STORY: Ved (Ranbir) and Tara (Deepika) meet each other with fake identities and take a week-long vacation in Corsica. Back in India though, it’s a different story.
REVIEW: If you watch Imtiaz Ali’s new film assuming that Deepika-Ranbir have unfinished business, you will forgive Tamasha its indulgence. The writer-director obviously knew he was dangling a carrot in front of these two Bollywood exes whose unrequited love has been gossip-column fodder for years now. And, they probably decided (this is an assumption) that if they hook up on screen once again, perhaps they could reach a closure.
The philosophy of the film is simple. If you conform in life, you will exist. However, if you indulge, even from time to time, you can actually live.
Armed with this life lesson, cute kid Ved from Shimla, who hates math and loves spinning yarns, keeps taking off on flights of fantasy. His first grown up adventure is an incognito trip to Corsica. He bumps into Tara, a beautiful Indian girl, on that breathtaking island and both of them promise they will not ask each other any questions, will not have sex and will go their separate ways, once this vacation ends. But of course, Cupid has other plans.
Back in India, Tara pines for Ved. Four years after that chance meeting, she is still drawn to that enigmatic ‘free bird’ who she met on an island.
He, on the other hand, hasn’t even had time to let his real feelings surface. His humdrum existence, as a project manager in a high-tech Delhi firm, has him feeling stifled in a tie and pitching bids he doesn’t believe in.
The clandestine lovers from France rekindle their affair in India. But when Ved proposes, Tara retorts that she loved the free-spirited man she met on vacation, not this mechanised robot. From there on the film meanders.
Like the protagonists, all of us know what it is to be tied down and not do what our hearts long. But the route Tamasha takes is long-winded and plain boring at times.
Deepika and Ranbir convey their angst and passion so convincingly that you’re hooked. Except for the curiosity about them, the rest of the drama is `oh,never-mind’.
Matargashti and Heer toh badi sad hai, two of Rahman’s songs, are magical even as standalone numbers.
The latest to join the bandwagon of actresses turning singers is Jacqueline Fernandez.
After grooving to chartbusters in her movies, she will croon with UK-based R&B and hip hop singer Gurinder Seagal for a single. The music video, featuring Sooraj Pancholi and Jacqueline, will be shot in Dubai later this month.
She says, “It is going to be something cool, fun, yet different.” While the actress didn’t want to talk much about it, her co-singer, Gurinder tells us, “She is singing a major portion apart from the song’s closing lines. It’s a cheeky, romantic number.” So we are waiting Jacqueline, turn up the volume!
NEW DELHI (TIP): Legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan became a co-owner of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) team OUE Singapore Slammers.
“One of the most well known faces and voices of global cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, announced today that he will be co-owner of the OUE Singapore Slammers alongside the local company UD Group who acquired the team earlier this year,” Singapore Slammers said in a statement.
Bachchan will make a courtside appearance on December 20 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on the final day of the season. He will also be interacting with fans during the course of the day.
The OUE Singapore Slammers, co-owned by the UD Group and Bachchan, are one of the five teams competing in the second edition of the IPTL. Singapore will host the final leg of the competition from December 18-20 to determine who will be the league champion for 2015.
“My work schedule allows me to only be there for one day, but I’m confident the Singapore Slammers will be playing in the final. I’m also really looking forward to hanging out with members of our clan, the
#SlammersNation. I’d like to invite my fans and tennis fans alike to come spend the day with me at the Singapore Indoor Stadium,” Bachchan said in a statement.
Joining the OUE Singapore Slammers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be the UAE Royals, Indian Aces, Philippine Mavericks and Japan Warriors — the newest addition to the season — bringing 35 of the world’s top tennis stars into town for the three-day league climax.
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): Starz Entertainment, Sahil, and LA Tan presented “Atif Aslam Live in Concert in Chicago” on Friday -November 27th, 2015, at Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy, Hoffman Estates, IL.Bhavesh Patel and Babu Patel of Sahil, Nick Patel and Mayur Patel of L A Tan, and Savi Singh of Starz Entertainment the heavyweights from the entertainment industry, conceptualized and executed the event with a touch of world class professionalism.
The hip and happening Pakistani singing sensation, Atif Aslam, with several big hit under his belt, made his grand entry at 9:30 PM. The audience welcomed the star with huge applause, waving hands, mobile lights, and loud screams. With his boyish good looks, stylish personality, well maintained body, and attitude of a rock star, Atif Aslam proved to be a massive draw with the audience. The younger generation, especially girls among the audience, were captivated by his star appeal.
Atif Aslam, supported by a state-of-the-art orchestra, leading musicians, and talented vocalists, performed live and mesmerized the music lovers with a fine mix of Rock, Pop, and Sufi songs. The glittering lights and thundering sound system not only provided foot-tapping experience tithe audience but also forced quite a few of them to get up and dance to the fast tunes.
Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Consul General of Pakistan, who graced the event, said that Atif Aslam is a versatile singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, and actor, and added that he kept the music enthusiasts, across the length and breadth of the Indian Subcontinent, under his captivating spell for over a decade.
“The presence of a large number of people from India and Pakistan at the event proves that music, which has no boundaries, can play a powerful role in enriching people-to-people contact and improving bilateral relations between the two countries”, Tirmizi added.
Atif Aslam kick started the sizzling evening with his hugely popular Bollywood debut track,”Wo lamhe wo baatein koi na jane”. He, then, moved on to, “Haal-e-Dil ko sukoon chahiye”,”Mahiya ve soniya”,followed by “Bheegi yaadein”, and “Tere Bin Nahi Lagda Dil Mera Dholna. Jaania”.
Like always, Atif belted out a wave of soulful Bollywood chartbustersand regaled his fans. Some of the hit numbers performed by him included, “Kya hua tera wada, woh kasam woh iraada”. “Gulabi aankhen”, and “Jab koi baat bigad jaye”.
Atif stole the thunder and captured the hearts of the young generation by singing,
“Shining in the shade in sun like a pearl upon the ocean. Come and feel me.
He picked up his guitar and played it while singing. He, then, gave his band a break. With just his piano, he sang a few hit numbers.
Atif Aslam captured the hearts of his audience by establishing a live contact with them. He took selfies with them. He also tried to shake hands with as many members of the audience as possible.
The audiences were literally blown away with the dazzling display of musical talent of Atif Aslam and the capabilities of his team. This not only proved to be a grand treat for the music enthusiasts but also made the event a big hit.
