Author: #TIPEntertainment

Actress Shraddha Kapoor, recently seen in successful love saga ‘Aashiqui 2’, says she wants to go beyond the genre of romance on screen, and try her luck at different roles, especially a grey character. “The fact that people liked Aashiqui 2 and my character (Aarohi) in it, they now want to see me in a lot more romantic films. I would like to do romantic films, but honestly I would like to do beyond that as well,” Shraddha told reporters at an event. “I would like to do other genres also and it will be interesting,” she added. Shraddha, daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor, made her Bollywood debut with Teen Patti in 2010. But she earned popularity only with Aashiqui 2. Asked about the kind of roles she wants to play, Shraddha said: “If I will get the opportunity to be a part of a very interesting character that has grey or white shades, then why not? I would love to play it.” Meanwhile, the actress will soon be seen in Mohit Suri’s next The Villain. Besides, she has also teamed up with director Rohit Shetty for his next project, which is expected to go on floors soon.

STORY: Satyakanth Shastri (Mithun) is the righteous father, who adores his ‘sanskari’ younger son but disowns the elder, as he resorts to violence to fight injustice. They part ways and the ethical but shorttempered son grows up to become Boss (Akshay Kumar) – a contract killer who learns to laugh in the face of adversity. Do they reunite? REVIEW: ‘Apne ko kya hai, apne ko toh bus paani nikalna hain’ is Boss Akshay’s punch line in the movie. If you rephrase it a little with ‘Apne ko toh bus Akshay Kumar ka stunts dekhna hai’, then Boss is a ‘kick-ass’ entertainer. After all, we all know who the Boss of action in Bollywood is. A remake of 2010 Malayalam film, Pokkiri Raja, Boss is a formulaic action comedy. There are truckloads of stunts throughout and whatever falls in between constitutes the plot so don’t expect logic. It seems the action was probably chalked out before and the 70’s-like melodramatic story was inserted later as filler, which explains why most characters end up being silent spectators, once Akshay makes an entry.

The very vicious ACP Ayushman Thakur (Ronit Roy, brilliant) in particular gets easily outplayed by our Haryanvi hero. The romantic track between Shiv Pandit and Aditi Rao Hydari is terribly inconsequential. To cut a long story short, Boss solely relies on Akshay’s star power and he carries the film on his shoulders with aplomb. It’s his dialoguebazi and filmygiri that make you smile, no matter how corny the one-liners. He climbs the walls at a lightning speed like a Spiderman, jumps over rooftops, trucks and makes his way in a crowded place by walking over the heads of his enemies. He makes gravity-defying stunts look believable. We particularly liked this elaborate chase sequence which looks like it’s been shot in one-take. From cracking of bones to the crunching of chanas that the villain munches on, the sound effects add to the intensity of the slow-mo stunt scenes. Mithun Chakraborty goes overboard with his preachy Nirupa Roy-esque character and is thus unintentionally funny. Ronit Roy has a superb presence.

Sadly, he gets meagre footage. Aditi Rao Hydari and Shiv Pandit are used as mere props. SHRADDHA KEEN TO MOVE BEYOND ROMANCE IN FILMS Actress Shraddha Kapoor, recently seen in successful love saga ‘Aashiqui 2’, says she wants to go beyond the genre of romance on screen, and try her luck at different roles, especially a grey character. “The fact that people liked Aashiqui 2 and my character (Aarohi) in it, they now want to see me in a lot more romantic films. I would like to do romantic films, but honestly I would like to do beyond that as well,” Shraddha told reporters at an event. “I would like to do other genres also and it will be interesting,” she added. Shraddha, daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor, made her Bollywood debut with Teen Patti in 2010. But she earned popularity only with Aashiqui 2. Asked about the kind of roles she wants to play, Shraddha said: “If I will get the opportunity to be a part of a very interesting character that has grey or white shades, then why not? I would love to play it.” Meanwhile, the actress will soon be seen in Mohit Suri’s next The Villain. Besides, she has also teamed up with director Rohit Shetty for his next project, which is expected to go on floors soon

Actress Jennifer Ehle has joined the cast of the screen adaptation of ” Fifty Shades of Grey”. She will be seen playing protagonist Anastasia Steele’s mother. Anastasia’s character is played by Dakota Johnson, while Charlie Hunnam will play Christian Grey in the movie adaptation of E.L. James’ erotic novel, reports contactmusic.com. The film will be directed by Sam Taylor- Johnson.

