Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Coffee with Bips

Now that we’ve chanced upon talking about Bips... a little something on the guy she has been having coffee with these days... Christiano Ronaldo may be a thing of the past, these days it’s coffee and conversations with Maradona for the sexy Bipasha Basu!

Now before the gossip ball gets rolling, we really aren’t talking about the footballer! Bipsy stunned Maradona Rebello recently when she invited him over for a cup of coffee to make him feel comfortable around her! A unit member revealed the sweet story. “Maradona makes his debut with Bipasha. So when she came to know of his anxiety and nervousness, she called him over for cup of coffee at her place. Bipasha shared her work experiences with him and told him that the cast and crew were there to support him.” Of course, Bips’ pep-talk did more wonders than the coffee we’re sure. Reminds us of the gaana — Tere sang ek simple si coffee bhi kick deti hai – that Abhishek Bachchan sang for Bipasha in the film Zameen. And yes, Maradona hasn’t been on ground level post that coffee and convo. Talks have it that he’s on ‘Cloud no 9’.

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Bollywood's Generation X remembers Michael Jackson

Majority of them have been known for their dance moves. And most of them have been inspired by the 'King of Pop'. Generation X remembers Michael Jackson as he takes a journey to the heavenly abode.

Hurman Baweja - "I can't believe he is no more. It's too much of a shock. I was looking forward to seeing him on stage in London in August. For me he will always be alive. I have seen him live on stage before, I hear him practically everyday either in my car or on my iPod. He is my dancing Guru whom I have watched and learnt from. He is a genius. Here is to a Legend. May his soul rest in peace! He will be missed!"

Celina Jaitly - "It's shocking. I was planning to go for his last concert to London. I have been a die hard fan and I still can't believe that he is gone."

Neha Dhupia - "I am sad beyond belief. It's the biggest loss ever for the world of music and entertainment. There will never be anyone else like him."

Eesha Koppikhar - "You created history with your music. I will always remember you as the 'King of Pop'. As rightly stated by all the news channels, 25th June will always be remembered as a black day in the world of music."

Mugdha Godse - "Words fail to express my feelings. I still can't believe the news."

Neil Nitin Mukesh - "The man who taught the world to dance has left us with his memories. It's a great loss!"

Mahie Gill - "His death is indeed an irreparable loss to the world of music."

Neetu Chandra - "Michael Jackson's demise is an end of an era. With him, a part of music is dead."

Linda Aresenio - "Dearest Michael Jackson, we are all definitely hit deeply that you left so soon. You have truly impacted and inspired our lives across the globe. You have built a bridge among family, friends and cultures though your music and dance. You are a legend among the greats. God bless you always and forever. We will always love and miss you."

Priyanka Kothari - "It's hard to believe that he is no more. I am feeling so depressed ever since I heard this sad news. Michael's music and dance will never die."

Payal Rohatgi - "I consider Michael's sad demise as a great loss to the music lovers like me. He was truly the 'king of pop' and dying at an age of 50 is very shocking. I hope his soul rests in peace. We shall always remember his blockbuster hit 'Thriller'!"

Madhavan - "Oh God, it's hard to believe. It's the end of an era; beginning of immortality!"

Sanjay Suri - "It's sad to know that the 'King of Pop' is no more. He is the man who started it all. He ruled the 80s and the 90s and raised the bar through his great LIVE shows, amazing pop music and videos. It's sad to know that the world's greatest entertainer is no more. He surely will be missed."

Udita Goswami - "May his soul rest in peace. He wasn't the icon he used to be anymore after all the mess he got into. He was still trying to get out of it though. Maybe this was the time. His music will always be missed. And yes, there won't be another Michael Jackson ever!"

Chitrangda Singh - "I am surprisingly much more affected than I thought I could be by the demise of a star. I am crying in my heart. It's all the memories he has given us. He was a rare genius. Wish we could save him!"

Adhyayan Suman - "The 'King of Pop' is no more but nobody will ever be able to replace Michael Jackson. He was the best. May his soul rest in peace!"

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Both Katrina, Kareena have sexy bodies, says Akshay

Action king can’t decide who’s better

Akshay Kumar has worked with both Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif in several films, but can't decide who is better. The action king says both are "wonderful actresses" and have "sexy bodies".

"Both Kareena and Katrina are really good but who is the better among them depends on their roles in the films. Otherwise, both of them have sexy bodies and are absolutely wonderful actresses," said Akshay when asked to choose his favourite of the two.

Akshay has done four films with Katrina including "Namastey London" and "Singh Is Kinng", while he has worked with Kareena in five that include hits "Ajnabee" and "Aitraaz". The two are set to scorch the screen once again in their upcoming action-cum-romantic drama "Kambakkht Ishq", which releases on Friday.

"In 'Kambakkht Ishq', Kareena has performed very well. Her character required to answer back at me and be strong and she has portrayed it in a powerful, yet lovable way. On the other hand, even Katrina was really good in 'Namastey London'. So it's not really about my choice... it all depends on their roles," the actor told IANS over phone from Puerto Rico, where he is on a holiday.

Akshay, who has spent more than 18 years in the Hindi film industry, says acting with a new league of actresses is a learning experience.

"As a senior actor, I don't always have to give out tips to the younger ones. In fact, I feel I can learn a lot from the younger generation because they have new ways of acting and a different approach to work.

"I cannot particularly point out what I have learnt from them (Kareena and Katrina) yet, but yes, working with them was a learning experience," said the actor, who has also teamed up with Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Ayesha Takia.

Akshay plays a Hollywood stuntman in "Kambakkht Ishq", which also boasts of big Hollywood names like Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh - working with whom has been a "dream come true" for the actor.

In the film, Akshay has done what he is best at - action and daredevilry - something that had taken a backseat in his career for a while.

"I decided to stop doing stunts till Aarav (son) turns at least six. Now I'm back at it again. In 'Blue', which is an action thriller, I have done some death-defying stunts like the one where I had to swim 150 feet underwater with 30-40 sharks. But I will talk about it sometime later," he said.

At the moment, the 41-year-old actor is pinning hopes on Sajid Nadiadwala's "Kambakkht Ishq" to bail him out after his much-publicised films "Chandni Chowk To China" and "8X10 Tasveer" fizzled out at the box office.

"I'm expecting great response for this film. Though I had worked very hard in 'Chandni Chowk...' , the response didn't turn out to be as expected. Some people and critics didn't like it and '8X10 Tasveer' was more like an art film, which has a niche market in India. 'Kambakkht Ishq' is a complete entertainer and I hope the audience appreciates it," he said.

Apart from "Kambakkht Ishq", Akshay will also be seen in "Blue", "De Dana Dan" and "Action Replay".

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Katrina choosing family over Salman

Exhausted and stressed, she’s heading to London

After last year's bad experience, Katrina Kaif has decided to celebrate her birthday with her family in London. The actress is looking forward to meeting her family, but didn't reveal whether beau Salman Khan will be with her or not.

Katrina will turn 25 on July 16 and this time the actress, who is said to be under a lot of external and internal pressure, is determined to make her birthday a happy, stress-free and comfortable occasion.

Katrina will take off for a rare full-family reunion in London this July, to coincide with her birthday. She doesn't confirm the birthday, but admits that she's planning a holiday with family in July.

"I've been burning the midnight oil to make myself free for my family. I'm exhausted and stressed. And I can't wait to go home. Though I've met parts of my family on every visit home all of us eight siblings have not been together in nine years... can you believe it! I really want to do this," Katrina, who has earned rave reviews for her performance in just released "New York", told IANS.

Katrina is the middle sister among the seven girls of the Kaif family. She has always been the apple of the eye and it was very traumatic for her to wrench herself away from the family cocoon in London and make a career on her own in Mumbai.

According to close friends, Katrina was petrified of the isolation here. That's why when Salman Khan's family took her in their fold, she was indebted to them.

Last year Salman created a major embarrassment for her by picking up a fight with Shah Rukh Khan during her birthday party.

After the incident, is Katrina trying hard to gently move away from her adopted family?

"I'm just so looking forward to being with all my sisters. My brother is also taking the time off to be in London for the first time in years with all of us sisters. I've been with some of my siblings in London. But never all. It's not holiday for me. It's a necessity. And nothing can stop from making it happen," she said.

The actress' popularity soared after the success of "Namastey London" and "Singh Is Kinng".

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Michael Jackson’s shocking autopsy report

Family and fans will be horrified by his appalling state

The autopsy details of pop star Michael Jackson gives a horrifying picture of the singer at the time of his death - he was a virtual skeleton as he was barely eating, there were only pills in his stomach. He was bald, bruised and also had broken ribs and needle wounds.

His hips, thighs and shoulders were riddled with needle wounds believed to be the result of injections of narcotic painkillers, given three times a day for years.

And multiple surgery scars were said to be the legacy of at least 13 cosmetic operations. Experts found the distressing evidence of Jackson's physical decline while investigating his startling death in Los Angeles last week, reported thesun.co.uk.

The examination showed the 5'10" star, once famed for his on-stage athleticism, had plunged to a "severely emaciated" state. It is understood anorexic Jackson had been eating just one meagre meal a day.

Pathologists found his stomach empty aside from partially-dissolved pills he took before the painkiller injection which stopped his heart. Samples were sent for toxicology tests.

Having lost virtually all his hair, the pop legend was wearing a wig when he died and pathologists said little more than "peach fuzz" covered his scalp.

A scarred section of skin above his left ear was entirely bald, apparently the result of a 1984 accident when his hair caught fire as he filmed an ad for Pepsi.

Jackson suffered several broken ribs as frantic rescuers pumped his chest after he collapsed in cardiac arrest. Four injection sites were found above or near the King of Pop's heart. All appeared to result from attempts to pump adrenaline directly into the organ in a failed bit to restart it.

Three of the injections had penetrated the heart wall causing damage, but a fourth missed and hit one of the 50-year-old star's ribs.

The autopsy also found unexplained bruising on Jackson's knees and on the fronts of both shins. And there were cuts on his back, indicating a recent fall.

Jackson's once handsome face bore a network of plastic surgery scars, while the bridge to his nose had vanished and its right side had partially collapsed.

As inquiries into the tragedy focussed on the star's personal physician Conrad Murray, a source close to the Jackson entourage said: "Michael's family and fans will be horrified when they realise the appalling state he was in. His doctors and the hangers-on stood by as he self-destructed. Somebody is going to have to pay."

Murray, a cardiologist, was thought to have given Jackson the final injection of painkiller Demerol.

A second autopsy demanded by the Jackson family was carried out at a secret location on Saturday after the first ruled out foul play.

Murray was hired just 11 days ago by AEG Live, the firm masterminding Jackson's 50 concerts at London's O2 Arena, earlier scheduled to start next month.

Sources claimed the family was preparing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the cardiologist.

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Michael Back At No.1

Tragic singer hits top spot just days after his death

MICHAEL JACKSON has landed the top spot in the UK album chart - just three days after his untimely death.

The King of Pop passed away on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest, and people worldwide rushed to get their hands on his iconic music.

His greatest hits album Number Ones, first released in 2003, rocketed from number 121 to the top of the British charts on Sunday (28Jun09).

Four of his other albums also soared into the top 20 countdown.

Thriller - the biggest-selling album of all time - raced from 179 to seven, King of Pop reached 14, Off The Wall got to 17, and The Essential Michael Jackson came in at 20.

A total of 11 Michael Jackson and Jackson Five albums featured in the top 200 albums.

In the U.K. singles chart, 43 of the top 200 singles feature the singer. Man in the Mirror was the highest charting entry at 11, Billie Jean entered at 25, Smooth Criminal was at 28, Beat It got to 30, and Earth Song reached 38.

Sales of Jackson's singles and albums topped 300,000 in just two days this week.

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Dilip Kumar hospitalised

Veteran actor diagnosed with malaria

Bollywood veteran Dilip Kumar has been admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai after testing positive for malaria, said hospital sources.

The 86-year-old actor was brought to the hospital on Sunday (June 28).

"Yes, he (Dilip Kumar) was brought to Lilavati Hospital. But as of now we don't have any further updates on his health and we will talk about it once we get all the information from his doctors," Mohan Rajan, Lilavati Hospital spokesperson, told IANS.

Last year, Dilip was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi on account of a urinary infection.

The actor, who is married to actress Saira BanO, is known for his landmark performances in films like "Devdas", "Madhumati", "Ganga Jamuna", "Mughal-e-Azam", "Shakti" and "Karma".

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Jackson’s Son Witnessed Collapse

Prince in stunned silence as doctor tried to revive his daddy

MICHAEL JACKSON's 12-year-old son watched him collapse in disbelief, convinced his dad was "clowning around" - according to a family friend.

Jackson biographer Stacy Brown claims 'Prince' Michael Jackson Jr was in the living room of their rented California home with his dad when the singer fell to the ground.

Brown insists Prince then watched in silence while his dad's doctor Conrad Murray fought frantically to save his life.

The author tells the New York Post, "The horror of it all is that Prince thought this dad was just being his dad and clowning, but it was real and he watched as they worked on him.

"Prince was stunned - in a trance - just watching."

Meanwhile Michael's manager and longtime friend Frank DiLeo revealed how he told the kids of their father's death.

He said Paris screamed: "No, no, Daddy. No!" then fell sobbing into her granmother Katehrine's arms, while Prince Jnr wailed in agony.

Mr DiLeo said: It was the single most painful moment of my life."

Michael's father Joe, 79, said in a statement the family is "speechless" over the star's loss.

He added: "My grandchildren are deeply moved by all the love and support you have shown for them."

Jackson was declared dead onThursday, June 25th, at Los Angeles's UCLA Medical Center.

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Jackson Death - More Mystery

Why did his entourage call his father before 911?

MICHAEL JACKSON's entourage waited for up to 50 minutes to call emergency services after he collapsed, it has been claimed.

Jackson biographer Stacy Brown has spoken to the King of Pop's family since his sudden death on Thursday, and reveals their concern at the delay.

Brown claims the star collapsed in the living room of his rented California home at 11.30am local time, but instead of calling 911, his security guard Tippy called Jackson's father Joseph, while his doctor Conrad Murray administered CPR.

He tells the New York Post, "Joseph screamed at them to call for help. A huge commotion ensued about why 911 wasn't being called and why he wasn't getting help."

Emergency services were eventually called at 12.21pm. Jackson was declared dead at UCLA Medical Center at 2.26pm, but it has been reported that he was already dead when paramedics arrived on the scene.

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Shell out 250$ for a pic with SRK at an US hotel

Be ready to fork out $250 to be seen in same pic with SRK at a US hotel
PS: Think we haven't heard of Photoshop, guys?

When Indian movie stars shoot aboard, fans travel from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the homegrown actors. READ FULL ARTICLE

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Rani-Rakhi Sawant item number in DBH!

The Rani Mukherjee-Rakhi Sawant connection began with the movie Saawariya. The resemblance between Rani Mukherjee’s character in the movie and Rakhi Sawant was quite obvious to all. Now, Rani is all set to perform an item number in her upcoming flick Dil Bole Hadippa! with none other than the original item girl of Bollywood – Rakhi Sawant.

Rani Mukherjee, Rakhi SawantThe song is a Punjabi track composed by Pritam and is called ‘Bhangra Bistar’. It has been sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Alisha Chinai, the lucky mascots for Yash Raj Films who gave the hits ‘Kajrare’ in Bunty Aur Babli and ‘Dhoom Machale’ in Dhoom.

As stated by a source, “As Rani is dressed like a man for the major part of the film, the idea was to get Rani to do that one sizzling feminine number to balance the gender bender. Just like Saira Banu did a ‘Thoda sa thehro’ in Victoria No. 203 where she was dressed as man, Rani has ‘Bhangra bistar’ in Dil Bole Hadippa!

The dusky beauty Rani is concentrating on shaping herself up before they begin to rehearse for the song. She is viewing the dance with the hot Rakhi as a challenge. The movie is slated to release in September 2009.

Rani, go for it, girl!

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Musical Concert for MJ

Bollywood dance choreographer Remo who was on the panel of popular dance show Dance India Dance has planned a memorial concert for pop icon Michael Jackson in the city.

“Michael Jackson has played a very important role in my life. Where I come from, I wasn’t fortunate enough to have formal dance training so it was his dance videos that inspired me and taught me all that I have learned today,” said an emotional Remo when StarBoxOffice contacted the talented choreographer.

The choreographer who has planned a concert in the pop icon’s memory is in talks with renowned musicians and dancers from the industry who will be part of the mammoth concert.

