Bollywood Kung-Fu!! [Archive] - Kung Fu Magazine Forums

GeneChing

10-25-2007, 04:34 PM

Koena horse-rides, does Tai Chi for role (http://www.nowrunning.com/news/news.asp?it=12494)
Subhash K. Jha [Wednesday, October 24, 2007]

Mumbai, Oct 25 (IANS) Dusky actress Koena Mitra is busy doing a lot of horse-riding and other rugged activities these days apparently for an international project, details of which she refuses to divulge.

She is said to be playing a sensuous warrior with supernatural powers in an international film entitled "Karn" to be co-produced by Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC).

Koena, who was last seen in "Apna Sapna Money Money", spent May and June in Hong Kong training in Tai Chi and other martial arts. Koena was chosen because PNC's American partners for the project were reportedly looking for someone dusky, husky and athletic. PNC sent them a DVD of the film "Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena" featuring Koena.

"I won't deny that I've been training for a film. But I can't right now reveal what it is. I'll say this though...once you are trained in the international martial arts, your body and mind become toned permanently. You can take on any action role," Koena told IANS.

The Bengali actress, however, claims the rigorous practice sessions are for a cop's role in a Bollywood film by a new director. She also says that she chooses her roles carefully.

"I've always been very careful with my assignments. There's no point in doing a dozen films per year, which come and go. From my first release, Sanjay Gupta's 'Musafir', to my most recent 'Apna Sapna Money Money' for Subhash Ghai, producers and directors have repeated me in their films.

"It's this faith that I've found in Subhash Ghai, Pritish Nandy, Sanjay Gupta and other Bollywood bigwigs that has kept me going. Otherwise, I'd have simply left."

Prod her a bit more about the international project and she sighs: "Why do we place so much importance on international offers? To me, making a name in Bollywood is far more important than trying to find a place abroad."

The character that's she is supposed to play in "Karn" isn't Indian. After John Abraham in Deepa Mehta's "Luna", Koena would be the first Indian actor to break the ethnic barrier.

But it's been a stressful time for Koena on the personal front.

"My father has been unwell and in hospital. I've been flying in and out of Kolkata. In the middle of all this personal trauma I had to fly off to Hong Kong for some intense action training," she said.

So why can't she just get her father over to Mumbai?

"Oh, how I'd love that!" Koena exclaimed. "But my sister studies in Kolkata and my parents can't come away. It would be a dream to have them over with me. But wishes can't be horses," the actress said.

This article is much more interesting after you've had a look at Koena Mitra (http://www.koenamitra.org/pictures/). ;)

yutyeesam

10-25-2007, 08:28 PM

Gene,
If you enjoyed Benny Lava, then I think you'll also enjoy GIRLY MAAAAN!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtJRNyPK-lc

Interesting take on the Myth. I'll report back on it after the weekend when I see it. I'll look into Last Legion as well if I can this weekend (might be too much Bollywood for the Missus at one time, tho - and she's Indian! :) )

Madhuri is also a better actress than Ash, doncha think? She shows more versatility and range. By the way, have you seen her spicy little number, Choli Ke Peeche? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHO6mQmeA-o

Sword LOVER? Uh, no...heh! But, I am indeed a fan of good sword work. Dong Fang Bu Bai, baby!

Interesting about Koena Mitra. She's my people (Bengali, from Kolkata). Tai Chi would be awesome. If you look at the movements of the silk reeling in Chen style, and look at the hand movements in Kathak dance and Bengali folk dance, you'll see lots of similarities.

-123

yutyeesam

10-29-2007, 03:17 AM

Just saw The Myth. Gene, you were right on. The moment he left India the film turned to crap. He should do a film where he stays focused there...he should just try to do a Jackie meets Bollywood - they both have camp in common, so why not?

But yeah, the fight scenes all in India on the glue tarp and with the Kalari guys was pretty sweet.

I just youtubed bits of the Last Legion. Looks pretty darn corny. And Ash with a sword and fighting? I just don't buy it. Perhaps if I didn't know who she was, then it'd be different. But here's a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HIVRnF2CzE

Since you're an Ash fan, you might like Dil Ka Rishta...but it's pretty dang cheezy. I mean, even more'n usual.

I dug Taal. Taal was awesome, b/c the music was top notch. Have you heard the the Anglicized version of the song Ishq Bina from Taal?

Original (from the filmi Taal): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqViYYmzSBg

Anglicized (from the Broadway musical Bombay Dreams): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV42kCyPsJ4
(pay no attn to the Doctor Who video lol)

-123

GeneChing

10-29-2007, 11:27 AM

It has this special extra that just focuses on the Kalari - shows some traditional katar drills that are just wicked. Plus there's this wild chain whip like weapon - only a quick shot of some guy swinging it around. I've never seen that one and have no idea of what it was. Very cool. The extra is not on American release, only the HK version (http://www.martialartsmart.net/dvd10086.html).

Last Legion is very corny. But it's Ash. With swords. I love corny?

yutyeesam, you're Bollywood fu is kicking my butt. You've forced me to counter by fighting dirty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWa5lCOQikM&NR=1). :p

yutyeesam

10-29-2007, 02:19 PM

Ah, that would explain the complete lack of any special features on the disc I rented of The Myth! That would be very cool to see.

From what I've seen of it, Kalari is a very cool martial art, and has been incorporated into dance performances and such. There should be more recognition of it from Bollywood! I've seen that thing that's like a chain whip, it's like a superflexible long piece of sheet metal! Wicked!

That video was funny! It reminded me of Curry and Rice Girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95xw65uikXg

Man, have you seen Chori Chori Chupke Chupke? There's a HOT song in there called No. 1 Punjabi (stars Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utVGndoQ_Hs
I could totally see having breakaway shots to choreographed scenes of Kalaripayattu done to the beat, in almost a Capoeira like fashion...there's so much potential here!

GeneChing

10-29-2007, 05:21 PM

It looks like it is flexible, but instead of being made up of tubular metal segments like a chain whip, the segments are like small squares of sheet metal. It looks fairly long. There's only a quick shot of someone swinging it about in the HK Myth special features so I couldn't get a good look at all. What is that?!? Got a name?

BTW, check out this thread Kalari on the southern forum (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48679).

GeneChing

10-29-2007, 05:44 PM

Here's the thing I think you're talking about at about 1:04 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YmA46x7Xok). I think the thing I'm talking about is slightly different because it's jointed. I gotta look at that Myth extra again. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me once more.

And while you're in youtube, you must check this out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zngt8OdXWSo). It just made my day. It'd be even better if you could explain it to me, yutyeesam.

yutyeesam

10-29-2007, 08:08 PM

Gene,
Scroll to around 3:46 here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYQ-Oyy1hM

Is that what you're talking about?

It's not segmented, but it can give that impression if you're used to seeing the Chain Whip. Apparently, it's considered the most dangerous and advanced weapon of Kalari. It's called Urumi. Dig it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi

Apparently, it was used in the filmi Ashoka! I haven't seen this one yet, but will make a point to, soon.

Regarding that film clip, I have no idea, but pretty sweet find!

GeneChing

10-30-2007, 11:09 AM

...perhaps I hallucinated the segments.

Ashoka was entertaining, well worth your attention. It was quite fictional, but then, so was Last Legion. And Khan as Asoka was a huge stretch for me. I'm not a fan of Khan. Perhaps it's jealousy. I don't remember the urumi scene, but I saw that some time ago, so perhaps I gotta look at that again too.

The urumi looks freaking wicked. It reminds me of the the old belt swords (something that many people discredit now). I can't imagine trying to deal with a sharp version.

Wu Wei Wu

10-31-2007, 12:03 AM

I'm raising the Bolly Fu stakes with this entry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K0ke-LwwpI

Nuff said!

GeneChing

10-31-2007, 09:41 AM

OK, I looked at that extra last night and there were no segments. So it's definitely an urumi. There's a nice short segment that has two Kalari guys sparring with urumi and shield. I love all that Kalari weapon sparring. They play with steel and super fast. Anyway, I'm going to use this opportunity to really plug the HK Double Disc Edition of the MYTH (http://www.martialartsmart.net/dvd10086.html). The extras are as good as the movie, if not better. The 'making of' stuff is insane in that way only Jackie can be insane. You can see Jackie's hands on choreography with Mallika. You can see the set up for th glue trap scene. You can see Mallika complaining that she didn't get to kiss Jackie in the movie at the HK premiere. You can see Jackie vacuum the set. Ok, seriously, the Kalari segment in the extra is short but very cool. There's several shots of Kalari people running through their sparring routines and some nice stuff of Jackie working with Kalari Master G. Satyanarayanan to develop their fight. There's also some really nutty behind the scenes stuff like how did the snow scene (in a giant refrigerator so the actors were really freezing) and the cliff scene (filmed on a real treacherous cliff and they drop them off). There's also some nice tour stuff of the scenic locations used in the film. It's all about the double disc, I tell ya. Makes a great gift ;)

sanjuro_ronin

10-31-2007, 10:09 AM

I'm raising the Bolly Fu stakes with this entry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K0ke-LwwpI

Nuff said!

:eek:
Ghandi-ryu !!

yutyeesam

10-31-2007, 11:33 AM

I'm raising the Bolly Fu stakes with this entry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K0ke-LwwpI

Nuff said!

Awesome find!!!!! Cool! I'll have to find this Bollywood Disco 70's Psychedelic Bruce Lee Tribute number - it was pretty amazing.

Gene - I may just have to buy The Myth! Didn't Jackie have a thing for Indian ladies? Or was that just for the making of The Myth? :D

Ya know, some of these Bollywood actors and actresses bear resemblances of Hollywood celebs. Check it out:

Karisma Kapoor looks kinda like Jennifer Aniston: http://gallery.bizhat.com/showphoto.php/photo/19505

Akshaye Khanna looks kinda like Hank Azaria:
http://www.webindia123.com/movie/images/akhanna.jpg

Salman Khan sorta looks like Nicholas Cage:
http://iceburns.blogspot.com/2007/07/salman-khan.html

Akshay Kumar looks sorta like David Schwimmer (Ross, from Friends)
http://www.hindustanlink.com/bollywood/bollywood-photo-picture-gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal_akshay1.jpeg

Wu Wei Wu

10-31-2007, 12:21 PM

I'm not sure if this has been referenced here, but it is an early 80's British series called Way of the Warrior. This episode took a detailed look at Kalari:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZZYl2IUKbo

On a side note, Indian has many other classic traditions including Kushti (wrestling) and Gatka (the art of the Northern Aryans):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv7Z3wBtKQE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrUNCD14piA

Additionally, a popular game in the North is Kabaddi, which is a combination of wrestling and tag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GexeGK_ZTeQ

sanjuro_ronin

10-31-2007, 12:30 PM

yutyeesam

10-31-2007, 02:02 PM

The Urumi in Asoka...

Scroll forward to about 2:00 into the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOgZ8nh1tdE

This weapon needs to be in every single Bollywood movie! Just a matter of time before Quentin features it in one of his!

GeneChing

11-01-2007, 09:32 AM

I can't believe I forgot about that. Obviously I have to watch Ashoka again too. I love that "that's not a weapon, this is a weapon" ala Crocodile Dundee. Soon after that movie, I was in the sword selling biz, and if you knew how many times I heard that stupid line, my god. :rolleyes:

MasterKiller

11-01-2007, 10:10 AM

This is my favorite bollywood clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx-NLPH8JeM

GeneChing

11-05-2007, 01:27 PM

The Rise of Bollywood Femme Fatales. You heard it first here. Life is good.

Priyanka into martial arts (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Priyanka_into_martial_arts/articleshow/2517215.cms)
5 Nov 2007

She’s just back from Namibia after wrapping up a schedule for Drona and Priyanka Chopra is already set to go back to South Africa. “We have another month-long schedule and it’ll be action-packed and good fun. Especially since my co-star Abhishek is such a prankster,” she says.

Drona, a film that involves a lot of martial arts, will see Priyanka engage in some hard-core stunts. But it isn’t the first time she’s indulged in action since she’s previously done some heavy-duty scenes in Don. “But in Drona, I play Abhishek’s bodyguard and had to train in the Sikh martial art form using kirpans and chakkars. It was a bit difficult and required a lot of flexibility but the experience was great,” says the actress.
So what’s her opinion on the portrayal of supergals in Indian films — there are quite a few who’re signing action films right now. “The script really matters for one to be called a supergirl in Indian films; as an actor you can play a superman too. But is the script really defining it or is it just your image of being a superhero that’s taking it forward? It really depends,” she explains.

And since most flicks these days are multi-starrers, is she okay acting in them or does she prefer solo flicks? “Depends on the script entirely. The look, the feel and the way the movie is presented is very important. I don’t mind multi-starrers,” she says.

The 24-year-old is also doing a lot of brand endorsements now. What took her so long to do them? “I didn’t want to do ads before. This is my fourth year in this industry and four years seems like a long time because I have done so many films in this time. I didn’t want to do ads before because I wanted to establish myself in a certain position so I could do the kind of ads that I wanted. I didn’t want to just endorse just any product,” says Priyanka. She adds, “I’m very particular about everything I do, whether it’s the brands that I pick, the films I do or the company I keep.”
And what about her upcoming film Love Story 2050 with Harman Baweja? How was it working with him? “It’s releasing in April 2008. It was great fun working with Harman; he has great energy in him,” she says.

Priyanka Chopra, Miss World 2000 (http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/celebs/priyankachopra/priyanka_chopra_1.jpg)

yutyeesam

11-05-2007, 06:38 PM

Dig it, here's an Indian Disco Tribute to Bruce Lee!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdBA7EciP4U

Let's Dance, for the Great Guy Bruce Lee.

yutyeesam

11-06-2007, 10:46 PM

Wow, there's more than I thought in this arena!

This one's kinda fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKqgkrhDb-k

And this one is like a Bollywood version of Xena:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y_qbBZe7J0

yutyeesam

11-06-2007, 11:06 PM

Apparently, the movie from that last link I posted is called Sheela. Here's more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tawfewEoAvM

Here's another Bollywood femme fatale fight scene involving staves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_qUwZV_Cmc

GeneChing

11-07-2007, 10:28 AM

I followed a link of one of those fine selections to some classic Rajini Kanth (at least I think it's him) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MJpDwJ8sEo - gotta admit now, Bollywood has it's own choreographic style. It reminds me a little of the Mexican masked wrestling flicks - real 'old school' low budget cheesey, but not without merit. ;)

GeneChing

11-20-2007, 10:30 AM

I only copied the first bit - the interview runs 4 pages - the Tom and Jerry bit is like page 3.

