Whenever you think of Pooja Bhatt as a director, you expect movies with sizzling scenes or great chemistry between actors, such as her previous movies (Paap, Jism, Holiday). What you don’t expect is Dhokha, a ground breaking film, that keeps you at the edge of your seat. You can call this film a lecture, but, it tries to get through to people, the harsh reality of terrorism. Zaid Ahmed Khan (Muzzamil Ibrahim) is a dedicated Muslim police officer, who is happily married to Sara (Tulip Joshi). Director Pooja Bhatt, get’s straight to the point, as Zaid receives a phone call, telling him to report to duty. He soon finds himself in the middle of chaos, where everywhere he sees injured people rushing to the hospital. He joins the rest of the police force in recovering the ones who are dead, and helping the ones who are injured. Soon later, he discovers that a bombing occurred in the famous new century club. His wife, Sara who was supposedly visiting a friend, is found dead. After through research and many tests, the police accuse Sara of being a Suicide Bomber. Zaid refuses to believe that the woman he loved, could hide so much of her past from him, in the 2 years that they spent together. After being thoroughly interrogated, he is sent home. There, he finds a video of Sara confessing to the bombing, and the truth of her real identity. Heartbroken, he sets out to find the people behind Sara’s decision to commit suicide, and kill so many people.

Some scenes stay with you till the end of the film, especially the scene where Zaid goes to meet Sara’s father (Anupam Kher). Anupam Kher’s narration of the story is brilliant. You can’t help but be teary-eyed as he describes the torture of his family. Sara’s rape scenes are handled very well, Tulip Joshi impresses with this one scene. The whole concept of the film is terrorizing. To understand the film you have to put yourself in their shoes. Imagine for a second, that your wife or husband kept so much of their life, a secret from you. Or even, being raped/tortured for wanting your rights. The movie explores the thoughts and beliefs of Jihadi people, such as Sara and her brother. One dialogue that stays with you is when, Muzzamil is taken to the Jihadi leader, and the Jihadi leader says: “Hum mehfuz to mulk mehfuz”

Pooja Bhatt, or the writer don’t try to say that this side is right, or that side is right. They try to illustrate the harsh reality of terrorism, and what people go through everyday. Dhokha is the first movie to make me downright cry. You can make me sit down and watch KHNH or K3G a million times, and I won’t shed a tear. But, Dhokha is different. It’s raw emotion, real feelings, and a great mind behind this film. For her 3rd or 4th film, Pooja Bhatt excels in making a film that reaches out to the public and illustrates reality as it is.

Newcomer, Muzzamil Ibrahim does not fail to impress, in his debut film. Whatever differences Pooja Bhatt and Muzzamil had, did not seem to effect his performance, whatsoever. He handles emotional scenes with efficiency, and being a former model, his looks don’t surprise me. Tulip Joshi, isn’t given much scope at all, but she’s very photogenic and her expressions are beautiful. Anupam Kher inacts the role of the father, with ease. A few of his scenes, are very memorable. Ashutosh Rana, seems to be joining the bandwagon of the Vishesh films “regulars”. First Awarapan, and now this? He seems to be on a roll. The others are efficient.

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4. Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is yet another star child. He’s made his way into Bollywood with a lot of help from his father but his own hard work and determination should not go unnoticed. And we think his looks may have played a part in his success. His debut movie Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai opposite Amisha Patel proved to everyone that he has the potential to be a top star. After his recent releases, Krrish and Dhoom 2, both hits, he’s ready to rule Bollywood. Girls go crazy at the slight mention of his name, but who can blame them? He has the perfect body, and is a clear winner in the looks department. He has faced many ups and downs in his career span, he’s seen flops as well as hits, but sooner or later, Hrithik Roshan is going to make it to the top…and stay there. And being one of the highest paid actors surely helps too!

3. Preity Zinta
Bubbly, cute, gorgeous, unbelievably talented are just a few words to describe Preity Zinta. She started her career with the likes of SRK in the movie Dil Se directed by Mani Ratnam himself. After that there was no looking back for this hopeful actress. Like her fellow colleagues she has seen several flops in her career, but she has made up for them with hits. Now she’s thought to be at the top with Rani Mukerji, Kajol and Aishwarya Rai. As she’s said before on Koffee with Karan, she’s ‘Controversy’s Favorite Child’, the media just can’t get enough of her and neither can we.

