REELWORLD’S 13TH Annual Film Festival!

ReelWorld Film Festival founded by actress Tonya Lee Williams is the home for emerging & establishing filmmakers for culturally diverse backgrounds.  Reelworld cultivates creativity and promotes the careers of artists and helps people enter the film & television industry.  During 5 days from April 10-14, at the Famous Players Canada Square Cinema on Yonge and Sheppard in Toronto , Reelworld will present world class cinema telling stories from culturally diverse lenses.

For a fistful of 100 Crores! Lachman Balani

Ever since 2008, when Aamir Khan’s Ghajini set the bar of grossing Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 Billion) in domestic ticket sales, everybody has tried to crack that barrier. However, in 2009, it was Aamir Khan’s 3 idiots that once again made the grade. As a matter of fact it grossed over Rs. 200 crores!

However in 2010,Salman Khan’s Dabangg and the Ajay Devgn /Kareena Kapoor starrer Golmaal 3 made the grade. In 2011, five movies, Ready, Bodyguard, Ra.One, Don 2 and Singham grossed more than Rs 100 crore . Though there is some dispute on Singham, considering the parallel economy in India, it is a safe bet to assume that it did surpass the Rs 100 crore mark. Bodyguard set a record for being the first movie to gross Rs. 100 crore in a week!

2012 has been a banner year for the Rs 100 crore club! 9 movies have made it! Agneepath, Housefull 2, Rowdy Rathore, Barfi, Dabangg 2, Bol Bacchan, Son of Sardaar, Ek Tha Tiger and the late Yash Chopra`s Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Ek Tha Tiger broke the 1 week record set by Bodyguard and grossed the benchmark figure in 5 days! It is now closing in on the record set by 3 Idiots and may just cross the Rs. 200 crore mark by year end!

Please note these figures are only based on domestic ticket sales in India without including the entertainment tax. If one counts total global sales, what with the popularity of Bollywood movies all over the world, some movies have grossed more than Rs 300 crores!

As far as actors go, Salman Khan tops the list having acted in 5 of the Rs 100 crore films, followed by Kareena Kapoor,Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha and Asin who have acted in 4, and coming in tied at 3^rd place are Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra who have acted in 3 of these top grossing movies.

 In 1913 the first Indian movie Raja Harishchandra was released. Next year, 2013, marks the centennial celebration of the Indian movie industry. I am sure all the directors, actors, script writers and all those involved in this fascinating industry will release some great movies and perhaps we will see at least a dozen movies that will surpass this benchmark figure and maybe go way beyond!

Long live Bollywood!

StarBuzz, Toronto

December 21, 2012-Will it be the end of the world? By Lachman Balani

Lachman Balani 

Many columnists around the world are feverishly writing about the imminent end of the world as it was predicted by the Mayans. TV channels are also hosting shows and airing documentaries about it. Social media abounds with blogs, facebook posts and tweets pertaining to it.  Even at several ongoing holiday season cocktail and dinner parties, the topic of conversation invariably turns to December 21, 2012, when supposedly the Mayan Armageddon is set to be unleashed.

Turn on, tune in and GURU’ve at MOSAIC!

Lachman Balani

StarBuzz, Toronto-Mosaic’s Bollywood personality and headliner for this year is none other than well-renowned playback singing sensation, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan (aka ROCKSTAR USTAD).

This amazing versatile virtuoso shot to stardom with the Bollywood going crowd several years ago with his hit song ‘Mitwa’ in ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’. From then onwards he has sung several hit songs for many blockbuster movies including ‘Patiala House’ and ‘Ra.One’. He will be performing Saturday Aug 18 at 7.45 pm .

IFFT 2012

Lachman Balani 

StarBuzz, Toronto-The event had all the makings of a Bollywood film except that it was not a movie but a well-orchestrated event with beautiful women, models, designers, hair and make up stylists, and the who’s who in attendance. The heat wave continued in Toronto from July 2-8 as the International Fashion Festival Toronto 2012 (IFFT) continued to make temperatures rise. Fashionistas, socialites, social climbers, models and model wannabes, photographers, industry heads and politicians, all jostled for their place in the line up to get into the hall for this stunning show. Several local and international designers revealed their creations at the International Convention Centre in Mississauga with the grand finale featuring the breathtaking creations of Indian fashionista extraordinaire Vikram Phadnis and Lebanese renowned designer Walid Atallah’s bridal collection.