I haven't had much success in love: Drew

After two failed marriages and a string of broken romances, Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has finally come to terms with being unlucky in love.

Her most recent relationship, a 10-month romance with 30-year-old actor Justin Long, ended last summer and while he fell into the arms of actress Kirsten Dunst, Drew is still unattached, reports mirror.co.uk.

“I've been single for months now and my priorities have changed so much. I've turned my attention towards my friends and the causes I believe in. It's been about learning who I am, not through a man but for myself. I'm happy with my priorities now,” she said.

Her two marriages - to Welsh-born bar owner Jeremy Thomas in March 1994 and comedian Tom Green in July 2001 did not last long, while her boyfriends have included actors like Jamie Walters, Val Kilmer, Luke Wilson and musicians Alec Pure, Eric Erlandson, Joel Shearer and The Strokes' drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

“I have never really understood how I should feel or behave in a relationship. I didn't have the kind of childhood or family life that would have given me any perspective on what a happy home or relationship would feel like. So I haven't had as much success in my relationships as I would have liked,” revealed the actress.

Why Freida dumped B'wood role?

Freida Pinto, who won over audiences across the globe with her performance in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, has revealed that she once turned down a Bollywood role after a lusty director demanded her to strip off for a sex scene.
The 25-year-old from Mumbai was asked to bare all – even though the director had no intention of including the shots in his finished movie. Pinto has been one of India’s hottest models. She posed for sexy shoots when she was on the books of top agency Elite Model Management.

However, all the time she was dreaming of acting glory.

“I remember harbouring dreams of being an actor since I was five years old,” the Daily Star quoted her, as saying. For someone like me with no godfather
in the film industry it was easier to break into modelling. I did use modelling as a means to get into the film world. I enjoyed modelling. It taught me a lot in terms of being confident and definitely helped me prepare for what was to come next,” she added.

Pinto, who played Latika in Danny Boyle’s flick, also revealed that she plans to stay in Hollywood, rather than the Bollywood film industry.

“Since I am just starting, I will keep myself flexible for roles, films
and different film industries,” she said.

“But basically, I would like to focus on Hollywood because it gave me my first chance,” she added.

Hair’s to Shilpa

Shilpa Shetty’s long and luscious tresses may soon go. Buzz is that she will be going the Shabana-Nandita way and shave off her hair for a film called Desire - an English language film by R Sarath.

When we checked with Shilpa, she laughed, “I can’t reveal everything about my role. If I tell you everything now why would you watch the film?” The film also stars a Chinese actor Xia Yu.





Also see Shilpa Shetty’s Home page

Koel is bowled over by Imran

Koel Puri met famous cricketer Imran Khan recently and the girl was completely bowled over!
Gushing about the man she says, “Imran Khan believes that real change is brought about by the idealist and not realist. He has been given various tags; from being a ladies man to a good samaritan, to being a killer on the cricket pitch. But he wears all these labels with ease and élan.” Looks like the cricketer has added one more die-hard fan to the already long list.

Sharmila and Soha to run for a cause

Soha Ali Khan and mom Sharmila Tagore will participate in the Mumbai marathon.
They will run for Rahul Bose’s NGO. The mother-daughter duo will run for a project run by the NGO to raise awareness for sexually abused children. Says Sharmila, “I have pledged to speak up for the cause of children whenever and whereever it is necessary. I am participating in this marathon to support the project HEAL. If this small effort in anyway alleviates the misery and stigma that these little children have to face, it will be worth my while.” Rahul, who’s gearing up for the run, feels that the Mumbai Marathon is the best community event. “Especially in the wake of the recent terror attacks 26/11 attacks,” he says.

Akki’s award goes to Aamir

Akshay refused to accept apopular award, suggested it be given to Aamir.

After all the drama and exchange of annoyance that took place on stage of an award ceremony recently, it was Akshay Kumar, who saved the show with his kindheartedness. The actor took many by surprise when he refused to accept ‘The Most Popular Actor’ award saying that not him, but Aamir Khan deserved the award for his work in Ghajini.

Our sources say, “Akshay Kumar saw Ghajini in New York when he was there for the premiere of Chandni Chowk to China and was floored by Aamir’s performance and effort. On his return to India from London, Akshay saw Singh Is Kinng in the flight and thought that Aamir’s effort was far more commendable.

Receiving the award Akshay said, “I feel humble that I have won the award for ‘The Most Popular Actor’. I have waited for this award since a long time. However, I recently saw Ghajini and thought that Aamir deserves this award more. I know that Aamir does not accept awards, but I want him to accept this as a symbol of love that people have for him. I want him to enjoy the award as much as I would have done.”

When contacted Akshay Kumar said, “I did something that I genuinely felt. I really do not wish to talk about it.”

Also see Akshay Kumar’s Portfolio

Kat grooves for the King!

Looks like the King of Bollywood can’t do without his Queen.
We are talking about Akshay Kumar and his lucky mascot Katrina Kaif. After giving a string of hits, the jodi will be seen together once again. Katrina has agreed to shoot for a special number for the Akshay-starrer Blue .

The song will be shot on a whopping Rs 6 crore budget and in Mumbai soon. According to a unit member, “Katrina has agreed to do the song only for Akshay’s sake. She genuinely did not have the dates to accommodate another film. But Akshay considers Katrina to be lucky and the two get along very well. So, the actress agreed.”

We hear Katrina has been rehearsing for the song and will have to do double shifts to complete it. But she doesn’t mind it. And, looks like Akshay could do with a little luck after his dismal opening with CCTC last week.


