Jassi's Mona eyes Bollywood

newMona Singh, who had captured the imagination of the tele viewers with her much talked about role of Jassi in Jassi Jaise Koi Nahi will make her Bollywood debut next year.

Talking to newspersons in Jaipur, Mona said ''I will make my Bollywood debut next year. I have signed up for a film which will be released next year.''

She however did not reveal much detail about the project and also who will be hero opposite her.

''I cannot say anything more than that. Many surprises are in store for you next year.'' She added.

Mona said, she participated in the reality show Jhalak Diklaja followed by the much acclaimed serial as a 'conscious decision' to bring out her real image as she did wanted to be draped in the Jassi character.

She said ''though the serial has made me what I am today but I don't want to be in an image trap. The Show Jhalak Diklaja helped me to showcase my real self as against the charactor of Jassi. An actor has to be versatile and some times a particular image may harm my growth.''

Asked about her new roles she said ''I have not signed any new serials but will be seen in a new reality show in the pipeline in the name Naya Roop Naya Zindagi to be aired shortly. When asked about the serials she said serials no longer enthuse her.

Cricket hunks and Bollywood babes!

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Mahima Chaudhary.
More than a hundred smiles were sighted at this Sri Lankan party at the JW Marriott on Wednesday night.

The happy partygoers were taking flight as the music soared in the air with spirited singers taking you on a retro trip. Enjoying the experience and looking like they were batting 100 not out were Sri Lankan cricket greats Arjuna Ranatunga in his party best attire and Roshan Mahanama. Also on a good wicket was Mohammed Azharuddin in a crisp white shirt (collar up as usual).

And when there are cricketers, can Bollywood babes be far behind? They weren't — both Mahima Chaudhary and Tanushree Dutta bowled the guests over. Host Peter Hill, along with other happy Sri Lankans like Chandana De Silva, welcomed the many guests who came to eat, drink and make merry.

Singers Nic and Nicole seemed enraptured by the musical odyssey and soon got into the groove on the dance floor.

Prancing all over the place was Kishin Mulchandani. Siddharth Kannan and Parvez Damania were seen doing the socialising rounds. In a Gandhigiri frame of body, if not mind, was Azeem Khan with the Mahatma emblazoned on his shirt inside his jacket.

The night also belonged to Babita Malkani, Jyoti and Niranjan Thakur, Deepa and Suhas Awchat and Nikhil and Leena Mogre.

'Strangers' - a Bollywood take on failed marriages

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MUMBAI  - Frustrated by their failed marriages, two men launch a bizarre plot to kill each other's wives in a new Bollywood thriller that takes a look at the complexities of the human mind.

"Strangers", directed by Anand Rai, narrates the tale of the duo who in a chance meeting discuss their private lives, failed marriages and the everlasting effect it has had on them.

"It (the film) is very realistic in its approach," said actor Jimmy Shergill, who plays the role of a writer with a dwindling career in the film. "It's a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It will show how complex the human mind is."

"As it sometimes happen in real life, we meet a stranger and find that person so interesting that our conversation become a little personal, the film is also about this," he added.

"The conversations of the two strangers in the film bring out their unhappy married lives and this emotional discussion leads them to suddenly decide to kill each other's wives," he said.

Shergill said there was an inherent twist in the tale that makes the plot intriguing at its climax.

"It is also a film about choices," he said. "One of them will realise that finishing off someone is not a practical solution to the problems of life. The problems need to be solved rationally."

The film also casts Kay Kay Menon, Sonali Kulkarni and Nandana Sen.

Menon plays the role of a management professional in a difficult relationship with his wife who loses her mental balance after their son's death.

"Strangers" is set to open on December 7 which is also the release date for two other Bollywood movies "Khoya Khoya Chand" and "Dus Kahaniyaan".

Dance based films made in Bollywood

Imagine a life without air, music without rhythm and a body without a soul. Well, that is exactly how the Bollywood films will be without its 'soul'full and gracious dance, which is also responsible to keep the cinegoers swaying themselves for every reason and during every season! Dance becomes the bridge between the story, music, and the film's characters. In short, if there is no dance, there is no Bollywood. And with one of Bollywood's greatest dancer, Madhuri Dixit, making her comeback with Aaja Nachle this week, Bollywood Flash lists down some of dance based films made in Bollywood.

