Excuse moi while I check this sandesha that has just dropped into my kaaliberry inbox. Turns out to be my jasoos from Diu, eager to share with me this tiddy-bitty on Sanjay Dutt, who’s shooting there for Agneepath.

So, I’m told that the actor is looking forward to the arrival of Hrithik Roshan, who’s going to resume shooting for the film later this week.

My informer adds that Sanju’s been praising Duggu’s dedication to the other cast and crew members, recalling decade old days when they worked together on Mission Kashmir.

Aur pata hai kya? Dutt, who’s training some assistant directors and production executives on fitness, is also believed to have told them to seeks ome guidance from the Roshan lad, who makes it a point to do his daily workout irrespective of how late the day’s work has wrapped up.

As for Hrithik, suna hai, he’s also as excited to work with Sanju after all these years. Kewl! I must say the bonding has already started. Hai na?

Read more »

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s last venture ‘Guzaarish’ dumbfounded all with Hrithik Roshan’s portrayal of a quadriplegic, gripping the audiences that empathised them of the pain that exists.

The film’s vivid storyline not only impressed people in India but also earned appreciation overseas. News has it that ‘Guzaarish’ grabbed a rare honour of featuring in the esteemed library of the Oscars.

Bhansali is known to take up subjects that are closer to life and prefers keeping a low profile. But his stupendous piece of art has found its way to the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Oscars). And the screenplay of ‘Guzaarish’ will be part of its permanent script collection.

While talking to a daily, Bhansali expressed his take on ‘Guzaarish’ and said, "The movie makes you aware about the beauty of life and what we have and how we should cherish what we have.

I have learnt so much about living a good life, of becoming a better human being and of evolving as a person."

Everything about ‘Guzaarish’ was grand. Delving on a sensitive issue of mercy-killing, the film opened to rave reviews and was praised for its finer nuances, right from the script to the idea put behind it.

Read more »

This Valentine’s Day, like every year, is going to be very special for Hrithik Roshan. The superstar has his day chalked out for family and children and most importantly he is looking to surprise Sussanne.

"I really put in an effort when I buy gifts. I believe in giving my wife meaningful things that can bring a smile on her face. Which woman doesn’t like receiving gifts from her man? Not just Sussanne, even if I’m gifting something to anyone be it my parents, children or close friends, I make sure the gift is special," Hrithik told TOI.

Ask him to reveal his best moment of romance and he shoots, "It is definitely the day I said the three big words to Sussanne. It took her by surprise. I don’t really have great memories of Valentine’s Day as I was a shy kid and never really got the courage to walk up to the girl I liked and talk to her, forget asking her out."

Now, this really surprises us as Hrithik has been making girls go weak in their knees for the longest time. "I became confident as I grew up. But it surely feels great getting all the attention. It is a huge compliment. I don’t think today being married changes anything. Marriage makes people sexier," he says.

For Hrithik, love is like oxygen that he can never do without. "I’m an incurable romantic. I love the concept of being in love with one person throughout my life and I’m blessed to have Sussanne and on Valentine’s Day, I renew my vows of being with her, loving her and be her bouncing board all my life.

I believe that little things make the biggest difference to a relationship. I’m a very passionate person. For me, Valentine’s Day is more than just the conventional man-woman relationship. It’s about love for family, for children and for people around me. I thank my fans for the love they have been showering on me and I promise to give back as much as I can."

Read more »

Hrithik Roshan is all heart. The actor was recently invited as the Guest of Honour at the Save a Heart programme at Seven Hills Hospital, which specializes in the treatment of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).

Upon visiting the hospital, the actor was moved by the plight of the children there and decided to fund the treatment of 10 children at the hospital.

Incidentally, the Save A Heart programme serves as a liaison between a willing donor who would donate money for operation /intervention of a child with CHD, and an underprivileged child with CHD who would be treated at SevenHills Hospital, and lead a healthy life in future.

Dr. Pai who is also the family friend of the Roshans invited Hrithik to this event.

Last week, Hrithik was also the showstopper at Manish Malhotra’s fashion show for the Mijwan Welfare Society that is run by Shabana Azmi.

Azmi’s father, poet-lyricist Kaifi Azmi, had set up the society that supports the empowerment of the girl child in rural India.

Upon completing the show, Hrithik made an individual contribution of Rs 10 lakh to the society.

Read more »

Actor Hrithik Roshan was headed to London to inaugurate his Madame Tussaud’s statue and just after boarding the flight he got a call and started begging and pleading to take the call. So, what was the urgency?

