One more incident is added to the list of Raja Chaudhry’s bad behaviors. This time he got into a heated argument with an auto rickshaw driver. TV actress Shweta Tiwari’s ex-husband and Bigg Boss participant Raja Chaudhry was slapped by a cop for misbehaving.
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Apart from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini, if there is one film which is trying to grab attention, it is Akshay Kumar's Jumbo where the superstar has not just lent his voice for the central character of an elephant but also shot for an exclusive music video - 'Everything Is Gonna Be Alright'.
While Percept Picture Company has proudly flashed their association with Akshay Kumar for the film and there have been (reported) talks about him being paid Rs. 9 crores to come behind the mike, the production house has chosen to keep the film's origin as a closely held secret.
Well, the secret which has been unveiled now throws quite some surprise as it is revealed that the animation film Jumbo is neither an Indian product nor has it been made in collaboration with an International animation house.
Instead, Percept Picture Company has claimed the rights of a Thai film that goes by the name of Khan Kluay.
Khan Kluay, which was released in 2006, is a Thai computer-animated feature film and is about a baby elephant named Khan Kluay who wanders away from his mother and eventually becomes the war elephant (for whom Akshay Kumar has given the voiceover).
The film has been directed by Kompin Kemgumnird, an animator who has worked on the Disney features such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire & Tarzan and also Blue Sky Studios' Ice Age.
The film was in the making for three years and cost 150 million baht (about $3.9 million USD). When released in 2006, the film was the highest grossing Thai film in 2006 with an approximate box-office receipt of 91 million baht.
The film has already been released on DVD in the United States with its title as The Blue Elephant. The movie has won numerous awards ever since its release and now looks at making an impression at Indian theaters with Akshay Kumar endorsing its case.
It's all about mania of South Indian Actress Asin across the town. With her debut flick 'Ghajini' hitting screens universally on December 25, the missy seems to be more excited. Of course, it's the first time she speaks directly to media channels about the projects as well her life in Bollywood.
The actress was a part of original version 'Ghajini' in Tamil starring opposite Surya. As Murugadoss approached Mr. Perfectionist with a special screening in Oct 2005, the actor was quite impressed with Asin's performance and roped her in for remake.
So, how about Aamir playing pranks on her? "No, I was quite surprised that he didn't take on pranks while filming. Instead, he was so serious discussing every shots with his co-stars", says Asin. And on her characterization from original version and its remake, there's nothing such big difference apart from new settings and language.
Ask her about Aamir giving Hindi tuitions that happens to be 'Talk of the town'? Well, the actress utters she's perfectly fluent with Hindi as she studied in Naval Public School. So there was no need for tuitions…
After working with all Khans (Aamir, Salman and Saif), her only desire is all about joining hands with King Khan and she is hoping for a good offer.
Post 26/11, film business has been hit hard. Most cineplexes are running to negligible occupancy and in some instances, the management has been forced to call off shows due to lack of audiences. Perhaps this may have prompted people to assume that Aamir Khan's keenly anticipated Ghajini, which is confirmed for Thursday, 25th December, might get pushed to the New Year. But it's not true!
On the contrary, Ghajini producer Madhu Mantena says that the film will arrive earlier. The film was slated for release on Thursday, 25th December, but the makers have decided to release it on Wednesday, 24th December night. "We're organising paid previews across the country on Wednesday night, which means we're releasing Ghajini a day earlier," Madhu tells me.
Sure, the release date of Ghajini has been altered. It's Wednesday, not Thursday!
Ranbir Kapoor had opted out of Delhi Belly, saying he wouldn't be able to watch the film with his parents. Imran Khan, on the other hand, is cool with the sexual content of his uncle Aamir Khan's English film, but maintains it is not a sex comedy.
"I'd have no problem watching it with my mom or girlfriend. I've a cool rapport with my mom," Imran told IANS.
Imran rejects the notion that Delhi Belly is a sex comedy. "It's a caper comedy. But, yes, the language is on the stronger side," he said.
Imran has lost weight and is looking gaunt for his role in Delhi Belly, which he insists is being made for creative reasons. He admits that since it is in English, it was bound to have a limited appeal.
"This new gaunt look is for Delhi Belly. I needed to lose that muscular look. So I've stopped gyming completely. I'm not exercising at all. No lifting of weights. And I'm eating as much as I want because I'm not prone to fat at all," said Imran, who won many hearts with his chocolate boy looks in his debut Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na.
"For Kidnap and Luck, I needed a bulkier role. I played a daredevil and had to jump off the 20th floor. I insisted on doing it myself although the body-double was present. I got a shouting afterwards from my mom, girlfriend and Sanjay Dutt. In fact, Sanjay Dutt phoned Aamir to complain. After having jumped from that height, I've lost the fear of stunts," he said.
But he did get a dressing down from uncle Aamir.
"It's true Aamir was unhappy when he heard that I insisted on performing my own stunt. He called me over and said, 'You've to be more responsible towards yourself and your family.'
Imran says the stunts always look more real when an actor performs them himself.
"You can always tell the difference between an actor doing it and a double doing it. So I'll think about it. But for now I've had enough of stunts. I want to take a break and do something lighter. Delhi Belly is just the break I needed."
Two back-to-back action films, and Imran is now saying goodbye to the genre for a while.
"I got no chance to do any stunts in Jaane Tu.... I made up for that in Kidnap and Luck. Now in Delhi Belly, I've no action scenes.
"My next action film will have to be really big. I grew up being thrilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. And I had decided if I do those kinds of stunts, I'd do them on my own," Imran said.
Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif has been adjudged the sexiest Asian woman in the world in 2008 by a UK-based weekly, with last year's winner Bipasha Basu pushed to the second spot.
In the annual round conducted by 'Eastern Eye', a leading British Asian newspaper, Kaif emerged on the top in a shortlist of 10.
The judges included Brianna Ragel, editor of Asian Woman Magazine and the former editor of FHM India, Farhad Dadyburjor.
Hamant Verma, editor of Eastern Eye, said: "Katrina Kaif's natural beauty and easy charm has enabled her stock to rise in Bollywood. This has resulted in a number of lucrative offers, and appearances in films that proved to be box-office hits."
Kaif, who was brought up in London, was ranked one place above last year's winner Bipasha Basu and two ahead of 2006 winner Priyanka Chopra. Kareena Kapoor came third in the list.
New entrants to the 'sexiest list' included Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat (nine), Miss India Universe Simran Kaur Mundi (10), former Miss Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez (12) and south Indian actress Asin (22).
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai was at the seventh place.
Sexy Bipasha Basu says she had “forgotten” how hot boyfriend John Abraham was until she saw him bare almost all in his new movie Dostana.
