BollyParty

Debutant actor Harman Baweja, who is foraying into the film world with the much talked about futuristic film “Love Story 2050?, says he has sorted out his problems with Kareena Kapoor created by fabricated remarks. The actor says he was shocked and embarrassed after reading reports about him making uncharitable remarks about Kareena. The remarks attributed to him about Kareena being ‘robotic’ in her performances had upset Harman.

“I’d never speak like that about anyone, least of all someone who is a senior (colleague) and was gracious enough to work with me when I was just starting out. That she finally opted out of ‘Love Story 2050? doesn’t take away from the fact that we got along really well,” Harman, who has teamed up with Priyanka Chopra in the film, ent earlier this week. On an impulse he sent an SMS to Kareena, telling her how awful the words attributed to him about her made him feel. Kareena, who is in the US shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Kambhakt Ishq”, apparently replied back in a long heartfelt message, saying she has been a part of the film industry long enough to know how such things work.

She is also said to have ended her message by assuring Harman she had no ill feelings towards him and was looking forward to seeing his film that releases Friday.Harman is relieved and overjoyed that the matter has been sorted out. “All I’ll say is I’d never talk like that about anyone. Kareena is someone I truly admire. And if people want to spoil my relations with her, let them try. It won’t work.”

It would be a great combination to see father and son dancing on the same track and on the same set. Yes, we are talking about hot Ranbir Kapoor and legendry actor Rishi Kapoor. Director Siddharth Anand is planning to shoot a special number with son and father but at the same time he is feeling scared to approach Rishiji. Siddharth said, “We have used the track from ‘Hum Kissi Se Kam Nahin’ by Kishore Kumar at the beginning of the song. Then we got Kishore and Leena Chandavarkarji’s son Sumeet to sing the rest of the song as an original composition. So it would be quite an emotional and nostalgic trip. Kishoreda’s son sings for Chintujii’s son”.

Bachna Ae Haseena is one of the most highly anticipated films of the era as it has love couple Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone along with Bipasha Basu in the lead roles. Siddharth who is optimistic about the success of his film has roped in music director duo Vishal-Shekhar to frame the music. At first Siddharth zeroed upon Ranbir to sing the song but later he dropped the idea as his voice will not go along with the song.

“Ekta has been so sweet. I’ve watched her grow up in front of me. I’m happy that my first foray into television is for her, though I must admit I don’t watch much TV,” Zeenat admits. “But every time I’d run into Ekta’s mom, she’d tell me to please let them know when I’m ready for television.” The former beauty queen, who has starred in many memorable Bollywood hits, has been offered a number of soaps in the past, which she declined to do. “TV does take a lot of time. Very honestly, I wasn’t willing to invest the amount of time it required. And my priority has always been my family. But this time I was approached with such enthusiasm, I just couldn’t say no.” She admits Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket requires a more pronounced level of commitment than the average reality show.

“This is a reality show about discovering new talent and needs to be treated with special care. I’m willing to go that extra mile for it. To be able to find fresh talent for our industry is wonderful.

“And Ekta has gone into it with such passion - just like in everything she does. I’m so delighted to be on board with her,” said the actress. There was no plan, thought or conscious strategy to do or to be anything. I just did what I wanted to,” adds the actress

At the moment both of Zeenat’s sons, who were studying away from home, are back with her.

“And to me, having my children around is the most important thing in life. I lead a very contented and private life. I’ve my sons, dog and lots of greenery surrounding me. What more could I ask for?

“Honestly, I’m treating this project as a one-off thing. I’m not looking ahead at what I’d be doing or not doing. At the moment I’m just happy to be focusing on Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket. As for soaps, maybe yes. I’ve never said no to anything.”

Zeenat starts shooting for the reality show on July 1.

“Basically it’d take up no more than a week. I hope to enjoy it. It provides a platform for young people. The winners will be given a chance to work in a film produced by Ekta.

“Today there are such platforms for hopefuls. When I had entered, the opportunities for newcomers were so limited,” said the actress who was seen in such memorable hits like Yaadon Ki Baraat, Don, Qurbani and Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Zeenat is looking forward to meeting up with her old colleague Shabana Azmi on the show. “She’s a colleague and we did a film together: Ashanti - Shabana, Parveen Babi and I - it was loads of fun.”

On veteran actor Dev Anand’s autobiography, which has pointed references to his friendship with her, Zeenat answers with consummate clarity.

“Dev saab is a senior person, and someone I respect very much. Due to him I had my first success Hare Rama Hare Krishna. And subsequently I shared a long and fruitful association with his banner Navketan.

“However, two different individuals have differing perspectives of the same situation. I leave it at that.”

Indian Idol winner Abhijeet Sawant says he is set to change his ‘romantic’ image with his acting debut in “Lottery”. “The movie is not at all a romantic flick. It is in total contradiction with what audiences must be expecting from me. It is basically a thriller,” Abhijeet told In the film, Sawant plays an accountant working in a fashion magazine, who gets trapped in a murder case. The singer-turned-actor, whose voice was widely appreciated in the film “Aashiq Banaya Aapne” and the album “Junoon”, has been cast opposite television actor Rucha Gujarati and newcomer Manisha Kelkar in the film.

