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Latest Rani News & Articles
Topic Started: Sep 12 2009, 08:22 AM (35,848 Views)
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'I don't want to work with newcomers'

[img]http://im.rediff.com/movies/2009/nov/20slid6.jpg/img]

In the first half of Karan Johar's conversation with Raja Sen, the filmmaker spoke about stepping out of his comfort zone, and being more honest as a filmmaker.

As the film-faffing continues, Johar discusses the problem of stars and image, the basic Bollywood screenwriting hurdle that should never change, and why he would never cast newcomers in his films.

Read on:

If having new people around you is so clearly broadening your horizons, why do you feel compelled to stick with a majority of the old-guard? Your film still stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, the music is still by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy...

Some of those are the way they are, and the way they will be. I think if I yank myself totally out of my zone, it might affect me. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have also composed music that is completely different: there is no lipsync song in My Name Is Khan, it's all background. And the music is not Western at all, barring the fact that it's somewhere fusion based. Also it's got different voices, people I haven't worked with.

When I spoke to Shah Rukh, I said 'look, it's very important that you play even this character as a mainstream hero,' because that's one call that I took commercially. I felt he had to be an endearing character, no matter what. So if that takes bringing about a certain level of 'cutiefying' at times, or toning down the disorder in areas but still maintaining a regular pitch, I think it's imperative.

Yet you did research the disorder heavily and make sure you were being completely accurate?

We sent the script to the National Autistic Society, just to read the dialogues. Because there are a lot of things characters like Rizwan Khan don't say. They say things literally, so there are a lot of expressions they won't use. And then we sent the first bits of rushes to people, to see if we're doing okay. Because we needed to know. You see, it's such a varied disorder and there are so many strains of it, there's no one way of doing it. So one had to strike that balance between the projection of this character on mainstream celluloid and getting the facts right.

So, therefore, having Shah Rukh and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Sharmishtha [Roy, art director] and Manish [Malhotra, costume designer] and all the people I've worked with earlier were also important. But I think all of them have been challenged. I don't think they've done something like this. We're very far away from the release, and one can never be sure, but the feeling definitely was that we haven't done this before. So either we could have totally screwed it up or maybe got it right, so that's something that I don't know. At all.

While you do mention the need for his character to conform to Bollywood stereotypes, in a sense, and be an endearing hero figure, these are weighty subjects you are dealing with. Does this film then, for you, fall within the purview of serious cinema?

Oh, it's a serious film. No doubt about it. That's why it has a world of its own, its own beat. But I would say it's a drama, a quintessential drama which is definitely serious. There's nothing frivolous about it.

Don't you think we've stopped really tackling dramas in our cinema? Even our serious love stories seem trapped by the need to also be funny and sexy-looking. Don't we need to give in to the genre instead of playing it safe?

I just think that I have a certain pitch and tone. There are bits that are funny but they're not trivialising the subject matter at all. I think that one solid drama... yeah, maybe you're right, because how can you? How can your drama have song-pieces? A drama has a different kind of structure.

You have to realise something about Indian cinema -- no other cinema in the world has an interval, and one doesn't realise how drastic that makes your storytelling structure. That one gap in narrative actually changes the way we write our films. Which is our USP, it's what sets us apart -- but it's a huge deterrent. We would write films differently if we didn't have an interval but we have to, we have to.

So you start, you peak, you pitch, you stop. You build again, you peak, you pitch. So you have two peaks and two pitches and two finales in your film, which you don't realise, actually. Ninety percent of the problem with our scripting is that. On the global level, that's the problem we have.

Actually the half point of Khan, the film where one is trying to be careful, is not a peak-pitch point, it's just that something happens and we stop. It would have been seamless without it also, one has been conscious of that. But very rarely do you find that.

So then this writing around an interval means that we end up having to stick to the genres we know best, the ones suited to our mix and match masala genre...

In 90 percent of our films, you know when the interval is happening. You just know it. That means you've written it in a certain way, you've graphed it in a certain way. And that is our big problem, our big, big, big problem.

That's why we don't get most genres right. We don't get a thriller right, ever. Because we have to have that relationship running, that music coming. So we can't have a quintessential thriller, the way it's meant to be done. We can't get a drama right.

We can get comedy right because comedy can be a little sporadic in its narrative structure. And we always get family right, because we know that the best.

No Syd Field can tell you what to do with an interval. He might have a vague understanding of it, having viewed Indian films, but the three-act structure does not work for us. It just doesn't.

Also, I feel, we aren't good at wrapping up. Many Indian films build up effectively enough but are completely let down by their second half. We falter and stumble so weakly in the third act...

And we always will. Because basically, you're trying to wind up everything because you've explained too much. If you don't explain everything too much, you won't feel the need to wind it up. The problem is that we have such little respect for an audience, while we are writing it.

