.:[Double Click To][Close]:.

"Ranbir-Ayan film is definitely on..." - Karan Johar


The media has been going hammer and tongs reporting the fallout between Karan Johar and Ranbir Kapoor, soon after two prominent actresses spoke about Ranbir on Karan's popular TV show. Reportedly, Ranbir's father, Rishi Kapoor, was furious and had decided to disassociate from Karan's Dharma Productions. A section of the media even went to the extent of stating that the episode had put the Ranbir - Ayan Mukerji project in jeopardy, which was to be produced by Karan.

Karan refused to issue any statement on this raging controversy. Even Ranbir maintained a stoic silence, neither confirming nor denying if he would star in the Ayan Mukerji-directed project produced by Karan. However, the truth is, the project is very much on, very much happening. "I didn't need to clarify or offer explanations," Karan tells me, "The fact is Ayan's project will take off soon after Ranbir completes BARFI. Ayan and Ranbir are family... there's no truth to those rumors." Meanwhile, Karan is all set to announce a slew of new projects in the forthcoming weeks. Watch this space!

"SRK gave me the canvas I wanted" - Roshan Abbas


Radio Jockey. Television host. Theatre person. Roshan Abbas is wearing a new hat these days, that of a director. For those unaware of what Roshan has been up to, well, he's giving finishing touches to his directorial debut - ALWAYS KABHI KABHI - which is produced by none other than the superstar himself, Shah Rukh Khan. Surprisingly, the project in question doesn't star SRK in the lead, but four new faces - Satyajeet Dubey, Aly Fazal, Giselli Monteiro and Zoa Morani.

It all began while a show in Dubai, featuring SRK and hosted by Roshan, got delayed. "We got talking. He asked me what I was doing and I replied that I was planning to start a film on teens, with freshers enacting pivotal parts. It didn't require the presence of big stars, but it did require a big production house to back it. We met again in India, had our round of discussions on the project and he stepped forward to produce it." Prior to that, Roshan was in preliminary talks with Ritesh Sidhwani and also with the people at Studio 18, but as luck would have it, Roshan's directorial debut was destined to be produced by SRK.

ALWAYS KABHI KABHI is based on Roshan's 1999 play 'Graffiti'. "But it took time to develop it into a full-fledged screenplay. Shah Rukh pointed out two things. One, cinema and play are two different mediums and the written material had to be more cinematic. Two, it had to be contemporary. Also, I'd like to clarify, though the film revolves around teens, it's not inspired by 'Archie'. It actually borrows from real life experiences," Roshan divulges.

Did SRK offer suggestions, give inputs, recommend actors? "But he never imposed his ideas/suggestions," he interrupts, "He'd say, this is what I feel about a particular thing/issue/person, it's up to you to accept it. He gave me the freedom to make the movie I had envisioned and visualized at the outset. He gave me the canvas I wanted," he adds. Was it tough giving shape to his dream? "Not really! Initially, I wondered, will I get the grammar right? Will the cinematographer translate my vision on celluloid? But it wasn't tough. All you need is the right atmosphere to translate your ideas on celluloid," Roshan reveals.

Roshan's dream will unfold on the big screen on 17 June this year. "I have truly enjoyed the experience of making ALWAYS KABHI KABHI. And I wish to continue chasing my dream," he smiles. We're equally sure Roshan, you will have many interesting stories to tell in times to come.

Emergent notices ordered to govt and media in Ranjitha case


The Karnataka High Court ordered emergent notice to the government and the media in connection with a petition filed by Tamil actress Ranjitha challenging the telecast of a video clipping "depicting" her and self-styled godman Nityananda in an obscene act.

Justice B S Patil, who heard the matter, ordered an injunction to 40 news organisations including print and electronic media. An emergent notice has also been ordered.

In her petition, Ranjitha submitted that the video clipping telecast on March 2 last year was digitally manipulated.

She said she was petrified by the operation of TV channels and news organisations, which, she alleged, were telecasting the manipulated clipping of her and Nityananda.

She submitted that most of the programmes aired on Indian televisions "are not original, but copy of programmes aired in the US, which do not require any check and censorship in view of the culture there (US)".

Ranjitha, who was present during the proceedings, said the respondents were taking advantage of censorship and exploiting viewers and petitioners in general by not adopting any measures to curb prevention of any such telecast "which proves that the acts of the said respondents is illegal and unwarranted for".

Ranjitha's counsel Ravi Varma Kumar said respondents had "crossed all borders of obscenity" and such screening will affect sensitivity and emotions of people.

"Action of the respondents is in violation of provisions of law of land as per Information Technology Act 2000 and Indecent Representation of Women Prohibition Act 1986," Kumar submitted and sought a direction to prohibit the telecast of the clipping.

Ranjitha also sought a direction to Information and Broadcasting Ministry to restrain the respondents from telecasting obscene clippings and using any image, statements, reference and news pictures or articles of "scandalous intent".

Aishwarya Rai Sparkles At Oscars, Shimmer Rules Red Carpet






Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai added some Indian glamour to the Oscars with an on-trend shimmery number at the 83rd Academy Awards where sequins dominated the red carpet.

The 37-year-old actress sparkled in a bronze Giorgio Armani Prive gown with rows of amber sequins and beaded detail at the waist, while husband Abhishek Bachchan stuck to a traditional black tuxedo.

The actress teamed the shimmery gown with a Jimmy Choo clutch, vintage jewellery and smoky eyes.

Like Abhishek, musician A R Rahman who walked the red carpet with wife Saira, too wore a tuxedo while his partner chose a flamboyant fusion ensemble consisting of a golden sherwani and cigarette pants.

Like Saira and Ash, the shimmer trend was followed by Gwnyeth Paltrow, who wore a gold Calvin Klein number and Halle Berry who stole the show in a nude sparkling number by Marchesa.

Hilary Swank's glistening silver Gucci column gave way to a romantic ostrich feather skirt, while the sparkling bodice of Mandy Moore's romantic Monique L'Hullier dress appeared to have been sprayed on.

Shimmering nude was also an age-appropriate choice for 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for her role in True Grit, who won a Fifties-style dress by Marchesa.

While Celine Dion, wore a full-sleeved silver column dress, Amy Adams added a pop of colour to the red carpet with a sequined navy gown by L'Wren Scott, which she teamed with green accessories.

Other than the sparkle, another major trend was the resurgence of the red carpet favourite, voluminous red gowns.

The bustled creations worn by Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, and Sandra Bullock, were in the same traffic-stopping hue of red. Penelope Cruz too showed off her post-pregnancy bod with a sequined red gown by L'Wren Scott.

And while black remained a popular choice, with famously eccentric British star Helena Bonham Carter opting for it, there were some surprises from Cate Blanchett who wore an lavender Givenchy Haute Couture gown with yellow embellishment, and an unusual purple-burgundy hue seen on both Natalie Portman, in Rodarte, and Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana.

WB CM's 'daughter' arrested


Cops nab impostor who duped Mishra family of Rs 2.8 crore from a hotel yesterday

Jogeshwari-based Mishra family, which was duped of Rs 2.8 crore by a girl claiming to be the estranged daughter of West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, found some comfort on Sunday with the news that the impostor had been nabbed. The Amboli police yesterday arrested the 28-year-old from a hotel in Andheri.