Atif Aslam received huge admiration from the audience, who gave a big applause, almost after every rendition.
Dancers of ARYA Dance Academy presented different genres of foot tapping dance performances. Gunjan Singh, a Chicago-based singer, entertained the audience by singing a number of hit songs including, “Chura liya hai tum ne jo dil ko”, “Monica o my Darling”. “Chittiya kalaiyan ve”, “Mai tanu samjha wa ki”, “Kitna maza aa raha hai”, etc. Her powerful vocals and energetic performance were appreciated by one and all.
The event concluded with a standing ovation by the audience in appreciation of the extraordinary performance of Atif Aslam.
Attended by over 5000 hard core fans of Atif Aslam, including some of them wearing t-shirts with Atif Aslam’s pictures, the event proved to be the hottest musical evening of Chicago.
The Fans make these Concerts Happen and without their Love & Affection towards their favorite Artist there is no Concert, they are the main attraction as well” Said Savi Singh of Starz Entertainment.
“Our commitment to entertain music lovers with the best of Bollywood and Lollywood music will continue unabated. We will bring many more high-end entertainment events of epic proportions to Chicago”, saidBhavesh, Babu, Nick, Mayur, and Savi Singh unanimously. They also thanked media for their support.
“We are promoting our cultural, heritage and generously encourage young generation by giving a platform to Singers and Dancers” said by Nick Patel of LA Tan.
The event was sponsored by leading organizations which include Star Mantra, Suga Builders, Vinak OM, Alpha flight, Shahi Nihari, Ary Digital and many more.
Shalini Saxena compeered the proceedings of the event and added a professional touch to it.
STORY: This ambitious venture has 11 intertwined stories running in the same narrative about a filmmaker K and his many muses.
MOVIE REVIEW: This film can be best described as a bizarre, underwhelming hotch-potch. Though some of these 11 sub-stories do show that rare streak of brilliance, most of them are sheer duds. The common thing binding them all is that they are unmistakably pretentious.
Of the many, it is Pratim D Gupta’s story about a man and a woman living under the same roof at different times and falling in love in a quaint way, which is striking. The old-world charm lies in its wooden almairah, the acoustic guitar and its poetry. None of the other plots quite condense the idea of love so deeply. Though all stories are about unrequited love, this one feels the most complete one of the lot.
The most disappointing one came from Q,who tries his hand at an abstract idea, but his attempt doesn’t translate to good. His plot is sinister, paints a macabre milieu, has his risque quality and yet, the story doesn’t come together.
A film is an amorphous mass and on that count this one doesn’t deliver. Its scattered screenplay makes the subplots feel disjointed. The protagonist K is caricaturish – a restless artist stuck in a creative limbo, narrating his escapades (romantic liaisons and sexcapades).
Since a lot of the film plays out in flashback, the stories often jarringly? overlap. Sometime in middle of all the absurdity playing on screen, the film tells you that every filmmaker has one story that he retells differently each time, which justifies the repetitiveness of the plots.
It is tolerable in parts, sometimes inventive, often mediocre but never half-as-good as it claims to be. As the protagonist shifts between startling you and disgusting you, the leading ladies take the cake. Radhika Apte, Swara Bhaskar and Huma Qureshi are unforgettable.
Avoid, X : Past is Present. It will fail to suit your filmi palettes and make you stay away from biryani for life with a very grotesque reference. You can do without such negativity.
The film is directed by a team of eleven filmmakers including Abhinav Shiv Tiwari, Anu Menon, Nalan Kumarasamy, Hemant Gaba, Pratim D. Gupta, Q, Raja Sen, Rajshree Ojha, Sandeep Mohan, Sudhish Kamath and Suparn Verma.
Actress Soha Ali Khan, whose mother and yesteryear screen icon Sharmila Tagore donned a bikini on-screen in the 1960s, says hitting the gym may not have been a trend back then, but a fit frame has now become essential in the movie industry.
The 37-year-old, who is blessed with a small frame, believes a lot has changed over the decades.
“My mom wore a bikini, but back then nobody went to a gym. It’s good to be fit. You should try to be healthy. If that means to go to the gym, that’s a good thing. You can see in the industry… people are fitter,” Soha, who was in the capital for The Beauty Debate powered by Dove on ‘Evolving ideals of beauty in India‘ at a summit, said.
But she isn’t in favour of abruptly losing weight by relying on supplements just for a song or a scene.
“It should be more about a lifestyle change and not done suddenly,” said the “Mr Joe B. Carvalho” actress, who added that even make-up has evolved in Bollywood.
“Now, we have gone into HD definition. It’s all about looking natural where you can even see skin pores. Now, when you wake up in the morning, it looks like you have just woken up.
“So, people need to understand that in a photo shoot there is a lot of airbrushing… So what is on-screen is not real. What you see on the magazine is not 100 percent real. Everything has been touched up a bit,” she said.Soha also admits that getting ready has now become more
“complicated”.
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who considers Kolkata as her second home, returned to the city today to shoot for her next film, Te3n.
Produced by Sujoy Ghosh, the Hindi film is the first movie for which the doors of the Victorian-era Writers’ Buildings have been opened for shooting.
Balan, 37, was seen shooting with actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui inside the brick-red edifice, where megastar Amitabh Bachchan will also come on Friday to shoot. “I wanted to shoot inside this building for a long time. Now this wish has been fulfilled,” Balan told reporters. Besides Parineeta, the superhit Kahaani was shot in the city.
Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, Te3n will release next year.
Priyanka Chopra is on an unstoppable streak in the America. After her amazing performance in ‘Quantico’, she has been approached to play the lead in biopic on late astronaut Kalpana Chawla, according to media reports.
Currently, Priyanka Chopra is busy with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Bajirao Mastani’ which is slated for a December 18 release and would commit to it once she is back in India from her ‘Quantico’ shoot.
Chawla was the first Indian-American astronaut and first Indian woman in space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. She died on her second expedition in February 2003 along with seven other astronauts in a space shuttle explosion. She invested 31 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in space. She was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by the United States for her exceptional work.
Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962 in Karnal, Haryana. She completed her earlier schooling at Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal and completed her Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering at Punjab Engineering College at Chandigarh in 1982. She moved to the United States in 1982 where she obtained a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. Determined to become an astronaut even in the face of the Challenger disaster, Chawla went on to earn a second Masters in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
NEW DELHI (TIP): Bollywood actor Aamir Khan spoke out earlier this week, at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in New Delhi, against what he described as a rising tide of religious intolerance in India.
