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Ketan, son of well-known filmmaker Manmohan Desai, will serve as the executive producer on the historical film and Sushmita can barely contain her excitement at the collaboration.

’It would’ve been impossible for me to look into all the nitty gritty. I had to work with people whom I can trust implicitly. Ketan is an extremely capable and clued in man,’ Sushmita, who plays the title role in the film, told.

While Ketan will bring his cinematic expertise into Sushmita’s dream project, another Desai, Nitin, is busy designing the elaborate period sets of the film. For the crucial war scenes, the 33-year-old takes her mixed Indian and British crew to China.

’The cast will be both British and Indian actors,’ she said.The casting of the British actors is currently on and celebrated British agency William Morris has been employed to find the perfect actors for the movie.

’We will stick as far as possible to the language of the characters’ national identity. But we’ve to keep the question of accessibility in mind. The film will therefore be largely in Hindi and Urdu.’

Since Rani Laxmibai’s husband was a man much older than the queen, there will be no romantic interest for Sushmita in the film. And, yes, Sushmita will dedicate the film to her dear friend Rajiv Narayan, who died of cancer recently.

’They were both such fierce warriors battling their enemies till the very end,’ said Sushmita, who said Rani Laxmibai had always been a role model. Commenting upon her production house, Sushmita said: ’Being the first product of my production house Tantra Productions, ’Rani Laxmibai’ is something that I’m very ambitious about.

’While Tantra Productions is the parent company, Sushmita Sen Productions will be producing feature films. Tantra will be going into every sphere of entertainment, from television software to events management - all kinds of things to do with the creative process. There’ll be different divisions of Tantra.’

But the production house is now focusing only on the historical project. ’Sushmita Sen Productions is what we’re focusing on right now. I’m working very hard to put the company’s logistics in place. Going into direction wasn’t something I had planned.

’Unfortunately or fortunately, I can’t think of anyone else who feels as strongly about Laxmibai. If that’s the seat I’m being persuaded to take, it’s in the best interest of my film that the creative people I’ve on board must have a trustworthy name in the market.’

An ex-Miss India, Sushmita has given quite a few hits like ’Biwi No. 1’, ’Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya’ and ’Main Hoon Na’. But right now she is restless.’I get only four-six hours of sleep these days. Fortunately, I am not facing the camera these days. So I don’t care how I look.’

’Dulha Mil Gaya’ is Sushmita’s only other acting assignment at the moment. ’It’s my genre of a film, and I’m very excited about it. By god’s grace the film will be a decent precursor to Rani Laxmibai.’

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Khanna and Ranbir have been friends forever. "He’s my neighbour and a dear friend. I try to wear his clothes as far as possible."

"I try to be faithful to Arjun’s clothes because he knows my likes and dislikes and styles my clothes accordingly."

Technorati Tags: I don’t want to dance to colleagues’ songs: Ranbir

Among others, attended the function are Ranbir’s mom, Neetu Singh, father Rishi Kapoor and girlfriend Deepika. That Ranbir’s parents accepted his choice is clearly viewed when Deepika walked closely with Neetu Singh. They sat nearby and chatted through out. The main attraction of the show was Ranbir’s ramp walk. He walked the ramp while his mom and girlfriend cheered for him. While turning, in the presence of all attendees, he blew a flying kiss to Deepika. And she too accepted it with a smile on her face.

Their relationship has already been accepted by Ranbir’s parents. Deepika once said that she adores Rishi Kapoor a lot and finds her father’s image in him. Since her childhood, she is a great fan of him and sharing screen space with him is like dream come true for her. She even expressed her desire to work with Neetu Singh.

Technorati Tags: Deepika too accepted Ranbir’s kiss with a smile on her face

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A similar incident happened in Bollywood too in the film starring Shiney Ahuja. The person who complained in this case was none other than the IPL enthusiast, Preity Zinta.

But the two have now stopped exchanging pleasantries with each other on the sets.

Technorati Tags: Shiney Ahuja tightly hug Malavika creates problem

She is as Sneha in ‘Angadi Theru’ too, directed by ‘Veyyil’ fame Vasantha Balan.

A major scene was to be shot at a textile shop in Chennai and Vasantha Balan wanted Sneha to be part of the scene for she is the brand ambassador for a popular textile shop in Chennai. When approached, she readily agreed to it

Following this, the scene was shot. ‘Angadi Theru’ is being produced by London Karunas of Ayngaran International.

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When movies named Ee and Akku released nobody had any issues. But now everyone seems to be quite taken up with the names Ayan and Aegan, which have been proven by scholars to be Tamil words that refer to the Gods Brahma and Siva, respectively. However, there is one set of people who claim that since these words have their roots in Sanskrit, these cannot be accpeted as Tamil words, and hence the titles need to be changed! This seems to be a pointless debate, because innumerable Tamil words have their origins in other dravidian languages but have today come to be a part of the Tamil language. So why this cry over Ayan and Aegan? And by the way how did ’Nottu’ in Onbadhu Rooba Nottu pass off as a Tamil word, given its English origin?!

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The boisterous bit on screen notwithstanding, Esha was quite the lady at the premiere in her chic makeup and elegant gown. "I guess I wanted to create a contrast to my loud brassy character in the film (laughs). People see me as a tomboy. But I can be quite a lady if I want to be."

Esha is now gearing up for the release of her first kick-ass action film Hijack. "But let me warn you, I don’t do any of the kickboxing and all that stuff I’m dying to do on screen one day. Though this is a hijack-adventure story, all the action converges on Shiny Ahuja. I’m the air hostess therefore very timid and gentle. The director, Kunal Shivdasani, made sure I don’t jump out of character suddenly. It’s a very realistic action drama."

She dismisses all the stories of her differences with Shiney. "I don’t know where that came from. Shiney and I had a great time shooting Hijack." Hijack would be Esha’s last film for a while. "I haven’t signed anything. And I won’t until something worthwhile comes along."

Technorati Tags: "I had to be very loud in 123" - Esha Deol

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The three production houses will also be making their presentations. Reports suggest that the production houses will also extend their service to not just desi but foreign films as well. The highest billing among these three production houses has been given to given to SRK’s Red Chillies VFX. Not to mention that SRK’s production has ventured into making animation films as well.

Rajinikanth’s Ocher Studios has ventured in to the production and making of the animated film ’Sultan - The warrior’, with a whooping budget of 70 crore rupees. Reports indicate that there is tough competition existing between Red Chillies VFX and Ocher Studios. And with Yash Raj films too coming out with an animation film titled ’Roadside Romeo’ the competition is getting stiffer.

Now the best we can do is just wait till the calender turns April 15th and watch who gets picked as the best!

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She has now been chosen as the main lead opposite Srikanth in producer Lagadapati Sridhar’s next film. The movie will be directed by Srinivas Reddy who has good working relationship with Meera Jasmine.

She was earlier paired with Srikanth in Srinivas Reddy’s earlier blockbuster - Yamagola Malli Modalindi. Now, the trio team up again to repeat the magic again.

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V .Z Dhorai directed Nepali is one of the hottest films in the trade from the youth brigade. Reliance Entertainment policy in Tamilnadu seems to be to buy small and medium budget movies that are commercially viable. The company has also got three theatres in NSC area, as they are slowly getting into the theatre business also.

The market buzz is that they have purchased Nepali for Rs 1.40 Crore NSC and 90 lakhs Madurai, a reasonable buy. The entry of Reliance Entertainment into Tamilnadu, augers well for Kollywood especially the younger set of hero’s, whose films will now become financially attractive.

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According to Aishwarya, she turned down the offer because of her tight schedule, while reports suggest that she declined the film to celebrate Karwa Chauth in Mumbai.

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He can be seen dancing and singing to the tune of Srikanth Deva for Krishna Leelai, directed by Selvan. Krishna Leelai will have Jeevan playing the lead. Scouting for a lead lady is on while rumors suggest about Nayanthara’s possible inclusion. Krishna Leelai will also have Kalabhavann Mani and Kotta Srinivasa Rao playing vital roles.

Technorati Tags: Yogi B singing to the tune of Srikanth Deva for the movie " Krishna Leelai"

Del.Icio.Us Tags: Yogi B singing to the tune of Srikanth Deva for the movie " Krishna Leelai"

The organisation, which was recently in the news for its violence against the north Indians living in Mumbai, has threatened to agitate against the actress if she does not give an unconditional apology to the actor, whom it describes as the "pride of Maharashtra".

Meanwhile, producer of "Horn O.K. Pleassse," Sami Siddiqui, filed a complaint Saturday with the Association of Motion Picture and TV Programme Producers (AMPTPP) against Tanushree.

He alleged that his production firm, Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd, incurred a heavy loss because the actress failed to complete shooting for the item song being filmed on her and Nana.

In his complaint, Siddiqui also stated that the goodwill of his production firm was tarnished because Tanushree went to the media saying that she was "coerced" by director Rakesh Sarang and choreographer Ganesh Acharya to do steps in the item song she did not feel comfortable doing.

Acting quickly on the complaint, the AMPTPP dashed off a letter to the actress, asking her to pay a compensation of Rs.65 million. This would include Rs.15 million to Sunrise Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and Rs.50 million for defaming it in public.

Sunrise Pictures Pvt. Ltd. had signed Tanushree for Rs.1.5 million for the item number to be shot over four days. She had been paid an advance of Rs.500,000. According to Siddiqui, he as well as Sarang and Acharya had explained to Tanushree what her steps would be in the dance number.

"She had agreed to it," Siddiqui said."They (Sarang and Acharya) also agreed when she requested them not to compel her to wear a costume she would not be comfortable with. So we were surprised when she walked out of the sets on the last day of the shooting (March 26) after taking part in it for two days," Siddiqui told IANS Saturday.

On Friday, Tanushree shot off a letter to the Cine and Television Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) explaining the sequence of events that led to her stomping out of the sets and the scuffle that subsequently took place between media persons present on the sets and her secretary.

In her letter, the actress also referred to the "unbecoming" manner in which Nana Patekar behaved with her during shooting of the item number on the first day and why she felt the need to ask her parents and her secretary to be present during the shoots later.

CINTAA is yet to act on her letter, but it is likely to ask Patekar for his explanation.It is rarely that a member of a cine association complains against a fellow member. In this case, what makes it unique is that an upcoming star has lodged a serious complaint against a senior member at the risk of her budding career.

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"If you want to follow what we have shown today it’s really more about structure and everything is more tailored... rather than but its also combined with something to drape so there is a mixed silhouette which is emerging. It’s not a total drape oriented silhouette or structure oriented silhouette, It’s really a combination and a contradiction which I am personally using in this line," said Valaya.

All the motifs inspired and textures inspired by coins bearing his ’royale’ signature comprised a colour palette of Red, Black, Brown and Gold.The collection offered skirts and shirts with halter tops, flared satin skirts and short dresses with red piping matched with ivory slacks. Red halter-tops with multi-layered frill skirts, robe tops and dresses with oversized rectangular folds worn over red pants.

The men’s collection encompassed ivory suits, shirts, jackets, black and brown double shaded velvet jackets teamed with slim fit trousers with red ivory piping.

Among the dazzling models that showcased the apparel were model cum Bollywood actor Rahul Dev, who walked the ramp decked in an ivory suit worn over a light grey polo neck T-shirt for Vallaya’s collection.

"I liked the show as I was part of his shows initially when I started my career and even today. It’s a complete change ....Its ready to wear kind of line and is always better because India has about 140 crore people, so even if say 10 crore people can afford to buy designers stuff so its quite a big volume so be it for everyone," said model Rahul Dev.

LFW appears to be a good business destination with the participation of 57 well-established designers of the Indian fashion fraternity along with international buyers and fashion experts.

The presence of Bollywood stars is also not unexpected at the LFW that will conclude on April 2.

The fashion fete will also see the likes of New York based Elsye Kroll of trade show Coterie, Albert Morris of fashion store Browns, Pamela and Lydia Pearson and Tiziana Cardini of store La Rinascente.

