The actor-director-singer-lyricist turns 30 today

The Tamil actor was born on February 3, 1983. It’s the big 3-Oh for Simbu, who now calls himself STR. He continues to be one of Kollywood’s most eligible bachelors, still single and sitting on top of the list of leading heroes.

Simbu, originally named Silambarasan, was destined for a career in films. His father, T Rajendar is an actor, director, producer and lyricist, and mom Usha was an actress. So, Simbu started young, appearing as a child artiste in films produced by his father.

His first lead role was in Kadhal Azhivathillai in 2002. He then starred in Dhum and Kuthu, the latter doing exceptionally well at the box office. In his early years in Kollywood, Simbu wrote the story for Manmadhan and also starred in the film. It was a runaway hit. This versatile actor took up direction in the 2006 film Vallavan. Several of his films from the time were full-on masala entertainers like Thotti Jaya and Kaalai.

Gautham Menon’s Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa brought about a huge change of fortune for Simbu. The actor, sometimes accused of hamming, was lauded for his sensitive portrayal in this touching love story. Needless to say, his female fan following grew overnight.

Simbu didn’t disappoint in Vaanam and followed that up with a return to masala in Osthe. Last year’s Deepavali release Poda Podi got mixed reviews. At present, Simbu is busy shooting for Vettai Mannan and Vaalu. Vada Chennai is also in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, he keeps his passion for singing and song-writing going as well, having sung for Poda Podi and Osthe in recent times.

So, there’s plenty on his plate as Simbu turns 30. Here’s wishing him a very happy birthday! And do we hear wedding bells this year…

The Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya actors complete one successful year of their nuptial today

Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D’Souza’s love story is known to all. The two actors made their debut with Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) and their love blossomed during the making of the romantic film and they promised that they would get married one day. On February 3 last year, Riteish and Genelia kept up their promise and tied the knot in a high profile wedding.

The Kya Super Kool Hain Hum actor said that his love for Genelia has just grown stronger over the last decade since he started dating her. “Everyone around me, be it my family members or close friends, knew about Genelia and have become close to her in all these years. She’s been part of our family for over a decade now,” informed Riteish excitedly.

Marriage has indeed proved lucky for Deshmukh as he entered the Rs 100 crore club, thanks to Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 2. His first Marathi film Balak Palak as a producer won him lots of accolades and box office success. Riteish isn’t averse to doing another film with wife Genelia, after the average Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya. “I’d love to act opposite her. It might not be a romantic film, but being with her inspires me to bring my best,” said Riteish. So on this romantic note, we wish the lovely couple a very happy wedding anniversary.

The choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D’Souza is thinking of getting a copyright on the dance moves from his forthcoming release ABCD

It’s not easy to get the top choreographers from Bollywood under one roof and have them shake a leg on your command. But Remo D’Souza has achieved the impossible. His forthcoming film Any Body Can Dance (ABCD) will feature ace dancers like Prabhu Deva, Saroj Khan and Ganesh Acharya. All these masters will bring their original dance moves for Remo’s ambitious project revolving around dance and dancers.

We have heard that Remo is planning to copyright some of the key steps from this film only to safeguard them against getting copied in the future. “We have not finalised anything, but yes, we are planning to do something like that. For example if you take Saroj ji’s song like Ek do teen and Dola re, those steps are original and specific. Lyricists, music composers get copyrights on their songs. So whenever these songs are played on the radio or anywhere, they get paid. So why can’t we get paid if Saroj ji’s Ek Do Teen is being performed on stage by somebody?” said Remo in a recent television interview.

Tell us you dance freaks out there. Do you think Remo should go ahead and get the dance moves copyrighted or you think dance is not a commodity that can be owned? After all, anybody can dance, right?

The celebrity dance show gets a shot in the arm as past contestants take on the dance floor to give the current ones a run for their money

Its always fun to revel in sweet nostalgia, and it was a similiar case for the contestants as well as the judges of Nach Baliye 5, as previous contestants on the show took part in an epic weekend special episode. Couples from previous seasons who were invited to put their best feet forward included Sachin Pilgaonkar and Supriya Pilgaonkar who were the winners of the first season, and they showed that they still have it in them what made them the winners in the first season, as they performed a high energy Marathi number on the show!

