Bachchan, his son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya started walking in the very early hours of Tuesday from their residence 'Jalsa' at around 2:00 am.

Bachchan, his son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya started walking in the very early hours of Tuesday from their residence ’Jalsa’ at around 2:00 am.

The street leading to the temple witnessed serpentine queues of fans who wanted to have a glimpse of their favourite stars.

Amitabh’s wife Jaya Bachchan joined them at the temple.

According to reports, the actor along with the team of ’Sarkar Raj’ went to seek the blessings of the deity for the success of the film.

Based on a political scenario, ’Sarkar’ depicted power of a single man and his ways of giving justice to the ones in need.

In the narrative, Amitabh (Sarkar) was depicted parallel to the government and his way of giving justice was completely diverse form police and courts.

Abhishek will be seen following his father’s footsteps. Aishwarya plays the role of a corporate honcho from London who wants to set up a power plant in a village of Maharashtra.

The story revolves around Abhishek (Shankar) who realizes the potential of the power plant and its benefit for the people. He eventually undertakes a journey to mobilize support of masses in the villages after convincing Sarkar (Amitabh), who is against the project for several reasons.

However, Abhishek’s dream project becomes a victim of dirty politics. Subsequently the disaster sets in as the evil forces conspire against the Sarkar’s long established political kingdom.

Ash is going to Hollywood once again and this time she'll team up with Oscar winner Meryl Streep.

Ash is going to Hollywood once again and this time she’ll team up with Oscar winner Meryl Streep.

The movie is an adaptation of a French film, Chaos, and focuses on the distress that upshoots when a young prostitute, unintentionally, intrudes into the life of a modern middle class couple.

Reports add that Ash will be playing the role of a prostitute, who suffers physical and mental torture. The film emphasizes on the struggle that the prostitute has to make for her survival, her resurrection and dignity.

Although the film’s name has not been officially announced since it has first to be adapted for American audiences, reports confirmed both Ash and Meryl as a part of the project.

Riya and Raima Sen are coming together….and as sisters…in Vicky Chopra's Seasons Greetings.

Riya and Raima Sen are coming together….and as sisters…in Vicky Chopra’s Seasons Greetings.

The episodic film directed by Vicky Chopra will apparently have six stories all coming together in unexpected ways.

The two sisters are not too willing to discuss the project.

Raima shooting in Italy says, "Yes Riya and I are finally coming together as sisters. But I’m yet to hear the script, though I’ve given the nod. Though she’s quite mad we’re very much alike in most respects."

Riya speaking about the project earlier has said, "Raima and I stay together in Mumbai. There is not a thing that we don’t share. All our friends are common. If she likes someone, so do I. And if I dislike someone, she doesn’t have a choice. Our friends say we should’ve been twins."

The sisters had offers earlier to act together.

"But we were pretty sure that that if and when we come together it would have to be as sisters," said Riya.

Interestingly when Shilpa and her sis Shamita came together it was to play soutens Deepak Tijori’s Fareb.

How political is Sarkar Raj?

Does Abhishek Bachchan’s character die in Sarkar Raj?
No he does not.

So where did that come from?
I’ve no clue. There’s so much untruth floating around the film I don’t know whether to be amused or frightened. They first imagined the hero dies. Then they imagined that the distributors were scared of his death.

Every one has an imagination and the freedom to use it.To take a much larger issue, look at the way the murder of that girl Arushi in Delhi is being made into a cause for speculation. I’ve only made a film.

You’ve said a man could’ve played Aishwarya Rai’s role?
Yes I have. She has no romantic association with Abhishek’s character at all. It’s not a conscious decision to keep them away from romance. The emotional aspect of a relationship can be manifested in many ways.

In Sarkar Raj it comes across as drama, treachery, power- play and betrayal.

In the light of all these emotions Aishwarya’s relationship with Abhishek is treated very unconventionally. Theirs is not a romantic relationship. Not even a hint of it.

So did you ever actually consider casting a man in Aishwarya’s role?
No not at all. It was always Aishwarya. But the very fact that she’s a woman would make a subtext in the audiences’ minds though she doesn’t share any relationship with Abhishek. But if I had cast a man in her role it’d make no difference to the main plot.

How did you resist the temptation to incorporate a relationship between Abhishek and Aishwarya?
It wasn’t difficult at all. I don’t believe the hero and heroine have to romance. My intentions in Sarkar Raj are not to cash in on star value.

