The Aashiqui 2 actor says he and his brothers don’t mix work with personal life because it then gets messy. But he knows they would be by his side whenever need be

Aditya Roy Kapur’s elder brother Siddharth Roy Kapur is the managing director of Studios, Disney UTV, while his second brother is actor-director Kunaal Roy Kapur whose work really impresses him. “I don’t know about a sense of security as we have made a conscious decision to stay away from each other’s career because then things get muddled. I know the day I would really need help, my brothers will be there. But till then I would do it on my own,” said Aditya in an interview to a daily.

The three-film-old actor is in awe of Kunaal, who directed The President Is Coming in 2009 and acted in films like Delhi Belly and Nautanki Saala. “Kunaal is brilliant. I am in awe of him since I was small. He has been in theatre and he is a complete transformed person on stage. I would love to do a film like him. I would love to do a Delhi Belly … even Nautanki Saala looks fun,” he said.

Talking about his sister-in-law Vidya Balan who tied the knot with Siddharth last year, he said the Kahaani actor is an inspiration. “I loved her in Kahaani. I guess she was fearless. She played a pregnant woman throughout the film. She has carved her own niche in the industry… She has a lot to say. She has been in the industry in her own way and achieved so much,” he said.

As his family is involved in the filmmaking business, he does take professional advice from them, but the final call is his.

“I do take advice from them on stuff. They (Siddharth and Kunaal) are both older and have been in the game longer. You get different perspectives as one is a director-actor and the other is a producer. So you get different views on the same thing. They give me advice, but don’t tell me what to do. It’s good to make your own decisions,” he said.

Have they explored the idea of working together in a film?

“That would be amazing. We have laughed and joked about it, but we feel it is better if Kunaal and I get more entrenched into the industry, then why not,” he said.

Aditya has been part of films like London Dreams, Guzaarish and Action Replayy and admits to having taken a more commercial route compared to Kunaal. “It depends on the kind of offers you get. It’s about what makes more sense to me. I am choosing the best out of what I have. At one point of time, I used to think I would never be able to do this. But I have grown mentally and broken down walls for myself. I guess I have taken a more commercial route than him. But Delhi belly was a commercial success, so the lines are blurring,” he said.

He will be seen on the big screen after three years in Mohit Suri’s  Aashiqui 2, which is coming out on April 26. In the romantic drama, he will be seen romancing Shraddha Kapoor.

According to BollywoodLifers, the Greek God possesses the best bod in the highly competitive world we call Bollywood and trailing behind him is Dabangg Khan, known for his super hot frame

Hrithik Roshan emerged as the winner of BollywoodLife’s ‘Who has the best bod in Bollywood?’ poll. Roshan was always known for Greek God-like looks, but li’l did we expect that he would end up winning the race, leaving behind the ‘always in demand’ Sallu bhai. Salman Khan garnered a total of 476 votes, while Hrithik earned a whopping 622 votes. The guy, who left us drooling with his high-octane action scenes in Commando, ended up earning a bronze with 432 votes. Our readers bolstered the claim made by a number of critics that Vidyut Jamwal is truly the next Sylvester Stallone of Bollywood. King of Indian cinema – Shahrukh Khan may have shook a leg vigorously in Om Shanti Om, showing off those uber cool six-pack abs, but we guess achieving the ‘best bod’ tag isn’t cakewalk, SRK – it’s not as easy as stretching your arms in the air! John-the beefy-Abraham may have an envious bod, but looks like the dude lags behind when it comes to fan following.

Kunaal Roy Kapur, Emraan Hashmi and Saif Ali Khan were at the bottom of the score roster. While we think the Nawab and Emraan are in pretty decent shape, Delhi Belly dude Kunaal definitely needs to sweat it out (in the gym, on the jogging track or wherever there’s a chance of losing those calories) and cut down on those scrumptious rasgullas and gulab jamuns…

Read story: Vidyut Jamwal, John Abraham, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan: Who has the best body in Bollywood?

We saw some really gorgeous style conscious ladies at the Grazia Young Fashion Awards 2013. While some kept it purely funky, there were also a few who took the conventional fashion route. But what really caught our attention was the way famous actors like Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty – the Cocktail babes – got style-crushed by a less known Bollywood babe like Poorna Jagannathan. Also Sameera Reddy, who is not as popular as Ms Padukone, attracted eyeballs with that gorgeous caped ensemble. It’s funny how these divas behave like chickens and take the safe style route, and how the not-so-famous actors take the less trodden fashion path. For us, Diana Penty and the fab Deepika Padukone are totally overshadowed by Delhi Belly gal Poorna Jagannathan and the funky-fashion-forward Sameera Reddy. See the pics and you will know why…

The remake is hilarious only in bits and pieces

Hype around a film doesn’t always equal a good watch. The build-up to the release of Settai, the remake of Bollywood blockbuster Delhi Belly, was huge and the makers hard sold it as a laugh riot.

It isn’t always easy to live up to pre-release expectations and that’s what has happened with Settai. It doesn’t measure up to the original which was a runaway hit. It must be said Delhi Belly had a very different feel to it and it is tough to reproduce that effect.

Settai director Kannan, a protege of Mani Ratnam, has played around with the script to give it a Kollywood flavour. Arya and Santhanam steal a march over the others, including Premgi, while the heroines Anjali and Hansika don’t have much to do, except romance the lead actor and fade away.

Music by Thaman S suits the occasion and a couple of his numbers have caught on pretty well.

The story is set in Mumbai and goes like this: JK (Arya) is a journalist and works for a Tamil newspaper along with Nadupakkam Nakki (Santhanam), a photographer, and Seenu (Premgi), a cartoonist. JK is desperate to be a successful reporter, but is up against an editor who wants sensational stories rather than socially relevant ones.

JK is in love with Madhumita (Hansika Motwani), an airhostess and spoilt brat. Shakti (Anjali) works for an English daily, and has a soft corner for JK.

Meanwhile, Madhumita is used, unwittingly, as a courier by a gang of smugglers, and she asks JK to hand over a parcel containing diamonds to someone. It is a comedy of errors with the bungling Seenu being given the task of handing over the diamonds; he hands over Nakki’s stool sample to a gangster (Nasser) and the diamonds to the lab.

Confusion reigns as the gang wants the diamonds back. The valuable stones are sold by the threesome and what happens later forms the rest of the plot.

The comedy of Santhanam and company, though enjoyable, is rather coarse in places, and may leave some audiences feeling uneasy. Settai doesn’t quite live up to expectations, but is enjoyable in parts.

