Director: Bushan Patel
Cast: Bipasha Basu, Karan Singh Grover
Bhushan Patel’s ‘Alone’, the latest addition to Bipasha Basu’s growing body of ‘horror’ work, presses every available button to rake up the dark past in ways that are both gruesome and intriguing, but it cannot shrug off the sheer banality of the genre.
Bipasha, the high priestess of Bollywood horror, does her bit by plunging into her double role with customary enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Alone is neither original in terms of substance nor does it come up with any strikingly new methods to evoke fear.
It rips off the storyline of the 2007 Thai horror film, ‘Fad’ (meaning Twins), in which two conjoined twins are separated from each other amid destructive envy, distrust and violence when a handsome man falls in love with one of them and arouses the jealousy of the other.
Bhushan Patel already has two successful genre films ’Ragini MMS 2′ and ‘1920: Evil Returns’ under his belt. His experience of the horror domain is both good and bad for ‘Alone’.
On one hand he knows exactly how to employ light, shadow, camera angles and sound effects to create an ambience of dread and foreboding. He puts some of that expertise to good use here, at least in parts.
On the other, the approaches that Patel uses border on the hackneyed and repetitive as a result of the fact that he is working primarily with tropes stored in his directorial memory.
At the outset of ‘Alone’, a happily married couple, Sanjana (Bipasha Basu) and Kabir (Karan Singh Grover), arrive at the woman’s childhood home after her mother meets with an accident. There, an apparition, a mirror image of the heroine, begins to hound Sanjana and the man she loves.
It turns out to be the spirit of her twin, Anjana, who died years ago when the girls were surgically separated.
‘Alone’ is a love triangle that moves back and forth between the present and the past, but the intrigue of the tale wears off rather quickly because the shocks that it delivers acquire a predictable rhythm.
Television actor Karan Singh Grover is given enough opportunities to scorch the screen in the company of the sultry Bipasha.
The controversy over the clearance to the film ‘Messenger of God’ snowballed today with another censor board member resigning in support of its Chairperson Leela Samson as government rejected allegations of “coercion” and “interference” in its functioning.
A high alert has been sounded in Punjab and Haryana as protests were staged in Haryana and Delhi against the proposed release of the movie on Sunday.
The controversial Dera Saccha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, on whom the movie is based, claimed at a press conference in Gurgaon in Haryana where it was to be premiered today (rpt) to be premiered today, that it does not target any religious section.
“I have clearly said that I am just human. The acts portrayed in the movie are simply stunts,” he said in an apparent rejection of criticism from Sikh groups that he was portraying himself as God and Sikh Guru.
About the release on January 18, he said, “we have not finalised anything. There are still meetings going on about the possibility of releasing within such a short time.”
The clearance by the Appellate Film Certification Tribunal created turbulence in Delhi when Ira Bhaskar, a member of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), decided to resign in solidarity with Samson, who quit last night.
Samson had resigned after learning that the Tribunal had cleared the movie for release even though the CBFC had withheld it.
“I have decided to resign. My resignation has to do with Leelaji’s decision to step down. We were working together and as a group we had discussed resigning earler. But we held on as she attempted to help the Ministry in running the Board,” Bhaskar said.
“But things were clearly not in order. There was no meeting in the past one year though it was mandatory for board members to meet every three months. The last meeting was in January 2014. The censor board CEO said there were no funds to hold the meetings so the board is clearly not required,” she told PTI.
Refuting rumours that southern actress Anushka Shetty is getting married after she finishes working on S S Rajamouli’s Telugu magnum opus Baahubali, her manager said that there was “no truth” in the news.
“There’s absolutely no truth in the marriage rumours about Anushka. After she finishes Baahubali, she’ll start shooting for Telugu film Bagamathi, which she had signed a while ago,” Anushka’s manager told IANS.
“Rajinikanth’s Lingaa had kept her really busy, hence she couldn’t sign any new projects. She’s also shooting for a Tamil film with Ajith. She wants to finish these projects before signing any new ones,” he said.
It was reported that Anushka was set to marry a businessman whom she had met recently.
