Quality movie from Midas-touch Aamir and wife Kiran Rao

It was during the making of the Oscar-nominated Lagaan that Aamir Khan's personal life went through some challenges as the married superstar fell in love with Kiran Rao. His sudden decision to divorce his first wife, Reena, and marry Rao in 2003 sent shockwaves through the industry. Despite these setbacks, Khan continued to mesmerise audiences as an actor and producer. His reputation at the box office is flawless with blockbusters such as Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Peepli Live, Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots to his credit. Often dubbed the man with the Midas touch, Khan returns as an actor and doubles up as a producer to launch Rao's directorial debut. The movie, which received rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival, has also had an excellent start in India.

STORY: Set in bustling Mumbai, Dhobi Ghat deals with relationships. First there's Munna (Pratiek Babbar), the dhobi (clothes washer) who starts a friendship with a banker named Shai (Monica Dogra), a smart young wo-man with a passion for photography and art. When Shai has an encounter with an introverted painter named Arun (Aamir Khan), it ends bitterly leaving her with more questions than answers. And, finally, there is Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra), whose life is revealed when Arun moves into a new apartment. Though the interactions between the lead characters are limited, there is a common thread of mystery, ambition and subtle love that draws them together.

DIRECTION: One must salute Rao for making a delicate piece of cinema as she takes a risky path of purposely leaving out the entertainment factor. Obviously being married to a genius like Khan has inspired her to make a creative movie that further showcases the talents of emerging filmmakers in the industry. She cleverly adds the daily experiences of Mumbai life to take the story forward and that works majestically as you are sucked into the city life.

PERFORMANCES: The four lead characters are easy to relate to as they convincingly make you part of their world. While Khan, who had to audition for the part, breezes through his role effortlessly, he plays second fiddle to the charming and simple Babbar, who has to rank as one of the most talented youngsters in the industry. Babbar, son of the late actress Smita Patil, is a revelation from his debut in Jaane Tu Ya Jaana Na. Dogra and Malhotra both make convincing debuts.

WHAT I LIKED: The realistic background of Mumbai, the manner in which the characters are presented and the running time of just under two hours, which works in its favour.

OVERALL: The Aamir Khan brand is associated with quality cinema. If you are expecting typical Bollywood fare, then best you avoid this creative piece of art which, like a beautiful painting, portrays a variety of emotions and is treasured only by those seeking quality cinema.

Bombay High Court Dismisses Case Against SRK’s Bungalow

Bollywood superstar   Shahrukh Khan breathed a huge sigh of relief, as the Bombay High Court has announced the decision in his favor in case linked to his ' dream home ' Mannat. The Bombay High Court not only rejected the PIL lodged by activist Simpreet Singh against SRK, but also imposed Rs 20 ,000 on the petitioner for wasting its time. The activist registered a PIL against the The activist registered a PIL against the actor, alleging that he breached Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and other regulations by constructing a building , an addition to his bungalow . But, the BHC terminated the case filed by Simpreet, ruling that the requester took this step only for media hype. The court interrogated why the activist objected only to SRK's residence though there are lots of buildings in the identical line. A division bench of Justice P B Majmudar and A Sayed asked, "There are so many buildings in the same line as Shah Rukh's building . Why have you (petitioner) taken an objection against only this building ? Simply because he is a film star?" As per the case filed, the place where the building stands was reserved for an art gallery. But, the state administration updated the BHC that the reservation was called off in the year 2000. The actor bought the land in the year 2003 and started construction in the year 2006. "Prima facie it seems to be a publicity petition . If the court entertains such PILs then it would send a wrong signal . We have so many other PILs pertaining to poor people's causes to hear," Justice Majmudar remarked.

Chitrangada wants to work with Aamir Khan

Kolkata, Jan 29 ( IANS) Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh Saturday made a candid confession about wanting to share screen space with superstar Aamir Khan. 'If you ask me to name one actor with whom I want to work, then its Aamir Khan. If Sudhir (Mishra) makes a film with him then I would stand in line with a hope that I will get a chance,' she giggled. Chitrangada, along with director Sudhir Mishra and actor Arunoday Singh, was in the city to promote their upcoming film 'Yeh Saali Zindagi'. ''Yeh Saali Zindagi' is a romantic thriller. It is about relationship, love, danger and all these. It is a romantic film in guise of a thriller. It has a plot of thriller but has emotions of a romantic film,' Mishra told reporters. 'Life is unpredictable. If you watch the film, you will get to know that the name of the film reflects the personality of the film,' he added. 'Yeh Saali Zindagi' deals with primarily three characters -- Arun, played by Irrfan Khan, Priti, played by Chitrangadha, and Kuldeep, played by Arunoday Singh. Arun is in love with Priti but she loves somebody else and Arun has to save his life. On the other hand, Kuldeep is a young gangster who is trying hard to save his marriage.

Shahrukh will stop Salman’s dream run?

