I wan an easy prey for my wife: Om Puri

Guess, why did Nandita Puri write her husband

Om Puri's biography - An Unlikely Hero - Om Puri? According to the actor, "she found me the most gullible prey - almost like the slowest deer in a herd being chased by a tiger".

"It was the easiest thing to do," Om Puri, who claims that he "likes being stripped by my wife", told the press at Jaipur Literature Festival Thursday.

The actor and his wife were the picture of a perfect couple - as they held court in a corner of the Diggi Palace tackling the press persons who peppered them with queries about movies and the actor's new biography written by his wife.

"It took me two-and-a-half years to write the book and one year of research," Nandita said, looking at her husband.

Nandita, a former journalist, still reads his movie script. "I give her my script and give her Rs.500 and she agrees to read them," the actor said with a grin.

Om Puri still swears by Ardh Satya - the 1983 hit by Govind Nihalani - which painted a grim picture of the Mumbai underworld. "That was a movie

which exposed the Indian government machinery and the underworld. My role was kind of a catalyst," he said.

What is the actor's dream role? "I want Amitabh Bachchan to leave some of characters for me. I want him to tell me - 'Yeh roles tumhare liye bacha hai (these are the roles left for you)'," Om Puri said.

He rued that the new Bollywood movies lacked literary content.

"The new movies are not rich in literature. Directors like Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and V. Shantaram used to make cinema enriched in literature. The new cinema may be getting global recognition, but they are mostly comments on the non-resident Indians and Indians living in the Gulf. We want the world to appreciate our work," he said.

Praising a handful of new directors, Puri said: "Directors like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vishal Bharadwaj and Rajkumar Hirani are doing a good job - making movies that are not run-of-the mill commercial potboilers. But they make up only 25 per cent of filmmakers. People say the audience demands such cinemas - but in that case movies like Taare Zameen Par and Chak De India would not have broken the box office."

Puri said he was willing to play "unconditional and meaningful roles in television - not the usual saas-bahu ones".

SRK tweets for women hockey players

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan who essayed the role of a coach of women's hockey team in Chak De India, has taken up the cause once again.

The actor, who is a recent joinee on the social networking site Twitter writes "Thought Chak De will be good for revival of hockey. Reading the plight of women's team, should think on ways of survival of hockey. All of us."

The women's hockey team, who was upset that Shah Rukh Khan has not tweeted about the recent developments, has followed in the footsteps of their men counterpart. The men's hockey team successfully launched an open revolt last week and did not return to practice at a World Cup camp till they got their incentive cheques.

Though the women players have not boycotted the camp like the men did, but they sported black arm-bands during in practice as a mark of protest. The team had supported the men in their protest wholeheartedly, but was told that there was no money to clear the dues of its members.

Earlier this month SRK had tweeted for the Hockey players and said he felt awful.

Khan, widely praised for bringing the pathetic state of Indian hockey into limelight with his portrayal of a disgraced player who goes on to become a celebrated coach in the 2007 blockbuster Chak De India, had supported the revolting players.

35 crore-worth ad deal for Aamir!

Ranchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad is tearing up the record books once again, and suddenly it seems that Aal Eez Well with the Indian advertising space. Well, Aamir Khan has just landed the biggest endorsement deal in Indian advertising history. He will promote new telecom entrant, UAE’s Etisalat, for Rs 30-35 crore for three years, kicking in some fresh energy into the Indian advertising segment that has been licking its wounds from the financial slowdown.

Mr Khan, along with his Bollywood competitor Shah Rukh Khan, already commands the biggest rates, pegged at Rs 6-8 crore per year per endorsement.

However, the figures pale in the light of the billion-dollar life-time endorsement that golf legend Tiger Woods signed, and the $70-million deal that Russian tennis sensation Maria Sharapova bagged early this month from Nike for eight years.

An Etisalat official told ET that the deal was inked before the release of 3 Idiots, where Mr Khan plays the iconoclastic Rancho.

The movie, that was released last month, notched up Rs 240 crore from box office collections in the domestic and the international markets during its first 10 days, making it the biggest box office grosser in the history of Indian cinema.

The Bollywood superstar already promotes brands such as Parle, Coca-Cola, Tata Sky and Samsung.

Telecom companies rope in celebrity endorsers

“he association with Aamir has done wonders for us; he strives for perfection and he’s a complete brand fit that goes beyond being just another celebrity endorsement association,” said Tata Sky chief marketing officer Vikram Mehra.

Mr Khan was not immediately available for comments.

Other telecom companies already have one star endorser each. While Shah Rukh endorses Bharti Airtel, Aircel is endorsed by India cricket captain MS Dhoni. Vodafone’s animated mascot — the eggshell ZooZoo — which debuted with the second season of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, is already a sensation.

Salman Khan to join Republic Day parade in Delhi January 26, 2010

In his endeavour to promote his new film Veer, Salman Khan is going all-out to prove he's the new-age Manoj Kumar of our cinema.

Suddenly, as it were, Salman has transformed into the perennial patriot promoting nationalism and brotherhood at any given cause.

According to sources close to the Khan, Salman will now be a part of the Republic Day parade on 26 January to not only participate in the event but also to comment on the whole concept of freedom and independence in the contemporary context.

According to a source, "This is Salman's golden opportunity to clean up his image. He wants to wipe out his anti-establishment image. He has made up with the media. Now he wants to project himself as someone who cares deeply for his country."

Producer Vijay Galani confirms Salman's presence and participation at the Republic Day parade in Delhi on January 26. Says Galani, "Salman will be seen live on a Hindi channel at the Republic Day parade talking about what freedom and independence mean to Indians."

