'Kareena has surpassed Julia Roberts' - Siddharth Malhotra

Siddharth Malhotra's directorial debut We Are Family -- starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal -- will release this week. But not many know about him and his family.
Siddharth belongs to a filmi family -- his grandparents Premnath and Bina Rai were popular actors. His father Prem Krishen was an actor and producer, who owns a production company called Cinevista. So films was a natural step for Siddharth.
He assisted Vidhu Vinod Chopra on the film Kareeb, when he was only 15 years old. He did a filmmaking course from New York University, and then went on to assist Karan Johar on Kal Ho Naa Ho.
Siddharth is also a trained classical singer, and released an album called Dhun. Modestly, he thought he was not good at it, so he gave it up.

What made him get into direction? "I always felt that a director is more powerful than an actor," he said. "My grandfather always wanted to be a director, so did my father. In fact, every actor wants to be a director at some point. Even Ranbir Kapoor wants to be a director. In my college days, I wanted to be an actor. But that lasted for a short period. I never took it seriously."
Siddharth has been producing television serials for the last 10 years. Yet, he has never directed even an episode. "There you have to learn to cheat. You have to churn out an episode per day. I know the frustration that TV directors go through. They have to be on their toes always. Plus, I can't think saas-bahu. I make young shows like Dil Mil Gaye. I don't enjoy production; I only do it because I have a company to run. I don't understand the economics of serial-making. I would rather spend my time writing scripts and discussing cinema," Siddharth explains.
Besides, the young director has always loved watching films, his favourites being Saaz-e-Maut, Khamosh and Parinda. "I am a huge fan of Vinod Chopra," Siddharth says. "He is a genius. There is not a single director, who can take a shot technically better than him."
When Siddharth asked Chopra if he could work with him, Chopra readily agreed without even knowing his family history. "I was 15 then and everyone bullied me. I did all the things that an assistant would not do in the film industry. I was naive," he smiles.
Besides Chopra, Siddharth claims that Sooraj Barjatya and Karan Johar also taught him well.

So why did Siddharth direct for Karan Johar, after working so closely with Chopra?
"After Kareeb I went to the US to learn filmmaking. I called Vinod Chopra after I returned, but he said he was making a film only after two years. So I joined Karan," Siddharth explains.
And it was Karan, and his blockbuster debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, that made up Siddharth's mind about being a director.
"I just love Kuch Kuch Hota Hai," he says. "I watch it even today. Likewise, I know all the dialogues of Maine Pyar Kiya and even the background music score by heart. My grandfather and Yash (Johar) uncle were good friends. My mother and (Karan Johar's mother) Hiroo aunty are good friends. I have known Karan since a long time. So when I told him that I wanted to assist him, he agreed. I was the fourth assistant on Kal Ho Naa Ho. I never had to struggle."
After Kal Ho Naa Ho, Siddharth returned to television, with a break to produce Salman Khan's Garv. Saas-bahu soaps were very popular at the time, and Siddharth was constantly asked to make one.
"I was so unhappy that I would literally cry. One day, I told my parents that I can't do this any more, even if that meant I would be unemployed," he said.
Thankfully for Siddharth, Sooraj Barjatya came to his rescue. Siddharth had expressed a desire to work with the director a year and a half ago, but Barjatya was scripting Vivaah then. So when Siddharth was down, Barjatya called him and said he was starting the Vivaah shoot. Siddharth immediately came on board.
'With Soorajji, you don't only learn the technical aspects. You also learn how to behave on the sets. He listens to your advice; he will also listen to the advice of spot boys," he says.
"Soorajji and Raju (Rajkumar Hirani) are very close friend to me," he adds. "My first television show was with Abbas Tyrewala, Raju and Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya, who directed Tashan). These are very down-to-earth people. When I started my film, besides Karan and Soorajji, I also asked Raju for his advice."
After Vivaah, Siddharth decided to write a family comedy. Barjatya read the first draft, and loved it. Siddharth gave the script to Karan as well. After reading it, Karan decided to sign him on as director.
The script did not take off because four drafts later, they still weren't satisfied.

