Bhairavi Goswami, and Lying About Aishwarya For Publicity

How does a second-rate Bollywood actress get her name in the news just long enough to land herself a spot on a reality show/talk show/get a book deal/anything else that'll get her some cash?

You poke at the Bachchans in public.

It would be completely unsurprising if that's what Bhairavi Goswami is doing at the moment.  All that crap the other day about Aishwarya getting IVF treatments so she can continue the line of Bachchan men?  Probably made up off the top of her head.  She gave pretty much the shadiest interview ever to the Times of India this weekend and it's pretty clear she's trying to act like she never said anything.  So either she was lying and it got more attention than she wanted or someone tapped her on the shoulder and reminded her where she stands on the totem pole of film industry power.  Namely at the bottom.

She's got a good point about the desire for male children and good for her for pointing out (yet again) the disparate levels of female vs. male children born in states like UP.  But come on already with the Aishwarya stuff.  Either you know something or you don't.  Don't be f'ing coy, it's so tiresome.  Be a doll and spill the goss' or shut the hell up.

Just saying.

Bhairavi Goswami Has Something to Say About Aishwarya Rai

Bheja Fry actress Bhairavi Goswami took to Twitter today with some strange (and if true, tragic) gossip.

"Nauseating 2 read superstars givg interviews abt wanting a girl baby whn she has gone 2 Bangkok to an IVF clinic which specializes in boy babies. Height of hypocrisy. They knw damn well its a boy, aftr all she has to produce a male heir at any cost - Typical UP mentality, no wonder that state has such high female foeticide."

She was clever enough at least not to specifically say who she was talking about but we all know she's referring to Aishwarya (Amitabh is from UP).


I'm of two minds on this.  Bhairavi hasn't offered any proof of her claim, and I'm sort of inclined to think it's a wild claim made up for media attention.  And yet...I don't find the idea of it either shocking or surprising.  After a weekend spent watching The Tudors (where Jonathan Rhys-Meyers spends 24 episodes in a row demanding a son and divorcing and beheading the women who aren't able to give him one) the idea of a woman (particularly one who lives in a still-patriarchal society) going to the ends of the earth (or in this case Thailand) to make sure the child she's carrying is a boy isn't out of the realm of possibility.


Fucking depressing, yes.  Medieval, yes.  Impossible?  No.


Whether it's true or not, there's one thing I know for sure:  Bhairavi Goswami is officially off the Bachchan Christmas card list.

Aishwarya's Pregnant!

Song of the Day--Deedar De (Dus)

I thought about posting my favorite song from Dus ("Dus Bahaane") or even my second favorite song ("Cham Se") but thought "Deedar De" was a bit more interesting (even if it has less Abhishek and a lot less Zayed Khan, shame).

What does it have going for it then?  Let's see...there's Mayte Garcia (the artist formerly known as the wife of Prince) doing her best booty shaking (and wow look at those arms!), alongside two nondescript random blonde-ish women, one of whom is wearing one of the most hideous dresses known to mankind (the pink one, in case it's in any way unclear).

And then there's Abhishek (squee!) with a gun (boo) and Esha Deol (is it me or is she doing some serious bra stuffing here?) in the only role I've been able to stand her in so far apart from Yuva (and if I recall the plot of Dus correctly (if you can call it a plot) Abhi had a bit of an itch for Esha's character, which explains the whole "you touch my woman and I'll shoot you in the head" thing they've got going here) and Suniel Shetty, in probably the last movie he did before he officially became middle-aged uncle material (in my opinion anyways).

Oh and Zayed Khan, who's totally hot in this, which is lucky for him because his acting in this is so bad that his character is nearly irredeemable.

So let's see it then shall we?  :)

A Thought on Voices...

I wish I had the time to flesh this out a little more, but for now just a brief thought...

I had "Dhadhak Dhadhak" from Bunty aur Babli playing in the background and was vaguely lazing off into a nap, and woke myself up realizing that I'd just pictured the entire video for the song with Shahrukh as the star rather than Abhishek.  I guess I've gotten so used to hearing Udit Narayan sing for Shahrukh that regardless of who I knew the actual star to be, I only pictured the face that I associate with the voice.

Has that ever happened to anyone else?  Are there singers who will always correspond in your mind to a specific actor, no matter who they're actually singing for?

Aishwarya and Abhishek on Love Bollywood

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan will be chatting about Raavan with Raj and Pablo LIVE on the BBC Asian Network's Love Bollywood this Saturday at 9am GMT!  Don't miss it!

It's a Wedding! (Kajra Re)

I'll be at a wedding in NY this weekend, so no posts for a week.  But no worries, I'm leaving you with a song I heard at no less than four weddings in the last two years.  Enjoy!!

