MOVIE REVIEW: Anjaana Anjaani

Till a few years ago, if a director approached a producer with a script that had just two characters from Scene A to Z, the producer would scoff at him and show him the door. After all, devoting an entire film on merely two characters is nothing short of a risk. That's not all, for the two characters aren't friends, acquaintances or lovers. They are strangers who meet accidentally on a bridge, since both have decided to commit suicide. If that's how your film begins, it's akin to taking another [giant] risk by Bollywood standards.

Okay, okay, before I begin dissecting ANJAANA ANJAANI, I need to clear a few misconceptions pertaining to this film. It's not a copy or adaptation or remake of Patrice Leconte's 1999 French film LA FILLE SUR LE PONT/GIRL ON THE BRIDGE, which starred Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paradis. The Twitterverse is also crammed with tweets speculating that ANJAANA ANJAANI bears a striking resemblance to the Telugu film ITLU SRAVANI SUBRAMANYAM [2001]. The only similarity between these three films is that two strangers meet on a bridge to commit suicide, that's it! ANJAANA ANJAANI is as diverse from these films as mangoes, apples and peaches. Now let's move ahead...

With ANJAANA ANJAANI, director Siddharth Anand accepts a big challenge. This one's a love story, but it doesn't follow the beaten path. It doesn't follow the rules laid out by the romantics in Bollywood. And that's where its strength lies. Generally, couples in love commit to die for each other, but in this film, romance blossoms much, much after the two meet at the bridge for the first time, when they are about to commit suicide. From strangers to lovers to strangers again is how the film explores the relationship between this couple.

ANJAANA ANJAANI works for two major reasons. The first being the powerhouse performances by its lead pair. Having watched their careers from the very onset, I would like to state that the two actors deliver career-best performances in ANJAANA ANJAANI. The second reason why ANJAANA ANJAANI works is due to the terrific moments in its second hour.

Final word? ANJAANA ANJAANI is worth a watch. If you are a romantic, or even if you are not, ANJAANA ANJAANI is a must-see for its interpretation of modern-day romance. Recommended!

ANJAANA ANJAANI is the story of Kiara [Priyanka Chopra], based in San Francisco, while Akash [Ranbir Kapoor] is a New York City boy. Akash has had a failed business, while Kiara has had a failed relationship. Fed up, they both decide to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. However, both land up on the same bridge at the same time.

One thing leads to another and Akash and Kiara decide to end their lives on 31st December. With 20 days to go, they decide to fulfill their unfinished wishes and thus begins their journey.

Director Siddharth Anand has a fine sense of story and how to present his characters well. ANJAANA ANJAANI is no different. Of course, you don't take to the film instantly, primarily because it's not the usual prem kahani. In fact, there's hardly any movement in the story in the first hour. It's a collage of some wonderful, some okay moments, frankly. The sequence at the bridge and the various attempts at committing suicide stay with you and so does the sequence in the sea, when they go sailing and decide to swim. Also, the first hour unwinds at a leisurely pace and that's bothersome.

However, story writer Mamta Anand and screenplay writers Advaita Kala and Siddharth Anand reserve the best for the post-interval portions, when the story moves from New York to Las Vegas to San Francisco. The road trip and the varied experiences and emotions they share make it a compelling watch. Of course, the story tends to get a bit predictable towards the end, but come on, don't we like our love stories to have happy endings?

Siddharth Anand has handled the subject with flourish. Besides, the film is not merely rich in substance, but is equally alluring when it comes to style and overall look. The DoP [Ravi K. Chandran] plays a major role here. The film bears a magnificent look all through and the panoramic and exotic locales of America only make every frame stand out. The costumes - Mamta Anand for Ranbir and Manish Malhotra for Priyanka - are trendy.

Vishal-Shekhar's music has a lot of heart. Again, it won't be wrong to state that their compositions take the movie forward. The background score [Salim-Sulaiman] is top notch. In fact, the rich score compliments the mood of the characters beautifully. Dialogues are wonderful.

