"Darsheel deserves National Award for Best Actor"

"Darsheel Safary in my opinion very well deserves National Award-For Best Actor in a Lead role," says Rishi.N.Khanduri, an avid follower of IndiaFM and one of the thousands of emails we received in response to the question posed by us in the article"Darsheel Safary win the Best Actor Trophy?" .The overwhelming majority of you guys strongly feel that Darsheel Safary deserves the best actor trophy at all the award functions for his stellar and heartwarming performance in Taare Zameen Par. Many of you also are of the opinion that lack of risk taking ability and a pressure to give in to usual commercial demands will force the organizers of the various film awards to go for a safer route. We at IndiaFM had a tough time choosing a few of the many emails we received on this subject. And those who don’t feature here, don’t worry, your best wishes will be forwarded to Darsheel and hope the movement started by you will have an impact on the award system in India.

1) I would like to first congratulate you for a very apt account of a masterpiece movie and a tremendous performance by a nine year old. I totally agree with the current state of award functions and I believe this performance will be overlooked by the so-called mainstream masala flicks and those candy floss kind of movies. But I hope that this performer does not stop here. Bravo my young friend Darsheel, I hope to see more of you on celluloid.

(Baha Uddin, Birmingham, UK)

2) Yes he deserves the nomination in best actor category award. The way he performed the role is really amazing. You feel attached to him and there is never a dull moment during his stay on the screen. He enacted emotional sequences so beautifully that it can bring tears in anyone’s eyes specially married ladies. I went to watch with a group of friends and all gals and ladies were in tears at the end. I definitely feel his performance was the best of 2007. But I am sure as always Filmfare will introduce new category of best child actor and give award to shahrukh as usual. Atleast he deserves to win critics best actor award. Won’t you think so?

(Jiten Vij)

3) An amazing performance by the child, displaying the enormous potential of the Indian cinema industry and how close it is now to eliminating the gap between cinema of the east and cinema of the west. All that said, sadly, it still has to overcome the immaturity of star power over that of true actors and so this gem of pure and sincere acting will at maximum will be awarded a laurel of 'Best Performance by a Child', or 'Best Debut' as history of Indian cinema awards is majorly bent towards all major awards (Best Actor, etc.) being reserved for stars rather than actors.

(Malika, Pakistan)

4) Darsheel should get the best actor award for 2007. His acting has overshadowed many great ones. As usual the the short sighted Indians who are responsible for awards or so called big headed idiots will pass on Drasheel. A handful of Indian film personalities rule the roost. Kudos to Aamir khan for not participating in the Indian award system. Amir is a very intelligent young man and has the nerve to ignore the silly biased award system in India. The same Aamir Khan participated so gracefully with his LAGAAN in the Oscars. It shows that Aamir Kahn does care for awards but definitely not Indian awards. Hats of to Aamir khan for being gutsy. Aamir khan is the best in the modern Indian cinema, after Dilip Kumar Sahib.

Darsheel does not stand chance. The award system in India is a farce. Yash Chopras, Karan Johars and Bachchans should keep the awards close to their own quarters.

(Mo Shahban)

5) Yes! Of course. Because of these reasons alone Aamir Khan has decided not to attend the awards function. Which is not the case with the Oscar where 5,000 strong Academy from all the Film Making sections votes for the best. And yes! Before voting in the Oscars you need to see the film. I think all the Indian Film Awards function especially Filmfare, Screen, IIFA need to learn a lot from them. Darsheel Safary in my opinion very well deserves National Award-For Best Actor in a Lead role.

(Rishi.N.Khanduri)

6) He should receive the best actor award according to me. I have seen a lot of Hindi cinema but not a movie like this one nor an acting compare to what Darsheel had delivered in this movie, other than Aamir Khan. Darsheel's performance was sensational. Through out the movie you can feel every emotion what he is going through and for someone to act in such a way that delivers an impact like that should receive the best actor award (even if he is only 10 years old). If he does not receive it then I don't think anyone else should deserve it. Please do share this comment with Darsheel to let him know what a fantastic job he has done and congrats to him and Aamir for make such a great movie that just warms the heart.

(Mayly Yang)

7) Darsheel definetly does deserve but as the rule goes in Bollywood functions, if there is a film of SRK or AB then the award goes to them. Every year you watch you tend to think how they come up with so many categories to please the bigwigs in the industry. The jury might find more acting in display of Khans abs than Darsheels innocent smile that can grip u as a movie watcher. So does he deserves it? No one deserves the award more than him this year. But will he make it? NO! Becoz that would be a insult to the mighty ppl in the industry so he might get as lame award as best child actor.

(Suma)

8) It has been well known to everyone that award functions in Bollywood are a mere joke. Awards are sold in those functions. People with PR skills walk away with awards when more deserving ones look helplessly. No wonder why great actors like Aamir, Naseer, Om Puri avoid these functions. Given this pretension I would think it will be again SRK hamming at the podium with the award, though his performance is way short of Darsheel’s performance. I would be highly disappointed if this kid doesn’t get the most prestigious national award for best actor. We people staying abroad hear that India is developing fast. Let them first show it to the world that India is a fair country. (Tapas)

9) I am a regular visitor of IndiaFM, i am thankful for IndiaFM for putting such a topic for discussion. In India the awards nowadays are biased, it hardly given to person who rightly deserved. All awards including Flimfare which was considered to be most prestigious is also fake now days and just done for collecting money from the organizers. They are too much partial to actors like Shah Rukh Khan, and producers like Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. I strongly recommend Darsheel names to be in the list of Best Actor as his performance in TZP was outstanding. the entire film was on shoulder. Aamir's name should be in the supporting category even he to will not mind of being nominated in tat category.

