Nakusha of Lagi Tujhse Lagan is a real story

Paresh Rawal's TV serial, Lagi Tujhse Lagan, which shows the story of a girl Nakusha is inspired by real life story.
The serial is inspired by the story of a beautiful and gorgeous girl Nakusha whose mother makes her ugly to protect her from the unwanted attention of men.

In the process the girl gets ill-treated by everyone because she is dark and ugly. Paresh had witnessed a similar situation with a relative’s maid, when he was 13 years old.

Talking about the incident which he has translated onto the small screen, Paresh says, “I wanted to tell this story for a long time. I remember this maid who was working with a relative of mine. She was not good-looking and everyone made her life miserable because of it. She was not allowed to get married as they feared she would go away and they would have no one to work at their home. Although my relative had four daughters, they were too lazy to do housework.

I am intrigued that in our country where Lord Krishna is not fair-complexioned, why does everyone want to look fair? And why is the definition of good looks only associated with fair complexion? Being dark is one of the biggest stigmas in our country. I wanted to tell this story to the world and bounced the idea to my production partner Hemal Thakker. Although I could do nothing to help the poor maid, as I was 13 then, I now want to tell her story to the world.”

Who is happy with Ranbir-Deepika split?

There seems to be one person who is happy with Ranbir Kapoor-Deepika Padukone split. It is none other than Ranbir's mother Neetu Singh. Neetu was never known to be fond of Deepika and Ranbir was finding it tough to settle the issue between his ladylove and his mother. In the end it seems the mama's boy who has made the tough call leaving Deepika stunned.

It was as also said that Neetu was very fond of Sonam Kapoor who had starred with Ranbir in their debut flick Saawariya after there were rumours of romantic

sparks between the two. Deepika's entry meant that Ranbir severed ties with Sonam much to the dislike of Neetu. Now with the Deepika chapter over in her son's life for the second time Neetu Singh is all happy.

Amitabh Bachchan's new personality in Paa

Amitabh Bachchan accomplished the feat of talking and singing in a 12-year-old child’s voice, thanks to the specially designed dentures he used for his role in Paa.

The dentures were made especially for Amitabh’s character Auro in the film. The shape and size of the dentures transform Amitabh’s voice and give him a lisp. The dentures were worn by Amitabh throughout the film's shooting and also while dubbing. According to director Balki, they changed Amitabh’s personality completely.

Meanwhile, the title song that is sang by Amitabh was sent to them by Ilaiyaraja, who had recorded it in his own voice. Amitabh then sung it himself and sent back to Ilaiyaraja who then mixed it.

Big B gets 2.25 CRORE Per Episode in Big Boss

Amitabh Bachchan will be paid Rs 2.25 per episode of Bigg Boss. Previously, it was said that he would be paid Rs 1.25 crore per episode but later he was signed at the big amount. The show will have 84 episodes and he will appear once in a week at the elimination day and also on the special episodes of wild card entries. From this reality show, he will earn a big sum between Rs 30 to Rs 40 crore.

"When Amitabh Bachchan was approached for the show, the channel and the production house expected the payment figures to be big," the source said. "Negotiations started with Rs4 crore per episode and ended at about Rs2.25 crore. The channel decided to invest big money to create maximum buzz."

SRK and Akki Friends?

Ever since Akki has give a series of big hits in Indian Hindi Cinema, he has been seen as the top contender to displace SRK from the No.1 spot. A media created rivalry between the two took a serious turn when Akki declared that there is only one legitimate King of Bollywod - Amitabh Bachchan. This comment didnot go down well with Saharukh Khan who keeps claiming himself as the undisputed king of Hindi Cinema.

Recently, Akshay was shooting for his movie Blue in Film City and SRK was incidentally also there shooting for an ad on a different floor at Film City. When SRK learnt that Akki was shooting nearby, he took trouble to go to the sets of ‘Blue’ and meet Akki in person.

Reports say that upon learning that SRK had come to meet him, Akshay quickly came out of his vanity van and went half way to greet the flamboyant Khan. The two shook hands and were very friendly with each other.

Then they sat in Akshay’s van and talked for about 20 minutes. What they discussed is not known, but reports say they talked about doing a joint project.

Unseen: Rakhi Sawant Smoooching Co-Star Kainaz

A legal Pack from Rakhi to Kainaz

Kareena was comfortable wearing bikini in ‘Kambakkht Ishq’: Director

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor had no problems wearing a bikini for her just-released “Kambakkht Ishq”, informs debutant director Sabbir Khan.

“There was no problem from Kareena’s side in wearing a bikini. If she’s said that she wouldn’t don a bikini, then she must have felt that the scene she has performed in ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ is special before going ahead and doing it,” Khan told IANS.

“She didn’t have any apprehensions…and I think she’s gone ahead and done it beautifully…If there had been any problems, she wouldn’t have worn it,” he added.

Kareena has earlier said that she has decided to stay away from bikini for her mother Babita’s sake. Babita didn’t like her two-piece stint in last year’s dud ‘Tashan’.

The twittering bride: Rakhi Sawant

Rakhi Sawant has joined the bandwagon of celebrities who have caught the Twitter bug.

In a bid to promote her ongoing reality show 'Rakhi Ka Swayamvar', through which she will find her life partner, the item girl has taken to Twitter to share her day-to-day experiences on the show being shot at Udaipur's Fateh Garh Palace, a source from the show told IANS.

One of her posts read: 'Nervous hoon..excited bhi...zindagi ki nayi shuruwat hai (I'm nervous but also excited. It's a new beginning in life for me)'.

The Twitter page of the actor, who has also done cameos in films like 'Main Hoon Na' and done item numbers in films like 'Krazzy 4' and '1920', can be found on www.twitter.com/rakhisawant.

The latest updates by Rakhi include the proceedings of her shows and how much she hates breaking the contestants' heart.

Deepika getting cosy with Saif

There has been news about how Kareena Kapoor was upset about not bagging the lead role in Love Aaj Kal, directed by her Jab We Met director Imtiaz Ali and produced by beau Saif Ali Khan.

