My Brother, My Jaan: B-Town Divas Celebrate Raksha Bandhan

Parineeti Chopra: My brothers Sahaj and Shivang are my buddies ever since they grew up. I am the eldest. So I am going to be pampering and spoiling them this Raksha Bandhan. 

Minissha Lamba: My brother is the closest person I have in Mumbai. And just to have him around is gift enough on raksha bandhan. 
Celina Jaitley: My brother Vikrant is a major in the Indian army. Considering the crisis at the LOC he may soon be deployed, as he is on the special forces. The only Raksha Bandhan wish I have for him is to be safe. And to have a lil baby of his own soon as he's newly married. 
Shabana Azmi: My brother Baba is most precious to me. He is my son, my friend and guide. Raksha Bandhan is a festival I get mos sentimental about. This year I am at my native village Mijwan for Raksha Bandhan. 

I feel really sorry that I can't be personally present to tie him the raakhee. I make sure I am with Baba on this day. I think I missed being with my brother for raksha bandhan only 4-5 times in my entire life. 

Sadly this is one of those years of absence. Baba is my most precious gift. I don't need anything from him. He doesn't allow anyone else to tie a raakhi on him. No mooh-boli bahens for my brother! I wouldn't tolerate them. 
Manisha Koirala: I have the most precious gift in the world. My brother Siddhartha. I always wish him happiness and success, and not just for Raksha B

andhan but every single day. I consider myself the luckiest sister in the world. More power to my adorable bhaiya. 
Pooja Bhatt: I am older to my brother Rahul. So tradition be damned. I'll be gifting him this Raksha Bandhan, not the other way around. 
Bela Sehgal: I am very lucky to have a wonderful brother like Sanjay (Leela Bhansali). He is thoughtful caring and loving, understanding and always concerned about my well-being. For Raksha Bandhan I pray for his good health and the super-duper success of Ram Leela. The only gift that I want from him is that he should always continue to love me. 
Divya Dutta: My brother Dr Rahul Dutta is more a friend than an elder brother. And he knows exactly what I want. The other day I liked a piece of jewellery while window-shopping. Before I knew it, it became my Rakhi gift. He is traveling but will be back in time for me tie the rakhi. 
Lata Mangeshkar: More than a brother, Hridaynath is the son that I never had. When I sing for my brother I feel a mixture of elation and fear. He's such a perfectionist. To work with him is taxing but ultimately very satisfying. When I sing for other composers I'm always unsure about whether I've done my best. Hridayanath doesn't hesitate in ticking me off if I go wrong. 

Even if I go wrong with one word he doesn't let me off the hook. He makes me sing it a hundred times over no matter how tired I get. At the most he'll let me off until the next day. But he must have the flawless recording.

I agree with him when he says, 'Right now only the recordist and I can hear you. But tomorrow the entire world will hear you. How would you feel if listeners pinpoint the errors in your singing? ' He's a very knowledgeable human being and not just in the field of music. 

Hridayanath is very particular about the way I sing. And I like that. He makes me sing until I achieve the quality he desires. Hridayanath always says, 'In a recording room there're only ten people to hear you. 

Once the song is recorded 10 crore people will hear it. So who loses face? People will say Lata doesn't sing the way she used to. ' He's as particular with any singer, whether it's my sister Asha or Usha.
Happily Hridayanath has the knowledge to achieve a high quality in the recording. He not only has a sound base in classical music but also listens to the old songs of my father (Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar) and uses them as a foundation for some of his compositions.

I'm always on tenterhooks singing for him. He's a very learned musician. His knowledge of Marathi literature and poetry is so vast. He's familiar with both modern and non-contemporary poets. By God's grace all my albums with my brother have been perennially popular. 

My first non-film album with Hridayanath was Mogra Phulela 35 years ago. And that's still selling... 

It wasn't a conscious decision to not work together for so long. Nothing materialized for one reason or another. . . . My brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar's album of Meera bhajans Chala Vahi Des is an all-time favourite. It's fallacy that I refused to sing Meera bhajans for anyone except my brother. 

