Gulshan Grover gives Kareena's mujra an 8/10

Actor Gulshan Grover feels that his co-star Kareena Kapoor has given her best shot for her mujra song, Dil Mera Muft Ka from the upcoming film, Agent Vinod. 

Grover, 51, who was last seen in the critically acclaimed film, I Am Kalam (2011), says: “Bebo’s song is an out-and-out entertainer
and she has done it really well. I love it.” But when asked to rate her performance on a scale of 1 to 10, he said, “I will give Kareena an eight on ten for this song.”

When it comes to a mujra number, comparisons with veteran actor and Bollywood’s mujra queen, Rekha (above), are inevitable. “Everyone looks up to Rekhaji and her mujras from Umrao Jaan. So did we,” says the film’s director, Sriram Raghavan, agreeing to the fact that Rekha was the biggest inspiration behind the song. Grover, however, says: “It’s unfair to compare the two as Rekha’s song was at a different time, of a different kind and was done in a different style. She was more to do with grace and adaa, while Bebo’s song is fun.”

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source : Hindustantimes

Kareena Kapoor replaces Malaika Arora as the new Munni

If the buzz is to be believed, Kareena Kapoor will be doing an item number in Dabangg 2.

The sequel of Dabangg is getting bigger by the day. If the buzz is to be believed, Kareena Kapoor will be replacing Malaika Arora Khan from the original for an item number in Dabangg 2.

Apparently the makers want to have another item number in the sequel and having Kareena Kapoor would only make it bigger. Malaika Arora Khan, in most probability, would be restricted to only being the producer. When the Dabangg sequel was newly announced, post the success of the original, there were multiple speculations including one that said Amrita Arora would join Malaika Arora for the item song in sequel. Together the sisters would dance with Salman Khan. However the only thing that would be common to the sequel's item number seems to be Salman Khan.

Industry insiders insist that the Salman Khan - Kareena Kapoor pairing in Bodyguard was much-liked and so the actress was the right choice. Also Kareena Kapoor hasn't done an item song since Don. So there would be fresh appeal to the item number. Either of the composers from the original, Lalit Pandit or Sajid-Wajid would be composing the song.

Dabangg 2 is expected to go on floors in early March.

source : TOI

Saif Scuffle: Did Iqbal misbehave with Kareena?

Actor Saif Ali Khan losing his cool after media reports of his scuffle with South African trade official came in, has raised a lot of eyebrows.

Sources suggest that the complainant Iqbal Meer Sharma too was at a fault because of which a petty argument took a grave turn. Sharma allegedly misbehaved with Saif's female folks (especially Kareena) and called them "a bunch of hooligans."

Saif has been accused to have assaulted Iqbal Meer Sharma, who's an NRI and his father-in-law (senior citizen) last night at a brawl inside a nightclub at Taj hotel in Colaba, but an insider present at the restaurant has a different version to recollect, "It was not Saif's fault alone, as Iqbal came on their table and started arguing and misbehaving with the ladies (Kareena, Karisma and Amrita Arora Ladhak), which miffed Saif, who asked him to go back to his table, but Iqbal too was in high spirits and stared at the actor quite constantly."

As per an insider, Saif lost his temper, "Finally, Saif reacted and in retaliation, he punched Iqbal on his face, which broke his nasal bone," suggests the insider.

Meanwhile, Iqbal denied misbehaving with the ladies, "It is false, they are now trying to play safe. I don't even know who is Kareena. One of Saif's friends, Shakeel Ladakh, the husband of Amrita Arora suddenly approached us after the tussle and punched my 70 year old father-in-law, who collapsed. This is not at all acceptable, so I approached the cops at the police station," exclaimed Iqbal.

Source: Daily Bhaskar

Action, not Bebo’s cup of tea, says Raghavan

Sriram Raghavan is least affected by talks of actors Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s wedding dominating his directorial action-thriller, Agent Vinod.

“My job was to make the film. Now, Saif is working hard to present and market it well. Any publicity is good publicity, so, as far as Agent
Vinod is getting discussed even as a film after which Saif and Kareena will tie the knot, so it be, as far as it’s making headlines,” said the 48-year-old director, who worked with Saif in Ek Hasina Thi (2004) and won critical acclaim for Johnny Gaddar (2007).

Saif’s recommendation led Raghavan to consider Kareena for the film. And the biggest challenge, says the director, was to cast this real-life couple on reel. “It is hard to detach them from their real self and make them portray two different characters, pitted against each other in the film. But they did full justice to it,” says Raghavan.

