Star son status notwithstanding, Vinod Khanna's lad proved to be a superior chip of the old block with his debut, Himalayaputra -- an abysmal movie where Akshaye nevertheless rocked.
Regardless of his box office status and hair-aches, the actor has consistently thrilled us with warmth and versatility in films like Border, Taal, Dil Chahta Hai, Hulchul, Deewangee, Humraaz and Gandhi My Father. (Rediff)
Will start posting as they come along. Looks like Race will be a hit:
Akshaye is so perfect. To carry off a difficult character like this is a Herculean task and the supremely talented actor handles it with aplomb. He’s like a chameleon; he slips into various roles with remarkable ease. But the fact cannot be denied that Abbas-Mustan bring out the best in Akshaye. Watch his body of work and you’d agree that Akshaye’s performances in the director duo’s films have always stood out. (Indiafm)
Akshaye Khanna always manages to stand out in Abbas-Mastan movies, no different in Race. He is superb.(Indicine)
Akshaye Khanna with his controlled performance throws in some credibility to the going ons however silly the situation seems to be getting. But again the Humraaz mould. (Naachgaana)
Akshaye Khanna and Saif, on the other hand, were brilliant. (My News)
Akshaye's performance in the film wasn't bad considering the difficult characterization but it was easily overshadowed by Saif's. (SAWF)
There has been no major release this year except Jodhaa Akbar which has been trying to slog its way to recovery but the box office looking for a genuine hit will try to make a case of it this week given that the advance bookings for the the multistarrer Race releasing this week are showing good response in the early going.
The Akshaye Khanna-Saif Ali Khan-Anil Kapoor-Bipasha Basu-Katrina Kaif film has been booked at excellent terms and is being screened at a very high 18-19 shows per day at some of the multiplexes.
The movie is getting an early Thursday release in many parts of the country. Though the Thursday launch screenings don't appear to end up sold out across the board, the weekend bookings being uplifted at 60% on high volume screenings should ensure a solid start for the action adventure thriller.
It had been reported earlier that Race, an UTV release, had been acquired for Rs 60 crores.
(IBOS)
Akshaye Khanna, Bobby Deol and Tusshar Kapoor have been approached for writer turned director Rumi Jaffery’s second film.
According to Rumi Jaffery’s assistant, Jaffery who is currently busy in post production of his directorial debut film God Tussi Great Ho, is in talks with three stars for his next. Titled as Life Partner , this film will be produced by directors turned producers, Abbas Mastaan for their newly launched production house.
Rumi confirms “Yes my next will be Life Partner that will star three actors and three actresses. It’s a romantic comedy which showcases stories of three couples. I am in talks with stars but would not like to talk till they signed for the film.”
It is also believed that Life Partner will be co produced by Eros International. Rumi plans to release his directorial venture in June while Life Partner will commence in May. He has also been signed by Ashtavinayak Films to direct their next. Their untitled will star John and Kareena Kapoor in main lead. This should commence at the end of this year.
(Filmfare)
This is a bit confusing. Both Rumi Jaffrey and Rohit Jugraj were signed by Abbas-Mustan, so who is directing this movie? We should wait till it's confirmed, i think. We never know, Akshaye mayn't do it.
Back in 1997, when Dharmendra was awarded the lifetime achievement award, the teary-eyed actor remarked on something he never got during his successful career span of more than four decades – recognition.
In his speech, he said, “My contribution has finally been recognised.” Renowned lyricist and screenplay writer Javed Akhtar seems to share his views. “Dharmendra has done some remarkable work, Anupama and Satyakam to name a few. But he never got his due. The one actor who was truly the unsung hero of Indian cinema is Balraj Sahani. Can you believe him not winning any award in his entire career span, not even for his performances in Do Beegha Zameen and Garam Hawa ?"
Well, the trend continues with many actors falling in this category. Actors like Akshaye Khanna, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Urmila Matondkar, Kay Kay Menon and Pankaj Kapoor are the silent workers in Bollywood. In spite of hit movies and a decent fan following, they remain the underdogs.
