Here is the shocker of the year! The leading actor of director Farah Khan's next film is not Shahrukh Khan. It is Akshay Kumar. Titled Tees Maar Khan (TMK), the film is a joint production between the actor's Hari Om Productions and her company (owned jointly with husband Shirish Kunder) Three's Company.
Buzz up!This casting is interesting because Farah is Shahrukh's rakhi sister and Akshay is his arch-rival. Both her previous films had her mooh-bola-bhai in lead roles. Her third film, Happy New Year was to feature him too but he kept sending her back to the writing boards as he wasn't happy with it. When it became clear that in 2010, SRK would finish Ra1 and Don, she dropped the project and approached Akshay for TMK.
And though Farah and Shahrukh are not working together, she remains very fond of him. Apparently, she met SRK yesterday at Mannat to apprise him of the latest developments of her film and to let him know that Akshay was her lead hero before Shahrukh heard it from anyone else.
Clearly, there is stress between SRK and Farah. The unwritten rule has been broken. Until now it was understood: If Farah Khan (or Karan Johar) made a film, it would star SRK. But by casting Khan's dushman, she has proved what was only being speculated so far - that all is not well between them. It is believed that the actor was not happy with the script and asked her to rewrite it a few times but she felt these were just delaying tactics and he wanted to start the superhero flick Ra1 and the action-thriller Don 2 before her film.
She felt hurt that he gave her the run-around instead of being direct with her. Things have been brewing beneath the surface for quite some time now. Farah has been missing from most parties at Mannat. She has been slowly distancing herself from the clique.
Also, Farah felt that Shahrukh had treated Shirish badly by offering him The Zoya Factor to direct for his home production, and then passing the film off to someone else without even informing him. SRK had also given the nod to Tees Maar Khan to be directed by Shirish initially, then later had second thoughts about it. Shirish was also in talks with Shahrukh Khan for another film (Joker) but that didn't work out as well.
Shirish Kunder says, "Yes, it's true that Akshay and I are co-producing Tees Maar Khan and Farah is directing the film. The production company that Farah and I have formed is called Three's Company Production Pvt Ltd. I had written this film with Akshay in mind and was initially planning to direct it but when Farah and I formed our production company, we mutually thought it best that she direct this film while I take the responsibility of a producer. Akshay and I shared a great rapport while working on Jaan-e-Mann and I have been looking to work with him again. This project gives me that opportunity."
When quizzed as to why Farah didn't take Shahrukh for her next project, Farah says simply, "I am very fond of Shahrukh but I have to be there for my husband. Shirish needs my support today and he's family."
Farah's brother Sajid Khan's directorial debut starred Akshay Kumar. His second film, which is in the making, also stars Akki. Akshay was also the lead star (along with Salman Khan) of Farah's husband Shirish Kunder's directorial debut Jaan-E-Mann
We have heard that Shirish Kunder is co-producing a film Tees Maar Khan with Akshay Kumar which Akshay is starring in and Farah Khan is directing. Are you aware of it and if you are, are you okay that Farah's next film won't be with you?
"Yes."
Trivia
SRK is known as King Khan. Until Akshay acted in Singh is Kinng, challenging his rival. Now that Shahrukh's My Name is Khan releases, Akki will be seen as 'Khan' in Tees Maar Khan
For Deepa Mehta's Komagata Maru, where he plays a real-life Sardarji who travelled in the fateful ship from Hong Kong to Vancouver in 1914, Akshay Kumar will grow a beard to the size stipulated by the Sikh community.
After the furore raised over the beard he sported in Anees Bazmee's Singh Is Kinng, Akki thought it was better to be safe than sorry. The actor begins shooting January 2010
Deepa saw Akshay Kumar play a Sardar in Singh Is Kinng before casting him, "I thought he made a very good Sardar.
In KM, he has to play a 48-year old Sardar. And he's absolutely fine with a salt-and-pepper beard."
In fact, the actor has decided to set aside all his assignments for the film to avoid continuity clashes with other projects.
Says Deepa, "Considering he has so much work on hand, I was surprised when he absolutely insisted on growing a full-length beard.
One of the reasons I postponed KM to next year was so that Akshay would be able to block an entire chunk of dates for my film and keep the beard.
I was very sure I didn't want him for a month only to return with a false beard and finish my film."
In a stark departure from norm, Akshay Kumar will be seen in a serious role in Komagata Maru.
For Deepa Mehta's Komagata Maru, where he plays a real-life Sardarji who travelled in the fateful ship from Hong Kong to Vancouver in 1914, Akshay Kumar will grow a beard to the size stipulated by the Sikh community.
After the furore raised over the beard he sported in Anees Bazmee's Singh Is Kinng, Akki thought it was better to be safe than sorry. The actor begins shooting January 2010
Deepa saw Akshay Kumar play a Sardar in Singh Is Kinng before casting him, "I thought he made a very good Sardar.
In KM, he has to play a 48-year old Sardar. And he's absolutely fine with a salt-and-pepper beard."
In fact, the actor has decided to set aside all his assignments for the film to avoid continuity clashes with other projects.
