Salman Khan talking About Ek Tha Tiger Dabangg 2 Controversy

Chillar Party: Music Review

Source - happysing.com

The album starts with Tayn Tayn Phiss that sounds more like a song played on Ganpati Puja due to its arrangements, but my guess is once the video is out, the song should work, and look somewhat like aali re, though with a lesser punch, of course.

Somehow the second song of the album, Aa rela hai apun, sounds like you’re listening to the first song again. It surprises all the more because in the third song…

…you meet yet another facet of Amit Trivedi. The guy not only brings Mohit Chauhan in his breezy way, he even creates some wonderful arrangements with children and various sounds that give you something new. And Mohit Chauhan rocks with Amit Trivedi as he sings Ek hi thaali ke Chatte batte.

The fourth song of the album, Ziddi Piddi, is almost like a rockish war cry and has been sung by Amit himself along with Armaan Malik, Tanmay and Gaurika. The way song is made, it may not be liked instantly, but then with the movie it should work as a perfect background.

One of the best things Amit does in the album is his work with children. In this track called Ek School banana hai, there is some wonderful use of children’s voice, and more than that their chorus. Touches of Udaan may be visible here, but the lyrics and the way children take up the song create difference.

The next track of the album is some hard rock, coming from two children again, but in some tough tone. ‘Behla do, fusla do, baalon ko sehla do, hum chup ho jayenge.. bachchon ka dard koi dard hi nahi’ are lyrics that attract you enough before you can get engaged by the music. Liked this. Do listen to the words here.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire. The song has three main elements, some simple music, the (bit-too-)witty lyrics, and the innocent voice of I suppose Gaurika Rai. Add to that the addictive kind chorus and result is the song. I don’t know how much I liked the song but definitely is not ignorable, especially the chorus.

The album ends with a little more experiment on the best of the album as Mohit comes up with a sad version of Chatte Batte, which deep down, sounds like Taare Zameen Par title song, in terms of lyrics. There is nothing really ‘sad’ about the song, but it’s slightly touchy and Mohit’s voice works perfectly with the little background music. A perfect end to the worth-a-try album with its ups (Chatte-batte, followed by ek school) and downs (probably the second sound, more for being a repeat of the first).

http://happysing.com/2011/06/chillar-party-music-review-amit-trivedi/ 

Salman bares his torso to promote ‘Chillar Party’

'Andaz Apna Apna' without Aamir, Salman

The long awaited animated version of Raj Kumar Santoshi's 1994 hit comedy Andaz Apna Apna is finally happening this year. 

However, it has been learnt that in the cartoon film the characters Amar and Prem, originally essayed by Aamir Khan and Salman Khan respectively, won't look anything like them!

This decision was taken by iRock, the company helming the project. They are apparently worried and want to avoid any legal hassles they'd have to face in case the two superstars became the face of the cartoon film. 

Apparently, feelers were sent out to both the actors' offices and huge amounts of money were quoted for the 'privilege' of using their faces in the movie.

Says Sid Jain, CEO, iRock, "It's true we aren't making Aamir and Salman the faces of Amar and Prem. We really would've liked to since the identification level of the characters with the audience would've been substantially enhanced if we had the original faces. 

However, our legal department advised us against it. So regrettably we are keeping the spirit of the characters, but not their faces." 

Same to same
In every other detail, the cartoon version of AAA would be exactly like the original. Says Jain excitedly, "I've waited nine years to do this film. We wanted to make sure everything is just right before we started."

As for Aamir and Salman missing out on the animation glory, someone very close to AAA said, "A cartoon version of the film without Salman and Aamir's face is like an animation version of Attenborough's Gandhi without Ben Kingley's signature-face." We agree!

Forget husband, I’m not even boyfriend material :Salman Khan

Salman Khan confides that while he’s dated the most beautiful women inside-out, he’s been naughty at times. Filmfare gives a thumbs up to his candour

The worst nightmare for any journalist is to discover that the voice of his interviewee is barely audible on the recorder. More so if the star is the controversial Salman Khan. It so happened that Salman was shooting for Bodyguard at a set constructed on the helipad at Film City. I didn’t account for the gusty wind that was blowing. The next four days then are spent in trying to cajole him for a repeat interview.
Then one evening he messages me, “Cm home!” I wait for him in his uncluttered, spacious and well-lit drawing room. A few minutes later, he makes an entry.  I’m gob smacked!  He isn’t wearing a shirt. All my hard work has come to naught! I don’t know where to attach the collar mike.

