Friday, July 31, 2009

Imran-Ranbir dosti make others jealous

This new dosti has become the envy of other ‘supposed’ dostis in B-town.

We’re obviously talking about two of our hottest boys, Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan. Damn the rat-race, competition and fan clubs...these Gen-X actors don’t wanna waste time with stuff like that.

They are like boys should be — cool, fun and chilled out. Recently when Imran had a special screening for Luck, RK was his special guest. And he came along sportingly to cheer his buddy. We heard that the boys often party together and have a lot in common other than movies.

Hmm... we wonder how their gals (Ms Dee and Avantika) feel about this dostana? We’d say, hold on to your men tight, gals!

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Karan Johar was lonesome in NY!

He’s bitten by the travel-bug.

Permanently. Yeah, Karan Johar is the man-on-move, and in the past few months he’s spent more time floating in mid-air than at home. From LA, to San Francisco to London...he’s globe-trotting. But he’s loving every minute of it, and while he says, “I like London, but London becomes like another city that I consider home,” it’s the amazing New York City that draws this filmmaker (and his movies, too). Of course, with Shah Rukh Khan owning a beautiful apartment in London, his best buddy Karan, obviously feels at home in that city.

On the other hand he can’t stop talking about his other hot-favourite city in the world, “I think NY is the one city that I absolutely love. I really like the irony of the city, really. I feel that it’s really fantastic and it’s buzzing with so much energy and yet there’s an inherent emptiness in there. So there’s this contradiction. It has all the energy and yet, it’s very empty and lonely. That’s the reason I find the city so intriguing.”

Now that sounds like a true-born New Yorker, Kjo? So we guess what he’s saying is that...London is where the home is and NY is where the heart is? Right, Kjo?

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Bebo, world’s biggest star: Saif

Saif Ali Khan is in a zen state.

Personally, he is dating the most powerful and gorgeous girl in Bollywood; and professionally, well, he’s calling the shots too.

“I haven’t noticed whether other girls have stopped looking at me because I’m dating the best girl in town,’’ he says. “A lot depends on the vibe you give off. I hear unavailable men are more interesting to interesting women. That be as it may, I’m not particularly interested in a stranger of any sort right now.’’

Saif’s reason for setting up a production house is simple. He wants to make the films he believes in. “Everyone has their own home productions and no one is going to cast you in their films unless they can’t do it themselves,’’ he says.

He points out that the biggest filmmakers in the country — Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar , Sanjay Leela Bhansali — would ideally pitch for Shah Rukh Khan , Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan first. “If things don’t work out with these guys, then perhaps they’d come to me,’’ he says very matter-of-fact. “However, with setting up my own production house, I can make the films I wish to and give myself the parts I want to play. No other producer can give me the parental love that my own production can.’’

His maiden venture releases today and within a couple of months, he’s all set to get into Sriram Raghavan’s Agent Vinod, a spy-action-high-on-adrenaline-thriller with lady love Kareena Kapoor playing his screen muse. “Film production is an exciting job,’’ he confesses. “Balancing that in itself, apart from real life in terms of family and getting things done on time, has been challenging.’’

Personally too, he confesses to being blissful: “Life is a growing and changing process. I came into the world of interviews when I was 20 at a room in a Mumbai studio. In 19 years, I have grown, and the last two years have been very eventful. Personally and professionally I find myself in the right place. The rest of my life lies ahead of me but I feel confident and equipped to deal with most situations.’’

And the mention of sunshine (Kareena) brings a smile to his face.
“Everything is beautiful right now,’’ he says. “Kareena and I are on a path, let us enjoy that. For me, priority right now is to set up this production house, and I want Madam to stay the biggest star in the world for as long as she enjoys it. Everything else will follow in due course.’’

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Akshay has a date with a doll!

There’s something quite enigmatic about the number 9, say astrologers and numerologists across the world.

Golden Globe Award winning director-producer Tim Burton of Batman Returns and Mars Attacks fame and Timur Bekmambetov (known for Wanted, Escape from Afghanistan), agree. So, to explore the puzzle further, the duo got their animated efforts together to launch a film called 9 and plan to release it on 09-09-09.

And, since Bollywood action superstar Akshay Kumar’s birthday falls on September 9, the film’s distributor has asked him to launch an online game based on 9.

The film is a computer-animated, dark and quirky nightmare in which humanity is threatened when fearsome machines start to attack civilisation. A team of nine rag dolls, led by Doll No 9, which is mentally dexterous and sensitive, saves the future from apocalypse.

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Exclusive: WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE - Theatrical Trailer



WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE - HARMAN & PRIYANKA CHOPRA - Theatrical Trailer - Video

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Fox - Theatrical Trailer - Video



Fox - Theatrical Trailer - Video

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A look at 'Aladin'

Here's a look at Sujoy Ghosh's Aladin which stars Riteish Deshmukh as Aladin and Sanjay Dutt as the ringmaster.

It also marks the debut of Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandes. With music by Vishal-Shekhar, Aladin is produced by Eros International in association with Sujoy Ghosh's Boundscript Productions. The film is slated for a Diwali release.

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Keeping It Short

Priyanka Chopra is playing an ultra glam girl in Yash Raj's Pyaar Impossible opposite Uday Chopra.

After playing 12 different characters in What's Your Raashee?, the actress has various changes and styles in this movie in terms of hair, makeup and dressing style. One of the looks revealed is the short hair never seen before on PC.

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Friendship between Shahid and Kids

A major part of Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey was shot in and around a certain chawl in south Mumbai. At the insistence of the chawl's kids, a group of giggling ladies sent home-made poha for Shahid Kapoor.

This was the start of a friendship between the actor and the kids. Soon he started playing cricket with the children and he got them chocolates and encouraged them to be more regular at school.

He promised the kids that when Kaminey was ready, he would show it to them. Now Shahid has spoken to the production house and a special screening is on the cards for the residents of the chawl in the coming week. He sure is a man of his word.

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Riteish Tweets!

Riteish Deshmukh is the latest B-Town actor to get on to Twitter.

His status message on Facebook was: Finally on Twitter ....... tried for my name and various combinations but weren't available. So finally got the one I was given in Bluffmaster! riteishd.

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Shooting to resume for Abhi-Ash’s ‘Raavan’

An elephant had disrupted proceedings

The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer "Raavan", disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here Thursday.

"We will resume shooting tomorrow (July 31)," Sivan told IANS.

The tusker, whose name is Kunju, killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan. After the incident, the road at nearby Athirapally forest was blocked and the cast and crew of Mani Ratnam's film could not return to their hotel.

"We didn't see much since we were shooting on the other side of the bridge... so we couldn't cross over... we had to stop shooting, but I didn't see anything except the confusion. We had to spend a few hours in a guest house in the forest," said Sivan.

Neither the actors nor any crew member of the film was injured.

Later the elephant was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.

Besides Abhishek and Aishwarya, "Raavan" also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.

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Court case no obstacle to Rakhi's wedding

NDTV Imagine head says Aug 2 schedule unaffected

Samir Nair, CEO of NDTV Imagine, says that the police complaint filed against item girl Rakhi Sawant and five others linked to the reality show "Rakhi Ka Swayamvar" for infringement of copyright won't affect the live telecast of the wedding on Sunday (August 2).

"We're telecasting the marriage deferred - live (minutes after actual shooting) and we don't anticipate any trouble. This guy from Jaipur (Gaurav Tiwari) filed a case against us in a district court. They passed an order against him. Then he moved to the high court. His case was dismissed from there," Nair told IANS.

"Now he has filed a criminal case against us. Our legal team is looking into it as we speak. Strange that the case has gone from civil to criminal. This guy runs a portal and claims he owns the word 'swayamvar'. It's like me claiming I own the word Ramayan or Mahabharat. There's shadi.com. So we can't do soap with the word shaadi?"

The show "Rakhi Ka Swayamvar", through which Rakhi decided to find her life partner, is on its last leg now. She will be tying the knot with her chosen groom on Sunday in the presence of family, friends as well as officials from the channel.

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Neha Dhupia in a Hollywood show

Bollywood babe Neha Dhupia is starring in an American TV series titled Bollywood Hero, which is a three part comedy mini series.

The film stars Hollywood actor Chris Kattan. And the tagline for the film reads, ‘Chris Kattan goes to India to become a Bollywood star’.

Neha plays the role of a Bollywood actress Alima Lakhani opposite American actor comedian Chris Kattan who is popular for Saturday Night Live.

Neha said about her serial launch, ‘It revolves around the main protagonist Chris Kattan who wants to become a Bollywood hero and I play a Bollywood actress, opposite him.’

She has been trying for a while to get into television, she spoke to local media stating the same but first in America, then here, ‘Well purely because TV is treated as big as a movie there and after I saw how TV is in India and abroad, I realized there is vast difference between the two. It's going to be treated as big as a movie.’

She auditioned thrice for the role, and when she finally bagged the deal, she went about town announcing how she had landed a biggie project.

Tut, tut, take a look at the trailer, its funny no doubt but keep your eyes glued for her, she’s blinking and we miss!

Her friend Tabrez Noorani, who was a line producer on Slumdog Millionaire seems to have helped her get the role, which she denies categorically, saying, ‘I was a part of the project even before Slumdog became a hit.’

True, and who is Chris Kattan anyway? Actually, he should be thanking her instead for launching his career in Bollywood and telly all at once. We’ll watch for sure, Here’s the trailer.

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Who’s Preity’s Daddy

fter Amitabh Bachchan declined to play Preity Zinta’s dad in Jahnu Barua’s long awaited film Har Pal, Dharam Paaji stepped into those big old shoes.

Har Pal which also stars jailed star Shiney Ahuja, is about a love story between two neighbours shot in Northern India. Jahnu Barua who directed the critically acclaimed Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara was adamant on having Amitabh Bachchan play Preity’s dad in the film.

Big B was obviously looking at bigger horizons considering the type of films he’s got lined up, Aladin, Teen Patti etc and declined the role. That’s when Preity who had always wanted to work with Dharmendra suggested the veteran actor’s name to the director.

Dharam Paaji was more than ecstatic but sadly his excitement was shortlived as the film has been facing several release problems. A StarBoxOffice source revealed, “Jahnu is having trouble finding producers for the film. Not many were interested in investing money in the film and now with Shiney in jail, the future of Har Pal looks even bleaker.”

Also starring Isha Koppikar, the film could be the only saving grace in the lead actor’s career’s and we hope that it finally gets to see the light of day..someday!

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Prediction: How lucky is Love Aaj Kal

If there is a film which can easily take over the crown of being the most anticipated release of July (or even this year), then it has to be Love Aaj Kal.

Celebrity astro numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi unveils the fate of this much awaited film.

“The title Love Aaj Kal adds up to Number 30 which simply put is neither auspicious nor inauspicious. It’s just about average. I had advised the film’s director Imtiaz Ali to spell the film title as LUV AAJ KAL for better prospects but it was too late by then as the publicity of the film was just about to start by that time,” informs Bhavikk.

“The film producer’s Saif Ali Khan ( August 16, 1970 ) is Number 7 person in numerology and the year 2009 adds up to Number 2. Numbers 2 and 7 always go hand in hand. This year in general is good for people born on dates 1, 2, 4 or 7. Saif is a Leo ruled by Number 1 (Sun) and will soon be entering his 40th year, so time is in his favor and his first production will surely be a hit,” predicts the expert.

He continues “As for the leading lady Deepika Padukone (5th January 1986), she is in her 24th year which is one of her best numbers and so the lady will also bring luck to the film. The Kareena V/s Deepika war is just being blown out of proportion as even with Kareena’s presence in the film, it would have achieved the same success. Nothing more, nothing less! ”

“However, during the period of 21st July and 22nd August, Sun is placed in its own sign Leo which is ruled by Number 1. It does not gel well with Number 3, which the film title adds up to. So, in that respect the film will primarily do well in metros and big cities mainly while the business in smaller centers might get affected. All said and done, LOVE AAJ KAL will definitely bring some relief to the hit starved industry, positively!” concludes Bhavikk.

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Love Aaj Kal - Movie Review

Come to think of it, if the film carries the 'burden' of humungous expectations, it's imperative that it goes beyond those expectations. The reaction after watching the film has to be similar to a child who has laid his hands on his fav toy. The joyous smile would say it all. The question is, does LOVE AAJ KAL live up to the hype and hoopla surrounding it? Or does it go beyond that?

LOVE AAJ KAL is not an easy film to write and execute. Sure, it's a love story, but it's not one of those mundane love stories that talks of love and heartache. Here, the two stories, set in different eras, run parallel, but have a similar end.

To be brutally honest, it takes time to grasp the plot, since the past and present run concurrently. If you aren't attentive, chances are you'd lose the plot. Also, if you aren't aware by now that Saif enacts dual roles in the film -- playing his part as also the part of young Rishi Kapoor -- the goings-on would confuse you no end, when the transition occurs.

LOVE AAJ KAL is a director's show entirely. The relationships here are complex because the couple in love lives in complete denial. It is to Imtiaz Ali's credit that he has penned an offbeat story, developed a complex but comprehensive screenplay and extracted sensitive performances from the principal cast. At the same time, the writing isn't the type that would appeal to all sections of movie-going audience. Besides, the execution of the subject and also the pacing in the first hour are deterrents.

Final word? LOVE AAJ KAL makes you fall in love with love all over again. Makes you value your loved ones all the more. This film is special!

Love Aaj
London, San Francisco, Delhi - 2009.
Jai [Saif Ali Khan] and Meera [Deepika Padukone] is a modern-day couple in London. They are very happy together, but do not believe in tying each other down. So when life pulls them in different directions, they decide to call off their relationship, since long-distance relationships, in their opinion, don't work.

Love Kal
Delhi, Calcutta - 1965.
Veer Singh [Rishi Kapoor] is struck by a thunderbolt when he sees Harleen for the first time. He travels a thousand kilometers by train to stand under her balcony, only to have a glimpse of her face. And yet not speak a word with her.

Love Aaj Kal
Veer does not understand how Jai can treat matters of the heart without passion. Jai does not understand how Veer Singh could have been so naive and silly about Harleen in his youth. But as both stories unfold, we realize that the process of relationship might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same.

LOVE AAJ KAL travels multiple continents and different eras. The subject matter is novel, never attempted before, but the material, the characters [Saif and Deepika especially] as also its execution is targeted at the youth in big cities mainly. As they say in filmi lingo, this one's a hardcore multiplex movie.

Another area where Imtiaz Ali experiments is by depicting Saif as the young Rishi Kapoor. It's a novel concept, no two opinions on that, but the question is, will it cut ice universally? Will people tend to get confused when the sequences turn sepia?

The film captivates in bits and spurts in the initial portions. Partly because the writing is so different. But the writing breaks new grounds in the second hour. It's in this hour that the film grips you completely, when the fragmented pieces are put together and a mesmeric picture emerges.

The second hour is the soul of the film. Right from the time Deepika decides to marry, till the last reunion, the film touches an emotional high. The sequence of events that lead to the culmination is incredible. Saif's interaction with Deepika at the marriage, or the gradual change in Saif's behaviour in the U.S. in the course of a song, or the realisation that marriage was a big mistake... moments like these take LOVE AAJ KAL to dizzy heights.

