Hollywood Bollywood News & Gossips

After thrilling people with his superb cricketing style, ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar is getting ready to make his debut in Bollywood.

Sachin, who is presently playing the Test series against Sri Lanka, will be seen in film titled ‘Vighnahartra Shri Siddhivinayak’.

The film to be directed Madhur Bhandarkar’s former assistant Yashwant Ingole stars Divya Dutta and Parmeet Sethi in lead roles.

Sachin is a great devotee of Lord Siddhivinayak, and he promptly agreed to be a part of the movie when the film’s producer Raju Sangvi offered him the role.

Raju said, “He told us that he was ready to do anything that we wanted in the film. We will not make him act. Acting is too small thing for a legend like him to do.”

“We are in the process of working out a small but significant role for him through which a strong, social message could be delivered. We would not like to reveal more details as his portrayal in the film is supposed to be a surprise for the audience,” he added.

While speaking about the movie, Sangavi told that it circles around a family, which is a devotee of Siddhivinayak.

“There are so many stories in Mumbai on how devotion to the lord has benefited the devotees," he also said.

The film is being produced by Vista Media together with the Siddhivinayak temple trust.

Sangavi also said that the temple trust has no financial involvement in the project. Some of the proceeds of the movie will go the trust, he added.

Australian ace cricketer Brett Lee is spending more time in India than in Australia now. After shooting a music video with legendary singer Asha Bhonsle, he is all set to make his Bollywood debut with the new shining star Harman Baweja in Victory. Speaking about venturing into films, Brett Lee remarks, "A few years ago, choosing the right film would not have been easy as the atmosphere wasn’t conducive. Now, times have changed."

In Victory, he is playing himself i.e. a professional cricketer and along with him his Aussie teammates Brad Hogg, Stuart Clarke and Mike Hussey will be seen playing some wonderful innings. A handful of Indian cricketers like Yusuf Pathan, RP Singh and Pravin Kumar will act alongside with Harman.

Lee shares his experience on working with Harman in the following words, "It was a lot of fun. We helped each other out throughout the movie. I taught him a few shots while he gave him me acting tips." Time will tell if like cricket, Lee shines in Bollywood too.

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the highly anticipated 22nd James Bond adventure "Quantum of Solace," announced today that multi-Grammy Award-winning and platinum selling recording artists Jack White of the rock band The White Stripes, and Alicia Keys, have recorded the theme song for the film, which will be released worldwide this November.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080729/LATU509-a)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080729/LATU509-b)

Their song, written and produced by Jack White, and titled "Another Way to Die," will be the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. In addition to writing the song, Jack White is also featured as the drummer on this track. The soundtrack to "Quantum of Solace" will be released by J Records on October 28, 2008.

Daniel Craig reprises his role as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in "Quantum of Solace," the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures release of EON Productions' 22nd adventure in the longest-running film franchise in motion picture history. The film is directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay is by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade as well as Paul Haggis and the film's score will be composed by David Arnold. Wilson and Broccoli said: "We are delighted and pleased to have two such exciting artists as Jack and Alicia, who were inspired by our film to join together their extraordinary talents in creating a unique sound for Quantum of Solace."

One of the most enigmatic figures in music, Jack White has built a reputation as something of a modern American renaissance man. When Jack White formed The White Stripes with his big sister Meg in 1997, no one could have predicted the journey they would take. A love of early delta blues inspired him to take a minimalist approach to the music, one which included a simple drumming style by Meg as well as a red, white and black color scheme for everything from their stage clothing to their record sleeves.

As lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, Jack has steered the duo to worldwide success. The White Stripes have released 6 critically acclaimed albums and picked up 5 Grammy Awards, including 3 for "Best Alternative Album": "Elephant" (2004), "Get Behind Me Satan" (2006) & "Icky Thump" (2008). They are also the recipients of 4 MTV Video Music Awards and 2 Brit Awards, including the 2004 award for "Best International Group". Their hit singles include "Fell In Love with A Girl" (2001), "Seven Nation Army" (2003), and "Icky Thump" (2007). The band is hugely popular all over the world and 2007 saw them perform at arenas across the U.S. and Europe, including a sold out stop at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden.

In 2005, White formed a second band, The Raconteurs, with Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Described as "a new band of old friends," The Raconteurs first single, "Steady, As She Goes" was an immediate success and their debut album, "Broken Boy Soldiers," went on to debut at #7 in the Billboard Album Charts and was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards.

The band toured the world and wound up their 2006 touring schedule playing dates across the U.S. with Bob Dylan. White and Dylan's mutual appreciation has resulted in several guest performances together. The Raconteurs' sophomore album, "Consolers Of The Lonely" (2008), also debuted at #7 and spawned the hit single "Salute Your Solution." White has managed to work with both of his bands simultaneously since 2005, currently working with each on an annual rotation.

While renowned around the globe as a rock performer and songwriter, White is also an award winning record producer and mixer. He has produced all of The White Stripes and Raconteurs recordings to date (the latter with Brendan Benson) and, in 2004, helmed Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose album. In addition to producing the album, White put together Lynn's band for the recording sessions (which included the rhythm section of The Raconteurs) and appeared himself on guitar and vocals, including the duet "Portland, Oregon" which won the 2005 Grammy for "Best Country Collaboration With Vocals." Van Lear Rose was awarded the Grammy for "Best Country Album."

White has appeared in a handful of movie roles, including the Academy Award winning 2003 film Cold Mountain. Director Anthony Minghella cast White as Georgia Thewes on the advice of musical director T Bone Burnett. White's role was a musical one and he performed several of the movie's Appalachian songs. In the same year, both members of The White Stripes appeared in director Jim Jarmusch's Coffee & Cigarettes.

