I would love to do more Bengali films: Bipasha Basu

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) She is known for her bold image in Bollywood, but dusky beauty Bipasha Basu will now be seen in a slew of non-commercial films like the Bengali 'Shob Charitro Kalponik', 'Pankh' and 'Lamhaa'. She insists she is not making any special attempts to change her image and would love to do more Bengali films if they are interesting.

'I like to do films that are entertainers, glamorous, fun, action and definitely realistic. There is no effort that I am putting towards an image change with non-commercial films. I just feel that in the Hindi film industry, where you look in a particular manner, people consider your USP as something and you get a little typecast,' Bipasha told IANS in a telephone interview from Mumbai.

'But I'm not trying to break any typecast. It's just that within the given limitations, I'm trying to push and taste everything a little bit,' she added.

Bipasha plays a Kashmiri girl in director Rahul Dholakia's 'Lamhaa', has a supporting role in arthouse film 'Pankh'' and in her just released Bengali film debut she plays a typical sari-wearing Bengali woman.

Asked if 'Shob Charitro...' marks her entry into regional cinema, she said: 'I don't like to do films where I don't understand the language; so I don't know about other regional films. I tried doing a Telugu film (2002) and a guest appearance in a Tamil movie (2005), but it was the toughest thing I've ever done.

'But Bengali films...for sure because I know the language... I'd love it if there are some interesting films or a filmmaker who would love to make one...they are more than welcome to approach me and I'd love to do it,' she added.

Produced by Big Pictures, 'Shob Charitro...' has been written and directed by Rituparno Ghosh and also stars Prasenjit, Jisshu Sengupta, Pauli Dam and Sohag Sen.

High noon for Hindi cinema

It's not like we haven't had cowboys before, you know.

Bollywood has a natural affinity for the Western -- heck, even Sholay's an out-and-out Western -- but we have admittedly shied away from wearing the showy Texan hats. Most of the time, anyway.

With Quick Gun Murugan ready to release, here's a look at Bollywood's gunslingers, our very own desi cowboys:

Akshay Kumar's son excited abut 'Blue'

Mumbai, Aug 27 Akshay Kumar's son Aarav is excited about his father's film 'Blue' where the Bollywood star plays a greedy, ruthless guy who spends most of his time underwater looking for treasure.

'Akshay knows Aarav will be kicked by the idea of his dad playing a champion swimmer and that too named Aarav after his son. In Aarav's eyes, Akshay is the true hero. To watch his dad play a man of dubious morals and grey aspirations would be a new experience for Aarav,' a source told IANS.

Akshay has earlier played a negative character in 'Khiladi 420'. But that was a double role with one of the twins turning evil. Besides Aarav wasn't born when it was released.

'It's true, Akshay plays a man who thinks getting what he wants is more important than how you get there. I wrote the character for Akshay. He was to be called Akshay Malhotra. But then when I saw that Akshay had tattooed his son's name on his back I decided to change the character's name to Aarav,' said Anthony D'Souza, who has directed 'Blue'.

Hanging out with Imran Khan

Imran Khan and his girlfriend Avantika pose during a visit to a multiplex in Mumbai on Thursday.
Image: Imran Khan and Avantika

After SRK episode, Salman Khan cancels trip to US

Learning lessons from Shah Rukh Khan episode, Bollywood star Salman Khan has cancelled his upcoming trip to New York to promote his latest movie Wanted, besides participating in the auction of his personal paintings to raise funds for his charity.

Organisers and promoters associated with the event cited Shah Rukh Khan's episode at Newark Airport early this month, where he was questioned by immigration officials and taken for a second screening, as a major reason for Salman to cancel his New York trip scheduled in early September.

The event was scheduled for September 3 in New York. The promoters were also in talks with local organisers in cities like Chicago, Houston and Dallas for his other events.

"However, after the Shah Rukh Khan event, Salman informed us that he would not like to take the risk of coming to the US at this point," an informed source involved with the planning and organising the September 3 event told PTI.

It is understood that Salman's decision was also propelled by what his aid alleged "the hard time" being given by the US Consulate in Mumbai in approving the visa of his close associates, including one of his family members, whom Salman wanted to bring along with on this promotional trip.

SRK gets Shahid, Priyanka, together for MJ tribute

Mumbai, Aug 28 (IANS) From Shahid Kapoor to Vishal-Shekhar, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has roped in the biggest names in the business for a music video to pay tribute to the late pop legend Michael Jackson.

Vishal Dadlani of Vishal-Shekhar duo told IANS that it was Shah Rukh's idea to get a tribute rolling for the music legend who passed away on June 25 this year.

'The entire world was upset about his demise and so were Shekhar (Ravjiani) and I. We happened to meet Shah Rukh and he also expressed his thought about doing something that would be befitting the stature of the man who entertained us for decades. This is how the idea around the music video was born,' said Vishal.

It was decided that the music video titled 'Make it Large - A tribute to Michael Jackson' would be launched Aug 29 to coincide with Jackson's 51st birthday. While Vishal also wrote the lyrics for the song, some of the best singers in the industry - Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, KK and Shreya Ghoshal - were roped in to sing.

'For the moment, the idea is to launch the music video across all music channels just for one day. It is available on Red Chillies Entertainment website though,' said Vishal who is currently holidaying in London.

Directed by Samar Khan, 'Make it Large - A tribute to Michael Jackson' is also special since it features Prabhu Deva who is yet again seen at his dancing best.

Also, the video features testimonials on Michael Jackson from Shah Rukh Khan himself along with Shahid Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Anoushka Sharma and Yuvraj Singh.

Vishal and Shekhar would also be allowing free download of the song at their website beginning Aug 29.

'The video wasn't created for making money. It's a tribute and I am sure there are millions out there who would want to grab a copy of the song for themselves. We are more than glad to share our sentiments with the rest of the world,' said Vishal.

I'm not getting married this year: Shilpa Shetty

New Delhi, Aug 28 Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is upset over news that she is set to tie the knot with London-based businessman Raj Kundra by the year end. She clarifies that she isn't getting married this year.

'I've said before, I will make an official announcement the day my parents decide on my marriage date and I promise the press will have at least a month to celebrate the announcement. So to set the record straight, no I'm not getting married this year. Yes, I am looking at next year, but date not decided,' Shilpa posted on her blog www.shilpashettylive.com/blog/.

A British newspaper reported Thursday that the actress would be getting married between September and December in Britain after her father, Surendra Shetty, wrote so in an application to an Indian court.

But Shilpa has slammed the news. 'I am sick and tired of people calling me to clarify after they've put it as breaking news on some channels and wasted reams of paper on concocted news articles,' she said.

Shilpa is also upset over the leakage of the details her father gave to the court to acquire his passport.

'My poor dad is already having a tough time every time he has to travel abroad and has to apply for his passport, and as alway it's harrowing enough for him to go back and forth every time for his passport...,' she said.

Surendra Shetty's passport was reportedly confiscated after he was charged with threatening a business associate he claimed owed money to his daughter. Since then, he and his wife Sunanda have only been able to travel overseas with the court's permission, which is why he applied for the passport on the alleged pretext of Shilpa's wedding.

'My dad's 67 and ageing, please let the poor man live in peace and dignity, it's annoying. I request the press to report responsibly and not make any baseless assumptions,' stated Shipa.

I'm not getting married this year: Shilpa Shetty

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is upset over news that she is set to tie the knot with London-based businessman Raj Kundra by the year end. She clarifies that she isn't getting married this year.