Meanwhile, Siddharth asked a writer from Cinevista, Vineeta, to adapt Stepmom for the Indian palate. He gave that script to Karan, and it was accepted.
Karan decided to buy the requisite rights for the film, and the whole process took nine months. The delay made Siddharth frustrated but also taught him patience.
After that, Kajol and Kareena Kapoor were approached. The film was made in 63 shifts, working on a 9 to 6 schedule.
Siddharth picked Stepmom because he had cried when he first saw it, years ago. He wanted to make a film about family values.
"For me, Stepmom is a story of a mother who is going to give away her kids to another woman. That story would appeal to all of us. The man in the film goes through so many complexities. That wasn't highlighted but we have done that here.
"Plus, Julia Roberts' characterisation had a hate graph but Kareena's character is more dignified. She has done a superb job. I am not being biased because she is my second cousin or because it is my film but because I have seen her work," he says, adding, "Kareena has surpassed Julia Roberts because we have shown the film to about 150 people and that's what they have said. Her performance is more dignified than Julia Roberts'. Her character never falls; there are many layers to it. She did workshops with me before we shot for the film. Kajol does not need any workshop so she did not do it. Kareena had this thing that she is sharing the screen with Kajol. Plus, her role was very complex."
Siddharth claims that Karan never came on the sets of We Are Family. "Karan is there to help you as creative producer. But he did not come on the sets for an entire day. He would just visit during the lunch breaks. After approving the script, he directly saw the final edit," Siddharth said.

How did he decide on the cast?
"I could not think of anyone other than Kajol and Kareena. In fact, I took a mannat for Kajol that if I get her, I would visit the Hanuman mandir all my life. Now, I think I should have said a year only," he laughs. "But anyway, I have a friend for life now. I will approach her for every film that I write.
"Karan and I both knew that the other role belonged to Kareena. No one could do it better than her," he adds. But getting her was very difficult despite the fact that the two are related.
"Kareena is my cousin but in this industry, there are no relatives. Kareena is at the top of her career. She will not invest her time for a role which is not good for her. Karan would not let me offer her a role which was not worth it because she is his Rakhi sister. But when she heard the script, she okayed it.
"For the actor, we did not want to overcast or under-cast. We wanted a man who would be good enough for the two women to fight over. He should be an actor who can speak with his eyes and his silences. People who have seen the film say that Arjun Rampal is a surprise package."

Siddharth insists that there were no catfights on the sets between the two actresses. They just had a lot of fun.
"In fact, we started talking in Kareena's lingo. When something is very good, she would say, 'Fab.' If too many people came on the sets, she would call them 'liabilities'."
Like in the first film of his career Kareeb, Siddharth seemed to be bullied here as well. "There was a scene where Kajol had to paint her children's face, and they paint her face. I told Kajol to try it on me and she put all the paint on me! I cleaned up and got ready for the next scene which required them to put maida (flour) on one another. Arjun threw all the maida on me. In another scene, the children had to throw spaghetti on Kareena. Kareena kept asking them to throw very little spaghetti on her, so the kids threw really very little at first. But finally, she let go and they threw all the spaghetti on her. Her hair got completely spoiled," Siddharth says.
Kajol always managed to keep Siddharth on his toes. "Kajol is a very sharp actor," he says. She thinks a hundred times before she asks a question or makes a comment. So when you answer her, you have to convince her with a logical answer. If you are bluffing or you're not prepared, she will catch you."
So what next after We Are Family? "I have signed a three-film contract with Dharma Productions," Siddharth signs off.

(Rediff)

Behind the scenes: We Are Family

The fun actors had behind the scenes while filming We are Family.

Arjun Rampal : The actor damaged his knee just before he shot the song Jailhouse Rock. Of course, being the professional that he is, Arjun just bandaged the injured knee and slid down the guitar for song in true Elvis Presley style. He later groaned with pain but during the shoot, it never showed!

Kareena Kapoor: The actress got the whole unit and the three children in WAF hooked to her three key words — fab (anything that is going right), shinde (upset), liabilities (unwanted people).

Kajol: The actress dug her nose into her book as soon as she finished her shot when she was shooting with Arjun, hardly exchanging any conversation with him. Arjun still doesn't think that Kajol's a snob and he admires her totally. Siddharth Malhotra, too, adores Kajol so much so that he has watched her debut film Bekhudi directed by Rahul Rawail 18 times; and he has even seen her least talked about movies like Hulchul and Taaqat.

The director, Siddharth Malhotra, is Kareena's second cousin and he calls her mother, Babita chachi. But he didn't go to Bebo with WAF as family. As a thorough professional, he went to Mehboob Studio and narrated the script to her with complete dialogues. And when WAF was ready, he wanted to show the first copy to Babita chachi!

April 20 is Kareena's mum Babita's birthday; and Kajol's daughter Nysa's birthday, too. They both decided to play traunt that day and bullied Siddharth to give them a chutti.

(TOI)

Shahid present, Bebo absent!

A Kareena Kapoor film and Shahid Kapoor in the audience? Now that's some food for thought!