I sang Jaidev's Main janoon nahin piya ko Milan kaise howe ri in Chand Grahan and Jo tum todo piya for Shiv-Hari in Silsila. I refused to give playback to the film on Meerabai when Gulzar made it. Meera is very close to my heart. I couldn't bear the thought of any actress sing her songs while playing Meerabai. 

Laxmikant-Pyarelal, then R. D. Burman left the project. Then Gulzar Saab brought in Pandit Ravi Shankar. I also love what my brother made me do in Maya Memsaab and Lekin. In the CD of Lekin there's a Ghazal Dil mein lekar which didn't feature in the film. I love that as well. 
Pooja Bedi: I deeply miss my brother Siddharth who died 15 years ago. And I'm grateful for my brother Adam who is 12 years younger to me. Being so much older I don't look at him in the traditional role of the protective brother. On the contrary I feel I need to protect him and take care of him. All I expect from him is some time to spend together and oodles of love.

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Parineeti leaves Akki for Sushant Singh Rajput

While Ranveer Singh has happily signed films outside the parent Yashraj banner his costar from Ladies Versus Ricky Bahl Parineeti Chopra seems tied down by a binding contract that doesn't allow her the same freedom. 

One hears Parineeti was very keen to sign on for the Hindi remake of the Tamil blockbuster Thuppakki which she was offered by producer Vipul Shah on behalf of director A. Murugadoss.Apparently Akshay Kumar was also interested in getting her on board for the project as he had seen and liked the new girl on the Bollywood block in Ishaqzaade. However, Yashraj apparently wouldn't release Parineeti to do the outside project. 

Heavy trading of negotiations between the two parties finally culminated in a deadend for Parineeti, with Aditya Chopra apparently vetoeing the very idea of the girl working in an outside film at a time when she was shooting for Yashraj's new film with director Maneesh Sharma opposite Sushant Singh Rajput.
Says a source, Parineeti was ready to shuttle between the two projects without letting either suffer. But she was told in no uncertain terms that she would have to stay committed full-time to Maneesh Sharma's film, just like the film's leading man Sushant Singh Rajput who has not been permitted to do any other project while shooting for the Yashraj film.

Apparently Akshay Kumar also intervened in the hope of some flexibility in Parineeti's schedule. But to no avail. 

It was only after it became crystal-clear that Parineeti wouldn't be able to the Thuppakki remake that Sonakshi Sinha was sounded out, and signed. 
Confirming this director A Murugadoss said, We tried really hard for Parineeti. But she was committed by contract to a project with Yashraj Films.

Curiously Vipul Shah's schedules for the Thuppakki remake don't clash with the Maneesh Sharma film at all. So one wonders why Parineeti had to let go of such a plum project that was bound to take her career further.

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Parineeti Chopra displays crazy antics

The actress surely knows how to attract attention with her crazy antics. Take a look...

Parineeti Chopra surely knows how to attract attention. The Ishaqzaade actress did everything possible to explain about her New Year's Eve performance near Lonavla with her animated gestures

This includes displaying her muscles (above) and the talcum powder in her underarms.

At one stage during the event, Parineeti appeared to have developed a sudden pain in her leg (left). Her Ishaqzaade co-star Arjun Kapoor could not help but stare! Phew!

To go 'Jhalla wallah' this New Year

Parineeti, who is set to add her spunk at Glitterati 2013 this New Year's eve, will dance to popular songs from her movies and she is looking forward to it. 

"I will be performing on my own songs like 'Jigar ka tukda', 'Jhallah wallah', 'Main pareshan' as they have done well. Arjun Kapoor is also performing the songs with me and Sanjay Shetty has choreographed it, " Parineeti told.

The actors, along with Anjana Sukhani and singer Mika Singh, will jazz up the New Year's Eve for several people who will attend the Glitterati 2013 at Aamby Valley.
Parineeti, who made her acting debut with "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl", and was later seen in "Ishaqzaade", had also taken to the stage at the People's Choice Awards this year. Now she is upbeat about her second performance.