However, “Lottery” was not his first film offer. Abhijeet said he was flooded with movie offers immediately after he won the first season of talent hunt show “Indian Idol”, but he turned them down.

“I thought I lacked the confidence to act at that time,” he said.

So what made him sign “Lottery”?

“I met director Hemant Prabhu a year ago and he told me about the role. I was convinced since I felt the role was very close to my real self and it suited my nature.

“Initially, I thought it would be difficult to act, but gradually I grew as an actor and the outcome was surprising for all,” he said.

Apart from “Lottery”, he has a couple of other acting offers, but he hasn’t finalised anything as yet.

Though he has taken his first steps into Bollywood, singing remains a passion for him.

He is currently a participant on STAR Plus’ reality music show “Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar”, where the winners and runners-up of previously held talent hunts across channels compete with one another.

But what made him want to compete with his colleagues again?

“I came to ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar’ because it appeared as a challenge to me to compete with all of them once again … And I also thought it would be a treat for the viewers,” he quipped.

Abhijeet’s upcoming projects as a singer include “Care of Footpath” and “Mumbai.com”.

She was always excited about her stunts. She had to do a lot of things like cycling across rainbows, roller coastering in water etc. At times even I was scared when she had to cycle at 60 feet but she was always excited,” Kunal says. Kunal who reckons TPTM as his most difficult film says it is a blend of fantasy and reality. “We all have pain and sorrow in our life. So somewhere we all need these magic. So this film tries to address this issues in a very simple way. Its about emotions and basic goodness of life,” he says. In all my films I have tried to capture as how different people react to different emotionally volatile situations and this film also deals with a different emotional situation,” he adds. A self-confessed film buff, Kunal says he is obsessed about Indian films. “I have always been obsessed about Indian films, I watch a movie every night before going to sleep. I don’t know about world cinema and neither am I interested in them, he says. Journalist-turned-director Kunal shrugged off all controversies regarding another film of the same title releasing on the same date, saying he has spoken to the director and there is no such controversy.

Off late, a certain section of the media in New Delhi has been buzzing with wild rumours that Anant Narayan is all set to make his silver screen debut with Aditya Chopra’s much-talked about directorial next Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi that is slated for a Dec 12th release later this year. It is also being speculated that the illustrious filmmaker will launch two newcomers in his Shahrukh Khan magnum opus. While Aditya Chopra has officially announced that 19-year old model from Bangalore Anushka Sharma will star opposite superstar Shahrukh Khan in this interesting love saga, the rumours doing the rounds suggested otherwise. The grapevine suggests that Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is actually not a pure and simple love story but a love triangle in which Anant essays the part of the third lead and Anushka’s love interest in the film. Inundated with calls and messages since the last few days, Anant has been battling some rather inane queries from random people.

“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing for the past few days. I’ve been receiving calls from all kinds of people congratulating me on my big break with the Yash Raj banner. My inbox has been flooded with some messages congratulating me on my ‘dream role’ in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, while some requesting me to send my pictures across. One even demanded my autograph! It has all been pretty bizarre!” says the 21-year old celebrity journalist. And that’s not all. “There are all kinds of other rumours doing the rounds too. I allegedly met up with Mr. Aditya Chopra and pleaded him to give me a break in his film. He then took my screen test following which I was finalized for his film. I find it all extremely amusing because the truth is that I’m not starring in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I haven’t even met or spoken to Aditya Chopra; forget about approaching him to give me a break. There is no doubt that I have received some interesting film offers, but I haven’t said yes to any as yet. And even if I have, I’m not allowed to talk about them at this point”, Anant sets the record straight.

That Ranbir Kapoor gets to romance three lovely ladies in director Siddhartha Anand’s ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ is a stale one now. The latest addition is that the deadly trio together with Ranbir has shot a promotional number for the movie. Choreographed by Ahmed Khan, the number has Ranbir jiving with the three ladies of the film – Deepika Padukone, Minissha Lamba and Bipasha Basu. To be known here that the three ladies are not sharing the share screen space in the film but are appearing together only in this promotional track.

The song has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar and has interesting facts related to it. The song uses the original opening lines of the famous song “Bachna Ae Haseeno” from Rishi Kapoor’s film ‘Hum Kissi Se Kam Nahin’. Where Kishore Kumar had sung the original one for Rishi Kapoor in 1977, Kishoreda’s son Sumeet has sung the song with similar title for Rishi Kapoor’s son Ranbir Kapoor in this movie. At first, Ranbir was supposed to sing this song but the idea was dropped later. Hope the father’s song does wonders for son’s film.

The competition between Aamir’s nephew Imran and Harry Baweja’s son Harman is hotting up. Perhaps even getting dirty. Imran and Aamir Khan are all set to make an appearance on Salman Khan hosted Dus Ka Dum on July 4, the day when Imran’s film Jaane Tu Ta Jaane Na and ’s Love Story 2050 releases. However, earlier, it was Harman who was supposed to be appearing on the show and not Aamir and Imran. Obviously, Harman has been ousted and Imran has stepped in. Our source says, “Harman was pretty excited about appearing on Dus Ka Dum, especially since he is very close to Salman.However, when Aamir learnt about Harman appearing on Dus Ka Dum, he decided to do something about it.So, he suggested to the channel that he would appear on the show himself with Imran. The channel, Sony Entertainment Television, was more than happy with the idea as two superstars - Aamir and Salman would be seen together on the show. So they accepted Aamir’s idea.”