But then, if it's Karan Johar calling you to attend a special screening of his film, then it's difficult to say no, haina Shahid? The actor made heads turn at Cinemax on Wednesday evening as he came along to watch ex-girlfriend Kareena's film We Are Family, hosted by KJo and Siddharth Malhotra. And although there were loads of others, it turned out to be quite a directors' special! Why?

Well, there was Amol Gupte, Sooraj Barjatya, Rajkumar Hirani, Punit Malhotra, Rensil D'Silva, Jugal Hansraj and Ayan Mukerji, who came to attend the screening. Also enjoying themselves at the do were Arti Shetty, Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa, Vikas Sethi, Sonu Nigam, Kriti Soni and Shibani Bhatija.

(TOI)

SRK's 'good luck charm' touch for We Are Family

Shah Rukh Khan would love to be part of every Karan Johar production in some way or the other. And he did exactly that when he turned up at a press meet with Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal to promote We Are Family as a "good luck charm".

In I Hate Luv Storys", Shah Rukh did a small voice-over. Unfortunately he couldn't be accommodated anywhere in We Are Family although the superstar was quite insistent on featuring somehow.

"Ek photo hi daal do kisi shot mein," (At least put a photo in one shot), he kept urging Karan.

Not one to give up even when his wish had gone way past its fulfillment phase, SRK barged in sportingly at a media meet with Kareena and Arjun and insisted on conducting an interview with the pair... "Just as a good luck charm", as he put it.

On Wednesday afternoon, SRK decided to drop in at the venue of the interview and said, "Even I am part of the family. So I'm joining them to promote the film."

Director Siddharth Malhotra can't get over the magic of the moment.

"It is such gestures that make Shah Rukh who he is. It is his ability to make people feel special that makes him the superstar and the king."

Siddharth had entered the media meet when he saw an exceptional bustle at the venue. He jokingly asked what the clamour was about.

"'SRK aa gaya kya?' (Has SRK come?), I asked sarcastically. Imagine my surprise when someone turned around and said that's precisely what has happened and that SRK was doing an interview with Kareena and Arjun for my film," Siddharth said.

(Sify)

Karan Johar on ‘We Are Family’

Last Updated :

 

Karan Johar (Pic: ENS) Producer-director Karan Johar gets talking about his latest film, ‘We Are Family’, his ‘children’ on the sets and his new role as designer.When you meet Karan Johar, you are assured of a candid and entertaining interview, not to mention many ‘off the record’ asides. The director-producer and now fashion designer is never short on words or wit, as was seen across the world when he regaled audiences and his guests on ‘Koffee with Karan’.The celebrity talk show is headed for a revival, but there’s a lot more on Johar’s plate right now.After making a dazzling début as a fashion designer at Couture Week, Johar will show his more serious side as he continues with his collaboration with fashion designer Varun Bahl to present a prêt line at Van Heusen India Men’s Fashion Week in Delhi on August 28. And then, following on from the success of ‘I Hate Luv Storys’, his production house Dharma will release ‘We Are Family’, starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in September.Over to the man who loves his koffee: 

So finally an official adaptation! 

Yes! With ‘We Are Family’ we have many firsts, including working with first-time director Siddharth Malhotra and we have gone legal on a remake by officially adopting the Hollywood film Stepmom and getting the rights for the Elvis song ‘Jailhouse Rock’. I would be open to other legal remakes but only when opportunity knocks. I am not going to go looking for it. There is an art to adaption. Lifting scenes does not make a Hindi film. You have to chop and change scenes. 

Would you recommend others in the Indian film industry go the legal route too? 

It did take a year of going through legalities but if you like a film and you think you can adapt to an Indian context, then it is better to do so legally rather than try to create your own content, which can sometimes go amok. It can be expensive but it depends on your arrangement.It was Siddharth’s idea to adapt the film. I had liked the original. It’s an urban, progressive story about relationships, but it’s not a trendsetting story. Also, we have brought in a new element in the second half, so our film is not a scene-to-scene remake. 

What can you tell us about the performances? 

The director has dealt with the kids in a very good way. I am very happy with the tonality and the crisp length (under two hours). This is the shortest Dharma film ever! The first half of ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ is the entire length of ‘We Are Family’. Both the women are great actors; they are instinctive, spontaneous and very on the ball. They get it immediately. Having worked with them in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, I know how exciting it is to work with them. However, at that time, Kareena had not yet come into her own as an actor. Now, eight to nine years later, I would say she is a different actor altogether. 

You seem to be encouraging first time directors. 

