Kunal Khemu, Soha indulge in PDA

But actress denies getting physical with boyfriend

Salman Khan’s sister Arpita held a special preview of her brother’s film “Wanted” for some very close pals of hers.

Present at the preview at Ketnav Theatre were cricketer Yuvraj Singh and producer Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun among others. She had also invited Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu for the same.

Reportedly, they walked into the theatre together and took up seats in the last row. After half an hour of the movie, both Kunal and Soha started getting cozy with each other. But obviously the people sitting around them were disturbed by their act.

There was also some commotion in the theatre as people started passing nasty comments. In the interval, Arpita personally requested them not to indulge in any such behaviour as people around were getting distracted. But the lovers did not stop.

At first Arpita tried her best to prevent the news from going to the media. But when that did not happen she clarified that she was sitting along with Kunal and Soha and no such incident took place. She also said that both Kunal and Soha come from very respectable families.

Soha too denied the news saying that it is utter rubbish and it is just a chance taken by the media to frame her wrongly.

In Pics: Private screening of Salman Khan’s Wanted

Kunal and Soha are still together

Couple visits Salman Khan’s house

Even though a while ago they said that they had split, Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu came together in Kunal’s car for Ganpati celebrations at Salman Khan’s residence earlier this week.

So it seems they are very much together and what happened earlier was just a lovers’ tiff.

Kunal and Soha started dating each other after they met on the sets of “Dhoondte Reh Jaoge”. Soha, who then had just broken up with her long time boyfriend Siddharth, found a good company in Kunal. Subsequently, they got quite close.

Kunal has also visited Soha’s parents’ residence and met Sharmila Tagore a couple of times. Sources confirmed that he had even stayed over at the Pataudi house while the two were promoting a film in Delhi.

This latest appearance has put to rest all the rumours about their relationship coming to an end, at least for the time being.

What's happening in Bollywood!

John mingles with the Governor, the starless premiere of 99 and Neha Dhupia is an action star

Good Company: Hottie John Abraham with Governor of Maharashtra, S C Jamir at the 2009 Mumbai Marathon Charity Awards

Extra Casual: We know Cyrus loves to promote his movie, which is why he has turned up in a 99 tee, shorts and slippers for the premiere of his film. His cross expression is entertaining, too.

Twosome: Kunal Khemu tries hard to look cool while we like Mahesh Manjrekar's bright blue shirt. Boman Irani, Soha Ali Khan and Vinod Khanna did not attend the film's premiere.

Pretty Face: Gorgeous hottie Urvashi Sharma is a picture of perfection in her neon print Mango dress.

Action Star: We don't know how Neha Dhupia is associated with action and adventure, but she sure looks hot. She is going to host the AXN Action Awards 2009. She says, "Hosting the AXN Action Awards gives me the chance to brush shoulders with the real daredevils of the Indian film industry. I am thrilled to be the host for the second consecutive year and honour some of the most stunning cinematic work in Bollywood. I respect the ideas and talent that goes into creating an action sequence, and I am thrilled to be a part of the platform that celebrates these deserving individuals.”

99 - Movie Review

99's credits have been shot slickly, and watching them you settle back into your seat. You expect the movie to be aimed at you, and it is.

Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha are friends who make fake simcards. The movie is set in 1999 when mobile phones were expensive and incoming wasn't free.

They overplay their hand and one of their customers leads the police to them.

As they flee, they steal a Mercedes-Benz, but cannot steer it and crash. The car belongs to Mahesh Manjrekar, a thug and a bookmaker. He tells the boys they must work for him to pay off their debt.

Boman Irani is a gambler in Delhi who thinks luck communicates with him through worldly signals.

His character reveals itself at a conference table in Bombay, when a cricket match is on in the next room. Irani's itching to bet but needs fortune to tell him she's on his side.

He asks her if he should punt.

If, he tells himself, that marker that's rolling across the table doesn't fall, the waiter unmindful of the wire drawn across from the wall doesn't trip, and the colleague who's unconsciously unwrapping the label from a used mineral water bottle does so without the label tearing in two, if all these three things happen, it's an unambiguous 'yes' from fortune.

They do: the marker's caught as it slides off the edge; the waiter steps over the wire; the wrapper comes off clean.
Boman goes to a bookmaker's shop and runs into Mahesh Manjrekar.

He wants to put Rs 4 lakh, on India (in 1999!), but is told that's not a big enough bet. It's Rs 20 lakh or nothing. He gambles, he loses.
Irani is one of Bollywood's two best actors. He's convincing in all he does and has been well cast in 99. He plays the man who must convince the world he has life under control when he's holding on by his fingernails.

Like some gamblers, he believes he can turn it around with his next punt.