How political is Sarkar Raj?

I knew about Bal Thackeray. So I conceived Mr Bachchan. But I don’t know the Shiv Sena’s ideology or what politics Raj Thackeray represents.

What about the actor Rajesh Shringharpure’s resemblance to Raj Thackeray?
See, I’ve been a fan of Raj Thackeray’s personality. I know him for years. His face has stayed with me. When I saw this actor I immediately saw the resemblance and signed him.

On seeing Rajesh I might have referred to Raj’s personality because of their obvious resemblance.

I might have incorporated personality traits from Raj Thackeray. But my character has nothing to do with Raj Thackeray’s politics.

Shah Rukh Khan wants the entertainment industry to be put on the concurrent list so it can enjoy tax concessions under central regulations.

Shah Rukh Khan wants the entertainment industry to be put on the concurrent list so it can enjoy tax concessions under central regulations.

“It has become necessary to bring in the entertainment industry under the concurrent list so that it can be governed by central rules and enjoy tax concessions announced by the latter from time to time,” he said in a statement, before releasing a study on entertainment and media by Assocham.

The industry now comes under the state government.

Shah Rukh (in picture) also called for the removal of value-added tax (VAT) and service tax on the entertainment industry.

Assocham president Venugopal Dhoot is known to be close to Shah Rukh, who is brand ambassador for his company Videocon.

According to the Finance Act, 2007, the central excise department has issued notices for recovery of service tax from the film and entertainment industry in cases of renting, leasing and letting out immovable properties.

“The film industry is burdened with various types of taxes and fees imposed by the state government. The Centre should exempt transactions between producers and distributors,” the study said.

Shah Rukh and Assocham are being backed by several producers’ bodies. “There is a need for a uniform entertainment tax across the country,” said Anil Nagrath of the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association. “Retaining the industry on the state list deprives the tax concession given by the Centre,” said the study.

The study said the 12 per cent VAT was too high. “Producers are put under heavy burden and if waiving of VAT is not possible, it should be brought down to four per cent,” said Dhoot.

Sonal Chauhan :Kunal Deshmukh-director of Jannat-saw me at a restaurant in Mumbai.

After the release of her first Bollywood film Jannat, Sonal Chauhan has become the new blue-eyed girl of the Bhatt camp. TWF correspondent Sreya Basu catches up with this new heartthrob of Bollywood during her breezy visit to Kolkata for the promotion of her film.

How did you make it to the Bhatt camp?
Till the shooting for Jannat started I did not have the remotest idea that I will take up acting. I was into part time modelling and wanted to become a journalist. But never thought I will land up being a heroine in a Hindi flick.

Kunal Deshmukh-director of Jannat-saw me at a restaurant in Mumbai. He came to me and asked for my contact number. In a week I was on the floors shooting.

Have you ever taken a formal acting course or felt the need of it?
I don’t have a formal training in acting. But now that I have made up my mind to become an actor, I feel that a formal training is very much required. I will soon join an acting school.

Tell us about your character in Jannat?
My character Zoya is not a typical 20th century girl. She knows her limitations and knows how to react in different situations. Unlike a typical girlfriend, she refuses gifts from her boyfriend Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) and prefers shopping with her earnings.

Are you comfortable acting with Emraan Hashmi? Please don’t give a politically correct answer.
Emraan is a delight to work with. I know what the media wants to know-it’s about my two kissing scenes in the film. Yes there are kissing scenes and I didn’t feel uncomfortable with those.

I was a bit uncomfortable about wearing a bikini in the movie and when I told my director Kunal Deshmukh and producer Mukesh Bhatt about it, they said I need not wear it. I will never do any thing that I am not comfortable doing.

You share your birthday with the release date of Jannat (May 17). Any comments?
I feel blessed. This is the best birthday gift that I can ever have. I turned 21 this year and I take this as the happy beginning of my career.

Were you nervous before the release of the film?
I almost had a nervous breakdown in anticipation of the fate of Jannat. I was not worried about the box office results but audience reaction-if the audience will accept me or not.

But seeing the response of the film after the first show I am relieved. People have liked the film, and thankfully me as well.

The role of Zoya was first offered to Esha Deol. What’s your take on that?
I thank her from the bottom of my heart that she refused the film. Or else my life would never have this 360-degree turn.

