Victory has Sri Lankan premiere

Special Victory premiere tonight for Indian, Lankan cricketers playing there

Post Chandni Chowk to China's seven premieres around the globe, having an overseas premiere has become quite the rage. Keeping with the trend, director Ajit Pal Mangat is having a Victory premiere in Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers.

Since the movie is based on cricket and on a cricketer's life, director Ajit Pal Mangat was keen to have a special premiere for the Indian team. Initially, it was supposed to have a premiere in Australia, but since the entire Indian cricket team is in Sri Lanka playing in the Wealthsurance Cup ODIs, Sri Lanka was an obvious choice."

A source reveals, "After the Mumbai premiere yesterday, the cast flew down to Sri Lanka early today morning for the premiere to be held tonight."

The source further adds, "A lot of cricketers from the Sri Lankan team like Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya feature in the movie. Indian cricketers like Praveen Kumar and Yusuf Pathan also feature in the movie and are also playing in the one-dayers in Sri Lanka.

Apart from the cricketers who have featured in the movie, Hurman especially wanted Sachin Tendulkar to watch the film. The cast will stay back for the Indian team's second one-dayer and pray for their victory."

Hurman says, "I am very excited as I will be watching Victory with the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers; some have also featured in the movie. We will also be having Sachin Sir and Yuvraj Singh watching the movie."

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Amitabh gets World Economic Forum's Crystal Award

Amitabh Bachchan receives the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award tomorrow for achieving outstanding excellence in art

Tomorrow, Amitabh Bachchan will receive the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award 2009 at a glittering ceremony at Davos (Switzer- land), along with Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer Mallika Sarabhai for outstanding excellence in the field of culture and having used art to reach out to other cultures.

The Crystal Award pays tribute to the decisive role of arts and culture in creation of global understanding and peace. It's another feather in Bachchan's cap.

Bachchan flew to London on Thursday morning and to Davos today. The WEF brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world.

This year's 39th annual gathering at Davos-Klosters, Switzerland will focus on ways to ward off recession and save jobs amidst a financial crisis in the world markets.

Speaking to us about winning the Crystal Award, Bachchan speaks from London, "Honouring me at this prestigious forum where world leaders congregate in politics, business and allied virtues is very humbling.

I believe that in honouring me they do not honour an individual but my country and the Indian film industry, endorsing importance of India in the world diaspora."

After receiving the Crystal Award and staying on for a day at Davos, Bachchan will fly down to New York to attend the premiere of Pink Panther 2 on February 3 along with son Abhishek and daughter-in-law, Aishwarya who stars in the film.

Bachchan adds, "After the premiere, we will be staying on and bringing in Abhishek's birthday on February 5. There is no particular celebration it will just be with family. That's bigger than all the celebrations put together."

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Despite injury, no rest for SRK

Shah Rukh Khan landed in India this week for a surgery on his left shoulder. But two days within his coming back home, Khan was seen at a promotional event of his sitcom Ghar Ki Baat Hai at Taj Lands End.

But that’s not the only thing. King Khan, who will be out of action – read filming for My Name is Khan – for eight weeks, will be making appearances, promoting Billu Barber and filming for adverts in his period of “rest”.

After attending a launch of Red Chilies’s Idiot Box’s first show on January 27 and then on February 1, SRK will be a part of the Nach Baliye finale. SRK will be on the show to promote his home production movie Billu Barber along with the leading lady of the movie Lara Dutta.

A source from the show informs, “We were thinking about many options but when we heard that Shah Rukh was in India, we approached him. And he agreed to be a part of the show which was very nice of him. In the last season he came to promote his movie Om Shanti Om and we received a good response for it so we were keen on calling him on the show again.”

Shah Rukh is also expected to film a couple of advertisements for the products he endorses. He will also be looking into the IPL plan for his team Kolkata Knight Riders. The IPL season will begin soon and Khan is looking at potential players for his team.

“Since I have a forced holiday of eight to nine weeks, I will be attending most of the creative meetings of Idiot Box (SRK’s TV production house). It is fun to attend it and it also helps to flesh out stories. I want devote some time for the promotion of Billu Barer which I could not do as yet as I wasn’t here,” says SRK.

Shah Rukh injured his left shoulder while performing an action sequence during the shoot of Dulha Mil Gaya. He was recently in the US for a 45 day shoot of Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. But with his shoulder injury re-surfacing, Khan took the decision to come back home for surgery. He has been advised 8 weeks of complete rest after the operation. But it looks like rest is the last thing on SRK’s mind!

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Ash on the sets of Endhiran in Brazil

After enhancing the beauty of Brazilian beaches in Dhoom 2, Ash returns to the exotic locales of Brazil and Peru in South America to shoot for sci-fi thriller Endhiran with Rajnikanth. The film, budgeted at Rs. 165 crore will release in 2009.

Aishwarya Rai with a local at Machu Pichu, Peru


Red-clad Ash with the white-clad Peruvian dancers


Ash getting her make up done at this gorgeous white sand desert oasis


Gorgeous Ash poses with a tourist


Don't Look at Me is what Ash seems to say


Aishwarya Rai and Rajnikanth pose with tourists and fans who visited their set at Machu Pichu in Peru


Ash, in colourful clothes with make up that enhances the beauty of her eyes, doing what she does best


Rajnikanth in a song sequence with Peruvian dancers


The quintessential Bollywood hero and heroine moment.

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Zayed crazy about Hrithik

Hrithik Roshan is busy collecting accolades and trophies for Jodhaa Akbar and one man who is extremely proud of his achievements is his bro-in-law Zayed Khan.

When we last spoke to Zayed, we found out that the Khan wanted to do something ‘monumental’ as well. “I’d love to play a historic role, but I have miles to go before I get to do what Hrithik is doing. Hrithik is extremely hard working and for me to reach there will require a lot of maturity,” said Zayed. Now his saala’s compliment must be no less than an award for Hrithik... after all family comes first, right Hrithik?

