Upen Patel’s debut film was Abbas Mustan’s 36 China Town which released last year. Upen’s performance in the film was highly appreciated by the masses. And now, he is busy shooting for two major films. One is Vipul Shah’s Namastey London which also stars Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif and Suneel Darshan’s Shakalaka Boom Boom which stars Bobby Deol, Celina Jaitley and Kangna Ranaut.
A light hearted romantic tale about a 60 something chef played by Big B and a gorgeous woman who frequents his restaurant [Tabu], CHEENI KUM is certainly going to be one cinematic moment due to the sweet and salty incidents shown in a highly impressive promo.
A film that promises to keep a smile on your face throughout its duration, it has Paresh Rawal as Tabu's father. Especially hilarious is a scene when Big B asks Paresh for his daughter's hand for marriage. Watch it to believe it!
Shot in India and UK, the film is produced by Sunil Manchanda [co-producer of SALAAM-E-ISHQ] and also stars Zohra Sehgal in a key role.
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We all know that Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar are good friends and when Karan invited Shah Rukh to be the guest on his show Koffee with Karan, Shah Rukh decided to return the favor by inviting Karan to be the first celebrity contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Karan Johar will be playing the game along with their common friend, Farah Khan. This episode will be shot today and it is reportedly going to be telecasted on February 11 as a Friendship Special episode.
Karan Johar says that he is not prepared for it and will just go on the sets and play. This will be the first time that Karan will appear on KBC as participant. Last time he was seen among the audience supporting his friend Shah Rukh when King Khan participated as a contestant on the same show which was then hosted by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan.
Besides, Karan and Farah, the other celebs who will be appearing on KBC include Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar for Brother-Sister Special and Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan for Valentine’s Day Special.
Preity Zinta, one of the leading heroines of Bollywood is celebrating her 32nd birthday today.
This gorgeous Aquarian stepped into the tinsel town in 1998 with Mani Ratnam’s ‘Dil Se’. Since then, Preity has given a string of notable performances in films like Kya Kehna, Dil Chahta Hai, Koi Mil Gaya, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Veer Zaara, Salaam Namaste, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Jaaneman.
She may not have swept the boards at the award functions, but her acting in films like ‘Koi Mil Gaya’, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ and ‘Veer Zaara’ got her critical acclaim besides a few best actress statuettes.
Happy Birthday, Preity !!
"It's a huge honour. I am humbled," the actor told the Daily Mirror in an interview published on Wednesday, three days after her triumph on 'Celebrity Big Brother'.
The 31-year-old also revealed she planned to extend her stay in Britain and was on the lookout for love.
The Daily Mirror said Shetty had been invited to a reception to mark Commonwealth Day on March 12 where she would come face-to-face with the queen.
She was also due to meet Blair and other ministers at the House of Commons, Britain's lower chamber of parliament, on February 7, the tabloid reported.
Shetty is hot property thanks to her appearance on the reality show, which grabbed international headlines amid fears she was being mistreated by a handful of fellow contestants.
"The row has been politicised but why wouldn't I want to meet Tony Blair?" Shetty told the Mirror.
The actor, whose Bollywood career had come off the boil, is tipped to make a fortune from her new international status.
In contrast, the three celebrities accused of tormenting her on the show, reality TV star Jade Goody, singer Jo O'Meara and model Danielle Lloyd, have spent the past few days giving tearful interviews and explaining their side of the story.
Shetty was called a 'dog' on the programme. A few of the housemates refused to learn her name, referred to her as 'the Indian' and 'Poppadom', and Lloyd said: "She should fuck off home. She can't even speak English".
Life after 'Celebrity Big Brother', however, looked bright for Shetty, with the Mirror reporting she had been approached about writing a book, appearing in films and on television.
The actor said: "I'd love to do a cookery show called: 'If Shilpa Can. Anyone Can'.
Turning to her love life, Shetty, who still lives with her parents, told the paper: "I'm single and I'm ready to mingle."