2. Amitabh Bachchan
As everyone knows Amitabh Bachchan is an unforgettable legend, with a name that demands respect. He was named ‘Superstar of the Millennium’ years ago and till date, he arguably still is! He was best known back in the day as the angry young man of Bollywood. His movies which were hits all the way, mostly depicted him in the angry guy roles (or better known as action roles). He’s proved his versatility by acting in comedy, drama, thrillers, and your typical Bollywood romantic roles as well. Today a slight mention of Amitabh’s name will get a whole lot of people started on his movies and his personality. Bollywood rarely sees a star like Amitabh Bachchan at an age where most stars would quit, he keeps on giving energy and vibrance on screen in films like Jhoom Bharabar Jhoom and KANK.

1. Shahrukh Khan
And finally the most loved person in Bollywood is none other than King Khan. There’s no denying that Shahrukh hasn’t see his share of bad films. He’s struggled as an actor in the early part of his career. He’s seen the worst of flops but come a long way from films since his debut Deewana opposite Divya Bharti. Today, he’s an international star and even has a wax statue at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in London. To top it all kids across the world are in love with him. Whether it was playing a lover and father in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, or bringing together two people in Kal Ho Na Ho, Shahrukh Khan has never failed to capture hearts all around the globe. Currently he is considered one of the best actors in Bollywood. However with the likes of Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Abhishek Bachchan all in line to take his place, he just might lose his current status in the industry. His recent films such as Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Don haven’t done too great box-office wise. While he may have some loyal fans and admirers, critics and audiences are ready to catch any one mistake, and who knows if kal ho na ho in SRK’s career.

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On the 20th of June, in Malshej, Actor Saif Ali Khan paid a visit to the Khushii Foundation. The Khushii Foundation as many people know it is a center for unprivileged children. To add-on to the event, Saif himself painted a few works of art for the children. These paintings will be auctioned and the proceeds will go to the children at Khushii Foundation. As for Saif, the chote nawab looked wonderful in casual clothing. The new hair suits him quite well, although he should shave more often.

Lara Dutta, now a familiar face in the ever-growing Bollywood industry, recently attended a charity event sponsored by her upcoming film Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Held in Versova on the 23rd of June, this event included a special screening of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and a few moments with the leading lady, Lara Dutta. Children from the CPAA (Cancer Patients Aid Association) were the lucky ones this time around. Lara Dutta, seemed to have a lot of fun interacting with the children and also dancing with them to some of the tracks in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

Fashion is also a very successful and thriving industry in Bollywood. Next to join the model bandwagon is none other than item girl Rakhi Sawant. On the 25th of June, the hosts of the fashion show, House of Horrors, presented a Horror Fashion Walk. This being her first time walking the ramp, Rakhi was not at all nervous. Dressed as an evil witch, Rakhi’s walk was nothing short from spectacular. Others that also walked the ramp for the special fashion show included models such as Jesse Randhwa, Mridula, Heena, Shita Verma, Priyanka Shah, and Priyanka Tanwar.

It definitely is the season of marriage in Bollywood, as everyone has decided to get married after the ever-so-popular Abhi-Ash wedding. This time around, the wedding is none other than the wedding of Raj Babbar’s daughter, Juhi Babbar to ad-filmaker Bijoy Nambiar. Held in the ITC Grand Maratha in Andheri on the 28th of June this event saw many familiar faces in the industry. Present for the wedding were Raj Babbar (father of the bride), Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Anupam Kher, Adnan Sami and many others.

The 29th of June saw the premiere of Apne starring Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, and Bobby Deol in pivotal roles. The leading ladies include Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty. The hype surrounding the movie can definitely be seen in the premiere, celebrities flocked to the event in anticipation to see the 3 Deols being paired on-screen for the first time. Many familiar faces can be seen in this glamorous event. Some that stood out of the crowd included Dharmendra, Bobby Deol, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Preity Zinta, Yash Chopra, Shilpa Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, and Akshay Kumar along with his wife Twinkle Khanna. Many are excited for the 3 A’s- Awarapan, Apne, and Aap Ka Suroor all slating to release on the 29th of June.