Bipasha said she was floored by John’s body when he strutted his stuff in teeny-weeny trunks for the movie.
Though she’s been seeing him for seven years, she says: “I actually ended up telling Karan Johar that I had forgotten how hot my boyfriend is. I thanked him (Karan) for reminding me.”
Bips says that John had worked on his body for three whole months and that made his “great body” even better. “Each and every muscle of his body was so sharp that it appeared effortless.” The stylish Bips said she has never had to give John any suggestions on clothes and style because “everything looks good on him.”
“John is genetically gifted to have a body frame like that. Besides both of us have been models at some point in time and we are pretty comfortable with our bodies. He is doing well for himself in terms of looking good."
The beautiful actress, who is busy shooting the terror thriller Lamhaa, has been offered a whopping Rs1.5 crore to set the stage on fire this New Year’s Eve at the Sahara Star Hotel in Mumbai. This is a steep jump from the Rs 90 lakh (approx) that the actress demanded for her dance to Beedi Jalai Le at the JW Marriott in Mumbai, last year.
As of now, though, things are a bit dicey in light of 26/11. “I would not like to comment at this point in time, as the
picture is not yet clear whether I will be performing or not. Maybe in a week’s time I would be able to give a final word
on the same,” she said.
For now the actress is enjoying adding a new skill to her CV ... designing. With John doing so well with his clothing range, Bips too is trying her hand at fashion.
She’s rolled out a range of fitness gear for Reebok. Bipasha said her target audience for the range is young people who like to look stylish even when working out. “One should look very feminine and womanly while working out.”
The actress says her personal fashion style is more of a mix and match: “Expensive brands and street fashion are more my choice. It has never been about being branded from tip to toe.”
The shooting of her latest movie Lamhaa, was stalled due to security threats in Kashmir and Bips came under criticism from fans online. She says they’ve now made a set of Srinagar in Mumbai that looks “very authentic”. But Bipasha recently agreed to return to Kashmir to continue filming.
“We are looking forward to shooting a couple of scenes in Kashmir soon. This time we plan to go to areas that are calmer, where we can shoot peacefully. The earlier trip was a little haphazard as we never thought we would be surrounded with so many people. I am just hoping that things are better while shooting there this time."
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will post a blog entry from his hospital bed to update his worried fans about his health, sources close to the actor said Sunday.
Amitabh Bachchan is planning to write about his health condition on the blog at http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/ from the Lilavati Hospital here, the sources added.
The Bollywood superstar was admitted to the hospital following abdominal pain Saturday when he was privately celebrating his 66th birthday at his bungalow Pratiksha in Juhu.
He was recovering Sunday after being treated for the ailment and doctors attending on him said his test results were normal and that he would be released soon.
Hospital sources said Bachchan was under medical supervision. He is being fed a liquid diet through an endoscopic pipe.
Earlier in the day, his son and actor Abhishek Bachchan thanked senior Bachchan’s fans for expressing their concern and praying for his father’s recovery.
“I am overwhelmed by the people’s concern for my father’s health and their prayers for his well being,” Abhishek told mediapersons at the hospital.
A host of celebrities that visited him in the hospital included Ramesh Sippy, Prem Chopra, Riteish Deshmukh and his brother Amit Deshmukh, Kirron Kher, Ram Gopal Varma, Tina Ambani, Goldie Behl, Yash Chopra and Subroto Roy Sahara.
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As I get up early morning in London for a few deadlines and try to catch up on the remaining interviews for the day, I get an urgent message from one of my colleagues in Mumbai saying that Mr Amitabh Bachchan has been hospitalised on his 66th birthday. As I start sipping the hot ginger tea from my mug, my hands start to get cold. I leave my tea unattended and go to the wash room to splash some cold water on my face. Then I switch on my television and still no news. It was 8.30am GMT. Now that was pretty bizaare.
No news on any Indian channels so far. But I just couldn't resist myself. I pick up my mobile in sheer anxiety and call Apoorva Lakhia, who is very close to the Bachchan family. I get the news.
it's the truth, not that I did not trust my colleague but still wanted to clear the air. Big B's 66th birthday and he gets hospitalised. But the gift he gets on this particular day will always remain special - Prayers, prayers and more prayers from millions of Amitji's well wishers. So as the fans pray for his speedy recovery, I try getting some more wishes from his very own colleagues from the world of Bollywood. This is what they had to say:
Apoorva Lakhia: "My message to Mr Bachchan is - A very very Happy Birthday and lots more to come. As far as the film industry is concerned, he is the industry in itself and I think he has played a very prominent part in making the Indian cinema known to the world. Hope he gets well soon because we've got the whole industry in the hospital. So can't really work you see".
Madhur Bhandarkar: "I am a bit disturbed and hope he gets well soon and comes back. We will be eagerly awaiting his arrival back to Bollywood".
Mugdha Godse - "I am concerned and worried about Big B. I would like to go and meet him at this given point in time. He just needs to take rest right now and my best wishes are there with him".
Abbas Mustan - "I am in a state of shock. The entire industry is behind him today and everyday. We wish this pillar of Bollywood a speedy recovery and will pray for him to come back to work soon".
Tusshar Kapoor - "I hope and pray that his health gets better. I'm sure it must be something from which he'll be out very soon".
Sanjay Gadhvi - "Mr Bachchan for India is like the president of the United States. He is the first family of the film industry. I wish him the many many more years to come and wish him a long life. I'd also like to tell him to give me his illness and let him be well".
Shreyas Talpade - "I wish him great health. He has inspired us since decades and hope he keeps inspiring us for many more years to come. I wish him a very speedy recovery and all our good wishes are with him. He should keep rocking the way he does always".
Sujoy Ghosh - "He is a super hero and nothing can happen to him. I wish him a speedy recovery".
Minissha Lamba - "He is the last living legend that we will have out here in India. I wish him a speedy recovery because I am missing him on the silver screen. We pray that he gets back to business soon".
Vidya Malvade - "I wish an extremely speedy recovery. He is one of the most respected and honoured actors we've got in the country today. Everybody wants him to get out of the bed fine and quick. I am sure the doctors will do a good job in getting him out of bed fine and quick".
Farhan Akhtar - "I am hopeful and do wish and pray that he is back to good health as soon as possible. He is an icon as far as the face of the Indian Film Industry to the world is concerned and a very special person on those fronts. Everybody near and dear to him are concerned about him and his family. I hope it's not too serious".
Manoj Bajpai - "I wish him all the best and may he live for two thousand more years to come. May he get well soon. Whenever a popular figure like him falls ill, it is bound to affect the Indian Film Industry. Today I pray for his good health".