But she warned potential suitors they would face a grilling from her father before being allowed to take her out.
Shetty added: "I'm a pretty low maintenance girlfriend, all I ask for is that he buys me lots of diamonds!"
Ambassador of France to India Dominique Girard presented the award to Bachchan in the presence of his wife Jaya, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law-to-be Aishwarya Rai.
"This is to mark his achievements spanning an illustrious period," the diplomat said, adding that Bachchan was given the award for his "contribution to Indian and international culture."
Speaking on the occasion, Bachchan said it was an honour that he accepted on behalf of the whole of Indian cinema.
"It is an honour which fills me with great pride. It is rather a recognition of manifold achievements of Indian cinema, that I am part of," he said.
Established in 1802, the Legion d'Honneur is conferred on French citizens and foreigners for outstanding achievements in either culture, science, industry or the military.
A film 'March of the Penguins', directed by French director Luc Jacquet, for which Bachchan has given a Hindi voice over was also screened on the occasion.
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A lot of speculation is doing the rounds regarding Aamir Khan’s home production ‘Taare Zameen Par’. The 45 day schedule has apparently gone beyond 120 prompting many in the media circles to talk in hushed whispers. Never mind. Knowing the perfectionist Khan, the end result will be worth all the toil. Hopefully. But the whisper that is gaining credence is that Aamir Khan is all set to replace Shahrukh Khan in the forthcoming ‘Dhoom 3’.
Another bit of rumour doing the rounds is that Akshay Kumar shall be playing the negative role. Now, considering that John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan made the ‘bad’ look oh-so-cool in the first two versions, it seems like a distant probability that Aamir shall opt for anything less than the best for himself in brand Dhoom that is exceeding all expectations of box office grandiose.
Watch this space for more….
Returning to one of his favorite banner after 15 years Anil Kapoor is highly excited to play a negative role in this film. The film is titled Tashan which means ‘style’ and will be directed by Victor. Other details of the film are yet to be revealed. Anil however adds that he is not afraid to play a negative character and will do enough justice to his role.
His latest release is Nikhil Advani’s Salaam-e-Ishq that came out last week, which is one of the biggest multi-starrers in Bollywood.
Shilpa, 31, the first Indian to participate in the British TV show, was reportedly paid in excess of 40,000 pounds for her participation.
"She was leading all the betting sites," Shilpa's publicist Dale Bhagwagar told.
Shilpa's being on the show, which started Jan 3, didn't make as much news as the racist slurs hurled against her by her housemates, namely British contestant Jade Goody who has since been voted out by the audience.
Housemates Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara seemed to have ganged up against Shilpa during her stay. She became the subject of their snide and biting comments because of her svelte figure, poise and charm, good dressing sense and background as a popular Bollywood actor.
The racist comments caused outrage in India and Britain, with the issue figuring in the House of Commons and feminist diva Germaine Greer, and even two Indian ministers, demanding corrective action.
Shilpa, who made her debut in Bollywood with the 1993 super hit "Baazigar" which also starred reigning superstar Shah Rukh Khan, never managed to touch the skies as a star. Her slinky dance numbers were more appreciated than her emoting.
But now her popularity ratings have soared suddenly - thanks to the controversial reality show.
"Hollywood film offers have started coming in. Apart form the US and Britain, offers are coming from Spain and Singapore too. Also, the Indian film industry suddenly seems to have woken up to the new Shilpa," said Bhagwagar.
Other contestants who participated in it were Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine, A-Team star Dirk Benedict, Donny Tourette of punk band The Towers of London, ex-Steps star Ian "H" Watkins and "Kenny Everett" Show actress Cleo Rocos.
From being the “Shilpa who?”, she has now come to represent "beauty with dignity and poise" - from the least popular housemate in the reality show, Shetty became a victim of racism and thus, is now the top contender having survived yet another eviction. Shetty’s friend and confidant Jermaine Jackson, is proving to be her biggest competition on the show.
