After failed relationships, Dia intends to get married very soon She is flamboyant, vivacious, and most unconventional looking, yet she looks like the girl next door. Add to that her charm, and she becomes quite the personality. Dia Mirza is quick to accept the fact that she does not have too many movies in her kitty, but adds that she is flattered that Arshad has kept his word by casting her in his home production, Hum Tum Aur Ghost. "Arshad is a keen observer and seeker of talent. He told me some time ago that he thinks I am a sincere actor, having noticed the effort I put into every character I play. He also mentioned that he thought I have not been given my due, and he cast me, thus keeping his word. He, too, has suffered. He would struggle every Friday. I am happy that his talent is now being applauded, " says the enthusiastic Dia. A brief chat on parents, relationships, her man, puppy love, fashion, social assignments, and films, with the pretty Dia Mirza: On her character in Hum Tum Aur Ghost - My character is pretty close to Gehna in Hum Tum Aur Ghost. In real life too I believe in being practical. My mom always said, "You need to forget and forgive and always move ahead in life. One should not bear any grudges in life." I have never had any cat fights with anyone in the industry. I make friends with everyone I work with. Some of my friends from the industry include Konkona Sen Sharma, Lara Dutta, and Sandhya Mridul. I have never felt intimidated, nor do I feel insecure. I believe in eternal love and peace, and in breathing fresh air. On puppy love - Yes, I have had my share of puppy love! When I was in the seventh grade, this boy would catch butterflies for me, not knowing that this butterfly had a crush on him. (Laughs). On her ideal man, and marriage - I would love a man with sound values - somebody who respects a woman's independence, who is honest, and can take life forward. I believe in the institution of marriage. There should be no space for ego hassles in a marriage. Each partner should be able to take criticism and confrontation, and throw out of the window all the bad blood. It is very sad to note that marriages do not work these days, and I believe that women are equally to blame. I intend to get married very soon. On her relationships - I have had my share of relationships. For various reasons, they have not worked. Commitment, or the lack of it, has also played an important part in these relationships not working out. On Parents and Relationships - I belong to parents from diverse religions, and I have been taught how to stay down to earth. Life has taught me to be very practical. I belong to a broken family and grew up in a hostel. My mom has been responsible for bringing me up, and she is the one who has been my guide and mentor. My parents believe that in a relationship, if you are unable to carry it forward, then you may as well part ways. Remain good friends and be of some help to each other. Belonging to the hostel kind of an environment, I have learnt how to tackle the ups and downs of life. You should have a positive attitude towards life. Fitness Mantra - I am training extensively in martial arts. I have to sacrifice a lot - starting with avoiding yummy food. I try living on salads, fruits, juices, soups and discreetly-consumed meat. In addition, I work out rigorously at home. Current Style Statement - I don't really follow trends. I believe in individualism. I applied my first cosmetic mascara when I was 17 - my mother wanted me to be simple and natural. However, over the years, I think I have developed a characteristic dressing sense. As I said, some things come naturally to some people. On social work, especially work on spastic children - I feel very strongly about the plight and the integration of spastic children in regular mainstream education. I feel it is necessary that these children be a part of regular life and vice versa. Why should they go to spastics schools? They have to be made one with society. They are not aware of the norms, ways, and behavior of the normal human beings. For example, there was a blind girl in my school, and she was far more intelligent than the average kid. I think such kids deserve equal treatment. I am on the board of the Coco-Cola Foundation, which, in collaboration with some NGOs, is promoting electricity in villages, and also promoting the green campaign. Arshad and I have decided to promote the campaign to 'Save Paper', along with the promotional campaign of the film, Hum Tum Aur Ghost.

Sushmita Sen in love with her ex-lover?

Sushmita Sen who is known for frequently moving on with her choice of men has taken a U-turn this time. The former Miss Universe has dumped Mudassar Aziz, who directed her in Dulha Mil Gaya, for her ex-flame Manav Menon.

The duo have been spotted together a couple of times in the past few days across the city. The ad filmmaker and Sush had broken up in 2007 due to 'incompatibility'. But now it seems the duo are back to being compatible.

Aaccording to an eye witnesses, Menon and Sen clearly seem more than just friends again.

"Sushmita and Manav were seen at a suburban restaurant in Khar. An eyewitness said, “Both looked very comfortable in each other's company. They were discussing something very animatedly.” he told a leading daily.

However, friends close to Sush reveals that Sushmita’s approach towards all ex-boyfriends including Vikram Bhatt, Sanjay Narang, Randeep Hooda, Manav Menon or Mudassar Aziz, in her life is that she always manages to keep them as friends even after breaking up with men them.

Talking to a newspaper Sush also said, "I always try to remain friends. Sometimes I succeed. But I am very single. If I wasn't, you would not have to figure it out.”

Kajol is pregnant again!

Seen the glow on Kajol's face, lately? It's not just about the success of her latest film My Name is Khan. We hear that the dusky beauty is reportedly pregnant again and the entire Devgan family is extremely ecstatic.

Kajol has already wrapped up a a major portion of Kumar Mangat's Toonpur Ka Superhero with Ajay and has finished shooting for Karan Johar's StepMom.

According to sources the promotional track of StepMom that was to be shot later is being wrapped up from March 20 in Mumbai because Kajol is participating in the song shoot. The film is slated for a July release and sources say the music video could very well have been shot later. However, keeping in mind Kajol’s decision not to do any work after March, the track is being shot now.

Adhering to the advice of her dearest hubby, Ajay Devgn, Kajol is managing her time well. Meanwhile, Ajay has also promised to work only in and around Mumbai, so that he could be within reach of his wife. Their first child Nysa is now 7 years old.

Here's wishing lots of luck to Ajay and Kajol.

Deepika okay with Siddharth Mallya link-up rumours

Deepika Padukone, who's been linked to Farhan Akhtar, Shahid Kapoor and most recently liquor baron Vijay Mallya's son Siddharth, is unfazed by the rumours and says she has learnt to accept the fact that all this comes with the work she does.

"It makes no difference to me because I know that I am leading a life I want. I understand that it comes with the work I do and I am fine with it.

I am very happy with my life and the work I am doing, " Padukone, who was in the capital to inaugurate the Power Biking Studio of Anatomy Health Club, told. Also present were ace badminton players Saina Nehwal and P. Gopichand.

The actress is also shooting for her new film "Break Ke Baad" starring Imran Khan in Delhi.

A self-confessed fitness freak, Padukone feels that regular workouts, yoga, healthy eating and positive thinking is what makes her look fit.

"I think everybody's body type is different and it reacts differently to different work outs. It is important for you to understand what suits your body and exercise accordingly, " she said.

"I do a lot of yoga. Although I eat everything but at the same time I know there are certain kinds of food that I put on weight with so I try to avoid them. I think eating healthy, regular workouts and positive thinking can help anybody look better, " she added.