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Vidya Balan gets chatty...

At the heart of a star resides a child that Vidya occasionally gets to nurture when she can free herself from the trappings of her profession, when she surprises morning-walkers at the Victoria Memorial lawns at the crack of dawn or has luchi sabji at Shri Hari before catching a morning flight to Mumbai.

Stardom doesn’t allow her indulgences, but Vidya isn’t complaining. Recollections of things past and an urge to experience some of what has been left far behind, even in small measures, doesn’t let her get blinded by the stardust.

“Nothing matches the innocence of a child. My mother’s name is Saraswati. Vidya is a very common name among Tamil Brahmins. Since education always takes a precedence over everything else, Vidya was a natural choice of name for us. We Tamil Brahmins celebrate Saraswati Puja on Vijaya Dashami. We’d offer books, pens and ghungroos at the deity’s feet. Trust me, that one day of being told not to study seemed like a huge loss just before the exams,” she says, recalling the compelling urge she’d invariably feel every Saraswati Puja to do her revision!

Conversation soon meanders towards the importance of education, especially when the success rate of drop-outs in the industry is pretty high. “I’m thankful to my parents for insisting that I give up Hum Paanch and complete my graduation. Education gives wings to broaden the horizons. I’d not judge the success stories of school drop-outs in the industry. I’d only say that one must not waste a chance to get educated, since there are so many others wanting and yet not being able to do so.

Recently, I ran the Mumbai Marathon for an NGO that supports the education of the girl child.” Yet, what Vidya doesn’t support, is how today’s children are being taught to only score the highest marks. “While it’s nice to see driven children, I wish they could fit into a system where education is an end in itself and not a means to an end. Today’s children have an instant reply to every question. In the name of professionalism, parents are often forcing child artistes to pick up the fine art of being battery-operated,” she says.

So, how is she as a student, when it comes to working with different directors with diametrically opposite working styles? “With Mani Ratnam, you will hardly get an okay when you expect one. It’s only when you are unsure, that he will say that the shot is okay. While Dada (Pradeep Sarkar) goes for multiple takes, Raju Hirani loves spontaneity.”

Challenging her skill with the constant process of learning and unlearning, has instilled in Vidya a renewed confidence in her strengths and an understanding that there is something about her vintage appeal that continues to mesmerise her audience, waiting to see her light up the screen again with Ishqiya and Pa this year.

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Preity's thinking of children

It’s Bollywood cutie Preity Zinta’s birthday today.

But you needn’t worry about a present. For, the bubbly, 34-year-old actress has got a bagful of gifts that she wants to distribute after a “small get-together with friends”. Talking to BT yesterday, Preity said, “I want to do something more meaningful. I feel like it’s my new beginning and I want to do something completely different. I’m going to be a part of this campaign called Light a Billion Lights where you sponsor electricity to a complete village which works on solar technology. That is something I’m going to do.”

Then, Preity also intends to sponsor the education of underprivileged children. “I feel the only difference between a rich and a poor kid is that the former has the resources to get proper education whereas the poor kid doesn’t. I feel if a poor kid is given the same, he will do much better than the rich kid,” said the actress who is hell-bent on making a difference in whatever capacity that she can. “God has given me so much so now I feel it’s my turn to give back,” explained Preity. And what will she gift herself today?

“I was thinking of buying myself a luxury car but then everytime I drive on bumpy Mumbai’s roads, I get disappointed and change my mind!” But if there is one wish she has for herself this year, then Preity wants her IPL team to lift the trophy this year. “It has these little diamonds on it and diamonds are a girl’s best friend — so you know what I mean, don’t you,” smiled the pert actress saucily.

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SRK loves Priyanka more than Deepika or Kareena

If Priyanka Chopra declares from the rooftops that she is Shah Rukh Khan's biggest fan then it is with reason. The superstar, who has been taking more than a passing interest in the music of the films he produces, decided to give away a large portion of his duet in " Billu Barber " to her.

"Shah Rukh took very close interest in each one of the songs. He isn't a musician, but he has an instinctive ear for music. It takes him just a few seconds to approve or cut down a track," told composer Pritam Chakraborty.

With the songs meant for Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, Pritam faced no problems.

"Shah Rukh loved his songs with Kareena ('Marjani') and Deepika ('Love mera hit hit'). They were straightforward dance songs with shared grooves between Shah Rukh and Kareena and Deepika," said Pritam.

The song with Priyanka needed special treatment and Shah Rukh made Pritam re-work and re-record the song.

"Shah Rukh's song with Priyanka 'Khuda-ae-kher' is not an item song. It's a love ballad that the pair playing Bollywood superstars emote to in front of the camera. Being a love song Shah Rukh felt there wasn't enough of the female presence in the vocals. He made me re-record the song with more for the female vocalist (Dominique) to do since he wanted Priyanka to have an equal number of lines," the composer said.

"It was entirely Shah Rukh's idea to give Priyanka more lines in the song. He's a very generous entertainer. If you see him on screen he never tries to steal the limelight from his heroines. Even ' Khai ke paan banaras wala ' in 'Don' had a lot of Priyanka in it although it was entirely Shah Rukh's song," Pritam added.

Asked about Shah Rukh's generosity, Priyanka sighed and said: "What do I say? Now do you know why he's my favourite?"

Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta, who play a rustic couple in "Billu Barber", will later be seen enacting the same Shah Rukh-Priyanka ballad.

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SRK mends bridges with Manoj Kumar

Signaling the end of the bitter war that ensued between Shah Rukh Khan and yesteryear actor Manoj Kumar with the release of Om Shanti Om in 2007, Shah Rukh visited Manoj recently and spent nearly four hours with him.

