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FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION IN BIG CINEMAS ONLY. NOT FOR SALE.
January 2009 | Vol 2, Issue 06
THEHITMANAfter 17 years in the business and the
most impressive hit record in recent times,
Akshay Kumar is still a down to earth munda.
Check out our definitive list of moviesto watch out for this year.
Music Trivia
Queen Bee
Trailers
Contests & Trivia -
cinema tickets to be won! And much more!
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 0 1
5TRAILERSWhich are the movies that are set to have you queuing up at the boxoffice? We bring you a glimpse of the bonanza of new releases in themonth to come.
10STYLE ICONKATS GOT YOURTONGUE
Katrina Kaifs styleis so confident that shecan bring her cool elegant
personality into a wide rangeof looks. Thats what makesher a classic style queen.
13MUSIC LEGENDMR. SPACEMANDavid Bowies
ideas may have seemedspaced out in his time. Butsomehow his genius hasmanaged to endure andinspire.
18MUSIC TRIVIAHITS IN MISSESWhat happens
when a songs a stud butthe films a dud?Fascinating Music Trivia ofcourse!
15BEHIND THE
SCENESWHATS INLINE IN 09Heres what your favouriteBollywood film-makersand stars will be up tothis year.
12THE BIG GIGRENAISSANCEMAN
Neeraj Shridhar hasmade the tough transition
from cover artist to be-coming one of the coolest
voices in Bollywood.
14THE GREATGAMESacred 2:Fallen Angel+ all the cool gizmos yougotta have
20QUEEN BEEOur resident QueenBee dishes out the
buzz on telly land, and watchout, cause it aint all sugarand honey!
23BRAIN TONICTease your greycells with our
contests and win freemovie tickets.
CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS OF THE DECEMBER 2008 CONTESTS! THEY WILL BE INFORMED INDIVIDUALLY.
The PlotVol. 2 No. 06 JANUARY 2009 whats inside
FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION IN BIG CINEMAS ONLY. NOT FOR SALE.
January2009|Vol2,Issue06
THEHITMAN
After17yearsinthebusinessandthe most
impressivehitrecordinrecenttimes,Akshay
Kumarisstilla downtoearthmunda.
BCheck outour definitivelistofmovies
towatchoutfor thisyear.
MusicTrivia
+ QueenBee
+ Trailers
+ Contests&Trivia-
cinematicketstobe won!
+ And muchmore!
2THE BIG PICTURE
HIT MANSeventeen years into thebusiness, Akshay Kumaris more successful than
hes ever been. And yet believable asa humble cook from Chandni Chowk.
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0 2 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
THE
HITMANOn the eve of his eagerly awaited Chandni Chowk to China,Akshay Kumar discusses his co-stars, tackles the controver-
sies and talks about his passion for martial arts in a tte--
tte with JYOTHI VENKATESH.
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 0 3
Ive always be-
lieved that if you
cant give at least
one hour every day
to your own body,
you should just kill
yourself.
Akshay Kumar has come a long wayfrom when he was a lowly assistantto photographer Jayesh Sheth in the
late 80s long before he embarked on hispath to stardom, a fact that he has not for-gotten at all, unlike others of his ilk whotend to get a bout of amnesia when they
taste success in a big way. And Akshay hasdefinitely had success in a big way with asmany as five super duper hits in fast suc-cession - Namastey London, Heyy Babyy,Bhool Bhulaiya, Welcome and Singh isKinng. But Im happy to report that Akshaycontinues to be a down to earth munda.
Did he have great expectations from
Singh is Kinngbefore it was released? Iwas confident that it would become a hitbut frankly speaking, never ever dreamtit would turn out to be such a big hit. Im
overwhelmed!Incidentally Singh is Kinng was his
hat trick with Katrina Kaif with whom hehad delivered two hits earlier - NamasteyLondon and Welcome. Akshay is peevedwhen you ask him whether Katrina Kaifhas reached whatever position she enjoystoday only because he has had a big hand
in promoting her career. Its belittlingKatrina. Why dont journalists ask Katrinawhether shes had a hand in promoting
mycareer, especially since Ive got not justone or two but three hits when Ive actedwith her? Each and every actor in a film
is responsible for its success, he shootsback.
Akshay is now eagerly awaiting the re-lease of his next blockbuster film ChandniChowk to China. It was earlier called MeraNaam Chin Chin ChooMade in Chinabutwe decided to change the title to ChandniChowk to China because its an almost au-tobiographical tale starting from my days
of struggle in Delhis Chandni Chowk. Heelaborates about his role. I play a simple
cook called Sidhu from Delhi who goes toChina to try his luck there. Getting into thecharacter was not difficult for me as I had
been a cook in real life, but shooting forthe movie was a difficult experience. Weshot at the Great Wall of China in extremecold conditions which was quite tough.
Akshay has managed to shift gears fromaction to comedy with ease and ChandniChowk combines the two effortlessly. Iam of the firm belief that action will al-
ways sell as far as cinema is concerned.I will never stop accepting action-packedroles because I enjoy performing danger-ous stunt sequences, though my wife Tina
(Twinkle Khanna) doesnt like me doingsuch death defying stuff.
He got to do some heady action se-quences in the film but admits that the
toughest part was fighting with Chinesemartial arts master Gordon Liu. I watched
36 Chambers of Shaolin 52 times beforedoing the film. Doing the action sequences
and fighting with the Chinese masters,particularly Sir Gordon Liu, was the mostdifficult in the movie. Gordon Liu is knownfor Hollywood films like the Kill Bill andShaolinseries.
His title as Action King comes withsome effort. Im one of the few actors inBollywood who has always made it a point
to maintain a well-toned body though Ivenever bothered to go in for four or six
pack abs, like say Shah Rukh Khan in OmShanti Om. I make it a point to spend myevenings whenever Im shooting outdoorsby jogging to my hearts content. Nor do Iindulge in drinking bouts, unlike most of
my colleagues in the industry. Akshay hasmore sound advice to the younger genera-tion who want to emulate him as far asphysique and fitness are concerned. Ive
always believed that if you cant give atleast one hour every day to your own body,
t h e b i g p i c t u r e
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0 4 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
you should just kill yourself.Bollywood was rife with rumours that
Akshay had set out to sabotage AmitabhBachchans Unforgettable Tour. Says Ak-
shay, Unequivocally I would only blamethe media for all the speculation suggest-ing that I had sabotaged the show. Whywould I think of sabotaging their shows? I
have worked in seven films with Mr. Bach-chan who is like a pillar of this industry. Iam often asked who the king of the filmindustry is and I have always replied that
it is none other than Mr. Amitabh Bach-chan. You cannot discount the fact that hehas been in this industry for the last 35 to40 years. All the rest of us, whether its
Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan or forthat matter even I, may claim to be kingsbut were not.
