Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Kangana confused between Independence and Republic Day


On 24th January, 2009, the cast and crew had a special screening of Raaz- The mystery continues. Everyone from Emraan to Kangana to Mahesh Bhatt was present and the crowd certainly went gala on seeing them.

Education as well as general knowledge (especially about our own country) is a must was proved by Kangana Ranaut at the event.

It so happened that when the reporters asked Kangana to leave a message for all their fans on the occasion of Republic Day, she did that perfectly, in Hindi off course. She then deliberately asked the reporters if they want the same in English too.

Poor Kangana fell into her own trap because she took an exact 5 cuts to say just this single line - “Hi this is Kangana Ranaut and I wish all my fans a very Happy Republic Day”.

If you are thinking this is the end then you are wrong.

After 5 cuts, Kangana managed to say her lines right, but she again paused and asked one of the reporters, “Is it Independence Day or the other one?”

All this could not stop the reporters and cameraman from giggling. She soon realized why everyone was smiling and finally said, “No more interviews please” and walked off.

Hmm…this is what happens when one jumps from her basics to the next level. We did a small survey to know about her educational qualification.

Kangana was born in a village called Bhambla in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. She completed her schooling from Model School in Shimla. She even appeared for medical entrance but failed. She even tried getting into theatre. She came down to Mumbai and after struggling for sometime went back to complete her graduation in science from Delhi in 2005.

There have been incidents when Kangana’s English have raised eyebrows. We even heard that she had tried to brush on her English.

We expect Adhyayan to help the poor girl so any further embarring moments is avoided for the babe. Obviously, Shekhar Suman will not like it either.

Shahrukh, celebrity guest in Nach Baliye Finale...



January 28th, 2009

SRK will be the center of attraction yet again, and this time he will grace the Nach floor as celebrity guest for the Grand Finale on February 1st...

Shahrukh Khan after debuting in television with Red Chillies Idiot Box will now be seen as the Special Guest in the Grand Finale of Nach Baliye 4!!

According to our source, “SRK will be the celebrity guest for the finale and he will be here to promote his upcoming , movie "Billo Barber".

The Finale of Nach Baliye 4 is going to be a tough contest as two of the favorite Jodis, Naman Shaw and Megha Gupta and Shaleen Bhanot and Daljit Kaur will fight it out for the last honors.

“Ali Merchant and Sara Khan, the popular pair of television who had hosted one episode of Nach earlier will be in the finale as support to Naman and Megha, while the dashing Karan Patel along with Karishma Tanna will be seen supporting Shaleen and Daljit”, adds our source.

Not all of the eliminated contestants will be performing in the Finale though. “Mohit-Aditi, Jaspal Bhatti and Savita Bhatti along with Sudeep Sahir and Anantika were to perform with Farah Khan, but Sudeep is down with fever and has been advised by the doctors to take complete rest. This means he will not be performing in the finale. The sensational Rakhi Sawant, minus her Baliye of last season will be performing too”, concludes our source.

The Badshah was recently seen in NDTV Imagine's Oye.. It's Friday.

With SRK all set to rock the Nach floor yet again, the countdown to the Finale of Nach Baliye 4 starts now!!

It’s Jodi # 4 Naman Shaw-Megha Gupta V/s Jodi #11 Shaleen Bhanot and Daljit Kaur to lock horns on February 1st in the Finale of Nach Baliye only on Star Plus…

Happy Birthday, Bobby Deol!



January 27th, 2009

Bobby has one elder brother, Sunny and two sisters: Vijeyta and Ajita. Esha and Ahana Deol are his step-sisters, from his father's marriage to Hema Malini.

Bobby Deol made a splash with his debut film Barsaat in 1995 in which Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia's daughter Twinkle Khanna was his co-star. He won the Filmfare for Best Debut for his performance in the hit film. Next up his sleeve was the romantic thriller Gupt which won him more success at the BO. He romanced Kajol and Manisha Koirala in the film
After the success of Gupt, Bobby returned with Abbas-Mustan's Soldier with Preity Zinta as his co-star and Vishu Vinod Chopra's Kareeb in which he co-starred with debutant Neha. Kareeb flopped but Soldier was a big hit.

