Akshay's Rs 1.7 million sherwani

After Malaika Arora Khan wore a bustier worth a million Euros, we've now got Akshay Kumar with an outfit that costs over a million rupees. Akki recently met the erstwhile ruler of Udaipur, Sriji Arvind Mewar, and he wore a sherwani worth Rs.1.7 million that his wife Twinkle had especially bought for the occasion.

Akshay, who is making a comeback on the small screen with the cookery show 'Master Chef India' on Star Plus, made a brief visit to Udaipur to meet the former ruler.

The diamond and pearl studded sherwani has been designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.

The 43-year-old star was not only allowed to shoot the special episode in the palace, but also allowed to take his crew of 150 with him. As a special task, the contestants of 'Master Chef India' cooked for members of the royal family.

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Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in "Tees Maar Khan" - Photos

Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in a Qawaali song in upcoming new movie "Tees Maar Khan"

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Akshay's secret Dubai holiday

When Akshay Kumar decided it was time for a short and sweet break, he chose Dubai. The star was in the city on the weekend, having taken time off from his busy schedule to fly here for a quick vacation with wife Twinkle Khanna and son Aarav.

Akshay posted on his Twitter page, "Couldn't be more happier. Having a quick vacation with family in Dubai!! My son & me haven't stopped swimming since the sun came up."

He added later, "Planning on taking my wife for the most romantic dinner ever tonight :) :) :)"

We're guessing the great sun and sand combo brought out the romantic in Akki, and here's hoping he had a great holiday.

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Salman-Katrina’s dance drama

We’re going ‘Walla Walla’ after watching Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar in their Qawali number for Farah Khan’s ‘Tees Maar Khan’. The song has Sallu and Akki in a pretend-fight over Kat (hmm…imagine that!).

The real question is – Were Salman and Katrina fighting during the shooting? Nothing of that sort it seems. Apparently the couple (or former couple) were fairly cordial to one another and had fun while shooting the song (thanks to buffers Akshay and Farah maybe).

While Salman and Akki were dressed in colourful vests, scarves and caps; Kat made for a rather sober picture, considering she plays an item girl in the movie.

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Here's how to have breakfast with Akshay

If you want to wake up in the morning for breakfast with Akshay Kumar, start bidding in the charity auction on eBay India.

The e-commerce company has organised the online auction as part of the Joy of Giving Week. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Research Society for the Care, Treatment and Training of Children in Need of Special Care, a charitable organisation working for the mentally challenged, said a press statement.

"It is my honour to be associated with the Joy of Giving Week with all the proceeds received from the charity auction benefiting a good cause. I want everyone out there who would love to have breakfast with me to bid on this charity auction," said Akshay, who hopes to ban the word 'retard' one day.

"So, you can also do your bit for society. All you have to do is bid and bid high and you could be breaking bread with me at the Marriott one Sunday morning...So have a heart...bid now," he said.

The auction started Wednesday and ends Sep 29. The bidding started at Rs.1001.

The winning bidder will also be allowed to bring three more guests for the exclusive meeting with Akshay.

A few days back, eBay India invited fans to bid to win a day with Salman Khan in gym as part of Joy of Giving Week.

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First look of 'Tees Maar Khan'

Check out the first look of Farah Khan’s 'Tees Maar Khan' starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. It's a cool looking poster - a silhouette of Akshay Kumar fleeing the scene. Akshay plays a sleek and stylish conman in the movie.

Says a trade source, “The poster of Tees Maar Khan is on the lines of Hollywood’s 'The Mask' and other such entertainers. And then again it has 2 genres – action and comedy.”

'Tees Maar Khan also has a deep festive connection. The shoot of the film took off around Holi and ended on Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid. Meanwhile, the promo of the film will hit theatre screens around Diwali and the film releases Christmas Eve.

So will all these factors traslate into a blockbuster for Farah Khan? We'll have to wait and watch.

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Akshay gets Rob Lowe on board

Brothers and Sisters star, Rob will feature in Kumar's co-production, Break Away

Akshay Kumar is taking Hollywood by storm. After roping in 10000 AD actress Camilla Belle for his Indo-Canadian project Break Away, directed by Robert Lieberman, the Khiladi has now signed Brothers And Sisters star Rob Lowe (Senator Robert MacAllister) for a significant role.

