Shahrukh Khan and Vishal Bharadwaj reunite

Ace filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan have patched up for good according to the latest buzz. The two had fallen out after Vishal refused to incorporate some changes that SRK wanted in a script that they were planning to work on together.

Finally, the two have buried the hatchet. Buzz is that SRK and Vishal had a meeting recently and they spoke at length about working together in future. The signs of patch-up between the two were getting apparent for some time now. When Shahrukh's wife Gauri Khan attended the premiere of KAMINEY, many had thought that King Khan is in a patch up mood.

Now, with the two heavyweights of filmdom striking a new friendship, let's hope this is the beginning of a new blockbuster in the making.

Priyanka injures herself AGAIN

It seems Priyanka Chopra can't get over her bad habit of hurting herself while shooting for her films. Now, in the latest list of injuries the actress injured her foot while shooting for Siddharth Anand's upcoming film ANJAANA ANJAANI in Bangkok.

According to reports it is a minor injury and while shooting for a scene in the ocean the actress unknowingly stepped on a pointed rock and hurt herself. Despite the injury the shoot was not stalled since the actress was back on her feet in no time.

In the past Priyanka has injured herself while doing stunts for DRONA and KAMINEY to name a few instances.

ANJAANA ANJAANI is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the lead.

Paa will release on 700 screens worldwide

Directed by R. Balakrishnan aka Balki, PAA, an AB Corp Ltd. presentation in association with Reliance BIG Pictures, is all set to cast an Auro spell worldwide. Come 4th December, Reliance BIG Pictures will release PAA in 700 screens worldwide, including print and digital. It will release in 20 countries worldwide, including India, U.K., U.S., Canada, U.A.E., Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and many others.

Idea Cellular had tied up with PAA for an activity based on 'Talk to Auro' concept, wherein callers can leave messages for Auro on an Idea number and in return receive calls from Auro on a pre-determined date. This will be promoted through a co-branded TV advertisement. Apart from this, ring back tones in Auro's voice and other value added services too will be available on Idea network.

Bajaj Allianz has tied up for an integrated TV advertisement on Child Plans, which has been interspersed with the film's promos and is currently on air on 24 prime television channels. BIG FM is on board as the film's radio partner.

The film has followed a week on week 360 degree marketing and promotion campaign, which kick-started with an innovative teaser and progressed to a novel and eye-catching promotion in multiplexes with Auro's on-screen photo slides, which read 'Please stand up for the national anthem or else I will tell my Paa', 'Please switch off your mobile phone or else I will tell my Paa' and 'Don't dirty the theatre or I'll tell my Paa' poster on trash cans.

On November 14, PAA's TV promos carried a special message wishing all viewers Happy Children's Day and a mall activation invited PAA with their children for day-long fun-filled activities.

Ben Kingsley Coming to Paa Premiere

Ben Kingsley who won accolades and award for Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi will be attending the premiere of Amitabh Bachchan starrer Paa on December 3 in Mumbai.

Ben Kingsley shares the screen space with Amitabh Bachchan in Leena Yadav's Teen Patti. A source reveals, ''Both the actors bonded really well on the sets and Mr. Bachchan has personally invited Kingsley to attend his premiere to be held in the coming week in Mumbai.''

The source continues, ''Ben is down in India for the IFFI festival in Goa. The Hollywood actor will be coming to Mumbai to attend the premiere. He is one of the special invitee on the guest list of Mr Bachchan.''

''Apart from the Hollywood actor Ben Kingsley attending the premiere, one will also see Aamir Khan who too is been personally invited by Amitabh Bachchan. One will also witness the unusual entry of the junior and senior Bachchan. On the film's premiere, Abhishek Bachchan who plays Big B's father in the film plans to pull off a small stunt. He plans to carry Big B piggyback to the film's premiere venue,'' adds the source.

Neil Mukesh and Genelia D'Souza on Filmfare Magazine

The first Filmfare issue of December 2009 has hit the stands and you can see the tall, fair and handsome Neil Nitin Mukesh as the pin-up boy along with the effervescent Genelia D'Souza on the cover.

The mag introduces them as Gen next stars who are “ready to sizzle”. Though we agree about Neil being a gen-next star, Genelia is not new in the industry. But we can’t blame the mag people as Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’s bubbly Aditi still looks like a debutante working to make it big in Bollywood. The gal has many releases coming up this year.

Talking about the styling of the cover, Neil’s mean look and Genelia’s striking pose fails to lure us. Nevertheless her short shimmery dress worked for the cover but retro hairstyle didn’t match up to it.

Timmy Narang and Isha Koppikar gets married

It’s wedding season in Bollywood. A week after Shilpa Shetty tied the knot with Raj Kundra, it was the turn of actress Isha Kopikar to exchange nuptial vows with her longtime beau Timmy Narang on Sunday.

The two got married at the ISKCON Temple in Juhu in a private ceremony that was attended by close family and friends. It was a traditional Maharashtrian style wedding that reportedly lasted for about four hours. Since the auspicious time scheduled for the wedding was 11am, it was a daytime wedding.

“I am very excited and I can't wait to get married,” Narang, a restaurateur, told reporters before entering the temple.

33-year-old Isha wore a red and yellow sari while the groom was dressed in a cream sherwani.

An official from the temple is quoted as saying: “They brought their own priest and we just provided the hall and the food. They had a booking here from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

A reception was later held at night at Narang’s residence.

Arya 2 Big Premire Show

The Arya-2 premiere shows that were screened in a couple of multiplexes in the city saw many celebrities and Tollywood stars checking out the movie. This movie directed by Sukumar, starring Allu Arjun and Kajal Aggarwal has generated a lot of hype considering the fact that Arya was a runaway hit. Arya-2 is one of the biggest releases of the industry after Magadheera.


Allu Arjun, dressed in a black blazer (and a sweater) was sporting glasses and appeared quite pleased when there was applause during his action and dance scenes. Arjun hopped theatres and screens to check out the response of the audience.

His cousin and actor Ram Charan Tej was seen appreciating the movie as well as Arjun’s acting.

Other celebrities who were spotted at the event included Daggubati Rana, Sumanth, Sharwanand, Allu Sirish, Madhushalini, Lakshmi Manchu, Bomarillu Bhaskar, Seenu Vytla, MS Raju, politician Sobha Nagireddy, Nikita, B Gopal, Meher Ramesh, Ajay besides others. Producer Aditya Babu was seen receiving the guests and chatting with everyone.

Saif In Love With Kareena (Too Much)

Saif Ali Khan got a few days off to himself and the first thing he did was to board a flight to Sydney. Yes Saif was missing Kareena Kapoor really bad, and decided to surprise her by landing up on the sets of Stepmom. This B-Town couple continues to be obsessed with one another and never miss an opportunity to spend quality time whenever their busy schedules permit. Incidentally, Bebo’s childhood friend Reena Pillai is getting married on December 10, and Bebo has promised her buddy that she will be in Mumbai in time for the wedding. Told ya, these two are all heart.

Mallika Sherawat to sizzle cricket

That’s Sunil Gavaskar, former India cricket great, wielding the willow as adjudicator of the CEAT Cricket Rating tonight — an event now recognised as the Oscars of Cricket in which players are rewarded for excellence in the field. Harsh Goenka, Vice-Chairman of CEAT, who pioneered this concept in 1995, believes cricket is a religion in India. And Gavaskar, agreeing with him, says that cricketers need all the encouragement and these awards do just that.
Having introduced the CEAT India Cricket Awards in 2007 and T20 Ratings this year, the event now covers the entire spectrum of cricket — from Tests and ODIs to T20 and Domestic matches

This year, the awards night will combine two factors that affect the Indian psyche – cricket and films. Bollywood hottie Mallika Sherawat will stage an exciting performance in this evening of ‘Cricketainment’ at Taj Mahal Hotel and Towers. The Indian and Sri Lankan teams will attend the event.

Winners of the CEAT Cricket Rating award in the past are some legendary players like Brian Lara, Saurav Ganguly, Jaques Kallis, Muthiah Muralitharan, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.