Gauri Pradhan and Hiten Tewani, participants of season 2 too made a smashing entry as they also performed to a Koli number and showed that their moves were in no way rusted! What was a treat to watch though was Tanaaz Currim and Bakhtiyaar Irani, as the couple looked magical and shared the same chemistry that reminded the viewers of their great run, but their son Zeus was clearly the highlight of the performance as he joined his parents on stage.

While the Winners of season 4 Shaleen Bhanot and Daljeet Bhanot too gave a smashing performance and had the judges eating out of their hands! The whole excercise, though a lot of fun, went on to prove the quality of performances expected of the dancers in the ongoing season! So the current contestants better pull up their socks!

Yes, they did it again…oops! But why is Priya refusing to get back with Ram even after they spend the night together?

It went pretty well, wethought. The first bona fide love scene between Ram Kapoor and then-wife Priya Sharma was ewww-inducing, to put it politely, with the…err…coming together of two overweight people who are not exactly young or beautiful. We liked the sentiment, but not the execution, and said so, if you remember. Because of that, we worried hugely when we heard that there would be a reprise of that romantic moment, and told you about that too.

But when it actually happened earlier in the week, it was not that bad. There was dim lighting, no blatant stuff going on, no kissing, no writhing on tangled bedsheets, no sighing or heavy breathing and no bare skin. Bless Ekta Kapoor for letting her subtle side express itself so well! This time, there was emotion, more than any soap has ever shown off, we are sure. It was a soggy scene indeed – tears poured down Priya’s face, trickled on to her shoulder as they flowed from Ram’s eyes and smudged her eyeblack very realistically and – we must admit, aesthetically. There was soft music, softer dialogue and softly evocative romance. All this, interspersed with scenes of Neha and Vikram’s wedding, Mamaji’s drunkenness and family bonding.

And somewhere along the way, just when we were expecting a lovely reconciliation, things went off track. Even as Ram continues with his mushy mood, expecting Priya to reciprocate, she snubs him, pushing him away, saying that it will not work and that she is going back to Dubai and will never see him again. There is shock, horror, astonishment writ large on Ram’s face and he throws the proverbial fit, demanding to know why and yelling that his marriage to current wife Ayesha was no real marriage, but a matter of convenience done just for Priya. And right when we were saying ‘Huh?’, our stout hero stomps off, presumably to clean up, while the lady herself sneaks out to the main door of the mansion.

But wait….Mamaji spots her as she is leaving and through the clouds of the hangover he is suffering from, wonders what is going on. And yeah, though it does sound like a dose of déjà vu, so do we!

The actor, who has been winning awards for four consecutive years, says that she was surprised to win this year with PC and Sri nominated in the same category

Vidya Balan has definitely been a favourite at award functions for some years now, and we are not surprised. The actor has been consistently delivering some stellar performances in some really good films one after the other. The actor has won awards for four consecutive years for Paa (2010), Ishqiya (2011), The Dirty Picture (2012) and now Kahaani (2013). But she says that this year she wasn’t really expecting to win an award.

“This year there were some unbelievable performances. I loved Priyanka (Chopra) as Jhilmil in Barfi!. I couldn’t believe it when they called my name at an award function. I generally recall the names of the people I want to thank, but this time I was sitting there wondering I don’t need to go through names because anyway I am not going to win. So it felt great when I did,” said Vidya in a recent interview.

The reason why Vidya wasn’t really expecting to win is because she was awed by Priyanka’s performance in Barfi! and Sridevi’s in English Vinglish and felt that they would walk away with all the accolades. “When there is a good female performance, I tend to be biased. And you also think about how you could have done the role. But when I saw Barfi!, I knew nobody but Priyanka could have done this role. Also, I have been a huge fan of Sridevi. Most often than not when people make comebacks there’s something that’s lost. But with Sridevi, she was there! Both these performances really inspired me,” she said.

We like your modesty Vids, but we are sure you loved every moment of it when you beat your contemporary, PC and one of the most revered actors in the industry, Sri to come out tops!