Recently she came in highlight for stills of Movie Billa on which she is looking pretty and hot at black dress:
A few days ago it was reported that Katrina Kaif has got engaged to her rumoured beau Ranbir Kapoor in a secret ceremony in London.
Kaif, who attended the Umang show in Mumbai recently, along with Ranbir Kapoor was seen flaunting a huge rock on her ring finger. We wonder if that’s her engagement ring?
Katrina Kaif, who was pretty in an anarkali, was dancing to ‘Chikni Chameli’ along with director Karan Johar, when one got a glimpse of the huge rock on her ring finger. It could be but we aren’t sure.
Katrina and Ranbir have never publicly admitted to their relationship status. However, the rumoured lovers have been spotted together quite often on outings and night outs around town. There were reports of the two having moved in together in a suburban apartment.
Shekhar Kapur’s most ambitious project Paani, which has been delayed by almost a decade, is yet to go on floors but the filmmaker and music composer AR Rahman are hopeful that things will be in place soon. Paani will be produced by Aditya Chopra and will star Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role.
“Paani has been delayed for 10 years. I have no clue why the project is getting delayed. I have never made a film, a film happens. I believe every film has its own individuality,” Kapur said. The 69-year-old director, who has helmed films like Masoom, Mr India, Bandit Queen, Elizabeth, said certain films take long time to make and Paani may be one such movie.
“The director of Gravity made the film in 12 years. Paani is one of the project which will happen,” said Kapur, without giving out any details about when the project will go on floors.
Oscar-winning composer Rahman said that he believes in destiny and will wait for things to take its own turn. “Well, it has been a long process. I has taken 10 years. It has to come into place, each film has its own fate. Shekhar is a believer of destiny and so am I,” he told PTI.
Actor Sanjay Dutt, who was out on 2-weeks furlough, will go back to jail on Thursday.
He had reportedly sent a request to the authorities for an extension in the jail leave on Wednesday. He was granted a 14-day furlough on December 24, 2014.
The actor is serving 42 months of his five year sentence from May 2013 for illegal possession of arms in a case related to the 1993 serial blasts.
Sanjay has already spent over 100 days out of the jail between May 2013 to May 2014 either on furlough or parole.
Earlier, Dutt had taken furlough on medical grounds in October 2013 for 28 days, followed by a similar leave for 28 days in December 2013, to tend to his ailing wife Manyata, who was found attending a party the next day leading to protests. His wife’s purported prolonged illness prompted him to seek further parole in January this year for another 28 days.
His frequent furloughs have created much controversy within the political corridors. Even the current furlough came under the scanner of Maharashtra government.
Sanjay Dutt’s repeated parole was also questioned by the Bombay High Court in February 2014. The court had said that it was high time the rules for such relief were looked into and that there was a need for bringing in ‘radical changes’ in the Prisons Rules, 1959.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Dutt is making the most of his short stay out of jail. Taking chance of his leave from prison, Dutt partied with the team of his film PK during a special screening hosted for him. He spent New Year’s Eve partying with friends and family.
Wife Manyata hosted the bash, which was attended by their family and close friends from the industry.
Whether the celebration continues in Dutt household or not, will depend on Mumbai Police as his furlough can be extended only after its nod.
Lebanese social media is deeply divided after a Lebanese-American porn starlet catapulted to the top of PornHub’s search chart.
Although the Florida-based model, Mia Khalifa, 21, celebrated her rise in fame as an adult performer this week, her name became a source of controversy back in her home country. NBC/Global Post reported on the social media flurry of outrage, discomfort, and support.
Some tweets even threatened her life. “[Your] head will be cut soon inshallah,” read one. Another claimed she will be met with “Hellfire” for her actions.
Other critics were more cerebral, with one Lebanese feminist lamenting that Khalifa’s route to liberation was through sexual “exploitation.”
But her supporters were also quite vocal. One Lebanese blogger cheered on the success of a native-born adult performer at the same time that the local government cracked down on the business.
Khalifa defended herself as well:
Doesn’t the Middle East have more important things to worry about besides me? How about finding a president? Or containing ISIS?
The young model moved to the United States as a teenager and made her porn debut in October 2014.
Mumbai: With the hope that 2015 will be prosperous and peaceful, several Bollywood stars including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sharma wished their fans a very happy new year.