But that meant Harman couldn’t come on the show too. So Harman was dropped. He was informed about the change in plans much later. We contacted Albert Almeida, business head of Sony Entertainment TV, to check out the story. He said, “We had many requests for appearances on Salman’s show, but obviously couldn’t accommodate all.We had planned only for two ‘celebrity special’ shows. Among these, we chose to do an episode with Aamir and Imran.”When contacted, Harman said, “I was very excited about being a part of the show with Salman. However, at the last minute I was informed by Adlabs that it did not work out.”• I was very excited about being a part of the show with Salman. However, at the last minute I was informed by Adlabs that it did not work out – Harman

It looks like the slump in the music industry is over as music directors and other technicians have hiked their prices. Composer Pritam Chakraborty blames actor Akshay Kumar for this sudden hike. “It’s all because of Akshay Kumar,” says Pritam Chakraborty with a straight face. “When he started charging unheard-of prices (apparently in the vicinity of Rs.300 million) the entire economics of an average film project altered drastically. “Today my musicians, arrangers and programmers are asking for a steep hike in their remuneration. I’ve no choice but to hike my fee accordingly.” Though Pritam doesn’t mention a specific amount, his fee has apparently gone up from approximately Rs.700,000-800,000 per score to around Rs.1.2-1.5 million, industry sources said.

All other composers, including the successful Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Vishal-Shekhar, apparently charge similar amounts. But after the release of the soundtrack of “Singh Is Kinng”, which has been sold at a staggering price of Rs.135 million, composer Pritam is likely to hike his fees again.“The film redefines the parameters of film music sales. This kind of price for a movie soundtrack was unheard of after people stopped buying music off the shelf as much as they used to, thanks to computer and television outlets,” said Pritam. However, he hasn’t benefited much from the profits raked in by “Singh Is Kinng”.“We musicians remain underpaid specially when the music industry undergoes a slump. For me, the turning point was the soundtrack of ‘Jab We Met’, which gave me a chance to be unusually creative and then ‘Race’ that had peppy item songs,” he said.

Music maestro A.R. Rahman is a price apart. Apparently, his fee per score used to be around Rs.15 million that, considering the all-round escalation in movie budgets, has gone up to Rs.25 million.Last year’s flamboyant flavour Himesh Reshammiya has stopped doing music for films that do not feature him in the cast. So he cannot be counted among the musicians in the race.However, composer Aadesh Shrivastava, who composed chartbusters like “Say shava shava” in “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” and “Merii makhanaa” in “Baghban”, feels the bubble is an illusion.“And it’s bound to burst. Who are these people who are suddenly paying in multi-millions for music rights when everyone knows music doesn’t sell these days. Very frankly, I look at the Rs.135 million claim for the ‘Singh Is Kinng’ soundtrack with great scepticism,” said Shrivastava.

“Whom are they giving that kind of money to? The film’s leading man Akshay or the music composer Pritam? Have they given Pritam even a fraction of the money they’ve got for the music rights?” he asked.Shrivastava feels film music is going through an era of unhealthy competition. “I remember when Laxmikant-Pyarelal had composed the qawwalli ‘Parda hai parda’ for ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, R.D. Burman was so thrilled that he immediately congratulated the duo and was inspired to compose a qawwalli ‘Hai agar dushman’ in ‘Hum Kissi Se Kam Nahin’.

“Today the competition is so unhealthy. If two plagiarised songs click in a movie, another music director will offer to rip off four songs for the same producer and make them chartbusters. Today, when a listener hears a song, his first reaction is, ‘Where is it stolen from?’ “Very honestly I see no future in Hindi film music,” he remarked.

Well, the sources say yes. The perfect looking couple, who seem to have no fights, has finally started to live a normal married life. And with a normal married life, come the enhancement called fights. But then, this couple seems to not know how to deal with it. Recently, at IIFA, the male Bachchan seemed to have lost his temper on Ash and the couple was found screaming so much that the voices could well be heard outside their room. Apparently, the reason was the typical eager-to-catch-attention nature of the actress. While Jr. Bachchan tried to keep her low in an award function, the lady was busy being over expressive with Kunal Kapoor at an award function. This allegedly made Bachchan to excuse himself and Ash, to take her to a corner and talk about the issue. Ash seemed to be unconvinced and thus the duo, later had a huge fight!!
Now, this is like what it is to be really MARRIED!!!

Known as a serial kisser Emraan Hashmi is trying to get out of this tag. Well it seems he is trying to be different by doing films of varied genres. Apparently the actor was in talk with Warner Brothers for their next, which Emraan has now flatly refused to be a part of. A friend close to Emraan explains that he was in negotiations with Warner Brother since the time he was shooting for Jannat . However the producers were keen to sign him but simultaneously wanted to see the result of his forthcoming film Jannat . However, Emraan who wasn’t happy with the wait and watch game of the producers, quoted a high price. And the latest on it is that he has refused the film. Now the makers of this untitled film which will be jointly produced by Tandav Films are in search of an actor. It is also believed that the filmmaker Joy Augustine who was supposed to direct the film, has backed out because of date problem. However Meghna Gulzar has been signed to direct this film.