Shekhar Kapur - "He has bounced back from so many things that ordinary could not do. So in that respect Mr Amitabh Bachchan is an extra ordinary man and I wish him a speedy recovery. He has got this extra ordinary will power which will recover him soon".
Harman Baweja - "Prayers and lots of prayers to him goes out today. Like the rest of the country, I am an ardent fan of Mr Bachchan and wish him good health everyday and for many years to come".
Anjori Alagh - "I think he is a great role model for everybody in the industry. I really look up to him personally. Hope he gets well soon, hope he fights it and comes well out of the hospital soon. Amitabh Bachchan is a legend. He pretty much epitomises the Indian Film Industry and thus everybody is worried about him and his health. All his co-stars, colleagues and friends wish that he gets well soon and comes out fit and fine very soon".
Jimmy Sheirgill - "I wish him a quick recovery too. I have immense respect for him. I think as far as his films are concerned, he has always been one person who is filled with energy and today I pray that he gets back the same energy which can heal him. He loves working all the time and we want him to get back to what he loves best".
Jackie Shroff - "Hope he recovers soon. Everyone goes through some kind of a problem and comes out of it. Mr Bachchan to will be out of it very soon".
Gul Panag - "He is an icon of the Indian Film Industry and we all would like to see him back on his feet as soon as possible".
Adah Sharma - "I believe one should always be positive. I don't think any of us should panic unnecessarily. He is a legend so naturally when we see him on the television since kids, he becomes a part of our family. So every individual who lives in India feels like they know Mr Bachchan and considers him to be a part of their family. Our prayers will definitely cure him".
Arjun Rampal - "It's a terrible thing to happen. He is the most respected face in our industry. Something like this happens on your birthday and that's the last thing you want. All our prayers are there with his family and we just want him to get well soon".
Tanushree Dutta, who was slated to start shooting for Shree Ashtvinayak’s films – Run Bhol Run, Directed by Neeraj Vora co- starring Govinda and Tusshar Kapoor, has opted out of the movie on account of date problems. Tanushree who was quite excited to start shooting for the film, felt it was rather unfortunate that due to the film being delayed she could not give any further dates as she has prior commitments. She also stated that all was fine between the producers and her and no ill feelings have been created, as there were date issues.
The first look of Yash Raj Productions Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is finally out. A sneak peak into the picture reveals Shahrukh Khan sporting glasses and a moustache. The makers though do not want to reveal the leading lady Anushka Sharma as yet. Dressed in a simple salwar the 19 year old is hidden behind Shahrukh.
Director Aditya Chopra has taken to direction after eight long years with this third venture. Both of Aditya Chopra’s earlier films had their taglines featuring very prominently on the posters. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge was ‘Come fall in love’ and Mohabbatein was ‘Some love stories live forever’ this time it is ‘There is an extraordinary love story in every jodi’. The film opens worldwide on December 12, 2008.
It is said that Shahrukh will be seen in a double role after Om Shanti Om in this much-awaited film
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Karisma Kapoor will replace Priyanka Chopra as a judge for the grand finale of the dance show “Aaja Mahi Vay”.
According to channel sources the production house felt Priyanka would not be a good choice after the disastrous performance of “Drona”. Moreover, this is Priyanka's third flop film in a row and hence they though it would be in the show's interest to replace her as a judge, even though the promos for the same had been shot with her.
Karisma is already judging Star's other show, “Nach Baliye 4”. Hence the channel head decided to have Karisma for the grand finale of “Aaja Mahi Vay” too.
According to sources close to Priyanka, the revised dates for the shoot did not match her schedule and hence she decided to drop out of the show.
Sushmita Sen recently ditched ace photographer Atul Kasbekar who was to shoot the actress for a shampoo ad.
It was a three-day shoot at Madh. However, on the first day while Atul and his team were ready and waiting, Sushmita did not show up. Her cell phone was also switched off.
It seems she was partying the whole night and hence could not report for the shoot the next morning.
On the second day too, Sush failed to turn up. A crewmember was sent to her place but was told that she would not be able to shoot and would come the next day.
The following day she did turn up but apparently with swollen eyes and red face. Despite makeup, Atul could not get the desired result and hence the shoot had to be called off.
Are the warring Khans, Shah Rukh and Salman, about to end their war? It does seem likely, at least looking at the guest list of SRK’s wife Gauri's birthday party which was held at their residence Mannat last night (October 7).
Gauri personally gave out the invites for the party and her list included members of Salman's family too. And their presence at the party set the hopes alive.
Among those present at the party were Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja, Arjun Rampal and Mehr Jesia, Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar, Malaika Arora Khan, Seema Khan, Bhavna Pandey, Maheep Kapoor, Kaajal Anand, Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder.
Sohail Khan unfortunately could not go for the party as he was down with viral fever. However, the presence of the ladies (Malaika and Seema) from Salman’s family at least goes to show that nothing can affect their friendship with SRK and Gauri.
Mumbai, Oct 08: Sonam Kapoor does not believe in second chances. The actress, whose first flick ‘Saawariya’ with the light-eyed hottie of Bollywood Ranbir fizzled out with a trace at the BO, is in no mood to give their onscreen chemistry another go. Then even if it means turning down the hot combo of erstwhile banner Yash Raj and acclaimed director Shimit Amin, Sonam sticks to her ‘no Ranbir’ stance.
Sonam whose debut flick with Deepika’s baby Ranbir sparked countless theories of reported heartache that she suffered at the hands of the dishy actor is taking all steps possible to keep Ranbir at bay.
According to sources, this is the second time that Sonam has turned down a flick that pairs her opposite the actor. The sassy babe had previously walked out of a Vicky Singh`s Mera Jahaan co-starring Ranbir. Though, the sultry babe has not stated any reasons for her refusal as yet, it is learnt that Sonam does not want to be involved with any project that has Ranbir.
A news daily even quoted an insider as saying, "Ranbir`s name figured in Shimit`s film from the beginning. Sonam was pencilled in on later. Both had given their consent but Sonam had second thoughts and excused herself."
Like the say once bitten twice shy, Sonam Kapoor has surely learnt her lessons.
Actress Minissha Lamba worked really hard to shape up to carry off a bikini with panache in Sanjay Gadhvi's "Kidnap", but she credits co-star Imran Khan for helping her maintain her weight.
"Imran helped me in my weight loss regime," Minissha told IANS.
"During the shootings, I was on a high-protein diet. While I was surviving mostly on protein bars, Imran used to get his dabba (lunch box) from home with delicious keema (minced meat).
"The aroma of the keema always tempted me, so Imran stopped eating in front of me. He used to sit in a corner, far away from me. Since I couldn't smell it, I didn't get tempted," she quipped.
