Katrina and Akshay appointed brand ambassador of National games

Ranchi, Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif have been appointed as brand ambassadors of the 34th National Games 2009, starting Nov 21 in Jharkhand.

“They will be present at the inaugural as well as closing ceremony of the National Games,” R.K. Aanand, president of Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA), told reporters here Thursday.

“They will also endorse the promotion of the National Games,” he added.

Asked why Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not been appointed as brand ambassador, Aanand said: “Dhoni is from Jharkhand and we will invite him for the inaugural and closing ceremony.”

According to sources in National Games Organising Committee (NGOC), Akshay and Katrina have been paid Rs.4 crore. Posters and cut-outs of both the stars will be used for promotion.

Jharkhand was awarded the 34th National Games in 2002. First, they were expected to be held in 2007 but couldn’t take place due to lack of proper infrastructure. They were then rescheduled for December 2008, then shifted to February 2009 and again to June 2009 — but each time they were postponed due to incomplete infrastructure.

Dia Mirza refuses the Opportunity

Dia Mirza is in the film industry for more than nine years but still she could not firm her hold in Bollywood. It’s a lifetime opportunity for actors to work with filmmakers like Karan Johar but Dia Mirza kicked out the opportunity. Dharma Productions approached the actress for their next flick, ‘I Hate Love Stories’, but Dia turned down the offer.

Kareena goes Topless

The poster of Rensil D’Silva’s ‘Kurbaan’ is creating much hullabaloo as Kareena Kapoor is shown in topless posture and Saif Ali Khan bleeding profusely from heart. The film has been much talked about for Saif and Kareena’s steamy scene and the first look has been a proof of this. The poster looks very bold.

Shahrukh Khans New Wife...;-)

Shah Rukh Khan is all set to tie the knot. And this time, on screen! Only on screen actually. The King Khan will play husband to Tollywood’s lady Rituparna Sengupta in the upcoming Emami Chyawanprash ad.In the ad, SRK, true to his Rab Ne… image plays a common man. And Rituparna plays the wife. And of course it is not love but Emami Chyawanprash that keeps them together!

Incidentally, Rituparna is also doing a film titled SRK with Vinay Pathak. And the Tollywood queen has graced many Kolkata Knight Riders match during the first season of IPL.And the actress is super excited about shooting with the King Khan. Rituparna says, “I was the brand abasador of Emami Boroplus for Eastern Region and now I am shooting for Emami. I had met SRK couple of times during IPL matches in Kolkata.

Actually I was invited to see the match. That time we had a lot of fun. This time I am also very excited.”

7 Brides to 7 men

After playing 12 characters in Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘What’s Your Rashee’?, Priyanka Chopra has been signed to play seven brides to seven husbands in Vishal Bhradwaj’s next flick titled, ‘7 Husbands’

Salman and Katrina tends to be strangers

They are together for five years but still the question arise whether they are really a couple. We say they are couple, they say everything is fine between them, then why the romance between them is missing. Whenever the two spotted together they hardly chat or look into each other’s eyes. They behave like strangers. Like their on-screen chemistry, Salman and Katrina’s off-screen chemistry is also dull. They always maintains a distance and it seems their relationship is just a show-off.

Shahid and Kareena to come together

Finally, the Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor starrer Milenge Milenge may get to see the light of day this December. The long awaited Boney Kapoor film which generated a lot of interest right after the real life couple’s film Jab We Met struck gold at the box office got stuck due to the two lead actors’ break up.But now, finally the film is all set to hit the theatres. In fact the promos of the film are being screened during the interval of Boney Kapoor’s Wanted in single screens and multiplexes.

We contacted Boney Kapoor and basking in the success of Wanted, the producer confirmed the news saying, “I am a happy man today because of two reasons – first, Wanted is doing excellent business all over the world. And second, people love the promos of Milenge Milenge. I am getting an excellent reaction from all over. Those who have seen the promos are already raving about it. Yes, Milenge Milenge is all set for a December release. We have cleared all the problems related to the film. We have submitted the film to the producers association who are now planning the release date.

Since many films have already been lined up for release we are not sure about the date. But there is a ray of hope for my film now. With Wanted having done superbly at the box office I hope the best for Milenge Milenge.”

What’s Your Raashee Premiere At TIFF

Priyanka Chopra looked Gorgeous at 34th Toronto International Film Festival 2009. She was at the event to promote her film Whats Your Rashee. She looks stunning in black strapless dress.

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Asin Getting Linked

Asin who made her debut in Bollywood with “Ghajini” was seen as a cynosure at all film fare functions till the movie lost its sheen. Now, the pretty actress is seen nowhere in her Malayalam and Tamil films as her career has flopped due to her over price of Rs 2 crore for each film.

Very soon she will be seen on the Hindi silver screen in the movie “London dreams” opposite to actor Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. The actress is said to be linked to Ajay Devgan these days as the two are meeting in restaurants and coffee shops even the shooting schedule is almost complete. It is gossiped in the Hindi cinema circle that Asin is sure to snatch Ajay very soon and actress Kajol is getting terrorized with the name of asin,. It is reported that ajay is chanting asin name in his sleep which is making his wife Kajal uncomfortable sleeping with him. The couple had a recent fight on this issue and the fact that Ajay has become too close to asin was admitted.

Meanwhile, the south Indian film industry is buzzing that Asin is in love withy Dhoni and the two are seen chatting with each other on phone. Some sources report that asin is just a good friend Dhoni and is not in love with him.