If films are watched for entertainment, it is important to enjoy them as they are, even if it’s a remake, says Tamil director R Kannan, known for remaking Hindi films, Jab We Met and Delhi Belly in Tamil

“I don’t understand why two films should be compared even if one is a remake of the other. By comparing, we are only restricting ourselves from enjoying a film. In simple words, we are literally killing entertainment,” said director R Kannan.

“Most remakes are made keeping in mind so many factors, but people very easily discard it by comparing it with the original. Even though I know it’s extremely difficult not to expect people from comparing remakes, I feel it should be stopped,” he added.

Kannan feels his forthcoming Tamil comedy Settai, remake of adult-comedy Delhi Belly, is very likely to be compared as well.

“Ever since the film has been announced, there have been several questions raised in comparison with Delhi Belly. One of the most common questions was that how the film could be remade in Tamil without any cuss words and adult one-liners,” he said. “You can see that even before we started filming, such questions were raised. Such is the plight of a filmmaker working on a remake and this is very unlikely to change,” said Kannan.

Kannan faced similar situation while remaking Jab We Met, titled Kanden Kadhalai in Tamil.

“Bharath who played the lead in the remake had starred in back-to-back action films at that time. The consensus feedback was how I could cast someone who was busy shaping up as an action hero to play a lover boy,” he added.

“Settai is not a frame-to-frame copy of the original. I have developed the story based on the friendship between the three friends. I hope people won’t compare it with Delhi Belly,” said Kannan.

Produced by UTV, the movie features Arya, Premgi Amaren, Santhanam, Hansika Motwani, Anjali and Nassar.

The South heartthrob is all elated as his movie hits record number of theatres tomorrow

April 5, Friday, will be a special day for Arya, for his Settai will be hitting record number of screens. For the first time in his career, a movie of his will be releasing in 515 theatres.

“I am happy that Settai is going to have a big release. And I am sure the film will click with the audience. It will be an interesting laugh riot,” said Arya.

Directed by Kannan of Jayamkondan and Kanden Kadhalai fame, Settai is a remake of the Hindi hit Delhi Belly. However, the script has been tweaked to appeal to the Tamil audience.

Anjali, Hansika Motwani, Santhanam and Premgi play pivotal roles in the movie. The music is by Thaman S, and the film is produced by UTV Motion Pictures, which produced Delhi Belly as well.

The Delhi Belly and Nautanki Saala actor is all set to make his second film

Kunaal Roy Kapur, who directed a small budget movie – a mockumentary— President Is Coming in 2009, is planning to get back to direction with another dark comedy. Kunaal, who came into the limelight after playing the funny character of Nitin Beri in Delhi Belly, has completed the script of his next movie and has also found a producer. “If you want to be a part of edgy offbeat films then there are very few been made. You have to start generating your own content if you want to be a part of different films. Directing is more involving than acting. You get to poke your nose into other people’s business and tell them what to do, which is always nicer than acting,” said Kunaal.

But the Nautanki Saala actor won’t act in this social satire. “I won’t act in it. I want to try to direct it right and not put my finger in too many pies,” he said. Then who will he cast for this social satire? “I am in the process of casting, and things should become clearer soon.”

It’s holi, yay! And a perfect time to look at how colourful our movies are getting…and for what reasons!

‘Holi kab hai…kab hai Holi?’ is the dialogue from Sholay that bachcha bachcha remembers as the colourful day draws near. But while the occasion of Holi – in the films, of course – gave enough reasons to filmmakers to colour their sets in the gulaabi gulal, makers nowadays don’t really need Holi as the designated day to grab a fistful of this pink powder.

Gone are the days when our onscreen characters had to wait for Rang Panchmi to guise their feelings of romance (like in Rang barse from Silsile) or psycho love (like in Darr) with the colours. Now, the colours follow a different route – one that doesn’t lead to Holi.

We get to see colours – onscreen, that is – during Durga Puja (Kahaani), Janmashtami (Rangrezz), Ganpati visarjan (Agneepath) or even in a romantic scene (like in Aiyya). Just like that.

But it’s not the occasions per se that made the Art Directors of today turn to colours. It was the mood, the emotion of the scene that got rightfully rangeen with physical colours. So while we had colourful mists hovering over numbers filled with masti – Bharat Mata Ki song from Shanghai where Emraan Hashmi or Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani still featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, anger – Hrithik Roshan’s number Deva Shree Ganesha from Agneepath, we also had Rani Mukerji taking a dip into the water-dissolved ‘blues of her muse in Aiyya.

But it’s not always about the colourful reds, oranges and blues. In Delhi Belly, the lead actors were coated with grayish-white powder – in the DK Bose song, remember? – to depict how f**ked up life can get.

So take a look at these colourful stills and tell us: which one of these is your favourite?

With Priyanka Chopra all set to give Amitabh Bachchan a run for his money by redoing the superstar’s popular number Saara zamana in her own Babli badmaash style, we take a look at A-list celebs who shook their starry booties in an item song to best effect. You tell us who got the whistles and who simply…err….fizzled in their solo naach-gaana moments?

Gone are the days when item numbers were strictly for those not-so-fortunate few who failed to break into the coveted A-list of B-town.

So you had the ‘Rakhi Sawant‘ club, where naughty girls were promptly employed to shake their booties and heave their bosoms vigorously to get that much needed ‘tadka’ in movies and associated entertainment. As A-list heroes and heroines were busy indulging in ‘clean’ romance, running around a tree or two and chastely singing and dancing with the hero, the item girls had all the time in the world to display their raunchy side in a song or two in movies. But now the game has changed. Today, even passionately venerated stars – from Aamir Khan to Hrithik Roshan and from Priyanka Chopra to Kareena Kapoor – don’t mind doing that one raunchy dance number in a film that does not star them, that could catapult them instantly into the chartbuster list and, most importantly, into the audiences’ ever-shrinking attention span. Let’s take a look at those top-notch Bollywood celebs who did the once-odd now-mod job to best effect.

Aamir has done it all – romantic songs, item numbers and inspirational tracks. We look at what made these songs special

There was a time in Hindi cinema when a star was as big as his songs. From Rajendra Kumar and Dev Anand to Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan – their songs helped them build their charisma and stardom. It did continue to an extent with the Khans in the 1990s, but it wasn’t quite the same.

Aamir Khan wasn’t made by his songs, but there are many memorable numbers of AK that bring back flashes of the various avatars and characters he has donned through the years. On his 48th birthday today, we look at the numbers that still stay in our hearts:

Papa kehte hain – Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak

This song from Aamir’s debut film became synonymous with him in the years to come. A young Aamir looked super adorable in this graduation song as he strummed the guitar and danced with the girls. This was Udit Narayan doing the playback for Aamir for the first time and he became the voice of this star thereafter.

