The Asian News Blog

BOLLYWOOD Badshah Shah Rukh Khan is celebrating his 44th birthday today.
According to Indian press, the star who told reporters he still feels 25, is celebrating the day with his wife, Gauri, two children and friend Karan Johar in Mumbai.

The actor, who began his career on the small screen with serial Fauji and has had some number one blockbusters including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhie Kushi Kabhi Gham and Veer Zaara, has come a long way to become one of the greatest entertainers in the Mumbai film industry with millions of fans all over the world, many who have flooded the internet with birthday wishes.
One fan from Australian has been gifting SRK a piece of land on the moon every year on his birthday and this year was no exception.
Shah Rukh Khan’s latest movie starring alongside Kajol, ‘My Name is Khan’ is set for a Valentines Day release next year.
The movie, which will see Khan and Kajol relive their on-screen chemistry after eight years is directed by Karan Johar.

While the world waits with bated breath to find out the winner of the popular title of Sa Re Ga Ma Little Champs (on Zee TV), the team of London Dreams, going the whole hog on the film’s marketing, is gearing up to make it an event to remember!
Salman Khan, Asin and director Vipul Shah will be present at the grand finale on Saturday 24th October to bless the contestants.
The much talked about show will see its entertaining culmination in a larger than life LIVE telecast from the historic India Gate in Delhi.
Not only will two of the stars of London Dreams interact with the contestants but are likely to perform impromptu to their hit track Mann Ko Ati Bhaave from the same film.
Commenting on the association, Vipul Shah said: “Sa Re Ga Ma Little Champs is an immensely popular show and showcases rare talent. What can be a better opportunity for the kids to meet Salman Khan.
“Salman is very excited at the prospect of being on the show and having fun and interacting with his fans and audience! Watch out for some great action from the team at the grand finale!”
The show will be beamed LIVE to all the international countries where Zee is present. London Dreams is releasing theatrically in the US on 30th October and in the UK and UAE on 29th October by Indian Films-Studio 18.

The Khanabadosh track in London Dreams composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and written by Prasoon Joshi has sparked off major curiosity about the word – Khanabadosh!
Ever since the number (picturised on Ajay Devgn, Asin, Rannvijay Singh and Aditya Roy Kapoor) first airplayed, people have been trying to figure the meaning, language and etymology of the word!

Vipul Shah reveals, “It’s a Persian word, which means gypsy or nomad. It goes perfectly with the mood and context of the situation.
“Ajay and Salman’s characters have come to the UK from Punjab to carve their destinies on the music scene. Rannvijay and Aditya’s characters have come from Pakistan to pursue their dreams. So it is an ideal representation of their state of mind and living.”
He adds, “When Prasoon (Joshi) suggested the word Khanabadosh I found it extremely interesting and unusual. I asked him to give me time to sleep over it and to get used to it. After a while I loved it.”
London Dreams is in cinemas in the UK & UAE on Thursday 29th October and in the US on Friday 30th October. It is an Indian Films – Studio 18 release.

Not many will be aware that filmmaker Raj Kumar Santoshi was about to manage the formidable coup of getting Aamir Khan & Shah Rukh Khan together on the big screen together for the first time in London Dreams.
At that point, it was to be titled Rashque (’jealousy’ in Urdu), which is the film’s underlying sentiment. The two stars are said to have even attended joint narrations.
Both the actors loved the script and wanted to sleep over it before committing themselves. Santoshi is rumoured to have pursued the two superstars relentlessly and even chased alternatives like Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, before giving up when the casting did not fructify.
As destiny would have it, Salman Khan took London Dreams to filmmaker Vipul A. Shah, who started afresh on the script.
The former automatically stepped into Aamir’s shoes while Ajay Devgn was roped in by Shah to step into Shah Rukh’s.
It became another historic coup of sorts as the two stars reunited ten years after featuring together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s smash hit, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
London Dreams releases worldwide on October 30 and is being marketed and distributed internationally by Studio 18.

BOTH Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn have their individual movie releases in the coming weeks but Vipul Shah’s London Dreams will see the two stars reuniting on the big screen after a decade!

