Probably the only scene with sense in Salman Khan’s latest film ‘Hello’ got snipped at the hands of, may I say, our Stone Age-d Censor Board. The scene in reference is the one where actor Gul Panag asks co-star Sharman Joshi whether he is carrying a condom before they have sex.

As absurd it may sound, but the Censor actually committed the crime of stupidity. When on one hand, we get to see soooooooooo many ads on radio and TV urging us to talk about sex freely to avoid health hazards and unplanned pregnancies. After all, if the public outlook does not change we might soon be� the country with largest AIDS cases in the world and of course, largest population too. Then� recently, weren’t we hearing all those ‘condom, condom’ ringtones?

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I really didn’t expect that I would be reviewing Abhishek Bachchan’s latest debacle of a fantasy film ‘Drona’ had it not been for this article on Indiatimes. Well, the writer feels that Indians suffer from a Hindi film ‘inferiority’ complex (ya, the ‘inferiority’ is amiss in the original sentence) and so cannot appreciate brave attempts by desi directors. He goes on to draw a parallel between some recent crappy fantasy films of Hollywood like ‘The Mummy Part 3’ and ‘Wanted’.

Well, honestly I did not like either and the same goes for ‘Drona’ too. I can’t seem to understand that aren’t directors the least bit embarrassed to steal popular film plots (that are like epics), add their own masala (unrequired, of course) and create a complete disaster!

What made Abhishek (or even Jaya Bachchan for that matter) accept this film?
a.� OK, the Bachchans wanted to launch Abhi baby as the next super hero what with Krissh stealing all the limelight (wonder when they will stop comparing their bonny boy to Hrithik). But why the Harry Potter theme? Did they actually think we’d be that stupid to fall for it!
b.� Why use a phirang land? Honestly, I was kicked about this film when the trailers began showing in because I thought this film would probably take us back into mythological times. But no, all illusions were shattered.
c.� What made the ultra modern chick Priyanka Chopra talk in ‘shudh’ Hindi. The recurring references to her father as ‘bauji’ were completely out of sync. I think ‘dad’ would have been more apt or else she should have worn a different outfit altogether.
d.� Kay Kay Menon…just why in the world did you become Riz Raizada? A total let down.
e.� The songs….ugggghhhh! As the fantasy mood began to be developed, a song would come and interrupt. On top that, they weren’t even hummable.
f.� About Jaya Bachchan? Actually, I just sat and cringed through her cranky song of ‘ma-beta milan’.

That’s what I thought in the 40 minutes that I could tolerate ‘Drona’ for. After that, I decided to walk out of the movie theatre.

Sharon Stone has been the daughter of controversy ever since she crossed or didn’t cross her legs in that notorious movie a couple of decades ago, which we all know. The smoking blonde has always managed to gain publicity whether negative or positive. This time however, she has gained a lot of negative publicity thanks to her bad mothering skills, which apparently are as much in mess as her. Californian officials have criticized and also rejected her request to change her child’s custody arrangements.

They have blamed her for overreacting to her son Roan’s medical issues. The court was especially infuriated with Stone’s suggestion that her son must be treated with botox as his feet were smelly. Now it has also come to notice that Bronstein will have complete custody over the boy and Stone may just have to worry endlessly if he would be taken care of by the jubilant father properly. The crux of the matter is not the custody of the child or Stone concern for her son’s health but the fact that celebrities usually end up over reacting to every tiny incident no matter what.

Probably, the entire attention and media glare showered and sometime forced upon them make them notice even small changes and worry about that endlessly. Probably the celebrities must be left alone and allowed to live a life in privacy. And the ones that like to be in the media glare are best avoided.

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Via: IMDB

Sometimes, a busy life and an equally attention providing lifestyle can make one seek solace in things that are more mundane and banal. Take the example of Leonardo DiCaprio. He recently admitted that he would like to settle down and take a break from it all. In fact, the guy has been so much under the spotlight that he probably needs to become a hermit. Leo is tired of traveling around the world and living on the movie sets and he feels that he has lost the meaning of life and what it is like to get married, have a family and settle down.

He has been dating the Israeli model Bar Rafaeli on and off and he has many a times spoken against marriages. However, the fact that now he is interested in settling down suggests something else about marriage and the institution of family. It could be a refuge where you take rest and relax, after having loads of fun elsewhere. In fact, it has been proven scientifically that those that have been professionally, sexually and socially active in their younger days look for the quiet and calm a marriage and family provides.

It must have something to do with our evolutionary process. Propagate the genes as much as possible when you are young, and once you get old, you will need to relax and be at home and make way for younger genes.

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Via: IMDB

If you had been wondering from where all the heroin of the world comes, it must not be too difficult to guess. It’s from the most troubled nation on earth, Afghanistan. The country depends literally on the money that comes from the sale of homegrown opium and poppy and also the derivatives like heroin and morphine. These narcotics make way to Western Europe through the neighboring Tajikistan.

Just 13 hours ago, many afghan smugglers were killed in a shootout in Tajikistan when they were caught red handed smuggling heroin into Tajikistan’s borders. These drugs after reaching France, Germany and elsewhere, are sold at exorbitant prices. What I fear is that the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan has actually encouraged the Afghan opium farmers to grow more as lawlessness has increased many folds after the Americans have entered.