When two of the film industry's finest actors meet, it puts more pressure on the film. Ranbir is an actor with an infinite range and his dedication to his work is evident in every film. I have often stated that he is the finest actor of his generation and the fact comes alive yet again as you watch him donning a new character in ANJAANA ANJAANI. Priyanka sinks into the role beautifully, so much so that she forgets herself and starts becoming Kiara. When an actor kills his or her eminence and surrenders completely to the role is when the film really takes off. Priyanka has this unique quality. Zayed Khan is likable in a cameo. Tanvi Azmi is wonderful.

On the whole, ANJAANA ANJAANI is an unpretentious romantic saga that revels in the exuberance of newly found love. The film has everything going for it: top notch performances by two super-stars, good music, a sensitive director with a good track record, a simple yet absorbing story and of course, terrific moments [emotional as well as humorous]. Don't miss this one!

What did Ranbir get for his birthday?

Ranbir Kapoor spent most part of his birthday (September 28) working, but he did have some great gifts to make the day special. We hear that Ranbir gifted himself a brand new Audi sports car (worth over Rs 1 crore) and it was delivered to his house right on the morning of his birthday. And the excited RK even took his new car for a spin soon after.

And it wasn't just one cool car that Ranbir got as a present. His 'Anjaana Anjaani' team gifted him the vintage car that was part of the movie. We know both Ranbir and Priyanka say that the car nicknamed 'Blush' plays a very important part in the movie, and now one of them owns it. With two great cars to choose from, the question is - Who's RK going to take for a ride next?

Deepika's latest message for Ranbir

Deepika Padukone has well and truly moved on after her break-up with Ranbir Kapoor. The star, who's now seeing Siddharth Mallya, actually posted a birthday message for Ranbir on her Twitter page.

Deepika wrote, "Happy Birthday RK!! Wishing u loads of happiness & success...and good luck with AA...:-)" She's talking about 'Anjaana Anjaani' of course, which releases this weekend.

Cool of Deepika for sure, but we wonder why she chose Twitter as the medium when Ranbir doesn't have a Twitter account! So was this more about just sending a message to everyone that she is happy and happy enough to be happy for her ex? Seems like it, doesn't it?

GQ Men of the Year awards 2010 - Photos

Priyanka Chopra, Ranbir Kapoor on the sets of Chhote Ustaad - Photos

Priyanka Chopra, Ranbir Kapoor promote Anjaani Anjaani on the sets of Chhote Ustaad

Maintain peace after Ayodhya verdict, urges Bollywood

Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor joined several other Bollywood stars to urge Indians to maintain peace and harmony once the Ayodhya verdict is out.

"We are known for our unity. If you disagree with the verdict please don't resort to violence. There are peaceful methods to resolve it. Please maintain peace and order," Ranbir said at a press conference.

Priyanka added: "Whatever may be the verdict, we should maintain peace and harmony as it is a very important day for India."

The release of their 'Anjaana Anjaani' had been postponed from September 24 to October 1 in view of the verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi title suit case that the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court was due to deliver on that day.

The Supreme Court Thursday deferred this till Sep 28.

Ranbir and Priyanka were joined by Farhan Akhtar, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor and Sophie Choudhary, filmmakers Madhur Bhandarkar and Sajid Khan and producers Sajid Nadiadwala and Ritesh Sidhwani.

In his appeal, Farhan said: "We should stay together and shouldn't let down the reputation of our country. The media should report responsibly and should not sensationalise anything."

Additional Police Commissioner (Mumbai-West) Amitabh Gupte was also present at the press conference.

He said: "On behalf of the Mumbai police, I am thankful to the film industry as they have come forward for this cause. On behalf of the Mumbai police, I would request Maharashtra and the rest of India to maintain the law and order after the verdict."

Deepika's losing her RK tattoo

Deepika Padukone has a new man in her life, and she's finally decided to lose the prominent reminder of her ex she was carrying around. Looks like being in a happy place with Siddharth Mallya has led to Deepi's decision to finally do away with her RK tattoo. She will be undergoing laser surgery to get rid of the tattoo on the nape of her neck, which she got when she was in a relationship with Ranbir.