So Salman sits in his blue jeans, bare-chested before me and the device lies idle in my hand. Excerpts:

How do you feel redoing the same interview with me courtesy a technical snag?
It’s quite possible that if you ask me the same questions again, I’ll end up giving you different answers.
Prateik and Shraddha Kapoor are on the cover of this issue. Are you still game about doing this interview

Which will feature you on the inside pages?
I’d love to be featured inside if Prateik is on the cover. No way will I put my foot down and ask for a cover when Prateik’s on it.

What’s your opinion about Prateik who’s slowly trying to catch up with Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan?
I like him. He’s really a sweet kid. He’s an outstanding boy. I loved his mother (the late Smita Patil) as an actor. I love his father (Raj Babbar) as a person and an actor. I’ve worked with his brother (Arya Babbar) and his family. 

Every time you are asked to promote your film what thoughts come to your mind? 
The first few rounds of interviews seem okay. Then it gets boring. The same questions every time. They’ll ask me about my supposed ‘fight’ with Anees Bazmee. Often journalists ask certain questions because they’re expected to ask them. I don’t believe in publicizing a film. I just believe in telling people what the film is about. If they like the promo, they should go and see the movie.

Do you enjoy interviews or are you indifferent to them?I enjoy them when I have something to talk about, when I’m asked questions worth answering and when I can share my life with my fans. But if you’re trying to evoke a controversy or get some shock value into it, then I’m not interested.

Considering Anees Bazmee’s last two films haven’t really done well, are you apprehensive about Ready?Not really. He is a man who knows his job. If you push someone who knows how to swim into the water, he’ll emerge out of it. But for someone who doesn’t know his job and is a fluke, then it’s a problem. Anees has given hit after hit after hit. So what if one of his films didn’t work?

Will Abhinav Kashyap not directing Dabgangg 2 affect the film?I don’t think it will affect anything. Abhinav not directing it will not affect Dabangg 2. I hope it does not affect Abhinav Kashyap.

Will Arbaaz Khan prove to be a good director for Dabangg 2?Yes, I think so because Arbaaz actually never wanted to be an actor. He was just forced into it because he got a break (Daraar). I wanted to be a director but once I got into acting, I gave it my best. Now I don’t feel like doing anything else. Today, thanks to Abhinav Kashyap, Arbaaz has got an opportunity. We really wanted Abhinav to do the film because of his association with the previous one. But I guess, after Dabangg, he’s got too many brothers now.

Did Abhinav want to co-produce Dabangg 2?No, Abhinav didn’t want to co-produce the film. He just didn’t want to do it. I guess he wasn’t happy with the way the film turned out at the box office. And he wasn’t happy with the amount of money we spent on it. And his brother (Anurag Kashyap) of course, the genius went on Twitter and made some more comments, which apparently he apologized for later.

Were there any issues over money?There was no issue about money because for the first film also he was paid handsomely.

Reportedly, you met up with your ex girlfriend Somy Ali in Bangkok. You’re also friends with Sangeeta Bijlani and Katrina Kaif. What does it take to be friends with your ex?    See, things don’t end if you’re having a blast. If you’re having 
the best time of your life you are not going to say, ‘We’re having such a good time, now we need to break up’. But misunderstandings happen, people get carried away. Then people cheat, etc, etc, etc. Sometimes the woman feels betrayed and sometimes the man. But you realize that there was only that much time you were meant to be together. Often the term ‘good friends’ is misconstrued in the industry. 
At some stage and a little later you can actually be good friends. From that stance of ‘no comments’ you can actually say dankey ki chhot par ‘haan, yeh meri dost hai (say it loud and clear, ‘yes, she is my friend’).

When and how do you gauge in a relationship that the person is not meant for you?Actually, you’re the last person to know. You’re the last person to know that you’re not a star anymore and that you’re not in the relationship anymore. In my case, many a times, it has been my fault. I’m a difficult person to live with and I’ve also been naughty at times.

So you’re not husband material either?Yes. I’m not yet. Forget husband, I’m not even boyfriend material. 
I’ve seen three or four women in my life and they’re very beautiful from the inside and outside. Somehow, it didn’t work out.

