An Indian documentary filmmaker has been taken into custody and jailed for unlawfully carrying brass knuckles (which are regarded as unlawful in Texas) in his checked airport baggage. If reports are to be believed, he would be kept under police custody without being granted the bail, until the time the matter is concluded.

Vijay Kumar, the concerned person faced detention by the security officials at the airport. He was on his way to land in Canada on the 20th of August, where he was speculated to have carried unwanted baggage. To add on to that, he was acting in a suspicious manner and was studying “jihadist” as a part of his literature.

As far as the statement from his attorney (Grant Scheiner) is concerned, Vijay was given the invitation to come to Houston and be a participant in an Indian conference which was based on various aspects of Islamic fundamentalists. As far as the books are concerned, they were only meant for educational purpose.

At the same time, it has also been confirmed by the attorney that the accusation was upgraded to a third-degree assault because he was under allegations of carrying the brass knuckles. Now he has to stay in custody for a misdemeanor, essentially.

The attorney has confirmed that his client is not bad. It is just that he committed an honest mistake about the regulations. He read that it is fair to carry brass knuckles on planes in checked luggage. But there was no where written that the same are allowed on carry bags too.

The surrealistic world always catches our vision much faster than any other aspect present in our daily life. This is true especially for those movie buffs who like dark tales such as those of vampires and werewolves. Although, these fictional characters are portrayed just like any other fairy tale with a twist or in their usual formats to scare the audiences, these flicks tend to stand out however the general reception to the movie is.

Commonly known as “the Undead”, vampires are supposed to be the eternally young immortals that sway their preys (humans) by alluring them. Despite being the bad guys, there is something about these creatures which tends to attract the audience to these movies.

The legends, myths and folklore which have created these stories lean to bring about the ancient worlds to life which is usually described with these stories. And so, it is a chance to see that beautiful and the customs and traditions which was very different from what it is now. However, to add to the flavor, you sure would find an amalgamation of the past and present in the form of action and gadgets. So, for all those vampire movie lovers, here is a list of five movies that you sure would want to watch (incase you have not seen as yet!)

• Twilight Series: The movies are for sure the current favorite portraying the softer side of the vampires. With Eclipse released worldwide, the twilight mania is definitely on! Popular actor and the current favorite of the youth worldwide, Robert Pattinson is sure treat to watch as the 108 years old vampire falling in love with a human girl. Based on the best sellers by Stephanie Meyers, it has surely given a treat to our surreal worlds.
• Underworld: This action-packed movie featuring Kate Beckinsale as a Death Dealer who kills werewolves (Lycans) is a must watch for all the action buffs. The film was appreciated for its gothic visuals and for Beckinsale’s performance as centuries old worked out vampire but did not quite work with the critics. However, it is definitely our second best for being an action-vampire flick with a female vampire as the lead protagonist.
• Interview with a Vampire: Based on the vampire novel with the same name, written by Anna Rice, this was the first novel which brought the character of Lestat to life. The movie stars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, so you can expect to watch some of the hottest vampires on screen. The movie was one of the top grosser and landed at the top spot in the US Box Office at the opening weekend in 1994. It was also nominated for Best Art Decoration/Set Decoration and for the Best Original Score.
• Queen of the Damned: Another movie from the stables of Anna Rice’s “The Vampire Chronicles”, it was the film of Aaliyah who died six months before the movie was released. This movie takes another turn from the usual with a lead vampire as the high profiled rock star. Perfect entertainment with all the spices added for all the vampire movie buffs.
• Van Helsing: If you like a bit of horror along with some action, this movie is for you. Starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, the film is about the Gabriel Van Helsing who is a monster hunter. The film grossed double its budget, however did not receive the much expected critical reception. But it does make for a good vampire flick for all those wishing to relax and enjoy.

Keeping the movies aside, do not miss out on “True blood” which is currently on air HBO. It stars Anna Paquin as Sookie, a telepathic waitress in love with Bill Compton, a vampire played by Stephen Moyer. Currently in its second season, the first season was critically acclaimed winning several awards. Do tune in and let us incase you have more movies to share!

Are you one of those guys who keep looking at the poster of Shah Rukh Khan with an amazing six pack body hanging on your room wall and keep dreaming about the same for yourself? But excruciating and painful workouts gives you a chill making your dream of well-toned six pack body as a distant dream. Are you upset about not being able to have that fit body which you can flaunt by wearing those skin-fit branded t-shirts?

