PAA is the Hindi Movie(released Dec 04) directed by Balki starring Amitabh Bachchan , Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan. PAA is a 'rare' story about a father-son, son-father relationship.

Hindi movie PAA: Review by rediff.com

Know that warm fuzzy feeling of childhood? When your world is so fragile, it falls apart if someone fails to keep a promise but is accommodating enough to mend soon after Mom and Dad entice you with a fancy new toy or big bear hugs and gentle, loving assurances.

[ image: Abishek with Vidya in PAA ]

Director R Balakrishnan aka Balki's Paa celebrates the purest phase of an individual with such touching simplicity; it's impossible to remain unmoved. What's more remarkable he doesn't brand the key protagonist into someone odd or special because of his peculiar illness.

Amitabh Bachchan's unrestrained spontaneity sparkles in every frame. At the same time, the details he brings to the same through his animated physicality, understated vulnerability and understandable petulance is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

It's a well-written role. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Paa himself. Abhishek's character is somewhat gawkily handled. While his interactions with Bachchan Sr are pleasant, he appears too much in awe and hesitation to convey anything else.

Even though the film's not called Maa, it easily could be. Vidya Balan slips into the skin of a doting mom with such ease without the mollycoddling tone Bollywood's young mothers often resort to. Balan is poignant yet restrained and projects an impressive figure of grace and integrity, reminiscent of Dimple Kapadia in the 1980s.

While PC Sreeram's photography vividly captures the dazzling and vibrant view of Auro's moods, the jumpy editing is a serious bone of contention. It's as if a series of fragments were hurriedly stitched together.

Ultimately, Paa is Auro's dream and moment. And so you shed a tear in his memory and leave the hall with a fond smile on your lips, secretly doing the monkey dance in your head knowing he would have liked it. >> [ Read complete review @ REDIFF ]

Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of Earth's surface. Since the late 1800's, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F (0.4 to 0.8 degrees C). Many experts estimate that the average temperature will rise an additional 2.5 to 10.4 degrees F (1.4 to 5.8 degrees C) by 2100. That rate of increase would be much larger than most past rates of increase.

[ Global Warming ]

Scientists worry that human societies and natural ecosystems might not adapt to rapid climate changes. An ecosystem consists of the living organisms and physical environment in a particular area. Global warming could cause much harm, so countries throughout the world drafted an agreement called the Kyoto Protocol to help limit it.

Causes of global warming

Climatologists (scientists who study climate) have analyzed the global warming that has occurred since the late 1800's. A majority of climatologists have concluded that human activities are responsible for most of the warming. Human activities contribute to global warming by enhancing Earth's natural greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect warms Earth's surface through a complex process involving sunlight, gases, and particles in the atmosphere. Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are known as greenhouse gases.

The main human activities that contribute to global warming are the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and the clearing of land. Most of the burning occurs in automobiles, in factories, and in electric power plants that provide energy for houses and office buildings. The burning of fossil fuels creates carbon dioxide, whose chemical formula is CO2. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that slows the escape of heat into space. Trees and other plants remove CO2 from the air during photosynthesis, the process they use to produce food. The clearing of land contributes to the buildup of CO2 by reducing the rate at which the gas is removed from the atmosphere or by the decomposition of dead vegetation.

A small number of scientists argue that the increase in greenhouse gases has not made a measurable difference in the temperature. They say that natural processes could have caused global warming. Those processes include increases in the energy emitted (given off) by the sun. But the vast majority of climatologists believe that increases in the sun's energy have contributed only slightly to recent warming. >> [ Read full article here ]

KURBAAN, the new fick starring Bollywood style diva Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi and Saif Ali Khan is finally here. Here's the 'Kurbaan' movie review for Indian movie buffs.

Bollywood movie KURBAAN review by Rediff.com

Rediff says, "To the new breed of slick, sharp Hindi-film directors, please welcome debutant Rensil D'Silva, who till the other day was best known as the guy who wrote Rang De Basanti"

[ Hottie Kareena Gallery ]

For once here's a film that does not feel long despite the two hours and 40 minutes.

And if that's not enough to get you interested, here's the clincher. Kurbaan is bloody smart. In its taut screenplay, stylish photography and good performances by the cast, it keeps you engaged, does not insult your intelligence and avoids getting preachy.

And that's saying a lot for a film by a debutant director.

Kurbaan deals with a very loaded subject -- terror, Islam, America and the rest of the world. Something that a bunch of filmmakers have attempted in recent times, and there's more to come. But this one is executed like a classy Hollywood thriller, with some great moments of suspense, high drama, blood, gore and skin. And not to mention a delicious background score (Salim-Saulaiman) -- the icing on the cake.

