BollySpice caught up with Ranbir during his brief visit to London, here is what he had to say:

So Ranbir, two amazing back to back performances (Rockstar and Barfi!), how did you do it?
Well, I have always believed that I am as good as the director and the script and I was lucky to have worked with both Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Basu. So I can not take any credit for it, especially for Rockstar and Barfi!, I  merely surrendered myself to the parts and they made me grow as an actor. I am so really grateful that these talented directors entrusted me with their characters.

Wake up Sid is easily a cult classic now. YJHD looks like a much more commercial film – will it be as good?
YJHD is a deeper, more layered and a more mature film than Wake up Sid (WUS). WUS had an original voice, it was Ayan’s first film and he was trying to say something through the film. With YJHD he has evolved so much as a director, his understanding of characters, of life and it is so wonderfully etched out in this film.

The presentation is a little glossy and glamorous  in comparison because he is trying to get a large number of the audience to the theatres to experience his story, so he is trying something new, but I totally believe that this is a far more deeper and richer film.

What was it like working with the team, from Ayan to Deepika Padukone?
Ayan is one of my closest friends, so he understands me as an actor, he knows my advantages and disadvantages as an actor and as a person and he pushes me to my optimum. That motivates me to do better.

With Deepika this is our second film together and she is the only actor who intimidates me, whether male or female. I have seen all her films, she is very organic and very natural, but at the same time very cinematic. According to me Deepika’s is the best performance of the film.

Can you tell us a bit about the character you play?
My character is called Bunny. I cover his life from 25/26 to around 33/34, in that period when you branch off from your friends and try and make a life of your own. Bunny’s a bit detached, I think because Ayan knows me so well, he has put a bit of me into Bunny’s character.

The film is shot in quite a few locations, from Manali, to Kashmir to Paris. How was that?
I am not much of traveller like my character in YJHD, who is awed by the world and likes to travel, but me personally I like to go where I am familiar with. I lived in New York for three and a half years and I believe that there is so much more to explore there. It is not just the monumental cliches or the tourist attractions, it is about the heart of the city.

So (cough cough) which is the better city – London or New York?
I have been coming to London twice a year since the time I was born, so I have wonderful memories here. Each time I come here is something new to discover, but…if I had to choose, I would choose New York!

You love football right, so do you support an English team?
Actually I do not really follow the English Premier league, I follow the Spanish league and Barcelona FC is my team. To see them play gives me so much joy.

It is 100 years of Indian Cinema this year. How would you like to be remembered?
Just as a part of Indian cinema, with some respect as an actor, as somebody who made a difference. I am not trying to change the way Indian cinema is, I am just trying to have a personal voice, to say something through my movies and make an impact, to inspire and entertain people.

Who do you see as your contemporaries and competitors in the film industry today?
There are so many of us now, especially those who came around the same time as me and after me. It’s a healthy bunch of boys and girls and we all are really passionate about movies and acting, so hopefully we’ll carry the legacy forward from our seniors in the best way possible.

Everyone from Amitabh Bachchan right down to Darsheel Safary are my competition, as every actor makes an impact. So I am not really trying to fight with Imran Khan, Shahid Kapur, Ranveer Singh or anybody else. They all are doing well and are all extremely talented.

It’s the season of remakes currently, would you remake one of your father’s films?
To be honest I have never believed in the concept of remakes. I feel if a film has been made, it can not be bettered. It is like art, you can not take somebody’s artwork and ‘work on it’. It does not make sense to me, but I do love many of my father’s films.

Can you share some of your favourite films starring your father?
I loved him in Chandni, Karz, Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai – a film that not many people watched, but he was amazing in it. Even in a film like Amar Akbar Anthony what he did with Akbar’s part was amazing. At the same time I see films like Agneepath and Do Dooni Chaar and characters he is playing right now and I am really proud of him. He is my favourite actor, he is someone who is so passionate about acting, so talented and I have now got the opportunity to work with him in film called Besharam. I am lucky and so grateful to have a father like him.

Tell us what it was like working with Madhuri Dixit in the film?
I shot with her for in a song choreographed by Farah Khan for the last five days of my work on YJHD and I could not have asked for a better ending to the entire film shoot. I absolutely loved Madhuri whilst growing up and she is amazing, talented, mesmerising and magnetic, still with so much passion and drive. Getting a chance to work with her kind of completes my career.