Also See Katrina Kaif’s Home Page

I love yoga, says Kangna

Kangna Ranaut’s fab body is envied by many and her recent weight gain has worked to her advantage.

We asked her the secret behind her figure and she said, “I do yoga. I never miss out on pranayam and meditation. I do all these things because I sincerely believe a person should always be energetic. If your energy level is low, you tend to feel low and depressed. It’s not about controlling weight and inches to look good. Five kgs here and there is fine. Your body cannot handle low energy and then your work suffers.”

Looks like Kangna has figured out her fitness fundas pretty well.

Related Articles:
Kangana’s rainy days!
Kangna is losing weight!
The raaz behind Kangana Ranaut
Kangana was taught how to walk
Kangana on a roll!

The 100-crore Club

If the consumer is the mass audience and if the industry is entertainment, it is hard to predict which movie
will be accepted by the audience and which will receive britbacks.

So far as the performance of the movies at the box office
in 2008 is concerned, different permutations of entertainment ingredients seemed to work. Now with Aamir Khan’s Ghajini raking in quite a big moolah at the box-office, it is worthwhile to think the various forces that are going to decide the course of events in 2009.

While the trade analysts feel that recession is slowly fading away to the background, some argue that there are certain other factors which act as essential parameters to the success or failure of a film. On whether action films have made a comeback of their sorts, trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “Action, in fact, never lost its fervour. What the audience probably was missing was good action films. We are receiving quite good reports from Chandi Chowk to China.” However, according to Nahta one can’t say with certainty that 2009 will be the year of action flicks. “The previous year saw a pot pourri of genres, romantic comedy, thriller, young romantic movies, and also films like Ghajini and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi doing quite well. I think 2009 will be no different. There will be many experiments,” says Nahta.

What seems to work the most when it comes to reaping bumper crop at the BO, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh is “the complete package. A movie has to be a complete entertainer as how a movie is package with all the necessary ingredients to make it appealing to the likes of the desi audience is quite important.”
On the other hand, filmmaker Onir is of the opinion that there are other forces which also affect the Bo sales. “For a filmmaker and its crew, to some extent the BO collection is important. Moreover, actors and production houses bank on the collection results to evaluate a director. The circumstances also are a major issue. For example, Sorry Bhai was a disaster and I am struggling to break even with the losses. The terror attacks turned the public attention to other issues and this affected a lot of films. The target audience was engrossed in participating in processions and debates.”

That the record that Ghajini is created is unparalleled so far according to BO figures. “The only film that comes close is Gadar—Ek Prem Katha which had raked in a gross of Rs 250 crore. Ghajini is estimated to record a gross sales of Rs 220 crores,” says Nahta.

Whether it is an action packed thriller or a romantic saga, as long as the movies are replete with the entertainment quotient, they work wonders at the BO.

Shraddha's killer looks

Shraddha Das has cut down on her weight and is looking gorgeous nowadays.

The reason for her makeover seems to be a new man in her life. “Nothing of that sort,” she retorts and adds, “I worked on my looks since I am determined to join the big league.” She plays a fearful girl in her next release Target, a sequel to Manthra. “It’s a genuine sequel with exciting twists and turns,” she asserts. The spunky actress also shares screen space with hotshot Allu Arjun and Kajal in another sequel Arya 2. Recently, the new sequel specialist lost her belongings in Tirupati and despite hectic efforts, couldn’t get back her valuables. “I was a bit upset,” she reasons. With her career surging ahead, we are sure such minor upsets can be overlooked.

"Farhan wasn't my first choice: Zoya

“I had started writing and this was the easiest for me to work on"

What inspired you to pen this script?

. It had to do with the world I know. It’s about people of the Hindi film industry. It’s about how our self-esteem affects our destiny. It has to do with my perspective about this industry.

Is it an advantage to write and direct your own movie?

This is my debut venture and I wouldn’t exactly know what it’s like otherwise. But there’s creative freedom when directing your own script.

Will it be directing and scriptwriting henceforth?

I think so. I love writing and even if I direct someone else’s script, I will make sure that I’m involved in the
writing process.

Will there be comparisons to Madhur ’s Fashion?

Not at all. Mine has a universal theme. Let me clarify, this isn’t an exposé. It’s about people’s desire to succeed.

Incidentally, Farhan wasn’t your first choice for Luck By Chance...

No, he wasn’t. When I was writing the script, he had just come out of Dil Chahta Hai. There was no question of approaching him. Reema Kagti suggested his name. I liked him in Fakir Of Venice.

Why did Farhan agree?

He liked the script and the character. Plus, he’s having fun acting. And he also made suggestions to the script.

With an established brother as director, are you jittery about comparisons with him?

He is good at his job so, they will have expectations from me too. And if people compare, I’m not bothered.

How daunting was it to rope in the rest of the cast?

It was easy. There’s an ensemble cast of Konkona, Hrithik, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia and Juhi Chawla.

Surely, your lineage helped?

It helps get a foot in the door. It guarantees accessibility. That is a huge perk but then, your script matters too. No one’s here to do favours.

How lucky do you expect to get with Luck By Chance?

Farhan had always said that I should wait for the right opportunity. I think this is the right time. With the audience open to watching all kinds of cinema, proper distribution channels and plexes, I think I am already lucky. But then again, one can’t really bank on luck. I’ve worked hard too.

What has been the biggest hurdle during this process?

Not being able to cast the lead. The wait can weigh you down.

Detractors might say that Farhan has ghost-directed the film...

Farhan has too much work. Why would he do that? He has no need. And if people have to say that, let them.

