view. A leading trade-analyst says, “I am unaware of the exact figures between Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International, but I know that Shah Rukh is asking for at least Rs 150 crore for RA.One, wherein he has used some top-notch technicians to take his project to a very high level.”

Priti Shahani, chief strategy and marketing officer of Reliance Big Pictures confirmed, “It’s true that we have Don 2 in our slate of films for next year, but there is no truth in the purchase price that is being speculated in the market.”

An official from Eros International also confirmed that their latest purchase is RA.One, while refusing to reveal the exact terms and conditions of the agreement.

Sunil Lulla (President, Eros International), Amit Khanna (CEO, Reliance Big Pictures), Ritesh Siddhwani (Excel Entertainment) and Shah Rukh Khan remained unavailable for comment.

Currently, Shah Rukh is busy shooting for RA.One. As soon as he completes it, he’ll start work on Don 2, which co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Arjun Rampal. And all this hard work does indeed pay off. And how!

LINK

Granted it is Mumbai Mirror (and Vicky Lalwani) and could be complete fabrication, but not good news if it is true. The logic might have been that if MNIK could almost recover 95 cr as a serious film, maybe entertainers will be huge. BUT the non-traditional overseas market that MNIK tapped was very niche and I doubt those people will come out for Ra.one and Don 2.

Karthik Calling Karthik (2010) – Movie Review

Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course… it probably isn’t. The second act is called “The Turn”. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn’t clap yet. Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”.

- The Prestige

Similar to magic tricks, a suspenseful story or play or a film has 3 parts generally termed as Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3, and having similar significance as the 3 parts of the magic trick. How about modifying the meaning of Act 3 a bit and instead of solving everything for the audience, for a change leaving it unsolved. I think it is better to leave some mysteries unsolved instead of ending them badly. Though the general audience may get disappointed because they want closure and mysteries to be solved so that they don’t think about the film at all, but not all mysteries in life get solved. IMO, Karthik Calling Karthik was just that kind of a film that would have worked better for ME if it was unsolved instead of ending in the ridiculous twist that was shown. I was hoping against hope that the director really would not reveal the twist and leave the ending open or something, because the way he was moving the story forward, I knew, the twist won’t be as exciting as the buildup was. But like I said, that would not have been generally appreciated .

The film is about Karthik (Farhan Akhtar) who blames himself for the loss of his brother in childhood and can’t concentrate and focus on his life and tries to commit suicide until he gets a phone call. Karthik Calling Karthik is a confused film, and is a clear example of a the director did not know how to carry the story forward after having thought of a brilliant idea. The film could have been a lot better if it was made into a horror thriller kind of a film just like 13 B. Instead the director chose to take the story forward in a very relaxed manner. A few scenes in the film could have really worked better if it had the horror touch to it. The concept suited the horror genre a lot. But in KCK, most of the scenes instead of giving a thrill, look more like an unintentional comedy. Like when Shefali Shah receives the phone call, I ended up laughing instead of being thrilled. I really think the film should have had that 13 B kind of touch to it.

Though I say the idea of Karthik Calling Karthik was brilliant, I must say it is very much inspired from Fight Club (David Fincher), just that we don’t see the alter ego of Karthik in this film; instead we hear his voice over the phone. I won’t call it a remake of Fight Club, it is hardly that, but yes the concept seems to be inspired. A major part of the film in the second half reminded me of No Smoking where the protagonist tries to run away from himself. But unlike No Smoking this film is not a surreal one and a confusing one.

Read more from HERE

Karthik Calling Karthik (2010) – Movie Review

Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course… it probably isn’t. The second act is called “The Turn”. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn’t clap yet. Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”.

- The Prestige

Similar to magic tricks, a suspenseful story or play or a film has 3 parts generally termed as Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3, and having similar significance as the 3 parts of the magic trick. How about modifying the meaning of Act 3 a bit and instead of solving everything for the audience, for a change leaving it unsolved. I think it is better to leave some mysteries unsolved instead of ending them badly. Though the general audience may get disappointed because they want closure and mysteries to be solved so that they don’t think about the film at all, but not all mysteries in life get solved. IMO, Karthik Calling Karthik was just that kind of a film that would have worked better for ME if it was unsolved instead of ending in the ridiculous twist that was shown. I was hoping against hope that the director really would not reveal the twist and leave the ending open or something, because the way he was moving the story forward, I knew, the twist won’t be as exciting as the buildup was. But like I said, that would not have been generally appreciated .