Remo said, “People from the music and dance industry who have had the opportunity of meeting and interacting with Jackson such as Farah Khan and Prabhu Deva will perform at the event. Many choreographers and dancers who have been inspired by him will also perform at the show.”

When we quizzed him about the songs that will be played at the concert, he replied, “We will only perform MJ’s songs and singers such as Sunidhi Chauhan and Shaan will try to sing his songs as well. Though no one can sing like him we will try our level best, also there are many bands who have made their living by only singing his songs, they too will perform at the concert.”

When we contacted Sunidhi Chauhan, the singer was ecstatic and said, “I am very happy to be a part of the show and the talks are still on at the moment.” The show will also dedicate its proceeds to charity. Remo confirmed, “Michael Jackson always had a soft corner for children and we will make sure that the proceeds of the show goes to underprivileged children.”

On him reprising his position in Dance India Dance 2, the choreographer stated, “I will be reprising my position on the panel and I wish the others too return on the show. The dancers of Dance India Dance will also perform at the show.” MJ bid adieu to the world but his music will indeed live on forever.

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Sober down Fardeen

Fardeen Khan is at it again, the actor who had last spoken of cleaning up his act has yet again been involved in a bar brawl under the influence of alcohol.

Fardeen recently got into a fist fight with his sister Laila’s boyfriend Farhan Furniturewala. Sources say, the actor was partying with his close friends at Bling and had already downed a couple of drinks when he suddenly sprang on Farhan and slapped him right across the face. Farhan who was taken aback didn’t know how to react when Fardeen planted another one on him. That’s when the others intervened and broke the fight.

News is that Fardeen and Farhan haven’t been on close terms for awhile but a source close to the actor said, “There isn’t any trouble between Fardeen and Farhan, the two are very cordial with each other. Fardeen has been drinking heavily since a while now, and he’s very much capable of doing such a thing under the influence. Even on the condolence meet after his father’s death, once everyone left Fardeen went and hit the bar right away. Now if that’s downing your blues away, I don’t know but Fardeen really doesn’t know when to stop.”

Farhan even told the newspapers recently, “I don't think Fardeen was in the right frame of mind. He was a little high. I understand where Fardeen's coming from. I think it was just overreaction from Fardeen's side.”

The last time StarBoxOffice spoke to Fardeen, the actor was enthusiastic about remaking Qurbani and was shooting for All The Best. He was very excited about all the work he was doing and seemed to have cleaned up his act. But then old habits die hard and with the scant amount of work on his hand, one does not need to wonder what he does in his free time!

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In Pics: Audio release of Love Aaj Kal


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In Pics: LUX Comedy Honors 2009 Grand Finale


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Chintu - First Look

Chintu Ji,

Chintu Ji,

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Ash, watch out for Freida!

Slumdog-sweetheart Freida Pinto, Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor are inadvertently stepping on each other’s toes.

Or so say reports. It is being said that a big brand that has Ash representing them overseas and Sonam in the Indian market, is also signing Freida Pinto as another of their international models. If this is true, then Freida will be walking the red carpet at all major international film festivals next year with Aishwarya for company. Freida, who has bagged films with Hollywood biggies Julian Schnabel and Woody Allen, is also expected to be on the jury of some of the biggest film festivals in 2010. Sonam on the other hand may be the face of yet another watch brand for the Indian market.

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London calling Dr Shah Rukh!

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been nominated to receive an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire.

Shah Rukh, the first foreign actor to be conferred the Malaysian title of Datuk - akin to a British knighthood - last year, will receive his first doctorate July 10.

The actor was chosen for the doctorate by NGO Routes to Roots, a member of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organization (WANGO) that works closely with universities and educational trusts in various countries, said a press release. READ FULL ARTICLE

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He was a special soul

Shilpa Shetty says she’s a huge fan of Michael Jackson

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, a die-hard fan of King of Pop Michael Jackson, says she was taken aback at the news of the singer's demise but his music will immortalise him.

"I woke up to the most devastating news of Michael Jackson passing away. I just sank in my chair... words can't express my emotions because I am a huge huge fan of his.

"He was an icon who lead an extraordinary life. I admired him for constantly reinventing himself and for converting me into a pop lover after 'Thriller'. His music will immortalise him," the actress posted on her blog.

Jackson died on Thursday (June 25) due to a cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home.

Shilpa got to know the legend's brother Jermaine during her stint on Britain's reality show "Big Brother" and says that she was lucky to hear a lot about Jackson from him.

"I was lucky to hear a lot about him from Jermaine who I got to know closely in the Big Brother house. It was sad how the press mercilessly shred him over issues that he got acquitted for at a later stage! He was a special soul - god’s chosen one - there can never be another MJ," she added.

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For MJ's Indian fans, he lives forever

Country mourns musical genius

From tears to tributes, fans of the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson across India mourned the musical genius who captured their imagination with his music and his persona.

"Micheal was the best. He will live in our hearts forever. No matter what injustice has been done upon him, he will continue to be a legend and the best in the world of music," Mumbai-based professor Shalini Iyer told IANS.

Another fan, Bhavan Kher, who is also from the financial capital of India, says she can never refer to the music genius in past tense.

"Micheal Jackson is not a musician, he is an era. He is someone who broke all the conventions and gave the world soul corroding music as well as beats that are unmatched to date. He is god. I will never associate the word 'was' with him. Micheal Jackson will only be an 'is' for me and for millions of music lovers around the world," she said.

For 22-year-old Nidhi Arora, "music died yesterday" when Jackson, 50, breathed his last after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles, US.

"Along with a lot of my friends, I have grown up dancing to 'Thriller'. I've had my best performances dancing to his numbers. I was eagerly awaiting his comeback July 13, but he left without a warning. There is never going to be another Michael Jackson. We loved him and always will," said Arora, a Delhi based advertising professional.

Jackson's connection with India grew stronger when he came down to Mumbai in October 1996 for a live performance as part of his 'History' tour.

People from all strata - whether celebrities like Anupam Kher and Shobha De or urchins from nearby slums - all gave Jackson a hearty welcome.

He caused mass hysteria with his enigma back then and will continue to do so with his music even now.

Joyeeta Sablok, who is from Kolkata and a die-hard Jackson fan, was one among the thousands who wanted to attend the singer's concert, but couldn't. Recalling the time, she said: "He (Jackson) came to India, but my parents didn't let me go to his concert."

"I'll regret it forever. I will never forget how my heart would miss a beat every time they flashed the 'Black or White' video on TV channels. It was magical. He seemed to do something different with every single album."

Jackson's most popular numbers "Black Or White", "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Earth Song" have been cherished over the years by all and sundry.

On his death, 35-year-old Pallavi Muni had a school-time memory to share.

"I remember, more than 22 years ago, when my school had its annual function, one of the biggest draws was a dance number with MJ's song 'Bad'. There were some 50 girls in the group. The man himself would never have imagined it - a bunch of giggly girls in a convent school in India, matching steps with every beat of his smash hit song," said Muni, who studied in Delhi but is now based in Bangalore.

"Maybe I've just grown older, but I don't think they make pop icons like him anymore," she added.

Ravi Kumar, an official of pub Styx in Bangalore, which will pay tribute to Jackson Friday evening, told IANS: "We'll pay tribute to Michael Jackson, the legend, and his music Friday evening. Our regular guests are in touch with us and in the evening everyone will come together to pay tribute to the musical genius."

"We'll miss Jackson the man, but we'll always remember him for his chartbuster numbers. We all love Michael Jackson," said Sumit P., an IT professional and regular visitor at Styx.

Rishabh P. Nair, a diehard Jackson fan from Chennai, said: No matter what people say about him, he was and will always be the king of pop. The magic of songs like 'Thriller' can never be recreated. I hope his soul rests in peace. He will be missed."

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Celebs Pay Tribute To MJ

His celebrity peers speak of their utter devastation at his death

MADONNA, SINGER


"I can't stop crying over the sad news. I've always admired Michael Jackson - the world has lost one of its greats, but his music will live on forever.

"My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."

CELINE DION, SINGER


"I am shocked. I am overwhelmed by this tragedy. Michael Jackson has been an idol for me all my life.

"He was not only a talented person, but he was unique - a genius. It's such a loss. It feels like when Kennedy died, when Elvis died. My sympathy goes to the family. It's a big loss and it's not even sinking in right now."

URI GELLER, FRIEND

Uri Geller says his friend Michael Jackson 'went through hell'

"I'm just devastated, very, very sad. I pray that his soul is up there now. I'm still trying to hold on to the glimmer that it is not true. It is too surreal for me to absorb that Michael is no longer with us.

"Michael was in good shape because he was practising, he was training, he was rehearsing for the shows. Michael was careful with what he ate, he was just fine. Last time I heard of what he was doing, he was in great shape. And this is why I'm so absolutely shocked by this news."

CHER, SINGER


"I'm having a million different reactions I didn't expect I would feel.

"He was a great singer - God gives you certain gifts, and this child was just an extraordinary child touched by this ability. He could sing like nobody else and he was able to connect with people."

QUINCY JONES, MUSIC PRODUCER

"I'm absolutely devastated at this news. I just don't have the words. Divinity brought our souls together and allowed us to do what we could do through the 80s.

"To this day that music is played in every corner of the world, and the reason is because he had it all - talent, grace and professionalism. I've lost my little brother today and part of my soul has gone with him."

LISA MARIE PRESLEY, JACKSON'S EX-WIFE

"I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible.

I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family.

This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."

JOHN LANDIS, THRILLER VIDEO DIRECTOR

I was lucky enough to know and work with Michael Jackson in his prime. Michael was an extraordinary talent and a truly great international star. He had a troubled and complicated life and despite his gifts, remains a tragic figure."

REV AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER

"As a friend of Michael's for the past 35 years, I call on people from around the world to pray for him and his family."

P DIDDY, SINGER

"Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life. He made me believe in magic. I will miss him."

JANE FONDA, ACTRESS

"I am stunned. My friend, Michael Jackson, is dead. He lived with me for a week on the 'Golden Pond' set after Thriller.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

"He was one of the most influential and iconic figures in the music industry.

"Our hearts go out to the Jackson family, Michael's children and to his fans worldwide."

USHER, SINGER

"My heart goes out to the King of Pop and his family."

PAUL GAMBACCINI, MUSIC JOURNALIST

Paul Gambaccini: "Michael Jackson was the greatest showman we had ever seen"

"Definitely one of the greatest stars of recorded music. There is no doubt of that. He would be in the top 10 of all time, regardless of who the other nine people were.

"But you also have to remember that he went through different stages and owed some of his popularity to collaborators - Quincy Jones, with whom he did the great trilogy of albums: Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad."

BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER

"I was so excited to see his tour in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly into see him.

"He's been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated that he's gone."

DIONNE WARWICK, SINGER

"We have lost an icon in our industry and my heartfelt condolences go out to his family and children in this hour of sorrow.

"He will live on in my memory, and most definitely through the music he shared with so many."

WYCLEF JEAN, SINGER

"Michael Jackson was my musical god. He made me believe that all things are possible, through real and positive music.

"He can live forever. I love Michael Jackson. God bless him."

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER

"We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of, not only pop music, but of all music. I can't find the words right now to express how deeply saddened I am by Michael's passing.

"He has been an inspiration to multiple generations, and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him onstage and all of the things I learned about music from him, and the time we spent together.

"My heart goes out to his family and loved ones."

DONNA SUMMER, SINGER

"I've known Michael for many years and we've done many different things together over the years.

"I know his family and it's just a total shock. I don't even have words to say. I mean I'll miss Michael, the world will miss Michael and I'm sure the world is in a state of grief right now.

"I will personally miss him, I will miss his light, I will miss his star, I will miss who he has caused other people to become because of his greatness. He upped the standard."

NE-YO, SINGER

"Michael Jackson will live forever through the thing that he put all of his life energy into: his music.

"Long live Michael Jackson."

MC HAMMER, RAPPER

"I will be mourning my friend, brother, mentor and inspiration. He gave me and my family hope. I would never have been me without him."

LL COOL J, RAPPER

"He was one of my childhood idols. I salute you King of Pop. You made the whole world moonwalk together."

RUSSELL SIMMONS, FOUNDER OF DEF-JAM RECORDS

"Michael Jackson was my generation's most iconic cultural hero. Courageous, unique and incredibly talented. He'll be missed greatly."

MATT FIDDES, FORMER BODYGUARD

"He's the most misunderstood man in world. Everyone thought he was this weird freak but when you're with him he's as normal as everyone else. I don't think he felt he was as famous as everyone else thought, he didn't know any different.

"He was a very caring guy who would go out of his way to help the sick. One night in London he wanted to see some homeless people. He sent them loads of pizzas in secret. The guy had a good heart.

"We used to dress him up and sneak out of hotel room and do normal things in shops. People wouldn't know who he was but we wanted to give him a taste of the real life."

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Michael Jackson's Children Devastated

Youngsters said to be inconsolable – but what will happen to them without their father

The death of Michael Jackson is said to have left his three young children distraught.

The King Of Pop is survived by Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, known fondly by the singer as Blanket.

His sudden death is expected to spark a frought legal battle over who gets custody of his three children.

The singer was pronounced dead aged 50 at a hospital in Los Angeles last night. He was taken there in a coma following his collapse at home.

It is not yet known who will take care of them, but a source close to his family said his ex-wife Debbie Rowe is expected to receive initial custody while long-term arrangements are sorted out.

Nor is it clear what their financial situation will be. Although Jackson ranked alongside the Beatles and Elvis Presley in terms of his earnings, in recent years it has been rumoured he had amassed huge debts of an estimated $60million.

He had planned a series of comeback concerts at London's O2 Arena, which would have cleared his debts.

Prince Michael and Paris were the product of Jackson's second marriage to Rowe, a nurse, in 1996.

After the couple divorced in 1999, Jackson took on sole responsibility for their children's upbringing.

There was some controversy surrounding the move and questions were asked as to whether Rowe would receive access rights.

But he was quoted as saying she was happy togive up the children to Michael completely, saying: "They're his kids, not mine. They're his kids".

Michael was so fiercely protective of them he took an unusual approach to protecting them from the media glare by covering their faces.

His third child, Prince Michael II, was born to a mystery surrogate mother he never even met.

Earlier this month, Michael was photographed with his two older children in Los Angeles looking healthier than he has in recent months.

His sudden and tragic death has sent shockwaves across the world.

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Salman will not be seeing New York

Salman Khan is in no mood to see “New York”, even though girlfriend and lead actress of the film Katrina Kaif is trying desperately to convince him to watch the film.

Katrina’s performance in the movie has been well appreciated and hence she is keen Sallu sees her latest film. But Salman is said to have flatly refused.

According to close sources from Katrina’s end, the actress is hurt by Salman’s policy of ignoring all her films, even though she makes it a point to watch all his movies and even attend his premieres and special screenings.

Salman does watch movies in general but when it comes to watching Katrina’s films he refuses to see them.

If sources close to Salman are to be believed, Salman does not like his girlfriend’s physical proximity with co-stars. He is very possessive about her and can’t see her with someone else, even on screen.

In fact, it’s said that he does not even like Katrina wearing any revealing clothes in real life. And if he sees her wearing something he doesn’t approve of, he asks her to change.

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Bipasha refuses to give in to Hollywood star’s demand

Bipasha Basu has recently signed an international project with Hollywood star Billy Zane. But she is not willing to bend down to anyone’s demands.

She has made it clear that she is not going to go out of her way to keep the makers of the film happy. And the makers of the film just tasted one such experience.

A photo shoot with the main leads of the film had been planned and they were to even do a look test together. The shoot had been planned in Los Angeles because Billy Zane did not want to travel to India just for a photo shoot.

The producers felt they could convince Bips easily to fly down to LA. But Bipasha refused.

Her argument was that if the film was to be shot in India and Zane had signed the film, then it should not be a great deal for him to come to India for the shoot.

Since it is a joint venture, Bipasha wanted to assert her stand as well.

The producers have not managed to convince Billy yet, but Bips is not relenting too.

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Title war over ‘Hadippa’ continues

Yash Raj Films and Sanjay Leela Bhansali continue to fight over the title of YRF’s upcoming movie “Dil Bole Hadippa”.

We had earlier reported that despite repeated attempts by YRF to convince Bhansali to part with the title “Hadippa”, the filmmaker did not as the title has been reserved for his sister Bela’s debut film as a director.

After Bhansali turned down Aditya Chopra’s request for the title, YRF apparently gave him written promise that they will not use the word ‘Hadippa’ in the title of their Rani Mukerji-Shahid Kapur starrer.

