Billu Barber - Movie Review

Priyadarshan is synonymous with ha-ha-thons, but the talented storyteller has been equally proficient while handling intense dramas like SAZA-E-KALA PANI, GARDISH and VIRASAT. Like VIRASAT and MALAMAAL WEEKLY, BILLU, the accomplished director's new outing, is also set in a hamlet.

Although the story has been attempted in Malayalam [KADHA PARAYUMBOL] and Tamil [KUSELAN] earlier, the story actually takes its inspiration from the legendary friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama. In this case, the story talks of the friendship between a superstar and an ordinary mortal who runs a salon.

BILLU is a simple story about simple people, told in the most simplistic manner. There's a generous dose of glamour as well, given the fact that the protagonist's friend happens to be a superstar, but what actually works for the film is the simpleton's story. He wages a daily battle to make ends meet.

Although the film is engaging, Priyadarshan reserves the best for the finale this time, when the superstar reminisces about his childhood friend and the deep bond that they shared. The end is remarkable and is sure to strike a chord with all sections of moviegoers.

Final word? BILLU is amongst Priyadarshan's finest works. And also Irrfan and SRK's. This tale of friendship is sure to steal your heart!

BILLU tells the story of a simple ordinary man, Bilas Rao Pardesi [Irrfan Khan], living in a small town with his wife Bindiya [Lara Dutta] and two kids. His life undergoes a drastic change as superstar Sahir Khan [Shah Rukh Khan] visits the village for a film shoot. Everything changes. Things go from good to bad to worse to good again.

Ten minutes into the film and you get absorbed into Billu's small world. The salon is in bad shape, the family is facing tough times, the neighbours and acquaintances are fair-weather friends... Billu's life gets grim with each passing day.

The story takes an interesting turn when Billu's life collides with the superstar's. And the assorted characters -- right from an aspiring poet/lyricist [Rajpal Yadav], to a stingy money lender [Om Puri], to the principal of the school [Rasika Joshi] -- everyone wants favours from Billu. These characters only make BILLU more interesting.

SRK's track is equally fascinating and only spices up the proceedings. In fact, Priyadarshan has amalgamated the three songs [featuring SRK with Deepika, Priyanka and Kareena] in the narrative smartly. Not once do you feel that you're watching two stories concurrently.

The best part of the enterprise is its climax. The superstar recalls his humble beginning and how his friend stood by him in times of crisis. The writing is brilliant and SRK only takes the scene to greater heights with his terrific portrayal.

Priyadarshan is adept at handling relationships and with BILLU, he proves he can handle emotions with as much flourish as comedy. To tell a simple, uncomplicated story, without the usual frills, is an arduous task indeed and Priyadarshan tackles the material with remarkable ease. The humour here is subtle, not loud, and a constant smile remains on your face all through.

Mushtaq Shiekh and Priyadarshan's screenplay is foolproof. In fact, the writing never loses focus and the highs and the lows in Billu's life are sensitively penned by the duo. Manisha Korde's dialogues are simple, gelling with the mood of the film.

Pritam's music is energetic. The songs, promoted aggressively prior to the release, only get an impetus thanks to the presence of the three actresses. 'Mar Jaani' and 'Love Mera Hit Hit' are, of course, the pick of the lot. V. Manikandan's cinematography is top notch. The locales [Pollachi] are breath-taking.

In the recent years, Irrfan has emerged as a force to reckon with, his performances have appealed to all strata of moviegoers and his work in BILLU will only cement his status as a remarkable actor. Shah Rukh Khan needs to be admired for two reasons. The show belongs to Irrfan, although SRK could've forced himself in every scene. Also, he has chosen to opt for a film that's not one of those run-of-the-mill types. In terms of performance, SRK shows his true potential towards the finale.

Lara Dutta springs a pleasant surprise. She goes through her part with complete understanding. Om Puri is excellent. Rasika Joshi is too good. Rajpal Yadav is really funny in the penultimate scene, when he recites a film song of an SRK film. Asrani and Manoj Joshi are passable.

On the whole, BILLU is a sweet-n-simple film that lingers in your memory even after the show has concluded. The final 20 minutes are the highpoint of the enterprise and that elevates the status of the film to great heights. The film has the potential to grow with a strong word of mouth. Recommended... Take your family for this one

Aishwarya Ria in sizzling pink at Berlin Intl Film Festival

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arrives for the premiere of the movie 'Pink Panther 2 ' at the Berlinale in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Feb. 13, 2009.

The 59th International Film Festival Berlin takes place in the German capital from Feb. 5 until Feb. 15, 2009.

'My Valentine Wish…!' - Bollywood gets Mushy on Valentine's Day

Preity Zinta: "To be able to balance out my crazy schedule so that I've time for those I love. What more can I want this Valentine's Day?"

