With an Oscar nomination, loads of global appreci-ation, reams of text and solid soundbytes in the international media, the Bollywood bandwagon seems unstoppable. Now, thanks to some deft distribution deals cut by producers iDreams, viewers from Kolkata to California will be able to view the newest Bollywood movie Agni Varsha on the same day: Friday, August 30. The film is being simultaneously released in 22 countries, including traditional Bollywood markets UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, West Asia and Singapore. The Arjun Sajnani-directed mythological, that stars Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Milind Soman and Prabhudeva in key roles and Amitabh Bachchan in a guest appearance, was chosen ahead of 800 films to be the lead in June's Commonwealth Film Festival in Manchester. A feat that considerably helped its overseas prospects, says iDreams ceo Ashish Bhatnagar. "It's quite an achievement but it's still only the beginning."

RAM GOPAL VARMA
"Love Doesn't Hold Any Surprises For Me."

As Bollywood awaits the creation of a director who refuses to be tied down to a genre, Ram Gopal Varma says he's exorcising his own fears with the thriller Bhoot.

Q. Isn't Bhoot a rather obvious title?
A. I wanted it to be an in-your-face title. It's a ghost story but avoids the cliches of horror films. The ghost here is in the last place you'd expect it to be.

Q. Your second film Raat was a horror film and not entirely successful. Did the success of Raaz have anything to do with your second attempt at this genre?
A. Raat was a horrible film ... Bhoot has its origins in fear. My prime intent is to scare the hell out of everyone.

Q. What's your next film going to be? A love story?
A. I haven't decided yet. But it's certainly not going to be a love story. I have dealt with the simple emotion in Rangeela, it doesn't hold any surprises for me.

BOX OFFICE

A wafer-thin storyline and a predictable plot conspired to make Hrithik Roshan's Mujhse Dosti Karoge his third disaster in a row, further eroding his superstar status. Rajkumar Kohli's Naagin-remake, the star-studded Jaani Dushman, has also come a cropper. Coming up next Friday is Sohail Khan's Maine Dil Tujhko Diya.

Headed For the Top

Bald isn't beautiful in hair-obsessed Bollywood, certainly not when you are playing star. Amitabh Bachchan, Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna--actors who lost their original head of hair to a combination of age, genetics and the harsh follicle-frying studio arc lights-are the new poster guys for the non-surgical hair integration technique. Big B used it for his post-KBC comeback, Khanna acquired one for his role as the canny lover in Humraaz and now Deol has adopted a jarring blonde version to bask in his post-Gadar superstardom. These are highly developed wigs that are super-glued to the pate so that there are no worries about the bird's nest flying off. There's even a variant that changes colours depending on the actor's moods. Just kidding.

—compiled by Sandeep Unnithan