We heard that in the climax of Jannat the hand of the heroine shown is not yours. Is it true?
Yes. There was a change in the climax. But as I was shooting for a Telegu film I could not give dates to the film. The hand shown is of Kangana Ranaut’s. It was really nice of her to come at such a short notice and literally "lend me a helping hand".

What are your forthcoming films?
I have two untitled films with the Bhatts and one film with Kumar Mangalam.

Shahid is intelligent, thinking and a professional actor.

Shahid Kapoor is a thorough professional and will not let anything come between him and his work. Not even lousy stories that are circulated in print.

The actor, however, wishes to clarify his stand on a story printed in a tabloid recently.

It said that how Vidya (Balan) and Shahid had gone out for lunch and did not return for over three hours bringing the shooting of Ken Ghosh’s new untitled film produced by UTV to a standstill.

But a close friend of Shahid’s clarified that, "while that Vidya his co star from Kismat Konnection and a very dear friend had dropped in to say hi after which they proceeded to catch a quick lunch during the lunch time which lasted for 45 mins.

And that as a professional Shahid would never hold up work for hours on end just to have lunch with a friend, the story is untrue".

Recently there was also another report that Shahid interferes in the shooting of the film and likes calling the shoots for the same.

Ken Ghosh clarifies this baseless story.

Says Ken, "Shahid is a thorough professional. This is a very stupid story. Shahid has never interfered in my work and in any of my films shooting, and to suggest it’s as good as insulting my capability as a director.

I and Shahid are good buddies; we bounce of ideas of each other. It is not interference. Shahid is intelligent, thinking and a professional actor.

Dia Mirza as ‘sex bomb’ replacing its previously finalized diva Bipasha Basu.

It’s sad yet true. Sanjay Gupta’s much waited and hyped flick, Acid Factory, will showcase Dia Mirza as ‘sex bomb’ replacing its previously finalized diva Bipasha Basu.

With elapsing time and increasing expectation from audience Bipasha had already visualized the releasing day of the flick. The proud Dia, replacing the bong beau, exclaims, “In all my previous films I have portrayed common and very normal girls.

I am quite happy and excited about my present offer of a sexy and hot character with which I can play a completely different role from my previous ones.”

Being the only heroine to show her glitz amongst the six Bollywoody hunks, Dia is already flying high in the sky. She underlines the fact that having no other feminine competitor in the flick she is doubly sure of getting all the whistles and winking gazes at herself only.

The character she is portraying in the film will be known as Deadly Max. “She is such a character who doesn’t regret any of her wrongdoings and never wish to explain them to anyone else.

I have done all my stunt scenes in the film myself only. During the shoot I got the chance of playing with guns for the first time in my life and I really enjoyed it”, Dia explains exuberantly.

It’s very usual that while there is only one flower amongst many thorns, the flower is subjected to attract attention. Dia, in the same way, will surely catch eyeballs.

But we only can advice Dia not to get mingled with so many actions and stunts otherwise she will pose just as the seventh hero in the film and audience will keep looking for the sexy gait of a missing diva in the acidic disaster.

My aim is to fund films which will give me revenues as well as earn me respect,"

Kumar Mangat, whose film Omkara catapulted him to the position of one of Bollywood’s leading producers, says he prefers to fund subjects that would get national awards.

"I don’t produce films for just money. My aim is to fund films which will give me revenues as well as earn me respect," Mangat, who first produced the Ajay Devgan-Kajol starrer Dil Kya Kare in 1999, told IANS.

"I’m eyeing scripts that would get national awards and also win accolades globally," he added.

Mangat tasted success in the industry with Omkara, Bollywood’s take on William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello, which fetched rave reviews and critical acclaim and caused film distributor Eros International’s annual profit to jump.

"I loved the script of Omkara. It was a very different script, which Bollywood had never worked on. I knew it would do well and as expected it worked wonders and since then I have decided to produce at least one different film in a year apart from funding the regular commercial movies," said Mangat.
Mangat is currently producing six films No Smoking directed by Anurag Kashyap with John Abraham and Ayesha Takia in lead roles, Sunday that stars his favourite Ajay Devgan, Haal-e-Dil which is the launch-pad of his daughter Aneeta Pathak, 1,2,3, Rangeen and Bubblegum.