Bipasha Basu: "Valentine's Day is special for all the people I love. I'll tell them how much I love them and prove my love for them with simple gestures. The ideal Valentine gift would be hundreds of red carnations. I know John will get them for me."

Kangna Ranaut: "Valentine's Day means pure selfless love from me to everyone I love. My ideal gift would be roses and candles."

Sammir Dattani: "My affair with the camera began on Valentine's Day. My first screen appearance was for a music video called 'Valentine's Day.' Since then I've made sure every Valentine's Day is special for me."

Manisha Koirala: "I'm spending Valentine's Day with family and friends. I would want everyone to experience love in any and every relationship."

Urmila Matondkar: "Valentine's Day is a time to show my friends and family how much they mean to me. The one gift I'm looking for is a gorgeous hunk. But the species seems extinct."





Shilpa Shetty: "I've got my Valentine's Day gift. The IPL and I've got the man who gifted it to me by my side. What more can I want?"

Riya Sen: "I want to spend quantity time with my loved ones. No matter where I am I want to be back in time for Valentine's Day to be with my loved ones. That's the greatest gift I can get. Other gifts are fun. But spending time with your loved one is the best gift. For Valentine's I'll be performing at a college festival in Ahmedabad before rushing home."

Neil Nitin Mukesh: "For me Valentine's is a day of love and friendship and a day of mending bridges. My ideal gift would be a collective hug from all those friends and family whom I love. And a million kisses from that someone special."

Dino Morea: "I want to spend Valentine's Day showing love to everyone who deserves it. We all are so caught up in our routine, this is the one day when we can devote to love."

Raima Sen: "I'm single, so the only Valentine gift I can give myself is time with the family."




Neetu Chandra: "This Valentine's Day means a lot to me as I'm partying with my school friends and meeting with my first ever crush, my schoolteacher. And I hope I find my permanent Valentine this year."

Mugdha Godse: "Valentine's Day is just another day for me. I'll be attending a beachside Catholic wedding of a very close friend on Goa's Morjim beach. Chalo apni Valentine nahin kisi aur ki sahi."

Minissha Lamba: "When you're in love it's Valentine's Day all year round. Am I in love? Who knows a woman's heart? Not even the woman herself."

Malaika Arora: "For me Valentine's Day means the freedom for people to express their love without worrying about self-appointed custodians of our precious moral values. The best gift I can think of is the right for us women to live our lives how we want without intolerant groups stopping us."

Celina Jaitly: "Valentine's Day is 'emotional atyachaar' for those who aren't in love. It will remind me that I've been unhappily single for the last three years. At the risk of sounding pompous I want a society rid of all intolerance and prejudice."

Tusshar Kapoor: "The day would again remind me I'm single. How about a love life for me this Valentine's Day?"




Amrita Arora: "Valentine's Day means nothing to me. Love should be celebrated everyday. Bring on the love!"

Chitrangda: "Sorry I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't like the idea of being told when to celebrate love."

Ruslaan Mumtaz: "I just broke up with my girlfriend. So my ideal gift would be the sad songs of Himesh Reshammiya."

Koena Mitra: "Everyone loves to be loved. But being single gives me more room to love myself without sharing that space for love with someone else. All the eligible men have been taken away. The rest are not worth considering. I'm enjoying my single status and making the most of it."

Pooja Bedi: "It's horrible to be single on such a romantic day. But my brother Adam is getting married on Valentine's Day. So I'll be happy watching two people in love being united. Dreams do come true on this day. As for myself I'm a hopeless and a hopeful romantic. I'm even in love with the idea of love. The real thing may be around the corner."

Esha Deol: "I'm not answering this one."

Dia Mirza: "Being single on Valentine's Day is the same as any other day. Love is a feeling that you can't miss. It's omnipresent."



Divya Dutta: "Do I miss love? Not really. Work is great healer of the heart. And I get lots of love and male attention. So what if I don't have a guy this Valentine's Day. I know he'll come."

Jiah Khan: "There's too much work. No time to think about love. I miss having my family with me on Valentine's. They're my only true love."

Tanushree Dutta: "It's fantastic being single on Valentine's Day. You can choose whom to love for that day."

Arjan Bajwa: "Being single is not a big deal. I'm shooting in Hyderabad so I've no time to miss love. Moreover, Valentine's Day is no reason to miss love. To be loved by family and friends all through the year is a blessing. And I've that blessing"

Vatsal Seth: "Who is one kidding by saying it's great to be single? Valentine's Day and single....man, it sucks! It's like no one being there to wish you on your birthday. Being in love is the most amazing feeling and I definitely miss it."

Adnan Sami: "What a Valentine's Day gift my wife has given me."

B.O. update: 'Billu' starts slow, but actual test on Sat./Sun.

