Chak De India scores a hit for Yashraj Films

After the the below expectation results of Ta Ra Rum Pum and the debacle of Jhoom Barabar Joom, Yashraj Films are back and have resumed dishing out hits with Chak De India.

Chak De India got an average opening but it was clear by the Friday evening shows that the film would do well and the collections on Saturday just confirmed that. The all India average opening on Friday stood at around 60% but on Saturday and Sunday the collections were 90-100% at major centres. The smaller centres did not zoom up but still did well enough to hold their collections. The film has been released on approx 400 cinemas all over India with a major chunk of the screenings in metroes and A centres.

The film held rock steady on the dreaded Monday with collections of 60-70%. There is expectation of the collections to rise over the weekend again as there is appreciation for the film from the public.

Chak De India will emerge a hit or better in Mumbai, Delhi/UP(UP is only fair but Delhi/NCR is strong), East Punjab, CI, Nizam and Mysore. The other circuits will depend on how well they sustain collections from here on. But it's unlikely to have a losing circuit as even Bihar may notch up 18-20 lakhs from the 7 prints sent to the circuit.

On an all India basis the first week nett business should come in the region of 17-19 crore. The approx breakdown of collections are Friday-2.35 crore, Saturday-3.40 crore and Sunday-3.75 crore giving it a 9.50 crore nett gross for the first three days.

Overseas the film has disappointed with its start but the makers expect it to hold its collection well into the second week.

Negi plans match between screen-players and real ones

(PTI)

Don't be surprised if the actors you have seen playing hockey in the Bollywood film 'Chak De India' take on the national women's hockey team in an exhibition tie in the near future.

This is exactly what's on the mind of former Indian men's team goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi, who trained the on screen players for Shahrukh Khan starrer film that hit the theaters on Friday.

"When I started training them (16 in all) for the movie, barring three or four, none had any idea not only about hockey but even about running. You can see the promos for the film and get an idea of the transformation after comparing them with their on-screen performance," Negi said.

"It's mind-boggling how they have shaped up. When they started they did not even know how to run but now they can play good hockey. I am sure they can give a good fight to the Indian women's team. They won't be embarrassed and I am actually thinking of organising such a tie," Negi said.

Negi, who has coached the national women's team as assistant to M K Kaushik for two years in 2003 and 2004, said the actors in the movie were trained on the beaches here and at Marine Drive.

Negi said two of the actors who are seen as hockey players hailed from Manipur and the rest came from other parts of the country like Delhi, Punjab, Uttaranchal and even from Kolhapur in south western Maharasthra.

He wished the national team members also got the facilities like the movie actors received and expressed the hope that the sponsorship from City Limousine would improve lot of the country's women hockey players.

also read:

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1115018

Chak de India Box Office Update

The film opened to a mixed response. The multiplexes opened to a 60% response but the evening shows hit 80-85%. The single screens were lower at 40-50%. Overall the reports are encouraging from major centres and the film should emerge a success in most circuits. Circuits dominated by single screens like Bihar and CP Berar may struggle.


(Source : Box office India)

Waiting for a winning formula

After delivering two damp squibs back to back, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Yash Chopra has made a cautious move with his third offering for the year, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Chak De India. Yash Raj Films, Chopra’s flagship, has released only 400 prints of the film, which is way below the 500-660 prints for its earlier releases.

Released on August 10, the Rs 24-crore film has got good reviews and is expected to rake in over Rs 15 crore from the domestic box office collections in the first three days. The collections, however, would be lower than the Salman Khan-Govinda starrer Partner, which raked in Rs 16 crore in the first three days.

Multiplex owners were a little disappointed when the advance bookings, that opened on August 4, did not meet a good response. But now they are a happy lot as the weekend saw a full house.

“The film has not had a huge opening that a Yash Raj Films and a Shah Rukh Khan film usually get. But, since the reviews have been good, we got over 80 per cent occupancy for the weekend,” said Devang Sampat, vice-president (marketing and programming), Cinemax India. Added Saurabh Varma, vice-president (programming and distribution), Inox Leisure: “We are expecting to earn close to Rs 1.5 crore in the first three days.”

