The New Year eve plans of Bollywood stars

With 2009 just around the corner, Bollywood stars are headed to different destinations to usher in the New Year.

Since the mood in Mumbai is pretty glum after the November 26 terror attacks, most of the New Year performances in the city have been canceled. Moreover, even the stars who would normally stay put in Mumbai on Dec 31 are headed to exotic locales.

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are on their way for a chilled out vacation in the Swiss Alps. Hope there are no bhel puri restaurants there to give Saif the stomach cramps.

Akshay Kumar is already on a holiday with wife Twinkle Khanna , son Aarav and Dimple Kapadia and his mom Aruna. For them, the celebrations began on Dec 29 with Twinkle’s birthday and will continue till the January 1.

Shilpa Shetty is on a vacation with her beau Raj Kundra in Spain. Alongside the duo are their respective families.

Salman Khan along with his brothers is in Goa for the New Years. The celebrations, low-key this year, began in the Khan household from Salman’s birthday on Dec 27 and will continue well into the first few days of January.

Katrina Kaif has been in London for the Christmas reunion with her family and is expected to join Salman on 31st evening.

Malaika Arora would be performing on stage at a hotel in Singapore, while Celina Jaitley will perform at the New Year bash at City Pavilion in London.

Arjun Rampal , Farhan Akhtar , Ritesh Sidhwani and the rest of Rock On gang is headed to Dubai. They initially planned an outing in Goa but changed the plan after the government canceled outdoor parties.

Shahrukh Khan is in Los Angeles to shoot Karan Johar’s film My Name Is Khan . He, Gauri and the kids are likely to fly to Uganda for a brief holiday.

Kajol and Ajay Devgan have left for their farmhouse in Karjat. They are expected back on Jan 2 after which Kajol would fly to the US to shoot with SRK.

John Abraham and Bipasha Basu will most likely head to Goa. Looks like they don’t mind if there aren’t any outdoor parties.

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'Bollywood 2009" predicts numerologist Niraj Mancchanda

Numeroloigst Niraj Mancchanda gives us his predictions for some of the biggest stars in Bollywood for 2009 including Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Aamir Khan. According to Niraj, 2009 is going to be Aamir's year! Read on to find out what is in store for your favorite stars!

Hrithik Roshan will be loved in Kites. First three days of the movie's opening will be phenomenal. Hrithik should consider adding the letter 'c' in his name so it spells Hrithick Roshan. This will help him avoid accidents and injuries. His name presently comes to number 43, same as Amitabh Bachchan and we all know that Big B has also had health issues.

Niraj goes on to say that Harman Baweja will be appreciated in Victory, Abhishek Bachchan will be loved in Delhi 6 and Ranbir Kapoor's first hit movie will likely be Rajniti. Apart from these three films, their other releases are not expected to do so well at the box office. He recommends that Harman spell his name as Harrmann Bawejaa. However, if he has decided to stick to the original spelling, and added S in middle (S for Singh, as he is Sikh) Harman S Baweja, this will help him succeed to some extent. As for the other two, Abhishek should use his father's initial and be Abhishek A Bachchan and Ranbir should spell his name as Raanbir or Raanbier Kapoor which should come as good luck in their career growth. If they decide to stick to their original spellings, their career could always be cyclic with huge variables of more flops than hits.

Shah Rukh Khan has two films in 2009 (Billoo Barber and My Name Is Khan).It's a money making year for Shah Rukh as 2009=11=1+1=2 and his number is also 2.

Salman Khan is not going through a good phase as many of his films bombed at the box office in 2008 and many more are expected to in the coming year. He should get the titles of his films strong according to their numerological values. As it is now, most of the titles of his films releasing in 2009 come to unlucky numbers. Katrina Kaif is a very lucky girl for others. However, her string of flops have begun from Yuvvraaj and she will have many more in 2009. Katrina's luck will not be able to neutralise Salman's low phase in 2009.

Kareena Kapoor's number is 3. In 2009, she will have 2 hit movies (3 Idiots and Kambakkth Ishq) but will not get much credit for these films like she got for Jab We Met. Aamir Khan will likely take away all the credit for 3 Idiots and many others will be mentioned for Kambakkth Ishq. It's a good year for her as far as success is concerned but not credit. For the credit, she will have to wait for 2010. If Kareena decides to spell her name as Karrinaa Kapoor, it will make her number 42 (same as Shah Rukh) and this should give her enough luck to churn out ten more Jab We Mets, in terms of success and full credit on her shoulders.

Akshay Kumar's destiny number is 5 which is derived by adding the full date of birth. He turned 41 and so the number 5 has been activated again. His luck has now become cyclic. At this age, he had a hit Welcome and then a flop Tashan and then Singh is Kinng did huge business but entailed losses to many distributors in India due to its high Cost. His next, Chandni Chowk to China, will open well but again, due to its cost, it will entail losses to Warner Brothers or at maximum, manage to recoupe its cost. His only hit in 2009 will be Kambakkth Ishq, which has the same number numerologically as Maine Pyar Kiya and numerologically titled by me. The entire credit for the film's success will go to the lucky producer Sajid Nadiadwala, director Sabbir Khan and Sylester Stallone, and not surprisingly, Aanuu Mallik is expected to start a new cycle, which will take his career to another level. Furthermore, the 100 Crore Blue will be released, which comes to same numerological number as Dil Se, so I do not even have to say its box office merit. According to numbers, he will have many flops after Blue but in 2010, Akshay will once again bounce back to giving many hits but his rollercoaster of hits and flops will continue.