Sonam loves speed

Looks are deceiving and Sonam is no exception

The very feminine, gorgeous and coy looking Sonam Kapoor is actually pretty bindaas in real life. Not only does the girl love to play all those video games, but she is also a total speed junkie who likes to dance and party as well! After seeing her in all those desi avatars, be it Saawariya, or Delhi 6, not many will know that there’s a hep side to this girl. But Sonam has no complaints. She’s quite ‘heppy’ doing good roles!

My work is my life: Bipasha

Back in Srinagar to shoot for 'Lamhaa', Bipasha Basu says that she’s not going to risk her life for a film. This is what the dusky beauty says about the issue.
“Too much was made out of the whole thing (when Bips left the schedule in Srinagar earlier). Lamhaa is a difficult film. There was bound to be ups and downs. The producer and director knew why I left. A certain amount of security was promised. The first seven days were absolute chaos – nothing was organised and there was a lack of security,” she said.

“Yes, my work is my life. But then, I’ve a life beyond work. I’m not going to risk my life unnecessarily for any film. Who comes to hold your hand when you’re in pain? Let’s be optimistic,” she added.

She said, “This time, hopefully, we’ll shoot without any trouble. Let’s be sensible about it. Lamhaa is a sensible film and it would be difficult for audiences to follow (the language and behaviour of the local Kashmiri girls, which she’d planned to learn earlier). At the end of the day, we’re making a commercial film.”

“I love working with Rahul Dholakia (the director of Lamhaa ). He’s fun and funny. We’ve a strange equation. He looked at me at the start and asked if I am a method actor. I liked that. It showed the director had enough respect in me to first find out what kind of an actress I am,” she added.

First Look: Billoo Barber

Waiting for yet another Shahrukh flick? There is good news - you would not have to wait much to see The King Khan, as his latest flick - ‘Billu Barber’ is expected to hit the theaters in the first quarter of 2009. A remake of the Malayalam film ‘Kadha Parayumbol’, this comic movie has been produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani as its main characters. The news is abuzz that Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone will also be seen in the movie, in guest appearances.

While the lyrics for ‘Billoo Barber’ have been written by Gulzar, Pritam is the music director for this humorous movie. It is for the first time that Shahrukh and Irrfan will be sharing screen space. With the likes of Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani in the movie, rest assured that you are going to have a fine taste of comedy. The film is a tale of two friends, a modern adaptation of the platonic relationship shared by Krishna and Sudama. Priyadarshan is expecting to strike diamond with this movie, as it would mark his 75th film as a director.

In the movie, Irrfan Khan plays the title role of Billu Barber (present-day Sudama); Shahrukh will be seen as Sahil Khan (present-day Krishna). The movie revolves around the life of Billu Barber, his wife (Lara Dutta) and their two kids. Billu is a village barber experiencing a slow down in his business, primarily because he fails to adapt to the changing fashion trends. It is during this time that a film unit comes to his village, with superstar Sahil Khan as the hero. Billu tells everyone in the village that Sahil is his old friend. Instantly, the villagers take a keen liking to Billu.

All the villagers want to meet Sahil Khan and believe Billu to be the perfect person, who can help arrange a rendezvous with him. Now, Billu tries to meet the actor, but is unsuccessful in the attempt. This makes everyone suspicious about his claim. Not only the villagers, but even his family members believe that he was lying about his friendship with Sahil. What will Billu do now? Will he be able to meet his friend? Will Sahil recognize Billu? Will Billu's family members and villagers believe him again? The answers are for the viewers to unveil as the movie hits the theaters in 2009.

Sneha Ullal reserves lip-to-lip kiss for the bedroom

Sneha Ullal, whose next release Kaash Mere Hote is round the corner, tells Jyothi Venkatesh in a khullam khulla baatcheet...

Sneha Ullal, better known as the look-alike of the pretty Aishwarya Rai is back with a bang after a long period of hibernation after Aryan with the film Kaash Mere Hote. When I met her for this interview in the suburbs, Sneha categorically stated that it was a conscious decision on her part to let acting take a back seat after Aryan because she felt that she was too young and wanted to be mature enough to take her plunge in films. "I did not even know how to talk to the media."

Sneha hastens to add that the reason that she decided to take up the offer to act in Kaash Mere Hote is that she desperately needed to act in a Hindi film to show that she is interested in working and is back in films. In fact Sneha has absolutely no qualms to confess that the film is a vehicle to launch Kumar Saahil and Sana and music director Shrawan who has produced the film wanted her to be a part of the project because he felt that she would be able to lend the film a better face value.

"I am confident that my role in Kaash Mere Hote will take me to greater heights as an actress. I play the role of Radhika in Kaash Mere Hote. I play the role of Saahil's girl friend who is bothered by Sana who keeps on trying to seduce Kumar Saahil. The character that I play in the film is like me - easy going and simple and straight forward and hence I did not need to prepare at all for the role of Radhika," Sneha quips.

Sneha confesses that though personally she does not feel bad when she is compared to Aishwarya professionally she does not like the comparison. "Though I like it personally because she is beautiful, it is unfair to me professionally. I feel that had I made my bow without Salman Khan in a film, other than Lucky, I would not have been compared to her. The comparison did not help me as an actor though I should admit that it gave me a lot of recognition".

Sneha asserts that she worships work and does not regret at all having appeared in Aryan opposite Sohail Khan after having made her debut with Lucky opposite Salman Khan, though she concedes that she does not think that she should have got launched with Lucky because she was very young at that time. To add to my woes, a lot of directors have an issue with my voice not at all realizing that my voice in Lucky was projected that way to make me sound like a kid to suit my role in Lucky."

