Telenor ready for new system of SIM issuance

Telenor Pakistan has completed all preparations for implementation of verification based SIM activation regime. Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Dr Mohammad Yaseen visited Telenor Pakistan's Call Center in Lahore on Friday to witness the process and see the state of the art purpose built system.

Sale of pre-activated SIMs shall be stopped by January 31 thereafter verification of Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and activation of SIMs shall only be done through calling 789 from the same SIM and the call centre would ask few questions to verify the data provided by the consumer.

Telenor Pakistan , in its continued efforts as a responsible organization, arranged 116 trade conventions nation-wide, to educate its retailers regarding new verification based SIM activation regime. These conventions emphasized the need for proper registration of SIMs and formal documentation for existing and new connections as per PTA and Government policy. A total of 30,000 retailers have participated in these conventions

Salaam- E- Ishq

Director Nikhil Advani's debut effort Kal Ho Na Ho set him above the rest, but with Salam-e-Ishq, it is evident that Advani is missing Karan Johar's influence as he struggles to convincingly put together six love stories. The format of the film is influenced by Love Actually with six stories running parallel to each other, but the screenplay is far from compelling. Advani has bitten more than he can chew and should ideally have concentrated on three to four crisply narrated stories. The screenplay has its moments, though some brilliant scenes mixed with some absurd ones, leaves you with mixed feelings.

Story 1: Tehzeeb (Vidya Balan) and Ashutosh (John Abraham) are happily married and working with a television channel. Their life takes a turn when Tehzeeb suffers from amnesia after a train accident.

Story 2: Raju (Govinda), a taxi driver finally meets his dream girl Stephanie (Shanon Esra), but Stephanie is in India to find her boyfriend Rohit (Kushal Punjabi) and marry him. Meanwhile, Stephanie falls in love with Raju, despite their linguistic problem.

Story 3: Shiven (Akshaye Khanna) is all set to marry Gia (Ayesha Takia) but he develops cold feet and refuses to commit himself to marriage, leading to a break-up.

Story 4: Vinay's (Anil Kapoor) marriage with Seema (Juhi Chawla) is a monotonous one, leading him to befriend a young attractive girl Anjali (Anjana Sukhani) and this causes a strain in his marital relationship.
Story 5: Kkamini (Priyanka Chopra), an item girl in Bollywood wants to become a lead heroine in Karan Johar's film by hook or crook. But her life takes a turn when Rahul (Salman Khan) enters her life and becomes her boyfriend.

Story 6: Ramdayal (Sohail Khan) is married to Phoolwati (Isha Kopikkar), but not able to consumate the marriage.

Out of the six stories, three stories work, while three fall flat. The Balan-Abraham story has substance and turns out to be the best. The Khanna-Takia story is interesting, mainly due to Khanna's portrayal of his character keeping you in splits many a time though the story could have developed better. The Govinda-Esra tale works due to perfect casting. The Kapoor-Chawla story is a good concept but poorly executed. The Salman-Chopra story is a disappointment.

The Sohail-Kopikkar story is corny, and has no substance whatsoever. Khanna is excellent. Govinda gets a role up his sleeve and plays it to perfection. Abraham is convincing. Kapoor looks stupid in the first-half but redeems himself towards the end. Salman sleepwalks through his role. Sohail's act is cheesy. Balan does justice to her role. Takia and Chawla are effective. Chopra hams. Esra fits into the multi-starrer with a good performance. Kopikkar is wasted. Sukhani makes a confident debut. Watching Salam-e-Ishq is like going for an unlimited buffet where some decent dishes crop up in the midst of many bad and tasteless ones.

Abhishek - Ash's Wedding As a Film!!!!

The baap of all events is about to happen!! No not the lux zee cine awards. It's Abhishek and Ashwariya's wedding ceremony.

The media has already started making preparations as they have a huge whole lot to cover and entertain millions!

Many fans want this wedding not only to be aired but to be actually shown as a movie!!

Why they have an oppurtunity of a producing the most hit movie of the millenium .... All those who had rushed to watch Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam will now watch a real saga for sure!!!

Here's a plea on behalf of all the Fans and audiences that Amitabh Bachchan look into this and create something not worth forgetting!

'G' - SRK Spread Magic All Around

Audio giant T-Series is all geared up to release a music album featuring Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, on the 10th of February 2007. This music video was initially used as a promotional video for Star Plus’s quiz-show Kaun Banega Crorepati, now hosted by SRK himself. It has now been converted into a full-fledged music video, and has already been telecast on music channels.

The album by T-Series has been named as Karle Karle Dhamaal. The music has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar. Apart from the title track, it has some popular tracks of Shah Rukh from his movies as well.

The video has been conceptualised, choreographed and directed by the alluring Ganesh Hegde, who created waves with his maiden album “G”. The song has also been sung by him. SRK was thrilled about working with Ganesh. He said, “As I was doing three shifts at that time I was very tired…but the way Ganesh was making the steps and the presentation, it became great fun and endearing…made me forget that I was tired. The conceptualization to present me in a different way was completely Ganesh's idea. Now I feel I can also hip hop…and have become more acceptable to my kids as a cool father!"

Ganesh Hegde is equally excited about the video and says, “My first video with Shah Rukh was the title song in his film Don. He had really liked my work and thanked me for making him look the way he did. So he called me for the choreography of this music video as well, as he needed to show a lot of spunk and energy.”

