Bollywood gets an art attack

Some of our actors are not just artistes but artists too. We look at some Bollywood stars who secretly nurse a passion for painting. Sridevi is making a comeback in Hindi films with Gauri Shinde’s directorial debut, English Vinglish. Between shots, the actor would often be spotted with crayons, sketch pens and paper. “Sridevi loves to draw and paint. I’ve seen some really huge paintings made by her lining the walls of her home. They’re really good, but that’s not surprising because Sridevi is a perfectionist who excels in everything she takes up,” says Gauri. “The artworks range from abstracts to portraits. There’s a really huge one of Michael Jackson, who’s her idol since she’s a dancer too.”Salman Khan Salman inherited his artistic abilities from his mother Salma and paints abstracts, religious imagery, couples and his dogs. In 2008, he gifted Ranbir Kapoor a painting of his grandfather Raj Kapoor on his game show, Dus Ka Dum, and presented Aamir one of him in his Ghajini (2008) avatar. He got an approving nod from the late MF Husain, also inspired Dabangg (2010) co-star Sonakshi Sinha to move beyond sketches and paint a woman.
Bhagyashree

For Salman’s Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) co-star, painting was a fun pastime that let her imagination take flight. She says, “I began when I was 13, with sketches of my favourite stars, Amitabh Bachchan, Marilyn Monroe, Bridget Bardot and Michael Jackson.”
Ali Zafar

The actor-singer has been painting since he was a child and has a degree in fine arts. At 18, he sold 20-minute charcoal portraits in a hotel lobby for R500 each to fund his music albums.“Some women wanted a painting like the one Leonardo DiCaprio makes for Kate Winslet in Titanic, including my wife, whom I later painted,” he says. “Once I got busy with music, I stopped painting. I picked up the brush after seven years in 2010 when my father asked me to be a part of a national exhibition in Lahore,” says Zafar. The exhibition featuring over 100 Pakistani artistes was hosted by the alumni association of the College of Art and Design for the rehabilitation of craftsmen affected by the devastating floods. More recently, Zafar painted London, Paris, New York (2012) co-star Aditi Rao Hydari during the film’s promotions.
Aamir Khan

Perfectionist Aamir took art lessons before playing Arun, the painter, in wife Kiran Rao’s directorial debut Dhobi Ghat (2010). Salman was his inspiration“Salman’s a fantastic painter and has presented me with four beautiful paintings that are up on our walls. I tried to copy one of them.. a face… and realised I’d a really bad artist but a good imitator,” he laughs. “I gifted the canvas to Salman and it has pride of place in his living room. I guess, he didn’t want to break my heart.” Interestingly, Salman’s paintings lined the walls of Prateik’s shack in the film.
Ashok Kumar

He was a prolific painter who dabbled in charcoal, water-colour and oil. “I like to paint nudes, in the nude, in the privacy of my bathroom,” the veteran actor once admitted. He’s made 300-odd paintings, many of which he gifted away but on his birth centenary last year the Ashok Kumar Foundation organised an exhibition of his art that had a self-potrait of him playing the violin.
Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone always got an
A grade in art when in school.
And during Love Aaj Kal (2009), in which she played a fresco
restoration artist, when she suddenly spotted canvasses and paint on the set, she made a couple of paintings. Source:http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Pakistani band Raeth set for a Bollywood debut

NEW DELHI:Pakistani band Raeth, popular for songs like “Bhula Do” and “Waada”, is all set to foray into Bollywood with upcoming film Marksheet, based on education scams in India reports IANS.

Directed by Rakesh Ranjan Kumar of Gandhi to Hitler fame, the movie will feature Imran Zahid in the lead role while newbie Zoa Morani is being considered to pair opposite him.

The Sufi rock band, comprising Wajhi Farouqui, Hassan Farabi and Sunny Ghansham, released their first album in 2006. Their second album came four years later.

In 2006, Universal Music India introduced the band in India after hearing only three songs from their first project. The record label also featured a video for the band.

Right now, the band is upbeat about their Bollywood debut. “We are really excited about entering Bollywood through a project like Marksheet,” Ghansham, the band’s guitarist, said in a statement.

“We are a band and making music for us is a collective effort. Often you find that only playback is given importance even when a band is taken aboard. But the makers of the film are not limiting our capability and have given us a chance to perform together with our original sound which is a welcome step for musicians.”
“Also, we have a huge following in India but films increase your spectrum and take you to a much larger base,” he added.

While studying at Hindu College in Delhi University, I witnessed the roaring popularity of bands amongst the youth. Now since I’m making a movie which revolves around the campus, I would like to pay a tribute to my alma mater by roping in Raeth,” said Marksheet’s director Rakesh Ranjan Kumar.

The song by Raeth for the film will be shot in Delhi University. The makers of the film also plan to organise a series of concerts by bands in various colleges.

Marksheet will not just be an issue-based film but will also be a love story. It will mostly be shot around Delhi University. Parts will be filmed in Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata. Credit: http://tribune.com.pk

Cricketer Chris Gayle eyes Bollywood

Big hitting West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who is currently playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore at the on-going Indian Premiere League tournament, says he wants to hit a sixer in Bollywood.

That's not all, the Jamaican player is also confident that he will do well in the Indian film industry. Chris Gayle has yet to watch a Bollywood film but he's convinced he will be able to 'take Bollywood away from Salman Khan'.

The cricketer had previously discussed a film career with Shah Rukh Khan, and now it seems he is seriously looking for a break in Bollywood.

Bollywood debutantes to look forward to in 2012

Varun Dhawan: David Dhawan’s younger son will debut as an actor with Karan Johar’s ambitious project ‘Student of the Year’.

Alia Bhatt: Karan Johar will also be introducing Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter Alia Bhatt in his campus love-story ‘Student of the Year’.

Siddharth Malhotra: Siddharth completes the debut factor in the lead cast of Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the Year’.
Arjun Kapoor: Prominent Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor’s son and Anil Kapoor’s nephew, Arjun Kapoor will be launched by Yash Raj Films in ‘Ishaqzaade’.
Ileana D’cruz: Ileana makes her Bollywood debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in ‘Barfee’.

Tapsee Pannu: Tapsee will be making her debut in the remake of ‘Chashme Buddoor’ being directed by David Dhawan and is paired opposite Ali Zafar.

Amy Jackson: Amy Jackson in another foreign import who will make her debut opposite Prateik Babbar in ‘Ek Deewana Tha’.

Esha Gupta: Model Esha bagged the role in ‘Jannat 2’ for her hot looks and sex appeal.
Pulkit Samrat: TV actor Pulkit Samrat makes his Bollywood debut with ‘Bittoo Boss’.

Imran Zahid: Imran Zahid would be another Bhatt discovery who will debut with ‘Jannat 2’.