www.hindustantimes.comNew Delhi, Monday February 23, 2009, 8 Pages

HT City awards Bollywood’s Worst of the Worse in 2008

Team HT City

As the drama of the Oscars unfoldsbefore you, we bring you the resultsof the anti-Oscars; the 29th GoldenRaspberry Award, popularly known

as the Razzies.For the past 29 years the Razzies have

been giving ‘dis-honours’ to the worstmovies of each year. The awards call onviewers all over the world to vote on the‘Berry Worst’ in each category. They havealso been called “the foremost authorityon all things that suck on the bigscreen,” by E!Online. .

Announced on the eve of the81st Academy Awards, this yearthe Razzies too had a strongIndia connect thanks to M NightShyamalan’s The Happening andMike Myer’s The Love Guru. Infact The Happening, TheLove Guru and Indiana Jonesand the Kingdom of theCrystal Skull were a lot morepopular in India than Oscarcontenders like the CuriousCase of Benjamin Buttonand The Reader, (the latter

has yet to release in India, while the formerreleased recently).

This year the Razzie for the worst picturewent to The Love Guru, with Mike Myersbagging Worst Actor for the same film.Worst Actress honours went to Paris Hiltonfor The Hottie and the Nottie, who even wonWorst Supporting Actress for Repo: TheGenetic Opera and Worst Screen Couplewith Christine Lakin ‘and either’ JoelDavid Moor for The Hottie and the Nottie.Pierce Brosnan won Worst SupportingActor for Mamma Mia while India Jones

and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullwon the Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel. Uwe Boll won BestDirector for three of his movies1968: Tunnel Rats, In The Name ofThe King: A Dungeon SiegeTale,and Postal.

The founders of the Razziesare currently negotiating adeal that will allow theseawards to be broadcast ontelevision as well. So, nextyear, those of you fatigued byOscar-mania can watch theworst win their well deservedaccolades.

Zabeeh Afaque

What will Bollywood do if healthminister A Ramadoss turns up atits doorstep with a decree that

says: ‘No smoking on the sets, becausefilm sets are workplaces’? On hearingfrom HT City that Salman Khan has beenphotographed smoking on the sets of Veerin Rajasthan, that’s Ramadoss’ next mis-sion. Bollywood better watch out.

The industry reacts cautiously, lessvocal this time than it was whenRamadoss wanted smoking scenes out offilms. Delhi 6 director RakeyshOmprakash Mehra, a smoker himself,upholds the right to light up. “Everybodyhas a different culture,” says Mehra. “Iam fine with it if you are not smoking inanyone’s face.”

Singer-actor Sonu Nigam describeshimself as “someone who has smoked inhis film Love in Nepal, yet doesn’t carrycigarettes”. He is a “firm believer in thefreedom to do the things we want to do”.Why do governments have to be hypocriti-cal, he asks. “Worldwide, they allow thesale of tobacco products and behave as ifthey are innocent,” says Nigam.

Abhishek Kapoor, the director of RockOn!!, endorses Ramadoss’ viewpoint. “Ithink it [smoke-free sets] should bemandatory. It will mean a cleaner work-space and more discipline,” he feels.Actor Purab Kohli, who has given upsmoking, wants to work in a ciggy-freezone, too. “Besides the smoke in the air,

the stubs on the floor really botherme,” says Purab.

But how, asks filmmaker VikramBhatt, would the minister ensuresmoke-free sets on location shoots?Bhatt Ramadoss’ comment as a rejoin-der after the Delhi High Court allowedsmoking on-screen. “I think the minis-ter might be upset that the ruling hasgone against him. So a new plan! Not abad one at all, I admit,” says Bhatt. “Theset is a workplace and there should beno smoking, but I wonder if he is goingto come with us to an icy mountaintop inthe Alps at minus 10 degrees to keep aneye on us. He is welcome but I ain’t buy-ing his ticket!”

zabeeh.afaque@hindustantimes.com

Hall ofSHAMEJust before the Oscars awardthe best, the Razzies(dis)honour the worst of 2008

He’s out to get you

Nicole turns redhead again P8

says Freida’s ex-fianceas he and his friendsboycott the Oscars

Neha Sharma and ANI

Rohan Antao is a bitterman today. While thewhole world has its eyes

glued to the Oscars on TV,Rohan is trying to deal withthe pain caused by FriedaPinto's betrayal…and he holdsthe movie Slumdog Millio-naire and Freida’s co-star DevPatel responsible.

