Nominations for 2008 REEL AWARDS

WE at The GNBI are proud to announce the nominations for the 2008 REEL AWARDS. This is the first time the Team GNBI has decided to award the best in the Hindi Film Industry.
We do not like to sound cliché that this award is different from the rest but we have decided that the coveted prize will be given to the best irrespective how popular or unpopular the films were at the Box Office. All the Hindi films have been short listed from over 200 Hindi movies, including those from Pakistan, that hit the theatres in India between January 1 and December 31, 2008. All the nominees are in alphabetical order of the film’s name.
The Awards will be announced here on March 5, 2009 ( Thursday)

Best motion picture of the year
Aamir
A Wednesday
Mumbai Meri Jaan
Rock On
Welcome to Sajjanpur

Achievement in directing
Rajkumar Gupta for Aamir
Neeraj Pandey for A Wednesday
A R Murugadoss for Ghajini
Shoaib Mansoor for Khuda Ke Liye
Shyam Benegal for Welcome to Sajjanpur

Best animated feature film of the year
Dashavatar
Ghatotkach
Jumbo
My Friend Ganesha 2
Roadside Romeo



Performance by an actor in a leading role
Rajiv Khandelwal for Aamir
Nasseruddin Shah for A Wednesday
Vinay Pathak for Dasvidaniya
Aamir Khan for Ghajini
Hrithik Roshan for Jodhaa Akbar

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Anupam Kher (A Wednesday)
Pankaj Kapoor (Halla Bol)
Prateek Babbar (Jaane Tu Ya Jane Na)
Sunjay Dutt (Kidnap)
K K Menon (Shaurya)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Priyanka Chopra for Fashion
Aishwarya Rai for Jodhaa Akbar
Nandita Das for Ramchand Pakistani
Chitrangada Singh Sorry Bhai
Kajol for U, Me aur Hum

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Bipasa Basu (Bachna Ae Haseeno)
Kangana Ranaut (Fashion)
Ratna Pathak Shah (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na)
Sohaa Ali Khan (Mumbai Meri Jaan)
Shahana Goswami (Rock On)

Achievement in film editing
A Wednesday
Ghajini
Jodhaa Akbar
Race
Woodstock Villa

Achievement in visual effects
Drona
Ghajini
Love Story 2050



Achievement in costume design
Fashion
Ghajini
Jodhaa Akbar
Race
Singh is King

Achievement in makeup
Drona
Ghajini Jodhaa Akbar
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Singh is King

Achievement in art direction
Fashion
Dostana
Drona
Jodhaa Akbar
Race

Achievement in cinematography
A Wednesday
Jodhaa Akbar
Aamir
Khuda Ke Liye
Race

Best original screenplay
Aamir
A Wednesday
Dasvidaniya
Mumbai Meri Jaan
Welcome to Sajjanpur

Best adapted screenplay
Hello
The President Is Coming
The Last Lear




Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
Vishal Sekhar (Bachna ae Haseeno)
A R Rahman (Jaane Tu Ya Jane Na)
A R Rahman (Jodhaa Akbar)
Shankar Ehsaan Loy (Rock On)
A R Rahman (Yuvvraaj)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
A R Rahman and Javed Akhtar for Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na)
A R Rehman and Javed Akhtar for Khwaja Mere Khwaja ( Jodhaa Akbar)
Salim-Sulaiman and Jaideep Sahni for Tujh Main Rab Dikhta Hain (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Javed Akhtar for Socha Hai (Rock On)
A R Rehman and Gulzar for Tu Hi Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj)

Achievement in playback singing for motion pictures (Male)
Javed Ali for Gujarish (Ghajini)
Javed Ali for Kabhi Kabhi Aditi (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na)
Sukhwinder Singh for Haule Haule (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
Atif Aslam for O Jaane Ja (Race)
Benny Dayal for Tu Hi Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj)

Achievement in playback singing for motion pictures (Female)
Shilpa Rao for Khuda Jaane (Bachna ae Haseeno)
Shruthi Pathak for Mar Jawan (Fashion)
Caralisa Monteiro for Phir Dekhiye (Rock On)
Alka Yagnik for Tu Muskara (Yuvvraaj)
Shreya Ghosal for Tu Hi Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj)