We second-guess them in that way also. We feel that they won't understand this, they won't feel this. So you emphasise. And you over-emphasise and when you try to wind up that over-emphasis, you mess things up. Instead of just letting things be, we don't, we justify it, we analyse it, we say it out loud. Therefore that character becomes of such importance that you need to bring that track back and, some way or the other, wind up that track effectively, and you end up messing up your second half.

Also, we very rarely, as an audience, have a way of feeling that 'this happened. Why did it happen, we don't need to know.' Sometimes people behave in strange ways. You could be a neurotic man, you just are. You could be a great guy, you just are. Rani doesn't like Abhishek, she just doesn't. 'Why doesn't she, but?' Why do people ask this. 'He's such a great guy, he's such a nice man...' She doesn't. She's not turned on by him.

Do you see this then as a product of conditioning? The fact that we've reinforced these mother, sister, wife images too deeply, imposing them on an audience so much that they're now used to it?

Yes, conditioning, I suppose so. Because you can't take out the iconic status of the actor projecting it and yanking them into the realms of what is real. You just can't do it. You kind of feel that Shah Rukh is a noble man, and Rani is a quintessential good girl. You'd be surprised at how strongly an audience has made up their minds about the kind of person you are, and sometimes they can just reject you because of your off-screen persona.

India does that a lot. You know that some audiences really love Salman, that Aamir just qualifies intelligence. He can validate anything. You watch Ghajini, and even if you don't like it, you feel that he's saying something in Ghajini also, because he's Aamir Khan. You know? 'Somewhere he must be making a comment on violence.' You'll give it that kind of validation.

Whereas if you come across frivolously, you can do what you want but you'll not be able to come across as a noble, Gandhian character.

My non-film friends have such strong opinions about actors. As people, not as actors. 'He's always sleeping around.' How do you know? Are you under his bed? 'He's cheating on his wife.' How do you know, are you the wife? They have these opinions, they just 'know it. '

And that doesn't detract from their enjoying the said actor's work on screen, right?

It tends to become a part of the actor's persona, which again doesn't happen anywhere out of the country. I think we're a very sensitive people, as a nation. I think we have an interval in our souls (laughs), we pause sometimes and think too much, and that's why we like that in our films. We tend to be very very judgemental about humanity, much more than other cultures, other nations.

About that interval point, now that we are making films between a 100 and 120 minutes long...

Yeah? Who is? (laughs) Who are these people? You aren't talking to one!

Do you think we can start thinking about doing away with the interval?

Well, the diaspora audience doesn't stop the film at all. They don't have an interval. They take their own interval, they'll go out and come back. It's the most annoying thing to watch it with them, because they'll walk out at the worst time and you'll keep wishing they hadn't.

But no, I think the interval is a part of our culture in a certain sense, and I don't think we should ever do away with it. There's just a magic in coming out and talking about the film. Where else in the world do you talk about first half/second half? Either a film worked for you or it didn't. Here we say first half was good, second half dropped. They'll look at you in the West like you're mad.

And that's the way it should be. We should be culturally different.

Coming back to actors and their images creating perception issues, especially when it comes to casting them in some light... Don't you think that just intensifies the trouble that we have a tiny pool of stars that all filmmakers are clamouring to sign?

Totally. We have five actors, four actresses, three directors, three art directors, four choreographers. So when you're starting a film you don't know what to do. And you go about saying okay, lets give this one a shot. And out of the four actors, one of the actors has a problem with that choreographer because he's new and he can't dance well and so there are internal problems... it's all very, very limited.

You have 20 working people in the industry whom you can work with. So then? Then that brave attempt has to be made of taking somebody new, and then you have to work with a new actor, which I don't want to do. And then that whole process starts again.

You do bring in a lot of new directors, though.

I've been accused of never launching a newcomer. I say I do even better, I launch new directors. Which is far more important for me. I don't even want to sound cliched and say when the script comes, I'll work with a newcomer. I don't want to work with newcomers, I have no interest in it. I like to work with stars. With people who made their mistakes and have now evolved.

I don't want to play Professor Higgins to newcomers. I want to have an interaction, not a teaching. I don't have an inherent desire to teach, I feel I have things to learn. So I have absolutely no interest in going down that path.

But I love interacting with new directors, because I really believe that they'll teach me a helluva lot. Like I know so much about films from these new kids making movies, and whether they make a good one or a bad one, they teach me a lot.

And that same learning from a fresh approach doesn't happen when you tap into new actors?

There can be nothing more frustrating than working with a non-actor. The few moments that I've lost it on sets -- and they're very few because I'm relatively calm -- are when I have a bad actor. I don't think there's anything worse. I'd rather slash my wrists than work with a bad actor.

I can't tell you how annoying it is. You're used to a certain standard, and now you can't work with them. And I really have no desire to. Maybe when I'm 50 and nobody wants to work with me then I'll say, 'now I'll make my newcomers film,' but not now.

