[ItzToday.com] Hindi Movie 'Knock Out' Film Review

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• Hindi Movie 'Knock Out' Film Review
• Lindsay Lohan not to meet her dad
• Kate Moss has not married Jamie Hince
• Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra comic book characters
• Angelina Jolie defends Bosnian movie
• Tom Cruise targets 'Top Gun' sequel
• John Abraham to appeal against jail term
• James Cameron to direct 'Cleopatra'?
• Mahie Gill gone from Knockout
• Vanessa Hudgens to star in 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island'
• The Great Khali: I'm in 'Bigg Boss' to entertain India
• Kim Kardashian suspects men
• Sakshi Pradhan out of 'Bigg Boss 4'

Hindi Movie 'Knock Out' Film Review Posted: 16 Oct 2010 03:42 AM PDT Film: "Knock Out"; Director: Mani Shankar; Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Irrfan Khan, Kangna Ranaut, Sushant Singh; Rating: *** "Phone Booth" be damned. "Knock Out" goes into places that the supposed source of inspiration can't even dream about. Forget what you've heard, forget the flak and fury about copyrights. Go see "Knock Out" for the engaging edge-of-the-seat treatment that writer-director Mani Shankar has given to the collectively comatose conscience of the nation. The breathless political thriller starts off as just another day in the life of a high-profile wheeler-dealer Bachu (Irrfan), who expedites multi-score scams for the powerful, corrupt politician. Bachu, who definitely seems to be having a bad hair day, makes the cardinal mistake of getting into a phone booth for a bit of pow-wow with his powerful friends in the government. That's when trouble begins. "Knock Out" builds up into a walloping slash-of-life swipe, sometimes savage elsewhere satirical, at the monstrous levels of corruption that has seeped into our political and everyday life. The facts seem to be on the director's fingertips. He confidently takes us through a startling labyrinth of false leads and blood-red herrings that suggest a deep and disturbing link between the growing disregard for the common man's needs and a simultaneous growth in the graph of corruption in Indian politics. Mani Shankar creates an arresting format of dialogue-based interaction between the unkempt Bachu, who becomes symbolic of all the middlemen in the business of politics who unwittingly end up selling chunks of our nation and its conscience to unscrupulous politicians, and a mysterious vigilante-styled, one-man anti-corruption bureau played by Sanjay Dutt. Dutt's entry into the volatile cat-and-mouse chase signals an adrenaline-pumping momentum in the plot. He doesn't have much movement to do until the climax when he locks limbs with a martial-arts stuntman with panther-like agility. Yup, this is what Dutt should be doing more often. His anti-corruption voice is supported by some hard-hitting dialogues on how the British colonizers cleaned out our coffers in 150 years while Indian politicians have done the same in 70 years. The rhetorics are woven into the gripping plot without stressful attempts to sound like the nation's conscience. The patriotic pride of Mani Shankar's treatise on corruption and redemption emerges effortlessly, to merge with the larger responsibility of the filmmaker to entertain the audience. What starts off as a thriller in a phone booth builds up into a riveting morality tale. Besides Dutt and Irrfan, incidental characters who show up at the venue of the bizarre hold-up also create a high interest-level in the goings-on. Sushant Singh, playing a cop who won't succumb to corruption and therefore loses his life, and Apoorva Lakhia, as a ruthless immoral establishment-monster, are just two of the characters who lend a blend of immediacy and topicality to the relentless chase-phase that the film assumes. There is a restrained rabble-rousing element in the storytelling. The anti-corruption statement never comes in the way of telling a story that in many ways defines the enough-is-enough attitude of a nation on the brink of damnation. Like the character that Dutt plays, director Mani Shankar has always depended on technology to sustain his cinema. His earlier well-scripted film "Mukhbiir" suffered for the lack of a decent budget. "Knock Out" is done on a level of high-intensity credibility. It's not so much the method and craft as a heart that genuinely beats for a corruption-free India that gives "Knock Out" a flavour of pulsating patriotism. Watch it to get entertained while creating a world where a politician ironically named Bapu (Gulshan Grover) goes on an international rampage at the the cost of the national exchequer. Not just a film with a heart, "Knock Out" has a conscience too.

