kiss again between Abhishek and John!

That’s the dilemma Karan Johar, Tarun Mansukhani and Manish Malhotra are facing as they plan Katrina Kaif’s look for Dostana 2.

Whatever the producer, director and stylist respectively come up with, they realise has been done before with Priyanka Chopra in Dostana... right from beachwear to sarees. Dostana 2 moves completely away from Miami and shifts to London. That’s another issue. London has been done to death by Bollywood. Practically every second film from Vivek Agnihotri’s Goal to Abbas Tyrewala’s 1-800-Love has been shot there. There is not a spot in London that Indian moviegoers aren’t familiar with.

The third issue facing Dostana 2 is Katrina’s no-exposure, no-kissing clause. Since the film won’t go anywhere near beaches, the actress needn’t fear exposure. As for kissing, the kiss is again between Abhishek and John!

Two’s a crowd for Katrina

Only solo-heroine films for Katrina Kaif - at least for now. That's what the actress has decided after a string of successes from Namaste London to Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.

Soon after reports that Katrina had agreed to be part of a film which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, comes news that she has opted out of the Anurag Basu film.

Explaining the rationale of her decision, a close friend of the actress says, "When Katrina agreed to do Anurag Basu's film with Ranbir, no mention was made of another heroine, and certainly not of Priyanka. However, when word about this reached her, she found the whole idea of the credit titles reading 'Ranbir-Katrina-Priyanka' too gimmicky. Not that she has anything against Priyanka or any other co-star."

But the more immediate reason for Katrina could be that she has finally acquired the rights to produce the remake of a French film - she's been after it for almost a year now and wants to immediately allot time for this pet project.

Having signed Dostana 2 and Zoya Akhtar's next, besides Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan (for which she's shooting at the moment), the only way she could accommodate this remake was to refuse any other projects this year.

Katrina doesn't deny she has decided to do only solo-heroine films. "I am not saying I won't do films with other leading ladies, but for now, I'm happy in the space I am. Why should I unnecessarily rock the boat? And yes, I am finally about to lock the deal to produce my film. It's a fabulous role and I've been angling for the remake rights for quite some time. I'd like to get down to it as soon as possible."

The remake of the French film will feature Katrina as a scheming gold-digger. She has apparently been pining to play a grey role for some time now.

read more...

Shah Rukh said, We are friends and sense of humours...

While media might be painting them as bitter rivals, SRK feels that Aamir Khan is his friend.

Talking to a newspaper in an interview Shah Rukh said , “We're friends. At least, I'd like to think we are. We both have a sense of humour. At least, I do. I'd like to think all our exchanges are in good humour. Quite honestly, I've no desire to look at what he or anyone else is doing. I never look at my own box-office figures. Why would I look at others' collections?”

Just a few days back, the politically correct Aamir said that there was never any war of supremacy so there is no question of starting or stopping any debate.

Aamir's ‘3 Idiots' was a mega blockbuster, and at the same time Shah Rukh's ‘My Name Is Khan' too went on to become a hit worldwide. So, is he looking at a whole shelf of awards for MNIK next year?

“Why clear a shelf in my house? I'll buy a new house for the awards to come,” SRK retorted.

read more...

Bollywood babe Bipasha Basu's Best Magazine Covers

Bipasha Basu may not grace as many magazine covers as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or Kareena Kapoor, but when she decides to be featured on a mag’s front page, she knows how to grab readers’ attention!

John Abraham’s girlfriend is no stranger to the cameras as she started out as a model and even worked for a few years in New York City before kicking off her acting career with her 2001 debut film "Ajnabee" alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor, which earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

She has since gone on to become one of Bollywood’s most sought after actresses and recently starred in "All the Best: Fun Begins" alongside Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan.

And just like her boyfriend, Bips likes to work out and to stay slim, all the while eating healthy. And that’s why she looks amazing everytime she graces the cover of a magazine.

But which cover do you think is Bipasha’s best? Take a look at her Vogue, Bazaar and FHM shots below and let us know which one is your favorite front page!

Very charming! Bipasha looks absolutely stunning on the cover of Vogue India! Wearing a simple yet sexy, white dress, smoking hot jewelry and a short bob, Bips looks comfortable in this style and the actress is described as "crazy, sexy, cool." We can only agree! But is it Bipasha’s best magazine cover?

read more...

Business woman Shilpa Shetty opened club Royalty in Bandra

Shilpa Shetty is a woman of all trades and now she can add nightclub owner to the list. Shilpa is most famous for her Bollywood roles. Her international fame came from her win in U.K.'s Big Brother house. Since then Shilpa has dabbled in plenty.

Business woman Shilpa has now opened the club Royalty in Bandra and to celebrate such a milestone, the actress invited all her friends and family to partake in the event. From her gorgeous sister Shamita to fashion designer Manish Malhotra, the opening was a star-studded bash.

Shilpa tweeted "Last night was fun,Sanju,Manyata,Salman,Amisha, Neha,Jackie dada..my friends werethere in ful force,thanks for makin it such a sp nite.muah" and "Fardeen,natasha,laila,simone ajay,really sweet of u to come:)!thanks for all the support u all:)takin off now,catch u later..zzzzzzzz."

Despite how busy Shilpa must have been that evening she was able to mingle with her friends and was genuinely grateful for their support.

Check out the pictures from Shilpa Shetty's restaurant opening and let us know if you think Royalty will be another success for this B-town beauty?

read more...

James Cameron and Aamir Khan discussing “The Future of Cinema” in India

He will be discussing “The Future of Cinema” with Bollyood’s megastar Aamir Khan (Lagaan) in a conclave in a five star hotel in capital New Delhi, watched by few hundred over a dinner. Lasting about 90 minutes and ending around 09-30 pm, it will include questions from the attendees also. Aroon Purie, Editor-in-Chief of India’s leading newsmagazine “India Today”, will chair the session.

