'Kambakkht Ishq is important for the industry'

'Kambakkht Ishq is important for the industry'

Akshay Kumar came to New York City this weekend looking tanned and well rested. He was on vacation in Puerto Rico with his family but Eros International roped him into talking to the press about his new film Kambakkht Ishq.  

Wearing a blue shirt, jeans and a pair of bright yellow (and perhaps very expensive) loafers, the Bollywood star acknowledged that Kambakkht Ishq was important to him, especially given that his last two films -- Chandni Chowk to China and 8x10 Tasveer -- had failed at the box office.  

"Every film is important," he said. "Chandni Chowk was important to me as well as 8x10. I tried to take a risk; I tried to experiment with 8x10. I am very happy with the outcome of it. It made no impact on the box office, but as an actor I learnt a lot from (director) Nagesh (Kukunoor)."

'Kambakkht Ishq is an Indian Mr and Mrs Smith'

"This film (Kambakkht Ishq) is important, not only to me, but also to the industry. We have gone through a major loss because of the strike (he estimated it to be in the range of Rs 300 to 400 crores). I hear New York has taken a good opening and my film is coming and then another three-four more films are coming. I hope they all do well because it is important for the industry to survive."

Kumar defined Kambakkht Ishq as a film that deals with the battle of sexes and an Indian Mr and Mrs Smith. Later at the press conference he suggested that Indians living in the US should watch his new film with their families.  

"I would also like to say at the same time, don't think about logic, but just go and enjoy yourself," he added. "You know it is a complete Bollywood film. Just leave your brains at home and enjoy yourself."

The big weight of the film is in its script'


Kambakkht Ishq -- directed by first time filmmaker Sabbir Khan -- co-stars Kareena Kapoor, Kumar's nemesis and naturally, his love interest too. 

And it is the first Bollywood film to have been shot at Los Angeles' Universal Studios with three prominent Hollywood guest appearances -- Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh. But Kumar maintains that he was drawn to the film because of its script and not the chance to share screen times with Hollywood stars.

"It was a great honour acting with them, but the big weight of the film is in its script," he said. "This film required these actors. We didn't try to force them into the film. I played a stuntman in Hollywood and so it was important to bring these characters in the film. In Singh is Kinng, Snoop Dogg only appeared in a video, not in the film itself. If it is necessary then we can have Hollywood actors in the film."

I don't identify with this character'


"I liked the script of Kambakkht Ishq because has a very Indian story about the clash between men and women. I personally believe that women are much stronger and much better," Akshay added. 

His comment brought much appreciation from the women present at the press conference.

"I actually don't identify with this character," he added. "My character is a male chauvinist pig. I stay at home with my mother, my sister, my wife and my niece. I am surrounded by women. Then on the sets, I am working with beautiful actresses. Guys I must say I am sorry but I believe that men are from mars and women are from heaven." 

By now, the women journalists were clapping and Kumar had charmed everyone.

Stallone was very interested in my ayurvedic doctor'


But there is no denying that acting in the film with Stallone was a major event in Akshay's life. On the sets, the two actors talked about their experiences performing their own stunts and shared notes about their physical injuries. "He (Stallone) was very interested in my ayurvedic doctor," Akshay said.

And then Akshay got a tad sentimental as he narrated a story about his days working in a restaurant in Thailand. He remembered three posters he had up on the wall in his room -- of Stallone, Sridevi and Bruce Lee.  

"I cannot believe how lucky I have been to be able to act with two of them," he said referring to Stallone and Sridevi. "I want to go back to where that wall was and put up some more posters now

Katrina Kaif adopting Salman Khan's snooty attitude?

