Here’s why we are desperately waiting for Azharuddin’s Biopic starring Emraan Hashmi!

Mohammed Azharuddin  joined the National Cricket in 1984 and proved his cricketing mettle by acing as a top notch batsmen and fielder. He was soon leading our nation with his captaincy.  His career has seen its fair share of ups and downs, and his entire life will be panned out in a feature film Azhar to be produced by Balaji Motion Picture and MSM Motion Pictures.

 1.)    Emraan as Azhar 

      The top league batsmen Azharuddin was known to have flexible wrists and has gone on record to hit 3 consecutive centuries at the start of his career in Test Cricket. As the man played much before the shorter t20 format of cricket, his skill was to sustain and steer the nation’s win.  Azhar was a great fielder as well with a total of 156 catches in ODI caught by his able hands.

 2.)    Emraan’s Preparation to become Azhar 

      As Emraan has Bulky Arms, thanks to his heavy weight lifting at the gym, he had to become leaner and adopted Yoga to achieve the same. He has even mentioned in several interviews that the ‘Off Side’ batting in particular has been tough for him to attempt.  Emraan viewed many of the cricketer’s archived videos to get his gait, mannerism and speech correct.

 3.)    Azhar’s Sons 

      Azharuddin is a father to two sons, Ayaz and Asad borne by his first wife, Naureen. Unfortunately, he lost his son Ayaz in a road accident in 2011, when he was all of 19. Asad will be seen in the biopic as well. He is known to be pursuing cricket to step in his father’s former career.

4.) Match-fixing scandal 

Azhar came into public and media speculation, when Hansie Cronje named him in his association with Bookies / Match fixers.  An investigative research, found Azhar guilty and BCCI as well as ICC banned him from cricket for life. Although, he got a clean chit in 2012 from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the legal spell was 12 years long and deeply affected his brand image

5.)    Political Career 

      Though a retired cricketer, Azharuddin’s love for the nation is steady as he later joined the Indian National Congress and won the 2009 General Elections in Uttar Pradesh.

6.)    Personal Life 

      Azhar has been married and divorced twice. His first wife was a home-maker Naureen to be played by Prachi Desai and his second marriage was with Sangeeti Bijlani, which will be played by Nargis Fakhri. Reportedly, the man is now married to Shannon Marie a longtime friend of his.

With  99 Tests and 334 ODI’s we can’t wait to see what transpires on-screen. 13^th May is not too far ahead and Twitter is abuzz with its Theatrical release tomorrow.

Tell us are you waiting for this one as well.

If Virat Kohli would be a film actor, we’d like to see him get cast with :

Virat Kohli is winning hearts with his incredible performance.  He has proved his cricketing skills at diverse formats and continues to be the key player for India. Helming the team with his captaincy in Test Cricket and as Vice-Captain in shorter cricket formats. The man ensures to stay not out.

Considering his good looks, lets imagine to see him as an actor and his exciting co-stars:

1.)    Virat with Anushka Sharma in a film

      We would vouch for this pair as its been the talk of the town. The two should be cast in an outright romantic film in the likes of a Band Baaja Baraat, Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani, 2 states and any such attempting on-screen lovers.  A biopic on Virat could feature him and Anushka in the lead roles. As the cricketer seems to have good potential in acting.

2.)    Amitabh and Virat 

      The senior actor is all praise for the young right-handed batsman and is often seen taking to twitter to shower his blessings. The two could be cast as father-son in a role requiring a portrayal of heavy emotions, bonding and togetherness. Something to the tune of Paa, Baghban, Waqt or Patiala House.

3.)    Fawad and Virat  

      They would easily pass of as brothers in a film, considering how similar the two look. They could possibly be cast in a patriotic film propagating India-Pakistan unity or may be as twins in a film like Kapoor and Sons.

4.)    Virat and Alia

     The two are extremely cute and would make for a lovable pair. We see them get cast in a Highway or Humpty Sharma Ki Duhania. Their pair would surely get the audience and critics excited. Beyond these two films, we think a Jab We Met 2 with Imitiaz Ali would satiate our greed for this cast.

5.)    Virat and Ranveer Singh 

      Not leaving behind the Warrior, Ranveer and Virat could possibly unite for a Dil Dhadkne Do. Interestingly, Anushka was seen dating Ranveer before she found love in Virat. The two would synergize their energies and make a great watch!

6.)    Virat and Priyanka Chopra 

      The videsi girl and our international icon could do an Indian Version of Quantico here or even pull of a Bajirao-Mastani. Virat seems apt to fit into the shoes of Bajirao with Priyanka as his Kashi and Anushka as his Mastani.

Tell us of any more fun co-stars you think Virat should be cast with. 

