Monday, February 4, 2008

Abhishek Bachchan's Birthday Bash

Birth name- Abhishek Amitabh Srivastav
Born on February 5th, 1976
Height- 6' 3" (1.91 m)
Star Sign- Aquarius

Nicknames- Junior B, AB, AB Baby, Abi, Abhi.

He was born with a silver spoon to the superstar couple Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan...

He is of Punjabi Sikh heritage from his grandmother Teji's side, while also of Bengali Kulin Brahmin descent from his mother Jaya Bhaduri's side.

Grandson to Late poet Harivanshrai Bachchan Has an elder sister Shweta and a niece called Navya Naveli and a nephew called Agastye from Shweta, whom he dotes on.

Abhishek was a dyslexic child. Through his early years of special education, he was able to learn how to read and write. He finished his schooling from different places- Jamnabai Narsee School and Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai and Modern School in Delhi. He moved to Aiglon College in Switzerland to finish high schoo

He then went to the United States to finish his studies in Boston university but came back to purse films and help his father, who was having troubles with ABCL around that time. He debuted in JP Dutta's Refugee opposite Kareena Kappor (sister of his then fiancee) in 2000. His only claim to fame at that time was the fact that he was Amitabh Bachchan's son.

Refugee flopped miserably at the box office and Abhishek was under the critical glare of the media and masses.

Some said that Bachchan junior had some potential and others said that he was a mimic of his Father. But with his father's hand, he lead his way into a series of other films, each doing worse than the other Around that period his personal life generatedmore interest. He was engaged to Karishma Kapoor around 2002. The engagement was announced on Bachchan senior's 60th birthday bash.

Sadly or not, the two broke up for unexplained reasons. A range of stories went around the industry...some said that Abhishek cheated on Karishma, some said that that Babita came between the two and others claimed that Amitabh rejected the rishta withoutciting any reason and beta Abhishek nodded along.

To this day the reason for their break up is unknown. After about 8-9 months of their break-up Karishma shocked everyone announcing her marriage to Sanjay Kapur (a business man and close friend) in 2003.

Meanwhile, Abhishek followed with his career and the strings of flops followed him even then. Some of the disasters were Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya, Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai, Om Jai Jagdish, Run and the likes. In 2004, he featured in Mani Ratnam's Yuva.

Although the film didn't fare exceedingly well at the box office, he was recognised for his acting for the first time. Dhoom gave him the block buster hit he had been looking for and his market value shot up.

The next hit was Bunty Aur Babli which was also his first film with papa Bachchan. His performance in the films that followed was appreciated as well...Sarkar, Dus, Antarmahal (Bengali) and Bluff Master... By this time Abhishek had arrived and very well at that! Then came Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna where the performance cake was taken by Shah Rukh Khan but Abhishek was liked all the same. It was Guru that caught everyone by surprise. People raved about the conviction with which he played the role of a thriving entrepreneur and his tussle with survival and success.

One more thing happened to Abhishek with Guru besides the raving appreciation- Aishwarya Rai. Their love story had already started with Umrao Jaan (which was a debacle) and during Guru the love songs were on full swing and rapid speed.

Aishwarya and Abhishek had already worked together before in Kuch Naa Kaho and Dhai Akshar Prem Ke. Sources say that Abhishek was smitten by Aishwarya even then, but the beauty queen had other love doves pecking on her at that time.

Lot of speculations were raised about their affair and Vivek Oberoi, Aishwarya's ex flame, was confused about what was happening since Aishwarya left him without any prior warning or notice according to sources. In February 2006, Amitabh's brother Ajitabh took the horoscopes of Abishek and Aishwarya to a Bangalore based astrologer, Chandrashekar Swamy. This was when the possibility of their marriage seemed probable.....

After much speculation and quandary, Abhishek and Aishwarya's engagement was announced on Jan 14th, 2007. Apparently, Abhishek proposed to Aishwarya after the premiere of Guru in Toronto and Ash said yes without a thought.

Their wedding on April 20th, 2007, reached the headlines of every news paper and channel and created a complete chaos; in the press as well as in tinsel town.

Several people in the industry were wild at them for not being invited. Amitabh Bachchan sent everyone in the industry a personal apology after the wedding saying that Abhishek and Aishwarya wanted the wedding to be a quiet affair...

They were followed even till their honeymoon in Greece, New Zealand, France and so on. They even made an appearance at the Cannes film festival.

