Beware! MP3 players cause early hearing loss

One in four teenagers are in danger of early hearing loss as a direct result of listening to music on their personal listening devices (PLDs) like MP3 players and iPods.

Personal listening devices permit users to listen to crystal-clear tunes at high volume for hours on end, a radical improvement over Walkman.

But according to Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers, these advances have also turned these devices PLDs into a serious health hazard, with teenagers facing the greatest risk.

One in four teens is in danger of early hearing loss as a direct result of these listening habits, says Chava Muchnik professor of audiology at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sheba Medical Centre, the International Journal of Audiology reports.

With colleagues Ricky Kaplan-Neeman, Noam Amir and Ester Shabtai, Muchnik studied teens' music listening habits and took acoustic measurements of preferred listening levels, according to a TAU statement.

The results demonstrate clearly that teens have harmful music-listening habits when it comes to iPods and other MP3 devices.

'In 10 or 20 years, it will be too late to realize that an entire generation of young people is suffering from hearing problems much earlier than expected from natural ageing,' says Muchnik.

Those who are misusing MP3 players today might find that their hearing begins to deteriorate as early as their 30's and 40's - much earlier than past generations.

The first stage of the study included 289 participants aged 13 to 17 years. In the second stage, measurements of these listening levels were performed on 74 teens in both quiet and noisy environments.

The study's findings are worrisome, says Muchnik. Eighty percent of teens use their PLDs regularly, with 21 percent listening from one to four hours daily, and eight percent listening more than four hours consecutively.

Taken together with the acoustic measurement results, the data indicate that a quarter of the participants are at severe risk for hearing loss.

Aamir can't get enough of his newborn

If there's anything that actor Aamir Khan loves doing these days, it is spending time and playing with his newborn son, Azad.

'It's a great joy being a father again. Both Kiran and I are so overjoyed with our baby being born and I just can't get enough of Azad,' Aamir said at an event here.

The 46-year-old and his wife Kiran Rao were blessed with the baby boy Dec 1, through IVF to a surrogate mother. Aamir is simply in awe of their little bundle of joy.

'I tickle his little toe and then I snuggle up to him. Right now he doesn't even know who I am. He's too young but he knows that somebody comes and troubles him everyday. Every two, three hours somebody comes and troubles him. So, when he gets a little older, he will get to know that I am the guy,' said Aamir, who already has two kids from his first wife Reena - a son, Junaid, and a daughter named Ira.

Aamir and Kiran spoke at the launch of the CDs and DVDs of the latter's directorial project 'Dhobi Ghat', and were in a bit of a hurry to be back home.

'For the first time Kiran has left the house since the baby was born. So, we are also keen to get back fast. It's a miracle. A baby being born is a miracle and nothing comes close to it,' said Aamir.

Aamir is currently busy with his co-production 'Talaash', being directed by Reema Kagti. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are the other two producers for the film, which will also feature Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji.

Mamta Mohandas weds family friend

Kozhikode: Malayalam actress Mamta Mohandas Wednesday got married to her family friend and Bahrain-based businessman Prajith Padmanabhan.

The marriage was held at a hotel here and was attended by film personalities besides friends and relatives of the actress.

The couple got engaged at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district last month.

Mamta, 26, made her debut with 'Mayookham' directed by veteran director Hariharan in 2005. She has acted in 30 films, including Tamil, Telegu and Kannada.

In a short span she created her space in the Malayalam industry and has acted alongside all the three superstars -- Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi -- besides other top stars including Jayaram, Dileep, Prithviraj and Kunchacko Boban.

Besides acting, Mamta is a trained singer as well and has rendered her voice in some Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films

Dance with a purpose, join in the flash mob!

 If you're busy shopping at a packed marketplace and someone next to you breaks into a jig, don't fret, just join in! Chances are it may be a flash mob.

It is the latest publicity gimmick that many event management companies, social activists, TV channels and movie production houses are using to create a buzz among masses.

Flash mobs have been a tried-and-tested technique abroad, but in India it is a new concept. It first started at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus when close to 200 people began dancing to Bollywood chartbuster "Rang de Basanti" last month.

Since then the trend has caught on and travelled to various cities like Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi as well as the national capital.

"Flash mobs in my opinion are a great new way to reach out to the masses, although they shouldn't be conducted so often that they end up killing the element of surprise," Ayush Gupta of Cabbageheads, an event management firm which organised the flash mobs at the capital's Janpath and Priya complex, told IANS.

Even though police played spoilsport during their flash mob, there was a purpose behind the activity, says the 20-year-old.

"We organised the flash mob with the sole purpose of opening minds around. We wanted to set a trend - a trend which screams of being bold enough to try new things! People need to loosen up a bit. Go crazy every once in a while. That's what we had in mind when we organised Flash Mob Delhi," added Gupta.

The team of Zee TV's flagship reality show "Dance India Dance" had also organised "Dancemobs" to promote the third season of the show. A flash mob of over 50 people began dancing at the Rajouri Garden market in West Delhi. From college-goers, shopkeepers and residents, lots of people joined in the flash mob and danced to popular Bollywood chartbusters.

"As per our research, 'Dance India Dance' connects with audiences across ages and is driven by the youth target audience. Also, it's that time of the year when a lot of people are out shopping or partying. Hence it becomes easier for us to reach out to more number of people at one go," Akash Chawla, Zee Marketing Head-National Channels, told IANS.

"The highest recall value of a thing is when it happens by surprise. Besides this, tapping the new media in a big way, the Dancemob videos will be uploaded on various social networking sites as well, which will help us to further increase our audience base," added Chawla.

According to the dictionary, a flash mob is "a large group of people mobilised by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration."

People of varied age groups are using online social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter to organise such surprise dance activities.

At the capital's Sarojini Nagar, a group planned a flash mob against sexual harassment and female foeticide, and danced to "Sadda haq".

In Mumbai, southern star Dhanush led a flash mob and danced to his Tamil-English hit "Kolaveri di" to promote the film "3", while in Kochi some enthusiasts danced to spread the message of peace.

The flash mobs are getting a lot of hits on YouTube.

Gupta feels "flash mobs will eventually fizzle out if they continue to happen at the rate they currently are."

"People should think new rather than follow the mob mentality. That's what'll make a difference," he added.

Backstreet Boys get back for eighth album

London: American band Backstreet Boys are all set to get back together for their eighth album in 2012.

"That's one of the things that we're going to be happening this next year, is we're going to be in the studio working on a new record," contactmusic.com quoted bandmate Howie D as saying.

The band which comprises of Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and A. J. McLean will go on a Europe tour in 2012.

"That's always the challenge working on new albums; trying to push the envelope, trying to always top the last album. But that's what we do. That's one of the reasons why we take our time to make the record the best it can be. To not rush it and to keep your finger on the pulse of what's hot," he added
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Box-office business - a bleak streak for Tamil filmdom

The Tamil film industry, true to its prolific image, has churned out as many as 135 films this year. But the disappointing news: despite the spiralling numbers, box office success has been hitting rock bottom. According to trade pundits, while total investment has been about Rs.600 crore, filmmakers failed to recover even half the investment.

'Jiiva's 'Ko', Karthi's 'Siruthai', Ajith's 'Mankatha' and Surya's '7aum Arivu' have made good collections,' says R. Ramanujan, editor of Tamil Nadu Entertainment Trade Magazine.

' '7aum Arivu', a science fiction thriller written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, hasn't fetched profit for the distributors, while actioner 'Mankatha' was a loss making venture for its producers despite it collecting around Rs.50 crore at the box office,' he added.

Vijay's two releases - 'Kavalan', a remake of Malayalam hit 'Bodyguard', which was also screened at the Shanghai Film Festival, and masala movie 'Velayudham' were reported to be hits, but insiders in the trade circle informed that while both movies collected more profit than the actor's recent films at the box office, they haven't seen any profit.

'So is the case with Vikram-Anushka starrer 'Deiva Thirumagal,' added the source.

'The problem with big stars' films is that the budget shoots up, hence the ROI (return on investment) becomes difficult. Any film that features a leading star like Vijay or Surya or Ajith costs a minimum Rs.15 crore. Sometimes the budget touches even the Rs.30-crore mark. So they have to be blockbusters to get back the money back,' said Ramanujam.

The advantage with these films is that they enjoy good opening, hence distributors readily cough up more money to procure the rights. It helps producers to recover the cost. However, if the films fail to click, distributors have to put up with losses.

It happened with '7aum Arivu', which was reportedly made at a budget of Rs. 80 crore and sold for approximately Rs.90 crore, but when it came to box office, it failed to collect even Rs.40 crore, according to the sources.