According to the betting pundits, Shilpa is still leading, but next in line is Jackson.
Support for Jermaine could stem from two reasons: firstly, he comes across as the least controversial resident in the house and second, the British TV audience might not want to make an example of Shilpa after the racial row and support Jermaine who also happens to be of coloured decent.
Expectedly, the racist row has been as a blessing in disguise for not only for Shilpa, but also for the show since its ratings are now soaring. The channel chief Kevin Lygo has gone on record to say:
"This was in danger of being the most boring Big Brother that we'd had in many years.... and then suddenly this argument erupted, which was taken on by the media and erupted into this extraordinary story.”
As the show progresses, with Shilpa having to compete with her closest confidant in the house, viewers of the show can look forward to some more fireworks!
Soon after news of her signing a multiple film deal with Sanjay Gupta's White Feather Films, she has also signed a film with Salman Khan's secretary Vikas Kapoor's production 'Mera Bharat Mahaan' directed by Sameer Karnik.
Besides the innumerable offers that have come her way, Tulip is being very selective.
She has just signed a film opposite a macho star to be directed by a promising director erstwhile in the RGV Camp. She will soon be off to Mauritius to shoot for the film in one schedule in the next 15 days.
Tulip seems quite pleased with the way her career has taken off after a brief sabbatical since her critically acclaimed Mathrubhoomi.
Says the Big B, "its being done at the French embassy. And they're also screening the Oscar-winning French film March of the Penguins. It's an incredible piece of art. Very inspiring…We know so little about the behaviour of the penguins. Such massive research has gone into it. The film's director Luc Jacquet will also be coming. We'll first release the DVD, and then the film will be shown. I've given the commentary in both English and Hindi. For American audiences the English commentary had been done by that wonderful actor Morgan Freeman. But for India they wanted me in both the languages. After the film we'll move to another section of the Embassy for the Award."
He still remembers how the honour was given to him on his last birthday. "I'm deeply touched that the French government should consider me eligible for their highest civilian honour. I feel proud for my film industry and for the country to be representing them. India is now in the focus across the globe. It's wonderful to see Indian cinema getting noticed. That the French see someone from the Indian film industry as worthy of receiving their award is another sign of our growth."
Adding to the Big B's joy is the fact that his entire family will be there for the occasion. "Jaya, Abhishek, my daughter Shweta and son-in-law who are on Delhi, Amar Singhji and yes, Aishwarya. They'll always be there to share this big moment in my life." Adds the busiest star in the universe, "I feel very happy with whatever has happened in my life this year so far. First Abhishek's performance in Guru…then he has made up his mind to settle down in life. All my and Jaya's prayers are with him and Aishwarya." About the wedding date, "We haven't confirmed any date as yet. All the dates being mentioned is nothing but speculation."
If watching an interesting looking drama involving quest for power, intrigue, greed and some family secrets tumbling from the closets were not good enough reasons to watch EKLAVYA - THE ROYAL GUARD then add on one more to the list!
Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra have just shot an exclusive teaser promo of the third in the series of MUNNABHAI/CIRCUIT escapades after MUNNABHAI MBBS and LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI and are all set to unleash it on the big screen during the screening of EKLAVYA - THE ROYAL GUARD.
Both Sanju and Arshad have already shot for the promo in their trademark attire and are shown trying to learn the English language. Reason? They are off to America and the basic pre-requisite for them is to be familiar with the language.
As per the grapevine, Munnabhai and Circuit meet none other than George Bush in this sequel and what follows from thereon is yet another laugh riot!
There has been speculation that Akshay is dating a socialite from
When asked about the media report Akshay who is busy shooting in
Amidst the 'Celebrity Big Brother' controversy comes the news that Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty may soon co-host the UK version of a reality cricket show based on the 'Indian Idol.'