Besides Kaash, Sneha has also films like Click, Dard E Disco and Green Park up her sleeves besides her films in the South. "Sangeet Sivan called me up and offered to cast me in Click opposite Shreyas Talpade. It is a very interesting role that I play in Click. I play Shreyas' friend who is raped by his friends. I kill myself and come back as a ghost to take revenge on the rapists."

In Ashok Tyagi's Dard E Disco, Sneha has been cast opposite Akshay Kapoor. "I play the character of a bubbly young ad glamorous girl. The film has offered me an opportunity to tell every one in Bollywood that I am no longer a kid that I was in films like Lucky and Aryan."

Sneha is quite excited about her role in Green Park too. "I love my role in Green Park because I love talking in English and it is a film in English with Anupam Kher playing the role of my father. I play a very modern young girl belonging to a very westernized family settled in USA, who falls in love with an American. The film was meant to start in 2009. We have shot just the climax of the film in Goa and I am looking forward to shoot the rest of the film in the USA next year".

Sneha is practical when it comes to exposing herself. I am ready to expose as long as I look sexy and not vulgar. In my second film, I showed nothing but my mid-riff but yet I was shown at my glamorous best in the film. I am game as far as wearing swimming costume is concerned but no bikini for me, please."

Sneha has drawn a line as far as kissing is concerned. "Though I am now single and ready to mingle, I am not a prude but I am not game at all for kissing lip to lip in films, because I feel that you should save something for the bedroom. I am an animal lover and hence promote vegetarianism and hence want my man also to be a vegetarian. I do not care about his physique but he should be presentable and quite understanding and not be a male chauvinist."

My parents supported me for Kamasutra Ad: Shwetha Menon

Shwetha Menon is out of the reality show, Dancing Queen. We get into a chat with her. She tells us about her elimination from Dancing Queen, her future projects, her B grade films and the Kamasutra Ad which made her famous.

Q. You got eliminated in Dancing Queen. What went in your mind that time?
A. What do you think can go on my mind that time? (laughs). Somewhere down the lane I had got a zest of it that something is going to go wrong. So I was mentally prepared for it. I did speak to Bhoomika also about it before the elimination. We both were just hoping that something good happens and we get a chance to stay in the show. I felt bad because I had some aspirations in life which unfortunately could not be fulfilled.

Q. Do you think the judges have been impartial to you or anyone in anyway? What opinion do you have about the judges?
A. I don’t want to say that anyone was impartial or anything like that, but yes, there was a lot of expectation from us. I really don’t know the reason for this. Talking about my opinion about the judges then I would say that performing in front of Hemaji was like a dream come. She is a renowned classical dancer and I love classical dance. So it felt beautiful being praised by her. As for Jituji, everyone knows he is a legend and everything from his walk to his talk is certainly legendary. He really knows how to pamper.

Q. What will you miss the most in Dancing Queen?
A. I will certainly miss each and everything in Dancing Queen. It was my first reality show and I really never thought that I would be eliminated so soon. It really feels bad, but I guess that was destined to be.

Q. Who do you think should be eliminated in your place?
A. See it is a competition so I would like if others get eliminated so that my chances of winning becomes strong (laughs). I will not pin point anyone. The truth is that I am out of the show and that needs to be digested well.

Q. Do you think this show will now help you in getting more roles in films?
A. I didn’t do this show to get a role in any film or show. There were no such calculations involved. I was doing films in the south. I feel whatever happens, happens for good.

Q. After getting eliminated you said that ‘luck plays a bigger role in dance performances’. What made you say that? Weren’t you confident of yourself?
A. I realized that everything does not depend on one thing. Everybody gave in their best and deserved to be winners. We all were great dancers. It is just a matter of luck. Luck I say really plays a big and vital role in each one’s life, be it dancing or singing or anything.

Q. So are you open to more reality shows now?
A. Off course I am. I had loved being a part of Dancing Queen and will take more reality shows as they come my way. It is good to be yourself. It is a good medium to portray yourself.

Q. Shifting from Dancing Queen to your pasts. You started your career with Anaswaram (1991), which was a Malayalam movie. After that you jumped to modeling. Why so? Didn’t you feel like pursuing your career in acting?
A. Not bad, you did a full research on me (laughs). I had done a couple of movies that time. After my school days I jumped into modeling and took it very seriously when I became Miss. India. I had already done four movies by that time. Actually I was too young, too thin and everyone said I was not meant for films.

Q. Your modeling career was good enough as you were the 2nd Runner Up in Miss Asia Pacific 1994 and also became Gladrags Supermodel in 1994. How does it feel thinking about it?
A. It feels great you see. Even after 13 years entering into a competition through a reality show and competing is something no less than an achievement.

Q. You became famous by your Kamasutra Ad, which depicted you in many different positions. Were you comfortable doing that?
A. See, it was like just 4 pictures in the entire ad. It was more towards the Kerala side that people reacted because I happen to be a Kerala Mallu girl. That time I was in Bombay and my parents were the one who tackled the situation and handled it. My parents were aware of what I was doing and they supported me fully. It was not for the condom ad that they supported me but it was because that they believed in me, and in whatever I was doing. That time the condom awareness was very low and if you see, nowadays anybody and everybody is endorsing such ads. I did it 10 years back in, I guess 1998, so it is not very much old. So the mentality of people changes with time. I won’t say that it was like a taboo that time but lesser number of people supported me.