Well, there is good news for all such guys as recently a new way has come up to help you get those six packs the easy way. Many cosmetic surgery centres has introduced a way based on some medication and surgery called injection lipolysis to get those six-packs easily. But for that, you need to empty your pockets as it is quite an expensive treatment. The entire treatment would cost you about ninety thousand rupees depending on certain aspects such as the person’s initial body weight and other health factors. The cost depends on each individual as well as the center’s fees.

Dr. Thomas, a senior surgeon at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital said that on an average he receives about twenty to thirty clients every month who come to his hospital to get those six packs in a pain free manner. Most of his clients are basically the aspiring actors or models who want to make a mark in their field .And six-pack with well toned fit body is the current demand of both the above professions. An actor or a model with a toned body definitely has an upper hand in comparison to someone who does not have.

But many young boys are also running in this rat race as they feel that six packs is the measurement of their fitness level. Having a six-pack body is a demand of growing trend and there are many youngsters who want to remain trendy and up beat with the latest fashion. Youngsters, especially college goers really do not mind hitting gyms for long hours everyday and surviving on crash diets to get that look and muscular body.

The craze of six-pack abs grew with Shah Rukh khan in his movie “Om Shanti Om” where in his abs were the much-talked about issue. Definitely Shah Rukh‘s six-packs really helped the movie to be promoted in a huge way but this has left a deep impact on commoners who are following his steps. After Mr. Khan, almost every struggling actor or model is going for those six-packs as if this is the shortest road for them to become an overnight celebrity. From Aamir in Ghajini (he went one step ahead by getting eight packs) to the latest Imran Khan in his recent movie “I Hate Luv Storys”, all have flaunted  their body to get the maximum attention from female-fans.

Today, the perception of health and fitness has really changed as the latest mantra of the upcoming generation is ‘Lean Is In’ for both girls and boys. Lean body is taken as a fit body even if it is acquired by doing painful workouts and taking crash diets. Being lean is not bad but affecting your mental or physical health at the cost of merely having trendy looks is definitely not very appreciating. Practically speaking, models and actors need that kind of look as their profession demands it but maybe it is not very important for regular people. Six packs or size zero cannot be the measurement of health and fitness. Fitness is beyond all this and commoners must understand this point and stop running after such trends which may prove unhealthy and stressful to them.

The movie is releasing on Friday, and I am so excited to watch the movie that I decided to devote one full article on its name. More than watching the real life jodi Aishwarya and Abhishek on the golden screen, I am excited to watch the role of Govinda in the movie, who is speculated to play the role of the modern “Hanuman” in the movie. But it will still remain a mystery as to what the actor will potray in the movie until and unless we don’t watch the movie on its release date: 18th June 2010.

Mani Ratnam’s exotic ad fresh version of Ramayana has already become the talk of the town since a lot of time now. Just like Hanuman in Ramayana helped Ram to find his wife Sita, abducted by Raavan, similarly Govinda in this movie is speculated to help Vikram’s character Dev to find Aishwarya (this time, the name is Ragini and not Sita) to get her out from the hands of Abhishek Bachchan (Beera). Govinda is playing the role of a forest officer.

It would be interesting to see how the real life husband portrays the character of “Raavan” for his real spouse Aishwarya Rai Bachchan! Would he be able to manage the character well, or will the movie see the similar fate, just like other mythological depictions have seen in the past!

Just before the release of the movie, reports say that Govinda’s role has been cropped at many places, leaving him with just certain bits here and there. He was also not present at the music launch of the movie, hence making out the news clear that there is some drift going on between the actor as well as the director. Hearing these speculations, Ratnam went on to deny all such reports, stating that the actor’s role has been crafted in accordance with the script. Praising his role, Ratnam said Govinda added meat to his role and blended perfectly into the role as a forest official.

All said and done, until and unless, one does not sees the movie, he would have no idea as to how characters are chosen and perfectly blended into the characters, with Govinda being one of them.

And folks, just because I concentrated more on Govinda in this piece, don’t forget the excellent duo of Ash and Abhishek guys. And not to forget Vikram! I am definitely going for the movie! What about you?

Actor Vijayakumar committed a visa spam and hence faced a recent arrest by the Kalamassery police. He has been blamed for committing visa related fraud, hence taking money from people by offering them visas for various countries.

The south Indian actor has been blamed for taking a heavy price of Rs 7 lakh from two different clients and promising them visas for the United Kingdom and United States of America.

Reports say that Thiruvananthapauram resident Louise D’Cruz gave Rs.3.5 lakh to the accused, asking him to provide him with a US visa. The amount was never collected directly, rather provided in separate portions starting from June 2007. The matter of spam came into existence when the victim lodged a complaint with the Kalamassery police station in the year 2009. The police confirmed that the actor was unable to commit his promise, hence failing to provide the visa on time. In another scam, the actor also collected a heavy price of Rs 4.19 lakh from a resident of Kochi, who he promised to give a UK visa right in his hand!