Well, apparently Duggu got a call from one of his family members telling him that Shammi Kapoor wanted to speak to him. And that was it, the Krrish star got desperate to get on the phone with the original Prince.

“Hrithik had just boarded the flight and he pleaded and requested the cabin crew to allow him to speak on the phone. Shammi Kapoor called him and spoke to him," a source told Mumbai Mirror.Considering that Hrithik is known to be a huge fan of the ’Junglee’ actor and has grown up dancing to Kapoor’s songs, even imitating his dancing style, the drama was but natural.

"I requested the air hostess, was hoping she would allow me but unfortunately she didn’t know me. But being a hardcore Shammi Kapoor fan, I did as hardcore fans should and took the call. And it was all worth it," Hrithik told the tabloid.

So, why had Shammi Kapoor called Hrithik up out of the blue? Apparently, the veteran actor had just watched Hrithik’s film Guzaarish and was full of praise for the grey-eyed-boy.

“Yes, I did speak to him. As a matter of fact he was taking off and was on a flight when I called him. I had seen Guzaarish and I thought that he was brilliant and we must encourage the boy. So I called him,” Kapoor told the tabloid."It’s the first time I received a compliment from him. Made my day!,” Hrithik gloated.

Read more »

Yes Salman Khan can actually forgive! With the record of maximum enemies in film industry, Salman Khan has decided not to add another one to the list. The actor has reportedly buried the hatchet with Hrithik Roshan.

Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan had a fallout after Sallu took potshots at Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish in which Hrithik Roshan starred.

Hrithik, who generally keeps to himself came out and called Sallu pompous. The war didn’t end there. Salman went ahead and decided to clash the release of his upcoming film Ready with Hrithik’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

But that was it. Hrithik Roshan was invited to Sohail’s birthday bash, and then the unexpected happened. When Salman and Hrithik came face to face, Sallu immediately hugged him.

Both of them had a long chat post the lovey dovey hug. If this was not enough, Salman even requested Hrithik to stay longer than he was planning to.

Maan gaye Sallu!

Read more »

Hrithik Roshan’s name should be in Guinness World Records for going on maximum diets for gaining weight, losing it, and then gaining it back for another role.

The actor is currently put on a high protein diet, comprising 22 eggs a day for his role in Agneepath. He had earlier piled up kilos only to lose them for two different sequences of Guzaarish.

The actor is now religiously working on his new regime. "Hrithik is undergoing a special exercise regimen for four hours every day.

He spends an hour doing cardio every morning and three hours in the evening lifting weights," says Satyajit Chaurasia his trainer.

"He has to eat lots of chicken and consume 22 eggs every day," says his trainer. "He breaks down the intake of eggs through the day, taking four in a single shot. This makes it easier for him to stick to his diet."

Adds Chaurasia, "To begin with, we are working on expanding his arms. When we started out his arms measured sixteen-an-a-half inches. We need to notch up 18."

The actor and his trainer have set themselves a deadline of two months to achieve the perfect form.

Read more »

Hrithik Roshan recently went through a security scare at Delhi airport. Hrithik, who was touring the city, was flying back from the national capital when his flight got a bit delayed.

The hunk had to wait at the airport and seing him strolling, there was bound to be a mob attack and it did happen.

However, Hrithik getting mobbed was getting a little out of hand with the crowd only swelling in number by the second.

Seeing this, airport officials called in extra security at that particular area to control the situation. Of course, no one got hurt, but Hrithik’s fans managed to get a piece of him.

Read more »

Film: "Guzaarish"; Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Monikangana Dutta, Suhel Seth; Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali; Rating: *****

Breathe a sigh of relief. During a year when cacophonic crassness masquerading as comic entertainment has been sanctioned by critics and the masses, "Guzaarish" comes along to remind us that excellence is alive in our cinema.

Ironically this wonderful work of art, nuanced and magical in its portrayal of an unstoppable spirit’s quest to juice life to its fullest, is about dying. If the journey towards death in art can be so mystically explored, then let’s embrace mortality as a stepping stone to immortality and a film about dying as a sign of cinema not dying on us. Not yet.

Only those who suffer the numbing pain of isolation would know what it feels like. Dilip Kumar in "Devdas", Guru Dutt in "Pyasa", Meena Kumari in "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam" and Nutan in "Bandini" communicated to the audience the indescribable pain of solitude.

Ethan, as played by Hrithik Roshan in "Guzaarish", is so bemused by adversity that he can actually look at his own suffering with dispassionate humour.