After having worked extremely hard for her sexy image in "Kidnap", Minissha now plans to stick to her healthy diet forever.
"It was eight long months of denying myself cakes and pastries. But I plan to continue to stick to the same diet. And now that I'm in shape, I don't feel like eating stuff that's wrong for me. My body has gotten used to being in a particular way and resistant to putting on weight. It also rejects something that is not right for it," Minissha said.
Though the sprightly actress is a big chocolate consumer, she has reduced her intake of brownies from three-four a week to just one in 10 days.
In "Kidnap", which released last week, Minissha plays Sanjay Dutt's 17-year-old estranged daughter who is kidnapped. Before "Kidnap", she played a dreamy-eyed teenager opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Yash Raj Films' "Bachna Ae Haseeno".
Minissha made her debut in 2005 with critically acclaimed "Yahaan". She was praised for portraying the dilemma of a Kashmiri girl torn between her army officer lover and her militant brother.
After that, she was seen in a variety of roles in films like "Corporate", "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.", "Shaurya" and "Dus Kahaniyaan".
But her role in "Kidnap" is a first of its kind for her as it gave her an image makeover.
"I wasn't looking for any sort of different image in a film. I only thought about an image change when Sanjay (Gadhvi) offered me 'Kidnap'. He said, 'I want you to wear a bikini in the film; the character is very hep, very trendy and very Alicia Silverstone from 'Clueless'.
"I think after three years of being in this industry, establishing myself as a girl next door, having a certain fan base and an audience, I felt it was the right time to try something different and the vehicle for that change came along in 'Kidnap'," Minissha explained.
Minissha had no qualms getting into skimpy clothes. Instead, she was confident of the director, who has earlier shot Esha Deol and Bipasha Basu in a bikini in "Dhoom" and "Dhoom 2" respectively.
She said: "I knew that if I'm going to be in a Sanjay Gadhvi film, it's going to be stylish and slick. Sanjay has a signature style and, therefore, I was happy to adhere to it. I knew it has worked well in the past. So for me, it was as good as letting myself surrender to a person who I could trust."
Director Sanjay Gadhvi gave Uday Chopra (pictured) two of the best films of his career - "Dhoom" and "Dhoom 2". But he gave the actor a miss in the recently released "Kidnap" because he feels Uday grew "too old" for the role.
Gadhvi wanted to make "Kidnap" soon after "Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai" with Uday in one of the main leads.
"The script for 'Kidnap' was being written in 2002, and the film was to be made right after 'Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai'. That time, Uday was supposed to do the film. Then 'Kidnap' kept getting delayed. Then 'Dhoom' happened and became a hit. After that we planned 'Dhoom 2'. So 'Kidnap' got further postponed," said Gadhvi.
For "Kidnap" Gadhvi wanted a young and fresh face and zeroed in on Imran Khan instead of Uday. However, he retained his first choice Sanjay Dutt for the other main lead in the movie.
"Sanjay suited his role perfectly, but Uday became too old for the role. Also, I feel that Ali's (funny) image from 'Dhoom' is still very strong in the audience's mind," said Gadhvi.
"Imran is much younger than Uday. When I first met him, I felt he is an irregular guy. He's not the conventional person."
Gadhvi says girls find Imran drop dead gorgeous, but he doesn't think so.
"Lots of girls and people would often look at Imran and say 'he is drop dead good looking', 'he's so cute', 'oh my god!' But I never felt that way. Drop dead good looking is Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar."
"Kidnap", produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd, released last week. The film was not received very well at the box office.
The crime thriller is about a young man, played by Imran who masterminds a series of events and circumstances that force a billionaire, Sanjay Dutt, to commit crimes to save his kidnapped daughter. Minissha Lamba plays Sanjay's daughter in the movie.
Critics have written off the movie, but Imran's performance has been lauded. The director too praises the actor.
"Imran was perfect for the casting because his body is different, his way of walking is different, his talking style is different and the best part is his eyes, they are very expressive. I liked two things in his eyes - they can hide pain and can even show pain if required. So that expressive thing about his eyes impressed me," Gadhvi said.
Rishi Kapoor is taking it slow right now, with only a few films on the floor, one being Raj Kanwar's "Sadiyaan" (Centuries) which is the launch pad for Shatrughan Sinha's son Luv and also pairs Kapoor opposite Rekha.
Besides "Sadiyaan", Kapoor has signed a film titled "Har Bahadi", about which he says "I don't only play myself namely Rishi Kapoor in the film, I get to play the central character."
Raj Kanwar, the director of "Sadiyaan", is an old Rishi Kapoor admirer. They worked together in "Deewaana", the film that launched Shah Rukh Khan.
Rishi said: "In this film I'm paired with Rekha after a long long time. That should be interesting. Besides these two films, I haven't signed anything. But the offers keep coming my way. I can't accept just any old role. That's not what my audience expects from me."
Malaika Arora is shocked by television actor Bhaktyaar Irani's behaviour on the grand finale of reality dance show "Zara Nachke Dikha" and says he had an "attitude problem from day one".
The male contestants led by Bhaktyaar staged an en masse walkout at the grand finale of STAR One's show last week after they realised they were losing.
The show pitted eight female celebrities against an equal number of guys. While the girls' team had Swini Khara, Narayani Shastri, Jennifer Winget, Delnaz Paul, Karishma Tanna, Maninee De, Mouni Roy and Rupali Ganguli, the boys’ team consisted of Amey Pandya, Chaitanya Chowdhary, Amit Tandon, Ali Asgar, Bhaktyaar Irani, Gaurav Chopra, Manish Goel and Vikas Sethi.
"Bhaktyaar definitely has a huge chip on his shoulder. I've been on other reality shows, in fact, 'Zara Nach Ke Dikha' was my fourth. But never have I encountered such bad behaviour," Malaika, who earlier judged "Nach Baliye" for the channel, told IANS.
This is the first time the "Chaiya chaiya" girl lost her cool as a judge.
"I lost my temper and I'm not ashamed of it. The guys really behaved badly, especially Bhaktyaar, who I noticed had an attitude problem from day one. He's a good dancer, but he can't take defeat.
"Since the show was formatted as a men vs women thing it was only natural that either the boys or the girls would win. But Bhaktyaar and the other boys just spoilt three months of the time we all spent together as a family on the show."
Malaika judged "Zara Nachke Dikha" along with actor Chunky Pandey.
"Can you believe what sore losers men can be?"
Malaika is still shocked days after the event.
"I've always maintained the male ego is the worst thing in the world. There's no way we women can deal with it. But to come on a reality show, promising to be fair and sporting, then to walk out saying the judges didn't know their jobs was honestly a bit too much to take. I was aghast."