Pehla nasha – Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

This song is definitely one of the loveliest tracks depicting teenage romance. A young Aamir gallivanting atop mountains amidst tea gardens and dreaming of Pooja Bedi’s flying dress are images that the Indian audience will always associate with young love on the big screen.

Mehbooba – Baazi

Dressed in drags, Aamir made for an adorable diva in this number. The song is special for the way Aamir perfected the feminine dance movements. While most men end up looking scary in this avatar, Aamir looked simply beautiful!

Kya karein kya na karein – Rangeela

The audience had never seen their favourite chocolate boy Aamir singing and dancing in a tapori avatar. Rangeela was the first insight into what Aamir – the actor – was capable of. AR Rahman made a thunderous entry into Bollywood with this soundtrack, and Aamir got one of his best fun songs till date.

Chale chalo – Lagaan

A turban and dhoti-clad Aamir wooed the entire nation with this number. As Aamir led his cricket team, the audience couldn’t wait to see how this bunch of amateurs would beat a trained English team. This is what cinematic history is made of!

Dil chahta hai – Dil Chahta Hai

Aamir, accompanied by Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna, made friendship look cool and fun. This song became the anthem for the young urban generation.

Aati kya khandala – Ghulam

Aamir stepped behind the mic for the first time and must say, despite being quite a raw singer, Aamir did a super job! This tapori number, written in street lingo, and the sequence where AK extinguishes a matchstick with his tongue became a rage.

Paathshaala – Rang De Basanti

Aamir represented the disillusioned and rebellious youth in this film and this song was symbolic of the theme. The images of Aamir and company jumping into the river from atop a fort and soaking in the sun afterwards still remain etched in our memory.

I hate you like I love you – Delhi Belly

This was Aamir Khan’s first out and out item number. The actor donned a wig and a flashy outfit, and recreated the ‘80s. The quirkiness, the humour and Aamir’s spirit made this a fun number.

Zoobi doobi – 3 Idiots

A cute romantic song, Aamir grooved with Kareena Kapoor in the rain under a polka-dotted umbrella – Zoobi doobi was classic romance reinvented!

Take the poll and pick your favourite Aamir Khan song.

As the ‘intelligent’ Khan of Bollywood turns 48 today, we take a look at his filmography…squished into a nutshell

Born on March 14, 1965, Aamir Khan belongs to a film family in Mumbai. His late uncle Nasir Hussain was a hotshot filmmaker at the time, and his father Tahir Hussain was also a producer-director. The actor’s parents made sure he had a normal upbringing, going to the local school. But then he debuted as child actor in Yaadon Ki Baaraat, which set his fate rushing down a rather hatke path.

Later, seeing his family in the business of entertainment, Aamir developed a passion for the movies. And when he acted in and assisted on his first experimental film – titled Paranoia – with classmate Aditya Bhattacharya, the young Aamir knew it was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. And his friendship with Aditya resulted in a dark film that is still hailed as unique in his career, the intense Raakh, where Aamir played a man who avenges his girl’s brutal rape through murder.

The young Khan left college after 12th grade and began assisting Nasir Hussain. Later, his uncle famously announced that his nephew will topline their production house’s make or break film, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (his debut was in Ketan Mehta’s Holi). And the rest is now part of modern cinematic history. QSQT catapulted Aamir to dizzying heights of stardom, so high that he had to really slog to maintain his position.

A few successful films and some flops later, the Khan came back into the big league with Dil, another love story. He showed immense range with films like Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Andaz Apna Apna, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Rangeela, Sarfarosh, Raja Hindustani, Ishq, Ghulam and 1947: Earth – playing action hero, cop and negative roles, tapori, sportsperson and comic lead. By this time he was called the Perfectionist Khan of Bollywood, but also becoming known as the interfering actor by some directors. He insists that it is just that he knows and wants to know everything about cinema and so likes to help his team in every department.

The reclusive actor surprised people when he reinvented himself by producing and acting in the Oscar-nominated Lagaan. Another film in the same year, but released after Lagaan showed him as an über-cool urban rich boy: Dil Chahta Hai. Two trend-setting movies in a year was a definite first for the deliberate Mr Khan.

Over the next three years, Aamir lay low. His much-awaited The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey was a dud. But the thespian bounced back with Rang De Basanti, creating almost a small revolution in the hearts of young people. Quirkily, he followed it up with a very commercial but performance-backed and enjoyable Fanaa.

Only an actor of Aamir’s calibre could time his entry for after the interval in a movie that was his own baby – his directorial debut and home production Taare Zameen Par. With TZP, the actor was now considered to be a high-calibre filmmaker, a dream he had always nurtured, and he won millions of new fans with this venture.

What could top that? A zillion more admirers added after 3 Idiots, his 2009 film. But it was 2008’s Ghajini, a remake of actor Suriya’s Tamil hit that made Aamir the Rs 100 crore Khan. And just as every other star projected himself as the new one to cross the milestone, Aamir acted in a small World Cinema film – his second wife Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat: Mumbai Diaries, and produced an indie-like Peepli:Live. He followed that up with producing the crazy Delhi Belly, where he did an item song with Tom Cruise’s Tropic Thunder-like hairy appearance and mannerisms.

Last year, viewers saw Aamir deliver a multi-layered performance in Talaash. The coming months are a huge challenge for the Khan, with his biggest action movie and negative role Dhoom:3 up for release, and later Rajkumar Hirani’s P.K., where he is said to play an alcoholic suffering memory loss.

Here’s wishing Aamir Khan a very happy birthday and good luck!

Cineswami takes a look  at the great female bonding films that Bollywood has produced, and also reports that a new girl-bonding movie is being planned

Today is International Women’s Day, as every media outlet will remind you, unless of course you live under a rock where gender issues may not be as pronounced. The big release today is Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster, but the hit of the year so far has been male bonding tale Kai Po Che! that continues to do excellent business, having netted more that 45 crore rupees in two weeks. Not bad at all for a film with no big stars. Apart from Abhishek Kapoor’s extremely competent filmmaking and the troika of male stars’ superb acting, it is the theme that has made Kai Po Che! attractive to audiences, namely, male bonding.

