Blog Archive
January 30th, 2006 - March 25th, 2006
"Bollywood Stars are Known for Their Late Arrivals"
 "Bollywood
Stars Take Melbourne by Storm" headlines The Hindu newspaper,
with a photo of former Miss Universe Lara Dutta by the Yarra River. Also in
Melbourne are Saif Ali Khan, "the heartthrob of Indian cinema," and
Aishwarya Rai, former Miss World and star of "Bride and Prejudice." All will
appear at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony tomorrow night.
With a touch of sarcasm, the
DNA India
website says:
The closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on Sunday
will feature a dash of Delhi, delivered by way of Bollywood razzmatazz, in a
preview of the next edition of the sporting event.
The window to Delhi will also reveal a team of politicians and babus who may
not even be there when the capital hosts the Games in 2010.
But local Melbourne paper The Age headlines a report of a press
conference held by the Indian delegation as "Bolly
Disappointing:"
While India's athletes have been impressive gathering gold at the Games,
the stars of India's silver screen failed to make it to the podium.
Literally, in one case.
Indian actress and former Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta never emerged from
her hotel room to join the rollcall of Bollywood's finest, working hard to
spruik Delhi 2010 to the media.
The Bollywood actress and star of tomorrow's closing ceremony was "on her
way", according to a publicist but Dutta failed to arrive by the time the
conference ended an hour later, frustrating the hungry photographer pack
keen to capture the Indian beauty's smouldering looks on film.
The eight remaining stars of the "Bollywood briefing" — including producer
and director of the closing ceremony's Indian segment Viraf Sarkari,
Bollywood heart-throb Saif Ali Khan whose hit film "Salaam Namaste" was shot
in Melbourne, and 21-year-old Bollywood beauty Isha Sherwani — arrived over
a period of about an hour, pushing back the midday start to just before 1pm.
"I'm so sorry," the publicist flustered as journalists sat fidgeting in
their seats. "Bollywood stars are known for their late arrivals."
March 25th, 2006
Sunday Night Bollywood Dazzle
MISS World 1994 Aishwarya Rai will lead more than 800 Indian dancers at the
Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. The
Herald Sun reports:
The green-eyed Bollywood star will be joined by popular actor Rani
Mukherjee when the baton is passed to New Delhi for the 2010 Games.
Saif Ali Khan, who starred in "Salaam Namaste" (Hi, Hello!) which was filmed
in Melbourne, will also dance in the Chalo Delhi (Let's Go To Delhi) segment
of the closing show on Sunday.
Sunidhi Chauhan, who fronts Bollywood in the Bowl tomorrow night, will don
her best orange sari to perform one song.
"It's going to be a celebration of India. It will be representative of the
energy, colour and exuberance that everyone associates with India," an
organiser said yesterday.
"We are hoping that all the four Miss World and Miss Universe winners that
have come out of India will be there."
More than 400 dancers will fly in for the dazzling display while 400 others
will come from Melbourne.
"They have been rehearsing for two to three months," the organiser said. "It
will be very well choreographed by leading Indian choreographer Shaimak
Davar."
March 24th, 2006
Bollywood Meets Tap
I've never heard of the local group "Bollywood Meets Tap," and I can't find
any reference to them on the internet. But they
impressed our premier, while visiting Commonwealth Games events:
THE hypnotic rhythm of Bollywood greeted Victorian Premier Steve Bracks
to Ballarat's Commonwealth Games live site in Camp St yesterday.
Mr Bracks visited Ballarat to watch the Commonwealth Games basketball at the
Minerdome and then watched Indian-style dancers at the live site.
"I think it's magnificent," Mr Bracks said.
....The Bollywood Meets Tap dancers, third year students at the University
of Ballarat's Arts Academy, clearly impressed Mr Bracks.
After the performance he spoke to the dancers, and had high praise, saying
they could do well either here in Australia or in Bollywood's home of India.
March 21st, 2006
Bollywood South
 The Commonwealth Games are launched tomorrow night here in
Melbourne, and will run for 10 days. Then comes the closing ceremony, which
apparently will feature some Bollywood show stoppers. A big Bollywood show
is also planned for the city. Sometimes it feels that Melbourne has been
transformed into Bollywood South.
