Monday, May 31, 2010

Aishwarya, Shah Rukh Khan not in YRF next

Yash Raj Films has killed all speculations that Bollywood superstars Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan will be seen in a film produced by them.

The production house released a statement following a tabloid report that a film with Aishwarya and Shah Rukh Khan was on the cards.

"Despite our categorical denial of this baseless rumour, the tabloid continued to publish this with an ambiguous quote from a person at YRF.

It is totally baseless and not true," said the official statement from YRF, "The least that should have been done was to have quoted us correctly.

And preferably not have carried this concocted story at all.” "Our next set of scripts are still under finalisation.

And as and when the cast for each of them is locked, we will be more than happy to make the announcements," said the release.
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Rajneeti love scene-cuts reminds of emergency

By allegedly forcing deletions in Prakash Jha's film "Rajneeti", the Congress had resorted to moral policing and harked back to the Emergency era when "Aandhi" was banned and reels of "Kissa Kursi Ka" were burnt, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said Saturday.

Referring to the episode of deletion of certain scenes from "Rajneeti" apparently following objections by the Congress, Jaitley, a former minister for information and broadcasting wrote in his blog:

"Moral policing has been rapped repeatedly by many in the electronic and print media. Curiously, the crusaders against moral policing have mostly maintained eloquent silence on the political policing by the ruling party."

Jaitley compared this to the 21-month Emergency period between June 25 1975 and March 21 1977, chronicling incidents of bans and deletions on films like "Aandhi", "Kissa Kursi Ka" and "All the President's Men".

"The Congress party believed that the leading actress (in 'Aandhi') had a character similar to the then prime minister...it was banned in July 1975, " Jaitley said in his blog.

He said that after the producer cut out certain scenes and restructured it, the film was cleared to release and another film on the Watergate episode titled "All the President's Men" was blocked during the time and released after the Congress was voted out of power in the Lok Sabha elections of 1977. The reels of the film "Kissa Kursi Ka" were burnt.

Jaitley also wrote about bans on notable celebrities like Kishore Kumar, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar during the Emergency period further asserting Congress party's alleged forced deletion of certain scenes from the soon to be released film "Rajneeti" in order to obtain a U/A certification.

Congress is said to have "threatened" the film with an adult certification.

Congress has, however, denied any interference with the certification of the film.

Media reports, however, suggested that the censor board sent the movie to "a super censor" for clearance before certifying it and that the censor board chief Sharmila Tagore herself suggested the names of the three Congress representatives - Tom Vadakkan, Pankaj Sharma and Sanjeev Bhargava to review the film.

"Rajneeti" stars an ensemble cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal and Manoj Bajpai and will hit the cinemas next week.

"In the last few years, " he wrote to end his blog "we have seen an effort of politicizing the Election Commission through partisan appointments.

The CBI has become a political tool. The parliament has recently expressed concern over both authorized and unauthorized telephone tapping. The Congress party now has become a national censor of what entertainment we will watch. I hope the list of aberrations does not continue to increase".
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PC, Deepika, Katrina & Ash: Delicate Darling Go Wild

Cuts and bruises are no bar. From Priyanka Chopra to Deepika Padukone to Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood actresses are willingly treading on treacherous terrain as they get into action mode like their male co-stars.

"Just because I'm a girl it shouldn't be presumed that I can't enter the boys' territory. I'd do the stunts better than the boys, " Priyanka told. The actress, who was seen.

As Abhishek Bachchan's bodyguard in "Drona", learnt the Sikh martial art form called gatka for the film. She also underwent rigorous training and learnt kung fu for her character in Farhan Akhtar's "Don".

"I quite enjoyed the cuts and bruises, " said Priyanka who has replaced action star Akshay Kumar as the host of TV show "Khatron Ke Khiladi". She will be performing some of.

The most daring stunts as the host of the show. Currently she is shooting for it in the jungles of Coorg, Karnataka, and a special gym has been set up for her there.

Aishwarya, who turned into a stunt woman for the 2006 hit movie "Dhoom 2", will once again be seen stretching the risk factor in Mani Ratnam's forthcoming release "Raavan" as well as Shankar's "Endhiran".

"Aishwarya suffered all the wounds, pain, fever and insect bites heroically in the forests. For all the dangerous scenes, she hardly ever used a duplicate. She was totally up to the task, " said her "Raavan" co-star Vikram.

Deepika is not far behind. She gave a glimpse of her daring side in "Chandni Chowk To China" where she played a Chinese girl and jumped over walls and did somersaults as a martial art expert.

In Pradeep Sarkar's "Lafange Parindey", she will be seen taking a dip in a deep mud pit even though her co-star Neil Nitin Mukesh was reported to have asked for a body double to do the same scene.

"Yes, I did jump into the hole to make it look like an accidental fall. That's what was required to make the fall look convincing, " Deepika told a website.

Katrina Kaif too is getting into action mode for Zoya Akhtar's "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara". She is learning dirt biking for her role.

And last but not the least, Kareena Kapoor, who scorched the headlines for her size zero, will be in a full-on action role in "Agent Vinod" opposite beau Saif Ali Khan.

Commenting on her role, Saif said: "She does play an undercover agent from another country. Kareena will do everything I do in the film, and she'll do it even better. She will kick butt better than all the other girls in our industry; that's for sure."

Last year Lara Dutta turned into action heroine for the thriller "Blue" and performed stunts 70 feet under water with sharks.

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti gave a glimpse of her courage in her very first film, "Luck", opposite Imran Khan. She was seen doing everything - from flying down a parachute, to escaping killer sharks underwater to being tied to a speeding engine.

Stunts no longer remain a male dominated territory
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Shahrukh Khan - IIFA MISS A DOODLE!

It seems this year the IIFA is going to be less of a bollywood razzmatazz, than it normally has been for the past 11 years.

After news of Abhishek and Aishwarya not being able to be a part of the celebrations, due to prior commitments poured.

In fresh news about SRK missing it too, are coming in. Reportedly, Shahrukh Khan will so not be able to keep up to his promise of being

A part of the bollywood brigade, to grace up. The Grand IIFA festivities due to prior commitments. Shahrukh khan was supposed to be.

The captain for a charity cricket match, to be held in Colombo, between the bollywood star celebrities and the SriLankan cricketer’s team.

The King of bollywood was supposed to perform at the Awards function too, but all those fans that were waiting to see.

The star jiving on stage are in for thumbs down. Amitabh Bachchan, the Brand Ambassador for the prestigious event will be gracing.

The occasion for a short time and returning to Mumbai.However as things stand as of now even the South film fraternity are scheduled to give the awards a miss. Therefore, overall it remains to be seen, who does attend the function from Mumbai, after all!
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Beautiful Katrina Kaif Is The Most Popular Bollywood Actress

Britain’s talented Katrina Kaif has become the most popular bollywood actress. But what does really count for her popularity against other Indian actresses. As in case of popularity among Indians, the fact that Indian guys like whiter skin in females cannot be ignored.

Because of her name “Katrina Kaif” most people assume her as Indian or Asian Muslim which she is not.The white card is such an important factor in her popularity that comparing her to the second most popular women “Aishwarya Rai”, Katrina Kaif is almost twice as popular as Aishwarya.

The other factor for Katrina’s popularity is the fact of her being associated with Salman Khan that started to get her roles in high budget movies and soon made her the highest paid actress.Aishwarya Rai is still however the most talked girl in the media which has been further fuelled with her association to the Bachchan family.
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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Katrina enjoys working with Akshay

Katrina Kaifhave worked with many handsome actors of Bollywood like Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh but she reveals that she enjoyed working with her co-actor Akshay Kumarthe most.

