1971 marked the year of Bangladesh’s battle of independence from Pakistan. During this year thousands of activists, educators, artists and others were tortured and killed, and women raped. We do not know exactly how many people were affected, but some estimate that three million people were killed, and 200,000 women were raped. Most of the war criminals were never brought to justice as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding leader and father of the current prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was assassinated before he could put the alleged war criminals on trial.
Now a special tribunal has been set up to try people accused of committing war crimes during this period. Three High Court judges have been appointed to this tribunal. A panel of retired civil, police and military officials was also set up to prosecute Bangladeshis who sided with Pakistan during the war. According to a statement from the law ministry, a 1973 act outlining prosecution and punishment for people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes under international law would be used. Under this act, the highest punishment that can be meted out is the death penalty. Some estimate that as many as 1600 people could be tried, although members of the then-Pakistani military will not be prosecuted.
The LA Times did a major story on Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director of Bollywood movie, Three Idiots. According to them, "3 Idiots," now tops the list of highest-grossing Bollywood films (I am somewhat confused by that report as others are saying that My Name is Khan is currently #1). The story reveals that the filmmaker is leasing in Beverly Hills and planning his first movie in English. The movies mentioned include his 1981 feature film debut, "Sazaye Maut" ("Death Penalty"), , "Mission Kashmir", my own favorite "1942: A Love Story"and "Munna Bhai MBBS." "3 Idiots," released by Reliance Big Pictures has reported earned more than $52 million during its first 10 days in theaters. The story says that outside of India, the movie, made for $8 million, has brought in about $16 million, with a record-setting $6.5 million coming from the U.S. A little known fact that the Times talks about is that Chopra’s post-film school documentary "An Encounter with Faces," about impoverished children in India, was nominated for an Oscar in 1979.
The story of "3 Idiots" is about three friends at a tough engineering college in India who deal with difficulties like academic pressures and family. Aamir Khan who is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars in one of the title roles. According to the story, Chopra has made LA a second home where he spends two weeks every month. His next movie is "Broken Horses," about two brothers, one a violinist in New York, the other a hired gun, set against the drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border. Read the complete story on LA Times here.
(from bollywoodhungama.com using Creative Commons Licence)
My Name is Khan, by 20th Century Fox, is number six on the UK box office, #13 in the US, and has also become Bollywood’s most successful UK box office opener ever. This movie became controversial when right-wing Hindu political party Shiv Sena targeted Muslim star Shah Rukh Khan and tried to prevent the movie from opening. However according to UK news reports, it has already grossed more than £936,000 in the UK and $2.3m in the US over the four-day holiday weekend. In the film, Khan plays the role of a US Muslim Indian with Asperger’s syndrome whose life is turned upside down after September 11. Starring opposite him is Kajol, a single Hindu mother.The previous record for a Bollywood film in its opening period in the UK was held by Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna which also starred Shah Rukh.
UK TOP 10
1. Valentine’s Day
2. Avatar
3. The Wolfman
4. The Princess And The Frog
5. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
6. My Name Is Khan
7. Invictus
8. A Single Man
9. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
10. Astro Boy
(source: http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movie-charts/)
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan made an unassuming statement that most Indians would agree with – namely that he supported the participation of Pakistani players in the Indian cricket league – Indian Premier League. This statement caused a maelström – all created by one right wing political party – Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena has been fighting all week to stop Shah Rukh’s latest move “My name is Khan” from screening, in response to his “pro-Pakistan” comment. Bollywood, long known for encouraging better relations between Hindus and Muslims, between Pakistanis and Indians did not have a ready response. Many feel this is because the film industry is financially dependent on Shiv Sena and similar political parties, and because of the atmosphere of fear prevalent in Bollywood.
Reuters reported that not a single producers’ body or any industry organisation has spoken out against the fact that the Sena might prevent “My Name is Khan” from being released. However some actors have spoken out including Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Shilpa Shetty. Hrithik tweeted: Spread humanity with a vengeance, GO WATCH MY NAME IS KHAN. ..and for the record, my name is HRITHIK ROSHAN.
Shah Rukh had the following to say (Short twitspeak lengthened for clarity):
“I appeal to all to understand that mumbai is the gateway of india to the world. The film industry is india’s cultural ambassador all around the globe. All of us have the responsibilty to protect the fair name of Mumbai… Mumbai’s film industry & its spirit of pluralism and tolerance is legendary. I do (my part) all around the world and can do so wherever needed”.