Here are a few items I've come across recently:
- The Fijivillage.com website reports that Fijian competitors at the Games
are excited at the chance to see their
Bollywood idols:
Team Fiji will get a chance to watch the Bollywood and Hollywood stars
during the Commonwealth Games.
It could be a dream come true for the athletes and officials who depart for
Melbourne on Sunday.
But they can only see them after their competitions have finished.
Commonwealth Games organisers have confirmed that Bollywood stars Ashwarya
Rai [picture above], Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherji will have a special item during the
closing ceremony on 26th March.
- "Melbourne
rocks to Indian beats" reports the Press Trust of India.
- Under the headline "Dave's
Synchronised Bollywood," the official Melbourne 2006 Games website
reports that:
Bollywood is coming to Melbourne - when India's Avani Dave performs her
synchronised swimming routine to the Hindi song Badi Mushkil.
The rhythmic routine in the solo event will showcase the 14 year old swimmer
from Mumbai. With Delhi hosting the next Games, the Indian team is looking
to give spectators a taste of 2010.
- "Melbourne
streets abuzz with sounds of India" reports the Hindustan Times.
- Games organizers are promoting next week's
Bollywood at the Bowl as:
An all-singing, all-sashaying, all-sari spectacular!
For one night only, the spirit of Mumbai descends upon the Bowl in the
beguiling form of Bollywood singing sensation Sunidhi Chauhan and her
red-hot troupe of Indian musicians and dancers. An idol in her own country,
the gorgeous Sunidhi will unleash her stunning voice for an evening of
Indian exuberance straight out of the movies in this Bollywood spectacular
especially created and choreographed for Festival Melbourne2006.
So shake out your sari, break out your Bombay bloomers and prepare to burst
into perfectly synchronised dance routines at the drop of a hat, when
Sunidhi and her gang take centre stage with their infectious songs, lavish
choreography and sumptuous Indian costumes.
With a special guest appearance by the irrepressibly joyous Jaipur Kawa
Brass Band, all the way from the Pink City of Rajasthan, Bollywood at the
Bowl will be an unforgettable night of high-spirited high jinks,
Indian-style.
- A series of
Indian events in Melbourne will include a Bollywood film festival
March 14th, 2006
Hottie Tania's Mango Chutney Glow
"Glam hottie" Tania Zaetta reveals her
beauty secrets in a breathless Hindustan Times mini-interview.
According to the paper:
Hot, sultry, glamorous, enigmatic are words that best describe
Bollywood's glam hotties. Be it wacky or sensuous, they have gone out of the
way to create their own statements.
So, how do these sex goddesses maintain their body of work? The style divas
reveal some fitness fundas that can make you sweat!
And Tania's secret?
This hottie is complete fitness freak. I skip to keep fit. Besides that
what brings glows on my skin is mango chutney and coconut water, which I
take regularly.
March 10th, 2005
Bollywood - Bringing Australia and India Together
The NineMSN website this morning carries a long feature on Australian
attempts to woo
more Bollywood film-makers, and to encourage Indian tourism to
Australia. An excerpt:
On a four-day visit to boost trade with India, Prime Minister John Howard
met some of the cast and crew of the hit musical ["Salaam Namaste"].
Despite previously confessing to a soft spot for British crime drama "Midsomer
Murders," Mr Howard showed himself to be a man of varied tastes, proclaiming
he and his wife, Janette, had "enjoyed immensely" a viewing of the movie.
Producer Yash Chopra, an Indian film veteran, was effusive about what
Australia has to offer the film community.
"See the film, see the real Australia," he said.
"We're really happy it was shot there." Mr Chopra praised the government
assistance given to filmmakers.
"It's a great thing, the cooperation of the government," he said.
Australian celebrity Tania Zaetta, best known for her adventure program "Who
Dares Wins," has reinvented her career in Bollywood and is one of the stars
of "Salaam Namaste."
The 33-year-old, of Australian and Italian heritage, told the Howards the
film was helping peoples from both countries learn more about each other.
"It's nice to be bridging the gap between the two countries," Ms Zaetta
said.