For me The winners are

Best Film: Taare Zameen Par
Best Dir: Aamir Khan
Best Actor: Darsheel
Best Actress: Tabu (Namesake)
Supporting Actor: Aamir Khan

(Bimal Pathak)

10) Dear Faridoon,

I had the same discussion with my friends as we were driving back after watching the movie. I had the same question, will Filmfare nominate and award Darsheel the best actor award for 2007? But after about 45 minutes of discussion, we concluded, considering the way of thinking goes at Filmfare surrounding the box-office report, Darsheel Safary has to satisfy with Best Child Artist, SRK will get best Actor for Chak De India and Aamir Khan has to be satisfy with Best Director award and OSO will get Best Movie of the year. I wish I am wrong. But this is the only way out for Filmfare to gain maximum viewers and make everyone happy.

(Kamal, Chicago)

11) I genuinely think that his was the best male performance in the passed 2007. I seriously couldn't find any performance that excited me enough. Darsheel was... AWESOME!!! Every film made today has some story related to the elder people, their lives, etc. Aamir Khan dared to make a film with this kind of a subject which no one dared to attempt or even think of. Kuddos to him...I genuinely feel that this story is an excellent piece of art & Darsheel will be THE superstar of tomorrow, if he gets some nice roles. Many awards are biased. Sometimes, deserving people don't get what they deserve. I'd sincerely wish that Darsheel Safary gets nominated in the Best Actor Category, not the Best Child Actor one. Even if he is nominated in the latter category, he is bound to win every single award in that. BEST OF LUCK to DARSHEEL SAFARY!!! I'm with you

(Prabal Gupta, Vadodara, Gujarat)

12) There is absolutely no doubt that Darsheel should win best actor. It was he who evoked the range of emotions that gripped the audience in TZP.

(Rojaneer)

13) I have watched TZP 4 times in the theatre. And still I have an urge to watch it again. Darsheel is one of the finest actors, and one of the greatest discoveries. His role is not over the top, and that’s what makes it more special. Its comparatively easy to do over the top characters, whose pains are visible. But Darsheel essayed the role of a boy who has myriad pains and frustration and yet has to conceal it. The way Darsheel has portrayed the character is worth an applaud. He had to show that he is concealing the pain within and yet he had to convey the pain.I had no doubt that the best newcomer award would go to Ranbir Kapoor for Saawariya, but after watching Darsheel, I think Ranbir is not even a bit close to him. Darsheel is the soul of the film, even though its an AAMIR KHAN MOVIE, everyone is going to watch it for the second time only for Darsheel, that itself speaks a lot about this rising star. I just pray that this boy gets the best newcomer award atleast!! I say atleast because I think he deserves the BEST ACTOR award.

(Maddie)

14) Darsheel should get the Best Actor 2007 Trophy. Darsheel has given a heart warming performance. SRK in 'Chak De' was a supporting actor. The girls of Chak De were the reason behind its success as we enjoyed their performances much more than SRK's.

We can only hope & vote for Darsheel at all award functions......hope SRK has a big heart & promotes the young talent by giving away his trophy to this young boy.

(Navin)

15) Will Darsheel Safary get the Best Actor Trophy? - yes, Yes, YES!!!

He has surpassed any actors range. For the year 2007, I do not believe anyone deserves the trophy and the accolades more than he does. I will personally feel disappointed if any of our current breed of actors come up on stage and "accept" the trophy. It righteously belongs to Darsheel. I hope he is not accommodated in the "special" category's that the awards seems to very ingeniously come up with so that Ranbir Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan can get the promising new-comer and best actor trophy's respectively.

Domestic Box-Office

(Note: Figures are as per the reported centres)