The worldwide collection of the film is said to be about Rs.82 crore and it has been a loss-making business prospect for distributors and exhibitors.

R.S. Anthanan, a senior film journalist, says that disturbing trend is 'over budget'.

'Many directors exceed the initial budget, which is beyond the marketability of the stars involved in the films. It happens with directors like Bala and Vasantha Balan, who get critical acclaim, but their producers suffer loss because of over expenditure,' he added.

This shows that the films with good content cannot recover money if the budget inflates beyond a point.

Recently, producer Ascor Ravichandran reportedly decided to drop a project starring young actor Nakul after the director spent Rs.5 crore even before completing a quarter of the film because the actor is not worth Rs.10 crore.

Sathyaraj, a senior actor, sums up by saying: 'Producers should at any cost avoid accepting a budget more than the established business for the stars involved. If they stick to this rule, the losses would be very less.'

Sathyaraj has been saying this at public gatherings, but the influence of the big stars and directors is so telling that the producers cannot hold any control over them.

'The Dirty Picture' most viewed on mobile in 2011

Thanks to Vidya Balan's oomph, content related to 'The Dirty Picture' got grabbed maximum eyeballs on the mobile platform, while controversial Poonam Pandey took away the lion's share of views among models, says a survey.

The findings have been announced by Vuclip, an independent mobile video company.

Among the most watched Indian videos on mobile, cinema-related content reigned supreme and out of them 'The Dirty Picture' was the most watched, with over 13,24,000 mobile views, said a press statement.

Content related to Shah Rukh Khan's mega production 'RA.One' garnered over 8,00,000 video views, which is almost more than double the mobile video views received by content of the much-hyped 'Kolaveri di' song from the upcoming Tamil movie '3'.

Although Dhanush's 'Kolaveri Di' was a super hit on youtube, but mobile users showed more interest in singer Sonu Niigaam's four-year-old son Nevaan's version of the same song.

Nevaan's version received over 2,86,000 video views compared to Dhanush's Tamil-English number, which just got over 56,000 views.

Among the models, Poonam who came into limelight after announcing that she would strip if India won the World Cup earlier this year, received over 100,000 mobile video views.

She pipped Pakistani model Veena Malik and Indo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone. Veena received 18,697 mobile video views, propelled by the news for her controversial nude picture on a magazine's cover, while Sunny, who caused a flutter with her entry into the reality show 'Bigg Boss 5', got less than 2,500 mobile video views.

Documentary on Anna Hazare likely to release next month

Social activist Anna Hazare and his campaign against corruption has inspired a budding director to make a documentary film, which is likely to be released next month. Ankit Narayan has made 'Jai Bharat', a 26-minute film
that focuses on the Jan Lokpal bill. Through the documentary, he intends to spread the cause taken up by Hazare.

'I was so much inspired by this movement of corruption that I thought of making a film and educate people about it.
We are not encashing Anna Hazare's popularity. We are trying to pass the information...educate people about the movement,
about corruption,' Ankit told PTI here. The documentary highlights the differences between the government's Lokpal Bill and Team Anna's version. 'The film talks about both the bills - Jan Lokpal and Lokpal. The benefits and losses of both these bills,' he said. The documentary now awaits the Censor Board clearance. 'Once the documentary is passed by the Censor Board, it will be released in the first or second week of January,' he said.

The film will also have two songs sung by Mohammed Salamat, who has sung for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam'. The film features Arvind Kejriwal, Virendra Saxena and will have footage of Anna Hazare and Kiran Bedi.
'We have footages of Anna Hazare, about his work and the recent rally,' Narayan said.

Mamta Mohandas weds family friend

Kozhikode: Malayalam actress Mamta Mohandas Wednesday got married to her family friend and Bahrain-based businessman Prajith Padmanabhan.

The marriage was held at a hotel here and was attended by film personalities besides friends and relatives of the actress.

The couple got engaged at Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district last month.

Mamta, 26, made her debut with "Mayookham" directed by veteran director Hariharan in 2005. She has acted in 30 films, including Tamil, Telegu and Kannada.

In a short span she created her space in the Malayalam industry and has acted alongside all the three superstars -- Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi -- besides other top stars including Jayaram, Dileep, Prithviraj and Kunchacko Boban.

Besides acting, Mamta is a trained singer as well and has rendered her voice in some Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films.

Ex-army man’s widow seeks stay on film release

The widow of a former Indian Army man has approached the Delhi High Court seeking direction to stay the release of film "Zilla Ghaziabad", starring Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, alleging that its story wrongly portrayed her husband as a criminal.

Krishna Devi, in her petition Friday, alleged that the upcoming film was based on the life of her late husband Mahender Singh 'Fauji'. She said she collected information on the film from internet.

"The producer and director of the movie who claim to have based the character 'Prakash Ghaziabad' on Mahender Singh 'Fauji' have chosen to portray him as a notorious gangster hounded and killed by police," Krishna Devi said.

Claiming that her husband joined the Indian Army in November 1965 and fought for the nation in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Krishna Devi sought the court's direction restraining the release of the movie without her prior consent.

The ex-army man's widow alleged that the reputation, life and personal liberty of her entire family was adversely affected by the negative projection of the life and death of her husband as a gangster from Ghaziabad.

Krishna Devi alleged classmates of her son passed inappropriate comments regarding his late father and referred to him as the son of a criminal.

The petitioner said that on internet they found a description about the film which said: "...All main characters are based on real-life characters. Arshad Warsi's role ('an absolute mean character') is modelled on the outlaw Mahender Fauji..."

The petition alleged that producer of the film did not consider it worthwhile to contact her in order to seek true and correct information or facts before making the movie

Sonam owes everything to her dad Anil Kapoor

Mumbai: She is yet to set the box-office registers ringing, but actress Sonam Kapoor says whatever she h as achieved in Bollywood till now is due to her father Anil Kapoor, because of whom people value her. Sonam made her acting debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' opposite newcomer Ranbir Kapoor, which bombed at the box office. Her subsequent films --'Delhi 6', 'Aisha' 'Thank You' and 'Mausam' too failed to click with audience. 'I am here because of my father. I am not one of those star-kids who say you don't know how hard I have worked and that it has nothing to do with my father. My work has
everything to do with my father. People treat me with respect because I am Anil Kapoor's daughter,' Sonam, who tasted her first commercial success with 'I Hate Luv Storys' told PTI. The actress has been in the industry for four years now and she is yet to carve a name for herself, while her father Anil Kapoor is still going strong not only in Bollywood but also rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stalwarts. Ask her if she wants to disassociate herself from her father's success, Sonam says, 'No, I am proud of him. It is unfair to my father's hard work to say it has nothing to do with me.'

'He has been in the industry for 30 years and he has worked for his children and if we don't bear the fruits of his hard work then who will,' she asked.Sonam owes everything to her dad Anil Kapoor 'On the other hand, my father always says that there are lots of star kids who have come and gone, and if you have stayed on and are among the top 10, then the credit goes to me too,' she said. Ask her how she reacts to reports that she bagged a certain film because of her father, and she says, 'I am sure every star-kid must be doing the same. I am sure the directors are smart and there are a lot reasons that they want to take me. They have seen my dad's work and they expect the same work ethics from me.'

Sonam would be seen next in Abbas-Mustan's action-thriller 'Players', a remake of Hollywood film, 'The Italian Job'.
The film starring Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Omi Vaidya releases on January .

Hansika playing gangster in Vettaimanan

Telugu actress Hansika will be playing a gangster girl in debutant Nelson's Simbu starrer Vettai Mannan. Produced by Chakravarthy of NIC Arts, Vettai Mannan is a gangster film and Simbu plays an international hired killer called Vignesh. The cast includes Jai and Poonam Kaur.

'I am playing a character I have never done before. I have a different look. I play a gangster girl,' said the actor, who is currently shooting the Tamil language movie with Simbu and Deeksha Seth.

Vettai Mannan is a multi-starrer on the lines of Vaanam.

Mankatha collects Rs 130 crore in box office

Mankatha, Ajith's 50th golden jubilee Mankatha has taken the best ever Box Office opening for a film in 2011.It is stated that the film which was directed by Venkat Prabhu and was produced around a budget of 40 crore has earned Rs 130 crore in box office. Mankatha opened big and made a comeback for Ajith. The film which got released 31 August 2011 completed its 100 days run last month. Sun Pictures team has now officially announced that the box-office collections earned by Mankatha is 130 crore. The film is produced by Dayanidhi Azhagiri under the banner Cloud nine productions.

