Johnny Depp starrer Shantaram has become the third big movie to be halted due to the writer's strike that has already grounded Ron Howard-directed Angels & Demons and the Oliver Stone-directed Pinkville.



Warner Bros. has called off a February production start on Shantaram, Mira Nair's adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel of the same name.



Depp, who is also producing the film with Graham King, was going to star in it in the lead role, playing an Australian heroin addict who escapes a maximum-security prison, reinvents himself as a doctor in the slums of India and eventually uses gun-running and counterfeiting skills to fight against the invading Russian troops in Afghanistan.



Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan was also set to star, reports Variety.



According to sources, Warner Bros., Nair, King and Depp plan to start work on the film as soon as possible.



The movie has been a top priority for WB ever since it shelved out 2 million dollars for the rights to the book.



Apart from script considerations, sources have also attributed the postponement to other factors, such as the onset of monsoon season in India and a snag over how much time Depp would spend shooting there vs New Mexico, where part of the film will be shot.

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So what is Karan Johar’s next venture called? Is it KING KHAN? Or is it KHAN? Or has it been re-titled MY NAME IS KHAN? Reports in the media suggest it’s called MY NAME IS KHAN. In fact, Karan is breaking away from the ‘K’ factor this time [all his films start with the alphabet ‘K’].

“I haven’t zeroed on any title yet,” Karan confides, “It could be MY NAME IS KHAN or just KHAN. But it’s not KING KHAN. Where did that one come from?” Reportedly, the film is based on terrorism. “It’s not! That’s another rumour. There’s no terrorism angle in my film. Yes, there’s a mention of the 9/11 episode, but nothing beyond that,” he clears the air.

The film has been delayed slightly. It was expected to start before the year came to a close, but will now roll in second quarter of 2008 and will hit the screens in April 2009. And yes, the film teams the golden combo – SRK and Kajol – after a hiatus. “I can’t confirm on Kajol’s presence till I talk to her. I’ve shifted my film ahead and need to sit with her on the fresh dates,” Karan reveals.

Meanwhile, Karan has started work on the animation version of KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI, called KOOCHIE KOOCHIE HOTA HAI. Also, the Tarun Mansukhani-directed film, starring Abhishek, Priyanka and John, is expected to roll shortly.

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Bum Bum Bole (Taare Zameen Par)

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Ashutosh Gowariker�s Jodhaa Akbar is the untold love story of the greatest Mughal emperor who ruled Hindustan (now India), Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, and a fiery young Rajput princess, Jodhaa.

Set in the sixteenth century, this epic romance begins as a marriage of alliance between two cultures and religions, for political gain, with the Hindu King Bharmal of Amer giving his daughter�s hand to a Muslim Emperor, Akbar. When Akbar accepts the marriage proposal, little does he know that in his efforts to strengthen his relations with the Rajput, he would in turn be embarking on a new journey � the journey of true love?

From the battlefield where the young Jalaluddin was crowned, through the conquests that won him the title of Akbar the Great (�Akbar� in Arabic means great), to winning the love of the beautiful Jodhaa, Jodhaa Akbar traces the impressive graph of the emperor and his romance with a defiant princess.

With Hrithik Roshan as Akbar and Aishwarya Rai as Jodhaa, this grand spectacle is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Ashutosh Gowariker.

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Starring

Ajith + Ajith

Nayanthara

Namitha

Santhanam

Rahuman


Prabhu

Direction : Vishnu Vardhan

Cinematography : Nirav Shah

Stunts: William Aang

Music : Yuvan Shankar Raja

High Quality Trailor Link

http://rapidshare.com/files/70629868…ty-trailer.wmv



3GP Format Mobile Link

http://rapidshare.com/files/70628977…ty-trailer.3gp

Ipod Video Link

http://rapidshare.com/files/70632062…ty-trailer.mov

Link for Audio Interview in Tamil


http://www.mp3-codes.com/upload/show.php?id=95109

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Enjoy all the hilarious scenes from the movie Om shanti Om, which is on the verge of breaking all the box office records

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To kiss or not to kiss for Nagesh Kukunoor's Ashaayen is no longer the question.

For Ayesha Takia the right not to kiss is unquestionable. But has she said no to Kukunoor's kiss because of boyfriend Farhan Azmi?"

"First of all, I never said no to the film. I said no to the scene. I can't say no to Nagesh. After Dor he's a friend and a director I respect immensely. I still think we can work our way around the scene.

But Nagesh is adamant. So I guess...You know Anurag Kashyap's No Smoking had a kissing and love-making scene. Anurag altered the script for my sake."

Trailing off she comes back with… "But Farhan or no member of my family has anything to do with my decision. My values make me uncomfortable with such a scene. If I go to a premiere with my family, and that includes Farhan, and see myself kissing on screen I'd be very uncomfortable."

Ayesha is one of the rare actresses who has no qualms about the presence of a boyfriend in her life. "True love is so hard to find. And I've found it. These days relationships are so fickle I feel our generation has too many choices.

If we don't change our father mother or sibling why must we change the person whom we want to spend our life with? The prospect of the soul-mate being replaceable is so wrong. Once you know you can change priorities in your life you stop investing your complete self into the relationship."