Jack and Meg White played themselves in the vignette titled "Jack Shows Meg His Testla Coil." In 2006, the duo appeared again in an episode of The Simpsons titled "Jazzy And The Pussycats." In 2007, White made a cameo as Elvis Presley in the Judd Apatow produced comedy, Walk Hard, and in 2008, he performed on stage in New York City with The Rolling Stones for a scene in Martin Scorceses' documentary, Shine A Light. White, along with Jimmy Page and The Edge, are featured in Davis Guggenheim's forthcoming electric guitar documentary, It Might Get Loud, to be theatrically released later this year.

White is the head of his own record label, Third Man Records, which releases both The White Stripes and The Raconteurs around the globe.

Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Alicia Keys has changed the face of popular music since she burst onto the scene in 2001. Keys third studio album, "As I Am," marked another milestone recording in the young entertainer's career with over 742,000 units sold during its first week of release. In addition, "As I Am" marks Alicia's fourth #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 chart and her biggest sales week to date. Upon the November 2007 release of "As I Am", Alicia held the prestigious title as the biggest debut for a female R&B artist in SoundScan history, and the highest selling debut for a female artist since 2004. "As I Am" spawned the hit single "No One" which won two Grammy Awards in 2008 for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Additionally, Keys received four awards at the 2008 NAACP Image Awards, was honored at the first annual BET Honors ceremony, and recently received the 2008 BET Award for Best R&B Female Artist. Enjoying one of the most successful periods in her career with over 5 million copies of "As I Am" sold worldwide, Keys kicked off the "As I Am" Tour presented by Lexus in February 2008 with sold out shows for both the European and US portions of the tour.

Keys will soon be seen opposite Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah in Fox Searchlight's adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's best selling novel "The Secret Life of Bees" which will release on October 17th. Keys made her motion-picture debut in Joe Carnahan's "Smokin' Aces" as Georgia Sykes, a stunning street assassin. She also appeared in the big screen adaptation of the best selling book "The Nanny Diaries," opposite Scarlet Johansson, Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti. Keys recently signed a multiyear first-look film production deal at Disney.

Keys first appeared on the music scene in June 2001 with her debut album, "Songs In A Minor", on Clive Davis' J Records. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 Chart, selling over 235,000 copies in its first week, and went on to sell more than 10 million units worldwide. Keys' critically acclaimed sophomore effort, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," was released in December 2003 and sold over 618,000 copies during its first week of release in the United States. The album is currently seven times platinum.

Throughout her career, Alicia has won eleven Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, three World Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three MTV Europe Awards, three BET Awards, fourteen NAACP Image Awards, two Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards, seven Soul Train Music Awards, two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, one People's Choice Award, one My VH1 Award and more.

In 2005, Keys also became a New York Times Bestselling author when she released her first published work, "Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems & Lyrics by Alicia Keys."

She generously gives her time and energy as an Ambassador and spokesperson for "Keep A Child Alive," which provides anti-viral drugs to the millions suffering from AIDS in Africa. She also works closely with "Frum Tha Ground Up," devoted to equipping America's youth with the tools essential for achieving success on all levels, as well as "Teens in Motion," a non-profit organization created to offer teens the opportunity to develop their minds and bodies in a safe and secure environment. Born and raised in New York, Alicia graduated from the Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan at age 16.

EON Productions

EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC, is owned by the Broccoli family and has produced twenty-two James Bond films since 1962, including QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The James Bond films, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, make up the longest running franchise in film history and include the recent blockbuster films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day and Casino Royale. EON Productions and Danjaq LLC, are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising of the James Bond franchise.

About Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA: 1.27, +0.43, +51.18%), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co, MGM International Television Distribution Inc, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com

Steve Elzer Senior Vice President, Media Relations Columbia TriStar
Motion Picture Group (310) 244-7142 steve_elzer@spe.sony.com

SOURCE Columbia Pictures
http://www.sonypictures.com

Finally, the Kannada Film Chamber decided to allow Superstar Rajinikanth's Kuselan for a smooth screening in the Tamil dominated City Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka with limited number of prints. Now the film is going to release in 13 theaters in Bangalore City with 10 prints. The film will hit the screens in other parts like Mysore, Mandya, Hasan, Mangalore and Kollegal as planned earlier.

Kannada Rakshana Vedhike, one of the pro Kannada outfits in the state, threatened that they would never allow the film to screen in any part of Karnataka due to Rajinikanth's anti-Kannada statements in Hogenakkal water dispute. Some other organisations compelled the Film Chamber to order Kuselan distributor to release the film only after a seven week moratorium, due to Rajinikanth's anti Kannada speech during the fast organised by Tamil film Industry.

At a stage, the KRV chief Vattal Nagaraj demanded a public apology from the Superstar for the smooth release of Kuselan in Karnataka. But Rajini once again ruled out the possibilities and just keep himself as the silent watcher in the issue.

Finally, the film chamber decided to allow the film to screen in all the parts of Kannada, but with limited prints. The Film Chamber Chief Actress Jayamala told that the issue of Heganakkal should not be linked with Kuselan release.

"Both Rajinikanth and Balachander are very important to the industry. Vasu also contributing a lot to Kannada film industry. Moreover, one of our members purchased the rights to release in Karnataka. So keeping all in mind, we should allow the film for smooth screening. What we have advised is that he releases the film following all the restrictions about prints and the number of theatres it can be screened in," says Jayamala.

It is also said that many of Rajinikanth's close friends in the Kannada film industry are reportedly working overtime to ensure the movie has a frictionless release in the state. Remember, the Tamil Film Industry personalities just watching the situation silently and did not take any efforts to smoothen the issue.

Thanks to http://entertainment.oneindia.in

"It's the era of fast food," says ace director Aziz Mirza, who has made his latest Kismat Konnection shorter and crisper to cater to "today's sensibilities".

