Thursday 22 March 2012

Friday Release: Spy thriller 'Agent Vinod'


Mumbai: On the eve of release of the spy thriller 'Agent Vinod', director Sriram Raghavan says that the audience will be 'surprised' to see the other side of real life couple Saif Ail Khan and Kareena Kapoor on the screen.
Since the time they started dating, Saif and Kareena have acted together in two films, namely 'Tashan' and 'Kurbaan', however, both the movies failed to click with the audience.
"For us that was (pairing Saif and Kareena) something we were conscious of....But it did not scare me...I took it as a challenge. Here he (Saif) is playing a spy, don't know much about him, his past, what he would do next, while Kareena plays a mysterious girl who Saif encounters in Morocco. I am not making a love story with them, I am making a plot driven film," Raghavan told PTI in an interview.
In pics: The Saif Ali Khan you have forgotten

The Saif and Kareena-starrer spy thriller is scheduled to hit the screens tomorrow.
"Probably, viewers would expect something...I hope we kind of a defy that and so they would be like surprised seeing a different kind of a relationship that they have seen (between the two). Even the audience would forget that they are a real life couple. They would be seen in a different way..," he said.
The director said it was Saif's idea to cast Kareena opposite him in 'Agent Vinod'.
"Saif and I thought of coming together with a spy movie as we both liked the old 'Agent Vinod'. The fact that Saif has his own production house and Kareena as his friend and also that she was not cast in 'Love Aaj Kal' so Saif asked is there a role for her, so I told him let me finish the script first," Raghavan said.
"I did not want to give Kareena a role just like that, I wanted to give her a good role as she is a fantastic actress. So if they are real life couple or not I don't care as long as I get two good actors in my film. My only worry was that she might say is the role good enough for me, but she was happy with the role," Raghavan said.
His earlier two movies, 'Ek Hasina Thi' and 'Johnny Gadar'--both thrillers--did not have much of song and dance, unlike 'Agent Vinod' which has an item number, a Mujra and a few other songs.
"The earlier movies were small and I had then thought that I don't need to incept song and dance, but 'Agent Vinod' is a big adventurous film. I am still to get over my inhibition of getting my hero suddenly burst into a song and
dance....Iam not good at that, though I love watching it," the director said.
Justifying the need for song, Raghavan said, "Agent Vinod needs flamboyant music. The song takes the story forward and does not just interfere in between...with each song something else is happening".
On Kareena's maiden mujra, the director said initially they were undecided whether the actress would feature in it.
"Initially we were not sure. She plays a character in the film and we did not want her to suddenly burst into a Mujra, like a typical Hindi film. We did not want tha...but we got that link," he added.
visit this link for official trailer  of agent vinod.........  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw7xdgV-kP0&feature=player_embedded

Checking if foreign funds in nuke protest: govt


Koodankulam 

The government today said it was still not proved that the money received by NGOs in Tamil Nadu from abroad was being used for protests against nuclear power projects and a probe in this regard is underway.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for PMO, V Narayanasamy also refused to identify the NGOs, which are under investigation, and said it can not be divulged as long as the investigations are not completed.
In his statement, he said preliminary reports indicate that NGOs in the country, especially those working in and around Kudankulam area and involved in the agitation against the nuclear power plant, are receiving funds from certain countries.
"Detailed investigation will reveal the source of funding and the expenditure pattern of these NGOs, that are opposing the Kudankulam nuclear power project. CBI inquiry against two NGOs have been ordered. Two criminal cases have been referred to Tamil Nadu police for investigation," he said.
Quoting a recent interview of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said while Singh had very clearly said that the NGOs from US and Scandinavian countries are sending money to people who are involved in the protests here, "whether the same money is being used (to fuel protests here) is not proved."
To repeated questions, he said, "investigations are going on... so far as investigations are not complete" and refused to identify the suspected NGOs.
He said as far as the question about the name of NGOs is concerned, the entire investigation is being carried out by the Home Ministry.

I am happy with what I did: Ex-rail minister Dinesh Trivedi


New Delhi: After new Rail Minister Mukul Roy rolled back the passenger fare hike announced by Dinesh Trivedi in the Rail Budget, the former rail minister said he is happy with the Rail Budget that he prepared.
Saying that it is not proper for him to react on the current Railway Minister's comment, Trivedi said he raised the fares to make the Railways safer.
"I am concerned about railway safety," said Trivedi.
I am happy with what I did: Ex-rail minister Dinesh Trivedi
Trivedi also said that he is happy with his version of the Budget.
"If I have to present the Budget, I would have presented the same Budget without any change," he said.
"I had spent nearly eight months in its draft. Safety is the priority and I wanted to give dignity to people while travelling. AC First Class is just 8 per cent, entire nation uses sleeper class. They travel like prisoners of war," he added.
Trivedi had increased the passenger fares by 2 paise per km for suburban and ordinary second class; 3 paise per km for mail/express second class; 5 paise per km for sleeper class; 10 paise per km for AC Chair Car, AC 3-tier and First Class; 15 paise per km for AC 2-tier and 30 paise per km for AC I. Even the price of platform tickets has been raised to Rs 5 from Rs 3.
The new Railway Minister withdrew the fare hikes in suburban and ordinary second class, mail/express second class, sleeper class, AC Chair Car and AC 3-tier.
However, the fare hike of 15 paise per km for AC 2-tier and 30 paise per km for AC I will stay

Report on coal block loss 'exceedingly misleading': CAG


PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi during the ongoing budget session. PTI/TV Grab The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said that the media reports quoting an audit report of a loss of Rs 10.76 lakh crore by...