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    • Dhanush singing KolaveriThere are times when I really love my work. Listening to this song, 'Why this Kolaveri,' the latest rage to hit the net, in an endless loop and debating with everybody about it is just one of them.

      So, you may ask me, what makes it one of the most quirky Tanglish (read Tamil+ English) song ever? For me, it's the catchy tune, the attitude, the ease with which Dhanush belts it out that makes it special. Here's what Anirban, a collegue who does not know a single phrase in Tamil says about this song. 'It is catchy and intensely raw which makes it totally hummable.' And may be, this is a pan Indian sentiment.  A report in The Hindu says that 'Why this Kolaveri di' became the first regional film song to be played by radio stations around the country on Tuesday evening.

      But Kolaveri, Soup Song... what do these words even mean to someone not familiar with the local slang? Kolaveri, loosely translated becomes 'murderous rage'. And says Dhanush "I call it the 'soup song' for 'soup boys'. I came

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    • Kishore KumarKishore Kumar once said "Look, I don't smoke, drink or socialise. I never go to parties. If that makes me a loner, fine. I am happy this way. I go to work and I come back straight home. To watch my horror movies, play with my spooks, talk to my trees, sing." And his songs are what endears him to us. What lives on in our minds even after 24 years of his passing away.

      On his birthday, we — after a lot of debate — have a list of our favourite songs.

      Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab ki

      Pyaar Manga hei tumi se

      Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas

      Chukkar Mere man ko

      Phoolon Ke Rang Se

      Yeh Shaam Mastani

      Eena Meena Deeka

      Ek Ladki Bheegi bhaagi si

      Yeh Jeevan Hai

      Do they match your favourite  Kishore Kumar songs? Tell us

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    • Movies in July

      Our in house movie critic Kunal Guha has, over the last couple of weeks, reviewed and rated the major releases of the month 'Murder 2,' 'Chillar Party,' 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' and 'Singham'. Let me start with a disclaimer, I do not always agree with Kunal on his reviews. And speaking about reviews, here is one fun review which we saw on CNNGo.

      Having watched the films that released this month, says the writer, I can't help but wonder if someone passed around an industry memo deeming July male stripper month in Bollywood. I know it's summer, he says,  but -- the four movies in this recap contain about eight hours of footage of men in various stages of undress, with little to absolutely no reason to show for it.

      This includes everyone from a frighteningly tanned Hrithik Roshan, to a 42-year-old Ajay Devgn, to a group of 10-year-old boys in their tighty-whities. Huh, well, trust me, it is not what I wrote, check out the article here. And, if you are like me, you will just love the

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    • Ash - AbhiEver since Amitabh Bachchan tweeted the news of Aishwarya's pregnancy, there has been a hullabaloo about the gen-next Bachchan's arrival.  The Bachchans are celebrating and can the media be far behind?

      From what will happen to Aishwarya's career, her role in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine to when she became pregnant - the media has taken it upon themselves to keep all and sundry informed. Click to read

      This particular report in the Times of India says that "In all probability, Aishwarya and Abhishek's child will be a baby girl. Also don't be surprised if they have duplets." But, trust me, it was not a doctor who said this - it was an astrologer. This article makes for a very entertaining read.  Click here to read the report.

      That is not all. CNNGo speculates when Aishwarya could have possibly got pregnant. Have a look.

      Keep coming back to Yahoo! Movies for more

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    • Maniratnam and Ilayaraja

      Mani Ratnam is one of the most versatile movie makers and Ilayaraja, is undoubtedly one of the best music directors the country has ever seen. And they share the same birthday.  We bring to you some of our favourite songs, and what Mani Ratnam has to say about Ilayaraja.

      Nilave Va - Mouna Ragam

      Mani Ratnam directed a Telugu flick and he couldn't do with out Ilayaraja - the result? This lovely number from Geetanjali

      And yet another beautiful song from Anjali

      Naykudu - Just listen to this amazing background score.  And then you will realise what Mani Ratnam means when he says "Ilayaraja would look at the scene once, and immediately start giving notes to his assistants, as a bunch of musicians, hovering around him, would collect the notes  for their instrument and go to their places... A director can be taken by surprise at the speed of events."

      Cliched yet, i cannot just go away without mentioning this number which has made it to one of the top 10 tracks according to a BBC poll.

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    • Nargis DuttNargis Dutt. Her beauty was ethereal, her charm and talent legendary. This post is just a tribute to one of those eternal beauties Bollywood has ever seen.