Khan said in the event, “(Wife) Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India? That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me.”
“She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet.”
“You feel why this is happening, you feel low. That sense does exist in me.”
Khan meanwhile applauded the number of Indian writers, scientists and filmmakers who have since returned awards bestowed upon them by the country — an act of protest against, as biologist P.M. Bhargava phrased it, “the government’s attack on rationalism.”
“For creative people, to voice what they feel is important. A number of creative people – historians and scientists – have increasingly had a certain feeling that they feel they need to express. One of the ways of expressing their dissatisfaction or disappointment is to return awards.”
He said: “As long as you don’t resort to violence, all individuals have a right to protest and they can protest in any manner they feel is right”.
“This is certainly a way to protest for creative people.”
Earlier this month fellow superstar Shah Rukh Khan also spoke out against what he called “extreme intolerance” in India.
A movement that began with writers returning state awards has spread to scientists, historians and filmmakers. They have cited the killing of rationalists M M Kalburgi and Govind Pansare, as well as the lynching of a man over suspicions he consumed beef, as examples of rising intolerance in the country.
Some excerpts from the interview.
Anant Goenka : Aamir, are you agreeing with the protest or do you think it’s called for… do you think it is premature?
Aamir: Well, I think, if I am not mistaken there are so many people in this room who are much more knowledgeable than me so I am feeling intimidated to speak in front of all of you. But my understanding is that a lot of people from the creative fraternity are protesting because of the growing discomfort they felt or the growing atmosphere of intolerance that they felt around them… growing sense of insecurity and disappointment with that, and as a result that was their way of showing that they are not happy with the situation.
As an individual myself, as a part of the country, as a citizen, we read in newspapers what’s happening and certainly I have also been alarmed. I can’t deny that I am alarmed.. by a number of incidences. For any society it is very important to have a sense of security. I mean there will be acts of violence in world for different reasons. But for us as Indians, as a part of society to have a sense of security… two-three things are very important, I feel. One is sense of justice. If there is a wrong step that anyone takes, then a correct justice is what is required. Common man should feel that justice will be done. That’s what gives a sense of security. The second and very important sense of security is the people who are our elected representatives – people who we select to look after us for five years if at state level or Centre. When people take law in to their hands and when there is a sense of insecurity, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, make strong statements and speed up the legal process to prosecute cases. When we see it happening there is a sense of security but when we don’t see that happening there is a sense of insecurity. So it does not matter who the ruling party is. It’s happened across ages. On television debates, we see where one political party, in this case, the BJP which is ruling right now, is accused of various things. They said, ‘But what happened in 1984?’. But that doesn’t make right what’s happening now. What happened in ‘84 was disastrous and horrendous. At other times also, through ages, whenever there is a violent act, when an innocent person is killed, be it one or a large number, that’s very unfortunate. And these unfortunate moments are the ones when we look towards our leaders to take a strong step. Make statements that are reassuring to the citizens.
The Indian Panorama analyst shares a similar opinion and maintains that the storm over actor Aamir Khan’s statement on ‘rising intolerance’ needs to be understood against the backdrop of the recent political temperature.
There is nothing wrong with what Aamir said, or what his wife asked him, given the nature of divisive politics being played in India, where such issues are drummed up by opposition parties and played down by Government.
The common sentiment within the dissent is a belief that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who leads the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has fostered a climate of discrimination against India’s religious minorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known for his “Hindutuva” ideology and has maintained a studied silence on growing intolerance. His party members have taken his continued silence on the issue as his approval and continue to fuel anti-minority sentiments.
It is a dangerous trend, one which may create an atmosphere of violence which ultimately could destabilize the nation. For a country of 1.25 billion people and their multiple diversities, insecurities and concerns involving caste, religion, and ethnicity, being secular & tolerant needs to be a way of life.
MUMBAI (TIP): Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan revealed that he has been battling with Hepatitis B, a disease that affects the liver, for the last 20 years. The actor said he is surviving only on 25 per cent of his liver today, having lost the rest 75 percent to the deadly virus.
The actor was at the Hepatitis B Awareness Drive launched by Health and Family Welfare Ministry in association with UNICEF.
The UNICEF Celebrity Ambassador said, “Hepatitis B came to me accidentally. After my accident on the sets of Coolie, I was infused with blood of about 200 donors and 60 bottles of blood were injected into my system. The Australian antigen Hepatitis B had only been detected three months ago and it was very new for being detected also among various tests needed to be carried out before giving blood to another patient. One of my blood donors was carrying Hepatitis B virus which went into my system. I continued to function normally till the year 2000 and almost 18 years after the accident, during a very normal medical checkup, I was told that my liver was infected and I had lost 75 per cent of my liver. So, if I am standing here today, you are looking at a person who is surviving with 25 per cent of liver. That is the bad part. The good part is you can survive even with 12%. But no one wants to get to that stage,” said Amitabh Bachchan.
“It has highlighted to me how a small oversight during growing up years can prove to be detrimental to not only one’s own life but also others”, he said.
The actor further added, “Immunization against Hepatitis B is a very personal issue for me, and I am very happy to associate with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UNICEF India. I narrate my story to the Indian population to create awareness about this cause.”
While taking about the healthcare services and the level of Doctors in India, Bachchan said “I went through a medical course and during all my ailments, I relied on medical experts and doctors in my country despite having the means to do go abroad but I had faith in the medical professionals and doctors of India. When we took a second opinion abroad, I found out that whatever diagnosis was commanded to me by Indian doctors was no different from the foreign ones.”
Gerua is the first song from Dilwale that was released on Wednesday, November 18. Shah Rukh and Kajol themselves appeared at Marathi Mandi cinema to launch the song. With embraces, caresses and intense gazes, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol display their love and affection in this love smitten song.
The song gives us a taste of what their upcoming action-romance film Dilwale would be like, with the release of Gerua. The song has been shot at exotic and scenic locations in Iceland. In the more-than-four minute song, Shah Rukh Khan romances Kajol. From hilly areas to snowy grounds, the background is perfect for the song’s theme.