Not that Bollywood damsel Katrina Kaif had ever been so kind to those interacting with her, but she wasn’t someone with airs either. But now with several hits in her kitty, the actress is changing colours.
According to reports, Kat has apparently started using her star power. The actress, who was recently signed up by a luxury designer brand and paid a throbbing amount too, has set special demands and conditions for the shoot of the ad campaign. A source says that she has to be flown to Paris for the shoot but Kat isn’t happy with just that. She has said that she would shoot only in a certain hotel where she wants to stay as well. Kat also wants to work with her own stylist, make-up artist and insists that they should be flown to Paris with her. The company officials could not gulp the conditions down their throats and when they protested, Kat threw a tantrum till they relented.

They say you need to act like a star to feel like one. And Katrina must be feeling every bit of a star.

Katrina is surely giving a tough time to the brand managers, but don’t we get a hint of Salman in her actions here? Well, certainly! Guess it’s time that she starts thinking with her own gifted brain as she can’t afford to follow Salman even subconsciously.

Ness finds new love in India, as Preity recovers from heartbreak in US!

While Preity Zinta is still trying hard to stick together the broken pieces of her heart, her ex-flame Ness Wadia seems to have moved on with a great aplomb, for the business tycoon was recently seen in the company of Delhi based Ayesha Thapar, the heiress of Thapar Industries.
According to news report, Ness Wadia, who was also lying low after failed relationship with Preity, was recently spotted at a party with Ayesha Thapar and the duo was certainly looking great together. Sources say that Ness and Ayesha showed off their camaraderie without any apprehension.

Apparently, the buzz about Ness and Ayesha’s growing proximity gained momentum after Ayesha (who was married to a foreigner) announced her separation.

Well, all one can say is – that was quick Ness! Guess it’s time for Preity to take a cue as well. Move on!

Will the real Rakhi please stand up!

 Item girl Rakhi Sawant had promised to be her real self on "Rakhi Ka Swayamvar" but she seems to be trying too hard to break her outspoken image by projecting herself as a subtle, demure and a perfect bride-to-be on the reality show.
"Rakhi Ka Swayamvar" went on air Monday and Rakhi`s low tone of voice and graceful mannerisms on the pioneer episode was a complete contrast to how the audience knows the item girl. 

From the moment the show began when host, actor Ram Kapoor introduced the concept as well as the bride-to-be to the time when Rakhi herself welcomed 16 prospective grooms to the Fateh Garh Palace in Udaipur - Rakhi did not look her real self. 

This, despite the fact that she had promised the world that "Rakhi Ka Swayamvar" would show her "real" self. 

From small-time actors, a police officer, a sales manager, an NRI businessman to engineers, an advocate, a student, a marriage consultant, a stunt artist and even a choreographer - Rakhi has a number of grooms to choose her life partner from. 

On the show Rakhi will choose her perfect man with the help of viewers. 

The 16 grooms, who have come from cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bulandshahr, Hrishikesh, Jaipur, Kanpur and Srinagar and even from places as far as Toronto, made every attempt to woo the lady in their unique styles. 

While some walked in with elaborate and well-thought gifts like a wedding dress, a teddy bear, a bangle, et al, a few tried to impress Rakhi with their `shayari` (Urdu couplets) in the first episode itself. 

But the selection of the final candidate will be decided on the basis of several parameters. The contenders will be brought together under one roof and put through a series of challenges that will test their personality, character, physical fitness, talent and also their compatibility with Rakhi. 

All through the series, viewers can help Rakhi decide, by voting for or against the prospective grooms and the final week will present the wedding celebrations. 

Though the concept is slightly bizarre for the regular Indian audience, Rakhi always does something that leaves her fans shocked - something she has partly managed to do in the first episode itself with her new avatar.

Ten Movies Where the Bad Guys Win

Does anyone else get sick of generic Hollywood endings? You know, where the good guy, against all odds, defeats the bad guy and gets the pretty girl? Real life doesn’t usually work like that, so I’ve always enjoyed movies where the bad guy wins in the end. I’m also quite the misanthrope, so your taste may differ. Keep in mind, though, that “protagonist” doesn’t always equate to “good guy,” and likewise for “antagonist” and “bad guy.” After the jump, take a look ten movies where it’s the bad guy who comes out on top when it’s all said and done (major spoilers):

he Usual Suspects



The bad guy: The infamous Keyser Soze is one of the baddest men on the planet, and the mere mention of his name strikes fear into the hearts of men, especially those in the criminal world.

