Prithviraj under pressure!

Hot and happening hero Prithviraj'sThriller is turning out to be a disaster at the box-office.

It is nowhere near the star’s last release Anwar, which not only took a bumper opening but was comparatively a safe bet compared to Thriller.
According to George Thomas, a leading trade analyst : "Anwar took a fantastic opening and then fell, but will collect around Rs 3  Crore from theatricals and another Rs 2 crore from other rights, making it profitable for the producers. But Thriller may do just around Rs 1 crore from theatricals, as collections are only one fifth of Anwar. For example in Ernakulam, Anwar took a distributors share of Rs 15.25 lakhs from Shenoys, while it will be a wonder if Thriller can manage to collect a share of Rs 3 lakhs from Kavitha"!

Prithviraj has to be careful about his choice of films and directors. As per the last count he has given dates to a dozen directors.

Now he is shooting simultaneously for five films  Urumi, City of God, Arjunan Sakshi and cameo appearances in Makeup Man and Manushamrigam. 

The big question is has the actor in him gone through the script of all these films?

Industry veterans say that he is in a hurry to replace M & M. In a way Raju (pet name) is the only actor now in Malayalam films who is within a striking distance to overtake the living legends. There is a lot of jealousy among other stars at the rise and rise of Prithviraj. The rumour mill has it that a few of them are actively trying to target his films.

Prithviraj should be matured enough to handle it by ignoring such 'Para's' (obstacles) by taking it in his stride and moving on with his march to conquer the box-office. He should not say things like- “Those who don't like me need not see my films. What right has these people in stopping others from watching my films? I certainly believe that my films are aesthetically far superior to their films which may have been successful.”

Prithviraj is the youngest actor to reach such dizzy heights. He is highly misunderstood and is not arrogant like many make him out to be. Prithvi is not only a fine actor but is the rising star. He has to be careful about the script that he chooses, talk less and let his film do all the talking.

Manmadhan Ambu audio launch on TV

Vijay TV is all set to telecast Manmadhan Ambu audio launch held on November 20 in Singapore.  This grand function was a an extravagant three day affair as the entire cast began their journey from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on board the luxury cruise liner Superstar Virgo and headed to Singapore. The exclusive event of the Manmadhan Ambu audio launch will be telecast on Vijay TV on Sunday, December 5 at 11am.  It was an extravagant audio launch at Max Pavilion, Signapore to an audience of over 7000. The event commenced by the performances of Vijay TV's very own Super Singer Juniors & Jodi No.1 contestants along with the popular playback singers Mano & Chitra. The event featured performances by the music director of the movie Devi Sri Prasad along with singers Suchitra, Sagar & Andrea. And for the first time ever in an audio launch of the movie, the stars came forward to give extraordinary performances that thrilled the audiences. Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan sang his favorite number from the movie “Neelavanam”. This was Kamal Haasan's first performance in Singapore after a gap of more than 20 years. Apart from this phenomenal performance, Trisha joined Kamal Haasan on stage to perform an act from the movie; which was a song in poetry form which was penned by the man himself. Director K.S. Ravikumar, Madhavan, Sangeetha, the producer, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Gauthami and Ramesh Aravind were also part of the grand audio launch function in  Singapore.

Robotic statue of Vijay in Kerala

A robotic statue of Ilayathalapathy Vijay which can dance to his hit tunes has been installed by his fans in Ottapalam near Shornnur in Kerala.

Vijay had shot for his Kaavalan in this location. 

Vijay has a phenomenal fan following in Kerala. This life like statue moves electronically moved to the beats of Vijay songs.  

The actor had spent around 10 days at Ottapalam's famous Varikasseri Mana, where the shooting of Kaavalan took place. 

During this period his fans have created this statue.

The Vijay statue which dances has become a tourist attraction. Vijay fans from all over Kerala are coming to take a closer look at the lifelike Ilayathalapathy.

August 15 Postponed

Leading producer Aroma Mani has informed the theatres that his Mammootty Christmas release August 15, directed by Shaji Kailas has been postponed. 

