I was nervous doing love scene with Priyanka: Arjan Bajwa

By Subhash K. Jha, Mumbai: Newcomer Arjan Bajwa has a bold love scene with Priyanka Chopra in the forthcoming film 'Fashion' and he says he was so nervous that he would have 'died of anxiety ' if the actress had not assuaged his fears.
"Was I nervous? You bet I was. Although I've done six Telugu films before 'Fashion', I hadn't really done a love scene like this before, and that too with someone of Priyanka's stature," Arjan told IANS."To her credit, Priyanka put all my nervousness to rest. If it wasn't for her I'd have died of anxiety.

For a newcomer, the co-star is a decisive point in his confidence levels for all times to come," he added.But Priyanka, who has done some intimate scenes in movies like "Andaaz" and "Aitraaz" earlier, laughs off the suggestion that the love-making scene in Madhur Bhandarkar's film is explicit."Please! You make it sound so hottt! It is not! What's all this about an explicit love scene? Please, I'm too much of a girl next door to do any of that. We don't kiss. But, yes, Arjan and I do share a lovers' relationship.

So, yes, we do have a love scene. But it's nothing to get all hot and bothered about, not in today's day and age," the actress told IANS."Arjan was far more petrified than I imagined.

I had to forget all my own nervousness," she added.Bhandarkar, whose "Fashion" is a glimpse into the world of the style industry, said that most of his films have had intimate scenes and the one between Priyanka and Arjan is not meant to titillate at all."This isn't the first time that I've done intimate scenes with my lead pair.

There was an even more sensitive scene between Tabu and Atul Kulkarni in 'Chandni Bar'. 'Page 3' had some really hard-hitting moments of sexual content. Fortunately for me, the actors trust me and my judgement," the director said.

"Priyanka surrendered completely to my vision. When you see her love scene with Arjan you'll realise that there's absolutely nothing there that's meant to titillate," he added. [From Internet]

Kareena to marry Saif after 5 (five) Years!!

New Delhi: Seeking to put a stop to all speculations over her marriage with actor and boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, the son of Sharmil Tagore, anytime soon, actress Kareena Kapoor has said she will marry Saif after five years.
Talking to a private news channel, Kareena said, however, that her future is with Saif and they plan to marry after five years.

Speaking on the Star News's weekly programme 'Jo kahoonga, Sach Khaoonga', Kareena said in future when a time comes when she has to choose between career and family, she would prefer family over career.

Talking extensively about her relationship with Saif Ali Khan, Kareena said she first met Saif on the set of 'Tashan' and the friendship grew into love for each other in next six to seven months.

''Love does not happen on its own, but one has to work for it,'' she said.Describing Saif as the ''most talented actor in Bollywood,'' Kareena said,''he does not have any demerit.''

On her much touted size zero which has been the talk of the media, Kareena said since starting her career in Bollywood, she had been losing weight and did Yoga for the weight loss.Her dietician is also writing a book on this.

Kareena said while choosing a role in the film, she did not think that whether it would be a blockbuster or not. Rather, her preference is on the importance of her role.On the chances of her sister Karisma's return to Bollywood, Kareena said, ''if there is an offer of an extraordinary role, Karisma may accept.'' [From Internet]

Harsh Chhaya's happy and gay

Quite literally! Well everyone knows the very versatile actor Harsh Chhaya will be seen playing a gay role in the upcoming Fashion.
Interestingly we learn he went through a lot to get that 'perfect' look in the movie.

Apparently he and Madhur experimented with a lot of looks from flashy costumes, fancy wigs, loud make up, shaped eye brows, sparkly big watches etc and more.

Ultimately they decided to do away with any crutch for the character and give it a complete natural look, pretty much how Harsh is in real."We didn't want to go overboard but wanted to create an image different of what people generally have of me.

It was the more of a challenge with my natural look out as I needed to get the …'gayness' out, contrary to the characters iv played earlier." Says Harsh.Well we have always appreciated his work, no doubts it wont impress this time either! [From Internet]

Vidya Balan learns to drive, thanks to Vishal Bharadwaj

New Delhi: After making sure Saif Ali Khan learnt the typical Uttar Pradesh dialect for Omkara, filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj forced actress Vidya Balan to overcome her road phobia for a driving scene in his next movie Ishqiya.
"Vidya has an acute road phobia. She was petrified at the thought of driving earlier, but not any more," said a source close to the film."Driving a car was something completely alien to her.

But Vishal saw to it that she mastered the art and now is pretty comfortable manoeuvring her car on the road," the source added.

The filmmaker is known to be particular about making his actors learn the required skills in reality rather than making them pretend on screen.-*-'Hema Malini's Vijayaraje Scindia look decided in 48 hours'It took fashion designer Neeta Lulla just 48 hours of hard work to decide the right look for Bollywood 'dream girl' Hema Malini's forthcoming venture "Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi" in which she plays erstwhile Gwalior queen Vijayaraje Scindia.

"Actually we both had time constraints so I had to work round-the-clock to give Hemaji the look of the Rajmata. I did my own research and Hemaji also gave me a reference book, which helped me a lot," said Lulla.

Lulla is the one who gave Aishwarya Rai the ethereal look in Ashutosh Gowarikar's period drama "Jodhaa Akbar". She was also behind Hema Malini's refreshing look in Ravi Chopra's "Baghban"."I tried to give her a different look in 'Baghban' and people loved the way she looked in the film. Hope people will like it this time too," the designer added.