In his twitter stream, Shah Rukh talked about how his English teacher told him not to write too much and how his wife says not to say too much. He was tweeting about his experience so that he (and others) know that he has not said anything bad in the last few days. Shah Rukh added, “I think these conspiracy theories on art,sports etc being used to fund untoward activities is completely off the mark. Why should we have this demarcation permeate in fields of art,sports,culture and otherwise normal things. Is that a wrong way to think?? We have bad ppl (people) in india, pakistan and everywhere else. nobody including me stands by anyone who is bad or resorts to inhuman acts. There (are) good (and) bad people in all groups or places. For the acts of bad by some we cannot generalise on grounds of physical boundaries. I have the courage of conviction by my side. I (am explaining) because (it is) better to do that, than create aggression (and) division in my country. I have no ego or false sense of pride. my words have been benign & without ill will to any person (s) or my nation. I also hope with (what) i write (and) say I have not hurt anybody’s sensibilities or sentiments. My intention is never to do so. (I) hope peace prevails. (I) hope misunderstandings get cleared. (I) hope nobody is hurt. (I) hope all leaders (and) activists have largesse of heart. Hope…”
Let’s hope cooler heads prevail. India should not be ruled by sectarians and their supporters. We need people of high moral principle who have the courage to act on their convictions.
Bollywood is one of the biggest film industries in the world, and Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan rule this particular roost. Bollywood is well known for producing 3 hours films with plenty of action, tears, bright colors, dancing and singing. Of late Bollywood has attracted models and actors from other countries and has influenced some major Hollywood productions such as Moulin Rouge. In turn, some Bollywood celebrities have also been crossing over to Hollywood. We talked about Mallika Sherawat recently, who starring in the Jennfer Lynch “Hisss” coming out soon. Aishwarya Rai is another actress who has been active in Hollywood, not too long after she was crowned Miss World in 1994. We have seen her in Pink Panther 2 most recently, but her biggest US hit was probably Bride and Prejudice. Abhishek has not appeared in major Hollywood movies, but both his parents are famous Bollywood actors. Ash and Abhi as they are called, were both well known actors when they married in 2007.
Ash and Abhi were recently invited to Oprah for a personal television interview. During that interview, when they were asked about their love story, Abhi said, “I was filming in New York for a movie,” he says. “And I used to stand on the balcony of my hotel room and wish that, ‘One day, wouldn’t it be nice if I was together with her, married.'” Much later, when they were actually a couple, they came back to New York City for the premiere of a movie “Guru”, and Abhi proposed to her on the same balcony.
About a possible pregnancy, Aishwarya said “I have been proclaimed pregnant already a couple of times. I’m like, ‘Okay, is that a hint?'” she says. “People would be watching every little bulge, and I’m like, “Oh my God. If you’re not in shape, you’re pregnant.”
Oprah also asked them about their living arrangements – as they stay with Abhi’s parents. “It’s normal,” Ash says. “It’s absolutely natural to us. … I lived with my parents before we got married, so it’s a natural thing.” Oprah told them she agreed that it was absolutely normal and that she appreciated it. Drawbacks ? Well, they did not say it was a drawback but one of the rules set by Abhi’s mom (Jaya) is that if they are all in the city they have to have one meal a day together.
We wrote recently about Mallika Sherawat, currently regarded by many as the hottest actress in Bollywood, and her role in the new Jennifer Lynch movie Hisss. She is responsible for many Bollywood fans taking to Twitter (Mallika’s Twitter virgins!). Mallika revealed some of her Twitter secrets such as who her best Twitter friend is and also talked about serious issues such as racism in the US and the Shah Rukh incident
My best Twitter friend is probably @JesseBDylan, we DM (direct message) each other a lot. In fact, I think he actually decided to develop the project for me while “tweeting” each other! I guess my best “public” Twitter friend goes by the name of RagsTweets, he started a whole blog about my tweets and contests and all sorts of stuff, and he’s a really cool guy. And my biggest Twitter fan has to be @chandu4M,?
Who are you closest to in your family ? Who is your boyfriend ? Best friend ? Best Twitter friend ? Who do you admire ?