Shahrukh Khan may avoid Salman’s hatrick…. The ‘Dabangg’ Khan dream run might end today and the dream to hold the elusive black lady will still remain a dream for the lady killer and B-town macho Khan Salman Khan. The battle royal begins today at night when all eyes will be on the black lady – the Film Fare Awards, Bollywood supreme yardstick of excellence. Salman who had a dream year with the blockbuster ‘ Dabangg’ which has fetched him Star Screen and Apsara till now is eyeing a hartrick with FilmFare….. but it’s going to be tough for the ‘Dabangg’ Khan to conquer King Khan Shahrukh Khan’s territory- the Film Fare where the Badshah has ruled for 13 times in together, 7 of them in the capacity of the best actor. This time the two mighty Khans of Bollywood are battling against each other for the coveted trophy in order to make themselves and their fans proud, folks it’s going to be the battle of the decade cause this time many things are at stake. If Salman’s ‘Dabangg’ became the top grosser in India and gave a serious face lift to Salman as the messiah at Bollywood box office, then arch rival Shahrukh Khan’ s ‘My Name Is Khan’ became the highest overseas grosser of Bollywood cementing Shahrukh Khan’s status as the global Indian superstar. Film Fare trophy has proudly escorted King Khan to his home many times since 1993 when he kissed the black lady for the first time when as the best newcomer in 1993 for ‘Deewana’. Surprisingly, Salman is now making his presence felt in the award winners galore after 23 years of illustrious career. As the evening draws nearer, the excitement rises as we all are expecting a nail biting finish.. Let’s see how the new kid on the award block Salman bowls over the mighty defense of the veteran in the award field Shahrukh Khan. Post your winner as we keep our fingers crossed.

Priyanka mimics SRK, he turns red hot

Usually, Shahrukh Khan mimics others and pokes fun on actors and filmmakers at award functions but this time the table has turned upside down and Priyanka Chopra done a mimicry of various actors and films nominated for the best movies. She has enacted Salman Khan from Dabangg ’ and owned applause but she had to face the ‘ Dabangg ’ and owned applause but she had to face the rage of King Khan when she copied him. The actress enacted SRK from the film, ‘ My Name Is Khan ’. The act did not go well with Shahrukh and he shouted from the audience at Priyanka saying, ‘Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai’, Hamari Film Ka Mazak Uraya Ja Raha Hai’. The audience turned pin dropped silence with the entire drama. The entire episode of mimicry turned into a great laugher show when King Khan told Piggy Chops, “Tum pehli baar itni khoobsurat lag rahi ho” after she played him in MNIK. The actress earned compliment from SRK.   Priyanka mimicked characters from Dabangg, My Name is Khan, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, Peepli Live , Rajneeti and Golmaal 3. The award show will be aired on January 30 on Zee TV.

Berlin hosts Khan after Khan

Indian cinema fans in Europe are basking in the company of Khan after Khan and they can't believe their luck. First, it was Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan who spent three months in Berlin and now Aamir Khan arrives here early next month . Aamir will be here as a member of the international jury of the 61 st Berlinale that opens Feb 10. "It's not that we are in the habit of collecting Khans. But we greatly admire the work of both Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan and are totally excited that Aamir will be with us this year," Dorothee Wenner, Berlinale's special representative for Indian cinema, told IANS. Wenner says the festival has admired Aamir as a producer and actor for many years and has been trying to get him to participate in the Berlinale for a long time. "Of course, it is not enough to want Aamir in our midst. It is about schedules and whether he is free from work to be part of the Berlinale. The logistics were always a problem. Aamir's work schedule did not allow him to be part of the Berlinale earlier. We are very happy that he is with us this year," Wenner said. Festival director Dieter Kosslick saw Aamir's " Peepli Live" at the last Berlinale and liked the film so much that Wenner was asked to work overtime to make sure that Aamir participated in the event this year. "I think it is great that such a versatile filmmaker is on the Berlinale jury. He knows every aspect of filmmaking, from acting, to directing and, of course, producing. I hope he will stay in that last role in the coming years because it means we can look forward to more unusual and surprising Hindi films. Also, if you look at the way he promotes his projects, I would want him as a producer if I were to make a film," Gerlinde Seitner from the Austrian Film Institute told IANS. It is Wenner who first introduced Shah Rukh to audiences here and now she is very happy to host Aamir. Shah Rukh first participated in the Berlinale with "Om Shanti Om" in 2008. Berliners still recall how Shah Rukh had stopped traffic in the German capital with his charming ways. He was again at the Berlinale in 2010 for the world premiere of his last film "My Name Is Khan" and spent the last three months of the last year filming for Farhan Akhtar's "Don 2 ", which is partly shot in Berlin. Berliners are thrilled that one Khan has barely left the city when Aamir will soon be with them. The Bollywood participation at this year's Berlinale includes the world premiere of "7 Khoon Maaf". It has been selected for screening in the Panorama special section that picks cinema on the basis of innovative narrative styles and unusually critical images of society. Audiences will watch the film in the company of director Vishal Bharadwaj, producer Ronnie Srewvalla and leading lady Priyanka Chopra. Priyanka fans look forward to her return to Berlin after having feasted on her presence just a few months ago when she was in the city shooting for "Don 2 ". Another Indian film is "Gandu" by Kaushik Mukherjee and Om Puri's "West is West" will also be screened. Award winning Shekhar Kapur will bring no film to the festival but he will join a panel for discussions with production designer Alex Mcdowell and others on "Play as Process: World building and New Ways to Imagine". Berlinale is one of the most prestigious film festivals and the international jury led this year by Italian actress Isabella Rossellini is the last word on which lucky film director gets to take home the Golden and Silver Bears at the end of the 11- day gala which concludes Feb 20. The other members on the international jury along with Aamir are producer Jan Chapman, actress Nina Hoss, director Guy Maddin , costume designer Sandy Powell and Iranian director Jafar Panahi.

