Salmans bodyguard to launch movies trailer

Trust Salman Khan to do the unthinkable. Once again, the Dabangg (2010) star has hit upon an out-of-the-box idea to give his next, Bodyguard, a novel push.

He will get his personal bodyguard, Shera, to launch the theatrical trailer of his bumper Eid release.

In fact, Salman wants
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only Shera to be in the spotlight while introducing the much-awaited theatrical trailer of his action-packed extravaganza. So, the superstar is unlikely to be present at the launch today (in fact, he hasn’t confirmed his attendance yet). Shera is expected to take the media through the first look and address them on Salman’s behalf.

Salman“It’s a very symbolic gesture. After all, Shera has been Salman’s bodyguard for several years now. Also, it fits in with the film’s line of communication perfectly,” says Priti Shahani of Reliance Pictures, Bodyguard’s co-producer. “All of us, including Salman, discussed the idea and he is very comfortable with it.”

Shera is, of course, excited and overwhelmed to get such a platform. “I will call it the destiny of the relationship that Shera has nurtured with Salman over the years,” says Shahani about Shera, who has been with the superstar for almost a decade now.

Earlier this year, Salman had turned down an offer of Rs 7 crore to wear a security company’s uniform in the film, opting instead for Shera's brand. Several security agencies had approached him to use their uniforms, thereby giving them a huge publicity push, but the actor only wanted to wear the uniform of his own trusted bodyguard's company.

With Bodyguard, Salman returns to the big screen on Eid again. For the past three years, Salman has had a festive release, and all of them have been box office hits. This film will aim to follow up the success of Wanted (2009) and Dabangg (2010)

Murder 2 (2011) Music Review

The first instalment of Murder rode high on its musical quotient. As director Mohit Suri brings us the film's second outing, Murder 2, with Emraan Hashmi and Jacqueline Fernandes in the lead roles, all eyes, or ears, perhaps, are on the film's soundtrack, to see whether the film matches up to the original in anyway. With three sets of composers, Harshit Saxena, Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur and Mithoon, making contributions to the album, it waits to be seen how this multi-pronged musical effort pans out.

The first track on the album is hale dil, which sees reality show vocalist Harshit Saxena moonlight as a composer. The track carries a straightforward pop sound, though built around a catchy melody. Overdosing on Saxena's autotuned vocals for the most part, the number moves ahead with a set of choral harmonies and bears a strong resemblance to the sound of the first Murder soundtrack, especially when Dominique Cerejo's background vocals kick in towards the end. The heavily synthesised original is upstaged by its later acoustic version though, which opens with some very appealing stringwork from Kalyan Barua. Though the track isn't really an acoustic edit, with some very audible electric guitar bits towards the middle, the version has a very interesting, alt-rock rock sound that gives it a captivating feel.

The second track on the album is probably the pick of the set, with Sunidhi Chauhan stepping up to the mic on aa zara. The number, composed and arranged by Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur, has a menacing theme to its melody and has a very climactic sort of feel, which makes the filmmaker's decision to use it in the film's promos understandable. Sunidhi uses her vocal instrument to full effect here, perfecting the almost Bond-esque sort of singing here. The track is remixed in a version called aa zara (reloaded), where Kiran Kamath rekits the number in a beat-heavy, synth-based edit that clubs and discotheques will find easy to pick up.

Composer Mithoon contributes the lyrics and music, both, to aye khuda. He is also on vocals here, along with Kshitij Tarey and Saim Bhat. The track's middle-eastern feel has a very perceptible Atif Aslam hangover, though it doesn't quite manage the same sort of appeal that the Pakistani singer has. The number's arrangement is rather predictable, the muezzin type background vocals taking centrestage for dramatic effect that never quite takes form. The track's remix by Kiran Kamath goes synth-crazy, loaded up with beats to make it dance-floor friendly.

Mithoon's second entry on the soundtrack is phir mohabbat, a slow track penned by Sayeed Quadri, where the composer recruits Mohd. Irfan, Arijit and Saim Bhat on vocal duties. The track, arranged around some simple string lines, has a quiet sound, and is rather low-key compared to the rest of the stuff here. Unfortunately, though, this contemplative track doesn't really hit the mark, and doesn't offer up anything significantly memorable.

The final original number on the album is the fast-paced tujhko bhulaana, composed by Sangeet and Siddharth Haldipur. The former also takes on the vocals, in a duet with Roshni Baptist. The out-and-out dance number goes big with the syth-rock sound, with Sangeet's vocals backed up by Sukriti and Prakriti Kakar on backing chorus. The track features some interesting guitarwork from Abhilash Phukan, with programmed percussion to keep him company. Still, though the track has a 'loud' sort of melody, an ascending sound, it doesn't quite take off and fails to make a mark.