"Guzaarish" is a joyous, rapturous and ecstatic celebration of life. Those familiar with the art of Sanjay Leela Bhansali know how ably and ecstatically he transports his characters into a universe of seamless drama played at an octave where most cinematic symphonies crack up and topple over into high-pitched extravagance.

Not Bhansali’s cinema. Played at the highest possible scale, his drama unfolds in wave after wave of rapturous splendour. His characters occupy a space that defies definition and seduces audiences into celebrating a state of sublimity and splendour. Ethan’s inert physicality is alchemized into an ambience of animated joy. His spirit dances and sings at the sheer pleasure of every moment that is given to him to live. He radiates joy. We feel his profound happiness at the gift of life.

No film in living memory has brought out the sheer blessing of being alive with such spirit and glory. While Shah Rukh Khan’s "Devdas" in Bhansali’s opulent opera was a character broken in spirit, Hrithik’s Ethan in "Guzaarish" is irreparably damaged in body. But his spirit soars, his eyes light up like thousands of stars every time Sophie walks in.

That Sophie is played by Aishwarya Rai is a stroke of genius that goes a long way in giving "Guzaarish" its flavour of exceptional elegance. No other director brings out the quiet grace and the understated beauty of this screen diva’s personality with as much intelligence and spontaneity as Bhansali. In "Guzaarish", Aishwarya is far more delicate and nuanced in conveying the unspoken pain of a love that has no tomorrow than she was in "Devdas".

Aishwarya imbues her role with a resplendent grace. Love in "Guzaarish" is expressed with subtle smirks, gentle smiles and hints of a smothered passion that could erupt any time, if only destiny didn’t choose to be so mean to the spirited.

The scenes between Ethan and Sophie, the backbone of Ethan’s spine-challenged life, radiate an inner beauty and wisdom and underline the director’s enormous understanding of the self-negation that a love relationship requires.

"Guzaarish" is Bhansali’s most tender and evocative film to date. It layers the pain of a dying body with the passion of an unstoppable spirit as manifested in Hrithik’s skilled and effortless performance as a quadriplegic who pledges to make every moment of his limited "sau gram zindagi" pleasurable for himself an those around him.

Barring Amitabh Bachchan in "Black" there has never been a better performance in a Bhansali film than Hrithik’s in "Guzaarish". He grabs Ethan’s role and makes the dying character come alive in delightful waves of provocative histrionics. And if we’re talking chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya, then let’s get one thing clear - this ain’t "Dhoom". It’s something far deeper and satisfying.

The other performance that catches your attention is Aditya Roy Kapoor’s. He is natural and vivacious and in-sync with the film’s spirit of celebrating life. Monikangna Dutt is a looker. In her limited space, she lends some appeal to the proceedings. Suhel Seth, Shernaaz Patel and Rajit Kapur also make a lingering impact in a film that you carry home with you in an inviolable place in your heart.

A word about Bhansali’s music score. The songs communicate the rich tapestried emotions of lives that are determined to smile through an extraordinary tragedy. Every piece of music and song in "Guzaarish" echoes the film’s incandescent soul.

The film’s technical excellence, particularly Sudeep Chatterjee’s cinematography, is not dazzling and flamboyant in the way it was in "Devdas". In "Guzaarish", the appeal is far more delicate and subtle. The deep but sober colours on screen reach out to you to enrich your life in ways that cinema was always meant to, until it was waylaid by the hooligans and imposters posing as filmmakers.

"Guzaarish" is the real thing. A big, beautiful, dazzling emotional movie experience. You won’t see a better film this year.

Read more »

A ’secret’ role had Hrithik Roshan flying in to Berlin for Farhan Akhtar’s nextHrithik Roshan flew off last night to Berlin for a hush-hush shoot the film in question being Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2 - The Chase Continues. Says a source, "Recently, there was buzz about Hrithik joining in Shahrukh Khan’s birthday celebrations as he’s extremely close to King Khan. While that may be true, the real reason for Duggu’s departure to Berlin is being kept under wraps. Apparently, producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani were keen that Hrithik do a special cameo in Don 2."

Adds the source, "Roshan’s character is a stylised one with interesting shades and they felt only he could do justice to it. But Farhan and Ritesh want to keep Hrithik’s role hidden till the film’s release as it’s one of the highlights of Don 2. Duggu is very close to Farhan and Ritesh (he acted in Farhan’s Lakshya, made a special appearance in Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance and is also in Zoya’s next Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara) and he couldn’t refuse them."