What appalled Malaika even more was the fact that Bhaktyaar actually lashed out at guest judge Saroj Khan on television.
"I couldn't believe what I heard when I saw Bhaktyaar lashing out at Sarojji. Come on, she's a veteran, a legend in her field. Bhaktyaar really needs to put his ego to rest before going to another reality show."
The grand finale was not the only time Malaika had a problem with Bhaktyaar.
"Once earlier I had intervened on behalf of my colleague Chunky Pandey. I wish the boys on 'Zara Nachke Dikha' had displayed more grace and chivalry. They proved Indian men treat women as the weaker sex. Luckily, I've a husband (Arbaz Khan) who treats me as an equal. But who knows how my son will turn out!"
The experience has left a bitter taste in Malaika's mouth. And she may not do another reality show for a while.
"In any case, I like to take a biggish break between two shows," she said.
Yesteryear Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar will be bestowed with Madhya Pradesh government`s prestigious Kishore Kumar award here on August 4 -- the birth anniversary of the versatile playback singer.
The award instituted by the state government`s cultural department carries a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a citation.
A memorial of the legendary singer will be unveiled on the occasion, Khandwa Collector S B Singh told reporters here today.
Later in the evening, Kishore Kumar`s sons Amit and Sumit will relive their father`s magic by presenting his songs.
On August 3, a group called "K for Kishore" will present a light music programme in memory of the singer, he said.
Kishore Kumar`s wife Leena Chandavarkar is likely to be present on the occasion.
Mumbai, July 29: While the models seem to be handling the wardrobe malfunctions just fine, it appears that it will take much more than just meaty roles for them to give their nod to bold topless scenes as model turned actress Mughda Godse turned down a film role that required her to give some topless shots.
According to reports, the sizzling model refused a leading role with a top French production house in the film ‘Raas Leela’ to be directed by Sharat Chandra. And sources tell us that though Mughda had been keen on doing the role initially, she backed out when the bold scene was narrated to her.
For now, the sultry model is content with her role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s forthcoming film ‘Fashion’ that will see her in the role of a model.
Mumbai, July 29: Actress Rakhi Vijayan, who played the air-headed Sweety in Ekta Kapoor`s long-running sitcom "Hum Paanch", had a bitter parting with Balaji Telefilms and it shows up in a spoof on the TV tycoon in the latest comedy "Money Hai To Honey Hai".
When Ekta heard about the spoof, she asked Rakhi about it. When the actress admitted she was indeed playing a character like Ekta, she apparently slammed the phone down on Rakhi.
"What can I say?" laughed Ekta. "I`m flattered to have moved from being a human being to mythology. When we heard about this my brother was more upset than I was," Ekta told IANS.
Ekta`s protective brother Tusshar was taken aback to see the spoof surface on the big screen.
"When I first heard about my sister being satirized in "Money Hai To Honey Hai", I asked the producers how they`d feel if we did something similar to one of them in of our films. They assured us they`d remove the scenes featuring the spoof on my sister," said Tusshar.
"Now I`m told those scenes are still there. The film is going to come and go without creating any impact. Why give it any importance? People love to pull you down when you`re an icon, like Ekta. What they`ve done is not right. But then this industry has all kinds of people.
"I don`t want to degrade my sister by over-reacting to this. But I wonder if this film`s director would dare do this with a Shah Rukh, Aamir Khan or Akshay Kumar? Obviously not because as a director he wants to work with the big star, not antagonise them," he added.
This isn`t the first time that Ekta is being put on screen. In a recent film, Gulshan Grover had played a superstitious, arrogant, imperious, TV tycoon inspired by Ekta.
"Is that how I`m being perceived by these people?" asked Ekta. "Well, let me tell these filmmakers I`ve already spoken to my lawyers. Let them put me on screen in a positive way I don`t mind. But if I`m attacked for my religious beliefs or my work ethics, I`ll sue the hell out of these clever filmmakers."
Tusshar says there`s a difference between flattery and a spoof.
"In our production `C Kompany`, I`m named Akshay Kumar. I`m an ordinary Mumbai middleclass guy who is a crime reporter and acquires a macho heroic image through his name. My name is so much in contrast to my character. We`re actually paying a homage to Akshay."
Producer Kumar Mangat, however, completely brushes aside the resemblance to Ekta in his film.
"We didn`t even have Ekta in mind when we did the character. No, Tusshar didn`t speak to me directly, but he did send me a message through someone. I told him to see the film and decide. I don`t think the character is offensive."
New Delhi, July 29: Voice of India winner Ishmit Singh has died in Maldives of drowning on Tuesday morning.
Hailing from Ludhiana, Ishmit had won the Star TV show in 2007.
He had gone to Maldives this morning. He reportedly died of drowning in a swimming pool. Details are awaited.
Mumbai, July 29: Making a movie on cricket isn`t easy - as Harman Baweja has discovered. The budding actor shared the pitch not only with Rajasthan`s seasoned Ranji Trophy players, but also Australian players like Brett Lee and Stuart Clark for "Victory".
In debutant director Ajit Pal`s film, Harman plays a professional cricketer and was pitched against real-life sports heroes.
Suffering from serious sunstroke, Harman told reporters: "Earlier in Australia, I played with Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mike Hussey. I`d like to think I looked authentic enough playing with them.
He`s currently shooting with Ranji Trophy players like Mohammed Ahmed and Abhijeet Sharma.
"Now I`m playing with Rajasthan`s Ranji players. And I`m having a ball because although I`m playing a cricketer I`m playing for real. Man, you can`t fake it with these guys. And considering Rajasthan has just won the IPL (Indian Premier League), you can imagine how good these guys are at the game."
To ensure complete authenticity in the cricket scenes, former player Praveen Amre was deployed all through the shooting.
"Praveen Amre was part of the Indian team in the mid-1990s. We didn`t want to falter for even a bat of an eyelid, pun intended. Hence the expert advice," said Harman, who debuted with the futuristic "Love Story 2050".
The cricket scenes being shot in Jodhpur show how Harman`s character evolves to become a star-cricketer.
"It`s the story of a cricketer Vijay Shekhawat`s rise from a small town player to a national level cricketer. My big moment came when these Ranji players said I played well. They told me there`s a lot more to cricket than just the shot.
"They said I looked convincing in the way I wore my helmet, gloves, stood my ground, ran and connected with the field. I worked on all of that.
"As far as playing the game goes, I was a cricket player from school and college. So I only needed to brush up the game. It was getting the other details about a cricketer`s personality right that was tough."
Last Thursday, Harman played cricket for 12 hours on the trot.
