The Interview Goddess Sonam Kapoor on Bewakoofiyaan While Striking at London!

 Sonam Kapoor took out time from her busy London schedule recently when she was here to meet Bollywood reporter Sunny Malik to talk about her first YRF film, Bewakoofiyaan.

Bewakoofiyaan is a fresh rom-com directed by Nupur Asthana starring Rishi Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Ayushman Khuranna.

The film is about a young middle-class corporate couple that’s ambitious and likes the good life too.The leading characters, Mayera and Mohit, are passionately in love but trouble begins when Mohit loses his job and Mayera’s wilful bureaucratic father, played by Rishi Kapoor, enters the story as he believes that only a rich guy can bring happiness into his daughter’s life.

The film is written by Habib Faisal and is produced by Aditya Chopra.

Watch the trailer here:
London Fashion Week is going on. Will we see you attend any shows?
No, I can’t attend any LFW shows this time. I am in London for some work and unfortunately don’t have the time.

You had a good 2013 with successful films like Raanjhaana and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Are you selecting your films more carefully now because expectations are high?
I am trying to choose films that push me as an actor. I am trying to do new and different things. I get bored really easily and I don’t want that to happen.

What do you want; box office success or awards?
I am greedy, I want both.

Your new film Bewakoofiyaan is your first YRF production. How did it come about?
Well, I have been in talks with Yash Raj for a few other projects but nothing ever materialised. I can’t tell you which other projects. It unfortunately doesn’t work that way (smiles). Nothing worked out but then this film came along and it was quite exciting. I really liked the fact that Habib Faisal (Band Baaja Baarat) had written it, Nupur Asthana was directing it and that I would be acting with Rishi Kapoor. When all these things came together, I just decided that I was going to do this film.

What was the deciding factor for you while listening to the script of Bewakoofiyaan?
I think it was the fact that the story had real problems and real people. I liked that. People like my character exist in cities like Mumbai and Delhi or any Indian metropolitan cities. People in such cities are concerned about their job, their cinemas and having popcorn (laughs).

How well do you think Bewakoofiyaan will do at the overseas box office?
My films have done really well in the UK and I hope that the trend continues with Bewakoofiyaan. But I don’t know. I just hope the audience understands the film because these are problems that you face in metropolitan cities in India. However, I think that most problems are universal and hope UK audiences understand them when they watch the film.

How was it like working with Ayushman Khuranna?

It was amazing working with him because he is very pleasant, hardworking and talented. When you wake up in the morning, you want to be on the film set with someone like him.

Not many expected you to work with Rishi Kapoor after the repercussions of your Koffee with Karan episode.

Yes, but honestly most of it was media created. I have known him all my life. I call his sister ‘Maasi’ (Aunt). We are family friends. I love him and he loves me. We had a great time working together.

Why is it such a huge issue for people that you are wearing a bikini in the film?

It’s the Indian mentality.

A few years ago you said that actors in Bollywood need stylists. Now a lot of your contemporaries use your stylist. Are you happy with how they look now?

I am always happy with what people wear. As long as it doesn’t hurt my eyes, I am good.

Bewakoofiyaan released in the UK cinemas on 14th March 2014.

"Besharam" Movie Review - Ranbir Failed To Save Film

Ranbir Kapoor is often hailed as the next big thing in Bollywood — a young star who knows what he is doing, chooses his scripts with care and delivers top-notch performances nearly all the time. If that is the case, Kapoor must have had a very bad day at work to say yes to “Besharam”.

Abhinav Kashyap’s second film as director is crude, packed with toilet humour, and has no semblance of a plot. “Besharam” is a case study in lazy filmmaking, one that lowers the bar on good taste just to make money at the Bollywood box office. It insults the viewer’s intelligence and is an example of the Hindi film industry’s reluctance to let go of hackneyed storylines that were all the rage two decades ago.

Kapoor plays Babli, the protagonist in this Indian version of Robin Hood. He is a thief who steals swanky cars, sells them and donates the proceeds to the orphanage where he was raised. His talent catches the attention of a gangster (Jaaved Jaffrey) who hires him.

But one day, Babli unwittingly steals and delivers the car of the girl he loves. Once he realizes this, there is only one thing to be done. Steal the car right back. Tara (Pallavi Sharda), who spends half the time delivering holier-than-thou speeches about how Babli should give up a life of crime, agrees and accompanies him on this mission.

There is also a subplot about a squabbling couple (Ranbir’s real-life parents Rishi and Neetu Kapoor), who are in the police, and have made unsuccessful attempts at catching Babli during his earlier capers. Even this does not work, mainly because Kashyap saddles them with vulgar dialogue and a series of gross-out sequences involving actor Rishi Kapoor — including a defecation scene.