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Surprisingly, Awarapan will be Emraan’s first film which doesn’t see him smooching the female lead. That must be a major relief for the elderly Jodhpur couple, and all other Emraan well-wishers.

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Currently, their friends are trying to patch things up between Aftab and Yana. A source close to the couple has confirmed in many articles that they had once discussed marriage and were very close to tying the knot. Another source has reported that Aftab and Yana used to have lunch with their friends in town. But now, Aftab comes alone saying Yana had other plans. Hopefully, their friends will be able to patch things up between the former couple.

As for their prior relationships, Yana was once married to painter, Satyakam Gupta for four years. Soon after the marriage ended, Yana got together with Aftab and they hit it off quite well. Aftab also had many relationships, mostly inside the industry. He was said to be involved with celebrities such as Kirti Reddy, Mohini Sharma, Esha Deol, and Shamita Shetty. His relationships with Kirti and Mohini were quite brief and not very speculated by the media. On the other hand his relationships with Esha and Shamita lasted for quite some time, especially his relationship with Shamita Shetty which lasted for about a year.

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Held in ITC grand central on the 31st of May was dinner with Kunal Kapoor and Vidya Balan. The first 60 Filmfare subscription winners had the opportunity to dine with dashing Kunal and beautiful Vidya Balan. Sponsor of the event was Manav Manglani. Along with Kunal and Vidya, 2 other celebrities joined in to promote the ever so popular magazine, Filmfare. These 2 celebrities were none other than Manoj Bajpai and Atul Kulkarni. It looked as though the winners had a blast with Kunal and Vidya, and the celebrities seemed to enjoy the event as well. Autographed mugs and such were given out as gifts to the winners as well.

On the 7th of June, we saw the Premiere of the much anticipated film- Swami starring Juhi Chawla and Manoj Bajpai in lead roles. Held in Cinemax, Versova this event saw the opening of Swami directed by choreographer turned director Ganesh Acharya (who was present for the event). Besides Mr. Acharya, of course many others had flocked to the event. Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra were present for the occasion along with many other celebrities. Others were Subhash Ghai, Jeetendra, Manoj Bajpai with wife Neha, and Abbas-Mustan. Juhi Chawla was not able to attend the premiere but she will definetly make her presence felt in the movie, so be sure to catch it in theaters!

Another event sponsored by Manav Manglani, the premiere of Mp3- Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar took place in Fame Adlabs on the 8th of June. Newcomer duo Hazel and Ruslaan were present for the event. As cameras clicked away these newcomers definitely enjoyed posing and signing posters for lucky fans. Hazel may need a few more tips on dressing for premieres the next time around but Ruslaan looked wonderful in a black tuxedo. Others that attended the glamorous event were Anjana Mumtaz, Ganesh Acharya, Robby Grewal, and Shama Sikander.

It’s raining premieres in Bollywood, and Dharm, a recent release isn’t missing out on the new trend. The movie might not have seen much publicity but nevertheless many celebrities showed up for the premiere. The event was held in Cinemax on the 8th of June. The film itself has opened to a very good start as many reviews have hinted that it’s a wonderful film and a must watch for everyone. Some of the celebrities that attended the event included Hrishitaa Bhatt who is a part of the massive starcast. Others included Pankaj Kapoor, Supriya Pathak-Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Renuka Shahane-Rana, Akshay Kapoor, and Bhavna Talwar. Dharm may be one of those movies that appeal to a small section of the audience but, it has the characteristics of a beautiful film.

At last, we come to the glitz and glamour of the week. Another event held on the 8th of June, the IIFA awards were nothing short from spectacular. The Venue added to the glamour as it was held in Yorkshire UK. And let me tell you, it was raining celebrities in the IIFA awards, and not just any celebrities, even the best had rushed to perform and watch the event. Spreading the desiness everywhere, the organizers of the event were none other than Wizcraft International Entertainment who presented us with a world tour titled – “The Unforgettable Tour – Experience the magic”. Present for the magnificent event where none other than the Bachchan trio- Amitabh, Abhishek, and Aishwarya. Others included Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Govinda, Sohail Khan, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, David Dhawan, Praful Patel, Shilpa Shetty, and Bobby Deol.