2009 belongs to Aamir Khan. 3 Idiots comes to the same number as Devdas; his wife Kiran's movie Dhobi Ghaat comes to number of Maine Pyar Kiya and his other home production, Delhi Belly which stars his nephew Imran Khan, comes to the same number as Chak De India. Aamir is born on 14/03/1965 = 1+4+3+1+9+6+5 = 29 = 2+9 = 11 = 1+1 = 2 which is his destiny number. Year 2009 is also number 2 and Aamir also completes 20 years of his career as an actor. Therefore, number 2 (his destiny number) will make it the biggest year of his career!

It will be interesting to see how close his predictions come and we do wish luck to the all the unlucky numbered stars of 2009!

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Lara leaves SRK's party, Dino follows her

There was a time when Lara Dutta and Dino Morea used to see each other. The old lovers again happened to cross one another's road at Shahrukh Khan's bash. Shahrukh and Gauri had thrown a party at Mannat, last week. Present on the occasion was Dino Morea and his ex beau Lara Dutta. When Lara saw Dino getting closer to designer Nandita Mahtani, she left the party and Dino followed her.

A source present at the event reveals, "Lara, Dino, Preity, Ness, and Nandita were all seen having a conversation. Later, Preity and Ness started mingling with other guests and the trio was left to themselves. Dino and Nandita were in the chatty mode, and were seen joking and laughing. It was obvious that Lara wasn't too comfortable with her beau's ex around."

Apparently at one point, Lara saw Nandita sitting on Dino's lap and she lost her patience and left the party. On seeing her leave, Morea too excused himself and followed her. A source close to the couple admits, "Yes, they had a tiff over Nandy but they talked and things are fine now."

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Aamir Khan silences critics

Aamir Khan leaves no stone unturned. Not even loose ends when some critics decide to poke holes (blasphemy, he’s the ‘perfectionist’) in his newest release Ghajini, he decides to take them on .

So it was pleasant, but not a surprise, when he decided to confront the ‘critic’ himself. On ZOOM’s acerbic show, Face The Review hosted by trade analyst Komal Nahta, AK decided to confront the reviewer by replying to every charge.

But with the film breaking every concievable box-office record on its opening weekend itself, grossing four times larger than any previous release, he didn’t need to say anything in defense. Just smile enigmatically, like he does. Aamir loved the concept of the show as he could interact with his ‘first day first show’ audiences. So catch Aamir as he gets candid and answers all on Face the Review on Zoom tonight at 7.30 pm and tomorrow at 2.30 pm.

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Salman parties with Asin and Mallika while Kat's away!

Salman Khan's birthday (December 27) party at his Panvel farmhouse was a low key affair.

It had a gathering of the usual close friends and family except for the presence of Mallika Sherawat, Asin: Salman's London Dreams' leading lady and his Veer heroine Zarine Khan.

Salman certainly didn't seem to be missing girlfriend Katrina Kaif who is visiting family in London for Christmas.

But Sallu couldn't have had it better three gorgeous women vying for his attention at his birthday party.

A source present at the party says, "This time the Khan family had decided that Salman's birthday would be low key compared to his usual rollicking ones as the city is still under the cloud of the 26/11 terrorist attacks.

The birthday boy was heard telling his friends that he would not be inviting many people and yet more than a 100 guests turned up."

Some of Salman's guests included Adnan Sami, Anil Sharma, Aalim, Sajid Nadiadwala, David Dhawan, Ramesh Taurani, Vijay Galani amongst others.

The source adds, "Some stayed back at his sprawling farmhouse while the rest drove back home early yesterday morning.

Salman's mom had whipped up some 15 dishes including mutton paya and biryani and all the guests had a feast. The Khans are known for their superb hospitability."

The source says Salman broke one of his golden rules this time before his birthday. "Bhai never shoots after December 20 and takes a break till New Year but when his Veer director Anil Sharma told him the film wasn't complete, the actor cancelled his holiday plans and stayed back to complete the shot. He has done this for the first time in years."

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Akshay signed CC2C after seeing the film's poster

There is a story that goes behind Akshay giving a Thumbs Up to CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA. Though in principal, he was pretty much on board vis–a–vis doing the film, the clincher came in the form of the specially designed poster of the film that did the trick.

Confirms Rohan Sippy, 'Shridhar (Raghavan) – the writer and I were so clear that Akshay was the only choice for the part. We were so keen to have him on board that we actually created a poster with him in it to give him a feel for the film. I think the poster bowled him over so much that he wanted to sign on right away. In fact it is the same concept that we have used in the teaser poster of the film!'

Even otherwise, the story of the bumbling Sidhu, whose journey to China gives him an identity, a chance to believe in himself and save a village resonated somewhere with Akshay that made him even more keen to essay the part of Sidhu.

'I don't think we could have envisioned any other actor in the role of Sidhu. Akshay has breathed life into this role. People will feel sympathy when he is a fumbling Sidhu and will cheer when he beats up the bad guys. There are very few actors who can convince the audience to accept them as a simpleton and as a Kung Fu expert within the same movie', says Rohan in a delightful tone as he looks forward to the release of the film that takes place within three weeks from now.

'Beyond being an exceptionally versatile and professional actor, he is one of the very few actors in Bollywood who has the physique and agility to have carried off the tough demands of this role. He is a daredevil, he loves performing stunts and reveling when they are risky', adds Nikhil Advani.

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After GHAJINI its KAMBAKKTH ISHQ turn!

If GHAJINI was the biggest blockbuster of 2008, get ready for the biggest film of 2009, Sajid Nadiadwala's KAMBAKKTH ISHQ. Starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor along with the who's who of Hollywood right from Slyvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh, the film is anticipated as the most awaited release of 2009.

The release date for the film has been finalized for 29th May 2009. Trade reports have already declared it as the most awaited release of next year and whats more? All the opinion polls on the internet have declared it as the film to watch out for in 2009. Last year it was GHAJINI and this New Year it's undoubtedly KAMBAKKTH ISHQ!