The later victim, Muraleedharan complained that the movies star failed to fulfill the promise after collecting the money from him. Therefore, a complain was filed against him.

Also, the actor has been accused of a crime related to theft of Rs. 25 lakh but investigations are under their way as no charges have been proved yet. He has been living in his sister’s place since his involvement in the theft case.

Gone are the days when comedy was considered the most difficult genre in cinema. Especially, I caught saying many of Bollywood actors confessing that doing comedy onscreen has been one the most difficult acts they have ever attempted. But, do you really feel the same thing, considering the present scenario in Bollywood? I mean, today a director thinks any actor (rather lower paid actors) can fit the bill in comedy movies. I must appreciate the guts of such Tom, Dick and Harry who bothers to attempt comedy.

Comedy is, I guess, one of the most widely accepted genres in Indian cinema, especially Bollywood. Because, comedy movies are fun and you can come out of the hall after watching them with a light heart. No tragedy, no hard-hitting social issues…just fun, fun and fun! After all, these movies are made in an intention to make everybody laugh, though there are some movies that give us a message at the end. And that’s very appreciable!

Of late, a host of Bollywood comedy movies have been released. Honesty speaking, none of them bears that aura that a typical Bollywood-style comedy is expected to have. Remember classics like Amol Palekar starrer Gol Maal; Chupke Chupke that has Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan as lead actors; Sunil Dutt starrer Padosan and Aamir Khan and Salman Khan starrer Andaaz Apna Apna. Do you think today’s comedy movies are comparable to these classics?

Whom to blame? Directors, or actors? Partially both. Directors just think that having a few popular faces in a movie can make it a huge hit. Unfortunately, they are wrong proven. New age audience is not brainless and it wants meaningful stuff in a movie. Today, the audience is more concerned about their money and thus wants that a movie must be a paisa vasool! For example, as an audience I would enjoy a movie, which has a Rajpal Yadav or a Paresh Rawal, rather than enjoying a movie that has a more popular actor or a star.

Secondly, there is a vast difference between the cinematic approach of today’s and yester year’s directors. Legendary directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee had given some of the most successful comedy movies in Bollywood and those still captivate the charisma. Even now given a choice, we would definitely ask for these classics, rather than watching a new-age comedy.

Thirdly, there is no point in putting a lot of characters in a movie if the scriptwriter and directors cannot do justice to each of them. Such is the situation in most new-age comedy movies. There is unnecessary messiness…and most importantly, this thing tends to make you deviate from the main story. Sometimes I doubt if a director is working without a script? Does he extend the story in the process of shooting? You never know!

I hope Bollywood directors are not losing their charm or losing their grip at comedy? I wish to see directors come up with good scripts with laughable (because most of today’s comedy do not make us laugh) comedy in the near future!

Hey I know that there is that special song in everyone’s life which holds the capacity to create shivers down your blood every single time you hear it. A song that reminds you of that special someone or the moments you spent together with him/her in the past. It may be a song which brings out the true meaning of your life or may be the one which depicts your mood… I mean it can be any song.

I have so many friends around me and there is not a single person who does not relate with a particular song. Everyone has a story to tell… a story which brings the memories of that special someone right in front of their eyes, every single time they hear that song. Let us start with some of the favorites of these people in my life.

This particular girl who sits next to me is extremely fond of Twilight songs that she can even kill someone just to hear that particular chord of Iris in her ipod. Another one on her favorite list is Poets of the Fall, but here I am not sure whether she has that someone special in her mind when she listens to these songs and I won’t go into details also, otherwise she would kill me! Next comes someone who never forgets to listen to the song from Jagjit Singh’s album “Tere Bare Mein Socha Na Tha” (from the album Seher) every single day. And it’s been years and years since this guy has been hearing this song, a song which reminds him of his would be wife. Next comes another colleague who is suffering from the fetish of “Ek Meetha Sa Dard Dene” by Mohit Chauhan and it will take her some time to come out of this phobia. I know that! Let us move to another such EFFECTED personality… She is mad after Enrique, but thank god in this case she hears almost every song of his, rather than keeping one or two in her kitty. May be she does not have any beloved whom she can relate to with any particular song till now but you never know what the future has in store for her.  But her best two favorites include Last Christmas and a Bollywood number “Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gayi” from the movie Ghajini! Ahhh! I get it why the latter one is her favorite. It’s based on her favorite Bollywood actor Aamir Khan… See there is some connection for sure, if not boyfriend

There is another friend who sits next to this Twilight fan and just loves listening to a varied range of songs, just to keep herself away from thinking about any particular person. Here I would like to add that some people listen to songs just to deviate themselves from letting someone’s thoughts come to their minds. And this friend is one of them! But she just told me that her favorite song is “Mera Jeevan Kora Kaagaz” and “Unmistakable” by Backstreet Boys!

