Big B does photoshoot with pet dog

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan must have posed for thousands of photoshoots. But this, with his pet dog Shanouk, was unique!

"Did photoshoot with Shanouk, my Piranha Dane for cover of a magazine on dogs by the ebullient Farzana Contractor, wife of BusyBee (Behram Contractor)!!" Amitabh posted on his Twitter page.

The 69-year-old, who loves spending time with his dog, even posted one picture out of the photoshoot, and wrote: "That picture is of Shanouk, my Piranha Dane...Shanouk - a warm gentle breeze on a cold winter morning..."

Recently, Big B had shared his thoughts on how his dog had been feeling ignored ever since Abhishek and Aishwarya had a baby. But one can guess, the special photoshoot must have taken care of the pet`s feelings.

Big B`s dog feels neglected

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan`s pet dog is feeling left out as the family`s attention is diverted to his granddaughter, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai`s first child.


"Shanouk, my Piranna Great Dane feeling left out and sulking ever since the baby has arrived... spending time with him now more often," Amitabh wrote on microblogging site Twitter.

"Pets are so sensitive... !! They complain in their own way and so cutely... Shanouk needs great pampering to get him back in mood !" he posted.

Big B in Shirish Kunder's next titled Common Man

Shirish Kunder may be busy with the post production of his film Joker, starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha. However, the filmmaker is already contemplating his next with Amitabh Bachchan titled Common Man.

Initially, post Joker Shirish was scheduled to start work on the Salman Khan starrer Kick, however due to delays; Shirish will be focusing on another film called Common Man. Says Shirish, "Yes, initially I was to start Kick post Joker, however due to date issues I will be starting Common Man first and later in May I will start working on Kick."

Common Man is said to be a dramatic comedy scheduled to go on floors in March 2012. Confirming this, Shirish says, "Yes I am making the film with Amitabh Bachchan, and we are still to finalize the rest of the cast. As for the film itself, it's more a of The Pursuit Of Happyness kind of genre where the common man uses the skill set that he has to be unique. In fact I can say that post watching the film, the audiences will feel that they can be unique within the crowd without being someone special."

I am almost half Tamil: Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan remarks hat he has strong ties with the southern film industry too. “I am almost half Tamil,” says the veteran. “I may be from the city of Mumbai, but I am also a product of south India.” The actor was in the city recently for the special screening of his latest release Paa, in which he plays an intelligent, witty, happy-go-lucky, 13-year-old progeria afflicted child – a rare genetic disorder in which a person ages faster than normal. “I know that people here want me to act in a Tamil film.

But Paa is nothing short of a Tamil film. As you all know, the director of the film R Balki, music director Ilaiyaraaja, cinematographer PC Sreeram and actress Vidya Balan, all hail from the state. Working with them was a great honour,” he says.The Big B seems to have great admiration for the film industry here. “It’s always a pleasure to come to Chennai. I admire the culture and discipline here, which I am sorry to say, is not prevalent in Mumbai. The amount of creativity and freshness that the south Indian artistes and technicians bring to film making is commendable. People here are highly progressive. ”

The actor also heaps praise on music maestro Ilaiyaraaja and legendary cinematographer PC Sreeram. “I am a great admirer of Ilaiyaraaja. He is a genius and I am fortunate to have worked with him. And what can I say about PC Sreeram? There may be many south Indian cameramen and technicians working in Bollywood today, but I consider PC Sreeram as the Gangotri from which talented cinematographers emerge.”

Hrithik compared to Amitabh Bachchan

Hrithik Roshan, who has had a speech impediment in the past, recently got the best compliment he could ever receive. There was a scene in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish that required him to give a five and a half minute long monologue which they were going to break into two minutes each. Hrithik, however, surprised the team by delivering the entire monologue at one go and finishing the scene in one take.

The scene was about Hrithik, before becoming paraplegic, remembering a woman from his past. Sanjay had decided to break it into three parts so as to not pressurize Hrithik much. However, before Bhansali could call out ‘Cut’, Hrithik kept continuing and delivered the full dialogue intensely. His performance showed that he had worked really hard on rehearsing it. Bhansali walked up to him after the shot and was speechless.

At first, Hrithik thought he hadn’t done it properly. But he was stunned to hear Bhansali tell him that he was in Bachchan’s league, referencing Hrithik’s speech to Amitabh Bachchan’s speech in Baghban. Hrithik was overwhelmed by the compliment as it shows that his hard work to overcome his stammer problem has paid off.