Now that Emraan has said no, the producers are keen to sign R Madhavan. The film is about ways to fill romance into a married couple’s relationship. It’s story has been written by Jaideep Sahni. Interestingly Madhavan has a romantic hero image which is apt for the character of this film informs an industry insider.

Well what can we say, Emraan’s loss may benefit Madhavan!

After playing the silent and mysterious Subhash Nagre, a character loosely based on Bal Thackrey in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar and Sarkar Raj, Amitabh Bachchan will now produce a Marathi film under the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) banner. Without revealing much about the film, the Big B said, “Every regional cinema has its own importance. We should encourage the Marathi film industry as we all are a part of the Indian film industry.” The film will be directed by Umesh Kulkarni, whose first film as director, ‘Valu’, was a hit. Quite naturally, Kulkarni cannot believe his luck. Big B’s foray into Marathi cinema should keep his detractors quiet for a while. After all, those who were criticizing him for not contributing to Maharshtra will have little to say after this move by the Big B.

Bollywood mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan has rubbished reports that he is teaming up with Rekha in the Disney-produced film ‘Marma Yogi’.

The news stating that the timeless Bachchan-Rekha pair was likely to come together again had been published in a national daily. The report, which had television channels going berserk, now turns out to be totally unfounded.

"I've no clue what or which film you're talking about. This is utter rubbish," Bachchan said Friday, putting an end to all the speculation about the screen-pair coming together.

In fact, according to well informed sources, it's not just unlikely but impossible that the pair, who made us swoon in innumerable films from ‘Do Anjaane’ to ‘Silsila’ will ever come together again.

Years after ‘Silsila’, the Bachchan-Rekha pair came together in unexpected ways when Rekha dubbed for both the leading ladies, Soundarya and Jaya Sudha, in the Bachchan starrer Sooryavansham .

Bipasha's first regional film, Sab Charita Kalpunik, has hit a blind spot due to issues between director Rituparno Ghosh and Reliance Big Entertainment. The film is Bipasha's first in her mother-tongue, Bengali.

The film is about how an NRI woman who returns to India after her husband’s death, to discover more about him. The film is completed but is not releasing anytime soon.

The cause of the issue was about the placement of Reliance logo during the credit titles.

Says a source close to the project, “While Reliance wanted their logo to be flashed on the screen with the first shot of the film, Rituparno is of the opinion that it would be more aesthetic to have the logo just before the narration begins.

” The film’s release has now been delayed by the dispute between Rituparno and Reliance.

Rituparno Ghosh
When contacted, Rituparno says, “The film is complete and all issues have now been resolved. We’ll probably release the film in September. Sab Charita Kalpunik is special to me because I worked with Bonny (Bipasha) for the first time.

She’s been calling me anxiously from wherever she is, asking about the release of the film. She’s excited about the film because she plays an NRB in it.”

NRB? What's that? “NRB is a Non-Resident Bengali!” Rituparno quips. “You can’t compare Bengalis with the other Indians abroad. Bengalis are a breed apart,” she smiles.

This nightspot was abuzz with music lovers on Tuesday night. And they didn’t go home disappointed, for Kamal Haasan’s daughter Shruti Haasan, along with her band The Extramentals, put up a mind-blowing show that deserved the whistles and applauses and ‘once more’ shouts they received. Atul Kasbekar and Kim Sharma were among the throngs of people present that night, moving and grooving to Shruti’s tunes.

• LOVE IN THE TIME OF FILMS:
Like the last time around, guests hoped to see the entire Haasan family there, but instead, they got to see Imran Khan (Aamir Khan’s nephew) there along with his girlfriend Avantika. The two, who seemed very-much-in-love, enjoyed each other’s company... and of course, the music! Kudos to the duo for not pretending to be ‘just friends’!

Mumbai, June 27: After facing the debacle of ‘Tashan’, Yash Raj Films has all it’s hopes pinned on their second big budget flick this year - ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’, that is all set to hit theaters across the country today.

After being involved in a messy title controversy, Kunal Kohli’s and Yash Raj Productions much publicised film will prove to be an acid test for the big banner that has been struggling from the past two years to deliver a hit.

The stakes are higher and the banner is taking no chances this time round, sticking to it’s favorite pair Rani and Saif, after it failed to capitalise on the real life chemistry of Saif and Bebo in it’s first release this year.

So, will Rani, who plays an angel in the flick be able to spin magic to change the fate of the desperate banner?

Well, that only time will tell. Though the story has an uncanny resemblance to the Hollywood flick ‘Mary Poppins’, director Kunal Kohli has gone on record saying that the film is no ‘desi’ version of film but is instead inspired by our very own ‘Mr India’. So, we have the director admitting that the film does not have an original concept. Moving on here is a sneak peek at what the story is all about.