Yes, there have been a lot of them. About seven of them are in various films right now. It’s like I’ve got my own Whistling Woods. But I love it. I don’t have children at home, so I might as well have them at work. There is good energy which keeps me younger and on my toes. My endeavour has been to widen our production base and make many more films. But what we make depends on who comes into my life, their vision and my instinct. 

What else is coming up from Dharma?

 We are just starting a film with Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor to be directed by Shakun Batra. It’s a charming film with a new kind of energy.Rumour has it that it is called ‘Short Term Shaadi’, but it is not. That was just one of the title options, but Shakun hates it. People think that because we are shooting in Las Vegas with a boy and girl and it could have been called ‘Short Term Shaadi’, that it’s a remake of ‘What Happens in Vegas’. There is nothing in common between our film and that film. And after going the legal route, why would we do that?Early next year Tarun Mansukhani will shoot ‘Dostana 2’, then we are adapting our own film ‘Agneepath’, to be directed by Karan Malhotra, and then Ayaan Mukherjee will direct his next. 

What about a Karan Johar film? 

I should complain that I do not get enough time to work on my film. Actually, I have just about recovered from ‘My Name is Khan’. It takes time for one film to get out of your system and another to settle in. I am finding it tough to write and to find the right tone. I have changed in the last decade and so have my cinema, tonality and syntax.With every film I go through an evolution, whether the world knows it or not. I need to challenge myself. After ‘My Name is Khan’, I feel I want to make a happy, fun film; go back to a lip synch song. I want people to sing and dance with abandon. 

To change tracks, what can we expect from your new collection being shown at Men’s Week? 

My collaboration with Varun Bahl works because we have a similar style aesthetic and temperament. His designs are wonderfully edgy without being mad. He is great.When we first teamed up for Couture Week his apprehension was ‘he’s Bollywood; he’s going to throw sequins in my face,’ which is not what I did. I am half Sindhi, so bling is little bit king, but bling is also queen, so we have to watch it when it comes to men’s wear. In this collection we have focused on prêt. It’s younger, fashion friendly with shorts, casual wear, some jackets, bursts of colour and some interesting prints on shirts and Tshirts. This collection is about me being more of a designer than just someone who loves clothes and hopefully establish how serious we are about taking our brand forward. 

How would you describe your sartorial sense? 

I wear a lot of black. When in doubt, wear black. When you are two kilos fatter, go black. When you want to cover up those curves, wear black. But it’s also laziness - you don’t have to think with black. I try to make my evening dressing more formal. I love jackets and I like to dress a little more than required. I like to over-dress. But you will never see me in anything flashy. I am semi-conservative with an element of fashion – either in my shoes or belt or something. There will be some madness in the wardrobe somewhere.There are many things I would love to wear, but I am 38 now and I know I cannot pull it off. All my OTT-ness comes out with winter wear which I love. I love big jackets, sweaters, scarves, shoes. There is a lot you can play with in a winter wardrobe. A summer wardrobe would work if I had a six-pack. Since I don’t, I just opt for winter wear because everything gets covered up. 

And finally, what will we see in the next season of ‘Koffee With Karan’? 

We should be on air in October or November on Star World after a gap of 3-4 years. The feedback we have constantly got is that the show is most appreciated as a Bollywood celebrity talk show.People like to hear and see members of the film fraternity talking freely on that sofa. We hope to combine interesting guests in interesting ways and continue with our casual irreverence. Hopefully, the guest will have new enemies, new lovers and new controversies to talk about.

Udita Jhunjhunwala

Express News Service

Karan Johar: WE ARE FAMILY doesn't have a single dry moment

WE ARE FAMILY is about a family which is required to have a man (Arjun Rampal), his three kids, his ex-wife (Kajol) and his girlfriend (Kareena Kapoor) brought together under the same roof due to the demand of the situation. How these family members cope up with the new developments in their lives is what forms the crux of WE ARE FAMILY. With a plot like this, one expects an out and out serious outing. However, producer Karan Johar insists that the film does have its light moments that keep the drama fluid.

"The film by no means is melodramatic. Yes, it does have its dose of sensitivity and drama but then there are several light moments as well that compliment the fluctuating mood in the narrative. While emotions move you, light moments end up bringing a smile on your face", says Karan, "It is a very touching film and there is an inherent sensitivity that Siddharth has brought in which unfailing keeps you involved. WE ARE FAMILY is a crisp two hour long film an

He sounds pretty confident about the film for the reason that not many films belonging to this genre are being churned out in Bollywood today.

"I guess the last film which came close to being a family outing was PAA. Before that, the only quintessential family film was BAGHBAN which was quite a while ago", ponders Karan, "This is the kind of film that works instantly with ladies. And when ladies watch such films, they do bring in their spouses and children along. It is a win-win situation for us."