John,SRK and Aamir In BOMBAY VELVET

Aamir Khan, SRK and John Abraham are said to be in a single project and this is going to be produced by Danny Boyle and will be directed by Anurag Kashyap. The movie is said to be titled as “Bombay Velvet” and will be featuring two khans and a model turned actor John in it. Firstly, only two actors were considered for the role and third one was said to be an American. But then later on the director changed his mind and has featured John Abraham along with SRK and Aamir Khan.

The movie will feature SRK in first half and Aamir in the second half. John will be seen in the 3^rd quarter of the movie. Sources close to the director say that John will be seen as a hero of 1960 who will appeal to the masses without his contemporary mannerism.

The latest news is that a foreigner is donning the role of female lead in this film and the three heroes will romance with this lady in the three half’s of the movie.

John says I m Married

John Abraham says that he will think about marrying a girl only after he adds four more bikes to his collection.

“I love motorcycles, I am married to them and I have had a honeymoon period with them. I don’t let anyone sit on my
bikes or touch them,” the actor said.

It is said that the 36-year-old actor is so protective of his bikes that even his girlfriend of seven years actress Bipasha Basu doesn’t like to sit on them.

“Bipasha doesn’t like sitting behind me on bikes as I keep complaining about the bike getting scratched or damaged,” said the actor, who has been chosen the brand ambassador for Yamaha Motor in India.

The actor, who made a whole new statement in Bollywood with his biking acts in action-oriented movie like Dhoom, was in the capital to launch new bike models from Yamaha.

Abraham also recalled his first encounter with a bike.

“I first saw my brother’s bike when I was a 11-year-old kid. I fell in love with it right then, but my brother never
let me touch his bike,” said the actor.

Vidya's Sister to make Her Bollywood Debut

Vidya Balan's sister Priyamani is making her Bollywood debut with Mani Ratnam's Raavan. The South actress plays the important character of Raavan's (Abhishek Bachchan) sister Shoorpankha.

A source from the unit reveals, "Mani's production team initially approached the South top actress Nayantara for the role of Shoorpankha but she refused. Also many top Bollywood actresses were approached for the role of Shoorpankha but they refused it because they didn't want to play Abhishek Bachchan's sister. Abhishek is a dishy actor, and not many actresses want to ruin their chances of being paired romantically opposite him by playing his sister in Raavan."

Priyamani will play Shoorpankha in the Tamil and Hindi versions, just like Aishwarya is playing Sita in both versions.

Priyamani won the National Film Award for her role in the Tamil film Paruthi Veeran (2006). She also won a Filmfare South Award for her role in the Malayalam film Thirakkatha (2008).

Wanted and DBH passed Censor Board

The entire town has nothing to watch out except these two flicks now: Salman Khan’s ‘Wanted’ and Shahid Kapoor-Rani Mukherji starrer ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’… With both the stars geared on for round-the-clock promotions, everybody has been curiously looking out for this big Friday.

Meanwhile, these two Ramzan releases have been passed with censor certificates by the board officials. According to the trade reports, it has been confirmed that Salman Khan-Ayesha Talkia starrer ‘Wanted’ has been labeled with ‘A’ certificate for violent actions while Rani Mukherji’s ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’ has got ‘U/A’ with few cuts.

Much as others, we’re most delightedly awaiting the two releases and wish them very best for the stupendous success.

Kites to be Released In Jan 2010

When the most expected biggies are releasing on the scheduled Fridays, Hrithik Roshan starrer ‘Kites’ falls out of row. Earlier, the sources confirmed that the film’s release has been slated for ‘Diwali’, later to December and now over January 2010.

Now, it has been made known that Rakesh Roshan is all set to leave for US shortly to corroborate the release date. When approached some of the film’s crew, they supposed that Rakesh has planned to release the film simultaneously in English and Hindi on the same date.

His Los Angeles trip is all about meeting producers of Warner Bros to decide the date so that promotions can be commenced couple of months prior to the release.

However, when approached Rakesh Roshan about this, he strongly affirms that nothing has been confirmed till the date.

Two Big Stars One big Hit.

Possibly, both of them are slogging all the way to taste their success. It’s a crucial phase in their career and they’re badly in need of a hit. Fine, will Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee make it big this time? By nature, this has been the most happening question that everyone wants to shoot out. Both the starts are ardently promoting their flicks ready to hit the screens on this Friday.

Rani Mukherji is already flying across the globe to promote her ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’ and has received good laurels at Toronto international film festival. Meanwhile, Salman Khan leaves no stones unturned as he’s vigorously found promoting his ‘Wanted’ across every lane of Mumbai and other towns.

Both the stars have terribly failed to make it big in box office in the past couple of years. Salman Khan had to face hat-trick flops with ‘God Tussi The Great’, ‘Hello’ and ‘Yuvvraaj’. At the best, he needs to make it big with ‘Wanted’ directed by South Indian filmmaker Prabhu Deva.

Amitabh Bachchan Takes on Shilpa Shetty

One may wonder why a prominent figure like Amitabh Bachchan may think to take a sweet revenge on Shilpa Shetty. From decades, the Bachchan family had not only been the face of Bollywood but represents India in the west too. With Shilpa Shetty’s entry into reality show, Big Brother in UK, Shilpa snatched away all the limelight from Amitabh and Aishwarya. Shilpa’s victory in the reality show made her a queen in UK. She was spread all over in UK which to some degree threatened the existence of the Bachchans. Soon Shilpa replaced the Bachchans.

