Bhushan Kumar

T-Series has signed a music deal for Salman Khan’s two upcoming films – it has acquired the music rights of Kick and Mental.

While Kick is a Sajid Nadiadwala project, Mental is being made by Salman’s brother Sohail Khan.

“We have got the music rights of Salman bhai’s home production ‘Mental’ and Sajid Nadiadwala’s next, Kick,” confirmed Tips head honcho Bhushan Kumar in a statement.

“Right from Tere Naam, we have believed in getting music rights of his projects. He tells me, he is expecting an X amount and then leaves it to us. I always make sure that both of us are happy with the deal. Our friendship spans many years.”

“He has complete faith in us when it comes to promoting and marketing his films. In fact, I bought the rights of Dabangg 2 three months before the film went on the floors,” he added.

I Love NY features Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut as a couple for the first time. In fact, Sunny, who has lately been seen in action and comedy roles, will be seen romancing on screen after a long time. The couple is expected to tickle the audiences’ funny bone with the movie.

Check out the poster right here:

Kangana Ranaut and Sunny Deol starrer I Love NY Movie First Look Poster

The romantic comedy, produced by T-Series, is co-directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. I Love NY will hit the screens on April 26, 2013.

Bhushan Kumar and Vikram Bhatt

The head honcho at T-series has finally struck gold by tying up with the baap of Indian horror films, Vikram Bhatt. Vikram, who has improvised new techniques and incorporated refreshingly vivacious 3D scenes in his last few flicks, seems to have left the music baron mesmerized.

Vikram Bhatt, who is known for his sci-fi antics and those scary ghost thrillers is also widely known for his goods taste in Music, the songs from all his previous films being a testament to our statement. Bhushan, who had been closely associated with the Bhatt scion has finally announced his five film deal with Vikram, out of which two will be helmed and directed by Vikram himself. The common point will be Bhushan who’ll sit at the producer’s chair for all the five flicks.

One of the two films that Vikram is tentatively gearing up for is going to be an action sci-fi flick and the other would have the red hot dusky damsel and a Bhatt favourite Bipasha Basu adorning the character of the leading lady, yet another time, post the super successful Raaz 3! Bhushan is mighty impressed with Vikram’s track record of gifting the industry with some hits, some unexpected hits and multiple superhits and is very happy about the association.

Much to everyone’s knowledge, T-Series and Vikram’s ASA Productions have always shared a cordial musical relation from times immemorial and hence it would be nice to see the two companies work in tow. As of now, the first film out of the five films is called Bhaag Johnny which stars Kunal Khemu in the lead and will go on floors in January 2013.

About their association, Bhatt says, “Bhushan and his company understand the value of a new idea and they are willing to cross frontiers to make films of the future. It’s rare to find partners who share your belief and vision.”

Bhushan Kumar and Mithoon

It’s usual for one to see solo artists running after Music labels and coaxing them to release their tracks. However, one usually doesn’t see a Music giant chasing a composer to rope him in. The latter seems to have happened with music composer Mithoon. It is learnt that the Music baron Bhushan Kumar has roped Mithoon for a three film deal!

Although the details of the films are being tightly guarded, one does learn that this may be Mithoon’s first to sign up such a deal. Apparently, the composer doesn’t play more than a song or two during music sittings. However, when he sat down to discuss the tunes with Bhushan Kumar he ended up sharing 7 songs in one go and the Bhushan loved them all!

Confirming the reports, Bhushan Kumar jubilantly said, “Yes it’s true that I’ve signed Mithoon for three of my films. I was thrilled to hear the songs he played and I didn’t want to miss even one of them. I can assure you that each one of them will be immortal.”

One can only wait to hear the lovely melodies of Mithoon now.

Starring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, ‘Short Term Shaadi’ is a romantic comedy. Imran plays a highly conservative, fussy architect, with a rigid attitude. He falls in love with Kareena Kapoor, a liaison which changes him completely. In the movie, Kareena is a hairstylist who teaches him about life and love. The film takes place in a short time frame of a little more than a week and deals with how the characters change within that short span of time. Love Aaj Kal meets Jab We Met anyone?

“I have always loved the films made by Karan Johar, not only for their content and aesthetic appeal, but also for their beautiful music, which has always been their major strength. We are delighted to have acquired the music rights of Short Term Shaadi. And we hope that this is just the beginning of a long creative association,” said T-Series chairman and managing director Bhushan Kumar.

