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Salman Khan has brought star cricketers on board for his game show 'Dus Ka Dum', but when Salman extended an invitation to actor Akshay Kumar, it was turned down on the pretext of Akshay hosting a show for a rival channel.

Every move that Salman makes hits headlines, be it his relationship with Katrina, his recent spat with srk or the rumours of his breakup with Kats. Sallu has constantly been under the scanner.

This time though it is Salman attempt to mend his ways that has got him back under the spot light.

Salman Khan invited none other than Akshay kumar to be on his show Dus Ka Dum. But that is just the tip of the iceberg; the invite was for Akshay and Katrina

So while that may have been a brow raising act. It is Akki's refusal that doesnt come as as a surprise. Akshay Kumar declined the invitation to appear on 'Dus Ka Dum' citing the fact that he's already hosting another show for another channel.

Whether that is the real reason for not appearing on Sallu's show we do not know for now. But one can't help but wonder whether the scene at Katrina's birthday bash a couple of weeks ago had something to do with it.

'World’s sexiest woman', Katrina Kaif has been signed to play the role opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Prakash Jha ’s forthcoming political thriller Rajniti .

The movie, on the lines of the great epic Mahabharat, also stars Ajay Devgan , Manoj Bajpai , Vivek Oberoi and Nana Patekar .



Talking about Katrina, Jha said, “I needed an actress who'd look convincing as an intelligent, modern, cultured girl of today. Katrina fit the bill perfectly. She also looks perfectly matched with Ranbir.”

It is pertinent to mention here that Katrina was supposed to star as the fourth heroine opposite Ranbir in the forthcoming Bachna Ae Haseeno , but her role was chopped out because the film was getting too long.

Katrina would not mind that one bit because in 'Rajniti', she’ll have Ranbir all for herself.

'Rajniti' that blends contemporary Indian politics with chapters from Mahabharat, will have Ajay playing a modern day Karna and Nana Patekar has been cast as Lord Krishna. Manoj Bajpai will play a modern day Duryodhan, while Ranbir is in the pivotal role of Arjun.

All of Salman's family and friends and even foes had better watch Dus Ka Dum to find out what skeletons are tumbling out of the closet! Salman is endearingly candid on the show... particularly when it comes to letting out family secrets and even little known nuggets about his friends.

Recenlty he revealed that his father Salim Khan throws utensils at home sometimes to annoy his mother! Or that his kid sister Arpita 's skimpy clothes annoy him and he has to ask her to change them before she steps out!

Taking to social causes is no novel thing for Aamir Khan. The actor had created one of the biggest Bollywood controversies when he sprang to the cause of ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’. Post-that, he bought to light the issue of dyslexic children with his act of a tender teacher in TZP. And now, Aamir has decided to replicate the role in real life by deciding to teach lesser privileged children.

If the recent hoardings across the city with Aamir espousing the cause of teaching children have made you think about star-struck branding, you are mistaken. More than what meets the eye; the advertisements are actually a reflection of the actor’s belief in the cause. Not just a mere endorsement ambassador , Aamir Khan has himself decided to actively support the campaign and be a part of it.

Speaking on his decision to be part of the Teach India campaign, Aamir said, “Education is one of the primary areas where we need to improvise as a nation. It is one cause that not just me, but I am sure a whole lot of us want to contribute to but don’t know where to start. With this campaign aimed at teaching us to become teachers, social education is simplified further. I am really excited about learning to teach children since they are our future.”

Now with someone as dedicated as Aamir taking on to such a sincere cause, do we need to say anything about the campaign’s success?

The much hyped and much awaited film, Mission Istanbul, finally premiered in the capital city. Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Mission Istanbul stars Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Suniel Shetty, Shriya Saran and Shweta Bharadwaj. At the premiere in Delhi, the entire star cast of the film was present. Of course the main highlight wasn’t the presence of the pretty ladies around. It was Vivek trying his best to get friendly with ‘Anna’ aka Suniel Shetty.

Poor chap just doesn’t seem to ever get it right. Vivek makes a mistake, apologizes and goes on to commit some more of it. His old habit got the better of him as he took a panga with the producer of the film, Suniel. According to Vivek, the film’s other lead actor, Zayed, was getting more prominence in the film. This misunderstanding made him boycott its promotional events. Finally, when he realized that it was just a figment of his overactive imagination, he decided to apologize to Suniel.

Anna Shetty on the other hand seemed to be in no mood to forgive or forget. Throughout the event, Vivek seemed extra-friendly towards Suniel and Zayed. While Zayed still socialized with the Oberoi lad, Suniel was adamant enough to not pay much attention to him. Like always, Vivek Oberoi is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Mission Friendship gone sour!

Katrina Kaif seems to have had enough of beau Salman Khan's erratic behaviour. After rumours of an impending split, which had been doing the rounds for a long time, Kat has finally put her foot down and looks ready to cut off personal as well as professional ties with Sallu.

On July 26, Mumbai Mirror reported that the Katrina-Salman relationship has come to a standstill. Now Kat has stopped talking to Sallu. She has decided not to work with Salman anymore. If sources are to be believed, Subhash Ghai's upcoming film Yuvraaj will be her last film with Salman.

Yesterday, she shot with Salman for Yuvraaj but without exchanging a single word with him on the sets. An eyewitness from the sets says that she has even been going around telling people that she will not work with Salman anymore.

A source from the sets says, “Usually, Katrina and Salman used to be quite friendly on the sets. This is the first time that you can see the friction between them.”

“After every shot, Katrina and Salman stormed off into their respective vanity vans and did not interact with each other at all,” adds an eyewitness from the film's sets.

So what led to the final rift? Our source says, “After Katrina's recent birthday bash ended on an ugly note with Salman and SRK nearly coming to blows, Kat asked Sallu to apologise to SRK since he was the host of the party and it was rude of him to have behaved in an unruly manner. She also told Salman that whosoever's fault it was, he should have tackled the situation calmly.”

When we contacted Katrina, she heard us out and then said, “Can I call you back?” She did not get back to us after which we sent her a text message. But, she still did not reply.

Akshay Kumar plays the titular sardar in Singh Is Kinng but the comedy that arrives in cinemas next Friday also stars a bunch of younger actors who insist they have substantial parts in the film.

Yashpal Sharma, Sudhanshu Pandey and Sonu Sood are all looking forward to the release of Singh Is Kinng and hope their work is noticed by critics and fans alike.

Sonu Sood, last seen playing Jodha Bai Aishwarya's brother Sujamal in Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa-Akbar is excited about the new film because he says it's a different kind of funny film - one with an emotional heart. And he believes his role fits perfectly into the film's drama.

"Lucky Singh is the king in Australia. He has his gang and goons under him. At the same time he's a emotionasl guy and misses his home town and talks about it all the time. I am sure people will connect with it," says Sood.

All actors claim they connected with the film's leading man Akshay Kumar on different levels.

"We had many things in common. First was fitness, second was Punjabi. And in fact, we would always speak in Punjabi, and Katrina would object. The third is we like pranks," says Sood.

Actor Sudhanshu Pandey adds, "I started my career with Akshay Kumar and he's like a big brother to me and the best thing about him that he's a very basic simple north-Indian chap."

Akshay's star power is noy the only strength of Singh is Kinng. The film marks director Anees Bazmee's return to the screen after last year's smash hit Welcome. Let's only hope this one's smarter than Welcome, because Akshay Kumar could do with a big monster hit right after that disaster called Tashan.

The last time we saw Arjun Rampal, he was behind bars. In a pensive mood, Arjun looked quite lost… till director Deepak Tijori came by and okayed the shot. The strapping actor was shooting for Tijori’s forthcoming venture titled Fox. Talking about the film, Arjun says, “I am in jail for a different crime. It is actually a scene mid way through the film. I can’t reveal much about the story except that it’s a thriller and I loved the script.”