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Now Swami is a movie you don’t see everyday in Bollywood. It captures the essence of an average person’s everyday life, in a let’s say very, sugarcoated fashion. Ganesh Acharya, being a choreographer, you’d expect his debut film to be full of dance and modernized music along with your typical masala story. Nevertheless, Swami was an honest attempt at simple cinema, something us viewers neglect quite often.

Swami is the story of your average middle-class family. Swami (Manoj Bajpai) is the husband and leader of the family. He works as an accountant in a small jewelery store, close to his home. His wife Radha (Juhi Chawla) is a stay-at-home mother who has big dreams. Radha suggests that they move to Mumbai, in search for better education for their son (Anand). So, they pack their bags, and decide to move to the city of dreams–Mumbai.

Now, if this movie landed in the hands of another director, you would probably see more drama happen in Mumbai. But, no. Halfway into the movie we still haven’t seen some of the usual problems a middle-class family would encounter in Mumbai. I’m sorry but, nobody has been robbed, nobody has lost their job, nobody has fallen ill, and nobody has had a shortage of money yet. Aren’t these the typical problems you’d encounter after moving from a small village in Maharashtra to a big metropolitan city? So far, Swami’s successful in his job, Anand’s been admitted into an english-medium school, and Radha’s as happy as ever. What could go wrong?

Soon, Radha falls ill and must undergo surgery as soon as possible. Swami begins to work overtime so that he can make enough money for her surgery. After days of hard work, Swami has finally gathered enough money for Radha’s surgery. But that day, he returns to find that all the money has disappeared. Radha has spent it all on a simple rocking chair, something Swami has wanted since he was a child. Swami is so delighted with receiving the chair, that soon both forget about Radha’s illness. This leaves any normal viewer shocked, at the sheer stupidity of both of them neglecting Radha’s need for surgery. We’re talking about your wife’s well being over a mere chair.

Still, everything’s back to normal until one day Swami returns home. He finds Radha on the bed, and she constantly questions him, “Will our son one day go to America?” When Swami answers yes, they stare at each other for a century and then Swami realizes that she has left him. The rest of the movie narrates how Swami fulfills Radha’s last wish, sending Anand to America.

Manoj Bajpai grows stronger and stronger with each performance. He gets into the skin of the character, and makes the viewer shed a tear or two. Any other actor in his position couldn’t have delivered such a wonderful performance. And for that, he deserves to be one of the A-list actors. I’ve always believed that Manoj Bajpai is a very underrated actor along with the likes of Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon. Hopefully, Swami will prove to everyone that Manoj deserves to be at the top.

Juhi Chawla, enacts the role of a loving mother and supportive wife with ease. One wonders why she isn’t taking up more movie offers with the type of performances she delivers each time. Juhi Chawla, as everyone says, is a legend and she won’t be forgotten very easily. The child artist playing Anand is very cute and a bundle of talent at the same time. The older Anand played by debut actor Maninder is excellent. His wife Pooja, enacted by Neha Pendse, does her best in a role that doesn’t require much talent. Swami’s friends are very unnecessary in the film and tend to get annoying at times.

The music is a total let down. The first half of the movie is very slow and sugarcoated. The second half begins to get interesting after Radha’s death. But it slows down as the director introduces the new characters (Swami’s friends). The ending scenes are handled very well, especially the scene were Swami rediscovers his chair in the room. Once again, a brilliant performance by Manoj, in that particular scene. Props to the director for creating such a fine scene. Others that touched your heart were the scenes were Pooja discarded the chair, the birth of Swami’s grandchild, and the scenes between Maninder and Manoj Bajpai. Maninder and Manoj really do compliment each other as a father-son duo.