MiD DAY had reported ('Deceived of Rs 2.8 crore by WB CM's Daughter', February 5) about how the Mishras a family of four had rented their flat in Malad to Parimeeta Bhattacharya and how, over the course of a year, lent her lump sums against bogus documents and bank papers she showed them.

She duped the family of nearly Rs 2.8 crore which includes their ancestral property, family jewels, house, fixed deposits, insurance, and so on. The well-to-do Mishras are almost bankrupt now, they claim, because of the so-called CM's daughter.

Sanjeev Mishra, son of Kailash and Usha, said, "We lost all our valuables, property, jewellery, near about everything. We are happy that she has been caught and hope to get justice now."

Bhattacharya stayed in the rented house for nearly three years starting 2007 and she defrauded the family over the course of the last year of her stay, by ingratiating herself and impressing them with her spurious credentials.

"She showed us many documents like income tax orders, pan cards, demand drafts, and we believed them to be authentic. She kept taking money from my whole family, coming up with genuine-sounding excuses every time," said Usha.

They had lodged a complaint with Economic Offences Wing, who had then transferred it to the local police station.

And after trying to trace her for two weeks, cops finally caught up with her at the hotel. They revealed that the Mishra family is not the only one that she has led down the garden path she has accepted that she cozened two others to the tune of a few lakhs. Details are not known as police officials refused to share them.

Rajendra Kane, investigating officer, Amboli police station, said, "We arrested the girl on Sunday from a hotel and are investigating the case." She will be in police custody until March 5.

Rosario Dawson, Paul Rudd, Eva Mendes' public foreplay at Spirit Awards


Actress Rosario Dawson was photographed grabbing actor Paul Rudd’s crotch while he in turn grabbed actress Eva Mendes’ right breast at the Spirit Awards.

It all started when Rudd, 41, and Mendes, 36, arrived at the podium to present the Best Screenplay prize at the bash held to honour independent filmmakers, the Sun reported.

Dawson, 31, then inexplicably joined them on stage at the Santa Monica, California event, and made a beeline for Rudd’s testicles, grabbing them tightly with her right hand.

Rudd was shocked at first but did not bother to release her grip, much to the amusement of Mendes.

As he stood with his man bits in the palm of Dawson’s hand, cheeky Rudd swung his left arm around Mendes and grabbed her boob with his right.

The bizarre three-way foreplay had the audience open-mouthed before Rudd and Mendes finally got on with the job of announcing the winner.

Tom Hooper crowned best director at the Oscars


Tom Hooper has grabbed best director at the Academy Awards for ‘The King''s Speech.’

Hooper was one of 12 Academy Award nominations for ‘The King''s Speech,’ and was up against major Hollywood heavyweights – the Coen brothers, David Fincher, David O Russell and Darren Aronofsky, reports the Guardian.

The 38-year-old worked his way through the ranks of British TV programme-making before establishing himself with the two-part ‘Love in a Cold Climate’ in 2001.

He went on to direct Prime Suspect 6, Elizabeth I and the award-winning Longford, starring Jim Broadbent.

Before ‘The King''s Speech’, his best known feature film was ‘The Damned United,’ the story of Brian Clough''s ill-fated reign as Leeds United manager.

Melissa Leo apologises for the f-bomb at Oscars


Melissa Leo, who grabbed the Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2011 Academy Awards, has apologized for using f-word during her acceptance speech.

Leo, who won the award for her role as the tough-talking mother of two boxers (Mark Wahlberg and best supporting actor winner Christian Bale) in ‘The Fighter’, let the word slip out as she took to the stage, reports the Age.

“When I watched Kate two years ago, it looked so f***ing easy,” the actress said, while referring to last year’s winner Kate Winslet.

She said the word was inappropriate for the occasion.

“There is a great deal of the English language that is in my vernacular,” she added.

'The King's Speech' big winner of Oscar evening



"The King's Speech" and "Inception" tied at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards here Sunday night with four Oscars each, with the British royal drama bagging the big four of best picture, best direction, best actor and best writing while the sci-fi dominated the technical categories.

"The King's Speech", which was leading the Oscar nomination list with a presence in 12 categories, however, picked up the golden statuette in best picture as well as best direction (Tom Hooper), best actor (Colin Firth) and best original screenplay (David Seidler).

Natalie Portman bagged the best actress Oscar for her role in "Black Swan" at the ceremony in Hollywood's Kodak Theatre Sunday night.

Christopher Nolan's "Inception", starring Leonardo Di Caprio, won the awards for best cinematography, best sound editing, best sound mixing and best visual effects.

David Fincher's immensely popular "The Social Network" came close on the heels of the two films as it was awarded in three categories - best film editing, best music (original score) and best writing (adapted screenplay). The movie is based on the founding of the social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits, and is inspired from the 2009 non-fiction book "The Accidental Billionaires".

"In a Better World" from Denmark took the best foreign language film award.

"True Grit", which had 10 nominations at this year's Oscars, went empty handed.

However, films like "Toy Story 3", "Alice In Wonderland" and "The Fighter" won two honours each.

"Toy Story 3", which amassed USD 1.1 billion at the box office in 2010, won the Oscar in best animated feature film. It also picked the award for best music (original score) category, beating Indian music composer A.R. Rahman, who was nominated for Danny Boyle's "127 Hours".

Rahman was also nominated for best song "If I Can Rise" as well, but he missed the Oscar in that too.

"Alice In Wonderland" was given the Oscar for best art direction and best costume design, while "The Fighter" won the honours for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for best supporting actor male and female respectively.

"Inside Job", which takes a closer look at what brought about the financial meltdown, won Oscar for the best documentary, features at the 83rd Academy Award. The golden statuette was given to Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs for the film.

Director Luke Matheny's "God of Love" was declared the best short film, (Live Action). It is about a lovestruck, lounge-singing darts champion who finds his prayers are answered when he mysteriously receives a box of love-inducing darts.

Oscar for the best documentary, short subjects went to "Strangers No More" by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon.

Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, Pete Bebb and Paul J. Franklin walked away with the Oscar for best visual effects for their work in the much appreciated sci-fi movie "Inception", while Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall got the award for best editing for "The Social Network".

India-born film editor Tariq Anwar was also among the nominees for best editing.

Amir Khan denies 'Sleeping with Jordan'


Boxing champ Amir Khan has dismissed reports that he has slept with Katie Price a.k.a Jordan.

Rumours of a romp circulated when the couple giggled and flirted their way through a pre-Oscars party.

However, the 24-year-old boxer went online to clear out the speculation.

"If anything comes out about me and Katie Price being in an Oscars party and spending a night together, it''s not true. I was in bed alone at my own place for 11pm and was up @ 8am to train. Just to make it clear. I didn''t no she was gona be there," the Sun quoted him as saying.

Jordan, divorcing cross-dressing Alex Reid, also went online yesterday to insist she and Khan were just pals.

Monica Bedi begins new innings in Nepal


Thirteen years after she acted in her last film of note, "Tirchhi Topiwale", Monica Bedi, better known as the companion of jailed mafia don Abu Salem, has begun a new innings in Nepal, acting in a new film that could be the mirror image of her own aspirations.

