Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt, after two successful horror films to his credit, is out to scare again. He describes his forthcoming film “Shaapit” as a narration of how a curse works.

“The curse is such an old thing in Indian ethos and we have seen its influence even in Indian mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata,” Vikram Bhatt told IANS after a press conference here Thursday.

“The curse played a pivotal role in Indian stories and mythologies, but I don’t think there is any film made on the subject. So I thought that it would be an interesting thing to make a film on a curse and how it works in one’s life,” Vikram said.

“I did some research and a very important fact emerged. It was how a curse actually functions. The person who has cursed and the person who has been cursed may no longer be there but the curse remains on their family for generations,” he explained.

Vikram is known for launching new faces and in “Shaapit” he introduces Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal in the lead roles.

“I think the casting of any film depends on the subject you are dealing with. There are some subjects that don’t work without a star and there are some subjects that don’t need a star. I think horror by itself is a star, because people go to get scared and in that if you have Shweta and Adi, it is a fantastic launch for them,” Vikram said.

The story of “Shaapit” revolves around Aman (Aditya Narayan) who proposes to Kaaya(Shweta Agarwal) but neither of them knows that there is a curse that plagues Kaaya’s family.

“Before starting this film, I did a course of psychic meditation. By psychic meditation we can speak to spirits. With constant meditation you can avoid that too. I have seen spirits. If we believe that there is a spirit in every body then we have to believe that after we die the spirit remains. It’s all about belief,” Vikram said.

Vikram Bhatt had directed the horror film “Raaz” in 2002 and “1920″ in 2008.

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Now this development really gets the antennas stand right up with all attention reserved for what next is really in the offing. Believe it or not but a major Hollywood-Bollywood collaboration is right up in the anvil and two of the bigger superstars from different ends of the world are all set to share screen space. The film in question is Xtrme City and the men in question - hold your breath - Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo Di Caprio.

Yes, even though all of this seemed like a dream till a few years back, it is indeed turning out to be a reality since work is progressing on brisk speed to get the scripting in place for the film. There is quite some action on pre-production front as well and Xtrme City is looking positive at going on floors by end of 2010. If that indeed happens, Shah Rukh can well be expected to be really busy all through 2010 and 2011 with Ra 1 and the sequel of Don required to be wrapped up before Xtrme City starts taking a shape.

How it happened

Informs our source, “Not many know but when Shah Rukh visited Berlin for the premiere of My Name Is Khan, his agenda also included a groundbreaking movie deal. He was power-dining with Hollywood bigwigs like director Martin Scorsese and screenplay writer Paul Schrader over the project which is touted to star Bollywood’s reigning superstar with Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo Di Caprio. Karan Johar, David Weisman and screenplay writer Mushtaq Shiekh were present at the meeting.”

The film doesn’t really come as a complete piece of surprise though. Yes, Shah Rukh’s presence has raised quite a few eyebrows though one could have expected to see this coming since his close friend and associate Mushtaq Shiekh had already been commissioned to write the film. The director was finalised as Paul Schrader, the same man who had made Robert De Niro come up with a career defining act in Taxi Driver. On the other hand, Mushtaq has made Shah Rukh Khan go over the top as never before in Om Shanti Om.

When Paul Schrader had earlier visited India in 2008, he had indeed talked about collaborating on a project that would marry Indian ethos with Western sentiment. His Xtrme City was touted to combine the cinematic traditions of both Bollywood and Hollywood and provide wholesome cross-culture entertainment. For this purpose, he had written the film along with Mushtaq who does come with a super strong Shah Rukh connection. In the past, he has authored bestselling biographies for Shah Rukh Khan like ‘SRK: Still Reading Khan’ and ‘Shah Rukh Can’. He has also written books like ‘The Making of Asoka’, ‘Devdas - The Indian Hamlet’ and ‘The Making of Om Shanti Om’. Of course his claim to fame are screenwriting credits for Om Shanti Om, Billu and Shah Rukh’s under production Ra 1.

At that time, another piece of announcement had stated - “This groundbreaking production will showcase a Bollywood mega-star and a Hollywood movie-star sharing top billing in a major motion picture. The film is destined for both the subcontinent and international markets. In fact, Xtrme City is already in the process of casting the two star leads. The film is going to be a hugely mounted affair with a multi million budget.”