An equally tough task was to make Kareena do the action sequences, says Raghavan. “Action isn’t Kareena’s cup of tea. Though she gave her best shot in all the action sequences, she enjoyed doing the mujra (Dil Mera Muft Ka) the most. And she did it beautifully,” he says, agreeing to the fact that veteran actor Rekha’s mujras from Umrao Jaan (1981) inspired the song.

Raghavan plans to cast actors John Abraham and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for his next sci fi film, Happy Birthday. “But nothing is confirmed as of now,” he says.

source : Hindustantimes

'Kareena is a beautiful version of Meryl Streep' - Marvie Ann Beck

Kareena Kapoor has a very young, Indian face. She is very particular about who she works with. So, when she called me, I considered myself to be one of the best make-up artists. She had already done her research about me and so didn't question me about my work.

One face that I believe doesn't need any make-up is Kareena's. Her face is flawless and I just love her without any make-up. She also has the best skin. It is perfect just like a baby's, pink and beautiful.

I did her make-up for an advertisement, where I just gave her a little texture with shine and gloss. She loves wearing kaajal on her eyes but I requested her not to use it and she agreed. The result was outstanding.

She is truly the beautiful version of Meryl Streep.

source : Rediff

"I would never wanna go back to size zero" - Kareena

Being called a ‘100 crore heroine’ is no small feat for Kareena Kapoor, and the 31-year-old actor feels her current phase is her career’s best. The Kapoor scion, who’s been part of hit films such as Bodyguard and RA.One in the recent past, has big projects including Agent Vinod, Talaash and Heroine in the pipeline.

“This is a great phase in my life. I am so glad that I am getting to work with the best of talent. God has been kind to me. I am thoroughly enjoying myself,” says Kareena, who was in the Capital to promote Agent Vinod at DT Cinemas recently.

Talking about the never-ending rumours about her impending marriage to actor-beau Saif Ali Khan, Kareena says, “Saif and I have become used to people speculating about our marriage. There are no plans at the moment. Both of us have never lied about it and never will. But the fact is Agent Vinod is more important than anything at the moment. It is Saif’s dream project. We all have worked very hard and it will be unfair to start talking about our marriage plans now.”

Kareena says she shares a great comfort level with Saif’s family. “Soha and I try to meet each other whenever we are in the same city. The fact is that we are all family and there for each other and I wish Soha all the happiness.”

When asked if she has any close friends in the film industry, Kareena says she is not in Bollywood to make friends. “Saif and I are very clear that we are not here to make friends. We are here to do our work and give our 100% to our projects. Having said that, I do have great friends in the industry, for example Karan (Johar). We do meet and talk beyond work. Also, I like spending time with Imran and Avantika,” she says.

One thing that seems to bother Kareena is the fact that she can’t work opposite cousin Ranbir Kapoor. “It is sad that I can’t be paired in a romantic role opposite Ranbir. Because of that, other girls are getting that opportunity to get cast opposite him. He is such a great actor. May be one day, we’ll work together as brother-sister. Who knows?,” she says.

Talking about her equations with the ‘Khans’ of the industry, she says, “Salman Khan is a sweetheart. He is the lifeline of the industry.

The charisma and energy of Shah Rukh are his trademark. So I would say he is truly a bundle of energy.

What can I say about Aamir, he is truly a genius.

Saif is versatile. He can play any character bit of a spy or of langda Tyagi will equal �lan.

Imran is very charming and unconeventional. I enjoyed working with him during Ek Main aur Ekk Tu.”

There are reports that suggest that the RK banner will be revived soon. “I think it would be great if the banner is revived. It is one of the oldest production house and what can be better that having it revived.”

Talking about her equation with beau Saif, she says, “We are at a very comfortable stage of our relationship. We both understand each other very well. There is a great balance in our relationship.”

Kareena speaks

On size zero
I’ve had enough of size zero. I would never want to get back to it. I think everyone, including Saif, finds me better this way.

On Delhi
I love the winter season of the Capital. Coming here in October-November is the best. I find the people of Delhi quite grounded.

On TV projects
I don’t have so much time to devote to TV as it requires a lot of time. I am used to working 8-10 hours and working on TV requires much more.