Unlike other Bollywood actresses, the 24-year-old doesn't believe in being size zero.

"I don't think it is healthy to be size zero. The Indian body is not cut out to be size zero. It is always nice to look healthy, " Padukone said.

She also refuses to take the tag of being the lucky mascot for Mallya's IPL team Banglore Royal Challengers.

"I think if the team is playing well the credit should go to all the players. It is very unfair to say that I am the lucky mascot and give me the credit, " she said.

Few takers for IPL at multiplexes

The live telecast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in multiplexes has not been able to pull in the audiences despite the initial buzz, according to experts.

Multiplexes are now keeping their fingers crossed for the tournament to pick up and bring footfalls.

"The maximum occupancy over the weekend has been only 20 percent and the minimum has been close to six percent during certain matches, " Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas, told.

"It hasn't picked up at all but we'll continue screening the matches hoping it catches buzz as IPL continues. In terms of films, there are no big releases this month hence no expectations. But we are pinning hopes on 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha' (LSD) releasing this Friday, " he added.

A source from PVR cinemas echoed the view.

"The opening for IPL on the big screen has been average and nothing extraordinary. The occupancy has been about 25-30 percent. We are hoping it picks up. While in films, LSD is giving us some hopes, " said the source.

March is usually a dry month for Bollywood, courtesy the Class 10 and Class 12 Board exams and the Hindi film industry has little to offer in terms of big budget outings.

Multiplexes this time are trying to cash in on the opportunity by screening the third edition of the IPL tournament that started Friday. It will end April 25.

The response however has been average so far.

"It's just the early days and the audiences' interest is waking back in IPL. It has been an Ok response and the good part is we've had had a repeated audience. There is a great word of mouth and we are hoping it (footfalls) will grow as the momentum of IPL picks up, " said Tusshar Dhingra, COO of Big cinemas.

Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas is also optimistic.

"There has been no initial to IPL as of now as it has only been three days. Though there is a good buzz, the expectations have not been fulfilled, " said Raizada.

"We are hoping the hype builds up with time. While in films we are hoping all the three films releasing this Friday - 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha', 'Shaapit' and 'Lahore' will bring in footfalls as they are from different genres, " he added.

Around 800 screens around India, including close to 65 in Delhi and surrounding areas, are screening the matches at movie ticket prices that range from Rs.120-180 across different properties depending on the timing of the match.

When will Kareena Kapoor end her isolation?

It has been a wonder for the people from the industry as well as fans that even though a majority of Bollywood is on Twitter, Kareena Kapoor continues to evade the microblogging site.

At Shah Rukh Khan's press conference for Ra.One, she was asked why she wasn't tweeting yet.

Kareena expressed that she was still not sure about the whole idea and would need at least another month to settle on an answer.

Kareena needs to think about it so carefully because at present she's too tied up with work to sign up on the site and start using it. Also, she wonders if she will be able to stick by it regularly once she does start off.

Well, let's give Kareena the time she needs. Maybe we'll see her on Twitter soon?

Skin show and glamour doesn't always help: Minissha

Actress Minissha Lamba admits her ultra-glamorous look in "Kidnap" opened a whole new range of opportunities for her. But the young actress, who will be seen in Shyam Benegal's new film, feels that at the end of it talent plays an important role.

"My looks in 'Kidnap' helped open a whole new and different range of opportunities for me. It is something I cherish. Being good looking is important, but not always. You need talent as well. If you have talent, people accept you regardless of the way you look," Lamba told over telephone from Mumbai.

She also feels being short is not a disadvantage in the film industry.

"If you are a model, having height is imperative, but cinema is a medium where it doesn't matter. You are on a platform where being tall or short loses relevance," she said.

After her glamorous avatar in "Kidnap", Minissha will be seen in a non-glamorous role in Benegal's forthcoming film, "Well Done Abba".

"At first I was really scared to work with Mr. Benegal. But once we started shooting, he turned out to be a really calm, jovial and humorous person. We never saw him upset on the sets," she said.

"Well Done Abba", a political satire, narrates the story of Armaan Ali (Boman Irani), a driver working in Mumbai.

He takes a month's leave to find a husband for his teenaged daughter, who lives in a small neighbourhood near Hyderabad. But he returns to his job after three months. His young employer wants to sack him, but is persuaded to listen to the reason why he got so delayed.

The film, produced by Reliance Big Pictures, is inspired by two short stories - "Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi" by Jeelani Bano and "Phulwa Ka Pul" by Sanjeev.

Benegal had said in an interview that Minissha hasn't got her due in Bollywood, but the 25-year-old says she has no regrets.

"That's extremely generous of him to have said that, but it's all right. I hope with this film my talent gets appreciated and I get more opportunities to show my potential," she said.

Minissha started her journey as an actor from the critically acclaimed film, "Yahaan", alongside Jimmy Shergill in 2005. She was later seen in "Corporate", "Shaurya", and Yash Raj Films' "Bachna Ae Haseeno".

"It has been a great journey. There were disappointments and heartbreak, but I am grateful for where I am today. There is a lot more I need to do and work even harder," she added.

Releasing March 26, it also stars Samir Dattani, Ila Arun, Ravi Kisshan, Sonali Kulkarni and Yashpal Sharma.

Katrina and Ranbir's special friendship goes sour!

Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, who turned into the best of friends on the sets of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, have suddenly lost all the warmth they had for each other. The two of them have been cold-shouldering each other recently. A few days ago, at Future Works Studio, both of them were shooting for Prakash Jha's Rajneeti. Apparently, the two stars were clearly trying to avoid each other. They only interacted when they had to shoot some scenes together. But once the filming was done, they were in no mood to talk to each other. Though this piece of news may bring happiness to some, one can't help but wonder what happened to the camaraderie the stars shared? Could it have something to do with Ranbir's friendship with Priyanka Chopra? Guess only Ranbir and Katrina can tell.

I won't stop being friendly with Ranbir: Katrina

Politics cinema youth and youth icons Ranbir and Katrina just got closer. April would be a month of academics for Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. Prakash Jha plans to take the Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani pair on a tour across the country to address students at hand-picked campuses on issues such as politics and cinema.

Says Prakash, “We've chosen eight cities and as many colleges.

Yes, Ranbir and Katrina would be part of debates on politics and the youth as part of the whole endeavour to take Raajneeti beyond the portals of entertainment.

Today's political icon is no longer a 70-something veteran politician. It's Rahul Gandhi and my stars will be addressing generations who understand the language of Rahul's politics.”

Apparently Prakash will be meeting Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi to dispel the prevalent notion that Raajneeti is based on their lives. He will then invite Rahul to join the debate with Ranbir and Katrina in Delhi University.

The 8 cities and the colleges therein where the hit jodi would have their say, along with the dates are being kept a secret to avoid security hazards.However Ranbir-Katrina 8-city campus tours will be spread out across April and part of May.

