Dance with a purpose, join in the flash mob!

If you're busy shopping at a packed marketplace and someone next to you breaks into a jig, don't fret, just join in! Chances are it may be a flash mob.

It is the latest publicity gimmick that many event management companies, social activists, TV channels and movie production houses are using to create a buzz among masses.

Flash mobs have been a tried-and-tested technique abroad, but in India it is a new concept. It first started at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus when close to 200 people began dancing to Bollywood chartbuster "Rang de Basanti" last month.

Since then the trend has caught on and travelled to various cities like Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi as well as the national capital.

"Flash mobs in my opinion are a great new way to reach out to the masses, although they shouldn't be conducted so often that they end up killing the element of surprise," Ayush Gupta of Cabbageheads, an event management firm which organised the flash mobs at the capital's Janpath and Priya complex, told IANS.

Even though police played spoilsport during their flash mob, there was a purpose behind the activity, says the 20-year-old.

"We organised the flash mob with the sole purpose of opening minds around. We wanted to set a trend - a trend which screams of being bold enough to try new things! People need to loosen up a bit. Go crazy every once in a while. That's what we had in mind when we organised Flash Mob Delhi," added Gupta.

The team of Zee TV's flagship reality show "Dance India Dance" had also organised "Dancemobs" to promote the third season of the show. A flash mob of over 50 people began dancing at the Rajouri Garden market in West Delhi. From college-goers, shopkeepers and residents, lots of people joined in the flash mob and danced to popular Bollywood chartbusters.

"As per our research, 'Dance India Dance' connects with audiences across ages and is driven by the youth target audience. Also, it's that time of the year when a lot of people are out shopping or partying. Hence it becomes easier for us to reach out to more number of people at one go," Akash Chawla, Zee Marketing Head-National Channels, told IANS.

"The highest recall value of a thing is when it happens by surprise. Besides this, tapping the new media in a big way, the Dancemob videos will be uploaded on various social networking sites as well, which will help us to further increase our audience base," added Chawla.

According to the dictionary, a flash mob is "a large group of people mobilised by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration."

People of varied age groups are using online social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter to organise such surprise dance activities.

At the capital's Sarojini Nagar, a group planned a flash mob against sexual harassment and female foeticide, and danced to "Sadda haq".

In Mumbai, southern star Dhanush led a flash mob and danced to his Tamil-English hit "Kolaveri di" to promote the film "3", while in Kochi some enthusiasts danced to spread the message of peace.

The flash mobs are getting a lot of hits on YouTube.

Gupta feels "flash mobs will eventually fizzle out if they continue to happen at the rate they currently are."

"People should think new rather than follow the mob mentality. That's what'll make a difference," he added.

Shahrukh Khan wants to marry Vidya Balan?

Shahrukh Khan had recently expressed his desire to marry Vidya Balan and even add her surname 'Balan' after his name!

Hey, wait! Before you let your imagination fly, here's the story....

Praising Vidya Balan's performance in The Dirty Picture, producer Ekta Kapoor referred to Vidya as Vidya Balan Khan. Ekta only meant that Vidya had carried the entire movie on her shoulders. Vidya too joked and said she would love to be called Vidya Balan Khan. The talented actress further said, “Saare Khans ke naam kea aage Balan Laga dete hai (lets add Balan after the names of Khans).”

Shahrukh Khan was apparently the only actor who reacted to this and said, “If Vidya Balan gets married to me, I won't mind to putting her surname after my name.”

Well, as you can imagine....this statement by Bollywood baadshah created quite a stir among the media. Quick to realise it, Shahrukh Khan added that Vidya has achieved a lot because of her talent. And for that reason, she should be recognised by her own name and so there is no need to call her Khan. 

Well, we got it Shahrukh! Did you, guys?

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Katrina Kaif is a British Indian actress and former model who appears in Indian films

Kolkata celebrates Shahrukh Khan's return as Don

With Shahrukh Khan lookalike as their main attraction, Shahrukh Khan's Fan Club here celebrated the release of the much-awaited film Don 2 today by bringing out a rally in favour of the superstar.

In the one-km long rally SRK look-alike Shahnawaz Khan was dressed up the way the 46-year-old actor dresses up as the ultra-classy villainous Don in the film.