'I've said before, I will make an official announcement the day my parents decide on my marriage date and I promise the press will have at least a month to celebrate the announcement. So to set the record straight, no I'm not getting married this year. Yes, I am looking at next year, but date not decided,' Shilpa posted on her blog www.shilpashettylive.com/blog/.

A British newspaper reported Thursday that the actress would be getting married between September and December in Britain after her father, Surendra Shetty, wrote so in an application to an Indian court.

But Shilpa has slammed the news. 'I am sick and tired of people calling me to clarify after they've put it as breaking news on some channels and wasted reams of paper on concocted news articles,' she said.

Shilpa is also upset over the leakage of the details her father gave to the court to acquire his passport.

'My poor dad is already having a tough time every time he has to travel abroad and has to apply for his passport, and as alway it's harrowing enough for him to go back and forth every time for his passport...,' she said.

Surendra Shetty's passport was reportedly confiscated after he was charged with threatening a business associate he claimed owed money to his daughter. Since then, he and his wife Sunanda have only been able to travel overseas with the court's permission, which is why he applied for the passport on the alleged pretext of Shilpa's wedding.

'My dad's 67 and ageing, please let the poor man live in peace and dignity, it's annoying. I request the press to report responsibly and not make any baseless assumptions,' stated Shipa.

Aamir Khan has a reason to smile

Aamir Khan could not allocate dates for the Fox Studios’ Quick Gun Muruguan, but that did not deter the producers from calling him to have a peek at the movie and give his opinion.

Apparently, Aamir was happy over the way the film has shaped up and was seen wearing a smile while watching it.

Our sources also say that Aamir had requested the producers to arrange a meeting with the film’s lead star Tollywood actor Rajendra Prasad.

It is worth a mention here that Rambha stages a comeback with Quick Gun Muruguan.

Salman wants an IPL team

Salman is interested in owning an IPL team and has reportedly discussed the issue with the IPL Chairman Lalit Modi.

Sources also confirm that Salman, along with a few close friends, had met Modi to discuss the formalities involved.

The three new cities that are looking for someone to own their IPL teams are Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Vishakhaptanam. Mr. Modi was quoted by The Hindu, as saying,

“Today we had a brief meeting and I explained him how to go about with the task. I can assure you that Salman is not the only star who is thinking to buy a team. I have had around 28 queries and the list will surely go up.”

Bollywod Gosspis: Priyanka Chopra is my competitor

Guess what could be the reason behind Namitha entering filmdom and making it to the top? The reason was her defeat at a qualifying round for Miss World that held years ago.“When I went to the qualifying round of Miss World, I was not selected by the juries just because I didn’t know English.

Finally, Priyanka Chopra emerged the winner and became Miss World,” the actress says.
She adds: “I vowed on that day to master English and to make it big in filmdom. Now, I know the language very well and I am there in the hearts of millions of fans. This is all thanks to the challenge I took on that day.

aying that she has shed six kilos following advice from her friends and well-wishers, Namitha adds, “at present I am acting in a Telugu film opposite Balakrishna. Talks are on to sign on the dotted lines for a Kannada movie. I would like to make it big in Sandalwood too.

Aamir impressed with Rajendra Prasad

Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan seems to have bowled over by the performance of our Telugu actor Rajendra Prasad. In his blog,

Aamir Khan wrote:Just saw ’QUICK GUN MURUGAN’. Really enjoyed it. I think fans of the Channel ’V’ character Quick Gun Murugan will love it.
Its got so many rib cracking moments. And a very well pitched performance by the lead actor Dr Rajendra Prasad, and all the other cast. Its releasing on 28th so dont miss it if you are a Quick Gun fan. Mind it.Although Rajendra Prasad is much senior to Aamir, getting praise from Aamir means a lot for any actor.

Ranbir-Priyanka in 'Anjaana Anjaani'

Ranbir-Priyanka in 'Anjaana Anjaani'
After successfully directing three films namely 'Salaam Namaste', 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' and 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' for Yash Raj Films, director Siddharth Anand is all set to start his next venture this time for producer Sajid Nadiadwala's banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

The film is titled 'Anjaana Anjaani', and will star Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles.

We spoke to Siddharth to confirm the same. "Yes my next film is called 'Anjaana Anjaani'. It's a romantic comedy starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. We start shooting in October and the film would be shot in New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas."

Music of the film has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar who has incidentally composed the music for all of Siddharth's past three films.

Bollywood Gosspis: Hrithiks new look for Bhansalis Guzaarish

Hrithik Roshan appeared recently at an event in a completely different avatar. The actor has grown long hair and beard for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish. He plays a paraplegic in the movie and acquires to have this particular look.

Hrithik has grown his hair really long and also has his beard grown. While making public appearances he normally gels up his facial fuzz but has the long hair look.

"Neither Hrithik nor his director wanted use of any artificial hair. They wanted to have a natural look and one will see Hrithik with this look till the shooting is on for the movie," adds the source.

Bollywood :Shilpa’s birthday plans

It seems Shilpa and her beau Raj Kundra are just inseparable. Shilpa who was in South Africa for IPL, is now in London and will be there till her birthday which is on Monday.
Shilpa plans to celebrate her birthday in London with beau Raj. “I came here straight from South Africa, needed some time for myself and some time to unwind from the cricket mania, and no better place to do it than London. I will be here till my birthday on 8th and then back to Bombay.” said Shilpa.

We all know that Shilpa received a beautiful diamond heart shaped ring from Raj on V-Day earlier this year. Now we are excited to know his gift for his lady love Shilpa on her B’day!

Bollywood on self-healing path with four hits

New Delhi, Aug 25 Energetic openings to Bollywood's four recent releases, 'New York', 'Kambakkht Ishq', 'Love Aaj Kal' and 'Kaminey', have succeeded in getting the business perk up. Wounded by a long strike earlier this year, the film industry is perhaps on a self-healing path now, say trade pundits.

The two-month-long stand-off between the producers-distributors and multiplex owners over revenue sharing, which was resolved June 5, led to a whopping Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion) loss to the Hindi film industry.

The dry spell was broken by Kabir Khan's 'New York' that released June 26 followed by the other three films -- 'Kambakkht Ishq' that came July 3, 'Love Aaj Kal' July 31 and 'Kaminey' Aug 14 -- raking in a net profit close to almost half the losses so far this year.

'These four films will do a net business of Rs.150 crore (Rs.1.5 billion) put together,' revealed an industry insider.

Said trade analyst Taran Adarsh: 'The industry is definitely on a recovery path... it is getting better now, but we do need a big number of hits to follow as even an A-list movie like 'Luck' bombed.

'Every movie has a luck of its own. For example, a small-budget film like 'A Wednesday' had a moderate release last year but proved to be a dark horse. At the end of the day it's the content that will win.'

Bollywood Gossips; Ameesha has one of the best figures in town

Ameesha Patel has one of the best figures in town. And she makes sure she keeps it that way.
Those who are close to her vouch for the fact that Ameesha hits the gymnasium for two hours each morning;
After she returns from the studios, she goes for an hour-long walk in her up-market neighbourhood.No wonder the actress looks like a million bucks in her photographs. After all, she does work hard on maintaining her measurements.

Vidya Balan's disappearing act in Cambridge

Mumbai, Aug 25 (IANS) Vidya Balan proved to be more adventurous than her sedate image suggests. While shooting for R. Balakrishna's 'Pa' in Cambridge, she fell in love with the place and disappeared. The story goes that the crew returned to India without her.

'It's nothing so dramatic. Yes, I did stay back in Cambridge. I simply had to. I had no choice,' Vidya, who has teamed up with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan in the movie.