Being directed by Gulbahar Singh, "Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi" went on floors recently and is being produced by the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Smriti Trust.-*-Katrina dominates 'Yuvvraj' postersBollywood actress Katrina Kaif seems to be the shining star of the hoardings of Subhash Ghai's forthcoming film "Yuvvraj", with the male actors - Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan - taking a backseat.

"Katrina is considered to be a lucky mascot for her directors and Subhash is confident that Katrina will bring luck for him too," a source close to the project said.The filmmaker apparently chose to give Katrina such a prominent spot to let her know that she has earned her rightful place in the film.

"Katrina has done a fabulous job in 'Yuvvraj' and Subhash has witnessed the dedication with which Katrina has worked in the film. Hence the solo hoarding," the source added. [From Internet]

Sushmita's comfy with ex!

Sushmita Sen is known to share a warm relationship with her exes. At the BT bash sometime back, her retro gear with plain white hair band, pencilled eyebrows, enormous fake eyelashes reminiscent of the swingin' sixties and seventies got noticed.

She was also seen bonding big time with Randeep Hooda.

Onlookers saw the ex lovers go up to each other, do the pecking and hugging for a long time. There seemed to be no discomfort between the two.

There was a long chat session and Sush was seen leaning regularly to whisper sweet nothings into his ear.

This woman sure has a one of a kind bindaas style!

Injured Mithun still a daredevil in movies

New Delhi Some stars never age. Actor Mithun Chakraborty is one of them. In the capital to cheer his Indian Cricket League (ICL) team, the Royal Bengal Tigers, which played the Dhaka Warriors in Gurgaon Saturday, the actor showed that he was still a do-it-yourself daredevil and stuntman at 58 - even if it meant a few cuts and bruises.

Mithun hurt himself while jumping off a helicopter while shooting for the film "Luck" in Durban in South Africa and injured his hand.

"I jumped from a helicopter without realising that the safety mat had been displaced and there was a boulder. I crashed on it," said the actor, just out of the hospital after a minor surgery - with his hand in a sling and bruises on his brow. "I am on sedatives.

There was a blood clot but I ignored it in South Africa. The wound worsened and I went to a clinic after landing in Mumbai and removed it. Everyone thinks it's easy to be a movie star, but it's tough being a hero," he told reporters Saturday.

Mithun plays a senior army officer with Sanjay Dutt in "Luck", directed by Soham Shah and slated for release next year."I have 12 movies awaiting release this year, but you must watch 'Heroes' in which I play a very interesting character of a father.

You must watch 'Heroes'," the actor said. "Heroes", directed by Samir Karnik, is being billed as one of the most inspiring movies this season. Mithun feels that today's stars have an edge over the older crop of action heroes, who had to perform several stunts themselves.

"Moviemaking in Bollywood is technically more advanced now with more safety nets. Today's action heroes are well-protected," he said. The actor is also part of several projects in the Bengali movie industry.

"Two movies that I am working on at the moment are 'Sukno Lanka' (Dry Chilly) and 'Handa-Bhonda' with Aritro Dutta Banik, the tiny star of Zee TV's 'Dance Bangla Dance'," Mithun told IANS.

"Tollygunge is making great movies. Talent abounds in the Bengali movie industry," he said. The star is also promoting the Bengal Football Academy, along with the Bengal contingent for the ICL.

"I must begin with little things now and then move on to bigger projects in Bengal," said the actor, for whom both "cricket and movies are all about luck". Asked about his most enduring performance in a recent film, he said, "I have put in my best for 'Ekti Nodir Galpo' (Story of a River)."

The movie, directed by samir Chanda, is based on a story by Bengali novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay (Noted novelist Sunil Ganguly).

Shilpa Shetty's hot bod finds new fans!

We all know that Shilpa Shetty is one of the most well maintained actresses in B-Town. She has carried off her great body really nicely all these years( almost 15 years now)!
Currently K JO too is going gaga over her physique (of course apart from John Abraham's chiseled physique which he's flaunted so much in 'Dostana')!It's after seeing her in the finished product of the item song 'Shut Up and Bounce' which she has shot for 'Dostana'!He's said, "Shilpa has done a sizzling job but the credit also goes to Tarun (director) and Vaibhavi Merchant (choreographer).

Composed by Vishal-Shekhar, the track is an introductory song picturized on the film's stars — John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan in Miami. Tarun and Vaibhavi wanted a hot actress to be with them.

We all brainstormed and felt that Shilpa undoubtedly has the best body in the business."New director Tarun Mansukhani is also singing her praises, "She is the quintessential bikini babe.

She was comfortable about wearing everything and is very dedicated. We were to shoot the song in seven days but completed it in four and a half."

A friend of Shilpa adds, "The actress had stopped doing item numbers as people had stopped taking her seriously. She was concentrating more on performance-oriented roles. When Karan asked her to do the song, Shilpa wanted to hear it out. The moment she heard it, she loved it and agreed instantly.