More controversy. Akshay has a dan-gerous reputation for trimming his co-stars scenes. In his characteristic style,
he jokes, If I find myself out of work asan actor tomorrow, I wouldnt be botheredat all because I can always take up edit-ing, since Im well known for choppingoff my co-actors scenes. Jokes apart,
I am not insecure about my co-actors.Theres room for everyone at the top. Iwas happy when I entered the industryalmost two decades ago. Im happy today
too. However he confesses that he does
have some insecurities: Its all thesenewcomers who keep me on my toes!His co-star Deepika Padukone should be
flattered.Shilpa Shetty has now turned a pro-
ducer. Would he agree to act in her filmif she asks him to? Akki doesnt bat an
eyelid. If Im offered a good script that
appeals to me, Im ready to work withShilpa Shetty. Why should I not do a filmwith her? Over the last two decades since
I started my career, Ive delivered quite afew hits with Shilpa including Main Kh-iladi Tu Anadiand would certainly love towork with her.
What is his dream project as of now?
Its always been my ardent dream tostart a school for karate and show moreand more Indians the power and beautyof martial arts. The show that I hosted
on National Geographic some time agogave me a great opportunity to reach out
to people across the country and explainto children and parents the discipline andstrength that martial arts bring to oneslife. Right now Im quite keen on getting aplot of land from either the government of
Maharashtra or a philanthropist to buildan institute in a prime area like say Ban-dra to start teaching martial arts to peo-ple, irrespective of their ages. Anyone can
learn martial arts from 8 to 80.
If I find myself
out of work as an
actor tomorrow, I
wouldnt be both-
ered at all because
I can always take
up editing, since
Im well known for
chopping off my
co-actors scenes.
t h e b i g p i c t u r e
AK-KNOWLEDGE
His first modeling offer for a furniture showroom ad was through one of hismartial arts students, a model coordinator.
It was the man who is now his make-up man who spotted him and referredhim to filmmaker Pramod Chakravorty. The veteran producer-director tookan instant liking for him and signed him there and then forDeedaras a leadhero.
Kambakkht Ishqwill not be the first time hes acted alongside a major in-ternational action star such as Stallone. He performed with WWF star, theUndertaker in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi.
He says that he and Shah Rukh Khan are the only stars today whove made
it without a godfather.
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t r a i l e r s
J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 0 5
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIREDirector: Danny Boyle Cast: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor,Saurabh Shukla, Rajendranath Zutshi, Freida Pinto, Irrfan Khan
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slumsof Mumbai, is about to experience the biggest day of his life. Withthe whole nation watching, he is just one question away fromwinning a staggering 20 million rupees on Indias Who Wants ToBe a Millionaire?But when the show breaks for the night, policearrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid knowso much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the storyof his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of theiradventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local
gangs, and of Latika (Freida Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Eachchapter of Jamals increasingly layered story reveals where helearned the answers to the shows seemingly impossible ques-tions.
But one question remains a mystery: what is this young manwith no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game-show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to an-swer the final question, the Inspector (Irrfan Khan), host (AnilKapoor) and sixty million viewers are about to find out.
CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINADirector: Nikhil Advani Cast: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone,Ranvir Shorey, Mithun Chakraborty, Gordon Liu
Sidhu (Akshay Kumar) makes his living by cutting vegetables ata roadside food stall in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. He longs to escapethis dreary existence and goes to astrologers and tarot readersfor guidance.
However, one day his fate changes when two strangers fromChina claim him as a reincarnation of a war hero and take him toChina. Little does he know that he is actually being taken there torid a Chinese village of a vicious smuggler named Hojo (GordonLiu)! Thanks to a devious translator, a conman by the name Chop-stick (Ranvir Shorey), Sidhu is blissfully unaware of the perils thatawait him. Along the way, he meets Sakhi (Deepika Padukone),who is also on her way to China.
Initially, through a series of lucky coincidences, Sidhu managesto sidestep being beaten by Hojos men but Hojo finally catches
up with him and exposes him as the country buffoon that he re-ally is.
LUCK BY CHANCEDirector: Zoya Akhtar Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen,Saurabh Shukla, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla,Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Kapoor, Isha Sharwani, Arjun Mathur
Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan Akhtar) arrives in Bombay to make it big
as a film star with the help of Abhimanyu (Arjun Mathur) a TV starfriend, who puts him up at his house. His girlfriend Sona Mishra(Konkona Sen Sharma) is also a junior artist trying to break intothe big league.
The film attempts to profile the strange ways of the filmi world the superstition, the hypocrisy, the nepotism and egoism through a series of quirky but stereotypical characters such asproducer Romy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor), his superstitious wife Minty(Juhi Chawla) and the reigning superstar, Zaffar Khan (HrithikRoshan in a cameo).
Convinced of their own talent when even their closest friendsbegin to lose faith, Vikram and Sona are continually frustrated byrejection and betrayal. Do they make it big or does the struggledefeat them?
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0 6 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMINBUTTONDirector: David Fincher Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, JuliaOrmond
This Golden Globe nominated film is adapted from the 1920s storyby F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonis setin New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21stcentury.
It follows the life of Benjamin (Brad Pitt), who is born with theappearance and physical limitations of a man in his eighties.
Abandoned in a nursing home by his father, Benjamin begins ag-ing backward. While in the home, he meets Daisy (Cate Blanch-ett), a young aspiring ballerina. As the film progresses, the twofall in love while struggling to deal with the issue of one growing
younger while the other grows older. This is a journey as unusualas any mans life can be of a not-so-ordinary man and the peopleand places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds andloses, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lastsbeyond time.
VICTORYDirector: Ajitpal Mangat Cast: Harman Baweja, Anupam Kher,Amrita Rao, Gulshan Grover
In the small town of Jaisalmer, Ram Shekhawat (Anupam Kher)dreams of his son Vijay Shekhawat (Harman Baweja) playing forthe Indian national cricket team. Vijay fulfills his fathers dreamand becomes Indias latest world-class batting sensation. But hisnewly-acquired demigod status makes the small-town boy strayfrom his true vocation, leading to a loss of focus and a miserabledrop in his performance. By the time Vijay finally realizes the er-ror of his ways, its too late and he finds himself thrown out of theIndian cricket team for indiscipline. Suddenly the hero of cricketcrazy India becomes a villain in everyones eyes. Rams dreamsare shattered and he suffers a paralytic stroke.
This tragedy awakens Vijays conscience and sense of honour.To redeem himself in the eyes of his father and fans, he onceagain makes it back to the Indian team and gets to play in thefinals of the Champions trophy against Australia. But a victory inthis match may cost him a huge sacrifice.
Watch out for cameos from the Australian team.
RAAZ THE MYSTERY CONTINUESDirector: Mohit Suri Cast: Emraan Hashmi, AdhyayanSuman, Kangna Ranaut
A brooding artist Prithvi (Emraan Hashmi), experiences myste-rious and distressing visions about Nandita (Kangna Ranaut), awoman he has never met. The woman in his paintings bears aclose resemblance to her. Intrigued by these visions and theiroutcome, Prithvi tracks her down and warns her that these arenot merely paintings of her, but accidents waiting to happen. Atfirst, Nandita refuses to believe him and dismisses him as aneccentric stalker. However, the striking resemblance betweenPrithvis paintings and the near-death incidents in her life is hardto ignore. To make matters worse, Prithvi paints her as a deadperson. Now the only way she can change her fate is to unravelthis mystery with his help, at the risk of alienating herself fromher boyfriend, Yash (Adhyayan Suman), a rational and logical manwho refuses to believe in Prithvis premonitions.
