MUMBAI: Bollywood's most awaited film 'Blue', shot extensively under water and features Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, made a thumping release across India on Friday.The film, directed by Anthony D'Souza, unfolds drama, excitement and promises and thrilled audiences with never-seen-before daredevil stunts by actors deep in the sea in the company of sharks.Film buffs like Priyanka said she got the full money's worth."It was really nice. It was a Diwali Dhamaka (festival bumper), it was a full paisa wasool (money worth)," she said.In India's showbiz capital moviegoers praised action hero Akshay Kumar."The film is good its quiet different Akshay Kumar is very good. Lara Dutta's role is not very long but okay," said Mayank, a film lover.Zayed Khan stars in the film along with Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Lara Dutta and Kylie Minogue among others.Produced by Dhillin Mehta, 'Blue' has been mainly shot in Bahamas and has outsourced Bollywood technician and experts.Bollywood is pinning its hopes on three new films that opened in cinemas on Friday to rev up a lacklustre box-office ahead of the festive Diwali season.The industry, the world's largest by ticket sales, is waiting eagerly to see if "Blue", "All the Best" and "Main Aur Mrs Khanna" (Me and Mrs Khanna) can reduce losses in a year most big productions have bitten the dust and only a few ventures have tasted success.Weeks of publicity have built up huge anticipation for the three films opening a day before Diwali, Bollywood's most important moviegoing season coinciding with the Hindu festival of lights.Filmmakers are hoping the festive season, when most big-ticket films are released, would help turn around Bollywood's fortunes in one of its worst years in recent times.Earlier this year, the Mumbai film industry was also hit by an impasse between producers and multiplexes that stalled new releases for six weeks.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
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