Tuesday, May 26, 2009

New league of star kids on Bollywood’s threshold

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) After Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, the legacy of star kids foraying into Bollywood continues with veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter Sonakshi, sons Luv and Kush and comedy king Govinda’s daughter Narmmadaa set to make their debut in the industry.
Last month Sonakshi’s debut opposite Salman Khan in his brother Arbaaz’s maiden production venture was announced, but now she has reportedly walked out of the project as she wasn’t too happy with the script.

A fashion designer by profession, she made her first appearance at the Lakme India Fashion Week held in Mumbai last year. Her younger brother Luv too will follow suit and is working hard for a grand launch with “Sadiyaan”, produced by his father’s production house Shotgun Entertainment. His twin brother Kush, meanwhile, will make his debut with director Apratim Khare’s yet untitled film.

Kush was more interested in direction and went to the New York Film Academy to brush up his directorial skills. He had even assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali during the shooting of “Saawariya” (2007).

He says he accepted an acting offer because he doesn’t want to confine himself to direction alone.

“I always believed in the saying that you should always do something you believe in but that never meant to limit yourself in any way whatsoever,” Kush was quoted as saying.

Another young talent awaiting her debut in the industry is Govinda’s daughter Narmmadaa Ahuja. According to her publicist Dale Bhagwagar, she is being signed by a well-known producer but he did not reveal further details.

“There is still some time before we can reveal the name of the producer. Narmmadaa is looking forward to a lot of commercial and glamorous roles in Bollywood at the moment,” Bhagwagar told IANS.

The practice of sons and daughters stepping into their star parents’ shoes isn’t new to the industry.

In the 1940s, legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor followed his father Prithviraj Kapoor’s footsteps and entered films. Later his younger brothers,- Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, too joined the league.

Raj Kapoor’s three sons - Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv - entered filmdom and now their kids have followed suit too. Randhir’s two daughters Karisma and Kareena as well as Rishi’s son Ranbir have become part of the Hindi film fraternity.

Deol brothers - Sunny and Bobby - too followed their father Dharmendra’s footsteps as did actress Sharmila Tagore’s children Saif Ali Khan and Soha.

Even Vinod Khanna’s sons Akshay and Rahul stepped into showbiz, but they couldn’t repeat their father’s success story.

In the first year of the new millennium, actor-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan’s son Hrithik came into Bollywood and created ripples with his debut film “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai”.

He was soon followed by megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s son Abhishek and Kareena Kapoor who got a launchpad in J.P. Dutta’s 2001 movie “Refugee”.

Also on the list are star kids like Hema Malini’s daughter Esha Deol, Feroz Khan’s son Fardeen and Suresh Oberoi’s son Vivek.

The more recent ones to foray into filmdom are disco king Mithun Chakraborty’s son Mimoh and Shekhar Suman’s son Adhyayan.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Kareena smooches Akshay

Kareena Kapoor is not only adding glam to her upcoming flick Kambaqt Ishq by wearing a bathsuit, she has also indulged in a steamy liplock with co-actor Akshay Kumar in the movie.

Now our young Bebo was not quite comfortable with the idea of kissing her 40+ year old co-star, the reason was that Akki was elder sister Lolo’s leading man during her hey days and Kareena was only a 12-year-old little kid who would shy away from Akki whenever she accompanied Karisma to her shootings.

So it was equally awkward for Akshay too ‘coz she is just a kid in front of him. However the kiss was neccessary for the story and both of them gave their professional commitments a priority over their personal thoughts.

Apparently its a kiss to lookout for!

French Producer Wants To Cast Bachchans

As Abhishek Bachchan is at Cannes accompanying wife Aishwarya Rai, seems like have impressed the filmmakers out there and receiving film offers. Manuel de la Roche, the Paris based producer wants to cast father-son Bollywood duo Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan for his next film.

French director Jan Kounen will direct the film, which is named as The Secret History of the Dalai Lamas. The director will soon approach the Bachchans with the acting offers for the film in lead roles.

Roche said, “The film will trace the history of the Dalai Lamas all the way from 14th century. It will blend dramatized re-enactments involving the earlier incarnations with excerpts from an interviews with the current Dalai Lama.”

source >> http://www.bollywoodhott.com/celebrities/french-producer-wants-to-cast-the-bachchans/

Other than these Bollywood actors, the film will also cast Hollywood biggies Sharon Stone and Richard Gere.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Ross Care - Shakespeare Songs

Conductor Elizabeth Helms takes a bow after the Ventura Gold choral concert.


In March 2009, Ross Care had a new work premiered by the 80-voice Gold Coast Concert Chorus. The two performances, conducted by artistic director Elizabeth Helms, were part of Ventura County Gold, a concert of classical music by regional southern California composers.

RICH and STRANGE -
Songs from the Fantasy Plays of William Shakespeare

I. Fairy Song from A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
II. A Very Scurvy Tune from THE TEMPEST
III. Medley: Full Fathom Five (Ariel's Song) and Caliban’s Song
From THE TEMPEST
IV. Spring Song from THE WINTER'S TALE

From the program notes:

The songs in Rich and Strange were first composed as part of complete incidental scores for various theatrical productions.

For this choral cycle I expanded these tunes into developed movements for large choir, adding piano accompaniments and repeating and developing section in ways that could not be utilized in the concentrated dramatic context of the plays themselves.

Writing in the Ventura STAR, Margaret Nesbitt, an actress and journalist, commented:

“The concert opened with Rich and Strange, songs from the fantasy plays of Shakespeare. I had studied Shakespeare so all the plays were familiar. The music was delightful and brought to life the scenes from the various plays.

“As I listened it was impossible not to see Queen Tatiana being lulled to sleep by her fairy troop and the drunken Caliban carousing. The bawdy song of Autolysis from The Winter's Tale closed the piece.

“It was a wonderful opening to a varied program.”

++

About the Gold Coast Chorus:
The Gold Coast Concert Chorus, Elizabeth Helms, Artistic Director,
is a regional choir composed of singers of all levels and experience. GCCC traveled to New York in July 1991, to perform at Carnegie Hall (under the direction of John Rutter) and at Lincoln Center. Other tours were in 1995 to Great Britain and in 1998 to France, Italy and Croatia. The Chorus had successful tours of Central and Eastern Europe from June 28 - July 14, 2001, and the British Isles from June 25 - July 11, 2004.