Shahid Kapoor brings Big B nostalgia back

Shahid Kapoor does in ‘Chance Pe Dance’ what Amitabh Bachchan did in ‘Yaarana,’ on his way to becoming a renowned singer in the film, and with much of the same dexterity!At the start of the recently released theatrical trailer of Chance Pe Dance, Kapoor is heard mouthing the tongue twister “Kaccha Papad Pakka Papad” like a pro.In the film, Kapoor plays a struggling actor determined to make it big in Bollywood. So along with his daily physical exercise regimen he is also seen doing elocution and pronunciation exercises.

Actors mouth tongue twisters to get their pronunciation right. Shahid uses the technique religiously every morning before arriving on set, says a source from the Chance Pe Dance unit.Considering the toungue twisters that Shahid had to mouth in Kaminey because of his character’s lisp, you would imagine Shahid didn’t need any more practice. If you can say “Favere favere iff manhoof ka chehera dekho to raat tak mayyat pakki famjho” then you have been there, done that. Not so for the perfectionist ‘Fahid!’

Shahid is currently in Bangkok filming for Yashraj Films’ production, Friends N Co. (Working title), directed by Prameet Sethi and featuring Anushka Sharma as co-star. He says he will be back to Mumbai in mid December to promote Chance Pe Dance from end December. The film is due in theaters on January 15.

No English for Amitabh Bachchan

In a time when actors are demanding that their dialogues be written in English, here’s an actor who stands tall and different. Yes, we are talking about Big B who recently demanded that his dialogues be drafted in Hindi instead of English.The incident happened during the shoot of his upcoming film RANN. According to reports when Big B demanded his dialogues to be written in Hindi, it first took everyone by surprise.

But, later considering the fact that the veteran actor comes from a literary background and is the son of the well known literary poet Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan, it must not be tough to fathom the actual reason for the actor’s preference of Hindi over English. Big B’s act has shown that the actor still believes in the richness of India’s national language despite everyone getting carried away by the lure of the western lingo.

IIFI 2009 organisers fight over Amitabh Bachchan

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is in the news for all the wrong reasons. He has become the bone of contention between the two organisers of the International Film Festival of India (IIFI) 2009.The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) alleged that the Directorate of Film Festival (DIFF) did not want to invite Amitabh to the festival. Rajendra Talak, member of ESG’s Red Carpet Committee, claimed that ESG wanted to invite the Big B to the festival but DIFF was not interested.

Talak said that they felt Amitabh should grace the occasion but couldn’t do anything, as the final decision was taken DIFF. He added that ESG was not even allowed to recommend names to the Directorate.On the other hand, Director of DFF, S M Khan denied the allegation of the EGS. He said that they didn’t receive any formal or informal proposal from EGS to invite the superstar to the festival. He added that they didn’t receive any request even though he was in touch with the EGS.

Amitabh had earlier expressed his eagerness to attend the IIFI.When asked why he is not attending this year’s festival, he said that the question should be asked to the people who organises it.The IIFI 2009 will be held in Goa from November 23 to December 3.

Amitabh Bachchan’s Paa turns hot overnight

Amitabh Bachchan is an incredible actor. His body of work proves it. The actor continues to surprise you to this date. Yes, we’re talking about his new film Paa. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that Paa is the first film, after Ghajini, which has aroused such reactions from all quarters – the industrywalas as well as the paying public. The veteran actor’s look is being widely discussed (and praised) by one and all.Paa has become a hot proposition overnight, soon after its very first promo was unveiled.

The distributors are super-excited, the exhibitors are waiting to lay their hands on the film and the moviegoers are waiting with bated breath to watch the superstar transform into a kid.Not many are aware that the production reins of Paa have been handled by Abhishek Bachchan himself. “It was a great learning experience,” he tells me. Abhishek seems to have learnt the ropes pretty fast, since the first thing he did, before the film went on floors, was to keep the economics of Paa in check.”Making an economically viable project is most important in today’s times,” Abhishek says.

The film hasn’t cost its makers a fancy amount, despite the presence of A-listers such as the Big B, Abhishek himself, Vidya Balan and Paresh Rawal. Paa is produced by AB Corp and Sunil Manchanda and directed by R. Balki.