The 36-year-old, whose glamorous looks survived her long ordeal in the past when the Indian government sought her extradition from Portugal along with Salem, and her subsequent stay in prison for passport forgery, starts shooting in a Nepali film, "Parichay", directed by Mumbai-based director Akash Pandey.

On Saturday, soon after she flew into Kathmandu and dumped her baggage in a hotel in Thamel, the prime tourist hub in the Nepali capital, Monica was followed by the paparazzi to an ethnic restaurant in the Lazimpat area where she went to savour Nepali food and culture.

It was in the same neighbourhood that Nepali media baron Jamim Shah, alleged to have close links with underworld king Dawood Ibrahim, was gunned down in broad daylight in February 2010. Bharat Nepali, another mafia hit man who claimed responsibility for Shah's killing, was himself shot dead in Bangkok nine months later.

Monica, whose links with the underworld have remained the subject of unquenched speculation, looked unaware of the gangster history of the area as she smilingly posed for photographers in dark skintight trousers topped by a dark Reebok jacket over a jazzy T-shirt, boots and a pair of large sunglasses.

While refusing to comment on the fake passport charge that landed her in prison in India, Monica was, however, happy to talk about the new celluloid venture that has cast her opposite Nikhil Upreti, Nepal's action hero who last year left the Nepali film industry to carve out a niche in Bollywood.

Much of the shooting will be done in idyllic tourist town Pokhara, where earlier Govinda, Priyanka Chopra and decades ago Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman had flocked to shoot their new films.

In "Parichay", Monica plays a girl from a middle-class family who works in an office but is driven by dogged ambition to become a film star.

It could be the true life story of the girl who was born in a village in Punjab and then taken, as a babe in arms, to Norway by her parents. But at 18, she spurned the staid and respectable life of her parents, who ran a garments store, to return to India to seek adventure and her fortune in Mumbai's tinsel town.

Being made in Nepali and believed to have the investment of non-resident Nepalis, "Parichay" unfolds after Monica meets Nikhil at a dance bar and the two fall in love and marry, only to be parted by her unbridled ambition.

Years later, when both have carved out their own identities they meet again, leading to a twist in the plot.

The rest of the film will also be shot in India and Thailand.

At 43, Madhuri Dixit still casts a spell


You can't be in showbiz and not be visible - but that doesn't apply to Madhuri Dixit. If she ruled the box office in her prime, the soaring TRPs of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa" now prove she is equally saleable when she is a mother of two and spends much of her time being a homemaker in the US.

"We had been trying to get Madhuri as a judge for the past two seasons. She has been known as a dancing diva and who better could we have got for a show which is all about perfect dancing," Ajay Bhalwankar, programming head, Sony, told IANS.

"She has added a lot of freshness to the show and she is an extremely honest judge. In all our four seasons, this season has been the highest TRP earner thanks to Madhuri," he added.

Madhuri's India sojourn is coming to an end with the "Jhalak..." finale set to take place in the first week of March. But her stay has proved that the graceful actor's charm hasn't faded even after 25 years, marriage and a sabbatical.

Ever since she set foot again in India in November last year, she has been hogging the limelight.

The 43-year-old broke many hearts when she tied the knot in 2002 with Shriram Madhav Nene, a doctor based out in Denver, US. Post- marriage, Madhuri featured only in "Aaja Nachle" because she got busy with family and children.

The beautiful actress was after all a rage in Bollywood. Despite her garish clothes and loud makeup, the trained kathak dancer lit up the screen with her million-dollar smile, dance and her performances in "Tezaab", "Ram Lakhan", "Sajan", "Beta", "Dil" and many more.

When Rajshri Productions, which had launched her in 1984 with "Abodh", teamed up with Madhuri a decade later in "Hum Aapke Hain Koun!", they created history by giving Hindi cinema one of its biggest grossers. The audiences lapped up the movie, which ran about a year and earned over Rs.600 million.

Another turning point in Madhuri's career was when Yash Chopra roped her in for "Dil Toh Pagal Hai" and paired her with the king of romance, Shah Rukh Khan. The dream merchant gave her a makeover, presenting her in a stylish manner. The love saga was a box- office bumper and the lead pair repeated the success story with "Devdas".

In 2000, the multiple award-winner became the actress of the millennium. And the Madhuri magic hasn't faded even now.

Rani Mukerji, a successful actress herself, surprised everyone when she lay prostrate before Madhuri on "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4" to show her love and admiration for the diva.

And Priyanka Chopra paid a glowing tribute to her at the Filmfare Awards.

Ravina Kohli, creative head of Yash Raj Films TV, said: "Madhuri definitely has an undying charm. Even after being in the industry for so many years, all she has to do is smile and she takes us back to the same time when she was the number one in Bollywood. This charm of hers will never go because her smile adds a lovely warmth to her personality."

There are many who still want to work with her. From her co-star of many films Anil Kapoor to southern superstar Rajnikanth, she has got offers for movies from many and even shot a commercial for Hindustan Lever.

There was a black patch when Madhuri landed in tax trouble after her name was found in Chitresh Shrivastava's record for a Rs.3-million payment. But it failed to diminish the Madhuri aura.

"She is a a very down-to-earth lady and a great actor to work with. She is very honest. She is the most beautiful actress. She respects those who are good at their work," said makeup artist Bharat, of Bharat and Dorris, who is working with her for a Basmati Rice ad.

Mona Singh, the "Jhalak..." co-anchor, told IANS: "I have hosted a lot of shows before...but this season of 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' is like a dream come true. I was super nervous when I had to face the camera in front of her...but her presence is comforting as she is very encouraging.

"She is a big star, but was humble enough to tell me that she had seen 'Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin' and that she likes me since then."

A R Rahman fails to clinch Oscar


A R Rahman missed the Oscars failing to win in both the ‘Original Score’ and ‘Original Song’ category at the 83rd Academy Awards.

He was nominated for his compositions for Danny Boyle’s film ‘127 Hours’.

The ‘Original Score’ award went to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the film ‘The Social Network’ while the ‘Original Song’ award was clinched by Randy Newman for the song ‘We Belong Together’ in the film ‘Toy Story 3'.

Earlier, in 2009, the Mozart of Madras had bagged both the awards for his composition in the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle.

Katrina gives Anushka lift


Anushka Sharma gets a lift on Katrina's Kaif's chartered flight. Read on to find out how...

Since debuting in Boom (2003), Katrina Kaif has remained more or less aloof from and reserved with other actresses.

That attitude seems to be changing, beginning with Anushka Sharma.

You'd expect the senior actress to snark at the new actress, given that she is slowly but surely trying to step into Sheila's shoes.

Not only was Sharma's last release with Kat's fav actor Akshay Kumar, but the Band Bajaa Baraat girl was boldly trying hard to cosy upto Ranbir Kapoor, in the presence of Kat at a party last month!

Me, too?

On Thursday, the two girls were in Dhaka (Akki and Salman Khan were also present) for the Tri-Nations show (see box). Kat had to rush back to Mumbai to shoot for her YRF film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.

Since no commercial flights were available, she booked a chartered flight for her and members of her staff to fly back. When Anushka heard of it, she hesitantly asked if she could bum a ride. Kat immediately yes."

The YRF factor

Anushka Sharma is a Yash Raj Films protegee (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Band Baaja Baraat) while Katrina has worked in New York, and is now acting in the banner's film opposite Imran Khan.