One reason why the film may not set the cash registers ringing for Yash Raj Films is that it is not showing in a few territories. Industry sources said that in the Bengal territory, out of six multiplexes only one is screening the movie. Also in North Kolkatta and Darjeeling, single-screen theatres have chosen to stay out.

The earlier film from Yash Raj, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, proved to be a disaster and resulted in the production house giving a rebate of 5 per cent on the revenue share with multiplexes.

Chak De India, Shah Rukh Khan’s first release this year, is a crucial movie for Chopra considering that his first two films this year didn’t live up to the mark. Theatre chain owners believe that the film will do favourable business overseas. Also, “The additional holiday on August 15 will boost footfalls,” said Gautam Datta, chief of marketing, PVR Cinemas. Whether King Khan will surpass Salman Khan and Govinda starrer Partner is still to be seen.

(Source : Business Standard)

'Chak De India' is the best reviewed major release this year

Rewiew Links

http://www.indicine.com/movies/bollywood/chak-de-india-movie-review/
http://www.radiosargam.com/films/archives/6001/movie-review-chak-de-india-2007-2.html
http://www.allbollywood.com/v2/bd/stc/rev/c/110.shtml
http://nowrunning.com/film/review1.asp?movieNo=3953&r=1266
http://news.indya.com/newsDetails.aspx?xfile=2007/August/News_20070810_86
http://www.ndtvmovies.com/reviews.asp?lang=hindi&id=252&moviename=Chak+De+India
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/review-chak-des-a-winner-all-the-way/46605-8.html
http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20070810-4.html
http://www.idlebrain.com/mumbai/reviews/chakdeindia.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Movie_Reviews/A-E/Chakde_India/articleshow/2273242.cms
http://withoutgivingthemovieaway.com/main/reviews/review-chakde-india/
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/review/9323.html
http://glamsham.com/movies/reviews/movie_review_chak_de_india_080703.asp
http://www.bollyspice.com/movie-reviews.php/chak-de-india-movie-review.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/11/movies/11chak.html
http://movies.indiatimes.com/quickies/2272104.cms
http://www.movietalkies.com/movies/editor-reviews.asp?MovieId=19043
http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/29/7944
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=03a89af8-b8ec-4216-8d74-3474475c177e&MatchID1=4502&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1122&PrimaryID=4502&Headline=Review%3a+EMChak+De+India%2fEM
http://www.businessofcinema.com/boc/?file=story&id=4735
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/aug/10chak.htm
http://www.fullhyderabad.com/scripts/profiles.php3?section=Movies&name=Chak+De+India&ID=4812
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=90708
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug112007/movies2007081018423.asp
http://nowrunning.com/film/review1.asp?movieNo=3953&r=1267
http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=1939
http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=16376
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article§id=30&contentid=20070811200708110421044377556c562
http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/hindimoviesreview/2007/august/162223.htm
http://www.mtvindia.com/mtv/movies/reviews/07/chakdeindia/index.php
http://desipundit.com/baradwajrangan/2007/08/11/review-chak-de-india/
http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=fromthepress&subsection=filmreview&xfile=August2007_filmreview_standard81
http://www.moviewalah.com/review/2007/08/10/movie-review-chak-de-india
http://ww.smashits.com/news/bollywood/movie-review/6315/chak-de-india.html
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1114875
http://indiafm.com/movies/review/12948/index.html

Source : All Bollywood

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Saif Ali Khan grows moustache for 'Tashan'

By ApunKaChoice

Saif Ali Khan has once again experimented with his looks.First we saw the talented actor sporting a cropped haircut and stubble for his role of uncouth Langda Tyagi in Omkara . Now, Saif has grown a moustache and a mane for Yashraj Films presentation Tashan .

The movie, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, has all of the actors in very stylish avatars. Anil Kapoor will be seen sporting a heavy, handlebar moustache. Akshay Kumar will have very short haircut and designer stubble. Kareena Kapoor has worked out to lose weight to slip into sexy costumes for the film.Reports have it that Aditya Chopra , the producer, has given strict instructions to the stars to limit their public appearances because he wants their looks to create curiosity for the film.However, Saif has already done a commercial in his new look with sister Soha Ali Khan .

