A funeral gone horribly wrong can only be a laughter riot for those who are not part of it, that’s the upcoming film ‘Daddy Cool’ that releases worldwide on August 28, 2009. BIG Music released the music of the film today at Cinemax-Versova, amid much fanfare and a mesmerizing rendition of hit number ‘Daddy Cool’ by the film’s music composer Raghav Sachar. From the makers of Masti and Dhamaal, Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria’s ‘Daddy Cool’, is a co-production between BIG Pictures and Maruti Pictures.

The director of the film K Murali Mohan Rao, Producer duo Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria along with the entire star cast of the film were present at the music launch– Suniel Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Prem Chopra, Javed Jaffrey, Aarti Chhabria, Ashish Chowdhry, Tulip Joshi, Kim Sharma, Sophie Choudry, Rajpal Yadav and Chunky Pandey.

The multi-starrer Daddy Cool is a comedy of errors, and adding zing to the music album from the stable of BIG Music is Raghav’s groovy and foot-tapping compositions. The producers have acquired the rights to produce desi version of “Daddy Cool”. Raghav has developed a psychedelic version of “Daddy Cool”– which begins with an Indianised version of the music in the 60s in India, with a hip-hop feel throughout the track, live percussions and Raghav’s signature flute piece. The beauty of the new feel to “Daddy Cool” is not just this– Raghav has also added a Punjabi and a Qawwali feel at some places in the track.

According to Kulmeet Makkar, CEO BIG Music, “Daddy Cool’s music will surely be a hit with the youngsters. The songs in the album are peppy; something that is loved by all generations. Raghav Sachar has given a fresh, desi flavor to ‘Daddy Cool’ and this composition will surely rock the charts this year,” he said.

Along with the title track of “Daddy Cool”, there is a high-energy dance track, “Nasha Nasha”. Sung by Neha Bhasin in her sultry voice, the song is an ode to the ladies featured in the film and has a hip-hop feel to it. There is also a remix version of the same track, which is twice the pace of the original song, which is sure to be on demand in nightclubs in the coming days.

Ashok Thakeria, producer of Daddy Cool, said “Daddy Cool is a light hearted situational comedy that has many laughs in store for a fun loving audience. The film has been made with a serious intent to make people laugh. We hope the audience enjoy the FUN-eral this August.”

Mahesh Ramanathan, COO, BIG Pictures, the film is a complete package of comedy and drama, well intertwined. “The title track of Daddy Cool is sure to considerably broaden the appeal of the film especially a new generation of younger audiences who have not experienced the power of the original number. Daddy Cool is cool for dads, moms and GenX,” he said.

The music album contains seven tracks in all, including remix versions of two songs. True to his style and music repertoire, Raghav has made use of a plethora of instruments for each of the tracks.

Raghav said, “My first impression when I was signed on to compose the music for the film Daddy Cool was, that I wanted to get the right sound and beats for the title song which today’s generation would like. I am happy with the outcome, where I have given a different flavor to the song with desi jibes. At the same time “Nasha Nasha” is by far my most superlative composition till date.”

With its hilarious plot, cheeky characters, and of course, groovy music, Daddy Cool is sure to make waves among the Indian film-going audience. The film is about the funeral of a Goan named Douglas Lazarus, and the proceedings is not at all demure– the coffin makers deliver the wrong body; the dead man’s elder son Steven (Suniel Shetty) attempts at an eulogy which includes the description of the rivers in Goa; the younger son Brian (Ashish Chowdhry) who isn’t willing to take care of his widowed mother for the sake of his pet dogs; an insecure Nancy (Aarti Chhabria) who is Steven’s wife; a proud Mrs Lazarus (Suhasini Mulay) who doesn’t consider herself widowed yet. Then there is a doped and nervous Michael (Aftab Shivdasani); expressing his love for Maria (Tulip Joshi); her junkie brother (Chunky Pandey); a knife-wielding suspicious Jenny (Kim Sharma) who finds her husband Carlos (Jaaved Jaaffrey) pleading forgiveness from hot model Ayesha (Sophie Choudry). Confusions and misunderstanding galore, Daddy Cool is sure to tickle your ribs.

