Ameesha Patel poses topless for a men's magazine

Ameesha Patel might not be in the news for her movies (Does anyone even remember what her last release was?) but she's certainly found a way to get people talking about her. Ameesha has posed topless for the men's magazine 'The Man', and the move is being seen as a last-ditch attempt to get her back in the limelight.

Ameesha had earlier posed with just a strategically placed pillow for a Bollywood calendar, but this latest photoshoot puts her quite close to the Sherlyn Chopra 'bare-all starlet' category. Not something most people expected from the actress who made her debut opposite Hrithik Roshan and won loads of critical acclaim for her role in 'Gadar'.

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Amisha Patel on the cover of The Man Magazine - Photo

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In Pics: Amisha, Manjari and Sonia grace Nishka Lulla's preview

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In Pics: Stars at 1-888-Dial-India' Show

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Ameesha Patel is missing beau Kanav Puri

Beau Kanav is back in London, while Ameesha hangs on with his memories

It's been a month since Kanav Puri returned to London and girlfriend Ameesha Patel is already missing him terribly.

Says a source close to the couple, "After setting up his New Delhi office (for which he had come down last year), Kanav returned to London. He has been travelling a lot; apart from Delhi, he travelled to Dubai, Hong Kong but would always come back to India to be with Ameesha. Now, Patel is miserable without him."

The source adds that the actress understands that she is in a long-distance relationship but it doesn't stop her from missing him. "Before Kanav left, Ameesha was in New Delhi for three days to bid him farewell. Now that he's returned to London, Kanav's business commitments won't allow him to return till Ameesha's birthday in June."

The couple has found a way of keeping in touch apart from e-mails and phone calls. "Both Ameesha and Kanav are extremely romantic. Before Kanav left Ameesha, she made him wear his favourite shirt for three days, sleep in it, and has kept it with her. Now whenever she misses him, she holds it close to her and goes to sleep with the shirt next to her."

If Ameesha has Kanav's shirt with his smell on it, Kanav is not far behind. Says the source, "When Ameesha first met Kanav she wore a very distinct perfume you only get in USA. Kanav has kept bottles of that to remind him of his ladylove. Ameesha too has Kanav's favourite colognes with her."

Ameesha says reluctantly, "It's very personal and I don't want to discuss it. We are both concentrating on our work right now and we have no choice but to be apart."

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Tufts University, Boston, offers Amisha Patel teaching position

Ameesha Patel, a gold medallist in economics from the Tufts University in Boston, has been offered a job as a professor at the university any time she wants.

Ameesha says, "I have been offered the post of a part-time professor at Tufts. I would be required to teach drama and take classes talking about my experiences as an actress. I can take up the post at any time in my life. It can be a six-week summer semester, for three months or an entire year. It's an extremely prestigious post and being an advocate of education, it's something I would love to do it at some point though not right now as it will be difficult for me to take off for a year. Musician Tracy Chapman is one of the Tufts graduates who has also been offered this post."

Being a gold medallist in economics, Ameesha is also a Gold Key member at the varsity. She says, "The Gold Key membership is awarded to any student who tops his/her course and has an outstanding academic record. If you are a Gold Key member you can get invited and accepted to any university to study further. Tufts had asked me to extend my education and get a Masters degree but I came back to India and joined films.

In 2005, Lawrence S Bacow, lawyer, economist, and twelfth president of Tufts awarded the Tufts Alumni Award to Ameesha who graduated in economics from the school in 1997.
Ameesha says, "Apart from celebrities in entertainment, many political ambassadors and Presidents have graduated from Tufts. There are lots of courses in politics and anyone training in politics and wants to enter the White House can do classes. There are many prominent personalities graduating from Tufts every year. I received the Tufts Alumni Award in 2005 and for the award in 2009 held in New York. Tufts has invited me for the ceremony."

Tufts' celebrity alumni
Hank Azaria - actor
Jessica Biel - actress
Nicole Fiscella - actress on Gossip Girl, model
William Hurt - actor

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Ameesha Patel recently took an eve-teaser to task

Ameesha Patel is not a helpless glam doll. A roadside Romeo learnt this lesson the hard way when he passed a cheeky remark on her. The actress had gone for a walk, and was returning when the eve-teaser made her the target of his remarks.

The actress decided to teach him a lesson he'd not forget. She went home, got her bodyguard and scoured the lanes searching for him and then gave him a earful.

A friend of the actress reveals, "She'd seen this particular guy hanging around her locality many times. He would openly stare and look distastefully at passing women but most of them, including Ameesha ignored him. Usually, the actress carries an umbrella but that day she hadn't. When he saw her he asked loudly, "Madam, aaj chaata nahi laya?" He said this in a crude manner with a lewd grin on his face. And that just ticked off Ameesha."

