B’wood says 'Jai Ho' on Independence Day

The spirit of Independence Day is running strong through Bollywood and here's what the stars are saying today:

Shah Rukh Khan had his own unique take on the day, "Freedom of the mind...freedom to make mistakes...freedom from being judged...& the courage to want these freedoms. Happy courage day to all.

Bipasha Basu: Today is an iconic day in the history of India. Let's spend a minute and salute the people who laid their lives to give us independence!

Lara Dutta: Wishing everyone a Happy Independence day!! Wave your flag and be a proud and responsible Indian! Jai Hind!

Preity Zinta: Happy Independence day India! Hope we can free ourselves from corruption & be d country Gandhi & all d freedom fighters aspired 4! JAI HIND!

Abhishek Bachchan: Swatantrata diwas ke shubh kamnaye. Sare jahan se achcha, hindustan hamara. Jai Hind! Today on our independence day a tribute to all who fought for our freedom. Vande Mataram!!!

Amitabh Bachchan: Happy Independence Day ..!! May India no longer be 'the third world country' or a 'developing nation' but FIRST WORLD and DEVELOPED !!

Arjun Rampal: Rahman's Vande Mataram playing at the airport, can't help but smile,feel proud to be Indian, can see it in the many faces around me too.

Riteish Deshmukh: SAARE JAHAN SE ACCHAA- HINDUSTAN HAMAARA -lets not take our independence for granted-lets do out bit to make INDIA a better place- JAI HIND

Ameesha Patel: Happy independence day. I'm proud of our country’s achievements

Sachin Tendulkar: I wish everyone a Happy Independence day.All of us in our small way should contribute to make our country a better place. Jai Hind

Arbaaz Khan: Good morning India ! Happy independence day :) Proud to be an Indian Jai ho !!!

Gul Panag: Happy Independence Day! May we have freedom OF opportunity, expresion & choice.And freedom FROM hunger, terrorism & corruption.

Anupam Kher: Happy Independence Day to every INDIAN all over the world. Thanks to all those known and unknown indians who helped us achieve it. :)

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Dil Bole Hadippa - Movie Review

Cricket, like Bollywood, is an addiction for a wide majority of Indians. DIL BOLE HADIPPA tries to capture the spirit of the game and the aspirations of a sportsperson, who's keen to play for her pind. On paper, the concept, which bears an uncanny resemblance to SHE'S THE MAN, sounds interesting, but the problem is its writing, which is tame and mediocre.

Let's elaborate. The plusses, first...
It's mandatory for cricket-based films like LAGAAN and VICTORY, which conclude with a cricket match, to have a thrilling finish. DIL BOLE HADIPPA too has a awe-inspiring end.
Also, the story of an ordinary girl who aspires to play cricket for the national team is motivating, with Rani Mukherji handling her part with complete understanding.

But there's a flipside too. The romantic moments between Rani and Shahid Kapoor lack fizz. Even the assorted characters in the film, like Sherlyn Chopra, Vrajesh Hirjee and Rakhi Sawant, contribute nothing to the film. They're mere props.

Final word? You expect DIL BOLE HADIPPA to score a century, like several films churned out by Yash Raj. But it settles down in the half-century range. Strictly average!

Veera [Rani Mukherji] is a fire-cracker of a girl who lives in a small village, but chases big dreams. She works in a local theatre group, but dreams of playing cricket in the big league. Yes, believe it or not, she wants to play with Tendulkar and Dhoni for India.

While Veera dreams on in India, Rohan [Shahid Kapoor] is an accomplished captain of a county cricket team in England. Rohan returns to India to captain his father's cricket team, which has been losing consecutively for the last 8 years.

In a village where girls don't play cricket, Veera has to put on a turban and beard and become a man to fulfil her dreams. Her brilliance on the field earns her a place in Rohan's team and Veera Kaur becomes Veer Pratap Singh. But what happens when the secret is out?

DIL BOLE HADIPPA has a patchy script. It's interesting initially, but takes the beaten path later. Rani's obsession for cricket is well established at the outset. So is the friendship between Anupam Kher and Dalip Tahil [who heads the Pakistani team]. Also, the initial scenes between Anupam and Shahid are well integrated in the story.

The film shows promise when Rani transforms from Veera to Veer. All this happens in the initial 20-25 minutes, but the story comes to a screeching halt thereafter.

Problem begins... Shahid loses his heart to Rani and the film suddenly turns into a love story. Sherlyn surfaces in between to spice up the proceedings, but nothing happens. The conflict during the finale - when Shahid learns the truth - doesn't make the desired impact either. Even the re-emergence of the mother [Poonam Dhillon] in the story looks like a complete compromise from the writing point of view.

However, the match between the Indian and Pakistani teams in the climax is well executed and though the viewer is well aware what the ending would be, it keeps you hooked nonetheless. Unfortunately, the final speech by Rani [after the match is won] is outright predictable. The film would've benefitted with an innovative end.

Anurag Singh shows sparks of brilliance at times, but how one wishes the debutante director and his writers would've come up with a solid script. Pritam's music doesn't help either. Barring the title track, the balance songs are plain average. Cinematography is nice.

DIL BOLE HADIPPA belongs to Rani and as always, she delivers a sparkling performance as Veera as well as Veer, carrying both the roles effortlessly. Shahid plays second fiddle to Rani, which is very surprising. Nevertheless, he enacts his part well. Anupam Kher and Dalip Tahil lend decent support. Poonam Dhillon has nothing to do. Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra are wasted. Vrajesh Hirjee is passable. Shri Vallabh Vyas does well.

On the whole, DIL BOLE HADIPPA is an ordinary fare. At the box-office, the film has some chances in North mainly thanks to the Punjabi flavour. The holidays ahead may help its prospects at plexes essentially, but the single screens will be dull.

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Exclusive Watch: Making of "Discowale Khisko" - DIL BOLE HADIPPA

Making of "Discowale Khisko" - DIL BOLE HADIPPA

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In Pics: Teree Sang Music Launch

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Dil Bole Hadippa - Movie Wallpapers

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Dil Bole Hadippa - Theatrical Trailer

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Dil Bole Hadippa - Movie Stills

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Morning Walk - First Look

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What's happening in Bollywood Town!

Take a look at the glitterati at Saaransh’s silver jubilee premiere and Abhay Deol on the cover of People

It’s My Life: Unconventional star Abhay Deol graces the latest issue of People’s Magazine and talks about his life in New York. We like!


Reunion: Mahesh Bhatt with Saaransh actors Anupam Kher and Rohini Hatangde


Black and White: Anupam Kher keeps it slick with black while elegant wife Kirron shines in an off white churidaar. The Louis Vuitton bag is nice but she should have chosen a contrasting colour. We wonder why son Sikander was absent


Family Portrait: Mahesh Bhatt with wife Soni Razdan and their pretty daughters


Pretty Women: Lilette Dubey is so fit and gorgeous; she could give 20 year-olds a run for their money. We love her red kurta. Poonam Dhillon’s oversized blue glares and green kurta is smart. Those peep toes are cute but the bag should have been a solid colour.

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In Pics: Saaransh Premiere

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Bollywood celebrities cast their votes

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Salman Khan at the Indian Express Photo Awards function

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