Salman Khan, Celina Jaitley, Raima Sen, Aarti Chhabria, Dino Morea, Aashish Chaudhary, Bipasha Basu, Nethra Raghuraman, Urvashi Sharma, Neetu Chandra, Prachi Desai, Ram Kapoor, Sophie Chaudhary, Sameera Reddy, Neil Mukesh at Gitanjali_s 15th year bash on 7th Aug 2009.

Sophie Chaudhary at Gold Expressions fashion show in Rennaisance Powai on 6th Aug 2009.

Mandira Bedi, Shweta Salve, Sophie Choudhary, Anupama Varma, Brinda Parikh, Neha Dhupia, Tusshar Kapoor, Yuvraj Singh, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Koena Mitra, Mugdha Godse, Dino Morea, Madhur Bhandarkar, Chunky Pandey, Shaan, Anusha Dandekar, Surveen Chawla, Yuvraj Singh, Aashish Chaudhary, Aditi Govitrikar, Nisha Jamwal, Sohail Khan, Vatsal Sheth, Shonali Nagrani, Yash Birla, Prateik Babbar, Sonali Bendre, David Dhawan, Javed Jaffery, Gayatri Ghosh, Achala Sachdev, Adnan Sami, Aftab Shivdasani, Rajpal Yadav at Percept 25 years celebrations bash on 18th July 2009.

While her friends were losing bundles of chips, Sophie’s stack was getting higher and higher. Oh please I play baby stakes just for fun. I can’t bear to lose my hard earned money at the casino but I was on a winning streak and it was so much fun seeing all the guys around me lose!

With Inder Kumar’s laugh riot releasing next month followed by Sophie’s long awaited album, looks like Sophie’s winning streak has just begun

Amisha Patel, Sheetal Mafatlal, Raell Padamsee, Dolly Thakore, Viren Shah, Madhoo, Sophie Chaudhary, Vir Das, Queenie Dhody at Raell Padamsee_s play 1888 Dial India in Sophia Auditorium, Peddar Road on 12th July 2009.

Recently she made her debut on stage. “I am doing a play called ‘888 Dial India’. It’s a black comedy. I am doing five different roles in it. Characters I play include nun, thirteen year old, suicidal actress, corporate financier,” she briefs.

“We are going to perform next show on Sunday in Sophia College. It is a must watch show, “she informs. Sophie further unfurls, “It is about how India is trying to become a new age India. We all try to keep up with what’s happening in the world and our desperation to create and connect with all kinds of businesses. It’s a look-and-take on the situation we live in today, from the point of view of one ruthless go-getter businessman. It’s not a leave-your-brain at home comedy, it is thought provoking”.

Her forthcoming film ‘Daddy Cool’ is due for release in August-end. She will also be soon releasing her yet-untitled album. “All the songs are original and I am excited about it,” said the producer and performer Sophie.

She is trying to strike a balance between theatre, films and music. Hope she gets her balancing acts right.

Sophie Chaudhary, Divya Dutta, Asha Parekh, Vishal Malhotra, Kunika, Kelly Dorjee, Raell Padamsee, Shazahn and Alyque Padamsee, Sharon Prabhakar, Nethra Raghuraman, Anupama Verma at Sophie Chaudhary_s play 1-888-dial-india premiere in St Andrews on 5th July 2009. Cast includes Sophie Chaudhary, Ashwin Mushran, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Sidhart Kumar, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee & Foizeh Djalili Premiering on Sunday, 5th July 2009 at St. Andrews at 7.30 PM.

John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Preity Zinta, Sophie Chaudhary, Daboo Malik at the screening of film Hangover in PVR on 2nd July 2009.