When contacted, Ameesha confirms, "I didn't want to let him off so easily. I went to the cops, but he ran away from there. So I took my bodyguard and hunted him down. I fired him and warned him never to trouble any of the ladies in the area.

The locality I stay in is very serene and quiet. But there are a bunch of guys who hang around and are a nuisance. After I confronted this guy, word spread and the other hooligans also vanished."

The actress wants her experience to empower other women, "I want every girl to realise that eve-teasing can be dealt with sternly. All you have to do is go to the nearest police station and register a complaint. It's very easy to ignore and turn a blind eye to such incidents. But I hope that after sharing my experience, other girls will also stand up and fight such eve-teasing."

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What's happening in Bollywood!

One starry condolence meet and SRK's big bad van

Here’s the family: Late Feroz Khan’s family, son Fardeen and daughter Laila Khan walk out of J W Marriot post the condolence meeting.


Family man: Hrithik Roshan stands out at the venue. Is he waiting for media to click more pictures?


His women: One of Feroz Khan’s women, Celina Jaitley, makes an entry into the venue to show support to the grieving family. She looks much toned down than usual.


Colour me pretty: Ameesha is the only one to appear in more than just white. She does show a lot of disappointment.


Yeh Mannat Nahi Hai: With his big new van blocking most of the entrance, SRK’s Mannat doesn’t look the same anymore. What happened to briefing up security?

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Amisha joins politics!

Amisha Patel, whose film career is not really going anywhere, will now be standing as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate from Gujarat in the general elections.

Jayant Patel, NCP Gujarat unit president, said she will be standing from the Rajkot parliamentary constituency.

“I called up Amishaji and sought her consent. She agreed immediately,” Patel told news wires in India.

The NCP leader said the actress has her roots in Gujarat, which would help to secure victory for the party.

"“I have known the family of the actress for years and can say with confidence that her contesting will be a winning proposition for NCP in the Saurashtra region,” he added.

Patel said the party could also field another celebrity from the Ahmedabad (East) constituency.

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Amisha Patel at the launch of 'Nailspa'

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The Unforgettable Tour Takes Off... Literally

The Bachchan's Unforgettable Tour is ready to launch this Friday, July 18th, and we caught the stars as they left the Mumbai airport and headed towards their first stop, Toronto. Abhishek, Aishwarya, Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, Amisha Patel, Jaya Bachchan and Ness Wadia were all spotted leaving Mumbai last night... looking pretty tired may we add, but they were to embark on a whirlwind tour, so it's understandable.

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That's not me!

In a recent interview, Kunal Kohli mentioned how Malaika Arora was the inspiration behind Amisha Patel's character in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. In fact, Amisha's character is even called Malaika. She dresses sexily and is a complete air head, whose only aim in life is shopping and partying. However, Malaika hasn't taken too kindly to Kunal's portrayal of her. "That's not me!", she says.

Were you aware that Amisha's character in TPTM is based on you?
I had no idea, none whatsoever. It totally caught me by surprise.

Have you watched the film?
I have watched it. It was only then that I realised Amisha is named after me.

In an interview, Kunal admits that Amisha's character is inspired by you.
There's nothing similar between Amisha and me in the film. Apart from the fact that we both share the same name, I don't dress up or behave like her. I look at it as art and that's always exaggerated on big screen.

Did Kunal inform you about basing a character on you?
No he didn't. It would have been nice had he told me. Not that I hold it against him, as its too trivial. I know him personally. But I feel like what he has shown is a total distorted depiction of who I am. There's no angle that I can think of where I can relate to Amisha's character in the film. I am nothing like that, so in a way, that's a wrong portrayal of me.

In the film, Malaika only wears sexy clothes and is a complete airhead. Does that offend you?
As I said before I look at it as art. I am not taking it seriously. I am nothing like the Malaika in the film. I think am just going to laugh about this whole thing!

You are a dutiful mother, while Malaika in the film dumps her boyfriend when she finds out he has kids that she will have to look after…
Exactly, my point is that I wouldn't react to situations the way she has. I am just not that kind of a person.

Did you talk to Kunal after watching the film?
I did speak to him and told him that he must have been a huge fan of mine to do something like this!

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Amisha breaks silence on beau

For the first time, Amisha says Kaanav Puri is perfect.

Cosmo says no beauty product can make a girl glow, like love can. One look at Amisha Patel, and you have to admit, there’s some truth to it. The promos of her upcoming film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic are on air and the actress has never looked better.

