John is in love with Priyanka Gandhi

Soon after he was voted the sexiest man in the world, John Abraham declared his choice of the sexiest women in the world.

However, as most would have expected, it wasn’t his girlfriend, Bipasha Basu but instead it was Priyanka Gandhi. John said that he was completely smitten by her sophistication and her attitude. He also said that Mrs Gandhi-Vadra would be “going to the real power centre in the future”.

We hope girlfriend, Bips, doesn’t take it to heart.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

Bipasha does not want John and Vidya working together

John Abraham has turned down Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film “Chenab Gandhi”.

Apparently girlfriend Bipasha is not keen about John working with Vidya Balan.

John and Vidya had got close during the making of Nikhil Advani’s “Saalam-e-Ishq” and there were rumours that the two were dating each other.

The two had hung around in Goa after the entire crew had packed up. They were also seen together at a couple of events.

Even though now that their relationship has become a matter of past, Bipasha does not want to take any chances. She does not want John to work with Vidya again.

John, however, has denied giving up “Chenab Ghandhi” because of Bipasha, though he admits he did meet Bhansali, but for another project.

“The truth is that I was shooting abroad when Mr. Bhansali's office was trying to get in touch. It was Bipasha who put me on to them. It's amazing what conclusions people draw without checking their facts."

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

Fitness is a tripod stand: John

Ok, John Abraham may have the hottest bod, even though he believes that there are some actors who have far better bodies than he does... he told us himself.

Now, all these hunks have the usual “I work out regularly and eat right” kinda quotes that they keep throwing around. But Johnny Bravo made similar fitness tips a wee bit more interesting through his ‘innovative’ quote of the day. He said, “Fitness is a tripod stand. It has three legs. Good food, good sleep and good routine. Without all of that you aren’t really up to speed.” And as we write this, we think John is applying for a copyright on that one. So to the other six-eight pack dudes, this particular ‘tripod’ shouldn’t quite be picked up!

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John 'drives' me crazy, Bipasha hits back

It’s not for a film. Not this time. Starting this week, Bipasha Basu is taking a month off to fulfil one of her long- cherished dreams. “This month-long holiday fell into my lap when the Lamhaa schedule got postponed by a month. I’m now using this time to do what I always wanted to. I’m learning…bellydancing”. Bellydancing? Is it for a movie? “No no it’s something I wanted to learn for a long time. I wanted to indulge in a dancing skill that didn’t require too much pressure on my knees which are not doing too well. So salsa and other dance forms were out.” So is this for a film. Or for private performance with John Abraham? “Neither, ” Bipasha chortles. “I’m learning belly dancing for myself. I love dancing. I don’t have really fantastic knees. And I did’t want to learn any dancing that would put pressure on my knees. Of course I’d love to do belly dancing on screen too.And I’ll incorporate it into my roles for sure.” Earlier this week Bipasha woke up her business manager in the middle of the night to look for a belly dancing school. “The impulse just came on me. She located a proper institute which I’m enrolling into.” Belly-dancing is not all that Bipasha is learning. “I’m also learning swimming and driving in this month-long unexpected holiday. Swimming is something I learnt a bit for Dhoom 2. For Dhoom no swimming skills, only the body was required. So I pulled it off. But I really don’t know swimming and I’m finally learning it. For Goa’s sake.” Bipasha explains, “Goa is my favourite holiday spot. When I get into the water in Goa I just float. Now I want to swim in the Goan waters. Not just for fun. But because it’s a very good exercize. And swimming brings so much grace to your body language.” As for driving, it’s more of a challenge that Bipasha has taken up to prove her boyfriend John wrong. “As we talk I’m in the fourth day of my driving lessons. I can drive straight left and right. But I can’t reverse yet. So now I can look convincing when driving. In almost all my films I’m shown driving. But I’ve never actually know how to drive.” Learning driving is Bipasha’s way of self-empowerment. “I don’t want to be dependent on others to drive me around. I want to drive myself to the gym. And if there’s a medical emergency in the night I can drive my way to the hospital.” Bipasha’s boyfriend thinks women make terrible drivers. “All these years John has been cribbing about women drivers. He feels they can’t drive well. I had warned him he’d have to zip up the day I learnt to drive. No more cribbing about women drivers.” Laughs Bipasha, “When I tell my friends I’m learning so many things in the next one month they think I’m gone mad. But I’ve this unexpected month off. And I want to surprise myself.”

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John Abraham and Bipasha Basu Spotted at Tarun Mansukhani's birthday Party

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John's jitters in the sky!

John Abraham is a self-confessed stickler for time. He likes his movies to be on time – as in on schedule – and he likes to be punctual when he’s attending an event.

So when he had an event in Delhi recently, and his flight from Mumbai was delayed, he says he got the heebie-jeebies stuck up there in the air, knowing he was going to be late. “I had a 6.55 pm flight from Mumbai, which took off at 8.30 pm and landed at Delhi at 10.55 pm,” he says – obviously, he was counting the minutes!