Then he teamed up with his brother Sunny and Urmila Matondkar for Dillagi which didn't sparkle at the BO.

Films like Aashiq and Hum Toh Mohabbat Karega (with Karisma Kapoor), Badal and Bicchoo (with Rani Mukerji) flopped. Multi-starrer Ajnabee with Akshay Kumar, Bipasha and Kareena was a super hit. After Ajnabee, flops like Kranti, 23 March 1931: Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Chor Machaye Shor flopped and once again Abbas-Mustan's Humraaz with Amisha Patel and Alshaye Khanna was his only hit.

After Humraaz, a long series of flops like Kismat, Bardaasht, Jurm, Tango Charlie, Shakalaka Boom Boom and Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo followed. Bobby entered B-Town's premier league with YRF's Jhoom Barabar Jhoom opposite Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan. Sadly, the movie was the biggest flop of the year.

Apne teamed Sunny and Bobby with dad Dharmendra on screen for the first time and the film was a super hit. Then Bobby's flop spell continued with Chamku, Nanhe Jaisalmer, Naqaab and Heroes to be broken by Dharma Productions' Dostana in which Bobby was the lucky guy who walked away with hottie Priyanka in the end.

On the personal front, he is married to interior designer Tanya Ahuja and has two sons with her.
His next releases are Masters with his father and brother, Ek: The Power of One with Shriya Saran and Roshan with Kangana Ranaut. We wish this soft spoken cutie a very happy birthday and many joyful and successful years ahead.

Gul’s horsing around



January 28th, 2009

After Lara Dutta, Dia Mirza, there’s dainty Gul Panag who’s crazy about horses.

And, it’s the beautiful animals that she spends time with when not shooting. She’s a regular horse rider and has actually been riding since the age of ten. Wow, she must be some child prodigy. Gul has even won medals in various equestrian events. The horse shoes definitely seem to be working for her as far as riding is concerned; she should try carrying ’em with her on film sets, too. They may just work their wonder there as well.

Dates are my problem: Uday Chopra



January 27th, 2009

In a bid to resurrect his sagging career, Uday Chopra had signed two big films.

A home production opposite Priyanka Chopra and David Dhavan’s Hook Ya Crook, in which he was to play a side-kick to the lead actor John Abraham, a la Dhoom. However, Uday has now opted out of Hook Ya Crook, citing the age-old excuse of date problems.

A source close to the production house said, “Uday was playing an important role — that of a prisoner in the movie. The film takes a twist when John meets the prisoner and befriends him. Uday eventually realised that playing second fiddle in a film after bagging the lead opposite a top heroine like Priyanka Chopra, could harm his career prospects. So, he backed out of the film saying the dates were clashing with his other film.” David Dhawan confirmed the news and said, “The film was supposed to begin by December 2008 but got delayed. However, all is fine as I have amazing actors like Aditya Pancholi, Ashutosh Rana and Kay Kay Menon in the film.”

Shahrukh amongst 50 Most Powerful People



January 27th, 2009

King of Bollywood is truly a powerful man. We are talking about his power of being so popular in the world. Now Shahrukh Khan fans will be happy to read this news as their favourite actor has found a place for himself amongst the '50 Most Powerful People of the World'. In a poll conducted by an American newsmagazine 'Newsweek' Shahrukh, is No. 41 on the list.

Needless to say he tops the list when it comes to popularity. Reportedly Khan has huge fan following from all over the world including Pakistan and Afghanistan. Other known people who have made it to the list include - US President Barack Obama, who tops the list, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Now it would be unfair to call him pompous if he calls himself the biggest brand of Bollywood.

Farhan Akhtar Out, Preity Zinta In



January 27th, 2009

The word going around in tinsel town is that Preity will be taking over from Farhan Akhtar as the host of NDTV Imagine show Oye! It’s Friday.

According to a source, “Karan Johar was to take over from Farhan but the director is currently busy shooting for his film My Name is Khan. The channel and the production house have approached Preity and in all likelihood we will get to see her in the show.”

We called up another source that is closely attached with the show. This is what our source had to say, “Yes, Preity is one of the probable candidates. Apparently, Anupam Kher is another name that was doing the rounds. Though things are not yet finalised, it is likely to be Preity who will host the show.

