BOLLYWOOD BUZZ October 2004
Here comes the ?bride'
Gurinder Chadha sure likes to bend and twist things to her convenience. After Bend It Like Beckham, the acclaimed director has picked up an English classic Pride and Prejudice and given it a Bollywood twist. It is a twist that sees the Bennets from Jane Austen's pages become the Bakshis of Amritsar in Chadha's film titled Bride and Prejudice. The bride of course is Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai who plays Lalita, the screen version of Elizabeth. The enigmatic Mr Darcy (Martin Henderson) is a rich American hotelier here. The much hyped film is set for a simultaneous release in India and the UK on October 8.
By the way, Ash is emerging as a major threat to international supermodels. Apparently, Sir Mick Jagger's daughter, supermodel Lizzie Jagger was recently warned by the cosmetics giants L'Oreal that if she doesn't put on weight and start looking more healthy, she might be replaced by Ms Rai as the brand ambassador for their cosmetics line Lancome.
Media ?AIDS'
Salman
Aishwarya Rai will not like to hear this but Salman Khan is the current media darling. The super brat has been raking in great reviews for all his recent performances ? Tere Naam, Garv ? and his latest release has even got the United Nations' appreciation. The film: Phir Milenge which deals with the sensitive issue of AIDS. In the unusual love story directed by actress-turned-filmmaker Revathy, both Salman's and Shilpa Shetty's characters are HIV positive. Another movie on AIDS titled My Brother Nikhil stars the Jhankar Beats couple Juhi Chawla and Sanjay Suri. Only, here they play siblings.
Incidentally, Salman has acquired a brand new friend in Preity Zinta. She calls him a "no problem guy"! The two are starring in Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha, the directorial debut of Sallu's brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri. The film which also stars Bhumika Chawla, is slated for an October release.
Preity Zinta, SRK's
?legendary' love
Preity Zinta's off-screen love life may not be going great guns ? she recently broke up with her Danish boyfriend ? but she is all set to bewitch her fans as a Pakistani girl Zaara in a ?legendary' love story directed by Yash Chopra. Titled Veer Zaara, the veteran director's latest venture has Shah Rukh Khan playing an Indian, Veer. Preity's one-time buddy Rani Mukerjee plays a Pakistani lawyer in the film which also sees guest appearances from Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini.
Veer Zaara is also in the news for a unique musical experiment that's now the talk of Bollywood. The film has music score by the late Madan Mohan. Madan Mohan's son Sanjeev Kohli reportedly dug out more than 150 unused tunes that his father had composed and transcreated them. "It was the greatest creative challenge. Now, it is up to listeners to decide whether I have revived the era of the Madan Mohan-Lata Mangeshkar melodies," says Kohli. The movie has 12 tracks sung by Lata.
?Prime' time
for Dev Anand
It's ?prime' time for the octogenarian Dev Anand! The evergreen actor-director plays no less than the Prime Minister of India in his new film. Anand apparently shares his birthday ? Sept 26 ? with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. A figment of fiction based on Election 2004, Mr Prime Minister promises to be a hard-hitting satire on the Indian political system. The movie also stars Boman Irani of Munnabhai MBBS fame and Tara Sharma. A major part of the film will be shot in Bhachao, Gujarat, which was struck by an earthquake in January 2001. It will also be shot in London and Rome.
Incidentally, Hema Malini's younger daughter Aahana reportedly spurned Dev Anand's offer to act in his Beauty Queen. The young lady is just not interested. But the never-say-die director is not giving up so easily and says he is willing to wait for the pretty Ms Deol Junior to have a change of heart.
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