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This year the star-studded glamorous IIFA weekend is being held June 6-8 in Bangkok. Speaking on the occasion, Bachchan said, ’Casting my vote is important as it gives me a chance to participate in the decision-making process with my peers in the Indian film industry. It is heartening to see IIFA grow in scale and prominence over the years.’

He said the fact that IIFA has entered its ninth year is a testament to its endurance and importance in the industry. ’The credible and distinct place that IIFA enjoys in the Indian film industry is due to the professional and confidential election process that ultimately decides the nominations and awards.’

The IIFA weekend and the IDEA-IIFA Awards, spearheaded by Wizcraft International Entertainment, is a movement dedicated to promoting Indian cinema and business across the world and providing a global pedestal to encourage international interaction.

With a viewership of almost 600 million, the IIFA awards are among the world’s most-watched entertainment events.

The IIFA voting process is a stringent and methodical procedure that is closely monitored by PriceWaterHouse Coopers, the official auditors for the event.

To begin with, the film industry is invited to cast their votes and shortlist nominations in the category of Popular Awards. The Technical Award winners and the Popular Award nominations are derived from this voting weekend.

The popular category nominations are put up on iifabuzz.com for the global audience to participate in the voting process. The final winners of the IDEA- IIFA Awards are revealed by PriceWaterHouse Coopers only on the night of the awards ceremony when the envelope is opened on stage in front of the live audience.

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Yaradi Nee Mohini is scheduled for release by first week of April with over 200 prints. The basic story line of this feel-good family entertainer is said to be inspired from the classic Bollywood love story Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.

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Noted trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "The industry has always spoken of the three Khans when it spoke of star power - Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman. Then Hrithik Roshan made it to the premium list and also Akshay Kumar. These five actors called the shots, commanded the best fee, while their films fetched incredible prices. Post RACE, Saif Ali Khan has joined the club".

Saif’s talent has been accepted and acknowledged post his sparkling performances in earlier films, but Race has cemented his position as a star with tremendous following. According to Taran Adarsh, "Saif is the perfect combination of a stylish star and a versatile actor and has worked with the most diverse set of directors like Sriram Raghvan, to Kunal Kohli to Farhan Akhtar, Pradeep Sarkar to Homi Adajania to Abbas- Mustan".

Well, talking about the power-packed response that ’Race’ has garnered, business reports have it that Race has captured a whopping Rs. 22 cr in just three days coming close to Om Shanti Om that had opened to that kind of massive collection. Further, Race is expected to garner 35-40 crore nett by this weekend.

Saif Ali Khan is now geared up for more action as the actor has a series of big banner films awaiting him. The actor who has recently launched his production brand, Illumnati Films has been roped in by A-grade directors, Shriram Raghvan, Imtiaz Ali and Homi Adjania for their next ventures. . In fact Raghvan will soon embark on Agent Vinod that has Saif in the lead. Plus there’s Karan Johar’s untitled venture with Kareena.

Well, there’s surely no stopping for Saif, as he aims to go higher and higher..

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The complainant has alleged that Mallika’s programme, organised at J W Mariott Hotel, was not only obscene and ugly but also against Indian culture. He prayed for action against the Bollywood actress for performing the ’obscene dance’.

The court has already examined three witness presented by complainant during the last hearing.

Technorati Tags: Mallika Sherawat case: Hearing adjourned till May 8

Del.Icio.Us Tags: Mallika Sherawat case: Hearing adjourned till May 8

Replying to a question, Mr Rehman disagreed to the idea of drawing parallel between music generated by Naushad for Mughal-e-Azam and music given by him for new generation film ’’Jodha-Akbar’’.

Mr Tehman said there could be no comparison, he had tried to produce his best but he was no match to legandary Naushad.For better music generation in films, Mr Rehman modestly said people should concentrate on quality and music directors should work freely to maintain quality and standards of music being generated by them.

He said he had always strieved to the above cause and he had been given full cooperation and free hand by film producers.Mr Rehman is in the town along with his troupe for a concert in the Rajasthan Day celebration here tomorrow.

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The special super hit dance number “Kajarare … kajarare…” is being remade as “Pasandaina Vela…” Charmy is playing the role essayed by Aishwary Rai in the Hindi film. The unit members and the director are very happy with the outcome and are confident that this song would become the highlight of the film. Jagapathi Babu is playing the role of a police officer in the film.

Nandita’s role is that of the boy’s mother, “I play the mother of Ramachand, a Hindu dalit who is a Pakistani by Nationality named Champa. There are lot of Hindu Dalit families who were left behind during the partition in the Sindh area.The film also brings in the limelight the complexities of being a Hindu dalit and Pakistani at the same time, in an Indian jail."

Director Mehreen Jabar said about the cast and crew, “It was very important for me to use both Pakistani and Indian talents like actress Nandita Das, singer Shubha Mudgal, songwriter Anwar Maqsood and 20 Pakistani actors. No one felt that they were working with Pakistanis or Indians. It was like one big happy family.”

Actor Rashid Farooqi added, "Who knows how many Indians and Pakistanis are in jails on both the sides? Films like these must be made to inform the public of the sufferings of such prisoners who are victims of a political divide.”

Technorati Tags: Nandita Das in Ramchand Pakistani

It so happened that Tanushree, clad in skimpy clothes, was rehearsing an item song with the film’s choreographer and actor Nana Patekar. Provoked by her outfit some junior artist on the sets passed a lewd comment on Tanushree.

To add to the insult, Nana Patekar reportedly said that she should have covered her body up to prevent people from getting provoked. Tanushree was so upset that she refused to perform with Nana. The song is reportedly spicy and Nana was supposed to touch her in some shots. The actress retired to her vanity van refusing to come out of it. This delayed the shoot for over two hours. Irked by Tanushree’s unprofessionalism, the producer cancelled the shoot. Now, the queen of item numbers, Rakhi Sawant, has bagged in the song.

‘Horn Ok Please’ is directed by Rakesh Sarang, and also stars Muzzamil Ibrahim and Rimi Sen.

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Jiah who is starring in Ghajini along with Aamir Khan was required to have long hair for her role, but being a very big fan of Shahid she couldn’t say no to him. Shahid took her to his hair stylist Dilshad Pastakia and got her a haircut. Shahid was very happy with the result.

Sacrificing your hair for Shahid, what next Jiah? Learn to say ‘ NO’ girl!

Technorati Tags: Shahid and Jiah working together in next flick.

Del.Icio.Us Tags: Shahid and Jiah working together in next flick.

In "Freeze", Bipasha is cast as a deejay to Neil’s role of a high-flying photographer.The 29-year-old is at the moment reluctant to talk about her role. "We’re in discussion. I like the script. It’s too soon to talk about it," Bipasha told IANS.

Neil, who is three years younger, is also cautious, but far more forthright. He said: "Yes, Bipasha is opposite me in ’Freeze’. And I’m really excited. She’s someone I’ve always admired."

Mention the age difference and Neil gets immediately embarrassed. "Nobody will notice that she came to the industry before me. Our characters justify our presence. She does play someone older.

"Is she really older to Ranbir in the Yash Raj film? Just a coincidence, I guess. In our film together I play this guy who starts off as down-and-out and then goes to become this really big name in his field." Neil says he likes playing characters with a graph.

"’Johnny Gaddar’ had that graph. I went from greed to atonement. My second film ’Tera Kya Hoga Johnny’ with Sudhir bhai (Mishra) is again a character with shades. I start ’Freeze’ in April."

Bipasha was reluctant to do another film where her co-star was younger, but her boyfriend John Abraham convinced her."That’s true," said Neil. "Bipasha did have her doubts when she read the script. But then John Abraham who happens to be a pal of the ’Freeze’ director happened to go through the script. He convinced her to go for it. John is a really cool guy. And Bipasha, she’s hot! I hope John doesn’t mind my saying so."

A few years ago, Dimple Kapadia dared to team up with Akshaye Khanna in "Dil Chahta Hai", Saif Ali Khan in "Being Cyrus" and Amol Mhatre in "Leela".Earlier, Deepa Sahi teamed up with Shah Rukh Khan in "Maya Memsaab", Rakhee Gulzar with Rishi Kapoor in "Doosra Aadmi", not to forget Nutan with Amitabh Bachchan in "Saudagar".

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Sarath has put Radhika in charge of helping him gather women’s votes. It is also learnt that Namitha has got soft corner for Sarath.

At a recent party Namitha ran up to Sarath and gave him a great big hug putting Radhika in an embracing situation who was also present there.

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This missy feels more elated for her bungalow is soon on the heels of getting completed and you know more something special than this. At present, the young lad is fixes her leisure time learning violin and has appointed a special personal trainer who comes to her house every day.

Wow! This sounds pretty well and will the story go much similar as Meera Jasmine and musician? Feeling puzzled, let it be going and we will get you something more special on this…

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The other big Barath release this summer is Muniyandi Vilangiyal Moondramaandu in May directed by Thirumurugan the family soap specialist. A new heroine Thamarai is being introduced and Vadivelu and Barath are jointly doing comedy and music is by Vidyasagar.

Technorati Tags: Actor Barath’s big summer releases!

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Urmila has been given a makeover for her look in the film. Comments Himesh, “Urmila’s glam look has been styled by Manish Malhotra, and producer Bhushan Kumar had a certain concept in mind and he told Manish what he wanted. It’s a blend of elegance and oomph, pastels with shimmer and satin.” Himesh’s look has been designed by his sister Rupa.

Technorati Tags: The hot pair - Urmila Matondkar with Himesh Reshammiya

‘I have injured my knee and have been asked by the doctors not to strain it further. Since I am also doing a big action film this year, going on the tour for three months will only aggravate my injury. So, unfortunately and regretfully I have had to withdraw from the ‘Unforgettable Tour’,’ she said in a press release.

Technorati Tags: Lara Dutta:Quits ‘The Unforgettable Tour’ due to her knee injury

Apparently the Bachchan khandaan is very upset about the incident, especially hubby Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek did not want the controversy to blow out of proportion and clearly branded the image as morphed, denying his wife’s presence in it.

The ghost of past is very dangerous and Ash should realize that it will leave no stone unturned to haunt her.

Technorati Tags: Topless image causes tension for Aishwariya and Abhishek

Del.Icio.Us Tags: Topless image causes tension for Aishwariya and Abhishek

"I’m definitely looking forward to working with Saif. He’s one of the best actors we’ve ever had," she said.But before that Deepika is currently shooting for Nikhil Advani’s action flick "Chandni Chowk To China" with Akshay Kumar.

"I’ve trained in martial arts for the film and I enjoyed myself thoroughly because I’m athletic. People see me as very ladylike and proper. But there’s another, very tomboyish side of me that you’ll see in ’Chandni Chowk To China’."

However, her first post "Om Shanti Om" release would be Yash Raj Films’ "Bachna Ae Haseenon". In the film, Deepika has to share her boyfriend Ranbir with two other leading ladies."Yes, but that’s only for the screen no?" she quipped. "It is Ranbir’s film all the way. In my very first narration I was sure I wanted to do it.

"Siddharth Anand suggested I take some time to decide, but I liked his honesty and I loved my bit in the script. Siddharth was honest enough to tell me there were three other girls with Ranbir in the film - now, of course, there’re only two other girls. As an actor it’s important for me to be part of projects I believe in even if my role is comparatively small.

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She’s bought a dazzling, blue sapphire for her close friend, Princess Myasa’s (the daughter of the King of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani) new born son, Mohammad. Mallika is expected to fly out to Qatar early April to visit the Princess and little Mohammad. Mallika had attended the Princess’ wedding on a special invitation from the King of Qatar in January last year. Well, Mallika is as dazzling as the baubles she gifts. And we just have to see whether she flies commercial or charters a jet yet again!

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"But I couldn’t because the security guys wouldn’t let me pass. So I was stuck listening to myself being described in the most colourful language."Celina refuses to lay the blame on anyone for the abusive incident. But she does admit that she recognizes the Pakistani players because she had participated in a tv interview with them for a sports channel.