There were rumours of Deepika and Kareena sharing cold vibes, Deepika clarifies, “Whenever I was on set, Kareena was never on set. The whole thing of us ignoring each other is out of the question. She must have come when I had my days off. I never met her on the set. It is untrue that there is any sort of discomfort or negativity between the two of us.”

But we can understand the discomfort of Kareena. With the growing closeness between Saif and Deepka, it's natural that Kareena is upset about all this. And then the whole world knows about Saif's weekness for beautiful ladies.

Sreesanth and Minisha Lamba caught in Macau

Bollywood babes have bowled over our cricketers time and again. Whether it was Patudi getting bowled over by sexy Sharmila or famous West Indies captain Viv Richars falling for Neena Gupta, we have seen it all.

And now we have live news coming from IIFA 2009 in Macau about another affair brewing up bettwen bollywood babe, Minisha Lamba and Indian pace bowler Sreesanth. If sources in Macau are to be believed, the sexy bollywood beauty Minsha is seen in all over Macau with Sreesanth. The couple was spotted partying late night in a pub, in a casino having fun and in the streets of Macau shopping around.

Sources form Macau confirm that the duo was introduced to each other by Neil Nitin Mukesh in a pub and the spark ignited after that. The trio was spotted playing in a casino till mid night yesterday and after that Neil Nitin Mukesh headed his way leaving the couple together to spend time together.

Soureces reported that Minissha and Sreesanth were getting very cosy, cuddling and smooching in full view of the people, who could not help staring at the pair. Minissha seemed to be on a high — she sang as Sreesanth kept the rhythm by tapping the table. After a final clinch and a kiss, the two left the casino, still holding on to each other.

Minisha could not be contacted to confirm the news, however, when contacted, Sreesanth ducked the question saying that we are just good friends.

We can understand Sreesath, who wouln't like to be friends with this leggy beauty.

John and Akki to do a pole dance

The hot dudes of bollywood, Akshay Kumar and John Abraham are all set to scorch silver screen with their hot act. The actors would be playing pole dancers in David Dhawan's son Rohit's directorial debut.

The film that would be produced by Akshay Kumar would seen the hot jodi of Akki and John for the second time after Garam Masala.

Sources reveals that Akshay and John will undergo training for pole dancing in LA before the shoot begins.

With the dudes creating so much heat on screen, our Bollywood babes certainly face huge competition from them.

And all you girls hold your breaths now to watch the dudes doing a pole dance for you.....

When Kareena Kapoor was mobbed

Our bebo has a huge fan following and it is but natural that she draws a lot of crowd wherever she goes.

Recently Bebo was in Ahemdabad to promote Vasu Bhagnani debut film "kal kisney dekha". When she arrived in Ahemdabad, the crowd turned up in large numbers to get a glimpse of the sexy bebo.

The situation was so bad that the crowd lost control and attacked bebo on the stage. The diva was completely mobbed by the Fans. The temptation of the crowd to get a glimpse of kareena was a scene to be witnessed.

Approximately 30,000 people were present to watch bebo perform in the promotional event and when Kareena came on to the stage, about 400 people rushed to stage. The security has to rush Kareena to backstage to save her from the crazy mob and push the mob back. No unfortunate incident happened with Kareena or anyone.

What a craze people have for you bebo, we must say....

Brooke Shields: I lost my virginity at 22

According to recent reports from sources, Brooke Shields regrets to loose her virginity so late at the age of 22. 

The actress has admitted that not learning to love the way she looked and not appreciating her own appearance earlier is one of her biggest regrets and the main reason for loosing her virginity at the age of 22.

She insists that if she would have been more comfortable with her body image earlier, she would have lost her virginity much before 22.

She says "I think I would have had sex a lot earlier . . . I would have lost my virginity earlier than I did, at 22, [because] I would have been much more in touch with myself. To me, that's a health regret," the New York Post quoted her telling Health magazine.

Shilpa Shetty: I wasn't ready for Akon

As per the much advertised plan, Shilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with American rap singer Akon. But her sudden disapperance from the program made a huge disappointment amongst her fan following.

When contacted, Shilpa explained 

“I was just not prepared. It was an international platform, not some village nautanki. I had to be fully ready. And I just didn’t get time to rehearse. So I regretfully had to say no. But I’d rather not give anything less than my best when I’m representing my country.” 

She said it was a last mintue change in the program and she was happy to sit as an spectator and watch the closing ceremony. With Shilpa Shetty, coming out and explaing her absence from the program, all the speculation about "What was Shilpa Shetty doing during IPL Closing ceremony?", comes to and end.

Where was Shilpa Shetty during IPL closing ceremony?

Did anyone notice that much  hyped appearance of Shilpa Shetty with American rap singer Akon didnot happen. 

Lalit Modi or any other IPL organizer didnot even bother to give a reason of explanation for her no show from program. 

As advertised, Kartina gave her appearance item number with music legen Eddy grant and Akon and was greatly appreciated by the Indian and South African crowd present in the stadium. However, all the Shilpa Shetty fans who came with the hope to see the "thumkas" and "jhatkas" of the leggy beauty Shilpa Shetty, were very much disappointed. The fact that no prior information about this deviation in the program was given and no apologies were seeked by the IPL organizer made the matters even worse.

Now the million dollar question is " Where was Shilpa Shetty during the IPL closing ceremony?"

Yercaud Resorts

Why is Karan Johar depressed on his Bday?

Who does not love celebrating his/her own brithday, almost all of us. But things are different for the bollywood director Karan Johar.

As Karan Johar turns 37 today, he tells us about his fears, hopes and why he'd rather be alone than surround himself with ‘unwanted clutter’ 

The director has planned for party and invited all the people he respects ( as he says).

Speaking to a local daily, the stylish director does not hide the fact that he is afraid of appearing older and gets jealous of the young men. The director who turns 37 today is throwing a lavish bash for close friends to cheer him out of his depression.