Says a source close to Akki, "Akshay saw the TV series Rob has acted in and felt that Lowe suited the character of an ice hockey champion in Break Away."

Adds the source, "The film showcases the struggles faced by South Asian immigrants. The story revolves around a Sikh immigrant family and how they cope with cultural conflicts. Akshay is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that Break Away has the best of both worlds and that's why he has roped in American actors Rob Lowe and Camilla Belle. Break Away will also have Toronto-born Vinay Virmani in the lead role along with comedian Russell Peters."

Says Akshay, "The film expresses the crossing of two great cultures. It has a brilliant international cast and crew, and I really feel this will touch a lot of hearts in Hollywood."

Break Away is set in suburban Toronto, Canada. The film follows a hero caught between a family's traditional expectations and his dream of making it big in the national sport of his adopted country. Shooting began on September 20.

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"Akshay can pull off any outfit"

Be it golden hair and a hippie look in 'Tashan', a turban in 'Singh Is Kinng' or now the retro look in 'Action Replayy', Akshay Kumar can pull off every look with ease and perfection and never go wrong with his appearance, designer Sabina Khan says.

"It's really not difficult to dress Akshay. He has a great physique, looks great and can look good in anything - be it Indian or western," Sabina said.

"I personally feel that he can never be dressed down or go overboard. He pulls off everything nicely," she added.

Sabina has been designing for Akshay, 43, for the past four years and is also behind his look in the upcoming 'Action Replayy'.

Akshay's definitely confident about his 70s look too. And to promote 'Action Replayy', he has decided to make all public appearances wearing retro clothes. He has asked Sabina to design a full-fledged wardrobe which he can wear over the next few weeks.

"Till this Diwali, I will be out only in a retro look. I don't think any look has been as good as of the 70s. My favourite hero from the 70s is my father-in-law Rajesh Khanna. He was the superstar then," said Akshay.

"The character of Akshay goes back and forth in the movie. So from the 1970s, 80s and the 90s you will see him in today's look as well, which is very contemporary," Sabina explained.

"So, in the movie we have tried three different looks for him, but mostly it is very retro, very classic."

In the movie, Akshay wears colourful clothes starting from red bell-bottoms to a yellow polka-dot shirt, with long hair and long sidelocks as well. Akshay had recently said his long locks in the movie are inspired by Sunil Dutt's in 'Zakhmee'.

While Sabina has taken care of Akshay's wardrobe for the movie, Manish Malhotra has desgined co-star Aishwarya's outfits.

Sabina says there was a lot of brainstorming before coming out with the final look.

"Once we decided how the look of the movie will be, we sat with our respective clients and discussed the ideas and how they will be looking in the movie," said Sabina.

"In our case, Akshay would get some references and we would discuss his looks; it's basically a normal practice. We do it always as it helps," added Sabina, who is also designing Akshay's costumes for 'Thank You'.

Directed by Vipul Shah, 'Action Replayy' is based on a 1994 Gujarati play of the same name. It is a time-travel comedy capturing Mumbai in the 1970s. The film releases this Diwali.

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What's cooking, Ash?

Akshay Kumar, who will be seen hosting a cookery show, has apparently come out with a cook book and gifted a copy to his 'Action Replayy' co-star Aishwarya Rai

With Star Plus' new show "MasterChef India", Akshay has become involved with cooking and also helped compile a cook book. The compilation includes his favourite recipes from among those the contestants have come out with and, of course, it has his famous Khiladi special sizzler.

And when Aishwarya came to meet him on the sets of 'MasterChef India', the Khiladi surprised her by presenting her with the exclusive cook book.

So if Ash starts serving her family gourmet dishes now, we know it's going to be thanks to Akki!

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Bollywood's top tax payers revealed

Shah Rukh Khan has got back his position as Bollywood's top tax payer. For 2010- 2011, he's paid more taxes than Akshay Kumar, who'd topped the list for 2010-2009. SRK has paid Rs. 5 crores for the second quarter this time round, compared to Akki's 4.5 crores.

They are followed by Aamir Khan, who paid Rs 4 crores. The fourth place is shared by Saif Ali Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, both paying Rs 2.5 crores.

Katrina leads the B'wood heroine brigade, with Rs 1.3 crore. She's followed closely by Kareena Kapoor, who's paid Rs 1 crore.

