Sanjay Dutt signs Rs. 20 crore deal!

Multi-crore deals are ‘in’ these days and almost every notable production house is into signing actors/directors for multi-film assignments.


The latest khabar is, Sanjay Dutt has inked a 3-film deal with producer-friend Bunty Walia. The films are 'Lamhaa', to be directed by Rahul Dholakia, 'Just Punjabi', to be directed by producer turned director Jaspreet Singh Walia and 'Gangs of London', to be directed by ad film maker Shamin Desai. The three films will go on floors between 2008 – 2010. Reportedly, Dutt will be paid Rs. 20 crores + for this 3-film deal.

“The amount is undisclosable,” Bunty Walia informs me. Meanwhile, the balance star cast is under finalization.

I don't think I'll look older than Shahid: Vidya

One cannot even imagine seeing Shahrukh khan sitting idle. Believe it or not, King Khan is jobless recent times. After the grand success of his movie Chak De India where he played the Hockey Coach of Indian Women's Hockey team, the actor is waiting for the release of Om Shakti Om which is set to release this year.

Though he is working on some other movies too but he is not very sure about their release dates. It happens sometimes Shahrukh..

Good Luck !!


- Bollywood Gossips

Sunny, Irrfan, Konkona in 'Right or Wrong'

Mukta Arts’ next venture in association with Ikkon Films P. Ltd.’s RIGHT OR WRONG, starring Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma, Isha Koppikar, Kirron Kher, Aryan Vaid and Anjan Srivastava, started shooting from 5th September. The film is being written-directed by Neeraj Pathak.

Other credits include music by Monty Sharma, cinematography by Ravi Walia and costumes designed by Simple Kapadia. The film is slated for an early next year release.

Saif to be Desi James Bond!

It has been a childhood fantasy for Saif…. To play a secret agent,a la James Bond or Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.

Ever since the Rajshris made the low-budget espionage thriller Agent Vinod in 1977 featuring the then-rising Mahendra Sandhu (whatever happened to Sandhu?!) as the spy who loved girls gadgets and stunts, Saif has been fascinated by the thought of doing a take on the title.

Director Sriram Raghavan who did a career-turning film Ek Haseena Thi with Saif, is all set to make Saif's dream come true.

Says Sriram, "Though our Agent Vinod will have nothing to do with the old Rajshri film of that name it would be exploring the same espionage territory, albeit in an entirely new idiom. Saif and I had been brainstorming over this project for a long time and yes, now it's on."

Saif currently sporting a moustache for his role in Yashraj Films' Tashan is all set to lose weight to look lean mean and macho to play Agent Vinod.

Says Saif, "I looked sinewy for Ek Hasina Thi. I can do the same again."

Apparently it would be a full-on take on the James Bond-Tom Cruise genre of sensuous spying with Saif dressed in the best, wooing and bedding some of the most glamorous women in the industry.

To ensure Saif's Agent Vinod turns out just so, the star-on-the-rise would be producing the film under a banner he's starting with his friend and business associate.

Says Saif, "I want to produce anything from an espionage thriller to a period murder mystery which might not make too much money, to an off-the-wall romantic comedy, any slice-of-life film…. I'm not looking at making money here, though it'd be nice if my productions do make money.

But my partner and close friend Dinesh Vijen and I are making films that other people wouldn't want to make with me. "

Ash to pair with John Abraham

Despite John and Abhishek not sharing any warm vibes, Aishwarya has signed a candy-floss romance with the Bollywood hunk.

She is in talks with producer Rohan Sippy for a movie that will have John playing her leading man in a romantic story with heavy doses of adventure as well. It will be directed by Sriram Raghavan , the man who directed Ek Haseena Thi .

The yet-untitled film will be shot at exotic locations in foreign countries. The locations are being finalized. The movie’s shooting will most likely begin in November this year.

Aishwarya is presently shooting for Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raj in Hyderabad and could not be reached for her comment.

John, on the other hand, has also been busy shooting songs for his movie No Smoking and filming for Nagesh Kukunoor’s Aashayein .

I can write this in blood, She rocks: Akshaye Khanna

Akshaye Khanna speaks on his role as Gandhi...