Is there a woman in your life currently?Yeah, there are four women in my life. My mother, my sisters Arpita and Alvira. And there’s Reshma Shetty (she handles his ads)! The women in my life will always be there as friends. 
Recently, you’ve been linked with Kangna Ranuat, Zarine Khan and even Sonakshi Sinha. 
These guys want to link me with just about anyone. Right now I’m single, I’m having a blast. I’m not dating or seeing anyone. It just happens that I know them closely. I’ve worked with Sonakshi, I’ve worked with Zarine. I’ve known Kangna for the longest time.

Is there a team that has strategised the way you are positioned today?There is no team. But I’m sure there are teams that would work against it. But no matter how hard they try, they won’t be able to pull off anything. Because I have God on my side. 
Reportedly, you asked good friend and producer Sajid Nadiadwala to cut down on the intimacy quotient between you and Sonakshi in Kick…

What? Are you making up these questions right now? 
(Pauses) If you see the original, there’s no level of intimacy whatsoever. From Maine Pyaar Kiya till today, I haven’t done any of this stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever do it.

Reportedly, you hiked your price by Rs 5 crore for Kick after Sajid kept repeating Akshay Kumar in his films.No, no. This is ridiculous. Sajid and I never discuss price. In fact, whenever I’ve signed his film, Sajid has always given me more than he did for the previous one. He doesn’t take advantage of our friendship. 

Had you known about the content of Ragini MMS, would you have barred Ektaa Kapoor from appearing in Bigg Boss to announce the film? It’s alright as long as the film has an ‘A’ certificate. People want to watch sex and nudity. I’d watch it as well but not with the family. People come from different walks of life, people have different needs and they are placed in different circumstances.

Okay, then when do we see Salman Khan in an ‘A’ film?I’ve been part of an ‘A’ film — Wanted. And I didn’t even touch my leading lady Ayesha Takia. The reason why it got an ‘A’ certificate was because of the action. But every kid has watched the film. So I don’t understand why the film was an ‘A’. This is a way of promoting piracy.
 

It’s believed that when Shah Rukh Khan and you are shooting in the same studio premises, there’s tension brewing in the air…I don’t believe this. Why should he look for me and why should I look for him? He’s doing his work and I’m doing mine. He’s doing a damn good job of what he’s doing. And I respect that.

http://www.filmfare.com/articles/salman-khan-forget-husband-im-not-even-boyfriend-material-2494.html 

Top Second Week Collections Alltime READY Third

The top ten highest second week nett collections of alltime are below. Ready is third on the list.

1. Three Idiots - 56.24 crore

2. Dabangg - 35.97 crore

3. Ready - 32.68 crore

4. Golmaal 3 - 31.92 crore

5. Ghajini - 26.50 crore

6. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - 24.56 crore

7. Raajneeti - 23.92 crore

8. Om Shanti Om - 22.18 crore

9. Dhoom 2 - 21.07 crore

10. Welcome -19.44 crore

'Bodyguard' Box Office Prediction

I know its WAY too early to predict on a film that is set for release more than 2 months from today, still, nothing excites more right now than merely trying to imagine how big a money-spinner Bodyguard might turn out to be.

Salman Khan’s last two films have dominated the Indian box office, breaking records left right and center. After 3 Idiots and Ghajini, not many expected anyone to come close to Aamir, but Bodyguard now poses a serious threat to 3 Idiots.

Having watched the Malayalam version directed by the same director (Siddique), Bodyguard is likely to have enough mass appeal to break records set by both Dabangg and Ready. Add to that the Kareena Kapoor factor, arguably Bollywood’s No 1 actress and someone who has a huge following of her own. That’s not all! Its a festive release (EID) too.

Bodyguard is a box office monster and even a 50 crore weekend is very much possible. If the content is good and the family audience take a liking to the film, it could well beat the 200 crore benchmark set by 3 Idiots!

We will have a more details Bodyguard box office prediction, the week before the films release. Until then, we will be covering Bodyguard extensively right up to its release.
 
Can Bodyguard beat 3 Idiot what You people think friends?
I want to know your view on this topic.If anyone have watched Bodyguard Malayalam version then please let me know about story & your take on the same.