When she landed in Miami, her baggage went missing. But she went shopping with Manish and bought stuff from designers Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana to wear."We think flaunting her toned body will give her more fame, name and money that trying to hunt for performance oriented roles and try showing off her debatable acting skills! [From internet'

Aishwarya Rai's eyes voted the 'sexiest'

Melbourne: Aishwarya Rai, known as the world's most beautiful woman, has now walked away with another coveted title of having the 'sexiest eyes' in US TV E!'s Sexiest Body Parts List.

Aishwarya's dazzling eyes have been voted the most sultry, beating the likes of Hollywood superstars Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen walked away with the sexiest legs award.

'Monster' star Charlize Theron took away E!'s decolletage award with her sultry shoulders.
Eva Mendes lovely locks were voted the sexiest, reports News.com.au.

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi trounced Angelina Jolie fopr having the sexiest lips.

'Pearl Harbour' star Jennifer Garner's sweet smile emerged victorious among Rachel McAdams and Sienna Miller.

Scarlett Johansson has been voted the female celebrity with the best breasts. Actress Jessica Biel's butt has topped the list of E!'s sexiest bottom.

Singer Fergie's flat stomach has been named as the hottest abs.

Among males, Mario Lopez won for best male dimples while, rapper LL Cool J walked away with the sexiest lips.

Atonement star James McAvoy beat Johnny Depp with the sexiest male hair.

Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-Myers won best male eyes award.

Matthew McConaughey topped the list of the sexist chest, while Usher was named as having the best male washboard abs in E!'s Sexiest List. [From Internet]

Eesha Kopikar Starves!

Talk about getting into the skin of the character, and aamchi mulgi Eesha Kopikhar takes it to the next level.
There was a scene where director Lalit needed Eesha to look starved in a scene for her forth coming film Shabri. Eesha being the professional that she ate minimal food just enough to sustain herself for two days fighting spells of dizziness and cramps in order to feel the character.

"I requested the director to complete the shot in one take as i knew the first morsel of food that i put into my mouth would be the genuine expression of a starving woman."Its a welcome change to see that some actors are willing to put themselves through physical and mental hardships to potray the essence of the character.

Bollywood and Ash mocked!

Canadian comedian of Indian origin Russel Peters who's also internationally famous has launched an attack on Bollywood. The man is not too impressed by the Bollywood movies despite reports of the progress the industry has made internationally in recent years.

He's reportedly said, "I wouldn't watch a Bollywood film even if I am at the lowest point of my life. These films have horrible stories and terrible acting.

I don't know why your films have singing or dancing every other minute. Either you are telling a story or you are not."We know that most of the news about Bollywood growing by leaps and bounds is created by the overenthusiastic Indian media.

It's great that someone has seen through the sham and has straightforwardly talked about it.He delivers another shocker when he says, "Aishwarya Rai is the biggest example of bad acting. She has proved it time and again how it can do wonders. In Bollywood, people can become superstars just by having a pretty face.

"Now not everybody can be floored by her charms or think she's the most beautiful women in the world. Will Smith is, her family obviously is (they have dubbed her the perfect bahu) but not people like this motor

mouth stand up comedian.Wonder how and Ash and the rest plan to react to his blatant and unkind remarks! Or will they just choose to ignore it all? [From Internet]

Women my age having a ball in Bollywood: Shabana Azmi

From being sari-clad, teary-eyed melodramatic mothers to smart, strong and independent women - forty plus actresses are having a ball in Bollywood. Seasoned actress Shabana Azmi says this is the best time for women her age to be in Hindi films.

"Earlier, there was hardly any visibility in Bollywood films for women over 40 years except for those cranky, motherly and grandmotherly roles. But today, there are so many different roles on the platter. Basically, with the kind of choices that actresses my age are getting these days, this is a pretty time to be in Bollywood," Shabana told IANS in an interview.

Shabana has dabbled in a melange of powerful roles in "Ankur", "Mandi", "Arth", and "Masoom" in the past to the more recent films like "Godmother", "Fire", "Hari Bhari" "Morning Raga" and "Dus Kahaniyaan" in her career spanning over three decades.

The actress feels she is at the "right place at the right time". "I am getting delightful roles that can be wicked, naughty, comic as well as usual positive roles," she said.Shabana added that she now gets to be a part of light-hearted films like "Loins of Punjab Presents" and "Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd" in contrast to the serious roles she is known for in parallel cinema.

"Today filmmakers are offering such a variety of roles - from strong, dramatic and powerful roles, I am also getting offers for comedy. The image of women has changed so much for the better in the industry," she said.Before "Loins of Punjab Presents" and "Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd" happened, Shabana didn't have too many comic roles to boast of.

Now she will feature in another comic caper titled "Sorry Bhai" - it has an ensemble cast including Boman Irani, Sanjay Suri, Sharman Joshi and Chitrangada Singh."In the film, I play a bossy mother and a wife, but it is a very likeable bossiness. 'Sorry Bhai' is a very sweet and gentle film with a lot of spunk.

It pushes the bar to where relationships can be stretched and has a very strong underline of comedy," explained Shabana.The film is scheduled for a November release.She is also kept busy with "Kalpvriksh", a children's film by Manika Sharma for which she was shooting in Ladakh last week.Shabana was given a National Integration Award by the Assam government Sunday and she will be conferred an honorary doctorate by the Jamia Milia Islamia University here later this week.

After having won five National Awards and many international honours, Shabana says she no longer craves for awards."Awards have to be the by-product of the work one does and not the cause," Shabana told. [From Internet].