The romantic number is dreamy and beautiful, featuring the lead pair – Shah Rukh and Kajol. With embraces, caresses and intense gazes, they display their love and affection for each other. Shah Rukh Khan looks terrific for a man who just turned 50, while Kajol looks like the ethereal beauty in gorgeous chiffon saris, blowing in the wind.
Talking about the track, Shah Rukh says, “Since Kajol and I are coming back together on-screen after years, Rohit felt that we should try and make Gerua stand out better than all the other songs we have done earlier. We have done many beautiful songs are really fortunate to have done those. But Rohit was very clear and precise about how he would like to shoot this one. He paid attention to every detail starting from choice of location, costumes and every other technicality because it was essential to him.”
Kajol on her part added, “We shot the song in a start to finish schedule of 7 days. We worked really hard and it was severe cold had a great time in all as the song itself is so good that we enjoyed performing. I am sure the audiences will also find it magical once they see it on-screen”.
Gerua has been written by Amitabh Battacharya and composed by Pritam. For the song, Arjit Singh and Antara Mitra lent their voices.
Dilwale has been directed by Rohit Shetty, who has had success with Shah Rukh in their previous venture Chennai Express. The movie also stars Kriti Sanon and Varun Dhawan in prominent roles beside Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha has come a long way in Bollywood and aims to keep her place cemented, as one of the most successful Indian actresses to emerge in recent years. After giving us a string of hits, Sonakshi has flexed her vocal chords to give us all a hit with her upcoming debut single Ishqoholic.
‘Ishqoholic’ is a hip hop youthful number written by Kumaar and composed by Meet Bros. The actress will be collaborating with T-Series for her single and the music video. Bhushan Kumar, head honcho of T-Series who is glad to be associated with Sonakshi’s debut single said, “Sonakshi has a beautiful voice and the song has turned out to be very likeable and easy to hum. I am so glad we got a chance to work on something which binds the world together – music. ‘Ishqoholic’ will make her fans see the unseen, unheard side of her and cherry on the top is that they will hear her rap too. The song will welcome Sonakshi to the music world easily.”
The song will also be accompanied by a music video, which will begin shooting this month. This is what Sinha had to say about it:-
“The video for the song will be shot later this month, by Gifty whom I have worked with on the Desi Kalakaar number along with Yo Yo Honey Singh.”
Bollywood has seen transformations, when Priyanka Chopra delivered a couple of international hits with artists such as Pitbull and Will.i.am. Alia Bhatt and Shraddha Kapoor have also earned accolades and laurels for their ability to hold a note and sing fluently for movies.
WASHINGTON (TIP): “Nazm is gaining ground in Mushaira,” said Javed Akhtar, the famous poet, film lyricist, and screenplay writer, presiding over 41st Annual International mushaira organized by the Aligarh Alumni Association in Washington on November 7, 2015. Nazm, which is a major part of the Urdu poetry normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose style poems, is a significant genre of Urdu poetry. “I was very pleased to see that a number poets have recited magnificent nazms in addition to ghazals and the number of female poets also presented excellent poetry at this mushaira,” he added.
Javed Akhtar recites his poems
Javed Akhtar has recently released a five-volume collection of poetry written by Akhtar’s grandfather Muztar Khairabadi. At the request of audience he described the 10-year journey that culminated in the publication of the, Khirman. He mentioned how the oft-repeated ghazal Na kisi kii ankh ka noor hoon, na kissi ke dil ka qarar hoon/Jo kisi ke kaam na aa sake main woh ek musht-e-ghubar hoon, ascribed to Bahadur Shah Zafar was actually written by Muztar. He elaborated that eminent literary critics such as Niyaz Fatehpuri, Ale Ahmad Suroor and Gopichand Narang had long argued that this verse was not found in Zafar’s complete works published in 1887 by the Nawal Kishore Press, and was definitely Muztar’s. The discovery of this ghazal, written in Muztar’s own handwriting and carrying his takhallus (pen name) Muztar, finally puts to rest any doubt about these much-quoted and often-sung verses, wrongly said to portray Zafar’s anguish when he was exiled from Hindustan to Rangoon. Another testimony, more by way of criticism of the ghazal’s weakness but nevertheless an acknowledgement of its authorship by Muztar, comes from a contemporary, Shah Muhammad Mumtaz Ali ‘Aah’ in 1928-barely a year after Muztar’s death.
Akhtar received thunderous applause when he recited his nazm, yeh khail kiya hai. At the request of the audience he also recited Woh Kamra and Waqt.
Welcoming the audience, Association’s President Farzana Farooqi briefly apprised the gathering about the activities of the Association. She informed that the Association had been in the forefront of organizing high-quality literary and cultural activities for the last 40+ years. It was this Association, which started the tradition of international mushaira in North America. Her speech was followed by rendition of Aligarh University Tarana, Yeh Mera Chaman Hai, which was written by Akhtar’s maternal uncle Majaz Lakhnawi. More than 600 Urdu-lovers that included diverse sections of the Indo-Pak community came to this event that was held at a newly-constructed spacious Gaithersburg High School, Gaithersburg, Maryland, a venue well suited to a grand literary environment.
The Mushaira was skillfully moderated by Dr. A. Abdullah, whose golden touch has been a key factor in making the ambience and effect of these mushairas memorable. Dr. Abdullah said that with a modest beginning of poetry recitation by a few Urdu lovers in 1975, the Mushaira has now entered in 5th decade. “Forty years of untiring efforts by the Washington Aligarh Alumni Association and support of the community, this Mushaira is now the expression of common heritage of all Urdu lovers in this area. It has become a reference for the introduction of Washington in the Urdu world. To preserve this history and the prestige of this Mushaira is responsibility of every one,” he added.
Dr. Mohammad Akbar thanked all the poets, guests, and audience for their continued support. He also acknowledged the hard work of volunteers.
In addition to Javed Akhtar twelve poets recited their kalam in their own unique style. Other well-recognized poets included Lata Haya and A. M. Turaz (India), Seema Ghazal and Sarwat Zehra (Pakistan). The local poets from USA, who also recited their kalam (poetry) were Abdullah, Akram Mahmood, Hana Khan, Khalid Irfan, Razi Raziuddin, and Sabiha Saba.