“May the light of the new sunrise, brighten us all for the entire year of 2015.. harmony and happiness,” Bachchan posted.
Akshay tweeted, “Happy new year everyone! Hope you are ready to challenge this new year with new goals. Wishing you a year full of love, peace and prosperity.”
‘PK’ actress Anushka Sharma, wished her fans saying, “Happy new year everyone!! Thank you for being part of an amazing year! Have the best year. Stay happy. Be nice. Smile more.”
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan ushered in the new year with his three kids. “48 hours of uninterrupted, unadulterated, unconditional love with my trimurti. No place I would rather be than holding you three. Aryan, Suhana, AbRam,” he posted.
Actor Arjun Rampal said, “Happy New Year……2015 is gonna be a super year for all. This is my prediction. Love and Luck to all.”
Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who is awaiting the release of ‘Tevar’, tweeted, “Happy and tevarific new year to all of you! You all are in prayers.”
Have a year full of love, peace & happiness… A very very Happy New Year to all,” Arshad Warsi posted.
Vivek Oberoi wished tweeting, “Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you and your families love, happiness and success in 2015!”
“Wishing all a very happy, prosperous and joyful new year 2015,” Annu Kapoor said.
Playback singer Shreya Ghoshal posted, “Happy new year 2015!!! May this year be the most awesome one for you all. New starts, new highs, new adventures!”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ will open in cinemas in December 2015.
A close-up look at the spacecraft in the ‘Star Wars’ universe Millennium Falcon has been revealed. The images, which will feature in Fortune magazine, include Disney CEO Bob Iger posing alongside the famous spacecraft, according to media reports.
The images were taken by Wesley Mann for Fortune, with a composite scene created by Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic.
’Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ will open in cinemas in December 2015.
New Delhi: From Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s ambitious film ‘Shamitabh’, Ranbir Kapoor’s first ever period drama ‘Bombay Velvet’ to Salman Khan’s Eid outing ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Fan’, the upcoming year will see some major releases at the box-office.
If everything goes as per the plan, Bachchan will have three releases in 2015, starting from ‘Shamitabh’ in which the megastar has reteamed with ‘Paa’ director R Balki. The film, to be released on February 6, also stars ‘Raanjhanaa’ actor Dhanush and will see Kamal Haasan’s younger daughter Akshara, making her acting debut.
Veteran actress Rekha is slated to make a guest appearance in the film, however, it is not clear whether she will share the screen space with Bachchan after ‘Silsila’ in 1981.
Bachchan’s ‘Piku’ is another big release of the coming year. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, the film brings Bachchan and actress Deepika Padukone together as father-daughter for the second time on screen after ‘Aakarshan’. The movie, extensively shot in Kolkata, has Irrfan as the third lead.
Big B is slated to have his third release in ‘Wazir’ sometime next year. The Bejoy Nambiar-directed film stars him and Farhan Akhtar. Salman will look to recreate success of ‘Bodyguard’ with Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’, which is said to be a love story between a Brahmin woman and a Muslim man. Also starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the movie is directed and co-produced by Kabir Khan. It releases on July 16.
The superstar’s return to Rajshri Productions after 16 years makes ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ a film to watch out for in November this year. The fresh pairing of Salman and Sonam Kapoor, who is 20 years younger to him, is an interesting feature about it.
Anurag Kashyap’s most ambitious project ‘Bombay Velvet’ is one of the biggest movies of 2015, not only for its budget but also for Ranbir’s return in a lead role after his forgettable ‘Besharam’ in 2013.
The actor was seen in cameo roles lately in ‘Bhoothnath Returns’ and ‘PK’. He has an extended role in ‘Roy’. ‘Bombay Velvet’ is based on historian Gyan Prakash’s book ‘Mumbai Fables’. Set in Bombay of the 1960s, the film tells the story of a boxer, Johnny Balraj, and an aspiring jazz singer, Rosie, and how their hopes and dreams collide with their individual realities.
It also stars Anushka Sharma, Raveena Tandon, Kay Kay Menon and Siddharth Basu. The film marks full fledged acting debut of filmmaker Karan Johar in the role of an antagonist. It is scheduled for release in May, next year.
PTI
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