Imtiaz Ali is a genius. The film bears the stamp of an accomplished storyteller. This is a forward-thinking film that handles the new-age relationships with complete understanding. The songs compliment the goings-on beautifully. This is amongst Pritam's accomplished works. 'Twist' [already a rage], 'Aahun Aahun' [foot-taping], 'Chor Bazaari' [melodious] and 'Dooriyaan' [melancholic], each song is a gem. N. Natarajan Subramaniam's cinematography is fantastic. Editing [Aarti Bajaj] is wonderful.

Both Saif and Deepika come up with their career-best performances in LOVE AAJ KAL. Saif carries the most difficult parts with remarkable ease. Sure, we've seen him as the cool, urban guy in several films, but this one's the most demanding role and only a seasoned actor could've delivered it with such precision.

Deepika looks ethereal. Most importantly, in LOVE AAJ KAL, she acts very, very well. Matching up to Saif is no mean achievement and she does it in several scenes. This should be the turning point in her career. Rishi Kapoor is top notch. The actress enacting the role of Harleen is pretty. Rahul Khanna does well in a small, but significant role. Watching Neetu Kapoor in the end sequence is truly astonishing. She's so graceful.

On the whole, LOVE AAJ KAL is for the young and romantic at heart. Sure, it's not perfect, but the terrific performances, melodious music and stirring emotional moments [last 35 odd minutes] more than compensate for the hiccups. At the box-office, the film should start with a bang for four factors -- its novel cast, super music, great promotion and yes, Imtiaz Ali, a name that commands respect amongst moviegoers. Released extensively [approx. 1800 screens worldwide], LOVE AAJ KAL will have one of the biggest first weeks in India and also in the international markets. In India, the business will be superb across multiplexes, while single screens might not behave as energetically. But the business at multiplexes will ensure a fantastic recovery of the investment. Internationally, it has the potential to emerge one of the biggest grossers in recent times.

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Exclusive: Wanted - Official Theatrical Trailer - Video



Wanted - Official Theatrical Trailer | Teaser 1 | 2009 → Salman Khan | Ayesha Takia

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Chemistry: Shahid & Priyanka

Cine Blitz has managed to snap up Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra for their August edition. They look fabulous together, but there's no chemistry.

When the relationship is over, or on the verge of ending, even the pictures begin to tell the story.

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Mallika refuses to go nude for ‘Hisss’

She has limits about exposing

Mallika Sherawat might be known for her bold style statements and her bold dressing sense. But when it came to stripping for her upcoming movie “Hisss” (pictured above), she flatly refused to go nude.

In one of the scenes, Mallika had to transform into a snake and that required her to slither and wriggle in the mud. While doing so, some certain parts of her body, including her bottom, had to be exposed.

Mallika did not want to show her bottom and hence she asked for a body double to do the scene.

Director Jennifer Lynch had to give in to Mallika’s request and agree on a body double.

“Hisss” is a story of a Naagin, played by Mallika, who sets out to find a mate with a vengeance.

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Will Rakhi Sawant get married on August 2

There are conflicting reports

Despite rumours that NDTV Imagine channel’s reality show “Rakhi Ka Swayamvar” is rigged, Rakhi has reportedly said that she really is getting married on August 2 to one of the three final contestants.

Rakhi apparently has already made up her mind about which of the three she will marry.

According to sources from the channel, she is most likely to tie the knot with Canada-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala. She has even confessed the same to some of her friends.

Her bridal outfit is designed by Neeta Lulla and her jewellery by Farah Khan Ali.

Rakhi has said that it is for real that she is getting married. She also said that she will never fake an institution like marriage as she has seen her own parents’ marriage break.

Speaking about her family’s presence at the wedding, she said that she will be the only one from her side. She said that she has broken all ties with her mother and she is now her past.

After marrige Rakhi and Elesh plan to get back to their respective work in their respective cities, Mumbai and Toronto. Though Rakhi is said to have got her Canadian visa and will be travelling to Toronto to meet his parents after her August 2 wedding. Elesh also reportedly wants to buy property in Mumbai to set up a second home there.

However, there could also be a twist in the story, as has been reported in some sections of the media.

According to these reports, Rakhi will not marry anyone as she’s having doubts about choosing her groom and is looking for an exit from the show without a husband. To make that possible, the producers are said to have given a twist to the show. The three finalists will be asked to choose between Rakhi and money, and apparently they will choose cash and leave the show.

Truth, however, will only surface on August 2. Meanwhile, Rakhi is preparing for the Mehndi and Sangeet ceremonies.

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‘I’ve not left any stone unturned’

Saif Ali Khan talks ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and tells what the film means to him

Saif Ali Khan is busy ‘aaj kal’ promoting his debut venture as a producer, ‘Love Aaj Kal’, in which he also plays the lead role alongside the ravishing Deepika Padukone. The film, directed by Imtiaz Ali, is a love story, a genre Imtiaz excels in.

‘Love Aaj Kal’ holds a lot of importance for Saif for more reasons than one. Apart from it being his first production, the film also comes after his two big flops in a row – ‘Tashan’ and ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’ – hence the need to get this one right.

Here’s what Saif has to say about the film and his choices:

On turning a producer

Production actually is not my cup of tea. But after attaining so many years of experience in this field, I’d like to have a creative niche of my own. You feel proud to have it finally. Since a lot of money is involved in filmmaking your inputs mean something else. I want to learn more about the business. The market earlier was different. Most heroes have moved on and turned directors or producers now. Also, there are not many independent producers left to work with.

On the making of ‘Love Aaj Kal’

Right now I’m nervous since I’m a fresher in production. I’m only learning the ifs and buts. Being the producer I need to look into every aspect of filmmaking, though I’ve not left any stone unturned from my end. We have had a great team, and I have learnt a lot in the process. My partner Dinesh Vijan has been a great help. I was more involved in the creative aspect of the film. All in all, the entire journey has not only been a learning experience but has been equally exciting too.

On picking a leaf or two from friends

I have been lucky to work with many great producers and big, established banners - Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions majorly. I’ve learnt a lot of lessons in filmmaking from them. Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar would have always been there to advise me, but I haven’t really called anyone.

On the film

The story primarily is about Jai who doesn’t believe in love and is practical. He believes that long distance relationship is a pain, so why not just be friends and not follow your heart. He comes across a person who tells him what love is all about. Imtiaz has made a simple love story which is not confusing at all as most people believe.

On playing a Sardar

I had meetings with top leaders of the Akali Dal for the look and they have appreciated me. I met them before I ventured into production as I did not want to miff them on anything. I have tried to shoulder all my responsibilities towards the religion. Dolly aunty has done my clothes and I have tried to give it an honest approach. I had to work on the accent. If I could pull off Langda Tyagi in ‘Omkara’, I think I have managed this one too.

On Imtiaz Ali as the director of his maiden venture

Very simple. He had a fantastic script and when you hear a good script and also when the director has the know-how of putting it down on screen just the same, that’s all what you need. The clever thing an actor does is not acting but the ‘listening’ he does in the drawing room as to what the director actually wants. This film is a result of being all ears to Imtiaz.

On Kareena being his first choice for the film

(Laughs) None of the directors listen to me. Imitaz too felt that Deepika suited the role better and hence left me dejected. Are you happy with the answer now?

On working with Deepika for the first time

Ours is an exuberant pair, isn’t it? We look nice and refreshing. Apart from being a new face, Deepika has all the attributes of an Indian beauty. Also, she is very professional and down-to-earth. Rani Mukerji and Deepika’s persona grounds me in real and on reel as well.

On the surprise package of the film – Harleen

The other heroine is going to be a surprise. Her name is Harleen. She’s not here at the moment because we wanted to keep the main focus on Deepika and myself right now.

On the title of the film

The title suits the story of the film which is about the love stories of people today and in yesteryears.

On Kareena's verdict on the film

She has seen the film and has liked it.

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Vidya to work in a Yash Raj film, finally

It’s been third time lucky for them

Vidya Balan had rejected an offer from Yash Raj Films on two occasions in the past, for some reason or the other. But it’s been third time lucky for them, with Vidya accepting their latest offer.

After “Parineeta”, Vidya was on a high. At that time YRF approached her for “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom”, but she turned down the role, which eventually went to Lara Dutta.

YRF again approached her for “Laaga Chunri Mein Daag”, but Vidya wasn’t interested in picking up the offer too.

This did not go down well with production house and decided to never cast Vidya again in their movies.

But a long time gap has apparently mended the differences and made YRF change its decision.

Now, Vidya has again been asked to be part of a Yash Raj film and this time she has accepted. In fact, she received a call not from Adi Chopra but from Yash Chopra himself.

The two are, however, tight-lipped about the venture.

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I want freedom as my birthday gift

The day I turn 50 is important for me, says Sanjay Dutt

On his 50th birthday Wednesday, Bollywood's troubled star Sanjay Dutt says his only wish is to leave his chequered past behind and move ahead as a free man.

"In the last 18 years, I've been fighting for my freedom and I feel the burden of the struggle now. I want to be free," Sanjay told IANS from Cape Town, South Africa.

"I want to walk into any consulate and get my visa. I want my passport to be with me. I want to visit any country I want. Most important of all I want the court cases to end," added the actor who battled with drug addiction and was also convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts under the arms act.

He says now he wishes for his "freedom".

"Can you gift me my freedom for my birthday? Otherwise the biggest gift god has given me is my wife Manyata. I'm very lucky to have her by my side," said the actor who is currently in Cape Town shooting "No Problem"

Friends from different parts of the world have flown in to celebrate the day and Sanjay says he also wanted his sisters - Namrata and Priya - to join him on this special day in his life.

"I've invited them. The day I turn 50 is important for me. And I'd like my family to be near me. I wish they could be here. No matter what misunderstandings we had, I'd like to wash them away on my 50th birthday."

Excerpts from an interview:

In Mumbai, the buzz is that your friends and family are flying in for your birthday?

I don't want any celebrations until Amar Singhji (Samajwadi Party general secretary) recovers. Once he returns to Delhi, I'll have a birthday celebration with him. But I heard from the grapevine here that the unit of "No Problem" are planning a small get-together for my birthday. But when I asked them they said, no party. But my friends are flying down.

Who are they?

Paresh from Chicago. I've known him for the last 25 years. We've grown up together. Then there's Mac from Los Angeles, another old and dear friend. Imran Ismail, who's here in South Africa. These are my three best friends who will be here on my birthday.

And from Mumbai?

Well I heard Bunty Walia is coming. Everything he does is announced on Facebook. So he has announced he's coming for my birthday.

Have you invited your sisters?

Yes, I have. I've invited them. The day I turn 50 is important for me. And I'd like my family to be near me. That's the way my parents would've wanted it. I wish they could be here, but they're busy with their own lives. No matter what misunderstandings we had, I'd like to wash them away on my 50th birthday. It's sad they can't be here. But I'm sure they've more important things to do.

Tell me about your most memorable birthday?

They've all been memorable in their own way, even the ones that came in my worst days. I don't like a big birthday bash. I just want my near ones on my birthday. It's tough to remember my past. But I want to move on.

It's very difficult to imagine Sanju Baba being 50.

At heart I'm still Baba. But when I look into the mirror, it's a reality. And I do feel 50, but not old. I've been in the film industry for so long. Yes, it's been a long innings. In the last 18 years, I've been fighting for my freedom and I feel the burden of the struggle now. I want to be free, Subhash.

I want to walk into any consulate and get my visa. I want my passport to be with me. I want to visit any country I want. Most important of all, I want the court cases to end.

So your mentor is recovering?

He is not my mentor. He is my brother and family. Amar Singhji stands by his friends and we've to stand by our friends. As soon as I get my visa, I'll fly down from here (in Cape Town) to Singapore to spend a couple of days with him.

So this friendship will last?

I've been betrayed by so-called friends many times. But this time I feel I've found a true friend. I've known him for 16 years. He has always stood by me, always been there in the worst situations in my life.

Your one birthday wish?

Freedom. Can you gift me my freedom for my birthday? Otherwise the biggest gift god has given me is my wife Manyata. She has stood by me and supported me unconditionally. I'm very lucky to have her by side.

What about a baby?

If that happens my happiness would be complete.

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Very unexpected romance for Deepika!

Filmicafe had a candid conversation with beautiful Bollywood starlet Deepika Padukone. Read on...

Deepika PadukoneQ: You’ve only got three Bollywood films under your belt at this moment, but already you’ve been called a star. What do you think of the status you’ve achieved?
Well I definitely think I have a long way to go, but the one year that I’ve been in this industry has been extremely memorable. And I’m completely enjoying myself. It’s not something that I thought would happen.

Q: Your father was a professional badminton player and you yourself played on a national level. How do you look back at those times?
I think badminton taught me a lot. When I was 12 and 13, I started travelling to play professionally. I’ve lived in the worst of conditions. Sadly, in India, sports are not invested in. So I’ve lived in dormitories, travelled by second class trains and shared bathrooms. I’ve learned to become responsible and independent because of all that I went through.

Q: How do you go from that… to modeling?
When I was in tenth standard, that’s when I decided. I said listen, badminton is not what I want to do and I want to take up modeling professionally. And my parents said okay. I then got a portfolio done. I sent it to Bombay to a couple of agencies. Then, I did a commercial for a brand called Liril and that got me instant recognition. And that led to the music video and the music video led to the film.

Q: You met your current boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor because you were working together on a movie. Tell us how romance blossomed.
Very unexpected and very unplanned. We were friends earlier. And we were two different people. And we never thought that we’d end up being together. It’s only last year when we were shooting for a film together that we really got to know each other and managed to spend some time together.

Q: How did you keep it a secret?
We were like how two co-stars would normally meet or bond. I remember we’d only meet on the sets. And beyond that, everyone as a group would go out with the director, with our choreographer, with the cinematographer. It’s like a family. So everyone went out together. And I think it’s only later, towards the end of the schedule, he realised he was in love with me.

Q: He did say that he’d take a good film role over a relationship.
Yeah.

Q: Isn’t that a little bit offensive?
Not at all! Because I think we’re both at that age now where work and our lives are really beginning for us. It’s great that this relationship happened so early in our lives. And that everything’s fallen into place. But I think beyond that, this is really the time to focus on our careers, there’s time for everything else later.

Q: For all the good things though you do have your critics and there are those who say that you’ve been over hyped and you don’t deserve the status. Do you care?
Someone’s given me that status, I haven’t. I always say I think I have a long way to go.

Q: Most actors and actresses do have a relatively limited shelf-life. Do you worry that for you one day that the party might be over?
Not at all, like I said, I didn’t plan to be a part of this industry. It is something that I wanted to do in a way, but it’s not like that my life would end if I didn’t become a part of the film industry. I’m a family person. So when I think it’s the right time for me to leave and to get married, I’ll do that. And I know that today there’s me, tomorrow there will be someone else. I’m going to work hard and make sure I can be here for as long as I can and that people don’t get bored of me.

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Shiney’s maid obsession continues

Shiney Ahuja is praying hard for a maid in his jail cell. But unfortunately isn’t able to vocalise those very thoughts considering the situation he is in right now.

The actor jailed for allegedly raping his maid is faced with serious water woes in his cell in Arthur Road Jail. Shiney’s jail cell overflows if it rains for more than 12 hours and is left to clean up his mess along with prison mate and underworld don Abu Salem.

