Gulshan Grover to star opposite Salma Hayek in Hollywood film The Driver

You’ve heard of the classic Hollywood film Taxi Driver, now you will soon get to see The Driver and starring in it is none other than the bad man of Bollywood – Gulshan Grover. If that wasn’t tempting enough read this… he’ll be starring opposite the sultry Latino Salma Hayek in the film.

Directed by Hollywood biggie Bill Duke, who has done some rather exemplary work with A Rage in Harlem, Hoodlum, Sister Act 2 and Not Easily Broken, this film will be a starry delight. While in LA, Gulshan was spotted by Bill at a charity event, with a meeting fixed, Gulshan read the script, liked it and signed it on. Gulshan was just the actor Bill was looking for with his versatility, experience and ability to improvise.

Gulshan Grover will be acting alongside a number of Hollywood stars. A story about hope, Gulshan’s character is that of a rank and file accountant, till one day he decides to give up his mundane life and go after his dreams. He drags his wife, played by Salma, with him on his journey. On the way he meets a number of characters who sometimes inspire him and other times shock him. These characters will be played by stars like Will Smith, Janet Jackson, Queen Latifa, Whoopie Goldberg and many famous comedians will play themselves in guest roles.

While this may seem like his big ticket, Gulshan is also signed on for many other Hollywood ventures like Prisoners of the Sun, Nephilim, British picture Honour Killing and will also be seen in an Indo-French collaboration titled I am Kalam.

Leander Paes to make his Bollywood debut with Rajdhani Express

Leander Paes has been the flag-bearer and the sports magnet for the game of tennis in India. His passionate and lionhearted performances whenever he’s played for India, has established him as the action man of Indian tennis. But Leander will soon be seen in a new avatar in the glamourous world of Bollywood.

Yes…you heard it right. Leander will be making his Bollywood debut in Rajdhani Express directed by Ashok Kohli. The film has him playing the role of a common man.

Leander has always been an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, and when he read the script, it struck a chord in him, as it reflected Gandhiji’s immortal words “Be the Change that you would like to see in the world” in an entertaining and engaging way.

Leander has been receiving film offers since1996, but he was too engrossed in tennis and self admittedly, not ‘ready’ to take the plunge. However, he has always been an avid film lover and feels that films do have the power to transport you to an exhilarating world. The tennis sensation believes that his ability to connect with people will serve him good in the world of cinema too. Besides the noted Bengali Poet and dramatist Michael Madhusudan Dutt is his ancestor, so he does have some acting talent in his genes.

It will be interesting to see if this tennis champ who has won many hearts with his on-field performance has yet another ‘ace’ up his sleeve with Rajdhani Express.

Anurag Kashyap signs Manoj Bajpai for Gangs of Wasseypur

It’s the re-unite season of sorts I guess. Ram Gopal Varma re-united with his long lost friend Vivek Oberoi after a gap of eight years to create Rakth Charitra. And if that’s called a big coming together of lost mates, try this. Remember Bollywood’s one of the most loved villain Bhikhu Mhatre? Well, the time for Anurag Kashyap to re-unite with his friend Manoj Bajpai is here. The eccentric director who gave birth to Manoj Bajpai’s character in RGV’s most talked about film Satya is planning to direct his most ambitious project till date, titled Gangs of Wasseypur.

Anurag Kashyap’s adaptation, Gangs of Wasseypur, based on the coal mine mafia is all set to roll in a month’s time. What’s more shocking is the fact that Anurag is trying to create The Godfather on celluloid once again. So after RGV’s Sarkar and Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti, here is one more in the making which may well shock us with its treatment. That’s the trait of Kashyap. He does magic in every film of his.

Manoj Bajpai quotes, “Yes, it is true that I have been recommended for Gangs of Wasseypur by Anurag. It’s a pivotal role for me. I haven’t read the final script yet but will in a few days from now. I am so thrilled that the same person who wrote Bhikhu Mhatre’s role in Satya is not only writing my character in this film but is also directing it. We re-unite after twelve long years. That’s quite something.”

About the Godfather story in Gangs of Wasseypur, Manoj said, “There are talks that my role in the film is what Marlon Brando’s was in The Godfather. As I said before, I haven’t read anything yet but am eagerly waiting to read the script.”

All said and done, but the question still asked by many from the industry is – When will Ram Gopal Varma re-unite with Manoj Bajpai? And will Sarkar 3 be made?

The answers to the above question remains a mystery.

‘Housefull’ will bring House Full boards back

The one thing that you need to hand over to HOUSEFULL director Sajid Khan is his confidence. His new statement – “HOUSEFULL will be the biggest Hit of 2010″ – has raised eyebrows, but knowing Sajid and his penchant for providing entertainment, the statement has only enhanced the curiosity for the film.

