Where’s the party Shilpa

There’s a party this weekend at St. George Hill Estate, London, and the question is... who’s going to be there?

Hosting it will be our Shilpa Shetty. Not surprising, ‘coz the party is a housewarming celebration for beau Raj Kundra’s new five million pounds mansion. If the festivities tend to get noisy, so what, the neighbours won’t mind.

Not when there are Sir Cliff Richard and some international celeb football stars who are given to throwing boisterous weekend parties themselves.

By playing hostess for Raj, Shilpa is ensuring that the couple’s love story gets social acceptance from his friends and family. A source said, “This is a countryside mansion Raj bought to come and relax at with Shilpa. Otherwise Raj has another house in London itself where the couple will move into after they get married.”

But Shilpa, who met Raj in London after Big Brother, is not talking about marriage. So don’t expect a surprise announcement after the party. “There’s no immediate marriage plans,” Shilpa told BT. “I have a few commitments to wrap up first and will want to take it a little easy after marriage. Let me clear my plate which is full.”

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Salman Khan finally reacts to press reports!

Salman Khan finally reacted to a deluge of negative press reports starting with his reported dustup with Shah Rukh Khan at Katrina Kaif's birthday on July 16.

His response was characteristic, if some what pained, and seemed to corroborate our own take on Mumbai tabloids.

For the record, this is the second time a leading Bollywood star has referred to journalists as dogs. Akshay Kumar did as much earlier, responding to allegation of an affair with his trainer, speaking from location in Los Angeles where he is filming for Kambakth Ishq.

Here is what Salman says:

"For the next few days you will hear and read a lot of shit about me, a lot of it. Keep on reading it…but don't react to it. I don't. Like sometimes when you are traveling in a fast car and you find a dog chasing your car…barking away. You don't stop the car and start reacting to the dog…u don't…there's no point. I don't wish to react. I don't have the time for it. Besides, I don't understand the language of dogs, except for my two - Myson and Myjaan.

Unfortunately in our industry the developing trend is not to celebrate others success…every time another person is successful there will be someone trying to pull him down. You don't increase your own efforts to become successful but try to always decrease someone else's success…that's the mantra of the industry. A man is good they say but they say it in the past tense. A lot of people out there talk highly but only once a person's gone…Dead! These people whoever they are - are just doing their job - only what they know to do best.

I chose to remain silent. I do not have the time to spend reacting. But even silence speaks. Silence makes more noise than thunder. …'Bandar Sher ko chidhata hai….' Sirf aawaaz kar sakta hai... Kabhi Sher ko maar sakta hai? He can't do anything. But when the Lion roars, a whole pack of monkeys fall from trees!

So keep on reading…read all the negatives…read till they get tired of writing. Everyone goes through this…but not for long. I say just look good feel good and do good, that's it. I love you all."

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Akshay fights with WWE wrestlers in Singh Is Kinng

On the small screen, Akshay 'Khiladi' Kumar may be seen encouraging 13 beautiful ladies to do some daredevil stunts in his new reality show Fear Factor- Khatron Ke Khiladi. However, when it comes to the big screen, Akki himself would be seen doing some really brave stunts and action scenes in his forthcoming release Singh Is Kinng.

Bollywood's favorite action hero would be seen fighting with eight WWE wrestlers from Australia in an action sequence in Vipul Shah's Singh Is Kinng.


Says director Anees Bazmee," We had called some eight wrestlers who all are from WWE. They were all very excited to be a part of Singh Is Kinng. Apart from shooting with Akshay, they all spoke to him at length about his films. I was surprised that few of them had even seen his films. They all shared a very good rapport with Akshay and there was this very famous wrestler called Chris who even taught him some tricks in arm-wrestling."

Akshay sure has a special interest in WWE. A few years back, he had fought against famous the WWE wrestler 'The Undertaker' for a fight sequence in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. Now in Singh Is Kinng, he is seen fighting eight WWE wrestlers from Australia. One can't wait to see when Akshay will take on our very own- The Great Khali - (on screen of course). That would be one fight we can't wait to watch.