Shilpa is in talks with the Investors in Cricket, the owners of the 'Cricket Star' television show, a PRNewswire-Asianet release said in London on thursday quoting the producers of the show.
"Cricket is a racially integrated sport across the world, and ignites huge passion in India. While it is not the most popular sport in the UK, it is undergoing a large revival, and it is a critically important sport for the integration of British Asians in the UK.
Hence, Shilpa will be the perfect host," said Fraser Castellino, CEO of Cricket Star.
'Cricket Star' was launched on Indian TV last week and is presented by Shweta Salve, along with a host of cricket celebrities including Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly and England's Monty Panesar.
Rumours are rife that Bollywood sex-kitten Mallika Sherawat may star in Karan Johar ’s next film.
Though no official confirmation is available yet, but the rumours originated in a rehearsal of recent talk show, where Johar reportedly recorded talks with the sexy Mallika.
It was recorded in Dharma Production's studio recently, where the entire crew of Johar's production house and also their families turned up to watch the sultry actress in action.
Not only the crew and their star-struck family members, but also Johar himself has been floored by Mallika.
If the rumours turn out to be true, then it will be Mallika's first film with Johar, and needless to say, it will be a worth-watching.
"Isn't that something? Such a proud moment for all of us. I spoke to Deepa in Toronto after the announcement. Between the two of us, I can't decide who's more excited. We all worked so hard on the project. I worked on my diction, my body language…I even learnt to play the flute. "
John intends to join Deepa in LA to campaign for the Oscar. But at the moment he's looking forward to the release of Salaam-e-Ishq. "Though I got a lot of flak for my last release Baabul I'm quite happy with the way my career is going."
Speaking on Water John says, “Not too many people in India have seen it. And I didn't tom-tom it. It's such beautiful film. In Canada Water has catered to an all-white audience. And they were completely taken aback. We've never had reactions like that before. For them the whole concept of the film was alien. It's one thing for audiences here to call out 'John Abraham'. It was quite another when they did it there. I was proud. If I've to reach to a global audience I'd rather do it through a film on an Indian theme like Water.
John says he has had offers from abroad. "I've had offers. But I don't want to proclaim, like other actors out here, that I'm doing a Hollywood project. Here they don't seem to know the difference between Hollywood and any other international project. I wouldn't like to make a fool of myself by making such proclamations. There's no offer that I'd like to talk about. I'm considering some."
Is he doing Deepa's next? "Yeah…but we still need to finalize dates. Honestly, for the other role she needs Mr Amitabh Bachchan. Only he can do justice to it. He's a rock star. Mine is more a Bhagat Singh kind of a role."
In the video, Aamir Khan is seen as a college student and he also dances on the track Kehdu Tumhe from the film Deewar with his onscreen girlfriend in the typical Bollywood style. It is also said that Ketan Mehta signed Aamir for Holi after he saw the clips of this film. The director of the film, Indrajeet Singh says that Aamir was always very innovative and grasped things quickly.
This film has been lying in the library of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) for nearly 20 years now. Though Aamir was never a FTII student, this film has been safely kept with diploma films of other FTII ex-students like Jaya Bachchan and Subhash Ghai.
According to Ghosh, Bachchan will play an old but passionate, fading Shakespearean actor. He is planning to start this film in February. While this will be Amitabh Bachchan’s first full fledge English film, it can be recalled that Big B’s Black also was largely in English.
Bachchan’s releases this year include Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Ek Lavya-The Royal Guard, RGV’s Nishabd and Balakrishnan's Cheeni Kum.
The wait has just got longer for Indian audiences who want to see Deepa Mehta's Water.
"The negatives of films have not arrived yet and the release of the film will be delayed," said Sanjay Bhutani, business head of BR Films, which is distributing the film in India.
The film will be released on March 23, instead of its earlier release date February 23.