The superstars
However, not many would have assumed that the two leads would be none other than Shah Rukh Khan and Leonardo Di Caprio. Meanwhile, Paul Schrader had been hinting all along that he would work only with the biggest Bollywood star and that is why he was keen to sign Shah Rukh for the leading role. It was also quite clear that if the two actors indeed sign up on the dotted line to star in the multi-million project, both Shah Rukh and Leonardo Di Caprio would get top billing. Xtrme City will be an action-thriller set in Mumbai covering the criminal underbelly of the city.

When contacted, Mushtaq Shiekh said, “It’s too premature to discuss the casting of the film. But yes, Shah Rukh and Leonardo did meet up in Berlin. The meeting was just a casual one; they were there for the premiere of their films Shutter Island and My Name Is Khan respectively. The highlight of the meeting was Karan Johar who entertained everyone with absolutely delightful Bollywood trivia.”

On the other hand Paul Schrader, who has directed 18 films, confirms that the Hollywood-Bollywood collaboration is certainly on. “I hadn’t thought about working in India”, says the man who has previously worked in Japan, Italy, Romania, Israel and Morocco. However, now I see Bollywood as the next great frontier. Xtrme City is a cross-cultural entertainment that merges the cinematic traditions of Bollywood and Hollywood. I am indeed excited to make a film which is accessible and meaningful to both Indian and American cultures.”

Adds Mushtaq, “Working on Xtrme City with a master screenwriter like Paul Schrader has been exhilarating and a marvellous illumination for me. He is tireless. We kept at it until achieving a perfect emotional balance for our story. We wanted to reveal the best of each world in surprising, entertaining, inspiring ways. That’s what I like about Paul’s screenplay. Ours is a film that never takes either culture for granted.”

The Martin Scorcese factor
Meanwhile another big name, Martin Scorcese, too turned out to be quite a handful in this meeting that saw Shah Rukh Khan, Leonardo Di Caprio, Karan Johar, Paul Schrader and Mushtaq Shiekh coming together. The man who has directed Leonardo in Shutter Island, The Departed, The Aviator and Gangs of New York in the past is pretty abreast with the going-ons in Bollywood as well.

“I was amazed by how Martin Scorsese was completely in sync with all that is happening in Bollywood. His knowledge about old Hindi films left me shocked”, says Mushtaq in awe, “In that one room, seeing such gigantic movie business folks was almost like seeing a mega Hollywood-Bollywood movie live. Their interest in Bollywood cinema is just as animated as how we marvel at their film culture.”

The release
Adds the source, “The film is aiming for a late 2010 shoot in Mumbai, New York and the Persian Gulf. The makers are hoping for a 2011 release. As with many Bollywood films, Xtrme City will integrate thriller, drama and comedy elements. The movie will be family-friendly though there would certainly be elements of violence. However, sex will be downplayed, though there would be quintessential song and dance routines.”

Well, My Name Is Khan has already earned its stripes in America by being declared the highest grossing ’specialty film’ of 2010. Though this tag does make one look at the overall success a little more closely, the term ’specialty’ may get a whole new perspective if he succeeds in pulling off a casting-coup. Also, it is now obvious that Shah Rukh’s hush-hush meeting in Berlin will spark off a new interest in Bollywood stars actually managing to make a Hollywood breakthrough. Will Shah Rukh lead the pack with Xtrme City? From what it seems, both Shah Rukh and Leonardo Di Caprio might be pulling off one of the biggest movie collaboration in recent times. What we have heard is just the tip of the iceberg!

About Xtrme City:
Xtrme City is an action thriller set in the brutal, impenetrable, criminal orbit of Mumbai, India. Curtis Hawkley, a former U.S. Ranger, is obliged to return to Mumbai when his father-in-law’s youngest daughter is kidnapped by a powerful underworld Don. In order to save the girl he must first find his old friend Raj Rangan, an Indian Special Forces Commando who became a crime world enforcer. After reuniting and saving the girl, the two men are drawn deeper into the “bhai” underworld of Mumbai than they expected. Sense of duty compels them to take on a system of corruption, revenge, and familial obligations.

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After Gujarat, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has expressed his willingness to become a brand ambassador of Kerala tourism.

Responding to an offer made by the state, Bachchan has, in a letter to Kerala tourism minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, said the offer was good and he would like to discuss the matter further, sources said. In an interview to a Malayalam TV channel, he had said he was only too keen to be the ambassador of the state he loved.

Balakrishnan, in his letter expressing gratitude, had said the government would like to hold further talks with the actor who is also the brand ambassador of Gujarat.

Bachchan has already met Chief Minister Narendra Modi in January when they watched ‘Paa’ together. After that Modi announced a tax free status for the film. During the meeting, Bachchan was offered to become the face of Gujarat and he readily agreed.