The tattoo of course would show up everytime Deepika tied up her hair and wore something with a low back. And since her relationship with Ranbir ended, the tat has probably just been a painful reminder of the past for Deepika. Now that she's decided to permanently lose it, it's a sure sign she's moved on.

Kapoors set the stage for Ranbir

Rishi Kapoor to co-produce son Ranbir's world concerts

Ranbir Kapoor's first world concert tour, which kick-starts in June 2011 and goes on till the the third week of July covering 16 cities in Europe, the US and Canada, would have Rishi Kapoor co-producing the world event along with the Moranis.

This is the first time that Rishi Kapoor is actively involved with producing live concerts.

Rationalises Rishi, "And why not? This is the first time that my son will be stepping on to a live stage. I want to make sure everything goes right. So yes I'm producing and presenting the live concerts. With my experience in live concerts I know I can be useful. I don't want anything to go wrong for my son."

It is being reliably learnt that Rishi will for the first time share a public platform with his son.

Yes , Ranbir will be seen dancing with his super-dancer father for the first time.

Rishi tries to dodge giving a categorical answer to that one. "There's talk on this. We're thinking of a retro section. We're exploring the possibility of Ranbir and I coming together. But right now I can't tell you more on this."

Rishi is also evasive on the rumours that Deepika Padukone has not yet been signed for the shows, apparently because there would be friction between Deepika and Katrina when they're together for so many weeks.

Says Rishi, "All I can tell you is that we have Katrina, Priyanka and Shahid Kapoor are on board. Deepika is likely to be on board. She hasn't been signed yet. No Bollywood concerts have happened abroad in the last three years. Audiences abroad were bored of watching our stars perform the same songs over and over again.

My boy has waited patiently for three years until he thought he was ready to face a live audience. He has turned down all offers to perform at awards functions. And that's his show's USP. When actors perform at awards functions, these are beamed to dozens of countries across the world. Therefore there is no novelty left in watching a star dance on stage. My son has never been seen live."

A singer from Pakistan is also being finalised. While the first lap of Ranbir's world tour will take him to Europe, America and Canada, the second lap, expected to begin in 2011 will take Ranbir to the Gulf and South Africa.

Ranbir,Priyanka at RK Ganesh Visarjan - Photos

Priyanka-Ranbir kiss bothers Shahid?

The exact status of the Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra relationship is still unclear - neither party is talking. But Sasha might be feeling like the jealous boyfriend after watching Prinks' intimate scenes with Ranbir Kapoor in 'Anjaana Anjaani'. Buzz is that the movie has PC and RK sharing two kisses, and they're not of the quick-peck-on-the-cheek type.

'Anjaana Anjaani' is about how two strangers get closer through their circumstances, and it seems that director Siddharth Malhotra wanted to have the kisses between his lead pair to show how close they become in the course of the movie. The intimate scenes were not part of the initial script.

It seems that Shahid doesn't even want to watch the movie now. And he doesn't want to talk openly about his realtionship with Priyanka either. This, despite the fact that he dropped her off at the airport when she left for Brazil to shoot 'Khatron Ke Khiladi', and they watched 'Dabangg' together at a theatre in Mumbai.

So what's going to be the next chapter in this story? Watch this space for updates.

'Anjaana Anjaani' release postponed to October 1st

The release of the Ranbir Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra starrer 'Anjaana Anjaani' has been postponed from September 24 to October 1 in view of the verdict in the Ayodhya case, due the same day.

"At first I was in a position where I needed to go ahead with the release on the slated date. However, there is no denying that the Ayodhya isssue is much bigger and needs respect," producer Sajid Nadiadwala, of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, said.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film has been co-produced by Eros International.

"Ranbir had addressed the issue to me and Eros and we gave it much thought. Ranbir is, of course, one of the youth icons of our time and his point was a much sensitised and valid one.

Ranbir had earlier said that it was "unfortunate" that 'Anjaana Anjaani' was releasing September 24 - the day when the verdict in the 51-year-old Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid legal dispute would be pronounced.