Watch: Trailer of Besharam 

Kashyap doesn’t even attempt to inject any creativity into this flimsy plotline, relying on toilet humour and mediocre songs to stretch the running time to two-and-a-half hours. The dialogue is pedestrian, as are the performances.

Ranbir Kapoor does not look too convinced himself about the film or its outrageous plot. He’s no Salman Khan or Akshay Kumar. Those two actors could have pulled off “Besharam’s” slapstick genre but Kapoor can’t and that’s the film’s main failing. Unless you like the feeling of being hit on the head repeatedly with a hammer, avoid this one.

Priyanka And Parineeti Chopra Will Watch Each Other's Movies On 'Chopra Weekend'

Priyanka Chopra's Zanjeer remake and her cousin, actress Parineeti Chopra's romantic-comedy Shuddh Desi Romance are set to clash at the box office on September 6. But the Desi Girl is unfazed and calls it a 'Chopra weekend'. 

"The way I see it, it's a Chopra weekend. So go and enjoy the movies," Priyanka told reporters here on Wednesday, while promoting Disney's animation film Planes, for which she has lent her voice.

"She (Parineeti) is my family and she is my sister," she added.

Produced by Amit Mehra and directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Zanjeer is a remake of 1973 film of the same name and features southern star Ram Charan Teja with Priyanka.

On the other hand, Shuddh Desi Romance features two film old Parineeti with Sushant Singh Rajput. It also features veteran actor Rishi Kapoor in a key role.

"I think it is very cheap when people try and use that (same day release of our films) for creating some sort of interesting controversy, so that you can write a bit more about it," the 31-year-old said.

Meanwhile, Parineeti, who is busy promoting her film these days, is also unfazed about it and is looking forward to watch Zanjeer.

"It's just happens that her (Priyanka) film and my film are releasing together, but it doesn't affect us. I will watch her picture and she will watch mine and you all will watch both the films," she said.

Shuddh Desi Romance, directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra, also features newcomer Vaani Kapoor.

First Trailer Of Ranbir Kapoor's Besharam Out: Watch!

After having played multi faceted characters in Barfi, Rockstar and the very recent Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Bollywood's emerging superstar Ranbir Kapoor is now a Besharam.

The trailer opens with the shot of Ranbir Kapoor answering nature’s call in a sarson ka khet while crooning the Yashraj song “Tennu Vekhya toh yeh jaana sanam”. Next, he’s seen grooving in a discotheque -- pelvic thrusts and all with complete abandon. 

Ranbir plays Babli, a street smart car mechanic living in a Delhi orphanage. He is charming and lives life to the fullest. He also steals cars to support his orphanage. He has no sense of right or wrong till he unwittingly hurts the love of his life, Tara (Pallavi Sharda). 

Babli realizes that there is no right way of doing the wrong thing. He sets out to fix all the wrongs in his life and he continues to be shameless about it. And he has two cops Chulbul Chautala (Rishi Kapoor) and Bulbul Chautala (Neetu Kapoor) on his trail. 

The trailer of Besharam will find its takers and haters. It has humour that is decidedly indecent and unfunny. There’s much crotch scratching and pelvic jerks, and in one shot Ranbir Kapoor takes out a sock from his crotch, used as a padding to impress the girls with his manliness. No wonder the trailer her got more dislikes than likes on YouTube at the time of this story. 

Watch the trailer of Besharam below and let us know if you find it funny. Also check out some stills on the following pages.

Release Date: October 2

Directed by Abhinav Kashyap

Produced by Himanshu Mehra, Sanjeev Gupta & Reliance Entertainment

Starring: Ranbir Kapoor,Pallavi Sharda, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor 

Music: Lalit Pandit

D-Day Movie Review: Is Much Better Than Bollywood Expect From Nikhil Advani?

Director Nikhil Advani’s one-line narrative – ‘To bring back world’s most wanted man to India’ – is given life on the big screen in the most convincing way possible by his stars, Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Arjun Rampal. No such luck, though we can happily report that Rampal is aging beautifully. Admittedly he spends most of D-Day gritting his jaw and looking like he can’t figure out what’s going on, but then so does the audience.

From its trailer, D-Day appears to be the desi lovechild born out of a threesome made up of Zero Dark Thirty, Munich and James Bond. There is however a different film whose title it could have borrowed: Clueless. The film begins as a thriller, wanders into heartbreak, gets stuck on revenge, takes a sharp wrong turn with an outlandish twist and ends in no man’s land. This is a shame because D-Day begins promisingly and it’s realising a long-cherished Indian dream: to catch Dawood Ibrahim.

As Rajpal Yadav gyrates energetically to “Dama dam mast kalandar” at a wedding in Pakistan, D-Day opens with two men subtly setting a plan in motion. We don’t know what’s going on or why they’re doing what they are, but Advani has the audience’s attention. Swiftly it becomes clear that the target of the stratagem is a don who is believed to be responsible for all the recent terror attacks in India, including 26/11.