'I just couldn't help it. Just being in Cambridge shooting was not enough. I felt a deep connect with the campus and the environment. I just wanted to walk around the campus with books in hand, so I'd look like a student,' she said.

'Luckily, I've a friend in Cambridge. I stayed with my friend and her husband. It was the most enriching experience of my life. Just the air and the feel of the place is so special.'

Vidya now intends to buy herself a quiet escape route. 'I can't afford a place in Cambridge. I know of a place near Mumbai that offers the same climate and topography. But I am not revealing it,' she said.

Shilpa Shetty pickles to tempt the UK!

Shilpa Shetty and her fiance Raj Kundra pose for photographers after attending a news conference in London, where they announced their involvement in the V8 Gourmet Group, on Monday.

One of the UK's biggest Indian Restaurant Groups teamed up with the actress and her fiance to launch 'Shilpa's Gourmet Creations', a range of premium authentic dishes consisting of chutneys and pickles.

They intend to launch a whole new line of products and restaurants throughout Europe, Dubai and Jordan.

The V8 Gourmet Group is a UK based group comprising numerous Indian restaurants.

'Priyanka had the potential to do 12 roles'

After making a historical epic, Jodhaa Akbar, Ashutosh Gowariker has turned to a romantic comedy called What's Your Raashee? starring Priyanka Chopra and Hurman Baweja. Based on a Gujarati novel titled Kimball Ravenswood by Madhu Rye, this film revolves around the 12 raashees.

Patcy N talks to Gowariker about the film, and much more.

Was it difficult to come up with 12 looks for Priyanka?

I have always liked Priyanka's work, right from Hero: Love Story of a Spy [2003]. She's been fabulous in all her films. So when I thought of somebody doing 12 roles I thought about her, as I thought she had the potential. When I offered the role to her, she said yes instantly. Any other actress in her place would have been scared.

When my co-writer Naushil Mehta and I started writing the screenplay we decided to have one song for each raashee which should bring out the character of that raashee as well as the girl's. Every girl had to be different with different nuances.

We decided not use prosthetic on her, no long ears or short noses. We would only work on her hair and costumes. We would differentiate the 12 girls from their mannerisms and through characterisation too.

Hair stylist Asha Hariharan gave different hairstyles and textures to each look. Priyanka brought her talent and understanding to each character, and that helped a lot.

Chat with Farah Khan!

Farah Khan's new chat show Tere Mere Beach Mein started off famously with Salman Khan's mother making a first-time public appearance on a chat show.

Now, you can chat with Farah Khan, and discuss the stars she chats with on her popular chat show.

Is Salman really a mama's boy?

Is Shah Rukh Khan really a joru ka ghulam?

Who is the best and worst star dancer in the industry?

I am not making 'Awards': Madhur Bhandarkar

Madhur Bhandarkar is surprised around the rumours making the rounds that after 'Jail'; he would be beginning work on 'Awards'.

More so because there also appears to be some official 'on-the-record' statements being made by certain individuals when he has personally not announced the film or declared it to the outside world.

"How can people talk or write about it without consulting me", fumes Madhur, who was perplexed when he read about the announcement on one fine morning, "Just imagine, I was myself reading it all for the first time as were you. I was in Sweden earlier this week. When the media was bombarding me with phone calls around the film, I was, in fact asking myself if I was indeed making the film. Some of them even started speculating around the cast of the film which is baffling when there is no script ready in the first place."

It was reported that his film titled 'Awards', for which there has been (apparently) 40 crores budget being allocated, would reveal behind-the-scenes drama and the inner workings of award functions. Also, it would take a sneak peak into 'camp system' in Bollywood and how awards are manipulated.

"Rubbish", Madhur dismisses it right away, "A subject may interest me and I may talk about it with a few people. Yes, I have considered this concept but I am not making Awards for now. In fact, I have around 10 ideas that I could be developing into films. I even have as many as three titles already registered. But that by no means equates to me going ahead and making a movie straight away."

'Awards' sounds certainly scandalous and yet another expose film.

"Arrey, jahan jab dekho expose word judh jaata hai mere naam ke saath", smiles Madhur, "I want to try other genres also yaar. It could be a comedy or a romantic film or even a hard hitting drama. Let's see. In fact currently I am more focused on enhancing the profile of my production house 'Bhandarkar Entertainment'. Through this banner, I would also be roping in outside directors to make films for me."

Bollywood Gossips: Kareena covers Filmfare

Kareena Kapoor covers the front cover of Filmfare’s September issue wearing a yellow gown. Like her? Ummm where’s her footwear?

Bollywood GassipsKatrina without a Kaif

Katrina without a Kaif
Bollywood Gossip : Ayesha Shroff wife of Jackie Shroff introduced Katrina to the world of Bollywood and now she is revealing startling secrets about the actress.

According to Ayesha Shroff, Katrina had an English surname which was not so easy to pronounce. Her original name is Katrina Turquotte. Katrina had to change her surname so that it could be accepted by the Indian audience. Firstly it was planned that she would be named as Katrina Kazi, but then it was found that Kazi would have religious note along with it. So it was finally Kaif.

bollywood Gosspis: Imran and Kareena on Tere Mere Beach MeinMein

Farah Khan’s celebrity chat show Tere Mere Beach Mein is all set to hit the telly screen on Star Plus and loads of Bollywood celebrities let the cat out of the bag on her show.

Check out Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan with Farah Khan. Like them?

Bollywood Gosspis: Priyanka Chopra creates History

Bollywood : Everyone is talking about how Priyanka Chopra is playing twelve different characters in director Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘What’s Your Raashee?‘
However, what we have discovered is that by accomplishing this feat, Ms. Chopra has created history not just in Hindi films but in world cinema of any language, including Hollywood.
Priyanka Chopra has created cinematic history by being the first female actor in world cinema to play twelve different characters in a single film!

Never before has any female actor ever played so many characters in a single film, in cinema of any language. This is in fact a world record for any female actor and we applaud Priyanka for her efforts and the results, which the media caught a glimpse of recently at the music launch event which screened all the songs of the film. We must say that Priyanka Chopra has made each character unique just through her hair, make up, body language, style and dialogue delivery as she has not used prosthetic for any of the characters.

So while everyone has been chasing their Hollywood dream role, Priyanka Chopra has created history in Hollywood, through a Hindi film.

Elesh shouldn't be known as my husband: Rakhi Sawant

Mumbai, Aug 23 (IANS) They got engaged amid much fanfare on national television but item girl Rakhi Sawant is worried about her Toronto-based fiance Elesh Parujanwala.

She is worried about him accepting her sexy image, his financial independence and, above all, she doesn't want him to be just known as 'Rakhi Sawant's husband'.

'Will Elesh be able to support me financially? I don't want him to be known as Rakhi Sawant's husband. I need time.

'I agree Elesh is educated and he comes from a wealthy family. But all of it belongs to his father. He has nothing of his own in Mumbai, not even a home. He needs time to settle down,' Rakhi, who selected Elesh through NDTV Imagine's reality show 'Rakhi Ka Swayamvar', told IANS in an exclusive interview.

She is also concerned about Elesh being comfortable with her sexy image.

'People are spreading dirty rumours about me. On the Internet they've morphed my face on naked bodies. Would Elesh be able to tolerate it?' asked Rakhi.

She is also disgusted by singer Mika's attempts to gain mileage out of her name.

Katrina Kaif floored by young fan

Mumbai, Bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif got a little more attention than she bargained for while interacting with fans at the Indian Independence Day parade in Houston. A boy actually knocked her down while trying to reach out to her.