“And we were discussing on the flight – this was like the Dubai flight, which takes four hours to reach India! It was the first time I’ve felt that kind of pressure, because I’m someone who’s never late. For me to be stuck 27,000 feet above sea level and not know what to do was quite unnerving. The only thing I told my manager, who was sitting next to me, was, ‘I wish there were parachutes here so we could skydive.’ Because that seemed like the only option, there was no other way of getting down in time!”

No wonder – there’s so much that John is doing, it must be essential for him to manage his time. He’s doing movies, he’s a biker, he walks the ramp, and now, like many others in tinsel town, he’s also turning producer! That’s why he has a new perspective on the producer-multiplex issue now. “I’m also a co-producer now and I understand the ins and outs of the issue. I’m co-producing my upcoming films – with Abbas Tyrewala, Nishikant Kamat and Devan Khote. I feel I understand the concerns of the producers. I think what Aamir and Shah Rukh have done is acknowledged them. And that’s a good thing – to bring in change. I’m glad that they got together as producers rather than as actors and said that we need to get things right. I stand by the producers and the distributors. And whenever we actors are needed, we’ll be there to support the entire film fraternity,” he says.

‘Mahi’s made me watch cricket’

John walked the ramp recently at the Kolkata Fashion Week, and it wasn’t because he’s been a model and has walked the ramp many times. He did it for good friend Mahi – Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni – who’s the brand ambassador of the Kolkata Fashion Week. “I don’t know whether I have time to go to South Africa (for the IPL) or not. But when his team came to Mumbai and they played against the Mohali IPL team last season, I went to watch. It was good fun. I don’t watch much cricket, but with Mahi, I’ve started,” he says. “And it was great fun walking the ramp. I was a model before I was an actor. So if anybody can walk the ramp, honestly, I think I can!”

John’s been busy with the shooting of Hook Ya Crook in Hyderabad. “I was in Hyderabad for a month – getting totally tanned! I’ve gone so brown, yaar. It’s pretty dry and hot there. We have about 15 days of the shoot left. The good part is that we’re ahead of schedule. And you know that a movie finishing on schedule rarely happens. But if people start coming on time, then it’ll happen quite often,” says John.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

I don’t think I am that sexy: John

On a warm Thursday afternoon we headed to a film city to catch up with Bollywood dreamboat John Abraham who’s shooting for David Dhawan’s Hook Ya Crook. In real life, the headturner exudes easy charm, flashes his trademark dimpled smile and settles down for an interview in between shots.

Exclusive excerpts from an interview:

This is the first time you are doing a film with Genelia D’Souza, who’s also a big name in Telugu films. What’s it like working with her?
She’s great to work with. She’s normal. It’s hard to find normal people these days!

You were injured while shooting for this film. Have you recovered completely?
Every third day I am hurt (shows a gaping cut on his finger).

Tell us more about your role in the film?
Okay, I play the role of Viraj, who loves cricket. Then an incident happens in his life that lands him in prison. When I read the first draft of the script written by Renzil D’Silva, I immediately knew that this was the kind of role I always wanted to do. When I came to know that David Dhawan was directing the film, I knew that this would be one laughter riot.

Is this film a sports-thriller?
I don’t know about this new genre, but it’s a fun prison film and there’s a lot of cricket in the film. The prisoners play cricket with passion –– it’s a fight between two gangs. I was coached by Dinesh Lad, Rohit Sharma’s coach. Dinesh is so dedicated that even when I am shooting, he calls me up and says, “John, practice ke liye aa jao!” He says he wants me to be the first star to play world class cricket. I also value the suggestions my good friend Mahi (MS Dhoni) gives me. I learnt how to hold the bat right, from him.

We hear you are on a special diet these days?
Well, I do have a diet and exercise regime. A gym has been set up for me with a treadmill, home gym, Swiss balls, mats, etc. The whole cast comes and works out at the gym. I eat egg whites in any form, tuna sandwiches, brown bread and pulsed tofu.

What’s your take on marriage and how does it feel like to be called the ‘Sexiest man in Asia’?
Marriage is an institution. It needs to be respected. Coming to the ‘sexiest man’ tag, I don’t think I’m ‘tha-a-a-t’ sexy. It’s a great compliment, nevertheless.

What are the films you are working on next?
I have plans of co-producing a film with Sabal Shekawat. It’s an action thriller, a genre I’ve never done before. And I’d love to do an Anurag Kashyap film any day.

Any Hollywood projects?
Is it important to do a Hollywood film? I’d like it the other way round — what about my films going international?

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

The other side of the gate: John

Be it Om Shanti Om, or the recent Luck By Chance, the lives of those involved in Bollywood continue to fascinate the audience.