All in all it hasn’t been a very pleasant Easter and Holi weekend for Celina."I attended my producer Kumar Mangatji’s Holi bash on Saturday and then having ensured that I wasn’t required for shooting on Sunday I left for Delhi for the ICL, tired and irritable. I had no clue what was waiting for me.

Technorati Tags: Bollywood Actress Celina Jaitley badly abused by Pak Cricketers

However, Balaji people were not that lucky. When they approached Katrina to do an item number for their next, C Company, the actress flatly turned it down. Money, of course, was the bone of contention. Balaji was not willing to shell out that kind of money.

"The way he put his heart and soul into the character of Akbar left me speechless. I’m looking forward to working with Hrithik sometime soon.”Of course, she is also in for an image makeover, so it is bye bye girl next doot and hello siren phase for Katrina.

"It’s a ridiculous question, ridiculous. You guys need to learn to draw the line," she added before walking away in a huff.

Technorati Tags: Katrina Kaif is delibrately distancing herself from Salman

"Moreover, I am already experiencing and enjoying the better half of marriage - I am a mother!" she quipped.The actress, who is the brand ambassador of Pantene shampoo, was in the capital to promote the product. She was dressed in a white empire line gown with dirty pink ethnic motifs.

Asked how she liked to wear her hair, she said: "I like natural hair because I am comfortable wearing it any time. The last time I remember I did my hair was during the Miss Universe pageant.

The former beauty queen added: "Hair is an extension of one’s being and you don’t need to follow the trends blindly. You have to live with your natural hair like your skin. In fact, I love grey hair but my profession doesn’t allow me to show them off."

Sushmita, who’s making her directorial debut with "Jhansi Ki Rani", said destiny made her a filmmaker.The film, produced by her company Tantra, will portray the life of Rani Laxmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi who fought against British rule during the 1857 war of independence.

"Throughout my life I have fought with myself (to believe) that whatever happened with me was what I chose for myself. But now that I am directing this film I think destiny decides it all."I was never meant to direct the film but the film chose me. And believe me, it took me tremendous amount of courage to do that. Now I have crossed my fingers and hope everything goes fine."

She added: "So far life has been good. There have been ups and downs. But I think lately I saw more lows than highs. I hope better things happen in future.""Jhansi Ki Rani" is slated to release in November 2009.

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Shocking yes, but this is the truth, as the 1999 Miss World who had a disastrous run at the box office with her debut movie Pyaasa(2002) is now working in a film Memsahab - Lost in Mirage. Wonder whether it is the title of the movie that made Yukta to grab the movie!! Based on the lines of sleaze fest, a genre which has been long forgotten, the movie is produced by Kailash Shukla, directed by Arshad Siddiqui and has Vijay Raaz, Govind Namdeo and Ehsaan Khan giving Yukta, company in the movie.

Well, will the sizzling beauty be able to prove herself in her second innings?

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Six persons, who are a part of the Coca Cola (presenting partner for the Beijing Olympics) Environment Champions have pledged to protect the environment and support the cause of water conservation. According to Aamir, the feeling is more special as it has given him the opportunity to raise awareness on environment.

The cola giant plans to hold painting competitions in schools across the country on the theme, `The need to protect environment.’

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The film, directed by P Vasu, is shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu. In Tamil, Pasupathi is playing the hair dresser’s role while Telugu will have Jagapathi Babu playing the same. Meena will act as the wife of the hair dresser in both the languages. Nayantara will be paired with the Superstar. Prabhu plays a very vital role done by Mukesh in the original ‘Katha Parayumbol’.

The music is scored by G.V. Prakash Kumar.A rumour making rounds in the industry is that many leading stars including Kamal Haasan, Ajith, Vijay, Vikram, Madhavan, Tabu and Namitha have been approached to be part of a song in the movie.

’Kuselan’, which is getting bigger day by day, will be shifted to Pollachi and Kodaikkaanal soon. Vasu is planning to shoot some scenes involving Rajini in these locations as well.

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Technorati Tags: Rajini With Five heroines to dance in ’Kuselan’

Bhavana’s success in Tamil cinema with Chithiram Pesuthadi wasn’t repeated with her later movies. This time around, she’s hoping Jeyam Kondaan, based on the story by Sujatha and directed by Gandhi Krishna, will click and do the trick for her.

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Says a source, "Vinod was in the US scouting for locations when the event happened. His family watched the awards telecast on March 2 on Sony and were upset. They informed him about how Saif and Shahrukh ridiculed him. Vinod was extremely upset.

SRK and Saif, however, didn’t receive any letter. The source says, "Saif and Shahrukh heard that their comment had upset Vinod. So before he could dash off a letter to them, they called Vinod and personally apologised to them.

Aman Mahajan, associate vice president, marketing and development and spokesperson for Vinod Chopra Films says, "We are not looking for media attention and controversy. We don’t want to waste our time over it. The actors (Saif and Shahrukh) have already apologised to Chopra’s family. A letter making our displeasure known has been sent to the publication and channel concerned. Beyond this, there is nothing to say."

The source says Katrina was very keen to go to the première with Salman, "She kept requesting him to postpone the event and come for a few minutes to the Race premiere. Salman tried his best to get out of the Dubai show and take a late-night flight but it wasn’t feasible. Katrina then requested Salman’s best friend Sajid Nadiadwala to come with her in Sallu’s place. "The friend adds that Katrina and Salman are going strong despite rumours of Salman’s trespasses with Mahek Chahel and model Bruna Abdallah.

Katrina doesn’t deny missing Sallu at the premiere, "I have never talked about my personal life and won’t start doing that now." She hides her disappointment over his absence well. "More than disappointed, I am very nervous. I hope the film does well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Last year, I had four releases but no premières."

Bipasha Basu, who stars in the film, was also minus beau John Abraham, who is shooting in Miami for Dostana. Katrina will join Salman in Dubai in the next few days but she takes pains to stress that it’s not for a holiday, "I am going with designer Rocky S to pick up outfits for Singh Is Kinng." Meanwhile nothing can take her attention away from Race. "It’s a fun, cool action thriller where I am playing a character with various shades. Race will take you by surprise," she promises.

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Talking about Deepika, Ranbir Kapoor could just not be left out. So, instead of leaving his prized possession in the hands of ill famous Bollywood playboy, Akshay Kumar, (Don’t’ mind Twinkle!), the Kapoor prince decided to fly off to Bangkok to guard his lady love. Ranbir got an assignment to do a photoshoot for Filmfare magazine in Bangkok and, knowing that Deepika was already there, the actor lapped it up excitedly.

On Friday, he left for Bangkok for the photoshoot. Now, the love birds are surely painting the city of Bangkok red.

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One may term her films as meaningful, parallel or offbeat cinema but the fact remains that each of her upcoming films is a far cry from the cute and effervescent image that she has built for herself over the years. Whether it was her initial stint with the likes of Soldier and Kya Kehna or her recent crop of films like Salaam Namaste, Veer Zaara and Koi Mil Gaya, she was finding herself trapped in a particular brand of cinema 2008 may just about manage to change it all where she is working on number of art/offbeat films. These are:

Har Pall (directed by Jahnu Barua)
Heroes (directed by Samir Karnik)
The Last Lear (directed by Rituparno Ghosh)
Heaven On Earth (directed by Deepa Mehta).

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Talking about the song titled ’Bichua’, Vikram Bhatt says, "There is no one better than Rakhi when it comes to item songs…. people who have seen her dancing in modern get-ups will see her in yesteryears settings". Rakhi who will be seen in a totally different avatar in this song will surely give a sensational performance, no doubts about it!!

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Without divulging any details about her latest venture, she said, “even children will enjoy watching this movie”.

Koena,who got her first break in Bollywood when she did an item song in Ram Gopal Verma’s Road, said her forthcoming Hindi film is named Anamika, in which Dino Morea and Minissha Lamba will be playing the lead roles.

Regarding her future plans in Bollywood, the model-turned-actress said, “It is not possible to work with a plan. Working in Bollywood is like gambling, you cannot plan in advance.”

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Technorati Tags: Bollywood actress Koena Mitra:"Working in Bollywood is like gambling"

But the tussle shows signs of coming to an end with Priyamani saying that she would respond positively to Ameer’s call to act in his film in future. “He is not my enemy. I just responded to the charges he levied on me”, says Priyamani.

The movie, which went on to become a big hit, is being remade in Tamil in the name of ’Yaaradi Nee Mohini’, starring Dhanush and Nayantara in the lead. The movie is directed by Mithran R. Jawahar and is expected to hit the halls by the first week of April.

Nayantara must be happy, as she plays a role that has fetched lot of accolades to Trisha. The movie could well propel Nayan’s career as an outstanding performer, as it provides a challenging role to her.

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Jannat is the film about match-fixing where Emraan plays a bookie. "Though the film is inspired by real -life incidents in the cricketing world, we’ve covered our bases well. We don’t want real-life figures from cricket to identify themselves in the film and create trouble in Jannat. So, ironically in a film based on true-life incidents we’ve consciously steered away from getting too close to reality for comfort."

Emraan is all praise for his costar Sonal Chauhan. "She’s totally new. The 14th girl to be launched with me. I don’t know how many ladies Mr. Rishi Kapoor launched in his heydays. But I’m getting there."

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And she is also ga-ga over her latest director. “I think Raj Santoshi is a great visionary. Look at the performances he gets out of his actors! And to cast someone like me who otherwise has such a contemporary image in the Mauryan era requires guts,” says the sultry actress.

Five years ago, Bipasha was actually supposed to start her career with a Mughal costume drama, J.P. Dutta’s “Aakhri Mughal”, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The project never took off.

Sighs Bipasha, “Madhur Bhandarkar, Rituparno Ghosh, Raj Santoshi… these are women’s directors I’ve always wanted to work with. I’ve worked with two of them. Now hopefully I’ll be working with the third.”

Incidentally Rituparno Ghosh’s “Sab Charitra Kalpunik” needn’t have been Bipasha’s first Bengali film. A few years ago she was offered Buddhdeb Dasgupta’s “Kaal Purush”.

“Yes,” Bipasha recalls the project. “But you’ve to be in sync with the person you work with. And I don’t know much about the Bengali film industry. With Ritu the comfort level has grown over time. Speaking Bengali wasn’t a problem, though I think in English and not in Bengali.”

Another costume drama on the anvil is Ben Kingsley’s “Taj Mahal” project.“Again that will take some time. It’s again an exciting film. I’ll be transported into another era. My entire body language has to change.”

Asked how she feels about working with the Oscar-winning actor-director popularly known in India for his on-screen portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi and she says: “I’m looking forward to working with Ben. He has been around for decades, doing so many kinds of amazing films.

“In person, he’s so wonderful. I met him for the first time when we happened to be on the same flight once. He’s so full of life, so much fun. He made me roll with laughter. There’s never a serious moment when he’s around. It’s so uncanny that we both were hosting a Taj Mahal project (The Seven Wonders) in Lisbon when he talked about doing a Taj Mahal film with me.”

Says Bipasha: “I’m dying to go back in time. For now I’m doing only one film. And that’s very modern: the new Yashraj production directed by Siddharth Anand with Ranbir Kapoor. Though there are other leading ladies in the film, believe me I’m confident I’ll be very strongly noticed. Every segment with different girls is very interesting.”

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Salman arrived at the scheduled time of 3 pm. However, till then, the politicians who were supposed to attend- Sonia Gandhi (the airport is named after the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi), Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajsheker Reddy and G N Rao of GMR construction- hadn’t arrived.

Says an eyewitness, "Most of the politicians, including Soniaji, came in around 4.30 pm. while Salman waited patiently for them. He was asked to sit in the sixth row in the audience."

Our source adds, "One expected that after the arrival of the dignitaries, Salman would be invited on stage- but nothing of that sort happened. Salman continued to sit in the sixth row amongst the common people and not even once was he called on stage. Not only that, his name was not even mentioned by anybody on stage. Dia could not take his name because she had a bound script. No politician interacted with him even backstage."

"It was simply ridiculous. If you call such a big personality like Salman and don’t even acknowledge his presence, then why call him at all? This is not done. It was simply ridiculous," our source adds.

