John Abraham bares all in 'New York'

 

Mumbai, After he stripped down to the barest minimum on the beach in "Dostana", John Abraham now has reportedly bared all for a torture scene in his next film "New York".In the tale of friendship and terrorism by director Kabir Khan, John has done a complete nude shot for a prison scene.
John would be the third Bollywood actor in recent times to drop all his inhibitions. Earlier, Kunal Kapoor in "Rang De Basanti" and Ranbir Kapoor in "Saawariya" did bare-back scenes that were deleted when the films opened.
But John's nude scene is set to remain in "New York", which is slated for a January release.
Said a source close to the project: "It's a prison sequence in the US where John, who is suspected to be a terrorist, is denuded of all dignity. This is how they break your spirit in an American prison when they want you to confess to being a terrorist.
"They make you eat, sleep, urinate and defecate in the same room. Then they begin to strip your dignity down ... until you are left in the cold, dingy cell completely naked. John had to enact this sequence."
When briefed about the sequence, John apparently didn't hesitate for a second.
"He immediately agreed to do the scene and was quite traumatised at the end of it," the source added.
While John refused to comment on the scene, director Kabir Khan smiled and said: "You'll just have to see the film to know the nature of the scene."

Aamir lived on egg whites for 'Ghajini' look: physical trainer

 

New Delhi, Ever thought of living on egg whites for 13 months? Well, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan did just that to get his chiselled look for "Ghajini".The "perfectionist" actor went on a daily four-hour workout regime to boost his muscle growth and consumed protein-rich in albumen (egg white) to tone up his body, his trainer says.
"Aamir had a lot of fat content in his body earlier and it was very necessary to convert it into muscle through protein diet. For that, I made him follow a proportionate balanced diet daily containing 40 percent carbohydrates, 40 percent protein and 20 percent fat," Satyajit 'Satya' Chaurasia, who trained the actor for the film, told IANS.
"Aamir's body is mostly made on eggs as he used to have 16 egg whites through the day. I advised him to follow a two-egg whites and toast meal every two hours. Besides that, he also consumed 250 gram barbecued chicken for lunch and dinner each," Chaurasia added.
The eating part though didn't end here as there were more workout-eating sessions for the actor.
"He used to consume food supplements like amino acids and protein shakes after exercises," he informed.
Aamir also had to adopt a disciplinary regimen.
"He had to give up on oil, sugar and alcohol consumption and late night parties as I strictly asked him to sleep for eight hours at a stretch before workouts," said Chaurasia.
"He used to message me before sleeping every night depending on whenever he got to go to bed so that I could be at his place accordingly the next day."
The actor's much talked about eight-pack abs were not the result of working out in a professional gym but a mini-version of the same built in his garage.
"It would have taken more than an a hour and a half for Aamir to reach my gym, which is in Lokhandwala from his home in Bandra, so we decided to make a gym in his garage itself.
"However, when his body started showing good results in three months, I set up professional tools for him ordered from renowned company Tough Stuff from the US worth Rs.2.5 million," he said.
Elaborating on Aamir's workout regime, Chaurasia said: "We used to work on two body parts in a day for around 1.5-2 hours followed by 45 minutes of cardio exercises. We divided the days between chest and back for day one, arms - biceps and triceps - on day two, shoulder and legs on the third and full body rest on day four. We used to repeat the same schedule consecutively".
Getting the actor to achieve the look was not a cakewalk for Chaurasia, who now thinks to have achieved "the impossible".
"Aamir told me to help him build the best body that nobody's ever seen and after watching the results, I think I have achieved what is next to impossible.
"He has a lot of muscle count now vis-a-vis earlier and the day we reached around 1,000 stomach crunches in 55 minutes, I was on cloud nine," he shared..
On being asked what Aamir's reaction was at the end of it, Chaurasia said: "Considering his perfectionist attitude, Aamir looked at his body and after a pause just said 'it could have been better'."
Chaurasia's celebrity clientele also includes a host of other actors like Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Esha Deol, Hrithik Roshan, Zayed Khan, Viveik Oberoi, Sonu Sood and Shekhar Suman.