Ranbir has already attended two global summits in Delhi and wants to speak extempore at the 8-city campus events.

Katrina has begun to read up as much as as he can on current affairs and has lately been watching the news as closely as possible so that her role as a politician in Raajneeti would resonate in real life.

Interestingly that's the formula the pair adopts in their acting. While Katrina likes to rehearse and get it pitch- perfect Ranbir is more spontaneous.

Says Prakash Jha, “Katrina has finished her dubbing, Ranbir hasn't even started. He has been busy with various ad commitments after he finished shooting in the US for Anjaana Anjaani. But he'll do the dubbing in no time at all.”

Ranbir and Katrina will be spending a lot of time together promoting Raajneeti in the coming months. The whole of April will be spent doing the campus interactions.

From May 30 to June 6 Prakash Jha has planned premieres of Raajneeti all over the world including New York to London, Muscat, Bahrain, Delhi and Mumbai.

When a friend pointed out to Katrina that the proximity to Ranbir for their film's marketing would only lead to further speculation she shrugged and said, “He is a friend. And I won't stop being friendly with or refuse to promote my film just because tongues are wagging.”

Shahid too difficult to handle, throws tantrums again Shahid Kapoor, who toned his body up quite a bit for Kaminey, seems to love that look of his and finds it perfect. His refusal to listen to first-time director Parmeet Sethi and choreographer Ahmed Khan on the sets of Yash Raj Films' Badmaash Company, his refusal to do retakes and his crabbiness have already been in the news for a while now. Just when one thought that he wouldn't create anymore trouble for the film unit, Shahid had to be difficult again yesterday. While shooting for the movie's title song at MT Studios, Shahid refused to listen to the unit again. The song required him to wear a white vest in a pub but he showed his reluctance to do so. The team was bugged with the fact that Shahid knew beforehand that he was required to wear the vest. But when he reached the sets, he didn't want to wear it and gave the reasons that he hadn't been working out in the gym for a while because of his father, Pankaj Kapur's directorial debut, Mausam. His role in Mausam is that of a depressed man and he had to look convincing for it. Shahid didn't want to wear the vest despite being told that the producer of the film, Aditya Chopra specifically wanted him to wear that vest. Finally, director Parmeet Sethi had to arrange for a half-sleeved white t-shirt. Only then did Shahid agree to shoot. Now whether this was his desire to look perfect or if it was just to harass the film's unit, only Shahid can tell us…

Jacqueline Fernandez, girl from the planet of love

Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez will be seen having special powers in her next Bollywood venture "Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai". No, she doesn't play superwoman...she plays a woman from planet Venus!

Writer-director Milap Zaveri says his film is not a sci-fi action movie but a romantic comedy about Tara, a girl from Venus who comes to Earth in search of love. And that's why he didn't want his heroine to do daredevil stunts but she does have some super abilities - the Venus woman has the power to freeze time.

"'Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai' is a love story rather than a superwoman story. So there was no point indulging in anything that would have made Jackie (as Jacqueline is fondly called) appear to be overtly larger than life.

Yes, she is different in a lot of senses and hence there had to be something special attached to her. However, we didn't want anything too gimmicky about her behaviour or persona, " Zaveri told.

Jumping from rooftops, dodging bullets, hopping across skyscrapers, taking on 200 baddies at a time and indulging in gravity-defying stunts were a complete no-no for the makers of the film. As they started exploring various options, the one that struck the right chord was the concept of 'time freeze'.

"We thought that this would be a nice touch to the character, especially so because it would work with kids as well as adults alike.

"Also, we could use this character trait in different moods and situations in the film, whether a funny sequence, a romantic moment or an emotional encounter.



Once we decided to go ahead with 'time freeze', it was a matter of improvising on the script while incorporating this trait, " said Zaveri, who has written either the script or dialogues of films like "Masti", "Kaante", "Jhankaar Beats" and "Heyy Babyy". "Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai" sees Jacqueline paired opposite Riteish Deshmukh, who had acted with the former Miss Sri Lanka in her debut film "Aladin" as well.

So what are the sequences where Jacqueline ends up freezing time?

While Zaveri tells us to wait and watch, a source attached to the film said:

"There are some humorous as well as beautiful moments in the film when Jackie freezes time. One of the hilarious sequences is where she saves Riteish in an accident. Then there is also a point where the two eventually realize their love for each other...".

Also starring Ruslaan Mumtaz, Sonal Sehgal and Vishal Malhotra in principal roles, 'Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai' boasts of a number of guest appearances - Farah Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sajid Khan, Amrita Rao, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Vidya Balan.

I'm a very lucky guy. I got to woo three ladies

A large number of Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi's evergreen melodies from the 1950s will be used in the Bollywood-inspired play Kingdom Of Dreams featuring Vivek Oberoi, Isha Shravani and Gauhar Khan. It will be staged in May at the newly constructed theatre in Gurgaon near Delhi.

Informs Javed, “The first-half will have 11 evergreen melodies. The second-half will have 8-9 songs. We're still locking in on the final songs. There's dispute about some of of the songs to be included.”

Javed has been on stage before. “I had seen a lot of theatre, I've written Kaifi Aur Main.But that is not pure theatre. And besides I've hardly used my own words in Kaifi Aur Main.

I've either taken excerpts from Shaukat Azmi's book or interviews on video.Kingdom Of Dreams is unlike any thing done on stage in India. The kind of facilities I was provided e was mind-numbing.

I've seen the theatre in Gurgaon. India has never seen anything like this.There will be horses and elephants running on and off stage.”

In the meanwhile Vivek left for Delhi on Friday for a month-long rehearsal with his two leading ladies Isha Shravani and Gauhar Khan who play the princess and the gypsy fighting for Oberoi's attentions.

Considering the fireworks that Gauhar generated with Shahzan Padamsee in Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year there's bound to be a lot of behind-the-curtains excitement between Gauhar and Isha.

Says Vivek, “I guess I'm a very lucky guy. I got to woo three ladies in my new film Prince and now these two ladies in my play. Kingdom Of Dreams is unlike anything we've seen in this country.”

Shahid, Ranbir are better dancers than Hrithik

Bollywood choreographer Ahmed Khan, who is awaiting the release of his first production venture "Paathshaala", says Shahid Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor are better dancers than Hrithik Roshan, known for his flexible and smooth moves.

"Shahid is the best dancer in Bollywood these days, followed by Ranbir. They have the technical sense of dancing and are very spontaneous with their steps. Hrithik's style is very typical, " said Khan, who will be seen as a judge on Colors' dance reality show "Chak Dhoom Dhoom".

"One can't see too much of Hrithik's dance. Just like people are a little bored of seeing Prabhu Deva's dance, the case is same with Hrithik as well, " he added.

Khan's "Paathshaala", starring Shahid and Ayesha Takia, will release April 16. The movie deals with the Indian education system and contemporary and socially relevant issues regarding children.