Lindsay Lohan not to meet her dad Posted: 16 Oct 2010 03:36 AM PDT Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina has banned her ex-husband Michael from seeing their daughter because he has allegedly been spreading falsehood that Lindsay tried to buy drugs. Dina alleges that her former spouse has been telling lies that Lindsay -- currently undergoing rehabilitation treatment in Los Angeles -- tried to buy drugs this week. She has now made the decision to cut him out of the actress' life -- completely. Lindsay has been told of her mother's wishes and she reportedly agrees with the decision. "Lindsay's father Michael, my ex-husband, sold a totally untrue story saying Lindsay tried to buy drugs again. It's quite simply nonsense. She hasn't even set foot outside the Betty Ford Clinic," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Dina as saying. "It's terribly sad that when Lindsay needs the support of her friends and family most, her father would betray her like this. For her sake and in the interests of her swift recovery, we feel it's best that Michael has no contact with his daughter whatsoever. This has been discussed with Lindsay and she agrees that this is the best course of action," she said. Dina, 48, has also ordered the staff at the Betty Ford Clinic to not let Michael see Lindsay for any reason. "We have spoken to the clinic and Lindsay has given instructions that Michael is not to be allowed access. She needs support and a calming environment at this time and his presence will not help matters," she said.

Kate Moss has not married Jamie Hince Posted: 16 Oct 2010 03:32 AM PDT British supermodel Kate Moss has not married rocket boyfriend Jamie Hince secretly, her representative says. "She is definitely not married. Any implication she is, is factually incorrect," contactmusic.com quoted her spokesman as saying. Moss and Hince first got together in September 2007, and it was believed the pair married in Sicily in an intimate ceremony in a small church. Moss has earlier been in relationship with actor Johnny Depp and troubled singer Pete Doherty.

Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra comic book characters Posted: 16 Oct 2010 03:27 AM PDT Box office collections notwithstanding, "Anjaana Anjaani" is certainly on a roll. The two suicidal protagonists in the rom-com who meet when they are on the verge of suicide are about to take a plunge in another direction. The protagonists played by Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra will now feature in a series of comic books describing the adventures of their characters Akash and Kiera. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala has spoken to a leading publishing house which enthusiastically agreed to the idea. The first graphics have already been prepared and if all goes well the inaugural comic based on Ranbir and Priyanka's characters in "Anjaana Anjaani" will hit the stands for Diwali. That's right. Kiera (Priyanka Chopra) and Akash (Ranbir Kapoor), the losers in love and business, respectively, are now being relocated from the screen into print and on the internet as comic book characters. Says producer Sajid Nadiadwala: "A lot of us involved with this film felt the Priyanka and Ranbir characters will translate well into comic books. We are in negotiation. But I can't really talk about the project until all the deals are done. In fact, I'd request you to not write about this until everything is final. We don't want the idea to be stolen." However, one of the actors from the film spilled the beans adding that if the comic books succeed, Nadiadwala also has plans of doing a cartoon version of the "Anjaana Anjaani" characters for satellite television and internet entitled "The Mad Mad Adventures Of Kiera and Akash".

Angelina Jolie defends Bosnian movie Posted: 16 Oct 2010 12:50 AM PDT Angelina Jolie has defended her controversial movie project after she was banned from filming in Bosnia and has urged critics to hold judgment until they have seen the movie. The Oscar-winning actress has stepped behind the camera for the first time to make her directorial debut with the currently untitled movie that she had planned to film in Bosnian cities of Sarajevo and Zenica, reports contactmusic.com. However, confusion over the plot has led to the Bosnian government revoking the actress' production permit. Campaign groups in the country expressed their anger over rumours that the film will tell the story of a Bosnian woman who falls in love in with her Serbian rapist in the middle of the Bosnian war. The actress has now spoken out about the furore, refusing to reveal details of the plot but insisting the "sensitive" storyline will be handled appropriately. "They should hold judgment until they have seen the film. Obviously any dramatic interpretation will always fail those who have had a real experience. This is not a documentary," said Jolie. "There are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters and that will be revealed once the film is released," she added.

Tom Cruise targets 'Top Gun' sequel Posted: 16 Oct 2010 12:26 AM PDT Tom Cruise is set to return to the role that launched him into the stratosphere in a sequel to the 1986 hit "Top Gun", according to industry reports Friday. Paramount Pictures has already made offers to Cruise, as well as producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Pirates of the Caribbean") and director Tony Scott ("The Taking of Pelham 123"), according to vulture.com. Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects") is strapped in to write the sequel, the report said. Cruise, who made his name as the daring Navy fighter pilot Maverick, would have a smaller role than in the original, though no details are available on the exact nature of his new part. The original "Top Gun" was a huge hit worldwide, taking in more than $350 million. The report said that the film is being pushed by David Ellison, the 27-year-old son of software titan Larry Ellison, the world's sixth wealthiest man, who had raised $350 million to co-finance Paramount films, starting with "Mission: Impossible 4".