Wow what a great attitude,we must say, celebrating your own depression. 

Happy Bday KJO. 

Aamir to star opposite Kate Winslet?

If rumours from Cannes are to be belived, Amir is going to share the screen with Oscar winner Kate Winslet (for 'The Reader'). 

Director Pan Nalin is all set to cast Amir Khan against recent Oscar winner Kate Winslet. The film is based on a short story "Toba tek Singh" written by Saadat Hasan Manto and takes a look inside a mental asylum in Lahore during 1947 and depicts Indo-Pak relationship during partition time.

Sources say that Amir is impressed with the script and have shown interest to play the lead male role.

After watching Kate Winslet in "The Reader" anyone would die to share the screen with the lady. She is one of finest actress of the generation with some great performances in her kitty ( from "Titatic" to "The Reader")

Good luck Amir, donot let this great opportunity go.

Rare Pics: Ash getting cosy with Akki

Bhajji dating Priya Readdy?

Check out Bhajji's girl friend Priya

Akshay enjoying Kareena

With the approaching summer, Kareena Kapoor and Akshay Kumar has heat up the atmosphere utmost with their sizzling on-screen chemistry. News is doing the rounds that Bebo and Akki is doing some intimate scene in the action comedy Kambakkht Ishq and their rocking chemistry has become a hot topic of discussion.

"The two look hot together. Akshay and Kareena will set the screen on fire. The duo shares such a good chemistry on screen," said a source close to the project. This is not the first time that both has been cast opposite one another, they have also worked together in films like Aitraaz, Talaash, Bewafaa and Tashan but it is said that Kambakkht Ishq hits the list in terms of sharing good rapport.  

Kangana become Madhubala

The actress who is more equipped in playing traumatized woman in films is facing a great challenge as she is going to play the role of immortalized beauty, Madhubala. To play yesteryears tender beauty is a great challenge for Kangana and she is in great thought as how to portray the role. The film is question is Milan Luthria's film, ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbai’. Interestingly, the film will speak the very tender romance between the yesteryear actress and underworld don Haji Mastan which will be played by Ajay Devgan. 

Extremely in fear, Kangana said, "I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful. In fact I’ve always suffered from the lowest self-esteem. Till recently, I’d look at my pictures and cringe. I still have the pictures from my first portfolio I got done in Chandigarh. They remind me of how ugly I can look. And to now play Madhubala in ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbai’. How will I do it?" 

"I`m proud of my so-called territory as an actress. If playing traumatized women is my territory then I’m glad. Because I know I’m good at it. Madhubala`s role is not as tragic as my other roles. It’s basically a very tender romance between this really funny don (played by Ajay Devgan) and this female superstar who can’t understand his personality. How will I manage to play the most beautiful woman that Indian cinema has ever seen? My characters have always had a dark and light side. And this one is no exception. But the challenge for me is to look almost ethereally beautiful, like Madhubala. How will I manage that?" says Kangana.

However to get into the skin of the female lead, Kangana is watching loads of Madhubala films these days. Now it’s time to see Kangana in a totally new avatar.

The Indian Barbie - Ash or Katrina

Who will be Indian face of Barbie, Katrina Kaif or Aishwarya Rai? Earlier there were speculations that Aishwarya Rai was in serious deliberations with Mattle, the company that manufactures world famed Barbie dolls.

But then it was rumoured that talks failed and she has declined to lend her face for Mattel to produce Indian version of Barbie dolls. 

Now it is being said that Katrina Kaif, who is the numero uno actress of the industry is being considered to give her face to Barbie. It will be great if the diva is finally selected and she gives her consent for the same.

Many readers had complained that at 35 Aishwarya Rai will not suit as Barbie is meant for adolescent girls and had suggested the name of Katrina or Deepika Padukone. They had said that around 23 and 24 years of age they suited it better.

Barbie is the largest selling doll. It is sold in millions every year. Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year.

Vintage Barbie dolls from the early years are the most valuable at auction, and while the original Barbie was sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in October 2004. On September 26, 2006, a Barbie doll set a world record at auction of £9,000 sterling (US $17,000) at Christie's in London. The doll was a Barbie in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of a private collection of 4,000 Barbie dolls being sold by two Dutch women, Ietje Raebel and her daughter Marina.

Big B joins Shiamak's Party

Shiamak Davar and Reebok have tied up to bring out their line of sports wear. And last evening was the official launch. Going by the pictures our photographer clicked at the event, we feel we missed one of the best parties ever.

Not only were Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek there, but other celebrities like Reema Sen, Diya Mirza and Jackie Bhagnani also helped enliven things.

However, what really caught our attention were Shiamak's dancers - they scorched the stage and forced the models (who followed them onto the stage) to really crank up their catwalk to make an impression. Check out the pictures if you don't believe us.

Asin and Dhoni together?

Asin and MS Dhoni both are successful in their respective field and endorsers feel they are the right choice for their brand. And now the two of them are coming together....no no..you ditry mind don't think otherwise.Big Bazaar which is a chain of hypermarkets in India has roped in the young and the energetic couple to endorse their market. They chose Asin and Dhoni to endorse Big Bazaar as they are the youth icon of India and doing extremely well in their individual field.

If Asin has win over the hearts of millions with her simple girl role in ‘Ghajini’ then Dhoni has also proved himself a successful captain and cricketer. According to a source, Asin has signed the ad with highest amount she has endorsed so far.  

And the Oscar goes to.....

Best Picture - SlumDog Millionaire

Actor in a leading Role - Sean Penn for MILK

Actress in a leading Role - Kate Winslet for THE READER

Directing - SlumDog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film - DEPARTURES

Best Music(Song) - Jai Ho SlumDog Millionaire

Best Music(Score) - SlumDog Millionaire

Sound Editing - THE DARK KNIGHT

Visual Effects - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Documentry Short - SMILE PINKI

Freida and Dev Patel getting Closer?

Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, stars of the Indian-themed movie Slumdog Millionaire, may be dating in real life, according to their co-star Anil Kapoor.