Shah Rukh Khan tells how to flaunt it

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who flaunted six-pack abs in blockbuster "Om Shanti Om" but couldn't maintain them later, is doling out fitness tips to youngsters through micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Six-pack more to do with diet than exercise alone. You need to be very disciplined. (Do it for) 30 to 40 days...they will start to show, " Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page Monday.

"Exercise regimen - four times a week. Thirty minutes do a weights or any exercise which makes you sweat. No rice or bread at all with food, grilled food. Lots of water. No alcohol. If you do, then exercise (for) 50 minutes. No music and wasting time during exercise. Just do it like a job...push yourself."

"No desserts, ice creams or colas. No food in between meals like chips, etc. Singlehandedly try and bring the junk food industry to closure, " he wrote.

Shah Rukh says he does 100 push ups and 60 pull ups when he is regular. "When I start I can only do five push ups and one pull up. It just happens (later) if you are regular, " he posted.

The actor, who was last seen in "My Name Is Khan", is strictly against quick fix diets, and says people must make a careful choice about what they eat and drink.

"You make your choices according to your needs. When I work out I don't drink colas myself."

Preity Zinta hurts sentiments with her IPL ads

A court here Monday issued summons to Bollywood actor and Kings XI Punjab's chairperson Preity Zinta and co- owner Ness Wadia for using pictures of freedom fighters in their Indian Premier League advertisements.

The summons were issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Anshul Berry on a complaint filed by city-based NGO Global Human Rights Council (GHRC).

In their complaint, GHRC had objected on the use of pictures of freedom fighters, including of Bhagat Singh and Rajguru, in the advertisements of Kings XI Punjab. They said the advertisements had "hurt the sentiments of the people".

"Earlier summons could not reach the accused as they were travelling at various match venues in the country. Now I will personally go to hand over the summons to Preity Zinta and others at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium, " Arvind Thakur, president of GHRC, told.

The court has summoned Zinta and Wadia April 2.

"They are saying that they have already rendered a public apology through some daily newspapers. But they have not given assurance that they will not indulge in such activities in future. Therefore, we want them to render an apology before the court, " he said.

Housefull

Unabashed entertainment. That's what one expects from a team that comprises of the likes of Akshay Kumar, Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala. None of these three entities associated with 'Housefull' have made any pretensions of doing anything which is non-commercial.

Due to this very reason, one can also expect that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy would come out of their 'zone' (which means the likes of 'Rock On', Karthik Calling Karthik' etc.) and instead end up making something which is 'massy junta ki pasand'.

That's something on display at the very beginning of 'Houseful' with Sameer written 'Oh Girl You're Mine' that has newcomer Tarun Sagar pairing up with Alyssa Mendonsa and Loy Mendonsa.

Together they come up with a fun outing which doesn't quite rely on the lyrics and instead has a hook line (the song's title) which is a good enough reason to play the song all over again.

Boasting of some addictive beats that make you put the song in a loop and wait for the video to hit the screen soon, 'Oh Girl You're Mine' is a winner.

Remember 'On the roof, in the rain' from 'Masti'? A similar setting is evidenced once again in 'Papa Jag Jayega' which has the lead couples of 'Housefull' trying to have a hush-hush rendezvous in the house while being constantly worried about the 'papa' who is sleeping.

A situational track written by Amitabh Bhattacharya which has a horde of singers - Ritu Pathak, Neeraj Sridhar, Alyssa Mendonsa, Amitabh Bhattacharya - coming together, 'Papa Jag Jayega' doesn't let the tempo of the album down. Yes, it is situational in appeal and hence the shelf life is limited. However, inside the film's narrative, it won't be a bad bet at all.

Next to arrive is the biggest of all - 'Aapka Kya Hoga - Dhanno' - which is a killer song all the way. To put it simply, this re-done version of 80s classic 'Apni To Jaise Taise' (Lawaaris) is a good enough paisa vasool element of the album since this song has not lost it's freshness despite being played on for 25 years.

Moreover, the musical team of SEL and Sameer along with Mika, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan and Sajid Khan (as singers) ensure that the song would now be remembered for many more years to come.

That's because rather than coming up with a routine remix that may have been done by dozen odd lesser teams in the past, there is a new feel given to 'Aapka Kya Hoga' with the help of an altogether new beginning and different lyrics.

If at all there is some similarity that remains, it is only in the interspersing portions where the hook line 'Aapka Kya Hoga' is heard.

The fun mood of the album coupled with the nostalgia of the 70s/80s continues with 'I Don't Know What To Do', courtesy the man behind the mike - Shabbir Kumar.

For those who have been following the music from the past, Shabbir Kumar was the man who was known for his unique voice during the era gone by. He hasn't lost his touch despite a gap of decades after which he is returning in 'I Don't Know What To Do' and thankfully the experiment works.

A track where a young sensual woman (brought to fore with perfection by Sunidhi Chauhan) is trying to seduce a man who has been caught unaware, this is one fun outing that many amongst audience would love to be a part of.

Finally arrives the track 'He's Such A Loser' which basically describes the character of the central protagonist in the film (played by Akshay Kumar) who is a big looser in life.

The fun here lies in the fact that despite its out and out Western treatment, it's lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya see a good coming together of Mumbaiya tone and flavour.

Sung by Vivienne Pocha and Amitabh Bhattacharya himself, 'He's Such A Loser' is a catchy number that stays with you immediately after the first listening itself.

In fact this is one element that works throughout 'Housefull' as whatever is served to you is constant coffee. The tunes remain with you, they entertain you and at the end of it all, you also know that these won't quite be ever lasting.

However, in the fast paced journey that everything is taking currently, it's the survival of what works 'today'. In that aspect, 'Housefull' works and ensures that there won't be any dull moment once the songs play on screen.

Rs. 3 billion riding on Aishwarya Rai

Last year she was seen in just one film - Hollywood's "Pink Panther". But this year Aishwarya Rai has four films lined up for release - two southern projects "Ravana" and "Endhiran" as well as "Action Replay" and "Guzaarish", collectively costing over Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion).

While her bilingual sci-fi film "Endhiran", starring southern star Rajnikanth, is said to be made at a budget of Rs.125 crore (Rs.1.25 billion), approximately Rs.45 crore (Rs.450 million) has been spent on Mani Ratnam's much-awaited "Ravana", which is set for a June release.

Vipul Shah's "Action Replay" costs around Rs.60 crore (Rs.600 million) and if reports are to be believed, UTV is shelling out close to Rs.80 crore (Rs. 800 million) for Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed "Guzaarish" for which Aishwarya is currently shooting along with Hrithik Roshan in Mumbai.

Aishwarya has been busy shooting all these films for the past one year and even suffered health problems due to her hectic schedules.

According to a well-placed source from the team of "Ravana", the Hindi version of which also features Abhishek Bachchan, the actress has given some of the most difficult shots in the movie without complaining about geographical or weather conditions used to can the scenes.

