Spotted: Sania and Shoaib in Dubai

'I met Sania (Mirza) and Shoaib (Malik)... the much-talked-about wedding these days.

'The couple was there in Dubai, Indian consulate, for some documentation and paper work for Sania to be a resident of Dubai.

'As soon as they came out of the embassy they were hugging and holding hands,' writes Gaurav.

Thank-you, Gaurav, for sharing this picture!

A statement by Sania's father Imran Mirza stated that 23-year-old Sania and the 28-year-old all-rounder will be based in Dubai, where Malik is a resident.

'This is a unique case where the husband and wife will represent their respective countries in sport,' said Mirza in Hyderabad.

'My wedding inshallah is going to be the biggest day of my life. I have been in the constant glare for too long and would appreciate privacy at this very personal moment in my life,' Sania was quoted as saying.

If you encounter your favourite cricket/sports personalities, do send the photograph or video to sportsdesk@rediff.co.in We will feature the best images right here on Rediff Sports or Rediff Cricket.


- More reader photographs: Cricket Sports


Image: Sania Mirza and Gaurav Mehta

Bollywood's most awaited multistarrers in 2010

It's been an interesting start to 2010. Already we have two young filmmakers setting the bar way, way high with films like Ishqiya and Love Sex Aur Dhokha, and Karan Johar's shown he's in box office form as well with Shah Rukh Khan starrer My Name Is Khan.

Still, the year hasn't yet shown its big releases, the ones that rely on several names to draw in the crowds, the ones with the big posters.

Ladies and gents, here are the multistarrers to expect in 2010:

Housefull

Sajid Khan's optimistically titled release stars Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Jiah Khan, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal and Ritesh Deshmukh, with Malaika Arora and Jacqueline Fernandes.

The Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy soundtrack is already making waves. We haven't heard which Hollywood blockbuster this one's 'inspired by' just yet, but its heartening to see Sajid sticking to conventional spelling this time around.


Image: A scene from Housefull

Arbaaz mad at impersonator

Social networking sites have their flip side. Now, Arbaaz Khan is bearing the brunt of it. Recently, a person posing as his brother Salman Khan sent him vicious personal messages on Twitter . 'I'm shocked by the way some people spew venom on Twitter and use it to vent their anger and frustrations. This guy posing as my brother abused and threatened me and sent me 20 malicious messages,' says Arbaaz, who has now blocked the person from his account. 'I am fine with constructive criticism or a difference of opinion. But personal jibes and abuse to one's family is not done,' said the actor.

Are they on or off ?

Rumours about Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor refuse to die down.

Don't know if it is all smoke or there's fire as well.

Apparently, Ranbir loves the linkup with Kat and never discourages gossip in the media.

Katrina, too, on her part, keeps adding fuel to the fire. Like when she went on the sets of Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan in Mumbai recently on a day she wasn't needed.

Some said Kat made sure she was seen on her own movie set, but the real reason for her visit was to meet Ranbir who was shooting an ad on a set nearby. The actress thought Tees Maar Khan shooting would help her camouflage her real motive. Surely, some thought went into that, gal!

Hrithik is dancing in dreams!

YOU WILL see Hrithik Roshan perform an electrifying dance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish . He plays the role of a paraplegic who wants permission from the court to end his life. That makes one wonder how Hrithik will dance. Well, Hindi films are famous for dream sequences and it will be in one such dramatic scene that the actor will shake a leg.

Hrithik tweeted recently: ' Did a lyrical jazz dance for Guzaarish . Best dance experience ever! Thanks to Ashley Lobo and his team! His dancing is like an out- of- body experience!' This jig left him with a pulled hamstring, bruised shoulders and knee. But Hrithik wrapped up Kites after his knee surgery.

Now, he has been advised not to do any dance scenes or stunts.

But knowing the perfectionist that Hrithik is, nothing will stop him from giving his best.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved. By Priyanka Srivastava, Kavita Awaasthi and Noyon Jyoti Parsara

'Going de-glam was new for me'

She first appeared on the film scene with Yahaan in 2005. Since then Minissha Lamba has acted in a couple of films like Bachna Ae Haseeno and Kidnap.

The films didn't exactly set the box office on fire though her skimpy outfits in Kidnap did manage to keep her in the news.