But more than the audience, it’s the bunch of people living outside the studio gates that gets to see the real Bollywood. And John Abraham is one actor who the bunch will definitely get to see. For John plays himself in UTV’s Film City. The film, to be directed by UTV biggie Deven Khote, will see a host of newcomers too.

Says Deven, “Film City is about the lives of those people who stay outside the film studios and how their lives are influenced by people from inside the industry. It will be a fun film; one of the protagonists plays a spot boy while the other plays a camera assistant. Film City is my experiences in the film industry for the last two decades.”

Won’t this be similar to Luck by Chance, we ask Deven. He is quick to say, “See, John does play himself, but we have deliberately refrained from roping in other actors, like in Luck by Chance. We didn’t see the need to do that, and so, we have fresh faces in Film City.”

Says John, “I think Film City’s a small film with big emotions. Only ideas work today.”

Reveals our source, “Deven was earlier planning a film titled Dhin Chak with Salman Khan, but the film never got made because Salman insisted on changes. It was then that Deven moved on to Film City and roped in John.”

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

"I like being a Pinup boy" - John Abraham

John Abraham says the best thing to happen to him in 2008 was his brother's marriage. And the most unusual happening in his life in 2009 could be his first stage performance, thanks to the success of his 'Desi Girl' number in Dostana.

"My brother's marriage in Romania was beautiful. Standing there at his wedding as his best man as he took the vows with his wife in a beautiful old church I felt so content. I was never happier. And I liked being the best man. Because I'm the best. People ask me where I'm going from here. And I tell them, I'm only going to get better."

2008 was a decisive year for John. He learnt to be funny. "For the first time I was really funny, far more so than my previous comedy Garam Masala. I'd say there was a 500 percent jump between Dostana and Garam Masala. I was completely clueless about comic timing in Garam Masala. I knew I needed to do let myself go to do comedy convincingly. In real life, I'm very funny. I needed to put some of that across on screen. Why do I have to be so serious on screen all the time? I decided to get seriously funny in Dostana."

John still remembers the moment when he discovered he could be funny. "I was doing a scene when everyone clapped. That was the first time I realized I was really funny on screen. Now when I go to events people start giggling the minute I enter. That's the best gift I've received in 2008. The gift to make people laugh. It's just so beautiful. The other day I was at my doctor's. The assistant kept looking at me and giggling so much that she had to leave the room. That really tickled me pink. I found that really cute."

There's no marriage yet with Bipasha. "And neither are we willing to speak that openly about our relationship," says John. "No more PDA…public display of affection. We've reached a stage in our relationship where we don't need to flaunt our relationship nor talk about it with others or with each other. We're gone beyond that."

And what about his other successful jodi with Abhishek Bachchan? John grins, "Our marriage depends on Ash and Bipasha. Jokes apart, Abhishek and I are not at all insecure about one another's camera presence. I'd love to team up with him again for Dostana Returns. Everyone feels our jodi shouldn't end. People haven't seen male bonding like ours in years." John is happy being Bollywood's no.1 Pinup boy. "I wasn't seen as cheesy. I like being a Pinup boy. God has given me the opportunity to be there. I should respect that. I owe my physique to my parents' wonderful genes."

John says the secret to his 'sexy' tag is his comfort level. "I'm myself wherever I go, whatever I wear. A lot of us have a benchmark for how well-toned we must be. I had a very high benchmark. I'm a leader, not a follower. Not that I am always seeing sunshine up my backside. But I'm very individualistic."

John realizes being an example for the young is a huge social responsibility. "Karan Johar explained what he wanted from me in Dostana. He said I needed a beach body. I didn't need to look like a body builder. I think my physique is achievable. I follow a strict diet. I eat very carefully. But when I go out, I don't create a scene if the food is not cooked in olive oil. I do have normal food. And I binge on special occasions like Christmas and birthdays."

Going to the gym is a must. "It is a part of my daily routine. I work really hard at the gym. I understand my body very well. I know what to do with it to make it respond. I follow a strict gym regimen and a diet. But I believe I'm not just a body."

Regarding the risk of his followers taking short cuts to get John Abraham's body, the stars says, "The use of unnatural substances is just not done to get a body. It leads to hair loss, high blood pressure, mood swings, loss of libido and enlarged glands. Stay away from short cuts."

As a brand ambassador, John has his hands full. "I've a whole array of brands that have stayed with me through thick and thin. I love my association with them and they believe in me regardless of my success quotient. I believe an actor has to be exclusive in his acting assignments, events attended and endorsements."

One thing John still won't do is perform on stage. "I've a strong resistance to stage performances. Forget about dancing at weddings birthdays and functions, I don't even want to go on stage. But now that I've such great songs to perform to it might change. If I could dance the way I did in 'Desi Girl' I think I'm ready for the stage."

