We all know Salmaan khan is best Hindi movie star, now he wants to be like his father Salim who had been with Hindi movies through out his life. Salim is a well known figure who had contributed big time to the Indian Cinema. He is known for his classical scripts in Hindi movies. Salim had contributed Indian cinema’s script like Sholay, Don and many more.

 Well this is the first time that the Salmaan wants to be like his father. We all had seen him from his childhood to teenage acting in Hindi movies. He never-ever showed any interest in his father’s job. However truth is somewhat different then what we had thought it would be. Hindi movies wish him best of luck

 Hmm Salmaan wants to be script writer for Hindi movies as just his passion. However there is one difference that he also will be acting in the movie. The first movie script for him is Veer. He will acting in Veer. So let’s see whether Hindi movies script writer will start up or only the best actor of Indian cinema will prevail.

Would Taare Zameen Par have had the same response if it did not have Aamir Khan? Or Chak De have done as well without Shah Rukh Khan? Would Saawariya have worked if it had Hrithik Roshan instead?

The answer to the last question at least is a resounding no, Saawariya was a bad film and even all the Khans put together couldn’t have saved it. Having said that, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Bheja Fry, Metro, Johnny Ghaddar, Gangster… are just some of the movies that had no big star attraction and yet won over the crowds as well as the critics.

Does it mean that Bollywood is slowly getting over its ‘star power’ fixation? That finally content will be the ultimate king and does it mean more good cinema in 2008?

And the nominees are…

The list of nominees for one of the earliest movie awards – Star Screen Awards – is already out. Chosen on the recommendations made my industry insiders, the top contenders are Taare Zameen Par (17 nominations), Metro (15), Guru (14) and Chak De (12)…

In a year that saw many sequels and remakes – Ram Gopal Varma’s Aag and Umrao Jaan being the biggest duds – the viewer appreciated fresh content. With added technical improvements and improved production values, 2007 saw some unlikely movies making it big while run-of-the-mill, big budget flicks brilliantly bombed at the box office.

At the same time, SRK’s stick-to-the-formula Om Shanti Om brought in the customer and the cash as well… So what really is working with the viewer? And again, would a Taare and Chak De have pulled in the people without the star attraction of Aamir and SRK respectively?

“Metro didn’t have any star cast so to speak and has got 15 nominations, that’s three more than Chak De… Even Khosla Ka Ghosla and Bheja Fry, which did not have any star content performed well at the box office. It proves that content is still king in a way,” points out Ram Mirchandani, executive vice president, UTV Motion Pictures, the distributors for all three movies.

Bangalore (PTI): Acclaimed film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Friday slammed television serials for “corrupting” the new generation even as he dismissed Bollywood movies for being “superficial” in entertainment.

The award-winning director said the younger generation, which grew on television, is exposed to “terribly bad education” on the small screen.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Bangalore International Festival Film, Gopalakrishnan said before the advent of television, film audiences had some kind of expectations from movies.

Today, film goers are a “terribly vitiated audience”. “They have been corrupted by a wrong kind of stuff (on television) in the name of entertainment”, he said.

Before television became a vogue, film practitioners hoped that the visual medium (tv) would prepare the audience better to appreciate the works of film makers such as documentaries and features. But that was not to be, Gopalakrishnan said.

Asked if he believed television is driving away audience from films, he gave a cryptic reply: “it (television) is preparing bad audience for bad films”.

On Bollywood films, Gopalakrishan said “they say that these films entertain. But (actually) they are terribly boring”.

Questioning Bollywood’s style of entertainment, he said his view is that when one does a film, the audience should get to learn about life and get exposed to new experience.

Entertainment in Bollywood films is “superficial, banal kind of scratching on your itching wound. That’s not entertainment”, Gopalakrishnan said.

He also took a dig at a section of the media for focusing only on stars and starlets, giving film-makers a go-by in coverage.

Earlier, the media used to feature film-makers also along with stars during movie promotion.