Presently, they are Aditya Chopra's favourite leading ladies (even Rani Mukerji seems to have taken a backseat).

Up until the plane ride together, they hadn't interacted with each other. But on flight the two girls had a party. They were seen enjoying each other's company, chatting like long-lost friends.

Deepika to do an item number in a Telugu flick Teen Maar


Deepika Padukone is doing an item number in Jayanth C Paranji's Telugu flick Teenmaar which stars Pawan Kalyan. She had also shaken her booty in Paranji's 2009 Telugu film Love 4 Ever. Looks like Dippy is always willing to groove in his movies. Or is it the lure of the greenbucks from down South too?

Ranveer-Anushka go public with their love


Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh go public with their relationship, share liplock at Shahid Kapoor's birthday party, shocking guests

Looks like Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh have decided not to hide their relationship anymore. At least that's what their antics at Shahid Kapoor's birthday bash on Saturday night suggests.

Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma at Shahid Kapoor's party

The pair, who came together, were holding hands, and had their arms around each other for the better part of the night. Later into the night, they burned up the dance floor together.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they are more than "just friends", as they claim. A few glasses of wine later, they threw caution to the wind, and were seen smooching in an uninhibited manner.

Their public displays of affection shocked everyone present, and their devil-may-care attitude was the talk of the town the following morning.

Ek aisa bhi waqt hua karta tha ki...
The pair was last seen together leaving Karan Johar's party at Four Seasons last month. At the time, Anuskha had tried to hide her face from the paparazzi. This time, however, they seemed oblivious to the media, as they were too busy looking into each other's eyes.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali gets net savvy on his birthday


Sanjay Leela Bhansali turned 48 on Thursday with a not-so-quiet lunch with his close friends, associates and assistants, he also decided to change the course of his life.

At 48, SLB turns into a netizen. He is determined to master the commands on the computer at any cost.

Oops!

His birthday resolution is to write his new script on the computer. And never mind if the first ten pages of his proposed next film were lost when the comp-challenged filmmaker punched the 'delete' button by mistake.

For an artiste who sends out no more than two SMSes a week, and that too under duress, getting on the computer would seem like a Herculean task.

Tech unsavvy

SLB is now struggling manfully with the intricacies of the internet, all thanks to his two little nieces who had begun to look at him like a dinosaur for being so ignorant of computer technology. Laughs Sanjay, "I barely know how to turn on my CD player.

I had never touched the computer before. My sister's kids had seriously begun to make fun of me. They said, 'Maama, get onto the net because that technology is on the way to becoming obsolete."

Thanks to his accountant Chetan whom SLB took into confidence, he is very slowly learning to put on the computer and access the internet. "My next script will materialise on the net, no matter what it takes," promises SLB.

And he promises to double his output of SMSes from two a week to four by the end of this year, "About time I moved on with the world."

Spotted: Arjun Rampal, Gauri Khan


Arjun Rampal, Gauri Khan, Kaajal Anand and Bhavna Pandey at Sussanne Roshan's new interior design store on Friday night. Though it has not yet opened its doors, Hrithik's wife wanted her buddies to drop in before the official launch. Sussanne also had her first customer -- Arjun who picked up some stuff. He says, "I have travelled so much but haven't seen something like this. I think it is the best store in the world."

Bal Thackerays smitten by Madhubala!


Matoshree, residence to Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray resounded with a different noise.

The usual roaring of the Tiger was replaced by the resonance of laughter as joviality marked the place, thanks to Rahul, son of Smita Thackeray who made his career choice in movies and the family went to seek blessings from the Thackeray patriarch.

The Tiger was in his element as he rose to the occasion and blessed his grandson and the young team of his film Raada Rox, Rahul's directorial debut in Marathi cinema. It was a pleasant sight to watch the Sena supremo joke, laugh and share anecdotes from his youthful days with a bemused audience, when he worked as a production assistant in the film industry. "On one occasion while I was busy with my work, Madhubala happened to pass by me.

I was dumbstruck and stared at her like a zombie. That one incident made my day and my work as an assistant worthwhile," recalled the old man of Sena politics, amidst huge cheers and hoots. Balasaheb also gave some cinematic tips to his young grandson and asked him to focus on good editing, meaningful and witty visuals and most importantly audiences' interest. He also took the opportunity to take a jibe at youngsters' fashion sense, mostly emphasising on the 'long locks' look sported by guys today.

The team later shifted to a suburban lounge for the music launch which was graced by Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit. If Balasaheb was a Madhubala fan, grandson Rahul grew up idolising the dhak dhak girl. He says about his idol. "I have always admired her sophistication and her attention to detail in her art. So, naturally I was struck when I first met her but the fact that she graced the function that begins my career was a dream come true. She's a legend and who wouldn't want to cast her?" admitted a smiling Rahul.

Bebo can't part with Saif's private number


Saif Ali Khan has put one of his cellphones into a drawer and thrown the key away. That's right! The Junior Nawab of Pataudi usually gets grouchy and out of reach when he is shooting a film.

The actor, as everyone knows is on a start-to-finish schedule of Aarakshan in Bhopal. And, he doesn't wish to be disturbed. Of course, he still has another cellphone number on which he stays connected with his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, his children-Sarah and Ibrahim and his parents.

Now Bebo is in a dilemma because people who cannot reach Saif are constantly calling her. They want her to part with Saif's private number. The actress knows she can hardly say that she doesn't have Saif's number. Yet at the same time she has been asked by Saif not to give his number away! What will she do?

Adrien is Mallika's Oscar date!


The 83rd Academy Awards is all set to begin in few hours from now. Who is wearing what and who is coming with who is what is on everyone's mind right now.

As far as the Indian presence at the Oscars is concerned, Ash will be walking in with hubby Abhishek. Freida Pinto is slated to the event with beau Dev Patel while Mallika Sherawat is most likely to be there too. We thus thought of suggesting a date for Mallika and we couldn't think of anyone else but Adrien Brody.

Mallika Sherawat attended the 'Women In Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party' at Soho House in West Hollywood, California on Friday, February 25, 2011. The actress who is known to socialize in LA, Hollywood has met the likes of Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek and Quentin Tarantino before. At Friday's event, dressed in vintage, Mallika got to rub her shoulders with this year's Oscar nominee Amy Adams. Mallika revealed, "I was enchanted by Amy Adams!"

Mallika also met the duo who made headlines for their impromptu passionate kiss on Oscar stage at the 75th Academy Awards, in 2003! The gorgeous Halle Berry and the dashing Adrien Brody!

Mallika described Halle as one of the nicest supergirls of Hollywood while Adrien as
dreamy and another famous kisser of Hollywood! Seems like Adrien reminded Mallika of a certain Emraan Hashmi from Bollywood! But going by the number of kissing scenes Mallika herself has done on screen, Adrien seems like a perfect Oscar date for the hot actress! What say Mallika!

Mallika joked about her Oscar outfit saying, "Maybe I'd wear veggies instead as my dress!"

Lets see who scores more on the red carpet: Malllika or Ash!

World Cup: India-England thriller ends in a tie


BANGALORE: This was a game both India and England deserved to lose but in the end it was a tie. If the Indians seemed listless while defending a more than healthy 338, the English after being in a position to spoil the Indian party on a pitch on which the expected demons did not surface, suddenly seemed to have invoked the devil himself. In the end what transpired was the fourth ever tie in the history of the World Cup.