(Glamsham)

Siddharth will work only with Kajol

Siddharth Malhotra apes mentor Karan Johar; plans to work only with Kajol, no matter how long he has to wait

Like guru, like chela. It could not hold truer than in the case of Karan Johar and Siddharth Malhotra. If KJo won't direct films with anyone but Shah Rukh Khan, Sid has decided he will work only with Kajol. He has already written his next with her in mind. While the pregnant actress will take a long break from movies post-delivery, the debutant director is ready to wait.



Talking about his fondness for Kajol, Siddharth says, "I wrote We Are Family keeping her in mind. Even when I read out the script to Kareena, she told me I had to make it with Kajol. It took a lot of prayers and belief to actually get her on board."

He even kept a mannat. "I was desperate to have her in my film. I have watched every single film of hers, even the not-so-good ones. So when my prayers were answered I was ecstatic because I really couldn't think of anyone else to play the part."

Sid has already written his next script for Kajol. "I know she's pregnant and will take a long break after delivery. But I am ready to wait as long as she wants me to."

The reason for his Kajol-worship? "Because there's no one else like her. She's the perfect wife -- her love for Ajay is immense and unconditional. She's an amazing mother, and a great friend to have. She's always made decisions based on instinct and has never regretted a single thing."

(Mid Day)

WE ARE FAMILY cuts Aussie racist sequence!!

Kareena Kapoor, Kajol starrer upcoming flick ‘We Are Family’, which is being produced by ace filmmaker Karan Johar and directed by Siddharth Malhotra, is now free of that racist sequence where Kajol’s son is being abused by Aussie boys in racial terms.


The sequence was of eight minutes and had vital importance for the film as it also established the friction between Kajol and Kareena Kapoor. The scene involved Kareena’s objection to Kajol’s handling of the whole racial abuse event with the kids.

But Kajol firmly tells Kareena Kapoor to keep out of all that as the kids belonged to her. Later, the film also had a sequence where they get even with the Aussie boys by beating them. But this sequence too had to be removed as after the removal of earlier sequences these did not have any relevance in the film.

However, Siddharth Malhotra assures that despite of the deletion, the film was a coherent whole and the audiences would not have any difficulty in connecting to its storyline. Sources say that Karan Johar did not want to involve himself in any controversy this time after being thrashed for ‘My Name Is Khan’.

He also did not want anyone to accuse him of cashing in on the tragedy of Indian students in Australia, and so he deleted the sequence from the film altogether.



‘We are Family’ is remake of a Hollywood hit flick starring Julia Roberts. Of course, Karan Johar did make adjustments and modifications keeping in mind the sensibilities of Indian audiences.

The movie has for the first time rivals Kareena Kapoor, Kajol starring together. Arjun Rampal also enacts an important role in the film.

The film will also see Kajol and Kareena Kapoor playing the roles of mothers of school- going grown- up kids. Arjun Rampal plays the father.

The movie is very hot in the circuit and set for a worldwide release on September 3.

(Stardust)

I'm not going minus size zero: Kareena

Kareena Kapoor has touched the 40th-movie mark in Bollywood and is finally in her dream shape. And no it's not size zero. The actress who's tried to do "something different" in her career's 40th film We Are Family speaks to Parmita Uniyal on the movie, minus size zero news and more.

'I'm not playing Julia'
The actress who's stepping into the shoes of Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts says that her character is written very differently from Roberts, and there are no similarities between the two characters. "We Are Family might be the remake of Stepmom, but there are no similarities with Julia Roberts. Comparisons are obvious though."

Moving towards half-century of movies
Kareena Kapoor reveals that We Are Family would be her 40th film, and she's put in a lot of effort to make the role stand out. "This is my 40th film and I wanted to make it special. I have portrayed this role in my own style and what Siddharth had visualised for me."
'Minus size zero? I'm putting on weight'
Kareena laughs off rumours that she's going minus size zero for Karan Johar's Short Term Shaadi opposite Imran Khan. "Yeah, I read that news while I was in the flight. Forget about minus size zero, I've put on weight now. And I am happy with this. I've also believed in being fit and healthy. This is how I want to look. It's false news.
Why's Karan spreading false rumours?
Kareena Kapoor is amused with reports that Karan Johar has been giving quotes to media that Kareena was getting into size zero mould for his upcoming movie. She says laughing, "Well Karan never told me that I have to go size zero for his movie. I'll have to call him and find out. Frankly, I don't think I would want to go size zero again."
'Can't think like a mom right now'
Kareena Kapoor might have won the heart of her on-screen stepchildren in the movie, but she's in no mood to imagine herself as a mother right now. "I'm going to think about that at a later stage, not now. But I'm a good aunt to my sister's children."
'Kids are adults in We Are Family'
Kareena Kapoor is all praise for her on-screen stepchildren and thinks that as far as their acting was concerned, they were more like adults. "They acted like professionals. It didn't seem they were acting for the first time. They were so well-behaved and matured that it was a pleasure to work with them."