Due to heavy rains in Thiruvananthapuram, the last outdoor schedule of the film was washed away, hence the delay.

The latest we hear is that Mammootty'sBest Actor directed by Martin Prakkat which was scheduled to release on December 3 will now be postponed to December 24.

So Best Actor will be Mammootty's Christmas release.

Meanwhile the buzz is that August 15will now release on January 21.

Abhishek, Surya to fight it out at boxoffice

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and Tamil superstar Surya will tug it off at the box office this Friday with their outings "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" and "Rakta Charitra - Part II". And vying for eyeballs with them will be "Phas Gaye Re Obama", based on the after effects of recession.

With Abhishek starrer "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey", director Ashutosh Gowariker will introduce audience to the long forgotten Chittagong uprising. 

Gowariker said that we did not know much about Chittagong uprising. He added that it was a revolution of such vastness and magnitude involving not one person, but sixty four revolutionaries led by Surjya Sen.

The period drama that will see Abhishek as the freedom fighter Sen, has been co-produced by Gowariker's wife along with Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev Bijli of PVR Pictures. 

Sen, a school teacher, carried out the uprising in 1930 in British India. Based on Manini Chatterjee's book "Do And Die", the film throws light on the sixty four revolutionaries out of which fifty six were youngsters, mostly around fourteen years of age. 

On the other hand, Ram Gopal Varma's "Rakta Charitra - Part II" takes forward the life of Paritala Ravi, a slain political leader from Andhra Pradesh. The first instalment hit the screens Oct 22.Apparently, the budget for both the movies is Rs.12 crore each.

Starring Vivek Oberoi in the lead, it marks the Bollywood debut of Tamil superstar Surya as Ravi's nemesis Maddelacheruvu Suri. Politician-actor Shatrughan Sinha too features in the thriller along with Kota Srinivasa Rao and Radhika Apte.

"This movie focuses on how violence rages from emotions and it talks about an inspiration out of life," Varma said.

Debutant director Subhash Kapoor will be competing with these two veterans with his satirical comedy "Phas Gaye Re Obama" at the ticket counters. Set against the backdrop of global recession that originated in the US and how it had its implication even in the remotest corners of India. 

Starring Rajat Kapoor in the lead, it has Neha Dhupia, Sanjay Mishra, Amol Gupte and Manu Rishi in pivotal roles. It has been produced by Ashok Pandey.

Interestingly, Neha, who plays a female gangster in the comedy, took inspiration from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to get her regional dialect right.

"As I play a gangster from UP (Uttar Pradesh) in the film, I had to get that language right and so I observed Mayawati to learn how she speaks. She is the only woman whose dialect, whether she is serious or funny, is extremely monotonous. So I have tried to incorporate this in my character. However, my character is not inspired by her," Neha said.

Keeping Gowariker's track record and Varma' dexterity at showcasing politics and crime, it just might be a tough fight for Kapoor at the box office.

Katrina to wow audience with ’Sheila ki jawani’

Now Katrina Kaif has joined them! Her "Sheila ki jawani" is the latest in a long line of raunchy numbers that have made top mainstream actresses shed their inhibitions to set the adrenaline pumping. Why, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai have done it too.

"Sheila Ki Jawani" from Farah Khan's third directorial venture "Tees Maar Khan" has become quite popular even before the song was officially released. Its spicy lyrics and Katrina's sexy moves have struck a chord with the audience and the electrifying song is being frequently played on radio stations and television channels.

The lyrics in these item numbers are catchy - and they don't always make sense even if they are provocative.

"Lyrics are lyrics. No one should take them literally and seriously and analyse them in songs like these. If you believe you are doing something clean and keeping yourself in the boundaries of dignity, then the lyrics and mood of the song don't matter and you feel comfortable while performing it," Katrina said. 

She added that she enjoyed dancing, though she might not be technically perfect.