Apparently, ‘Tashan’ is based on a very unconventional theme. The entire crew of the film has been extremely secretive about the film’s story and plot.The film was recently being shot in Laddakh. Now, another schedule has begun in Rajasthan.

Scripting a win - Chak De India

With Chak De India due for release this Friday, scriptwriter and lyricist Jaideep Sahni has reason to feel upbeat

Shirin Abbas

He’s dabbled in almost every genre possible. If Company was an action flick, Bunty aur Babli and Khosla ka Ghosla had him trying his handat comedy. But now adman turned scriptwriter Jaideep Sahni is doing something different—a sports flick.

“The idea for Chak De India came from a small newspaper report,” he says. It was while flipping through a newspaper report on the victory of the women’s hockey team tucked away in one corner of the sports page caught his eye. He says the first question in his mind was, ‘Why such little print space? This item should have got more display.’ The seed of a story thus germinated and he began hanging out around stadiums, reading up every little bit of news on women’s hockey, obsessed with the need to give them their due.

Jaideep says Aditya Chopra heard the initial idea and immediately warmed up to it. With Shah Rukh Khan having served as hockey captain of Hansraj College in his college days, it wasn’t too difficult to select the male lead.

“Shah Rukh knows the pain and the pitfalls of being a hockey player and having to play second fiddle. He has commented that Chak De has been the most difficult film of his entire career—he was so deeply involved,” Sahni reveals.

All praise for the female hockey stars Sahni says he wanted to finally give a fair deal to the “three-time underdogs.” Elaborating, he states, “If you choose sports as a career you are an underdog because it is least important on the priority list of those who matter in this country. Then you are an underdog again if you choose hockey because India runs on cricket.
And if you are a woman playing for the Indian hockey team you become an underdog thrice over. But I’d like to tell them, they are my real heroes.

We have as a team put in our entire enthusiasm and zeal into the film and we hope that if fathers tomorrow encourage their daughters to take to sports and especially hockey, team Chak De will have done its job!” With such noble intention, the film better be good.

Multiplexes set to miss Madhuri

A STAFF REPORTER (Telegraph)

Last summer, Kajol’s comeback film did not make it to the multiplexes. This winter, Madhuri Dixit’s comeback film could also give multiplexes the miss.

Aaja Nachle looks set to follow in the footsteps of Fanaa with the slugfest between the Yash Raj film distribution channel and INOX turning ugly over the release of Chak De India. With no solution in sight — probably till the end of the year — the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer releases at one out of four city plexes — Fame (Hiland Park) — on Friday.

“The demands put forth by the multiplex owners were unacceptable. They don’t seem keen to release a movie which has patriotism and national integration, denying many the chance of watching it. I don’t think we will deal with them for the rest of the year,” said Pritam Jalan of Jalan Distributors, east India distributor of Chak De India.

Jalan distributes all Yash Raj films in the region and so the doors of INOX (Forum and City Centre) and 89 Cinemas could slam shut on the Puja release Laaga Chunari Mein Daag — with a strong Bong connection (director: Pradeep Sarkar; leading ladies: Rani Mukerji, Konkona Sensharma and Jaya Bachchan) — and winter biggie Aaja Nachle.

The exhibitors, too, have hardened their stand. “If we agree to the terms set by the Calcutta distributor of Chak De India, we will have to increase ticket prices drastically. We do not want to burden our patrons,” said Saurabh Varma, vice-president, programming and distribution, INOX.

The Jalan versus INOX tug-of-war over films from the Yash Raj stable started with the Aamir-Kajol starrer Fanaa in May 2006 and continued through Ta Ra Rum Pum and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, before claiming Chak De.

The biggest loser, of course, is the city cinegoer. “Delhi and Mumbai have so many multiplexes, whereas Calcutta has just four. And if three of those don’t screen such high-profile films, then we have every right to feel cheated. We were planning to watch Chak De at INOX (Forum) this weekend, but now we will have to give the film a miss,” grumbled Pinky Agarwal, a resident of Lord Sinha Road and a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan.