ON THE RECORD
Akshay Kumar, Actor (http://www.indianexpress.com/story/240791.html)

'I've learnt a lot from Tom & Jerry. It's surprising but a lot of my early stunts were copied from Tom & Jerry'

Posted online: Monday, November 19, 2007 at 0000 hrs Print Email

Actor Akshay Kumar, who has trained in martial arts, started out as an action hero but found he was equally successful doing action, comedy, and even both together. In an interview with The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on NDTV 24x7\'s Walk the Talk, Akshay Kumar speaks about his early years in Chandni Chowk, learning martial arts in Thailand, the Khiladi mystique, and the tattoo on his back. Excerpts . . .

• My guest this week is the lone man standing in the way of the total condemnation of Hindi cinema. No, he's not a Bachchan or a Roshan. He's Akshay Kumar.

Thank you, Sir.

• It's marvellous to have you on Walk the Talk. You're one of the most popular actors among young people, women, grown-ups, and even old people.

Am I? Thank you very much. I feel very nice about that.

• And you are the most fun star.

Yes, I like doing fun stuff. I like doing things that people enjoy. I love entertaining people. Actually, I didn't realise that. Some of my directors made me realise that I like doing comedy and entertaining people. So I started doing it. It was great.

• You started out being serious. More of a maar-dhaad (kind of hero).

A lot of action and all that. But then everything started changing, thanks to the media, which said, 'He only does action, he's an actor who is just like furniture.' Actually they were being nice, for when I saw some of my old films, I don't think I was furniture but a furniture showroom. It was quite bad. I wanted to change my image, challenge myself, try to do something different.

• We've now caught you on the sets of another fun film.

Yes, that's Tashan. I'm shooting for it. Vijay (Krishna Acharya) is the director. It's a great film for me to do.

• Your fighting image came naturally, because you had learnt martial arts.

Yes.

• And you had the body.

Well, I did, because I loved doing martial arts, which I started learning when I was nine or ten. I was learning here in Bombay. I asked my dad if he could send me somewhere to learn. I think at that time Bangkok was one of the cheapest places where you could go and learn martial arts. My uncle was working there, so I got this opportunity to go there and learn Thai boxing.

• Did you learn it seriously?

Yes, yes, absolutely. When I came back, I started classes here. I used to teach people. I used to train children and grown-ups. I always thought of being a martial arts instructor; never did I think I'll be in the entertainment business.

yutyeesam

11-20-2007, 11:30 AM

Cool interview, thanks for posting that, Gene!

You've probably seen this, but I thought this was great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Iz57Ik9yE

yutyeesam

11-20-2007, 12:39 PM

An homage to Bruce Lee in Bollywood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNxBdG4TZT8&feature=related

What in the world kind of nunchucks are those???

GeneChing

11-26-2007, 11:03 AM

...it's like watching an MMA bout. Fighter A makes the same attack. Fighter B retaliates with the same counter. Only MMA stands for Masala Martial Arts here... ;)

Fighter A's attack:
Masumi & Akshay's common ground! (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=814452)
25 Nov 2007, 0000 hrs IST,TNN

Masumi Makhija (http://www.desibabesworld.com/masumi-makhija-hottest-photoshoot/) has been seen in movies like Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav, Chupke Se and Maqbool.

Besides these films she also has an important role in Sanjay Gupta’s Dus Kahaniyaan . But hold on, we aren't talking abut her movies, but her common interest that she shares with Akshay Kumar.

We heard that like Akshay she is also into action like martial arts and kick boxing. “Well, we both like martial arts though I can’t speak for him but for me I just love it. I have been practising it for the past eight years now and of late I have got into something called MuayThai which is full contact Thai kick boxing.” Watch out for this new Khiladi girl in making.

Fighter B, care to post another funky Bollywood youtube clip?

GeneChing

11-26-2007, 11:56 AM

This article isn't really worth posting, but there's a great pic (http://www.mid-day.com/life-at-work/2007/november/167202.htm)worth checking out. Notable comments:
Egged on by Partner co-star Salman Khan, actor Govinda has taken up martial art training, in order to lose weight

Actor Kunal Kapoor religiously practices Goju-Ryu Karate thrice a week.
Actor and TV show judge isha koppikar prefers the grace of Taekwondo.
TV star Cezanne Khan, loves Shaolin Kung Fu, and prefers martial arts to weight training.

That's two blows from fighter A. Fighter B?

yutyeesam

11-26-2007, 10:20 PM

Sorry about that, was temporarily distracted by the Jerry Springer Sh...I mean, the Southern KF forums!

Check this out: Bollywood Fu, with a femme, a soccer ball, and a dude in an orange tank!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVmCyu9y43Q&feature=related

Dude does a little G-n-P at the end here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv2anmd_i40

And finally, wanna see Ashwarya Rai as a Duncan Donuts waitress smack a dude in the head with a tray??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2AvoDceoWE

GeneChing

12-26-2007, 01:05 PM

ok, this one is really off topic, but it's still about India and I've been dying to ttt this, just to bait yys to post more bollywood fu.

Indian troops taught them yoga, learnt martial arts (http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/23/stories/2007122360430800.htm)

Chak de, Chak de, say Chinese troops

Kunming(China): Indian troops shared their expertise in yoga with their Chinese counterparts and learnt martial arts skills from them on Saturday, the second day of their first-ever joint military exercise in this capital city of southwestern Yunnan province.

The People’s Liberation Army men’s “Chak De, Chak De” cheers filled the air as they inspired the Indian soldiers during the exercises.

And, a well-executed one earned a “Shabhash” from the Chinese.

The gesture was reciprocated in good measure by the Indian Army personnel who sought to raise the spirits of the PLA soldiers shouting “Chayo, Chayo (come on, buck up)”, and “Pancha, Pancha (well done, well done).”

The day’s training began with the Chinese soldiers being taught yoga exercises by instructors from the Indian Army, kindling great interest in them on techniques to keep the mind calm, an Indian military officer said.

The Indian troops, in turn, were given training in martial arts, both defensive and offensive skills in unarmed combat, by the Chinese after which they went through exercises basically designed to overcome psychological barriers and instil team spirit.

The Chinese soldiers carried out breathtaking manoeuvres amidst explosions and gun-firing, signalling their physical endurance in such critical conditions and winning appreciation from their Indian counterparts.

“Such exercises are aimed at increasing the abilities for perseverance and endurance in situations including a battlefield and anti-terrorism operations,” Capt. Gong Kai of the PLA told PTI.

“Both the armies are very well trained. We can learn from each other,” Maj Gen. Liu Yongxin of the Chengdu Military Region said.

He said terrorism was a “common enemy” not only of both India and China but has threatened the international community as a whole.

The joint training would increase the combat capabilities of both armies and be mutually beneficial apart from building mutual trust, Mr. Liu added.

In a path-breaking confidence-building step, India and China on Friday launched the five-day joint military exercise, “Hand-in-Hand” with focus on the anti-terrorism drill at the Kunming Military Academy.

Nearly 103 troops from the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry and an equal number of PLA soldiers are taking part in the exercise, which includes a joint command post and joint battle decision-making. — PTI

GeneChing

01-02-2008, 10:14 AM

...shooting in China no less.
Is that Akshay’s story? (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Is_that_Akshays_story_/articleshow/2668251.cms)
3 Jan 2008

For long, Akshay had felt that his own success story had the potential to be made into a movie. And now it looks like he’s getting his way.

The film’s nimble-footed hero is a cook who goes to China and encounters further adventures. By now it’s part of the Akshay legend that he served as a cook in Bangkok and earned his way back to Mumbai to make cinematic history. The kitchen-angle isn’t the only similarity between Akshay and the hero from Chandni Chowk. Both are martial-arts practitioners.

Not having done a full action film for over seven years, Akshay has trained in a martial arts form known as Wushu for the film. “It’s a very intricate art practiced on screen by Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Everyone knows Akshay is a big Jackie Chan fan. This is his chance to get even,” says Advani.

“But I can’t say if Chandni Chowk To China is autobiographical. My writer Sridhar Raghavan (who wrote Johnny Gaddar) wrote an original screenplay. If he was inspired by Akshay’s life, he’ll know better,” Advani adds.

The shooting for Chandni Chowk To China will begin on Feb 22 in various parts of the country, including Shanghai.

Is 'Chandni Chowk To China' Akshay's story? (http://indiainteracts.com/gossip/2008/01/02/11450/Is-Chandni-Chowk-To-China-Akshays-story/)
Published on January 02, 2008 by Subhash K. Jha

After director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, it is Akshay Kumar who is going to relive his childhood memories of Delhi's old quarters in "Chandni Chowk To China". For long, Akshay had felt that his own success story had the potential to be made into a movie. And now it looks like he's getting his way.

Nikhil Advani's new action-adventure-comedy titled "Chandni Chowk To China", the name that the filmmakers have finally settled for, has distinct shades of autobiography in its plot.

The film's nimble-footed hero is a cook who goes to China and encounters further adventures. By now it's part of the Akshay legend that he served as a cook in Bangkok and earned his way back to Mumbai to make cinematic history.

The kitchen-angle isn't the only similarity between Akshay, who still has his father's family in the capital, and the hero from Chandni Chowk. Both are martial-arts practitioners.

Also if you look at the film's leading lady Deepika Padukone she's tall, slim and regal looking... like Akshay's wife Twinkle. A coincidence? Akshay has always liked women who are tall and in-charge.

One reason why China was chosen for Advani's film is to tap Akshay's long-cherished yearning for a full-on martial arts film.

Not having done a full action film for over seven years, Akshay has trained in a martial arts form known as Wushu for the film.

"It's a very intricate art practiced on screen by Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Everyone knows Akshay is a big Jackie Chan fan. This is his chance to get even. Akshay plays a cook who goes to China," Advani told IANS.

"But I can't say if 'Chandni Chowk To China' is autobiographical. My writer Sridhar Raghavan ('Johnny Gaddar' director Sriram's brother) wrote an original screenplay. If he was inspired by Akshay's life, he'll know better," Advani added.

The director has finalised the locations in China and the shooting for 'Chandni Chowk To China' will begin on Feb 22 in various parts of the country, including Shanghai. Advani will wrap it up by May.

About the corny title, the director laughed, "We earlier called our film 'Made In China'. But we all felt 'Chandni Chowk To China' suits the mood better. We've a song with that title in the film. So why not?"

GeneChing

01-04-2008, 10:26 AM

...it reminds me of Hollywood a few years ago when every action film had to promote itself by saying the stars spent months in intensive training.

Hrithik is ok now (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Hrithik_is_ok_now/articleshow/2674951.cms)
5 Jan 2008, 0000 hrs IST
Hrithik Roshan. (TOI Photo) More pics

We all know that Hrithik recently injured his knee during the shooting of Jodhaa Akbar while executing an action scene. But, not many know that HR is a trained martial-arts expert.

And just before shooting, he took his martial-arts teacher, Chitah’s help to further hone his fighting skills for the film. Says he, “Hrithik has the best body and acumen towards the martial arts.

His will-power is exemplary and he will soon get over from the injury. When you have a trained body, like Hrithik’s, it knows how to recover fast on its own.” That’s something his fans are looking forward to, for sure.

Raiyden

01-04-2008, 07:24 PM

There was this film I saw a video for when I was eating in the local Indian joint - had a lot of actors and actresses that I didn't recognize - it was set in Brazil and the video was this intense Capoeira/Drumming/Bollywood dance number. Gotta find that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aXR_WqlC6U&feature=related

It's from this movie - Dhoom 2. Same song, different setting.

yutyeesam

01-04-2008, 10:22 PM

I've been dying to ttt this, just to bait yys to post more bollywood fu.

I just found this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-InxPME85eM

This one has nothing to do with martial arts, but it's pretty durn funny! It's even funnier for me since this is a song I've known for years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpROhIg9eA

Hey, and check it out, Akshay Kumar looks halfway decent as a movie fighter here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k5cgYb-ziI&feature=related

GeneChing

01-17-2008, 01:10 PM

I had to look that term up on wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_teasing).

President asks women to learn judo, karate (http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14590735)
Thursday, 17 January , 2008, 21:42
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Thursday urged women to learn martial arts like judo and karate for self-defence and self-confidence to face the challenges of discrimination.

"Self-defence is the best defence," Pratibha said. She was addressing the inaugural of the Sixth South Asia Regional Ministerial Conference here.

Pratibha, the first woman President of the country, asked the government to ensure women's security at work places and insisted that strict action should be taken against those who indulge in "reprehensible acts like eve-teasing and molesting."

Urging the women to fight discrimination, Pratibha said: "They should work determinedly for their own empowerment. One important step in this direction is imparting physical education - like judo and karate - for self-defence to girl students from a very early age so as to make them physically strong and to build-up self-confidence to face the challenges of life."

The President's advice came in the wake of increased cases of molestation and rapes reported from different parts of the country.

Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury held a meeting of legal experts earlier this week to examine the possibility of initiating more stringent laws to deal with such cases.

GeneChing

03-27-2008, 09:36 AM

You go, Sharmila, you go, girl.

‘I’m ready to kick ass’ (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Im_ready_to_kick_ass/articleshow/2904435.cms)
28 Mar 2008, 0000 hrs IST,

If all goes well, Kannada filmdom will soon see the emergence of another action girl after Malashri.

So even though it’s been a while since her last hit, Krishna, Sharmila Mandre’s confidence remains intact. “I got a lot of projects after Krishna, but I’ve been careful about what I pick. That’s because I like to keep changing my characters from time to time,” she says.

And that’s precisely why she’s done a complete U-turn from her lover girl girl roles and is now indulging in some heavy-duty action in her next film, Navagraha. “I star opposite Darshan and it’s a two-dimensional character. I play this stunt girl who pretends to be this shy and demure girl. I lost a lot of weight for the role and enrolled myself for a martial arts course under Ashok Chandra in Mumbai; I learnt tai chi and kick-boxing,” says an excited Sharmila.