"Sheila ki jawani" is on its way to giving competition to this year's most popular number "Munni badnaam hui" from "Dabangg". The song was picturised on Malaika Arora who earlier sizzled on the screen in songs like "Chhaiyan chhaiyan" and "Mahi we".

Item numbers are Hindi films' way of spicing up a film. Among mainstream actresses, it was Bollywood's dancing queen Madhuri Dixit who became perhaps the first to set the temperatures soaring with the sensuous item number "Choli ke peeche kya hai".

Later from Shilpa Shetty to Aishwarya Rai and from Kareena Kapoor to Priyanka Chopra, everyone followed suit.

"Earlier mainstream actresses were shown as very simple and docile. But the overall image is now changing and today they have become smarter and bolder and they would certainly not mind being a part of provocative song," film critic Omar Qureshi said.

"However, many actresses agree to do an item number just for the sake of their friendship with actors or filmmakers, such as Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor in Shah Rukh Khan's 'Billu'," he added.

Aishwarya wowed the audience with her sensuous moves in "Ishq kamina" in "Shakti" and "Kajrare" in "Bunty Aur Babli".

Shilpa is still remembered for her scintillating dance in the song "Main aayi hun UP (Uttar Pradesh) Bihar lootne" in "Shool" and "Shut up and bounce" in Abhishek Bachchan-John Abraham starrer "Dostana".

Kareena Kapoor's "Yeh mera dil" in Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Don: The Chase Begins Again", Sushmita's "Mehboob mere" in "Fiza" and Urmila Matondkar's "Aa hi jaiye" in "Lajja" are still popular among people.

"Item numbers have become the USP of a film. So it's like even if the film doesn't work, at least the song becomes popular and it is widely played in parties and shows," said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Item numbers are so tempting that even yesteryear diva Rekha could not hold herself back from featuring in "Kaisi paheli" in "Parineeta".

Break Ke Baad - Review

The simplistically conceptualised characters gnaw at your nerves. Aaliya (Deepika Padukone), for example, is ambitious - which in Hindi film language usually translates to a person who doesn’t value relationships. And a person who shrieks a lot. Aaliya does both. At the other end of the spectrum is the boyfriend of 10 years, Abhay (Imran Khan), who is sober, sorted, and wants to subtly tame the shrew. You dislike the central characters instantly - one is too clingy, the other wants to break up without a significant reason. And then there’s the single mother (Sharmila Tagore) and thrice-divorced aunt (Lillette Dubey), on both sides, respectively goading them to end up together or move on, depending on where we are in the story. So Aaliya nurtures the ambition of becoming an actor. She gets through to a prestigious university in Australia. Only thing is, she lies to her mother that she’s going for a mass-communication course for a short period. The boyfriend is outraged (despite it being a short-term course), because he’s wondering how the relationship will fit in her future plans. He applies emotional blackmail, she responds by wanting out. They are now officially broken up. Girl enjoys her time at the university, making new friends, etcetera, until Clingy Boyfriend follows her to woo her back. Tired of the claustrophobic relationship, she wants space. He feels there’s no scope for space in a relationship. There’s also the other angle of Aaliya’s focussed ambition versus Abhay’s conflict of working in his father’s business despite hating it. So far, bearable. But now on, things go downhill. Aaliya and Abhay , now in Australia, live as neighbouring roomies in a sea-facing apartment that’s so cheap, it’s “too good to be true”. Add two side characters (Shahana Goswami, Yudishtir Urs) - the owners of the place - who act as, well, side characters to the Boy and Girl. Meanwhile the film morphs from a rom-com (romantic comedy) to a fairytale where everyone’s dreams come true and there’s that happily ever after. The film’s weak foundation and lack of fun moments make it a cumbersome watch. Aaliya’s ambition and desire to follow her passion has everyone tied up in knots. The boyfriend asks her to make a choice between him and her career, though not in so many words. When she gets a breakthrough opportunity after an audition, her mother walks away in a huff because that would mean Aaliya staying back in Australia for longer than promised. The writers have built up characters that could be described in a couple of words - so lacking are they in depth. The dialogue shows an occasional spark, but is otherwise dull. Deepika Padukone is spunky enough and has come to be identified with roles that defy the archetypal heroine mould. Imran Khan appears in yet another rom-com after his debut film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and the recent I Hate Luv Storys. Khan is charming and dignified throughout, but his character - that’s supposed to manipulate the audience into agreeing with him - doesn’t quite work. And the bizarre ending has Khan looking as unconvinced as the audience viewing it. Director Danish Aslam treads carefully (too carefully) to make a film he’s hoping will please all. So there’s the shaadi portions, the boyfriend’s chauvinism covered under the facade of him being lost without goals, the girl finally realising her ‘mistake’ and understanding that relationships are supremely valuable, and so on. But the storytelling merely scratches the surface of the characters’ conflicts, preferring not to delve any further, and unconvincingly served to the audience. Break-ups come in as many varieties as relationships. The concept of breaks-ups and relationships was dealt in a far spiffier manner (within the limitations of the genre) in Love Aaj Kal (also starring Deepika Padukone), where the film starts with a break-up, then proceeds to the couple meeting new people, and so on. At least, it had a graph, and a conflict that the film then proceeded to resolve. Here, you’re not quite sure what the problem is: with the characters and between them as well. (Sify)

