Salman Khan is not a purush - Vivek Oberoi

There aren’t many people in the Bollywood film industry that have rubbed Salman Khan the wrong way and got away with it. Case in point is erstwhile bollywood heartthrob and one time winner of the best new face of the year male (?)  Vivek Oberoi.  Vivek slammed into bollywood with the hit film Company that had him essaying the role of a small time crook who eventually turns into Dawood’s right hand at first and then his arch nemesis. Vivek ( and the movie ) won rave reviews for his realistic portrayal of an underworld don In the making and was touted as the next biggest thing since well… the last actor son to make his debut in Bollywood. Flushed with success and everything that came with it, he broke up with his then girl friend and went on to date Ms Aishwarya Rai who was on the rebound fresh from a breakup with that shirtless wonder Salman Khan. Well as things would have it, Salman did not take the liason lightly and ended up calling Vivek over 40 times apparently, after downing a few and proceeded to threaten and abuse the living crap out of the poor guy. Well this was one guy who was already reeling under his acceptance by the Rai babe and obviously not in a sane frame of mind (who would be) and he in turn called, actually staged is the word we should use if filmy magazines are anything to go by, a meet and complain, and proceeded to lambast Salman and his ways, he also called up Salman in front of the salivating press corps and dared him to come down and slug it out if he was man enough. Salman as it turns out had prior pressing engagements and declined. The rest as they say is history and to this day in-spite of one embarrassing public display of begging for forgiveness , Salman refuses to even acknowledge the Oberoi dude.

Well that was some moons ago, Vivek’s career is on the rebound for lack of a better word and he is on the cusp of his next release “Prince”, which for unknown reasons has already been trashed before its release by the apes on passionforcinema.com. When quizzed about the status of his long drawn war with Salman by this reporter, Vivek had this to say while running his fingers through his glossy tresses. See Salman is not a purush, he is a maha-purush, he is perfection personified and has never in his entire life made a mistake which is why he finds it difficult to forgive and forget the whole sorry business, me on the other hand am a mere mortal, he signed off with a sigh.

[Via http://thecurioustimesofindia.wordpress.com]

I am not hot and sexy: Katrina

She may be playing a hot chick in many of her films but Katrina Kaif says in real life, she doesn’t feel that way at all. “I don’t think I am hot and sexy,” she told us recently.

But Kat added that is the way the audience perceives her and she is fine with that.

“I think the audience has an opinion of you and one has to try and not disappoint them.” Katrina also comes up with a quick example. “Someone like Vidya Balan is known for her ethnic roles and people love her in that image. I think I am known for a certain type of fun films. We all have our places and we are comfortable in that.”

[Via http://slikmusicchart.wordpress.com]

Royalty issue no music to anyone

First there was an altercation between Aamir Khan and Javed Akhtar and now a spat between Sonu Niigaam and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The royalty issue that has gripped Bollywood is getting bigger with each passing day. However, both the music fraternity and the producers are standing firm on their respective stands.

“This issue about the royalties was long overdue. We had to stand for our rights some day or the other day. We know we are making a justified demand,” composer Annu Malek said.

“Composers are just paid a certain amount and if the song becomes a hit, all the money that is earned from it goes to the producers. Why are composers left behind? Why just one pay cheque for them?” he added.

The music fraternity is demanding a 50 per cent share of a film’s music earnings to be equally divided between the composers and the singers. The demand has not gone down well with filmmakers.

One example of this being a heated outburst of 3 Idiots producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra at a meeting held for talks regarding the issue. According to eyewitnesses, when Sonu Niigaam presented the demands of the music fraternity, Chopra called the demand unreasonable and the two got into an ugly argument, vowing not to work with each other again.

Expressing his view on the ongoing tussle between artists and producers, Sulaiman Merchant of composer duo Salim-Sulaiman said: “I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. The problem is that nobody is willing to have a dialogue and understand what the matter is all about.”

“The need of the hour is a forum where personal allegations or otherwise should be put aside and to actually understand what the proposal is,” he added.

Artists feel the core creative group – that includes composer, lyricist and singer – behind a song are paid a low amount while producers earn millions if the song becomes a hit. Hence, the artist community wants an amendment in the Copyright Act.

“Even Mr Kapil Sibal [human resource development minister] understands our plight… I’m sure the bill will be passed,” said Malek.

In the past, Lata Mangeshkar demanded half of the five percent of a song’s royalty. Though not easy, Lata finally had her way.

However, all have not been lucky. The situation has always been so bad that most music artists struggle throughout their lives.

“There have been artists who have been doing great works but never got their full due and struggled their entire life. Even my father Shri Sardar Malik fought a royalty battle,” said Malek.

The situation abroad is different. The music artists are given equal rights to the song.

Subhash Ghai also believes that things should work the way they do in the West.