But what made her do a guest appearance in the recent Ee Bandhana, especially since she’s a newcomer? “I did Ee Bandhana for Vijaylaxmi Singh because she’s a family friend. And the song that I did in the film was a big hit. A lot of people complimented me for it, so I don’t think it has made any negative impact on my career,” she says.

The actress also says that she’d now like to do a film with her home banner. “My family has been into film distribution for decades now, while my aunt Sunanda has produced Provoked with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and has just wrapped up a film with Kangna Ranaut. I was launched by my aunt in the Kannada industry with Sajini. So now she wants to launch me in Tamil as well,” explains the actress.
So what happened to the film she was supposed to do with Bharathi Raja? “I did consider the offer but they had some conditions before I took up the film that weren’t feasible for me,” explains Sharmila.

Currently though, she’s really happy with the way her career is shaping up.”I’ve realised that it’s versatility that counts in the industry. I want to take my time, explore different aspects of acting and by the end of this year, I’ll probably take up more films and work with really talented people,” she says. Oh yeah, and she also wants to do a film with namma Puneet Rajkumar.

GeneChing

04-21-2008, 09:51 AM

I remember a similar phenomena happening in China right about when HK was returned. Who wouldn't want martial arts trained female bodyguards? That's been my underlying ultimate goal with my work since I saw Enter the Dragon. :p

Indian women set to become bodyguards (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200804201551.htm)

Mumbai (PTI): Indian women are all set to become bodyguards for jet-setters and corporate honchos with a Mumbai-based private detective and security consultant, Raj Talele being the latest to fulfil their increasing demand in the city.

Talele has announced specially designed workshops for women, training them physically and mentally to work as bodyguards.

Talele has already begun his first batch consisting of 25 women in the month of March and the second batch is all set to commence in May.

"In Mumbai there is a growing demand for women bodyguards for VIPs and celebrities. However in the absence of trained woman power, all vacancies are filled up by men," Talele told PTI.

The participants have to be between 17 and 30 years of age. The intensive physical and mental training sessions is being held at Worli, South central Mumbai for two hours daily. The training will be for a period of two months.

The participants will be taught martial arts like Judo Karate, Yoga and swimming by professionals. "Along with martial arts, the girls will also be taught on how to improve their communication skills and their self-confidence," Talele said.

According to Talele, in many cases, men guard women celebrities too, even though the latter are often uncomfortable with the arrangement, but there is little choice. Talele hopes to fill this void with his workshop.

GeneChing

04-22-2008, 09:34 AM

This article desperately needs a pic of this blonde parkour trainer.

Akshay and his blonde woman (http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2970014.cms)
22 Apr, 2008 08:41 am ISTlINDIATIMES MOVIES

Actor Akshay Kumar is known for his physique... and his women. Never mind his marital status, the link ups don't stop! And we are all aware of Akshay's female trainer, who has been teaching him some great parkour. While most actors seem to prefer male trainers, Akshay has interestingly opted for a female blonde. Now, this surely has nothing to do with his personal preferences, Akki this time means business.

When we met up with the actor and asked him the reason for having hired a woman trainer, he simply said, "It's simple. She is the best in the business. It's a myth that the man who lifts the most weight is the strongest. I want to be strong to be useful and she has many ways and techniques that help me perfect that."

About his fitness funds, trips to the gyms are never as exciting as outdoor adventures and martial arts. "Outdoor adventure, sports and martial arts are arts...it strengthens not only the body but also the gut. It's graceful, informative, creative and gives you a different high. Try it sometimes," suggests Kumar.

Well.. I think somethings are best left to experts..

GeneChing

05-09-2008, 10:26 AM

but pics of burqa-clad girls probably aren't that interesting...

Burqa-clad girls take to martial arts for self-defense in Ahmedabad (http://www.dailyindia.com/show/238567.php/Burqa-clad-girls-take-to-martial-arts-for-self-defense-in-Ahmedabad)
From ANI

Ahmedabad, May 9: Setting an example for conservative families to be confident about their daughters' abilities, a group of about 30 Muslim girls in Ahmedabad city have taken to martial arts and aerobic exercises to train themselves in self-defense and develop physical fitness.

Most of these girls come from conservative families that expect their girls to just get married and take care of their household. But these girls have chosen to redefine what they are capable of in daily life without compromising with their cultural identity.

Residing in Ahmedabad's largest Muslim ghetto at Juhapura, these girls about 20 years of age prefer being Burqa-clad while practicing Karate and Aerobics every afternoon for three hours. Besides, these girls pump iron barbells.

These girls want to be perfectionist and aspire to move ahead in life without compromising on their traditional values and upbringing.

Twenty-year- old Sajeeda Ansari says: "We feel comfortable doing workouts under our Burqa. I have learned so many things. It is not necessary that a girl can be considered modern only if she is clad in western outfits."

Asifa Bora, one of the group members and computer trainer by profession, says: "I am learning it (Karate) for two months to become capable for self-defense and gain fitness. After Godhra riots, we have seen the increasing number of rape and eve-teasing cases in every newspaper and news channels."

"Today, without leaving aside our traditional values, we are learning all this. Today women are leading in every section of the society and parents must boost their daughters to move ahead in life looking beyond the caste factor," she added.

These girls practice for three hours every day during afternoon.

The girls are being trained under Supriya Jatav, a 16-year-old Karate instructor, who has encouraged these girls to learn self-defense techniques.

Supriya belongs to a Hindu family and has won several national and international Karate championship trophies under her belt. She is currently preparing herself for the Commonwealth Karate championship to be held in Scotland.

Supriya is happy about the fact that she could motivate these Burqa-clad girls to learn the self-defense techniques without requiring them to compromise with their traditional values.

"Until and unless somebody takes the initiative we cannot prosper. It is a must for every woman to become self-reliant today unmindful of one' caste or community. If someone is feeling comfortable doing their work without losing their traditional values or belief, no one should have objection. We must come out of caste boundaries and participate in the global world," said Supriya Jatav, the physical fitness and karate instructor.

Habib Khan, the gym instructor, who has been working enthusiastically for the uplift of girls for two years, said: "We should do it with full sportsmanship. Incidents which tend to affect the society at large should not be affect us. We should give importance to the sports over and above the caste and other decisive factors." By Uday Ahavaryu

GeneChing

05-12-2008, 11:55 AM

all hale and hearty? I wasn't familiar with that expression.

Amit Khanna is back in action! (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Amit_Khanna_is_back_in_action/articleshow/3029777.cms)
12 May 2008, 0000 hrs IST,TNN

Amit Khanna is back to shooting after a ligament repair surgery which had kept him out of action for four months.

The actor who was last seen in serials like Dil Chahe More and Karam Apnaa Apnaa will be back on TV soon in an interactive show.

Unlike his mama Govinda, the actor loves to do action scenes. But while preparing for an action film recently, Amit learnt the hard way that it’s not an easy task. It so happened that he was learning Kalari Payatu, the Kerala martial arts, Tai Chi and Kung-fu for one of his films but while practising the moves, he injured his knee.

As a result he was in bed for some time. Says Amit, “I was in the hospital for three days, I was kind of knocked off to keep my sanity. But I’m back now, all hale and hearty,” says Amit, adding, “I have this never-say-die attitude. Also I might make mistakes, but I learn from them,” says the actor. And what are his forthcoming projects? “I have no TV soaps on the anvil at the moment. But I’m working hard now on the format of the TV show that will be on air shortly,” he says.

Amit had also shot for a German film, The Indian Ring, that was shot at exotic locales of Rajasthan some time back. The movie stars German actress Ruth Maria Kubitschek, who has acted in one of the James Bond movies. “We’ve already completed the shooting and the film will be released soon in Germany,” he reveals.

GeneChing

05-12-2008, 11:56 AM

I still want to see his blonde parkour trainer....

Akshay-Deepika do martial arts ‘item’ (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1163763)
IANS
Sunday, May 11, 2008 20:12 IST

Nikhil Advani’s Chandni Chowk to China starring Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, will flaunt some sizzling song and dance sequences.

The team was recently shooting in Bangkok, Shanghai and the Forbidden City for the dance numbers. For one song they hired Dee Dee, a famous Chinese fight choreographer.

This song has been composed by Bappi Lahiri and is a remix of a popular Hindi song. The sequence has lot of martial art stunts and will be a comic number in which Akshay will get beaten up by the fellow dancers.

GeneChing

06-04-2008, 09:07 AM

We need more Bollywood babes here now. :(

Sawhney trains in martial arts for film (http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14687398)
IANS | Wednesday, 04 June , 2008, 11:58

Bollywood actor Anuj Sawhney, better known for his portrayals of a 'lover trapped in weird circumstances' in comedies such as Nayee Padosan and Funtoosh, is now going for a remarkable transition for his role in the Hindi remake of The Departed.

"I play the character of Matt Damon from the original film," said the actor who got much appreciation from critics for his performance in Kalpana Lajmi's Chingaari.

Anuj has gone through rigorous martial arts training for a yet-to-be-titled movie under Om Prakash Thapa, who is president of Shaolin Wushu Kung-Fu organisation in India.

"The training was for one and a half months from January to mid-February where I was even injured. I suffered a hairline fracture on my shoulder, as a result the shoot got delayed," said Anuj.

Besides this, Anuj has various projects lined up and his next release is Ye Fasaa.

Commenting upon his role in Ye Fasaa, Anuj said: "Other than my new look, people will see a new me in the film. It is an out and out comedy of errors where I play a bohemian character. Circumstances lead to the entry of Tara Sharma in my life. I marry her later. However, my liberal nature forces me to keep lying to her. This leads to varied conflicts, said Anuj.

Aryeman Ramsay plays his best friend in Ye Fasaa, which has been directed by Tarun Kumar and produced by Balabhai Patel of Aashiq Banaya Aapne fame.

He is also in Abbas Mustan's Fraud. "My role in Fraud is that of a comic sidekick to the lead character. The film is 70 per cent finished and also stars Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu."

Anuj has also grabbed a three-film contract with Zee films, the details of which the actor refused to divulge. "I will announce it at the right time."

He will also be seen in 3 Nights 4 Days with Hri****aa Bhatt.

sanjuro_ronin

06-04-2008, 09:41 AM

Ask and thou shall receive:

sanjuro_ronin

06-04-2008, 09:42 AM

Jackie Chan approves so you know it must be good !!

sanjuro_ronin

06-04-2008, 09:43 AM

tanned and terrific:

The Willow Sword

06-04-2008, 03:19 PM

Here is My Favorite Bollywood Kung fu clip. Its prolly not official Bollywood, but i think this is pretty uhhh cool uhh yeah:rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrYlNNy929Y

Peace, TWS

yutyeesam

06-10-2008, 09:28 PM

Been awhile since I been here!

Check this out, all I can say is, 5hit yeah!":

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/v2/play.php?id=9758

The Willow Sword

06-11-2008, 04:53 AM

i Did the bombay TV thing last year.pretty funny, Although my text was all about the illegal sale of hemmoroid cream and how desperately the hero needed some:D

Peace,TWS

sanjuro_ronin

06-11-2008, 05:00 AM

Here is My Favorite Bollywood Kung fu clip. Its prolly not official Bollywood, but i think this is pretty uhhh cool uhh yeah:rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrYlNNy929Y

Peace, TWS

LOL !
That was awesome

GeneChing

07-15-2008, 10:45 AM

Priyanka Chopra - click the article for a pic. Here's some more (http://www.priyankachopra.org/). Miss World is a TKD practitioner. Where's the CMA practicing beauty queens (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=673)?

What’s common between Arjan & Priyanka? (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India_Buzz/Whats_common_between_Arjan__Priyanka/articleshow/3232230.cms)
15 Jul 2008, 0000 hrs IST,TNN

It seems that both the stars from Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion are often seen discussiong martial arts on the sets.

Incidentally, Priyanka Chopra got herself trained in martial arts for Drona, a film which she is doing with Abhishek Bachchan. A source from the film unit says, “Priyanka was informed by someone on the set that Arjan Bajwa is a Taekwondo expert.

She takes special interest in knowing various forms of martial arts. During the shot breaks, they would talk about how she did her own stunts in the film, and how Arjan practices Taekwondo on a regular basis.”

Priyanka was not aware of the fact that Taekwondo is a blend of Shotokan Karate with other Chinese and Korean martial arts. But finally, she got all information from Arjan. So now we won’t be surprised if we see Arjan and Priyanka in a martial arts film!

'Martial arts discipline the mind and body' (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Fitness/Martial_arts_discipline_the_mind_and_body/articleshow/3226274.cms)
13 Jul 2008, 0001 hrs IST,
Martial arts expert, Yajness Shhetty is a known name in the film industry.

In the last 28 years he has trained many actors in different forms of martial arts. Bollywood’s biggest names, Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Govinda, Juhi Chawla, Priyanka Chopra, Isha Koppikar, Karishma Kapoor, have all been trained and prepared for their screen fights under him, and they can vouch for his in-depth knowledge of the arts. Right now he is also training Farhan Akhtar in martial arts for a film besides a host of other newcomers who are making their entry into Bollywood.

Here are some tips given by the martial arts expert to all those interested in training in the art:

1 The person should be mentally prepared to do the exercise. He should dedicate himself whole-heartedly to the training. And he should be flexible enough to perform all types of movements.

2 The person should feel happy about learning the art. He should prepare his body to work in that direction inorder to achieve the goal.

3 Martial art sharpens the memory skills and increases your IQ level.

4 It brings discipline into your lives and makes you more focussed. So the chances of you falling into bad company are less. It throws the negative energies out from your body, and the mind becomes calmer. In other words, it disciplines your mind and body.

5Once you start learning the art, you don’t get panicky when confronted with stressful situations. Your mindset changes and you don’t get worried about silly things.

6 Martial art helps in curing a lot of diseases like arthritis, cough and cold, etc. The martial art called Tai-chi can be practised even by 70 and 80 years old men and women. It helps in straightening their body structure and makes them more energetic even at an old age.

7It is a great tool for self-defence and girls need to learn it the most. The patience, technique and knowledge that you gain after learning martial arts helps you in all types of combat.

8If a person works out everyday in the art form he will feel a lot lighter. He will be free from frustrations, stresses and worries of life.

9 Martial art helps to bring peace in the society. It is not meant to harm anybody. It should be used for the good of people.

