The actor is all set to start work on his next home production that will feature fresh talent

Anil Kapoor’s next home production Saat Hindustani is likely to go on floors in September this year. So, apart from producing the Indian version of 24 and the Khoobsurat remake starring Sonam Kapoor, Anil’s production house will also finance this new film. And AK is making sure he scouts for some hot ‘n’ fresh talent for this flick.

While the name of the film – Saat Hindustani- instantly brings to your mind the picture of a bunch of patriotic dudes, we hear the film is based on a completely different subject. It is in fact about a set of young college kids in America.

If you remember, Amitabh Bachchan made his debut with a film which shares the same title in 1969. Well, the name of the film might turn out to be lucky for these seven new fellas as well and end up making them superstars.

The casting process is on and it will still take some time for things to get finalised. Anil was last seen producing No Problem and Aisha. Both of them were duds, but the actor continues taking risks. We wish him best of luck for his new venture!

Sanjay Dutt has got a new identity, courtesy the law. At Pune’s Yerawada Central jail, from today onwards, Sanju baba will reportedly be referred as qaidi number 16656 and this identity will be documented in the prisoners’ records book.

Now this number thing appears to be very filmi, no? Haven’t we seen superstar Amitabh Bachchan flaunting his numbers as a prisoner and coolie in several movies like Deewar, Kaalia and Coolie? Imagine apna Sanju baba too revealing his prisoner number in his own trademark accent – billa number solah hazaar che sau chappan (16656) to his fellow colleagues in jail!

Jokes aside, the Mumbai police authorities quietly shifted the Munnabhai actor to Pune’s Yerawada jail during the night of May 21. While during his last stay at the jail Dutt had taken up carpentry, this time he is expected to do labour work. He is entitled to a monthly allowance of Rs 1500 rupees from his family to buy essentials from the jail canteen, and can meet visitors once a month for just 20 minutes. The actor has also been allowed home food. But his request for electronic cigarettes has been rejected by the judge, who seems to have an anti-smoking bias. There will not be any special treatment given to Sanjay, except that required due to the threat against his life.

Prurient fans of Sherlyn Chopra – don’t hold your breath. Rupesh Paul, the director of Kamasutra 3D has revealed to Hollywood magazine Variety that he’s taking the safe option. The film will have two edits – an uncensored cut in English for international audiences and a Hindi version where the “content has been altered to cater to the demands of Indian sensibility”.

Paul also said, “We haven’t done anything which crosses the guidelines of the censor board in the movie but will never approve any imposed amendments. I am ready to go to any extent to fight for justice.” This begs the question – if Paul is already making a safe version, then there will not be any imposed amendments, so how does the matter of fighting for justice even arise?

Paul, Chopra and the Kamasutra team are currently in Cannes to promote the trailer of the film and the international edit is being shown to slavering potential buyers. In a week where India has been represented by a series of fashion disasters led by Amitabh Bachchan, followed by Vidya Balan, compounded by her tubbiness Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Sonam Kapoor’s nathni, only Mallika Sherawat (yes, you read that right), Nandita Das and Chopra have redeemed themselves. We would add Freida Pinto to the plus list but being India’s only successful acting import to Hollywood, she plays in a different league anyway.

Chopra’s transparent outfit at the premiere of The Blind Detective has wrought gasps of outrage and admiration in equal measure. To each his own or one man’s meat, another man’s poison should be the mantra.

Meanwhile, the Indian cinema centenary celebrations at Cannes culminated in a dinner. We wish we could describe it as grand, but as you know we are honest people. It was a step up from the normal cold samosas and warm colas in that proper food was served. Sadly the food was colder than Shabana Azmi’s heart and cooked in such a fashion that there was a mad scramble for the loos minutes after consumption. Some, when faced with a long, unbroken line of locked portaloos, had to take recourse to the Mediterranean. Early risers at Cannes the next morning were faced with what morning walkers at Mumbai’s Chowpatty and Juhu beaches are used to and take in their stride every dawn.

Thus, truly, India has made an impact at Cannes. Since this is the most revered film festival in the world, our fevered imaginations tell us that the Cannes morning persons may have paraphrased two lines from 1979 Palm D’Or winner Apocalypse Now – “I love the smell of excreta in the morning” or “The effluvium, the effluvium”.