Oye unlucky! Unlucky Farhan



January 27th, 2009

'Oye… It's Friday' hasn't been pumping in more viewers for the show as TRPs are still below. Farhan Akhtar brimming with extraordinary concepts for the first time on small screen, he hasn't made it bigger. Telecasted on every Friday at night 10, Page 3 celebrities Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Aamir Khan have been the guests on show. Even then, it's been a tough time for the show to pick high.

Well, sources have stated that producers of the show are on talks with other celebrities to host the show. Approaching Karan Johar, they had no assertive response as the filmmaker were busy filming his 'My Name is Khan'.

Why they want Farhan out of shows?

Perhaps, Farhan has been vividly promoting his flick 'Lucky By Chance' and couldn't make time for shooting the episodes…

Eros to release Billu Barber worldwide on 13 February



January 27th, 2009

MUMBAI: Eros International will release Red Chillies Entertainment's Billu Barber worldwide on 13 February, 2009.

The movie which stars Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta and has been directed by Priyadarshan, will have its advance previews in the UK on 12 February.

Billu Barber is a slice of life, feel-good musical with elements of romance, comedy and drama.

Eros International president distribution – Europe & Africa Pranab Kapadia said, "Billu Barber is an extension of the relationship Eros enjoys with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. After the success that Eros and Red Chillies enjoyed with Om Shanti Om, we are excited about leveraging our global distribution in promoting Billu Barber. With Priyadarshan's special, the film is bound to touch the hearts of the audience."

akki-priyanka the hit couple to pair again!



January 27th, 2009

Akshay Kumar is set to play another romantic-comic role in director Priyadarshan?s next film.

Priyadarshan seems to have an endless stock of entertainment inside him. One after the other he keeps making movies that blend comedy with romance and suspense. And the director has become fond of actor Akshay Kumar too.

Akshay, who was recently seen in Priyan?s Bhagam Bhaag , has now agreed to another film with the director.

The movie, yet untitled, will be produced by Ratan Jain of Venus. But the big scoop is that it might star Priyanka Chopra opposite Akshay.

Priyanka and Akshay have worked in hit films like Aitraaz , Andaaz , Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Waqt ? A Race Against Time . However, the two began avoiding working together after rumours of their romance started in the media.

Akshay, who is a happily married man, had then said that he doesn?t want to court unnecessary controversies that can affect his married life with Twinkle Khanna .

Sources say while the heroine of the forthcoming Priyadarshan movie is yet to be finalized, Priyanka?s name is not ruled out from the list of probables

Shahid gets too close to Priyanka



January 27th, 2009

Bollywood beauty Priyanka Chopra has done a grave mistake by not making her relationship with actor Harman Baweja public. Now, rumourmongers are all out to link her to every man she meets. This time, it is actor Shahid Kapoor.

Shahid-Priyanka duo were in the news for their hot scenes in Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminay, including a kissing scene. Now, their off-screen closeness has made the unit of the film suspicious. It is said that they look more like lovers than just friends.

Well, we can't rule out the rumour because Priyanka has not admitted Harman as her boyfriend.

Devasted Karishma breaks down on Nach Baliye 4 sets



January 27th, 2009

Karishma Kapoor has always known to be a calm and composed actress. But she surprised everyone present on the sets of Nach Baliye 4 by becoming very emotional. It is learnt that after watching the performance of her favourite contestants, the actress became so upset with their performance that she started weeping. So much so that she could not control herself for a long time.

Our unit sources inform, "Very recently contestants, Shaleen & Daljeet planned to perform a dance on skates and since they were not attuned to the sport but managed to learn it in just four days. When they wore the skates the judges were really anticipating and were hoping to see rocking performance by the duo especially our judge Karishma Kapoor. Karishma always appreciates good dancers and is really fond of the couple as they always try to do something innovative. But alas the couple was not in their best form this time and their performance was rated as an average performance. The judges were totally shocked and disappointed to see this kind of performance coming from the duo at this critical point."

