Deepika Padukone Cannot Get Over Ranbir Kapoor?

MUMBAI: Deepika Padukone has had a dream run this year with both of her releases ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, directed by Ayan Mukerji and ‘Chennai Express’ directed by Rohit Shetty creating records at the box office.

Also Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ram Leela’ is ready to hit the theaters on 14 November 2013 and is carrying good reviews. Currently Deepika is in Goa with Arjun Kapoor for ‘Finding Fanny Fernandes’ in which Ranveer is reportedly playing a cameo.

Post pack-up, Deepika and Ranveer were spotted having a cozy dinner in a Greek restaurant called ‘Thalassa Greek Taverna’ in Vagator, North Goa.

While they seemed every bit a young couple out on a romantic date, they didn’t hold back on gossiping about Deepika’s ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, who last heard was in New York avoiding public after the gruesome failure of his movie ‘Besharam’.

It has been reported that this is precisely the matter they were discussing – Ranbir’s movie ‘Besharam’ and it’s box office failure.

This is not the first time that Deepika has taken digs at Ranbir. She took digs at Ranbir when she has appeared on Karan Johar’s talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’ along with Sonam Kapoor.

Well, all we tell Deepika is – get a life girl and move on because Ranbir may be open to working with you on screen but off screen he is committed to Katrina Kaif!

Music Review of Deepika, Ranveer's 'Ram-Leela'

At an age when it maybe termed uncool in Bollywood's contemporary musical lexicon, Sanjay Leela Bhansali continues to embrace the traditional Hindi film music melodies as he does with 'Ang laga de and Dhoop'.

The next, 'Laal ishq', emanates the kind of purity we had heard in Guzaarish's 'Tera zikr hai' ­— the interlude is very similar to Saawariya's 'Mashallah.' Possibly this is the best song of the album — Arijit Singh is making it a habit to get the best tunes.

One of the perks of a Bhansali soundtrack is getting to hear Shail Hada's voice. Hada, who had sung Saawariya title sings 'Poore chand,' a song bathed in the kind of luminosity typical of Bhansali's deep, dark haunting melodies, with full-throttled clarity, poise and range.

Where a couple of songs — 'Ishqyaun dhishqyaun, Mor bani thangat kare' and 'Lahu munh lag gaya' suffer from is unimaginative arrangement.

It's too close to the authentic garba/ dandiya orchestra for its own good; and something like Amit Trivedi's contemporary twists done in Kai Po Che's Shubhaarambh would have done wonders.

Comparisons with 'Dhol baaje' from 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' are inevitable, and 'Nagada sang dhol' does sound similar in parts.

'Ram chahe Leela', is the contemporary song of the album, that has words like 'dono ke love mein duniya ka kya kaam.' Sung by Bhoomi Trivedi, it is a racy number that is possibly the supposed item song to be featured on a top female star.

'Tattad tattad' mostly takes shape around its infectious hookline, and does little with the rest.

Aditya Narayan does all the right things but ends up sounding like Udit Narayan Junior.

Much like his last film and his first outing as a music director 'Guzaarish,' Ram Leela is the kind of an album that lingers on.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ram Leela' in legal trouble

Indian cinema has always been a soft target for social and religious activists. The scope and dimension of Indian cinema, its multi facet subject makes it vulnerable to criticism from different corners.

A survey of Indian cinema shows that as early as in 1959 a Bengali film, ‘Neel AkasherNeechay’ directed by the renowned Mrinal Sen was temporarily banned due to its political overtones.

In 2005 the film ‘Water’ written by Anurag Kashyap and directed by Deepa Mehta had to face the anger of about 2000 protesters because they believed was a deliberate attempt to negatively portray the life of Hindu widows in Benaras.

Karan Johar directed romantic comedy film ‘Student of the Year’ released in 2012, had complaints lodged against it for allegedly depicting Radha in an improper way.

‘Oh my God’, a comedy-satire, directed by Umesh Sukhla , with Akshay Kumar donning the role of Lord Krishna, had an FIR lodged against it in Ajmer city for intentionally wronging the Hindu sentiment.