Deepika and Ranbir face rumours again

Told you a few days ago that Deepika Padukone is a very sensible girl. Well news from sources close to the lovely actress say that she may have split personally from Ranbir Kapoor but she is professionally still drawn to him. When these two young stars were a couple, some filmmakers had planned on making films with them. News has it, that at least one of those films (directed by a common friend of the couple) is still on. The mystery behind not revealing the name of the filmmaker who is planning on cast Deepika and Ranbir is being maintained because the film is in its’ formative stage and may not be announced till April 2010.

Isha Koppikar preparing for wedding

While Shilpa Shetty's wedding hogged the limelight, another B-Town hottie is preparing to tie the knot. Eesha Koppikhar will wed boyfriend, entrepreneur Timmy Narang today in an intimate ceremony. Speaking to Hyderabad Times on the eve of her wedding, Eesha betrayed all signs of nerves. In fact, she was excited to be getting hitched.

“Timmy is a very loving and sweet person. We've known each other for a long time. I’m not nervous but excited to be starting a new phase in my life with him,” said the bride to be. Ask her about the wedding preparation and the busy bee confesses that there is a lot on her platter. “I’m so tied up with all the last minute shopping. Plus I have to make sure that my close friends and family have received the invitations. It’s all so hectic,” said Eesha. While discussing her wedding, the topic of model Pooja Missra does come up. Days before the nuptials, Missra accused Eesha and Timmy of harassment. Considering the timing of the allegations, Eesha chose to maintain silence on the topic.

While preparations are on in full swing, one can’t help but question her on her plans on the work front. Her stint in television had her all excited and she does not rule out more TV offers in the future as well. “It was fun to be part of 100 % De Dhana Dhan. It gave our Indian wrestlers a global platform. Plus the shoot happened in South Africa which is an amazing and beautiful country.”

Her future in films too is a hot topic right now. Will she still be doing movies or sit back and enjoy life post marriage? “I would be doing films post marriage. In fact, right now my kitty is full with three projects - Right Yaa Wrong, Hello Darling and Shabri. Timmy has no issues with me continuing with work as he trusts my judgment totally,” quipped Eesha.

Aamir Khan and Salman Khan ARE friends

It is common knowledge that Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are bonding big time these days. Aamir too admits to his close friendship with Salman and says, “Yes, I am very fond of Salman. I also spend time with him whenever we can match our schedules.”

What is more interesting about the Khans apart from their friendship is the buzz about their nocturnal adventures. Rumour has it that when Aamir’s wife Kiran Rao is away at their weekend bungalow in Panchgani, the actor packs off the rest of his staff such as his personal assistant by around 9pm but retains his security staff.

A source says that when Aamir retains his security staff beyond midnight, it is a dead giveaway that he is going to be visiting his best friend Salman.

So what do these two forty plus actors do on their boys’ night out?

A common friend says that Aamir drives to Salman’s home in Bandra; where he parks his vehicle. Then Salman gets his red motorcycle out and the two go for a spin. Both their security staff follow them in their respective vehicles. After their nocturnal spin, they invariably land up either at Salman’s bachelor pad and have a round of drinks; or if Kiran is out of town, they land up at Aamir’s home.

And that’s not all. It is said that Aamir, who is currently on a diet, is known to break his resolve on nights that he is with Salman.

The Aamir-Salman friendship also extends to having special previews of their films for each other. Aamir had a sneak preview of Ghajini for Salman and Sachin Tendulkar. After the trial, Salman had given Aamir some suggestions on ‘changes’ to be made; which Aamir incorporated into the film.

Anyway, this time around too, Aamir who is currently in Delhi will hold a special screening of 3 Idiots only for Salman. Of course the trial is likely to happen only after December 3, because Salman, Katrina Kaif, Sridevi, Celina Jaitley and Neha Dhupia are expected to perform for a show in Dubai on December 2.

Guess, sooner or later, even Salman will hold a special screening of Veer, which is slated for a January 22 release next year, for Aamir too.

3 Idiots Important For Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra are obviously, the top actresses in Bollywood. Despite their popularity, how do they stand commercially?

While Katrina has two recent successes in the shape of NEW YORK and AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI to boast of, Priyanka too has FASHION and DOSTANA to show and WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE? shows range as an actress.

Unfortunately Kareena is worse off with high profile recent setbacks in the form of TASHAN, KAMBAKKHT ISHQ (average hit), MAIN AURR MRS KHANNA and KURBAAN. Even last year's success, GOLMAAL RETURNS had many others to share credit with. So where does that leave Kareena?

Well, Kareena has an ace up her sleeve in the form of Raju Hirani's Christmas release, 3 IDIOTS, where she has for the first time Aamir Khan for company and indications are that she will have something big to smile about before the year is over!

Pyaar Impossible First Song Promo

The first song promo of "Pyaar Impossible" is out and the song is called "Alisha" and it is a nice song. It is surely going to make hype for the film and I like it because it is something different heard from Indian movies. Priyanka looks gorgeous. A must-watch.

John Abraham's New House

John Abraham has good reason to be excited. He has just acquired a new property at Union Park, Khar. John paidRs 19 crore to become the owner of Green Acre building, a four-storey structure with a built-up area of 10,481 sq feet.
The building stands just beside the bungalow of a well-known builder.

John currently lives at Hiten Apartments at Bandra West with his parents while his Bandstand bachelor pad is being done up by his father and brother, both architects.

According to sources, he might decide to shift to his new property, probably after replacing the four-storied building with a swanky bungalow.

Recently, John was spotted at the Bandra Kurla Complex base property registration office, where he had come with his mother Phiroza Abraham to register the new property.

He bought Green Acre building, situated at Union Park Road No.5, from Parvez Ratanshah, Havovi Khanna and Bhanu Ratanshah. They were seen with him at the registration office.

John paid Rs 95 lakh as stamp duty and Rs 60,000 as registration charges.

When we tried to contact people living around John’s new acquisition, most said they did not know anything about the deal. However, Narayan Rajput, sub-registrar Class II, confirmed the news that John had visited the registration office to complete formalities for the Khar property on October 8. “He also posed for photographs with fans,” said Rajput.

John was unavailable for comment.

Raj's Family Plans For Shilpa's Family

Celebrations are far from over in the Kundra household. After the elaborate wedding ceremonies and parties, Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty Kundra have exciting holiday plans even after their honeymoon.
Soon after the newly-weds are back from their honeymoon, Raj will take his as well as Shilpa's family for a Mediterranean cruise.

Shilpa says, "Raj and I are going to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. Once we return, Raj will be taking our entire family, all the Shettys and the Kundras, on a Christmas Mediterranean cruise. He thinks that everyone needs a break."

When asked about dividing her time between Mumbai and London, Shilpa says, "Why are people presuming that I am moving to London? I'll have two homes now and will be traveling to and fro."

The couple left for Tirupathi yesterday to seek divine blessings.

Mani Ratnam Wants Ranbir

Post the success of his films, Ranbir Kapoor has become the darling of every big director in Bollywood. Now, the latest one to be smitten by his charm is acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam. Buzz is Mani Ratnam is so impressed by Ranbir's acting skills that he is planning to cast him in his next film which is believed to be in the scripting stage.

According to the information available, the film is titled AZAN. Though nothing is known about the female lead that will be paired opposite Ranbir, buzz is that the film will go on the floors by August next year.

It must be recalled that this will be the first time Ranbir Kapoor will be part of a film that touches a muslim subject.

Saif Will Do Better With Agent Vinod

After reports that Saif-Kareena starrer film KURBAAN has not lived up to the audiences expectations at the box-office, buzz is that Saif Ali Khan is making sure that his next home production AGENT VINOD makes up for this lackluster performance of his film.

It's learnt that the actor-producer is taking no chances with his film AGENT VINOD and is making all efforts to make it his vehicle to rule the box-office. For this Saif is closely working with the acclaimed director Sriram Raghavan. Not only that, Saif is will be reminding us of his famous act EK HASINA THI with his killer looks in the film.