Swami is a film that will appeal to a small section of viewers. It may stand on its own at the box-office for a few weeks, but the film is likely to fall flat on its face as movies such as Awarapan, Apne, and Aap Ka Surroor begin to hit the screens. One wishes the scenes with Swami and his friends were simply not in the movie, as they stretch the movie longer than it needs to be. For his first film, Ganesh Acharya has attempted to make a film filled with emotions and real problems. But living in the 21st century, movies such as Swami will only appeal to more mature audiences and not fans of masala films such as Dhoom 2. Still, simplicity is appreciated.

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The kiss will be a part of a song, that is in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom titled “Kiss of Love”. The album has done extremely well, and the audience eagerly anticipate the release of JBJ. “Kiss of Love” is a song shot mainly on Preity and Bobby surrounded by some very skilled dancers. You’ve all seen the promos so get ready to see the whole thing on June 15th. If not for the kiss, go watch it for the wonderful performances by the very talented Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta, Abhishek Bachchan, and Bobby Deol. With a brilliant starcast and a unique script, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is definetly a movie to watch out for!

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Another event held the same night, was the music launch of the much hyped Deol movie titled “Apne”. The event seemed to be the biggest in about a decade as many celebrities rushed to join the Deols during their special moments. The Dhoot videocon family was invited, and they presented the entire starcast with free electrolux air conditioners. Celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, All of the Deols, and many others were present for the magnificent event.

On May 22nd, held in Cinemax was the music launch of Ronny Grewal’s Mp3- Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar. Present were newbies- Hazel and Ruslaan Mumtaz. The movie hasn’t seen much publicity as it’s not very hyped or looked forward to by many. Nevertheless, Hazel looked gorgeous in a a very modern outfit, with jeans and a layered shirt. The tied up patterned blouse looks wonderful over the white tank. Ruslaan looks good as well but he may need a few tips in dressing up for a music launch next time around (Hopefully, there will be a next time around for the very promising newbies). Many others who are part of the starcast were also present for the event.

The premiere of Shootout at Lokhandwala, a movie based on true rumors was held on the 25th of May at the Inorbit Mall. The whole starcast (which is quite large) attended the premiere including their families as well. Vivek Oberoi attended the premiere with his dad and other family members. Many Khans were present for the premiere as well such as Saif, Salman, Zayed, Sohail, and Arbaaz. Many other celebrities such as Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif, Celina Jaitley, and of course Geeta Basra (who attends every event possible). The premiere was definetly a huge hit and we’re hoping the movie will be as well, as it’s making its way to the top.

While the SOAL premiere took place in the Inorbit mall, others celebrated the premiere of Cheeni Kum. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, and Paresh Rawal in pivotal roles, this movie seems very promising. Held on May 25th in Cinemax the Cheeni Kum premiere was as huge of an event as the SOAL premiere. Present were Amitabh and Tabu, who both looked wonderful. Paresh Rawal was not able to attend but, he’ll definetly make his presence felt in the movie where he plays the character of Tabu’s father. Amitabh and Abhishek walked in together but many photographers refused to take pictures of the father-son duo because of how they were treated during the Abhi-Ash wedding. Others present were the director (Balki), Neetu Chandra, Minisha Lamba, Sonu Sood, Ila Arun, Anil Sharma and many others.

Ending our weekly events, on May 26th John Abraham and Milind Soman were invited to a media meet to celebrate “No Tobacco day”. Well why these two? The answer to that question is that John and Milind will be seen in their upcoming movie titled “No Smoking” which is a story about a man who decides to quit smoking. This event was held in Taj Lands End where much of the starcast was present to spread no smoking awareness to the media/audience. Others present from the cast/crew were Anurag Kashyap (director) and Kumar Mangat. “No Smoking” which is eagerly awaited by many will release in Late 2007.

Feedback? Comments? Suggestions?

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To everyone’s surprise, Irrfan is a huge fan of comedy and has accepted to work with David Dhawan. This actor is definetly on a rise since his last few films, that haven’t done too well. As an underrated actor, he deserves more than working with average directors and poor scripts. Hopefully, he’ll excel in Comedy roles as much as he excels in Serious roles. His other forthcoming films include: Anil Mehta’s Aaja Nachley, Rakesh Roshan’s Krazy 4, Aditya Bhattacharya’s Dubai Return and many more.

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