The latest film to come under legal hammer for hurting the religious feelings of the Hindus is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ram Leela’. A PIL has been filed by lawyer Siddhrajsinh Chudasama on the ground that it has humiliated the women of the Darbar community. According to the petitioner, the film has used abusive language and indecent gestures unbecoming of any women. Such foul language may also provoke enmity between the Rabri and the Darbar community. He also added that Ramleela and Rasleela are viewed as religious literature and the film is 'hurting the sentiments of Hindus and promoting vulgarity'.

Dr Nutan Thakur Secretary of India’s Institute of research and Documentation in Social Science has filed a complaint against the film citing that the title of the film does not do justice to Ramlila as is generally understood. On the contrary it is a canvas of intimate scenes between Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukon which is spiced up with abusive language and violence.

The director has been very open to these criticisms. He has made it clear that ‘Ram Leela’ is not in any way a part of the Ramayana. It is more a re-imaging of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. That said Bhansali has also added that the film is his way of paying a tribute to his mother Leela whose name he so proudly carries.

‘Ram Leela’ is scheduled for release on 15th November 2013.

You can't have Ramleela without Ram: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

For the music launch of Ram-Leela, the makers had planned a grand event featuring the lead cast comprising Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. However, the launch, which was scheduled for today (October 3), had to be cancelled due to Ranveer’s sudden illness. A source informs,“Ranveer is currently in the hospital, recovering from dengue. It will take a while for him to get well. Sanjay Leela Bhansali (director and producer of the film) had the option of going ahead with the music launch without Ranveer, but he didn’t want to do that. He decided to cancel the event rather than do it half-heartedly.”

Ask Bhansali about this and he says,“I didn’t want to have the music launch without Ranveer. He is Ram and you can’t have a Ram-Leela event without Ram. He has worked very hard on the film and has done a fabulous job. I hope he has a speedy recovery.”

Deepika, who is shooting in Goa for another film, was supposed to fly down to Mumbai especially for the event. Now, sources claim that the music will be released digitally. Last week, Ranveer contracted a severe case of dengue while shooting for Gunday in West Bengal. He has been recuperating at Hinduja Hospital in Khar. According to reports, doctors have said that his condition hasn’t improved a lot since he got admitted. It will take a while to get his platelet count to the required level. Last year, Ranveer had injured his back while shooting for Lootera and was on bed rest for a long period of time

Is Deepika the reason behind Ranveer Singh's sudden recovery?

While we are happy to hear about Ranveer Singh making a recovery after being diagnosed with a severe case of dengue, we now know the reason behind his recovery.

A recent visit by the actor's Ramleela co-star and rumoured girlfriend Deepika Padukone may have lifted the actor's spirits.

While both maintain a studied silence about their relationship status, Deepika's visit to Ranveer at a time when she herself is not doing very well after injuring herself during the shooting ofRamleela, says a lot.

The actress was given special permission to meet her ailing co-star even as reports said that he was in quarantine and even his parents were not allowed to visit him.

"Ranveer Singh is on the road to recovery. However, doctors have advised complete rest for the next 15 days," the spokesperson said in a statement. Ranveer is likely to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday night.

Ranveer was admitted to a suburban hospital on September 27 after being diagnosed with dengue. The actor was shooting in Durgapur near Kolkata for Gunday when the symptoms of dengue surfaced.

Ramleela has created a lot of buzz due to the crackling chemistry between the lead pair. The film is set to hit the screens on November 15.

Kapil Sharma offered financial support from Bollywood – Shahrukh Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Rohit Shetty!!!

After a massive fire engulfed the sets of the comedy show Comedy Nights With Kapil last week destroying the massive property, the standup comedian’s B-town friends have come up with full force to provide him monetary support

Shahrukh Khan is leading the Bollywood brigade, who’s expressing their solidarity and concern with Kapil Sharma, whose popular comedy show – Comedy Nights With Kapilcaught fire on September 25. The producer-comedian couldn’t have asked for more!

It’s learnt that along with SRK, B-town biggies – Lata Mangeshkar and Rohit Shetty also called Kapil not only to express their concern and grief but also offered economic support. “I got a call from Lataji and she asked if I need any kind of help, whether monetary or anything. Her call was a big thing,” Kapil said adding, “Also Shahrukh Khan, Rohit Shetty and lot of people from the industry called me and said ‘hum tumhare saath hai, batao kitne din mein set khada karna hai’. I am truly overwhelmed. The industry is like a family.”