Ranbeer Talwar played by Saif Ali Khan is shown to be one of country’s leading industrialists, who does not know the meaning of love. He is in love with his lonely lifestyle and wishes his life would never change. However, an unexpected event of things bring about a change that he never expected.

In a surprising judgment, Ranbeer is handed over the responsibility of four orphan children. What’s worse is that the orphans detest him and plan to make his life a living hell, exploring all means possible.

However, seeing that the cold hearted Ranbeer is unmoved by their mischief they pray to god for a miracle. And the miracle comes in the form of an affectionate and loving angel, Geeta played by Rani Mukerji.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. The angel tries to bring the kids and Ranbeer closer to unite them into a happy family. But little does she know that she too will fall in love with Ranbeer.

So there you have it, hopefully a happy ending….

His resemblance to Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan may have helped him strike a cord with movie buffs even before his maiden appearance on tinsel screen, but Harman Baweja is not happy with the comparison.

"My looks are not something that I have manufactured. It is what I have born with. There might be some similarity with Hrithik, but I completely disagree that we look the same or I am following his dancing or acting style," Harman said during a product promotion function in the capital Thursday.

Harman even got irritated when some audience members kept on inquiring about his resemblance with Hrithik. "Chill. Don't repeat, I have already answered it," he said.

Harman who is all set to debut with his futuristic flick Love Story 2050 , said, there are several actors in the industry whose resemble each other.

"The tradition of seeking similarity among the actors is not a new trend. When Shahrukh Khan began in the industry, he was compared to Dilip Kumar and similarly Dia Mirza looks like Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra is being matched with Madhuri Dixit ," Harman said.

Harman, who is being launched by his filmmaker father Harry Baweja in the mega-budget science fiction film 'Love Story 2050,' has in the movie performed several dance sequences that resembles that of Hrithik.

Also in the buzz, for calling dad Harry 'sir' on the sets, the newcomer actor clarified, "It was only on the professional ground and not out of pretence."

Harman, who has already bagged offers from heavyweight directors like Ashutosh Gowarikar , Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Anees Bazmee , however felt he was far away from stardom.

"At this time, I am concentrating on my work and am just waiting for people to watch my movie and give their verdict whether they find me worthwhile or not. Right now, I am just very nervous about the release of the film," he said.

As future projects, Harman has several films in his kitty among which Victory , 'Its my life' and What's Your Raashi are worth mentioning.

Harry Baweja's 'Love Story 2050,' in which son Harman is sharing screen with Priyanka has already been in news for bringing a new genre of special and visual effects to the tinsel industry through a collaboration with international directors of Oscar fame.

Oscar-winner John Cox, who bagged an Oscar in the Best Effects, Visual Effects category for Babe, has worked on the film, a love story which travels into future 50 years ahead.

The film is scheduled to hit the theaters on July 4.

Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) Exuberant, chirpy, happy-go-lucky Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who has now turned into a businesswoman, says she invested in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in spite of warnings from an astrologer friend.

'In spite of the warning from my astrologer friend, I went for the deal as I had a gut feeling that it is the future. I told my friend that if it doesn't work for me then I would become the 50th wife of the Sultan of Brunei,' Preity, who co-owns the IPL Mohali team, told IANS.

The star of hits like 'Salaam Namastey' and 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', Preity said it was only in a developing country like India that one could think of buying a sports team.

'The scenario is going to change after 10 years. One can never dream of buying a team like Manchester United or Arsenal today in a country like England.'

Preity bought Kings XI Punjab in partnership with her boyfriend Ness Wadia and Karan Paul of Apeejay Surrendra Group and Mohit Burman of Dabur. They paid $76 million for the franchise.

Although Preity's team failed to reach the final, she is not complaining.

She said: 'My team performed well and I am happy with all the team members and will continue my support for the team.'

As far as book balancing was concerned, she said this had not been a profitable year but was optimistic they would do better next time.

How long will her association with the team last?

'I am there for life. I am not there just for the sake of it. First people took me as a brand ambassador and then as a face value, but I wanted to make people take me seriously in the game and I did my best to prove myself.

'I think I was successful (in this),' the actor added.

'I do things which I believe in and am passionate about, be it the IPL or films. I give my heart and soul to them,' Preity said.

Now that IPL is over, Preity is concentrating on her films and the 'Unforgettable' world tour with the Bachchans starting July 18.

She will be touring the US, Britain and Canada with Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya. Riteish Deshmukh and music directors Vishal-Shekhar are also a part of the tour.

'I am very excited to go with them as Abhishek and Ash are my great friends. Besides, the participation of guest stars like Akshay Kumar, who is joining us in Canada, Madhuri (Dixit) in the US and Shilpa Shetty in London, will add to the excitement.

'This is the first time when we will be joined by performers from different parts. The audiences will be huge and we are expecting an overwhelming response.'

Apart from this she will be busy with 'Harr Pal', 'Heroes', a cameo in the Salman-Kareena Kapoor starrer 'Main Aur Mrs Khanna' and Deepa Mehta's Punjabi film 'Heaven On Earth'.