Last month meetings were held at Bachchan’s home in Mumbai, where the superstar was shown a presentation of Gujarat’s tourism spots with the CM’s request to consider becoming Gujarat’s brand ambassador.

“Bachchan readily agreed and thanked the state government for considering him,” an official said. Main tourism spots to be projected immediately are: Gir Lions Sanctuary, Kutch’s White Desert, Dwarka, Somnath, Ambaji and Palitana.

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3. Perity Zinta goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS in India

Bollywood actor Preity Zinta, who was Thursday appointed as the goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS in India, will create awareness against AIDS along with the members of her Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kings XI Punjab.

“All our players will sport red ribbons during their matches. In our first match against Delhi Daredevils, we will take an HIV positive person to the toss to convey our message against stigma and discrimination,” Preity said here.

“Me and my team will produce a short commercial to spread awareness against the disease. I will be there, our captain Kumar Sangakkara and other players will also be there,” she added.

Besides, Kings XI Punjab will donate 25 percent of the profit they will earn from selling their merchandise to UNAIDS, which will decide its usage for the betterment of HIV positive people.

On being appointed goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS, Preity said: “I have done many roles. This one is different. I am very happy.”

“All human beings, wherever we are, have the basic right to be happy and healthy. I see this as a great opportunity to bring the realities faced by people living with HIV to the forefront and to call for attention to the injustices faced by them,” she said.

Preity will work to create awareness on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, with an emphasis on women, children and oppressed classes, the UN body said.

“Goodwill ambassadors are celebrities with a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of people living with HIV. Highly talented in their own right, they all share an ability to bring issues to global attention, to galvanize support from the public and leading decision makers, and to raise urgently needed support and attention for vital UN programmes,” Charles Gilks, country coordinator, UNAIDS, said.

“I am very pleased to appoint Preity Zinta as UNAIDS’ special representative,” Gilks added.

India is home to at least 2.3 million HIV positive people.

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Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘The Hurt Locker’ won 6 Oscars this year, ‘hurting’ its competitors, especially James Cameron. However, the film has only benefited Bollywood and how! Hollywood movie lovers often criticize Hindi films by saying its high on content but low on technology and it will take donkey’s years for Indian cinema to look as sleek as those of the west. Filmmaker Abbas Tyrewala has thus roped in the best of Hollywood to do the production design of his forthcoming film starring John Abraham.

David Bryan, Supervising Art Director on “The Hurt Locker” who was widely praised for his life like replication of the battle scarred streets of Iraq in Jordan, is the Production Designer for Abbas Tyrewala’s next which is tentatively titled 1-800-Love. The really interesting story however, is that David only managed to get into Abba’s film as a Production Designer after showing Abbas footage from “The Hurt Locker” and how he’d recreated the streets of Iraq in the award winning film!

David impressed Abbas with his detail and precision in Production Design. Looks like Abbas is going to every extent and recruiting genuinely talented people to mount this film on a large beautiful canvas. It may be recalled that during the shooting of Abbas’s film in London, the production had managed to block off traffic completely on Tower Bridge for 3 nights and had shot several scenes with even boat traffic on the Thames being restricted!
David’s first release after “The Hurt Locker” is to be Abbas’s new film, now under post-production.
Speaking on working on Abbas’s film, David said, “We wanted to portray the real London that is rarely seen, it’s an amazing city with very diverse locations. In particular we were looking for a real iconic Studio Apartment for our lead actor John Abraham. Later in Autumn, the climax to the film grew into an epic 4 nights filming on Tower Bridge with John doing his own stunts, a real star!”.

He went on to further add, “Working with a Bollywood crew was a great experience, much more than on a similar British film”.

Expectations are already high from Abbas’s new film, coming as it does on the heels of the scripting and debut directorial magic that he displayed in the smash hit Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Now with a key member of the history making Best Picture Oscar winner responsible for creating the look and feel of his film, the expectations are only bound to grow.

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American rapper Akon will break out some Hindi for a Bollywood movie.

Akon, 36, will record a song for the movie soundtrack of RA.One, a science fiction action flick that will feature Bollywood heart-throb, Shah Rukh Khan, and the actress Kareena Kapoor.

Akon follows Snoop Dogg in the rap into Bollywood. Snoop recorded music for the soundtrack of the 2008 Singh Is Kinng, a comic caper about a Punjabi villager who becomes ‘Kinng’ of the Australian underworld, according to imdb.com.

