Action is My Forte: Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt gets talking about friendships in B-Town, his role in 'Agneepath' and his political career.

What genre of films are you most comfortable doing?
I've been working for 32 years now, and I'm comfortable with all genres. But frankly, I have an action image, and that's what my forte is. In the middle, the action bit had gone away, and everybody had shifted to comedy and love stories, but it's coming back now.

Going by your look in the remake of "Agneepath", it seems like it'll bring back the role of a proper villain in Bollywood?
I don't know, but it's a very strong character. I was apprehensive in the beginning, but when Karan (Malhotra) narrated it to me, I was just amazed and I had to do this film. It's not like what "Agneepath" was, it is totally different - very grounded, very earthy.

Do you plan to meet Danny Denzongpa before the film releases?
Yes, I'll definitely go and meet him and take his blessings before the film releases.

Your friendship with Ajay (Devgn) shows on screen in the film "Rascals". Same is the case with you and Salman. But friendships in the industry don't last these days. What has changed?
Salman or Ajay - they are people from the heart. They're not manipulative, and I'm the same way. The industry has become more commercial now. It's become manipulative. It's become a business, which it never used to be. It used to be a family. We are a few people who stick by each other like Ajay, Salman, Suniel Shetty, and Abhishek is also like that.

And it is believed you're very good friends with Ranbir Kapoor from the younger lot in the industry?
Yes. He's like a little kid brother.

And finally, do you plan to go back to politics?
Never, never. It was an eye-opener for me, those two or three months. I felt like a misfit in politics.

Samantha Takes on Suresh

After Tollywood producer Bellamkonda Suresh accused Samantha of walking out of his film after having signed a contract, a meeting was called for on Thursday by the Producers' Council to sort out the issue.

While Suresh said Sam wasn't allotting dates for his film, the actress cited unacceptable changes in the script as the reason for her quitting the film. Our source tells us that after director Nandini Reddy confirmed Siddharth as the lead actor, the original script underwent a major change.

"Sid allegedly did not like Sam's character overriding his role. He reportedly insisted on some changes and Nandini succumbed to the pressure," says our source. Apparently, Sam was advised to do the film and Nandini was told to convince her as to why the changes had to be made. Samantha said that she was ready to do the film if the producers stuck to the original script, otherwise she was ready to return the advance money too.

Not Shy to be Called Old: Akshay Kumar

After a gap of seven years, Akshay Kumar will return to action in the sequel to 2010 hit Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai. The actor, who was last seen doing stunts in Khakhee (2004), says that at the age of 44, he doesn’t care if people call him old. In fact, he claims that that he feels much fitter in
his forties.

“I don’t feel shy to be called old,” says Akshay adding, “In fact, I feel much younger. Also, the speed at which I run, jump and do all kinds of action has become faster than what I used to do 20 years back.”

The actor, who made his mark in the industry as an action hero in movies such as Sangharsh (1999) and Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), also established himself as a performer with a knack for comedy in Hera Pheri (2000), Garam Masala (2005), Singh is Kinng (2008) and Housefull (2010).

But Akshay confesses that inspite of doing comedy for several years, his love for action never faded. “Even though I was not doing any stunts or action in films, I was not at all away from it. Whenever I return home after shooting, I spend a huge amount of time in the gym, practicing all my stunts,” says Akshay.

The actor reveals that his focus next year will be on bringing back the action.

“I am doing all heavy-duty action film. Now, I have even doubled my practice,” says Akshay, showing his bruised palm. The actor will playing the role of underworld kingpin Dawood Ibrahim in the sequel of Once Upon…. , directed by Milan Luthria. In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Rowdy Rathod, he will play a rustic character.

“I am also doing another action film Na Mein Boss,” reveals the actor, adding, “But it’s too early to speak about it yet.”

Recently, Akshay also shot around 30 action commercials for a Viacom 18’s soon-to-be launched action-adventure channel Sonic. “When I heard that it’s about action, I immediately agreed to get associated with it,” says Akshay, who is also the brand ambassador of the channel which will go on air from December 26.