Javed Akhtar
Dr. A. Abdullah. Also seen at right is Javed Akhtar
Lata Haya
Sarvat Zehra
Seema Ghazal
Khalid
Samples of poetry of some poets are as follows:
Lata Haya- Hindi ki beti jise Urdu ne paala hai-a popular poet from Rajhasthan said:
Main ke aurat hoon, meri sharm hai mera zevar; bas Takkhallus isi bais to “Haya” Rakha hai
She was applauded for her poem about Urdu. She also brought the emotions of the audience to a high pitch with her soulful recitation of a poem she had written five days after her mother’s death.
Woh zid, woh shararat aur akarpan chala gaya; Maa jab chali gaee, mera bachpan chala gaya
Incidentally, Dr. Abdullah’s mother had also passed away five days before the mushaira and this poem brought tears in his eyes and many in the audience were also affected.
Dr. Abdullah, who was moderating the mushaira brought in the humorous poet Khalid Irfan of New York to the podium to change the somber mood. Khalid charmed the audience with his sophisticated jibes on the religious and political leaders and ongoing skirmishes between the neighboring countries-India and Pakistan.
Paijamo ka design ko badal daala to kiya gham hai; Hamari beewion ke gharare to eik jaise hain
Pareshan haal hai public magar donon muulkon ke; Meerasi, cricketer aur filmi sitare to eik jaise hain
Expressing his appreciation of Aligarh Alumni Association’s dedication of more than four decades to promoting Urdu in North America, Khalid said that Association’s contribution will be written in golden words in history.
Dr. Sabiha Saba, a neurobiologist by profession, congratulated the Association for providing top-class mushaira every year. She also expressed her gratitude by acknowledging the Association for establishing her in poetry and literature. She recited a few poems. A sample is given below.
Awwal-e-ishq ki who beytabi Kaisi manzil se hum guzar aaye Aap aaeN to phi Saba mahke Mahfil-e-bey baar meiN samara aye Turaz-a young Bollywood poet delighted the audience with dramatized presentation of his poetry. His rendering of poetry reminded the audiences that poetry reading was once a performing art as well. It was his participation in Washington mushaira and he was very impressed with the standard of mushaira and audience.
Akram Mahmood’s poetry expresses concerns of present day trials and tribulations, especially those encountered by immigrants.
Yeh hijr-e-musalsal ka wazeefa hai meri jaan Ek tark-e-sukoonat hi to hijrat nahin hoti.
Sarwat Zehra is a medical doctor by profession and has been writing ghazal, geet, and nazm. She is a rising female poet belonging to Fahmida Riaz’s school of thought expressing concerns of women.
Bint-e-Hawwua hoon main, yeh mera jurm hai Aur phir shaiyri to kara jurm hai.
Main tamasha nahin apna izhaar hoon Jaanti hoon mera bolna jurm hai
A number of people from the audience expressed their thanks to the Association for organizing this excellent mushaira. Mr. Kaleem Kawaja-a senior community leader-expressed his views as follows, “In the last about ten years some other Urdu wala groups have held mushairas in Washington and elsewhere in United States and Canada, but almost none of them have been able to develop the aura, flavor and reputation of Asli Aligarh Mushaira. Go to any other mushaira in Washington or other cities in US and you will hear people comparing them to the Washington Aligarh Mushaira.” Youn to hotey hain mushaerey aksar; laikin Aligarh Association key mushairey kaa haiy andaaz kutch aur, he added.
Dr. Moazzam Siddiqi-a prominent literary person and former Chief of Near-Eastern Languages at Voice of America said that Mushaira organizers deserve credit for inviting participation of more female poets. Most of them very enthusiastic and presented quality poetry. Historically, poetry recitation used to be more of a performing art and Lata Haya and Turaz enthralled the audience by presenting their poetry in that old style.
Dr. Renuka Misra-International Coordinator of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) said that she has been associated with the Aligarh mushaira religiously since she arrived in Washington more than two decades ago. It is a real pleasure to see that the standard of mushaira has been increasing. It was real treat to see more female poets’ participation in this year’s mushaira. I feel that that there should have been more time provided for Lata Haya and Turaz.
Mr. Bharat Bhargava-a retired Senior Executive of the World Bank said that it was one of the most successful Mushairas ever. Every poet came participated with vigor and kept the audience engaged. The organizers did an incredible job and Dr. Abdullah was as usual amazing.
Mr. Naimullah Qazi-a senior community member wrote: This year’s mushaira was very good. Audience enjoyed it fully. Everyone appreciated the way it was conducted. Poets were also very comfortable with Washington Audience.
Professor Dr. Maina Singh, wife of India’s Ambassador in Washington and a literary personality was accompanied by Mr. Shiv Rattan, Counsellor Community Affairs. Embassy of Pakistan was represented by Mr. Nadeem Hotiana, Minister for Press. Notable personalities included presidents and office bearers of community organizations such as the Association of Indian Muslims (AIMS), the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Washington Hyderabad Association (HAWAMA), Hindi Association, India Cultural Coordination Committee (ICCC), and the University of Karachi Alumni Association (UKAA).
Actress Sonam Kapoor says the makers of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo had to explain to her that the film’s collections were good since she is clueless about the mathematics behind box-office numbers.
“I don’t understand numbers. I just don’t get how it works. I used to receive a call from Fox (co-producer) every day about the collections and I would say ‘Is it good or bad?’ and they would say, ‘It’s a very good news’. This film has made those kind of numbers, so obviously many people have watched the film,” Sonam said at a press meet for Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, where Salman Khan and director Sooraj Barjatya were also present.
Sonam’s dance in the title track has been extremely popular, with numerous videos by celebrities such as Richa Chaddha, ‘Munni’ Harshaali Malhotra and even the Dilwale team dancing to her steps in them, which acted as a promotional tool for the film.
“Everybody is congratulating me. What I love is that I’m getting calls and messages from people who’ve never messaged or called in my life. And it’s people not from the industry. I’ve been getting a lot of calls from Indians abroad who’re watching the film and missing home so much. For me, that is the best thing, when something affects you emotionally in the best way,” she said.
Sonam recently became a victim of trolls on the social media for her
‘misogynistic’ remark on the meat ban in Mumbai. But there no trolls for her performance in the film.
Salman Khan and Sooraj Barjatya’s muchawaited Diwali release, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, has not only broken the first day collection record of Happy New Year, which was last year’s Diwali release, but has also emerged as the highest single day grosser of all time.