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 0 7
SEVEN POUNDSDirector: Gabriele Muccino Cast: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson,Woody Harrelson
Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is an IRS agent who is depressed afterthe death of his wife and guilt-ridden for mistakes from his past.He decides to kill himself, but to also help seven struggling indi-
viduals before doing so.When he meets Emily (Rosario Dawson), a beautiful woman
with a heart condition, he falls in love with her, complicating hisplans of suicide. Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson) is a blind pianistwho befriends Ben.
DEV DDirector: Anurag Kashyap Cast: Abhay Deol, Kalki, Mahi Gill
Dev D is a modern take on Devdas, the novel written by SaratChandra and adapted for film several times. However, this isAnurag Kashyaps version based in todays day and age.
Devdas (Abhay Deol) is the son of a zamindar (tax collector). Heand Paro (Mahi Gill) are childhood sweethearts. However, differ-ences in status and caste prevent their marriage. Devdas is sentto Calcutta while Paro is married off to a rich but aged widower.
In Calcutta, Devdas meets the sympathetic prostitute Chandra-mukhi (Kalki) but remorse drives him to excesses and ultimatelyto his end.
CHANGELINGDirector: Clint Eastwood Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich
Changelingis inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles. The year is 1928. As Christine (Angelina Jolie)says goodbye to her son, Walter (Gattlin Griffith), and departs forwork, she never anticipates that this is the day her life will changeforever. Upon returning home, Christine discovers that Walter isnowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, themother launches a desperate search. When all hope seems to belost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christines son seems toappear out of thin air.
Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the author-ities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her homedespite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son. As much
as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been re-turned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed uponher and continues to challenge the Los Angeles police force atevery turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers thatbe, and painted as an unfit mother. The only person willing to aidher in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb(John Malkovich).
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0 8 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
UNDERWORLD 3: RISE OF THE LYCANSDirector: Patrick Tatopoulos Cast: Michael Sheen, Rhona Mitra,Bill Nighy
This, the third installment in the Underworldseries, is a prequelset prior to Underworldand Underworld: Evolution, covering theorigins of the centuries old blood feud between the aristocratic
vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, theLycans.
In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen)emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to riseup against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has en-slaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja (RhonaMitra) in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his strugglefor Lycan freedom.
FIRAAQDirector: Nandita Das Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal,Deepti Naval, Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra, Shahana Goswami
Acclaimed actress Nandita Das makes her directorial debut withFiraaq. Set over a 24-hour period beginning one month afterthe carnage that took place in Gujarat in 2002, Firaaq traces theemotional journeys of ordinary people - victims, perpetrators andsome who chose to watch silently.
A middle-class housewife closes the door on a woman des-perately seeking refuge and then struggles to overcome her guilt.The loyalty of two best friends is challenged in times rife with fearand suspicion. A group of victimized young men seek revenge asa way out of their helplessness and anger. A modern day Hin-du-Muslim couple struggle between the survival instinct to hidetheir true identities and the desire to assert them. A boy, having
lost most of his family in the riots, wanders through the streetssearching for his missing father. A saintly musician clings on tohis idealism until an evidence of civil strife shakes his faith.
REVOLUTIONARY ROADDirector: Sam Mendes Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet,Kathy Bates
Director Sam Mendes pairs his wife Kate Winslet with herTitanicco-star, Leo DiCaprio in this social commentary on mar-riage and the American Dream set in the 1950s, based on thecritically acclaimed book by the same name.
Frank (Leonardo Di Caprio) and April (Kate Winslet) have alwaysseen themselves as special, different, ready and willing to livetheir lives based on higher ideals. So, as soon as they move intotheir new house on Revolutionary Road, they proudly declare theirindependence from the suburban inertia that surrounds them anddetermine never to be trapped by the social confines of the era.
Yet, for all their charm, beauty and irreverence, the Wheelersfind themselves becoming exactly what they didnt expect: a goodman with a routine job whose nerve has gone missing; a less-than-happy homemaker starving for fulfillment and passion; anAmerican family with lost dreams like any other. Driven to changetheir fates, April hatches an audacious plan to start all over again,to leave the comforts of Connecticut behind for the great unknownof Paris. But when the plan is put into motion, each spouse ispushed to extremes one to escape, whatever the cost, the other
to save all they have, no matter the compromises.
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 0 9
FROST / NIXONDirector: Ron Howard Cast: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen,Kevin Bacon, Rebecca Hall, Oliver Platt
In this Golden Globe nominated film, Oscar-winning director Ron
Howard brings to the screen the electrifying battle between Rich-ard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and re-nowned journalist David Frost, in the untold story of the historicencounter that changed both men.
For three years after being forced out of office, former USPresident Nixon (Frank Langella) has remained silent. But in thesummer of 1977, he agrees to sit for one all-inclusive interviewto confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergatescandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprises everyone inselecting David Frost (Michael Sheen) as his interviewer, intend-ing to outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place inthe hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frosts team har-bours doubts about their boss ability to hold his own. But as cam-eras roll, a charged battle of wits takes place. Over the course oftheir encounter, each man reveals his own insecurities, ego andreserves of dignity ultimately setting aside pretence in a stun-ning display of unvarnished truth.
STREET KINGSDirector: David AyerCast: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, HughLawrie, Terry Crews
Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) is a disillusioned LA police officer,rarely playing by the rules and haunted by the death of his wife.While his entire department stretches the rules on a regular ba-sis, his former partner, Terrence Washington (Terry Crews) nolonger approves of the corruption and deception and has gonestraight. He reports the problems to Internal Affairs Captain
James Biggs (Hugh Laurie), who starts an investigation againstLudlow. Upset at Washington for snitching, Ludlow follows himto a convenience store to confront him. However, Washington isexecuted in the store in an orchestrated hit, with Ludlow present.Though Ludlow is innocent, the circumstances heavily implicatehim in the murder. It is assumed that Washington himself wascorrupt, despite his seemingly changed attitude. Ludlow seeks toclear his name but he must use the same techniques that got himinto this mess in the first place.
OUTSOURCED
Director: John Jeffcoat Cast: Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Dharker,Asif Basra
Outsourced is a comedy of cross-cultural conflict and romance.Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) spends his days managing acustomer call centre in Seattle until his job, along with those ofthe entire office, are outsourced to India. Adding insult to injury,Todd must travel to India to train his new replacement PurohitVirajnarianan (Asif Basra). As he navigates through the chaos ofBombay and an office paralysed by constant cultural misunder-standings, Todd yearns to return to the comforts of home. But it isthrough his team of quirky yet likable Indian call center workers,including his friendly and motivated replacement and the charm-ing, opinionated Asha (Ayesha Dharker), that Todd realizes thathe too has a lot to learn - not only about India and America, butabout himself. He soon discovers that being outsourced may bethe best thing that ever happened to him.
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1 0 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
As a giggly teenager, she
wore stringy bikini tops
with tight jeans in Kaizad
Gustads Boom. The flick was
forgettable. Yet Katrina Kaifs
smooth, peaches and cream
complexion, taut figure and
smile werent. Ten years later,
Kats has evolved as a self-assured woman who breathes
sheer elegance, sports Victo-
rian gowns and mini skirts with
equal class and who has, despite
herpardesiaccent, emerged as
a lucky box office mascot. Ok,
were ignoring Hello and Yuv-
vraajbut she had a pretty good
run before that!