Due to this, Shiney had even asked to be shifted from his barracks or made to sit outside his cell but wasn’t allowed to do so. Instead the guards gave him four buckets to drain out the water and Shiney couldn’t do much but comply with the orders.

A jail official stated recently, ‘Prisoners have to do all the work themselves. If it rains, they have to clean up too.’ The reason behind the flooding in the cells is because the drainage system of the 80-year-old prison has failed, leading to accumulation of sewage that hosts mosquitoes and insects.

Sadly Shiney will remain in judicial custody till July 30 when the court hears his bail plea again. For now, Shiney just seems to be learning more about 'doing' manual labour.

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Wishing Sanjay Dutt a very happy Birthday!

Even though his native is a village near district Yamuna Nagar in Haryana, this kid was born and brought up in the glamour-oozing city of Mumbai. He is one of those very few 'star-sons' who just did not want to take things on a golden plate, instead, choose to earn their star-status. We are indeed talking about today's Birthday boy Sanjay Dutt, the humble son of the most illustrious parents: the late Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt.

Sanjay's debut film Rocky still remains as one of the most memorable films in Bollywood. What followed after that, were an array of films that not just consolidated his position in Bollywood, but also catapulted him into the top league in no time. Even though bad times befell on Sanjay's life in the form of drug abuse and possession of illegal arms, Sanjay stood terra firma against all this and came out clean to accept his mistake, an action that only a true son of the soil can do! It was this acceptance of guilt that transformed the man called Sanjay Dutt into a household name called 'Sanju baba', which later on took the form of the most affable 'Munnabhai', an unforgettable identity that the Indian cinema has ever produced!

In the recent times, besides the smash hit Munnabhai series, Sanju also gave some of his unforgettable performances in films like Daag The Fire, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, and Vaastav, which even earned him the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the prestigious Filmfare Awards.

Join Bollywood Buzz if you want to wish and also give Sanju baba lots of jhaadu ki jhappis, simply by posting your messages below:

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Salman leaves Farah red-faced!

Choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan says that Bollywood star Salman Khan had left her red-faced when he took her along for the auditions of his super hit 1989 film "Maine Pyar Kiya".

Farah recalled the incident when she came on the reality show "Dus Ka Dum 2", which is being hosted by Salman.

"He (Salman) took me along so that I could show him a few steps to do before director Sooraj Barjatya. But when Salman did the steps, it was so appalling that I simply picked up by footwear, hailed a cab and took off home," said Farah on the show.

Salman, who started blushing after his secret was revealed, agreed that he did have two left feet then and later even demonstrated the step he was required to perform at the auditions, said a source from the sets of the show.

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Who wins… Katrina or Shilpa

Shilpa Shetty may be dabbling in many things, but movies are her first love, and that’s the reason she decided to produce films.

Shilpa’s super excited about her new role, and says, “I’ll be the first actress to turn producer. This way I get to make movies that I believe in.

I had to put my plans on hold because of recession, but I am sure things will be back on track soon.” Well, we hear, Katrina Kaif has bought the rights for a French film recently.

She, too, plans to turn producer. So, will the hotties compete to be the first actress-producers on the Bollywood block? Let’s wait and watch.

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Akshay takes good care of Deepika!

Akshay Kumar's gallant nature was revealed in London when his "Housefull" co-star Deepika Paudkone was laid up with a bout of malaria.

He not only made sure Deepika was looked after, but also persuaded her to stay away from shooting.

While Deepika was resting, alternative scenes that didn't require her were shot.

"I'm recovering. I was bedridden for three days. And yes, I did return to the set on Saturday. I had to shoot. But I'm not sure whether it was the wisest of decisions, considering it was malaria," Deepika told IANS from London.

Akshay and Deepika earlier teamed up for "Chandni Chowk To China", which turned out to be a box office dud. But the film's failure hasn't affected their friendship.

"I'm lucky to be surrounded by gallant men. Whether it's my dad, Ranbir (Kapoor), Akshay, Shah Rukh Khan or any of my co-stars, I haven't so far encountered any ill-behaved men," said Deepika whose next release is "Love Aaj Kal".

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, "Love Aaj Kal" hits the screens Friday. And Saif Ali Khan, who plays Deepika's cynical love interest in the romantic saga, also gets high marks from Deepika, though she admits they aren't close friends.

In the movie, Saif plays a guy who doesn't believe in romantic love whereas Deepika is a die-hard romantic both in the film and in real life.

"He (Saif) also believes in love and realises it when he can't do without the girl. So I guess there's a romantic in all of us. It just needs to be tapped. But you need to experience that journey from disbelief to love, like I have in real life.

"So many times I advice people on their love life. I can always tell the difference between those who understand and don't understand the value of true love," she said.

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I want 'Love Aaj Kal' to break all records

Saif’s film is very close to Kareena’s heart

Her recent release "Kambakkht Ishq" has seen the best opening of 2009 so far. But Kareena Kapoor wants boyfriend Saif Ali Khan's "Love Aaj Kal" to even surpass her film's record and enjoy phenomenal success at the box office.

"I really want 'Love Aaj Kal' to break all box-office records. Yes, 'Kambakkht Ishq' is my film but then so is 'Love Aaj Kal'. For both Saif and me 'Love Aaj Kal' is a not just a prestigious project but also something which is very close to our hearts", Kareena told IANS.

Releasing on July 31, "Love Aaj Kal" is Saif's first production venture. Tell her that expectations are huge from the movie as well as Saif and she nods in agreement.

"Yes, I'm aware about the huge expectations and I also know that 'Love Aaj Kal' has turned out to be a lovely film. The good part is that the film has generated all around positive vibes and everyone expects good things from the film," she said.

With Saif playing two characters - Jai Vardhan Singh and Veer Singh (the younger version of Rishi Kapoor) - "Love Aaj Kal" touches upon the universal essence of love.

According to director Imtiaz Ali, "the process of relationship might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same".

Another factor that makes "Love Aaj Kal" a special film for Kareena is the fact that it has Imtiaz at the driving seat.

"I have worked with Imtiaz in 'Jab We Met' and ever since then we all expect so much from him. He has great sensibilities of a storyteller and can't set a foot wrong. I really hope and pray that 'Love Aaj Kal' manages to strike a chord with audiences in the same way as 'Jab We Met'," she said.

Remembering her stint in "Jab We Met", Kareena agrees that it was an extraordinary experience.

"To play a character like 'Geet' (her screen name in 'Jab We Met') doesn't happen all the time; it just happens. When you begin working on a film, you of course know about the story and your character. However, no one knows how audiences would eventually react to it. 'Geet' did strike a chord with the audiences and became a household name," she said.

One expects something similar from "Love Aaj Kal" as well that also stars Deepika Padukone. Apart from them, Rishi Kapoor and Rahul Khanna will also be seen in pivotal roles with Neetu Singh in a guest appearance.

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Akshay has no plans to head to Hollywood

I'm happy doing my work here, he says

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who recently shared screen space with international stars Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh in "Kambakkht Ishq", says he has no plans of heading to Hollywood.

"Why go to Hollywood when Hollywood is coming to Bollywood? I'm happy doing my work here as of now," Akshay told IANS.

Now that "Kambakkht Ishq" has registered good profits at the box office, Akshay is looking forward to his other films that include "Blue", "De Dana Dan" and "Action Replay".

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Shahid Chops It Off

His hair that is! Shahid Kapur has chopped his enviable long locks for his upcoming Yash Raj film directed by Parmeet Sethi with Anushka Sharma as his co-star. He has ash streaks in his hair and a new crisp, short crop.

He had short hair in Jab We Met but sported long hair in Kismat Konnection and will continue to do so in the upcoming Kaminey (where both the twin brothers have long hair) and Dil Bole Hadippa.

Initially, at the first promotional event for Kaminey, he wore a cap to disguise his new look but once the shooting (of the film) started, he became less conscious. He cannot avoid being out of the public eye because he has to promote the movie. The same problem occurred during the promotion of Kismat Konnection because Vishal bhardwaj didn’t want his new, long haired look for Kaminey to be seen.

Shahid said, “Yes, this is my new look for Parmeet’s film. I have cut my hair. We don’t have a title yet. We have just started shooting. I can't talk much about it. All I can say is that it’s a single role.”

He's so paranoid about his hair that's he constantly keeping it hidden under a cap. So annoyed is Vishal Bhardwaj that he has expressely spoken about Shahid in print saying if Shahid concentrated less on his tresses and pecs he could be a great actor.

Ahem, ahem. Cupcake Kapur just got punked.

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Kareena Kapoor: No marriage plans for 2 years

Kareena Kapoor has been appointed the brand ambassador of Gitanjali’s bridal wear brands Parineeta, Sagaee and ME Solitaire. She talks about marriage and what diamonds mean to her.

As expected Kareena sparkled like a diamond in a white and pink saree. That she looked absolutely stunning is an understatement.

“Diamonds are a woman’s best friend. Jewellery makes a woman even more beautiful. I am very choosy about the brands I endorse and Gitanjali is all about quality over quantity,” asserted the beauty.

“I like my diamonds to be solitaires. I absolutely adore them. I would like a diamond of 2 or 3 carats in a beautiful, lovely setting in yellow gold,” she said.

In the Gitanjali ads, she plays a dual role and looks gorgeous in both. “In one ad I am a young Indian ethnic bride and in the other I am a glamourous girl. My fans get to see me in two very different avatars.”

And has Saif seen the ads yet? “He hasn’t seen the ad yet as he has been very busy with Love Aaj Kal,” was her quick reply.

Bebo has played a bride several times in her filmy career. So what about real life? “When Karisma was getting married, we were in a room where she was getting ready in front of the mirror. She told me that she felt she was going for a shot. She said she has taken the saat phere with so many heroes and in so many films, that it all felt like a movie. That is what she felt. As far as I am concerned, I don’t know how I will feel on that day. I will only think and know about it on that day. I am not thinking about it right now. I haven’t made any marriage plans yet. I don’t intend to marry for the next two years,” she explained, adding, “Marriages are made in heaven. The Destiny that God has given us will happen as He has ordained it to happen.”

Katrina is endorsing Nakshatra and Bipasha also endorses Gitanjali. So does Kareena feel any competition? “I don’t feel any competition as far as endorsements are concerned. I think the more the merrier,” said the confident Diva.

“I am designing a jewellery line for them that will have shades of my personality. The kind of jewellery that I like is elegant and classic. I love earrings, neckpieces and rings in diamonds especially solitaires, emeralds and rubies. My sister and mother keep gifting them to me. My family pampers me a lot. My birthday is also coming and I am expecting huge surprises,” concludes the Kapoor heiress.

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Shilpa’s New Best Friend

The reclusive Madame Re has found a buddy in the friendly and sociable Shilpa Shetty. The Bollywood Diva inaugurated her spa at Khar, suburban Mumbai.

Shilpa’s beau Raj was not present at the event. Yet Shilpa was more than happy with Rekha keeping her company.

The two gorgeous ladies of Bollywood have been bonding big time. The reason behind it is that they both were considered ugly ducklings before they transformed into beautiful, graceful swans. Rekha is still considered a diva. Shilpa, with her Yoga, international fame, sexy figure, stylish clothes and business ventures is one of Bollywood’s busiest divas. What’s more, both are South Indians.

Shilpa said that she considers Rekha the perfect Bollywood diva and is fascinated by the mystique and enigma surrounding her.

Rekha, who usually stays away from events, is now a regular guest at spa openings, exhibitions and award functions. She usually sticks to Farzana but with Shilpa now, she has a new friend in her life.Or so we think!

Rekha thinks that Shilpa is living her dreams. After the spa opening, she sent Shilpa a letter saying that she was very proud of her because she (Shilpa) was doing everything she wanted to do, like promote Yoga and start a spa. Shilpa was touched by the letter from her new found close friend.Couldn't Re Madam have just told her that at the event?

Dahlings, she would have wanted Shetty girl to preserve her letter as a memorablia! Class we say.

It won’t be long before we see them going abroad for shopping sprees abroad and soaking in spas together. Who said Bollywood actresses can’t be friends? They absolutely can if they belong to different generations and are not competing for the same roles, especially since they have none to talk about at the moment, and just perhaps take a long break abroad.

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First Look: Tum Mile

Emran Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan find love whilst trapped in the 2006 Mumbai flood deluge in Mahesh Bhatt’s next offering Tum Mile.

Directed by Kunal Deshmukh of Jannat fame, the film boasts of some gripping flood sequences, trademark soulful Bhatt music but sadly Emran doesn’t get to pucker up in this flick. Yes, its true Soha refused to kiss the serial kisser himself and news were rife that Immi didn’t take it too well.

Rest assured, insiders can’t stop raving about the canvas of the film since the floods on the streets of Mumbai have been fantastically re-created.

Emran Hashmi confirmed to the press, ‘You should have been on the sets to believe it, Water level there was scary enough to actually drown people. Kunal (Deshmukh) wanted the situation to be an exact replica of the horrific flood situation that the city faced that fateful night. It was difficult to even imagine how commuters would have struggled with no support whatsoever.’

Tum Mile however isn’t the first film to be made on the deluge, a small budget film called 26th July at Barista starring newbies Kabier Sawhney and Simran Vaid was also made on the same issue. But the floods washed away the memories of the film and here's hoping Tum Mile doesn’t suffer the same fate too.

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In Pics: Kareena Kapoor Presented as Brand Ambassador of Gitanjali’s Parineeta Wedding Collection

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In Pics: Shilpa Shetty's Iosis Medispa Launch

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In Pics: Mugdha Godse's Birthday Party

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In Pics: Shahid Promotes ‘Kaminey’



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Accident on Hill Road - First Look

Accident on Hill Road,

Accident on Hill Road,

Accident on Hill Road,

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Kat has a desi Hangover!

Firoz Nadiadwala has purchased the rights of Hangover—the much talked about film. It will be directed by Firoz’s favourite director Anees Bazmee. In the comedy, four men travel to Las Vegas for a 24 hour stag party.

They wake up with the worst hangover and find that the groom is missing, as they try to recall the details of the debauched night.

A source said, “Firozbhai loved the script and the film and immediately got into the process of acquiring the Hindi rights of the film. In fact, he has also been casting for the film on the sly. Abhishek Bachchan will play the role played by Bradley Cooper and Paresh Rawal will step into the shoes of Zach Galifianakis.

Katrina Kaif will play the role of the fiancée. The film will start early next year.”

While Firoz Nadiadwala remained noncommittal, director Anees Bazmee confirmed the news. Anees said, “It’s true. I am shooting in South Africa and Sanjay Dutt and I have been discussing the film.

I loved the film and Sanjay is very eager to do it too. Even Ritesh Deshmukh and Abhishek Bachchan have been finalised. I am shooting No Problem in Durban, once I am free of that, I will start scripting the film.”

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‘Love Aaj Kal’ riding on a lot of buzz

Film expected to re-boost Saif and Deepika's career after their flops

Its songs have already become a hit and the promos are good, but "Love Aaj Kal" (pictured above) is an acid test for actors Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone as their last couple of films have turned out to be duds at the box office. There are indeed lots of expectations from this romantic comedy that releases on Friday (July 31).