What is next in store for Ranbir Kapoor then?
Besharam is releasing later this year on 2nd October, which is directed by Abhinav Kashyap, where I am working with my parents for the first time. It is a fun action comedy caper.

After that I have Bombay Velvet, that is directed by Anurag Kashyap and stars Anushka Sharma alongside me. It is a bit like Scarface meets Deewar! It is a very intense character.

Finally I have a film with Imitaz Ali, which is still untitled.

Thank you Ranbir, it was a pleasure talking to you and BollySpice readers wish you all the very best with Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, which everyone can watch at the cinemas when it releases worldwide on 31st May.

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The story was simple, yet fresh – three friends (Akash, Sameer and Sid), each one very different in their personality and showed the transition of their lives post-university and the differing impact that has on their relationships and friendship. Dil Chahta Hai was the coming of age story which was missing in Bollywood. It introduced us to the quintessential ‘road trip’ and now the Mumbai to Goa road trip the trio undertake has become an essential part of tourist trail. It introduced us to Sydney in Australia like never before. It was also one of the decisive soundtracks which catapulted musicians Shankar Ehsaan Loy into the limelight, who were aided by imaginative song picturizations. Who can forget the Bollywood parody in ‘Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan’?

From a filmmaking perspective Dil Chahta Hai was a great leap forward. In an industry where bound scripts and screenplays are hard to come by, Farhan Akhtar emerged from a yearlong self-imposed exile in his bedroom, with a fully bound script, packed with memorable scenes and dialogues. Who can forget the “Be a man” dialogue, where Aamir taunts Saif into standing up to his pushy girlfriend? Or the end scene where Akash (Aamir) and Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna) patch up, with Akash delivering the line “It’s hard to improve perfection!” Many of those scenes and dialogues have become folklore!

Dil Chahta Hai was fully sound-synched, where live sound recording was used whilst the actors were delivering their lines, rather than being typically dubbed over again in the studio, as with most Hindi films. Farhan paid particular attention to styling his actors, a feature which has become the mainstay of Aamir’s roles ever since. It was such a strong feature of the film and its characters, that it was even referred to as a source of inspiration in Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), starring Shah Rukh Khan.

From a filmmaking perspective Farhan’s fresh approach set a standard for many young filmmakers to follow. More time was spent in writing and pre-production, fifteen months, over shooting the film itself, a mere four months. That too in an industry where films are launched and churned out with alarming regularity. The film was also based partly on Farhan’s personal diaries and stories of friends and couples he knew, which helped add to realism of the characters and situations.

Such an iconic film and to think Abhishek Bachchan turned down the part of Sid, which Akshaye later played. With all the current talk of Sridevi’s successful comeback in English Vinglish (2012), you could say the same for Dimple Kapadia in Dil Chahta Hai, whom Farhan managed to convince to come out of retirement and join the cast. The tagline of Dil Chahta Hai was “welcome to a summer of their lives you will never forget”. That’s one tagline which still rings true today…

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BollySpice caught up with Saif whilst he was in London to talk about the film, here’s what he had to say:

So Saif, do you have a favourite ‘western’ zombie film?

I don’t think the Evil Dead qualifies, but it scared the pants off me as a child. My cousin, who was a little older, sort of made me watch it and it scarred me for life! I have not really been a big zombie movie fan. If I had to watch a movie with a monstrous character in it it would be a vampire film, but I believe the makers are well up with their zombie lore. Kunal Khemu who bought the script to me also enjoys his zombie films.

How have you adapted the western concept of zombies for Bollywood?

There is a line in the movie when one of them asks ‘How did these zombies come into India?’, because it is not an Indian thing, where the other responds ‘It’s globalisation!’ So it is meant to be a foreign concept and it works in the script because these two guys go on a holiday to Goa and something happens where everybody at this party turns into a zombie, except them. It’s a European crowd there, so it is semi-alien anyway to a basic Indian watching these hot women in bikinis and dudes hanging out MTV style on the beach. Being the great satan that the white man is perceived as in some parts (of India), the character’s drugs and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle leads to them deservedly turning into zombies. It fits in the sense that they are meant to be alien and the concept it meant to be alien. So it’s a European party of zombies!

What preparations did you take in order to play a Russian character for the first time?