Bollywood history is littered with successful examples of male bonding films ranging from Sholay to Chashme Buddoor to Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron to Satte Pe Satta to Amar Akbar Anthony to Naseeb and several recent examples including 3 Idiots, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Rock On!!, Dil Chahta Hai, Jhankaar Beats, Rang De Basanti, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Delhi Belly… the list is seemingly endless and inexhaustible. Yes, there are women in these films and yes in some of them the women are strong, but there is no getting away from the fact that they are in essence, male bonding films.

So, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, let’s look at the great female bonding films that Bollywood has produced. The cupboard here is surprisingly bare. Aisha comes to mind, but that was a travesty of a film and the women bonding, sadly led by the vapid Sonam Kapoor, were wan. There was the tepid Dor where Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag’s thesping just didn’t hold a candle to Meera Jasmine and Kavya Madhavan’s terrific performances in the Malayalam original Perumazhakkalam. Lajja had great performances from the likes of Rekha, Manisha Koirala and Madhuri Dixit, but it wasn’t really a female bonding movie. Mrityudand, on the other hand, featured a great bond between Madhuri and Shilpa Shirodkar.

A truly outstanding female bonding film is Ketan Mehta’s classic Mirch Masala where an entire village of women, led by the late, irreplaceable Smita Patil, come together to vanquish sexual predator Naseeruddin Shah. And on the prurient end of the scale, we have Hema Malini and Parveen Babi enjoying a tender moment in Razia Sultan and Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das going at it hammer and tongs in Fire. Amongst forthcoming movies only Gulaab Gang appears to have a female bonding theme, but the real question is, where are the urban films like Rock On!! or Dil Chahta Hai or ZNMD where women bond? Aren’t Indian audiences prepared to see women have fun on screen and let their hair down with each other? Oh for a desi equivalent of the ultimate road trip movie Thelma & Louise.

There is indeed at least one female bonding movie being prepped by a well-regarded Bollywood filmmaker, but alas, Cineswami is not allowed to reveal this information yet. Watch this space. Meanwhile, feel free to inhabit the comments space and let us know which your favourite female bonding films are. Toodle pip. The Estrogen bar beckons.

Abhishek Kapoor’s inspirational flick which has garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success might now have a Tamil version

With Kollywood personalities showering praise on Kai Po Che, the latest Bollywood hit based on Chetan’s Bhagat’s novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, the buzz is that the movie will be remade in Tamil.

The film is distributed by UTV Motion Pictures, which has a strong presence in Kollywood too. G Dhananjayan, who heads the Southern division of UTV, wrote on his microblogging page, ‘Kai Po Che is one of the finest films on the life of three friends, like Nanban. It will certainly work if we have a good director + cast :-)’

Also, popular director Lingusamy, who watched the film recently, tweeted, ‘Kai Po Che – Hindi Movie. A good film after a long gap. Cinematography, Music, Direction all good.’

It is expected that UTV itself will produce the Tamil version too. Remember it is currently producing Settai, which is the Tamil remake of Hindi hit Delhi Belly.

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Kai Po Che has music by Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Swanand Kirkire. Sushant Singh Rajput, Raj Kumar Yadav and Amit Sadh star as the three main protagonists, while Amrita Puri plays the female lead.

The funny duo chase the woman of their dreams along the mushy tunes of this romantic ballad

From the initial rushes of the film, we thought that Nautanki Saala was an out-and-out comedy, in which the Delhi Belly actor Kunaal Roy Kapoor and the Vicky Donor star Ayushmann Khurrana were busy trying to outdo each other. Yet, one look at the song Mera man kehne laga and it’s clear that the film goes deeper than being a mere comedy. The song written and sung by Falak Shabir is a dreamy romantic number that is sure to get to you!

In the lyrical ballad, we see the two love-crazy guys Ayushmann and Kunaal falling for the same girl – the pretty Pooja Salvi. While Ayushmann is more forthcoming, trying to woo the lovely Pooja with flowers, cakes, candies, dinners and trinkets, Kunaal only letches at the babe from far! This shows that there may be some hilarious moments of rivalry between the two actors around whom the movie revolves.

So, who do you think will eventually get the girl? Will it be Ayushmann with his super guitar skills, or will it be Kunaal, with his cute schoolboy charm? Check out the song, and take a guess!

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While the lovely ladies continue to gyrate seductively to catchy numbers, the ‘men’ of B-town are also trying a (raunchy) step or two to break into this glitzy world of ‘items’. But which of the newest imports to B-town fits this haute and happening bill?

Initially, when those one-off masala number in movies came to be termed as the item song, we assumed that this would be the space populated by the sizzling ladies of tinseltown. Then came along Hrithik Roshan in Krazzy 4 and Shahrukh Khan in Shakti to break our stereotypically coloured bubble.

Gradually, as the item song became as necessary as the script of the movie itself, we saw other B-town hunks like Ranbir Kapoor (Chillar Party), Aamir Khan (Delhi Belly), Salman Khan (recently in Son Of Sardaar) et al lending dates to the shooting of such sacrosanctly spicy numbers. And now we see fresh, sometimes even unknown faces and of course figures of item girls popping up in this realm. And we can’t help but worry about the guys who will hold the stage in near future. Perhaps we shouldn’t worry, ‘coz there are plenty of young lads with twinkling toes finding their way into B-town these days…no? But could they pass the test to become an ‘item bwuoy’?

The new song from the much awaited movie Settai is out, but it may not hold your attention for long

Even while Settai was in the making, director R Kannan had said that the movie, a remake of Bollywood’s Delhi Belly, would be ‘tweaked’ for the Tamil audience. The Agalaathey, Agalaathey song, released in the run-up to the April release of the movie, is definitely one of those additions.

Composed by SS Thaman and sung by Megha and Vijay Prakash, Agalaathey, Agalaathey is in the time-tested Kollywood duet style. It features Arya, recently voted as the favourite lover boy, and Hansika Motwani. The song is set in the now all-familiar Switzerland and while the locale is pretty, it doesn’t come as a novelty. Arya and Hansika make a good-looking pair and the music is catchy enough for the song to hit the top of the charts soon.

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The Delhi Belly actor is part of a play based on the Delhi gang-rape incident

New York-based actor Poorna Jagannathan, who was seen in Aamir Khan’s production Delhi Belly, is the executive producer of a play based on the Delhi gang-rape incident of December 16. It is called The Jyoti Project, named after the victim who is addressed in the media as Nirbhaya, Damini, Amaanat and so on.

On February 7, speaking at the Asia Society’s talk on the Delhi case, Poorna said that she wanted the truth about what happened with the 23-year-old girl to come out in her play. She was of the opinion that such incidents are “softened up” with the usage of words like ‘horrific incident’ and so on, so that the news is more “palatable” for us, so we can perhaps “move on”. “Truth incites action, it incites empathy. Feeling is a good thing,” she said, hinting that we need to face what happened and not sugarcoat it.