That gives him hope, and the courage to take on the disappointment of his wife, who's left him, and the wrath of his creditors. You can see his desperation behind his mask. That makes him a terrific actor.

99's writing has an easy pace and it is lucid. The dialogue is urbane and keeps you focussed on the action.

Vinod Khanna (also a punter) and Boman are talking, when a cricket match about to be played later that day comes up. Does he have a tip, asks Boman. Tips are for waiters, says Khanna, not punters.

Manjrekar sends Khemu and Broacha to Delhi to recover from Irani. Staying in a five-star hotel, on Manjrekar's credit card, Khemu falls in love with the hotel's duty manager, Soha Ali Khan.

Boman works in a currency exchange firm and a client drops off $50,000 to be changed.

Boman is tempted to gamble with the money and hides it in his briefcase. The boys find it on a visit to his office, and take it from him. But it's stolen from them as well and the movie then spins into its long climax. Will the boys get the money back? Will Boman pull his life back together? Will Manjrekar let the boys go? Will Khemu bag Soha?

That's what you should watch the movie for: how all of this falls into place.

99 has some excellent performances.

There's a lovely role by Boman's rather short moneylender, who, having come to collect, takes Boman's phone and has a conversation with Boman's wife.

Mahesh Manjrekar is first rate. It's a wonder his presence in Slumdog wasn't noticed as much as, say, Anil Kapoor's was, because certainly he was better in the movie.

In 99, he tramples underfoot all the actors about him, especially in the first half, when he's up against only Khemu and Broacha.

His scenes as the slightly off-centre and short-tempered thug are delightful.

Vinod Khanna in his short role is effortless. He's put on a lot of weight and his once-rocklike face is now uncle-y soft. His eyes have become slits because of the fat on his cheeks. But he shows us the experience of his 35 years in acting.

If there is a problem with the movie, it is that a star is missing.

Kunal Kemu is lean and muscled, but he doesn't fill the screen. In the scenes he has to himself, there is a space that's vacant.

Soha Ali Khan is not as luminous as she was in Rang De Basanti. She's pleasant as she always is, because of her understated acting, but physically she looks wan.

Go watch 99. It's a good reason to get back into multiplexes again.

Finally, a film releases in multiplexes

New Bollywood release "99" starring Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan is expected to bring relief to multiplexes and film-starved movie buffs after nearly five weeks of a dry spell due to a deadlock between producers and multiplexes.

Made at a budget of over Rs.150 million, the film is releasing on Friday (May 15) worldwide with around 500 prints.

The makers of "99" are going out of way to release it despite the deadlock which halted the release of new movies last month. The producers are going for an independent release as the United Producers and Distributors Forum (UPDF) were against it.

Anupam Mittal, chairman of People Group, one of the producers of the movie, says that releasing the film without the industry's support was not easy.

"There were reservations from the producers' association and I understand their perspective. We tried having a dialogue and explaining our situation to them. They are not happy, but we don't have a choice," Mittal told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"When we approached the multiplexes for a release, it was like a call from heaven for them. They were very happy and welcomed the film with open arms," he added.

Mittal though refused to divulge details on the revenue sharing ratio arrived at between them and the multiplexes for "99".

Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K., "99" is a comedy inspired by real events in 1999 and 2000. Experts say "99" doesn't fall in the "big product" range, but it will bring footfalls. It also stars Boman Irani and Cyrus Broacha in the lead. Mahesh Manjrekar and Vinod Khanna will also be seen in pivotal roles.

People Group has co-produced the film with People Pictures.

"'99' is a multiplex movie as it has some star value attached to it. Moreover, the reports are positive for the movie from Mumbai and it just might help increase the footfalls," said a PVR cinemas official on condition of anonymity.

"However, we need at least four to five back-to-back big budget movies to draw in audiences in huge numbers. But we are pinning hopes that this movie might help in bringing audiences," the official added.

"99" has already had eight test screenings in Mumbai and one in New York and Mittal informs "anybody who has watched the film has thoroughly enjoyed it".

"We had timed our release during the IPL (Indian Premier League) because cricket plays an integral part to our film. Our first date was April 18, which was then pushed to May 1 and then further pushed to May 8. This was done because we were given to understand that the strike would be called off by May 5," said Mittal.

"But we can't wait any more. IPL gets over in a couple of weeks and our financiers have already waited patiently. We owe it to them and the entire cast and crew to get this movie out in the best way possible. We think May 15 gives us that platform and beyond that I cannot go or else I'd face some severe financial consequences," he added.

While, the advance bookings for the movie opened on Wednesday evening, multiplex chain like BIG Cinemas is also offering special offers like two tickets at Rs.99 for the first day first show of the film.