My view on Acting & Bollywood Actors/Actoress

My views on acting and actors and why I don’t think top 10 Actor/Actorss list should not be attempted

First. It is the writer, and not the actor who speaks on screen. It is the scene, the context, the environment and the treatment which translates into a performance. So naturally the general view is that dark, disturbing and edgy movies comprise of the best ‘acting performances’. So Abhay Deol is hailed as a great actor after DevD, while most people rubbished his performance after Socha na Tha (actually how many people saw Socha Na tha?). After DevD worked and once Abhay was accepted as a great actor- people see Socha na Tha on TV and cant stop singing praises. This example brings me to the second point.

Second. The general sentiment is seldom argued. If ABC is a good actor, and DEF is an over the top actor. Then ABC is a good actor and DEF is an over the top actor. An example- when you ask people who are the best actors ever- people who want to sound intelligent and knowledgeable (almost everyone) will say Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Irfan Khan, PANKAJ KAPOOR. Then ask them how many movies of Pankaj Kapoor have you seen? “I don’t remember. Recently I saw Dus. He was brilliant”… So there are many youngster who havent seen any work of Guru Dutt, Ashok Kumar etc. but will still include them as the best actors ever.

Third. Histrionics / EDGY/ EMOTIONAL= good acting. Now again this is my view and people may choose to disagree. I didn’t like Aamir Khan the actor in TZP. Now this is blasphemous almost. If I say this to anyone- ANYONE- they will say- “Are you mad? How could you not like him?” Well I was very uncomfortable while watching him cry and shed tears when he saw child labor etc. (in the title song). His dialogues seemed too rehearsed- an actual teacher like that wont talk like they way he did in the movie- in that sense it was not a natural performance. But because he is a good actor in general and the movie was great- he was great in TZP. Now I hear that the people in Shaitan are such good actors- they all pitched in with fabulous performances- but the truth is- most of the times they were looking into the camera and acting weird. I am not an actor- but give me those parts and I would be able to do them (it’s another thing that I would have refused them). This brings me to the fourth point.

Fourth. There is one simple test. I am not an actor. Most of us are not. (its another matter that all of us are actors). So when I see a performance sometimes I wonder- can I do this? could I have done this? I could have easily attempt what Abhay did in DevD (thats what I feel), what Rahul Bose does in many of his movies, in fact what Aamir did in TZP (I could have made an attempt at least). Maybe this point sounds a bit weird. But how many of us can attempt Dabangg. So when a man does that and makes it a huge phenomenon- people just say that he is a star- what was there to act in it? common try. give it a try. Okay its a larger than life role. But if somebody can carry it off- he needs skill- and that skill describes acting for me.

Fifth. Now a days actors are defined by the company they keep. So Ranvir Shorey, Vinay pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla are brilliant actors. So if some one acts in their films/ or films of similar sensibilities- he is a good actor. Neha Dhupia a case in point ( I have made this point earlier but cannot resist)- After Qayamat she was deemed a bad actor- now a days she gets praise from leading critics and public alike- how perceptions change

Sixth. it is very easy to experiment when there are almost no stakes. So a Irfan Khan, Kay Kay Menon, Abhay Deol can experiment and do hatke stuff and win accolades ( I am not saying that they are not good actors- I am really fond of both Irfan and Kay Kay) – it is just that they act in films and subjects that people associate with good acting. And people dont even remember their bad works- or they easily forgive them for that- who remembers a HISS when you have a YEH SAALI ZINDAGI to praise? Can someone like Salman Khan really afford to do such roles? When he tried in London Dreams- he tried to please the masses and mix commercial elements- and it ended up as a confused film- he did great- and had the same role been done by say a Kay Kay menon- it would have been hailed as an awesome performance- because it wouldnt have had the comic /fun elements salman’s character had-

Seven. And last ( I am tired of typing- and you guys would be tired of reading- if you are reading that is) ABUSES. EDGY STUFF. Dont know what is happening these days. So when Rani Mukherjee says fuck- it makes the audience go WOW- WHAT A REALISTIC PERFORMANCE- Vidya Balan in Ishqiya was good- but I feel she was as good in her bad films too- like Kismat Konnection- but there it was her wardrobe that got the attention- Bad film is not =bad acting, good film is not = good acting.

THESE ARE JUST MY VIEWS. People are free to disagree.

Ready Has Huge Third Weekend

Ready had another huge weekend as it grossed around 8.25 crore nett in its third weekend. The approx breakdown was 1.75 crore nett on Friday, 2.50 crore nett on Saturday and 4 crore nett on Sunday. It is third highest figure for third weekend after Three Idiots and Dabangg but both of those films had no competition fromother releases.