Considering King Khan visited Sharma’s madcap house twice (for Chennai Express promotion), his affection for the comedian is totally understood, but surprisingly the Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa host was surprised to receive calls from the legendary singer and the Chennai Express director.

However, Kapil is thrilled that the audience loves his show and he hopes it to continue. The two episodes supposed to be aired over weekend have already been shot. But, for the upcoming episodes they will be shooting on the sets of Bigg Boss Saath 7 show. Hmmm… we wonder how Salman Khan can be left behind as far as helping his industry friends is considered!

Priyanka Chopra's seductive look in Ram Leela

The item number in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela created quite a stir when Aishwarya's name was doing the rounds for the item song, but it has now been grabbed by our very own 'Exotic' actor Priyanka Chopra.

Priyanka Chopra who was recently seen dancing to the tunes of 'Pinky hai paiso walo ki' and 'Bubbly Badmaash' in Zanjeer and Shootout at Wadala respectively, is back again shaking a leg in Ram Leela this time. The expectations from her third item song are very high.

In the first look, Priyanka Chopra looks curvaceous in a white choli & lungi. The lungi has a thigh-high slit, not to miss the tattoo on her ribs.

Vishnudeva, brother of Prabhudeva, has reportedly choregraphed the song.

Ram Leela also features Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. It is set to release on 15th November.

Why did Shahrukh Khan threaten to fire Deepika Padukone??

The Chennai Express stars were at their jovial best when they spoke to the media, but trust SRK to throw in a remark that took everyone by surprise

No, Shahrukh Khan has not threatened to throw Deepika Padukone out of their next film Happy New Year. Instead SRK-Dippy have a treat for Dubai – the new Access All Areas concert! Shahrukh and Deepika are making most of their stay in in the Emirates. While the duo, along with the entire cast and crew of Farah Khan’s Happy New Yearincluding Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani and Vivaan Shah have been spotted at various events and dos, some of their appearances have been very hatke indeed. Remember the Arab look they sported? They are now ready to captivate Dubai with action packed stage performances. The Chennai Express leading stars will relive their onscreen moments on the stage too. Addressing the press in Dubai King Khan confessed that Deepika was a better performer and got her act right easily every time. “Deepika takes one day to learn what takes me 30 days to learn!” Ms Padukone was quizzed about who the other stars were that will to join them on stage for this special SRK Live concert and she made it clear that the Baadshah was the boss. Deepika said, “I’m not allowed to say who the other performers are.” SRK was quick to explain, “She’s on probation; she’ll be fired if she answers this!”

Shahrukh entertained the gathered audience with his quick wit and agreed that he was the ultimate master when it came to marketing. “We don’t do press conferences for marketing. You will have to wait and watch what I do to market my movies. I’m a marketing Einstein!” How modest, na?

We don’t doubt SRK’s claim about being Einstein when it comes to selling a film, especially after the stupendous success of Chennai Express, but let’s just remind King Khan that this year is not yet over. We’ve got the perfectionist Aamir Khan coming in soon with Dhoom: 3 and then good friend Hrithik Roshan, who returns to the silver screen as superhero with Krrish 3. Our suggestion to Shahrukh: Wait a little longer so that we can give the ‘marketing Einstein’ title to the most deserving of them all!

Happy Birthday Ranbir Kapoor: Which actress looks the best with him onscreen?

Ranbir Kapoor has often been linked to the actresses he has worked with in films. From Deepika to Katrina, much has been said about their chemistry on screen. On his 31st birthday, here is a list of heroines he has worked with.

Deepika started working with Ranbir is 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' and the two fell in love. Their real chemistry worked wonders for them in reel life. Though, the two fell out of love after sometime and yet again came back together in Ayan Mukherjee's 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'. Their chemistry was crackling and the film went onto make records at the box office.

Ranbir Kapoor has worked with a lot of newcomers but every time he weaves the same magic. Even in 'Barfi!', Ranbir looked at ease with Ileana D'Cruz and did justice to the chemistry as well as the performances. 