"I am very excited. I will be performing at Aamby Valley. Even though I have been here for three years, I haven't had a chance to go to Aamby Valley. I am very excited. Also New Year is a time when you can make more money than normal, " quipped the actress, who is Priyanka Chopra's cousin sister. 

Last year, Parineeti was busy shooting for "Ishaqzaade", and so she was not able to do anything specific for New Year's eve, and she never used to anything special on the day earlier too.

"Last year I was shooting, so I didn't do anything. Before that I used to sleep early as I was working at that time, " she said. 

New year resolutions are not for her, said Parineeti, adding: "I am not able to keep up with them."

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Who's shaking booty on 31st?

Here's a lowdown of Bollywood divas who are all set to perform at different venues on the New Year's Eve

Sunny Leone - Rs 1 crore
The adult star is said to be flooded with offers for performances around the country. Sources say that Sunny was very choosy when it came to the money talk. Now she is slated to perform at an event in Delhi for a whopping amount of Rs 1 crore. 

Sameera Reddy - Rs 50 lakh
Sam will be sizzling for a mere 10 minutes at a Lucknow hotspot, for which she is charging Rs 50 lakh. 

Parineeti Chopra - Rs 10 lakh
She has agreed to do her first gig near Lonavla this year. She is said to be performing along with her Ishaqzaade co-star Arjun Kapoor for Rs 10 lakh. 

Prachi Desai - Rs 51 lakh
She is gearing up for her New Year performance at a Mumbai club. Although she has received many offers in the past, this will be her first. She is charging Rs 51 lakh. 

Shweta Tiwari - Rs 48 lakh
The queen of Bhojpuri cinema, Shweta will be seen making some sexy moves in a Dehradun event. She has inked the deal for Rs 48 lakh. 

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Denied by Parineeti, Akki opts for Sonakshi over new girls

Poor Murugadoss. The Ghajini director is not conversant with the ways of Bollywood. Barely able to follow the Hindi bhasha Murugadoss finds himself besieged by rumours planted by eager aspirants desirous of being cast opposite Akshay Kumar in his new action-drama, remake of the Tamil blockbuster Thuppakki about an army man's revenge against terrorists. 

Says a friend of the director, Murugadoss has changed his number three times in the last four months. Ever since news of the remake with Akshay Kumar came out, he has been bombarded with calls from heroines in Mumbai.

In fact Vipul Shah and Murugadoss decided to cast a new girl opposite Akshay.
We hear five new girls were short-listed for the privilege of playing Akshay's leading lady. 

But now Akshay has persuaded his Rowdy Rathore co-star Sonakshi Sinha to join him in the Thuppakki remake. 

Curiously Murugadoss in Chennai seems oblivious of this development, I was told Sonakshi's dates were not working out. I suppose that's been sorted out. We seemed to have very little choice. All the big heroines in Mumbai were tied up with other projects. We auditioned many new girls and zeroed in on 4-5 of the most promising names.
Murugadoss reveals several prominent leading ladies were considered opposite Akshay. We did approach Parineeti Chopra. But we understand she is committed elsewhere. Her dates are not available.

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Parineeti paired with Akki amidst Penty of rumours

Priyanka Chopra's sister Parineeti to feature with Akshay Kumar in 'Thuppakki' remake

Akshay Kumar may have stopped working with Priyanka Chopra ever since they were linked and Akki's biwi Twinkle sounded a red alert. But pairing up with her cousin Parineeti seems to be okay for Akshay Kumar.
The Ishaqzaade actress has been confirmed to star opposite the Khiladi in A R Murugadoss' Hindi remake of the Tamil action thriller Thuppakki being produced by Vipul Shah. The original features Vijay and Kajal Aggarwal.

Says a source, `Of late, Akshay has been working with newer actresses like Sonakshi Sinha in Rowdy Rathore and Anushka Sharma in Patiala House. So this time he will team up with another youngster Parineeti.