AFP reports Khan said in Mumbai: ‘He [Akon] is a gracious person. He will record a song in Hindi and will also feature in the video. He has flown [in] with his family, friends and team of musicians.’

Akon, who is donating his services gratis, said: ‘India is my next focus area. I want to try different things, want to explore – want to enjoy my work. We have the same kind of entertainment, the only difference is of tradition and language.’

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Looks like the popular saying ‘music bridges all the gaps’ is appearing quite true these days. Over the last few years music industry has been witnessing a dramatic change. More and More International singers are embarking towards Bollywood.

It all started with Yash Raj Films’ blockbuster film DHOOM, where in the beautiful Thai singer Tata Young crooned the title track and also did a sizzling hot music video for the film featuring John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan & Uday Chopra alongside. The song, no sooner than, became a rage and created enough dhoom nationwide. Infact this Tata Young was the driving force behind DHOOM.

Overwhelmed by DHOOM’s magnanimous success, YRF applied the same strategy of roping in an international music icon for yet another film HUM TUM. British music producer Rishi Rich (who also composed a bhangra Hip-hop track for the movie BOOM) not only produced a beautiful title track for the film but also created a funky music video, which was well liked among youth. Rishi Rich’s songs popularized the concept of Jazz in India.

American rapper Snoop Dogg’s Hip-hop with a ‘tadka’ of desi Bhangara alongwith the leading actor Akshay Kumar in the superhit film SINGH IS KINNG was a perfect collaboration of east & west! The film’s music received particular attention world over as it was the first time a mainstream American artist performed on a Bollywood soundtrack and it soon became an Anthem among music lovers. It was one of the costliest songs of Bollywood.

Australian pop sensation Kylie Minogue landed in Bollywood with style, teaming up with some of the big names (especially Osacr winner A R Rahman) in the industry for the film BLUE. Akshay matched Kylie’s sexy moves on the dance floor with some rocking bhangra of his own in the song ‘Chiggy Wiggy’. Kylie too managed some Bollywood latka-jhatkas and clocked up worldwide sales of the album. However, unfortunately the film couldn’t spark off same fire at the Box-office.

Inspired by their contemporaries, the makers of upcoming release LAHORE also roped in an International figure. Nominated for many Grammy Awards and Academy Awards, world renowned Hollywood singer and songwriter, Lisbeth Scott lent her melodious voice for LAHORE. Must say the music is already topping the charts.

And now our Bollywood baadshah, Shahrukh Khan is all set to try his hand for the same by getting American R&B singer/songwriter Akon on board for his upcoming, much-touted superhero film RA.ONE. Shahrukh is highly elated with this union. It’s being said that Akon will not only sing & compose but also feature in the song. Well we are eagerly waiting to watch the two legends, of their respective countries, in their respective fields, spilling some magic together!

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Here is a brand new trailer video from the upcoming Bollywood Hindi movie - HouseFull starring Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan, Arjun Rampal, Ritesh Deshmukh, Boman Irani, Randhir Kapoor, Chunky Pandey, Subhan Nadiadwala, Malaika Arora (Special appearance), Jacqueline Fernandez (Special appearance) and Lilette Dubey.

Housefull is a romantic comedy entertainer which narrates the story of Aarush - the world’s unluckiest man. Being jinxed, he believes his bad luck can vanish if he finds true love. In this quest for true love how one lie leads to another and how different people from different walks of life come together adding even more confusion to this hilarious comedy of errors resulting in total chaos and mayhem forms the crux of the story. The line which Deepika tells Akshay in the film “Jis jhooth se kissi ka ghar basta ho, voh jhooth jhooth nahin hota”, pretty much sums up the essence of the film.

Star Cast for Housefull Bollywood Hindi Movie:
Akshay Kumar…… Aarush
Deepika Padukone…… Sandy
Lara Dutta…… Hetal Patel
Jiah Khan…… Devika
Arjun Rampal
Ritesh Deshmukh
Boman Irani
Randhir Kapoor
Chunky Pandey
Subhan Nadiadwala
Malaika Arora…… Special appearance
Jacqueline Fernandez…… Special appearance
Lilette Dubey

Release Date
April 30, 2010

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Shah Rukh Khan never disappoints. Even as he kept the media waiting for about two hours, the king of Bollywood made up for the delay and wooed the audience with his non-stop wit and charm.

