Kayoze Irani – Bollywood’s promising fresh-face to join a production house

Karan Johar has on previous account launched the careers of several fresh directors in the past. With Student of the Year, Karan launched four fresh faces, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt who play the lead and actor Boman Irani’s son Kayoze Irani in a supporting role. A campus romance to be precise, the film marked Varun, Siddharth, Alia and Kayoze’s first big screen appearance.

The youngsters have been ecstatic about their debut and have moved on to their next projects. For Kayoze Irani, this film is more than just a dream debut! Being launched by one of the biggest names in B-town takes more than a shining good luck and his dad thinks so too! Kayoze’s father, actor Boman Irani, recently spoke about his son’s career plans saying, “Kayoze has been receiving some good offers but he is taking it easy. Right now he is assisting Karan Johar and is learning and understanding the working of cinema. He has three to four film offers but he wants to be a director, so let’s see. My other son was in Dubai and had an event management company. He is back in Mumbai and will be joining a production company soon.”

Previously, Kayoze spoke about the response his debut appearance received saying, "The response has been overwhelming. Having everyone from the film industry congratulate me was a surreal experience. If I try recollecting what Mr Amitabh Bachchan had to say about me, I blank out. I was actually star struck. And when he wrote about me on his site, it felt great."

Here’s wishing the young and bubble Kayoze Irani a fantastic stay in B-town!

Karan Johar mentors newcomer, Saqib Saleem

Karan Johar is no stranger to launching newcomers and first-timers. The Dharma Productions chief has, on previous account, launched new talent in B-town several times. In the past, Karan has introduced several filmmakers and more recently, he starred newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Kayoze Irani and Alia Bhatt in his fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year. The campus romance worked as a perfect launch-pad for these promising new actors.

After his first tide of ‘students’, Karan will now bring to the lime-light yet another fresh-face, Saqib Saleem. The youngster has moved down from Delhi to work in the world of films and will be seen playing a role in Karan Johar’s part of the Bombay Talkies short-film, alongside Rani Mukherji and Randeep Hooda. Karan also went to shower the actor with praises on Twitter, saying, ''Saqib, "The young and talented @Saqibsaleem is working with me on my short film with Rani and Randeep...#bombaytalkies...give him love people!!(sic)"

Saqib will also be seen in the lead role in the upcoming film Mere Dad Ki Maruti. Being launched into the industry with films made by leading production houses including Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Yash Raj Films, Saqib seems to be the next big star in the making! Catch this promising youngster in Bombay Talkies on its release on the 3rd of May, 2013. The film is a tribute to the 100 years of Hindi cinema and will commemorate the day the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, released the first Indian movie.

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year – A fun and entertaining package!

Movies centered on campus-romances usually have a certain unexplainable charm that manages to draw in crowds, young and old, to cinemas. And such is the case with Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year. The film, released on the 19th of October, 2012, has done exceptionally well at the box office following its release. Starring three newcomers in the lead, Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan, this film by Karan Johar will have older viewers reminiscing their younger days and the youth wishing they lived a similarly fantastical teenage life!

Student of the Year narrates the tale of three youngsters, Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi (Siddharth Malhotra), a middle class boy enrolled on a scholarship, campus-sweetheart Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt) and her boyfriend Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan), the son of a business tycoon.

At the school, Abhi befriends Rohan despite their different backgrounds and mentalities. Their friendship however gets rocky after Abhi begins to fall head-over-heels for Rohan’s girlfriend, Shanaya, who in turn begins to reciprocate his approaches. As the story proceeds, the three enlist in the Student of the Year competition and begin competing against each other to win the title.

The film comes complete with an interesting and extremely catchy soundtrack composed by Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Student of the Year also stars Rishi Kapoor playing the role of a meticulous and gay dean of the school and television actors Ram Kapoor and Ronit Roy.

Parineeti Chopra chooses not to play the lead in Karan Johar’s project by Remo D’Souza

Actress Parineeti Chopra made her mark in B-town a few years ago with a fantastic debut and she’s known to be extremely picky about her roles. Recently, choreographer-director Remo D’Souza decided to cast the pretty youngster alongside Karan Johar’s student, Siddharth Malhotra. Scheduled to go on floors July-August, the film is now left without a female lead as Parineeti decided to opt out.

