Shahrukh Khan's net-worth is Rs.1500 Crore ($310 million)

Yeah!! That's Rs. 15, 000,000,000.00 ($310 million)

Let's see how:

From Ads: SRK has 39 ads in his kitty, Airtel, Nokia, Pepsi, ICICI among others. He charges an amount of 7 crores ($1.43 million) for a 3 day ad shoot. That becomes, 39 x 7 = Rs.273 Crore ($56 million)

Real Estate: While SRK's house in Mumbai is said to be worth Rs. 135 crore ($27.5 million) , he has a villa in the U.K. He is also said to be having a real-estate pie in the 8th wonder of the world, Palm islands of Dubai, where his neighbours will be Tom Cruise and the Clintons among other A-listers. He is also said to be designing a Rs. 10, 500 crore ($2.2 billion) project in Dubai.

Let's add Rs. 500 crore ($101 million) for real estate (atleast.)

Red Chilli Entertainment: This is also a huge source to the Khan's treasure. Om Shanti Om alone made some 160 crore ($32.5 million) for the Production house.

Cricket Team: Kolkota Knight Riders, the SRK owned team was the only profitable team, making 88 crores ($18 million) in the first year itself. Valuations are projescted to increase sharply in 2-3 years.

Shows and events: 40 crore ($8.1 million) for showa per year plus 2-3 crores to show up in events.

Films: Karan Johar, Chopras and all the big banners fall under one roof, Shahrukh Khan. 10-12 ($2-2.5 million) crore per film and a pie from the revenues (rumored.)

T.V. Shows: 110 crore ($22.5 million) for Kaun banega Crorepati and Paanchvi Paas.

Cars and Lifestyle: BMW 7 series (1.25 Cr) + BMW 6 series (85 lakhs) + Audi R6 (38 lakhs) + Designer wears + many more = Rs. 5-10 crore ($1- 2 million)

All this add up to roughly Rs. 1500 crores ($310 million). Whoppy!! Thats why he's THE KING - You can love him or hate him, but can never ignore him.

Yesteryear's he-man Dharmendra makes TV debut

January 2nd, 2009

Yesteryear's he-man of Bollywood, Dharmendra, will make his small screen debut Friday with an episode of Zee TV's music reality show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa”.The 73-year-old star was invited as a special guest for the show, said a press release.

Dharmendra, who starred in hit films like “Sholay”, “The Burning Train”, “Seeta Aur Geeta” and “Chupke Chupke” apart from many others in his career spanning over four decades, was given a red carpet welcome amid loud Punjabi tom-toms and a crowd that showered him with flowers.

Much to everyone's surprise, the actor broke into a jig and even recited Urdu couplets.

For the episode, all contestants and mentors paid a tribute to his films and some of his unforgettable songs. He even joined a contestant on stage to sing his popular song "Ab ke sajan saawan mein" from "Chupke Chupke".

When Oman-based contestant Asma Rafi came posing as the iconic Basanti of “Sholay” and sung "Jab tak hai jaan", Dharmendra encouraged her by reciting his famous dialogue from the film. He also performed the suicide scene from the 1975 film and had everyone in splits.

The mentors, music directors Shankar Mahadevan, Aadesh Srivastava, Himesh Reshammiya and Pritam Chakraborty gifted Dharmendra a silver statue of Ganesha and Shiva as a mark of respect.

The episode will air at 10 p.m.

'Ghajini' computer games to hit the market this week

Mumbai, Jan 2 (IANS) Now that the producers of Ghajini have claimed to make profits of more than Rs.1 billion in the first five days of its release, it's time to move the film's success to another level.A PC game, named Ghajini The Game, featuring Aamir Khan, is ready to hit the market this week.

Earlier the video game was scheduled to hit the market a month before the Ghajini release.

"But we wanted to polish it up more, and use it as a USP after the film's release when audiences are really interested in the chase aspect of the plot that manoeuvres the game," says Ghajini producer Madhu Mantena.

Designed by Shashi Reddy, chairperson of FX Labs and Ghajini's co-producer Madhu Mantena, Ghajini The Game was executed at a cost approximately Rs.30 million.

Mantena said: "It's as slick as any cat-and-mouse PC Game with a computerised Aamir Khan looking like a replica of what he did in Ghajini (same hairstyle included) chasing the villains. Basically the game borrows the Ghajini plot from the time Aamir's character is hit on the head to the time he catches and kills the first villain."