At 5 feet 8 inches, Katrina Kaif
easily towers over most of our
screen studs and doesnt both-
er to disguise it. Which is what
makes her appeal to our egois-
tical Indian men so surprising.
For someone who avoids the
skimpy attire route, shes been
voted the most popular and
sexiest Bollywood actress in
multiple mens magazine polls.
Its not my style to either wear
minimum clothes, to strip or to
even be comfortable with a sex
symbol label, she says.
Whether Armani, Miu Miu or
our desi Rocky S, she has an eye
for picking up stuff that suits herto the T. She looks gorgeous,
knows what flatters her hour-
glass figure the most and ex-
periments little with her looks,
says fashion designer Narendra
Kumar Ahmed. Nor will you ever
find her issuing press releases
on how many Louis Vuitton bags
she possesses or how many
Versace sun combatters loungein her vanity bag. She is chic and
classy, careful about what she
wears and what she says, be-
lieving that style cannot be con-
fined only to what you wear but
how you behave as well.
Heres a savvy globe trot-
ter who is aware of the trends
on the international catwalks
but who can also strike a fine
balance within the Indian en-
vironment. You are as likely to
see her in a Gucci sheath as a
chic Tarun Tahiliani Indian en-
semble, snug jewelled jeans
by Rina Dhaka teamed with
knee length boots on her tow-
ering European frame, as an
embroidered saree by Rohit
Bal. She is a calypso in pearl
strewn bustiers and fish cut
lehengasbut equally appealing
in sneakers, crimped hair and
short skirts. A young lady with
finesse who stalks about in
Jimmy Choos clutching a Fen-
di purse, yet can also be seensipping naariyal paani by the
seaside in a plain white tee and
blue jeans with equal pizzazz.
Kats picks translucent
shades for her make-up pal-
ette, choosing to touch up her
soft features with a swipe of
mascara and subtle nude lip
gloss, while keeping the drama
of brooding maroons and scar-
let reds for ad films. Shes the
quintessential lady in red that
glides into a room brushing
past you, leaving her signature
scent (Gucci Rush) lingeringbehind like the night...
KATSGOT YOURTONGUE
SHILPI MADAN profiles the style of Katrina Kaif, a classic
beauty whos become the thinking mans sex symbol.
seas e n a a n w te tee an
s t y l e i c o n
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As he strikes a major record deal,
Neeraj Shridhar tells SAM LAL how he
found it easy to break in, but so hard to
stick around.
t h e b i g g i g
1 2 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
It would have been the easiest task inthe world to dismiss Neeraj Shridhar
as an opportunist rider on a trendybandwagon. Arriving on the scene about
a decade ago when the remix revolutionruled the Indian music market, Neeraj
and his band Bombay Vikings, stormedthe charts with Euro synth pop versions ofBollywoods big hits. Zaroorat Hai there-
fore became Kya Soorat Hai and WohChali was given a Hinglish twist with lyr-ics like, Woh chali, woh chali / Now shesfound a love thats real / Now her wound-
ed heart is healed / Finally, finally.Yes, indeed, it wouldnt have been dif-
ficult to strike off Neeraj as a flash-in-the-pan boy wonder who would duly make
his way into obscurity once the lease ofhis moment in the sun came to an end.But there are three factors that preventedNeeraj from being written off as a has-
been.First is the fact that while most of his
contemporaries from the remix era havelong bid their goodbyes to the world of
showbiz, he is standing tall with an envi-able body of original songs to his credit.The second is the quality of his voice.Unique would be an understatement
and fabulous would be more like it. To il-lustrate the point, lets try a little experi-
ment.Take any of Neerajs smash hits, Halke
Halke from Honeymoon Travels, the titletrack from Bhagam Bhag, Hare Ramfrom Bhool Bhulaiyaaor Chandni Chowkto China from Akshay Kumars soon-to-
be-released movie of the same name.Listen to the songs and you will be struck
by the smooth, velvety texture of the mansvoice. Then try singing along to the tunes.That is when the realisation will dawn that
although it sounds very soft and exqui-site, Neeraj hits very high notes indeed.Any other man singing at the same pitchwould sound screechy. Neeraj just makes
it sound very mellifluous and romantic.
Its a rare vocal quality and it was devel-oped when Neeraj was a teenager.
Im actually a rocker, he says, Istarted out when I was fourteen and was
singing songs by Deep Purple, Led Zep-pelin and Bad Company. So that explainsit. The bands that Neeraj mentions havebeen fronted by some of the most out-standing vocalists in music history and if
that is what he grew up idolising, its nowonder hes one of the finest voices inBollywood today.
The final factor, which makes Neeraj the
huge star that he is, has to be the honestywith which he analyses everything abouthis career. It was quite easy to get in, hesays, referring to the cover versions of
classic hits which provided him his initialbreakthrough. But to bring about sus-tainability is tough. The years from 1999to 2008 have been challenging because
I wanted to do something more than theusual remixes. You should be able to givepeople something new and bring yourown innovations to music.
Not that Neeraj is worried about thatany more. Hes just been signed on fora five-year artiste management deal by
T-Series, one of the biggest entertain-ment companies in the country. Theyreletting me do what I want, he says. To
paraphrase one of his early hits, Finally,finally...
THE NEERAJ FACT FILES
Neeraj migrated to Sweden with hisbrother when he was twelve.
He aspired to be a guitar player andworked three months in a plastic filesfactory to raise enough money to buya good guitar.
He is an accomplished keyboard play-er too.
Kya Soorat Hai, one of his songswith Bombay Vikings, topped the Indi-
an charts for a record eleven months.
Renaissance
Man
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 1 3
Although a large per-centage of his legacy isbased on an elaborately
crafted persona, David Bowiegot his mismatched eyes byaccident and not by design.It happened when David was
fifteen and found himself get-ting into a heated argumentwith his friend George Under-wood, over a girl. George then
proceeded to - quite literally -thrash the lights out of Davidand when the dust settled, thefuture pop star had an eye that
was potentially blind.It took doctors some eight
months to prevent completeloss of vision, but it left David
with one pupil permanentlydilated. However, inspite ofall this, Bowie didnt bear anyill will towards his mate and
dismissed the whole incidentas one big hearty punch-up.George would later repay his
debt by doing all the artworkfor Bowies early albums.
Bowies journey towards be-coming one of the most iconic
and intriguing personas inpopular music began when hewas nine. His father got him
records of all the early rock nroll pioneers like Chuck Berryand Little Richard and whenthe young David spun them, itwas as if he had heard God.
He became so fascinated withthe saxophone that his moth-er gave him a plastic one forChristmas. Three years later,
Bowie had graduated to a realinstrument and had formedhis first band, The Konrads in1962.
Lyrically, David is a man ob-
MR. SPACEMANAs David Bowie turns 52 SAM LAL traces
his journey to rocks leading innovator.
BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA - The Life and Times of Bowie
David Bowie was born David Robert Jones on the 8th of January 1947 in Brixton, London.