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In Pics: Saif heads Home

After staying in Lilavati Hospital for two days thanks to a severe gastro infection, Saif finally heads home with girlfriend Kareena.

Saif and Kareena walk out of the hospital


Saif is happy but also stunned by the massive media presence


He goes to talk to the media...


....with the doctor and security personnel in tow.


He tells all his fans that he is alright


Answers all the queries…and looks very happy and pleased


Meanwhile, an angry looking Kareena (and not Saif) looks like the patient as she waits for him to head home.


The two head home in Saif's Lexus.

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Latest: Saif discharged from Hospital

Actor Saif Ali Khan was finally discharged today. After being given a final final check up by his doctor at Lilavati, the actor was sent home. Kareena was by his side.

Saif Ali Khan was admitted to Lilavati Hospital on Thursday evening following complaints of severe stomach ache. The actor checked into the hospital around 5.30pm on Christmas Day and although he was to be discharged late in the night, the actor was kept under observation for a day. Doctors say that was a precaution being taken because of the actor's history of smoking, drinking and heart trouble for which he was hospitalised last year as well. Kareena's secretary confirmed the news saying that Khan would soon be on his way home.

Girlfriend Kareena Kapoor left ailing lover Saif at around 2pm yesterday after having spent the entire night by his side. The actress stayed away from the media but made her way back later in the evening. And she was by his side when he checked out this afternoon.

Director Ravi Chopra and Kareena's mother Babita had visited the actor earlier in the day.

Actress Karisma Kapoor told the media present outside Lilavati last evening that Saif was stable and there was nothing to worry about. “Both Saif and Kareena are inside. They will be discharging him in 2 hours time. There is nothing to worry about. Saif is stable,” said Karisma who had accompanied her sister and Saif to the hospital.

“All through the day Saif had been feeling very unwell. He kept complaining of a bad stomach ache and had been vomiting all through the day. Finally late in the evening the family decided it was best to head to the hospital and make sure it wasn’t very serious,” said a source close to the actor.

“There was a big get together last night on Christmas Eve. Saif and Kareena were also there. And something that he ate did not go down well. It’s nothing major,” said the source.

The hospital spokesperson has also admitted that Saif is in the hospital but refused to give any details about the treatment he was undergoing.

While the official take is being given as a severe stomach infection, many of the actor’s industry insiders are putting it down to a whole lot of merry making on Christmas Eve.

“We all know that Saif and Kareena love to party. The Chhote Nawab surely knows how to have a good time at a party. And who hasn’t had a drink too many on a fun night out?” laughs an industry insider.

This is not the first time that actor Saif Ali Khan has been admitted into hospital. In February 2007, the Bollywood actor underwent an angiography after he was admitted into Lilavati following complains of severe chest pain. The actor had undergone an emergency appendectomy surgery after complaining of abdomen pain during a shoot in Kuala Lumpur in early 2006.

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Salman to spend birthday at his farmhouse

It was rumored that Salman would be flying out of the country for his birthday and New Year celebrations but that is not the case. Salman is currently shooting for Veer at Film City but he will take a day off tomorrow.

A source close to Salman tells us, "Salman will have a party at his farmhouse in Panvel with his close family and friends on his birthday."

He further adds, "We all know that Salman is a family man and he loves to party. Biryani and kebabs are definitely on the menu. Salman will play host to all their friends from the industry.”

It has almost become a ritual for the superstar to head to his Panvel farmhouse for his birthday. The actor heads there every year on Christmas Eve and stays there till a day after his birthday.

The guest list for Salman’s party tomorrow night is said to include dad Salim Khan, mom Salma, step mom Helen, sisters Alvira and Arpita, brother Sohail, Arbaaz and their families. His staff members will also be there as Salman values them a lot. David Dhawan, Aamir Khan, Subhash Ghai, Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgan are also expected.

However, this year girlfriend Katrina Kaif will be missing from the do. She is currently holidaying with her family in London and is expected back only in January.

Salman is really fond of his farmhouse in Panvel. He often cycles there from Mumbai with his bodyguards following him in cars. After the shooting of Yuvvraaj wrapped up earlier this year, Salman and Katrina threw a lavish wind up bash for their cast and crew members over there.

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Bipasha was caught in the 26/11 terror attack; speaks for the first time

"I feel vulnerable and helpless. That's why I haven't spoken until now," says Bipasha Basu softly.

Bipasha was returning from Film City on 26/11 when she was caught in the blast. "It happened at Vile Parle as I crossed the area. There was mayhem on the road as my staff and I sat huddled in our car wondering what to do next. Should we go forward? Or go back? I told my driver to drive in the middle of the road as fast as possible."

Three weeks down the line, and as the city nurses its wounds, Bipasha wonders what she can do to help the situation. "I've been extremely affected by 26/11. I haven't spoken to anyone about it until now. I don't know how I can ease the pain of Mumbai. Everyone wants to put forward more than just a point of view. But no one seems to know what to do. I do believe in the mass movement that Mumbai has been seeing over the last three weeks. I think people lighting candles, holding hands, showing their solidarity speaking out...it's all very effective."

Bipasha was skeptical to begin with. "I thought this movement would die down after the first few days. But now I feel it's not losing momentum. And I'm very happy about that. The media is playing a very important part in keeping the movement against terrorism alive. I must admit I thought it would be over after one Sunday. That's why I kept quiet."

But now Bipasha believes in the power of people. "I just hope it continues. If the people's voice continues to be heard whichever government comes into power will be forced to pay heed and provide us with basic security. Sure, our economy is booming and the industries are doing well. But what do we do without security in Mumbai? If the financial capital of India which generates the maximum taxes is hit, how do we sustain global confidence in our country?"