Ranbir and Katrina worked together in two films, 'Rajneeti' and 'Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani'. The two looked not just great together on 70mm but their chemistry also spoke for itself.

 

Pallavi Sharda is making her debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in 'Besharam'. The trailers of the film has already created a buzz around the film and the chemistry between the two seems interesting.

 

Priyanka Chopra romanced Ranbir twice in 'Barfi' as well as 'Anjaana Anjaani'. There is no denying the fact that they look good onscreen. More than the looks, both of them are superb performers and complement each other on screen.

 

Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma are the most unconventional pair on screen but the two complemented each other in 'Wake Up Sid'.

 

Nargis Fakhri made her debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in 'Rockstar' and the film turned out to be a hit at the box office. Nargis's beuty complemented Ranbir's charm in the film.

Ranbir's once close friend Sonam Kapoor also worked with him in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya'. The two were much appreciated in the film.

 

Ranbir Kapoor also shared screen space with Bipasha Basu in 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'. The two shared crackling chemistry in the film.

 

- IBNLive

Not Deepika, not Sonam, Fukrey's Ali Fazal lands role in 'Fast and Furious 7'

Top Bollywood actresses made sure word got around that they'd auditioned for the latest Fast and Furious movie. Everyone from Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor to Kangana Ranaut and Chitrangada Singh are believed to have put themselves on tape for the part that eventually went to British actress Nathalie Emmanuel of Game of Thrones. Yet, the new film (seventh in the series) will have an Indian connection after all - in the form of 26-year-old 'Fukrey' star Ali Fazal, who's heading back from Atlanta after having shot 'an extended cameo' with Vin Diesel and the rest of the cast.

"I had a great time," Ali says on the phone just moments after returning from set. "I've grown up watching these films. Which guy my age isn't excited by fast cars, drag races and hot girls?"

About the character he plays, Ali will only reveal that he's 'something of a crazy tycoon', and the scene he filmed involves all the principals - Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez - 'showing up at my garage'.

The actor can't stop stressing that 'it's only a 2 to 3 scene cameo' and even jokes that 'it could well be edited out of the finished film...these things are known to happen'. Yet he's looking forward to joining the team again in Abu Dhabi in January when he'll shoot his remaining scenes.

"I know people say this all the time, but it really did feel like a family on the set," he says of the time he spent with the team in Atlanta. "Vin Diesel is one of the nicest people I've met. He told me he's dying to come to India because his father spent a considerable amount of time here."

Ali also adds that he hit it off with Kurt Russell, the 62-year-old star of films like Escape From New York and Death Proof, who makes his first appearance in the over-2 billion dollar grossing Fast and Furious franchise. "He's literally someone I've watched on screen since I was a kid," Ali says excitedly. "He was warm and funny, and we spoke about Indian cinema over a few cigarettes."

Reportedly picked over dozens of actors from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East who auditioned for the role, Ali reveals he had to be coaxed by talent agents Purvi Lavingia-Vats and Mohit Kukreti into putting himself on tape. "I was away in the mountains near Mussourie with my friends when they insisted that I shoot my lines," he recounts. "There was no Internet connection so I had a friend shoot the audition on an iPhone."

Ironically, he says it was this very DIY approach that may have snagged him the part. "The casting director told me they liked the way I'd improvised my audition," he explains, chuckling at the memory. "I had neither gel nor a suit in that remote cottage we were at, so I played around with the character... It wasn't written as a quirky part, but they liked how I was fixing my hair and fumbling with a cigarette while saying my lines."

As he prepares to return to India, Ali insists he doesn't want to think of this as his Hollywood debut. "I had a good time, but I did it for the experience of knowing how things work in the West." He'll be happy if other offers come his way, but for now he's grateful to the agents who got him the gig: "Purvi is just a sweetheart. She was determined to make this happen. She's been up nights on end co-ordinating with production and figuring out travel and logistics. And Mohit I went to school with so he's very close to me."

Ali says he didn't exactly jump at the offer when it came his way 'because I knew I literally had to fly out the same week if I wanted to do it, and I was busy with my other films. But Purvi made sure everything worked out comfortably.'