A source close to the film reveals, 'After KURBAAN'S lacklustre performance Saif is focusing all his energies on AGENT VINOD. Not only does the film assume significance for being in the hands of an acclaimed director but also for its plotline. Now, Saif, who's is one step short of ruling the roost in B-Town is making sure that AGENT VINOD delivers the final punch that sends the box-office statistics bowing under his feet.'

Fire On The Sets of "Aisha"

A major mishap was averted on the sets of Anil Kapoor's upcoming film AISHA which stars Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol in the lead.

According to reports a fire broke out on the sets of AISHA which is being shot in Mumbai's film city at the moment. The cause of the fire is thought to be an electric short-circuit. Though no one was seriously injured but some people escaped with minor bruises according to the reports available.

The Abhay Deol-Sonam Kapoor starrer film is produced under Anil Kapoor's banner and is expected to become a turning point in Sonam's career.

"Rocket Singh" doesn't need much promotion

Banking on Ranbir Kapoor’s recent success at the Box Office, Yash Raj Films have decided to slash their budget for the upcoming Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year. Yes, agar Ranbir hai to kya gam hai.

Seeing the success of Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, YRF people are confident that Ranby’s upcoming film Rocket Singh doesn’t require much publicity.

As a source was quoted by a tabloid, “YRF had kept aside a sum close to Rs 5 crore for the film's publicity. But when Ajab came out earlier this month and was liked, the think-tanks at the production house decided to tone down the publicity budget to a mere Rs 2 crore and are confident enough that the film will do well purely on its own merits and Ranbir’s presence.” However, one YRF official has declined such news and said every film has its “promotional strategy”.

Well looking at the Rocket Singh promo trailer, this may just be another Rocket for Ranbir.

The film directed by Shimit Amin is gearing for 18th December release and ‘Salesman of the year’ comes with guaranteed entertainment.

Raj Kudra and Shilpa Shetty seek divine blessings

They got married on Sunday, threw a lavish reception for Bollywood two days later. And today, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and husband, London based businessman, Raj Kundra offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near Tirupati.

The couple, who tied the knot recently, visited the temple along with other family members to offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara participating in an hour long celestial bath (Abhishekam) conducted every Friday to the main deity.

Temple sources told a news agency that the actress was not provided any VIP treatment, but was given priority in getting Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Guest House and ritual tickets.

The couple left for Mumbai after prayer ceremony. They are now headed for their honeymoon in the Bahamas.

The 34-year-old-actress got married to Kundra n a glittering ceremony at Khandala on November 22.

"De Dhana Dan" review

"De Dhana Dan" has received quite a lot of good reviews. Not just that, but it has taken a great start at the box-office. The start isn't a bumper like "Love Aaj Kal" or "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani", but it did reasonably well and should do well on Saturday and Sunday which are holidays. De Dana Dhan opened well in its morning shows. The collections for the first few shows were on average in the 70% region. At many places the collections were excellent with full and near full houses while some places in Bengal and South had collections in the 50-60% region. E Square in Pune had a 77% start with first show having 450 tickets sold from a possible 584. At Wave Ludhiana the film opened to 100% collections in first two shows with collections being 29,680 for each show. Indore opening ranged from 70-100% while Ahmedabad was 60-70%.
Reviews (Apunkachoice):
Hats and caps off to Priyadarshan. Just when we thought that comedy - stifled in Bollywood by the silly slapstick we’re served in the name of humour - is dead, shrouded, coffined and buried, Priyadarshan the saviour strikes form and resurrects it in his latest screwball sit-com De Dana Dan.

Unlike the rib-ticklers that are solely propped on the charm of either Akshay Kumar or Paresh Rawal, in ‘De Dana Dan’, the script and story is the hero. It’s a comedy of errors based on mistaken identities in a mad melee of oddball characters that cross paths inside a hotel in Singapore. The cobweb of confusion is created with such craft that gags keep flying and whizzing by endlessly - left, right, up, down…de dana dan! And you come out of the theatre with every cell of your body giggling with joy.

It’s all about money, honey! Nitin (Akshay Kumar) wants money to free himself from the clutches of his authoritarian maalkin (Archana Puran Singh) and marry his rich GF Anjali (Katrina Kaif). Ram (Sunil Shetty), a courier delivery boy, too wants money to marry Manpreet (Sameera Reddy), daughter of an industrialist. And Harbans Chadda (Paresh Rawal), a serial conman posing as a millionaire, wants to marry his good-for-nothing son (Chunkey Pandey) to any rich girl whose father is willing to open up coffers for dowry.

After their respective lives hit the rock bottom, Nitin and Ram decide to kidnap someone important (not telling who?) to make some easy millions as ransom. But the kidnapping goes wrong as the duo check into a hotel where preparations are underway for Manpreet’s wedding.

Add to this melee a number of screwballs like a testosterone-driven, middle-aged lecher (an appropriately cast Shakti Kapoor) desperately looking for sex, or a nit-wit cop (Sharat Saxena) looking for the conman, or a prostitute (Neha Dhupia) waiting for a client, or an assassin (Johnny Lever) who carries chloroform bottles, or a bumbling waiter (Rajpal Yadav) on the verge of losing his job, or a harried father (Tinnu Anand) out to find his runaway daughter (Katrina), or a local don (Asrani) with a dead body nobody’s willing to take.

It’s a mad, mad world out here in this Singapore hotel.
The best part about ‘De Dana Dan’ is that gags aren’t just mindlessly stitched together but flow out of situations that arise out of mistaken identities. Full credit should go to its crispy script laced with punchy dialogues from Jay Master and full credit to Priyadarshan for executing it with his masterly skill that makes the movie a hell of a rollercoaster ride, leaving the audience doubled up with laughs.

Yet again, Akshay brings a lovable goofiness to his character even though he’s locked inside a wardrobe for a substantial chunk of the second half. Sunil Shetty is okay while Paresh Rawal and Manoj Joshi bring the house down with their remarkable bonhomie. The ladies, Katrina, Sameera and Aditi Govitrikar (as the money hungry wife of Rawal) are more of eye candies, though Neha Dhupia does get to shoot off a few smutty dialogues. The supporting cast chips in with fine performances.

The movie’s pace slackens a bit with the song ‘Paisa’ which, though a hummable ditty, acts as a bump in this joyride. Also the flood in the climax doesn’t add as much to the humour as it could have.

These sores apart, ‘De Dana Dan’ is the best comedy of errors to have come out of Bollywood in a long time. Anyway, it’s much better than the comedy of terror we saw last week.

Go for it. It’s loaded with fun.

Where is "Gale Lag Jaa"?

Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif share blockbuster chemistry in the De Dana Dan steamy number 'Gale Lag Ja'. But for all the eager fans hoping to soak-in the fireworks, there's a twist in the tale. "I am keeping the song away for a little time. It will come in the theatres maybe after three or four days. It's my bonus," says director Priyadarshan who is very confident that the film will strike Platinum at the Box Office.

De Dana Dan is a very important film for Akshay considering that his last four releases of the year, Chandni Chowk To China, Tasveer 8X10, Kambakkht Ishq and Blue have failed to add luster to his career. But the positive reports carried by De Dana Dan may just help him end the year on a high. "I believe I'm a part of Akshay's success. And I strongly believe that he has always stood with me and I've paid him back. This time also I'm 100% sure that I'll pay him back. I have had only one actor like him in my life and that is Mohanlal. He never asked me any time what are you doing with me. He never even asked me what the story of the film was. When someone trusts you like that then you have to pay it back. I have tried hard to do that and I hope God will be with me," says Priyadarshan.

De Dana Dan releases in theatres across the world today.

Aamir Khan Taking A Break?

It looks like it will be another year at least after 3 Idiots and his own home productions Dhobi Ghat and Delhi Belly before Aamir Khan will sign another new film.

Since the release of Ghajini in December 2008, Aamir has not signed on the dotted line for any project. In fact Aamir had decided to take one full year off after Ghajini to rejuvenate himself. After the tough physical and emotional preparation for Ghajini, Aamir just wanted to relax and spend time with his wife and children.

That's precisely what he has done for the last one year. But now Aamir would be taking one more year off. This next one year would be devoted to putting his three home productions in order.