Q. You have acted in many good reputed films like Bandhan (1998), Khatron Ke Khiladi (2001), Asoka (2001), Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye (2003), Maqbool (2004), Corporate (2006). Why never a lead role?
A. Hey, that’s good na (laughs). Something is better than nothing (laughs again). Basically I am not all that media savvy. I don’t have a PR, or a secretary. Whatever I have done is my hard work. I believe in being comfortable. I was really comfortable with whatever I was doing that time. I got many offers but I chose that role which made me comfortable, be that any role.

Q. You as well acted in many B grade flicks like Market (2003), Bazaar (2004), Topless (2005), Bad Friend (2005). What made you do such films?
A. It is sad to hear that all these films were listed in A category. For instance take Topless movie which was made by Nabh Kumar Raju, the man who introduced Govinda and Urmila. Topless film was not as the title suggests. It was a film on breast cancer. Sometimes you intend to make a good film but to advertise and promote it, it becomes entirely different from what it was scheduled to be. I was not happy with the makers of these films as my intentions were good, but they marketed me in a wrong way which I guess even spoiled my name in the Industry. I cannot take the responsibility of the entire film.

Q. What is your opinion on skin show?
A. I guess I have shown the maximum skin I could have in all these movies. I cannot go beyond that. See, one cannot show her skin on a daily basis. There are certain parameters involved. A bikini is more than enough for me.

Q. What kind of roles are you looking out for in movies?
A. I don’t know if you have any clue of what kind of Malayalam films I am doing. I am genuinely doing good films down there. I end up getting creative satisfaction in south films but I get the glamorous side of mine in Mumbai. So I am trying to balance both the aspects.

Q. Your future projects?
A. I am doing one film with Jagmohan Mundra co-staring Anuj Saxena. There is another film I am doing titled ‘Morning Walk’ with Anupam Kher. Then there are two more films but will let you know about them later.

‘I’d like to work with SRK'

Despite some good performances, big time success has been eluding her.

But, that hasn't affected Hrishitaa Bhatt’s determination to make it big and carve a niche for herself in Hindi film industry. “Everybody cannot be in the A-league of actors or have a dream career. But, that doesn’t mean that it stops them from giving their best to their profession. And I am just doing that,” she says candidly. With a comic flick of hers being released later this month and some interesting projects in her kitty, the perky actress is ready to make her presence felt again. We catch up with her as she enthuses about her work and also her makeover.

No offbeat roles

Her work in serious films like Ab Tak Chappan, Jigyaasa- Woman On The Top, and Dharm-Come, Question Your Faith won her critical acclaim. In a stark contrast, Hrishitaa’s upcoming venture will be a comic flick titled Bad Luck Govind. She will also be seen in another comic caper, Idiot Box. Ask the actress whether switching to such a genre was a conscious decision and she says, “No, it wasn’t. I just accepted the roles that came my way. But, deep within, I was also tired of doing cameos and de-glamourised roles and didn’t want to get stereotyped. Moreover, I have always been a fun-loving person and I am happy playing light-hearted roles. I would now love to do more of masala potboilers than offbeat cinema.”

Smoking hot

The girl-next-door kind of roles didn’t do much for her career, so now the actress has shed her seedhi-saadhi image and has transformed into a glam doll. Ask her if this exercise was undertaken to boost her sagging career and she says, “There are many actresses who want to shed the sexy tag and go the de-glam way. I wanted to do it the other way round. Luckily, in most of my films I am playing a glamourous woman. Hope moviegoers like my new look.” So, what’s her latest take on the skin show? “I am an actress and if the role demands, I don’t mind exposing. But, I should have a proper reason to show skin,” she replies.

Of hunks and marriage

And who according to her are the hottest men in Bollywood? “Abhishek Bachchan is hot, I would love to work with him once again. Shah Rukh is another favourite of mine.” After her breakup with Shahid Kapur, is love on the horizon again? “No, I am not in love, but I am really looking forward to marriage.” Does it mean that she will go for an arranged marriage? “Well, you never know,” she laughs and signs off.
Priyanka Sen

Ghajini grosses nearly Rs. 900 million worldwide

Aamir Khan starrer "Ghajini" is raking in big money not only in India, but abroad as well. The film's box-office performance has almost equalled the big grosser of the year "Singh Is Kinng", which opened with Rs.900 million worldwide.

A Christmas release, "Ghajini" has collected revenues totalling $4 million (nearly Rs.200 million) till Sunday, taking its total worldwide collections to nearly Rs.900 million in just five days since its release.

According to BIG Pictures, Reliance BIG Entertainment Ltd (RBEL), which released "Ghajini" in 22 countries, opened with $0.92 million in the Middle East, followed by North America with $1.4 million and Australia with $254, 000.

"Ghajini" is also faring well in Britain. The movie will also open in four additional countries - Myanmar, Uganda, Malaysia aand Morocco in the coming weeks, " said Jawahar Sharma, COO International Film Business, BIG Pictures.

"We are extremely pleased with the film's overseas opening, which has created benchmarks in various international markets, like North America, Australia and the Middle East."

Bollywood trade circles, meanwhile, believe that the pace at which "Ghajini" is collecting revenues all over the world, it may end up grossing Rs.1.40 billion by the end of second week of its run, outranking all the Bollywood hits of 2008.

Hrithik-Barbara-Kangana back in action

Recently Hrithik Roshan's Kites was in the news as the shooting for the film had come to an abrupt halt recently when it was discovered that a lot of the dancers did not have the appropriate work permits. Now our unit sources have confirmed that the shoot as restarted as they have brought in local dancers.

Sources further add, "In fact a few scenes have even been shot between Hrithik and Kangana Ranaut.

Basically the problem was with a song for which foreign dancers had been imported. Their work permit was there but due to some misunderstandings the shoot had to be stopped. It was in fact Hrithik who came forward and resolved the issue."