Movie Promotions Like Election Yatras : SRK

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is city hopping to promote 'Don 2: The King Is Back', and says the visits make him feel as if he is on an election campaign.

"Off to Ahmedabad, kem cho?? And then Jaipur, Ghani khamma!! Our promotions feel a little like yatras during election times...ha ha," Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page.

The actor and the movie's team planned to begin their multi-city promotion tour from Patna. However, they had to fly straight to Nagpur, and skip Patna due to security issues.

'Don 2: The King Is Back' features Boman Irani, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta in key roles. The film releases Dec 23.

Lara Fed Up of Fake Twitter IDs

Pregnant actress Lara Dutta is bugged with two fake Twitter impersonators, who have been "misleading" her fans.

"Listen @_DuttaLara and @Duttalara, I'm sure imitation is the best form of flattery, but get a life and get off my page! Nobody likes a fake!" Lara posted on the micro-blogging site through her original Twitter handle -- @DuttaLara.

"And for the rest who've been here for a LONG time, my apologies you'll have to deal with fakes who mislead you," she added.

The actress, married to tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, is looking forward to the release of her film 'Don 2: The King Is Back'.

She also recently had her baby shower and was glowing like any other mom-to-be.

Ritesh wants to Keep His Wedding Private Affair

Actor Ritesh Deshmukh, who will tie the knot with actress Genelia D'Souza early next year, wants to keep the wedding away from media glare.

However, being an actor and a politician's son, he knows it's not possible. "I would like to keep my entire wedding plan under personal space but it will not be that way eventually, but it's something that will happen when it has to happen," said the 32-year-old actor, here at a garment store launch in Mumbai. Son of Maharashtra's former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ritesh has been in the industry for eight years now and is happy the way his career has shaped up.

"I am very happy the way I have spent the past eight-nine years. I have worked with so many actors, directors and producers. It's more than what I had expected," said Ritesh, who made his Bollywood debut opposite his fiancé Genelia in 'Tujhe Meri Kasam' in 2003. It was Genelia's first film as well.

Ritesh has done some brilliant comedies such as 'Masti', 'Apna Sapna Money Money', 'Malamaal Weekly', 'Heyy Babyy', 'Housefull' and 'Double Dhamaal'. He is currently working on 'Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya', 'Housefull 2' and 'Kya Super Kool Hain Hum'.

Minissha Lamba fined Rs 4L for Duty Evasion

The customs department has imposed a penalty on actor Minissha Lamba for evasion of duty on the jewelry and dutiable goods she carried on her return from Cannes in May.

In an order dated December 8, customs joint commissioner R P Khandelwal has asked Lamba to pay Rs 3 lakh fine, Rs 95,000 as penalty and applicable duty to claim the jewellery worth Rs 31.32 lakh. Lamba has been asked to pay an additional penalty of Rs 10,000 on other goods like branded bags and shoes.

Her lawyer Sujay Kantawala said he would appeal before the commissioner.

On May 18, customs department stopped the actor at the airport. The department in its order said that there were "factual inaccuracies" in her claim.

Lamba said the display of the jewellery at the film festival would be an advertisement for the jewellers.

'We don't Need No Limitation'

The suggestion put forward by minister Kapil Sibal to introduce screening of social networking sites has been mostly met with opposition by users.

The new villain in the social networking circuit seems to be none other than Telecommunications Minister Kapila Sibal who, on Monday put forward a suggestion that the government would be forced to take necessary steps if internet giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Google failed to screen derogatory material from their sites.

The virtual world has come up with protests against the move, mostly accusing the government of questioning their freedom of expression, with some going to the extent of starting anti-Sibal pages on networking sites.

Zac Thomas, who describes himself as a ''puzzled Congress supporter'', says he was more surprised than anything else by the report which he found on New York Times on Monday.

"It must be some sort of a stunt to publicise its India centric blog. Kapil Sibal is not a humongous idiot and nor is the government that dimwitted to suggest such an attack on freedom of expression. Surely some mistake."