Go watch Kurbaan, explore it, find your own points to agree, disagree, endorse, enjoy, debate and be angry about.

Either way, you definitely cannot walk out without the film leaving an impression on you. And a strong one at that >> [ Read complete review @ Rediff ]

Chiyaan Vikram is the latest to join the bandwagon of stars turning producers in Kollywood. However, the actor will not be starring in his film or directing it.

KOLLYWOOD SUPER HERO VIKRAM BECOMES A PRODUCER

Vikram said, “I have floated my own banner and our first untitled venture will be directed by Sasikumar. The film will feature newcomers. The technical team will comprise cinematographer Kathiir and music director James Vasanthan, who have worked with Sasikumar before.”

[ See more stills of Vikram ]

Vikram says that he has been nurturing the idea of turning producer for a long time. “After watching Subramaniapuram, I wanted to do a film with Sasi. The trouble is that in south cinema, after you become successful at the box office, market realities dictate your choice of films and it becomes difficult to experiment. Now, as a producer, I can fulfill my urge to do things in a different way. Sasi is the right choice as he is the best director with innovative ideas in Tamil cinema in recent times. I read the script. It is fantastic and is set in Chennai and I’m sure it would turn out to be a signature Sasikumar film.”

On whether he will do a cameo in the film, Vikram says, “I would love to make an Alfred Hitchcock type appearance, but it will be Sasi’s call.”

What will happen to the actor who takes pride in sporting a different look for each of his films? Replies Vikram, “In Anniyan, the character I did had three different looks in the film and I was able to carry it off. I’m an actor who believes in looking different in every film of mine. Did you know that from Mani sir’s sets, I straight away joined Selva’s film in Ladakh? When you see the films, you will realise that I have two different looks in both of them.” >> [ Read full interview here ]

Google is testing a new social search function to make it easier for people find their friends' blogs and twitter feeds.

The only catch is that users of the service need to have an open profile with Google that includes personal contact data >> [ Read more ]

Bollywood's most stylish and promising actress Kareena Kapoor will be next seen in two ambitious projects 'Kurbaan' opposite beau Saif Ali Khan and '3 Idiots' opposite good friend Aamir Khan.

Bollywood Style Diva Kareena in KURBAAN

[ Hottie Kareena Gallery ]

Kareena's characters for both movies have built up huge expectations among her fans. Saif Ali Khan is excited about his upcoming movie Kurbaan and says it was a great to work with actress Kareena Kapoor.

Kareena Kapoor says there is nothing “vulgar” about her backless shot being used for the publicity posters of forthcoming release “Kurbaan”, an intense thriller about terrorism. In fact, she says, it subtly reveals a lot about the story.

“This shot of me in a backless posture and Saif with a wound on his chest tell so much about the film’s theme,” says Kareena.

“There is love, passion and violence -- all combined in here and what better way than to show it through a single still? You too would agree that there is nothing sleazy or vulgar about it. Knowing the sensibilities of Karan Johar (producer) and Rensil D’Silva (director), that’s the least one could have expected,” she added.

After “Jab We Met”, Kareena was seen in “Main Aurr Mrs Khanna”, “Kambakkth Ishq”, “Tashan” and “Golmaal Returns”. And except “Golmaal Returns”, none of the films did well at the box office.

Kareena said that after Geet in “Jab We Met”, her character of Avantika in “Kurbaan” will make people sit up and take notice. >> [ Read more about KURBAAN ]

Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has announced new software tools to make it easier to develop applications and graphical user interfaces for its mobile handsets.

[ Read more on technology ]

The announcement was welcomed by more than 600 software experts at the Blackberry Developer Conference in San Francisco.

Jim Balsillie, RIM's co-CEO, said the firm had been working on the new tools for more than a year. Delegates at the Blackberry Developer Conference suggested some of the announcements were "about time", a view Balsillie acknowledged, saying, "We heard you."

The new tools affect both Java and Web development environments. They include support for Open GL ES, Support, a Java GUI builder and a theme studio to help developers build slick new front pages for Blackberrys.
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Jim Balsillie also announced that RIM would in future sell such interfaces and widgets on its App World online store, giving developers a chance to earn money from their creativity. >> [ More details ]

[ image: USA president Obama ]

Barack Obama is the first U.S. president to have lived in Asia as a child, and that unique perspective will help shape his nine-day trip to the region starting Thursday, U.S. officials say.