"Aishwarya's role in 'Ravana' is the toughest. In the Hindi version, Vikram (southern star) plays Ram and Ravana in the Tamil vesrion. And Aishwarya plays Sita in both the Hindi and Tamil versions.

Both the versions were simultaneously shot. Mani Ratnam canned the film in the most difficult and dangerous places. Still Aishwarya gave the same shots twice for the two versions - be it in the rain, on mountains, jungle, etc, " a source told.

"People say Vikram's role in the film is the toughest, but the actor himself feels Aishwarya's role is the most difficult, " the source added.

While shooting for "Ravana" in the jungles of Kerala, the entire cast and crew had a scary experience when an elephant ran amok and killed a 51-year-old mahout, Andavan. The actors including Abhishek, Aishwarya, Vikram, Prabhu and Munna had to take shelter in a guest house and survived on bread and eggs.

"Ravana" is said to be a modern-day version and a loose adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Apart from "Ravana", Aishwarya's role in another southern project "Endhiran" has been a well-guarded secret till now, but some leaked photographs of the film's shooting show her in a different avatar.

"Action Replay", starring Akshay Kumar, is a time-travel tale in the 1950s and its storyline is based on an eponymous 1994 Gujarati Indian play. The director has emphasised a lot on the lead actors' "retro looks" in the movie.

"We, Akshay's designer Shabina Khan, Aishwarya's designer Manish Malhotra and all of us have worked really, really hard to give 'Action Replay' a unique look. If that look is leaked out, we'd lose our biggest USP, " Shah had told.

In "Guzaarish", the actress will play a married nurse who falls in love with a paraplegic patient essayed by Hrithik.

Though each role is different from the others, it remains to be seen which one of these strikes gold at the box office.

Deepika Padukone is having a ball with Imran Khan

Deepika Padukone who's in Delhi to shoot for Danish Aslam's Break Ke Baad was hit by a strong current of déjà vu.

Just a year ago she was in Delhi shooting for Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal.Even there her co-star Saif Ali Khan had his lady-love Kareena Kapoor along, so that Deepika had voluntarily kept to herself.

“Not this time!” reports a source from Delhi. “Imran and Avantika have made Deepika feel most welcome and a part of their circle. In fact Deepika is completely at home hanging around with Imran and Avantika.”

A private person by nature and known to stay aloof Deepika has for the first time become so gregarious during shooting.

Says the source, “During the shooting of Love Aaj Kal Deepika barely exchanged anything beyond a hello with her co-star Saif in London and Delhi. Even with Neil Nitin Mukesh whom she just shot with Deepika was polite. But with Imram Deepika is at her warmest, thanks to Avantika who has gone out of her way to make Deepika comfortable.”

“You're taller than me, ” was Deepika's first reaction when they started shooting together.

Imran Khan and his fiancé Avantika landed in Delhi a day before Deepika.

Says producer Kunal Kohli, “Deepika and Imran shot in and around Delhi's streets from Wednesday. Everywhere they were greeted by mobs. Avantika has been a big support for Deepika…Though Imran and Deepika are friends they are fiercely competitive on screen.”

The pair need to have separate hair-colour schemes for the pre- and post- interval halves of the film.

Says Kunal Kohli, “Both Imran and Deepika showed up in Dehli looking younger trendier.Their clothes are younger and cooler than before.We've brought in completely new designers for Deepika and Imran.”

While Imran's clothes have been done by the Delhi-based duo of designer Harmeet –Neha, Deepika's designer is Ayesha, a former assistant to Anaita Shroff.

Informs Kunal. “We want Deepika and Imran to look so cool together that they become instant youth icons.”

The idea, in case anyone misses the point, is that Deepika hopes to form a long-lasting screen pair with Imran.

Says Deepika, “Well I do have two distinct looks in the first and second half of Break De Baad. Beyond that it's too early to discuss anything.”

Deepika Padukone is having a ball with Imran Khan

Deepika Padukone who's in Delhi to shoot for Danish Aslam's Break Ke Baad was hit by a strong current of déjà vu.

Just a year ago she was in Delhi shooting for Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal.Even there her co-star Saif Ali Khan had his lady-love Kareena Kapoor along, so that Deepika had voluntarily kept to herself.

“Not this time!” reports a source from Delhi. “Imran and Avantika have made Deepika feel most welcome and a part of their circle. In fact Deepika is completely at home hanging around with Imran and Avantika.”

A private person by nature and known to stay aloof Deepika has for the first time become so gregarious during shooting.

Says the source, “During the shooting of Love Aaj Kal Deepika barely exchanged anything beyond a hello with her co-star Saif in London and Delhi. Even with Neil Nitin Mukesh whom she just shot with Deepika was polite. But with Imram Deepika is at her warmest, thanks to Avantika who has gone out of her way to make Deepika comfortable.”

“You're taller than me, ” was Deepika's first reaction when they started shooting together.

Imran Khan and his fiancé Avantika landed in Delhi a day before Deepika.

Says producer Kunal Kohli, “Deepika and Imran shot in and around Delhi's streets from Wednesday. Everywhere they were greeted by mobs. Avantika has been a big support for Deepika…Though Imran and Deepika are friends they are fiercely competitive on screen.”

The pair need to have separate hair-colour schemes for the pre- and post- interval halves of the film.

Says Kunal Kohli, “Both Imran and Deepika showed up in Dehli looking younger trendier.Their clothes are younger and cooler than before.We've brought in completely new designers for Deepika and Imran.”

While Imran's clothes have been done by the Delhi-based duo of designer Harmeet –Neha, Deepika's designer is Ayesha, a former assistant to Anaita Shroff.

Informs Kunal. “We want Deepika and Imran to look so cool together that they become instant youth icons.”

The idea, in case anyone misses the point, is that Deepika hopes to form a long-lasting screen pair with Imran.

Says Deepika, “Well I do have two distinct looks in the first and second half of Break De Baad. Beyond that it's too early to discuss anything.”

Ranvir Shorey turns Punjabi doctor

Ranvir Shorey will be seen playing a Punjabi doctor in his next film 'Tina Ki Chaabi'. Produced by Kosmik Films Pvt, 'Tina Ki Chaabi' is written and directed by Amit Saxena of 'Jism' fame.

Newcomer Geetanjali Thapa will be seen as Ranvir's leading lady in the film.

This comic caper has been shot at Tangra in Kolkata's China Town, apart from Bangkok and Mumbai.

Recently Ravir and Geetanjali were seen having a gala time at the publicity shoot of the film, while photographer Amit Asher went on clicking the duo.

Ranvir plays Dr. JagPrag Singh, a Punjabi doctor armed with stethoscope and doctor's bag.

The film tells the story of a group of people who find themselves in situations that threaten their survival, and as they try to get out of their respective messes, greed and karma take over, hurling them together into situations that border on the ridiculous in this caper comedy.