He borrowed his stage name partly from the legendary nineteenth century American soldier James Bowie.
He is an actor too and has appeared in many films most notably The Man Who Fell To Earthand Merry Christmas Mr. Law-rence. He was also offered the role of Max Zorin in the James Bond movie, A View to a Killbut turned it down because hedidnt want the entire role to be about watching his stunt double fall off mountains.
He is a prolific songwriter and has written big hits for other bands like Under Pressure for Queen and All The Young
Dudes for Mott The Hoople.
sessed with outer space andaliens and they have formedthe subject matter of some of
his biggest hits. The first onecame in 1969 and instantly be-came a landmark moment inmusic history. Recorded and
issued to coincide with mansmaiden landing on the moon,Space Oddity, became ahuge smash and has pervad-
ed popular culture like nothingelse before it. Everything fromtelevision sitcom Friends tovideo games like Metal Gear 3,
contains references to MajorTom, the main protagonist ofSpace Oddity.
The second career defin-
ing moment came when Da-vid created Ziggy Stardust,an alter ego rock superstar,backed by a band of outstand-
ing musicians called The Spi-ders From Mars. Adopting aglam persona that includedfiery red hair and outlandish
superhero costumes, Davidreleased a concept albumtitled Ziggy Stardust And TheSpiders From Mars, whichyielded at least four bonafideclassics. The title track and
Suffragette City, in particular,have been covered by succes-
sive generation of musiciansever since.
From that point on, David
Bowie has run through the en-tire gamut of the musical spec-trum, from R&B and dancepop, to the heavy rock sounds
of his work with Tin Machine.He may have relinquished hisrole as rocks leading innova-tor, but his relevance is in no
danger of fading away.
m u s i c l e g e n d
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PlayStation Wireless Keypad: For those who havethe increasing need of using text-based messaging
through their gaming pursuits and find the use of theD pad a bit tedious while using PlayStation, there is
respite in the form of this QWERTY keypad which canbe clamped to the controller. This one sets you back aneat Rs. 3000.
Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard:Heres anoth-er accessory that promises to ease multitasking keyfunctions, as well as to take care of the excruciating
treatment usually meted out to hapless keyboards.Priced a bit steeply at around Rs. 4000, this shouldtake care of your worries and looks good alongsideyour keyboard.
Street Fighter PS3 Joysticks: If you still swear bythe arcade style fun provided by that killer of a gameby the name of Street Fighter, Mad Catz has introduced
a couple of joysticks for PlayStation 3 which are sureto offer you a huge bit of nostalgia. They are priced ataround Rs. 3500 and Rs. 7000 each respectively.
NZXT Avatar Gaming Mouse: NZXT has decided totake a plunge into the peripherals market by introduc-ing this gaming mouse with cutting edge features.Silver accent side buttons, neon blue trim lights and
a scroll wheel containing programmable buttonstoo this has pretty much everything to take care of
what you need. All of this is expected to be availableat around Rs. 2600.
t h e g r e a t g ma e
1 4 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
The continent of Ancaria is a magical land full ofmysteries and surprises. Picturesque landscapes,
babbling streams, rugged mountainous terrain anddense forests as well as pleasing foliage this place
has everything imaginable. In the midst of all this,there lurks a mysterious source of energy that willdecide the future course of events leading to either
prosperity or decadence.Sacred 2: Fallen Angel follows in the footsteps of the
original Sacred as the click and boom shooter-slasherand is set in an age a couple of millennia before the
original. Through some foolish actions by inhabitantsof Ancaria, the energy source called T-Energy goeshaywire and starts wreaking havoc on the continent,threatening its very existence. Thats where we step
in to restore order. If you are, however, in the moodfor pulverising things, you can step into the shadowsof evil too and do your best to make sure everythinggoes up in smoke. Theres a choice of six characters
to choose from ranging from Seraphim, the good one,to Inquisitor, the dark one at the other end of the spec-trum. Once you have made the choice, its a matterof traversing the contours of the map and completing
various tasks that are assigned as you move forward,mostly consisting of shooting and looting.
The accompanying soundtrack is refreshinglyheavy with contributions by metal band Blind Guard-
ian. All said, though the game play is engaging, it isntcompletely devoid of glitches and bugs with regard to
frame rate at times. Lets hope these are taken care ofsoon enough in this otherwise gratifying game.
COOLSTUFF REVIEW
Sacred 2: Fallen AngelGenre
Action RPGPublisher
cdv Software Entertainment
Platforms
MS Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
GAME OF THE MONTHBy Asif Khan
Estimated Price
Rs. 3000 approx
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b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s
J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 1 5
Economic slowdown, terrorist attacks, flops, shortage of
saleable stars - nothing fazes Bollywood, as producers gear
up to release a variety of films in 2009. DEEPA GAHLOT previews
the films to watch out for.
If theres an important lesson re-learnt in2008, its that aggressive promotion canmake even a dud film run, provided it has a
star in the drivers seat. Most of the small films
that followed in the wake of Bheja Frys suc-cess sank at the box-office and the tide seemsto have turned once again towards films with
stars but with controlled budgets.
Whats In Line In
09
Economi
saleable star
up to release a
the films to watch
If theres an import2008, its that aggmake even a dud fil
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b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s
J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 0 31 6 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
TEN FILMSto look out for in the firstquarter of 2009Chandni Chowkto ChinaAfter the debacle of Salaam-
E-Ishq, Nikhil Advani has
to prove that Kal Ho Na Ho
was not a fluke. As a result,
his Akshay Kumar- Deepika
Padukone starrer pulls out all
the stops as far as scale goes.
Akshay plays a Delhi cook who
is taken to fight for a belea-
guered village in China as he is
believed to be the incarnation
of a warrior. Action scenes on
the Great Wall are supposed to
be the highlight.
Billu BarberPriyadarshan remakes a Malay-
alam hit about a star coming to
shoot in a village and word go-
ing round that the local barber
is a buddy. Shah Rukh Khan, Ir-
rfan Khan and Lara Dutta star in
this contemporary version of the
Krishna-Sudama story.
Dev DAnurag Kashyaps modern-day take
on the Saratchandra epic stars Ab-
hay Deol, Mahi Gill and Kalki. The
story of a heart-broken lover who
turns alcoholic and wins the love of
a prostitute is given a darkly comic,surreal look.
RaazThe Mystery Continues
Mohit Suri directs Emraan
Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut and
Adhyayan Suman in a mystery-
horror film about a woman who
keeps mysteriously appearing
in an artists work and ends up
fighting for her sanity and her
life. It exploits the success of the
olderRaaz, through its title, but is
not a sequel.
Luck By ChanceZoya Akhtar makes her debut with this film set against the backdrop of the film industry. The star-studded film with
Farhan Akhtar, Konkana Sen Sharma, Hrithik Roshan, Juhi Chawla, Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor, is about a pair of
strugglers and their dreams of success in Bollywood.
VictoryHarman Baweja could do with
a hit after Love Story 2050 and
Ajitpal Mangats cricket film is about
a small town boy who fulfills his fa-
thers dream to become a first class
cricketer. Amrita Rao and Anupam
Kher co-star, along with many real-
life cricketers.