She quips as why she enjoys working with Akshay Kumar the most, “That’s because Akshay and I have done so many films together…it’s been like a journey.

It’s easy to create friction on the sets of a film. But when we were doing our first film together, he had to understand me. I was a little different. But when he got to understand me, he knew that I was harmless! So he used to let me talk…so he knows how to make his co-star feel good and energetic all the time”.

Katrina Kaif is extremely excited to be an integral part of ‘Rajneeti’. Many questions arise regarding her acting capability and with this film, she wanted to prove everyone wrong. Katrina said, “Yes I want to be taken seriously, but that’s not an attempt to any image building. For me, it’s a great script with a great director.” “‘Raajneeti’ is a very special film, different from what I’ve done so far,” she added.
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Deepika and Saif in Kunal Kohli’s next?


Chote Nawab Saif Ali Khan who has discovered his romantic best in films like Hum Tum and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is all set to work for Kunal Kohlis next. Obviously it will be a love story where Saif will be playing a metro sexual in the film.

Kohli refused to give more details but said that the film will go on floors by October and if all goes as planned, it will be complete by early February 2011. But sources reveal that it might be the repeat of the pairing of the hit Love Aaj Kal Jodi of Deepika and Saif. Currently Kunal is busy filming Break Ke Baad starring Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone.
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Aishwarya Rai's Endhiran nears completion

Endhiran, headlining Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai, which has long been in the making, is finally nearing completion.

Shankar, who is directing the Sci-Fi movie, posted an update on his blog on May 28. "Well… except one song the whole film shooting is completed.

The full edited film has been given to A.R.Rahman for background score and Resul Pookutty for the sound effects.

"Just waiting to shoot the last song and waiting for computer graphics work of the climax and some important scenes to be completed."

Filming began in September 2008 in Machu Picchu in Peru, stunning locations never seen before in Indian cinema, with.

Aishwarya and Rajnikant cavorting to two tracks composed by the film's music director AR Rahman. Sun TV Network took over the production of the film from Ayngaran International(AI) in late December 2008. AI backed out of because it felt the budget was not viable and wanted Shankar to scale it down.

The Tamil title Endhiran is based on the work of the late writer Sujatha's novels En Iniya Iyanthira and Jeeno. It has been reported that the film is being made with a budget of Rs 165 crore.
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Anjaana Anjaani inspired by Friends

Director Siddharth Anand says his new film Anjaana Anjaani, which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, is inspired by the hit American sitcom Friends. "I remember when I watched Friends I wanted to meet and know every character.

That's how I want audiences to feel about Ranbir and Priyanka in Anjaana Anjaani. When Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge came out, you wanted to feel and touch Raj and Simran.

That's how I want audiences to feel about Ranbir and Priyanka...everyone in the team has given his or her best to this film," Anand said. Anjaana Anjaani has been scripted by author Advaita Kala.

"She wrote a chick-lit novel called Almost Single. I asked her to develop a story by my wife Mamta. Ranbir and Priyanka had no reference points in any film for their performance...These are characters going through extraordinary, not easily relatable circumstances. It's about few days that two strangers spend together."

Siddharth shot in Central Park's skating rink. "We shot in iconic New York. We had the skating rink shut down for our shoot for three days. Then we shot with Ranbir and Priyanka in New York's Caf Lalo where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks met in When Harry Met Sally."And they also needed to shoot on a bridge and they finally headed to Kuala Lampur to do that.

"We needed to take over a bridge completely for three-four days. Because of 26/11, we couldn't get the necessary permission. We finally got the bridge in Kuala Lumpur. They made it as easy for us as shooting in Goregaon. Thanks to our producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

We could shoot anywhere I wanted," said Anand, who has made films like Salaam Namaste and Bachna Ae Haseeno. The whole film was shot in live sound and is set to release on Oct 1. Contrary to expectations, Ranbir's singing debut won't be part of the film's CD.

"Ranbir has sung a one-and-half minute track. But it is part of a comic scene. So he will only be singing in the film. We needed Ranbir's character, not Ranbir, to sing. So those who want to watch him sing will have to wait for the film," Anand said.

"I did my first film Salaam Namaste in 2005. If I'm doing another romantic film it better be even cooler and more contemporary. Anjaana Anjaani is the riskiest film ever. I've experimented with the style and performances. "If audiences believe in the couple, they'll come back repeatedly to watch them. If they don't they'll reject them completely. It's so character-driven. If their performances don't work, the film doesn't," he added.
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Friday, May 28, 2010

Katrina, Arjun love making scene was absolutely essential - Jha

"Raajneeti" has finally got a UA certificate but not without some vital scenes, including Arjun Rampal.

And Katrina Kaif's "aesthetically shot love making scene" that director Prakash Jha says was "absolutely essential", being edited out.

"It was a very aesthetically shot love making scene. Arjun and Katrina are two very beautiful people.

And they made love to the camera. The Tribunal (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal) felt it was a bit too explicit for a ‘UA’ audience. I didn’t argue," Jha told IANS.

Jha’s weeklong battle with the censor board ended Wednesday with the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal in New Delhi viewing.

"Raajneeti" and granting it a ‘UA’ certificate. The director had challenged the censor board’s decision earlier last week to grant.

Raajneeti an ‘A’ certificate with cuts. Jha sees the reduction of the Katrina-Ranbir love making scene as a blow.

"The love scene was absolutely essential. Unlike other directors I had not shot extra footage so.

That the censors could take away whatever portion they liked. I had shot the love making scene exactly the way it was meant to be. I've had to reduce it by half.

"It's a disappointment to all of us. I've also had to beep out the F... word uttered by Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in two different places in the plot. Ex-justice Usha Mehra, who headed the Tribunal, requested me to do away with the F... word. But it didn't make a difference," he said.

Ajay Devgn, Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai too will be seen "Raajneeti". Releasing June 4, the political thriller will be the behind-the-scenes look at politics, strategies behind election campaigns, scandals and much more.

Apparently, the censor board had earlier objected to two sequences - one showing the rigging of elections by fitting ballot boxes with specially designed gadgets and the other showing a female politician offering sex in exchange for an election ticket. "An ‘A’ certificate brings on a specific mindset on the audience. They think the film has sleazy content. So I preferred to let the film be referred to the Tribunal," said Jha.

Also Arjun's volatile character in "Raajneeti" shouts lurid and graphic expletives Hindi at a police officer. These remain intact while the 'f' word is gone. Several recent Hindi films like "Omkara" and "Ishqiya" were plastered with expletives but got away at the censors with an A certificate.
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I love being romantic - Cute Genelia

Smily Beautiful actress Genelia D'Souza has thus far played roles on the lines of bubbly and stereotypical, and girl as next door.

But could that be passe? Ask Genelia on this, says a candid Genelia, "If the content is romantic.

The films comes to be naturally since it suits me and the story. Surely, I relish playing bubbly and playful characters which is why thes efilms came to me. But in reali life, I’m affectionate, yet a mischievous girl. I don’t like tensions."

Anymore more on the reali life? Genelia adjoins, “I respect my family and work. I like being friendly.

And never get into challenges and that’s how I was all through my school and college.

On rumors, Genelia comes strongly saying, “I don’t care about rumors and gossips. To me, I’m concerned about current and what I am doing now.”