Not many people know that Arjun was actually supposed to make his debut with Shantanu Shorey’s Jadh. In this film as well, he was supposed to play a criminal. We wonder how the film would have carved his path in Bollywood. As of now, Arjun seems to be having a good inning with a couple of films under his belt. Apart from Arjun, the star cast of Fox includes Sunny Deol, Udita Goswami and Sagarika Ghatge.

Amitabh Bachchan is known to sign on unusual roles and the latest is that the superstar will play his son Abhishek's grandad in Rakeysh Mehra's forthcoming "Dilli 6".

Mehra's semi-autobiographical film has Abhishek playing the lead and also stars Sonam Kapoor, who made her debut in "Saawariya". He also roped in Amitabh to play a specially written cameo.

Confirming the news, Amitabh said: "I play Abhishek's grandfather in Dilli 6."

Interestingly, the film already has veteran actress Waheeda Rehman. And one of the Big B's incentives for stepping into the picture so late is to share screen space with his favourite actress.

Amitabh has earlier worked with Mehra in "Aks". And with "Dilli 6" almost complete, Mehra already has plans of casting Amitabh in his next film unusually titled "Paanch Kaurav".

"It's too early to talk about 'Paanch Kaurav'. But it's in the caper-adventure genre. And it would be my third film with the Big B. I couldn't get luckier. I've also done three films with Abhishek," chuckled Mehra, whose last film was "Rang De Basanti".

"I was supposed to do Abhishek's launch film 'Samjhauta Express' and then we were to do 'Bhairavi' (with all the three Bachchans including Jaya). We had gone so deep into the discussions that we both feel we've already worked in those two films together. So our comfort level in 'Dilli 6' is as high as it would be for any director-actor team that has done three films together," the director said.

If you think Sachin Tendulkar knew only how to massacre rival bowlers with his awe inspiring shots, think again. The master blaster, who is currently playing the Test series against Sri Lanka, will soon be seen acting in a film made on the famous lord Siddhivinayak.

After Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil and even Anil Kumble, it is now the turn of yet another cricketer to make his Bollywood debut. And, this time all set to take the silver screen by storm is none other than the masterblaster Sachin Tendulkar who is set to facing the arc light to mark his entry.

Titled "Vighnahartra Shri Siddhivinayak", the film stars Parmeet Sethi and Divya Dutta in lead roles. It is directed by Yashwant Ingole, a former assistant of filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.

Anjali Tendulkar, Sachin's wife, on Sachin's debut said, "Yes, it's true that Sachin has been offered a role in the film and it will be a special appearance that he will be doing."

Apart from the cricketing legend, actor Sanjay Dutt has also been roped in for a special appearance in the film while the Big B has agreed to lend his voice in the devotional drama that will hit the floors in October this year.

The film's producer Raju Sangavi said Sachin is an ardent Siddhivinayak devotee and readily agreed to be part of the project when he was approached before leaving for Sri Lanka for the Test series.

"He told us that he was ready to do anything that we wanted in the film. We will not make him act. Acting is too small thing for a legend like him to do," he said.

"We are in the process of working out a small but significant role for him through which a strong, social message could be delivered. We would not like to reveal more details as his portrayal in the film is supposed to be a surprise for the audience," Sangavi said.

Speaking about the film, Sangavi said it revolves around a family, which is a devotee of Siddhivinayak. "There are so many stories in Mumbai on how devotion to the lord has benefited the devotees," he added.

The film is being produced by Vista Media in association with the Siddhivinayak temple trust.

Sangavi said that the temple trust has no financial involvement in the project. Some of the proceeds of the film will go the trust, he added.

With yet another cricket star set to start his innings in Bollywood, fans will be waiting anxiously to catch the masterblaster on his new pitch

With regular updates on his blog, superstar Amitabh Bachchan has ensured that his world tour 'Unforgettable' remains equally memorable for his fans as well.

In his latest post, the actor has added autographed pictures including dance performances by himself, Abhishek, Aishwarya and pictures of the crowd going ga ga over their last performance in San Francisco.

"I am desperately trying to post some photos just to give you an idea of what we are experiencing. It is a madness I have not witnessed in years," he writes in his latest entry.

Similarly, in his last few posts, he had included some photographs of his hotel room besides informing his fans about his illness. But it seems that a successful show in San Francisco has enthused him with a new energy as the actor leaves for New York for yet another performance.

"I am rushing to catch a flight now to New York, so will not be able to spend much time in describing the last two shows, but as soon as I get an opportunity I shall. But more later," Big B writes.

The actor, who has been angry with media for quite sometime has suddenly turned generous towards them as well, but in his own sarcastic way.

"It is rare for the media to spend half an hour praising the principles they are about to grind before a meet, but that is exactly what happened. They had not seen anything like this in the last 20 years ! Wow !," he says thanking people in San Francisco and the media in same vein.

"...this was awesome. Thank you press. And thank you San Francisco. You guys made our night and day and many many days and years impossible to forget !!"

And Bachchan's new found generosity towards the press has not escaped bloggers as well. While most of them seem to be quite happy with the updates, one blogger commented, "You thank the press when they praise you but don't take any criticism to your stride, may I call you a narcisst like many others..??"

Genelia is a happy girl these days. Not only for her film’s success but also for all the appreciation she has been getting from film-lovers and critics for her portrayal of Aditee aka Mau! ‘Genelia overshadowed Imran in the film’ was a common opinion and the young actress couldn’t be happier!

“I am feeling fantastic! After Jaane Tu, people have rechristened me as Meeao or Aditi and that feels great. People recognize me as Aditi now! I am glad to know that the film has clicked with almost all kinds of audiences”, says Genelia who is busy basking in the glory of her film of late.

You have tasted success today in Hindi films but your initial films didn’t click! “Working in films was never my ultimate career option. I never expected much, also I took failures in my stride back then”, comes a prompt reply.

Talking about success, do friends make for great lovers in real life as shown in her now successful film Jaane Tu? “If you have a close friend there is bound to be that attraction” says Genelia. That definitely prompts us to ask if she has felt the same for ‘good friend’ Ritesh? “Ritesh is a good friend and all the talks about our marriage are nothing but baseless rumours”, says the young actress yet again denying her alleged linkup with Ritesh.

So what’s next for Genelia? “I have ‘Life Partner’ which is an Abbas Mustan production, an untitled film with Harman Baweja which has been directed by Anees Bazmee.

So after working with Imran, she is now working with arch rival Harman! “(Smiles) both are extremely spontaneous actors, are intense and extremely focussed on their work. They are quite similar!” concludes she, trying to be at her diplomatic best!

Katrina Kaif has been in the news for quite sometime now. Be it for her relationship getting rocky with Salman, or the Shahrukh-Salman spat at her 24th birthday bash.

After innumerable things being said, heard and printed about the leggy beauty, we finally hear some good things being said about her. And what surprises us is that it’s none other than her co-star in Singh Is Kinng who is all awed by the pretty actress.

No, we aren’t talking about Akshay Kumar but her other co-star, Neha Dhupia. Defying all controversies about the Bipasha-Katrina tiff during Race , Neha Dhupia said, “It was truly comfortable working with Katrina. She is a great co-star and we had a great time working for Singh Is Kinng.”

Neha denied coming across any traces of Katrina’s snobbish self or her high handedness during the shoot. Interestingly, on the sets of Race , while on one hand things went sour between Bips and Kat, the other siren on the sets, Sameera found a great companion in Katrina.

The duo often went shopping together after the shoots. Sameera also went ahead saying in public that Katrina was a great co-star and it was great to have her share the same screen space.

The young actress, who has proved her acting mettle through films like Namastey London and Partner, was also quoted talking about Preity Zinta as the only secure actress in Bollywood who was sure and secure about where her career is taking her. Preity in turn also made a statement on Katrina being a great friend and actress.

With some of the leading ladies of Bollywood giving testimonies about what Katrina as a person is, we are sure that her fighter Kat image is all set to disappear!