Filmmaker Ashima Shibber, Ram and Saqib are seen having a gala time shooting the fun Punjabi soundtrack. Take a look…

The Ram Kapoor starrer Mere Dad Ki Maruti’s fun song Punjabiyaan di battery brings out the famous or should we say the infamous facets of being a Punjabi, the most important being Punjabis are always ready to party! Is that the reason why their batteries are always charged up? The song shows the father-son duo of Ram and Saqib Saleem totally excited and putting their best foot forward. While we love the playful banter in the video, what really impressed us is the dancing skill of Ram.

In this video, we see Ashima Shibber, Ram, Saqib and the others talking about the making of the fun song. “It’s a song that jells well with the film and its story. The essence of the song is the same as the essence of the film,” says Ram and adds, “I have done lip sync on Honey Singh’s rap.” We see Ram humming the lyrics and rehearsing on stage for the foot-tapping number. Mika is also seen crooning the fun number at a recording studio in full spirit. Why not? He’s also a Punjabi! We are sure you’ll like the making of the song video!

A day after Kamal Haasan and Muslim organisations called a truce over the actor-filmmaker’s controversial film “Vishwaroopam”, the ban on the screening of the espionage thriller in Tamil Nadu was revoked Sunday.

Kamal is likely to announce the fresh release date in the state soon.

“The two-week ban imposed by the district collector has been removed here, paving way to a successful release of the film across Tamil Nadu,” a government source told IANS.

Kamal joined a formal tripartite talks Saturday with Muslim groups to end the ban on his mega-budget multilingual film “Vishwaroopam”. Following the talks in the presence of Tamil Nadu Home Secretary R. Rajagopal, he agreed to edit seven scenes from his film.

“I’ll announce the release date of the film soon. We’ve also withdrawn our written petition and expect the same from the government,” Kamal had said Saturday.

The Rs.95 crore thriller “Vishwaroopam” was set for release in Tamil and Telugu Jan 25, but a day before the release the Tamil Nadu government imposed a two-week ban on it fearing protests by Muslim groups.

The film’s Hindi version released Feb 1 across the country and got positive reviews

One look at this magazine cover and you will know why the Raanjhana actor deserves the attention she gets for her impeccable fashion statements!

It’s a delight to meet Sonam Kapoor. The spunky actor surprises you every time with her flawless sartorial sense that leaves you spellbound. And if the Kapoor babe is shooting for a cover, she commands nothing but total attention, demands nothing but total perfection.

We spotted the diva on the cover of Notch magazine and needless to say, Sonam had us hooked with her classic avatar in an outfit that can aptly be called a work of art by a genius. Sonam’s tall frame and her lithe body do full justice to the dress. Her classic hairdo and a chunky neck-piece take the look to a different and very interesting level. The total effect is very classy, elegant and awe-inspiring. And yet Sonam makes this cover shot absolutely uncomplicated with her warm smile and easy pose, without showcasing the pretensions of a movie star.

We wish the babe could impress us as much with her acting abilities. But for now, full marks to Sonam for her outstanding cover appearance. Take a bow, Miss K!

That special day of love is fast approaching and this is the perfect time to express your feelings to the star who makes your heart go dhak dhak

Apart from speaking, shouting, singing, writing, whatever…your love to the man or that special woman in your life, Valentine’s Day is also a great opportunity to tell your favourite star how much you love him or her. So here’s your chance to woo that starry someone who sets your heart racing – write them a love letter telling them exactly how you feel!

After doing our bit of research on love, we came up with the names of the top 20 heartthrobs of the year – 10 male and 10 female actors. Click on the name of the star you wish to write to and leave your letter in the comments section. If we think your letter is the most fun, lovey-dovey and smart, we will publish it on the main page of Bollywoodlife.com on February 14. And we will send it to the star of your heart!

So go ahead and show us how you feel that very special ishq wala love!

The boys!

Hrithik Roshan

Shahrukh Khan

Aamir Khan

Salman Khan

Ranbir Kapoor

Ranveer Singh

Imran Khan

Akshay Kumar

Arjun Kapoor

Ayushmann Khurrana

The girls!