However, now that YRF has released the theatrical trailer of the film, Bhasali has realised that two words have been added to his title and YRF’s film is now called “Dil Bole Hadippa”.

According to a spokesperson from SLB Productions, Bhansali apparently is very upset as he feels what YRF has done is unethical and is even contemplating taking legal action.

Rani, the lead star of the movie and a friend of both Sanjay and Aditya, is reportedly now trying her best to organise a meeting between the two parties to peacefully settle the issue.

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'I cannot believe it! MJ no more'

After many national and international celebrities, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is the latest to have taken to social networking website Twitter in a big way.

"Priyanka has recently taken to Twitter and she is quite regular as she updates her account at least once a day," a source close to the actress told IANS.

The Twitter page of the actress, who created waves with her performance in "Fashion" and "Dostana", can be found on www.twitter.com/priyankachopra.

The latest updates by Priyanka also include her feelings on pop icon Michael Jackson's demise Thursday.

"I cannot believe it! MJ no more... He was the reason I started loving music. Thank you MJ the inspiration for all of us. The true king of pop," wrote Priyanka, who is a good singer herself.

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Katrina wins rave reviews for ‘New York’

Katrina Kaif’s latest movie “New York”hit the screens on Friday (June 26) and is getting good reviews.

“New York” has a gripping story and the stars have put in brilliant performance. Katrina plays Maya in he movie. Audiences have liked her role in the movie and have loved her performance.

A trade Pundit says, “Katrina Kaif has finally got the meatiest role of her career and she has taken full advantage of it. She is very good in emotional scenes as well.”

According to another trade analyst, “It’s Katrina’s performance in the movie which helps the film to rise from the average category. People have poured in numbers to watch Katrina and have had their paisa vasool.”

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Advance booking for ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ opens today in India

All eyes are on "Kambakkht Ishq" that's going to hit the theatres on July 3.

According to an insider, "’Kambakkht Ishq’ will be released across an unprecedented 2000 plus screens worldwide, making it one of the widest releases in recent times. This would include more than 1400 screens in India and over 600 overseas and will be a combination of prints and digital format."

In India, the advance booking for "Kambakkht Ishq" will open on Sunday (June 28) and
not Wednesday, the way it usually happens at multiplexes.

"The buzz about the film is so tremendous that Sabbir Khan, Sunil Lulla and Sajid Nadiadwala have decided to open advance bookings on Sunday and not Wednesday. The tickets are expected to sell like hot cakes," said the insider.

This Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor starrer is being released by Eros International.

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Sunday, June 28, 2009

When Mumbai went wacko about Jacko

MiD DAY photographer Suresh K K remembers the day he shot Michael Jackson (with his camera)

I remember the frisson of excitement running through the MiD DAY newsroom, and I guess through all newsrooms, when it was announced that Michael Jackson would perform in Mumbai in October 1996.

For at least a fortnight before the event, reporters and photographers were scurrying around the city to find news related to Jackson.

We even visited the concert venue Andheri Sports Complex numerous times for pre-arrival pictures.

Hordes of press photographers had crowded Sahar international airport when Jackson was scheduled to arrive.

Camera lenses jostled against each other and tempers frayed as the flight was delayed. We had to wait for 6-7 hours.

Finally, news spread that Jackson had arrived. We rushed back from our vada pav, sandwich and cigarette breaks to take pictures.

Actress Sonali Bendre, looking like a real Mumbaichi mulgi, had arrived at the airport to welcome Jackson. Raj Thackeray was also present.

Lucky me
When Jackson came out of the airport, I remember an explosion of flashes. But I soon realised that MJ had some kind of a reflective band on his arm, which made it difficult for us to use the flash.

Just before he arrived, I remember thinking how fortunate I was to be a photographer.

For only a select few had got a glimpse of MJ. Yet, when I finally saw him, I did not think he was an overpowering personality; all I felt was an intense pressure to get his photograph, amongst that group of people.

MJ came out and soon got into a vehicle. He was going to the Oberoi Hotel where he was scheduled to stay. The streets were lined with slum dwellers and urchins who could not comprehend who had arrived.

One slum dweller told me, "Koi bada Amreecan hai." Then, MJ got out of his vehicle much to the displeasure of his security and started dancing with the slum dwellers for a couple of minutes.

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King of Pop Michael Jackson in India 1996 - Video

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'Jai Ho, MJ!' says Rahman


"Jai Ho, MJ!" said Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, for whom pop legend Michael Jackson symbolised limitless energy, perfection and vision, while the death of his "role model" has left dancing star Prabhu Deva numb.

"MJ, for most of our generation, was an icon who made uncompromising music. He pushed the milestone of pop music to unbelievable levels through the 80s and 90s. I am yet to find an artist with that energy, perfection and vision," said Rahman, who had recently met the pop superstar following the Oscar awards.

"I met him personally after the Oscars in Los Angeles and we vibed very well. He said that he loved India and the Indian people. He said he heard good things about me and he was praising the chord progression of 'Jai Ho's' chorus.
\
"He was bursting with energy and told me that every dance move he did came from his soul and did a five second stunning example. It was like a lightning strike," the composer recalled.

"He was concerned about developmental issues such as global warming and about wars and its damages to the human community. He asked me to compose a unity anthem on the likes of 'We are the World' for him. I nodded in awe ...!" Rahman added.

"I remember my late sound engineer Sridhar had brought me a video of the premiere of 'Remember the Time' when I was recording 'Kadal Rojave' for my first movie Roja. Seeing it inspired all of us that afternoon," he said.

In a philosophical note, Rahman concluded his condolence statement: "Life is short..! Artists and their art live for ever. Jai Ho, MJ ! We love you for your music, regardless of all the controversies!"

The 50-year-old singing sensation died Thursday following a cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles, leaving millions of his fans around the world stunned.

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Safe Sex for Shahid

Shahid Kapoor is getting preachy in his forthcoming film, ‘Kaminey’, the actor has a song based on the importance of safe sex with a cautionary note about AIDS.

The song filmed in a red light district promotes healthy and frequent use of the condom and the entire song sequence talks about the importance of using condoms. Sung by Sukhwinder Singh, it goes like this, “Bhawra aaya aaya re, gun gun karta aayaa re…Yeh Ishq nahih aasan, AIDS ka khatra hai…pathwar pehen kar jaana- yeh aaga ka dariya hai.”

The lyrics of the song have been written by Vishal Bharadwaj, who is also the producer, director and music composer of the film. Shahid who plays double roles in the film, essays the role of twins Guddu and Charlie. Guddu works as a trainee in a small NGO firm in the city and walks around a red light area with a red ribbon around his neck and that’s when he starts singing the song.

When StarBoxOffice contacted Vishal Bharadwaj he was unavailable for comment and his wife Rekha said that it’s not the right time to talk about the film as the promos of the song will air soon. To be exact, the promos of the song will air in August. Sukhwinder Singh has also sung the peppy song Dhan tan dan which has been leaked on to the net and if its any good as this song then we have to say we have another winner for sure!

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Big B pays his tribute to Michael Jackson - The King of Pop

Bachchan Senior is currently in London. On his blog, he wrote about the phenomenon that was Michael Jackson, attending his concert and meeting the icon.

In the mid 60’s or thereabouts, I heard a group of pop singers who went by the name of ‘the Jackson 5’. Many years later when I had the facility of a video player I saw them in action live. The youngest among them, was this chubby cute little fellow with an extraordinary voice and a body that for his age and countenance, moved exceptionally well. I found out his name was Michael – Michael Jackson.

For several years thereafter, we did not hear him or of him; the Beatles had invaded the music scene and the entire universe had adopted them as their own.

It was around the mid 70’s that lightening struck and from it emerged this grown up version of Michael Jackson, singing, moving, dancing like he was from some other planet!

Mesmerized by his brilliance in each and every department of music and performance, he changed the very psyche, of not just the kind of music he was making, but also the psyche of the listening audience. Nothing compared to him. He was just this incredible perfection that God could have possibly created in his mercy.

His body moved like a wound up toy machine. Every conceivable action of rhythm and style was incorporated inside his diminutive form, without any blemish. The exhilaration that he provided became synonymous with the ultimate. He was the impossible.

With the greater advent of modern technology and its rather slow percolation into the developing world, we would only get to see or hear him, through great effort made by those that had the privilege of travel. These, purveyors and bringers of good tidings, would carry with them his music and his videos from across the seven seas into our lives. And we the possessors of such rare material became the idols of great attention, simply because we had in our possession, a video of Michael Jackson.

Time passed by. Our own travels became more frequent and we started becoming proud owners of his CDs and videos. They became our most prized possessions. Those who did not get an opportunity to be in similar circumstance looked upon us with awe and gratitude when we would play for them, somewhat reluctantly, MJ music and video. Everyone wanted to dance like him, dress like him, BE him. But no one came anywhere near.

Soon after my accident in 1982, I went to the United States of America for recuperation and consultations with the medical fraternity there on my post- operative condition. It was while I was in New York that we came to learn of Michael Jackson on tour with one of his many concerts that he was performing in. The next one was to be in a city called, oddly, Jacksonville Florida. The show we discovered was on the next day. It was an opportunity we just could not miss. So we boarded a flight and landed up in the morning at Jacksonville, without knowing a soul, without any hotel reservation and without a ticket to the concert. Moving from one location to the other with a friendly helpful cabbie, we landed up in the same hotel that MJ was in, only to be shown the door because the entire hotel and all the floors had been taken up by Mr. Jackson and his massive entourage. Begging and pleading with the management for some space, the kitchen, parking lot, a bench in the lobby, we finally managed a small discard in the corner somewhere, where my brother and I, he accompanying me on this escapade, rested our bodies before we undertook the other more important ordeal – tickets for the show!!

By the afternoon, we discovered ourselves loitering around this massive football stadium, with no clue whatsoever where and how we could get inside this cavernous enclosure to see THE MJ perform.

The walk about seemed endless. After consuming tons of ice sticks and the fizzies in the hot and humid atmosphere, and witnessing countless groups of fans in ecstatic gear and temperament; one particular individual standing out in his peculiarity by trying desperately to warn visitors NOT to go inside, because MJ was the devil incarnate, we finally, minutes before it was gearing up to start, met our savior – the ever reliable tout!! An exorbitant bargain was struck and we were racing up the galleries even as the first strains of the colossal audio system started up.

Our seats were well…comfortable. They were made of cement and were not individual in nature, just a long endless strip that ran around the stadium in uniform fashion. The air was fresh and I thought somewhat cooler than where we met Monsieur Tout and we soon realized why. We were in the last row of the tier at the very edge of this monstrous construction, looking down upon a mass of almost a 100,000 humanity, requiring most definitely, the assistance of a parachute in case we wanted to make an immediate exit!!

With a bit of shoving and pushing we finally were able to seek deliverance – the space to finally rest our posteriors. This unfortunately lasted just a few seconds, for, a huge bang of music almost immediately, tore our eardrums away and a blinding light from the stage on one end, accompanied by the most decibel led roar from 100,000, got everyone on their feet again !! And that is how we remained for the next three hours!! For almost 45 minutes the build up kept us in hungry anticipation and then… almost by magic… He was on stage… NOTHING WAS HEARD THENCE, NOTHING WAS SEEN THERAFTER, NOTHING BUT UTTER... UTTER... HALUCIGENIC MADNESS!!

That was my first introduction to him in person. But it was not the last!!

In the early 90’s on another private visit to New York, the door bell of my room in the Helmsley Palace Hotel rang, and I sauntered up to open it. There as I stood in the doorway, across me, was Michael Jackson! He looked a little surprised as he turned around to those he was accompanied with and in his now well known soft voice gently spoke up – “Oh! Excuse me! I think I have the wrong room!”

I have no recollection of what I said in return, whether I said anything at all, how long I remained in that state and when I closed the door to come back in. But that was him and he had come to the wrong room!!

Later the next day, my friend Mohan Murjani, who was perhaps working with MJ on some project and staying in the same hotel, set up a meeting for me with Michael Jackson and we met and laughed at the previous day’s incident and exchanged pleasant conversation. He was soft spoken, very humble and most polite. Introduced me to his Mother who accompanied him and then I was out of there!!

I never saw him again but when he came to perform in Mumbai at the Andheri Sports Complex, Prateeksha, where I live, shook the entire night with the vibrations of all his most popular numbers booming out from the venue.

An exceptional artist has gone…Someone that created an almost outer world experience for all of us with his art.

When I get back I shall pull out an old birthday party recording of 7-8 year aged Abhhishek, dressed like Michael and dancing to ‘Thriller’.

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Predicting the future for films

A flurry of films is releasing now that the battle of the producers-multiplexes is over. We spoke to astro numerologist expert Bhavikk Sangghvi about the fate of films releasing in the second half of 2009, which are expected to wake up Bollywood out of its gloom.

The predictions for New Releases are as follows…

3 July: KAMBAKKHT ISHQ : Hit. Both Kareena & Akshay will benefit.

10 July: SHORTKUT : Average. Akshaye, Arshad will be appreciated but nothing great.

17 July: JASHNN : Good effort by the cast & crew but will go unnoticed.

24 July: LUCK : Average. Too many cooks ( actors ) spoil the broth.

31 July: LOVE AAJ KAL : Hit in metros. Average elsewhere. Will be appreciated in metros & multiplexes.

7 August: AGYAAT : Average. Initial response will be good but the euphoria will soon settle down. Downslide from Monday onwards.

14 August: KAMINEY and LIFE PARTNER : HITS. Both films will enjoy long weekend. Kaminey will be more appreciated. Life Partner may do better business commercially.

21 August to 11 September [Ramzan]: Any film can come in this period

18 September: WANTED and DIL BOLE HADIPPA : FLOPS. WANTED will not do well as expected. Salman will be liked though. Might work in some small centres. DIL BOLE HADIPPA will fizzle out.

25 September: WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE? : AVERAGE. Over-hype will hamper the prospects of this film. May just about recover.

2 October: WAKE UP SID and DO KNOT DISTURB : WAKE UP SID will be welcomed by the youth. Ranbir's fan following will increase. Multiplex HIT. DO KNOT DISTURB will also do very well. HIT.

9 October [pre-Diwali week]: No major release yet

16 October [Diwali]: BLUE, ALADIN and MAIN AUR MRS. KHANNA : HIT. BLUE will do pretty well. The film will raise the bar of Hindi cinema. ALADIN will create a buzz but would be sidelined. FLOP. MAIN AUR MRS.KHANNA may attract initial footfalls but disappoint in the long run. AVERAGE.

23 October: No major release yet

30 October: LONDON DREAMS : HIT. Will generate huge collections but will not sustain curiosity. Asin will be liked the most.

6 November: AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI : HIT. Ranbir-Katrina jodi will be something to watch out for.

13 November: TUM MILE : Will do just about okay. Nothing more, nothing less !

20 November: No major release yet

27 November: DE DHAN DHANA DHAN : AVERAGE. Will start off well but business will get affected as days go by.

Note : All predictions are based on these given release dates. Any change in schedule & the prediction / outcome of the film will change.

You do the math. Bollywood is already getting busy to turn the scale of fortune in their favour after reading this.

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In Pics: World mourns Michael Jackson's death


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Web slows after Jackson's death

The sheer number of queries concerned Google

Searches for topics related to Michael Jackson peaked at 3PM Pacific

The internet suffered a number of slowdowns as people the world over rushed to verify accounts of Michael Jackson's death.

Search giant Google confirmed to the BBC that when the news first broke it feared it was under attack.

Millions of people who searched for the star's name on Google News were greeted with an error page.

It warned users "your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application".

"It's true that between approximately 2.40PM Pacific and 3.15PM Pacific, some Google News users experienced difficulty accessing search results for queries related to Michael Jackson and saw the error page," said Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker.

It was around this time that the singer was officially pronounced dead.

Google's trends page showed that searches for Michael Jackson had reached such a volume that in its so called "hotness" gauge the topic was rated "volcanic".

The BBC news website reported that traffic to the site at the time of Jackson's death was 72% higher than normal.

Fail
Google was not the only company overwhelmed by the public's clamour for information.

The microblogging service Twitter crashed with the sheer volume of people using the service.
Google user graph
Searches for topics related to Michael Jackson peaked at 3PM Pacific

Queries about the star soon rocketed to the top of its updates and searches. But the amount of traffic meant it suffered one of its well-known outages.

Before the company's servers crashed, TweetVolume noted that "Michael Jackson" appeared in more than 66,500 Twitter updates.

