End of the road for Hrithik – Sussanne and more

End of the road for Hrithik – Sussanne
Bollywood’s in an absolute tizzy over the surprise split between hunk Hrithik Roshan and his wife Sussanne Khan. The couple announced the spilt just a few days short of their 13^th wedding anniversary. The duo were dating for four years before they tied the knot Dec 20, 2000, post the success of Hrithik’s debut film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. They have two sons – Hrehaan and Hridhaan.
Sussanne Khan said their separation is based on their “individual choices”. But, they will continue to care for each other and for their two sons. “We are two individuals who respect and care for each other and have made our own individual choices,” Sussanne said in a statement recently. “We are parents to two wonderful kids and our responsibility remains to protect and take care of them. Nothing can change that,” said Sussanne, who is the daughter of veteran actor Sanjay Khan. Sussanne said she would “appreciate if we are given our privacy in such a time,, adding “thank you for your warmth and concern for both of us and the family”.
Hrithik has apparently undergone medical treatment for an unspecified condition at an undisclosed location abroad. The Krrish star has been suffering bouts of headaches and in July, he underwent brain surgery for the removal of a clot at a hospital in Mumbai.
A day after he officially announced the separation, Hrithik took to Facebook to share an emotional update. “Sussanne is and always will be the love of my life for the rest of my life. If her smiles are brighter without me, my love for her must accomplish that. Unconditional,” posted the 39-year-old, who believes this news must not “disempower my fans and the people about the institution of marriage in any way”.
But fans have been quick to voice their disappointment online using Facebook and Twitter, with some hoping that they would reconcile for their childrens’ sake.
Hrithik fell in love at first sight with Sussanne when he saw her at a traffic light in 1996. So is this the end of the road for the couple? Or will they reconcile and walk into their twilight years together? Let’s wait and see…
 
 
All about Aamir
Dhoom 3 is proving to be one of the most anticipated releases of 2013 in Bollywood. But perhaps that’s because Aamir Khan features in the film, and anything that the perfectionist actor does, is a pretty much sure fire success. But Aamir himself has humble thoughts, specially in relation to his rivals in the industry and admits that he doesn’t believe that rivals can’t be friends. He not only adores his contemporary Salman Khan but also believes that Salman is a bigger star for his ability to carry a film solely on his shoulders. “I don’t believe that rivals can’t be friends,” Aamir said in an interview recently. “I believe Salman and I are big stars, and I want both of us to do better and better in our films”.
Aamir, who reinvented himself with Lagaan, has since stuck to the one film in a year rule and all his releases – Rang De Basanti, Fanaa, Ghajini, 3 Idiots, and critically acclaimed Dhobi Ghat – in the last eight years, except for The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey and Talaash, were not only rich in content, but they also hit the jackpot at the box office. Its clear that Aamir emphasises on content, while Salman is for potboilers as can be seen by the action drama Dabangg, a film that appealed to both masses and classes. In the last three years, all his releases, including last year’s Dabangg 2 and Ek Tha Tiger, crossed the Rs.100-crore mark, even though they were panned by the critics.
“Personally, I feel he is a bigger star than me. He has the ability to take a film on his shoulders. I see that in him. I don’t think I have that. I don’t have any hesitation in saying that, because that’s the truth,” said Aamir, praising his colleague. “I am fond of him. I love him. I like people doing good work,” he added.
The actor also claims that any good film starring anyone makes the actor joyous. “I am not that kind of person. I want to do good work, but it doesn’t make me feel bad if someone else does well. I am also an audience and I love to see good work. Good work gives me joy; so I don’t have that sort of competitive spirit in me and I am happy about that,” he said.
Aamir’s first and last release of the year, Dhoom 3, is under the banner of Yash Raj Films, and the actor misses legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra who died last year, rueing the fact that he is not around to see the release of the film. He however equally admires and has “very high regards for Aditya as a producer and director. He is very creative”.
Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, Dhoom 3 also features Katrina Kaif as well as the duo Abhishek Bachchan-Uday Chopra who were in the first two parts as well.
As far as his family goes, Aamir admitted that he would be happy if his daughter Ira joins Bollywood, but says he has no intention of imposing his decision on his children. “I would love that, but I have no idea. I don’t ask them,” Aamir said candidly when asked would he be okay if his daughter joins filmdom. The actor has two children – son Junaid and daughter Ira with his ex-wife Reena, and a son named Azad with his current wife and filmmaker Kiran Rao. “They should do what they feel like doing. No pressure from me or from any of us. If they decide to come to the films, I would like all my children enter films,” he said.
“If they enter a field where I am in, Kiran is in, we will be able to work together, hopefully, and that would give me great amount of joy. So, I would be very happy if my daughter joins the films,” said the 48-year-old actor. It could be a wish come true as Junaid is already assisting director Rajkumar Hirani in Peekay, which stars his dad.
So would he produce Junaid’s film? “Junaid, why not? If he comes up with a good script and if I have the trust and faith in him as a director, then definitely. He will have to satisfy me like any other director,” stated Aamir.
The actor is also open to doing Marathi films, as long as the scripts offered to him are interesting. “I can get along well with Marathi. If I get a good script, why not,” he said. “Language has never been a barrier for me. I have learnt Marathi, so it will help my Marathi (speaking skills), but that’s not why I will do a Marathi film. The material has to excite me,” he added.
Well, that’s the round up for 2013 on Aamir Khan, and it seems that the next year is going to be a busy one for the talented actor. We wish him all the best!
 