Add one more feather to Karan Johar’s cap. He has just done a cameo for Zoya Akhtar’s debut film Luck By Chance and his scene was with Hrithik Roshan! Said Karan, “Duggu is a friend, so that helped. Riteish, who was also on the sets, is also a pal. And then Farhan and Zoya are childhood friends. We used to go on family holidays together. So when Zoya asked me to do a cameo role, I jumped at it, although I know I’m a terrible actor! I remember after I played Shah Rukh’s friend in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, he very frankly told me I should never attempt to act again. But what to do? I’m a limelight moth. And not every director in this country gets the chance to share screen space with Shah Rukh and Hrithik.”
Strangely, this year Karan will have three releases as an actor. “But relax, Shah Rukh needn’t feel threatened,” chuckled Karan. “In C Kkompany, Fashion and Luck By Chance, I play myself. In Fashion, Madhur Bhandarkar wanted me to sit in the front row and clap for the models on the ramp. I did C Kkompany because of Ekta Kapoor. I can never say no to her. Just because I’m doing three films in a row doesn’t mean I’m going into acting.”
But Karan doesn’t disapprove of this new trend of directors making cameo appearances. “If they have it in them, why not,” he asked. “When a director is asked to face the camera, it’s with a specific purpose in mind. And even if a director is a terrible actor, like me, he’s just making a token presence. Believe me, only two kind of people call themselves terrible at a job. The really modest ones and the really bad ones. And when it comes to acting, I don’t have to tell you which category I belong to.”

Actor Aamir Khan has rubbished reports of superstars receiving threats from terror groups... says he continues to lead his life just as fearlessly as before.

Toronto, (IANS) The organizers of the annual South Asian Masala! Mehndi! Masti! show here claim to have established a Guinness record by conducting the world's biggest-ever dance class, attended by over 3,000 people.

Directed by instructors from the local Shiamak Davar Indo Jazz Dance Movement, the mega dance class attracted thousands of dancers Sunday.

Children, young boys and girls, men and women, South Asians and whites - all joined the free-for-all class to sway to top Bollywood numbers at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) grounds here.

A forest of hands went up as Shiamak-trained dancers kicked off the half-hour extravaganza. Though the exact number of participants could not be confirmed, the organizers claimed that more than 3,000 people joined them to shake their legs.

The current Guinness record for the biggest dance class is held by Moscow's GallaDance Lifestyle Dance Club, which established the record last year with 1,830 participants.

"Unofficially, we smashed the record as approximately 3,500 people participated. About 1,800 was the previous record created in Moscow. We will submit all documentation to Guinness World Records and await confirmation from them," festival director Abhishek Mathur told IANS.

Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to see whether the dance class was held as per Guinness standards and how many people attended it.

With their subtle movements, Shiamak-trained instructors guided the fun-filled dance class to a dizzying climax. And the crowd responded by a synchronized movement of arms, hips and heads to Bollywood chart busters "Om shanti om" and "Hun muajan hi maujan".

Indeed, the record-shattering show turned was a giddy mix of a riot of colour and high-voltage performance.

Run by Shiamak Davar, who is known for masterly choreography in films such as "Dil to Pagal Hai", "Taal", "Bunty Aur Babli" and "Dhoom 2", the Shiamak Indo-Jazz Dance Movement runs three centres in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary with the motto: Have feet, will dance.

Rumours are rife that one of the hottest couples in Bollywood, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif , is heading for splitsville.

The final blow to their relationship came in the form of the spat between Salman and Shahrukh Khan on Katrina's birthday.




After splitting from his former girlfriend Aishwarya Rai , Salman had finally cashed in all his emotions on Katrina, but he seems to have lost her too as she is quite upset with him.

Industry sources said Katrina is no mood to forgive him for his behaviour with SRK on her birthday, which attracted much media attention.

The sources said that after the incident Salman and Katrina are not on talking terms.

"Katrina is blaming Salman for the entire episode," said a common friend.

Katrina opined that Salman should have restrained himself as he was playing the host. "But certain things are not in anyone's control and it is destined to happen," Katrina told a leading TV channel in an interview.

A close friend of Salman said: "He is good at heart. He took initiative for the party to please Katrina. But everything went wrong."

Salman and Katrina's relationship was already going through a rough patch. Katrina's ambition is the reason for Salman's anguish. The British-born actress has long stopped taking his advice regarding her professional life, which irked the actor.

Salman, who is known for his hot temper, had objections to Katrina's choice of films, her co-stars and even the outfits she wore for some films.

Reports are that after his fight with the King Khan, Salman has been trying really hard to woo Katrina and get the love story back on track. But Katrina has got so irritated over his flattering attempts that she has stopped talking to him.

Katrina seems to have grown over Salman as the actress recently said that she doesn’t want to work with the actor anymore. The lady, however, justified her statement saying that she would now like to be paired with actors of her age.

According to a new report, the Indian Mujahideen has sent e-mails demanding that Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan stop working in Hindi films, or else….

We asked some B-Town producers and directors for their reaction to the attempt at creating a divide within the industry on the basis of religion. Also, would they stop working with the four Khans if threatened? The voices echoed the same sentiment. That the film industry has always been a secular place and they will not let anyone or anything change that.

Farah Khan - Director

The film industry is a very secular place and basically, people here are interested only in success and not caste, creed, religion, where you stay or even if you are a man or woman. Personally, don't attach any importance to who belongs to which caste. After all, I married a Hindu. But let me tell you, that in the film industry, if you are successful, people will work with you irrespective of which God you pray to. And if you are not no one gives a damn, in any case.

Karan Johar - Producer, (Dharma Productions) and director

In the film industry, talent is God and creativity our religion. Our work has involved some of the most prolific Islamic writers like Javed Akhtar, who has written the lyrics for songs like Radha kaise na jale and for bhajans. I believe we are a fraternity where there is no gender, sex or religious bias and we work in tandem together. There may be personal divides but never any religious divide. I won't stop working with anyone. We are all one in the eyes of God. Our film industry has always been the most secular place in the country and the world. I believe very strongly that we are all humans first.

Ekta Kapoor - Producer, Balaji Telefilms and Motion Pictures

It's our choice on which actor we should take in our projects or not. A threat is just that, and should be treated like that. Nobody will take this threat seriously. As an industry, we are very strong. There will never be any apprehension as we are a very secular place. Mumbai itself is very secular with TV, and film artists and technicians all working together without any religious bias. It's going to take much more than terrorists to strike terror in our hearts. We have much more terror striking us every day.

Kunal Kohli - Director

We are a secular country and we will work with everybody. We are not from any religion but from India. There are so many workers from so many different religions working in tandem with each other in India and that's the beauty of our country. After every blast every city has gone back to being normal. That's the Indian spirit. We have to learn that resilience and survival of the human spirit from the common man.

Sanjay Dutt cancelled his party to bring in his birthday last night when he heard the news of the bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Dutt's business manager, Dharam Oberoi, who is with the Dutts in Cape Town informs, "A surprise party had been organised by Manayata bhabhi for Sanju sir. She had planned the party for two weeks and made arrangements at a resto bar called Cabana.

Unit members from Sanju sir's Chatur Singh Two Star team, the producer Aslambhai and director Ajay Chandok, Vashu Bhagnani who is shooting his next film there and Ashtavinayak who is shooting for Luck were also invited. Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakroborty, Danny Denzongpa were some of the people who were coming for baba's (Sanjay Dutt) party."

Yeh kya hua?

So what happened? Dharam says, "It was supposed to be a party with around 150 people attending but when baba came to know about the bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, he said it wouldn't be fair to celebrate while people were suffering in India and cancelled the party."

Birthday boy

Dutt admits, "Yes, I cancelled the party when I learnt about the blasts. It was to be a surprise for me but one of the fighters innocently spilt the beans. I'm extremely hurt and upset with what's happened in Bangalore and Ahmedabad and felt it'd be unfair to enjoy my birthday when my fellow Indians are suffering back home. I heard about the blasts on NDTV 24X7, which is shown here."

Dutt has decided not to even cut a cake on his special day, "I will only work and pray that everything comes to normal back home," says Dutt who celebrates his 49th birthday today. He adds, "Birthdays come every year and there is nothing much to celebrate. This is such a disaster, we should all support those affected."