Katrina Kaif

Kareena Kapoor

Priyanka Chopra

Vidya Balan

Deepika Padukone

Sonakshi Sinha

Anushka Sharma

Kangna Ranaut

Sonam Kapoor

Parineeti Chopra

P.S: Don’t forget to add your email id at the end of the letter so that we can e-mail you the link when your letter is published on www.bollywoodlife.com. And, of course, we will send your beloved star your mail id, so you could get lucky and get a very special email!

The actor is seduced by Chitrangda Singh and Prachi Desai in the rejigged version of the hit song from Chaalbaaz

Watching the video of the song Na jaane kahan se aaya hai from I Me Aur Main makes you realise that John Abraham is still one of the hottest stars of B-town. He looks super sexy with the stubble, the trendy red pants and the geeky glasses! He is joined by the hot and dusky Chitrangda Singh, and Prachi Desai, who gets to show off some sexy moves for the first time in her acting stint!

The promotional video is interestingly shot. While Chitrangda is seen seducing John at a petrol pump, Prachi is attracting John’s attention at a café off the highway.

Sung by Neeraj Sridhar and Anushka Manchanda, this song is a rejigged version of Na jaane kahan se aayi hai from the Sridevi-Sunny Deol starrer Chaalbaaz. Sachin-Jigar add some fresh bits and retain some old portions to create a fun number. Watch the song and tell us if you like this new version of the 1989 hit!

The makers of the real-life inspiring story of the army man-turned-athlete-turned-dacoit are compiling a coffee table book

Director Tigmanshu Dhulia, Irrfan Khan and producers UTV Motion Pictures have decided to take their inspirational movie, Paan Singh Tomar and it’s making, to an altogether different level. After winning critical acclaim and quite a few awards, the makers have now come up with a unique idea. The idea, more importantly, had been playing on Irrfan’s mind ever since he relived the character Paan Singh Tomar on celluloid.

Irrfan believes that such motivational stories should be brought to light in whatever form possible and should have a massive reach. “Thousands of stories live and die unnoticed in our country. A book on Paan Singh Tomar is an experience that will include all the details that the film could not,” said Irrfan. Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur felt, “It’s important for filmmakers and studios to archive stories around iconic movies which can inspire future generations. This is a small step in that direction.”

We are sure this book will be worth reading and as entertaining as the movie. What say BollywoodLifers?

The Ek Tha Tiger dude lost his cool while shooting for an ad film. Salman targeted his archrival Shahrukh Khan when requested to redo a scene with a different facial expression

Salman Khan is at it again! The flamboyant star has been lapping up every opportunity possible to take potshots at Shahrukh Khan. It was only recently that we thought that the cold war between him and SRK could come to an end, but sadly we were wrong! Shahrukh Khan is still on Sallu’s mind and bhai doesn’t show even a hint of political correctness when it comes to talking about his friend-turned-foe; at least that’s what a recent remark from Sallu seems to be suggesting.

A little birdie tells us that Salman was recently shooting for an ad film in a bungalow in Versova, Mumbai. The commercial also starred Aamna Sharif and it was directed by a prominent adman-turned-filmmaker. The shoot was going on smoothly when the director, who was not particularly happy with Salman’s walk, asked him redo it. On hearing the request, the 47-year-old actor shot back with his trademark growl, “Agar walk karna hai toh kisi model ko bula lete.” Later, when the stunned director requested the macho star to give more expressions for an extreme close-up shot, bhai shot back. “Agar acting hi karani hai, toh Hrithik ko le lete,” said a disgruntled Sallu. He didn’t stop there and quickly attached one more line that went on to show what the Dabangg dude thinks about his archrival SRK’s acting talent. “Aur agar over acting karani hai toh Shahrukh ko le lete,” added the superstar absolutely uninhibitedly as he walked out of the frame.

Now this episode might irk SRK and his loyal fans. And King Khan’s devotees might argue that at least the Jab Tak Hai Jaan star overacts, but can Sallu miyaan do even that? After all, Salman has always being his usual self in most of his movies and never has the superstar quite impressed with his acting, if ever he does that. But we are confident that Salman won’t give a damn to such debates and will continue to speak his mind. All we are waiting to know now is how Shahrukh will respond to Sallu’s blunt remark!