Genelia is currently busy shooting for a Tamil fim ‘Uthama Puthiran’ starring Dhanush. This film is a Telugu remake of blockbuster film ‘Ready’, directed by Srinu Vytla.
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Amrita Rao to work with Sooraj Barjatya once again

Amrita Rao is set to team up with one of her favourite film maker Sooraj R Barjatya after four years.

The actor owes one of her career’s biggest hits to Sooraj who directed Amrita in Vivah in 2006.

The movie about upholding family values and the great Indian marriage also starred Shahid Kapoor.

And went on to become a blockbuster that launched Shahid as the next big solo star in Bollywood.

A reliable source close to the development of the film reveals, “Amrita was called by Sooraj himself who.

He has expressed his desire to cast her in his next that he is currently writing. It appears that the film is being written keeping Amrita in mind.

As the film will revolve around her character. It is a very strong character that the actor has to play and she is ecstatic after her phone conversation with Sooraj. They are set to have a meeting on this soon. Amrita adores Sooraj and respects him for trusting her with Vivah that really boosted her film career. She hopes to emulate the same feat with Sooraj’s forthcoming movie.”

But the most interesting news that is emerging from this development is that Amrita might again be teaming up with Shahid Kapoor for this film. Shahid has been sporadically hinted by reports that Shahid and Amrita’s relationship has become blow hot-blow cold. Some say they are estranged while some maintain they are still good friends. If the gossip turns out to be true, this movie would mark them teaming up after four years too.

“Amrita and Shahid has been quite a successful jodi in the industry having done Ishq Vishk and Vivah and both being hits. But after 2006 they haven’t worked with each other propelled gossip that they aren’t really friends anymore. But they have always been cordial whenever they have met each other and in public or social dos. If this happens, it would put rumours about their equation to rest for sure,” adds the insider.
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Hot Katrina becomes a fan of Ajay Devgan

She has a huge enviable fan following and none denies it but when it comes to acting Katrina Kaif knows she has a long way to go. So when she got a chance to rub shoulders with the best while shooting for the film Raajneeti, she didn’t let.

It go by without learning something. The actress particularly liked the simmering intensity of Ajay Devgan, and, as sources said, she wanted some more scenes with Ajay so that she can learn from the actor who has even won a National Award.
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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta: Catfight for SRK in Don 2?

The hot shot beauty queens Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta, who had debuted together in the movie Andaaz’, about 7 years ago, have reportedly, been signed in by director , Farhan Akhtar for Don 2’.The sequel of Don, which was a remix and a modern version of the original flick ‘Don’, starring Amitabh Bachchan in the pivotal role, is to be titled ‘Don 2’. Recently, reports have been confirmed about Lara Dutta having been signed on for the female lead in ‘Don 2’, and Priyanka, who was there in the first part, will be there for the sequel as well. However, the buzz is on whether, the two hot bods will get to romance the great SRK on screen or not.

Which of them will be paired opposite the king Khan, and which one will be in the opposite gang? Well, knowing the two stars, both of them will want the pivotal role, and God help Farhan, if he happens to antagonize either of the sexy ladies by giving anyone a raw deal. Both Priyanka and Lara are experts in their own genres, and neither of them will look out of place in the sleazy con man drama on screen.So, let’s hope there are no cat fights for the pretty ladies, and the fights remain for the silver screen only!
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Bollywood Queen Katrina plans to turn producer

Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif, who is keenly awaiting release of her political thriller Raajneeti next week, plans to turn producer. According to sources close to the actress, she is talks and toying with various ideas. "When the time comes, an announcement will be made on the niceties of her debut production project," the source said. The actress's spokesperson confirmed that Katrina is going through details and is in talks regarding her debut production.

"Nothing has been finalised as of now," the spokesperson added. Recent reports claimed that after Rajneeti, the actress is all set to play a female Army recruit in her debut production. It said to be Katrina's remake of a French movie 'Private Benjamin' whose rights she has purchased. However, sources said there is no truth to the news that added, "It is pointless speculating over mere rumours."
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Bipasha dubs in Urdu for Lamhaa

Bipasha Basu is dubbing for her next film Lamhaa and is trying her level best to drop her anglicised accent and diction to sound like a Kashmiri Muslim girl that she plays in the movie. This, of course, is easier said than done. Even when Bipasha had done Bengali film Sob Charitro Kalponik, she had been forbidden by director Rituparno Ghosh from dubbing her own lines although Bengali is her mother tongue.

This time Bipasha is however determined not to allow her voice performance to suffer on grounds of her accent. For months the actress has been secretly practising her lines. "It is tough, really tough because I don't really understand Urdu. But I'm never one to shun the urge to learn. I find it great fun. And my director Rahul Dholakia is very patient and chilled out," said Bipasha.

Since Lamhaa tackles the sensitive issue of militancy in Kashmir, Dholakia is pretty adamant on getting every nuance right. He has asked sound recordist Manoj Sikka to monitor Biapasha's diction. "I'm putting my trust in Rahul's team and the sound recordist," said the actress.

According to Dholakia, who's supervising Bipasha's dubbing, the actress has made the best effort possible to sound like an authentic Kashmiri Muslim girl.

"At the moment I'm simultaneously doing two very different jobs on two of my very different films. While I'm editing my social satire Society, I am supervising the dubbing of my film on Kashmir, Lamhaa. Dubbing the dialogues of a film with as vast a historical-political canvas as 'Lamhaa' is very tough. I wish I could devote more attention to Bipasha. But she's doing a fine job," said Dholakia.

While Sanjay Dutt, who plays an outsider, can get away with his characteristic drawling dialogues, Bipasha and Kunal Kapoor, who play Kashmiris, have had to slog to do away with their Bengali and Punjabi twangs respectively.
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No, I didn’t bump into anyone: Deepika

Time and again one hears stories about Bollywood actors encountering their Hollywood counterparts during their visit to the West for an international event. PR machinery gets into an overdrive to flash pictures of stars standing next to some Hollywood greats while 1 plus 1 turns into 1111 in no time. Soon one starts seeing the signs of 'breaking news' as Bollywood-Hollywood collaboration starts looking like a reality, what with quite a few stars reveling in all the attention and hoping that media attention would eventually result in their Western dream turning into a reality.

However, this isn't quite a path that Deepika Padukone is looking at chartering as after enjoying a rather gracious walk on the ramp at Cannes film festival, she has silently moved on to her under production film BREAK KE BAAD with Imran Khan. "I was there only for the screening of a French film and came back in half a day's time. I flew down to Mumbai for a day and then took another flight to Mauritius", informs Deepika who is pleasantly surprised with all the media attention that her walk on the red carpet has fetched during last few days.

Also, she isn't looking at telling any stories about her 'conquest in the West' (which not many of her counterparts would have actually let go) or any accidental, intentional, incidental or devised meet with any international film maker. All she is admitting is the fun she had during half a day that she spent at the event and the memories that she brought home. "No, neither did I bump into anyone nor did I see any other recognizable faces around other than the ones from the French film", she smiles while denying meeting any international celebrities, "I guess that should set the records straight."
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Tusshar Kapoor and Amrita Rao come together for Rajshri Productions

Even going the dare-bare way did not do any wonders for Amrita Rao and she seems to have disappeared from flashlights post ‘Shortkut- The con is on’ and it would be equally painful to talk about Tusshar Kapoor’s sinking career. Now, the two stars are pinning down their hopes on the Rajshri Productions P. Ltd’s new film titled LOVE U… MR. KALAKAAR! where they will be in the lead roles. S. Manasvi, who has also penned the story, screenplay and dialogue for the production will also be directing it. The movie is produced by Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Rajkumar Barjatya and Ajit Kumar Barjatya, with Sooraj R. Barjatya and Rajjat A. Barjatya as Associate Producers. Sandesh Shandilya will be doing the musical scores for the film.