The film is about Karthik (Farhan Akhtar) who blames himself for the loss of his brother in childhood and can’t concentrate and focus on his life and tries to commit suicide until he gets a phone call. Karthik Calling Karthik is a confused film, and is a clear example of a the director did not know how to carry the story forward after having thought of a brilliant idea. The film could have been a lot better if it was made into a horror thriller kind of a film just like 13 B. Instead the director chose to take the story forward in a very relaxed manner. A few scenes in the film could have really worked better if it had the horror touch to it. The concept suited the horror genre a lot. But in KCK, most of the scenes instead of giving a thrill, look more like an unintentional comedy. Like when Shefali Shah receives the phone call, I ended up laughing instead of being thrilled. I really think the film should have had that 13 B kind of touch to it.

Though I say the idea of Karthik Calling Karthik was brilliant, I must say it is very much inspired from Fight Club (David Fincher), just that we don’t see the alter ego of Karthik in this film; instead we hear his voice over the phone. I won’t call it a remake of Fight Club, it is hardly that, but yes the concept seems to be inspired. A major part of the film in the second half reminded me of No Smoking where the protagonist tries to run away from himself. But unlike No Smoking this film is not a surreal one and a confusing one.

Read more from HERE

I take advice from SRK: Farhan

That's because he switches off his phone at night. 36-year-old Farhan Akhtar also admits to being unsociable when working and not liking romantic films unless they come laced with drama. All this and more about the man who redefines cool 
 

LINK

There are all these rumours linking you to your Karthik calling Karthik co-star Deepika Padukone which the two of you protest at every opportunity. Are you not overdoing it? 
Honestly speaking, I can only speak for myself. Initially I didn’t protest, I thought it would blow over naturally. But then it began to get awkward and in very bad taste and that is when I started protesting. Then one thing led to another and now again I am tired of protesting. I also feel that now that we are pretty much coming to the end of the promotion of Karthik Calling Karthik and you will see us spending a lot of time with other people as opposed to each other, it will blow over.


Do such rumours affect you a lot? 
It’s important for me because it affects my family. It’s weird for me to answer to my nine-year-old daughter who sees something on TV or reads a headline in a newspaper. Children tend to stress about these things a lot more than we understand. When I wasn’t addressing the issue she couldn’t understand why I was denying something to her but not telling the rest of the world. So to me it was important to come out and talk about it.

My daughter couldn’t understand why I was denying something to her but not telling the rest of the world


What’s with this schizophrenic behaviour you display? You are usually a party boy but when you work, either when acting or directing, you become all reclusive and incommunicado? 
The thing is, and most of the people I know also say this, I am an extremist. When I am working I don’t want to know about anything else. When I want to party, I don’t want to work. So when I go on a holiday, more often than not, I won’t answer my phone. I really have to be pushed to deal with work when I am on a holiday. Similarly when I am working on the script of a film, I really don’t want to go out, I don’t want to do things which are going to takeaway my energy from what I really should be focusing on.

What influences you and your work? 
Having kids has made me more aware of life beyond myself. I am aware that my choices will affect them even when I am not around. That also affects my work because my sensibilities and aesthetics have changed. I have grown up with women predominantly and that has led to me having a very healthy respect for them in terms of the treatment of them. I have an allergy to women being shown in a crude light, to be shown in almost a sexist way. I have had these allergies in any case; it has got a little more underlined now with kids. When they see my films, I don’t want them to think that dad is doing anything cheap.

Do you think your dad’s (Javed Akhtar with Salim Khan) films reflected the same concern? 
Salim uncle and my father had a healthy respect for women. But because while they were writing, there was a lot more formula cinema, it was a requirement of the story that they had to write in a vamp, which you don’t necessarily need to do anymore. If there was a villain, he had to have a vamp. Similarly when I write Don, I go back to that kind of writing, Don had Isha in his life. How we treat the character can be different from how molls and vamps were treated at that time. But when you go back to that kind of writing, it’s a different world and it’s a different sensibility of filmmaking but within that you still want to treat them with a certain dignity. You can’t caricature them and make them one dimensional.