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

Our marriage depends on Ash and Bipasha: John Abraham

John Abraham says the best thing to happen to him in 2008 was his brother's marriage. And the most unusual happening in his life in 2009 could be his first stage performance, thanks to the success of his Desi girl number in Dostana. "My brother's marriage in Romania was beautiful. Standing there at his wedding as his best man as he took the vows with his wife in a beautiful old church I felt so content. I was never happier. And I liked being the best man. Because I'm the best. People ask me where I'm going from here. And I tell them, I'm only going to get better." 2008 was a decisive year for John. He learnt to be funny. "For the first time I was really funny.Far more so than my previous comedy Garam Masala. I'd say there was a 500 percent jump between Dostana and Garam Masala. I was completely clueless about comic timing in Garam Masala. I knew I needed to do let myself go to do comedy convincingly. In real life I'm very funny. I needed to put some of that across on screen. Why do I have to be so serious on screen all the time? I decided to get seriously funny in Dostana." John still remembers the moment when he discovered he could be funny. " I was doing a scene when everyone clapped. That was the first time I realized I was really funny on screen. Now when I go to events people start giggling the minute I enter. That's the best gift I've received in 2008. The gift to make people laugh. It's just so beautiful. The other day I was at my doctor's. The assistant kept looking at me and giggling so much that she had to leave the room. That really tickled me pink.I found that really cute." There's no marriage yet with Bipasha. "And neither are we willing to speak that openly about our relationship, " says John. "No more PDA…public display of affection. We've reached a stage in our relationship where we don't need to flaunt our relationship nor talk about with others or with each other. We're gone beyond that." And what about his other successful jodi with Abhishek Bachchan? John grins, "Our marriage depends on Ash and Bipasha. Jokes apart, Abhishek and I are not at all insecure about one another's camera presence. I'd love to team up with him again for Dostana Returns. Everyone feels our jodi shouldn't end. People haven't seen male bonding like ours in years." John is happy being Bollywood's no.1 pinup boy. "I wasn't seen as cheesy. I like being a pinup boy. God has given me the opportunity be there. I should respect that.I owe my physique to my parents wonderful genes." John says the secret to his 'sexy' tag is his comfort level. "I'm myself wherever I go, whatever I wear. A lot of us have a benchmark for how well-toned we must have. I had a very high benchmark. I'm a leader, not a follower. Not that I am always seeing sunshine up my backside. But I'm very individualistic." John realizes being an example for the young is a huge social responsibility. " Karan Johar explained what he wanted from me in Dostana.He said I needed a beach body. I didn't need to look like a body builder. I think my physique is achievable. I follow a strict diet.I eat very carefully. But when I go out I don't create a scene if the food is not cooked in olive oil. I do have normal food. And I binge on special occasions like Christmas and birthdays." Going to the gym is a must. "It is a part of my daily routine. I work really hard at the gym. I understand my body very well. I know what to do with it to make it respond. I follow a strict gym regimen and a diet.But I believe I'm not just a body." Regarding the risk of his followers taking short cuts to get John Abraham's body the stars says, "The use of unnatural substances is just not done to get a body. It leads to hair loss, high blood pressure, mood swings, loss of libido and enlarged glands. Stay away from short cuts." As a brand ambassador John has his hands full. "I've a whole array of brands that have stayed with me through thick and thin. I love my association with them and they believe in me regardless of my success quotient. I believe an actor has to be exclusive in his acting assignments, events attended and endorsements." One thing John still won't do is perform on stage. "I've a strong resistance to stage performances. Forget about dancing at weddings birthdays and functions, I don't even want to go on stage. But now that I've such great songs to perform to it might change. If I could dance the way I did in Desi girl I think I'm ready for the stage."

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John loves his bike shoot

Bollywood's hot boy John Abraham recently got a chance to spend loads of time with his original love - bikes on a sunny afternoon as he posed for the cover of the latest GQ. John's the cover boy for the newest edition of the magazine. Unlike 'Dostana', John is showing no skin here and interestingly he loves doing photo shoots like these more than shooting for movies. He says, "It's going to be a very retro biker shoot, something that I haven't done in ages. With lots of bikes but the old ones.The whole shoot is shot around these couple of bikes, with tyres lying around, oil and is the kind of space I would want to live in. I am very comfortable in this space." Photographer, R Burman was super impressed too. He said, "The thing that really struck me about John is that he is very original. He is very organic; he doesn't have any airs, is very down to earth and it's fantastic vibration to work with him." Johnny Boy's ways are unique indeed.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John Abraham's pole stint

John Abraham has hurt his leg badly yet again.