Bollywood Shines at National Film Awards 

Here's the complete list of Winners from our Hindi Filmdom, who have successfully acquired the most prestigious 63rd National Film Awards. 

Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, ‘Bajirao Mastani’ 

Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan, Piku 

Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut, Tanu Weds Manu Returns 

Best Supporting Actress: Tanvi Azmi, Bajirao Mastani 

Best Hindi Film: Dum Laga Ke Haisha 

Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film Of A Director: Neeraj Ghaywan, Masaan 

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Bajrangi Bhaijaan 

Best Choreography: Remo D’Souza, Deewani Mastani song in Bajirao Mastani

Best Female Playback Singer: Monali Thakur, Moh Moh Ke Dhage 

Best Cinematography: Sudeep Chaterjee, Bajirao Mastani 

Best Writer (Original): Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma (Tanu Weds Manu Returns) Best Screenplay – Dialogues: Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma (Tanu Weds Manu)

Cheers to different cinema! 

Is all well between Alia Bhatt and her bestie Masaba. 

Alia & Masaba have been friends as kids! They friendship was pretty thick and grew stronger with time. In fact, Alia even performed to 'Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai' at Masaba's sangeet and the two were seen together in numerous pictures at Shahid's wedding.

Recently. Masaba tweeted the below, as her feedback for Kapoor & Sons. 

Did she miss mentioning her friend Alia or was it deliberate? 

If reports are to be believed, the friends seem to have a showdown after Shaandaar's  poor box office performance. Their connection here is Masaba's husband Madhu Mantena, who produced this film. 

We hope the bury the hatchet soon though! 

Prosthetic Use of Make-Up in Films

Actors need to become the characters they play.  Sometimes to get into the skin ( literally) of the varying ages they need to enact, the use of Prosthetic Make-Up / FX Prosthetic comes to play. FX the terminology is used as it is fake special effects to the skin. Ranbir Kapoor was once heard saying he becomes the character after his hair and make-up is in place.

 Here’s what Prosthetic Make up is about :

Artificial layer to the natural skin, made with chemicals, clay or silicon to create wrinkles, older skin/ younger skin, spots or varied features, depending upon the character’s need for a certain look.  The process involves the actor to be tested for any allergy that this make up may attract.  Post this, many looks are tried and the one which comes closest to looking like the character is finalized.  Actors often need to imbibe patience to go through this rigorous make-up session as it takes several hours to re-create the face. Once its applied, they are prohibited from eating or drinking water for a couple of hours.

1.) Shahrukh Khan | FAN 

To create a 20-something obsessive Fan, who goes by the character name Gaurav, a complete transformation was needed for Shahrukh.  Three time Oscar winner Greg Cannom was brought in for the job.

As quoted by Shahrukh - "I was the oldest one on the set. All these kids were very patient with me. Wearing the prosthetics wasn't easy. I used to get irritated as the sweat used to stick on the face. But they did bear with me. We have worked very hard so that it does not look unreal. Also, as I am a known face, it is not easy to play a 50-year-old and then do a more than half-age character.”

The results are amazing and we can’t wait for it to release soon.

2. Rishi Kapoor | Kapoor and Sons 

Rishi Kapoor’s undying passion is seen and he is surely getting better at his craft. The senior actor devoted around 5 hours each time during the production of his scenes. The same American Artist of FAN, Greg Cannom was hired to work his magic and make Rishi ji look like an adorable 90+ dadu.

As quoted by Rishi Kapoor : “I am surprised and shocked. This is not a very big-budgeted film. The charges of creating my face and the after charges of his travel, his stays in hotels, his assistants is exorbitant. It’s almost Rs 2 crore. I don’t know if any producer who would keep Rs 2 crore for the make-up of Rishi Kapoor. It’s impossible, nobody does that. But I am happy that we are evolving, we are going ahead. Hindi films are experimenting”. Revealing more about his look, ““He took several weeks to design my face. He took a mold of my face. I have had eight applications put on my face—my bald cap, my nose, my two cheeks, my two hands and my quadruple chin. It was made of Silicon”

3. Amitabh Bachchan in Paa 

Amitabh Bachchan had to play a 13 year old kid who is affected by a rare disorder Progeria, which made him look 5 times his age. For the same, Hollywood’s prosthetic make-up artist Christien Tinsley was flown in to give shape to the transformation. It took about 5 hours to apply the 8 different layers of clay and 2 hours to remove the same. During the period of application, Amitabh Bachchan was not allowed to eat, drink or talk.  He was patient and co-operative through the process and even wore specially designed dentures which helped him to speak like a child. Kudos to artists who show such great involvement and co-operation to play their characters.