“Yes I was knocked off my feet. And I did fall. And considering it was a 12-year-old boy half my size, it did kinda take me by surprise. But I didn’t mind at all. I guess it showed the force of his love for me,” said Katrina.

The actress is quite sporting and doesn’t mind fans getting close…as long as they don’t get personal.

“When you go for these fan interactions you can’t be finicky about people getting too close and not giving you space, etc etc. They do want to shake hands, get themselves clicked, sign papers. I love to mingle with them. And I did so to my heart’s content in Houston and Chicago. So what if some of them got over-excited? Shows how much they love me,” she said.

Katrina, who has given hits like “Singh is Kinng” and “New York”, loves the interactive spirit at NRI gatherings and thinks a direct one-on-one with fans is a truly exhilarating experience.

“There were kids and there were old people. They all reached out,” the star said.

Shahid Kapoor: superstar on the ascendant

New Delhi, It’s all about Shahid Kapoor these days. His portrayal of the morally-incompatible twins – the ruffian with the endearing lisp and the simpleton who stammers – in “Kaminey” has catapulted the chocolate hero into an A-lister and audiences can’t stop raving.

And just so we don’t forget the romantic hero, promos of his forthcoming “Dil Bole Hadippa” are all over the place.

Six years after his debut in “Ishq Vishk”, Shahid has finally got his due.

“Shahid is one of the most promising actors on the block. With ‘Vivaah’ and ‘Jab We Met’ he established himself as a very good actor and a star. Now with ‘Kaminey’, he is in the A-league; he is definitely someone who will compete for the number one throne at a later date,” Meena Iyer, national Bollywood editor, The Times of India, told IANS.

“This is the most exciting phase of Shahid’s career. He has good work coming in ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’, Ken Ghosh’s tentatively titled ‘Yahoo’ and the new Parmeet Sethi film. If he chooses his future assignments with care, he will always be in a comfortable position,” she said.

“He has age on his side and the fact that he is a super-duper dancer and competent actor makes him a good bet for a reigning Hindi film hero,” she added.

Shahid wowed critics and fans alike with his portrayal of the shy groom in “Vivaah” and as the intense business tycoon in “Jab We Met”. But nothing has worked for him quite like Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Kaminey”, the dark thriller about gangsters, rebel soldiers, rogue politicians and crooked cops.

The Charlie-Guddu roles have shattered the conception that he was just the romantic. And critics believe the 28-year-old son of seasoned actor Pankaj Kapoor has made it to the big league.

“Shahid is going to be the next big thing…he has arrived. From a good-looking boy and a romantic hero, he has graduated to a star,” said film critic Omar Quereshi.

Added another noted film critic, Anupama Chopra: “This is the role – or roles – of a lifetime and Shahid Kapoor, best known for innocuous chocolate-boy romances, sinks his teeth into it. ‘Kaminey’ does for him what ‘Omkara’ did for Saif Ali Khan. A star has evolved into an actor.”

The star is taking the accolades in his stride.

“Yes, various tags have been given to me since the success of ‘Kaminey’. And I am very happy to hear them, but the most important thing is to keep doing good work and surprising the audience every now and then. That to me is the biggest reward,” Shahid told IANS.

“I can never be like my father (in terms of acting)…he is way beyond anyone to be like him. I don’t even have any aspirations to be like him because I know that’s not happening. I just hope whenever my father sees my films, he likes my work,” Shahid said.

‘Wake Up Sid’ another musical hit by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Album: “Wake Up Sid”
Music Directors: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Kavita Seth, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Clinton Cerejo and Uday Benegal
Rating: ***

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done it again. The trio, known for their hit and melodious soundtracks in films like “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and “Taare Zameen Par”, have composed another interesting music album in “Wake Up Sid”, a Karan Johar film that stars Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma.

It has five original numbers and one remix.

“Aaj kal zindagi” is a soft, soothing and inspirational song. It is fantastically crooned by Shankar Mahadevan. The increase in tempo towards the end adds zing to the track.

Next in line is “Iktara”, which is the best song of the album. A fusion of rustic and western influences, it has a heavy dose of guitar strumming. Kavita Seth’s brilliant vocals strike a chord with the listener. Seth teams up with Amitabh Bhattacharya in the song and it is sure to be a chartbuster.

“Kya karoon” sung by Clinton Cerejo is an average, feel-good kind of a number. Cerejo’s unconventional voice works well for the song.

Up next is a young and hip track called “Life is crazy”, which has Uday Benegal and Shankar Mahadevan behind the mike. The track is soaked in contemporary sounds and is sure to be a hit, especially among youngsters.

Finally, we have the title track “Wake Up Sid”, again sung by Mahadevan himself. It’s a sweet and entertaining song with a strong musical backing. The highlight of the song is the way it goes from fast-paced to slow and then back.

The number also has a remixed version, which is not a typical add-more-beats kind of track. It is interesting and adds colour to the original.

On the whole, the composers have stuck to their signature style and have given music that will be liked by many.

Vishal Bharadwaj - from critical acclaim to blockbusters

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) His directorial debut 'Makdee' didn't rake in the moolah but was widely appreciated. So were 'Maqbool', 'The Blue Umbrella' and 'Omkara' for their alternative climaxes and literary influences. Now with the huge success of his latest 'Kaminey', versatile filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj has also proved to be a box-office hit.

'Vishal has always been critically-acclaimed but commercially not that successful. For example, 'Omkara' was a lazy proposition business-wise... it didn't even have a good opening. But the opening for 'Kaminey' has been huge and it has had a good first weekend too,' trade analyst Taran Adarsh told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

'He has proved his credentials with the movie that he is also commercially viable. At the end of the day everything boils down to how rosy your balance sheet looks because the stakes are very high and Vishal, after this film, has realised that it's good to make critically-acclaimed films but it's also necessary to strike a balance,' he said.

Film critic Omar Qureshi also had something similar to say.

'Vishal is now top of the ladder. He is multi-talented and is of a different league altogether post-'Kaminey'. He is a very intelligent filmmaker and versatile...who even writes, composes and sings apart from directing,' said Qureshi.

'He made a movie like 'Maqbool' with lesser-known stars and a great story and then graduated to A-list stars in 'Omkara'. He then decided that he wanted to make an out-and-out big-budget masala movie and so graduated to level three and that too with a very intelligent film,' he added.

Bharadwaj started his Bollyood innings as a composer for Gulzar's 'Maachis' (1996) followed by movies like 'Satya' (1998) and 'Chachi 420' (1998) before taking on the director's mantle. He proved his genius with his movies and his versatility as a music composer, singer, writer and filmmaker.

Road to be named after Kamal Hassan?

Chennai, Aug 22 (IANS) A Tamil television channel is organising a month-long event to commemorate veteran actor Kamal Hassan completing 50 years in the industry - and it also wants a road here to be named after the star.

Addressing a press conference organised by Vijay TV, actor Sharath Kumar said he will be presenting a memorandum to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to rename Eldams Road as Dr Kamal Hassan road.

'Renaming the road on which Kamal sir has been living for years would be an apt way of celebrating this great actor, who has completed 50 years in the Tamil film industry,' Kumar said.

'Kaminey' not an abuse, it's an endearment: Gulzar

Many felt the title of Vishal Bharadwaj's latest hit 'Kaminey' was odd. But lyricist Gulzar says that far from being abusive, it is a term of endearment.

In fact, his old associate and friend Om Puri actually comes to Gulzar's home, has his favourite snacks and waits to hear the favourite 'k' word.

"The last time he visited Om said, 'Abhi tak aapne mujhe ek baar kamina nahin kaha'. It's like a little affectionate pat planted on the shoulder like a mock slap to let the other person know you care," Gulzar, who has penned the lyrics of "Kaminey" songs, told us.