Gandhi My Father was made under an oath of secrecy among the cast and crew?
It wasn't secrecy, just a low profile until we were ready to release. A film like Gandhi My Father isn't easy to make. There was a huge amount of production and post-production work. And we haven't made a a small art film. Gandhi My Father is a big commercial film.

It's important to plan a film's promotion properly, specially when it comes to Mahatma Gandhi who's so much part of our lives even today. Now when we're finally allowed to talk, we feel we've been let out of jail.

You play Gandhi's son. Not much is known about him.
You're right.Gandhi is an integral part of every Indian's life. With his son Harilal whom I play it's just the opposite. Before I read the script I didn't even know he existed! Of course I was aware Gandhiji had a family. But I knew nothing about Harilal. A very minuscule number of people know about him. So it was relatively easy for me to play Harilal. I disn't have to copy someone people knew about.

So how did you get a grip on the character?
Very tough. I asked my director Feroz Khan how to play him. He's almost an authority on the man. He gave me Harilal's biography by Chandulal Dalal For me the research was in capturing the spirit of the man. Then I read the letters that Harilal had exchanged with Bapu and Kasturba. That was pretty much it.

Do you see Gandhi's son as a dark character?
Not dark at all. I see him as the most courageous character I've ever played. For any person, even the son, to stand up to Gandhi required a tremendous amount of courage. The entire British empire couldn't stand up to Gandhiji. Harilal could!

Did you delve into your own relationship with your father to play Gandhiji's son?
Let me say one thing very clearly. I've never used my personal life to play any character. I read about actors digging into their experiences. To date I've never done that. I look for the emotions in the moment, and then I let it go. I don't carry my roles home. Yes, scenes in Gandhi have eaten into my soul. I may have been tired after a scene. But I never carried my roles home.

Did you get a lot of support from your co-stars?
Darshan Jariwala who plays Gandhi, Shefali Shah who plays Kasturba and Bhoomika Chawla who plays my wife were extremely relevant to my performance. Let me tell you Darshan Jariwala had a thankless task. It's terrifying to play Gandhi, especially after Ben Kingsley.

It was an act of great courage for Darshan. I wouldn't have been able to do it. In spite of the enormity of his burden Mr Jariwala has carried Gandhi off with ease. As a fellow-actor I know the full measure of his achievement.

And Shefali Shah as Kasturba?
Please do not take my words lightly when I say is the single greatest performance given by an Indian actress. I can write this in blood.

Have you told her this?
Yes I have. She's one of those rare actors with an inborn talent. Highly underused and underrated.She just needed to be given the right opportunity. I can't put words to her performance.

How do you rate your own performance?
I don't want to compare any performance. But yes, this is one film I'm immensely satisfied with my work. I feel happy about my work. Not that I've ever left any stone unturned. But there's a quality to the film that benefited my performance. Every actor has excelled.

Feroz Abbas Khan as a director?
He's such an intellectual. In one sentence I'd say he's aesthetic intellectual.. Anil Kapoor said he had yet to meet a director as deep as Feroz. This is a director with immense integrity and honesty. Even as a simple father-son story Gandhi My Father has great sensitivity. This his screen debut.

But it looks he has done twenty films before. Coming from theatre and being an actor himself Feroz has a tremendous sense of performance. It'd extremely interesting to see where Feroz goes after Gandhi.

You did two comedies Shaadi Se Pehle and Salaam-e-Ishq. Now you've done a very dramatic film in Gandhi
I don't want to suffocate myself by playing the slotting game. I see myself as an actor who does his job. And look at the variety of roles this year Salaam-e-Ishq, Naqaab and now Gandhi My Father. What a spectrum! The very fact that I'm offered such a variety of roles proves writers-directors have faith in me.

Were you disappointed when Salaam-e-Ishq and Naqaab didn't work?
Hugely. I feel there was a lot of negative attitude towards Salaam-e-Ishq. It was virtually targeted. These things happen. But I feel Salaam-e-Ishq pushed the envelope. I adored the script and the film.

Salaam-e-Ishq is a work I'm proud of. I can work with Nikhil Advani any time of the day.In Gandhi the director has gone further than his other scripts. Now I'm in full Gandhi mode. I'm in the best place I've ever been.

- SantaBanta.Com