4.  Aamir Khan In PK and Dangal : 

The filmmakers of PK tried several looks on Aamir before the final alien look was created, as we have already seen. One was as a warrior, one as a Blonde Young Man and another with ruffled hair. Aamir approved of the flattened hair, green lens and popping ears as the final look as it made him look innocent and child-like. Reports suggest, he will be undergoing prosthetic make up for Dangal as well, to convincingly play a father og grown up kids.

5.) Richa Chadda, Priety Zinta and Vidya Balan

These lovely leading ladies have adorned a prosthetic belly to appear pregnant in their films.  The size of the belly has been enlarged to match natural pregnancy. They have been able to portray their role with conviction as mothers – to- be.

We are really impressed with the hard work of the artists and integrity of the actors! 

Hrithik Roshan Ran a Funny Face Competition on Twitter and it Trended!

Amidst the tense legal battle which has been the social media sensation over the last few days, Hrithik sure provided some relief, when he randomly began a #FunnyFaceCompetition.

He shared a really cute fast moving video of him with his sons as seen in the picture here:

And then he took twitter by storm with the many entries by his fans online

One such came by his friend, Anil Kapoor

Hrithik was personally seen quoting and replying to his favorite submissions: 

Some more followed this fun initiation by him : 

Lastly, he declared himself as the winner! But his gestures are rather sweet and am sure he is trying to relive the stress which has surrounded him off late. 

Wishing you the best always! 

Actors who chose Alternate Careers

There are some who have  seen the limelight of films and showbiz, albeit briefly. For they have ventured into other businesses for a livelihood.  Actors have utilized their business acumen and changed careers.

Here’s taking a look at some of them :

1.)    Uday Chopra – Apart from being an actor mostly known for his comedies, Uday has not been able to do much outside his own production house.  Though, he has upped his game as a businessmen and learnt Hollywood production with an in-house YRF entertainment that focuses on Hollywood Film Productions. He is helming the same and in his free time is seen kicking butt at the gym.

2.)    Twinkle Khanna – The social media’s favorite funny woman and an established best-seller author, Twinkle Khanna featured in some average films to do extra-ordinary work in her chosen career. She also runs an online home décor and resort wear line under the name of ‘The White Window’

3.)    Dino Morea -  This hottie Supermodel from Bangalore is now based in Bandra, Mumbai.  He has collaborated with his brothers on varied businesses ranging from Restaurants to an Ad Film production house. He seems to be content with his choices. Dino innovated with his love for sports by opening up a Sports Merchandise company called ‘Cool Maal’ which had MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh as its face.

4.)    Malaika Arora Khan -  VJ turned actor turned item girl turned reality host judge, Malaika has donned many hats and manages to stay in the news through her two decade long career run. The super lady has her own online clothing line under the name of ‘The Closet Label’ which she personally looks over.

5.)    Ronit Roy – Did you know the Amitabh Bachchan of Small Screen Ronit Roy has a huge business in providing securing to A-league celebrities. His company name is called ACE Security and Protection which offers services to Akshay Kumar, Sachin Tendulkar, Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

6.)    John Abraham – The man of steel, John Abraham has put up some decent acts and carved his name in films. Yet, he continues to experiment with his business ventures. After his successful production house launch, John will be seen in a strategic partnership with British Boxing legend David Haye. The two will start their gym in SoBo and western suburbs of Mumbai city to see the response, before diversifying.

7.)    Arjun Rampal – The actor has proved his talent in many films like Raajneeti and Rock On. In fact, he even bagged the national award for Rock On and is currently shooting its sequel.  Not many are aware that he owns a high-end lounge in Delhi posh area of Chanakyapuri by the name of LAP, which runs on exclusive members only. It is famous for world class DJ’s and European food.

8.)    Chunky Pandey – The 90s star owns a plush lounge in Khar, Bandra by the name of Elbo Room. It hosts many sports screenings on huge LEDs put up and serves the best food-liquor combination. Styled like a Brithish café, this one is a popular joint.

9.)    Perizaad Zorabian – Do you know this lovely Parsi lady who starred in Joggers Park, owns ‘Gondola’ restaurant in Pali Mala Road.  They serve the best sizzlers in town.

10.)  Suneil Shetty – The 90s superstar ventured into restaurant business almost a decade ago with H20 in Khar, Mumbai.  They serve the best Long Island Iced Teas and attract the main market with the youth.

We’d like to congratulate the celebs for their guts and wish them success. 

Shahid's brother Ishan Khattar to play the lead in Student Of The Year 2 

If reports are to be believed, Shahid's half-brother Ishan, from his step dad Rajesh Khattar might be a part of Student of the Year 2. He is only 20 but has his elder brother to mentor him. Ishan's brush with the film industry has already begun as he has worked as an assistant director on Udta Punjab. 