Noted film director Ashiq Abu seconds this view, "I think the minister's move has been misinterpreted. While it is true that certain posts have incited religious sentiments, it's also true that r evolutions have happened through such sites. It's virtually impossible to introduce such a screening in a country like ours. What they should do instead is make cyberlaws more stringent; most social networking sites have options for reporting spam and offensive material.Make better use of it.""

Many others are of the opinion that such a move questions the very concept of social networking sites. "Such networking sites have definitely given "freedom of expression" a whole new take! For a government which has practically remained deaf to many public pleads, they have been constructive platforms for the public to discuss issues that matter to them and reach out to the concerned. If that has started bothering one of the largest democracies in the world, I fear it will be not far when we will be like one of those nations where such sites are totally banned! Only the Government knows what is "objectionable" and so on the lighter side, I feel that would definitely give more job opportunities!" says Devika Menon, a content writer.

"Every post is going to be moderated? What's the fun of social networking sites if there is no real time interaction and commenting? That will be like taking away the freedom of the common people, equal to talibanising," says Prashant Chandran, a freelance photographer.

However, actor and model Archana Kavi asks everyone to pause and think a bit before jumping into conclusions.

"We should appreciate the kind of freedom that we've been given, and make good use of it. It is very easy to just sit at home and malign someone's image through these sites, create jokes, morph pictures, but what do you do constructively? I say we should help the government and be more responsible about what we do online.""

Meanwhile, Sibal has said that the government was not trying to censor the freedom of speech and expression or the press; it merely wants to stop offensive material from being uploaded on social networking sites. The Minister had met executives from Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft on Monday, but the meeting was not fruitful, he said.

Mayakkam Enna (2011) - Tamil Movie Review

Cast :

• Dhanush as Karthik Swaminathan
• Richa Gangopadhyay as Yamini
• Sunder Ramu as Sunder Ramesh
• Mathivanan Rajendran as Shankar
• Pooja Balu as Padmini
• Soni Barring as Ramya
• Shilpi Kiran as Vindhya
• Rajiv Choudhry as Ramesh
• Raviprakash as Madhesh Krishnasamy

Directed by : Selvaraghavan
Story by : Selvaraghavan
Singers : Selvaraghavan, Dhanush, G. V. Prakash Kumar, Harish Raghavendra, Naresh Iyer, Saindhavi
Lyricist : Selvaraghavan, Dhanush
Music by : G. V. Prakash Kumar
Cinematography : Ramji
Editing by : Kola Bhaskar
Studio : Aum Productions
Distributed by : Gemini Film Circuit

"Mayakkam Enna", one of the most awaited films of the year, brings together the celebrity brothers - Selvaraghavan and Dhanush - after a long time. The duo brings a touching story of a young man's dream on screen.

The movie has all ingredients to attract youngsters - friendship, romance, betrayal, heartbreaks and passion to achieve. Selvah has stepped out of his comfort zone to touch upon new elements in life. With an astute performer like Dhanush by his side, Selva has hit the bull's eye.

Karthik (Dhanush) is a freelance photographer who lives life on his own terms and conditions. He is called genius among his group. He works hard and wants to leave a mark as a photographer. He has a special eye for capturing the elements of life and in its best possible moments. Though he does portfolio and weddings assignments, his passion is wildlife photography.

Karthik spends his time with his close friend Sundar (Sundar) and their gang and they have a typical lifestyle that today's youngsters enjoy. One fine day, Sundar comes with Yamini (Richa), his girlfriend.

Unfortuantely, in their first meeting Karthik and Yamini have a bitter experience but they slowly develop some special bond. Though Karthik tries to stay away from the girl since he doesn't want to break his friend's heart, but sequence of events brings them closer.

After some drama Karthik and Yamini get married but their married life starts on a disastrous note as Karthik is insulted and cheated by a renowned photographer.

The man is shattered. The young couple is in turmoil. Yamini tries her best to bring back Karthik's charm and enthusiasm, but he has gone to a stage which is termed as madness by others.

The rest of the movie deals with what happens to the couple's life and Karthik's dream.