He also had a great time working with SRK. An elated Ganesh said, “It was very easy to work with Shah Rukh, as both of us are Scorpions and full of energy. He was doing hip-hop for the first time and I wanted every aspect of the video to be perfect. But we surely had a lot of fun doing this because it was a music video, not a film song.” Ganesh also said that he would love to work with SRK in the future. It is for us to wait and watch how SRK and Ganesh Hegde spin magic together!

Atif Aslam to rock Dubai

The Pakistani singer has transcended boundaries with his hit music and has become quite a sensation in India too.

When you are in your early 20s your priorities are likely to revolve around clothes, cars, gizmos or attractive girls/boys (take your pick). But for 23-year-old Pakistani singer Atif Aslam, it's a whole new reality. His songs and his deep voice preceded him as major Indian radio stations and TV channels played his hit singles with gusto.

Case in point: His songs Tere Bin (from Bas Ek Pal), Woh Lamhe (from Zeher) and Aadat (from Kalyug) have become a daily staple in our lives. And very soon it's not just his recorded voice that you will get to hear - you will be able to hear him live.

On Sunday, as a part of Dubai Rock 2006 at the Dubai Exile Rugby Club Ground, Atif Aslam will be regaling Dubai music lovers.

Heroic Zara Shaikh

Zara is being commended for her role in Javed Raza's Kabhi Pyar Na Karna. Critics who got a sneak peek of the film are raving about Zara's brilliant performance. Zara - who took a painful fall in India from a bike, along with Shamyl Khan dring the shooting of the film - humbly accepts the praise, but says it would be better to celebrate after the film releases.

Naseeruddin Signs A Paki Movie

Naseeruddin Shah has signed his first Pakistani film called Khuda Ke Naam. The film will be directed by Pakistani filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor. Naseer will be doing just one sequence in the film.

According to him, director Shoaib Mansoor came to Mumbai to meet him. Naseeruddin liked the script and thought of doing it. In his single sequence in the film, Naseer appears as an elderly maulana, who turns the tables on the fundamentalists. His character talks about several misconceptions about Islam.

Apart from this movie Naseer is working for Arindam Mitra’s Shunya, Rishi Mehta’s bi-lingual film Amal. He is also going through the script of Jagmohan Mundhra’s Shoot on Sight.

LollyWood Top 10 Movies

Top Movies

1. Fire
2. Pyaar Hi Pyaar Mein
3. Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua
4. Shair-e-Azam
5. Tere Payar Meien
6. Moosa Khan
7. Sholay
8. Yeh Wada Raha
9. Khoye Hu Tum Kahan
10. Chalo Ishq Laraein

PYAR HI PYAR MEIN By Fahim Burney

Cast: Aashal, Aanchal, Nesha, Wasif Butt and Waseem Sohail

Fahim Burney’s maiden silver debut Piyar Hi Piyar is making headlines these days for various reasons. Just a few days ago, when the songs of the film were screened, Faheem Burney is contrary to all the expectations, out done many in every field especially the choreography and the music.

Though, inspired by the latest Bollywood based masala songs that are always looked up as envy in Lollywood, the director has gone ahead and shot the songs using the latest equipment. Faheem Burney, who has always been known for fulfilling the commercial needs of the tube with his glamorous productions lately, has never been taken seriously by the viewers as well as the other contemporary directors. A couple of months ago when he took the decision of making his next move in the silver screen, nobody knew for sure what Faheem was upto.

As making a film with a bunch of new kids on the block was surely not every one’s choice. Piyar Hi Piyar, his debut in the silver screen is fast been shot and again he sticks to his statements, “to give a fresh appeal to the silver screen”. That is the very reason, the whole cast consists of new comers including Ashal, Aanchal, Nesha, Wasif Butt and Waseem Sohail providing a fresh outlook on the screen.

Faheem Burney told that like always he is trying to provide something different than the routine stuff. “That is why I am using new faces as people are fed up of seeing the repeated faces again and again”.

No doubt, the songs that have been shot up till now provide an entirely fresh look to the screen and Faheem attribute all this to the latest equipment that he is using.

They were really marvelous, the screen provided a fresh look and it look totally different. “That is because of the latest equipment that I have brought from abroad”. When asked about the presence of Meera in the movie, the director has to say, “I have put Meera just to add some standard to the box office sizzle and pull, she has performed in an item number in which she has really put a lot of hard work and given her very best. I am really impressed by her performance”.

The dance sequences and the music is quite new and novel idea than the other lollywood stuff. No doubt the film is making headlines among many quarters and it will attract a lot of masses from the visible star studded charms when it would be released, but the problem is today that unlike the other tube directors who entered in the film dome, Faheem Burney is not been taken seriously and that may be good for Faheem.

Neha Dhupia Goes To Lollywood.

After the Bollywood debut of Pakistani actress Meera , it is now the turn of Indian actresses to work in Lollywood (Lahore-based) cinema.Neha Dhupia who shot to fame with her bold portrayal of 'Julie' in Bollywood , parallels popularity of Madhuri Dixit among the Pakistani fans. Neha is now ready to sizzle in Lollywood with her dare and bare item number in her first Lollywood venture.

Filmmaker Javed Raza, popularly known as Pakistan's showman, is making Kabhi Pyar Na Karna, which has an item number featuring hot Neha Dhupia. The song was shot in Mumbai. As for her role as an item girl, the actress describes it as situational song integral to the film and she is energetic about her project.

She may be an item girl in Lollywood now, but surveys among Lollywood fans of Pakistan say that they can't wait to see Neha for what she is famous for. Neha is also excited about her upcoming film Siskiyaan in which she plays a journalist.