Throughout the trip to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, Obama will emphasize the importance of Asian nations as vital U.S. partners on major issues such as economic growth, nuclear non-proliferation, the war in Afghanistan and climate change, three officials said in a briefing this week.

The itinerary includes formal talks with Asian leaders as a group and individually, a bilateral meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and the first participation by a U.S. president in a summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic alliance.

In addition, Obama's itinerary reflects his personal ties to Asia with a bilateral meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, where Obama lived from 1967 to 1971. >> [ Read more at source ]

Priyanka will have seven husbands, and southie heavyweighted Kerala superstar Mohanlal is one amongst the seven! Can you believe this?

Malayalam star Mohanlal is amongst one of Priyanka's 7 husbands

A source from Vishal’s office admitted that the Bollywood filmmaker had cast the Malayalam actor in such a role. And, to do so, Vishal had to spend two days in Kerala chasing Mohanlal whose fan following there is legion.

[ img: Lal with Bhumika in mallu film ]

The noted Bollywood director and music director Vishal Bhardwaj of path breaking films like Omkara, Kaminey flew down to Kochi last week to meet “his favourite actor” Mohanlal! Vishal met Mohanlal over lunch at Avenue Regency in Kochi where the shooting of Rosshan Andrews Ivide Swargam Aanu was taking place.

Sources close to the Lal ettan confirmed that he loved the story and in all probability will do the film which will start rolling some time in March next year, if he is able to juggle his Malayalam commitments.

Although it's like Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra playing the lead roles, Mohanlal is expected to be having a pivotal role. Mohanlal was seen in Bollywood in Ram Gopal Varma’s Company and Aag, and now this four-time national award winner is back to bollywood again with another challenging role >> [ Read more cinema stuff ]

A city police team from Chennai, following a tip from an NGO, on Monday nabbed a transgender in Mumbai and rescued three persons, including two minors, who were allegedly kidnapped city police. The police team, which has left the Maharashtra capital by train, is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday morning. "We will question the victims and then decide how to proceed the case," a senior police officer said.

According to the police, Baskar, 13, and Manohar, 17, (names changed) and Prabha (20) of Royapuram and Kasimedu, who were staying with Madhumitha, a transgender, in Kaladipet near Tiruvottiyur, suddenly disappeared from the house on Sunday last. Madhumitha's friend Sailajah, a Mumbai-based transgender who came to the former's house a few days ago, was also missing. >> [ More details ]

The Indian rupee was largely steady on Wednesday as the dollar's drop against major currencies was partly offset by mixed cues from regional stock markets.

At 9:15 a.m. (0345 GMT), the partially convertible rupee INR=IN was at 46.52/53 per dollar, little changed from its Tuesday's close of 46.50/51.

"The dollar is slightly weaker but not much, equity markets would be the factor to watch out for today," a dealer with a private bank said, predicting a range of 46.45 to 46.70, for the day >> [ More details ]

PAA is a forthcoming Hindi Movie directed by Balki starring Amitabh Bachchan , Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan. PAA is a 'rare' story about a father-son, son-father relationship.

Hindi movie PAA: a quick look

I just hope that I keep getting ideas where I can fit him," said R. Balakrishnan, director of his forthcoming film PAA, relasing Dec 4.

[ image: Abishek carrying Big B for PAA ]

Synopsis :

Auro (Amitabh Bachchan) is an intelligent, witty 13 yr old boy with an extremely rare genetic defect that causes accelerated ageing. He suffers from a progeria like syndrome. Mentally he is 13, very normal, but physically he looks 5 times older. In spite of his condition, Auro is a very happy boy. He lives with his mother Vidya (Vidya Balan), who is a gynaecologist. Amol Arte (Abhishek Bachchan), is young, progressive and a full of ideals, politician. He is out to prove to the world that 'politics' is not a bad word. He is a man with a mission. Auro is Amol's son.

Abhishek gets emotional talking about his bond with his father and says this was one way he could relive memories. Only this time, he was the father. "And he (Amitabh) is a very naughty child!" he adds.

Interestingly, Abhishek adds that he is trying to figure a way to keep the equation between him and his father the same in real life as well!

Abhishek Carries Big B Piggyback

For a sequence in Paa Abhishek needed to carry his father piggyback and trot across a vast field, to the director Balki’s surprise and relief Abhishek simply breezed through the difficult scene. “Abhishek did it in one take. He carried his father effortlessly across the vast field. We shot the sequence near Cambridge in England at a place called Bury St Edmunds.” >> [ Read more movie news in this blog ]

Kerala born tamil-telugu-malayali film actress Gopika has started acting again and then the news started making rounds that she is pregnant.

