Paan Singh Tomar`, `Barfi` rock Screen Awards

Mumbai: Offbeat cinema turned out to be the toast of the season with ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ and ‘Barfi!’ sharing the best film title, and its lead actors - Irrfan Khan and Ranbir Kapoor respectively, lifting the best actor`s trophy at the 19th Annual Colors Screen Awards Saturday night.

Vidya Balan won her fourth consecutive best actress Screen award for her role as Vidya Bagchi in hit thriller ‘Kahaani’. Her earlier wins were for ‘Paa’, ‘Ishqiya’ and ‘The Dirty Picture’.

Irrfan essayed the role of former national steeplechase champion-turned-bandit Paan Singh Tomar in the biopic ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, while Ranbir wowed everyone with his heart-warming performance as deaf and mute Murphy in ‘Barfi!’.

In terms of direction too, commercial entertainers took a backseat with Anurag Basu winning the best director award for ‘Barfi!’.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan received a special award at the event, while late filmmaker Yash Chopra, who died in October 2012, was conferred the lifetime achievement award.

The evening was laced with power-packed performances by’"Student of the Year’ stars Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, apart from livewire dances by Sonakshi Sinha, Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra.

For the first time, the mother-son duo of Neetu Kapoor and Ranbir took onto the stage to pay a tribute to Bollywood.

The glittering ceremony saw Bollywood`s creme de la creme - Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Amitabh, Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan in attendance.

There were others too - Prem Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Sudhir Mishra, Arjun Rampal, Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Prabhudheva, Zeenat Aman, Sujoy Ghosh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Abbas-Mustan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Gulzar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sunny Leone.

The event was hosted by Shah Rukh, Karan Johar and Ayushmann Khurrana, who bagged the best newcomer (male) award for his performance in ‘Vicky Donor’.

Om Shanti Om releases again….in Japan!

It was six years ago that Om Shanti Om released and became a blockbuster. The movie had tough competition from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. However,it not only became a hit but also brought in great recognition to the lead actress Deepika Padukone.

Now, if reports are to be believed, the movie is all set to wow the Japanese audiences! The film is readying for a big release in Japan on March 16.

“Farah will also travel to Tokyo a few days before the release. The idea is to be part of the film’s marketing there. OSO will get one of the biggest releases an Indian film has seen till date (in Japan). Eros is working on the entire plan,” says an inside source who is in vicinity to the development.

However, it is not known whether the film’s lead cast Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will travel to Japan for the event. “Around the time of the Japan release, they will be wrapping up Chennai Express . So, they might not be able to travel with Farah,” adds the source. Coincidentally Chennai Express is their second film together after Om Shanti Om.

When contacted, Farah confirms: “Yes, I am thrilled to know that OSO is releasing in Japan. I have seen the trailer (dubbed in Japanese). When the film hit theatres in 2007, I was pregnant and couldn’t travel to the Berlin Film Festival (where it was screened) and for its London premiere. Now I’m set to tour.”

Let us hope the magic is going to repeat far East!

Farhan Akhtar ‘runs’ away from endorsements

It has been 18 months sinceFarhan Akhtar has stayed away from brand endorsements. Here is why he did so!

Farhan Akhtar is working in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’sBhaag Milkha Bhaag and he wants to keep his look under wraps.

Apart from this, the actor has taken his role very seriously and he even went through intense physical training to achieve the body of an athlete, Farhan has apparently even refused all endorsement deals until the release of the film. And all this is to avoid the audience getting a peek into his new look.

A source close to the actor said, “Farhan has worked really hard on this project. For the last one and a half years, he has been working out and has fully devoted his time to the film. Because it’s a biopic, he worked extra hard on developing his character and didn’t want his or his team’s efforts to go in vain. That’s the reason he refused to take up any endorsements.”

The source further added that Farhan did not want to break the continuity of the shoot and hence was not willing to let anything come in between.

The revealed posters of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag look very promising and it has been heard that Farhan has gone through so much of rigorous training that he was nearly transformed into a runner himself.

Says the source,”While he was training and shooting for the film, several brands got in touch with his endorsement agency to sign him up. Right from clothing brands, sports shoes, cameras, toiletries and beverages, he was offered deals that together summed up to roughly Rs.15 to Rs.18cr.”

Photographer Atul Kasbekar, whose company manages Farhan’s endorsements, confirmed the news saying, it is true that Farhan has not signed any brands as it would have compromised the look of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Shahrukh Khan wants to do different films

Bollywood is a world of dreams which lakhs of people want to be a part of. The Baadshah of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan was no different.  In his career spanning two decades, he achieved everything he could dream of. Now, he says he wants to make different films as he is in a position to experiment.“I feel I was in the industry at the right time and I am very proud and thrilled that lot of things are changing with the films,” said Shahrukh Khan, at a recent press conference of Nerolac Paints, where he launched its new initiative “Paint The Change”.“When I came in (Mumbai) that time it was only about romantic films. Now things are changing and the journey has been great. I will keep working till people want to see me,” added Shahrukh.He says that individuals should keep dreaming, but at the same time shoud stand rooted into reality.“Everyday a new dream is born. It is nice to keep on dreaming. I dream to make different films, I want to see my kids healthy. But I feel you have to be rooted in reality before dreaming. Believe in reality at the first place and get your education first,” he said.“Right now I am in a position where I can afford to do anything but when I just started off that time my dream was to have a house, car and everything,” he added.

The "fauji" in SRK speaks

  
The badshah of bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan has expressed his grief over the killings at LoC. He said that was saddened by the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers on the Indo-Pak border, but cautioned against retaliating in the same manner.


"As an Indian, I am completely saddened," he told reporters.”It is completely wrong, but that does not mean we should do the same. I think as a nation we should take a hard stance. I ....