Aamir picks Ranbir over Imran

Aamir Khan is infamous for his straightforward answers, and this time it was no different. Not one to be diplomatic, Aamir Khan didn't spare even his own nephew. If you thought maamu Aamir's love for nephew Imran has blinded his judgement, think again. At a recent interview, Aamir was asked who was a better actor - Ranbir or Imran. Without hesitation, Amir retorted, "I love Imran, but Ranbir is a better actor." Even though Imran has raked in the moolah with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa and I Hate Luv Storys , his maamu was not much impressed. Talking about I Hate... Aamir tweeted, "Imran, guess you got lucky," to which Imran responded by saying, "It ain't luck mamujaan." Maybe Imran's much-talented maamu wants his bhaanja to get into competitive mode with Ranbir and outperform him in the long run. In the meanwhile, we wonder what Imran will say about his maamu's latest jibe. Keep watching this space.

Shahrukh Khan: King Khan to shake legs with the smiling assassin

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan shall soon be seen shaking legs with the smiling assassin. Smiling assassin who? Come on, take a guess! That’s right, Madhuri Dixit it is. After all, the diva has a killer smile that has flummoxed thousands of men over the years and Shahrukh is no different. Though we have seen SRK and Madhuri on screen numerous times in films like ‘Devdas’, ‘Dil to Pagal Hai’, ‘Anjaam’, ‘Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam’ and ‘Koyla’, we are greedy enough to wish to see them yet again. .to wish to see them yet again. And the good news is that we would soon be seeing that transpire. All you need to do is switch on your TV and tune in to the Filmfare Awards where the two shall dance together. They will be performing together on some of their popular foot-tapping numbers in the upcoming Filmfare award. Tweeting about it an enthusiastic Madhuri states, “Best of luck to everyone who have tests/ exams!Busy rehearsing for my performance with Shahrukh in Filmfare. Great JDJ episodes too…” Madhuri is, currently, in India as she is sitting on the judge’s chair for the dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’ which is one of those addictive shows that makes you skip your other domestic works. And now with the King Khan and the smiling assassin ready to scorch the stage, there is reason enough to give the kitchen work a miss and watch the Filmfare awards .

I still find all roles hard to do: Aamir

Aamir Khan looks effortlessly comfortable in every character he plays onscreen whether it is the police officer of " Sarfarosh " or the painter in his latest " Dhobi Ghat ". But the actor says he still finds it difficult to get into the skin of a character even after two decades in Bollywood. "I'm yet to find a role (that is) easy, all roles are hard and it's hard to get into the skin of another person. It's hard to understand the mind of another person because you are very much what you are and when you have to become someone else, it's very important to understand what you are becoming and have an ability to slip into that," Aamir told. "So I don't find it that easy, no matter which character I'm playing," Aamir said.

Shahrukh as a professors in KJo's Student Of The Year?

Karan Johar for the first time will not be working with his best friend Bollywood baadshah Shahrukh Khan. Surprised? Well, that is what the rumours suggested after Karan Johar launched the first look of his next film Student Of The Year . But, KJo shuts up the gossip mongers, by declaring that Shahrukh Khan apart from being a co-producer in the film will also be an integral part of the script. The film Student Of The Year , which will mark as the debut film for three news young actors Varun Dhawan, Siddarth Malhotra and Aliya Bhatt ( daughter to Mahesh Bhatt's), will have Shahrukh Khan in a significant role for the plot of the film. Karan Johar is presently working on Shahrukh Khan's character in the film. It is also reported that Shahrukh will play one if the professors in the film. So, will it be like the next Mohabbatein, where in Shahrukh being an integral part of the film acted as a mentor to the three young couple? Or will it be the next Kuch Kuch Hota Hai wherein Shahrukh will play the cool mentor to the new-generation kids. Who Knows what KJO is planning for his friend SRK. We are happy that Shahrukh ones again will be an eye-treat to his fans with his romantic Kuch Kuch Hota or Mohabbatein attitude.