Story: Prem Dilwale, Ayodhya’s Ram Leela artist, admires Princess Maithili (Sonam) and her charitable work. Prem decides to meet Maithili at the coronation of her fiance Prince Vijay (Salman) in Pritampur. But Vijay’s fallen prey to a conspiracy by his wicked brother Ajay (Neil) and relative Chirag (Armaan). As Vijay suffers their violent assault, Pritampur’s Diwan (Anupam) asks Prem to play Vijay’s part and protect Maithili.
This film is Salman Khan’s triumph. He simply blows the top off the theatres with a double role that makes you laugh, gasp, sigh and cry. Salman performs with superb finesse. His Vijay is tense, terse and taut, radiating machismo but no gentleness, loneliness with kingsized ego. His Prem is luminous with life. The acting is ace this year is Salman’s finest yet in cinematic grace.
Sonam carries off her princess beautifully with a free, passionate soul. Deepak Dobriyal delights as Prem’s sidekick Kanhaiya, Armaan works a violent swagger well while Neil sulks as a sour prince whose gimlet has way too much lime. Playing bitter sisters, Swara and Aashika have one of the film’s sweetest moments with a brother who stops being a royal pain.
MUMBAI: Pakistani actor Fawad Khan has invited Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan to visit Pakistan.
Speaking at a charity event, Fawad Khan said that SRK is a good friend of his and that he would be inviting him to his hometown, Peshawar.
Well, we can only wait and see if SRK accepts the invitation. Shah Rukh Khan has not announced his decision yet.
The Pakistani-born actor made the offer to Shah Rukh Khan after leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and extremist organization Shiv Sena accused the Bollywood star of being a “Pakistani agent”.
King Khan had also said that he will not hesitate to return his Padma Shri award as a sign of protest over the rising cases of intolerance in India.
Pakistani artistes Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Ghulam Ali were recently targeted by the Shiv Sena.
STORY: Few mysterious killings lead the cops to a drug deal gone awry. The only way for the investigative officer (Naseeruddin Shah) to nab the culprits is by examining a found footage featuring those dead, shot days before the event.
MOVIE REVIEW: The video replays the incidents as they happened. As things begin to unfold, the cops realise there’s more to the aforesaid crime than meets the eye. They trace down a witness, who can solve the jigsaw puzzle but he fabricates his story. Who is the mastermind? Though the ‘whodunit thriller’ manages to hold your attention, solely for maintaining the suspense quotient, various factors go against it. For instance, non-linear narration, found-footage photography and inconsequential banter among the youngsters. Also too many characters make the plot convoluted.
While a twist in the tale adds to the fun, excess of it, makes the film look tedious and far-fetched. While deceitful confessions and shocking revelations keep the tension mounting, an overdose of it kills the joy.
Naseeruddin’s Shah clever (as always) acting, ably supported by Amit Sial and Anand Tiwari, makes this crime mystery gripping, despite the flaws. If you can keep a tab on the multiple characters and their ulterior motives, this one is quite unpredictable and keeps you guessing.
A big delivery of ‘charlie’ is hijacked, and the ‘bhai-log’ behind it want their ‘powder’ and the people whodunit. Naseer plays the investigating cop, as he and his colleagues sift through some incriminating ‘found footage’ of a bunch of young people (Tiwari, Sial, Rachh, Arora and co) sniping at each other in some kind of an underground den with graffiti scrawled on it, and bodies sprawled in it.
The film swings rapidly between the mobsters and the guys and gals being targeted by them, as well as the cops trying to unravel the mystery. Equally rapidly, you stop taking any of it seriously because the characters are busy acting away: even Anand Tiwari, who’s usually reliable, is reduced to mouthing lines, and Sial, who was so effective in ‘Titli’, becomes a blur of mannerisms.
Matching the general tone, Naseer vamps away happily, nodding sagely and blowing smoke rings. He gets to be massaged by a luscious half-naked lovely, and spout some hilarious lines. One of them turns out to describe the film perfectly : ‘poori ki poori film chhod gaye hain, phir bhi samajh mein nahin aa raha kahaani kya hai.”
They lit up sparklers with childlike joy, added colour to a rangoli, tried their luck at cards and gorged on food — Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone were in a festive and playful mood for Diwali.
The Tamasha actors were in the capital on the eve of Diwali on Tuesday night to celebrate an evening of fun, frolic and festivity with select mediapersons. Deepika looked elegant in a beige and red sari by designer Payal Jain, while Ranbir sported a dashing look in a maroon kurta pyjama with a black printed Nehru jacket by Rohit Bal.
They looked relaxed and were all smiles to light up diyas and ‘phool jhadis’; tried their luck at a game of cards and wished everyone a happy and prosperous Diwali. On Diwali day, Deepika said she will be with her family members in Bengaluru, and then be back in Mumbai in time to attend the annual party hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
Ranbir too is excited about the festival, and said he would follow his family’s annual customs which involves going to the R.K. Studios and conducting a puja. He too will attend Big B’s bash at night.
The actors are caught in the midst of promoting their forthcoming film Tamasha, directed by Imtiaz Ali. Interestingly, despite their split, the off screen chemistry between Deepika and Ranbir continues to be as amazing as their on screen camaraderie.
Her personal life is always under public scrutiny, be it her relationship status or marriage plans, but actress Anushka Sharma says she doesn’t like to open up about her personal life and “nosy questions” irk her.
During a live Twitter chat session, when one Twitter user asked the actress about “one question you are tired answering in interviews”, she said she doesn’t like to be snooped around.
The PK actress posted: “Don’t like nosy questions about personal life #6MillionAnushkaholics”.
Recently, the actress had to release a statement to clarify that there’s no truth to news stories surrounding her
“impending marriage” as she is in a happy place professionally. It was reported that she was planning to get married to India cricketer Virat Kohli. The actress, who is busy shooting for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, also shared that NH 10 was the toughest movie of her career.
She posted: “But it was equally rewarding too because of the appreciation it received from you guys.” It has been a mixed year for Anushka, who faced failure with Bombay Velvet and success with Dil Dhadakne Do. And the actress says she doesn’t regret doing any of the films in her career.
“In life I only do things if I’m completely sure. Proud of all my films. taught me a lot,” Anushka said.
Nov 07: Bollywood actor Anupam Kher today led a march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to counter the protests by writers, artistes and others against “rising intolerance”,voicing concern over the “wrong projection” of India by those returning their awards.
The protest was a counter protest against a host of writers, scientists, historians and filmmakers who have raised their voices against what they call “rising intolerance” under the BJP-led government, and have returned various government awards and honours.