Now, the actress hopes that she will be noticed for her acting in this Friday's release Well Done Abba directed by Shyam Benegal, where she sports a de-glam look. After all she is playing a village school kid in the movie, which also stars Boman Irani and Sammir Dattani.

Nithya Ramani finds out more. Excerpts:

You don't look gaon ki ladki in anyway...

[Laughs] This is indeed something I have never done before. I play a village girl Muskaan. She's a school-going kid in pigtails, who wears a white salwar kurta with a well-pleated blue dupatta. I have no clue how Shyam sir saw Muskaan in me!

I got a call from his office asking me to meet him, and that he had a role for me in his next film. I didn't think twice, because it was Shyam sir! I was willing to do any role he offered me, as long as I was working with him.

Well Done Abba is a comedy, a political satire and a very entertaining film. Muskaan isn't the stereotypical village girl. She is bold, confident and lives her life on her own terms.

Her father -- Abba aka Armaan Ali -- is a progressive Muslim, who does something to deserve a pat on the back.


Image: A scene from Well Done Abba

Lots of static!

The idea of a mystical assistance to succeed through life's inevitable disappointments is quite a fascinating one. Genie in the lamp, Fairy Godmothers or any wish-granting medium is an upshot of this peculiar human fantasy.

Karthik Calling Karthik, too, stems from this deep-rooted desire.

Only our eponymous hero (Farhan Akhtar) isn't Aladdin, Cinderella or Bruce Nolan (of Almighty fame). A stereotypical weak geek at the receiving end of his scowling landlord (Vipin Sharma doing what he does best -- snap) and growling boss (Ram Kapoor with his snarling skills should sign up for Wolf Man), he's pretty much invisible for everyone else in the world, including, the leggy colleague in a pencil skirt (Deepika Padukone) to whom he's written a thousand plus unsent drafts of affection. Basically, he is Amol Palekar of Chhoti Si Baat, sans the goofy smile and mysterious past.

Dude seems to be in desperate need of Cinkara (Hamdard ka tonic, anyone?). But this is Farhan's production. And he's all about indelible charisma, hip aesthetics and urban wit. While the easygoing charm and wall decor is spot on, absence of crisp humour is conspicuously felt all through its loitering 16 reels.

Having said that, it's imperative to remember this is a Vijay Lalwani film. The first-time director is the strength or weakness behind its story, screenplay, dialogue and direction. If you view this with the expectations of a Farhan caper, you're doing both of them great disservice.

In other words, herbal tonic is out of question. Instead Karthik starts receiving strange calls from another Karthik who promises to help him attain everything that is rightly his -- power, money and love.

Desperate for comfort, Karthik doesn't need too much convincing before he takes up the seemingly unconditional offer. In no time, he's promoted from cabin to cubicle and single to boyfriend status.

No personality makeover in Hindi films is complete without a change of wardrobe. Even Sai Paranjape couldn't resist doing this to Farooq Shaikh in Chashme Buddoor. And so it's bye-bye Surinder Sahni and say-hello-to-Dil-Chahta-Hai.

Quickly enough, Lalwani runs out of ideas and till intermission KCK seems to be heading nowhere. Pace (editing by Aarti Bajaj [ Images ]) is one of the film's recurring problems. It's unnecessarily pensive and long-winded for its genre.

Even the romantic interactions are sluggish and uninspired. Although Farhan and Deepika are a cool couple to look at, you don't feel the vibe, mainly, because the conversations are just so 'meh'.

Their chemistry fares better against the breezy Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy [ Images ] composition, Hey Ya, choreographed effectively around their courtship and dating in office, malls, coffee shops and Khandala.

Things get dark and creepy in the second half when the Karthik-Karthik pact takes a beating. This is when Lalwani comes in his element and shows a flair for gritty thrillers without resorting to cheesy exaggeration or relying on excessive technique (camerawork: Sanu John Varughese, background score: Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale).

At this point, the on-going events on screen lead me to construct a sort of Dr Faustus meets The Dark Half brand of murkiness. If only Lalwani was as ambitious as the sinister alternatives in my head.

Teen Patti: Just one big bluff

Teen Patti is a card game, which can have seasoned gamblers salivating at the mouth. Even casual players who may just indulge in a couple of rounds at Diwali or New Year love the excitement. With such a title and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, one would have thought the producers have a sure shot winner on their hands.

Unfortunately, not.

One of the most popular moves in Teen Patti is 'Blind'. But here, it seems director Leena Yadav was moving blindly in all directions.