The match swayed like a pendulum. The Indian total of 338, set up by a record fifth World Cup ton from Sachin Tendulkar, looked good enough at the break, more so as the hosts had gone in with two spinners. England captain Andrew Strauss had different ideas as he set about all but obfuscating Tendulkar's knock with his maiden World Cup ton.

Then came the batting Powerplay. Suddenly from an impregnable 280/2 from 43 overs, when Strauss (158, 145b, 18x4, 1x6) and Bell (69, 71b, 4x4, 1x6) were going strong with a 170-run stand off 156 balls, things turned upside down. Zaheer Khan, hit around in his first two spells and held back by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the Powerplay, got two in two, sending back Bell and Strauss to open up the game again.

Suddenly the Indians were pumped up, as the English middle and late order collapsed. But then two sixes, one each by Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan, both off Piyush Chawla's final over, the penultimate one of the innings, again changed the game. Fifteen had come from that over leaving 14 required from the last to be bowled by Munaf Patel. With number 10 Ajmal Shazad on strike, the match looked to be in India's grasp, but the drama wasn't over by any means. A solid six and some hurriedly run singles brought the equation to two runs off the ball. They got one and the Bangalore crowd, some of whom had left early seeing India's chances all but gone, got what they expected least. A tie!

Before that, the Indians had got most things right. Having decided to play with two spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Chawla, it was important that Dhoni won the toss and allowed his spinners the second use of the pitch. That part went along the script as did the batting, with the top-order firing for the second match in succession. It was even better that the middle-order too got a chance to show their wares and they didn't do too badly either.

Only Tim Bresnan stood up and got noticed among English bowlers. Having dismissed the fortuitous as well as dangerous-looking Sehwag off his fifth ball, Bresnan came back at the death, to keep the Indians from running away to a total in excess of 350. His final analysis of 10-1-48-5 was true reflection of his showing on the afternoon.

No other English bowler went under five an over, with James Anderson in real danger of going for twice that. Every Indian batsman got stuck into him. Tendulkar and Gambhir used his wayward line and length to full effect. That Tendulkar (120, 115b, 10x4, 5x6) picked boundaries even off his better deliveries, ensured that it was not to be Anderson's day.

Once Sehwag (35, 26b, 6x4) had gone, poking at Bresnan for wicketkeeper Matt Prior to bring off a fine one-handed catch diving to his right, the right-left pair of Tendulkar and Gambhir (51, 61b, 5x4) took charge. Without looking in any sort of hurry, the master-blaster milked the bowlers before assaulting them.

The innings wasn't just about Tendulkar and Gambhir though, even if their 134-run second wicket stand set it up. There was also Yuvraj Singh, rightly promoted ahead of Kohli seeing that it was the 30th over, and Dhoni, whose 25-ball 31 went almost unnoticed. Yuvraj (58, 50b, 9x4) wasn't at his fluent best but who knows this knock could well be the launching pad for more to come.

Hollywood stars grace the Red Carpet


THE OSCAR WINNERS...
Best Cinamatography: Oscar goes to Wally Pfister for inception. He thanks master filmmaker Chrsitopher Nolan, says his work has inpired me for 12 years.

Best Art Direction: And Oscar goes to Alice in wonderland - Robert Stromberg and Karen O Hara

HOST
Anne hathaway and James Franco come on stage. Anne says, "I am not nominated. It used to be you get naked, you get nominated! "

It is James' first nomination. He says that he is not nervous and asks do you get money with the oscar? Both wave at their families, Anne's mother and James' grandmother!

Hosts are spoofing all the best film nominees

Hosts James franco and Anne Hathaway spoof inception, say it's confusing.

Next was Social Network and The Fighter.

Then it was the turn of True Grit, The King's Speech and Black Swan.

Franco says he loved Jeff Bridges in Tron!

Two time academy award winner Tom Hanks is the opening presenter.

RED CARPET
Halle Berry is wearing a markeza outfit says "I am a slave of fashion. I love people's intepetation of fashion."

Roberto Benigni and Tom hanks' acceptance speech is voted as best Oscar speeches so far.

Nicole Kidman says it's great to be nominated again, I am wearing Dior and i liked its structure and it's comfortable. I've won Oscar once but not after my marriage, so I want this one". Nicole has been nominated for 'rabbit Hole'.

Christian Bale nominated for best actor says, "It's lovely that our movie has catched attention"

Matthew Mcconaughey, who will be presenting Oscars with Scarlett Johanson, says " I've been nominated twice so my advice to those nominated should just enjoy, this happens only once"

Jennifer Lawrence nominated for winter's bone says " I'm feeling euphoric and honoured".

Natalie Portman says "working on the film was magical, i worked for one a half years on the film". Wearing Tifanny jewellery and purple dress is the last one to enter

Aaron Sorkin nominated for best script for social network says it was a challenge writing this script.

Melina Kunis looks elegant in lavender.

Kate Blanchett grace the carpet in light pink

Scarlet Johansson enters in lacy maroon, rated low on fashion

Anne Hathaway enters in bright red. Is also the host for tonight

Mark Wahlberg enters. He says, "The Fighter will walk away with atleast 2 oscars tonight"

Tom Cooper nominated as best director for king's speech says he didn't think his film would be appreciated this much. I have to pinch myself everyday, says Tom

Robert Downey Jr, who will be presenting awards for visual effects and editing with Jude Law, says all nominees are special.

Danny Boyle says 127 Hours is way different from Slumdog as 127 is a film about one guy in America!

Ashutosh Gowarikar enters with son Kunal says "it's great to be here at Oscars. I wanted Kunal to be here instead of wife Sunita". He is also the member of the academy and for him all 10 Movies are favourite but he is rooting for The social Network and King's Speech..

Abhi Ash enter for Oscars. Ash is wearing brown strapless gown while Abhi is in tuxedo. "This is another part of film fraternity so we are glad to be here" says Ash. Ash is supporting A.R Rahman and her friend Colin Firth.

Sandra Bullock enters in bright red dress

Gwyneth Paltrow, who will be presenting tonight, enters in silver calvin klien dress, .

Resse Witherspoon is in black and white in Valentino like Julie Roberts wore few years ago

Nicole Kidman is in white - too much detail in front, rated low on fashion.

Penelope just had babies a week ago, still looks stunning in bright red.

Hillary Swank enters in silver Gucci strapless with feathers at the bottom; she says "boys don't cry was 11 years ago! It's great to be here"

Steven Speilberg enters with his 14 yr daughter says Hollywood is amazing. Steven say " I ' quite nervous because I am presenting and my wife and daughters will watch this

Helene Bonham Carter dresses conservatively in black in sunglasses - says I want to celebrate films not fashion..

Christain Bale enters with wife

Josh Brolin enters. He will be presenting Oscars with Javier Bardem

Helen mirren enters in a short grey hair in grey dress

Helena Bonham said my children stoop up after watching the king's speech, we are going to sweep awards tonight for the king's speech - I wanted to enhance my bum so the dress!

Celene Dion enters, she will be performing tonight.

Javier Bardem enters with wife Penelope Cruz. Havier says it's helpful for spanish people to be recognized as he is nominated for biutiful

Jennifer Lawrence in bright red was the first one to enter.