"Far from being a negative term 'kaminey' is actually a term of endearment... unless added to 'kuttey' (dog). It's only 'kuttey kaminey' that's used angrily and negatively. When a friend doesn't visit us when he's in town, we call him 'kamina'.

"The word can be translated as 'mean' in English. Kids say, 'Papa you're mean'. Likewise when a mother says to her son, 'Kamina kahin ka', she is expressing a love beyond the annoyance visible in the word."

Gulzar is riding high on the charts again with the songs of 'Kaminey'. He says his collaboration with Bharadwaj is an extension of what he shared with legendary composer R.D. Burman.

"I saw the same spark in Vishal. Luckily, the hunger to explore new musical avenues remains alive within him although he's now a reputed filmmaker."

Bharadwaj also sees Gulzar as integral to his cinematic and musical vision. The two were busy collaborating on Bharadwaj's bio-pic on 'Fearless Nadia' until the project got shelved and the director moved on to 'Kaminey'. In fact, Gulzar had already written some songs for the Nadia bio-pic.

"Every time Vishal and I get to explore a new facet in Hindi film music. 'Kaminey' is unlike anything I've written before. But I must tell you my favourite song is not 'Dhan ta nan', but the title song by Vishal. I've written some thoughtful words there. Unfortunately it's only the fast-paced rhythm-oriented numbers that work these days. And no one is listening to the words there any way," he said.

Saif Kareena Wisen Up

Actor Saif Ali Khan and actress Kareena Kapoor would love it if they could only work opposite each other. That way, they could end up spending maximum time with each other. The only thing that probably keeps them apart is their professional commitments.

Everybody knows how keen Kareena was to work with Imtiaz Ali again, and specially for Saif''s home production. Despite being on the best of terms with the actress, Imtiaz stuck to his decision and opted for Deepika Padukone, a fact which did not go down too well with either Saif or Kareena. But as the film's shooting progressed, Saif probably realised how overboard he had gone. His subsequent statements when 'Love Aaj Kal' was being promoted had a different tone altogether. And then, of course, the film went on to create a dhamaal at the box office. Well, the fact remains that Kareena will be a part of Saif's second home production, 'Agent Vinod'. The couple will also be seen together in Rensil D'Silva's 'Qurbaan'. But they have realised that professionally, they cannot always be working with each other. Also, the fact remains, that their jodi has the danger of looking stale. Hence, both have realised that they need to work with other people professionally as well. So far, the duo has done one film together and also a couple of ads. However, contrary to rumours, Kareena may not actually be a part of 'Race 2'. The script is yet to be completed and the cast yet to be finalised. The original 'Race', starred Saif, Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif. The couple seems to have wisened up and realised that they need other partners in their professional life as well. But they also need to do that occasional film with each other.

Deepika is flying high after the sucess of love aaj kal

Suddenly everything seems to be going right for Deepika Padukone. Imtiaz Ali's 'Love Aaj Kal' has done the trick for her and she seems to be back at the top of the heap. Despite having a fantastic debut, courtesy, Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan, the actress seemed to have lost the initiative to her contemporaries.

Look who turned up for Sikandar!

The ongoing health scare in Mumbai didn't seem to affect its starry denizens, who were spotted at the premiere of Sikandar. The film, starring R Madhavan, Sanjay Suri, Parzaan Dastur, Ayesha Kapoor, Ketaki Thatte and Arunoday Singh, released in theatres today.

Kangna Ranaut looked especially delicious in a candy striped top and checkered shorts.

Akshay impresses Die Hard director

Hollywood action director James Bomalick of The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift fame is completely bowled over by Akshay Kumar's [ Images ] passion and enthusiasm for action.

The Die Hard 4 actionman, who worked with Akshay in soon to be released Blue, was so impressed by the star that he could not stop but approve of his hunger for action scenes.

"James felt that Akshay was the answer to Hollywood action heroes. What impressed him further was Akshay's meticulous dedication to performing action scenes in the film. The way he took interest in knowing details about the action scenes, how he always was more interested in making it safe for unit members rather than himself," a unit member said.

"James was stunned by Akshay's confidence in doing some of the most dangerous stunts that main heroes would not do otherwise," the member said. The action director also felt that Akshay was one of those rare actors who performed his own stunts. The efforts that Akshay put in his stunts really impressed James, he added.

Bomalick's filmography includes movies like Mr and Mrs Smith, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Die Hard 4 and Mummy 3: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor among others.

Where is Shreyas Talpade's gun?

Shreyas Talpade seemed to enjoy shooting from his gun during a promotional event for his film, Aage Se Right, at Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul sports complex in Vile Parle, a western suburb of Mumbai.

The film sees him as a young cop, forced into the career by his mother. He loses his gun on his very first day at work, and the film revolves around getting it back. In the process, he ends up doing quite a few heroic deeds.

Wanted is strictly for Salman fans

Music directors Sajid-Wajid and Salman Khan have a special bond, with Wajid being the star's playback voice successfully for a while now.

Salman-starrer Wanted has 12 tracks, including five remixes. Almost all the songs are fast-paced, high-energy action and dance tracks with a sell-by-date.

Love Me Love Me, the first one, (Wajid and Amrita Kak) , is a catchy number with lyrics that go, Your mama says you love me…ku, My abba says you love me… ku. Yeah, it has 'Salman' written all over it, even though you have the famous Taufiq Qureshi performing live percussion on it.

The Salmanalia continues with Kamal Khan's Ishq Vishq, who reprises his signature hiccups of O O Jane Jana (Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya) with Oh Oh Oh Ah Oh! The effect is as expected.

Shaan and Shreya Ghosal's relatively mellow duet Dil Leke would have been a regular, romantic number had it not been the clever use of the acoustic sitar. Sunil Das is an industry veteran and he brings his charming old school playing to turn the rather average melody to a more likeable one.

It has become kind of fashionable to include verses and hooks in some foreign language for some unexplained reason. And the music directors include Spanish lyrics in Le Le Mazaa Le Le. Sung zestfully by Saumya Rao, Suzanne, Hrishikesh Kamerkar, and Nikita Nigam, this is quite a robust dance track which could easily be a hit on the dance floor, especially with the festive season looming large.

Jalwa, which fuses folk with global pop, is nothing to write home about, and you can easily hop across to Tose Pyar Karte Hain (Wajid, Sunidhi Chauhan ).Bhojpuri gets a fun twist in this feverishly paced number. And for all Salman fans, you also get to hear him talk and sing in the Most Wanted track, which is a fast-paced, techno mix obviously inspired by Mission Impossible and the like.

Of the remixes, DY Amyth and Akbar Sami serve up a set of typical dance versions of the songs, with our vote going in favour of the latter.

This is music with a swagger. A complete crowd pleaser which has no artistic aspirations. Much like the star it is meant for. Wanted is strictly for Salman fans.

Hot Shots: Rambha sizzles in 'QGM'

Quick Gun Murugun: The Stylist's Saga!
'Quick Gun Murugan', a Bollywood spoof on the archetypal South Indian Superhero flick, would hit the theatres on Aug 28. It is expected to be a complete comic book experience. Lots of energy has been spent on the styling of this film.
Meenal Agarwal, a professional photographer and well known production designer, makes her debut as stylist with 'Quick Gun Murugan'.
Over to Meenal.