Unfazed by the reports of their house getting attacked in Mumbai, the Bachchans have gathered in the city of Jaipur to celebrate the birthday of Abhishek on Tuesday.
Amitabh has come here with momn Jaya, wife Aishwarya and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and the family plans to celebrate Abhishek's birthday at a farmhouse located outside the city.

For Abhishek and Aishwarya, the city holds special memories as it is here that love blossomed between the two during the shooting of J.P. Dutta's Umrao Jaan.

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Monday, November 19, 2007

Om Shanti Om Review

This Sunday on 18th November 2007, I watched "Om Shanti Om" and there is just one response which came after the movie "Kahani Poori Filmi Hai".

It's truly an entertainer, don't try to go deep into the story as it won't make much sense after the intermission... you will be wondering how this happened, why this didn't happen and all.

So be cool and enjoy the movie, it's full timepass and one of the best entertainer this year.

I liked Ajab si... and also main agar kahoon tumse ae haseen... They are beautifully written songs.

Enjoy the video of main agar kahoon and more on Om Shanti Om

Check out the movie in your nearest theatres by today and enjoy!!!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Shahrukh Khan Om Shanti Om

The six-pack abs of Shah Rukh Khan

When one finds oneself pondering the question of whether the six-pack abs flaunted by Bollywood movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan are a pathetic attempt by a 42-year-old man to hang onto the illusion of youth, or a satiric gesture meant to mock contemporary Bollywood tropes in a film that Khan both produced and stars in, only one conclusion can be entertained: The globalization of pop culture is complete.

Shah Rukh Khan's abs are the talk of the subcontinental blogosphere, and with good reason. Not only are they spectacular in a kind of Frankenstein-meets-24-Hour-Fitness mash-up way but his new movie, "Om Shanti Om," a retro-Bollywood homage/reincarnation-themed song-and-dance thriller, is a bona fide international blockbuster. Early indications are that it has a shot at being the biggest grossing Bollywood movie in the United States ever, which would make Khan's rippling muscles a high-tide marker for Indian pop cultural world domination. Bollywood fan sites are chortling over the relative foreign box office performance of Khan compared to Tom Cruise. Coming just a few weeks after Sony announced a big co-production deal with two major Bollywood players, the implications are clear: We will be seeing more of this.

Is it a good movie? I haven't seen it yet, but I've read some thoughtful reviews that suggest it is flawed in ways that I wouldn't even begin to understand, given my lack of context for appreciating a film that is in large part a self-referential commentary on Bollywood movies of yore.

But how could one not be seduced by a film that one critic says "tries to seduce you ... by pandering to all that's base in Bollywood." As director Farah Khan is reputed to have said during the filming of a scene, angered by a camera person who had cut Shah Rukh Khan's crotch out of a frame: "We are not shooting a Bengali art film here, get it (the crotch) back." (Thanks to Sepia Mutiny for that tidbit.)

Base is where it's at. And making jokes about the stodginess of Bengali art films? Priceless.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Om Shaanti Om: A Big hit

Om Shaanti Om was undoubtedly the most awaited movie and the major hit of this movie was expected.....

Bollywood film industry is enjoying the success of the King Khan... Yet again he proved that he is the best.

For the initial success Bollywood filmmaker Farah Khan, who is riding high on the success of "Om Shanti Om", credits superstar Shah Rukh Khan's shirtless song-and-dance sequence as one of the main reasons for the film's good opening.

"Om Shanti Om", a film on reincarnation, had a tough battle to overcome for box-office supremacy as it was sharing its opening date with "Saawariya" -- on unrequited love -- by top Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

But three-days since its release, analysts say, "Om Shanti Om" has edged past "Saawariya”.

"The entire credit for the film's success goes to Shah Rukh," director Farah Khan told Reuters over phone on Sunday. "He is the film's main attraction and the shirtless song is definitely one of the main reasons for the film's hit. It is the scene to watch out for."

The bare-chested act by the 42-year-old actor who underwent rigorous training sessions to develop a six-pack, has helped the song "Dard-E-Disco" reach the top of the charts across television channels and FM radio stations.

"I have made many girls and women happy by showing Shah Rukh in a very different way," she said. "He has a huge audience base and everyone I'm sure is loving the way he has pulled it off. He had to train a lot for the scene and he is looking very good."