He shared some light moments with Manoj’s grandchildren too. Shah Rukh also went to enquire after the health of Manoj’s ailing mother-in-law, Savita Devi, who is SRK’s late mother’s good friend.

Says Manoj, “Look, there wasn’t ever an epic war between us that we wouldn’t meet again. He made a mistake and apologised for it. My 94-year-old mother-in-law had to be recently operated upon, and Shah Rukh wanted to meet her. My mother-in-law used to make khakras for Gandhiji. She is a former MP from Congress and Shah Rukh’s mother was a social worker, that’s how they met.”

Ask him more about the visit and Manoj continues, “Shah Rukh asked me why I was not making films anymore. I asked him what his problem was if I don’t make any and just rest at home. We joked about it. It was nice to meet him, I hardly interact with present day stars. I’ve just spoken to Aamir Khan over phone. And imagine, I haven’t met Salman since the last 19 years, despite his father, Salim Khan, being one of my closest friends.”

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John Abraham on GQ cover

Kissing a man with stubble is a lot like going to a picnic. You don't mind going through a little bush to get there!

Well, one really does not have to be a psychologist or a psychoanalyst to read the minds of the million women whose mind must be playing with the aforementioned saying! The reason? Well, it's none other then the Johnny boy of Bollywood: John Abraham and his killer look that he is sporting on the cover of the recent issue of men's magazine GQ.

Even before you read the article, the photographs are absolutely enough for anyone to start worshipping this hot hunk with zero negative attitude! The entire interview is less of an 'interview' and more of an inner-view of this man, whose Greek God looks have already taken the world by storm! One can get to know what ails John, his take on the 'most frustrating thing about dealing with the media', his motivation, his style and motors and the most sensitively sensational question 'Is John a one woman man?' Check out GQ to know more.

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Production News: '3 Idiots' set to release on Christmas this year

Under Production Films

'THE DESIRE' COMPLETES FIRST SCHEDULE Indo-Chinese project The Desire has completed its first shooting schedule in Kerala. Produced by Sharad Hegde under the banner of C-9 Motion Pictures in association with Indish Creations, it stars Xia Yu, Shilpa Shetty, Jaya Prada, Sheetal Menon and Nakul Vaid. Director: R. Sarath. Music: A.R. Rahman. ITEM SONG FOR 'YEH KAISA ABHIMAAN' Producer Gopal Krishna Shrivastava and director Sabir will picturise an item song for YEH KAISA ABHIMAAN on Kashmira Shah, Sikander Kharbanda, Navneet Shrivastava, Milind Gunaji, Abhishek, Shabnam, Aina, Pragati, Usha Piramal, Meru and Mohan Joshi from 30th January to 3rd February at Film City. Choreography: Kanu Mukherjee. Music: Adesh Shrivastava. Banner: Sipra Movies. 'EK SECOND - JO ZINDAGI BADAL DE' PROMOTIONAL SONG A promotional song for Saroj Entertainment Private Limited’s Ek Second - Jo Zindagi Badal De will be filmed. It is slated for release on April 3. Produced by Rachanaa Suniiel Singh and directed by Partho Ghosh, the film has music by Arvinder Singh. Cast: Introducing Suniiel Singh, Mommar Rana, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Rosa Catalano and Nikita Anand. '3 IDIOTS' SET TO RELEASE ON CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR 3 Idiots is all set to release on 25th December, 2009. After the stupendous success of Ghajini and Taare Zameen Par, which were released on the Christmas weekend, another Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots is gearing up for a winter 2009 release. Directed by Raju Hirani, the film also stars Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani and marks the debut of Mona Singh (Jassi fame). 3 Idiots had already completed its first schedule in Ladakh and Shimla in September 2008. The second schedule (33 days) started in early January 2009 at IIM, Bangalore. The cast and crew will be back in February to complete its last schedule in Mumbai. After the Bangalore schedule, the film will be 80% complete. 3 Idiots is written by Abhijat Joshi, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani. The lyrics are by Swanand Kirkire and music is being composed by Shantanu Moitra. The film is being produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra under the banner Vinod Chopra Films.

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B.O. update: 'Luck By Chance' & 'Victory' start slow

The two new releases, LUCK BY CHANCE and VICTORY, had a slow start on Friday in India. What comes as a surprise is the fact that the two films were well-publicized prior to their release. LUCK BY CHANCE started on a 25% - 30% note at plexes, while VICTORY was 10% to 20% at several screens.

LUCK BY CHANCE has an advantage of a strong word of mouth and glowing reviews by the English media in India, which should help the film consolidate its position over the weekend. The exhibitors are hopeful that the business should pick up from Friday evening onwards.

VICTORY isn't carrying positive reports and the word of mouth is strictly average/below average. Also, the reviews are far from flattering and that makes its survival chances remote, unless a miracle occurs.

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Luck By Chance - Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh

One has often heard, read and seen [on screen] the positive and negative aspects of Bollywood. It would be erroneous to state that LUCK BY CHANCE does a pol-khol of the glamorous industry. Let's put it this way: The film mirrors the behind-the-scenes drama and manoeuvring exactly the way it occurs in showbiz. Watching LUCK BY CHANCE is like experiencing it first-hand.

If you're associated with Bollywood, if you know how the machine works, you'd laud and applaud, laugh and smile, identify and understand and at times, empathize and sympathize with the characters in LUCK BY CHANCE. Zoya Akhtar's take on an industry that attracts millions of hopefuls year after year is bang on target.

Almost three decades ago, Hrishikesh Mukherjee's GUDDI depicted a star-struck teenager's [Jaya Bhaduri] obsession for a top star [Dharmendra]. Along with the core issue, the film highlighted the behind-the-scenes hard work and labour that went into making movies.