Kites had begun shoot in Mumbai from the second week of December and is expected to take place in various locations in Mumbai till Hollywood starlet, Barbara Mori joins them in mid of January 2009.

She was supposed to come earlier but due to the Mumbai terror attacks she had postponed her visit for the shoot.

Rakhi is lucky for Muzammil

In fact after winning a major pageant, Muzamil did his first music video Pardesia with Rakhi Sawant and it was a super hit remix album. Now Muzamil, is all geared up for his first commercial film Horn Ok Pleassss... that is produced by Abdul Sami Siddiqui in association with Sarang films and will be released worldwide by Axis movies Pvt Ltd.

“After that album now I am once again shaking a leg with Rakhi in Horn Ok Pleassss... In fact the minute my family heard about it they were very happy because she has been lucky for me. I think that she carries a very different kind of energy and that is reason for her own success. Since my first album with her till now, Rakhi has really shown a major growth as a performer but as a person she is still as sweet. I am so happy that I got the chance to dance with her in the movie,” comments Muzamil. In fact earlier this item dance was to be done by Tanushree Dutta but due to certain issues, Rakhi had stepped in to do the item song for the film.

Beware, Celebrities All Set To Con You this New Year

Lux Arre Deewano Mujhe Pehchano is STAR Plus’ first offering in the New Year to keep the viewers entertained with a BIG dose of laughter, disguises and fun! Eight celebrity contestants - Gulshan Grover, Divya Dutta, Mona Singh, Yash Tonk Mahesh Manjrekar, Mandira Bedi, Rakhi Sawant and Sweta Keswani - are ready to con the unsuspecting in this world with their pranks to ring in the New Year.

The Friday premier on January 2 will feature the first four out of eight celebrities (Gulshan Grover, Divya Dutta, Mona Singh, Yash Tonk), who bring out the joker in them to pull the wool over many unwary targets.

Not only that, they will also do a stand-up act on their experiences making matters worse for their victims and filling the viewers’ life with loads of masti. The celebrity among celebrities as will be the director/actor with terrific comic timing, Sajid Khan, who appears as the guest on the show.

For the first time ever in the history of Indian television, STAR Plus brings to fore a new technology animated interactive character - ‘Gadhashri’ who will provide the ‘vishesh tippani’ or special comments on the performances.

There will be internal voting among the celebrities in which each one chooses the best act and crowns the celebrity who has performed the act as ‘Sabse bada Behrupiya’.

Watch out for…

Gulshan Griovers’s prank as a casting director’s

Gulshan Grover played a casting director who is conducting an audition for an Indo-Hollywood venture and is looking for a lead.

Neetu who walks in to the audition completely oblivious of the prank, is taken aback when her not-so-important role turns into a lead. She dances, emotes and performs action stunts for the director and falls prey to Gulshan’s fabulous disguise.

Mona Singh as a fat lady who wants her husband to look like John Abraham

Mona plays a fat lady who wants her thin husband to lose weight and look like John Abraham. She gets a personal trainer at home and psyches him out with her antics

Yash Tonk as a police officer

Yash Tonk plays a policeman who is harassing people on the street, he catches hold of a young boy (TV artist by profession) and hassles him suspecting him of being drunk.

Divya Dutta cheats to get engaged

Divya Dutta plays a prospective bride and cons a man desperately wanting to get married. Divya cheats him to get engaged to her in their very first meet and catches him off guard.

Stringing all these pranks, embarrassment and the victim’s reactions together will be the very vivacious and versatile host Kavita Kaushik. She will help create the balance in the moods between the gags, stand-up acts and Gadhashri’s flirtatious and mischievous comments.

STAR Plus brings you a dream come true reality show - free from clichés, emotional outbursts at eliminations and unnecessary melodrama.

So grab your microscopes, exercise your cheeks and get ready to be entertained by our disguised celebrity contestants who say:

Arre Deewano Mujhe Pehchano

Raima makes a point

The petite Raima Sen is on a high these days.

“Regional films like The Japanese Wife apart, I’m also looking forward to the release of Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye,” says the lovely lass. We observe that she’s recently also had an image makeover of sorts – all serious roles with no skin show. “Skin show is not at all the formula for success in the film industry. Exposing can titillate the audience, but cannot change the fate of a film. Personally, I’m not averse to exposure, provided it is an essential part of the film,” says Raima. We guess in the end, it’s all about what makes for good cinema.

Emraan, Kangna, Adhyayan together for an electrifying music video

Trust Bhatts to not just keep churning hit music but also attach innovative music videos to some of their best tracks. In case of RAAZ - THE MYSTERY CONTINUES, they have done it twice in a matter of just around 10 days with first 'Maahi Ve' and now 'O Jaana'.

While the original version of 'Maahi Ve' was the first to hit the screens a few weeks back, it's video starring Emraan Hashmi in center stage came very recently.

Hardly has the euphoria on the rock version of 'Maahi Ve' settled down and Bhatts are ready to unveil another music video for 'O Jaana'.

This writer had an exclusive dekko at the song and it has to be admitted that music video for the remix version of 'O Jaana' is the classiest ever to have been churned out of Vishesh Films.

The track has a New Age look and feel to it with the principal cast of the film - Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman - being a part of it. Also, while Emraan Hashmi (obviously) holds the centerstage, Adhyayan and Kangna aren't left behind either and have a definite role to play in the video.

Emraan Hashmi does what he is best at and has been doing forever in each of his chartbuster songs for years while Adhyayan Suman too looks far more confident in his entire cool avtar.