Hrithik Roshan leaves hospital

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan Monday was discharged from hospital here Monday, a day after he was admitted following an allergic reaction to an antibiotic medicine.

'Hrithik is perfectly fine now. He had recovered yesterday (Sunday) itself but the family and the doctors wanted to keep him under observation for the night to be doubly sure. He is absolutely healthy now and ready to resume his routine,' the actor's spokesperson told IANS.

The star left the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital at around 11 a.m., the spokesperson added.

On Sunday evening, the allergic reaction to the medicine was so severe that the actor gave his family the scare of their lives. According to Hrithik, his lungs and throat had gone into a spasm and he could not breathe.

Hrithik was rushed to hospital at around 4 p.m. and was put under immediate surveillance by a battery of doctors.

The family is now relieved that the 36-year-old is fine.

'By the grace of god my Hrithik is much much better... Most random one in a million allergic reaction!,' Hrithik's wife Sussanne wrote on her Twitter account.

Sushmita to endorse international cosmetic brand

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Actress Sushmita Sen was Monday appointed as the brand ambassador of JAFRA Ruchi Cosmetics India Private Limited, a joint venture between US-based cosmetic brand JAFRA and Indian firm Ruchi Soya Industries.

The company will also be training women in marketing its products, thereby creating job opportunities.

Sushmita said she was glad to be part of a movement for the betterment of women in India.

'I am glad that in my country, where there is a majority of women who are not educated, now there is a platform where they can come and train not just to make a living and empower themselves, but also bring about a development in their personality,' Sushmita told reporters here.

The 35-year-old has also been appointed as an honorary consultant with the company.

She urged women to be part of the training process, and said that the company provided a platform through which they can earn some extra money and at the same time be part of a worldwide network of sales consultants.

'This works like a pyramid - there are mentors and then there are people under them, and then there are new entrants, who are trained to sell these cosmetics door-to-door. Though I don't see myself yet going door-to-door selling JAFRA products, but at some point, I would love doing that too,' she smiled.

Registrations for the training programme opened Oct 18. Over 800 women have signed up already, the company said, adding that it aimed to enrol 10,000 women by the year-end.

I’m tired of singing film songs: Asha Bhosle

From romantic film songs to cabaret to ghazals - the legendary Asha Bhosle has sung them all in her six-decade long career and says she has now minimised her presence in film music because she has had enough of playback singing.

"People retire at the age of 50, but I'm still singing and have sung so much. Singing 13,000 songs is not an easy task. I've sung so many songs with great singers, great music directors. Now I'm tired," Asha, 77, told IANS in an interview.