I never dreamt of becoming an actress: Anushka Sharma

 

Mumbai, Anushka Sharma, who debuted opposite Shah Rukh Khan in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi", says she would like her dream guy to be like Surinder Sahni or Suri, the middle-class nice guy played by the superstar in the film. She also says she never dreamt of becoming an actress. "I would love to have someone like Suri. He should be a nice man. I believe in having a man who is beautiful and strong from inside ... Inner beauty is most important. But I found Suri to be handsome and good-looking too," Anushka told IANS in an interview.
Directed by Aditya Chopra, "Rab Ne..." is the story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh and Anushka and how the two of them find love in the backdrop of a dance competition.
The model-turned-actress considers herself "fortunate" to have landed a debut with Yash Raj Films and, that too, opposite Shah Rukh, but Anushka says she had never planned to become a Bollywood heroine.
"I never dreamt of becoming an actress; so it is not a dream come true for me," she said.
Anushka, who is under a three-film contract with the Yash Raj banner, said she would be concentrating on those projects for now.
"I have signed a three-film contract with Yash Raj. But I am free to do any other project if I wish," she clarified.
Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How did "Rab Ne .." happen?
A. I started modelling from the age of 15. My photographs were with an agency and Yash Raj got them from it. I was called for an audition along with various other girls. I was selected by the assistant director and then introduced to Adi (Aditya Chopra) for the second audition. He asked me to be as natural as I was in my first audition. I followed his instructions and was finally selected.

Q. So Shah Rukh was not there when you were selected?
A. No, I met him for the first time on the sets.

Q. How was the experience?
A. He was in the get-up of Suri and I couldn't recognise him until he came to me and introduced himself. I was really surprised.

Q. Do you consider it a dream come true to be part of such a huge project?
A. Not really, as I never had the intention to be an actress. It happened out of luck and I consider myself very fortunate to be part of such a big banner in my debut film and to be working with a star like Shah Rukh and a director like Aditya Chopra.

Q. Are you an avid watcher of Yash Raj's films?
A. Yes, I like their movies and the style in which they make them. My favourite films are "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" and "Chak De India".

Q. Who are your favourite actors and actresses?
A. Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji.

Q. So what next after "Rab Ne.."? Are you bound by any contract?
A. Yes, I have signed a three- film contract with Yash Raj. But I'm free to do any other project if I wish.

Q. Can you give any details about your forthcoming films?
A. Right now I've no idea about any of the films as nothing has been finalised.

Q. You debuted with the biggest star and one of the biggest production houses of the country. Do you feel that you aren't left with better options in future?
A. No, I think the industry is quite big and there are other big banners and people in the industry with whom I would love to work.

Q. Among the two characters of Suri and Raj played by Shah Rukh in "Rab De..", which one did you like the most?
A. I liked Suri more because he had goodness in his character and was very true. I find those qualities enduring in a human being.

Q. How would you like your dream guy to be?
A. I would love to have someone like Suri. He should be a nice man. I believe in having a man who is beautiful and strong from inside ... Inner beauty is most important. But I found Suri to be handsome and good-looking too.

Shah Rukh scared to work with me: Aamir Khan

 

New Delhi, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has said Shah Rukh Khan is scared to work with him and that is why they do not do any films together.“Actually Shah Rukh feels scared to work with me. I often say let's do a movie together but he always rejects (the offer),” Aamir told the television channel IBN7 in an interview scheduled for telecast Dec 24.
Recently, Shah Rukh sparked a controversy by proclaiming himself the biggest brand and saying there cannot be any competition with him.
While Aamir has a strained relation with Shah Rukh, his favourite actress happens to be Juhi Chawla, who is a close associate and business partner with Shah Rukh.
“There are many good actresses but the one I like the most is Juhi. She is a great actress,” Aamir said.
These days, Aamir is busy promoting his film “Ghajini”, which is scheduled for release Dec 25.
Asked about the kind of movies he wants to do in future, the actor said: “I always want to do movies which touch my heart and are totally different or based upon new subjects. I always want to surprise my audience.”
Though Aamir has worked with many reputed filmmakers he revealed that his favourite director is his cousin Mansoor Khan with whom he did "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak", "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander" and "Akele Hum Akele Tum".
“It's my good luck that I have had a chance to work with all good directors. But my favourite director is Mansoor Khan, my brother. I have done three movies with him,” he said.
In “Akele Hum...”, Aamir starred opposite Manisha Koirala. The actor says he took more retakes for "Akele Hum..." than for any other film in his career.
“In this movie there was a song - 'Aisa zakhm diya hai'. I took 40-50 retakes for it,” he revealed.