"By the end of it, I was ready to collapse. Everyone else in the crew had breaks. They ran under trees, checked the monitor in the shade while I had to stand in the burning sun and play non-stop for 12 hours, rehearsing and doing final takes. I`m so exhausted by the heat I can collapse right now," said Harman.
By Subhash K Jha, Mumbai, July 28 : Well-known Bollywood director Rajkumar Santoshi, who has allegedly received calls from gangster Ejaz Lakdawala threatening him and demanding to be paid Rs.50 million, is baffled by the renewed extortion attempts.
"I really don't know anything about who would want to harm me. I've personally not received or attended to any calls. But my office has been getting such calls. Like all of us in this industry, I just do my work. I'm a total workaholic, not bothered with any kind of politics. Why would anyone want to harm me?" he asked.
"I got to know about the seriousness of the fresh threats only when the Joint Commissioner Rakesh Maria spoke about it in the paper this morning. He's a very capable cop. And if he says it's serious, it must be," Santoshi told IANS.
This isn't the first time Santoshi, who made hard hitting films like "Ghayal" and "Damini", has been threatened. In July 2007, the Lucknow police had arrested Lakdawala's gang members who said they were on a mission to kill Santoshi and singer Himesh Reshammiya.
"A year back, I was getting similar threats. Aaj Tak had flashed it then. It's flashing it now. I thought the threats had vanished."
What truly shocks Santoshi is the report that a section of Bollywood is behind the threats.
"I've heard that people in the industry get their colleagues threatened. But I had personally never believed nor experienced it. Like I said, why would anyone want to harm me? I'm a very apolitical person. I don't go to parties. I don't socialise. I don't get into any fights with anyone. My life begins with my work and ends with my family."
Tell him it could be producers or actors whom he refused to work with, and he replies: "I don't know, yaar. Do you think anyone can stoop so low? Though I must admit this isn't the first time that such a thing has happened. People from the industry have got colleagues threatened. But I'm new to this."
"It's a very dangerous game. If the person who's behind this is exposed, he'll be in deep trouble. And he should be exposed. How can we co-exist in the entertainment industry if we start wishing ill for each other?"
Santoshi has filed a police complaint after which he has been provided additional security. The director says he is more worried about his family.
"To be very honest I'm worried more about my family than myself. I've a wife and a child. And their safety is my main concern. Otherwise I'll continue to work normally, finish my Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif film 'Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani' and go into my Sanjay Dutt project in January."
"It looks like I am going to turn green without the presence of chlorophyll in me, reason being, I am shooting only against green background for this film," Ajay wrote on his blog www.ajaydevgan.net.
Ajay described his long engagement with the project and added: "This will be the second schedule, which will last till the first week of September."
The actor says he is enjoying the experience.
"It is so much fun when I watch myself on an off line monitor and realise the way I am going to look as I perform along with the animated characters in their toon world."
He also mentioned that there are more than 200 people behind the scenes, working round the clock creating, developing and synchronising the characters.
"Kudos to the entire team of 'Toonpur Ka Superhero'," he concluded.
Mumbai, July 28 : Rumours are rife that one of the hottest couples in Bollywood, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, is heading for splitsville. The final blow to their relationship came in the form of the spat between Salman and Shah Rukh Khan on Katrina's birthday.
After splitting from his former girlfriend Aishwarya Rai, Salman had finally cashed in all his emotions on Katrina, but he seems to have lost her too as she is quite upset with him. Industry sources said Katrina is no mood to forgive him for his behaviour with Shah Rukh on her birthday which attracted much media attention.
The sources said that after the incident Salman and Katrina are not on talking terms.
"Katrina is blaming Salman for the entire episode," said a common friend.
Katrina opined that Salman should have restrained himself as he was playing the host. "But certain things are not in anyone's control and it is destined to happen," Katrina told a leading TV channel in an interview.
A close friend of Salman said: "He is good at heart. He took initiative for the party to please Katrina. But everything went wrong."
Salman and Katrina's relationship was already going through a rough patch. Katrina's ambition is the reason for Salman's anguish. The British-born actress has long stopped taking his advice regarding her professional life, which irked the actor.
Salman, who is known for his hot temper, had objections to Katrina's choice of films, her co stars and even the outfits she wore for some films.
Deepshikha Nagpal aka Maya Mehta of Dahej on 9x is raring to go and wants to try her hand at something different and new! After doing infinite daily soaps, the actress is ready for a role reversal!
It's very natural to become jaded by repeatedly doing same thing and nowadays with so many reality shows consuming the air time, telly actors do have a choice to experiment and play themselves.
The pretty actress shares," I like my profession a lot and till date I have tried to play so many characters in both films and serials. These days' reality shows are coming up in a big way, and the best part is that it gives you a chance to be yourself. So, you aren't merely playing a character written for you, but yourself -whether good or bad."
Now, that is some food for thought!!!
Harman Baweja's debut film Love Story 2050 released on the same date (4th July) as Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na did and the result is out there for everyone to see. Love Story 2050 was a complete washout whereas Jaane Tu is still breaking records.
Harman's filmmaker dad, Harry Baweja had requested Aamir Khan to postpone the release of his produced film so that Harman gets a clean release but Aamir did not agree his request. But it seems the clash blues are back to haunt him again!
Now Harman's second release, Victory, a sports based film, with Harman playing the character of an Indian cricket team player is all set to come on November 14th. Its release date was announced around 2 months back now. But unfortunately for the talented newcomer, there are not one but two mighty oppositions coming together for a mega clash with his Victory. Karan Johar has announced 14th November as the release date for his produced Dostana, directed by his assistant Tarun Mansukhani, starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Bobby Deol and Priyanka Chopra. UTV too has announced the release of their Fashion directed by Madhur Bhandarkar starring Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Arbaaz Khan as 14th November.
Industry sources revealed to us, "Harman is extremely nervous presently and has requested the makers of Victory to postpone its release further by one week to 21st November. He definately wouldn't want to sabotage his own career by releasing his second film along with two biggies. Much has been written about Harman being one of the most promising newcomers and big filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Anees Bazmee and Ashutosh Gowariker showing faith in him and signed him for their future projects. One more flop and Harman will no longer the blue eyed boy of the industry."
Ironically, both Fashion and Dostana star Harman's "good friend" Priyanka Chopra in the lead. One wonders what she is thinking about two of her most ambitious projects clashing on the same date!
Mumbai, July 10: B-town sizzling hottie’s Shilpa Shetty and Bipasha Basu will be seen together in yet another comic flick while Shilpa gears up to produce it under her own production banner for the very first time.
The sexy babes were earlier seen together in a comic flick 'Chor Machaye Shor'. Shilpa from long time was looking forward to produce a film under her own production banner and the opportunist lass has finally grabbed one for herself. According to sources, Shilpa’s sister Shamita Shetty will be helping her sister in this project.