Instead, the actress will star in Hasee Toh Phasee alongside Siddharth Malhotra. The film will be a romantic comedy and will be jointly produced by Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap. Incidentally, Remo’s film too is a Karan Johar production. Quoting Parineeti Chopra, As I wasn’t signing anything new people seemed to think I’m not getting work. I want to make it clear that I am doing enough work. People don’t seem to realize I am just a year old in the movies. My debut film 'Ladies Vs Rickie Bahl' was released in December 2011. I have had two releases already. And I’ve two major endorsement deals in my bag.”

Placing quality over the number of films she stars in, Parineeti also went on to add, “I think it’s wrong for people to think I am doing too little work. I can’t be doing five releases at the same time. I’ve signed three new films. That makes me one of the busier actors this year. Trust me, I had lots of offers."
Karan Johar’s Hasee Toh Phasee will be directed by Vinil Mathew. The film to be directed by Remo will be an action-adventure movie with lots of Hollywood-style sequences.

Karan Johar backs Shah Rukh Khan, tweeting to show his support

The Dharma Productions honcho, Karan Johar and his favorite actor, Shah Rukh Khan, have been the best of friends since quite a while now. The latter has starred in several directorial ventures by Karan Johar and has also co-produced a few. In the past, Shah Rukh Khan has starred in four films directed by Karan Johar including his first, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and the following films Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010). The two have supported each other through thick and thin and their feelings towards each other have never ceased, despite rumors pouring out of a disagreement.

Recently, Karan Johar showed his undying support for Shah Rukh Khan with regards to the controversy that sprouted up due to an article written by the latter on his life as a follower of Islam in India. Karan tweeted, "Ridiculous misinterpretation of @iamsrk`s` words...an extremely well written piece being subjected to political agenda...a shame!!!!(sic)".

Justifying his words, Shah Rukh Khan said, "It's ironical that the article was written against political agenda and that's exactly what has happened." The actor called the controversy nonsense and is shocked at the basis of it all. According to him, the article was taken in a wrong context and was portrayed in a way he didn’t expect. "Let us not be misled be those who use religion as a tool," added Shah Rukh Khan.
Recently, the actor and Karan Johar together produced the hit campus romance, Student of the Year, under the Dharma Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment banners.

Karan Johar’s student, Varun Dhawan, isn’t dating Taapsee Pannu!

Varun Dhawan

Karan Johar’s protégé and veteran director David Dhawan’s son, Varun Dhawan, has been in the spotlight recently. The young actor has made a successful Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s 2012 campus romance, Student of the Year, alongside Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. The actor is now journeying towards stardom, popularity and fame as he has begun working on his upcoming projects. Well, for a youngster who has quickly stepped up the ladder in B-town, a bunch of rumors pointing out his relationship status are bound to come up.

Varun has been linked up with several people before. Earlier a rumor of him dating a US-based girl had sprouted up. This however was proven untrue. Later, after the release of Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, Varun was rumored to be dating his co-star, Alia Bhatt. More recently, the youngster has been linked with southern actress Taapsee Pannu. The rumors sparked off after the handsome hunk was spotted with the actress in suburban Mumbai.

As we all know by now, these are mostly baseless rumors that spark off, making innocent friendships look like something more. Karan Johar’s debutant, Varun, seems unaffected by these dating rumors. In a previous interview, Alia Bhatt also spoke her mind about rumors as such saying, “I don’t really care about people discussing my personal life. I’m fond of Varun and Sid (Siddharth Malhotra) but no I’m not going out with either. And no, I have no boyfriend in Bandra. A boyfriend doesn’t really fit into my scheme of things right now. My boyfriend is Student of the Year.”

Is Mohit Marwah Karan Johar’s upcoming debutant?

Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year, worked as a perfect stepping stone for debutants Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan. The trio starred as students at a well-heeled educational institute at Dehradun, presided over by a gay dean played by veteran actor, Rishi Kapoor. The film sees Varun and Alia dating while Siddharth plays a middle-class boy who ends up grabbing the limelight and winning the attention of the prettiest girl at school.

After having successfully launched Siddharth, Alia and Varun’s careers, Karan is currently planning to introduce yet another fresh actor, or so thinks B-town. According to sources, actor Arjun Kapoor’s cousin brother, Mohit Marwah, is currently being groomed for a big Bollywood debut. The youngster has previously starred in Karan Johar’s production, Strangers in the Night. The son of Bonny Kapoor’s sister Reena and Sandeep Marwah, Mohit seems to have the good looks of the Kapoors and could very well be the next big star! Not much has been reported about the newbie being roped in by Karan Johar or other filmmakers though.