According to initial data from Trendrr, a Web service that tracks activity on social media sites, the number of Twitter posts Thursday afternoon containing "Michael Jackson" totaled more than 100,000 per hour.

That put news of Jackson's death at least on par with the Iran protests, as Twitter posts about Iran topped 100,000 per hour on June 16 and eventually climbed to 220,000 per hour.

Early reports of Mr Jackson's death and the confusion surrounding it caused a rash of changes and corrections to be made on his Wikipedia page as editors tried to keep up with events and the number of people trying to update the page.

TMZ, the popular celebrity gossip site that broke the story following a tip-off that a paramedic had visited the singers home also crashed.

There was a domino effect as users then fled to other sites. Hollywood gossip writer Perez Hilton's site was among those to flame out.

Keynote Systems reported that its monitoring showed performance problems for the web sites of AOL, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and Yahoo.

Beginning at 2.30PM Pacific "the average speed for downloading news sites doubled from less than four seconds to almost nine seconds," said Shawn White, Keynote's director of external operations.

He told Data Center Knowledge that "during the same period, the average availability of sites on the index dropped from almost 100% to 86%".

--- By: Maggie Shiels
--- Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley

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In Pics: Deepika Padukone launches Tissot Sea-Touch


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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Exclusive: Last Photo of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson: Exclusive Last Photo

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In Pics: King of Pop Michael Jackson dies at age 50



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Fans worldwide mourn Jackson

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Dil Bole Hadippa - Theatrical Trailer

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Kareena & her killer stilettoes

One look at the promos of Kambakkht Ishq and you can’t help but notice Kareena Kapoor’s vertiginous heels.

Stylist Aki Narula, who shopped all over Milan for Kareena’s wardrobe for the film, says she’s India’s answer to Sarah Jessica Parker in the movie.
We love the white bondage type shoes she wears with a floral dress and the printed ganji-mini; the hot pink ones with black ankle strap that livens up the black sequinned number; and the scarlet ones with a corsage that take away the goody-two-shoe-ness of the canary yellow floral outfit. The peach outfit would have washed Bebo out if it weren’t for the burgundy shoes with the cut-out wedges. Another striking ensemble is the white ganji-bloomers with the bubblegum pink corset and metallic green heels.

Fifty two five-inch high shoes were hand-picked by the designer in Milan over 10 days. To keep the impact of the shoes and outfits strong, Kareena wears almost no jewellery, save for strong cuffs. “She didn’t get out of the heels once she got into them. She walked, danced and ran all over the cobbled streets of Venice in them,” says Aki.

Dude, women have never let discomfort come in the way of a great pair of heels. And now, ladies, time to drool... take a look at the pics of Kareena!

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How Dutt lost it!

Sanjay Dutt is following a strict ketosis diet, designed by his trainer Sherveer Vakil. And the best part of this diet is that he gets to eat as much fat as he likes!

Says a source from the sets of Ajay Devgan's All The Best, where Dutt is currently stationed, "Sherveer has made a special breakfast-lunch-dinner menu for Sanju.

It's a zero-carb all-fat and protein diet which includes meats and fish of all kinds.

When he is Mumbai, his wife Maanayata monitors the diet strictly." Sherveer is all praise for Maanayata, "She's fantastic! Bhabhi is extremely well-read and knowledgeable.

And she makes sure Sanju remains on track." We are told that he has lost 12 kilos. Lage raho, Maana bhabhi!

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Salman Khan's pet Myjaan in critical condition

Everyone knows how much Salman Khan loves his pets. After Myson's death earlier this year, Salman Khan's other pet dog Myjaan took seriously ill last Sunday. Myjaan's condition became so bad that Salman's vet advised him to take her to the SPCA Hospital in Parel.

Salman drove down with Myjaan to the hospital as late as 10.30 pm. But the dog's condition was so critical that the hospital doctors advised him to admit his pet immediately.

Says a source, "Salman was impressed with the staff and their work but was disappointed at the appalling conditions of the dog ward. The facilities were not very clean as well. Salman requested for a separate room for Myjaan and asked his keeper to stay back to look after her."

But Salman didn't leave the matter there. Adds the source, "He promised Lt Col (Dr) J C Khanna, the SPCA secretary who took him around the hospital that he would help repair and renovate the dog ward. The repair of a ward costs crores but that didn't faze Salman."

Lt Col (Dr) J C Khanna confirms, "It's true that Salman Khan's dog Myjaan was admitted by the actor on Sunday night. He adores Myjaan and was extremely anxious about her. The next day, when he returned in the morning, he went through the wards. This was his first visit to SPCA and he was quite happy with the facilities. Myjaan is still undergoing treatment. When she was admitted, she was seriously sick and was given a separate room.

Initially, Salman visited for the first couple of days but now his caretakers are here. His pet was very critical when brought in. Her blood count was low earlier but she's recovering now."

Did Salman promise to renovate the dog ward? Says Khanna, "Salman might have casually mentioned about doing something for the dog ward but then lots of people say they will do this and that and finally are not able to for various reasons, so I can't really say what he promised. Though we have excellent equipment, funds are always required, as the wards need to be repaired. Like the Mumbai Gaurakshak Trust has renovated the cattle ward while somebody else has repaired the cat ward. Now the dog wards need to be repaired."

As far as giving a special room for Salman's pet dog is concerned, Dr Khanna says, "One of the rooms which is the cardiac center is lying vacant as the ECG is not working. So, if someone wants a special room for his/her pet or to stay the whole day and night, we give that room."

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Deepika leaves Kareena out of Love Aaj Kal special screening

Deepika Padukone will have a trial of her upcoming film. She plans to invite her boyfriend, parents, close friends and "all the wonderful people" in her life. Guess who isn't one of them...

Deepika Padukone is planning to hold a special trial of her film Love Aaj Kal. Guess who isn't on the guest list? LAK producer, Saif Ali Khan's girlfriend, Kareena Kapoor.

Director Imtiaz Ali wanted Dippy for the film, while producer Saif later confessed he regretted not having Bebo in the film.

Deepika says, "Love Aaj Kal is a special film. And I'm planning to have a special screening for all the special people in my life my family, my boyfriend, my four best friends Sneha, Divya, Hiteshi and Srila from Bangalore, Farah Khan (her first film Om Shanti Om's director) Shah Rukh (her first producer and co-star) and others who made my journey in life and career unforgettable for me. I want to show this film to all the wonderful people in my life." While it's obvious her producer and co-star in Love Aaj Kal Saif Ali Khan will be part of the trial, his girlfriend Kareena won't be invited.

The actress recalls one scene that she loves from the film. "It was at a typical Punjabi dhaba in Delhi. I was supposed to get drunk and get up on a table and dance. I was to lose my balance and fall, and Saif was supposed to grab me and break my fall. But he misjudged where I was going to fall, I lost my step and almost fell on the ground flat on my face! Fortunately, Saif managed to grab the end of my kurta and I didn't hurt myself badly. It was a difficult scene, because I don't drink at all so I had to imagine how it is to really get drunk!"

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Jacko's tryst with Mumbai 13 years ago

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson had a tryst with this celluloid city 13 years ago, when he mesmerised thousands of Mumbaikars with his performance at a concert. Jackson performed at a packed concert here in 1996.

The event was organised by Shiv Udyog Sena, an outfit floated by then Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray with the objective of providing jobs to 27 lakh youth in Maharashtra.

The pop star arrived in Mumbai on October 30 and was greeted in traditional Indian style by actress Sonali Bendre, who wore a traditional Maharashtrian saree for the occasion. The actress welcomed Jackson by performing aarti and applying tilak on his forehead, at the Mumbai airport.

The pop star, when being driven in a 20-car motorcade from the air port, stopped his Toyota to meet the urchins lined up along the highway to catch a glimpse of him.

Jackson visited Sena chief Bal Thackeray's residence, Matoshree, in suburban Bandra. The Thackerays presented him with a silver tabla and tanpura.

During his stay at The Oberoi Hotel, Jackson surprised the entire staff by mingling freely among his fans, who thronged at the hotel to catch a glimpse of the King of Pop. "He greeted his fans with smiles and by blowing kisses and shook hands with as many of them as possible," hotel sources recount.

During his stay in Mumbai, Jackson relished several Indian cuisine, including South Indian and Mughlai. While the pop star had masala dosa and spicy alu paranthas with butter in breakfasts, his other meals mainly comprised of butter naans, butter chicken, tandoori chicken and spicy vegetable curries, sources in Oberoi Hotel said.

Children from orphanages were invited to meet and play with him at a high tea organised at the hotel pool side. He gave them gifts and chocolates that he had brought with him.

The hotel sources had then said there was a party for kids organised in his room as well, on the day of the show itself. About 50 children were invited and he ordered cakes and burgers for them.

The over two-hour long performance on November 1 at the Andheri Sports Complex was a spectacular event, with fans lapping up every moment. For the show, Jackson flew in equipment in three Russian cargo planes.

Jackson's Mumbai tour had also triggered controversy with critics questioning Sena's notions of culture. They saw something alien in the values the singer represented and said "Who is Michael Jackson and how on earth is he linked to Hindu culture."

Bal Thackeray responded the critics saying "Jackson is a great artist, and we must accept him as an artist. His movements are terrific. Not many people can dance that way. You will end up breaking your bones."

"And, well what is culture? He represents certain values in America, which India should not have any qualms in accepting. We would like to accept that part of America that is represented by Jackson," he had said.

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A look back at the phenomena that was Michael Jackson

As a teenager chasing pop music in 1980, it was always a tough ask to get our hands on new music back then. Me? I knew someone who knew someone who was cabin crew with Air India so there would be LPs filtering in every now and then. “Have you heard Michael Jackson”? she asked.

“Never” I replied, instinctively picturing a young white dude, maybe like David Cassidy. “But did you get my Billy Joel LP?” I asked.

“Forget Billy Joel, this guy is much better” she said, as she gave me a copy of ‘Off The Wall’.

Oh no! It’s a black dude! “So, is it like Pink Floyd’s The Wall” I enquired.

She smirked, told me I would thank her tomorrow, and left.

I have to admit that I was attracted to disco music for an extremely short time and playing ‘Off The Wall’ was socially embarrassing for me in 1980. For someone into The Police, REO Speedwagon and Floyd, the gender-bender Jackson vibe was just too cold. Plus, where are the guitars man? With just a single spin, the LP was back in its smiling cover, replaced by the reassuring crunch of AC/DC’s Back in Black.

Cut to 1984: Doordarshan is somehow showing western music videos once a week. The whole gang is sitting in front of the TV, dying to know what exactly our rock stars look like. Billie Jean comes on. And within 30 seconds, all of us knew we were watching something special. The loud banter suddenly died. Open mouthed we watched this matchstick man dance like no person before. And was this even a dance? Then came the moonwalk step. Shucks! How the heck did he do that? All of us are on our feet now, the TV volume was turned up and we started clapping and dancing. Of course it was over all too soon, but the man had made his mark on everyone who absorbed that video. Thriller soon occupied the cassette shelves of everybody, while one of us was even the owner of that red Michael Jackson jacket. Me? I started showing my socks, since the moonwalk was just impossible to do.

Cut to 1993: MTV was part of our life before the channel discovered Bollywood. And Michael had just released ‘Dangerous’. By now, the singer had already started spending his millions on plastic surgery, and was slowly mutating into a gender all his own. And the first single ‘Black Or White’ drove its message of racial harmony in a easily missed twist of reverse irony. Here was a black man’s body trapped in a white man’s mind who was living out his fantasy. The nose sharpened, the lips thinned and the skin lightening was a God sent ailment. What is he saying in the song? That it’s OK to alter one’s looks as long as one is a good human being? Or, as long as one is a good human being, why should a change of look matter anyway?

Cut to 1996: Encouraged by visits from Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi and er, Deep Purple, Michael Jackson’s 1996 History Tour decides to perform in Bombay and Delhi. This still is a huge event as far as rock shows go in India. As seen on You-Tube now, this is the show that blew everyone away with its so far unseen combination of choreography, sound and lasers. To really understand how big Michael Jackson was, you just have to recall that in a show of incontrovertible hypocrisy, even perennial pop-culture vigilante Bal Thackeray invited him to his place. There’s really no meatier yardstick to gauge his popularity than this, is there?

Cut to 2009: Inspite of all the allegations, public humiliation, near bankruptcy and a life where he could never blow his nose again, Michael Jackson will only be remembered for the artist he was. He was on the verge of yet another comeback attempt with a staggering 50 sold out shows starting July. He was rehearsing his legs off, recording new songs and one cannot even imagine the kind of show he would put up to prove his point. But in a sudden twist of fate, we have not only lost an entertainer who reached higher than anyone else, but an inspiration to all for whom the world is a stage.

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Michael Jackson was my guru: Farah Khan

As an era in pop music comes to an end with the sudden death of Michael Jackson, one of the Bollywood best choreographers Farah Khan remembers the' King of Pop'as her guru.

"I officially had no training in dance and whatever I learnt was from watching Michael Jackson by watching his videos, especially'Thriller' over and over again. I consider him as my guru," Farah said.

Jackson died Thursday in Los Angeles due to suspected cardiac arrest. He was 50. Farah said that she heard the news today as she landed in Los Angeles to meet Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan who is shooting in LA for Karan Johar's'My Name Is Khan'.

"I have just landed here to meet Shahrukh. I reached in the hotel and got to know about the sad news. It has not sunk in yet. It is still to sink in that he is no more," Farah said. Farah remembers the'Thriller' hitmaker as"one who revolutionised the way we look at dancing today" also recalled her encounter with the pop superstar in New York at a Bollywood awards night." I had a won an award at the ceremony and Michael Jackson was also getting an award for his humanitarian works.

The organisers knew how crazy I was for him so they did take me to backstage to meet him. I have a picture with him which I will cherish all my life. I told him that I am choreographer and that is just because of him," Farah told CNN-IBN.

"I thought I would retire after I choreograph Michael Jackson,"she added.

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Bollywood mourns Michael Jackson's death

He is someone who called himself as 'Bad' and 'Dangerous', and still was loved by one and all, the world over. We are indeed talking about the one and only 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson, the very name who invented the cult 'Moon Walking' dance step. Well, the entire world came to a standstill yesterday when this musical legend breathed his last. He suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away, thus bringing the musical world to a grinding halt!

We spoke to Bollywood's eminent music directors and choreographers for their reactions to MJ's death. This is what they had to say:

Sajid (of Sajid-Wajid duo): "It is a big loss for the music industry, and he was a legend of sorts, someone who never paid heed to the image or personality, that he carried and the way we remember Bob Marley, Michael Jackson also falls in the same league. Today is by far a very mournful day for the entire music industry."

A.R. Rahman: "I am shocked at the untimely passing away of Michael Jackson, one of the greatest musicians of our times. MJ, for most of our generation was an icon who made uncompromising music. He pushed the milestone of Pop music to unbelievable levels through the 80s and 90s. I am yet to find an artist with that energy, perfection and vision. I met him personally after the Oscars in Los Angeles and we vibed very well. He said that he loved India and the Indian people. He said he heard good things about me and he was praising the chord progression of Jai Ho's chorus.

He was bursting with energy and told me that every dance move he did came from his soul and did a five second stunning example. It was like a lightning strike. He was concerned about developmental issues such as Global Warming and about wars and its damages to the human community. He asked me to compose a unity anthem on the likes of "We are the World" for him. I nodded in awe...!

He introduced me to his three lovely bright kids. The kids told him "I love you Dad". And he replied, "I love you more" as a proud father. I wished him well for his concerts and he said "God Bless you". After hearing the shocking news, I wished it was another rumor which would fade away soon. It took me time to believe that he is no more. I remember, my late sound engineer H. Sridhar had brought me a video of the premiere of 'Remember the Time' when I was recording 'Kadal Rojave' for my first movie Roja. Seeing it inspired all of us that afternoon.

Now, there is no Sridhar and no Jackson anymore. I hope all of us value people's existence more and respect them when they are alive. LIFE IS SHORT...! Artists and their art live for ever. Jai Ho, MJ! We love you for your music, regardless of all the controversies!"

Vishal Dadlani: "Goodbye, Michael Jackson. The one thing we never let you be was a human being. You went from a God to an alien to a demon. But if we remember you for anything but your music, the failing will be ours. Sorry for all the harassment, thank you for all the music."

Wajid (of Sajid-Wajid duo): "It's indeed very sad news, I was driving when I got this message from someone, I was so shocked that I actually stopped driving and started to think about the man since then. It's actually a very big loss to everyone, because all of us have grown up listening to his songs; he was a real example of a perfect singer and performer... a complete artist. I was in fact looking out for his new album that he was composing, but now everything has come to a stand still and I am at a complete loss for words."