Mangat is excited about the subject of his forthcoming release No Smoking, scheduled to hit the theatres September 14.

"It is a thriller about a chain smoker who quits smoking under alarming circumstances. Our intension is not to lecture people to quit smoking but I’m sure after seeing what the character goes through and how his life affects the lives of everyone around him, some people will quit smoking," he said.

He added that Sunday, expected to release October 18, is a big budget thriller with scoops of comedy layered into the plot. The film, which has been shot in Delhi, uses the name of a character as the movie’s title.

Haal-e-Dil, which will be released December 22, is a romantic movie that revolves around three characters - two boys and a girl.

"All the girls today, like Kareena is looking fit. It's all due to yoga.

From Hollywood to Bollywood - the latest craze in the Indian film industry is being slim and sexy. Forget Sri Devi and Madhuri Dixit who with their curves and wholesome beauty were the epitome of the classic Indian diva.

At the moment, winds are blowing in the opposite direction. The prerequisites of making a name in Bollywood - a big secret known to all - is to look slim and sexy.

The situation has gone so far that if you’re a ’roly-poly’ then it’s better you start searching for an alternative, for the watch word here is looking thin. Well, on a positive note, no book has mentioned that being in shape is bad. But, like everything else, excess of anything is always harmful!

Anyways, so much so for the aspiring ones. Now lets cut to the B-world. The B-world is abuzz with actresses’ dramatic makeovers. A very recent example of such a transition is that of Kareena Kapoor. The Jab We Met actress, who has found new love in the arms of Saif Ali Khan, has transformed herself from thunder thighs to fitting into the smallest hot pants. And yes there’s no denying that she looks hot in her ultra slim avataar.

"All the girls today, like Kareena is looking fit. It’s all due to yoga. She is not anorexic. She is very well-toned. I think it’s a requirement, which is based on presence of mind. Today the healthy lifestyle and fitter body is what in everybody’s mind," said Shonal Rawat, a supermodel.

Model turned actress Bipasha Basu also made the whole world go crazy over her super fit body which she very proudly showed off in Dhoom 2 and Race. Following the footsteps were Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Esha Deol who looked hotter than ever after shedding all that extra flab. The bubbly and effervescent Preity Zinta had every reason to boldly bare her midriff in the film Salaam Namsate.

Well, the ’getting-skinny-with-it’ trend is certainly booming in Bollywood. And for now, our girls are content with losing weight, doing power yoga and dramatic makeovers. Hope that this competition doesn’t go on any further than this otherwise there will be hell lot to pay.

Technorati Tags: "All the girls today, like Kareena is looking fit. It’s all due to yoga.

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Mundra said Bollywood companies began the bid to buy into Hollywood cinemas and distribution networks after Indian films failed to get a wide showing in the West.

With India’s entertainment billionaires seemingly blessed with limitless pockets, Bollywood is flexing its movie muscle, taking on Hollywood in unexpected corners of the globe and buying up theatres worldwide.

"Bollywood now has the muscle and (Indian) corporates have big money," prominent Indian filmmaker Jagmohan Mundra told AFP.

Mundra said Bollywood companies began the bid to buy into Hollywood cinemas and distribution networks after Indian films failed to get a wide showing in the West.

The slew of major entertainment deals announced this week at Cannes, the world’s biggest film market, underlined Indian cinema expansionism.

Reliance BIG Entertainment, for example, the entertainment branch of India’s mighty Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (ADA) Group, unveiled plans to spend one billion US dollars by the end of 2009.

ADA plans to use the cash to produce a slate of films in nine languages while ensuring the movies make it onto cinema screens outside India as well as on home video, online digital platforms, and television through the Internet (IPTV).

The group has already acquired 250 screens in the United States and made theatre acquisitions in Malaysia, Nepal and elsewhere.

"We believe it is the right time to make this move...(India) is the world’s fourth largest economy and growing very fast, and we’re the biggest filmmaking country," Reliance chairman Amit Khanna told the media.

Meanwhile, Indian films were reported to be selling briskly in the Cannes marketplace, which gathers some 10,000 industry types.

"Indian films are starting to spread around the world", said Alice Coelho of Eros International.

Outside of Britain, Germany is Eros’s biggest market for Bollywood films. But there is also much demand for the movies in Russia, the market in the Netherlands is opening up, and Poland is currently India’s hottest upcoming scene, Coelho told AFP.