Amitabh Bachchan (Venkat Subramanium) is an unsuccessful Maths professor whose superiors claim his research projects have no practical applications. But his latest is a dissertation on the Theory of Probability which can help them predict the winner in a card game and earn megabucks in the process. So the tutor and his bunch of students are encouraged to take a shot at implementing the theory in the real world. And then all hell breaks loose.

The students, who started out as middle-class simpletons, turn into raving lunatics overnight. They come and go as they please, stash hundreds of rupees in their hostel rooms and get hysterical.

The script doesn't evolve, it just jumps jerkily from one level to another so that the director can take her story to a predictable end. Such a pity because co-writer Shiv Subramaniam has written such brilliant films like Parinda and Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi.

It's getting tiring watching R Madhavan [ Images ] doing young man roles. He hasn't lost his acting abilities but he really needs to rid himself of his flab. The energy and zest that the actor used to bring on screen -- especially seen in Guru -- is missing.

After The Last Lear [ Images ], it was just a matter of time before somebody tried to recreate a similar persona for Amitabh Bachchan. But the consistency is missing here. Bachchan does his best but he's tied down with a clichéd script.

Also, his costumes don't make him look like a millionaire, who can afford to lose lakhs of rupees in one night. In a few scenes, he is seen wearing a white shirt and coat, and looks straight out of Cheeni Kum.

The script is not the only place where the clichés abound. The underground gambling dens are garish and look straight out of Dev D [ Images ]. The high-profile parties and casinos look even more bizarre. It's apparent they were trying to create a Las Vegas [ Images ] kind of effect but it just doesn't work.

Shakti Kapoor [ Images ] was the fun part of the film. He's called Prem London [ Images ], a loud-mouthed compulsive gambler. His dialogues are full of expletives. His daughter Shraddha makes her debut in the film as Aparna. Though a bit raw, she has a lot of potential.

In fact, it is the acting prowess of the ensemble cast that gets you involved. Newcomers Dhruv Ganesh, Siddharth Kher and Vaibhav Talwar show great promise. This is one aspect where Leena Yadav has really delivered the goods.

Three decades after Gandhi, Ben Kingsley still weaves magic for the Indian audiences. As Kingsley and Bachchan share their life experiences, there is the sheer pleasure of watching two legends share screen space. And since there is no attempt to overshadow the other, the experience is memorable. It's difficult to visualise other actors in these roles. Teen Patti is worth a watch just for the actors.

Khan Turns Right… Into American Television

Anil Kapoor strode into the world limelight with 'Slumdog Millionaire' and strangely, Irrfan Khan, who's garnered fame from global fests and the foreign Press kept a comparatively low key image.

Kapoor beamed some more with '24', but presently, it's Khan's turn with two notable offerings: 'Right Yaaa Wrong' on the Indian front and season 3 of the American series 'In Treatment'. Buzz has it, that Khan who will scoot off to New York to shoot all the 43 episodes is all gung ho about his television appearance in the US.

The Neeraj Pathak helmed 'Right Yaaa Wrong' showcases Khan as Vinay Patnaik, a cop whose close pal happens to be Ajay Shridhar (Sunny Deol). But a dramatic twist in the tale and a clash of ideologies pits them against each other as harsh rivals!

Konkona Sen Sharma, who enacts a lawyer in the 'Right' flick, enlists Khan as "her favourite actor apart from Naseeruddin Shah" And Deol hasn't been parsimonious as regards his praise either. "Irrfan is such a talented actor," gushes Deol in a media chat. "That you're inspired to give off your best when you work with him."

Neil Nitin traumatised after 'misbehaving' with SRK

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) 'Never again!' Neil Nitin Mukesh shudders at the very thought of the way he was forced to misbehave on stage with Shah Rukh Khan -- by Shah Rukh Khan himself.

Trust Shah Rukh to espouse irreverence. But Neil hasn't been able to get over it. Katrina Kaif and Bipasha Basu were in a state of shock after Neil's outburst on stage against Shah Rukh Khan at the Filmfare awards.

Two days after Neil told co-hosts Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan to just plainly and simply shut up on stage at the Filmfare Awards at Yashraj studios, the debate rages in the film industry.

Was the well-behaved blue-eyed-boy's aggressive impudence towards his superstar seniors on Neil's home turf (he's known as a full-on Yashraj boy) for real? Or was it just an act?