"No one is bothered about the delicacies of the eating ritual. Accepting change is important... I've to incorporate today's sensibilities into my own vision. The story remains practically unchanged. But the mode of narration has to change," Mirza, who started his career as a director with TV serial Circus in the ‘80s that shot Shah Rukh Khan to fame, said in an interview.

"One change I've made is to make my new film shorter. It's just two hours and 20 minutes long. My earlier films were longer. Today's audiences don't have patience to sit for leisurely narrations."

With his Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman in 1992, Mirza became known for his sweet, working-class romances and he has continued this trend with Kismat Konnection, though this time set in Canada.

Check out Shahid and Vidya's chemistry on the Kismat Konnection special

The director says that he is genuinely fond of his lead actor Shahid Kapoor and reveals that he was signed on before Vivah and Jab We Met.

Most of Mirza's films—whether it was Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss or Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani—have starred Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla.

Asked about Shahid and Vidya Balan now being seen as the next Shah Rukh and Juhi, he said he would "leave that to the audience".

Mirza said: "Every actor has his or her own identity. Anyway, to be compared to Shah Rukh and Juhi isn't a bad thing. Shahid and Vidya look really nice together."

Excerpts from the interview:

Times have changed. How much has your cinema changed?

Change is inevitable. Nowadays it's the era of fast food. No one is bothered about the delicacies of the eating ritual. Accepting change is important. I've to make my cinema within the given parameters of change. If you notice Kismat Konnection even has a different kind of music. I've to incorporate today's sensibilities into my own vision. The story remains practically unchanged. But the mode of narration has to change.

One change I've made is to make my new film shorter. It's just two hours and 20 minutes long. My earlier films were longer. Today's audiences don't have patience to sit for leisurely narrations. I can't prolong moments in the narration any longer. And maybe the silences are not that pronounced.

Kismat Konnection is also the first film I've shot in Canada. But it doesn't matter where the story is situated. It could've been located in any vibrant metropolitan city.

Would you call it a compromise?

No I'd call it an acceptance of reality. One needs to work around the limitations. My son Haroun has contributed tremendously to Kismat Konnection and my previous film Chalte Chalte. Very soon he'll be directing a film and I'll be helping him out.

I had thought I'd make another subject. But I guess it was destined that I make Kismat Konnection. This kept coming back to me. I genuinely feel this film had to be made. Before I realised it, the film was complete.

Did you get the full co-operation of your team?

It becomes so much easier when you're working in an atmosphere conducive to productivity. When I work on a happy set, the happiness shows in the film. I do believe the positive vibes show up.

I must thank my film's producer Ramesh Taurani for signing Shahid Kapoor at a time when Vivah and Jab We Met hadn't been released. The film's commercial viability wasn't that high when we started making Kismat Konnection. But I had decided on Shahid.

To give the film a new look we shot it in Toronto. I haven't travelled much. We chose Toronto because it seemed less expensive than the US or London.

People in the industry look on Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan as replacements for Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla in your cinema?

We shall leave that to the audience. Every actor has his or her own identity. Anyway, to be compared to Shah Rukh and Juhi isn't a bad thing. Shahid and Vidya look really nice together. I was very comfortable working with them. They've brought in their own dimension to their characters.

I've made a film about kismet. When I was 14-15 I remember my father telling me that at that age it was foolish to believe in destiny. But as you grow older you are a fool if you don't believe in destiny. Whatever I've achieved today is because of many forces that I had no control over.

In pictures: A preview of Kismat Konnection

But in Kismat Konnection I've shown my characters believe that they can make their own destiny. That's what being young is all about. I've a fortune-teller in my film. But I've made sure she remains an ambivalent character. You never know whether she's a fraud or not.

Do you watch Hindi films?

I do try to catch the important ones. If someone recommends a film I see it. Among the recent ones I liked are Madhur Bhandarkar's Page 3, Tigmanshu Dhulia's Haasil and Anurag Basu's Life in A… Metro. Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa-Akbar was a very sincere film. That's why it worked.

I've made a film after five years. After Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani I didn't want to over-intellectualise my cinema. Whatever I've done from television till today, I've nothing to be ashamed of. It may not be exceptional work, but it's decent work. I'm just happy making logical cinema. I'm not aspiring to greatness.

Thanks to http://sify.com

Ari Alexenberg's dream came true last summer. Now it's going to become a movie.

Alexenberg, 45, spent last summer pitching and coaching in the inaugural Israel Baseball League — a professional league formed by former Boston Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette to popularize the sport in a country dominated by soccer and basketball.

Alexenberg is by far the oldest player in the league. Despite being an avid fan, he didn't start playing organized baseball until he was 24. As an observing Orthodox Jew, his religion kept him from playing Little League because games were played on Saturdays, the weekly sabbath.

His chance came 20 years later when the league was created, and it almost passed him by. Though he loved baseball — coaching various youth leagues and playing on men's teams throughout the years — he decided to skip the tryouts in Massachusetts, thinking it was silly. But when his wife, Julie, found out, she booked him a flight to Israel for a tryout.

Not only was the 6-foot-1-inch southpaw offered a contract to play, but to coach as well. He was drafted by Petach Tikva Pioneers, where he coached alongside his one-time idol, ex-big leaguer Ken Holtzman, who was the Pioneers' manager.

When Steve Sanger, of Portsmouth-based Sanger Communications, heard of Alexenberg's story, he knew he had to meet him. It was clear from the beginning that not only was the story compelling enough to make into a movie, but Alexenberg's personality and obvious passion would translate perfectly to the big screen.

"It's not just the story. If you're going to make a film, they've got to be great on camera. I met Ari and he told me the story, and I was hooked," said Sanger. "He's a great story teller, and he's terrific on camera."

Sanger said what he found most compelling was that Alexenberg was a tremendous athlete who likely would've made it to the big leagues if he was allowed to play as a child.