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Mallika turns clapper-girl on the sets of Ugly Aur Pagli

Trust Madame Mallika Sherawat to do the unthinkable! The incident we are referring to took place on the sets of Mallika's forthcoming film Ugly Aur Pagli.

It so happened that the team of Ugly Aur Pagli was shooting late in the night. However, the clapper-boy had to leave for the day. So to not let the shooting schedule get interrupted, Mallika came up with the idea of doing her own clap. And if you are thinking she was kidding or playing a prank, you are wrong. Madame Sherawat was dead serious about what she had just said.

It was a long and drooling schedule but for the entire shoot that night, Mallika gave her own clap for all the scenes. Everyone on the sets was amazed to see how promptly she used to give the clap and start with her shot simultaneously. It was a bit difficult but Mallika did it with out any hitches and managed it quite well.

Must say, this Bindaas babe sure knows how to multi-task.

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Taare Zameen Par DVD launch in a complete Masti Ki Paathshala

Attending the DVD launch of Taare Zameen Par literally took me back to my school days. After all, I was seated in the midst of some 200 odd children dressed in their crisp white uniform at the Green Lawns High School, Mumbai. The school which has given India one of the youngest and brightest actors- Darsheel Safary surely was all set for the big day as the cast and crew of Taare Zameen Par arrived to launch the DVD this morning.

Even before the function actually commenced, Darsheel's class-mates and other students of the school were all excited waiting for the actors to arrive. Among the first to come were actors Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma (who played Darsheel's parents in the film). They were soon joined by young Sachet Engineer (who plays Darsheel's loving elder brother in the film). However, the kids in the audience went into frenzy when the bright shining star Darsheel Safary walked in wearing a blue T-shirt and a yellow and red jacket. Darsheel was his mischievous self and was seen enjoying himself signing autographs for his own school-mates. All eyes were now waiting for the man of the moment - Aamir Khan to make an appearance. The wait was not too long as Aamir arrived amidst a huge roar from the kids present. He was soon joined on the dais by the principal of the school Mrs. Bajaj and the cast and crew of the film including music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Bhushan Kumar of T-Series.



Speaking on the occasion, Aamir said, "It's a great feeling to have the whole Taare Zameen Par team here for the launch of the DVD. Usually, I am very famous for taking my own sweet time to do things. I released the DVD of Lagaan after 6 years; the Taare Zameen Par DVD has been launched in a little over 6 months, so I think that's an improvement." He even had special words of praise for main protagonist Darsheel Safary whom he called on the stage a vivacious brat, "Darsheel is a very happy child, full of life and vibrant. I am sure it's because of the way his parents and teachers have treated him. I must say Darsheel's principal Mrs. Bajaj has been extremely supportive and encouraging. The true test of any school is how happy the kids are and by the looks of it, the children here seem really happy", he said amidst a thunderous applause from the kids.

Finally, it was time for the DVD to be launched and Aamir invited Darsheel's principal Mrs. Bajaj to do the honors. The DVD is a complete collector's delight and is a must have for every parent and child. After the official launch of the DVD, it was time for some fun and frolic as Aamir invited composers' Shankar- Ehsaan- Loy to sing a few songs. Shankar crooned the soulful number 'Maa' from TZP and Aamir along with Shankar later sang a few lines from 'Bum Bum Bole'. Aamir even invited 2 children from the audience who joined Shankar for a song. Finally just as Aamir was about to leave, the kids in the audience asked the 'Perfectionist' Khan to hum a few lines from the current smash hit 'Pappu Can't Dance Saala'. Aamir who initially was a little hesitant gave in to the kids demands and along with Shankar even crooned the hit number from 'Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na'.

As the event came to a close, a good time was had by one and all and the school kids surely wouldn't have felt like going back to their classrooms.

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Vivek Obero back from South Africa for Mission Istaanbul Premiere

Vivek Oberoi has not been reading the unflattering stories about himself. "I prefer to read books," he laughs on his one-day visit to India---Mumbai-Pune-Delhi, to be more precise. Vivek landed on Wednesday evening, rushed to Pune for a personal visit, rushed back to Mumbai on Thursday and flew to Delhi for the premiere of Mission Istaanbul, thereby putting an end to all speculative stories about dissociating himself from the film.