10Meditation helps to calm the mind and this is an important feature of martial arts. So when one wakes up in the morning and does the exercises at a time when the world is at peace, the person feels pleasant and peaceful throughout the day.

GeneChing

07-28-2008, 10:02 AM

Search 'fundas' if you don't know... ;)

Kung-fu fundas (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Life/Kung-fu_fundas/articleshow/3289225.cms)
27 Jul 2008, 1507 hrs IST, Norbert Rego,TNN

Are you fighting or are you dancing, is no longer a dreaded question of grace. Now, you can be lithe as well as lethal, with the combination of martial arts, aerobics and a jazzy remix of popular Bollywood songs.

“You need physical and emotional energy to manage relationships, a home and work. That’s why so many new fitness concepts like sports yoga, Bollywood dance and martial arts — society needs to constantly re-energise for go o d h e a l t h and fitness. I l ove my Bollywood dance, tennis and yoga sessions. At the end of the day, energy is what drives life,” says Geetanjali Kirloskar, chairperson, India Japan Initiative.

Self-defence is also creeping in to make exercise forms more robust. “Exercises based on principles of martial arts are popular as one uses less equipment and more of one’s own body weight to exercise. These exercises, once learnt, can be performed anywhere,” says Dr Dilip Nadkarni, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine consultant, Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai. But warns, “One must ensure proper posture while performing. Sometimes, if the form goes awry, injuries could happen.”

The result is a strength training that is as powerful as it is useful, entertaining as it is addictive. Fitness instructor Reema Sarin has conceptualised and choreographed Bollywood aerobics, better known as the ‘Bollyfit Program’. It consists of dance aerobics steps, synchronised to Bollywood remix numbers. “Each song is carefully chosen and tested at increased speeds of 120 -130 beats per minute (bpm), which is the average speed for fun aerobic classes. For step aerobic classes, songs are remixed at 100 bpm,” she says.

It helps that Bollywood numbers are themselves superlative for the heart rate today. Many of the numbers are catchy, have fast paced tempos, and ensure that dancers get their heart rate up and reach the zone ideal for fat burn. Some of the faster paced songs can give your heart and lungs a great workout.

“It always takes many days and hours of practice to match the right moves to the right song, and to ensure that one gets a good workout, by teaching a well-balanced exercise routine, consisting both of high-impact as well low-impact aerobic moves,” Reema adds.

Choreographers today incorporate a lot of steps, which can help the body gain flexibility and muscle strength apart from a good cardio workout. “But fitness enthusiasts should get their fitness levels assessed before jumping on the high-impact bandwagon,” warns Dr Nadkarni.

“Aerobic kickboxing, the combination of karate and boxing, is one such form of exercise, which with basic kicks, punches, strikes and blocks in an aerobics mode, provides a full-body workout. Hence, it doubles the impact of aerobics,” says Roja Ayengar, Hyderabadbased learner of aerobics.

Cardio kickboxing or aerobic kickboxing is regarded as one of the most efficient calorie burners of all the fitness activities with around 800 calories burned in one hour, whereas regular aerobics burns around 500 calories per hour.

“Aerobic kickboxing is a combination of kicks and punches of martial arts with aerobic exercises to provide benefit of both in form of flexibility, strength, stamina, endurance, muscle building, cardiovascular exercise and weight management, and increase in overall fitness level with added advantage of self-defence,” concludes Dr Arpit Jain, consultant, internal medicine, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon.

GeneChing

07-29-2008, 09:25 AM

"Welcome to the new world order where girls are no longer willing to take things lying down"???

Martial arts popular with Patna girls (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Martial_arts_popular_with_Patna_girls/articleshow/3299856.cms)
29 Jul 2008, 0451 hrs IST, Madhuri Kumar,TNN

Power punches are in; fear factor is out. Welcome to the new world order where girls are no longer willing to take things lying down. Instead, they troop down to the nearest patch of green to practise punches and kicks.

Martial arts - the art of self-defence - is fast gaining ground in the state capital and other district towns. Girls are learning judo, karate, taekwondo and other martial art forms to lead life with confidence and dignity.

They are learning a chin punch to stun an assaulter, a temple punch to knock consciousness out of a molester and a back elbow punch to silence a guy acting funny in a bus. They are determined not to let things pass but teach a lesson that eve-teasers and molesters will remember forever.

The martial arts classes are typically not competition-oriented. They focus on self-defence and traditional values of the art, training a person to deliver a kick or punch at the target with force, precision and speed.

"The physical application is not so much muscle power as it is breath control and reaction force," said second dan black belt Karate instructor Hari Om Kumar. His training academy is affiliated to the International Science Martial Arts Confederation.

Pataliputra Sports Club founder Ashok Kumar, a fourth degree dan in Taekwondo and a first-class national refree says, "While girls are coming to learn martial arts, the need is to create more awareness about the art among women as they feel uncertain about learning taekwondo. My students are mostly schoolgirls. But once they finish school, few continue."

Pataliputra Sports Club currently has 17 girls, all from schools like Notre Dame Academy and St Karen's High School.

The Martial Art Federation, founded by Sensei Zuber Ahmed, also has 10 girls among the 50 undergoing training at the institute.

Gautam Kumar, state chief of All Bihar Sei****ukai ****oryu Karate Do Association, says, "Over the years, an increasing number of girls, many from rural areas, have taken up Karate as a means to self-defence."

Sei****ukai, which has statewide branches, has 500 students. Half of them are girls. As the fee - ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 200 - is nominal, the classes attract girls from the not so well-to-do families as well.

There are several other organizations that impart judo and karate training. Among them are the Renshican ****oryu Karate Do Assocition near Tripolia Hospital, Shikokai ****oryu Karate Do Association at Digha and Lee Academy at Boring Road.

Most of these organizations are associated with the All India Karate Do Federation, which in turn is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association.

Several girls-only schools in Patna have appointed martial arts instructors to teach students the art of self-defence in schools itself.

As karate instructor Ritesh says, "Girls can use martial arts in day-to-day life. Self-defence is nothing but a quick reflex to protect yourself. You don't need to be an expert to deliver the first blow before the attacker does. All you need is confidence and presence of mind. Besides empowering girls to tackle unpleasant situations, training in martial arts also helps to improve their physical fitness."

HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh says, "In almost all government middle schools, there is provision for imparting training in judo, karate and cycling under National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL)."

One of the first myth that is broken in these martial art classes is that women do not have the strength to protect themselves. "If you are mentally fit and believe in yourself, you can take care of most situations," said Ashok Kumar, a self-defence trainer.

GeneChing

08-13-2008, 10:10 AM

Oh yeah. Here's what this thread is all about. Deepika (http://everyactress.blogspot.com/2008/07/deepika-padukone.html).

Deepika stuns with stunts in Chandni Chowk (http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14739332)...: Nikhil Advani
IANS | Wednesday, 13 August , 2008, 10:01

Deepika Padukone insisted on doing all the action scenes in Chandni Chowk To China herself and director Nikhil Advani says that the actress sailed through the tough stunts.

"There were some scenes that we thought to be too dangerous. But she insisted on doing away with the body double and also the wirings," said Advani, who has made films like Kal Ho Naa Ho and Salaam-e-Ishq.

"She's very athletic, it runs in her family. Then there was Akshay Kumar to inspire her. Akshay had done so much on-screen action. It was a novel experience for Deepika. And she sailed through the action. She worked really hard to get the posture and power in the action scenes. Those who've seen her in Om Shanti Om will be shocked," the director said.

The film has been inspired by the real-life story of Akshay who is currently riding on the success of Singh Is Kinng."The film's flavour comes from Akshay's real life. He's a boy from Chandni Chowk (in Old Delhi) who went to Bangkok as a cook. My writer Sridhar Raghavan wrote the role with Akshay's real-life story in mind. "The character's personality comes alive through Akshay. Thanks to him, we finished ahead of schedule."

Advani has shot the film in China and Thailand and says that it caters to children as well. "Chandni Chowk To China is a children's film. I don't think kids will try to attempt to climb the nearest wall to fight after watching the film, but we'll have lots of kids joining karate classes."

Before shooting his mirthful martial arts film, Advani sat down with his leading man Akshay and watched a number of karate flicks. "Before I started making this film, my interest in the martial arts was restricted to Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Lee and the Crouching Tigers of the world. But Akshay brought out the hidden dragon in me.

"He made me watch a lot of action scenes. Before we left for China he'd make me sit down every morning and make me watch one Kung Fu film and explain the subtexts. By the time we left to shoot I understood the martial arts much better."

The film's shooting is complete, but Advani doesn't want to hurry its release. "All the shooting is done. Finally, we Indians have invaded China. We were gone for 95 days. We shot for 89 days in Shanghai and in the interiors of China and lots of action sequences on top of the Great Wall of China.

"But the post-production is very complicated. The action sequences are like nothing we generally see. The action builds the plot and characters. We've shot it exactly the way we want. I don't want to rush the release. Akshay's superstardom isn't going away anywhere," the director said.

And here's something else that's relevant but not nearly as hot.
Kamal Haasan in Indo-Japanese film on martial arts! (http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/downsouth/tamil/20080812-0.html)
12th Aug 2008 13.45 IST
By ApunKaChoice

If things go as planned, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan will be seen rubbing his shoulders with a Japanese superstar in a film on martial arts.

To be produced and directed by Bharatbala, the movie will reportedly feature Japanese superstar Tadanobu Asano, who played a Samurai in Takeshi Kitano’s superb film ‘Zatoichi’, which was about a legendary blind swordsman.

The Bharatbala film will trace the roots of the martial arts, down to Kalarippayattu, the popular and age-old martial art form of Kerala.

The movie will reportedly be made in three languages – Tamil, Hindi and Japanese. The project is learnt to have a whopping 50-million dollar budget.

According to reports, the film will be co-produced by Walt Disney.

A R Rahman is already said to be finalized as the film’s music composer, while final negotiations are going on between Kamal and Bharatbala.

GeneChing

08-22-2008, 10:32 AM

suggestively holding his guitar neck... :rolleyes:
‘Martial arts is a bonus in acting’ (http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE420080821231615&Page=4&Title=Entertainment&Topic=0)
Thursday August 21 2008 23:16 IST

A Young star who is also a fourth degree taekwondo black belt. Well that’s not all to describe Arindam. He is also the heartthrob of countless young girls from not only Orissa but also Bengal.

Already 10 films old in Ollywood, he has two Bengali films to his credit. ‘Takkar’ has already been declared a success and ‘Tomar Jonho’ is set to follow. And guess what! He is known as Rishi in the Bengali industry and also aims to try Bollywood with his new name.

A product of S C B Medical Public School, Cuttack and then Ravenshaw and Christ College, he has had a brilliant career in sports. A National Level referee and a member of Sports Authority of India (SAI), Arindam has a Diploma in coaching from National Institute of Sports.

Infact, his sports background also helped him being noticed by director Hara Patnaik. Sadly, Arindam couldn’t work for that project. However, destiny had things in store for him. He was then offered a movie by Brajraj movies and made his debut with ‘Prema Rutu Asila Re’ two years back.

"I will always remain thankful to Tutu, Mantu and Basanta Naik for my first project. Seniors like Uttam Mohanty, Bijay Mohanty, Sidhhant have also helped in polishing my performances," says the modest actor. The support from his family has always been huge, he says, specially his father under whose guidance he learnt Taekwondo.

Though he had never planned to get into this profession, the actor is enjoying his work. "It just happened but I’m happy with the way things are shaping up. I find satisfaction from every aspect," states the youngster. He also adds that his martial arts knowledge helps a lot while acting. "It helps me fight back every time I’m down mentally," says Arindam. It also adds grace to the fights and dances, he asserts.

Already the winner of many awards including a State Award for his debut, his upcoming project ‘Tu Mo Girlfriend’ is set to release during Durga Puja. He is also doing 12 Bengali movies for Zee TV.

GeneChing

09-16-2008, 09:15 AM

The real motivation behind this thread was to watch a trend - the growing kung fu influence in Bollywood. Now it's a major sell point for new movies, similar to what we experience here in the post-Matrix (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=422) wave. All sorts of flicks advertised that their star went through a whopping 3 to 6 months of training to prepare for the role. :rolleyes: Remember Charlie's Angels (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=366)? What about Ultra (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=648)violet (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=649)?

Now Jackie Chan is filming in Bollywood, at least according to his disciple Jack Tu (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=784). That's the step we've all been expecting since The Myth (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=658).

Imran Khan’s martial arts avatar in Luck (http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2008/09/imran-khan-luck.html)
September 16th, 2008

Imran Khan in KidnapAfter Kidnap it is once again action time for Imran Khan in Soham Shah (Kaal) directed Luck. The young star is back from shooting Luck in Cape Town after a very long schedule.

According to our sources, “Imran has a lot of fighting sequences in the film and most of it includes martial arts. He was assigned a special trainer for the same before leaving for the long schedule of Luck. But as he got busy promoting Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na after it released to packed houses, he had little time on his hands to give it to his martial arts training sessions. Imran landed in Cape Town without proper training. But the makers had already arranged a special trainer for him on his arrival. So Imran spent a lot of hours daily practicing martial arts to bring perfection for his action steps. He also worked out a lot on his physique for his role in this particular film. It is learnt that the next schedule of Luck is going to take place in December but so fascinated has Imran been with his martial arts training that he wishes to continue with the same till the next schedule begins so that he is well prepared that time.”

Luck is Soham Shah’s second film post Kaal. It has Kamal Hassan’s daughter Shruti Hassan debuting opposite Imran. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty, Ravi Kissen and Danny Denzongpa in the main villain’s role. -(SAMPURN)
Imran Khan Adds Punch To Chocolate Cream Looks In 'Luck' (http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/53186.aspx)
Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 (EST)
Bollywood's newest and cutest heart throb, Imran Khan, returned last week from a 50 day grueling schedule in South Africa for his upcoming film 'Luck,' during which he floored baddies using martial arts with as much ease as he floors girls using his insanely good looks.

GeneChing

11-04-2008, 10:30 AM

Hold the phone... Gordon Liu? The Gordon Liu?!? Suddenly I'm very interested in this flick. This may need it's own thread.

Check the Deepika Padukone post three up from this one.

Click the link below for a trailer.