Arbiyum Ottakavum: dry as a desert with no mirage in sight!

Priyadarshan is (in)famous for 'adapting' stories from other language movies, especially Hollywood into Malayalam, making it a wholesome entertainer. His combination with Mohanlal always worked wonders and it's no wonder that this time too the audience had great expectations when after a long gap of seven years a Priyadarshan- Lal movie was announced. If the director had half the enthusiasm of the audience he would have done his homework properly. Alas! This is a collage of his previous blockbusters sewn in a haphazard manner, and in his haste the director even forgot to alter the comic dialogues that he wrote a quarter century ago. It needs an effort on the part of the audience to laugh at the jokes so stale and over worn. You have the financially troubled hero motif that he tried in 'Chitram', 'Kilukkam', 'Aram+Aram', 'Chandralekha', with the wealthy heroine helping him out of his troubles followed in 'Arabiyum Ottakavum' as well. Then there is the skirt/blouse removal comic scene (refer 'Thenmavin kombath, 'Chandralekha'), a heroine who behaves abnormally but turns out to be a saviour ('Kilukkam'), the confusion and disguise at a marriage function ('Vettam'), and if watched closely resemblance to other Priyadarshan movies could easily be identified.
It's been a while the two leading superstars of Malayalam movies who are past their prime, remain a bachelor in film after film. This movie is no exception. The hero, a gulf malayalee, P. Madhavan Nair (Mohanlal), accidently meets Meenakshi (Lakshmi Rai) in a jewellery shop as they both go for the same ring. This accidental meeting leads to a day spent together. After a coffee spilling and the blushing hero, later, they decide to check whether they are destined to meet again. Entering into different elevators to see if they both choose the same floor and writing the phone number on a currency note might, for a moment, make one think that s/he is watching the 2001 romantic comedy 'Serendipity'; but that could be purely coincidental! Choosing the 23rd floor and a child entering and pressing all the buttons in Madhavan's elevator adds to this coincidence! Fate brings the couple together after two years, and a song later they decide to tie the knot. The marriage plans are thwarted when the hero finds out an unsavoury truth about his fiancée. In a fit of rage he goes for a reckless drive, along with Abdu (Mukesh, the only saving grace in the film) who was hiding in the vehicle to threaten Madhavan and they end up in mid desert. They meet Ilyana (Bhavana), and after another song (Bhavana had a magic pouch with her with which she could dress them up all in colourful attire with matching accessories throughout the song that 'coincides' with an Egyptian song Rohy Mertahlak by Amr Diab, and in the following scenes as well) Bhavana devices the plan of abducting herself for getting money from her father. The three are in dire need of money and they decide to execute their plans. What follows makes the thread of the story with a few scenes that 'coincide' with the 1997 movie 'Nothing to Lose'. The highlight of the movie is the two 'innovative' climax suspenses, one being the twin sister story, and the other, Bhavana finding out she is heir to immense wealth, she being the daughter of a wealthy Arab who dies in an accident along with his wife leaving the immense wealth and their one and a half year old to the care of one of his workers (Nedumudi Venu). It seems the 'poor' wealthy Arab had no relatives in his own country and Nedumudi could raise the Muslim girl as a Christian in Abu Dhabi!
Those who go to the theatres spending their money and time to watch this regressive, and senseless film packed with plot-holes the size of craters are made to go through in-film advertisement as well of a jewellery shop of which Mohanlal is the brand ambassador. One reason for going to the theatres to watch a movie rather than wait for its Television premiere is to escape the hoard of textile shop/jewellery advertisements that pop up practically after every scene, but it seems even the darkness within the theatre will not assure a 'willing suspension of disbelief' in the wake of consumerism.

Jolie working on a film about Afghanistan

 Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has revealed that she has been working on a script for a movie about Afghanistan but she is not very confident about it as of now.

'I don't even think it's good. Maybe I'll dig it out, but I don't have the confidence yet to start even thinking in that way,' femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying.

The 36-year-old, stepped behind the camera to make her directorial debut 'In The Land Of Blood And Honey', a film she wrote herself about a romance between a Serbian soldier and a Bosnian woman. It has been nominated for a Golden Globe Awards this year and also won a Producer's Guild award.

Aamir wanted to romance Kiran on screen

Actor-producer Aamir Khan feels his director wife Kiran Rao is a fantastic actor and said he would love to direct her in a film, after his plan to romance her onscreen in Dhobi Ghat, failed to materialise.

'I would love to direct her. She is better actor than me. I hope we get to see her on Indian screen in a film or a theatre or play. I have told her so many times she is very talented and she must act,' Aamir told reporters in Mumbai, on Friday evening at a book store, where the duo was present to launch the DVD of their last home production film.

The remarks came in as Kiran's way of narrating a character from her last film, Dhobi Ghat caught Aamir's attention so much that he wanted her to enact the role.

'Its true that I wanted Kiran to play the role of Yasmin in Dhobi Ghat. I think Kirti has done a wonderful and amazing job and I don't want to take away that from her. But I wanted Kiran to play the role played by Kirti,' Aamir said.

'When she (Kiran) was narrating the character of Yasmin she was brilliant, the way she emoted it, she looked also innocent just like the role demanded with the UP dialect. Also, I would have loved to fall in love with her again on screen, what Arun (Aamir's character) did in the film. But my wife is not romantic,' he chuckled.

Kiran, on her part, said, 'I used to act in college and school days. But I have not thought of acting. I am not particularly interested about acting in films, I want to make films. I would love to do theatre.

’Don 2’ fetches Rs.48 crore on opening weekend

 Shah Rukh Khan's much talked about action thriller "Don 2: The King Is Back" has opened to encouraging reviews and cheerful opening weekend collection of over Rs.48 crore. Director Farhan Akthar thanks fans for making it a hit.

"Thank you all.. our film has taken a super start and your support has everything to do with it... Thanks for the incredible feedback on the film. We're glad to have entertained you... Do keep it coming...," tweeted Farhan.

Made at a budget of about Rs.75 crore and shot in exotic locales in Malaysia and Germany, the film earned Rs.15.30 crore Friday, Rs.15.09 crore Saturday and approximately Rs.18 crore Sunday, making a grand total of Rs.48.39 crore.

The opening day earnings are said to be the highest first-day collection on a non-holiday Friday.

"We are very happy with the response that the film has got so far in domestic as well as international markets. It has had a record opening on a non-holiday Friday and the word of mouth response is also good," Reliance Entertainment CEO Sanjeev Lamba told IANS.

A sequel to 2006 movie, the last big release of the year has reportedly earned Rs.37 crore by selling the satellite rights to Zee TV.

Directed by Farhan Akhtar, it has other big names like Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani and Kunal Kapoor. In the overseas market, the film has grossed more than Rs.26 crore till Saturday.

"The USP of the film is that it is a sequel to an already established film and it has a completely new style as well as story. Moreover, it is a Shah Rukh Khan film. The film is not only being appreciated across the country, but also in the international markets like North America, Britian and Australia," he added.

The film released in both 2D and 3D formats. Although the screens for 3D were less, Lamba says response has met with their expectation.

"Considering the few number of screens that we have here for 3D the response has been equally good as 2D," he said.

The occupancy in theatres has been around 90 percent, says Munish Sharma, general manager (marketing) Satyam.

"It has been a very good weekend. The occupancy stayed around 90 percent. Although people are appreciating the content, some feel that the first half of the film is a little stretched compared to the second. But the film is likely to end 2011 on a good note," said Sharma.

Yogesh Raizada of Waves Cinemas predicts good second week for "Don 2" in the absence of a big release before "Players", which is coming out Jan 6.

"We see a mix of young and family crowd. The film will do a good business in the second week also as there is no strong film slated for release next week," he said.

Shah Rukh’s ’Don 2’ is a cool thriller

Film: "Don 2: The King Is Back"; Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor, Om Puri; Directed by Farhan Akhtar; Rating: ***

The King says he is back. Long live the King. King Khan, or Shah Rukh as some of us prefer to call him, is seen at the pinnacle of precociousness in this pitch-perfect tongue-in-cheek homage to the espionage thriller.

But this is not your average 'Don-returns-because-he-had-to' kind of predictable sequel. Farhan Akhtar with the keen participation of his ebullient writer Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah, comes up with a cool concoction that prefers to let the action speak louder than words.

