Katrina Kaif burning with Deepika Padukone’s hot number

Katrina Kaif might have dished out one of the best items numbers in Bollywood. However, she is not at all happy about Deepika Padukone’s item number in Dum Maaro Dum. The most possible reason can be Deepika’s item number has been accepted by the youth though it has faced a lot of criticism.

It has been heard that Katrina has been telling her friends how her number was better than that of Deepika’s. She even gave details in what terms her song was a better one. It was the choreography (done by Farah Khan and Geeta Kapoor) and even her styling which was far too better than Deepika Padukone.

However, it was very surprising to know that Katrina has been making remarks about Deepika’s song when she says that she has not seen the film. The reason is that she was busy with the shooting of her film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. However, she admits that she has seen only the promos of the film.

It seems that Katrina cannot bear to hear the praises that Deepika Padukone is garnering due to her song now. Deepika has yet not given any comments as she was not reachable. However, it is certain that she will answer Katrina, even if the season of Koffee With Karan has come to an end.

Farah Khan Off To A Vacation?

The well known figure in the Bollywood industry Farah Khan is badly in need of some mental rest. She is on the verge of completing her third flick as a director – ‘Tees Maar Khan’. And as and when the time gets ripe, she will off to Thailand with her three kids Anya, Diva and Czar and husband Shirish Kunder.
There is an inside information that the couple is just not getting time off from their busy schedule and, believe it or not, they have been planning this 10-day holiday for nearly six months now. Still there are no concrete steps in sight. They plan to make the island of Koh Samui their holiday destination with the babies and their nannies.
The triplets are now around two and a half years old and the couple thinks that they are old enough to travel. But the only question for them is when, as getting some time off is the biggest concern. Farah says that, she has been at the most to Pune only with her family. Going abroad with her family for a vacation will the first time for Farah. If a music video is to be shot, then the tour will be postponed.

For Those Who Missed Me...Main Hoon Na!

One of the best things about finishing this semester is returing to Bitten By Bollywood! It's been a long three months...Resisting the urge to type up 10 paragraphs on how much I loved Main Hoon Na instead of cracking open my nursing textbook was sheer agony!

But....Main Hoon Na!!!

I saw this one twice in the past couple of months. It literally saved my semester, because with all the homework I had, there were a few times where I just had to get away. And what a fun place to escape to--Main Hoon Na was everything snappy and sweet and Shahrukhy that I love about B-wood. Farah Khan really gives you your money's worth--you get action (Shahrukh in his Mission Impossible gear in the first sequence was hot), a creepy villain(Suniel Shetty, you scare me), some good family stuff (nothing boring), catchy songs (I can't even pick a favorite), comedy (Farah, you have a great sense of humor), and Sushmita Sen's gorgeous saris (Which we'll take a peek at later!).



The plot outline really doesn't do the movie justice, so I'll just skim it over before we get into the good stuff. Major Ram Prasad Sharma (Shahrukh Khan) goes undercover at a university to protect the General's daughter(Amrita Rao) from the wrath of the enemy, a terrorist named Raghavan (Suniel Shetty). At this university Major Ram also finds his long lost brother (Zayed Khan) and meets a beautiful teacher whom he falls for instantly (Sushmita Sen).



What is it about high school and college stories that I so adore? Why is it always so appealing to watch a movie or a soap opera that centers around teenagers and young adults? There's just something about them that takes me back to that period of my life, from my first crush to being the new kid, from the stress of the school lunch room to the need for peer acceptance. Main Hoon Na, while set in a university, still has that high school vibe. There's a zany principal and wacky teachers, and you meet just the right amount of students to make you feel at home when the school dance scene rolls around. Amrita Rao's character, Sanjana, even gets a makeover that transforms her from the girl next door to a polished beauty (Although I thought she looked great before the transformation, I still love makeover sequences. Even though, as Beth once said, I feel a twinge of guilt for it-I hate to think beauty has to conform to a certain image, but gosh, its still fun to watch! )



There are a lot of relationships in the film, and they all worked for me. Shahrukh and Naseeruddin Shah were surprisingly believable as father and son. Amrita Rao's crush on Zayed Khan was cute and sort of reminiscent of Anjali and Rahul of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Shahrukh and Sushmita's romance, while a very minor part of the film, added just the right amount of color to the story (Literally--check out the vibrant "Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha"). But the most memorable relationship in Main Hoon Na was the touching reunion of brothers Major Ram and Lucky (Zayed Khan's character). These two worked really well together here, and Farah Khan took great care in developing little details to accent their bond, such as their signature gesture of running their hand around their head (reprised in Zayed's Om Shanti Om cameo). Kirron Kher as Lucky's mother adds even more emotion and depth in some of the pivotal scenes towards the end, making this angle of the story the heart of Main Hoon Na.



As I mentioned above, Suniel Shetty is one scary villain. If I ever make a Bollywood film of my own, I'd cast him as the bad guy in a heartbeat. He had the same effect on me as Umrao Jaan's sleazeball regular customer...the man just looks shady. Yet its the funniest thing...when I see him in press photos or cameos, I'm surprisingly attracted to him. There's something about the way he carries himself, or the way he dresses that makes me forget all about the creeps he plays. Which, I suppose, is a complement to his performances.



And where has Zayed Khan been all my life? I really enjoyed him as Lucky--he's like John Abraham with personality. It could have been the storyline, though. The idea of two long lost brothers reuniting has sentimental value to me, as I had a similar experience when meeting my own little sister. She's spunky and hip and I'm the not-so-cool big sister, but we click despite the age difference. As a matter of fact, she's totally the Lucky and I'm totally the Major Ram--I'm always grabbing her off of rooftops!

