Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubatti, Lakshmi Manchu, Abhimanyu Singh, Vijay Raaz, Anjana Sukhani, Madhu Shalini and Nathalia Kaur

Story, Screenplay, Dialogue: Nilesh Girkar
Music: Bappi Lahiri, Dharam-Sandeep, Vikram Magi
Producer: Siddhant Oberoi, Amit Sharma
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Rating: *

We all know Ram Gopal Verma’s penchant for Underworld and Horror films but Department is his one special experiment where he, inadvertently, amalgamates the two. He makes a hard hitting (on your nerves) Underworld flick that turn out to be a horror viewing. I bet, even a ‘cruciatus curse’ won’t to hurt you that much.

Of course, he is renowned for his quirky camera angles but mounting it on the tea cups, under the charpoy and worse… over a carrom striker, what was that?

And what’s with two and a half hour of spasmodic shoot. I hear that 28 students of FX School, Mumbai, have shot, edited, and given the visual effects for Department- indeed making it a shaking experience for all us, the star-crossed audience.

Songs are incomprehensible, background score never ceases for a moment and Ramu’s ‘Cheeni’ girl Nathalia Kaur seems to have no idea what she is gyrating to. It’s just all 150 minutes of cacophony replete with gunshots, hackneyed dialogues and poor cinematic skills.

In case, you are still interested in the plot, here it goes. Shiv Narayan (Rana Duggabati) is an honest cop who is torn between his duty and justice. He is beckoned by another gun-toting cop Mahadev Bhosle (Sanjay Dutt) to a ‘Department’ which will be above the law and deliver instant justice.

Together they take on Sawatya (Vijay Raaz), a semi clad Mumbai don and his henchman D.K. (Abhimanyu Singh) and his moll Madhu Shalini. But dang! Mahadev is also on the payrolls of Muhammad Ghauri, a non resident don based in, where else, but the gulf.

Sarje Rao (Amitabh Bachchan), a gangster-turned-politician and a cunning wolf breaks this news to Shiv Narayan. And cop buddies turn foes.

After several bouts of camera convulsions, oodles of overacting and cheesy wisecracks, the two confront each other in a fatal battle bringing respite to the poor audience stuck in the movie theatres.

About the performances? They all overact in this weak script – be it brooding cop, cunning cop, the loving wife, the innocent wife, the don, his boss, his henchman or his moll.

While you are in there, cursing yourself for being there in the first place, you realise Ram Gopal Verma is turning out to be a serial offender of Hindi Cinema. The angst and creative genius is long gone and what remains is the poor joke of his once raw energy.

I don’t want to be bringer of bad news RGV but the bitter truth is your film fails in each and every DEPARTMENT.

PS: Whenever you understand the difference between illegally legal and legally illegal, do enlighten us too.

Here’s a peek into Shahid Kapoor‘s extensive workout regime and strict diet that helped sculpt his body for three distinct looks in ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’

In Kunal Kohli’s next, Shahid Kapoor plays three different characters from different eras. His trainer Abbas Ali chalked out an exercise regime and strict diet plan for the actor to look his parts. Read more…

1910: The beefy look

Since people from that era were active and did everything manually, their physique was bulky. So, the duo worked on strength conditioning, which included doing heavy weights four times a week with very little or no cardio. Post workout, Shahid would have an energy drink

Food: Sasha’s diet would consist of high carbs like rotis, sweet potato, brown rice, oats, multi grain breads and pulses.

1960: Average built

Shahid continued with his basic regular training. For this part of the film, the actor is required to wear loose fitting shirts and baggy pants.

Food: He was on a simple diet of dal, sabzi and roti.

2012: The lean look

Shahid sports a casual, unassuming look. His workout comprised three to five kilometers jogs, once or twice a day. Also we would do functional training, which included free weights like pull ups, push-ups, skipping jumping, hopping, etc.

Food: His workout was so intense that Shahid was allowed to eat whatever he wanted, ranging from pizza to pasta, but in small portions.

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

It’s hot and looks like Bips decided to raise the mercury a bit higher with her peek-a-boo.

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

But before excusing herself, she was kind enough to share some byte related to this year’s IIFA at Singapore. Being nominated in the debutante category, she sounded pretty excited about it.

On being asked whether she’ll be performing on stage, Parineeti diplomatically declined to confirm.

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

“Shooting a love scene for ‘Jism 2′. Nothing erotic about filming erotica. It’s as mundane or fascinating as watching paint dry. Take your pick,” tweeted the actress-turned-filmmaker.

“Jism 2″, a sequel to 2003 film “Jism”, was first shot in Delhi and Mumbai. The cast and crew are in Sri Lanka to can the last lap of shooting. The triangular love story also features Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh.