Raavan Trailer!

Ok, I caved.  I've gone Raavan crazy!  I simply can't wait for this film--I'm not always in the Aishwarya camp but I'm always interested in what Abhishek's doing, and Raavan is looking like an incredible film for him.  I'm excited to see Vikram as well; I've not seen any of his films yet, so Raavan will be my first (and of course I'll be watching the Tamil version of the film, which stars Aishwarya and Vikram as well, with Vikram in Abhishek's role).

I love love love this trailer, especially Abhishek's "dusssssssss sar vaale" at the end.

Raavan Posters!

I'm ridiculously excited about Raavan--mostly the Hindi version, because of Abhishek, but of course I'll watch them both!  It releases June 18 and I've tried as much as possible to stay away from spoilers, trailers, etc., because I really want it to be fresh and new and surprising when I watch it, but I couldn't stay away from the site today, and nabbed the official posters to share with you.  I also grabbed a copy of the pic that's been freaking me out all day (in a good way, in a good way) and gave a listen to some of the background score.  If you want to saturate yourself in the mood of the film, definitely give the site a look. 

Raavan--The Film

And now some visuals!  These posters are all for the Hindi version of the film, but the Tamil posters are on the site as well.

 

And what I like to call "the eyes picture," which seriously I find a bit terrifying, but at the same time I can't look away from:

 

The Stars Do Cannes: Mallika, Aishwarya, Deepika, and Abhishek

The filmi world is being well (mostly, anyways) represented at the Cannes Film Festival this year.  Aishwarya Rai has been looking stunning as usual, Abhishek is finally by her side on day 3 and looking handsome as always, Deepika was beautifully elegant and Mallika was...well...you'll see.

 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Elie Saab

 This pic has been all over the net; I think the gown is truly stunning but I thought the massive hair (you don't see it as much in this pic but ohhh trust me, it was sky high) was a distracting mistake.  She looks gorgeous at any rate--very feminine and pretty.

 

 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Giorgio Armani Privé

I love this look on her--very bold and dramatic.  The guys on the left are definitely enjoying the view!

 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Raavan photocall

Simple, elegant daytime look.  Love the hair, this is so much better than the first night's big bouffant! 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Raavan photocall (full length)

Soooo part of me wants that Raavan poster for my wall, but the other part of me knows it'd be way too terrifying to wake up to each morning.  I love Abhishek but love only goes so far, you know?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan

 Abhishek!  Abhi finally turns up at Cannes (to promote his new film Raavan). 

 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (in Sabyasachi) and Abhishek Bachchan

Abhishek looks his perfect, handsome self, with Aishwarya on his arm in an elegant sari by Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Gucci

Her most beautiful look so far.  Simple and elegant.

 

Deepika Padukone in a sari by Rohit Bal

Deepika looks stunning here, but the real star of the photo is obviously the man with the balloon pants standing next to her.  I have a strange need to know who that is, and why he thought that might be a good idea.

 

Mallika Sherawat

Here we have Mallika Sherawat, showing us one (actually two) of the things that made her famous...

 

Mallika Sherawat

...and the other.  Bless her, I love Mallika.  I've seen her on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, follow her on Twitter, and have caught more than a few of her interviews, and all indications are that she's a sweet girl and a lovely person, so I feel a bit bad coming out and calling her trashy, but with an outfit like that, and compared to Aish and Deepika, can a person really blame me? 

All Abhishek, All the Time

Not gonna lie, I'm totally in love with Abhishek Bachchan, and he's been all over the place recently. Earlier I linked to CNN's "Connector of the Day" preview for him; sadly my question (about his thoughts on doing more comedies, which I think he has a real talent for) didn't make the cut, but a few interesting ones did (and one completely banal, annoying Q about what it's like being married to "the most beautiful woman in the world." Someone should inform CNN that AB is NOT Mr. Aishwarya Rai.).

Here's Abhishek's Connector of the Day interview.  The conversation is a bit scattered, but one interesting tidbit is that he and Aishwarya are scheduled to star in a remake of Abhimaan, the 1973 film which starred his parents (Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Badhuri) and concerns a man who becomes jealous of his wife's success.  It's being scripted by Rajiv Menon--can't wait to see how it turns out!

(Seems to be a lot of Abhimaan confusion--will they or won't they, etc.  I'm going to go with Abhishek on this one and say the film is definitely on.)

For those who can't watch the video, this article goes a bit further in depth on Abhi's opinion that more Hollywood actors should come try their hand at Bollywood. 

Connect with Abhishek Bachchan!