The accent needed a little bit of work, but there are a lot of Russians in Goa, so we got a nice lady to come over and make sure I was saying things correctly. I was actually okay, as I am used to learning lines, but I have this partner in the film, who is like a bodyguard. He’s a really nice guy from South Africa and had to say a few lines in Russian and I remember him just rehearsing the whole night and day and having these panic attacks because he was finding the language difficult. Until we wrote it down on a placard for him and he was reading it like…well I was going to say Marlon Brando, but…like Akshay Kumar!

So are there any other out there genres you would like to make, now that you have covered zombies?

What we learnt from this experience is that it would be really nice to do another film that not necessarily follows the dictates of the Indian box office, as it is perceived. What is exciting about this movie, is that it might make a lot of money as the way things stand right now, which would be really great as it is not just a niche idea. Definitely a section of our production should look at international style co-productions, do something that could maybe compete at a film festival one day.

How about another spy film, would you attempt that again?

I would love to! It is a tried and tested genre in every single country and it has run. The achievement of the decade is to mess it up! I mean, how could you not make a basic ex-army spy guy, into a hit? If India can accept a zombie movie, then why not this? We must have just made a bad movie or something, so yes, I would love to have another crack at it. But it should not be a lame attempt at making a kind of Bond movie, it should be a really different kind of presentation and character. You need to find a really unique identity.

Finally, on 100 years of Indian cinema, how would you like to be remembered?

I would want to be remembered as somebody who did good movies and I really feel the best is yet to come. If you were to end my career now, I would feel that there is really not much to write about. But I do feel on top of things at the moment, so I look forward to some productive next few years. I would also like to do a futuristic war film. One has lots of ideas, but not all of them last till the next weekend, but some do, lets see.

Go Goa Gone is on worldwide release from Friday 10th May.

Check out our full video interview here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQeUJAjLOLg

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BollySpice was there to meet him to ask him about the experience and what fans can expect from the film. So novel is the concept, that the BBC will be doing a documentary on it, as part of a half hour special on the changing face of Bollywood.

Go Goa Gone is a ‘zom-com’ directed by duo Raj and D.K, who previously helmed the audience and critic winning Shor in the City. If you have not had the chance yet, do read our exclusive interviews with actor Vir Das, who plays Luv in the film, and our interview with the director Raj.

For now, watch this space whilst we bring our exclusive interview and video with Saif.

Here is a bit of tease with just two pictures

Go Goa Gone releases internationally on Friday 10th May and is produced by Saif Ali Khan’s Illuminati Films and stars Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari and Puja Gupta.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V5zGNVRmaE

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Cinema has always had a fascination for the underworld and their dons, creating cinematic magic, whenever their stories are told on the screen. Bollywood is no different, with every accomplished actor and director attempting the genre. What is only 8 pages in Zaidi’s book, under a chapter titled Mumbai’s Hadley Chase and is about a gangster called Manya Surve, becomes a two and half hour film. Manya killed reigning King of Mumbai Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Sabir. Manya was eventually shot dead on 23rd January 1982, at the age of 37, after a two month police hunt. The police were led to Wadala, following a rumoured tip off from Dawood. He was riddled with 6 bullets, fighting till the very end. Dawood had avenged his brothers death, whilst Mumbai police had carried out its first official encounter, creating a precedence for many more encounters to follow.

Story: Both S. Hussain Zaidi and Sanjay Gupta are credited with the story, with screenwriting credits going to Sanjay Gupta, Abhijeet Deshpande and Sanjay Bhatia. What they all have successfully managed to do is take a lesser known underworld character, but an important one none the less and added his backstory, motivations, love interest, rise and ultimate death. As mentioned Zaidi’s book only dedicates 8 pages to Manya, but along with Gupta and his team they have created an engaging, layered and commercial film, humanising Manya along the way. One aspect which needs to be given credit to is the dialogue and any underworld film needs to be complete with ‘dialgoue-baazi’ and one liners, which need not be crass. Here dialogue writer Milap Milan Zaveri must be given top stars, as the dialogues fit the genre without being too cliche and pack in a few funny ones along the way.

Directing: Gupta has been crowned king copycat in the past, but credit where due he has crafted a good film here, with the right amount of action and item numbers to keep the audience engaged. It is no classic, but nevertheless entertaining and a film for the masses. Credit for the action sequences must go to Tinu Verma, which form part of the high points of the film. The film is set in the 1970s and Gupta’s team has got the look and feel right. It is not kitschy or retro like Once upon a time in Mumbai was, but more real and gritty from the prison scenes, to the shanty towns. So full credit to Sameer Arya and Sanjay F. Gupta for creating this.