Penelope Cruz, who will be seen next in Ridley Scott’s star studded drama ‘The Counselor’, is happy juggling work and motherhood. The Spanish beauty gave birth to her daughter, Luna, three months ago with husband Javier Bardem and Cruz says family will always be a priority to her. “I’ve always been a very family person, since I was a little girl, that?s the way I was raised. So that will always be a priority. But I have to work, like everyone else, so I will find a way to balance,” the actress said. The mother of two wore a red Nina Ricci suit for the London premiere of the film, which also stars Bardem, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Michael Fassbender. Unfortunately for Bardem, the couple don’t have any scenes together in the movie. ‘The Counselor’ is all set to release on October 25.

STORY: After a space mission goes awry, astronauts drift into space, losing not only their sense of direction, but also hope for survival. REVIEW: Do you regret not taking enough risks in life? Do you often envy those who take the road less traveled? Do you wish you could escape your mundane life and fly into the sky like a free bird to touch the moon and the stars? In case you do, Gravity will change the way you think. It will alter your perception of beauty, fear and freedom. If you wonder how a docu-style film centered on a single character (Sandra Bullock) floating through deep space can be this gripping, the answer lies in Gravity’s aweinspiring technical excellence. Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron deserves a standing ovation for his film is a visual masterpiece. You know you have watched a film of this caliber when you keep asking yourself throughout, ‘How did they do it’! The four and a half years of production work pay off, as you can tell every frame is painstakingly made.

Tense, unnerving and arresting, every scene of the psychological thriller gives you gooseflesh. The spectacular special effects make you feel like you are a part of the film. For instance, every time Bullock takes a long, deep breath, you can feel yourself doing the same. That’s the impact of Gravity. It’s an experience. A game-changer of sorts, the film is bound to revolutionise special effects in movies. Having said that, Alfonso Cuaron doesn’t let technology overpower the story, which is essentially an emotional journey of its lead character. That sense of detail for things goes beyond technology and this is what we liked the most about the film. George Clooney manages to charm you once again, but it’s Sandra Bullock who puts on the performance of her career. The haunting eeriness of dark space has been impeccably portrayed. The background score is equally fear-inducing and manages to maintain the tension created. Cuaron keeps his film as realistic as it can get. No melodrama, no far-fetched stylised action scenes or convenient plot twists. The film stays unpredictable till the end. To sum it up, there are films and then there’s Gravity. For an edge-of-the-seat-rollercoaster-ride experience, watch it only in IMAX 3D.

Actress Aishwarya Rai has urged everyone not to speculate about her second child after Aaradhya. She said that when such a moment comes she will make it known. The actress was at an event to announce her association with a stem cell banking brand. Asked if she will opt for stem cell banking a second time, Aishwarya said: “I know what are you trying to ask. Whenever such a moment comes, you all will get to know. But please don’t speculate till then. The actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said that becoming a mother has been a blessing for her. “Change is constant in life. Every experience contributes to change and growth, making you hopefully a better human being. Becoming a mother has been a blessing and I cherish this gift from god,” Aishwarya said. “Aaradhya (her daughter) is a wonderful blessing in our lives and she is very special and it is a loving fulfilment. I am grateful for this experience,” she said. Aishwarya said she had opted for banking her daughter’s stem cells. “I was aware about stem cell banking as a development probably out of my interest in the medical field as most of my friends are doctors. I have been aware of this way before I got married. I was always fascinated by it.

Any research and development in general let alone in science and healthcare has always been of interest to me,” she said. “The beauty of this association fulfils the wish of social encouragement. It is addressing a mindset that is fairly new to our country at large. I am happy to contribute, educate and make people aware about this scientific development,” she added. For Aishwarya, it has been busy time professionally as she has lots of advertising and promotional work. Aishwarya refused to divulge anything, when she was asked about the plans to celebrate her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan’s birthday on October 11. “You will know the plans. For us festivities begin from October to November, besides festivals like Navratri and Dusshera there are lot many birthdays in our family that come in this period. It is a busy and special time for us,” she said. “With respect and love we wish paa and other family members a happy birthday. Also, we wish everybody happy festival period,” she added.