Sukhwinder Singh: "I am totally shocked. Since the time I first heard this news, I felt a great sadness from somewhere deep within."

Jatin Pandit: "A major section of the music industry has been wiped out; he was in a class of his own. I was really fortunate enough to witness his performance when he came down to Bombay. He was a rare combination of performance and talent."

Saroj Khan: "It's a great loss to the world. He was not just a lovely dancer, but also a wonderful creator. I admired him very much. God bless his soul to rest in eternal peace."

Ganesh Hegde: "It's an extremely sad day for the whole industry. His death means a total end to the world of music and an era in itself. There's a lot of reason for the fact that I am here and am what I am today. One of the main reasons is none other than the King of Pop Michael Jackson! He is the one who showed the way to many people like me that rags can surely be transformed into riches.

I still remember the day when I had a chance to meet him just for a minute. And trust me, I must have told him 'Sir, I love you' at least 20 times in 10 seconds. He, very generously said that 'I like it'. That's the most important one minute of my life."

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New York - Movie Review

The joy of movies is back. The earliest show was full so I went for the second one. New York offered a full house after ages!

Pakistan has Khuda Kay Liye, America has Rendition (Jake Gyllenhall, Reese Witherspoon) and many other films on this theme and now we have New York.

Everyone knows it’s a story of three friends, Maya (Katrina), Omar (Neil) and Sameer (John) whose lives change post 9/11. Omar is the quiet chap who feels out of place, Maya is the sunshine girl and Sam is the centre of attraction. Irrfan Khan plays FBI officer Roshan who sends Omar to keep a check on his friend’s suspicious activities.

New York is a serious and moving film. There are many moments in the film, like the 9/11 scene, the climax, John’s humiliation sequence (authentic; will make you cringe) that move you to tears.

It’s technically brilliant; the cinematography is superb and the background score by Julius Packiam is beautifully designed. Sam’s theme and the New York theme are memorable.

Everyone has delivered good performances. Neil and Irrfan have the most screen time and do full justice to it. Irrfan has the best lines in the movie that make you crack up. Neil is a delight and emotionally expressive, even in difficult scenes. Katrina looks gorgeous, in a very real and natural way. This is her most true-to-life and simple performance so far. She has been perfectly cast as the angrez. John is his stud self in the first half but is brilliant in the scenes when his character is tortured. He isn’t just a pretty face showing off his butt or muscles but acting too.

I knew the ending of the film but I still couldn’t wait to see the events unfold. The film deals with identity issues and racial discrimination. The scene where Irrfan says that only a Muslim can change the Western perception towards Muslims is so true. It shows how wrong America is to torture suspects without evidence and the difficult lives that the victims lead due to the humiliation they suffer at the hands of the FBI. At the same time, it tells us what’s good about America like the diversity, opportunities and the freedom people have. So it is well balanced.

Kabir Khan has made a relevant film that will make you think. You have to pay attention to it to understand the layers. Kudos to him and YRF for making a film so different from their usual masala fare!

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Friday, June 26, 2009

Mystery of Jackson’s ‘Fatal Injection’

MJ sources say medication for London gigs may have killed the King Of Pop

Michael Jackson's family lawyer has blamed the pressure of his 50-night stint at London's O2 Arena for killing him.

Brian Oxman, who was with the Jacksons in Los Angeles overnight, revealed the 50-year-old singer had been taking drugs for months in his battle to be fit for the string of concerts next month and sensationally blamed his inner circle pushing him too hard in the run up to a series of comeback gigs in Britain..

He suffered a massive heart attack and stopped breathing last night. His personal doctor, thought to be Dr Tohme Tohme, was with him but could not resuscitate him.

There is growing speculation today that the catastrophic cardiac arrest was triggered by an injection of the painkiller Demerol after rehearsals in his home town.

Paramedics were told he was 'not breathing at all' and rushed him to UCLA hospital where a team tried to revive him for more than an hour but he never came round.

An autopsy will be held in Los Angeles today but those close to the star believe it is an addiction to prescription drugs as he prepared for the gigs in London that killed him.

His parents Joe and Katherine Jackson arrived at the hospital last night and his 'grief stricken' sister Janet was flying in from a film shoot. Earlier, sister La Toya was seen running inside in tears.

Mr Oxman, who was with La Toya and brothers Jermaine and Randy, blamed the singer's 'enablers' for pushing him too hard in the run up to the gigs which had been due to start on July 13.

'This was something which I feared and something which I warned about. This is a case of abuse of medication, unless there is another cause that I don't know about. Where there is smoke there is fire.'

He told CNN: ‘This family has been trying for months and months and months to take care of Michael Jackson. The people surrounding him have been enabling him.

'If you think the case of Anna Nicole Smith was abuse then that is nothing in comparison to what we have been seeing in Michael Jackson's life.'

‘Michael had appeared at the rehearsals a couple of times. He was very seriously trying to be able to do these rehearsals. But his use of medications had become in the way and injuries he had sustained performing had got in the way. '

He added: 'He had broken a vertebrae performing and he had broken his leg in a fall from the stage. I don't know the extent of the medications he was using but the reports that we have been receiving in the family were that it was extensive.'

Promoters of the shows at the O2 arena London had said in March that Jackson had passed a four and half hour medical with independent doctors.

When they were announced, promoter Randy Phillips said: 'He's as healthy as can be - no health problems whatsoever.'

Police said that an emergency call was made from the house at 12.21pm local time - 8.21pm in Britain - and paramedics raced to the scene.

The star, who has three young children, was not breathing when the emergency staff arrived, forcing them to try resuscitation procedures immediately.

Ten bodyguards had followed the ambulance to the UCLA hospital, where sources said Jackson had arrived in a coma.

'You've got to save him,' aides screamed as the unconscious singer was wheeled into an emergency room on a stretcher.

His brother Jermaine revealed later how doctors fought for more than an hour to bring him back to life but he was eventually pronounced dead at 2.26pm local time.

In a highly-emotional statement in the early hours of the morning, he said: 'My brother, legendary king of pop Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday June 25 at 2.26pm.

'It is believed he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until the results of the autopsy are known.

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'KING OF POP' Michael Jackson dies at 50

Pop star Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles, aged 50.

Paramedics were called to the singer's Beverly Hills home at about midday on Thursday after he stopped breathing.

He was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre. Jackson's brother, Jermaine, said he was believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

Jackson, who had a history of health problems, had been due to stage a series of comeback concerts in the UK, beginning on 13 July.

Speaking on behalf of the Jackson family, Jermaine said doctors had tried to resuscitate the star for more than an hour without success.

Jermaine Jackson on his brother's sudden death

He added: "The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time."

"And Allah be with you Michael, always. I love you."

TV footage showed the star's body flown from UCLA to the LA County Coroner's office where a post-mortem is expected to take place on Friday.

Concerns were raised last month when four of Jackson's planned comeback concerts were postponed, but organisers insisted the dates had been moved due to the complexity of staging the show.

AT THE SCENE
Michael Jackson was brought here to the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles around 12 hours ago. Earlier there were several hundred people here, before it got dark - there was a sense of grief, of disbelief. But in the last few hours, these people have been singing his songs, dancing, there was a guy on a keyboard earlier, playing his songs for people to dance along to. This has turned into an impromptu celebration of Michael Jackson's music. He's the king of pop as far as they're concerned. They're still shocked by his sudden death but they're here because they want to show their support.

A spokeswoman for The Outside Organisation, which was organising the publicity for the shows, said she had no comment at this time.

Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini said: "I always doubted that he would have been able to go through that schedule, those concerts. It seemed to be too much of a demand on the unhealthy body of a 50 year old.

"I'm wondering that, as we find out details of his death, if perhaps the stress of preparing for those dates was a factor in his collapse.

"It was wishful thinking that, at this stage of his life, he could be Michael Jackson again."

Tributes have poured in from the entertainment industry. Sir Paul McCartney described Jackson's death as " sad and shocking".

The pair worked together on two hit tracks, Say Say, Say and The Girl Is Mine from Jackson's Thriller album.

He said " I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul.

"His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.

"I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family, and to his countless fans all around the world."

Speaking outside New York's historic Apollo theatre, civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton paid tribute to his friend.

"I knew him 35 years. When he had problems he would call me," he said.

"I feel like he was not treated fairly. I hope history will be more kind to him than some of the contemporary media."

Melanie Bromley, west coast bureau chief of Us Weekly magazine, told the BBC the scene in Los Angeles was one of "pandemonium".

"At the moment there is a period of disbelief. He was buying a home in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles and the scene outside the house is one of fans, reporters and TV cameras - it's absolute craziness.

"I feel this is the biggest celebrity story in a long time and has the potential to be the Princess Diana of popular culture."

Musical icon
Tributes from the world of music and film have already flooded in from celebrities including Madonna, Arnold Schwarzenegger and ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley.

Large numbers of fans have also gathered outside Jackson's home and at the UCLA medical centre with lit candles to mourn the star while playing his greatest hits.

Facebook groups have also been set up for fans to share their memories.

The singer's albums are occupying the top 15 slots of online music retailer Amazon.com's current best-seller chart, led by his 1982 smash hit Thriller.

Paramedics were called to the singer's house in Bel Air at 1221 (1921GMT) following an emergency phone call.

They performed CPR on Jackson and rushed him to the UCLA medical centre.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said the robbery and homicide team was investigating Jackson's death because of its "high profile", but there was no suggestion of foul play.

Jackson began his career as a child in family group The Jackson 5.

MICHAEL JACKSON 1958-2009
Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson Born: August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, US Also known as: The King of Pop, Wacko Jacko Biggest hits: I Want You Back, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White, Earth Song

He then went on to achieve global fame as a solo artist with smash hits such as Billie Jean and Bad.

Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time, shifting 65m copies, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

He scored seven UK number ones as a solo artist and won a total of 13 Grammy awards.

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced Thriller, Bad and Off The Wall.

"He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

The singer had been dogged by controversy and money trouble in recent years, becoming a virtual recluse.

He was arrested in 2003 on charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy, but was found not guilty following a five-month trial.

The star had three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II.

He is survived by his mother, Katherine, father, Joseph and eight siblings - including Janet, Randy, Jermaine and La Toya Jackson.

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Aamir old, Bebo geeky!

Fashionista Kareena Kapoor – in geeky spectacles?

Sure, because that’s her look in Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots, for which Bebo, Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi are shooting in Delhi. The movie is based on Chetan Bhagat’s book Five Point Someone.

On Wednesday night, Kareena and Aamir were shooting in CP. The radial road from Janpath to Inner Circle was blocked for traffic, and the shooting started at about 8 pm, going on till 6 am, the next morning. There wasn’t much chit-chat happening between the two lead actors, and Bebo looked a tad tired as well.

Aamir, who plays Ryan, was shooting a scene in which he accidentally bumps into Kareena (who’s called Neha in the movie). Kareena/Neha is there to purchase a watch for her character’s fiance. Madhavan’s character is called Hari, and Sharman plays Alok. Boman Irani is also part of the cast.

The 3 Idiots team has previously shot the film in Shimla, Ladakh, Bangalore and Mumbai. While some crew members said that this might be the last schedule, with the film ready for release around December this year, others said that the crew might come back to Delhi next month for another stint here.

In Delhi, their schedule consisted of some shots at Rajpath and some in CP. They’ll shoot at a Gurgaon mall and in Noida in the next couple of days.

Passing by: A crowd had collected around the shooting location in CP, and these are some of the remarks Aamir got from them

“Yeh screen par jaisa dikhta hai, waisa toh nahin lagta hai. Yeh to bahut old lagta hai”

“Aamir, body dikhao, shirt kholo!”

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Dil Bole Hadippa - Movie Stills




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Dil Hadippa Bole - First Look

Dil Bole Hadippa Gallery

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Saif chooses girlfriend Kareena rather than Deepika for Salman's Dus ka Dum

On Wednesday evening, Deepika Padukone, heroine of Saif Ali Khan's home production Love Aaj Kal, made an appearance on Salman Khan's 10 Ka Dum, to promote the film. Saif Ali Khan was to join her but begged off saying he was abroad and therefore unavailable.

Later that evening, it came to light that the Chote Nawab was very much in the country. In fact, he was with his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor. Bebo was in Delhi shooting for 3 Idiots. They were seen together in the evening at the five-star hotel they were staying at.

The couple was in London last week for the T20 series but Bebo flew back early to report on her set. Says a Source, "Saif was booked to appear on 10 Ka Dum to promote Love Aaj Kal with Deepika but he called up the producers Anita and Siddharth Basu a few days before the event and said he couldn't be there as he'd be out of the country."

Saif says, "I was not in town and therefore unable to manage it. 10 Ka Dum is a great show and a good platform to promote a film from. It's my loss."

When asked about being in Delhi with girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, he admits, "Yes, I am spending time with Bebo, and I love doing that. But I am a producer too and I wouldn't spend time with her at the cost of promoting my film. That's extremely important too. I have been in Delhi for the promotion of Love Aaj Kal giving interviews and other work. As far as appearing on 10 Ka Dum is concerned, I will decide as a producer what I want to promote and where. If Deepika is seen on that show, then I will be seen on another show."

Anita Basu of Synergy says, "It's Saif's prerogative whether he's available or not. He said he wouldn't be able to come with Deepika because he had other work. There was unavailability of dates. We have been trying various permutation-combinations of different celebrities. Some work out and some don't. He didn't back out at the last moment. Initially Saif and Deepika were supposed to come together but it didn't work out for whatever reasons."

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It wasn't me

After the Bollywood Buzz stroy (Priyanka and Shahid switch from Facebook to Twitter) yesterday Shahid Kapoor is now claiming that it is not him on the Twitter account.

While we are aware that many fans fake their favourite celebrities personalities on the web, we are wondering why would an imposter would take the trouble of creating an account to promote Shasha's upcoming film.

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‘This song is for Mallika Sherawat. One of a kind’

Says New Age musician Yanni in front of over 7,000 fans

For the first time in his long career, world famous New Age composer Yanni dedicated his song "Changes" at his sold out Los Angeles concert “Yanni Voices” to Mallika Sherawat!

As it was reported just days ago (and as Mallika has been commenting about on her Twitter page @MallikaLA), Mallika met Oscar and Grammy winner Ric Wake and Yanni at famed LA eatery, The Ivy, while having dinner with the producers of her upcoming film “Hisss”, which Mallika describes as the world's first "female empowerment superhero snake goddess horror film."

"I haven't been to a concert in a long time, but who could resist such a monumental honour," Mallika was quoted as saying by an inside source. "The show was incredible. Yanni is a genuine artiste."

At the concert, during a jumbo video screen sequence of images from Yanni's legendary performance at India's Taj Mahal, Yanni took to the mic and made an impressive dedication to the star, in front of over 7,000 fans, saying, "This song is for Mallika Sherawat. One of a kind."

Sheeraz Hasan, founder of Hollywood.TV, says, "Since Mallika came to Los Angeles, she's been quite a sensation. This kind of attention hasn't been seen for a long time in Hollywood. Grown men have become boys around Mallika. Established, well-to-do industry players have become desperate to spend time with her. She's the new "It Girl" in town."

Mallika is in Hollywood during the post-production of “Hisss” and according to her @MallikaLA Twitter page, has just signed another American film for the end of summer.

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‘26th June will be Judgement Day’

Katrina Kaif is super excited, and nervous, about the release of ‘New York'

Katrina Kaif can’t wait for “New York” to release. After all, this is probably the first time she has gone de-glam, playing a character who could very much be your girl-next-door.

While Kat admits that the ultimate fate of this Kabir Khan-directed film rests in the hands of the audience, she says she did have a blast while shooting, especially because she could play a college girl – something she missed out in real life as she started working early in life.

In a chat, she talks about her forthcoming film and being ‘herself’ on screen:

There has been a lot of talk about your character in ‘New York’. While some say this is your best role ever, some talk of you going de-glam…

When I was offered this film, I remember telling Adi (Aditya Chopra) and Kabir to give me a film which is more ‘me’, like a ‘Namastey London’. And he told me that if I do this film I will understand that this role is more ‘me’ than any of my other characters.

And he was right. I don’t know if the audience will like it or not, but for the first time I could see ‘me’ in a film. The situations were so normal and very real-life. There were no restrictions or limitations. I was told to be just the person I am off camera.

How would you sum up the entire experience of shooting for the film?