The film has now collected nearly 110 crore nett in 17 days. The film is now in fourth place as far all India lifetime nett collections go.

By the end of the third week it should be near the 115 crore nett mark of Ghajini which is third biggest nett grosser ever. 

This week will see major competition in the form of Double Dhamaal so collections of Ready will drop but even still it should go past the 120 crore nett mark for an approx 122 crore nett lifetime finish.

Great Article on Bollywood Movies

Movies and filmstars, if anyone were to randomly do a poll in India, these would anyday be the most talked about subjects. We Indians love simply talking about Bollywood. I have personally seen friends coming to blows on whether Shahrukh Khan can act or whether Kaminey is a waste of time. It’s strange. Movies or actors are like vegetables. I may like cabbage, you may love beans. How can one be better than the other?

Having spent seven years in Bollywood, I am puzzled by how Bollywood works or is perceived by outsiders. For instance, most of us always want to know if a film is a hit or a flop. When you eat at a restaurant, would you want to know if the owner has made a profit or loss? Or would you be more concerned about whether the food is good or bad?

I am convinced that most of these common ‘misjudged’ perceptions have been created by Bollywood and our media. If you don’t believe me, check out these top 10 lies that we often swallow as truth.

Content is king

Every project gets greenlit in Bollywood in the following order of priority. Star cast. Banner. Director. And finally, Story. If you have the stars, everyone’ll want to produce your film, eg Blue.

If it’s a big banner, say Yashraj or Dharma, everybody’ll want to act in it, eg Tashan.

If you have a star director, say Priyadarshan or Imtiaz Ali, every corporate house/actor will want to be part of it, eg De Dana Dan.

Producers and actors are bullshitting when they say script is the most important thing. If it was, why did most of the big flicks turn out to be such big duds?

Bollywood goes global

The only way we are going global is that we are shooting in global locations instead of Ramoji Studios or Lokhandwala. If NRIs watching films make Bollywood global, then MTR pickles is a global brand too.

Bollywood will go global the day one of its films grosses more than $100 million in the international markets. Like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did.

All those who think we are global because Sylvester Stallone and Kylie Minogue are part of our films, please spare me your popcorn. These stars came because they were paid. You can get Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie too, provided you are willing to dole out $15-20 million.

And let’s not even discuss that gasbag India-is-a-billion-people theory and hence it’s only a matter of time before we are acknowledged as global giants. Roland Emmerich’s 2012 has earned more than all of Bollywood’s films put together this year.

I am busy reading scripts

The simple truth is most actors can’t read beyond an SMS, leave alone a 100-page script. Narration, which is the art of story-telling while making all kinds of funny noises, is what most actors listen to. They ask for a script (a) to make sure that you are serious and (b) because they can pass it off to someone else to read for them. Conversely, listening to a narration is a safer option: you can always claim later that the story idea was yours. When an actor says I am busy reading scripts these days, it’s safe to deduce that he or she has no work. The exceptions include Aamir Khan, Shahrukh, Amitabh Bachchan and Paresh Rawal. They read.

It’s a Rs 100 crore hit!

It’s a gross lie, these box office figures. Most of them are manufactured much before the release of the film. Editors are required to tag the line ‘Running Successfully’ on all TV promos appearing post-release. The thumb rule is that one actually earns only one-third of the gross amount. So when a print ad claims that a film has grossed Rs 60 crore in two weeks, all it means is that the distributor has earned 20 crore. Now if he bought the film for 10 crore, the film is a hit. If he had paid 30 crore, he would be navel-gazing. If you don’t believe me, ask the chaps who bought Blue, Kambakht Ishq, London Dreams, Kurbaan or De Dana Dan.

Corporates encourage new talent

Which are the recent memorable films helmed by new talent? Khosla ka Ghosla, A Wednesday, Bheja Fry. Were they commissioned by corporates? No. They were made by some enterprising producer and director and were picked up by corporates in a distress sale. To back new talent, the producer needs to have the mentality of an angel investor. Corporates, including the recent Hollywood studios that have opened shop here, have the mentality of traders. They don’t want to risk anything— which is why you see them doing deals with established directors and actors. And no, they are not going to learn from disasters such as Chandni Chowk to China and Aladin. The hope for new talent is not corporations but established directors who are now turning producers. utv Spotboy is an exception though.