"Now whenever I get offered something very special then I will definitely sing, but otherwise I've sung enough. I've left no genre. Today you pick any song and you won't be able to say that Asha has not sung a song like this," she added.

It's not that the crooner has stopped singing and she now concentrates on world concerts.

"I still sing and will keep doing that till I can. I do shows. I like it when I sing in English or Spanish or in any other language. I feel good," said Asha.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee, who is the younger sister of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar, is known for her versatility and inimitable style and stresses on the fact that every singer should possess that.

"Everyone should form one's own style because when you copy someone then it's not your own style. Lata didi is a great singer, but I never copied her style because I didn't want to become like her.

"I never wanted people to say that Asha sings like Lata. Asha and Lata are different and I like it that way," said the singer, whose work profile includes film music, pop, ghazals and bhajans to traditional Indian Classical music, folk songs, qawwalis and Rabindra Sangeet.

The singer has recently been named the goodwill ambassador of the Chevrolet Global Indian Music Awards (GIMA).

"I really like the concept of these awards and I have a lot of responsibility on my head as goodwill ambassador of this initiative. New singers and good music that is lost will come out with these awards," she said.

"It's very important to get good music in the forefront; otherwise the music of India is getting finished," she added.

Asha, known for songs like "Dum maro dum", "Mehbooba mehbooba", "Mera kuch saaman", "Piya tu ab to aaja" and "Chura liya hai tum ne" and her masterpieces in "Umrao Jaan", including "Dil cheez kya hai", believes that today's singers don't get their due.

"Me and other singers of my time were lucky to get a chance to sing film as well as non-film music. But today's singers face many problems. Even though they sing well, they don't get a chance. They don't get recognition and that's very sad.

"People don't even come to know who the singer is or who has written a song. Only composers get the credit. No one else gets credit," she said the singer who has sung in over 18 languages including Assamese, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, English, Russian, Czech, Nepali, Malay and Malayalam.

Playboy girl Kelly Brook eyes plum Hollywood roles

Kelly Brook is still riding high on her peel-off shoot for Playboy and the British model-actress says she might be soon rubbing shoulders with superstar Tom Cruise in the fourth instalment of the action franchise "Mission: Impossible IV".

"I am reading a couple of scripts and my agent is in talks with many production houses. You will see me very shortly in 'Hotel Caledonia' and 'Burn Off'. You might see me opposite Tom Cruise in 'MI4'," Brook told IANS in an e-mail interview from the outskirts of London.

While Cruise and Ving Rhames will reprise their roles in the 2011 outing, Hollywood actress Paula Patton and Bollywood star Anil Kapoor have been roped in pivotal roles for the Brad Bird-helmed venture.

Voted for having the best British female body by Grazia and having repeatedly topped FHM's '100 Sexiest Women in the World' poll, the celebrated model also rose to the ranks of a Playboy girl by peeling off for the lad mag.

"I was a little self-conscious about the Playboy shoot because I looked at the other girls in the magazine and they're just so perfect...but I have no inhibitions in showing my skin and I am very comfortable with my body," said the 30-year-old, who "runs around in a bikini and does nude underwater ballet" in "Piranha 3D".

The curvaceous model recently acquired a slimmer and slender avatar. So has she been dieting?

"No, I am OK with my craving for Coke with ice along with pizza. A friend of mine referred me to sleep proper and eat small meals so I won't gain any weight and I am following that advice after trying macrobiotic diets and other diet plans," said Brook, who wants to work with directors like Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino after the success of "Piranha 3D".

She is now keeping her fingers crossed for a lucrative Hollywood career.

"It's ('Piranha 3D') my first true Hollywood film...I've always been branded the girl who's not that bright, the bimbo, because I laugh a lot and I'm girly but after you see this movie, you will definitely observe a change in perception...," she said. 

Released in the US Aug 20, "Piranha 3D" will hit Indian theatres Friday in English and Hindi. Produced by Dimension Films, it is being distributed here by Multivision Multimedia India Pvt Ltd in association with Eagle Video and MGH Enterprises.