“Now, we only read about stars. Any newspaper you take in the morning, the front page itself you should have scantily-clad starlets….some stars…you have to have. Otherwise, you can’t have morning tea. That’s the norm now”, Gopalakrishnan said sarcastically.

Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par has been appreciated by one and all and no wonder Aamir is on top of the world. The good times continue for this wonderful actor – director as news comes that his film has now been declared tax-free in Mumbai for a period of six months. The film, currently running in its second week, had earlier got a tax- exemption in the capital and now this surely comes as even more good news for all those associated with the film. Here’s wishing that the film continues its victory march, even in the weeks to come.

With a population of more than one billion, India is almost a world unto itself. It’s certainly a market unlike any other on the planet, whether a business is trying to sell microchips or mini-vans.

As the country develops, it is tempting to see it becoming like a typical Western nation, full of shopping malls and flyovers, but this simply won’t happen. India is rich with its own cultures and traditions laid down over thousands of years, and most Indians are convinced the country should and will develop its own unique character as it becomes a global economic superpower.

The journey won’t be easy. About 80 per cent of India’s population is poor, living on the equivalent of a few Kiwi dollars a day. A whole set of economic and social structures has emerged to support these people, and this is responsible in large part for India’s unique character.

Indian commerce, for example, is dominated by small shops averaging less than 15 square metres, as well as even smaller street booths. Both sell everything the owners can find a market for, whether it’s food or mobile phones. One booth near Bombay University even sells home loans. Because the shops are everywhere, it’s easy for the city’s poor and middle classes to find cheap products close by. Shopping malls are starting to change this, but most Indians have stuck to their local shops.

India’s great mass of poverty means the country won’t be following the West’s technological path lock-step either. The bulk of its population want cheap solutions to their problems, not expensive Western gadgets.

India is becoming increasingly connected to the Internet, but desktop computers are not playing much of a role, since only the middle and upper classes can afford them. Laptops are common among the educated classes, but mobiles and TVs – both relatively cheap – will form the backbone of India online.

This was brought home recently with news that Microsoft is teaming up with Reliance Communications to launch an IPTV service, which will stream TV, the Web, telephone and other content over the Internet to customers’ homes. The content is not streamed to a PC but to a set-top box.

Mobiles are another cheap substitute for a home PC. India has about 250 million mobile customers and adds about seven million new mobile subscribers a month on its GSM and CDMA networks. The networks are 2.5G but Indians can use them to transfer money between individuals or book air travel. They pay between between 3 and 15 rupees each time they do (roughly NZ10c to 50c).

The cheapest mobiles sell for about NZ$40, though they’re often free with plans, and most Indians pay about 1 rupee (3c) a minute of talk time if they’re calling someone on the same network.

India can offer technology this cheaply because of economies of scale. With so many users, mobile telcos need only to make a small profit off each one to earn huge sums of money.

Original content is not something Western countries usually associate with India, beyond Bollywood movies, which rarely make it to the West anyway. The country has a booming animation market, but it’s mainly animating the creations of companies in other markets at much lower cost. Most cartoons on Indian screens feature Western characters, even if they’re being created down the road.

But this too is starting to change, as a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs emerges keen to tell Indian stories, both to the Indian domestic market and to the world. A recent big hit on India TV screens was the Krishna series of made-for-TV animated movies, based on Hindu myths.

The best- rating movie scored 30 million viewers when it aired, and the cartoons are doing well in Europe too, according to Rajiv Chilakalapudi, founder of Green Gold Animation, which produced the series.

He was enthusiastic about the prospects of India’s creative industries, saying the country had many good tales to tell, including Green Gold’s latest, an all-original effort called Chhota Bheem. “If it’s a strong story it’ll sell,” he said.

With such a huge domestic market, what is a success in India will increasingly influence what succeeds in New Zealand. As the 21st century moves on, it looks to have an increasingly Indian flavour, and it might be only a matter of time before Kiwis are ordering an Indian-made Kingfisher beer along with their takeaway curries.