Produced by Karan Johar and directed by Shakun Batra, ‘Short Term Shaadi’ also stars Randhir Kapoor, Boman Irani and Ram Kapoor. The film has been shot in Las Vegas and India.

Salman Khan is in his element in the comic as well as dramatic & action scenes.

Ready movie Plot: Salman and Asin fall in love but he has to contend with her two tyrant and warring maternal uncles, each of who is trying hard to get her married off to his brother-in-law. Should you watch the film? Find out in the full review by Komal Nahta.

Business Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Star cast: Salman Khan, Asin Thottumkal, Paresh Rawal, Sharat Saxena, Akhilendra Mishra, Mahesh Manjrekar.

What’s Good: The comedy post-interval; the music; Salman Khan and Paresh Rawal’s acting; the emotional under-current of the comical drama.

What’s Bad: The ordinary first half.

Verdict: READY will score at the box-office, thanks to a great start, super-hit music, Salman Khan and entertainment in a good dose.

Loo break: Not really.

Watch or not?: Yes, if you want to be entertained.

Sohail Khan Productions, T-Series, One Up Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and Rawail Grandsons Entertainment & Software Pvt. Ltd.’s Ready (UA) is the story of do-gooder Prem (Salman Khan) and how he manipulates and wins over the hand of his beloved, Sanjana (Asin Thottumkal), in marriage.

Prem lives in Bangkok with his forgetful father (Mahesh Manjrekar), mother (Anooradha Patel), two paternal uncles (Manoj Pahwa and Manoj Joshi) and their wives. He has a heart of gold. Sanjana comes into his life, posing as Pooja who is a prospective bride for Prem, recommended by the family priest. Sanjana also lives in Bangkok and has, in fact, run away from her wedding. She is an orphan and has two maternal uncles (Sharat Saxena and Akhilendra Mishra). Each of her uncles is trying to get Sanjana married off to his brother-in-law. Sanjana approves of neither of the two prospective grooms and, therefore, runs away. The two uncles are greedy but can’t see eye to eye. Sanjana wins over the hearts of Prem’s family members but Prem and she are constantly at loggerheads. Slowly but surely, Prem and Sanjana fall in love.

The obstacle in the love story comes in the form of Sanjana’s older uncle (Sharat Saxena) when he and his goons come and take her away with them. Meanwhile, Sanjana’s to-be husband, who has come in search of her, has been seriously injured by Prem and is currently in coma in a hospital. Anyway, Prem now has to save Sanjana from the clutches of her uncle and also ensure that she is not forcibly married to any of the two brothers-in-law. He has to do all this without letting his identity be revealed and the good thing is that the only person who knows him is comatose. Prem hatches a plot and approaches the common chartered accountant, Baliram (Paresh Rawal), of the two uncles. He enters the houses of the two uncles in Bangkok, posing as the CA’s assistant and nephew. He uses Baliram to entice the two uncles into forgetting about marrying their brothers-in-law to Sanjana and instead agreeing to get them married to the two daughters of very rich businessmen from London, K.K. Modi and B.K. Modi. Prem’s parents pose as Mr. & Mrs. K.K. Modi while his younger uncle and aunt come as Mr. & Mrs. B.K. Modi. Again, using Baliram, Prem lays down conditions from the Modis for Sanjana’s two uncles before they (Modis) can marry off their rich daughters to the brothers-in-law of the two uncles. In effect, Prem is trying to patch up the differences between the two uncles and tone them down and he has the whole-hearted support of the ladies of the two families in this because they (the ladies) are sick and tired of the authoritarian attitude of the two men and are not in favour of the family division. Prem’s second (older) uncle poses as a bank representative, who has come to Bangkok to collect the bank’s dues of Sanjana’s late father, from Sanjana or her to-be in-laws. Sensing that they’d have to pay crores of rupees to the bank, the two greedy uncles immediately agree to the idea of not marrying their brothers-in-law to Sanjana. In any case, they have a bigger catch in the form of the daughters of the Modis.

Trouble erupts when the comatose husband-to-be comes out of coma, returns home and exposes the truth about Prem. What happens thereafter? Do the two uncles of Sanjana now go after Prem’s life? What do they do to their CA? What happens to the family members of Prem when they stand exposed? The latter part of the film answers these questions.