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor in Ladakh dustup

Mumbai Mirror
Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2007 (EST)

Chhote Nawab Saif Ali Khan and haughty Kareena Kapoor were involved in a dustup in the cool and rarified environs of pristine Ladakh where the two are on the sets of Yash Raj Films' Tashan. Both the stars were unhurt but their bodyguards ended up bruised.

The fracas started when local 'fans' attempted to enter a restaurant where Saif and Kareena were having lunch, but were stopped by their bodyguards. Frustrated the 'fans' turned ruffians and began to abuse the stars. That didn't go down too well with one of the bodyguards who roughed up one of the hecklers.

The situation quickly deteriorated and a mob gathered and began to pelt the restaurant with stones

Saif then stepped out to placate the mob but perhaps a little too late. Faced with abuses he ended up loosing his own cool and a fracas ensued.

Eventually the manager and staff brought the situation under control but not before Saif and Kareena's bodyguards received injuries in the ensuing melee.

A unit member told Mumbai Mirror, "It was a scene straight out of a film. Saif got into a scuffle with local hooligans who claimed to be their fans. When Saif and Kareena refused to meet them, they created major chaos. Saif was infuriated when they started hurling abuses at them."
Following the incident, security for the stars has been spruced up and they have been asked not to venture too far away from the unit.

Yash Raj Films releases Chak De! India music

Yash Raj Films releases Chak De! India music NEW!
By Businessofcinema.com Team



MUMBAI: This August, as India celebrates its 60th Independence Day, Yash Raj Films' stable will release Chak De! India, a film that salutes the nation's national game – hockey. On 1 August the music of the film was released on Yash Raj Music.

The music of Chak De! India has been composed by Salim-Sulaiman. Lyrics are by Jaideep Sahni, who has also penned the story, screenplay and dialogues of the movie.

The title track of the film has been rendered Sukhwinder Singh, Salim Merchant and Marianne D'Cruz. Singers Hema Sardesai, KK, Anushka Manchanda, Krishna have been roped in for other songs.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan too has lent his voice for two songs in the film, Ek Hockey Doongi Rakh Ke and Sattar Minute. Khan isn't singing in them per se but is introducing the team of hockey players in one and is talking to the team before a crunch match in the other song.

The music CD also has the videos of Chak De! India and Ek Hockey Doongi Rakh Ke on it as a bonus feature and can be viewed on a PC.

The music is also available for download in a digital format (as a single song or entire album) through the Yash Raj Films Website and also on sites like iTunes, Rhapsody, Yahoo, among others.

Aditya Chopra tightens the screws on the script department

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

It seems like Aditya Chopra is not a happy man these days. Not only has he and his family been targeted by gossip mongers, day in and day out, even on the professional front, things have not been looking bright. After the below expectations outcome of the Saif, Rani starrer, TA RA RUM PUM, the debacle of JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM, has shaken the Yash Raj empire.

As per sources, Aditya Chopra has tightened the screws on the script department of Yash Raj Films. We are also told that the low key (but systematic) publicity of the August 10 release, CHAKDE! INDIA, and also its late audio release, has been done as per a deliberate strategy. The Chopras want to keep the expectations low from their offbeat Shah Rukh Khan starrer and are hoping for the movie to seek its audience on its merit.

Queen to attend Chak De! India premiere

By Riya V Anandwala

The Queen of England is scheduled to attend the premiere of Chak De! India in London. The movie has been produced by Yash Raj Films and stars Shah Rukh Khan. The premiere will also be attended by the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

Says a source close to the development, “The Queen is expected at the premiere of Chak De! India in London. Apparently she said that it’s an honour for her to be associated with Yash Raj films and their film Chak De! India.”

The premiere will be held on 9 August at the Somerset Hall.

When contacted by Businessofcinema.com, Yash Raj Films marketing head Tarun Tripathi refused to comment on the development.

The production house has also roped in brands like P&G as sponsors for the event in London. Adds the source, “The evening will be very expensive, so the production house is tying up with big brands, which will take care of securities, rent etc.”
Their promotional strategy includes a tie-up with the Star group. Tripathi informs, “I can’t say much but yes, we have tied with them for our film’s promotion.”
Apart from Khan, the film also stars Aanjjan Srivastav, Javed Khan, Vibha Chibber, Mohit Chauhan, Nakul Vaid, Joyoshree Arora and Vivaan Bhathena. It has been directed by Shimit Amin and has music by Salim - Sulaiman.