LUCK BY CHANCE taps almost every important facet of Bollywood and presents assorted characters you've encountered some time in life: An over-ambitious aspirant who knows to make the right moves; an actress trying hard to get that big break, even if she has to compromise; an icon of the 1970s who desperately wants her daughter to be a star; a producer who looks at riding on big names, script be damned; a failed actor now looking at direction to redeem his career.

One of the prime reasons why LUCK BY CHANCE works is because the writing [Zoya Akhtar] is simply wonderful. Right from the characters, to the individualistic scenes, to the way Zoya puts them in a sequence, LUCK BY CHANCE is easily one of the most cohesive scripts this side of the Atlantic.

The verdict? Leave aside everything and hitch this joyride called LUCK BY CHANCE. It would be sacrilege to miss this one!

Sona [Konkona Sen Sharma] arrives in Mumbai with dreams of becoming a film star. She does whatever it takes, to make it. Vikram [Farhan Akhtar] has just moved to the city leaving the comforts of his Delhi home. He is used to getting what he wants and is smart enough to know when to demand it and when to manipulate it. Gradually, Sona and Vikram develop a romantic relationship.

Rolly [Rishi Kapoor] is a successful though superstitious producer who only works with the biggest stars. He is making a potential blockbuster launching Niki [Isha Sharwani], the daughter of 1970s superstar Neena [Dimple Kapadia]. The hero of the film, Zaffar Khan [Hrithik Roshan], is the superstar.

Zaffar decides to opt out of Rolly's film and that creates havoc in Rolly's life. Rolly decides to cast newcomers and finally, Vikram is shortlisted for the main role...

LUCK BY CHANCE picks up characters straight out of life and that's the beauty of this script. The interesting part is that each of these characters has a story running parallel to the main story. Although the writing is foolproof, this review would be incomplete if one failed to acknowledge a number of scenes that are the hallmark of this enterprise...

Note the sequence when Rishi Kapoor breaking down after Hrithik has walked out of his movie. It moves you!

On the lighter side, Farhan strikes a conversation with Dimple at a movie premiere and extols lavish praises on her.

Much later, an angry Dimple instructs Isha to patch up with Farhan, soon after Farhan and Isha's debut film has been declared a success. Watch the moments when Dimple recalls her early years.

The sequence featuring SRK.

If Zoya's writing is superb, her execution of the written material deserves distinction marks. This may be Zoya's directorial debut, but she treats the difficult subject like a veteran. Javed Akhtar's dialogues are remarkable. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is a mixed bag; the score could've been better. However, the choreography of the circus song is remarkable. Carlos Catalan's cinematography captures the right moods.

Farhan Akhtar is evolving into one of the most dependable actors of his generation. He's very real, very believable. No wonder, this character stands out. Konkona Sen Sharma is exceptional. The supremely talented actress delivers a sparkling performance yet again. Rishi Kapoor is incredible. A performance that merits the highest praise. Dimple Kapadia is in terrific form. It easily ranks amongst her most accomplished works. Juhi Chawla is first-rate. Isha Sharwani does her part well. Sanjay Kapoor springs a surprise. He registers an impact. Aly Khan is perfect.

Hrithik Roshan is truly wonderful. Note the sequence when he strikes a conversation with Karan Johar, only to realize that he himself had paved the way for Farhan in the industry. Only an accomplished actor could've handled this sequence with aplomb. Amongst the A-listers who make fleeting appearances in the film, the one who registers the maximum impact is Shah Rukh Khan.

On the whole, LUCK BY CHANCE is an outstanding film in all respects. A magnificent outing from the producers of ROCK ON!!, LUCK BY CHANCE is sure to prove an extremely lucky and rewarding experience at the box-office. Strongly recommended!

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Victory - Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh

LAGAAN and IQBAL are landmark films on cricket. The response to LAGAAN specifically was so electrifying [and emotional] that theatres turned into stadiums during the penultimate cricket match in the film.

VICTORY traverses a different route altogether: This one revolves around a cricketer, talks of the highs and lows in his life, how greed, arrogance and lust almost ruin his career, but how he regains his lost form and becomes a hero all over again.

The difference also lies in the fact that the sportsmen in the film aren't actors, pretending to be cricketers, but real-life cricketers. And that makes the goings-on identifiable.

VICTORY may not be a true-life account of any one person, but you can't help but draw parallels with people who led a wild life off the field. Also, any sports-based film works if it arouses the right emotions and VICTORY does so towards the final moments. But there's a hitch. The film could've done with a shorter running time [instead of approx. 2.35 hours] and a tight script. More on that later!

Final words? A few interesting moments don't really help. This one tries to hit a boundary, but ends up taking a single.

VICTORY tells the story of Vijay Shekhawat [Hurman S. Baweja], who hails from Jaisalmer. Soon, he becomes India's latest world-class batting sensation and is catapulted to superstardom.

However, the glam and glitter makes the young, vulnerable Vijay stray from his true vocation of cricket. Unfortunately, this leads to a loss of focus and to a miserable drop in his performance. But by the time Vijay realizes his mistake, he finds himself thrown out of the Indian cricket team. Suddenly, the hero becomes a villain in everyone's eyes. His father [Anupam Kher] suffers a paralytic stroke.

This tragedy awakens Vijay's conscience. He wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his father and every Indian. Against great odds, he once again makes it back to the Indian team and gets to play in the finals of the Champion's Trophy against Australia, where he plays a stellar role in enabling India to win the Trophy.

Ajitpal Mangat chooses a difficult subject for his directorial debut. Placing immense trust on a newcomer [Hurman] and casting real-life characters could be tough and demanding, besides being expensive [cricketers' fees and paying for the various stadiums]. But Ajitpal achieves the required results.