How he wins: By pretending to be a dim, crippled man named Verbal Kint, Soze is able to simply walk out of the police station despite the fact that he’s murdered many people, including children. As Verbal tells Special Agent Kujan, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist.”

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest



The bad guy: Well, it’s a bad girl in this case - Nurse Ratched, who runs a mental institution and rules over her patients with an iron fist. Even though the patients clearly have mental problems, Nurse Ratched treats them all like crap, never once showing an ounce of sympathy.

How she wins: McMurphy made significant progress in galvanizing the patients to stand up to Nurse Ratched, but it just wasn’t enough. Sure, Chief Bromdem escapes, but not before McMurphy is labotomized and Ratched presumably regains control over the institution.


Memento



The bad guy: Leonard Shelby, the film’s likeable protagonist who suffers from a condition that renders him unable to form new memories. So why’s he bad? He uses his condition to his advantage, creating a “game” for himself in which he can feel the satisfaction of destroying the man he believes is responsible for his wife’s murder.

How he wins: He “frames” his friend Teddy, knowing full well that Teddy was not responsible for his wife’s death. Leonard knows he will soon forget that he framed Teddy, and the demented cycle of murderous revenge takes its toll on an innocent man.


Hannibal



The bad guy: Notorious serial killer Hannibal Lecter, hiding out ten years after the events in Silence of the Lambs.

How he wins: After cooking parts of Paul Krendler’s brain and feeding it to him, Hannibal is momentarily captured by Agent Starling, forced to chop off his own hand in order to escape before reinforcements arrive. Yeah, he lost a hand, but when you cook a a dude’s brain, feed it to him, get away from the feds and then feed more brain to a little kid on an airplane, you SO win.


Rosemary’s Baby



The bad guy: While Rosemary’s neighbor Roman Castevet (a.k.a. Steven Marcato) is a manipulative Satan worshipper, the real bad guy is Satan himself.

How he wins: Rosemary gives birth to her child and is coaxed out of killing it, meaning that the spawn of Satan has entered our world.


Arlington Road



The bad guys: In this case, it’s the suburban couple Oliver and Cheryl Lang. Their neighbor, Michael Faraday, believes that the Langs are maniacal terrorists.

How they win: Well, the Langs are terrorists, and after planting a bomb in the trunk of Faraday’s care that kills almost 200 people, they get away, having framed Faraday for the explosion.


Se7en



The bad guy: Serial killer “John Doe,” a man who claims to be murdering people to carry out the will of a higher power.

How he wins: After murdering people in such ways as to symbolize the sins of gluttony, pride, lust, greed, and sloth, Doe brilliantly sets up Detective David Mills to complete his project. Guilty of envy, Doe decapitates Mills’ wife and has a package containing her head delivered to a remote location where only Doe, Mills, and Detective Somerset are found. Mills learns what Doe has done and realizes that if he kills Doe, he will have carried out the sin of wrath, completing Doe’s endeavor. Mills shoots Doe, which is exactly what Doe wanted. I get the chills just thinking about it.


Primal Fear



The bad guy: Aaron Stampler, a stuttering, shy boy accused of murdering an archbishop. Aaron apparently suffers from multiple personality disorder and, when agitated, transforms to the violent, aggressive Roy.

How he wins: Aaron transforms into Roy in the courtroom, leading the judge to dismiss the jury and order Aaron into a mental hospital, from where he will be released shortly. Aaron’s attorney, Martin Vail, is smart enough to realize that Aaron had been faking his disorder the entire time and used it as a ploy to appear insane. Vail remarks, “So there never was a Roy,” to which Aaron replies, “There never was an Aaron, counselor,” revealing the fact that Aaron/Roy is always violent and aggressive.