(Source: BusinessofCinema )

Yash Raj Films' Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in legal hassle

By IndiaFM News Bureau, July 31, 2007 - 10:43 IST

Pradeep Sarkar’s Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is in news for erroneous reason. Producers Himanshu Joshi and Hirachand Jogani of Bhoomi Shree Pictures have claimed that this particular title has already been registered by their company so Yash Raj Films can’t use the same title. The producers have already sent a legal notice to Yash Raj Films regarding the same and they also plan to write to the Producer’s Guild to probe into this issue. Speaking to IndiaFM, Shreepati Mishra, director of the film says, “This is our title as we had registered it first with AMPTPP.

Yash Raj Films had requested us to give this title but when we refused to give, they registered Laaga Chunari Mein Daag - The Journey Of A Woman. This title is very similar to our title. We are planning to write a letter to Guild regarding the same issue.” Shreepati also added that they sent a legal notice to Yash Raj Films and they replied with a letter saying that their title is Laaga Chunari Mein Daag - The Journey Of A Woman which has been approved by Guild. “I wonder if they have a supporting line, why they are not using it? Nowadays everywhere in news, in media reports and even in their publicity calendar they have mentioned Laaga Chunari Mein Daag which is wrong” he says.

When IndiaFM contacted spokesperson from Yash Raj Films, Monika Bhattarcharya, she informed that their title is Laaga Chunari Mein Daag - The Journey Of A Woman and they are using the same title everywhere. However, the title fight is not new for Yash Raj Films. Earlier they had to face similar problems for Saif and Rani starrer Ta Ra Rum Pum. Producers Himanshu Joshi and Hirachand Jogani of Bhoomi Shree Pictures have decided to fight for the title Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.

Being confident about their film, director Shreepati Mishra says that “Though ours is a small budget film, we are confident about the storyline. Our title goes well with the script and songs that we have in our film. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is a story of three sisters’ and we are in talks with the stars. We will finalize soon as we plan to start the shoot in August. We are planning to finish it in October since we want to release with them.”

Aditya Chopra wanted to produce 'Gandhi My Father'

©2007 Bollyvista.com

Not many people know that this week's release 'Gandhi My Father' was earlier supposed to be produced by Aditya Chopra. The film's director Feroz Abbas Khan had approached Yash Raj Films with the subject and Adi was keen on making this film, but thought it may spark some controversy and hence dropped the idea.
It was later, that Anil Kapoor stepped in the producer's shoes to complete this film. Coincidentally, 'Gandhi My Father' and Yash Raj Films' 'Chakde India' are releasing back to back.

Best in the business come together for CHAK DE INDIA

Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network

On the face value, USP of CHAK DE INDIA may appear to be just Shahrukh Khan. Still, if one digs deep down, there is much larger effort that has gone in making this film truly different from what Yash Raj Films has made in the past. First and foremost the director at the helm is Shimit Amin who could easily be counted as the unlikeliest of all when it comes to associating a film maker with YRF.

Otherwise how could one imagine the man behind a gritty AB TAK CHAPPAN to be making a film for the production house which thrives on feel good entertainers? Well, this is not all as the major part of the film's crew also comprises of technicians who are easily the best in the business.

Jaideep Sahni, the man behind projects as diverse as 'Company', 'Bunty Aur Babli' and 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' pens the screenplay of 'Chak De India'. Amitabh Shukla, who has used his scissors to perfection in films like 'Namastey London', 'Krrish', 'Kabul Express' and 'Bluffmaster' has been roped in as an editor. Sudeep Chatterjee, who has captured the frames of 'Iqbal' and 'Dor' with as much élan as 'Jaan-E-Mann' is the film's cinematographer whereas art director Sukant Panigrahy has left the fantasy world of 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' behind to get more realistic with the real drama of 'Chak De India'. Usual suspects like Ganesh Acharya and Salim-Sulaiman hardly need an introduction as they come together for choreography and music of the film.