It was while shooting for David Dhawan’s film Hook Ya Crook that the accident happened. A unit hand informed us that John had to slip down a 20-foot pole for a scene. He didn’t get it right and slid quite badly. Unfortunately for John, he landed directly on his leg. Despite being ordered take some rest, John quickly treated himself to some first-aid medication, and went pole sliding all over again. This time he got it right, and then rushed to the X-ray clinic. Talk about wanting to get it right, hook ya crook.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

Why no one raised any eyebrows when Ranbir showed his bum

Bipasha brought in her birthday at an unknown destination. She was surprisingly quiet and reluctant to talk. "It's been fantastic year for me. Personally and professionally. Family is great. Boyfriend is great. Everything is fine. I couldn't have asked for anything more this year. I'm actually surprised the year went so well. I even got time to watch my niece and nephew grow. Yes, I've spent one more beautiful year productively.." Suggest that she needs to have children of her own, Bipasha baulks, "No no I don't have the patience for kids. I can't bear to have my 7-year old nephew around for more than two hours. He's a talkative brat. My 1-year niece is an a item number. She dances superbly to the worst songs. So yes another actress coming up in my film. And she's the first light-eyed fair-skinned Basu girl in the family." What pleases her was the success John had achieved.And the label of the 'sexiest' for her man pleases her even more. "There has to be one person who's the sexiest every year. In 2007 Eastern Eye voted me the sexiest. In 2008 it's John. If they didn't vote him the sexiest they'd look really foolish. I mean John is the hottest. No one is going to look hotter than him for a long time. And I'm not saying that because I'm in a relationship with him." Ask her how she felt about John letting it all hang out in Dostana, and Bipasha chuckles, "Ranbir Kapoor showed his bum (in Saawariya). How come no one raised any eyebrows? It was not so drastic with John. He has a fantastic body. If a woman on a beach is appreciated why not a man on the beach? If you are comfortable with your body and you can carry it off with grace like John did, why not? I'm proud of what John has achieved. I've been with him from the time we shot Aetbaar and Jism. We started dating on Aetbaar." Bipasha says she was really proud of her bikini shot in Dhoom 2. "At no point did I look cheesy. There was no heaving thrusting. It was just a healthy shot of a woman on the beach. Incidentally I came out of the water in Jism wearing a thick white dress. Such was the impact that people think I wore a bikini."

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

Case against John's film

If he is not showing his butt then that ain't hot, at least that what it seems.

The release of John Abraham's movie “Aashayein”, a serious film in contrast to his body show “Dostana”, is facing further delay after a legal fight has erupted between its producers and distributor.

Reliance's Big Pictures, that was all set to distribute “Aashayein”, has filed a case against the film's producers Percept Picture Company and T-Series because they felt the film has not measured up to their expectations.

The case has been filed in the Delhi High Court.

Percept Picture Company and T-Series are now in a fix because they can't release the film until the case is resolved.

The movie, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, was ready sometime back and has been getting delayed for some reason or the other.

“Aashayein” is the story of a compulsive gambler who one day learns that he has only 90 days to live. Wanting to make the most of his last days, he leaves everything behind and moves into a soothing hospice. The inmates he meets change his outlook on life. As his relationships grow with each one of them, he tries to rise above his own needs and live life to the fullest, learning from the courage of those around him.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John Abraham is sexiest Asian in the world

John Abraham has been adjudged the sexiest Asian man in the world in 2008. In the annual round conducted by Eastern Eye, a leading British Asian weekly, Abraham emerged the top in a shortlist of 10. The weekly sent judges a shortlist of 10 names. The judges then ranked the names according to their individual preferences and the newspaper then compiled the results to produce a final list. "John Abraham made up for a quiet year with a sensational look in Dostana, with one of the greatest physiques ever seen on the big screen. His body helped to make the film a hit with Asian women," Hamant Verma, editor of Eastern Eye, said. The judges included Brianna Ragel, editor of Asian Woman Magazine, Che Kurrien, editor of GQ India and the former editor of FHM India, Farhad Dadyburjor. 2007's top guy actor Shah Rukh Khan stood at third place after Hrithik Roshan in second place. Abraham was at third place last year. Newcomers to the 2008 list include TV presenter Rav Wilding (20) and actors Harman Baweja (22) and Stephen Uppal (21). Britons on this year's list include Upen Patel (five), Jay Sean (nine) and boxer Amir Khan (ten). The top ten sexiest male includes, John Abraham, Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ali Zafar, Upen Patel, Ranbir Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Imran Khan (actor), Jay Sean and boxer Amir Khan.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