The movie reportedly will be co-produced by UTV Motion pictures and directed by Manish Jha. The male lead for this flick is yet to be finalised.
Well, we are in no doubt that the two gorgeous babes are all set to sizzle the screen, here is wishing them all the luck!
New Delhi, July 10: Indian actress Aishwarya Rai was Will Smith's first choice for 'Hancock' over Oscar winning Charlize Theron but the actress declined.
Smith, who by his own admission is a great fan of Aishwarya, is not disappointed and believes that they will share good on screen chemistry.
"I would love to work with Aishwarya. She is gorgeous. I had even offered her roles with me. In fact for 'Hancock' also she was my first preference over Charlize," he told reporters.
The actor is still hopeful that would work together in future.
"I received denials all the times, may be she had some justified problems. But of course, I will do anything to work with Aishwarya," says a hopeful Smith.
The 'Independence Day' actor, whose latest superhero flick 'Hancock' is all set to release in India on July 11 is also a huge fan of Indian films industry and is currently exploring possibilities of working in an Indian film.
"I would love to work in an Indian film. I have seen a couple of Bollywood movies which had impressed me a lot. I also had a word with Karan Johar. Let's see what's there in store," says the actor.
"I love Indian cinema and its actors. Their energy level is just incompatible. The songs and dances in Bollywood movies are just amazing," he added.
Bureau Report
The music launch of the film Rock On was truly rocking. Farhan Akhtar, director of hit movie Dil Chahta Hai, who will mark his debut with Rock On made a sensational debut as a singer as well. This is the first time an actor has sung his film’s songs in front of a live audience during its music launch. In the film, Farhan plays the role of the lead singer and sings as many as five out of nine songs in it.
His father, noted lyricist Javed Akhtar was present at the unveiling ceremony with wife, Shabana Azmi. The live concert cum music launch also saw the entire cast of Rock On enjoying every bit of the moments spent there. The music composer trio, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who composed the music of the film seemed mighty pleased with Farhan’s rendition of their compositions. Shankar was heard saying that this is the first time he didn’t sing for a film he has composed the music of. However, he didn’t mind giving it up for an up and coming rock star.
Farhan, who debuts as an actor with this one, said, “It’s completely exhilarating. I don’t think somebody who loves rock music would not love to perform live for the first time with Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.” The film also marks the Bollywood debut of TV actress Prachi Desai, better known as Bani of Ekta Kapoor’s Kasamh Se.
Arjun Rampal, whose negative performance in Shah Rukh Khan’s magnum opus, Om Shanti Om went down well with the audience, plays a singer in this one. He had to work hard for the role as he was to play the guitar as well.
The star cast of Rock On includes Luke Kenny, Purab Kohli, Shahana Goswami and Koel Purie and each one of them seemed to love Farhan’s live performance. Here's a sneak peek of the Rock On music launch.
It was a fun-filled evening with celebs jamming up with their friends over popcorn and soft drinks. All this and more happened at the screening of the latest Hollywood film at Fame Adlabs, Andheri. Diandra Soares, Carol Gracious (who’s sporting a short hair cut these days) and other friends were seen chilling. Shravan Shroff of Fame Adlabs was present too. Shekhar Suman too came with wife Alka and son Adhyayan. Konkona SenSharma hardly wore any make-up that gave her a natural fresh look. The actress was there with Ranvir Shorey. Shailendra Singh, Hanif Hilal, A D Singh, Mukesh Bhatt, Kumar Mangat and Deepak Tijori were present among others. Nandita Sen too was spotted enjoying the movie.
Despite of the failure of Tashan at the box office, Kareena and Saif managed to be a much talked about topic in town. The audience enjoyed watching the real life couple on- screen and appreciated the duo whole heartedly.
As good news for all Saifeena fans, they would be seen together romancing yet again on screen in a few films in the near future. Reportedly, they are already working in Sriram Raghavan’s Agent Vinod and an untitled film for Rensil D’Silva, the latest addition to this list being the film they have signed for the production house Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd., which will go on floors sometime in 2009. Looks like, the very much in love couple doesn’t want to miss any opportunity of being together.
The latest buzz in tinsel land is that Wizcraft may sue Bipasha Basu for walking out from their Bachchan's Unforgettable Tour. According to the sources, Bips signed on for the tour before the release of Race. Surprisingly, after the success of the film, she demanded more moolah, despite of signing the contract for a lower amount.
Talking about the tour, it would kick off after August of this year. Hopefully the matter can be settled gracefully before then.
The long- lost, Manisha Koirala is re- entering Bollywood with a whole new slim and trim look with her screen presence in the long- delayed lavish musical Mehbooba, hitting the theatres this Friday.
Surprisingly, Manisha is traveling so extensively with golfer boyfriend Chris that she won’t be in Mumbai on July 11th during the release of her comeback movie. On the same day, the Bengali and Hindi versions of Rituparno Ghosh's Khela, featuring Manisha in the lead, are opening as well. Looks like, there are more important things for Manisha in her priority list for now.
Bollywood’s sexy siren Mallika Sherawat has come a long way after her first film. Despite of highs and lows in her career, this sensuous beauty has managed to stay on the hit list of renowned directors for quite some time now. From a reliable source we got to know that Mallika will play a vital role in Ram Gopal Varma’s next, Contract, which is a film based on his favourite topic- underworld. However, Ramu wishes to keep shut about the film as he wants it to be a surprise element in the industry. The only thing we managed to leak out is that the movie is going to be promising with a lot of newcomers in interesting roles. After Ramu’s previous movies all we can say is, let the audiences decide about the promising part.
The Priyanka Chopra-Harman Baweja pairing is already hot property in Bollywood. Even prior to the release of their first film together, Love Story 2050, Ashutosh Gowarikar signed the duo to star in his romantic comedy, What’s My Rashi?. Obviously, feeling high about the acknowledgement of their chemistry via an ace film maker, Priyanka is on cloud nine. She said, “I am very glad that Ashutosh liked our chemistry and offered us this film. My role in the film is very exciting. As for our pairing, all I can say is I am glad that people liked us as a couple.”
While, Piggy Chops shares a sizzling rapport with her on and off screen partner- Harman, she was earlier teamed with other actors to form a hit pair. Akshay Kumar was one such actor with whom Priyanka delivered a series of hits. However, as was bound to happen, good on-screen chemistry led to gossip mongers talking about their alleged off-screen relationship. As such, the two mutually decided to not work together; at least that was the hearsay. Nevertheless, Priyanka says, “It’s never about a co-star or a director you want to work with. It’s always the project that’s the deciding factor in signing a film.”