Besides the character, the source insists that the Roshan boy’s presence would add star-studded value to the film. "Hrithik and Shahrukh will come together again in Don 2 after Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. They shared an amazing chemistry and are close friends even today. The audience would love to see SRK and Hrithik again come together in some explosive scenes. Don 2 has highly specialised and daring stunts performed by Shahrukh and Duggu might be seen in a stunt or two himself. He will be in Berlin for a week."Hrithik and Ritesh remained unavailable for comment.Besides SRK, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Kunal Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra are also in Don 2.

Read more »

On Monday morning, for the first time in just under 20 days, Hrithik Roshan tweeted.

But instead of promoting his movie or giving up more disgusting habits like smoking, the actor sent out a series of bizarre tweets from his phone, ranging from 'Uu' to 'Aurus'.

After an hour, during which his fans tried decoding what he could possibly have meant in his cryptic tweets, the actor revealed, "Wow!

Freaky! Blackberry was tossing around in my hand luggage and typed and tweeted whole words all by itself! Maybe a sign, the universe asking me to tweet more often!"

Read more »

Heartthrob Hrithik Roshan is the next Bollywood celebrity to have his wax statue installed in the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum in London.

After Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik has reserved a spot for himself at the famous museum.

Hrithik's statue will be installed in early 2011.

"We began our association with the world-famous Madame Tussauds museum in 2000 when at the inaugural International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, Amitabh Bachchan was announced as the first ever Indian film star to be honoured in wax," Andre Timmins, one of the directors of Wizcraft, told IANS.

"Then followed a string of select Indian stars and we are very pleased that Hrithik Roshan now joins this esteemed waxed league, within a decade of entering the film industry."

Read more »

The world television premiere rights of Hrithik Roshan-starrer "Kites" have been sold to Colors channel within a month of the film's release. It will be telecast in India, US and Britain June 27.

"We endeavour to bring the biggest Bollywood blockbusters to our viewers, right in the comfort of their homes. With 'Kites', we begin a long and potentially fruitful association with Reliance BIG Pictures with whom we have signed a much larger deal and will be showcasing a whole range of popular movies from their library in the days to com"," Gaurav Gandhi, CEO and head (international business), Viacom18, said in a press release.

"Kites", which also features Mexican actress Barbara Mori, is a love story set against the backdrop of a robbery in a Las Vegas casino.

Produced by Rakesh Roshan and distributed by Reliance BIG Pictures, it was among the most awaited films of the year, and released worldwide May 21.

Colors has previously premiered films like "Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani" and "Blue" even before the movies were taken off cinema halls.

Read more »

When Hrithik Roshan landed in Colombo last week, he had no clue that his participation in the IIFA gala would lead to screening of his just-released movie Kites being disrupted in Chennai theatres. The actor was visibly upset when the news reached him in Colombo last Sunday. He pointed out that they were there on behalf of the Indian film industry, and so should be supported.

Earlier, miffed with the Bollywood stars for flying down to Sri Lanka and thereby betraying innocent Tamilians who had been killed in large numbers during last year's civil war, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) had registered its strong protest and even threatened to ban their forthcoming releases. However, L Suresh, general secretary of SIFCC, asserts that his organisation had nothing to do with the disruption of Kites' screenings. "Certain political parties had written to the theatres and what happened was spearheaded by them," he asserts. "We have not sought any ban on Kites or any other film or actor. I've spoke to Amit Khanna of Reliance Big Entertainment and clarified our stand."

Too late to change

But Suresh, along with C Kalyan, President of the Chamber, and G Siva, general secretary of the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), had come to Mumbai last month to convince his counterparts in the city against visiting Lanka for the IIFA weekend in June.

The trio met Manmohan Shetty, President of Film and Television Producers Guild, filmmakers Yash Chopra, Ramesh Sippy and JP Dutta, film financier Ratan Jain, and officials of Wizcraft, who were organising the IIFA events, along with other Bollywood personalities on the IIFA advisory board. Suresh says that while all of them sympathised with the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils, they insisted that it was too late to shift the venue, as "they were bound by contractual obligations".

He insists that they did try to put across their point of view that despite slaughtering innocent Tamilians, the Lankan government was trying to promote the misconception that all is well: "We reasoned this was not the time to do a show like IIFA and show our solidarity with our neighbouring country."

When Bollywood turned a deaf ear to their pleas, the SIFCC threatened a boycott of Bollywood movies featuring any star who had been a part of IIFA. However, Suresh hastens to add that the Chamber is yet to decide on its next course of action.

