When Farhan Akhtar revealed the first 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' poster via Twitter this morning, we couldn't help but have a little 'Cocktail' hangover! In tone, alignment and the mood captured, the 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' poster appeared to be a cousin of that of the Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty film that released in 2012. Take a look at the collage below and decide for yourself.
Still, the subjects of both films couldn't be further apart. While 'Cocktail' was a love triangle, 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' is the story of a couple who are desperately looking to rediscover love post marriage and a baby. 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' stars Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar and judging by their appearance on the last episode of 'Koffee With Karan', the pair have developed a warm camaraderie. Will that translate into onscreen magic? We'll have to wait for February 28 to find out! Until then, tell us - which poster do you prefer?
If this month's pick of cover girls is indication of the year, we're going to be very, very happy. Check out the hottest ladies who made it to the cover of all our favourite magazines...
Shraddha Kapoor on the cover of Femina Hindi for the January 2014 issue. Shraddha is quoted to have said that the film industry's attitude towards women is changing.
Have you got a girl crush on Alia Bhatt? Well, the Elle magazine team say they do! The young starlet is seen here gracing the cover of the fashion magazine's January 2014 issue. In green Turquoise & Gold pant and trousers teamed with a Louis Vuitton scarf, Alia sure makes a pretty picture here.
D'Official Heroine No.1 Deepika Padukone covers Stardust, January 2014 issue. "I don't hold grudges against people who wrote those things against me", says the dimpled beauty. Grab a copy to know more!
Kangana Ranaut graces the cover of Vogue January 2014 issue. 'Fashion's feistiest icon' Kangna looks lovely in a Burberry Prorsum creation!
Nargis Fakhri covers L'Officiel for the January 2014 issue. Nargis, termed as 'The Child Woman, naughty and so nice' by the magazine is seen donning A Gucci gown on the cover.
Sahar Biniaz for Grazia
Shilpa Shetty Kundra graces the cover of Hi Blitz for the January 2014 issue. Grab a copy to read more of the 'completely mommylicious' Shilpa.
Vaani Kapoor, who shot to fame with Bollywood's successful film Shuddh Desi Romance, poses hot for the cover of FHM Magazine for January issue (2014(. The 25-year-old Delhi-based actress, who played the demure girl-next-door in her debut film, is seen posing in hot attires for the glossy.
Filmfare January 2013 issue has the lovely Vidya Balan on the cover. It says, Vidya's Obessions...marriage, SRK and Khajuraho. Wow, that seems to be some combination of obsessions, doesn't it? Grab a copy to know more. Vidya Balan is styled by Jayati Bose for this picture which is shot by Suresh Natarajan.
The story of Mahabharata is well known and has been oft told. The difference with the current film is that it features top Bollywood star voices, in particular Amitabh Bachchan (Bheeshma), Ajay Devgn (Arjun), Vidya Balan (Draupadi), Shatrughan Sinha (Krishna), Manoj Bajpayee (Yudhishtir), Anil Kapoor ( Karna) and Anupam Kher (Shakuni Mama). Rating: 3.5 out of 5 It's quite an achievement to enlist such a host of actors to lend their talent to an animated film. This is the biggest achievement of director Amaan Khan's Mahabharata, which is clearly aimed at a young audience that might appreciate an introduction to the epic. This biggest letdown, however, is the animation itself. Considering the strides Hollywood and even Indian animation films have made (such as Delhi Safari), the art, rendering and technical finesse of Mahabharata falls way short. While the faces of the characters are designed to match those of their star voices, the movements are staccato and facial expressions limited. The effects in the final battle of Kurukshetra - as arrows fly through the sky - are reminiscent of the popular TV show about the battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. That was fine in the 80s but surely our technicians can do better in the 2010s. This all-too simplistic retelling of a legendary tale is saved from collapsing only thanks to the voicing talents mentioned above.
Bollywood film director Abhishek Chaubey says he always had actress Madhuri Dixit in his mind for the sequel of 'Ishqiya'.
'Dedh Ishqiya' a black comedy thriller film directed by Abhishek Chaubey that stars Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Huma Qureshi in the lead roles.
The film is a sequel to 2010 hit film 'Ishqiya' that featured Vidya Balan in the lead. She bagged the best actress award at various award functions.
The makers revealed that for the role of Begum in 'Dedh Ishqiya' Madhuri was the only choice as the character was written keeping her in mind. Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj was in touch with the actress for the role even before she had shifted back to India from the USA.
"It was a role written exclusively for Madhuri. She plays the Begum. Vidya's character had nothing left in it to take the story forward. So there was no way that I could've included her in 'Dedh Ishqiya'," Chaubey said.
The sequel will see Arshad and Naseeruddin reprising their roles and is said to release next year.
