Meet the Ungli Gang : Trailer out now!

The much awaited trailer of Ungli , is here!

A story of five rebellious friends who decide to fight back against the corrupt system.

Watch what happens when the UNGLI GANG decides to the mock the system publicly, to get justice.

‘Jab ghee seedhi aur tedhi , dono ungli se na nikle to beech ka rasta apnana padta hai’

Happy Birthday Ranbir Kapoor!

The heartthrob of contemporary Bollywood films and a Dream-boy of sorts, one of the most successful young actors in the industry, Ranbir Kapoor, turns a year older today! Born on September 28, 1982, Ranbir Kapoor belongs to the first film family of Bollywood. Son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor and grandson of Raj Kapoor, we at Dharma Productions would love to wish Ranbir Kapoor a very Happy Birthday and many more glorious and wonderful years ahead!

In his 7 years in the industry, Ranbir has established himself as one of India's finest actors. He gets better with each coming movie. One can't help but notice his wise and well thought out movie choices. In ‘Wake Up Sid’ we see him play the role of a spoiled, carefree son of a wealthy businessman, whose only interest in life is to have fun and spend his father's money. But gradually after having to live alone, and facing various discomforts, he discovers his passion for photography. He depicts the story so brilliantly that it is inspiring every time you watch it

We see his mischievous character at play in the super hit dance sequence in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. ‘Badtameez Dil’ still remains to be one song we can’t stop grooving to!

Ranbir, please continue to do the work you do and wow your fans with your amazing performances. As the dashing dude of Bollywood Ranbir celebrates his 32nd birthday today, join us in wishing him a very Happy Birthday. Be the first one to wish your favourite star by posting lovely birthday messages in the comments below.

Meet the Parents

Most marriages around the world paint a picture of a boy falling in love with a girl, asking her to marry him and if she agrees, they get married. But in India, this process is a bit more complicated. First the boy and girl fall in love, then the girl’s parents meet the boy. Next, the boy’s parents have to meet the girl. Finally, the boy’s parents meet the girl’s parents and only if they get along with each other does the couple stand a chance at getting married! Confusing, isn’t it?

Ananya and Krish were also left perplexed when they realized that falling in love was just not enough to get married. It is a common saying in our culture that when you get married, you don’t just marry your partner, but also the entire family! ‘2 States’ is a movie about one such comical situation where Krish Malhotra (Arjun Kapoor), from a family who is very proud of their Punjabi heritage, meets Ananya (Alia Bhatt), who comes from a conservative Tamil Brahmin family. The culturally opposed parents start off warring making the union of North and South seem almost impossible, from the very first time they meet.

To win over Ananya’s family, Krish leaves his family in Delhi, and starts a banking job in Chennai. He tutors her younger brother Manju, gets Radha (Ananya’s mom) an opportunity to sing at an event for his workplace, and helps Shiv (Ananya’s father) create his first PowerPoint Presentation. While Ananya impresses Krish's family by saving his cousin's wedding from being cancelled due to a dispute over dowry. With this and a few more hurdles, finally the couple manage to convince their parents despite the dissimilarities.

Due to varied cultural differences in society, it can be very difficult for two families from different cultural backgrounds to come together and agree to let their children get married. ‘2 States’ is a must watch for anyone going through similar situations in their love lives. It will inspire you to fight the odds and marry your one true love!

Ungli - First Look

Presenting the first look of Ungli, produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar.
Directed by Rensil D'silva, starring Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Kangna Ranaut, Neil Bhoopalam, Angad Bedi and Sanjay Dutt. It is slated to be released on 28th November 2014.

Happy Birthday Kareena Kapoor Khan!

An actress with many personas, truly a diva of Bollywood cinema, Kareena Kapoor Khan has shown us unparalleled potential in her history with Dharma Productions. Her versatility in style has shone through her characters in numerous blockbuster films with us. It is with great pride that we would like to wish Bebo a very Happy Birthday!

We see her make her debut in Dharma films in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...’ as Poo, a popular fashion-obsessed diva and a student at King's College London. We see the passionate side of Bebo in ‘Kurbaan’ where she plays the role of Avantika Ahuja, who falls in love with Ehsaan Khan played by Saif Ali Khan. In ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’ Kareena plays Riana Braganza, a hairstylist who tries to add zing to Rahul Kapoor's (Imran Khan) monotonous life following their marriage. Her character is a strong confident woman who knows exactly what she is doing. Even though she does not have a house or a job, she is a positive person... very similar to the way she is in real life. And let’s not overlook that unforgettable role as Dia Sharma in ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’. Her social work for the betterment of our society, especially the less fortunate also resonates in her real life .