So what did Salman do? A friend of Salman says, "Bechara Salman sat through the ceremony very quietly. He looked very amused but did not do anything to make a noise, which would indicate that he was present and was being neglected. Around 6 pm, he quietly got up and left, this time his face did look a tad disappointed. Obviously he had informed the organisers about the time that he had to leave and catch a flight back home. Hence it is all the more surprising that the organisers didn’t acknowledge his presence for nearly three hours when he was seated there."

Soon after, Salman took a flight and came back to Mumbai.

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Bobby shifted to Mumbai from Delhi eight years ago to make a name for herself in the film industry."I went to Mumbai to do parallel cinema with Gulzar, Shyam Benegal, but was never taken seriously. I then realised that I had to work hard to make a name for myself in the industry.""I never wanted to be part of the crowd."

Bobby admits that living without any support in Mumbai was not easy."I just had Rs.10,000 in my pocket when I landed in Mumbai. I worked as a bar dancer for nearly two years to earn my livelihood. I used to struggle during the daytime, and dance in the clubs at night."

Talking about future projects, she said: "I have five movies in the pipeline along with an international film."I even have a kissing scene with a Pakistani actor in one of my movies and I felt nice doing the scene."

Bobby will be starring in "Money Hai Toh Honey Hai" along with Govinda and Manoj Bajpai, in "Horn Ok Please" with Nana Patekar, Rimi Sen and Muzammil Ibrahim and in an international movie titled "Club 007" where she plays the role of a transsexual pole dancer.

"I was born against nature. If nature has made me this way, it is not my fault. I can’t do anything about it," she said. "My soul is that of a woman."Though I am fighting my own battle, I am giving direction to many."

Bobby, who is saving money to undergo a sex change surgery but is not sure about the move, has thought about a new name too.She replied: "I might rename myself Chicklet and introduce myself saying, ’Hi, I am a chick, my name is Chicklet. Would you like to chew me?"

After the surgery, Bobby plans to get married and settle abroad. "I do not want to struggle all over again as then people will stop taking me seriously."With her name featuring in the Limca Book Of Records for being the openly gay actor with the maximum number of films and TV serial appearances as a gay and a cross dresser, Bobby is now looking forward to making it to the Guinness Book.

Ask her about her dream man, and she rattles off names like young Indian MP Rahul Gandhi and Bilawal Bhutto, the son of late Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto.

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Talking about the role Niharika says, “I don’t know how it happened. I never tried for the role, never approached anyone. I never even thought I was eligible. One fine day I got a call from the director asking me to see him. I think Himesh and John must have seen my ads.”

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However, Balaji people were not that lucky. When they approached Katrina to do an item number for their next, C Company, the actress flatly turned it down. Money, of course, was the bone of contention. Balaji was not willing to shell out that kind of money.

But being an item with a fat pay cheque is not what she all wants, she wants to share space with someone like Hrithik.“I don’t know if I would get an opportunity to work with him so early in my career, but he is one actor I would love to work with, no questions asked," she tells.

"The way he put his heart and soul into the character of Akbar left me speechless. I’m looking forward to working with Hrithik sometime soon.” Of course, she is also in for an image makeover, so it is bye bye girl next doot and hello siren phase for Katrina.

But this change is not just confined to her professional life. She is also delibrately distancing herself from Salman.So when someone from media asked her Salman Khan and his ongoing flings with Brazilian supermodel Bruna Abdalah and Mahek Chahal Kat just pounced on the poor guy saying," You know, you guys need to learn that when someone is standing before you, you have to treat that person with respect."

"It’s a ridiculous question, ridiculous. You guys need to learn to draw the line," she added before walking away in a huff

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Shreya could have easily come out of the ATM fiasco if she had not got greedy and reckless. She went and did a special appearance item number with the reigning comedian Vadivel in Indiralokathil Na Azhagappan, the film crashed and the actress ended up with egg on her face.

After her song appearance with Vadivel, Kollywood’s ‘A’ team of heroes just banished her from their films. She was supposed to do Aegan with Ajit, but the star replaced her at the last minute with Nayanthara. Silambarasan who wanted to do a film with her badly, and was on the look out for a heroine for his Silambattam preferred the trusted Sneha to “Vadivel’s item girl”!

From ‘numero uno’ Shreya became ‘persona non grata’ in Kollywood circles, and has just one film Kandasamy in Tamil. And controversies followed her as she was found wearing “indecent dresses” at the formal silver jubilee celebration of Sivaji in which Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi was present. Though Shreya issued a public apology for her “inappropriate dressing”, Kollywood was not willing to forgive.

But Shreya Saran is a fierce and determined young girl, who will move the mountains. Her career in Bollywood is merrily chugging along with Ek with Bobby Deol and Mission Istanbul with Vivek Oberoi and Zahid Khan getting ready for release. Shreya has gone global with her Ashok Amritraj connections, as she is doing his “Other end of the line” opposite Jesse Metcalfe the handsome, hot ’n’ happening actor.

And the big surprise was when she signed ‘avant-garde’ director Deepa Mehta’s new film What’s Cooking?. Says Shreya: “The moment I heard the script, I fell in love with the intriguing character that I play. Deepa ji’s film is teaching me a totally different approach to acting.”

It made her Kollywood competitors feel jealous and eat crow as they always thought that “Shreya could not emote” and her success was a fluke. The brave 24 year-old is now fighting a fierce battle to regain her lost turf and we are sure she will come out a winner once again and triumph in Kollywood.

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The Guinness book of records calls him the youngest movie director. Kishan’s feature film Care of Footpath has now bagged 3 awards at the Cairo International Film Festival.

The film won the Children’s Jury Award, the Special International Jury’s Award and a third special achievement award. In the past such awards have been given to superstars such as Amitabh Bachchan.

Says the young director, "The journalists of Cairo press made a group, and the movie was screened in a private theatre. They then presented an achievement award to me. They told me that this same trophy is there with Mr Amitabh Bachchan and you have got a similar one and so I was really happy hearing that."

Besides working behind the camera, Kishan has acted in many regional language films, and now looks forward to future ventures, such as a Hindi film in 2010.When Kishan, who idolises Steven Spielberg, is not shooting he’s busy researching new scripts, planning his next shots and discussing new scenes.

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"Currently I am doing a south Indian film Hari Om and spending quality time with my family," she added.

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Our source close to the actor informs us that apart from welcome drinks the guests will be served bhaang and jalebi along with a variety of Indian sweets that are being ordered in huge quantities. The guests will be treated to lavish spread which is being ordered from a suburban five-star hotel.

Adds our source, “SRK has invited all the top actors from the industry and the celebration is going to be a rather grand affair.” The guest list includes SRK’s closest friends from the industry - Rani Mukherji, Karan Johar, Arjun Rampal with Mehr Jessia, Riteish Deshmukh, Farah Khan with hubby Shirish Kunder, Juhi Chawla with Jay Mehta, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan.

While SRK is holidaying in Austria with his family and friend Juhi’s family, close friend Bhavna Pandey (Chunkey Pandey’s wife) is managing the bash on SRK’s behalf. SRK is returning tonight to be there for the Saturday morning bash. Meanwhile, his staff is super busy getting the Holi party organised for ’H’ day.

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"It’s quite a journey from the Mughal era to Uruguay. But I suppose that’s the advantage of being an actor. You can be transported anywhere you like", says the actor.Kites will be produced by Rakesh Roshan and directed by Anurag Basu. - Subhash K Jha.

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The 1998 film "Ghulam", opposite Aamir Khan, was a runaway success and overnight she came to be known as the "Khandala girl" from the song "Aati kya Khandala" in the film.Then came Karan Johar’s "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" in the same year. Though she played a small role in the Kajol-Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Rani was noticed and liked by everyone. From then on, there was no looking back for the light-eyed beauty.

Rani has played a successful innings and given hits like "Black" (2005) "Bunty Aur Babli" (2005), "Paheli" (2005), "Veer-Zaara" (2004), "Hum Tum" (2004), "Yuva" (2004), "Chalte Chalte" (2003), "Saathiya" (2002), and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" (2001).

Last year, she worked in films like "Ta Ra Rum Pum", "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag", and "Saawariya" but unfortunately none was a hit at the box office.Shruti Seth, an actor who has worked along side Rani in "Ta Ra Rum Pum", wished her immense success and happiness on her birthday.

"It was an absolute pleasure to work with Rani. She is a wonderful co-star. I wish her a lot of happiness and success in her life," Shruti told IANS. It has been a tumultuous year for Rani. Her once much-guarded relationship with producer-director Aditya Chopra is now being much talked about. Rumours of a secret engagement between the reclusive Chopra and the actress are doing the rounds in the film fraternity.

In the past, Rani has been linked with comedy king Govinda and Abhishek Bachchan on more occasions than one.

She also hogged the limelight in 2007 for being duped in a land deal worth Rs.3.3 million in Shirdi, Maharashtra. She had apparently failed to check the primary documents for the piece of land that she wanted to purchase. "Rani is a very talented actress, but she should be more selective about her roles," said Smriti Mishra, a student-fan of the actress.

Rani will feature in Kunal Kohli’s as-yet-untitled venture slated for release this year. According to reports, she will be portraying Hema Malini’s role in Raj Sippy’s remake of his 1982 hit comedy, "Satte Pe Satta".

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"The playing field when the matches start in April will be filled with star-cricketers. That takes care of the glam-element," said the source."As for the music video we feel it should represent the earthy feel of Punjab and Chandigarh. Hence the robust song that Preity and Ness have recorded for their team, as opposed to the poetic lyrical mood of Kolkata and Shah Rukh’s team.

"We feel we can’t capture the flamboyant and vigorous flavour if we bring film stars into the video. Preity wants the video to be very Punjabi. That’s why she got Daler Mehndi to sing their theme song," the source said.

Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Mallya on the other hand seem to believe star-line up to be the best way to attract big crowds to their cricket matches.

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Not wanting to deny audiences across the nation the treat that is Sivaji, AVM Studios, the producers of the film, decided to have the movie dubbed and released in Hindi. Even the Tamil version was a hit for North Indian audiences all over India. And now, Sivaji is all set to speak in Hindi! Yes, the movie has been dubbed in Hindi and there are a number of big names contending for the distribution rights.

While the producers contemplate who should get the distribution rights, they are looking for someone who can buy the movie lock, stock and barrel for the Hindi release. They promise that even the dubbed version of the movie is as spectacular and as entertaining as the original. The Hindi dialogues have been fitted perfectly and the dubbing is absolutely seamless.

Will the Hindi-speaking Sivaji make as big a splash as the original? It appears it sure will!

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According to reliable sources in the trade, the worldwide box- office collections from theatrical, DVD, audio and television rights may touch a cool Rs 40 crore!

When the film was announced there were few takers for it, as they felt that the Billa-2007 will not live up to its original Rajinikanth Billa-1980 version. But the skeptics were proved wrong as Ajit’s young fans made the film an event and his biggest box-office hit till date.

Added to that, Nayanthara emerged as the glamour queen of Tamil cinema with Billa. The conservatives were baying for her blood for daring to look glamorous in the film. But at the end of the day, her brave and daring decision to wear a swimsuit in the film made her the hottest heroine in south cinema.

Full credits to director Vishnuvardhan for his perfect casting and packaging of the film, cinematographer Nirav Shah for making it look stunning and costume designer Anu Vardhan for giving a classy trendy and fashionable look to the entire cast.

Finally hats off to Karunamoorthy of Ayngaran International for backing the project from its early days and Pyramid Saimira for their aggressive marketing which made it a super hit. Ajit’s Billa will go down in history books as a trendsetter which changed the look of big budget commercial cinema in Kollywood.

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And she is also ga-ga over her latest director. "I think Raj Santoshi is a great visionary. Look at the performances he gets out of his actors! And to cast someone like me who otherwise has such a contemporary image in the Mauryan era requires guts," says the sultry actress.

Five years ago, Bipasha was actually supposed to start her career with a Mughal costume drama, J.P. Dutta’s "Aakhri Mughal", opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The project never took off.