Source: Hindustan Times

Bebo jumps off Chennai Express

If all goes well, Deepika might be Shah Rukh Khan's co-passenger in the Rohit Shetty directed journey

The collaboration of Shah Rukh Khan and Rohit Shetty made Chennai Express one of the 'hottest' films to watch out for. After a short period of indecision regarding the casting of either Katrina Kaif or Kareena Kapoor as the leading lady in the film, SRK's RA.One heroine and Rohit's favourite, Bebo had emerged victorious.

In fact, the actress had even said in an interview, “Rohit and I are finalising the script and other details. Rohit is like family, and I am seriously looking forward to working with him again.” However, her enthusiasm regarding the project has been rather short-lived. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that Kareena, once happy to be a part of the project, has excused herself from it. Reason: the generic 'date problems'.

Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone, who has recently been in the news for leaving Race 2 producer Ramesh Taurani in a mess by walking out of the project midway, has been asked to come on board Chennai Express.

A friend of Kareena, confirmed that the actress is no longer a part of the film and added, “Kareena has already informed Rohit Shetty that she wouldn't be able to work in Chennai Express. SRK is aware of it as well.”

As for Deepika's inclusion in the Rohit Shetty film, a source close to the project said, “Deepika has given her nod of consent. The official signing should happen soon.”

source : Mumbaimirror

'Heroine not similar to The Dirty Picture'

 
Kareena Kapoor is tired of comparisons. The Bollywood star insists Heroine is not another The Dirty Picture.

“Vidya (Balan) did a fantastic job and I don’t like clarifying rumours, but I have to assert that there are absolutely no similarities between the two films. Silk was an item girl while my character, Mahhi Khanna, is a heroine,” she points out, adding that while Milan Luthria’s superhit period drama was set in the South Indian film industry of the 1980s, Madhur Bhandarkar’s movie is here and now, rooted in the Hindi film industry.

Kareena was the first choice for Heroine, but the super busy actor had to opt out over date issues. Madhur then announced the film with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and on their return to Mumbai, set the film rolling. However, after Aishwarya’s pregnancy came to light, the project was stalled for a few months till Kareena returned to it. Certain changes were made in the script and Heroine was restarted on November 30 last year.

After 11 days of work, Kareena took off on a much-needed annual vacation with beau Saif Ali Khan to their regular place in Switzerland for 20 days in December. “We’ve got 80 days more to go before we wrap up the film and there’s so much more to come,” she says, adding that the first promo that UTV has cut featuring her, which was unveiled recently to the press, is quite cool.
Kareena

Kareena and Madhur have wanted to work together for a few years now. She was offered Page 3 (2005) and Fashion (2008). “Let’s hope we’ll be third time lucky,” she smiles.

“Madhur is a National Award-winning writer-director, his films are not your usual Bollywood fare but exciting and unconventional. Heroine too is a journey revolving around a star’s personal and professional life that you’ve never seen on screen before but would want to.”

source : Hindustantimes

Sorry, Priyanka and Katrina, 2012 is Kareena's year

"Even when destiny gave up on Kareena, her DNA didn't", filmmaker Karan Johar once said of actor Kareena Kapoor. After a string of flat performances, the desperation to tear away from ditzy roles had begun to show as early as 2004 when she played a commercial sex worker in Chameli.

Eight years later, a 31-year-old Kareena has quietly grown into her legacy as Raj Kapoor's granddaughter. The serial coquette of uber-glamorous pomp-coms is ready for the big league with superstars as co-actors, better scripts and established directors. The year 2012 marks a watershed year for the actress who not only faces tough competition from gifted co-stars but has understood the fickle might of the urban audiences on the lookout for new talent.

For Kareena Kapoor, having grown up in one of the Indian film industry's most illustrious families, it has also meant putting up with its tradition of not allowing its women to work in cinema. With a gawky height and an angular face deemed unfashionable for Hindi films, the 11-year-old Kareena would nevertheless follow her sister Karisma to the sets of her debut film Prem Qaidi in 1991. Her temper flare-ups were as well known as her complete lack of inhibition in front of a camera. She has had years to prepare in front of a mirror putting on mother Babita's make-up, simulating actor Sri Devi's dance sequences in the privacy of her bedroom without millions of audiences judging her every move. But after 40 films and 10 years of fighting off competition from some of the most versatile actors of her generation, Kareena has matured into a bankable actor reinventing herself with surprising ease, film after film.