Kerala homely star Gopika pregnant?

Gopika tied the knot with Dr Ajilesh and had left the celluloid world to get settled in Ireland. However she has made a comeback through P Sukumar directed Malayalam movie Swantham Lekhakan opposite Dileep.

[ Gopika-Ajilesh personal Pics ]

South Indian actress Gopika was seen during July 2009 with convex shape (indicating "baby bump" or pregnancy) which led to rumour mills start "confirming" that she is pregnant. When asked for confirmation at that time, Gopika laughingly revealed that it was a get up for her forthcoming Malayalam flick Swantham Lekhakan (Swa Le),in which she plays a pregnant woman.

Coincidentally, other reports indicate that the actress and her husband are really planning to become parents. In a recent interview during Kerala Piravi, Gopika had stated that the couple plan to start a family soon. Gopika also reportedly told her dad Anto Francis the happy news that he will be a grandfather soon. Confirmation is awaited.

But now, the real bump seems to be appearing, as Gopika was spotted with a huge belly recently even after the finishing of the shooting for the film.

Though nothing has been confirmed from the actress’s end as of now, the probability of Gopika being pregnant is almost certain! [ See more Celebrity Wedding Pics Here ]

South Indian popular Kollywood-Tollywood queen Trisha has finished the first schedule of Priyadarshan’s Akshay Kumar starrer 'Khatta Meetha' which is produced by the hero himself.

Bollywood newcomer Trisha's role in Khatta Meeta

Mohanlal- Shobhana starrer sentimental social comedy caper in Malayalam Vellanakalude Nadu (1990), now to be remade in hindi. It's none other than Priyadarshan’s new Akshay Kumar film 'Khatta Meeta' which is introducing Trisha Krishnan to bollywood audience.

[ Sweetie Trisha Pics ]

While Akshay Kumar will play Mohanlal’s role, Trisha will essay Shobana’s character. Priyadarshan, it is believed, has added some real life incidents to the original script and made a few changes to suit the present day audience. The film's storyline has been altered to accommodate newspaper headlines.

Trisha will now play the role done by Shobhana in the original as played by Shobhana as an upright Panchayat Co-operative officer in charge of road building in a village.

“Bollywood films are special. Every actor wants do one. Of course, I’m happy to make my debut in a film like Khatta Meetha directed by Priyan Sir. I want to a strike a balance and do both bollywood and south films,” says Trisha.

The Khatta Meeta team is currently camping in Baramati in rural Maharashtra for the film shooting >> [ Read more cinema stuff ]

Now that she is engaged and the wedding date has been finalised, Shilpa Shetty is gearing up for her sangeet ceremony in Khandala.

[ Shilpa Shetty images ]

Shilpa will do all the requisite jhatkas-matkas while dancing to some of her most popular Bollywood songs with fiancé Raj Kundra at their sangeet.

Preparations are on in full swing and choreographer Ganesh Hegde will see to it that everybody's dance moves are perfect at the sangeet on November 21, a day before the wedding. The couple's family members and close friends will also be performing.

Giving us all the details, Ganesh says, “The sangeet is not a professional thing for me. I am related to Shilpa. We are keeping this as personal as possible and haven't involved any professional dancers. We're planning something cute where all the family members pay tribute to each other. Raj's younger brother is extremely enthusiastic about it. Raj's family members will be coming down from London.” [ See more details ]

The environment ministry on Monday published a discussion paper stating that there was no conclusive evidence to prove that the Himalayan glaciers are melting due to climate change.

[ Image: Himalayas ]

The report, released by Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh, however, made it clear that the views expressed by the author, Dr V K Raina, retired deputy director-general of the Geological Survey of India, are not that of the Union government and that it is meant to "stimulate discussion".

While releasing the report, Ramesh said that the discussion paper presents evidence that most glaciers are in the process of retreat while some Himalayan glaciers, such as the Siachen glacier, are actually advancing and some others are retreating at a rate lower than before, such as the Gangotri glacier.

The minister clarified that there was no doubt that the `health' of the glaciers was very poor and the situation was reaching alarming proportions but warned that there was little evidence to connect it to climate change or black carbon.

Dr Raina said, "None of our glaciers under monitoring are recording abnormal retreat."