Agreed, but a lack of experience doesn't mean a lack of talent. In any case, there is a bigger talent pool out there beyond the obvious, the five heroes and four heroines. There are talented, experienced actors who aren't getting the platform they deserve.

And I'm actually working with a lot of them, as a producer or a director. I mean the ensemble of Khan is full of people who are doing a lot of great work in all kinds of films. Besides the lead actors, there's a whole ensemble full of interesting people in the film. And I've enjoyed working with all of them, and I want to work with all kinds of actors. But my main cast will always be my main cast.

What about size and scale? Do you ever see yourself making a smaller film?

I don't know. I can't right now, I wouldn't know what to do. The films I'm producing are small films. Wake Up Sid, I wouldn't have been able to make, it's been shot in a really tiny space, the size of this room, and I wouldn't know what to do. But I've learnt a little bit on Khan, how to make a small space look cinematic, so I'm learning. But produce, I'd love to. I wish somebody had given me the script of A Wednesday. I loved it. That was one small film I wish I had produced.

I would love to produce all kinds of tiny films on a script level, and then project them. To market a film is now something I may understand the world of, how to put it out there. And I would love to produce it, to nurture the talent and put it out there. But direction, no. I can't do it.

Not yet, you mean.

No, maybe not ever. Yeah, maybe that's my big sweeping statement that I can't make a low-budget small film. I can't do it.

Because as a viewer, it would be fascinating to see your kind of filmmaking trapped within heavy constraints.

And I'm really happy that you might expect that but (laughs) I'll be sad to report that I won't be able to deliver. And I know what you mean, it would be interesting to see me try. But you'd hate the film, because even if I made it, it'd be the most wannabe thing I'd ever do. To try and downsize my vision. And wannabe is something I can't do. I can make sh*t, but I wouldn't want to do anything that's wannabe.



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Sexy sheer saris, from Bollywood

Trust Bollywood to come up with the latest fads.

This time the ladies have taken the versatile sari and made it hotter by going sheer. Though most of us would think twice about copying this latest trend, these hotties have no qualms about showing off their sexy side.

Here's a look.

Rani Mukerji

Posted Image

The actress showed off her slim and trim figure in designer Manish Malhotra's sheer pale gold sari with a colourful border.



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Dressing Down

Aki Narula on the challenges of designing for Kurbaan

Football shorts made of sari fabric and camouflage combat gear, fashion designer and costume stylist Aki Narula has sure come out with some wacky designs. But for Karan Johar’s Kurbaan, Narula faced a more high-voltage challenge: disemboweling glam gal Kareena Kapoor of the faintest hint of glamour. “Karan was very clear that it was the clothes that belonged to the characters and not vice versa,” says Narula who describes Kurbaan as his most evolved and most challenging piece of work.

But if there’s one thing the designer’s good at, it’s sartorial acrobatics as evidenced by his wildly veering designs from a colourful kurti and dropped-crotch dhoti- sporting Rani Mukerji in Bunty Aur Babli
to a svelte, snappy Kareena Kapoor in those wildly yummy minis in Kambakht Ishq.

As a de-glam professor in Delhi, Kapoor wears a lot of V-neck sweaters, crushed skirts with kantha or bandhini borders. There is also a montage of jamewar shawls and dupattas woven in Banaras. The look is teamed with oxidised silver jewellery from Janpath and a handbag from Delhi Haat. The twinge of colour is sapped in the second half when her character, Avantika, falls in love with Ehsaan played by Saif Ali Khan, and she moves to New York. “Her wardrobe wasn’t overhauled completely as she would have naturally taken most of her Delhi clothes to New York,” reasons Narula. Ergo, a dulled colour palette, keeping the Indian weaves and jewellery, and adding camel and beige trench coats, oversized parkas, sweat pants and boots. Her New York look has a carefully orchestrated negligence about it. “The situation takes such a turn that it is almost as if Avantika doesn’t care about what she’s wearing,” explains the stylist.

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Small screen stint

Moving to the small screen from the big one indicates one thing: a drop in popularity ratings. At least that’s how it comes across for one-time Bollywood diva, Rani Mukherjee whose career graph has been on the downward spiral for a while.

Mukherjee, one of the judges on the popular TV show Dance Premier League, insists that “my stint on the small screen has made me more accessible to my audience. I have always been very fond of dancing. Also TV gives me the opportunity to interact with my audiences. Many people may not go to the theatre but every household has a TV, it helps me gain visibility when I am not doing too many films,” said she.

Well, Mukherjee is honest if nothing else, something that many in the glitzy world of glamour are not. Kudos to her for that.