Kismat Konnection took a good initial at theatres. There were many expectations from this Shahid Kapoor starrer, after his last two hits, Vivah and Jab We Met but audiences and critics alike were seriously disappointed by this Aziz Mirza 'mis'directed venture.

Undeterred, producer Ramesh Taurani held an informal get-together for the team at his house last week. And the actor was asked to perform on the Aay Pappi number.

Thank you

A source present at the party reveals, "The party was Rameshji's way of saying thanks to the cast and crew for KK's fantastic opening.

It was an informal event, so everyone came in according to their convenience. Dance director Ahmed Khan felt that the party was getting very boring and asked the DJ to play songs from the film.

He even got the unit members on the floor. Then he announced that Shahid was going to dance to get the party going. Shahid declined at first but everyone joined in and asked him to take to the floor. He finally relented but on the condition that Ahmed dance with him.

Dance with me

The source continues, "The choreographer hit the floor with Kapoor but halfway through the song, he stepped aside and let Shahid have the stage. As the song was about to end, Shahid called all the girls in the party to join him."

Ramesh Taurani, the producer and host confirms, "Yes, Shahid did dance to the song from the movie at my party. Generally, Shahid always leaves my parties within half an hour, come what may! This time he was happy and stayed right till the end."

Just 24-hours passed by as two of the country’s leading cities Ahmedabad and Bangalore became victims to deadly bombs that rocked umpteen number of places bringing the entire nation to a standstill. What’s next is another scary threat, but this time it’s no city or community, it’s Bollywood’s four Khan czars, who are at the hit list of one of the most notorious terrorist organisations - Indian Mujahideens.

From the look of it, the scenario would make a perfect plot for a nasty action packed B-town thriller, however, the truth of the matter is that the threats are not a part of any script but it’s very much real and happening.

The dreaded terrorist organisation has sent an open letter to the four Khans of Bollywood - Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan, asking them to stop acting in films or else they and their families shall face the consequences.

The choice of actors for the threat is no surprise. The four names are undoubtedly ruling the Indian film industry and are most valuable to Bollywood in terms of the moolah put on them. The four Khans alone have an estimated price of Rs 450 crores put on their films this year.

However, in a move to present a strong and brave front, the industry has come together in support of the four Khans. The Bollynation’s answer to such threats has once again proved that the industry will not give in to such demands as it swears to stand by the Khans.

Speaking to a news daily, producer cum director Karan Johar said, “In the film industry, talent is God and creativity our religion. Our work has involved some of the most prolific Islamic writers like Javed Akhtar, who has written the lyrics for songs like Radha kaise na jale and for bhajans. I believe that our fraternity has no gender, sex or religious bias and we work in tandem together. There may be personal divides but never any religious divide. I won't stop working with anyone.”

Adding to this filmmaker Kunal Kohli stated that the industry does not pick up actors on the basis of the religion but on their talent. "It’s time that we learn that resilience and survival of the human spirit from the common man." The sentiment has been widely echoed by filmmakers throughout the industry.

For now, the security has been tightened. Hope this scary threat turns out to be just another scary gimmick and peace is restored in the filmdom.

The Sharara Sharara girl, Shamita Shetty is all set to cast her spell on the audience with the desi version of Harry Potter called Harry Puttar.

The film will have Shamita dance to a tune that promises to appeal the kids. Meanwhile, for Shamita, it's a privilege to be a part of the children's film.

The actress has been an avid Harry Potter fan and is glad to be a part of the desi version. She says, “I said yes to this very special track because it was a children’s film. It was something special.”

Shamita made her debut as an actress in Mohabattein, produced by Yashraj Films. She was later roped in for a number in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, which turned out to be one of her best performances.

Interestingly, most numbers that Shamita has done till date have all been chartbusters. Woh Lamhe from the film Zeher also turned into an instant rage.

Meanwhile, director of Harry Puttar also hopes that Shamita’s number in the film will top the charts like her previous hits.

For the next few days you will hear and read a lot of shit about me, a lot of it. Keep on reading it…but don't react to it. I don't.

Like sometimes when you are traveling in a fast car and you find a dog chasing your car…barking away.

You don't stop the car and start reacting to the dog…u don't…there's no point. I don't wish to react. I don't have the time for it. Besides, I don't understand the language of dogs, except for my two - Myson and Myjaan.

Unfortunately in our industry the developing trend is not to celebrate others success…every time another person is successful there will be someone trying to pull him down.

You don't increase your own efforts to become successful but try to always decrease someone else's success…that's the mantra of the industry.

A man is good they say but they say it in the past tense. A lot of people out there talk highly but only once a person's gone…Dead! These people whoever they are - are just doing their job - only what they know to do best.

I chose to remain silent. I do not have the time to spend reacting. But even silence speaks. Silence makes more noise than thunder. …'Bandar Sher ko chidhata hai….' Sirf aawaaz kar sakta hai... Kabhi Sher ko maar sakta hai? He can't do anything. But when the Lion roars, a whole pack of monkeys fall from trees!

So keep on reading…read all the negatives…read till they get tired of writing. Everyone goes through this…but not for long. I say just look good feel good and do good, that's it. I love you all.

For the next few days you will hear and read a lot of shit about me, a lot of it. Keep on reading it…but don't react to it. I don't.

Like sometimes when you are traveling in a fast car and you find a dog chasing your car…barking away.

You don't stop the car and start reacting to the dog…u don't…there's no point. I don't wish to react. I don't have the time for it. Besides, I don't understand the language of dogs, except for my two - Myson and Myjaan.

Unfortunately in our industry the developing trend is not to celebrate others success…every time another person is successful there will be someone trying to pull him down.

You don't increase your own efforts to become successful but try to always decrease someone else's success…that's the mantra of the industry.

A man is good they say but they say it in the past tense. A lot of people out there talk highly but only once a person's gone…Dead! These people whoever they are - are just doing their job - only what they know to do best.

I chose to remain silent. I do not have the time to spend reacting. But even silence speaks. Silence makes more noise than thunder. …'Bandar Sher ko chidhata hai….' Sirf aawaaz kar sakta hai... Kabhi Sher ko maar sakta hai? He can't do anything. But when the Lion roars, a whole pack of monkeys fall from trees!

So keep on reading…read all the negatives…read till they get tired of writing. Everyone goes through this…but not for long. I say just look good feel good and do good, that's it. I love you all.

Mission Istaanbul, this week's new Bollywood release, is not only a bad film, it's also a highly offensive film. If it was merely a mindless action film, one might have been more forgiving, but in fact Mission Istaanbul disguises itself as a film that takes a serious look at international terrorism, as a film that questions the commercialization of news.

These are interesting themes no doubt, but themes that this film not only doesn't explore, but barely dwells on superficially.

Zayed Khan plays Vikas Sagar, a prominent Indian television journalist who's just landed a three-month familiarization assignment with the Al-Johara channel in Turkey. The channel's run by media-mogul Ghazni (played by Nikitan Dheer), who Sagar soon realizes, is a dodgy fellow. Vivek Oberoi plays mysterious well-wisher Rizwan Khan who warns Sagar that his life is in danger, alerting him about Ghazni's eerily cozy relationship with the most feared terrorist outfit.

When Sagar realises that Ghazni's doing more than just reporting the news at Al-Johara, he teams up with Rizwan to uncover the dirty secret.

Ten minutes into Mission Istaanbul and any hopes you might have had of watching a smart, realistic thriller, come crashing down. In director Apoorva Lakhia's world, serious news journalists turn up for important field reporting in body-hugging ganjis; they not only leave their cell-phones on during major political interviews but also attend to personal calls in the middle of such coveted assignments; and being a news journalist according to Lakhia means you're the kind of tech-savvy guy who can hack into computers at the snap of a finger.

The director also makes a mockery of a global concern as serious as terrorism by portraying it in such a matter-of-fact, trite manner that his film is more a disservice to the cause he claims to espouse.