Salman trades places with the media

Salman Khan was in great form at the music launch of his film, Wanted. He hosted the event himself, and even took over the journalist's job for a while.
Take a look at what transpired on that day, as Salman threw fun questions to his Wanted director Prabhudheva, co-star Ayesha Takia and producer Boney Kapoor.
Salman: Prabhudheva looked really disappointed on seeing me dance in the video but still he had to okay it. Because of that, I am dancing on screen. Prabhudheva must have thought he can't make me dance better, so this is good enough. He must have thought his capacity is just this much, meri steps ki waat laga rahe hai [he is ruining my dance steps].
Prabhudheva: It is your style of dancing.
Salman: Whose style is better, sir?
Prabhudheva: Your style, sir.
Salman: When I was dancing, I thought I could dance exactly how he showed me. But when I watched it on the video assist, it looked totally different -- even strange. Whenever I saw Prabhdheva's expressions, I would know I was off key.
Prabhudheva: You were doing the best.
Salman: Prabhudheva, insaan kahan hai, elastic hai. No hadi hai, na muscle [Prabhudheva is not human, he's elastic. He has no bones and no muscles].
Prabhudheva: That was before, sir. Now everything is stiff.

Hrithik, Priyanka dazzle Rajiv Gandhi awards

The 12th Rajiv Gandhi awards were held at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in South Mumbai, and was well-attended by film personalities and politicians alike.
The event was hosted by Shreyas Talpade and Mahima Choudhary.

'I am too old to be part of Wake Up Sid'

The Wake Up Sid team -- producer Karan Johar, director Ayaan Mukherjee and cast Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma -- came together to launch a video blog to promote their film, in collaboration withThe Wake Up Sid team -- producer Karan Johar, director Ayaan Mukherjee and cast Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma -- came together to launch a video blog to promote their film, in collaboration with bollywoodhungama.com.
As the promos show, the film deals with the youth of today.
Konkona seems quite upbeat about her new film, as she claims she's quite similar to her onscreen character. "Like Ayesha in the film, I have also come from Kolkata and settled down in Mumbai. Ayaan was instrumental in me signing the film, as he has written it so well. As soon as he read out the script, I was on."
Konkona's character Ayesha comes to Mumbai to become a writer. She's an earnest, hardworking and the opposite of Sid. bollywoodhungama.com.
As the promos show, the film deals with the youth of today.
Konkona seems quite upbeat about her new film, as she claims she's quite similar to her onscreen character. "Like Ayesha in the film, I have also come from Kolkata and settled down in Mumbai. Ayaan was instrumental in me signing the film, as he has written it so well. As soon as he read out the script, I was on."
Konkona's character Ayesha comes to Mumbai to become a writer. She's an earnest, hardworking and the opposite of Sid.

Kangana goes light-hearted for 'Tanu Weds Manu'

Mumbai, Aug 20 Kangana Ranaut is known for playing heavy duty roles in films like 'Gangster' and 'Fashion', but the actress has now signed on her second light-hearted movie 'Tanu Weds Manu'.
The fun film, directed by Aanand L. Rai of 'Strangers' fame, has Kangana paired with R. Madhavan.
'It was after much deliberation that Kangana was finalised for the role. The character that Kangana would be playing in 'Tanu Weds Manu' is such that it is of paramount importance to get the casting right,' Rai told .

Kangana, who has played a traumatised women in most of her films, was signed on for her first comic role by Anil Kapoor for his production 'No Problem', a comedy directed by Anees Bazmee.
Before venturing into comedy, Kangana did a series of serious films.
While she was haunted by ghosts in 'Raaz - The Mystery Continues', 'Fashion' had her playing a supermodel who fell to drugs and abuse. 'Life In A... Metro' showed her in a turbulent affair with a much married boss (Kay Kay Menon), 'Woh Lamhe' had her play a schizophrenic while in 'Gangster' she played an alcoholic moll to a gangster (Shiney Ahuja).
Director Rai, however, is confident that she will pull off the role in 'Tanu Weds Manu'.
'Yes, I have studied her filmography quite closely and I know for sure that 'Tanu Weds Manu' would finally showcase Kangana in a different light. There is a definite humour to the film which thankfully is poles apart from life vs death roles that Kangana has played in the past,' he said.
Explaining the reason behind finalising Kangana, Rai said: 'When I was narrating the film to her, she came across as someone who was very passionate and energetic when it came to films. Moreover, what worked for me was the fact that she was taking a personal view on the subject. Now that's the kind of girl I wanted for the film since I wanted her to add something of her own to the character as well.'
But before Kangana, Rai had approached Konkona Sen Sharma but she couldn't accept the offer due to date problems.

Ranbir teaming up with Imtiaz, hints Rishi Kapoor

Mumbai, Aug 20 If things move as per plan, Ranbir Kapoor may soon find himself working with ace filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, indicates the young actor's father Rishi Kapoor.
'I'm positive that in 2010, Imtiaz and Ranbir would be beginning a film together. They have been meeting on a regular basis and are just looking at finalising on something concrete before they make a formal announcement,' says Rishi Kapoor, who was seen in Ali's 'Love Aaj Kal'.
Prodded further on what the genre, subject, leading lady and production house will be, Rishi denies being in the know.
'I never get involved in the creative aspects of Ranbir's films. He takes all his decisions himself. All I know is that Ranbir working with Imtiaz would be a great decision since I have now witnessed Imtiaz's sensibilities on a first hand basis after working with him,' said the actor who was earlier seen in 'Delhi 6'.
Rishi got quite some appreciation for his portrayal as a Sikh in 'Love Aaj Kal'.
'While working on the film, I realised that this boy (Imtiaz) is so cultured, sensible and simple. There is a saying that one's character gets reflected in his work. It was there for everyone to see in 'Love Aaj Kal', which was so honest and sincere, just like Imtiaz,' Rishi said.
If the project materialises, Ranbir will be working with yet another accomplished filmmaker. He made his debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' and later featured in Siddharth Anand's 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'.
Currently, he is working with Raj Kumar Santoshi in 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', Prakash Jha in 'Rajneeti', Shimit Amin for the forthcoming 'Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year' and Ayan Mukerji in 'Wake Up Sid'.
When asked about it, Imtiaz said: 'Honestly speaking, nothing has been finalised yet. Yes, Ranbir and I have been meeting each other for quite some time and have been bouncing off story ideas. Still, we are yet to close on a story line.
'I have always placed my story before anything else. Whether it is 'Love Aaj Kal', 'Jab We Met' or 'Socha Na Tha', the story has always been of paramount importance.'
So is he or is he not signing Ranbir?
'I definitely want to work with him. However, I will announce my cast once the story is finalised. Making any comments before that would be immaterial and unwarranted,' he said.

Hrithik Roshan offers help to paraplegics

Mumbai, Aug 19 Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan was so moved after meeting people affected with paraplegia while researching for his role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Guzaarish' that he has decided to help them in whatever way he can.
Hrithik is playing a paraplegic in 'Guzaarish' and met patients to be able to get under the skin of his character. While meetings the patients helped him understand his character better, it also left a deep impact on his mind.
'Hrithik is taking his role very seriously and has been reading a lot on paraplegia and watching videos to understand and study their mannerisms and behaviour. In fact, he even visited several people affected by the disease to get a first hand account of their experiences,' said a source close to the actor.
'The intensive study and frequent interactions with people suffering from the disorder have moved Hrithik to a great extent. He came across some young, talented people who were left incapacitated due to paraplegia and he immediately decided to do his bit to help them,' added the source.
Aishwarya Rai is playing female lead in the film.