Big B spends below Paa’s Rs. 15 crore budget

Expensive make-up and creative inputs by industry stalwarts notwithstanding, megastar Amitabh Bachchan has managed to produce his much-awaited movie “Paa” within a set budget of Rs.150 million.

The movie, about a child suffering from progeria – a rare disease of premature ageing among children, has been produced under Amitabh’s production banner AB Corp.

Discussing the film’s budget, the 67-year-old posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com: “I think we set out to make this film with certain definite plans. It would not be a penny over the Rs.15 crore (Rs.150 million) budget we had decided upon; indeed it is nominally better than that – it’s Rs.14.75 crore (Rs.147.5 million).”

Amitabh plays Auro, a progeria-afflicted child in the movie, while his real life son Abhishek essays the role of his father. International make-up artists had been roped in to take care of Amitabh’s look for the film.

The actor wonders whether producers who project a “modest amount” of Rs.50 crore-60 crore for their films, realise that “films of such high budget dimension need to do twice (more business) and more in returns at gross box office in order to get a net benefit to bring home”.

“A Rs.60 crore film would be required to do a gross twice the amount if not more. Print and publicity add on extra money and by the end of the day the film must perforce do close to Rs.150 crore in order to break even and make money. Does the market have the capacity for such returns,” he asks.

However, the actor, whose production company incurred losses after making films like “Tere Mere Sapne” and “Mrityudaata”, says money matters are “mundane” and “irritating”.

Amitabh Bachchan is ready for the southern screens

Big B is ready for the southern screens. Well, don’t get too excited. Amitabh Bachchan has not decided to work in southern films. Big B is a superhit Malayalam film of Mamootty. Big B is now being dubbed and released in Telugu. For those who tuned in late, Big B has received many accolades.

Often Tamil movies are dubbed and released in Telugu, but this rare instance has seen the Telugu audiences have a glimpse of the multinational award- winning actor.Incidentally, Amitabh Bachchan’s co-star from the film Major Saab – Nafisa Ali – is starring in Big B as Mammootty’s heroine.

The film has been directed by filmmaker Amal Neerad, who was initially with the Ram Gopal Varma camp.

Big B in chorus on 26/11 tragedy

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan recently joined the chorus for a special song as a tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan recently joined the chorus for a special song as a tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

'Sonu Nigam had asked me to participate in a song that he was doing for those whom we lost that fateful day. I did,' Amitabh wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

'Many different singers from our trade had participated in it to lend it a spirit of togetherness and strength, of faith in our independence, and the love for those that became ours in defending our freedom. I am joyed by the effort and give voice to it,' he added.

Amitabh is also expected to be part of a day-long commemoration on the first anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks to be organised by the Mumbai Police.

On Nov 26, 2008, 10 armed terrorists sneaked into Mumbai and unleashed mayhem that left over 170 people dead.

Amitabh Bachchan’s small voice magic

The big Bachchan saab has just recorded for the movie ‘pa’ in the voice of a twelve year old. It is reported that he has not taken any help of technology. All this has made everyone’s eyes Pop out in awe of Mr Bachchan.Even the music director Aadesh Srivastava is pleasantly surprised. He just can’t stop raving about the way Amitji did the recording without any help in modulating his voice. According to Aadesh, he had thought that he would record the song in big b’s original voice and then he would technically make amendments to make it sound like a child’s voice.

But to his utter surprise Amitji forbade him to do so. The song is recorded on music composer Ilaiyaraja’s tune in Big B’s voice. The best part of the song is that the song doesn’t sound like a grownup man trying to imitate a child. Surprisingly, it sounds so much like a child’s voice that everyone who’s heard it is completely speechless.

We wonder how Amitji manages to be so good in all that he does and all we can say is that if there ever was something called true professionalism then this is it. Kudos to Amitji from all of us. Keep it up.

Another turn in Bachchan’s land controversy

The controversy over Amitabh Bachchan buying agricultural land in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh ended when the Bollywood star ‘gifted’ the land to Daulatpur village council for building a girls college named after his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai.Raj Kumari Singh on Oct 27 complained to the district magistrate that though Bachchan in his 2007 letter to the Barabanki magistrate expressed his wish to gift the land to the village council, he had three years ago made the gift to an NGO to run the college.