Mission Istaanbul is a miscalculation on the part of both the film's writer and director. I could go into details and take apart every other scene, but frankly we don't have the time for that. Considering the film relies so heavily on action, you'd expect some edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting moments but what you get are a bunch of tackily shot chase scenes and one particularly over-the-top set piece involving our two heroes jumping on to an attacking helicopter's landing skids.

I don't have words to describe that embarrassing product-placement scene in which our heroes make an impossible escape, then pop open cans of sponsor cola and rattle off its tagline with false bravado.

The response to Kismat Konnection has been mixed but it seems that actor Shahid Kapur is in no mood for any kind of criticism. CNN-IBN caught up with the actor, post the box office results of the film.

Shahid Kapur: I am very happy. It was a very important film for me. Coming after Vivah and Jab We Met, there were expectations around the film.

Question: The industry has been in a way divided in terms of response for the film. How are you taking these criticisms that are coming your way?

Shahid Kapur: There are three types of films which actors usually do. One, are those films that are loved by audiences and are not understood by the critics at all. There is another section that is loved by critics but no one goes to watch those films. The third type is, which both the audience and the critics love. I always love to be part of the films which audiences love, even if the critics don’t like it.

Question: In terms of Vidya and your onscreen chemistry, there has been a divide in terms of the response that you have got. What do you have to say about that?

Shahid Kapur: I think everyone is entitled to their opinion. Whether I like it or not, I don’t want to sit here and justify anything because each person goes to the theatre and has a right to walk out with whatever opinion they have. But, I would not like to discredit anything from Vidya. She is a very important part of the film. She is the lead actress of the film and today if the film is successful, her contribution cannot be ignored.

Question: Finally looking back, if there is anything you would want to change in Kismat Konnection, what would that be?

Shahid Kapur: There are a few scenes here and there that I felt, I could do better. But, I guess that is a part of every film that you do, you feel that you could do better.

'Marmayogi' one more ambitious dream of Kamal Haasan is said to be launched with a classic and high-profile opening in Mumbai in August.

With an estimated budget of over INR one billion, this celluloid dream is based on evidences from history with a story framed in the setting of 7th Century AD. AR Rehman started to work on the tunes to match the contemporary ambience and theme.

According to the sources Kamal is hopeful that this new venture will be a mile mark in his career. He adds that Dasavataram though had little mishaps in accuracy; the experience will help him to eliminate such chances in this new project. He thanked every one for their fair critics.

Mallika Sherawat rates high on producer Ratan Jain’s list of favourite people nowadays. Recently Jain financed a holiday for Mallika Sherawat in Paris.

Mallika, who plays the female lead in Jain’s upcoming film Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam has just returned from her all-paid-for holiday in Paris.

Says a source, “Some time back Mallika revealed that she was planning a holiday to Paris. She said this on the sets of Mughal-E-Azam. Jain was present there. He immediately offered to foot the bill.”

Says an insider, “This was a strange offer because Ratan Jain has never financed a holiday for any of his heroines before. This is the first time.

And he has launched many heroines in the past, including Shilpa Shetty (Baazigar).”

When asked about this, Jain said, “Yes, it’s true that I haven’t financed a holiday for any of my heroines earlier.” Did he accompany Mallika to Paris. Jain laughed, “Why should I accompany her?”

Ratan Jain
So, why did he decide to pay for Mallika’s holiday? Jain replied, “I am very happy with Mallika’s work in Mughal-E-Azam. She has given a great performance.

That’s why I financed her holiday. I felt that she deserved it.” How much did it cost him?

He said, “Mallika hasn’t given me her bill yet. But I am definitely going to pay her very soon. It is a commitment I’ve made and I won’t break it.”

hough Mallika was not on very friendly terms with her co-star, Ranvir Shorey on the sets of Ugli Aur Pagli, Mallika took care of him when he was facing bad health.
Once while Mallika was shooting for the film and she came to know that Ranvir Shorey was not keeping well and was suffering from a bout of influenza. Being a Samaritan that she is Mallika immediately called her home and ordered some home cooked food for Ranvir. The food was fit for an ill patient that comprised of Khichdi and plain dal. Ranvir on seeing her gesture was truly amazed and kept thanking her till the schedule was complete. Now this is what we call hot and sweet!

We've had a play on Shabana Azmi. And then there was Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon inspired by Mrs Nene. Now there's a film that is named after Shah Rukh Khan.

Connections

Titled SRK, the satire which is ready for release, has been directed by Ajay Varma who once edited Ram Gopal Varma's films. Vinay Pathak plays SRK. Incident-ally the real SRK co-stars with Vinay in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Says Vinay, "It's actually a remake of the Malayalam film Chinthavisthayaya Shyamalan which was directed by Priya-darshan's assistant. The Hindi remake was obviously named after the one and only SRK which is the acronym for my character's full name Shivraj Rao Khote. But he likes to be called SRK, a name that every Indian identifies with."

No Gauri

Rituparna Sengupta co-stars with Vinay in SRK. So is she named Gauri in the film?
"I'm afraid not," he chuckles.

Producer Vipul Shah and director Anees Bazmee are overwhelmed at reactions to the title of their Akshay Kumar-starrer Singh is Kinng.

The title has found its way on the cover of political mag India Today, it has been used by serious newspapers, and by news channels as a nick for Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh as well as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

An ecstatic Vipul says, "In my wildest dreams, I hadn't imagined that our title would become a national rage and have such an impact! After the Parliament session on Tuesday, a TV channel was using my title; the SMSes I got were amazing. I think because of my title, I've become a very close associate of Congress Party and am enjoying their victory."

Vipul agrees that no title so far has created such an impact, "I can feel the film reaching out to all even non-Sardars. It's unreal that a title has become so big and has indirectly created awareness about the film. Even if I had spent 100 crore on the film's publicity, I couldn't have bought the impact. It's a complete blessing. Even while working on the title track, I would tell Pritam to make a song that would become an anthem for the Singh community but never thought it'd be such a hit."

Beyond the film

Vipul adds, "Akshay has got three times more messages than I have. He's shooting in LA.
Last night, he called me and asked 'What's happening? My phone is completely flooded with messages.' Akshay, being a Punjabi, has suddenly become synonymous with the Sikh community and got acceptance from them. In Toronto, during The Unforgettable show, the crowds kept chanting Singh Is Kinng! The title has gone beyond the film."

The story behind the title

While Vipul was working on the title, Akshay called me him and told him that he'd read Singh Is Kingg written behind a truck and he thought it was apt for our film. Vipul admits, "I told him it sounded solid but I wanted to check with Anees too. Two minutes later, we'd finalized and registered the title. It works brilliantly as Singh Is Kinng is about living life king-size, a king-size attitude, and a community that is brave, strong, truthful and whole-hearted.

The shooting of Karan Johar's next production Dostana directed by Tarun Mansukhani and starring John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra and Abhishek Bachchan is now complete, save for a song.

Tarun's baby

Karan says, "Dostana is Tarun's baby. He and the entire crew handled everything so superbly that I was worried. As a producer I was there in Miami for the first schedule for only two weeks. I was an unemployed producer. Dostana was the title of my dad's (Yash Johar) first film and besides a sense of nostalgia meets emotion, my film and the 1980 Dostana have nothing in common. My Dostana is a love story with a fun twist." The film ended on schedule and now only an item number needs to be picturized on John, Priyanka and Abhishek which we will shoot in September when Abhishek comes back from his world tour.
Do ka dhamaal

Director Tarun says, "Dostana is about three friends. It's a cool, fun film which has emotional ups and downs. The trio play pranks and have fun together like all friends do.

It was great fun working with all of them. I thought Abhishek, Priyanka and John would give me attitude being big stars; but they behaved like newcomers and said okay for everything. We finished shooting within 75 days. It's a romantic comedy. Abhishek and John have an amazing chemistry — they come across more as a couple than anybody else."

When we called up Jackie Shroff and he did not start the conversation with his trademark greeting ‘bhidu’, we sensed a huge change in him. According to one of Jackie's friend, the actor has quit alcohol and smoking. Since then, he has attended many parties and has not touched either.