Sighs Bipasha, "Madhur Bhandarkar, Rituparno Ghosh, Raj Santoshi... these are women’s directors I’ve always wanted to work with. I’ve worked with two of them. Now hopefully I’ll be working with the third."

Incidentally Rituparno Ghosh’s "Sab Charitra Kalpunik" needn’t have been Bipasha’s first Bengali film. A few years ago she was offered Buddhdeb Dasgupta’s "Kaal Purush".

"Yes," Bipasha recalls the project. "But you’ve to be in sync with the person you work with. And I don’t know much about the Bengali film industry. With Ritu the comfort level has grown over time. Speaking Bengali wasn’t a problem, though I think in English and not in Bengali."

Another costume drama on the anvil is Ben Kingsley’s "Taj Mahal" project.

"Again that will take some time. It’s again an exciting film. I’ll be transported into another era. My entire body language has to change."

Asked how she feels about working with the Oscar-winning actor-director popularly known in India for his on-screen portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi and she says: "I’m looking forward to working with Ben. He has been around for decades, doing so many kinds of amazing films.

"In person, he’s so wonderful. I met him for the first time when we happened to be on the same flight once. He’s so full of life, so much fun. He made me roll with laughter. There’s never a serious moment when he’s around. It’s so uncanny that we both were hosting a Taj Mahal project (The Seven Wonders) in Lisbon when he talked about doing a Taj Mahal film with me."

Says Bipasha: "I’m dying to go back in time. For now I’m doing only one film. And that’s very modern: the new Yashraj production directed by Siddharth Anand with Ranbir Kapoor. Though there are other leading ladies in the film, believe me I’m confident I’ll be very strongly noticed. Every segment with different girls is very interesting."

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“I know all of them would instantly give an excuse that they do not get time. In that case they must get up one hour early and do yoga to avoid problems like joint pains.“Also, women must set a target for themselves that they would not gain weight beyond a certain point. They must become a vegetarian but fast twice in a week. It helps one know the body better.”

She spoke glowingly about her daughters.“It was interesting to work with the kids (daughters). Although, we stay together at home, working collectively was great fun! I am looking forward to do more work with them.”

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“I thank god that I got an offer from such a prestigious house like Rakhesh-ji’s. Thanks to him, I lost weight and got a completely new look for my song. He is a total perfectionist. He scrutinized everything and then okayed it,” said Rakhi

“My song ‘Dekhta Hai Tu Kya’ shows me in a very different avatar, much more Indian and softer - all thanks to Rakesh-ji, it is a mind blowing song,” she added.

Directed by Jaideep Sen, the film starring Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan hits screens April 11.

Apart from “Krazzy 4″ Rakhi will be seen in an item number in Yash Raj Films’ new venture.

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Kareena started shooting Tuesday at Film City at the outskirts of Mumbai.Kareena and Salman were expected to serenade to immortality in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Bajirao Mastani”, but the film never happened.She was also signed for Salman’s home production “My Punjabi Nikaah”. That never happened either.

Kareena chuckles in disbelief.“‘Main Aur Mrs. Khanna’ is an intensely romantic film. I don’t think Salman has done a pure love story like this before. Neither have I. Sohail is also in the film.”

Interestingly, this is the first time in her distinguished career that Kareena will be working with a debutant director Prem Soni.“He’s very talented. It wouldn’t matter even if he wasn’t - I’m doing it for Salman,” said Kareena emotionally.

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"Why would I shy away from doing something unconventional? I started with ’Aitraaz’, which was as unconventional as they come. I’m so amused by all the speculation about ’Fashion’. It just shows how much interest the film is generating. In spite of the constant attention, we’ve shot a majority of the film. We’re all working really hard on it."

"I don’t know where these stories come from. Apparently, I asked Madhur to change the climax of the plot so that my character doesn’t get pregnant. Now where did that come from? Madhur is a very competent director. Do you think he’d allow any actor to tamper with the script?

"Yes, the two of us sat down on the script and threshed it out over six-seven months. Once that was done, we went by the script completely. I’d be the last person to ask for changes once I begin shooting."

As for the film being inspired by the lives of real-life ramp-walkers, Priyanka clears the air."The film is a work of fiction. It’s not meant to be the true story about the modelling world. Basically, it’s the story of this one girl’s biographical journey, just like Tabu in Madhur’s ’Chandni Bar’ or Bipasha in ’Corporate’.

"The fashion world is my character’s backdrop. My character could very well have been a part of any other profession."Priyanka, who will be seen in "Drona" and "Love Story 2050", admits that she has never been more nervous about any of her films.

"It’s a very nerve-wracking character and I hope I’m able to live up to people’s expectations."Priyanka has to cram in as much of the shooting as possible for "Fashion" before she rushes off in March to Miami for Karan Johar’s "Dostana" directed by Tarun Mansukhani.

"That would be a welcome sunny seaside change after shooting the intense scenes indoors on a set for ’Fashion’. It’s a young peppy frothy film. Totally different from Fashion."

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When asked how their meeting went, the Big B laughed and said: "Oh, grow up. It was just a normal thing that we all do when colleagues are shooting together. He has been over to our house, Jalsa, several times. He came home recently to pay his condolences when my mother passed away and again for the chautha. He also came to invite us to see his film ’Taare Zameen Par’."

Bachchan and family will now reciprocate Aamir’s peace gesture.

"I’m waiting for all my family members to be in town so we can see Aamir’s film (’Taare...). Jaya was attending parliament. Abhishek is in Miami and Ash (Aishwarya Rai) too will be away. Once we’re all together, we’ll watch Aamir’s film."

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Shilpa hit the jackpot after winning the British television reality show "Celebrity Big Brother 2007" and became a big name. Her emoting in films like "Phir Milenge" (2004), "Dus" (2005), "Apne" (2007) and "Metro" (2007) also fetched her acclaim. She has become selective about the roles she takes up.

"Shilpa now only takes up those roles which give her complete creative satisfaction," Bhagwagar said. According to the grapevine, Shilpa is being offered a number of projects in Hollywood too. To this, her publicist said: "It is natural for her to get a number of offers after the international fame that she has earned."

The actor’s forthcoming movies include Sunny Deol and Neeraj Pathak’s "The Man", and an international venture titled "Hanuman" with filmmaker Uru Patel.

"’The Man’ will see Shilpa portraying the role of a simple, dedicated girl who rises to instant global stardom - very similar to her real life experience. In ’Hanuman’, she would be portraying Goddess Sita," he said.

Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves is being tipped to play the role of Lord Ram in "Hanuman".

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Earlier, some magazines had reported that Kareena Kapoor, riding on the success on her Jab We Met has dethroned Ash as the highest-paid actress in India by charging Rs. 3.5 crores for her forthcoming film. But Ash has now proved beyond doubt that she is still the reigning queen even after marriage.

And her friends do justify her huge fee, saying that her recent hits speak for her. With a hat-trick of hits in Guru, Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar compared to Kareena’s solo hit, Ash is certainly worth her huge pay packet, say her friends.

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But Lalithakumari has not yet filed for the divorce petition as third parties are still hopeful of a rapprochement between the couple. Meanwhile the Kollywood buzz is that Prakash Raj is extremely close to a Mumbai based choreographer Pony Varma, though he says, they are just "Good friends".

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According to Varma, Abhishek has given yet another riveting performance in "Sarkar Raj" after "Guru". The new film also stars Abhishek along with his wife Aishwarya Rai.

"Abhishek is looking really thin these days. For those who are writing that he’s frantically gyming to lose weight here’s some disappointing news. I don’t think Abhishek can lose any more weight."

"After the success of ’Jodhaa Akbar’, the offers are phenomenal. The Bachchans, especially Jaya, who gave up her career at her prime, are delighted. They thought her marital status would inhibit her career. But the offers are pouring in," said a source.

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Incidentally, the driver, Rajesh Shah, has also alleged that he received death threats from Kangana’s sister over the phone after the incident. He further alleged that this was not the first time that he has been sat the receiving end of Kangana’s ill-temper and awful behavior.

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Pooja backed these nuns saying that she has personally seen them build 200 homes for adivasis with proper sanitation and that she had personally spoken to the adivasis about them being influenced into Christianity and the tribals denied such charges. She also elucidated that she was against forcible or induced conversion, by giving her own family background as an example.

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Shefali Shah: "My husband Vipul and I will be having a get-together at home. We’ll have close friends over. Lots of food, bhang, out-of-tune karaoke, dumb charade…and lots and lots of laughter.

Tusshar Kapoor: "I stopped playing Holi years back. But this year I’ll have to attend the Holi bash specially arranged for my new film 123."

Malaika Arora: "I won’t be playing Holi this year as I’m holidaying in Dubai"

Nandana Sen: "On Holi day I’ll be traveling back from Khajuraho to Mumbai. I’ll be coming home just for a day. I’ll be sad missing Holi, though. It’s my absolute favourite among the Holidays in our calendar.

Manoj Bajpai: "I don’t celebrate Holi. I hate being dirty with colour and mud."

Riya Sen: "I’m not sure I’ll be playing Holi or not. It’d depend on my mood."

Koena Mitra: "I haven’t played Holi during the last few years. This year I might go for a Holi bash being hosted by a dear friend. Since it’s inside the house and only close friends are invited it’d be safe. I’ll therefore go."

Amrita Arora: "I’ll be at home on holi. Who wants to step out?" Celina Jaitley: "I’m shooting on the day before Holi, so no masti. But I’ll definitely put gulaal on my buddies

Ravi Kissan: "Arrey bhaiya, making bhang with my own hands and giving it to friends. That’s my pleasure for Holi that no one can take away."

Anuraag Sinha: "This is my first Holi right after the release of my first film Black & White. I’m going to freak out with friends and family

Mahesh Bhatt: "22nd March happens to be the day my friend and mentor U.G Krishnamurthy died. I don’t play Holi. I’m going to Bangalore to release a book of mine that’s been translated into Kannada.

Jiah Khan: "I’m shooting, and I can’t play Holi. I’d have loved to get splashed in colour! Holi is one of the most beautiful festivals of our country and it symbolizes our zest for fun.

Aryan Vaid: "I’m not a big fan of Holi I’ll be in Pune with friends, considering it’s a long weekend.

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And all you readers waste no time in wishing her a very Happy Birthday, simply by posting your messages below. So, go ahead, live life Rani Size…we mean ’Queen Size’!

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He going bald had become the talk of the town for quite some time now. And the ’day’ decided was his Birthday, which eventually got postponed. Now the D-Day (or is it the B-Day- Bald Day) arrived yesterday when ’Mr. Perfect’ Aamir ultimately bid good bye to his much loved hair, in the presence of his near and dear ones. And the person instrumental in this was the renowned celebrity hair stylist Avan Contractor, and the location was Aamir’s residence in Bandra. The ’USP’ of this one and a half an hour ’balding session’ was that, at the end of it all, at the behest of Aamir, Avan created a scar with the razor on Aamir’s head!

So, please do not be surprised if you suddenly find the young men going bald. Because you know that the reason is not the summer, or the dandruff and definitely not the lice, but it’s called the refreshing ’Aamir slice’!!!

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Going by the theme of the film, it seems Jannat draws resemblance from the controversy surrounding Pakistan cricket team’s Bob Woolmer’s mysterious death.

"No it’s based on Bob Woolmer’s incident but somehow it is similar to some extent. In fact the South African actor who play the coach’s role in the film was a friend of Bob Woolmer," said Mukesh Bhatt, producer.

The film hits theatres on May 2. Hope Jannat showers heavenly bliss for the audience.

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A suave looking actor, Shoban was very popular among the ladies. Such were his looks that he was even dubbed Andhra Andagadu (Andhra’s most handsome person). The on-screen chemistry between Shoban Babu and actress Sharada was very popular with almost all of their films turning out to be superhits.

The film that made him a big star was Manushulu Maarali. That he was popular during the days of the legendary N.T. Rama Rao and Nageshwara Rao is a proof of his screen presence.