Surrounded by members of the fan club clothed in police uniform, a band party played hit numbers from Don 2 and also from other SRK films as cars, bikes and banners bearing King Khan's hit dialogues added to the fanfare. More than 200 members of the fan club booked an auditorium at a multiplex and watched the morning show of the Farhan Akhtar directed 3D sequel to the 2006 action thriller.

The film's distributors and theatre owners say Don 2, which also stars Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta, has opened to packed halls across the city. In this sequel, the wicked and debonair Asian underworld Don, played by Khan, has his sights set on European domination by fighting against the existing European underworld and law enforcement agencies.

Don 2 also marks SRK's return as villain. His anti-hero performances in films like Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Anjaam (1994), where he played an obsessive lover had received critical acclaim. SRK's last film Ra.One, a sci-fi released during this Diwali, had received mixed reviews and an average box-office performance.

Katrina Kaif's fake porn video gets revealed?

Guess what's hot in B Town? It's so called Katrina Kaif's porn video that shows the actress having group sex with few unidentified men. Tagged ‘Katrina Kaif sex scandal’, the video that has been online for only a few hours is a hot property.

Reacting to this, Kats is fuming and her anger has gone out of control. Actually the lady in the video is Katrina's look-alike. The video has turned out to be the most downloaded clip, the video shows the supposed look alike in ponytails wearing Indian jewellery slowly stripping down to her bikini and then moving on to the sexual act with a number of men.

An outrageous Katrina told Zee News, “The video is disgusting and the girl clearly doesn’t even look like me. There’s no room for any speculation whatsoever. How can you even call her my look alike? The girl’s face is completely different! I think it’s ridiculous to even talk about it.”

Don 2 - Movie Review: Shahrukh - The King is Back

Superstar Shahrukh Khan and director Farhan Akhtar's previous movie Don: The Chase Begins Again was a blockbuster in 2006. After five years the duo has come back with its sequel, Don 2: The King is Back, which also marks SRK's return to anti-hero role. Before its release, the movie had created lot of curiosities among the audience. It do meet the expectation of the audience and Shahrukh once again rocks them as don.

Don 2 is an action thriller film and Shahrukh Khan's dazzling action is the major attraction in it. The stunning visuals, Jason West's wonderful camera work, classic action and thrilling chase sequences, stylish narration, hip and witty dialogues, spectacular locations, beautiful costumes are the other highlights of the movie. What does not work in the film is its songs composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

The movie has a stylishly crafted story, which is full of vigorous stunts. But one can deny the fact that Farhan Akhtar has borrowed several element of Hollywood films like Ocean’s Eleven, Die Hard, Mission Impossible and few others. Yet, it is a right package of entertainer for Indian movie-goers.

The film seems to have been made for the movie buffs, who love international thrillers. It is not surprising if viewers go to sleep in the first hour of the film due to boring dialogues, long dance sequence and Hrithik Roshan's hilarious cameo. But the post-interval portion of the film is sure to hold the attention of the audience. The second half is an exciting ride with several adrenaline rush moments.

In Don 2, Don (Shahrukh) surrenders himself to the police (Om Puri, Priyanka Chopra), who send him to a Malaysian prison, where he meets his old foe Vardhan (Boman Irani). With his foe, Don escapes from the prison by mixing poison in food served to everyone there. Then they go to Berlin to rob the currency plates for which Don takes the help of a hacker (Kunal Kapoor).

Shahrukh Khan has played a wicked, debonair anti-hero in Don 2 and he has lived it up with gusto. He also impresses the viewers with varied looks in the film. As Roma, Priyanka Chopra has delivered a high order of performance. Although Lara Dutta's character has less scope, she also wins the audience's heart with her glamour. Kunal Kapoor, Om Puri, Boman Irani and others have also delivered good acting.

Don 2 is very rich in its production values and Jason West's cinematography is the major highlight in it.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music for songs is good but it is not up to the standards of the movie. Dialogues are another attraction of the film and they are sure to become catchphrases. The locations and costume also add to the beauty of the film. The editing is slick in the first half but it is ok in the second half.