Says Vivek, "I requested Tips to let me off just one day. Just for the Delhi premiere. Then I'm flying back to the join the unit. I'm really excited because I'll be seeing the complete film for the first time. Apu has shown me parts of the film. I've heard such great things about the film and my work."

Vivek is currently shooting a hush-hush project with Kumar Taurani of Tips. It features Vivek with Sanjay Kapoor and Vivek has three leading ladies opposite him. But Vivek isn't allowed to talk about it. "Mr. Kumar Taurani of Tips has been treating me really well. I'm shooting for his film in South Africa. It's an action thriller directed by a guy called Kookie Gulati who's actually a fantastic music video director doing his first feature film. I love the script. Beyond that I'm not allowed to say anything about the film."

But wasn't Vivek supposed to be in Mumbai for the Mission Istaanbul press conference? "Yes, I couldn't make it on the 19th. I was shooting in South Africa. You see Mission Istaanbul was supposed to be released two weeks earlier. I was going all-out promoting it for two months. I kept myself completely free for the promotions till the 11th. But when the film got postponed to July 28, I had no option but to join my unit in South Africa. I'm really excited by my character in Mission Istaanbul."

Vivek has completely changed his look and hair for the Tips film. "Since I've to keep my look under wraps I've to wear a cap all the time. I joked with my producer Kumar Taurani. 'Normally actor producer ko topi pehnate hai. This time it's the other way around.'

The last 24 hours was hectic for the actor. "I'm so tired," Vivek said on Wednesday night. "I've flown 23 hours. I've become the jet-setting guy."

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Shilpa Shetty releases DVDs of her Yoga

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An exclusive look at Dostana

Dharma Productions' next release is the Abhishek Bachchan- John Abraham- Priyanka Chopra starrer Dostana. The film is directed by Karan Johar's erstwhile assistant Tarun Mansukhani. A major portion of the film was shot in the sun-clad beaches of Miami and needless to say, the cast and crew had the time of their lives. As can be seen from the still, the trio of AB Jr., John and Priyanka look completely chilled out enjoying a drink on the beach. While John looks super-duper fit, even Priyanka looks sizzling hot in this green dress. As for AB Jr., he looks like a complete dude with a scarf around his neck and cool glares to beat the sun.


The shooting of the film is almost complete barring an item number which is yet to be shot. Since Abhishek is now busy with his 'Unforgettable' tour, the song featuring all the 3 lead actors will be shot only when he returns in September. Dostana is about 3 friends and is portrayed as a cool, fun film. Looks like Johnny boy, AB Jr. and Piggy Chops indeed had a ball shooting with each other in the picturesque locales of Miami. While Priyanka seems to have her hands full with shopping bags, it's quite a funny sight to see John pushing AB Jr. in a shopping cart.

Going by the first look of the film and the chemistry which the actors share, Dostana indeed looks like a complete fun-filled experience. The film is slated to release on Nov 14 this year.

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Sylvester Stallone shoots for Kambakht Ishq

Sajid Nadiadwala has always been known to be a generous producer who doesn't believe in any kind of compromise when it comes to his films. His latest production Kambakht Ishq, directed by debutante director Sabir Khan has been in the news right from the day when the film was announced. After all, the film stars two of the hottest actors in the industry- Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. Add to it, news that Sajid was even planning to rope in some Hollywood biggies such as Sylvester Stallone etc. for this film and expectations from this film only got bigger and bigger.

Recently, Sajid fulfilled his much cherished dream and got none other than Sylvester Stallone (the legendary actor of films like Rocky and Rambo) shoot for his film Kambakht Ishq. Sly, (as he is known) arrived bang on time at 9 a.m. on the sets at the Kodak theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Bollywood's very own Khiladi, Akshay Kumar was present and the duo shot for an 'award ceremony' scene at the very place where the prestigious Academy Awards are held. Surely, there couldn't have been a better place for Nadiadwala to shoot this scene for his film which is set against the backdrop of Hollywood. Holly Vance, the sensuous and pretty actress (of Entourage fame) was also present on the sets along with Stallone.