"He's entirely self taught. When he was 24 years old, he was in his back yard, throwing at a folding chair, flipping through a book from the library about how you hold pitches," said Sanger. "Then, at 45, to have your dream come true — I think it's just a great story."

So great, Alexenberg said, he's been in discussions with a literary agent and author about a possible book.

Currently about halfway through the editing process, the movie is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

The movie will premiere at The Music Hall and then be entered into movie festivals. Sanger said he plans to pitch the idea to Hollywood, as well.

"We may be rich and famous, or we may show it at The Music Hall. Who knows?" said Sanger. "Either way, it's been a lot of fun."

Alexenberg fared well overseas, despite a rocky first few starts, leading the league in appearances and shutting down opponents in his last 10 games. The league is on a brief hiatus for this summer, expected to return next season. Whether Alexenberg will be back is unclear.

"I don't think so. I don't know. Maybe," he said. "Who knows?"

For now, Alexenberg is plenty busy being a father of two, working as director of the Boston Israel Action Center and playing for three different city men's leagues. The entire experience, he said, still feels like a dream.

"If someone would've told me a couple years ago this would all be happening ... it's just so absurd," said Alexenberg.

"The whole thing was unbelievable."

Thanks to http://www.seacoastonline.com

Welcome to CraveOnline's weekly movie news roundup - a weekly rundown of all the breaking news in the film world, with an eye for what Tinseltown's got in store for us in the near future!

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BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
1. The Dark Knight - $75.6 million ($314.2 million)
2. Step Brothers - $30 million ($30 million)
3. Mamma Mia! - $17.8 million ($62.7 million)
4. The X-Files: I Want To Believe - $10.2 million ($10.2 million)
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth - $9.4 million ($60.1 million)
6. Hancock - $8.2 million ($206.3 million)
7. Wall-E - $6.3 million ($195.2 million)
8. Hellboy II: The Golden Army - $4.9 million ($65.8 million)
9. Space Chimps - $4.3 million ($16 million)
10. Wanted - $2.7 million ($128.6 million)

The Dark Knight's epic obliteration of the competition shows no signs of slowing, delivering the biggest second-weekend box office total ever with a massive $75.6 million (Shrek 2 previously held the record with $72.1 million), which is more than the following top six films combined. With a total domestic gross of $314.2 million so far, the film also became the fastest ever to reach $300 million, doing it in just 10 days and easily passing the old record of 16 days set by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The film also had the highest per theater average of any in the top ten with $17,322 per theater.

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The new Will Ferrell comedy Step Brothers debuted at #2 with $30 million, an impressive opening for a comedy in the shadow of the Bat. Two pathetic middle-aged slackers, one still living with his single mom, the other with his single dad, suddenly become stepbrothers when their parents marry, and find themselves forced to share a bedroom. Hilarity and Ferrellisms ensue for the next 90 minutes. Can't go wrong there... oh wait, forgot about Semi-Pro.

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The hottest topic at this year's San Diego Comic-Con was the upcoming Watchmen film, directed by Zack Snyder. Snyder treated the convention crowd to new effects-heavy footage of the ultra-violent superhero flick, including Billy Crudup as a huge, glowing-blue nuclear-fueled superbeing. Fans also got a glimpse of the mask on Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) morphing into symmetrical ink blot patterns, the psychotic Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) getting his scar from a broken bottle and Malin Akerman unzipping the front of her costume. Tasty.

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Speaking of Comic-Con, writers and producers unveiled plot points and stills from G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra at the convention. The filmmakers and Hasbro hope the film, which hits theaters next August, will be the "first of many to come" for the franchise. Writer Stuart Beattie mentioned a few of the key relationships in the film, some of which were spelled out in detail for attendees. Duke (Channing Tatum) and the Baroness (Sienna Miller) have a history together which plays out during the course of the movie. Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) and Scarlett (Rachel Nichols) have a romantic thread in the film, but it mostly consists of Ripcord trying to woo Scarlett to no avail. It was mentioned that there was a Snake Eyes/Scarlett dynamic, though the writers apparently struggled with the ninja's more dramatic moments since he can't speak. The third dynamic mentioned was that of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, who are even shown growing up together as children.

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Why bother? A remake of tranny musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show is headed for theaters next year. Because Tim Curry in garters and lipstick with a feather boa wasn't traumatizing enough.

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Peter Berg has officially signed on to produce and direct Hercules: The Thracian Wars, a feature adaptation based on Radical Publishing's five-issue comic series written by Steve Moore. Come on. A Clash of the Titans remake is one thing, but this has bomb written all over it.

The Top Fashion Cities of 2007 have been named by the Global Language Monitor (www.LanguageMonitor.com) in its annual global survey. Topping the list for 2008 are New York, Rome, Paris, Milan, London, Los Angeles, Sydney, Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo. Madrid (No. 15), Stockholm (No. 20), Cape Town (No. 23) and New Delhi (No. 24) broke into the Top 25. Falling off the list were Sao Paolo and Bangkok.

Other notable movement included Sydney moving up five spots to No.7 and Dubai jumping up twelve spots to No.12.

“Our yearly rankings clearly reinforce recent trends: the Big Five (New York, Rome, Paris, Milan, and London), far and away dominate the world of fashion, especially in the eyes of the print and electronic media, as well as on the internet. At the same time, the second tier of the cities in the world fashion rankings are coming on strong,” said Millie Lorenzo Payack, Fashion Correspondent and Director of the Global Language Monitor.

“And, by the way, money spent on media outreach can, indeed, make a difference; witness Dubai.” The world ‘rag’ business is estimated to be close to one half trillion USD. Regional rankings are provided below.

