1920: Evil Returns

‘1920: Evil Returns’ has all the ingredients which make it somewhat similar to its ‘prequel’ that had Adah Sharma and Rajneesh Duggal as the main leads. This one features Tia Bajpai and Aftab Shivdasani and has a tormented heroine, an evil spirit, her lover who saves her and of course the picturesque locations of England that are presented as an Indian hilly town of the pre-independence era.

Now the question is what is different this time? The answer lies in the movie’s story written by Vikram Bhatt. ‘1920: Evil Returns’ begins with Smriti (played by Tia Bajpai) pining to meet her lover Jaidev, a famous poet (played by Aftab Shivdasani) but she is under house arrest by a jealous evil spirit (played by Sagar Saikia) who does not want the two love birds to unite. Apparently, Jaidev and Smriti have not met each other even once in the two years that they been together and have only communicated only through love letters. While the lovers are desperate to meet, the evil spirit ensures all possible ways to thwart the impending union.

While the first half of the film keeps the viewers desperately waiting to get scared in the real sense of the word, it is the second half which has moments which run a chill down your spine. In fact, the second half of the film is what keeps the viewers hooked on to the big screen for it has all the elements that makes for a good horror film.

However, the film is not free of the glitches. It has its typical stereotypes. Like the zombie-like man who speaks to the graves and evokes more humour than chills. Funnily, in the movie this man has played the part in helping the hero in saving the heroine.

As far as performances are concerned, Tia Bajpai shows a marked improvement in her acting skills since the last time she worked with Vikarm Bhatt in ‘Haunted’. She scores much more for playing a possessed woman and she has done complete justice to her role in the movie’s second half. On the other hand, the leading man, Aftab Shivdasani is a disappointment. The actor has worked earlier in some good films with Vikram Bhatt but this time he has given a lackluster performance and appears drab in certain scenes. Vidya Malvade (she plays Aftab’s sister) and Sagar Saikia give able support to the film.

Debutant Bhushan Patel’s direction is not exceptional; there is still room for improvement. Directing a horror film is not an easy task. But when the script is written by a veteran in this genre, it can be improvised to great extent.

The special effects are captivating and lend a realistic look to the film’s sequences.

Overall, ‘1920: Evil Returns’ makes for a good watch and promises to keep you hooked and booked with all its frightening moments. Yet it is not as good as '1920'. Horror movie lovers may go and watch it for a healthy dose of it. It won’t let you down.


http://zeenews.india.com

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No time to love says Preity Zinta

Bollywood Actress Preity Zinta, who was once in a serious relation with businessman Ness Wadia, says she has no time for love. “I am lucky…I have no time for love…I would like to get married some day. When that day comes… will inform everyone,” Preity told reporters last evening.

Preity was dating model Marc Robinson earlier and when they separated, she started seeing the Bombay Dyeing heir and businessman Ness Wadia reportedly from 2005 to 2009.

Unfortunately, the relation went kaput but the duo remain to be friends because of their association with their IPL (Indian Premier League) team Kings XI Punjab. The bubbly actress has also been linked to Yuvraj Singh, Brett Lee and New York-based hotelier Vikram Chatwal.

But now she is all charged up for her upcoming film ‘Ishkq in Paris’ that also marks her debut as a producer. It was in 2011 when Preity launched her own production company, PZNZ Media.

Preity Zitna was last seen in Deepa Mehta’s ‘Heaven on Earth’, a 2008 Canadian film. The film was dubbed in Hindi as ‘Videsh’. ‘Ishkq in Paris’ also marks Preity’s comeback to films after a gap of two-three years.

“It is a fresh young romantic film. It is not a mature love story. The film is of today’s times. It is the story of today’s generation, how we are,” Preity said.

It’s a rom-com and Priety insists there are no kissing scenes in the film. “The kissing part is missing in the film. I think kissing is not necessary to show the romance part in the film. Kissing does not signify romance between couples. Romance comes from the heart…its a family entertainer,” Preity said.

Releasing on November 2, ‘Ishkq in Paris’ directed by Prem Raj stars Preity in the lead opposite debutant Rhehan Malliek and along with French actress Isabelle Adjani and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.

