Ash-Abhishek to marry on Feb 19?

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are set to tie knot on February 19. Thats's the big news doing round in Bollywood these days.

According to sources, Bachchans' family astrologer has given the nod for ceremony soon after the release of their new film Guru. According to him Feb 19 is the ideal time for the couple to wed, as Rai's celestial planetary position will become compatible.

The wedding reception will be held in Mumbai at the Santacruz Hyatt and the who’s who of bollywood will attend the event. Neeta Lulla and Anna Singh will design the wedding dress for Ash and Abhishek respectively.

Sources claim that Ash and Abhi recently made an announcement at a friend’s party that they would be tying the knot, however the media will not be allowed to get an inside peak at one of the most happening events of bollywood.

In the meanwhile Ash will accompany Abhishek Bachchan and family for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Yuvraj Singh to make Bollywood debut

Aspiring musician Yuvraj Singh will soon make his debut in Bollywood.

Singh's cine career will take off through Prakash Jha's Love Story and is an Entertainment One production.

A multi-faceted personality, Yuvraj not only plays cricket, but loves to write, compose music and plays the guitar with felicity. He was the lead guitarist for the Music Society in St.Stephen’s College.

Completing his higher studies in the UK, he trained himself as an actor and presenter in a renowned acting school.

In Mumbai, he met several directors and producers, before Prakash Jha zeroed in on him to hone his acting talents.

Yuvraj performs with the electrical, acoustic and Spanish guitars.Ballads, fusion, metal and heavy strumming are his preferences.

Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Steve Vai, Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd, etc are a few artists that he admires. Yuvraj also likes Led Zeppllin, Ozzy Osburne,AXL Rose, Robert Plant, Sting and many more.

"I want to do roles that are symbolic of the social, cultural, political, economic and historical significance. The role should have an impact and be meaningful to the society," Yuvraj Singh said.

Singh says he wants to perform different roles during his acting career, and would not like to be branded in a particular milieu.

Singh is a believer in destiny, and is quite philosophical about what life will eventually dish out for him.

"I have to create a mark in the world of cinema," he says.

Casino Royale

Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Mads Mikkelsen, Caterina Murino
Director: Martin Campbell
Rating: ****

"Casino Royale" is really good and Daniel Craig as the new Bond is the best Bond in a very long time. Ever since it was announced that Craig would take on the title role, critics have slammed the choice, relished reports that he couldn't drive the Aston Martin car, and Craig himself had to bear terrible injuries. But it makes it all worthwhile in the end.

The film goes back to the drawing board and traces the way Bond invents himself. He has just been given the "00" status and is too trigger-happy piling on the causalities. He is also raw psychologically and has to mature. Bond has to put his ego in place, learn to respect women and win battles with more character than strength.

The movie by Martin Campbell, who also directed Pierce Brosnan in "Goldeneye", is dramatically streamlined. There are no expensive explosions or nifty gadgets - just great action sequences.

Atypical of it's predecessors, this movie's action sequences consists of the enemy being drowned in the washbasin, choked in a hotel stairwell or just being chased through a construction site - one of the most simple but exhilarating action sequences of any Bond movie.

This movie, in many ways, is the antithesis of the Bond archetype. Apart from the simpler action sequences, there are no one-liners, sexual innuendos and hi-tech gadgets.

It takes Bond almost half way into the movie to put on his tuxedo. Before this, he walks around in ordinary looking but comfortable street clothes that accentuate Craig's physique and prominent biceps.

The penultimate fight between the hero and villain is settled over a game of poker at the Casino Royale and the winner is determined through a test of character and not physical strength.

In the most revealing line of the uniqueness of this movie, a bartender when taking the order of martini asks Bond, "Shaken or stirred?" and Bond spits back at him, "Do I look like I give a damn?"

The supporting actors compliment the look and feel of the film. French actress Eva Green is stunning but also brings in a great touch of coolness and vulnerability. She, unlike other Bond girls, is more intellectual and natural. Her scenes with Craig are subtle yet intense and their sexual chemistry radiates throughout.

The villain Le Chiffre is played by Mads Mikkelsen who has blood for tears and unlike other Bond villains does not care about power or running the world but wants money instead.

Craig is also the first Bond to hurt and bleed properly. He stands in front of the bathroom mirror taking in the pain and needing a scotch to numb the pain. His scars remain the next day and the movie shows the time they take to heal.

As an actor, Craig brings in a lot more pure acting skills and athletic prowess. The film strives to be more rooted in reality than the glossy, fantasy world of the earlier Bond movies.

"Casino Royale" introduces us to the spy who we thought we knew all about but instead reveals a rough-edged man with no refinement, prone to violence and vulnerable enough to fall desperately in love. This is Bond inventing himself. And it is great that we have Craig to show us how he does it.