This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Predictive Quantities Index, a proprietary algorithm that tracks words and phrases in print and electronic media, on the Internet and throughout the blogosphere. The words and phrases are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

The Top Fashion Cities, 2008 ranking, last year’s rank, and commentary follow.

1. New York (1) - No. 1 for the fifth year running.
2. Rome (2) - The Eternal City, again, a strong No. 2.
3. Paris (3) - Perhaps No. 1 in the world’s hearts and mind - but not the media’s.
4. Milan (5) - Overtakes London in this survey.
5. London (4) - The Elite Five far outdistance the rest.
6. Los Angeles (6) - LA knocks on the door of the Elite Five.
7. Sydney (12) - Sydney makes a huge move, breaking into the Top 10.
8. Las Vegas (9) - The intense media spotlight improves Vegas’ ranking.
9. Berlin (11) - Berlin continues its very strong presence.
10. Tokyo (6) - Tokyo remains the capital of the Asian Fashion Industry.
11. Hong Kong (8) - Threatening to move ahead of Tokyo.
12. Dubai (24) - Massive marketing fueled by petrodollars can make an impact.
13. Shanghai (14) - Vies with Hong Kong for the lead in China.
14. Singapore (10) - Significant fashion infrastructure keeps its ranking strong.
15. Madrid (New) - Reasserts the Iberian fashion lead over Barcelona.
16. Moscow (16) - Firmly ensconces itself in the Top Twenty.
17. Santiago (19) - Leads Latin America.
18. Melbourne (15) - Takes a second seat to a high-flying Sydney.
19. Stockholm (New) - First Scandinavian on the list.
20. Buenos Aires (22) - Traditional leader in fashion continues to move up the rankings.
21. Johannesburg (23) - Joburg improves two spots.
22. Mumbai (18) - Mumbai again leads the Subcontinent.
23. Cape Town (New) - Joburg’s rival is new to the list.
24. New Delhi (New) - New Delhi makes the List, but still is outpaced by Bollywood.
25. Barcelona (13) - Still in the Top Twenty-five though Madrid has strong lead.
26. Miami (New) - Makes the list on its leadership in swimwear.
27. Krakow (25) - Shares the neo-Bohemian spotlight with Prague.
28. Prague (New) - No neo about this rising center of fashion.
29. Toronto (New) — First Canadian city on the list; Montreal just missed the rankings.
30. Rio de Janeiro (20) - Strong Latin American No. 3 outpacing Sao Paolo.

Others in the rankings included Copenhagen, Montreal, Sao Paolo, and Bangkok.

The Global Language Monitor

Thank to http://www.fibre2fashion.com

Aziz Mirza's Kismat Konnection is not even remotely connected to your entertainment needs. If Contract appears unrealistic in its starkness, this one is just as false in its glitz.

To cut it short, we're in an NRI world of Raj Malhotra who lives in Canada, only among Batra, Gill and Mehras. Everyone speaks Hindi, even if the character is gora. You get the picture. But it's another ball game to make this fun.

There is only joylessness around here, not just on the screen, but more importantly, on the screenplay, and in its dull writing.
Raj Malhotra, the stud-boy of his college, is now a failing architect. The boy talks to God and believes in kismet. He finds an occultist called Haseena Bano Jaan, or some such.

She guides him to a lucky charm. This is a girl he bumps into quite often, that's Vidya Balan. Theirs, you'll think, is supposed to be a romantic story, a love triangle where the third one is a hurtful philanderer. Except you can't tell any romance between the lead couple anyway.

The film you may believe is about the rise of this boy, as he takes up tough loans for his first design assignment.

All those portions are forgotten somewhere along as well. You then feel this film is probably about a mall coming up that will take away an old-age home.

This is a premise from Aziz Mirza's Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman or even Lage Raho Munnabhai. You learn that isn't the film either.

In fact there are very few movies such as these that have absolutely nothing to say, and take up so much of your time doing just that. Somewhere I think I even heard the words global warming too. What remains then are merely some fake moments!

Thaks to http://www.ndtvmovies.com

Shahid Kapoor has been linked to many lovely ladies ever since he broke up with Kareena Kapoor and his latest romantic tangle is with tennis sensation Sania Mirza.

While some sections of the press were busy delving into a Shahid –Vidya Balan angle, Shahid and Sania were enjoying time together. Recently, Sania and Shahid decided not to bother about gossip-mongers, and spent nearly eight hours together on the sets of director Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminay, which also stars Priyanka Chopra and Amol Gupte.

Says a source from the sets of Kaminay, “It was a 7 am shift. Sania and Shahid did not come together, but once Sania dropped by, Shahid and Sania were almost inseparable. What was surprising was that they were very open about their relationship. Their body language said it all. When Shahid was not facing the camera, he spent all his time with Sania. Sania spent a lot of time with Shahid in his vanity van.”

Apparently Sania was cheering Shahid in all the scenes and checking out the scenes on the monitor.The Shahid- Sania romance first came into light when the two spent some time together in a hotel in Bangalore, last year. Thereafter they have been spotted together many times.

Tanks to http://www.newsline365.com

After five years, director Aziz Mirza returns to the film world to tell the story of an architect struggling for his big break in Kismat Konnection, which is releasing this Friday.

Mirza's daughter Rahila has scripted the film that mainly talks about the role that luck plays in one's life.

In the film, luck plays an important role in shaping up Shahid Kapur's career. The film also has Vidya Balan who becomes Shahid's lucky mascot. Mirza's favourite Juhi Chawal too plays an important role.

Raj Malhotra (Shahid) is a bright young man who cleared his architecture course with flying colours. Despite a best-student trophy from his college, he's struggling for his big break. It's almost as though some negative kismat (luck) is following him around because whenever something good is about to happen, it seems doomed to fail.