Despite giving 2008's first hit in "Race", Saif's "Tashan", "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" and animated venture "Roadside Romeo" (voice-over) fell flat at the box office. So did Deepika's much-hyped "Chandni Chowk To China" opposite Akshay Kumar.

"Love Aaj Kal" is not only Saif's first outing this year, it is also his debut as producer.

"'Love Aaj Kal' is garnering a lot of buzz. In fact it is after long that a proper love story is coming on screen. The concept is novel and will draw a good initial. It is also expected to re-boost Saif and Deepika's career after their flops," Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan told IANS.

"The promotion of the film has been very good and the songs are already a hit. Moreover Saif is in a double role in the movie, which will be something to watch out for," he added.

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the movie has been co-produced by Saif, Dinesh Vijan and Sunil A. Lulla.

Also starring Rishi Kapoor, Shweta Gulati and Rahul Khanna, the movie is said to be a remake of Taiwanese film "Three Times", which the producers have denied. Neetu Singh also makes her comeback with the film in a cameo.

"'Love Aaj Kal' is one of the most relevant films to come out in a long time...it looks at relationships in a very new light and a very new language," Vijan posted on the movie's official website.

"The film's storyline is such that any common man can relate to it. It's so real and as you watch the film, you would feel that so many instances shown in it have happened to you too in real life," said Deepika.

"The film has a universal appeal. Whether it's the younger or the older generation, all will be able to identify with the proceedings," she added.

Showing love in two different eras - 1965 and 2009 - through Veer Singh and Jai Vardhan Singh respectively, the film is about the essence of love that never changes.

While Jai treats matters of the heart without passion and parts with from his lady love Meera (Deepika) in the name of being practical, Veer is naive about his love for Harleen (Shweta) and travels long distances to catch a glimpse of her, but fails to open his heart in front of her.

As both stories unfold, the broad message it gives is that relationships might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same.

The film has got an unprecedented buzz due to its share of controversies too.

First it was in the news for its unabashed kissing scenes and the lead actors mouthing expletives and then the Punjabi Cultural And Heritage Board objected to Saif's bearded look and reasoned that Sikhs do not sport a trimmed beard as sported by him in the film.

All controversies at rest, the director is neither excited nor nervous before the release.

"I'm completely stone-hearted at the moment. I'm still doing 16 hours of work for the film's promotion and don't have time to feel the excitement or the nervousness," Ali said.

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Aamir gulps down 3.5 crore

You heard it right; the perfectionist known for his picky nature just signed an endorsement deal with Roohafza worth Rs. 3.5 crore.

But wait, here comes the best part, the Ad won't even air on TV. The actor was paid the whopping amount for the company’s commercial that will be used for business conferences in order to clinch business deals. Aamir who is the brand ambassador for Tata Sky and a couple of government ads is very choosy about endorsements.

Then again who wouldn’t be tempted with such an offer, inside sources say that Aamir is a regular consumer of the 110 year old Sherbat brand and only after a long deliberation did he agree to do the ad.

Roohafza has been in the biz well before any cola brand in the country and have never used any big stars for marketing. The only time they chose an actor was when Juhi Chawla was roped in for the commercial a while back. Mallika Sherawat was in their ads when she was a nobody.

Then again Shah Rukh too was roped in recently to be the face of Arindam Chaudhari IIPM Business and Marketing quiz, India's premier B-school quiz event, and reportedly charged a whopping amount for the same. The quiz is an inhouse contest for the MBA students testing their skills and intelligence.

We all know that stars have endorsed products to not only rake in all that moolah but also stay in the public eye, but now they’d rather just do with the money and do away with the publicity, eh?

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Not without my daughter

Anil Kapoor who didn’t believe in endorsement deals and has never done an ad till date finally agreed to do so because his daughter Sonam was a part of it.

The father-daughter duo will be seen together in a luxury pen endorsement ad for the first time together and inside sources say it is definitely something to watch out for. Anil who received many offers earlier always maintained that it was his acting that would do the talking and not his endorsement deals.

But the actor has finally made an exception for his daughter’s sake and will do anything to keep her in the limelight. Especially when her sunken film career and notorious attitude (read Aishwarya bashing) have been the very reasons for her diminishing star power. The two have been paid a whopping amount for the deal and considering the amount she’s being paid for the Ad, Sonam wouldn’t have to worry even if her next two films were a flop.

Sources added to the press, ‘The brand endorsed by this father-daughter duo, will definitely have an added advantage of targeting different generation and age groups. So no doubt the brand, endorsed by them, will definitely stand to benefit.’

Its hard to imagine how much a Pen is going to determine age groups and target audience, but what the heck! Anil finally did manage to make his advertisement debut that too after a cool 50 years, for him that’s an achievement alright.

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Salman’s mother spills the beans

Salma Khan, had son Salman squirming in his seat when she revealed his deep dark secrets on Farah Khan’s chat show.

Her very first interview, Salma was on Farah Khan’s chat show Tere Mere Beech Mein discussing the topic of ‘Mama’s boys’. Apt for Salman as he still lives next to his mother and swears by her cooking. The alpha male actor was left embarrassed when his mother went on a revelation spree talking about his love, life and moody behaviour.

Many soon realized that Salma had just taken over Salman’s star presence on the telly. Sources on the set went on to reveal to StarBoxOffice saying, “Salman was left red faced by the end of it all, he must have had no idea that his mum would end up spilling all the beans about how he is in real life. The way Salma was speaking to Farah it seemed like she was sitting at home and chatting to a friend, it was a great experience, not only was it entertaining it was so personal at the same time.”

At the same time, father Salim had also recorded a byte which spoke of Sallu’s relationships. He went on to say that that Salman always falls in love with actresses but then wants them to give up everything and stay at home much like the most special woman in his life, his mother, who has spoilt him silly.

Farah Khan too admitted to the press that it was one of the sweetest and nicest episodes she had ever seen, much be a part of till date. And we have to say by the sound of it we just can’t wait to see Salman flushed on the small screen, it could be the very first what say?

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First Look: Fox

Fox starring Arjun Rampal and Sunny Deol is due for an early September release.

Zee Motion Pictures, in association with Rohit Kumar Productions and Tijori Entertainment, is ready to roll out with its first Hindi production Fox which is directed by Deepak Tijori and stars Sunny Deol, Arjun Rampal, Sagarika Ghatge and Udita Goswami. Music is by Monty Sharma.

Fox is a modern sleek thriller shot in the exotic locales of Goa and Mumbai. It is a story about a cat and mouse chase between a young successful criminal lawyer (Arjun Rampal) and a mysterious stranger who is controlling and threatening his life. Now the lawyer must seek the help of a reluctant cop (Sunny Deol) in solving the mystery.

Arjun Rampal has had a successful return to cinema in recent times with hits like Om Shanti Om and Rock On. What is to be seen is if he can carry the run with Fox, which from the look of it has an intriguing name and will also see the return of Sunny Deol after a long gap. He was last seen in Heroes which tanked at the BO.

Deepak Tijori isn’t particularly a great filmmaker to watch out for and all his films so far, such as Oops and Fareb have been washouts.

Sanjeev Lamba, Zee Motion Pictures says- 'Fox is our first offering as independent producers in the Hindi film market, and we are all eagerly looking forward to its release. This stylish and suspenseful thriller has Arjun Rampal and Sunny Deol together for the first time, a very powerful combination on the screen.'

Sure, this one looks like a watch.

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In Pics: Priyanka Kothari (Nisha Kothari) Bikini Photoshoot

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Ash learns new steps!

Astad Deboo, that contemporary and modern Indian classical dancer, has been lured into the deep jungles of Athirappilly, Kerala, by filmmaker Mani Ratnam to teach the lovely Aishwarya Rai Bachchan some new steps.

Ash, who is shooting for Mani’s Raavan with hubby Abhishek Bachchan, is required to do a climactic life and death dance sequence for which the Padma Shri fusion dance choreographer was specially called in.

The actress, of course, is as graceful as can be when it comes to dancing on screen (remember Nimbuda from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Kahin Aag Lage from Taal?), and choreographers from Saroj Khan to Shiamak Davar have raved about her professionalism when it comes to taking instruction. Now it’s Astad’s turn. This is his first experiment with Bollywood, though he did agree to lend his supple creativity to M F Husain’s Meenaxi before.

According to a source, Astad’s chosen a tandav of passion, retribution and redemption for Ash, because Mani wanted a fusion of kathak, ballet and contemporary dance. The steps are intricate and new and Ash has to dance barefeet on slippery and unsafe ground. Moreover, she has to do the steps twice over and in quick succession, first with Abhishek for the Hindi version and then with Vikram for the Tamil version. Naturally, all this isn’t easy for the actress at all. She hasn’t been complaining, however.

Probably because she’s getting her fun watching Abhishek, who is notoriously one of the worse dancers in Bollywood, struggling to work on his steps.

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Asin learns on the job

Asin may have grabbed attention as well as some plum projects after Ghajini, but the actress hadn’t done preparations for her big splash.

“I began working at a very early age. Today, newcomers come in with all sorts of training. I learnt everything on the job and that has worked for me. Even when it came to talking in Hindi, I didn’t have much trouble because I am good with languages,” she says.

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Rekha to launch Shilpa Shetty's spa

It will open in Mumbai on July 26

Shilpa Shetty will soon fulfil her childhood dream of owning a spa and she has convinced yesteryears actress Rekha to launch her medispa Iosis in Mumbai on Sunday (July 26) as she feels that the senior star is synonymous with timeless beauty.

"I had to think of who was going to do the grand launch and couldn't come up with a better name than the diva herself - someone who is synonymous with timeless beauty and wellness. So I approached (the one and only) Rekhaji," Shilpa posted on her blog.

"I've always looked up to her as an actor, role model for constant reinvention. We share a very special bond and have always been in touch with each other. I think it's the South Indian connection. When I asked her to grace the occasion, she agreed and I was ecstatic," she further added.

The 34-year-old will be opening her flagship store in partnership with entrepreneur Kiran Bawa, well-known in beauty and wellness industry. The first of these stores will open in Mumbai's Khar area.

Explaining about the spa, Shilpa said: "Being part of an industry where beauty is a pre-requisite, I learnt from my own mistakes and this experience gave me the opportunity to reinvent myself. When people ask me how I did it, their questions will be answered through Iosis."

"I hope that Iosis medispa works as a catalyst in bettering people's lives at an affordable cost. Kiran and I share one common vision - Wellness India. We are both on the threshold of a new beginning and hope people enjoy the services that are provided here because they've been put together with a lot of love and thought," she added.

The medispa will be a fusion of four - styling, spa, salon and skin treatments. Every treatment will be under the supervision of trained professionals.

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Amitabh Bachchan on CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’

Talks about changing force of Bollywood

The Western world is now showing interest in Hindi films - all because of its dance and music content, something that they ridiculed a few years ago, says megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

"We were ridiculed, and the West was very cynical about the way we made our films and the content - the songs and the dance, and the music was something that was kind of looked down upon many years ago.

"But that very aspect has now become its USP, and people love to see that. I would expect that this is how and what our cinema is all about," Amitabh said on CNN's show "Talk Asia".

Speaking about Hollywood-Bollywood collaborations, Amitabh said: "I think this has got to do a lot more with economics rather than sharing creativity... Hollywood is very healthy in their finance, they are using their money to invest in productions that are coming out of India. And in that respect, yes, holding hands with Hollywood companies or any other company is now becoming a routine."

Many Hindi films recently have seen international collaborations, including "Singh Is Kingg", which was produced by Warner Brothers, and animated film "Roadside Romeo" that was financed by Disney. "Kambakkht Ishq" featured Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

Amitabh himself will be sharing screen space with British actor Ben Kingsley in his forthcoming film "Teen Patti".

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'Love Aaj Kal' is beyond expectations for me

Deepika says film fascinates her for three reasons

Since the release of "Om Shanti Om", Deepika Padukone has been seen in two more films - "Bachna Ae Haseeno" and "Chandni Chowk To China". But the leggie beauty insists that if at all there is a special movie after her debut vehicle, it has to be "Love Aaj Kal".

"I'm aware of the huge expectations that audiences have from 'Love Aaj Kal'. Personally speaking though, the film is beyond expectations for me. I would rather call it a very special film," Deepika told IANS on telephone.

"We all have worked so hard on it, whether director Imtiaz Ali, Saif (Ali Khan) or myself, and we have become really attached to it," said Deepika who is currently in London shooting for Sajid Khan's "Housefull" where she is paired opposite Akshay Kumar.

"Love Aaj Kal" is releasing on July 31 and she is excited about the film since it is as real as it gets.

"This is why I said that after 'Om Shanti Om' if there is a film that has been really special, it is 'Love Aaj Kal'. I can state three reasons why 'Love Aaj Kal' really fascinates me.

"First, the film's storyline is such that any common man can relate to it. It's so real and, as you watch the film, you would feel that so many instances shown in it have happened to you too in real life.

"Second, the film has a universal appeal. Whether it's the younger or the older generation, all will be able to identify with the proceedings. Imtiaz has a knack for keeping things basic and very simple, something that the world saw in 'Jab We Met' and 'Socha Na Tha'. His trademark touch is prevalent in 'Love Aaj Kal' too."

The third reason for Deepika to be really ecstatic after shooting for "Love Aaj Kal" is the dialogues that promise to be as natural as they get.

"Dialogues are such that they are more of conversational variety rather than sounding scripted. Imtiaz wanted all of us to perform rather than plain and simple mug up our dialogues and rattle them down. Yes, there was a dialogue sheet given, but it was mainly for reference," she said.

It was this freedom factor that really impressed Deepika. "There was nothing cast on stone and we actors were given a free hand to mouth dialogues that came naturally to them and suited the film's situation most. I guess this was one aspect that really made me open up a lot more during the film's shoot."

With Rishi Kapoor and Rahul Khanna in pivotal roles and Neetu Singh making a guest appearance, "Love Aaj Kal" is Saif's first home production with Pritam Chakaraborty's music already topping the charts.

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Sonu Sood’s ‘little thank you to Michael Jackson’

He’ll be seen dancing as a don

Actor Sonu Sood recently shot for a song in Bangkok for Puri Jagannath’s movie which will be a tribute to Michael Jackson. It was an extensive shoot spanning 5 days on different locations in Bangkok.

"It was a great feeling to shoot for this song which is a tribute to Michael Jackson. It reminded me of my childhood days when we used to go out to buy his albums and dance to them and practice his moonwalk moves. This song was shot for Puri Jagannath's movie and it will be very special to me always... a little thank you to Michael Jackson from my side," says Sonu.

The actor plays a mafia don in this movie. It will be interesting to see a don put on the dancing shoes and do the “Thriller”.

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'Agyaat' is a thriller, not a horror film

Director Ram Gopal Varma makes the point clear

Ram Gopal Varma says he has cut out a smoking scene from a song in his upcoming "Agyaat" for television after the censor board objected to it. The filmmaker also stressed the movie is a thriller and not a horror flick as people are perceiving it to be from the promos.

"We have altered the song because the censor board thinks it is not viable for audiences of TV, which is a mass medium, though the big screen version might carry it in accordance with the certification of the film. The DVD version will however carry the scene without any doubt," Varma told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had asked the director to re-edit the music track "Jai Shri Shambhu" as it encourages substance abuse. The track shows leading lady Priyanka Kothari puffing a 'chillum' (pipe) while she sings "Dum Maro, yeh hai Sahara".