It has been a wonderful journey to go through the process of the film and being a part of the making of the film.

For people who have liked me in any role I have done so far, this will be a chance to see me in a different light altogether. But it is not in a depressing light or that I’m ‘trying’ to go de-glam or serious.

I am me with no make-up and in simple clothes. It is a fun way to express yourself.

And you happen to play a college girl in the film?

I never really got to go to college much as I started working very early. So this was my chance to play what I would have probably been like if I was in college. It was fun experiencing that phase of life which I had not experienced before.

How did Kabir Khan explain the character to you?

I remember Kabir talking to me about the film… He said my character, Maya, is supposed to be like the little bit of sunshine in the midst of the darkness in the film. He didn’t give me too much of a brief as to what the character should exactly be like. He just said Maya is like every woman. She is the girl-next-door, classmate in college. She is not the girl who makes heads turn. She is just a part of the group and not the star of the group.

He said, ‘You have to find the real you. You have to find the you which is not the actress, but what you are without the make-up and the glamour elements’. So for me it has been a very interesting experience to be a part of a film which allows me to do something like this.

The film’s promos show two contrasting worlds. While it shows all three protagonists cheerful in the beginning, it suddenly takes a grim turn. Is this a very serious film with a message against terrorism?

As an audience when you pay for a movie, you want to be entertained. You don’t want to be preached to or educated or feel like being taught a lesson. I can honestly say that ‘New York’ will take you on a journey which will be unexpected.

Don’t think it is a social message film or a very serious film. It is not. It is a film about human emotions, the lives of these three people and the journey that they go on. It is a wonderfully emotional film and you will feel for these characters. And there is also a romantic track in this film.

For me that is very important. I need a little bit of romance in movies and I can’t take anything too serious after a while.

Kabir has done a great job by getting all these elements into ‘New York’. He has told the story in a very unique way. It has all the Hindi film emotions, but told in a very English storytelling format.

The release is almost here. Does this make you nervous considering ‘New York’ is not your regular ‘masala’ movie?

I am very nervous. 26th June will be the Judgement Day. And the judgment is in the hands of the audience. The film has been a close-to-heart experience. I hope the audience connects to the story as I did.

Just a last question…you recently shot with Salman Khan for ‘10 Ka Dum’. Tell us about it.

It was fun. But it was also scary as Salman is a person who is unpredictable. He is very spontaneous. So he took me by surprise in the show!

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Salman drops Akshaye from TV show

According to sources, for the promotion of Anil Kapoor’s home production “Short Kut – The Con Is On”, Akshaye Khanna and Anil were to appear on Salman Khan’s TV show “10 Ka Dum”.

Everything was fine and the dates too had been fixed. But suddenly Salman suggested that it would be better to have Arshad Warsi and Anil Kapoor on the show rather than Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor.

He also justified it by saying that Akshaye has got a very serious type of image which would make the show quite boring. So to make it interesting he suggested Arhsad’s name, who also features in the film.

Anil, who is a good friend of Salman, did not have a problem with this and the fresh dates for the shoot are being worked on.

Apparently this comes a day after Anil blasted Akshaye for not promoting “Short Kut”. Akshaye has a problem with Arshad and hence he does not want to be part of any promotions.

With this episode, it seems that Arshad and Anil have joined hands and they do not want Akshaye anywhere in the picture.

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In Pics: Stars at 'Terminator Salvation' Premiere

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She’s the Man!

Rani Mukherjee will do anything to get work and for that the actress has turned into a man for Yash Raj’s next Dil Hadippa Bole.

Essaying the role of a Sikh Boy from a small village, Rani Mukherjee’s look as a Sardar has been done by Mike Stringer from UK, who styled the Dhoom 2 look. Directed by Anurag Singh, apart from Shahid Kapoor and Anupam Kher the film also stars item girls Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra. Talk about cost cutting!

Lifted from the Amanda Bynes starrer She’s the Man, the story of the film revolves around Rani’s character masquerading as a male Sikh cricketer. She makes it into Shahid Kapoor’s team dressed as a man to prove that she can play as well as any other male cricketer. Whereas She’s the Man had Amanda dressing up as a boy to make it into the boy’s soccer team as her all girls team gets cut from the big league. Coincidence?

Dil Haddipa Bole also has the love triangle between Rani Mukherjee, Shahid Kapoor and Sherlyn Chopra the same as between Amanda Bynes with Channing Tatum and Laura Ramsay. Earlier titled Hadippa, the problem was Sanjay Leela Bhansali had the rights to the title for the last three years. Bhansali wouldn’t budge and YRF changed it to Dil Hadippa Bole.

As though that makes any difference what's most surprising to notice is that Yash Raj is now seeking inspiration from a Disney Movie! Beat That!

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Sanjay Dutt goes blind

Sanjay Dutt performed a stunning action sequence for his new film ‘Luck’. He jumped from a speeding train, blindfolded and with his hands tied behind his back without any cables or dummies!

When we spoke to Soham Shah, the director of Luck, about 50 plus Dutt's scary sequence he said, "It's Sanju's introductory sequence. He jumps, along with other actors, from a running train, blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back."

"It's about these characters testing their luck. We set up cables and kept harnesses ready. So, if anything went wrong Sanju would not be injured. But when we narrated the scene to him, he said he didn't want to use any safety measures or dummies. He was kicked about shooting such a high-voltage action scene on his own." Action director Allan Amin led the action team.

Soham adds, "The train sequence with five running trains was technically impossible to set up in Mumbai or any other big city, so we shot in Goa. The authorities helped us change guards and some trains were kept on standby for a couple of days on two railway tracks. It was a very expensive shoot. A five-day shoot with five trains a day cost us over Rs 1.5 crore."

At a time when Mumbai railway authorities are accosting people for walking on the tracks, what have we here...Sanju Baba jumping off trains!

Dutt who is clearly not daunted by such script demands, even at this age said, "I hadn't shot such a hard-core action sequence in a long time, so when the opportunity arose, I decided to do it myself. Initially, I was a bit nervous but then I gauged the jump from the cage in the train to the tracks. After the jump, we had to speed away from the train, and keep running. For that split second, I had my heart in my mouth but fortunately, things went well."

StarBoxOffice salutes his dare-devilry spirit, but we can't say if such hi-jinks will prove to be of any luck for the film when it hits screens this moonsoon.

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Bollywood Buzz Wishes Karisma Kapoor a very happy Birthday!

Coming from a family deeply entrenched in films it was a natural choice that Karisma would one day enter the world of cinema herself. Making her film debut in 1991, Karisma went on to become one of the most popular actresses of her generation. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest commercial success, and won Karisma her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. Later she surprised critics and audiences with her performances in art films such as Fiza in 2000 and Zubeidaa in 2001, for which she earned a Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) awards at the Filmfare ceremony. Since then, she has worked in several films though most of them performed poorly at the box office. In 2003, Kapoor took a break from cinema.

It was at this point that Karisma tied the knot with industrialist Sanjay Kapur, CEO of Sixt India, in an hour long Sikh wedding ceremony. So today we at Bollywood Buzz celebrate this true 'Karisma' of Bollywood in wishing her a very happy birthday. You too can send in your wishes by posting them in below.

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

When will IIFA awards 2009 be aired on TV

We continue to receive many email’s asking when the IIFA awards 2009, held in Macau (China), be aired on Television.

Well, the Star Network has the official rights for the 10th Idea IIFA Awards. The mega event will be aired on Star Plus on Sunday, July 5th 2009.

What to look forward to at the IIFA Awards

  • Star performances - Bipasha Basu, Anushkha Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Jackky Bhagnani, Govinda, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sushmita Sen. Ash and Abhishek too will be performing.
  • There is a fun filled antakshari session, as the world gets to watch Hrithik Roshan sing!
  • Apart from the main awards, there will also be awards for the Decade.

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Kareena will soon launch her official website

Kareena Kapoor now wants to join the league of actresses who have their own official website.

It is learnt from reliable sources that the actress is currently working on a web portal, which will allow her fans to get up close and personal with her.

A source reveals, "Bebo has been wanting to start her own website for a while now. But she wants things to be perfect and that's why she's taking time to come out with it.

The wheels are already in motion and in all probability, the website will be up and running sometime next month."

The website will have all the regular features like wallpapers, biography, information about her films, etc.

Bebo will also blog. But the unique feature of her website will be a fashion column wherein the actress will give style advice to her fans.

Those with queries can post questions on the right styles and colours to wear etc.

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Priyanka and Shahid switch from Facebook to Twitter

No more Facebook junkies, PC and Shasha have taken to another social networking site, Twitter

Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor used to be regulars on Facebook. But after their private conversations became public, they switched to Twitter.

PC and Shahid used to write regularly on each other's Facebook walls. They'd even comment on each other's status messages. And had cutesy names for each other. However, once they realised that it was not as private as they'd expected, they switched to Twitter.

Unlike Facebook, it was Shahid who introduced Twitter to Priyanka. He suggested that she get a Twitter account to be in touch with her international fans, and also to promote their movie Kaminey. Shahid has been on Twitter since last year, it's only since April this year, that he has started tweeting regularly.

Kapoor was overheard telling Priyanka how fast and efficient Twitter is, compared to Facebook. After that PC explored the website and has been tweeting since. A source reveals, "Shahid and Priyanka's main reason for being on Twitter is to promote their movie. However, they also keep sending direct messages which can't be seen by those who visit their pages."

Both of them have made various posts about not wanting the release date of Kaminey to be pushed any further. PC's post on her page reads, "Hoping the Kaminey release is finalised for August 14, I can't wait for the response", while Shahid says, "BTW, Kaminey tentative release date is 14th Aug." In response to Shahid's tweet, Priyanka replied by sending him a public message saying, "Let's hope it's final this time."

Since PC has recently joined the online community, she has around 10 members following her, while Shahid, on the other hand, has around 3042!

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Salman Khan donates saris to poor women working in Film City

Recently on his show 10 Ka Dum, Salman Khan said, "mujhe sari pehenna nahin aata hai, sirf nikalna aata hai. But he recently bought saris for group of women.

The actor, who is known for his generosity, was approached by some sweeper women during the shooting of Wanted and they asked him to buy saris for all the women working there!

Says a source present on the sets, "Salmanbhai was sitting in front of his van chatting with friends at Film City when a couple of sweeper women came up to him and started talking to him. They started demanding new saris from him. He joked and said it wasn't Diwali or Eid so there was no reason for him to buy saris for them. But they started crying and pleading with him."

The actor then asked the group how many women were working in Film City. They said, about 35. He called his spot boy, gave him a wad of cash from his pocket and asked him to take his car and go out and buy saris for all the women. His boy came back with bundle of saris and distributed them to the thrilled women."

Boney Kapoor, the producer of Wanted, admits, "Yes it's true, Salman bought new saris for all the women working in Film City. He asked his Man Friday to buy them and then distributed it to the women who had collected there.

Apparently, he had given saris to some women earlier. This time they asked him to gift them. I was there when this happened. Earlier, he bought cycles for 15 children belonging to the workers in Film City, when they asked him to."

Boney says Salman always spends money on the needy. He recalls, "Once while shooting at Bandra Fort (where he has spent his childhood), I saw him giving away thousands of rupees to some men whom he must have interacted with, while growing up. They had fallen on bad times and approached him for help.

He spent time enquiring about their children. In Hyderabad too, when some poor children met him during Diwali he bought fireworks and distributed it among them. The children were so happy it brought tears to all our eyes," concludes Kapoor emotionally.

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The secret behind Saif's younger look

Saif's got a new, smoother look. Just see the pictures to spot the differences!

Saif Ali Khan's face is now rid of the telltale lines and wrinkles. The actor seems to have treated himself to botox and fillers done to his face to get rid of crow's feet and laugh lines.

It is learnt that the 38-year-old actor got the work done while in London recently, for the promotion of Love Aaj Kal.

A source close to the actor reveals, "Saif was wearing shades to a lot of events just after he got the job done. This was to hide the tell-tale signs. Now that the after-effects have worn out, he steps out in day light without the shades."

Facial fillers, also known as "dermal fillers" and "injectables," are temporary to long-lasting solutions administered through a few tiny injections on specific areas of the face.

Botox is a protein derived from the botulism toxin that is injected underneath skin in order to minimise or smooth out lines and wrinkles on the face. The shot paralyses or relaxes facial muscles, giving the recipient a clean, smooth appearance. It is a non-invasive procedure and the results are immediate. Botox shots are used to get rid of frown lines and crow's feet.

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Priyanka awarded at Shanghai film festival

It’s her tenth award in six months

Priyanka Chopra was invited by the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) for its closing ceremony on June 21, 2009 where she was presented with the Festival’s top award – The Jin Jue Award.

This award marks the tenth award for her in the past six months.

The festival's highest honour and main prize is the "Jin Jue" award. It is a symbol of the traditional orient culture, is an ancient Chinese wine container which has a uniquely beautiful shape and a gracefully antique style. Priyanka Chopra was the first Indian actor to be presented with this honour on an international platform for her contribution to cinema.

Says Priyanka, “I feel very privileged to receive this honor from the Shanghai International Film Festival. As an actor, it is very encouraging to be recognized for your work. For me, an award such as this on such a big international platform gives me an opportunity to present India and our cinema to the world.”

Priyanka was very excited about receiving the award which is the highest honor of the SIFF and was equally excited about her visit to China. She is however hugely disappointed that she was not be able to be there due to a very sudden relapse of a serious stomach infection and was advised by doctors against travelling.

These are the awards Priyanka has received in 2009:
1. Star Screen Awards (Best Actress, Fashion)
2. Lions Club Gold Awards (Best Actress, Fashion)
3. Stardust Awards (Best Actress, Fashion)
4. 10th FICCI Frames 2009 (Contribution to Entertainment)
5. Filmfare Awards (Best Actress, Fashion)
6. Cine Blitz Award (Best Actress, Fashion)
7. IIFA Award (Best Actress, Fashion)
8. NDTV Profit Car & Bike Awards (Brand Ambassador of the Year)
9. Nielson Box Office Award (Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema) presented during the 3rd Annual Asian Film Awards Film Awards held in Hong Kong
10. Shanghai International Film Festival, Jin Jue Award (Outstanding Contribution to Cinema)

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Mallika Sherawat and Vijender Singh play ‘10 Ka Dum’

Celebrity guests continue to appear on ‘10 Ka Dum’ Season 2.

This week sexy actress Mallika Sherawat and fellow Haryanvi, Vijender Singh, the Olympian boxing champion, will be seen on the game show..

The two Haryanvis were very comfortable in each other’s company and had loads of fun with the show’s host, Salman Khan.

This episode of ‘10 Ka Dum’ will air on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 9.00pm only on Sony TV.

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Anil Kapoor blasts Akshaye Khanna

Anil Kapoor apparently got upset with actor and good friend Akshaye Khanna and blasted him over the phone for not attending the promotional events of his home production “Short Kut – The Con Is On”, in which Akshaye is playing the lead.

Even though nothing has gone wrong between Anil and Akshaye, Akshaye is said to have a problem with co-star Arshad Warsi and hence does not want to attend any promotional events along with him.

On two occasions, Akshaye sent an excuse saying he was unwell to attend the promotional function.

As this happened repeatedly, the unit members informed Anil Kapoor. He immediately called up Akshaye and just reminded him about the terms of the contract which clearly stated that Akshaye has to promote the film and if the actor is not doing it, he is obviously not honouring the contract.

Though both Anil and Akshaye have denied this, sources close to Akshaye have confirmed the news.

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In Pics: Mallika Sherawat and Olympian boxing champ Vijender Singh at Salman Khan on 10 ka Dum



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Love Aaj Kal’s music rocks!

Love Aaj Kal is a film I can’t wait to see. I also couldn’t wait to get my hands on the music because Pritam and Imtiaz Ali created some memorable tunes (we still like them) when they got together for Jab We Met. Love Aaj Kal’s music is fun, vibrant, romantic (of course) with bhangra and hip hop flavours with a tinge of country/folk and rock. Also, Pritam had to compose for the Pyaar 1965 track and the Love 2009 track, so hats off to him for pulling it off. No track on the album is intolerable. Our favourites are Aahun Aahun, Twist, Chor Bazari and Aaj Din Chadeya. This is the best album we have heard since Delhi-6 and Dev D. Go buy it!

Unlike Jab We Met, you may not like the songs instantly but listen to them a few times and you will be hooked.