She looks awesome/ I have a six-pack

Always remember: when an actor’s look and the film’s style or sets are being talked about (except when it is a period film), it almost always means that there is no story. Be it Big B’s Johnny Depp-inspired look in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Akshay Kumar’s tattoo in Blue, Kareena’s size-zero figure in Tashan or the style of any Sanjay Gupta film. Such marketing ploys hide one fact—the story sucks. That’s why most of these big films give more billing to the costume designer, stylist or physical trainer than the writer. Just like you have vanity vans, these are vanity films, made primarily to make the actor look good and keep him happy.

Bollywood is Indian cinema

If you are looking at revenues from film content, the southern film industry generated about Rs 1,700 crore last year; Bollywood did less than Rs 600 crore! And if you are looking at sheer numbers, there were all of 230 films in Telugu alone last year, much more than Bollywood. More Bengali and Malayalam than Hindi films have won awards abroad at prestigious film festivals. Films that are most likely to be called ‘world movies’ from India are not those from the Hindi film industry but rather Marathi. Some of the best technical crew in the country works in the south, not in Mumbai’s Film City. So isn’t it time Bollywood got off its high horse?

Talent matters

The best chance of making it in Bollywood is if you have a successful relative working there. Do you seriously believe Tusshar Kapoor, Zayed Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan or Jacky Bhagnani would have had a chance in Bollywood if they had not come from a “filmy” family? These days, even if you want to be an assistant director it pays to be either a sibling or a child of a Bollywood personality—just check out the crew of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar or any Yashraj film. But don’t lose heart. Some outsiders make it. Remember Shahrukh Khan?

It’s different

The next time you hear this, spit it out. The fact is no star will play a different role because they simply don’t want to risk it. srk will play srk in all his films—he tried something different in Swades, it flopped, he tried something else in Chak De—luckily, it worked! Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Rani Mukherjee, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif… you can jumble up any of their movies but they will never look or act different. At the other end of the spectrum is Aamir Khan, who has been experimenting so much with his look/roles so that itself has become his USP. And, of course, there is Amitabh Bachchan who dons different roles and looks because there is nothing more for him to risk.

It’s a mindblowing song

Bollywood suffers irritatingly from the Anu Malik syndrome—every time he plays a song for you he announces, “It’s a classic!” Considering you forget the tune the moment you leave, we need to redefine the word classic. At the end of the year, there’s only a handful of songs you remember that these world-class music directors have churned out. Producers brag about how they spent Rs 3-6 crore on a single song picturisation. They don’t realise, it’s not the money that makes a memorable song/tune. It’s just talent.

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?263231 

Punches from a Superstar (salman Khan)

So there, Mr Clever Critic. I've proved you wrong - again. You said my new movie was unadulterated trash. Well, it's hit unadulterated gold at the box office! Despite your nit-picking and nay-saying, I've shown it's lip-syncing and hip-swinging that rule our audiences' hearts. With some shirt-stripping. It's not your fancy Fellini or smarty-pants Scorsese, but me, half-pant hottie, shaking up our box office - the world's largest, may i add - for the last 20 years. You sneer that my flying-shirt act's growing a little old while it's actually getting better! Look at my muscles, my six-to-eight pack, my sturdy legs that both kick and pirouette. Which star in your beloved West has all this - or more? Frankly, i didn't have much either when i started, but as they say, persevere, puttar, and you shall achieve.

And achieve i have. I may not have won those prissy awards you keep raving about - Golden Bear or Diamond Duck - but i've broken every commercial record that matters, and some more too. For instance, looking drop-deadpan-handsome over two decades. Big deal if it involved hair transplants and a few other procedures we won't go into right now. All that naach-gaana in the hot sun or pouring rain, thumka to tango through 20 years - and looking thrilled each time. Romancing heroines as fat as my yummy-mummy, then switching to Size Zero sweeties without missing a beat. It's hard work. But someone's got to do it. And that someone's been me.

And guess what? Despite all your moaning about regurgitated formulae and hackneyed plots, viewers adore me because of my record-breaking feats. I may not be able to put it properly in words but boy, do my pectorals speak to them. Why do you think they go mad when i tear off my shirt? It's not because of chemistry, dummy, but because of history - they see every hour i've sweated it out, in gym and jail, my bulging body and heavy wallet speaking. They see their journey too - rayon to Teflon, frontbench 'cheapsters' to multiplex-hipsters, grubby popcorn in plastic packs to cheese and caramel feasts. When my shirt comes off, they see all the toil and tears it takes to make that ultimate blockbuster - the India story. And they love it.