"Unfortunately our film is coming on that same date. I wish the film wouldn't have been releasing on Sep 24 because that day we need to seek harmony in our country and live with peace," he'd said.

Sajid Nadiadwala said, "After having mutually discussed it with Eros, we have decided to release the film Oct 1. The film is a very happy one and celebrates life, hence releasing it on a peaceful day would be preferred. I am sure people's good wishes are with us," he added.

Priyanka added: "This was our wish that the date should be postponed. I think it is a matter of principle. Whatever happens, we should go through this day in a very peaceful way. It is a very important day for India and we should all be together to give the day its deserving importance."

Ranbir continued: "Well, I hope whatever be the verdict, peace be maintained. That was a nightmare for us. The verdict shouldn't be biased and should be in favour of all Indians."

The 16th century Babri Mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs Dec 6, 1992, following rival claims by Hindu and Muslim groups. The incident triggered communal violence leaving thousands dead across India.

Now Uttar Pradesh is fearing a repeat of communal violence post the verdict, to be announced by a special bench of the Allahabad High Court. The state has already sought 35,000 paramilitary personnel for security duty from the central government.

"I'm immature about love," says Ranbir

Ranbir Kapoor, who was dating actress Deepika Padukone till last year, said he is quite immature as far as love is concerned.

Ranbir, who was promoting his forthcoming film 'Anjaana Anjaani' at an event to launch a new radio station Oye 104.8FM, said: "I'm very immature and inexperienced as far as love is concerned."

"But if I do more films like 'Anjaana Anjaani' I will understand love better. But till now I don't think I have understood the emotion," he added.

Talking in context of his film, Ranbir further added that as far as he is concerned, he has not fallen in love with a stranger till now unlike his character in the film that releases this weekend.

"Till now I've never fallen in love with a stranger. Till now whenever I've fallen for someone, it has always been someone, whom I knew for a period of time. Lets see what happens in future," said the 27-year-old actor.

'Anjaana Anjaani' is directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Sharan Kapoor.

The romantic comedy that also stars Priyanka Chopra and Zayed Khan is about two strangers who meet on a bridge while they are about to commit suicide and then decide to wait for 20 more days and fulfil their last wishes before dying.

"It is a simple love story where the two characters realise what love and responsibility is and get to know each other and themselves too," said Ranbir.

The actor, who was earlier seen in Anand's 'Bachna Ae Haseeno', was also all praise for the director, with whom he is collaborating for the second time.

"Siddharth loves films and he has a very distinct style of filmmaking. He has a stamp of his own. It's not like he is influenced. He is very hard working. Then he loves food so you will get very good food on the sets, which is also a great thing," the actor said.

Bollywood's top tax payers revealed

Shah Rukh Khan has got back his position as Bollywood's top tax payer. For 2010- 2011, he's paid more taxes than Akshay Kumar, who'd topped the list for 2010-2009. SRK has paid Rs. 5 crores for the second quarter this time round, compared to Akki's 4.5 crores.

They are followed by Aamir Khan, who paid Rs 4 crores. The fourth place is shared by Saif Ali Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, both paying Rs 2.5 crores.

Katrina leads the B'wood heroine brigade, with Rs 1.3 crore. She's followed closely by Kareena Kapoor, who's paid Rs 1 crore.

Someone who's really fallen on this chart is Hrithik Roshan, who's only paid Rs 50 lakhs for the year, compared to Rs 3 crores last year.

Priyanka and Ranbir's comic turn

Box office collections notwithstanding, 'Anjaana Anjaani' is on a roll. The two suicidal protagonists in the rom-com who meet when they are on the verge of suicide are about to take a plunge in another direction.

The lead characters played by Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra will now feature in a series of comic books describing the adventures of their characters Akash and Kiera.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala has spoken to a leading publishing house which enthusiastically agreed to the idea. The first graphics have already been prepared and if all goes well the inaugural comic based on Ranbir and Priyanka's characters in 'Anjaana Anjaani' will hit the stands during Diwali.