Ever wanted to ask one of Bollywood's biggest names a question?  Here's your chance!  CNN regularly hosts a forum for interacting with the world's biggest celebrities, and today's "Connector" is Abhishek Bachchan!  So get on over there and post your message!  (I've already posted mine and will report back if my question is selected for him to answer!)

Connect with Abhishek Bachchan

Film Review--Dostana

Thanks to the huge demand on Netflix for this film, I had to wait almost six months to see "Dostana" (Friendship).  And it was definitely worth it.  Set in Miami, the Karan Johar-produced "Dostana" stars Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham as Sameer and Kunal, two strangers who happen to have answered the same ad for an apartment.  Shown the door by an auntie who doesn't want her beautiful young niece Neha (played by Priyanka Chopra) living with two men (who will surely corrupt her!) they pretend to be gay, and the relieved auntie welcomes them to their new home.  Trouble brews and antics begin when Sameer and Kunal both fall in love with Neha, and do everything they can to thwart her new romance with her boss (Bobby Deol in a guest appearance).

Warning: spoilers ahead.

Overall I thought the movie was excellent.  It was young, fresh, slick and well acted.  Abhishek proved once and for all that he's an excellent--maybe even brilliant--comedic actor.  I agree with the majority of reviews which thought that the first half was far stronger than the second--most of the first half of the movie is spent setting up the "Three's Company" type relationship between Sameer, Kunal, and Neha, and has a couple of excellent song picturizations (Shut Up 'n Bounce, Jaane Kyun) as well as a hilarious dinner party sequence that you have to see to believe.  Trust me, nothing tops watching the three leads dance to Beedi Jalaile with Boman Irani and a flamboyant blonde immigration official.  Nothing.



The comedic aspect of the film is replaced in the second half with slower storylines involving Sameer's relationship with his mother (Kirron Kher) and Neha's frustration with her job and burgeoning feelings towards her boss, as well as the boys' roundabout scheme to break them up and win Neha for themselves.  All ends well though as Sameer and Kunal realize they have to let Neha go, and the movie redeems itself with an upbeat, fun number (Desi Girl).  Oh and John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan make out.  ;)

Helllllloooooo John Abraham.  Perfect way to kick off a film.

The boys run into a soldier, who's upset because his boyfriend has just been shipped off to Iraq.  He tells Sam and Kunal they're "such a cute couple."

Sam gets an idea.  "We'll pretend to be gay!"  All thanks to this hotdog.  (Get it?  It looks like a penis.  Karan Johar is a 4th grader.)

The boys make up an elaborate "jab we met" story.  I think the dog collar was a nice touch.  Very romantic.

Their whirlwind romance progresses.  Their sense of fashion does not.

Kunal offers Sam some wise advice.  This film is fun and servicey!

Greatest damn foreign extra in the history of Indian cinema.  Someone get this man an award!

Abhimanu gets some misleading advice from Sam and Kunal about how to win Neha over.

Neha confronts the boys over their selfish scheming.

"How do we win over the girl we lied to about being gay and then whose relationship we almost ruined because we fell in love with her but now we're willing to let her go yet she's still mad at us?  I know!  We'll make out!"  (A big gay kiss solves every problem.)

It worked!  Group hug and a happy ending.  :)

Thoughts

A lot of (mostly western) reviews have taken issue with the stereotyped representation of homosexuality that you see in Dostana.  True, the film is fairly camp.  Ok, it's totally camp.  What else do you expect from Karan Johar (possibly the most well-known closeted homosexual in India)?  This is the same guy who threw a few cutesy gay jokes into Kal Ho Na Ho.  Remember Kantaben?  No?  Let me refresh your memory:



I think Dostana is pretty progressive for a country that just decriminalized homosexuality last year.  Not only does the entire plot revolve around a gay couple (yes, I know, they're not really gay, but they're the only ones in the film who know that), but the couple is played by two of the biggest names in commerical Hindi cinema.  Ten or twenty years ago an Abhishek Bachchan or a John Abraham wouldn't have touched this film with a ten foot pole.  Now not only do they jump on it, the film was a big hit, and there's a sequel in the works.  Their relationship may not have been depicted with as much realism or maturity as, say, the one between Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das in Fire, but there's something to be said for the 'what's the big deal?' reaction they get from most of the other characters in the film.  Neha is totally accepting.

One review I've read has criticized Neha's response to their announcement (in which she shrugs her shoulders and says 'no big deal.  To each his own.  Personal choice, right?'), saying that the film was wrong to imply that homosexuality is a 'personal choice.'  The criticism is valid but I think it misses the point, which is her complete lack of surprise or judgement of their confessed orientation.   Her aunt reacts with a bit of shock but sees their sexual orientation as a positive, and really takes to them.  Even Sameer's mother, who at first is so horrified to see her son in another man's arms that she faints in his doorway, comes to love Kunal and embraces him as part of her family (complete with a Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham-backed aarti). 

