There are many instances of yesteryears greats passing away in solitude almost without a trace. Like comedy actor Bhagawan, Suraiyya. Most of these greats were extremely talented but were afflicted with booze, women issues. Examples...Guru Dutt (women), Shankar or Jaikishen (booze), OP Nayyar. They believed in living life without care which included among other things rampant drinking and non-stop smoking.
Compared to them current generation seems more savvy with their monies. They start other business, take up investments. Then there are extremely lucky ones like Amitabh who seems to have ups and downs but comes out unscathed and even more successful.
The gems the likes of OP, SD Burman, RD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishen, Kalyandji-Anandji gifted us will forever remain unparalleled.
02-08-2007, 06:05 AM (This post was last modified: 02-08-2007, 06:29 AM by Husky.)
Follow up on the lovely Shilpa Shetty: http://au.news.yahoo.com/070207/19/12ccn.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Shetty thanks British PM, says 'God's been good to me'</b>
Enlarge image
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LONDON (AFP) - Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty said that God had been "really kind" to her in terms of the career boost produced by her recent Big Brother appearance, as she visited the House of Commons in London.
The Indian actress, in parliament to watch Prime Minister Tony Blair at his weekly question-and-answer session, also thanked the British leader for his "solidarity" with her and her country during a racism row
"It feels great, such an honour. This was what we always saw on the postcards. It's so great just to be here," she said in front of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.
"There can't be a bigger honour, so much respect to be bestowed upon me," she said, accompanied by British MP Keith Vaz, who is taking her to his Leicester constituency, home to one of Britain's largest Indian communities, later in the day.
Shetty's appearance on reality television show Celebrity Big Brother, in which she was the victim of alleged racist bullying, thrust her into the spotlight and made her a star in Britain, where many people had barely heard of her before.
Since then, she has been besieged by offers which seem set to fuel that celebrity well beyond her fame in Bollywood.
"I had no idea of what was happening in the outside world," she said Wednesday. "In hindsight everything has worked out really really well, and God's been really really kind to me," she said.
Asked if she hoped to meet Blair personally, she replied: "If I get the opportunity to meet him I'd be more than glad. It would be an honour."
"I want to thank him for his solidarity and his support towards me and my country," said the 31-year-old, accompanied by her mother in the British capital.
The alleged racist bullying of Shetty by three "housemates" on the TV show sparked a diplomatic incident, with Indian ministers vowing "appropriate action" and Blair and finance minister Gordon Brown being forced to speak out.
More than 40,000 complaints were received from television viewers citing racist bullying, while in India furious demonstrators in India torching effigies of her tormentors.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->It seems she's met Blair: http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?m...t&counter_img=3
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Shilpa meets Blair in House of Commons</b>
London
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, winner of the Celebrity Big Brother show, was on Wednesday the cynosure of all eyes at the House of Commons where she had a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and attended a luncheon with leading MPs.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I ended up watching Vivah a couple of days ago. Its not bad actually - at times the pace of the movie slackens (better editing could have helped?) and the end was just trying to introduce a twist which didnt quite fit in but in general i liked the movie.
02-16-2007, 03:37 PM (This post was last modified: 02-16-2007, 03:38 PM by Husky.)
Front image of http://www.dailypioneer.com/ of today (15/16 Feb 2007)
Caption:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Filmmaker Deepa Mehta along with the cast of the <b>Oscar-nominated film Water</b> at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday - AP<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->How predictable. The west likes movies where (psecular, colonial-western-influenced) Indians portray an India that matches western expectations of it. Even when the Indians who made the movie don't know India at all. But that doesn't matter, it's some token 'Indian' who made the movie, so stamp of approval!
John Ruskin the writer said that the dominant themes in the Western literature are sex, lies and death. All of which are conflict themes. So anything that fosters conflict is likable to the West.
Link
Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi comes out of the Sankatmochan Temple after participating in Mangala Aarti along with his with his mother and sister in Varanasi on Monday.
________________
Suddenly, movie stars have started visiting temples and shedding sick-ular coats.
Mudy, I recall that Vivek Oberoi already had a Hindu charity (Asha Bhonsle and may be some other famous Hindus were also involved or I'm mixing up Oberoi's charity with Bhonsle's).
In any case, I believe it was a very Hindu charity, not merely a secular one with a Hindu name. He was already a famous person at that time, but as usual I didn't know who he was. But I remember being pleased about the fact that some famous Indian actor was trying to help his people.
Did not save any link to that piece of news, so I guess you should treat this as you would other second-hand info.
I got to see the movie on second day itself. The movie is quite good with visuals of Amber fort. Its a period drama and harks back to loyalty and wafadari etc. The dharma bit is about the wisdom of Bhisma on the invariance of Dharma.
I liked the Luger pistol that Amitabh wields. His dagger appeared non-Indian and more like a short version of Conan's sword. I expect a khanjar type. But the episode where he throws it at a pair of bells is awesome.
I would go see it again. But then I am a fan of modern AB.
Ramana, One of the first names in the credit scroll after movie ends listed LKA. Any idea why?
Yes, great movie. Did a first day, first show after a long time.
<!--emo&:o--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ohmy.gif' /><!--endemo--> LKA=Lal Krishna Advani
They were having a little problems in shooting in Rajasthan and Advani's call made all the difference.
ps; I haven't seen the movie as yet but initially, I used to think that it's about Eklavya of Dronacharya's time.
02-21-2007, 10:57 AM (This post was last modified: 02-21-2007, 10:59 AM by ramana.)