The initial moments are very mediocre, but the pace picks up when Hurman goes astray, when he can't digest success, when he falls into wrong hands [Gulshan Grover]. The graph is erratic; sometime interesting, at times boring. However, what rescues the film from failing are the penultimate moments, especially the one when Hurman faces the final ball.

On the flip side, the writing isn't convincing at several points. The first 30 minutes of the enterprise makes you break into a yawn, frankly. Also, the film is stretched in the second hour for no reason and could've done with some tight editing. The songs in this hour are a big deterrent.

Ajitpal Mangat makes a confident debut as a director, but VICTORY would've made a stronger impact if the writing [screenplay: Ajitpal Mangat, Kannan Iyer] would've been watertight. Anu Malik's music is listless. Barring 'Balla Utha' and 'Money Money', the remaining songs are of the fast-forward type. Cinematography is excellent.

Hurman S. Baweja displays the required confidence. He gets the body language right, looks dapper when required and conveys the required emotions well. Only thing, he needs to control his expressions at times. Amrita Rao does very well, although this isn't her film actually. Anupam Kher gets it right yet again, especially towards the second hour when he suffers a paralytic stroke. Gulshan Grover is very effective.

On the whole, VICTORY is a strictly average fare. Barring a few moments in the second hour, there's not much that you carry home.

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Ash be next to join politics

After 'Munnabhai' Sanjay Dutt, it could be the turn of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a Samajwadi Party candidate.

Samajwadi Party workers and leaders in Bihar have decided to offer Aishwarya the party ticket for the Madhepura seat against Janata Dal-United (JD-U) national president Sharad Yadav, a party official said.

In view of the overwhelming demand of the party workers, the Samajwadi Party Bihar parliamentary board has recommended Aishwarya's name to party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Senior party leader Tulsi Singh told IANS that a large number of party workers and people had requested him to convince Mulayam Singh to give the party ticket to Aishwarya from Madhepura. Singh is chairman of the party's state parliamentary board.

The Madhepura seat is held by the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Pappu Yadav, who is serving life imprisonment in Tihar Jail in Delhi for his involvement in the murder of Left leader Ajit Sarkar. His wife Ranjita Ranjan is a Lok Janshakti Party MP from Saharsa.

JD-U leader Sharad Yadav is likely to contest from Madhepura, his old seat.

In the last Lok Sabha polls in 2004, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, the RJD chief, won from Madhepura by defeating Sharad Yadav. Lalu Prasad later resigned the Madhepura seat and opted to retain the Chapra seat.

Madhepura, a rural seat, is dominated by the backward Yadav caste. Last year, Madhepura was hit by devastating floods when the Kosi river changed its course after a breach upstream in Nepal.

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Deepika wants to launch her website

Deepika Padukone is very happy as she has been declared the most searched celebrity on Yahoo! India in 2008, beating competitors like Katrina, Bipasha and Kareena.

Though she is not an internet addict, Deepika is planning to launch her own website in order to stay in close touch with her fans and provide them with an update on her life and career. Apparently, she answers all the emails fans send her.

To begin with, she is searching for a suitable domain name for her website.

Even though Deepika plans to launch her website, she says she uses the internet mainly for emails and is not so much into surfing the internet. For that matter, she doesn’t even like sending an SMS. She prefers the good old telephone when it comes to connecting with her near and dear ones.

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Harman adds fuel to rumour of affair with Amrita Rao

Adding fuel to rumours of an affair with Amrita Rao, actor Harman Baweja played the perfect escort to his "Victory" co-star at a promotional event at a jewellery shop in Mumbai.

"Where's Amrita? I need to escort her; otherwise she will get crammed with people," Harman told officials at the event.

The actors were at a jewellery showroom and fans were eagerly waiting for them outside the shop to get autographs. It was then that Harman caught hold of Amrita's hand and led her away from the crowd.

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Emraan Hashmi shares his plans for 'Raaz 3' and fatherhood

His "Raaz 2" has got an encouraging opening and actor Emraan Hashmi (pictured left) is all set to work in the third installment of the spooky thriller. He also feels secure enough to start a family now.

"We're trying for a baby and we should be parents by next year. One is never prepared for fatherhood. And if I wait to be fully prepared, it will never happen. But I'm getting into the mindset now," Emraan, who is married to Parveen Shahani, told IANS.

Talking about "Raaz 3", he said: "Yes we're on," said Emraan. "The third part will also be directed by Mohit Suri and I'll play the lead. The rest of the details are yet to be decided. The cast of the second 'Raaz' film was totally new. And I think I'm going to be the only actor common to 'Raaz 2' and '3'."

Emraan feels vindicated by the audiences' response to "Raaz 2", which also starred Kangana Ranaut and newcomer Adhyayan Suman.

"My wife kept telling me I should try the genre. I had never done horror before. It's believed in the trade that horror films open well and then soon fizzle out. But then it was also believed that a film looking at the seamier side of cricket ('Jannat') would never do well.

"I like to walk the lonely path. That's why you don't see me at parties and functions. Maybe that's why I play the part of the loner and watch another guy take away the girl I love," Emran said, drawing attention to his loser-lover's role in "Awarapan" and now "Raaz 2".

Emraan, who has been lying low during the publicity of "Raaz 2" thanks to all the focus on real-life pair Kangana-Adhyayan, says he didn't feel left out.

"Kangana and Adhyayan were a real-life couple. I can't concoct an affair just to be noticed. I was confident my work would speak for itself. Sure enough I believe people clap when I come on screen the first time. I do have fan base, though it might be small," he said.

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Ranbir's on Oye! It's Friday this week

How would you feel if you see your father romance your first crush? Well, Ranbir Kapoor reveals he had a similar experience as a teenager.

On the upcoming episode of Farhan Akhtar's TV show "Oye! It's Friday!" Ranbir pours his heart out and admits that he felt cheated when he saw his dad, Rishi Kapoor, romancing his childhood crush Madhuri Dixit, a source from the channel said.