This is not the first time Varma has been associated with controversies.

He first sparked one when he visited the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, one of the sites of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, with then Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his actor son Riteish. Protesters thought he was collecting material for a film on the tragedy - something the director has denied.

He was again in the news when the censor board refused to clear another of his forthcoming films "Rann" unless he removed a song "Jana gana mana rann" - a take-off on the national anthem, which he refused to remove.

Asked if the controversies were coincidental or a publicity gimmick, Varma said: "I take a subject matter which is very hard hitting and obviously many people have problems with that and raise their voice against it.

"I just do my job and shoot whatever I think is right for the film and they do theirs in pointing out whatever they think is not right for the masses."

Coming back to "Agyaat", Varma said its promos might be spooky, but it does not belong to the horror genre.

"People are perceiving that 'Agyaat' is a horror film. I would like to make a point here that it's not a scary film. It's an adventure thriller," he clarified.

Produced by Varma and Ronnie Screwvala, "Agyaat" is about a film unit on a shoot in a dense forest and then crew members start getting killed one by one under mysterious circumstances by an invisible creature.

"Hollywood has made thousands of such films about people stuck somewhere and getting killed under unknown reasons. I thought what if this time people don't see what is killing them...the idea was to compel them to use their own imagination as a weapon, which is more lethal," the filmmaker said.

Releasing on August 7, "Agyaat" has an ensemble cast and includes Telugu actor Nitin Reddy.

The promos of the film suggest stark resemblances to Arnold Schwarzenegger-starrer sci-fi action horror "Predator", which showed a special task force being hunted down by an extra-terrestrial life form in the jungles of Central America.

Asked if inspration for "Agyaat" came from the 1987 movie, Varma said: "It's not only from 'Predator' but also from other such films like 'The Blair Witch Project', 'Anaconda', 'Alien' and 'The Thing'. In fact what sets 'Agyaat' apart is that you don't see what's killing you, which makes it even more adventurous."

Shot mostly in the Sigiriya jungles of Sri Lanka and the Athirapally forests in Kerala, the film's location was crucial for Varma, considering the invisibility of the creature.

"As the basic point was not to show the creature at all, the location had to make up for most of it. And among all the jungles I've been to in my life, Sigiriya is the most scary of them all where the bulk of the film is shot.

"My excitement was also to shoot a jungle, as it has been never done before, which I achieved with the background score, special effects and camera movements," he explained.

Varma's future projects include "Rakta Charitra" and a three-dimensional film.

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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Why Bebo refuses to wear Saif’s ring!

On a balmy Sunday afternoon, 23-year-old Jeet Dasgupta tears down a life-size poster of tennis pro Sania Mirza from his bedroom wall.

He scoffs, “Sania post her engagement isn’t a hot male fantasy. Soon, she’ll be talking kids.” In the pleasure playground of idol worship, betrothed female celebs enjoy second class citizenship. An online poll on timesofIndia.com recently revealed that 58 per cent of readers felt that marriage would mark a fall in B-town queen Kareena Kapoor’s star rating. A reader from Qatar declared, “Saying ‘yes’ will kill her image.”

Is it the fear of losing popularity that pressurises female icons to shy away from matrimony? Bebo, who’s been spotted with a colossal solitaire of late, dispels engagement rumours, “Am I crazy to get married now when so many wonderful things are happening to my career? It can wait for two years.”

In the fragile world of glamour, why are rules different for the sexes? Adman Prahlad Kakkar says, “Once hitched, the brand value of a female star falls. She’s no longer available as the subject of vicarious popular imagination. In India, marriage is associated with morality, so fans can’t handle a married woman gyrating in a bikini.”

An industry source says, “Rani Mukherji was the No 1 heroine after Hum Tum and Black. But, she turned herself into an exclusive Yashraj property, by secretly marrying producer Aditya Chopra. Today her career’s scripted by him.”

The original ‘It’ girl of the ‘90s, Pooja Bedi recalls how her ex-husband wanted her to quit films post marriage. “Being in the industry involves gruelling outdoor schedules, scandalous gossip, alleged link-ups and controversies. Non-star partners are intimidated,” says Bedi.

Former model Walusha Robinson recalls, “Offers stopped as soon as I had my first child. Though I was only 20, suddenly, I was being doled out commercials that saw me playing either a mother or a wife.”

Besides viewer voyeurism, director Madhur Bhandarkar points out, “The lifespan of an actress is short-lived. In a male-dominated industry, it takes at least three to four years to break through. Once an actress tastes success, it’s hard to resist the glamour bug, which is why most heroines talk marriage after they’ve crossed their prime or delay marriage if they’re young and seeing someone. Ironically, married heroes like Aamir or SRK are considered cool, but once a Priyanka Chopra marries, she may be offered the role of a bhabhi.” He adds, “Most distributors, including corporate houses feel casting married actresses is risky as they’re uncomfortable kissing onscreen, wearing a bikini or engaging in a love-making scene.”

B-town’s biggest female brand icon — Aishwarya turned down the lead in the gay spoof Dostana saying the role was “too sexy for her married image.”

Kakkar says, “Youth sells! A married woman often carries with her the baggage of age.” No wonder then that 20-something newcomers like Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor and Genelia D’Souza are nudging out 30-plus heroines from films and brand endorsements. Priyanka was heard saying, “No one in this industry is indispensable. Someone takes over from somebody.”

Actress Perizad Zorabian admits, “Married heroines tend to choose less risqué roles as there’s a chance of offending their extended family. And, once you have children you have to compromise.” Perhaps this explains the self-imposed hiatus that stars like Jaya Bachchan, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol and Karishma Kapoor took, before being lured by the arc lights again. But ‘comebacks’ too are risky. Madhur says, “Audiences can’t accept the physical changes in their female icons.”

Karisma Kapoor however dismisses the notion about actresses not getting good roles after marriage as a mere myth. “Does anybody in Hollywood ask Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, who make one film in five years, whether they’re coming back? Sharmila Tagore delivered some of her biggest hits after her children were born,” she retorts.

Actress Ayesha Takia, who recently tied the knot asks, “If our married actors can be treated professionally, why can’t actresses be treated as professionally?”

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Preity ok being a 'bechari', than a 'bitch'

Thursday night-Friday morning, as a heavy rain lashed Mumbai, Preity Zinta slipped out, taking a flight to London and from there to places she did not want to disclose... where she had “shoots to complete, ad films to make, business meetings to attend, and a couple of other things bunched together”.

She won’t be back till October, but said she was excited to get out, I did not blame her. Since Preity’s disastrous outing at the IPL in South Africa, where I don’t know which was her greater loss – cricket or love, the press had been on her case. “I don’t deny the fact that I’m single,” she had told me then. “I’ve not spoken about my personal life and I won’t do it now. I’d rather be the bechari than the bitch!” I did not ask about Ness Wadia, instead, I asked if men hit on her again. “Sure,” Preity had replied with her dimpled smile, “all the time, but the press hits on me as well!” Then, with some josh, “But I’m the same person, with the same values, just because I’m single it does not mean I’m breaking marriages. Don’t link me with every Tom, Dick and Harry.”

Now we spoke again as she completed last minute chores, the clock throwing silent minutes into the night, taking her closer to departure time. She had spent the last three weeks in Mumbai working on Main Aur Mrs Khanna (yes, it’s Kareena Kapoor’s film, but with Preity), there’s a little bit of dubbing left, and the film is being readied for Diwali. Her other film Har Pal, with the unfortunate rape accused Shiney Ahuja, will hopefully be released by the end of the year. She has two new films on hand, but has been reading more scripts, and is also working on a cricket show for television. “It’s called Behind The Seam and is going to be a look through my eyes at cricket in South Africa. Yes, I’ve restricted myself to the IPL, but the show’s much more than that. I’m producing it. What do you mean who’s idea is it? Mine, why! My idea of cricket was different before the IPL. I thought, you held the bat, threw the ball, got applauded if you hit a six, cursed if you got out! Besides the crazy cricket fan, that’s what everyone sees. So I’ve taken people behind the scenes, where the hard work and the heartache takes place, yes, yes, I’m in it, the camera follows me everywhere in South Africa. Except into my personal life... you won’t find it even here!”

She has been making brave statements about next year’s IPL, about how she’ll be there, because she’s not just financially involved with her team, but also emotionally attached to the business of cricket now. “That’s how I am, that’s my personality, if I’m not attached, I cannot be passionate about what I’m doing,” she had said. But there are many more runs to be scored in international cricket, records to be broken, before the IPL gets down to business again. And even if she is not into cricket then, Preity Zinta will always be an actress, so come in Bollywood! “I’m going to pull out a lot of surprises,” she promised. “This year, the films that will release will release, but now I’m excited because my career is going exactly the place I want it to go. I’ve always wanted to go in different directions and grow.

That’s why I ventured into cricket. And as an actor, I’m my own factory, I’m looking at doing films that add value to my body of work. Like The Last Lear, Heaven On Earth, Heroes... I feel so good I did them, they’re away from commercial cinema and take lesser time to make, and yet they take me to another horizon.”

But now she wants to get back to commercial cinema, she wants to be the actress that people would like to see. “Farah Khan was shooting me the other day and I had on this robe with a sexy thing underneath. I refused to take it off. Farah asked, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ And I replied, ‘Punjab Cricket Board kya sochenga?’ So, I’m looking at being the quintessential Preity Zinta again, but with an edge,” she said. I didn’t want her to lose her flight, but I had a question to ask: was she happy, finally? “As much as I can, I’m enjoying every moment of my life,” Preity replied.

“People can say what they want, the press can say what it wants, I’m not going to give five interviews to clarify... the fans judge me by the way I perform. Now I’m in my own space. I’m like a jack-in-the-box. When I’m in, I’m down. But once I’m out, I’m out!”

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Fox Studios picks up rights of ‘My Name is Khan’ for Rs 100 cr: Report

Mumbai: No one sells like Shah Rukh Khan in Bollywood. Even before the release of ‘My Name is Khan’, his film is being seen as a hit considering the hype surrounding every little detail of the film.

READ MORE ON SRKTHEDON

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Priyanka beats Mallika

10,000 followers on Twitter in a month; Mallika has 8,000

From Karan Johar to Mallika Sherawat, everyone is twittering these days. But leading the pack is Priyanka Chopra who's set a record by having over 10,000 followers in a month.

Before Priyanka it was Mallika Sherawat who was leading the pack with around 8,000 followers, but Priyanka has now claimed the top spot. A source close to the actress reveals Priyanka's Twitter fixation.

"She's very net savvy and a gadget freak. In fact she was very active on Facebook and when she logged on Twitter, she got hooked on to it.

For her it's the best way to directly interact with fans around the world. She takes time to read each and every message sent to her and replies back as and when she can."

It's not just posting messages, but also taking pictures thats got Priyanka hooked. "Recently she was at a press conference and she went on stage and took a picture of the entire media in front of her.

Then she also took a picture with her mom and brother. This is a chance for her fans to take a sneak peek into her personal life," added the source

When contacted Priyanka said, "I'm having a lot of fun. It's a great way for me to interact with my 'tweeps' directly... with no one in between!

I think now that people have realised that it's really me on twitter, the number of followers have grown.

It's mind blowing to have crossed this milestone within a month of being on twitter... Now I'm hoping my twitter family is going to grow even more!"

Celebs on Twitter
Karan Johar, Dino Morea, Mallika Sherawat, Gul Panag, Ayesha Takia, Uday Chopra and Kaizad Gustaad

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Kites will fly in december

Hrithik Roshan's much-awaited flick will release worldwide on December 18

After much hoopla and indecision, it's finally official. Anurag Basu's Kites will release on December 18. And no, the film was not delayed due to editing issues.

Rather, it was waiting for international buyers. Says a source, "Now that there's a slump in the international market, Kites won't wait for international buyers any longer.

The producers will give the film on a commission basis to international distributors."

The decision to release Kites on December 18 was taken after watching the film's final cut. Post-editing, the film is apparently an erotic feast.

The love scenes between Hrithik and Mori are sizzling and the producers have nothing to worry about.

Rakesh Roshan admits they're looking at December 18 as the worldwide release date for Kites.

"But there are details that still need to be worked out and I'd rather not talk about it until everything is in place," he said. Adds Anurag, "Yes, we are looking at the date. I've left the final decision to Roshanji and Eros."
Song Chopped

Meanwhile, according to sources, Rakesh and Anurag had a difference of opinion over retaining a Barbara-Hrithik song.

Rakesh, weaned on commercial cinema, thought it was an USP, while Anurag thought it hampered the film's flow.

The song now goes off. However, Anurag insisted, "As for the songs, they all carry the story forward. If we remove one, I'll have to re-edit the film for continuity."

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Priyanka Chopra's South African connection

There has been a charade of supposed torried affairs Priyanka has been having with her co-stars in recent times.

She has been in and out out her relationship with Shahid Kapur. Kaminey is due for release, and the ever politically correct Piggy Chops makes a point.

"Shahid and I are very good friends and we will promote Kaminey as and when we can. It’s releasing on August 14 so I guess we will also start promoting it near to the release.”

This means things are good between Shahid and Priyanka. Well, Priyanka has almost delivered back to back hits in the last year like Fashion and Dostana and this year her awaited films are Kaminey and What’s Your Rashee in which she is paired with Hurman Baweja

About the film she explains, “It’s a very different film where I am playing twelve different characters. All the girls are from across different countries. A girl from India, a girl from South Africa, etc. It’s different from all my films, in others I have played one character in which you can easily concentrate but in this film its quite hard to play the characters but as Ashutosh sir has helped me so much that for me it have become easy playing these characters.”

What’s Your Rashee will be the second film of Priyanka with Hurman Baweja. Their last film bombed but Priyanka is very sure about for What’s Your Rashee's chance at the BO. She added “ It’s a very different film, no one has seen any movie like this yet and I am sure people will like it.”

Let's hope Priyanka’s charm rubs off on Hurman. We will be seeing Priyanka and Hurman in twelve different characters as the Zodiac. “As I told you its 12 different characters according to the sun sign and we have to get the nature and characteristics of each sun sign correct and also integrate it with nationalites from around the world," she signs off.

What is to be seen is if we are ready for 12 Hurmans when we couldn't take one!

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The real reason behind Akki's price slash

Akshay Kumar was one of the highest paid actors in the industry and made no qualms of letting the world know about it.

After Singh Is King, Akki was on an all time high and was charging a whopping 50 crore per film. Even after the debacle of CC2C and Tasveer 8*10, things didn’t seem to change so it was surprising to hear that after Kambakkht Ishq, the actor slashed his price to a mere 20 crores. And here we thought he was letting all those producers out of their misery.

The real reason behind the price reduction was to eventually cash in on the profits of a film. Kambakkht Ishq did manage to pool in Rs 100 crore at the Box Office and Akki would rather have a piece of this pie then be labeled as a high charging actor. For everyone knows how Akshay has been ridiculed for the same both in print, media and the more recent film ShortKut in which Arshad Warsi’s character was inspired by Akshay Kumar.