Dil To Pagal Hai

Someone somewhere is made for you. This phrase brings Yash Chopra's film Dil To Pagal Hai to our minds. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor and was a love triangle. The entire film had a westernized feel to it, right from the clothes to kind of dance sequences. A larger than life special effect was given to whole film. The dance sequences added to that effect. Shiamak Davar choreographed the songs, with the emphasis on body movements, rather than steps, which made the whole performance, look grander.

The whole ambience for every performance and practice sessions was very much unlike in India and closer to the western musicals. They had created a Manhattan loft kind of place where Shah Rukh lives and the troupe practices, the Pepsi vending machine, neon light, everything was made to look very western. The film went on be a cult film and dance became a major attraction. The music piece, 'Dance of Envy' that shows Madhuri and Karisma competing with each other, became the focal point. The choreography and technical aspects of the direction during the songs shows off the real beauty of Yash Raj Films. The film also established Shaimak who today is one of the best film choreographers.

Taal

A combination of A.R. Rahman and Shiamak Davar can create magic on screens. That was exactly what was seen on the screen when the film, Taal was showcased. Taal was again a triangular love story. It shows a major alteration from Indian to western.

The film shows a very remarkable transformation from the regional Indian first half to the western feel in the later half of the film. The film imbibed the regional feel to the dance and to the music. As the story moves forward to when Aishwarya meets Anil Kapoor a successful and famous music producer/director. A mix of classical and western freestyle combination was portrayed through Shiamak's beautiful choreography. Taal probably has Aishwarya's best dance performances onscreen.

Naach

Career is a very important aspect of a dignified person but any profession that obstructs personal relationship with a loved one must be made very carefully. In the film Naach, Abhishek Bachchan and Antra Mali are two middle class citizens in Mumbai. Both try to get a breakthrough in their individual professions. Abhishek wants to be an actor and Antra wants to be a choreographer. Both eventually falling in love manage to succeed in their career, but with a bigger price to pay. Shabina Khan Raoul, Maitria, Harshall, Vitthal and Terrence Lewis choreographed the dances in the film. Shabina, in fact, she is first-rate in bringing out the nuances that make Antra, the glum-looking idealistic passionate dancer she is, fiercely protective of her space and fiery in the dance sequences. She beats Urmila in body flexibility through her jazz-meets-yoga-meets-aerobics `naach' and in the costumes too. Antra's dance sequences aped a lot of Urmila's but the former surely gave a lot of competition to the latter. The movements were not only graceful and sensational but also poignant.

The rest of the film focuses on whether Abhishek and Antra can put their differences aside and if they get back together.

Disco Dancer

Nobody doubted his acting abilities. He had always been a good dancer, a rare thing for a gold medalist at FTII, Pune. Real success came with Disco Dancer for Mithun Chakraborty. This film made Mithun the national dancing sensation. The word disco owes a lot to Mithun Chakraborty and vice versa. Mithun danced and the nation danced with him. He sang and India joined in the chorus. In Disco Dancer, young Mithun sang and danced on streets for their livelihood. After becoming a star how a certain personal tragedy affects his career. When nothing works his old mentor, Rajesh Khanna steps on stage and encourages him. He brings back dance to his life and life goes on… the musical drama Disco Dancer has one of Mithun's breakthrough performances. This was a huge success due to its hit music and remains a cult favorite to this day.

Dance Dance

Another film Dance Dance showcased him as a talented dancer. The film topped the charts for his dance sequences. Dance Dance featured him and Smita Patel as siblings who danced to earn a living. Mithun gave a new definition to Disco and his dance moves are still imitated by his fans even today. He not only gave disco a new definition but also created a new trend of the 'Jing-Bang' clothes and accessories as well.

Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje

Sandhya, a dancing girl, is seen doing a cheap dance by an old time Keshav Rao Date and his son and disciple Gopi Kishen. Chastised by Keshav and shown what real dance is by Gopi she sees a new meaning in dance and begs Keshav to teach her. He tells her it will be a hard task but she is willing. Gopi and Keshav stay at her place, where her maintenance is paid for by one of her admirers Madan Puri. As Sandhya and Gopi begin their training for a prestigious dance festival, the two of them also fall in love. Keshav is furious as he is totally against any display of any emotion by the artist other than devotion to his art. She gives up everything so that Gopi may excel in his art. Keshav relents as he realizes the hardships Sandhya has undergone and he reunites the lovers. The film is a tribute to the Classical Dances of India. From lessons in Kathak to Yaman Raag to Dance of the Seasons to the Shiv Tandav sequence, the film is a series of sparkling vignettes and gorgeous ensembles of Kathak, Bharatnatyam, and Manipuri. The film is a feast of Indian Dance but never moving away from the story and is in fact an essential part of a tender romance of the Keshav's disciple, which ripens into love and is turned into drama and near tragedy before resolving itself happily at the end. Sandhya is an ace dancer till date and Gopi Kishen is considered as one of the best Indian dancers ever. V. Shantaram filmed with movie with the best technology and created some path breaking scenes and grand sets. The shots were not only done artistically but also given a larger than life feel to it. Among these is also the film, Navrang that changed the definition of dancing and choreography. This film too was made by V. Shantaram and starred Sandhya.

Naache Mayuri

Sudha Chandran is a well-known Bharatnatyam dancer. During an unfortunate accident, she lost her leg. But the urge to dance never let her quit. She got a Jaipuri foot and continued to dance her heart out. The story of Naache Mayuri revolves around her life itself in which she plays herself. Today Sudha Chandran can not only do classical Indian but excels in western dancing as well, which is very clear through her performances on the tv shows. As a dancer, she not only raised the bar of performances but also of achievements. Today, she is an idol to many dancers who still cannot match her level of enthusiasm and commitment.

These were some of dance based films made in Bollywood. Hindi films are known for their melodious music and graceful dance sequences and this is one trait that will continue to distinguish Indian cinema.

Madhuri's son approved songs of Aaja Nachle

Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit's two sons enjoy their mother's work so much that when it came to selection of her much awaited comeback vehicle Aaja Nachle's title song, her youngest son Ryan gave the final nod.

Images: Madhuri spins magic with Aaja Nachle

"I had gone to the studio with my two sons -- Arin and Ryan -- to select the title song among various options. As soon as both my sons heard the number they were mesmerised and Ryan started dancing," Madhuri told IANS.

"We all looked at each other and said 'this one is going to be a chartbuster' and by God's grace people are liking the song," she added.

The versatile actress, who ruled Bollywood for more than a decade, said that her sons love to see her dancing on screen and all the media attention they are getting.

Images: Madhuri Dixit bonds with Lata Mangeshkar

"My kids are thoroughly enjoying all the media attention. They are never tired of seeing me dancing on screen. Whenever they see the trailers of the film on television they start dancing. And Ryan, who is just two-and-a-half years old, urges 'dance mommy dance'." And how did husband Shriram Nene react when she decided to return to filmdom?

"There was no reaction from him. We both discussed and talked in detail about how we would work it out.

"And after watching the film he said he liked it, as it is clearly visible that the effort made by all of us is genuine. Also, the audience can relate to the characters," she said. Madhuri, who last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, is playing the role of a choreographer in her forthcoming film.

To appeal to the evolving taste of the Indian audience she did a lot of preparation before making a comeback.

Image: Madhuri Dixit on Nach Baliye 3

"I used to work out four times in a week to get back in shape, as after having two babies I had put on a lot of weight. However, I have always been a health freak so it was not very taxing."

Commenting on the secret of aging gracefully she said, "It's a mind over matter kind of thing. I just don't think about age. I still feel young. And to do away with the lines be vice free, do yoga, meditation and eat healthy."

The Dhak Dhak girl, as she is popularly called, said she would take up only those projects that would be completed within a strict time frame.

Madhuri: Aaja Nachle was scripted for me

"Currently I have only this film in hand and I have not thought of anything else yet," said the star who has given hits like Tezaab, Dil, Beta, Khalnayak, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Dil To Pagal Hai .

"Budget is not that important, I would do a film only if the script is good and it gets completed in a fixed time frame, as I have a family to look after now. At no point in time will I compromise on that."