We're underway!
After months of controversy and speculation, the wait will finally be over. With movies like True Grit, King's Speech, The Social Network, 127 Hours and The Fighter leading the way in major categories, it's tough to predict who will take away the trophy.

BF worried about Kashmera's 'Chest-show'?


Kashmera Shah's boyfriend actor Krishna Abhishek reacts to her topless calendar...

Kashmera Shah made it to the news again, when she went topless for a calendar. When we spoke to her boyfriend Krishna Abhishek, who has become a celebrity himself thanks to his acts in Love Lock Up and Comedy Circus, told us yesterday: "I haven't seen the calendar yet. She won't show me all the pictures. So I don't really know how much 'boob-show' is there in it. I hope she hasn't crossed her limits. I wouldn't want my family to be embarrassed in any way."

Krishna continued, "Kashmera is known for her sexiness. So I'm sure the calendar will have some sexy pictures of hers, but I doubt she has crossed the line."

Will Deepika annoy Dev again ?


Dev Anand won't take this lying down! Without saying anything directly to the evergreen actor, filmmaker Rohan Sippy is out to antagonise the Bollywood veteran, or so it seems.

News has just come in that the makers of Dum Maaro Dum have made their version of the famous song, picturised on Deepika Padukone. The line will read Not Your Daddy's Dum Maaro Dum." Rohan says, "We will be introducing the song as Not your Daddy's Dum Maaro Dum.

It is just in keeping with the brazen attitude of the song. And the fact that our DMD is meant for this generation. It may be better or worse than the original but it's for today."

Ruckus at Veena's B’day party


I'm here, what else will Veena need on her birthday?" asked Ashmit Patel, who flew down to Delhi from Mumbai only to make the occasion extra special for her.

And him being here must've turned out to be a boon for Veena as the party went on, and from it being a birthday bash, turned into a tough QnA session for Veena. Both Ashmit and Veena were happily answering the posse of questions posed to them by the journos until one of them referred to Veena as " Pakistan ki Rakhi Sawant". And the journalist then went on to ask Veena about her relationship with Pak cricketer Mohammad Asif, and whether she was also involved in the match-fixing controversy. The lovey-dovey duo did what was rather predictable: They decided to cut short that particular interview. Ashmit was also heard saying, "What kind of questions are we being asked?"

And no, they didn't walk out after that, instead both of them continued to give interviews to other mediapersons present there. Sab theek hi chal raha tha, the duo went upstairs to cut the cake, and just then, a verbal (and physical) spat ensued between a bouncer and journalist, whom the bouncer was barring from entering Nyx, the club in Hotel Ramada Plaza, which was the venue for Veena's birthday party. Seeing this, the electronic media decided to boycott the coverage of the event. And suddenly, a second bouncer came in to help his buddy... it was then that the media called the cops. The bouncer was asked to apologise to the journalist, but he refused to do so because the cameras were rolling!

Salman's highest paid actor!


He is still considered Bollywood's enfant terrible. But that doesn't hamper his price. Trade talk is that Salman Khan is the Hindi film industry's highest paid actor at this point.

Our source says, "Actors keep saying that they have stopped charging a price because they are now take home a share in the percentage of profits. The profit-sharing bit is right but actors, especially those like Salman and Akshay Kumar also charge a price and over and above it, they take home a share in the profits." Salman is reportedly charging Rs 17.5 cr for Ready and he is a partner on the project. So he will get a percentage of the profits too.

Salman who is red-hot after Dabangg has allegedly even been made an offer of Rs 30 cr as his price. The share in the profits goes without saying.

Katrina Kaif calling Aamir Khan


Exactly a year ago when TOI asked Aamir Khan why he hadn't worked with Katrina Kaif, the actor said, "Katrina is a huge star. But no filmmaker has come forward with a proposal to cast us.''

Now the grapevine says a very established banner did suggest to Aamir that he should team up with Kat. The two even sizzled on a magazine cover a year ago where they reprised the look of the legendary screen couple Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. Apparently the camaraderie between Aamir and Kat during the photo-shoot was great. Of course since it was just one photograph, so it was no big deal. Aamir knew that when it came to a film things were bound to be different.

The film executive who took the proposal to one of the most powerful men in the Hindi film industry says that the actor was a wee bit hesitant about working with Bollywood's most desirable woman because she was Salman Khan's girlfriend then. And Aamir, who owes allegiance to Salman over all else, wasn't comfortable romancing his best friend's girl on screen.

Our source says, "Now that Salman and Kat have split, Aamir may team up with the Bollywood diva." The same banner is very keen to get this super-hot jodi together. Let's see how quickly this happens.

Rihanna to be in 'The Bodyguard' remake?


Singer Rihanna has been tipped to take Whitney Houston's role in the remake of 1992's "The Bodyguard".

The 23-year-old is said to be on Warner Bros' shortlist to play Rachel Marron, as are Taylor Swift, 21, and Miley Cyrus, 18, reports dailystar.co.uk.

"We think she is a name people will go for to see the movie," said a source.

Justin Bieber loves funny girls


Singer Justin Bieber looks for a good sense of humour in his potential girlfriends.
The teen singing sensation, who has been romantically linked with actress Selena Gomez, has female fans all around the world. But he says in order to catch his attention, any potential girlfriend must have a good sense of humour, as well as pretty eyes and a good smile, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I like girls with nice, pretty eyes and a nice smile. I like girls that are funny because I like to laugh and joke around," he said.

While Justin is grateful for all the attention, he admits sometimes it gets too much and he is left fearing for the safety of himself, his entourage and his fans.

All blonde island resort in Maldives!


Lithuanian company that plans to build a “fantasy resort” staffed only by blondes in the Maldives.

Olialia (pronounced Oh-la-LA) has created a business empire in Lithuania, using its troupe of glitzy models with platinum hair to market just about anything from potato chips to pop music. There’s Olialia pizza and Olialia cola, even Olialia computers.

With the Maldives resort – and plans for an airline linking it to the Baltic republic – Olialia is taking its blond ambition to a new level.

“Blond is light. It attracts people like sunshine,” brand manager Lauryna Anuseviciute, a 24-year-old former model, explained at the Olialia office in downtown Vilnius.

It remains to be seen how the Olialia concept will be received in the Maldives, a more ethnically diverse archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which requires foreign developers to hire at least 50 percent local staff.

Maldives tourism officials said they had not received any details about Olialia’s plans and had not issued any permits.

Shah Rukh gets controversial, Shah Rukh Khan, SRK gets controversial



Actor Shah Rukh Khan is known to call a spade a spade, especially at award functions that he hosts. And he's going to be at his meanest best, or so it heard, at the Global Indian Film and Television Honours (GIFTH) initiated by Ektaa Kapoor.

Apparently, Shah Rukh is going to perform an act surrounding the greatest controversies of 2010! And he's not going to let anyone go lightly. From the IPL
controversies to the Radia tapes, from the CWG fiasco to some scandolous stuff surrounding our Bollywood celebs.

Shah Rukh and Ektaa are still discussing the act. SRK feels that it may get a tad too controversial. However, if it doesn't work out, they could well change the theme and do a spoof on the films or songs that released last year. Whatever it is that the Khan does, Ektaa confirms that's it going to be a must-watch.