Other games in the series will carry the chase further.

"The idea is to take the success of Ghajini further. And that's why the player has to get Ghajini The Game right in 15 minutes. Or he has to start again. That's the time-span for which our hero regains his memory, remember?" Mantena said.

Suniel Shetty says I'm India's Goldie Hawn: Sophie Chaudhary

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Singer-actress Sophie Chaudhary is working with Suniel Shetty in Inder Kumar's comic caper "Daddy Cool" and says her co-star feels she is like Oscar award-winning actress Goldie Hawn."Suniel calls me the Goldie Hawn of India. He says, like her, even I am very sexy, cute and funny," Sophie told IANS in an interview.

Sophie, who was recently in the capital to perform at a New Year's Eve function, started her career as a pop singer with the girl band "Sansara", but gained popularity as an MTV VJ.

After her stint on television, Sophie moved to the big screen and featured in films like Pyaar Ke Side Effects & Aggar.

"Singing is my biggest passion, but being a VJ gave me a big name in India when I shifted base to Mumbai from London. Being a VJ is great fun. It's a wonderful job for youngsters. It gives you exposure - when you travel, you gain confidence and you also earn a fan following. But it's not a career you can have for life," said Sophie.

"I enjoy singing and acting, so I took it up. As a singer I enjoy my stage shows, acting is a new challenge for me. It's exciting, great fun and you wake up as a different person every day," she added.

Sophie, who is trying to get a foothold in the film industry, was recently seen in an item number in Sanjay Dutt starrer Kidnap. But she is not afraid of being typecast as an item girl.

"The song I did in Kidnap was my first item number, so I've no fear of being typecast. I did that because I can't say no to either Sanjay Dutt or Sanjay Gadhvi (director of Kidnap). I guess my biggest gain from the song was a compliment from Farah Khan. She doesn't compliment anyone, but she came up to me and said that I look insanely hot in the film," said Sophie.

Speaking on the year gone by, Sophie says the highlight was her shoot with her idol, Rishi Kapoor.

"I got an opportunity to do a song and a few scenes with him in a Bobby Bedi film, which is slated to release in 2009. The whole experience was wonderful," said a delighted Sophie.

The singer-VJ-actress is looking forward to a brighter New Year with her upcoming projects that include "Daddy Cool", "Aa Dekhein Zara" with Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu and Sanjay Gupta's multi-starrer "Alibaug".

Will it be curtains for Indian films in Pakistan?

Islamabad, Jan 3 (IANS) Sixteen Hindi films were screened in Pakistan last year after a nearly four-decade ban on Indian movies was lifted. But strained ties between the neighbours following the Mumbai terror attack coupled with dipping fortunes of the Pakistani film industry may signal the end of this shortlived 'golden phase'.Pakistan Censor Board chairperson Malik Shahnawaz Noon said the board was planning to again ban Indian movies as it was "destroying the local film industry".

"I personally believe Indian films should not be screened in Pakistan and we are working to put a ban on Bollywood movies," Noon told IANS.

Others agreed with him.

Said Syed Noor, a leading Pakistani writer-director-producer: "Some people with vested interests don't want our industry to flourish.

"We are establishing a small film industry with the help of some old and new actors and our focus will be to produce films which would attract people."

He disclosed that the government was meeting members of the film fraternity to find ways to revive local cinema.

Muhammad Sajid, a movie buff, echoed him: "These (Indian films) are harming our culture and the government should impose a ban on them."

Screening of Indian movies was banned in Pakistan after the 1965 war, but certain films were allowed by different governments like the classic "Mughal-E-Azam".

Last year, Pervez Musharraf's government lifted the ban, but the exchange of cinema too seems to have fallen victim to the increasingly strained relations between the two countries in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, which India blames on Pakistan.

While some were advocating a renewed ban on Hindi films, which are hugely popular in the country and seen on pirated DVDs, trade experts said the move to release Indian films commercially had revived the cinema culture in the country with theatre owners in most major cities earning a huge profit.

Last year, financially stricken theatre owners had threatened strikes if the ban on Indian movies was not lifted because local productions only saw empty houses.