The storyline of the flick revolves around Sahil, a cartoonist and an artist and Ritu who is a management trainee. While Sahil is into all the tender aspects of nature and beauty, Ritu is into the debits, credits, turnovers, profits, and deadlines. How an artist’s simple world crosses path with the dynamic corporate world form the core of the movie. The film will go on floors in early July 2010 and the two stars are hoping that this movie would do magic to their sinking career graph.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Lara Dutta to sizzle in Don 2

The tall and the lovely Lara whose comic timings are packing theatres 'Housefull' is likely to smoke the screen with her hot charms in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Don 2’. The sequel to SRK starring ‘Don’ which was a stylish remake of the Bachchan blockbuster ‘Don’ will have the ex beauty queen most likely playing the part of the sexy Zeenat Aman.

But there is a twist in the tale, as officially the production walas has not yet confirmed the role of Lara in the film but it’s confirmed that Lara is already undergoing kick boxing and marshal arts training for the role. The movie goes on floors by the end of this year.
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Mallika's loving the attention


Mallika Sherawat is making the most of her time at Cannes. The actress made it to the coveted list of the top 13 best-dressed celebs at Cannes this year. The actress herself ascribes her dress sense to the company she keeps. “I think that it’s the result of hanging out with international designers,” she recently wrote.

While many Bollywood actresses have essayed the role of the icchadhari nagin, none have got quite as much publicity for it. However, Mallika says that Sridevi’s portrayal of the role is her favourite. “Comparisons are odious. Yet, Sridevi is in a league of her own. There can be no comparisons,” she says. While at Cannes, the actress wasted no time in befriending Hollywood actors Gerard Butler, Ryan Gosling and Salma Hayek. But most importantly for Mallika, Roberto Cavalli complimented her lavishly when they met at a dinner.
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Vidya Balan to be the face of Big Bazaar's Price Challenge


Vidya Balan has emerged as one of the most bankable faces as far as brand endorsements are concerned, thanks to her 'desi' style with an international appeal. After having lent her face to many FMCG brands like Good Knight, Toshiba, Vidya has now been chosen as the face of Big Bazaar's Price Challenge, according to a source.

The source also went onto add that the aim of this 'Price Challenge' exercise was to bring out the authenticity of the campaign endorsed by Vidya, the name that personifies the brand's proposition - value and quality. This new campaign is expected to be launched soon.
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Kareena gives Tweedy Cole's party a miss

B-Town stars usually don't miss out on an opportunity to get clicked with pop stars and international celebs especially at places as prolific as Cannes. Kareena Kapoor's happy being an exception. She missed out on meeting Cheryl Ann 'Tweedy' Cole at the international film festival in spite of an invitation from the British singer. Says a source close to Kapoor, "Bebo was to attend the international film festival. 'Tweedy' Cole was already there to perform a 30-minute set at a party thrown by luxury jewellery firm de Grisogono on May 18 at the Hotel du Cap.

The singer had performed in front of a star-studded crowd including Naomi Campbell and fashion heir Margherita Missoni. The organisers heard that Cole was keen on meeting the Indian actress and an invite for the A-List event was sent out to her.

The source adds that Kareena, who's shooting for Rohit Shetty's Golmaal 3 in Goa, had to give it a miss. "Though her managers were informed of the invitation, Bebo herself had to turn it down as the Golmaal 3 schedule in Goa had been fixed months ago and they were shooting the film's climax with the entire cast (20 people in all). There was no way she could have opted out and made it to the party in France."Says Bebo, "I was invited to attend Cheryl's party but was in Goa and overworked. Of course, it would have been fun to go and I would have loved to attend. I love her songs and was very keen on meeting her. Maybe I'll meet her if I go to Cannes next year."

Cheryl Cole?
Cheryl Cole rose to fame in 2002 after becoming a member of pop group Girls Aloud through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals. With Girls Aloud, Cole has been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten singles (including four number ones), two UK number one albums, and received nominations for five BRIT Awards, winning Best Single in 2009 for The Promise. In 2008, she became a judge on the British reality television show The X Factor. Apparently Cheryl had even been paid a whopping amount of $375,000 ( £250,000) as fees to sing at the party at Cannes this year.
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Katrina Kaif beats Shah Rukh Khan in mobile search

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif is the most searched celebrity on the mobile phones and has beaten the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai. The research was conducted by mBit Infotech, a Value Added Service(VAS) provider. Among the Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities, Katrina is on the number one spot followed by Angelina Jolie, Kareena, Shah Rukh, Salman, Bipasha, Aishwarya, Monica Bellucci and Aamir Khan.

Commenting on the results, Raghavendra Agarwala, CEO of mBit Infotech, said: "It is amazing to see that Katrina Kaif is ruling the charts with a major pie, presumably implying that Katrina’s popularity is mounting for both national and international audiences."The research is based on the searches performed by over 120,000 users of mBit in the first quarter of 2010 (Jan to April) and it also found out that "sex" is still the most popular searched keyword followed by music where mostly international music icons like Akon, Linkin Park, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna and Michael Jackson top the list.
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Ash not responsible for Basu's exit from Ravana


Bipasha Basu was first picked up to play Mandodari, Ravana’s wife in the film Raavana, but later she was dropped. It was rumored that Aishwarya Rai was behind her unceremonious exist from the film.

Now it is being cleared that it was due to heavy star cast of the film that she was not selected to play the character. There film already had Aishwarya Rai as Sita, South superstar Vikram as Ram, Abhishek Bachhan as Raavan, National Award winner Priya Mani as Shoorpankha and Govinda as Hanuman. However, the rumors in newspapers and magazine continued that Ash was behind existing of Bipasha. But such gossips may not be true as Bipasha is already cast against Abhishek in Dum Maro Dum and they get along nicely. It looks like the rumors are baseless.
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A 60-year-old Priyanka Chopra

Not for nothing does Priyanka Chopra call her role in Vishal Bharadwaj’s film Saat Khoon Maaf the most challenging of her life. Shooting away from ‘civilization’ in the relative isolation of far flung Coorg, Priyanka has been braving leeches, apart from total disconnect from her friends and family. But that’s not the real challenge.

The tough part is that Priyanka plays a character that ages from 20 to 60 in the movie. And during the course of that time she kills seven husbands of hers.

We know Priyanka all but convincingly pulled off the twelve different sun-sign-inspired characters in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s film What's Your Raashee? but all those characters were young. In Vishal’s film, however, she has to understand the mind frame of a sexagenarian woman and bring it out in her character. “In Saat Khoon Maaf my character ages from 20 to 60. That’s really tricky. We’ve done a looks test of me at 60,” Priyanka is quoted as saying by a tabloid. Challenging though it is, Priyanka says she’s getting enough guidance from her director.
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Bollywood King Shahrukh Khan's special screening for Hrithik-Barbara


Generally it happens that the makers of the film hold special screenings for friends and film fraternity. But Shahrukh Khan, in a party mood as usual, reportedly had a private screening of Kites for Hrithik Roshan, his wife Sussanne Roshan and Barbara Mori at Mannat.