The 31-year-old has anchored shows like Dance India Dance Li’l Masters, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5. “I was a Radio Jockey also. People thought that I am doing it because I have no work. But whatever work came my way, I never thought of it as small or big and just did it,” told Manish Paul.

He recently won an award for best anchor at Indian Telly Awards while competing with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. “Rather than thinking that I will do only big banners or host big shows, I wanted people to believe in my ability and think that yes, this guy can do it. I never took anchoring as a stepping stone to the silver screen,” he added.

Manish has also been roped in for the sequel of 2010 movie Tere Bin Laden. Asked what is more important to him between acting and anchoring, he said, “I always believed that I am an entertainer and I love to entertain people whether its through anchoring or acting. When I came to Mumbai, like any other actor, it was my dream to be on the silver screen, but I was never desperate that I want to do films at any cost.”

Though he has movie projects in hand now, Manish hasn’t quit anchoring – he will soon start shooting for the sixth season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa as a host. His success mantra is – believe in yourself to achieve success.

Bollywood is making its presence felt at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. While Amitabh Bachchan opened the glitzy gala expressing gratitude to the organisers for inviting him in his trademark rich baritone, the Kahaani star Vidya Balan was spotted setting the red carpet on fire with her unmistakable ooh la la factor. Vidya is a special jury member at this year’s Cannes.

We at BollyWoodLife are proud to see our B-town stars representing India and our film industry on the international platforms. This year Amit Kumar’s film Monsoon Shootout is the only Indian production to join The Great Gatsby and Jeune & Jolie (Young & Beautiful) at the film festival. And we were delight to see Amit Kumar accompanied with cast members Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee attended the premiere.  The four looked absolutely delighted at the premiere. While Kumar chose to don an Olive coloured kurta, Vijay Varma looked dapper in suit. Nawazuddin Sidiiqui sported a long mustache and he looked his regular calm, collected and real self. Tannishtha Chatterjee of the Road Movie fame was seen in a blue sequined outfit with a black velvet jacket over it. The talented company was seen having an animated conversation at the do.

Vidya Balan is a huge Amitabh Bachchan fan. Even after playing the mother of the legendary actor in R Balki’s 2009 film Paa, Vidya continues to get butterflies in her stomach at the very mention of Big B. The Dirty Picture star is on this year’s Cannes jury and is excited about sitting on the same panel that boasts the world-renowned names like Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee to mention a few. The talented actor maintains that the Cannes experience is absolutely surreal for her,but what got her emotional was Amitabh Bachchan’s presence at the French Riviera. Big is at the glamorous do to promote Baz Luhrmann’s kaleidoscopic carnival The Great Gatsby.

“When I saw Mr Bachchan on stage, I choked. I grew up watching Amitabh Bachchan’s films and my niece and nephew who are 21 months old, they know Amitabh Bachchan. Indian cinema and Amitabh Bachchan are synonymous with each other. And when he spoke in Hindi, it was just such a proud moment. Personally, for me to have shared the stage with him and on an international platform where the talk is about India celebrating 100 glorious years, it felt really special. These are the times when you have to pinch yourself and say ‘oh my god, this is for real,” said Vidya in a recent interview

It was an indeed a proud moment for the Indian cinema and it’s fans the world over to get to hear Amitabh Bachchan speak in the national language on the international stage. We at BollywoodLife wish more power and success to Big B!

Jay Gatsby’s doomed love for Daisy Buchanan is in danger of getting subsumed in the glitter of 1920s New York, which unravels in a montage of Charleston and chatter, but the film, The Great Gatsby thankfully finds its soul just in time. The director of Moulin Rouge – in familiar territory as he painstakingly recreates the Jazz Age when mammon ruled the New York of lofty mansions and giddy parties – rescues his film to leave behind an aching loss of a love that was never to be.

It’s a much loved, much discussed book. The enigmatic fabulously rich Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio, quite wonderful) who hosts heady parties and the callow Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) with her wealthy, not quite genteel and definitely racist husband Tom (Joel Edgerton).

She lives in East Egg and he in West Egg across the bay hoping that she will one day waltz into one of his parties, fabled in all of New York. They were once in love but she gave up on him and got married instead. And he, now rich just for her, waits. And waits,

Watching from the sidelines is the silent Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), Daisy’s cousin, through whose eyes the story unravels as he writes a book.

