He had a way with words, written and spoken.

One of the leading lights of Reason… gone forever.

Christopher Hitchens at home in Washington, D.C., July 18, 2010. Photograph by John Huba for Vanity Fair.

If you analyze the  cast of the last 3 big budget Bollywood blockbusters which grossed the INR 100 Crore mark:  ”3 Idiots”, “Golmaal 3″ and “Bodyguard”, you find only one common factor: Kareena Kapoor 

She has become the only actor or actress to give 3 back to back movies which grossed  INR 100 Crore at the box office!

The only other actor who can come close is of course Salman Khan with  3 back to back box office successes in “Dabangg”, “Ready” and “Bodyguard”, but “Ready” didnt gross INR 100 Crore.

Small wonder that the trade press has coined her a new nickname in the industry:  “The 100 Crore Heroine”.

Kareena Kapoor dancing to "Chammak Challo" song from the movie "Ra.One". Click to download the full wallpaper.

It is not surprising that Bollywood’s most expensive movie to date, “RA.ONE” has also ensured their marketing features Kareena Kapoor (the lead heroine in the film opposite Shahrukh Khan) prominently in the songs/item numbers which are now the defacto marketing tool for Bollywood movies  replacing the traditional “trailer” format nowdays on TV.

With India’s widest release in history at more than 3500+ screens, even a 70% occupancy on the opening weekend for Ra.One (which is a given for any “Khan” movie nowadays), will bring almost INR 120 Crore + collection, making it the FOURTH successive “100 Crore” movie for Kareena Kapoor, a record which is pretty difficult to break.

Watch the official video: Chammak Challo – Ra One – (Full Video Song) – ft. Akon “Shahrukh Khan” Kareena Kapoor

UPDATE 31-Oct-2011: Ra.One breaks BO record with Rs 170 cr collection (IBN LIVE).

The highly anticipated Diwali release triumphed at the box office with an incredible weekend gross collection of Rs. 137.25 crore (Net Collection of Rs. 96 crore) in India and Rs. 32.75 crore overseas.

This makes it Kareena Kapoor’s fourth successive  ”INR 100 crore” film,  an enviable box office record for any actor or actress in Indian cinema.

A fertile soil.

They want everything.

But not with toil.

Whip up a frenzy. “Audience equals money”.

“Don’t worry, its temporary”.

Feed them daily. The Twin Drugs.

A spoon of Fear and a plate of Anxiety.

Oh Propaganda Propaganda!

A Brilliant Disguise.

Here comes Big Media.

Breaking News! Whither the Wise?

Create Panic first. Then Anger.

“Now hate the Foreign Witch.”

Print in Color. Malign in Black or White.

“But bring down this popular sonnova bitch!”

No Reason, No Thought.

Hungry Mobs. Pack of Wolves.

“Change Change” “Our Time is Now”.

Mass Hysteria. Weapons they sought.

The witch-hunt begins.

“THEY don’t BELONG here”.

The pogrom is relentless.

“Get them outta here”.

“Viva La Revolucion” is the shrill war cry.

“These Liberals and artists”.

“They are Different and not us”.

Imaginary Enemies. Hang them out to dry.

And The Reichstag is set on Fire.

Flames of Fury.

Screams of Pain

Agony and Ecstasy.

A Victory in Vain.

Silence is deafening.

No Audience to Reach.

Blood and Tombstones.

The New Reich.

A Nation consumed.

By Force and Hatred.

A false history we hope,

We never created.

Below is the Times Of India report (by Upala K Basu, TNN | Jan 4, 2012, 12.00AM IST)

Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has landed the film rights of Amish Tripathi’s best-selling debut novel, The Immortals of Meluha. The book had attracted much attention since Amish announced he was on the lookout for a producer to adapt his book. Producers from Hollywood and Bollywood were vying for the film rights, even as his second book in the Shiva Trilogy,The Secret of the Nagas was launched.

Says an insider, “Karan credits the buying to the CEO of Dharma Productions, Apurva Mehta, who had been negotiating for the book rights for months.” The emotional content and the love story between Shiva and Parvati are very strong elements in the novel. Karan will look into finer details, apart from the screenplay. Since it deals with religion and mythology he will make sure that the subject will be treated with sensitivity.

That search has now ended. Says a happy Amish, “I believe that my books are a result of Lord Shiva’s blessings. He is a God who excites intense passions. If one wants to tell His story, it can only be done with intense passion and commitment. And that is what I saw in Dharma Productions towards The Immortals of Meluha. I believe that my book is in very safe hands with Karan and his team.”