"Ranbir confesses that as a teenager, he had a huge crush on Madhuri and that he even had posters of her in his cupboard. He talks about the time when he finally got to meet her on the sets of 'Prem Granth' only to find his father romancing Madhuri in the film," the source said.

The episode will be aired on NDTV Imagine on Friday (January 30) at 10pm.

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Mugdha Godse looks forward to 'naach-gaana' in Jail

Model-turned-actress Mugdha Godse (pictured left), who scorched the screen in Madhur Bhandarkar's offbeat film "Fashion", now hopes to do a typical song and dance role in "Jail".

"I'm looking forward to doing naach-gaana (singing-dancing) after playing an unconventional role in 'Fashion'. Surprisingly, all the offers coming to me now are of that variety," said Mugdha.

"Jail", also being directed by Bhandarkar, will be a two-hour thriller about a jail escape. In the film, Mugdha is paired opposite actor Neil Nitin Mukesh and the director feels they make a "great pair".

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‘I haven’t ever forgotten my marriage anniversary’

You are back on television once again but this time as producer.
Yeah...I started my acting career with serials like Circus and Fauji. I got to learn a lot of things. I got into films because of having worked in serials.

After Circus, you are once again working with Aziz Mirza on the television front.
Yes. Nothing would have been possible without Aziz Mirza’s expertise, advice, and guidance. I would have been nowhere without him.

What made you venture into TV when low TRPs have become the order of the day?
You need support and friends who think alike. We have been discussing this since last two-three years. There is risk for sure but NDTV Imagine was confident that we were competitive enough. I want the young people in my film production house Red Chillies to diversify into different arena.

What kind of programmes will your production house churn out?
There is nothing specific that we are planning for television. I have been a film producer for the last eight to nine years and have an acting experience of 20 years. I can bring a difference to television in terms of presentation of content. I will try to bring cinematic value to television.

Why did you choose title Ghar Ki Baat Hai for this sitcom?
It’s a good title. It has lyricism in it. We had another title called Devdas Ki Maut which was not so happening. The serial is about a family, their neighbours and different situations that they face in life thus its Ghar Ki Baat. If you ask me why comedy, personally I like comedy more than anything else.

Do you think this serial has your Ghar Ki Baat?
Well television industry doesn’t have that much money to have a set like my home. Jokes apart, it will have everybody’s ghar ki baat with lots of spice. Its first episode has Sumit Raghavan forgetting his anniversary. Interestingly, I haven’t forgotten my marriage anniversary yet. Even otherwise there are stories like these happening in my home too.

Will you be making a special appearance in the serial?
Yeah I will be making special appearance as and when required. We will try to rope in more special stars if required.

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Madhuri has ‘loo’ meetings

Well, ZOOM’s lavish Mumbai premiere of Danny Boyle’s Oscar nominee was indeed a million dollar opportunity for our photogs.

Madhuri Dixit looking resplendent as ever caught everyone’s attention. In fact, when Mads went to use the restroom, there was a huge queue of producers, etc, waiting outside to get a glimpse of her. Mads in Mumbai — is a rare photo-op, na?

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John Abraham's pole stint

John Abraham has hurt his leg badly yet again.

It was while shooting for David Dhawan’s film Hook Ya Crook that the accident happened. A unit hand informed us that John had to slip down a 20-foot pole for a scene. He didn’t get it right and slid quite badly. Unfortunately for John, he landed directly on his leg. Despite being ordered take some rest, John quickly treated himself to some first-aid medication, and went pole sliding all over again. This time he got it right, and then rushed to the X-ray clinic. Talk about wanting to get it right, hook ya crook.

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Ranbir enjoys a threesome

But hey, hang on...there is more masala coming up here.

Ranbir Kapoor Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor were seen chatting and laughing away without a care in the world...now that’s a ‘believe-it-or-not’ moment, isn’t it? Guess the trio have buried the hatchet, or at least our million-dollar pictures say so.

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20 Bollywood stars light up Luck By Chance

Step aside, everyone. The buzz is that debutante director Zoya Akhtar is making a dhamal entry into Bollywood today with Luck By Chance — the film that’s been produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and whose story and script has been penned by Zoya herself.

Happily, Bollywood’s the backdrop of this film and Zoya’s got film stars, filmmakers, fashion and costume designers shining in each frame, making it the first production of its kind.

The story is that she’s got over 20 prominent and interesting faces from Bollywood involved in the narrative of Luck By Chance. Ritesh explains, “In terms of how many celebs we have, the starcast is quite big; but the film is an insider’s journey into Bollywood and shows what mayhem goes into making a Hindi film. So we had to take real people from the industry. And all play themselves in the film.” A huge and challenging task. Ritesh adds, “Thank God Zoya didn’t write the script bringing all of them in one frame. It would have been crazy. They all form an integral part of the narrative and each appears at different intervals.”

So in just three hours, the audience will get to feast on Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Dia Mirza, Vivek Oberoi, Boman Irani and others. And, to her credit, all these busy stars took time off their schedules to shoot for Zoya... but none of them charged for their appearances.

“Everyone went out of their way to adjust a day or two. All of them are friends who Farhan and Ritesh have worked with before,”says Zoya.

“They know that we will not exploit them. There is a certain level of trust between us and that’s why the film was possible,” she said.

Luck By Chance is presented by Big Pictures and Excel Entertainment and has Farhan and the very watchable Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead. The cherry on the cake is Hrithik Roshan, who plays a superstar in the film.

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Priyanka Chopra turns pink

The leading lady of Bollywood today, Priyanka Chopra seems to be building a fine working rapport with Rajasthan.