It doesn’t end here. Soon after the reality show, the IIFA event took place and unfortunately that too in UK. Till then Shilpa Shetty became a well known face in UK. Amitabh Bachchan who is the brand ambassador of the event felt ignored as Shilpa drew all the attention. During the event, a fan of Shilpa flew a mini plane with a huge banner greeting Shilpa. Throughout the show, the Bachchans maintained distance from her.

That Amitabh Bachchan had not yet forgotten the embarrassment was quite evident when Big B accepted to host the reality show Bigg Boss which used to be Shilpa’s territory and that too after hosting king of all shows like ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’.

Big Boss 3???

Anil Kapoor, after the high flying success of Slumdog Millionaire is international with his appearance on the American teleseries- 24. But thats not all he was offered to host Big Boss 3 which he turned down. Pray why? He didnt bother to check the email on which he was offered the film. Hes been too busy shooting all over the place to be seen on Indian television. Legend has it that he almost did not take up the Slumdog Millionaire assignment till his son threatened to run away from home. Coming to think of it, wasn’t he reprising the role of Big B in the film? Yes he was, and now, Big B has taken up the offer to host Big Boss 3 after Anil showed the producers the door.

The contestants who are rumoured to appear on the show are a who’s who of has-beens like Chunky Pandey, Aditya Pancholi, Baba Ramdev (who has denied it) and Shakti Kapoor.Big B is no stranger to them, as much as Anil who has worked with them in the past, yet today the superstar has more time on his hands to take on work of his junior when at a time there used to be a reverse case. In the past, when Anil Kapoor took up Meri Jung, which was offered to Big B, it was seen as a project that would finally seal Anil’s fate who wanted to bethe next superstar.

How things have come around.Big B, on the other hand is elated with the new project he has on hand. At a press conference in Singapore he said, ‘It is going to be Big Boss for Colors.’ It was officially announced to the media at the Marriott Hotel in Singapore. He has already started shooting for the show which begins in October and ends by December 2009.

Katrina not using Facebook,Twitter or Orkut...etc

Katrina Kaif is not on any networking site like Facebook, Twitter, and Orkut etc.Apparently there is some fake person posing as Katrina Kaif on Twitter and is spreading out the news and talking to people on her behalf. There is someone who is impersonating Katrina Kaif and it is causing trouble. A source close to Katrina said, “There is someone who is impersonating Katrina Kaif and is talking to people pretending to be Katrina Kaif.” The Source further added, “Katrina had got a call from a famous director asking how was the script which he discussed on twitter yesterday, to this Katrina was shocked and explained to the director that she doesn’t use networking sites at all.”

“Another incident happened when Katrina got a call from a famous studio head about another project, as discussed on Twitter yesterday. To which Katrina was stunned and replied that she never uses Twitter to talk to any one,” adds the source. “On Tweeter the person pretending to be Katrina has been telling people how the Rajniti shoot is going in Bhopal. Seems like this impersonation is reading a lot of material that has been published and hence has so much information on the same,” quips our source.

Katrina Says Salman is very Lazy

Only Katrina Kaif dares to make such daring comment against hot-headed Salman Khan. Other than Kat if someone else comments that Salman is very lazy than Sallu miya would have teach him or her a good lesson. Since the comment has been made by Kat, he took it easily.

Salman Khan’s love Katrina Kaif not only thinks that Salman is a lazy guy but she also declared it to the whole world.In reply to a question, Katrina shared this important insight on her twitter page about Salman, she writes, “No, Salman’s not on twitter.

Kiran to see Aamir in Romance with Kareena

Not too many wives would be keen to watch their husband romance a different women up close but Kiran Rao is different. Kiran will be flying down from France to watch Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoorshoot a romantic song for their upcoming movie 3 Idiots. There is buzz that she is preparing for her next movie where she plans to cast Kareena opposite Aamir.

Sources close to Kiran said that she was keen to watch the shooting of the romantic song because she closely wanted to observe Aamir considered one of the most romantic stars in Bollywood in action with Kareena who is the numero uno star in the industry today. Kiran who is busy with her Dhobi Ghat plans to make a romantic movie next.

This song will be the final schedule for the Raj Kumar Hirani directed movie which will then go for post production. The song will be shot on September 21 which is Kareena Kapoor ’s birthday. The shoot was delayed after Aamir ’s wife Kiran suffered a miscarriage. Aamir requested Kareena to shot on her birthday and Bebo obliged.

Saif Upsets Kareena

Just last month, Kareena Kapoor celebrated beau Saif Ali Khan’s birthday on August 16 by throwing a lavish party at posh Mumbai hotel, Four Seasons. But Saif is disappointed as he won’t get a chance to celebrate Kareena’s birthday in the same way.This is because Bebo will be busy shooting for Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots on September 21, the big day.

The shooting had to be deferred after Aamir Khan’s wife, Kiran Rao, suffered a miscarriage and Aamir took a break to help her recuperate. Now, Kareena will shoot on her birthday to make up for lost time. This is the second year in a row that Saif and Kareena were unable to celebrate her birthday together.

Last year too, Saif’s big plans were thwarted by the shooting of 3 Idiots. Well, maybe he better hope for a good time next year.As for the film, the details about the shooting location in Mumbai have been kept hush hush.

Shahid Kapoor Taking Risks

The final countdown for the release of Dil Bole Hadippa has begun and the attention has fallen on Shahid Kapoor again. He has begun the year on a good note with his first release Kaminey turning a huge hit. But has he taken too muchriskby choosing to act with Rani Mukherjee ? Having acted with girls younger than him in his previous films, it is not sure if the audience will accept Shahid-Rani pair in their latest outing because Rani looks way older than Shahid.