Singh said Bachchan changed his mind and instead of the village council decided to gift the land to Nishtha Foundation headed by film actress-turned-Samajwadi Party MP Jayaprada. The foundation had taken the responsibility to build the girls’ college, and the construction has been pending for more than three years. As the district magistrate set up an inquiry into Raj Kumari Singh’s complaint, Bachchan promptly revoked his earlier ‘gift’ to Nishtha Foundation and decided to keep his earlier word of giving the land to the village council.

Bachchan’s land purchase has been dogged in controversy since he bought it. He was accused of using illegal means to acquire the land.

Amitabh Bachchan gets threat calls

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has received threat calls from an unknown person on his mobile, the actor revealed it on his blog. Big B, who played a genie in his latest rlease Aladin, wrote: “I visit a Muslim dargah and a Hindu temple has been viciously criticised by an unknown element on my mobile. He says it is incorrect of me to do so and that I should never do it again.” Amitabh Bachchan has been paying a visit to the Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai for the past few years.The actor in his reply said: “Well dear man, if you are reading this insignificant little blog of mine, here is what I have to say to you. I am going to do it again and shall continue to do it. And I want to see how you are going to stop me.

If you have the courage and guts com and get me.”Big B, who recently celebrated his 67th birthday earlier this month, said: “I do have his mobile number and I do have a name too. I believe that there is no law that can protect such atrocious uttering. We live in a temperate secular society where we learn to respect all religions. My belief is of my own making. If the temple or the mosque or a dargah has no objection to my visits ; if my Constitution and the laws of the country give me that freedom and if I do not offend them, then who is this man to stop me or correct me ? It is elements like this that penetrate the psyche of vulnerable and innocent people and subject them to unnecessary and unjustified bias. I strongly object to it and abhor the existence of such elements in society.

This gentleman even threatens me by getting personal. He says that my film Aladin shall not have success because of this deed of mine.”The legendary actor said he will never change his routine by a mere threaten call: “At the cost of every film of mine failing, I am not going to change my routine.If I wish to go to a temple I shall go there. If I wish to go to a mosque I shall go there as well and so also to a gurudwara or a church. And I want to see who is going to stop me from doing so.” Thr actor’s film Aladin has been praised by his followers.

Amitabh Bachchan finds the child within

We bet you’ve never heard anything like this before. Literally. On Tuesday, Amitabh Bachchan recorded the title song for Balki’s Paa in the voice of a 12-year-old and that too without the help of technology.Music director Aadesh Shrivastava says, “I thought I would initially record the song in Amitji’s normal voice and later use technological enhancement and modify it to make it sound like a child’s.

However, Amitji was firm that I wouldn’t have to do anything of that sort and that he will sing in a child’s voice without any help. He went on to do just that.”Aadesh, who handled the daunting task of recording music maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s tune in Amitabh’s voice, adds, “It is originally a tune created by Raja sir (Ilaiyaraaja).Normally, I’d never even dream of touching his tunes but I have worked as a drummer for him on Sadma (1983) and he sent this song from Chennai for Amitji to sing it in Mumbai.”

Aadesh predicts that the song will be an instant hit with children. “Amitabh does not sound like a grown-up man imitating a child. Don’t ask me how he has managed to do it. I just sat there stunned.”

Amitabh Bachchan gets animated

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is all set to save the world, albeit in a digital avatar.The ‘Shehenshah of Bollywood’ is lending his voice for the feature length animated film, Twinergy, which is being directed by acclaimed filmmaker Priyadarshan.The film based on the universal theme of good and evil is filmmaker Priyadarshan’s first animation project and will see Big B playing the lead as well as lending his famous baritone to his character.A B Corporation has entered into a tie-up with media entertainment major Toonz India to produce the full-length animated film.

The pre-production work of the Rs 20 crore venture has begun in Toonz studio at the Technopark here and the film is expected to release during Diwali in 2010, P Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd said.”This movie has several unique features. This is for the first time that a Bollywood icon associating with an animated film. Also, this is the first animated film by Priyadarshan,” Jayakumar said.”For Toonz India, this also part of its 10th anniversary projects. We have been able to make a global mark in animated entertainment during this period,” he said.The film revolves around twin brothers of a magical kingdom, with Bachchan’s character finally saving their world from evil, he said.

A royal family, united by love but divided by misunderstanding, adopt the twins Dhruva and Vajra into their fold. United by their powers and benevolence, they become divided due to machinations of a greedy and power hungry uncle.In the end, the twins realize that energy is more than power and when properly balanced it binds everyone together.”We are sure it is going to entertain both children and grownups alike and set them thinking,” Jaya Kumar said.