Though Love Story 2050 got a lukewarm response, 2008 still seems promising for Priyanka. She has an interesting project in hand with Abhishek Bachchan titled Drona. The much-awaited film has been in the pipe-line for quite some time now. In between, there were rumours that Abhi got its release delayed so that he could concentrate on his family venture, Sarkar Raj. However, Priyanka rubbishes them as rumours. Watch what she has to say.
Rivalries between actresses are common in B-Town. Actresses and starlets fight over everything from boyfriends to films, and of course designer outfits. However, it is believed that, Kangana Ranaut and Jiah Khan are at war over Aamir!
According to the sources, it was Kangana who was signed on for Aamir Khan's Ghajini but an interview to the media ruined everything and Aamir replaced her immediately with Jiah.Kangana became very bitter about losing the film and started badmouthing Jiah. Kangana was heard telling her Raaz 2 co-stars how unhappy she was that Ghajini went to Jiah. However, she didn’t stop at this but made fun of her saying that Jiah would never be able to pull off that role. To add to the mayhem, the headstrong Jiah called Kangana and asked her point-blank why she was talking ill about her. A bewildered Kangana denied it outright till Jiah named the people who Kangana had been talking to.
Finally the tu-tu main-main ended with Jiah warning Kangana to stop bitching about it or she would start doing the same. Then the Nishabd girl banged the phone down! The two actresses haven't spoken since!
Read more...
Ki kudi hai: Bollywood's item girl and TV personality Rakhi Sawant isready for her first talk show The Rakhi Sawant Show.
Change for good: Looks like after portraying congenial characters in her popular flicks Vidya Balan is in a mood for an image changeover.
Blogging seems to be the latest trend in Bollywood and the latest to join the bandwagon is none other than Karan Johar. The director's blog would come online tomorrow (June 19). Lets see if this venture gets as popular as his movies..
YES, THE latest to join the bandwagon is Karan Johar. My name is Karan is the name of blog by Karan Johar, which comes online tomorrow. Karan would keep his blog updates with two or three posts every week.
Karan Johar (K Jo) surely knows how to make people laugh or cry. He has the knack to keep the audience glued to their seats when they are watching a movie directed by him, perhaps why only movies, his show ’Coffee with Karan’ topped the popularity charts as well. Where ever there is K Jo, there is fun, that’s for sure. It is being presumed that his blog would be a hit just like his movies.
In an interview given to a leading Mumbai newspaper, he said that he’s all set to start blogging. He sarcastically said that everyone knows what sort of a person he is and as originality has never been one of his virtues, he has decided to follow the footsteps of others who have recently started blogging.
He further added that he is never the one to set a trend, but follows whatever is ’in’. On a serious note he said that he wanted to create a buzz around Dharma Productions website, as it was his dad’s dream to make Dharma a well known brand. The blog would be another step in this direction of extending their production base. He said that the blog would not fence around films but would have anything that Karan feels like mentioning – that could range from what dream he had to things related to our country. He would share with people what he has to say.
Karan, who likes to keep away from controversies said that the blog will neither be offending nor defending. Criticism about anyone will not have any place in his blog.
He further added that he was totally computer illiterate and hoped to change that status, as the only thing he did on the Internet was Google his name and read the things people wrote or said about him.
If it’s an interview of Karan, how can he not mention our King Khan (Shahrukh)? He said that he would love to read blogs by Shahrukh Khan and further added that he had read parts of the book that Shahrukh is writing since the last few years, and every chapter has heart, soul, emotions, drama. The book has all the ingredients to keep a reader completely engrossed.
After ’Coffee with Karan’, this seems to be another interactive session from the Johar kid.
So let’s wait for tomorrow and see what Karan has in store for us.
“I lived life as Prerna,” says Shweta
Kasautii Zindagi Kii may have ended, but Prerna’s character played by Shweta Tiwari will never fade away from people’s minds. But as has been the trend, the younger generation replaces the older one. This year’s Star Parivaar Awards will have Prerna performing for the last time on stage.
“Yes, it will be my last performance at the awards night. I am grateful to Ekta, Shobaji and Star Plus who gave me an opportunity to play such a good character. While the serial was on air, I lived like Prerna in real life too. Somehow, I knew more about Prerna than Shweta Tiwari! It was a wonderful journey from start to the end. What mattered to me most is that I lived and died as Prerna in the serial,” says Shweta.
Shweta has always been interested in art and she was sure of pursuing it on or off the screen. Now that the serial has ended, Shweta is concentrating on her acting career, but will always be ready to do a role television if she is offered anything different.
By Arpana, Bangkok, June 7 : His last film was an action thriller and the next titled "Mission Istanbul", with focus on terrorism, is in the same genre. But Vivek Oberoi says that he won't allow himself to be typecast.
"Whenever I feel that I am becoming stereotyped or typecast, I jump out and do something new," Vivek, who was last seen in "Shootout At Lokhandwala" in the role of gangster Maya Dolas, told IANS here.
Vivek is in Bangkok to participate in the 9th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards. The music of his film "Mission Istanbul" was launched here, and he is scheduled to perform at the gala night Sunday.
Commenting upon his back-to-back action releases, Vivek said: "It's not a conscious decision to do action films. Apoorva offered me the role and the script was fantastic, so I accepted it. The USP (unique selling proposition) of the film is that it is technically brilliant. It has a new idea and concept. It has a global perspective on terrorism and how India is involved in that global framework."
The actor says that he has fallen in love with his character in the film.
"I am really excited about this movie. I love my character. It was fun playing him. Everything you imagine as a young kid while watching action movies, all those fantasies came true.
"Music of the film has been used very intelligently. It's not that suddenly the narrative stops, and a song is inserted. It is used in the backdrops. The story has international flavour so we didn't want to create any breaks. It is a non-traditional script."
Vivek says unless he gets a substantial role in Hollywood, he won't take a chance there.
"Every actor wants to have a global platform. If I find the role challenging and exciting I will do it. I wouldn't want to be Indian taxi driver in a Hollywood film."
Reportedly, there was a competition between Vivek and is co-star Zayed Khan to outdo each other in the action scenes of "Mission Istanbul".
But the actor says: "It was camaraderie. We had to jump from 44th storey of a building and we were like, 'Okay we have to jump from there and we said it's cool and we jumped'. We ended up doing it six or seven times till the graphic expert came and asked us to stop, saying you guys are going to burn the ropes."
"My next (film) is for Tips which is really a big extravaganza. I am shooting the film in South Africa. Then I am doing a film for Karan Johar, which is being directed by Renzel D'silva with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. The role is very interesting and a complete departure from what I have been doing till now."
--- IANS
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