On the sales front, traditional romantic Indian melodrama as well as newer-wave comedies and edgy arthouse are selling well -- sometimes to the most unexpected markets.

In Germany, Eros’ new political thriller "Sarkar Raj", featuring Bollywood star and former Miss World, Ashwarya Rai, playing alongside her celebrity actor husband Abhishek Bachchan, generated huge unexpected market interest at the recent Berlin film festival.

Ashok Amritraj, who heads up Los-Angeles-based production powerhouse, Hyde Park International, says it is Indian skill in turning out films that entertain that is behind their success.

"We’re going for great entertainment," he said.

Many of the movies up for release soon, however, are time zones away from run-of-the-mill the Bollywood formula of good versus bad plus song and dance.

The trend some years ago to "cross-over" movies such as "Bride and Prejudice", aimed at winning over Indian expats and foreign audiences, failed to make a big splash and dried up.

Yet many of the latest "new wave" Indian movies aimed at international and domestic movie-buffs still have a feel of crossing Indian and non-Indian cultures.

Jag Mundra’s latest film, "Shoot on Sight", is a suspense drama based loosely around the recent terrorist attacks in London with many of the lead roles played by British actors, including Brian Cox and Sadie Fox.

And "The Other End of the Line", a light, romantic comedy that was the first collaboration between Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment group and Hollywood giant MGM, is to be released later this year.

While India’s cinema top execs might again be bemoaning the country’s failure to get a movie nominated for the top Cannes prize, the Palme d’Or, demand for Indian films in the marketplace is booming.

And the potential supply is massive. Eros alone has a library of 100,000 films and brings out 30 to 40 new films each year.

Sonal Chauhan has received the best birthday gift ever

After cutting three cakes on her birthday on May 16, yes, the same day as her debut film Jannat’s released, Sonal Chauhan has received the best birthday gift ever. "Jannat has opened to 100 percent," gushes the ecstatic newcomer.

Sonal who’s already made waves in the modeling industry has now been accepted with open arms by Bollywood, too. She’s bagging offers galore and now has hit box office gold with the stupendous opening of Jannat.

Says Sonal, "It is the best birthday gift I have ever received. Jannat has released on my birthday and I’ve been told that it’s doing really well.

Apparently, Jannat has fetched the biggest start after RAAZ, for the Bhatts." The Bhatts seem to have a winner on hand and so does Sonal!

In fact so happy are they that they have signed Sonal for their next after Jannat, Raaz 2 the sequel to Raaz. Not many know that Sonal replaced Esha Deol in Jannat. Esha’s loss is Sonal’s gain!

Salman adding spice to his life with the Brazilian model Bruna broke out, Katrina felt alarmed.

Changing partners is very oldy vogue in Bollywood and when it comes to super-spoilt-stars like Salman, the trend hits its most effective zone. Thus when the news of Salman adding spice to his life with the Brazilian model Bruna broke out, Katrina felt alarmed.

But Katrina must have taken a sigh of relief after Brazilian model Bruna dismissed the rumours about her relationship with Salman Khan. The model turned VJ has stated that there’s nothing cooking up between her and Bollywood’s spoiled brat Sallu Mia.

The gimmicky date between Salman and Bruna fueled up more after the news of Salman again slapping Katrina on the sets of Subash Ghai’s Yuvraj hit the media.

But Bruna had quoted that Salman is totally devoted towards Katrina, who had been with Salman whenever she met him.

Meanwhile, Bruna also added that she is involved in a relationship with a restaurateur named Sunny who owns two resto-lounges in Mumbai.

Apart from Subash Ghai’s Yuvraj, Katrina is also busy shooting for Siingh Is King with Akshay Kumar and Rajkumar Santohi’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani opposite Ranbir Kapoor.

But all the while bechari Katrina’s concentration has more been with her flamboyant boyfriend. And with such a confirmation from Bruna herself, Katrina can now peacefully pose her gaud for her directors.

Well, the relief for Katrina is for sure, if in the meanwhile Sallu doesn’t get anyone else worth gazing at!

Indian production companies teaming up with Hollywood directors

Bollywood may have gone global off-late with Indian production companies teaming up with Hollywood directors but that has little changed the fate of its women in contemporary times.