We wish him luck! The earlier one starts, the better! 

Lessons to pick from Kangana- Hrithik fight that every couple must note. 

1.)    If one partner doesn’t publicly admit to the relationship, he / she is not worthy of your trust.

2.)    Hrithik wooed Kangana on basis of his troubled marriage, and assuring her a lifetime of happiness. He even said he felt a connection as she never judged him.  Couples need to note that a failed marriage is at the hands of both persons involved, and just not judging someone should not make you attractive / worthy of love.

3.)    He ignored her as he got involved in a big project. This is very common as some people can’t deal with success too well and leave behind their genuine connection, thinking of themselves as superior.

4.)    Kangana tweeted casually ‘dumbass’ and ‘silly ex’ for the rumors of her removal from Aashiqui 3, but Hrithik was found guilty and counter tweeted her message.

5.)    They both have been held for a defamation case against each other and its ugly. A couple should maintain their poise and never let things go out of hand. Issues should be sorted amicably unless too big in nature.  Something as silly as a tweet should not be the base of a fight. 

Times of India Film Awards, 2016.

Yet another prestigious award function is round the corner and we have all the inside news for you! Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time to witness TOIFA ( Times of India Film Awards), 2016, which is happening as you read this! Industry’s big-wigs are on their flight to Dubai, the hosting city for the event.

Here’s all you can expect :

1.)    Parineeti Chopra and Riteish Deshmukh to host the event. This is the first time we shall be seeing them pair up for an act.  Reportedly, they shall keep the audiences entertained with their quirky antics.

2.)    Manish Paul and Huma Qureshi to host the Toifa Weekend, where the attending guests lovely stay will be covered as they shall be engaged in entertaining chats.  They may even divulge details about their performance and overall expectations as a means to soar the entertainment quotient.  

3.)    The winners will be selected on the basis of audience votes received following which an audit shall be implemented to derive the winners.

4.)    Ranveer Singh shall be paying a tribute to Amitabh Bachchan by performing to his popular songs. He has personally handpicked tracks which define the legend’s journey. His act will require him to do lots of acting in addition to the signature steps.  

5.)    Salman is rumored to be performing as well. However, the superstar who has been nominated for Bajrangi Bhaijaan is against the idea of receiving any award as he wants the young breed of artists to be gratified in place of him.

6.)    Shahrukh Khan will be seen performing to all his hits over the course of 25 years of his career in the film industry.

7.)    Kareena Kapoor shall rock the night by grooving to songs of all Women Divas in Bollywood, as her tribute to them.

8.)    Jacqueline Fernandez and Honey Singh are expected to perform as well. Honey wishes to interact with Salman during his performance.

9.)    The new emerging star, Varun Dhawan who proved his dance prowess with ABCD 2 will perform to his current hits.

10.)    The best films of 2015 in the likes of Bajirao Mastani, Piku, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Badlapur and Tanu Weds Manu will be seen competing with each other.

The event will be telecast on a popular Entertainment Channel on Sunday, 17^th April, 2016. 

10 surprising facts on Ranveer Singh

Ranveer Singh is riding high on success. The man is not very old in the industry, yet has managed to make his place by earning the warmth of his fans.  A true entertainer, Ranveer is a go-getter and has just begun is journey in filmdom. 

Let’s get to know him a bit more than what’s seen on-screen:

1.) Ranveer was considering to have a name-change for his run in showbiz as he thought it sounded too similar to Ranbir

2.)  Ranveer is a true Cancer sign, born on 6^th of July, 1985. He shows great compassion, love and attachment for his loved ones.

 

 3.)  Ranveer Singh’s original name is Ranveer Singh Bhavnani, he let go of ‘Bhavnani’ as he thought it would be too long a name to recall. Also, Singh would suit his brand image better.

4.) Raveer was dating Aahana Deol in College and even attended her wedding functions with current girlfriend, Deepika Padukone.

5.)    Ranveer is a natural rapper. He has rapped for some of his top endorsements as well as for his song in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl.  Additionally, Ranveer is a great mimic of Late Mr.  Amrish Puri and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. 

6.) Prior to his relationship with Deepika, he dated Anushka as they shot together for Band Bajaa Baraat














7.) Ranveer is the only actor who has taken Shahrukh Khan’s place in an Aditya Chopra film.  His upcoming film, Befikre shall be directed by his mentor Aditya Chopra.

8.) Ranveer has poor knowledge of finance and all his savings are managed by his father.

9.) Ranveer worked as a copywriter in renowned ad agencies before becoming a film actor

 

     10.) Ranveer is Sonam Kapoor’s second cousin, as their moms are related 

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