John Abraham to appeal against jail term Posted: 16 Oct 2010 12:21 AM PDT Bollywood actor John Abraham, who has been sentenced to 15 days in jail in a rash and negligent driving case registered in 2006, Friday said he would appeal against the verdict. "To begin with, I'm a law abiding citizen and I will be appealing this verdict and will go to every length to have this verdict appealed. I'm advised that I have a good chance of succeeding this appeal," John, who is currently out on bail, said in a statement here Friday night. "I am also clarifying with this statement only because I am a public figure and in all modesty I do have a large youth interaction, who look to me for guidance and leadership and inspiration and I don't want them to feel or take way that when wronged, we do not fight for what is right," John said, reading from the statement. "I also want to categorically state that I have the highest regard for the judicial system of our great country and this is more of a personal clarification I felt compelled to make due to the public life that I also lead than I commenting in any way to the judicial view," he added. John was Thursday sentenced to 15 days jail by a city court. He was charged under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code. He immediately applied for bail and deposited a fine of Rs.1,500. The accident took place April 8, 2006 when the actor banged his 1100 CC Yamaha Hayabusa motorbike into a cycle, injuring two people.

James Cameron to direct 'Cleopatra'? Posted: 16 Oct 2010 12:16 AM PDT Filmmaker James Cameron will reportedly direct actress Angelina Jolie in a 3D movie based on the life of Cleopatra. The "Avatar" director will helm the 3-D picture, produced by Scott Rudin and based on the book "Cleopatra: A Life" by Stacy Schiff. Jolie has already confirmed her interest in the role but admitted she was waiting for a director. "I think if we can get the story right and... a lot about her has not been covered. If we can do something original we will. But no director yet," she said. Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Amy Pascal has revealed the company is anxious to make the movie after screenwriter Bran Helgeland wrote a "brilliant script deserving of epic treatment" all about "what the Romans took from Egypt", reports contactmusic.com. "Cleopatra" is set to begin shooting in 2011. "Titanic" director James is currently working on new movie "The Dive", and developing the "Avatar" sequel. The story of Cleopatra was last featured on screen in the 1963 movie starring Elizabeth Taylor as the Egyptian queen.

Mahie Gill gone from Knockout Posted: 16 Oct 2010 12:07 AM PDT The much talked-about item song in Mani Shankar's "Knock Out" has been knocked out of the film just days before the movie's release. Touted as the next "Munni badnaam" in the charts, the number was shot recently by the film's producers and apparently without the director's consent. On hearing about the embellishment, director Mani Shankar was horrified. Says a source: "Mani immediately got in touch with his producer Sohail Makhlai asking why the material was added to the film without his consent. Sohail tried to explain to him that it was to enhance the massy element. Mani had no choice but to allow the song to be shot. But when he incorporated it into the film he immediately felt it was not working. He removed the song just days before the prints went out." Apparently the producers decided to do all the promotional footage on their own without the director's active participation. Says the source: "Mani was opposed to cutting the promos highlighting shots that resembled 'Phone Booth'. If the producers had listened to him the trouble with '20th Century Fox' over plagiarism allegations could've been avoided since 'Knock Out' has nothing to do with 'Phone Booth'." This time Mani Shankar stood his ground. He would not allow the item song into his narrative specially since he apparently found the the movements given to Mahie Gill to be vulgar. When contacted, Mani admitted he opposed the inclusion of the song and removed it from his film. "My film is a political thriller that moves in real time. A break for an item song was just not needed. We removed Mahie Gill's number after shooting it. As for whether I approved of her movements, that question has no relevance since the number is no longer in my film." Mahie appears surprised to know that her number has been knocked out of "Knock Out". Trying to hide her disappointment, the actress says: "Nobody has informed me! Has my number really been edited out? Maybe after shooting it they realised it didn't gel with the narrative. I had fun shooting the number with Ganesh Acharya. Now I've shot an item song for Vinay Shukla's 'Mirchi' with the legendary choreographer Saroj Khan." Hopefully Mahie's item number in "Mirchi" would suffer a better fate.