Iqbal (Rishi Kapoor) is a terror-monger modelled on Dawood Ibrahim. When we meet him, he’s sitting pretty in Pakistan and getting ready for his son’s wedding to a cricketer’s daughter. When a bomb blast tears through Hyderabad, the patriotic head of India’s Research & Analysis Wing decides he’s going to take a leaf out of the American military playbook and send a covert team to apprehend Iqbal. The project is titled Operation Goldman. The team is made up of two R&AW plants in Pakistan — Wali (Irrfan), who has been pretending to be a barber in Karachi and massaging an ISI agent’s head for 9 years in hope of uncovering intelligence, and Aslam (Aakash Dahiya), an ex-murderer. These two are joined by Zoya (Huma Qureishi), an explosives expert, and Rudra (Arjun Rampal), a rogue Indian soldier who can match camels’ strides and kill people in the messiest possible manner.

In order to stay inconspicuously undercover, Rudra shacks up with a prostitute who has literally been scarred (Shruti Haasan, with a fake scar). While waiting for the big day, he smoulders, smooches and commits a couple of murders in broad daylight in order to establish he is an impressive soldier and a romantic. He brutally beats up an ISI agent in a bus (while Wali is following the bus in an open-air auto, pointing a gun at the grappling duo). Then, in order to win fulfill his lover’s wish, Rudra follows the man who had disfigured the prostitute’s face and (with a witness present) kills him in a way that leaves Rudra drenched in blood.

Did I mention all this is happening in Pakistan and Rudra is undercover?

He’s not the only one breaking the law in the name of patriotism. Zoya also has to prep for the operation by committing one sexual act — sadly, her partner is nowhere near as lovely as Rudra’s — and one murder. Wali and Aslam are the only ones who don’t indulge in random acts of violence at this stage (although they more than make up for it in the latter half of the film).

By and large, the acting in the film is competent. Kapoor, weighed down by a patently fake moustache, hams occasionally but manages to mix bombast and menace to create his take on Dawood Ibrahim. The script doesn’t allow Irrfan’s character the luxury of being logical, so the actor attempts to give his role some emotional heft. The role of his Pakistani wife, Nafisa, is played by the lovely Shriswara. Qureshi is convincing, but barely utilised. It’s better than the scenes of mindless violence that are Hassan’s character’s lot.

However, even if D-Day is ultimately a boys’ bash and Zoya is sidelined, at least Qureshi’s role relies less on the usual clichés that make conventional Bollywood heroines boring. Advani attempts to be balanced in terms of politics and religious sentiments too. Unfortunately, while he gets A for effort, he also gets a F for credibility.

Still, if you don’t look for realism in its ludicrous version of how politics, governments and covert teams work, the first half of D-Day is actually quite fun. Everything seems to be coming together: performance, strategy, stunts, music, cinematography. The script tries to mesh facts with its fiction by referring to actual terror plots and it’s effective in parts. As pulpy drama goes, D-Day is true to genre until interval and without nauseating jingoism.

Then comes the second half, also known as the altar at which logic, causality and common sense are sacrificed. People yell, tyres screech, bullets are fired and a twist is thrown into the mix. (After all, the Indian agents have to do something to entertain themselves while completing Operation Goldman. So, among other things, they stand in the middle of a deserted highway and yell at each other like squabbling, hormonal teenagers in an American road movie.)

The Indian government washes its hands off the patriots in R&AW, disowns the undercover agents, leaving them to die or be captured. Almost no one in Pakistan recognises the Indians even though their mug shots have been published and circulated widely by the Pakistani military and police. Buying stuff like guns and RDX is no big deal either. It is quite staggering how much violence D-Day believes can be explained away with, “It’s happening in Pakistan.”

The real surprises, however, come right at the end. First, the conclusion presents a very alarming vision of “new India” (Rudra’s words, not mine), in which self-respect is a warm gun. Second, thanks to D-Day, there’s finally something against which the ISI and R&AW can, for once, present a united front: Bollywood’s inane depiction of intelligence agencies and their operations. Finally, with the last shot of the film, you realise that if this was how the story had to end, the film could have ended after the first 10 minutes. That means you have to sit through about 143 minutes of D-Day for no good reason. Sometimes, good things don’t come to those who wait.

Rating: 4 Out Of 5

Watch: D-Day - Official Trailer

Nikhil Advani Says; Its Right Time To Make D-Day - Interview!

As Indian cinema celebrates its century, director Nikhil Advani says this is the most exciting time for filmmakers as they are experimenting and getting creative freedom thanks to flexible audiences.

Earlier, filmmakers were apprehensive about trying out new themes because audiences were inflexible, but today's movie buffs are open to new subjects spelling a boom time for creative minds.