There are enough throwaway lines given to Don to make him fly high as a superhero of the underworld even when he's locked away for life? Like Tom Cruise in "Misssion Impossible 4" last week, Shah Rukh's journey into valiant viciousness begins with a jailbreak. It then speeds into a kind of con caper which could go anywhere. It goes to Switzerland where the action is relentless. And it's not only about the flying bullets and speeding cars.

Don's world is governed by a kind of subverted moral censorship where he, and nobody else, decides right from wrong. Into this world of win-win wickedness where Don reigns supreme, Farhan Akhtar infuses an intelligence that isn't only connected to agencies.

Queerly, Don doesn't encourage human ties. And since Don decides the destiny of the plot the relationships within the plot therefore do not grow substantially. Farhan portrays human attachment almost as an embarrassment, a hyphen in a film that is punctuated with exclamation marks. The ony tender moment in the screenplay occurs when an affable computer hacker (Kunal Kapoor) caresses his pregnant wife's belly. The moment passes quickly. And we move to Don's next level of purported ingenuity.

The relationship between Don and his 'junglee billi' Roma (Priyanka Chopra, hair, makeup and clothes and not much else in place) is barely given a nod by the screenplay. You wonder how Don calls her Junglee Billi since she's so immaculate and impervious all through. Maybe it's a private joke between them. We will never know. Or would we?

Watch out for Don 3. Hopefully Don would be married to Roma and growing vegetables in a village in Spain while the Interpol follows his trail in Pakistan.

Not all of it makes sense. Some of it, you suspect, is pointless to even Don himself. But the film exudes a kind of uber-chic temperament that we've hardly ever seen in our films.

Precocious and audacious, with his tongue wedged stubbornly in his cheek, Don is back in edgy laconic look back in rancour. The chase is restrained. The thrills are austere, almost severe. Farhan Akhtar is determined not to go over-the-top even as his evil protagonist does just that.

Don 2 Review

Reliance Entertainment and Excel Entertainment’s Don 2, an action-thriller, is the sequel to Don. Having established his supremacy over Asia, Don (Shah Rukh Khan) now wants to rule over the underworld of Europe too. But for this, he needs the support of Vardhan (Boman Irani) who is in jail in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Don surrenders before Interpol detectives Malik (Om Puri) and Roma (Priyanka Chopra) in Malaysia and meets Vardhan in prison. He tells Vardhan of his plan to himself escape and also make him escape from jail – and carries out the plan.

Vardhan has one key and Don, the other key, of a locker in which is a recorded tape with evidence to blackmail J.K. Diwan (Aly Khan), vice president of Deutsche Zurich Bank in Berlin (Germany). Don shares with Diwan the incriminating footage and in return for not exposing him, asks him for the access codes used to lay hands on the plates necessary to print currency notes in Germany. He plans to smuggle the plates out of the bank, print currency notes and become a billionaire. Even if new and different plates would be made by the authorities, he is sure that it would be impractical and impossible to make the existing currency notes useless.

Diwan hires Jabbar (Nawab Shah) to kill Don so that he does not have to give him access to the plates but Don not only escapes but also takes Jabbar on his side. He forces Diwan to now give him the access codes, which the latter does. He also uses his own ways to ensure that he and his team can gain entry into the bank and the vault where the plates are kept. He hires the services of Sameer Ali (Kunal Kapoor), an expert computer hacker. Assisted by his girlfriend, Ayesha (Lara Dutta), Vardhan, Jabbar and Sameer Ali, Don hatches the master plot to enter the high-security bank and escape with the plates kept in a highly-guarded safe deposit vault. Everything goes according to plan till Vardhan and Jabbar turn against Don and demand the plates from him with the intention of ditching him. Don has no option but to give them the plates.

Meanwhile, Interpol detectives Malik and Roma have also reached the bank in Berlin to interrogate Diwan as Roma is sure that Diwan has links with Don. There’s further setback in store for Don when Sameer Ali telephones the police and has Don arrested while Don and he are escaping from the bank.

What happens thereafter? Does Don get back the plates? Do Vardhan and Jabbar again join forces with Don? Do Malik and Roma get to know the truth about J.K. Diwan? What happens to J.K. Diwan? Is Don arrested and put behind bars? Why did Sameer Ali get Don arrested? Was he acting on someone’s behest? What happens to Ayesha?

Review: Don 2 has no edge-of-the-seat moments

For an action film with the central plot setting us up for a robbery inside a major bank, Don 2's pacing is very slow, writes Aseem Chhabra.

In his new film Don 2 director Farhan Akhtar [ Images ] takes his time introducing us to his lead, played by Shahrukh Khan [ Images ]. We get a whiff of Khan, a slight sense of his presence, with close shots and shaky hand held camera. There we see his arm, part of his unshaven face, his dark glasses. As he travels up a meandering river in Thailand, we notice Khan's rather odd looking long hair (a wig, of course), with dreadlocks. And there is cigarette smoke rolling around his face in slow motion. It is all very sexy and so cool!

Through most of the film Khan is very cool. He often has a twinkle in his eye, a slight mischievous smile, as he speaks dialogues like "Touché" and "Kya karen sweetheart, we are everywhere" (in response to Lara Dutta's [ Images] startled look on hearing that an Indian is a vice president of a major German bank). Then there are the Don-isms (Don Says) where he speaks in third person spouting statements like "Don ko pakadna mushqil hee nahih, namumkin hai," and "Don apne doston ka haal puche na puche, apne dushmon ki khabar hamesha rakhta hai."

He walks with a swagger, whether in a Malaysian prison wearing an orange jump suit, or on the dance floor with Dutta. There is a rhythm in his body, as he sways his shoulders and his arms walking up in the Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo song sequence.

And then how can one forget when Khan strikes the ultimate pose -- the camera captures him at an angle, as he slightly tilts his back, with his arms open sideways. It is King Khan's [ Images ] signature attempt to remind us that he is the master of the universe. At least his fans believe that.

A lot of Akhtar's new film is full of such cool elements with sequences set in sumptuous foreign locations -- the French Riviera, the jungles of Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Zurich and finally Berlin. Don 2 is beautifully shot, well lit and has a very clean look, whether on the streets of Berlin or inside the studio, thanks to Akhtar's terrific cinematographer Jason West.

But then, as with many good intentioned, and technically well crafted Bollywood films, Don 2, fails in the key test. Akhtar is definitely one of the smartest filmmakers in Bollywood, but this time he presents us a story, plot and script that is dull, almost boring. When we are not seeing Khan's swagger, or hearing the hip upbeat background score by Shankar Ehsaan Loy [ Images ], Don 2 starts to lose steam.

Part of the problem is that despite its action segments, Don 2 is also a Bollywood film and so romance has to be a part of the plot. Towards the end of the film while bullets are flying everywhere, there is an unexpected, almost forced and laughable romantic moment between Khan and his co-star Priyanka Chopra [ Images ]. Everything pauses for the stars to look into each other eyes.

For an action film with the central plot setting us up for a robbery inside a major bank, the film's pacing is very slow. Coupled with that, the script explains everything to us step-by-step. And if anyone was paying attention, following the convoluted plot where Don always manages to sweet charm the morons at Interpol, in the last five minutes Akhtar sums up the film with a quick recap, revealing many more details that were never shown to us before. It is an old fashioned gimmick to make the audience say "Wow, we were fooled!"

For a suspense thriller, Don 2 has no edge-of-the-seat moments, despite a decent car chase sequence and a scene when Don jumps off a tall building in Berlin. One big problem is the timing of Don 2's release. Akhtar and his producing partner Ritesh Sidhwani (Khan and his wife Gauri are also listed as producers of the film) chose to release the film during Christmas weekend. It is too bad that just a week before that, Tom Cruise [ Images ] released his mega-budget action film of the season Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (MI4). It is may be wrong to compare the two films, but watching MI4, I had to remind myself to breathe. As I sat through Don 2 -- a wannabe MI4, I was breathing too heavily, frustrated at the slow moving film.

Khan's charming presence aside, Don 2 is packed with uninspired performances by a large supporting cast. First in the line-up is Chopra as Roma, an Interpol officer located in Kuala Lumpur. She is attractive looking, with her big pouting lips, but most of the time Chopra acts like a school girl putting her hands on her forehead in exasperation saying "Damn it," or a character out of an Enid Blyton book, collecting clues to solve the Mystery of the Missing Don!

Om Puri [ Images ], who once was one of the finest actors in India [ Images ], is such a caricature here. He looks tired as Vishal Malik, Chopra's boss at Interpol. Despite his very Leslie Nielsen appearance, he sounds positively silly, saying dialogues with his heavy throaty voice -- "It's over Don," or simply "It's Don" (as he answers a cell phone.)