I don't think anyone is in my league: Madhavan

Versatile actor R. Madhavan, who has mega projects like 'Teen Patti' with Amitabh Bachchan and '3 Idiots' with Aamir Khan in his kitty, says he doesn't see any actor as his competitor since there is no one in his league.
"I consider myself my biggest competition. I don't think anyone else is in my league at all in terms of what I'm doing. I have done eight Hindi films in eight years and somehow people remember all the names and the characters I played in them. By and large it is an achievement. I'm happy with that," Madhavan, whose latest film 'Sikandar' releases Friday, told us in an interview.
His first Hindi movie was 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein' in 2001, followed by 'Dil Vil Pyar Vyar', 'Ramji Londonwaley', 'Rang De Basanti', 'Guru', 'Delhii Heights' and 'Mumbai Meri Jaan'. His last Hindi movie was the hit spooky thriller '13B', which released earlier this year.
The 39-year-old also maintains that he has never gone by the book and worked on his own terms in the industr
"I've always done things that are opposite. I started off with TV. People told me that if you start with TV, you will never become a film star. When I became a Tamil hero, they said that now you will never become a Hindi actor. I did everything."
"I don't think there is any hard and fast rule in the industry and even if there is, then there is a lot of fun to break it," he said.
Madhavan was in the capital to promote forthcoming film 'Sikandar', which narrates the tensions in Jammu and Kashmir through the eyes of children.
Talking about his role, he said: "The film is about two children and their loss of innocence and how they get it back. I'm playing an army officer who believes that there should be peace in Kashmir at any cost and is really ruthless about it and very passionate too. He might not do everything by the book, but does whatever is right."
In real life Madhavan wanted to join the army, but couldn't fulfil his wish. So, did he live his dream through this film?
"It is never the real thing, you are just living a dream. Being in the armed forces and acting like one in the forces are two different things. But it was fun," he said.
Directed by Piyush Jha, 'Sikandar' is set in Kashmir and stars child actors Ayesha Kapoor and Parzaan Dastur along with Sanjay Suri.
Asked what the I don't think anyone is in my league: Madhavan
Versatile actor R. Madhavan, who has mega projects like 'Teen Patti' with Amitabh Bachchan and '3 Idiots' with Aamir Khan in his kitty, says he doesn't see any actor as his competitor since there is no one in his league.
"I consider myself my biggest competition. I don't think anyone else is in my league at all in terms of what I'm doing. I have done eight Hindi films in eight years and somehow people remember all the names and the characters I played in them. By and large it is an achievement. I'm happy with that," Madhavan, whose latest film 'Sikandar' releases Friday, told us in an interview.
His first Hindi movie was 'Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein' in 2001, followed by 'Dil Vil Pyar Vyar', 'Ramji Londonwaley', 'Rang De Basanti', 'Guru', 'Delhii Heights' and 'Mumbai Meri Jaan'. His last Hindi movie was the hit spooky thriller '13B', which released earlier this year.
The 39-year-old also maintains that he has never gone by the book and worked on his own terms in the industr
"I've always done things that are opposite. I started off with TV. People told me that if you start with TV, you will never become a film star. When I became a Tamil hero, they said that now you will never become a Hindi actor. I did everything."
"I don't think there is any hard and fast rule in the industry and even if there is, then there is a lot of fun to break it," he said.
Madhavan was in the capital to promote forthcoming film 'Sikandar', which narrates the tensions in Jammu and Kashmir through the eyes of children.
Talking about his role, he said: "The film is about two children and their loss of innocence and how they get it back. I'm playing an army officer who believes that there should be peace in Kashmir at any cost and is really ruthless about it and very passionate too. He might not do everything by the book, but does whatever is right."
In real life Madhavan wanted to join the army, but couldn't fulfil his wish. So, did he live his dream through this film?
"It is never the real thing, you are just living a dream. Being in the armed forces and acting like one in the forces are two different things. But it was fun," he said.
Directed by Piyush Jha, 'Sikandar' is set in Kashmir and stars child actors Ayesha Kapoor and Parzaan Dastur along with Sanjay Suri.
Asked what the USP of 'Sikandar' is, Madhavan said: "The best part of the film is the beauty of Kashmir that has been very aptly captured by the cameraman. I think it's very sad that a beautiful place like that is torn by violence."
Any plans of returning to television, especially at a time when big stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan don't hesitate in stepping into the small screen as well?
"No plans. Shah Rukh and Amitabh are superstars and they get an obscene amount of money for the shows...so when I reach that status and people offer me that kind of money and I actually need that money then I will think about it. Right now I'm just happy doing films," said MadhavanUSP of 'Sikandar' is, Madhavan said: "The best part of the film is the beauty of Kashmir that has been very aptly captured by the cameraman. I think it's very sad that a beautiful place like that is torn by violence."
Any plans of returning to television, especially at a time when big stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan don't hesitate in stepping into the small screen as well?
"No plans. Shah Rukh and Amitabh are superstars and they get an obscene amount of money for the shows...so when I reach that status and people offer me that kind of money and I actually need that money then I will think about it. Right now I'm just happy doing films," said Madhavan

Bumpy forecast for Ashutosh Gowariker's next

What's your Raashee is a great gamble. And for reasons more than one.
Ashutosh Gowariker, who has so far worked with only the top-billed cast and crew, tempts fate by casting Hurman Baweja in his first-ever romantic comedy. Moreover, he has signed on music composer Sohail Sen, a relative greenhorn (past credits include Sirf and unreleased The Murderer) to replace A R Rahman .
While the results of Hurman's last attempt at salvaging his career post Love Story 2050 will de decided after the film releases, Gowariker's gamble with Sohail Sen may not have paid off.
There are 13 situational songs here with 12 dedicated to the different zodiac signs. It is quite a challenge to be innovative with as many tracks, and keep the listener's interest alive with each. Where Sen disappoints largely is in the mixing and arrangement, which gives WYR a very dated, amateurish feel. Add to it, his audacious attempts at singing. He is no Amit Trivedi, who lent his distinctively raspy voice to Dev Sen's voice lacks depth and timbre. However, playback singing these days, often has little to do with trained, skilled voices, as with character. Unfortunately for Sen, his absolute lack of the latter kills all the songs he attempts.
Start with the title track, What's Your Rashee/Pal Pal Jisko Dhoonde. Sen tries to take Rahman's jazz/blues lead in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. It starts off alright with the right kind of sensuous jazz mood, but the moment Sen begins to croon, it falls apart. That's a real pity, because the song had tremendous potential, especially in the chorus parts where the right kind of voice could have lifted this number to its deserved levels.
Jao Na, dedicated to the Aquarius girl, is receiving fair amount of air play, and is an interesting attempt at creating a sound driven purely by guitar, vocals and bass. The guitar parts hark back to the Ashiqui days, the singing, flat. Bollywood is now used to way superior guitar skills and this song suffers quite a bit because of the average musicianship. The hummable melody notwithstanding.
Sen tries his hand at fusing global sounds with folk in the Gemini track Aaja Lehraate (Shaan /Bhavya Pandit) with average results. While the Cancerian's Bikhri Bikhri (Sen, Marianne D/Cruz), is more like a soft ballad, and probably the only mellow number in the set. What makes this track work, is the deliciously slow tempo, driven by a tabla and a pleasant melody.
The Libran woman is somewhat of a Dominatrix, in Maanunga Maanunga, which has enough drama in the sounds, arrangement and lyrics to make for an interesting picturisation. Gowariker has sung this one, along with Pamela Jain. Quite a situational number, which however does not make for great listening.
Sen pays a personal tribute to Sooraj Barjatya and Ekta Kapoor (his uncle composed the erstwhile national favourite Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi after all) with the Pisces girl's Sau Janam. Guess it is about the whole 'enduring love sworn at karva chaut'- kind of storyline and the choice of singers is also not surprising -- Udit Narayan and Madhusheee and... Sen again! The Scorpio girl's Aa Le Chal (Aslesha Gowariker and Harman) is a song that could have been quite a catchy, peppy number but for the surprisingly naff sax sound coupled with Harman's mumbling. Aslesha, incidentally, is Gowariker's sister and a lawyer by profession and has an interesting voice to watch out for.
Alka Yagnik is at her unflattering worst in the Virgo song, Pyaari Pyaari, which is intended to be a dreamy number. Sen pairs up with Yagnik ineffectually in this number about a quiet, mellow kind of love.