We at Dharma Productions are tremendously honored to have worked with such a versatile and talented actor! Once again we wish Kareena a very Happy and joyous Birthday and many years of great acting ahead! Why don’t you join us in the celebration and let us know your favorite Bebo moments in our movies in the comments below…

Happy Birthday Mahesh Bhatt!

A film director gives direction to the cast and crew and creates an overall vision through which a film eventually becomes realized. While some film directors started as screenwriters, film editors or actors, Mahesh Bhatt, at the early age of just 26 made his debut as a director. We proudly celebrate the Birthday of one of the most amazing directors we have had with Dharma Productions; Mahesh Bhatt we would like to wish you a very Happy Birthday!

‘Duplicate’ was the second film Mahesh Bhatt directed for Dharma productions after ‘Gumrah’. The film has Shah Rukh Khan starring in a double role, as Bablu Chaudhary, a bubbly young man and Manu (Bablu's lookalike), who is a ruthless criminal on the run from the cops. The film is a comedy about a side-splitting mix up between these two completely opposite individuals, and is a tribute to Mahesh Bhatt’s incredible directing skills. It certainly was a great pleasure to work with a director of such great caliber in the making of this film.

Mahesh Bhatt, we thank you for all the fun times and memorable moments you have given us and our audience through films like ‘Duplicate’. Directors like you make it such a wonderful and lively experience for the entire cast and crew! We wish you all the best on your future projects and a life time of good health and happiness.

One Delicious Year of the Lunchbox!

We see them hard at work, delivering lunchboxes from the thousands of wives and mothers, to the offices of the hard working men of Mumbai on a daily basis. Between 175,000 and 200,000 lunch boxes are moved by 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas, all with an extremely small fee and with utmost punctuality. It is a known fact that dabbawalas make less than one mistake in every six million deliveries. But what happens when that one mistake is made? We get an epic film about a love story that emerges between a wife trying to rekindle the romance with her husband through her cooking, and a lonely stranger who is about to retire.

In ‘The Lunchbox’, Saajan (Irrfan Khan), a lonely man on the verge of retirement, receives a lunch box that is supposed to be sent to Ila’s (Nimrat Kaur) husband, Rajiv (Nakul Vaid). Soon after she realizes the mistake, Ila sends a note along with the next day’s lunchbox explaining that the lunchboxes may have been interchanged during delivery. This leads to a friendly conersation between two people who haven’t even met in person. They share their experiences and thoughts on a daily basis through this lunchbox-letter system. Through their conversations, he gets to know that she is upset as her husband seems to have lost interest in her. We can see how Saajan starts to develop feelings for Ila, when he hears of a woman’s suicide from a tall tower and fears it to be Ila. As the movie progresses along, their bond grows stronger and you’ll need to watch it to find out more!

The film was written and directed by Ritesh Batra and jointly produced by Dharma Productions in collaboration with other production houses. We are very proud of the outcome as ‘The Lunchbox’ was screened at the International Critics’ week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and also won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award! It was also shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and also did outstanding at the box office.

Today on its one year Anniversary, we want to remember those savory moments in the film, and we would also like to thank all the production teams and people who made this film such an outstanding success. Do join in our one year celebration and let us know your favourite moments in the comments below.

That friend who is always dieting

We find them in all shapes and sizes. Some are chubby, some a little more chubby and then there are those who are simply XXXL! You guessed it; we are talking about those friends who always seem to be on a diet all year round. Whether you go for a nice dinner to a fancy restaurant and they order only a basic salad, or be it the times you go for pizza and they order the thin crust pizza, without any cheese or toppings! (What’s really left then?)

Everyone comes across such calorie counting friends, such as Gurpreet Kaur (Riya Vij) in Sonam Nair’s ‘Gippi’. In the film we see Gurpreet aka Gippi as an awkward school girl going through adolescence. She is extremely conscious about her overweight body and doesn't know how to handle the physical, emotional and social changes growing up entails. She steps up to the challenge and decides to shed a few extra pounds through dieting and exercise. One would say her exercise regime is a little unorthodox though, when we see her brother Booboo dangling a doughnut in front of her face while she does crunches!

We can relate to this as many of our friends need a little motivation at times, in the form of a nice tasty morsel in front of them. Dieting makes a lot of sense but exceptions can be made every now and then. How many times have our friends declined sharing a nice chocolate doughnut because ‘it has too many calories’? People need to learn to follow their diet without having to forfeit the fun times spent with others. At the end of the day, such people, just like Gippi, will succeed in their goal of losing weight, but at what cost? Was it really worth missing out on all those tasty treats just so that they become slim only to put on weight again?