So much so, that they themselves start undermining their capabilities. Probably that’s why actor Anil Kapoor, during the making of Gandhi , My Father , chided Akshaye Khanna for his habit of putting too small a price on his assignments. But Akshaye, like many stars, blames media favouritism, patting the backs of the 'so-called' blue-eyed actors. He said, “Ratings are up to the media. Over-rating or under-rating myself is not my job. It's for others to do. My job is just to act.”
While working with Ajay Devgan in Tango Charlie , actor Kelly Dorjee was more than fascinated with Ajay’s acting caliber. He says, “I’ve learnt so much from him. Very quiet and docile, he's undoubtedly one of the most underrated actors.”
Silence is golden, they say. But not always. Probably that’s why SRK, Abhishek and Hrithik are more popular, as they are loquacious about their work. Aversion to coming out of the shell and not speaking out their mind earns many actors a low score on the rating scale. Ajay Devgan, Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak, Irrfan Khan – they don’t open up to media and are never in any controversies, which often proves an easier way to recognition than hard work.
Unconventional looks, not being self-promoting, labelled a ‘serious’ actor, or having done offbeat movies – If you have one of the above-mentioned qualities, you are not one of the blue-eyed boys for sure. Endorsements are yet again a major factor. “It’s a corporate game. They back the stars, promote them and put them in the limelight. Actors like Akshaye Khanna are not popular because they are not doing any ads. If you want to be popular, join the ad bandwagon,” says actor Jackie Shroff.
(TOI)
All roads lead to Bangkok! For the moment, at least. Bollywood's big league comprising Saif Ali Khan, Priyanka Chopra, her friend Akshay Kumar, new-kid-in-the-block Deepika Padukone, Akshaye Khanna and funny man Arshad Warsi are all having a great time in the Thai capital. The actors are definitely not there as a part of a stellar film's cast. All the actors have been shooting for different films and commercials in Bangkok for the last few days.
The actors, who bumped into each other at the airport and restaurants, are now making the most of their trip by frequently meeting up and hanging out together.
Sources indicate that Saif, Akshay Kumar, Akshaye Khanna and Arshad are getting along well. The men are bonding over their fitness regimes. Fitness buffs Saif and Akshay are on a strict diet and are keeping a close watch on what they eat. The latter is particularly tired of looking for green salads in Bangkok, which is a haven for sea-food lovers. However, Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi are not complaining. Arshad, who is particularly fond of prawns, couldn't have been happier. While Akshay believes in 'early to bed and early to rise', Saif, Akshaye and Arshad are enjoying their late night outings.
Coming to the women, Priyanka is filming for an elaborate commercial with Saif for a cosmetic giant. And when she is not shooting she heads straight to the beaches to enjoy the sand and the surf. Priyanka, who is already looking overworked, is yet to complete her magnum opus Love Story 2050 along with boyfriend Harman Baweja and is quite apprehensive about the film's approaching deadline.
A source close to the actress says, "Lately, Priyanka has been shooting for almost 21 hours every day for Love Story 2050. But some sequences of the film are yet to be shot."
Meanwhile, Deepika is busy socialising and ganging up with her seniors. A source from the sets of Nikhil Advani's Chandni Chowk to China Town informs, "Deepika has befriended Akshay and they get along very well."
Needless to say, the stars certainly aren't complaining as their current Bangkok trip is all about working hard and partying harder.
From Katrina Kaif's interview:
About the forthcoming flick, Katrina explains, "It's a fast paced film which offers great entertainment. The styling by Anaita (Shroff) is fantastic." But talks about Katrina being disappointed about her very limited screen time is doing the rounds. "As much as I'd love myself to dominate a film, I can't expect every movie to be a Namastey London , and I am fine with it," she tells us, adding, "Though Race is an action film, I haven't performed too many stunts. The most daring thing that I've done in the movie is sit next to Akshaye Khanna who drives cars insanely fast! That was still a stunt for me! Also, I believe that people like a film for its entirety and not for a single character, so I'm happy with my little contribution."
Not sure if she meant it was for this movie alone or Akshoo drives crazily all the time. Drive safe, Akshoo!
The Film and Television Producers Guild of India will be hosting the Producers' Guild Awards on 30 March 2008 at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai.
Hindi GEC NDTV Imagine and media and entertainment company Wizcraft International will promote the awards.