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/11/22/storie...12250070200.htm

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CAFE Q - Small screen wonders

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The award show began without any delay. At 7pm, the house was 2/3rds empty. The front rows were filled. As the hours went by, the chairs began to get filled up. Additional couches and chairs had to be arranged in the front because no one seemed interested in occupying the seats behind. Among the celebrities who breezed in and out of the event were Rani Mukherji, Rajeev Khandelwal and Aamna Sharif. Rahul Mahajan, Vaibhavi Merchant and Anu Mallik arrived just in time to hand over trophies.
Among the performers, Hussain Kuwajerwala and Shaleen Bhanot's Michael Jackson act was applauded. Ditto the What's Your Rashee act by Aamir Ali, Neha Marda, Ragini Khanna and Ankita Lokhande. While Rakhi Sawant showed some latka jhatkas on stage, Ali Asgar did a Sajid Khan act, going to the stars in the audience with weird awards. The entry and exit points were somewhat chaotic but then, nevermind.
Winners included Anuradha Prasad for her contribution to TV, Ronit Roy for Best Actor, Rattan Rajput for Best Actress, Dilip Joshi for Comic Role, Avika Gor and Avinash Mukherji for Best Child Actors, Avinash Sachdev for Fresh New Face and Rani Mukherji for TV ki Rani.






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Groovy Rani
By: Hitlist Team Date: 2009-11-18 Place: Mumbai

All this while, Rani Mukerji had refused to shake a leg for Dance Premier League, the reality show she judges. But in this weekend's episode, she takes to the floor to do a bhangra.

Mid-way, she even kicks off her heels and got into the mood with gutso with her favourite contestant Karthik providing company. Clearly a case of Dil Bole Balle Balle.

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Diktat queen strikes again

Rani Mukerji refuses to judge Dance Premier League until the show’s format is altered

VICKEY LALWANI

All is not well on the sets of Dance Premier League (DPL). The show’s celebrity judge, Rani Mukerji is so flustered with the format of the show that she stormed out of the sets on Tuesday, November 17. The incident happened at a studio in Chembur.
Furthermore, Rani has curtly asked the show’s producers, Cineyug not to make her resume her position as the judge until her demands are met.
Commenting on why Rani is so upset, a source said, “Rani doesn’t want the DPL participants to be eliminated starting this level (Level 5). She is of the opinion that the DPL winner must be chosen from the existing participants.”
Consequently, the channel and the DPL producers Cineyug are in a fix. They are in no position to abide by her diktat as the show has already completed more than 60 per cent of its running time. Also, the format of the show cannot be changed overnight as it will involve a lot of planning.
The vice-president of the channel, Danish Khan, said, “We are only interested in the final product. Cineyug, who make this show for us, will be the right people to talk to you about this.”
Mohammed Morani of Cineyug confirmed the story and said, “I was out of town when Rani walked out of the show. I don’t know why Rani doesn’t want eliminations to happen at this level. We have reached Level 5 in the show and need to carry out the eliminations to make the contest interesting. We are trying to explain this to her.”

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Rani ­ gone in 60 seconds

Mj adhu my Mottu Maid has ust barged in to crib about Rani Mukherji, who went for some television award ceremony on Sunday evening, along with her mother Krishna Mukherji.
Contrary to her image of being a khadoos, attitude-throwing, highhanded abhinetri, Ms Mukherji was smiling no end and mingling with every top guy of every channel from the city to space.

Mots claims that Rani gave her best performance ever when her name was announced as she exclaimed: "Oh my God! Mere liye award bhi rakha hai?" as if she wasn't aware of taking home a trophy from there.

Khair, Ms Mukherji didn't say anything more besides `Thank you' and rushed down the stage as if it was timed to collapse. And once on the ground level, Rani rushed towards the exit, calling her chaffeur to get the car ready to pick her and momma Mukherji.

And before anyone could even call her, Rani and momma Mukherji had gotten into their car and zoomed off. Really now!

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Bips' big bucks on small screen

Prashant Singh

Bipasha Basu looks all set to create a new record on television. The buzz is that the Bong bombshell will host an upcoming reality show, Female Model Hunt, for a whopping Rs 65-70 lakh per episode.

If the deal comes through, Bipasha will become the highest-paid woman celebrity on Indian television.

Female Model Hunt will be produced by Shah Rukh Khan's TV software production company Red Chillies Idiot Box and is based on popular US show America's Next Top Model. Red Chillies has started inviting applications from contestants on its website, though they are yet to finalise which channel will air the show.

Bipasha's paycheque will be fatter than those of other Bollywood actresses in the 30-plus bracket, including Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Rani Mukherji.

"Older filmstars have an emotional connect with TV viewers. Plus, actresses such as Bipasha, Preity, Rani and Sushmita stand to gain from TV because younger faces are taking over the big screen. It also helps them stay in touch with their big fan base," says Manish Porwal, CEO of Percept Talent Management.

Says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar: "Money is obviously the biggest driving force for Bipasha. Who wouldn't agree to do a show if she is offered Rs 60-70 lakh per episode? Plus, actresses like Bipasha, Preity and Rani aren't really busy with films these days." Preity is believed to have signed The Preity Zinta Show, a celebrity chat show. The actress is reportedly set to receive Rs 60 lakh per episode.

