Ananth Mahadevan after the success of Aksar is working on an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s classic novel ‘Rebecca’. But he won’t be making a period drama. He will change the setting to the modern scenario.

Mahadevan is reportedly considering Emraan Hashmi, Dino Morea, Ayesha Takia and Celina Jaitley for the cast.

The novel revolves around an inexperienced young woman who marries a widower Maxim de Winter and settles into his ancestral mansion, Manderly. She later realises that the memories of her husband’s deceased first wife Rebecca continue to overpower their lives.

Model turned actress, Kangna Ranaut who is playing Monica Bedi in a film titled ‘Gangster’ based on the life of Abu Salem, starring Emaraan Hashmi along with Shiney Ahuja and directed by Anurag Basu, says her filmy carrer started by chance. Kangna is just 19 years old and has no filmy background but her luck made her bag film in Bhatt camp. Mukesh Bhatt has even gone forward and referred to her as the next Madhuri Dixit of Bollywood.

Attracted to acting

I am not from any filmy background family but yes, this profession has always fascinated me. I have come from a place called Manali where no one even thought of taking acting as a career. My Papa is a businessman and mom is a teacher but like I said earlier, from the beginning itself I was quite attracted towards acting. And was doing theatre in Delhi.

Gangster was challenging

I would not like to reveal more about my role in Gangster now but it’s one of the important characters in the movie. I have not done any homework for this role and it was difficult for me to play it too. It’s not a conventional character from any Hindi film. It was quite a challenging role. I used to come blank on the sets. My co-stars and my director Anurag Basu helped me boost my confidence. (more…)

Sanjay Gupta and Apoorva Lakhia are pairing up to make a realisticly original movie. The movie is based on a shootout incident that happened in Mumbai’s posh Lokhandwala area and will be titled ‘Shootout’ or ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’. Gupta’s favorite actor Sanjay Dutt will be repeated in this one too.

Lakhia (Ek Ajnabee) and Gupta’s (Zinda) last films were blatant copies of foreign films but this time two have decided to make a movie on real life incident. The film is going to be yet another thriller by Sanjay Gupta’s production company White Feather Films.

Apart from Sanjay Dutt, ‘Shootout’ will star Arjun Rampal, Javed Jaffery. Search is on for the female leads and two more male actors. Lakhia and Gupta are said to have talked with Vivek Oberoi and Emraan Hashmi for the roles but nothing has been finalized as yet. (more…)

Actor Irrfan Khan who was trained from NSD (National School of Drama) had to bear a long frustrating struggle to make his place in Bollywood till his outstanding performances in ‘Haasil’ and ‘Maqbool’ came to light. Now he is scaling bigger challenger by acting in prestigious assignments like Mira Nair’s ‘Namesake’and Naseeruddin Shah’s ‘Yun Hota To Kya Hota’. Recently some foreign film magazines and noted filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar refered to him as Hindi cinema’s latest Sex God. He talks about it and his films.

How do you feel been refered to as Hindi cinema's latest Sex God?

I wonder how true that is, I can just smile over it. Such glorification fulfills my basic human need to be known and to be accorded due importance. But then, I am well aware of the fact that these tags and titles are for a while and I cannot depend on them for a lifelong. I take it as a moment of glory in my life. (more…)

Serial Kisser Emraan Hashmi can be seen sporting a long face these days. Poor Hashmi didn’t get any sizzling shots and no lip-locks with Nisha Kothari in RGV’s thriller ‘Darna Zaroori Hai’.

Also Ram Gopal Varma protege Nisha Kothari can be seen setting the screen on fire in the promos of Darna Zaroori Hai but Hashmi has been sidelined.

Now Hashmi’s biggest fear is it does not become a ‘Murder’ repeat where Mallika Sherawat drew more attention than him. (more…)

Apart from smooches Emraan talks about songs, cinema, fiancee and some naughty things.

Painful Beginning
When Mahesh (Bhatt) uncle and Vikram Bhatt offered me Footpath, I first declined the offer. But they asked me to reconsider. I gave 30 retakes out of nervousness for my first shot, which was with Aftab Shivdasani, and so acting for me had a painful beginning. But now it is a passion.

Cinema love
The acclaim gives me a high. But more than that, I love cinema. I love sitting in on the editing of Mukesh (Bhatt) uncle’s films, and if I had not become an actor I would have worked on visual effects and graphics. I have even done a course in 3-D and ‘Maya’. (more…)

Ram Gopal Varma is remaking James with the name ‘Shiva’ where the whole cast of James will be repeated, although given different characters. Nisha Kothari who played an outgoing girl in James will discard her sexy image to act as a crime reporter.

In new Shiva, Mohit Ahlawat plays a cop just out of the police academy, faced with a harsh reality he isn’t prepared for. Kothari who is shooting for the film confirmed, “It’s an interesting character and I enjoyed doing it. This role has given me a better understanding of a journalist’s job”. (more…)