India's largest entertainment convention the FICCI Frames is back with a bang! The biggest of the names from Bollywood, Hollywood and the Indian corporate sector will mull over the future of the film industry at Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai from 16-18th March 2010. Adding glitz to the annual event will be a power packed line of international speakers, renowned Hollywood producer Lawrence Bender, Hollywood scriptwriter Steven De Souza, The French Film Commissions' Franck Priot and Bollywood stalwarts like Karan Johar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Bose, Anurag Kashyap and others. FICCI Frames' Digital Media partner Hungama Digital Media Entertainment and Lawrence Bender will also hold a special screening of Bender's latest film, Countdown to Zero. Bender's films have, over the past 20 years, been nominated for 29 Academy Awards (including three for Best Picture) and have won five. His recent films include Inglorious Basterds and An Inconvenient Truth. Bender's latest Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs. With its newfound global recognition, the Indian films industry is a front runner in international business interest. Says renowned Bollywood screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey, who will also be speaking at Frames this year, "Like any other cultural export i.e. literature, heritage, even our films can be the ambassadors of our country. The power of Indian cinema is more than any other power in this country." Citing the example of Slumdog Millionaire, Pandey adds, "Though Slumdog Millionaire was not completely an Indian film, it exposed India to the whole world. We have all the capabilities including the right talent, stories and expertise which can take the industry to the top. All that we need is the right sensibility and a global perspective of film making." Instituted by FICCI and organized with the aim of positioning the Indian entertainment industry, the annually held FICCI Frames is amongst the premier in the business conventions in the country.

Readers may recollect that Bollywood Hungama had reported that 'X-Shades', the leading name in eyewear, after having roped in Sanjay Dutt, has now roped in the Sunil 'Macho Man' Shetty as well as the hottie Bruna Abdullah as their brand ambassadors. Speaking exclusively to Bollywood Hungama about this association, Sujit Jain, Director Shades Lifestyle Ltd. said, "We thought that along with design and quality, we needed to create an aspirational value for the brand. What could be better than joining hands with style icons like Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty." One wonders if any Bollywood director plans to cast the three actors together in a film.

Priyadarshan is one director who has the highest success rate in Bollywood currently. He has tried his hands in almost all genres of films and come out as a winner. It is this same man, who has now signed a three-film deal with Percept Picture Company (PPC). As a part of the deal, the prolific filmmaker will be now directing 3 films namely AIDS, Grrr (horror movie) and a sequel to the laugh riot Malamaal Weekly, story and screenplay of which are ready for the film, while the production schedule is to be finalized soon. As far as Grrr is concerned, insiders say that it's an out and out action packed thriller about a beastly ghost in the jungle. It pounces on its prey from the darkness... a blur of orange and black. No one has seen it and whoever did... has never came back to tell the tale. All in all, it simply means its jingle all the way for both, the viewers as well as Priyadarshan himself!

After Sanjay Gadhvi's proposed Parisian romance 7 Days & 7 Nights In Paris which apparently has now been relocated to Punjab, we now have the Rajeev Khandelwal starrer Joker being relocated from New Zealand to Ooty at the eleventh hour. The emotional father-son story directed by Kumar Gaurav's cousin Vikram Tuli, featuring Rajeev with the 5-year old Shrey Bawa was supposed to be shot from the end of January to the middle of February in New Zealand. But the film's main drama has now been shot in Ooty. Rajeev feels the shift of location makes no difference to the essential emotions of the film. He has never felt more challenged as an actor. Quips Rajeev, "That's because I've never had a more challenging co-star. Shrey Bawa who plays my son is just 5. But he's a veteran compared with me. He has done innumerable ads. And he played Priyanka Chopra and Bobby Deol's son in Dostana. He gives me the shivers. I just can't keep up with him." Apparently, the Bawa boy is so brilliant he makes Rajeev fumble with his lines. In the dramatic scenes, Rajeev often has to ask for retakes. Bawa gets its right the first time. Says Rajeev, "This is a very emotional father-son story. Many times I get too choked to say my dialogues. But Shrey never slips up. He's the best actor I've worked with." Where does that leave Prachi Desai who plays Rajeev's love interest in Joker? Rajeev is mighty excited by the new jodi. "Prachi and I go back a long way. We were both part of Ekta Kapoor's Balaji soaps. Now when I see us together in this film I wonder why no one thought of casting us together before." Rajeev has also signed a film to be produced by Nariman Irani's production house who had done the original Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Don. Entitled Taiynaat the Khandelwal starrer will be directed by debutant Ehsan Hyder. This would be the fourth film of Rajeev's career and all four with debutant directors. "And there's a fifth debutant director Vibhu Puri coming up in Chenab Gandhi," Rajeev says happily.

Remember the horror flick that made you jump off your seat. The one where every time something invisible used to shock Bipasha Basu, you would feel eerie too. Yes! We are talking about Raaz. The one that was directed by none other than Vikram Bhatt. After his film1920, he is now yet again ready to release the spooks with Shaapit. This time again like 1920, the film will have newcomers, namely, Udit Narayan's son Aditya Narayan and Shweta Agarwal. Has Vikarm taken a penchant for spine chillers, here is your chance to put your curiosity to rest as we bring this director with a will to stand apart right here at Bollywood Hungama's Celebrity Video chat. So get your questions ready and login on Wednesday, March 10, at 1500 hrs IST.

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After working with two hottest actresses of Bollywood Kareena Kapoor in JAB WE MET and Deepika Padukone in LOVE AAJ KAL, it seems the self-effacing filmmaker Imtiaz Ali now planning to work with, yet another B-town hottie, the effervescent Genelia D'souza. Buzz is that, recently the director-actor duo were spotted at a suburban coffee shop absorbed in a detailed conversation. However nothing has been confirmed yet, but the chances are quite bright about Genelia being a part of...

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Favourite among four It was a good clash at box office with not just two but four movies While most of them were offbeat flicks audience's heart went out for Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge making this entertainer the top earner in comparison to the rest The movie opened at - managing Rs - crore approx in day one And it had a good first weekend of around Rs crore approx the film has all chances to recover its costs  ...more