The much-awaited BILLU opened to a tepid response of 25% to 35% at various screens across the nation. However, the silver lining is that the film is enjoying positive reports and the next two days [Saturday and Sunday] will be crucial. Most exhibitors aren't surprised with the slow start, since it was evident from the promotion that the story revolves around Irrfan and that it wasn't the conventional SRK film, like OM SHANTI OM.

The other two releases, THE STONEMAN MURDERS and JUGAAD, have also opened with dull collections.

Aishwarya rocks on US showbiz TV

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan may not have made a mark as a Hollywood star but still manages to be a part of American showbiz.

After the Oprah Winfrey Show and the David Letterman shows, she's appearing on the popular Martha Stewart Show this week.

The buzz is that Ash has been a part of the Valentine's Day line-up at the day-time show, and she featured in a segment that had Martha Stewart teaching her and audiences how to make candy treat cups.

Ash appeared while she was in New York for the premiere of her Hollywood flick 'The Pink Panther 2′.

However there's been some controversy around Ash's involvement with the movie as she reportedly has a very small role. She didn't even feature in the posters and other publicity material of the film. The producers said that she had been left out of mainstream Hollywood publicity because her appeal was 'limited to Asia'.

When Ash was irked and asked for better treatment, there was a little understanding and she was invited to be a part of the promotional events.

After bad responses to 'Bride and Prejudice', 'The Mistress Of Spices' and 'The Last Legion', it was hoped that 'Pink Panther 2′ would give Ash the required international publicity. This movie has got bad reviews as of now. We just hope it's not another all hype- no show' thing for Ash.

What next Ash? An international film maybe with Will Smith which you've been supposedly declining for so long

Billu premiere for barbers and hairstylists

In a move to appease the Hairdressers' Associations of Mumbai, Shah Rukh Khan is planning to invite various barbers and hairstylists for the premiere of "Billu", which was earlier titled "Billu Barber".

"As far as I know, Shah Rukh is planning a premiere for the various barbers and hairdressers' associations, so they'd see and know that the film doesn't ridicule them in any way. In fact, the film is a homage to the hair-cutting technique. I can't understand how there can be a protest about the film or its title without anyone seeing the film," Priyadarshan told IANS.

According to Priyadarshan, Shah Rukh is not inviting friends from the industry for the screening.

The film was earlier titled "Billu Barber", but when Hairdressers' Associations of Mumbai objected to the use of the word "barber" in the title, Shah Rukh, who is producing the film and making a guest appearance, decided to change it.

"I'm in Chennai. Shah Rukh Khan tells me all the posters hoarding with credits will blacken out the word 'barber'. If it was hurting anyone's sentiments, I'm okay by it," Priyadarshan said.

He wonders how the word 'barber' could be okay in other languages and not in Hindi.

"Does it mean half the Indian population is not put off by the title and the other half is upset about it? I don't understand the controversy. And I've left it entirely to Shah Rukh to deal with it."

The director has no plans of being in Mumbai for the release of "Billu". "I've done my best. And Irrfan Khan in the title role is the best homage that can be paid to any profession."

Priyan does wonder, and so do we, if we as a collective nation protest too much.

Irrfan Khan plays the title role and is paired with Lara Dutta in the film, which is releasing on Friday (Feb 13). Shah Rukh will make a guest appearance along with Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone.

Deepika to be face of Mallya's Formula One Team

Industrialist Vijay Mallya, chairman of Force India Formula Team, has roped in actress Deepika Padukone to be the face of his team.

Deepika said, if she could manage time from her busy Bollywood schedule, she would love to be one of the team's 'speed divas' and travel around the world for the Formula One Grand Prix event 2009.

"I may make brief appearances during MTV's reality show, 'The Fast and the Gorgeous' and I'm looking forward to it," said Deepika as she sat on a McLaren-Mercedes-powered Formula One car to unveil MTV-Force India's The Fast and the Gorgeous hunt for the 'speed divas' in Mumbai on Tuesday (Feb 10).

Following a countrywide hunt four 'speed divas' will be chosen from 20 contestants to be the cheer girls/pit girls.

Deepika, daughter of badminton champion Prakash Padukone, loves sports and excelled in badminton in school.

Asked what is common between badminton and car racing, she said: "Speed".

Force India Formula One Team's maiden performance on the international race track last year was not up to the mark. "But to be qualified to take part in Formula One Grand Prix itself was no mean achievement," said Mallya.

Mallya, however, warned the Indian car race lovers not to expect "miracles" from the Force India Formula One Team during the prelims.

"The Grand Prix event from Barcelona onwards will be the real test for all the teams," he said.

Mallya, who took the initiative to put India on the international car racing track, said he will be a proud man when Force India Formula One Team will host the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

Ashish Patil, MTV India general manager and vice president (creative ad content), informed the media that the channel, which has always identified itself with the youth, is the right platform to popularise Formula One sport in India through its partnership with Force India Formula One Team for the reality show, "The Fast and the Gorgeous".