Said the friend, “I was surprised when Jackie told me that he had stopped drinking and smoking, completely. I thought he was joking, but our common friends confirmed that he had indeed given up the two vices.”

Jackie confirmed the story and said, “I've had my share of drinks, and bidis and cigarettes too. Yes, I have quit drinking and smoking.”

What or who brought about this change? The actor revealed, “Well, I’m doing a film on Sai Baba (directed by Deepak Balraj Vij) where I play the title role. I felt the need to cleanse myself for doing the film. I broke all the alcohol bottles at home. I threw out all the cigarettes. I am feeling very fit and energetic now. I feel that I will live till the age of 85.” Sounding upbeat about his newfound ‘freedom’ Jackie said that he had put on some weight though. He added, “That generally happens when one quits smoking. But I will soon appoint a physical trainer and work out rigorously. It will not be long before I shed the extra pounds that I have put on.”

Jackie’s forthcoming films include Partho Ghosh’s Ek Second Jo Zindagi Badal De, Sohail Khan’s Kisaan, Jagmohan Mundhra’s next, Renuka Shahane’s Marathi film. “I am also in talks with Anil Sharma for a role in Veer,” he says.

Soon, Jackie’s son Tiger will fly off to the US for further studies. “He has completed his 12th standard and now wishes to go the US. He is very good at basketball and wants to accomplish more in that game, which he will do in the US. I am going to miss him very much when he is away, but then, that’s life,” Jackie says, emotionally.

Bollywood has been remaking old Bollywood films for quite sometime, but now it seems like the industry will not even spare the classic songs.

The song Bachna Ae Haseeno featured Rishi Kapoor in the 70's in the film Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin and now the song has been remixed, repackaged and features his son Ranbir Kapoor in the upcoming film of the same name.

Music director duo Vishal and Shekhar are responsible to give this evergreen hit track a new life after three decades.

The duo maintains that they have tried to keep the soul of the original chart buster intact.

"The song has been composed with a lot of respect, it's not a remix and we are not trying to make a quick buck out of it," says the duo.

However, Anu Mallik and the makers of Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam have walked down a more irreverent track in their film. Madhubala's classic Jab Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya original sung by Lata Mangeskhar now comes with a lot more attitude and of course features Mallika Sherawat.

"There is a song in my film Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya but it's entirely different from the original. It's a tribute to the original and there is a reference of Salim, Anarkali and Akbar in it," explains director Sanjay Chel.

While purists may not really appreciate Mallika doing a Madhubala song the legalities of course have all been worked out.

"If you are taking a tune that is not fair, and the entire tune of Jab Pyar Kiya To... which I have made is original, its my tune. But obviously Ratanji has done a good job by taking the rights of the words also," says music composer Anu Malik.

"If some one tells me I want a song like a particular song and someone takes the rights then no one has an objection. Then I will compose it my way. But again it cannot be done that way," he adds.

It doesn't end there, all who swear by Rishi Kapoor's Karz, will now have to sit through Himesh Reshammiya's remix of the original hits in his remake of the film and its original soundtrack. And going by what he did to R D Burman's Mehbooba song from Sholay all will be keeping their fingers crossed.

For those still interested, there’s more news coming in from the most glamorous fight of the week. An eyewitness who was within earshot, told us the real story of how the Salman Khan-Shah Rukh Khan fight sparked off. The three Khans, Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir, were sitting together and chatting amiably enough, when SRK came up with the idea that the Khan should now act in a film together.

Sallu didn’t agree, he said getting a suitable script and a director would pose problems, for making a film with the three Khans isn’t easy. Instead, Sallu suggested that the three Khans should do a stage show together and send the money in to the Prime Minister’s fund.

SRK then joked that Sallu was becoming very conscientious these days, first he got someone operated, now funds for the PM’s fund! Sallu took the joke gamely enough, and said, “Now that we’re all above 40, let’s stop talking about films, etc, and do something that will stun the whole nation. Kuch mardonwali baat karen (let’s do something really macho).”

SRK didn’t take to the comment kindly, in fact he took to it rather unkindly. And that’s where the off-colour joke about Aishwarya Rai popped up. Which angered Sallu, who went all out to abuse. From here the fight went from bad to worse, until the two had to be dragged off to different corners. And SRK left with Gauri and Karan Johar.

There are Bollywood heroes, and then there are Superheroes. And while Bollywood’s hunks usually steal the show at events, on Thursday night, it was a Superhero — Batman — that was the talk of the night. Batman is a favourite with many, and that was evident seeing the crowd at Fame Adlabs, Andheri, where the premiere of the latest Batman flick was been screened. It was a night of couples.

Anusha Dandekar and Rannvijay came together, Anita and Eijaz Khan were spotted together, Vandana Sajnani and Rajesh Khattar enjoyed themselves as did Chetan Hansraj and wife Lavina, Narayani Shastri and Gaurav Chopraa had each other for company, while Santino Morea was there with Nauheed Cyrusi. Only Ranvir Shorey looked lost without girlfriend Konkana Sen Sharma. Love bites, eh?

Nausheen Ali Sardar was spotted with a mystery man (who she’s been seen with before as well). Dino Morea’s other brother Nicolo Morea was there too; where was Dino to complete the trio, we wonder? Prahlad Kakar wore a T-shirt that proclaimed ‘Mental inside’; he was there to give his son company.

Shravan Shroff of Fame Adlabs, A D Singh, Sonakshi Sinha and the latest ‘it’ couple of Bollywood, Imran Khan and girlfriend Avantika, were among the others present. Seems like the youngster is getting used to stardom; like his uncle Aamir, he also came with security guards.

Madhuri Dixit Nene is not going the ‘Size Zero’ way like Bebo, but she is being considered perfect for ’36-24-36’. To put it simply, our Mads has been roped in for a forthcoming comedy flick ’36-24-36’ by Meghna Gulzar – a cause of great jubilation for die-hard Madhuri fans.

After ‘Aaja Nachle’, Madhuri would be seen in this next flick that promises to be a comic roller-coaster ride. Meghna Gulzar confirms this by saying, "Yes, it's true that we are in talks with Madhuri to play the protagonist in a comedy film. But it's too early to discuss anything right now."

Madhuri has never been cast in such a role before. As the name suggests, the film is about weight loss and measurements. The movie is to be shot in the US to accommodate Madhuri’s commitment.

The film is to be produced by Pritish Nandy Communications and Madhuri has reportedly consented to do the film. But considering the voluptuous figure of the dancing diva, the ‘36-24-36’ role seems unsuitable for her. Let’s see how Mads fits in ‘36-24-36’!

Scriptwriter-turned-director Abbas Tyrewala whose debut film Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na hit the bull's eye at the Box Office, says writers are still given raw deal and suffer from an identity crisis in the film industry.

"Not many know that the script of the film was rejected four times by some of the big corporate producers," says Tyrewala.
Script writers often remain unnoticed in Mumbai's film industry, but the rejection which Tyrewala received seems a little unfair considering his reputation for penning scripts for some of the most successful and acclaimed films like Maqbool and Munnabhai MBBS.

"The problem is that the people who are supposed to evaluate the scripts at the corporate houses know very little about cinema and unless that changes, we are going to have bad films," he adds.

Talking about the film, he says, "The script appealed to Aamir so much that he decided to produce it. A R Rahman too liked it and decided to give music at a very nominal renumeration."

So, what kind of challenges did the newly turned director face in his almost nine year long career as a script writer?
"The biggest challenge is when a very good script is not made into a good film or get stuck at the pre-production stage due to financial problems.

"That happens too often in a scriptwriter's life and the film industry is not organised enough to compensate the writer for the loss. We don't even get back our scripts sometimes," says the writer.

However, he adds that the fault is not entirely of the film industry but some script writers are also responsible to some extent. MORE

When asked if he wishes to return back to his first love, scriptwriting, Abbas Tyrewala says, "Writing is more appealing but on money terms it is less rewarding."

The journey of making Jaane Tu.. has been a road to discovery for the writer-director himself.