Dilli 6After several casting glitches,
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras
semi-autobiographical film took
off with Abhishek Bachchan play-
ing an American-born man who
brings his ailing grandmother back
to India - to her old home in Delhi
- and how the journey transforms
him. Also starring Sonam Kapoor,Atul Kulkarni, Rishi Kapoor and
Waheeda Rehman.
Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai
Ravi Chopra directs a comedy withGovinda, Lara Dutta and Tabu which
is said to be inspired by My Cousin
Vinnyin which the hero plays a bun-
gling lawyer fighting his first crucial
case against an ace female lawyer.
FiraaqActress Nandita Das makes an
assured directorial debut with a
much feted-at-festivals film fea-
turing an ensemble cast headed
by Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh
Rawal, Deepti Naval and others. It
tells the stories of several people
affected during the communal ri-
ots, as seen over a 24-hour period,
and how their lives are altered by
the violence.
Rang RasiyaKetan Mehtas bio-pic on iconic
painter Raja Ravi Verma, stars
Randeep Hooda and NandanaDev Sen as his muse Sugandha.
Mehta makes a case for artis-
tic freedom, as the artist faces
persecution for his scandalous
depiction of goddesses.
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b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s
TEN FILMSto look out for later in2009Ajab Prem KiGhazab KahaniTwo of todays brightest young
stars Ranbir Kapoor and Ka-
trina Kaif co-star in Rajkumar
Santoshis romantic comedy.
Kambakkht IshqProducer Sajid Nadiadwala is
splurging on this Sabir Khan-
directed actioner starring Akshay
Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Sylves-
ter Stallone and Denise Richards.
Other Hollywood stars are report-
ed to be doing cameos.
3 IdiotsRajkumar Hiranis direction,
Chetan Bhagats best-sell-
ing novel Five Point Some-
one, and the star power of
Aamir Khan, Kareena Ka-
poor with Sharman Joshi,Madhavan and Boman Irani
in this Vidhu Vinod Chopra
production.
London DreamsVipul Shah directs this expen-
sive Ajay Devgan-Salman Khanstarrer about two Indian musi-
cians who struggle for their
place in the sun in London, with
Asin as the female lead. What,
no Akshay, no Katrina?
RaavanMani Ratnams modern version of
the Ramayanstars Abhishek Bach-
chan, Aishwarya Rai and Govinda
as Hanuman.
New York
This Yash Raj Films production,directed by Kabir Khan and star-
ring John Abraham, Neil Nitin
Mukesh, Katrina Kaif takes up
the issue of racial profiling in the
US.
KitesRakesh Roshan has signed AnuragBasu to direct Hrithik Roshan, Bar-bara Mori and Kangna Ranaut in alove story with a dash of Hrithik-style action of course.
PaathshalaShahid Kapur plays a teacher in
Milind Ukyes film starring Nana
Patekar and Ayesha Takia, aboutthe problems of the education sys-
tem in the country.
Whats Your Rashee?After the exhaustion of a period
epic like Jodhaa Akbar, Ashutosh
Gowarikar picks a light-hearted
contemporary story, starring
Harman Baweja and Priyanka
Chopra, about an NRIs search
for the perfect bride in India.
My Name is KhanThe year will probably end
with Karan Johars film star-
ring Shah Rukh Khan and
Kajol, about an autistic man
and the difficulties faced by a
Muslim in a hostile post-9/11
world.
So there you are. International stars like Gordon Liu, Sylvester Stallone making their way to Bollywood,
a sensitive film-maker best known for epics making a light hearted romance, and in contrast, the
makers of cotton candy romantic films attacking sensitive subjects like racial profiling. And of course
all the usual suspects with not too many new ones.See you in cinemas in 2009!
J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 1 7
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1 8 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
m u s i c t r i v i a
Bollywood looks at music as essential
promotion for a film. But what happens
when the music totally overshadows
the film and fails to pull the film
along with it on its way to the top?
Music Trivia of course!
CHANTHARA KAPAHI
takes a look at some of the
top songs of flop movies.
Yaar bina chain kahaan re Saheb
A dud of a movie, a stud of a song. Whether youve heard the original or the remix,
youre bound to love it. A classic disco number, churned out by the king of glitz
himself, Bappida, this dhinchaksong gets you dancing all night!
Chaiyya chaiyya Dil Se
Despite the magical combination of
SRK, Mani Ratnam, A.R. Rehman
and this song brilliantly shot atop a
moving train with sexy Malaika Arora
Khan, this film totally tanked thanks
to its not so mainstream subject. Who
wants foreign locales for item shoots
anymore? Just hop onto your nearest
train and dance away!
Sexy, sexy, sexy mujhe log bole
Khuddar
The hatkesong of the 90s that catapulted
Karisma Kapoor to the list of dancing
queens created quite a few jhatkas with
its controversial lyrics. Unfortunately, no
one cared to see beyond the song and fill
cinema seats.
Dilwalon ke dil ka karar lootne, main
aayi hoon UP-Bihar lootne Shool
With the sinuous Shilpa Shetty gyrating
across the screen, it was little wonder
that this number was all the rage for that
year, and several years to come. Not just
in UP and Bihar, men across India were
falling at her feet. Yet, as far as what the
movie was about, were really clueless!
e
an
m
to
wa
an
tra
the film and fails t
along with it on its
Music Tr
CHANT
takes a look
gsH TS IN
top so
M S S E S
r v a
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 1 9
m u s i c t r i v i a
Kambakth ishq Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya
Choreographed along the lines of Madonnas Human Nature video, this song had the hot
Urmila Matondkar alongside a rather chubby Fardeen Khan who could neither match her
steps or her chutzpah on-screen. Despite the visible lack of chemistry between them all
through the film, the song catapulted to the top of the charts and has even inspired the title of
an Akshay Kumar starrer coming out later this year.
Allah ke bandhe
Waisa Bhi Hota Hai - Part 2
For a little known movie with even lesser
known actors, this heart wrenching song from
the little man, Kailash Kher really
stood out. Unusual, catchy
and with no jhatkas, this
ballad proved that no matter
how nondescript a movie,
a good song will always get
its due.
Its rockingyaara kabhi ishq toh karo
Kya Love Story Hai
Bebo, a vision of a sexy
seductress, prior to her size
zero figure set the stage afirewith this little item number.
Performed as a token of
friendship for director
Lovely Singh, no one
remembers this movie, but
everyone remembers this
wow number.
Move Your Body (Doob ja mere
pyaar mein) Johnny Gaddaar
The film received rave reviews and was super
successful on home video for ages after, but
as far as box office collections go, this totally
tanked. Thankfully, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and
Hard Kaur gave it well deserved props with this
top dance number.
a y
Tere bin Bas Ek Pal
As Atif Aslam crooned away about his
aching-breaking heart, a million other
girls sighed wistfully. The movie sank
without a trace, but the song raced
to the top and stayed put. So all you
bleeding heart
R o m e o s ,
listen up and
sing this to
your jilting
J u l i e t s
youll soon
find her back
in your arms.
st
sin
yo
u
you
fin
in
Chhaliya chhaliya
TashanAh! The size zero cult arrived
with Bebo in the bikini
dancing on the shores of the
Mediterranean. The song was
definitely one of the most
watched numbers of 2008,
but ironically Tashan was
possibly the least watched. The movie
crashed at the B.O. despite Kareenas sizzling performance. Guess all
thejuntawanted was Bebo in the bikini, and not the extras in the film.