Last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s smash hit Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999, Ajay and Salman never got cast together untill London Dreams, in which they play music aficionados in a London-based rock band.
Said Vipul: “I never cast them because I wanted to repeat the Hum Dil… magic. In fact it didn’t even occur to me that the two hadn’t been together in a film since.
“I wanted Ajay for his intensity and Salman for his madness and after I cast them someone pointed out the casting coup of sorts!
“In fact, not many know that Salman and Ajay are great friends in real life and have immense respect for each other. They aren’t very overt about it but they share amazing vibes and that will be visible on screen in London Dreams.”
Ajay bagged Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil…, let’s see who gets lucky with Asin in London Dreams!

SISTERS Karisma and Kareena Kapoor plan to open a series of yoga centres in India.
The pair, who are have a passion for keeping fit, are still looking at venues to start their new venture. They hope to recruit well-qualified instructors and add world class facilities to their centres.
The sisters are huge fans of yoga with Kareena big on power yoga saying it helps keep her body and mind in “perfect harmony”.
Kareena and Karisma have both kept in good shape. Whilst mum-of-one Karisma has kept fit, Kareena’s size-zero figure earlier this year won both praise and criticism from fans and the industry. But she has since put on a few pounds and looks great as ever.

BOLLYWOOD has been long known to get ‘inspiration’ from Hollywood blockbusters, but they may have to think twice now.
For the first time, a Bollywood producer has been forced to pay for plagiarising a Hollywood hit.
Twentieth Century Fox took the Mumbai-based BR Films to court, alleging that the Indian company’s forthcoming Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai (This Guy is Fearless) starring Govinda and Lara Dutta, was an illegal remake of the American studio’s Oscar-winning crime caper My Cousin Vinny.
BR Films agreed to pay Twentieth Century Fox, about $200,000 (£119,000) in an out-of-court settlement.
In the past, Bollywood has received flak for its ‘inspired’ films.
Everything from The Godfather (Sarkar), Hitch (Partner), The Departed (Train), Nine Months (Salaam Namaste), What Lies Beneath (Raaz) has been given a Bollywood touch but a formal suit for plagiarism was never filed by anyone.
The settlement could now pave the way for others to seek legal action in the future.

Noted director duo Abbas-Mustan and Studio 18, co-producers of the forthcoming Life Partner, along with director Rumi Jaffery, celebrated Genelia D’Souza’s birthday at Mehboob Studio in Mumbai.

Genelia, whose previous film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, was a smash hit, features opposite Fardeen Khan in Life Partner, which releases next week. The film also stars Govinda, Tusshar Kapoor, Prachi Desai (Rock On) and Amrita Rao.
Incidentally, in November last year, Abbas-Mustan also celebrated Tusshar’s birthday in Cape Town (South Africa) while shooting for Life Partner. They booked an entire nightclub for the film’s cast and crew who made merry till the crack of dawn, so much so that the shoot had to be delayed by a couple of hours the following day.

FARDEEN Khan has taken the title of his forthcoming romantic comedy, Life Partner, quite seriously.
While the Abbas-Mustan/Studio 18 co-production releases worldwide next week, Fardeen airdashed to London last week to spend time with his real life partner, Natasha, and enjoy a quiet holiday with her.

Remarked a source, “Fardeen hadn’t seen his wife for over two and a half months as he has been shooting non-stop in Goa for Ajay Devgan’s home production. He has been missing her. Also, the unfortunate demise of his father has deeply affected him. He needed to escape from Mumbai and unwind.”
Natasha Madhvani is the daughter of London-based businessman Mayur and yesteryear’s actress Mumtaz. Natasha and Fardeen have been friends since childhood.
The couple will return to Mumbai in the week of release of Life Partner.

While Salim-Suleiman’s soundtrack of the Soham Shah-directed Luck has scored fabulous reviews for hit tracks like Jee Le and Khuda Ya Veh, people were surprised that the background score of Luck has been credited to the well-known Amar Mohile.
After all, Salim-Suleiman have always scored the background music of all the films for which they have composed the main soundtrack.
Luck happens to be the first film for which they have not scored the background and there were unconfirmed reports that the composer duo were not pleased with the situation.
However, Salim Merchant clarified, “We were tied up with a number of assignments and couldn’t find the time to do the background. It was unfortunate that we had to let go especially given that we had done Soham’s Kaal earlier.”
Says Soham, “Amar Mohile’s background music is the highlight of the film. Amar is one of the behind-the-scenes heroes of Luck. I’m happy with my decision to use Amar.”
Luck releases worldwide on Friday 24th July by Studio 18.