 
Going global with Indian cinema
Its rare to have big guns sitting in on the same forum, but NDTV managed it when celebrating the channel’s 25^th anniversary. At the Solutions Summit in New Delhi recent, Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and AR Rahman talked about how Indian cinema can reach out to a global audience.
With divides like mainstream and parallel cinema, single screens and multiplexes, Indian cinema lives under a divide which is a deterrent to its own good, King Khan said, even as Amitabh Bachchan felt the need of the hour is to “blend in” to go global.
“Until we don’t inculcate a habit of collaborations, we won’t be able to inch towards global cinema,” stated Shah Rukh, adding that it is important to be able to give to the world what it understands, in order to be accepted. “If you want to be a part of global cinema, you have to tell what you want to tell, show the emotions which you want to show, but you have to put it in the way the world wants to see it,” he added.
Also on the panel were veterans like Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman and Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman.
Rahman said he finds himself in a situation when different things are expected from him in India and on foreign shores. “I have been a victim of this. What is considered to be good here, is not good there… I have to switch between the two. However, there are some things which are common as well,” he said.
Amitabh, 71, who made his Hollywood debut with The Great Gatsby earlier this year, agreed with the fact that Indian cinema is unique, but added that we need to try and “blend in” with the west to be global. He attributes this to the work of the current generation of actors and filmmakers, who are putting in efforts to make Indian cinema visible to the world. “Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar are responsible in bringing commercial cinema to where it is now. The way they have marketed it has helped us a lot. I think that was a point when Indian cinema became global,” he added.
Both the Big B and SRK are also united in the thought that the ‘Rs.100 crore club’ is a mere nomenclature. “This is just a nomenclature, which is media created,” Amitabh said emphatically. Shah Rukh agreed and said that those who are serious about the business need to think about much more.
“The true people who are really interested in the business of cinema, and talk about Rs.1000 crore. This Rs.100 crore and Rs.200 crore will keep changing. For a regular commercial film with a certain level of stardom, Rs.100 crore is just the base,” he said.
Several films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express, Bhaag Milkh Bhaag, Krrish 3 and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela have managed to surpass the Rs.100 crore mark in 2013, and SRK’s Chennai Express minted a staggering Rs.216 crore. Mere nomenclature!
The forum was made even more interesting when the four panellists got up to do a jig on Rahman’s ‘Jai Ho!’ at the end of the summit. King Khan began the trend by doing a few steps to the tune of the song, and asked Waheeda to join him. The highlight of the impromptu jig was when Shah Rukh and Big B danced to some of the latter’s signature steps. Certainly a show to make a song and dance about!
 
Serious statement, not rom-com
Filmmaker Karan Johar is annoyed that his forthcoming production Hasee Toh Phasee is being labelled as a romantic comedy. He believes this would trivialise the film’s content. “I think sometimes when we call a film a rom-com, we tend to slot it. Hasee Toh Phasee is not a rom-com. It is actually a film about two characters and their journey and the way they find themselves within the world they actually meet in,” the 41-year-old said at the film’s first look launch.
“The film has a lot to do with the families, their journeys. By calling it a rom-com, we are trivialising the content of the film. Hasee Toh Phasee is a coming of age story of two people in a very warm environment,” he added. Directed by Vinil Matthew, the film stars Siddharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra in the lead. The actress is excited about her role, as she plays a mad scientist, but she can’t say much. “I wish I could tell you everything about my role. I play a scientist who is actually a little mad. It’s something that I have never seen on screen,” the 25-year-old said. The promo shows Parineeti in different looks and she says the film will surprise the audience with what it has to offer.
“The film has much more than what we can show in the trailer. I can assure you that you will get a big surprise when you see the film,” she said.
Well, let’s hope the madness works for Parineeti and the movie!