Amirta Rao showed some more life than in her refined performance as the perfect Ponam in Vivah. Her relationship with Lucky, while again not the the focal point of the film, made for a refreshing couple to root for.



I'd heard so much about Sushmita Sen but had never seen her in a movie. Now I can see why her name remains in the media and blogs, despite her lack of recent film releases. She's just so beautiful, classy, and even perfect for comedy (as she proved in some of her scenes with Shahrukh).Her role in Main Hoon Na was relatively small, but she made a good first impression on me--it looked like she really had fun with it.

Naseeruddin Shah and Kirron Kher couldn't have been better cast--although again, they didn't have huge roles. They just added the right touches to an already fantastic product.

As for Shahrukh, this has got to be one of my favorite characters I've seen him as. He wasn't too over the top, he wasn't too aggressive, and he looked mighty fine. And his hair was just the way I like it--Not to big, not too long, not a mullet, and no mustache. The only thing I could find fault in was his bell bottoms and vest...a little too dorky for me (Especially after seeing him all cool in his action sequences). Yet it did make his character more endearing, I suppose.



I know I said I couldn't pick a favorite song, but...can they all be my favorites? Seriously, Farah Khan's earned my trust in the song selection department, because just as in Om Shanti Om, I enjoyed every single one. Even "Tumse Milke Dil Ka", the song that has Shahrukh lip-syncing the lamest phrase ever--"Like that--Check that--Wicked!" But if I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would probably be "Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha", a song I appreciated more when I listened to it on my Ipod...its picturization was so vibrant that I didn't notice the music had just as much color.



Which brings me to Sushmita's saris. Now, I've never worn a sari before, but after seeing some of Miss Chandni's, I really want one. They were so pretty...and different. Let's close this post with a tribute to them!



Did you notice her bookcover matches the sari? Yep, most of them have matching book covers.Really.










And my absolute favorite...








Text © Nida Nazir 2008

Om Shanti Om

Nothing was going to keep me from going to see Om Shanti Om. Nothing!



It was only playing once in my hometown. I actually had to skip class to go(Ironically, a class about Indian culture). My brother was supposed to accompany me, but he got sick the night before (wimp) and backed out. Mom offered to watch my daughter, but if she wouldn't have I would have dragged little Isa too.

What an experience!The movie was pure entertainment...And if I was uncertain at any point I know for sure now that Shahrukh Khan lives for the sake of making movies his fans will enjoy. If director Farah Khan was the breath in Om Shanti Om,then SRK was the air that gave it life, stretching his over hyped image to its length just so we would get a good laugh. I've never seen Main Hoon Naa, but if its anything like this, I'm in!



The critics said Om Shanti Om lacked a substantial plot(yet they ironically embraced Saawariya), but let's face it, the movie was only supposed to be sugary fluff anyways. And when you hold it up to those standards, the plot was actually pretty good. The whole good guy/bad guy aspect reminded me of any typical Hollywood commercial flick, particularly one you would go take your kid to see that's like based off of a comic character or something, but the reincarnation spin added a different twist from that idea(unless you've grown up on Bollywood, in which case you may be sick of reincarnation used in films). But who cares about the plot, right? I didn't, for once(that's how much fun I had)!

The movie theater was packed. Not a seat left in the house. Since I was alone, I did get some odd stares, but I sat next to a mother with a baby(who miraculously didn't make a peep for the entire film--I was so glad I didn't bring my daughter)and a seat that was out of order, which worked out kind of nice because I didn't feel smushed in by strangers(not that I'm uncomfortable with that in particular, but I always like a little elbow room).



As it turned out, the fullness of the movie theater made everything more exciting, because the audience was so reactive. This was helpful when attempting to understand all of the jokes, a bit of a challenge for a Bollywood rookie such as myself. If the audience laughed, I knew it was a joke(obviously). The cool thing was, most of the time I did get the jokes, and was laughing right along with them(how far I've come in my journey through Bollywood!)!

Speaking of audience reaction, Deepika Padukone got the most cheers from the guys that I've seen since Salma Hayek made her debut in Desperado. When she made her second entrance in the last half of the film, I even heard a guy shout, "Thank you, Director!"



I was completely starstruck for the awards ceremony piece and the 31 star cameo song, "Deewangi". I literally had butterflies in my stomach as I waited with baited breath for each star to appear, particularly Kajol...and the crowd's delight heightened my own. Kajol,Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty got the loudest applause from everyone, and Rekha got something between an applause and a gasp. The only thing I didn't get about this song was that while its supposed to be oh-so-cool, the English lyrics would be laughable if ever played in any of the nightclubs here in the U.S.("All cool boys, come on make some noise"? Come ON, people!).



I won't go on a tangent about SRK's now famous six pack. But I will say that I usually don't care whether guys are ripped or not, and I already love SRK for non-physical reasons. But when "Dard-E-Disco" came on, most of us were speechless(read into that what you will). Even the guys. I imagine plenty of them in the theater that night went home to dust off their Ab-rollers.

The romance of the film was weak, but that was okay too. At least I got "Main Agar Kahoon", which allowed me to do one of my favorite things--watch Shahrukh Khan fall in love.



The characters were adorable when playing the starstruck fan roles. I could have just hugged SRK's Om from the first half of the film, and I could see myself in Sandy, Deepika's second character, as she watched Om Kapoor's movies with hearts in her eyes(never mind that she's supposed to be a teenager and I'm 26).

One final thought on Deepika...As we all were leaving the theater, I overheard someone say, "She did a much better job than Sonam", while her friends nodded in agreement. Not an entirely fair statement, in my opinion, but worth mentioning.

Text (c) 2007 Nida Nazir Bitten By Bollywood