South Asian fi lmmaker's thriller brings mythical creatures to US

Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad

Freestyle Releasing has acquired the domestic theatrical rights to "Jinn", a supernatural thriller made by a South Asian fi lmmaker to introduce ancient mythological creatures to American cinegoers, from Detroit-based Exxodus Pictures. Written and directed by Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, US born son of immigrants from India, who moved to Pakistan then UK before coming to America, the fi lm has already created an online buzz with its trailer and related material generating over 2.5 million combined hits.

"Jinn" is also unique in that the hero vehicle used in the fi lm, known as the "Firebreather," was designed by Ahmad, who went to fi lm school in California, and is the fi rst vehicle in motion picture history available to the public for purchase.

The "Firebreather" is a V8, 618 horsepower super exotic American muscle car with 50 limited editions being produced as the exact replica of the vehicle in the fi lm. The car, several of which have already been sold, was designed by Exxodus Pictures to honor the Detroit automotive industry by creating a modern vehicle with the soul of classic American muscle.

The fi lm was produced by Ahmad and Benjamin Dresser, and stars Ray Park ("Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace"), Faran Tahir ("Iron Man", "Star Trek"), William Atherton ("Die Hard", "Ghostbusters"), Serinda Swan (A&E's "Breakout Kings"), and Dominic Rains ("Flight 93").

Richard Mandell, Najam Syed and Shahid Syed executive produced the fi lm for Exxodus. A release date for the fi lm will be announced in the forthcoming weeks. The premise of the jinn concept involves supernatural entities and revolves around creation mythology: In the beginning, three were created; man made of clay; angels made of light; and a third...made of fi re.

They are powerful due to their existence in a parallel world, and also because they have free will and can be both good and evil. "The Exxodus team and I are very excited to be working with Freestyle Releasing on the fi lm, especially with their experience and delivery model," said Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad. "We are happy to be distributing a fi lm that will introduce North American audiences to an entirely new, entirely different supernatural concept, and I know that our team is excited to get this movie out to the public," said Freestyle's Co-President Mark Borde.

Pattinson back with Stewart?

Actor Robert Pattinson has reportedly reunited with ex-girlfriend Kristen Stewart after realizing that he can't live without her. The 26-year-old, who was left devastated after discovering his girlfriend of four years had cheated on him with director Rupert Sander, has decided to give the actress another chance. "They pretty much decided they couldn't live without each other. Kristen poured her heart out to Robert and told him it was a oneoff and a mistake," femalefi rst.co.uk quoted a source as saying.

"Rob sees it as Kristen made a really stupid mistake. After a lot of long tearful talks, they've worked it out. Rob can see how truly sorry Kristen is and has totally forgiven her. They really do love each other," the source added.

Jolie visits refugee camp in Iraq

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, special envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, visited a camp for Syrian refugees in Iraq. Jolie met Iraqi Foreign M i n i s t e r H o s h y a r Zebari in Baghdad to discuss the conditions in the camps and the Iraqi government's efforts to meet the daily needs of the refugees, the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement. Iraq currently hosts 21,000 refugees who have fl ed the fi ghting in Syria. Most are in Iraq's western Anbar province and northern Duhok province.

In addition, about 31,000 Iraqi nationals, who had been living in Syria, have returned to Iraq since the fi ghting began, Zebari said. Earlier in the week, Jolie also visited camps for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

The uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which began 18 months ago, has resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 people, according to UN data.

Beckham wants James Bond car

Soccer ace David Beckham is eager to buy the Aston Martin car used by Daniel Craig in the James Bond fi lm "Quantum Of Solace".

Beckham is reportedly ready to splash more than 100,000 pounds to get the vehicle at the Christie's auction Oct 5, reports dailystar.co.uk. "Becks is a huge Bond fan and has always wanted to own something classy from the fi lms. So when he heard the auction was taking place, he was desperate to bag the car for himself," said a source.

However, his fellow footballer Cristiano Ronaldo also is bidding for the car.

"Ronaldo also has his eye on it, which might prove to be competition for Becks if they start a bidding war," the source added.

Motherhood is revolutionary: Penelope Cruz

Actress Penelope Cruz says having her son Leonardo was a life changing experience and has transformed her as a person.

The "To Rome With Love" actress has 20-month-old son Leonardo with her husband Javier Bardem.

"From the fi rst second, you feel so much in love. It is a revolutionary experience. That's the best way I can describe it. It transforms you completely, in a second," contactmusic. com quoted the 38-year-old as saying.

Anurag Basu makes KJo feel 'talentless'

Filmmaker Karan Johar feels "talentless" after watching Anurag Basu's "Barfi !" and says it would be an "honor" to work with actor Ranbir Kapoor who has excelled as a deaf and mute boy in the movie.