According to a daily, it was a small party two days ago mainly attended by the friends of Shahrukh and Gauri. And since Hrithik was busy with the film’s promotion, it was Sussanne and Barbara who came first to the party. Hrithik arrived quite late and was welcomed with flattering compliments from everyone for his performance in ‘Kites’.With reason or not, SRK knows how to enjoy life to the fullest.
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Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor – Fight Formula!

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are a real cool couple in real life, in every sense of the term. Reportedly the two gel so well with each other that in real life they hardly get into fights .But, contrary to their real life chemistry the two are in enemy roles in Saif’s ,home production ‘Agent Vinod ‘. The film to be directed by Sriram Raghavan has Saif playing an Agent, on the lines of International CID Agents like 007, James Bond etc.

Kareena, on the other hand, is playing a Pakistan spy, and she is constantly supposed to be on the run. Saif, who is going to be on a series of trails to catch international crooks, will be chasing Kareena through out the suspense thriller. Saif has never before played such a character, and his preparations are on, to look the part. These days the suave actor has a kind of French beard grown, and this is going to be his look in ‘Agent Vinod ‘.

The shooting for the flick is to start soon, and reportedly, it is to be shot on foreign locales. Now the two lovey dovey stars , who are besotted to each other through thick and thin in real life , are going to surely arouse a lot of interest , as ardent enemies in ‘Agent Vinod’.!
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Monday, May 24, 2010

Vidya Balan - The Hopeless Romantic

I am not making this up, but this a confession by Vidya Balan herself. Usually in Bollywood you will find heroines trying to put off marriage and not wanting to talk about it. But Vidya is different and has expressly said that she would love to get married and start a family. She says she is a romantic at heart and would not mind spending the rest of her life with a single man. Although she is not in a tearing hurry to tie the knot she is looking out for Mr. Right. Our heroine is now 30 and at the peak of her career, and we also think it is about time she found her partner. Vidya has admitted that she did fall in love passionately once and even though it did not work out she has not lost faith in men and romance.

Vidya Balan has never wanted any casual relationships and would never go for a live-in relationship. She firmly believes in the institution of marriage and would like to be in one very soon. When quizzed about the type of man she would prefer, she was quite candid in saying that her man should make her feel butterflies in her stomach. Her dream man would be someone like George Clooney but much younger and someone who has got a lot of confidence in himself. She also expressed the desire to be able to discuss any topic with her man when being married. We are sure that Vidya will get her Mr. Right very soon.
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Kareena Kapoor’s Stepmom Remake On The Lookout For A Desi Title

While Karan Johar’s I Hate Luv Storys (Stills) is due for release on 2nd July, his other under-production film, starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, is slated for release exactly three months later. Still untitled, the film, which, like I Hate Luv Storys, is being distributed by UTV, will hit the screens on 1st October.

At least, that’s the tentative release date but some trade wallahs feel, the release will not happen that day because the inauspicious shraddh period will start from 24th September and will go on upto October 6. Incidentally, the film, which is a remake of the Hollywood film, Stepmom, was planned to be titled Love You Maa, but Johar and his team are very keen to have a 100% Hindi title. Any suggestions?
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Deepika Padukone offer on Hollywood

Actress Deepika Padukone is on cloud nine these days. The reason: well, the actress has been getting calls from many Hollywood agents and the latest is that one of Hollywood's biggest names, Woody Allen is keen to meet the actress.

Deepika's Hollywood calling started during her recent visit to the Cannes where she became the focus of attention for the Hollywood brigade. According to sources, during her short stint at Cannes, Deepika was flooded by many offers from a lot of Hollywood agents. The biggest one that took her by surprise was from an agent who told her that the famous filmmaker Woody Allen was keen to meet her.

Now, Deepika is ready to take a plunge in case any good offer comes her way. Hollywood in fact might not be a distant dream for this actress who stunned the gathering at Cannes with her sari clad look and appeared stunning in every sense of the word.
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Bollywood Hot Actress Katrina's set for the army


After playing the foreign-returned girl in many a Bollywood movie, Katrina Kaif’s going for variety now. She’s a politician in ‘Rajneeti’ which releases soon, and then Kat’s joining the army. In her next movie, she’ll play a zany recruit who’s out to make her mark in the male-dominated world of the forces. Kind of what Goldie Hawn did in ‘Private Benjamin’.

Kat’s said to be loving the role because she enjoys doing things that girls are apparently not supposed to do. Which is why she joined the ‘Rajneeti’ cast and crew for a game of cricket (even though director Prakash Jha and Ranbir Kapoor told her she shouldn’t play). So Kat’s actually quite a toughie. Now just where do you she picked up this attitude? Could it be from a certain on-off macho boyfriend?
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Bipasha Basu - Love Yourself

Honestly, I haven't seen many workout DVDs in the past. And the very fact that I am doing a review of this DVD means that Bipasha Basu has been able to do her job well around fetching the attention of those who may or may not really be looking at getting into a fit shape. For those belonging to the former category, it is a gift of sorts because now they can compare notes around their fitness regime with a celebrity who has been known for having a great body for close to a decade now. And for the latter, the DVD could well help in making them conscious of fitness because a celebrity is endorsing the cause.

What's good about the DVD is that it doesn't stretch (no pun intended) beyond a limit. Both 'Beginners' as well as 'Advanced' versions are just 30 minutes and 40 minutes respectively which means that not much time is wasted in detailing things which may not really be the need of the hour. Bipasha along with co-trainer Deanne Panday (another fit bod here) make sure that they have viewer's attention with their toned bodies making for an attractive sight.

However, for those looking at a glamorous outing here, be warned that 'Love Yourself' is not a filmy saga in the offing. The feature stays true to it's true business, which is letting know viewers of the importance of a fit body and how it can be achieved. While many would have felt that presence of Bipasha Basu could possible have resulted in something to ogle at, it is certainly not the case.

So what one gets to see in this DVD which promises fat to fit in 60 days flat are moves likes squats, stretches, shoulder rolls, hip rolls, arm swings, chest press and crunch, military press with wide squat, shuffles, jumping jack, abs crunch, double clam with namaste, dumbbell row, cross punch, pelvic thrust, doggy kick, speed bag, football run, rear kicks and cobra. For those belonging to fitness circuits, these terms should come with a strong familiarity factor attached to them.

The set design is colourful though one would have expected it to be a little more opulent. It all seems a little too cramped for comfort and a bigger stage would have only helped the video look far more lavish. Also, the idea of Bollywood music (though optional) being played in background as Bipasha and Deanne go around with their moves is a bit of a letdown. Really, it isn't quite classy to hear 'Beedi Jalaile' during a workout session! Thankfully, from core workout perspective, there are two audio options - English and Hindi - that helps the DVD to cut across various segments of audience.
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Friday, May 21, 2010

Iranian bride for Shahid Kapoor?

Obsessed with Sasha, Iranian woman tore her passport just to stay in the country; writes poems and has imaginary love chats with the star. True stories can, sometimes, make the filmiest Bollywood plot pale in comparison and Parvaneh Morteza Faghiri's is one such story.

The 39-year-old from Iran, who flew down to the city for the second time on May 7 to meet her 'one true love' Shahid Kapoor, is now in a rescue home and the Sahar police are completing formalities to send her back to Iran today.

How it began

Parvaneh says she saw Shahid on television and fell in love with him instantly because she found him romantic. Though she was married to an Iranian man and had a 15-year-old daughter, Zaara, she felt her husband did not love her and, thus decided to leave him.