Siddharth, Alia and Varun were Karan’s first debutants to have ever played a lead role in a film directed by the Dharma Productions chief. Previously, Karan has launched several directors with his productions. The actor has brought to the spotlight fresh talent that has given the Bollywood industry a whole new touch. 

Karan Johar’s protégé, Varun Dhawan, takes singing lessons

Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan, the son of the veteran filmmaker David Dhawan, has shown his affinity for the big-screen and his exceptional acting skills in his Bollywood debut, Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. Acting alongside Siddharth Malhotra, Varun plays Alia Bhatt’s boyfriend in the film. After the tremendous success of his debut, Varun is now preparing himself for his next film, an Ekta Kapoor production. The film is a remake of the south film Kandireega (2011) and will require Varun to pull of several challenging tasks, one of which is singing!

To prepare himself better to suit his role, Varun has begun taking singing lessons from actor-singer Priyanka Chopra’s music trainer, Samantha Edward. “The scene involves Varun singing in a pitch that goes from very high to very low. It might be a small thing, but Varun decided to train so that the singing seems effortless,” says an insider close to the actor.

In the future, Varun might also star in a thriller film in which he will play a musician. This additional training he is currently receiving could very well help him up ahead. “It’s a thriller in which he will play a musician. If all goes well, the film might start by the end of this year. We’ve also heard that Varun chose to undergo training on his own. Dhawan Sr. did not ask him to learn. He’s been going for classes for the past couple of weeks. The training will go on till May,” added the insider.

Speaking about the film, the young actor articulated, “The preparation for my father’s film is going good. The script is still being worked on. We both are very excited about this project.” Varun has grabbed hearts in SOTY and is expected to do so yet again with his performance in his father’s upcoming film titled Main Tera Hero.

Siddharth Malhotra rumored to have signed film with Madhur Bhandarkar

Siddharth Malhotra has enjoyed a dream debut with his first big-screen appearance in Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year. The newcomer starred in the film alongside two more newcomers, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, playing the role of an ambitious middle-class boy at a well-heeled school. Alia plays the campus sweetheart while Varun plays her boyfriend. After his debut film, Siddharth has signed yet another film produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. To be directed by Vinil Mathew, the film titled Hasee Toh Phasee will also star Parineeti Chopra and is a romantic comedy.

Lately, there have been rumors of Siddharth signing his third film, this time away from the Dharma Productions camp. Apparently, the 28-year-old actor has signed a film with filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar. Not much has been revealed in regards to the unnamed project and the filmmaker as well as Siddharth has denied its existence. “All this is just a rumor. It is not true. Madhur has not signed Siddharth for any film,” said the filmmaker’s spokesperson.

And these aren’t the only rumors surrounding Siddharth’s future projects. A source recently revealed that the actor has signed an upcoming action flick. "Yes, he (Siddharth) has almost finalized this action film. It takes him into an altogether different space when compared to the two films (Student of the Year and the upcoming Hasee Toh Phasee) that he has been a part of,” said the source.

Karan Johar calls Bombay Talkies a “challenging format”

It’s been a few months since Karan Johar last directed a film. His fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year, hit cinema screens on the 19^th of October, 2012. The film launched Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt and was a blockbuster that has created a standard with its heart-winning story and catchy music. Karan is now calling the shots for yet another directorial venture, a one-of-a-kind short-film that will be part of the film Bombay Talkies. Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap will also direct short films that will be pieced together to create Bombay Talkies, a tribute to the 100 years of Hindi cinema.

For his 20-minute part in the film, Karan has roped in Rani Mukerji and Randeep Hooda with Saqib Saleem. The film revolves around a story based in Mumbai and will be Karan’s shortest project and indeed one of the most challenging too! “For me, it’s a challenging format. We have 20 minutes to tell a story, which is coherent and connected to the other plots. This can be a challenge for any filmmaker,” says Karan, who has on previous account unveiled 200-minute long sagas!

The film will boast elaborate backdrops and Karan has also used a suburban railway station in Mumbai as a setting. “Karan, who usually shoots in elaborate locations, will now shoot on the streets and other actual places,” says a source close to the Dharma Productions chief.