Kher, director Madhur Bhandarkar and painter Vasudev Kamath were among 11 members who handed over a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee.
The memorandum is signed by 90personalities, including Kamal Haasan, Shekhar Kapur, Vidya Balan, Raveena Tandon and Vivek Oberoi besides, authors, former judges and musicians.
“Any brutal killing is condemnable. We strongly condemn it and expect swift justice. But if it is used by some people to attempt to defame India at the international platform, then we should be worried,” Kher said while reading out their letterto the President.
The actor said the protests, which began with writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards, shows that rather thanaddressing their concerns through their respective fields, these people are using media to “hurt the spirit of India”.
Taking a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Mr Kher said, “The leader that opposition party is trying to project does not inspire me. He reads out from prepared statements. Our former PM also used to do the same. The passion with which PM Modi talks about India at international platforms, no other PM has ever done that. No other PM has also visited Kashmir so many times. So, why shouldn’t I respect him?”
Kher said no one has the right to call India intolerantand there is no country in the world, which is more tolerantthan India.
The poster of Sunny Leone’s much talked-about upcoming adult comedy, Mastizaade, is finally out and is piping hot.
The Ek Paheli Leela actress has a double role in the film. While on one hand, she plays the bespectacled Lily who drives men silly, on the other hand, she is the hottie, Laila, who is every Majnu’s dream girl. Starring Vir Das as Aditya Chotia and Tusshar Kapoor as Sunny Kele, the film was stuck at the Censor Board for six months due to its suggestive content.
Directed by Milap Zaveri and produced by Pritish Nandy and Rangita Nandy, Mastizaade is set to release on December 4.
Applauded for doing movies centred around the fairer sex, like Kahaani and The Dirty Picture, actress Vidya Balan feels there is no harm in pronouncing films as ‘women-centric’.
“It’s been the norm, every film is male-centric… The identity of the character is missing, vague. When we see film with woman in the lead, it is a woman-centric film. I think there is no harm in pronouncing films as women-centric.
“At this point of time we need it, may be after sometime we won’t need it,” Vidya said on the sidelines of MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival here. Actress Kangana Ranaut, however, thinks it is not about male or female centric films, it is about characters.
“I think it is not about male or female centric films but about the character one plays on screen. The characters are remembered,” she said. The two actresses were speaking at a session on ‘Women in Films’ at MAMI festival, where veteran actress Shabana Azmi and director Kiran Rao were also present.
Complimenting the work done by Vidya and Kangana, Shabana said,
STORY: Guddu (Kunal Kemmu), a Bihari salesman based in Kolkata, makes out with lonely housewives for fun. His interest in women is limited to physical intimacy. This hurts ‘bholi’ (Aparna Sharma), a wannabe ramp model, whose value system shuttles between puja ki thali and bikini blouses. Guddu’s pleasure-seeking lifestyle comes to a screeching halt, when he wakes up to a rude shock one day.
MOVIE REVIEW: Bholi’s grandfather curses the womaniser, rather his ‘gun’, turning it to gold. In order to break the curse, Guddu must find true love and marry her. The hero runs from pillar to post, to find the love of his life. Enters a geeky plain Jane (Payel Sarkar, with a Gracy Singh hangover) the only ‘unattractive’ solution to his problem.
Helping him in the process is a loyal friend/ sidekick (Sumeet Vyas). The duo must dodge the greedy (sexy nurse, silly doctor, sillier don and an anxiety-ridden Bengali man) who are after the gold. Does he succeed?
The film can give terrible sex comedies a run for their money. Kunal Kemmu tries his best to make this dickfest watchable but it’s outright repulsive. Strangely, not because it revolves around a male organ turning into gold but because the film has no substance or humour whatsoever. Your heart goes out to Kunal. The man has a good comic timing (Golmaal, Go Goa Gone) but the film lets him down. He still shows what he’s capable of in probably the only funny scene of the film, which falls towards the end. Kunal sneaks into a historic play dressed as Shah Jahan. When expected to speak Urdu for it, he mumbles, “Dialogues Gulzar sahab ne likhe hai shayad.”
Overall, this supposed adult comedy makes you squirm in your seat with its foolishness.
Celebrating his 50th birthday, Shah Rukh commented on the growing intolerance & returning of awards in an interview to NDTV & India Today.
“There is intolerance, there is extreme intolerance… there is I think… there is growing intolerance,” said Shah Rukh Khan. “It is stupid… It is stupid to be intolerant and this is our biggest issue not just an issue…Religious intolerance and not being secular in this country is the worst kind of crime that you can do as a patriot,” he added.
“If there is intolerance to creativity, intolerance through religion, we are taking away every step that the nation is taking forward,” he added.
When asked to Shah Rukh Khan about his take on “Go back to Pakistan” comments in the past, he replied “nobody has more right to live in this country than me, and I am not going to leave,” he said.
His comments saw him being targeted by BJP & VHP politicians in the most outrageous manner. Some of the bizarre comments have been ridiculed by the masses, who took to the social media to express their disgust, thereby supporting SRK.
Senior BJP leader, Kailash Vijayvargiya, tweeted “Shah Rukh Khan lives in India, but his heart is in Pakistan. His films make crores here but he finds India intolerant.”
“If this is not anti-nationalist, then what is it? India is making a bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations and all the anti-Indian forces including Pakistan are creating a conspiracy,” he said. The BJP leader alleged that the attempt to create an “environment of intolerance” in the country is part of the conspiracy.
“Today when the entire world is respecting India, talking about increase in intolerance makes the country weak in front of the world” & “Shahrukh’s comment about intolerance points that he is matching the tunes with Pakistan and anti-Indian forces,” Vijayvargiya added.
Severe criticism- including from within BJP – forced Vijayvargiya to retract his tweets.
After Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath compared SRK’s ‘language’ with that of the 26/11 plotter Hafiz Saeed.
‘Under the garb of secularism, some writers and artists of leftist mindset have joined anti-national elements. The voices are not anti-BJP but anti-national. Unfortunately, Shah Rukh Khan has also joined the bogey,” he said.
“They (writers & artists) are speaking the language of terror. I think, there is no difference in the language of Shah Rukh Khan and Hafiz Saeed,” Adityanath said.
BJP lawmaker Meenakshi Lekhi claimed the Bollywood star had aired such views following an “Enforcement Directorate notice” even as her party distanced itself from similar comments by another lawmaker, Yogi Adityanath.