Kapoor told an American radio station the pair - who play childhood sweethearts who find love in and out of slums - had a "magical chemistry".

"As a matter of fact, when I meet them I feel there is something happening," Kapoor told Ryan Seacrest's Morning Show on Los Angeles-based KIIS FM.

"But she says 'I have to look after him' and 'I have to baby sit him' and that kind of stuff... (I think) this is the beginning of something exciting happening.

"They definitely make a great pair. Both of them look very good together," Kapoor said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Pinto, 24, and London-based Patel, 18, were spotted recently sharing Oreo cheesecake at a bakery in Los Angeles and have become close as they travelled the world promoting their film, the paper reported Friday.

Pinto, a former model, split with her fiance last month. There have been rumors that Pinto got married 2 years back.

Is Freida Pinto Married?

The news is that Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto has broken up with her boyfriend of four years Rohan Antao. It was also reported that the couple had also called off their engagement in January. It is now being rumored that Freida had secretly tied the knot with Rohan two years ago in Goa. The couple had kept their marriage a secret to ease Frieda's entry into the film industry.

Freida has met Rohan during her college days and the two immediately fell in love with each other. Rohan had in fact supported her to get a break in the movie industry and backed her all throughout the filming of Slumdog Millionaire. They had even celebrated the film's success at the Toronto International Film Festival together last year.

However post Slumdog Millionaire's success in the Golden Globe Awards Freida stopped calling him and replying to his calls. Sources close to Rohan have said that he is completely shattered and heartbroken. Well it seems like stardom has got inside Freida's head.

Lara Datta - Dino Morea in Love?

Ever since Lara Datta broke up with long-time boy friend Kelly Dorjee, there is a lot of speculation about the who is in Lara Dutta’s life these days. In the last couple of Months, she has been spotted with ex-flame Dino Morea at many occasions and parites. While they maintain the ‘just friends’ stand, sources reveal there is definitely something in the air.

Recently, the two took off to Goa on a vacation. Lara and Dino, of course, deny the news as mere rumour. We wonder how long before the two come out in the open.

On  17th Feb the duo landed in bandstand to have some romantic moments together but the media and photographers surrounded them and started taking photographs and the poor love birds have to flee away from the spot.

We can see the growing love between the couple. Guys, please stop saying that "We are just friends."  Please accept in public that you in love with each other.

Esha Deol and Vivek Oberoi Dating?

The Jr Dream girl Esha deol has not been able to make an impact in the industry like her mother for all these years. And even though both the mother and the daughter are trying hard, by Esha accompanying her mother for all the political and classical dance events,  to be in media and catch the attention of directors, all the efforts are going in vein.

Vivek Oberoi, after giving a good performance in Company and Shootout at Lokhanwala, too has not been able to do well in the bollywood. And so both Vivek and Esha are on the same boat.

Looks like the duo has got a way to be in public and media and catch the eyes and that's by being together. If rumours and close friends of the duo are to be believed then both Vivek and Esha have been spending lot of time together these days. People have spotted the couple having dinner together.

Is it just a trick to be in media or something serious is brewing up?

Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty in Cat Fight?

The cat fight between the two bollywood queens came out in public in an FICCI event. Preity Zinta, the owner of team Mohali and Shilpa Shetty, the owner of Rajhasthan Royals were invited for an FICCI event together. In the event the cat fight and jealousy between the two bollywood queens came out in public. The two galm queens were seen passing harsh remarks about each other's teams. 

Looks like the IPL competition is getting into bollywood gradually.

Celina Jaitley becomes Love Guru

Celina Jaitley has taken a new role in life and would be solving the love problem of everyone via her personal website. The glam queen recently lauched her website on love tips www.mycelinajaitley.com and would solve the love problems of everyone via the "Talk about love" section of the website.

So if you have any love related problems, you can send the questions to Celina Jaitley via the website and Celina will answer them via this website.

You can also download sexy and hot pictures of Celina Jaitley via this website.

kareena and saif were invited for launch of the website.

What Bollywood hotties said about V-Day

Bipasha:Valentine's Day is special for all the people I love. I tell them how much I love them and prove my love for them with simple gestures. The ideal Valentine's gift would be hundreds of red carnations. I know John (Abraham) will get them for me.'

Preity Zinta: To be able to balance my crazy schedule so that I've time for those I love. What more can I want this Valentine's Day?

Minissha Lamba: When you're in love it's Valentine's Day all year round. Am I in love? Who knows a woman's heart? Not even the woman herself.

Celina Jaitley: Valentine's Day is emotional 'atyachaar' (torture) for those who aren't in love. It will remind me that I've been unhappily single for the last three years.

Amrita Arora: Valentine's Day means nothing to me. Love should be celebrated every day. Bring on the love!

Dia Mirza: Being single on Valentine's Day is the same as any other day. Love is a feeling that you can't miss. It's omnipresent.

Jiah Khan: There's too much work. No time to think about love.

Shilpa Shetty: I've got my Valentine's Day gift -- the IPL (Indian Premier League). And I've got the man (Raj Kundra) who gifted it to me by my side. What more can I want?

Malaika Arora: For me Valentine's Day means the freedom for people to express their love without worrying about self-appointed custodians of our precious moral values. The best gift I can think of is the right for us women to to live our lives how we want without intolerant groups stopping us.

Kangana Ranaut: Valentine's Day means pure selfless love from me to everyone I love. My ideal gift would be roses and candles.

Manisha Koirala: I'm spending Valentine's Day with family and friends. I want everyone to experience love in any and every relationship.

Urmila Matondkar: Valentine's Day is a time to show my friends and family how much they mean to me. The one gift I'm looking for is a gorgeous hunk. But the species seems extinct.

Sonam Kapoor loves the F-Word

Sonam Kapoor's is definitely on high after Delhi-6. The babe has got confident after her success with Delhi-6 and is seen talking to the media confidently. You can easily see a refreshing change in her. Her definition of being a self-confessed nerd isn't limited to books. Whether the topic is Milan Kundera, F1, Xbox, movies, vintage fashion or caramel cakes, Ms Kapoor is game to yap without a minute's break to breathe.