Welcome - Week 1 Mumbai - 5,75,51,877 (Incl. Thane) Ahmedabad - 1,77,48,317 Himmatnagar - 4,85,848 Gandhinagar - 5,50,040 Baroda - 55,00,000 Surat - 76,00,000 Valsad - 2,60,000 Navsari - 3,47,000 Rajkot - 24,00,000 Bhuj - 4,10,000 Adipur - 3,50,000 Bharuch - 6,03,243 Jamnagar - 4,68,000 Bhavnagar - 13,85,000 Pune - 1,84,00,000 Solapur - 6,71,000 Ahmedabad - 3,59,212 Goa - 24,00,000 Nasik - 29,25,000 Delhi - 3,00,81,241 Noida - 41,97,641 Kaushambi - 28,01,803 Gurgaon - 53,71,834 Ghaziabad - 93,94,091 Aligarh - 7,01,000 Moradabad - 10,92,683 Mathura - 2,51,000 Jhansi - 3,00,000 Bulandsheshar - 2,09,835 Gorakhpur - 5,46,639 Saharanpur - 4,57,788 Dehradun - 7,50,000 Muzaffaranagar - 2,95,000 Khurja - 2,52,000 Shamli - 1,93,000 Shahjahanpur - 1,16,000 Sitapur - 1,65,327 Agra - 13,00,000 Kanpur - 29,87,504 Meerut - 22,15,684 Pilkhuwa - 60,000 Modinagar - 1,07,615 Bareilly - 3,86,606 Faridabad - 29,46,036 Lucknow - 52,25,692 Varanasi - 19,40,733 Allahabad - 60,900 Amritsar - 8,13,070 Hissar - 7,71,895 Rohtak - 3,50,005 Rewari - 3,48,881 Ambala - 1,91,053 Chandigarh - 24,77,308 Ludhiana - 32,03,389 Jalandhar - 17,62,830 Bhatinda - 4,0,190 Jammu - 7,72,370 Chandrapur - 4,30,040 Nagpur - 38,43,176 Raipur - 15,75,044 Bhilai - 6,00,403 Amravati - 5,77,474 Jabalpur - 4,91,486 Yavatmal - 2,63,345 Wardha - 3,07,169 Sagar - 2,46,517 Durg - 1,80,753 Bhandara - 1,18,066 Rajnandgaon - 1,81,767 Balaghat - 1,17,024 Parathwada - 1,21,092 Gondia - 1,50,424 Akola - 4,29,563 Jalgaon - 4,84,000 Bhopal - 21,93,065 Indore - 54,17,667 Guna - 1,82,525 Ujjain - 2,47,007 Sehore - 2,40,315 Jaipur - 80,00,000 Jodhpur - 18,00,000 Kota - 10,00,000 Ajmer - 10,00,102 Bikaner - 7,00,000 Kolkatta - 1,26,09,814 Guwahati - 6,76,467 Darjeeling - 1,39,420 Bangalore - 97,06,664 Hyderabad - 98,15,515 Aurangabad - 20,90,651 Chennai - 22,09,693 (Average per print: 6,36,371) Total collections for Week 1: 27,36,99,428 Total Collections (Till Date): 27,36,99,428 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 27,36,99,428 6,36,371 NA Total Gross 27,36,99,428 Taare Zameen Par - Week 1 Mumbai - 4,27,61,101 (Incl. Thane) Ahmedabad - 50,09,325 Himmatnagar - 43,264 Gandhinagar - 2,19,322 Baroda - 6,39,318 Bharuch - 2,84,330 Bhavnagar - 2,71,340 Ahmednagar - 1,56,302 Valsad - 2,17,323 Pune - 10,43,018 Goa - 7,58,940 Nasik - 7,61,933 Delhi - 2,49,77,814 Noida - 26,93,107 Kaushambi - 4,80,862 Gurgaon - 37,34,535 Aligarh - 4,17,000 Agra - 3,05,000 Meerut - 6,11,136 Moradabad - 1,99,426 Dehradun - 4,08,473 Bareilly - 1,80,000 Faridabad - 6,20,602 Amritsar - 50,960 Lucknow - 1,70,383 Nagpur - 10,51,305 Raipur - 7,65,377 Indore - 12,91,471 Ujjain - 50,661 Sehore - 1,24,275 Jaipur - 27,88,130 Kota - 5,60,152 Ajmer - 4,46,267 Bhilwara - 96,856 Jodhpur - 4,76,018 Udaipur - 1,90,399 Kolkatta - 35,80,733 Guwahati - 3,20,355 Darjeeling - 87,180 Bangalore - 1,12,08,132 Mangalore - 6,95,793 Chennai - 4,99,828 (Average per print: 6,53,384) Total collections for Week 1: 11,12,47,746 Total Collections (Till Date): 11,12,47,746 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 11,12,47,746 6,53,384 NA Total Gross 11,12,47,746 Strangers - Week 2 Gandhinagar - 370 Dehradun - 12,357 (Average per print: 6,363) Total collections for Week 2: 12,727 Total Collections (Till Date): 25,41,607 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 25,28,880 36,127 NA Week 2 12,727 6,363 -99.50 Total Gross 25,41,607 Dus Kahaniyaan - Week 3 Mumbai - 7,019 Ahmedabad - 13,260 Gandhinagar - 350 Baroda - 16,090 Bharuch - 95 Jamnagar - 36,071 Pune - 8,760 Goa - 20,925 Nasik - 1,120 Kaushambi - 10,482 Nagpur - 7,669 Raipur - 13,750 Jaipur - 5,750 Kota - 3,352 Kolkatta - 55,471 Darjeeling - 2,583 Bangalore - 31,031 (Average per print: 10,459) Total collections for Week 3: 2,33,778 Total Collections (Till Date): 4,34,95,491 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 3,37,63,461 2,04,056 NA Week 2 94,98,252 1,03,832 -71.87 Week 3 2,33,778 10,459 -97.54 Total Gross 4,34,95,491 Aaja Nachle - Week 4 Mumbai - 4,05,860 (Incl. Thane) Ahmedabad - 86,972 Himmatnagar - 2,736 Baroda - 18,838 Bharuch - 1,112 Pune - 4,971 Goa - 27,456 Nasik - 5,574 Delhi - 58,458 Noida - 68,611 Kaushambi - 11,88,111 Gurgaon - 69,893 Bareilly - 36,553 Faridabad - 35,190 Dehradun - 45,128 Nagpur - 6,105 Raipur - 9,242 Indore - 9,254 Jaipur - 6,754 Kota - 1,344 Kolkatta - 1,06,426 Bangalore - 16,926 Chennai - 15,651 (Average per print: 35,376) Total collections for Week 4: 22,27,165 Total Collections (Till Date): 7,44,47,964 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 4,71,17,907 3,23,727 NA Week 2 1,75,53,574 1,35,212 -62.75 Week 3 75,49,318 68,539 -56.99 Week 4 22,27,165 35,376 -70.50 Total Gross 7,44,47,964 Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal - Week 5 Mumbai - 2,463 Baroda - 16,472 Nasik - 2,571 Goa - 15,698 Dehradun - 48,098 Nagpur - 4,149 Raipur - 7,081 Darjeeling - 2,814 Kolkatta - 23,864 Bangalore - 14,951 (Average per print: 9,869) Total collections for Week 5: 1,38,161 Total Collections (Till Date): 15,42,15,769 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 10,31,68,271 2,30,375 NA Week 2 4,11,55,673 1,40,286 -60.11 Week 3 64,77,460 91,232 -84.26 Week 4 32,76,204 55,529 -49.42 Week 5 1,38,161 9,869 -95.78 Total Gross 15,42,15,769 Om Shanti Om - Week 7 Mumbai - 5,10,346 Ahmedabad - 75,759 Baroda - 7,764 Bharuch - 3,124 Jamnagar - 91,124 Gandhinagar - 2,442 Pune - 10,505 Goa - 24,598 Delhi - 2,14,123 Agra - 1,50,318 Aligarh - 22,775 Moradabad - 46,000 Dehradun - 24,124 Bareilly - 99,489 Nagpur - 7,447 Raipur - 23,841 Indore - 1,965 Jaipur - 19,027 Kota - 9,070 Kolkatta - 27,703 Darjeeling - 3,553 Bangalore - 1,48,316 (Average per print: 32,549) Total collections for Week 7: 15,23,413 Total Collections (Till Date): 35,58,56,794 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 17,12,99,581 9,12,504 NA Week 2 10,32,74,209 5,73,796 -39.71 Week 3 4,44,83,205 2,63,643 -56.93 Week 4 1,90,80,021 1,32,464 -57.11 Week 5 92,30,341 94,369 -51.62 Week 6 69,66,024 79,688 -24.53 Week 7 15,23,413 32,549 -78.13 Total Gross 35,58,56,794 Jab We Met - Week 9 Mumbai - 7,198 Jamnagar - 77,726 Baroda - 1,594 Pune - 7,359 Nasik - 7,628 Delhi - 2,21,901 Noida - 97,018 Gurgaon - 1,01,964 Agra - 71,487 Lucknow - 6,702 Indore - 9,394 Nagpur - 2,612 Raipur - 11,527 Kolkatta - 81,178 Jaipur - 7,943 Bangalore - 84,321 (Average per print: 59,739) Total collections for Week 9: 7,97,552 Total Collections (Till Date): 13,69,68,324 Collections (INR) Avg. Per Print % change since last week Week 1 6,21,80,087 4,03,263 NA Week 2 3,04,66,450 3,51,281 -51.00 Week 3 81,38,757 1,16,268 -73.29 Week 4 1,21,84,669 1,71,615 +49.71 Week 5 87,22,276 1,19,483 -28.42 Week 6 60,35,164 91,442 -30.81 Week 7 42,29,907 84,598 -29.91 Week 8 42,13,462 1,05,490 -0.39 Week 9 7,97,552 59,739 -81.07 Total Gross 13,69,68,