I love Abhishek to death: John Abraham

John Abraham talks about his physique & remedy for homesickness after 3 months of shooting in Philadelphia for New York. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the film is called New York and you're why were you shooting it in Philadelphia? Because the topography is similar. A lot of films located in New York are actually shot in Philadelphia. I was shooting for three long months and if it wasn't for my parents, brother and sister-in-law and Bipasha visiting, I'd have gone crazy. When they all came to see me, I stopped feeling homesick. I was away for so long, sometimes when I woke up, I forgot where I was. Before Philadelphia I was in Miami shooting for Dostana for three months. Homesick? I love Phili. The hotel had become a home. Now I go to Boston for Abbas Tyrewala's film where star with Abbas' wife Pakhi. She's perfect for the part. When I'm away, what I miss most is the ghar ka khana. My parents had come over. But I wouldn't let my mom cook here. No way. I pampered her. Looked after her like a little baby. That's what one is supposed to do with one's parents especially when they get old, no? They need clean healthy air. I think I'll take them to Boston too. Dad is an architect so he loves to check out the buildings and architecture. But before Boston, I come back to Mumbai to do a film called Hook Ya Crook with David Dhawan written by Rensil D'Silva. It's not a typical David Dhawan comedy. We're both excited like two children. You're a good son. I'd really want to believe I'm a good son. How was the shooting in Philadelphia? Gruelling but very satisfying. I shot the most emotionally and physically exhausting scenes of my life. Frankly, I haven't done an action film since Dhoom. It's a genre I really enjoy. This film New York that I'm doing has very effective action. I not only had a lot of running around to do. But I enjoyed myself. At this point of my career I just want to push myself beyond the limits. By wearing the briefest and briefs and giving an interview on why you wore it? Oh that was an endorsement for Dostana. And besides I'm never ashamed of talking about my body. Though at times I do feel like a meat shop. So why go on and on about your body? I am proud of my physique. But I feel I'm also good with emotions. In fact I perform the best when I'm unhappy. I function best when in angst. New York is your second film with Kabir Khan? I loved doing Kabul Express with Kabir. I loved shooting in Afghanistan right in the midst of Taliban. Now I'd love to shoot in Iraq. I'm a sucker for pain and agony. I'd love to shoot in Iran. My grandfather was from Iran. My mother's cousins are in Iran. You collaborate well with your directors these days? Yes, I'm equally at home with someone as commercial as David Dhawan and as niche as Nagesh Kukunoor. I believe as much in my directors as they believe in me. You may be right when you say I was the outsider when I did Dostana with Karan Johar. But it took me no time to settle in. Karan is a fair person. As for Abhishek, he's no co-star or colleague. He's a friend. I dote on him. I love him to death. We never compete. We complement each other in Dostana. We share a great chemistry. Abhishek and I are a couple in the film. Yes, so we've been told. Let me ask you a 'straight' question. Do you think Indian audiences are ready for gay jokes? I'll give you a 'straight' answer. People laughed at the Kantaben track in Kal Ho Naa Ho. It was very essential for us in Dostana to not take advantage of a certain sensibility and project that as a caricutural as a joke. We've succeeded in doing that in Dostana. Happy to be a gay icon? I've been told that. And I accept it very graciously. But women have reacted as strongly to me in Dostana as men. Some have reacted to the sensuality others to the fitness. But everyone has a query about my body. Sometime I feel I belong to a meat shop. I really am not comfortable talking constantly about my anatomy. Very often I don't know how to react. Initially it was fun to be regarded as a body-beautiful. I wonder how audiences will react to my physicality in my next release Aashayein where I've lost 30 pounds. No stripping in that? None whatsoever. Not that I believe that if you show your body you can't act properly. I really like fielding questions on food, diet and other clichés on health. I always advise people to be clean in body, mind and environment. Neil Nitin Mukesh who's shooting with you in Philadelphia has great respect for you? He's like my younger brother. I love him for the fact that he dotes on his parents. He's a wonderful kid with a great future. He's a simple and clean. We spend a lot of time together. Out there you've no choice. You have a point. Deepa Mehta's Luna with Rachel Weisz is off. So I got to know from your article. Deepa and I haven't spoken about it. As for Kamagatamaru I'd still be willing to play the other lead because it's as important as Akshay Kumar's role. It's always a pleasure working with Akshay. I'm very happy for him. He's a very positive person. We get along beautifully. Why the delay in the release of Aashayein? I think some negotiations are going on. Percept has now decided to release it around December. Aashayein is a beautiful film and Nagesh is great storyteller. What else have you signed? Only Abbas Tyrewala's film. Beyond that I haven't really opened my accounts book, I'm happy doing films I'm completely convinced about. I'd love to work with Anurag Kashyap again. I can talk to him for hours. Like me, he's happy doing his own thing. I'm an off-roader while other actors are on the highway. Do you miss home when you're away? I miss the people though not the city. I'm happy wherever I am as long as my work goes well. But I like to be in Mumbai, though not in the rains. I believe Mumbai should have rains. But we don't know how to cope with it. We don't have a civic sense. We Mumbaikars have it in us to be an international city. When I travel abroad I wonder why we can't be like the other big cities of the world.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

I am game for Bipasha going gay on screen: John Abraham

While Priyanka Chopra has been practically enjoying one film release a month and Abhishek Bachchan saw the release of Drona and Sarkar Raj this year, for John Abraham it has been quite some wait.

Last November, his Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal released while this year in the same month, he sees his Dostana arriving at theaters. Practically living out of suitcases while shooting non-stop for his next with Yash Raj Films (tentatively titled New York) and making intermittent visits to Mumbai for shooting and promotion of Dostana, he talks to Joginder Tuteja as his romcom hits the screens.