Another colleague of mine loves listening to various songs. Her favorite song is “Aaoge Jab Tum” from Jab We Met! Hmmmm! Interesting! Also she keeps on murmuring some old Hindi songs in the office hours too!

Taking my case, I always listen to my favorite songs in my cozy bed late in the night, so that there is no one to disturb me. Not to mention that each and every lyric is mugged up like any other chemistry paper! But I won’t disclose that song!

Each word of our favorite song reminds us of the person who is constantly present in our heart but appears suddenly in front of our eyes, when the song is played, hence giving us Goosebumps! And we always hide that feeling from others, don’t we?

You think its the young men who have occupied the minds of women these days? Think again. Just utter the name of Pierce Brosnan and see how all the women out there go ga ga over his name. At age 52, this rough and tough Bond holds the power to give shivers to all the young men out there, who claim that there is no one sexier than them. Gosh! Tell these folks, just to shut up as this another example of mine would strengthen my claim further. Its none other than Bruce Willis. Ahan! He is one of his kinds. More than 50 years of age, he is attired with the charm of a 20 year old youngster who can cross all the limits and do anything to woo his ladylove. Come on folks, the list does not end up here. We have George Clooney in the arena, for whom I am falling short of words now. Speechless, just speechless.

Wait, wait… One more example has travelled into my mind just this moment. Its ahan… Brad Pitt. Well. He is surely my hero, especially when he enacted the legendary role of Achilles in Troy. Who can forget his attire and his dashing looks which left all the ladies mesmerised! The same charm is maintained till date! Don’t run young guys, Richard Gere is following you all too! Who says these men have crossed their forties!

Okay, enough of overseas desires… let us move back to the DESI ones. All you women/chicks/ladies out there, I have a question to all of you. Would you not think ONCE leaving your husband or boyfriends if the king of kings Shah Rukh Khan, the superstar in his 40s, asks you for a date out or woos you like he did in one of his movies, the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge style? Don’t lie ladies, I am sure this man still comes in your dreams, when your beau is not around? Tell me, if I am wrong.

After the king of Bollywood, let us move towards the emperor (the Shehanshah) of Bolllywood. Its none other than Amitabh Bachchan, the Boom actor who never leave any stone unturned when it comes to charming the other sex. Be it his looks of Sexy Sam in his movie Kabhi Alvida na Kehna or the character which he played in Aks, the actor knows how to adapt in accordance with the young crowd. His style has become a trend to follow for almost half of the world and the next generations to come.

Now let us talk a little about the Khiladi Akshay Kumar. Again I am left with no words as soon as his name comes to mind, because I tend to run out of all the adjectives which suit his persona. Sensational, mind blowing, charming… bla bla bla, one can go on and on and on. Right from his early days in Khiladi till his journey till now, the actor has maintained a decent charm amongst ladies of all groups. Way to go khiladi.

Hmm… who else? No No I am not running out of the personalities above 40s but I am thinking who the sexiest now, out of the left ones? Well, when it comes to sexiest, I would mention Salman Khan, and when it comes to Mr. Perfectionist, I would make Aamir Khan stand in the list for the top position.

And seeing these older men making their mark in the world of sensuousness, a common man too is not left behind. He is running to gym, going for spas and all the grooming sessions that one can only think of, on his way towards becoming one of those personalities in the same list too! All the Best guys! Try your luck hard to impress us ladies out there!

Best of luck!

Although it came across as a grapevine, this surely is a treat to Aamir Khan’s huge fan followings! Yes, as everyone is saying, my expression is also, Kaun Banega Crorepati does not get bigger and better than this, if Bollywood’s Mr. Perfectionist hosts the show in its next season. A couple of days ago, I happened to flip through a daily’s supplement only to discover that my favorite Bollywood star is approached to carry the legacy of famous stars to host KBC.

Quiz shows always strike the right cord with the audience, but it’s something different with KBC. The show has always been an immense hit, be it for its standard, for the award money, and of course, for its Star hosts! There is no doubt each of the former hosts of the show had lived up to the expectations of the audience and succeeded in retaining the standard. Hats Off to the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan!