I have a brother, Vikram, who is also one of my best friends, and he manages most of my work that I don’t. (I just like being the creative one;) I also tied a rakhi around an American bro this year, he’s a good friend and has really helped navigate the Hollywood scene which is alot like Bollywood in some ways, and *very* different in others. My best Twitter friend is probably @JesseBDylan, we DM (direct message) each other alot. In fact, I think he actually decided to develop the project for me while “tweeting” each other! [(Jesse is Bob Dylan’s son and director of “Kicking and Screaming” with Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall, “American Wedding”, and “How High”) is developing a project for her, specifically for the US market) I guess my best “public” Twitter friend goes by the name of RagsTweets, he started a whole blog about my tweets and contests and all sorts of stuff, and he’s a really cool guy. And my biggest Twitter fan has to be @chandu4M, he’s been that for years and Twitter made it possible to get to know the guy a bit
and he’s such a sweetheart.
I admire so many people, in many different fields, East and West– but I’ll keep it short. As far as actresses past and present: Bette Davis, Mae West, Barbara Stanwyck, Shirley MacLaine, Meryl Streep, and my fellow exotic contemporaries Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek. AR Rahman. “Civilians” (non-Entertainment industry people) like Gandhi and the Yogis:)
I don’t have a steady boyfriend right now. If only it was that easy to order a boyfriend from www.boyfriend.com! I’m enjoying being single right now:)
If I had a good role for every time I was stopped and frisked at an international airport, there’d be no actresses left in both Bollywood and Hollywood! “?
Who is the Bollywood actor she has a crush on ? Hollywood actor ?
Haha, a lady never tells! And I wouldn’t want any of the others to get jealous;)
Let’s put it this way, if I were doing a blockbuster crowd-pleaser it would be with SRK, an epic style classic with Amir Khan, a sexy drama with Hrithik Roshan and a gangster comedy with Sallu! And the guys more my age like Imran Khan, Shahid Kapoor are really doing great, I’m loving their films. In America, there’s many guys I’d love to work with, especially Edward Norton, I think he’s a brilliant actor.
Lots of women want to look as good as you do. Do you have any make up or diet tips for your fans ?
I go all organic vegetarian, lot of fruits and water! I workout daily, the usual “star” stuff:) I get plenty of sleep, I think that helps, too. And I never go outside without my parasol to lessen the sun rays to the skin. Yes, my friends make fun of me but I know it works, and what works on camera works for me:) As far as makeup, I’ve started switching it up a bit, experimenting with more products I found on Rodeo Drive;)
Let’s put it this way, if I were doing a blockbuster crowd-pleaser it would be with SRK, an epic style classic with Amir Khan, a sexy drama with Hrithik Roshan and a gangster comedy with Sallu! “
Was Shah Rukh Khan discriminated against ? Or were the airport staff just doing their job ? What do you think ?
If I had a good role for every time I was stopped and frisked at an international airport, there’d be no actresses left in both Bollywood and Hollywood! Now, it may be for different reasons they frisk me than
they do SRK;) but every culture does the airport security thing the way they feel they have to, and sometimes it may feel unfair in the moment, but in the end I think it’s more common as an annoyance than outright discrimination. I know someone who talked to SRK when it happened. My friend said he was very cool about it. The press went wild with it because that’s what they do. Here’s the biggest star in the world, who happens to be of a Muslim background, held up in an American airport right after 20th Century Fox announced all over the world that it would be distributing his terrorist-themed comedy movie! Priceless.
You are like many of us – both Westernized and Indian, and spending time abroad and in India. Do you have difficulty reconciling the two?
Both cultures have so much good to borrow from, I’m finding it almost natural to live in both worlds at the same time. I guess I’m a real global gal now:) There are of course differences that come up and
maybe make things a little more “interesting”– but I have fun trying to find the common ground. Because of this, I’ve been told that I’m a good go-between for Bollywood and Hollywood. I grew up in Bollywood, and always loved Hollywood films, especially the classics during the “Golden Age.” And as a little girl watching Bollywood films, I always thought that it would be much more fun and interesting to play the hero’s part! Maybe that’s why I’ve gotten the reputation in India for being “edgy” and outrageous. And I’ll be completely honest, Hollywood has better roles for women than Bollywood does, at least right now.
Tell us about your school and college days – where did you go to school and what was it like ?