And before you attribute the phenomenon to our scriptwriters and directors, let us tell you that even off-screen, only a handful of our actresses have
ventured into the business arena, leave alone their filmi avatars which is restricted to Bips’ character in ‘Corporate’ and will be replicated by Ash in ‘Sarkar Raj’.

The million rupee question is, “Picture ki opening kitni lagi?”

The million rupee question is, “Picture ki opening kitni lagi?” And when Yash Raj Films’ (YRF) Tashan failed even to garner a decent opening both on domestic as well as foreign shores, people inside and outside YRF were a worried lot.

Budgeted at Rs 40 crore, the movie opened with an initial of 52% in the first week, with collections dropping to 35% in the second week. The failure to reach an agreement with the multiplexes only added to the woes.

It is a failure, even Director and CEO, Yash Raj Films, Sanjeev Kohli accepts. “Tashan has been a disappointment commercially, as much was expected from it. But we believe, the audience is the best judge and we accept their verdict,”

U.S. financial firms are looking to tap into the 17 percent annual growth enjoyed by the Indian media industry.

U.S. investors are flooding into India’s entertainment industry even as Indian moguls send money over to Hollywood.

While the credit crunch has stalled private investment in Hollywood films, U.S. financial firms are looking to tap into the 17 percent annual growth enjoyed by the Indian media industry.

India’s Economic Times reported investors including Blackstone, Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers have flocked to the Indian industry, while media titans like Viacom, Disney and BBC have partnered up with entertainment companies in a trend that’s expected to continue.

Smaller investors are getting into the game too. Already 34 mutual funds have been set up to take advantage of India’s growing entertainment industry. Two Indian investment funds, Pyramid Saimira and Vistaar Entertainment Ventures, are each launching a fund that invests solely in India’s film industry, also called Bollywood, the Economic Times reported.

Bollywood is the world’s largest film industry by volume. More than 1,000 movies are released every year and about 3.7 billion tickets are sold more than twice as many as the next largest market, the United States, according to a recent report by Ernst & Young.

But the money is flowing both ways, with Indian moguls sending money over to Hollywood as well. Billionaire industrialist Anil Ambani just announced that he will invest $1 billion in deals with the production companies of George Clooney, Nicholas Cage, Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt, according to UK’s Times Online.


The cash is greatly appreciated. The subprime crisis has caused a drought in U.S. movie investment. As the credit crunch continues to blow up hedge funds, survivors are circling the wagons and putting money into more conservative bets and the film industry is feeling left out.

And while the big Hollywood names can pull in some international funding, lesser known filmmakers are caught in limbo as investors walk away, according to an article in the New York Times.

The New York Times piece profiles Sanjay Sanghoee, a New York investment banker and novelist, scrambling to raise money for his film “Merger,” which he based on his novel by the same name.

“Merger” had received hedge fund interest last October before the credit markets got real ugly. Sanghoee even doubled his budget to $15 million from $7 million. And who wouldn’t want to invest in a plot that has it all: spy satellites, CIA conspiracies, blackmail, sexual deviance, hostile takeovers just a normal Tuesday for your average I-banker.

But as investors reduce their funding or drop out completely, Sanghoee is searching for capital. And now the Indian born I-banker might be wise to turn to Mumbai to find funding for his Hollywood film.

Shah Rukh Khan, makes more money from television than from films Rs 75 crores

In the mid-80s Shah Rukh Khan started on the small screen before graduating to Bollywood to become a big star. Now with the advent of satellite television, top stars are cashing in, making a lot more here than in movies and for much less effort.

BELIEVE it or not, India’s number one star, Shah Rukh Khan, makes more money from television than from films. He reportedly earned Rs 75 crores (RM57mil) last year from endorsements of various products and services in television ads.

This was more than what he made in fees as a Bollywood hero. From endorsing cellular phones to cellular phone service providers, King Khan can be seen marketing cars and cola drinks. And in between those ads, he appears on the small screen anchoring a much-hyped show for which he is paid a humungous amount.

The actor who began his career on the small screen back in the mid-80s and successfully graduated to Bollywood to become a household name is now seen more in television commercials than on the big screen.

The advent of satellite television and the almost parallel spurt in economic growth has opened new opportunities for India’s film industry. Both English and Hindi-language channels as also a slew of regional language channels aggressively compete for a share in the annual Rs9,000-crore (RM7bil) advertising pie. And in popular movie stars, advertisers have found the best way to market their products.