"More than her co-judges Farah Khan and Arjun Rampal, Karishma appeared more devastated. When her turn came to comment on the dance she said that she was very shattered and felt like crying. She went on to add that they have always entertained her throughout but it was foolish of them to do something like this. Karishma then broke down on the sets. She could not continue her comments. The shoot was halted for 15 - 20 minutes. Every one was aghast on such a sudden emotional outburst of Karishma Kapoor. The jodi was also upset and ran to hug Karishma to soothe her. She took time to regain her composure." concludes the source.

Akshay Kumar may displace Shah Rukh and Salman Khan



January 27th, 2009

Akshay Kumar is surely is fast emerging as a strong contender to Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan for the overseas heartthrobs™ tag.

After the strong showing in the overseas circuit of Garam Masala , Deewane Hue Pagal and Dosti - Friends Forever , all of which starred Akshay, his ‘intense lover’ act in his latest film Humko Deewana Kar Gaye has also stormed the box office in the United Kingdom, thus underlining the versatile actors emergence as the "new star on the overseas circuit".

The film, which released all over the world on April 14, opened to record theatre collections. In fact, the opening day collections of the film, which stars Katrina Kaif in the female lead and the sultry Bipasha Basu in a supporting role, in the United Kingdom were a staggering 50,000 UK Pounds (Rs 35 Lakh) from just 38 cinema screens.

Besides the stupendous opening day collections, the film also earned 16,000 UK Pounds (Rs 11 lakh) from paid preview shows held a day prior to its theatrical release.

Salman-Kareena bury old hatchet; kiss and make-up



January 27th, 2009

Mumbai, Jan 27: Salman Khan is in a mood to forgive and forget. The actor, who is infamous for his bad boy rage, wacky antics and unforgiving attitude, seems to be in a mood to chalk out a few names of his big enemies list. After leaving us all stunned with his ‘beg forgiveness acts’ from his ex-flame Aishwarya and the Bachchan family, Sallu has now kissed and patched with the no-more-size-zero lass Kareena Kapoor.

Apparently, the gorgeous twosome had been engaged in a long cold war with each trying to snub the other.

It all started when Kareena was dating her old lover-boy Shahid Kapur. Story goes that Kareena was miffed with Salman ever since he had a war of words with Shahid on their ‘Rockstar’ tour.

However with Saif’s entry in her life, Bebo has decided not to sulk over her ex-beau’s enemies and has mended ways with Salman. The two were reportedly spotted having a jolly time on the sets of their forthcoming movie ‘Main Aur Mrs Khanna’.

Joined by Kareena’s almost better half Saif, the trio shared jokes and seemed much too comfortable. A news daily even quoted a source as saying, “When they started shooting for ‘Main Aur Mrs Khanna’, Kareena and Salman only behaved like professionals. Anybody who saw them share icy vibes would never have been able to tell that the two were thick friends once upon a time. Even as their on-screen chemistry sizzled in ‘Main Aur Mrs Khanna’, they refused to interact off-screen.

In fact, things were so bad that director Prem Soni would have to discuss scenes separately with both the stars. But during the Panchgani schedule, Kareena and Salman hit it off instantly.”

The source also stated that it was the newly humble Kareena who made the first move by going up to Salman to discuss a scene sequence with him.

Well, with Kareena turned from foe to friend, that’s one less person for Salman to shoe off.

'Luck By Chance' - a behind-the-curtains Bollywood tale

January 27th, 2009

New Delhi (IANS): Just when you thought Shah Rukh Khan's "Om Shanti Om"was the last take on Bollywood's inside story, Zoya Akhtar makes her directorial debut this Friday with "Luck By Chance", a serious dig at the industry.

Already in the news for its brother-sister camaraderie, the film has been written and directed by Zoya and is the story of an aspiring actor who arrives in Mumbai to make it big in Bollywood. And penning the script seems to have been a cakewalk for Javed Akhtar's daughter.

"This was quite an easy film for me to write. From start to finish, it took me no extra research to pen the story down. It is so because I've seen a lot of strugglers who come to Mumbai make a living out of Bollywood. Also, I have friends who came from Oman and Assam and are doing fairly good work for themselves,"Zoya told IANS in an interview.

Produced by Excel Entertainment in association with Big Pictures, "Luck By Chance"stars Zoya's brother Farhan Akhtar in the lead, who was last seen in his hit debut "Rock On!!"