The makers of ‘Gabbar’, the Hindi version of Tamil blockbuster ‘Ramanaa’, are reportedly considering actress Kareena Kapoor to be cast opposite Akshay Kumar in the film. Telugu filmmaker Krish will direct Gabbar, which will be produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. “Kareena’s name has come up for the role of the leading lady. She hasn’t been approached yet, but she is likely to be signed on for the role. She is expected to play Akshay’s wife in the film, which will also feature another heroine,” a source told media. In case Kareena joins the project, she will essay the role originally played by Simran – she did a special appearance in Ramanaa. Ashima Bhalla was the other heroine in the film. “We haven’t confirmed the heroine yet. Currently, we are busy with the pre-production work and when we zero in on the leading lady, we’ll announce it. It’s too early to confirm anything at this stage,” Krish told media. Ramanaa, helmed by A.R. Murugadoss, was an action movie where the protagonist embarks on a journey to make the society corruption free. It also featured Vijayakanth, Vijayan, Yugi Sethu, Riyaz Khan and Ravichandran in important roles. The film was also remade in Telugu as Tagore with megastar Chiranjeevi in the lead.

Actress Kate Hudson has introduced a line of gym wear. It is called Fabletics. Hudson has co-founded the collection with online fashion retailer JustFab Inc. She wants the line to be affordable prices. “At Fabletics, we believe all women should be able to have hip styles and amazing quality (clothes) at prices that won’t break the bank,” New York Daily News quoted Hudson as saying. The line includes sport bras, jackets, sweatshirts and scarves.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow went bare under a sleek tuxedo jacket while shooting for an advertising camapign. The 41-year-old shot for the ad campaign for Hugo Boss’ Jour Pour Femme fragrance here, reports eonline.com. She completed the look with cropped black trousers and black heels, and in some photographs, she can also be seen in a white blouse under the jacket. Paltrow is said to be earning $2 million for being the face of Boss’ newest perfume, which the design house has billed as a light and fresh daytime fragrance.

Sandra Bullock, who adopted baby Louis in 2010, has revealed that she will quit acting if her work begins to negatively impact on her young son. The Oscar winning star told Vogue magazine that she doesn’t want her son to have pressures brought on by what she does, so if she sees whatever she is doing is affecting him negatively, she will pack up and move to Alaska, Contactmusic reported. Bullock also revealed that recent false speculation suggesting she was dating her married security guard Peter Weireter has also made her question her future in the Hollywood.

STORY: Set in 2154, the film gives us a grim view of the future, where the poor live on an over-populated, ruined earth, the rich on a luxurious space station. Can one man bring about a change? REVIEW: Mutants, superheroes, aliens, gadgets…while Hollywood fancies fiction that’s more escapist, Neill Blomkamp, in his inimitable style, gives us a dark science fiction thriller that’s relevant to present-day society and existing social and economic inequality. Blomkamp’s splendid vision merges facts and fiction to give us a grim view of the future (the year is 2154), when earth is over-populated and ruined. The gap between rich and poor couldn’t be more evident. With crime and the disease rate on a high, the planet is no longer fit for human habitation. The rich relocate to a man-made space station ‘Elysium’, which exclusively offers them luxury and high-tech medical facilities.

In order to preserve their lifestyle, immortality and longevity, they ensure that the poor gain no access to Elysium. Max ( Matt Damon), an ordinary factory worker, gets exposed to a severe dose of radiation that can only be cured on Elysium. He has five days to live. Can he get there? No matter how gripping, Elysium is no match for Blomkamp’s hard-hitting ‘District 9’. Scenes of the protagonist Max running around, trying to get help from the thugs featured here, become repetitive. The villains (Jodie Foster as Elysium’s cold and conniving protector and Sharlto Copley as a sleeper agent) are onedimensional. However, what works in the film’s favour is the director’s satirical intent. There’s a scene where a factory owner asks his employee to cover his mouth while talking. Fearing he might catch an infection, he orders, “Don’t breathe on me.” It’s this acute portrayal of the mindset of the ‘heartless rich’ that grips you. The premise is thought-provoking with the whole ‘degradation of human life’ theme deeply affecting your psyche. Aerial shots of over-populated earth might even remind you of Mumbai. Elysium is like a warning of a disturbing future that we can all see coming.