Says Karan, “I was blown away with the world of Meluha and rivetted by Amish’s creation of it. I think the book lends itself beautifully for celluloid and we are very excited to promote Amish’s labour of love effectively.” Now the big question is who is going to direct a film of this magnitude from Dharma and which big star will play Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati?

Update: 9th Aug 2011 – The new video trailers for Amish’s adventure fiction  titled The Secret Of The Nagas (which is the second part of the Shiva Trilogy) has just been released! The Shiva Trilogy trailers have now become  a digital media event thanks to the breakout hit of the first part “Immortals Of Meluha”.

Watch the trailers for The Secret Of The Nagas book launch made by ad agency Think Why Not and  film makers Amit Pandirkar and Shibu below.

Trailer 1:  Introducing Sati

Trailer 2:  SOMRAS: The Elixir Of Immortality

Trailer 3:  Introducing The Naga Warrior

Credits:Concept, Storyboard & Scripted by: Think WhyNot Integrated & special thanks to Amish Tripathi for his valuable inputs
Debangshu Kerr — Creative Director
Hrishikesh Pote — Group Art Director
Shalini Iyer, Suruchi Shetty & Shaista Wadhwania — Project Management

A Film By: May Shower Pictures
Shibu Tholath –Producer
Amit Pandirkar — Director
Krishna Banjan – Cinematographer
Harsh Karangale – Music
Annu Poojary – Sound Engineer
Dominic Tholath – Associate Producer
Shirish Bichkar – Production Manager
Harsha Malaney – Asst. Director
Alisha Netalklar – Stylist
Samir Gohel – Art Director
Vijendra Solanki – Compositor
Amit Bankar – 3D artist
Parthsarathi Iyer – VFX Supervisor
Suresh Ghadigaonkar – Offline Editor
Synopsis:

About “The Secret of the Nagas” – The Secret of the Nagas is the second book of the Shiva Trilogy, the sequel to the No 1 national bestseller, The Immortals of Meluha.

Shiva’s hunt for the Naga who killed his friend Brahaspati and targeted his wife Sati, takes him down India’s major river networks, searching for traitors and seeking allies in his war against evil. But evil is rising again, more potent than ever. A whole nation is dying. Another, suffering for no fault of its own. Everyone is suspect: new friends, old allies and even his philosopher guides. At every corner, Shiva finds evidence of Naga activity. A crown prince is murdered. A people held to ransom for a miracle drug made only by the Nagas.

Shiva’s journey takes him across the length and breadth of Swadweep, to the land of the Brangas and further south, deep into the Dandak forest. Shiva searches for the truth in a land of deadly mysteries — only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Book 2 of the Shiva trilogy takes up from the point where Shiva is dashing to save Sati at the end of The Immortals of Meluha. Does he succeed? His archenemy seems to be winning every encounter. All Shiva knows for sure is that the Chandravanshis aren’t evil. But then, neither are the Suryavanshis. So who or what is evil? And who is the mysterious Naga that stalks his family? What does he want? What is The Secret of the Nagas?

To know more, buy the book now on Flipkart for 35% discount + free shipping!

Below is the much talked about cover of the sequel: The Secret Of The Nagas.

SEQUEL to the bestseller Immortals of Meluha

Here’s a brief summary of the book taken from Flipkart’s site:

Much awaited Book 2 in Shiva Trilogy after the huge success of The Immortals of Meluha

Today, He is a God.

4000 years ago, He was just a man.

The hunt is on. The sinister Naga warrior has killed his friend Brahaspati and now stalks his wife Sati. Shiva, the Tibetan immigrant who is the prophesied destroyer of evil, will not rest till he finds his demonic adversary. His vengeance and the path to evil will lead him to the door of the Nagas, the serpent people. Of that he is certain.

The evidence of the malevolent rise of evil is everywhere. A kingdom is dying as it is held to ransom for a miracle drug. A crown prince is murdered. The Vasudevs Shivas philosopher guides betray his unquestioning faith as they take the aid of the dark side. Even the perfect empire, Meluha is riddled with a terrible secret in Maika, the city of births. Unknown to Shiva, a master puppeteer is playing a grand game.

In a journey that will take him across the length and breadth of ancient India, Shiva searches for the truth in a land of deadly mysteries only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Fierce battles will be fought. Surprising alliances will be forged. Unbelievable secrets will be revealed in this second book of the Shiva Trilogy, the sequel to the #1 national bestseller, The Immortals of Meluha.