"I just saw 'Barfi !'...I have never felt more limited, inferior and talentless. Anurag Basu is the god of all fi lmmakers... his genius is 'Barfi !'," Johar tweeted. "Ranbir Kapoor has given the most outstanding performance... he deserves a running ovation! It will be an honor to work with him," he further tweeted.

Johar also heaped praises on Priyanka Chopra for her portrayal of an autistic girl. "Priyanka Chopra is just brilliant as Jhilmil. Superbly nuanced and pitch perfect. Her portrayal lingers long after the fi lm.. Well done Ileana (D'Cruz)!!! Superb debut... and Kudos to all at UTV for this masterpiece that defi nes the barometer of modern cinema," he added.

What gave Hugh Grant sleepless nights?

Actor Hugh Grant, who plays a cannibal in "Cloud Atlas", revealed that he was unable to sleep at nights because of the character he plays in the fi lm. Based on David Mitchell's 2004 novel of the same name, the fi lm will see Grant as Alberto Grimaldi.

"I don't remember the last time I was moved by a character so much. The make-up was applied to our faces for hours so we literally lived into those characters. It gave me lot of sleepless nights after the shoot," the 52-year-old said in a statement.

The fi lm is set to release in India in October and is codirected by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and Andy Wachowsk.

Salman Khan joins Facebook

After Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan has joined Facebook and given a sneak peak into the chain of Being Human stores opening in October. The actor's Facebook page went live Friday morning and has already got 2.6 million likes. In a video message posted on his page, Salman said: "A lot of people told me 'there are so many of (your) fake Facebook pages, so when are you joining it'. So here I am on this platform." "Jitne fake pages hain woh ya toh woh join kar le is page ko or kya kahun main? 'Fake off' (So all the fake pages either just join this page or, what can I say, fake off)."

"We are opening Being Human stores all over India starting October," he added.

Stop partying, Duchess Catherine warns Pippa

Duchess Catherine is reportedly not very happy with her sister Pippa Middleton's partying ways and has told her to stop acting like a "party girl."

The British royal was horrifi ed when her sister was spotted partying in New York with a string of men including hotelier Andre Balazs, 'Gossip Girl' star Chace Crawford and New York Rangers player Sean Avery. She has told Pippa to be more careful of how she acts in public, reports fema l e f i r s t . co.uk.

A source told Life & Style magazine: "Kate's mortifi ed that Pippa's been living it up in New York and acting like a party girl. Pippa needs to remember that how she acts - her partying, her fl irting with Andre and Chase - refl ects badly on Kate. "Kate has been reminding her sister not to embarrass her or the royal family. Kate's worried that Queen Elizabeth disapproves every time Pippa is out partying or making headlines."

Duchess Catherine's husband The source anxieties—he's been there and done that with his brother Prince Harry's antics. So he's been trying to calm her down. But Kate is very anxious about Pippa not putting a foot wrong."

Saroj Khan shares her signature desi moves at dance workshops in NYC & NJ

This September, the newly-formed Institute of Bollywood Dance and Film (IBDF) opened its doors to welcome Bollywood's legendary choreographer Saroj Khan to teach dance workshops to anyone with the desire to learn from one of the greatest artistic fi gures in the history of Indian cinema.

Saroj Khan is a pioneer in Bollywood, widely known for her innovative and classical technique- based choreography. Khan's visionary mind helped the Bollywood superstar Madhuri Dixit, along with several other starlets, achieve signifi cant career successes and a meteoric rise to fame. The Institute of Bollywood Dance and Film is a new and unique training arena for performers looking for potential careers in the Indian fi lm industry. "We're looking to bridge the gap between passionate amateur performers and working professionals," says IBDF founder Rujuta Vaidya, "while providing extraordinary training and networking opportunities to individuals who are interested in moving towards a career in the performing arts, especially in Bollywood."

Rujuta Vaidya, an acclaimed choreographer herself, has worked with Britney Spears on her 2009 "Circus" Tour, The E! Network "Morning Show," The Black Eyed Slumdog Millionaire Academy Award winning track "Jai Ho" with A.R. Rahman and John Legend at the Oscars, Disney Channel's "Cheetah Girls: One World" feature fi lm, and the "Journey Home" A.R. Rahman 2010 World Tour. In addition to these recent projects, Vaidya has also worked on various Bollywood fi lms over the last decade, her most recent being Sridevi's comeback movie, "English Vinglish." One of Vaidya's most high profi le assignments was choreographing Priyanka Chopra's NFL commercial (featuring music by artist Will.I.Am).