Describing Oscar winner Cameron’s movies, Conclave says: “...movies speak the language of immense courage and deep spirituality. His female heroes are fearless and all powerful, his men learn the power of conviction.” It talks about Cameron’s “dropping out of college to drive a truck for the local school district...selling the script of The Terminator to Hemdale Films for one dollar on the condition that he could direct it”.

“India Today Conclave 2010” whose theme is “New Decade: Great Expectations”, is being organized by “The India Today Group” at Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi on March 12 and 13.
“This decade holds great expectations for India and the world”, Aroon Purie, Group Chairman, says.

Speakers on other topics at the Conclave include ruler of Dubai, India’s key Government ministers, Cisco CEO, Google President of Global Sales, author Salman Rushdie, yoga expert Swami Ramdev, Harvard economics professor, Ford Motor CEO, Facebook co-founder, Godrej President, goal keeper of Indian hockey team, actors Ranbir Kapoor and Asin Thottumkal.

read more...

Kareena Kapoor celebrate her sister Karisma Kapoor baby boy!

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has reason to celebrate as her sister Karisma Kapoor gave birth to a baby boy on Friday morning at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.

It’s Karisma and hubby Sanjay Kapur’s second child after daughter Samaira. Kareena will now be gifting an S-Class Mercedes Benz to Karisma as a special gift. Friends and family gathered at the hospital to congratulate the proud mother. Karisma's friend and jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali was the first one to wish her on Twiiter. “Karisma Kapoor just gave birth to a beautiful Baby Boy, many congratulations to her and her family," she tweeted.

We congratulate mummy Karisma and 'masi' Kareena and wish them luck!

read more...

Mausam's leading lady has been finalised: Shahid

Shahid Kapoor, who is playing the main role in his actor father, Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut Mausam has finalised the leading lady for the movie
but the star is not yet ready to reveal the identity.

The names that are doing the rounds are Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi Sinha, Sharon Prabhakar's daughter Shazahn Padamsee and Govinda's daughter Narmada but Shahid said that none of them has been auditioned for the movie.

"Even I read about this that Sonakshi, Shazahn and Narmada were auditioned for the film. Well, the fact is that no one, and let me emphasize again, no one has been auditioned at all for Mausam. We have already finalised the leading lady for the film," Shahid said.

The title Mausam too hasn't been finalised.

"This is just a working title. Everything else related to the film has been locked and we would be making a final announcement around the cast and the crew very soon. For the moment, this is all that I can commit," the 27-year-old actor told PTI.

Shahid has wrapped up the shoot of the Parmeet Sethi's yet untitled film with Anushka Sharma, hence bringing to an end a hectic time period that saw three back to back releases in the form of Kaminey, Dil Bole Hadippa and Chance Pe Dance.

"This is the first time in so many months that I am having a proper break for myself. The last time I remember something like this was after the release of Vivah and before the arrival of Jab We Met when I had a six month break. Now I have two more months to go for the shooting to begin for 'Mausam' and I feel that there is so much time that I have for myself," the actor said.

Happy about a brief period of relaxation that he has for himself, Shahid is also looking forward to utilising it productively to do some introspection.

"When you are working in a film, your entire time belongs to your producer. But this is my time and thankfully I can choose to spend it my way. At least I know what I am going to do for next 2-3 months. I have all the time available for me to prepare for Mausam and meanwhile also think about the direction I wish to take in my career," Shahid said.

With the promotion of Paathshaala getting ready to kickstart any moment, release of Milenge Milenge also on the anvil, Yash Raj Films about to announce the release timeline of the Parmeet Sethi film and dad Pankaj Kapoor giving final touches to pre-production of 'Mausam', it is definitely going to be one busy year ahead for Shahid.

read more...

India ready for third edition of IPL

The third edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to begin. Defending champions Deccan Chargers would take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening game at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Led by Adam Gilchrist, the Chargers had made a remarkable turnaround last year when they leaped from last place to eventually win the title.

Sourav Ganguly's Knight Riders on the other hand have much to prove. The Shah Rukh Khan-backed team had finished last in 2009, despite having a star-studded team and the most elaborate of coaching set-ups.

This year's IPL would also feature those cricketers, who have returned to the mainstream after being banned for playing in the unofficial Indian Cricket League.

Most notable of them is Shane Bond, who has been signed by Delhi Daredevils.

Five new venues have been added to the IPL itinerary, while one regular venue --- Hyderabad --- has been dropped due to the Telangana agitation in Andhra Pradesh.

Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Dharamsala, Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium, and Nagpur would get their slice of IPL action this year.

read more...

Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne to heal the world

Bollywood answer to Greek Gods in looks, Hrithik Roshan and his better half Sussanne have joined hands to heal the world and make it a better place. The lovely couple has come together for the first time to endorse a concept, which is close to their heart and involves their little children.

Hrithik Roshan has banked both his children's cord blood stem cells with LifeCell International, India 's pioneer stem cell banking company. Hrithik has come forward to endorse the concept as a Brand Patron for LifeCell International with an aim to create awareness about the novel concept and its benefits.

The couple will create awareness on cord blood stem cell banking and an official declaration on this is expected soon where the concept of Blood stem banking will be explained to the media. Blood stem banking is a unique concept which is very much useful for children and that’s the reason why the concerning heart of Hrithik and Sussanne started beating together for the benefit of their children.

read more...

Aamir to share stage with James Cameron

Our Mr. Perfectionist is going to enjoy a once-in-lifetime experience soon….