Afew weeks ago, there were reports that Deepika Padukone was involved in serious research at Milan’s creative arts university — Academia Di Brera. Known for her minimal yet classy dressing, the Bangalore model-turned- Bollywood actress now debuts as a fashion designer as she co-creates and unveils this season’s Women’s Limited Edition collection exclusively for Van Heusen. With Deepika on board, the line goes a notch higher with its trendsetting designs in couture spirit. Pegged around old Hollywood glamour, classic meets contemporary is the overarching look of the collection. The palate features monochromatic shades for the uber chic, dusty rose pinks for sensual women, cobalt blue for trendsetters and more, which adds appeal to the creation. “It’s a little bit of what I already have and what I would like to see myself wearing. The collection is really about wearing your own personality. That’s something I’ve always believed in. It’s important to not forget who you are,” says Deepika. “Women fashion followers have been quite influenced by Deepika’s overall charisma and this creation sparkles with her elegant style. These dresses are an ultimate combination of style, class, modernity and substance,” points out Vinay Bhopatkar, brand head, Van Heusen, of the collection that is currently available at all stores across the country.

Veena Malik is all set to do a psychological spine chiller, ‘Cottage No. 9’. Director Navin Batra says, “The plot revolves around a married couple whose relationship gets affected due to one of them suffering from a split personality. Whether it is the husband or the wife with the disorder will be revealed only in the film.” This is the director’s second outing with Veena. He says, “Unlike other actresses — who wear hot pants and minis in real life, but turn ‘Savitris’ before the camera — Veena has no hang ups. The film has quite a few bold scenes and since I have worked with her earlier, I know the comfort level she shares with the camera.” The director is yet to zero in on the male lead. He says, “Actors like Gurmeet Choudhary and Kay Kay Menon are being considered. We will take a call soon.”

STORY: Babli steals cars, fears nothing and romances like a rowdy Romeo. But gets away with benevolence and besharmi. REVIEW: Remote control Ranbir is here. He can change your mood with a flick of an emotion. Laughter, tears, joy and palang tod romeo-giri. Bedazzling the eyes with baubles, goggles and padded crotches. Yes, he packs in this ‘bulge’ with besharmi and fearlessness. At the outset, let me tell you that Kashyap’s (‘Dabangg’ fame) ‘Besharam’ lacks a kadak story. It has thoda herogiri, clap-trap dialogues, freestyle rowdy dancing and stylish stunts (borrowed from recent action films). Bas! But RK drives this one (taking fuel and pee breaks) through fast freeways and rocky roads. Babli (Ranbir), a baap-less boy, is a car mechanic-cumthief, with braveheart. Along with his partner-in-crime, Titu (Amitosh Nagpal), they steal cars to support the orphanage that housed them. The smooth operators have a touch of class too, they dress like MIB (‘Men In Black’) call themselves T1 & T2 (‘Terminator’).

During one carnama, they encounter the comical copcouple, Chulbul (Rishi) and Bulbul (Neetu) Chautala. Enter Tara (Pallavi), the ‘beauttee’ he falls for. He breaks her heart and spends the rest of the film fixing dils and dents. This seems like Kashyap’s test-drive with Ranbir, with average direction, un-moving music, and a screenplay that is unoriginal and so low on horsepower that it deflates before he revs the reel. He relies on the sheer 3K (read: Kapoors) power to entertain. Ranbir’s role may not be path-breaking, yet he’s in full control. He plays a riotous rowdy with utter confidence; using gags padded (stuffing his crotch with socks – even men need ‘enhancement’, no?), with humour that’s corny and horny. Ranbir is shamelessly, stylishly superb! If comic cracks weren’t enough, watch out ladies – there’s a real one, a flashed ‘butt-crack’ by RK! Second in command is his baap, really – Rishi Kapoor. He steals one of the best moments of the film when he gyrates to ‘Badtameez Dil’. He brilliantly plays the notso- dabangg Chulbul, with a biwi (in adorable act) who fires (verbal) bullets and chides his mardangi. Newcomer Pallavi is confident but needs coaching. Amitosh Nagpal (Titu) adds fuel to the comic-fire. While this is far from the best films of the year, if you shamelessly love Ranbir, go for it.