Tease her about it being pyaar ka side-effects, and she laughs, “Maybe thoda sa.. but I have been training hard to look like this.” There’s no mistaking that Amisha is a girl in love. She completes six months of dating Kaanav on June 27th, and for the first time since they began seeing each other, she’s feeling secure enough to talk about her man. Read on…

Lets talk about Kaanav.
(Laughs) Ok, what do you want to know?

Was it love at first sight?
Totally.

For you or him?
For both of us.

Is he The One?
Yes, he most certainly is.

Describe Kaanav in one word?
Perfect.

Three qualities you like about him.
(Giggles) There are so many… He’s loving, he’s caring, has his head firmly on his shoulders, and above all, is a really great person.

He recently surprised you by showing up on your birthday.
Yes. Actually my friend Paulomi planned a party at her house. I was shooting all day, and was whining about the fact that Kaanav was not going to be with me on that day. Till 9.30, I had no idea what I was going to do but then he showed up and he brought me this amazing dress, which I wore to the party. It turned out to be a perfect night.

I hear he bought you many thoughtful gifts?
Mmm... he got me a lot of stuff that he knows I like. My favourite one being the Dior limited edition bag. He knows I love bags as I have a huge collection in my house. And he bought me one in my favourite colour pink!

And the following day he whizzed you off for a romantic getaway!
(Smiles) Yes, he did. I had no idea when he stole my passport and made all the arrangements. He told me he was taking me to Goa for three days, and I had packed my bags. I didn’t suspect anything even after we reached the international airport. There are many domestic flights that fly out of there. It was when I saw the boarding passes, that I realised we were headed to Colombo. But once we landed there, in stead of going into arrival, we started going into the transit lounge and that’s when he told me that the destination was not over and that we were going to Maldives. I was thrilled.

It was your first time there?
Yes, and that’s the best part. I am glad I discovered the place with him. It’s so romantic. He had booked a villa for us, which had its own private pool. And it had a path leading to the ocean. He made sure it was very private, so I would not be disturbed.

Seems like the surprise worked! Most women hate surprises…
I love surprises. Especially when they come from Kaanav, because he knows my likes and dislikes so well. And he is so meticulous in his planning. He is like my mirror image. I’m not sure I would enjoy everybody’s surprises though!

Is it tough to maintain a long distance relationship?
It is difficult. Especially for a girl like me. I want to be with the man I love all the time. We try and meet as often as we can. I flew to London to spend time with him. After I returned, Kaanav flew to Mumbai. When he’s in Delhi, I try and go there, even if it is for one night, and try to grab moments with him. Especially now that I am leaving for my new film on Friday and will only be back in August!

Finally, why didn’t you admit to seeing Kaanav for so long? Especially since you’ve been very vocal about your men in the past.
I did not admit to Kaanav sooner because he’s very special and I didn’t want to jinx it. It was too precious for me to talk about it to people. It’s almost six months now and now I am feeling secure and now I know our relationship is too strong for anything or anyone to come between us.

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Lazy Lamhe’s crazy times

A feverish Ameesha, chilly weather and Saif-Rani’s speedboat trips marred the shoot of Kunal Kohli’s film

Kunal Kohli insists he doesn’t believe in the concept of item songs. He refuses to label the song Lazy Lamhe shot on Rani, Saif and Ameesha in a remote villa in Alibaug as an item song.

Instead he calls it a sensous song in the league of the Kaatein nahi katate track shot on Sridevi in Mr India.

However, shooting for this particular song was quite an ordeal for the director.

Talking about the shoot that involves Ameesha getting into a Manish Malhotra swim suit, Kunal says, “We had actually planned for an eight-day shoot but we ended up spending more than that.

Both Saif and Rani would take private speedboats from the Gateway of India to come to the location everyday.

In fact, I didn’t even know there was a private gate opposite the Taj hotel that was used to hire private speedboats.

Since Saif didn’t want to stay at the location, he would land up at Gateway at 7.30 in the morning and take the boat to Alibaug. He did this everyday. It would take him about 20 minutes to reach Alibaug.”

Kunal adds that Ameesha developed fever during the shoot of the song and they had to stop the shoot. “We were shooting in January when it was quite chilly.

The entire pool was freezing, and since Ameesha had to get in the water we had to heat up the entire pool every time she stepped in. That took us over two weeks.”

Apart from the shoot at the resort, Kunal has also shot underwater for portions in the song. “This isn’t just a sensous song, it’s a part of the film and there’s a plot happening in it. We used a special camera for the underwater scenes and also had someone do the visual effects.”

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Rani McPhee

Aditya Chopra remade Nanny McPhee as Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, after the actress recommended it

Fly With Me! (Leftt) Rani Mukerji in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic; Grounded? (Right) A still from Nanny McPhee

Ever since Kunal Kohli began work on his next, starring Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan, the project has been touted to be a remake of Mary Poppins.