Selvaraghavan has presented the story in a sensitive manner and has avoided cliches. The story develops at a natural pace without compromising much on the entertaining aspect.

Selva has the guts to show a girl falling in love with her boyfriend's friend. The romance between the lead pair comes as a surprise. but the developments after that are predictable though executed well.

The way Richa's character shapes up in the second half is appreciable.

Though the movie tends to become slower in the second half, emotion packed climax compensates it. Though the climax is predictable, the way it has been executed could bring tears in eyes of the viewers.

It's Dhanush special. The actor, who surprised one and all winning national award for his performance as a rustic youth in "Aadukalam", plays a contrasting role. As a freelance photographer, who is city-bred, he gives his best. His expressions and body language are the hallmark of the movie.

Newcomer Richa fits the role well. She brings out right emotions. She has proved her worth as a powerful performer.

Cinematographer Ramji and music composer G.V.Prakash should be complimented - they have done what they did in "Ayirathil Oruvan" - complimenting the theme with their work. GVP's back ground score is marvellous.

Selvaraghavan has succeeded in presenting a sensitive and engaging movie. Though the developments towards the climax look dramatic the impact of the climax compensates for it.

No hero roles right now: Santhanam

Despite receiving several offers to play the solo lead, Santhanam says that he is content playing a comedian

Despite most of his previous flicks being big blockbusters, comedian Santhanam says he's content doing what he's doing right now. While there many offers of playing a solo hero knocking on his doors, the comedian says that he would rather concentrate on his current projects right now.

"I am getting quite a lot of offers to do films as a hero but right now, I don't think I should take that route. There were even offers to do remakes of successful Telugu films like Maryada Ramanna.... They would have suited me, but I have been fairly successful playing a comedian and I would rather like to continue in this vein.

Also, I don't have the time right now to concentrate on a solo hero project," he explains. Santhanam is happy with the response to the teasers of Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (OKOK), his third collaboration with director Rajesh with whom he earlier worked for Siva Manasula Sakthi (SMS) and Boss Engira Baskaran (BEB). He says this film will show him funnier than the previous two collaborations.

"A couple of one-liners in SMS and BEB became a rage. There will be enough punchlines in this film as well. Like 'That is life...' (which appears in the teaser) and 'Fact, fact fact...', though I can't say which is going to ultimately click with fans."

Talking about his other projects, the actor says, "Each role is distinct from the other. For example, in Thaandavam, I play a taxi driver in the US, while in Gautham Menon's Neethane En Ponvasantham I appear as a college student in the first half and as a professional in the second half," he says.

Point out to him that it is only the second time that Gautam has opted for a comedian in his film and he says, "I play the friend of the hero who makes a witty comment or two now and then. But Gautham's films are quite classy and the comedy too will be subtle, reflecting his style," he says.

Siddharth Narayan to Turn Producer?

The Nootrenbadhu actor is all set to co-produce his latest bilingual.

He's always maintained that he fluctuates between the actor and the management professional in him. Now, Siddharth is all set to mix his two passions as he will co-produce his latest bilingual titled Kadhalil Sodhapuvadu Eppadi. A few days back Siddharth has tweeted saying, "Ok so the thing is... BIG announcement coming up in a week... its fun when you keep a secret well".

While rumours did the rounds on whether Siddharth would openly up about his relationship status and give the 'good news' or if he'd announce a big Bollywood project, sources close to him reveal otherwise.

"Siddharth is all set to co-produce his latest bilingual, which will have Amala Paul opposite him. He's currently happy with the way his film Oh My Friend! has been received and hopes his next project fares equally well at the box office," says the source, who adds that Siddharth is not new to filmmaking as he's worked as an associate director with Mani Ratnam.

Asin Thottumkal has a Dream

Asin entered Bollywood with a bang with Ghajini but has not really soared high despite Ready being a success.

While the 26-year-old is now settled in Mumbai, one dream that she does have is that of a white wedding admitting that she is a romantic. And who would she have in attendance at this romantic wedding? Well, none other than her family and close friends. As of now she is focused on Hindi films and though she might have missed out on doing Delhi-6 and Karthik Calling Karthik, she believes bygones are bygones. Looks like Asin is ready and waiting for the next big on-screen dhamaka.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Aims to Get Sexy

There were talks only recently about Sanjay Leela Bhansali having visited Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and having offered her movie, which Ash is excited about.