Once home, he'll jump right back into his Bollywood projects, which include a comedy titled 'Baat Ban Gayi', and a drama produced by Rohan Sippy titled 'Sonali Cable', both of which he plays the lead in. "That's home," he says. "But I really enjoyed this opportunity."

Fast and Furious 7: What to expect apart from Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone will be seen revving it up in Hollywood with Fast and Furious 7. But it’s not just her presence that people will look forward to. The Hollywood moneyspinner has a loyal audience awaiting the release in July 2014. With bigger names, here’s what one can expect...

MORTAL COMBAT: It would be great to see Deepika (who has tried her hand at action inChandni Chowk to China) battle it out with Ultimate Fighting Championship Ronda Rousey. A new addition to the series, Ronda is UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, and the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in Judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Impressive huh?

THE BIG ADDITION: Kurt Russell will join the cast. The shooting will start this month. His role is likely to be expanded further.

ALSO ON THE LIST: Thai martial artist Tony Jaa, best known for his work in Ong-Bak (he starred in three films) will join the cast.

THE THIRD TRILOGY: FF7 also marks the beginning of the new trilogy of the series. In a recent interview, Vin Diesel said, “The stories of 7, 8 and 9 are mapped out in a structure, even if they’re not signed off on. The direction of 7, 8 and 9 is clear.” This means that if her luck holds out, Deepika may get a chance to increase her association with the franchise.

HARDCORE ACTION: Director James Wan, famous for the horror movie series Saw, replaces Justin Lin, who has directed the last four movies. Wan has also hinted that the movie will feature more ‘old school’ chase sequences.

THE BAD GUY: Jason Statham, who made an appearance in Fast and Furious 6, returns in this series as the villain. Jason will play the villain, Ian Shaw, the brother of Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Apart from him, Dwayne Johnson too will return for the film.

AROUND THE WORLD: Vin Diesel has revealed that the seventh movie will be shot in Tokyo and the West Asia. But it will also take the cast back to their original hometown, Los Angeles

RUMOUR HAS IT... Taylor Lautner, Halle Berry and Rihanna could join the cast. However, there have been no confirmations.

Deepika Padukone : A 500 crore Actress

Deepika Padukone : A 500 crore Actress :-

Deepika Padukone had a Dream Run at Box Office with all her three releases this year strike gold at BO. Her first release, Race 2 went on to cross 100cr at the Box Office. Her Next May release Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani became Huge Blockbuster, stands at 4th Highest Grosser of All Time.

Her Latest Eid release with King himself, SRK's Chennai Express has smashed all previous records and emerged biggest grosser of all Time in Bollywood. Here is the Report Card of DP for 2013 :-

1) Race 2 - 101 crore
2) Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani - 188 crore
3) Chennai Express - 211 crore* (17 Days Only)

TOTAL :- 500 crore Nett (India Bizz Only)

This is Unique record by the actress way above her competitors Kareena, Katrina, Priyanka and Sonakshi. Still she has Raam Leela to release in November. By this we can say DP is Undoubtedly the Number One actress of Bollywood at Present.

Success of Chennai Express good sign for Indian films, says SRK

Shahrukh Khan’s latest flick ‘Chennai Express’ has reportedly been doing remarkably well in North India and the southern box office, as well as internationally.

Khan told the reporters at INOX theatre, while promoting his flick with Rohit Shetty, that the film’s success is a good sign for Indian cinema.

“It’s a good sign not only for us, but for the films that came and that will come in the next five-six months... the market of Indian films is so big,” King Khan said.

The film has already crossed 100-crore-mark in its first weekend and is still going strong at the box office.

“Our market is growing extensively and very soon people will be comparing our market to international markets and for me that is very heartening,” Khan added.

Chennai Express slammed by critics, loved by audiences

When the content is good, a film works despite bad reviews. Chennai Express is the best example of this. Defying critics, replete with witty dialogues, an entertaining story and Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's never-seen-before-kind-of-personas, the romantic comedy zoomed at superfast speed at the box office to earn Rs.100 crore in the first weekend itself - and is headed to rake in much more moolah.