Soundtrack: A number of music directors were used to deliver the soundtrack, Anu Malik, Anand Raaj Anand, Meet Brothers Anjaan and Mustafa Zahid. A film of this genre needs its item numbers held in bars and brothels and here we don’t have one, but three – ‘Laila’, featuring Sunny Leone], ‘Babli’ withPriyanka Chopra and ‘Aala Re Aala’, filmed on Sophie Choudry. These songs add to the film’s mass appeal and fit well with the characters and of course one needs Mika Singh to deliver the vocals, which he pleasantly does. More importantly though is the background score, which has to fit the mood and tones of the film. All credit to Amar Mohile, as the background score sticks to the script throughout.

Acting: Finally to the highlight of the film, the actors. Manoj Bajpayee and Sonu Sood are perfectly cast as Sabir and Dawood Ibrahim. This story is about Manya Surve, so Dawood and his brother do take a bit of a back seat, but it was important that good known actors were cast to play them, as after all they are integral to the history of Mumbai’s underworld. Anil Kapoor is still a force to reckon with, his anger and intensity is always so spot on, that any director casting him can pretty much leave him to it. Mahesh Manjrekar has been the mainstay of many of Gupta’s film, but here his role and performance fails to leave an impact. Kangna is the only female star in the film, so she had the potential to stand out, but really just fades, not being able to rise above a very standard performance. Tusshar Kapoor is brilliant. Compared to the underworld role he played in Shootout at Lokhandwala, here he much more refined, in his accent and performance. Finally to John Abraham, initially one can think he would be too pretty to play Manya, but we all know he can play a charming villain (Dhoom, Race 2). However, in Shootout as Wadala John supersedes all expectations, without needing to play the caricature or stereotype of a gangster. He emotes extremely well with his eyes, displaying emotion and anger. His body may be overly sculpted for a gangster, but it works, as it makes him come across as a strong, powerful and menacing character. John makes Shootout at Wadala a great watch, mainly as you have never seen him in a role like this and because it pushes him much further as an actor than say the recent Race 2.

For fans of the underworld genre, you should not miss Shootout at Wadala, as there is a lot of fact and history in the film. Fans of John Abraham should definitely not miss the film, as his role is poles apart from what you have seen him in before. Families, rom-com lovers and romantics probably best stay away if it’s not your cup of chai. On the downside the film could have been tighter, with the two and half ours being trimmed to around two. Shootout at Wadala is not classic, nor is it a ‘great’ film, but definitely ‘very good’, particularly if you have read the book, or enjoy the genre.

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Ranbir told us about the upcoming film, his character, working with good friend and director Ayan Mukerji (Wake up Sid) again and of course working with the legendary Madhuri Dixit in the film, for song choreographed by Farah Khan.

Watch this space because we have so much more as we bring you the exclusive interview and video from our meeting. Meanwhile, if you haven’t already, do check out the trailer and songs currently rocking the charts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbp2XUSeUNE

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and co-stars Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin and Adiya Roy Kapur.

Check out these shots as a teaser!

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Shreya was accompanied by her father, a scientist and engineer, who was instrumental in nurturing her talent. She was hosted by Labour MP Virendra Sharma of Ealing Southall, who is of Indian origin. Labour MP for Brent North Barry Gardiner, who has met Shreya and her father before. Labour MP Jon Ashworth of Leicester South, which is home to one of Britain’s largest asian communities and where Shreya will also be performing.

Shreya expressed that “This is such an honour to be here. You are helping to motivate me. I will do better music and something more meaningful in life, as a payback to the love you have given me.” She also shared how despite coming to London a few times as a tourist, this visit to the House of Commons was like a fairytale come true, which made her feel like a princess.

Shreya also shared her experiences of being the only child who took to music, growing up in a neighbourhood of children who were predominantly groomed to become scientists and engineers. “Where I grew up, all my friends were either doctors or engineers. There was no alternate second option. The moment they came to hear that I was learning music, they all came and asked if I was sure I wanted to do that!” She hoped to inspire other children, parents and singers through her example.

Shreya also talked about acting offers, though she confirmed that music was her forte. “I have been asked to act, but I think I would be a terrible actor! Music is similar to acting, it is theatre and art. My voice is the medium that I have taken up, so I do not think I have the inclination to act.”