Directed by Alexandre Aja, it is a second remake of the 1978 film after Cameron's directorial debut "Piranha II: The Spawning" in 1981. The horror-thriller also includes the likes of Steven R. McQueen, Elisabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames and Eli Roth among others.

Brook was also a topic of discussion in India recently for reportedly turning down a 250,000-pound offer to appear in "Bigg Boss", the Indian version of celebrity reality show "Bigg Brother".

When asked about the same, she just cited a "no comments please" remark. But she did express a desire to visit the country.

"I have never been to India, though have heard a lot about the Asian continent... if not professionally, would love to see it with friends soon... I have also seen a few Indian musicals in the US and I like them. I have not seen a film yet but will see some because I love dancing."

Having her own swimwear and lingerie line, Brook is now contemplating to diversify it "into accessories". She also wants to shrug away her Page Three girl status.

"I get invites to clubs and I'm offered tons of money to turn up at these silly things... it's like saccharine and nice. But it's the easy way. It's not my favourite.

"I could be a lot richer and a lot more famous if I had done other things, and it's not like it hasn't come my way. I spend a lot more time not working. I've probably got the next five or six years to do something big. I don't want to screw it up," Brook said.

Harry Potter : Review

Harry Potter 7: Part 1, a bit dragging
Film: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1"; Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes; Director: David Yates; Rating: **

The generation that has lived in the times of the phenomenon called Harry Potter will recall these times fondly - of times when fans slept through the night outside shops to get their copy of the book. 

Sadly, as any hardcore fan will tell you, none of the movies have come close to match the trigger to imagination of the books. And the latest film, which is the first of the two parts based on the last book of the series, is no different. 

That does not mean that the filmmakers will not attempt to match the money from the book that created the first billionaire author. Proof - "Deathly Hallows" is being released in two parts, with the first dragging quite a bit. 

Yet "Deathly Hallows" stays truest to the book than any other film has so far. 

After Dumbledore's death, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) takes control of the ministry of magic. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermonie (Emma Watson) obviously cannot be in school. 

Aided by a loyal group of supporters first, and later on their own, they try to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. Their search leads them to discover the story of the Deathly Hallows and its three sacred objects - the resurrection stone to bring anyone back to life, an unbeatable Elder Want and the infallible invisibility cloak. The fight between Voldemort and Harry now becomes a race to find these. 

The most successful book franchise guarantees the success of the films. However, while the previous versions dared not do more fearing boredom, "Deathly Hallows" boldly goes there and breaks the films into two parts. But despite many commendable scenes and good special effects, without its twin, which will be released only in 2011, it does not hold much power. 

That does not mean that people will not throng theatres to see the film, or will be disappointed by it. For "Deathly Hallows", despite its slow pace, is by far, the scariest film in the series with fear looming large over the film. 

Yet, the 146-minute movie has many funny moments scattered across an otherwise gloomy landscape, like when many of Harry's friends drink a portion to become his duplicates, or when they literally flush themselves through a public toilet to enter the ministry of magic. 

The three main protagonists have grown up now. The introduction of sexual tension between them, as also jealousy, spices up the film. The animation to explain the story of the "Deathly Hallows" is also rivetingly done. 

The beginning of the end of one of the most successful franchises in cinema history, thus, may not be too engrossing in itself. It is definitely a strong build up to the grand finale, where the chosen one, Harry, will finally live up to his destiny. 

That the next part will be in 3D, is merely the icing on the cake.

Guzaarish - Review

’Guzaarish’ celebrates life in all its splendour
Film: "Guzaarish"; Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor; Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali; Rating: *****

Breathe a sigh of relief. During a year when cacophonic crassness, labeled as comic entertainment has been sanctioned by critics and the masses, "Guzaarish" comes along to remind us that excellence is alive in our cinema.

Ironically this wonderful work of art, nuanced and magical in its portrayal of an unstoppable spirit's quest to juice life to its fullest, is about dying. If the journey towards death in art can be so mystically explored, then let's embrace mortality as a stepping stone to immortality and a film about dying as a sign of cinema not dying on us. Not yet.

Only those who suffer the numbing pain of isolation would know what it feels like. Dilip Kumar in "Devdas", Guru Dutt in "Pyasa", Meena Kumari in "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam" and Nutan in "Bandini" communicated to the audience the indescribable pain of solitude.

Ethan, as played by Hrithik Roshan in "Guzaarish", is so bemused by adversity that he can actually look at his own suffering with dispassionate humour.

"Guzaarish" is a joyous, rapturous and ecstatic celebration of life. Those familiar with the art of Sanjay Leela Bhansali know how ably and ecstatically he transports his characters into a universe of seamless drama played at an octave where most cinematic symphonies crack up and topple over into high-pitched extravagance.

Not Bhansali's cinema. Played at the highest possible scale, his drama unfolds in wave after wave of rapturous splendour. His characters occupy a space that defies definition and seduces audiences into celebrating a state of sublimity and splendour. Ethan's inert physicality is alchemized into an ambience of animated joy. His spirit dances and sings at the sheer pleasure of every moment that is given to him to live. He radiates joy. We feel his profound happiness at the gift of life.

No film in living memory has brought out the sheer blessing of being alive with such spirit and glory. While Shah Rukh Khan's "Devdas" in Bhansali's opulent opera was a character broken in spirit, Hrithik's Ethan in "Guzaarish" is irreparably damaged in body. But his spirit soars, his eyes light up like thousands of stars every time Sophie walks in.

That Sophie is played by Aishwarya Rai is a stroke of genius that goes a long way in giving "Guzaarish" its flavour of exceptional elegance. No other director brings out the quiet grace and the understated beauty of this screen diva's personality with as much intelligence and spontaneity as Bhansali. In "Guzaarish", Aishwarya is far more delicate and nuanced in conveying the unspoken pain of a love that has no tomorrow than she was in "Devdas".

Aishwarya imbues her role with a resplendent grace. Love in "Guzaarish" is expressed with subtle smirks, gentle smiles and hints of a smothered passion that could erupt any time, if only destiny didn't choose to be so mean to the spirited.

The scenes between Ethan and Sophie, the backbone of Ethan's spine-challenged life, radiate an inner beauty and wisdom and underline the director's enormous understanding of the self-negation that a love relationship requires.

"Guzaarish" is Bhansali's most tender and evocative film to date. It layers the pain of a dying body with the passion of an unstoppable spirit as manifested in Hrithik's skilled and effortless performance as a quadriplegic who pledges to make every moment of his limited "sau gram zindagi" pleasurable for himself and those around him.

Barring Amitabh Bachchan in "Black" there has never been a better performance in a Bhansali film than Hrithik's in "Guzaarish". He grabs Ethan's role and makes the dying character come alive in delightful waves of provocative histrionics. And if we are talking chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya, then let us get one thing clear - this is not "Dhoom". It is something far deeper and satisfying.

The other performance that catches your attention is Aditya Roy Kapoor's. He is natural and vivacious and in-sync with the film's spirit of celebrating life. Monikangna Dutt is a looker. In her limited space, she lends some appeal to the proceedings. Suhel Seth, Shernaaz Patel and Rajit Kapur also make a lingering impact in a film that you carry home with you in an inviolable place in your heart.

A word about Bhansali's music score. The songs communicate the rich tapestried emotions of lives that are determined to smile through an extraordinary tragedy. Every piece of music and song in "Guzaarish" echoes the film's incandescent soul.

The film's technical excellence, particularly Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography, is not dazzling and flamboyant in the way it was in "Devdas". In "Guzaarish", the appeal is far more delicate and subtle. The deep but sober colours on screen reach out to you to enrich your life in ways that cinema was always meant to, until it was waylaid by the hooligans and imposters posing as filmmakers.

"Guzaarish" is the real thing. A big, beautiful, dazzling emotional movie experience. You would not see a better film this year.