Come March 13 and Aamir Khan is reported to meet James Cameron in association with an event in New Delhi. The actor said to share the stage with the ‘Avatar’ director for a forum where they will be discussing on the topic ‘Future of Cinema’.

The actor, sources said, is looking forward to meet the Hollywood director.

For his homework on the well-acclaimed filmmaker, Aamir said to be going through all of Cameron’s films. Besides, Aamir is planning to sit with Cameron and talk to him about his views on the changing nature of films.

Sources added to say that the two will be attending a private dinner the same evening.

read more...

Actor Akshay Kumar refused the Safety in Shooting

Pushing yourself beyond imaginable limits may well be the norm when it comes to doing stunts in Bollywood movies. In keeping with the style, actor Akshay Kumar refused to use safety harnesses while shooting for his upcoming film Housefull.

A particular scene required Akshay to jump from the balcony of one building to another. Since even a slight mistake could have been fatal, the team advised Akshay to use cable wires to perform the stunt. The actor, however, refused, asserting he didn’t need any help.

“Akshay had to jump from one balcony to another for a scene. It was advisable to use cables for it since the stunt was quite risky and one small slip would have him badly injured. But Akshay refused and did the stunt himself, minus the cable wires,” reveals a source from the production team.

read more...

Harbhajan Singh Girl Friend Priya Reddy

Punjabi girls now have a reason to smile. Finally, the Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today categorically rejected the reports with regard to his proposedmarriage with Bangalore based girl Priya Reddy and said that he would only tie nuptial knot with a Punjabi girl.

“The report published in a section of press about me getting married with final year psychology student at Bishop Cotton is totally baseless and devoid of the facts. I am not goingto marry her. Definitely, I know her very much even as she is just a good friend. But, it does not mean I will marry her,” Turbanator, maintained.

“I came to know about the report when my close friends and family members rang me up to congratulate over my marriage plans. Although I know Priya very well and even went along with her for outings, but it does not mean that I am going to marry her,” he asserted.

“Even my parent scolded me for my reported decision of marriage, which I never took and it was only after my assurance to them to abide by their decision about my marriage, they calmed down,”he added.

Asked about his marriage plans, Bhajji said that he would take decision on the issue only after a couple of years. It will be an arranged marriage and bride, a Punjabi girl, would be selected only by my family members.

read more...

Deepika was not interested do to the project

Known for his straight forward talks, Nana Patekar recently gave piece of his mind to our poor tall beauty Deepika Padukone.

It all happened when Nana approached Deepika with a script, for a Prakash Jha’s film which Nana is going to direct. The actor said to have written the script keeping Deepika in mind.

However, when the actress went through it, she pointed out few alterations in the script, which unfortunately didn’t impress Nana. He refused to acknowledge her suggestions and was so furious that he said to have given an earful to her and left.

Meanwhile other sources said that Deepika was not interested do to the project as she is not able to relate to her character in the film.

read more...

Adding fuel to fire will be Indian Premier League (IPL) matches on the big screen.

In March usually a dry month for Bollywood thanks to the Class 10 and 12 board exams and so the industry has little to offer in terms of big budget outings. Adding fuel to fire will be Indian Premier League (IPL) matches on the big screen.

"We have no options this month. Whatever comes our way, we'll show. March is a lean month as always due to exams. We are hoping some content works and brings in footfalls through word of mouth, though we'll also be showing IPL at one of our screens at normal cinema rates," Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas, told IANS. The IPL tournament begins Friday.

Tusshar Dhingra, COO of Big Cinemas, said: "There's really not much to do (this month), but we are trying to do whatever we can to get that additional footfall. There are three to four big Hollywood releases coming up and some small Bollywood movies. We are also screening IPL in cinemas at standard ticket rates and with additional packages."

The month opened on a commercially disappointing note with the release of Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?, Road, Movie, Hello Zindagi, Thanks Maa and Rokkk.

Expectations were high from the Ajay Devgn-Konkona Sen Sharma-starrer Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?, based on Sharad Joshi's short story, but it didn't work despite the fact that there wasn't any competition at the ticket window.

Dev Benegal's internationally acclaimed Abhay Deol-starrer Road, Movie also failed to bring footfalls to the theatres.

Movies lined up for release this month include Hide N Seek that stars not-so-big names like Purab Kohli, Arjan Bajwa, Ayaaz Khan, Samir Kochhar, Mrinalini Sharma and debutant Amruta Patki and Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke features Ravi Kishan, TV actress Narayani Shastri and Rahul Aggarwal. Swaha is also coming this month.

Right Yaa Wrong is the only movie that boasts of big names - the film has Sunny Deol and Irrfan Khan in the leads. Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, said: "Movies will keep on coming, they are not stopping, but the occupancy and expectations won't be there as it is an annual dull period. We are trying to fill it up by screening IPL and that too at prices equivalent to cinema tickets.

"The best part is exams will get over by maximum March 25 and IPL will build up hype by that time, which sounds good." Multiplexes are trying to cash in on IPL fever. The tournament is starting March 12 and will end April 25 and multiplexes have warmed up to the initiative of screening the matches.

"IPL has become a strong property. On top of that, no big budget film is releasing during this period. So, screening matches will be beneficial for the halls because no major film shows will be affected and they (theatres) will have something to fall back on for sustenance," UFO Moviez India CEO Rajesh Mishra had told IANS in an interview.

Around 800 screens around India, including close to 65 in Delhi and surrounding areas, are expected to screen the matches at movie ticket prices that range from Rs.120-180 across different properties depending on the timing of the match.

"It has always been that during the time of exams, the movie lineup has been dull and so to make up for that we are going to screen IPL this time across most of our screens," said a source from PVR cinemas.