Sushmita might have no new films in hand after the debacle of Do Knot Disturb recently, but the former Miss Universe is believed to have been offered almost Rs 50 lakh for an appearance in one episode on NDTV Imagine's upcoming show, Raaz Pichlay Janam Ka. Rani, too, is creating a buzz with her debut television stint as celebrity judge on Sony's Dance Premier League. Although her last film Dil Bole Hadippa flopped, she is earning Rs 50 lakh per episode for doling out a few comments on the contestants' moves.

"There are a lot of audiences who don't visit the theatre, but enjoy getting entertained in their homes. So, this is a very good medium to connect with millions of my fans," Rani said.


"After Amitabh Bachchan's successful stint with Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bollywood stars realised they can easily go back to films after making big money on TV. Also, the small screen is witnessing a lot of innovation, which gives the stars various opportunities," says Porwal.

In the past, Madhuri Dixit and Shilpa Shetty made their debuts on the small screen. While Madhuri hosted the flop matrimony-based TV show, Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai, Shilpa was the host of Bigg Boss season 2 last year.

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Rani backs dancing talent

MUMBAI MIRROR 24 November 2009, 11:00am

Rani Mukherji often referred as Bollywood's Queen of Hearts proves it true yet again! A versatile actor and dancer par excellence, the Queen of DPL Rani Mukherji was supportive and instrumental in helping a highly talented team garner another chance on Dance Premier League.

Contrary to reports, there was no 'diktat' or ultimatum given by Rani Mukherji. She was simply backing the team in consultation with both the channel (Sony Entertainment Television) and the producer of the show (Cineyug Worldwide).

Further, Rani Mukherji had a valid reason for asking for the change - she felt that the team concerned is doing extremely well and has huge public support. Therefore, it was only fair that they should be given an opportunity to have another chance, perform again and win the heart of the viewers and the judges. The channel and the producer of the show agreed to her suggestion. With a minor change in the format the team got a breather. Confirming this incident, Danish Khan, Vice President - Marketing, SET says "Please watch the episode this weekend to understand what Rani was trying to do. Her only objective was to retain some absolutely talented participants, and I think that is good for the show and good for the channel as well"

Mohammed Morani of Cineyug further adds that "Both the channel and the producer appreciate Rani's involvement and respect her opinion & suggestions. The facts need to be reported in conjunction with the real story otherwise it creates a wrong impression".
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Monday, November 23, 2009

Naach Na Jaane Aangan Tedha (Sara & Hussain's Fight Continues..)

Sara: one more week passed by and now we are really close to the BIG BANG!

Hussain: yes…so how was your weekend?

Sara: as good as always…was working!

Hussain: ya ya …is it that only you work or what?

Sara: (looks angry) I didn’t mean that

Hussain: just kidding! You know what?

Sara: NO!

Hussain: ok listen now… I am going to share some very interesting bits about our DPL champs…

Sara: ya ya totally! I am listening (smiles and gets real excited- now we will come to know some andar ki khufiya khabar!)

Hussain: Did you know that Karishma Chavan from Western Yodhas has been rejected from a reality show for being overweight? Shit! Bad I tell u a bunch a losers…really I mean she dances so well?

Sara: (looks shocked) I didn’t know that…really I mean what’s the big deal about that? She dances way better than those so called ‘slim’ girls…the Lagaan dance performance was on of its kind- she was the only girl in there- she rocks!

Hussain: anyways now that she is here and that too her team is leading- must say I am really proud of her!

Sara: :-) yes we all are!

Hussain: hmmm and you know what?

Sara: kya?

Hussain: Prashant Mohan from Western Yodhas was once called to LA to train 'Debbyally' hip hop! I mean we have like a bunch of interesting people…

Sara: wow!

Hussain: hmmm

Sara: what hmmm? Tell me more…like some nice good gossip!

Hussain: why do girls always want to gossip, I don’t understand ….

Sara: (interrupts him) for your kind information its you who is telling me the gossip. I am just listening!

Hussain: waaaaaaaaaah!

Sara: hehe! Now tell me more…

Hussain: now I won’t! Actually the interesting bit was about to come (LOL)

Sara: tell me na…

Hussain: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sara: uuurrrrrrrgggggggghhh!

Hussain: blah blah blah…

Sara: blah blah blah blah ….

And here they go again! Be here tomorrow for more nok-jhok and super fun-filled gossip- Watch Dance Premier League Fri-Sat at 8.30pm Only on Sony Entertainment Television.

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Rani Mukherji refuses to endorse insect repellant body cream

MUMBAI: Rani Mukherji likes to get her own way. One can see how the actress won the producers and channel to get her favorite contestants to remain in the hunt for the title of Dance Premiere League, where she is the sole judge. And the story does not end there. She has continued to be the face for a mosquito repellant company even after she refused to bow down to their demands.