How Chandni Chowk To China beat Mission Impossible (http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/04rohan.htm)
Ayoti Mittra
November 04, 2008 14:54 IST

Rohan Sippy, director of Bluffmaster [Images], was given permission to shoot on The Great Wall of China for his Chandni Chowk To China [Images], something -- he claimed at a press meet in New York October 31 -- Mission Impossible was not allowed to do.

Sippy, the producer of Chandni Chowk To China, which stars Akshay Kumar [Images] and Deepika Padukone [Images] and is set to release in January 2009, said China was a learning experience for the cast and crew, especially because of the language barrier.

"There was a lot of lost in translation happening," said Sippy. "We had Chinese crew and Thai crew. So a lot of people from different places, and we had to make sure that everyone understood what was going on.

"We had Roger Yuan, who had to speak Hindi in the film," Sippy continued. "He had to learn the language without any knowledge of it. It was an amazing experience, translating the language, making him understand the expressions and focus on the acting."

Gordon Liu, another actor, did not speak English very well and needed an interpreter so that he could understand his part.

Sippy said that it is a hundred percent Indian film "picking up Akshay Kumar from the narrow alleys of Chandni Chowk [in Delhi [Images]] and putting him in the Great Wall and the landmarks of China. But the writing is very much of the same tradition that we grew up loving -- the movies of Manmohan Desai or what my dad [Ramesh Sippy] made with Mr [Amitabh] Bachchan in them. We tried to emulate the spirit of the fabulous entertainers of that era."

The red tape in China was another hurdle, he said. "Understanding the customs in China and the right way of doing things took up a lot of our time as well."

Asked how the collaboration with Warner Brothers happened on Chandni Chowk To China, Sippy said the Hollywood studio had been looking for an opportunity to work in Hindi films when he met them. With their presence in China it became easier for him to shoot Chandi Chowk To China with them.

The idea of integrating kung fu and martial arts could not have happened if the movie was not set in China, he added: "It would look strange in a Hindi film if it was not in China. The excuse to do kung fu was to make the film in China."

He said Akshay Kumar was an automatic choice for the role of Sidhu, the protagonist.

"[Scriptwriter] Shridhar [Raghavan] and I were so clear that he was the only choice for the part. I don't think we could have envisioned any other actor in the role. Akshay has breathed life into this role. People will feel sympathy when he is a fumbling Sidhu and will cheer when he beats up the bad guys. There are very few actors who can convince the audience to accept them as a simpleton and as a kung fu expert within the same movie," Sippy said.

He expects Warner Brothers to give the movie a wide release in the US. "I hope this movie receives some mainstream audience but the main target is the Indian audience here," he added.

He did his bachelor of arts from Stanford University.

"At Stanford I studied philosophy of statistics, philosophy of applied physics and all sorts of random subjects that have no practical application; but I am using every bit of it in all my movies," he said.

GeneChing

11-24-2008, 10:32 AM

Bollywood seems to be really moving towards more martial arts flicks now.
Oh My God – A film about Yoga and martial arts (http://sify.com/movies/fullstory.php?id=14804071)
By Moviebuzz | Monday, 24 November , 2008, 12:45

Oh My God is the new film launched on Sunday at Ramanaidu Studios, Hyderabad. Produced by Sethumadhavan and directed by Giridhar Gopal on White Lotus Films and Entertainment banner, the flick stars popular yoga master Kamal as hero. Heroine is Kriya, a model from Mumbai.

Movie Moghal Dr. D. Ramanaidu and Tollywood's octogenarian fame Akkineni Nageswara Rao graced the occasion and blessed the unit members. Famed comedian Ali switched on the camera. ANR clapped the muhurt shot. Stunts choreographer from Hollywood Lee Chi Git rendered the first shot direction.

Ali said: "Eighteen years ago, Kamal (hero of the film) went to Hong Kong and turned into a famed yoga guru there. Giridhar, after making his presence felt at all the vital departments in South Indian filmmaking, is making his debut as full-fledged director with this film. I am doing a vital role in this film."

Sethumadhavan (producer) said: "When director Giridhar narrated the story to me, I felt like watching the movie straight in the theatre. Such was the impact. I immediately took up the project and started producing it. I am honored to say that maestro Ilayaraja scores music for our film."

Director Giridhar said: "Hero Kamal himself is responsible for the origination of this script. The story had come out well in tune with the body language of Kamal. The story is set in the backdrop of Tirupati and Hyderabad. Kamal is going to act in a Hollywood film soon." Hero Kamal said: "Eighteen years ago I left Vizag and reached abroad stations and established several branches for teaching yoga. Very soon, I am going to act in a Hollywood film, starring alongside a popular hero. In this film, there is going to be a great importance to martial arts."

Balabadrapatruni Ramani penned the dialogues for the film. Sarath Babu plays a vital role. Screenplay is by Ayyappa P. Sharma. Vasu is the cinematographer.

GeneChing

01-08-2009, 10:39 AM

Another Indian starlet who practices martial arts. I wish that would catch on more outside of Asia.

Beware of Actress Bianca Desai ! (http://entertainment.oneindia.in/kannada/top-stories/2009/bianca-desai-taekwondo-martial-art-080109.html)

The lovely Bianca Desai (also spelt Biyaanka) is the newest Mumbai model to shine in Karnataka. Her debut film Rocky was released during Christmas and her second film Ghulama on New Year. Bianca has definitely caught the eye of Sandalwood filmmakers and is getting offers in plenty.

Not many people are aware of the fact that the actress has a strong personality underneath her vulnerable exterior. Bianca, whose parents reside in Sydney, has been living alone in Mumbai for the past eight years. Moreover, this dazzling beauty is trained in the Korean martial art form of Taekwondo. She decided to get trained in martial arts to protect herself, especially since she lives alone and travels a lot.

So people, don't get deceived by her lovely looks. A person who once tried to harass Bianca, got a good display of Taekwondo action from her! Hopefully, Bianca will soon get a chance to demonstrate her fighting skills in films too!

Bianca Desai guarding herself (http://www.musicindiaonline.com/n/i/kannada/2057/)
By MIO Team
Jan 06, 2009, 07:51

Bianca Desai NRI parents and brother stay in Sydney. Since the last eight years she has been living here alone. With her soft hearted roles she has won the hearts of the audience. Many are not aware that she is an expert in Taekwondo, the Korean martial art. She got trained in the martial art form after deciding to pursue careers in modelling and acting in India. It was an important take by her as she lives here alone and also travels a lot.

She recalls an incident in Mumbai where she was eve-teased. The person behind the act got a good dose of action from her. Other than that there has been no other opportunity to use her fighting skills.

Bianca’s two latest - 'Rocky,' and 'Gulama,' have hit the theatres and now she is busy shooting for 'Yogi.'

GeneChing

01-08-2009, 10:42 AM

Sankalpa - maybe Chandni Chowk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52608) will start a trend.
Bengali cinema’s first-ever film on martial arts (http://www.screenindia.com/news/bengali-cinemas-firstever-film-on-martial-arts/408249/)

Singhal Entertain- ment announced its new film Sankalpa at a press conference in Kolkata last fortnight. This is the first Bengali film on martial arts. Debutant director Bappai Sinha, a new director who appears to be an expert on martial arts, will direct the film. It is being produced by Sabita Singhal. The story follows several strands - martial arts, the class-status divide between friends who grew up together, the need for young women to train in martial arts for self-defence in a man’s world, the socio-psychological reasons behind affluent children going astray and so on. Mrinal Mukherjee, Bodhisattva Majumdar, Dr. Shankar Ghosh, Shyamal Dutta, Chumki Choudhury, Debika Mitra and Moushumi Saha form the cast but the romantic lead, to be played by newcomers, has not been finalised yet. “We will need a pair who know martial arts,” said the pony-tailed Sinha. Sankalpa is based on a story by

Dr. Shankar Ghosh who has also written the dialogues for the film. Shubhayu will write the musical score for lyrics authored by Gautam Susmit.

Akash, the son of a poor schoolmaster, grows up to be a champion of martial arts. His friend Neel, the only son of wealthy businessman Neelesh Roy, extracts a promise from his father before leaving for the city that he will become a master in martial arts. But Neel himself is sucked into a world of drugs, alcohol and bad company. Their childhood friend Piyali, now in love with Akash, has also mastered martial arts. Neel’s girlfriend Ranjana, the only daughter of wealthy promoter Rudraneel, joins a NGO to conduct a survey on how and why children of affluent families go astray in the city. The story goes on to explore whether these two gutsy ladies are able to win over the men in their lives, whether Neel is able to rise above his downfall and if Akash lives up to the promise he made to Neel many years ago. The theme sounds exciting but how cohesively this new director and a crop of mixed actors will put together the whole thing to make it an enjoyable action drama, only time will tell.

GeneChing

01-09-2009, 11:20 AM

...but trickle down from Bollywood perhaps, along with some social issues.
Forget Pepper Spray: Indian Women Use Martial Arts to Protect Themselves (http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/117524/forget_pepper_spray:_indian_women_use_martial_arts _to_protect_themselves/)
By Lesley D. Biswas, The Wip. Posted January 9, 2009.

According to a 2006 National Crime Records Bureau report, 18 women become victims of crime every hour in India. The number of women raped every day has risen to 53 -- a nearly 700 percent increase since 1971. India ranked fifth out of 84 countries studied by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in 2006, with 19,000 reported rapes per year. Even though this is far behind the United States, which stands at the top of the ladder with 95,000 reported rapes each year, we ought to treat every single case of rape as inhuman and saddening.

Some women’s groups in India say that fewer than 2 percent of women who have been sexually assaulted in India actually come forward to report the crime, largely because this could undermine a woman’s chances at marriage. These groups also assert that the conservative attitudes of Indian families and the public harassment the victim is put through during questioning in court to prove that she was raped often leads to further social ostracism. Many Indian women would rather suffer in silence than appeal for justice and see the culprit convicted.

Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) is an organization working for the improvement of laws related to violence against women. Lawyer and coordinator of HRLN’s Kolkata branch, Debashis Banerjee, says of the reluctance of victims to report this violence, “Although a majority of women experience some sort of sexual harassment in public places or at work, only a few speak up. Loss of job, social stigma and lack of family support are the main reasons why women remain mum. A lack of sexual harassment committees in the workplace make matters worse for working women who want to take up such matters but have no place to report sexual harassment. Now as more women have begun to step out for work, the situation is all the more grim.”

This cruel reality has spurred Indian women on: after all these years of subjection to social hierarchy, some women are finally stoking the fire within them and taking up self-defense training. Martial arts schools now teach women various techniques and strategies to combat sexual harassment. Yet while this personal decision to defend oneself would be considered an individual choice in many parts of the world, for Indian women it did not come easily.

Tired of facing regular harassment, Mrs. Swati Jhanwar decided to begin training in martial arts. Now a 2nd Degree Dan black belt in Karate and an instructor at a renowned Karate Do training center in Kolkata, she initially had a tough time convincing family members.

“When I decided to join Karate classes six years back, I found it difficult to convince my family about my purpose. They were skeptical and believed that martial arts were not for girls as it makes them lose their femininity. They’d rather lock girls indoors than allow them to learn how to tackle harassment in public places. It took lots of persuading for them to agree.”

Working women in urban metros like Kolkata and Mumbai are citing sexual assault as the main reason behind their decision to enroll at martial arts schools. Even teenage girls are becoming inspired to take up training in preparation for the expected tough times ahead.

Working women expose themselves to the most crimes against women happening in the country. Recent incidents like television journalist Saumaya Vishwanathan’s murder in south Delhi while she was returning from office after a night shift in October this year only reinforce the dangers women face.

Ours is a society where women are held responsible for every single crime committed against them and victimization, in terms of sexual harassment, is no exception. Women have grown up believing that it is their own fault when they are abused, be it through different forms of domestic violence or rape. When a woman is beaten by her husband if there is extra salt in the food, she imagines it to be her fault -- the same goes for incidences like Eve Teasing (sexual harassment) and molestation. Here, her liberal affluence is pointed out as the reason for her harassment. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time is another excuse offered against her. Another skewed justification is that she invites male attention by dressing provocatively. Notions like these are driven into a girl’s head right from the day she steps out of the house. When a woman complains, people scandalize her character instead of prosecuting the culprit, and so women simply accept the ugly situation.

Unfortunately, women have come to believe that there was no way around this reality. They have accepted this violence as “just another debt” for their decision to follow the unconventional path by stepping into the male domain -- the job market.

However some martial arts organizations have recognized this tragedy and have created special programs. They not only train women in self-defense, but also help spread awareness about the different forms of sexual harassment that women seldom seem to recognize.

When men deliberately brush against women in crowded buses and trains, most women don’t object. They are too scared, as men are considered more powerful than women, and they lack self-confidence in their own abilities to defend their self-respect and dignity. Martial arts training has a solution for this psychological block too.

“It’s not the physique that matters, but the confidence that makes all the difference,” says Shihan Premjit Sen, President of Karate Do Association of Bengal and Indian Sports Kick Boxing Association. He has been working over a decade through his training center in Kolkata to ensure that women empower themselves - not only to fight Eve Teasing and molestation, but to also regain her self-respect and confidence. He says, “Even a petite woman can overhaul a strong oppressor if the right technique is applied. The actual strength lies in the head. Psychology plays a very important part in a decisive situation and with simple techniques like punching in the nose or poking the eyes, a woman can release herself from her oppressor.”

In India, where we are yet to enact a stringent law guarding against sexual harassment at the workplace and in public transport, self-defense programs like these seem the only viable option left. Sexual attacks occur mostly on public transport like buses, trains and auto rickshaws where men pray on women from close proximity. Martial arts techniques of close combat like elbow jabs and chin punches are proving very effective in getting the offender to lay off. A temple punch is enough to knock a man unconscious. Here, women are taught to deliver kicks and punches with force and precision when it is most needed.

Dr. Komal V.S., Deputy Director for the Unarmed Commando Combat Academy (UCCA) in Mumbai says that the UCCA civil chapter specializes in training women in self-defense crash courses through various forms of martial arts.

“The prime concern of working women in Mumbai is their safety during commuting. Incidents of Eve Teasing, molestation and rape are rampant on local trains and buses - which is why a lot of women who return late at night are coming to us to learn self-defense,” says Dr Komal.

