Big Setback: Salman Khan to be tried for culpable homicide in hit-and-run case

A Mumbai court on Wednesday framed new charges against Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

According to reports, Khan will now be tried for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Khan has pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, if proven guilty, the actor might be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Khan on Friday appeared before the Mumbai sessions court in connection with the case.

The court deferred the hearing into the case till July 24.

Khan was earlier facing the trail for rash and negligent driving, which awards the convict with a maximum sentence of two years.

However, the court handling his case, in January, accepted that the police have provided evidence that merits trying the actor for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which awards the convict a punishment upto ten years in prison.



The case was then transferred to the sessions court as the magistrates' court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the same.

In February, Khan challenged the order and filed a revision petition, pleading that the stringent charges against him be dropped.

In 2002, the actor driving a SUV had run into a bakery in suburban Bandra, and the accident took the life of one pavement dweller while injuring four persons sleeping on the pavement outside.

After comedy, Priyadarshan-Mohanlal team up for horror

After teaming up for numerous slapstick comedies, Malayalam film industry's legendary duo of director Priyadarshan and actor Mohanlal is for a change working together on a horror thriller.

Titled "Gitanjali", the film is already on the floor and is being shot on the outskirts of the city.

"Yes, this is a different one and we are feeling it too. But as far as an actor is concerned, his job is to act and I am doing just that. Now that we have waited this long, its just a few months more, " Mohanlal toldwhen asked about his expectations from the film.

Priyadarshan too admits that the film is certainly different from previous ventures.

"All what I have done is that I have taken four characters from the 'Manichitrathazhu' and the similarity ends there. I repeat, this is not a sequel to that, " he said while trying to manage things for the next shot.

Directed by Fazil, 1993-release "Manichitrathazhu" won the National Film Award for best popular film providing wholesome entertainment. Shobhana won best actress National Award for her portrayal of Ganga in the movie.

"All along what I have done is that I have adapted stories for my films, so this time I decided that I will do something different. This is in fact a horror film and it tells the tale of a girl whose marriage is fixed and ahead of that she develops serious mental disorder. Like in 'Manichitrathazhu', where Mohanlal makes an entry at the stroke of intermission, here too, he is doctor Sunny Joseph, a psychiatrist."

Shobana appears in just one scene where she suggests cranky psychiatrist Joseph's name after learning about the problems faced by the girl, played by Keerthi, who is about to get married and develops complications.



The other two characters from "Manichitrathazhu" adapted for "Gitanjali" are Unnithan, played by veteran character artist-comedian Innocent, and film star-turned-legislator Ganesh Kumar, who has the screen name of Dasappan.

"There are four songs and to ease things up a bit for the audience, I have included a slice of humour, " added Priyadarshan.

However, for the 56-year-old director, who is making his 86th film after starting his career in 1978, the only hindrance is incessant rain.

Looking worried, hoping to take a shot of Mohanlal before it starts pouring again, he said: "See, the continuity shot after this scene will be filmed only in August and it would be in the background of the sea, hence I have to be very careful because the sky would not be this overcast then."

The film is expected to go into post-production by the end of August and is slated for a release in October.

In 2011, the duo made a comeback of sorts when they did comedy "Arabyium, Ottakavum P. Madhavan Nairum", after a gap of eight years. It did good business at the box office.

The Priyadarshan-Mohanlal team churned out hits like "Boeing Boeing", "Thalavattam", "Vellanakalude Nadu", "Chithram", "Vandanam", "Kilukkam", "Mithunam" and `Thenmavin Kombath" and they are listed as the biggest earners in Malayalam filmdom.

Now all eyes are on "Gitanjali" -- whether it would re-create the same magic that the duo is known for.

My biggest down was 'Shoebite'

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, who got an opportunity to direct megastar Amitabh Bachchan in "Shoebite", says his biggest down is that film, which is Big B's milestone performance, is not getting released.

So far the director had two releases - "Yahaan" (2005) and "Vicky Donor" (2012) and his "Madras Cafe", a political thriller, is coming out Aug 23. In between, he made "Shoebite", which is trapped in controversy over its rights putting its release in peril.

"My biggest down was 'Shoebite'. It is very close to my heart, " Sircar told.

"Whenever it comes out, I can say it is Mr. Bachchan's milestone performance. This is one of his best performances. It's unfortunate it didn't release, but after that down I don't care about anything."