I have a degree in Philosophy from Miranda House in Delhi. Looking back, I was so serious in school. If I had to do it all over again, maybe I would have tried out some other subjects instead of being
buried in philosophy books the whole time. Then again, I guess it made me who I am, and I’m feeling pretty okay with myself. There’s always room for improvement, but I definitely feel I’m headed in the right direction.
Mallika Sherawat, the hottest actress in Bollywood to hit the US is also responsible for many desis taking to Twitter. She was the first major Bollywood actress to start tweeting. One of my first questions to her was how she got into tweeting. She explained that when she came to LA for the post-production of her new film “Hisss”, she started missing India and then the producers said Twitter would be good, not only to keep in touch, but also to tweet about the film! She says enthusiastically, “And then the most amazing thing happened– whereas before it was hard to interact with my fans in big crowds, through Twitter I actually get to know alot of them. And Twitter is great fun, I can be as sassy as I want to be and it’s also become a creative outlet”.
She got even more into Twitter when she became the first first star from Asia to be invited to the Twitter Headquarters. And what did she do there ? Why – she taught Twitter to CEO Evan Williams, Biz Stone, engineer Pankaj Gupta, and other employees how to do Bollywood dance moves on their lunch break!
There has been a lot of buzz about Mallika’s latest movie. An international Indian production, written and directed by Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch’s daughter, and director of Boxing Helena, Hisss is a classic Hollywood-style horror film. Mallika , clearly excited about her new movie said, “besides being a horror, thriller, revenge drama and love story, it’s also our industry’s first female-empowerment superhero goddess movie (smiling). Slumdog Millionaire may have tore the lid off East-West film projects, but Hisss is gonna open up a whole new can of worms and make people’s eyes pop out!” She is beautiful, smart and funny!
In the fall I shoot a romantic “dramedy” set in the crazy world of American politics where I play a character inspired in-part by San Fran Attorney General Kamala Harris, who some call the “female Barack Obama” and say she could become the first female President of the US! I’m under a confidentiality agreement at the moment and not allowed to say more, but I can say that the soundtrack is gonna be really special, done by a major hip-hop producer that’s making a whole new sound– American hip-hop meets Indian beats and instruments! I’ve started taking hip-hop dance classes to get in the groove for this film:)
Hmm, I have been following her on Twitter, and my best guess is that she is talking about Russell Simmons. He met her recently and had this to say:
He also posted a candid picture of Mallika on Twitter later:
On her other US projects, Mallika says that her friend Jesse Dylan (Jesse is Bob Dylan’s son and director of “Kicking and Screaming” with Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall, “American Wedding”, and “How High”) is developing a project for her, specifically for the US market.
On her experience in Hollywood, Mallika says, “I’m definitely having the time of my life in Hollywood. I’ve been very lucky to meet alot of great people, and grateful to get the Diversity award this past year (the same one Salma Hayek got– I love her!), and be the first Bollywood star to have a milkshake named after her in Hollywood!, and the first star from Asia invited to the Twitter offices (awesome!), but the biggie, which really blew me away– they say I made Hollywood history for being the first Bollywood star to be officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles with a Resolution in my name! It was one of the most incredible days of my life so far, I’m still light-headed from that one”.
We end Part 1 of the interview with Mallika’s beginnings. I asked her how she got her first big break and what have been the highlights since then.
She told me, “Govind Menon, who was the first Indian filmmaker educated at a U.S. film school (U.T. Austin during the Robert Rodriguez years;) was making a film called “Kwahish” (Desire) and auditioned 300 girls. He joked later that he gave me the lead part because I spoke the best Hindi! That was the film they say broke new ground because there were a few more kisses than in any Bollywood film before that. (Kissing until recently was taboo in Indian films). So of course for awhile I got the name, the Bollywood “Kissing Queen”. And now everyone’s kissing in Bollywood! I guess in a way that also means I helped bring more *love* into Bollywood, and I’m okay with that:) After that the thriller “Murder” I did was the biggest hit of that year, and that’s when my life changed forever. I now have to wear a full length burkha in India and other parts of the world because otherwise it gets a little crazy with the crowds. But the biggest break so far as an international actress was Jackie Chan’s “The Myth” because I was the first Indian actress to co-star with him. That opened up a whole new world. And now “Hisss” is a huge break for me in alot of ways. It’s already the most highly anticipated film in Asia, and it’s an early favorite with the horror/thriller genre crowd in the West. It’s definitely gonna make an impression, I can guarantee that:)
We end with one of her most famous dance sequences from the movie “Guru”. Enjoy!