Says a source, "Aamir had earlier decided to take one year off. But now he has decided to extend his sabbatical by one more year. Filmmakers who have approached him with projects have been told that Aamir intends to take approximately one more year to supervise the post-production and final look of the three films that he has produced in 2009, namely Abhinay Deo's Delhi Belly, Anushka Rizvi's The Falling and Aamir's wife Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat."

Aamir feels, all three projects need serious fine-tuning and have been delayed because he has been busy finishing and promoting 3 Idiots.

Says the source, "The only way Aamir feels his three productions can be completed and released in 2010 is if he sets aside all his own acting assignments to look into them. So he isn't signing any films in 2010 either."

Says the source, "It requires guts to say no to the best roles going around in Bollywood, and at a reported fee of approximately Rs 30 crores per film. But Aamir suffers no security pangs about not signing films. He told a friend he will work at his own pace, no matter what the temptation or provocation to take on extra work may be."

Vivek Oberoi Speaks Out

You have got some good reviews for your role in Kurbaan.
Yes. I have not stopped smiling since the film's release. At one of the trials, Bebo (Kareena Kapoor) and Saif (Ali Khan) did tell me that I was good in the film. Then Karan (Johar) and Rensil (D'Silva)also told me the same thing. I had not seen the film till then as I was shooting in Hyderabad. It was a nice feeling when Karan told me 'finally you make me proud.' I saw the film just a day before its release and I had knots in my stomach. I was very nervous but I was with people who have always been kind to me. There were Shah Rukh and Gauri, Imran and his fiancée Avantika, Yash uncle, Davidji (Dhawan). They all hugged me and said I was good.

• Why have you not done a romantic film after Saathiya?
Honestly, I really don't know. Kurbaan has got a romantic track but Mission Istanbul and Shootout At Lokhandwala had zero romance. I have not done an out-and-out romantic film and I am really looking forward to doing one.

• People are saying that you have changed and that you want to leave the controversies behind and concentrate only on your work.
I wanted this for a really long time. However, after Shootout ... things did not fall in place. Almost four years ago, when I did Omkara, I saw Saif getting under the skin of the character Langda Tyagi. I loved the work ethics. That's when I thought that I should stop doing what I was doing, but I had a backlog to finish. Then my close friend Amit Chandra sat me down and helped me streamline my life so that I could practically achieve what I was trying to. Now, I have learnt not to take anything for granted.

• How did Ramu and you patch up?
I don't think patch up is the right word as we were never at loggerheads. I will never have the audacity to say anything against Ramu and as an artiste, I will always be indebted to him for giving me Company. But when he called me and told me 'I will never work with you again', I was shocked. Now, when he called me and said that he had something for me, I was so happy. When I met him, he said that he could see the same passion in my eyes again and gave me Rakta Charitra. I felt exactly the same on the first day of Rakta Charitra that I felt on the first day on the sets of Company. Ramu made me feel so comfortable.

• You have done some amazing stunts in Prince, something which you are not known for.
Yes. Kookie Gulati is quite a whiz kid. I did so many things that I cannot possibly explain — right from learning how to skateboard, doing parkour, learning cable work, to action training. I had to put so many things into my system that after the training session, things became easier.

• You have said that you are done with apologising to people.
I made a mistake and it is human to make mistakes. Personally, I think it's humbling and it's also building character to stand up and say I made a mistake and please forgive me. It is always an ego-based thing to say that why should I apologise. It is a real man who can say 'I am sorry' and that too in public. I have said sorry to the assistant director whom I was rude to, I have said sorry to the movie star whom I had a fight with and I even said sorry to the director I snapped at.

A.R Rahman perform at White House

Academy award winner A.R. Rahman performed at the White House on the occasion of Obama's first state dinner. Rahman performed along with his troupe in the presence of President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Besides Rahman, the high profile event also saw some brilliant performances by Jennifer Hudson (of Dreamgirls fame), Grammy winner Kurt Elling and the National Symphony Orchestra. In these pictures, Rahman is seen entering the White House amidst tight security and is later seen posing along with his band.

Raj-Shilpa grand reception in Mumbai

Shilpa Shetty now Shilpa Kundra and Raj Kundra threw a lavish reception for their guests at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai on Tuesday evening. The who's who of Bollywood was present on the occasion to wish the newly married couple. There was a huge buzz in the banquet hall when she Shilpa and Raj arrived hand in hand. Shilpa donned a golden outfit designed by Tarun Tahiliani and with matching jewellery is from Anmol jewels. Raj Kundra sported a impressive black Sherwani. The impressive guest list included Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and his wife Gauri. Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Roshan, Rani Mukherjee, Fardeen Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Sameera Reddy, Amisha Patel, Kangana Ranaut, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar, Vivek Oberoi, Govinda, Rekha and Jaya Pradha among others. IPL boss Lalit Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi were also present on the occasion.

Shilpa and Raj made sure that their guests could have no complaint about the food. The menu included a selection of Indian, Western (Italian) and Asian (Thai and Chinese) cuisine served at live counters. The big attraction of the evening was the nine-tier wedding cake weighing over 80 kgs consisting of chocolate
, candied fruits, fruit peels and nuts. The decoration chosen by Shilpa and her sister Shamita Shetty, consisted of flowers and butterflies. RDB and Rishi Rich performed free of cost during the reception.

Salman Khan was suppose to attend, but he was unable to do as he was shooting for "Dabbang".

Salman dedicates his Veer blog to his father

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has come up with a unique birthday gift for his writer-father Salim Khan on his 74th birthday Tuesday -- he has decided to pay tribute to him with a blog on his upcoming movie "Veer". Produced by Vijay Galani, "Veer" will be released worldwide Jan 22 by Eros International.

"It is Salman's dream project. When we discussed the idea of blogging on his experience shooting for the film, it was Salman himself who suggested that we launch the blog on his dad's birthday," said Galani in a statement.

"In fact, Salim saab is one of the few people to have seen the rushes of 'Veer' and loved it. Since it has a father-son relationship, Salman felt it was apt to launch his blog on his dad's birthday," he added.

The producers are also trying to push Salman to pen his thoughts at least twice a week. "The blog is in Salman's own words. The blog will be written by him... It will be about how Salman thought about 'Veer', how it started, its hurdles, etc... We are trying to get him to blog everyday but if that's not possible, he will update it twice a week," said Galani.

Directed by Anil Sharma, the much-talked about film is about the bravery of a Pindari soldier and features Salman in never seen before avatar along with newcomer Zarine Khan. Former Miss UK Lisa Lazarus too plays a pivotal role in the film that also stars Mithun Chakraborty and Jackie Shroff along with Sohail Khan and Bharat Dabholkar.

Ranvir Shorey and Konkona Sen Sharma KAPUT

Rumour has it that the four-year-long relationship between Konkona Sen Sharma and
Ranvir Shorey has hit a rocky patch and that that their impending wedding, which was to be held in December, has been called off. The couple was living together at Oshiwara, Andheri.
A source said, “Konkona and Ranvir had been going around for quite some time and they were extremely serious about each other. Despite their hectic work schedule, Ranvir would make sure that he was always present wherever Konkona used to shoot and similarly, Konkona would always make time for Ranvir.

Everything was fine between them and they had also finalised a December wedding. However, something went wrong and the marriage has been called off, at least for the time being.”

“There is definitely something wrong between the two and there is a big question mark over the status of their relationship. No one is aware except a few close friends and immediate family members as to what exactly led to the break-up. Both Ranvir and Konkona love their privacy and this is precisely why they never spoke about their relationship even while they were seeing each other all these years. It is highly unlikely that they will speak about their break-up,” added the source.

Another source said, “Ranvir’s entire family is based in the US and getting all of them to come together in December at such a short notice was proving to be difficult. That’s why the wedding date was never announced officially.”

Konkona did not deny the news and said, “I don’t speak about my private life.”

On the other hand, Ranvir got extremely upset and questioned us about who our source was. When asked if the news was true or not, he said, “I have no comment to make.”