The Oscars will be given away on February 25 and if Water does bag the Best Foreign Language Film award, it will no doubt help its box-office prospects in India.BR Films acquired Water's distribution rights in India long before it was nominated as Canada's official entry for the Oscars.
The film, set in the 1930s, highlights the plight of widows in Varansi then. Starring John Abraham, Lisa Ray and Seema Biswas, the film has been in the making for the last seven years.
Bollywood star Aamir Khan could soon become a brand ambassador of chess in India to help the low profile game to gain popularity in the country of its origin.
Khan, who follows and plays chess well, would particularly be associated with the Chess Players Association of India (CPAI) and its activities, a CPAI member said.
"We are in talks with Aamir for some time and he has shown his keenness to become the brand ambassador of chess and help raise its profile in India," the member said to sources.
"If a formal agreement has not been concluded with Aamir yet, it is because we players are extremely busy playing tournaments as well as managing the CPAI affairs," the source said on condition of anonymity.
CPAI hopes the clean and popular image of the 41-year-old Khan, who has also taken social causes like supporting the protestors of Narmada Dam, will not only boost the profile of the game but will help bring in some money.
"Once Aamir gets involved with CPAI, we plan to involve him in promotion of the game and raise money through events so that needy players can be helped," the source said.
Kangana has a good laugh over that one. "First of all I don't need a bodyguard and that too one given by Aditya Pancholi? Why should he get me a bodyguard? If I need one I'll get one myself. Secondly Moin is a journalist and a dear friend and almost a guardian.
He's much senior to me and very small in physique and frail. If anything happens, I'd have to act as his bodyguard."
Kangana is tired of insinuations about her and Aditya. "I thought these talks would stop by now. Aditya and his family are very dear to me. Such nonsense is making things awkward for all of us. Aditya's daughter Sanaa and I go to Kathak class together. Adityaji treats me exactly like Sanaa. Why should we allow people to spoil things between us? It's even said that I live in an apartment belonging to Aditya. That's so ridiculous. I live in a rented place. And I plan to buy my own place as soon as I collect enough money."
Kangana is adamant about keeping romantic complications out of her life. "It's a big headache to have a boyfriend, whether he's more successful or less successful than me, a boyfriend is still trouble. I'm too free-spirited to run my life according to any other person's whims and fancies."
It seems the track was shot over two days in the blazing heat atop a yacht in Goa! Both Reema Kagti (the director) and choreographer Farah Khan did not want any pre-rehearsed steps so as to make the song look as real as possible.
The latter got the actors to let their hair down and come up with their own dance steps - the man who bit the bait instantly was Kay Kay Menon! An otherwise serious actor, he came up with the most natural and freewheeling moves putting the rest of the cast in absolute splits....the results are for all to see on screen!
HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT LTD releases worldwide on February 23. It is being distributed overseas by Studio 18.
In fact, the film’s shoot was stalled in Banaras by Hindu fundamentalists, which forced Deepa to shift her location to Sri Lanka with a different name and cast. Even when the film was making raves for its brilliant performances the Indian distributors were afraid to release the film due to threat from extremists. Water however, is finally releasing next month, in India.
Incidently, the Indian audiences can expect a bombardment of a variety of films on Feb 23, not one or two but eight films are supposedly to be released on the same day. The list includes Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Just Married, 1:40 Ki Local, Provoked, Chooriyan, Nishabd, Red and Water of course.
“King to sirf main hi hoon,” echoed SRK in his characteristic style as a contestant struggled to answer a question. The audience poll followed and the right answer was ‘queen’ for the game of carom. Hmmm…The verdict is loud-n-clear. King Khan has dissipated humungous speculation about his take-over as the host of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. And yes, not only is he a charming new dost-cum-host, the irrepressible Khan is one up on Amitabh Bachchan because of his wonderful camaraderie with the contestants, ready wit, great sense of humour (many a time at his own expense) and his gamble of being drastically different from Big B, works big time too. And Computerji has now become Compaq da, Compaq Guru or Mr Computer….And for Lock Kiya Jaye…Just look for ‘Freeze Kar Den’…The New KBC is hip, happening and fun…
At the stroke of nine yesterday, SRK kick-started this edition of KBC with a rap-pop number where he said tongue-in-cheek: ‘Mere Angne Mein Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai’.