What they said, what we heard!

There's a famous saying that 'Perception is everything. Either the glass is half empty or half full depends upon the way you perceive it to be'. With the year 2007 coming to a close, we, at IndiaFM hit upon an idea of 'perceiving' the star-quotes the way we want it to! Simply put, we have merely 'decoded' the underlying meaning of their quotes. Here's presenting some of the most wonderful quotes from our wonder-full Bollywood companions had said in 2007. Some mean it, some don't, but we have them ready for you to read. So, sit back in silence as the 'Quote Martial' is in progress… “We're prepared for the bad reviews" - Tushar Jalota Wow! You should become a trade analyst “I would love a holiday in a lovely location, in a secret place…with a secret someone. Yeah...that would be great of Santa if my wish is fulfilled.” -Vidya Balan Are you passing hints at someone? Shahid, I hope you are listening “I guess Ajay and I have a good chemistry.” - Kareena Kapoor … but he will never hit on you sweetie “DK is my departure from usual style of filmmaking" - Sanjay Gupta Does that mean no more bikini clad babes, wild item numbers and green or yellow tinted prints? “I never apologized to SRK, Farah”- Anurag Kashyap Sure, coz you never got their appointment “My chemistry with Aamir can't be repeated" - Pooja Bhatt Even Darsheel says that about Aamir after Taare Zameen Par "I was willing to chop off the Manoj Kumar scene" - Farah Khan Well, it's not like you had much of a choice “Cooking relaxes me" - Ajay Devgan Now, we know how Kajol gets time to shoot for films “Imtiaz and I share the same wavelength" - Shahid Kapoor Are you calling Imtiaz a kiddie boy? "Anurag should be careful of admirers" - Sudhir Mishra …if he has any that is "I came to Mumbai to become hero" - Anand Raj Anand You still have scope brother. Look at Himesh I'm not comfortable doing lovemaking scenes" - Soniya Jehan Really? You seemed too comfortable onscreen though “I cannot do all kinds of roles yet but I am learning everyday.” -John Abraham Now, that's an honest confession of the year. Applause! "Different filmmakers approach you with subjects that look highly exciting on paper, but after execution they turn out to be all wrong." - Jimmy Shergill Poor filmmakers. They should be more careful with the casting in future "I have a six pack and the only six pack I've had is...six packs of beer and I've also attempted a twelve pack and I am going to outdo all these celebrities who've got six pack." - Kunal Kapoor Now there's our man. Cheers!!! "I have no qualms in doing bold scenes" - Nandana Sen And we have no qualms watching them "I am not seeking sensationalism" - Anurag Kashyap Anurag dear, your blogs are still very much live on the internet

B-babes performing on New Yrs Eve

It's that time of the year when everyone says 'Goodbye-Tata' to the year gone by and get all geared up to say 'Welcome' to the New Year. In between the departure of the old year and the advent of New Year lies something the 'midnight' for which everyone waits with bated breath, to welcome the New Year with open arms. For the urban crowd, the New Year celebrations include shelling out money in some of the five starred mega structured hotels to see some of the 'dhinchaak' Bollywood heroines, live in flesh! But the flip side of the coin is that this money gets translated into a pot-full of moolah for these 'dhinchaak' heroines. And these pot-full goes to the tunes of anywhere between a few lakhs till crores, depending upon the 'Saleability Quotient' of the star.

IndiaFM brings to you an insight of the star-charges and the places where you can go star-hunting (with the damages, of course!)

Topping this year's 'pricey-list' is none other than Bipasha Basu who will be performing at the JW Marriott, Juhu. She is reportedly said to be charging a staggering Rs 90 lakhs! The costs of the tickets are kept at Rs 11,500 per person (including taxes and food). BTW, who needs booze when the 'intoxicating' Bips is around! The saddest part of the story is that 'children' below 21 years are not allowed! Though some portion of the market says that the figures have just been exaggerated (and that the actual figures rest at Rs 72 lakhs), whereas the other portion of the market says that the figure quoted is lesser than what she is charging (and that the actual figures rest at a staggering Rs 1.23 crores)! Rumors have it that come what may, Bipasha cannot be a Mallika Sherawat as the latter's pull is far greater than the former. Last year, Mallika pulled off a show-stopper of a show with a price tag attached of Rs 50 lakhs for a half an hour performance!

However, it's not just Bipasha who will be joining you in welcoming the New Year. The Drama Queen Rakhi Sawant alongwith her 'all-in-one' boyfriend, Abhishek Awasthi, and DJ Whosane will also be performing on New Year’s Eve. You can find all of them performing at Tulip Star Hotel, Juhu. The charges here are Rs 7000 for a couple entry with unlimited food and drinks. But again, 'children' below 18 years are not allowed! Rakhi is reported to have charged the organizers a whopping Rs 51 lakhs for her performance! Rumors are also rife that Rakhi will make the most of this 'platform' to project her angst against the Star TV for their allegedly rigged voting system in 'Nach Baliye', where she and her boyfriend Abhishek lost to Saajida Sheikh and Aamir Ali.