Before the release, the 47-year-old superstar had described it as a family entertainer and true to this, all the family members can thoroughly enjoy it together, thanks to its clean content.

"Kya gadar film banai hai," said a 10-year-old during the course of the movie at the capital's Rivoli theatre.

Gaurav Verma, director, India Theatrical Distribution, Studios, Disney UTV, said Chennai Express has shown an amazing sustenance post its record opening Friday.

"The film maintained it on the second and the third day, which shows how well it is being accepted and loved by the audiences. This is the only reason why it has successfully created a new benchmark at the box office and will continue to do so," Verma said in a statement.

The film was crucial to Shah Rukh as his last few releases like Ra.One and Jab Tak Hai Jaan failed to live up to the expectations of the viewers as well as the distributors.

However, Rohit Shetty seems to have bailed out Shah Rukh by giving him a makeover in Chennai Express, which also marks coming of age of Deepika, who has hit the bull's eye with her performance as a Tamil speaking girl.

Chennai Express hit over 3,500 screens in the country and about 800 screens abroad, including seven unconventional markets - Peru, Morocco, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France and Israel.

The action comedy, made at a budget of Rs.70 crore, earned Rs. 6.75 crore from Thursday previews in India and on opening day, Aug 9, Rs.33.12 crore. The movie, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures, pulled in Rs.28.05 crore on Saturday and Rs. 32.50 crore on Sunday. The total amounted to Rs. 100.42 crore net in India.

As always, Shah Rukh Khan didn't leave any stone unturned to promote the film despite health issues.

From appearances on TV shows to launching a game prior to the movie's release, the makers of

Chennai Express did everything to hammer it into everyone's mind. And this has paid rich dividends.

The film didn't get rave reviews from the critics, who panned it saying it is a "big, fat bore" and "a slog". But Shetty, who has directed hit films like Singham and the Golmaal series, was unperturbed as bad reviews are his lucky charm and it has turned out to be true in this case as well.

Karthik Kumar, a film blogger, said: "It's an archetypal Rohit Shetty film with lots of fun. You can't expect his films to pique your intellect, can you? It's for the masses and I'm sure they are loving it."

Apart from criticism, there were other hurdles.

The Chitrapat Sena, the film wing of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, threatened to disrupt and stop its release as it reportedly attempted to remove ongoing popular Marathi movies from single-screen cinemas in the state.

But criticism and hurdles notwithstanding, Chennai Express is racing ahead at the box office and re-strengthening Shah Rukh's position, which got a blow after the debacle of his last few films.

Now Chennai Express seems to be on the road to create history.

Sowmya Iyer, a fan of Shah Rukh, said: "I think it's superb movie, which for the first time the director has attempted to make a fusion movie of Tamil and Hindi. It is full of comedy, emotion which we love. Hats off to SRK and Rohit shetty."

Why Deepika Padukone missed SRK's Eid bash

While all roads led to Mannat on Saturday for Shah Rukh Khan’s Eid bash, his Chennai Express co-star Deepika Padukone was absent. Although she was by SRK’s side consistently during the promotions of the film, she had to give this event a miss for professional reasons. “Deepika had a prior commitment to shoot for an ad in Milan. The shoot had been planned four months ago. Despite her keenness to attend Shah Rukh’s party, it was always known that she wouldn’t be able to make it. She had informed him about the same,” says an insider close to Deepika.

'Chennai Express' review: This vehicle is worth being onboard for once!

If watching vehicle chase sequences, cars being blown up in the air and muscled goons is your film genre of choice, then you would know that we could be talking about Rohit Shetty of the ‘Golmaal’ series fame. This time Rohit Shetty, one of the heavily critiqued film makers of the current crop for his directorial ways, has come up with Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer 'Chennai Express'.

Quite obviously, this unique combo of Shetty and Khan is enough to make one curious about their product. But once you go for it, you won’t regret watching ‘Chennai Express’, as you would have been after watching ‘Golmaal 2’ and ‘Golmaal 3’.