If not for me, they should do something for Mr. Bachchan, he feels.

"Our film is like our child and I feel even production house should treat them the same way. For me, 'Shoebite' not getting release is like a miscarriage. I had cried a lot and I was very upset about it, " he said.

Although he got his due with his film on sperm donation "Vicky Donor", he takes accolades with a pinch of realism.



Taking a pragmatic look on success and failure, he said: "The industry dances with you in your success, but if your next film fails, again you come down to zero. So, I don't care much.

"Everybody started respecting me after 'Vicky Donor'. Now I don't know...if I'll make a flop film, the respect will be gone and to regain that respect, again I will have to make a 'Vicky Donor'."

His "Madras Cafe", his second film with producer John Abraham as a producer, is his maiden attempt at a spy film and he is confident of showing new things in the film.

John plays lead role in the film.

He said: "I personally feel people have not seen real spy film yet, so I think the audience will get to see real spy film through 'Madras Cafe'. John is not the hero, he is playing a character in the film. It's a very serious movie."

"I don't say I am a master of such genre. This is my first attempt to make a real spy film... For the first time, the Indian audience will see how a real intelligence or RAW works. How much I will be successful I don't know, but I want people to educate a bit about Sri Lanka before watching the film, " he added.


What about the unusual title "Madras Cafe"?

He said: "There was a lot of debate with the title but I was adamant and I have cleared that in the promo itself. 'Jaffna' was earlier title, but when we were working on the script, I thought 'Madras Cafe' is apt and goes with the plot."

'Byomkesh' will be my toughest film

Busy scouting for locations in the city for his next movie "Detective Byomkesh Bakshi", Dibakar Banerjee Tuesday stated that the film will be the toughest venture of his life.

"There is a plethora of challenges... it will be tremendously challenging to recreate the Calcutta of 1942, and I know it will be the toughest film of my life, " Banerjee told mediapersons here.

"This will be the greatest challenge and after filming this I won't be able to take up another challenge for quite some time, " he said.

The film is based on one of the 33 crime thrillers penned by famed Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandopadhyay with Byomkesh Bakshi as the protagonist between 1932 and 1970. However, the director declined to reveal the name of the specific novel on which the film is based.

Featuring Sushant Singh Rajput of "Kai Po Che!" fame as the popular detective, the movie will be set in war-torn Kolkata (then Calcutta) of 1942.

It will follow one of the first cases solved by a twenty-something Byomkesh, fresh out of college, and "an adventurous, young, and thrill-loving youth who wants to be a detective".

Banerjee clarified that the movie, unlike his previous films "Shanghai" and "Khosla Ka Ghosla" will have no message to convey to the audience.

"This will be a long-standing dream come true. This time I am just telling a story... it has no message, " he said.

40 years too late! Joy Mukerji's 'Love in Bombay' to finally release

Late actor-director Joy Mukerji's unreleased film "Love in Bombay" will finally see the light of the day on August 2, 40 years after its production in 1973

The "Love in" series started with Joy debuting with the blockbuster hit "Love in Simla" in 1960, followed by the golden jubilee hit "Love in Tokyo" in 1966. "Love in Bombay", starring Joy in lead opposite Waheeda Rehman, was part of the trilogy but remained unreleased until now.

It is being released nationally by PVR Director's Rare. The supporting cast includes yesteryear's biggest names like Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Rehman while music was composed by Shankar-Jaikishan and lyrics were penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

The negative of the film was found by Joy's children-- Sujoy Mukerji, Monjoy Mukerji and Simran Halwasiya in Fazal Bhoy cold storage at Worli.

They got it digitally restored and decided to showcase their father's last work, a year after his death on March 9, 2012 at the age of 73.

"We are really touched by PVR Director Rare's gesture to release the film. They are giving today's young generation a chance to enjoy my husband's classic work. I'm sure they will appreciate his cinema and the same will create nostalgia for those who have seen his work before.

I would also like to appreciate the unrelenting effort that was put by Avitel Post Studio in restoring the film's negative, " Joy's wife Neelam said in a statement. The film is an adventurous romantic tale about an innocent, young man, Badal (Joy), who meets an arrogant city girl, Preeti (Waheeda Rehman), on a ship.