Not far behind are Koena Mitra and Tanushree Dutta, who will be joined along with the songster Mika in Sahara Star, Mumbai. The rates of the tickets here are priced at Rs 20,000 for a couple and Rs 11,500 for singles. Koena is supposedly charging the organizers Rs 27 lakhs for her 16 minute performance whereas Tanushree Dutta has been signed for Rs 15 lakhs for her 24 minutes performance.

The next in row are an array of celebrities who will be India-trotting as a part of their New Year performance. They are none other than Amrita Arora (performing in Bangalore), Malaika Arora (performing in Delhi), Neha Dhupia (performing in Ahmedabad), Mahima Choudhary (performing in Kolkatta), and southern sensation Sada (performing in Chennai) with Udita Goswami (performing in Pune) and Rimmi Sen (performing in Mumbai).

One of the event organizers (strictly on the condition of anonymity) said, "The charges of these stars are directly proportional to their popularity. Girls like Malaika Arora command easily upto Rs 25-30 lakhs which is almost the same like the southern bombshell Sada. Whereas Amrita Arora charges Rs 12 lakhs, Neha Dhupia charges anywhere between Rs 15-20 lakhs, Mahima Choudhary charges Rs 5 lakhs, Udita Goswami who used to charge Rs 15 lakhs for any performance now has reduced to Rs 5-8 lakhs.

With so much happening this New Year’s Eve, who wouldn't wanna be a 'sell-ebrity'!

Tanuja returns - as a ghost on TV

Mumbai, Dec 29 (IANS) Chirpy yesteryear actress Tanuja has appeared on the small screen as a ghost in the new series "Babbanbhai Vs Bimlatai". She says she accepted the role because it was different from the "saas-bahu" sagas.

The serial comes every Thursday on the newly launched general Hindi entertainment channel 9X.

"I kept receiving a lot of offers. They were all 'saas-bahu' sagas where I had to play the head of the family. I cannot see myself doing these soaps that go on and on," Tanuja told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"When I was offered this, I liked the concept. When I heard about the character, I freaked out. I thought to myself, what can I do with this character that imparts a social message in a funny way. I was happy that I would be doing something to make people laugh," she added.

The serial sees her playing Bimalatai, a social worker who helps children and youngsters in slums.

"During one of Bimalatai's visits she meets Babban, who is following in the footsteps of his father, an underworld don. On his first assignment as a don, he hits a guy but fumbles and loses his car keys. I get hold of the keys and manipulate him.

"The next time, I chance upon him at a meeting with a corrupt minister. Babban comes to kill him, I try to dissuade him and in the scuffle he is shot and I also get hurt. I am declared brain-dead, while he requires a heart transplant to survive. My heart is transplanted in his body. After he recovers Babban realises that he cannot carry on with his misdeeds.

"I appear as a ghost with a daily newspaper and coax him to stop crimes and criminals. I threaten to strangle him if he doesn't follow my orders."

The actress, who started her career in 1950 with "Hamari Beti" and acted in films such as "Jewel Thief" and "Haathi Mere Saathi", says another plus point was that the producers agreed to all her terms and conditions.

"It is a weekly, which suits me fine. It's great fun doing this serial."

The actress teams up with Gaurav Gera, who played Jassi's bespectacled, well-oiled friend Nandu in "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin". She has a great tuning with him.

"Before we did the serial, I had met him in Canada when he had done a small role in Tanisha's 'Neal 'N' Nikki'. Also, I used to watch 'Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin' and loved his character Nandu in it. I thought he was cute in that. I was a fan of his," she said.

"We share our birthdays, though we are 100 years apart! I think he's extremely mature for his age and a multi-faceted actor. Both of us improvise on the script and dialogue to make it better. He is a great co-actor."

The actress has three films on the floor. One of them is being directed by Satish Kaushik. It is untitled and there's 'Hal-e-Dil'. I am also acting in a Bengali film."

Her daughter Kajol, who took a sabbatical from films after tying the knot with Ajay Devgan, is coming with her hubby in "U, Me Aur Hum".

Asked about the film, Tanuja said: "Ajay has been inviting me to see the rushes but I have told him I will watch it when it's complete and in the theatre on the day of the premiere. I can wait till then."

Simi Garewal was smitten by Benazir's personality

Mumbai, Dec 29 (IANS) "I'm shattered. I cannot accept her going away. As I talk to you, I haven't come to terms with her not being alive. She was strong and vivacious... That something so ghastly could happen...," said actress and television host Simi Garewal reacting to the assassination of the Pakistan Peoples Party chief Benazir Bhutto.

Expressing her agony, Garewal said: "It's just so horrible. To say anything about what has happened would be belittling the enormity of the tragedy. Just five days ago, I found the most affectionate email messages from her. After the tragedy last night, crew of Rendezvous, the celebrity interview show that I host, messaged me to say they remembered how I interviewed her in Dubai."

"The Benazir I knew was not just a superb states-woman and a politician, she was also a personal friend. The minute we met for 'Rendezvous', we bonded as though we had known each other all our lives. We spoke about girlie things over so many sessions that began with her appearance on 'Rendezvous'," the actress recalled.

Garewal is full of personal anecdotes. Benazir apparently walked into the room where the 'Rendezvous' crew was setting up equipment at her home in Dubai. "She came in without a dot of make-up, her hair tied in a knot. She came in, saw how we had moved everything in her home."

Benazir exclaimed: "Oh my God! What have you done to my room!" Garewal recalls that her crew was instantly smitten by the "slain" politician's warmth and spontaneity. "They found her so beautiful. Then she came down for the interview. We just bonded and it lasted far beyond the 'Rendezvous'. I felt she was a friend I knew from school."