In February last year, she flew down to Mumbai to meet the actor and convince him to marry her. She said that during her last trip to the city, she had showed people Shahid's photographs and asked for his address."According to her, one of the high points of her last trip was seeing Shahid at the airport once. She kept shouting out his name and he smiled in return. When Shahid was leaving, she shouted out again and he gave her another smile," said an official from the rescue home in Kandivli where Parvaneh has been staying.

Second trip

Parvaneh landed at the Sahar airport on May 7 and immediately started telling people that she wanted to meet Shahid. The Sahar police then took her to the police station, where she kept insisting that she be allowed to meet the actor. On being told that she would be sent back to Iran immediately, she tore up her passport.
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Shahrukh Khan- Akshay Kumar: Camadarie Calls!

The two most hot and happening stars of bollywood, Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar, are at an all time bonding mode. Reportedly, after having seen ‘Houseful’, Shahrukh Khan was so impressed with Akshay Kumar’s comedy histrionics in it that he sent him an expensive watch as a gift of appreciation.

Now, not being able to hold himself up, as a token of thanks to the Baadshah, Akshay Kumar, bought another very expensive watch, and bestowed it upon Shahrukh, as a return gift. As if, this bonding was not enough, the two stars shared diet secrets with each other too. Now, with Shahrukh having to slog it out in his home production ‘RA 1’, we just hope that Akshay, the Khiladi Kumar, who has done stunts for almost half of his films, gives some useful tips to our King Khan, who reportedly, has lost a lot of weight in the last few weeks.

With so much of cold vibes going on between stars, it is indeed a fresh change to see two top stars, bonding so well, this sure is the camadarie calls between the two and that’s what true friendship is all about!
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Bollywood Queen Katrina Kaif More Popular Than Top Bollywood Actors

Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif is reportedly more popular than most of the bollywood stars combined. Believe it or not but Katrina Kaif has become the most popular bollywood performer ever and no one is even close to her popularity as of now. We have included the popularity graphs which are quite accurate.

Looking at the graphs you will notice that hrithik roshan, salman khan, akshay kumar, and shahrukh khan are all lagging way behind katrina kaif. No wonder Kaif has become one of the highest paid actress in the industry in a short span of time.
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Hot Kareena Kapoor to follow four Hollywood actresses


We may think that playing a glam diva would come easy for someone like Kareena Kapoor, but this time it’s going to be way tough. The actress will start her homework soon to portray a heroine in Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’.

Yes, homework to walk, talk and sit like a true heroine, someone who is rich and famous and with oodles of oomph and style. Unfortunately, though Kareena is exactly like this, she has to seek inspiration from five iconic Hollywood actresses to essay her character. Reportedly the list has names of Ava Gardner, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.

But why Madhur wants Kareena to follow these Hollywood actresses; why not beautiful Indian divas like Madhubala or Meena Kumari to prepare for her role? Actually, according to Madhur there is so little footage available about these heroines that he hasn’t found anything ‘interesting’. As per reports, Madhur has made a special documentary on these four Hollywood screen-scorchers to help Kareena do her homework for the film, which she will start as soon as she is free from Ra.One and Golmaal 3. And if you think the movie is going to be a period film, you are wrong; it’s set in contemporary times and Kareena plays a Bollywood superstar.
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Vidya’s multiple 'shades'

I thought Vidya Balan’s favourite accessories were her signature style jhumkas, the chunky beaded neck pieces, and even the rudraksha she so stylishly flaunts.

But wait... there is a dark side to this Southern beauty, too. Yeah, her favourite accessory is sunglasses – of all shapes, sizes and super-stylish brands.

The lady can resist shopping clothes, shoes, bags and even her cool kurtas and designer saris, but the minute she spots dark glasses, she turns into a ‘shades shopaholic’. Recently, while shooting in Delhi she surprised her staff with the way she went on a shade shopping spree. Well lovely Vids, we aren’t as excited about your wide-range of sexy shades. How do I get a closer look at those lovely, deep, brown eyes? Tell me.
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Katrina and Akshay No More?

Who doesn't know about the deadly combination of Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif? Their movies together have received much appreciation from audiences and critics galore! However, the newest buzz on the grapevine is that Kat turned down a film which required her to play a role opposite Akshay.

Recently, the director of Thank You, Anees Bazmee offered Katrina a role for his upcoming film. However, the porcelain beauty turned the offer down. Her reason for the refusal was that she is already working with Akshay in Tees Maar Khan and couldn't put up two movies with the actor at the same time.

The director, along with the star cast, is currently shooting for the film in Canada. Even though Katrina refused to be a part of Thank You, Anees isn't quite ready to give in just yet. Apparently, he sends a representative to meet Katrina on a regular basis, in the hopes that she will agree to at least making a guest appearance in the movie.
Is the bombshell really tired of working with the action hero or was it just an excuse? Only time can tell...
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Genelia’s the lady SRK of ad world

She isn’t counted in the ranks of Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor or Katrina Kaif, but the pretty Genelia D’Souza still has more brand endorsements.

In her kitty than any of the Bollywood leading ladies. With about 9-11 endorsement deals; Genelia has undoubtedly become.

The favourite face amongst Indian advertisers. And the girl is all kicked about the fact that she adorns the TV screens in every commercial break.

“I feel happy that people don’t get bored seeing my face so often on TV,” she jokes and adds, “Shooting for these ads give me a great high. The concepts and creativity make it super fun.”

We further ask Genelia what makes her click with the advertisers? “I think it’s my girl next door image. The brands I endorse are targeted towards the youth and it’s due to my bubbly nature that the youth can relate to me better than other actresses.”

Interestingly, the only other Bollywood face that’s such a regular when it comes to advertisements is Shah Rukh Khan who endorses products right from pens.

And talcum powder to hair oil and underwear. And with her endorsement line-up, Genelia seems all geared up to match up Shah Rukh.
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Deepika is on a roll

Deepika is on a roll Her nine-yard wonder at the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival has set tongues wagging and left her filmy counter parts faces green with envy.

But Bollywood’s original leggy lass Deepika Padukone is unfazed by all the talk. We caught up with.

The ravishing actress who spoke about her experience at Cannes, forthcoming projects and her love for Hyderabad.

Speaking about her experience at Cannes this year, she says, “It was a wonderful experience. I didn’t expect to walk the red carpet so early in my career.

I was excited when I got the invitation and am proud to have represented my country there.” But this is not her first visit to the festival.

“I’d been to Cannes with my family as a spectator when I was young. I watched Mathieu Amalric’s French film Tournee (On Tour) there,” she adds.

However, she didn’t get the opportunity to meet international stars and filmmakers there, as she went only for a day. “I reached there on the second day of the festival and the bigger stars pour in only much later. I saw a couple of stars but didn’t get to meet any one during my short stay.”

Was she confused about what outfit to wear at her debut at Cannes? “Not at all. I’m glad that my choice was appreciated. I didn’t think twice about what to wear as I knew I wanted it to be a sari. Among all the Indian outfits, I think the sari is the most sensual and elegant,” she exclaims.

The actress, who’s presently in Mauritius, talks about the projects she’s got in her kitty. “I’m in Mauritius right now filming for Break Ke Baad with Imran Khan. It’s a romantic comedy directed by debutant Danish Aslam. I’m also shooting for.

A Yash Raj film, Lafange Parindey, that is being directed by Pradeep Sarkar and stars Neil Nitin Mukesh. Then there is Ashutosh Gowariker’s period thriller Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey starring Abhishek Bachchan which will release in December this year.”