Sitting pretty wearing a pair of casual cargos and a pink tee, Mukherji was shooting for Good Knight, a mosquito repellant company at the Yash Raj Studios in suburban Mumbai, recently. The actress was asked to do the company’s newly launched body cream that works as an insect repellant, but Rani had refused. A friend close to the actress revealed, “Rani did not want to endorse a cream like this which would have closed doors to other cream companies. So she voiced her reservations.”


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Shahid-Rani in Dil Bole Hadippa: It was hard to picture the lady and the boy together but Shahid and Rani made it work like magic. Their bright smiles and effervescent personalities lit up the screen and almost salvaged the lackluster movie.


http://www.starboxoffice.com/gallery/sboga...y.aspx?aid=1609




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In the name of the father

Rani Mukerji is on a philanthropic roll as she gets involved in various charities

When it comes to living her life on her own terms, Rani Mukerji makes it a point that she does so without letting any amount of interference from anybody. She says, “I have lived life the way I want to and I don’t think anyone can dominate me.” But before you assume that the fragile Rani from the big screen seems to have hardened over time, she also reveals a rather empathetic side to herself.

The actress had constantly made an effort to brighten people’s lives by doing her bit for charity. While it is a known fact that Rani donated a lot of money for the benefit of all the victims of the Tsunami a while back, she has even set up a trust after her parents. “Charity is a very personal thing. I started the Krishnaram Trust in the name of my parents. The trust helps a lot of people who are in need of medical help. My father was unwell for a very long time and I have seen my mother working hard to put together the money required for his treatment. Now that I am at an advantage, I want to do my bit to help people who cannot afford medical treatments. In the near future, I also want to do something to help the visual and hearing impaired,” explains Rani.
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Sara Khan quits as host of ‘Dance Premier League’

Mumbai, Nov 26 (IANS) TV actress Sara Khan, who has been co-hosting ‘Dance Premier League’ (DPL) with Hussain Kuwajerwala, has made a voluntarily exit from the reality show due to illness.

‘I have been unwell for quite some time. I have a severe stomach problem due to which my doctor has advised me complete bed rest,’ said Sara who is on a temporary break from the show that comes on Sony TV.

‘I will definitely be back. I completely love the show and please pray for my speedy recovery,’ she said in a press statement.

But Sara, who shot to fame with her role as Sadhna in ‘Sapna Baabul Ka… Bidaai’, will continue shooting for the daily soap.

‘I will only be devoting around three to four hours. I cannot completely skip the show due to its highpoint and also there is a major focus on my character,’ she said.

In Sara’s absence, Hussain will be manning the stage alone.

In the show, teams from different parts of the country as well as abroad are competing with each other. It is telecast every Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
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Dance Premier League- Exclusive Snippets - 27th November

• Harshal-Vithal’s Western Yodhas portrayed the souring of Indo-Pak relations then Nagendra and Swaroop’s Southern Sizzlers showed patriotism and love of the motherland ending with Vande Mataram!

• There is a star on Dance Premier League. Nanda, one of the contestants of Southern Sizzlers is a celebrity in his own right. He has starred in over half a dozen South Indian films and hopes his stint on DPL

• Laughter never stops on Dance Premier League. If Rani and Shiamak are not taking good-natured jibes at each other then the contestants are.

• It was only now discovered that Ruel has a Philipino mom and a Sindhi father.

• Hussain decided to test his Hindi and spoke a few lines in Sindhi and asked Ruel for a translation. For everything that Hussain spoke, Ruel had only one translation: “You look so beautiful!”

• There are some emotional moments on Dance Premier League this week. On one hand there was Vishal (Deaf and Mute contestant from Western Yodhas) whose proud parents stood beside him on stage and told the world that DPL had given their son a platform to showcase his talent. The parents made a request to all parents of children with special needs to encourage their children’s talent no matter what.


• Rani’s plain saris with interesting brocade borders with the sexy blouses are soon going to be the “in” thing this season with the female viewers for sure!

• Howard Rosemeyer’s Aamir Khan Act is well known. But few know that he can do a Charlie Chaplin act!

• Rehearsals and hectic schedules are taking their toll on the contestants. The injured list on DPL is growing by leaps and bounds!

• Each one is limping on to the stage or sniffing into the tissues but once the show begins they are spurred on by the spirit of competition that enables them to rise above the aches and pains to deliver a winning performance.

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2009 SPL: The five BEST makeovers

Take a look at our pick of people who we just couldn't recognise

By Suranjana Nandi Nov 29, 2009

No # 2: Hrithik in Kites/Shahid in Kaminey/Rani in Dil Bole Hadippa

Posted Image

Hrithik Roshan was always hot. But now, he is delicious! His rugged, soiled up look in Kites can make the primmest women want to get dirty. REALLY. RELIVE THE YUMMY MEMORY!

