Fiza booked for next one month
The hot news from Mumbai is that the latest film of sensational hero Hrithik Roshan, FIZA made a terrific start. All the theaters, in which Fiza is running are booked for the next one month. It was 5 pm on 7th September 2000. Most of cellular phones Indiawide gave a familiar buzz. When opened the ubiquitous 555 message, there is a sweet surprise waiting for the cell phone owners. An invitation from Hrithik and Karishma with the message - "HI! PLEASE DONT FORGET TO SEE OUR FILM - FIZA. LOVE, KARISHMA & HRITHIK". This film opened on 8th of September all over the India, except for the Bangalore city that did has lot of back-up movies to be played. Bangalore city cinema theaters were closed for a month owing to the kidnap of Dr. Raj Kumar. Release of Fiza is expected to happen on 15th of this month in Bangalore.

Fiza follows new casting trend
Take a star actor and a star actress, contrary to the expected lead romantic pair, pair them as brother and sister and enjoy the difference. Mansoor Khan tried it and wasn't totally unsuccessful. The difference of seeing Shah Rukh and Aishwarya as siblings did not really jolt the audience out of its wits. They were gradually accepting the new trend.

Knowing Bollywood, it suffers from a tendency to pick up a trend and continue to make films on it till the audience is fed up. So known film critic Khalid Mohamed joined the bandwagon and has come up with Fiza starring Karishma Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan as sister and brother. Those who have managed sneaked previews of the film say that Khalid should make more films. Hrithik has given a superb performance and the music by A R Rehman and Anu Malik is dramatic. Even Saroj Khan who could not think beyond the pelvic jhatkas has choreographed a mind-blowing taandav nritya.

Supported by the eminent presence of Jaya Bhaduri as Hrithik's grandmother, and stellar performances from the entire cast, the film has no reason to fade away. And if it does well, we know what's in store for us, more stars as brothers and sisters on reel.

Mamta Kulkarni's burqa angers Muslims
The recent appearance of actress Mamta Kulkarni in court wearing a burqa has raised a protest from certain sections of the Muslim community in Mumbai. According to North Mumbai District Muslim League president Gulam Rasul Khan, the actress has misused the burqa during her appearance in the city's Esplanade Court on Friday. Mamta Kulkarni was in court in connection with a hearing of the obscenity case filed against her for posing on the cover of Stardust magazine.

'She has put a black mark on herself after allowing the publication of obscene photographs of herself in an issue of Stardust magazine in 1993. Why does she want a burqa to protect herself from the public now?' Mr Khan questioned. Meanwhile, the Muslim Regional Muslim, in a statement, also warned the actress that if she appeared in the Esplanade Court in a burqa again on August 24 for the next hearing, she would be burnt alive by the party workers of the Muslim League.

And though, according to Raza Academy secretary general Mohammad Saeed Noori, a burqa can be worn by anyone, even a non-Muslim, he said that it was only so long as it did not insult the garment and was used only for protection and not to cause any mischief. Maulana Mansoor Ali Khan, general secretary of the All-India Sunni Jamaat Ulema, has no qualms over Mamta Kulkarni choosing to wear the burqa. Though a burqa is a distinctive garment for Muslims, there is no objection to non-Muslims wearing it either, he said.

When questioned about the actress' photographs in Stardust, he said, 'If a person was on the galat raasta (wrong path) before, but is now coming on the right way, hum to unka istaqbal karenge (we should support them),' he said. If the Muslim League is protesting the same, then it is wrong on its part, he added.

Bollywood hot in Freetown
It's well known that Hindi films are popular with audiences the world over. Despite the language barrier, Hindi films and their songs have managed to strike a chord with people in diverse cultures from Moscow to Cairo these are seen and hummed. Recently, while on a tour of civil war-ravaged Sierra Leone, The Pioneer's scribe-on-spot was amazed to find that in spite of the grave political instability in that country, the people there have the time to watch Hindi films. This ought to be a tribute to Bollywood's escapist formula films. However, what took our special even more by surprise was the Bollywood hero whom the people of Sierra Leone most admire. No, it is not the angry man Amitabh Bachchan for a change, or even honchos like Salman Khan or Hrithtik Roshan. The Sierra Leonese would risk their lives and limbs only to watch Punjab da puttar, Dharmendra. That should please the Indian heart no end.

Juhi Chawla planning to release a music album
Oh, oh, not again. Has Juhi Chawla been smiling and giggling again? Never judge a book by its cover, and never judge Juhi by her chirpiness alone. Behind those sunny smiles lies a wicked sense of humour, and she is regularly giving those one liners. She admits that she's going through a lean phase and giggles aloud: "If my movies don't work, no problem. I'll cut a music album instead." But seriously, she's actually decided to learn classical music, and since she was always fond of singing but couldn't learn it because of her acting career, now was as good a time a time as any. Incidentally, she's also been watching plays. Mahatma vs Gandhi in particular, because Dreamz Unlimited is planning to make their next film based on that play.

Aishwarya next film to be released is "Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai"
After being appreciated for her refreshing performance in Mansoor Khan's "Josh" Aishwarya Rai's next film to be released very soon is Boney Kapoor's "Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai". The film also stars Anil Kapoor and Sonali Bendre. The others films which she is shooting for are "Dhai Akshar Prem Ke" opposite Abhishek Bachchan, Yash Chopra's "Mohabattein" with Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Aaj Ka Devdas" with Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit.

Sunil Shetty confident of winning the best villain award this year
We have seen action heroes doing romantic roles. But what happens when they decide to play negative role ? Yes, it's Sunil Shetty we are talking about In Dharmesh Darshan's Dhadkan, which co-stars Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Mahima, Sunil plays a character with grey shades. After all, he loses his love Shilpa to Akshay Kumar and decides to burn the whole world!! Sunil is dead sure that he is all set to walk away with the best negative performer award this year. Even his Dhadkan tells him so, but what does your Dhadkan say ?

Why Should we watch Hrithiks 4th Film
Ok, so you watched and ogled at Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai. And you’re waiting to do that again with his two new flicks Fiza and Mission Kashmir. Right? We suggest you don’t bother to watch his next two films. No, sweeties, we’ve got nothing against the hunk. We’re just trying to tell you what a certain jyotishi is going around telling everybody in Mumbai — that Hrithik’s fourth film is all set to create history. Apparently, the jyotishiji has done his homework and claims that after painstaking efforts of studying the hunk’s kundali, he has come to the conclusion that Hrit’s stars will once shine when his fourth film hits theatre

While KNPH was his first, Fiza and Mission Kashmir will be his second and third films, Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein will be his fourth. Given the fact that Yaadein is by none other than the showman himself, and Hrithik is pitted opposite Kareena, and of course his very cooperative stars, celestial ones that is, Yaadein has the potential to become another superhit. So, does that mean his ‘stars’ were also responsible for KNPH’s success???