Bipasha can't believe that ten terrorists could do this to Mumbai. "What happened to Mumbai is a shame for the entire country. I went out socially for the first time this week. Life must go on. The important thing is to not forget the lessons that we've learnt from 26/11. Now I feel far less defeated far more optimistic about the future than I did the first few days after Mumbai was attacked. Mumbai won't forget. We have Zero security in the country. Otherwise how could there be continuous blasts all over the city for so many hours? And if the detonated RDX had not been discovered in time, it could have been worse."

Bipasha caught up with a film on the Mumbai blasts. "I saw Neeraj Pandey's A Wednesday after 26/11. I can't believe it's so sensitive and so prophetic. Like Naseeruddin Shah being pushed into destroying terrorism the Common Man is ready take action. A Wednesday should be a textbook on terrorism. All of us should see it and learn its lessons."

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Wishing Salman Khan a very Happy Birthday

Known as the man with a golden heat, yet with a hint of bad anger, he has wooed Bollywood for over two decades he has today turned 43.

With his latest interest in the expressive art form of painting he has quite literally managed to paint not just the town but entire Bollywood red and all shades of colours. The birthday boy for today as you may have already guesses is none other than Salman Khan.

Starting his career with Biwi Ho To Aisi in '88, Salman soon became the heartthrob of the nation. With his youthful looks and his well toned body he had directors lining up at his doors. Not long after he was at pinnacle of Bollywood and touted as the best, most watched loved and adored celebrity.

Sallu as he is fondly known is even today regarded as one bright star shining forth for friends and foe alike, keeping differences apart and helping when most needed. Though he has been embroiled with a multitude of controversies the golden heart boy has managed to surmount them with ease and emerge victorious.

Join Bollywood Buzz in wishing the loved to be talked about actor Salman Khan a very happy Birthday, simply by posting your wishes below:

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B.O. update: 'Ghajini' sets new records, collects Rs. 20 cr. in 2 days

GHAJINI is smashing all previous records. The film is emerging the biggest opener of all times, grossing a whopping approx. Rs. 20 cr. nett in its first two days. The film collected approx. Rs. 1.6 cr. nett in paid previews [on Wednesday], approx. Rs. 8.25 cr. nett on limited screens and shows [on Thursday] and approx. Rs. 10.15 cr. nett [on Friday], according to its all-India distributors Studio 18. The collections are simply earth-shattering.

"At the rate the film is performing, the film is expected to smash all previous opening weekend records in India by unheard of, unimaginable, never dreamt of margins," Studio 18's Aman Gill says, "The nett collections by the end of Sunday night should be in the range of Rs. 42 cr. to Rs. 45 cr., which is 75% higher than the biggest opener of this year, SINGH IS KINNG."

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"Jumbo has elements that Lion King had" - Lara Dutta

This Christmas 'Every thing's gonna be alright', and that's exactly what the film Jumbo says. Bollywood Hungama caught up with the gorgeous Lara Dutta who has lent her voice to the melodious character of Sonia in the film. In a free-wheeling chat Lara talks about her experience dubbing for this animated flick.

For the first time you will be giving voiceover for an animated film in Bollywood. How did you think of this, all of a sudden?
Akshay is a very good friend... I remember it was when we were shooting an action sequence in Phuket for the film Blue that he offered me Jumbo. He told me that it is a very sweet film and he would love to have me play a part in it. I also felt it was a lovely film and immediately signed it. I have always been fond of watching animation films, so to be part of an animation film got me really excited.

So you agreed to lend your voice for the film because of Akshay?
Yes... but then that is just one of the factors. Akshay and I have done many films. He is a fantastic co star and a dear friend. It is always my pleasure to work with him. However, like I said I was thrilled to be part of an animation film. And Jumbo is a very sweet film.

What is your character in the film? Do you think your voice suited the character?
The cute pink elephant is me (Smiles) I play Jumbo's love interest. Her name is Sonia. I was required to sound very melodious so I had to ensure that I got it right. It was fun and I have given my best. Hope the audience feels that my voice has suited the character.

Which is more difficult? Acting or giving voice to an animated character?
Well, it is difficult to give voice to an animated character. But then, there are two sides to it. The difficult part is that since you haven't shot for it, you have to understand the emotions that the character is supposed to go through. That is a challenge. But on the positive side you can interpret it in many ways... it allows you to be creative. You don't need to talk in an exaggerated manner. You just have to understand the graph of your character and speak accordingly.

Jumbo is basically about family and its values, how much do you agree with this?
Yes... a lot. The film is high on family values. The story is about a baby elephant who longs for his father and how he leaves his herd and embarks upon a journey in search of his father. I was very touched with the storyline.

Which other animated films have you seen and liked the best?
I love Lion King... In fact Jumbo has elements that Lion King had.

Is the film targeting kids only?
No... It is for everyone. You are never too old for animation movies. Jumbo isn't a mindless film. It has a definite storyline and a moral to the story which the audience will like. But yes... I'm doing this film completely for my kiddie audience.

Apart from Jumbo... what else do you have in the pipeline?
There's Blue with Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, then there is Billu Barber with Irrfan Khan and Shahrukh. Apart from that there is Do Knot Disturb with Govinda and Banda Yeh Bindass Hai with Salman.

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Exclusive: Khit pit soniye - Billu Barber

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Exclusive: Mar Jaani - Billoo Barber

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SRK Romances Kajol, Bipasha, Lara, Preity and Rani

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Exclusive: Watch Adi Chopra run from Ghajini screening

Director Aditya Chopra attended a special screening of Ghajini on Wednesday night as Aamir Khan’s guest. But the reclusive Adi refused to stand and smile for our cameras like all other Bollywood celebs always do!