Shoban Babu has won many State Awards and Filmfare Awards during the course of his three-decade-old career. Some of his memorable films include Soggadu, Sharadha, Ramalalayam, Sampoorna Ramayanam among many others. He was honoured with the ‘Natabooshana’ title.

Unlike many stars who never retire from films, Shoban Babu chose to hang up his boots when he was at the peak of his career. He has maintained a very low profile ever since, never appearing at public functions.

The last rites of this great actor will be performed in Andhra Pradesh. Galatta.com offers its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

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She was in Delhi to promote the film Race, which is her first release of the year. Directed by the duo Abbas-Mustan, the film also has a host of A-list actors like Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu.

"I don’t want to give away too much about my role because it is a suspense film. My character has a lot more shades. She is something you don’t expect from me. I saw the first print of the film. It is a very tongue- in-cheek kind of film and not to be taken very seriously.

"It is one of those films where good guys are really good and bad guys are even worse. It is like those heightened novels of Agatha Christie where everything is a little exaggerated. The overall experience was truly entertaining."

Her kitty is full of hits like Partner and Welcome. After so many hits in a row, where do you place yourself in filmdom?

"I don’t think it’s a matter where you place yourself. It’s a matter of how your fan feels about you and where the industry finds you. At this particular place I think I am lucky to be able to say that I do get offers for a lot of film."

Now she has moved on to bigger banners like Yash Raj Films."Yes, I am doing a Yash Raj film with John Abraham. Neil Mukesh is also in the film. I think the best if they (producers) speak about the film. It is a completely different genre and not something I have done before."

Apart from that she will be seen in Singh Is King with Akshay Kumar and in Rajkumar Santoshi’s next film, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, with Ranbir Kapoor.

"’Singh Is King’ is a comedy. Rajkumar Santoshi’s script is one of the best scripts I have ever heard. It will be a new experience for me."

In all these films, Katrina is paired with the younger lot of actors. Ask her if it is a conscious move, she says: "It just happened. The whole set up has to be good and the script is very important."

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Recently when Shriya was rejected from Ajith’s forthcoming flick Aegan, it was Trisha who recommended Ajith to add Shriya in his film. Fine! Though her efforts went in vain, it proved of their strong friendship. Recently, in an interview Trisha had stated that Shriya Charan is her favorite stylish icon in Kollywood… So its nice to see these missies maintaining good relationship and let it continue for ever…

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What made the producer to give such expensive car to this female? Any guess?

Exactly! she has given a treat to the man in the similar way Shreya offered to Vadivelu where she took 7 lacs for three nights and two days! To say! Nayanthara is really brilliant than Shreya, is that not! Same kind of party, but big money!

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Although she has acted in over a number of movies, Kareena claims to be nervous to act alongside Salman Khan. “Although we’ve done Priyadarshan’s Kyun Ki before, I always get nervous working with Salman. He was my sister’s hero long before we were paired together. And now to be doing a film with him…”

Talking about her next flick with Salman, Kareena said, “Our new film Main Aur Mrs Khanna is an intensely romantic film. I don’t think Salman has done a pure love story like this before. Neither have I. Sohail is also in the film.”

We wish Kareena good luck in getting over her nervousness, afterall Salman is a kind hearted man.

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Meanwhile Kamal Hassan is dubbing for the Hindi version of the film. Dasavatharam is said to have shaped out well and the trade sentiments is that it should release in May first week to cash in on the summer holidays.

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Servant in her house is wondering how many producers Reema has to discuss in private to get one chance to act?

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After Mohanlal’s big budget Rs 4 crore Flash bombed badly at the Kerala box-office, Tommichan Mulakkupadam an NRI and the film’s producer snapped up Sathyam with Vishal and Nayanthara for a whopping Rs 60 lakhs! Mulakkupadam feels that Nayan’s glamour along with Harris Jayaraj’s music and Vishal’s dare-devil action is better than investing on a Mohanlal Film!

Last week Mulakkupadam was in Chennai trying to pay an advance and confirm Ajit- Nayan starrer Aegan, for which he is willing to shell out Rs 1 crore for Kerala rights. The trade in Kerala feels it is more profitable to dub any Telugu Nayanthara film or buy a Tamil film rather than make a straight Malayalam film!

This Easter (March 21) weekend Nayanthara’s dubbed version of Thulasi is releasing in Kerala with a record 35 prints! It is being released like a big Malayalam film with cut-out’s and vinyl hoardings all over Kerala. Se/xy posters (definitely not from Thulasi, a family entertainer) of the hot and happening actress has been pasted all over the state.

It has resulted in two Malayalam films with small stars being postponed to a further date as they do not want to clash with a Nayanthara film which according to the trade "will get a better opening"!

Meanwhile there is tremendous pressure on Nayanthara to do Malayalam films with the superstars. The smart girl that she is, Nayan has done a special dance number in Twenty: 20, being produced by the powerful Malayalam film artists association (AMMA) without whose support her films cannot run in Kerala.

Somebody said that the actor was advised by his co-star Vijay not to reveal anything on his girl baby. But the actor announced this name to his close circles and also later informed the same to the media through hi PRO.

Anoushka was born to Ajith and Shalini on January 3rd Thursday at Appollo Hospital in Chennai. It was a Caesarean operation.

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Del.Icio.Us Tags: Wills Fashion Week, WIFW 2008, India Fashion Week 2008

“Another Parveen? This is my 13th film. Please check with my directors and producers if I’ve ever been erratic in my behaviour. I think these people need to check their own mental balance,” she said. Tanushree goes back to the beginning of her stint in Pune. “I signed this film without knowing what I was in for. At first, things seemed okay. Shona was the producer and her sister Masume was also part of the cast (though it’s another matter that there seems to be some kind of stress between the sisters). I’ve the main role. Their mother is the producer and father looks after the production. So it was all a family affair.

“For 15 hours non-stop, they made me shoot, taunting, jeering and harassing me. The lights and air-conditioning in my van were switched off. It was a nightmare. They couldn’t wait to have me back on the sets the next morning for a dose of the same treatment,” the actress recalled. Tanushree left Pune and refused to go back till the producers accompanied her. “I reluctantly went back and shot Feb 19-20. But it was bad. The producers saw how bad it was and blasted the team wondering how an actress could work under such stressful circumstances. Shona insisted that she needed me for 10-12 days. The producers decided four days were enough. I went on the sets at the given time, tried to do my work and left.”

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According to Prabhu, one of the partners of Sivaji Productions, the shooting will be launched once Ajith comes out from Ayngaran’s Aegan. So it will take another 4 months and the shooting will be commenced only in August. Harris Jayaraj scores the music for this film.

The inclusion of Vijay and Nayan, the new pair of AVM’s next film, will add more glamour to the team and its forthcoming Twenty: 20 matches in the City. The pair will travel Mohali, Kolkatta and Mumbai to cheer up the team, where they play their matches with rival teams.

India Cements Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, TNCA President and BCCI Treasurer N Srinivasan have expressed their pleasure of getting the leading stars as ambassadors for their team.

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Kuruvi brings together the Ghilli team of Vijay, Trisha, director Dharani and composer Vidyasagar. The film is one of 2008’s most awaited films, thanks to the Ghilli success. The film, produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin, is expected to hit theatres by May.

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As the audio has already been released, the producers are still modifying by this inclusion of new song. So after the second version of the audio gets released, the movie would set for the big screen. The other main reason is that Selvaraghavan whose movie is being remade, had seen the movie and had suggested for a modifications. Seems that those patch works are being made, in Thirunelveli.

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Priyanka is house-proud. "It’s such a feeling to own a home that I have watched come up brick by brick. Full marks to Suzanne Roshan for making my dream home a reality. I think her aesthetics are very close to mine. My parents apartment and mine are adjacent (as they were in our earlier residence) and are so beautifully done. Both have been done up differently."

Since Priyanka is shooting non-stop to complete Madhur Bhandarkar’s "Fashion" before rushing off to complete "Dostana", she can’t pack beyond the stuff she will need for her trip to Miami.

"But my mom is packing my belongings that I have accumulated over the years. I wish I had more time to enjoy this important move in my life. But I am free only in July after I finish shooting Fashion and Karan Johar’s Dostana.

After that, no more assignments for the time being and only then will I get some time to move in and enjoy my new home. "Until then, I will be happy watching my parents enjoy our new home. Their happiness means more to me than my own," she said.

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Sources say that, she claims to be happy and also feels extremely lucky to be the Bahu of Bachchan Parivar. But from the past two months, there are reports that the couple Abhi and Ash are not so happy, as they try to act in the public. The reason for it is Abhishek always says that he loves his wife, but still has some inclination towards Priyanka Chopra. The possessive attitude of Aishwarya towards her hubby also made her little bit insecure with Priyanka. And all is not well between the married couple.

Now adding to the fire, the latest photo of her, which shows her topless for a reputed magazine in her initial stages of her life has made the Bachchan family think about her Bahu’s past. It is reported that Abhishek is very much upset about the media’s news circulation of his wife’s topless photo and also it is said that Jaya Bachchan is upset over her Bahu’s topless act. Though Ash - Abhi claim that the photo was a morphed photo, the inside sources say that Jaya Bachchan is very upset about her Bahu’s past as she thinks that Aishwarya is guilty in this act.. But the Big ‘B is silent over this media news and also is trying to convince his wife that it was a media Gimmick.

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We met while we were shooting for our respective debut films (Om Shanti Om and Saawariya). At that point of time it was very different because he hadn’t been in the limelight at all. It was a completely new thing for him whereas I was used to it, having been a model. We were both very involved with our films then. So we didn’t really get too much time to spend with each other. We went our separate ways after our movies were released and we just disconnected. Then we got together again when we were doing Siddharth’s (Anand, director) movie (Yash Raj Films). We were together for a month and that’s when it started.

Was there any attraction even when you two had met earlier?

Yes, we got along well even then. But we didn’t get too much time to be in a relationship. We thought ‘let’s not rush into anything’. We are young and we both have our careers to pursue. We also knew that at some point we would be working together and there would be enough time to get to know each other.

How does it feel being in love?

It’s a fantastic feeling. He is very caring. I am glad that I am finally in a relationship where my man loves me so much and for what I am. Also, when we met again, so much had already happened in our respective lives. We came from two different spaces. But we connected. The fact that both our families are also happy about this relationship makes it easier.

What do you think of his parents?

They are wonderful. His mum (Neetu Kapoor) is very sweet. Kapoors are loving people. They are all foodies. It’s another thing common between us. He loves to see me eating the way I do, because the other women he knows are always picking on ghas phoos.

Since he comes from a filmi background, do you seek his advice?

He is everything to me. He is someone I can talk to about everything and that’s the beauty of our relationship. Actually, I prefer not to discuss work with him as after a long day it would get too much. We enjoy doing a lot of other things and spend as much time with each other as we can. Yeah, I can ask him for suggestions because he would know better about this industry.

Did you like the towel dropping scene in Saawariya?

(Blushes) I have seen the movie. In fact, I watched the movie with him in Sydney. I saw the song and I think it’s cool. I keep teasing him that he’s become a gay icon.

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"I started my career with fashion and it’s really nice to make a come back on the ramp. Moreover, I am a fashion freak," said Katrina, after the event that ended here late Sunday.

"For Katrina’s dress, I used 22 meters of cloth. And 22 people worked for 10 days to gather small portions of cloth and stitch them to get the large smoking effect," Soni told IANS.

"Torn pieces of chiffon were tied around safety pins and tucked to create the floral motifs on the bustier of the gown," he added.Soni and Anamika raised a toast to Indian fashion through the finale themed ’Mode In India’ (Fashion In India).

Glowing squares with conical ends were arranged in vertical and horizontal rows as the backdrop of the stage. Similar conical squares, which were illuminated, were embedded into the glass ramp.

Video images symbolising transformation were screened on the two side walls of the hall.It featured an outline map of India multiplying to form the seven continents, monuments converting into commercial buildings, an ordinary car into a sports car, an auto into an aeroplane, a post office into a computer, and a slipper into stilettos - all signifying the transformation of India and its fashion.