NDTV Imagine CEO Sameer Nair said, "We are very pleased to present the Producers' Guild Awards on NDTV Imagine. We have had an association with this award for the past three years and now we have plans to extend this collaboration for the next ten years."
"We will be screening the awards function on our channel on the second week of April. The promos for the event will begin sometime this week and will be shown across the entire NDTV network," Nair added.
Wizcraft is producing the ad campaigns for the awards which will then be promoted by them through print and television.
Wizcraft International Entertainment director Viraf Sarkari said, "We are very proud to be associated with this prestigious award. It is the only award that is chosen by the core industry itself and we promise the it will emerge this year as one of the most glamorous awards, be it on scale, performances, attendance, look, feel or presentation."
The trophy which will be given away at the award function is called "Apsara." A total of 28 Apsaras will be presented this year, of which 16 are for the popular awards category, 7 for the technical category and 5 for the special awards category.
The Film and Television Producers Guild of India's lifetime achievement award will go to the one nominated and voted by the guild's special Committee.
The recipient of lifetime achievement award must be a well-established performer who has contributed to improving the image of the film and television profession, and has a history of active involvement in humanitarian and public service endeavours.
Guild president Ronnie Screwvala said, "The Producers' Guild Awards looks to honour achievers within the fraternity and it is an initiative from the fraternity itself. And that is the prime differentiator and what makes this special. With this synergy between the guild and Wizcraft, we are confident that very soon this will become the most credible amongst awards."
The awards are audited by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, who also have been the auditors for the Oscars for the past 68 years. Nominations include all motion pictures exhibited or broadcast between 1 December 2006 and 30 November 2007.
The nominations in the best actor category are Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Khanna and Shahid Kapoor. Kareena Kapoor will be competing with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Tabu, Shilpa Shetty and Rani Mukherjee.
The best film category will witness Chak De India competing with Jab We Met, Guru, Life in a Metro and Cheeni Kum.
After Manorama-6 Feet Under, Shemaroo Films has completed shooting its next project called Mere Baap Pehle Aap. The film is directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Raman Maroo.
The film was shot in Goa, Kerala, and Chennai and Mumbai. Filming of two songs remains, one of which would be shot in Mumbai, and the second one in foreign locales.
The movie stars Akshaye Khanna, Paresh Rawal, Genelia D'souza, Om Puri, with Shobhna, Archana Puran Singh and Rajpal Yadav.
The film has been co-produced by Ketan Maru and Mansi Maroo. Piyush Shah is the director of photography and the sets are designed by Sabu Cyril. The songs are composed by Vidyasagar and penned by Sameer.
Choreographers for the film are Pony Verma, M.Prasanna, Bosco and Ceaser. The look for the cast of the film has been designed by Neeta Lulla, Shefali Gupta (Genelia D'Souza), Farzeen (Akshaye Khanna), Rahul Agasti (rest of the cast).
Abbas-Mustan on their favorite actor since 2002:
You can call them the ultimate Khiladi when it comes to thriller genres. Without any Daraar between them, this two brother duo has proved that they are the Baadshah's of Bollywood. Chori Chori Chupke Chupke they have been making suspense movies since 1992 which have kept the audiences on the edge of their seats. They are no Ajnabee to us nor do they wear any Naqaab. I have no Aitraaz in calling them the true Baazigar who have won every time despite some defeats at the box office. But now fasten your seat belts, hold your breath and get ready for the Race of a lifetime. And with Abbas Mustan in the driver's seat, they are sure to cross the chequered flag first this time.
Do you think you will win the Race?
Hope so. Keeping our fingers crossed. God has been kind to us every time. We have worked hard and have done our bit. The rest is up to the almighty. But the Race isn't over yet. We'll see what happens.
Your favourite Akshaye Khanna yet again. Is it right in saying that he is your favourite choice when it comes to suspense thrillers?
Yes. He is our favourite choice for thrillers since 2002. But he is playing a character this time which is far more complex compared to Humraaz and Naqaab. Akshaye is a complete all-rounder. He is like a son to us and this is his fourth Abbas Mustan film.
We put in the same amount of dedication and commitment behind all our films
Out of all your suspense films since 1992, which one came across as the most challenging, the most exciting and the most deserving to win awards?