Overall, Don 2 is a perfect entertainment package for this Christmas. After Ra.One, this movie holds a mirror to changing trends in Indian cinema. Don't miss to watch SRK's dazzling stunts.

Producer: Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shahrukh Khan

Director: Farhan Akhtar

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor, Boman Irani, Nawab Shah, Adi Putra, Alyy Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Sahil Shroff

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Katrina Kaif turns vulgar in Chikni Chameli?

If you think Katrina Kaif was bold in item number 'Sheila ki Jawani' from Tees Maar Khan, think again! If you have seen Katrina sizzle in 'Chikni Chameli' from Agneepath, you will agree that Kat never looked hotter than this!

Dressed in bright red coloured tight cholis, with short ghagras, Katrina Kaif is undoubtedly looking super hot in item number 'Chikni Chameli'! Not only have her clothes become bold, Katrina's moves and gestures also seem extremely provocative, crude and suggestive. However, anybody who has seen Katrina in 'Chikni Chameli' will vouch for the fact that Katrina Kaif looks extremely decent and yet sizzles the screen!

It is possibly the innocence combined with drop-dead gorgeous looks that stop Katrina Kaif from bordering into the 'vulgarity zone.'

Very few women are lucky enough to be compared to yesteryears Bollywood cabaret dancer Helen, who in spite of her dare-bare acts managed to keep away from being vulgar. Katrina Kaif can now be counted in that category!

Bollywood love affairs of 2011

The Bollywood industry has its endless gossips and gossipmongers. Similarly 2011 has been marked with several Bollywood's much-talked about and rumoured couples. This year has seen several famous link-ups of stars like Deepika Padukone-Siddharth Mallya, Ranveer Singh-Anushka, Ranbir-Katrina, Vidya-Siddharth Roy and many more.
Deepika Padukone-Siddharth Mallya - The Dippy-Sid chapter started this year after Deepika Padukone broke up with her boyfriend cum co-star Ranbir Kapoor. Deepika and Siddharth Mallya have known each other since their days in Bangalore but the duo might have never imagined to turn a couple one day.

Ranveer Singh-Anushka Sharma - Bollywood newcomers Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma has given two major hit movies to the audience but their much-talked about relationship status is too confusing for us to understand. The duo supposedly got into a relation on the sets of Band, Baaja, Baaraat but their affair was short-lived.

Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif - Many say that Katrina Kaif was the major reason for Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika's break up. In fact early this year Ranbir and Katrina were the hottest topic of discussion. Rumours say that Kats had even dumped Salman for Ranbir. Though the so called affair started on the sets of Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahaani, the couple is no more together.

Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D Souza - The long-time rumoured couple finally surprised all at the end of 2011 with the news of their marriage. Riteish and Genelia have been considered as one of Bollywood's oldest couple since their debut movie Tujhe Meri Kasam. Though both never admitted their relationship, recently they shocked everybody by breaking the news of their strong relationship and marriage.

John Abraham-Bipasha Basu - The eight years old, strong going love birds John Abraham and Bipasha Basu have made several bold headlines this year with the news of their unexpected and disastrous breakup. John and Bipasha were Bollywood's one of the best couples, who finally parted ways for their personal incompatibility. The couple started with their love journey with their film Jism but finally ended in a sad note in 2011.

Vidya Balan-Siddharth Roy Kapur - Apart from her movie The Dirty Picture, actress Vidya Balan have been hitting the headlines for one more reason. It has been rumoured that Vidya is in a relation with UTV CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur. Sources also claimed that the couple got hitched on the sets of No One Killed Jessica. Though Vidya never admitted her affair but the Sid-Vidya topic have added a lot of spice to the gossip department of Bollywood.

Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra- The love affair that started on the sets of Kaminey has seen too many ups and downs this year. Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra have been in news for loving each other hopelessly but their current relationship status has been on rocks that turned out to be too controversial.

Jacqueline Fernandez-Sajid Khan - Sources say that Jacqueline Fernandez was so blinded by director Sajid Khan's love that she didn't even think twice before dumping her long-term Bahranian boyfriend. In fact reports suggests that Jackky baby had dumped Krissh 2 for Sajid Khan following a kissing scene with Hrithik Roshan.