Source: IBN Live

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Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Till there is life) is an upcoming 2012 Bollywood film directed and produced by Yash Chopra, written by Aditya Chopra under their production house Yash Raj Films. The film features Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles, making it the first film to pair Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif and the second collaboration between SRK and Anushka Sharma after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The film would be Yash Chopra’s fourth film to feature Shahrukh Khan in the lead role and it marks his return as a director after eight years, his last film The background score and soundtrack is composed by A. R. Rahman while the lyrics penned by Gulzar. The film is scheduled to release on the five-day Diwali weekend which begins on 13 November 2012.

About Filming ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’

Initially, the film’s principal photography was expected to commence in November 2011. However, it had to be delayed since Shahrukh Khan wanted to take a break after his two releases in 2011, Ra.One and Don 2. Principal photography officially commenced on 9 January 2012 at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai, where a significant portion of the film was completed.

After the schedule in India, the crew began a 35-day filming schedule in London beginning on February 22, 2012. The film was shot under a working title of Production 45. Shahrukh Khan arrived in London on March 21, 2012 and completed filming his appearance on March 26. During filming photos of the actors on the sets were leaked on the Internet, inciting a camera ban by the producers and an increase in the amount of security for the film’s production.
A number of locations throughout the city featured in the film, including the Borough Market, Jubilee Walk, the Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. A key action sequence was filmed at Shepherd’s Bush by closing down four streets in the area. The schedule was completed on March 27, 2012 at an indoor location in East London. The romantic scenes of the film were directed by Chopra’s son Aditya Chopra, due to the difference in age between the latter and the lead actors.

The climax of the film, initially planned by Chopra to be shot in the mountains of Kashmir, was relocated to Ladakh. This was apparently a suggestion of SRK, whose movie Dil Se.. had been shot in area. However, portions of the film were later filmed in three different cities in Kashmir — Srinagar, Pahalgam & Gulmarg.

bollywoodgossips.net

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Aiyyaa Movie Review – Sillyum, Boringum, Dumbum, Irrititatanum

Let’s start with the good news. Bollywood Actress Rani Mukherjee who came back to the big screen after a long time looks great in a skimpy, black, sequined blouse. Her undulating stomach turns the heat up a notch in what is otherwise a loud and meandering comedy about a woman who falls in love with a complete stranger who smells heavenly.

Rani Mukherji gets some well-timed laughs as the slightly cuckoo, Marathi girl who fantasizes about film stars, idolizes Sridevi and co-habits a derelict house with a family that should ideally be locked up. The music is fantastic and the ‘Dreamum Wakeuppum’ song really gets you going. ‘Sava Dollar’, ‘Aga Bai’ and ‘What To Do’ aren’t bad either.
But the laughs soon dry up as you realize that there is no escaping the offensive shrillness of the characters, the lack of a cohesive story and the total silliness of ‘Aiyyaa’. Here are 5 things that will leave you cringing.

Warning: There’s description of some heavy sniffing and inevitable spoilers. Please stop reading if you haven’t seen ‘Aiyyaa’ yet and do not want us to give away the plot.

The Deshpandes are no ordinary brood. And Aiyyaa is no ordinary film. Wildly wakda (read twisted) in more ways than one, it is a film that defies definition. It careens from the dreamy to the delirious, the realistic to the raucous, and the perfectly logical to the utterly nonsensical as it turns many a time-honoured convention of Hindi commercial cinema on its head.

Many might find its loud, outré storytelling style somewhat difficult to comprehend and digest, especially in the context of the film’s slice-of-life love story predicated on a willing suspension of disbelief. Aiyyaa, Sachin Kundalkar’s first Hindi film on the back of three critically applauded Marathi-language features, revels in flying against expectations with complete abandon.

It falls back on principles of the theatre of the absurd as well as the norms of the tamasha folk form to comment on the skewed dynamics of arranged matrimony and the politics of gender equations viewed exclusively from the distaff side. Despite mounting societal pressures on her, it is the mulgi who calls the shots. She follows her heart – and nose – all the way through to try and get the man she wants.

Aiyyaa blends a dash of magic realism, liberal dollops of wacky humour, broad burlesque sweeps, robust social satire and a mélange of elaborately staged coital dance routines, all brought together by a delightfully freewheeling imagination. Not all of it works though. In fact, portions of the film go askew. That makes Aiyyaa a bit of a mixed bag. But Kundalkar gets enough of the madcap tropes right to ensure that his film stays on course for the most part.