Other movies lined up this month are Ekta Kapoor's Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Vikram Bhatt's Shaapit, Sushant Singh-Hrishita Bhatt-starrer Idiot Box and

Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan's Lahore. March will also see the release of Shyam Benegal's talked about film Well Done Abba along with Hum Tum Aur Ghost and Crime Partner. All the movies are releasing March 26.

April will begin with the release of Shahid Kapoor-starrer Paathshala, Vivek Oberoi's Prince and Phoonk 2. Other fillers during the month Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai, Tum Milo Toh Sahi, Apartment, Mirch, Run Bhola Run and It's A Wonderful After Life.

read more...

Deepika Padukone body size is Zero?

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who is blessed with a good figure, says she does not believe in being size zero as the Indian body type is not meant for it.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but I personally feel that the Indian body type is not cut out to be size zero. I am not size zero and I don't believe in that either," Deepika told IANS.

"I believe that it's nice to be little full and have a nice shape," she added.

The Bollywood actress was the show stopper for designer duo Shantanu & Nikhil's show at the Lakme Fashion Week here Sunday.

According to Deepika, an actress gets a role for her performance and not the body type.

"In the (film) industry, body size doesn't matter. What matters is how much an actor contributes through his performance and not his body size," explained Deepika.

"It is important that every person should wear clothes that go with their body - the cut, the fabric make a lot of difference," she added.

read more...

Katrina, Priyanka, Deepika in Milap's movie

Katrina, Priyanka, Deepika Vidya, Anushka Sharma to be added on in Milap Zaveri’s Film

March 5, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): After getting Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Farah Khan, Sajid Khan, Amrita Rao and Boman Irani to make guest appearances in his film-about-films ‘Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai’ writer-director Milap Zaveri feels the star line-up is just not strong enough.

With the help of producer Nikhil Advani, Milap has roped in some more A-listers at the last minute.

Glam queens Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Vidya Balan will make cameo appearances in Milap’s film and thereby add to the film’s commercial value.

The cameos with these five ladies are expected to be shot next week, just three weeks ahead of the film’s release creating a major last-minute pre-release situation.

Says Milap, “That’s true. I’m roping in the names you’ve mentioned. Shooting at the last minute would be no problem because all of the star appearances are in the first reel, so I just have to re-edit the initial reel. Also, I’ve kept slates in the pre-final print announcing the various star cameos which I’ve filled up as and when they’ve been available.”

Milap is candid enough to admit his film has no big star value. “The only star is Ritesh Deshmukh. Jacqueline Fernandez and Ruslaan Mumtaz will become stars after the film is released. Until they do I need to get audiences into theatres. That’s why we need to rope in more stars in cameos.”

Besides his own clout in the industry as a long-standing and very successful writer-director Milap Zaveri ‘s producer Nikhil is also using his good wishes to rope in the glam-queens to add a dash of allure to ‘Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai’.

Nikhil has apparently sent out messages to Deepika, Priyanka, Anushka, Vidya and Katrina who have all agreed.

While Anushka will shoot her portion on the sets of Nikhil Advani’s ‘Patiala House’, the other ladies will touch base next week and do the needful.

Says Milap, “Vidya would be slightly difficult since she’s shooting in Delhi. But we’ll manage.”

Milap is expected to fly down to Delhi to get Vidya’s cameo in place.

Making a film about the film industry is not easy. The director is expected to rope in all the stars that can be crammed in the film. Luckily for Milap Zaveri he has a producer who can get his friends to do the needful.

Says Milap, “The stars making special appearances have been absolutely wonderful. Akshay Kumar insisted on seeing a part of the film before doing his cameo. Akshay speaks about Ruslaan Mumtaz’s character in the camera. Sajid Khan left the shooting of his ‘Housefull’ and drove down to our location. In fact he saw Jacqueline dancing and decided to rope in for the item song in Housefull. And do you know, Karan Johar actually agreed to be snubbed by Ruslaan Mumtaz! Ruslaan plays a superstar and in the film he refuses to take Karan’s calls.”

Farah Khan has a full-fledged role as a film director. But the biggest sport so far seems to be Boman Irani who shot for just the trailer of ‘Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai’.

Says Milap emotionally, “That’s true. Boman is not in the film, only in the trailer. Everyone who has made an appearance in my film has been wonderful. I guess it comes from being around for so long.”

read more...

Neil traumatised after 'misbehaving' with SRK

"Never again!" Neil Nitin Mukesh shudders at the very thought of the way he was forced to misbehave on stage with Shah Rukh Khan -- by Shah Rukh Khan himself.

Trust Shah Rukh to espouse irreverence. But Neil hasn't been able to get over it. Katrina Kaif and Bipasha Basu were in a state of shock after Neil's outburst on stage against Shah Rukh Khan at the Filmfare awards.

Two days after Neil told co-hosts Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan to just plainly and simply shut up on stage at the Filmfare Awards at Yashraj studios, the debate rages in the film industry.

Was the well-behaved blue-eyed-boy's aggressive impudence towards his superstar seniors on Neil's home turf (he's known as a full-on Yashraj boy) for real? Or was it just an act?

To rewind a bit: At the Filmfare awards, co-hosts Shah Rukh and Saif Ali Khan decided to take on Neil on stage, riling him endlessly. The final straw was the digs that Shah Rukh took at Neil's name.

"Neil," said Shah Rukh, "Why do you have three first names and no surname? My name is Khan. Saif too is a Khan. How come you have no last name?"

Neil couldn't take the slight to his family name. He not-so-gently reminded Shah Rukh that he ought to restrain himself because his, Neil's, father was sitting in the audience.