Is marriage on the cards? "Not right away. But I see no harm in having a career and a home side by side. When I do get married I'll know if I can manage both. Right now God is kind enough to give me a bright career and I see no room for marriage.

However let me add, I'm not one of those actresses who'll marry when her career comes to a dead-end. That's like saying, 'I've no other choice so I might as well get married.' That would be an insult to the person I love."

Farhan is okay with the idea of an actress as a wife. "He's very proud of work. He's not much of a movie buff. But he watches my films. I don't let him watch my silly films—and please don't mention names, ha ha. But Farhan saw Dor. And he loved me in it."

Why did she do the silly films like Shaadi Se Pehle and Shaadi No 1? "I don't regret doing any of my films. I feel every film I've done has helped me reach where I'm today."

At 21 Ayesha feels all her dreams are coming true. "I may not be able to walk around the roads of Mumbai and eat pani-puri on the roads. And very honestly I've no friends…No friends at all in the industry or outside it.

My family and Farhan—and he's part of my family-- are all the friends that I have time for…Yes, it's a good life…Though I don't think I've been given enough chances to prove myself. I think my career has just taken off after Dor.

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Q.Tell us about your movie, 'Strangers'.
A. It is a beautiful, yet strange, movie. The story is about two strangers who meet, about two people falling in love in a strange land.

The plot is complex – it has suspense, it is a thriller, although not in the true sense of the word, actually it is a combination of all genres. It is a deeply emotional film.

Q. And what about the character that you are playing?
A. I play Preity, a girl from London, who is looking for love. She is successful and passionate, and she falls deeply in love. She is a very real character, and you cannot categorise her, because she has elements of different personality traits.

She is consistent, tough to handle, and beautiful. She is confident, carefree, successful, and sarcastic, and not a doll. She has a lot of warmth.

Q. We have heard that you have done one very bold scene. Were you comfortable doing it?
A. I have no qualms doing bold scenes. If the character and the script requires such a scene, and it is relevant to the story, then why should I refuse? After all, I am an actor.

Q. How original is this film?
A. It is an extraordinary script. A lot of people think it is inspired by 'Strangers on a Train'. It is different in the real sense of the word, although it is, in a way, a tribute to that great movie.

Q. What was it like, acting with Jimmy Shergill and Kay Kay Menon for the first time?
A. It was wonderful. Jimmy is a great guy. Sharing screen space with him was great, and he was very easy to work with. He has given a wonderful performance.

I adore Jimmy, because he is really sweet, friendly, and generous. He is also a great singer. Kay Kay is a wonderful and disciplined actor.

Q. And what was it like, working with debutant director, Anand L Rai?
A. He is a fantastic director, as well as a great guy. He gave me the chance to improvise my character. He is talented, sensitive, emotional, and he has a generous vision of the world and human nature, as well as of cinema.

Since he is a television director, he is very comfortable with actors. He was a stranger before the movie, but now he is like family.

Q. What about the music of the film?
A. Sometimes, the music in a movie can be an obstacle if it is not used in the right manner. The music in this movie, however, plays a critical part, and manages to evoke emotions.

Q. What next? Do you have a strategy for your career?
A. I don't actually. I do whatever interests me, and I enjoy myself while doing it. My only strategy is not to get typecast. It is important to do a different type of movie every time. This, I think, will help me as an actor.

Q. What are the other projects you are working on?
A. Right now, I am doing 'Colours of Passion', a film based on the love story of painter Raja Ravi Sharma. I play Shantabai in the movie. It is an historical character, and is a mix of Shakuntala, Sita, Laxmi and Draupadi.

I have done my share of research on the film, and gone through books and paintings, to understand it better. I also have 'Forest' lined up.

It is an international film, and I play Radha, a tough girl in a love triangle. It is the story of a one-night stand in the forest. It was great playing that role.

Q. What do you do with your free time?
A. I love to read and write poems. I listen to a lot of Rabindra music, as well as to old Hindi film music, and jazz. I also love collecting old Hindi film CDs. I make it a point to practise yoga thrice a week. I am trained in ballet, Manipuri dance, and modern dancing. I love dancing.

Q. How would you define your movie in one line?
A. I would say 'Strangers' beautifully walks in between the good and bad lines.

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Lisa Ray, who plays a lesbian in Shamim Shariff's film, I Can't Think Straight, has shot a nude love-making scene with co-star Sheetal Sheth. The interesting part is that unlike other stars, who usually prefer to use a body double when it comes to doing scenes of this sort, Ray has done the scene herself.

Our source reveals, “The lovemaking scene between Lisa Ray and Sheetal is a crucial part of the story and is not about titillation. Lisa shot the scene without any inhibitions and preferred to do it herself for authenticity.” (A body double was used for filming the Nandita Das-Shabana Azmi lovemaking scene in Deepa Mehta's Fire).

Aseem Bajaj, the cinematographer of I Can't Think Straight, confirms that Lisa Ray shot the nude scene herself. “Yes, it is true that Lisa Ray has shot a lovemaking scene without using a body double. Of course, Ray had her share of fears and doubts on the day of the shooting but we completed it very comfortably. It was aesthetically shot!” Bajaj says.

Interestingly, Aseem Bajaj was the only male present during the filming of the nude scene. “It was a privilege to be the only male present, while shooting the lovemaking scene between the two women,” he says.

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