Priyadarshan to remake Tamil hit 'Anjathey' in Hindi

Chennai, Aug 19 Filmmaker Priyadarshan is so impressed with Tamil director Mysskin's 'Anjathey' that he wants him to remake it in Hindi under his banner Four Frames Entertainment.
Priyadarshan described the film as one of the best recent movies. Mysskin has accepted the offer and will soon start the film's shoot in Mumbai, said a source.
Priyadarshan will also join hands with Kamal Haasan for a period film, in which the versatile actor will play the role of a king.

It Promises to a Dhamakedar Diwali

Diwali is still some time away but the lineup at the box office for the festival week has already been set. In fact, according to reports, there are four films which are set to create a dhamaka at the box office. Leading the race will be films like the Sanjay Dutt Akshay Kumar starrer 'Blue', followed by 'Aladin', 'Main Aur Mrs Khanna' and 'All The Best'.
The promos of 'Blue' have already hit the screens and it promises to be quite a thrilling experience. Eros too has started their promotions for Sujoy Ghosh's 'Aladin', which stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Ritesh Deshmukh. Following these films is Rohit Shetty's 'All the Best' and Prem Soni's Salman Khan Kareena Kapoor starrer 'Main Aur Mrs Khanna'. But there have also been rumors doing the rounds that the last two of these films will back out from a Diwali release. But nobody, as in no producer, seems to be in a mood to even concede the thought that they may back out from releasing their film on October 16. Prem Soni, the director of 'Main Aur Mrs Khanna' has already stated the stars of his film have blocked dates for the film's promotion 20 days prior to the film's release. As for 'All The best', its producers, Kumar Mangat and Ajay Devgan are all geared up to create a Diwali dhamaka at the box office. If all four films release as planned on October 16, it promises to be a Diwali full of dhamaka.

Mani Shifts Locations

After shooting in the perilous jungles of Kerala, Mani Ratnam has decided for a change in venue. The unit of 'Raavan' is all set to move to Malshej Ghat in Maharashtra. The popular hill resort of the state is likely to be taken over by the unit of Mani's film by the end of the month.
A forty day schedule is being planned for Malshej Ghat and the 250 strong unit of the film is all set to take over the tourist destination. With such a long schedule and such a large unit, most of the resorts have apparently all been booked by the unit. Special arrangements are also being made of the stars of the movie, Aishwariya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. It is believed that with this 40 day long schedule, 'Raavan' will be back on track. The schedule had gone haywire with Mani falling sick. But with his actors and crew members doling out extra dates, the film seems to be all set to come back on track.

Kim Sharma Raises her Voice

It's good to see kind hearted celebrities, trying to make a difference in the society. Apparently, Kim Sharma (take your time to recollect her) was returning from Taj Lands End, Mumbai. Eventually, the babe spotted a person selling off a turtle on the road. Without any delay, the lady stopped her car and showered the person with scolding and yelling. What more? She freed the poor turtle back in the sea and warned the person not to repeat this kind of act again.
Sweet! We like such compassionate people. Good work girl!

Big B all Set to Make Hay

He may be a 60 plus gentleman but Amitabh Bachchan has always managed to stay true to the times. One of reasons behind his longevity has perhaps been his ability to read the times and adapt himself accordingly. Look at the manner in which the actor has taken to blogging.
Bachchan was probably one of the first filmstars to take to blogging. While other filmstars have merely flirted with it, with Big B it seems to be a long term affair. He has managed to keep at it everyday and has had something to say on everything, including swine flu. But of course, the actor has always been very savvy where making money is concerned. Now it seems that the actor's blog postings will soon be converted into a book. Of course, the modest Mr Bachchan, who has always considered his fans to be a part of his extended family, has insisted that if that be the case, he would also like some of the responses of his fans to be included in the book.

Sonam Gets Busy

Actress Sonam Kapoor is very busy these days with two films in her hand. The actress, who made her debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya', bagged her second film when Rakeysh Mehra offered her 'Delhi 6'. But despite bagging a lot of endorsements, the actress hasn't too many films in her kitty.
Currently, the actress is busy with 'Ayesha', her father's production, which has her sharing screen space with Abhay Deol. Besides her home production, the actress is also a part of Dharma Productions' 'I Hate Love Stories', which also stars Imran Khan and Samir Dattani. The shooting of 'Ayesha' is all set to begin on August 26 in Delhi. The film which is directed by Rajshri Ojha, is based on Jane Austen's novel, 'Emma'. 'Ayesha' will be shot on location in parts of new and old Delhi. Sonam will be essaying the lead role of 'Emma', (in this case 'Ayesha'). The other members of 'Ayesha's cast include Ira Dubey, Cyrus Sahukar and Arunoday Singh.

Imran Khan - DELHI BELLY not my cup of tea!

While on one hand Bollywood heartthrob Imran Khan is highly excited working in his uncle Aamir Khan's home production DELHI BELLY, on other side it seems he is not really enjoying the kind of character he's playing in the film.
Well we hear Imran plays a yellow journo in DELHI BELLY, whose job is to write about the scandals and report any hearsay about the celebrities and socialites. Apparently in real life, Imran hates rumours and gossip and prefers to stay away from it. Infact he's among the one who doesn't like his personal life to be disclosed and become a public talk. And that's the reason Imran is finding a bit tough and apprehensive enacting the role of a gossip reporter, which is absolutely contrasting to his off-screen persona. He is also worried whether he'll be able to give enough justice to his character.
We very well understand Imran's current state of mind, but we are more than confident about the fact that when mamu Aamir Khan is at the helm of affairs Imran can put all the worries to rest. As we all have seen the results when the duo worked together for JAANE TU YA JAANE NA

Hrithik Roshan unveils his altruistic side!

Few people know that Hrithik Roshan - the suave, charismatic actor with looks that can kill is extremely soft hearted, sensitive and generous as a person.
The actor who has been supporting several causes recently had a life-changing experience while preparing for his role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's GUZAARISH. Hrithik is playing a paraplegic in the film and in order to get into the character, he has been doing thorough research on the disorder to make sure he looks absolutely convincing.
Says a source close to the actor, ''Hrithik is taking his role very seriously and has been reading up on paraplegia and watching videos to understand and study their mannerisms and behaviour. In fact, he even visited several people affected by the disease to get a first hand account of their experiences''.
But while the process helped him hone his acting skills, it has also left a deep impact on his mind. So much so, that Hrithik is now actively taking part in helping people affected with paraplegia.
''The sensitive person that he is, the intensive study and frequent interactions with persons suffering from the disorder has moved Hrithik to a great extent. He came across some young, talented people who were left incapacitated due to paraplegia and immediately decided to his bit to help them''.
Pledging his solidarity to the cause, Hrithik has decided to help the affected persons monetarily as well as through any other means possible.
Now here's one great actor who is also a great philanthropist!

No college for Priyanka

Ex Miss World and top Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra, has the world at her feet with her charm, beauty and intelligence. But few know that this beauty with brains has never been to a college.