In News: Oprah & Bachhans

It all began with Aishwarya Rai being on Oprah to promote her film Bride & Prejudice in 2007 where she literally draped Oprah Pink (color of the saree she helped put on Oprah). Fast forward 2009 and Ash was back with hubby Abhishek in hand (literally) on the show, part of the "Most Famous people of the World". It is Obvious Ash is a favorite of Oprah.

Thoughts on the show:

1. The Ash's accent...Abhishek sounded more real without one.

2. Ash could have chosen a better wardrobe, even if going with the Indian bahu look - a better choice of sari would have been nice then the white and brown one.

3. Abhishek has tried to do funny one liners. Like the one when he is asked how does it feel to be married to the worlds most beautiful woman he says "good on the eyes"

4.On one occasion when they are talking about how Abhi proposed, Ash says "It was Real", Abhi responds by "Real??" but Aish & Oprah go off talking on other stuff so the poor guy gets ignored.

5.. Interesting how these days there are so many talk shows in India - Koffee with Karan, Farah Khan's Tere mere beach mein and yet the AAB couple decided to make thier first "together" appearance on an American Show post 1 year of marriage. I guess they were waiting for something like this. (does it increase thier star value?)

6.. Thier first on-screen kiss (peck on the cheek) on Oprah.

7. Watch of for Polo star Nacho's comment on Ash's eyes and Abhi's retort.

8. Oprah introduces Abhishek saying he has started in more than 40 films, more than Tom Cruise (I guess she forgot to ask how many of those movies does he himself want remember)

Watch it for yourself:

(curtesy: AishwaryaSpiceTV & YouTube)

In Vogue: Shahrukh Khan & Kajol

The Evergreen 'jodi' of Cinema - which epitomizes love graces the cover of Vogue India Oct 2009 cover.

Shahrukh:

"I'm very excited I'm the Vogue cover. My wife was on the Vogue cover when it started off, and that's something everyone in the house teases me about that I have not made it to a cover that my wife did. So this is my claim to fame, and hopefully now I'll be looked up to in my house"

Kajol:

"I expected it to be a lot tougher than it actually was, but everybody really rallied together and made us look fashionable, so we didn't have to try too hard." (as told in an interview)

Well I say no one can "make" SRKajol fashionable as they already are! Here is wishing them all the best in the much awaited "My Name Is Khan" directed by Karan Johar in early 2010!

Piracy & Bollywood

For the first time ever since the foray of corporations into Bollywood, today 2 of them came into spotlight for film piracy. Two employees of Shemroo and Anil Ambani owned Adlabs/UFO Movies respectively were charged for aiding piracy for the upcoming movie "Whats your Rashee" ( These men were incharge for overseas distribution and digital mastering).One of them was an associate VP at UFO! The shocked producer the film, UTV is currently seeking 50 Cr INR each in damages from Shemroo and UFO. The companies have since sacked the employees and they are facing legal action.

Well I am glad some action is being taken, necessary for a film industry which is loosing 400 Cr INR appx annually in film piracy.A recent study estimates that India's entertainment industry loses $4 billion, and 800,000 jobs, each year, because of piracy. So what makes the piracy industry thrive? Simple answer - where there is demand there is supply. In this case the supply could be over the internet or at your local video store.Enticing the consumer with how "with-in" the reach is the supply (nominal fee or even free). How many of us have said they will

watch the movie in the theater and then gave into the temptation of watching it online or on DVD? We see "Say no to piracy" ad campaign telling us how Pirated movies sacrifice on content and quality. Wake up guys! In this digital age - Pirated movies available online are in DVD format or PDVD format

released on Friday or maximum before the weekend is over, which play seamlessly for the entire length of the film aka not all pirated

movies online have to be in parts. So Price is right, Time is Right, and in recent cases even the Quality is decent. This is the piracy product (NO I AM NOT ADVOCATING PIRACY)

Now lets look at the consumer-Lets see why people give into the "watched pirated movie" temptation.
1. One can't go to the theater every single week and possibly watch all the movies releasing -people have busy lives.
2. One can't go alone to the theater(true there is no rule like that, but seriously how many of us do?) - which means gathering up your friends/relatives/bf/gf and making a plan
3. If its a big banner movie - buy tickets in advance -if you are in India -weeks in advance, if you are abroad, say in USA then yes buy a day in advance and pay a premium price. (we'll save that one for later)
4. Fear being "separated" while watching the movie. So you made the plan, you have the tickets..guess what you're not sitting together. Again- in India -perhaps because the ticket counter dint give you adjacent seats - yeah watch out. or USA- cause you dint get their 1 hr in advance to stand in line to get a good seat)
5. Price. In USA all theater's except AMC's which run Indian movies charge a premium price (10/11 $ as apposed to 8$ ). (In India i heard the price was 200-700Rs).
6. If you are not in India - not all movies play near you (recent case in point - AMC was not playing Dil Bole Hadippa) and it would be couple of months before the Official DVD comes out.
7. Your parents or elders of the house would like to see the movie but you cant really subject them the rush at the theater due to health reasons.

Ah, so many reasons- so how does Hollywood Handle it? Yeah they have string rules against Piracy but wait they also have leakage thanks to the thriving Chinese Piracy market. Apart from the FBI warnings and there is one thing which they are doing for some movies which seems to be catching on.

The Solution? Same Day as Theater on Pay-Per-View! All of us have cable tv or dish tv (even in India with TataSky), all of us have On Demand/Pay per-view. I really think if we could watch our Indian movies same day or hec even 2 days later on Pay-Per-view as they released in theater,most reasons for watching them on pirated dvd go away. The consumer can watch right from the comfort of their homes, in great print WITHOUT piracy and in effect while making the producers some money. Recently DirectTV, USA is also contemplating a feature that it will delete any Pay-per-View recordings within a given time frame.Sure those who love watching it on 70mm will still go to theater and not all movies may be provided for pay-per-view immediately but its a start.

Rajshree Films has taken a step by providing some of their movies online free of charge.We know as big an industry Piracy is, it cannot be eliminated by just one solution. However just as arrests are being made, the distributors and producers should thinking of exploring alternate ways of film distribution. And FAST!

Shahrukh Khan's Favorite Outfit! (an EB exclusive)

Yes like you and I, even the King of Bollywood has his favorite outfit - check out the picture. So is it a case of favorite outfit or a new fashion trend being set by the Badshah? Either way the red vest, sports coat worn on a cool blue jeans works for a hep, stylish yet casual look. Guys are you taking the tips??

BollyDNA II : Voice of the Daughters & Sisters

Presenting to you the new hep, stylish and good looking singing debutants who will carry forth the name of their family.

Anu Malik's darling daughter Anmol Malik made her singing debut with J.P Dutta's Umrao Jaan, lent her voice to the teenage movie Tere Sang and even has had Mallika Sherawat

at dancing to item number in Ugly aur Pagli. And all this at a mere age of 17, in the infancy of

her playback singing career.

Sonu Nigam's younger sister Nikita/Nikeeta Nigam, who is an

aspiring singer and actress. Take one look at her and you will first say she should be an actress! She has proved her metal in singing down south ( has sung for numerous Telegu films). In Bollywood she sang alongside Sunindhi Chauhan in Pyare Mohan and recently for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's Shotkut.

BollyDNA: Daughters & Sisters

Narmadaa Ahuja, Natasha Takia, Priyamini

For decades now we have seen Bollywood daughters following the trail set abalze by their parents or grandparents into the fine art of acting. Like Kajol (following mother Tanuja and GrandMother) , recently Sonam Kapoor (following Father Anil Kapoor) and Shruti Hassan (Sarika & Kamal Hassan's daugther)

Tinsel town known no sibling rivalry with numerous sisters following thier older siblings footsteps. Lets have a look:

Successful: Kareena Kapoor (Karishma Kapoor's sister)

Not-so Successful: Tanisha (Kajol's sister), Shamita Shetty (Shilpa Shetty's sis), Rinki Khanna (Twinkle Khanna's sister)

Yep the scale is tiletd, so far there have been very few who have achieved the same success as did thier siblings. However it is interesting to note that most often the sister's enter Bollywood only after thier older sibling has married, faded out, so it a case of passing on the torch before a quiet exit? the one exception to this is ofcourse the Shetty sisters - where Shilpa & Shamita acted together in Fareb.

In 2010 - Bollywood is getting ready to welcome 3 new faces who shall carry on the legacy.
Narmadaa Ahuja (Govinda's daughter)
Natasha Takia( Ayesha Takia's sister)

Priyamini (Vidya Balan's cuz) - she is already an established actress down south and is ready to make her debut as "Suparnkha" in Mani Ratnam's "Ravanaa"

Lets wish them all the success!

Shahrukh Khan news DailyShow?!

Okay fine its a comedy show- but hey being a fan, even I can laugh at the situation. SRK being discussed on an American Comedy show on National Television, that itself is something? ant it? Only thing I am upset about is that they have thier facts wrong - he is Bruce Willis and Hugh Jackman to all Asians all around the world and hec even some non-Asians....
*I love how this guy gets worked up:

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