Salman Khan shines in the second half; Asin Thottumkal is good but her expressions don't vary much.

More: Salman Khan’s Ready Will Take Earth Shattering Opening

Ready Review – Script Analysis

Remake of the Telugu Ready, the screenplay has been penned by Rajiv Kaul, Rajan Agarwal and Ikram Akhtar with script consultation by Salim Khan. The first half is good only in parts. The scenes between Prem and Sanjana when they quarrel with each other are hardly funny or even interesting. Also, the pace of the drama before interval is slow and there are several boring moments too.

The pace picks up immediately after interval and the comedy turns interesting, engaging and entertaining. The whole track of Prem and Baliram fooling the two uncles of Sanjana is very funny and will be enjoyed by the audience. The track of Prem trying to bring two warring families together is heart-warming and strikes for its nobility and will be loved by the families, not just in smaller centres but also in the cities.

Having said this, it must be added that there will be a smaller section of the audience which will get put off by the first half and may find the comical second half too loud and exaggerated. This small section of the audience may not approve of the film.

Dialogues by Farhad-Sajid and Nisar Akhtar are very appealing, again, more so post-interval. In the first half, even the dialogues, like the screenplay, are found lacking. But the dialogues in the second half elevate the drama at many places.

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Ready Review – Star Performances & Direction

Salman Khan shines in the second half and is in his element in the comic as well as dramatic and action scenes. He seems disinterested in the first half but is in complete form after interval. His dances are totally mass-appealing. Asin Thottumkal is good but her expressions don’t vary much. Paresh Rawal is extraordinary. He and Salman Khan complement each other wonderfully and together they create entertainment galore. Akhilendra Mishra is pretty effective. Sharat Saxena also plays his part well. Puneet Issar, as Sanjana’s grandfather, performs ably. Mahesh Manjrekar does a fine job even though his habit of forgetting words doesn’t create laughter as the same track has come in films earlier too. As his wife, Anooradha Patel is dignified. Manoj Pahwa and Manoj Joshi get limited scope but are good all the same. Sudesh Lahiri is fantastic and his entire track of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time is hilarious. Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Arbaaz Khan, Chunkey Panday and Kangna Ranaut lend appealing star value in special appearances. Zarine Khan does not impress in her special appearance in a song-dance number because she doesn’t dance gracefully. Mohit Baghel, as the school-going grandchild of the younger uncle of Sanjana, is first-rate and his comic track evokes laughter. As his swear-words-spewing mother, Eva Grover is lovely. Arya Babbar, Nikitin Dheer and Rajiv Kachroo fill the bill. Gargi Patel, Hemant Pandey, Mithilesh Chaturvedi, Jaswinder Gardner, Shilpa Mehta, Prachee Pathak, Pravina Deshpande, Kiran Ahuja, Shalini Sahuta and Kubraa Sait provide the required support.

Anees Bazmee’s direction caters to the masses and the family audiences, for whom the film is meant. The classes may approve less of the loud comedy but the film will appeal to the youth, masses and families. Music is a major highlight of the film. ‘Character dheela’ (Pritam) and ‘Dhinka chika’ (Devi Shri Prasad) songs are super-hits and the picturisation of the latter song (two different picturisations at two different points in the film is a superb bonus) will have the audience going mad with joy. The other two songs (Pritam) are also good – the ‘Humko pyar hua’ is melodious and ‘Meri ada bhi’ has pace and energy. Song picturisations (Chinni Prakash and Raju Khan) are mass-appealing. Sunil Patel and Thomas Xavier’s cinematography is very good. Sets (Rajat Poddar) are alright. Editing (Ritesh Soni) is quite nice. Action (Seeluem Pradit and Mahendra Verma) scenes are composed to provide thrills to the masses.

Ready Trailer

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Ready Review – Komal Nahta’s Verdict

On the whole, Ready has taken a flying start from North to South and East to West and, in addition, it has masala to keep the masses and the family audiences entertained and happy. The producers have already made a profit by selling the worldwide rights to one distributor. As for the worldwide distributor (who has paid a phenomenal price for the rights) as also the individual distributors who’ve acquired some of the territorial rights from the worldwide distributor (at truly fancy prices), well, even they will make a profit! Salman Khan, super-hit music, earth-shattering opening and lack of solid opposition for the next two-three weeks will all go a long way in ensuring that the cash registers ring very loudly.