In a recent interview she revealed what does she love? And that's F-word. 

Hey you dirty mind, don't think dirty about the cutie pie. It's all about Fashion, Father(Anil) and Fast Cars. She admits that Pa Anil has been in indsutry for so long that she would be a dumb not to take her father's advise.

When asked when the Father/daughter duo going to share a screen, she blushes.

Julia Roberts to shoot film in India?

Julia Roberts could be back in India in a few months but it won't be for a vacation. The 41-year-old actress will be shooting for a film produced by Brad Pitt's company. Based on the international bestseller memoir, Eat, Pray, Love (written by Elizabeth Gilbert), which has been translated into at least 31 languages and sold over 7.5 million copies, the film will explore a divorced woman's journey in search of restoration of her body and soul --- and her quest for love.

 

Eat, Pray, Love could be her next major movie for her following the soon-to-be-released corporate thriller Duplicity. But unlike that film, in which she shares many screen moments with the leading man Clive Owen , Eat, Pray, Love will give a monopoly of its action. Gilbert hopes that the movie, like the book, will not nudge people from giving up on their troubled marriages and go globetrotting.

'The last thing I ever want to become is the Poster Child for Everyone Must Leave Their Husband And Move To India In Order To Find God,' she has said. 'I drew up my journey as a personal prescription for solving my life. Transformative journeys come in many forms, though, and often happen without people ever leaving home. Divinity is available everywhere, at all times. People find their way to God during wars, in the middle of traffic jams and in small prison cells.'

In bed with Sherlyn Chopra

What happened in Dhoni's house on V-Day

The proof that Indian cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a large female following was visible on Valentine’s Day as many young women gathered outside his residence here and presented cards and roses to his relatives, as he was not in the city.

The women, who gathered outside the Indian cricket captain’s house under the banner of the Dhoni Fan Club, shouted slogans such as “Dhoni is our Valentine. We love you Dhoni”.

The fans were carrying posters, cards and roses to present to the relatives of Dhoni.

“We love Dhoni from the bottom of our heart. We came here to express our feeling and love for Dhoni,” said Alka Das.

Echoing her view, Supriya, another fan, said: “It is sad that Dhoni is not in Ranchi on Valentine’s Day. We miss him”.

There were sporadic incidents of violence here Saturday connected to Valentine’s Day.

Members of Hindu right wing group Sri Ram Sene caught lovers in Nakshtra Van park and Fish Park situated near the governor’s house. The lovers were asked to hold their ears and apologise

What is bebo wearing for Ammu's wedding?

A source close to Amrita tells us about her and beau Shakeel Ladakh's wedding plans, saying, “There are just a few days left before the celebrations begin. It is going to be a huge family affair. First, there will be a huge party for friends from both, the bride’s and the groom’s side. This will take place on March 1. There will be a church wedding on March 4 in a Bandra church. Then on March 5, there will be a Sangeet ceremony hosted by Alvira Agnihotri with Farah Khan choreographing. On March 6, in the afternoon, the nikaah ceremony will take place after which a grand reception will be held at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Bandra.”

The source adds, “Everyone is on their toes with all the preparations. Kareena Kapoor, who is in Mumbai, is helping her best friend with the shopping. Bebo is going to be Amrita’s bridesmaid and sister Malaika will be her maid of honour. Her outfits are designed by Ashley Rebello. Manish Malhotra is desiging her Mehendi outfit. Apart from this, AK Motiwala will provide the jewellery for the wedding.”

The expected guest list includes Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Chunky and Bhavna Pandey, Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder, Fardeen and Zayed Khan along with their wives, Anil Kapoor, Arjun and Mehr Rampal, Priyanka Chopra, Sajid and Wardha Nadiadwala, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia and Saif Ali Khan.

Amrita Arora’s next film is Kambhaqt Ishq, in which she stars alongside Kareena Kapoor. It will release in June 2009.

Saif-Kareena: The most expensive celeb couple in India

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are the most expensive celebrity couple in India, if we talk about the brand endorsement.

According to the latest reports Airtel has paid the couple Rs. 10 Crore for its brand endorsement. This whopping amount was given to capture their chemistry and promote its caller tunes, the ad was an instant hit.

Many feel that it helps that their relationship is real and not ‘rumoured’ or worse, a publicity stunt.

Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan have done their first ever fashion shoot together for the inaugural issue of the Harper’s Bazaar-India.

SRK invites 400 barbers for Billu Barber premiere

Looks like Saharukh Khan has got some lessons from Aamir khan on how to promote a movie. SRK has planned to go the Ghajini way and call 400 barbers for the premier of his latest flick Billu Barber. All this is being planned in the midst of another rumour of Hairdressers Association pressing SRK to change/remove the word barber from the title of the flick and rather the keep the title as Billu Hairdresser

On the other hand SRK on the issue says, “Oh wow! So much for freedom of expression. We have not made this film to disrespect anyone. As a matter of fact, when a title of the film is kept after the protagonist, it is only to honor that character.”

A R Rahman bags BAFTA for Slumdog

A R Rahman is definitely having the best time of his life so far.The music genius has bagged the BAFTA in the Best Music Score category for Slumdog Millionaire at a gala event in London.

Slumdog Millionaire based on India's diplomat-turned author Vikas Swarup's novel, won seven awards at the British Academy Film Awards here.

Slumdog Millionaire bagged the awards for Best Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Music (A R Rahman), Best Cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle), Best Editing (Chris Dickens) and the Best Sound (Resul Pookutty, Glen Freemantle, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp).

After becoming the first Indian to win the Golden Globe and getting a triple Oscar nomination in two categories for the same movie, Rahman, 43, is the first Indian musician to win the BAFTA award.

