Salman Khan unveils his wax statue at Madame Tussauds

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan unveiled his wax figure at Madame Tussauds on January 15. Actor?s statue stands in a special Bollywood section, alongside those of three other great stars - Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

STRIKING SUPERSTAR Salman Khan unveiled his actual size wax model at the famous wax museum Madame Tussauds on January 15, and making him the fourth Bollywood personality to be featured in the must visit premier tourist spot.

Khan, speaking to the media about the statue, said, “It is absolutely fantastic, it has thicker hair and is more muscular than me. Very few Indians have the privilege and it feels good to be a part of it. We have Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya, Shah Rukh and I think I am the third most deserving in the museum.”

Well, Salman after 50 most famous and awarded movies, you do deserve to be honor with such a prestigious reward.

The bollywood hunk has beat nine other Indian mega stars - including Madhuri Dixit, Hrithik Roshan, Lata Mangeshkar and Abhishek Bachchan, to win a place at the world famous waxworks museum after a public poll conducted last summer. More than 10,000 people voted in the poll to choose the Next Bollywood Star.

Actor’s statue stands in a special Bollywood section alongside those of three other great stars - Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Indian tourists make up the fourth largest group of visitors to the prestigious museum, out of the total 2.4 million tourists who come annually to the museum. Staring intensely at his wax replica, Salman appeared to suggest that it has done justice to his six-pack abs and bulging biceps. He also donated a set of clothes and a bracelet that his father gave him for the wax model.

Ben Lovett of Madame Tussauds said: “The Asian market is critical to our attraction and our association with Bollywood, particularly the launch of Shah Rukh Khan, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Asians, from both Britain and abroad, visiting and take pleasure in Madame Tussauds. We hope to build upon this exciting relationship with the inauguration of Salman.”
I am sure no matter where we are bollywood has already taken over the likings of every kind of people. The attraction towards bollywood will never end.

Revelations of Charlize Theron

The stunning Charlize’s dream may not have come true but now we all know what her dream was and what she wanted to do before becoming an actress. A back injury had shattered her dreams but led her to a larger destiny.

THE OSCAR-winner Charlize Theron dreamt of becoming a ballet dancer. The actress was desperate to dance for living, until a back injury ruined her hopes. According to Theron, when asked, “I wanted to be a ballet dancer throughout my childhood. That was my dream, but I had to give up ballet when I was 18, due to my injured back. That was the very worst moment of my career and life.” When it comes on her work, she has always given her best to it. Like on January 15, she confesses smoking helped her land a starring role.

The actress admitted that she got a part in her forthcoming, Paul Haggis directed movie In the Valley of Elah thanks to the unhealthy habit. She said, “I still smoke, occasionally. But it led to a role in my new film, In the Valley of Elah. I kept on running into writer and director Paul Haggis when we were at an awards event. He was there for his film Crash and I was there for North Country. We were the only two losers in an alley, smoking. He said, ‘I’m going to write a film for you.’ And he did.”

The Sleepwalking star has also disclosed that she will always put her personal life ahead of her film career. She said, “My personal life comes first. I have beautiful people in my life, like my boyfriend Stuart and my mother. My job is a gift that comes second. I don’t want to lie on my deathbed and regret that I made work the most important thing.”
Well, I am sure the contemplation of Theron must have opened many workaholics’ eyes.

Soha Ali Khan and Siddharth are tying the knot!

Royal princess and Telugu prince have finally decided to get settled. The royal family has stamped its approval on their decision to wed. This is the second marriage for Siddharth, who was earlier married to his childhood sweetheart, Meghna.

THE ROYAL actress Soha Ali Khan would soon be tying the knot with Telugu actor Siddharth. According to sources, Saif Ali Khan, her parents and close friends met Siddharth and have put the stamp of approval on their decision.

If you are thinking, how did Bollywood meet Tollywood, then the answer is that their love story started on the sets of Rang De Basanti. And their love was seen all over Mumbai. It was during the shooting of Rang De Basanti that Soha and Siddharth became close to each other. An introvert like Siddharth fell for Soha’s bubbly nature and positive attitude towards life. Slowly, they both discovered that they had more than a deep liking for each other.