Bipasha suffers ear ordeal in freak accident

Mumbai, Bollywood star Bipasha Basu suffered a three-hour-long ordeal when a piece of gravel got lodged in her ear, very close to the eardrum, during the shooting of an action scene. "We were doing a heavy duty action scene when this gravel went right inside my ear. I had to be taken to Leelavati hospital, where it had to be sucked out," Bipasha told IANS.
"It wasn't on the surface. It went right in and I couldn't move because there was the danger that it would go in deeper and pierce the eardrums. First I tried to shake it out. Then when that didn't work I decided to let a doctor do the needful," she added.
Since the incident happened on Dec 14, which was a Sunday, no doctor was immediately available and her ordeal lasted nearly three hours.
"The producer and director tried everything. We finally headed towards Leelavati. It was John (Abraham) who got an old ENT specialist friend of his to check me out. The sweet doctor was at another hospital but drove down to Leelavati. At 4.30 p.m., he finally put me out of my misery," Bipasha said.
"Who would think such a thing would happen? Normally during an action scene you protect your knees, head etc. But ear? It went straight in with a thud.
"I wasn't moving, I was so petrified the gravel would go deeper into my ear. My parents were petrified. The minute the doctor said it could be taken out I was okay. It was the most bizarre thing that ever happened to me," the actress said.

Bollywood actresses head to New Year parties outside Mumbai

Mumbai, While many in Bollywood feel New Year celebrations should be scaled down in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai, a number of actresses are readying to perform at bashes in other cities.Sophie Chowdhary: I hope to perform in Delhi this New Year's eve. Although the general mood is gloomy I truly feel that we should not allow fear to overpower us. Recession and then 26/11...we need to regain our strength and power. Of course, we must not forget the lessons of 26/11. At the same time we mustn't be afraid to live our normal lives. We need to begin 2009 on a happy and positive note.
Malaika Arora: I'll be performing for New Year's eve in Singapore. Performing at a tacky event is a definite no-no. If I'm uncomfortable with the milieu, then the answer is no.
Celina Jaitley: Yes I'll go on stage on New Year's eve in London at the City Pavilion. People ask if it's proper to head to London for New Year's eve revelry when Mumbai is mourning and most actresses have cancelled their gigs. (Actually) It's not the actresses who have cancelled their performances. It's the luxury hotels in Mumbai that have done away with their New Year's eve shows. As for me, I won't be performing in London. I'll just be making an appearance.
Priyanka Chopra: It's a matter of personal choice. I'm not comfortable dancing at a New Year's event. But then I don't want to be judgemental about those who do. This year I've said no. But if some other year I'm presented with an interesting option and a concept, then why not? I did perform at the Nelly Furtado New Year's eve concert two years ago.
Shilpa Shetty: I'm not against dancing in a hotel for New Year's. After all, what's the difference between dancing at an awards nite or at a New Year's eve event? I've danced on Dec 31 in the past, but this time ... no thank you.
I've got five offers to dance this New Year's ... and at unheard-of prices. The fee was tempting, but this year I'm going on a family holiday to Spain. I'd any day sacrifice any kind of money for the family. Today, being in a serious relationship and contemplating marriage, I'm in a different mindspace.
Dia Mirza: I've been getting offers to perform on New Year's eve for years. But I've never been tempted. Honestly the remuneration offered for such performances can weaken your resolve. But I've stuck to my ground. So the answer to the offer of dancing at these year-end affairs remains a firm no. I'd prefer to ring in the new year with family and friends.
Koena Mitra: Like any artist, I love performing in front of a live audience. What better way to ring in the New Year?

Hindi version of Canadian movie for Mumbai terror victims

Mumbai, A Canadian film production house Saturday said it will dedicate the Hindi version of "Robin Hood: The New Zen Warrior" to Mumbai terror attack victims.Production house Zen Duke Entertainment, which is making the movie in English, is shooting the film in 12 different countries, including India.
The version dubbed in Hindi will be titled "Robin Hood: Bodhisattva", said a statement by Zen Duke Entertainment mailed from Beverly Hills, California.
It said the saga of English folk hero Robin Hood has been set against the Buddhist background.
Actor-director Zen Duke, a Canadian of Indian origin, is portrayed "as a leather-clad Buddhist superhero possessing extraordinary prowess in martial arts, who follows the code of Bodhisattva used by the greatest Zen warriors from the Shaolin monks to the Japanese Samurai."
"Expected to be completed next year, the movie pays homage to the Buddhist origins of Kung Fu and explains the strong connection between Indian spirituality and martial arts," the release added.
The movie has elements of the Kama Sutra and features futuristic fashion ensembles as well.