It looks like Shahid took a calculated risk , as Rani is still a big name though she has being going through a rough phase of late. Moreover, Shahid has a string of releases this year – Kaminey (released), Dil Bole Hadippa and Chance Pe Dance. His other films Paathshala and Milenge Milenge could hit the theatres anytime, as they are also in the post production phase.

Shahid had expressed his fear for overexposure recently. But what if all the films work out at the box office? Life is just a game of luck. What say Shahid?

SRK buys Aamir Khans Product

Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan must be having hard time dealing with the endless ‘rivalry gossip’ by the media. Just on the heels of the report that Aamir is not moved by the recent Shahrukh’s detention at an Airport in US, anothernewson them has hit the headlines.The grapevine is abuzz with thenewsthat Shahrukh has bought a product endorsed by Aamir and not the product he endorses.

To be precise, Shahrukh is said to have installed a huge Tata Sky satellite antennae atop his multi-storey office-cum-leisure space in the extension behind Mannat. Coincidentally, it is a rival product to DishTV DTH he endorses. Adding more salt to the wounds, Aamir is the brand ambassador of Tata Sky.

Shahrukh, who has recently renewed contract with ZEE DishTV as its brand ambassador, is going to face embarrassment if the news turns out true.

Winner Of Khatron ke khiladi season 2

Anushka Manchanda is the clear winner of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ Season 2. Akshay Kumar at his excited best was more than happy to announce the winner. He said that the second season of the show has everything in double, right from grisliness till the excitement.

If sources are to be believed, among the gorgeous 13 contestants, Bruna Abdullah, Sushma Reddy, Carol Gracias, Jesse Randhawa, Mandira Bedi, Nauheed Cyrusi, Rosa Catalano, Rupali Ganguly, Sonika Kaliraman, Shonali Nagrani, Pia Trivedi, Shveta Salve, it is ex-Viva member who has won the crown of beauty with bravery. The winner of season 1 was model-actress Nethra Raghuraman.

Anushka’s career has already taken a new high and now this adds another feather to her cap.

Main aur Mrs Khana to be launched on 16th Oct 2009....On dewali

Sohail Khan Productions and UTV’s Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is ready for Diwali release. The romantic flick hits the theatres on 16th October 2009. Starring Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna has already generated a lot of curiosity amongst the trade pundits and the audience.

“The release of Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is a Diwali bonanza. It’s that much awaited gift that people look forward to during Diwali,” said a trade analyst. A trade pundit on anonymity said that, “It’s the pairing that’s interesting. People are looking forward to watch Salman and Kareena on screen. Salman’s presence on television has given his filmi career a definite boost. The actor’s charisma has increased manifold. It’s as if his career has taken an upward swing. Plus there’s Kareena. The presence of two beautiful people in a film is the like that proverbial icing on the cake.”

The ticket sales of Main Aurr Mrs Khanna are expected to be like that of hot pakodas on a rainy day. “Kaminey was a serious film. Life Partner was a comedy. While the other films have not lived up to the mark! In this situation, people have thirsted for a romantic and Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is one film that everybody is looking forward to,” said a trade analyst.

Ash cries coz of Salu and Vivek

Aishwarya Rai is tired of the past that Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi keep digging up. The actress, who is married now, wants to forget her relationships with them, move on and stay happy with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan. But the two gentlemen don’t seem to want to let go so easily.

In a talk show recently, Vivek said that the press conference he had held against Salman Khan was to impress Aishwarya, who Vivek was then dating. Also, Salman has said a lot of bad things about her in recent interviews and press meets. While Aishwarya hasn’t made any remarks over this, a close friend of the Bachchan family has called this behavior of the two men rather ungentlemanly. The friend also adds that when Vivek held the conference, Aishwarya didn’t know anything about it and was horrified. He should take responsibility of his actions and not keep blaming her for everything. The friend feels that the two should just leave her alone, now that she has married and settled. And Salman’s reason for constantly talking about her is that the media keeps asking him about her. Aishwarya’s friend retorted angrily saying that while the media does ask questions, it is up to him to choose whether to answer them or not.

Aishwarya is currently in Goa, shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish and also for Mani Ratnam’s Raavana. She was also, apparently, very disturbed over this while on the sets of Guzaarish and was in tears.

Chance Pe Dance....StoryLine

The movie is based on story of a young and talented Sameer who is struggling to get a break in the industry and in the due course he meets Tina who is a choreographer.

Sameer starts living in his old car when he is thrown out of his house as he is unable to pay the rent. He starts teaching dance in a school to young kids. Unfortunately, where he hates kids, these kids hate dancing.

However, slowly Sam not only emotionally bonds with the kids, but also helps them win a prestigious inter-school dance competition and gets their confidence back. Tina is always his support who also helps him enter the reality talent hunt, where he wins and finally becomes a superstar.

Pinto and Patel....The two love Birds

Right from the time Freida Pinto and Dev Patel worked together in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, the duo has been linked together and they have been denying the rumors.

However, the love birds have been spotted together time and again looking very much in love with each other.

Recently, they were photographed together once again as they were leaving a Fashion’s Night Out event at jewellery store ‘Asprey’ in Bond Street. They were beaming together in each other’s company as they were walking hand in hand. Pinto was carrying one of Asprey’s famous purple bags and was attired in a one-shouldered purple mini-dress and black satin peep-toe heels. Patel was dressed in a black trousers suit. The young couple were guests at the BAFTA private dinner at the store, which recognised young British talent.