Saw



The bad guy: Jigsaw, a deranged killer who puts people in situations where they must make life-or-death decisions. Only the “life” part of those decisions usually results in the loss of a body part or some type of disfigurement.

How he wins: Pretending to be a corpse, Jigsaw (who is actually a terminally ill brain cancer patient) uses Zep as a pawn and only reveals himself after his plan had been carried out. I included Saw in this article because it’s a pretty blatant example of a bad guy winning, but the ending to this movie left me feeling kind of meh. It doesn’t suck, but it also doesn’t compare very favorably to movies like Se7en and The Usual Suspects and…


The Empire Strikes Back



The bad guys: Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and the rest of the Galactic Empire.

How they win: Yeah, I know that in the end of the trilogy the good guys come out on top, but at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke gets his hand cut off by Vader, and Han Solo - frozen in carbonite - is being transported to Jabba the Hutt by bounty hunter Boba Fett. The Empire simply owns the Rebel Alliance throughout this one, clearly pissed off after their Death Star was destroyed.

Celebrities Who Own Private Islands!

Sir Richard Branson – Necker and Moskito Islands, Caribbean Sea; Makepeace Island, Noosa River; Island of England, Dubai

Talking of private islands, there is no doubt that Richard Branson is the king. Necker and Moskito in the Caribbean Sea belong to Virgin Atlantic owner Richard Branson, the most flamboyant business mogul in Britain. Both have been transformed into resorts of luxury and indulgence.

Necker Island is a 74-acre private paradise nestling in its incredible turquoise waters, with coral reefs and pristine white beaches. The island is often rented out whole by the privileged few. The 120-acre Caribbean island, Moskito is a more recent purchase and is just a mile and a half away from Necker, and cost $10 million.

He also bought Makepeace Island for the staff of Virgin which lies off Australia’s Queensland coast and the Island of England located in Dubai’s manmade world map. 


Johnny Depp – Little Halls Pond Cay, Bahamas
This Pirate of the Caribbean fell in love with the Bahamas during the filming of “Pirates of the Caribbean and went ahead and bought his own real-life Caribbean paradise getaway for his family in the Bahamas – Little Hall’s Pond Cay. This 45-acre, one mile long isle is a private island and is part of the Exuma archipelago to the south of Bahamas. It costed him $3.6 million and boasts of the world’s most beautiful reefs, a private harbor, a palm-fringed lagoon and six pristine white sand beaches and is accessible only by a boat, helicopter or seaplane. Recent news that made headlines was that his island will be run on eco-friendly solar power.


Mel Gibson – Mago Island, Fiji



Australian natives find the tropical islands of Fiji a perfect vacation spot. Mel Gibson, himself an Australian, has joined the list of Fijian island owners with the purchase of Mago Island in 2005 for about $15 million. The island is 5,400 acres and is one of the largest private owned islands in the South Pacific. This island is almost completely secluded and uninhabited and the actor left it in its pristine state, except for building a modest residence for his personal use.


David Copperfield – Musha Cay, Bahamas



Magician David Copperfield owns four islands in southern Bahamas, for $50 million. While the 150-acre Musha Cay is where he has his most private resort, the three other islands are used as buffers to ensure maximum privacy. He rents out this island for $325,000 per week and celebrities such as John Travolta and Oprah Winfrey have stayed there. He calls the waters of his island the “fountain of youth,” where he says he has discovered that dead leaves or insects near death come alive. In spite of these claims being met with disbelief, the island is said to be out of this earth with breathtaking beauty.


Aristotle Onassis – Skorpios Island, Greece



Athena Onassis, the granddaughter and sole heir to the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis fortune now owns Skorpios, the beautiful Greek island. Aristotle and his wife Jackie-O had their wedding on this island in the Lonian Sea. They set the trend for private islands back in the 1960s. Aristotle and his children are buried on this island. Valued at more than $200 million, this most-famous island is not yet for sale, but if it is ever on the market, bidders will have to compete with Madonna who is interested in this.