But I hardly know her at all,” Peter said. Peter said that he loved Katie, his wife, even though their marriage had broken off. Echoing Peter’s sentiments Sophie said, “Peter was talking about his kids all the time. He said how much he loved them. he fondly recalled about Katie too.” Sophie said that Peter was sweet and a thorough gentleman. “We spoke about music, London, Bollywood and his new album. I am singer and in future we may collaborate something but I don’t want people to put two and two together and come to wrong conclusions. However much contemporary I appear on screen but I am an Indian girl at heart. I will never date a married man.”

DESIGNER MANAV GANGWANI AND JEWELLERY DESIGNER FARAH KHAN AQUEEL
COUTURE FASHION SHOWING AT IIFA- Designer Manav Gangwani And Jewellery Designer Farah Khan Aqueel showed their latest collection at the IIFA fashion show held in Macau last night .

White breathes of Serenity, Rich luxurious Gold of Divinity & Intense radiant Green whispers of Envy ….Manav Gangwani ‘s collection “Serenity was in themes of white , green and gold.Serenity……… a White as pure and soft as in a Dove, shimmering Gold as rich as timeless Royalty, Green as luminous as in an emerald making the wearer the envy of everyone….encrusted with glowing, glittering Crystals to add yet another Dimension…… Inspired by Manav Gangwani’s vivid imagination…. this Collection epitomized the essence of serenity. Romantic and elegant with an undertone of drama.

The show stoppers for Manav Gangwani fashion showing were Madhavan, Dia Mirza and Dino Morea. Dia Mirza in a heavily embroidered, lehenga sparkling with swaroski crystals, teamed with a matching corset with jewellery by Farah Khan, Dino in an ivory sherwani beautifully appliqued with ivory velvet and further accented with swarovski crystals and beads. Madhavan wore .gold lame sherwani, artistically embroidered, once again accented with swarovski crystals and bead work.

The ShowStoppers for FarahKhan were Hritikh and Sussane Roshan.

Sussanne wore wearing an emerald necklace with columbian pear shape emeralds and diamonds. For Hrithik Farah has designed a pendant suspended in a black chord in the form of a Falcon that is soaring into the air. “I envision seeing him like that so thats why I designed this specially keeping him in mind”. Farah Khans new collection is inspired by nature and has alot of 3 dimensional forms and shapes including lots of coloured precious gemstones such as emeralds, rubies, rubelites, tanzanites, sapphires, spinels and yellow and blue diamonds. “With this collection I have tried to create one of a kind pieces that will shine as much as the stars at IIFA. The collection comprises of Necklaces, Earrings, Bracelets, Cuffs, Rings, Brooches and Pendants that have multi purpose wear”, says Farah.

As Farah adds ” My designs are flamboyant, ornate and adventurous. I believe jewellery should make you feel like a princess when you wear ir, no matter how big or small the piece of jewellery is, it should be eye catching and make the wearer feel special”.

And Farah’s new collection does just that – Taking a step away from the classical designs for which she is well known, Farah has crafted this breath taking series of jewels inspired by nature and the world around us. This collection is an entirely new perspective.

Celebrities spotted wearing Manav Gangwani creations and Farah Khans jewellery on the red carpet were Sussane Roshan in a Swarovski embellished drape gown, Malaika Zayed Khan in an ombre green, black sari teamed with a fluted blouse, Raveena Tandon in a red sari with swarovski embellished blouse, Mughda Godse royal blue gown. Also Neil Nitin Mukesh in a black suit with royal blue waistcoat, with hubby Anil Thadani in a grey suit with a red shirt, Madhur Bhandarkar in a black suit with navy shirt,
Farah Khan also wore a black gown by Manav Gangwani.

Zayed Khan and Sophie Choudhury hosted the show were also dressed in Manav Gangwani. Sophie wore jewelelry by Farah Khan.

