BollyWeekly (Week of October 21st)

Here's the excitement for this week:

Happy 83rd Birthday to Bollywood legend, Shammi Kapoor! This article has a nice write up about his career in film, as well as quite a few videos. Check it out.

"The Big Bang Theory"'s Kunal Nayyar is interested in doing a Bollywood film in the future. Not sure if this completely counts as "Hollywood Gone Bollywood," since Nayyar is Indian, but we'll take it. As far as we're concerned, any Western exposure to Bollywood is a good thing :)

In a reverse of our last article, Indian actress Sridevi (English Vinglish, Khuda Gawah) seems to be finding a Hollywood acting career more appealing than being a Bollywood star. Guess we'll have to wait and see. We love Sridevi and wish her all the success in the world, whether in Los Angeles or Mumbai.

Where have all the good villains gone? This article discusses the lack of good bad guys in modern Bollywood.  We give the author props for mentioning Aamir Khan's upcoming role in Dhoom 3. We think he will be great. We are big Aamir fans, although not as big of fans of the guy as his daughter. Awwww.

Speaking of the Dhoom franchise, a video game version set in the Dhoom universe will be released in tandem with the premiere of the Dhoom 3 movie. Judging by the wording of the article, it seems like this game will be for mobile phones. Wonder if we can get it in America?

Oh no! Actor Akshaye Khanna has become the victim of a Ponzi Scheme after being duped into sinking a large amount of money in a fraudulent investment project. We hope that this gets resolved quickly, and that those responsible get their just desserts.

Until next week!

BollyWeekly (Week of October 7)

Here's the excitement for this week:

Ranbir Kapoor in "Besharam"

Travel writer Harriet O'Brien goes on a studio tour of Bollywood, detailed in this interesting article that talks about the genre's rich history in India.

Not only does the upcoming Ram-Leela (from Sanjay Leela Bhansali) feature the stunning Deepika Padukone and the charming Ranveer Singh, it's alive with color, incredible cinematography, and it's throwing down the gauntlet. Bollywood Life asks: who does the Garba better, Deepikia or Aish? Deepika is relatively new on the scene, but Aish has been absent a while.  Here are the videos for comparison.

Deepika:



Aish:



Opinions?


There were many famous faces present at the opening of a new real estate project in Mumbai this week. Check out the photos here.

This new film looks like a must see. (Pssst.... guess what BollyWest is doing on Wednesday!??!!?)

Is the Bollywood charm catching? American actor Jon Huertes says, "I would love to do a Bollywood movie" when talking to BollySpice. Best known for his role as Detective Javier Esposito on Castle, Huertes pursues acting and music and even proposes a Bollywood-themed Castle episode. As a fan of the show, I'm all in. 

Anil Kapoor as Jai Singh Rathore in "24"

This article about the new Bollywood television series based off of the American series "24" is too good not to share. The show stars Anil Kapoor as the main character, Jai Singh Rathore. Interestingly enough, Kapoor played a character during the American version's last season. This show is getting a lot of hype, even though it is just getting started. It will be interesting to see its effect on Bollywood television industry, as its format differs greatly from the majority of popular TV in India. Here's another interesting article. This link will take you to a BBC video about the show.

Until next week!

BollyWeekly Report (Week of September 30th)

Here's the excitement for this week:

Hrithik Roshan in a new still from Krrish 3. How does that mask stay on?

The Krrish 3 release date has been moved up to November 1st. A new video has been released of the song "Dil Tu Hi Bataa," which will appear in the film. Watch it here. We at Bollywest love the song, but wonder.... Hrithik, when it comes to your Krrish hairstyles, what are you thinking?

Actor Ranveer Singh, who is currently in the middle of filming his new movie, Gunday, has been hospitalized due to contracting a severe case of dengue fever.  Best wishes for his recovery! Read about it here.

Ranveer Singh

Is Bollywood "lacking creativity" these days? Actor Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire) seems to think so.  For us, coming from a Western perspective and also a "new to Bollywood" point of view, we still find it all fun and exciting.

Irrfan Khan

For some eye candy, check out these photos of some of Bollywood's hottest actors at the Indian GQ Men of the Year Awards. Here is a link to a photo gallery of some of the women that were in attendance as well.