It is not often that one sees two popular stars sharing screen space in Tamil cinema though the trend is slowly catching up in this part of the world

Bejoy Nambiar’s David is one such attempt, which also is a differently packaged movie. The director deals with the lives of two people of the same name (David) who live in different places and tries to bring them on plane in a non-linear narration.

He has got together two actors who are different ends of the spectrum as far as their careers are concerned – Vikram and Jiiva – and has extracted a lot of quality work from them. While one of the Davids (Vikram) is a happy-go-lucky man living in Goa and perpetually drinking away his time, the other (Jiiva) is an aspiring guitarist who is trying out his luck in Mumbai.

The path the movie takes as the director attempts to find common ground between the two Davids is what makes the movie that much more interesting.

There are also notable actors and actresses like Nassar, Tabu, Lara Dutta and Isha Sharvani in the cast and they too have their parts to play. Incidentally, it is Jiiva who takes a lot of the acting honours though it must be said Vikram breezes through his part. Jiiva as the struggling musician, aiming to overcome various hurdles in his quest for excellence, shines, underlining his growing stature as an actor, from his days of a callow young hero. Probably this is a movie that will make Jiiva’s acting prowess get noticed.

Isha is another scene-stealer as the deaf-and-dumb lass and does seem to have gotten under the skin of her character. While cinematographer Rathnavelu captures Goa in all its splendour as Vikram prances around, the music doesn’t rise above the average.

The film does tend to fall flat probably due to the feel that it is a ‘dubbed’ work. In the end, Bejoy Nambiar is due for a lot of credit for his attempt, which is not the usual for film-lovers here.

The actor, who once created waves with her performances, has vanished completely from the big screen

Born on February 4, 1974, Urmila Matondkar mesmerised us with some amazing performances in the past. But looks like the actor prefers to keep it all low-key these days, although she does appear on TV once in a while. She is seen judging a show called Dance Maharashtra Dance on Zee Marathi. But we miss the actor’s presence on the bada parda. Pinjar, Bhoot, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya – she had the gumption to take up some real challenges as an actor, and we doubt she got her due credit for those roles.

Matondkar started her career as a child artist in Kalyug, and got noticed in the Naseeruddin Shah-Shabana Azmi blockbuster Masoom. Lakdi ki kaathi is still synonymous with her childish charm. We wish she returns to the big screen with a bang – she may not look like a diva but her thespian skills are totally on par with…say someone like Meryl Streep, we think! Happy birthday Urmila.

The verdict in the 11-year-old court case against Salman Khan may lead to a huge loss in the industry, but trade experts say there’s nothing to panic about

The resurfacing of the hit-and-run court case against Salman Khan has forced the star to challenge the verdict in Bombay High Court. As per latest reports, if Salman is convicted, he could face a maximum jail sentence of up to 10 years. The latest ruling against the box office favourite star has the film industry and his fans alike worried. Considering the fact that Salman is set to work on at least three big films this year – Sohail Khan’s tentatively titled Mental, Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick and Prabhu Deva’s next – the judgement may or may not have much impact on the superstar’s shooting schedule. But there’s a lot at stake for filmmakers and products he is endorsing.

“I don’t think the case will affect Salman’s career or his movie shooting schedules in any way,” says veteran film critic Amod Mehra. “Nothing will happen to Salman and his court case, trust me. One has to understand that we live in India and nothing wrong happens to a celebrity here, even though he may be on the wrong side of the law. Salman’s case was with the Sessions Court, and now it’s learnt that he will appeal in the Bombay High Court and after that the Supreme Court…so you know roughly how much time it’s going to take. Court proceedings in India are quite lengthy and litigation takes time. Salman has done enough good work in films all these years, especially after the unfortunate incident. He’s proved that he’s a ‘human’ now.”