Read on to find out our chase to catch Adi:

Aditya Chopra arrives for the screening from the back entrance of PVR Juhu.

He tries real hard to not be caught on camera as he walks out of the screening at the end of the film.

In his attempt to run from the cameras he drops his mobile phone.

Adi runs back to get his mobile phone and then quickly makes a dash for his car.

Aditya covers his face as his driver tries to reverse the car

Still hiding his face but the signature mustache is a give away.

Chopra’s pose reminds us of Brangelina who did this to hide the faces of their kids from the cameras!

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Kareena, family and friends go to midnight mass at St Andrews

Bebo and family attended Xmas mass at a different church, as Mt Mary was too crowded

Kareena Kapoor and her group couldn't attend the midnight mass at Mt Mary's church this year because of the heavy crowds. Instead they ended up going to another church in Bandra St Andrew's.

Bebo was accompanied by sister Karisma along with mother Babita and Saif Ali Khan. Kareena's best friend Amrita Arora and her fiance Shakeel Ladak, Dino Morea and Lara Dutta. Arbaaz and Malaika Khan (with their son Arhaan) and the Arora girls' parents were also there.

Kareena explains, "We had to go to St Andrew's as we couldn't get seats at Mt Mary. It was extremely crowded. Normally our driver goes and reserves some seats earlier, but this year he couldn't even do that. My mom has bad knees and she can't stand for long, so we went to St Andrew's. It was very quiet and peaceful there."

Amrita adds, "My family and I have always gone to St Andrew's church for midnight mass for Christmas."
After the mass, Kareena and the rest went back to her place for a huge Christmas feast which consisted of roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, jacket potatoes, plum pudding, meat and chicken dishes and marzipan sweets, kalkals and guava cheese as dessert.

Dino and Amrita with their partners went back to their homes for dinner. Later the three couples Malaika Arbaaz, Amrita Shakeel and Dino Lara headed to Aurus for Baba Diwan's party.

Kareena adds, "I have been binging on anything and everything. Diets are off for me now. When I go for my Alpine holidays I am not taking any diet chart with me. I am back to looking curvy and sexy and can eat anything till January 15 after which I resume shooting for Raju Hirani's 3 Idiots."

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In Pictures: Ravi Chopra and Amrita visit Saif

Saif Ali Khan is currently at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra being treated for his stomach infection. Take a look at his visitors.

Friends Forever: Kareena's best friend Amrita Arora arrives early in the morning.


Model Visitors: Aditi Gowitrikar and Dipannita Sharma were spotted at the hospital.


Seeing My Friend: Director Ravi Chopra and his wife pay a visit to Saif.


Waiting: A distraught looking Kareena waits for her car to arrive in the afternoon.


Going Home: Kareena on her way home. Kareena had been by Saif's side through the night.


I Am Back: Kareena returned to Lilavati Hospital in the evening. It is amazing how she looks so flawlessly beautiful even in these distressing times.

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B.O. update:- 'Ghajini' has unprecedented start, collects Rs. 10cr. to Rs. 12 cr.

The keenly-anticipated GHAJINI fetched the biggest start ever, shattering the record held by SINGH IS KINNG and GOLMAAL RETURNS, the two big openers of 2008. The paid previews were packed to capacity on Wednesday night and the film ran to almost 100% response throughout the country on Thursday.

Studio 18, the distributors of the film, were in for a pleasant surprise. Having released two of the biggest openers this year -- SINGH IS KINNG and GOLMAAL RETURNS -- and also one of the biggest openers of 2007 [WELCOME], they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the figures pouring in from all over. Exhibitors across the country were going into raptures, stressing on the cent per cent occupancy on Wednesday night [paid previews] and also Thursday [Christmas].

This writer was in constant touch with several exhibitors, who couldn't hide their excitement. The common feedback is, the crowd was uncontrollable, that the crowd inside and outside their theatres was the same, that the film was packed in advance for the entire weekend.

Talking of numbers, the film collected approx. Rs. 2 cr. + in paid previews [a record], while the Thursday numbers were approx. Rs. 9 cr. According to early indications, the film collected between Rs. 10 cr. to Rs. 12 cr. nett, as per Studio 18. It's a new record, it's creating history!

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Ghajini to be screened with English subtitles at BIG Cinemas

BIG Cinemas will be screening Ghajini with subtitles at select screens in Mumbai. The facility will make the film more accessible to hearing-impaired and non-Hindi speaking guests of the cinema. The film will be screened with English subtitles in its second week at digital screens in BIG Cinemas Wadala and Metro BIG Cinemas in Mumbai.

Tushar Dhingra, Chief Operating Officer - BIG Cinemas said, "This will ensure that the cinema medium can be enjoyed more completely by a larger number of the public, especially the hearing impaired who could not earlier understand the dialogues. The release of Ghajini, being an eagerly awaited film, was an ideal way for us to start offering this facility and will set a trend for future releases."

Patrick von Sychowski, Chief Operating Officer - Adlabs Digital Cinema added, "Digital cinema technology makes it easy to introduce such innovations. We look forward to introducing more such innovations for the benefit of the audience."

Mr. N.U. Nayak, Deputy Director - Helen Keller Institute for Deaf & Deafblind, welcomed the development saying, "Screening films with subtitles will definitely help hearing impaired persons to understand and enjoy films without misinterpretation."

This facility is available at no extra cost.

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"I'm going to be fine tomorrow; the holiday with Kareena is on"

Saif Ali Khan gave all his family and friends a scare when he was hospitalized on Christmas Eve. But today (December 26), he is well on his way to recovery.