If talks are to be believed, the film in question is Bhansali's dream project - the epic, Bajirao Mastani. Sources inform us that the shooting of the film will begin only around mid-2012.

Apparently, Aishwarya is so keen to get back to the big screen and do what she loves most - act - that the gorgeous damsel has already hit the treadmill and is on the course of becoming fit and sexy all over again. We are told that the dedicated actress has already hired a fitness trainer and has begun to sweat it out.

A pregnant Ash had put on a sufficient amount of weight, and she felt that the time to lose it all has indeed come. However, still basking in the glory of motherhood, Ash, we hear, is taking it one step at a time.

It is being widely specualted that the actor cast opposite her in this magnum opus is none other than her Devdas co-star Shah Rukh Khan.

It's only a matter of time, in that case, that we'll see a much-in-shape Aishwarya emerge on the silver screen to wow the audiences and her fans all over again.

Amrita Rao to Play Maharani Gayatri Devi

Amrita Rao sure has bagged a meaty role. She has been cast by Shyam Benegal in his next, a biopic on Maharani Gayatri Devi, where Amrita plays the protagonist.

Apparently, Benegal is extremely fond of Amrita and had even approached her for Well Done Abba, as he considers Amrita as his favourite actress. Benegal even fondly calls her 'Aamgel Gomti' which in Konkani means 'our beauty'.

Meghana Raj’s New Avatar

When she started her Mollywood innings with director Vinayan's Yakshiyum Njaanum, many wrote her off as a one-film wonder.

But Meghana Raj has stood the test of time and is now a busy actress with films in all the four south Indian languages. The actress, who is known for her role in Kaadhal Solla Vandhen, is excited about her Malayalam film, V K Prakash's Beautiful.

"Of the 14 films I've done so far, Beautiful is really special. The film offered me a challenging role," she says.

The film has her in a never-seen-before avatar, wherein she is dressed in saris for most part of the film.

"The makers have given a different definition to glamour with my look in this film. It's simple; yet sensuous. We've infused a Bengali style, replete with a big bindi and colourful saris. I haven't put on any makeup for my role. I was the one who used to be ready first for every shot a bindi was all I needed," she laughs.

Besides, Meghna's awaiting the release of her two Tamil films - Kalla Sirippazhaga with Skakkthi and Nanda Nanditha, which is the Kannada remake of Nadha Loves Nanditha.

Amala Paul to Fire Her Manager Soon?

Actress Amala Paul is said to be not so happy with the ‘functioning’ of her manager who manages her call-sheet dates and fee, etc. in all her films. Usually, managers play an important role in the development and in helping to sustain the careers of most of the actresses; they are the ones who to go out and seek opportunities to lift the sagging careers of their bosses and also act as PR agents of those actresses.

In the instant case, though, Amala Paul is reportedly feeling dissatisfied with the performance of her manager. Some time back, Amala Paul was cast as the heroine opposite Dhanush in the film 3 directed by his wife Aishwarya. Soon enough, Amala Paul was ‘out of the project’ and pretty Shruti Hassan stepped in as the heroine opposite Dhanush. The super-hit song Why this Kolaveri di..., incidentally, is from the film 3.

Sources close to Amala Paul say that she recently had a spat with her manager over his ways of ‘managing’ her career. In fact, Amala Paul realized only after everything was over that she lost the opportunity to star in the film 3 only because of the goof-ups by her manager. Though the details are now clearly known as of now, it is rumoured that a ‘communication gap’ is what cost the film for Amala Paul.

What really caused the manager’s tenure untenable was that when the manager couldn’t get Amala Paul paired up opposite Vikram in his upcoming film Thandavam. The fact that Amala Paul and Vikram share the same manager makes it all the more baffling that the person failed (?!) to get them paired in the latter’s new film.