Someone who's really fallen on this chart is Hrithik Roshan, who's only paid Rs 50 lakhs for the year, compared to Rs 3 crores last year.

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Ash and Salman shooting in neighbouring sets

Film City was abuzz yesterday as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan shot in neighbouring sets, wondering if they'd cross paths

It wasn't just another ordinary day at Film City yesterday. Not if you consider that exes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan were shooting in neighbouring sets.

While Ash was shooting with Akshay Kumar for Star Plus's MasterChef, Sallu was grooving for the music video shoot of Bigg Boss 4 nearby at around the same time.

Said a unit hand, "Film City was buzzing with excitement since morning. As soon as word spread that Salman and Aishwarya were expected to shoot, hushed whispers did the rounds about the possibility of the stars crossing paths."

Salman arrived a little after 2 pm for the shoot. Wearing jeans, T-shirt and a leather jacket, he shimmied to Pony Varma's choreography. When not shooting, he would pull out his notebook and start sketching. Ash arrived a bit earlier and got busy with her shoot immediately.

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Akshay mobbed by fans at sea

Akshay Kumar tried hard to avoid attention during the Ganpati visarjan. As soon as the Khiladi stepped out of his Juhu residence, he first preferred to camouflage himself behind the trees.

When the coast was clear, he made a quick dash across towards the beach for the immersion ceremony. But in the sea, his fans caught up to get a glimpse up close and personal of their matinee idol!

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Akki, Salman set to shoot together

Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan are back together again, if only for an item number, in Farah Khan's 'Tees Maar Khan'. And Akki's already excited about it.

"Looking forward to our shoot after so long... Enjoy brother," Akshay wrote to Salman on Twitter.

Akshay plays the lead along with Katrina Kaif in 'Tees Maar Khan' and Salman has a special appearance in a song in the movie.

Akki also congratulated Salman on the success of 'Dabangg'.

"Salman you are in your elements man! You have given everyone a reason to dance this Eid," Akshay posted.

Akshay and Salman have earlier acted together in 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi' and 'Jaan-E-Mann: Let's Fall in Love... Again'.

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Bollywood Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi - Photos

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Akshay's birthday plans revealed

It will be family time for Akshay Kumar when he celebrates his birthday today (September 9).

The actor, who turns 43, is planning to spend time with his family on his birthday.

"I'll be celebrating my birthday with my family. We'll be going out to a nice place to eat. I work to live life to the fullest. So hoping to spend some nice time with my family," Akshay said.

Akshay, who is married to Twinkle Khanna, has a seven-year-old son Aarav.

Akshay, who has appeared in over 90 Bollywood fims, made his acting debut with the 1991 film 'Saugandh'.

During the 1990s, Akshay acted mostly in action films like 'Khiladi' (1992), 'Mohra' (1994) and 'Sabse Bada Khiladi' (1995), and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the 'Khiladi' series'.

He also did romantic films like 'Yeh Dillagi' (1994) and 'Dhadkan'(2000), but his comic performances in films such as 'Hera Pheri' (2000), 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi' (2004), 'Garam Masala' (2005) and 'Waqt: The Race Against Time' (2005) were really praised.

Akshay is also set to return to television with a culinary show called 'Amul MasterChef India'. The show will be aired on Star Plus starting October 16.

"I am very happy to be returning to my roots after so many years. My two favourites - cooking and camera/entertainment are coming together and I am excited to be a part of it.

"I have been following the international version of MasterChef regularly and I am glad that now this interesting challenge will be open to the Indian audience," the actor said.

The show that will have 12 contestants, will give a chance to passionate cooks to showcase their skills and will also groom them to become the ultimate professionals of the art. Chefs Kunal Kapoor and Ajay Chopra will judge the contestants along with Akshay.

When asked, what is it that he likes to cook, the actor revealed: "I don't cook very often now. It's only when I want to relax and rejuvenate myself, that I cook. I like cooking different types of paranthas."

Akshay used to work as a chef in Thailand before he got into Bollywood.

"I had gone to Thailand to train myself in martial arts. That time cooking was the only job available so I did that. Then I started enjoying it. I used to find it quite easy and interesting," he said.

In the past, Akshay hosted the reality show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi'.