Says Deepa, "Considering he has so much work on hand, I was surprised when he absolutely insisted on growing a full-length beard.
One of the reasons I postponed KM to next year was so that Akshay would be able to block an entire chunk of dates for my film and keep the beard.
I was very sure I didn't want him for a month only to return with a false beard and finish my film."
In a stark departure from norm, Akshay Kumar will be seen in a serious role in Komagata Maru.
Chandni Chowk to China
Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone star in a scene from the action-comedy ?Chandni Chowk to China.? (CNS photo/Warner Bros.)
By John P. McCarthy
Catholic News Service
If, on its way to garnering awards, ?Slumdog Millionaire? presents moviegoers with a Western dish laced with Bollywood flavors, ?Chandni Chowk to China? (Warner Bros.) is a multicourse banquet offering a fusion of the popular Indian filmmaking style with Hong Kong?s martial arts tradition.
No accolades will be forthcoming, yet this foray into Asia by a major American studio (Warner Bros. financed the project) is undoubtedly authentic.
Whereas you don?t want Danny Boyle?s ?Slumdog Millionaire? to end, director Nikhil Advani?s movie seems like it never will. A colorful spectacle that proves to be too much of too many things, the prolix effort will test the patience of uninitiated moviegoers as well as fans of both cinematic genres and their respective ingredients.
Anyone who doesn?t relish nearly two and a half hours of speed-reading subtitles for the Hindu, Cantonese and Mandarin dialogue should choose another form of escapism.
Akshay Kumar, one of Bollywood?s leading action stars, plays Sidhu, a clownish cook from the Delhi marketplace of the title who travels to China to vanquish a gangster, Hojo (Gordon Liu), who is cruelly exploiting villagers. Kumar bears a resemblance to George Clooney, but his character behaves more like an amalgam of the late Peter Sellers and Jackie Chan.
A bumbling vegetable chopper and bread maker in the food stall run by Dada (Mithun Chakraborty) ? who took him in as an infant, raising Sidhu as his own son with well-intended harshness ? our unlikely hero dreams of making good. Instead of relying on hard work and his own talents, however, he resorts to fortunetellers, con men posing as gurus, and inspiration such as the image of the god Ganesh he discerns in a potato.
Two Chinese men turn up and, believing Sidhu to be the reincarnation of a legendary warrior, bring him back to their village near the Great Wall. He?s accompanied by his fraudulent spiritual guide and translator Chopstick (Ranvir Shorey).
There?s not room to describe all that transpires or the many tonal shifts that result. Sidhu crosses paths with a set of twins played by the lovely model turned actress Deepika Padukone, and after being humiliated by Hojo and suffering a shattering loss, is eventually transformed into a fighter by their father, a beggar who was formerly a police officer and kung fu master.
Shot in India, China and Thailand, ?Chandni Chowk to China? is visually attractive and adequately rendered from a technical perspective. Yet a solid pedigree and decent execution can?t make up for its elongated nature, with repetitive montages and flashbacks accounting for much of the padding.
All the signature accoutrements of the Bollywood formula ? designed to instigate laughter, crying and tapping of the toes ? are present, along with the Hong Kong cinema?s fantasy dimension, intended to instill a magical sense of chop-socky prowess.
Although Bollywood conventions dictate that the leads are never shown kissing or hugging (dance numbers stand-in for romantic intimacy), and though there?s very little blood and no gore, ?Chandni Chowk to China? will be too cartoonish for some viewers and too rough for many more.
The film contains frequent martial arts violence that is occasionally intense and pervasively broad, if generally chaste, humor characteristic of the Bollywood idiom. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III ? adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 ? parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor togather in Sajid Nadiadwala new Movie Kambakth Ishq Direct by Sabir Khan. Music will given by Anu Malik. Very hot couple on screen we will see after long time. Akshay and kareena worked in many hit movie. Let Checkout the movie stills of upcoming movie Kambakth Ishq.........
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor togather in Sajid Nadiadwala new Movie Kambakth Ishq Direct by Sabir Khan. Music will given by Anu Malik. Very hot couple on screen we will see after long time. Akshay and kareena worked in many hit movie. Let Checkout the movie stills of upcoming movie Kambakth Ishq.........
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor togather in Sajid Nadiadwala new Movie Kambakth Ishq Direct by Sabir Khan. Music will given by Anu Malik. Very hot couple on screen we will see after long time. Akshay and kareena worked in many hit movie. Let Checkout the movie stills of upcoming movie Kambakth Ishq.........
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor togather in Sajid Nadiadwala new Movie Kambakth Ishq Direct by Sabir Khan. Music will given by Anu Malik. Very hot couple on screen we will see after long time. Akshay and kareena worked in many hit movie. Let Checkout the movie stills of upcoming movie Kambakth Ishq.........
Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor togather in Sajid Nadiadwala new Movie Kambakth Ishq Direct by Sabir Khan. Music will given by Anu Malik. Very hot couple on screen we will see after long time. Akshay and kareena worked in many hit movie. Let Checkout the movie stills of upcoming movie Kambakth Ishq.........
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