It all starts when “Cochin Hanifa” a Bangkok-based Indian gangster, sends his reluctant gangster son – “Junior Hanifa” to collect unpaid dues from various people in Kolkata (India) while at the same time, a young woman, Tina, gets news of her father Michael's untimely death while in hiding overseas. Michael has left Tina an inheritance: 50million rupees, in the form of raw diamonds, in a train station locker in Bangkok.

These two seemingly unrelated events act as catalyst and set in motion a series of events that will ultimately change the lives of all the characters. Of course, Tina is a gambler and also owes money to the Hanifa.

Set in Tangra (Kolkata) the only true 'China Town' in India, three people, namely – Tina, Basu & Teddy will soon discover that when you owe money to Hanifa, you can run but you cannot hide.

And when 'Junior' comes calling, the wily Basu and Teddy, back-stabbing ex-employees of Tina's father, Michael, know that there is up and that they better have the money or else!

Tony, a small time crook and gangland “informer” par excellence, informs the dos of Tina's inheritance and both Basu and Teddy realize that the key to all their problems lies with Tina and the key to the locker!

And thus begins the quest for Tina's key.

An innocent doctor, Jag Prag Singh, a man seeking answers to add meaning to his otherwise empty life, also gets pulled into the rollercoaster ride and in this riotous and hilarious journey. Tina and Prag's paths collide.

They find themselves working as a team due to circumstances, dodging not only Teddy and Basu but also the ultimate villain Hanifa to get her inheritance. As well as finding answers to their questions on life in general.

And just when it seems that things could not get any worst, 'Junior' is accidentally killed and the events spiral out of everyone's control, in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.

The film is slated for release in June.

Akon to sing for SRK for FREE!

 

Rap sensation Akon is in Mumbai and who better to have got him down than superstar actor, Shah Rukh Khan. He is here for 2 days to record a song for SRK’s upcoming superhero film Ra.One starring SRK and Kareena. The song is being recorded at the Yashraj Studios today and tomorrow. Composed by music duo Vishal-Shekhar and co-composed by Akon himself, Akon insists that this is no business deal and he is crooning the number free for SRK as a friendly gesture. Also SRK will be hosting a party tonight for Akon and his troop and let us tell you the guest list for this one are packed with some of the biggest names.

 

Big B joins save the tiger campaign

Concerned over the dwindling number of tigers in India, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan Thursday joined a campaign to save the big cat, which he described as "symbolic" of the country's wildlife wealth.

The awareness and tiger conservation initiative is a joint venture of cellphone service provider Aircel and national news channel NDTV.

"The tiger is symbolic of India's wildlife wealth. It is in danger because of rampant poaching and the ineffectiveness of our system to stop its killing. Collective action is the need of the hour, " Bachchan told reporters at a function here.

"It is our responsibility to not only initiate a public movement but also ensure that it gains momentum, " he added.

The campaign intends to provide a common platform to tiger conservationists and concerned citizens to raise issues and voice their opinions, according to organisers.

The function was organised to announce NDTV joining Aircel in the campaign, which the cellular service had initiated last year.

Shilpa Sharma refuses to kiss Emraan

Shilpa Sharma refuses to kiss Emraan
Serial kisser Emraan Hashmi is working opposite South actress Shilpa Sharma in Crook that is being shot in South Africa as we speak. Shilpa happens to be a ‘close friend’ of Chiranjeevi’s son, Ram Charan Teja who was extremely wary of the fact that there would definitely be a kissing scene between Emraan and Shilpa in the movie. In fact, he warned her against kissing the actor. So, director Mohit Suri had to shoot the kissing scene with a body double.

Kajol wraps shoot for Stepmom remake

The shoot for Karan Johar’s remake of the Hollywood film Stepmom wrapped up at Filmistan on Monday with a music video. The remake of this Susan Sarandon-Julia Roberts film is being readied for a September release. The film is directed by Siddharth Malhotra, grandson of legendary Premnath and Bina Rai. Kajol has canned all her talkie portions and since she’s now expecting her second baby, Stepmom and Toonpur Ka Superhero might be the last we see of her on the big screen for some time to come.

Ranbir and Deepika in same hotel

 

Ranbir Kapoor and director Imtiaz Ali were recently at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi and other parts of the capitol location hunting for their upcoming film, Rockstar. They were getting the feel of the campus and its surroundings. Also in Delhi at the same time were Deepika Padukone and Imran Khan who were shooting for Kunal Kohli’s Break Ke Baad directed by Danish Aslam. Interestingly, all of them were staying at the same hotel. This was the first time Ranbir and Deepika came in such close proximity after their breakup.

It feels great if people praise: Rahul Bose

Rahul Bose is someone who gives more importance to cerebral roles than six-pack abs. An actor, rugby player, singer, social worker…he is a ‘hero’ in truest sense. He chats up with India Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu on his new film The Japanese Wife

You seem really excited about The Japanese Wife. What is it all about?
This is the story of a school teacher Snehmoy and his Japanese pen-friend Miyage (Chingusa Takaku). They exchange marriage vows through letters and they nurture their relationship for 17 years and that too without meeting each other once. The film is based on their love, happiness, misery…basically it’s a lind of love poem put into celluloid.

We have mostly seen you represent the urban male. Do you think the viewers will accept you as a village school teacher?
The first time Aparna told Konkona (Sen Sharma; daughter) that I am going to play this role, she said: ‘Look, this guy is from a Bengali village. He speaks in a rural Bengali village dialect.

Then he speaks to his Japanese wife in a rural, Bengali, village dialect in English. There’s no way! Then guy’s characterization is very shy, very introverted, extremely invisible and Rahul! He won’t be able to do it!’

Three weeks ago Konkona saw the film and called me up and said wonderful things. So I have got the ‘pass’ remarks from the filmmaker’s daughter, and there’s nothing left; the film has to be a superhit. As it is the film is going to 55 countries across the world.

You are too choosy when it comes to signing a film. What convinced you to do this one?
The Japanese Wife is twice a love story. Forget me being in it; just feeling the script will be sufficient. It talks about a part in all of us that is innocent, where people still believes that there will be no corruption; if a person says he will call you tomorrow, he will do so. It goes into the centre of innocence that is still left in us.

I believe this film is the last test of the Indian audience…to see if they have become completely bloated with the PR madness that we call cinema.

Talking about your kind of cinema, what kind of films do you enjoy doing? You seem more comfortable in English-speaking ones…
I think and dream in English…have got my training in English. But I believe when you are an actor and doing films then language should not matter. A taxi driver must know how to drive a taxi.

How do you rate yourself as an actor?
Satisfaction comes a little higher than your performance. I have a ‘sleep peacefully at night’ yardstick to rate my performance. There are nights when I can sleep peacefully, there are two-three nights when I get nightmares.