Lara Dutta in a bikini once again

Unlike her film, Lara Dutta won a round of applause from everyone as she showed off her chiseled body in a bikini in Blue. And she is now cashing in on it. In her next film, Sajid Khan’s Housefull, she will show off her fabulous body in a bikini again. Lara says, “Let’s just say that there is an ocean dive in Housefull.”

Lara adds, “I didn’t have a choice about the bikini in Blue. I couldn’t possibly go underwater in a burqa, could I? I worked hard on my physique, and it did generate interest.

For Housefull, there’s a water sequence. So the swimwear is back. It’s not like I’m getting into a bikini for the heck of it.”

Tell her that her films are falling like nine pins at the box office and she is quick to defend them, “Sometimes you take a decision based on whim, and not logic.

Blue and Do Knot Disturb sounded like fun. Now I have Housefull which is a fun caper.

It gives me another chance to be a comic actor. Shooting for Housefull with my favourite actors Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh and Boman Irani was fun.”

Jacqueline Fernandez career going down

Jacqueline Fernandez, who made her Bollywood debut in Aladin, was signed for a film by Sabal Shekhawat opposite John Abraham. Now it seems that John and Sabal, who are close friends, are having second thoughts about having Jacqueline as their lead actress. A source said, “Jacqueline was finalised for this untitled film before Aladin released. At that time, Sabal was still in the scripting process and thought that Jacqueline was suitable for the role. John too thought that she was the right choice.”

“Sabal’s film is a thriller and requires a glamorous and sporty actress. Although Jacqueline fits the bill, Sabal and John are now considering other options.” added the source.

Sabal said, “Nothing has been finalised yet. We had a couple of meetings with Jacqueline but we haven’t arrived at a conclusion.” Is he looking for a younger face? “No. On the contrary, we are looking for an older face,” he replied.

“We had finalised Jacqueline but there are several other aspects to look into, like the film’s budget. We are in talks with several studios and only once that is settled, we can talk about finalising the lead actress,” said Sabal.

Isha Koppikar and Timmy Narang exchange rings

Eesha Koppikhar and Timmy Narang exchanged rings on November 24. The beautiful ceremony took place at the palatial Narang house. The ceremony was a very intimate one, attended by only family members and close friends. Eesha looked extremely radiant and couldn’t stop smiling throughout the ceremony. Her clothes for the ceremony were designed by Anita Dongre. The engagement was followed by mata ki chowki at his residence.

Bollywood Stars Graced Shilpa's Wedding Reception

Shilpa Shetty’s wedding reception was quite an affair for Bollywood. Although not many actresses were spotted, top actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan graced the occasion. While Bachchan came in with his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai , Shah Rukh Khan was accompanied by his wife Gauri Khan. IPL commissioner Lalit Modi was probably the only cricket representative at the reception. Both Bachchan and Shah Rukh were mobbed inside and outside the venue. A witness said,
'It was almost a stampede inside the venue, all the guest just ran after Bachchan, poor Sanjay Khan got pushed to the corner.’’

The media’s favourite, Shah Rukh Khan, too faced the same problem. He almost hurt himself by a boom of a television channel. " He got a little irritated but spoke to the media. He in fact escorted a lot of his other friends out of the venue,’’ said a witness.

Sanjay Dutt’s wife, Manyata Dutt, walked in with her friend Amisha Patel (both in saris). The two of them hung out together. The two of them walked in at the same time Vivek Oberoi entered, while Amisha and Vivek exchanged pleasantries, Manyata just walked a little ahead probably wanting to avoid Vivek for reasons best known to her.

Mana slipped away when Vivek Oberoi approached them, he gave Amisha a nice hug. Kangana almost tripped on the stairs, she even said,`` You guys have a story for tomorrow about me tripping.’’

One expected Akshay Kumar to be at the reception, but the actor was not invited by Shilpa who probably didn’t want some uncomfortable moment on her wedding day. The actor who was returning from Ahmedabad after the promotion of his new film De Dana Dan went home straight. Salman Khan apparently kept himself absent and the rumour was that he was not well.

Shilpa’s other heroes Govinda and Suniel Shetty too made an appearance. Fardeen Khan, Karan Johar walked in with manish Malhotra (he designed her engagement saree), Ritiesh Deshmukh too was spotted. Madhavan was seen with his wife.

Meanwhile, the couple after a couple of hours of being on stage and cutting a huge multilayered cake stepped down and moved around the reception hall meeting almost all the guest present at the venue.

Salman Missed His Dad's Birthday

At the moment Salman is not happy with life at all. For the first time Salman Khan wasn't able to attend his father's birthday on November 24.

This year, Salim Saab turned 64, and the Khan parivar had planned to make it a grand celebration, what with Wanted being a huge moneyspinner for Salman. Dad's birthday and son's success would've made for a grand bash at the Khan's residence.

Unfortunately, Salman and Arbaaz are in Wai on the outskirts of Mumbai shooting for their home production Dabangg. And there was absolutely no way Salman could be allowed to return to Mumbai even for a few hours.

That left Salim Saab on his birthday with only son Sohail to keep him company.

Says Sohail, "I guess I got lucky. I got Dad all for myself on his birthday. Much as Salman and Arbaaz would've liked to be with Dad, there was no way they could leave the shooting in Wai and return on Tuesday for Dad's birthday without disrupting the schedule. We were just three days into the shoot and it couldn't be stopped."

While Salman seethed in Wai, Sohail drove back to Mumbai on Monday to bring in their father's birthday and to convey Salman and Arbaaz's best wishes to their father.

Says Sohail sentimentally, "The whole family makes it a point to be together by hook or crook for our parent's birthday. Anyway, Dad believes work comes first. But Salman and Arbaaz are very unhappy about the situation."

The family is getting ready for the release of Veer on January 26. "That's a big project for us," says Sohail. "We've worked really hard on it. After Dabangg, we want to start Partner 2. Everyone keeps telling us sequels ka zamana hai. Look how well the sequels to Golmaal have done! But until we're sure that the script will take us beyond the first Partner, we can't go ahead."

The entire Partner team is working on the sequel's storyline. "All of us, Salman, Govinda, David Dhawan and I, have been told to work on an idea. We'll go ahead with Partner 2 the minute one of us cracks the screenplay. Right now Partner is hot, and Salman Bhai is hotter," says Sohail proudly.

Priyanka Will Kill Her Husbands

She is selecting her films after a lot of consideration; Priyanka Chopra won’t make wrong moves. She is all set to play the wife of seven husbands in Vishal Bharadwaj’s next film.

As a tabloid reported, in the film Priyanka plays an Anglo-Indian woman who has seven husbands and eventually kills them all. The film is based on a short story by Ruskin Bond. “It’s Priyanka’s toughest role to date. Her character is extremely volatile. It will be an out-and-out thriller,” a source is quoted to have said.

In fact, Vishal who is repeating PC for the second film wants her to look simple, like the way she did in Kaminey. The movie is going to be Vishal’s first woman-centric film and no doubt he has given Priyanka a film that many actresses would love to grab without thinking twice.

Celebrated writer Ruskin Bond along with Vishal is writing the screenplay for the film. And as revealed by the tabloid, according to the movie’s yet-not-finalized script, PC will come up with ingenious ways of killing her seven husbands and “an overdose of viagra will bump one of her old husbands off.”

The film goes on the floors next year.

Sameera Wants To Get Married on a site?

This one came as a shocker to us. Sameera Reddy, the hot and sensuous belle of Bollywood, searching for a groom through an ad on a matrimonial website? No way!

But there was the ad, specifying all the details that matched Sameera’s - her birth date, her vital stats, her family background and even her profession. And the way the ad was formatted, it gave the impression that Sameera is desperate to find a hubby for herself.

Of course, all this turned out to be hogwash when Sameera herself confirmed that the ad hasn’t been put up by her.

It appears that some miscreant is trying to play a bad prank by posting the ad, pretending as Sameera. Not just this, the prankster has even posted Sameera’s actual picture in the ad.

Sameera laughs when queried about the ad before replying that she can find a groom for herself without posting an ad on the internet.