Desperate to fight this cussed kismat, Raj meets a quirky oracle Hasina Bano Jaan (Juhi Chawla). She tells him that soon his stars will change and make everything work in his favour, but for all this to happen, Raj has first to find his lucky charm and never let go of it.

But she refuses to give details, leaving Raj mystified, trying to figure out what this charm could be.

But after his meeting with Hasina, Raj finds his life going on the right track. He not only manages to convince top builder Sanjeev Gill (Om Puri) to give him a prestigious project, he also meets Priya (Vidya), an idealist who sees life in black and white.

Shades of grey have no role for her. She will give her all to her causes, her people and her love and expect nothing less in return.

Raj manages to win her heart and also opens her eyes to her philandering fianc (Amit Verma).

Are all these positive things an indication that Raj has unwittingly discovered his lucky charm?

This is for the first time that Shahid and Vidya are working together. Their pairing has generated curiosity in the film circuit, which is going to help the movie.
Pritam Chakraborty has composed the music and some of the songs are already chartbusters.

Mirza's last venture Chalte Chalte with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji was a big hit. So expectations from this maker of light-hearted romantic comedies are high.

Thanks to http://www.ndtvmovies.com

Many parents watch the news or other shows as children play nearby. But new research shows that even when the television is just background noise, it may be disruptive to a child’s normal development.
It’s estimated that 75 percent of very young children in the United States live in homes where the television is on most of the time, even though the kids often aren’t watching it. University of Massachusetts researchers recently studied how TV background noise might affect young children. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Child Development, looked at 50 1-, 2- and 3-year-olds. Each child came to a lab with a parent and was allowed to play for an hour with various toys. For half the time, a television was on in the room, showing an episode of the adult game show Jeopardy! as well as commercials. During the other half hour, the TV was turned off.
As expected, the children paid little attention to the adult television show, glancing at it for less than a few seconds at a time, and less than once a minute. Even so, the distraction of the background noise had a significant effect on how children at every age played. When the television was on, the children played for significantly shorter periods of time, and focused play was also shorter compared to how they played when the TV was off.
Researchers said that even though the children weren’t interested in the show, background TV is an “ever-changing audiovisual distractor'’ that disrupts their ability to sustain various types of play. The finding is important because many well-meaning parents who wouldn’t let their young children watch television may not realize that even adult programs that don’t interest children still can have an effect.
“Background TV is potentially a chronic environmental risk factor affecting most American children,'’ said Marie Evans Schmidt, a research associate at the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital in Boston and lead author of the study. “Parents should limit their young children’s exposure.”

It seems like Miley Cyrus's controversial Vanity Fair shoot won't be her last foray into the world of sex. She wants to do it again, but a little tamer this time.

Miley told TV Guide, "I'd love to do a younger, cleaner version of 'Sex and the City.' "

She had admitted during her Vanity Fair shoot that HBO's series starring Sarah Jessica Parker is her favorite show, but later clarified that she only has watched the watered-down TBS version.

Even though the TBS run of "Sex and the City" cuts out all the really racy scenes and titillating language, it still refers to, jokes about, and constantly questions sex. So can a 15-year-old, who like each of the Jonas Brothers, wears a purity ring, make a show anywhere near the likes of "SATC"?

Well, Miley thinks she can, and she stands firmly by her virginal commitment.

"I like to think of myself as the girl that no one can get, that no one can keep in their hand," she said.

"Even at my age, a lot of girls are starting to fall," she continued, "and I think if [abstaining] is a commitment girls make, that’s great."

So even though this Vanity Fair girl may be a hottie, late night phone calls and flirtatious notes passed in class will probably be the bulk of her future dating series.

Thanks to http://www.nydailynews.com

Mumbai: Around 200 feature and short fiction films from around 40 countries are to be screened at this year's Osian Film Festival.

Filmmaker Mrinal Sen and author and screenplay writer Jose "Pete" F. Lacaba from the Philippines received the Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contribution to cinema and writing respectively during the grand opening of the Tenth Osian's-Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema.

The two received the awards from Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and veteran filmmaker Basu Chatterjee respectively in the presence of Osian's Connoisseurs of Art chairman Neville Tuli, Festival joint directors Latika Padgaonkar and Indu Shrikent, and festival founder Aruna Vasudev.

Sen said in his acceptance speech that he was receiving the award with quiet dignity. This was because he felt that he could still do a lot more to justify the honours bestowed on him.

Lacaba said after receiving the Aruna Vasudev Lifetime Achiement Award that it was very rare for a script writer to get acknowledged for his work, since the credit for a film went either to the director or the stars.

Members of the six juries were also presented to the audience during the ceremony. Three audio-visuals were shown on the occasion, on Osian's, the Mumbai festival last month, and on actor Shammi Kapoor who was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award in Mumbai.

The opening of the festival at Sirirfort auditorium also marked the formal handing over of the responsibility of running of the festival by Vasudev, who had functioned as director until last year, to the two new Joint Directors.

Dikshit, who has been associated with the festival since its inception in 1999, declared the Festival open. She paid a tribute to Vasudev for running the festival until now and said she was confident it would grow from strength to strength.

In his welcome address, Tuli said the need today was to venture out into new projects without being too worried about the results, if the conviction was there. Paying a tribute to Vasudev, he said it was this conviction, which made her join up with him for this festival. Introducing the concept of Osianama film complex in Mumbai, he said there was need to synthesize art and cinema to give them respectability.

In the programme compeered by actor Rajat Kapur, Tuli presented Vasudev with a shawl as a mark of respect.

Vasudev said when she had launched the 'Cinemaya', the world's first film quarterly on Asian cinema in 1988 people had been skeptical. She later launched the Cinefan Film Festival of Asian Cinema in 1999 on a meager budget of Rs 600,000 given by the Delhi Government. Joining hands with Osian's did not mean a surrender of independence, but the coming together of minds.