But Duggu boy has to share his place with Shahid Kapoor. The boy was cute till last year. Come 2009 and zap! the boy is a walking, talking recipe for the most sensuous dreams. And thank you Vishal Bharadwaj for the scene in Kaminey where Shahid runs bare chested with horses. It was like a X-rated fairytale for most women.

Well, if Shahid and Hrithik turned up the heat on camera, Rani Mukerji's transformation set the lens on fire! The actress who was so far considered bubbly, cute and plump made a million male hearts skip a beat or two with her wild bikini number in YRF's Dil Bole Hadippa.
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POLITICALLY INCORRECT

Why aamchi Mumbai is like Rani Mukherjee

SHOBHAA DE

The first anniversary of 26/11 is behind us. The tears have dried. Candles snuffed out. Flowers, wilted. Speeches and parades done with. Mumbai is back to ‘normal’. There will be postmortems and more. Some will focus on the city’s cynicism. Others will laud its optimism. Television anchors will nurse their sore throats and sigh, “Thank God, it’s over.” Yes. Truly. Thank God, it is over. And can we please get on with our lives? Change the subject and move on... just like everybody else?
Mumbai needs a makeover. At the moment, it resembles Rani Mukherjee at her worst. Rani is one of our most talented actresses. I totally adore her. But somewhere down the line, Rani lost the plot. Well, so has Mumbai. This disgustingly huge, monster-metropolis no longer knows what it is. Rani faced a similar dilemma a while ago. She did what a lot of actresses do in similar situations — she lost weight and climbed into a bikini. The film tanked nevertheless. Or perhaps, because of the bikini. The ‘new’, ‘toned’ Rani failed to impress audiences, even though the movie was constructed for and around her. The bikini did her in. Mumbai is also stuck in the same sort of groove — it desperately wants to reinvent itself and show the rest of India that it is still the sexiest, most desirable city in the country. Unfortunately for Mumbai, the rest of India has moved on. It just ain’t interested! As they’d say in Bollywood parlance, “Weekend opening bekaar hai, boss.” This is an alarming scenario for a destination that has always fancied itself. But you know how it is in showbiz — the box office is always right. Mumbai has been declared an official flop.
Rani is at a crossroads in terms of her rapidly dwindling career, Mumbai too is wondering which direction to take. Its showing at the box office has been dismal, the collections are depressingly low, and investors are busy looking for the next big thing. Fading actresses try several gimmicks to hang on to their positions — new hairstyles, fresh makeup, hot boyfriends, controversies and scandals. What does a fading city do? Accept its wrinkles and carry on?
There was a time, not so long ago, when being identified as a Mumbaikar gave a special edge to a person. It meant something. Chestthumping came naturally to those who called Mumbai their home. Today, the connotation is different and Mumbaikars are only too aware of changed perceptions. All that made Mumbai such a powerful magnet has disappeared, or is fast eroding. Money has moved to other cities (hello, Hyderabad!), and with that, so have several related businesses that once made Mumbai glamorous and seductive. Fashion has fled North. So has talent in other spheres. Today, a Sunil Bharti Mittal gets as many eyeballs as the Ambanis. Plus, he is cuter. Power in Mumbai was never about politics (sorry, Sharad bhau). It had to do with the billions in your bank. Now, even those billions are relocating. Not a single politician from this city has the clout of a Pranab, Chidambaram or Rahul. And that is pretty much the current Mumbai story.
The prevalent feeling among Mumbaikars post 26/11 is that Mumbai has become marginalized and no longer counts. The indifference shown by Delhi was the first sign that Mumbai, its safety and survival, are low priority for the Big Boys in the Capital. The macabre anniversary of the terror attacks was marked by tokenism and not much more. This may sound like petty carping, but somehow the visuals of Obamaji saying namaste to Manmohanji and clinking glasses at a grand sitdown dinner around the same date, seemed a little insensitive. As did the timing of our Prezzie flying high in a Sukhoi while Mumbai was in mourning. Sure, Chidambaram showed up in the city to hold hands, light a torch, make soothing noises and so on. But in real terms, whether fairly or otherwise, Mumbaikars felt short-changed and quite cross. As it is, what was equally hard to swallow was the finger-pointing, blame game going on between our top cops, with several innocents caught in the cross fire, leaving shell-shocked Mum baikars demanding, “But... what about us?”
Really. What about us? Right now we are feeling marooned, aban doned, and pretty unloved. There an exaggerated emotionalism work here, combined with a dollop of martyrdom. It happens. Mum baikars are melodramatic. It is in evitable given our proximity to the movie world. Everything in our lives is exaggerated, and that includes anger. 26/11 has been the tipping point. No doubt about that. Some thing snapped during those 62 hours and nothing is going to be the same again. That’s too bad, given Mum bai’s unique position in our imagi nation. Maybe, Mumbai was never really all that ‘different’ or ‘special’ Maybe, it was always a dump Maybe, squalour consistently scored over glamour. But it was good while it lasted. The illusion, I mean. It’ time to get real. No retakes, this time. Same as for Rani.
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DPL`s reigning Rani

DPL has had a strange problem. Its celebrity judge threatened to quit if the elimination round was not postponed. The format did not permit this but Rani Mukherjee was adamant. Result? A change and soaring TRPs. Neha Verma reports

In over a year, the small screen has become a hub of big movie stars. Rani Mukherjee followed the trend and made a television debut with the dance reality show Dance Premiere League (DPL). The show has captured a good amount of TRP and boasts of a huge audience. On the show, Rani is believed to be a good and fair judge and has grabbed the tittle of Janta Ki Rani.