When the ship gets caught up in a storm, Badal saves Preeti's life and they along with a few others are washed on to an island. What ensues after this is an adventure of love, loss and freedom. "We are extremely pleased to announce the release of Late Joy Mukerji's 'Love in Bombay' through PVR Director's Rare.



By providing a platform which renders it possible for the film to see the light of day, we pay our respects to the celebrated visionary that Joy Mukerji was, " Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, JMD, PVR Ltd said. Joy's producer father Sashadhar Mukherjee decided to launch his son with "Love in Simla" opposite Sadhana after scriptwriter Agha jani Kashmeri convinced him. He starred in musical hits like "Ek Musafir Ek Haseena", "Ziddi", "Shagird" and "Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon".

'Satyagraha' post production to be done at Prakash Jha's office

In a bid to prevent information about his next film leaking out, Prakash Jha moves all post-production work into his own office

Looks like Prakash Jha is in no mood to take any risk when it comes to hiding his best-kept secrets. Insiders say that the filmmaker has moved the dubbing and editing on his upcoming film Satyagraha into the closed confines of his office in Andheri. This has been done to avoid any kind of information leaking out.

Unwanted access
Says a source, `In the digital age, one has to trust the studio while doing the post production of his/her films. A lot of people have access to information and the screenplay. Jha has decided to keep his cards close to his chest. He will be working on the film from his office.`



Constant fear
Jha confirms, `We have our own editing and dubbing equipments. There is always a fear since the work on post production goes on at several places. These days even a pen drive is dangerous and I am taking no chances.`

Imran Zahid to play lead in play based on 'Arth'

Director Mahesh Bhatt's new discovery, actor Imran Zahid, is set to play the lead role in the filmmaker's new theatrical production based on his 1982 film "Arth".

"Mahesh Bhatt set to recreate magic of film 'Arth' in a theatrical play. It'll be a big challenge for me to play the lead but I am up for it, " Imran posted on Twitter.

The 31-year-old also played the lead role in Bhatt's play "The Last Salute", based on author Muntadhar Al-Zaidi's book with the same title.

According to the reports, Bhatt has also given the nod to Pakistani actor-director Shaan to remake "Arth" and it will be shot in Pakistan.

The original film featured Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Smita Patil in the lead roles.

Special screening of 'Satyagraha' for Anna Hazare team?

Reports claiming that Prakash Jha's upcoming film "Satyagraha" is inspired by Anna Hazare's movement seems to have made the members of the social activist's team curious who are said to have placed a request to watch the political drama.

"We have our eyes on 'Satyagraha' no matter what the director says. We know that the film is inspired by the Anna' movement and that Amitabh Bachchan is playing Anna. We just want to ensure that Anna or the movement is not being criticised, " said a source.

The trailer of the film urges people to stand up for their rights.

When contacted Jha, he said: "I am not being judgemental about Anna or the movement. 'Satyagraha' is inspired by facts, but it's a fictional take. The film is not about Anna Hazare or his movement. If a direct request from Anna comes to us, we will look into it."

"Satyagraha", which features a host of good actors - from Amitabh, Ajay Devgn and Manoj Bajpayee to Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Amrita Rao - is slated for an Aug 30 release.

Ram Charan follows father Chiranjeevi's footsteps

South actor Chiranjeevi played a honest cop in his Bollywood debut film in 1990 and now his son Ram is following his footsteps by essaying a similar role in his first Hindi movie

Almost a decade and a half ago, film 'Pratibhandh' launched Telugu heartthrob Chiranjeevi in Bollywood, as a hard nosed honest cop.

Now after 23 years, Ram Charan Teja will also be seen in the avatar of a honest cop who battles his way to eliminate the deadly cartels of Oil Mafia (Prakash Raj) and protects the eyewitness (Priyanka Chopra) of a murder in the city in the remake version of 'Zanjeer'.

The film is a remake of megastar Amitabh Bachchan's hit 1973 film 'Zanjeer', which saw Big B playing a cop and Jaya Bachchan his love interest. The new one, directed by Apoorva Lakhia stars Priyanka, Prakash Raj, Mahie Gill, Atul Kulkarni and Sanjay Dutt. It releases on September 6.

'B.A. Pass' a path-breaking film

Ace filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is highly impressed with Ajay Bahl directed forthcoming erotic drama "B.A Pass" and has termed it a "path-breaking film".