I think the campy style works here.  It's a Karan Johar film about faux-gays living in Miami.  Everyone's fabulous.  Boman Irani is a bitchy, queeny fashion magazine editor and he's fabulous.  The flamboyant immigration officer who comes over to observe the couple (and cop a few feels of John Abraham--I mean, who wouldn't?) is fabulous.  So what if the film fell apart a bit in the middle?  All was forgiven as soon as I saw this:



The Music
The soundtrack was composed by one of my favorite teams, Vishal and Shekhar.  It's an all-around solid effort--lots of fun songs to get up and dance to!  Khabar Nahi and Kuch Kum didn't do much for me, but the remaining four tracks more than made up for it.  Here are the highlights...

Shut Up 'n Bounce

The film opens with 'Shut Up 'n Bounce,' a catchy item number by Shilpa Shetty (sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, naturally) which introduces Kunal (John Abraham) and Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan).  John does what he does best, which is stand around and look pretty.  Shilpa does was she does best, which is dance around and look pretty.  And Abhishek does what he does best, which is brood...and look pretty.  I love the picturization--it's bright, flashy, and sets the tone for the Miami-based film.  The first time I heard the song I wasn't wild about it, but it's grown on me a lot and now I blare it everywhere I go.  I think you'll see why.  :)




Jaane Kyun

Sung by Vishal himself, Janne Kyun is fun, lighthearted, and probably my favorite song on the soundtrack.  I also can't get over how fantastic the picturization is.  It's a montage where we see the boys moving in, getting settled, and hanging out with Neha (who apparently can't hold her liquor!) around town.  I absolutely adore Abhi's reactions to being made fun of by John and Priyanka while they're watching the movie, and his 'scared of the dark' routine had me completely cracking up.  One word to sum up this song?  Cute.



Desi Girl

I don't think Priyanka could have enjoyed this more if she'd written it herself.  A song all about how Priyanka is the hottest woman ever?  Yeah, that sounds right up her alley. ;)  This was "the" song of Dostana for quite some time, and is still probably its most popular.


Maa Da Ladla

This one trots out every sexual inuendo possible, but it's all smoothed over by the brilliant Kirron Kher.  Plus lots of opportunity to ogle John and Abhi. ;)  (Sorry if this one comes up with an ad, but the quality makes up for it.)




Maa Da Ladla--Remix

A fun remix to close out the film.  Love the random Lord of the Rings reference at the beginning!

Isn't My Husband So Handsome?

Isn't my husband so handsome?  I don't care how awkwardly he dances or what anyone thinks of his acting, my love for Abhishek Bachchan is eternal.  <3 <3 <3

Song of the Day--Tere Bina (Guru)

Tere Bina

Film: Guru
Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhavan, Vidya Balan
Music by: AR Rahman

If I had to make a list of the top-5 most romantic Hindi songs, Tere Bina would be on it.  The picturization is absolutely perfect; the choreography is alternately sweet and teasing, and Aishwarya looks absolutely adorable in this.  Her facial expressions range from childlike and bemused (and who wouldn't be bemused at Abhi's awkward-yet-cute dancing?) to adoring.  I have to admit I've never cared much for her, but the devastated and hurt look in her eyes as she stares at her husband over the train tracks at the beginning of the song?  That won me over.  The emotion she conveyed in that simple look blew me away.  Mani Ratnam certainly knows how to bring out her best performances.  Abhishek is, of course and as always, divine.

As soon as this movie came out I said to myself that if I ever deigned to get married, it would be to a person who is as moved by this song as I am.  So boys, keep that in mind.

Song of the Day--Fanaa (Yuva)

Fanaa


Film:  Yuva
Starring:  Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Esha Deol, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukherjee
Music by:  A.R. Rahman

Per Danielle's request...nay, demand, here's a great dance number from the film Yuva.  Yuva has an all-star cast and a fantastic soundtrack by AR Rahman (Oscar-winner for his work on Slumdog Millionaire) which is worth owning in its own right.  Want another tie-in to Slumdog Millionaire?  Towards the end of the film people are seen dancing to a music video.  The music which plays is Aaj Ki Raat, from Don, but if you look closely, the actual video in the background is this one.  You can clearly see Kareena dancing on the screen.  Speaking of dancing, who let Vivek anywhere near choreography?  And are those red velveteen pants?!  Oh my.