Salman has been preparing extensively to hold forth in Delhi on 26 January. Says a close friend of the actor, "Salman is tired of being portrayed as the enfant-terrible. He wants a clean image. He's told his family and friends he'd like to set the right example for his younger fans."

The theme of Salman's Republic Day comments in Delhi would be, 'Do Not Misuse Your Freedom.' And a very close friend of Salman says, "When he'll talk about not misusing freedom Salman would be talking about himself as well."

Do not give up in difficult times: Salman Khan

In the wake of the increasing suicides across the city, Salman Khan appeals to all his fans in a personal note.

Bollywood’s most good looking man, these days may be busy adhering to the PR strategy laid down by the producer for their upcoming film ‘Veer’ and promoting it.

But he is disturbed at the spate of suicides that’s stuck the city in the past 20 days. Salman, through ‘Veer’, which is releasing tomorrow, takes the opportunity to send out a message to all his fans especially the youths who are in the threshold of a disoriented life.

Here is the large hearted Salman’s appeal.
“Besides being entertainers, films are also about the right intent. My film ‘Veer’ isn’t just about a brave-heart, a courageous warrior in the face of external tribulations. It’s also about the hero who lies within us- our inner strength. This is my personal appeal to all my fans out there. Zindagi mein utaar chadav hote hain. Koi baat nahi. Main kehta hoon, Zindagi ka saamna karo. Face every situation fearlessly and soon you’ll realize that there is no bad situation to face. I mean it. Take my example.

“I have gone through a lot in life. So much so that it had pushed me to the brink... Thank God, that it wasn’t the brink of no return! I survived my worst phase because of my family and the blessings of millions of my fans. Zindagi mein dua ki bahut zaroorat hoti hai. Spend sometime in doing good to others and when the going gets tough, yehi dua kaam aati hai. I am living a blessed life today; all because I didn’t take that one wrong step...it was so easy!

“I appeal to all of you. Do not give in to those difficult moments. Hang in there. If the burden of life is too much to bear, and you feel all hope is gone, take a step back, reflect and share it with someone who’ll understand and help you. But I suggest look within and you’ll see the glimpses of hope touching back your life. Mere doston Zindagi bahut khubsoorat hai...”

I like the incomplete romance in Ghajini: Asin

Well known actress in the South, Asin made her debut in Bollywood opposite Aamir Khan in Ghajini that released last week. After starring in original Tamil version opposite Surya, the actress said that working in the Hindi remake posed its own set of challenges.
To be seen next opposite of Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan in Vipul Shah's London dreams, Asin is surely a talent to look out for.
Rajeev Masand: Welcome Asin and congratulations for the success of the film. Let's do some flashback, about a year ago when they came and offered you to do Ghajini again, what was the first question you had when they told you they were to re-make it in Hindi.
Asin: No questions at all. I knew that Aamir Khan wanted to see the Tamil version and that he had heard about it and there was a special screening of the movie for him in Mumbai.
I then received a call from him, which I thought was a very nice gesture from his side. He congratulated me for the film and he absolutely loved it.
He spoke about my character and then we had a conversation at the end of which he casually asked me if I speak Hindi and if i would be interested in doing any Hindi projects and I said yes, if anything interesting comes along I will. Well, I had no idea they were planning to do it in Hindi.
A few days later the production house calls me and tells that they are remaking it and that Aamir Khan is starring in it. They wanted me to do the same role that I did in Tamil. I was excited. There were no questions. I knew the people, I knew the script. Just the excitement.
Rajeev Masand Wasn’t it boring to do the same role, same movie again?.

Vagh Barash

Shrinathji wears a gold brocade "Kachani" ( courtly skirt like dress worn by Rajput and Moughal aristocrates ) with numerous necklaces of pearls and emeralds. The beautiful yellow turban is topped with a gold ornament. The stele is covered with dark green silk, contrasting nicely with a red and gold pichavi. Celebrating the bounties of nature, pichavi depicts golden flowers growing on a delicate moughal trellis. Mani Kota ( chamber of gems ), directly in front of the inner sanctum, is decorated with four plantains ( banana plant ) and leaves of the asopalav tree ( cypress ). Chandeliers and chequered red and green brocade canopy lend a regal feel to the inner sanctum. Navnit-Priyaji is similarly dressed in golden apparel and swathed in pearls and emeralds. The pichvi here is of beautiful purple and yellow stripes - pichvi is a colourful backdrop (usually on cloth) and is used to create a desired mood or commemorate a specific event. Veranda outside the inner sanctum of Ladela-Lal is covered in white wall hangings studded with silver moons. Miniature cows and herdsmen (made out of painted wood) wait near the door for the Lord to come out and play with them.In the evening Navnit-Lal sits in the garden courtyard amid regal splendour. A spacious glass and mirror bungalow is set up near the wall of Shrinathji's inner sanctum. Steps leading up to the marble veranda are covered with a chequered carpet of green grass and (red) rose petals. Small lamps are set afloat in the four ponds of the garden. Yellow wall hangings, various chequered canopies, awnings and mirror studded pichvis complete the regal setting. Silver gopies serve the lord with various fans, chamars and the like. Madan Mohanji joins the lord in the evening's revelries as musicians play various instruments to entertain the divine Lords. Set amid lotuses, glittering jewels and myriad of twinkling lights, Lords of Nathadwara bring to life joys of Rajput and Moughal courts. Today in Shrinathji's and Navnit-Lal's haveli, the whole scene is reminiscent of royal hunts when Imperial tents were set amid beautiful groves. Refinements of courtly life were enjoyed in a rustic/ rural setting. Richly decorated awnings stirred in clear mountain air as delicate glass chandeliers spilled pools of coloured light amid silk carpets, cushions and bolsters. At Nathadwara, such scenes are regularly brought back to life to entertain the Divine Lords.