So with this new mechanism in place, Akshay, these days, is insisting on knowing the cost of the film at the time of signing it so that he can calculate the profit beforehand. Now now Akki, at this pace you might just leave all those producers out of their jobs!

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Junta Talking: Luck

The public makes or breaks a film. Critics have panned and most of the aam junta is also of the same opinion. The critic pretty much summed up Luck's chances at the BO in our review, but here's what people are saying. Take a look at Imran's second time not lucky run.

Alka Shah: The movie was senseless and tacky. The dialogue and direction was poor. Luck’s a waste of talent and money. On the bright side, Sanjay Dutt was well cast. He didn’t have to do anything much; just his presence was enough. The locales were good. Do not see Luck.

Archanaa Acharya: The movie was timepass. I didn’t get bored. Ravi Kissen was very good. The double role twist at the end was ridiculous. Thankfully, there weren’t too many songs. It’s a different movie and you can see it once.

Jigar Shah: One must be very unlucky to see Luck. Imran and Shruti were robotic. Sanjay Dutt, Danny and Mithun were wasted. Only Ravi Kissen was good.

Kiran Mehta: The movie is a waste of time and money. It’s better to watch Dhoom 2 and Race than Luck. Imran Khan should only do romance and Shruti Haasan should go to acting school.

Irshad Chippa: The film was really nice. I loved the high-tech action and easy dialogues. Shruti Haasan looks super hot. It was a fun film.

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In Pics: Priyanka Chopra unveils the latest range of Nokia mobile phones

Indian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian PaparazziIndian Paparazzi
Indian PaparazziIndian Paparazzi

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Saturday, July 25, 2009

‘It just doesn’t get funnier than this’

Ever since Neeraj Vohra snatched the joy out of his hands by directing his three favourite stars — Akshay Kumar , Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal — in Phir Hera Pheri, the director has been waiting to bring the hit team together. Now, nine years after Priyadarshan made that laugh-a-riot Hera Pheri in 2000, he’s managed to pull it off for Ratan Jain’s De Dhana Dhan.

“I’ve made a funny film... it is for the audience to patronise it now,” said Priyan who reportedly worked like a man possessed to cast the three actors together again.

But coming together wasn’t a simple journey for the foursome. And a lot has changed since. Akshay has turned into a superstar capable of carrying a film on his own shoulders. Priyadarshan is one of the busiest directors of the industry giving one hit after the other. And, Suniel and Akshay were reportedly having a tiff. They came close to working together in Singh Is Kinng but at the last hour Suniel withdrew and Sonu Sood was taken in his place.

“It was not easy for all of us to come together. Something or the other kept happening which prevented us from working together. Though we wanted to, because Hera Pheri was a great experience, and we had the time of our lives shooting for that film. But things were just not falling in place. I’m glad that we were able to do De Dhana Dhan,” says Akshay.

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Aishwarya to crack down on 'false' write ups about her

Upset over "fabricated" media stories about her private life, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has threatened legal action against those responsible, a statement issued by her publicist said Thursday.

"Certain sections of the press have been behaving in a callous manner and have been putting together articles or pieces without any semblance of truth and furthermore they have been attributing quotes to the actor which are baseless and false. Previously our client preferred to remain silent to let better sense prevail be it the news when she was married off to a tree or otherwise. This silence should not be misconstrued as a weakness," the statement read.

The statement was issued to counter an article titled "Career more important than family" by a website where one of the quotes attributed to the actress read: "If I want to remain in the film industry then I need to stay fit", that implied that she will not have children. The article also stated that her actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan was in agreement with her stand.

"She is one actress who never made any statements that her marriage can wait and she will focus on her career. When she did, she got her family's blessings and got married in the middle of a film and has been a thorough professional even after her wedding," the statement said.

"We must not forget that besides being a star in every right Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is about a daughter, a wife, and a daughter in law, a symbol of our tradition and she has always believed and practiced values that govern our society. Irresponsible statements about her private life will not be left to grow without a strong rebuttal," it added.

The statement also warned of strict legal action against those behind such stories about the 35-year-old.

"This may be read and understood in no uncertain terms that hence forth we would be forced to take legal recourse in any such event of a piece or article appearing without any credibility or which is an absolute fabrication of one's imagination... We must respect Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for her stand to remain silent on such baseless rumors but it would be wrong to use her name to further a personal cause or career," it read.

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Dev Patel, Freida duck papparazi

Multiple Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" couple Dev Patel and Freida Pinto are avoiding being photographed together.

Following a romantic dinner in a New York restaurant, the stars left for their hotel but when the pair spotted waiting photographers, Dev made a comic run away, reports newstin.co.uk.

Seeing the funny side of it, Dev began laughing while making his dash, and Freida, 25, also appeared to be amused as they out-foxed the snappers and giggled away. Frieda sauntered on alone in a white butterfly T-shirt dress.

Rumours surfaced in February as "Slumdog..." mania swept the globe that Freida and Dev, 19, were more than just friends.

Their cover was blown, however, by co-star Anil Kapoor who revealed: "When I meet them, I feel there is something happening," before adding that the couple shared "a magical chemistry".

Dev has recently been in Philadelphia filming "The Last Airbender" while Freida is being chased by casting agencies for modelling and film work.

He is also rumoured to have been lined up to play a lead role in a Hindi remake of south Indian hit "Nadodigal".

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Dev Patel, Freida duck papparazi

Multiple Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" couple Dev Patel and Freida Pinto are avoiding being photographed together.

Following a romantic dinner in a New York restaurant, the stars left for their hotel but when the pair spotted waiting photographers, Dev made a comic run away, reports newstin.co.uk.

Seeing the funny side of it, Dev began laughing while making his dash, and Freida, 25, also appeared to be amused as they out-foxed the snappers and giggled away. Frieda sauntered on alone in a white butterfly T-shirt dress.

Rumours surfaced in February as "Slumdog..." mania swept the globe that Freida and Dev, 19, were more than just friends.

Their cover was blown, however, by co-star Anil Kapoor who revealed: "When I meet them, I feel there is something happening," before adding that the couple shared "a magical chemistry".

Dev has recently been in Philadelphia filming "The Last Airbender" while Freida is being chased by casting agencies for modelling and film work.

He is also rumoured to have been lined up to play a lead role in a Hindi remake of south Indian hit "Nadodigal".

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Shahrukh Khan becomes a father

Shahrukh Khan is all set to play the role of a father and believe it or not he will play it in two movies My Name Is Khan and Anubhav Sinha's Ra 1. Although most actors shy away from playing such roles Shahrukh had qualms about playing a father on screen. Most stars are apprehensive of loosing their charm once they play an aged character on screen but not Shahrukh.

READ MORE ON SRKTHEDON

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Imran and Ranbir a couple

They sure hell are acting like one. Good friends Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor have crackling chemistry and Imran has stated he wants to preserve it for something big in the future.

Imran Khan recently refused to appear on Farah Khan’s talk show with Ranbir Kapoor and stated to the press, ‘‘We (Ranbir and I) are deliberately cutting down on our public appearances together now because we don't want to lose that novelty factor, Farah Khan had invited us on her chat show but we didn't go for the same reason. We want to keep it special for that film’. Talk about gushing like a little girl.

The duo made all the news when they hosted this year’s Filmfare Awards with a Dostana spin off and were so convincing as a couple that were even considered for Dostana 2. However Imran won’t settle for any anything small and wants to do something like Andaz Apna Apna with Ranbir, a film that would be remembered for the next 20 years.

Wait it gets even more gooey, on a personal level, Imran is the closest to Ranbir and shares anything and everything with him, ‘There are things I can only talk with Ranbir because I know only he would understand. That's because he's in the same place as I am. Somewhere, there's a connection.’ Take our advice, with the kind of loving they show each other, Bollywood will be ready for a Brokeback Mountain, pretty damn soon we say! And this time it could be more real than reel.

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Kangna to wed…

News is Nikhil Advani’s next offering Tanu Weds Manu has found its female lead, the gorgeous Kangna Ranaut.

Nikhil had earlier offered the role to Shahana Goswami, who eventually turned it down. While R. Madhavan was confirmed as the main lead, the makers of the film were on the lookout for an actress to star with him and settled on Kangna, who supposedly loved the script upon hearing it.

After Kangna was unavailable for comment, her spokesperson told us that the actress had just landed in Mumbai from her shoot of Anees Bazmee’s No Problem in South Africa. The actress did not want to speak of the subject now as it was too soon to comment on the issue.

Produced by Anand L. Rai, being made under the Colour Yellow Pictures banner, the film is a love story, scheduled to go on the floors in the third week of September. The film is going to be shot in most portions in North India.

At the time being, Kangna is shooting for Milan Lutharia’s Once Upon a Time and Anees Bazmee’s No Problem and has Kites releasing by the end of the year.

Kangna and Madhavan together would be something to look out for indeed, but isn't Nikhil the same guy who came up with duds such as Salaam-e-Ishq and CC2C? Let's hope third time’s the charm!

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Jail is a copy

Multiple National Award winning director Madhur Bhandarkar is known for his original scripts and real-life exposés. So to know that his upcoming film Jail is a rip off of a Brazilian film was a shocker indeed.

Jail is the hard-hitting, yet sensitive tale of an ordinary man Parag Dixit (played by Neil Mukesh) who finds himself inside the four walls of a prison due to a series of unfortunate events around him. The film is from his point of view and tells the stories of several other inmates.

But inside sources insist that Madhur’s film is not at all original and bears many similarities to Brazlian film Carandiru, which was based on the real-life experiences of Dr Drauzio Varella inside the dreadful state penitentiary in Sao Paulo, Brazil, while he was doing social work for AIDS prevention. There, he finds hundreds of convicts living under degrading conditions. The story culminates with the 1992 massacre, where 111 prisoners died, 102 killed by police.

Madhur however dismissed the rumours outright, saying, ‘Mine is an original film. All my films right from Chandni Bar to Fashion have been the fact realities and fiction. Jail is an original script.’

A spokesperson for the film also denied the allegations, and according to StarBoxOffice, the film pretty much runs on the lines of Edward Norton-starrer 25th Hour meets The Shawshank Redemption. A basic expose of violent prison systems, let's hope Jail is the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

What Indian audiences are waiting for is to see Neil Nitin Mukesh in the buff. That should be original; no body double will do. Madhur has a habit of snipping out the explicit stuff to suit censor scissors. He chopped out a kissing scene between two men in Fashion to keep the film clean, since the censors fussed.

Jail should break new ground with the footage of Neil doing the stuff that is so common in prisons. It is likely that the film will have shades of previous Hollywood hits (where else can Bollywood source inspiration from?), but if the rumour of the Brazilian film copy is true, then all the well, Madhur sure likes the publicity to keep the show running.

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First Look: Lamhaa

Sanjay Dutt is back in Kashmir and this time there’s a lot more at stake in Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa.

The story of Lamhaa goes as such that an unknown company who is generating millions of unaccountable dollars, benefiting politicians and bureaucrats in the Indian and Pakistani intelligence, is likely to disrupt and possibly paralyze Kashmir.

Thus, Vikram (Sanjay Dutt), an undercover intelligence officer, is sent to investigate this highly confidential mission using the identity of Gul Jehangir. The same day that he lands in the valley, Haji (Anupam Kher) a top separatist leader, survives a blast, leaving Vikam to wonder whether there is connection between the blast and the operation.

To solve this conundrum, Vikram teams up with Aziza (Bipasha Basu), Haji’s young, aggressive and outspoken protégé. They embark together on a journey full of intrigue, suspicion, betrayal and danger, to uncover the truth. Vikram and Aziza exposes the dirty secrets of a state’s fight for freedom, the corrupt nexus of politicians, intelligence, militancy and the crucification of idealistic and passionate people.

Also starring Kunal Kapoor, Yashpal Sharma in crucial roles, the film is bound to be a explosive expose and we cant wait to see Sanju Baba in a whole new avatar.

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In Pics: Saif Ali Khan Promotes 'Love Aaj Kal' at Shoppers Stop

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In Pics: Luck and Hungama Digital Media's Press Conference

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In Pics: Neil Nitin Mukesh at Narendra Kumar bash

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In Pics: Special screening of 'Love Aaj Kal' for Sikh Community

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In Pics: Stars at " Acid Factory " Event

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B.O. update: 'Luck' opens very well at single screens, multiplexes are average

The action-thriller LUCK fetched a very good start at single screens of most circuits. The 12 noon shows in U.P., Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Nizam were in the 70% - 80% range. But the 3 p.m. shows were almost houseful everywhere. The opening at multiplexes, however, was around 40%. Mumbai was affected due to the high tide scare on Friday.

Meanwhile, the film collected an impressive 2.8 lakh Dirhams on its opening day in UAE.

The film has been released on 976 prints in India [343 physical prints and 633 digital prints] in 1,150 screens. In Overseas, it has been released n 134 prints on 150 screens. The worldwide print count is 1,110 in 1,300 screens.

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Luck - Movie Review

Fasten your seat belts and get ready for hardcore stunts and thrills, Hollywood ishtyle. Come to think of it, Bollywood hasn't churned out stylised action movies as regularly as it churns out comedies and rom-coms. There's a vacuum for sure. But LUCK fills that lacuna. Be rest assured, you haven't watched such thrills since DHOOM 2.

LUCK is more of a hi-concept film. Three decades ago, Krishna Shah's SHALIMAR narrated the adventures of a billionaire who assembles/invites criminals/gangsters from across the globe to perform the heist of a precious diamond that he possesses. The concept isn't similar here, but in this case too, a gambler assembles people from across the globe for a concept called human betting.

LUCK may not be high on story, but the concept and at least four stylised thrilling sequences make a big difference. Simply put, it makes LUCK lucky.

LUCK may have loads of thrills, but director Soham Shah ensures that the grand canvas and stylised thrills appeal to every strata of movie-going audience. Only thing, had screenplay writers Soham Shah and Rensil D'Silva worked doubly hard to come up with a watertight script, it would've only worked wonders.

After weighing the pros and cons, it can be said that LUCK rides on star power, its concept and adrenaline-pumping thrills primarily. If you're into thrillers or have been missing one, LUCK holds the key.

LUCK tells the tale of mafia kingpin Musa [Sanjay Dutt], who has one obsession: To revolutionize the betting industry. For him, life is a gamble and what better way to skew the odds than play with those with luck on their side.

Different characters from different parts of the world, each with Lady Luck in their favour, are brought in to play the game of death. With millions at stake, how far will each of them go in courting danger and deceit?

The very start of the film transports you to a different world. The viewer is drawn into a world where bets are placed on humans and death-defying stunts are the order of the day. The train sequence at the very start says it all. It's a sequence that not only introduces you to the plot, but also makes a hammer-strong impact. You haven't watched something like this on the Hindi screen before.

The game of death is far more dangerous than those witnessed in the reality shows. The revolver sequence [the first challenge], the helicopter jump, the underwater sequence with sharks and the train sequence in the climax give you goose bumps and remain etched in your memory. There's a scene involving a lighter too, which is sure to draw whistles and claps.