“I grew up in violence and was told to be silent about it. But silence makes you complacent,” she said. It is this silence that she wants to break with The Jyoti Project. The actor said her play will interweave several stories of violence of various people. The team will begin rehearsals soon under the guidance of award-winning director and playwright Yael Farber.

Where did she get the idea for the play? “I saw a South African play in New York that moved me and devastated me, wherein people shared their experiences about apartheid. That transformed me,” she said.

Poorna is part of the New York-based Off-Broadway theatre group, The Barrow Group. She is currently being seen on HBO series Criminal Justice. More power to her for The Jyoti Project!

ALSO READ: ‘Delhi Belly’ girl Poorna Jagannathan to act with Gwyneth Paltrow

Neetu will be shaking a leg with hottie Arya in this Tamil remake of the hit Hindi movie Delhi Belly

There are already three beautiful women – Hansika Motwani, Anjali and Suja Varuni – in Settai, the Tamil remake of Delhi Belly. And, as if this were not enough, there is an item number featuring Neetu Chandra too.

“Though the Hindi version had only one song, Kannan, the director of the Tamil version, wanted to have more songs in Settai. The special number featuring Neetu is one of them,” sources said.

The song was recently shot on Neetu, Arya and others, and the number will be the highlight of the movie. Thaman has come out with a peppy score.

Produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Settai will hit the screens later this month. Besides this film, Neetu’s Aadhi Bhagavan is also scheduled to release this month.

Two’s company, three’s a crowd, and chaos too, probably. This is exactly what happens in Settai – the official Tamil remake of Bollywood’s Delhi Belly

Settai, the Tamil remake of the Imran Khan-Kunaal Roy Kapur-Vir Das film Delhi Belly, stars Arya, Santhanam and Premgi as the three main leads. The trailer leaves us confused, but piques our curiosity too. We have Arya running away from someone and bumping into Santhanam, who he seems to have met in an earlier encounter. The duo team up with Premgi to hatch a plot. Is it against the dance master? And why is Nasser behind the three men? What is the incident that is going to jolt the nation, and why isn’t Arya willing to fight for it? These are the questions that plague your mind.

But no Indian movie is complete without songs and heroines. So we have Anjali (supposedly Arya’s girlfriend) telling him that all work and no play will make him dull, but Arya retaliates by saying that he won’t change for anyone. Hmm, is there trouble in the relationship and is that when Hansika Motwani (the seductress) steps in? Who is the ‘awesome’ girl Arya is talking about and ready to marry?

Settai trailer – with all the elements of suspense, drama, action, humour – leaves you intrigued. Santhanam provides most of the laughs with his comic timing and witty one-liners. And the credit for that must go to dialogue writer John Mahendran. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur, and directed by R Kannan, this UTV Motion Pictures’ venture looks like a laugh riot already.

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The well-known Marathi star will be seen playing a RAW agent in Bejoy Nambiar’s David and in Anil Kapoor’s Indian adaptation of the American TV series 24 to be aired on Colors

Ajinkya Deo is a known name in Maharashtrian cinema, but he clears misconceptions about him being showered with Bollywood offers and that he is an extremely conceited person. In fact, as he says in a very earnest tone, “Just ‘coz I am into production, people think I don’t want to do films any more, whereas all I do is sit in the production house, as my brother owns it – I am just part-owner.” Not even a tad intimidating despite being quite a senior in this profession, Ajinkya has an aura that puts you in an instant comfort zone. And, of course, the intermittent humour is like icing on this awesomely baked conversation. “I stand 6 feet 2 inches tall, so I would like to do films that fit me,” is one of the lines in the confab that brings on a giggle. That’s AD – son of veteran actors Ramesh and Seema Deo and brother of Delhi Belly director Abhinay Deo – for you, down to earth and slightly cheeky…in a good way, of course!

Tell me something about your role in David…

It is a very intelligently crafted film. I am playing a RAW agent and, incidentally, the film begins with me. It starts in 1972, and Neil is the gangster in the film. I have been asked to take Neil into custody from Ireland. All I can say is, I had amazing fun working with Bejoy Nambiar.

I was very impressed with the way Shaitan was made; that was one reason why I was excited to work with Bejoy. It’s been a long time since I have worked with the young brigade of Bollywood. My look is different. I am sporting a moustache in the film. And I remember having a moustache when I first entered the industry 20-25 years ago.

I am playing the father of a teenager and the first episode begins with me. And towards mid-season there’s a twist to my character. Can’t say anything beyond this now…

You are an established name in Marathi cinema – do you get a lot of Bollywood offers? 

Honestly, I don’t get many Bollywood opportunities. I don’t know what happened; maybe people mistook me for someone who’s laidback or maybe I didn’t do much networking or PR. And when you don’t hobnob much, people want to believe in stories that are floating around. There were rumours that I charge an exorbitant amount and I am very high-handed. You have to make an attempt to be a part of the industry and I failed to do that. But at least I’ve learned my lesson.

You and Abhinay are creative people; every creative person has an ego – so do you guys have your share of differences?

Yeah, which is why we designate the work. When he is directing, I am producing. And even then we have a line producer in between who acts as the buffer. Today Abhi is a big name; he has tasted success. So whenever I feel bad about something I voice it, but don’t impose anything on him. My chemistry with him is good, but not great. He is younger than me by six years, so when he was growing up, he had two fathers to face. Well, we are trying to work on the age barrier.

He does, but not always. This is the first time I will be acting under his direction in 24.

What do you personally like most about David?

The entire retro feel – and the story-telling is superb.

What’s that one thing you have learned from both industries – Marathi and Bollywood – that has helped you evolve as an actor?  

They both are different schools. In Marathi cinema, when I started off, the work structure was very close-knit. We would spend days together on a shoot, like a family. But Hindi is different. There is nothing called a ‘star’ in Marathi cinema, but Bollywood is always dominated by a star. I have had the opportunity to work with Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Raj Babbar and Akshay Kumar in the early days of my career. I was friends with them, but that was restricted to only the duration of the shoot. So although it’s the same medium, the way both these industries groom you is different. Again, to penetrate in Hindi cinema, the way the Marathi industry has groomed you won’t work. In Bollywood, it’s extremely important to be a part of it, and I completely missed the bus there.

What’s your attitude in David?

In one of the scenes, I come across a person from Neil’s gang, and that guy looks me in the face and reveals everything about my life. And I look back at him and blurt out his history in return…so that’s what the attitude is.