He did qualify saying that there was not enough data to present any conclusive evidence to show linkages at the moment with long term data existing only for 20-30 glaciers and there was only one automated weather station in the entire Himalayas to record climatic data. [ Read complete article ]

Bebo(Kareena Kapoor) is facing problem promoting her two most ambitious flicks simultaneously. Read further to know what's going on with her exactly.

Bollywood Style Diva Kareena in dilemma

Bollywood's most stylish and promising actress Kareena Kapoor will be next seen in two ambitious projects Kurbaan opposite beau Saif Ali Khan and 3 Idiots opposite good friend Aamir Khan.

[ Hottie Kareena Gallery ]

Kareena's characters for both movies have built up huge expectations among her fans. Both the films are creating a lot of buzz in the market themselves. And, now Kareena's biggest worry(or confusion) is that how she should manage the promotion of both these films.

Though the film '3 idiots' is primarily the story of three male characters, there would be sufficient focus on the Aamir-Kareena love track as well. Kareena's rain song with Aamir in '3 Idiots' is being much talked about, whereas her chemistry with Saif in 'Kurbaan' is 'intriguing'.

Saif Ali Khan is excited about his upcoming movie Kurbaan and says it was a great to work with actress Kareena Kapoor. As already well-known, Aamir Khan excels at innovative promotion for his films and this time the star has taken the internet route to pitch his forthcoming film "3 Idiots" - where the film's star cast will video chat with fans on the web.

Kareena has not been able to decide her priorities regarding two movies. Let's see what she's going to decide shortly. [ Read more cinema related articles ]

Excerpts from a recent interview of Asin, to The Hindu. Check out what she has to say here.

CHENNAI EXPRESS ASIN THOTTUMKAL

A subtle play of emotions. An underplayed characterisation. A perfect foil for the egos of two singers. A balanced performance without interfering with the powerful portrayals of Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan. With just the right momentum of a ‘Chennai Express’ to chug non-stop through a journey to fulfil London Dreams. That’s Asin - natural, spontaneous and expressive.

[ Hottie Asin Blog ]

Does she miss Chennai and Kollywood? “Frankly, I would be open to offers from any industry, as long as the role is good. I have done most roles in the South, and don’t want to repeat them. If something really interesting comes up, I will not say no to a Tamil film. But, right now, things seem to be happening for me in Bollywood, and I feel I should give it a shot,” says Asin. She is not a girl in a hurry, and some of the top directors in the Hindi film industry are in talks with Asin.

For Asin, none of the current crop of heroines is a threat. “I don’t consider any of them competition. I don’t rate myself against their performance. Most of them have been in the industry for quite some time and done many films. I am two films old in Bollywood, and have a long way to go to even be on equal terms with any of them. My aim is to just do what has to be done and hope the movie will do well, and I will move on to the next,” concludes Asin on a confident note. [ Read full interview here ]

Tamil superstar Kamal Hassan who recently celebrated his 50th year in the film industry, turned 55 yesterday(07-Nov-2009).

KAMAL HAASAN -- The King of remakes

Kamal Haasan made his film debut as a 6-year-old child artiste, in the film Kalathur Kannamma, which was released on August 12, 1959, directed by A. Bhimsingh.

[ Image: Kamal kissing his daughter Shruti ]

[ See more of Kamal ]

Kamal Haasan first received a regional Filmfare Award for acting for his role in the Malayalam film Kanyakumari(1974).

Known for his penchant for taking up challenging roles, Kamal, as he is fondly called, is reputed to be a "perfectionist" and a tech-savvy professional who has never hesitated to experiment in his ventures.

In an era where people, in an attempt to recreate magic, tend to completely miss the point made by the films they try to remake, one man gets the soul right more often than not. His screenwriting career has had several bouts of both legal and illegal plagiarisms but one thing common about everything he remakes is the intelligence factor. He has an uncanny knack of always coming up with smart adaptations of already tried and tested stories.

“There is nothing wrong in remaking a good idea. In fact Kamban's Tamil Ramayanam itself was nothing but a very intelligent remake of the original Ramayana” - Kamal Haasan.

Here is a look back at the various movies Kamal has remade/copied and the various ideas he's intelligently adapted. >> [ Read complete article @ Indiatimes.com ]

It's close to tight-rope walking when you're bringing a cult classic into Tamil, and the effort shows in Sun Pictures' and Moserbaer's Kanden Kadhalai, the painstakingly re-made Jab We Met, directed by Jeyamkondaan-fame R Kannan - Says Rediff.com, read more as follows.