“We should adopt all Hollywood policies, since we are moving in that direction. That will be better for all,” he said.

Meanwhile, most producers are sticking to their stance. Vashu Bhagnani was quoted as saying: “If they are demanding profit, they should also share the loss. Out of 90 songs, 10 work, what about the rest?”

[Via http://slikmusicchart.wordpress.com]

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge

Artists: Ajay Devgan, Paresh Rawal, Konkona Sen Sharma

Track Listing: Click to Listen Live or Right-Click to Save as MP3.

1. Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge

2. Aaja Aaja

3. Dohe

4. Aaja Aaja (Remix)

5. Jyoti Jalaile

6. Sukhakarta

FIND ME: Facebook | MySpace | Twitter | WordPress | YouTube

[Via http://v2thaj.wordpress.com]

bangkok jazz festival 2007 World Cinema:: "Incorrect wife (Femme infidele, La)", description of

bangkok jazz festival 2007

Michel Bouquet plays a businessman who suspected his wife (Odra) of infidelity. After receiving confirmation of this and find the address of her lover, he comes to him (Ron). The conversation

video image archive for vehicle damage reporting

In the near future in Washington, a special commission for the protection of time. With the invention of a time machine there was a danger that someone will be able to change the past, but this is fraught with catastrophic consequences. Max Walker accepts the offer to work in this commission and became a police patrol time. His talents in the field of martial arts helped him in the past, and in the future in the fight against villains who strive for absolute power and used for the manipulation of time.

[Via http://clorbesjuamar.wordpress.com]

Rahul Bose-an actor turned activist

An actor turned activist ( influenced by Paash )

An interaction with an actor turned activist

Gurpreet Singh writes from Vancouver

IT was the Hindu Muslim riots of 1992 that turned Rahul Bose, an actor of the parallel Indian cinema into an activist. Currently on tour in Canada with a green message, he remembers how those riots in the Indian city of Mumbai had changed his outlook towards life and politics. However, the anti Muslim pogrom of Gujarat ten years later became a turning point in 2002. The Hindu right wing BJP government of Gujarat is blamed for the targeted killings of the Muslims by the Hindu extremists in connivance with the police.

Bose admits that he was scared to help anyone in 1992, but the villainy in Gujarat changed him completely. “I am not even scared of calling Mumbai, Bombay’’, he said in a private and informal chat at a party hosted by the Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) in Surrey in reference to the threats made out by the Hindu fanatics to anyone who call the city by its old name. A film director had recently apologized to the Mumbai Nav Nirman Sena for doing so. “He should have gone to the police’’.

Bose is here at the joint invitation of the PICS and the Climate Change Action Network.

He has come with a message to the influential South Asian voters to press the politicians in the swing ridings for some action on climate change. He also reminds them that India is struggling hard to eradicate poverty and unemployment. “The developed countries like Canada which still remain big polluters compared to the developing countries like mine have no moral authority to press them to cut emissions’’, he told a gathering at the PICS’ Senior Center.

Apart from being an environmentalist, he is one of the prominent humanist and secular voices from the Bollywood. However, he prefers to be identified more with the alternative cinema than the mainstream Indian film industry. He has been writing for the Communalism Combat, a magazine of the peace activists who had helped the victims of the Gujarat massacre. “The terrorism should be treated alike as terrorism in the name of the Hindu religion is no different from Jihad’’, he said in a radio interview. In fact, the film Shaurya in which he played a young army officer posted in Kashmir touches an unconventional subject of the Indian army being infiltrated by the radical Hindu officers who kill Muslims in the name of war against terrorism. Although he believes that the Indian army is secular and can’t be blamed for a few bad apples, yet he is concerned with the violation of human rights in Kashmir. “If anyone raises that question he is branded anti national’’, he said at the party during a dinning table chat over range of issues. He believes in solving the problem of terrorism through dialogue and peace initiatives instead of resorting to tough laws and police repression. “The naxalites are fighting for the basics. There are strong socio economic reasons behind their violent actions. Even Rahul Gandhi (the son of the ruling All India Congress Committee President Sonia Gandhi) acknowledges this. Anyone else suggesting that would have been killed’’. He disclosed to me that he was influenced by Paash, a progressive Punjabi poet who was associated with the ultra leftist Naxalite movement. Paash was assassinated by the Sikh extremists.

He does not forget reminding youngsters to vote. An inedible ink mark on his left index finger suggested that he voted before coming to Canada. The assembly elections were held in three provinces, including Maharasthra where he voted on October 13. He was at the party when the counting of the votes began. “Some students question why should we vote? I tell them why not when the Hindu right wing parties try to control your lives by telling you not to wear jeans or oppose the Valentine’s Day’’.

http://www.southasiapost.org/2009/20091031/canada.htm

[Via http://paash.wordpress.com]