For Don you had a blueprint of sorts to follow. How does Don 2 take the character forward? 
For me, Don’s character hinges on his cunning and smartness and the fact that he is playing all the characters in the film and at the same time, he also plays the audience. So, to me, the challenge is to do that again. Of course, you can do great action sequences, you can have great songs, a wonderful looking and talented cast who everybody wants to watch. But this time round, there is now no format to follow. To me that was exciting and what I am focusing again on is how to take Don to almost level two. This film is more of a caper to me than an emotional journey.

And how many ‘mulk ki police’ will be looking for him in Don 2? 
Now I think it’s the whole world. Only Antarctica aur Arctic ki police uske peeche nahi padi hai.(laughs)

Could you ever do a mush film? A romcom? 
Very honestly I must say that the romcom is one of my least favourite genres, even to watch. There are some of course, which I do thoroughly enjoy but they are very few and far between. Personally, I prefer drama, action and thrillers. If it’s a romance I would much prefer a classic romance like a Romeo and Juliet which has drama in it.

You work with actors as a director and compete with them as an actor. How do you differentiate between the two? 
The people that I have worked with are the ones that I am good friends with and I do spend a lot of time with. One is obviously Hrithik and the other is Shah Rukh. Hrithik and I have known each other for really really long. We have been friends from way before I decided I wanted to be in films (he kind of always knew he wanted to be in films). So my friendship with him is beyond actor-director, whatever.

With Shah Rukh, I really started hanging out with him post Dil Chahta Hai. I feel a certain kinship with him. We have similar joys in terms of technology, we jam on many things. And many a times he has been someone I have turned to for advice. He is someone I have almost started feeling over time, again without sounding cheesy, like an elder brother. I know for a fact, not that he has told me so, that he is someone I can really count on, if the need arises. Even if we choose in the future to not work together, we will still hang out, we will still be friends.

For me, Don’s character hinges on his cunning and smartness and the fact that he is playing all the characters in the film and at the same time, he also plays the audience

Today’s actors pay a lot of attention to body and hair, the externals basically. Yesteryear actors looked almost the same in every film but it didn’t affect the strength of their performance. Comment. 
I completely agree and I think it should go back to being how it was. Because I think, we are slowly but surely working towards this perfect world that everybody should exist in, which is not true. If there is someone on screen who is even relatively chubbier, immediately reviewers say he needs to lose a couple of pounds. Why? Doesn’t someone who is chubbier have a right to fall in love with someone? I find it disturbing that we are trying to make a Utopian world where great looking people and great bodies fall in love and nobody else has a right to.

Anyone who is skinny or bald or has a stammer or is fat is relegated to being a comedian, a character who needs help. I find this really disturbing. Did anyone stop to question why people fell in love with Sanjeev Kumar? It’s a dangerous obsession because it’s going to start limiting talent that’s coming in.

OFF THE CUFF 

Rate Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and yourself on a scale of one to ten on the following parameters

Communication skills 
SRK - 15
Aamir - 10
Hrithik - 8 or 9
Myself - 5

Life of a party 
It is difficult to rate this in numbers. SRK and Hrithik are very funny. Both of them love dancing so once the party kicks off, they are always dancing. Aamir is a lot more reserved. In all honesty, I haven’t partied with Aamir since Dil Chahta Hai
SRK - 10
Aamir - 5
Hrithik - 10
Myself - 8 or 9

Easy to direct 
Honestly, they were all very easy to direct.
ALL - 10

Willing to admit to mistakes 
Again, I think, I would give all of them 10 and that’s what makes them good at what they do. I know for a fact that I can be stubborn about certain things.

Emotionally giving 
I spend a lot more time with Hrithik and Shah Rukh than I do with Aamir. So it will be really difficult for me to say anything about Aamir on this front.

Extempore speakers 
SRK- 10
Aamir - 5
Hrithik - 8
Myself - 5

Aware of the world 
All of us are pretty aware of what’s happening in the world around us, so I would probably rate them just up there. Even if we want to detach ourselves from what’s happening around us you media people don’t let it happen. There is no escape. So 10 on 10 for everyone

Be a 3am friend 
My friendship is more with Hrithik and Shah Rukh than it is with Aamir. My relationship with Aamir is a lot more professional than personal so to put him into this equation feels very weird as it’s unfair to him.