Speaking from his hospital bed at Mumbai's Lilavati hospital, Saif said, "I've almost recovered now. I'm going home tomorrow (Dec 27). It was nothing, really. I returned from Philadelphia from the shooting of Rensil D'Silva's film on 23rd night. And since I was missing all the Mumbai ka khana, I gorged indiscriminately on local junk food- Sev puri, bhelpuri, paani puri...puri ki puri fauj went into my stomach."

So wasn't he frightened when his stomach started acting up on him? "Not at all. It was gastroenteritis. Yes, I've been in hospital twice in the recent past. Once it was just appendicitis. And the other time it was far more serious. After going through what I did the last time I'm hardly going to get scared by a little stomach infection."

Chuckles Saif, "Actually it's much less scary than it looks. I've got a drip coming out of my hand, so that makes it look kind of serious. But it's nothing. I'm fine. Just a little sleepy. In fact, Kareena and I are going on our holiday to the mountains as planned."

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Akshay-Kareena starrer Kambakht Ishq slated to release in May 2009

Akshay Kumar ruled the B.O. last year (2007) with several back to back hits. This year, while his film Tashan, sank without a trace, Singh Is Kinng emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, thereby pronouncing him as the ‘Kinng’ of the Box-Office.

Now next year, Akki fans would get to see him in Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakht Ishq, which many insiders believe would be the biggest film of 2009. The film has been slated to release on May 29, 2009. Kambakht Ishq has been in the news for a while now, especially because of the pairing of Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. Among the highlights of the film is the presence of Hollywood heavyweights such as Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

The film directed by debutante director Sabir Khan has been shot at some extravagant locations across Europe and the buzz among the industry experts and the aam janta towards the film has been quite phenomenal. Now with Kambakht Ishq been scheduled to release on May 29, expect things to get all the more hotter next summer.

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Asin unveils the Ghajini paintings made by Salman Khan

Salman Khan being an avid painter is a fact that's now as old as the hills. The brawny actor is known to even gift his exquisite paintings to those whom he considers truly special. The latest person to benefit from Salman's generosity and love is none other than Aamir Khan.

Aamir and Salman have been good friends for a while now and the story goes that Sallu was so impressed by Aamir's performance in his latest flick Ghajini that he decided to gift him two special paintings, done by Salman himself of course. The paintings, in keeping with the somewhat dark theme of the film, are in black and white and a noticeable aspect of both the paintings is the fact that both of them depict Aamir's by-now-famous Ghajini hairstyle.

The paintings were unveiled at a special function at a Mumbai multiplex by Ghajini's lead actress Asin. For those who came in late, Asin not only stars opposite Aamir in Ghajini but also plays the romantic lead in the Salman Khan- Ajay Devgan starrer London Dreams.

Aamir's performance in Ghajini has surely caught Salman's fancy. Now one will have to wait and watch if it manages to impress the janta-janardhan when the film opens across cinema halls this Christmas.

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Ghajini - Movie Review

The wait is finally over! An Aamir Khan film is nothing short of an event. The supremely talented actor acts in one film a year and no two films are ever identical in terms of plotline. No wonder then that you await an Aamir starrer with bated breath.

GHAJINI, the Tamil version, has been a massive hit and so was its dubbed Telugu version. Will the Hindi adaptation live up to the humungous expectations? The hype is unmatched and you expect no less than a present-day masterpiece.

Now the good news: GHAJINI demonstrates how strong film-making can enhance and elevate an already solid concept.

GHAJINI is a revenge saga, one ingredient that has been the staple diet of Hindi films since time immemorial. It is a powerful film. It has the power to sweep you off your feet from the word 'go'. It has a riveting story, which has been told with flourish by director A.R. Murugadoss. And, of course, it has a knockout performance by Aamir Khan. If at all there's a shred of doubt whether Aamir is The Best in the business, all you've got to do is check out GHAJINI.

Flaws any? Running time [almost 3 hours]? Not at all! There's so much happening in every scene and the screenplay is so gripping that you don't feel the need to look at the auditorium ceiling or at your watch at brief intervals. You aren't restless. As moviegoers, we've watched countless good versus evil fares over the years and although GHAJINI belongs to the same family, not once does it take the beaten track. The story has been told differently and most importantly, the story offers so many twists-n-turns that you just can't guess what would unfold next.

Is it violent? It is, at times, but the violence here is justified. In fact, every time the protagonist bashes up the evil-doers, you clap and root for him. The climax is jaw-dropping -- dissimilar from the original, but it's an out of the world experience nonetheless.

To sum up, GHAJINI is commercial Hindi cinema at its best. The film has 'Hit' written all over it. Let me put it this way: Cancel whatever you're doing today and go watch GHAJINI instead.

Aamir Khan is suffering from acute short-term memory loss set off by the violent murder of his girlfriend Asin. He's got to work around this handicap, but with methodical and meticulous determination. Aamir etches a path of clues that lead him on his road.

To aid him in his quest, he carries around a sheaf of Polaroids and when he is really sure of a piece of information, he has it tattooed on his body, which stands in for the damaged part of his mind. His indelibly marked torso is the repository of his grief, his rage and his reason to go on living.

Any more revelation would do gross injustice to the film and to its viewer.

First things first! GHAJINI is not MEMENTO. There're minor similarities, but GHAJINI takes a completely different route to tell its story. Director A.R. Murugadoss tells this one differently. It starts off with what happens in the past, comes to the present-day, goes back in time again and returns to the contemporary again. This is a breathless, exciting story, heart-breaking and exhilarating at the same time.