Bombay Talkies will release on the 3^rd of May. The film will mark the day the Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, released Raja Harishchandra, India’s first motion picture.

Emraan Hashmi, Kareena Kapoor in Karan Johar’s joint venture with Ekta Kapoor

Producers Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar have been in the news constantly lately ever since tidings of their upcoming joint venture first made headlines. The upcoming film will be produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji and Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and will be directed by Akshay Roy. The upcoming film, one of the many projects in Karan Johar’s bag, will star superstar Emraan Hashmi and the equally popular and loved Kareena Kapoor. Confirming the same, the CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, Tanuj Garg, tweeted, "For those asking, the untitled Balaji-Dharma romantic drama is taking off in September. Starring Emraan Hashmi & Kareena."

The film, expected to go on floors in September, 2013, will see Emraan Hashmi playing a role a step away from his usual. "This film will see him play a character that is very different from his previous roles,” said Karan, speaking about Emraan. “But having said that, his fan base will be totally satisfied with him as the chemistry that the lead actors share is great, romantically as well as sexually."

Speaking about the upcoming film’s genre and what audiences should expect from this Balaji-Dharma joint venture, Karan articulated, “Ekta and I had been deliberating for a while to work together, but we were sure we wanted to work on something different and edgy. This script was perfect. I'd call it a love-hate story. In fact, it is one of the most interesting scripts I've read in recent times. Both the protagonists are strong characters and have a great opportunity to perform."

A release date has not been confirmed yet and the film is expected to take the big-screen by storm, just like the rest of Ekta, Karan and Emraan’s individual past projects.

Student of the Year – Love, relationships, rivalry and sports!

Not a lot of films that hit the big-screen remain in memories forever. Well, some of them do and continue to enthrall audiences months after their release. One of these is Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. The film is a campus romance that revolves around a love triangle and a sporting event. Starring newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, this film was crowned a blockbuster and is one of the many jewels on Karan Johar’s crown!

Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi (Siddharth Malhotra), a middle-class boy, enrolls at a well-heeled school on a scholarship. Here, he is torn between two groups at school, the affluent children of some of the richest folks in the country and the middle-class kids. Despite his background, Abhi manages to befriend the wealthy campus sweetheart Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt) and her boyfriend Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan). Rohan and Abhi become best friends and the former introduces the latter to a world of riches and extravagance. However, when Abhi falls in love with Shanaya and her boyfriend Rohan learns of their feelings, the two best friends turn into rivals.

When the school’s gay dean, Yogendra Vasisht (Rishi Kapoor), announces the Student of the Year competition, Abhi and Rohan lock horns. They then compete against each other, trying to win the school trophy and Shanaya’s heart.
The film released on the 19th of October, 2012, and could very well have a sequel coming up soon!

“I was born with a desire to be in the limelight,” says filmmaker Karan Johar

Karan Johar has made his mark in B-town with the films he has directed and produced. A filmmaker known for loving the limelight and bringing to the Indian audiences glamorous cinema, Karan Johar has brought about a change in Bollywood with his one-of-a-kind movie-making style. The head of Dharma Productions, Karan continues to spearhead his way to success, giving us one blockbuster after another.

“I was born with a desire to be in the limelight. I loved fashion as a child, clothes that didn’t fit me, of course, you know, were things that I looked at a lot, loved cinema, I watched a film every day, I never thought I would be a filmmaker though. I just love the world, the drama in the entertainment world and I wanted to so be a part of it,” says Karan Johar, the son of the late filmmaker, Yash Johar. Karan began his stint in Bollywood with his first directorial venture, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, starring Shah Rukh Khan. After the film’s success, Karan then went on to produce and direct many more.

“I have no problem in facing the paparazzi. I have no problem in facing the flashbulbs on a red carpet, I love it. It’s what I live for, it’s what I do, I could speak to a crowd of a 1000 people and feel very satisfied at the end of it. I like applause. It’s all the things I like, so why run away from these things if you really like it, who are we trying to fool and who are we trying to lie to,” adds Karan, speaking about his love for the work he does and the recognition he receives.

Karan Johar’s latest film, Student of the Year, hit cinema screens on the 19th of October, 2012, and was crowned a blockbuster. The filmmaker is currently producing films that will show up later this year.