Pinto, at present, is in London shooting for Allen movie and Patel has been seen with her in the capital at many occasions. This week alone they attended a Hermes party on Monday night, as well as the Asprey bash.

This is quite in contrast with the statement the actress made when she attended the GQ Men of the Year Awards recently.

Freida had stated, “Why does everybody ask me where Dev is? I don’t know where he is, I don’t have him on a leash, he’s doing his own thing. I don’t know what’s going on. I find it funny that people are so interested in what we’re doing.”

Maxim's Hot 100

The Indian edition of Maxim magazine has put to rest any doubts that questions Bipasha’s hot personality.

The popular mag has chosen the dusky beauty over other famous and hot celebrities. Bipasha Basu has grabbed the coveted and top slot from Deepika Padukone, the last year winner of the same.

A thrilled Bips cited out, “I find it a huge compliment to be in the No 1 position in Maxim's Hot 100 especially as it has a worldwide circulation.” A sexy Bipasha Basu now smiles out from the front cover of the latest edition of the Maxim.

Aamir Khan and Preety zinta

The grapevines are buzzing, excited! The latest tittle-tattle is that the dimpled beauty and Mr. Perfectionist are going to share the screen again.

Preity Zinta and Aamir Khan will be soon seen in an Aamir Khan’s production. It is rumoured to be a directorial debut of Bengali director Shoumik Sen. The project will take-off once ‘Delhi Belly’ releases and Aamir has approached Preity already to discuss the movie, sources say. But the news is still not confirmed by Aamir as yet. Looks like he is following his age-old tradition of maintaining suspense about his projects.

KAT and PRIYANKA to launch Official Websites

Perhaps, before few moments it was ‘Bride Wars’ and now gradually it’s gonna be ‘wars on websites’. The top-charting actresses of Bollywood Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif will be soon launching their official websites. Firstly, Priyanka Chopra admitted that she has got a great gang of online friends found in her twitter as well other social communities. That has gradually urged her to kick-start with her official website…

On the pars, the cherubic Katrina – most googled and searched Bollywood actress on internet has already started making prior arrangements for the launch. It has been revealed straight from her shoulders that the website would be launched by end of this year. Indeed, Katrina Kaif has planned for a special photo shoot for offering exclusive galleries to fans logging to her official website. The only drawback would be that Katrina has no plans about letting know them about her day-to-day schedule.

Danny boyle to cast SRK and AMIR khan

His creation not only shook the nation but also highlighted the plight of poor internationally, and also achieved critical acclaims for the same. Now Danny Boyle is back with another project in hand.

Like before, the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ famed filmmaker is going to make a film on Mumbai, titled ‘Bombay Velvet’. The movie will include real life incidents and is said to be based on a thriller period film set in the 1940s.

‘Bombay Velvet’ will be directed by Anurag Kashyap and sources said that the Oscar winner director had talks about this current project with Anurag during the release of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. If things go as expected, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan will act together in this one. While Aamir has been confirmed for the project, Boyle is still discussing with SRK, after which things will be finalised. If the actor gives his nod, then he will rule the movie in the first part, a newcomer in the second and finally Aamir in the third.

Cast of Patiala House

Looks like our daring boy has tough time on his legs running from one shoot to other. Already Akshay Kumar has a series of movies on which he is currently working on – ‘De Dhana Dan’, ‘Houseful’, ‘Action Replay’, ‘Helloo India’, ‘Khatta Meetha’… Phew! And now here is a new one to that list… Director Nikhil Advani is coming-up with a new movie titled, ‘Patiala House’. In this our Akki will be paired opposite to the charming ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ gal Anushka Sharma!

Interestingly the movie is said to be roping in another pair that was a hit of 70-80s. Talks are going on that Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia will be also featured in this one. Though Rishiji is confirmed for the project, Ms Kapadia is busy in her personal works so is delaying to give her consent.

‘Patiala House’ will be produced by Mukesh Talreja and its music will be done by the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The first shooting schedule has be planned in India from December, sources say, while the next one would be in London which is expected to go on from May till June end. About the movie, the director said that it is a father-son story. The son gives up his dream to save his father's reputation, until he meets a girl who gives him the strength to stand up for what he believes. It's about second chances.

Well, now if Dimple signs on the dotted line for this movie, then she would share the screen with her Jamayi Akshay for the first time. And also, this would be her fourth movie with Chintuji!

My Name is Khan on swimming spree

Water has always been a source of thrill and… trouble for some. The team of Karan Johar’s 'My Name Is Khan' is enjoying the watery days, both inside and outside the film sets. While its pouring cats-dogs outside, its equally water-jammed on the shooting sets of this movie.

Enclosed within the premises of Film City, the crew are having troublesome time shooting inside three feet deep water. The scene, which features a flooded New York, has been impressively recreated the foreign location at a whopping amount and planning. It is said that artificial rains are used thus adding more inconvenience to the shoot. Even the cameras were not spared; they had been positioned underwater to capture scenes below the water.

The real rains had also found its way into the sets, helping the team to get a natural effect. As for the cast of the movie, they are really said to be braving the water shoot. Our King Khan seemed to have gone all frog-skinned due to the long stay in waters. He has been even nicknamed as Mermaid by the people on the set. But along with the water, SRK has seemed to be taking it sportingly. After Shah Rukh, Jimmy Shergill will soon dive into the schedule to finish his round of shooting.

