Slumdog... receives Directors Guild Award

Irish-British filmmaker Danny Boyle's underdog drama Slumdog Millionaire has bagged the Directors Guild of America (DGA) award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film.

According to reports the DGA is tipped as a barometer for the Academy Award for Best Director and only six times since the DGA awards began in 1948 has the winner not gone on to receive the Best Director Oscar.

The award was presented to Boyle by Joel and Ethan Coen, the director team that won the 2007 DGA Feature Film Award for No Country for Old Men.

Slumdog Millionaire crosses $67mn in US

After winning the top honour from the Directors Guild of America (DGA) for the Mumbai-set hit film Slumdog Millionaire, British Director Danny Boyle appears to be on the inside track for an Oscar at the Academy awards ceremony Feb 22.

The DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film is often an accurate indicator of who will receive the Oscar for directing as 55 of the 60 past DGA award winners also went on to win the Academy Award for directing.

British Indian actor Dev Patel and newcomer Freida Pinto were among the numerous presenters at the awards gala dinner in Los Angeles Saturday, joining Hollywood actors like Sean Penn, Christian Bale and Jodie Foster.

Slumdog Millionaire is the eighth feature film directed by Boyle following such hits as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.

The heart-warming story of a poor boy from the slums of mumbai who goes on to win the Indian version of TV game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has now won the top prize from the Directors Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild of America, Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards.

Meanwhile, with an estimated gross collection of $7,680,000 over Jan 30-Feb 1, down 28 percent from last weekend, Slumdog Millionaire has earned a whopping $67,244,000 in its 12 week run in the US.

SRK doesn't regret refusing Slumdog

Shah Rukh Khan has a knack of staying in the limelight. First it was the success of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi that broke the jinx for Yash Raj at the box office in 2008, then the Golden Globe presentation and now all the item numbers for his upcoming movie Billoo Barber.

But for once he seems to have missed out on a huge opportunity to soak in the glory of a critically acclaimed, international award winning project! Yes we are referring to the Golden Globe winner Slumdog Millionaire.

Danny Boyle had initially approached Shah Rukh for Slumdog Millionaire for the role of game-show host but King Khan refused. As luck would have it, the role went to the veteran actor Anil Kapoor.

Though Shah Rukh claims he isn't complaining at all. Talking to the media he said that he has no regrets about turning down the role, which has put Anil Kapoor into the global limelight.

Praising Anil Kapoor for his work, SRK said that Kapoor has done a fabulous job and deserves the adulation he has received. Some of the other famous rejects of Shah Rukh inlcude the Oscar nominates Lagaan, the hugley popular Munnabhai MBBS and moore recently the Three Idiots.

There were rumours that the original choice for the role was Amitabh Bachchan, but the film's casting director Loveleen Tandon denied such reports.

Kajol back with Karan after eight years

Bollywood actress Kajol reunites with director Karan Johar for his film My name is Khan, opposite Shah Rukh Khan, after a gap of eight years. The green-eyed actress had earlier worked with Karan in his directorial venture Kuch Kuch Hota hai.

My name is Khan SRK playing a person suffering from an autism related disorder, who gets into trouble with cops abroad especially because of his surname 'Khan'. Kajol plays SRK's better-half in the film.

It is one of the most awaited films of 2009 as it brings together the hit trio of SRK, Kajol and Karana Johar. Let's hope the trio is able to recreate their magic again.

Movie review: Chandni Chowk to China

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Ranvir Shorey, Gordon Liu, Mithun Chakraborty

Director: Nikhil Advani

Sadsack Sidhu lives in Chandni Chowk, peels potatoes for a living, and prays to Ganapati Bappa to release him from his daily drudge. And then one day, everything changes : adventure beckons, and Sidhu takes off to China.

Smart basis for a film, because Akshay Kumar's humble Old Delhi roots and his travels to Oriental hot spots where he picked up his killer karate moves, is part of urban legend. But instead of mining his past experiences, the script is forced into being a vehicle for its star, not the story, so what you get is an overlong Akshayrama, which perks up only in fits and starts, and is never more than mildly entertaining in its best moments.

`Chandni Chowk To China' is more a patchily-executed combo of a desi `Kung Fu Panda', and `Karate Kid', than an exhilarating transcontinental journey. It's spiked with a Manmohan Desai-ish lost-and-found side plot. It also lifts from chop-suckey Hong Kong clunkers where the hero mows down a million bad guys, sending them flying through the air in familiar choreographed arcs. Where is this film, a lax mish-mash of genres and styles, coming from?

In his zeal to prove that he can do more than being a buffoon, Akshay gets to cry, as well as laugh, and fight and dance and sing, occasionally letting in his leading lady (Deepika, in a double role), who is only required to dress in Mandarin collars, and kick butt (as the bad girl), and whip out a photo of her missing father, and shed a few tears (as the good one). Ranvir Shorey, who's called Chopstick, roams around looking for something to do, and the Chinese characters, including chief villain Hojo (Gordon Liu) who gets his jollies by beheading people, are mere ciphers.

The result is a classic case of missed opportunities. For Akshay, who's been busting the box office with his gormless local yokel acts, this mega-budget, actually-shot-on-location-in-China, backed-by-a-Hollywood-giant film would have been the start of a glorious new year. For director Nikhil Advani, it would have been the chance to forget his last disastrous outing `Salaam-e-Ishq'. And for producers Warner Bros, a signal to amp up its India plans, as well open doors to other American studios.