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Ileana D’Cruz, Padmini Kolhapure Direction: Rajkumar Santoshi Genre: Comedy Duration: 2 hours 25 minutes Story: In his tryst to be a hero, Vishwas Rao ends up becoming a fake filmi cop. But fate offers him funnier choices.

REVIEW: Star-struck (rather Salman-struck) smalltowner, Vishwas (Shahid) lands in Mumbai with two sapnas. First, his own starry dreams (ruled by Rajnikanths and Khans) of being a Bollywood superstar. Second, his high-on-melodrama maa’s (Padmini) long cherished dream – “mera beta police afsar banega”. But fate takes a hilarious twist when he’s mistaken for a good cop (Thank Heavens, he has Chulbul Pandey for inspiration. With tighties, googles, dabanggisms, and his own sizzling ‘Munni’). He falls in love with the overzealous Kajal (Ileana), a social worker with many chaotic-causes. Soon he’s caught in chor-police crossfire between the dreadfully funny gangster Gundappa Das (Saurabh Shukla) and the asli good cop (Darshan Jariwala) – both put up rip-roaring acts.

In a comedy of errors and events, through heartbreak and hilarity, emotion and eccentricity, Vishwas flips between fake herogiri and asli heroism. Shahid is ‘phaadu’, really! Whether he’s doing the dhating naach (outstanding); playing rowdy Romeo, a goofy goon, or maa ka laadla; he’s back in form and packs in all with terrific chutzpah and comic flair. He makes the most of every ’emoticon’ there is and leaves you ‘ROTFL’. This one belongs to Kapoor and he revels in it. Ileana is good at emotions, but not so tuned into comedy yet. Padmini, the melancholic maa with tons of mascara plays the part with ease, though we wish she induced more laughs over tear-jerking ‘maa-kasam’ dialogues. Sanjay Mishra, as Vishwas’ Bollywood advisor is uproariously funny. Santoshi shows flashes of his previous ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, odes to his own classics (‘Andaz Apna Apna’, ‘Ghayal’) and of course the ultimate fan-boy moment when Vishwas meets his screen idol Salman (the asli hero!).

The first half offers loads of cackles, chuckles, witticisms and spoofy scenes. Post-interval the comedy collapses for a bit with forced OTT drama, khaali-peeli action, and too many songs breaks, but makes a comeback with delightfully funny moments. This one’s worth it for the ‘howlarity’ of it all. And Shahid in his element. ‘Vishwas’ nahin hota? …Go watch! (LOL! Maa Kasam, it’s just the comedy hangover!)

Actress Shraddha Kapoor has something more than just acting on her mind. The ‘Aashiqui 2’ actress wants to start taking music lessons again. The 24-year-old, who took singing lessons in her childhood, decided to exercise her vocal skills after playing the role of singer Arohi in her debut movie Aashqui 2 opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor. “I am really keen to start my music riyaz (practice) once again. Playing Arohi only reminded me how much I missed doing it,” Shraddha said in a statement. The actress will soon be seen in Punit Malhotra’s forthcoming movie Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.

Liz Hurley was spotted running errands all by herself, just hours after she was photographed enjoying a lunch date with estranged fiance Shane Warne and his three kids. The British model, who managed to give a feeble smile to the photogs, had donned a fur-lined coat, skinny jeans and boots for her outing, the Mirror reported. Recent speculations have suggested that the mum-ofone has called off her engagement with the iconic spin bowler, as he had refused to set a wedding date.