That's right. Kiera (Priyanka Chopra) and Akash (Ranbir Kapoor), the losers in love and business, respectively, are now being relocated from the screen into print and on the internet as comic book characters.

Says producer Sajid Nadiadwala: "A lot of us involved with this film felt the Priyanka and Ranbir characters will translate well into comic books. We are in negotiations. But I can't really talk about the project until all the deals are done. In fact, I'd request you to not write about this until everything is final. We don't want the idea to be stolen."

However, one of the actors from the film spilled the beans adding that if the comic books succeed, Nadiadwala also has plans of doing a cartoon version of the 'Anjaana Anjaani' characters for satellite television and internet entitled 'The Mad Mad Adventures Of Kiera and Akash'.

Ranbir's Around the world

Ranbir Kapoor will headline a 16-city concert in US and Europe next year

Come June 2011, Ranbir Kapoor will embark on his first-ever world tour.

Produced by the Morani brothers, the concert will begin in the US and cover 16 stops across Canada as well as select cities in Europe. This will be the first leg of his tour with South Africa and other countries en route.

The actor's dad Rishi confirms, "Ranbir is going on a world tour next year. All the details have been worked out. I have done some 300-odd shows around the world, some of them with the Moranis, so it's like a new innings for us."

Why did the actor wait so long to go on tour? Chintu says, "You can't just go on a world concert. It was important to have a bank of songs to perform on. Now that he's a few films old and has some chartbusters to his credit it's the right time."

The series will begin in June 2011 and continue till July-end. Rishi plans to be with his son when he flags off the tour. "I don't know how long I would be able to travel with him. But I definitely will be there with him for the first concert. Ranbir has refrained from performing at award shows or public events, so he would be rehearsing a lot for this concert."

A couple of actors will join him on the tour. "Katrina and Priyanka have been confirmed, but they are in talks with others as well. At the moment, we are working on the concept and ideation for the tour."

Tour stats

Who: Ranbir Kapoor

Where: US, Canada and Europe

When: June 2011 to July 2011

Produced by: Morani Brothers

Supporting acts: Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapur

Tour stops: 16

Ranbir and Priyanka spotted at Santa Cruz airport

Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra were spotted at Santa Cruz airport yesterday morning en route to New Delhi for the promotions of Sajid Nadiadwala's Anjaana Anjaani.

Ranbir on his wife-to-be

All you girls who are Ranbir Kapoor fans, here’s some good news - the actor says there is no compulsion for him to marry an actress and that he is open to a girl from any profession.

"Don’t assume I will only marry an actress. I can marry somebody who is in another profession," Ranbir, who earlier dated Deepika Padukone, said.

And he is not at all fussy about what he wants in his wife-to-be.

"There are no specifications as such…not that I want a girl of 5’4 height only, or anything…she should be a nice-hearted, simple girl, who respects elders…yeah…that’s good enough," he added.

The 27-year-old, who used to feel uncomfortable watching his mother, actress Neetu Kapoor romancing other heroes in films, says he will be open to the idea of letting his future wife pursue her career.

"Absolutely! Her career will be her choice. My mother left her career because she wanted to. She felt her priority was to make a home and bring up children. So it depends on the person I marry, there will be no pressures from me."

Ranbir has now overcome his hang-ups with his mother’s movies also.

"I was very young when I used to feel uncomfortable watching mom’s films. I have grown up now and I understand this business better...So I don't think I will be uncomfortable with anything," he said.

In fact, now he is extremely excited about his mother’s comeback with his father Rishi in the upcoming movie 'Do Dooni Chaar'.

"Seeing them together on screen after so many years was heartwarming. It makes me feel so good. I have seen the film and it is genuinely good," said Ranbir, whose upcoming release 'Anjaana Anjaani' releases Sep 24 - just two weeks before his parents’ film.

About sharing space with is parents, he said: "I am not doing any film with my parents. But yes I would love to act with them one day."