Bhandarkar to cover up Neil to satisfy censors

Not want to take up any more chances, Madhur Bhandarkar has sought way to make his movie, ‘Jail’, come clean from the Censor board. The movie, which grabbed headlines for the protagonist’s nude scenes, has undergone changes to suit it for normal viewing. The hero Neil Nitin Mukesh plays nude in some of the scenes, which is very essential for the story and so cannot be croped.

‘Fashion’ had received an A certificate, which enraged the director, Madhur Bhandarkar, very much. Now, he doesn’t want the same fate to ‘Jail’. “Jail has worked out well and Madhur is confident about its fate at the box-office. So he doesn't want to restrict the strength of his audience. Hence, he has decided to pixilate the scene. It will appear blurred, so the censors are unlikely to object to it,” said the director’s close sources.

Besides, Madhur has extended the movie’s release. Initially, said to be released on Oct 23rd, ‘Jail’ will be out on Nov 6th, due to post-production issues – the director had blogged.

When asked about the delay the director stated, “I feel we would get some more time analyze the film and see if everything is perfect as per what we wanted it to be.” Madhur is confident that ‘Jail’ will be of a difference and is really hoping that the audience would be able to relate with it. “My film has all the elements such as emotions, humour, drama & action,” he added.

Besides Neil, ‘Jail’ includes Mugdha Godse, Manoj Bajpai, Arya Babbar and Ashish Sharma. Sharib-Toshi and Shamir Tandon has done the music. Madhur confides, “The music of the film is very diverse and will be out soon and I am sure it is going to be the bestseller of the season. It has a variety of numbers from an item song to Lata didi's prayer.”

Wanted passed from the court

The air has been cleared and issues have been settled. The most anticipated Boney Kapoor’s movie ‘Wanted’ has finally received the Court’s consent to hit the screens on September 18.

The Salman Khan-Ayesha Takia starrer has been produced by Sridevi Productions, which has now coughed up around Rs. 2 crores to get a clearance for its release.

The movie had received a stay from Bombay High Court after a case was filed by Mumbai-based G.G. Photo Ltd, demanding refurbishment of Rs. 9 crore from its producers towards financial assistance rendered and supply of raw film stock to the Productions. However, Boney Kapoor sought help from Supreme Court. And as a result he has been directed to deposit a minimum amount now, and the remaining at later date.

‘Wanted’ would now see a worldwide opening on 18th of this month in peace. The original versions, both Telugu and Tamil, were runway hit, now let’s wait to see whether it recreates the same success.

John injured...Director suffers the pain

‘Hook Ya Crook’ would have been among the 2009 movie list, had John Abrahm, its hero, not met with a leg injury during the shoot. This David Dhawan direction was slated for a December release but has now been shifted to March next year.

‘Hook Ya Crook’ is said to be a comedy based on cricket. The hero is supposed to be doing a lot of running and playing, which at this juncture John won’t be able to do. Now, the director has nothing else to do but wait for the actor’s leg to heal. The shooting will resume once John is fit enough, and David had discussed this with the production house, which into turn extended the releasing date.

But some sources say that John is unhappy with the outcome of the movie and so he doesn’t want to the movie to release as yet. He wants to time it in such a way that he has another release quickly after it, to dilute the effect. Consequently he is not giving dates to wrap up the post works. But we can’t confirm as to how far this is true.

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala, ‘Hook Ya Crook’ stars Shreyas Talpade, Kay Kay Menon and Genelia D'Souza, besides John Abraham. Insiders say that the movie will also feature some of popular Indian cricketers.

Kat leaves Ranbir n Deepika Alone

The latest to join Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Arjun Rampal on the sets of Rajneeti in Bhopal is Deepika Padukone. She joined them on Thursday to spend time with Ranbir. She returned from a lengthy Housefull schedule in London. But we spot an ulterior motive.

Though Ranbir is known to visit Deepika on her outdoor shoots, Deepika seems to visit him when he’s shooting with Katrina. Last year too, Deepika had joined Ranbir in Ooty where he was shooting with Katrina for Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani.

Our source from Bhopal said, “Deepika came in on Thursday with Ranbir on the same flight from Mumbai. The two are having a great time.” Katrina is not spending time with the couple. It seems, rumours linking her to Ranbir have made her wary.

Shiney's Bail rejected

Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja’s bail plea rejected again. The court rejected his bail on the ground that it is a serious offence and there is prima facie evidence against him. Presently, he is under the judicial custody at Mumbai Arthur Road jail. He was locked there for the last three months.

Kareena Interested in Every of Saifu's Scene

Kareena Kapoor is very much excited about ‘Kurbaan’ as it is her second film with beau Saif Ali Khan after ‘Tashan’. She was eager to do ‘Love Aaj Kal’ with him but could not. Now that Saif has signed her for his next production, she is on the top of the world and what excited her more is the love making scene between the two. In an interview, Bebo bared her heart and said that Rensil D'Silva directed movie is very special to her and every scene in the movie is very special to her as well. About the hot scene, Bebo said that it is the demand of the script and she has no inhibitions in depicting it.

Salman's Fan Waited Whole Night

He might be called the bad boy of Bollywood but for his fans, he is next to God. Salman Khan is an adorable actor. In spite of new entrant, his popularity never ceases down. Even today, fans die to get a glimpse of him or to get a hug from him. Their love for him was so high that sometimes it crosses the level of affection. One such incident occurred in Australia while shooting for Mr and Mrs Khanna. A crazy female fan waited the whole night to get a hug from Salman Khan.