You are into so many things-films, sports, social service-what exactly are your expectations from life?
My expectation from life is that every day I spent on this earth should be full of satisfaction. And my satisfaction comes from giving my 100% in what I love, whether people around appreciate that or not. Of course, it feels great if people praise and appreciate your efforts.

After Priyanka, Shahid saves Anushka's life

On Sunday evening Anushkha had a hair's breadth escape from what could have been a catastrophic accident while shooting for a music video for Parmeet Sethi's Badmaash Company. It happened at the M.T.Studio in Andheri (East) while Shahid and Anushka under the supervision of choreographer Ahmed Khan, were moving towards a pre-decided spot a little distance away from the place where a huge chandelier was hanging from the ceiling. Before anyone knew what was happening, the chandelier suddenly came crashing down to the ground with a sound that pierced the entire studio compound. The chandelier would have fallen straight on Anushka Sharma if it wasn't for Shahid's presence of mind. A split second before the chandelier hit the ground Shahid pushed the shaken and utterly petrified Anushka out of catastrophe's way. “Sasha (Shahid) didn't push Anusha away. He pulled her towards himself. Just in time, Actually it was partly my fault. My instructions went a little awry and Shahid and Anushka along with Vir Das and Chang. Anything could have happened, ” shudders choreographer Ahmed Khan and adds, “I hope we finish the song without more mishaps. This is the third electrical mishap that has occurred during the shooting. Fortunately nothing happened to Anushka. But what if Sasha had not pulled her out of danger's way just in time?” Anushka confirms the incident, “Yes it did happen. Shahid was quick to act. Luckily no one got injured.” The real-life hero plays down the incident. “It was nothing major, ” says Shahid. Incidentally this is the second time within a year that Shahid has come to his leading lady's rescue. During the shooting of Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminey Priyanka Chopra was riding a scooter with Shahid on the pillion when she lost balanced and fell. Her face would have hit the ground if Shahid had not quickly buffered the imminent fall with his hand to protect her face. “This is the sort of thing anyone would do, given the situation, ” says Shahid. Don't be too sure, Shahid. Decades ago when chivalry was far more active than now, Joy Mukherjee had to carry Asha Parekh. He couldn't take the weight and just dropped her. Poor Asha was bed-ridden with an injured back for three months.

Kissing men is not new for me: Aruna Shields

The slinky femme fatale of Hindi film ‘Prince’, Aruna Shields, is yet another British Indian lassie to set foot in Bollywood.

The actress is increasingly gaining popularity for her provocative kissing scene with the “Prince” aka Vivek Oberoi.

Aruna is the first lady to make Vivek’s cheeks turn red in reel life with her confident approach while shooting for the scene. The kissing scene is apparently Vivek’s first kiss in films.

On asking Aruna about her confident kiss scene, the gorgeous lady replied, “It was not something new for me; I had done such scenes earlier as well so the experience counts.”

In the action thriller Prince, she is tough espionage agent Maya who performs all her own stunts including bike bungee jumps and free falls.

Bold and fearless stunts by Aruna made the whole cast and crew go ga-ga over her daring attitude. Aruna is qualified in stunts like Fire-Arms, Martial Arts, Cable, Bikes & Cars, Scuba diving, sky riding and gymnastics.

Not only adventure sports, Aruna has got her feminine side intact too with dancing skills like belly dancing, dancing with snakes, Flamenco.

Kumar Taurani’s film ‘Prince’ stars Vivek Oberoi, Aruna Shields, Nandana Sen and Neeru Bajwa

After Ranbir, Salman gives personal attention to Sonu First it was Ranbir Kapoor who had his torso/abs contoured and hand-painted during Saawariya by his ever-helpful co-star Salman Khan. Now it is Sonu Sood who got the same personal attention from Salman.While shooting the tricky bare-bodied climactic combat scene in Wai for Dabangg Salman personally supervised his screen-adversary Sonu Sood's torso tanning. Says Sonu, “Everyone knows when two guys do an action scene specially if they're bare-chested, they work out harder before the sequence to make sure each one's body is in the best shape.” Salman has not only exercised rigorously for the climactic fight he has also made sure Sonu Sood looks his best on camera. Says Sonu, “We've been shooting the hand-to-hand combat for a fortnight. Every day Salman has been making sure I'm as comfortable with the action director S Vijayan's instruction as he is.” Salman went many steps further by giving Sonu Sood a lotion to highlight his torso muscles. Says Sonu, “We've been shooting in the heat on a set depicting a warehouse. Our fight is a free-for-all. We first combat with fists and then any weapon, instrument, hard object we can lay our hand on..It's the most dangerous fight Salman and I have done. Salman made sure I was comfortable and as protected and safe as possible.” Best of all, the star gave Sonu Sood a lotion to highlight and contour his torso muscles. Says Sood, “It's a suntan lotion which makes the abs glisten on camera so that your muscles look more contoured. Salman told me to apply it and my body looks better on camera than ever before.” Interestingly Salman had offered the same magic lotion to Ranbir Kapoor when the debutant shot the Jab se tere naina number in a towel for Saawariya. In fact Salman was not even required for the Saawariya song. He had nonetheless come on the sets and personally painted Ranbir's torso with the lotion before the song was shot. That explains Ranbir's contoured torso muscles in the towel song when in fact he has a wiry physique. Says Sonu Sood, “Unlike Ranbir who was in a towel the audience will see me and Salman like two rustic Biharis in Pyjama -kurtas. Salman plays a cop who thinks he's the unchallenged law of the region. I challenge him to a fight. We both slip off our kurtas and fight in full public view. As the fight gets more vicious the crowds are scared away.Only me and Salman are left, fighting. It's the most realistic climactic fight we've ever shot.”

Big B is true Indian, SRK just supports Pakistanis'

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Saturday hit out at the Congress after one of its leaders questioned the presence of Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan at the opening of the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link here. Describing the hugely popular actor as a "true nationalist", Thackeray attacked the "Congress's allergy towards him". Labelling the controversy over Bachchan as immature, Thackeray said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna that the actor was not a "thief, dacoit or terrorist" to be subjected to such "allergic" behaviour. "All this merely because Bachchan is the Brand Ambassador of Gujarat and he was earlier the Brand Ambassador of Uttar Pradesh. That too, by the Congress which has made Sonia Gandhi the party's 'Brand Ambassador' though she accepted Indian citizenship 17 years after her marriage with Rajiv Gandhi," he pointed out. A section of the Mumbai Congress had questioned the wisdom of inviting Bachchan to the inauguration of the second carriageway of the sea link in which he was seated next to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Thackeray said that Bachchan was a true nationalist who would sacrifice anything for India but Congressmen were more interested in promoting Shah Rukh Khan who had supported the participation of Pakistani players in the Indian People's League (IPL) cricket tournament. The Sena chief said that personalities like Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar occupied top slots in their respective fields because of their merit and hard work, unlike the politicians. "They are not dependent on some party leadership for retaining their chair. Nobody can unseat these personalities. But nobody knows when Chavan and his ilk can be dumped into the dust bin of politics," he said. Thackeray lauded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for inviting Bachchan to the function, saying that it added to the glory of the event. Thackeray said that Chief Minister Chavan was now worried about sharing the dais with Bachchan at the concluding ceremony of the Marathi Literary Conference in Pune Sunday. "Why this allergy towards Bachchan and treating him like an 'untouchable' if he is the Brand Ambassador of Gujarat?" Thackeray wondered. He said if the Maharashtra leaders had concern for the state, then the Tatas and Ambanis would not live in Mumbai and make all their investments in Gujarat. "Amitabh hasn't committed a crime by attending the event. Bachchan belongs to this country and will remain so, and for this he does not need the certificate of some Sonia Maino," Thackeray said.