Leonardo DiCaprio – Blackadore Cay, Belize



Eco advocate Leonardo DiCaprio purchased this sprawling 104-acre, 202 mile long Belizean island in 2005 for $1.75 million. This beautiful island with white sand beaches, coconut trees and rocky outcrops is located near the famous Barrier Reef. It is said that there is no other island in Belize that has the length to install an airstrip. Leonardo plans to turn his island into a small eco-friendly resort and has teamed up with a hotel resort chain, Four Seasons.


Shakira – Bonds Cay, Bahamas



Nothing less than the sprawling 700 acre island called Bonds Cay satisfies Shakira. This huge island costed $16 million and is a combined property of Shakira, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and Alejandro Sanz the Spanish pop star. They have plans on creating a hub for art and culture in the form of an artists’ retreat with a new-comers gallery and resident artists.


Nicholas Cage – Leaf Cay, Bahamas



It was in the year 2006 that Nicholas Cage purchased this Bahamian island for $3 million. He already owned a luxurious home on Paradise Island. Leaf Cay is part of the Exuma chain of islands and is close to close friend Johnny Depp’s private island as well as near an island that is owned by singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. With tropical palms, long sandy beaches and a freshwater pond, this 40-acres is nothing less than a paradise. Rumors are ripe that he is now planning on selling it for $7 million.


Eddie Murphy – Rooster Cay, Bahamas



Eddie Murphy is one of the highest paid actors, so it is only natural that he owns an unspoiled paradise, Rooster Cay, which is also known as Long Cay. He bought this little isle in 2007 for $15 million and it is just a few minutes away from Nassau. Speculation is rife as to whether the actor is going to turn this island into a business like many other celebrity island owners or keep it as his private retreat and a love nest for himself and his wife.



Celine Dion - Île Gagnon, Quebec



This one is nothing like other expensive tropical celebrity islands. This is a little island located in Celine Dion’s home province of Quebec. It is unpretentious, in spite of her being one of the highest paid female performers in history. Located in the Mille Île’s River, her huge French-style chateau is a famous tourist attraction; although, people can only get as close as a boat can take them to this heavily fenced mansion.

The list of celebrities who own private islands is huge. Malcolm Forbes of Forbes Magazine recently sold his 4.71 sq. miles Laucala island to the owner of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz. Then there are others like Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie who bought an island in “The World,” Dubai (a man-made island). Tony Curtis, Claudia Schieffer, Faith Hill, Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Steven Spielberg are just a few in the long list of private island owners. Madonna and Richard Gere are said to be on the market looking for Greek islands.

What drives celebrities to buy these islands? Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous has his own unique theory. He feels that since we are surrounded by water during our first nine months, we crave for this security throughout our lives and islands provide us that.

Husain, Souza works in Mumbai sale

At a time when Indian art is doing relatively well in auctions abroad, iconic works by FN Souza, MF Husain and SH Raza among others will go under the hammer here tomorrow at a sale with a total estimate of Rs 22-28 crore.
Osian`s Indian Modern and Contemporary Art auction, comprising 58 lots, will bring together a remarkable range of historically significant masterpieces of fine art by Indian artists. 

The auction`s repertoire also includes works by masters like V S Gaitonde, Ramkumar, Jamini Roy, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne and contemporary artists such as Bharti Kher, Baiju Parthan and Atul Dodiya among others.

The highlights of the auction include two abstract works by Gaitonde that are highly characteristic of his style and estimated at Rs 1.6-2 crore and Rs 2.4-3 crore respectively, a vintage Metascape by Padamsee and Ramkumar`s Varanasi Series.

Commenting on the collection, Osian`s founder chairman Neville Tuli said, "To place together such an exceptional collection during these relative conservative times is very difficult and rare. The auction will clearly demonstrate the strength of the Indian art market in the country."

Works by Indian artists are having a wonderful run at recent auctions including Christie`s and Sotheby`s and sending a very positive and encouraging message to the market.

The stars are old