The two joint directors, Padgaonkar and Shrikent, said the festival was expected to raise awareness about the best in Asian and Arab cinema. They said the Festival now has a new look and a new feel with several sections being introduced for the first time.

The awards for the films will be presented during the Festival being held at Siri Fort complex and Alliance Francaise in New Delhi from 10 - 20 July. The award money this year would be over Rs One Crore for the Competition Sections and Lifetime Achievement Awards. The winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award were presented Rs. 800,000 each.

Thanks to http://businessofcinema.com

Hollywood blockbuster Hancock, to be honest, did not leave me too impressed.

Cast: Will Smith, Charlize Theron
Director: Tony Smith
Genre: Action

The central character did, yes. Hancock is a black superhero. No one is better suited to play that role but the loved icon of the black community Will Smith. He plays the character with a very serious overtone, almost a brooder.

Hancock is ageless. He is also homeless. He can also be jailed. He gets drunk. He has self-doubts. Like all super-heroes, he may be there to save the world.

But unlike all super-heroes, this one needs an image makeover.
A PR man comes into the picture to do that job for him; teach him to say, "thank you" or "good job".

So, if you compare it to films of the genre, this one attempts to be more rooted to reality, as it were. It's also slightly funny.

The other thing I noticed were pictures of the Taj Mahal and Humayun's Tomb on this film's posters. I was excited about an India connection to the movie.

As it turns out, that's a bit of a fraud to sell the flick. Well, there is an Indian corner shop guy here. But then, you have one of those in almost every other Hollywood movie these days.

It's the story of how Hancock came into being that is truly hard to understand. That wouldn't have been such a problem.

Except, almost the entire film centres on it. That aspect also deals with the female-lead in the movie, played by Charlize Theron.

I can't dwell on this more, since that would mean giving the movie's well-kept secrets away. Effectively, by the time the super character has been suitably introduced, the film ends abruptly. There may be a second part. This one leaves you dry.

It is nice to see super-hero stuff where there is a lot more than just things getting blown up all over the place. But then, if there has to be more, there better be a lot more. Just this much supposed in-depth thinking, for the sake of it, won't do.

Thanks to http://www.ndtvmovies.com

Movie : Mehbooba
Producer : Afzal Khan
Director Afzal Khan
Music : Ismail Darbar
Writer : Afzal Khan, Rumi Jaffrey, Javed Siddiqui
Lyrics : Anand Bakshi
Release : Date 11-Jul-2008

Producer : Pammi Baweja
Director : Harry Baweja
Music : Himesh Reshammiya
Writer : Harry Baweja
Lyrics : Javed Akhtar
Release : Date 04-Jul-2008

Movie Report
Love Story 2050 marks the debut of Harman Baweja, one actor who has been lapped up by industry bigwigs even before his debut vehicle has hit the screens. Harry Baweja has given a lavish launch for his son Harman. A lesson here for star-fathers wanting to launch their sons.

Karan (Harman) is a rich, spirited, sporty boy lives life off the rules. His mother passed away when he was very young and his dad is too busy looking after his business. He runs into Sana (Priyanka Chopra) a petite, shy girl lives life by the rules while on a jog. Fate sets up another meeting when Sana mistakes him to be her friend's boyfriend. One thing leads to another and the two are soon in love. Karan has an uncle who is a scientist (Boman Irani) who is experimenting with a time machine.
Once, Sana and Karan enter the time machine and 'enter' Mumbai 2050, as their destination, the place they want to be. However, the time machine is not ready and nothing happens, with the exception of a short circuit. One day when Sana and Karan are out for a drive, she meets with an accident and dies. Karan is shattered. Uncle meanwhile stumbles on the correct formula to set the time machine in motion. The two then set out to meet Sana in the future.

Sana in 2050 is now Zeisha, a very popular singer. She has no recollection of her past life as Karan once again tries to win her heart. He does manage, and dodges a cruel doctor to make it to the time machine seconds before it can take-off back to where it came from the year 2008.

Director Harry Baweja is letdown by the script. The idea is exciting, but what comes across is off-putting. Anu Malik's music is tuneful. 'Sach Kehna' and 'Milo Na Milo' stand out, also because Harman's dance movements are exceptional [kudos to the choreographer].

On the acting front, the film proves decent for Harman's much awaited launch. Harman surely impresses with his dance moves and style but he needs to concentrate on his dialogue delivery and needs to go a bit slower. Priyanka Chopra is clearly wasted here. Though she is there in most of the frames.
On the whole, Harry Baweja no doubts takes you into future and shows you the flying cars and 200 storey buildings. But somew how he fails at romance a bit. The script has no power. Harry gave more preference to special effects than the story of the film. In nutshell only Harman, his looks, and his dancing style is the life of the film.

The music of Farhan Akhtar’s acting plus singing debut ‘Rock On’ was launched on Monday at the Inifinity Mall in Andheri. The evening was marked by some truly rocking performances by the talented musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Farhan Akhtar.

Kicking off the evening, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's power packed performance left everyone craving for more. And soon the audience went crazy when Farhan Akhtar himself set the stage on fire two foot-tapping numbers from the movie, in his amazing rock star look. Farhan’s father Javed Akhtar, formally released the album at the live concert. The famous lyricist has also written the songs for son’s movie.

‘Rock On’ is about four members of a band who reunite after going their separate ways. The cast of the film includes Purab Kohli, Shahana Goswami and Luke Kenny along with Arjun Rampal and junior Farhan. Rock star Farhan plays the lead singer and sings a whopping five out of nine songs in the film.

Farhan’s ‘Rock On’ is slated for release in August.

Thanks to http://www.zeenews.com

Love Story had a 30-40% opening and is likely to sink without a trace. It has not done well even in the over seas market.

While Jaane Tu..a small budget flick will earn big, Love Story 2050 will recover only half of its 50 crore budget.