The Barfi! actor received maximum votes in a week-long poll and win ‘Best Female Actor Of The Generation’
Last week a online poll asking readers to vote for who they think is the Best Female Actor of the Generation. And we got a great response from fans – we received 12,486 votes in all. Priyanka Chopra got a whopping 37.79 percent votes and won the poll. The actor, who is on a high after a brilliant performance in Barfi! and consistent acting efforts through her career like in 7 Khoon Maaf, Fashion and Aitraaz, won the contest quite comprehensively. “PC is the Best actress,” wrote a fan.
Vidya Balan, who has delivered powerful performances in Paa, No One Killed Jessica, Ishqiya, Kahaani and The Dirty Picture, ended up in the second spot with 28.48 percent of the votes. The actor received some great comments from her fans too. “Vidya Balan has changed the male dominating film industry and she is a hit without help of a Khan or other top actors… so she deserves the best,” a female fan wrote.
Many fans felt that Priyanka and Vidya both deserved to be in the top spot. “Priyanka and Vidya are both are talented actresses, and both have excellent acting skills,” wrote a reader.
Fresh from the praise and success of Cocktail and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Deepika Padukone came third with 16.35 percent. Most surprising to us was that Kareena Kapoor filled the fourth spot with 15.19 percent votes, much lower than we expected!
Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi's strong performance fails to pour into life into the lax proceedings.
Raj Kumar Gupta’s Ghanchakkar came with loads of expectations. Firstly, it is a follow up to his much-appreciated movies - Aamir and No One Killed Jessica. Secondly, it’s Vidya Balan’s first attempt at comedy after delivering a string of hits. And thirdly, it’s a mysterious dark comedy – a genre that hasn’t been exploited enough in Bollywood.
The plot revolves around a burglar husband Sanjay Atray (Emraan Hashmi) and a garrulous Punjabi patni Neetu (Vidya Balan), who get into trouble when Sanju forgets where he has hidden the loot money from his last burglary. Sanju’s accomplices Pandit (Rajesh Sharma) and Idris (Namit Das) land up three months after the bank robbery, demanding their share of the stash. But Sanju, who lost his memory in an accident, has no clue of the heist. The duo begins to live in the couple’s house and threatens to kill them if he doesn’t tell them where the cash is, in a week’s time.
What follows is a string of confusions stemming from Sanju’s attempts to remember where the money is tucked away. In the process, the oddball couple starts suspecting each other, making the audiences guess what the game really is.
It’s a very interesting premise with a high potential to become a cult comedy. But it fails to reach that level because the writing is lazy – lazier than the leading man’s character. Guess a few more drafts, tightening of the screenplay and a bit more ideation could have led the team of writers to a funnier and thicker plot. There is a certain casualness to the proceedings, which gets tedious for you as a viewer after a point, and then the sequences seize to be that funny anymore. Director Raj Kumar Gupta oscillates between humour and serious plot developments, and you feel like you are developing amnesia too.
There are a few comic moments that stand out – the bank robbery sequence where the trio uses Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Utpal Dutt masks, the scene where Hashmi forgets his own address and has to run out of his apartment to find out the street he lives in, the one where Hashmi is taken to a baba so that his memory can be revived, and the scene where Vidya cooks food for her burglar guests sans the seasoning.
Emraan and Vidya have a good chemistry and comfort level, making them believable as the oddball married couple. Emraan gives an all-round performance with great ease. Vidya’s over the top character could have easily turned out irritating, but she pulls it off superbly. The rest of the cast, including Namit and Rajesh play their parts well.
The intention was good, the recipe was right and Gupta had all the tools to make a memorable comedy, but in the end, he forgot to add the seasoning, just like Vidya’s character does in the film.
The babe talks about her future films, the love-hate relationship she shares with Pyaar Ka Punchnama dude Kartik Tiwari and a lot more ...
After stepping into the shoes of a 'puckering her nose up' at virtually everything kinda girl in Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Nushrat Bharucha is all set to endow her fans with spine chilling moments in her next scary flick. But she confesses that watching or being a part of anything that screams and screeches 'horror' gives her the heebie-jeebies. So how come her next venture is about entering a zone she dares not tread, not even in her wildest dreams? Nushrat tells you all about that and a tad more - from facing difficulties' coz of being short to how she shudders at the thought of indulging in hard-core theatre
So are you playing the same snooty chick in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2?
I don't know what I am going to play. That's something that still to be finalised. No character briefing has been given to me yet.
You have a strong theatre background, so tell us, is acting on stage way more difficult than acting on celluloid?
I think it's 100 percent true. I don't have a very strong theatre background, but my dad has done a lot of theatre in Prithvi. His sensibilities paved the way for me to do what I wanted to do. I have attended a lot of workshops, and I have simply come to one conclusion - that this is something I can't do. I am petrified of going live on stage for two and a half hours, playing the character, especially when people are sitting just five inches away from you and you don't a miss a single expression of theirs. It's scary.