But the film slips due its ineffectual writing. It gyrates from engrossing to bas-theek-hain towards the second hour. The romantic track, to be specific, is flaccid. Also, the climax should've concluded the moment Imran wins the jackpot money of Rs. 20 crores. Wasn't that his motive when he entered the game with his eyes wide open? So why this sudden urge to confront Sanjay Dutt after the game is over? Had the prize money doubled to Rs. 40 crores, it would've made sense. Or, for that matter, if he had a personal score to settle with Sanju, the game of death would've looked plausible. There's no motive in the first place.

Moreover, the sequence in the hospital, towards the end, may be true, medically speaking, but the question is, was it necessary in a film of this genre? Frankly, it robs the film of its seriousness and even compels you to break in a full-throated roar, a reaction that is completely unwarranted. Even Shruti Haasan's double role doesn't cut ice.

Soham Shah has made a stylish film and the fact remains that he has an eye for visuals. But Soham should've stuck to the spirit of the film, instead of getting into diversions [romance and the penultimate scene]. Salim-Sulaiman's music is vibrant and 'Aasma' is easily the pick of the lot. The background score [Amar Mohile] is electrifying. Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography matches international standards. Ditto for the sound design by Dwarak Warrier. Allan Amin's stunts and thrills are a major USP.

Sanju is perfect for this part and enacts it with natural ease. Actually, here's one role that only he could've portrayed so effectively. Imran is getting better with every film. Watch his helplessness at the start or his confidence when he takes to the stunts. Even towards the latter reels, he's very much in sync with his character.

Shruti Haasan is a star, no two opinions on that. The confidence with which she carries off this role just cannot be overlooked. Ravi Kishan is another scene-stealer. You are under the impression that he may get lost in the crowd, but he stands tall. The masses will love him.

Mithun Chakraborty is controlled and delivers a truly fine performance. Danny Denzongpa is, as always, so perfect. Very few actors have that ability to stand out in a crowd. He's one of them. Chitrashi is excellent. The sequence in the hospital is superb. Rati Agnihotri gets no scope.

On the whole, LUCK rides on star power, adrenaline-pumping thrills and a concept that's novel for the Indian screens. Despite some loose ends, these three factors primarily would ensure a Lucky journey at the box-office.

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Lamhaa - First Look

Lamhaa,

Lamhaa,

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Tum Mile - First Look

Tum Mile, Emraan Hashmi,Soha Ali Khan

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Katrina Kaif clears controversies in July issue of People

Katrina Kaif

After being termed as the lucky mascot of Bollywood, after having become the face of every possible big brand, after having been voted as the Sexiest Woman for umpteen times, after having graced a million magazine covers, the gorgeous Katrina is the latest cover-girl in this edition of 'People'.

Call this as a 'confession edition' or whatever you may like, but this issue of 'People' is definitely something that can be preserved for ages to come. As it's in this issue, Katrina clears off all the airs and controversies (read gossip and rumors) that constantly surround her! To start with, she clarifies her take on Salman being ready for marriage, while she isn't! Other clarifications include the much alleged spark between her and Ranbir on the sets of Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahaani, Salman's latest muse Claudia Ciesla etc.

This edition is indeed one of must buy for Katrina fans. Go for it, People!

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Ash is an icon, I'm nowhere: Kat

Katrina Kaif, whose performance in New York is still getting her compliments, is pleased as Punch... but the actress who recently celebrated her birthday with family in London, is also concerned about the huge responsibility this success has now thrust upon her.

“I’m going to be expected to raise the bar with each further release,’’ she said, “and the thought is scary.”

Taking stock of the top brass in Bollywood, Kat said, “I disagree with the constant statement that actresses in Bollywood are interchangeable.’’ According to her, each of the top contenders had an uniqueness, and she was certain that what Kareena Kapoor could do... she herself would never be able to.
“Kareena is a fantastic actress,’’ admitted Kat. “I’m still nowhere near her as a performer.’’

She was also of the opinion that Priyanka Chopra, Asin, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had their own individual strengths. “I hate this media refrain that heroines in Bollywood are all the same,” complained Kat. “Priyanka, Asin and Vidya are my contemporaries. Can you imagine Parineeta without Vidya? Jab We Met without Kareena? Or, for that matter, Fashion without Priyanka? They are all first grade in these films.’’

Naturally, she is peeved that a magazine called them all assembly-line products who could be replaced by one another without the audience noticing the difference. Katrina flashed, “By pigeon-holing us, the journalist is showing his or her lack of perception.’’

Another irritant is the constant comparison to Ash just because the two of them have endorsed the same products. “Aishwarya is an icon, I’m nowhere close to her,’’ said the actress who is currently one of the top contenders for Kareena’s No. 1 slot in Bollywood.

And, as for that reference also in the media to her being “a modern day Madhubala”, Kat asked incredulously, “Where did that spring up from? Madhubala was an iconic actress. I’m not even one per cent of what she was. And I’m not amused at such comparisons because, honestly, I have no illusions of having reached somewhere with the body of work I have behind me. My journey has only just begun.’’

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Don’t call me chocolate boy: Imran

Now puhlease don’t get upset Ranbir....your buddy Imran isn’t talking about you here. Really.

He’s only talking about his own ‘chocolatey’ label. Imran’s debut film Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na, which was a huge success, was a candy floss romance, albeit with some freshness and extra flavour, but c’mon it was a rom-com, after all. And Imran was touted as the hottest new chocolate-boy. Along with Ranbir Kapoor, of course.

Recently, when ZOOM was doing a special interview with this dashing Khan, for Luck, he confessed in so many words that he didn’t particularly fancy the ‘chocolate-boy’ image. In fact he said that he hates the word ‘chocolate-boy’. Uh-huh...this is what we don’t get.

If the image works wonders for him (and wins him so many fans, even if they’re mostly women), what’s the problem, yaar? Remember Mamu (Aamir Khan) started his career’s first hit with a lover-boy image in QSQT. Well, so hold on dude, there’s still time to turn into the angry young man. Wotsay, Mamu? Catch the Imran Khan Luck special on ZOOM this week!

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SRK plays the gentlemen's game!

Okay, the Knight Riders needn’t get insecure already.

First, hear us out, boys. We told you about Shah Rukh Khan holidaying with his bachchas at his favourite hot-spot London. What we didn’t tell you is that he loves London so much that when he’s there, he drops all his starry inhibitions and becomes one of ‘em. Yeah, believe it or not, SRK is often spotted playing cricket in Hyde Park (which is a stone’s throw away from his new plush apartment).

READ MORE ON SRKTHEDON

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Deepika Padukone is down with the Malarial fever

Deepika Padukone is down with malaria. The actress, who is presently shooting in London, had not been keeping well for the past few days. Though initially it was thought that the Om Shanti Om girl was suffering from a viral infection, tests have now proved that it is malarial fever.

On Wednesday, Dippy appeared in no condition to face the camera. As reported ('Deepika unwell'; Hitlist, July 22), she had been sporting enough to shoot as major sequences with her and co-star Akshay Kumar are being canned. On Tuesday, however, despite the high fever, she managed to still shoot for several scenes.

Now the shoot of Housefull is on only with Akshay and the rest of the cast. Both director Sajid Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala have told her to go easy and not to shoot till she fully recovers.

As Deepika is too weak to talk, a source close to the actress says, "Two days after she landed in London on July 11 for the shoot, she felt feverish. Assuming it to be an under the weather situation, she began popping painkillers, but the fever would not subside. She also had shivering. The unit folk then took her to a doctor on Tuesday night and she was diagnosed with malaria.

Deepika was to complete her scenes of Housefull by this weekend and fly back to Mumbai for the promotions of Love Aaj Kal. "But in this condition, whether she can take the long flight back home is to be seen," adds the source.

It is learnt that her beau Ranbir Kapoor, who is in Mumbai, is extremely worried and is keeping check through calls and SMSes.

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I'm planning to cut my hair, says Kareena

Actress speaks about the highs and lows of being a style icon

Having been designated a style icon, Kareena Kapoor now intends to go on a long shopping binge in various fashion capitals and also cut her hair.

"I have to...I've no choice. I'm looked at as a fashion statement. Very tiring, but flattering. Dress designer Aki Narula has set impossible standards of fashion for me through my films. Now I've no choice but to live up to those standards. I've raised the bar for fashion," Kareena told IANS.

"After 'Kambakkht Ishq' (pictured left), in 'Qurbaan' Aki has again made me look so special," added the actress who gives the credit for her 'Kambakkht..." look to Aki.

"He went shopping for my clothes and accessories. This may be a film, but I've never worked harder. In terms of styling and body language even dance and drama, I really worked hard. I wanted it to be a 'phataka' kind of role. I wanted the audience to come out breathless," said Kareena, who may soon be off on a shopping expedition to fashion hubs such as Milan, Paris, London and New York.

"It becomes tiring for everything I wear to be in the media glare. I constantly need to be well-dressed. It's a price I've to pay, in more ways than one. I don't have a choice but to have my wardrobe filled with choices.

"Nowadays when I go abroad, I find myself spending more time in shops than holidaying. It's a responsibility. And I do need to be chic all the time. But my being a fashion icon also depends on my attitude and mood of the moment," said the actress.

Asked if has she shifted loyalties from dress designer Manish Malhotra to Aki, she said: "No. I love Aki's work and plan to use his clothes very often. But Manish and I go back a long way. He dressed up my sister to stardom and then me. We're not the kind of people who move on in our friendships.
"I'm back with Manish Malhotra in '3 Idiots' and the remake of 'Stepmom'. I'll be dressed up as a stylish young girl. I'm planning to cut my hair. I'm really proud to be called stylish. I like that," said the actress.

The selection of clothes and designer depends upon the roles, says Kareena.

"In 'Jab We Met', I was simply dressed in salwar-kameez. In my forthcoming films 'Qurbaan' and '3 Idiots', I'm minimalist in my clothes.

"But 'Kambakkht Ishq' was about beautiful surfaces and shallow people. I had to dress immaculately. The standards for a heroine's look and styling had to be raised. In terms of clothes, hair and makeup we've done that in 'Kambakkht Ishq'. The fact is, I wanted to look very different. I wanted to look larger than life," she said.

But the actress says she is equally comfortable playing a girl next door like she did in "Omkara".

"If I can carry off Kolhapuri chappals in 'Omkara', I'm equally at home in Jimmy Choos in 'Kambakkht Ishq'. I'm equally proud of both kind of films. Madhuri (Dixit) did a 'Mrityudand' and a 'Choli ke peeche' (in 'Khalnayak') side by side. Look at the film actors like Madhuri, my sister Karisma, Saif Ali Khan and Akshay did in the 1990s. And look where they got! I guess I was lucky."

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New woman in Shahid Kapur’s life

His love life said to have taken another turn

Not many know if Shahid Kapur’s ‘serial-dater’ tag is justified or purely based on speculation, but reports about his liaisons just don’t end.

While post-Kareena the young actor has not acknowledged having a girlfriend, gossip has never stopped. Vidya Balan, Sania Mirza, Priyanka Chopra - he’s said to have gone from one woman to the next rather rapidly. And, just as rapidly, he has reportedly moved on to his latest woman – Anushka Sharma of “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” fame.

Shahid’s relationship with Priyanka has made enough news off late, with the two opposites said to be perpetually on the brink of a split. It’s now being said that they have parted ways.

In fact, the souring of the relationship is apparently even coming in the way of the promotion of their film “Kaminey”, scheduled to release on August 14. Both are said to be avoiding joint appearances at promotional events.

Meanwhile, it’s being said that Shahid is getting close to Anushka, with whom he’s shooting for a Yash Raj film, directed by actor Parmeet Sethi.

By the way, according to an astrologer, Shahid-Priyanka is potentially a weak match wherein ego issues and conflict of power are most likely. Their relationship has little prospects and even if they are dating, it will all be over by the end of this year, it’s predicted.

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Abhishek goes to Kargil with sweets made by Ash and Jaya

Actor pays tribute to war heroes

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan travelled all the way to Kargil to pay tribute to the war heroes ahead of Vijay Diwas on July 26 armed with 'gajar ka halwa' and 'aam ras' especially made by his wife Aishwarya Rai and mother Jaya Bachchan for the soldiers posted there.

Abhishek also read out a beautiful poem 'Agnipath' written by his grandfather Harivansh Rai Bachchan along with a message from his actor father Amitabh Bachchan.

He visited some of the locations where the Kargil war was fought 10 years back. His entire journey will be shown on NDTV's special show "Jai Jawan" on Saturday at 12pm and Sunday 11.30a. and 9.30pm.

The journey to Kargil and Drass is an eight-hour drive. Following the route taken by jawans, Abhishek walked across the Zojilla Pass and even drove for a portion of the journey, meeting soldiers at each point along the way, an NDTV release said.

Abhishek also visited a bunker at Sando top and even tried his hand at firing a few rounds with them at the training centre. He then recounted his experiences while shooting for the movie "LOC Kargil", which was inspired by the war.

On Kargil Vijay Diwas 10 years ago, Indian soldiers defeated the Pakistanis after fighting for over 40 days in Kargil and Drass and retrieved the control of the land they had lost to them. Many soldiers lost their lives in the war.

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Is this Mallika’s butt

Sadly, no. The daring Mallika Sherawat who doesn’t shy away from exposing has developed cold feet in her upcoming snake woman flick Hisss.

The actress insisted on a body double for a scene in which she sheds her skin in the forest. Her brother Vikram Lamba, when quizzed by the press on whether Mallika had backed out from doing the scene herself, denied it outright. 'Yes, we have used a body double, but it was Jennifer Lynch (the director) who took a call on the matter and decided that we should use a body double.'

Hissss is the story of a naagin with a vengeance agenda, played by Mallika. The bloody, gory film has Mallika the naagin gulping down bodies while she shape-shifts into a beautiful woman to locate her mate, who has been captured. Creating chaos in the city, the cops are bewildered with this mysterious phenomenon and Irrfan Khan, who plays the head cop must capture her before she strikes again.

But this is not a new thing. Mahesh Bhatt once spoke about her developing cold feet during the making of Murder. Did you know she used a body double even then? Now you do!

StarBoxOffice feels that the dare-bare Mallika Sherawat seems to have toned down her wild ways, which we get to hear about so much only in print. The truth is always something else. Afterall, she is still an Indian girl, no matter what she is up to in LA!

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Priyanka’s cool birthday gift

Priyanka has a super toned, enviable midriff and what better than a diamond belly button ring?

Priyanka’s parents - Madhu and Ashok Chopra - gifted their daughter a diamond, butterfly-shaped belly button ring when she turned 27 on July 18. Super cool, we say, but Priyanka isn’t a teenager any more, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

On her Twitter profile, a thrilled Priyanka wrote, 'Hey tweeple, got some rocking news... My parents got me a diamond belly button ring for my bday. Guess what? Just got my piercing done! Yay!'

Last year, her father gifted a Mercedes Benz to her on her birthday. She also gifted apartments to herself and her parents in Versova’s upscale Raj Classique Society.

Priyanka celebrated her birthday with a few friends and family at a nightclub at a suburban five star hotel. Before and after her birthday, she continued shooting for YRF’s Pyaar Impossible, which she says, is turning out fabulously.

Piggy Chops’ latest post reads, 'One of those nights where I feel like curling up with a hot cup of soup, read a fabulous script and watch the rain beat against my window.'

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Chaand sifarish jo karta - Aamir!