It is our job as friends to make sure they keep with their diets but not go overboard with it! So if you have a chubby buddy who’s on a super strict diet and doesn’t eat anything worthwhile when you go out, do convince them that life isn’t only about dieting but also about enjoying the finer things in life.

Do girls choose to make someone perfect? Or do they choose the perfect guy?

We’ve all seen and loved ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’. We’ve laughed, cried and experienced every emotion with Kavya, Humpty and Angad. The movie did bring up one topic though; do girls look for perfect relationships or the perfect man? Or is it both? Here’s a reminder about the characters from the movie, hopefully after this list, you’ll be able to decide – 

1) Humpty is from Delhi and is usually roaming around with his best buddies and occasionally also decides to do his duty and take care of his dad’s bookstore. Angad, is a qualified doctor from America. 

2) Humpty has never been a great student but has found creative ways to pass his exams, like bribing the teachers, Angad on the other hand always seems serious about his career. 

3) Humpty can’t be bothered to work out, while Angad is more conscious about his fitness. 

4) Angad is an incredible cook, while Humpty would probably try and slice through an onion with the blunt side of a knife. 

5) Angad seems calm and collected at all times and never gets angry, while Humpty is a hot blooded male who will kill to keep his loved ones safe. 

6) Angad is clean and healthy, never drinks or smokes as he wants to stay that way. Humpty on the other hand always tries to live life to the fullest. 

7) Angad is always sharp, calculating every move, while Humpty is emotional and naïve at most times. 

So it brings us back to the question, what are girls looking for? 

Relationships are made incredible when two completely imperfect people look at each other and fill in the gaps to make their love perfect. It’s not too hard to choose, we all love that person who brings a spark into our lives, who knows what he/she is capable of and who we believe we can fall in love with. In the movie Humpty is that man. 

Finally, a villain you will fall in love with!

Sanjay Dutt garnered appreciation from all quarters for his wicked smile, puffed-up eyes and malicious appearance in ‘Agneepath’. However, he admits that his 'villainous' act scared him as well. In Karan Johar's Agneepath, Sanjay essays the role of the villainous Kancha, a reprisal of the equally villainous ‘Kancha Cheena’ made notorious by the inimitable Danny Denzongpa in the original movie, while Hrithik Roshan  reprises the role of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan.

Dutt’s Kancha is shown as a wicked bald man who dons a black Dhoti Kurta, with an overpowering physique, tattoos on his arms, a silver ring on top of his left ear and sporting a black Dhoti Kurta. This menacing look of Sanjay Dutt in the film was painstakingly created to meet the director’s expectations. Karan Malhotra admits that Kancha’s look was designed keeping Marlon Brando’s ‘Apocalypse Now’s’ bald look in mind, Sanjay however respectfully disagrees. Other than the earrings that Brando’s Colonel Walter E Kurtz doesn’t wear Sanjay points out that Kancha doesn’t even have eyebrows and eyelashes. Sanjay was initially supposed to go in for prosthetics but when the make-up started melting in the heat of Diu, he decided to shave his head for the first time in his life.

The bald look instantly became an eye catcher in the film’s first promos, as did the dialogue, ‘Vijay Deenanath Chauhan ko marna padega’ (Vijay Deenanath Chauhan has to die), followed by vile laughter. Dutt admits that he was inspired by Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Batman and it was on his mind when he was working on Kancha‘s laugh. In an interview, Sanjay also admitted that during dubbing for the film he needed to take a break because he couldn’t see himself like this, his own portrayal of Kancha left him disturbed! Sanjay says, “Our film is not a remake but a tribute to Agneepath and its director Mukul Anand. It’s Karan Malhotra’s vision and story. It took guts for a debutant director to take on an iconic film, but he’s come through with flying colours. He even made life simple for me by sketching out Kancha perfectly.”

Everyone who’s seen the film will agree that Kancha is one villain you will grow to love, simply for the iconic way in which Sanjay Dutt has pulled off the role. For someone who has always played the more heroic roles, this was a first for Sanjay Dutt and he certainly deserves applause!

Love knows no boundaries!

                                      

“Rishtey sirf khoon se nahi hoti... mohabbat se bhi bante hai,” this heart-warming quote by Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) in ‘My Name Is Khan’ says a lot about the nature of love. It holds deep meaning in regards to how love can transcend all kinds of boundaries, whether it is religion or even familial ties.