With 60 per cent already done, the show is now on level five. There are six teams with famous choreographers assigned to them. Everything on the show ran smoothly until November 17 when Rani, on the set of the show at Chembur, suddenly staged a walkout, disagreeing with the elimination format.

The shoot was on for level five and the team Eastern Tigers was to be eliminated. But, Rani suddenly backed out, visibly angry. She was upset with the elimination and wanted a change in the format.

“According to Rani, the team to be eliminated was constantly performing well and she wanted that all the teams should be given a chance to perform once again to win the heart of judges. She wanted that the four teams from the bottom should be given a chance to perform at least once. After that the teams should be eliminated,” explained Mohammad Morani, producer, Cineyug Productions.

Rani had threatened that if the format was not changed, she would not resume her position as the judge. The channel and the production house were in a fix for sometime as the show had completed 60 per cent of its episodes and any change at this stage would hamper its popularity. However, after much discussion and debate, both the channel and the producers agreed to Rani’s terms and conditions.

“Rani is not just a judge on the show. She is the people’s voice and, therefore, we have agreed with her suggestions. After discussing things with her and the channel, we have brought a slight change in the format. Initially, we wanted the elimination in level five but on her demand it has been shifted to level six,” Morani said.

The four weakest teams out of the six will now be given a chance to perform again and then it will be decided who will walk out.

“She did not mean to stop the eliminations but only wanted to say that at this level the teams had not been given enough chances to perform,” Morani clarified.

After this change the channel and producers are happy to have agreed with Rani who fought for a cause which was in the favour of all participants. It will, indeed, add to the popularity of the show.

Technical judge and chief mentor of the show, Shiamak Davar, was also seen shouting at the teams to improve their performance standards.

“I agree with Rani and also believe that it was too early to eliminate the teams. Like I have been saying constantly, the level of dance on this show needs to be of a very high degree. After these five levels the quality has just started showing. It is now coming to the level that I have been wanting it to be,” Davar said.
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What’s common between Mani Ratnam and Shankar?

December 3rd, 2009 - 1:32 am ICT by sampurn -

Guess what’s so common between ace filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Shankar? Well, they’re one of the most happening filmmakers of South-Asian film industry. Their films always find a great place in the global box office. They’ve been supportive for their protégés and launched them under their home banners.

But the common factor between the two is the “heroine’ factors.

These filmmakers have the habit of casting the same actresses in their films at times.

It all started with Madhoo, who played the female lead in Mani Ratnam’s “Roja’ released in 1992. The following year marked the debut directorial of Shankar with “Gentleman’ and Madhoo was offered to perform the ladylove of protagonist (played by Arjun).

Similarly, Mani Ratnam opted for Manisha Koirala in his blockbuster “Bombay’, which was based on the real life conflict between Hindu and Islam community after Babri Masjid attack. So it was no surprise that Shankar roped in the same actress for his multi-lingual film “INDIAN’ starring Kamal Haasan in dual roles. Later, she was offered to perform female lead in his other project “Mudhalvan’ as well…

And then it was all about Miss World Aishwarya Rai- She made her debut in film industry with Mani Ratnam’s “Iruvar’. Couple of years later, she starred opposite Prashanth in Shankar’s mega-budget film “Jeans’.

Mani Ratnam’s assistant Shaad Ali remade his “Alaipayudhe’ in Hindi as “Saathiya’… It’s worth mentioning that Mani himself suggested Rani Mukherji for the female lead and again she was offered to perform one of the female lead roles in “Yuva’. Apparently, when filmmaker Shankar remade “Mudhalvan’ in Hindi titled “Nayak’, he had no options other than Rani Mukherji herself.

Finally, both the filmmakers have again zeroed down on Aishwarya Rai in their films. It’s noteworthy that Aishwarya starred opposite Abhishek Bachchan in “Guru’ and again they’re pairing together in Mani Ratnam’s upcoming film “Raavana’ (Aishwarya does female lead in both the versions). Similarly, the Miss World will be spotted sharing screen space with Superstar Rajinikanth in Shankar’s “Endhiran’.

It’s almost a couple of decades (1991– till date) and these filmmakers are still adhering to such traits.



Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entert...l#ixzz0YaAqHJHw
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