Kanden Kadhalai: Review by Rediff.com

Naturally, expectations are sky-high and the director's done his best to match Imtiaz Ali's dazzling efforts.

[ See more of Tamanna ]

You'd think, Tamannaah might be the incredibly odd one out in a Theni family but once you get past her North Indian looks, the girl actually manages to impress you with her acting. She's bright, bubbly, and despite some fits and starts, is pretty convincing as someone who always thinks positive, in the direst of situations. Chinmayi's voice suits her admirably. As for the emotional scenes, when she breaks down in Ooty; she genuinely packs a punch.

In contrast, it's Bharath who doesn't quite deliver with his usual panache. For a guy who's pulled of a few daring roles, he flounders except when he's the stoic, stern-faced MD. You suspect that this might be because of Pattukkottai Prabhakar's dialogues, which are all right when it comes to sentimental or even emotional scenes but fall short at bringing youthfulness and pep. And there's a faint North Indian flavour that takes a bit getting used to.

Barring Santhanam who delivers with his usual style, the rest of the cast doesn't have much to do.

In comparison with Jab We Met, you might find the magic slightly wanting. On its own, though, Kanden Kadhalai has its unique moments. And for that, it's certainly worth a watch. >> [ Read complete review @ REDIFF.com ]

The much awaited Bollywood musical film London Dreams, directed by Vipul Shah has hit the worldwide screens today(Oct 30 2009). Starring Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn in lead roles, the film also features Asin Thottumkal as the lead female character. Rannvijay Singh and Brinda Parekh play pivotal roles in the project. See what REDIFF has to say about the movie - the review follows...

London Dreams: Review by Rediff.com

The film is a story about two boys in Bhatinda, Punjab, who are the best of friends but two very different kids. And who grow up to be the perfect opposite of each other.

[ Visit ASINweb blog ]

The film is about an aspiring pop star (and his band London Dreams) but we do not know how every pretty young thing in UK becomes an overnight fan of a Hindi pop band, willing to sleep with the band members at every opportunity. There are two random guitar-toting flunkeys -- Aditya Kapoor and Rannvijay -- who literally jump around like boys with a toy gun.

The way Devgn's band is formed is quite ridiculous too. He begins singing at London's Trafalgar Square and suddenly Aditya Kapoor (with an acoustic guitar) and Rannvijay join him on the stage and begin jamming to an electronic number. By the time they get off the stage, the band is in place, and Devgn is ordering them around as the 'band leader.'

Asin, lovely to look at, is but a bizarre cross between a cheerleader and a groupie, whose talent lies in doing variations of the belly dance on stage. She joins the band at a make-or-break audition after this conversation: "Main kya karun?" she asks Rannvijay. "Just go with the flow," he answers. So, she shimmies and shakes a bit to impress the judges.

Sejal Shah's cinematography is commendable. Some of the songs by Shankar Ehsaan Loy leap out from the screen, thanks to the refreshing choreography. The film benefits hugely from both.

But London Dreams belongs to Salman. And though this becomes a problem for Devgn in the film and he plots to ruin him, there is precious little he can do about it in the theatres. One of the characters say about Salman in the film, "He's not a better talent, he's got adaa (style)". And that kind of sums it up.

You may like London Dreams for its beautiful frames, some paisa-vasool moments between Salman and Devgn, a good background score and catchy songs. For the rest, you need willing suspension of disbelief. And large doses of it >> [ Read complete review @ REDIFF.com ]

London Dreams is a Bollywood musical film directed by Vipul Shah. Starring Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn in lead roles, the film also features Asin Thottumkal as the lead female character. Rannvijay Singh and Brinda Parekh play pivotal roles in the project.

London Dreams: Review by Buzz18.in.com

Eventually London Dreams is all about the joy of watching Salman and Ajay's chemistry. Their star power makes up for all the flaws. Both have put their heart and soul into the film, delivering powerhouse, career defining performances.

[ Hottie ASIN Gallery ]

In recent years Bollywood hasn't churned out too many two-hero films. We have either witnessed overcrowded multistarrers or over packaged solo vehicles. London Dreams unties Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn more than a decade after the hugely popular Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Over the years, both actors have firmly carved a niche for themselves among the industry's top brigade.