Bipasha to Play the role of Abishik's Wife

Now the sexy Bipasha Basu will be seen in a traditional avatar. She has been decided to play Mandodari, Ravan’s wife opposite Abhishek Bachchan in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’. Although Ravan has been married couple of times, Mandodari always remains his favorite. She always instructed him to follow the right path.

SRK avoids Mahima Chaudry

The cold vibes among actors are a very common issue now-a-days. We often hear about stories of tussle among Khans and cat-fights among actresses. But we hardly knew that Shahrukh Khan shares a cold vibes with Mahima Chowdhury. It came into forefront when King Khan ignored Mahima at an award function.

Price of MY NAME IS KHAN

So what's the actual price of MY NAME IS KHAN? Has Fox Star Studios India paid a massive Rs. 100 crores for the global rights of the film [excluding music rights]? Or is the actual price Rs. 81 crores? The speculation continues... "It's a privilege to be associated with Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan. It can't get bigger than that. But the price is completely not 100 crores or 81 crores. I wouldn't like to reveal the exact numbers, but it's completely off the mark," Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star Studios India, breaks his silence on this topic.

But what holds significance is that the film in question would be released extensively in the international markets. "MY NAME IS KHAN has tremendous international appeal and would be released by Fox Searchlight in America and 20th Century Fox across the globe. We aren't looking at a fancy print count to begin with, but we would take it beyond the Indian diaspora. Like SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was released at a mere 10 screens when it started out in America, but the screen count gradually rose to almost 3,000, thanks to a systematic strategy. That would be the strategy for MY NAME IS KHAN as well," Vijay Singh divulges.

Paa to release on Childrens Day

Mumbai, Sep 4 (IANS) Director R. Balakrishnan, also known as Balki, has decided to release his role-reversal drama "Paa", starring Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, on Nov 13 as a tribute to Children's Day.

"It's a film about a child within a man and a man within a child. And I can't think of a better tribute to a child than Children's Day," says Balki, who completed shooting the film in England recently.

Balki has shot his two feature films - "Cheeni Kum", an unconventional love story between a 30-plus woman and a 60-plus chef, and now "Paa" - in Britain because he loves the country.

"We shot 'Paa' in my favourite location England. Throughout the stint in Cambridge we were at sea never on land. I love shooting in London. If I have my way, I'd shoot all my films there," he said.

Balki took up the challenge of projecting the Big B like never before in "Paa".

"In 'Cheeni Kum', I really didn't have to do anything. I made him play himself. Here in 'Paa' I had to bring out that child within him which has always been there. We tapped that part of him. It wasn't easy for Amitji to play a child at heart.

"Fortunately, Abhishek and Vidya Balan too are extremely intelligent actors. Vidya has played such a charming mom. Throughout the film they behave as if Amitji is their son. For Abhishek, this was his chance to get even with his dad," said the director.

Any regrets about not casting Tabu again?

"After what she did with Amitji in 'Cheeni Kum', it wasn't possible to cast her in Vidya's role."

Balki is not bothered with how the audience will accept the two actors in reversed roles. "There's no point in making a film if it doesn't push envelopes. I won't do a film that doesn't challenge me and my actors."

Another ongoing leitmotif in Balki's cinema is the music of Ilayaraja.

"He's god. He has been a major source of inspiration. I don't think India has known a better music composer. Sadly one-half of India has not heard him enough."

For "Cheeni Kum" Balki specifically asked Ilayaraja for tunes from his Tamil films.

"I wanted Hindi moviegoers to hear those times. Even in 'Paa' I've transposed some of his South Indian tunes into Hindi. It's not that important to be original. It's more important to do what you believe in," he said.

Balki is miffed that the Big B's Progeria look has been leaked out. "Fortunately that's only a part of his look. No one came on the set to see how he looks on camera. The makeup person was given a computer-generated picture of Amitji. He improvised a lot on that and added traits from real Progeria patients."

Progeria is an extremely rare genetic disease of childhood characterized by dramatic, premature aging.

Jail Vs APGK

The release date of Madhur Bhandarkar's Jail has been announced. The film would now be releasing on 6th November, the same day when Ranbir Kapoor's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is slated to arrive. This would pretty much be an event to look forward to, as both Neil and Ranbir find a place for themselves in the top bracket of youngsters (including Imran Khan) that Bollywood currently boasts of.

Confirms a close associate of Madhur Bhandarkar, "Yes, Jail is positively coming on 6th November. After some pondering, it was eventually decided to bring Jail on this date. It's a good day to bring on the film."

Trade is expected to be upbeat with the clash of the two films since both Jail and Raj Kumar Santoshi directed Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani have good credentials to boast of. While Neil made people stand up and take notice of him all over again with the release of New York, the film that brought industry out of a slump after ending a six month long draught, Ranbir too had shone in Bachna Ae Haseeno that released last year.

Both actors did face some hard times at the box office in the early stages of their career though. Even though Neil and Ranbir were immensely appreciated in their debut films (Johnny Gaddaar and Saawariya respectively), box office wasn't too kind at them. Neil did face a setback in Aa Dekhen Zara though Ranbir bounced back with Bachna Ae Haseeno. Meanwhile, Neil too was soon back in the reckoning with New York.

This makes Jail and Ajab Prem.... really crucial releases for both Neil and Ranbir. While Neil has given it all to this hard hitting drama by National Award winning director Madhur Bhandarkar, Ranbir too has been having an eventful season with Wake Up Sid (arriving on 2nd October) preceding the release of Ajab Prem.....