Boman Irani [ Images ] tries hard to look menacing, and he does partially succeed. Kunal Kapoor [ Images ] appears in the second half of the film as a computer hacker, but he is so sweet and good natured, and has a lovely pregnant German girlfriend. We know that nothing bad will happen to Kapoor's Sameer. Don may be a negative character, but Khan is a Bollywood star. He has to have a heart of gold and he cannot do bad things to good people.

CRITICS' VERDICT: Don 2 gets mixed reports

Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 has witty, zany and cooler dialogues, great action sequences, sleek & stylish package, but lacks a tight script. SRK who's back in a negative avatar with the film has done full justice to his role. Here's what critics are saying about the movie:

Taran
Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama (Rating: ***1/2): When viewed in isolation, Don 2 looks like the right package to woo the movie-going junta -- SRK in top form, a stylishly crafted story, pulsating and invigorating action and stunts. But it's not without its share of hiccups. In fact, the first hour and the post-interval portions of the film are akin to the two sides of the same coin. The first hour is bland, the second is energetic. The first hour is deficient in thrills, the second keeps you on the edge. The first hour disentangles at a languid pace, the second is feverish with several adrenaline rush moments.

Farhan Akhtar has narrated the story with aplomb, but the script needed to be crisper. "With Don 2, Farhan Akhtar reasserts himself as one of Hindi cinema's stylish storytellers. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that Don 2 redefines slick in Bollywood. But the film could've done with a tighter script. Besides, the writing is urban-centric and those with an appetite for international thrillers may take to the film instantly, especially the twists and turns in the second hour. Again, the conclusion to the story could've been simplified for the average viewer to decipher. Yet, all said and done, Don 2 mirrors the changing trends in Hindi cinema. Those with the conventional attitude or tilting towards the conservative form of cinema may find it difficult to absorb," says Adarsh.


David Dewitt, New York Times: The director, Farhan Akhtar, seems out to create a spectacular, international entertainment with “Don 2,” in a mix of Hindi and English and a dollop of German. And thanks to the unpretentious humor, he is mostly successful, though audiences will have to forgive the bland performances. Not the actors’ fault, really; when a cocky chuckle (Mr. Khan) or determined lips (Ms. Chopra) are your only character bits, you don’t have much character to explore. Only Kunal Kapoor, as a more sympathetic colleague of Don’s, has human moments. They’re almost out of place; subtlety is one language this playful film doesn’t speak.

Nikhat Kazmi, The Times Of India (Rating: ****): The high point of the film is Shah Rukh's delineation of the character of the Don. The actor interprets him as an arrogant, agile, wicked and wild dare-devil who has the most bizarre schemes up his sleeves. But that's not all. He also has the chutzpah to carry them through.

"Action is the other alluring selling point of Farhan Akhtar's film. The chases, the fights, the demolition, destruction, break-ins, escapes have all been done with a finesse that rivals the best of Hollywood. Watch the car chase between Priyanka and Shah Rukh and you'll get the point. It's not only high voltage that drips with passion which makes it seem almost like foreplay. The other notable sequences include the heist, the escape and Shah Rukh's larger-than-life leap from a high-rise while his assassin wrings his hands in dismay," says Kazmi.



Aniruddha Guha, DNA (Rating: ***): Like Danny Ocean. And John McClane. In Don 2, Akhtar manages to blend elements from various H’wood films, mostly Ocean’s Eleven and Die Hard, with a bit of Mission Impossible thrown in. This is our answer to Hollywood - a rehash of what they’ve done already. No points for originality. No points for writing either. If Akhtar’s film lulls you to sleep initially, in spite of some slick editing, it’s because the writing (Akhtar, Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah) falters. Characters say boring, random things to each other, there’s a pointlessly long dance sequence (Hrithik Roshan, looking dapper in an unintentionally hilarious cameo), and the attempt at dialoguebaazi is laughable (“Jab tak Don ko asliyat ka pata chalega, tab tak Don mar chuka hoga”).

Komal Nahta, Koimoi.com (Rating: ***1/2): Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Mehta and Ambrish Shah’s story and screenplay are basically about plotting and planning, which keep the audience’s interest alive. The first half, however, moves at a leisurely pace and takes a while to come to the point. It is after interval that the pace picks up but even in the post-interval part, the initial reels are too technical and get confusing for the average viewer. But the last few reels are very engrossing and the revelation of the suspense (like in the first part, Don) is the highlight. Intrigue, suspense, style and drama – the four highlights of Don – are in evidence in the sequel too.

Daily Bhaskar.com (Rating: ***): Shah Rukh Khan compels one to leave the bitter memories of Ra. One behind and experience an exhilarating ride with Don 2. Hollywood style crisp action sequences and different avatars of SRK, prisoner and eventually ultra-classy Don keep the spectator busy. The story picks up pace in the post interval portions with tremendous suspense value related to Kunal Kapoor. The vulnerable love sequence between SRK and Priyanka also commands for appreciation in terms how it brings the necessary twist in the story which can be called the forte of Farhan Akhtar as a story-writer.



Rituparna Chatterjee, IBNLive, Tweet Review: The action is great, esp an exciting jailbreak. #Don2 promotions have been low key. The investment in action has paid off.

"Not gold, cash or secret documents. This time the eye is on Euro printing plates. #Don2 sets the pace for future heist movies."

"In many ways this is @iamsrk's film. He has a quiry sense of humour. Even behind bars he never fails to flirt with @priyankachopra."

"The storyline is not new, but the surprising change of heart is. Impalusible perhaps? But who knows what goes on in the mind of Don? #Don2"

"The @iamsrk fans will love him in this one. That much is for sure. #TweetReview #Don2"




Rediff (Rating: **1/2): And then how can one forget when Khan strikes the ultimate pose -- the camera captures him at an angle, as he slightly tilts his back, with his arms open sideways. It is King Khan's signature attempt to remind us that he is the master of the universe.  At least his fans believe that.

Direction"Farhan Akhtar yet again shows his brilliance as a director. Barring few loopholes which can be neglected like Vardhan (Boman) despite in the hitlist of police gets an easy entry into the bank is highly indigestible, Don 2 impresses at various stages. The theft sequence is amazing shot with no room for technical goof-ups especially the way SRK escapes the inside chamber with plates in his bag," according to Daily Bhaskar.com.

Performances
Shah Rukh Khan: "Don 2 marks SRK's return to anti-hero roles after enacting such roles with flourish so early in his career. Recall BAAZIGAR, DARR and ANJAAM. He plays a wicked, debonair anti-hero in Don 2. The character he portrays is iniquitous and sinful, but attractive at the same time and SRK lives it up with gusto. Besides, SRK has also experimented with varied looks in the film, from a debonair looking guy to a person with unkempt hair and stubble. Without doubt, DON 2 is SRK's best action movie to date," says Adarsh.

Priyanka Chopra: "Priyanka revisits her character of Roma in DON 2. Not only is the character more evolved, even her performance is of a high order. In fact, she enacts the role of an angry, tough lady who means business with a vengeance. Lara Dutta looks glamorous and alluring, but her character lacks meat," says Adarsh.

Kunal Kapoor: "He is decent, though he doesn't really get the scenes to prove his credentials. An actor of the caliber of Om Puri is wasted this time. Boman Irani lends the right texture to his character. He excels yet again. Nawab Shah should hit big league with DON 2. He plays one of the baddies with conviction. Alyy Khan is natural, enacting his part with ease. Sahil Shroff has screen presence and stands out in a brief role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo", feels Adarsh.

Weak points
"The film does lack a bit on the emotional quotient and human relationships are hardly given a chance to grow. But just when you think it's all sound and fury, there's a sensuous tango between Roma and the Don as the cop opts to help the gangster she once loved and the gangster is determined to save his junglee billi (wild cat), any which way. A word about the dialogues: brilliant. A word about the music: mediocre (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)," points out Kazmi.

"The situations are alarmingly unimaginative. Sample this: Don-ny Ocean (SRK) plans to get out of a high security prison by mixing the food given to prisoners with a liquid that results in mass food poisoning. Johar Mehmood In Hong Kong had a similar sequence where prisoners in a jail are given julab (laxative) on the sly, helping them flee. That was a farcical comedy. Here, it seems like a cop-out," says Guha.