Would Raajneeti be targetted next because Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal had flown to Colombo? He says, "We don't want to add fuel to the fire. There's no other big film releasing this Friday and next week's release is Raavan. None of the cast and crew attended IIFA so we are in no hurry to decide on our next move. As and when the Chamber does, we will make a formal announcement."

We tried contacting Sanjeev Lamba of Reliance big Entertainment to comment on the Kites incident but despite repeated reminders, he didn't revert to our text messages.

Read more »

Nicotine users generally find it hard to quit the cancer stick. But, as is said, nothing is impossible. So Hrithik Roshan is all set to get rid of his smoking addiction.

Hrithik started lighting up for his role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Guzaarish in which he plays a paraplegic patient, Ethan, and his character is a chain smoker. Though Hrithik never used to smoke regularly, being a method actor he smoked and then the habit just stuck on.

Now he wants to kick the butt and will try to use nicotine patches. His family wanted him to quit smoking and friends are happy to lend their support. Let’s see if he is able to kick the habit, because many male actors like Ajay Devgan, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan have tried and failed.

There is always a fag possibility!

Read more »

Rakesh Roshan's Kites, due to release on May 21, has received a stay order by Bihar City Civil Court, according to which Roshan and Happy Hours Entertainment officials will have to appear before the court on May 24, before the film can open.

This order follows a case filed by Laxmi Prasad of Sunbeam Holdings, alleging non-receipt of amount due for selling the copy right of action scenes, amounting to approximately Rs 10 crore. Roshan had apparently agreed to pay approximately half the sum.

Read more »

Hrithik Roshan proved a real traffic-stopper when he sprinted across 42nd Street in New York his eager fans gathered for the premiere of his much-talked about film"Kites.

On Sunday evening when Hrithik along with his co-star Barbara Mori, director Anurag Basu, wife Sussane, parents Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, and other members of the team reached Times Square, he was told to wave out to hordes of Indian fans who had been standing on the other side of the street since morning for a glimpse of the star.

The star made a dash across the bustling street from the venue of the premiere to eager fans across the road.

"Hrithik did indeed dash across the 42nd Street from our red carpet to waiting fans across the road. And we aren't about crossing just any busy street at peak hour. The 42nd Street is a gigantic universe. Hrithik ran across a good half a mile to get to his fans," Sanjeev Lamba of Reliance Big Pictures told us.

Hrithik's considerate gesture towards fans at the premiere created panic for the tense and anxious Kites team.

"We had to halt all traffic on 42nd Street for Hrithik to cross. So we can finally say Hrithik is the first traffic-stopper from Bollywood to make the crossover," said Lamba.

Not just a dash across the busiest street to meet his fans, Hrithik and his dad also made impromptu arrangements for about 500 fans to be accommodated in an extra screen at the AMC Empire theatre.

Produced by Rakesh Roshan, Kites is set for simultaneous release Friday on more than 2,000 screens worldwide, including 200 in North America and the film is expected to open the global movie market to Indian films. Reliance Big Pictures is distributing the movie.

Shot on location in Las Vegas, Sante Fe and Los Angeles, Kites has two versions – Hindi and English. A-list Hollywood director Brett Ratner has worked on the English language version that will open May 28.

Rakesh Roshan said, "What could we do? There were 400-500 of Hrithik's fans who wanted to see the film. There were women crying, girls tearing their hair and threatening to commit suicide."

In addition to the 700-seater at the AMC Empire theatre, a smaller 500-seater screener was rented for extra fans at the last minute.

Read more »

Hello hello my naughty hotties! There seems to be no end to the mausam ki be-imani, so I won't waste my time and breath on weather woes. Instead, let me get straight to the spiciest nuggets that everyone in tinsel town is talking about. A jasoos from Juhu tells me that filmmaker Zoya Akhtar has approached Barbara Mori (above) to play a Spanish girl in her next, Running With The Bulls. 

Already, Katrina Kaif has been signed up to play one of the female leads in the movie that stars Hrithik Roshan (right) Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol. Suna hai, a good portion of the movie will be shot in Spain, and that's where the part of a Spanish girl comes into the picture. Apparently, it was Roshan himself who recommended his Kites heroine for the part.

So when Zoya met Barbara recently, she felt that the Mexican actress would fit the role perfectly and offered it to her. Needless to say, even Mori is pleased with the offer and Duggu dude is also believed to have explained to her that it's a prestigious project to be associated with, after her foray into B'town with Kites.

Although things are yet to be finalised, my khabru asserts that there's hardly a chance that Mori would let such a big movie pass. Hmm, dekhte hai aage aage kya hota hai. No?

Read more »