The show kicked off with models sporting Anamika’s creations. She had used fabrics like satin, jacquard, silk, textured cotton, organza, georgette and brocade. The designer had crafted skirts with high-collar jackets, shirts and tops of varied styles and designs.

The collection had lots of quirky graphic prints alternating with extreme metallic shades. The colour palette had whites, blacks, blue-blacks and charcoals.

"Both of us (Soni and me) derived inspiration for our respective collections from India and it is all about our nation and how Indian fashion is. We are proud to be Indians and that is what we showcased on the ramp via our silhouettes," Anamika said.

Soni’s collection offered textured dresses, coats with cowls on the back, satin trousers, self-checked dresses with pocket detailing, double and single breasted jackets teamed with trousers, navy T-shirts, draped tops, ski jackets and faux fur coats matched with leggings.

"All the literal images that we have about our country - our collections were aimed to break all of them. The idea is to bring out the essence of Indian fashion. I mean, if flanked by international labels, where we are spaced. Our products are of international standard with the Indianness intact," Soni explained.

Hues like charcoal, dark blue, ebony and bitter chocolate dominate Soni’s palette. Fabrics used included cashmere in knit and woven, viscose knits, flannel wool and leather.His men’s line had suits with velvet trims, Romeo shirts, sherwani’s with fur collars, shirts and jackets with mandarin collars, sweaters, caps, leather gloves, waistcoats and bomber jackets.

Both men’s and women’s wear were tastefully accessorised with colourful silk quilted belts. These were interestingly tied as big bows across the shoulders, waist, chest and collar.

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Bachchan walked in at quarter past nine for his programme scheduled at 6.30 p.m. Naturally, he apologised to the media, explaining that he was first held up by a shoot and then by the evening traffic.

The replica of his "look" in "Bhootnath" bore a striking resemblance to the one he donned for his role of Gabbar Singh in "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay." He was flummoxed when it was pointed out to him and looked at Ravi Copra, the producer, seeking an explanation. Chopra said the "look" was perfect for the role Bachchan plays in the film.

In "Bhootnath," Bachchan plays a cantankerous grandfather who later becomes a partner in pranks indulged in by his seven-year-old grandson Banku (Aman Siddiqui).

The movie is about a child’s innocent and unsullied love and how it can turn a foe into a friend.Bachchan showered praise on Aman for his histrionic abilities. He said the boy was, in fact, the star of the movie and that he merely played a character called Kailashnath, who is endearingly referred to as Bhootnath in the movie.

The cast of "Bhootnath" also includes Juhi Chawla, Satish Shah, Rajpal Yadav and Tejas. Shah Rukh Khan makes a special appearance.While referring to SRK, Bachchan denied any "bad vibes" between them. They have a few scenes together in the movie. "It is a media-created animosity. He is a friend," Bachchan said.

Written and directed by Vivek Sharma, music for "Bhootnath" has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar and the lyrics are written by Javed Akhtar.An Indian Films presentation, it is scheduled for release on May 9 this year.

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There is abuzz that it was Deepika’s plan to spend the weekend with her beau and Ranbir tailored his film schedule to season it with this surprise.

According to a close source, the two are going to get kinky on the beach and will also spend the night in a 7 star lavish room.

Give some privacy to them, as they are dying hard for love.

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"When Ashwini heard me chattering away in Tamil with my mother, who had come to visit me in Pondicherry, he loved the intonations and loud-and-soft dips and curves in our language," said Esha, who earned rave reviews for her performance in Ankahee.She is delighted by her side-splitting lingo opportunity.

"The Tamil in One Two Three was a cakewalk. They loved my aiyyos and appas so much that they’ve decided to use them as a voiceover in the promos," Esha told IANS.After having shot her first comedy in Pondicherry, she is still laughing all the way to the brink.

"It’s my first attempt at comedy. Though I’ve been a part of comedy films like No Entry , I’ve never done the funny stuff. It was great fun going over the top, specially the portions where I had to speak my mother tongue."Esha has spoken Tamil on screen earlier.

"That’s right. In the Tamil version of Mani Ratnam’s Yuva, but that was a different style of Tamil spoken by the Iyer community - different from what we speak at home which is the Iyenger Tamil. So that was tough." With no more projects in hand, Esha is currently enjoying an ideal holiday."I’ve no assignments on hand after One Two Three and I’m happy to wait for the right offers."

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The electronic media has been going to town about how Priyanka had been "ousted" from her cola status. "Wrong!" says a very close friend of the actress.

Adds the friend: "Priyanka is flush with endorsement assignments. In fact, she’s at this very moment shooting an ad with Saif Ali Khan in Bangkok."

Now, Prabhu, one of the actors close to the superstar also joins the cast of Kuselan. He will play the vital role as Mukesh did in the original version. Prabhu accepted to do the role on the personal and invitation from Rajini. So far Prabhu and Rajini have appeared in three movies.His last movie with Rajini was Chandramukhi, a historical blockbuster of the
Low fares only on Deccan. It is also being said that action king Arjun has will appear with Rajini in few scenes in Kuselan.

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She cut a cake to mark her association with the store and spoke to the scribes present about the store and her future role as a brand ambassador. "I’m proud to be part of this company and I will do my best to the store’s promotional activities." Trisha said.

She said that she was happy with the way her career was going and hoped that she would do more films for the Telugu audience. She also expressed happiness for being chosen to represent Big C. She also gave away some prizes to the lucky winners at this meet, after the inaugural ceremony.

It is mentionable that the actress had already appointed as the brand ambassador of TVS Scooty Pep.

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Ranbir’s parents have taken to her in a big way. "Rishi uncle is so warm. As for Neetu aunty, she has a natural grace and charm about her. She’s very poised and articulate. I’ve met her many more times than I’ve met Rishi Uncle. We’re going to be working together. We read a script together recently. He’s so passionate about cinema. I’ve so much to learn from him."

Deepika is full of praise for the Kapoor couple for their children’s upbringing.

"Both Ranbir and his sister Riddhima have been brought up with the right values. They come from such an illustrious family and yet they’re so down-to-earth. I see many similarities between their upbringing and mine. Though both Ranbir and I were exposed to celebrities from childhood, our parents have made sure we’re firmly rooted to reality."

So is she looking at a life ahead of Ranbir?

"Right now, we both have our careers to focus on. But we’re both very comfortable in our relationship. Now that we’ve come out in the open about our relationship, our parents are very happy. Beyond that, it’s too early to talk about marriage."

Poised, in control of herself and utterly confident, the 22-year-old answers charges of unfair conduct levelled by cricketer Yuvraaj Singh’s mother with elegant aplomb. Deepika was earlier linked to the cricketer.

"I really don’t think she said anything against me. If she had a grudge, she would have called me. I always say no outside source can know what kind of relationship two people share.

"I spoke to her after the statements attributed to her came out. I’ve always shared a fantastic rapport with her. She’s a wonderful and strong person. I’ve learnt a lot from her. As a woman, I look up to Yuvraaj’s mother. She’s a multi-tasking mother. She has single-handedly brought up her two children," Deepika said.

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There are reports that the cricketers like Yuvi, Dhoni, Ishanth and Rohit Sharma will be participating in the stage shows and the glamour will be added by kareena Kapoor, Deepika and Maliaka Arora.

Previously in 2005, Priyanka was featured in the Pepsi ad and now has been replaced by Deepika for the next two years.

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Wait a minute … all this ‘Sreesanth and Priyanka are in love’ telephonic conversation circulating in the media is just a gimmick to promote Lux soaps? Probably it is true because the invite said that it was a press conference addressed by Priyanka Chopra and Sreesanth, and there was no indication of Lux soaps. Well, I did not expect such cheap publicity stunts from a trusted brand like Lux.

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Meanwhile keeping aside the reports Kareena has shielded herself from anorexia and is now on her usual diet.

The latest is that Bebo has started luring the kids of Saif, by giving them costly gifts and spending some quality time with them. It is said that Ebrahim and Sara, son and daughter of Saif have started liking their papa’s new girlfriend and are bonding well with Bebo. Ebrahim got three gifts on his birthday, i.e March 4th which includes some provogue clothing and some videogames.

But whatever is the reason Aditya Chopra who has crafted Tashan , has complemented Bebo and said that she is a true professional.

Coming back to Kareena’s health issue Aditya complimented her that she is a true professional and has given her 100% to Tashan. It seems like Aditya Chopra has a liking for slim and beauties.

Wonder, how he is marrying Rani Mukerji then ?

Mollywood filmy associations have been trying to avoid Malayalam releases clashing with the releases of Tamil biggies in the state. Since many Kollywood stars command big openings in Kerala, even small time filmmakers are careful enough to reschedule the dates according to the release dates of Tamil films.

Recently the associations has passed a resolution which permits the Tamil films to get released in Kerala only after two weeks from their original release dates in Tamil Nadu. Despite this move, Tamil films continue to command good response in Kerala.

It may be recalled that Vijay’s ’Pokkiri’ was one of the highest collecting films of last year, which completed hundred days in many centers in Kerala. Though Vijay’s latest film ’Azhagiya Tamil Magan’ did not do well in Tamil Nadu, it made good businesses in Kerala.

Kerala is also awaiting the big Tamil releases like ’Dasavadharam’, ’Yaaradi Nee Mohini’ and ‘Varanam Aayiram’, which will hit the theatres in a couple of months.

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Kamal’s daughter Sruthi Hasan, who will soon be making her Tamil debut in a movie opposite Madhavan, is the latest addition to the list of VIPs who have seen the film.

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When cautioned that there would be a stampede in the temple, given his immense popularity, Rajnikanth stood his ground, saying he would go in disguise, the book said.

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"Using her iconic stature in UK to advantage, Shilpa gave the workshop her best shot to inspire and influence the young guns. She also educated them on a wider definition of beauty and the reality behind the images of beauty they see in the media," informed Shilpa’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar.

The workshop was supported by ’Beat’, UK’s leading eating-disorders charity. Expanding their horizons, the ’Dove Self- Esteem Fund’ aims to reach maximum youngsters worldwide through similar educational campaigns and workshops in future.

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Asin, who has been delivering quite a number of hits, pairing with top Tamil and Telugu heroes, will for the first time play a double role. The other Bollywood connection to the film comes by way of singer Himesh Reshammiya , who also makes his debut in Tamil cinema. However, it is not clear whether he will render one of his own numbers in Tamil. The release further said that the audio rights of the movie have been bagged by Sony BMG, which makes its foray into the regional music market through the Kamal-Asin starrer.

The release quoted Shridhar Subramaniam, Managing Director Sony BMG India as saying it was “privilege for us to enter the Tamil music market with a project as grand and special as ‘Dasavatharam’”. Earlier slated for a Pongal (January 15) release, post production delay ensured that the producer, Oscar V Ravichandran rescheduled the dates for April.

The successful duo of director K S Ravikumar and Kamal Haasan had earlier come out with the rib-ticklers, ‘Avvai Shanmugi’ and ‘Panchathantiram’. The sensational and the steaming Sherawat is all set to surprise Bollywood by being the highest paid actress for Cameos. Eyes popped out is it? Well, the faster you digest the fact that she is not just hear to stay but also to rule, the better it will be for your senses.

Mallika Sherawat is being paid 1.5 crore for her cameo role in Himesh Reshammiya’s “Aap Ka Suroor”, which means she is paid 15 lakhs per minute. Oooph…that is really huge! This makes her the highest paid actress in the history of Bollywood. Now, does Rani, Kajol, Ash or any one wants to comment on that.

Randhir Kapoor is proud of his younger daughter’s and his family’s achievements, “I was thrilled when Bebo got the Filmfare Best Actress Award and my brother Rishi got the Lifetime Achievement Award, while my nephew Ranbir got the award for Best Male Debut. Now we are going to launch two films soon under the RK Films Banner with Bebo and Ranbir. Happy days are here again! My father and grandfather must be really proud watching our family from wherever they are!” said a beaming Dabboo.

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When asked who is her best partner on screen, Trisha said they are Vijay and Vikram. However, she also said the most handsome man on earth for her is Ajith.