And then, horror of horrors, he told Shah Rukh to just shut up.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the auditorium.

Recalling the incident with an uncomfortable laugh, Neil said: "I'm still shaking. Imagine me telling Shah Rukh Khan to shut up! But I did. That isn't all. At the end of the show I walked up to Shah Rukh and Saif and broke eggs on their heads."

But relax. It was all part of an act.

"It was all planned by Shah Rukh sir. I was told by the organisers, the Moranis, from beforehand that I was supposed to be part of Shah Rukh's act. I was supposed to reach early and rehearse for it. But as luck would have it I had gone to town to pick up my parents and got stuck in the traffic. By the time I reached the venue there was only time for a quick briefing on what I had to do."

Shah Rukh walked up to Neil and quickly told him the plan on stage.

Neil was aghast. "How could I say shut up to Shah Rukh Khan? I've never been rude even to my driver. But he insisted. He also told me to throw eggs at him and Saif at the end of the show. I begged and pleaded to spare me. But Shah Rukh didn't listen."

Neil did his own on-the-spot improvisation on stage to spare himself the aggravated agony. "Instead of throwing the eggs I walked up to Saif and Shah Rukh and broke the eggs on their heads. How could I throw eggs at them? Their fans would never forgive me!"

After the act Neil's shocked father has still not forgiven his son, although he has been told it was all in jest.

Says Neil: "Bipasha rushed to me and said if it was an act then it was really scary. Katrina stormed up to me after the show and told me to apologize to Shah Rukh, at once."

Laughing nervously, Neil re-lived the trauma of being forced to be rude to a hero he worships.

"I'm glad people finally got to see my mischievous side... But no thanks. Never again."

read more...

Rahman Fifth Position in Most Trusted Indians conducted by Reader's Digest

In a recent survey and listing of the 100 most trusted Indians conducted by Reader's Digest, A. R. Rahman figured among the top ten! Placed a glittering No: 5 position, Rahman has managed to zoom ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (no: 7) and cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar (no: 8)!!

25th Filmfare Award!

Two glorious Oscars, two golden Grammys and a truckload of honours bagged in the wake of 'Slumdog Millionaire,' apart, it's yet raining awards in the Rahman backyard. At the recent 55th Filmfare awards convened at Mumbai, the Chennai composer pocketed his 25th Filmfare award for his feisty score in 'Delhi 6'! Incidentally, his Filmfare tally of 25 for a single artiste remains unbeaten, as yet.

NDTV's Indian of the Year 2009

He deservedly bagged the NDTV 'Music Icon' of the Year for his sterling contribution to music. His film scoring career took off in the early 1990s and he's the proud possessor of a BAFTA award and a Golden Globe in addition to four national awards and several other coveted honours. And yet, simplicity has always been the mainstay of this tuneful luminary.


100 most trusted Indians conducted by Reader's Digest

1. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, 2. Ratan Tata, 3. Kiran Bedi. 4. Narayana Murthy, 5. A.R. Rahman, 6. Viswanathan Anand, 7. Manmohan Singh, 8. Sachin Tendulkar, 9. R.K. Laxman, 10. G. Madhavan Nair, Amartya Sen and Azim Premji.

13. Nandan Nilekani, 14. Amitabh Bachchan, 15. Lakshmi Mittal, 16. Zakir Hussain, 17. Dr Devi Shetty, 18. E. Sreedharan and Aamir Khan, 20. Prakash and Mandakini Amte, Kumar Mangalam Birla, D. Subbarao and Anna Hazare.

24. K.G. Balakrishnan, 25. Abhinav Bindra, 26. Sunil Mittal, 27. Dr. P. Venugopal, 28. Prannoy Roy, 29. Rahul Gandhi, 30. Rahul Bajaj.

31. Sanjeev Kapoor, 32. Shyam Benegal, 33. B.K.S. Iyengar and Dr. Indira Hinduja, 35. Arvind Kejriwal, 36. Sabeer Bhatia, 37. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Narain Karthikeyan, Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar and Dr. Ramesh C. Deka.

41. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, 42. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 43. N. Ram and Jaspal Bhatti, 45. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, 46. Javed Akhtar and Jaideep Bose, 48. Medha Patkar and Mahesh Bhupathi, 50. P. Chidambaram.

51. Khushwant Singh and Deepak Parekh, 53. Shah Rukh Khan, 54. Prabhu Chawla, 55. Tarla Dalal and Bittu Sehgal, 57. Leander Paes, 58. Kiran Desai, 59. Ramchandra Guha and P. Sainath.

61. Rajdeep Sardesai, R.K. Pachauri and Chanda Kochhar, 64. Sushmita Sen, 65. Barkha Dutt, 66. Arundhati Roy, 67. Pratibha Patil, Ela Bhatt, Rajnikanth and Vikram Seth.

71. Kamal Haasan, 72. Sonia Gandhi, 73. Pranab Mukherjee, 74. Mukesh Ambani, 75. Aruna Roy, 76. Shobhaa De, 77. Anil Ambani, 78. Anurag Kashyap, 79. Arun Shourie, 80. Mohanlal.

81. Sania Mirza, 82. Aishwarya Rai, 83. Mata Amritandamayi, 84. Shashi Tharoor, 85. Tarun Tejpal, 86. Arun Jaitley, 87. Narendra Modi, 88. Sathya Sai Baba, 89. Omar Abdullah, 90. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala.

91. M.F. Husain, 92. Parag Parikh, 93. Lalit Modi, 94. L.K. Advani, 95. Ekta Kapoor, 96. Mamata Banerjee, 97. Sharad Pawar, 98. Prakash Karat, 99. Lalu Prasad, 100. Mayawati.

read more...