Ah!
with
dan
e
e
wa
but
possibly the le
crashed at the B. . despite Kareenas sizzli
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q u e e n b e e
2 0 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
ILL WILLRanbir Rano, the love story featuring Vinay Rohraa and Sakshi Tal-
war is in doldrums these days. Firstly, it was shifted to a not-so-
prime slot on Zee TV with new supernatural thrillerShreereplacing
it. Now Vinay Rohraa has faced the axe and is getting replaced by
Ravi Dubey of Yehaan Ke Hum Sikandar fame apparently because
of lack of chemistry between Vinay and Sakshi. Vinay rubbishes re-
ports saying Ive left the show voluntarily. Theres some emergency
at home and I have to take a long break. Since its a daily soap, it
requires my continuous dates, which I cannot provide at the moment.
Its a matter of life and death for a family member who needs myconstant attention. I had no other option but to quit the show since
the production house could not give me leave. News is also buzz-
ing that very soon Sakshi too is going to be replaced because shes
suffering from a liver infection. Forget about chemistry, I think its
biology thats bothering this very unhealthy cast.
ENGLISH MEDIUM BABUDESI SERIALSSaillesh Gulabani is entering Aroona Iranis supernatu-
ral thrillerNaaginnon Zee TV in a negative role and is
really kicked about it. He says, Im playing a supernatu-
ral character called Agni (Fire) who possesses magical
powers. A sadhu(sage) wakes me up and tells me about
the naagmani(snake gem). A team consisting of three of
us is then assigned the task of acquiring the naagmani
by all means. What really scares Sailesh though? When
I was asked to deliver dialogues in chaste Hindi, he ad-
mits sheepishly. This is what happens when English me-
dium school types try to play to the masses, darlings.
JOYFUL TIMESAfter a gap of almost two decades, matinee idol of yes-
teryear Joy Mukherjee has made a comeback on screen
with Aye-Dil-E-Nadaan, a daily soap for Doordarshan.
But thats not enough joy. His sons Monjoy and Sujoy
(enough, for Gods sake!) are also acting in this family
saga, with the former also having composed the music.
Gushes Monjoy, Seeing dad on the small screen is very
touching and exciting for all of us and a dream come
true for me. Yes, its nice when daddy wakes up from
retirement to get his sons a couple of jobs too.
Our resident Queen Bee dish-
es out the buzz on telly land
but heres a warning: it aint
sugar and honey!
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 2 1
HIGHSPIRITEDOk, heres another
one in the supernatu-ral genre. Akanksha
Gilani who is cur-
rently busy playing a
spirit called Manyata
in the serial Kaisi Lagi
Laganfor Sahara One
has been burning the
midnight oil learning
to be a ghost. Shes
been watching mov-
ies like The Entity,
The Omen and even
claims to have vis-
ited certain locations
around Mumbai like Thane, Ambernath, Vasai, Virar that
are supposedly haunted to get a feel of the energy of
the place. According to Akanksha, when she visited the
Vasai Fort and the churches in the Vasai Fort area where
Maratha soldiers lost their lives in fierce battles against
the Portuguese, she could actually feel the presence of
abnormal energy in the place, particularly in the late eve-
ning as darkness fell. After reading about the energy as-
sociated with spirits, I could perceive some paranormal
activity in the area. I dont know if it was my mind play-
ing tricks on me but I immediately got out of the place.
Dearies, that story even scared brave ol me, but not for
the reasons you think.
GUNSHOT WEDDINGMy dears, when a serial thats been providing employment to
scores of actors shuts down, they need to go out and spread theirCVs around. So Ketki Dave, who was Dakshaben in the now re-
tired Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, has wasted no time. On Lo
Ho Gayi Pooja Iss Ghar Kion SAB TV, Ketki plays the daughter of
a famous Don in Goa and takes over his business after his death.
She marries Aman (Amit Dolawat in a double role) who is several
years her junior at gunpoint and then makes him dance to her
tune all day long. Thats not all. She also kidnaps people and loots
banks. I dont know about you, honey buns, but Im not going to
miss this one. Looks like the end of Kyunkihad morebenefits
than I thought.
CRAZY HOURSFinally, after 460 episodes of playing Kakul in Ghar Ek
Sapnaaon Sahara One, Sayantani has opted out of the
show and Anisha Kapur has stepped into her shoes as
the new Kakul at a juncture when the character is de-
clared insane and admitted into an asylum. Considering
the number of episodes Sayantani completed and the
kind of hours soap actors put in, it wouldnt surprise me
one teeny bit if Sayantani was actually the inspiration
for her characters role and was sitting in an asylum
somewhere.
q u e e n b e e
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2 2 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
A HAIR RAISING TALEWhen she was roped in to play a princess on Star Plus Raja Ki
Aayegi Baraat, KanikaMaheshwari was delighted. Designer
saris, intricate jewellery, what more could a girl want than to
feel like royalty? Unfortunately, a reverse Cinderella onscreen
transformation was on the cards. Going from the palace to the
slums, Kanika soon found herself milking cows, picking upcow dung and much more such delightful stuff. But the worst
was yet to come. In her words: I was talking to my friend on the
phone in between shots. Suddenly, I realized that something
strange was happening on my head. When I turned around I
saw a cow licking my hair (tied in a bun). It was the most sick-
ening thing Id ever witnessed. I called for a pack-up because I
needed to wash my hair urgently. Darling, methinks that cow
is somewhere gargling on mouthwash for all its worth.
THINKINGSMALLWith actors like Vinay
Pathak, Rajeev Khan-
delwal and Irrfan Khanemerging from televi-
sion to films, Parmeet
Sethi too is heading in
the same direction. The
man has been signed for
two films, Vighnaharta -
Sri Siddhivinayakand the
other is US-based direc-
tor Varun Khannas com-
edy Bad Luck Govind.
So what is Sethi expecting from his films? Not much, re-
ally. Parmeet says, Frankly, I dont think I am in a position
to demand being the protagonist. And be it films, TV or even
the stage for that matter, every character, big or small is as
important. If I get to play the main lead, obviously I would but
smaller roles arent that bad either! Now why do our TV stars
demand so little from Bollywood? Parmeet needs to take a
page out of Rajeev Khandelwals book and set his sights way
higher.
INKO NAHIN PEHCHANA?Star Plus new show Arre Deewano Mujhe Pehchanois sortof a version of Candid Camerawith celebrities in disguise
playing silly pranks on unsuspecting subjects and captur-
ing their reactions. Celebs billed to be on the show include
Gulshan Grover, Mahesh Manjrekar, Divya Dutta, Rakhi
Sawant, Mandira Bedi, Mona Singh, Yash Tonk, Shweta Kes-
wani with Kavita Kaushik as anchor. One question: do some
of these celebrities really need to be in disguise to go un-
recognised? Like, have you seen Rakhi without makeup?