The actress has vivid memories of the tea Benazir served after the interview. "She not only cut the cake and poured the tea herself, she personally served it to every member of my team. That was Benazir! I did not feel that I was sitting with a former and future prime minister. I felt I was bonding with a female friend. Yes, I felt the same with Jayalalitha. But not to this extent. Benazir and I giggled and giggled."

Benazir told mutual Pakistani friends later how much she enjoyed meeting Simi Garewal. "After the 'Rendezvous' interview, she said we must meet again in London. We used to spend a lot of time in London over dinners and lunches. Benazir, her sister Sanam, my sister Amrita and I had a sisters' lunch in London. I don't know whether Benazir and her sister were as close as I am with my sister, but Benazir kept us entertained throughout that afternoon," the actress recalled.

"She had seen my documentary on Rajiv Gandhi. She was very curious about him. She wanted to know details about him. And we talked about make-up. Benazir thought her make-up was terrible and she wanted tips from me...We spoke about everything from politics to astrology and the media. We spoke so much so fast! We met many times. She could never stop laughing about how I tried to make her pose for the opening titles of the Rendezvous," the television host said.

The actress recalled that Benazir kept saying: "What on earth were you making me do?' She'd burst into uncontrollable peals of laughter. That infectious laughter still rings in my ears. I still have her lovely letter saying how much she loved the show. We discussed her politics constantly. I remember once she asked me if it would be a good idea to do another show on television. I advised her against it. And she listened to me.

Narrating another anecdote, she said a friend in India had asked Benazir to attend an event. She wrote a lovely letter begging off. "Quite recently, Benazir was in Delhi I was supposed to meet her but couldn't. I sent flowers to her hotel, which she did not get. Ah, those memories! My heart reaches out to her children, specially the younger daughter who's 14 and needs her mother. What an adorable girl. I remember Benazir being certain she would be back as the prime minister. How was she to know death would be a much larger certainty?"

Priyanka is amazingly focussed: Bhandarkar

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Is Madhur Bhandarkar's "Fashion" going to do for Priyanka Chopra what his "Chandni Bar" did for Tabu and "Satta" did for Raveena Tandon?

The vibes between the film's director and Priyanka who comes straight from the actioner "Drona" to the delicate intricacies of the beau monde in "Fashion" has to be believed to be seen.

"She's amazingly focussed and intelligent. I've just worked for a few days with her. But Priyanka will be very special in 'Fashion'," Bhandarkar says.

The film's other leading lady Kangana Ranaut is yet to start shooting. "But I've written some powerful confrontation scenes between the two actresses. They will be fabulous together, I know it," says Bhandarkar.

Bhandarkar hopes to wrap up the shooting by June. He denies rumours that the film is heading for the Paris Fashion Week.

"We could shoot the fashion week in New York, Milan or Paris. And these scenes don't have to be integral to the plot. They could just be part of the credit titles for all we know."

"See, 'Fashion' is my most glamorous film to date, I don't deny that," admits Bhandarkar. "But to me getting to the emotional core of my characters is very important. Fashion won't be a superficial glossy film. Like all my films it will have a very strong emotional core."

Bollywood 2007: Few exceptions, no feats

I'll be honest. Apart from a few exceptions, I don't think 2007 delivered any outstanding films. I mean, I really liked Sriram Raghavan's noire film "Johnny Gaddar", but finally it wasn't that one piece de resistance I was looking for, until the yearend when Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' wrote poetry on the screen with the calm controlling measured paces of historical engravings.

Every one was a bit befuddled by the film's bluesy mood and studio-confined romanticism. But as Preity Zinta, who recently saw the film in Toronto and raved, "It takes a while, but once you get into the pace you're completely sucked in."

I'll have to go with that. I sincerely believe "Saawariya" is destined to be a retro-classic like Guru Dutt's "Kaagaz Ke Phool" and Raj Kapoor's "Mera Naam Joker". Was it just a coincidence that the "Saawariya" lead reminded people of Waheeda Rehman and Raj Kapoor?

My second favourite film of the year was also slammed by the learned critics of Mumbai. But to me Pradeep Sarkar's "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag" about a simple Varanasi girl's journey into prostitution in Mumbai was a lyrical and evocative piece of art, echoing Ritwik Ghatak's "Meghe Dhaka Tara" and K. Balachander's neglected "Aaina".

So there! And then comes R. Balkrishnan's "Cheeni Kum". The chemistry between the 60-plus chef Amitabh Bachchan and the 30-plus whatever Tabu was harnessed into a romantic comedy that lost its fizz in the second-half. Never mind. "Cheeni Kum" is still a modern classic.

Bhavna Talwar's "Dharm" about religious bigotry and atonement in holy Varanasi was a timeless tale told with verve and virility. The key to the film's tantalising tone was the knack of incorporating a critical social comment in an enormously watchable film.

You may have missed "Dharm" on release. But catch it on a DVD, and re-live a golden chapter of Hindi cinema in 2007.

Golden in its own right was Mira Nair's "The Namesake". Though strictly not desi stuff, it was so Indian at heart it put our contemporary Bollywood tales about hot dames and cool dudes to shame. Simplicity was never such a prized virtue.

Mira, take a bow.

The two qualities that made Imtiaz Ali's "Jab We Met" so special were the disarming simplicity and the great outdoors. Imtiaz shot this artless love story about a mismatched couple in the remotest corners of India. Interestingly, "Saawariya" shot its romance completely inside a studio. Between the two films we have the two scintillating ends of the same spectrum.

I loved Anurag Basu's "Life In A Metro" and Madhur Bhandarkar's "Traffic Signal" for their ensemble cast of known, unknown and don't-wanna-know. The portrayal of life in Mumbai as seen through two totally antithetical perspectives in the two films reminded us that between the elite and the street crowds, there's the world that the creative artiste could inhabit if he or she wishes.

Shimit Amin's "Chak De! India" was undoubtedly one of the year's most spectacular achievements. Imagine a film on a female hockey team with
India's biggest superstar playing a burnt-out coach? Nah! Not work.