We managed to ask Shreya a couple of quick questions before she was whisked away for her exclusive tour of the House of Commons. We asked her how it felt like to be in England to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema, to which she responded: “I always used to listen to the great singers and I am part of that world now, so it makes me feel very blessed that I am part of that league, which featured legends like Lata-ji and Kishore-ji.”

We also asked her what we could expect from the shows and she shared: “I’ll be singing all my songs through to the latest ones and a couple of tributes as well.” With regards to London she said “This is my second performance in the Royal Albert Hall. It is a very prestigious venue and I am really looking forward to it.”

Get ready for an extraordinary set of shows…

For more information visit: www.shreyalive.com

Check out these exclusive pictures!

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‘Saans’ from Jab Tak Hai Jaan: Her voice is brilliant and amazing!

‘Chikni Chameli’ from Agneepath: It was a totally different kind of song sung by her

‘Ooh La La’ from the The Dirty Picture: For surprising everyone with all that panting and sexiness in her usually innocent voice!

‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai’ from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi: Simply beautiful!

‘Pam para’ from Jhoota Hi Sahi: A sweet and lovely song that Shreya kills in and shows her jazz scat avatar too!

Ishaqzaade title track: A favourite!

‘Kizhakku Pookkum’ from Malayalam film Anwar: A beautiful non-Hindi number.

‘Munbe Vaa’ from Tamil Sillunu Oru Kadhal: This number boosted her popularity considerably in the south.

‘Mannipaaya’ from Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya (remade in Hindi as Ek Deewana Tha): She sung the Telugu version as well the Tamil!

The first show is this Friday 26th April in Manchester, followed by Saturday 27th in Birmingham, Sunday 28th in Newport, Sunday 5th May in Leicester and ending on Monday 6th May at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.

If you haven’t already got your tickets, make sure you do, as this is one show you simply can not miss!

For more information visit: www.shreyalive.com

Let us know your favorite song in the comments below!

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However, Shreya is no stranger to the Royal Albert Hall, having sung there nearly a decade ago, in April of 2004, as part of the Udit Narayan show. She was a relative newcomer then, with her debut of Devdas recently behind her, but she was absolutely amazing to watch. Her sweet, yet powerful voice, filled the ancient auditorium, enchanting the audience and is still remembered today. Testament to her success and status as an artist, that she is a draw today in her own right.

What will make this show even more special is that it is twinned with Bollywood’s celebration of 100 years and therefore you will be for a treat with Shreya’s special tribute to Bollywood legends. As Shreya is already known as this generation’s Lata, we particularly await this segment of her show…

Shreya says, “Be ready for a beautiful evening of lots of beautiful music. An unforgettable evening for both you and me”

Make sure you spread the news, grab your tickets soon and keep tuned to BollySpice as we aim to bring you an exclusive interview with Shreya, as soon as she reaches London!

For show dates and venues, please visit: www.shreyalive.com

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Hot off the success of Flex FX’s amazing show last year headlined by Atif Aslam, they are now gearing up to bring an even bigger, better and kick-ass show. Yes, Atif Aslam is coming back again, but joining him this time will be India’s darling, Shaan. Alongside the two dynamite singers, Bipasha Basu and Malaika Arora Khan will be adding to the glamour and glitz. Can we hear you say ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’?!

Following the Birmingham show at the LG Arena on 5th April, Bollywood Showstoppers will be coming to London’s prestigious O2 Arena on the 7th April, which is simply the most amazing concert venue in Europe and is home to all the major international concerts. Just the name of the 02 Arena guarantees a show of high standards and a world-class musical experience. Add the Flex FX dancers, who are celebrating 10 years of dancing magic, to the mix and you will be in for an absolute treat…

Naz Choudhury, Flex FX’s artistic director, says, “Malaika is so excited about her performances, Shaan & Atif have got their full 80 minute live performances ready, Bipasha’s act looks very unique. Bollywood Showstoppers will be 2 nights to remember. I can put my career on the line & say this 4 hour spectacular will be the best show I have created with Flex FX in the last 10 years.”

In a cool promotion we have this exclusive competition for all our readers.

We have up for grabs 2 pairs of London tickets (02 Arena, 7th April) and 2 pairs of Birmingham tickets (LG Arena, 5th April). All you have to do is answer this question.

What Bollywood star is performing at the concert?

Send your answer along with your name and address to editors@bollyspice.com but be quick the show is coming up soon!

Stay tuned to BollySpice as we bring you interviews, videos from the show!

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