Amitabh Bachchan receives Taj Enlighten Tareef Award

Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, for his outstanding contribution to world cinema. Taj Enlighten Tareef Award was presented by Mr. Shrijeet Mishra, Executive Director, Foods, HUL.

The 'Taj Enlighten Tareef Award' is a symbol of excellence in cinema and a tribute to Mr. Bachchan, an icon who has changed the face of Hindi cinema. With his path breaking performances and enigmatic personality, this legend has given Indian cinema a global platform placing it on a never seen before pedestal. Owing to his significant contribution to the world of cinema, Mr. Bachchan is a pillar of cinematic excellence in India and abroad.

Speaking on the occasion, Shrijeet Mishra said, "The Taj Enlighten Film Society brings excellence in world cinema to film enthusiasts. We have always acknowledged our patrons for their finer taste in life. Keeping with this tradition, we are proud to be associated with the Enlighten Film Society. It gives us immense pleasure to honour none other than the legend of the Hindi film industry, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan with the Taj Enlighten Tareef Award. We wish him many more accolades in the years to come."

Speaking about the association, Bhawana Somaya, Film lover and an integral part of Enlighten Film Society said, "The Enlighten Film Society is dedicated to the cause of spreading good cinema to ensure that its audiences experience the world's greatest films on big screen. We are privileged to partner with Taj Mahal tea which shares our interests and embodies the same values of excellence and connoisseurship"

Beginning 7th February 2010, the Taj Enlighten Film Society launched "The Amitabh Bachchan Retrospective", a festival showcasing Mr. Bachchan's films, across the decades. The films that were part of the festival were THE LAST LEAR, AGNEEPATH, DEEWAAR and PAA, which were screened every Sunday at Cinemax and Metro Big Cinemas. Presented by Brooke Bond Taj Mahal, it recreated Mr. Bachchan's magic on silver screen for all the superstar's fans and film enthusiasts, culminating with the 'Taj Enlighten Tareef Awards' today.

The Taj Enlighten Film Society showcases highly acclaimed national and international films every Sunday at Cinemax and Metro Big Cinemas.

read more...

Katrina Kaif joins to Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra

Lux, the brand synonymous with beauty and film stars has added yet another gorgeous beauty to its starry gamete - this is none other than stunning Bollywood Diva Katrina Kaif! The Bollywood beauty, who needs no introduction, has come on board to endorse Lux's sensuous new variant - 'Lux Purple Lotus & Cream'.

The new Lux advertisement with Katrina Kaif has been beautifully shot in Bangkok and directed by Marco. The Sufi inspired music score has been composed by none other than the melodic trio Shankar Ehsaan Loy. Katrina has been styled by leading Bollywood fashion designer Rocky S, with her make-up done by the beauty magician Subhash Vagal.

Commenting on the occasion, Bollywood beauty and the new brand ambassador for Lux, Katrina Kaif said, "I feel honored to be chosen by Lux as the face of such an iconic brand. It is with great pride that I join the legendary Lux beauty brigade, and only hope that my association with the brand grows stronger in the years to come. It is the ultimate aspiration of any bollywood star to be associated with a renowned beauty brand like Lux. The new Lux variant, truly makes your skin softer than a petal. Since bathing is a daily ritual, it's very important to use the right kind of soap that moisturizes your skin and leaves you feeling your gorgeous best! As an ardent believer of the age old saying that beauty starts with great looking skin, I would really urge all you women out there to experience this new variant and feel your skin become soft and supple."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sudhanshu Vats, VP, Home Care & Skin Cleansing, HUL said, "We are very pleased to have the gorgeous bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif on board, to endorse our new variant. Lux over the years has always been known for introducing exciting innovative variants for its consumers and here's another such variant which is sure to appeal to consumers with its unique purple color and sensuous aroma. We look forward to this variant becoming a favorite amongst consumers across India."

read more...

I love the bombshell tag: Sameera Reddy

It is not a label favoured by most actresses in tinseltown, but Sameera Reddy embraces the bombshell tag and says that she is not going to give up the jhatka-matkaroles just to convince others that she is a good actress.

read more...

Ajay says ‘Atithi…' is like a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film

Ajay Devgn’s latest film ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge’ is a comedy and is an awaited film. Directed by Ashwni Dhir and produced by Amita Pathak, this film stars great actors like Ajay Devgn, Konkona Sen Sharma and Paresh Rawal.

Paresh Rawal plays the role of the ‘Atithi’ (guest) and Ajay says that this film will remind us of Hrishikesh Mukherjee films.

“When I read the script of Atithi I felt this film would remind us of the immortal Hrishikesh Mukherjee”, says Ajay. He claims that the film is not a slapstick comedy and audience will enjoy watching the movie.

By comparing his recent film with that of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s, Ajay says that like Hrishida’s movies this film will also be a light comedy with some brain material thrown in.

‘Atithi…’ is a comedy with a family touch. There is no romantic angle though. The film has Ajay and Konkona playing a married couple and has Paresh as the guest who overstays with them and makes life miserable for them and they in turn think of ways to get rid of him and that leads to a series of hilarious situations.

The film is slated to release on 5th March, 2010.

read more...

Sharman Joshi not in 'Golmaal 3'

Director Rohit Shetty, popular for comic capers Golmaal and Golmaal Returns is ready with Golmaal 3, atleast in plans!

The cast, pre-production date and even the release date have been fixed by him. He plans to release the movie this Diwali.The pre-production work will flag off from April 4th. That's keeping Rohit busy nowadays.