She has shot for her film Drona here, and then she came back in July last year to shoot for a commercial near Jaipur’s Jal Mahal, and now she’s back in Jodhpur again in just six months time to shoot for yet another commercial, this time for a beauty soap brand. Priyanka landed at the Jodhpur airport on Tuesday afternoon amidst heavy security. Our source present at the airport said, “Priyanka landed here around 1 pm. Though a large number of her fans had turned up to greet her and catch a glimpse of their star, she preferred to quickly push through the surging crowd and head for her hotel.” The actress will be in Jodhpur till today. On her earlier visit to Jaipur, Priyanka who was unavailable for comment on Tuesday, had told JT, “I just love the state and the fact that its people are still connected to their cultural roots. I want to go around the place, but my hectic schedule doesn’t allow me to do so.”

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Abhi on a weight loss spree

Raavan happens to be Abhishek Bachchan’s third movie with Mani Ratnam. And the actor seems to go that extra mile for the moviemaker everytime.

In both Yuva and Guru, he worked hard to achieve the perfect look for the character. Abhishek’s role in the films was quite appreciated, so we guess all that work did pay off.

And now, the actor is at it again. For his role in Raavan, Abhishek is on a strict diet and has been travelling, shooting for the movie, along with a personal trainer, Sameer Jora.

A source tells us, “Abhishek is on a no carb diet. And he’s made sure that if he won’t have carbs then other people in the unit won’t either. So he doesn’t let anyone have any sweets. But, he did eat a ladoo on the sly once.”

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Gorgeous Lara Dutta graces the cover of Grazia

Lara Dutta may not have had a single release last year barring a cameo in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and giving the voice-over for the animated flick Jumbo. However, the gorgeous beauty would be seen in quite a few films this year such as Billu Barber, Blue and Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai.

Before setting the silver screen on fire, Lara is seen at her glamorous best as the cover-girl for fashion magazine 'Grazia' in their January issue. The stunning beauty is seen in a chic burgundy colored dress and one look at her in this outfit and you will know why she was crowned 'Miss Universe' few years ago.

This issue is simply a must have for all die-hard Lara Dutta fans.

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Juhi Chawla on working with Rishi Kapoor after 12 years

The lovely Juhi Chawla was reunited with her favourite co-star Rishi Kapoor after 12 years. And she was shocked by the change in him.

''Earlier when we did all those films like Bol Radha Bol and Eena Meena Deeka, there was no question of shooting in the night. So when there was a night shoot for Luck By Chance I said, 'O Oh, here comes trouble. I'll agree. But knowing Chintuji... He will never agree. 'But he shocked me. He continued shooting in the night even after I packed up with no sign of grumpiness."

Laughs Juhi, ''He has changed, not counting the delayed Karobaar, the last time we worked together was in Daraar in 1996. It was always fun working with him, though he was always grumpy and that hasn't changed. Now he's far more flexible and thoroughly enjoying himself. But otherwise he's still the same. He still shouts at me and everyone on the sets. That's Chintuji.''

But Juhi was shocked to see the change in Rishi in other ways. ''He used to be so fastidious about the timings. He'd shoot completely by the clock, and then leave not a minute before or after. Now he's far more flexible."

Fans of Juhi Chawla have something to look forward to. The lady returns in Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance, albeit in a cameo.

"I play Chintuji's loud Punjabi wife, a loud wannabe socialite. I wear garish clothes and makeup. I've even coloured my hair a bright blonde. It was fun. But it's just a guest appearance."

Juhi admits sheepishly she hasn't been able to keep up with her friends in the industry including Rishi Kapoor. "I live in South Mumbai now. It takes a good two hours to get to Juhu-Andheri. I just can't do it. For work I can go anywhere. But not to socialize."

Juhi finds it easier to go to London than Film City. "I've been asked to come to London for the premiere of Luck By Chance. I might go for that. I'm cut off from all my industry friends, including Chintuji. But I always feel close to the industry even when I don't meet the folks regularly."

Juhi will now be seen on television. But only as a judge on the new season of the reality show 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa'.

"Luckily I'm not expected to change into some aggressive creature for the show. They told me I don't have to act, just be myself and the participants aren't dancers to begin with. But that's okay. I don't know how to judge participants. We'll learn on the job."

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"One single mistake becomes a nightmare for Vijay Shekhawat" - Harman Baweja

His debut film Love Story 2050 may not have set the cash registers ringing but Harman Baweja is not one to sit and brood over the past. Instead the good looking actor is already gearing up for his next big release- Victory- which opens across cinema halls tomorrow (Jan 30th ). Harman was live on Bollywood Hungama's celeb chat where he interacted with his fans about his film Victory and much more. For all those missed the chat, we bring you an opportunity to check out the exclusive chat excerpts.

Harman Baweja: Hi All

Ganesh: hi Harman, how r u feeling excited or nervous?
Harman Baweja: Definitely very excited and looking forward to this Friday... need your best wishes and hoping you enjoy Victory.

Karthi: hi Harman, we heard that u are going to act in a Tamil remake Ghilli, is it true?
Harman Baweja: Well, i have seen the film and loved it... And i m currently doing a Hindi remake of Bomirallu with Genelia D'Souza & Anees and, I hope I can do the remake of Ghilli too.

Rai: hi Harman. Your favorite track from the movie!
Harman Baweja: "Tune Re" extremely soulful and perfect for V Day.

Sue: hi...who is your fav cricketer who acted in the film?
Harman Baweja: ..Sachin Tendulkar...Sachin Tendulkar...Sachin Tendulkar

Syanab: what are your upcoming films??
Harman Baweja: My upcoming movies are... It's My Life, What your Rashi (Priyanka Chopra).