Everyone is going ga-ga about the fun fest that Dostana is. How much of fun was it on paper? .
Believe me, when Dostana was narrated to me by Tarun (Mansukhani), I burst out laughing. I was in splits throughout.

I said to myself, 'If I am enjoying it so much, my audience too would certainly enjoy it'. Eventually we have managed to achieve what we had set out for.

That's because we wanted to make a fun film with the foremost consideration that we were not there to make fun of any particular community. The characters were never allowed to look or behave caricaturish. 

So it was all fun and frolic the moment you guys started working on the film? .
Absolutely, there is nothing so serious in the storytelling of Dostana. It is a sweet funny film and the movie has stuck on this very brief which was given to all of us.

Of course there are 3-4 absolutely beautiful moments where you don't quite start laughing uproariously. These are some very sweet and emotional moments. I can distinctly remember one which is between Priyanka and me and also another one between Abhishek and Priyanka. 

A Dharma Production at it's best?.
Of course, there are bound to be some beautiful heartwarming moments due to this very fact. But yes, in essence it stays on to be a fun film all the way. 

The film is just a little over 2 hours and looking at the standards set by Karan Johar films, it is quite short in length (laughs). Dostana is short, absolutely fast moving with not a single moment where it slows down. 

So who amongst you and Abhishek agreed to be 'the girl' when paired opposite each other in Dostana? .
(Laughs) Well, we take turns. That's the argument we have in the movie throughout when it comes to being a girlfriend! 

How about your own girlfriend Bipasha? How did she react to Dostana once you broke the news about the film and the character you play? .
She couldn't stop laughing after visualizing Abhi and me as a couple. Imagine two 6 feet plus guys faking a romantic relation with each other; it has to be the funniest thing in the world. 

Bipasha has seen the film and believes that it has to be a super success in the making. She has been very right in her assessment of movies till date. 

She always tells me then and there if my movie will be successful or not and in case of Dostana, she knows that it would work. 

Didn't she warn you about No Smoking in that case? .
She did actually wonder as to why was the film getting such a massive theatrical release. She confided in me that it was a festival film to begin with and should not have come with a commercial tag. Of course, she enjoyed the film and felt that it was a path breaking. 

Coming back to Bipasha and her liking for Dostana. What if she comes to you tomorrow and says that she is working in a film where she is paired opposite other woman.
I will be game for it. 

Which of the Bollywood heroines would you see her to be paired with? 
Errr, that's a tough one. 

Just try
(Blushes) I can't actually think of any women. But yes, I am sure whatever Bipasha would do, she would do it convincingly. 

Just the way you and Abhishek have done in Dostana?
(Laughs) Yes, you can say that. And now as the film is out, I hear people are saying just the same. We are the newest romantic 'jodi' in town!

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

Dostana - Movie Review

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani
Written & Directed by Tarun Mansukhani
Rating: ***

Get this straight. Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham are not gay. They are just happy pretending to be bed partners. In the endeavour they pull put all stops and get into the gay zone with a gusto that stumps all the moralists.

There are butt-and-bum jokes galore some even pointed at the leading lady. But hold that frown.

Auntyji, chill. It's all for fun. Wanna join in?

The theme of heterosexual characters pretending to be gay to get a precious abode in the bustle of the metropolis is pretty cool.

Bachchan and Abraham, both in full form, get into the gay groove without going over the top. They come out with flying colours through most of the material that's provided to them to sink their teeth into.

While John combines terrific body language with some great comic timing (he's come a long way from his thanda GaramMasala days) Abhishek's expressions are a scream in their pitch-perfection.

One of the most brilliantly-written sequences orchestrates all the characters of this gay-play in the same room.

There're the play-acting gay protagonists, a gay magazine editor (a flawlessly wimpy Boman Irani), a gay marriage-bureau official (who just decides to drop in for a quick –check) and of course Abhishek's homophobic mother (Kirron Kher) who screams and rants and then accepts her son's apparent sexual preference.

You could simply marvel at the two principal actors giving so much of heart and others parts to their parts.

After a point you're tempted to stop counting the number of times the word 'gay' gets in the way of the narrative. From 'Mera beta gay hai' (courtesy Abhishek's mom Kirron Kher) to a 'Han main gay hoon' …. Dostana wins the how-to-say-gay-in-every-which-way award of the year.

Sandwiched between the two brilliantly-poised heroes is Priyanka Chopra, glowing like a 1000-watt bulb in her immaculate wardrobe (and out of it…she too gets into beachwear, what did you think?).

So here's the bottom (oops!) line. Hindi cinema finally comes out of the closet. And going by how little John Abraham wears in most of the film. There's very little coming out of the closet.

But there you have it. Bollywood's first beach-bum-chum meri-dosti-mera-pyar dildo-dil-lo preparation done on that slow-burn state of leisurely cooking where the characters get an ample chance to extend the parameters of the conventional cinema without toppling into the abyss of overstatement.