SRK-10
Hrithik-10
Myself - 0
I switch off my phone when I sleep, I love my sleep. I think I don’t qualify for this.

Politically correct 
SRK-3 or 4, mostly he says what he feels
Hrithik- 10
Myself- 7 or 8, I have the knack of saying wrong things as well

Spontaneous 
SRK- 10
Hrithik- 8, He has changed a lot from what he was to what he is now

Animal Charm 
SRK-10
Hrithik -10
Both of them are very attractive people.
Myself - I don’t know about myself (laughs) how do I rate myself on animal charm? 

I take advice from SRK: Farhan

That's because he switches off his phone at night. 36-year-old Farhan Akhtar also admits to being unsociable when working and not liking romantic films unless they come laced with drama. All this and more about the man who redefines cool 
 

LINK

There are all these rumours linking you to your Karthik calling Karthik co-star Deepika Padukone which the two of you protest at every opportunity. Are you not overdoing it? 
Honestly speaking, I can only speak for myself. Initially I didn’t protest, I thought it would blow over naturally. But then it began to get awkward and in very bad taste and that is when I started protesting. Then one thing led to another and now again I am tired of protesting. I also feel that now that we are pretty much coming to the end of the promotion of Karthik Calling Karthik and you will see us spending a lot of time with other people as opposed to each other, it will blow over.


Do such rumours affect you a lot? 
It’s important for me because it affects my family. It’s weird for me to answer to my nine-year-old daughter who sees something on TV or reads a headline in a newspaper. Children tend to stress about these things a lot more than we understand. When I wasn’t addressing the issue she couldn’t understand why I was denying something to her but not telling the rest of the world. So to me it was important to come out and talk about it.

My daughter couldn’t understand why I was denying something to her but not telling the rest of the world


What’s with this schizophrenic behaviour you display? You are usually a party boy but when you work, either when acting or directing, you become all reclusive and incommunicado? 
The thing is, and most of the people I know also say this, I am an extremist. When I am working I don’t want to know about anything else. When I want to party, I don’t want to work. So when I go on a holiday, more often than not, I won’t answer my phone. I really have to be pushed to deal with work when I am on a holiday. Similarly when I am working on the script of a film, I really don’t want to go out, I don’t want to do things which are going to takeaway my energy from what I really should be focusing on.

What influences you and your work? 
Having kids has made me more aware of life beyond myself. I am aware that my choices will affect them even when I am not around. That also affects my work because my sensibilities and aesthetics have changed. I have grown up with women predominantly and that has led to me having a very healthy respect for them in terms of the treatment of them. I have an allergy to women being shown in a crude light, to be shown in almost a sexist way. I have had these allergies in any case; it has got a little more underlined now with kids. When they see my films, I don’t want them to think that dad is doing anything cheap.

Do you think your dad’s (Javed Akhtar with Salim Khan) films reflected the same concern? 
Salim uncle and my father had a healthy respect for women. But because while they were writing, there was a lot more formula cinema, it was a requirement of the story that they had to write in a vamp, which you don’t necessarily need to do anymore. If there was a villain, he had to have a vamp. Similarly when I write Don, I go back to that kind of writing, Don had Isha in his life. How we treat the character can be different from how molls and vamps were treated at that time. But when you go back to that kind of writing, it’s a different world and it’s a different sensibility of filmmaking but within that you still want to treat them with a certain dignity. You can’t caricature them and make them one dimensional.

For Don you had a blueprint of sorts to follow. How does Don 2 take the character forward? 
For me, Don’s character hinges on his cunning and smartness and the fact that he is playing all the characters in the film and at the same time, he also plays the audience. So, to me, the challenge is to do that again. Of course, you can do great action sequences, you can have great songs, a wonderful looking and talented cast who everybody wants to watch. But this time round, there is now no format to follow. To me that was exciting and what I am focusing again on is how to take Don to almost level two. This film is more of a caper to me than an emotional journey.