Marriage has become a nightmare for Rani Mukherjee. When she landed in London for her show, some of her London fans congratulated her on her wedding. On receiving good wishes from her fans, Rani was awestuck. She was least aware that her marriage rumors with Aditya Chopra has spread so far and wide. Speaking to a channel. Rani said, “This was a media rumour. It was funny to begin with. Then it got weird and finally scary”.

Reacting to her fans best wishes, Rani further remarked, “Getting married is great but rumours about it are harmful”.

Few days back, Rani made a statement that she is single and ready to mingle. She is not into any sort of relationship and wrong rumors are only distracting the smooth running of her life. Speaking about marrige, Rani retorted, “I am not even into a relationship, let alone getting married”.

Her next release is again Yashraj flick, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic with Saif Ali Khan.

Harman is really shocked to know that he had passed some bad remarks about Kareena’s acting talent and her capability. Those false rumors had made Harman feel embrassed to face Kareena in any events. To clear the air of doubts, he had sent a text message to Kareena and explained her how he is upset with the false rumor.

On Wednesday, Harman felt releived when he sent SMS to Kareena and she replied in a positive manner, saying that she has been in this industry for long years and knows very well how things work. She assured Harman that she is not carrying any bad feeling regarding him and she is looking forward to see his debut film and also interested to work with him in future.

Harman was really upset with those false rumor but when Kareena consoled him, he felt relaxed and happy. Out of joy, he said, "All I’ll say is, I’d never talk like that about anyone. Kareena is someone I truly admire .And if people want to spoil my relationship with her, let them try. It won’t work".

Not much has been heard about Ranbir Kapoor and his girlfriend Deepika Padukone for quite sometime now but that doesn’t mean that they are not having fun. In fact, they are having good time together away from the limelight.
It is said that the couple had a wonderful time shooting for Bachna Eh Haseeno in Sidney. Sources said that Deepika was in playful mood. She rolled up a paper and started scratching Ranbir’s air, who was in the front seat of the car. She and her co-star Hiten Paintal took turns in playing with the actor, who was half asleep. At first, Ranbir warned the duo but got confused later, as they pretended to be in serious conversation.

Deepika and Ranbir are all set to flew off to Bangkok together to complete the shooting of Bachna Eh Haseeno.

So, we have it that Amitabh Bachchan has gifted his friend and colleague a Rs. 50 lakh watch - the platinum Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. But, what is not known is the reason behind this generous gift…. However, filmi pundits have an answer to everything. They say that Big B is making every effort to revive his prduction company AB Corp and obviously he will need actors to star in the films by his production house. He just can’t possibly feature himself, his son and daughter-in-law in every flick. Sanjay Dutt is not only a good Bachchan friend but also a very box-office friendly actor. So, this defines and justifies the lavish gift with an understanding that Bachchans too will star in Sanju Baba’s production.

Receiving three paintings dedicated to herself by the great artist MF Hussain himself as a birthday gift has not only upped her asset portfolio but also ‘humbled her’. However, there are other things that make the girl happy, too. Apparently, when she was shooting in Peru, South America, recently, she was taken aback when a group of locals rushed to her for an autograph, and their mobiles went click, click, click. That’s not all. They insisted that she see the photos that they had of her on their mobiles. “Some even had her picture as their screensaver,” we are told. Now how on earth did this Amrita craze hit Peru?

It was her film Vivaah that did the trick. They loved the movie, and what they loved even more was their Poonam (played by Amu) in it. Wonder if Vivaah co-star Shahid will draw as much fan-following as Peru’s Bollywood pari? Test ho jaye , Shahid?

We have heard that the rumours bubbly girl Preity Zinta and her industrialist boyfriend Ness Wadia trouble in their Relationship and has it got to do fondness for a certain Yuvraj Shingh. after IPL Priety now busy with Bachchan’s Unforgettable tour. did not mean that she has put her film career on the backburner. “I have four back-to-back releases this year starting with Jahanu Barua’s ‘Har Pal’ with Dharmendra and Shiney Ahuja, ‘Heroes’ with Salman Khan, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, ‘The Last Lear’ with Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal and Shefali Shah and Deepa Mehta’s ‘Heaven on Earth’,” bubbly girl said. When asked about the rumors she said “what rumors are you talking about? which couple doesn’t have its ups and downs? Ness and I are no exception. You don’t go ahead and break-up just because you fight.” The talented actress is not want to talking about her marriage and she said ” Even my family is not concerned about my marriage. It’s not happening in the near future.”

Beauty is power; a smile is its sword or so, says English writer Charles Reade. How true it holds of Bollywood and its brimming population of pretty faces. One look at them and it’s hard to look at anything else. Distractingly stunning and unapologetically gorgeous, rediff.com presents you with Bollywood’s 10 Most Beautiful Women today, in no particular order.

PS: Beg to differ? Send in your favourites.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

You simply cannot help but mention beautiful and Ash in the same breath. With her classically good-looks and glazed blue-green eyes, it would be a crime not to.

Also Read: The World’s Sexiest Women!.