Last but not the least, with brains of producer Aditya Chopra behind the project, it makes it a 10 out of 10 for 'Chak De India' when it comes to setting the base right for the film. 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' may have bombed at the box office but that hasn't stopped Yash Raj Films from being busy. Neck deep into the promotion of 'Chak De India', the country's numero uno film making house has made sure that they deliver nothing but the best for this ambitious Shahrukh Khan starrer.

The film releases on August 10, 2007.

Unfair game

TNN
Hockey is our national sport and it is going to get it's due, atleast on screen with the Yashraj film Chak de India, but not before the Women's Hockey Association of India is satisfied.
After three disappointing films, Kabul Express , Tara Ra Rum Pum and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom , there is still no peace for Yashraj Films. Their trump card, Chak De India , reportedly, has run into trouble even before it has released. The Women's Hockey Association of India is pretty upset with Yashraj Films and has demanded a screening of the film to see if they have portrayed the players in the right manner. Vidya Stoke, President of the Women's Hockey Association of India says, "We want to see the movie before its release.

Couple of years ago, when the movie was in the planning stage, Yash Chopra sought help from us. We were more than happy to help them thinking that it would create awareness about the sport in the country. They took a lot of inputs from us and it has helped them big time in making the movie. It's only fair that we get to see it before the release." She added, "However, after we helped them out with research, we never heard from them. Now, we got to know that the movie is releasing very soon, but they have not kept us posted about it. We should have been given the script of the movie so that we could have an idea about how they have portrayed women's hockey in the film. We want a pre-release screening of the film. That's it."

Chak De India is based on women's hockey. The movie shows women players from different corners of the country . The entire team enacts a team of underdogs and how things change with a new coach (Shah Rukh Khan) at the helm of affairs. The team of underdogs gets their self-confidence , and finally wins a championship. Stoke lets us in on the reason behind her displeasure. "Our women's hockey team is doing really good. If they are showing that they are turning women hockey players from zero to hero, that's really unfair. That will reflect badly on our team. A coach enables players to perform well and never transforms them from zero to hero, not in our team at least," she said.

(CONTRIBUTED BY RANJIB MAJUMDER, SANDIPAN DALAL, DOMINIC FERRAO, URVASHI ASHAR, RUBINA A KHAN AND MADHUREETA MUKHERJEE)

The best of Yash Raj Films' music

By Subhash K. Jha.

From 'Daag' and 'Kabhi Kabhie' to 'Dil To Pagal Hai' and 'Veer-Zaara', the songs from Yash Raj Films' romantic sagas always had a dreamy quality and the haunting melodies captivate listeners even today.

Here are some of the best musicals from the Yash Raj banner:

1. 'Waqt' (1965) - Before Yash Chopra branched out on his own to form Yash Raj Films he regularly made films for his brother, the illustrious B.R. Chopra. 'Waqt' started the long association between B.R. Films and composer Ravi who came up with some of his choicest jingles for this one.

At the peak of the Lata Mangeshkar mania, Ravi audaciously got Asha to do 'Kaun aaya ki nigahon mein khanak' and of course, the evergreen 'Aage bhi jaane na tu'. But the pick of the lot was 'Ae meri zohra zabeen', Manna Dey's evergreen number that was also used by Aditya Chopra in 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' three decades later.

2. 'Daag' (1973) - Yash Chopra branched out as an independent filmmaker with this melodious menage a trois, remarkable for being the only time Laxmikant-Pyarelal teamed up with poet Sahir Ludhianvi. The end-result was there for all to hear in Kishore Kumar's 'Mere dil main aaj kya hai' and Lata's 'Jab bhi jee chahe nayee duniya' - the latter was appropriated from a Noorjehan ghazal.

But at the end of the endeavour, Ludhianvi vowed never to work with the mighty Laxmikant-Pyarelal again. 'They don't understand poetry,' Ludhianvi sneered. For his next project, Yashji had to choose between the poet and the composing duo. He chose Ludhianvi.

3. 'Kabhi Kabhie' (1975) - Yash Chopra's most poetic film and arguably his best musical to date, fished out Khayyam from semi-hibernation. Using Ludhianvi's poetry and Lata-Mukesh's vocals as crutches, Khayyam created a wonder world of poetry, passion and pain.

'Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein', 'Main pal do pal ka shayar' and 'Mere ghar aayee ek nanhi pari', are perennials. There were also some young tunes for Rishi and Neetu like 'Jaan-e-man tum kamaal karte ho', 'Pyar kar liya to kya' and 'Tera phoolon jaisa rang'. Lata went from being sweet 60 for Waheeda Rehman to sweet 16 for Neetu Singh without skipping a beat.

4. 'Trishul' (1978) - Yash Raj-Khayyam's follow-up to 'Kabhi Kabhie' suffered for being an action movie. But the magnificent theme song 'Tu mere saath rahega munne' lifted the whole score to the stratosphere of the sublime.

One of Amitabh Bachchan's favourite songs, 'Tu mere saath', is arguably the best song that Lata has sung for a Yash Raj film. Bachchan played the protagonist in the film. Also, up there among the greats is the Lata-Yesudas duet 'Aapki mehki hui zulf'.

5. 'Silsila' (1991) - Shiv-Hari and Javed Akhtar created quaint and compelling numbers like 'Yeh kahan aa gaye hum', 'Neela aasman so gaya' and 'Dekha ek khwab'. 'Silsila' painted as many shades of romance as possible.

The other scores that Shiv-Hari did for Yash Raj Films, namely 'Chandni', 'Lamhe', 'Parampara', 'Vijay', 'Faasle' and 'Darr' were no patch on that of 'Silsila'.

6. 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (1995) - Though they couldn't create a title tune to match the song of the name that Ravindra Jain composed in 'Chor Machaye Shor', there was nonetheless an everlasting swerve towards verve in 'Tujhe dekha to yeh jana sanam' and 'Ho gaya hai tujhko to pyar sajna'. Lata and Asha Bhosle belted out a solo each - 'Mere khwabon mein jo aaye' and 'Zara sa jhoom loom main' - for the effervescent Kajol.

7. 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) - Uttam Singh's feisty songs were led by the foot-tapping 'Dil to pagal hai' where the then 70-plus Lata sounded no more than 20. Yash Chopra's utter devotion to the Lata's vocals came to full fruition.

8. 'Veer-Zaara' (2005) - Madan Mohan's dormant songs were rejuvenated by his son Sanjeev Kohli. The numbers had an incredible amount of melody quotient, especially in the number 'Tere liye'.

Udit Narayan's voice dipped to an incredible bass in 'Main yahan hoon yahan'. Every singer from Lata to Roop Kumar Rathod put his or her best foot forward to create a score that never bored.

9. 'Bunty Aur Babli' (2005) - 'Chote chotey shehron mein' the mood of lingering fun reached a full crescendo in this soundtrack. Gulzar put on his zany cap to write his sauciest song yet.

'Kajra re' ranks as one of the new millennium's most successful item songs. But the love ballad 'Chup chup ke' sung by Gaytari Iyer and Shankar Mahadevan ranks much higher.

10. 'Dhoom' (2007) - 'Dhoom machale' need we say anything more?
And the also-rans: 'Kala Patthar' - Rajesh Roshan's only tryst with Yash Raj contained the hit duets 'Ek rasta hai zindagi' and 'Bahon mein tere'.

'Mashaal' - On Lata's recommendation, Hridaynath Mangeshkar got the chance to do one score for Yash Raj. Remembered for the bhajan 'Om namah shivay'.

'Chandni' - 'Mere haathon mein nau-nau chudiya' pulsated with the power of Lata's vocal chords.
'Lamhe' - It had elegant though somewhat listless ballads by Shiv-Hari.

'Darr' - 'Tu mere samne' and 'Tu hai meri kiran' by Shiv-Hari were quite popular at that time.
'Mujhse Dosti Karoge' - Shiv Kumar Sharma's son Rahul composed some extremely pleasant melodies. Lata went from papa Shiv to son Rahul with age-defying fluency.

'Salaam Namaste' - the zing sting by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

And last but not the least, 'Fanna' - Jatin-Lalit got together for the last time.