"I think the biggest journey of Jaane Tu.. is that I started trusting people again. I was feeling very lonely and sad because of something that happened in my personal life. I was going through a rough patch," Tyrewala says.

"At that time I wanted to feel motivated again. I wanted to test whether I still had the ability in me to inspire people and that's how the film happened and direction helped me a lot."

The director accepts that his film is nothing but a new wine in old bottle as he has tried to revisit every possible cliche in Indian cinema.

With the much publicised rivalry between Jaane Tu.. and Love Story 2050 has the director had any chance to watch the science fiction love story?

"No I haven't been able to. But I think it is not my kind of film. I am not their target audience."

But he quickly clarifies, "It is a very brave film. I think Indian audiences are still not ready to watch a science fiction film that has been made in India but it is a visionary film and we have a star in Harman," says Tyrewala adding that the story needed a little integration to make it work at the box office.

When asked to compare writing and direction on the scale of job satisfaction, Tyrewala said, "As a writer you can feel satisfaction after writing a good script but as a director you are not sure till Friday."

Dino Morea on the movie he’s producing and the one’s he’s acting in

Viveik Oberoi's visit to Lilavati Hospital to enquire about Salman Khan's health, and subsequent visit to his residence to pay respects to Salim Khan has made as much news as the rejection of Salman's first bail application on Monday. Does this take the blossoming friendship between the estranged actors another step closer? Industry sources certainly think so.

The love triangle and the unpleasantness surrounding it reached a peak two years ago. The 41 threatening calls made from Khan's mobile to Oberoi's became a matter of national obsession, as both fought evidently for the attentions of Aishwariya Rai (Oberoi played hero in a press conference and made public the charges). Khan may have remained silent, but things hardly ended there. Later, when Suresh Oberoi met Khan, their conversation was brief. “He told Salman to let bygones be bygones and sort out his differences with Viveik” says our source, “But Salman told him, ‘I respect you as a senior and have no problem with you. But please don't ask the impossible'”.

Now that the woman in question is clearly out of the lives of both, a weekend imprisonment has brought what was termed ‘impossible' to public light. Sources say that after Rai's romance with Oberoi ended, the bitterness between her two exes began diminishing. There are now rumours that Khan and Oberoi are in touch via SMS.

Another source, who has worked with both actors, said, “Two years is some time to get over the initial hatred. Viveik went to meet Salman's parents as a goodwill gesture. Salman has come to know about it, too.” But will the two forgo their enmity completely? “The anger has cooled down with time and circumstance. It's difficult to say if they will be friends. But they will be cordial if are ever face-toface. Of course, nothing is impossible.” Besides, like in our movies, we're all suckers for a happy ending.

Jilted once, friends today

1. Dilip-Madhubala-Prem Nath: Kumar found out Madhubala was two timing him with Nath when they worked together. The two became friends and ditched the diva

2. Jeetendra-Hema-Sanjeev: Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar both proposed marriage to Hema Malini. But she rejected them both to marry Dharmendra 3 Anju Mahendroo-Rajesh Khanna-Dimple Kapadia: Khanna ditched longtime girlfriend Anju Mahendroo to wed Kapadia. Anju moved on without hating Dimple.

4. Raveena Tandon-Akshay Kumar-Shilpa Shetty: Akshay was allegedly engaged to Raveena, when his affair with Shilpa surfaced. But he wed Twinkle and his exes made up.

5. Dino Morea-Bipasha Basu-John Abraham: Bips may have left Dino for John. But the two along with another ex Milind got together and gushed about their friendship on a telly chat show.

Who would’ve thought that the petite Vidya Malavade would jump off helicopters and won’t be scared to be among snakes! The actress pushed herself to do everything she hadn’t dreamt herself to indulge in. Vidya, who’s part of the daring gang of girls in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi which will be on air at 10 pm on Colors today, even found out that creepy crawlies don’t scare her much. So what made her sign on to do something that’s definitely not a part of her everyday life? “This was like another Chak De for me. When I signed Chak De, I didn’t know anything about hockey. I didn’t even know how to hold a stick properly. But once I got into it I gave it my all. Similarly when the channel approached me with this show, my first reaction was ‘no way’. However, they asked me think again. I realised that I am never going to get an opportunity to do these things again with such a professional crew around. That’s the reason I agreed to be a part of the show,” she says. As expected doing the stunts was not a cakewalk. Vidya says, “The first stunt was the scariest because I was running a temperature of 103 degrees. The stunt involved jumping off a helicopter into ice cold water and swimming some more. I was thinking whether I should attempt it at all. But then to go back without attempting a single stunt was not acceptable to me. Even when I was in the helicopter, I wasn’t sure about doing the stunt. But then I leaped off the chopper before I could think anymore.” She adds, “Sometimes you shouldn’t think before taking the leap.” Of course Vidya had to bear the consequences too. She was left with a black-and-blue eye and a cut above her eyebrow. Also, Akshay Kumar, who’s the host of the show encouraged her to give it a shot. “Akshay is so much fun. He’s a pro at doing all the stunts. He makes it seem so easy, but when you attempt it, you realise how tough it is,” she says. Looking at Vidya’s brave attempt she can surely try her hand at some actionoriented films.

Mallika Sherawat is angry with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. The actress, at the music launch of her film Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam, announced that she will be taking RGV to court for misusing her photograph in his film Contract.

The film has a scene where a police inspector is shown talking to Mallika's photograph suggestively. The actress has taken offense to the scene.

"They will be getting a legal notice pretty soon," Mallika said.

Of course this will not be the first time that RGV has taken potshots at his fellow colleagues from the industry through his films.

RGV's film Company ridiculed film director Karan Johar in one of its scenes, while his thriller flick Road took a dig at filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Mallika has also acted in RGV's film Darna Zaroori Hain but that did not deter the actress from taking legal recourse against the director.

Mallika's action could also be attributed to the actress's fervent desire of being taken seriously as an actor.

"I want my work to speak for itself," says the actress.

What does a hot babe do when she feels, well, hot? Simple, she goes ahead and cuts her hair! One of the hottest gals of Bollywood, Bips, went snip, snip when she wanted to stand out from amongst the lot. She sported the bob cut popularised by American singing sensation Rihanna and Hollywood actress Katie Holmes. Considering that wigs and hair extensions come to the rescue of those who don’t have the ideal lambe, ghane baal, and also save film producers from pulling apart their own hair, going for ‘short cuts’ is not an issue anymore for our trendy tinsel town babes.

Bipasha’s beau John Abraham may or may not have got inspired by his lady love and chopped off his zulfeia, but it sure looks like actresses Mandira Bedi, Gul Panag, Eesha Koppikhar, Sonali Bendre, Rakshanda Khan and model Carol Gracious have taken after Bips. While Mandy said that she wasn’t happy with her hair cut and so went for the short look, for Eesha it was an impromptu decision, something she did for herself and not for a film.Gul, too, sports short hair these days and it goes well with her personality, which is that of a sports freak. Sonali, on the other hand, with her short hair is now looking like the badi behen of TV actress Gauri Pradhan. While Carol had some guts to cut her long tresses.

So is the trend picking up? Hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani, who has coloured her hair platinum blonde and herself sports short hair, says that she gets customers almost everyday “who want to hack it all off ”. “If you have long hair and keep it tied up all the time, then it does nothing to your face. Short hair frames the face and enhances your features,” says the stylist, who has given Bips and Mandy their cut.
Hairstylist Aalim feels that women having become vocal about their needs now. “Gone are the days when only long hair was said to be feminine. Short hair makes you look energetic, fresh and sexy,” says Aalim, who feels that the clothes and shoes should also match with the hair cut. “If you are going for a classy bob than you need to be classy in your dressing too, like Preity Zinta or Victoria Beckham,” he says.
And is the short hair only meant for slim women? “It need not be like that. Look at rapper Missy Elliot, she’s big but looks cool in short hair,” says Aalim. However, there’s one thing that you need to team up with the short hair, feel both the stylists and that’s your attitude!