That's why i'm still a superstar. Not an armchair intelli-gent complaining about unimaginative characters. Or saying art cinema doesn't get the money my movies do. Of course it doesn't! Who needs art when you have life in surround sound? Who needs sagas about struggle when i say it all with a whip of my shirt? When you criticise me, pal, you're taking on total India. So yaar, quit carping. Or else fight it out, pen to sword (let's just settle, once and for all, which is mightier!). After 20 years of guts and glory, i'm so Ready for you.

Ready finally Crossed 100 Cr mark in its Second Week

Ready crossed the 100 crore nett mark on its 14th day making it the fifth film to go over 100 crore nett.

The collections now stand at around 101.50 crore nett in two weeks as the second week added 32.25 crore nett as per early estimates. This is the third highest collection ever for week two. Three Idiots did 56 crore nett and Dabangg was 36 crore nett while Golmaal 3 did 32 crore nett.

The film did see a drop on Thursday as compared to the other days and now it remains to be seen where Friday comes in at as the third week of the film has lost more screen space than the second week.

‘Salman is the flavour of the season’

They are over 45, have been ruling the roost since past two decades, and know the art of staying in news. They share a common surname and have the capability of giving all the young actors a run for their money. Yes, we are talking about one of the most famous trio of Indian cinema – Salman, SRK and Aamir. So what is their USP? Who’s the reigning king of Bollywood? Who’s the producer number one? Who’s the actor numero uno? We pose these questions to four leading movie experts.

Not just acting, all the three Khans have donned producer’s hat this year. Aamir Khan’s Delhi Belly will hit the screens soon. SRK is set to release his ambitious venture RA. One this Diwali and Salman is also co-producing a kiddie flick Chillar Party.

WHO’S THE BEST PRODUCER?

Taran Adarsh, Movie Critic, Bollywood Hungama: All the three films are different in terms of genre, budget and market. The only similarity is all the films are produced by Khans. Aamir has been producing films for a long time. SRK is also making films for a while now. Salman’s family has been involved in film production. But this is the first time that Salman Khan has ventured out to produce a film on his own with Chillar Party. He has walked in only after the film was completed. But the fact that they all support small films is very good.

Mayank Shekhar, National Cultural Editor, Hindustan Times: All the actors in Bollywood turned producers about 3-4 years back because they realized that the income potential from these films is actually good enough to sell territories and rights. Audiences are going because a particular actor is producing a particular film. There was a lot of money, and a lot of pre-sale. Salman Khan has been a producer forever. It’s just that it was a family enterprise. It is the first time that he’s actually bought a film. Chillar Party is a kids film which is getting a lot of attention in the mainstream because of the names involved. There is an item song by Ranbir. Salman is promoting the film as a co-producer. It’s a genre specific movie. It’s not a mainstream universal picture in that sense. Aamir Khan has made films like Peepli Live, Taare Zameen Par, both these films were commercially successful.

Aamir has a 100 per cent track record as a producer. Delhi Belly has a mainstream actor Imran Khan. The songs have been extremely popular for whatever reasons. This is exactly the kind of buzz that you need to bring the crowd from the first Friday. Popular soundtrack, a star and the producer with some sort of credibility; all the basic factors work for the film in terms of opening. Whether all of them will like the film and will be as excited after watching the movie is a different question.

Vivek Pareek, Editor, Maxim India: Each of them has the specific kind of appeal. At the risk of sounding very constricting they all have unique pockets they appeal to. Aamir Khan movie may appeal to an intellectual mind, smaller town audience might react strongly to a Salman Khan movie. SRK has the unique capability of being an urban, rural guy. In terms of production, Aamir Khan has more experience than the two. He has a unique way of marketing his movies.

WHO’S THE BEST ACTOR?

Jamal Shaikh, Editorial Director, Men’s Health: All three Khans are equal. They have all got something different to sell. Salman Khan is the born superstar. He has got the persona. He sells himself, as he is not the actor but the guy who has a magnetic personality to draw the audience. He is the star among all three of them. Aamir is the talented guy who thinks about his work and he’s the actual actor amongst three of them. SRK has the charm and is popular, he works hard and he keeps his relationship intact with his fans and his filmmakers to keep his ranking up. So the questions is does the charm work, talent work or the personality work? All three are equally important.