Soha has made up her mind to be Siddharth’s second wife. He was married earlier to his childhood sweetheart, Meghna. They divorced last year. Sources claim that Siddharth has two children from his first wife.

Iinitially, Siddharth was silent about his divorce, which was a cause for concern for Soha’s parents Sharmila Tagore and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who were not very happy with their daughter’s choice. But I guess with the time and the couple’s determination to go ahead, the family has finally approved.

The source reveals that within minutes of meeting with family and friends of Soha, Siddharth and Saif was completely charmed with each other.

“Siddharth is a cool dude like Saif and they kept chatting away gaily on various issues. After the family dinner, Saif was even heard inviting Siddharth over on his sets to discuss various aspects of filmmaking.” Well, I guess the brother-in-law talks have already started.

The Pataudis too were impressed with the southern actor’s down-to-earth nature. When asked, Soha doesn’t deny the incident but adds, “I am really not comfortable discussing my personal life. I hope you understand.”

Well then, let us wish her all the best for her coming wedding.

Sharmila Tagore attacked by Lashkar-e-Bhima group

A Dalit organisation called Lashkar-e-Bhima, attacked Sharmila Tagore and ransacked the 6th Pune International Film Festival on 11 January 2008, Friday.

ACTOR AND chairperson of the Central Board for Film Certification, Sharmila Tagore was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Category at the event held for the 6th Pune International Film Festival on Friday, 11 January. However the event was tainted by a group of 30 individuals who attacked Tagore with paper.

According to sources, the group of men that carried out this attack was part of a Dalit organisation called Lashkar-e-Bhima who threw papers at Tagore and also ransacked the venue, which was packed with about 800 people. Besides this they even dropped a set of lights on the crowed gathered for the event.

All the protesters were arrested and are currently under police custody. No one at the venue could confirm the reason behind the unrest. At the time of attack Shammi Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Suresh Kalmadi and Anurag Kashyap were also onstage. Soon after this all of the accused were arrested and are currently in police custody.

However, few months back Tagore had been questioned for clearing the Madhuri Dixit- for Aaja Nachle. One of the film song’s lyrics had apparently hurt the sentiments of the Dalit community and optimistic Dalit groups had asked for the film to be banned.

Advani pays teary tribute to Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par

LK Advani, the leader of the Opposition, couldn’t hide his emotions after watching the film. His compliment must have been very special for Aamir. This outstanding movie has opened the eyes of lots of parents too.

ARE TAARE Zameen Par (are stars shining on Earth)? Let’s ask this question to senior BJP leader LK Advani, as the leader couldn’t hide his emotions after watching the film. It was not a sparkling evening but was special for Aamir Khan, as he flew all the way from Mumbai to Delhi just for the special screening of Taare Zameen Par for the leader of Opposition Advani.

Teary-eyed Advani tells the media, “Both the director and the scriptwriter must be complimented in a very proper manner. After years, I have seen such a film. Congratulations to the filmmakers.”

Well I am with the leader here, as this outstanding movie has opened the eyes of lots of parents. Taare Zameen Par has managed to create quite a hum with some heart-warming performances, and Aamir’s endeavour has been lauded by one and all.

Taare had swept the recently held Screen Awards in Mumbai by winning best director, debut director, best supporting actor male. Also the best child artist award went to Darsheel Safary, who also got a special jury award for best actor!

I am sure, after so many awards, the special complement by Advani must have been the icing on the cake for Aamir and his team.
Well done Aamir, and hope to see more of the same from you.

‘Good Pictures Emote’ – An Interview with Sucheta Das

In an exclusive interview with Sucheta Das, a Calcutta- based photojournalist, merinews asks her to share her experiences in this field, in the present set-up. Despite problems, she loves her profession and hopes for a change.

A PHOTOJOURNALIST by profession, Sucheta Das, seems somewhat discontented with the current state of photojournalism. She has complains about the treatment dished out to those in this field. Yet, she loves what she does. And hopes the situation would change soon!

Her photographs have appeared in national and international vernacular dailies and magazines. She has extensive experience with transmitting photos from remote locations. She has also been awarded National Media Fellowship award and even received World Press photo award from Magdalena Herrera in Amsterdam. Her work speaks through pictures! Who says we need write-ups to understand an incident (or an accident), right Sucheta?