Twist is something we are all addicted to by now. The sapera been tune fits in perfectly. Neeraj Shridhar’s vocal energy is unmatched. The rap vocals are reminiscent of Apache Indian. Pritam is brilliant with hip hop dance numbers and this one is no exception. It will set the dance floor on fire; even make you want to dance in your seat! The lyrics are very Punjabi like rounak-shounak, wicked-shicked, aankh-vaank, daaru-shaaru, etc. the step is easy too and Saif looks super cute in the video. Do the Twist! It’s sure to be a rage at discos.

Chor Bazari has a nice guitar tune. It’s a little like the relatively unknown but lovely Chori Chori Ankhiyaan from Race, also because Sunidhi Chauhan and Neeraj Shridhar are the singers. It’s a chilled out number. You imagine people having a beach or poolside party replete with thatched roofs, beer and summery dresses when you listen to the song.

Main Kya Hoon has KK adding his magical touch to it. The beats are almost electronic, so the song seems out of place on the album and it’s like something you have heard before.

Aahun Aahun is another instant favourite with its guitar prelude (makes it a great ring tone). Love the Punjabi and tu aaja dil janiya bit (what you hear in the promo) throughout the song. It’s a great club track too. It’s a fast track with hip hop and Punjabi flavours. Pritam has done a superb job with this super energetic number you want to listen over and over again. Neeraj Shridhar and the Punjabi singer are excellent.

Aaj Din Chadeya, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is soothing after the upbeat and exhausting Aahun Aahun. It’s a sweet and pleasant tune that will grow on you. I guess it is part of the ‘Pyaar 1965’ track in the film. It conjures pictures of a turbaned Saif admiring Harleen in the mustard fields of Punjab.

Thoda Thoda Pyaar has the reliable Sunidhi Chauhan on the vocals. It has a nineties feel to it, something Madhuri Dixit would dance to. A typical shaadi ka gaana that’s not an assault to your ears.

Ye Doorian has a serene start with Mohit Chauhan’s calming vocals. The song’s likeable but it isn’t magical like Jab We Met’s Tum Se Hi which practically launched Mohit Chauhan. It’s about lovers missing each other; wanting to erase the distance between them.

The remixes of Aahun Aahun, Twist and Chor Bazari are nice. They are simple, nothing over-elaborate.

Rating: 3.5 on 5
Label: Eros Music
Composer: Pritam
Lyricist: Irshad Kamil
Singers: KK, Sunidhi Chauhan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Neeraj Shridhar, Mohit Chauhan

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In Pics: Stars at Hollywood Movie " Hangover " Premiere



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Neil: Katrina, John and I are good friends

New York revolves around three friends living in New York whose lives change completely following 9/11. Neil Nitin Mukesh talks about his character in the film and working with John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Irrfan Khan and Kabir Khan.

On his character in New York
My character is extremely important. Omar is one of the protagonists. He hasn’t really witnessed life and he gets an opportunity to go and witness life. The transformation of a vulnerable boy to a man is shown in the film.

On his rapport with Katrina and John
We had a blast on the sets. We never realized we were making an intense film. We share strong on screen chemistry because off screen, the three of us are very good friends.

I think amongst the three of us, Katrina is the best dancer. She is versatile, flexible and fit.

On Kabir Khan
Kabir is a great director. He is a National award winning director. If it wasn’t for him, the film wouldn’t have been made. It is an intelligent film with strong characters, drama, life, mystery and thrill. New York will even surpass Kabul Express, which I think was brilliant. There is a message that Kabir has left at the end of the film. It will hit people when they see it. Any Indian would be proud watching this film.

On his career so far
I consider myself fortunate to have done such diverse films like Johnny Gaddaar, Aa Dekhen Zara and now New York so early on in my career. These films have given a certain edge to my character and I feel responsible to deliver as an actor. The script is the most important thing for any actor. Characters can only work if the film works on the basis of a strong script.

On working with Irrfan Khan
It was an honour being in the same frame as Mr. Irrfan Khan because he is a legendary actor. He has surpassed all boundaries and reached international fame today. Just watching him act teaches you so much. He is an institution of acting in himself.

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Police complaint against Ashwarya for illegal purchase of land

NASHIK: A police complaint has been registered against Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai and several others including Suzlon company Chairman Tulsibai Tanti for illegal purchase of land for setting up a windmill at Nandurbar district in North Maharashtra.

The complaint was lodged last night by Anand Lala Thakare, who alleged that his land was purchased and illegally transferred in Suzlon company's name.

The actress is a shareholder in the company. The company is setting up a wind power project at village Dhandane in Nandurbar district.

Apart from Rai and Tanti, the others against whom the complaint has been lodged are Mangal Surgeon, Mohan Jawan, Jayant Bhosale, Anil Gangavane, Sharansingh Siddhusingh, Harish Panth, district collector and share holders.

Suzlon has set up its project at Nandurbar and Dhule districts.

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Kangna hits Big (B) time!

Kangna Ranaut is going places. After a string of successes, the actress has now signed a film with Amitabh Bachchan. They will star together in Pritish Nandy’s film, Actor, which will be directed by Pritish’s son Kushan.

Contrary to rumours, Actor is not a biography on Amitabh Bachchan. It is a thriller.

Mumbai Mirror has learnt that the actress will play a crucial part in unveiling the mystery in the film. A source said, “Kangna loved the role and has given her nod. She will play a smart journalist in the film.”

Although this is the first time that Kangna will share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan, recently, she bonded with the Bachchans during an awards function in Macau.

“Pritish has interacted with Kangna on a couple of occasions. He and Kushan think that she is a gifted actress,” the source added.

Kangna, who is currently shooting for a Telugu film in Switzerland, remained unavailable for comment.

Actor will be shot in Mumbai and Europe and will go on the floors early next year.

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Aamir loses his cool

We spotted Aamir Khan at Mumbai’s domestic terminal in a real foul mood on Monday night.

But it wasn’t the heat that was responsible for his rising temper. The actor who landed from Ladakh, where he was stationed for Three Idiots, was spotted coming out of the airport speaking angrily into his cell phone for a good ten minutes. After that he and his body guard sat in a cool cab and sped off. From what it appears like, Aamir’s car must not have arrived on time to receive him. And, so was the staff getting a dressing down? Over to you, Aamir.

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New York will sweep awards: John

John Abraham, who plays an NRI Muslim in Kabir Khan's second directorial venture "New York", says the film begins where the critically acclaimed Pakistani movie "Khuda Kay Liye" ends.

"In its own strange way, 'New York' begins where 'Khuda Ke Liye' ended. That's the interesting part of the film," John told IANS here. Both films deal with the issue of how legal detainees were treated after the gruesome 9/11 attacks in the US.

Some sequences in the promos of "New York", which will be released Friday, are reminiscent of scenes in "Khuda Kay Liye".

"Each director has his own way of interpreting and researching the plight of legal detainees...that's why Kabir and the 'Khuda Kay Liye' director have different interpretations of it in their films," John said.

"But if the legal detainees were put up in a particular way and interrogated in a certain way in reality - then that can't change. So there are certain things that are bound to look similar in both the films. But obviously stories, people and characters are completely different in 'New York'," he added.

John was here Monday along with co-stars Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif and the director for the promotion of "New York", which is about post-9/11 prejudices in the US.

Set in New York, the film's narrative is spread over nine years and revolves around three young friends whose lives take an unexpected turn after the terrorist attacks.

John, who has teamed up with Khan for the second time after "Kabul Express", predicts that "New York" will pick up "every popular award in the book".

"When we were shooting in Afghanistan for 'Kabul Express' and bullets were flying off our heads, I had told Kabir that you would get a National Award for this film. And he did get one (for best debut director). After watching 'New York', which is a very commercial film, I told Kabir that he will walk away with every popular award that exists," said John.

After having spent over half a decade in the film industry, the 36-year-old supermodel-turned-actor, who was seen in a completely different avatar in Oscar nominated "Water", says he is yet to achieve what he had set out for through his work.

John's source of inspiration is late Hollywood actor Heath Ledger who got a posthumous Oscar for playing the Joker in "The Dark Knight".

"When Heath Ledger's parents came up to collect the Oscar award on his behalf after his death, they said that Heath would be really happy because there was always this silent determination to be accepted by all of you as a fraternity.

"For me, there is a silent determination to be accepted by everyone in the audience as a complete person and also a complete actor. I believe with the kind of roles and films that I have done, I have probably reached 70-80 percent of what I had to. But the rest of crucial 30 percent is very important."

Now John hopes to do something "radically different that it affects and alters people's mind positively".

After "New York", which is produced by Yash Raj Films, John will be seen in David Dhawan's comic affair "Hook Ya Crook", Nagesh Kukunoor's "Aashayein" and Abbas Tyrewala's "1-800-Love".

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Kat prefers Neil, John to Akshay

Katrina Kaif is often quite correct, especially when she travels to promote her movies.

But when she came to Delhi recently, there was a new, funny, zingy side to Kat. “I’ve too much energy and I don’t know what to do with it,” she proclaimed.

Since her co-stars this time are John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh, is all that energy coming from the fact that she’s finally working with people her age? “I think so. It allows you to have a certain comfort level,” says Kat. “When you’re working with somebody so senior, who has achieved so much and has done 89 films, those backslapping moments aren’t there. That does not mean that you have to backslap your co-stars, not at all. But with actors my age, our mentality is the same. There’s the ‘been there, done that’ element with the seniors. So, while I may be going yackety-yak and blah blah, Akshay (Kumar) may just tell me, ‘Oh Katrina, please go talk to Jenny (his trainer from London)’. And there were times when I asked Akshay, ‘Can I take Jenny with me?’ And he was like, ‘Please, please, go. For me. Please!’ It’s different when the person whom you’re going yackety-yak with talks back to you and enjoys it. Your wavelength is the same,” she admits.

The two films that have been released after the producers’ strike ended haven’t had a very encouraging response. How does she think the audience is going to react to her film? “See, it can go two ways. One is, ‘We’ve not gone to the cinema for so long, why should we go now?’ In which case, I’ll cry and you will see a Katrina-shaped hole in the pavement underneath any tall building. The other one is that the audience is hungry for a good film and you know me, I’m not gonna do a film that appeals to a niche audience,” she says.

It’s at that point that the organisers intervene – it’s been too long, Kat needs to give more interviews, we’re told. But the new, bindaas Kat doesn’t think she needs to hurry. She just crosses two questions off our list – one on Claudia Ciesla, and the other on her having trouble dubbing for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani – and continues. Is she planning her birthday party in London this year (the Shah Rukh-Salman spat happened at her birthday party last year)? “I’m trying to. But now that so many people know about it, I have this awful feeling that something is gonna happen. Something is going to get delayed or some shooting dates will be shifted, and I won’t be able to go! But I’m thinking of going with my sisters,” she says.

But to come back to the questions she scratched off our list, does she really not want to say anything about Claudia, the German model who’s been linked to Salman? ’Coz Claudia’s sure been saying nice things about her! “I don’t know what to say about her. If she’s a nice person, I’ll take your word for it. I’m sure she is nice, I have no idea!” says Kat.

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Jaya Bachchan behind Gowarikar’s anti-Priyanka rant

While almost the entire industry has criticised Ashutosh Gowarikar for saying on stage that Aishwarya Rai should have won the IIFA Best Actress award for her performance in “Jodhaa Akbar” and not Priyanka Chopra for “Fashion”, it has now emerged that the poor guy was indeed obliging Jaya Bachchan.

For those not in the know, it so happened that after Priyanka collected her award at the ceremony in Macau on June 13, it was Ashu went on stage to receive his Best Director award for “Jodhaa Akbar”.

The first thing that he uttered after taking the mike was, “Priyanka, I love you, but I don't know how you got the award for Best Actress when Aishwarya was also nominated in the same category for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’.”

He further added, “Maybe it is because you are very hard-working and she is a natural.”

But when he realised that he was goofing up he said, “Jayaji was just asking me the same thing," pointing to Jaya Bachchan, who was standing next to him.

Subsequently, everyone thought he had just dragged Jaya into the picture as cover-up for his own mistake. However, in an interview, Jaya Bachchan has admitted that she did ask Ashu to say what he did, and that too in public.

"It is being presumed that Ashutosh unnecessarily mentioned my name regarding Aishwarya's omission from the awards. The fact is, I suggested he bring up the question on stage. We were discussing why Aishwarya had not been given any award for 'Jodhaa Akbar'. I suggested Ashutosh bring up the matter. When he mentioned my name, he wasn't doing anything wrong," Jaya has said.

“I wonder why Aishwarya's fine performance [in ‘Jodhaa Akbar’] was ignored,” she has also said, adding that she has not seen “Fashion”.

May be she should see the movie to get the answer.

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Everyone’s waiting for 'Kambakkht Ishq'

He was written off after the debacle of "Chandni Chowk To China" and "8X10 Tasveer", but Akshay Kumar is back to entertain audiences with his full-on masala act in the action-thriller "Kambakkht Ishq" that experts hope will pull the industry out of the dumps.

"You would be foolish to write him off," said Anees Bazmee, who has delivered two superhits "Singh Is Kinng" and "Welcome" with Akshay. "Don't forget that he is the same man who has been the darling of the masses and given so many back-to-back money spinners. He cannot be penalised for one 'Chandni Chowk To China' throughout his life."

After "Chandni Chowk...", Akshay suffered another setback in the form of Nagesh Kukunoor's "8X10 Tasveer".

"'8X10 Tasveer' was never meant to be blockbuster material to begin with, even though critics insisted on calling it 'the Akshay Kumar' film. Also, a terrible climax was the major reason for the film to flop, not Akshay's acting. In fact, he was the lone saving grace of the film," said a trade analyst.

In the much-awaited "Kambakkht Ishq", releasing on July 3, Akshay plays a Hollywood stuntman with an international set-up that boasts Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallon, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh.

"This is a film for the masses but with a rich international feel to it that would break the mass versus class barrier," said Sajid Nadiadwala, the man behind the multi-crore movie, "We have the best of both the worlds in the film with Kareena Kapoor playing a supermodel. The Akshay-Kareena combination is the one to watch out for."

"Akshay is a superstar and he is here to stay. Let 'Kambakkht Ishq' release and we will see it for ourselves," said Sajid Khan who has roped him in for his second directorial venture "Houseful".

However, the usual 'Akshay Kumar frenzy' is missing even though the film is less than a fortnight away from release.

"Let's not read too much into it. Akshay is too big a star to be worried about such minor things. And why are we forgetting that he is the same man who in the last three years has seen 21 films of his getting released out of which 17 have been hits.

"He is the most consistent actor, star and a lot more than that. Just because one film of his doesn't take a kickstart as expected, people out there have started making judgments," said Vipul Shah, who directed Akshay in the hit "Namastey London".

As the countdown begins for "Kambakkht Ishq", Shah has the last word.

"I can recount 100 such cases when someone has been pulled down so badly. A few months back, it happened to Himesh Reshammiya for 'Karzzzz'. Earlier, after 'Saawariya', Sanjay Leela Bhansali was said to be finished.

"Hurman Baweja got to hear so much due to 'Love Story 2050' while after 'Drona', Abhishek was written off. This is sheer cynicism at play but mind you, one film cannot make or break anyone. With 'Kambakkht Ishq', the industry would get the much-needed respite."

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Shahid goes shirtless in ‘Kaminey’

Every time an A-list actor builds his body much noise is made about how he got his six and eight packs.

We did not hear much about it, so we were rather surprised to see Shahid Kapur sporting a shirtless look and a chiseled body on a poster of his latest film “Kaminey”.

Shahid is playing a double role in the film, and the body is for the character of Charlie, who needs to look tough, mean and strong.

Apparently, Shahid went through advanced training for almost eight months to get this physique. He trained for two hours a day, five days a week.
According to his trainer Abbas Ali, the focus was on form, speed and power. “For a running shot in ‘Kaminey’ where Shahid had to run shirtless, my aim was to make him look like a sprinter, not an actor," he said.

Shahid is a strict vegetarian, so the diet required to build the physique was a challenge.

“We followed a diet of high carbs, moderate proteins and moderate good fats. We removed maida [flour] from his diet and gave him muesli, oats and protein shakes. He was not allowed any sugar and oil. He had to eat at the right time and in right combinations," said Abbas.

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Religious leaders dismiss fatwa against Shahrukh Khan

Bareilly: An Islamic seminary has issued a fatwa against Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan for allegedly making comments against Islam even as Muslim religious leaders distanced themselves from the decree, calling it “unnecessary” as the actor had offered his clarification. READ FULL ARTICLE

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Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's office burgled, but MNIK is safe!

