Ashutosh Gowarikar to direct film on Buddha

Acclaimed Indian director Ashutosh Gowarikar will direct an English film based on the life of Lord Buddha.
Spice Enfotaintment, headed by industrialist B K Modi, will invest Rs 200 crore for production of the film titled 'Buddha'.
Incidentally, it was Gowarikar who portrayed the ancient enlightened saint in Shyam Benegal's popular television series 'Discovery of India'.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Gowarikar said the script has been written by Oscar winner David Ward. The movie will go on floor on May 2010 and completed by end of the year.
The pre-production work for finalising the location, technicians and artists will begin this month, said the Lagaan director who is in the midst of giving finishing touches to his latest venture What's Your Raashi .
He said 'Buddha' will be shot in the foothills of Himalayas. Gowarikar will only be directing the movie and not co-producing it.
Speaking about the movie's budget, he said it will be according to the film's needs.
"We will be filming an era which is far removed from today. Hence to re-create it will be an expensive proposition."

John Abraham prefers work to holiday

Having shot for his film ‘Hook Ya Crook’ weeks ahead of schedule, John Abraham was left with 27 free days. But he’s chosen to use that time to work on another project.
Much as he would have loved to take a holiday, John preferred to prepare for his role in Abbas Tyrewala ’s next directorial venture ‘1:800 Love’, a love story starring John and Abbas’ wife Pakhi.
The movie, an out-and-out love story, has John playing a very ordinary guy in not-so-ordinary circumstances. Since the character is based in London, John agreed to take part in acting workshops for Tyrewala’s film, something that wouldn’t have been possible if director David Dhawan hadn’t wrapped up his Hook Ya Crook 27 days ahead of schedule.
In the workshops, John would try to build up his character. The actor would take on a new accent and very different body language for his character of an ordinary man.
The workshop would continue for a month after which John would confidently face the camera for Tyrewala’s film.

Katrina Kaif cheers for Royal Challengers Bangalore

Even as Royal Challengers Bangalore struggle to secure a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing IPL, it’s brand ambassador Katrina Kaif is cheering on the team from home.
The Bollywood beauty has embarked on a nationwide campaign called “Meet And Greet Katrina Kaif” to keep the interest of cricket fans alive in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament in South Africa and to particularly raise the morale of Royal Challengers Bangalore, which is performing better than last year but still not good enough.
At the promotional event held in Bangalore, Katrina said though she’s not cheering the team in South Africa, she’s happy to cheer from home where all fans are.
“…the silver lining is that I am cheering for my team with fans! It feels better cheering for them from home, as not everyone can afford to travel to all the venues to watch their team play,” Katrina said at the event.
When asked about her team’s chances of reaching the finals, Katrina was optimistic.
“I will continue to cheer for the Royal Challengers and believe we have a chance to win the finals. My favourite cricketer is Rahul Dravid, who I believe is a true gentleman,” Katrina revealed.
Katrina, who had been shooting her film De Dana Dan in Singapore before flying to Bangalore, added that she’s been watching all the matches in the IPL so far.
We didn’t know she was such a cricket buff!

A R Rahman, Mick Jagger make music for peace

“Make music, not missiles,” goes a popular T-shirt quote. Now, Bollywood’s A R Rahman and the ‘Rolling Stones’ singer Mick Jagger are teaming up to make music for peace.
A host of musicians from the world over are joining hands for an LP which will be released on United Nations’ International Day of Peace that falls on Sep 21.
Mick Jagger, Nas and Joss Stone, the Oscar winning A R Rahman, along with reggae legend Bob Marley’s sons Damian and Stephen, and probably the U2 frontman Bono are set to team up to churn music for the special album.
“When this project was suggested they (the musicians) were keen to get on board, especially considering the glittering cast of other musicians involved,” a source is quoted by The Sun.
Though the album is to be recorded in Los Angeles, it may not be possible for all the musicians to work on it simultaneously.
“It’s incredibly challenging to get so many figures in the studio at a time that’s agreeable to everyone,” the source added.

Salman Khan turns singer for 'Wanted'

He’s an actor, painter and scriptwriter. And now, Salman Khan shows his talent for singing as well.
The superstar has lent his vocal chords to a special promotional song of producer Boney Kapoor’s film Wanted Dead And Alive . The number has music by Sajid-Wajid, the composer duo who share very friendly rapport with Salman.
The lyrics of the song are penned by Salman who incorporated some dialogues from the film while writing the song.
Both Sajid and Wajid have apparently been fans of Salman’s music sense for a long time and during the dubbing of the film when Salman tipped the idea of the song, the duo jumped at it.
The song is an energetic number with more than 100 sounds and uplifting tempo of 140 beats per minute. Moreover, Sajid says Salman sung the song so well that he managed to catch a very high pitch, something that’s not normal for first-time singers.