Serenity by Manav Gangwani Despite its subtlety it is still extremely striking. A great mix of the Feminine and the Contemporary. Manav Gangwani will make you re-think your stand on “Couture Clothing”. Clothes to last one a lifetime. “The entire collection tells a story and that’s how I want my clothing to be” says Manav Gangwani!!! Colors and textures here will be Soft and Sensual. The silhouettes will reflect the Era of the Mughals…… …..and the Royal Age… Ravishingly flowing Anarkalis…..Ornate, heavily encrusted Lehengas….…… yet, the cuts stylized to be contemporary enough for the present day….. ……a unique combination of the yesteryears and today…. mesmerizing……enchanting……artfully fashioned drapes cascading gently…..flamboyant saris….. arresting bodices with appealing manuevers where least expected…..a revelation in each garment……. enthrallingly feminine….. shimmery fabrics…..sheers……chiffon shot with gold…. …….soft gauzy fabrics which are so surreal that they must captivate every woman……. filmy gossamer fabrics lightly touched with shimmering gold through this entire dreamlike collection….As though Fairy fingers had entwined the thread a thousand trembling orbs of sparkling dew spangle the texture of this fairy loom,– So, Evanescent and Diaphanous….… heavy Brocades…..adding Lavishness beyond compare….. encrusted with swarovski crystals…
This is another riveting collection from Manav Gangwani’s endless repertoire of Creativity……… and every Design is a Masterpiece which any women will yearn to own…………..

Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Sushmita Sen, Sonam Kapoor, Sophie Chaudhry, Randhir Kapoor, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Anil Kapoor, Govinda, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Javed Akhtar, Anushka Sharma, Genilia D Souza, Shabana Azmi, Mugdha Godse, Madhur Bhandarkar, Lara Dutta, Rajesh Khanna, Kabir Bedi arrive at Zaia Show, Green Carpet, Macau for IIFA on 11th June 2009.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan, Sophie Chaudhry, David Dhawan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Javed Akhtar, Shabana and Tanvi Azmi, Lara Dutta arrive in Macau for IIFA on 10th June 2009.

Zayed Khan, Sophie with top designers Manav Gangwani, Rocky S at IIFA Fashion Extravaganza event in PVR on 4th June 2009.

Genelia D Souza, Farah Khan, Neelam Kothari, Sophie Chaudhry, Arpita Khan, Anita Raj, Aarti Surendranath, Zoya Akhtar, Shaina NC, Anna Singh, Neeta Lulla, Nandita Mahtani, Anjala Zaveri, Queenie Dhody, Rhea Pillai, Avanti Birla, Surily Goel, Sharmilla Khanna at Ceres store launch in Bandra, Mumbai on 14th April 2009.

Sophie Chaudhry, Sarah Jane, Vijay Mallya at Mcdowell Signature Derby in Race Course on 12th April 2009.

Dino Morea, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Genelia D Souza, Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Sophie Chaudhry, Manish Malhotra, Gauri Khan, Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, Tusshar Kapoor, Karishma Tanna, Suzanne, Arjun Rampal at Manish Malhotra post party hosted by Pradeep Gidwani of Calsberg on 30th March 2009.

Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Shahrukh Khan, Isha Koppikar, Amisha Patel, Hrithik Roshan, Suzanne, Arjun Rampal, Karan Johar, Celina Jaitley, Genelia D Souza, Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Tanisha Mukherjee, Alka Yagnik, Sophie Chaudhry, Manish Malhotra, Gauri Khan, Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, Tusshar Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna at Manish Malhotra Show at Lakme Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2009 on 30th March 2009.

Sushmita Sen, Dia Mirza, Arjun RAmpal, Mehr Jessia, Sridevi, Hema Malini, Lara Dutta, Tara Sharma, Minissha Lamba, Perizaad Zorabian, Kehkashan, Siddharth Kannan, Ishita Arun, Queenie, Aashish Chaudhry, Sameera Reddy, Sonakshi, Zayed Khan, Tabu, Suzanne, Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra, Rocky S, Alka Yagnik, Anupama Verma, Farah Khan, Raveena Tandon, Sophie Chaudhry at Lakme Fashion Week 2009 day 3 on 29th March 2009.

Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Tabu, Raveena Tandon, Sophie Chaudhry, Kunal Kapoor, Shiamak Davar, Arpita Khan, Vikram Phadnis, Tara Sharma at Vikram and Nandita Mahtani Show at Lakme India Fashion Week 2009 Day 3 on 29th March 2009.