Deepika, Siddharth and her RK tattoo

Deepika Padukone and the new man in her life Siddharth Mallya are at it again - making joint appearances at hi-profile events that is. The latest was last night (August 15) at the India International Jewellery Week. Deepika was walking the ramp for Farah Khan Ali, and she walked in with Siddharth, who was also in the front row during the show, cheering for her.

When asked about Siddharth's presence and the reason for his cheering for her, Deepika diplomatically answered: "There were many others in the audience cheering for me too, so why should I talk about just one person?"

Deepi looked stunning in a lehenga choli, which also showed off her RK tattoo that she got back in the days when she was seeing Ranbir Kapoor. And Siddharth was walking right behind her, so we're sure he's been getting a good view of it too.

So what's Deepika going to do about this reminder of her past? Could it be that it doesn't bother her or Siddharth? More power to them, if that's the case. If not, a little laser work might be on the cards to get rid of the tattoo permanently.

And when Deepika does get ready to talk about Siddharth, we're hoping she won't come up with the good old (and boring) 'We're just good friends' spiel. Their body language tells a whole other story, just check it out in these pics.

But Deepika's not ready to spill yet. In fact, she says she's single and adds that she has no plans to get hitched anytime soon.

"I'm single and I really don't know when I will get married. You don't plan these things. They just happen to you. As it is, I've been in the industry since just two years. I'm quite new, I want to concentrate on my work first," she said.

So she agrees that these things aren't planned. And we just might have a different answer from Deepi soon.

Kat, Deepika book Ranbir!

Mumbai temperatures in July 2011 will dip to an all-time low.

Three of Bollywood's hottest girls — Katrina Kaif (the leader of the brigade), Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone — are likely to accompany Bollywood's young box office Prince, Ranbir Kapoor, on a world tour.

In the last couple of years, Ranbir's popularity in the overseas market has risen to several degrees. Trade analyst Amod Mehra confirms that, "Prakash Jha's Raajneeti did such good business abroad only because of Ranbir and Katrina. He is a huge draw with the NRIs."

Even unknown to most people, Rishi Kapoor has been getting offers for a world tour featuring his superstar son for the last couple of years. However, Rishi has steered clear of temptation and didn't want Ranbir to travel on a world concert till such time as the young actor has enough chartbusters to bring the concert venues down!

It is being suggested that the world tour is scheduled for July 2011 because it can then feature the chartbusters from several Ranbir films including Bachna Aye Haseeno, Wake Up Sid, Anjaana Anjaani and even Imtiaz Ali's Rock Star. It is said that the organisers want the Kapoor scion to be accompanied on this tour by his leading ladies Katrina, Priyanka and Deepika.

A source from overseas says, "Such is the craze for Ranbir and his teen deviyaan show that the non-resident Indians are already making enquiries about it."

Shahid says no to Ranbir

He loves dancing and would have loved to join Ranbir Kapoor for his first world tour, but Shahid Kapoor's prior commitments won't allow him to participate in the event.

"Shahid is being repeatedly offered to be a part of the world tour with Ranbir. But due to his 'Mausam' release and Sajid Khan's film shoot he has declined the offer," said Shahid's spokesperson.

When contacted, Mohammed Morani of Cineyug, which is organising Ranbir's world tour, said: "Yes, it's true that we have approached Shahid Kapoor to be a part of the world tour, but we are still awaiting his reply. Most probably he will say yes. The tour will take place June-July 2011."

Shahid's known for his hit numbers like 'Dil vich lagya ve' ('Chup Chup Ke'), 'Mauja hi mauja' ('Jab We Met'), and 'Dhan Te Naan' ('Kaminey').

Shahid's success has made him a heartthrob and he enjoys a huge fan following. Many feel that if the two Kapoors team up for the stage show, it can create a sensation, said an insider.

Right now Shahid is shooting for his father Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut 'Mausam'.

World tours, of course, are all about stars. For instance, during Amitabh Bachchan's 'Unforgettable' concert, stars like Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta and Madhuri Dixit had joined him at different places besides his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya.

Earlier, Shah Rukh had teamed up with Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Arjun Rampal, Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra for his 'Temptation' world tour.

For Ranbir's tour, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif are said to be on board.