Sofia Vergara reportedly wore a whopping 7 million dollars worth of jewelry at the Emmy Awards 2013. The 41-year-old actress, who turned heads with her red, cleavageenhancing sleeveless Vera Wang mermaid gown, wore Colombian emerald earrings with ruby and sapphire at the event, Us magazine reported. The ‘Modern Family’ star also sported a 21- carat Asscher-cut diamond ring and a 40- carat Colombian emerald and rose-cut diamond ring on her fingers. The expensive bling was all courtesy of celebbeloved jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara Direction: Ron Howard Genre: Biopic Duration: 2 hours 5 minutes

STORY: Rush chronicles the famous rivalry between Formula One’s two fiercely competitive drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, during the 1976 season. Lauda’s near-fatal crash and relationship with Hunt forms the story. REVIEW: It’s easy to glamourise a film based on Formula One racing, given the nature of the sport – extreme speed, adrenaline rush, roaring engines, champagne, hot Pit girls, playboy racers and sexy F1 cars. On the other hand, it’s also convenient to deglamourise a ‘sports biopic’ by giving it a documentary treatment. Ron Howard doesn’t succumb to either. His splendid execution strikes the right balance to give us a film that is visually stunning, moving, nail-bitingly intense and heroically entertaining, just like a Formula One Grand Prix.

While the sport is much safer today than it was in the ’70’s, what has stayed constant is the rivalry between drivers. So was the case with the notorious British playboy racer James Hunt ( Chris Hemsworth) and his brilliant, methodical Austrian opponent Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). The film revolves around their contrasting ideologies and their battle for the 1976 world championship. Their passion for victory pushes them to breaking point. You get to witness the tumultuous lives of these drivers, on and off the track. Also, the film doesn’t merely state facts in an episodic manner. The storytelling lends depth to the characters, leaving you emotionally invested in them. You feel their fear, regrets, insecurities and vulnerability. What adds to the film’s brilliance is its astounding cinematography, be it the wheel-to-wheel, rain-soaked racing or crash scenes.

Performances are supremely authentic as well. Both Hemsworth and Bruhl play their parts with utmost perfection. Background score creates the psychological tension required. If you are a F1 fan, you must know that Rush starts from the pole position, maintains its momentum and makes it to the chequered flag for a grand podium finish. Long after it’s over, you don’t think about death, danger, victory or rivalry. You remember two champions who didn’t race for a living but lived because they loved racing.

Gwyneth Paltrow has confessed that she is addicted to sex. The ‘Shakespeare In Love’ star, who is married to Chris Martin, told chat show host Chelsea Handler that she was a really normal person until she started to hangout with Handler all the time, the Daily Star reported. Paltrow said that she was inspired by all the fun Handler was having in her life. The 40-year-old actress was on the chat show to promote her upcoming film, ‘Thanks For Sharing,’ which deals with sex addiction.

Jennifer Aniston is apparently obsessed with her fiance’s famous TV documentary-making cousin Louis Theroux. Sources have revealed that the ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S.’ star, who is engaged to Justin Theroux, loves watching clips of Louis on the internet, the Daily Star reported. The insiders stated that the 44-year-old actor has only met her fiance’s cousin a couple of times, but she was hanging on to his every word. The sources also said that Aniston now tells Theroux that his cousin should make a speech at their wedding. Theroux has even joked that he feels threatened by his fiancee’s obsession.

STORY: The first day of summer in Lenny’s hometown has him, Eric, Chris and David up to all manner of shenanigans that are anything but grown up! REVIEW: Lenny (Sandler) has given up his job and along with his wife Roxanne (Hayek) and kids, moves back to his hometown. You get a taste of what’s in store for the rest of the movie with a cascade of inexplicable events that unfold. Take, for example, when Lenny and Roxanne wake up and find, for no reason whatsoever, a deer in their bedroom, munching on Roxanne’s sexy lingerie. There follows a long sequence of how they manage to get the deer out of their house. Cut to pal Kurt (Rock) and wife Deanne (Rudolph) for a nonsensical breakfast scene. Higgins (Spade) has a visit from a son he didn’t know he had while Eric (James), well, he’s just busy trying to perfect the art of burping, sneezing and passing wind at the same time – a technique he calls ‘burpsharting’.