Salman does not want David Dhawan

Over the years, Salman Khan and David Dhawan have been known as one of the most successful actor-director jodis in Bollywood. Together they have Salman Khan given hits such as Partner, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Biwi No 1 and Judwaa. However, some cracks have appeared in their relationship. Buzz is that Salman has refused to let producer Sajid Nadiadwala get David to direct the remake of the South film Kick, titled Sanki in Hindi, starring him in the main lead.

A source reveals, “Sajid has got the rights of the Telugu super hit Kick and has finalised Salman to star in it. Sajid spoke to David Dhawan to direct the film but when Salman heard that David was being considered, he flatly refused to be a part of Sajid’s film. He is not keen to work with David and wants somebody else to direct the remake.”

The source continues, “Salman is upset with David for several reasons. He really wanted Partner 2 to take off soon but there is no sign of the film from David’s end. On the contrary, David went ahead to direct Hook Ya Crook with John Abraham, who Salman can’t stand.”

Sajid Nadiadwala says, “I acquired the rights of the film a month back. Salman will be playing the lead. I am still in the scripting process and have yet to finalise other details.”

When asked if David will direct the remake, Sajid says, “I haven’t finalised anything. David is obviously the first name that comes to mind but I haven’t spoken to him as such.” When asked about Salman refusing to have David on board, Sajid says, “I don’t speak to Salman about my directors. It is untrue and purely a rumour. David and Salman are a winning jodi and have given so many hits together. David is a veteran director and it is in bad taste if someone says that they are having problems.”
David says, “Sajid hasn’t mentioned anything about directing any film.” When asked about Salman not wanting to work with him and wanting some other director instead, David says, “I haven’t even received a call from Sajid about this. It’s best if you speak to Sajid to get all the information.”

Akshay Kumar songs banned at Shilpa

Shilpa Shetty might not have invited her ex-boyfriend Akshay Kumar for her wedding on Sunday at Lonavla, but the brass band, which was invited to Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra play just a few minutes before her pheras, had certainly not forgotten her earlier close association with Akshay.
At around 3 pm, the bandwallahs started some popular Bollywood music by first playing a song from the Akshay Kumar-Shilpa Shetty starrer Dhadkan outside Kiran Bawa's bungalow, which was the wedding venue. They had hardly played for a minute, when a few people (obviously instructed by the Shetty and Kundra family) came running out of the bungalow and asked them to immediately stop the band music.

An eyewitness says, "The band members were shocked and were wondering what went wrong. They looked quizzically at the people who were ordering them to stop the music of Dhadkan but all that they got in return were harsh glares. At this point they were categorically told, 'Akshay ki film ka gaana mat bajao'."

After that, the band members were sternly instructed by those who had told them to stop the music, to stand aside and not play until further orders. They were also told that they would have to thereafter run the list of songs they would be playing all evening, past them. The dejected band stood aside just a few metres away.

"They started playing a fresh batch of songs only around 5 pm, and this time, of course, they didn’t have any Akshay song on their list," says the eyewitness.

"It was quite a hilarious situation. Imagine the crestfallen band on one side and the livid guys who came running out from the bungalow. We wonder what was going on in Shilpa and Raj's mind at that moment when this incident happened," adds the eyewitness.

Katrina Confirms That She Is Not Turning Producer

Katrina Kaif has denied reports of her turning producer with a remake of French film "A la folie...pas du tout" and said she is happy with the way her acting career is shaping up. "I have no clue from where these rumours originate. It all seems to be coming out of thin air. There was never any indication by me in this regard," Katrina told IANS.

There were reports that Katrina was playing a student in love with a married doctor in the remake of the French film "A la folie...pas du tout" ("He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not"). While she urges him to leave his pregnant wife, he doesn't reciprocate accordingly.

"Well, sounds like an interesting story. However, any talk centred on the production of this film or any other movie for that matter is plain speculation," the actress said. Katrina lights up when the talk veers to the super success of "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani". "Well, yes, we have got an amazing reaction for the film. Honestly, that was never really expected. Hence the way it has opened and sustained itself so well is pretty much a pleasant surprise," said Katrina who teamed up with Ranbir Kapoor in the romantic comedy.

She is aware that now suddenly everybody feels that Katrina and Ranbir make the hottest on-screen pair and should be seen in more movies. "Of course, if a good film comes in, I would love to do a film with Ranbir. However, I can't just look at my co-star - I should have an amazing role, the script should be good and so should be the director. Even if one of these anchors fall down, the movie can't be expected to fetch great results," she said.

Katrina would be next seen in Priyadarshan's "De Dana Dan" opposite Akshay Kumar that releases this Friday. For someone who was written off six years ago after the release of "Boom" (2003), she has indeed come a long way with more than five hits in two years. Does she get impacted by people's adulation?

"Frankly, I take it all with a pinch of salt. One can never get too carried away in this industry because at the end of the day, it doesn't achieve you anything at all. The best way is to look at the work you are doing and continue to make careful choices," Katrina said.

"MY NAME IS KHAN" opens with "Avatar"

From the time Karan Johar's Shahrukh Khan & Kajol starrer MY NAME IS KHAN has associated with 20th Century Fox Star Studios, it has opened new avenues for Bollywood in Hollywood!

And now setting a perfect example of Hollywood meets Bollywood, Fox Star Studios have planned to unveil the first look promo of the much anticipated Bollywood film MY NAME IS KHAN with Hollywood biggie AVATAR, directed by James Cameron (of TITANIC fame). This action adventure, which is made under 20th Century Fox banner, opens globally on December 18, 2009.

It must be noted that Fox Star Studios will distribute MY NAME IS KHAN in India, while Fox Searchlight will distribute in the U.S. and 20th Century Fox will do so in the rest of the world.

John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez helps out!

Bollywood actor John Abraham is following the footsteps of Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt. While Pitt helped rehabilitate those displaced by cyclone Katrina in New Orleans, Abraham is building homes for poor families in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The actor joined Habitat for Humanity's annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project this week and worked alongside volunteers including actress Pooja Bedi and Jacqueline Fernandez.

The Bollywood trio helped build and repair homes in partnership with low-income families in need of decent housing, a press statement from Asianet said.

“It's great being part of the building process,” said Abraham, who was named a Habitat Global Hero for his work in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

The greatest thing about Habitat for Humanity, Abraham said, is its revenue model, with homeowner families helping to pay for houses for future families.

“I find this really special,” said John about the initiative.

Shilpa got Adnan out of bed

Adnan Sami in hospital all of last week for stones in his gallbladder was startled when Shilpa Shetty stormed into his hospital room to invited him for her wedding reception.

''I don't care how many stones you have inside you. Just make sure you're there on Tuesday,'' Shilpa said before Adnan could react to the beauty who had appeared in his pained condition.

Chuckles Adnan, ''I thought I was hallucinating in my drugged state. Why would the bewitching Shilpa suddenly show up in my room? Only later did I get to know her father was in the same hospital for suspected malaria. But it was very sweet of Shilpa to invite me.''

Now Adnan intends to drag himself to Shilpa's wedding reception on Tuesday. ''I owe it to her, never mind the pain. I've gotten used to it.''

For Adnan besieged by domestic crises for the last one year beginning with marital problems and illnesses culminating in his father's death, the gall-bladder surgery has been the last straw.

''It was red-hot deja vu. I was back at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital where I had spent so much of my time earlier this year nursing my father. It was eerie. But now I'm recovering well. My mom, brother and son are here to look after me.''

Adnan's music recordings had to be cancelled last week. ''I had been ignoring the growing pain. I paid for it.''

Saif Ali Khan & Anil Kapoor in Race 2

A lot has been spoken and written about RACE 2. Now here's the latest on the film. Abbas-Mustan have finalized the script of the film, which is currently being given finishing touches. As for the star cast, the sequel to the super-successful film will star Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in principal roles. Akshaye Khanna may not feature in the film because he was shown dead in the first part.

Meanwhile, one more lead man - a top name - is expected to be signed shortly. Also, producer Ramesh Taurani is planning to sign three leading ladies, all known names, for this film.

RACE 2 is expected to roll in March/April next year. "We will start RACE 2 once Saif is through with AGENT VINOD," producer Ramesh Taurani divulges.

