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The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out. At the heart of its storytelling lies the question of how anyone comes to know the things they know about life and love.

Tags: Apparent Desire, Brother, Game Show, Gangs, India, Innocence, Jamal Malik, Million Viewers, Mumbai, Mystery, Orphan, Quizzes, Rupees, Slum, Slums, Storytelling, Street Kid, Suspicion, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Young Man

After the release of her first Bollywood film Jannat Sonal Chauhan has become the new blue-eyed girl of the Bhatt camp. TWF correspondent Sreya Basu catches up with this new heartthrob of Bollywood during her breezy visit to Kolkata for the promotion of her film.

How did you make it to the Bhatt camp?
Till the shooting for Jannat started I did not have the remotest idea that I will take up acting. I was into part time modelling and wanted to become a journalist. But never thought I will land up being a heroine in a Hindi flick.

Kunal Deshmukh-director of Jannat-saw me at a restaurant in Mumbai. He came to me and asked for my contact number. In a week I was on the floors shooting.

Have you ever taken a formal acting course or felt the need of it?
I don't have a formal training in acting. But now that I have made up my mind to become an actor I feel that a formal training is very much required. I will soon join an acting school.

Tell us about your character in Jannat?
My character Zoya is not a typical 20th century girl. She knows her limitations and knows how to react in different situations. Unlike a typical girlfriend she refuses gifts from her boyfriend Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) and prefers shopping with her earnings.

Are you comfortable acting with Emraan Hashmi? Please don't give a politically correct answer.
Emraan is a delight to work with. I know what the media wants to know-it's about my two kissing scenes in the film. Yes there are kissing scenes and I didn't feel uncomfortable with those.

I was a bit uncomfortable about wearing a bikini in the movie and when I told my director Kunal Deshmukh and producer Mukesh Bhatt about it they said I need not wear it. I will never do any thing that I am not comfortable doing.

You share your birthday with the release date of Jannat (May 17). Any comments?
I feel blessed. This is the best birthday gift that I can ever have. I turned 21 this year and I take this as the happy beginning of my career.

Were you nervous before the release of the film?
I almost had a nervous breakdown in anticipation of the fate of Jannat. I was not worried about the box office results but audience reaction-if the audience will accept me or not.

But seeing the response of the film after the first show I am relieved. People have liked the film and thankfully me as well.

The role of Zoya was first offered to Esha Deol. What's your take on that?
I thank her from the bottom of my heart that she refused the film. Or else my life would never have this 360-degree turn.

We heard that in the climax of Jannat the hand of the heroine shown is not yours. Is it true?
Yes. There was a change in the climax. But as I was shooting for a Telegu film I could not give dates to the film. The hand shown is of Kangana Ranaut's. It was really nice of her to come at such a short notice and literally 'lend me a helping hand'.

What are your forthcoming films?
I have two untitled films with the Bhatts and one film with Kumar Mangalam.

Tags: 20th Century Girl, Acting School, Best Birthday Gift, Bikini Movie, Blue Eyed Girl, Bollywood Film, Contact Number, Correct Answer, Correspondent, Earnings, Emraan Hashmi, Flick, Girlfriend, Heartthrob, Heroine, Journalist, Mumbai, Part Time, Release Date, Zoya

Saif Ali Khan was back in hospital for the third time in less than three years. The first time it happened in Kuala Lumpur in March 2006 when Saif had to undergo an emergency appendectomy.The second and far more serious health scare occurred in February 2007 when Saif was rushed to Leelavati hospital in Mumbai for a suspected heart attack.
All was well after that, with Saif leading a healthy and balanced professional and personal life.On Thursday he was back in the hospital for a suspected food poisoning.Said his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, "He is all right. He got a stomach infection due to some thing he ate that didn't suit him. He'll be discharged from hospital in 2-3 days."Adds Saif's mom Sharmila Tagore, "He ate bhelpuri that caused a problem. He's in some discomfort. Otherwise he's okay."Incidentally Saif and Kareena were supposed to leave for their week-long New Year vacation after Christmas. At the moment it stands postponed.

Tags: Bhelpuri, Emergency Appendectomy, Food Poisoning, Girlfriend, Gossips, Health Scare, Heart Attack, Kareena Kapoor, Kareena Saif, Kuala Lumpur, Less Than Three Years, Mom, Mumbai, New Year, Personal Life, Saif Ali Khan, Serious Health, Sharmila Tagore, Stomach Infection, Third Time

It has become the hallmark of the industry that a creative idea where a man fights against the system and wages a one man war, if it is packaged in an efficient manner gets the approval of the audience whole–heartedly. The inert violence that is latent inside most of us finds a veritable expression in the form of a fight against the system by the lead character on the screen, and therefore it is a resounding success. GHAJINI follows in the same genre. For GHAJINI it also is fortuitous that it has been released at a time when the nation has been caught in the frenzy of violence on account of the mayhem that happened in Mumbai, and the empathy of the audience finds being aligned with the underdog. GHAJINI has provided an opportune time to have a relook into the films of the same theme where one man fighting against the system has been able to storm the box office.

Tags: Audience, Box Office, Creative Idea, Empathy, Expression, Films, Frenzy, Genre, Ghajini, Hallmark, Lead, Mayhem, Mumbai, Opportune Time, Relook, Resounding Success, Saga, Underdog, Violence, Wages

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Tags: Baabul, Baghbaan, Bollywood, Chopra, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Decade, Demise, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Television, Landmark Films, Legendary Figure, Mahabharatha, Mumbai, Nephew, Producers, Script Writer, Son Ravi, Veteran Producer, Yashraj Films