Hindi movies did brisk business in Pakistan with cinema hall owners vying to get their screening rights. In 2008, a total of 54 films were released here. Of them 30 were local movies in various languages, 16 were Indian and eight were English movies.

Audiences were thrilled.

Taare Zameen Par was the first release after the ban was lifted. Following Aamir Khan's directorial debut were "Singh is Kinng", Kismat Konnection, Welcome, The Killer, Bhagam Bhag, "Race", Golmaal Returns, Jannat, "Bhootnath", "Karzzz", Hello, Love Story 2050, Dostana, Yuvvraaz & Kidnap.

Khalid, an avid cine-watcher, said Indian movies had revived the cinema culture and provided excellent entertainment.

Karachi remained the hot spot for Indian films and a large number of people thronged theatres to watch their favourite Indian stars.

Unlike government officials, theatre owners say the recent tension between the neighbours over the 26/11 attacks has not affected Pakistani movie buffs.

"Why should we stop Indian movies when people like them the most. Local films are far behind Bollywood movies and there should be no restrictions on Indian films," said Safdar Khan, a cinema owner.

An official of a cineplex near Rawalpindi said: "We are having the same rush... and I believe nothing has changed after the Mumbai attacks."

The craze for Hindi films has several smaller cinema halls operating illegally.

"I guess the number of such (illegal) cinema halls in Islamabad is seven. But there are about 30 such halls in Lahore and Karachi," said a private cinema hall owner in Islamabad.

He said that about 500 people watch movies at his cinema hall every month. In 2008, he screened about 40 Indian movies, including the classic "Pakeezah".

Raima, Arbaaz to play couple in ‘Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye’ (Film Snippets)

New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) In an unusual pairing, Raima Sen and Arbaaz Khan will play a couple in PVR Pictures’ venture “Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye”, releasing Feb 6.Also starring in a pivotal role is Randeep Hooda, who plays as many as 18 different characters in the film.

Farah Khan declines Berlin fest jury invite

Mumbai, Jan 3(IANS) Citing prior commitments, Bollywood choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan has declined an invitation to serve on the main jury of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival - the Berlinale - Feb 5-15."I have been invited to be on the main jury of the Berlin Film Festival," Farah, who is credited with hits like "Main Hoon Na" and Om Shanti Om, old IANS, adding that the 10-day schedule was too demanding and she had instead decided to be there just for three days as a panellist for a forum that will be a part of the renowned film festival.

"I would have to be there for 10 days but my schedule for 'Nach Baliye' and more importantly, my babies, don't permit me to do so. But because Om Shanti Om was so popular there, they do want me to attend the festival. So I'll be going for a shorter time," she said.

Farah is married to film editor and director Shirish Kunder and is a mother of triplets. These days, she is busy judging Star Plus' dance reality show "Nach Baliye 4".

Bhansali delays making of Heera Mandi

January 3rd, 2009

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had announced two projects Heera Mandi and an untitled film starring Hrithik-Aishwarya after Saawariya. But currently he has no plans to start Heera Mandi for the next two years therefore Hrithik-Ash film will be his next project.

According to sources “Heera Mandi was supposed to be a very prestigious project but currently he doesn’t plan to go ahead with this project coz even if he plans to he will need more than 2 years to start with it. He had planned to take Madhuri Dixit and Sonam Kapoor in the film but as of now things are not materializing and the script of the film is also not ready yet. So the entire project will have to wait for now and will be delayed”.

Further there were rumours of a Pakistani actor named Imran Abbas to be cast as the main lead but all the rumours were denied as the casting of the actors is not yet decided and that as of now SLB is very unhappy with death of veteran actress Begum Para as he was planning to cast her in Heera Mandi as she was also there in Saawariya.

Actually Heera Mandi is a place located in the northwest corner of the Walled City of Lahore, next to Roshni Gate, Badshahi Masjid, Lahore Fort, and Hazuri Bagh.It is also known as Shahi Mohalla as it is the red-light district of Lahore.

But currently it is said that SLB is busy with the pre-production of his big-budget movie starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan and he is planning to start this film in mid 2009. This film will be Hrithik and Aishwarya’s Rai’s third film together after the super successful Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar. Let us hope that this onscreen hit couple does wonders for SLB’s film too.