Were you inspired by any Bond film?

I prefer to go where my director wants to take me. I don’t enter the sets with preconceived notions, or there will be clash of identities. I love to give suggestions, but that’s about it.

24, David…a lot of action-packed roles happening for you. Do you miss romancing onscreen?

You know, I have romanced a lot on and off screen. For a change I am going to just act now and fight my way into the industry. As SRK said, picture abhi baaki hai… (laughs)

Your parents were established names in the industry. Did they ever give you advice on how to sustain your career here?

See the point is, their wisdom worked in their times. I am not saying their wisdom wasn’t useful; it worked, but not always. You need to have your own experiences. My parents always taught me that good actors come and go, but good people stay. But today, doing bad is good. I believe you have to be slightly bad to sustain a career in a place like Bollywood.

Who’s your personal favourite in David - Neil, Vikram or Vinay?

Vikram is a star, he is a God in the South but I haven’t seen any of his films. But I have seen Neil in Johnny Gaddaar; he is a nice human being, so I would say he’s my favourite.

What kinds of films would you like to do in the future?

I would like to make films that make sense to me and to the people. Something that would urge people to make their lives better, ‘coz the mood of the country is such that everything is messed up in some way. So if I was blessed with a choice, I would like to do films like 3 Idiots.

Abhi is very creative and focused. I have always lived in the moment. Although he is very fun loving, he knows what he wants. He concentrates on one thing at a time, whereas I do several things at a time.

Nautanki Saala directed by Rohan Sippy, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Kunaal Roy Kapur looks like a laugh riot. Although nothing much has been revealed about the film, just the feel of the poster is enough to give you a fair idea that it’s going to be a film with some nice, pleasant humour; not the Kyaa Kool Hai Hum kinda comedy. In the digital poster, while Ayushmann is made to look like a new-age funny raavan with ten heads, Kunaal simply intends to be the centre of attention in the image, and puts on a goofy expression.

The film is slated to release on April 12, and also stars newcomer Pooja Salvi and Evelyn Sharma as the lead chicks. And one more thing that’s really worth the mention is the wacky background music used in the video. The whole package looks super interesting…for now looks like a must watch…

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The Delhi Belly actor bags a critical role in the big ticket television show

The Delhi Belly lass Poorna Jagannathan may not be up to spectacular things in Bollywood, but she is making waves abroad. As per sources, Poorna has been chosen to star in HBO’s award winning drama Criminal Justice.

In the Emmy award winning show, Poorna will be playing the character of a Pakistani woman Safar Khan, whose son has been implicated in a murder case. Well, this sure is a big one for Poorna, the babe who won top honours for her role as a brave, sassy girl in Delhi Belly. The show will be directed by Steven Zaillian, the writer of Schindler’s List, along with co-writer Richard Price, who penned Martin Scorcese’s The Color of Money.

The leggy lass is currently in New York shooting for the show. So if her fans can’t wait to see her in Criminal Justice, they could make do by watching her latest film Thanks For Sharing, where she stars alongside Gwyneth Paltrow. The babe’s sure going places!

So he had to work hard not to be distracted by his co-stars, he says. Aamir Khan speaks about his latest film, Talaash and what makes him do what he does so well

How did the idea of Talaash come up? What made you accept the role?

Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti came to narrate the script to me, and I just loved it. After a long time in Hindi cinema, we will see a suspense drama – and such a riveting one, with a deep emotional core. I like that it is an unusual and also intriguing combo.

On working with director Reema Kagti…

Reema is a director who is very au fait with her subject. We hadn’t interacted a lot during Lagaan, but were totally immersed with Talaash. Her confidence in what she requires, her in depth preparation of material and how to imbue it with the actor is wonderful. No compromises were made and I was very comfortable working with her. She knew deep layers of my character, which was quite amazing.

This is the third time you’ve worked with a female director (not to mention producing female directors like Anusha Rizvi) – is there a difference in approach, perhaps, from working with men in the industry?

Yes, as a, actor I have worked with Deepa (Mehta), Kiran (Rao) and now Reema. All are extremely wonderful and capable directors. They know exactly what they are looking for in a shot. I would say that actually their approach is a purely individualistic trait and nothing to do with gender. The process of cinema and storytelling – for too long it’s been the male perspective on life and relationships. I’m happy to support women directors, with their fresh mindsets in the world of cinema. Also, there is more opportunity now for new-age filmmakers and writers, which is not dependent on country, region or gender.

Your role in Talaash…

I play Inspector Shekhawat, who is investigating a case. At the core of my character there is loss and coping with loss. It’s an emotional story. I like to create the characters I play in behaviour – each day I have to believe what is happening to the character is happening to me. You have to watch it to glean the rest.

You have two talented leading ladies in Talaash, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor…

It’s been a while since Ghulam and Mangal Pandey: The Rising, so it was nice to reunite with Rani on screen. And 3 Idiots also seems a long time ago – that was working with Kareena. Both are very pretty, so I had to work at concentrating on the job, without getting distracted (laughs). I like the energy they bring and how they worked with me as part of the larger team. They are both very nice human beings.

Ram Sampath has delivered again for you, creating evocative music, like in Delhi Belly….

The music of Talaash, is Ram and Reema’s creation. I am in love with the film’s songs. They just grow on you. Ram and I have worked on Delhi Belly and Satyamev Jayate. In Ram we see a star who is born, who creates absolutely outstanding music. Ram is a person who has been around a long time, and worked on tons of commercials, and has experience as a composer. His time had come, to make a big mark in Hindi films and cinema and he has matured as a composer. He also loves to experiment. I really feel that his contribution is immense.

How did you prepare for your role as a cop and keep the ‘look’ for so long?

Reema had done extensive research for the role. I did go to Khar police station in Mumbai a couple of times in the night to see the night vigilance team at work. As I work on one film at a time, keeping the look is never an issue.

Being part producer, also lead actor – was this easy to juggle?

In this case, Farhan (Akhtar) and Ritesh (Sidhwani) were more hands-on as producers, so it was easy for me. I didn’t want to produce ever in my life, as I’ve seen what my father went through. I was happy to act – production was the last thing on my mind – but when you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. I ironically ended up producing films that no one else would touch. They’ve been successful, but I don’t know why. I do give all the work I choose to do, my all.

Coming together with Excel after the iconic Dil Chahta Hai…

Yes, it’s been almost a decade since we worked together. It’s a wonderful team to work with and they are extremely creative. They work in a collaborative style, so they listen to each other’s opinions and decide what needs to be done.