Q. Where do you see the field of photojournalism headed?
The field of photojournalism is not good at present, especially in India. There are very few recognised photojournalists in India. The major problem we are facing is financial, as we don’t have companies to finance us for the latest tools and equipments.

Q. How did you decide to become a photojournalist? Were you always primarily interested in photojournalism?
When I was in class two, I had no idea what was photojournalism. But I was very much attracted to newspapers and magazines’ pictures. The colour and action had made me so much attracted to these that by the time I was 15, I had made up my mind to be a photojournalist.

Q. What do you look for in a photograph that might be posted in a newspaper or magazine article?
At present if you see most of the newspapers or magazines publish entertainment pictures. The trend has become like that! My view says that in newspapers or magazines, there should be all kinds of pictures – from politics to environment or sports to people. These should mostly highlight the common people’s news, which is not seen that much these days.

Q. What role do you think photographs play in a story?
It’s a very important role because in short, a photograph speaks thousands of words. You may need to read ten paragraphs to understand the story but a single photograph can make you understand what the story is all about. It doesn’t need words! So in a cover story, it’s very important to have a very understanding picture to make the words small.

Q. Are there different types of photographs that you use for different articles? For example, a close up of the object being photographed, a medium shot?
It depends…like sometimes a magazine has more space to use wider shot but sometimes these get only one column and for that there is a need to use bold shots. So we have to give different shots or else, they get cropped. So it’s always good to take different types of picture from various angles of one incident.

Q. For a situation like Katrina, it seems like the photographs have more of an impact than what is written. Do you agree to it?
Of course! Yes, the pictures say more then a write-up. If the picture has been shot right, you need not read the paragraph to understand the topic. If the picture has been taken well, I think, it doesn’t even need a caption!

Q. What's the experience like when you capture an amazing image of a horrific subject?
When I went to capture the pictures of tsunami, Calcutta bomb blast or other such mishaps, it’s very painful. I do not think like…yes, I am here to capture pictures…but when I go to cover, I feel their pain, while I am clicking. I guess that is the pain, which comes in the form of my pictures.

Q. Are you excited about how photographic technology is evolving?
Yes, it is evolving very drastically; today’s technology has made things very easy to work with. Like before, when I had to work with reel it used to be rather difficult like first clicking, then developing the reel, then cleaning it with hard chemicals, etc, etc…. But today, we just have to plug it with out system and it’s done! Ready for publishing. In short, it saves a lot of time.

Q. Do you feel good about the state of photojournalism right now?
I don’t think so… I told you this before that the field of photojournalism is not good at present, especially in India. There are very few recognized photojournalists in India. At present, even the journalists have started capturing the story images into their cameras. There is not much difference left between them and us, and may be, that is the reason that photojournalists are recognised for their work.

Q. What advice will you give to the students of photojournalism?
(Smiles) … Well, at present I don’t think that I am in a position of giving an advice to the students but all I want the students to know is when you are in this field, always highlight the original story. It is very important to have the actual picture with the original story.

Hrithik Roshan: The Dhoom star turns 34

Dhoom star turns 34 today. The Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan has no plans to usher in another year of his life, as he plans for a simple gathering with his close near and dear ones.

DHOOM STAR turns 34 today. The Bollywood super star has no plans to usher in another year of his life, as he plans for a simple gathering with his close near and dear ones.

Timid by nature, Hrithik will supposedly celebrate his birthday with his wife Suzanne, baby Hrehaan with a quiet dinner at a posh suburban restaurant, but may be joined by Suzanne’s parents Sanjay and Zarine, and siblings Simone, Farah and Zayed.

The morning of his birthday started with a havan and a puja at his Juhu residence. Sources reveal that the puja was followed by a family lunch. I am sure this puja was mostly regarding his upcoming next film Jodhaa Akbar, paired with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

He is very busy planning for the publicity of his already-in-news project, where he dons a period look. The movie is scheduled to hit the theaters on February 15. Hats-off to Hrithik, as he was recuperating from a knee surgery, but that did not stop him from signing new projects.

Well Hrithik, wish you a very happy birthday and good luck for your coming release.