Top Bollywood Female Actress of 2008

January 3rd, 2009

2008 was a year when quite a few newcomers made a mark in their very first film. Actors like Anushka, Asin, Adah and Prachi Desai made a thumping impression while Genelia D’Souza saw a revival in her career with ‘Jaane Tu Jaane Naa’. Katrina Kaif got her hits but there wasn’t a single performance that could make the cut into the Top-10 of the year while big guns like Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu and Kajol continued to reign. Joginder Tuteja looks at some of the best performances by a female actor in the year gone by.

10. Prachi Desai (Rock On)
Her foray into the big screen was much welcomed with ‘Rock On’. An unconventional way to begin her Bollywood innings, what with playing the part of a married woman and no romantic angle per se, Prachi Desai was courageous enough to take a plunge into a film that had a director (Abhishek Kapoor) with a flop tag (Aryan - The Unbreakable) to his name. Still, with people like Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Shanka, Ehsaan and Loy attached to the project, she got herself a start with ‘Rock On’. The ploy worked and how! With a restrained performance, she was the person who got a certain ‘thehrav’ to the rocking proceedings of ‘Rock On’. The million dollar question is - ‘Will she be able to be a part of the glam brigade from here on?’

9. Ehsaas Channa (Phoonk)
The youngest of the lot, Ehsaas impressed one and all with her performance of a girl who was possessed due to black magic at work. Coming up with one of the most intense performances of the year, Ehsaas was a revelation as a girl actor after working in quite a few films where she was required to portray a boy. One wonders how she would have worked upon her psyche after being a part of cinema where her character was required to go through tumultuous times. Director Ram Gopal Varma yet again succeeded in extracting a brilliant performance out of an actor and one now looks forward to how this girl would announce her arrival as a lead actress a decade from now.

8. Adah Sharma (1920)
It was the year when possessed females made an impression on the big screen. If Ehsaas was psyched, Adah Sharma was indeed scary, what with her character being almost a cannibal in appeal. Made to play a part which could turn violent, riotous, frightened and ferocious at regular intervals, Adah surprised in this horror flick by Vikram Bhatt. Not just she helped the director break the jinx of a dozen odd flops that he had delivered before 1920, she also announced an arrival, albeit a low key, to Bollywood. Though she was mostly non-glam in 1920 and was made to wear the costumes that were in vogue a century ago, one looks forward to see her look entirely different in the upcoming films of hers that are set in contemporary times.

7. Asin (Ghajini)
She has worked in more than a dozen odd films down South but had to wait a while before the best opportunity came her way in the form of ‘Ghajini’. Though she had to recreate the emotions of the original ‘Ghajini’ in which she had already starred, she did it with full gusto in the reprised version as well. Going through a gamut of emotions that required her to be naughty as well as emotional at heart, she didn’t disappoint. Her most remembered scenes would the light hearted ones that she shared with Aamir and her death scene. However, one waits to see many more histrionics from her in her upcoming films. A little more touch of glamor would only help the cause.

6. Bipasha Basu (Race, Bachna Ae Haseeno)
While newcomers like Prachi, Adah and Asin were busy knocking the doors of Bollywood, Bipasha Basu continued her femme fatale act in films like ‘Race’ and ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’. She proved that girls would be girls and women would be women! No wonder, she approached her part in ‘Race’ with such style and sensibilities that one didn’t mind her playing the gray character at all. Some more sizzling dance numbers later, she was the darling of ‘Race’. As for ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, she was indeed such a ‘bit%^’ (as she proclaimed in the film too) that one wouldn’t mind being her slave at all, as did Ranbir Kapoor in the film.

5. Kajol (U Me Aur Hum)
It’s a pity that ‘U Me Aur Hum’ didn’t go the distance that it deserved. Though the film did reasonably well at the box office, one would have expected much more buzz around Kajol’s act in the film. As a troubled woman suffering from Alzheimer disease, she was near perfect in the film which was directed by her husband Ajay Devgan. The usual spunk was missing from her performance, as per the demand of her character since she was required to be all tense and pensive for most of the film’s duration. As for her future films too, expect some more serious/meaningful/hard hitting characters to be played by her, something that she seems to be opting for considering her status of being a ‘veteran’ actor already.