We don't categorize our films nor give labels to them. When we work on any given script, it's a new challenge in itself. We put in the same amount of dedication and commitment behind all our films. It entirely depends on the audiences who after watching our film can tell you whether the film deserves an award, whether it was exciting or not, etc but our approach towards all our films is the same.
Read the rest at indiafm.com
It raises my hopes that they say his role is more complex. If that's the case, why would they sign Fardeen for the role in the first place?
Akshaye nuts about a sidey actress?
We're being told about some sidey actress called Deepali. She has this ability to make men go crazy over her.
A source informs that actor Akshaye Khanna is nuts about her. Yipes, whatever happened to him? Snake bit him or what? Other Deepali deewanas include a senior actor who’s known for his clean-cut ways.
So is a senior director who isn’t known for his clean cut ways.. this director even did a semi-nude scene in an ancient movie once.
Now, now, don’t get curious about the seniors. That's a secret!
(HTTabloid)
Akshaye Khanna spent some idyllic days all by himself in film-maker Priyadarshan’s yacht in the backwaters of Alleppey, Kerala. Solitaire, as the yacht is fondly called by its owner, is quite popular with the Bollywood crowd.
The yacht of 107 ft is well-equipped for an ideal holiday in the backwaters of Alleppey. It even has fishing equipment, and Khanna indulged himself to the hilt fishing in the backwaters. Om Puri and Paresh Rawal too have stayed on the boat with their families on
various occasions.
Says a source, “Priyadarshan had bought the yacht a few months back. It has two well-furnished bedrooms and an enormous dining room as well.”
Priyadarshan talks to us about his yacht. He says, “My children have grown up in concrete jungles unlike me, who had the opportunity to see nature in close quarters. This vehicle is therefore a good escape from the city life for families such as mine. Yes, my friends do spend a lot of time on the yacht all by themselves or with their families.”
He adds, “Fishing has been my hobby since childhood. So, I made sure that the boat was well-supplied with facilities for fishing. I am in the business of tourism and my yacht is the biggest boat available in the area.” What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare. Is that right, Akshaye?
(TOI)
I like his hair too. It's styled great first time after Humraaz. Whatever movie it is, we've just gotto see it.
After two back-to-back intense performances in SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA and AGGAR, Tusshar Kapoor is back to comedies in a big way.
If he ended 2007 on a high with DHOL, he seems to be pretty much on an upswing this year as he kick-starts 2008 with ONE TWO THREE. As Lakshminarayan, one of the three namesakes in this Ashwani Dhir film, he plays a funny wannabe gangster.
This would be followed by yet another laugh riot C KKOMPANY, which is said to be a spoof on underworld. Apart from Tusshar, the film also stars Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Raima Sen and Mithun Chakraborty.
Other than ONE TWO THREE and C KKOMPANY, some other comedies where Tusshar plays the lead role are DO LUCKY (along with Govinda, Amisha Patel and Tanushree Datta), LIFE PARTNER (along with Akshaye Khanna and Fardeen Khan) and last but not the least GOLMAAL RETURNS (along with Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Kareena Kapoor, Anjana Sukhani, Amrita Arora and Celina Jaitley).
Surely, Tusshar is going all out to ensure that his fans laugh along with him throughout 2008 with as many as 5 comedies in a row!
(glamsham)
Fardeen is OK but Tusshar sucks. At elast, AK will get to headline the cast. He'll just the blast the other two with this intensity. Thanks for the tip.
WTF?!! The second Race promo doesn't even feature Akshaye, or anyone else except the Nawaab Saab!
While Akshaye's trailer has generous dollops of Saif. All the trailers are here.
Even by looking at the photos, I thought Akshaye n Suniel were cold towards each other. This video confirms it. What happened? They were not close like AK n Anil but they were really cordial with each other. Maybe Akshaye has rejected Suniel's movie.
But, Akshaye really rocks in the video, doesn't he?
Now you can watch Akshaye's track in Salaam-e-iShq all by itself.
Also, Akshaye is not happy with the styling in Race.
Akshaye, the decent acotr of Bollywood? Ruminations on Akshaye's career.
Akshaye's movies we will never see. they should at least release them on DVD.
I will upload the rest of the pictures from the boat event over the weekend. I know he looks amazing, doesn't he? A big hurrah for our boy!