According to B-Town buzz names like Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif were being considered. But a source close to Murugadoss informs, Parineeti has been confirmed for the role. Priyanka has no clue about it! South director Murgadoss made his B-Town entry with the Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini in 2008.
Penty of rumours
Cocktail actress Diana Penty was initially considered for the Hindi remake of Thuppakki. However when Akshay Kumar learnt that Diana was from the same agency with which Akshay had a problem with, he refused to work with her.

It may be recalled that Nargis Fakhri was signed for Khiladi 786 and she had also signed a three-film deal with Akshay's production house. But Akki had differences over the contract with the agency and Nargis was replaced with Asin.
Priyanka's win, Parineeti's loss
It is also rumoured that Parineeti was angling for the role of Mary Kom in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's production directed by Omung Kumar Bundela. But her cousin Priyanka Chopra bagged the role.

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Parineeti slashes her fees to perform at a New Year's Eve bash

With New Year more than a month away, the preparations for some of the biggest and hottest parties in town have begun.

The organisers of big shows and private parties are falling over each other to rope in some of the biggest names from Bollywood to perform at their shows. Buzz is that in a bid to outrun her compatriots, Parineeti Chopra has slashed her fee to make sure she is picked for the all-important night.

A source says, Parineeti was offered to perform along with her Ishaqzaade co-star Arjun Kapoor in Lonavala at one of the town's famous hot spots. The organisers were keen to have a newcomer in their show and were in talks with few other actresses too. Parineeti showed interest in the offer and even cut her fees by 50 per cent. She badly wanted to clinch this offer and has clearly won the race.

According to another informer from the show organiser's camp, Parineeti was initially offered R 20 lakh but she later agreed on a much lesser sum. We were more than happy to have her on board.
Apart from Parineeti, actresses like Yami Gautam, Ileana D'Cruz and Aalia Bhatt were apparently also considered.

Parineeti however denies the buzz and states, In fact, the occasion being New Year's Eve, it's an opportunity to make double the amount that I would have otherwise charged.

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Parineeti and Imran become Mango people

Imran Khan and Parineeti Chopra have been roped in to endorse a mango drink. The duo's commercial is slated to air soon 

Says a source, The makers of the mango drink had been facing a tough competition from a rival brand. That's the reason why Imran and Parineeti were roped in. They felt the two youngsters could lure the target audience.
Imran is seen very less on the endorsement circuit while the one-film old Parineeti has been bagging more endorsement deals than films! 

Adds the source, Imran was the brand ambassador for a cola which was formerly endorsed by his mamujaan, Aamir Khan. But after Imran's deal expired, the brand has no stars endorsing it now.

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Juhi replaced by Parineeti Chopra?

Buzz is that Juhi Chawla has been replaced as the face of a snack brand with Parineeti Chopra and Kunal Kapoor 

It looks like the owners of a snack brand decided to experiment with their taste buds. After having Juhi Chawla endorse their product over the last few years, buzz is that the company has decided to do away with the senior actress and replace her with not one but five new faces.

A source says, The company has now come up with a new marketing plan and Juhi's image no longer goes with it. Parineeti Chopra and Kunal Kapoor and three other actors have been signed in place of her. An angle of romance will be introduced into the ad. Hence the pairing.
While sources say that Parineeti has been chosen for her young and sprightly image, Kunal's good looks helped him clinch the deal. Apart from the two, the ad will also apparently feature Boman Irani, Farida Jalal and an actor from the South 

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Parineeti Chopra turns 24

Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra turned a year older on Monday.

The actress, who was born in the year 1988 in Haryana, turned 24 years old.

Parineeti, who initially wanted to become an investment banker, did her graduation from UK based university with triple honours degree in Business, Finance and Economics.

The actress made her debut in the film 'Ladies VS Ricky Bahl', where she was cast along with Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma.

With her very first film she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and was also nominated for the category of Best Supporting Actress.

She next starred in 'Ishaqzaade' opposite newcomer Arjun Kapoor and the film became a hit.

Parineeti is the cousin sister of National Award winning actress Priyanka Chopra.