Rafa comes of age as age comes in Fedex’s way

BY VIKRAM VISHAL

WHAT is it that “killing” the 13-time Grand Slam champ? The missed opportunity to become the greatest-ever, equalling Pete Sampras’ magical tally of 14 majors– the most talked-about number in tennis? Yet another opening to avenge defeats to rival Rafael Nadal meeting a dead end? Or the agony of seeing the gap between the World No 1 and No 2 increasing further?
It probably is the amalgamation of all these ‘factors’ and many more that made the Swiss break down at the Melbourne Park. Having reached the final of the first Grand Slam of the year, he had a number of motivating factors, including the support of most of The Greats, not only to beat the man who is at the pinnacle of men’s tennis, but also to affirm that he is down but not out.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for me, of course, you know, not being No. 1 anymore, trying to beat No. 1 in the world and getting the 14th Grand Slam… This is where I won the Grand Slam to become No. 1 in the world back in 2004, so I've always had a special liaison with this tournament,” is what he had to say a day before the grand finale. Fedex’s 2004 victory had come after winning Wimbledon the previous year. And on Sunday, history repeated itself sans the Swiss master.

Twenty-four hours later: “The problem is you can't go in the locker room and just take it easy and take a cold shower. You can't. You know, you're stuck out there. It's the worst feeling, you know. So, I don't know, it's rough,” said the three-time Australian champion after the Spaniard triumphed at the end of the four-our-and-23-minute match.
He might have said before the match that “I don't only look at the majors”, and still feels every tournament he enters he would like to win, but he was very clear of the fact that what all wonders a Grand Slam victory can do, particularly if a No 2 is eying the top rank.

“It gives the most points, it's most rewarding in terms of ranking and in terms of being judged how you're playing. You get the biggest test. It's best-of-five sets. That's why obviously Grand Slams are very intriguing,” were his words hours before tears left him speechless upon receiving the runners up trophy.
His inconsolable emotion (along with his game of course) did earn him a standing ovation soon after the match. But the kind of reception given to Nadal was not the one a champion deserved, thanks to the ‘emotional’ spectators who, predictably, got ‘carried away’, so much so that even the 22-year-old could only say “I really know how you feel right now, but remember you are one of the best in history”.
While the former World No. 1 used words like “it’s killing me…” and “… will return next year”, the present No. 1 replied with “sorry for today mate”.
Federer has announced to return next year as he knows he is a master of the game as also the fact that Nadal has spent a year dragging him down, ending his run of five Wimbledon titles and his record stretch atop the rankings. While the former ‘fact’ will no doubt be a shot in his arm to retrieve his lost crown, the latter ‘truth’ seems to be what that might be “killing” him.
If anything that today’s on-court action followed by the off-court drama reflects is while Rafa has come of the age, age has come in the way of 27-yar-old Fedex!

It’s killing me… will return next year

Not akin to his style, the Master, Roger Federer, broke down after he lost to Rafael Nadal in the five-setter Australian Open Finals on Sunday. An emotional Fed broke down after receiving the Runners up trophy from legendary Rod Laver. “It’s killing me…” were the words which Fed uttered before becoming inconsolable while the audience gave him a standing ovation. But when Nadal came at the podium and hugged him, he took the microphone again and said “… will return next year.”

Later speaking to organisers, when he was urged to tell about the emotions he is undergoing, Fed said: “I mean, I fought hard, you know. I mean, I think I played well. I'm happy with where my game's at. I wish my serve would have been better, but that's something that sometimes is a bit, you know, day-form issue, you know… But, look, I mean, I love this game. It means the world to me, so it hurts when you lose.”

He said that this final would be one of the matches in his career where he felt that he “could have or should have won.” “But you can't go through your whole life as a tennis player taking every victory, you know, that's out there. You've got to live with those, you know. But they hurt even more so like if you're that close, you know, like at Wimbledon or like here at the Australian Open. So that's what's tough about it. But I have no regrets, you know. So it's all right,” he added. Rejecting the notion that he was hurt more since today’s win could have fetched him 14th Grand Slam title, Fed said, “ In the first moment you're disappointed, you're shocked, you're sad, you know, then all of a sudden it overwhelms you. The problem is you can't go in the locker room and just take it easy and take a cold shower. You can't. You know, you're stuck out there. It's the worst feeling, you know. So, I don't know, it's rough.”

(pic courtesy Getty Images)