Globe-trotter she might be, but when it comes to Hyderabad, Deepika says she is no stranger. “My dad has a lot of friends there. I had also visited the city and gone to Laad Bazaar on my first school excursion when I was in Class VI. I’d also visited it for badminton matches and for modelling assignments. I also love Hyderabadi food, especially the biryani.”

The actress who regaled the Telugu audience with her item number in Love 4Ever, says that though she has received a lot of offers from Tollywood, she’s not ready to make the leap. “I don’t know if I’m up for a full-fledged T’wood flick yet, as I need to understand the language first. I’ve got a lot of T’wood offers, I might consider one if something really different comes my way.”

What about Hollywood offers? “Sure, why not? I’ll be happy to star in an international film if it’s interesting. As of now I’m satisfied with my career in B’wood.” Unlike her verbose co-stars, Deepika is seldom active on Twitter. “I’m a shy and private person. I tweet once in two days because there is only so much I want to share,” she says.
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Aishwarya Rai bewitched everyone with her traditional wear at Cannes

On the sixth day of the 63 annual Cannes Film Festival, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan charmed everyone with her traditional sari.

She came with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan to attend the premiere of Outrage, a Japanese gangster movie directed by Takeshi Kitano.

Rumor spread out that after Deepika Padukone made her appearance wearing a sari in Cannes.

And stole the attention, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan decided to make appearance wearing sari.

Since Aishwarya Rai is a brand ambassador of L'Oréal, she had to wear western outfits as per rule, but this time.

She made an exception. For the festival opening, she wore a violet tulle and mousseline gown from Elie Saab.

In her second outing with another L'Oréal ambassador, Eva Longoria, she wore a black Armani Prive strapless gown.

On the third day, she appeared in a pink Gucci gown accompanied by her mother who wore a cream and gold sari. Then on the sixth day, she wore a traditional Indian sari studded with stones in a white print with golden border coupled with a low neck blouse. What made it click was her simplicity. The actress was not wearing too much jewelry. The sari was designed by Indian designer, Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

This is not the first time the actress appeared on the red carpet in a sari. In 2003, she appeared wearing a green sari at the premiere of Dogville. The dress was severely criticized by Indian fashion designers. This time, some of the top designers of India appreciated Aishwarya Rai’s traditional wear. Ritu Kumar said, "The look was glamourised and it brought back memories of Ash in the film Guru. I also loved the make-up,"

Another designer, Namrata Joshipura said, “It was such a refreshing change. Ash looks great! I am so glad she has finally worn a sari at Cannes.” Aishwarya first appeared at the Cannes back in 2002, to promote Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. Since then she has been regularly attending the festival and stunned the audience with her beauty and charm.
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Katrina Kaif Is The Most Popular Bollywood Actress

Britain’s talented Katrina Kaif has become the most popular bollywood actress. But what does really count for her popularity against other Indian actresses. As in case of popularity among Indians, the fact that Indian guys like whiter skin in females cannot be ignored.

Because of her name “Katrina Kaif” most people assume her as Indian or Asian Muslim which she is not. The white card is such an important factor in her popularity that comparing her to the second most popular women “Aishwarya Rai”, Katrina Kaif is almost twice as popular as Aishwarya.

The other factor for Katrina’s popularity is the fact of her being associated with Salman Khan that started to get her roles in high budget movies and soon made her the highest paid actress. Aishwarya Rai is still however the most talked girl in the media which has been further fuelled with her association to the Bachchan family.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The Bollywood Tweet Diary

A quick update on what the stars are saying in 140 characters. Mallika Sherwat and her snake was the talking point at the ongoing Cannes film festival. Check out her twit pic with a snake around her neck.

She tweeted, "And now for a very special and private photo shoot in Cannes with my date, Rudy the Sssnake :)"

She was also working double time with the producers of Hisss announcing their release dates and even signed autographs with a snake around her neck.

She then posed in a lavender avatar on the red carpet for a Variety magazine do. Later she was seen putting a nude dress act for the red carpet.

She followed up with a black zippy version as she headed to "meet Microsoft founder Paul Allen on his yacht :). Whew!

Apparently, her flesh-tone dress got her on the best dressed women list! The only Indian amongst the thirteen on day 1!

She tweeted, "omg tweeps! In front of everyone super-designer Valentino said I'm one of most beautiful and glamorous women he's ever seen! I can die now, jk!"

What's more, no one can tweet-drop names like Mallika. Sample this: "with maestro Shekhar Kapur at the Majestic salon. He's on the Cannes jury this year. Dont mess with him! lol." "me and Salma Hayek. Her and her hubby are so sweet :). And she's even more beautiful in person!"
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5 reasons why you should watch Kites

Kites has been flying for so long in the skies but the wind made sure that it float right up there. The hype around it hasn’t died down even a bit ever since it was announced. And now that it is set for release this Friday, May 21, film lovers must be curious to know what the film has in store for them.

As we have been following the film right from the beginning, we take the pleasure to give you five good reasons why you should watch Kites.Big promise A lot of films have been released in the last couple of months but not a single.

One of them rocked at the box office though films like Prince, Paathshaala and Badmaash Company did reasonably well. So, the film buffs must be looking forward to watch a good film that has right dose of entertainment, sentiment and action. And the good news is that Kites promises you that.

Mexican factor - Barbara Mori You can run, you can hide but you can’t escape Barbara Mori. This Mexican actress has invaded Bollywood like no one else has ever done it before. She has got the look and talent. And that’s not all - she has hot figure that could take away the reasoning power of the guys. Hrithik has even said that she is the best actress he has ever worked with.

Hrithik Roshan the singer
Everybody knows that Hrithik is a great dancer and actor but not many will know that he has a good voice too. Believe it or not, he has sung the title song of Kites. And he has received lots of accolades from his debut as a singer.

Hrithik-Barbara chemistry This is old news. We have heard a lot about the chemistry between Hrithik and Barbara. It was even rumoured that their rapport almost cost Hrithik’s marriage. But the photo that has the duo kissing topless came as a big shocker. Some of their hot sequences might be censored for the Indian audience but the film will surely have enough of their spice.

International appeal Kites will be released in over 2300 screens worldwide including 500 screens in over 60 countries. The presence of Mexican actress Barbara Mori has surely given international appeal to it. Moreover, non-Indian audience can enjoy it, as it will have English and Spanish versions.

Kites, directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Rakesh Roshan and Sharan Kapoor, also features Kangana Ranaut in a special guest appearance. You have many things to look forward to in Kites but it’s you who is to take the final call!
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Designers approve ethnic Aishwarya at Cannes

If you thought Aishwarya Rai looked stunning in beautifully crafted Sabyasachi Mukherjee sari at the premiere of Outrage in Cannes, you are not alone.

Some of India's top designers have also applauded the Bollywood actress for her traditional look.

According to the queen of bridal couture Ritu Kumar, the outfit did justice to Aishwarya. "The look was glamourised and it brought back memories of Ash in the film Guru.

I also loved the make-up," said Kumar. It is a sentiment that designer Namrata Joshipura echoes.

"It was such a refreshing change. Ash looks great! I am so glad she has finally worn a sari at Cannes," she said.

Aishwarya, a regular at the French Film Festival since 2002 when Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas was screened, has often received less than favourable reviews for her choice of outfits on the red carpet. She has shied away from wearing ethnic outfits ever since the 2003 green colour sari that she wore to the Dogville premiere at Cannes was savaged by Indian designers and fashion critics. However this year the 36-year-old filmstar and international brand ambassador for cosmetics giant L'Oreal, has more or less redeemed herself for past fashion follies.