Only two films older Parineeti has already won the heart of her fans and critics with her power packed performances.

Her upcoming projects include 'Happy New Year' and another film directed by Maneesh Sharma.

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I am not getting married for at least ten more years: Parineeti

Parineeti Chopra has been the showstopper at various fashion events but finds acting more interesting. She says modelling only gives one a chance to look beautiful.

"Acting is more interesting. Modelling gives us an option to look more beautiful at times," the 24-year-old said here.

The actress walked the ramp for designer Maheka Mirpuri Wednesday, and during the recent Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, she was the showstopper for Manish Malhotra.

Parineeti dazzled in a pink and golden bridal lehenga by Mirpuri.

The actress, who made her Bollywood debut with Yash Raj Films' "Ladies V/s Ricky Bahl" in a supporting role, has no plans to get hitched for at least 10 years.

"I have just started working. At least ten more years, I am not getting married," Parineeti said.

Her last film "Ishaqzaade" was a hit and she currently has director Maneesh Sharma's next.

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Parineeti's graceful walk gets thumbs-up at WIFW

Clad in a beautiful navy blue-orange lehanga, teamed with a deep-cut choli and a heavy dupatta, chirpy and spontaneous actress Parineeti Chopra left the audience applauding and cheering when she walked the ramp for veteran designer Manish Malhotra at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW).

Known for her bubbly image on the silver screen, Parineeti walked the ramp with a lot of elegance and poise.

Her entry made people cheer her. She could not help smiling and waving at her fans, even as she looked stunning without any accessories and minimal make-up.

The 24-year-old, who made her acting debut with "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl", left it on the audience on how she looked.

"About the outfit, I think it's for you people to judge. I think I looked okay, " Parineeti told reporters.

Malhotra showcased his latest Mijwan collection in the capital Sunday night. It comprised the traditional yet popular embroidery work, Chikankari, by girls from Mijwan, who are supported by veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi's Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS).

Mijwan is a small village near Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Shabana started the show by sharing some lines by her father, late Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi, who founded the MWS to empower the girl child.

The collection saw the return of earthy, subdued tones like ivory, brunt orange, dull shades of red and pink. There was a mix of garments both for men and women. Coats, kurtas, sherwanis, lehangas teamed with long jackets and cholis, farsi pants and anarkalis. The outfits were liked by all and it was a jam-packed show.

The 62-year-old actress dressed elegantly for the occasion in a black shirt and white chikankari dupatta, and was all praises for Malhotra's collection.

"Manish with his collection is bringing into fashion world the craft, which is our USP and which is what we can offer to the world. They can copy everything but cannot compete with our craft, " Shabana said.

Malhotra, who has designed for over 1, 000 films and is a recipient of 38 awards, said about his collection: "This show was basically about showing the craft of Mijwan. My purpose was to bring it up here at an event like WIFW. It's Shabanaji's NGO and Parineeti was very kind and said she wanted to be associated with it and that is how we are all here."

"Fashion week is all about style and trends but is is important sometimes to see the Indian craft which is happening in our villages and is so beautiful, " he added.

Cousin of Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti said: "I don't want it to be just about ramp walk, but I seriously and genuinely feel for what Mijwan and what Manish and Shabanaji are doing. For such an initiative, I just could not say no. I had to be a part of it."

The designer, who has styled some of the most popular faces in Bollywood including Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor, Preity Zinta and Karisma Kapoor, is known for his collection that boasts of a fusion of traditional and contemporary designs.

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Parineeti Chopra turns host

Chirpy and spontaneous actress Parineeti Chopra is set to light up the stage of the Global Indian Music Academy (GIMA) awards ceremony as its host. She says she will be joined by a surprise co-host at the show to be held Oct 1

'I will be hosting the GIMA awards with a special co-host this year. I have a great co-host, but that is a big surprise... you will have to wait and watch. I can't disclose it now,' Parineeti told.

The actress, who added spark to films like 'Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl' and 'Ishaqzaad', says her spontaneity might work in her favour when she anchors the awards show.