Overall, the Murder 2 soundtrack is quite a disappointment, especially in light of the fact that the first outing for the film was such a musical success, with few tracks, like aa zara and hale dil, worth remembering here. Perhaps the fault lies with the film's makers, who choose to go with multiple composers for a single album, taking away any chances of the film's soundtrack having a unifying theme. Perhaps, then, Murder 2 makes for a perfect example of how too many cooks spoil the broth...?

Song: Phir Mohabbat - Mohd Irfan, Arijit, Saim
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Jacqueline Fernandez
Music Directors: Harshit Saxena, Mithoon, Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur
Lyricists: Sayeed Qadri, Kumaar, Mithoon
Label: T-Series

Lyrics of Phir Mohabbat Song

Jab jab tere paas main aaya, ik sukoon mila
Jise main tha bhoolta aaya, woh wajood mila
Jab aaye mausam gham ke, tujhe yaad kiya
Jab sehme tanha pann se, tujhe yaad kiya
Dil, sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu
Dil, yenhi ruk ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Aisa kyun kar hua, jaanu na main jaanu na
Dil, sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu
Dil, yenhi ruk ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Jis raah pe, hai ghar tera
Aksar wahan se haan main hoon guzra
Shayad yahin, dil mera haan
Tu mujkho mil jaaye kya pataa
Kya hai yeh silsila, jaanu na main jaanu na
Dil, sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu
Dil, yenhi ruk ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Kucch bhi nahin, jab darmiyaan
Phir kyun hai dil tere hi khwaab bunta
Chaaha ki de, tujhko bhulaa
Par yeh bhi mumkin ho na saka

Kya hai yeh maamla, jaanu na main jaanu na
Dil, sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu
Dil, yenhi ruk ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu
Dil, sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Murder 2 (2011) Movie Review

If there ever was a song that could make one murderous, it has to be bheege hont tere, from the original Murder. Given how popular the number became on its release and the way radio stations played it on loop then, the Kunal Ganjawala number could make anyone homicidal. It is appropriate, then, that in Murder 2, the insane serial killer at hand hums and sings the song each time he's going to his 'job'.

While the original Murder', helmed by Anurag Basu, was a taut thriller that remixed the plot of the Richard Gere-Diane Lane starrer Unfaithful for desi audiences, Mohit Suri's meandering sequel is a film so disconnected from anything of the original, that it could have been passed off under any other name. In fact, while the original kept its thrills and twists coming till the end, Murder 2 simply can't hold its secrets to its chest.

The plot here, penned by Mahesh Bhatt, seems mildly inspired by Ted Levine's 'Buffalo Bill' act from Jonathan Demme's Silence Of The Lambs. But where that one had a genius-level performance from Anthony Hopkins as the deadly Hannibal Lecter, Murder 2 just has a scowling Emraan Hashmi to fill in, as a vigilante ex-cop, Arjun, whose chief activity seems to be acting smug and scowling at churches. While he keeps talking about being somehow wronged by God, what wrong he has suffered, we'll never know. Fortunately, the film's few chills come from the brilliant Prashant Narayanan, who steps into the role of the menacing, transgender serial killer, Dheeraj Pandey, who gets off on viciously butchering call girls that he keeps hiring out, the last of whom, Reshma, is still alive and whom, Arjun is determined to save.

In the midst, there is also an angle with Priya, played by Jacqueline Fernandez, a model and complete hottie, who has been involved with Arjun physically for years, and is madly in love with, though he simply doesn't want to settle down. Apart from bringing in the 'erotic' in this 'erotic thriller', one has no idea what this story track is here for.

The problem with Murder 2 is that there is simply no suspense in this thriller, the titular 'murderer' being revealed within the first half itself. While Prashant plays up his deranged killer role to maximum gain, the frequent breaks in the narrative to accommodate the various angles of the story make Murder 2 a dragging affair, especially in the second half.

Emraan Hashmi, with all the acting skills of a whiteboard, plays Arjun with his standard smart Alec charm. Though he is effective in a few scenes, like the one where he rages at Dheeraj in the lock-up, for the most part, one simply can't shake off the feeling of déjà vu, having seen him carry on with the same act in quite a few of his other films. One has to wonder then, whether this is a problem with his characterisation or simply the way he plays it.