4. Anushka Sharma (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
It is not every day that one sees a debutant leading lady being offered an author backed role in a commercial Yash Raj film outing where she is seen in almost every frame of the film. This way Anushka Sharma was really lucky since she didn’t just get an opportunity to be a part of a film which told a new story and allowed her to display her acting talent; it also made her stand next to Shah Rukh Khan in almost every scene. Anushka grabbed the opportunity provided to her with both hands and went all out in coming up with a sparkling act. Add to that her modeling background and some good dancing skills and we could be looking at yet another star material in the offering.

3. Aishwarya Rai (Jodhaa Akbar, Sarkar Raj)
While it is hardly a breaking news that Aishwarya Rai looks beautiful in every outing of hers, what is turning out to be a pleasant surprise are some consistently good performances from her year after year. In 2007 it was ‘Guru’ and this year, the films where she came up with some good performances are ‘Sarkar Raj’ and ‘Jodhaa Akbar’. Though her ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ turned out to be a good money spinner and got her quite some accolades, it is ‘Sarkar Raj’ where she impressed even more in the role of a businesswoman. Watch out for her scenes with Amitabh Bachchan and you know that she is confident enough to be standing in front of the best of the talents and still make her presence felt. Credit must go to Ram Gopal Varma who went beyond her beauty, made her wear business suits for most of her scenes and still made her performance noticeable.

2. Genelia D’Souza (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa)
The ‘home coming’ award for the year 2008 should go to Genelia D’Souza who came back from hibernation (as far as Bollywood is concerned since she was busy with her work down South) and came up with a flawless performance in ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa’. Even though the film took close to 2 years in the making, spark in Genelia’s performance could be witnessed in each of her scenes. Simply brilliant and the heart of ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa’, she impressed on all quarters, whether it was her delivering her dialogues, being natural in front of the camera or looking just like the character she was required to portray. A powerhouse of talent, she should be much more visible in Bollywood from here on.

1. Priyanka Chopra (Fashion, Dostana)
And this would well be the comeback of the year! With as many as six flops behind her - ‘Salaam E Ishq’, ‘Big Brother’, ‘Love Story 2050′, ‘Chamku’, ‘Drona’, ‘God Tussi Great Ho’ - any other actress would have just given up. But not Priyanka Chopra who just looked at ‘Fashion’ and ‘Dostana’ as the opportunities that could bring her back into the reckoning. While most of her flops were long in the making, she concentrated completely on these two films which promised to present in a different light altogether. While Madhur Bhandarkar gave her a author backed role in ‘Fashion’, Karan Johar ensured that she turned out to be the scorcher of the year with ‘Dostana’. She impressed on both counts, whether it was acting (Fashion) or looking beautiful (Dostana) and announced loud and clear - ‘I Am Back’.

Kareena Kapoor starts admiring Aishwarya!

January 3rd, 2009

Kareena Kapoor has had a bad equation with her first hero Abhishek and the Bachchans ever since loving sis Karisma’s broken engagement.

Kareena has been openly critical about Ash too, who took Karisma’s place in the Bachchan home.

But now the Kapoor girl has suddenly decided to rave about the Bachchan bahu.

Bebo apparently can’t stop talking about the way Ash has shaped her career after marriage.

Ash has big films in her kitty like Sanjay Leela Bhasali’s next with Hrithik Roshan and a movie with Akshay Kumar based on ‘Back to the Future’, apart from Maniratnam’s ‘Ravan’ with hubby Abhi and Shankar’s ‘Robot’

This in spite of the fact that she has become very selective about films after marrying Abhishek Bachchan . She turned down Karan Johar’s ‘Dostana’ because she thought the audiences could not see her having affection for Bobby Deol and being overtly friendly with John Abraham when Abhi is a part of the story. She’s also become very choosy about the directors and producers she wants to work with.

Kareena has reportedly been following Ash’s career and says this is the pattern she would love to follow after her marriage.

So it seems that she’s indeed serious about marrying Saif Ali Khan.

Kareena’s been saying that she’s serious about marriage but it won’t happen for another two years as her date diary is full till 2010.

Saif is getting a special apartment ready and it would be complete by then.

The Kapoor lass sure is very clear about her plans! Let’s wait and watch.

Will Harman Baweja shine against Hrithik?

January 3rd, 2009

After a super dud of a debut like Love Story 2050, Harman Baweja is desperately looking forward to a victorious New Year. But as fate has it, he is once again being pitted against none other than Hrithik Roshan in Zoya Akthar’s Luck by Chance at the box office. Both the films are slated for a January 30 release.