Till the interval, their story seems almost lost as the director, it seems, concentrates all his efforts in setting the backdrop. The filming is loud, often over the top. Snowflakes coming at you through 3D, pearl necklaces flying in wild abandon, words from Nick’s book floating in the air. In contrast is the dark, edgy world between the city and the affluent suburbs, the valley of ashes.

And then, just when I’d about given up finding the connect that I had been looking for, this gilded, conflicted world comes alive. The scene at Nick’s cottage when a nervous Gatsby waits to meet Daisy after five years is very effective. Thanks in great measure to DiCaprio, whose jumpiness well almost jumps out – and not because of the 3D.

The pivotal scene at the Plaza where the denouement of the troubled trio plays out is also well done. Gatsby pleads with increasing urgency to Daisy that she declare her love for him and tell Tom so; Daisy goes from certainty to confusion and Tom from appealing to her to confident. The shift is subtle and absolute.

I watched Robert Redford’s rendition of Gatsby many moons ago. And loved him. DiCaprio as Gatsby comes very close. He is in command as always and manages to breathe life into his role just when you were giving up on him.

DiCaprio said recently that he looked at the film not as a love story but as a man “obsessed with a version of the past”. And he manages to convey some of that complexity.

Mulligan’s portrayal of the shallow Daisy who goes for security without a second glance could have had more shades in it and Maguire is competent as Carraway.

But the best for the last. Amitabh Bachchan is good, very good as Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby’s business partner. Fitzgerald had envisaged him as a ‘small, flat-nosed Jew’. Bachchan is neither small nor flat-nosed but leaves an impression.

Though Bachchan had said it’s a blink and miss role, it is definitely more than that. He lives the role of rakish, wicked Wolfsheim. It’s a commanding presence.

Anil Kapoor as the rich Indian businessman in Mission Impossible 4 was frankly embarrassing but Bachchan’s portrayal of a Jewish businessman does open up possibilities for Indian actors looking for non-stereotypical roles.

The film sometimes unfolds with the rapidity of comic book images – cars zipping, women dancing et all. And the 3D is an annoying distraction in what should be an intense retelling of age-old relationships.

But stay with the film. And you won’t regret it. Do watch.

The 66^th Cannes International Film Festival opened with French actor Audrey Tautou inviting The Great Gatsby actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Amitabh Bachchan to come on stage, as the crowd greeted the superstars with a great round of applause. The two men shined in their tuxedos – Big B a tad too much in his glittery blazer. While Leo spoke a few words about his film, Amitabh, in his rich baritone, expressed his gratitude to the organisers for inviting him to the fest.

He also spoke a few words in Hindi and enlightened the audience about Indian cinema’s journey of 100 years. He was addressed as the King of Bollywood by Audrey, as Vidya Balan who’s a part of the jury watched the whole ceremony with great pride. The two handsome men opened the fest in their own style – and that was indeed a pleasure!

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Amitabh Bachchan looked dashing as he made an appearance at the 66^th Cannes International Film Festival in a sequin studded jacket. Posing with Leonardo DiCaprio and spreading his charm on the red carpet, Big B did it all at the screening of his Hollywood flick The Great Gatsby. The superstar is definitely making the most of the festival, hobnobbing with actors we would kill to get a picture with and, of course, see them in the flesh. Style-wise, AB is creating waves. But where is getting all that energy from? Obviously the salubrious Cannes air isn’t enough to put an end to those infuriating hunger pangs, right? Maybe Big B ordered food from one of those la-di-da restaurants…or we wouldn’t be surprised to discover that he made his chef travel along with him, all the way, saat samundar paar. So we can already imagine the king crab and shrimp – which were a delicious part of the full course scrumptious meal at the banquet – being replaced by chunks of tofu and a plate of lettuce mixed with assorted other greens. Ew!

We hope Big B found a solution to his food problems. We don’t want the superstar to sulk like a kid who’s forcefully asked to gulp down a bowl of cornflakes instead of chocolate cake, especially while he’s representing India on the sunny Riviera. Give the ol’ man all the green, brown, and orange organic veggie food he wants….keep the star happy!