The song tries to be cool but the tune could have been better. At the outset itself, he makes it clear that he would be speaking in a language that people are more familiar with thus thwarting the Shudh Hindi of its predecessor. SRK starts off question-baazi with the rollover contestant of KBC 2, Prasanjit Sarkar from Kolkata. He gelled with his wife, dished out a Bengali poem, wrote a check for him and also said that “I am so used to signing autographs that I was about to write Luv-Shahrukh….My wife is a strong woman, she doesn’t allow me to do things like writing cheques….”
For first fifteen minutes or so it seemed as if SRK is trying a bit too hard. But then he grew in confidence. “Don’t say I want to quit, just say….Shahrukh I want to hug you….Main aapko gale lagana chahta hoon…..” And the hug was warm. Genuine-n-prompt! And in this first big opportunity of getting to know the real
Bips is all set to associate herself with the business of real estate. She will be the brand ambassador for all of EMGEE's real estate projects in India and other parts of the world. She feels that corporate houses have now begun to understand that association with a celebrity will definitely help grow their brand.
Bipasha says that most of her property dealings are handled by her parents. She says that it is a good investing option and she personally would love to buy properties which EMGEE develops, be it Dubai, Goa, or any other place.
As far as films go, Bipasha's upcoming films include Ahmed Khan's Fool N Final, Ajay Chandok's Nehle Pe Dehla and Abbas Mustan's Mr. Fraud.
Abhishek's one-year endorsement deal with Ford India for its successful mid-size sedan Fiesta, which began in November 2005, is not being renewed.
"Ford India is no longer associated with Abhishek Bachchan. Our contract with him has ended in December 2006 and we are not renewing it," Scott McCormack, vice-president for marketing, sales and service, Ford India is quoted as saying in a news report.
The company is believed to be of the view that the Fiesta brand has acquired enough equity to thrive without an ambassador.
Some insiders, however, say the company was not ready to pay a higher price for Abhishek, who started out with a string of flops but has, of late, seen a sharp appreciation in his market value triggered by box-office success.
"The experiment has obviously worked very well, which is reflected in the sales of the car. However, the agreement was for a year and has not been renewed," the report quoted Sunil Doshi, who handles Abhishek's endorsements.
Abhishek had earlier had another short-lived endorsement deal for Maruti's Versa, in whose commercials he had appeared along side his mega superstar father Amitabh Bachchan.
When Shilpa Shetty's publicist was recently asked by ‘The People’ website in
“She is a perfect package of looks, figure, talent and intellect,” he added. Meanwhile, a search across blogs on the internet would reveal that fans have already voted for Shilpa to be a hot favourite for the next Bond girl.
“If her mind-blowing action sequences in last year's Bollywood movie 'Dus' are anything to go by, she is no less than
As for ‘Big Brother’, Channel 4 bosses are going to be having a meeting soon. For with the growing protests regarding racial abuse, it wouldn’t be surprising if the show is shut mid way. Watch this space for more on this news…
Cyrus and his family are Parsi, followers of a rarely practiced religion that is both small in number and neutral to religious politics. They are a middle-class family and live happily in a housing development, which is mostly Muslim. Cyrus has a beautiful wife named Shernaz. Strong and practical at times, it is only her inner strength that keeps the family going. Parzan is their imaginative 10-year old boy and Dilshad is his younger sister.