Sunny Deol and Kangana will come together for I Love New Year.

T-Series’ Prod. No. 27, starring Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut, has been titled I Love New Year. Its tentative title was Happy New Year. The film, being directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, is being produced by Bhushan Kumar and Kishen Kumar and co-produced by Ajay Kapoor. Music is scored by Pritam. The film’s second shooting spell will start in the first week of June in Mumbai.

Directed by Roshan Abbas has fresh faces Zoa Morani, Giselle Monteiro, Ali Fazal and Satyajeet Dubey. Says director Roshan Abbas “AKK is a film about first times… about an age of experiments! We have carried the same to the album. I worked with 3 lyricists and Pritam who is a gifted music director.”

While five songs on the fully loaded 10 track album have been composed by Pritam, the Always Kabhi Kabhi title track was worked on by Aashish Rego along with Shree D and penned by the director himself. As a special treat to listeners, the album also has Shah Rukh Khan’s version of Antenna and an unplugged Always Kabhi Kabhi Kabhi track. Produced by Gauri Khan, ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ hits theatres on 17th June,2011.

Arbaaz Khan, Salman Khan Dabangg Movie Poster

Since the music of ‘Dabangg’ sold like hot cakes, Arbaaz Khan is now entitled to his share in revenues from T-Series. He is yet to be paid his share though. The Salman Khan starrer, ‘Dabangg’, released last year, had blockbuster music which included the super-hit song Munni badnam hui and also other popular numbers like, Tere mast mast do nain and Hud hud Dabangg.

So while the public may tend to believe that Arbaaz Khan is over and done with Dabangg, that is not so because Arbaaz may soon receive a big, fat cheque from T-Series.

Salman Khan Ready Movie Poster

The music channel and T-series are also at loggerheads as the reports mention that ‘Ready’ producer Bhushan Kumar has had a series of flops with Patiala House, Kajraare, 8 x 10 Tasveer and Karzzzz.

Bhushan Kumar’s company, T-Series, has accused the channel of mud slinging as the two had a fall-out last year after T-series sued the channel for copyright infringement. As a result, the channel had to cough up a huge amount of money to T-Series. T-Series had even accused the channel of giving negative press to the Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sharma starrer ‘Patiala House’.

With all the fighting, it’s Salman Khan who is miffed at the both of them for putting his film in a bad light. Earlier, there were reports of director Anees Bazmee’s tiff with Sallu on the sets of the film. After all, he has been riding on the Dabangg wave and hopes to keep it that way.

Directed by Anees Bazmee, ‘Ready’ stars Asin with Salman Khan, and will hit theatres on 3^rd June.

Salman and director Anees reportedly had a fall out during the shooting of Ready and Anees was so infuriated that he left the sets. This also jeopardised Anees’ next project with Salman, No Entry Mein Entry. It is now said that T-Series head honcho and producer Bhushan Kumar adviced Anees to call off the cold war between the two as ‘Ready’ is an expensive film. Now Salman will report to the sets at Madh Island for the final leg of the film’s shoot.

Is Salman ‘Ready’ to forgive and forget?

Sunny Deol and Kangna Ranaut will star together in Happy New Year

Many in the industry had scoffed at T-Series’ choice of actors when it launched Happy New Year late last year with Sunny Deol and Kangna Ranaut in the lead roles. But with Sunny’s Yamla Pagla Deewana and Kangna’s Tanu Weds Manu making a killing at the box-office this happy new year (2011), Happy New Year has suddenly become a happy proposal instead of the sad film, it was perceived to be. Success means so much in this industry!

Meanwhile, Salman Khan is also acting in Ready which is being produced by T-Series. Obviously, therefore, the music of Ready will be marketed by the same company. Adds Sohail Khan, “We are so happy with Bhushan Kumar that the audio rights of my next film and of Arbaaz Khan’s Dabangg 2, both with Salman in the lead, will also be given to T-Series.”

The balance 2.5% share is held by Nitin Manmohan. Why Nitin Manmohan, you are apt to ask? It’s because the rights of the original Telugu film (also titled Ready), of which Ready is a Hindi remake, were with Nitin. Incidentally, the Telugu Ready was also remade in Tamil. The Tamil version was titled Uttama Purushan.