He is confident that this film will be recalled even after many years to come.

The film is said to be based on one of the stories titled "The Railway Aunty" by Mohan Sikka from the book "Delhi Noir", and it talks about male prostitution. In the film, actress Shilpa Shukla will be seen as Sarika Aunty.

"I assure you that people will talk about 'B.A. Pass' for many years. There are a lot of films, in which there are big stars, but are no where to be seen after the opening weekend of their release. But this film will be recalled even after 20-25 years down the line, " Bhatt said here Monday during the film's press conference.

"It's a path-breaking film, " he added.



Bhatt also praised Bahl for his efforts in his debut film.

"According to me, Ajay Bahl is a superstar director of tomorrow, " said the filmmaker known for directing critically acclaimed films like "Saaransh", "Arth" and "Zakhm".

"He has brought out the stark realities of modern India in a very engaging way and has served in a thriller format, " he added.

Presented and distributed by Bharat Shah, "B.A. Pass" is set to release Aug 2.

The two loves of my life are khana and gaana.

As a newcomer Alka Yagnik did not think that she would sustain in the music industry for over three decades.

The lady who has given some all-time hits talks to CS about her journey so far.

Long innings
I have been singing since in my teens. Bollywood is now second home for me. I have worked very hard to be where I am. When I came to the industry, the Mangeshkar sisters were very popular. Like any newcomer, I had to polish my skills to get work.

Music composers such as Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal groomed me. I didn't really have to struggle as my parents provided me with a great home, a car and all the other necessities for a comfortable life.

I had to only concentrate on my work. There are some artistes who come to the city without a proper roof on their heads but by god's grace I didn't have to bother about all that.



The music mayhem
The competition amongst newcomers is immense. There are lots of singers coming in to create an identity for themselves. It is the case of less demand and more talent. Most of them get overshadowed by senior artistes.

The singers who start early fade into oblivion as quickly. This is the current phase of music. Nowadays, there is an emergence of other genres of music apart from playback.

My advice to every young singer would be to work very hard. I feel I'm blessed by God and my audiences to be able to sustain my success and work for so long in this hugely competitive industry.

In my own world
I am a very private person. I belong to the audience when it comes to work, but otherwise I keep to myself. Earlier I didn't have time for myself, but now I make it to point to spend some quality time by myself. It helps me collect my thoughts.

I enjoy reading and travelling. Visiting new places, exploring different cultures, people and cuisines also give me a great high. I am a total foodie. However, more than cooking, I enjoy eating. The two loves of my life are khana and gaana.

Now Delhi Too Grants Tax Exemption To Milkha

After Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh it is Delhi's turn to celebrate the spirit of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

On Tuesday evening Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dixit watched Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and immediately granted the film exemption from entertainment tax.

Says a source, `Ms Dixit was visibly moved by the film. She took a call on the tax exemption without hesitation.`

Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra could barely contain his emotions. `What can I say? First Maharashtra, then Madhya Pradesh and now Delhi has granted Milkha a tax exemption. I am humbled by the unanimous acceptance of the spirit of Milkha.`

Adds Farhan Akhtar, `It is very encouraging to know that the positive and inspirational message to be gotten from Milkhaji's life is going to be accessible to many more people.`

Farhan says he gets regular requests now from institutions for screenings of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. `There are schools and colleges writing in to me about students viewing Bhaag Milkha Bhaag as an inspirational story. The tax exemption will further enable students to afford tickets to watch the film. My sincerest gratitude to Sheila Dixitji for her support.`

Manoj Kumar to undergo gall bladder surgery Wednesday

Veteran actor-director Manoj Kumar, who was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital two days back, will undergo gall bladder surgery Wednesday - his 75th birthday

"He has an inflamed gall bladder with gall stones and he will undergo gall bladder surgery tomorrow (Wednesday) 8.00 a.m., " the hospital's executive director Ram Narain told.

The actor was hospitalized after pain in his gall bladder.

Bhatt congratulates SRK, salman on reunion

Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan's reported patch-up at an Iftaar party has impressed Mahesh Bhatt, who says it was bound to happen.

"Both have hugged each other and have sent a message across the nation that there are differences, but it's not like that we cannot overcome them, " said Bhatt Monday on the sidelines of a press conference of Ajay Bahl's film "B.A. Pass" here.