      Nargis was born on June 1, 1929 as Fatima Rashid. Her mother was a thumri singer and it was she who introduced Nargis to acting.  Nargis made her debut as a child actor and went on to be one of the most iconic stars in Bollywood.

      Nargis in Mother IndiaShe ruled the silver screen in the 1950's and played pivotal roles in 'Barsaat', 'Andaz', 'Awaara', 'Deedar', 'Shree 420' and 'Chori Chori'. And then, came Mother India in 1957 which in a way changed the way the world saw Hindi movies. It was nominated for the Academy Awards and it won her the Filmfare Best actress award.

      Her personal life was under the scanner too.  "In the movie buff's imagination, Nargis remains inextricably linked with Raj Kapoor, being the leading lady and Muse in his seminal early films, involved with him in real life, even immortalised in the "RK Studios" logo, which was based on

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    • opMohanlal

      I remember the hush that fell over the room when Mohanlal stepped out from behind a wall and watched Sangeeta and Baby Shalini (Yeah, the same Shalini who got married to Tamil actor Ajith) walk away in 'Ente Mammattikuttiyammayku". "Arrg", said my cousin, "I hate this actor". "Who is he" I asked — my cousin, a die hard chick flick fanatic said "he is a born villain, that guy Mohanlal".

      I turned my attention to the screen. And somewhere along the line, I couldn't find any thing remotely villain like in Mohanlal. He came across as just another actor -so entirely different to my favourite cartoon show heroes. So I hounded my cousin - who still is a walking dictionary of any Malayalam movies - to know more about him.

      Mohanlal — according to her was 'the villain.' Even though his first film was 'Thiranottam,' it was his role as Narendran in 'Manjil Virinja Pookal' which made people sit up and take note of this young man. This Fazil film by Navodaya had Shankar and Poornima Jayaram in the

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    • Tintin

      When you read a story do the visuals just flash in your mind? For me, it does. And while growing up, Tintin — with his tuft of hair - and his ever faithful Snowy were my heroes. I could always bank on Tintin, Captain Haddock and the Thompsons to make me laugh or take me through a hilarious adventure.  Add in Professor Calculus and my day was made.

      Strangely, The Secret of the Unicorn was one of the first Tintin books I ever read. But that does not mean that I have forgotten it all. Each and every scene — from the detectives Thompson and Thomson losing their wallets many times over to Captain Haddock recounting the story of his ancestor's fight with the pirate Red Rackham — I had a picture in my mind.  A whole train of thought - in images that is -race through my mind when I think Tintin.

      So, why am I talking about Tintin now? And that too in a movies blog you may ask. Well, the reason is simple. A couple of days back, the posters for the new movie - 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret

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    • If there is one thing I love, it is the rains. As the skies darken and the rains fall pitter patter, I become restless.  But then,  with the summer sun blazing, i can just dream about those songs which added a sizzle when they hit screen. Well, let me just stop writing and list some of my favorite rain songs.

      Don't we all relate to the long summers when the mind and the body yearns for it to start raining?  And when the skies turn dark, doesn't it call for a party? Here's Bhuvan and his team of rustic villagers rejoicing at the sight of the dark clouds in the horizon.  (This does not really classify as a rain dance…but, we need to set the mood, right?)

      And then it rained.  The music of the rains, the dreams she saw…

      When it rains, says Chameli, she doesn't know where her mind flows.

      Rain makes the heroine happy, and she dances with abandon.

      Do raindrops talk? I feel they do, and so does the heroine

      It is not just the heroine who likes to shake a leg, everyone enjoys this

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    • Angelina Jolie: The Star, the Woman

      By Maya Menon | wide angle – Fri 11 Mar, 2011 5:22 PM IST

      Lara Croft in the 'Tomb Raider' series was one of those special roles which catapulted Angelina Jolie to super stardom. And now, the producers have announced a plan to reboot the series. However, Angelina Jolie is not going to be part of this venture. It got me thinking on how much we know about Angelina Jolie - the star and the woman behind the tabloid space she takes up.

      Of couranjie_blog_movie1se there is more to her than the unconventional family she has created with Brad Pitt. Angelina Jolie is one of the most beautiful and talented actors in the world. She has over the years matured as an actor. From her days as Gia to Salt, she has plodded on. She is a celebrity by her own right.

      Angelina Jolie has been quoted as saying "I like to hide behind the characters I play. Despite the public perception, I am a very private person who has a hard time with the fame thing." She is one of those people who lets her character take over her personal life

      We can't but agree with Rich Cohen who maps out the case

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