But he adds, “Unfortunately, if things go wrong and Salman is sentenced to jail, it would be a huge loss to the film industry.” Salman is expected to start shooting for brother Sohail’s Mental in mid-February. And while his lawyers are working hard to free the actor from the case, Salman is focussing on the pre-production of Sohail’s film and his committed endorsements. Sohail’s film is targeting an Eid release. Mehra adds, “Only after completing Sohail’s film, will Salman start shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick in July. Salman also has commitments for several other projects like Boney Kapoor’s No Entry Mein Entry and Sooraj Barjatya and Ramesh Taurani’s films.”

Leading exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi echoes these sentiments. “I’m not aware of the specific legal status of Salman’s case but, God forbid, if Salman is convicted and sentenced to some years of imprisonment, it could mean a massive loss to the entertainment industry. Salman Khan has been right on top of the table when it comes to revenues for the industry from a star’s films for a while now. With hundreds of crores riding on him, counting this year and next year, something unfortunate of this sort will make a massive dent in the industry and the ticket counters, which will be beyond repair. I truly hope that justice prevails and it gives the industry a reason to smile.”

It seems that on the whole trade experts and industry people are not really too concerned about the latest developments in the case, because they believe it will take a long time before any conviction actually happens. But the question remains – will Salman Khan try to find a new escape route this time, considering that his court case is being taken more seriously with each passing day?

What do you think? Should Salman Khan be sent to jail for his offence?

For all those fans who mulled over this hunk’s fitness regime and diet, here’s dope

Admit it – we all drooled over Ranveer Singh’s physique when images of his hot bod from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ramleela were released. And now, if our loyal birdies are to be believed, the man will turn even more delicious with his upcoming movie Gunday where he stars along with Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan.

The question is – how did he do it? The story of behind Ranveer’s sexy physique includes – as expected – protein diet and a strict exercise regime. But hey, we aren’t going to be that vague here because…pssst…we have dope about exactly what it is that makes RS so hot!

Firstly, to look oh-so-perfect on the big screen, Ranveer stayed away from anything edible for at least two hours before his shot. Also, the man had to be on a stringent no carbohydrate diet that was sans rice, roti, noodle or pasta throughout the filming of the movie. Ouch!

“He (Ranveer) is very particular about his protein bars, he only eats home-made food and does 50 sets of crunches and push-ups before the shot,” a birdie revealed.

So that’s what makes the newest hunk of B-town look so yummy. Tell us – does this buzz make you wanna go on a diet too?

The Rock On!! actor will start touring with his four-man band in an effort to connect with his fans

We don’t know if it was a childhood ambition left incomplete, or if he has taken his Rock On!!! character to heart, but Farhan Akhtar will be playing a real life rockstar soon.

The actor will be performing live at the Goa carnival with a four-man band that includes Sarosh Izedyar, Ehsaan Noorani, Darshan Doshi and Anurag Rao while Farhan will be on the mic. And this time, he plans to include songs from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara too besides the songs from Rock On!! The actor will also travel atop a float and will be joined by other artists including Remo Fernandes and Anushka Manchanda. An excited Farhan even tweeted about it, “Bring it on!! Next gig on 10th of Feb at the Goa Carnival. All ye who make it, see you there. Peace out. (sic)”

After Goa, Farhan plans to tour various college festivals across India and connect with his young fans over music. Well, we have seen Farhan take the mic to sing live, and it has been quite pleasant and almost perfect. So, do you think Farhan has a new profession now besides directing, acting and producing? What say BollywoodLifers!

Pics : Yogen Shah

Based on a plea filed by RS Infotainment, Gautham Menon and Madan have been barred from shooting any movie

The City Civil Court in Chennai has granted an ad-interim injunction, refraining Gautham Vasudev Menon and producer Madan from doing any movie.

The order was passed based on a petition filed by RS Infotainment. According to the production house, Gautham and Madan had entered into an agreement to do a film but failed to honour it.

RS Infotainment alleged that the proposed movie was initially slated to have STR in the lead with AR Rahman scoring the music. Later it was decided to have Allu Arjun as the protagonist. However, Gautham and Madan did not go ahead with the project.

Meanwhile, both Gautham and Madan are said to be in consultation with their lawyers to sort out the issue. It is to be noted that Gautham was getting ready to launch his new film, while Madan is currently producing a couple of movies.