Chaand sifarish jo karta, Aamir ki karta! The moon is on Aamir Khan’s mind a lot of late. The 40th anniversary of man’s first landing on the moon is all he can seem to watch on telly. That’s what his last entry on his blog is all about.

Aamir KhanDoes he find it exciting? Oh, yes! “To actually get into a rocket, shoot off into space, watch the earth receding, and the moon getting closer, and then actually land on it and walk about. Wow!,” he says on his blog.

He has, however, one doubt in mind. Did the moon landing actually happen or was it just a hoax? Were we just fooled to think that the landing happened, with the help of trick photography and creative photography, or were the footage and photographs for real?

“Have heard so much about the conspiracy theory that surrounds the moon landing,” Aamir writes on his blog. He is now researching what the Internet has to say about it. He found a lot of stuff on the net, both for and against the landing. “While going through some clips I ran into this most interesting documentary. It’s called ‘Moon Landing A Fake or Fact?’, at least that’s what you need to type,” he says. He urges readers to watch this documentary and write about what they think about the subject – whether it actually happened or was just a con?

He goes on to write about his recent meeting with Hillary Clinton. “What I would like to say is that it was a real pleasure to meet with her. I found Sec. Clinton to be an extremely warm and charming person. And she has such sharp and clear thinking, and expresses herself so well. Quite a privilege to meet with her,” he says. About the controversy surrounding what he wore for the event, he says, “I didn’t think much about it. I don’t usually give much importance (to) what I am wearing, so I’ll stay away from that discussion.”

As a parting shot, he gives his fans two new films of his to watch out for: Dhobi Ghat with his wife Kiran as well as 3 Idiots. Speaking about his role in Dhobi Ghat, he says, “I am playing one of the leads in Kiran’s film Dhobi Ghat. The reason we kept this under wraps is that she didn’t want to attract much attention towards her film. She wanted to make this film on real locations with a tiny crew, very guerilla style. So we had to do it very quietly. And for once we managed to keep a secret from the media, at least until we finished the shoot.” As for 3 Idiots, the principal photography for the film is complete, and only one song is pending, which they plan to shoot in September.

Aamir has ‘butterflies in his stomach’, with so much on the agenda. “But this time I will NOT smoke. No matter how nervous I get,” he quips.

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Govinda back on square one

Rumours are rife that Chi Chi is back to his old habits of reporting late and stalling shoots, this time on the sets of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan.

After the last report of Mani Rantnam’s illness stalling the shoot of Raavan, the director seems to be facing losses again. Supposedly, Govinda has been skipping his shoots and Mani Sir is badly miffed with the actor. But sources say Govinda was at his best behaviour until recently, and have no idea what came into him when he missed three days of precious shooting.

A spokesperson for the film however dismissed all the rumours, saying, “This is completely untrue, shooting had been stalled earlier only due to Mani Sir’s health. Govinda has never been late and has never caused any inconvenience on the sets. He is a thorough professional and had even excused himself from an IIFA appearance so that he could complete his shoot for the film.”

Also starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram, the film is a present day version of the Indian epic Ramayana which tells the story of Rama, whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon (Rākshasa) king of Lanka, Ravana.

Govinda was however unavailable for comment. We hopes that the actor doesn’t suffer another relapse.

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

It’s not true, says annoyed Ash

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has had it up to her neck with rumour-mongers speculating about her personal and professional life.

The actress, who is one of Bollywood’s busiest currently, having films with topnotch makers like Mani Ratnam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Vipul Shah, has been perfectly balancing her married life and career.

She’s, however, angry that a section of the media has attributed quotes like “My career is more important to me than my family” to her. And is not amused with people putting words in her mouth like “If I want to remain in the film industry then I need to stay fit.”

Ash is currently shooting with husband Abhishek in the jungles of Kerala for Ravana, but she conveyed her feelings through her spokesperson who said, “Aishwarya Rai is not just a star. She is also a daughter, a wife, a daughter-in-law and a symbol of true Indian tradition. She has always believed and practised values that govern our society.”

The spokesperson further added, “Previously Aishwarya preferred to remain silent. Even when she was married off to a tree, she chose not to speak because she truly felt better sense would prevail. However, her silence should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness.” The actress wants to know why should people speculate, when her spokespeople are available to clarify the truth.

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Hrithik Roshan’s hospital visits

Hrithik Roshan has been visiting hospitals. No, the actor isn't unwell. It's part of his preparation for his role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish, where he plays a paraplegic. A source reveals that Hrithik makes his visit late nights, so he doesn't get noticed. Apparently, the suburban hospital that he's visiting has given him special access to a ward that has patients suffering from the same syndrome.

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Unreasonable criticism depresses Kareena

But Saif keeps her ‘happy and smiling’

Kareena Kapoor admits she gets upset when uncharitable remarks are made about her or her performance. Though the actress doesn't mind healthy criticism, she isn't amused when comments are made without any provocation or reason.

"I have realised over a period of time that the higher you go, more and more people will try to pull you down. I used to hear about this from my sister (Karisma) but am experiencing this first hand now. It isn't really funny actually," Kareena told IANS.

Kareena was obviously referring to a section of the media coming down heavily on her since the release of "Kambakkht Ishq" (pictured left).

"Well, the movie has released, done well and it's time to move on to newer things. Critics had things to say about the film and it's okay if they didn't like the film. In any case, audiences had their own take on the film and they made the film a success. It's all balanced out at the end of the day," she said.

Some critics did feel that the "Kambakkht Ishq" content was too abusive at places.

"That continues to beat me," she said in an amused tone. "Come on, it was just a movie. We were not developing any rocket science there. However, I guess some people did take it all personally and equated 'Kambakkht Ishq' to World War III," said Kareena.

She can't be immune to criticism though, isn't it?

"Yes, I do tend to get upset and depressed when people try to pull me down. Sometimes it just comes from nowhere and you end up feeling that what did you really do so wrong to be facing such criticism.

"But then I understand that there could be a phase in one's life when you get attacked from all corners. It's fine because I know it will pass," said the actress who is looking forward to the release of "Qurbaan" before year-end.

She is happy though that she has a loyal set of friends, family members and supporters around her who help her keep her chin up.

"And then of course there is Saif," she perked up. "He has been around for so long and keeps me happy and smiling. Yes, there are detractors, but then there are supporters as well. After seeing Bollywood business closely for so long, I try not to take things too seriously."

Her "Tashan" didn't do well at the box office, but Kareena has had impressive releases over the last few years like "Omkara", "Jab We Met", "Golmaal Returns" and now "Kambakkht Ishq" doing well at the box office. In between, she also had a special appearance in another box office winner "Don - The Chase Begins Again".

"Yes, thankfully it has been a nice run. I'm now really looking forward to 'Qurbaan', 'Main Aur Mrs. Khanna' and '3 Idiots'."

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Preity to host a television show

It’s said to be sports-based

Even though everything is being kept under wraps, if reports are to be believed, Preity Zinta is set to make her television debut and is negotiating with a leading production house to host a sports-based show.

Preity too is refusing to talk anything about the show as the matter is still in discussion stage and she has not yet signed the deal.

However, speculations are rife that the show will be a game-based concept and Preity will be inviting her celebrity friends from the industry and also cricketers from her Kings XI Punjab team.

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Grumpy Imran throws tantrums…

While his girlfriend makes up for his bad behavior

Imran Khan reportedly threw tantrums at a promotional event for his film “Luck” along with a shoot for a fashion magazine.

Right from the beginning he did not seem interested in the shoot. He was grumpy and irritable and kept on complaining about the clothes and the makeup. He gave the photographers a tough time and they were not able to get the right frames.

To make matters worse, Imran shouted at the photographer for taking long to finish the shoot.

His girlfriend Avantika, who was also present at the shoot, remained calm and poised, and was being very cordial to everyone.

The moody Imran should learn to be more friendly and patient or else he might run out of Luck as far as his PR and popularity are concerned.

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Twinkle to dress Akshay on screen

She’s working on his look in ‘Action Replay’

Twinkle Khanna always has a major role to play as far as husband Akshay Kumar’s dressing and styling are concerned. But that has been mainly off screen, with Twinkle otherwise being busy with her career as an interior designer.

But now she will be making her on screen presence felt with Vipul Shah’s “Action Replay”. She is styling Akshay’s look in the film as well as designing some costumes for the movie.

“Action Replay” is based on the Hollywood film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, starring Brad Pitt, and also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Twinkle liked the concept of the movie and requested director Vipul Shah to let her design for the film.

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Amrita is Govinda’s Life Partner

Katrina Kaif was the original choice to star alongside Govinda in Rumi Jaffrey’s Life Partner considering their rapport in Partner.

But after Kat cited date issues, wannabe sexbomb Amrita Rao has taken her place.

The film stars Fardeen Khan-Genelia D'Souza and Tushar Kapoor - Prachi Desai as couples and that meant poor old Govinda was left without any loving. Director Rumi Jaffrey was very keen on having Katrina do a cameo alongside Chi Chi but Kat had already packed her bags for London and jetted off leaving them without any answer.

Thus Rumi turned towards newly turned sex kitten Amrita Rao to fill in her shoes; the director confirmed the news to the press, saying, ‘Amrita features in several scenes as well as a song with Govinda. If we had to wait for Katrina, it would involve postponing the release. This would mean that Life Partner would be pushed back considerably and perhaps not even be out in 2009.’

Over the weekend, Amrita shot her scenes at Filmistan Studios and when StarBoxOffice contacted her she said, “Yes, I did shoot for Life Partner, it was good fun with the others on the set and you should watch out for the film, it’s a complete laugh riot.”

Let’s not shortkut to conclusions, Amrita. What say?

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SEE: Desi Girl Kat

Katrina Kaif’s new desi avatar makes her almost unrecognizable.

The actress who is known for her uber-cool and hip looks in her films has gone desi for Priyadarshan’s De Dhana Dhan.

Her Amrapali-style costume replete with traditional jewels, classical dance steps along with her traditional Indian pose is a far cry from her look in her last film New York. De Dhana Dhan stars her lucky charm Akshay Kumar and is a romantic comedy shot in Singapore and Mumbai at a budget of Rs 60 crores.

This film brings back the team of Akshay, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, and director Priyadarshan together after eight years. The story is about two friends, Akshay and Sunil, who are in search of big money to prove a point to their girlfriends, Katrina and Sameera. Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif are coming together for the fifth time.

Katrina’s desi tadka will surely be a treat to watch when the film releases in November.

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Rani Ka Vrat

In a bid to save her dying career, Rani Mukherjee is observing a 40 day fast to revive her Bollywood career.

The actress has always been superstitious and until recently she had also moved out of her Juhu home considering it unlucky for her career. Rani who has had a spate of flops starting from Tara Rum Pum, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic is praying hard for her next film Dil Bole Hadippa to be a hit.

This being the reason behind the fasting period, Rani has been observing fasts every Thursday since three months and will do so for 40 weeks. A group of eight pundits perform a puja at her place and one of the priests recently spilled the beans to the press, ‘A total of 108 prayers are performed and Rani has committed to follow the ritual for 40 Thursdays which will help in bringing her good luck.’ he revealed.

Dil Bole Hadippa is the only film in Rani’s kitty along side Shahid Kapur. The film also stars item girls Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra and is a rip-off of Amanda Bynes starrer She’s the Man. Set in Punjab, the story is about a Sikh girl impersonating a boy to join the men’s cricket team.

Rani is also working hard in the gym and is following a strict diet to loose all that flab. Frankly, StarBoxOffice feels with the kind of effort Rani is putting in now, she should have done while choosing the right script for in the end isn’t that what matters!

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Shahid’s Dhan Te Nan moment

Vishal Bhardwaj’s brilliant composition Dhan Te Nan has taken the nation by storm. The lead actor of Kaminey, Shahid Kapur on whom the song is picturised, tells us about the time he first heard the song.

“Vishal looks very shareef, but actually his looks are deceptive. After all he has written Kaminey; the screenplay and dialogues. Fortunately, he has only given the dancing category to someone else otherwise he would have got all the credits,” laughs Shahid.

Talking about the phenomenal song, he says, “One day Vishal called me to the studio. He has a very quiet manner. He asked me to sit, make myself at home and offered me tea and coffee. Then he requested me to listen to the new song he had composed and give my opinion on it,” recalls the actor. He continues, “So I took the headphones, the song started playing Dhan Te Nan and I almost fell of my chair. I couldn’t believe the same guy had made such a powerful song. I really loved it when I heard it.”

Jab We Met had Mauja Mauja and Nagada Nagada, Kismat Konnection had Aai Paapi and now Kaminey has Dhan Te Nan. All the songs have been super hits and make for great dance tracks. Shahid Kapur is one of the best, most fluid dancers in the industry.

So, what does dancing mean to him? “I think I started dancing because I loved it and enjoyed it. I was born in 1981 and Michael Jackson was huge at the time so I danced to his songs. Apart from that it has become a part of my job and it’s important for me to know the technical aspects. Essentially I enjoy dancing. I think dancing is a hugely creative art form and you can express so much through it,” concludes the adorable actor.

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8 - First Look


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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Akshay, 30-crore hero, economises

Since Akshay Kumar pays all his taxes diligently it is safe and secure to state that his market price is Rs 30 crores per movie.

But he’s also aware of the recession around him. When therefore his wife and child flew in to London to join him earlier this week, Akshay insisted on paying for their air tickets.

Says a source, “Producer Sajid Nadiadwala insisted it was a very small amount and part of the crew’s travel expenses. But Akshay insisted. He won’t burden his producer with extra expenditure at all, though he will charge his market price.”

Confirming this price a producer says, “Akshay does charge Rs 30 crores. No doubt about it. But beyond that there are no extra costs at all. Akshay pays for the expenses that occur during shooting.”

In fact our 30-crore hero who has just delivered another success Kambakkht Ishq decided to economize for the same producer when they reunited for another film Housefull in London this month.

Instead of putting up at the posh St James Hotel where Amitabh Bachchan and other A-listers from Bollywood stay when shooting in London, Akshay chose the posh but nevertheless far less expensive Hotel Cumberland although the producer insisted Akshay stay at the more expensive place.

Says Akshay, “No, I always prefer to stay with the rest of the unit. It always creates a feeling of unity among the crew. In fact my wife and son have just joined me in London. They’re staying at Cumberland with me.”

Apparently Akshay also paid Twinkle and Aarav’s airfare from his own pocket, refusing to let his harried producer bear a bit more of the ever-mounting expenses.

Says Akshay, “Sajid is an old friend. And even if he wasn’t I know exactly how difficult it is for a producer to keep the budget in check. During all the years that I’ve been in the industry I’ve observed what a thankless task it is for producers to meet up the demands of the project and the people involved with the project.”

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"No one should blame me if my films are delayed" - Aishwarya Rai

From Singapore to Chalakudy... Aishwarya Rai Bachchan never had such a hectic schedule to keep up. On Monday, another schedule of Mani Ratnam's Raavan started in the distant hilly area of Kerala, just when Amar Singh, whom Aishwarya was attending to, had recovered.

Illnesses in the family and at her work place have put Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's choc-a-bloc schedule under further pressure.

First it was her father and father-in-law who underwent health problems. Now it's the Bachchans' family friend Amar Singh whose kidney transplant in Singapore has further challenged Aishwarya's sc