"Now Australia has become a little obsessed with Bollywood."
Mr Howard said he believed the growing international appeal of Bollywood was
one of the factors helping put India on the global map.
"It's extraordinary, the coverage of the (Indian movie) industry," he told
Mr Chopra, who in turn invited the prime minister to attend an Indian film
festival in Australia later in the year.
And Mr Howard agrees the Bollywood effect is not just economic.
"It's helped to bring the two countries closer," he said.
March 9th, 2006
John Howard in Bollywood
Aussie Prime Minister John Howard has called on Bollywood to shoot more
movies in Australia. He also met Tania Zaetta. According to
The Age:
 Bollywood
actor Tania Zaetta - originally a Melbourne girl of Italian extraction -
dresses in saris off the set only for special occasions.
Yesterday was quite special because she was meeting Mr and Mrs John Howard.
So her girlfriend helped her with the sari, telling her she was making it
very tight - so there would not be any disaster if a prime ministerial foot
happened to tread on her hem. But it was all smooth and jolly when the
Howards met the actors from Bollywood's "Salaam Namaste," which was shot
last year in Melbourne.
Janette Howard, the ever-faithful Sydneysider, told producer Yash Chopra
that perhaps he could do his next film in Sydney.
The vivacious Zaetta, who arrived just as Mr Howard started speaking to his
business lunch, told him later that hearing his Aussie accent had put a
smile on her face.
The Prime Minister said Bollywood had come to Australia with up to 40 films
using Australian backdrops. It had helped bring the two countries together.
Mr and Mrs Howard had watched the movie on their way to India, and said they
had enjoyed it.
They were given a copy and Mr Howard promised Mr Chopra he would make time
for the Indian film festival when it came to Australia in October.
....Mr Howard and his Government hope Australia will be attractive for more
Indian movies.
They believe movies could also help interest more Indians in Australia as a
tourist destination.
"I come to this city and am reminded of the extraordinary contribution of
India to film and other aspects of entertainment," Mr Howard said.
"The Australian Government looks forward to a deeper association between
Australia and the Indian film industry in the future."
March 8th, 2006
Aussie PM off to Bollywood
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, currently on an official visit to
India, plans to drop in to Bollywood.
The Age reports:
Mr Howard will fly from New Delhi to Mumbai, the nation's commercial and
entertainment capital, where he will address a business luncheon.
He will have a change of pace when he meets some of the cast and the
director of "Salaam Namaste," which stars Australian Tania Zaetta.
Australia is keen to encourage Indian film-makers Down Under, believing it
will also lure Indian holiday-makers.
"The Indian entertainment industry is accessing Australia's expertise in
film production and services - and featuring Australian cities in its
movies, which must now be familiar to many Indian moviegoers," Mr Howard
said in a speech.
"Around 40 Indian films have now been shot in Australia since 1998, which
can only bring our countries and cultures closer together."
March 7th, 2006
Memories to Last a Lifetime
Looking for a chance to strut your Bollywood stuff? Organizers of the "Bollywood
at the Bowl" spectacular planned for Melbourne on March 25th are searching
for dancers.
They say:
If successful you will be required to attend rehearsals
every day from Monday 13 March 2006 till the performance on Saturday 25th
March 2006. Rehearsals will be from 6pm til 10pm on weekdays and 10am till
5pm on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19th March. Dedicated commitment is required
during the rehearsal period: 13 to 25 March 2006 Successful applicants will
receive a daily allowance to cover expenses, several stunning costumes that
will be made to measure in India and memories to last a lifetime.
March 3rd, 2006
Booked by Bollywood
.jpg) Where
do the Bollywood stars turn when they need to learn the
newest hairstyles? Well, if you can believe the gossipy and somewhat
condescending "Adelaide Confidential" column in the Adelaide Advertiser
newspaper, they'll be calling on the services of local Adelaide hairdresser
Damien Rinaldo.
He's just left Australia for eight days in India, under contract to Loreal.
According to the newspaper:
It seems the salon folk in India want to learn more about the urban
European style Damien regularly uses.
He'll be performing haircuts in the top salons and talking other stylists
through the procedure with his cuts.