However, the stunner of the show is Kangna Ranaut who gets to lip synch the English portion of the song and looks like a true import from the West, what with her costumes, make up and the body language showcasing a different facet of her persona.

In fact the next time she mentions that she is just a small town girl from the North side of the country, she would certainly be questioned by many since she hardly looks like an Indian in the first place in the song.

With electrifying laser work, special effects and CG on display, the music video is the kind that should play on in up-market discs and pubs due to the immense dance appeal that it carries. Moreover, the cutting edge edit patter in 'O Jaana' makes it a track that you want to revisit multiple number of times. Have a look!

Soha is not a party animal

Soha Ali Khan says she prefers going out for a peaceful dinner with friends rather than attending a party at a club.

"I am not a huge party animal. I like going out for dinner and having interesting conversation with friends. But I'm not a clubbing kind of a person," Soha told.

"I prefer bars. At least one can talk there. I do like to dance as well, but I like conversation more," she said.

Soha is a busy girl

Soha Ali Khan
hasn’t touched down in Delhi for a while, but what surprised us the most when we ran into her, was the fact that the svelte actress was sporting sunglasses even though it was quite a foggy morning!


When we asked her why she was making the unusual style statement, she laughed, “It’s after a long gap that I’m back home and it’s nice to be back in Delhi with my friends and family. I was away for almost a month and a half in South Africa for the shooting of my next movie. Unfortunately on the last day of the shoot, I had an allergic reaction to a flower we had used during the shoot and my eyes got affected.

Thank God it happened just as the unit was packing up. Brilliant timing, na? I have to wear sunglasses now to protect my eyes. I’m also on antibiotics and lots of medicine.”
Soha is quite excited about her upcoming movies. She’s just finished with Dil Kabaddi and tells us about her other projects as well, saying, “I have many movies releasing this year. My next movie is a comedy and I really enjoy doing comic roles. It’s a nice change from my usual fare. I have just completed three movies – Dhoondte Reh Jaooge, 99 and Tera Kya Hoga Johnny – which are all coming out this year. I was in South Africa shooting for Kunal Deshmukh’s movie Tum Milein, with Emraan Hashmi. It was a great experience for me to work in this movie, as the role is quite different from anything that I have done before. We shot five weeks in South Africa and we will start again in January in Mumbai. I’m quite happy with the way the movie has turned out as it has a very interesting script.”

We asked her if she’s actively looking for a change of pace as far as the characters she plays on the silver screen are concerned, and she agrees, “I enjoy experimenting with new roles and it’s also helping me to grow as an actress. The idea is always to do new kinds of roles. It’s so easy to get into a creative rut. I’m also doing a Bengali movie with Aparna Sen, Goinar Baksho (Jewellery box). This movie will be quite interesting as it centres around three women – Konkona Sen, Moushumi Chatterjee and me. My mom is not a part of the movie, but she is part of it in spirit. She is always there by my side to support and encourage me. In this particular case she’s going to coach me in speaking in Bengali as I’m terrible at it!.”

On a lighter note, we ask her opinion of the much discussed Saif-Kareena link-up and she shrugs, “Seriously, I'm bored of talking about Saif and Kareena. I just don't understand why people walk up to me and ask about their relationship. I think it would be more appropriate to ask them directly. But yes, Kareena is a lovely person and I’m happy that she has made my brother happy.”
Soha has also grabbed the chance to spend some time with her family now that she’s back home. She tells us “I had been away for five weeks in South Africa, so now that I'm back home I would like to spend some quality time with my family. I will try to reconnect with my friends and family members this year.

One gets so busy sometimes that one forgets what is truly important. I was very distressed after hearing about the Mumbai terror attacks. I was in South Africa and it was horrible to see images of the Taj and Oberoi hotels. Luckily, no one close to me was affected directly by the tragedy. But I was watching the news constantly and the condition of the victims left me totally shaken. The New Year was also a very low key affair for me because of this”

And does she have any other projects apart from the movies she’s working on? Soha laughs “At the moment acting takes up all my time and energy. It’s very difficult to multi-task, so I find it very difficult to do anything else. I also love writing and enjoy sports like badminton and tennis.” Quite multifaceted isn’t she.
Piyali Dasgupta

Hansika's secret exposed

Flash Flash! We have discovered the big secret behind Hansika's slim and graceful look?

She is not sweating it out hard in various gyms nor has she cut down her weight by strict dieting. However, she attributes her good looks to her healthy diet. “My mom is the best cook in the world,' she smiles. The pretty lass thanked her mom for preparing delicious dishes that satiate the stomach without adding unnecessary calories. "She is an expert in all kinds of cuisines,” she smiles. However, she occasionally indulges in routine exercises to keep herself fit and fine. New-age girls who are fascinated with zero-size myth, please give it a second thought.

Bhumika plays an air hostess

After a playing a scribe and an student in Anasuya and Mallepoovu respectively, Bhumika will be seen as an air hostess in her next film yagam.


She will be sharing screen space with Navadeep and Kim Sharma in this love story. "The role nicely jells into the storyline,' says the actress. Director Arun Prasad of Tammudu fame has captured picturesque locales of Bangkok to make his comeback film `visually-pleasing'. Producers Raju and Praveen expressed happiness about their 'wholesome entertainer'. Will this be a different triangular love story? We’ll know soon.

Little Miss Sunshine

Industry pundits have predicted that Tamannaah is going to be the person to watch out for in 2009.