And how many ‘mulk ki police’ will be looking for him in Don 2? 
Now I think it’s the whole world. Only Antarctica aur Arctic ki police uske peeche nahi padi hai.(laughs)

Could you ever do a mush film? A romcom? 
Very honestly I must say that the romcom is one of my least favourite genres, even to watch. There are some of course, which I do thoroughly enjoy but they are very few and far between. Personally, I prefer drama, action and thrillers. If it’s a romance I would much prefer a classic romance like a Romeo and Juliet which has drama in it.

You work with actors as a director and compete with them as an actor. How do you differentiate between the two? 
The people that I have worked with are the ones that I am good friends with and I do spend a lot of time with. One is obviously Hrithik and the other is Shah Rukh. Hrithik and I have known each other for really really long. We have been friends from way before I decided I wanted to be in films (he kind of always knew he wanted to be in films). So my friendship with him is beyond actor-director, whatever.

With Shah Rukh, I really started hanging out with him post Dil Chahta Hai. I feel a certain kinship with him. We have similar joys in terms of technology, we jam on many things. And many a times he has been someone I have turned to for advice. He is someone I have almost started feeling over time, again without sounding cheesy, like an elder brother. I know for a fact, not that he has told me so, that he is someone I can really count on, if the need arises. Even if we choose in the future to not work together, we will still hang out, we will still be friends.

For me, Don’s character hinges on his cunning and smartness and the fact that he is playing all the characters in the film and at the same time, he also plays the audience

Today’s actors pay a lot of attention to body and hair, the externals basically. Yesteryear actors looked almost the same in every film but it didn’t affect the strength of their performance. Comment. 
I completely agree and I think it should go back to being how it was. Because I think, we are slowly but surely working towards this perfect world that everybody should exist in, which is not true. If there is someone on screen who is even relatively chubbier, immediately reviewers say he needs to lose a couple of pounds. Why? Doesn’t someone who is chubbier have a right to fall in love with someone? I find it disturbing that we are trying to make a Utopian world where great looking people and great bodies fall in love and nobody else has a right to.

Anyone who is skinny or bald or has a stammer or is fat is relegated to being a comedian, a character who needs help. I find this really disturbing. Did anyone stop to question why people fell in love with Sanjeev Kumar? It’s a dangerous obsession because it’s going to start limiting talent that’s coming in.

OFF THE CUFF 

Rate Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and yourself on a scale of one to ten on the following parameters

Communication skills 
SRK - 15
Aamir - 10
Hrithik - 8 or 9
Myself - 5

Life of a party 
It is difficult to rate this in numbers. SRK and Hrithik are very funny. Both of them love dancing so once the party kicks off, they are always dancing. Aamir is a lot more reserved. In all honesty, I haven’t partied with Aamir since Dil Chahta Hai
SRK - 10
Aamir - 5
Hrithik - 10
Myself - 8 or 9

Easy to direct 
Honestly, they were all very easy to direct.
ALL - 10

Willing to admit to mistakes 
Again, I think, I would give all of them 10 and that’s what makes them good at what they do. I know for a fact that I can be stubborn about certain things.

Emotionally giving 
I spend a lot more time with Hrithik and Shah Rukh than I do with Aamir. So it will be really difficult for me to say anything about Aamir on this front.

Extempore speakers 
SRK- 10
Aamir - 5
Hrithik - 8
Myself - 5

Aware of the world 
All of us are pretty aware of what’s happening in the world around us, so I would probably rate them just up there. Even if we want to detach ourselves from what’s happening around us you media people don’t let it happen. There is no escape. So 10 on 10 for everyone

Be a 3am friend 
My friendship is more with Hrithik and Shah Rukh than it is with Aamir. My relationship with Aamir is a lot more professional than personal so to put him into this equation feels very weird as it’s unfair to him.

SRK-10
Hrithik-10
Myself - 0
I switch off my phone when I sleep, I love my sleep. I think I don’t qualify for this.

Politically correct 
SRK-3 or 4, mostly he says what he feels
Hrithik- 10
Myself- 7 or 8, I have the knack of saying wrong things as well

Spontaneous 
SRK- 10
Hrithik- 8, He has changed a lot from what he was to what he is now

Animal Charm 
SRK-10
Hrithik -10
Both of them are very attractive people.
Myself - I don’t know about myself (laughs) how do I rate myself on animal charm? 