"On the minus side, all that Don and his team do seems so easy that it appears rather unbelievable at times. Besides the confusing portion of the drama, this is another drawback of the script. Farhan Akhtar’s dialogues could’ve packed in more punch and power as they, at places, seem quite tame, especially those mouthed by Don, given that he is so powerful. But his dialogue about his mother being happy if she were alive and about and his dialogue about ‘Sir’ not going well with his personality are brilliant. Light moments are few and far between and had there been more of them, the appeal of the film would’ve been bigger," says Nahta.

Conclusion
"On the whole, Don 2 rides on star power and brand value. The film has a bland first hour, but the second half takes the film to another level. There's no denying that a cohesive script would've made a world of a difference to the film, but the tremendous hype, star power and the lucrative period [Christmas and New Year celebrations] will make its investors reap a harvest," concludes Adarsh.

"On the whole, Don 2 may not give the discerning audience a great high but it will be loved by those who like style, intrigue, suspense and attitude. It will score at the box-office and yield good profits to Reliance Entertainment (worldwide distributors). The producers, of course, have already made a huge profit by selling the worldwide rights and also by getting heavy subsidy from the German government. Business in big cities and multiplexes will be far better than in smaller towns and single-screen cinemas. The film will work wonders in the Overseas circuit," says Nahta.

Kolaveri now part of B school syllabus

The song `Why this Kolaveri di' by actor Dhanush will now be included as part of the syllabus in leading B-schools across the nation. The enrolled students will now be exposed to the success formula behind the Kolaveri number, which now holds the maximum hits for any Indian song recorded till date.


The kolaveri di phenomenon has become a rage among the youngsters across the country. Tthe soup song, the flop song, has become so popular.

Airtel, Idea, Vodafone asked to stop 3G roaming service

The department of telecom (DOT) Friday asked three operators - Airtel, Ideal Cellular and Vodafone - to terminate their 3G roaming agreements by Saturday.

The service providers had entered into a roaming agreement to offer 3G services in the circles where they could not win 3G spectrum last year.

The telecom regulator and the enforcement cell of the telecom department had earlier termed the agreement illegal. The DoT has now issued notices to the companies asking them to stop the 3G roaming effective from Saturday.

In an internal note, the DoT had said the roaming agreement among telecom companies for 3G services would lead to a significant loss of revenue to the government.

In response, Airtel called the DOT move arbitrary and said it would take appropriate recourse to protect its rights.

"We are shocked at the arbitrary decision taken by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to issue instructions to stop intra circle roaming (ICR) for 3G services among the telecom operators," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

"Bharti Airtel will take appropriate recourse to protect its rights."

Last month the operators had sought the prime minister's intervention in the issue and had said the government should refund the 3G license fees if such pacts were not allowed.

Airtel said the DoT action was delayed till Friday evening fully knowing that any legal recourse needed court working days.

"To add to our and customer's dismay compliance is being forced within 24 hours without stating why this haste. We are sure it is well understood by all industry stakeholders that to unwind a strategic deployment like ICR (intra-circle roaming), expert intervention is required as multiple aspects of CRM, network and IT are at play."

"More importantly customers have to be informed and their financial commitment towards the service has to be protected, as per the regulation."

Airtel also said the move would adversely impact the proliferation of broadband penetration and investor sentiments.

Last year's high priced bidding for 3G auctions fetched the exchequer a little under Rs.70,000 crore. Bharti Airtel, Idea and Vodaphone had won spectrum in 13, 11 and 9 circles respectively.

Sonam, Ajay nominated for Golden Kela Award

Sonam Kapoor and Ajay Devgn have been nominated in the worst actor category in the 4th Annual Golden Kela Awards, a spin-off of Hollywood's Razzies awards, which recognises the worst in cinema.

While Sonam is nominated in the worst actor (female) category for "Mausam", Ajay is nominated in worst actor (male) for "Rascals".

Apart from Sonam, the worst actor female category also includes Deepika Padukone for "Aarakshan", Kangana Ranaut for "Tanu Weds Manu", "Rascals" and "Miley Na Miley Hum" and Nargis Fakhri for "Rockstar".

Nargis has also got nominated in worst debutante category along with Chirag Paswan for "Miley Na Miley Hum", Sachiin Joshi for "Azaan", Tahaa Shah for "Luv Ka The End", Esha Deol for "Tell Me O Kkhuda".

"Generally speaking, this year's films haven't been all that bad - which may have been good for Indian audiences, compared to the last few years. However, our 'cracked' team of researchers has dug deep to find the worst of the lot for this year," Jatin Varma, founder, Golden Kela Awards said in a statement.

The nominees for worst film include "Ra.One", "Ready", "Bodyguard", "F.A.L.T.U.", "Mausam" and "Singham".

Roshan Abbas, Rohan Sippy, Anubhav Sinha, Puri Jagannadh have been nominated in worst director category for "Always Kabhi Kabhi", "Dum Maaro Dum", "RA.One" and "Bbuddha Hoga Tera Baap" respectively while Anees Bazmee has been nominated twice in this category for "Thank You" and "Ready".

There's also a Special Awards category, which includes Lajja Award for Worst Treatment of A Serious Issue for "Aarakshan", Bas Kijiye Bahut Ho Gaya Award to Pritam, Shakti Kapoor Award for Misogyny for "Pyaar ka Punchnama", the F.A.L.T.U. Award for the Most Aptly Named Film - "F.A.L.T.U."

However, there is another category of 'Anti-Kela' awards for the films which are considered to be the saving graces of 2010. The awards are for the films that were meaningful and entertaining, while still being in the mainstream and its nominees are "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", "Shaitan" "Shor In The City" and "Yeh Saali Zindagi".

The awards ceremony will be hosted by Cyrus Broacha in March here.

Why is Katrina ’Chikni Chameli’?

After Sheila, Munni, Shalu and Jalebi Bai, 'Chikni Chameli' is the latest item bomb in Bollywood. Katrina Kaif has outdone her 'Sheila ki jawani' act in the song, and "Agneepath" director Karan Malhotra believes she has done full justice to it.

"I think the way the song was made, it was so wonderful, that only a topmost actress could have done justice to the song. And as far as Katrina is concerned, her USP is that she has never been seen in any film in that kind of zone that 'Chikni Chameli' is in. So which is why she also stands out in that atmosphere and that is why the song is catching a lot of eyeballs," the director said at the music premiere of "Agneepath" at a radio station here.

The men behind the song are composer-brothers Ajay-Atul, primarily known for their work in Marathi films and serials. "Chikni chameli" is a song inspired by their own Marathi song "Kombadi palali".

No wonder Malhotra denies that the song draws inspiration from any other item number.

"No, no girl inspired us for 'Chikni chameli'," said Malhotra.

Meanwhile, Katrina's fast, rhythmic 'Chikni chameli' act has set many eyeballs popping. "Agneepath", a remake of the 1990 film of the same name, is set for release Jan 26 next year.

It stars Hrithik Roshan in the lead with Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra and Rishi Kapoor in key roles
.

Gaga to gift unreleased songs to fans

 Pop star Lady Gaga is gifting her fans a free download of her unreleased track as a Christmas present.

The 25-year-old, who refers to her fans as "Little Monsters", wants to thank her followers for their support, and believes that gifting songs is the best way to do it, reports contactmusic.com.

"Been racking my brain on what to get Little Monsters for Christmas!! I finally figured it out! On Christmas Day I will leak to you an unreleased Song off Born This Way! It was recorded live, in one take, on the tour bus. Uncensored (sic)," Gaga posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Young singers have universal appeal: A.R.Rahman

Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R.Rahman, who has launched several new voices in the Hindi film industry, feels some of the current crop of young singers have the unique ability to reach out to people of all age groups.

Rahman is now introducing singer Leon D'Souza through the film 'Ek Deewana Tha', starring Prateik and Amy Jackson.

'I believe that young voices today are very universal and appeal to all age groups,' said Rahman.

'Launching Leon D'Souza was not an instant decision. I heard a couple of other young people, but I found Leon's voice very unique and fresh with a universal appeal to it. So I thought why not give him a chance. Also I felt his voice matches perfectly with Prateik's voice,' added the 45-year-old maestro, who launched the music of the movie, here Wednesday.

Directed by Gautham Menon, ''Ek Deewana Tha' is a remake of Tamil film 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa', which was also directed by Menon. The story revolves around an aspiring filmmaker from Mumbai, who falls in love with a woman from a strict orthodox Christian family.

Rahman, who has churned out some classic romantic numbers like 'Ae Ajnabi' from 'Dil se', 'Ishq Bina' from 'Taal' and 'Tere bina' from 'Guru', says with his latest movie, he is trying to bring the flavour of romance once again.