"In the pious month of Ramzan, in which people forget their mutual differences and talk about peace and harmony, it was inevitable that at an Iftaar party people would meet and won't hug each other."

Bhatt even congratulated the two.

"I congratulate both of them. They have created a very positive environment in the country, " said the filmmaker who directed SRK in "Duplicate".

Salman and Shah Rukh were not on talking terms post a fight at Katrina Kaif's birthday bash in 2008.

Imran Khan impresses Milan Luthria in OUATIMD

Director Milan Luthria is mighty impressed with Imran Khan. So much so that the filmmaker has paid him a huge compliment - by likening his commitment towards work with that of his uncle Aamir Khan.

While shooting a fight sequence for 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara' (OUATIMD), Imran suffered a bad neck injury. But instead of asking for a break, he continued to shoot.

Says Milan, `We were shooting a scene where he (Imran) had to fall and tumble three-four times on the pavement and roads. No matter how you do it, it's going to hurt. It was only two-three days after shooting the scene that Sonakshi (Sinha) mentioned that Imran was in a lot of pain. That's when I realised that he was trying his best to hide it.`

Adds Milan, `Imran has impressed me with his dedication and sincerity. Despite multiple changes in schedules, he was co- operative and willing. He is going to surprise everyone with his exemplary performance in the film."

Himesh Reshammiya spends his birthday working

Himesh Reshammiya turned a year older yesterday and it was a working birthday for the singer-composer while Manoj Kumar turns 76 today

Aashka manages to pull of her performance without rehearsing it

Aashka Goradia, who is shooting out of Mumbai for her fiction show, did not get adequate time to rehearse for her performance at an awards gala

As a lot of time would be spent travelling in and out of the city, she rehearsed for her steps on her soap's sets and still managed to pull off a performance.

Sanjay Dutt's last hope of leaving jail dashed

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt's last hope of leaving the jail were dashed Tuesday as the Supreme Court refused to revisit its March 21 verdict upholding his conviction under the Arms Act and the five-year jail sentence.

The actor who surrendered May 16 to serve a three and a half years' jail term, remaining out of his five-year sentence, will now step out of prison around November 2016.

"We have gone through the curative petition and the relevant documents. In our opinion, no case is made out within the parameters indicated in the (earlier) decision of this court...Hence, the curative petition is dismissed, " said Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice B.S. Chauhan.

Sanjay Dutt had pleaded to the court to revisit its March 21 order which upheld his conviction.

The court then offered him partial relief by reducing his sentence from six years, as awarded by the trial court, to five years.

The actor's another plea seeking the review of the March 21 order was dismissed by the court May 10.

The court March 21 gave the actor additional time to surrender to serve the remaining period of his five-year sentence.

A Special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities court which heard the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts cases acquitted Sanjay Dutt of charges under the stringent anti-terror law but convicted him under the Arms Act for unauthorisedly possessing banned arms and ammunitions.

The TADA court had convicted Dutt Nov 28, 2006, and he was sentenced June 31, 2007.

Screening of 'Issaq' to be held at multiplex close to Taj Mahal

As Manish Tiwary's upcoming film is an ode to love, the makers are planning to hold a special screening in Agra on July 26

While the film's cast Prateik and Amyra Dastur would visit the Taj Mahal, the screening would be held at a multiplex close to the world famous monument.

The director says, `The film is based on a love story and what better place than the Taj Mahal to mark the occasion? We would have loved to do a screening in the Taj Mahal itself but it's not possible as it is a heritage site.`

The special screening is part of Dainik Jagran's Film Festival 2013 in Agra.

Vishesh Bhatt to direct Aditya Roy Kapur

Post the success of 'Aashiqui 2', actor Aditya Roy Kapur has been signed by the Bhatt camp for another movie, to be directed by Vishesh Bhatt

Vishesh, son of producer Mukesh Bhatt, made his directorial debut with 'Murder 3', starring Randeep Hooda and Aditi Rao Haydri.

Now, Vishesh is chalking out plans for his next venture.He has already roped in Aditya Roy Kapur, who made it big with 'Aashiqui 2'.

"Aditya will be doing this film. He is a talented actor and we share a good relation with him, " Mukesh Bhatt told.

"The film is in scripting stage and we can't reveal too much about it now...it is too premature, " he said. The makers are yet to sign the leading lady. The film will go on floors in January next year.