'After becoming an actress, I have never hosted any show, but during school days, I used to host. I am very spontaneous, so it might work well for me. Just reading the scripts might get boring at times, so I hope my spontaneity works on stage as well,' she added.

GIMA awards the best in the Indian music industry. This will be the third edition of the event.

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First Look: Parineeti's embarassing wardrobe malfunction

'Ishaqzaade' actress suffers an embarassing wardrobe malfunction at the screening of Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi

Actress queitly left the venue after she realised her fashion faux pas.

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Shahid's Casting Coup: Parineeti before Ileana?

Buzz was that Shahid Kapoor had suggested to director Rajkumar Santoshi to cast Parineeti Chopra as his co-star in his film 

Considering that she is his ex-flame Priyanka Chopra's cousin, eyebrows were raised. 

But now that Ileana D'Cruz has been finalised for Santoshi's film, all the wagging tongues are at rest.
But with PC Junior it would have been a different story. 

Tee hee!

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Karan Tacker turns into a Parineeti Chopra admirer

Telly actor Karan Tacker had hosted the red carpet for an award function held abroad recently where he got to interact with Parineeti Chopra

He says, `She was very real. She called me a fattu because I refused to go on a roller-coaster as the ride seemed really scary. I then bought lunch for her. She seemed very happy so it was nice to bring a smile on her face.`

Well Parineeti, your list of admirers is increasing day-by-day!

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Parineeti vs Sonakshi vs Priyanka: Who is the next SRK hottie?

Will it be Parineeti, Sonakshi or Priyanka in Shah Rukh and Farah Khan's upcoming film?

Farah Khan may have declared that Shah Rukh is part of her next directorial venture but she has managed to maintain a suspense on her leading lady

As per the latest buzz, the choreographer-turned-director-turned actor is in favour of casting either Sonakshi Sinha or Parineeti Chopra opposite SRK.

Wonder who wins the race? But according to our sources, the surprise winner might just be Priyanka Chopra who's the current favourite of SRK!

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SOS: Parineeti needs urgent dressing tips from cousin Priyanka

Parineeti Chopra needs dressing tips from her cousin Priyanka ASAP 

On a TV show for a green environment, she had quipped that they share their wardrobe. 

Looks like the younger PC has not borrowed anything lately from her didi. 

She turned up at an event at Film City yesterday wearing the same blue skinny jeans and nude heels she wore on the show in May that also featured PC. 

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I hated Parineeti: Arjun Kapoor

Actor Arjun Kapoor says he could not stand his "Ishaqzaade" lead heroine Parineeti Chopra during their training days in Lucknow.

"I hated Parineeti when we went for those three days... We didn't really get along at that point of time," the 27-year-old said here Thursday while talking to students at filmmaker Subhash Ghai's acting school Whistling Woods International.

"We both couldn't stand each other when she got finalised. I liked what she did in the audition, so I couldn't ever disagree that she would not be right for the role," he added.

Meanwhlile, "Ishaqzaade" director Habib Faisal commented upon the wicked smile that Arjun sports in the film and said: "His smile, if you have seen the film, that smile is Arjun Kapoor's own smile which I then made Parma's smile. That smiles suggests shrewd, romance, a psycho...there was so much I could do with the smile and that smile was Arjun Kapoor's own smile."

Arjun will now be seen in Yash Raj films' "Virus Diwan" and has also been finalised for "2 States".

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Parineeti Chopra not joining Karan Johar camp

Parineeti Chopra clarifies she has not been approached to act in Punit Malhotra's next film

Her cousin may have made her place in the Karan Johar camp, but for Parineeti Chopra, the wait might not end right now.

After reports surfaced of the actress being signed for Punit Malhotra’s next (to be produced by KJo), she says that she has never been approached for the film.

A source close to Parineeti says, “The truth is that no one has approached her for the film. She is definitely not doing the project.”

However, another source indicates that she is a part of director Maneesh Sharma’s next film. However, with Maneesh’s back injury, the shoot schedule has not been finalised.

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