Like every girl I too dream of getting married- Eesha Kopikar

An extract of an interview with Eesha Kopikar by Rajnee Gupta

In spite of playing a plain Jane in couple of her films glamour girl Eesha still holds a place for herself in the list of glamorous heroines. But very soon she will be getting rid of this tag coz recently she has accepted the role of Chandni in Rajshri films Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi.This role will help her get rid of her glamorous image.

Q-The title of the film is Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi, What does that mean?
A-The story of this film Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi is about such a marriage which is very different from the regular customs of marriage, very sacred. As its easy to get into relationships but very difficult to maintain them in the long run, but when two people without getting married are so committed to each other that they try their best to maintain the pureness of the relationship that in true sense is a sacred relationship.

Q- How would you define your character in this film?
A-The character of Chandni is very similar to me in real life. Just like me she comes from a family who value their customs and systems a lot. Just like me she believes in love.Alongwith this just like me she also believes in the fact that before getting into a relationship with anyone we need to think twice. One should never think of breaking a relationship just to get into another one. Just like me Chandni is very attached to her dad. The only difference we have is that Chandni comes from a small town where as I'm a city girl a simple heart but with the nature of a tom boy.Chandni is shown as a very soft spoken girl not as loud as I am.

Q-How did you prepare yourself for this role?
A-I dint have to do much as the director of the film Kaushik Dada kept reminding me that Chandni has a style which is different than Esha's.

Q-It's a dream of every girl to work with Rajshri Productions, how did you feel when you got a call from their end?
A-I felt great when my manager told me that they had called me. I heard the story last year on my birthday 19th Sept,So I felt that this film s a gift from God on my birthday. Its like a dream come true to work with such a great banner.

Q-You have never actually played such a character before, was there any kind of fear while accepting this role?
A-Have you ever seen me act in similar kind of roles ever? I myself make it a point to try out different roles every time and the two prime reasons for it are ,first that I easily get bored of the same stuff again and again and second that I know for sure that im a very talented actress and I can do a lot better., its only that not many directors have got to utilize my talent properly.

Q-What do you think about your co star Sonu Sood?
A-He is a very well grounded person. Just like the actor of the film he also comes from a small village named Moga.he is as hardworking as I am. Eight years ago we worked together in a south film named Nijin Ille at that time we had never thought that we would be working together again in Rajshri films

Q-How was the whole experience of working in this film?
A-I've never had such a great experience in my entire career till date. Not once did I feel the need to complaint about anything. All through the shoot I always felt that Raj babu is likemygrandfather,Sooraj Barjatya like my father and Kaushik dada like my elder brother must be the first film of my life where I just dint want the shooting to end. One hundred and twenty days for the shoot just flew away. I still remember the last day of our film which was 6th of June. I had cried a lot that day and surprisingly it was raining heavily that day, which made me feel that as if the rains were crying with me.

Q-Do you regret the fact that Soraj Barjatya isnot directing this film?
A-Before the narration I had some doubts about the same but after the narration when I saw my directors vision I was convinced that the film would be superb. The time when Kaushikwas narrating the film I could actually picturise every seen in front of my eyes and tears were rolling down them.

Q-A twelve year long wait for your beloved is what is shown in this film, do you think this funda works these days?
A- I in my personal life waited for ten years to keep my relationship going, but I guess destiny had something else in store for me. If the love and the feelings are true and genuine then why only twelve years you could spend your whole life waiting for that person.

Q-What are your views about marriage?
A-I strongly believe in the institution of marriage. Its a beautiful feeling, here two different people with different thought process, different outlook and different cultures meet and bind into one relationship.

Q- When do you plan to get married?
A-Its just been six months since ive met Timmi,but he too keeps asking me the same question always. But honestly speaking after a real long time my career graph has shown a rise so I would want to concentrate on that first. I will definitely get married as I don't want to continue working for my whole life. Like every girl I too dream of getting married and having kids.

Q-Your seen in films like Ek Vivah Aisa bhi and Shabri and at the same time in films like Haseena ,Hello Darling and Rite Ya Wrong what is the kind of image you actually want to have?
A-First of all you cannot compare Haseena with Hello Darling and Rite Ya wrong, Haseena is the biggest mistake of my life and I do not want to discuss about that film at all. Hello darling is a comedy flick while Rite ya Wrong is a suspense thriller. As far as my image is concerned ive already said that I want to be versatile.

Q- Most of the time s you are seen in multistarrerfilms, why haven't you tried doing solo films?
A-Coz no one casted me in a solo film. I haven't intentionally signed mutistarrer films it just happened coincidently. As it is I do not have a filmy background nor am I seeing any of the top directors, whatever I have achieved till date is all by my own hard work.

Q-So do you feel any kind of pressure?
A-I love to give pressure than to feel it.

Q—Are you happy with your career graph?
A-Its all in the mind, some people are not happy in spite of winning an Oscar while some are happy without it. What makes you feel that im unhappy, im very happy?