The lip lock had raised eyebrows and sparked off controversies right from the time the film released on 24th November last year. One lawyer had filed a legal suit against Hrithik and Ash. However, no formal action was taken against it by Yash Raj Films. But after the Bachchans formerly announced the engagement of Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, the kissing scene has been chopped off. Sources say that the Bachchans asked Yash Raj Films to chop the scene that shows their to-be daughter-in-law doing a bold smooch. Surprisingly, when director of Dhoom 2, Sanjay Gadhvi, was asked about this issue, he turned a cold shoulder to the media, saying that he would rather not comment on the issue. However, he maintained that his personal relationship with Yash Raj Films continues to be as it was, as he considers himself as a son of the Yash Raj family.
With the Ash-Abhishek wedding making headlines, it is only obvious that the Bachchan family wants to give a clean chit to their future bahu. It is speculated that Ash will stop working in films after she ties the knot. The duo has recently been seen together in movies like Umrao Jaan and Guru.
It is the D Day today for Shahrukh Khan. The Baadshah of Bollywood is all set to begin his second innings on television with Kaun Banega Carorepati (KBC).
KBC, India's most-watched television show will go on air from today (Jan 22, 2007) which was stopped due to Big B's illness. As Amitabh Bachchan denied to host the show further, Shahrukh slipped into the hot seat. But the question arises, whether King Khan will be able to carry the same magic created by Big B or not.
Having got into the Big B's shoes, Khan says, "I am very exited and thrilled. It is like coming back home as I am back to television. I promise to all my audiences that I will try to deliver my best according to my capabilities."
The show will start with the roll-over contest Prasenjit Sarkar. As Shah Rukh pops his first question at 9 PM today, it will be revealed to the audiences whether King Khan lives up to the comparison with Big B or not.
Bipasha tries to update her website as frequently as possible. "My public perceptions come through that site. I write a personal diary, though I can't jot down diary entries every day. The website has brought me closer to my audience. I've always been frank. But here I'm totally myself, exactly the way I want to."Bipasha Basu has gradually become a more aware citizen.
She's candid enough to admit Dhoom 2 was Hrithik's show. "We were all aware that Hrithik was the whole and soul of the film. Luckily there was no resentment. He worked so hard, no one could grudge Hrithik and his success. Dhoom 2 banked on Hrithik. The rest of us had it easier. But I must say we all have benefited from the success of Dhoom 2. People said they wanted to see more of me. That surely means they liked me in the film." After playing one double role in Dhoom 2 Bipasha will be playing another double role in Abbas-Mastan's next. "I like the space I've created for myself. I'm not success-obsessed. I'm a bit of a tortoise."
Says Bipasha, "2006 has been really kind. 2007 will see me in Goal first. We wrap up the entire film by April. There'll be no Bipasha release until April. I'm shooting for two Abbas-Mustan's films Mr Fraud and then Race. The one is a comedy. The other is a sport-centric thriller."
Marriage in 2007? "For sure not. I've turned 28. I'm not ready for marriage yet. Everyone knows I'm committed to John. I don't hide it. But I've too many responsibilities right now. Even my partner isn't ready for the plunge. Hopefully when both of us are ready we'll get married. But yes, it's definitely on the agenda."
Strangely Bipasha's family is no hurry to see her married. "My family totally loves and trusts John. And his family treats me like one of them. Our family respects our relationship. They know we're not in it for fun…Or endorsements," she adds cheekily referring to the write-ups about their professionally beneficial partnership.
"Can you imagine a relationship for one measly endorsement? It's really funny. Now I get upset with insinuations only when a third party is brought into our relationship, or if my parents are hurt. They had once written I come from a poor family where there wasn't even a phone. My parents have given me so much in life. Our dad has given all three of us sisters everything we always wanted. I'm blessed with a family that's simple and funny. At home we're always sharing a joke."
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was Thursday given time till Feb 6 to surrender before the special court here that had convicted him for possession of arms and ammunition in the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings case.
While hearing the actor's application seeking to invoke the Probation of Offenders Act, the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Preventive) Act (TADA) also granted him time till Feb 6 to continue arguments seeking probation.