Uncle Aamir is in high spirits after the success of 'Jaane Tu…' which is doing exceptionally well at Box Office. He is all praises for his nephew Imran Khan’s performance in 'Jaane Tu…'; so much so that he gifted the young lad a sparkling white BMW. Imran who is incredibly fond of cars is now zooming around in his new set of hot wheels.

Imran has always been fond of cars and it seems his Perfectionist Uncle was well aware of this fact. According to sources, Aamir gifted Imran the car during the weekend. Imran, who wasn't expecting anything like a BMW, was ecstatic. The car is amongst the latest models of BMW in the market costing close to Rs 50 lakh.

In a recent interview Imran had perkily mentioned that his Mamu (Aamir) didn’t pay him for the movie. Well, Imran we believe you have nothing to complain about now? Guess your mamu was already planning the surprise for you.

The two topmost Khans of Bollywood are at loggerheads. No doubt their friendship has been strained from the start.

Someone has rightly said that two swords cannot stay inside one scabbard. They would rattle. Much rattling has been going on between Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan from the start of their friendship in Bollywood.




The two first fought on the sets of SRK’s film Chalte Chalte way back in 2003 when Salman (then on the rebound) barged onto the sets of the movie and demanded to speak to Aishwarya Rai who had then freshly dumped him like some hot potato. Salman’s aggressive behavior did not please SRK and the two indulged in a heated squabble.

The first crack in the friendship lasted about one-and-a-half years during with neither SRK nor Salman tried to mend their fences.

Then came Farah Khan ’s sangeeth ceremony in December 2004 which both SRK and Salman attended. It was a festive occasion and the two stars apparently found it most auspicious to bury their hatchets. Bury them they did with a bear hug and a few tears of repentance.

Bygones were let bygones and Salman-SRK were friends again.

But last week, a fresh crack appeared in their friendship, a crack that may be difficult to repair.

At the birthday party of Katrina Kaif , Salman and SRK almost came to blows. How the spat began is still unclear, but sources present at the party say Salman was inciting SRK with provocative remarks from the start of the party.

According to one report, while having a friendly conversation with the guests and Salman, SRK in his usual flamboyance proclaimed himself (jocularly) as the superstar of Bollywood. But Salman reportedly took the remark seriously and replied that SRK was a superstar who was ‘Paanchvi Fail’ (an allusion to SRK’s unsuccessful TV show ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Hai’). SRK, too, did not take the remark kindly and said something that disturbed Salman.

Thereby, what began as harmless joshing turned into a full-blown war of words between the two superstars of Bollywood. People present at the party tried to intervene between the two, but the two stars had already reached the point of no return.

Reports say just when it seemed that verbal spat was about to become physical, SRK’s wife Gauri Khan took him by hand and led him straight out of the party. And what was supposed to be a night of revelry ended on a rather sour note.

Even though the whole B-Town is buzzing with the talk of the spat, neither Salman nor SRK has so far tried to make a compromise. The chill that was there between them four years ago has returned again.

Someone has rightly said: ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same’.

A lot has been made about the Khan war at the Box Office but on Wednesday night in Mumbai, the two Khans – Salman and Shah Rukh were embroiled in a real-life tiff.

The two Khans reportedly got into a verbal duel after downing a couple of drinks at Salman’s girlfriend, actor Katrina Kaif's birthday bash at Mumbai's popular nightspot Olive.

Eyewitnesses are not sure about the reason of the fight. Some say Salman asked Shah Rukh to make a special appearance in his forthcoming film Mr and Mrs Khanna.

Shah Rukh reportedly turned down the offer, upsetting Salman. The party was disrupted, as arguments grew louder.

Shah Rukh's wife Gauri, Katrina and even actor Aamir Khan – all present at the party - intervened to calm them down later.

A single moment of separation seems unbearable to lovebirds Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Wherever Saif goes, Kareena follows and vice versa. As much as possible, they keep the shooting dates and location near so that they can fly to one another’s place at anytime. They are madly in love and cannot think of living separately for a long time even in relation to work. We earlier reported that Saiffu dear follows Bebo to her shooting locales and remained with her till she wraped up her shooting. Now that Saif is busy with his home production with Deepika Padukone and Kareena with Kambakqt Ishq, they somehow manage to spend time in each other’s arm.

When Kareena was in London, Saif luckily happened to be there for his home production. Then their next destination was US. They both landed at the spot for Sajid Nadiadwala Kambakht Ishq. Then she flew to Los Angeles and he too shot in San Francisco and as it is an hour’s distance, Saif went to meet Kareena.

When two people are deeply in love, distance does not seem to be a matter of concern for them. He simply flew from London to Bangkok because Kareena was performing at the IIFA awards. Then Saif flew to Frankfurt where she was performing at Shahrukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded concert. It seems like Saif, Kareena have a flying love story.

Bollywood’s pretty woman, Preity Zinta, would soon be honoured with with the ‘Smitha Patil Memorial Award’ for her immense contribution to the Hindi film industry. The talented actress has been chosen for the award by the’ Priyadarshini Academy’, an NGO for socio-cultural and educational welfare.

According to sources, the award ceremony would be held sometime in the month of September.

Since its inception in 1984, Priyadarshini Academy has been honouring Bollywood bigwigs for their exceptional contribution to the Indian film industry. In the past, some of the most distinguished Bollywood icons like Yash Chopra, Karishma Kapoor, Urmila Matondkar, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, and most recently Kareena Kapoor, have been conferred with this prestigious award.

This year, the very charming Preity Zinta has been announced to be awarded in the memory of Late Smitha Patil, one of the most talented and legendary actors of the Indian film industry.

Bollywood glamour couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have launched in Toronto the multi-million dollar "Unforgettable" tour, a 40-day song and dance extravaganza across the global also featuring mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan and other A-listers from Hindi film industry.

"Unforgettable", which aims to promote India through entertainment all over the world, opened in this Canadian city Friday night at the packed Rogers Centre.

Apart from Abhishek and Ash, a number of other top stars like Preity Zinta , Akshay Kumar , Ritesh Deshmukh and Shilpa Shetty enthralled the viewers with their performances.

The show is billed as a "best of" Indian cinema, with 70 songs from different films being reproduced on stage.

Explaining their reasons for choosing the Ontario capital for their first show, Abhishek said: "Toronto is a city very close to our hearts. It's a city that's always given us a lot of love and affection."

Former Miss World Ash and her husband Abhishek, who have been dubbed as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of the Indian film industry, are confident they will gain legions of new fans in Canada thanks to the three-hour spectacular - which they are also due to perform everywhere from England to Kuwait and Singapore over the summer.

"Indian culture is a very musical culture," Abhishek said, adding "we like to celebrate every occasion. Our films are full of songs and dance."

"Indian cinema has burst onto a world stage and aroused a lot of interest in a Western audience," Abhishek said. "So, yes, we expect people who are not only from the Indian subcontinent to come to the show. We'll convert them once they see it, I assure you that!"

Bollywood patriarch Bachchan, who lost his luggage en route to Toronto, said it was now huge news back home.

"It's on national news in India because I mentioned it in my blog," he said at a news conference in Toronto, which was packed with members of ethnic press outlets as well all the major dailies and broadcasters.

Bachchan, who at 66 has more than 150 films to his credit, said: "Just before coming here we were delayed because I had to answer about 15 media questions on what the nature of my baggage was, and whether I was going to sue British Airways, and that I really should come on to the phone and talk to the media in India on national television."

He said the fact that Bollywood's hot, young power couple - his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya - are part of the tour persuaded him to take on the ambitious project.

But now Bachchan has recovered his lost baggage from British Airways.

"The bags are back!! broken open, stuff missing but back", Bachchan wrote on his latest blog post.

"I am amazed at the speed with which modern communication operates. A short and insignificant mention to my readers regarding the bag loss became an issue with the national media," he said.

He said he was inundated with media requests for details and phone-ins from the electronic media and added that he was amused. "Competition must be severe for them to indulge in such inanities," he said.