Among the cast, Sharman Joshi will not be a part of Golmaal 3. He very successfully enacted the role of Laxman in Golmaal and appeared framed in Golmaal Returns. Tusshar Kapoor will continue to play the mute Lucky but this time it will be ‘different’, says Rohit.

Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Mukherjee, who played the visually impaired couple in the first Golmaal were not there even in the second one. So in the third film also they will be missing. Instead Mithun Chakraborthy and Ratna Shah Pathak will be essaying vital and interesting roles.

read more...

Rahul Bose roots for Nandita, Boman

Winning the Filmfare in any category is an achievement in itself. This is echoed by any performer in Bollywood. Acclaimed actor Rahul Bose is also not far behind. But he is not included in the celebrations directly.

He is happy because Nandita Das’ film ‘Firaaq’ got noticed and also won several black ladies. “She’s a much needed voice”, says he.

Boman Irani, who won in the category of Best supporting actor for 3 Idiots, has been touted as the perfect one for such a role by Rahul. “He was pitch perfect in a tricky role in 3 idiots”, says the self-proclaimed sports fanatic.

Meanwhile, on his front, he is awaiting the reactions of the audience for his next movie, ‘The Japanese Wife’, though the first screening of the same was welcomed with positive reviews.

“I got first calls after yesterday's ‘The Japanese wife’ screening. Wonderful reactions like Aparna’s (Sen) best' etc. I am keeping my fingers crossed. The film releases in April”, says Rahul as a last note.

Aparna Sen directed ‘The Japanese Wife’, starring Rahul Bose and Raima Sen releases on April 9th.

read more...

Deepika Padukone not offered ‘Krrish-3'

While reports are doing rounds about how Deepika has been finalised for Krrish-3 after Katrina turned down the project, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan has denied any such developments.

The reports about him signing the leggy lass Deepika Padukone for his ambitious project ‘Krrish-3’ are untrue. Says Rakesh Roshan, “I am still scripting ‘Krrish-3’, so how can I cast Deepika? All these stories about the film revolving around the Seven Wonders and about it going on the floors in September are completely baseless.”

read more...

SRK enjoyed playing balloon fights on Holi

The festival of Holi is famous for colors and enjoyment. And our very own Bollywood stars know how to enjoy this festival. Right from Raj Kapoor till SRK, for everyone Holi is an occasion to bond over gulal and bhang!

The toast of the season, Shah Rukh Khan seems to have enjoyed Holi this year with his kids. He played balloon attacks with them.

“I played water balloon attack with kids’, says the doting father. SRK also took out time to meet others to wish them yesterday. “Got to meet all the people outside the house to wish me.”

In the balloon fight, SRK won but he is not that happy with the win but he is contented with the celebrations he had with his family. “Winning is no fun in balloon fights...losing is better. Got all wet and had such a great time”, concludes King Khan.

read more...

This year enjoy IPL matches live at cinema halls

New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) Many cinema halls around the country have decided to create a stadium-like atmosphere by screening live the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

The matches, from March 12 to April 25, will be played in India after being held in South Africa the last time. The matches will be screened in multiplexes as well as on single screens.

'It is a new and exciting offer. Usually the traditional method is to show films in theatres, so this is something innovative,' UFO Moviez India CEO Rajesh Mishra told IANS.

UFO Moviesz is a digital satellite cinema network that will facilitate the live showcase of matches in cinema halls.

Mishra revealed that many multiplexes warmed up to this initiative because not many big budget films are releasing during the period of the IPL.

'IPL has become a strong property. On top of that, no big budget film is releasing during this period. So, screening matches will be beneficial for the halls because no major film shows will be affected and they (theatres) will have something to fall back upon for sustenance,' he added.

Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas, told IANS: 'We have eight screens and no big films are releasing during the IPL. So we thought it will be good to experiment and see the response by screening the matches.'

Industry sources say there will be benefits of watching cricket matches in cinema halls.

It will be a high definition live event, there will be uninterrupted advertisement-free viewing, 33 percent more image as well as the stadium atmosphere.

Around 800 screens around India, including close to 65 in Delhi and surrounding areas, are expected to screen the matches.

Multiplexes like Cinemax, INOX, Fame and PVR among others gearing up for this new offering.

As far as the ticket prices are concerned, halls have decided to keep them equivalent to movie ticket prices.

'We are not increasing the ticket prices. People would have to pay what they pay for films,' said Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas.

'We are planning corporate and marketing tie-ups to increase our profits. We won't put any pressure on ticket prices,' he added.

'We will decide something between Rs.400-500 for the tickets,' said Rohan Doshi, in-charge of bulk bookings, Cinemax.

So are they expecting a good response?

'Its an experiment. We don't know what to expect but I'm sure we won't suffer losses even if we don't make heavy profits,' said Awasthi.

Cricket fans are excited too.

'We now experience the feel of a stadium without being in the stadium. I am planning a bulk booking for all my friends so that we can watch the matches together,' said Shantanu Roy, a banker.

read more...

Shah Rukh to sing, dance for KKR

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said he would sing and dance to cheer his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team during all the seven matches at Eden Gardens in the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month.

"I will sing, I will dance, I will be there to cheer up the boys," KKR co-owner King Khan told reporters via video-conference.

SRK, as Shah Rukh is popularly known, had gone to South Africa to encourage his side during the first five matches of the IPL last year.

He said KKR, in association with Nokia, will host Para (neighbourhood) cricket to create a platform for a new generation of cricketers.

This year enjoy IPL matches live at cinema halls

read more...

Big B feels proud to be associated with Indian cinema

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has said that Indian cinema is one entity that brings all together, adding that he feels proud to be associated with it.

Brooke Bond India Limited honoured Bachchan with a special award named ‘Taj Enlighten Tareef Award’ for his contribution to Indian film industry.