Note: On Sept 20th, the IFC channel is playing one of her last big hits, “Pyar Ke Side Effects” (The Side Effects of Love). Mallika “dares our readers to watch it”!.
“A few months ago my bone marrow started sending me messages.
The signals: I was always exhausted, pale, drained, and completely depleted of red blood cells. The lack of oxygen made me a serial yawner and spacier than a displaced Czarina. Little did I know, but my hemoglobin had fallen to levels where even a dedicated Blood sucker would turn their thoughts to revival. In between work and travel in India this year, I got a routine blood test and the results sent me to the hospital for a blood transfusion. But not a reason to stop and, like, change my life? The attempt to communicate probably started earlier. Time when I was ‘busy’. Building a career and impersonating myself. Travelling a lot and stock-piling impressions and drama and super hyped destinations and a life in ‘art’. So I couldn’t hear my marrow gently carbonating. Trying to get my attention. Instead of tuning in to my body, I tuned out like a landlocked pirate tuning out the sounds of the sea. And then I stopped travelling and returned to Canada. Got myself tested by Dr Susy Lin, landed in emergency and eventually got full membership into the Cancer Club.
That’s how I found out I have Multiple Myeloma”.
Lisa Ray, actress from Toronto has revealed that she has cancer at the young age of 37. She starred in the critically acclaimed “Water” directed by Deepa Mehta. She broke the news in her blog where she revealed that she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma on June 23 and began chemotherapy the following month. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of antibody-producing white blood cells formed in bone marrow and is treatable, but not curable.
Lisa Ray thought a lot before she decided to share her illness in such a public way. Ultimately she wanted to generate attention for this disease, and raise funds to help. In the process of writing her blog, she bonded with her fans as she shared the sad news with them. She said that she had read each and every comment on her blog and was grateful for all the support coming in from all over the world, especially India. Writing eloquently, she said:
“It’s 6:30 am and I have not slept.That’s another thing about steroids. They make you really hyper. And I blame you India. You have sent me so much love. And advice. So I went through each and every message. Like the good, dutiful half-bengali daughter I am. Except I’m not studying for my medical finals, I’m looking at each and every word you have sent”.
Reading through her blog, I had the following thoughts: Lisa is beautiful in spirit and body, full of courage, and I hope there is a cure for her. The blog also made me think about how important it is to be aware of your true feelings, which tend to hide sometimes, to listen to your body which expresses your mental state even when your mind does not, and to really try to live each moment of our lives to the fullest, as you never know how long you have in this world. It makes me want to call and tell each person I love, how much I love them, to do those things that I have always wanted to but postponed because of a “busy” life, and to live an authentic life, to be “me”.
Credited as the “original Bollywood bombshell,” Mallika Sherawat first captivated Indian audiences in the 2003 film Khawish and has gone on to become one of Bollywood’s hottest actresses.
Mallika will next star in Jennifer Lynch’s Indo-American film HIsss, alongside Irrfan Khan of Slumdog Millionaire fame.
Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch’s daughter, and a well known director in her own right, is the director for Hisss. She was also the director of the movie Boxing Helena, starring Sherilyn Fenn. There was a bit of a feminist outcry over the movie due to the sadistic nature of the movie (spoiler alert – Wiki link). In October 2008, Lynch’s film Surveillance took the top prize at the Festival de Cine de Sitges, and then became the first female to win the Best Director at the New York City Horror Film Festival.
Mallika is known to US audiences for her role opposite Jackie Chan in The Myth and emerged as a breakout star at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, with Time Magazine’s Richard Corliss calling her “the next big thing.” Over the past year, the interest in Mallika has begun crossing over to the West. Mallika is an incredible dancer, and my all time Mallika favorite is the song “Maiya maiya” from the movie Guru. Sorry about the low quality video, but I think you will still be able to see what I mean:
Earlier this month, she was given a special honor by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a council presentation recognizing her as an honorary citizen of the City of Los Angeles and presenting her with a resolution for her extraordinary career and charitable efforts. She was recently invited to the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, and she received the Diversity Award in Hollywood and the Arts Award by the mayor of Jersey City. This fall in Los Angeles, Mallika will star in her first all-American project, playing a character inspired in part by Attorney General of San Francisco, Kamala Harris, in a film set during last year’s Presidential election.
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