Preity Zinta-Brett Lee - Since the time actress Preity Zinta got into the world of cricket, she had been linked-up with cricketers. After Yuvraj Singh, it's now Brett Lee who is rumoured to be in a relation. The latest we hear is that they had a secret night-out a couple of days ago.

Prateik Babbar-Amy Jackson - Yesteryear actress Smitha Patil's son Prateik Babbar is currently dating international model Amy Jackson. Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson, who met on the sets of Gautam Menon's romantic film Prem Katha hit off extremely well. They have apparently become very close off late and are reported to be more than 'just friends'.

Mallika Sherawat to move her hips for 'Kolaveri di'

If you thought Mallika Sherawat would move her hips for 'Kolaveri di' song in the forthcoming Tamil movie 3, then the news might disappoint you. Hold on! The glamorous actress will be dancing for the sleeper hit number at a star hotel in Mumbai on the eve of New Year.

The actress will turn on the heat through her performance on December 31 by dancing for some of the popular item songs that include 'Kolaveri di', Jalebi Bai, Raziya, Kalasala, etc. Mallika Sherawat seems to have been smitten by the sensation Tamil track and she is eager to perform for the popular number, claims a source.

Mallika Sherawat will shake her legs for the female version of 'Kolaveri di' track crooned by Shruti Hassan. DJ Shezwood is remixing it to add party flavour to it, says a source.

Mallika Sherawat has been thrilling her fans by performing on New Year eve since a few years. It may be recalled that in 2006, the actress landed in controversy after dancing at a hotel in obscene clothes.

'Kolaveri di...' track from the forthcoming movie 3 is written and crooned by Dhanush and newcomer Anirudh has composed the music.

Hrithik Roshan does a cameo in Don 2 for free!

It is well-known that Hrithik Roshan is a close friend of Farhan Akhtar and Shahrukh Khan. Well, this seems to have made the Krrissh star to do a cameo in upcoming movie Don 2 without even taking a single pie for his work.

Reports say that Hrithik Roshan will be seen in the guest role, which lasts for 10 minutes, in upcoming movie Don 2. The actor, who has turned down a series of offers to do cameo from many filmmakers, accepted the offer only because of his friendship with Farhan-Shahrukh and refused to take remuneration for it.

However, Don 2: The Chase Continues is a sequel to the 2006 blockbuster movie Don: The Chase Begins Again. The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor, Om Puri and Boman Irani in the leads. It is hitting the screens on December 23.

Bipasha Basu turns down Vivek Oberoi

It seems Bollywood's dusky beauty Bipasha Basu wants to maintain a secret distance from Vivek Oberoi. The actress has apparently refused to do an item number with the actor in his film Zilla Gaziabad.

When Bips refused to shake her legs with Vivek, the actor wondered what happened, but didn't bother to investigate deep into it. Source informed NDTV, "Vivek thought, if she doesn't even want to be seen opposite him in an item number, how is she ever going to be able to work with him on an entire film. Hence the producers felt it would be better to let her go."

If we dig deep into Bipasha's such weird attitude towards her co-star, then it is evident that one of their commercial ads that was meant for the International market only developed a strained relation between the duo. The ad featured Bips topless and her then spokesperson clarified that the old commercial was meant for the international market only.

According to sources, since then the couple have been quite uncomfortable with each other. So Bipasha refused to work with Vivek.

Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao become proud parents of a baby boy

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao have become proud parents of a baby boy. The child was born on December 1st through IVF to a surrogate mother at a private clinic in Mumbai.

Kiran Rao, who could not deliver normally after repeated attempts decided to go in for IVF.

Aamir Khan issued a letter to Mid-Day, stating: “It gives us the greatest joy to share with you the good news of the birth of our baby boy. This baby is especially dear to us because he was born to us after a long wait and some difficulty. Due to medical complications, we were advised to have a baby through IVF -Surrogacy and we feel very grateful to the Almighty that everything has gone well.”

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao married in December 2005 in Panchgani. Aamir already has two children from his first wife Reena Dutta.

OneIndia, on behalf of its' readers take the pleasure to congratulate Aamir and Kiran for the birth of their baby boy.