Saif, who is known to play rather atypical characters like Sameer in Dil Chahta Hai, Karan Singh Rathod in Ek Haseena Thi, Cyrus Mistry in Being Cyrus and Langda Tyagi in Omkara, is again ready to play a hatke role. He will play a terrorist in Karan Johar’s next production. The untitled film will be directed by Rang De Basanti writer Rensil D’Silva. Says a source close to the film, “The story is a far cry from the usual Karan Johar films. There will be no designer glam sham or naach gaana. It is a hard-hitting subject.

Karan loved Rensil’s script so much so that he decided to produce it. He also gave Rensil the freedom to choose the actors to justify his script. That’s how Rensil decided to cast Saif to portray this unusual character in his film.”

“Saif’s character in this film is completely different from any character he has played so far. He plays a meticulous and urban-educated terrorist. There is also an interesting romantic track between him and the leading lady, Kareena,” adds the source.

Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty, who had acted together in Agneepath and won acclaim for their respective roles, are now pitted against each other in two separate films. Amitabh is playing a beggar in Shoojit Sarkar’s film Shoebite, and Mithun is playing one in Girish Girija Joshi’s Zor Laga Ke…Haiya. What’s more, the look of both actors is almost the same, white beard and long white hair (not grey), with a beige bag on the shoulder. While Shoebite is a love story, Zor Laga Ke… is a film on the environment. But ultimately, it all boils down to – who’s the better beggar!

Nishabd actress Jiah Khan was desperately in search of a home in Mumbai and was helped out by his Ghajini co-star Aamir Khan. Reveals Jiah, “Aamir helped me to find a new house in the Mumbai suburbs. Earlier, I used to live in a flat on the sixth floor. My mother came down to live with me four months ago. Since there is no lift in my building and my mother is aged, she was finding it very difficult to move ut of the house. I was tense at my mother’s condition and would carry this stress on the film sets. Aamir realised my condition and introduced me to an estate agent, who helped me find an appropriate house. I’m grateful to Aamir for solving my problem.”

Praising Aamir further, she says, “He is a great man. As a child I used to watch all his films and I had always dreamt of working with him. During the shoot, he is quite relaxed and more importantly very dedicated to his work. He used to come on the sets at sharp 9 am. For this film, I have learnt Hindi dialect and Aamir has helped me immensely with it. He is such a brilliant human being.”

Talking about the film, Jiah spoke about the stunts she did for the film. The Nishabd girl says, “I can’t give you details here but all I can say is Aamir helped me a lot. This was the first time that I was doing stunts so I was really nervous but he gave me the moral support and was very patient.”

It may be recalled that earlier, Aamir’s helping hand was also extended to his other co-actor Shriya Saran, whom he helped in finding a manager. He and Kiran Rao have also assisted Rang De Basanti director Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra during the Dilli 6 shoot.

After the below average performance of Shahrukh’s Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai, Star Plus is all set to revive the mother of all game shows Kaun Banega Crorepati. Star Plus and Siddharth Basu’s Synergy Communications met to discuss about the show’s fourth season. Shahrukh Khan is all set to host the show, though Amitabh Bachchan’s name was also discussed.

It is believed that the show will be shot early next year as Shahrukh’s dates during that period are available. Star Plus officials were also concerned over Paanchvi Pass’ poorer TRPs when compared to Salman Khan hosted 10 Ka Dum on Sony. Incidentally Siddharth Basu is also the producer of 10 Ka Dum> Hope KBC 4 revives the fortune of SRK on television

Ravi Chopra’s next film may not star his favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan. After his last production, Bhootnath, Chopra is set to produce and direct Pocketmaar. The film revolves around a man, who is robbed of his cash and important documents. While Chopra wants Amitabh to play the robbed victim, he is still casting the other characters of the film. Among those approached were Shahid Kapur and Ranbir Kapoor. But both actors turned down the offer. The reason? Apparently, the role was not meaty enough. There were fears that Amitabh’s role may hog all the limelight. But now, it seems Amitabh is having second thoughts as well. Last heard, the actor is rethinking the script.

Will we see the Baghban and Baabul team come together again? Let’s wait and watch.

Seventeen-year-old actress Hansika Motwani has been paired with actors who are more than double her age, but she feels age has nothing to do with acting. “I am not Hansika when I am playing a role. It is the character I am playing, so the age of my co-star does not matter to me at all,” Hansika started her career as a child artiste in Bollywood and worked in films like “Koi… Mil Gaya”, “Escape from Taliban”, “Jaago” and “Aabra Ka Daabra”.

She debuted as a full-fledged actress at the age of 16 with an actor who was more than double her age, composer-turned-singer-turned-actor Himesh Reshammiya in “Aap Kaa Surroor”.

“As an actor you have to play a character when you are asked to. Even if it is a 70-year-old character you have to perform it.”

Now Hansika will be seen with the 40-plus Govinda in the forthcoming comedy “Money Hai To Honey Hai”. She doesn’t mind the age gap and says getting an opportunity to work with a senior actor like him was a privilege.

“I consider myself very lucky to have worked with Govinda sir. I have learnt so much from him and it will definitely be useful to me in future. I think it is a big opportunity for any actor to work with him.”

Hansika is playing the role of a television actor in the comedy.