She wore a violet tulle and mousseline gown from Elie Saab for the festival opening and for her second outing on the red carpet with fellow L'Oreal spokesmodel Eva Longoria, Aishwarya opted for a black Armani Prive strapless number, which hugged her curves in all the right places.

The third day saw her on the red carpet in a pink Gucci gown accompanied by her mother who chose to wear a cream and gold sari. Ash's traditional look is also creating waves on Twitter. "Ahhhhh omg Aishwarya in a sari in Cannes! I think I just died and went to heaven!" tweeted fixated_faiyaz on the micro-blogging site.

However despite the overwhelming appreciation, there are still some who want to strike a note of caution. "This is a refreshing change but having said that I have seen better Sabyasachi on Aishwarya," said Pankaj Ahuja of the designer duo Pankaj & Nidhi. Ash had earlier chosen a sari by Sabyasachi for her appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

The Bachchan bahu is of course not the only one who has made a quintessentially Indian style statement at Cannes this year. Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone discarded the ubiquitous gown by stepping out in a cream and gold Rohit Bal sari for the red carpet premiere of The Tournee. Kundan jewelery and a stone studded clutch completed what was a classic yet glam gal look.
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Katrina Kaif hops into local taxi

It’s a rare sight to see a top Bollywood actress hailing a taxi by the side of a road. Katrina Kaif did just that on Monday morning.

She was supposed to fly to Bangalore that day for a promotional event of her upcoming movie Raajneeti. The flight was on time, but her driver did not show up. Turned out he was stuck in a traffic jam.

Not willing to miss the flight, Katrina took matters into her own hand. She took her luggage along and hailed a cab to the airport.

Even as the taxi whizzed past the routine morning traffic, the cabbie stole a glance in the rear view mirror only to find Katrina Kaif as his passenger.

Katrina arrived in time to join Ranbir Kapoor and director Prakash Jha at the airport, but the duo wasn’t very pleased with Katrina’s blasé attitude towards her security.
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Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek back in Istanbul from Cannes


Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan returned to exotic Istanbul from Cannes to spend some more quality time together. Abhishek is filming for Dum Maro Dum in Istanbul. The film directed by Rohan Sippy additionally co-stars Aditya Pancholi, Kangana Ranaut, Prateik Babbar and Rana Daggubati. Upon arrival in the Turkish capital, Abhishek and Aishwarya thanked their fans worldwide for their support while they were in Cannes using Abhishek's Twitter account.

"Back to istanbul where its nice and nippy!! Thank you all for all the love and reactions to the photo from cannes," Abhishek tweeted. "And the mrs. Sends a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGG hug! (Yup, she told me to type it like that)," he added, parodying an Indian babu's way of referring to a wife as "the mrs."

Abhishek then responded to requests from his fans by posting Cannes red carpet photos using his Twitter account. That's when we decided to step in and play the good Samaritan for Aishwarya and Abhishek fans. So here we are posting our collection of Aishwarya photos from the 63rd Cannes Film Festival.
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Aishwarya Rai in Cannes International Film Festival 2010


Enjoying another day in the South of France, Aishwarya Rai was spotted at the “Raavan” photo call as part of the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival. The “Bride and Prejudice” babe looked beautiful as usual as she worked it for the cameras in a simple-yet-sexy black dress.

Over the weekend, Ms. Rai got a bit more gussied up as she hit the red carpet for the premiere of “Il Gattopardo” at the Palais des Festivals. Aishwarya wore a very unique Gucci magenta pleated chiffon floor-length getup as she meandered around with her mother Vrinda Rai.
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Katrina Kaif raises security concerns!

Katrina Kaif is increasingly becoming a security hazard to herself. In spite of the constant flow of stalkers and mobs.

She continues to step out fearlessly, some would say recklessly without care about repercussions.

While Salman Khan has always believed in following security measures, all efforts to convince Katrina to do the same has fallen on deaf ears.

In fact, Katrina has always disregarded security threats. Sometime ago, when hordes of young and old people had descended on her.

At a public gathering she had fobbed off the security arrangements made by the organisers arguing: "They love me. They can never harm me."

But her latest daredevilish disregard for all rules of self-preservation takes the cake. On Monday morning when Katrina was required to fly to Bangalore for an event with Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina just hopped into a taxi with her hand-luggage and took off.

Much to the shock and disbelief of the cabbie who had no clue about the VIP passenger he was carrying until he looked into his rear- view mirror.

While Katrina cracks up at the recollection of the moment when the cabbie spotted her in the rear, her Raajneeti crew were far from amused when they saw Katrina hop out of a cab unaccompanied (even her personal manager and constant companion came straight to the airport). Ranbir and Prakash Jha were seen soundly ticking her off for her disregard for security rules.

Katrina has been reportedly indulging in such reckless security-adventures much too often these days. According to a close friend, she takes off on her own usually accompanied by her trusted driver and no other companion just for a spin far away to drive off loneliness.

But her latest adventure-ride to the airport on her own has left Katrina's family far from amused. It has now been decided that Katrina's youngest sister Isabel, who has been studying cinema in the United States, may cut short her acting course to join Katrina in Mumbai. Katrina admits her family is worried about her safety.

"But what's the big deal about hopping into a cab to rush to the airport? Thousands of girls do it all the time. What's there to get hyper? My driver was late because he got caught in a traffic snarl. If I waited anymore I would've missed my flight. So I waved for a cab, hopped in and zipped off."

However, what concerns people close to Katrina is her utter obliviousness to obvious security dangers. "Katrina doesn't realise the effect that her solitary presence in crowded places can have on people. Hopping into a cab early morning in Mumbai when there are no cops around is just not done. But she refuses to believe anyone would harm her."
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Deepika always wanted to wear saree at international do

As a starry-eyed teenager, she wanted to represent her country at an international event, wearing the national costume.

On her very first red carpet appearance at the Cannes International Film Festival, actress.

Deepika Padukone did just that and with style that wowed one and all. "Long ago, when I had started modelling I had promised myself that whenever I attend an international event I'd wear a saree because I'd rather represent my country in the national costume than in western clothes.

I get enough opportunities at home to wear western clothes. When I'm seen at an international event, I'd rather be fully Indian," Deepika said.

The 24-year-old, who attended the event as the face of liquor brand Chivas Regal, opted for a Rohit Bal -- off white, slightly embroidered saree with touches of gold.

When told that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore a gown, Deepika said: "I wouldn't like to comment on others.

Speaking for myself, I find the saree very Indian and yet very sensuous. I wore an off-white Rohit Bal creation.

On the red carpet. It felt good to be so Indian so far away from from home." Deepika had reportedly made discreet inquiries about what Aishwarya would wear before deciding on her own look.

The 36-year-old "Cannes regular" looked great this year in a violet blue fully embroidered tulle and mousseline gown from Lebanese designer Elie Saab. Deepika's two-day whirlwind tour to the Cannes Film Festival also included sight-seeing. On day two of her trip, she took off on her own to take in the sights and sounds of the scenic seaside town.

"There's so much to Cannes besides the festival. In fact, the first time when I came to Cannes in 2002, I was here not for the festival but as a tourist. I remember I had stood outside the venue of the Cannes film festival and taken pictures. I had promised myself that next time I'd be back as part of the festival...and here I am," she said.

According to Deepika, the best thing about the event was the fact that there was unconditional acceptance for Indian cinema. "Here at Cannes, they aren't looking at me or anyone else from Bollywood as oddities. Even if I was in a saree, I didn't feel marginalised or ethnic. I felt...at home!"
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