Q- Tell us about your new release?
My forthcoming films are Shabri, hello Darling, Rite ya Wrong,Har Pal and Gehrai. [From Internet]

'Shoot On Sight' lays out blueprint for global terrorism

Film: Shoot On Sight;

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Greta Scacchi, Gulshan Grover, Mikaal Zulfikar;

Director: Jagmohan Mundhra;

Rating: ***

"Shoot On Sight" works as a wake-up call for those slumbering in their bourgeois belief that terrorism is as far away from home as Osama Bin Laden is from the US.It's a frightening piece of fiction laced with a fair amount of warmth and affection that lulls us into a false sense of wellbeing. In essence, the plot takes us back to the domesticated terrorism of Alan Pakula's "The Devil's Own" or more recently Subhash Ghai's "Black And White" where a young wide-eyed seemingly-unspoilt guest in the house turns out to be a closet-terrorist.

Where "Shoot On Sight" scores is in laying out the blueprint for global terrorism through characters who appear real in words, body language and political ideology.

Jagmohan Mundhra has earlier balanced a social cause with a message in "Provoked".

Here the 'thrill' element emanates far more effortlessly from the characters and their predicament, partly because the theme of terrorism renders itself far dramatically to a cinematic treatment than domestic violence.

London is shot by cinematographer Madhu Ambat with all its inherent buzz and blemishes without fuss or rush. The flow of adrenaline as the British cops zero in on their distinguished Pakistani colleague's nephew as a terrorist is rather reined in than rushed.This isn't a film that's in a hurry to get there. But it knows how to value the audiences' time. And this is where "Shoot On Sight" scores the optimum impact.

Mundhra revels in generous levels of understatement most of the time. Whether showing the fanaticism in the mosque (Om Puri, aptly extravagant) or the dilemma of the cop's Pakistan-British daughter - Mundhra packs it all into the simmering cultural cauldron with dexterity and dignity.

While on the whole the characters in the cop-protagonist Tariq Ali's home and workplace come to life with vigorous fluency, some portions of the storytelling fall flat. Naseer's assistant, played by Laila Rouass, comes to a soggy end in a river with the suddenness of a video-game with its socket pulled out.

The hastily-executed climax in a shopping mall where Tariq Ali's nephew is shot down with a sweeping-under-the-carpet haste, is a screaming shame.Mostly, Mundhra uses economy of expression to great effect.

Sometimes just one or two scenes are enough to establish the camaraderie between characters creating a crisscross of inter-relations with disconcerting deftness.

There's just one intimate interlude in the kitchen at the start between the Pakistani cop Naseer and his British wife played Greta Scacchi.

It's enough to show the enduring empathy between the couple. The rift that seeps into their marriage because of the closet-terrorist nephew's presence in their house is again represented in a flash of anger and indignation where Naseer accuses Scacchi of discrimination.

A culturally-defining moment that stays with you after the last bang-bang.A major part of the film's success goes to the the actors.

Om Puri as a radical clergy, Gulshan Grover as Naseer's butcher-friend, and the British actors, who play Naseer's colleagues at the precinct, they all add a wealth of credibility to Mundhra's tale of malevolence in a city that's outwardly a haven for healing.Debutant Mikaal Zulfikar as Naseer's nephew gives a comfortably-defined performance.

Mikaal gets the point early in the narrative when on arrival from Pakistan in London, driving from the airport he gets to know his English aunt has not converted to Islam.

Watch the young actor's subtle shift of expression from easy grace to disgust and disapproval -- it's frightening to see because it reflects the reality about how young people all over the world are converted to extremist causes.

What finally gives "Shoot On Sight" a compelling edge beyond the expected, making it more than just a pantomime of post-terrorism mores, is Naseer.As always Naseer merges into the character pitching the emotions at a level where they appear to be thought of on the-the-spot and certainly not for the sake of a camera.

Domestic scenes and details served up in delicious vignettes provide a back projection to Naseer's complex character. Naseer glides effortlessly with his character as it goes from cultural comfort to fundamentalist isolation. The actor and the character become one. [From Internet]

Priyanka's tryst with Hollywood stars Melanie, Antonio

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra bonded well with Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas at the Middle East International Film Festival in Dubai and apparently Spanish star Banderas expressed a wish to work with her.
The ongoing festival started Oct 10 and on the opening night Priyanka first met "When Harry Met Sally" star Meg Ryan. At the opening ceremony, Priyanka shared a good two hours with Hollywood's hot couple Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas.

"What you've heard is right. I did spend come time chatting with Antonio and his wife Melanie. We sat together at the opening. Antonio was extremely charming.

He was familiar with the Bollywood film industry and the financial leaps it has made in recent years," Priyanka told IANS.Banderas spoke to Priyanka about the possibilities of a tie-up, but the actress didn't comment on this.When asked if she was going international, Priyanka said: "The language doesn't matter.

It could be Hindi, English or Punjabi, it's all the same to me."Priyanka's much-publicised movie "Fashion" was supposed to premiere at the film festival. "And that's how I found myself there. 'Fashion' was supposed to be shown at the opening night of the festival. But the post-production wasn't done.

They still invited me. I was very happy to represent Bollywood. "I was in Abu Dhabi for just half a day. I went in the afternoon and returned to India late night, to Delhi for another event next morning.

There's too much going in my life: the dubbing of 'Fashion', promotion of 'Fashion' and 'Dostana' and my new film 'What's Your Raashee' is starting."Priyanka says when she walked into the posh Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, she was like, "Wow this is meant for a holiday not work!" "For the first time I craved for a holiday. But I don't need to combine work with pleasure. Because my work is my pleasure.