“I play the character of Ashima Kapoor who is a television actor and wants to make it big in the film industry. The film is about the journey of the actress into the film industry.”

She has also acted in serials like “Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand”, “Hum Do Hain Na” and “Tum Bin”.

Hansika gives credit to her family for shaping her career. “I idolise my mother and attribute my success to her. Without my mother and my family’s support, I would not have reached this place.”

Shilpa is all set to dance the night away with Aishwarya, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan in London Aug 23-24 at the prestigious 02 Arena, earlier known as the Millennium Dome.But this is not Shilpa’s first show with Amitabh. “I’ve been on a world tour with Amitji earlier, but not with the rest of the family. And Preity Zinta, who will also be coming along, is a terrific hassle-free girl. As for Aishwarya, we’re both from Mangalore. I’m looking forward to going on stage with her,” Shilpa, who was seen in hit movie “Life… in a Metro”, told

Shilpa’s popularity soared in Britain after her stint in reality show “The Big Brother”, which she went on to win.

And what made Shilpa join the Unforgettable tour at the eleventh hour?

“It’s not a last-minute thing at all,” said Shilpa. “I had been in negotiation to join the tour for a while. It finally worked out now. I’m looking forward to going on stage with the Bachchans.”

While Shilpa will join the Bachchans in London, Madhuri Dixit is expected to perform in the US and Canada and Akshay Kumar will be seen at the inaugural show in Toronto July 18.

Coming soon to a cinema near you: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone on screen together for the first time. What’s more, it’s brought to you in association with Bollywood. The two titans of 80s action movies have famously never appeared on screen together before, but are now scheduled to appear in the Bollywood movie Kambakkht Ishq (Incredible Love) alongside star Akshay Kumar. News of the casting has already been interpreted as the advent of Bollywood as a global player in the movie industry, despite the fact that Stallone and Schwarzenegger will only take cameo roles. “We have signed Sylvester Stallone to be a part of Kambakkht Ishq. We have a certain vision for our production house,” producer Sajid Nadiadwala said.

Himesh Reshammiya will be sporting a six-pack for the grand finale of the TV show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa where he has agreed to be the judge once again. For the finale, he will be doing a power- packed bare body performance on his song from Karzzzz, where he will be sporting a six -pack. Himesh has been reportedly paid a whopping Rs 20 crore for the show to shoot 26 episodes this year, in contrast to his last year’s remuneration of Rs 13 crores. He has already started exercising rigorously. When contacted, Himesh says, “Yes it is true that I’m working towards a six-pack for the final round of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in December. I have already begun with my preparation and I will be ready by then for my bare body performance.”
Incidentally, Himesh got burnt during the promo shoot of the show where he had to enter a ball of fire and has vowed never to play with fire again. Himesh confirms the news and says, “Yes, that shot had to be perfect and hence the timing was very important. Everything went off well except the fact that I burnt my hands, but the injury was minor. However, in totality, the incident was dangerous and I have now decided never to play with fire because when my parents saw the photographs, they were petrified. I have promised to them that I will never play with fire again, unless it is very safe and definitely not the one that I did for Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, which was all about timing the shot perfectly.”

There has not been much from the Ranaut girl lately, but she sure has some meaty upcoming projects in ahdn. She has ‘Fashion’, ‘Kites’, ‘Happy New Year’ and also ‘Roemo Juliet’ from an American production house, in her kitty at present. But, Kangana Ranaut is most excited about her forthcoming sequel of ‘Raaz’. This Emraan Hashmi starrer seems to be very important for her career. During an event, she spoke about Raaz II, and also her relationship with director Mohit Suri. Talking about Raaz II she said, “It is going to be very shocking. Nobody can imagine what we are upto. It’s going to be hard hitting.” Kangana also seemed very upset about her alleged link-up with director Mohit Suri. A visibly annoyed Kangana said, “Once and for all let me clear this out, I have nothing to do with any of my directors. The rumours are so sad considering that Mohit is so much in love with his girl friend.”

The much talked-about war between Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan is soon going to be public. The war for the number one position will be at its peak when Shah Rukh Khan’s Billoo Barber will clash with Akshay Kumar’s Chandni Chowk to China at the marquee. In the past couple of years, Akshay Kumar has delivered hits consistently and is said to be on par with Shah Rukh Khan in his box-office status and hence is a threat to SRK’s numero uno throne. He is already the most sought after actor and that’s why Nikhil Advani’s film Chandni Chowk to China is tipped to be very hot in the trade circuit.

Keeping this in mind, according to trade insiders, the publicity strategy of Chandni… is planned in such a way that it would be able to hold on its own despite Shah Rukh’s Billoo Barber releasing simultaneously. Knowing SRK, it is obvious that he will go all out to promote his film. So Akshay and Advani have already planned to start off with the teaser promo of their film to show with Akshay’s film Singh Is Kinng. With both sides pitted equally, it’s well worth the wait to check out who will win the battle.

Malaika Arora

Meghna Naidu

Meghna Naidu

Neetu

Neha Dhupia

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Kim Sharma

Koena Mitra

Koena Mitra

Malaika Arora

Malaika Arora

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Kareena Kapoor


Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor

Katrina Kaif