Apart from Rahman, Resul Pookutty was the other Indian to win a BAFTA Award for Best Sound Editing for Slumdog Millionaire. Rahman's composition Jai Ho for British director Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, earned him the Critics Choice Award for Best Composer in 2008 and the Golden Globe in the category of Best Original Score.

Kareena:I am all the time watched by the youngsters

Buy Movie Ticket Get Condom Free

Did it surprise you? Did you get excited about it? Well, the fact is that, initially, everyone who got an invite for the premiere of Dev D , thought that this was a prank that someone is playing.

The very sight of condom in the invite got people wondering, since AIDS Day is a whopping 10 months ahead! It's only after we flipped the envelope, People realised that it is an invite for (irony, irony) the premiere of Anurag Kashyap's 'baby' Dev D starring Abhay Deol, Kalki and Mahi Gill.

One needs to give it to Anurag Kashyap and company for not just 'merely' making a film like Dev D, but also marketing it like never before. For the uninitiated, first, they came up with a 'dedicated' tele-chat (read dirty chat) line for the film (Heat Quotient included), and now this invite for the première in the form of a pack of condom (with a condom inside, not to forget)! With this, one feels that after the massive debacle of No Smoking, Anurag surely wants to play 'SAFE' (lots of pun intended!) with his next film Dev D.

This unique invite forces us to remember a childhood story about a boy, who is looking at a peacock's single feather and wonders 'Wow! If the single feather looks so beautiful, wonder how the peacock will look like, with its entire body covered with such feathers!' Likewise, after looking at the invite, we are really forced to wonder, if the invite for the premiere looks like this, wonder how the premiere will be like or better, what is the film going to be like! Any answers, Anurag K!

Yuvraj and Harman's sex-less bed scene

When casanova cricketer Yuvraj watched Victory on Sunday evening his reaction was of amusement and disbelief, specially when he saw the sequence where Harman playing a test cricketer and his girlfriend Amrita Rao sleeping sexless on the same bed.

"This can't be my story, "Yuvraj commented wickedly.

Confirming the above incident that happened during the film's screening on Sunday evening in Sri Lanka, where the Indian team is currently stationed, the film's leading man Hurman Baweja laughed, "It's true when Yuvraj saw the pillow between me and Amrita in bed he said, this can't be my film. 

He was also very kicked by the sequence where I sing Money money with all those girls. He enjoyed the high-flying image of the cricketer shown in the film."

On Sunday evening the Indian cricket team finally watched Ajitpal Mangat's cricket film Victory.

Outwardly they seemed quite kicked by the way the cricketing world had been portrayed. Sachin Tendulkar seemed to think Harman handled the bat and the 'bawl' (the drama) very well.

"Sachin did seem impressed by my abilities. But maybe he was just being polite, " said Harman. "Not one person has disliked the film." 

And whom did the cricket team like the best?

"You mean, besides me? They loved Harbhajan Singh. They feel Bhaji is really working hard on his acting and will soon become a full-fledged actor, " says Hurman.

Katrina: I have no plans to marry Salman

It was reported that actress Katrina Kaif had already married Salman Khan. The rumour spread far and wide but the actress kept her cool and decided to stay away from the storm. Now that the storm has calmed down, she has come out in the open to clarify it. She rubbishes off the reports of her marriage to Salman.

The hot and happening actress said that the whole world will know when she get married. She also added that she has no plans to marry soon. This time around, she has given a clear message to Salman that he has to wait. At the moment, she is focussing more on her film career.

She has matured a lot over the years as an actor and a celebrity. She is unperturbed by the speculations around her relationship with Salman. She said that it is bound to happen being a public figure. She added that she would not give explanations to every speculation, as the media is unlikely to end it.

Well, here is an actress with her head firm on her shoulders!

Kangana: I am sexless

In all her movies she has exposed and stripped with no inhibitions. From Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Metro, Fashion to her latest Raaz – The Mystery Continues, Kangana has effortlessly done that. So it's but natural if people think that Kangana wishes to flaunt a blatant sexy image. But the dame begs to differ.

She's been saying, "Even though I have worn fewer clothes, I don't think I look vulgar. I am a very sexless person. I have never tried to create a sexy image of myself. From the very first day, I have been clear about my objectives. I am an actress and I am here to do my job."

So basically she means to say that though she sheds her clothes, she doesn't compromise with her acting. That's not the only thing that Kangana denies. She says that there are no differences between her and her boyfriend Adhyayan's dad Shekhar Suman.

She said, "Nothing serious happened on that particular day and the media has just spiced up the entire issue. The argument took place between Shekhar and Mohit (Suri) and the media had unnecessarily drag her name to make the news spicier."

Kangana sure knows how to be a part of controversies and spice up her life. She's already done a good job of it. No wonder she's survived so well in B-Town.

Aishwarya's Childhood's Pic ( Rare Pic )

A Rare pic of Aishwarya's Childhood.

Sahid gets a new Bike

Shahid is an enthusiastic bike lover. Recently he got himself a new bike. Not many know that that the younger icon of India got this bike only after his parents allowed him to do so. And for that he had to assure them that he would ride safely!

Says a source, "Shahid loves biking. When he was shooting with Ahmed Khan for ISHQ VISHK PYAR VYAR, Shahid would go with him for long bike rides along the Western Express highway. And now, he has gifted himself a new bike but only after his parents' approval. Shahid's new bike is a midnight black, air cooled, sportsbike with high torque speed and 1670cc machine, costing around Rs. 15 lakh."

"Shahid chose black as he doesn't like anything bright, flashy and over the top but rather classy, understated and subtle stuff. He is very possessive about it and insists on cleaning it himself. He has been biking a lot these days especially at nights and also while going for his shoots", said the source.

Real SlumDogs of Slumdog Millionaire

The roaring success and Oscar nominations for Slumdog Millionaire has put the spotlight on Mumbai's underbelly and the child actors Mohammed Azharuddin and Rubina Quereshi — who play Salim and Latika respectively in the film — are enjoying all the attention while it lasts even as they slug it out in Mumbai's bustling slums.

"Danny uncle ko bahut miss karte hai, (We miss Danny uncle a lot," said Rubina.