“I want the world to know that he (Shah Rukh) received an ED notice on October 26 and India became intolerant on the 1st or 2nd of November,” she said on the sidelines of an event.
The BJP lawmaker also said, “And, when it comes to intolerance, then probably they are those illiterate people who do not know what the history of the country had been under Congress rule.”
VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi triggered another controversy by calling actor Shah Rukh Khan a “Pakistani agent” for his remarks on “intolerance” on Monday.
“By talking about returning the awards (including Padma Shri) he has committed treason. He should be punished for this. Not only Shah Rukh Khan, but all those who have returned their awards should be tried for treason,” said Sadhvi Prachi.
She also slammed the actor for saying that religious intolerance in the country won’t let it become a superpower. She said that for his statement, SRK should be charged with sedition and sent to Pakistan.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is a worried man. Despite all the success he has achieved in the film industry and despite the huge fan following, the impending verdict of his court cases is always at the back of his mind.
“What is going to happen to the verdicts. If you add five…five years it comes to 10-15 years. That is a big worry on my parents head…my head. It is a big one. It is not in magistrate court… it is in high court. Whatever will be my life’s journey after that… will take it,” Khan said in an interview.
“After doing all this you have to do comedy, do ‘Bigg Boss’ but at the same time a sword is hanging on your head, you see parents reacting, and what they are going through,” he added.
According to the 49-year-old actor, his work cannot save him from the verdict. “The beauty of my job is no matter how much ever good you do, people are insensitive… romancing Sonam, dancing with Jacqueline, going to Poland shooting, earning Rs 600 crore… but they don’t know how much we have (on our plate)… They say he has a case on him but he is enjoying.
Why Salman Khan won’t Marry?
In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, when asked to comment on the rumours of his alleged engagement with Lulia Vantur, Salman said, “There is a lot of buzz about a lot of things about me, which is never true. Yes, I read what is written, hear what is said, and my right answer to your question would be that I am indifferent to all of it. The small things don’t bother me at all, but they bother my parents. And that really bothers me,” he says, continuing, “If they didn’t care about all this nautanki giri, if the judges and public prosecutors laughed off everything that’s written about me, it wouldn’t bother me at all. Sahi jawaab na?” he smirks.
“I think everyone has their own journey, their own realisation. I deal with my demons and everyone has to deal with theirs,” he says. He further elaborates, “All this nautanki leads to fiveyear-long jail terms and I have to go to work with that sword hanging over my head and be Prem, where I am beautiful and pure. But actually I have 50, 000 things on my mind. My mother’s not keeping well, my dad undergoes a surgery, it’s difficult work my dear,” Salman sighs, adding, “The more you deal with your problems without making a big deal of them, the more people point fingers at you and say, “Yeh dekho court cases hai, lekin isko farak hi nahi padta.”
Salman Khan, who is known to be the ultimate bachelor of Bollywood and has been in several relationships in the past, has confessed in a Mumbai Mirror interview that he doesn’t believe in love.
The actor said, “I don’t believe in love. There’s like, care, respect, but that’s not love. Love is what attracts you to someone even if he’s not nice. For me the word is need, but very few people have the same amount of need for each other. One day you’re chasing the person you need to be with, even if he she doesn’t feel the same way. Aap samajh rahi hain? Then pffft, you no longer feel the same way and the other person is like, “What did I do?” The Kick actor, who has recently been talking a lot about marriage reveals that he has just been joking, “That’s just a joke. Today, I say I’m open to an arranged marriage, tomorrow it’s a love marriage and on the third no marriage. It’s not on my agenda, if it has to happen, it will,” Salman concluded.
According to a report on IANS, the actor was posed with a choice between seeing himself getting married in 2015 or starring in a film along with Shah Rukh and Aamir Khan. The actor chose the former over the latter. The report also quotes the actor as saying that he would rather see himself getting married than seeing the three Khans doing a film together.
Salman’s Legal Woes
Khan is presently undergoing trial in the 2002 hit-and-run case in Mumbai. The actor was convicted on charges of culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, in the case on May 6. His white Toyota Landcruiser ran over the men who were sleeping on pavement in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one and injuring four others.
Two more cases are pending against him in Jodhpur, one is under arms act for illegal arms possession and the other under the wildlife protection act for poaching blackbucks.
Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting the blackbuck, an endangered species on 17 February 2006. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal. He was handed a five-year jail term and remanded to Jodhpur jail for three days on 10 April, 2006. He was granted bail in the case.
Rajasthan high court had finalised charges against Khan and his other colleagues in the case paving the way for start of the trial on 24 July, 2012. And in July this year, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the actor on Rajasthan government’s plea challenging the HC order suspending his conviction.
“We will see the prayers, wishes. It is for people who believe in prayers. Yes I do (believe in prayers)… lot of people do believe and there are others who do not believe it. And those who have powers do not believe,” Khan said when asked if he believes in prayers and good wishes.
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Like the protagonists, all of us know what it is to be tied down and not do what our hearts long. But the route Tamasha takes is long-winded and plain boring at times.
The 37-year-old, who is blessed with a small frame, believes a lot has changed over the decades.
Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962 in Karnal, 
Akhtar received thunderous applause when he recited his nazm, yeh khail kiya hai. At the request of the audience he also recited Woh Kamra and Waqt.
Actress Sonam Kapoor says the makers of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo had to explain to her that the film’s collections were good since she is clueless about the mathematics behind box-office numbers.
Story: Prem Dilwale, Ayodhya’s Ram Leela artist, admires Princess Maithili (Sonam) and her charitable work. Prem decides to meet Maithili at the coronation of her fiance Prince Vijay (Salman) in Pritampur. But Vijay’s fallen prey to a conspiracy by his wicked brother Ajay (Neil) and relative Chirag (Armaan). As Vijay suffers their violent assault, Pritampur’s Diwan (Anupam) asks Prem to play Vijay’s part and protect Maithili.
STORY: Guddu (Kunal Kemmu), a Bihari salesman based in Kolkata, makes out with lonely housewives for fun. His interest in women is limited to physical intimacy. This hurts ‘bholi’ (Aparna Sharma), a wannabe ramp model, whose value system shuttles between puja ki thali and bikini blouses. Guddu’s pleasure-seeking lifestyle comes to a screeching halt, when he wakes up to a rude shock one day.