The opening ceremony then the after-party at Abu Dhabi and I left at 1 a.m. "I can't even afford to be jet lagged. I enjoy the rush, but I realised my body needs rest. I am petrified about not fulfilling my commitments. So far so good. I just need a holiday after 'Fashion' and 'Dostana' are released." [From Internet]

Hema Malini turns 60 Thursday, but feels "Sweet-16"

New Delhi: An actor, classical dancer, filmmaker and politician - Bollywood's 'dream girl' Hema Malini who juggles different roles with aplomb, turns 60 Thursday but says she still feels 16 at heart.
"I feel 16 at 60. I guess age has nothing to do with creativity, but it certainly has a lot to do with maturity and dedication. I have lived life on my own terms and conditions and now when I look back, I feel happy about all the decisions I have taken," Hema said in a statement released here Wednesday.

The actress, who is also a Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer, plans to start her special day by offering prayers at the famed Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh with daughters Esha and Ahana Deol.

"The best way to celebrate one's birthday is by praying to the lord for peace and harmony in the world. In times of terrorism and global financial depression, I guess we can only find peace in our prayers," Hema said.Known for her memorable performances in films like "Johnny Mera Naam", "Seeta aur Geeta", "Jugnu", "Sholay", "Dream Girl", "Satte Pe Satta", " Khushboo" and "Baghban", the actress has had a successful film career spanning almost 40 years.

However, Hema's entry into films was not a cakewalk for her. In 1964, she was rejected by director for not having star appeal when she tried her luck in southern cinema.

Hema got her break in "Sapnon ka Saudagar" opposite Raj Kapoor in 1968 but became an overnight star with "Johnny Mera Naam" in 1970.By 1972, she gained the status of the reigning Bollywood star and the success of her double-role in "Seeta Aur Geeta" fetched her the Filmfare award for best actress in 1973.

Throughout her career, Hema has been paired opposite a range of actors but it was her on-screen chemistry with actor Dharmendra - whom she later married - that made the duo a hit pair in films like "Sholay", "Charas", "Jugnu", "Seeta Aur Geeta" and "The Burning Train".

Hema took a sabbatical from the big-screen in the early 1990s during which she tried her hand at direction with box office dud "Dil Aashna Hai" in 1992 that was Shah Rukh Khan's launchpad.

The actress made a comeback in 2003 with box office hit "Baghban" opposite Amitabh Bachchan and since then has been seen in films like "Veer-Zaara", "Baabul" and "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag".An acclaimed dancer, Hema does not think age is a deterrent and plans to continue performing Bharatnatyam and her dance ballets across the country and abroad.

Representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hema is a Rajya Sabha member.

Asked how she manages to juggle different roles in life, she said: "Its all about time management and I guess one can do even more than this if we sort out our priorities." Hema's future projects include "Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi", "Saadiyan" and Deepa Sahi's directorial venture opposite Nana Patekar.

'Cleanliness is Godliness' says Raima on Global Handwashing Day

New Delhi, Oct 15: On Global Handwashing Day, Bollywood actress Raima Sen brought forth the old Indian adage -- Cleanliness is Godliness -- to press her point on cleanliness saying more needs to be done to create awareness in the country on the issue.
Demonstrating tips on washing hands and inculcating hygienic practices to school children, Ms Sen said hygiene was critical to one's development and leading a disease-free life.

"'The simple practice of washing hands with soap, especially after toilet, can reduce diarrhoeal disease by over 44 per cent and respiratory infections by 30 per cent,'' she told the children while distributing personal hygiene kits to them.

Speaking on the occasion, organisers NGO 'Sulabh International' founder Dr Bindeshwar Pathak said the aim of Global Handwashing Day is to educate people about washing hands with soap, especially after using the toilet and before having meals.

''The practice of hand washing with soap is on top of the international hygiene agenda this year and this campaign begins with children.'' Killer diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia are caused if hands are not washed properly with soap, he said adding, ''Children are more vulnerable to these diseases; hence the focus is on them.'' Informing that 'Sulabh' had already launched an extensive 'wash campaign' by forming school sanitation clubs in seven countries, Dr Pathak said Diarrhoea kills more than 1.5 million children, under five years of age, each year but the simple act of handwashing can reduce this by 45 per cent.

Year 2008 has been declared as the International Year of Sanitation by the United Nations. [From Internet]

Two fashion divas disappoint; Riya provides Bollywood glamour

New Delhi, Oct 15: Bollywood actress Riya Sen added some sizzle on the opening day of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week here tonight, but the country's two fashion divas disappointed the fashionistas with Ritu Kumar's son Amrish taking centrestage using her label and Ranna Gill coming up with a collection sans glamour and innovation.
India's number one fashion designer Ritu Kumar stepped aside once again this year for her son Amrish Kumar who came up with a look reminiscent of European fashion from the 60's and and 70's. However, that is not to discount the son's worth.

His dresses comprised of full length maxis, shifts and spaghettis with impressive pallazzos, ghaghras and wide bottom denims hewn from loud prints and textured wovens.Talking to mediapersons about his collection, Amrish said, ''My inspiration for the collection is East Africa and Bengal sarees.'' So, sindoor and gulal 'thalis' adorned the ramp on which the models showcased tunics, skirts and long dresses with mostly 'A' line shapes using beads, sequences and shells.