'This movie is nothing but romance and humour, with a very soothing kind of narration. People will love it. Music is the expression of love and with this movie, I am trying to bring that romance back,' he told IANS.

'The subject of 'Ek Deewana Tha' is very special as it brings together love between two communities. Keeping this in mind, we wanted to play little more with music in the Hindi remake. So I composed this song 'Mohabbat',' he added.

The Mozart of Madras gained international acclaim after his twin win at the Oscars for his work in Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'. This year too, he was nominated for his compositions in '127 Hours', but he lost the trophy.

Rahman feels that it is his passion towards music which keeps him going.

'Music is something which attracted me when I was growing up and this turned into my passion. I always want my music to speak for me and this is the reason why I always think of bringing freshness and mass appeal through my music.

'I still feel proud when people outside India say 'Oh! Is he the same guy who sung 'Jai Ho' in 'Slumdog Millionaire'?''

The composer's songs in 'Rockstar', crooned by popular singer Mohit Chauhan, grew on people soon after they were released, and Rahman was quite surprised.

'I never expected that the songs of 'Rockstar' would become such a rage, especially among youngsters. I think Mohit Chauhan did a tremendous job,' he said.

His next big film project is veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra's directorial venture, and he says: 'It's a great honour to work with him.'

Sreeni to play lead role in R Sarath's Parudeesa

The new movie `Parudeesa' will be directed by R Sarath and has Sreenivasan and Swetha Menon as lead characters. Under the banner of Kayal Films and produced by Thampi Antony, the screenplay will be by Vinu Abraham. Jagathy Sreekumar, Thampi Antony, Suraj Venjiramoodu, Maniyanpilla Raju, Indrans, Prakash Bara, Sona Nair, etc will be cast in the movie. Cinematography by Sajan Kalathil and Ousephachan will do the music to ONV's lines. Vijay Yesudass, Sudeep, Shreya will be the singers for the movie.

Mammootty's son Dulquar Salman weds Amall Sulfi

Malayalam megastar Mammootty's son Dulquar Salman got married on Thursday evening to Amall Sulfi in Chennai.

The 'Nikah' took place between 7 and 8 pm at Park Sheraton in Chennai.

It was a closed door wedding attended by close relatives.

Singer KJ Yesudas,Sarath Kumar and his wife Radhika, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Prabhu and his brother producer Ramkumar, Kunjan, Seema, Sukumari and director Hariharan. Former Deputy Chief Minister and DMK strongman MK Stalin was also present at the function.

'DAM 999' songs in Oscar race

Los Angeles: Three songs from Indian film 'DAM 999' are among 39 shortlisted numbers in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 84th Academy Awards.

The list was announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on its official website.

'Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu', 'DAM999 Theme Song' and 'Mujhe Chhod Ke' are the three songs from 'DAM 999' that are vying for a place in the final nomination list for the category.

International films 'Rio' and 'The Muppets' are the only other films with three songs each in the list.

The Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the music branch in Los Angeles Jan 5, 2012. Following the screenings, members will determine the nominees by an averaged point system of voting.

Under Academy rules, a maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film.

The final 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced January 24, 2012, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Mammooty's son to act with Mohanlal

Directed by Vaisakh and with Mohanlal in the primary role, the new film will also star Mammooty's son Dulquer Salman in an important role. Work for the film, a completely humourous movie, is going on. Screenplay will be by the hit team Sibi-Udayan and the film will be produced by Mulakuppadam Films. After Pookiriraja, this is the movie by Vaisakh for Mulakuppadam.

Rahman hopes 'DAM 999' brings back Oscar

 Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman hopes Sohan Roy's 'DAM 999', which stands to win nominations in the Best Film and Best Original Song categories at the 84th Academy Awards, will bring laurels to the nation just as he did for his work in Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

'It's very exciting and I want someone to join my league,' Rahman told reporters here on the sidelines of the music launch of 'Ek Deewana Tha'.

'DAM 999' is among 265 films contending for the Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Besides, three of its songs are among 39 shortlisted numbers that are up for nomination in the Original Song category.

The three songs from the film that are vying to be in the final nomination list are 'Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu', 'DAM 999 Theme Song' and 'Mujhe Chhod Ke'.

'I hope one of the songs wins the Oscar trophy,' said Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work in Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2009 at the 81st Academy Awards.

He picked the double honour for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ('Jai Ho'). He was also nominated for the Oscar this year for '127 Hours', but lost it to Randy Newman, who won it for 'We Belong Together' in 'Toy Story 3'.

For now, everyone is upbeat about the fate of 'DAM 999' at the announcement of the final 84th Academy Awards nominations, Jan 24, 2012, at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Rahman hopes 'DAM 999' brings back Oscar

Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman hopes Sohan Roy's 'DAM 999', which stands to win nominations in the Best Film and Best Original Song categories at the 84th Academy Awards, will bring laurels to the nation just as he did for his work in Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

'It's very exciting and I want someone to join my league,' Rahman told reporters here on the sidelines of the music launch of 'Ek Deewana Tha'.

'DAM 999' is among 265 films contending for the Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Besides, three of its songs are among 39 shortlisted numbers that are up for nomination in the Original Song category.

The three songs from the film that are vying to be in the final nomination list are 'Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu', 'DAM 999 Theme Song' and 'Mujhe Chhod Ke'.

'I hope one of the songs wins the Oscar trophy,' said Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work in Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2009 at the 81st Academy Awards.

He picked the double honour for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ('Jai Ho'). He was also nominated for the Oscar this year for '127 Hours', but lost it to Randy Newman, who won it for 'We Belong Together' in 'Toy Story 3'.

For now, everyone is upbeat about the fate of 'DAM 999' at the announcement of the final 84th Academy Awards nominations, Jan 24, 2012, at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater

Youthful songs ruled the charts in 2011

No item numbers, but original peppy compositions - that was the hallmark of Bollywood music in 2011. The first big hit was "Darling", in the powerful resonating voice of Usha Uthup in "Saath Khoon Maaf", while the loud and boisterous Bappi Lahiri composition "Oh la la" in "The Dirty Picture" gave partygoers something to gyrate on at New Year parties. Some of the chartbusters brought in a whiff of Spanish and Russian flavour to the music.

Here is a list of 10 most happening songs of 2011:

1. "Darling": In the very beginning, Bollywood was introduced to this addictive number from "Saath Khoon Maaf". The stretched usage of word "darling" in the powerful voice of Usha Uthup coupled with Rekha Bharadwaj's mischievous tone did the trick for the Vishal Bharadwaj composition. The Russian flavour infused in the song managed to captivate listeners.

2. "Sadi galli": Lehmber Hussainpuri's original composition was restricted only to the heartlands of Punjab till composer Krsna discovered it and decided to use the folk number in the film "Tanu Weds Manu". The already popular foot-tapping song caught the pulse of the listeners, thanks to its Punjabi lyrics and entertaining beats.

3. "Chaar baj gaye party abhi baaki hai": The movie "F.A.L.T.U" sank without a trace at the box-office, but the only saviour was the energetic party number "Char baj gaye" by singer Hard Kaur. A Sachin-Jigar composition became so popular that it became a must for discotheques and marriages.

4. "Dhinka chika": It wasn't the signature dance step picturised on Salman Khan with his hands in his pockets that made the "Ready" song a rage. Full on energy, complimented by Mika Singh and Amrita Kak's voice, the infectious composition by guest composer Devi Shri Prasad, who includded sound of whistles and dhols, forced everyone to shake a leg.

5. "Bhaag dk bose": The double meaning song from "Delhi Belly" had become a national anthem of sorts. Composed and sung by Ram Sampath, the quirky, interesting and upbeat number became an instant hit with listeners. A brave move by the producers and smart execution by Sampath as the lyrics projected the lingo of today's youth.

6. "Sanorita": The idea of using voices of actors Abhay Deol, Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar in the fun-loving song from "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" worked in favour of the film. Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the number with Spanish flavour brought in the element of happiness with its happy-go-lucky beats.

7. "Teri Meri": A poignant love song, it was definitely not Himesh Reshammiya's best composition, but the number stood out in the average music album of "Bodyguard". High on Sufi touch, backed by the soulful voices of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal, it was the only romantic number that made it to the top 10 charts this year.

8. "Chammak Challo": If the Shah Rukh Khan starrer mega-budget film "Ra.One" was the most awaited movie of the year, then the song too created a buzz much before its release. The song, which marks Bollywoood's first musical collaboration with international singer Akon, had Hinglish lyrics and had a repeat value.