When God closes one door he opens another. This was what happened to actor Ravi Kishan, who after a string of not-so-successful films in Bollywood, shifted to Bhojpuri films.

This man who did his graduation from Banaras University, has been acting since the age of 12. Today, after 16-17 years, he has a film made in his name Ravi Kishen, which had a bumper opening and is doing well.

About his films and the future in Bhojpuri films, Kishen added, “Life moves on. I came to Mumbai in 1990 to try my luck in Hindi films. I have done movies like Army, which starred Shah Rukh Khan and Sridevi, Kudrat with Urmila Matondkar and Akshay Khanna, Udhar Ki Zindagi with Kajol and Jeetendra, Tere Naam with Salman Khan and Bhumika Chawla and the latest Phir Hera Pheri with Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar.

“My Hindi films were not doing well, so I shifted to Bhojpuri films,” he said.

The 35-year-old actor said, he had done five films with Dharmendra and four-five films with Mithun Chakravorty. To sum it all, he has done 25 Hindi films and 20 Bhojpuri films. His persistence paid off and 98 per cent of his Bhojpuri films turned out to be silver and golden hits.

Some of his hits in Bhojpuri films include Saiya Hamar, Ganga Jaisan Mai Hamar, Kab Hoi Gauna Hamar, Kab Hoi Milanva Hamar, Kanyadaan, Raja Bhojpuria, Panditji Bataiye Byah Kab Hoi, Dulha Milan Dildaar, Dulha Aisan Chahi, Mai Baap, Uthai Le Ghoongta Chand Dekh Le and lot more.

Out of all his films, two of them with Nagma had been super hit and nine more are in the release.

His forthcoming projects include Ganga by Deepak Savant, starring Big B, Nagma and Hema Malini, where he is playing as ‘hair dresser’ of Big B. Then, there is a film produced by thespian Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu called Ab To Banja Sajanwa Hamar and another film where Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan makes her directorial debut called Dil Deewana Tohar Hua.

All three films are ready for release and another film by Bollywood action director Tinnu Verma is in the production stage.

“I do everything right from marketing to publicity of my films. Nothing should go wrong,” he said, adding, in future, he plans to have his own production house.

Commenting on the latest trend where successful Hindi films have been dubbed into Bhojpuri, Ravi said, “This trend will not last. Since the Bhojpuri audience will not accept an outsider. They will identify with a hero who is from their own soil.”

Commenting on the future of Bhojpuri films Ravi said, “It is going to be as huge as Tamil and Telegu cinema. There are 27 crore Bhojpuri speaking people in India alone. And many more in other 54 countries like Mauritius, Fiji and Holland. We have our own website called www.Bhojpuria.Com, where one can get any information on Bhojpuri cinema and the award ceremonies.”

In January, Bhojpuri awards were held at the Goregaon Sports Complex, where Ravi Kishen won the best actor award for Panditji Bateye Byaah Kab Hoi and Nagma won the best actress award for Dulha Milat Dildaar

2007 may well be one of the most unpredictable years for the Indian film industry, Bollywood. Movies that everyone thought would surely be blockbusters didn’t fair so well at box office and movies that had no expectations what-so-ever from them became the reigning names at the box office. BollySpice now brings you our top 5 film surprises. Movies that came to the cinemas, which you saw and which conquered all others at the box-office.

5. Dus Kahanaiyaan

Mulitiple storylines haven’t been a success in a long time. RGV’s Darna Mana Hai and Darna Zaroori Hai didn’t fair too well and failed to impress a large portion of the audience thus something similar was expected of Dus Kahaniyaan. However the movie surprises audiences greatly! Some of the finest short stories were incorporated in this film and audiences saw director Sanjay Gupta in a new light as well as Meghna Gulzar. Both directors delivered some of the finest short stories that could well be much better than many whole three hour movies released in 2007. With the exemption of two or three stories, Dus Kahaniyaan was a highly enlightening experience that gave audiences something deep and meaningful to watch. A complete delightful surprise!