To rewind a bit: At the Filmfare awards, co-hosts Shah Rukh and Saif Ali Khan decided to take on Neil on stage, riling him endlessly. The final straw was the digs that Shah Rukh took at Neil's name.

'Neil,' said Shah Rukh, 'Why do you have three first names and no surname? My name is Khan. Saif too is a Khan. How come you have no last name?'

Neil couldn't take the slight to his family name. He not-so-gently reminded Shah Rukh that he ought to restrain himself because his, Neil's, father was sitting in the audience.

And then, horror of horrors, he told Shah Rukh to just shut up.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the auditorium.

Recalling the incident with an uncomfortable laugh, Neil said: 'I'm still shaking. Imagine me telling Shah Rukh Khan to shut up! But I did. That isn't all. At the end of the show I walked up to Shah Rukh and Saif and broke eggs on their heads.'

But relax. It was all part of an act.

'It was all planned by Shah Rukh sir. I was told by the organisers, the Moranis, from beforehand that I was supposed to be part of Shah Rukh's act. I was supposed to reach early and rehearse for it. But as luck would have it I had gone to town to pick up my parents and got stuck in the traffic. By the time I reached the venue there was only time for a quick briefing on what I had to do.'

Shah Rukh walked up to Neil and quickly told him the plan on stage.

Neil was aghast. 'How could I say shut up to Shah Rukh Khan? I've never been rude even to my driver. But he insisted. He also told me to throw eggs at him and Saif at the end of the show. I begged and pleaded to spare me. But Shah Rukh didn't listen.'

Neil did his own on-the-spot improvisation on stage to spare himself the aggravated agony. 'Instead of throwing the eggs I walked up to Saif and Shah Rukh and broke the eggs on their heads. How could I throw eggs at them? Their fans would never forgive me!'

After the act Neil's shocked father has still not forgiven his son, although he has been told it was all in jest.

Says Neil: 'Bipasha rushed to me and said if it was an act then it was really scary. Katrina stormed up to me after the show and told me to apologize to Shah Rukh, at once.'

Laughing nervously, Neil re-lived the trauma of being forced to be rude to a hero he worships.

'I'm glad people finally got to see my mischievous side... But no thanks. Never again.'

Three brides in waiting - who will Rahul choose?

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Three nervous hopeful brides have their fingers crossed for the big event - who among them will Rahul Mahajan choose to marry at the lavish televised wedding here Saturday night.

Kolkata-based Dimpy Ganguly and Nikunj Malik and Harpreet Chhabbra - both from Delhi - are decked in wedding finery for the finale of NDTV Imagine's much-hyped reality show 'Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega', to be telecast at 9 p.m.

Rahul, son of slain Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan, will make his decision on who among the three he will marry. It will be his second marriage.

Harpreet, a 21-year-old model and anchor, is nervous and says 'I hope Rahul's decision is in my favour.'

The girls have wooed Rahul in every possible way during the show, leaving behind 14 contestants. Over 16,500 women applied to be on the show.

After Rahul gives his decision, the wedding is set to take place with many celebrities in attendance as well as Rahul's immediate family.

Rahul, who ended his marriage with childhood friend Shweta Singh in 2008, has planned to go to the Maldives and Ireland for his honeymoon, if a court which is holding his passport allows him to do so. He is facing charges of using banned drugs.

Article on Aishwarya is 'slander' says Bachchan

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan today defended his decision to boycott the Filmfare awards, where he was adjudged best actor for his role in 'Paa', saying he did it to protest against the "slanderous" media report about his daughter-in-law Aishwarya.

"The article was indecent and any man in the world must oppose if such an obscene article is written about a woman in his family," the 68-year-old actor said on his blog.

The veteran movie star termed the article in a city-based tabloid, as "slanderous".

Lambasting the report Bachchan said "the modesty of a lady in my house was slandered...the article slandered Aishwarya, so it was very difficult to participate in a function organised by the same media house."

No women would like her personal issues such as fertility or motherhood being discussed in this manner, he added.

An article published last week claimed Aishwarya, married to Amitabh's son Abhishek was suffering from stomach tuberculosis and this might be the reason that she had not yet conceived.

Amitabh demanded a public apology from the media house and since this did not take place, the entire Bachchan parivar boycotted the Filmfare award ceremony organised by the same group yesterday.