9. "Sadda Haq": Music maestro A.R. Rahman might be selective about choosing his projects, but whenever he does, one expects nothing less than a musical treat. For "Rockstar", the composer scored soulful numbers but this power-punched number, sung by Mohit Chauhan, was an instant success.

10. "Ooh la la": Sometimes good things are saved for the last. And it happened when the bling king Bappi Lahiri along with Shreya Ghosal went back into the 1970's era and replicated the magic of nonsensical lyrics, loud beats and peppy song. And it all came together with the song "Ooh la la".

Case against SRK for Kochi ’Chamak Challo’ jig

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is in a spot with police here, which registered a case against the actor today for violating provisions of Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986.

Shah Rukh, who was here on December 4 in connection with the inauguration of the showroom, had performed the popular number 'Chamak Challo' from his recently released movie 'RA.One', along with some skimpily clad artistes.

Police said the cases have been registered against Shah Rukh and partners of a textile showroom here, who organised the function, under sect 3, 6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) act 1986 and under IPC sections 294 (obscene acts and songs), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate A Ijas had directed police to register cases against the actor and partners of the private textile showroom after a petition by one Mathew Saju Pulluvuzhi.

’Union Cabinet nod for Kochi metro expected soon’

 Union Cabinet's approval for the proposed Rs 5,146 crore Kochi Metro Rail project was expected soon, the Kerala High Court was informed Wednesday.

Stating this in an affidavit, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) Managing Director Tom Jose submitted the project would be placed before the Union Cabinet for its final approval after a meeting of the Planning and Investment Board scheduled in the coming week.

He also said the 25.6 km metro rail alignment had been finalised in such a manner that land acquisition and demolitions would be 'minimal'. An appropriate rehabilitation package was being designed by the Kerala Government, it was submitted in the affidavit filed on a petition seeking a direction to restrain implementation of the project till alternative routes for traffic diversion were put in place.

The Planning Commission had given an in-principle approval to the project after taking into consideration all necessary factors under the Environmental Protection Act, he stated. The project was expected to serve over three million people, Jose said adding it was justified for Kochi due to its peculiar type of development, waterways, low lying areas and heavy development.

It envisages a 15 per cent equity participation by the Union Government. This would help in expediting financial assistances and clearance required for implementing the project and expansion in future, he said.

The affidavit also said the revised cost of the project was Rs 5,146 crore and without equity participation, it would be difficult to implement it successfully. About 31.9216 hectares was required for the project.

Suri Cruise voted most popular celeb kid

Tom Cruise's daughter Suri Cruise has topped the list of the twenty most influential celebrity children, while David and Victoria Becham's toddler Harper Beckham came at second place.

The two celebrity daughters were rated in a Daily Beast poll that measured both likeability and media coverage.

Also high on the list were Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's five year old daughter, Shiloh and Jennifer Lopez's three-year-old son, Max Anthony. Kourtney Kardashian's efforts appear to have paid off as her son Mason Disick placed fifth in the list.

The top ten was rounded out by Britney Spears' son, Jayden Federline, five. It is surprising to see that in several cases, one sibling has placed far higher than another.

Age certainly doesn't seem to play a role, as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's son, Max has come in at number four while his twin sister, Emme Anthony is at number seventeen.


Shiloh places third, while sisters Vivienne and Zahara are at 8th and 11th place respectively, the Daily Mail reported.

Son of Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin, Moses Martin is rarely photographed so his position is at twentieth, whereas elder sister, Apple who like her brother seldom appears in the press, didn't make the list.

Others who featured instead of their siblings were Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' daughter Lola, and Harper and Cruz Beckham whose brothers Brooklyn and Romeo were nowhere to be seen.
The Top 20 Most Influential kids of stars:
1. Suri Cruise (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes)
2. Harper Seven Beckham (David and Victoria Beckham)
3. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)
4. Max Anthony (Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez)
5. Mason Disick (Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian)
6. Honor Marie Warren (Cash Warren and Jessica Alba)
7. Cruz David Beckham (David and Victoria Beckham)
8. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)
9. Violet Anne Affleck (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner)
10. Jayden Federline (Kevin Federline and Britney Spears)
11. Zahara Jolie-Pitt (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)
12. Flynn Bloom (Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr)
13. Haven Garner Warren (Cash Warren and Jessica Alba)
14. Charlotte Grace Prinze (Freddie Prinze Jr and Sarah Michelle Gellar)
15. Nahla Aubry (Gabriel Aubry and Halle Berry)
16. Leonardo Bardem (Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz)
17. Emme Anthony (Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez)
18. Lola Sheen (Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards)
19. Valentina Paloma Pinault (François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek)
20. Moses Martin (Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow)

Kamalahassan's Kakki Chattai go for a Malayalam re-make

Yesteryear superhit movie starring Kamalahassan and Ambika `Kaakichattai' will be re-made in Malayalam titled `Kaakichatta'. After Jairam's movie, Shaji Kailash will be directing this movie starring Naren - Vandana duo. Narain plays the role of a cop in this movie. Screenplay will be by Jayaraman and will be under the banner of Shoot at Sight. Line producer is Pramod Pappan.

The Tamil movie Kakki Chattai released in year 1985 starring Kamal Haasan, Madhavi, Ambika in lead roles and Sathyaraj and Rajeev in villain roles.

Don 2 set to release in 41 countries

Don 2 is directed by Farhan Akhtar, who also helmed the first installment Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006), a box-office hit and a remake the 1978 Hindi cult classic Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan.

'Learnt yesterday that Don 2 will release in 41 countries worldwide. Wow!! I guess that's the number of countries now out to catch him!!,' Farhan wrote on twitter. 'Don 2' will release in UK two days before its December 23 opening in India and the rest of the world.

'Feel so proud to see the extent to which interest in Hindi movies has grown.. Thanks to you.. the Fans (pat yourself on back moment),' Farhan said.The film is set to release on 23 December, in both 2D and 3D formats and will also be available in Tamil and Telugu.

Malayalam filmdom failed to script succes

The waning charisma of superstars, a drought at the box office and dearth of new faces...it was another bad year for the Malayalam film industry.

Despite several releases, the three ageing Malayalam superstars - Mammootty, 60, Suresh Gopi, 54, and Mohanlal, 51, - seen as the saviours of the filmdom, failed to bail out the industry that was reeling under flops.

Looking back on their hugely successful three decades, 2011 has not been a pleasant year for the trio.

Mammootty had five releases - 'August 15', 'Doubles', 'The Train', 'Bombay March 12' and 'Venicile Vyapari'; Mohanlal had 'Christian Brothers', 'China Town', 'Pranayam', 'Snehaveedu' and 'Arabiyum Ottakom P Madhavan Nairum'; and Suresh Gopi had four releases - 'Christian Brothers', 'Melvilasam', 'Collector' and 'Ven Shanku Pol'.

Although their films kept landing at the box office and even created a flutter ahead of their releases, there were no fireworks at the ticket windows.

For Gopi, it was the worst year as his three films went unnoticed and if not for 'Christian Brothers', in which he teamed up with Mohanlal and Dileep, it would have been a complete washout for the once angry young man of the Malayalam film industry. On the other hand Mammootty's and Mohanlal's latest releases - 'Venicile Vyapari' and 'Arabiyum Ottakom P. Madhavan Nairum' respectively - made some noise.

And making a film with these biggies is a costly affair. Award- winning director Majid Gulistan says an average Malayalam film with no superstars costs around Rs.1 crore, but when the superstars' names get attached to a project, the budgets shoots up to Rs.3 crore.

If these biggies failed, other stars such as Jayaram, Dileep and Prithviraj couldn't set the cash registers ringing either.

While Jayaram had six releases, Dileep had just three, including 'Christian Brothers', Prithviraj had five, of which 'Indian Rupee' managed to keep his flag flying high, but it was director Renjith who earned plaudits for the film's success.

'In all, it could be assumed that not less than Rs.150 crore has been spent on film production in 2011,' said Gulistan who is readying for his next venture in the New Year.

In 2001, over 87 films hit the screens and it is difficult to pick and choose box office successes from among them.

According to an industry source, less than a dozen films can be described as commercial success, including 'Traffic' and 'Salt N' Pepper', while 'Adaminte Makan Abu' brought some sunshine by winning several National Awards.

Another drawback was no new face was launched on the marquee or in other creative fields.

The year also bid adieu to notable personalities like actress Aranmula Ponamma, grandmother of Gopi's wife; National Award winning composer Johnson; cinematographer-turned-director Vipin Das; director Chintha Ravi; and character artist Machan Varghese.