The journey on-screen begins with Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan back with one of his favourite screen names) on way from Mumbai to join his friends in Goa for a vacation. But at his foster grandmother’s behest, he reluctantly agrees to go to Rameshwaram to immerse the ashes of his dead grandfather. He boards Chennai Express but all his plans are foiled by a Tamilian damsel in distress – the runaway Meena – daughter of Komban village’s don Dugeshwara – who runs into Rahul accidentally while being chased by four of her brothers. Now as the story unfolds, it is revealed that Meena’s father wants her to get married against her wishes, and Rahul is supposed to be the girl’s knight in shining armour. The rest of the story is a riot of hilarious, romantic and action sequences with some interesting drama peppered and pickled in.

The Tamilian don and his henchmen (with hacking knives in hand) are shown in their full glory; as are the exotic locations down South. Seriously, cinematographer Dudley has an eye for capturing the Southern landscape in its abundance, and the breathtaking locations that one would see in ‘Chennai Express’ are going to make nature lovers fall in love with the lower reaches of the Indian subcontinent.

Crowd puller Shah Rukh Khan, in his act throughout the film, is zany, charming and at times flinching. On the other side, Deepika’s character exudes shades of rebellion, warmth and commitment. Her Hindi with Tamil accents sounds easy on the ears, convincing and humour inducing. Together the pair’s camaraderie on the celluloid results in funny situations and makes their chemistry more compelling.

The music of the film by composer duo Vishal-Shekhar boasts of a couple of good tracks like ‘Titli’ and ‘1 2 3 4 Get On The Dance Floor’. When played on the 70mm, the background number ‘Chennai Express’ ups the excitement level. But songs like ‘Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari’ could have been skipped. If we think from the film maker’s perspective, the so-called unwanted songs we are talking about would have been added with the idea of putting more depth to the romance angle of the film.

One of the downsides of ‘Chennai Express’ is its predictability. As the story moves forward, the guessing game becomes easier, thereby revealing the climax of the movie. Second, like any of the previous Rohit Shetty’s films, this one too is nothing really out-of-the box or one that can qualify for awards. It is Shah Rukh Khan’s act that makes the film substantial and keeps one hooked.

That said, if you ignore the few clichés (the repetition of ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ scenes and the lines that we have heard SRK speaking in his popular films), the lack of punch in the script and even the high predictability factor, then you are onboard for a fun ride with ‘Chennai Express’!

Can't stop smiling: Shah Rukh Khan on success of Chennai Express

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan'sChennai Express, which released on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr Friday, says he can't stop smiling thanks to the overwhelming response to the movie.

"I can't stop smiling. Till the time I don't stop smiling, the excitement won't settle down," Shah Rukh said at a press conference held here Friday.

The conference was held at the compound of his Bandra bungalow Mannat, and he was accompanied by Chennai Expressdirector Rohit Shetty.

Shah Rukh said he is happy with the initial response, but he wants to wait for some more days to see how the film sustains.

"It is nice that the film is doing well. I want to wait for three to four days. I am happy that people have liked the film and it has opened well," he said.

However, he didn't know about the film's success in terms of numbers.

"I don't know how much (business) it has done till now. I just woke up. If a big film releases, I try to refrain for at least two to three days (from counting the collections)," he said.

"Chennai Express has a positive message for women, and Shah Rukh says he is glad it has been able to depict the message in a convincing yet subtle way.

"The film has a message, but it is not on the face. The film is a made up story. She (The female character played by Deepika Padukone) is a strong woman who runs away from home. We have made a point in the film without making a point of it," he said.

The film has several Tamil dialogues, but sans subtitles. It was a conscious decision, SRK said.

"The idea was to show the audience what the hero is going through. Also, love has no language. If we start explaining, then the point is lost. It will spoil the creativity," he added.

Patience pays off for Shah Rukh, Deepika!

New Delhi: While it is proverbially impossible for any young actress to turn down the offer to work with Shah Rukh Khan, in Deepika Padukone's case it has been a conscious decision. Having kicked off her career in Bollywood with Farah Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' opposite King Khan, Deepika was approached by several filmmakers to share the screen space with him, again. However, both SRK and Deepika took close to five years to do a film together. Interestingly, Deepika and SRK agreed to take up Rohit Shetty's 'Chennai Express' for its absolute power of composition and a flawless mix of comedy and action.