She has everything going her way — the right looks and attitude, is a complete professional, disciplined and above all, she has made the right choice of films. All her forthcoming films are with young heroes —Surya (Ayan), Dhanush (Padikathavan), Bharath (Raja Rani), Karthi (Paiyya) and Siddharth (Ananda Thandavam) and a big Telugu film with Boys Siddharth (Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam).

During the last year, she had no releases, but things seem to be looking up for the actress as she will have more films than her rivals. Suddenly, Tammu, as she is affectionately called by her friends and folks, has become hot property in the south Indian advertising endorsement market, after Asin took the aerial route to Mumbai. At the moment, the 19-year-old from Lokhandwala in Andheri, Mumbai, is the highest paid actress in Tamil cinema, without a single hit to her credit!

When asked about her phenomenal rise in Kollywood, without any releases in 2008, Tamannaah says, “Two of my 2007 December releases —Shekhar Kammula’s Happy Days in Telugu and Balaji Sakthivel’s Kalloori in Tamil, were path breaking films that received critical acclaim. Both were performance-oriented roles and the audience loved my characters. I am eternally grateful to Sekhar sir and Balaji sir, two people who moulded me as an actress.”

How has she managed so many films that are coming up for release this year? The actress says, “At least two of them, Ananda Thandavam and Padikkathavan, were due for release last year, but were delayed because of technical reasons.” So, this year she will have six releases spread over eight months.

On her choice of films, Tamannaah is very clear. “What counts is the script, director, hero and the banner. The director should be able to give me a good narration of the script and a good role. The story of Lingusamy’s Paiyya was narrated to me in three hours. If I am attracted to the story, I try to squeeze my dates for the film.” About doing too many love stories, she replies, “Ayan is an action film and Padikathavan is a rip-roaring comedy. I try my best to do all genres of movies.” She says that it’s her aim to dub in her own voice by the end of the year. “I’m trying to learn the language and also picking up many words when on the sets where everybody talks in Tamil. In fact, I heard the entire script narration of Paiyya in Tamil,” says the actress, who is a keen observer.

About the talk that she is charging a bomb, without actually having a hit, she says, “In this industry, you get what you deserve. It is all a question of demand and my producers feel I’m worth it. If not, they will not pay me so much.” The fringe benefit of stardom, according to her, is travel. “Last year, I went to the US, Switzerland, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Namibia,” she says.

On why she avoids parties and has no link-ups, Tammu says, “I work 24X7 trying to finish my films, and I love to read and browse the Internet during my free time. As far as love is concerned, I’m yet to meet the right guy. Love is unpredictable and can happen to anybody anytime.”

The young star is very religious and visits temples (her favourite being Vaishnodevi) and believes in numerology.
Her luck changed after she added an extra ‘a’ and ‘n’ to her name. Her most prized possession, at the moment, is her ultra-thin Apple-MacBook which she got as a gift from her brother on her 19th birthday.

2009 is going to be a momentous year for Tammu and if all goes well, she may become the new ‘numero uno’ in Kollywood.

'Om Shanti Om'

Together, they rocked in 2007 with Om Shanti Om. Now, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Farah
Khan are back again in Billu Barber.

Farah, of course, is getting SRK and Deepika to dance to her tune again.

The film, his home production, is much hyped already and slated for release on February 13. And the Bollywood Badshah and his OSO leading hottie sizzle in a song Love Mera Hit Hai Hit Hai. “It was great fun doing this song,” said Farah who was dragged out of post-maternity recuperation by SRK to choreograph the film. “I didn’t have any sense of deja vu because it is very different from OSO which mostly had retro moves. This song is very hip-hop, it has a futuristic look, and the moves I have given them are like that. I couldn’t say no to Shah Rukh even though my babies were just born.”

Deepika, who has always been an ardent SRK admirer, added, “Working with them is special because Shah Rukh and Farah are the two people I have started my career with. I am glad he asked me. Farah these days has become very selective and will not take up anything unless it excites her, so it’s all the more reason for me to be a part of this song. We relived so many memories, I felt I was going back to the sets of OSO. My costume designer is Manish Malhotra even in this film, and we had the same caterer — Mutthuswami, serving us. It was so much fun.”

Meanwhile Shah Rukh, who credits the success of his previous hit to newcomer Deepika, is happy to work with her again. “It was sweet of her to agree. She is very talented and works hard. Working with the younger lot is really a learning process. They are so much fun, confident, and aware. They are all my future investments,” he laughed. Besides Deepika, there are two more sexy cameos with Priyanka Chopra
and Kareena Kapoor. SRK has created onscreen magic with these three girls before in Asoka, Don and OSO respectively.

Amitabh booked

How does a man as modest as Amitabh Bachchan react when someone opts to pen a ‘biography’ of his?

"hate it,” he says immediately. But the legendary actor had reason to give the nod to Neville Tuli, founder of pioneering arts institution Osian’s, to publish and design Bachchanalia: The Films and Memorabilia of Amitabh Bachchan. Osian’s already boasts of an auction house, archive and film house, its world renowned film festival... and now with Bachchanalia, it launches its publishing and design division.

Penned by noted film journalist Bhawana Somaya, the biography adopts an interesting format. Amitabh says, “It’s not the heavy reading type of book that’s filled with words. This particular biography is very pictorial and boasts of vintage priceless poster designs. It’s very interestingly done with snippets of my films, and interesting trivia. They’ve captured the last 40 years of Indian cinema — its changing history, trends, tastes...”
Neville adds, “India has great love for cinema, but no cinematic culture. We intend to build bridges where no bridge has been built. And with Bachchanalia, we have for the first time married text and imagery, and brought about a co-ordination between the eye and the mind. We aim to build an extensive, organised and refined database of cinema, that’s also rich in presentation.”