Salman Khan and T-Series’ Ready is racing ahead towards completion as it is scheduled for release on 27^th May. Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, starring Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar and Katrina Kaif, is also slated for release on the same day. Two such big-budget, star-studded films hitting the screens on one day! Well, better sense might prevail and the producers of the two films may decide not to clash with one another. But as of now, it is going to be one biggie pitted against another.

Now dismissing all these stories as a figment of people’s imagination, producer Bhushan Kumar clarifies that he had no option but to release the film on a low-key note. Says Bhushan, “We made ‘Kajraare’ on a lavish scale and spent over Rs. 16 crore on its making. But before we could release ‘Kajraare’, the small-budget Radio, starring Himesh in the lead, was released and it bombed at the box-office, thereby ruining the prospects of our film, ‘Kajraare’. After ‘Radio’, nobody was willing to touch ‘Kajraare’. Our heavy investment was stuck and the film was lying in the cans for a long time. At this critical juncture, Mahesh Bhatt, who has written the film’s script, suggested that it would be better to release ‘Kajraare’ on a satellite channel before giving it a theatrical release. He explained that by doing so, we would be able to recover at least a part of our investment, and the film would also reach the maximum audience. This made sense to us, so we decided to technically release ‘Kajraare’ in the theatres so that it could pave the way for its satellite release. After that, we approached Colors channel and sold it the film’s satellite rights.” Talking about the rumours of him asking Himesh to spend Rs. 1 crore on the promotion, Bhushan said, “When I can spend Rs. 16 crore to make the film, do you think I will shy away from spending another crore for the publicity of the film?” According to Bhushan, he had already spent over Rs. 2 crore on the promotion of the film on television. “But when even that did not create any buzz for the film as Himesh’s market standing had taken a beating, and the music of the film also did not pick up, we decided to explain the situation to Himesh. Though he was not happy with our decision, he did not raise any objection.”

‘Kajraare’ will be telecast on Colors in December.

The music of PVR Pictures and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions’ Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey was released by T-Series on 27th October at Renaissance Hotel, Powai, Bombay. Sohail Sen has set to tune the lyrics of Javed Akhtar.

The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Sikandar Kher. It is directed by Ashutosh Gowariker for producers Ajay Bijli, Sanjeev Bijli and Sunita A.Gowariker. It is due for release on 3rd December.

Watch More: Big B Unveils Abhishek-Deepika’s KHJJS Music Pics

Mami closes

The 12th MAMI film festival came to a close on 28th October with the presentation of lifetime achievement awards to Manoj Kumar and Hollywood director Oliver Stone.The festival, organised

Watch More: Fardeen, Raima & Manoj Kumar At MAMI Closing Pics

by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image, included 215 feature films, 15 documentaries and 24 short films.

John appeals Conviction

John Abraham this week filed an appeal in the sessions court in Bombay against the order convicting him of rash and negligent driving. The Bandra (Bombay) metropolitan magistrate had recently sentenced John to 15 days’ simple imprisonment for a motorbike accident in 2006.

Read More: John Abraham Sentenced To 15 Days Simple Imprisonment

Susairaj wins sari in Jail

Maria Susairaj, the Kannada film actress accused of murder, won a rangolimaking competition held at the Byculla Women’s Jail, where she is lodged, on 29th October. She was given the first prize – a cotton sari.

Actress hangs herself

Actress-model Priyanshi Chowdhury allegedly committed suicide at her Oshiwara residence in Bombay on 28^th October. She was 28. Police are questioning her boyfriend, Sahil Malik, who discovered her body. Priyanshi was briefly married to script writer Yunus Sejawal and had acted in a number of films like Mere Baap Pehle Aap and Malamaal Weekly.

Director Pooja Bhatt stated on her Twitter account, “T series releasing ‘Kajraare’ in this ‘unique’ manner reinstates my belief that it is not money but conviction that gets films made + released.” The film starring Himesh Reshammiya and newcomer Mona Laizza, was about a lawyer falling in love with a prostitute.

Pritam had recorded the song for Bhushan’s T-Series, and it was Bhushan who insisted that Ekta and her director, Milan Luthria, use the song in the film. Believe it or faint once again that both of them were initially reluctant to use the song in the film. Of course, the two now be wondering how to thank Bhushan enough for the super-hit song.

By Koimoi Team