Anil Kapoor removes chest hair for tattoos in new movie

MUMBAI, India (AP ): Veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor shaved off his chest hair and got tattoos for a new movie in which he plays a villain, a news report said Thursday.
In his earlier movies, Kapoor often proudly showed his hairy chest.
"But reinvention and makeovers have been part of my acting repertoire long before they became fashionable,'' The Times Of India newspaper quoted Kapoor as saying. The movie "Tashan'' (Showoff) is being produced by Yashraj Films, one of the Bollywood's top production houses.
Kapoor, 44, recalled that he had put on a lot of weight for "Badhai Ho Badhai'' (Congratulations) and lost a lot of weight for "Musafir'' (Traveler) earlier.
His role in the new movie required him to get rid of his chest hair and get tattoos for the character.
"I have got them done on back, chest, you name it,'' the actor quipped.
"For every part that I play I want to create a new look for my character,'' Kapoor said.
Kapoor has acted in more than a dozen blockbusters, including "Mr. India,'' "Tejaab'' (Acid) and "1942: A Love Story.''

Kareena claims she is not anorexic

Kareena Kapoor is a typical Punjabi girl and loves food. The actress has also always had a healthy and curvaceous figure. However recently the actress decided to get fit and go for a svelte body type. Now the actress has lost oodles of weight and is looking extremely thin, this has prompted many within the industry as well as her fans to speculate that Kareena is anorexic. However the actress clearly states “I am far from anorexic. I have lost weight for my role in Tashan.

I’ve been training to do some action scenes and hence the sudden weight loss.”The actress wants to put an end to recent speculation about having several eating disorders etc. Kareena is extremely upset with recent rumours that she is anorexic; she says “Rumours that I have supposedly become anorexic have gone completely out of hand.

I don’t want people to panic, it’s a bizarre rumour.” Kareena confirms that the huge weight loss is for a unique role in the film Tashan, but she claims that she has been having a healthy diet and working out regularly which is how she lost oodles of weight. On her diet Kareena says “I’m following a healthy diet and a regular workout regime and feeling great.” The actress claims that the secret to her losing weight is staying completely off junk food. “I’ve stopped eating junk food till Tashan gets over in November.” Kareena point blankly states that she would never starve herself and claims that actually she is a complete foodie like every true blue Kapoor in her family.

Kareena has been off some of her favourite foods like Chinese, junk food like sandwiches, noodles etc. However Kareena maintains that after the film is over in November she will gorge on junk food and get back to her healthy look, Kareena says “I promise that after the film is over, I will start eating everything. After Tashan, you will get to see a curvy Kareena once again.” Kareena’s dietician Roojuta helps her maintain a healthy diet chart and she also practises yoga, she says “I am doing lots of yoga to tone up my body.” Kareena says “I have lost five kilos and its all thanks to a healthy diet and regular exercise. Nonetheless Kareena is miffed with rumours of her being anorexic and she claims that when she puts on weight she is labeled fat and when she loses weight she is called anorexic, so either ways people always have something to say about her.

Kareena says “I have worked very hard in these last seven months to lose weight, so please don’t take away from it by calling me anorexic.”Well so hopefully all the rumours of Kareena turning anorexic will be dispelled especially after November when the actress finishes her film and binges on all that junk food.

'Chak De India' promos replaced

The trailers of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Chak De India', which were included in 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' and unceremoniously removed from theatres due to the negative flak generated, have now been replaced with new ones.

The new and exciting promos will be included in the forthcoming film 'Partner'. If insiders are to be believed, the fresh trailers are filled with a patriotic flavour and will mend the loss created with the initial promos.

Haven't we heard better late than never?

(Source : bollyvista)

Shaad Ali's next with Yash Raj

Forget the fate of 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' at the box-office and move on. This is what Aditya Chopra must have told Shaad Ali the film's director.

Shaad Ali will be directing his fourth film for Yash Raj after Saathiya', 'Bunty Aur Babli' and 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'. The film titled 'Tevar' will have Akshay Kumar in the lead role and will roll out in October of this year.

Interestingly, the title of the film has been suggested by none other than Salman Khan.

(Source : bollyvista)