“It’s not over-confidence, mind you. I know that HOUSEFULL will work big time at the box-office. This one’s purely for the entertainment-seeking audience,” Sajid explains his stand, “The reason why 95% of films fail year after year is because we aren’t providing the audience with what they want: Loads of entertainment. HOUSEFULL will do that. HOUSEFULL will bring HOUSE FULL boards back.”

Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar, the lead man of HOUSEFULL, is so gung ho about the film that he gifted a watch to Sajid, after the actor watched the final cut of the film.

While on Akshay, there’s talk that Sajid was instrumental in getting Akshay on board in TEES MAAR KHAN, which Sajid’s sister Farah Khan is directing. Reportedly, when SRK was toying with which project to start first – Anubhav Sinha’s or Farah’s – Sajid suggested that Farah shouldn’t wait endlessly and decided to arrange a meeting with Akshay and Farah.

“Farah and I don’t discuss work. In fact, I don’t even know what the script of TEES MAAR KHAN is,” Sajid states, “I swear, I didn’t even know Farah had met Akshay and spoken to her about the film, till Sajid [Nadiadwala] and Farah called me over and broke the news. Nor did Akshay ever discuss TEES MAAR KHAN with me. Farah has a mind of her own.” Point noted!

Are the four characters of ‘Badmaash Company’ picked from real life?

Not many are aware that Parmeet Sethi, the actor turned director of BADMAASH COMPANY, wrote its entire script with dialogues in six days flat. Yes, you read it right: Six days only. And the four characters in the film – Karan, Bulbul, Chandu and Zing – are known to Parmeet; they’re based on real-life characters.

Anushka Sharma, who has a lot of hopes pinning on BADMAASH COMPANY, feels that the film would connect big time with the youth of today, who resort to an easy route to attain name, fame and riches overnight. “That’s what attracted me to the film. Honestly, I wasn’t even aware that Parmeet had written the script and was supposed to direct it, since Adi [Aditya Chopra] just asked me to go through it. It was much later, when I read the script and expressed my eagerness to be a part of the film, that Adi revealed the director’s identity,” Anushka tells me.

Parmeet reveals that he got tired of television and was keen on pursuing film direction. “There’s a little of me in each of those four characters,” Parmeet says, who approached Yash Raj with his script the moment he was ready. The fact that Adi liked it and signed a 3-film deal with Parmeet, says it all.

Parmeet feels that BADMAASH COMPANY offers loads of entertainment, but narrated in a new format. “Even the choice of actors proves that I didn’t want to take the predictable path,” he says. What about Shahid? He’s known to act ‘difficult’ with his directors. “That’s not true at all. Not once did he interfere or throw starry tantrums. In fact, he pushed his father’s film MAUSAM ahead to accommodate BADMAASH COMPANY. That says it all,” Parmeet refutes the rumour.

Antoine Fuqua Returns With Another Cop Drama

NEW YORK: After the success of ‘Training Day’ in 2001, director Antoine Fuqua didn’t think he’d ever do another movie about corrupt cops until he read the script for ‘Brooklyn’s Finest.’

“For me the movie is the story of Job, are there any good men left?” said Fuqua. “And the finest will be standing at the end of the movie, which you’ll find out which guy is actually standing. They’re all good guys in some way to do that job, but they make some bad choices sometimes, based on the pressure they’re under.”

Ethan Hawke, who earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in ‘Training Day,’ plays a task force officer who doesn’t have enough money to care for his growing family. Richard Gere plays a senior cop on the verge of retirement who doesn’t want to offend anyone or take any risks. And Don Cheadle plays an undercover narcotics officer who’s too close to his drug world contact, played by Wesley Snipes.

“You can relate to where he’s at in his life right now,” Fuqua said he told Snipes about the role of Caz, Snipe’s first major feature film role since his tax troubles surfaced in 2006. “And he said, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ I said, ‘I just want some truth. I want the truth for how you feel right now in your life. And this is that guy.’ And so I took a big chance because, you know, the bond companies and everyone was nervous about certain things, and I just said I can’t see anybody else. I don’t even know if I would do the movie if I can’t get the right guys in each role.”

It’s the performance of those guys that make the film, which weaves together their three stories throughout until they explode in a powerful climax. But is the title meant to be ironic?

“I found something fine in each one of them,” said Fuqua. “But I think the writer, Michael Martin, sort of ripped that right out of the headlines, you know. For me the movie is the story of Job, are there any good men left? And the finest will be standing at the end of the movie, which you’ll find out which guy is actually standing. They’re all good guys in some way to do that job, but they make some bad choices sometimes, based on the pressure they’re under.”