Considering the fact that Amala Paul was in reckoning to play the heroine’s role when the film was announced, the actress couldn’t digest the fact that she is not part of the film. Reports say that Anushka might be paired up opposite Vikram in Thandavam. Incidentally, both Anushka and Amala Paul starred with Vikram (not as heroines, though) in Deiva thirumagal which released a few months back.

Jeeva's Super Busy!

Jeeva is busy with the second schedule of the Gautham Menon film Neethane En Ponvasantham.

Touted to be a romantic entertainer from the director who did Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya, this film has him playing a college student.

The actor is much south-after post the success of his K V Anand-directed Ko and his decision to join hands with Gautham Menon is pleasant news for his fans. The film, meanwhile, is being done in three languages with Samantha playing the female lead in all the three.

Priyamani Escapes Mishap

The Paruthiveeran heroine had a escaped unhurt when she was on the way to her outdoor schedule.

This weekend has proven to be extremely lucky for Priyamani. The actress narrowly missed getting hurt in an accident on Saturday morning. She was on her way to shoot for a Kannada film Anna Bond in the jungles of Muthathi, Karnataka, from Bangalore. "We were driving when we were involved in an accident. Luckily, the car's sides were damaged but we were all fine in the car," says Priya.

The Paruthiveeran heroine is currently filming for Anna Bond, which co-stars Puneet Rajkumar and Nidhi Subbaiah, and awaits the release of her other Kannada film Vishnuvardhana opposite Sudeep, which will release this Friday. She also has other projects in Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam that are currently under production.

Ann Augustine Busy with Her Exams

Ann Augustine is trying her best to balance her studies and passion for acting. The young actress, who is currently shooting for Vaadhyar and Ordinary, is on a short break.

She is busy with her exams. A student of MA psychology at Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore, Ann could not attend class for two months at a stretch due to her shooting schedules.

Now, she is making up for the lost time, says a source close to the actress. Her friends are there for her extending a helping hand. All the very best, Ann. Hope your hard work pays off!

Thuppakki is My Biggest Film, says Kajal Agarwal

The actress has just begun shooting for director A R Murugadoss's Thuppaki and she's super excited.

Kajal Aggarwal thinks that her new Tamil signing is one of the best things that could happen to her. The actress has just begun work on Thuppaki, which is A R Murugadoss's latest film, which will have her starring opposite Ilayathalapathy Vijay.

"It is my biggest film. I have always wanted to work with Murugadoss sir and Vijay. Now I get to be part of their first film together. What more could I ask for," gushes Kajal, who knows that she's bagged what was one of the most sought-after project by most heroines.

And she believes that the role she's playing in this film is tailor-made for her. "While it is a typical commercial entertainer, my role is just like who I am in real life. She's full of masti and completely bindaas. This is a very powerful role too, like all of Murugadoss sir's heroine's characters," says the actress, who began shooting for Thuppaki on Friday in Mumbai.

"It was a very nice feeling to be on the sets of the film. Murugadoss sir and Vijay made me feel at ease," says Kajal, who will be back in Chennai later this month. "This time, I will be coming to finish my work on the film with Suriya and K V Anand," she signs off.

Lekha Washington has a Blast

Lekha Washington sure knows how to balance work and fun. The actor was recently in Pune for a music festival that saw artists like British singer-songwriter Imogen Heap, Raghu Dixit and bands like Indian Ocean, Swarathma, Mother Jane, Pentagram, perform over three days.

Lekha says that she was at the festival to give her inputs on design. "Both the organizers are very close friends and they wanted me to design the four stages," she says.

Lekha, who was present for all three days of the festival, caught up with all her old friends. "Apart from Vinay and Dhruv (the organizers of the concert), Vasu from Swarathma is an ex-classmate of mine. His brother Raghu Dixit is a good friend. So the festival was more like a reunion for me," she says.

Quiz her about the gigs she enjoyed the most and she says, "I enjoyed the performances of Basement Jaxx, Ankur Tiwari, Raghu Dixit and even Imogen Heap. Strangely, though, not everyone enjoyed her performance." Team BT