First-time writer-director Tarun Mansukhani has the zing thing in his vision. Miami shot with fetching gusto by Aynanka Bose lifts the luscious locales to more than a touristic paradise. The desi characters seem to belong to this beachside paradise.

Well-toned bodies tanned to the extreme of selfglorification, sinewy movements on the beach and on the dancefloor, songs music and feverish fiesta of sexually- driven people who want it all.And fast. Dostana is the ultimate hedonists' dream.

The narrative pace slackens considerably in the second-half, what with the heroes expanding their homosexual hijinks into a triangle with Priyanka thrown in for good measure.

Then the triangle dilates into a quadrangle as Bobby Deol (looking dapper in his Armanis) makes a belated appearance as the boss who first intimidates and irritates the working girl into motion of anger and submission. And then sweeps her off her feet.

Is this to keep the heterosexuals happy ?

What keeps the narrative going is the sheer zest for life and the mood of wink-wink wackiness which Shilpa Shetty sets at the outset with her ooh-la-la item song.

The gags involve everyone from the caricatural and spinsterish landlady (Sushmita Mukherjee) to an incredibly clueless magazine editor (Bobby Deol) who agrees to behave like a moron on the our pseudo-gay heroes' say-so.

It's all in fun. Not to be taken seriously. Not even when Abhishek and John lip-lock in mock-ecstacy for a climatic farewell kiss that certainly leaves Priyanka breathless.

I'm still trying to figure out why Abhishek is inspired to act gay with John while holding a hotdog in his hand. Is there a hidden code there?

As for the audience, it's still counting the number of times the characters say 'gay'. Every which way.For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

john and Katrina sharing cold vibes

John Abraham is in no hurry either. Several actors have gone ahead and signed multiple film deals with major corporate houses at astronomical prices, but John has decided to go slow. "I am not in a hurry really, " John tells me.

Seriously, doesn't he get insecure when he reads that an 'x' actor has signed a Rs. 60 crore deal or 'y' getting into a 3-film contract for a humungous figure? Doesn't he want to be a part of this rat race? "Believe me, I have never felt insecure. And I don't believe in signing 3 or 4-film deals, even if the money is lucrative. You need to draw a line somewhere, " John states.

While AASHAYEIN is already complete (slated for release early next year), followed by Yash Raj's NEW YORK (directed by Kabeer Khan), John will begin work on Abbas Tyrewala's film. "I want to take a break once I am through with Abbas' film. I've been living out of my suitcase for a while now. I need to relax, " he states.

The media was agog with rumours of John and Katrina sharing cold vibes while shooting for NEW YORK in America. If true, doesn't it hamper the quality of work? "Yes, it does! But Katrina and I are thorough professionals. It's completely false that we didn't get along, I don't know how this originated, " he clarifies.

What about Bipasha? Is there a possibility of the much-in-news couple featuring in a film together? "I'd love to work with Bipasha. 

I loved her performances in RACE as also BACHNA AE HASEENO. Bipasha was gracious enough to work with me when I was nobody (JISM). It would be an honour if I get an opportunity of working with her again, " he states.For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...

John, Abhishek shoot an additional song for Dostana

It's customary for two stars to be pitched against one another in real life whenever they are paired on screen. The last time we heard murmurs of discontent was when Bipasha and Deepika apparently couldn't stand one another while shooting Bachna Ae Haseeno.

But John and Abhishek get along like a house on fire. To their regret, they had to shoot a music video for Dostana separately.

Producer Karan Johar who just landed in Mumbai after two weeks of location hunting in Los Angeles says the song 'Maa Da Ladla' was shot during his absence. "I left it entirely to my director Tarun Mansukhani and to the choreographer Feroz (who's been Farah Khan's assistant for ten years). So you'll have to ask Tarun what happened."

Tarun Mansukhani has his own explanation for why Abhishek and John shot the song separately. "I deliberately didn't shoot the song with John and Abhishek together. I wanted at least this one song 'Maa Da Ladla' to look different from the rest of the film where they're constantly together, fooling around, chumming it up. They shot individually, so the masti of the rest of the movie was missing on the sets." Tarun trails off sadly, and then perks up. "The last shooting before this was for 'Desi Girl' where all of us were together. It was so much fun."

The 'Maa Da Ladla' song was shot on 15, 16 and 17 October at Filmistan studios and onlookers watched Abhishek and John arrive on separate days. "This is a music video which we'll use for promotion and probably for the end titles," explains Tarun.

Says Abhishek, "It was wonderful to shoot with John Abraham again after Dhoom. It was fun on the sets because we were all friends."

Adds John, "Abhishek is not co-star or colleague. He's a friend. I dote on him. I love him to death. We never compete. We complement each other in Dostana. We share a great chemistry. Abhishek and I are a couple in the film."For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

read more...