Like Dhobi Ghat, you chose to work in real locations – what were the challenges, with your super-stardom?

Reema was very clear from beginning that she would shoot at real locations. She wanted to capture Mumbai in its real form. It has been difficult for the entire team, however – the light, the ambience and locations can never be replaced by shooting in an indoor studio. It is totally worth the effort.

The climax was shot at Pinewood Studios in London, underwater…

We earlier thought of shooting this in India. It was extremely smooth shooting there and a nice experience, but also a tad petrifying when swimming underwater. The UK is always enjoyable.

You embraced your spiritual side by taking your Mother to Mecca…

I promised my mother that I would take her to Hajj; it was a promise made almost a year ago. It’s been an extremely special experience and an unforgettable one. I have really cherished spending time with my mum.

Satyamev Jayate, like your film Taare Zameen Par, has helped change policy within the government and has changed so many lives – what compelled you to be the social activist?

Uday Shankar of Star TV had approached me for a game show and that’s when I told him of this idea, saying that if I were to come on TV, then it would be in something like this and asked if it would interest him. He just loved the idea. It was an overwhelming response that we got from the people. It’s about raising awareness. Season 2 is on the way and we are working on it, on the research side. Once Dhoom:3 and Rajkumar Hirani’s Peekay are done, we will begin shooting.

Dhoom:3 brings you back to Yash Raj Films after a long hiatus, and you have always played a very good villain…

I will say that it is a pleasure for me to work with Yash Raj Films once again. The Dhoom theme tune gives a swing to my step and the script, by Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya) really won me over.

Your ‘brand’ of cinema has changed a lot over the years and you are bringing ‘unusual’ indie films, like Peepli:Live, Dhobi Ghat and Delhi Belly to Indian cinema – how important do you see this being for the perception of Indian films by the world and even within India?

As an actor, I have always enjoyed working on films that push the envelope on the commercial format. Whether it’s Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai or Taare Zameen Par, that is how I choose my films. Peepli:Live, Dhobi Ghat and Delhi Belly are films I have loved, and hence produced. Ultimately, for me, the script should excite me, whether as an actor or producer. I have also shown that art-house movies, which would collect so little in the past, are now able to make some serious money.

What’s next, for Aamir Khan?

I start work on Raj Kumar Hirani’s Peekay and there is SMJ season 2. And the rest is on the horizon and we’ll talk about it later.

A message for the fans?

Do communicate with me via my social media pages and let me know how you feel about my work.

By Ashanti Omkar

While Aamir’s son Junaid Khan applauded his dad’s home production and even held a special screening of Delhi Belly for his friends, the actor’s ammi Zeenat Hussain doesn’t want to see the Imran Khan starrer….ever!

Box office king Aamir Khan recently admitted in an interview that though his mother Zeenat Hussain enjoys watching his films, she particularly wished to stay away from her son’s much talked-about 2011 film Delhi Belly because of its bold and explicit content. “My family loves watching my films. Junaid loved Delhi Belly and even asked his friends to watch the film. My daughter hasn’t seen it because she’s still 13, and it’s an A-certified film. My mother hasn’t seen it either. And whatever she has heard about the film after its release – she told me she’s fortunate to have not seen it. She has decided not to see the film,” stated the perfectionist actor.

The latest we hear is that Aamir has now decided to take on a new challenge – to have his mother watch the controversial movie. “I will try to convince her to see the dubbed version on television after we alter the language and content to a considerable extent. Maybe after that she will,” said Aamir optimistically.

Knowing that the actor shares a great bond with his mother and is a dutiful son, we are sure he’ll be able to convince ammi jaan to watch one of his most challenging and endearing projects in recent times. Don’t worry Aamir, aaal will be well!

Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar’s new films will be released back to back over the next month. Which one excites you? Which do you plan to watch first?

Three big films are slated to release in the span of a month.Let’s take a look at the good and bad points of each movie, and help you decide what you should watch!

First up, it’s Aamir Khan‘s much waited Talaash, releasing November 30, 2012.

Strong points:

The actor has not been seen in a commercial film since 3 Idiots, and fans are just dying to catch him on the big screen. Of course, he had a starring role in wifey Kiran Rao’s indie-style Dhobi Ghat – Mumbai Diaries and also an item song in his production Delhi Belly. But we will see Aamir in a masala mass film after two years in Talaash!

Adding to the charm of Talaash are actors at their peak, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor – one of the few female main leads that Aamir has done a second movie with. Both ladies look gorgeous and are experienced enough to add meat to their parts in the film. Aamir, Rani and Kareena – quite a deadly cocktail actually.

Weaknesses:

The only thing that might go against Talaash is the genre – suspense. Most audience members like mystery, but such films are not ideal for repeat viewing – especially in theatres.

The next is Akshay Kumar’s Khiladi 786, releasing on December 7, 2012.

Strong points:

Akshay is back in his Rowdy masala hero avatar, and he has a mass fan-following for this genre. The film might actually have a good story, decent comedy and action.

Weaknesses:

Akshay might get repetitive. Also, the film’s heroine, Asin Thottumkal isn’t exactly the darling of Bollywood masses – yet.

And finally, Salman Khan’s Dabangg 2, releasing on December 21, 2012.

Strong points:

This one is the sequel to Salman Khan’s 2010 blockbuster Dabangg. Salman reprises the role of his much-loved character Chulbul Pandey. Sonakshi Sinha made her debut as Chulbul’s ladylove and wife Rajjo in the first film. After starring in a couple of more movies since, her fan-following has doubled and she is much loved for being the classic and sexy Indian beauty. A definite plus for the sequel, although she will be seen as a young mother in Dabangg 2. And adding tadka to the film is Kareena Kapoor in the item number Fevicol se!

The music of Dabangg 2 is also catchy and is sure to be a hit.

Weaknesses:

The setting is the same and so are the main characters, hence the sequel’s story has to be quite phaadu, otherwise audiences will be bored and reject it outright. Producer Arbaaz Khan, making his directorial debut with this one, has a big responsibility to shoulder.

Considering all the above, which film are you booking your tickets for? If you have any more good/bad points about each film, do let us know!

The Jism 2 babe is all set to rock the awards ceremony on October 23 with her ‘exceptional’ talent

We wonder what it is about Sunny Leone that makes her the perfect person to host the first ever South Asian Rising Star Film Awards to be held in New York on October 23. The porn star-turned-Bollywood sensation doesn’t quite have the gift of the gab, not that we know of, at least. After all, we have seen enough of Sunny in the reality show Bigg Boss last year, when she was present in the house as a contestant. Sunny was not particularly good at vocalising her feelings. Neither did she know how to play with words. Even our Rakhi Sawant could give the Canadian import a run for her well-earned dollars with her infamous blabber. Why then has the Jism 2 actor been roped in? She will be flown to New York to host an entire awards function with Jay Chandrasekhar, Indian-American director of slapstick comedies such as Super Troopers, The Dukes of Hazzard and Beerfest.