While Akshay was seen in a white suit, Sylvester Stallone was dressed at his formal best in a black suit. Stallone and Akki hit it off really well and spoke at length as if they had known each other for a long time. Apparently, Stallone was really impressed by Akki's physique and fitness routine, all about which he enthusiastically enquired. Akshay, no wonder, is seen grinning from ear to ear, after all it's not everyday that the world's most popular action hero congratulates you for your physique.

After shooting the awards ceremony sequence at the Kodak theatre, the cast and crew of Kambakht Ishq shifted to the famous Universal Studios L.A, where Stallone participated in a Rambo-like action sequence with none other than Bollywood hottie Kareena Kapoor. The duo shot for a scene where Sly rescues Kareena from a dangerous situation. The action packed sequence was co-ordinated by noted action director Spiro Razatos who has in the past worked on films like Vantage Point, 21 Grams and Bad Boys 2. After the shot, the Hollywood hunk was really impressed with Bebo and even told her , "You are a pretty girl." Bebo couldn't stop gushing on being complimented by Slyvester Stallone.

For producer Sajid Nadiadwala this was certainly one shooting experience which he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life. An emotional Sajid said , "Its indeed a highpoint of my career to be working with an icon like Sylvester Stallone .We have all grown up on Rocky and Rambo. And today I feel blessed at having the opportunity of working with him right here in Hollywood." As for Sly, he surely had a good time with the cast and crew. While almost all his dialogues in the film are in English, there is a scene where the macho actor even speaks in Hindi. Wow! Now Sly, saying his lines in Hindi is something we can't wait to watch. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala just hopes that this film serves as a pipeline for opening up more Bollywood- Hollywood ventures in the future. "I guess one door opens the door to many others. This has been an enriching experience for all of us. And I am sure this is just the beginning of our company's association with Stallone", signs off the producer.

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Kismat chamki

How do you know if a film is faring well at the box-office? Generally, one gets the feedback from trustworthy sources, also from the correspondents and exhibitors screening the film. But I've realized that the tone in which the distributors speak gives away the verdict of the film.

The distributors, who've invested their hard-earned money on a film, never mince words when a film bombs. And the tone only gets better [excited/happy/thrilled] when the film hits the bulls eye. I've realized this over the years. In fact, the excitement shows in their body language!

This week, as I spoke to the various distributors of KISMAT KONNECTION, I realized that the film had passed the weekend test with distinction marks. The weekdays did witness the normal drop, but it wasn't alarming, as a section of the trade was hoping it would be.

UTV has placed a lot of trust in Shahid Kapur. Besides distributing KISMAT KONNECTION globally, the corporate house has two more films lined up with Shahid - Vishal Bhardwaj's KAMINEY and Ken Ghosh's STAR [will it be a new title, Ken?].

Releasing the film at 720 screens in India and 200 abroad was a carefully thought of strategy. It also takes Shahid into a different league. He's above the Abhisheks and Johns, in the sense that a solo Shahid starrer has fetched a flying start at the box-office, for the second time in a row. Generally, solo Abhishek and solo John starrers don't.

As things stand today, KISMAT KONNECTION is a plus film for sure. The first week theatrical business should be in the range of Rs. 20 - Rs. 23 cr. nett, which is commendable for a film that had Shahid Kapur as the sole driving force. This, despite a leading multiplex chain not screening the film.

I genuinely feel sad for RGV. He's a true genius, in my opinion. But what is he churning out intermittently? CONTRACT is such a letdown from a maker who has delivered such fine films in the past. And the audience apathy showed in its business.

The collections are so poor, I'm sure RGV must've got a fright when he must've checked the day-wise business reports. This one's a debacle!

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Overwhelming response indicates likelihood of 3 additional shows

DAY 04

- Let's talk about the big news first. As per reliable sources, looking at the overwhelming response in Toronto and Trinidad, the tour has been extended by a day. Instead of Amsterdam hosting the grand finale on 29th August, Düsseldorf has been added to the scheme of things. While a show being held on 30th August at Düsseldorf is a certainty, there are also chances of a couple of more shows being added to the tour in the first week of September. Stay tuned for more updates!