Navd: hi Harman, how was it working with Amrita?
Harman Baweja: she is a pure, simple, sweet girl and her off screen image is identical... I look forward to work with her again..

susmo177: hi Harman….what's your role in the film?
Harman Baweja : I play the character of Vijay Shekhawat , a small town boy, who dreams to be a part of Team India, realizes his dreams. The real drama unfolds once he becomes a part of Team India, which becomes a nightmare because of one single mistake.

Sneha: hi sir, where did u learn dancing from?
Harman Baweja: Michael Jackson has been my trainer from past 10 years... I have been aping him by watching him on TV.

Bolly: hey Harman...who are your favorite actors and actresses in Bollywood? Wish you all the best in your career
Harman Baweja: Shahrukh Khan... Aamir Khan...

Singh: what part of India are you from?
Harman Baweja: I was born in Chandigarh, brought up in Mumbai and now playing Rajasthani...

Anwaar: hey Harman, how much you rate your acting out of 10??
Harman Baweja: rather than rating me my acting skill, i would leave it on my fans and producers... It's really hard to rate one own self.

Faizan: hi Harman, what are the chances do you see for ur film?
Harman Baweja: when you watch victory you will feel that it's close to the real story for the fact that 45 international players sharing the screen space, which makes it, look so real... but it's an inspired story.

Rocker cool: Harman, are you planning to work with Ajay Devgan?
Harman Baweja: i would love to work with Ajay Devgan, during my Asst Director i worked on 4 films with him... He is like elder brother to me.

Muni: hai Harman. What is fav cuisine?
Harman Baweja: I love Rajma Chawla.

Zora: What is your expectation form the film?
Harman Baweja: Whichever film i do... i give my 100%... I expect positive feedback from my film.

Sue: Who do you think is a best new comer?
Harman Baweja: Ranbir, Imran and Neil.

Harman Baweja: it was great chatting with you all and i look forward for my next interaction….do take out time and watch Victory... its an extremely passionate film.

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Akshay 'adopts' six wrestlers

Bollywood action star Akshay Kumar has 'adopted' six wrestlers, who are economically backward, in a bid to popularise the sport, an official said on Wednesday.

"Akshay's decision came days before the 10th All India Wrestling Championship opens in Mumbai on Feb 1. Participants and lovers of this sport from all over India are expected to gather here," said Sanjay Nirupam, Congress spokesman in Maharashtra and organiser of the event.

"Last year, when Akshay attended the programme, he had publicly expressed a desire to adopt a few wrestlers to encourage more to take up the ancient Indian sport. We are happy that he has honoured the commitment," Nirupam told IANS.

Nirupam introduced six of the year's best wrestlers to Akshay on Tuesday evening and the star readily accepted the proposal. The wrestlers are - Bipin Varma, Ajay Yadav, Kallu Yadav, Gopal Yadav (all from Mumbai), Amol Patil (Jalgaon) and Ranjeet Nalawade (Kolhapur).

Nirupam said that the 'adoption' means that Akshay will sponsor their diet for the next five years.

"Wrestlers usually hail from economically backward sections and are unable to afford the specialised diet to excel in the challenging sport. Akshay's sponsorship will go a long way in helping these six wrestlers confidently tackle domestic and international challenges, including the next Olympics - our prime target," Nirupam explained.

While Akshay is a self-confessed fitness freak and martial arts lover, his father Hari Om Bhatia was an accomplished wrester from Punjab.

Akshay had committed last year that he would bear the costs - "whatever be the amount" - of the professional needs of the selected wrestlers and ensure that their career did not run aground due to financial constraints.

The Wrestling Championship is organised by Maharashtra Wrestling Association (MWA) and will see the participation of a few women wrestlers too. The event will be held at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai.

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Ego clashes between Sanju and Akki

Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision's under production movie “Blue” is in trouble once again.

Billed as the most expensive film ever to be made in Bollywood, the deep sea drama has periodically been facing glitches.

First there was an underwater mishap in Bahamas. Then it was stalled again due to the busy schedule of Sanjay Dutt and his political plans. And now, a new problem has cropped up.

Reportedly, there have been huge ego clashes on the sets between Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt.

Both of them are senior actors and each wants to be given more prominence than other. If one is given more attention, the other gets upset and vice-versa.

The shoot has been stalled as none of the actors are said to be giving their dates for this project.

The movie stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Zayed Khan and Lara Dutta.

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Anil Kapoor to star in Boyle's next movie

After making the award-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, British filmmaker Danny Boyle wants to shoot his next film in Mumbai as well.

He is now planning to make a movie based on the nightlife in Mumbai. It will be a thriller and will star none other than Boyle's favourite, Anil Kapoor.

Anil confirmed the news and said he is doing a thriller with Boyle. However, he refused to divulge further details about the movie.

The director is already on a high after winning several prestigious international awards and securing ten Oscar nominations for “Slumdog Millionaire”.

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Preity to replace Farhan Akhtar

He has been a successful director, actor and even singer, but it seems Farhan Akhtar couldn’t quite make it as a TV chat show host.

After his show “Oye! It’s Friday” on NDTV Imagine refused to take off, despite featuring A-list celebrities such as Shah Rukh, Aamir, Hrithik and Priyanka, Farhan is likely to be ousted from the talk show and will most likely be replaced by Preity Zinta.

Karan Johar is said to have been the desired replacement but as he is busy with the shooting of “My Name is Khan”, the filmmaker could not commit to the talk show.

So Preity now is one of the favourite contenders and the second in line is Anupam Kher, although nothing has yet been finalised.

When the channel was contacted about whether it is going to take the show off air, it was said there is no such plan. They also said they are happy with the show even though it does not fetch the desired TRPs.

Meanwhile let’s have a look at the statistics. Star Plus serial “Bidaai” is highest on TRP with 8.54%, “Balika Vadhu” on Colors with 8.28%, while “Oye! It’s Friday” has only 0.82%. Did the channel see these ratings before being happy about the show?

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