We hear that the event will be followed by the ninth edition of the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF), to be held October 24-30. Many Bollywood films are in the race to win the main prize in this one. Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur has bagged the highest number of nominations. Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor and Abhinay Deo’s Delhi Belly are also in the race. Bangalore based band Swarathma, which is very popular for its fine music, has been nominated in the Best Composer category for work in indie filmmaker Srinivasan Sunderrajan’s Greater Elephant. Sneha Khanwalkar (Gangs of Wasseypur), Ram Sampath (Delhi Belly) and Amit Trivedi (Trishna) have also been listed in the prestigious nominations for their commendable music compositions.

But the porn..err..star-attraction of the show will undoubtedly be Sunny Leone! The seductress will steal all the thunder with her unique assets, for sure. By that we mean her sparkling presence, of course – what did you think! Right, Sunny?

The young star is yet to come out from the shock that her bag was robbed from the sets of Settai in Switzerland

Hansika‘s bag had valuables worth more than Rs 15 lakh.“The bag had a costly mobile phone, cosmetics and other valuable things. Hansika became almost inconsolable after the incident,” say sources. They add, “In a bid to console her, Hansika’s mother gifted her a brand new Apple iPhone 5, which is still unavailable in India.”

The shooting of Settai came to an abrupt end after the theft, and the local manager has filed a complaint to the police authorities. Directed by R Kannan, Settai  is a remake of Imran Khan’s Delhi Belly and has Arya as the protagonist.

We agree that’s an odd-sounding film title, but there’s nothing strange about the story of the new project

After Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi-6 and Abhinay Deo’s Delhi Belly, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra is the next one to be inspired by the capital city of India. The Yeh Saali Zindagi director who is readying to release Arjun Rampal-Chitrangda Singh-starrer tentatively titled Inkaar has set his heart and mind on a new story.

Delhi-bred Mishra plans to highlight the new culture rising in the city he once called home. “There is old Delhi, New Delhi and there is now the new New Delhi where an ambitious breed of brokers, middlemen, mediators, political lobbyists and wheeler dealers rule the roost,” says the director, and elaborates, “My New New Delhi would go into that world of ambitious go-getters who have turned Delhi into a curious mixture of Shanghai and Washington.”

And who is going to be a part of this film? Mishra has been considering to get hold of his blue-eyed boy Arunoday Singh (remember the tall, fair and handsome hunk who got naughty with Sunny Leone in Jism 2?) for the protagonist’s role. He will play the character of a fixer, and through his journey the plot about the newfound drive of Delhiites, will unfold. But that’s if and only if the Jism 2 hunk manages to get rid of his yuppie persona and slip into his dilli ka munda character!

Let’s wait and find out if Arunoday overcomes the new challenge set by the director who he calls his mentor.

Rajat Barmecha has been away from the public eye for almost two years now. And he claims that the reason for his disappearance was the dearth of interesting projects. So while some filmmakers stereotyped him big time, there were also a few who believed that he could go beyond the realm of serious and experimental cinema. And when we start chatting with him, we realise that Barmecha is the kind of guy who maintains a fine balance between trusting his gut and using his mind at the same time. And since this aspect of his personality interests us most, we delve deeper to discover more about this young lad…

Tell us something about your role in Disco Valley…

It’s completely opposite to what I did and what I was in Udaan. I am not the 17-year-old innocent kid in the movie. It’s about two friends who head for a rave party. And while doing so, they get into major trouble. The movie is about how they come out of the mess. My producer rightly describes the movie as a combination of Delhi Belly, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Hangover.

You will be trying your hand at comedy for the very first time. Any inhibitions on that front – ‘coz it’s not easy to make people laugh…

To be very honest, after I did Udaan, I wasn’t exactly showered with offers. But there were a few that came my way and I rejected them point-blank. I was disappointed because the only films that were coming my way were the serious and experimental kind, or very similar to what I did in Udaan.

So do you think Bollywood tends to get stereotypical?

Oh yes, totally! I think when people start aping things, it bombs big time. For example, if Delhi-Belly is a hit, there will be ten other people who want to make the same stuff. And since I belong to a non-filmi background, I wanted to make sure about what I do after Udaan,without getting confused.

We hear that you often take advice from Anurag Kashyap regarding the films you should do…

Ya, I am glad Anurag and Vikramaditya Motwane are there to guide me. And I did ask Anurag about doing Disco Valley. He just told me one thing – that I should take my own decisions, make mistakes and learn from them at the same time.

The last time we spoke, Kareena Kapoor was your dream co-star. Are there any additions to that list?

First let me do a film with Kareena Kapoor, then I will think about everybody else (laughs)!

What are your criteria for selecting a film – since you confessed that you are very choosy…

I should be able to sit for three hours at a stretch and not get bored while reading the script. When I read the script of Udaan, I finished it at one go. But there are times that I read a script and feel extremely sleepy, and that’s when I know this is not something I want to do.

Disco Valley is about a rave party. Have you ever been to a rave party?

I have no idea about how a rave party works. But yes, I’ve heard lots of stories about such shindigs, but never really been to one.

One of the prerequisites for making it big in Bollywood is that you have to be a muscular, beefy hunk. Do you think this might go against you?

No, I don’t think so. Right now Ranbir Kapoor is one actor who’s in full-on demand. And he’s not muscular, but a lean guy. I don’t think you have to be huge and hunky these days for being one of the A-listers.

What are the kinds of films you want to keep an arm’s length from?

As the mama-bhanja duo is still making up their minds if they should share screen space, we are sure it would be an absolute delight to watch the two actors together. We have seen them in numerous interviews, supporting each other’s movies and career decisions, but never have we seen the duo’s chemistry onscreen. And if these rumours turn out to be true, we think Imran’s youthful attitude and Aaamir’s intense thespian skills will make for an interesting combination. Aamir was seen doing a special appearance in a song in Imran’s Delhi Belly, but the duo hasn’t exactly done a full-fledged movie together.

So while Mr Hirani is still trying to convince himself that Imran will be the right choice for the movie, we suggest he opts for the kid without thinking too long. People are waiting to see the duo weave their magic onscreen, so you can just imagine the kinda noise this pair would create if they are cast together, Rajuji…!