Bollywood News Prem Raj diagnosed with cancer

The upcoming Preity Zinta film Ishkq In Paris has been delayed for quite a while now, though various speculation were made for this delay, we hear that its due to the director Prem Raj's ill health. In fact the 35-year-old Prem has been diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder. This diagnosis has apparently sent the movie's post-production, and release completely off-track.

Prem who suffered a loss on Sunday with the demise of his father had been putting up a nonchalantly brave front for the past few months. While in fact he has been diagnosed with first stage cancer of the gall bladder.

Prem who was initially supposed to release the film on November 2 has delayed the film as he will be heading for a minor surgery. However, due to the personal loss he suffered in the past few days, the surgery has consequently been delayed. Though doctors who have been treating the director have claimed that since the cancer was detected in the first stage it is curable.

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Vashu to organize 5 premieres in 5 cities on Thursday

Vashu Bhagnani is an enterprising producer. No two opinions on that. The prolific film-maker is doing something that no producer has dared to do in the past. He's organizing not one or two, but five premiere shows of his new movie AJAB GAZABB LOVE on Thursday, 25 October. Yes, you read it right -- five premiere shows in a single day!

What makes the five premiere shows interesting is that each of those premieres will witness the active participation of the common man. "We generally hold premiere shows in Mumbai or Delhi and the norm is to invite the cast and crew of the film, besides celebrities. But the premiere shows of AJAB GAZABB LOVE will have the cast of the film walking the red carpet and interacting with the common man. These screenings are entirely for them. We make movies for them and I felt we should include them in our celebrations," Vashu informs me. 

What also sets the premiere screenings apart from the usual wine-and-cheese events is that Vashu will have breakfast/lunch/tea/dinner, depending on what time the premiere screening is taking place. The first premiere in Amritsar will begin with breakfast, followed by lunch + premiere in Chandigarh, high tea + premiere in New Delhi, late evening snacks + premiere in Jaipur and dinner + premiere in Indore. 

Wow! That's an ajab gazabb strategy, what say? 

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SAFF to felicitate Randhir Kapoor

The South Asia Foundation hosts the 7th annual South Asian Film Festival (SAFF) 2012 in Goa with the theme ...dissolving boundaries. SAFF is also celebrating the remarkable journey of '100 glorious years of Indian Cinema'. This is the first ever effort to celebrate 100 years of Indian Cinema that is being celebrated at the South Asian Regional level in the presence of prominent film-makers of all the South Asian Countries.

While the festival is all set to kick off on October 25, we hear that the organizers will be felicitating Randhir Kapoor for his immense contribution to the Indian cinema. In fact Randhir will be the Special Guest of Honour at the gala, while Tariq Anwar will inaugurate the Festival.

SAFF is all set to bring some of the finest cinema from all the South Asian Countries. Beginning on October 25, the four day long festival will have filmmakers from South Asian Countries celebrating the spirit of South Asian Cinema to promote and propagate peace and harmony in the South Asian Region with a spirit of oneness. SAFF is also an initiative of the Foundation to bring people to people contact through the medium of cinema where it tries to reach to the grass-root level also.

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Bollywood News Ravi Chopra admitted in ICU

Just two days back, the whole world was shocked with the sudden demise of Yash Chopra. And now, his nephew filmmaker Ravi Chopra (66) has been admitted to the ICU of a city hospital.

Ravi, the son of late producer-director B. R. Chopra, has been reportedly diagnosed with an acute lung ailment.

The talented filmmaker has films like Zameer, The Burning Train, Baghban, Baabul to his credit.

Bollywood Hungama prays for the quick recovery of Ravi Chopra.

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Sanjay Dutt signs up to play Pran's role in Zanjeer

On August 28, 2012 this writer had reported that Sanjay Dutt would be playing the iconic Pathan Sher Khan in Apoorva Lakhia's remake of Prakash Mehra'sZanjeer.

At that time Dutt and his faithful team stoutly denied the reports and even accused the remakers of cashing in on his name prematurely. Dutt, we hear, was influenced by some of his friends and well-wishers against doing the film. Uncertain about the star's intentions, the makers of the new Zanjeer went and negotiated with Sonu Sood to play Sher Khan. 

The combination of Sonu Sood who is a major force in Telugu cinema and Telugu superstar Ramcharan Teja made huge box office sense in the South. Sonu was supposed to do both the Hindi and Telugu versions of Zanjeer. He had even begun to work on his 'Sher Khan' look. 

Turns out, Sanjay Dutt is doing the role after all. 

On Wednesday morning, the star finally signed on the dotted line and hopped on board to do the part. As for Sonu, he is still playing Sher Khan, but only in the Telugu version of the film. 

Jubilant, director Apoorva Lakhia said, "I've worked with Sanju Sir before in Shootout At Lokhandwala and we hit it off immediately. I keenly wanted him to play Pran Saab's role in Zanjeer. I couldn't see anyone else from the contemporary actors playing Sher Khan. Now after many uncertainties, Sanju Sir is finally doing the role. I think this is the first time that he plays a Pathan. We'll give him a really striking look." 

About Sonu Sood, Lakhia says, "Sonu is a fine human being and a gentleman. We can't possibly let him down. And we won't. He will be playing Sher Khan in the Telugu version of Zanjeer. Ramcharan and Sonu Sood are both names to reckon with in Telugu cinema. They'll be coming together in my film for the first time." 

As for Pran's iconic Qawwalli 'Yaari Hai Imaan Mera' from Zanjeer, it won't feature in the new Zanjeer. "We're working on an entirely new Qawwalli and look for Sanju Sir," informs Lakia. 

Adds producer Amit Mehra, "I can't tell you how excited I am about having Sanju Sir on board. It's a dream come true. I was just a kid when he worked with my dad (producer-director Prakash Mehra) inImaandar and Mohabbat Ke Dushman. Sanju Sir used to take me and my brother on drives in his fancy wheels. We hero-worshipped him. And now to be working with him...wow!" 

Adds Zanjeer's leading man Ramcharan, "We're all very happy to have Sanju Baba on board. Especially me. Sanju Sir and I met a few times recently in Hyderabad when he was here to shoot for the Hindi remake ofSamy. We did speak about Zanjeer and how it was shaping up. I mentioned to him that the director Apoorva Lakhia was still searching for the perfect Sher Khan. Now I hear Sanju Sir is playing Sher Khan. Nobody except he could justify Sher Khan's personality to today's audience. I am glad we waited for Sanju Sir to play this character."

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