"Chak De! India" didn't just run it, the movie breezed across all competition and assumed a cult status. It set the benchmark for all sports films in India.

The funniest film of the year was... no, not "Bhool Bhulaiyaa" (god forbid!) but another NRI film. "The Loins Of Punjab Presents" was Manish Acharya's feisty, tasty, racy look at contestants in a reality show with the show's highlight being Shabana Azmi crooning "Chura liya hai tumne".

Comfortably, the most heart-warming film of 2007 was "Taare Zameen Par" with an immensely satisfying directorial debut by Aamir Khan. That the film came at the end of the year only added to the feeling that 2008 holds great promise.

The year 2007 came with its baggage of disappointments. The year's biggest letdown was Anil Mehta's directorial debut in "Aaja Nachle". What was Mehta thinking when he brought Madhuri Dixit back in such a feebly written script and anaemically directed tale?

In comparison, I loved Siddharth Anand's "Ta Ra Rum Pum", which suffered only because the film's concept of poverty entailed the insolvent family moving from Manhattan to Queen's in New York.

How about from Malabar Hill to Dharavi?

And an honorary mention of debutant director Manoj Tyagi's much-neglected "Mumbai Salsa" about six youngsters scouring Mumbai for love, sex and a self-identity - the film worked because of its sassy dialogues and situations, energy level, humour and originality.

The newcomers weren't hyped like the girls in "Chak De! India", but were effective because of their nondescript personalities.

As for the outright creative duds of the year, let's not even go there.

Shemaroo inks $6.6-million satellite deal with Zee

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt Ltd, one of India's largest aggregators of movies for broadcast, has entered into a 10-movie deal with Zee TV worth Rs.260 million ($6.6 million) for satellite broadcast.

Zee TV will telecast these movies on its satellite channel over a period of five years from 2008.

The movies include "Dhamaal", "Dhol", "Manorama Six Feet Under", "Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar", "Raqueeb", "Yatra" and "Anuranan" (the Hindi version).

This is said to be one of the costliest ever deals Zee has made with a content provider.

"The deal is worth the cost, considering many of these movies which figure in the deal with Shemaroo will be telecast on television for the first time," a source in Zee TV told IANS, justifying the staggering cost of the deal for a bouquet of just 10 films.

Shemaroo, which owns the different television rights of more than 1,200 films in Hindi and other Indian languages, had provided films for satellite broadcast to Zee and other channels earlier also.

But its latest deal with Zee is considered most lucrative.

"Content syndication involves a lot of thought and planning, keeping in mind the nature of content and the platform of syndication. We are certain that this satellite deal with Zee will prove beneficial to both," said Vinod Karani, vice-president, content syndication, Shemaroo Entertainment.

According to Shemaroo director Hiren Gada, the company has India's largest library of films.

"We own different rights of these films and part with them for specific period, ranging from 5 to 7 years, to different electronic media. We constantly replenish our library with new films," he said.

2007 fades out on buoyant note for entertainment

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Detours from convention, digitisation and a ringing till! Bollywood never had it so good.

The year 2007 rained largesse on the world's second largest movie industry with hits like "Chak De! India", "Bheja Fry" and "Taare Zameen Par" - three medium-budget movies with rather unconventional plots. Bollywood raked in a profit of Rs.4 billion. And there's quite a lot that's waiting to happen in 2008.

"In my opinion, 2007 will be remembered for a Hollywood Studio's (Sony Pictures) first Indian venture 'Saawariya'. The film grossed over $19 million, which was more than recovering the cost of production," Vikramjit Roy, head of publicity, Sony Pictures Releasing India, told IANS.

Vikas Mohan, editor of Mumbai-based trade magazine Supercinema, said Bollywood's profits this year were not more than Rs.4.5 billion.

"Although corporate houses claim that investment in Hindi films was over Rs.6 billion, actual investment was about Rs.4.5 billion and we have doubled the money we invested in films," said Mohan.

The Rs.8,400-crore Indian film industry is expected to touch the Rs.17,500 crore mark by 2011, said a FICCI report on the industry, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Corporatisation and digitisation are going to be the important factors in taking the industry to a greater height, the report added.

Although regional cinema industry barring Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films is not growing at the same rate, digitisation will open new avenues for them as well.

India's economic boom has expanded the consumption list of the middle class, which is expected to push up industry profits. India's one billion people spend close to Rs.80 billion ($2 billion) on movie tickets each year, a figure expected to grow by 30 percent over the next five years, said a new report, Cinemagoing India, prepared by Britain-based analyst Dodona Research.

Another major change that has taken place is that India has emerged as a cinema market with huge potential. Shekhar Kapur, the Hollywood-based Indian director, was quoted as saying that Asia was no longer a hub for ideas but a huge market for many international releases.

"For many international releases today, where 80 percent of the revenue was earlier coming from the US box office, today it is only a third. Two-thirds are pouring in from outside US markets. And in future, this would do down to just 10 percent.

"European economy today is middle-aged. India and China are bringing in the young audience. The balance of 90 percent will come from the young markets and people understand that," Kapur said.

Another important change that the director of "Elizabeth - The Virgin Queen" pointed out is the multiple revenue streams and changing consumption pattern.

"Not just a shift in consumption, but there has been a shift in the pattern of media consumption as well. From being back office boys or doing 'second hand' work, Mumbai and Singapore are the next hubs. We have the markets here, a large talent pool and a lot going for us - it has to happen that way," Kapur said.

"Today, it is obsolete to not include changes in the digital space. Something like YouTube can really wake you up. What did Lilly Allen do? She put her song on MySpace, it became the number one there and then Sony BMG came to her. She didn't go to them!

"The spread of technology is so wide today that a maker will soon beg: 'please protect my copyright for a day'. After that, he knows, everyone would have access to it," Kapur added.

Rajat Barjatya, younger brother of director Sooraj Barjatya, has taken the first step in this direction by releasing his home production "Vivah" simultaneously on Internet and theatres.

He has also developed special content for the new media and is all set to launch India's first soap for mobile phone users in January.