Rensil D'Silva Upset With UTV

UTV, the co-producers of the just-released Kurbaan, have gone and dubbed into Hindi a crucial English-language class-room discussion on Islam and the Western world featuring Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi and a large group of Caucasian Asian-American students in Hindi.

Upset by this linguistic liberty taken in his film, Rensil says, ''The white students speaking in Hindi sounds so artificial. I'm upset in many ways, this discussion of Islamic fundamentalism and America is the crux of the theme. Dubbing it in Hindi takes away from its seriousness.''

Rensil doesn't claim ignorance to UTV's plans. ''They had assured me that the dubbing was only for a very small number prints that would go in the Hindi belt where English is not understood.''

Instead UTV has dubbed the vital sequence in 500 prints of Kurbaan. Explains UTV's CEO Siddharth Roy Kapoor, ''It's an important scene for the audience to understand as it details out the core debate in the film. In order to not alienate a non-English speaking audience we've dubbed this scene in certain areas.''

Rensil feels especially let down since he has not once compromised on the spoken language of the film. ''Saif, Vivek, Kareena and Diya speak in a mixture of Hindi and English. Kirron Kher too has her own speech pattern. It's only in the crucial scene that the linguistic integrity is compromised.''

Veer Theatrical Promo Releases Tomorrow

Aamir Khan the perfectionist has been setting the trend for quite some time now, the latest being the fashion in which he unveils his films and following in his footsteps is the Salman Khan starrer Veer. Eros will be holding a press conference tomorrow where the promos of the film will be unveiled.

Producer Vijay Gilani confirms the development. "Yes we will be having a press conference on the 25th of November wherein we will be unveiling the film as well as the promos." When asked about following Aamir's style of publicising films, he says, "No. I am not following him. In fact I don't even know what was done to unveil 3 Idiots, this concept I had planned a long way back."

Gilani adds, "Once the promos are launched, we will have a four minute promo of Veer run during every screening of De Dana Dan, scheduled to play at every theatre and multiplex that has the De Dana Dan prints."

Salman, whose film Veer releases on January 22 next year, has also launched the film's blog today. Though the launch was a quiet one sans the usual flamboyance, it remains special. "You see today is Salman's dad Salim Khan's birthday, so he has planned this like a sort of gift to his father since the film is also based on a father-son relationship."

The unique aspect here is that Veer has been scripted by Salman Khan himself. After years of research, Salman inked the story of what was to be his "dream project", which is also being touted as one of the biggest Bollywood films ever made. The film is set in the era of 1880 and is based upon the love story of a warrior "Veer" played by Salman himself and his clan of barbaric warriors "Pindharis", who were fearless warriors of the 19th century. While the story is written by Salman Khan, the screenplay and dialogues have been given by Shaktimaan and Sailesh Verma.

Raj and Shilpa poses after marriage

Photos of recent newlyweds Raj Kudra and Shilpa Kudra posing after marriage:

"Kurbaan" does average business

Kurbaan has made no impact at the box office over its first weekend. The film opened to an average response and did not show a pick up on Saturday and Sunday.

The collections on Saturday were similar to Friday and Sunday did not show a big jump as collections were just a bit higher than Saturday. Business is best in premium multiplexes in metroes with other multiplexes being well below the mark. Business in single screens is poor.

Kurbaan grossed around 14 crore nett including 1 crore plus business from paid previews. The weekdays are likely to show a big drop going by Sunday figures and the week should close in the 18-19 crore nett region.

RGV: "There Is No Sarkar 3"

"Can I please make one thing clear? There's no Sarkar 3. The series ended with Sarkar Raj. There can be no film in the Sarkar series without the Bachchans. It is unthinkable," says Ram Gopal Varma.

Ramu is baffled by the latest reports suggesting that he met Ranbir Kapoor for Sarkar 3. He doesn't deny meeting the in-demand star-actor. "I've met Ranbir Kapoor. And we've discussed some possibilities on what we can do. But Sarkar 3 is not one of them. I don't want to make any more Sarkar films. Not now, not in the future," says Ramu emphatically.

What Ramu has in mind for Ranbir is completely different. Though he doesn't admit it on record, the director wants to return to the intensely romantic language of Rangeela with Ranbir, after he finishes with his film on media and society Rann and the bio-pic Rakta Charitra on Paritala Ravi.

In the meanwhile, the sequel to Phoonk is being directed for Ram Gopal Varma by his assistant Milind Gadagkar.

"I've been busy with Rann and Rakta Charitra. So, Milind did Phoonk 2. He was closely involved with the first part of Phoonk," says Ramu.

Shirish Kunder speaks out...

Shirish Kunder speaks with Bollywood Hungama about the unexpected controversy happening in Bollywood over Farah Khan using Akshay Kumar in the new film "Tees Maar Khan". Farah Khan, who is doing "Happy New Year" with Shahrukh Khan, is directing the film:

Really, is it that big an issue which is being made out currently? Just like an actor has all the right to work with any director, same holds good for a filmmaker too, isn't it?
Forget the entire point around a director looking at working with his/her favourite actor. The point here is why are some sections of media hell bent on calling this as a war or something. It isn't as if Farah isn't working with Shah Rukh Khan at all. Her Happy New Year is still happening with him and it is pretty much a part of the plan. It's just that in the time available to her, she is plugging in another film that happens to be with Akshay Kumar. However, why is everyone trying to find a controversy here? It isn't as if Farah has dropped plans for Happy New Year and has replaced that with another film.

Perhaps all these talks stem from the fact that Farah Khan has been known for her affection towards Shah Rukh. Also, she is believed to have stated around the release of Om Shanti Om that she would work mainly with Shah Rukh, as apparent in her first two directorial outings (that include Main Hoon Naa).
Maybe, maybe. In any case, it was me who was supposed to direct Tees Maar Khan first. It's just that when Farah read the script, she jumped on it. She said - 'Wish, I could make this film'. The moment she said that, I gladly handed over the script to her. It's as simple as that.

Really, was it that simple?
Yes, really. See, anyways Farah and I were looking at getting a production house started and Tees Maar Khan seemed like a good opportunity to do that. What better way to do that than split responsibilities and have it as an entire in-house affair. I couldn't have definitely handled both production as well as direction departments. This is why I decided to get the show running by donning a producer's hat while Farah picked up the directorial reins. Tees Maar Khan is anyways a very Farah Khan kind of film!

What makes you say that?
You must have seen Om Shanti Om and Main Hoon Naa. You would certainly be aware about the language that she talks. Her films are meant to be complete masala entertainers that cater to all segments of audiences and Tees Maar Khan does exactly that. I am so convinced that we have the best case scenario here.

Was it equally challenging to convince Shah Rukh Khan as well who must certainly have been hoping to feature in each of Farah Khan films? Or was he not required to be kept in loop?
When I was writing Tees Maar Khan, I always had Akshay Kumar in mind. So there is no question of Shah Rukh feeling upset or anything. He knew about the film from the very beginning so obviously there were no questions to be asked when Tees Maar Khan was announced with Akshay. Now if someone out there wishes to get 1 and 1 together then we can't help that, right?

Well, this 1 plus 1 stems from the hot topic making the rounds that you and Farah went ahead and signed Akshay quietly because Shah Rukh had roped in Reema Kagti instead of you for his film The Zoya Factor.
Yes, even I read about this from papers. However, the fact is that I had nothing to do with The Zoya Factor. I wasn't even aware of a movie like this till I read about this so-called controversy. I have been so involved writing Tees Maar Khan that there is nothing else on my mind for all these years.

This is something that makes one wonder that how do you intend to stay away from direction for so many years. Your Jaan-E-Mann came 3 years back and now that you have got into production for Tees Maar Khan, it would be at least one more year before you get behind the camera yourself. Isn't the director in you craving to call the shots?
It is, it is (laughs). But then kya karen, we also have to set up our production house. Even that is important. Maybe when things settle down, I will fulfil my love for directing movies.