The colour scheme was steal blue and brick red and minimal work was added to highlight the prints.The solid lines used checks and stripes woven in Maheshwar and a stretch silk cotton in fitted clean shapes. The second part of the collection had traditional borders and buti motifs woven into a knit with exquisite drape and feel.

However, his prints line was the most impressive comprising of evening wear in darker colours and casual daywear in pink and turquoises. The combination of floral and geometric prints created a very modern yet Indian feel.

When asked whether it was a stepping aside move for her son to take over the world of fashion, Ritu kumar simply dismissed it by saying, ''It's all about promoting the young generation.'' On the other hand, even Riya Sen could not save Ranna Gill's collection, though sexy is the only word to describe her gowns and lingerie. Ranna's clothes were a big let-down owing mainly to the appalling colours and ordinary fabrics. However, the last factor also made her collection very affordable.

The designer, in fact, was quite defensive about her work. ''I love sexy clothes, my collection is very 'nirvanic' and meant for the happy, colourful and contemporary woman.'' How the modern woman would like to wear her off-putting gowns with dull shades, cheap fabrics and, adding to it, mirror work is beyond anyone's comprehension! As if this was not enough, she went on to add, ''My collection is very affordable. It starts at Rs 2500 and goes up from there depending upon the embellishments. No wonder, we have not had overwhelming response from the buyers.'' Some confession this! When asked about the economic recession, she said, ''In recession, you have to wear bling.'' Any takers? [From Internet]

Box-office Report

(The verdict is based on all-India collections and indicates the overall status from the date of release)

TOP 5 FILMS (for The Week Ending October 5, 2008)

1. WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR

2. A WEDNESDAY

3. ROCK ON!!

4. 1920

5. HARI PUTTAR

1. WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR

Director: Shyam Benegal

Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Rao, Ravi Kishan, Rajeshwari, Kunal Kapoor

Plus Points: Shyam Benegal diverting from his usual style of film making, UTV backing the same, excellent performance by Shreyas Talpade

Weak Points: Unwanted songs which breaks the flow, actually the film should have been without them, slow at some places

Box-Office verdict: Hit

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 45%, Delhi: 35%

2. SAAS BAHU AUR SENSEX

Director: Shona Urvashi

Cast: Kirron Kher, Farooque Shaikh, Tanushree Dutta, Masumeh, Lillite Dubey

Plus Points: Excellent performances by Kirron Kher and Farooque Shaikh.

Weak Points: Confused narration by maker – whether women should venture into stock market or not remains unanswered, going by title one expected good dose of comedy but it comes in parts.

Box-Office verdict: Flop

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 11%, Delhi: 10%, Overseas - $23,000

3. RU-BA-RU

Director: Arjun Bali

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami, Rati Agnihotri

Plus Points: Not any

Weak Points: lack of publicity, poor music etc

Box-Office verdict: Washout

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 12%, Delhi: 10%

4. 1920

Director: Vikram Bhatt

Cast: Rajneesh Duggal, Adah Sharma, Anjori Alag, Raj Zutshi.

Plus Points: Vikram Bhatt attempting horror genre again after Raaz, background score that scares you at many places, top notch cinematography and good performances by the new comers.

Weak Points: slow narrative, if Raaz had haunting music this one is no music for ears.

Box-Office verdict: Above Average

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 40%, Delhi: 35%

5. THE LAST LEAR

Director: Rituparno Ghosh

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Prety Zinta

Plus Points: Rituparno Ghosh, a great story teller at helm, Amitabh Bachchan working with him

Weak Points: Too much of artistic approach in making, no substance for regular cinegoers, loopholes in script

Box-Office verdict: Flop

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 18%, Delhi: 15%

6. HIJACK

Director: Kunal Shivdasani

Ca6. st: Shiney Ahuja, Esha Deol, Kaveri Jha

Plus Points: Good promotion and nothing else

Weak Points: unconvincing storyline, below average performance

Box-Office verdict: Flop

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 24%, Delhi: 15%, Overseas - UK - $26,810

7. A WEDNESDAY

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir, Deepal Shaw

Plus Points: Brilliant performances, direction

Weak Points: Too short in length (but a film like this has to be shortto leave an impact)Box-Office verdict: Poor

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 20%, Delhi: 16%

8. TAHAAN

Director: Santosh Sivan

Cast: Purav Bhandare, Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Rahul Khanna, Victor Banerjee

Plus Points: Brilliant performance by Purav, cinematography by Santosh Sivan

Weak Points: Limited appeal, loose and unappealing screenplay

Box-Office verdict: Washout

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 21%, Delhi: 20%

9. CHAMKUDirector: Kabeer Kaushik

Cast: Bobby Deol, Priyanka Chopra, Irfan Khan, Danny Denzongpa

Plus Points: We tried to figure any plus point but could not find any

Weak Points: Bobby Deol's poor run at the box-office, weak promotion, weak music, outdated story with poor narration

Box-Office verdict: Washout

Business: India - 1st week Mumbai: 20%, Delhi: 16%, Overseas - UK - $23,093

Rani misses her Bari puja

While the Bengalis in Bollywood were getting all dressed up to get into the mood of the most awaited festival of the year, Rani Mukerji was away in Chandigarh shooting for Yash Raj film, Ishqiya .