An industry follower comments, "Since Imran has suffered two back to back setbacks in Kidnap followed by Luck, the battle line is now drawn between Neil and Ranbir. Of course Imran has it in him to bounce back and he certainly will eventually. However, as of now, all eyes are on Neil and Ranbir."

"Stakes are particularly high for Neil because Ranbir still has some back up in the form of Wake Up Sid, Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year and Rajneeti. For Neil, Jail is a crucial film since he hasn't signed anything else and has placed all his bets on Jail. The film has to work for him by all means. Given the fact that Madhur has decided to take on competition with Ajab Prem...' it shows his confidence in the product. This will certainly be a clash to look out for this season", he concludes.

Wanted on Sept 18th

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday allowed film producer Boney Kapoor to release his Salman Khan-starrer "Wanted" on Sep 18.

A bench of Justice B.N. Agrawal allowed Kapoor to release the film after he offered to deposit Rs.2 crore with the Bombay High Court as security amount in a dispute on an advance he had taken from LMB Holdings, a B4U group company.

Imran Hashmi's Tum mile

After being hailed as a 'Serial Kisser' till a couple of years back (before Awarapan brought a complete turnaround in the perception of him as an actor and also as a person), no one would have ever imagined that Emraan Hashmi could one fine day romance a girl in the meadows, roam around the lakes and dance in the middle of the trees. That naughty streak never seemed to leave him while that mischievous smile coupled with that look in his eyes meant that he had his own loyal following.

Meanwhile Emraan continued to evolve and experiment over a period of time. One of the prime transformations that he made was getting a different look and getup for each of his outings. And the result is a 'chocolate' boy look that he is happy to flaunt in his upcoming release Tum Mile. Since in the recent times, actors like Aamir Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and even Saif Ali Khan have found a loyal set of followers for themselves, courtesy their 'chocolate' looks, Emraan Hashmi going through this makeover doesn't quite come as a surprise.

"When Kunal (Deshmukh), director of Tum Mile, told me that in this movie he wants me to carry minimal stubble, be close to clean shaven and also wear bright colors like pinks and purples - I thought this would be a great challenge to take up", says Emraan who has paired up with Soha Ali Khan in this romantic entertainer with ample thrills in it, "In one part of the film I am would be seen in trendy T-shirts and denims. On the other hand, there is another part where I am in office formals and spectacles. It was a nice contrast for me actually."

Going through a look makeover isn't something new to Emraan. In Gangster, he was a bespectacled and unassuming undercover agent. Kalyug featured him as a dyed-hair rogue. Awarapan had Emraan in the most powerful role of his career as he boasted of a 'gang lord' appearance. He did come close to chocolate boy in Jannat where he played a boy next door in the initial reels of the film. However, he got an altogether different persona for himself when he sported a goatee and spiked hair in horror thriller Raaz -The Mystery Continues.

Says Emraan about his various get-ups so far, "I have always tried to do justice to the characters that I have played without trying to look conventionally good. In Gangster, I had to be unassuming and look totally harmless, and that's where spectacles came in. In Raaz - The Mystery Continues, I had to look like a maverick painter who had some deep secrets within. Spiked hair, goatee and the jackets helped a lot. I experimented similarly in Kalyug and Awaarapan too."

Doesn't he feel that by trying out 'chocolate' boy looks in Tum Mile, he is perhaps going a little too far? Won't it be better to be in his comfort zone? "But what really is a comfort zone today?" Emraan shoots back, "On one hand we say that we should look at change and give audience something new every time. On the other hand, we try to slot actors in a fixed image. Yes, I know that people might say this is not my zone. But then it's a matter of being comfortable with what you are trying to achieve. Once you have done that, your inner confidence will reflect in your personality."

With the release of the first song from Tum Mile, he is happy with the feedback that he has received so far. "Yes, so far the reactions have been quite encouraging. All of us associated with the film were confident that this new look will do complete justice to my character", says Emraan, "I have been lucky my risks have paid off. I don't think any other lead actor in recent times would have risked to experiment with the looks like I did and still find continuous acceptance by the audiences. I am blessed!"

In Tum Mile, Emraan plays an artist. While his role is that of a university student in one part of the film, during the other, he gets into the garb of a corporate professional. A love story, Tum Mile is set in the backdrop of 26th July'05 deluge. The film is also special for the Bhatts since it sees Vishesh Films, Sony Music and Emraan Hashmi coming together again after the first hit of the year Raaz -The Mystery Continues.

Salman khan selecting the north team for DPL

Recently Sallu even went to Delhi to select the final North team for the upcoming show 'Dance Premier League'.

'Dance Premier League' has been creating news right through its audition phases. After auditioning in Chandigarh, Amritsar and Delhi, the final team from the North was picked by Salman Khan. Sallu was joined by hosts Eijaz Khan and Sara Khan along with Shiamak Davar and Arshad Warsi who would be seen playing a key role in the show.

For the uninitiated, 'Dance Premier League' is a unique dance format that is soon to go on air on Sony Entertainment Television. It brings India's rich & diverse culture from each region - each with its own flavour and unique identity on one platform competing for regional pride. The show will have 5 teams from different zones of India (North, East, West, and South & Central) and 1 NRI team competing with one another to bring glory to their zone by winning. Each Zonal team will comprise of talented dancers selected through multi-city auditions across select cities in each zone. Each team will also be mentored by a celebrity choreographer as they chart their journey from anonymity to fame, from being a contender to a champion.