“There are many positives for Jaane Tu…. The music, its youthful freshness and then the way Aamir promoted the film was also one big factor for the film’s success. Moreover, the film looked real. People could relate to the story whereas Love Story 2050 story was so fake. Mumbai in 2008 has so many problems, how can we have flying cars by 2050?” says veteran analyst Taran Adarsh

The romance in Jaane Tu is light, touching and breezy while that in Love Story is without a heart and lost in the special effects.

Analysts maintain that while Jaane Tu… may continue to do good business in the coming weeks, Love Story 2050 might see an early exit
Thanks to http://www.newsline365.com

They’re certainly hard to forget, and they’re pretty and tempting too.

While the Bachchans and SRK fight it out with the The Unforgettables Tour and the Temptations Tour, Bollywood’s newest it couple is ready to woo the world with their own stage show.

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor have been roped in by the Moranis for the couple’s maiden show together in Dubai early next month. “Saif and Kareena are the flavour of this season, and this is the perfect opportunity to showcase their chemistry.

That is why, early next month, we are taking them to Dubai. The date has not been confirmed yet, but it is certain that they are going to perform,” says our source from Cineyug, the company owned by Mohomed Morani. Will the third party be the most rocking one? Let’s wait and watch!

who has just taken her A-levels and is waiting on the results, has been crowned 'Britain’s Next Top Model' on the Living TV show.

Ali – as she prefers to be known – beat fellow student Catherine Thomas, 18, in the final, which took place in South Africa. The final decision was made by the judging panel, made up of British model Snowdon, Icelandic model-turned photographer Huggy Ragnarsson and stylist to the stars, Gerry DeVeaux.

Ali wins a contract with renowned model agency Models 1 – who also represent Twiggy, Linda Evangelista and Amber Valletta – a Max Factor cosmetics campaign and a six-page cover spread in Company magazine that comes out in August, where she wears black-leather and lace outfits. Nice.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could achieve anything like this but now I have proved myself wrong,” Ali said. The final featured a final photo shoot with the three girls posing for a fake tan advertisement with added accessories of the wild animal variety. Ali had to lie next to an iguana, while other finalists had to contend with a three-metre long snake and a tarantula. Not so nice.

The two student finalists, who became close friends on the programme, were adorned in gold face paint and showcased clothes by different designers while stomping it out on the catwalk. However, Catherine still couldn’t resist a little dig after the event: “I think the judges made the wrong decision,” she said in her interview after the show.

After Ali’s win, iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes said: “She has lovely bone structure, a very nice look indeed." Lisa Snowdon, the presenter of the show, said: “This girl just blossomed before my eyes. She’s always been one of the most interesting girls – she’s very special looking and all her pictures are fierce. The fashion world is her oyster."

Lily Allen has confirmed on Facebook that she is back together with Ed Simons.

Allen and Simons have sent updates to their friends on the site, claiming that they are "in a relationship" with each other.

Friends of the couple posted messages on their pages, wishing them well with their rekindled romance.

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis commented: "We knew it! What a hullabaloo."

A source told The Sun: "Ed was there for Lily when she really needed him and that has brought them closer together. They have decided to give it another go."

The pair split up in February shortly after Allen suffered a miscarriage. However, the pair were rumoured to have patched things up after they spent most of the Glastonbury Festival together last month.

Producer Aditya Chopra & Kunal Kohli
Director Kunal Kohli
Music Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Writer Kunal Kohli & Rohena Gera
Lyrics Prasoon Joshi
Release Date 27-Jun-2008



Movie Report
Director Kunal Kohli directed Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic with his Hum Tum team. Besides Rani Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan he has Rishi Kapoor playing the role of God. Rishi Kapoor earlier played the role of Saif's father in Hum Tum.A film like Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic makes you nostalgic. It takes you back to the light-hearted, feel-good cinema made by directors of calibre like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. The focus was on narrating a simple story. A movie that put a smile on your face even if you walked in with a frown.With the sinking of Tashan and Yash Chopra himself taking over the reins of the Yash Raj Films banner, immense pressure rides on Kunal and the entire force at YRF.While glancing through the promos, you would expect this film to be a kiddie film or just yet another glamour speckled film with Rani, Saif and Rishi Kapoor-all from 'Hum Tum'. But Kunal who is also the co-producer of the film surprises you out and out.Kunal Kohli begins the proceedings with a bang, literally. Within a few moments, as the title track begins, he captures (Ranbeer Talwar) Saif Ali Khan's childhood and goes straight for the kill as his car bangs into another resulting in the death of a couple. Talwar, a successful businessman, is charged with murder. So what will the court verdict be? The judge stuns all stating that Ranbeer will have to look after the four children of the deceased until the youngest turns 18 years of age. Ranbeer hates kids, as he is still living in the past of his lost childhood (his mother died when he was very young). The kids are out for revenge and God has a meeting with his angels to bring sanity to this situation.Down comes an Angel, (Geeta) Rani Mukherjee, on a cycle in the form of a governess, to help the two warring parties reason out with a little bit of love, and a little bit of magic from her side. How the kids make up with Ranbeer and how Ranbeer reconsiders is what the movie is all about.Kunal Kohli has worked with the best of stars [Aamir, Saif, Hrithik, Kajol, Kareena, Rani], but the real test is to extract performances from four unknown kids and that's where he deserves brownie points. All the kids put in a good performance. Saif Ali Khan lends able support. The chemistry between Rani Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan is still intact and they have some cute moments. Ameesha Patel in a guest appearance is Ranbeer's girlfriend. To be fair to the girl, she plays her part well and looks gorgeous in her eye-catching outfits.On the Whole Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is a very simple film. The script of the film is very good. The story has been told in a very effective and efficient manner. The film will really do magic at the box office.