Taran Adarsh: Salman post Wanted is on a different high, different plateau. After Dabangg and now Ready. Ready has become a very big hit. Salman and Aamir are huge crowd pullers. Shah Rukh has not really had a big hit for quite some time. RA.One is a hugely anticipated film, and will definitely open to a thunderous response. Salman is having a dream run at the box-office. Aamir’s last film was one of the biggest blockbusters of Indian cinema. His next is going to be in January next year, so you’ll have to wait and watch.

Mayank Shekhar: You are only as good as your last release. Salman Khan’s last three releases have got incredible opening. Wanted, Dabangg and Ready are roughly the same, the only USP was Salman Khan. North India has got its own Rajinikanth. It doesn’t matter what he does. Since Wanted it has been very good run for him. Is he No 1 is very questionable. Because if you purely look in terms of how he has performed in three-four years, he’s had as many hits as he had flops. But nobody remembers flops. If it were a number game, purely in terms of how you fare at a track record, I think Aamir Khan is No 1 because since Mangal Pandey, he hasn’t had a flop. And even Mangal Pandey had an incredible opening in the first weekend. Salman Khan might be ruling the roost right now, I don’t think he has the kind of track record as Aamir has.

WHAT’S KHAN WAR ALL ABOUT

Mayank Shekhar: They only respond to questions that are asked to them. No matter to what press conference you go to, which interview you read, the customary questions they are asked is about each other. It brings in lots of publicity. But I don’t know if it is being orchestrated by them alone or the media at some level. Only once, Aamir mentioned the name of SRK in a blog. Everytime you meet him and ask him about it, he would give same kind of response and that answer would become the headline next day. At some level, it is a vicious cycle. Frankly, it works for them, because it’s not that they are the only three actors in the country. Because it is so much about them, it has become a hated community they would like to keep in any case because they have been at the top for 20 years and I’m sure we have space for an actor who’s a superstar and not 45 years old. They have at some level captured the fancy of viewers.

Jamal Shaikh: I think everyone realizes that any publicity is good publicity. I think a lot of it may be doctored. Each of them takes it sportingly. Salman might be helping Aamir Khan make his film a hit and Aamir might be reciprocating to it. So, it’s all showbiz. They sometime help each other. Nothing wrong with that.

VERDICT

Taran Adarsh: Salman is having a dream run. He is certainly the flavour of the season.

Vivek Pareek: If you go primarily by their movies, then it’s Aamir Khan. Overall, Salman Khan, because he has his Being Human T-shirts everywhere, in that sense he has an upper hand. SRK is also in news for a variety of reasons.

Jamal Sheikh: It’s a yearly cycle. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge was SRK’s decade. The moment Aamir Khan comes up with a big hit, everyone talks about Aamir. That’s changing. Salman Khan might be the flavour of the season, till the next Khan delivers a hit.

A Quick Note on Salman Success

Its nothing great that Salman bhai has done except just be more serious. The guy talks differently now and shows more care in his work. I like his brothers etc because they seem pretty down to earth but my god they tainted Salman career big time. Then his bro in law is another and he did wayyy to many films with people who are not worth the time of day (with all due respect). Now Salman is doing things the way he wants to and is putting his fans first. I am  really pissed me off watching MAMK, HELLO and even SEI etc films promoted on Salman and where he isn’t even the main lead. That is sooo annoying.

Plus he had Shadi Karke Phaas Gaye Yaar, GTGH films that were delayed by about 3 years. Salman was NOT even in main lead in those films like Sawariyaa, Babul, (he dies 45 mins in), Sawaan etc but these mistakes tainted his career.Anyway that is all in the past now and all those were bad films anyway. Anyway all iz well

Look at the way YRF were chasing him that speaks volumes and still he is very down to earth about it. He should be celebrating Ready success but is promoting those kids in Chillar Party.

He is looking damn good in Bodyguard pics. Wanted, Dabangg and Ready all were Salman and more Salman. His next will all be the same. No 2 hero films or multistarrer films. I am just very happy coz all his upcoming films look good with the exception of Sher Khan (again Sohail involved lol).

Get Ready for Chillar Party and celebrate Eid with Bodyguard.