- Coming back to what stars did in the day gone by. Well, most of them decided to enjoy the day off and catch up on some well deserved rest. The best part about their stay in LA was some good Indian food though! Everyone from Bachchans to Vishal and Shekhar (who arrived a day later after chilling out for an additional day in Trinidad) was treated to sumptuous Indian food which came as a bonus.

- Vishal, his wife, Shekhar and the rest of the band spent most of their time traveling. After their flight being delayed by an hour, insult to the injury came in the form of their aircraft continuing to hover around in the air before landing at LA. It was way past 1 AM that they eventually checked into the hotel.

- The hotel is a beauty in itself though! An exclusive super posh hotel at the famous Sunset Strip in LA, it boasts of a personalized villa for each of the stars (yes, you read it right)! Not just it offers a private dining hall and other basic facilities for everyone residing out there, it also boasts of a common courtyard where friends can come together for a chat. With a welcome champagne bottle helping everyone in regaining energy, the hotel is making sure that it turns out to be one 'unforgettable' outing for the visitors from India.

- No wonder patrons are extremely exercised about the hospitality extended by the hotel. Not just are the arrangements impeccable, for those looking at flexing some muscles, there is a famous gym out there which is touted to be THE BEST in America. Ahem ahem, someone out there is already thinking of getting into an extensive work out! However, what Vishal is longing for is the BEST BREAKFAST in America. Well, it's his tummy doing all the talking on an off day!

- Each of the stars is busy making his/her own plans of visiting varied zones in LA. While all of them have plans to get together for the screening of The Dark Knight later in the evening, in the day time a few of them are also planning to visit Universal Studios. Vishal for sure is quite excited since he would be catching up with the crew of Kambakth Ishq which is currently shooting at the studios. The common person present would be Anvita Dutt Guptan who has written the lyrics and dialogues of both Kambakth Ishq and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

- Meanwhile, Shekhar has all the plans to blow away his hard earned money in a matter of a day! Reason? He is aiming at hitting the jackpot in numerous casinos in LA. Has he ever won in the past? Well, he claims so, though people close to him state otherwise! Will he turn lucky? Stay tuned and we would report on that as well!

- Stupendous success of Toronto and Trinidad has resulted in word of mouth spread fast in the European continent as well. Since the show has been widely successful so far, number of other European cities (where there are currently no plans for the show to be hosted) are also showing keen interest in hosting the stars from India. Will they oblige and make it 'unforgettable' for the Europeans as well? Well, it is a wait and watch situation. Till then, everyone is looking at chilling out for one more day before getting ready to hit the stage once again on 26th July!

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Aamir Khan to launch TZP DVD at Darsheel Safary's school in Mumbai

Aamir Khan's blog is testimonial to the number of requests that he has been getting to launch the DVD of Taare Zameen Par soon. The DVD of Aamir Khan Productions' first film Lagaan was launched after almost six years; however with Taare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan was very keen to launch it immediately as it is an important film in respect of child education.

Aamir Khan has been working relentlessly for the last six months and has even added some interesting features to make the DVD a collector's delight.

Now for all you die-hard Taare Zameen Par fans, who have been waiting for the DVD since months, here is some good news. Aamir has decided to launch the DVD of Taare Zameen Par tomorrow (July 25) and that too in a function to be held at Darsheel Safary's school Green Lawns at Warden Road, Mumbai. Trust the Perfectionist Khan to do things differently and in grand style; the DVD would be launched by none other than Darsheel's school principal. Apparently, Aamir strongly feels that principals and school teachers play a key role in the education of a child. In fact Darsheel Safary's principal sets an example of how educators should allow a child to follow their dreams. She has been very important in giving Darsheel permission to shoot and adjusting his education on sets.

Hence, Aamir thought the she would be the right person to launch the DVD of this sensitive film. Well, with the DVD launch happening tomorrow, its time to rush to your nearest store to grab a copy of this landmark film.

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