In the movie, Rizwan Khan falls in love with a Hindu woman, Mandira (Kajol), even though his brother Zakir (Jimmy Shergill) is opposed to him having an inter-caste relationship. Rizwan goes against all odds and marries her. His unbiased love for Mandira becomes apparent in the beauty salon when we hear him narrating the line “Physics ki ek Entrainment theory hai jiske mutabik....Kuch khaas awazon se dil ki dhadkanein or bhi tez ho jaati hai..Mere liye toh Mandira woh awaaz humesha tumhaari Hasi ki hai” He finds true love in her as she is willing to accept him despite his religious beliefs. They embark on a wonderful journey, supporting each other every step of the way.

In our present day lives where racism and intolerance are still seen widespread, we should live by this extraordinary example of love that Rizwan and Mandira share. We admire Shahrukh Khan’s character Rizwan for having shown us that love alone can bring about change by breaking communal barriers and turning it into communal love.

Different shades of Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan shares a very special spot in our Dharma Family. He has played a wide spectrum of roles in the history of Dharma films. A high school student, a terminally ill patient, a successful soccer player and finally an autistic individual accused of being a terrorist; yes Shahrukh Khan has done it all and done it well. He has shown vast amounts of versatility in the various roles he has pulled off in our films.

We all fell in love with Mr. Khan when he played the role of a college heartbreaker, in one of his first films with Dharma Productions; ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. Those heart-touching moments he has with Anjali (Kajol) when he tells her “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Anjali, tum nahi samjhogi” still brings back memories to us. He also did an outstanding performance in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ where he plays the role of an adopted child who does his best to please his parents and show them his love and respect. He is an ideal child who always thrives to expresses his loyalty and devotion to his family. In ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ we see Shahrukh Khan playing the role of Aman Mathur, a terminally ill patient who tries to play matchmaker for Naina (Preity Zinta) and her friend, Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan). Their on-screen relationship brings tears to much of our audience eyes even till date.

We then see Mr. Khan transform into a slightly different persona when he plays the role of a successful soccer player, who loses his career due to an accident in ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’. He along with Maya (Rani Mukerji) are seen throughout the movie as trying to help each other fix their respective marriages but end up realizing they are made to be with each other. Finally, we see King Khan as the autistic Rizwan in ‘My Name Is Khan’. He takes the request of his wife Mandira (Kajol), seriously and sets out on an epic journey to tell the people of the United States and the President that his name is Khan and that he is not a terrorist.

Shahrukh Khan starring in Dharma Productions films over the years has given us an idea of just how multi-talented and how good an actor he is! We would like to thank SRK for all the magical moments and memorable times he has given us in such lovely and diverse performances! Thank you SRK, you truly are ‘King Khan’!

Spread a smile around everyone

We all know that famous saying 'Charity begins at home.' And in India all it takes is a few steps outside any decent home to realise the amount of social work needed to help the hundreds of poor and homeless around us. In recent times, NGO's have started to spread all over the country with social workers helping bring back smiles to the underprivileged one person at a time.

In 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein' Kareena Kapoor's character Dia Sharma plays the role of one such social worker. Dia, the social activist is seen working with AIDS patients, performing deliveries of animal and human babies and protesting land grabbing in urban areas. She leaves behind a lavish lifestyle just so that she can help the less fortunate in and around her locality. Her ultimate goal is to bring happiness to the community and make everyone smile.

In 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein', Dia gets very upset and breaks up with her boyfriend Sriram Venkat (Imran Khan) when she finds out that he has bought a plot of land where an orphanage is to be built. Her outlook on life is based on helping the community and not based on selfish motives. Even in real life we see Kareena as the celebrity face for UNICEF who is time and again seen visiting orphanages and schools. While most stars celebrated Eid with their families, she chose to turn it into a compassionate day by celebrating the festival with kids from an orphanage. She truly does justice to her onscreen persona as Dia Sharma.

We thank you Kareena Kapoor, for teaching us to spread love and joy; especially among the less fortunate. You are one of the most iconic role models of our time and we have a lot to learn from you.

The Many Sweet and Sour Moments of Friendship

Friendship is portrayed in such a heartwarming yet funny way in Bollywood movies that we can’t help but search for it in our personal lives. Be it the iconic Jodi of Abhi and Rohan in ‘Student Of The Year’ or Kabir Thapar aka Bunny and Avi from ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, it seems to resonate with our personal lives. Lots of viewers seem to connect with the kind of friendship shared between Bunny and Avi in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’.