"I am my own favourite"

Geet (Kareena): Dekho meri shaadi Anshuman se ho rahi hai and all that, but agar wo nahi hota toh you never know....shayad MAI bhi pat jaati! Just imagine. Aditya (Shahid Kapoor): Tum apne aap ko bahut pasand karti ho. Geet: Bahut. Mai apni favourite hoon.

In her career-defining film Jab We Met (2007), Kareena Kapoor, then 27, showed a side to herself previously untapped by filmmakers who repeatedly cast her in flirtatious roles tailor-made for India's new, moneyed audience in multiplexes. She completely dropped her guard and gave an endearing performance as a simple, small town girl who strikes camaraderie with a disillusioned millionaire. A mention of Jab We Met is pivotal to discussing her transformation from the posh Pooja Sharma or 'Poo' of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) - a film targetted at the NRI base in the US vicariously living the culture they have left behind in the country of their birth. Women who observe Karwa Chauth, men who land their helicopters in their front lawns and girls who sing and dance to Indian pop songs at their proms - KKKG had audiences collectively hating the cast for the impossible dreams they were living on screen.

It must be said of Kareena that she cut through the froth to find 'Geet', a role that was perhaps closest to her own nature and made it her own through a superlative interpretation that led to an army of Geet-wannabes in subsequent situational dramas. Suddenly, every girl wanted to be Geet and every man wanted her as a girlfriend.

"Agent Vinod will be my last action film"

The year has started on a good note. In the Imran Khan-starrer Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Kareena is an extension of Geet, albeit a more mature one. As a hairstylist in Las Vegas and a protected girl from a Catholic family of free-thinking mad caps, she combines just the right amount of the ebullient with the naivete to force a conservative Indian audience to accept the unusual climax. Lined up this year are her films Agent Vinod with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, Talaash with Aamir Khan and Heroine with Arjun Rampal and Randeep Hooda.

She is one of the few actresses in the elite top earning club whose standing in the industry is independent of what she delivers at the Box Office. Her share of flops never failed to reinforce her image as a glamorous actor who looks good on screen with almost any male lead. Yes, she has played her share as the mere prop in films such as Bodyguard and Ra.One but has redeemed herself with either an electrifying dance number or her comic spontaneity.

"Luck has worked wonders for me"

She seems to be leading a charmed life. With marriage on the cards with Saif, Kareena is reading the scripts carefully before signing on the dotted line. At 31, the actor is ready to move on to the next level, starring opposite bankable actors in films she hopes will make the history books. More than the money factor, Kareena's films this year reflect the thought she has put into her choice of projects. Signing up for Talaash and Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, after Aishwarya walked out due to her pregnancy, boosted her stocks further. The story of Heroine, that of a superstar whose career is on the decline, required an actor who had the domineering screen presence to match the performance of one of the biggest hits of 2011 - that of Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture.

Besides, which actor doesn't want a cult film to his/her name?

As in any of Bhandarkar's usual films, Heroine will expose the dark underbelly of the film industry. Both Agent Vinod and Talaash are thrillers with superstars at the helm. While Kareena shares an intimate chemistry with Saif, Aamir is known for his fastidious perfection. The pair gave an endearing performance together in the 3 Idiots. The films promise mature performances from its leads and Kareena has to match steps with two of the industry's most brilliant actors. What The Dirty Picture is to Vidya, Heroine promises to be that one film Kareena can look back on as her career's landmark achievement.

"There's no competition"

As far as competition goes, she faces significant challenge only from co-stars Vidya Balan (Kahaani), Priyanka Chopra (Agneepath, Barfee), Katrina Kaif (item number in Agneepath and Ek Tha Tiger) and Sonakshi Sinha with Rowdy Rathore, SOS and Dabangg 2. For the rest of the year, the race to box office glory will be divided among stars such as Bipasha Basu (Raaz 3), Sunny Leone (Jism 2), Chitrangada Singh (I, Me Aur Main) and Rani Mukherji (Talaash, Aiyaa, Koochie Koochie Hota Hai), none of them an immediate threat. Agent Vinod, where she will be seen riding a bike, is her last action film, she says, but the worst of her own share of forgettable candyfloss romances on screen are behind her. She now wears better clothes on and off screen and has been criticized into trading her ultra-lean, size zero figure for something fuller and more curvaceous. Most importantly, she has visibly grown into a better adjusted adult who takes her image as a teen role model seriously. Let's hope it pays dividends this year.

source : IBNLive