4. Namastey London

When the promotion of Vipul Shah’s Namastey London began audiences just saw it as another happy-go-lucky comedy starring Akshay Kumar however upon release audiences were stunned by the deep content and high meaning of the film. Not only did the movie explore the mindset of second generation migrants but also the patriotism that lies somewhere in every Indian. Katrina Kaif came into the light as an actress who was above the normal mediocre feminine roles. The actresses surprised all with a completely natural performance. What seemed to be another comedy that would make you giggle till your belly ached turned out to be so much more and taught young and old valuable lessons of life! Kudos to Vipul Shah for delivering this pleasant surprise!

3. Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar

Robbie Grewal’s Samay went unnoticed at the box office due to its non-commercial appeal however Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar certainly made one hell of a debut. If you still haven’t gotten around to seeing this movie you’re missing out. Critics raved about it. Audiences adored the storyline and the title track became a youth anthem. Ruslaan Mumtaz came into the limelight as the new comparison to Shahid Kapoor and Hazel finally got recognition above her television advertisements and music videos. And who would have thought all this would have been achieved from such a simple and pleasant movie. The success of MP3 simply shows that audiences await such surprises once in a while when they’re not overloaded with movies of complicated and challenging themes and subjects! A much needed pleasant surprise by Robbie Grewal.

2. Johnny Gadaar

Ek Hasina Thi may have been a revelation of Saif’s versatility however the movie didn’t receive too many compliments for its actual storyline. Director Sriram Raghavan finally got all that he missed with Johnny Gadaar. Once again we find a no-name cast and a very “hatke” storyline on this list. Johnny Gadaar was a pleasant surprise and a refreshing release. The story was fresh and the screenplay was beautifully penned. Newcomer Neil Nitin Mukesh made a flawless debut and not only got into the limelight with the critics but also with the ladies! Such unconventional title, movie and cast weren’t expected to create such an intelligent movie. Johnny Gadaar is without a doubt one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.

1. Jab We Met

It’s a surprise in itself that one of the best movies of this year was not expected to be so outstanding by many. Those who didn’t witness the magic of Imtiaz Ali’s story telling in Socha Na Tha were utterly surprised when a movie that was expected to be just another love story turned out to be one of the best of its time! Jab We Met was the perfect opportunity for Kareena Kapoor to remind us all that she is indeed amongst the finest actresses of Indian Cinema and it was also the perfect opportunity for Shahid Kapoor to prove that he can be much more than just a college-love-boy. In today’s era when movies only work when they tackle a challenging subject it is an utter surprise to meet a maker who dares to do something simple in a grand way! No one thought that such a normal storyline could be displayed in such a magical way . When looking back no one will ever guess that such a masterpiece was not expected to be one!

MUMBAI, India – Bollywood movie star Hrithik Roshan says he deliberately chooses difficult roles such as the Mongol emperor in the new historical romance “Jodha Akbar” because they challenge him to excel as an actor.

“Jodha Akbar,” scheduled to debut later this month, is based on a 16th century romance between the emperor and Hindu princess Jodha Bai, played by Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai.

“I really want to do films that scare me so much that I won’t be able to afford it if they don’t fare well,” Roshan said in an interview in the latest issue of Cine Blitz magazine on Wednesday.

“It is only when it seems to threaten the value of my job would I be consciously giving it my best,” he said.

But Roshan said what he loathed most playing Akbar was wearing a lot of heavy jewelry and armour. He said it was awkward to wear earrings and chunky necklaces that were needed to reflect the royalty of the 16th century.

“How will you fight when you cannot even stand up? What if you fall with all that weight on you?” he asked.

Roshan has enjoyed several blockbuster successes. Over the past two years he has played a superhero who glides over water in “Krrish,” and a smooth-talking thief in “Dhoom 2.”