Even Aishwarya, who was to perform at the awards, pulled out from the event and the Bachchans have served a legal notice to the newspaper.

"For the moment... that despite a few personal apologies from the management and owners, no public apology has taken place. You cannot abuse me in public and then come and say sorry to me in private," he wrote on his blog.

(Source: PTI)

This year enjoy IPL matches live at cinema halls

New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) Many cinema halls around the country have decided to create a stadium-like atmosphere by screening live the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

The matches, from March 12 to April 25, will be played in India after being held in South Africa the last time. The matches will be screened in multiplexes as well as on single screens.

'It is a new and exciting offer. Usually the traditional method is to show films in theatres, so this is something innovative,' UFO Moviez India CEO Rajesh Mishra told IANS.

UFO Moviesz is a digital satellite cinema network that will facilitate the live showcase of matches in cinema halls.

Mishra revealed that many multiplexes warmed up to this initiative because not many big budget films are releasing during the period of the IPL.

'IPL has become a strong property. On top of that, no big budget film is releasing during this period. So, screening matches will be beneficial for the halls because no major film shows will be affected and they (theatres) will have something to fall back upon for sustenance,' he added.

Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas, told IANS: 'We have eight screens and no big films are releasing during the IPL. So we thought it will be good to experiment and see the response by screening the matches.'

Industry sources say there will be benefits of watching cricket matches in cinema halls.

It will be a high definition live event, there will be uninterrupted advertisement-free viewing, 33 percent more image as well as the stadium atmosphere.

Around 800 screens around India, including close to 65 in Delhi and surrounding areas, are expected to screen the matches.

Multiplexes like Cinemax, INOX, Fame and PVR among others gearing up for this new offering.

As far as the ticket prices are concerned, halls have decided to keep them equivalent to movie ticket prices.

'We are not increasing the ticket prices. People would have to pay what they pay for films,' said Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas.

'We are planning corporate and marketing tie-ups to increase our profits. We won't put any pressure on ticket prices,' he added.

'We will decide something between Rs.400-500 for the tickets,' said Rohan Doshi, in-charge of bulk bookings, Cinemax.

So are they expecting a good response?

'Its an experiment. We don't know what to expect but I'm sure we won't suffer losses even if we don't make heavy profits,' said Awasthi.

Cricket fans are excited too.

'We now experience the feel of a stadium without being in the stadium. I am planning a bulk booking for all my friends so that we can watch the matches together,' said Shantanu Roy, a banker.

Amitabh Bachchan feels proud to be associated with Indian cinema

Mumbai, Mar 1 (ANI): Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has said that Indian cinema is one entity that brings all together, adding that he feels proud to be associated with it.

Brooke Bond India Limited honoured Bachchan with a special award named 'Taj Enlighten Tareef Award' for his contribution to Indian film industry.

In his thanks giving and acceptance speech, Amitabh Bachchan said, "In many ways I feel that Indian cinema is a great integrator and at a time when all of us are thinking separately wanted to do things separately of bringing divides amongst ourselves."

" Indian cinema is one entity that is bringing all of us together and I think I feel very proud to be associated with it," he claimed.

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in 'Saat Hindustani' but won critical acclaim and success in 1971 with the film Anand.

The film, which catapulted him to the path of super-stardom, was 'Sholay'. After this Amitabh kept giving hits like 'Amar Akbar Anthony', 'Kabhi Kabhie' and 'Trishul' and 'Muqaddar Ka Sikander' among others and since then he has never looked back. (ANI)

Bollywood's Richest Actor

The fast, furious and fleeting appearance of King Khan in Gurgaon takes the revellers' breath away. Even more breathtaking, however, is that SRK flew back to Mumbai the next morning, richer, reportedly by Rs 5 crore that was paid for his 10-minute cameo.

By: Dhiman Chattopadhyay and Anusha Subramanian (Business Today)

December 31, 2009: Time: Close to the witching hour. Location: A party hotspot in Gurgaon on New Delhi's outskirts to which a city-based gutkha baron has invited hundreds of celebrities and wannabes to usher in the New Year. A string of performers-from singer Shankar Mahadevan to starlets such as Minissha Lamba-strut their stuff. Suddenly, out of nowhere emerges an eminently recognisable bundle of nervous energy-a certain Shah Rukh Khan. He jokes, shakes a leg and does a quick song-and-dance routine. The fast, furious and fleeting appearance of the 44-year-old Badshah of Bollywood takes the revellers' breath away. Even more breathtaking, however, is that SRK flew back to Mumbai the next morning, richer, reportedly by Rs 5 crore that was paid for his 10-minute cameo.