Shocking incidents like the rape and murder of two BPO employees in 2007 and 2005, both allegedly by the drivers of their pick up vehicles, remind us that women are still vulnerable, no matter how liberated they are. Fortunately corporate houses have awoken to the difficulties their female employees are experiencing and have begun to hold martial arts workshops for their benefit.

“Since working women do not get the time to take a full course in self-defense, we give them some easy tips that they can implement if in a dangerous situation. Women must be aware of what is happening around them. Men who approach women don’t expect them to retaliate. A sudden sharp jab or a punch can surprise the attacker and allow her sufficient time to escape,” says Shihan Premjit Sen who also regularly conducts workshops with corporate houses in Kolkata.

Women no longer rely on digging their teeth into the offender or throwing red chili powder in their eyes as often depicted in Bollywood Masala flicks. Simply being alert is the best self-defense. Shreeti Prasad, a teenager in Kolkata who is aware what dangers this city holds for girls says, “Practically everyday I got nudged and grabbed until one day I left some goons bleeding in the face thanks to the kicks and punches I have empowered myself with through a course in Karate.” Her face breaks into a satisfied grin as she recalls the lesson she taught those men.

Across India, Karate is empowering women to regain their dignity and take control of their own lives.

GeneChing

01-09-2009, 11:23 AM

Can you feel the Chandni Chowk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52608) buzz?

Now Nandana learns martial arts! (http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/09/jan/09-now-nandana-learns-martial-arts-010909.asp)
January 9, 2009 7:17:27 PM IST
Bollywood Trade News Network

Nandana Sen is in news once again! After having created ripples in RANG RASAIYA the actress has signed yet another interesting venture-A tips film with Vivek Oberoi being directed by Kukkee Gulati.

'My character in this film is in complete contrast to what I did in RANG RASAIYA. It was a challenge for me to take up Gulati's film.'

Describing her role Nandana said, 'I play an undercover cop in the film. And I really had to train myself for it. I had to learn Taekwondo and other forms of martial arts too. I learnt to shoot a real gun too. It was quite an experience!'

The role and the stunt scenes have changed Nandana's outlook completely. 'The physical action has changed my body language. Also earlier I used to fear being in crowded places. My stunt scenes have helped me over come that fear. Even pointing a gun at an adversary is such an aggressive job. The combat training really helped me come out of my shell. Now I feel less vulnerable in crowds.'

GeneChing

01-14-2009, 10:33 AM

I really enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire. I hope is sweeps the Oscars.
Slumdog’s Golden Glow (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090114/jsp/entertainment/story_10384971.jsp)

Dev Patel first appeared on our screens in the teen drama Skins. Now he is the lead in Danny Boyle’s new film, Slumdog Millionaire.

Inside one of the many suites at the Hospital, a private members’ club in London’s Covent Garden, is Dev Patel, the star of Danny Boyle’s latest film, Slumdog Millionaire. Dressed in smart-casual attire, he is the embodiment of childlike effusiveness. “I love this room,” he remarks, looking around at the floral wallpaper and velvet sofas as if he is sitting in the Queen of Sheba’s palace. An avalanche of superlatives tumbles out of his mouth during the interview. Working with Boyle was ‘Awesome!’ Filming in India, ‘Brilliant!’

Yet Patel has every right to such wide-eyed enthusiasm. At 18 years old he is starring in a film that looks likely to become Boyle’s most successful since Trainspotting (1996). A heartwarming picaresque set in Mumbai, it is based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup and adapted by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty). Patel plays Jamal, a slum child who becomes a national hero after he reaches the final question on India’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, only to be arrested by policemen who cannot accept that a boy from the slums might have imbibed such knowledge legitimately.

****ensian in its detail and sweeping narrative, the film is an exhilarating snapshot of India’s thriving, uncompromising 21st-century megalo*polis. Jamal and his brother, Salim (Madhur Mittal), orphaned after their mother dies in a religious uprising, meet a slum girl, Latika (Freida Pinto). The three get kidnapped by a ***in-like villain who maims his gang of children so they make more money when begging. They are separated when Jamal and Salim manage to escape, but Jamal never stops searching for Latika. Years later he finds her — married to a powerful Mumbai gangster, whom Salim is also working for: a situation Jamal does everything in his power (including appearing on the game show) to rectify. The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and closed the London Film Festival in October to widespread acclaim.

REAL ROOTS

Patel grew up in Harrow, north-west London, with his mother, a carer, his father, an IT consultant, and his sister, a business student. His parents are Hindus of Indian descent, but were born in Nairobi, Kenya. They both emigrated separately in their teens, and only met in London when it was arranged that they would marry.

Unlike most young actors, he has received no formal training. “I was hyper as a kid so my parents thought it might be good for me to try out for the school play.”

His first role was Sir Andrew Aguecheek in a production of Twelfth Night at Longfield Middle School. For years his biggest acting achievement was winning the Best Actor of the Year award at Longfield — “They gave me a little plaque” — until he responded to an ad in a free London newspaper. “One day my mum saw an ad for this new teen drama on E4 called Skins. It said no acting experience was necessary and to come down on this date. I was doing my GCSEs at the time so I was like, “Mum, I can’t go, I’ve got a science exam tomorrow. I’m not going to get on TV; they probably don’t even need a brown guy in this teen drama.” She was stubborn, though. She dragged me down to the National Youth Theatre, where the auditions were held, and made me do my revision on the Tube.” They called him back to a second audition, this time in Bristol where the series was filmed. “I was up against this dude who had been in Casualty. I was like, ‘God, I’m not going to get this — he’s from Casualty, I’m from school.’ And then I did, I got it.”

The group of sixth-form protagonists in Skins was made up of a mix of unknown quantities such as Patel, and seasoned child actors including About a Boy’s Nicholas Hoult. “Out of everyone, I was the youngest and the least experienced,” Patel says. “When I went on set for the first day of shooting I didn’t really know what to do. Sometimes I watch myself and think, ‘What was I doing?’”

The show grabbed headlines in 2007, putting parents on red alert for its too-close-for-comfort depiction of the nation’s teenagers as drug-taking sex-obsessives. “With Skins I was lucky,” Patel says, “because [his character] Anwar broke the mould. You don’t see a lot of Asians on TV, apart from that stereotypical family in EastEnders. He was having sex, doing drugs with everyone. He wasn’t just a good Asian kid at home eating chapattis.”

When Danny Boyle was struggling to find the right lead for Slumdog, Patel’s name was mentioned by his 17-year-old daughter, Caitlin, an avid Skins fan. “I had been looking at all these guys in Bollywood, where we had found the rest of the cast,” Boyle says. “There were some really good lads for the part, but they all had the wrong look for me. Bodybuilding is such a big thing for young men getting into the industry there. They have got to look like they can rip their shirts off and get under the waterfall in the Swiss Alps or wherever they are filming. I wanted a guy who didn’t look like a potential hero; I wanted him to earn that in the film.” Watching Skins, Boyle thought Patel was good. “He played a small part, but was funny and had good presence. I met him, and he was serious, committed. You could tell he wasn’t just a personality; there was an actor there.”

ON LOCATION

Patel travelled with Boyle and the crew to Mumbai to research his character on location the day after the wrap party for the last series of Skins. Joining him on the trip was his mother, Anita. “She is a lovely woman,” Boyle says. “But she was very worried about him coping in the business at 17.”

After a brief trip back to England, Patel returned to start filming proper. “In total I was in India for about five months.” Patel had visited India once before, for a family wedding in Gujarat when he was 10, but it wasn’t the happiest of introductions. “I got eaten to death by mosquitoes. I got bitten everywhere, even on my eyelids. And I got the runs. I remember, I was like, “I hate this place, I don’t ever want to come back.’” This time round, though, the trip felt like a homecoming. “I’m an Asian guy growing up in London so I see myself as British, but India is part of my culture. They were making the food that my gran makes. The real big chapattis, you know.”

To gain a deeper understanding of the city, Boyle urged Patel to read Suketu Mehta’s unparalleled account — part memoir, part travelogue — of modern Mumbai, Maximum City. “When you walk out of the airport you are hit by all these people, and this heat,” Patel says. “There’s this smell in Mumbai — Mehta calls it the smell of sweat and dreams. Hard work and people pursuing their dream.”

Much of the film was shot in Dharavi, the largest slum in India, as well as Juhu, another shantytown. Though Patel did not have any scenes in the slums (the younger Jamal and Salim, played by the local child actors Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail respectively, do the majority of scenes there), he visited them with the rest of the crew in order to research his part. “Before I went I thought that they were going to be depressing places, but I was proved wrong. There was a massive sense of community.”

EMBRACING ESCAPISM

Bollywood is the universal passion for slum dwellers. “Bollywood movies are in the blood of people in Mumbai,” Patel says. “They help them to escape the harsh realities of everyday life, watching heroes and heroines dancing up a mountain, madly in love. In Slumdog, we tried to embrace that feel of escapism.” Patel grew up around the films in London. “Whenever I used to go round to my grandma’s there was always a Bollywood film on TV, probably with Anil Kapoor in it. I used to love it as a kid, the big fight scenes.”

Kapoor plays the condescending host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Prem Kumar. “He’s brilliant,” Patel says. “He’s not just a superstar over there, he’s a megastar. The assistant directors on set couldn’t get the audience to be quiet. But as soon as Anil clapped his hands and said, ‘Come on guys’, they would all listen, like little kids listening to their idol.”

One of the biggest nods to Bollywood is the lavish dance sequence shot at Victoria Terminus train station, that closes the film. “That was hard. I don’t dance much, and to make things worse, I had just twisted my foot doing a scene. They had to cut my shoe open to get my foot to fit because it had really swelled up. But it’s all about selling it with your face, smiling, convincing everybody you are really enjoying it.”

Boyle believes Patel has a bright future. “He has great application. There’s a particular head nod from side to side in Mumbai. The wonderful thing about it is that it can mean yes, it can mean no and it can mean a hundred different things in between. As an actor, you have to be able to use that nod to convince anybody that you were born and brought up there, and he spent a lot of time perfecting it.”

Patel puts this disciplined attitude down to his study of the martial art, tae kwon do, for the past eight years; he has competed in the World Championships, and is a black belt. “It has kept me driven and motivated. When you win a gold you have that small taste of success — it means you have achieved something. You worked hard and it paid off.” He pauses momentarily. “I want to be successful. This film has been a great start. I feel blessed.”

GeneChing

02-05-2009, 10:30 AM

Remember when it was sort of fashionable for Hollywood hotties to train a little martial arts for the role? (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=364) That's another thing I like about Bollywood. Look at this thread. Bollywood babes are more serious about practice. They keep plugging at it, which is all we ask.

Asin learns martial art for international project (http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=a7563342-62cc-4a81-9e34-76d937f2482f&ParentID=3a527ae3-c1c6-409d-9b03-72550dc9277c&MatchID1=4922&TeamID1=4&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1244&PrimaryID=4922&Headline=Asin+learns+martial+art+for+international +project)
New Delhi, February 05, 2009
First Published: 07:00 IST(6/2/2009)

After Priyanka Chopra, it's Asin's turn to go on action mode. The actress is learning an ancient form of martial art Kalaripayattu for an international project opposite Kamal Haasan called 19th Step.

This is Asin's second film with Kamal Haasan after Dasavatharam. The film also stars Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano in the lead.

According to sources, Asin will play the role of a warrior princess and the role required her to learn this particular form of martial arts.

The budget of the film is 50 million US dollars and it is based on the theme of the origin of Martial Arts in Kerala.

"Asin and Kamal Haasan play an important role in safeguarding these Martial Arts of Kerala while Japanese actor Asano plays a blood thirsty Samurai Kenji seeking to conquer the ancient Indian Martial Arts forms of Kalaripayattu (ancestor of Karate). He learns the tough 18 steps and masters the 19th step from an Indian guru played by Kamal Haasan while Asin will play a local princess", says the source about the storyline of the film.

19th Step will be directed by Bharath Bala and would be a co-venture by Bharath Bala Productions and Walt Disney. The film will be released in three languages: English, Japanese and Tamil. The shooting of the film will begin in the last week of June 2009 after Kamal Haasan wraps up Marmayogi and once Asin masters the art. The movie will be shot in Kerala.

There's a pic of Asin in this one.

Asin learning martial arts for 19th Step (http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2009/asin-19th-step-050209.html)
Thursday, February 5, 2009, 14:23 [IST]

After the stupendous success of Ghajini, Asin is busy learning the ancient form of martial art Kalaripayattu. The Ghajini starlet has signed an international project opposite Kamal Hassan called 19th Step. This is her second film with him after Dasavatharam. The film also stars Japanse star Tadanobu Asano in the lead.

Sources close to Asin revealed, "Asin will be portraying the role of a warrior princess and hence has been trained in the ancient art. A local instructor trains her everyday. This film will be her biggest project till date, as the budget of the film is 50 million US dollars and it is based on the theme of the origin of Martial Arts in Kerala. Asin and Kamal Hassan play important role in safeguarding these Martial Arts of Kerala while Japanese actor Asano plays a blood thirsty Samurai Kenji seeking to conquer the ancient Indian Martial Arts forms of Kalaripayattu (ancestor of Karate). He learns the tough 18 steps and masters the 19th step from an Indian guru played by Kamal Hassan while Asin will play a local princess."

Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form which originated in Kerala, India, was taken across the Himalayas by the Buddhist monk Bodhi Dharma to China, giving birth to Chinese Kung Fu. Kalaripayattu in its current form is 1,500 years old.

The movie will be directed by Bharath Bala and produced by Bharath Bala Productions and Walt Disney. It will be released in three languages: English, Japanese and Tamil. The shooting of the film will begin in the last week of June 2009 after Kamal Hassan wraps up Marmayogi and once Asin masters the art. It will be shot in Kerala.

Meanwhile Asin is busy wrapping up her shoot of Vipul Shah's London
Dreams with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan before beginning her shoot on 19th Step.

Or you can just check out an Asin website (http://www.asinonline.com/).

GeneChing

02-12-2009, 11:41 AM

Ravishing yoga teacher turned actress - here's a fan site for pics (http://www.anushkaweb.com/).
Anushka plays a martial arts expert now (http://www.chitramala.com/news/anushka-plays-a-martial-arts-expert-now-110237.html)
Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 12:33 pm

The ravishing yoga teacher turned actress Anushka made a big splash with her bewitching performance in the film Arundathi. The film is a sensational hit and it is drawing full houses even in its fourth week of its release.