Even Bollywood has booked him for a couple of days.
"With their movies, they still use a lot of the old Hollywood look with the
big curls," he says. "I suppose they want to progress from there a bit."
February 27th, 2006
Bollywood Extravaganza for Melbourne
The Sify news website gives us a taste of what we can expect here in
Melbourne for next month's
Bollywood spectacular during the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth
Games:
The personalities include Aishwarya Rai, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji,
Lara Dutta, Isha Sharvani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal, Shankar-Ehsan-Loy
and also percussionists Taufiq Quereshi and Sivamani. Adding some more
colors to the event will be 408 dancers from Shaimak Davar’s troupe. Also,
talks are on to make Aamir Khan a part of the event.
Not too much is being revealed about the performance. However, according to
sources it will be an eleven minute extravaganza. The team of Shankar-Ehsaan-
Loy have composed a special track titled ‘Chalo Delhi’ for the occasion. The
lyrics have been penned by Javed Akhtar. Shaimak Davar will choreograph the
entire show.
February 25th, 2006
Shake Out Your Sari - Sunidhi Chauhan Coming to Melbourne
 As
part of the Commonwealth Games celebrations here in Melbourne next month,
star singer Sunidhi Chauhan will give a concert at the Sidney Myer Music
Bowl. It
sounds exciting:
For one night only, the spirit of Mumbai descends upon the Bowl in the
beguiling form of Bollywood singing sensation Sunidhi Chauhan and her
red-hot troupe of Indian musicians and dancers. An idol in her own country,
the gorgeous Sunidhi will unleash her stunning voice for an evening of
Indian exuberance straight out of the movies in this Bollywood spectacular
especially created and choreographed for Festival Melbourne2006.
So shake out your sari, break out your Bombay bloomers and prepare to burst
into perfectly synchronized dance routines at the drop of a hat, when
Sunidhi and her gang take centre stage with their infectious songs, lavish
choreography and sumptuous Indian costumes. With a special guest appearance
by the irrepressibly joyous Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, all the way from the
Pink City of Rajasthan, Bollywood at the Bowl will be an unforgettable night
of high-spirited high jinks, Indian-style.
February 24th, 2006
Beware the Bollywood Casting Couch
Tania Zaetta tells the Indian Express
how to make
it in Bollywood. A few excerpts:
 Never
believe anyone who says ‘Sleep with me, I’ll make you a star’. It’s never
going to happen. Researching the people involved in the film is important.
Ask others in the industry, surf the net. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories
about the industry’s casting couch, but have never been in a bad situation
because I’m quite the research queen.
...Sex sells. But when you’re a foreigner trying to make it in Bollywood,
don’t buy that, however hard they try and convince you. Many film companies
in India seem to have the impression that foreign girls walk around only in
bikinis. Don’t get talked into wearing skimpy clothes for every role or
scene. If I play a prostitute, I will wear mini skirts and show cleavage,
but that’s only because the role demands it.
You didn’t see me wearing a bikini and dancing around a pole so far because
I wanted to have a reputation as an actor instead of a dancer. I didn’t want
to be stereotyped as an item girl and not get any serious acting roles after
that.
February 20th, 2006
Shah Rukh Khan Fan Club
 I've
received an email from Sandi, an Aussie who runs several
Shah Rukh Khan internet fan clubs. Another one is
here. She's looking for more Aussie
fans.
February 8th, 2006
New Links Page
A while back I compiled a short guide, "Bollywood
Dance Classes Around Australia." About one of the dance schools (I won't
mention which one) I wrote that the website included "annoying music." I've
now received a polite email from the owner of that particular school
expressing concern at my words. And on reflection I realise it was a
somewhat rude and pretty unnecessary thing to say. So I've removed those
words.
The owner has suggested to me exchanging links, and I recalled that when I
started this website I intended a Links page, but never got around to it.
Anyway, I've started one now,
here. I'd like
to include any website with a Bollywood-Down-Under connection, so please let
me know if you think you should be included.
February 6th, 2006
Blogger Blair Blitzes Bollywood
Aussie blogger king
Tim Blair
makes his own Bollywood movie. You can watch it
here.
January 30th, 2006
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