Anushka in 'Veer Zaara' sequel with SRK

From ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ to ‘Band Bajaa Baraat’ and now ‘Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl’, Anushka Sharma has proved time and again that she has what it needs to be a hot favourite among directors in Bollywood.

Lately, there’s a buzz going on in tinsel town that the 23-year old actress has been signed for the Veer-Zaara sequel, which is expected to be released near Diwali in 2012

The movie, apart from Shahrukh Khan, who was the main lead in the first part also, features Katrina Kaif as well.

However, Anushka, who made her debut with Aditya Chopra's 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' will be seen playing Rani Mukherjee’s character of a Pakistani lawyer, Saamiya Siddiqui.

The first part of the movie which hit the silver screens in 2004 was set against the backdrop of conflict between India and Pakistan.

Starring Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee, the movie told an unfortunate love story of an Indian Air Force Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, and a Pakistani woman hailing from a rich political family of Lahore, Zaara Haayat Khan.

Interestingly, Shahrukh and Katrina will be paired for the first time.

Even the renowned director Yash Chopra will return to business after a break of seven long years and that too with a sequel of his last movie.

In an interview, he said that he is as tensed and excited as he was in his first film.

Apparently, Shahrukh Khan is busy with the promotion of his upcoming movie ‘Don 2’ and will probably start shooting for this one by second or third week of January.

With all the excitement building up, let’s see what the film has to offer!

The Dirty Picture - Movie Review

Director Milan Luthria and script writer Rajat Arora are back with another realistic movie. Once Upon A Time In Mumbai duo's latest film The Dirty Picture is another bold attempt. The movie is daring and provocative, yet it keeps distance from vulgarism and offensiveness.

The Dirty Picture is a biopic on the life of the South sex symbol Silk Smitha. Actress Vidya Balan's bold performance is the major attraction in the movie. Vishal-Shekhar's music, Rajat Arora's dynamic script and sharp dialogues, Bobby Singh's cinematography, Pony Prakash Raj's choreography and beautiful art works and costumes are the other attractions of the film.

The movie is set against the colourful and entertaining setting of the South film industry of the 80s. It revolves around a girl's journey from a makeup artiste to a sex goddess. She battles fame, fortune and alcohol. The Dirty Picture does not focus on the sleaze, but the tragic story of the sex siren, who provided titillation to thousands of viewers, but died a lonely and tragic death.

The first credit of the movie goes to Rajat Arora who has written a wonderful screenplay and power-packed dialogues. Secondly, it is Milan Luthria, who has wonderfully executed them on screen. The narration of the movie is so interesting that it will not let the viewers rest even for a single second. In the second half, Emraan-Vidya sequences slow down the pace, but soon the narration picks up pace dramatically. Of all what strikes one's mind is the recreation of the era 1980s.

Vidya Balan has a role that she has never played before and she has delivered a brilliant performance. She surely wins the heart of the movie goers with her confident act in sizzling show and dare-bare sequences. As an ageing South Indian superstar, Naseeruddin Shah reminds us of the 1980s stars and his acts surely provoke claps, laughs and whistles among the viewers. Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar have also got totally new role. As a headstrong director, Emraan has delivered a bold act, while Tusshar appears fantastic in his role. Others like Anju Mahendru, Rajesh Sharma, Shivani Tanskale, Mangal Kenkre and Imran Hasnee have also done justice to their respective roles.

The Dirty Picture has a rich production values and Vishal-Shekhar's music is the major attraction in the technical front. Their compositions like 'Ooo La La', 'Ishq Sufiyana' are 'Honeymoon Ki Raat' are the pick of everyone. Pony Prakash Raj's choreography and Bobby Singh's cinematography are excellent in these songs. Akiv Ali's editing is also commendable.

Overall, The Dirty Picture is a right blend of wonderful script, amazing direction and bold performance from the lead actors. The movie has a universal theme and mass appealing story. This movie is a good entertainer.

Producers: Ekta Kapoor and Dheeraj Shenoy

Director: Milan Luthria

 

Cast: Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, Anju Mahendru, Rajesh Sharma, Shivani Tanskale, Mangal Kenkre and Imran Hasnee

Music: Vishal-Shekhar.