Or then simply miss out on holding your bellies and treating yourself to that straight-from-the-belly laughter.

Obama's prayer: 'Lord, have that skirt get longer'



WASHINGTON: Like any other father of a growing daughter, Barack Obama too has to sometimes summon the help of God. In fact, he says being president "has a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray."

At the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, Obama departed from an otherwise serious talk about prayer to poke a bit of fun at his elder daughter, Malia and wife Michelle.

First it was the turn of the First Lady. "...Like all of us, my faith journey has had its twists and turns. It hasn't always been a straight line. I have thanked God for the joys of parenthood and Michelle's willingness to put up with me," said Obama.

" In the wake of failures and disappointments I've questioned what God had in store for me and been reminded that God's plans for us may not always match our own short-sighted desires.

"And let me tell you, these past two years, they have deepened my faith. The presidency has a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray," he said amid laughter.

"Abe Lincoln said, as many of you know, 'I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go'."

Then came the turn of Malia. "As I travel across the country folks often ask me what is it that I pray for. And like most of you, my prayers sometimes are general: Lord, give me the strength to meet the challenges of my office," he said.

"Sometimes they're specific: Lord, give me patience as I watch Malia go to her first dance-where there will be boys. Lord, have that skirt get longer as she travels to that dance," Obama said.

Players can be thrown out of WC for ambush marketing: ICC



MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council has cracked the whip on players indulging knowingly or unknowingly in ambush marketing, by threatening to throw them out of the World Cup starting in Dhaka on February 19.

"Any squad member that knowingly or unknowingly breaches the squad terms may face sanctions ranging from financial penalties through to being excluded from continued participation in the event," ICC's legal head David Becker said in a memo to all international players and cricket boards regarding guidelines for endorsements and commercials around the World Cup.

Interestingly, the memo went out on October 26 last year, but the Indian players seem to have just woken up to this threat, with four of them - including Sachin Tendulkar - having sought a meeting apparently to discuss the matter with BCCI president Shashank Manohar here on Friday.

Tendulkar, with teammates Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh in tow, met the BCCI chief ahead of the Indian Premier League's Governing Council meeting, it was learnt.

An IPL franchise source said that the meeting was sought by the players because the restrictions imposed by ICC on brand endorsements would begin seven days prior to the start of the World Cup and end only when a team goes out.

"At all times squad members may not allow their name, likeness or image to be used by any third party in any advertising or endorsement (or for any commercial purpose) in such a way that gives rise to a direct or implied association with the event (the World Cup)," said Becker in his memo.

"During the period of seven days prior to the first match of the event and the departure date of the team, squad members may not allow their name, likeness or image to be used by any third party in any advertising or endorsement (or for any other commercial purpose) wearing team kit, team uniform or practise kit (or any other clothing confusingly similar thereto)," the ICC memo to players said.

"Squad members may not display the branding, marks or insignia of any third party (apart from an approved kit manufacturer, team Sponsor or team logo) while on the field of play," the memo said.

But the ICC has allowed squad members to appear in an advertisement or an ndorsement during the mega-event if they wear cricket whites or "any other casual formal or leisure wear", provided they don't appear in the national colours of their team and there is no direct association with the World Cup or usage of logos of the ICC or the tournament.

Becker's memo has also put the onus on ICC's member boards to ensure that the players stick to ambush-marketing related guidelines as spelt in the Members' Participating Agreement.

"Finally, participating ICC members are asked to note that under Clause 1.5 and Schedule 4, Paragraph 2 of the Members' Participation Agreement, members are obliged to procure that their squad members comply with the above restrictions."

"Please assist ICC in ensuring that we comply with our continuing obligations to our commercial partners and protect the value of our current and future rights," the ICC's legal head has concluded.

Kate Moss and Jamie Hince get engaged, Kate Moss Latest photos, jamie hince and Kate moss engaged

Kate Moss and Jamie Hince get engaged, Kate Moss Latest photos, jamie hince and Kate moss engaged


Kate Moss and Jamie Hince are reportedly engaged, and are intending to marry on July 2.

Daughter, Lila, eight, will be the chief bridesmaid.

The catwalk queen has joked she will be the most famous Kate to wed in 2011 – not Prince William's fiancee Kate Middleton, reports the Sun.

Guitarist Jamie, 40, of hit band The Kills, is believed to have popped the question in bed on Tuesday night, after Kate had put the lights out to go to sleep.

After switching the lights back on and going down on one knee, he proposed her with a vintage 1920s engagement ring worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Interestingly, Hince followed tradition by asking Moss' mum and dad for permission.A source close to the couple said last night: "Kate is delighted. Jamie is the man for her - they are soul mates. She just wanted to make him work for her hand in marriage.

"He has been badgering her to get married but she wanted to take her time. "Over the last year they have grown so close, they are like man and wife. "They''re going to have the mother of all weddings. It will be a huge party, one of the biggest she has ever thrown - and she''s thrown a few," the source added.

Rihanna admits nude pictures are hers, Rihanna latest photos, Rihanna Latest wallpapers, Rihanna pitctures, Rihanna new videos


Rihanna has admitted that the nude pictures leaked over the Internet are hers.

According to the New York Daily News, the diva revealed on Twitter that it was indeed she when a fan sent her a tweet that linked to one of the pictures and asked, "what is this?"

"That would be... ME," Rihanna replied, "when I was skinny!" she said.

The photo in question, posted online by MediaTakeOut, shows the singer wearing only lacy underwear as she covers her breasts with her arms and takes a picture of her reflection in a mirror.

The gossip site alleged that the picture was sent to a "popular sports star" ex-boyfriend

Eva Green To Star In Tim Burton's DARK SHADOWS, Eva Green latest photos, Pictures, Johnny Depp, Dark Shadows Movie posters, wallpapers, Eva Green


French actress Eva Green, best known for her role of Vesper Lynde in Bond film Casino Royale, is in negotiations to star opposite Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows.

Depp has long been attached to play the vampire Barnabas Collins while Australian actress Bella Heathcote would play a waitress who resembles Collins' long-lost love. Green will play temptress Angelinque in Tim Burton's movie adaptation of 1966's supernatural TV soap opera, the Hollywood Reporter said.

Lara Parker had portrayed Angelinque in the TV drama. Green was recently seen in 'Womb', 'Cracks' and 'Perfect Sense'.

Seth Grahame-Smith has penned the script, and Depp, Graham King, Richard Zanuck, Christi Dembrowski and David Kennedy are producing.

Warner Bros acquired the rights from show creator Dan Curtis in 2007 but it hasn't yet set a release date.

Yeh Saali Zindagi review, Irrfan Khan & Arunoday Singh's Yeh Saali Zindagi , movie trailers, yeh saali zindagi movie review, wallpapers, yeh saali


'Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.' Try saying that again. And again. And some more.

How's it going? The beauty of an intricate tongue twister lies in its unbroken rhythm. If nailed, it sounds gracefully articulate. If not, a spew of mispronounced prattle. It's all about saying the right word at the right time at the right pace.
Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi can be compared to one such tongue-twister. It's a fairly simple plot interspersed with tricky turns and narrated at a breakneck speed.