Right in the beginning, a minor character asks Sidhu : are you stupid? He nods. That's prescience.

Akki wants rewards not awards

The talk of the town is Akshay Kumar getting a popular award for his role in Singh is Kingg, but the man refusing it. He walked up to the stage when his name was announced, said Aamir's performance in Ghajini deserved this award more, left the statuette on the podium and walked off.

Some think Akshay is going the Aamir way and trying to prove that the awards are totally rigged and therefore mean nothing, while others think this was a huff in disguise because he actually felt he deserved the an award granted by a jury, not the audience.

Slumdog is bookies favourite to win Oscars

With a successful run at the Golden Globe Awards, British director Danny Boyle's Mumbai-based story of an underdog, Slumdog Millionaire, has emerged as a clear favourite with bookies to win the next month's Oscars.

Bookies here put the feel-good movie starring Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan at 8/15 on to scoop the coveted Best Picture prize at the Academy Awards, well in front of rivals The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Frost/Nixon and Revolutionary Road.

The film's director Danny Boyle is also 4-6 favourite to win the best director trophy at the February 22 ceremony.

A spokesman for bookmakers Paddy power said: Slumdog Millionaire has been heavily backed for the last couple of weeks and, after its success at the Golden Globes, it looks set for Oscars glory."

The low-budget flick about an orphan from the Mumbai slums who strikes it rich on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was released in the UK on Friday.

In the US, where it was released last year, the film has already generated over $ 30 million at the box office despite being on limited release. Slumdog Millionaire currently sits at number two in the top 10 in the UK, with the highest screen average of all films on release.

The film won four prestigious Golden Globe awards for Best Picture in the Drama category, Best Director for Danny Boyle, best Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy and Best Original Score in a Motion Picture for Indian composer A R Rahman.

Based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's Q & A, the film also won five prizes at the Los Angeles Critics choice Awards last week, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best writer, Best Composer and Best Young Actor for Dev Patel.

Ghajini celebrates again

It was celebration time again for Aamir Khan, who's recently released Ghajini has raked in Rs 200 crore in just 14 days. Buoyed by the box-office collection of Ghajini, Aamir said it indicates the success of a film. ''For me, the feeling that my hard work has been appreciated is priceless as I go by my instinct while choosing a script. When I hear a script, I react as an audience.''

NAAN KADAVUL MP3 SONGS DOWNLOAD

Cast : Aarya as Rudran, Pooja as Hamsavalli,
Direction : Bala
Production : VASANS VISUAL VENTURES
Music : Ilaiyaraaja
Lyrics : Vaale, Ilaiyaraaja

Its been a long wait for director Bala to see light for his movie Naan Kadavul. The audio launch of the film, which has music by maestro Ilayaraja, will finally take place on the first day 2009.

The movie has also passed the censor scissors with a UA certificate and since the censor was done before this year end, the movie will be eligible for the national awards of 2008. The movie has Arya and Pooja in the lead roles and both their roles are said to be commendable.

Naan Kadavul will have a red carpet audio launch at the Sathyam Cinemas. Bala has pinned all his hope s on his dream project Naan Kadavul. Bala has also seen to it that all his artistes, including the heroine Pooja, dub in their own voice, a criteria for entry into the award category. The film which has now been taken over by Vasan’s Visual Ventures, is likely to release for Pongal 2009. The official release date of the movie is yet to be announced.

• Om Siva Om - Vijay Prakash
  
• Kannil Paarvai - Shreya Ghosal
• Maatha Un Kovilil - Madhumitha
• Pichaipaathiram - Madhu Balakrishnan
• Amma Un Pillai - Sadhana Sargam
• Oru Kaatril - Ilaiyaraaja

All's not well between Deepika and Ranbir

Everything doesn't seem to be well between Deepika and Ranbir, the much hyped love birds of tinsel town.The leggy beauty was recently spotted with a mystery man in a multiplex watching Ghajini.

Grapevine has it that Deepika is pretty miffed with the much talked about closeness between Ranbir and his new co-star Katrina Kaif.

Recently there was news about Deepika paying a surprise visit to her beau on the sets of Ajab Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani. Rumour has it that Ranbir didn't take this very sportingly and saw it as an attempt to spy on him and Katrina while the actors were shooting in Goa.

Deepika, after her previous link-ups seemed to be going steady with Ranbir Kapoor. The sultry beauty, awating her next release Chandini Chowk to China, was also heard telling the media that she wants to be Mrs Kapoor in 4 years.

Well, we don't know which way the wind will blow after 4 years but currently it seems to be choppy weather for the love birds of Bollywood.

Hoping this too shall pass in the new year!

Ranbir Kapoor in Mani Ratnam's next?

As of now Mani Ratnam is in the news because of the film Ravana that stars Abhishek Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai. After working with these two 'senior' actors, Ratnam's next project may star Ranbir Kapoor.

Broadly, the film is about a young Indian boy who is brought up in England. The story focuses on how the boy deals with his 'outsider' status in London. Ranbir, whose recent film Bachna Ae Haseeno was a hit, is being considered for this role.

According to sources, the film will be shot entirely in London.

For the time being, Ratnam is very far from London - in the heartland of Madhya Pradesh where he is shooting in small villages for Ravana.

Apart from the Bachchan duo who are playing Ram and Sita, Govinda has been roped in to play Hanuman in the film while Aditya Pancholi is playing the title role of Ravana.