Vipul Shah's story charts the lives of two friends, from the lush fields of Punjab to the high stakes world of showbiz. Arjun (Ajay Devgn) is an ambitious, trained musician whose dream is to perform at London's Wembly Arena. His best buddy Mannu (Salman Khan) is a natural talent. Despite his inborn ability, Mannu is not at all serious about music. On Arjun's insistence, Mannu joins his band and becomes an overnight star. Arjun might be the slogger – but Mannu has the fans. A jealous Arjun now has to choose between friendship and ambition. As Devgn says in one of the scenes - he has the passion, but his friend has the X-factor.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music perfectly compliments the screenplay. No song seems out of place. Asin is the common love interest and does what a traditional Hindi film heroine has to do, ie smile and go through several costume changes. The two VJ's (Rannvijay and Aditya) provide the right look to the rock band. [ Read complete review @ Buzz18.in.com ]

Resting at her home on her birthday on Monday, Asin laughed, “I’ve become quite a hazard zone, haven’t I? Going by the number of mishaps, I qualify as the desi Calamity Jane.

Actually, I hadn’t slept at all that day or the night before. I had been doing back-to-back interviews for London Dreams for the last one week with just 3-4 hours of sleep.

On that day, there was no sleep or food at all. Anyway, I’m making up for the exhausting week with the most peaceful and happy birthday of my life.”

Exhausted Asin spends a quiet birthday

Kerala born rising bollywood star Asin Thottumkal, whose back-to-back promotional campaigns for 'London Dreams' left her exhausted, ushered in her birthday quietly with a few friends and family members. She says it was the most 'peaceful and happy birthday' of her life.

[ Hottie Asin Gallery ]

Today after conquering south India Asin is one of the hottest females in Bollywood following the success of her debut film Ghajini. So now all eyes are on her as London Dreams is her big ticket to establish herself in Mumbai tinsel town.

Fainting spells seem contagious in the industry. Priyanka Chopra started the trend, and now Asin follows suit. It’s worrying though, that the compulsion to maintain an hourglass figure is affecting the health of the actresses.

They lose weight at an alarming rate and resort to unhealthy dietary plans. It’s bound to catch up, sometimes even in public.

On Saturday (October 24), just two days before her 24th birthday, Asin collapsed at a club in Andheri where she was doing a series of non-stop television interviews for her latest film.

In the middle of the conversations, Asin simply passed out and had to be revived by her staff and friends who rushed forward with instant energy-boosters.

Asin is under tension as her second release in Bollywood London Dreams is opening on Friday October 30 worldwide. She is now on five city promotional tour for the film. [ Read more about her birthday ]

Rediff says: The reunion of the team who gave us the classic Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha has a winner on its hands, if not a classic of the same proportion.

Pazhassi Raja is brilliant - Says Rediff.com

This movie made on a budget of average ten Malayalam movies, has a quality that has never been seen before.

[ Mallu actress stills ]

It is the tale of a historical superhero, narrated in a typical filmi fashion with many moments that stir up excitement in the audience. Pazhassi Raja (Mammootty) is said to have revolted against the British even before the famous revolt of 1857 began. His oft-repeated argument is -- should people who came to trade pepper and cardamom be allowed to govern us?

Mamootty may be the hero of this film but, he does not hog the limelight. There is ample scope for other stars like Sarath Kumar and even Manoj K Jayan to exhibit their histrionic skills and use their star aura.

The ensemble of the supporting cast is also used well. Padmapriya as Neeli, who is engaged to Thalakkal Chandu has good scope to do action sequences. [ Read complete review @ Rediff ]

Blue, directed by debutante Anthony D Souza, sets a new benchmark in Hindi filmmaking. And the film is a warning to all those women who boast of their so-called bikini shots. Lara Dutta shows you how to wear the two-piece, and look like a goddess of the sea.

BLUE has great stunts, but no thrill - Says Rediff.com

BLUE(bollywood film) boasts of some stunning underwater photography, the likes of which you may not have seen before in an Indian film (Peter Zuccharini -- Pirates of the Caribbean). It has some scintillating action sequences (James Bomalick -- Die Hard 4, Mr and Mrs Smith) both on the ground and underwater, superbly shot.

[ Hottie Bollywood Babes ]

Now that we are done with the pleasantries, here's what you actually need to know about Blue. It sets a new benchmark in squandering money and opportunity.

This film is an example how even with Rs 100 crore -- the reported budget -- worth of eye-popping gimmicks and stunts, you can make thriller that ends up being hilarious.

And that's largely because of the ridiculous plot, the inane dialogues and plain bad direction. The film has some cool songs, but a disappointingly weak background score. Maybe with the right kind of background music things would have looked up.

Blue was supposed to be a thriller. But if you made Captain Haddock of Tintin fame watch it, I am sure he would exclaim: Blue blistering barnacles! [ Read complete review @ Rediff ]

We have seen many films on marital problems. Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, starring Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Sohail Khan, is no different.