(Parmita Uniyal, Hindustan Times)

"Any publicity is good" - Karan on Kajol-Kareena rift

Try cornering Karan Johar and chances are that you would get a totally different spin to the story, something that would make you go by the flow offered by him. It wasn't many days back when there was a strong buzz around how Ajay Devgn was not too pleased about the prominence that Kajol was getting in the promotional drive of We Are Family. It was said that he felt Kareena Kapoor was placed equal to Kajol, something which was sacrilege since she was a decade junior to the powerhouse performer who had proven her mettle once again with My Name Is Khan earlier this year. However, try probing the producer about it and he comes back with a cheeky response.

"Come on, any kind of publicity is good publicity so I don't mind if there have been speculations around this", winks Karan for whom We Are Family is his third release of the year after My Name Is Khan and I Hate LUV Storys, "I am told that this news resulted in some debate. Good, I don't mind that."

Nevertheless, on his actors' behalf, he is quick to laugh away the entire so-called controversy.

"Do you think that whether it is Kajol or Kareena, they require any reconfirmation or reaffirmation from anyone around", questions Karan who is known to share a special bond with Kajol and has returned with Kareena in a big way since Kurbaan, "Kajol is the senior most in We Are Family, is one of the biggest strengths in the film and is clearly the best in the business. As for Kareena, she is a confident actress and can never be insecure. She knows her space."

On a serious note, Karan adds, "In any case, there are no quotes from either of them where they have expressed their displeasure around the way they have been pitched. Moreover, I don't believe that anyone around them has made any statement in this regard either."

Kareena Kapoor He goes on to extend the adage of We Are Family even further as he sings praises about the two leading ladies who have come together again close to a decade after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

"Whether it is Kajol or Kareena, they are because of their own individuality", he says, "They never get into this talk of 'Oh, I want more screen space' or 'I need this punch-line'. They are very assured of their talent. In fact I used to get a call from sets that they had become best buddies as they got along so famously."

In a humorous tone, he concludes, "Never did I hear from Siddharth Malhotra (the director) or another crew member that there was a discomfort on sets due to any cold vibes between the two women. Sometimes I wish there was! They brought the house on fire but if at all there was that one spark due to the cold vibes, it would have been good naa! After all I would have got some PR peg to play around with."

Well Karan, never say never!

(By Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Hungama)

Siddharth Malhotra's We Are Family completed in 63 shifts

Debutant director Siddharth Malhotra’s forthcoming film, We Are Family, produced by Dharma Productions was completed in just 63 shifts.

We Are Family stars Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal along with three child artists and is a remake of the Hollywood flick Stepmom.

The interesting fact is that this was one unit that did not work on Sundays and only had 9 am to 6 pm shifts.

Even though most of the film was shot in Sydney where the child artists are not allowed to work more than four hours a day, the Sydney schedule which was actually a twenty-eight day schedule was completed in just 20 days.

Speaking exclusively to Businessofcinema.com, Malhotra said, “Being a television producer myself, I know how much money is wasted if things are not planned properly. I have been lucky to have a very efficient production team and we always had a plan B ready just in case anything went wrong. My actors have also been a blessing because they’ve always come to sets on time. I somehow feel that my late grandmother, my grandfather and my father-in-law are watching me from above.”

(Businessofcinema)

KJo: WAF wouldn't have been made without rights

WE ARE FAMILY is an official adaptation of Hollywood flick STEPMOM. In the times when number of film makers lift a film and name it as a reference point or mere inspiration, producer Karan Johar was adamant that he won't allow the film to move beyond the written material till adequate rights for an adaptation were brought.

"At Dharma Productions, we have a company reputation to maintain," says the proud film maker, "By no means would we have adapted a film without taking an official route. We wanted to secure ourselves on that front and get all legalities drafted to the T before taking any further next step."

The first step was for debutant Siddharth Malhotra to get the screen adaptation on print before moving ahead with any filming. Once he approached Karan, he gave a go ahead but only with the condition that all formalities had to be taken care of before the film was commissioned.

I liked the way STEPMOM was re-written to further suit Indian sensibilities. However, I first wanted the rights before any further proceedings," says Karan, "We went through this entire process with Sony Pictures where they also came in as co-producers. They went through the entire screenplay written by us, approved it, did all the paperwork and once that happened, the actual shoot began."