When dinner led to Karthik Calling Karthik - Vijay Lalwani interviewed

When ad man Vijay Lalwani went up to Farhan Akhtar to ask him for filmmaking tips, little did he realise that he was talking to his future lead actor and producer. As soon as Farhan heard the script of Karthik Calling Karthik, he was on board.

Lalwani, 31, talks to Nithya Ramani about directing one of the best directors in Bollywood, and what we can expect from the film when it releases this Friday.


A romantic thriller is quite a new concept.


The idea came to me when I was having dinner with a friend. We were talking and I remember mentioning what if one phone call can sort out everything in life. Six months later, I found myself developing the idea into a script. The film is primarily a thriller with a romantic track running in the background.

There are several theories doing the rounds about the two Karthiks in the movie. So what is it? Is Karthik hallucinating? Does he have a double role or a split personality?


As much as I would love to discuss this with you, I suggest you go and watch the film. We have designed the promos in such a way that it will give you a fair idea of what's coming.

Why did you cast Farhan? Is it because he was willing to produce your film?


No. I had decided to meet up with him to get some tips on filmmaking. But I ended up narrating the script to him. By the time I was done, he wanted to act in it. I was more than happy because I wanted a new face and he was a relatively new when it comes to acting. So it was a blessing in disguise for me to have Farhan co-produce the film as well as act in it. I am sure people will perceive him and his acting abilities differently after KCK.

What about Deepika?


Again, I wanted a new face for Shonali's character. When I signed her, she was only four films old. I wanted someone who is bindaas, who lets down her hair and does things her way.


Why did you have Deepika cut her hair?


Because she wouldn't have looked bindaas with waist-length hair. It took me a long time to convince her to cut her hair. In the end, I'm sure she was glad she did it.

Read more from HERE

When dinner led to Karthik Calling Karthik - Vijay Lalwani interviewed

When ad man Vijay Lalwani went up to Farhan Akhtar to ask him for filmmaking tips, little did he realise that he was talking to his future lead actor and producer. As soon as Farhan heard the script of Karthik Calling Karthik, he was on board.

Lalwani, 31, talks to Nithya Ramani about directing one of the best directors in Bollywood, and what we can expect from the film when it releases this Friday.


A romantic thriller is quite a new concept.


The idea came to me when I was having dinner with a friend. We were talking and I remember mentioning what if one phone call can sort out everything in life. Six months later, I found myself developing the idea into a script. The film is primarily a thriller with a romantic track running in the background.

There are several theories doing the rounds about the two Karthiks in the movie. So what is it? Is Karthik hallucinating? Does he have a double role or a split personality?


As much as I would love to discuss this with you, I suggest you go and watch the film. We have designed the promos in such a way that it will give you a fair idea of what's coming.

Why did you cast Farhan? Is it because he was willing to produce your film?


No. I had decided to meet up with him to get some tips on filmmaking. But I ended up narrating the script to him. By the time I was done, he wanted to act in it. I was more than happy because I wanted a new face and he was a relatively new when it comes to acting. So it was a blessing in disguise for me to have Farhan co-produce the film as well as act in it. I am sure people will perceive him and his acting abilities differently after KCK.

What about Deepika?


Again, I wanted a new face for Shonali's character. When I signed her, she was only four films old. I wanted someone who is bindaas, who lets down her hair and does things her way.


Why did you have Deepika cut her hair?


Because she wouldn't have looked bindaas with waist-length hair. It took me a long time to convince her to cut her hair. In the end, I'm sure she was glad she did it.

Read more from HERE

Karthik Calling Karthik All Promos

Kaisi Hai Yeh Udaasi SONG PROMO



Jaane ye kya hua SONG PROMO



Uff Teri Adaa SONG PROMO



Hey Ya ! SONG PROMO



Hey Ya Remix !!




Dialogue Promo 1



Dialogue Promo 2



Dialogue Promo 3



Making of Uff Teri Ada!!



Making of Hey Ya!



Karthik Calling Karthik- Theatrical Trailer



Karthik Calling Karthik - Teaser