Vanessa Hudgens to star in 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' Posted: 15 Oct 2010 11:50 PM PDT Hollywood actress Vanessa Hudgens is in final talks to star opposite actor Josh Hutcherson in the film "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island". The sequel has tapped Hutcherson to reprise his role as Sean who this time will force his mother's boyfriend, portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, to join him on a trip to a mythical and monstrous island to find his missing grandfather, reports aceshowbiz.com. Hudgens will portray a Pacific Islander who gets swept into the adventure and ends up falling in love with Sean. The action fantasy film will be directed by Brad Peyton and the script is loosely based on Jules Verne's "The Mysterious Island". The production is expected to be kicked off late October in North Carolina and Hawaii. "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" will also be shot in 3-D and is slated for a 2011 release.

The Great Khali: I'm in 'Bigg Boss' to entertain India Posted: 15 Oct 2010 11:43 PM PDT He's over seven feet tall, weighs 190 kg and has a daily diet which can last a normal person for a week - and he's all set to enter "Bigg Boss 4". Popular wrestler The Great Khali, the latest participant of reality show "Bigg Boss 4", says all he wants to do through the show is to entertain the Indian audience. "My managers were in talks with the channel, before I agreed to appear. I have never seen this show. But main toh apne desh ko entertain karne jaa raha hun (I am going to entertain the Indian audience)," Khali told IANS over phone from Mumbai, before entering the "Bigg Boss" house. Born as Dalip Singh Rana in Dhirana village in Himachal Pradesh, Khali achieved fame as a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler, where his massive frame proved to be more than what his opponents could handle. The wrestler, whose "Bigg Boss 4" entry will air on Colors Saturday, says he is not aware of the celebrities present inside the house. "I don't know who all are inside. I have never met those people, so only when I meet them can I say how well I mix with them. Rest, I will do whatever I do as a routine - eat and exercise," he said. The 38-year-old's diet, which includes vegetables, eggs, chicken, roti and rice, could pose a problem on the show, as the inmates get a limited amount of groceries per week. "Thoda sa adjust toh karna padega (I will have to adjust a bit). But rest I will tell the channel to arrange. How can they not give enough food," he asked. Khali also plans to demand a special bed to suit his seven-foot-three-inch frame. The "Bigg Boss" house, notorious for catfights, will, however, not see any of his feared kushti (wrestling) moves, Khali says. "There will be no kushti. I will use the gym, and let's see what happens on the show," he concluded. "Bigg Boss" is not Khali's first brush with showbiz. He has appeared in Hollywood films like the Adam Sandler-starrer "The Longest Yard" and Steve Carell-Anne Hathaway comedy "Get Smart". His Indian films include "Kushti" and "Raama-The Saviour". "Bigg Boss", currently running in its fourth season, features a group of celebrities locked up in a house, without any communication with the outside world. Others in the show include former dacoit Seema Parihar, actors Sameer Soni, Ashmit Patel, Manoj Tiwari, Shweta Tiwari, Sara Khan, and models Hrishant Goswami and Aanchal Kumar. The show also includes two celebrities from Pakistan - model-actress Veena Malik and TV actor Ali Saleem, whose TV persona Begum Nawazish Ali is popular both in Pakistan and India.

Kim Kardashian suspects men Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:48 PM PDT Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has admitted she often suspects men who want to date her of using her to become famous. Kardashian who recently moved to New York to set up a new clothing boutique with her sister Kourtney, admitted she is happy to be single because she worries about the motives of men who try to romance her, reports contactmusic.com. "It's all a learning experience. I think I'm still trying to figure it out. That's why I think it's probably best for me to be single right now," she said. "It's a lot easier than to try and figure out who likes me for really me and who wants to be on a show. It's definitely a process," she added.

Sakshi Pradhan out of 'Bigg Boss 4' Posted: 15 Oct 2010 07:44 PM PDT Sakshi Pradhan's cranky nature didn't go down too well with either the inmates of "Bigg Boss 4" or the Indian TV audiences. She has been evicted within just two weeks of being on the show. The former MTV "Splitsvilla" contestant was nominated by last week's captain of the house, Pakistani TV actor Ali Saleem, whose TV persona Begum Nawazish Ali is popular both in Pakistan and India. Others who were nominated for eviction with Sakshi were Sameer Soni and former dacoit Seema Parihar, but she received minimum votes to save her from eviction. Sakshi was extremely friendly with the girls in the house, especially with Pakistani actress Veena Malik, but had her share of tiffs and ego hassles with male contestants. However, she did not willingly do the house chores. Sakshi shed tears before leaving the house on the episode aired Friday. Sakshi entered the house with 13 other celebrities. The show, hosted by Bollywood star Salman Khan, requires contestants to be locked inside a house without any communication with the outside world.

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