For several decades a well-known Anglo-Dutch multi-national company advertised its popular brand of bathing soap by using the reigning Bollywood heroine as its brand ambassador in print ads.

Over the years the choice of heroines would change with the change in professional fortunes of individual actresses but the tag line of the soap in all advertisements remained constant.

Which was: ’Film stars’ favourite bathing soap.’ The same company now relies on the same formula but not as much in print as in television commercials.

Now, if the makers of soaps and automobiles could hire famous stars to sell their wares it was only natural that the fiercely competitive television entertainment industry would grab iconic Bollywood stars to anchor its programmes.

After all, in the fight for nation’s eyeballs there could be no better way than to hire the services of a widely known face as your mascot to sell a television programme.

That would explain why more and more film stars are now appearing on the small screen in pivotal roles. It earns them big bucks up front free from the vagaries of the box-office. Besides, it further enhances their popular appeal, especially if the programme succeeds in attracting television audiences.

For sure, the first to make a successful transition to television was the tallest-ever Bollywood star, Amitabh Bachchan. The ageing actor saw his career revived after his television show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, became a super-duper hit.

Bachchan reportedly charged Rs50-odd lakhs (RM379,233) per episode. And the channel that produced the show made more money selling commercial time on the show to classy advertisers.

After Bachchan pulled out of the KBC due to an illness, Shah Rukh Khan stepped in as the host of the show. He brought his own typical energy and pizzazz to the show and raked in big bucks for his weekly appearance.

Now, SRK, as the numero uno Bollywood star is called, is hosting a much-hyped show, Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, based on the popular American TV show, “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” Khan has reportedly been paid Rs36 crores (RM27mil) for 30-odd episodes.

The channel had conceived Shah Rukh Khan-hosted show to compete for the nation’s eyeballs during the telecast of the on-going Twenty:20 IPL cricket matches at prime time by a rival television channel.

Ironically, SRK’s television show has attracted lower audiences than the nightly IPL matches, though he can console himself that he too owns an IPL team in Kolkata Knight Riders.

Another big name doing a television show for big bucks is yet another Bollywood Khan. Salman can be seen in a promo during the telecast of IPL matches advertising his coming television game show, Dus Ka Dum, a quiz show with a top prize of Rs10 crores (RM7mil) for the winner. Salman stands to earn a cool Rs24 crore (RM18mil) for the 30-episode television show.

For someone who makes three to four films per year, charging up to Rs six crores (RM4mil) per film, hosting a television show makes immense business sense. Invariably, completing a film takes up to a year or more with shootings conducted in studios in Mumbai or on outdoor location anywhere in the country or abroad.

On the other hand, canning each television episode is a matter of a couple of hours in a prefixed studio in Mumbai.

Yet another super-duper hero, Akshay Kumar, is all set to host Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi on a soon-to-be-launched television channel named Colors.

The 16-episode show will see Akshay test the mental and physical strength of celebrity guests who are mostly B-grade Bollywood starlets.

Meanwhile, action hero Ajay Devgan and his actor wife Kajol are appearing nightly on a television channel judging a popular singing contest called Rock and Roll Family.

For the 26 one-hour episodes the husband and wife team would together pocket a cool Rs10 crores (RM7mil), a tidy sum considering that it involves much less effort and exertion working in a film which pays him about Rs5 crores (RM3mil) and her Rs2-3 crores (RM1mil - RM2mil) per film.

Given the large number of television channels, there are other lesser-known Bollywood actors regularly doing shows on various channels.

Why, even ‘the-saas-bahu’ serial dramas are dominated by various failed or retired Bollywood actors. Which only goes to prove that television in India is now fast becoming an extension of its film industry.

Saif and Bebo seem to be the flavour of the season.

The Chote Nawab might allege that the media has a deliberate agenda against him and his arm candy Kareena, but you cannot blame them because Saif and Bebo seem to be the flavour of the season.

If the onlookers of Zee Cine Awards are to be believed, both Saif and Kareena were all over each other in London.

So much so, that there was no dearth of PDA. They could barely keep their hands off each other.

They even went as far as requesting the organizers to book them a hotel which was far away from the hotel where the rest of the guests were putting up.

Although their Tashan might have failed to sizzle on screen, but surely the off screen chemistry is piping hot and creating a lot of ripples.