Hindi movies have often depicted people suffering from amnesia/memory loss, but GHAJINI is poles apart because the protagonist recalls events only for 15 minutes. The story is its USP, without a doubt. But what adds sheen and glory to the story is Aamir's portrayal of a man suffering from short-term memory loss. Aamir hardly speaks. In fact, the leading lady [Asin] speaks more than Aamir in the film. But Aamir speaks volumes with his eyes, he conveys whatever has to be conveyed through his body language, he says it all with his facial expressions and that only makes GHAJINI a memorable, never-seen-before experience.

Director A.R. Murugadoss deserves brownie points for not just coming up with an interesting story, but also presenting it [refreshingly] differently. The storyteller balances the light moments and the ones demanding intensity with expertise. There's dum in every sequence. Even if the director has to depict violence, he doesn't resort to blood-n-gore or knives-swords-pistols for effect.

A.R. Rahman's music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable stamp of a genius -- 'Guzarish', 'Behka' and 'Kaise Mujhe'. Ravi Chandran's cinematography is stunning. The film bears a stylish look all through. The action sequences are brilliantly executed. The Hindi moviegoers haven't seen such scenes ever.

Aamir delivers his career-best performance. In the first place, it requires courage and maturity to name the film after the villain. Knowing how egoistic our stars are, something like this is next to impossible in Hindi films.
A lot has been said and written about the GHAJINI look -- Aamir's hairstyle and his dream physique. It's awe-inspiring and if more and more people adopt the 'Aamir look' or hit the gym, it would be courtesy the actor.
As far as his acting is concerned, he's natural as the tycoon, but like a wounded, ferocious tiger when he goes on an avenging spree.
Without doubt, it's a concentrated, layered performance. He acts with his entire being. His body movement, the details of his performance, everything rings true. He is both vulnerable and hard. The pain in his face when he can't remember, is palpable. It's not only the plot that carries GHAJINI. It's also the mood and the expression on Aamir's face that makes GHAJINI a treat.

Asin is fabulous. To share the screen space with an actor of the stature of Aamir Khan and yet remain in your memory even after the show has ended is no cakewalk. She looks fresh and photogenic and acts her part brilliantly. Pradeep Rawat, the villain, is first-rate. Jiah Khan impresses, especially in the sequence when Aamir follows her to a shopping mall.

On the whole, GHAJINI is a winner all the way. The film will set new records and has the merits to emerge one of the biggest Hits of all times. The weekend business should be historic, the Week 1 business should be unparalleled, the lifetime gross should be amongst the biggest of all times. In short, GHAJINI has 'Blockbuster' written all over it.

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SMS reveals 'Ghajini' climax

Read only if you want to the know the film’s possible ending

Just when the audiences started queuing up for booking their tickets for Aamir Khan-starrer “Ghajini”, a chain SMS started playing spoilsport by revealing what could possibly be the climax of the film.

“Someone killed Aamir's girlfriend and he lost his memory. Then he tries to find out the killer. Suspens... Aamir himself is the killer. Now enjoy 'Ghajini'!” says the SMS that has been doing the rounds on the mobile phones for the past few days.

Whether the SMS is true would only be clear once the film releases on Thursday. However, several people have received this SMS through known as well as unknown sources.

Says 22-year-old Surbhi Pant: “I received this SMS a few days back. I was very irritated after reading it because I wanted to watch the film. Now I don't know if it is true or not. Just in case this is the story of the film, I would be really disappointed, as I know the plot now. Eventually, I thought I should forward it to all my friends.”

The film is the much-hyped Hindi remake of director A.R. Murugadoss' Tamil hit with the same name.

While the original "Ghajini" featured southern actor Surya Sivakumar along with actress Asin Thottumkal, Murugadoss cast Aamir to play the main lead in the Hindi version and repeats Asin in female lead.

“Ghajini” is the love story of a rich businessman Sanjay Singhania (Aamir) and a model Kalpana (Asin). The story takes a U-turn when Kalpana is murdered and Sanjay suffers temporary amnesia due to a brain injury. Sanjay's character sets out to take revenge from those responsible for Kalpana's death.

While in the Tamil version of “Ghajini”, Sanjay finds the murderer and completes his revenge by killing him; the ending has been altered in the Hindi version.

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Sonam to become a face of L'oreal

Aishwarya Rai has been a brand ambassador for the French cosmetics giant L’oreal for a few years. Now, she is being joined by another Bollywood actress, Sonam Kapoor.

No, Sonam is not replacing Ash but will endorse more products aimed at younger consumers.

Ace photographer Atul Kasbekar, who has launched many glamorous faces, is said to be responsible for cinching this deal.

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Aamir holds his breath for Ghajini

We’ve all been hearing and reading about the promotional gimmicks Aamir Khan has employed to publicise his forthcoming film “Ghajini”.

As a part of the film’s promotional campaign, 40 life-size mannequins of Aamir have been made and placed at various multiplexes.

Nitin Gorde and Kedar Ghate have made these mannequins along with 15 members of their team. And guess what Aamir's role was in their making?

To get the exact mould of his face, Aamir was reportedly required to hold his breath for some time! For that Nitin gave him a straw and asked Aamir to breathe through his mouth.

Nitin says Aamir was very co-operative and hence the task was completed successfully in 15 minutes. However, after that, too, Aamir made small changes in the mannequins!

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Shah Rukh, Salman and I are truly the three idiots of Bollywood, says Aamir

Amid the war of words between the three Khans - Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman - the “Ghajini” star Aamir has declared that it is none other than superstar Amitabh Bachchan who is still the number one in Bollywood.

“For me Amitabh Bachchan is No 1. Do Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan say they are number one? No one who sits on the top needs to say he is number one. Others keep claiming to be there,” said Aamir.

Recently, Shah Rukh sparked a controversy by proclaiming himself the biggest brand and saying there cannot be any competition with him.

Commenting on that Aamir said: “I don't believe in competitions with others. I only compete with myself.”
After a phase of cold war with his contemporary Shah Rukh, Aamir says he can't dare to fight with him.