Main Aurr Mrs Khanna lacks punch - Says Rediff.com

In fact, we wonder what made Salman say yes to Prem Soni's directorial debut when he had already done a film on a similar topic in Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar. Surely it's not to revive his brother Sohail's (he is the producer of MAMK) flagging career?

[ Hot Kareena Gallery ]

Well, whatever the reason, don't hold your breath: Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is a failed attempt.

Performance-wise, though Kareena is okay, she is not convincing as a dedicated wife waiting for her husband to return. There is no sense of urgency in her performance, except for one sequence where she gets drunk and keeps saying her husband's name over and over again.

As for Salman, his role is more like an extended special appearance. That leaves Sohail, which is not saying much.

Bappi Lahiri is wasted. Come on, at least make the man sing! Yash Tonk overacts while Mahek Chahal is just okay. Nauheed Cyrusi's role is as skimpy as her outfit. Dino too doesn't have a lot to do. And yes, Preity Zinta's item number isn't happening, which is ironic considering it's called Happening. [ Read complete review @ Rediff ]

'Aadhavan' directed by KS Ravikumar starring Suriya and Nayantara in lead roles has hit the screens on Deepavali day(Oct 17 2009).

Aadhavan is clean fun - Says Rediff.com

Aadhavan is uncomplicated, clean, fun, and doesn't expect you to take it seriously. K S Ravikumar is known for his particular brand of movies: A little bit of action, dance, songs, comedy and thrills, all enveloped in a healthy dollop of lavish family sentiments, packaged attractively to entice even the most jaded viewer.

( Img: Surya with Nayan )

[ Aadhavan movie stills ]

He's pretty much followed the same formula in Udhayanidhi Stalin's latest Diwali [ Images ] entertainer: the Tamil film Aadhavan, starring the ever-youthful Suriya.

Only this time, the director seems to have fallen for the latest fad as well; gun slinging assassins in permanent attack mode.

And the director, like most veterans, knows that the pace needs to be to ensure a crisp watch. After a series of slick montage of images, Aadhavan (Suriya) makes his entrance in company of Ibrahim Rowther (Shayaji Shinde), the all-tricks-up-his-sleeve ruthless killer who'll pick off any target for the right price.

And, like Ayan, Suriya dons all sorts of disguises in company of his mate (Anand Babu) to accomplish his missions, flitting from country to country, toting every weapon known to man, almost.

Naturally, he's in great demand, and is deputed by Reddy (Rahul Dev [ Images ]) for a big one -- killing Judge Subramaniam (Bharath Murali), who's hot on the scent of several child murders (mirroring the Noida killings). Our hero has to shut him up before his findings come to light but he's got to do it in Kolkata [ Images ], where the judge's huge family is holed up along with him.

Enter the comedy element, a big one, in the form of laugh-a-minute gag-man Vadivelu. [ Read complete review @ Rediff ]

She may be just four films old but Bollywood sensation, Deepika Padukone believes that she does not need art-house cinema to prove her credentials as an actress.

>> See more hot pics

Deepika's contemporaries Katrina Kaif seems keen to silence her critics with filmmaker Prakash Jha's political drama Rajneeti. Priyanka Chopra too has shed her glamorous image for an off-beat film like Kaminey.

However, the model-turned-actress has no intentions to try her hand in parallel cinema to prove her acting prowess.

"Every film is a challenge for me which evolves me as an actress. I don't think I need to act in an art film to know myself better as an actress," said Deepika Padukone.

The surprise decision to award U.S. President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize elicited swift reaction Friday, with some hailing the choice and others expressing astonishment and skepticism.

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World leaders and Nobel laureates congratulated US President Barack Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize Friday, after the shock announcement by the Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The award, coming less than nine months into Obama's presidency, was hailed by most as recognition of the president's bold moves to reduce conflict in the world, and in some quarters as a premature, political gesture.

From the White House, ahead of a speech later in the day, word came that the president felt 'humbled' by the award.

Leading the praise from Oslo immediately after the announcement was Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who said that it was 'an important prize' that 'could help contribute to make the president's visions into effect'.

Nelson Mandela, who won the Peace Prize in 1993 for negotiating an end to Apartheid in South Africa, called on the US leader to use the prize to help fight poverty.

'We trust that this award will strengthen his commitment, as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, to continue promoting peace and the eradication of poverty.'

In Europe, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso all added their words of congratulation.