Isn't that a challenge?
I would definitely try it out some day. I don't think I am prepared yet. It takes a lot of hard work.
You have done two films with Kartik Tiwari - PKP and Akaash Vani - tell us something about the transformations that have taken place in your off-screen rapport and what fireworks we should expect from the two of you in PKP 2 ...
Nobody lives in isolation. You put two people together and they will start talking. I and Kartik have known each other for two years now and we have literally lived both our characters. We were put together everywhere, be it in while watching films, partying or going to a birthday gathering together. So when you are going to be with someone for so long, there is obviously some kinda friendship that's bound to happen. I and Kartik share a love-hate relationship. What I like about him that there's absolutely no pretence on his part.
Not many people know that your first film is not Pyaar Ka Punchnama. How did your journey begin in Bollywood?
I started with doing small ads. My first ad was with Asin. At that point I never thought I would become an actor. From there I finished my education. In fact, while I was studying, I was doing a TV show on Zee. When I was a part of the small screen, I realised it wasn't my cup of tea. I left TV, went back and finished my studies and came back only to do films.
Have people ever stereotyped you?
That happened to me after I did Love Sex aur Dhokha. Post LSD, people thought I can't do anything beyond playing the character of a girl next door. When PKP was narrated to me, I thought I am not cut out for it. And that's when I realised that everyone has been saying the same thing. I had started judging myself - so all this somehow broke the stereotype I had in my head as well.
But isn't it getting monotonous, being a part of the same ol 'romantic flicks?
Well ... which is why you will see me in a horror flick next! I have chosen to again do something I thought I can't do. And also, I am a petrified of horror films. Whenever I watch one in the theatre, I kinda hide my face out of fear.
Any recent performance that has completely mesmerised you ...
Vidya Balan in Ishqiya. The character - it's simple, it's powerful and it's got so much grey. That's one role I think I would have taken up without thinking twice.
What's your personal style statement?
There is only one thing about style that I find extremely painful - wearing heels. I don't think too much; I leave that section of my life to my stylist. My only brief to my stylist most of the time is, let's choose something I haven't worn or tried before.
If you had a chance, what's the one thing you would change about the way love stories are depicted in Bollywood?
There is so much to love than just the mushy and the teary side. I want to do away with the clichéd aspects of romance. If there's a grey side to love, I would like to explore that.
Anything you think might go against you becoming from one of the best actors of B-town?
I haven't made a personal analysis as such. But there's one thing a lot of people have said time and again - the issue of not being too tall. For me, the camera can make anything small or big. You can manipulate the frame. But for a lot of projects, people in the industry have hinted that they associate being short with being not too glamorous.
Actress Vidya Balan is on this year's Cannes jury and is fully conscious of the "august" company she is in.
At Cannes, Vidya told NDTV's Noopur Tiwari: "It's extremely exciting and invigorating to be on the same jury as Spielberg, Ang Lee and others. It's going to be a great learning experience for me. It's also a very proud moment for me as an individual, as an actor I feel proud that I've been invited to be on such an august jury. But also because Cannes is celebrating Indian cinema in its 100th year and it's India shining all the way." Vidya Balan to holiday in France with husband?
Vidya also hailed Cannes for bringing together diverse film narratives. She said: "The very fact that we have a large number of Indian films being shown at Cannes this is year is proof of the fact that there are no barriers when it comes to good cinema. Language is never a barrier, nationality is never a barrier, your style of filmmaking is never a barrier. We are back home celebrating Indianness in its full glory unapologetically. Which is why people are looking at us and saying, wow. There is no formula anymore which is very refreshing which is why I think more and more and more people in the world are going to start enjoying Indian cinema." Cannes 2013: Vidya Balan blows a French kiss in Sabyasachi
Desi girl Vidya said she had received many appreciative French comments about her Sabyasachi outfits at Cannes, adding that she was just doing what came most naturally to her: "I wear Indian clothes all the time, even back home. I love Indian clothes because the complement one's femininity beautifully and I love feminine clothing. I didn't see reason to do anything differently here, because I'm here representing Indian cinema and we're celebrating Indian cinema's 100th anniversary." Cannes 2013: Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan open Cannes with a Bollywood bang
And she saved her highest praise for Amitabh Bachchan, who opened the festival with a speech in Hindia. Vidya said: "When I saw Mr Bachchan on stage, I choked. I grew up watching Amitabh Bachchan's films and my niece and nephew who are 21 months old, they know Amitabh Bachchan. Indian cinema and Amitabh Bachchan are synonymous with each other. And when he spoke in Hindi, it was just such a proud moment. Personally, for me to have shared the stage with him and on an international platform where the talk is about India celebrating 100 glorious years, it felt really special. These are the times when you have to pinch yourself and say 'oh my god, this is for real.'"
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