Only through proper negotiations with the U.N. and afghan government can the drug route and trade be blocked. I wonder how things will go in the near future. Though listening to the news of the smugglers being shot dead isn’t a very pleasant one, it may just have the right thing to do, for the Tajik forces, whose land is being used as a transit for drug delivery to Europe.

Via: AfghanConflictMonitor

There has been a lot of discussion about men going bald and losing charm. However, if there is a standing example to the fact that hair really doesn’t matter as long as someone is really capable of attracting attention through other ways, it has to be Fran Healy from the Scottish alternative rock band Travis. The man behind singles like ‘Why does it always rain on me’, ‘Sing’, and many others, has publicly stated that he doesn’t worry about getting old or not looking as great as he used to.

Well, I couldn’t agree more with such great music he and the guys make and also his deep blue eyes. I just wish Travis’ new album ‘Ode to J. Smith’ gets released soon and we can listen to what is being called the greatest alternative rock album to be released in 2008. The album has already received critical acclaim and a favorable critical mood.

For now, I would say baldness or any other matter really doesn’t matter as long as a man remains committed to his true mission and talents, be it music or politics or sports. Showbiz unfortunately has concentrated more upon a celebrity’s looks rather than the talent behind what makes him or her a celebrity.

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Via: GodsInTheTVZine

India cinema will soon be world cinema what with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group forming independent collaborations with prominent Hollywood names like Steven Spielberg and Ashok Amritraj. I think this attempt shall take Bollywood to a whole new level altogether, maybe it will now be called ‘Globallywood’. We have talent and now with the perfect international packaging, the films will be watched by a mixed global group. No wonder Anil Ambani has stepped forward to invest his money because the returns will be huge. The song-dance routine and traditional Indian values integral to Hindi movies have always been appreciated abroad. Now the approach will be a bit more international with the content being desi.
Amritraj calls the endeavour blending the world. He wants his films to overcome the cultural bridge and bring everyone together to celebrate life. His first film with Reliance is called ‘The Other End of the Line’ starring Jesse Metcalfe aka John Rowland of ‘Desperate Housewives’ and Shriya of ‘Sivaji: The Boss’ fame. The film also features Anumap Kher and is shot in Mumbai and San Francisco. It will be released in America on October 31.
Via economictimes

When the film industry was keeping mum about the Marathi manoos complex, it took only an Aamir Khan to come forth and take a stand. I don’t consider the Bachchan approach worth appreciating. First Jaya makes an irresponsible statement, her tenor and choice of words could have been more responsible and then Big B like always covering up with an apology. Well, Aamir’s little speech on ‘don’t let anyone divide us on the basis of culture’ actually reached out. He shunned politicians for creating tremors in Indian unity without taking any names.
Though he called himself a Marathi, he said that any film whether in Hindi, Marathi or any other language has the right to be released. We should not let anybody mess with our belief of ‘unity in diversity’. He said that we should only support leaders who keep us all together and promote peace.
I can’t help but like the sensibility of this man. I wish there were some more responsible actors in our country.
Via indianexpress

If there is anything that intrigues me the most, it has to be the way celebrities’ personal lives are handled by the media. Take for example Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson’s relationship and the coverage that media is providing. It really doesn’t matter if the two held hands or kissed in public. In fact, they might just be doing it for publicity and having the last laugh, while we read about their antics hungrily. The attention that celebrities and their antics get is quite just the reason why they behave in that manner!

Though it may be harmless and helps a lot of people make some money writing about them, it makes one if one must draw a limit. If we choose to ignore the celebrities, they really might behave in a way we wouldn’t associate celebrities with.

Nevertheless, a person’s privacy must be respected too and when things get too personal, one must know to stop. That would help us avoid a lot of embarrassing situations, especially if the stories that writers build turn out to be false and inaccurate.

Via DanasDirt

One of best coolest cinema in this year’s Toronto Film Festival was rock documentary “It Might Get Loud” — some excellence time useless with Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White, playing together and chatting discretely about what electric guitar income to every of them. The film was directed by Davis Guggenheim, who also made Al Gore Oscar victor “An Inconvenient Truth.” One of best coolest parts of film fest was that can be every one three guitarists appear together at opening show of film. Here is an audience-caught short of them taking a small number of questions and goofing around after show. Alas, no one has yet chosen up sharing rights, so I don’t know when film will be unconfined.

Davis Guggenheim has finished a film on a documentary that will be seem at narrative of exciting guitar from point of vision of three important rock musicians: the “Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White”.

Guggenheim, director-producer of “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Deadwood,” directed and co-produced “It Might Get Loud,” which Thomas Tull finance and shaped. The small Film Co. will symbolize the pic in Cannes.

Led Zeppelin’s Page, U2’s Edge and White, leader of White Stripes and Raconteurs, were selected for their crash across three dissimilar generations from Page’s 1960s days as a sitting musician and an associate of Yard birds into Edge’s single sound urbanized in ’80s through White’s present work. Each explain and demonstrate that how he misused sound of electric guitar to outfit his own style.