Dream to be a princess
Every girl, at some point in time dreams of being a princess. Even I have done that. And I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such nice friends and a supportive family. They make me feel like a real-life princess all the time!

Being beautiful
Beauty for me does not mean just faces because that’s very subjective. I believe that a person who has a good heart is beautiful and that’s what attracts me to them.

The way you look has a lot to do with how you feel from within. Being calm inside and happy with your work naturally brings a smile on your face.

Pamper me
Though I was never a pampered child, I have been blessed with a really caring family, who appreciate me. I pamper myself with food at times. These days I am helping myself to some yummy mangoes. Apart from that, I also love oriental food a lot and I can totally live on it 24×7.

A royal wedding
Whenever I plan to get married, I would want my wedding to be in a haveli in a royal Indian style.

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

Close on the heels of that uproar in her conservative Muslim home country, a Paris-based Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, has allegedly been banned from returning to her homeland after posing nude for a French magazine.

The Telegraph from Britain has reported that Iranian government officials have informed the 29-year-old Golshifteh that she is no longer welcome in Iran after posing naked for Madame Le Figaro magazine, an act perceived to be anti-Islam.

Golshifteh told the Telegraph that the Iranian government has sent a communication telling her not to travel back to her homeland.

“I was told by a Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guide official that Iran does not need any actors or artists. You may offer your artistic services somewhere else”, Farahani said.

“The idea that a woman can demand her freedom of expression through a shock of nudity is not new to the world, but continues to spark the ire of both conservatives and liberals alike.

Terming it anti-Islam, blasphemy or issuing fatwas could be far from the solution,” says Bollywood PR guru Dale Bhagwagar, who has also been credited for Veena Malik’s entry into the Indian entertainment industry through Bigg Boss, following a controversy with his then PR client Neetu Chandra.

In the recent past, Golshifteh has appeared topless in a short black-and-white film Corps et Âmes, meaning Bodies and Souls.

She also starred along with Leonardo Di Caprio in the Hollywood film Body of Lies, as a nurse who helps an injured American secret agent to recover and carry out his mission in a Muslim country.

Farahani moved to France after being criticized in 2008 for failing to wear a veil at an Academy Awards ceremony. Recently, she also sparked controversy by posting a bare-chested photo of herself on her Facebook page.

However, that hasn’t deterred the leggy lass from joining the Chennai team of the celebrity cricket league as their brand ambassador. The lady, who finds Australian cricketer Shane Watson “Chikna, chocolate-faced and everything a girl would want to see on a cricket field”, talks to CS about cricket and cricketers:

Cricket crazy
I must confess that cricket never interested me when I was kid nor in my teens. My dad used to watch the boring five-day long Test matches which seemed to go on and on.

But the IPL got me hooked onto cricket with its 20-20 game format, glamour and high drama. It’s one tournament I follow religiously. The kind of hype cricket generates in India is enough to attract women.

I guess ladies love the excitement that surrounds a cricketer, which is why you see many glamorous and beautiful women getting attracted to players. It is also about power.

A scary toss to win
I find the thought of dating a cricketer a little intimidating. Trust me, there’s more drama in a player’s life than in a film star’s. It is sometimes scary.

I don’t think I would enjoy the extreme excitement and constant scrutiny that follows a cricketer- actress relationship. But then, you never know. I might just fall for someone someday (smiles). A few cricketers are on my Blackberry and send friendly messages to me.

But I am not going to disclose any names because it doesn’t take even a proper chingari (spark) to kick off the rumour mills (laughs out loud). But there are some similarities in an actor and cricketer’s life. We’re both as good as our last match/film.

I remember how everyone wrote off Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) in 2010, but post the World Cup win, he was once again the heartthrob of the nation. Fame is indeed fickle!

Boys will be boys
The post-match parties are great fun. With so much testosterone packed in one room, there is bound to be some tempers fraying and flirting as well (laughs). Cricket, even if it’s a galli (lane) match between two teams, is serious business.

Our Chennai boys are very passionate about the game. We have a solid captain in Vishal and the rest of the team is also good. In fact, the final of the last league between Chennai and Karnataka was as intense as an India-Pakistan match.

As far as the current India-Australia series is concerned, I am as upset as any other Indian fan. I think that Dhoni and his boys ought to buck up and focus on their game.

They’re hot!
I am a big fan of Yuvraj Singh. He has great flair and plays from his heart. Shane Watson is another favourite. He’s extremely sweet, courteous and gracious as a person.

And a handsome bloke too! I had the chance to see Chris Gayle in action last year, and those blitzkrieg sixes were a treat for me. Virat Kohli has a lot of style and attitude too, both on and off the field.

Lastly, Kumar Sangakkara is one of the few remaining gentlemen to play the gentleman’s game.

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com