The most striking aspect of Aiyyaa is that its focus is squarely on the female gaze. The hero is the object of desire and it is the girl who does most of the sniffing, drooling and panting. Indeed, sniffing plays a key role in this love story. Meenaxi Deshpande (Rani Mukerji) is a plucky middle class Maharashtrian girl who seeks escape from her humdrum life by frequently retreating into a nebulous dreamscape inspired by her favourite Bollywood divas.

Source: IBN Live.com

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No sequel to Kim Kardashian’s sex tape

Fans of Kim Kardashian’s sex tape will be disappointed to know that there won’t be a sequel, as the company which owns the rights to reality star’s first intimate video with Ray-J, has insisted that there’s no second installment.

Vivid Entertainment boss Steve Hirsch has apparently told TMZ.com that any rumours of another “eye popping” sex tape doesn’t exist and he hasn’t heard of it being touted for sale either.

“We’ve already spoken to the third party that brought the first tape to us. And a second tape, or additional footage from the first tape isn’t being shopped around or even exists,” the Mirror quoted him as telling the website.

But Hirsch did add that if there was a “seller” of any rude tape with the socialite, he will “use all legal means possible to protect our ownership”.

ANI

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Pop artists are mostly venturing into playback singing: Sophie Choudhary

‘VJ-turned-singer Sophie Choudhary is disheartened with the fact that non-filmi songs are losing prominence these days and that pop artists are turning to playback singing.

"I was more of a pop artist and as a pop artist especially when you are born and brought abroad, you are used to sing for yourself, you are used to see yourself in the video, expressing yourself through music. Playback singers get lot of popularity and prominence," Sophie told PTI.

The 31-year-old feels that for playback singing too, people today relate more with the actors lip-syncing it.

"..Like this is Shah Rukh Khan`s song or Kareena Kapoor`s song...So for someone who has always done own videos that is something difficult to get used to. But at the same time one has to recognise this in an age where media, music channels, radio stations have stopped supporting non film music. But I still want to sing," she said.

Sophie feels that changing equations have made pop artists turn to playback singing.
"Like all the pop singers everybody starts singing playback be it Neeraj, Mika... And everybody wants to venture in this. I would like to sing for films. But I don`t want to become a playback singer permanently. The added advantage is I can sing in different languages like Arabic, French and Spanish.. So I would hope people will use that," she said.

After crooning as a playback singer for Bollywood film `Pyaar Ke Side Effects` the singer-actress has lent her voice for Preity Zinta`s upcoming film `Ishkq in Paris` in a disco number "It`s all about the night", however in French.

The Hindi part is sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.

Sophie has a degree in Political Science in French from Paris. So, her fluency with the language is quite obvious.

"Preity is a dear friend of mine. During an occasion of `Ishkq in Paris` when she saw me speaking French fluently with the French Brand Ambassador she was stunned. Next day Preity called up saying she wants me to a sing a song for her film," Sophie said.

"Though Sunidhi had already recorded the Hindi vocals as Preity plays half Indian and half French girl in the film, she wanted that her character is able to sing in Hindi as well as French to give an international feel to the song," she said.

Apart from singing, Sophie has acting offers in hand, but she is not willing to talk about the projects.
"I have done films. I took a little bit of break as I was bored with the kind of roles that were coming my way. I took time to step back hoping that I will get better work. Today there are glamorous roles with substance," Sophie said.

"I have two projects in hand..I was shooting in Muscat for couple of days I am waiting for the makers to announce. For the other project I am yet to begin shooting. I am quite excited about it," she said. PTI

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Bhushan Patel to direct `Ragini MMS 2`

1920 - Evil Returns’ director Bhushan Patel has been zeroed in on to helm ‘Ragini MMS 2’, a sequel to Ekta Kapoor`s 2011 film ‘Ragini MMS’.

"We have signed Bhushan Patel to direct our `Ragini MMS 2` with Sunny Leone," Girish Johar, head of acquisition and distribution, Balaji Motion Pictures, told reporters.

"We loved the promos of `1920- Evil Returns` and for a debut director, he has done a great job with the movie. It is also doing well at the box office. So we are sure he will do justice to `Ragini MMS 2`," said Johar.

After a horror film ‘1920 - Evil Returns’, Patel seems to be a fitting choice to direct ‘Ragini MMS 2’, expected to be a supernatural and horror film too.

The original movie, directed by Pawan Kripalani, featured Kainaz Motivala and Raj Kumar Yadav. In the sequel, Indo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone will add spice.

IANS

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