Anushka is now the most sought after actress. She is now acting in the film titled Billa. Prabhas is the hero. The film will portray Anushka in an entirely different role.

Anushka will be seen as a martial arts expert who sets out to take revenge on the perpetrators of crime.

Anushka being a trained yoga teacher, found it rather easy to train for the right poses and kicks as a martial arts expert.

Billa is a remake of a Tamil film. Anushka is expected to a bikini act in the film, similar to what Nayanatara did in the Tamil version.

GeneChing

02-16-2009, 10:46 AM

More on Anushka...
Anushka’s martial art training for 'Billa' (http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/article/45021.html)
IndiaGlitz [Friday, February 13, 2009]

‘Billa’, the stylish, extravagant movie of this year is fast shaping up in earnest. Starring Prabhas, Anushka in the lead cast, Meher Ramesh is directing the film. Senior star Krishnam Raju enacts the prominent role of a senior police officer while Namitha is also a part of the cast.

Anushka after ‘Arundhathi’ is taking up the serious role of a vengeance ridden girl in ‘Billa’. Even though the script demands more scope for glamour, she is also keen to leave her mark intact. At present, she is undergoing a rigorous training to master the martial arts of China. Our Indian Michelle Yeoh might be the rare heroine to learn fighting besides male actors.

Filled with exuberant joy of ‘Arundhathi’ success, Anushka says, ‘I look stylish in the film. My costumes are unique and riveting’.

For now, she is a popular star in Tollywood and yet to make it big in Tamil cinema. With Shriya becoming a mass heroine in Tamil, Anushka is not far behind as ‘Arundhathi’ gets dubbed in the languages shortly.

yutyeesam

02-16-2009, 12:06 PM

I really enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire. I hope is sweeps the Oscars.

Same here. Although in India, it got mixed reviews. It's controversial because the sentiment is, whenever non-Indians make a movie about India, they always emphasize the poverty.

My feeling is that it needs to be shown, b/c Indian cinema (read Bollywood) hardly every show it....by nature of it's existence, Bollywood is designed to produce more escapist entertainment.

yutyeesam

02-16-2009, 12:09 PM

More on Anushka...

Here's the confusing thing:
Tollywood refers to two different film industries in India.

So there is the Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, movies made in Telugu language, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, but also the Cinema of West Bengal in the state of West Bengal in Tollygunge, South Kolkata, India.

The Andhra Pradesh Tollywood is probably more well known. Kolkata is more known for music than film.

yutyeesam

02-23-2009, 06:50 PM

8 Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire! Jai Ho!

I hope this has a positive impact for Indians/India in films in the west.

GeneChing

02-26-2009, 11:28 AM

Have you heard the Jai Ho remix by *****cat Dolls (http://www.myspace.com/*****catdolls)? ;)

BTW, if Frieda Pinto wants to join the Bollywood-starlet-trains-martial-arts trend (one of the greatest trends EVER!) I will come out of retirement and start teaching again, just for her.

Shaolinlueb

02-26-2009, 01:23 PM

have you seen the best bollywood dance scene ever?

http://www.*******world.com/videos/1581767/210477
jack@ass is the ******** word with an a instead of @

GeneChing

02-27-2009, 12:13 PM

...once it's comes out on the web.

**** text filter even broke my link above.

http://www.myspace.com/*****catdolls

pus@sy is the ***** word with an a instead of @

doug maverick

02-27-2009, 12:16 PM

yutyeesam

03-02-2009, 01:15 AM

idk if slumdog millionaire can count as an exact bollywood movie. although it was made in india it was missing those key elements that make a bollywood film a bollywood film. well except the absolute end then it turns totally bollywood. loved the film all and all thou.

And to that end, it kind of informs what the impact will be of Bollywood on Hollywood:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/23/bollywood.hollywood/index.html

GeneChing

03-03-2009, 10:14 AM

...It's very similar to CTHD (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=327). In China, CTHD was rejected. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh had such thick Cantonese accents that it spoiled the feeling of the film for most Mandarin speakers. It was like watching Shakespeare done with cowboy accents. American audiences weren't sensitive to that. They just saw it as a Hong Kong cinema, even though it really wasn't such in the purest of definitions. You can split hairs about what is Bollywood (and Tollywood, and shouldn't it be Mollywood anyway now?) but Slumdog will be perceived as Hollywood.

OK, end of Slumdog Bollywood rant. On to another Bollywood martial arts starlet, which is really what this thread is all about. ;)
Asin to master martial arts (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Asin-to-master-martial-arts/articleshow/4216624.cms)
3 Mar 2009, 1207 hrs IST, SUBHASH K JHA

Asin will soon go back to Kerala, just where she came to Bollywood from. But this Best Debutant Actress’ fans needn’t worry at all, for she’s visiting Kerala to learn the art of Kalaripayattu. Asin is all set to share screen space with Japanese star Tadanobu Asano in a cross-culture romance and wants to ensure that she’s well-prepared for it. A Bharat Bala direction, 19th Step will require Asin to engage in martial arts and dance. Says Asin, “I needed to learn Kalaripayattu, the Keralian form of martial arts. Kalaripayattu is considered as the mother of all martial arts.”

Her training is set to begin from April. Glad at the idea of visiting her home-state, Asin says, “I’ll have a group of traditional Kalaripayattu gurus to teach me the ancient art form.” The Indo-Japanese romance will be a Japanese and a Tamil film, and will later be dubbed in Hindi. Telling us about the film, Asin says, “Contrary to rumours, I don’t play a Japanese... I play a traditional Indian girl.”

But isn’t she worried that after a successful Hindi debut, going back to Tamil films is like digging her own grave in Bollywood? Says a defiant Asin, “I’m really not worried about not being seen often in Bollywood. Just because my Hindi film did well doesn’t mean I do only Hindi films. I liked this particular Tamil film, and so I’m doing it. And I must tell you, this Tamil project has been in the pipeline for three years, since I was busy with the Tamil version of Ghajini. Now, Walt Disney is producing the film and we start later this year.”
Be sure to click the link to Asin's pics if you don't know who she is...:)

sanjuro_ronin

03-03-2009, 10:31 AM

yutyeesam

03-04-2009, 01:07 AM

Yeah, buddy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DVcaO5y3Vk

Shaolinlueb

03-04-2009, 09:44 AM

gene

you havent seen shakespear until you have seen it done on the plantation with souther accents.

sll

GeneChing

03-04-2009, 10:38 AM

19th Step is sounding better than CC2C (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52608).

Nice post yutyeesam. Nice to have you back in the game. Let's see *****cat Dolls do a vid for that theme song!

SLL: you crazy.

Asin learns martial arts for bilingual film (http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/downsouth/tamil/asin-learns-martial-arts-for-bilingual-film.html)
By ApunKaChoice
Wed, Mar 04, 2009 12:30 IST

Asin Feisty Asin is set to show her spunky side in an upcoming bilingual film.

In the Indo-Japanese joint production called ‘19th Step’, Asin gets to work with Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan and Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano. Contrary to rumours, Asin won’t play a Japanese girl, but a traditional Indian girl in the film.

And she would soon leave for Kerala to learn the ancient martial art form of Kalaripayattu.

The Ghajini girl, who hails from Kerala, will train under traditional Kalaripayattu gurus to learn the fine points of the martial art.

To be made by Bharat Bala, ‘19th Step’ is a cross-culture romance between a Japanese man and an Indian girl. It will be made in Tamil and Japanese. Produced by Walt Disney, the movie will roll later this year.

Kalaripayattu:
One of the ancient martial arts of the world, Kalaripayattu originated in Kerala and is practiced mostly in South India. It involves choreographed martial arts sequences, kicks, grappling, and use of weapons.

GeneChing

03-10-2009, 09:20 AM

Asin + Kalarippayattu + Tadanobu Asano + Disney
Asin to learn martial arts for new film (http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=277688&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22)

By Ashraf Padanna
Thiruvananthapuram: Asin is back in Kerala, her home state, and will soon be busy with Bharath Bala’s multi-lingual The 19th Steps to be shot here later this year.
She has already started preparations and will be back in Kerala later this month to learn the tricky steps of Kalarippayattu, the state’s traditional martial art that is considered a male bastion.
Kamal Haasan plays an important role in the film, which also has popular Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano.
Asin is ecstatic about the project.
“The film is being produced by Walt Disney and a good portion will be shot in Kerala,” the Kochi girl told reporters here.
“This is going to be made in Tamil, Japanese and English and shooting will start in the second half of this year. For this I need to learn martial arts because the storyline demands it.”
In the film, written by M T Vasudevan Nair, the veteran Malayalam scriptwriter and Jnanpit winner, a Samurai warrior tries to master Kalaripayattu; Kamal Haasan plays the role of an Indian martial arts guru.
Malayalam superstar Mammootty learnt all the 18 steps of Kalarippayattu for Nair’s Oru Vadakkan Veera Gadha and went on to win the national award for the best actor 20 years back.
The new film deals with the mystical 19th step.
Asin made her debut in Malayalam film Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka in 2001 when she was just 15 years old. Since then she has acted in both Tamil and Telugu films. She won awards and tasted success in Bollywood with her first Hindi film Ghajini.
Now living in Mumbai, she says she is selective about roles.
“I got a few offers from Malayalam but somehow it didn’t work,” she said.
“I’ll act again in Malayalam if good proposals come my way. Remuneration would not be a problem.”

yutyeesam

03-10-2009, 11:02 PM

With all the improvements in choreography and adding the realism element, it's a shame that these things lose their market value:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snJYagxgx5U

And some more Bollywood Femme Fatale action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um5xjK4Rtt8

yutyeesam

03-22-2009, 04:04 PM

LOL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2693sAc***

type in the letters f A g next to each other where the asterisks are.
High entertainment value! Almost looked like she was doing some sort of southern kung-fu fist!

Gene, got any info on the Malayalam film industry?

yutyeesam

03-22-2009, 04:10 PM

Oh, and in case you haven't seen it yet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrVlBrooxcM

P uss y cat dolls doing Jai Ho

GeneChing

05-27-2009, 09:40 AM

Must find out more about this Fearless Nadia...
Babes get fast and furious! (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bollywood/Babes-get-fast-and-furious/articleshow/4584022.cms)
28 May 2009, 0000 hrs IST, AAKANKSHA NAVAL SHETYE , TNN

The macho men of Bollywood have competition ahead, and it’s from our actresses who’re giving them a tough fight when it comes to doing action on screen.

The past year-and-a-half has seen a surge in B-town hotties foraying into the male bastion of action — to kick the myth of the docile heroine into oblivion. Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor and Shweta Bharadwaj have all already revealed their daredevil streaks. The genre is catching on with others donning the action-star mantle too in forthcoming films, even risking injury in the bargain, like Nandana Sen did while doing stunt sequences recently.

The year kickstarted with the hottie-on-heels Deepika Padukone indulging in some serious ass-kicking in Chandni Chowk to China. Now other actresses are taking the action to an altogether different level. Sample this: In Soham Shah’s Luck, newcomer Shruti Haasan has done her own stunts, including one where she is suspended mid-air from a height of 2,000 ft.

Another newcomer Aruna Shields will be seen ‘bike bungee jumping’ from one skyscraper to another for the Vivek Oberoi-starrer Prince. Akshay Kumar’s action mania seems to have finally rubbed off on his co-star Katrina Kaif, as she too has joined the action-babes’ bandwagon by performing a dangerous water-skiing stunt in Priyadarshan’s De Dana Dan; as has Lara Dutta, who shot for some high-octane action sequences in Anthony D’Souza’s underwater adventure film Blue. Koena Mitra and Tanushree Dutta will also be seen in butt-kicking avatars. Divya Dutta will do a boxing scene in Chaloo Movie, while Celina Jaitley jumped from a high rise in Run Bhola Run.

“Action is no more the forte of the heroes alone,” say trade pundits. One explains, “Unlike yesteryear heroines, nowadays the actresses are fitter, agile and not afraid to try something new. Exactly what the audiences want. Today the heroine is not just the love-interest, she is also the buddy!” Dia Mirza, who’s playing a femme fatale in Acid Factory, agrees, “They are now treated as near equals; though the hero still is the knight in shining armour, the lady’s definitely no damsel in distress.”

Action choreographer Alan Amin points out that it also largely has to do with the fact that performing such stunts are way much safer today than they ever were. “Technology has minimised the risk to a great extent, but still that cannot take away the credit from the actresses who are ready to take more risks. They are far more prepared and many are quite well-versed with kick-boxing and martial arts. Actresses today can carry off the most intricate stunts with practised ease.”
Says Soham, “The pre-requisite for any actress is not dancing or singing alone, but also martial arts, kick-boxing and such action-oriented stuff. Today’s women identify more with these types than with the docile ones.” Bipasha agrees.

“Women are capable of much more than singing, dancing and calling out to the heroes when in distress. Luckily, filmmakers have realised it and are giving actresses a chance to be something more than just a glamourous prop in the films,” says the sexy actress who’s action sequences in Race and Aa Dekhe Zaraa set pulses racing. Adds Lara, “The bars are being set higher with each passing film.” Priyanka and Aishwarya, who admitted that they find doing action both challenging and addictive, would undoubtedly agree. Yesteryear action queen Fearless Nadia must feel very proud!

GeneChing

05-29-2009, 09:47 AM

This works better if you check out some pics of Hamsa Nandini (http://www.bharatstudent.com/ng7uvideo/bs/gallery/normal/movies/tw/2009/feb/adhineta/adhineta_225.jpg).

Hamsa picks up martial arts

After Nayanthara and Anushka, it’s now the turn of Hamsa Nandini to learn martial

“I had to master all those kicks and punches,” she says. The actress
of Adinetha fame also mastered art of the ‘sword-fighting’ for her future roles. After learning the tricks of the trade, the actress desires to do more ‘action’ roles. The Pune-based actress is also learning Telugu for a longer stint in Tollywood. “I’ll sign a couple of Telugu films soon,” she signs off.

GeneChing

08-14-2009, 09:46 AM

More on Hamsa, including a pic of her in an odd pseudo-martial arts pose if you follow the link...
Hamsa takes up martial arts (http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/article/49038.html)
IndiaGlitz [Friday, August 14, 2009]

The tall and lanky beauty Hamsa Nandini has caught some attention with her movie “Adhineta”. She is slowly making her presence felt in the industry.