“Do you think I could dare to fight with Shah Rukh. He is a good friend and so I can't fight with him. I respect him a lot,' said Aamir, who was in New Delhi over the weekend to promote his forthcoming film “Ghajini”.

The actor, who was is town giving his fans the 'Ghajini' cut at an event, was in a jovial mood but tried his best to avoid queries about his cold war with Shah Rukh.

He joked that by turning into a barber for a day, he was even promoting Shah Rukh's next venture “Billo Barber”.
His antics did not just end at that.

Aamir's forthcoming venture is titled “Three Idiots” and the actor said the title should be rightfully given to the three Khans of Bollywood - including himself, Shah Rukh and Salman.

“My forthcoming film after 'Ghajini' is Rajkumar Hirani's 'Three Idiots' and I play the character of an idiot with R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi. But I think Shah Rukh, Salman and I are truly the three idiots of Bollywood,” Aamir said.

He also cast a dig at Salman when he asked the crowd whether they want him to flaunt his body that he has toned up especially for “Ghajini”.

“Who wants to see my eight packs?” he asked. But when there was a loud “Yes, we want to” from the audience, Aamir said: “Only Salman can show his packs. I can't do it. It's not my cup of tea.”

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Jism 2 will launch new faces with great bodies

Five years after Bipasha Basu and John Abraham scorched the screen in "Jism", Shagufta Rafique, screenwriter for the much-hyped sequel to the film, says part two will be about infidelity and will launch three new faces with great bodies.

"Since 'Jism' was all about the human body and keeping up with the tradition of Vishesh Films' launching new talent, we'll take a completely new and absolutely raw cast for 'Jism 2'. We'll launch three new faces and three great bodies in three newcomers in the film," Rafique told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Released in 2003, "Jism" was an unexpected box office success and the launch vehicle of Bollywood heartthrob John. The film gave a boost to John and Bipasha's careers and both got tagged as sex symbols.

While the first was written by Mahesh Bhatt, "Jism 2" is being written by Rafique, who holds to her credit films like "Woh Lamhe", "Awarapan" and box office dud "Dhokha".

Asked about the plot of "Jism 2", she said: "Like the previous 'Jism', part two will concentrate on the issue of infidelity and it will be a murder mystery. I have already started working on the film and Pooja (Bhatt) will be directing it."

Loosely based on Lawrence Kasdan's "Body Heat" (1981), "Jism" was directed by Amit Saxena and also starred Gulshan Grover, Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey.

Rafique added that Pooja Bhatt and Sujit Kumar, who produced "Jism", would soon be starting a "Jism" franchise.

"The franchise will be a series of erotic and passionate films, but with different stories. We in fact have 10 scripts ready on the same with us.

"'Jism' was a big success as a brand. Pooja opened a Pandora's box with the film in the industry. Soon everyone started making films on the body. But the film's got to do with passion, love and lust and to live up with its brand, we'll come out with a 'Jism' franchise altogether," Rafique said.

Apart from "Jism 2", she has also penned the scripts for upcoming films like "Raaz - The Mystery Continues", "Sincity" and "Jashnn".

She is also set to wield the megaphone for "Cabaret", which she has scripted.

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Bhansali keen to sign Pakistani hero

The mounting cross border tension does not seem to be affecting filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In fact, it seems he is trying to ease the tension and establish friendly ties Pakistan.

According to sources, Sanjay wants to sign Pakistani hero Imran Abbas for his forthcoming directorial venture “Heera Mandi”.

Heera Mandi is a renowned red light area in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

Sources close to Bhansali say that nothing has been finalised as yet but they are looking forward to signing Imran Abbas as Sanjay is quite impressed by him. Another reason for wanting to cast a Pakistani hero is that the film’s subject, Heera Mandi, is Pakistani.

The movie is also likely to star big names from Bollywood, namely, Madhuri Dixit, Rani Mukerji and Sonam Kapoor.

When contacted, Sanjay refused to give out any details about the casting and simply said that the casting is pending.

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Sush-Naomi: Friends forever

Why has Sushmita Sen been missing from the ‘bada parda’? Ask her and she laughs, “This year, I was busy shooting and there were several post-production delays.

But in 2009, there’s Dulha Mil Gaya with Shah Rukh Khan, a David Dhawan film Do Not Disturb and Karma Confesssions and Holi with Randeep Hooda and Naomi Campbell.”

Sush seemed visibly excited to have worked with Naomi. She talks about her experience of working with the supermodel, as she says, “Naomi is like a child. She can throw tantrums and be difficult at times. But at the end of the day, she is a great human being and gorgeously stunning.”

But with two of the world’s most beautiful women together, didn’t things ever get catty? “Not at all,” assures Sushmita, adding, “In fact, we got along like a house on fire.”

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SRK listed among the 50 Most Powerful People in the world by Newsweek

It couldn't get better than this. After conquering Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan has now been ranked at the 41st spot among the 50 most powerful people in the world by the prestigious Newsweek magazine, with Barack Obama topping the list. The other Indian besides the King Khan in the list happens to be the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who's at the 17th spot.

The magazine describes SRK as 'King of Bollywood', a title that every cinegoer is aware of, like they know their A-B-C. The magazine also stated that 'It's not just that his (Shah Rukh Khan's) romantic flicks make gazillions, it's where those gazillions come from. Khan is huge in the Muslim world, even in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the mullahs ban his films. (The movies thrive on the black market). Their main appeal is certainly the song-and-dance numbers, but Khan (a Muslim married to a Hindu) makes devoutly secular films where love trounces bigotry.'

Now with even the Newsweek in his kitty, one is simply left wondering as to what will be the King's next conquest.

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