"I'm genuinely happy that I got to work with Shah Rukh again. And the fact that this happened after 5 years, the excitement is understandably huge. Even though we were offered movies post the success of 'Om Shanti Om', we decided not to take a decision in haste," she explains.

Unlike others onscreen couples of Bollywood, who take up multiple projects post the success of their first film, SRK and Deepika waited for the right opportunity. The actors were firm about doing a project which allowed them to deliver humour, emotion and passion, all to complete the movie going experience for their supporters.

Clear about what she was looking for, and determined about leaving an impact which was as indelible as 'Om Shanti Om', Deepika is elated that her patience paid off. "We took time because we were certain about taking up a project, which was as special as our first movie. 'Om Shanti Om' will always be special to me as it was my first Bollywood film. There was so much to learn. For me, 'OSO' experience was enriching," she replies. And if Rohit Shetty's 'Chennai Express' was given a nod, that was only because "much like 'Om Shanti Om', this film too offers an interesting blend of romance, drama and comedy. All in all, it is a complete family entertainer. I want people to love and enjoy the film," she adds.

Whether the film provokes real tears and heartfelt laughter is yet to be seen, but if the actors' chemistry is anything to go by, 'Chennai Express' is expected to find several takers.

As Deepika recalls, speaking in Tamil accent, which called for consistent efforts, to make her role believable, wasn't an easy job. "Honestly, doing justice to the role wasn't difficult. Since I'm from South India, there weren't any problems in adapting to the culture. I'm familiar with the cultural practices, behavioral patterns and the mannerisms. But getting the accent right was difficult. It was only after I watched a few videos that I could understand the language. And in the next three to four days I realised it would happen perfectly," she said.

While her Tamil-Hindi accent has left many irked, the actress maintains that her upcoming film doesn't mock South India in any manner. The actress has hit back at her detractors by saying since she and Rohit Shetty belong to South India, they wouldn't spoof their own culture. But will those who take digs at the stars for no valid reason understand this?

MNS chief Raj Thackeray green lights Chennai Express!

yesterday, we had reported that the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan- Deepika Padukone starrer Chennai Expresshad run into a bit of trouble with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The trouble arised when MNS Chitrapat Sena (Film Wing) threatened to disrupt and stop the film's release on August 9, since the film had booked a maximum number of screens, affecting the business of Marathi film Duniyadari which is doing phenomenally well at the BO. 

However, in a meeting yesterday between the makers of the film and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, the latter waved the green flag for the hassle-free release ofChennai Express in Maharashtra. Reaching this decision after listening to both parties (Chennai Express andDuniyadari), Thackeray ruled that if Duniyadari was not removed from single screen cinemas across the state, then the MNS would not object to the release and run of Chennai Express in Maharashtra.

Hrithik's KRRISH 3 promo with SRK's CHENNAI EXPRESS!!

The suspense is finally over. After weeks of speculations, it is now confirmed that the first theatrical promo of one of the biggest Hindi films ever made, KRRISH 3, would be out with CHENNAI EXPRESS. 


"Yes, that's correct," our reliable source informs us, "All formalities have been taken care of and the First Look of the Hrithik Roshan starrer would now be out with the Shahrukh Khan biggie." 

It was around a month back when Rakesh Roshan had expressed keen interest in bringing his sci-fi superhero action thriller with the Rohit Shetty directed affair. Though he had mentioned about being 'in talks' with Shahrukh and UTV (co-producers of the film), Roshan Sr. had also stated that '....launching the trailer with a big film guarantees many eyeballs.' 

Well, his dream is now coming true with the confirmation coming in. 

CHECK OUT: Revealed - Why Shahrukh boards Chennai Express

"Shahrukh and Hrithik share a very good relationship. In fact Shahrukh has worked extensively with his father (KARAN ARJUN, KOYLA, KING UNCLE). Moreover, his studio is also handling the VFX of KRRISH 3. When Rakesh Roshan expressed his desire to bring his film with CHENNAI EXPRESS, it was a given that this association would happen indeed," the source adds. 

Insiders who have had a dekho of KRRISH 3 vouch for the fact that something extraordinary is in the offering. Well, come Eid and we would know if KRRISH 3 indeed turns out to be spectacular as it is touted to be
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