Priyanka finds managing 7 husbands most difficult

National Award winning actress Priyanka Chopra says her role in "Saat Khoon Maaf" is the toughest project she has ever taken up.

"I have been so lost... this film... 'Saat Khoon Maaf' is taking the mickey out of me... the most difficult role of my life, " Priyanka, who won the best actress National award for her powerful performance in "Fashion", wrote on her Twitter page.

"Saat Khoon Maaf" is being directed by Vishal Bharadwaj. In the film, Priyanka has seven husbands - while Naseeruddin Shah plays her oldest spouse, Neil Nitin Mukesh has just been signed to play the youngest.

The actress was previously seen in Bharadwaj's production venture "Kaminey".

Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji fool Delhiites

Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji had to shoot in old Delhi's crowded areas for No One Killed Jessica. But how could that possibly happen without a mob surrounding them when Rani and Vidya are both such popular names?

Director of the film, Rajkumar Gupta, who earlier made the Rajeev Khandelwal starrer Aamir, wanted to shoot the film on real lanes with hidden cameras. He wanted to shoot Vidya and Rani as part of the crowd to give an authentic feel to the film.

He did the same thing with Rajeev while shooting for Aamir in Mumbai. The candid shots with hidden cameras give a better look to the scene. He hadn't realized the security risk he was undertaking when he asked Rani and Vidya to do it the same way.

He wanted to shoot in jam-packed lanes where vans wouldn't be able to reach and not usual areas like Chandni Chowk. But he was suddenly very unsure of his plan when they reached the location in a van.

He reveals that he was only able to do the shoot only because they assured him. The two actresses got into the crowd and shot for a while until people began to recognize them.

Before the problem got out of hand, they would rush into the van and then leave for another place in old Delhi.

Salman's jail secrets

Qaidi No 210 to expose Salman's jail secrets

Salman Khan's jail life is all set to inspire a film called Qaidi No 210. According to a daily, producer Ranjit Sharma has started the research work on his ambitious project and met Salman's former prison mate Mahesh Kumar Saini to throw some light on Salman's life in the jail.

Mahesh and Salman struck up something of a friendship in the three days they spent together in Jodhpur Central jail.

Talking to news daily, Sharma said, “I spent quite some time researching the subject and met many people in Jodhpur Central jail. That’s where I also met Mahesh Kumar Saini, a murder suspect.

I told him to get in touch with me whenever he was released. He got in touch some months ago and he has given me details about Salman’s stay in the jail. Chirag Patil, son of former cricketer Sandeep Patil, will play Salman.”

However, Mahesh, who is still awstruck by Sallu and told. “All I can say is that Salman is one of the nicest human beings I have ever met. I know for a fact that he is innocent. I can’t reveal more because he had told me everything in confidence, but Salman never fired that shot (which killed the Chinkara).

He is going through hell to save someone else. I don’t think he ever expected this incident to become such a controversial matter and that even political bigwigs would play dirty. But one day justice will be done.”

Several interesting observations by Mahesh may also inspire the star's character in the film.

“Salman is addicted to coffee. He wanted one cup every hour. He hardly ate anything except the chocolates his brother Sohail had given him. He had many visitors. The ones I knew were his sister Alvira and brother Sohail. On the second night, I made soyabean and we ate together,” Mahesh added.

Sex Guru Swami Nityanand is Vivek Oberoi's Guru

After the Swami Nityanand sex scandal thickened with the emergence of another sleaze video showing the Swami with Tamil actress Yuvarani, a majority of his disciples, both from Bollywood and the South Indian film industries, have been trying to disassociate themselves from him.

Vivek Oberoi was one of the Swami's disciples and had been his follower from 2005, after his aunt introduced him to the spiritual guru. Now, Vivek too is trying to distance himself from the Swami.

According to sources, Vivek had been meeting the Swami regularly for a few years now. He, like all of the Swami's believers, was shocked when the scandal emerged.

Vivek had been floored by the Swami when he first met him because he found it surprising that someone who was as young as Nithyanand could be an influential spiritual leader.

Vivek had nicknamed Nithyanand 'cool dude swami'. He mainly met the Swami at the latter's ashram in Bidadi, near Bangalore. He also kept in touch with him through phone and text messages.

Vivek admits that he had a wonderful learning experience at the spiritual workshop at the ashram. He states that he has only met the Swami twice though. The actor doesn't wish to comment on the scandal until everything is clear.

I have a special bond with SRK but he isn't better than Amitabh

Amitabh Bachchan may be respected the world over as the biggest Bollywood star but his actor-politician wife Jaya feels "Dilip Kumar was the last super star".

"I don't believe in super stars. Anyway, I think there are no super stars now. Dilip Kumar was the last, " said Jaya during an interaction with women journalists here.

Jaya said among the current lot of Bollywood actors she has a special bond with Shah Rukh Khan.

"I have a special bond with Shah Rukh as I played his mother in a film ("Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham"), " Jaya added.

Asked if Shah Rukh was better than Amitabh, she said: "Of course not... you are asking a wife."

Asin dating Neil Nitin Mukesh?

Neil Nitin Mukesh who recently broke up with his childhood sweetheart Priyanka has found the perfect recipe to nurse his sore heart. The Bollywood hunk is keeping himself busy in the company of sizzling hotties and the latest addition to the his list is Asin.

The two were spotted together at a dinner date and according to some sources the chemistry between the two suggested that Asin and Neil are not merely friends but more than that.

“A few days ago, he went with Deepika Padukone to watch a film at Juhu. Last Friday, he was spotted in a suburban five-star restaurant with Asin. The two looked very, very comfortable with each other. They came together, they left together, ” the source claims.

When asked by a leading daily, if he is dating Asin, Neil said, “I am not dating anybody. I am single and enjoying my single status.”

But Neil confirmed his dinner date and told that he and Asin had been longing to have dinner together for some time but could find time only last Friday.

Talking about his outing with Deepika, he said, “She is a good friend and a co-star in Pradeep Sarkar's film. She and I went to see Karthik Calling Karthik, where she plays the female lead. Big deal, man!”