While the genre is comfortably familiar, Mishra's treatment is refreshingly zany. In place of gloss and gimmicks, the director-story and screenplay writer unearths the underhandedness and layers that constitute his protagonists (and there are a whole lot of them, mind you!) with such dedicated precision and subtext, it's stimulating to stay in sync.

Like I mentioned, this one's a crowded affair. Even so, Irrfan Khan [ Images ], Arunoday Singh and Chitrangda Singh share the onus to make it work the most. As the plot's prime players, their lives are interwoven in a web of desire, deceit and determination in this audaciously staged, wildly choreographed thriller with romance at the centre.

Set in Delhi for most part, the movie begins on a strategic note on a Mumbai [ Images ] waterfront reverting to the time that led it here leading us to Arun (Khan), a marvelously sly accountant loves singer Priti (Chitrangda) despite the vociferous protests of his tubby boss (Saurabh Shukla [ Images ]). Priti chases a better future with Shyam (Vipul Gupta) who's engaged to a politician's daughter.
A parallel track involves criminal Kuldeep (Arunoday) who's keen on accomplishing that last big job before he declares a happily-ever-after with his wife (Aditi Rao Hydari) and son. Because he holds Shyam and Priti on ransom, Arun gets embroiled too.

It's all too delicately connected with a secondary bunch of whimsical creatures -- brothers -- the sensitive Bade (Yashpal Sharma) and the kinky Chote (Prashant Narayanan [ Images ]), a shady cop (Sushant Singh) and a third tier of maverick henchmen, I could go on -- lending significant contribution courtesy its perfect ensemble of supporting actors.

The only time its pace -- the most delightful aspect of YSZ -- takes a beating is to accommodate Arunoday and Aditi's steaming love-making session. The lovely lady who played Sonam Kapoor's [ Images ] demure aunt in Delhi 6 [ Images ] introduces us to her sensual side here. That's pretty much it.

Her co-star Arunoday, who admittedly I wasn't too impressed with in Aisha, is quite a revelation under Mishra's focused direction. His robust charm and vulnerability work well in communicating his passions as a smitten husband, loving father and faithful colleague.

While on the subject of colleagues, Irrfan brings tremendous plausibility to the proceedings despite the script's wacky temperament and unexplained obsession with uncomplimentary close-ups, whether he's disclosing his crafty schemes or making besotted eyes at the recipient of his unconditional support.

And what a recipient! There's no effort to project Chitrangda as some celluloid dream from outer space. Instead it's really worth anyone's while to witness how she generates glamour by just being real, accessible and gritty.

On the surface, Yeh Saali Zindagi is a black comedy in a bawdy skin. And even as purely that, it's wonderfully unrestrained (dead man farting, yes?) and entertaining with its mouthful of zingers penned by Mishra and Manu Rishi -- one of the deviously funny lines fame (Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Phas Gaye Re Obama [ Images ]). The nifty writing, however, isn't restricted to wit alone but extends itself to YSZ's most gentle moments without compromising on its overall frantic personality.

The idea is to project mess and chaos. Indeed surplus characters and subplots often make YSZ an overwhelming experience to endure. But if you are up for the challenge to explore Delhi's shifty facet, it's rewarding too. What's most fascinating is how everyone has a sense of humour about their situation, which is inevitably on the sticky side. Saali or sane, this Zindagi rocks.

Jennifer Aniston at her new fragrance launch in London


Hollywood beauty Jennifer Aniston is all set to relaunch her new fragrance in the US after it failed to create ripples in Britain.

The perfume, named after the 41-year-old actress, will go on sale at Sephora stores next month, Femalefirst reported.

"I wanted this fragrance to be a personal library of scent memories. For example, my love of night blooming jasmine has lasted a lifetime. Growing up in California, I distinctly remember the scent of the Jasmine on summer evenings," said Aniston of the fragrance, which was initially called 'Lovalie'.

"I consider the scent of the ocean to be one of life's most uplifting sensual experiences. No aroma is quite so purifying, humbling and exhilarating. The combination of the salty air and tropical oils reminds me of long sunny days on the beach - pure happiness," she added.

The 'Marley & Me' star originally launched the fragrance at Harrods department store in London last summer.

7 year old boy almost buys fighter jet via internet


SYDNEY: A seven-year-old British boy nearly bought a real-life Harrier fighter jet for $113,515 via online shopping.

The boy hit the "buy it now" button to purchase the fighter jet, which was put on sale at the online store eBay.

But his father quickly apologised to the sellers, saying his son was not able to buy the aircraft out of his pocket money, news.com.au reported Friday.

"His dad rang up and profusely apologised to us, so it's still for sale. We've put it on as an auction now so that won't happen again," said a spokeswoman for Britain-based Jet Art Aviation, which is selling the Harrier.

The elite fighting machine was part of Britain's arsenal in the 1982 Falklands War, but the government put the plane out of service in 1997.

Falklands War was fought in 1982 between Argentina and Britain over the disputed Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The US Marines still use a second-generation model of the Harrier.

Priyanka Chopra's facing a cash crunch?, priyanka chopra latest photos, priyanka chopra images


Guess who's having paisa problems these days? It's PC, of course, and we're not talking about the IT officials who raided 'poor' Priyanka's personal space.

It was meant to be an IT raid, but sadly, it raided into her personal space too (we're talking about Shahid...got the point?). PC was so eager to clean the IT mess and give a clarification to the media that she didn't count her words before shooting from the lip.

The gal who is supposedly one of the highest tax payers of last year, said, "I haven't even seen six crores at once, in my life." Hmmmm...though we would love to believe her, we know that she'd apparently charged a whopping amount (in crores) for starring in a big banner film last year. Priyanka, tumhe khoon maaf hai, jhoot nahi! Lol! For more Bollywood news and gossip, keep watching Planet Bollywood, everyday at 7 pm only on zoOm.

Tabu says "I am exclusive", I am exclusive, Tabu, Latest photos of Tabu, Actress Tabu Pictures


Tabu is on cloud nine. Shooting for Ang Lee's film in Pondicherry, the year began with some fabulous unexpected news for her. She's won the fourth highest civilian title - the Padma Shri. "And the feeling is still sinking in," she confesses.

"There's a certain ring to it isn't it? Padma Shri Tabassum Hashmi (yes, that's her full name)," she says with a broad smile. "Coming from a middle-class family in Hyderabad, I was an introvert. I chose to be the way I am. Today, when I look back at my long and meandering journey in tinsel town, it seems worth every moment of hard work. With no backing of a Godfather or any other man, this award celebrates my achievement as a single woman," she added.

The moment is also pregnant with hopes of newer initiatives apart from films in the near future. "I am taking small gaps in between my films to experience the other aspects of life. I will consider pursuing them, if it pays good money to me. Well, why not? I am not closed to any new ideas. But films are my first love," she announces.

Known as a private person, Tabu still prefers to remain in the midst of a chosen few. "I am not reclusive, I'm exclusive. With such a big population around us, does everyone open up to everyone else. In that scenario, I am in a majority," she laughs. Summing up all that has gone by in her life, she feels no one can predict the future but one must be objective enough in the present. "I've crossed many a cultural and gender barriers as a woman. I've always gone with the flow. Today, I stand tall and feel proud of my decisions. Tomorrow's another day. Masha Allah!" she ends.

 
helen mirren buzz powered by blogger.com
Design by fashion