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Akshay's birthday twist

Since Akshay Kumar got married to Twinkle Khanna nine years ago, he has made it a point to celebrate his birthday (September 9) with his family. That means no work, no shootings or promotions on the day. Apparently, this is something Twinkle has been very particular about, so it's almost a rule for Akki.

But Akshay's breaking the rule this year, and he's doing it for a friend. September 9 (Thursday) is when he begins promoting Vipul Shah's 'Action Replayy', that co-stars Aishwarya Rai. Akki will reveal the movie's first look on the day, and that means stepping out of the house and working of course.

Akki and Ash both need hits after 'Khatta Meetha' and 'Raavan', so we're thinking that maybe this is going to be Akshay's early birthday present to himself!

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Akshay's fave scripts have been his biggest flops

Akshay Kumar says that even though he chooses his scripts carefully, sometimes they turn out to be major flops at the box office.

"I do read my scripts. In fact, I always have several script-reading sessions before I fully take on a movie. But remember, I cannot predict the future. Some of my favourite scripts have been my biggest flops, but they have sometimes been my greatest successes also," Akshay posted on his Facebook page in response to a fan's query.

The fan also asked the actor why he doesn't get best actor awards even after featuring in so many films.

"I do so many, many more movies than any other actor in Bollywood. Therefore my gamble is much higher. I would rather entertain my audience than ever win an award. It's the people I want to please, not those attending award ceremonies," Akki wrote.

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Housefull on television without 'Apni Toh Jaise Taise' song?

Well, that's the question that everybody seems to be asking about the Sajid Khan's hit film Housefull that's all set to have its worldwide television premiere on August 29, 2010. When the film was released in theatres earlier this year, it had the remix version of the yesteryear's famous track 'Apni Toh Jaise Taise' (from the late Prakash Mehra's hit film Laawaris), which later on became the reason for a controversy that's dodging the film till today.

Prakash Mehra's son, Puneet Mehra, objected to the usage of the song in Housefull saying the producers had not taken rights for the same. While the makers of the film claimed that they had purchased the song rights from the music label Sa Re Ga Ma. The issue was however settled and the film released in theatres with the song.

Coming to the television premiere of the film, Puneet again moved to court objecting on the usage of the song in TV premiere of the film. A High Court ruling was passed in Kolkata yesterday stating that Housefull cannot be aired on television if the song in question is not deleted from the film. Eros reportedly has decided to go ahead with the telecast of the film without the song. However, official confirmation of the same is awaited.

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"I can't afford Akshay Kumar"

Producer Feroz Nadiadwala waited for four years for Akshay Kumar to return to the third instalment of 'Hera Pheri' before they parted ways because of the price factor.

"I first started discussing the third 'Hera Pheri' movie with Akshay in 2006. I never wanted to make it without him. It's sad that we couldn't come to an agreement. Akshay is like a brother. But I can't afford him. I hope we work together again very soon," said Feroz.

With Akshay gone, Feroz had to change the entire cast of 'Hera Pheri'.

Now Abhishek Bachchan plays Akshay's role, Nana Patekar has stepped into Paresh Rawal's shoes and Sanjay Dutt has been cast in place of Suniel Shetty.

This, according to Feroz, would remain the lineup of actors for the 'Hera Pheri' films to come.

Feroz is delighted with the script that Anees Bazmi has come up with for 'Hera Pheri 3'. "It's going to be one of the funniest comedies in living memory," he said.

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Akki gets mad

Akshay Kumar is one of B'wood's cool customers, never really losing his temper or getting snappy. But there's only so much even a patient man will take. And it seems that Akki was pushed to the limit recently.

What happened was that Akshay and wife Twinkle were leaving a hotel in Mumbai after dinner, and just as they were getting into their car, a man started taking their pictures with his mobile. This, of course, without asking for permission to start clicking. Akshay asked the man to stop as Twinkle wasn't happy about this, but there was no reasoning with the snapper, who kept clicking. And that's when Akki lost it.

One story doing the rounds is that Akshay took the man's phone and smashed it. Akki's inner circle denies this, saying that he just verbally made it clear that he doesnt like his pictures being taken without his permission.

Whatever the case may be, we're sure to keep this in mind before going photog on Akshay! No one wants him unleashing khiladi action their way!

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