He decided to welcome the international rap singer Akon in a traditional manner and showered him with flowers, whereas his heroine of Ra. One Kareena Kapoor put ‘tikka’ on his forehead and garlanded him. And when Shahrukh noticed that flummoxed look on Akon, he quipped with a dimpled smile, “In India, once the actress garlands you, you are married to the hero.” And when a member of the press pointed out that how all three of them wore black and white, Shahrukh remarked, “Now that we are married we will be coordinating clothes as well.”

Shah Rukh met Akon for the first time in New York, “and I became his big fan,” said the star, looking boyish in black T-shirt and jeans with short gelled hair. By introducing Akon, Shah Rukh Khan ‘kickstarted his production’ Ra. One, a superhero flick touted to be a 100-crore extravaganza which will be directed by Anubhav Sinha. “Don’t ask too many questions or too many details as we don’t know what we are making. And ask only funny questions to Akon, he doesn’t know anything,” said Shahrukh good humoredly.

However, he decided to give out some details such as him playing the character by the name Jeevan who has the power of solidifying electricity. “Now I can’t give out any more than this,” said the actor-filmmaker. “Yes, you will see me flying in a body suit and I will wear my underwear outside,” he laughed, talking about his attire in the film.

When asked whether he expects any controversy to happen since Mani Ratnam’s Abhishek-Ash starrer is called Ravana, and both the film names sound similar, Shahrukh’s clever reply was, “If you don’t create a controvery it won’t happen.” He further added, “And that film is the modern version of the epic whereas this is a superhero.”

At his diplomatic best, Shah Rukh Khan termed the earlier superhero films - Hrithik-starrer Krissh, and Abhishek’s Drona as wonderful, and moved on to say that he was trying the genre for the first time. “Not many superhero films have been made. This is going to be a little different. There is a superhero, a good guy, a bad guy and a beautiful girl. But it is certainly not a kiddie film,” he clarified.

Akon, who will be singing as well as composing for Ra.One, said that India is his next main focus and has decided to give different versions and options of music for the makers to select from. “I have got a lot of support and my goal is to be part of the Indian environment,” said the singer who is most eager to start work here.

“He refuses to party, we have to literally force him. He only wants to know when he goes to the studio and start work,” said Shah Rukh, who clarified that there was no business deal between them. “Akon is just being gracious. Unlike me, who charges for everything (winks), there is no business deal between us,” said the actor tongue-in-cheek.

There are also talks of Akon singing for Shah Rukh’s IPL team. “I would love to have him sing for Kareena as well (laughs) not only for my cricket team, but at present it is only the film. He will do lots of songs and will do some Hindi lines as well,” said Shah Rukh, who fielded the question sportingly when asked whether he was following his rival Akshay Kumar in getting international stars to sing for his film. “I am just a follower, I never set a trend,” he remarked, with a tinge of sarcasm.

And the meet ended with Akon singing few lines from his famous song, Beautiful on Kareena’s request. And the superstar while pretending to hold a guitar, sang, “I always wanted to be a rock star…”

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“This one’s not for the faint-hearted,” says director Apoorva Lakhia about his latest offering Hide & Seek, with which he’s turned producer.

A suspense thriller, the film revolves around six friends brought together after 12 years, but not of their own will. “Each of them is trying to hide the secret of what had happened 12 years ago on a Christmas night and had changed their lives forever. But now they are forced to confront that secret through a deadly game of hide and seek that an unknown killer is playing with them,” reveals debutant director Shawn Arranha.

“It’s not only the six actors who’re playing hide and seek on screen, the audiences will also see itself playing a mind game and trying to guess who the mystery killer is,” adds Apoorva. Excited about being a part of the film are actors Purab Kohli, Samir Kochar, Arjan Bajwa, Ayaz Khan, Mrinalini Sharma and former beauty queen Amruta Patki, who’s making her acting debut in this film.

Purab says, “None of the characters are how they appear to be initially on the surface. And as the layers peel away, you get to know their real fears and motives. That makes it difficult to trust anyone.” Samir agrees, “The film is going to keep the audience’s guessing right till the end.” Looking forward to his second film after Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa… Ayaz adds, “It’s a genre that’s not been much-explored on Indian screens, so this is something all thriller fans should watch out for.” However, Mrinalini points out that the film has its romantic moments too. “It’s a good entertainment package that thrills,” she says. For debutante Amruta, the film will be an experience she’ll cherish forever. “It takes the audience on a thriller ride into this maze along with the characters,” she reveals. Presented by MoserBaer Entertainment Limited and Idiot Box Entertainment, Hide & Seek releases this Friday.

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