With such effort that has gone into the making of this Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, one does hope that it is worth it after all!

(GlamSham)

Siddharth Malhotra raves about his stars

Siddharth Malhotra, who is making his directorial debut with the Karan Johar-produced 'We Are Family', is excited about the film. He says that it's rare to work with the two biggest actresses from their generation, namely Kajol and Kareena Kapoor.


Siddharth can't stop raving about Kareena's performance in the film. He says, "She has surpassed Julia Robert's performance from the original film. However, since she is my cousin, it was difficult to convince her to work in the film."

He also praises Kajol's performance. "It's great to know that despite her acting in fewer movies today, Kajol still has a huge fanbase. It was a pleasure working with both of them. They are so dedicated and humble and so professional about their work, it's a lesson for all of us," adds Siddharth

On how he and Kareena are related, Siddharth says that Krishna Raj Kapoor, who is Kareena's grandmother and actor Premnath, who is his father, are siblings. "We've practically grown up together," adds Siddharth.

We are Family is all set to release on 3rd September of this year.

(Starboxoffice)

Stills of Kareena Kapoor and Kajol from Karan Johar's 'We Are Family'

Producer Karan Johar's movie We Are Family - a remake of the 1998 Hollywood flick Stepmom - brings together the blockbuster 'sister' pair from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham; Kareena Kapoor and Kajol.

The Hindi remake of Stepmom also features Arjun Rampal as John Abraham turned down the role. Kajol, one of KJo's favorite actresses, will play the role of the terminally ill mother, which was originally portrayed by Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon. Kareena will be taking on the role of Julia Roberts, who played the stepmother in the original critically-acclaimed film.

Kajol portrays Maya, a loving mother who makes sure her family stays intact despite being divorced from her children's father, Aman, played by Arjun. But one day Aman brings home his new girlfriend, Shreya, played by Bebo, a woman who focuses on her career and doesn't know much about kids. But an unexpected event will bring these two women together.

Although actors are typically seen in their glamorous best, this film will portray them in a completely different light. And after filming in San Francisco for My Name is Khan, Karan Johar has set this film at the other end of the globe in Sydney, Australia. We Are Family is set to hit theaters on September 10. Are you looking forward to seeing the flick? Check out these new stills from the set and share your thoughts.

 (Desi hits)

Kjo to unveil WE ARE FAMILY promo with IHLS

Karan Johar recently finalized WE ARE FAMILY as the title of his STEPMOM remake. He is now trying his level best to feature the first promo of the film with his yet another much touted film, I HATE LUV STORYS.

He tweeted, "Big day at work today...IHLS copy out!! Excited about its release...WE ARE FAMILY promo finalised...rushing against time to get it with IHLS."

WE ARE FAMILY is about a terminally ill divorcee who has to accept the new woman in her ex-husband's life as the stepmother of her kids and the problems they face to find a common ground of understanding.

The film stars Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Kajol in lead roles. It has been mainly shot in Sydney, Australia.

Meanwhile, I HATE LUV STORYS, starring Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan, is all set to hit the screens on July 2nd.

(Glamsham)

KJO’S NEXT IS ‘WE ARE FAMILY’

Well known film maker Karan Johar has finally decided to title his forthcoming movie as ‘We Are Family’. He took a very long time in arriving at the final decision. Karan has revealed this through a post on micro-blogging site Twitter. In fact, Karan had promised fans that he would announce the name of the film on Twitter first, and he has kept his word. ‘We Are Family’ is the Hindi version of Chris Columbus' 1998 comedy drama ‘Stepmom’. This is a heartwarming tale about a terminally ill divorcee who has to accept the new woman in her ex-husband's life as the stepmother of her kids and the problems they face to find a common ground of understanding.

You may recall that the movie was earlier being called ‘Love You Maa’, but Karan wasn’t happy with this name and had been looking for a suitable title, and sought advice from his fans. Finally titled ‘We Are Family’ is directed by Siddharth Malhotra, and features Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The movie is expected to release in October 2010. So, Karan had no time to wait any longer and took a final decision.

(smashits)

Karan Johar's Stepmom remake's release date yet to be finalised

When 1st October release date for the Stepmom remake was announced, a section of industry was surprised. Reason being that the date falls during 'shraadh', a time period when majority of makers stay away from releasing their films. It sounded unbelievable that a big film like Stepmom remake with Karan Johar at the helm of affairs would indeed think of arriving during 'shraddh'.

However as it has turned out, 1st October is a tentative timeline and a final call would be taken in due course of time.