Big B 'pained' by fraud allegation

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is distressed over the allegations of his involvement in the Rs 500 crore fraud against him and Samajwadi
Party general secretary Amar Singh. In a pained and comprehensive blog, Big B has sought answers to more than 20 questions ‘‘despite spasmodic shoulder pain’’.

From questioning the reason behind the case of ‘‘a supposed fraud’’ being reported at ‘‘a small almost unknown police station, Babupurwa, in far off Kanpur’’, to pointing out how bogus FIRs, Bofors and Barabanki have bogged him down time and again, the Bollywood superhero says it all.

‘‘Is it a fact that no police officer was willing to register the case as they couldn’t find anything wrong?’’ he asks. That inspector of Babupurwa refused to register the complaint and was transferred an hour before the new inspector came in to lodge the FIR as his first job at the new post?

That the government later discovered that all proper procedures had been followed by the ‘‘accused’’ in the FIR? That clearances from the Income Tax Department, the Company Law Board and the hon’ble High Court of Kolkata had been obtained? And that finding themselves in an embarrassing spot, the authorities washed their hands off and sent the case to Kolkata? The questions, as per his admission, are based on his ‘‘own little enquiry’’.

Closely following the developments in regard to the Kanpur FIR, Bachchan expresses relief over the Allahabad high court dismissing a petition seeking the court’s monitoring of the investigations and progress into the FIR.

‘‘Meanwhile, back home, that most obnoxiously constructed case of this fraud of Rs 500 crore has reached another proportion,’’ his Sunday blog reads.

‘‘Without warning and with an intent to save face, the administration, on receiving its complaint back from Kolkata Courts of Law stating there was no illegality in the matter, moved Allahabad HC without informing us, or without seeking our desire for representation.

This afternoon the matter was dismissed by the hon’ble HC, in our favour apparently stating that there was no basis to this case!

‘‘I have much to say on this. But now my pain intensifies. I have to travel tomorrow to contribute in and open a diabetic center in another city. I must rest,’’ he concludes, but not without promising ‘‘more later’’.

Big B revels as ‘biased’ media has to eat its words

More than Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, it is their pa Amitabh who is elated that the shooting of Mani Ratnam’s film Ravana is over. It seems he was worried about the way the film was regularly labelled as ‘jinxed’. Big B writes on his blog “Abhishek has wrapped up Ravana.The film is over, much against the continued tirade by a section of the press that it was delayed due to endless reshoots and issues between artists on the sets.”

Ravana was labelled as ‘jinxed’ by the media after several incidents on the film sets stalled shooting repeatedly.Among the worst ones were Ratnam suffering from a heart attack and an elephant killing the mahout (owner). Abhishek and Aishwarya had a narrow escape.Ever since the reports of the tragedies came out, it was Amitabh who seemed worried more than Ratnam about the film getting stalled. He has been slamming the media for using the word ‘jinxed’ for the film.

“Abhishek having finished with Ravana, much to the consternation of certain deliberately biased and sold over media that has been dutifully panning the film and its delays in order to destroy its presence and importance he says on his blog.”Aishwarya finishes on Ravana tomorrow and that’s a wrap for her on the film. More consternation for sold over biased media,” Amitabh adds.

Amitabh Bachchan in Hera Pheri 4?

After the success of Hera Pheri sequel, the trio Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty are once again coming together for Hera Pheri 4. The movie will also have a fourth important character – Amitabh Bachchan. A source reveals, “After the success of the sequels, they decided to add some more masala to the film. Director Anees Bazmee has scripted a very strong character which is the fourth character and of a lot of importance to the story.”

The source continues, “This third sequel will have more twists and turns and one had to play more with the characters. Mr. Bachchan is a wonderful actor and it was very long since one saw him in a comedy role. He will very beautifully essay the role.”Director Anees Bazmee says, “We are still in the scripting stage. The script is being written keeping Amitabh Bachchan in mind. I still have to narrate the script to him. We both are keen on working with each other.

Things yet have to be finalised.”The movie will be produced by Firoz Nadiadwala and will be directed by Anees Bazmee. The movie will go on floors in March 2011 with Katrina in the lead. The movie will be called Hera Pheri 4.