Prashant Narayanan, on the other hand, makes the most of his deadly turn as Dheeraj, playing up the insanity to a perfect degree, especially in scenes like his interrogation by the police, once he's caught. One hopes that this role brings the talented actor wider acclaim than he's used to.

Apart from Emraan and Prashant, most others here are bit players. Jacqueline Fernandez wallows in an ill-defined role, though, thankfully, she doesn't make quite a hash of it. The former beauty queen brings a superb level of oomph to the film, though there's little else there for her. Sudhanshu Pandey as Arjun's cop friend is okay. Sulagna Panigrahi plays Reshma, screaming her way through the role of Pandey's victim.

The film's cinematography, by Ravi Walia, shows a few interesting flashes, in heightening the scares in the initial moments of the film, but finds little more in terms of creativity for the rest of the film. The film's score is similar, with a few good turns from Mithoon and the Haldipur brothers, Sangeet and Siddharth, here and there, though this is hardly stuff that can match up to Anu Malik's soundtrack for the original Murder.

Murder 2 ultimately comes off as an attempt by the Bhatt camp to simply hold onto the Murder brand that they created. An ill-planned attempt, one might add. Add a few more thrills to this affair and it could have been a contender for the title, but as it stands now, Murder 2 is simply a hash of a good film from Mohit Suri, one that simply can't focus on what might hold the audiences' attention.

No Problem Movie Review

The latest film starring a whole lot of Bollywood stars in No problem is a big farce directed by Anees Bazmee. The man has really gone bankrupt with ideas, so nonsensical is the story that even a third grade student can come up with something intelligent and funny. One wonders the reason behind making this film, if it is meant to make people laugh, the gags fall flat, must try hard to tickle thy self as the plot goes for a toss and returns in the final scenes only to be dismantled and deconstructed.

Sanjay Dutt looks as if he has done a favour to Bazmee by acting in this so called comic caper, Anil Kapoor should have continued watching his Slum Dog Millionair DVD and shouldn't have come out of retirement. Sushmita Sen who plays the role of Anil Kapoor's wife, suffering from a split personality over does every scene and every expression and when she is doing nothing, she ends up looking like an over dressed Christmas tree, throwing sickles, hammers and what you have at her unsuspecting and tolerating hubby.

Kangana Ranaut has seemingly put on some weight, tries doing a Barbie with her false eye lashes and a fringe, Neetu Singh in her ghastly short costumes tries some stunts, all in all a big group of actors make a mockery of themselves. Try not looking for a story as there is none but you do understand that there are a few people trying to rob diamonds, there are cops trying to nab them. The setting is in Durban, and all the jokers meet up with a Gorilla who does the impossible and the diamonds landing in a fishes tummy.

No Problem has no soul, no structure, bad music but lovely cinematography. Do yourself a favour by plugging your ears and getting some sound sleep this biting winter.

Pamela Pamela Anderson Entry - Big Boss 4 house Pamela Anderson Entry Pa...

Bigg Boss 4 - Episode 45 November 16 2010

Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson entered the Bigg Boss house on Tuesday night looking aged and haggard. A slinky, strappy blouse and a very Bollywoodish white chiffon sari were very much in place, but the 43- year- old couldn’t quite turn on the heat as she did a decade ago with her trademark red swimsuit on Baywatch. Pamela appears on Bigg Boss season 4 for just three episodes. 

She is a sort of ‘ item number’ on the show, which seems desperate right now to beat the TRPs of rival reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati 4. After all, the Amitabh Bachchcan- helmed KBC , aired in the same primetime slot on a rival channel, has been enjoying TRPs close to 4.7 while Bigg Boss 4 ratings have failed to cross 3.7 so far.

Pamela was reportedly paid close to Rs. 9 crore for the three days she will be seen in the Bigg Boss house. However, for all the hype generated on her arrival, her participation seems like a clear case Hollywood dumping a ‘ has- been’ celeb on Indian audiences.

On Tuesday’s episode, Pamela didn’t look like she is interested in creating any fireworks that can top what Dolly Bindra has already created on the show. She went about grinning self- consciously and striking namaste poses as she was introduced to the housemates. And she tried picking up some basic tips on spoken Hindi.

However, fans of the show expecting a bikini sizzle from Pamela will be disappointed. Among preconditions she has reportedly laid down is one stating that she won’t wear a bikini on Bigg Boss 4. Instead, she wants to present an ethnic image. So, she entered the house wearing a chiffon sari with baadla work, designed by Ashley Rebello.

On Tuesday’s episode, Pamela could not do much to hide her wrinkles, which showed more prominently once she removed her make-up after settling down in the house.