And does anyone know what Mahesh Manjrekar looks like
outside the film industry? Anyway, Star claims the show is
free from emotional outbursts, melodrama, walkouts, back-
biting and stress. In other words, no fun stuff. Babes, Im just
wondering what Rakhi Sawant is doing on this show.
SEETA,GEETAAUR WOHHunk Cezanne Khan
who has been miss-
ing from the televi-
sion scene post his
role as Anurag Basu
in Kasauti Zindagi
Kii, is back after a
hiatus. He will nowbe seen on NDTV
Imagines daily se-
rial Seeta Aur Geeta,
an authorised televi-
sion version of GP
Sippys 1972 super
hit film of the same
name. Cezanne will be playing the role earlier played by San-
jeev Kumar. Now, sweetie pies, I really dont see the resem-
blance between Cezanne and Sanjeev Kumar but Im not in
the habit of complaining when handsome men are on screen.
Still, wouldnt he have been better in Dharmendras role, es-
pecially as that hadnt been cast at the time?
q u e e n b e e
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J A N U A R Y 0 9 T H E P L O T 2 3
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
8
9 10
11 12 13
14 15 16
17
18
1R A N 2B I R 3J O D H A A
O E A
A N V 4R
D 5D H A R M E N D R A
S R D C
I 6E K 7T A 8B E B O
D A
E 9A R S H A 10D 11G 12V
R H O O I
O 13A A 14S A L M A N
15M I K A N T M A
E S A A Y
O H 16A S I N A
A A 17L A M H E
18A Y E S H A
Across:1. This music man is Indias Golden Globe ticket. (6)4. That unforgettable dimpled smile (6)6. Farhan Akhtars sister makes her directorial debut with (4)
Luck By Chance.7. Devdasyet again! (3,1)8. The thinking mans Sen (7)9. With just one release in 2009, wheres the Bachchan bahuhiding? (3)11. Sallus turn to be superhero after Hrithik, Harman and AB Jr. (4)14. Indias official entry to the 2008 Academy Awards (1,1,1)15. Kajol and SRK are reunited by their favourite director. (5)18. This namesake Khan is the real favourite internationally. (6)
Down:1. The mystery continues. (4)2. Ravi Varmas muse has a Nobel dad. (7)
3. Harman Baweja is in desperate need for this. (7)4. She set hearts aflutter in China. (8)5. These film makers just love those romantic extravaganzas. (7)8. Akshay married into this family. (6)
10. Not difficult for him to play a superstar in Luck By Chance (7)12. You can hate her or love her, but you cant ignore this item girl. (5)13. SRKs Billu follows this profession. (6)16. The lovely lady in Rishi and Ranbir Kapoors life (5)
17. Looks like this queen has gained a little pyaarbut lost some magic. (4)
Identify these young stars from their lips.
In your answer, mention the right image number against each name. Five earlybirdswho get the pairs right will each get vouchers fortwo free ticketsto any
show at any BIG cinema across India on any day in February 2009.
Deepika Padukone Anushka Sharma
Asin Jiah Khan
Send in your pairs to: [email protected]
Your entry will be valid only if: (1) You write Pair & Win as the subject of yourmail, and (2) Include your full name, postal address and mobile (or landline) num-
ber along with the answer. Adlabs Films employees and members of their families
cannot participate in this contest. Last Date: January 31, 2009
Pair & Win!
1 2 3 4
Crossword
Last issues
crossword
solution
In the Pair & Win contest of ourAugust issue, we had invited sib-
lings to send us their pictures for aHAIR magazine makeover. We arepleased to announce the winners:
1. Vinita Misra & Sushmita Sharma,Mumbai
2. Avantika Chitlangia &Malvika Taparia, Mumbai
Watch out for their fabulous make-
overs in the next issue of The Plot!
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2 4 T H E P L O T J A N U A R Y 0 9
Chak De girl Vidya Malvade made
her debut in Bollywood in 2003 with
which film?
(a) Inteha(b) Aadaz(c) Qayamat(d) Zinda Dil
What is the name of the football
club John Abraham and Arshad
Warsi played for in the movie Dhan
Dhana Dhan Goal?(a) Manchester United Football Club
(b) Indian United Football Club
(c) Southampton United Football Club
(d) Southall United Football Club
Which Ranji Trophy side does
Shreyas Talpade play for in the
movie Iqbal?(a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Karnataka
(c) Tamil Nadu (d) Andra Pradesh
In which village was the movie
Lagaanshot?(a) Bhuj (b) Kanuria (c) Ballia
(d) Kutch
What is the real life name of the
actress who plays the role of Jes-
minder Bhamra in the movie Bend
It Like Beckham?(a) Gurinder Chadha (b) Guljit Bindra
(c) Parminder Nagra (d) Shaheen
Khan
Name the famous ex-model who
acted in the movie Say Salaam In-
dia.(a) Milind Soman (b) John Abraham
(c) Bikram Saluja (d) Arjun Rampal
Before taking up boxing to fulfill
his fathers unfinished dream, what
profession does Bobby Deol follow
in Apne?(a) racing (b) singing (c) dancing
(d) cooking
Name the lead actor in the film Chain
Kulli Ki Main Kulli.
(a) Sanjay Dutt (b) Sunny Deol
(c) Rahul Bose (d) Kunal Khemu
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Boley TohOne Blurb, Two Free Tickets Like The Deal?
THE 90-SECOND QUIZ
Jackpot Question
*Up to Rs 3/- per SMS. Please check with your mobileoperator for exact SMS rates.
Answer this one and you could win free tick-
ets to any BIG cinema across India five pairsof tickets are up for grabs.
Name the hill station that was featured in
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.
(a) Ooty (b) Dehradun (c) Nainital
(d) Mussoorie
If youre one of the five early birdsto get the
answer right, you will get vouchers fortwo
free ticketseach to a show at any BIG cinema
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Send in your answers to:
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Your e-mail entry will be valid only if: (1)You write January Jackpot Question as the
subject of your e-mail, and (2) Include your
full name, postal address and mobile (or
landline) number along with the answer.
Adlabs Films employees and members of
their families cannot participate in this con-
test.
Last Date: January 31, 2009
Are you a magician with words?Write a mazedaarblurb for Akshays character in thisstill from Chandni Chowk to China. If you manage totickle our funny bone, you will be one of five winners tobe crowned the Badshah of Blurbs, and will get vouch-ers fortwo free ticketseach to any show at any BIGcinema across India on any day in February 2009.
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For example, SMS PLOT PLEASE LET ME GO SAUVIKto 55454. Your e-mail entry will be valid only if: (1)you mention Badshah of Blurbs as the subject of yourmail, and (2) include your full name, postal address
and mobile (or landline) number along with the an-swer. Adlabs Films employees and members of theirfamilies cannot participate in this contest.Last Date: January 31, 2009
90-SecondQuiz:
TheAnswers
1.(a)Inteha2.(d)SouthallUnitedFoot-
ballClub
3.(b)Karnataka
4.(b)Kanuria
5.(c)ParminderNagra
6.(a)MilindSoman
7.(b)singing
8.(c)RahulBose
RATEYOURSELF:ABeautifulMind78;TopGun56;ForrestGump34;DumbandDumber02
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