It may be recalled that when Harman made his debut last year he was often compared to Hrithik Roshan and was called a look alike of Hrithik. Harman of course took it in his stride in a confident manner. Harman is keeping his fingers crossed hoping that Victory will emerge victorious at the box office this year. While his contemporaries like Ranbir have already gone ahead. Harman Baweja reportedly has got a big ‘V’ tattooed on his back when he had signed this film.

Interestingly both the films have been directed by debutant directors. Zoya Akhtar directs Luck By Chance while Ajit Pal directs Victory.

While Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance has Hrithik playing a superstar in the film. The film has Farhan Akhtar in the lead who rocked last year with his Rock On performance. The film also stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia and Juhi Chawla. Ajit Pal’s Victory has Amrita Rao in the lead opposite Harman along with a host of cricketers from all the teams.

Also, perhaps little does Harman know that the film also stars his old nemesis Aamir Khan (in a special appearance) who last time thumped him down with his production Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. The film also has Shah Rukh Khan in a two scene appearance.

Deepika-Ranbir’s affair goes kaput

January 3rd, 2009

Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor became one of the hottest young B-Town couples right after they hooked up a little more than a year back.

They were hot property in tinsel town and got loads of film and endorsement offers. They became one of the most in demand couples in the industry. They got a lot of media spotlight too, much like Saif–Kareena and Abhi-Ash.

Their closeness caused a lot of heart ache for Ranbir’s once upon a time close friend Sonam Kapoor too.

But now it seems the two young stars’ love story has come to an abrupt end. If reports are to believed, the relationship is on the verge of ending.

It seems Deepika became upset when Ranbir came closer to Katrina during the shooting of ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani’.

Even after a year together, they are yet to achieve one another’s trust. When Deepika doubted Ranbir about having an affair with Katrina, their relationship turned bitter. Ranbir became furious when he learnt that Deepika spied on him through an agent and broke up with her over phone.

Following the spat, Deepika has apparently tried to get over Ranbir by dating a mystery man. There have been lots of talks about how she and her new man turned up to watch ‘Ghajini’ at a multiplex.

Deepika has been known for her serial dating ways. She dated Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, model Nihar Pandhya before Ranbir.

Keeping her track record in mind, we feel that it won’t be difficult for her to get over Ranbir at all.

Top-10 Bollywood villains in 2008

January 4th, 2009

It doesn’t happen every year that as many as three women find a place in Top-10 Bollywood villains/vamps. Also, in the times when feel good cinema and comedies are ruling the roost, there are hardly many films being made where an actor gets an opportunity to bring in some villainy on screen. No wonder, quite a few actors who otherwise had a gray character to portray find a place in the Top-10 list of villains here.

10. Katrina Kaif (Race)
It is quite an irony that when pretty face Katrina Kaif, who has delivered quite a few back to back money spinners in last couple of years, finds a place in a Top-10 chart, it is for a villainous performance. She was all leggy, sweet and saccharine for most part of ‘Race’ but the moment it turned out that she was a part of an evil plan to get rid of Saif’s character, the tables turned and a new side of hers was revealed. Though she wasn’t anything extraordinary in the film, her transformation from a flawless beauty to a co-conspirator deserves her a place in the Top-10 charts.

9. Urmila Matondkar (Karzzzz)
She couldn’t quite create the Simi Grewal moment in ‘Karzzzz’ and didn’t really make an ever lasting impact. Still she was one of the few saving graces of ‘Karzzzz’. As Kamini, she could have done better with some more thought about choice of costumes but still Urmila wasn’t a no-show by any means. If only director Satish Kaushik could have given her better scenes, she may just have found a place higher up in the charts. After all hers was one of the very few Bollywood characters in 2008 that was out and out black.

8. Nikiten Dheer (Jodhaa Akbar, Mission Istanbul)
If only it was the 80s and the 90s, Nikiten Dheer would have bagged at least a dozen odd projects by now in the role of a lead villain. With a huge body to boost, reasonably good acting skills, some terrific screen presence and a promise to make an impact as a big baddie, Nikiten Dheer made a twin impression in ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ as well as ‘Mission Istanbul’. He got an opportunity to play different characters spread across different time zones too, something that allowed him to wear different personas. One expects a better future for him in Bollywood considering hardcore action movies are back in vogue staring 2009.