Increasing market penetration, technological advancements, new platforms for content delivery and a surge in foreign and private equity fund investments will not only fuel Hindi film industry's growth but trigger phenomenal growth in the entertainment sector.

Digitisation is seen as a major relief as it offers cost benefits. It has reduced the print duplication cost. Earlier, copying a movie print cost Rs.60,000. Thanks to digitisation, now the same job costs just Rs.5,000, says an Assocham report on digitisation of media.

Digital delivery of films will enable maximization of reach on the first day of theatrical release, thereby significantly reducing the release window for each platform. This will enable filmmakers to capture revenues within a shorter span of time, the report added.

As digital cinema accumulates a sizeable mass, film distribution costs will drop further with the advent of central transmission centres akin to television broadcasting. This would help worldwide release of a movie on day one, cut short the theatrical window.

With companies like UFO Moviez and Pyramid Saimira taking the lead with a special focus on Tier II and Tier III cities, India is expected to have 2,000 digital screens in the next three year.

Judges of reality shows now on big screen

Mumbai, Dec 30 (IANS) Lyricist Javed Akhtar, music director Lalit Pandit (of erstwhile Jatin-Lalit duo) and singer Alka Yagnik, often seen as judges on reality shows of various TV channels, have now donned the grease paint.

The famous trio has performed before cameras for "Mere Khwaabon Mein Jo Aayen", a forthcoming Bollwyood movie being shot at a bungalow in Versova, a Mumbai suburb, Friday evening.

The trio, however, did not have to struggle hard to "act" before the movie camera. Even in the film, they play judges of a musical competition.

Producer of the film, Madhurita Anand, obviously signed up these non-professionals in order to cash in on the images they have lately earned for themselves on TV shows.

The so-called reality shows, particularly those based on music and dance contests, are more make-believe than real, especially for the judges.

They have learnt to put up such an act that they seem to have proved themselves as past masters at histrionics.

For example, music director Anu Malik, as a judge, harangues the contestants in the musical reality shows and Javed angrily walks out, following alleged differences of opinion with fellow judges.

Similarly, Alka Yagnik gets into a "serious" verbal duel with singer Abhijeet (as they did during the "Indian Idol" musical reality show on Sony TV recently).

When they do so, they remain true and faithful to the scripts written specially for these programmes.

On these reality shows, they usually mouth out the lines written for them by scriptwriters with fertile imaginations and with a sharp eye on TRP ratings.

Considering that the viewers believe the acts the judges, by and large, put on for these shows to be "real", they convincingly prove themselves to be as good actors as the professionals, Bollywood watchers say.

In 2007, Bollywood took to children films in a big way

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Children are calling the shots at the box office.

In 2007, the Hindi entertainment industry embraced the new-age marketing mantra of selling to and through children. The recently released "Taare Zameen Par" is a case in point.

Never before had the industry taken films about children as seriously as it did this year. After decades of avoiding children's cinema, the dream merchants of Hindi filmdom did a complete turnaround and audiences were treated to nearly a dozen films about children and even one about a baby.

The most remarkable difference was that none of these films were funded by government bodies entrusted with the task of promoting children's cinema.They, instead, had big industry names associated with them.

The biggest was Aamir Khan's directorial debut "Taare Zameen Par" that not only drew standing ovation from critics, but also touched moviegoers and made the cash register ring.

Even action hero Bobby Deol found himself charmed into doing a film about children and importance of education titled "Nanhe Jaisalmer". Then there was Vishal Bharadwaj's "Blue Umbrella" and Rahul Bose-starrer "Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii" and a box-office dud "Apna Asmaan".

The Akshay Kumar starrer "Hey Baby" may not be exactly ideal for children to watch, but it was a laugh riot and a good watch for wannabe parents.

Moreover, there were a slew of animation films including "Bal Ganesh", "My Friend Ganesha" and the recently released "Hanuman Returns" directed by none other than Anurag Kashyap.

Never before have so many films for children competed simultaneously with big-budget potboilers for the attention of producers, distributors, exhibitors and cine-goers.

Despite the fact that children have a major say in consumption patterns of Indian households and hence contribute to the success of a movie, the Hindi film industry has traditionally shied away from peddling children's films.

While the idiot box has been quick to grasp the value of catching them young and is inundated with channels dedicated to children and the advertising world routinely relies on children to sell products, Bollywood has been rather slow to learn the new marketing mantra.

In spite of successful children's films like "Makdee" that grossed over Rs.7 million and "Hanuman" that mopped up Rs.30 million, the industry prefers not to invest in films that feature children alone and instead go for films that appeal to children as well as adults like "Koi ... Mil Gaya" and "Krrish" that made Hrithik Roshan an icon among children and earned over Rs.180 million and Rs.410 million respectively.

The commercial success of "Taare Zameen Par" in which Aamir has taken a backseat and child actor Darsheel Safary emerges as the star, gives hope that more such films will be churned out in the future.

In the 1970s, Hindi cinema had churned out some great films about children including Tapan Sinha's "Safed Haathi" (1977), Rajesh Khanna starrer "Haathi Mere Saathi" (1971) and Reena Roy's "Rani Aur Lalpari" (1975).

According to Vishal Bhardwaj, whose "The Blue Umbrella" bagged the National Award for the best children's film, the market for children's films in India is huge and untapped.

Unlike Hollywood where the budget of a "Harry Potter" film can easily compare to any top line film, in India investing in such films was not considered wise until recently.

"It was a vicious circle. Whatever children's films have been made over the years were low-budget endeavours of a handful, well-meaning, creative lot. With fewer outlays for children, the outcomes have not been too spectacular and hence for most Bollywood filmmakers, this genre has remained a risky proposition," Bharadwaj said.

With high quality small budget movies doing roaring business, Bollywood is desperate and willing to tread paths less travelled. The industry is looking to movies like "Bheja Fry" that was made for under Rs.10 million and pocketed Rs.170 million.

Given that the usual rules are not working, filmmakers are turning to lesser-explored genres. And children's films are no longer seen as risky.