Dockyards became dens for Teen Patti

Finding locations that could resemble gambling dens, bombarding them with dirt and grime, painting gruesome graffiti...Teen Patti production designer Ayesha Punvani says creating setups for the film was a crazy experience.

"It was the craziest idea to create gambling dens in Teen Patti since the gambling addas (dens) that exist in real are very hard to approach, gambling being illegal in India. You will never be allowed to just walk in casually. You will have to go through some contact and with all of us being women, it was tougher," Punvani told IANS in an interview.

Punvani, with her team, created gambling dens in places like abandoned train yards, dockyards, abandoned factories, mills that have been shut down and an ice factory, since "all these locations give an amazing backdrop".

Directed by Leena Yadav, Teen Patti, slated to release Feb 26, revolves around a mathematician, played by megastar Amitabh Bachchan, trying to write a thesis on probability by relating it to the Indian card game of Teen Patti.

"There were bigger tasks on hand - finding dilapidated furniture, aging it even further, bombarding the location with dirt and grime, building a fake toilet, painting gruesome graffiti, creating dramatic lighting elements and designing the betting and gambling setups."

Produced by Ambika Hinduja under the banners Hinduja Ventures and Serendipity Films, Teen Patti also stars Hollywood veteran Ben Kingsley along with R. Madhavan, Raima Sen and Shraddha Kapoor.

"The entire film is shot in India except for a few parts that we shot in England. We had to shoot at 12 locations in Dubai, but we ended up creating all those in India," added Punvani, who has earlier worked on films like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Bluffmaster and Monsoon Wedding among others.

"On the whole, we had put up 80 different setups around the country. We never thought we would have to erect so many sets. "Sometimes we ended up losing some locations because when people would come to know we were setting up a gambling den, they would ask us to leave. They didn't want their location to be related to gambling or anything that in actuality is against the law," said Punvani.

"Our location manager hooked us up with people who could help show places that operate illegally. We saw a bunch of places, but not during working hours. He managed to get us photos of some of these places during their working hours and also got nearly beaten up and thrown out in the process because these places are not only underground but under wraps," she said.

News HT

Bachchan fans can now hear him on Bachchan Bol

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's can now speak to fans directly. Big B today launched a unique service, 'Bachchan Bol', to connect with his fans via mobile and landline phones across the globe.

The service, launched by the actor in partnership with Inside India, allows a person to hear Bachchan sharing his thoughts anytime and anywhere at the press of a button.

"Bachchan Bol empowers me with a personal platform on which I can connect and speak directly with my fans anywhere and anytime. From my films to my family, from my country to my city, you will be able to hear about it all, in my own voice, directly on your mobile phone," he told reporters here.

Inside India acts as a repository for licensable content and entertainment from Indian superstars.

Bachchan will share his personal and professional experiences from time-to-time. One can dial 505678910** from their mobile or landline phone to get connected with him.
"The new trend of voice blogging is an opportunity for celebrities to constantly be in touch with their fan base. The service facilitates a deeper engagement between stars and fans," an official from Inside India said.

"We know the power of Indian entertainment and we are firmly embedded in the innovation of technology and the digital world. Combining these two elements we are paving a new way for social networking," the official added.

Teen Patti

Wheres the mystery girl

Where's the mystery girl ?

The mystery woman who sizzles in an item number with actor Amitabh Bachchan in Teen Patti is being sought by filmmakers keen to cast her. But she is nowhere to be found. The sexy actress, who seduces Big B in the hit song, Teri Neeyat Kharab Hai, has become the talk of the town since the release of the music video. She has been identified as Brazilian model Maria.

Teen Patti director Leena Yadav says Maria has gone incommunicado. She had to be replaced at the last minute by another dancer, Olga, who danced with Bachchan at a recent awards function.

"She told me before leaving for Brazil that she will be back in Mumbai in December, but she never came," says Yadav. "I receive ten calls a day from people in the industry keen to sign her for their films. But we are not in touch with her and I am trying to look for her contact."

Yadav and choreographer Ashley Lobo chose Maria out of 50 contenders for the dance sequence. "I spotted vibes of Salma Hayek in Maria. She danced like a dream and her expressions say it all about her acting potential," Yadav said.

She said Maria had been "superbly solid" during the shoot. "We were left with one day when we got her and this song is a result of just a day's workshop training. She delivered a powerful performance without any hitch," said Leena. 

Big B set to feature in Malayalam film Kandahar

Big B set to feature in Malayalam film 'Kandahar'

Kochi, Feb 8 (IANS) Director Major Ravi says that Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has given his nod for his Malayalam film "Kandahar", a film about plane hijacking that will also star veteran Mohanlal.

The news came when Big B had made a short visit to the city Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, Ravi, a former NSG commando who had directed two films featuring Mohanlal, said that he is just trying to imagine how the two greats would come in one single frame. "It is great feeling when I think of that," he said.

Amitabh will be seen as the father of a passenger on the ill-fated plane that has been hijacked and Mohanlal will play a commando.

The film is inspired by the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999. It was hijacked while on its way from Kathmandu to New Delhi on Christmas eve by five Pakistani militants and was forced to land in three different airports - Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai - before spending a week on the tarmac in Kandahar with 186 hostages on board.

This is Ravi's fourth film after "Keerthichakara" and "Kuruskshetra", both featuring Mohanlal, and "Mission 90 Days", which told the real story of Ravi who tracked down the killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Mammootty played Ravi's role in the film.

"Khandahar" will be shot in Delhi, Nepal besides Kerala.

Mumbai's health is fine Amitabh Bachchan

Mumbai's health is fine: Amitabh Bachchan

Kochi, Feb 7 (IANS) Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who arrived on a visit here Sunday, said Mumbai, where he has lived for over four decades, is "fine" and healthy.

"Mumbai's health is fine," Bachchan replied at a function here when reporters asked him about the recent Shiv Sena activities that have triggered tensions in the city.

"Please, I have come here to your state for a good thing, to launch a health programme," Amitabh Bachchan said.

This led to the next question that the query was relevant because it concerned the health of Mumbai, prompting his response.

Bachchan was in the city to launch a health project of the Resul Pookutty Foundation and a private hospital which will treat the poor and needy.

He also donated Rs.11 lakh to the foundation.