There is no doubt that if Synergy, the company holding the license to KBC convinces Aamir Khan for its next season, it undoubtedly would come out as the biggest small screen’s casting achievement, considering the star is much choosy when it comes to his selections. One has to have the guts to approach a star of his stature. Here again Hats Off to Synergy, if rumors are to be believed!

Here, a majority of people would second my view that no other quiz show has attained the level of popularity as KBC has achieved. Again, the reasons behind this are not unknown for the majority. Yes, it’s Star Hosts, followed by the award money. To a portion of audience, Aamir Khan hosting the show would not make much difference. But, there is still a huge portion that believes the star will definitely take the show to another level.

If things realize according to the grapevine, this would mark Aamir Khan’s foray into the small screen. With this, the small screen is also likely to attract the much expected target audience. And if discussions are yet to be started for Synergy, it would be a challenge for the production house to convince the star. Being a part of India’s biggest Bollywood box-office grosser (3 Idiots), Aamir Khan would not be an easy catch!

Coming back to the choosiness of the star, I would not like to believe that it’s not only the type of the project that tempts him to consider a script. There is always the ‘Money Factor’ involved! Even though the star is caught saying that he does not want to generate unnecessary comparisons, considering KBC has already been hosted by two superstars, I believe, if he gets the right (hefty) amount, there is always great chance of getting his nod!

Hmm…finally, the fact that if Aamir Khan hosts KBC 4, he will be seen regularly on the idiot box  and I wonder if this would diminish our (my) curiosity towards this rarely seen actor (he is not often seen in public (award functions), unless there is a cause behind making public appearances)? Till then, I am very happy with the likeable rumor and want to know your views on – ‘Would you like to have Aamir Khan as host for the most likeable show in Indian television?’

Take a guess!! Okay, let me give you some clues… how many Indian film directors (Bollywood) have established themselves as accomplished actors? To my knowledge, there are not many. We can in fact put it down to a very few numbers. Here is the closest clue for you…this film director perhaps happens to be the most accomplished actor in the Indian cinema. He is touted as a fine director whenever he comes out with a movie and then a good actor whenever he acts in a movie. Yeah, he is none other than the very talented Farhan Akhtar! It was quite an easy guess for you all… is not it??

Well, this is not his latest movie Karthik Calling Karthik that made me to transcribe this article. The fact is that the movie has not much to write about, at least for me. KCK’s script revolves around various aspects of life- love, career and relationships of a guy who suffers from multiple mental disorders, or precisely Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia being a common movie subject, it hardly strikes a cord with the audience. Here, I am not giving a review of KCK, because apart from the acting of Farhan Akhtar, there is not much stuff to write about. Since, in Bollywood films lead female actors are treated as showpieces, except the likes of Parineeta, Black and Jab We Met, I would have left with very little stuff had I attempted to write a review of KCK.

As an actor, Farhan Akhtar is four-film old (The Fakir of Venice, Rock On, Luck By Chance and Karthik Calling Karthik). I have seen the last three films and have appreciated his acting skills so far. But, this is my very first opportunity to write about the actor as one of his ardent admirers! His transformation from a director to an actor has floored me totally. I would not say he is a superb actor, rather a better actor!

To my surprise and many movie fanatics, Farhan Akhtar turned out to be a promising actor. He surprised me with his acting in each of his movies to such an extent that it made me think that how an unconventional actor like him could act so well? I wonder why not he ventured into acting before. But, we often tend to forget that he is a master of the art called acting. Why do we forget that he has given some of the finest Bollywood movies- Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya. While, the former is a huge hit, the latter did not do well at the box office, still I would like to say that it’s a good movie! He has always showed his excellence as a Director. I believe, now Farhan Aktar is taking ‘acting’ seriously and is in the perfect mood to prove his acting skills. But, it is hard for his fans to compare his directorial skills and acting skills.

But then, every good director cannot be a good actor! Can you imagine Karan Johar, who is one of the finest directors in Bollywood, playing a lead role in a movie? At least I cannot! Not to take this seriously by KJo’s fans! Farhan Akhtar’s transformation from a promising director to a better actor is good for us. We are fortunate enough to have such an actor, when a folk of established Bollywood actors are still learning how to act, or in professional language ‘experimenting with their acting skills’.

Coming back to his latest movie Karthik Calling Karthik, Farhan Akhtar lived up to his image as ‘Thinking Woman’s Sex Symbol’ and one would definitely fall for him. A good movie with a not-so-unique subject, excellent acting by the lead actor, commendable acting by supporting actors and of course, there is gorgeous Deepika Padukone. If you are a Farhan Akhtar fan and have not seen KCK yet, do not give it a miss!