The film has an ensemble cast and also features Konkona Sen Sharma, Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Hrithik Roshan and Isha Sharvani. A few Bollywood biggies have walk-on parts too.

The movie is already making its mark in people's minds with its unique promos and rumours that it is Bollywood's next "Om Shanti Om", considering its behind-the-curtains portrayal of the Hindi filmdom.

But Isha Shravani slams all such buzz. She said: "The film is very different from 'Om Shanti Om'. The plots of both the movies are very different. 'Om Shanti Om' was much more of a musical. While 'Luck By Chance' has a different take on Bollywood. It's much more real.

"Zoya has really put together a fantastic script and characters in the movie. The film is unique in its approach."

The soundtrack of the film is already a hit with its experimental music and oft-hummed tunes courtesy composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Featuring a robust mix of songs from multiple genres, the film's medium-paced songs have already enforced the audiences' to shake a leg as well as brood in silence with its varying tempo.

Considering the volatile situation in terms of business in Bollywood, the year started on a disappointing note and has managed so far to give a hit only in Vishesh Films' horror thriller "Raaz - The Mystery Continues".

What is to be seen is whether audiences would hold onto their seats for another behind-the-scenes Bollywood potboiler.

Zoya though is quite confident about the box-office results for her maiden venture.

"I don't think any film made on Bollywood has not done well. At least, I have liked all of them whether it be 'Guddi', 'Rangeela' and 'Om Shanti Om' ... and all of them have done well too,"she said.

Aishwarya Rai among AskMen’s Top 99 Women of 2009



January 27th, 2009

The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai has made it to the AskMen list of the ‘Top 99 Most Desirable Women in the World‘. The former Miss World was placed at number 60 in the annual AskMen.com poll.

WHY SHE’S NO.60? Here is what AskMen said,

The seductive power of Aishwarya Rai’s beauty is so strong that when she flutters those lashes over her famous blue-green eyes, she kicks up tornadoes the world over. Yet, as a key member of the Bollywood elite, she is virtually required to maintain a wholesome public image; she carries herself around with the modesty and poise of a well-behaved schoolgirl (hot!).

Aishwarya Rai starred in just two Bollywood films in 2008 (far below the industry norm), Sarkar Raj and Jodhaa Akbar. She also received nominations for her role in a 2007 film, Guru; she was nominated for the Best Actress award from the Awards of the International Indian Film Academy, and for the same title from the Screen Weekly Awards. We can look forward to seeing Aishwarya Rai in at least three films in 2009, including Hollywood’s The Pink Panther 2.

More than 10 million votes were cast, and the results are in — a list that includes many of the names you’d expect, such as Kate Winslet, Mila Kunis, and Jessica Alba, while leaving room for plenty of surprises.

Here is the Top Desirable Women in the list
  1. Eva Mendes
  2. Megan Fox
  3. Marisa Miller

Madhuri Dixit Gorgeous Than Ever



January 27th, 2009

The Mumbai Slumdog Millionaire premiere was a star-studded show with the bollywood top-guns including Aamir Khan, Dilip Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Amrita Rao, Madhuri Dixit, Sonam Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Mrs Madhuri Dixit Nene, Genelia D Souza and many many more.

The showcasing of the movie coincided with the announcement of Slumdog bagging 10 Oscar nominations.

All smiling Madhuri Dixit was just gorgeous than ever….

Director Kannan Married Madhana



January 27th, 2009

Jeyam Kondan fame Director Kannan of got married to Madhana at Green Park Hotel in Chennai. Here is the photo from the event.

Vinay the hero of Jeyam Kondan, Deepa Venkat, Bharath , Director Sasi , Actress Suhasini, Director Dharani were among the celebrities who wished the couple.

Slumdog Millionaire Cast Wins “Screen Actors Guild Award”


Photo: Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor and Dev patel at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, in Los Angeles.

January 27th, 2009

Just three days after earning 10 Academy Award nominations, Slumdog Millionaire has won “Screen Actors Guild award” for the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture on Sunday in Los Angeles.

“Slumdog Millionaire” swept up 4 Golden Globe awards earlier this month, the film is a leading contender for the Academy Award’s best picture.