November 2009: SRK is shooting a new ad for direct-to-home (DTH) service provider Dish TV-a film in which SRK as a senior citizen relives his romantic heydays thanks to the pictures beamed by Dish TV on the telly. Between shots he quizzes company COO Salil Kapoor on the DTH business, and is keen to know how it works. He also doesn't lose the opportunity to tell the agency, McCann Erickson, that the ad was conceptualised by him. "But what impressed me most was his knowledge of consumer behaviour and marketing. He could easily give a lecture at an IIM on the subject," says Kapoor. The ad is shot over three days after which SRK walks away with a Rs 7-crore cheque.

February 12, 2010: My Name is Khan, produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, is slated for release. The story of an autistic Mumbai Muslim who marries a Hindu could add some Rs 10 crore to SRK's kitty if audiences lap it up. Eleven days prior to this, Shah Rukh rang the opening bell at the New York-based NASDAQ stock exchange, an honour usually reserved for CEOs.

February 26: Discovery Travel and Living's 10-part series, Living with a Superstar-Shah Rukh Khan, will go on air. The biggest Indian show on TV, with a budget of nearly Rs 20 crore, delves into different shades of SRK's life: As a father, a husband, a businessman, and of course, an entertainer. SRK personally will not earn much from this show. Red Chillies Idiot Box, an arm of SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment, which is co-producing the show, stands to gain much of the spoils. Discovery has already sold all ad inventories for this show.

Every step he takes, every move he makes, somebody's out there watching him-and somebody's out there willing to pay a small fortune to see him perform. Whether he's acting, or endorsing a brand, or just being himself at an awards ceremony, SRK mints money. And let's not forget the company he owns along with wife Gauri: Red Chillies Entertainment, which has diversified into highgrowth areas of entertainment like visual effects, television commercials, television programming, in addition to the mainstay of film-making. Put all these interests together and you have a superstar with a net worth of roughly Rs 1,500 crore, making him arguably Bollywood's richest star.

Bollywood's Richest Actor

THE Rs 1,500* cr HERO

BRAND ENDORSEMENTS : Rs 238 cr, 34 brands; charges Rs 7 crore for each

SHOWS AND EVENTS: Rs 75 cr

ACTING IN FILMS: Rs 12 cr Per film or a share of the profit

RED CHILLIES ENTERTAINMENT (Including Kolkata Knight Riders): Rs 500 cr

MISC. ASSETS: Rs 10 cr Includes luxury cars, designer watches, etc.

REAL ESTATE: Rs 650 cr Includes homes in Mumbai, London and Dubai, and other real estate investments

* Estimates based on sources such as TAM, www.mca.gov.in, and industry sources.

'3 Babes In Bikinis' With Action Kumar!

Get a load of this! Three hot(tt) gals: Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan, are all enacting Akshay Kumar's wives in 'Housefull'! Furthermore, the trio of beauties will all… get set to drool now… show up onscreen in bikinis. ;))))))).

Sajid Nadiadwala's flick has also aided in cementing the bond between the actresses. "Lara and I are both from Bangalore, and so there was camaraderie from day one," reveals Deepika in a tabloid inter phew.

"We come from similar backgrounds," states Lara in a media chat, "Like me, Deepika too was a model in Bangalore, so that was the common factor." Jiah, they aver, is the baby, and the duo are usually busy mollycoddling the saucy Khan.

Flashing a thigh, showing some cleavage, revealing skin… are all fine with the 'Housefull' girls. Presently, we're just 'Housefull' with anticipation….

Asin replaced by Shruti?

Legendary actor Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti Haasan's Kollywood debut opposite reigning actor Suriya in a film to be directed by talented A.R. Murugadoss is one of the major happenings in the South Indian film industry these days! While the shooting of this yet-to-be-titled flick, being simultaneously made in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, is all set to begin this week, we hear that the makers' original choice in the female lead of the film was Asin, but they finally chose Shruti Haasan instead of Asin as reportedly Shruti Haasan has a face which is more suited for Bollywood. To be produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, this untitled film will have music by Harris Jayaraj. Ravi K. Chandran will be the cameraman. More details including the title, shooting schedule, cast and crew are awaited.