Friends share a special place in our lives and we talk to them about every little thing. In ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ Naina (Deepika Padukone) meets Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) by sheer coincidence at a train station as she is boarding a train. He agrees to share his train seat with her and take her on a trip along with him and his friends. Naina for the first time drinks with Bunny as he tells her of his dream to roam around the world. He shares a moment with her and expresses how he never wants to settle down or have anything to hold him back from living his life the way he wants it.

The three of them (Bunny, Avi and Aditi) are inseparable friends throughout the film but their friendship comes close to its breaking point when Avi (Aditya Roy Kapur) finds an offer letter in Bunny’s bag. Aditi’s (Kalki Koechlin) wedding reunites them back together and they get back to having fun moments with each other. And let’s not forget about the sticky situation they get caught up in where the goons in Manali chase the awesome foursome of Bunny, Avi, Naina and Aditi. It finally turns out to be a hilarious, wacky, crazy sequence which the four end up escaping in fun and laughter. These best friends truly stick to the phrase ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed.’ They may have had their ups and downs but at the end of the day they always let go of their differences and make it a point to cherish their friendship.

The film is a great tribute to the everlasting relationship of friendship which can be the strongest bond in the world! Are you missing them, here’s a reason why you should relive those memorable moments with your awesome friends because Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani:

Happy Teachers Day!

“Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system“. This famous quote reminds us just how important the role of a teacher is in our lives. They mold us and give us the very foundations to develop into what we are as adults. Today let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the more famous teachers we had with Dharma productions.

Dharma productions put a humorous spin on teachers and has completely changed the way we look at them. We all had a few giggles at the flirtatious relationship between Miss Braganza and Mr. Malhotra in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. The scene where she struts by in a short skirt just as Mr. Malhotra is lecturing students that short skirts are banned is quite hilarious and kwit… um… ‘cute’ at the same time. This just goes to show that teachers are human beings too and not simply strict authoritarians that most people picture them to be. And how can we forget that tender moment in ‘Student Of The Year’ when Dean Vashisht slowly creeps up behind Coach Shah and gives him a very ‘soothing’ shoulder massage?

We at Dharma productions would like to raise our glasses to all those passionate and quirky teachers out there! Here’s to Ms. Braganza, Mr. Malhotra, Dean Vashisht, Coach Shah and all teachers across the globe; we salute you for the sheer dedication and efforts you take to make us better individuals in our lives and thank you for the laughs you have provided on the way!

Happy Birthday Rishi Kapoor!

The proverb “old is gold” holds true with actor, film producer and director Rishi Kapoor. Just like fine wine, he has matured over time into an amazing actor and we are proud to have him as a part of our Dharma family. Today we joyously celebrate the birthday of one of the most versatile actors of our time; Rishi Kapoor here’s wishing you a very Happy Birthday!
His power packed performance in Agneepath as Rauf Lala, an underworld drug lord, left fans with chills down their spine! He seamlessly pulled of the absolute unabashed, unapologetic, evil portrayal of Rauf Lala. The brilliant part is that even when he was trading off young girls you still see him as a flawed human being instead of a monster and that is a feat only Rishi Kapoor can pull off.
In contrast to Agneepath, Rishi Kapoor displayed remarkable flexibility when he played the role of Dean Yogendra Vashisht, in Student Of The Year. It was for the first time ever that a mainstream actor enacted such a diverse role and with Rishi Kapoor playing the role of a flamboyant man, he certainly gave us a power-packed performance.
We are extremely proud to have worked with such a legend and hope to see him starring in many future Dharma Productions. Here’s to you ‘Chintuji’, may you have many successful years ahead. Do join in the celebration and share your favorite Rishi Kapoor scene from Dharma movies in the comments below.

Celebrating 4 Years of We Are Family!

It’s been 4 years since ‘We Are Family’ directed by Sidharth Malhotra hit the screens and we still sense a few tears rolling down the cheeks of many of our fans. It certainly was a heart-touching film with which many families can relate to. A terminally ill mother played by Kajol, trying her best to ensure a bright future for her husband played by Arjun Rampal and their three kids.

Doesn’t the line “Zindagi ko ab saalon ki jagah lamho mein ginna seekh lo” still hold deep connect with our lives? It makes us realize that we should cherish every moment that we spend with our loved ones.

This is a timeless film that Dharma fans would love to watch again; the songs ‘Hamesha & Forever’ and ‘Dil Khol Ke Let's Rock’ still bring back sweet memories of those fun-filled moments during the film. It will always remain the go-to film when you just want to cuddle up with your family and spend quality time with the ones that matter the most to you! We thank you for your constant love and support