"I would not change from where I am for Rs 100 crore (movies). It's the most exciting time for the industry," said the 42-year-old who started as an assistant director in Sudhir Mishra's 'Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin' (1996). 

"I have been in the industry for 20 years and in the 20 years, everyday I used to think there will be a day when people will start understanding what we want to do, and the cinema will change. But we forgot that audiences have always accepted great and different films. The last two and a half years have only proved that."

"The kind of films that have been made only proves that every time you give something different to the audiences, they will accept it with open arms."

The box-office successes of women-centric thriller 'Kahaani', dark comedy 'Peepli Live' and sperm-donation-based comedy 'Vicky Donor' have proved that viewers are accepting change.

"I am very happy that the studios are today going to the directors who they wouldn't even look at in normal circumstances. It's the best time to make films."

"I want to thank the audiences and say that the more you accept it, the more we will give you different stuff, the more we will keep thinking differently and boldly," Advani added.

Advani's first full-fledged film as a director was Shah Rukh Khan-Priety Zinta-Saif Ali Khan-starrer hit 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' (2003). After that he went behind the camera for 'Salaam-e-Ishq', 'Chandni Chowk To China' and 'Patiala House', but they couldn't replicate the success of 'Kal Ho...

He however hit the bull's eye with his animation film 'Delhi Safari', which won a National Award.

The filmmaker also feels today's youth "is asking for a difference, whether it's difference in politics, leadership, music, fashion or cinema".

He admits that the demography of people looking for different films is lower than the masses sticking to certain subjects. "That's why you will always have a 'Rowdy Rathore' or 'Bodyguard' or 'Dabangg' still working (at the box office)."

"But the niche audience has grown over the past few years and that's very gratifying and helps filmmakers like us to make something different."

Over the years, the definition of romance has also changed.

"In 2003, when I made 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', the generation then believed that at the end of the day Shah Rukh will give up the love of his life for Saif... but today's generation is not like that, they will simply not accept it."

His next is 'D Day', a film on cross-border terrorism, in which a bunch of RAW agents is assigned to bring a terrorist back to India from Pakistan. The film, starring Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan, Arjun Rampal, Shurti Haasan and Huma Qureshi, is coming out July 19.

"I am making another romantic comedy next year. But it's the kind of romantic film that I think this generation would identify. So it's not going to be in the same space of 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', but it will be a romantic film," he added.

Courtesy: IBN

Rishi Kapoor :The Chocolate Boy Of Bollywood Still!

As a lover boy Rishi Kapoor won millions of hearts, singing and dancing, wearing his characteristic sweaters and romancing the prettiest heroines in filmdom. It seemed impossible for the actor to do away with the tag of ‘eternal romantic hero’. And then came a huge turnaround….

For 30 years Rishi Kapoor played romantic leads in all his films. He sang, he danced, he ran around trees, he romanced some of the most desirable heroines in Hindi cinema. And the younger generation of heroes took over and romance changed. But with his second innings in Bollywood, the chocolate boy of the ’80s has been successful in showcasing his multi-faceted talent. It is easy to charm the audience when you play an affable character, but Rishi Kapoor managed to do it by playing an arch-baddie in Agneepath. And that’s not all! The versatile actor has gone one step further for his new film D-Day, in which he plays infamous underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. For the crime thriller, Kapoor pulled off an action sequence brilliantly, without any training or rehearsals, we hear, impressing Hollywood action directors Tom Struthers and John Street who were there to orchestrate the performance!

There is no doubt that in recent years the veteran actor has reinvented himself and moved far away from his lover boy image to playing strong characters that are out of the ordinary mould. Here are some of Rishi Kapoor’s newer roles that have redefined him as a versatile actor, not just a star….

Ranbir Kapoor Wants To Learn Good Punjabi For Besharam!

The Dashing actor Ranbir Kapoor has hired a tutor to improve his Punjabi diction for the Abhinav Kashyap film.

Ranbir Kapoor, who is on cloud nine after the success of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD), is leaving no stone unturned to give his best in Besharam. The Bollywood heartthrob is polishing his Punjabi diction for the comedy.

“They are shooting a lot in Chandigarh, so Ranbir has been learning the language. It is crucial for his character, so a tutor has been hired. He’s been practicing to speak like the locals there – in terms of usage of words and their pronunciations,” said a source.

Directed by Abhinav Kashyap, the movie also features Ranbir’s parents – actors Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor – along with Pallavi Sharda. Besharam is set for an October 2 release.

“Since YJHD has released and become a huge success, he’s relaxed and at ease. Besharam will be his most massy film so far, and it’ll have him sharing screen space with his parents for the first time. Even when the film’s poster was released, it generated a lot of curiosity,” the source added.