Rani Mukerji the 2013 GQ Men of the Year Awards

In romance gossip, actress Pooja Bedi is totally enamored with her boyfriend, Askashdeep Saigal... and says that as far as his love for her is concerned, all the proof she needs is written on his...arm? Over a year ago, Saigal got Pooja's name tattooed on his arm. Perhaps this couple has never heard of the curse of the name tattoo? All kidding aside, we wish the happy couple the very best.  

Pooja and "Sky"

In Dhoom 3 news, a new poster for the film has just been released. Looks pretty awesome! The film comes out on December 20th, not November 4th as previously reported. There seems to be a lot of date-shifting in Bollywood lately!

New poster for Dhoom 3

And finally... nice guy Abhishek Bachchan, husband of the lovely Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, sets a good example for all young Indian men looking to romance women... the right way. AB says:

"I am used to people whistling at my wife... see my wife then you will know why I am saying this. I have never whistled at her to woo her... I don't think its the right thing to do. I courted her through my gesture, emotions and words." 

Aish remarks:

"That's why I married him."  

Awwww... just another example of why AB and Aish are one of our favorite Bollywood couples. Their love and respect for each other is obvious. Plus, they have a pretty adorable kid.

Abhishek, Aaradhya, and Aishwarya Bachchan

Until next week!

BollyWeekly Report (Week of September 23rd)

Welcome to the first real post on BollyWest! 

As part of our exploration of Bollywood culture, we thought it would be a good idea to keep tabs on what's going on in Bollywood news. Every week, we will post a list of relevant news articles and discuss everything from upcoming films and awards shows to fashion and gossip. 

Here's the excitement for this week:

Hrithik Roshan (or, as he's known in my house, "that amazing dancer guy with those abs) is excited to play an all-out superhero in the upcoming film Krrish 3. Roshan comments: "He was just an ordinary boy who discovers his powers. The previous two films were family-oriented. This time, I play an out-and-out superhero. He's a superhero who has values and culture embedded in his DNA. That's what makes him different." Hear more of his thoughts on the role here.  Krrish 3, who some say is Roshan's best film to date,  premieres on Diwali (November 4th) this year. We here at BollyWest cannot wait for this film to come out!

Check out the trailer for Krrish 3 here.

Speaking of Hrithik, one of the biggest gossip stories in Bollywood right now involves Roshan and his wife, Suzanne. There have been reports for many years regarding Hrithik's supposed infidelity with a number of women. Is their marriage as troubled as the press would make it seem? This story, which states that the couple are still very happy together and not considering divorce, would suggest otherwise.

Hrithik and Suzanne Roshan

Bollywood's reigning queen, and BollyWest favorite, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks stunning in a new ad campaign for Kalyan Jewelers. Not that we're surprised... she is the most beautiful woman in the world, after all! Check out the images from the Kalyan Jewelers ad campaign here. Unfortunately, Bachchan is still on maternity hiatus and has not been in any new films since the birth of her adorable daughter, Aradhya Bachchan, with husband Abhishek Bachchan in 2011. Come back Aish, we miss you!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in an ad campaign for Kalyan Jewelers

Did you know that Aamir Khan is playing a dual role in the upcoming blockbuster, Dhoom 3? This franchise is near and dear to our hearts, and we are SO excited to see the third installment! We are hoping to see this film in the theaters when it comes out this winter.... more on that later on, as we further develop our plans.

Check here and here for some more news related to Dhoom 3, and here for a teaser trailer.

Actor Saif Ali Khan, star of films like Kal Ho Na Ho (2003) and husband of Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor, is more than Bollywood royalty... as the 10th Nawab of Pataudi, he is also Indian royalty. For more information about what a Nawab is and what the title entails, check out this article here. Check out this article to find out how much Khan and his family are worth... it's insane!

Saif Ali Khan

Are you a football fan? If so, you might have heard Priyanka Chopra singing this year's NFL theme song, "In My City." Take a listen here.

This has been a pretty exciting week in Bollywood! Stay tuned for several new posts on the blog this week... and bear with us as we get this whole thing going!

--Ellie