"1st October is not the final date for the release of my film", assures Karan who is currently stationed in USA, "It is currently tentative and we would be in a position to talk about the new release date, if at all that turns out to be the case, pretty soon."

Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV Motion Pictures admits that 1st October is the date which has been pencilled in for Stepmom remake. However, he doesn't shy away from the fact that this release date is open to change.

"Currently the release date is 1st October but we along with Sony Pictures and Dharma Productions would take a joint call if the release plans change. Yes, this is a tentative date but one thing is for sure that the film will arrive in October", he confirms.

Meanwhile Karan too is sure that if the 'shraadh' period indeed falls around 1st October, he won't bring his film in.

"That's right, the film will certainly not release during 'shraadh'", he says.

Meanwhile, the title of the film is yet to be finalised. "Yeah, that's right, we are still calling it as Stepmom remake but are yet to pencil in on the final title", he informs.

The film has been in news ever since it was announced more than a year back. With an unusual and fresh pairing of Kareena Kapoor, Kajol and Arjun Rampal, the film is helmed by first timer Siddharth Malhotra.

(Bollywood Hungama)

KJo asks followers on Twitter to come up with title for Stepmom remake

Karan Johar's official remake of the Julia Roberts- Susan Sarandon starrer Stepmom is yet to find a title and like always the ever-popular filmmaker has come up with an innovative way to zero in on a suitable title for this film. Karan, who is extremely active on social networking site Twitter, has asked his many followers to give him suitable options for this Siddharth Malhotra directed film that stars Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in lead roles.

A few days ago, Karan had tweeted, "Hey all...any title suggestions for our official Stepmom adaptation film. Hindi titles preferably. Will be grateful forever if any of u can help." Needless to say there were quite a few creative minds who started tweeting various title options and four such titles seem to have caught the fancy of KJo and his team. "Hey...our shortlist for Stepmom title options...which one do you like... Love You Maa...We Are Family...Hamesha and Forever...and Ghar?"

Even Arjun Rampal who stars in the film seems to be asking for title options from his fans on Twitter and has even promised to take the one who comes up with the perfect title for dinner and a private screening. In Rampal's own words, "Think of other titles for Stepmom, forget the ones sent, the winner I will take for dinner and the private screening. Lol."

One will have to wait and watch if the makers go ahead with one of these four titles or still wait for more interesting titles from their followers on Twitter.

(By Bollywood Hungama News Network)

Kareena Kapoor having a great time with Kajol

Two of the most talented actresses in Bollywood, Kajol and Kareena, are enjoying each other’s company these days. The actresses, who are shooting together for Karan Johar’s Hindi remake of Hollywood hit ‘Step Mom’, along with Arjun Rampal and three kids are sharing a great rapport while working on the project together.

Kareena has always been all praises for co-star Kajol, as she thinks that Kajol is magic on screen. A source reveals that on November 16, both the actresses would leave for Australia where they will wrap up a major portion of this much-anticipated venture.

Reports reveal that Kajol had to try hard to work out her dates in such a way that she can get her daughter Nysa to spend a few days at her shooting schedule in Oz.

KJo’s ‘Step Mom’ is slated for release in 2010.

Arjun Rampal: It would be nice to work with Kareena and Kajol

With WAKE UP SID doing well at the box office, it is time for Karan Johar's Dharma Productions to move on to it's next films. Out of the plethora of films which are there on the production house's plate, the one which is about to go on floors pretty soon is STEPMOM remake. And the actor who is most pleased and raring to go is none other than Arjun Rampal who has bagged yet another biggie for himself.

"It's a very exciting character that I get to play in the film and I am just raring to go. Now this is a kind of performance oriented role that I wanted to lay my hands on. Especially after ROCK ON, it was imperative that I pick and choose great roles. STEPMOM gives me that opportunity", says Arjun who is meanwhile also busy wrapping up his portions for Prakash Jha's RAJNEETI.

"It is really nice to see such diverse subjects coming my way. People are giving me responsibility and as an actor, what more could really please you? Characters that I play in RAJNEETI, STEPMOM or HOUSEFULL are performance oriented. These are great times", he adds in an elated tone.

Coming back to STEPMOM remake, he is happy to be working with top female actors like Kareena Kapoor and Kajol.

"They are both superb. I have never worked with either of them before and it would be nice to co-star in a film with them", says Arjun.

The film would be directed by debutant Siddharth Malhotra.

"His approach towards STEPMOM is quite fresh. Even though the film is a remake, it is being completely remade. I am sure it would be one of the highlight films of 2010", says Arjun who is looking forward to an eventful year ahead.

(Glamsham)