As is by now well know, earlier this month the recording studio of the composer trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy was broken into and computers and other items were burgled. In fact many of their unrecorded and also unused tunes (that were stored were on those computers) were also stolen/destroyed. READ FULL ARTICLE

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Shanghai Surprise for Priyanka!

This weekend, Priyanka Chopra was invited by the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) for their closing ceremony on June 21 where she became the first Indian actor to be presented with the festival’s top award, the Jin Jue award but she wasn’t able to receive it in person.

“Priyanka was very excited about going to China to receive the SIFF award. Unfortunately, she had a relapse of her stomach infection so she has been advised against traveling.”

Priyanka Chopra said, “I feel very privileged to receive this honor from the Shanghai International Film Festival. As an actor, it is very encouraging to be recognized for your work. For me, an award such as this on such a big international platform gives me an opportunity to present India and our cinema to the world.”

Priyanka Chopra was the busiest actress in 2008. She had six releases: Dostana, Fashion, Drona, God Tussi Great Ho, Chanku and Love Story 2050 out of which Dostana and Fashion were super hits. All her hard work and dedication has paid off and Piggy Chops is on a roll as this is her tenth award in 2009.

For her performance in Fashion, she has already swept the Star Screen, Filmfare, Stardust, IIFA, Cineblitz, Lions Club Gold awards. Besides that she has been honoured at the 10th FICCI Frames for her contribution to entertainment. The dusky beauty also won the NDTV Profit Car and Bike Award’s Brand Ambassador of the Year title and the Nielson Box Office Award for outstanding contribution to Asian cinema presented during the 3rd Annual Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong.

About the SIFF and Jin Jue Award
The SIFF is held each year for last 10 years and attracts every year a range of well known international actors and actresses and is the Asian Film Industries mega event of the year. Some of the renowned celebrities who were also present at this year’s ceremony were Isabelle Hupert, Quincy Jones, Ewan McGregor, Michael Rosenberg (director of The Reader), Stephen Daldry, Karen Mok and Lucelia Santos, amongst others.

The festival's highest honour and main prize is the "Jin Jue" award. It is a symbol of the traditional orient culture, is an ancient Chinese wine container which has a uniquely beautiful shape and a gracefully antique style. Priyanka Chopra was the first Indian actor to be presented with this honour on an international platform for her contribution to cinema.

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Abhishek is Vijay Dinanath Chauhan

After Karan Johar decided to remake the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Agneepath, the director has gone and replaced his original choice Hrithik Roshan who was to play Big B for AB Junior instead!

Abhishek Bachchan will now play the iconic Vijay Dinanath Chauhan played by Amitabh Bachchan for which the latter even won a National Award. The film was a cult classic and Agneepath was most defining role in the nineties of Big B's angry young man image. Abhishek who had always been vocal about his dream of portraying the character of Chauhan had his prayers answered when Karan offered him the role.

Hrithik was a tad apprehensive in stepping into Big B's shoes and later cited date issues for not doing the film. When StarBoxOffice approached Raahul Anand, the brother of the late Mukul Anand, the director of the film, Anand said, "Agneepath is fresh in the minds of the people even today. The film is more like an encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema and my brother Mukul had carried immense research before the making of the film."

Raahul however felt that tampering with an original not always has had its good moments, "We've seen the fate of Sholay and with due respects to Karan Johar, according to me remaking a classic is not that a good idea. I remember once Vinod Khanna had said films such as Amar, Akbar Anthony shouldn't be touched, they're originals and have a distinct identity of their own." he explained.

When quizzed who he would like to see as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Hrithik or Abhishek, Raahul was quick to answer, " Other than Amitabh Bachchan himself, no body in this film industry can play the character as well as him." The feeling is mutual, we say!

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Is Yash Raj acting fresh

Yash Raj’s films are getting smaller by the day. Gone are the days when only A-list stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan starred in their films. They are now making films with relative newcomers and Rock On actor Purab Kohli is the latest to join the bandwagon.

A bollywood source tells us, “Yash Raj is in talks to sign Purab Kohli for a film. It is the one made by Parmeet Sethi with Anushka Sharma and Shahid Kapoor. This one is also a musical like Rock On and Purab’s comic performance in Rock On was highly appreciated. They think he will suit the youthful mood of this movie. He is a decent actor but he isn't a star.”

He further adds, “Though last year’s films featured big stars like Saif Ali Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor, this year’s Yash Raj films have smaller or younger stars like John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Uday Chopra (who isn’t a star) and Rani Mukherji (her career is almost over), Ranbir Kapoor and Shahid Kapur. The big stars are Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra. Aamir Khan refused to do the film with Preity Zinta. The films that will release this year are Dil Bole Hadippa, Rocket Singh, Pyaar Impossible and of course New York.”

The source tells us that Yash Raj is also downsizing as far as movie promotions are concerned. “If you look at Tashan, it got a lot of publicity because of Kareena’s size zero figure, then Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic was publicized because of Amisha Patel’s skin show and Rani attended several events to promote the film. Shah Rukh Khan went all out to promote Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, attending shows, being available to talk, featuring on magazine covers, etc. As far as New York goes, it wasn’t promoted at IIFA though both Neil and Katrina were there and in Mumbai, they are only doing press conferences and interviews. The rumours of the John-Katrina affair have helped the film.”

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Abhi-Ash plan baby

A lot of people in the industry have been wondering why Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been working so hard lately even as she balances her time between her two sets of parents at Jalsa (the Bachchans) and La Mer (the Rais).

Fact is that Aishwarya is in a hurry to finish up all her pending assignments so that she can keep a part of the year 2010 free for family affairs, and that includes motherhood.

A source close to the couple said, “The two of them are fed up of relatives, strangers and relative strangers asking them when the stork is visiting. Secretly, they feel pressurised. It’s as if their parenthood is a public issue. Even when they are at airports waiting to board flights, over-exuberant ladies rush to them with an inquisitive look on their eager faces. Even before these fans open their mouth, Abhishek knows exactly what the question is, and he gets visibly annoyed. Aishwarya handles such over-inquisitive attention far more graciously.”

Luckily there has been absolutely no peer pressure on Abhishek or Aishwarya about parenthood from either side. Neither the Bachchans nor the Rais are the type who badger their children asking when will they start a family.

But Aishwarya already has a plan, and parenthood probably comes next year when she completes her pending assignments, and that includes a parade of topnotch films including Vipul Shah’s Action Replay, Shankar’s Robot, Mani Ratnam’s Raavana and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish for which Aishwarya starts shooting in Goa in August, followed by Abhinay Deo’s Crooked.

In addition there are filmmakers like Rohan Sippy, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rituparno Ghosh and Ashutosh Gowariker waiting patiently in the queue to sign her.

A source said, “This no doubt is the busiest phase of Aishwarya’s career. Such a flurry of assignments has never been seen before in any married actress’ life and she’d be foolish to let such opportunities slip by. Luckily, Abhishek is thoroughly supportive of her career. She wants to complete as many of these assignments as she can to before she becomes a mother. Because once she gets into that role she wouldn’t want any other distractions. That, Aishwarya is sure of.”

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Priyanka-Shahid voted hottest on-screen couple

Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapur have topped an internet poll for Bollywood’s hottest on-screen couple. And this, even before “Kaminey”, their first film together, has released!

The real-life lovers got 31% votes while Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif got 24% votes, and Saif and Kareena scored the lowest with16% votes.

As far as Shahid and Priyanka’s off screen chemistry is concerned, the two seem to have sorted out their differences and are still together, though there have been recent reports of a split.

The two were spotted at a restaurant in Mumbai a few days back. Priyanka has also been accompanying Shahid to the gym.

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Hrithik’s 'Kites' to release in December

The much-talked about Hrithik Roshan starrer "Kites" is scheduled for December release and producer Rakesh Roshan and director Anurag Basu have also agreed on how different the English and Hindi versions of the film would be.

The supposed steamy scenes between Hrithik and his co-star Barbara Mori would be the same in both versions.

"We can't cheat Hindi audiences. The so-called steamy scenes will be the same in both versions. The visuals will remain unchanged in both. There won't be anything radically different in the two versions because Hrithik and Barbara speak English-Hindi and Spanish, respectively in both English and Hindi," Basu told IANS.

Also there would be voice-overs in Hindi and English, both done by Hrithik whose love story the film chronicles in a style that would recall David Lean's "Brief Encounter" and K. Balachander's "Ek Duuje Ke Liye".

About being designated the director of the decade at International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Macau, Rakesh Roshan said: "I'm flattered. There were other truly deserving directors in the reckoning. I must've done something right."

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Obama leaves John hanging

As his film “New York” is all set to release, John Abraham has a scary incident to narrate, which took place during the film’s shooting in the US.

Apparently, director Kabir Khan wasn’t too happy as there were not too many stunts in the movie. So he decided to shoot one particular scene and the location chosen a public building in Philadelphia.

On hearing this, John said a flat no. But finally had to give in to Kabir’s demand.

He had never imagined that he would be stranded on the 20th floor of the building for two hours because President Barrack Obama’s was passing by with his entire entourage and for security reasons the entire area was shut down. The entire unit too had to go inside the building, leaving John hanging from the cables on the 20th floor. He just had two suction pumps for his safety.

Finally he was rescued after two hours when the team was allowed to come out.

John said that shooting with Kabir is always an experience. He has previously worked with the director in “Kabul Express”.

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Mullahs victimise SRK with fatwa

Shah Rukh Khan seemed headed for trouble after he was sued for making statements that he has denied.

Shah Rukh KhanA Mumbai-based businessmen has, on the basis of an interview published in a magazine, filed a case claiming that SRK had said things derogatory to Islam's prophet. The magazine has since apologised and corroborated Shah Rukh's statement that it was at fault. READ FULL ARTICLE

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SRK goes to B-school!

After his last two stints as Quizmaster went bust, Shah Rukh is all set to sail uncharted waters again by turning Quizmaster for India’s premiere B-school IIPM for their annual business and marketing quiz program.

"Come to IIPM, I'll see you there," is how Shah Rukh Khan is vying students, the actor has signed a three year deal with Arindam Chaudhari and the show starts August 1st. Arindam Chaudhari stated, “Shah Rukh has been chosen because of his sound knowledge in Economics. In addition to it, the actor has a global appeal, which is very important for enhancing the popularity of the quizzing events. His suave marketing skills and sharp intelligence have made him an automatic choice for the job of quizmaster.” READ FULL ARTICLE

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John-Katrina's sizzling chemistry in New York

A music video shows intimate scenes between John Abraham and Katrina Kaif, who play a married couple in New York.

From the video, one can make out that John’s character Sameer is upset and sad. Katrina’s character Maya is his loving wife, who tries to ease his worries by making love to him.

The duo makes a couple with sizzling chemistry. They look much hotter than Salman and Katrina did in Yuvvraaj.

This is Katrina’s first kissing and intimate scene while John has done kissing and intimate scenes in films like Jism and Paap
These scenes only add fuel to the fire of the rumours surrounding an affair between John and Katrina

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First Look: New film on Shiney case

Shiney Ahuja's recent controversial rape case has already made its impact on Bollywood.

Bollywood is at it again. That is, cashing in on real life sensational events. Shiney Ahuja’s rape case has inspired a film and its title exposing the darker side of Bollywood.
The film based on a rape incident was earlier titled Production 4 but the makers found the new title more apt, following the case of Shiney Ahuja allegedly raping his maid. The film depicts the darker side of Bollywood stars like extra-marital affairs and how junior artistes are sexually exploited while they are looking for a break in films.

The lead of the film is a domestic help. A known face will play Shiney’s wife.

The film will go on the floors next week. The cast and crew of the movie is unknown. Qamar Jahipuri is the director, K A Johar is the producer and Hiten Raghir and Divvya Trivedi are the actors.

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In Pics: Mallika Sherawat Spotted With Yanni at Los Angelse Ivy Restaurant


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In Pics: Dia Mirza at Bridgestone Think Before You Drive Campaign

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In Pics: Soha Ali Khan at Godrej Khelo Jeeto Jiyo contest event

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Ash shimmers on Verve cover

Aishwarya Rai

Calling her 'Gorgeous', 'Elegant', 'Beautiful' etc...will be like holding a torch before the blazing sun! We are indeed talking about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who, besides being the Bollywood superstar and eternal Miss World et al, is the current 'power-cover-girl' of Verve magazine.

This is one issue which can be rightly called as 'The Collector's Edition' as it features the Top 50 Most Influential Women of 2009. And needless to say that it is none other than Bollywood's dearest darling Aishwarya topping the list. In her interview to the magazine, Ash speaks about the number game, her 'salary', her marriage, Hollywood, her father's recovery, Padma Shri and much more.

As the said article states that 'Interviewing Aishwarya is like prying open a floodgate'. We just couldn't argue on that. Way to go, Ash!

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Teree Sang - First Look

Teree Sang, Ruslaan Mumtaz,Sheena Shahabadi,Satish Kaushik,Sushmita Mukherjee,Rajat Kapoor,Neena Gupta,Anupam KherAlign Center

Teree Sang, Ruslaan Mumtaz,Sheena Shahabadi,Satish Kaushik,Sushmita Mukherjee,Rajat Kapoor,Neena Gupta,Anupam Kher

Teree Sang, Ruslaan Mumtaz,Sheena Shahabadi,Satish Kaushik,Sushmita Mukherjee,Rajat Kapoor,Neena Gupta,Anupam Kher

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Tom Cruise bike in ‘Kambakkht Ishq’

Tom Cruise may not be among the Hollywood stars who are featuring in producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Kambakkht Ishq”, but in an indirect way his presence is there.

Remember the bike he rode in “Mission Impossibe”? Well, Akshay Kumar will be seen riding the same vehicle in “Kambakkht Ishq” (pictured above).

It seems Sajid Nadiadwala has left no stone unturned to make “Kambakkht Ishq” special. Right from the action scenes to the props the producer has opted for all original stuff.

A source said, "There is scene with Akshay Kumar in which the actor, who plays a stuntman in the film, has used Tom Cruise's ‘Mission Impossible’ bike. Sajid even hired action director Franco Soleman who created Tom Cruises stunt. The end result it so to be seen to be believed."

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I was myself in New York: Katrina

Having already created a buzz with her 'no make up' look in the promos of her forthcoming venture "New York", Katrina Kaif says her character Maya in the movie is a reflection of what she is in real life.

"The first brief that I got from my director (Kabir Khan) was that 'it (the character) is the Katrina whom you have not seen in other films... She is not the one by whom you are intimidated when you see her'. I have just been myself in the film," Katrina told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

"I was told 'look at yourself, the personality you have and the things you go through in real life'... Of course, the situations would be different but Maya is what Katrina is off-screen. She is what I'm in real life," she added.

Asked if it was a deliberate effort to have a deglamorised look in the film, she said: "When I hear the word deglamorised, I think of someone who has put mud on the face and is wearing dirty clothes... It's not a deglamorised role... It's a very realistic role where I bring out what I am in reality."

Portraying her real characteristics in the movie was also a "different experience" for the 24-year-old. "It was a kind of a challenge in itself, but it was the most wonderful part too," she said.

Produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films, "New York" is releasing June 26 worldwide.

Apart from Katrina, it stars John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh in male leads with Irrfan Khan in a pivotal role.

Set in New York, the narrative spreads over nine years. It tells the story of three young friends whose lives take an unexpected turn after 9/11.

"My brief was very clear that Maya is not a Muslim and also that 9/11 attacks are only a backdrop to the film, after which their (the three friends') lives change and take a turn... it's about their emotional journey in the film than anything else," she said.

The Britain-born model-turned-actress' career soared to heights after she gave four back-to-back hits in 2007 - "Namastey London", "Apne", "Partner', "Welcome" and the first hit of 2008 "Race" in which Katrina played a character with shades of grey. She continued the winning streak with the comedy "Singh Is Kinng".

Apart from honing her acting skills, Katrina has also begun dubbing her movies on her own with an improved Hindi accent.

"I choose to dub on my own and make the efforts. I try to make it sound correct. Where some other artist might take three days to dub, I take six days, but I am trying very hard," she averred.

Katrina also denied taking Hindi classes.

"I don't think I need to take Hindi lessons."

After predominantly juggling with comedy, Katrina has moved to serious roles with "New York" and Prakash Jha's "Rajneeti".

"I've just arrived at a point where I am being offered diverse films," said Katrina who was last seen in Subhash Ghai's dud "Yuvvraaj".

Her future projects include a bevy of big-budget ventures like "Blue", "De Dana Dan" and "Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahan