THRILLER 'BLOOD MONEY' NEW MOVIE POSTER

Thriller 'Blood Money' New Movie Poster

LUKE KENNY PRODUCING A MOVIE ABOUT ZOMBIES

Luke Kenny Producing a Movie About Zombies

Bollywood seems to be fascinated with Zombies currently. After Saif Ali Khan announced a zombie-thriller Go Goa Gone and Abhay Deol showed an active interest in the Zombie comedy Rock The Shaadi, it's Luke Kenny's turn to take it forward.

The Rock On star Luke is producing and acting in a film called Zombie. This will be the first film on the origin and making of a zombie in the world. Luke and his partner Devaki Singh are huge zombie films' fans and consider themselves to be experts in that genre.

When contacted, the producer Luke Kenny told Mumbai Mirror, "This film is a Zombie Origin film. Not a zombie comedy, not a zombie survival film. Indian audiences will empathise with the journey of a human being as he is faced with a seemingly insurmountable predicament. Indian and international audiences as will learn the humanity behind the Zombie Origin Saga which is what I along with my partner Devaki Singh are looking to present. This is a first of the many unique stories Kenny Films Pvt Ltd is looking to present to cinema audiences."

The technical team of Rock On has been roped in for the project. And interestingly, even before the first film's release, Luke has already made plans for its sequel called War Of the Zombie next year.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA INVITES ILEANA D'CRUZ TO DON 2 SCREENING

Priyanka Chopra Invites Ileana D'Cruz to Don 2 Screening

Since the time Anurag Basu's Barfee went on floors, and probably even before that, reports of the cold war between the film's two leading ladies made it to the headlines. And finally, tired of the rumours, Priyanka Chopra has decided to put an end to such gossip. The actress has made the first move to break the ice and extended an olive branch to Ileana D'Cruz.

Priyanka invited Ileana, who she believes to be 'an innocent little baby', for a special screening of her new film Don 2 at Yash Raj Studios, reveal friends close to the actress. At the screening, last Thursday, the senior actress even took care of Ileana 'like a sister' said the friend.

"Priyanka was rather miffed with the stories about her not getting along with Ileana. She did not want a repeat of the phase that she had to go through at the beginning of her career when the media pitted her against her Aitraaz co-star Kareena Kapoor. As far as Priyanka is concerned, there was no animosity between her and Kareena. She did not want the same to happen with Ileana," explained a friend of the actress.

After the screening, Ileana was a rather happy girl. She went back and told the Barfee crew about how much she enjoyed the film and Priyanka's company. And now the Barfee crew helmed by Ranbir Kapoor and Anurag Basu, have demanded a screening of Priyanka's film which she is only happy to organise.

FERRARI KI SAWAARI MOVIE PROMO

FERRARI KI SAWAARI Movie Promo

Director: RAJESH MAPUSKAR

AGNEEPATH NEW MOVIE POSTER

AGNEEPATH New Movie Poster

2012 Debut Author Challenge

I'm super excited about the debut novels coming out over 2012.  Therefore I have decided to take part in this challenge!  It's hosted by The Story Siren.  :)

Any YA debut novel published between January 1, 2012 and December 30, 2012 count.  To complete the challenge you have to read a minimum of 12 debut novels between January 1, 2012 – January 31, 2013.

To take part yourself, click on the picture below:

Read:

15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins

Here's a list of books I'm planning on reading:

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
The Catastrophic History of You & Me by Jess Rothenberg
Night School by C J Daugherty
Hollow Pike by James Dawson
Everneath by Brodi Ashton

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Scarlet byb A. C. Gaughen

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

The Witch of Turlington Academy by Ellie Boswell

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

On My Wishlist (#24)

On My Wishlist is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that runs every Saturday.  It's a place where you can put up all the books you're desperate to read, but haven't actually bought them yet.  They can be old, new or forthcoming.    And, even better, everyone can join in with too, because there's a Mr Linky so you can put your post up.  All you have to do is click on the link below:

 

Two books on my wishlist, both of which I have my eye on as a welcome-in-the-new-year-me presents! ;) 

 

The Name of the Star

Series: Shades of London, Book One

By: Maureen Johnson

Published: 29th September 2011

Published By: Harper Collins

Found: On Red House

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

This sounds amazing!  I love historical, especially murder-paranormal-historical!  I mean, who doesn't love a good old fasioned Jack the Ripper story?  Um, does that sound totally twisted...?

 

 

Ashes

Series: Ashes, Book One

By: Ilsa Bick

Published: 29th September 2011

Published By: Quercus

Found: On Red House

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

No, she thought. No, please, God, I'm not seeing this
Seventeen-year-old Alex is hiking through the wilderness when it happens: an earth-shattering electromagnetic pulse that destroys almost everything.
Survivors are divided between those who have developed a superhuman sense and those who have aquired a taste for human flesh. These flesh-hunters stalk the land: hungry, ruthless and increasingly clever...
Alex meets Tom, a younge army veteran, and Ellie, a lost girl. They will fight together and be torn apart, but Alex must face the most difficult question of all:
In such a vastly changed world, who can you trust?
A srtory of high-wire tension, gut-wrenching twist, and burgeoning love, Ashes will leave you breathless.

Yay: zombies!!  I do love zombie stories, and according to many reviews, this one is awesome!  :D

 

 

Well, these are the books I'm a wishin-for on the last day of 2011. 

 

What are you wanting right now?

Happy New Year Giveaway!

It's time to welcome in the new year... with a giveaway!   It's been a great year book wise: we've had the first in the new Bloodline series, Alyxandra Harvey's new Haunting Violet.  We've had a second book from one of my favourite authors: Jenny Downham.  We've seen the last installment of Harry Potter, and welcomed the new Pottermore website.  Yes, it's been a great year for books...  But I think 2012 will be even better!  To celebrate these old and the new books, I'm having a giveaway that has something from both.  Therefore I'm giving away:

1x Haunting Violet cloth bag

1x Haunting Violet lipbalm

1x 2012 Bloomsbury Book (Fracture)

This is an international giveaway, so no one will be left out!  It ends January 14th.

Oh, and before you all enter, two more things. 
One: What has your Top 2011 Book been?  And which book are you most looking forward to in 2012?  (This doesn't affect who wins: I really want to know 'cause I'm always on the lookout for more books to read!)
Two: I'd like to thank everyone who has followed, visited, commented or guest-posted on The Book Addicted Girl in 2011!  All of you have really made this year special for me!  And I'm hoping that in 2012, we will have more guest-posts, more giveaways and more books!  
Here's to a Happy New Year!

Now, back to buisness: here's the entry form.  I'm using this new Rafflecopter... thingy-ma-bob.  It's fun!  It means you can get loads of extra entries,  and it looks cool! ;)

Upcoming India Dark Blog Tour

I was sent a copy of India Dark, which will be published by Templar January 2012, and I'm lovin' what I'm reading!  So much that I'm taking part in the blog tour!  Anyway, India Dark is a historical novel, about one of Australia's most famous theatre companys.  It's an amazing story so far, and I can't wait to see all of the guest posts and interviews: I'm intrigued by the history! :D

India Dark by Kirsty Murray

Synopsis From Templar:

MADRAS, 1910: two girls are caught up in a scandal that will change their lives forever. Singing and dancing across a hundred stages in a troupe of child performers, they travel by steam train into the heart of India. But as one disaster follows another, money runs short and tempers fray, what must the girls do to protect themselves, and how many lives will be ruined if they try to break free?

And here is the lineup for the Blog Tour!  For more information, check out the tour's offical page.

9th January: District YA
Find out where the story for India Dark comes from, and enter the first giveaway to win a copy of India Dark
10th January: All About Me
An interview with Kirsty Murray and another giveaway!

11th January: Ink Scratchers
Hear all about Kirsty's writing process and yet another giveaway!
12th January: Turn The Page
A second interview with Kirsty: lots of insights here!
13th January: Readaraptor
Another guest post from Kirsty: all about the amazing locations in India Dark.

14th January: Bookhi
Another Q&A with Kirsty here.

15th January: The Book Adicted Girl
It's me!  We're going to be talking characters: Kirsty will tell us how she cames up with her characters and the challenges of writing an emotionally charged tale.
16th January: Bookbabblers
The final Q&A and your last chance to win a copy of India Dark.

17th January:Read In Between The Lines
Finally, a guest post from Kirsty, all about her life and how she fits writing into it.

Winner of The Book Addicted Girl's First Blogoversary Giveaway!

Earlier this month, I had a giveaway of some  various Bloomsbury goodies to celebrate my blog's first blogoversary!  The winner was picked at random, and she is...

 

Zoe @ Bookhi

 

Congratulations Zoe!  Your goodies are on their way!

DON 2 MOVIE REVIEW

Don 2 Movie Review

Both Salman and Shah Rukh Khan are, perhaps, the biggest prisoners of their own success stories in Bollywood. While the former is deeply mired in his ever brooding Bhai image it is SRK, who at times, redeems himself with his suave performances.

No, I certainly have no doubts about their acting prowess. They both are extremely talented gentlemen and a treat to watch on screen. But for that you need to have capable directors like Farhan Akthar or Abhinav Kashyap who don’t get too deferential to the biggest stars of our times. Perhaps that’s why a Chulbul Pandey or Kabir Khan charms the pants off you while Lovely Singh and Shekhar Subramanium look like a poor joke.

So yes, Don 2 is FARHAN AKHTAR’s film who gives us SRK we all love to see – funny, witty and never too loud.

Barely ten minutes into the film and you are sold to his Don who is back with his eviler designs and delectable wisecracks. He is a suitable cousin to Ethan Hunt and Danny Ocean, an anti-hero planning to rob a Berlin bank of its euro printing plates in a daring heist.

To do so he escapes with his old foe, Vardhan (Boman Irani) from a Malaysian prison giving yet another heartburn to ex-flame Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and veteran cop Malik (Om Puri).

What ensues is high octane action, deadly car chases, treachery and of course unpretentious dark humour.

I’m sure the human moments will be missed by some in this slick thriller but then they may have very well worked against the film which has some ruthless men saying very mean things to each other. Well, how can you expect a man like Don to go all mushy over a girl, who puts his enemies under a bone crushing machine and exhorts them to make a right choice by saying “Main Nahi Chahta Tum Kisi Dabav Mein Koi Faisla Lo.”

Shah Rukh Khan is spot on as Don. Perhaps with this film, he is out of the shadow of the original Don. Now, he can certainly look forward to the subsequent sequels of this franchise without getting compared to Mr. Bachchan.

Priyanka Chopra looks convincing as Roma. She is still not over her failed affair with Vijay/Don, looks impervious to his charm before finally giving in. But remember... it’s still complicated.

Lara Dutta glitters in her small cameo as Don’s liaison. Kunal Kapoor as Sameer Ali, Don’s technology consultant, is just okay for his screen space. Hrithik Roshan who makes fleeting appearance as a masquerading Don looks pleasant but sticks out like a sore thumb in otherwise believable Don adventures.

The script is taut. Music and background score are cracking. Songs don’t impede the story telling. The cinematography captures the virgin locales of Berlin in full glory as King Khan goes all wild on German streets.

Farhan Akhtar makes a welcome comeback behind the camera. Undoubtedly an accomplished actor, he should certainly direct more often. A special mention is in order for his writing team Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah who make Don 2 not only a slick but a smart thriller as well.

So, while catching Don may be an impossible task for the Police force around the world you can and certainly should catch him at a theatre near you.

JODI BREAKERS MOVIE POSTER

JODI BREAKERS Movie Poster

GALI GALI CHOR HAI NEW MOVIE PROMO

GALI GALI CHOR HAI New Movie promo Video 

TERE NAAL LOVE HO GAYA NEW MOVIE PROMO

TERE NAAL LOVE HO GAYA New Movie Promo

Delay in Heroine Movie Due to Saif-Kareena Wedding?

Delay in Heroine Movie Due to Saif-Kareena Wedding?

His first Heroine (Ash) was expecting a baby and had to go on maternity leave, temporarily halting the shoot of the film. And now Madhur Bhandarkar’s lead actress is getting married, which again alters the plans for his ambitious project. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that even before the current schedule of Heroine can end, the second leg of the shoot has been rescheduled as Kareena is to wed her beau Saif Ali Khan around the same time. A friend of the director revealed to us that the second schedule, initially slated to start from the end of January, has been pushed ahead to the middle of February.

The film’s producer Siddharth Roy Kapoor of UTV, who had announced last week that the next schedule of Heroine was to commence “from the end of February to April-May” and then later stated the change in the filming dates, refrained from divulging any further details. When contacted, Bhandarkar also confirmed the change in schedule, saying, “Yes, the second schedule of Heroine will now start in the middle of February instead of the end of January.”

Bhandarkar’s friend explained, “The idea is to complete the second schedule by the middle of March instead of the end of April, so that Kareena can attend to her wedding and personal life in March and April before she returns to work in May.”

According to the director’s friend, Kareena was reluctant to take a break in the middle of the schedule for her wedding. “There is a reason why this decision has been taken. The plan is to complete the schedule, so that Kareena’s performance remains consistent and doesn’t lose the intensity the role demands amidst her wedding plans. This way she gets to enjoy her wedding and honeymoon, before resuming work,” added Bhandarkar’s friend.

Sonali Raut and Ranveer Singh Hot Photoshoot For Maxim Magazine

Sonali Raut and Ranveer Singh 

Hot Photoshoot For Maxim Magazine

 

Sequel for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster On The Way

Sequel for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster On The Way

There’s no denying that SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER was one of the best films of 2011. Enthused by the tremendous response to the film, Tigmanshu Dhulia is now attempting its sequel, which is titled SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER RETURNS. Now here’s the latest on this film.

Though Randeep Hooda’s character in the first part was shown as dead, the actor will be an integral part of the sequel. Also, besides Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill, SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER RETURNS will have an additional lead actor and actress enacting pivotal roles. “We are in the process of finalizing the names,” Tigmanshu says. The scripting of the film is underway and is expected to begin filming in February next year.

Actor Anshuman Jha As Villain in Kismat Love Paisa Dilli

Actor Anshuman Jha As Villain in Kismat Love Paisa Dilli

You saw him play the unsuspecting young lover in Dibakar Bannerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha (LSD). And now, Anshuman Jha is all set to essay the character of the main villain in Vivek Oberoi and Mallika Sherawat starrer Kismat Love Paisa Dilli (KLPD). The film, is a sequel to Abhay Deol’s Ek Chalis Ki Last Local.

When contacted, Anshuman told Mumbai Mirror, “My character is very surreal and a first in Bollywood. Its beauty lies in the writing. I play an innocent-faced devil whose character changes drastically from the first to the second half of the film. I cannot reveal my character’s name. I was a kid when I used to watch Vivek’s films and today, I have a good opportunity to work with him. I’ll try my best to entertain with KLPD. I am really excited.”

After LSD, Anshuman’s next film is going to be Boys Toh Boys Hai, where he plays a sardar.

ACTOR FARHAN AKHTAR REFLECTS ABOUT HIS MOST DIFFICULT MOVIE SCENE

Actor Farhan Akhtar Reflects About His Most Difficult Movie Scene

The scene that I shot with Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) Sir in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was one of the toughest for me. I was finally meeting my birth father in the film. The film was about three guys having fun on a road trip and suddenly there came a point where I had to shoot this emotional scene. Throughout the film, my character Imran is this one chilled out guy who never takes life seriously. And then in this scene I had to interact with my father...there was disappointment, anger and to an extent even love.

All these emotions had to be expressed in very few words. It was all fine when Kabir and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol) were in the scene. The real challenge was facing Naseer Sir alone. But then, Naseer Sir is such a fine actor, it automatically helps the other person perform better.

This was the only scene in the entire film that was so intense. It was shot in Spain. This scene was one of those that take you to a different emotional plane rather than being just an emotional scene. The scene saw the other part of Imran. Luckily, we did not need too many retakes. Thanks to Naseerji.

ACTRESS KATRINA KAIF IS THE PERSON MOST SEARCHED IN INDIA

Actress Katrina Kaif is the Person Most Searched in India

Like every year, this year too Google Zeitgeist has announced the results of the Most Searched People, Topics, Movies of the year 2011.

The Google Zeitgeist 2011 for India throws up quite a few interesting results. The person topping the list of Most Searched People is none other than Katrina Kaif who believe it or not has even beaten the likes of Anna Hazare who created a nationwide revolution this year. This indeed shows that India is a Bollywood crazy nation.

While Katrina topped the list, her one time beau Salman Khan was not far behind either and came in at No.3 in the list of Most Searched People. Surprisingly, Salman is the only male actor to feature in the list of Top 10 Most Searched People in India. Despite the whole Ra.One frenzy, SRK doesn’t make it to the list of Top 10 Most Searched People in India for the year 2011.

Starlet Poonam Pandey, who shot to fame for promising to strip for the Indian cricket team, is ranked at No. 4 ahead of actors like Aishwarya Rai (No. 6), Kareena Kapoor (No.  8 ) and Priyanka Chopra (No. 10)

The Google Zeitgeist 2011 for Most Searched Movies in India too reveals some interesting stats. Needless to say, its Salman Khan starrer Bodyguard which tops the list followed by Shah Rukh Khan’s ambitious venture Ra.One.

JO HUM CHAHEIN MOVIE REVIEW

JO HUM CHAHEIN Movie Review

Love stories are the most tried and tested genre in Bollywood. Youthful stories in particular are eagerly lapped up if the romance quotient is just right, the lead pair is charming, the songs are tuneful and easy on the lips and the sweet and tender moments stay fresh in your memory even after you’ve made an exit from the cineplex. The process of falling in love changes in film after film, but what remains intact — at least in Hindi movies — is the joy and elation when the lovers unite in the finale.

First-time director Pawan Gill attempts to tell a love story that deals with the problems and struggles of a Gen X couple. Though it’s easy to decipher what course the journey would take, you can’t help but acknowledge the fact that Pawan at least makes a sincere attempt to tell a story that’s breezy and pacy, with an interesting twist midway through the film. Well shot with several interesting moments, it’s a film that the urban youth should identify with instantly.

But there’s a flipside as well. And that pertains to its screenplay. More on that later!

JO HUM CHAHEIN is a coming of age story of Rohan [Sunny Gill] and Neha [Simran Mundi], two young, hip, effervescent individuals whose lives change forever once they meet and fall in love. Rohan is a brash, cocky, ambitious, 24-year-old MBA graduate who wants instant success and will do anything to make that come true.

Rohan moves to Mumbai to pursue a career as a stockbroker where he meets Neha, a no-nonsense, strong-headed girl, who’s come to Mumbai to follow her dreams, the dream of becoming a film actor. Neha is someone who believes in love, but hasn’t given any guy a chance because no one measures up to her standards of Mr. Right. That’s until Rohan comes along and her life changes completely.

Both of them have different wants, desires and quests, but they manage to come together and go on a journey that intertwines their personal and professional lives.

Director Pawan Gill, who has also penned its script, chooses to narrate a story that not only focuses on romance, but also on the aspirations of the youth and how far can they go to accomplish their goals. In doing so, Pawan doesn’t take the tried and tested route to narrate his tale. The love story isn’t the type that would make you exclaim, ‘Not again’. But the entire stock market perspective is what could’ve been lucidly elucidated for the average moviegoer to decipher. Sure, the character of Alyy Khan does make things clear at the outset, but during the course of the journey, there could’ve been more clarity on the issue. Case in point, what eventually goes wrong in Sunny’s career, how Alyy uses him and how Alyy pays for it eventually could’ve been better explained.

However, despite the blemishes, there’s no denying that Pawan has handled a couple of poignant moments well. The twist in the tale and the confrontation between the lead pair in the middle of the film is super. Also, the transformation in Sunny’s character — how he gradually realizes the importance of a relationship — is prudently dealt with.

A love story is ‘incomplete’ without melodious music and the songs in JO HUM CHAHEIN have the required vigor to entice the youth. Sachin Gupta delivers some lovely compositions, which includes tracks such as ‘Ishq Hothon Se’, ‘Peepni’ and ‘Aaj Bhi Party’. The songs are well choreographed and the icing on the cake is the visual appeal in each track. Talking of visual appeal, the review would be incomplete without acknowledging the contribution by the DoP, Manush Nandan. The film has eye-catching visuals and even otherwise, it’s an incredibly stylish looking film. The production design [Amrita Mahal Nakai and Sabrina Singh] is top notch.

Sunny Gill renders his character with tremendous sincerity. It’s a character, like I pointed out earlier, that’s bona fide and identifiable and Sunny’s performance makes it all the more relatable. Simran Mundi is photogenic and has the potential to grow into a fine actor. She’s a tad self-conscious initially, but illustrates potency in heartrending moments consequently. Alyy Khan is first-rate, while Achint Kaur carries her part with flourish. Yuri Suri, as Sunny’s father, makes his presence felt. Samar Virmani, Sunny’s friend, is self-assured and handles his part well, while Mansi Multani does a fine job. Rithvik Dhanjani is confident.

On the whole, JO HUM CHAHEIN is a decent watch that will require a strong word of mouth to leave a mark.