Despite reports of their parents alleging that the child actors were underpaid for the film's 30 day shoot, Rubina's father refutes the claims.

"Dannyji ne sabkuch kiya hai, bacchon ke liye fund bhi hai, cycle bhi kareed de aur unki padhai bhi hogi (Danny has done a lot for the children. He has created fund, bought them cycles and even their education will be taken care off)," said Rubina's father Rafiq Quereshi.

Meanwhile, director Danny Boyle spoke about the other controversy around the film. Earlier this week, a PIL was by Andheri Corporator Nicolas Almeida which alleges that the film's title is offensive and it should be changed from Slumdog to Slum Dash Millionaire.

"For us, "slumdog" was always a very affectionate term because for us it was a hybrid, a mixture of underdog and rooting for the underdog, and obviously he comes from the slums," explained Boyle.

As for the young stars, they have their own starry-eyed aspirations.

"Mujhe Salman banna hai, mujhe Preity Zinta unki acting acchi hai, (I want to be Salman. and I wan to be Preity Zinta, we like their acting," said Azhar and Rubina.

And with the constant media attention, the children are now local celebrities. But Azhar admits he would like a bigger home.

"Sab basti mein bolte hai, ab tum log actor ban gaya idhar ko rehte hai. Bandstand mein jaake flat mein rehna chahiye (Everyone tells us that now taht we are actors we should get a flat in Bandstand and live there)," said Azhar and Rubina.

As the excitement to the Oscar countdown builds up, the duo is obviously rooting for their film.

"Oscar milna toh chahiye, humne acting ki hai aur London ke director hai (The film should get an Oscar, we've acted in it and it's been directed by a director from London)" said Rubina.

Ranbir-Katrina to celebrate Valentines Day together

Ranbir Kapoor is all set to give a surprise party to Katrina Kaif and not to Deepika Padukone, this Valentines Day. 

If sources are to be believed, Ranbir has already planned to throw a Valentines Day party for her co-star in "Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahani", Katrina Kaif. 

Ranbir and Katrina has to shoot for some romantic songs in Turkey around Valentines day. And so, this Valentines Day, Ranbir and Katrina are going to be together in Turkey away from their partners Deepika and Salman. 

Sources from the movie crew have reported a growing closeness between the duo ever since the shooting of "Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahani" has started. A few days back when the shooting for this film was going on in Ooty, the couple was spotted having dinner together and spending quality time together. And so for her new friend Katrina, the lover boy Ranbir wants to ensure that she does not miss her boy friend Salman on Valenties day and planned for a surprise party. What a caring friend Ranbir is, we must say.

Ranbir dear, think twice before stepping into Sallu bhai's personal space and be careful Deepika is watching you too.

Dhoni bowls over Amrita now

The girl next door of bollywood, Amrita Rao is on cloud nine these days as most of her roles are being appreciated by critics. She admits that it was a dream come true to work for Shyam Benegal's "Welcome To Sajjanpur".

And now she has another big film, Victory ,opposite Harman Baweja, line up to hit the theatre and the lady is very excited about how things are shaping up for her.

Victory is a movie on cricket and Harman Baweja plays a cricketer. When asked about whether she is a cricket fan or she learnt cricket for the sake of the film, this is what the lady said

"Of course I love it. I was introduced to cricket when I was in Class IX and since then I have been in love with this game. I grew up on Sachin Tendulkar but right now I am a big-time Dhoni fan."

Oooooooh la la Dhoni, we mus say....the poster boy of indian cricket is defintely having a luck with the girls..Deepika, Lakshmi Rai and now Amrita..

Asin keeps a distance with Salman

The Ghajini lead acress Asin, who is currently busy shooting LONDON DREAMS, denies the report of being overtly friendly with co-actor Salman Khan.

There were reports earlier about Asin and Salman getting closer on the sets of London Dreams.

Contrary to earlier reports of the two exchanging gifts, no exchange of gifts happened on the sets! There was buzz that Salman Khan gifted a glamorous glass doll as a belated Onam gift to Asin. We recently bumped into Asin and asked her about her 'good friendship' with Sallu.

She simply laughed and said, ''I don't know how to react to it because it's absolutely false. I have not got any gifts from Salman. In fact I read that he gave me a gift on Onam and I gave him a return gift on Eid...

We are shooting 24 x 7; there's no time to buy or exchange gifts. In fact when that news came out the whole unit was laughing...''

King Khan to undergo a Surgery

Actor Shah Rukh Khan will undergo a surgery to rectify the tear on his left shoulder in the next couple of days.

Sources close to the actor said that the shoulder injury had worsened during the shooting of Karan Johar's 'My Name is Khan' in Los Angeles. The superstar who had undergone a major shoulder surgery a couple of years ago, had hurt himself while shooting for an action scene in 'Dulha Mil Gaya' last year.

He was undergoing physiotherapy sessions before leaving for the US. Despite being advised surgery before he left, SRK postponed it because he did not want to delay Johar's shooting. Sources said the injury had worsened during the shoot and when the actor returned home on Tuesday, the pain had aggravated.

He has not yet decided whether to go for the surgery in India or abroad and when. His home production 'Biloo Barber' releases on February 13 and Khan wants to promote the film aggressively, they said. Sources said he wanted to go in for a surgery after the release. But, doctors have advised him go for it immediately. 

Odds of Slumdog winning an Oscar

If experts are to be believed, critically acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire is at 2-7 odds of winning the prestigious Academy Award for the Best Motion Picture.

The film, which has won four Golden Globe Awards and has garnered 10 nominations at the Oscars, tracks the story of Jamal Malik, a dirt-poor orphan from the slums who astonishes India when he does well on the country's version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'

Indian music composer A R Rahman has been nominated for original score while director Danny Boyle is a nominee in Best Director category.

Damian Smee, film expert from William Hill, one of the largest bookmakers in the UK, has been compiling Oscar odds for 27 years and picks up the winner 'eight times out of ten'.