Perhaps you could get your first love of editing movies come in handy for Tees Maar Khan. After all before turning a director, you had edited quite a few flicks in the decade gone by?
(Laughs) Yeah, if time permits then why not? If I get involved in a project, I really get hands on. Like in case of Jaan-E-Mann, I had even done the background score. Though I really don't know how much time I will actually get for Tees Maar Khan. Running a production house is a full day job yaar!

So when do you get the film on floors?
That should be in March 2010.

And how about the leading lady?
We are still hunting for her. She could be an established actress or a new girl. We are open to both.

Grandma Not Invited To Shilpa's Wedding

Even as Shilpa got married to Raj in true Bunt style, there was an air of disappointment in her hometown, Mangalore. Sources close to the family at Mudalady said that while her maternal grandmother, Vijayakka, received the reception invite to be held tomorrow in Mumbai along with a saree worth Rs 10,000, she wasn't invited for the wedding, which took place yesterday. Her nani hails from Mudalady near Kateel. An uncle of Shilpa, on condition of anonymity, said while all close relatives were invited for the wedding yesterday as well as the reception to be held tomorrow, her nani didn't receive the wedding invitation card. Ever since Shilpa's wedding date was announced her family members at her ancestral house at Niddodi, Mudalpady near Kateel were fed-up with the constant media attention. They were often known to misguide media persons who visited the house to gather information on the actress's wedding.

Crying horse

Raj Kundra was in a hotel one and a half kilometres away from Bawa Villa, Khandala where Shilpa Shetty was waiting for the baraat. As the road connecting the two always has chock-a-block traffic, the police gave Raj permission for only a few minutes. As Raj's baraat was on its way to Bawa Villa, the ghodi stumbled. The horse's leg was a bit bruised and the loud firecrackers only added to its misery. They somehow managed to steady the horse and the baraat proceeded to the wedding venue.

Shilpa's governess on cloud nine

Among those who are excited about Shilpa's wedding in the coastal town, is Premakka, who worked for the Shetty family as a governess for Shilpa and her younger sister Shamita. She was more than happy that 'her child' is getting married. Premakka, who hails from Kinnigoli, was with the Shettys for almost ten years. Premakka also recollects meeting Shilpa when she visited Mangalore in 2007.

Post-wedding plans
Post the grand wedding reception in Mumbai tomorrow, the couple plans to visit the Oneness University, Chennai to seek the blessings of their spiritual gurus. They will then proceed to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

Shaadi business
Tarun Tahiliani had designed Shilpa Shetty's wedding outfit. The baraat took about 30minutes to reach the wedding venue. The wedding mahurat was at exactly 6.30 pm, which is considered very auspicious. Only 40 guests comprising close family and friends of the couple were invited.

No one from Bollywood was invited except for Vashu and Jackky Bhagani, who are extremely close to Raj Kundra. The couple went to Shilpa Shetty's Mumbai house after the wedding for the bidaai ceremony.

Urvashi Sharma won't do a nude scene

Compromise. That's the much used and abused word, especially when it comes to the entertainment world. More so when this world happens to Bollywood. A compromise could be presented in different ways and forms. It could be monetary, physical, mental or even psychological. In an industry where glamour sells, any form of compromise becomes even more visible, pertinent and perhaps even a bare minimum criterion for a step ahead in the career. Quite a few aspiring actors may fall in this trap, a few may agree to tread the path with their eyes open, some may remain oblivious to this while a select few may dare to say no.

Urvashi Sharma belongs to the last category.

The story doesn't belong to the primitive times. In fact it dates back just a month ago when things had actually started heating up for better in Urvashi's career. A couple of years after Abbas Mustan directed Naqaab, where the fair lady was noticed for her author backed role and performance, she went onto do a small but meaningful role in hard hitting Baabarr. She made her presence felt and as she awaited big banners to knock on her doors, she soon crossed over a few seas to see a British project landing in her lap.

The film was called The Bounty Hunter and it seemed like a perfect new beginning for Urvashi Sharma, who was also signed by Priyadarshan for a couple of films back home. She went gaga over the prospects of doing an English language film that boasted of a cast from across the continents. A big league pretty much seemed to be in the offering for the young woman who till then was enjoying her professional standing of being an established model for long and a face of 'hazaar' commercials.

However, this proved to be a dream that wasn't destined to be fulfilled. Just when she was about to sign on the dotted line, she was informed about a 'core requirement' in the film's narrative. She was asked to do a nude scene for the film, a compromise that she was certainly not willing to make for any movie, whether Bollywood, British or Hollywood. She reasoned with the makers (Endboard Productions) and argued if this scene was really that crucial for her to enact on camera. However, the production people and director Sunandan Walia had their own take on affairs. The leading lady in the film was required to go nude and there were no second thoughts.

The situation pretty much reached a roadblock with none of the two parties willing to compromise. Urvashi Sharma, with her Indian ethics intact, was quite sure that she wasn't willing to give in to the situation, regardless of the project promising to bring her up to an international platform. On the other hand, Endboard Productions felt that Urvashi's stand was unreasonable.

Also, they promised that the shoot would be done aesthetically. However, Urvashi being a newcomer in the industry was of course apprehensive about the entire affair. She chose to steer clear from this film without regretting her decision at a later stage. Even if this meant letting go off a plum acting opportunity in a film which is being funded by U.K. Film Council, she was unwilling to get into this compromise that could have had severe repercussions in her career.

After a period of ecstasy followed by mental turmoil, she finally decided to let the project go away once for and all and instead started concentrating on her Bollywood career. She was sure that after all the appreciation she gained from Naqaab and Baabarr, it was a matter of time before filmmakers started taking note of her presence in the industry. This may perhaps require some more wait but at least that would be on her terms rather than someone else's. She informed Endboard Productions about an end in their association and finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"It was a period of immense mental turmoil since I had earlier made up my mind to be a part of The Bounty Hunter. It seemed like a good career decision but going nude for a role was never a part of my agenda. Skin show and exposure is a part and parcel in the glamour world but come on, there is a limit to everything", says Urvashi who is quite clear in her mind about where to draw the line.

Well, regardless of a The Bounty Hunter or the lack of it in her work profile, one waits to see the beautiful lady come back into action. Who knows, there may be many more tumbling skeletons as Urvashi turns on the heat. This time on her own will and without any sense of compromise!

Katrina Dolls Arrive in India

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif's look-alike Barbie doll has arrived in the country. It was designed to mark Barbie's 50 years. Katrina also walked the ramp as the showstopper for the "All Doll'd Up" special show dedicated to Barbie at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai earlier this year. She sported a small pink dress designed by well-known designer Neeta Lulla's daughter Nishka. The 'Katrina Barbie' will be wearing the same design.

"I've been a part of the entire process of doll making and it's been quite fascinating. Since, I've been travelling out of Mumbai for the promotions of my movies; unfortunately I've not been able to see it yet. I'm really looking forward to see the doll as soon as I get back," Katrina said in a statement.

Gale Lag Jaa (De Dhana Dhan)

Akshay and Katrina have done a seductive number for Priyadarshan’s De Dana Dan. Usually, such seductive numbers are always launched first to get maximum eyeballs but surprisingly this song is still under wraps. Akshay and Katrina have done many films together but a song like ‘Gale Lag Jaa’ is something that's never seen before and their chemestry is sizzling hot. With Akki and Kat already regarded as the hit jodi of Bollywood, this song takes them one step ahead and makes them the hottest jodi of Bollywood, literally.

"Kurbaan" getting good reviews

The much-awaited release of the year — Kurbaan — which won rave reviews has been welcomed by the audience.Filmmaker Karan Johar is excited with the response that the film has garnered in its opening week. Not jut the weekend bookings, but even the paid previews saw a massive booking. The collections we hear are the highest this year. The Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer has made its mark at the box office this weekend.
Besides the huge opening, a astounding 1,500 prints were released all over India, which is among the highest ever released at one time. Karan has every reason to celebrate with this movie that saw Dharma Productions venturing into yet another genre and hitting the bull’s eye.

VIDEO: Raj-Shilpa sangeet ceremony

PICS of Raj-Shilpa Wedding

PICS from Raj-Kudra Sangeet-Mehendi ceremony