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"Working globally is a tough thing. Offers are there but what will finally become a substantial offer and what goes into production is what matters," Bipasha, who was in the capital for the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, told IANS.

"India is a very comfortable place for us because we have already made a niche here. So why would anyone want to go and struggle there? I don’t want to go and struggle. I have gone through my struggle," said the actress, who walked the ramp Wednesday for designer duo Gauri and Nainika Karan.

"If anything comes by, and if I’m lucky enough, I will. But it is not easy. It happened with Aishwarya Rai after six years of wanting to figure out doing global cinema. She has done ’Pink Panther’, which is her first studio film. She has done those crossover films, Irrfan Khan has done it, but it takes time," she added.

After playing a Pakistani girl in "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal", the actress returns to the celluloid in a completely new avatar. She will be seen in an action role and sporting a new hair cut in Abbas-Mustan’s "Race". Releasing March 21, the film also has Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy.

Commenting on her role in "Race", Bipasha said: "I am playing a complicated character. In fact, each character is complicated in the film because it is a thriller genre. A lot is driven by each one’s motive, so the plot is very interesting. They start off looking as predictable as characters, but as the story goes on, each character has all kinds of shades.

"For me, it was an interesting character, the story interested me and I love Abbas-Mustan, my first directors. Also, I was working with new kinds of actors, so there is a new chemistry - all in all it has turned out better than what I expected."

Bipasha said that technically this is her third film with the director duo. Her first film with them was "Ajnabee"."In the middle we started doing another film, ’Mr. Fraud’. We did about 70 percent of the film. It got stuck in the making. But it is always a pleasure to work with them - they are very nice people, haven’t changed.

"They understand the needs of a thriller. They are very tech savvy and use the best cameras and technical team. They are fantastic editors, so our film is very crisp."The film is two hours and 15 minutes long. Bipasha says today’s audience doesn’t have the patience to sit through a long film.

"People don’t have patience. They want to condemn anything that is lengthy even though for us it’s a creative process. But we totally understand that it is very difficult to keep the attention of the people because the stress level is so high that everybody wants to see something relaxing and uncomplicated."

She says she is trying to create a balance between commercial and art house cinema."It is interesting for an actor to think about audience interest, but then I would not have ended up signing a film like ’Pankh’. I believe that I do have the intelligence to understand that I need to keep the balance between commercial entertainer and art-house; only then can I command different audiences."

In director Sudipto Chattopadhyay’s "Pankh", Bipasha plays an imaginary character."I play an alter ego. I am an imaginary character - the protagonist in the film is a boy called Maradona, he has done a fabulous job. It is about a boy who goes through gender confusion."

Bipasha, who got a makeover in Madhur Bhandarkar’s "Corporate", says she is curious about his next film "Fashion", which has Priyanka Chopra in the main lead.

"I’m curious about anything Madhur does. But I have warned him: please do not portray only negative things about the fashion world. I am from the fashion world and I know there are lots of good things you can highlight. It is a huge profession and it’s a big business so the subject has to be handled responsibly. I hope he has done that."

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The couple was seen cosying up during the show.

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It is said that Kajal who was originally signed for Silambattam could not adjust her dates for the movie along with her Telugu movie assignments. Hence Sneha has been roped in. It is said that the story of Silambattam impressed Sneha and hence she accepted to act in ‘Silambattam’. It can be recalled that Sneha was supposed to act with Simbu in Kalai but could not because of call sheet problems.

Silambattam will have two heroines Sana Khan and Sneha. The backdrop of Silambaattam will be both village and city. The movie will have John Vijay (Oram Po fame) playing the villain. There is going to be a remix number from “Thiruvilayadal” in the movie.

In the movie Simbu portrays a character of a innocent poojari who takes law into his hands due to certain circumstances that happen in his life.

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Ranbir debuted with Sonam Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s "Saawariya". Although the film didn’t do well at the box office, Ranbir is inundated with offers. He is doing Yash Raj Films’ "Bachna Ae Haseenon" and Rajkumar Santoshi has signed him for his forthcoming romantic film.

Sadly, just after cementing their relationship during the long outdoor spell of "Bachna Ae Haseenon" in Australia, Deepika, who had the privilege of working with Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh in her very first film "Om Shanti Om", had to leave for a long shooting schedule for Nikhil Advani’s "Chandni Chowk To China".

Hollywood studio Warner Bros is co-producing the action thriller with Ramesh Sippy. Akshay Kumar features as the male lead.Deepika returned to India this week and is all set to start filming the ad with Ranbir. Deepika will team up with Saif Ali Khan later this year. Saif will produce the movie to be directed by Imtiaz Ali.

However, Ranbir’s first cousin Kareena Kapoor, who is dating Saif, is not a part of Saif’s first production. Apparently, Ali insisted on Deepika.

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"Casting for the part of the young terrorist (played by debutant Anuraag Sinha) and for this wise old man of Chandni Chowk was very tough. I got Habib saab to play a man who sheltered Hindus in his home during Partition. Eventually, he sold all his property for a pittance." Ghai says Habib Tanvir was reluctant to work in his movie.

The film also has Anil Kapoor, who has given a stellar performance.Some bitter reviews, however, have left Ghai undeterred."They aren’t angry with my film. They’re angry with Subhash Ghai because I have not made a typical ’masala’ movie. When I was doing that, I was told, ’You’ve opened an acting school, so now make a sensible film.’

Ghai reminisces about the ups and downs in his career."According to critics, I came down with a thud in 1982 when ’Krodhi’ didn’t work after two hits, ’Kalicharan’ and ’Vishwanath’. Then I made three hits - ’Vidhaata’, ’Karz’ and ’Hero’. Then when ’Trimurti’ didn’t work in 1993, the critics wrote that Ghai had lost his magic. I bounced back with ’Khalnayak’, ’Pardes’ and ’Taal’. Then the moment, ’Yaadein’ opened badly they decided to write me off on Friday itself."

"In the 1980s, there were only six newspapers and one TV channel. The media is busy creating vertical rather than horizontal news. If 10 people of calibre have appreciated ’Black & White’, why should I be bothered with five people who think a theme like terrorism is an occasion for them to be clever and cheeky with words?" There’s jubilation at Ghai’s office.

"There’re actors who are serious entertainers; the others are comedians. Some of our media commentators have become light entertainers. They’re only interested in playing with words. They’ve the right to spoof my reviews, if it makes them happy."

"Music of a different Sufi kind has been used in ’Black & White’. Music has always been important in my films. ’Taal’ was a full-on musical because it was about musicians. Although ’Karz’ was a murder mystery, it was still formatted as a musical. In ’Black & White’, there’s no place for music. The protagonist doesn’t like music. The music had to be the kind that the protagonist somehow had to tolerate.

For those who think "Black & White" isn’t Ghai’s territory, the showman has an answer. "Tell me, haven’t I made ’Jogger’s Park’ earlier? ’Black & White’ was shot over a period of 40 days at Chandni Chowk at a cost of Rs.65 million. It’s a profitable venture, no matter how we look at it."

"I’m happy for my hero. I really like that boy. He’s a very good actor and a humble human being. He’s an educated soft-spoken boy from a good family. Mumbai hasn’t polluted him as yet. No matter what the fate of ’Black & White’ is, I’ll make another film with him."

In "Main Yuvraaj", Ghai works with Salman Khan for the first time.

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Actually, this news which is still to reach the ears of Jaya Bachchan and Big’B has ignited some sparks in Aishwarya’s married life. It is reported that Abhishek has came to know all about this matter and has asked his assistant to bring a photo copy and also the names of the sites which have published his wife’s ‘Topless’ news.

But Mrs. Abhishek, if that was the wrong news and also a morphed photo of you, then why is that so, the people whose names have been mentioned in that magazine cover did not turn up.

These are all, the lame excuses given by you, in order to prove that you are a pure ‘So called Pativratha’.
Is the Bachchan’s listening to what their Bahu is saying?

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Sameera has also acted in a couple of Bengali films which got rave reviews from critics and were also screened at international film festivals.

Now, the actress plans to make her entry into film production. Sameera recently expressed her intention of turning producer; her father will handle all the affairs of the banner. Details about this venture are expected soon.

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While advising and educating the medical doctors who were specialised in Spleen related diseases, Priyanka offered to offer her body to all of them for diagnostic purposes. But with one condition! These doctors can use her body only after her death!!!

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Already the shooting for Silambattam is being taken and Simbu is acting with one of the heroine ’Sana Khan’.

As per the story, the movie has two heroines and the other one was not decided till recently. Now it has been announced that Sneka will pair with Simbu.

Along with Simbu, Prabhu is also in a supporting character and they are looking for a pair for him too. Ambika, Meena, Simran etc., are competing for the same.

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On the question of Yuvraj Singh Deepika accepted to have dated the Indian vice captain but said they met on a very few occasions for her to know him better. On her career front she accepted being lucky to have made her debut opposite Shahrukh Khan. The young actress is very excited with her first action movie Chandni Chowk To China where she will be performing stunts with none other than Akshay Kumar.

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The awards were given away at the coveted C.N Wadia Gold Cup Million Trophy function.Forgetting their affliction for a moment, the children jived to lively Bollywood music.Salman Khan said they deserved the awards.

"I have come here to encourage these kids, because when we suffer from minor ailments like cough and cold, we feel uneasy and get depressed. But, these kids are afflicted with cancer which is a very serious disease. Nobody can fight a bigger battle than this," said Salman.

Approximately 11 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year and around seven million people die of the dreaded disease.Common forms of cancer lung cancer, throat cancer and blood cancer. While breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women.

Some of the major reasons for cancer are intake of tobacco, alcohol along with environment pollution and sedentary life style.An estimated 700,000 new cancer cases are reported in India annually and over 350,000 people die of it every year.

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Now director Kalanjiyam has approached the girl to act in his film, in which he plays the lead role besides directing it. The girl has promptly accepted the offer made by her mentor to act in the film.

Kalanjiyam, who directed ‘Kizhakkum Merkum’, which received TN Government award for Best Story, has postponed his film featuring Liberation Panthers’ leader Thirumavalavan for the project in which he makes his debut as hero.

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After "Namastey London" and "Welcome", Akshay really feels Katrina is his lucky mascot."But we aren’t shooting in all the normal places in Egypt. We want to capture parts of the country other than the predictable pyramids," Bazmi said.

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"I kept hearing someone is setting up an orchestra and waited for seven long years for someone else to set up an orchestra like the New York, London or Budapest Philharmonic in India. But it did not happen", Rahman, whose recent works include music for "Guru" and "Jodhaa Akbar", told the media here.

"Whenever I want to compose for an orchestra, I have to go to London or Budapest," he complained.The music maestro announced setting up of the orchestra along with the launch of his KM Conservatory, a music school for professional musicians in the outskirts of the city.

The orchestra, to be fully operational in the next two years, will have both Indian as well as Western musicians. "It will play combinations of two kinds of instruments. There is so much talent in India, but we have no symphony orchestra," Rahman told the media.

He also said the orchestra was expected to bring more professionalism even in film music and introduce millions of Indian music-lovers to "opera and concert as entertainment". The symphony orchestra will be in the western mode, both as a resident studio orchestra to perform his own composition for the music industry and for the people in Chennai and elsewhere in India. This orchestra will be populated by professional musicians of international standard, both from India and abroad.

The KM Conservatory of Music, in collaboration with Audio Media Education, an Apple-authorized training centre, which opens in June this year, will concentrate on instrumental and vocal music, both Indian and Western, and music technology. "In order to bring the music culture to India, where music can be taken as a serious professional option and flourish in the coming generations, training young professionals is essential," Rahman said.

The accomplished composer, who is trying to create opportunities for Indian wannabes, has carved a niche for himself outside the Indian film industry. He collaborated with international composer Andrew Lloyd Webber for "Bombay Dreams". Then he teamed up with the Finnish folk music band Varttina and composed for "The Lord of the Rings" theatre production and also did a piece, "Raga’s Dance" for Vanessa Mae’s album "Choreography".

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