However it is now learnt that the Yash Raj film, which was recently titled Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (TPTM), is also greatly inspired from a more recent Hollywood film — Nanny McPhee.

The 2006 Emma Thompson-starrer had the actress play a nanny with magical powers. She pays a visit to Colin Firth, a single parent with six kids. While Colin and the kids don’t get along, it’s Nanny McPhee who brings a truce between the two.

TPTM has a man (Saif) living with four kids who is visited by a fairy (Rani). The film also has elements of magic and romance.

On being asked if his film bore a resemblance to Nanny McPhee, Kunal remarks, “I’m just waiting to be told about the next film I’m inspired from.”

But the source informs, “It was Rani who watched Nanny McPhee on a flight and suggested it should be remade. She had a word with producer Aditya Chopra who hadn’t seen the film.

Rani was quite impressed with McPhee. She was heard telling close friends how the film had all the right elements for a B-Town film. Her only concern was that unlike the original, the fairy in the remake had to be up to B-Town’s standards — good-looking and glamorous.”

Apparently, Aditya, who watches a lot of foreign flicks, asked for a copy of Nanny McPhee and was impressed with the storyline. “He went ahead with Rani’s suggestion and Indianised it.

In TPTM, Rani plays a mediator between Saif and his kids. Eventually there’s romance between the two, while Ameesha plays the third angle,” adds the source.

Tushar Joshi

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Ameesha's dil maange more!

Ameesha Patel has opted out of the SRK starrer Billo Barber. Reason?

She’s not too excited about playing the minuscule role of a barber’s wife. Says our source, “Ameesha feels that she might get lost, as the film essentially concentrates on Shah Rukh and Irrfan Khan. Ameesha’s making a serious attempt at reviving her career, and cannot keep playing these marginal characters.”

The actress, who’s previously worked with Priyadarshan in Bhool Bhulaiya , explained the situation to him and made a gracious exit from the project. Priyadarshan, who wants to start filming in May, is not too happy with his so-called leading lady calling it quits.

TNN

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Lakme Fashion Week takes Mumbai by storm

The who's who of the city of Mumbai made their presence felt at the on-going Lakme Fashion Week which kicked off in the city on March 29.

The fashion extravaganza which goes on till April 2nd saw many established and some new designers show their designs to the world. Day 1 had Manish Malhotra display his designs in a spectacular fashion show and needless to say, B-town celebs turned up in full strength to support their favorite designer. Manish's show had stars like Saif Ali Khan with lady love Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Urmila Matondkar, Amisha Patel amongst the audience. The same day also saw Bollywood's latest pin-up boy Ranbir Kapoor walk the ramp for the first time for his good friend- designer Arjun Khanna. Cheering the Kapoor dude was his mommy dearest Neetu Singh and lady love Deepika Padukone. What's more? Ranbir even decided to give an impromptu flying kiss in the direction where the two most important ladies of his life were seated.

Day 2 (Sun- Mar 30) saw one of Bollywood's top lady designers Neeta Lulla show her unique designs and for all you people wondering who the showstopper at her show was, it was none other than child prodigy Darsheel Safary. Yes you heard it right; in a moment which took everyone by surprise, the small boy-wonder walked the ramp in style along with the designer herself. Indeed a moment to cherish for the young child.

Day 3 saw yet another prominent designer Narendra Kumar Ahmed showcase his collection on the ramp. 'Nari' as he is fondly known as, had the pretty Kangana Ranaut as the star attraction for his show. The evening also saw designer Nandita Mahtani who walked the ramp with model turned actor Kelly Dorjee.

And for all of you who thought it was only Bollywood which made its presence felt at the Lakme Fashion Week, you couldn't be further from the truth. Gregory David Roberts, author of the best-seller Shantaram also walked the ramp along with his fiancée on Day 2 of this Fashion extravaganza.

With tomorrow (April 2) being the last day , and some more impressive designers set to showcase their work, get ready for a grand finale to one of the most hot-n-happening events of the week. As they say The Best is truly reserved for the Last.

Bollywood Hungama

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Ameesha’s enjoying herself

Actress Ameesha Patel has lost it...we mean the entire baby fat. She is a few kilos lighter and is seen making merry, with her girl friends most of the time. We spotted her one evening, recently, at a Chinese restaurant.

She was again with her usual gang of friends, and looking gorgeous! After her sumptuous meal, when we caught up with her, she told us that she was packing her bags for a business-cum-pleasure trip and will return a different person. More relaxed and upbeat and certainly not fatter.

Image: TOI | Source:TNN

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