From here, the movie seems largely improvised, like the scene where the wives bump and grind with gratuitous cleavage shots for a very unconventional aerobics class. Or, the time they haul Eric to a lake for a swimming session, stumble on to a college party and are ragged. In this scene, Taylor Lautner steals the show. Apart from family values and sticking by your friends, scriptwriters Sandler, Herlihy and Wolf speak about a healthy appreciation for the curvaceous female form. You’re not going to watch this film looking for finesse. There are Sandler movies with far better laughs. In fact, it’s a little hard to describe this film as anything more than a bunch of grown men acting like dorks and in the process, attempting to wrangle a few gags out of situations that seem like a home video stretched to feature film length. The only thought that this film might provoke is to make you wonder what Sandler and gang were thinking when they made this.

There she goes again. Anything for publicity — and brazen be damned! That’s Mallika Sherawat for you, ladies and gentlemen (remember her last accent-bhara ‘India is sooo conservative’ Cannes interview?), the lady who jumps, or let’s say in this case, sings right into any publicity gimmick that she can. Guess what the esteemed Cannes ‘invitee’ has been doing between zipping around Rajasthan shooting for the KC Bokadia’s ‘Dirty Politics’ (well…), shooting for a reality show, and going ‘baaack home’? Singing Happy Birthday, recording it, and posting it online. And mind you, it’s a special dedication to none other than Narendra Modi. So, she starts by announcing she’s going to sing for her ‘perfect bachelor’, and starts a very out of tune ‘Happy Biiiirthday Narenderji…’ (she ends with ‘er’ — her native tongue style) and that’s when she realizes nothing in her angrezi vocabulary rhymes with ‘Narenderji’, so in the next line, she continues with the ‘jiiii’ till her voice peters out.Well,she’s proved one thing: Priyanka and Exotic she definitely is not.

Twitter sort of erupted with funny one liners after Mallika’s birthday act on Tuesday.”Sherawat manages to sing even Happy Birthday out of tune. That is how talented she is,” read one tweet, “And our own Mallika Sherawat sings birthday song for @narendramodi. After this performance she can be renamed Mallike SheraWTF,” said another. “What!! Mallika Sherawat is crooning for NaMo’s birthday. Hope Poonam Pandey is not in the mood for competition,” went yet another. Whatever it is, that plain simple Mallika Syndrome (read: a nose that smells for free publicity) of hers has now made her a sniggering point even in political circles, for some time to come. Maybe Mallika will be inundated with birthday party invites of many politicians in the coming days,but aaj ke din,there’s definitely Mr Modi wishing he were born another day!

STORY: Three married men plan to get up to some bachelor pranks during their college reunion. Do they go all the way or do they chicken out?
REVIEW: Grand Masti stakes its claim to being Bollywood’s first adult comedy. And, just like the innumerable puerile potboilers that India’s dream factory churns out with a warning that says — leave your brains behind, this one should have a disclaimer that reads, ‘Leave your pretensions behind’. Once you do this, you can sit back and laugh aloud at the crass jokes this film throws up at regular intervals. College mates Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh and Aftab Shivdasani have uncontrollable libidos, but get very little sex in their married lives. Their mundane existence stems from the fact that their wives —- Karisma Tanna, Sonalee and Manjari Fadnis — give more attention to work, the baby and family, in that order. But there appears to be someone listening to their prayers.

A college reunion gets them together. And they fervently hope this would be their chance to chase skirts and their fantasies. On campus, the men reunite with an over-sexed teacher, Rose ( Maryam Zakaria), a vacuous brunette, Mary ( Bruna Abdullah) and Marlow (Kainaat Arora), whose names, when pronounced together, beat most expletives. A lot of double-meaning jokes, oohs and aahs reveal that the women in their lives are related to their college principal, who lands up at the doorstep just when the action is getting heated. Some more sexual mayhem follows and before you know it, the irrepressible threesome is lying on hospital beds with multiple fractures. They sheepishly vow never to stray. Riteish, Vivek and Aftab are comfortable in their roles and even manage to say some of the most terrible things with a poker face. The girls are not really required to act. While the wives are shown to be particularly dumb, the temptresses with vacuous expressions and ample cleavage make the impact they are required to.