Now according to sources, the tall beauty is taking up martial arts. Sources claim that she has already learnt sword fighting. Meanwhile, the actress who hails from Pune is also learning Telugu. Well looks like she does not want to leave anything to chance and giving her best for her roles.

Even actresses Nayanthara and Anushka are said to have taken to martial arts and perhaps that is one reason for their perfect figures.

GeneChing

09-23-2009, 09:07 AM

But I'm not starting a Tollywood Kung Fu thread. This one here is obscure enough.

Click link if you want to see Ram's sansetsukon (http://www.martialartsmart.com/25-33.html).
Ram is all set for some 'Action' (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/news-interviews/Ram-is-all-set-for-some-Action/articleshow/5047167.cms)
B V S Prakash, TNN 24 September 2009, 12:00am IST

Guess who’s kicking some serious butt? Mana Tollywood heartthrob Ram. In his new film, the charming 23-year-old actor got to show off his newly acquired martial skills.

In fact, Ram claims that he even imported a Sansetsukon (a Chinese flail weapon) from the US to get his act right. “It’s the same kind of weapon used in 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” he says with a hint of pride in his voice. The actor practiced hard to get his movements right for the action sequences and insists that the shots would be “much appreciated by everyone in the audience.”

This is not the first time that the actor gets into the action mode. Ram says he has learnt “kung fu for two years before joining films. And the nun chak fight scene in my debut film Devadasu fetched me appreciation,” he informs.

While in Tollywood “action sequences don’t really need brute power and force,” Ram would like to do an “out-and-out action film, very soon.”

In fact Ram’s work life too has been fairly action-packed with the actor working on two films back-to-back. He felt he was “doing 200 films at a time” because he gets “involved in every aspect of filmmaking”. His busy schedule made his friends worried about his well-being. Now he’s looking forward to catching up with “friends” “family” and check out some new films.

GeneChing

09-28-2009, 10:09 AM

Kung-Fu for Rosa Catalano In China (http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=n092609111057)
- Planet Bollywood Special Correspondant
Rosa Catalano is fit and is becoming fitter as days are passing by. A kick-boxing freak past 4 years, a trained martial arts person, Rosa is now going to try her hands in the oldest and the best form of martial arts, Wushu Kung-Fu from Anan Henan in China.

“I have always been keen into learning martial arts and nothing beats Wushu Kung Fu, from the ancient Shaolin temple. I am really looking forward for this. Many think that martial art is only for self-defense, but according to me, it is a co-ordination between the mind and the body. It makes your body feel good”, explains Rosa Catalano who is also doing great action stuffs in Khatron Ke Khiladi.

It seems our own action Hero Akshay Kumar has really helped her motivation to ascend to great deals while doing the show.

With having a motivation for perfection in martial arts, there seems no barrier for this Italian girl who is also keen in kicking and showing some of her moves in action films. Are our action directors listening?

This works much better with an image.
http://i32.tinypic.com/2i9p1y8.jpg

GeneChing

09-29-2009, 09:17 AM

These Bollywood babes love to train a little for the publicity, which is alright by me. Gives me something to post here. This article is derivative of the previous post, but there's a pic of Rosa in a funky kung fu pose. You have to click it though because MSN has the image protected.

29/09/2009
Rosa Catalano to learn Wushu Kung-Fu (http://entertainment.in.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3253431)

Rosa Catalano combating fear on 'Khatron ke Khiladi level 2' seems to have taken a leaf out of anchor Akshay Kumar’s book.

A kick-boxing freak for the past four years and trained in martial arts, Rosa is now all rearing to leave for China to try her hands at one of the oldest forms of martial arts, Wushu Kung-Fu from Anan Henan.

"I have always been keen into learning martial arts and nothing beats Wushu Kung Fu, from the ancient Shaolin temple. I am really looking forward for this. Many think that martial art is only for self-defense, but according to me, it is a co-ordination between the mind and the body. It makes your body feel good", said Rosa Catalano.

With having a motivation for perfection in martial arts, there seems no barrier for this Italian girl who is also keen in kicking and showing some of her moves in action films. She sure would be a delight for all those producers who are planning sci-fi and action movies.

GeneChing

10-13-2009, 09:47 AM

There are more stories. Akshay is always big news in India.
Karate kid Akshay honoured (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Karate-kid-Akshay-honoured/articleshow/5112093.cms)
MEENA IYER , TNN 12 October 2009, 12:00am IST

The Bollywood superstar who goes by the nickname Khiladi Kumar is being honoured with a ‘Katana’ at a ceremony in Mumbai. The renowned Shihan Hirano Osamu, Grandmaster and founder of the Kuyukai International and Mehul Vora, the organiser of the first invitational National Open Karate Championship will honour Akshay with a ‘Katana’ and a sixth degree Black Belt in Kuyukai Gojuryu Karate.

Akki, who is a martial arts expert, is thrilled to be receiving the ‘Katana’, which is the highest honour amongst the Japanese and it is a tradition practiced among Samurai.

Says the superstar, “It’s a privilege to be receiving this honour. Karate is a part of my soul and to be honoured with something as precious as a ‘Katana’ is something I hadn’t even dreamt of.” Says a source from Kuyukai International, “Akshay has always portrayed martial arts in a good light. Many a times he has tried to incorporate martial stunts in his films as well, keeping the tradition alive.”

IndiaGlitz [Monday, October 12, 2009]

Hereon our Akshay Kumar might be adding a new title to his name. Katana Akshay Kumar. (http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/50721.html)

Ok coming to the news… our rough-tough actor was honoured with ‘Katana’, the highest honour within Japanese, and a sixth degree Black Belt in Kuyukai Gojuryu Karate, for his contribution towards martial arts, said sources. ‘Katana’ is said to be a Samurai tradition. The ceremony was held in Mumbai today. It was graced by Shihan Hirano Osamu, the famous Grandmaster and founder of the Kuyukai International and Mehul Vora, the organiser of the first invitational National Open Karate Championship.

Excited over this achievement, Akki gushed, “It’s a privilege to be receiving this honour. Karate is a part of my soul and to be honoured with something as precious as a ‘Katana’ is something I hadn’t even dreamt of.”

Whereas according to a source from the Kuyukai organisation said that Akki has always portrayed martial arts in a good light. “Many a times, he has tried to incorporate martial stunts in his films as well, keeping the tradition alive,” added the source.

Well done, Akki!!!

Akshay gets highest martial arts honour (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&issueid=110&id=66159&Itemid=1&sectionid=67)
Chandni Gandhi (Headlines Today)
Mumbai, October 13, 2009

Akshay Kumar is now Shiyan Akshay Kumar. A trained martial arts expert, the actor has been honoured with a Katana, the symbol of the highest honour in martial arts.

"This day has been a longstanding dream. Karate, along with my father, has made me what I am today. Goju Ryu karate has been the longest love of my life," said Akshay after receiving the honour.

Akshay has also been given a sixth-degree Black Belt in karate for his contribution towards martial arts. "I came into the film industry knowing only martial arts. Now I am doing as much as I can in return," he said.

Akshay wishes to start his own school of karate to encourage other forms of martial arts.

"I wanted to start my own school long ago but never got a decent site. I need about 3 or 4 acres for the project," he said.

sanjuro_ronin

10-13-2009, 10:07 AM

All I have to say is, BY GANEESH !!!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_792bHZiTE70/RnPlspQuxYI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/qRXTOrOKvAc/s1600/Amrit-Dhaliwal-18.jpg

GeneChing

10-16-2009, 01:54 PM

No risk, no fun (http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_no-risk-no-fun_1299368)
Prithwish Ganguly / DNA
Thursday, October 15, 2009 23:59 IST

Mumbai: Arjun Rampal and mrita Rao are enrolling themselves for Shaolin Kung Fu classes. However, it's ot for self-defence, but to pull off some high-risk stunts in a forthcoming film. The film titled The Legend Of Kunal is based on the relationship between Emperor Ashoka and his son. It stars Amitabh Bachchan in the lead.

A source says, "Arjun will have to undergo a rigorous training session as there are many fight sequences to be filmed on him. He will flaunt a bare torso and his abs in the film. And Shaolin Kung Fu will make him fit enough to challenge his physical abilities. Amrita, on the other hand, has already started training hard. She will also have many scenes in which she will have to pull off muscle flexing stunts. Apart from this, she is also taking lessons in horse-riding."

While Arjun chose to remain mum about the project, Amrita's spokesperson said, "Amrita's role demands much more than just looking glamourous. She does a lot of stunts. She is training with a Shaolin expert who has been in India for a few months. She trains for 3-4 hours a day. In fact she plans to take this up on a daily basis even after the movie is over as that would help her remain fit."

Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, the film will also have Tabu, who is paired opposite Bachchan.

Amrita Rao is on the October Maxim
http://sifyimg.edgesuite.net/static.sify.com/content/media/image/jkps7Jhjjdd.jpg

GeneChing

11-23-2009, 11:19 AM

We need an Akshay for kung fu in America...
Akshay Kumar foregoes fees for Karate show (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/akshay-kumar-foregoes-fees-for-karate-show/545078/)

In his endeavour to spread awareness about Karate and Martial Arts in general, Akshay Kumar has let go of at least a few lakhs for a TV show. A special 'making' segment has been created for the Karate Championship sponsored by him. However, the actor didn't talk commercials when the channel expressed its desire to air it.

Says a source attached to the channel Colors that would be airing the program titled 'Akshay Kumar Invitational Karate Event', "This is a very special event since Akshay Kumar is sponsoring a Karate Championship for the youngsters. The purpose is to enhance their talent, showcase their skills and represent their country. This is why he didn't even charge a penny for the program. He is not looking for any money here since he feels very strongly about the relevance of Martial Arts and wants all around awareness to be spread about it."

As the actor has always maintained, through this Championship he is looking at more and more youngsters in the country to come closer to Martial Arts. Just like in Singapore where learning Martial Arts is a must for everyone, he wants India too to wake up to this fact and become an expert in self defence.

Updated on Sunday, November 22, 2009, 14:12 IST
Spicezee Bureau (http://spicezee.zeenews.com/articles/story47030.htm)

Mumbai: Known for his daredevil stunts in B-town flicks, Akshay Kumar is famous for popularising Martial Arts in Bollywood. The star who is celebrated for carrying out his own stunts, was recently stunned when rumour mills hinted that the action star made huge moolah for a Martial Arts show that is currently running on an entertainment channel.

When enquired about the whole incident, while speaking to a news daily, a miffed Akshay retorted, “What packet, I didn’t do this commercially, I made no packet — why do people say that? In fact, it’s pay back time to Martial Arts for me.”

The actor minced no words when he credited his achievements to his parents and Martial Arts as, “Martial Arts is not about kicking ass only, it’s basically about developing self-confidence, mental balance, discipline and respect. I’m not saying do Karate only... you can do anything, take up Judo, follow Aikido, learn Jeet Kune Do, it’s all a good thing, I’m just trying to promote the martial arts as a way of life.”

The macho actor recently held a national level Martial Arts tournament in Mumbai and invited sportsmen from various countries as he added, “They came at my expense, I was their host, and the tournament threw up such surprises. Age does not matter in the Martial Arts, there were fighters from the age of six to 66, all actively participating. One eight-year-old boy who was deaf and dumb and is an orange belt, went on to win the silver medal.”

Incidentally, the same event is being shown on a TV channel to popularise Martial Arts in the country. Well, the star is vocal in persuading the Indian government to make Martial Arts as a compulsory subject in school like, “Between the first standard and tenth, school students must compulsorily do two years of Martial Arts in these nations.”

mawali

11-23-2009, 07:02 PM

All I have to say is, BY GANEESH !!!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_792bHZiTE70/RnPlspQuxYI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/qRXTOrOKvAc/s1600/Amrit-Dhaliwal-18.jpg

What does one add to say Mumbai!

GeneChing

12-03-2009, 10:43 AM

I haven't seen any Bollywood since CC2C (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=800).
Salman Khan learns sword fighting from Pindaris for VEER!! (http://www.magnamags.com/index.php/200912035336/stardust/scoop-of-the-day/salman-khan-learns-sword-fighting-from-pindaris-for-veer.html)
[03 Dec 2009]

Salman Khan, the macho man of bollywood who plays the part of a Pindari warrior in Anil Sharma’s upcoming flick ‘Veer’, learned sword fighting from the original descendants of the community to inject a sense of realism in his dream project.

Salman Khan, who has become fond of Aamir Khan, seems to have imbibed his habit of going to any length to perfectly enact the character and this was amply displayed in sword fighting practice for ‘Veer’. In fact, Salman Khan told his action director to search for the original Pindari people, so that he could learn from them their specialized technique of fighting from a horseback.

Finally, a few families of the almost extinct clan were located in their old areas and brought to train macho Khan. Salman Khan is said to have closely observed their body language and mannerism while on the horse back before enacting the character himself in the film.

Sources close to Salman Khan say that though he had written the script of the flick a long time ago, but the research about Pindari clan began only after the film went on the floors. Salman Khan’s action director Tinu Verma was a great help in this regard, as it was he who did the major part of research on the Pindari warfare, and then directed Salman in accordance with that.

Salman Khan plays a Pindari warrior in year 1875, when India was being ruled by British royalty. The Pindaris had been a great warrior clan, who supported Marathas in their fight against the Mughal dynasty, and in return were allowed to plunder the conquered territories.

But when British took over Delhi from Mughals, the Pindaris came directly in conflict with these foreign rulers. Salman Khan’s character is fighting British during this period. It is during this period that Lord Hastings had struck a death blow on Pindari prestige and killed almost thirty thousand of them.

Miss UK Lisa Lazarus will also play an important role in the flick opposite Salman Khan to give it an authentic British era look on the celluloid. Salman, as a Pindari warrior, will also fight a lion to save the British girl in distress in the jungles.

A newbie Zarine Khan, who is said to be Katrina Kaif’s look alike, plays the main lead opposite Salman Khan. Salman Khan had spotted Zarine on the sets of Subhash Ghai’s ‘Yuvvraaj’ and immediately cast her after Katrina Kaif cited date problems in accepting the flick.

‘Veer’ is complete and will see the light of the day in early part of next year.