In his thanks giving and acceptance speech, Amitabh Bachchan said, "In many ways I feel that Indian cinema is a great integrator and at a time when all of us are thinking separately wanted to do things separately of bringing divides amongst ourselves."

" Indian cinema is one entity that is bringing all of us together and I think I feel very proud to be associated with it," he claimed.

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in `Saat Hindustani` but won critical acclaim and success in 1971 with the film ‘Anand’.

The film, which catapulted him to the path of super-stardom, was `Sholay`. After this Amitabh kept giving hits like `Amar Akbar Anthony`, `Kabhi Kabhie` and `Trishul` and `Muqaddar Ka Sikander` among others and since then he has never looked back.

read more...

Hrithik Roshan: Hollywood Hottie?

He's a high flying luminary, and is readying to soar higher with 'Kites'. As per reliable sources, Hrithik Roshan has stirred up major Hollywood interest, courtesy his commendable acting and sexciting chemistry with Barbara Mori in the Rakesh Roshan flick.

Reportedly, the trailors and promos of 'Kites' have revved up interest in the Indian actor, and Hrithik is being wooed by topline production houses and directors from Hollywood, all of whom are keen to greenlight projects with him in the near future.

Roshan Senior was unwilling to spill the beans on the Hollywood biggies who were seeking Hrithik . "It's not fair to comment at this stage coz' it's rather too early," he stated in a media chat. His official spokesperson, however, confirmed the great news asserting that "Hrithik has been getting a lot of feelers from Hollywood recently." Global gush, national star.

read more...

Taj Festival ends with Bollywood dance performances

Bollywood actors presented a vibrant choreographed dance on the last day of the annual 10-day Taj Festival in Agra.

Bollywood actors Kim Sharma, Preeti Jhangiani, Sanobar Kabir and Meghna Naidu set the stage afire with a host of others celebrities.

Hundreds of tourists flocked in to witness the stellar dance shows on Bollywood numbers presented by actors on the last day of the ‘Taj Mahotsav’.

Dharmendra Soni, an Indian tourist said, “This is a very good event in itself. Agra is famous not only in India but worldwide because Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. So tourists from across the globe visit Agra during the festival.”

The Taj Mahotsav, a much-awaited event, has been described as a festive introduction to India and its northern state Uttar Pradesh.

“I enjoyed this programme very much, actually I have come for this party. I have looked upon the Internet, the festival Taj Mahotsav, and have come to see the last two days,” opined Maria, a foreign tourist.

This festival showcases the country’s extensive arts, crafts and culture besides folk music, and classical dance performances, and it also offers a variety of entertainment including elephant and camel rides, games, apart from a food fest to satiate the gourmets.

Besides hosting the Taj Festival, the organisers are now planning to offer another attractive event during the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi in October.

The main venue of the cultural extravaganza, ‘Shilpgram’, literally meaning the village of artisans, is set in the backdrop of the magnificent Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world.

It was at the Shilpgram where artisans, who built the Taj, lived.

Constructed entirely of white marble, the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1630 and 1648.

According to historians, the emperor consulted experts from the Middle East and Europe as he planned the monument, which took 20,000 people and over 22 years to build. (ANI)

read more...

Bollywood Superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan attend Ambani's party

Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh descended at the Grand Hyatt hotel here for a party organised by Industrialist Anil Ambani.

Shah Rukh Khan expressed his happiness that the corporates have entered the film industry and that they have an organized way of making films from detail to production.

"It is really nice to know that corporates have entered our film industry. Of course, Reliance Big Pictures is doing very well. I was surprised to know that they are doing so many things, which we were not aware of," said Khan.

"We always thought they are just distributing and producing, but I think there is lot of back end work and lot of international stuff. This is commendable and very welcoming that we can have an organized way of making films from top to end and from detail to production," he added.

Other Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Rekha and Shahid Kapoor were also present at the venue.

Abhishek Bachchan said that he was there to celebrate the success of his latest film `Paa`.

"We are looking forward to a fun time. We are here to celebrate the success of `Paa`. With reliance our team has been very fruitful. I am very happy that with our very first venture itself, we have tasted success and we hope we can repeat it," said Abhishek.

The glittering event also witnessed a number of other celebrities like Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Rekha, Dev Anand, Prem Chopra, Subhash Ghai and Karan Johar, who had turned up to grace the ocassion.

read more...

80 lakhs stolen from Hema Malini's home

Cash and gold jewellery worth nearly Rs. 80 lakhs were stolen from actress, director, producer, and Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer Hema Malini's house in Mumbai, police said.

The house in northwest Mumbai was burgled on Saturday, an official of Dindoshi police station said. The actor came to know about the theft only on Sunday. Police said a security guard and a domestic help have been detained for questioning.

read more...

Katrina Kaif takes a train to go shopping with`Fearless`

Katrina Kaif may be ruling the filmdom presently, but the lissome beauty takes pride in being grounded, it seems. Kat, who was recently in Bangkok shooting for a new commercial, didn’t hesitate from taking to a public conveyance as she decided to go shopping during her free time.

The story goes like – Katrina wanted to go shopping during her stay in Bangkok. But when she left the hotel, she realised there was a huge traffic jam. But before thinking twice about her stature in the film industry, the actress took a train to the shopping district.

Buzz has it that her well-wishers were concerned about the actress’ security, but the undaunted Katrina did not give in to their fears and boarded a train for the first time in several years.

Well, Kat then had a great time shopping, apparently, and bought a few pairs of boots as she is extremely fond of them. She shopped at Siam Paragon Shopping Centre and at another luxury mall on Sukhumvit Road.

read more...