In an interview to theBritish newspaper News of theWorld, Rohan reveals thatPinto not only compelled himto stay mum about their eng-agement, for the benefit of themovie, but also snubbed himto be with her onscreen lover.

When HT City contactedRohan’s friends, most of them,on condition of anonymity,claimed that they are solidlywith Rohan through thistough phase. “I think Rohan israther lucky to be rid of aninsincere friend earlyenough,” says the friend whoshared the couple’s engage-ment photos with HT City. “Iwould avoid watching theOscars,”says another friendbefore hanging up.

In the interview, 24-year-oldRohan Antao further says thatFreida dumped him through aphone call while she was pro-moting the film with her 6-year-junior co-star. “She endedit with me after getting closeto Dev Patel. Now everywhereI go I see them on billboards. Iam devastated,” he says.

“I hate the film. It wreckedmy relationship. As soon as itbecame a success and shestarted spending all her timewith Dev, she ended it,” headded. Rohan continues, “Shedecided she didn’t want to bewith me any more. She saidshe wanted us to be friends.But how can I be when she hasdestroyed my faith in love?”

“She is infatuated with Dev.I don’t know if they were hav-ing a sexual relationship but ifI came face to face with him Iwould have things to say. Thisis a very hard time for me,because as much as I don’twant to let go, I have to. I wishher success in her career, but Ican’t watch the Oscars, and Idon’t want to watch the film-itwrecked our love.”neha.sharma@hindustantimes.com

She is infatuatedwith Dev. I don’tknow if theywere having asexual relation-ship but if I cameface to face withhim I would havethings to say...

—ROHAN ANTAO

Freida Pinto with DevPatel

Worst Film The Nominees

TashanDronaLove Story 2050

And the award goes toTashanSo busy getting Kareenainto a size zero for thefilm, the filmmakersmanaged to score a zerofor everything else aswell. This disaster wasbrawny and brainless

Worst ActorThe Nominees

Abhishek Bachchan forDronaHarman Baweja forLove Story 2050Salman Khan for Yuvraaj

And the award goes toAbhishek BachchanFor his slow-motionswagger in fast-pacedaction scenes andwooden expressions

Worst Actress The Nominees

Rani Mukerjee for Thoda Pyar, ThodaMagicMallika Sherawat inMaan Gaye ...Katrina Kaif forYuvvraaj

And the award goes toRani MukherjeeRani’s inspid acting andpoor choice of role, andwardrobe left fans aghast

Worst DirectorThe Nominees

Vijay Krishna Acharyafor TashanGoldie Behl for DronaHarry Baweja for LoveStory 2050

And the award goes toHarry Baweja A botched up plot, plas-tic sets, ridiculouseffects...The movie put Indian audiences off Sci Fi forever

Worse by far: Paris Hilton

and Mike Myers (top)

Cancer-stricken reality TV star JadeGoody and her fiance Jack Tweed got mar-ried on Sunday in a lavish ceremony at acountry house hotel in UK. The ceremonywas aired on cable television, and thephotographs sold exclusively to a maga-zine. A brash young British reality TV starwhose ups and downs have captivated thenation is approaching her death the sameway she has lived — on television. Givenjust months to live from cervical cancerthat has spread to her liver and bowels,27-year-old Jade Goody saw no reason toturn the cameras off now. — AP

Goody’s $200 mnwedding

STOPPRESS

AnupamKhergives advice onrelation-ships andlove

I HATESLUMDOG...

A Ramadoss (above) and Salman Khan in the contro-versial pic (right)

PTI

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J K

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AP