Capt is right. Also a backgrounder. Chopra graduated from FTII in 1977 and received the award for direction from LKA who was I&B Minister. he told LKA that instead of all these awards he would rather have finance to make films. LKA allowed DD to broadcast movies made by new graduates of FTII.
LKA was supposed to come to the premier but was busy campaigning and couldn't make it.
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Its modernized to current times. Ekalavya of Mahabharat did his duty without thinking or the benefit of Bhisma's interpretation of Dharma. This one takes benefit of Bhishma's insight.
<b> "The Lives of Others" wins best foreign language film </b>
I am happy rubbish from India lost it <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Feb 26 2007, 09:06 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Feb 26 2007, 09:06 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b> "The Lives of Others" wins best foreign language film </b>
I am happy rubbish from India lost it <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> [right][snapback]64974[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Time to celebrate. <!--emo&:thumbsup--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbup.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbup.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Anyway, even DVD reviewers think that Mehta is highly overrated from the films they've had to sit through. The only purpose that nomination could have served was to bring attention to subversive 'Indian' cinema and make it popular. But as it turns out, it was probably such a badly-filmed movie they couldn't justify awarding it in spite of the fondness for the topic.
(With 'subversive' in the above paragraph:
I'm not commenting on the film's borderline gay/bisexual characters or anything (not a bigot), just on how Mehta depicts the Hindu men who play the husbands and consequently her vapid lies about how Hinduism and Hindu society is restrictive of women.)
Drainage water is a Canadian film and is not from India.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Feb 25 2007, 08:36 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Feb 25 2007, 08:36 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b> "The Lives of Others" wins best foreign language film </b>
I am happy rubbish from India lost it <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
[right][snapback]64974[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Husky+Feb 20 2007, 12:34 PM-->QUOTE(Husky @ Feb 20 2007, 12:34 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Mudy, I recall that Vivek Oberoi already had a Hindu charity (Asha Bhonsle and may be some other famous Hindus were also involved or I'm mixing up Oberoi's charity with Bhonsle's).
In any case, I believe it was a very Hindu charity, not merely a secular one with a Hindu name. He was already a famous person at that time, but as usual I didn't know who he was. But I remember being pleased about the fact that some famous Indian actor was trying to help his people.
Did not save any link to that piece of news, so I guess you should treat this as you would other second-hand info.[right][snapback]64720[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Have found some semblance of supporting information of his Hindu fellow-help activities: http://www.christianaggression.org/item_di...S&id=1113357163
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Vivek Oberoi: Missionary and Liquor Lobbies Drove Us Out</b>
Posted April 12, 2005
The Hindu
By Sandhya Soman
KARAIKAL, APRIL 2 2005
Kalaivani knows that Vivek Oberoi is an actor. But she did not expect him to come to her house at Pattinacherry near here to inaugurate a computer centre today.
`Project Hope' for tsunami victims has moved out of Thevanampattinam in Cuddalore district to Pattinacherry. And Mr. Oberoi is not apologetic about it. "We have given up," he says. Especially, the project to build permanent houses at Thevanampattinam. Mr. Oberoi says his donors slowly backed out as land allotment got delayed and he faced media backlash for unfulfilled promises.
"Nobody bothered to find out what happened at Thevanampattinam." He said pro-conversion and liquor lobbies tried to "discredit" the effort from day one, when he refused to let them be part of the project; he found it difficult to explain to the villagers that he was not abandoning them but was leaving the place to bring in funds for providing permanent rehabilitation.
"I cannot live there. Also, money poured in while relief was being distributed. But I wanted to do more," he says with his hand on his heart. Till the end of February, Mr. Oberoi and his team held on to the hope of providing pucca houses, boats and nets. Now, the 400 sets of nets and the boats the villagers asked for are ready for distribution.
"I have no complaints and I don't blame the Tamil Nadu Government. They are doing their best as it is difficult to come up with a uniform policy for such a big State."
But he did not miss out a chance to again round up his donors after a meeting with the Pondicherry Governor, Lieutenant General M.M. Lakhera.
The result is a Rs. 10-crore project at Pattinacherry consisting of independent houses for more than 1,000 residents away from the sea, a school, community and health centres and even a dock for the boats in the nearby waterbody.
<b>21st century village</b>
Says Mr. Lakhera: "Together we are going to come up with a 21st century village. The Government has just given the land. Vivek is the driving force."
This morning the actor and his spiritual guru Chidananda Saraswati inaugurated a computer centre, gave away sewing machines to a group of women from the village and kits of essentials.
"He said he would help. So far he has come three times. The last time he did `bhoomi puja' at the house construction site," says Kalaivani.
Mr. Oberoi is clear this time. He says he has given time for the project till April 15. "Once the construction starts, I will get back to what I do best â acting," he says with a smile. And worry about removing his black circles for the four movie projects this year.
But not before distributing those boats, nets and "my love and good byes" to the people of Thevanampattinam.
"I am not apprehensive to go back. There are lots of people there who still respect and appreciate the work I have done. I am hurt that the people are upset. Outside elements have been playing on their fears."
<b>11 boats donated</b>
Eleven motorised boats and nets worth Rs. 27 lakhs were donated today to Thevanampattinam under the aegis of `Project Hope'.
Mr. Oberoi, Swami Chidananda Saraswati and the Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, set off in one of the boats to the sea. The boat was decked up with colourful banners and festoons.
One of the boats, carrying the village youth overturned, causing some anxious moments.
The donation was part of the Tsunami Relief Camp set up under `Project Hope.' The organisers said the village would receive four more boats.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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