The act allows a convict to evade imprisonment on grounds of good behaviour and conduct.
Dutt's counsel V.R. Manohar argued that the actor clearly qualified for being let off on probation because of unblemished conduct during the 14 years of bail.
The TADA court had in November convicted Dutt under sections 3 and section 7 of the Arms Act, but absolved him of charges of terror conspiracy that led to the March 12, 1993 serial bombings that killed at least 257 people.
Dutt, who faces between five and 10 years in jail, had been given time to surrender till Thursday on grounds that he had to fulfil his shooting commitments of his under-production films and had to take care of his family.
This was the fourth reprieve for the "Munnabhai" actor since Nov 28 when Judge P.D. Kode extended time for him to surrender till Dec 19, then for two more days and then again till Jan 18 mainly to enable the actor to be with his teenaged daughter Trishala who has come from the US.
Sanjay, who already possessed licensed pistols, had acquired the AK-56 allegedly from underworld don Abu Salem's aide Ibrahim Mussa in January 1993 as he thought he needed an automatic weapon for self-protection.
He was arrested in April that year, a month after the blasts rocked Mumbai, on the basis of the statements of Salem and Sameer Hingora arrested a few days earlier. Sanjay has spent nearly 16 months in jail in two stretches since then.
The latest among the bigwigs pleading for leniency to Sanjay were thespian Dilip Kumar and former Mumbai sheriff Nana Chudasama.
Come 22nd January, 2007 you will see Rani in an advertisement for Goodnight Advanced-Acti as a true progressive house wife, who strives to maintain the ‘Happy Moments’ of her family.
The new and exciting launch of brand Good Knight Advanced Activ+ will be supported by an integrated marketing and communications act. The TVC which features Rani Mukherji will vividly recreate the Joy and Family Happiness on screen. With an evocative theme adding to the mood, the film draws the viewer into the world of joy and happiness as experienced by a progressive family
The TVC has been conceptualized by JWT, and designed by Mr. Mahendra Bhagat & Mr. Sunder. Cinematographer of the movie Guru, Mr. Rajeev Menon has directed the TVC.
This is one of the hottest news today. Last year, Warner Bros. had announced that Hollywood actor Johnny Depp was to star in film adaptation of Gregory David Roberts's novel Shantaram. The film was then to be directed by Peter Weir, but he later opted out of the project. However, now, Mira Nair has been finalized to direct the film. The film will be co produced by Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp.
Shantaram will be shot extensively, in Mumbai and also in Australia and North America. Eric Roth is writing the script of the film. Mira Nair however, is currently working on a small budget film which deals with the issue of AIDS. The film stars Shiney Ahuja, Raima Sen and Irrfan Khan.
In Friday's eviction round, Jade Goody, accused of making racist comments against her, was voted out by the public.
An overwhelming 82 per cent decided that Jade, Shilpa’s arch-rival in the reality show, must go. Jade was one of the housemates accused of making racists comments against Shilpa.
Jade had shot to fame after entering the show way back in 2002. The very show that made her career seems to have lead to her downfall too.
Even Jade seems to think she went a little overboard and after she was evicted, tried to do some damage control.
While Shilpa and Jade seem to have kissed and made up just prior to the eviction round angry fans didn’t want to forget Jade's indiscretion so easily.
“Poor Jade is not the brightest girl, she's made a bit of a fool of her self and the public have rallied against and taken her off the televisions before she causes any damage to the British reputation,” said a Big Brother fan, Cian.
Jade will now stay in a safe house for sometime due to security reasons and will also be questioned by police on the alleged racist comments she made.
“I think the police should investigate and call her to account, she needs to change her behaviour which is appalling, she needs to learn how to be politically correct,” says a Shilpa Shetty fan, Asha.
As expected, Jade was shown the door in a dramatic end to a dramatic week.
What remains to be seen is how Shilpa fares in the house without her nemesis and how Jade faces the world outside.