It’s after a long long time that the Bong beauty missed the Mukherjee Bari puja. The Mukherjees have been celebrating the Durgotsav in a magnificent way every year at the Poddar school grounds, but this time the location was shifted to Juhu’s Balkanji Bari grounds.

The members of the Mukherjee pandal paid tribute to one of its founding members, Late Mr Makhan Sen, who had just passed away alongwith other big names like like Shomu Mukherjee...Rani’s mother kept updating Rani about the event and proceedings happening in Mumbai over the phone.

An insider tells us, “At the time of Anjali (Aarti), Rani heard the entire prayer over the phone.” However, Rani’s mom was quite upset with Rani’s absence. She says, “Who told her to give her puja dates to the producer? She should not expect the producer to give her time off while the crew waits for the shoot at Chandigarh.”

We also hear that during the puja in Mumbai, a whole team of dancers were flown in to Chandigarh for a dance sequence for Ishqiya .

Anna Faris

Age: 31

Home Town: Baltimore, Maryland

Status: Livin' Life

Biography: Faris was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Karen and Jack Faris, having Scottish, Irish, English, German, and French ancestry.

She has a brother, Bob, and grew up in Edmonds, Washington, north of Seattle. Her parents encouraged her to pursue acting when she was young and she gave her first professional acting performance at age nine at the Seattle Repertory Theater.

After attending Edmonds Woodway High School, she studied English literature at the University of Washington.

Her first significant film role was in the independent production Lovers Lane (1999). Her breakout role was the horror film parody Scary Movie (2000).

The 5'5" Faris is a natural light brunette (as seen in the film May), but usually keeps her hair dyed blonde. She dyed her hair black for the filming of Scary Movie so that her character more closely resembled Neve Campbell, who played the equivalent character in Scream, one of the films that Scary Movie was parodying.

Faris gained further popularity after becoming recurring character Erica in the final season of the popular American sitcom Friends.

She also was in the critically acclaimed film Lost in Translation—in which she plays an actress promoting the fictional action movie Midnight Velocity.

I was such a late bloomer: Anna Faris

London : Actress Anna Faris of 'The House Bunny' fame describes herself as a late bloomer in life who finds its awkward to use her sexuality.

Thesun.co.uk quotes Faris as saying: "I would come to work every day wearing oversized sweats and it would be four in the morning and I was exhausted. But after three hours of teasing and getting pushed up eventually you're like, 'Okay, I gotta go do this'. "I was such a late bloomer growing up.

I was so short and I had no chest or hips until I was 23, so that part of being Shelley was always really awkward for me. It was fun to do but very unnatural."

She added: "I did a lot of training and I was working out a lot. When you see those skimpy outfits you have to wear every day it's very motivating."Faris, 31, is making a mark in Hollywood and has been often compared to legend Goldie Hawn.

"It's so flattering and completely intimidating. I grew up watching her movies and I just love her so much, it's a huge honour."

"Fashion has been hyped so much that the expectations are high" - Arjan Bajwa

Arjan Bajwa, the lead hero of Fashion, was in for a surprise on his recent visit to Delhi. Though he was aware that there is a widespread awareness and curiosity built up around his upcoming film, he didn't have a clue that quite a few politicians too were eagerly awaiting it's release."I was paying a courtesy call to a few people from the political world and was chatting about anything but movies.

Suddenly the talk shifted to Fashion and I was pleasantly surprised to find that people there too are waiting to have a dekko at the film.

I guess they know the kind of reputation that Madhur Sir carries as a film maker and his recent National Award for Traffic Signal has only added on to people at the highest level being aware about his work", details Arjan Bajwa who was recently seen in Summer 2007. Not many are aware that if not an actor, Arjan Bajwa may well have been the blue eyed boy of politics.

This is because he is the son of Late S.S.Bajwa, the BJP ex-Deputy Mayor of Delhi. "I am very much in touch with people with whom dad had worked with over the years. They are all like family and treat me as their son.

When I meet them, discussions could be anything under the sun ranging from life to general to politics and even movies," says Arjan. Apparently politicians like Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu amongst others have shown a keen interest in Fashion.

Do such huge expectations make him feel nervous? "Of course they do", Arjan is prompt to reply, "The film has been hyped so much over the year gone by and everyone is expecting nothing but the best from it.

It is surreal to hear people calling it a sure-shot success even though it hasn't been shown to anyone. While working, you don't think about the hype and buzz your film would generate; you just do plain and simple work." "Since the time promos have been air, I have been inundated with queries around the film.

Now I can't wait for 29th October, the day when the film releases. The suspense around public response to the film has been killing. I hope the film gives much more than what they have been looking for and surpasses their expectations", concludes Arjan on a hopeful note.

Tamil remake of 'Main Hoon Na' due for Diwali release

Chennai : 'Aegan', the Tamil remake of Bollywood blockbuster 'Main Hoon Na', starring Ajith Kumar and Nayanthara, is almost ready and expected to hit the screens on Diwali.
According to a source, the entire movie is complete save for one song. Director Raju Sundaram was originally planning to shoot the song on a set in Chennai, but finally ended up shooting in the Swiss Alps.

Yuvan Shankar Raja has rendered the music for the film.

'The movie's screenplay has been altered slightly to suit Tamil sentiments and sensibility. The post-production work is simultaneously underway to meet the release schedule,' a spokesman for film producers Ayngaran International told a news agency. [From Internet]