He said that Slumdog Millionaire is at 2-7 odds of winning the Oscars while The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is at 4-1 odds.

Boyle is at 4-9 odds of winning the Oscars for the Best Director compared to 7-2 for David Fincher, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, 8-1 for Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon, 8-1 for Stephen Daldry, The Reader, and 10-1 for Gus Van Sant, Milk.

Kate Winslet has 8-15 odds of winning the Best actress award for The Reader, while Anne Hathaway is at 8-15 odds of winning for Rachel Getting Married.

Angelina Jolie (Changeling) and Meryl Streep (Doubt) are at 8-1 odds of winning the gong.

Mickey Rourke's role as retired professional wrestler Randy in The Wrestler puts him at the highest odds of winning the Academy Award for Best Actor with 4-6 odds.

Brad Pitt has 14-1 odds of winning award for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, while Sean Penn is at 6-4 odds of winning the gong.

'The biggest prizes have never looked as settled as they do this year,' Times Online quoted a spokesman for the betting company as saying.

'There's normally at least two contenders for each award but this year the favourites are all nailed on,' he added.

A Book on Big B

The occasion was the release of Bachchanalia, a book on Amitabh Bachchan memorabilia, written by Bhawna Somaiya and published by Osian.

Audience tossed questions at AB who was there to announce the release of the book Bachchanalia . Bachchan spoke on everything from the state of Indian cinema to the much-acclaimed film Slumdog Millionnaire and AR Rahman’s numerous nominations at the Oscars.

“I am a bad reader,” Big B confessed at a point.

“ I think that we are very happy making the kind of films we have because we have to cater to the 1.2 billion people of this country. But I do believe that our creativity and our talent is not inferior to anyone else’s in the world,” said Bachchan senior.

With reference to the Oscar nominations announced recently, he quipped,” A R Rahman has won numerous nominations. We hope and pray that he wins lots of awards and make the nation proud.”

Bachchan’s visit generated a huge response from the public as each nook and corner leading to the Diggi Palace was jam packed with cars and two wheelers well three hours before the book launch. Just everyone wanted to grab a vantage point to be up close with the biggest living legend of Indian cinema,

The publishers announced that Amitabh Bachchan will autograph books that are bought from the stalls and there was a rush towards the Osian stall and in a matter of minutes 50 copies of the Rs 3,000 books were sold. It was Bachchan mania in full throttle !

Julia Roberts visits Taj Mahal

She came, she saw and was left mesmerised -- Hollywood diva Julia Roberts made an almost incognito visit to the Taj Mahal and succeeded to a great extent in her escape act from shutterbugs and journalists.

Wearing a scarf to hide her identity from the large number of fans and mediapersons who had gathered at the monument of love awaiting her visit yesterday, Julia behaved like an ordinary visitor preferring to walk towards the edifice from the main gateway on the sidewalk rather than the main platform running along the central vista.

Only a few journalists could recognise her though many had laid in wait for her and in vain scanned the road from Amar Vilas Hotel, where she was staying, to the Taj.

When she appeared at the Taj gate, it was almost dusk and she mingled with the crowd, avoiding the media and walking barefoot from the barrier to the marbled platform with her husband and a guide.

She reportedly asked the guide more questions on Mumtaj Mahal than on the Taj -- she was curious to know about the number of children Mumtaj had and how she died.


At the cenotaphe chamber, she showed interest in the marbled inlay work touching the surface to see how well the stones fitted in their grooves.

Inside the chamber, she heard the famed 15 seconds echo and walked around the marbel screen, peeking at the tomb of Shah Jahan and Mumtaj as no visits are now allowed inside the screen.

She also had a riverside view of the city from the northern terrace of the monument.

Shah Rukh: No Regrets to decline ‘Slumdog’

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was apparently the original choice for the role of quiz-master in Danny Boyle’s much acclaimed flick ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, says that the actor doesn’t regret his decision of turning down the offer. With ‘Slumdog’ having bagged as many as ten Oscar nominations, it was being assumed that Shah Rukh must not be too sure now, about the decision he had taken then.

When asked about his decision to turn down the role, the actor said, “Everything isn’t made for me alone. God has given me enough. I’d better be happy and contented.”

However, Shah Rukh has been all praise for Anil Kapoor and feels no hesitation in saying that he has done a fabulous job as the host of the game show.

Well, we believe it would not have been too hard for Shah Rukh to be satisfied with his decision, for the actor must have got used to it now after rejecting ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ out of many more in the past.

Amir's TZP misses Oscars

While Amir is enjoying the huge success of Ghajini and preparing for his next flick "3 Idiots", there is a little  disappointment for our Mr. Perfectionist. The news is that TZP (Taare Zameen Par) has missed the Oscar short list and Amir's hopes of getting Oscar this year too are shatterd in the beginning of the race itself.

TZP, which was India's official entry into Oscar race, didnot figure among  the nine films selected in the initial screening for the Best foreign Language film category in the list released by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science, the official website of the Oscars.

The films chosen by a committee of several hundred Academy members and will be narrowed down to five nominees by a special committee in New York and Los Angeles.

These nominees would be announced on January 22, 2009.

Kareena - Saif broke up?

Post the success of ‘Jab We Met’, Kareena Kapoor has been all over the place. First her breakup with Sahid and then her relationship with Saif Ali Khan kept her in news all the time. However, inspite of being in news, the movie for which she developed her size zero frame-’Tashan’ flopped badly. The Diwali release ‘Gomaal Returns’ made money but then the credit for the same doesn’t go to her fully as it was a multi-starer with a lot of boy bonding.

Looks like all these events has depressed the actress.With new comers like Deepika, Asin catching up the market and her career is going downhill, she’s decided to  make her high profile relationship low profile now and rather focus on the career. She’s realized that being in the media glare all the time with Saif is harming her career. So she’s decided to play it safe and is not breaking up completely. Instead she’s keeping her private life away from the media.

Well, good strategy Kareena but think of poor Saif also, you might be her last chance.