7. Gajrao Rao (Aamir)
As a silent conspirator who was just seen mouthing instructions on a cell phone, Gajrao Rao was not even seen in a clear full profile throughout ‘Aamir’. Still, he was menacing throughout those 100 minutes as a fundamentalist with strong belief and thoughts. Having being seen in small roles so far, he was the only other character (apart from the central protagonist Rajeev Khandewal) in ‘Aamir’ around whom the film revolved. The adage of ‘less can be more’ was proven once more by Gajrao Rao who spoke less but still made a very good impact.

6. Ashwini Kalsekar (Phoonk)
Really-really over the top, Ashwini Kalsekar was sometimes menacing, sometimes humorous and sometimes scary in ‘Phoonk’. Required to approach her role in a particular manner as per the demand of the script, she didn’t disappoint at all. Her ferocious laugh resonated throughout the screening of ‘Phoonk’ where she played the trouble maker in the life of young girl Ehsaas Channa. She did well in the role of a Black Magic practioner and was particularly impressive since otherwise such characters are shown to be belonging to small towns/villages. As an urban woman who had a score to settle with a builder, she was quite believable and someone whom audience would love to hate.

5. Govind Namdeo (Sarkar Raj)
Ever since Govind Namdeo has decided to work in only A grade projects, there is a clear spark that can be witnessed in his performances. Last year it was ‘Johnny Gaddaar’ and this year it is ‘Sarkar Raj’ where he has left an impact. As a deal broker who just spoke of business without picking up a gun or even raising a hand, he got really well into the character. Watch him start mouthing certain sentences only to leave them mid-way and letting people speculate on the rest in ‘Sarkar Raj’. Bringing in a touch of humor in his performance, he couldn’t be taken lightly in ‘Sarkar Raj’. No wonder, his character was shown a door by Aishwarya Rai in the film.

4. Kay Kay Menon (Shaurya)
Enacting one of the grayest characters of 2008, Kay Kay Menon impressed in a big way in ‘Shaurya’. As Brigadier Rudra Pratap Singh who had a thing or two against a particularly community, he tried to bring across a point. Was it justified enough? Not at all, but for the character that he enacted, he made sure that it did come across as being justified. Watch out for the scenes that he shares with Rahul Bose in the film; they are sheer dynamite as Kay Kay Menon clearly dominates the proceedings. Especially volatile is his climax act where he seems to be truly unrepenting about his deeds.

3. Akshaye Khanna (Race)
There is something about coming together with the director duo of Abbas-Mustan that makes Akshaye Khanna a mischievous villain of the piece. He did that earlier in ‘Humraaz’ and last year did that again in ‘Race’. As a wayward youngster who couldn’e be taken seriously, his turn into a master planner came across as pretty surprising in ‘Race’. Though he didn’t mouth ferocious dialogues or made his mannerisms menacing in ‘Race’, it was the humor in his performance that stood out most. In a film where just about everyone was playing a gray character, his sweet dialogues dipped in poison never failed to bring on a smile.

2. Pradeep Rawat (Ghajini)
In an age where glamorous females were turning out to be villain of the piece and boys were smiling their way as a villain, Pradeep Rawat appeared as a full on villain who had to be taken seriously when confronted with. No wonder, someone like Aamir Khan had to work extra hard on building a physique that could help take on Pradeep Rawat one-on-one! He has appeared a couple of times earlier with Aamir Khan (Sarfarosh, Lagaan) and with ‘Ghajini’, he has scored a hat trick. His dialogue delivery, though inspired by Govind Namdeo, was pretty impressive in ‘Ghajini’, something that made him sound really scary. Almost rustic in appeal, he should bag some interesting roles from here on.

1. Saif Ali Khan (Race)
Saif Ali Khan played a character which was so twisted, perhaps it itself didn’t know which way was it headed! In ‘Race’, Saif Ali Khan brought a cool side to his villainy, something which reminded of his ‘Ek Haseena Thi’ act. While in ‘Ek Haseena Thi’, he was more of a womanizer, in ‘Race’, he was someone who was just a pure businessman who didn’t like people stabbing him on his back. The role demanded him to come up with a balanced act and he didn’t disappoint as a man who couldn’t bear to see someone else walking away with his hard earned money. He changed his entire look and wardrobe for this role and came out with flying colors.