But we were never exposed to much media coverage. Deepika Padukone

Post Om Shanti Om (OSO) how has your life changed?
All this is very new for me. My father (bandmintom champ Prakash Padukone) was also a celebrity. But we were never exposed to much media coverage.

Before I went into the modeling profession I did go into my dad’s profession it was the expected thing. I played bandminton at the national level.But I realized my heart was set on modeling.

Movies weren’t even in my range of vision. But after two years of modeling I started getting film offers I was only 18 then. I didn’t want to jump into anything.

What took you down south?
You mean my Kannada film Aishwarya? I am from Karnataka and it was directed by a young and talented man Indrajit Lankesh. And I was paired with a huge Kannada star Upendra.

Did you speak your own lines?
Yes I did. I learnt Kannada in school. Farah Khan had already offered me OSO. But we were to shoot a year later. So I did the Kannada film.

You remind me of Aishwarya Rai.
I’d take that as a compliment. I grew up watching her. When I was in school I remember how thrilled I was when she won Miss World. Ash and Sushmita are people I’ve admired.

You’re still young. Don’t you miss doing the normal things?
I do the normal things. I’ve life away from my work. But yes, I definitely feel a lot older than girls my age.I started working and moved out of home at a very young age. I tried to work out of my home- town Bangalore. But like it or not Mumbai is the mecca for the glamour and entertainment industry.

Do you miss Bangalore?
In Mumbai I definitely miss my family. For me ordinary things like having warm food on the table or getting the car ready to leave for the day are not so easily obtainable. Like all girls I’d like to see my parents when I wake up in the morning. That isn’t possible when you’re living alone.

Is Mumbai a lonely city?
No definitely not. I’ve lots of friends in Bombay. And I haven’t changed for them, nor they for me.Yes, certain people around me have changed. But people who are really important to me, that’s my parents and my childhood friends are with me.

One needs to have friends outside one’s profession to interact and to share one’s life with. Otherwise I’m not the party-hopping kind.

What do you and Ranbir talk about?
Well…we do know what’s going on in each other’s careers. But otherwise we try to keep cinema out of our conversation. We try not to get into one another work space.

It’s amazing but both of you started your careers in Hindi as fierce rivals in Saawariya and OSO?
That rivalry was more media-created than anything else. Comparing me with Sonam was so uncalled-for. We come from two totally space. We started differently. She assisted Mr Sanjay Bhansali.

I come from the modeling world. And our debut vehicles are so different. Fortunately we were too involved with our own projects and had no time to think of each other as competition.

You started with Shah Rukh Khan as a co-star. Can it get any bigger?
I hope it does. Initially I was very nervous about working with him. But Farah and Shah Rukh made it very comfortable for me. We did readings together, we met socially so that we were comfortable when we faced the camera.He’s again someone I grew up watching.

You have acquired the reputation of being extremely choosy.
Yes. Every project takes up so much of your time. You’ve to be sure of what you’re doing. So often I say no because I don’t have the time. I meet every director who wants to meet me. I do consult my parents.

It would be unfair to distance them from my career just because they aren’t part of the entertainment industry. But the final decision is mine.

Your dad is a celebrity in his own right.
Yes but nothing to do with the entertainment industry. During his time sportspersons didn’t do endorsements, advertisements. I’m really close to both my parents.

Ever since I moved to Mumbai it’s a different kind of relationship with them. The fact that we live in different cities has brought us closer. I feel much closer to them. Sometimes I feel bad at the unwanted attention they get because of me.

They’re bombarded with all kinds of questions about me. It wasn’t like that during their times. My parents are very simple reason.

Is the image of the boyfriend deserter hurtful?
The media needs to be a little restrained. I am a simple girl and from a respectable family. And loose talk about me harms my reputation.

One day like any other girl I intend to settle down and have children. How would those write-ups look at that time? I’m so glad I’ve found a man who comes from the same space and understands the pitfalls of sensational journalism.

I feel after a point no one will take these write-ups making a tamasha out of my life seriously.

Why did you and Ranbir decide to go public about your mutual feelings?
Because this is the first time I’ve actually and truly fallen in love. Being in love is the lovelist feeling. When two people are getting close they need time to understand one another.

I’ve reached an age when I can’t be in a frivolous relationship. Linking me to so many men at a time when I wasn’t sure about my feelings was unfair.

Did the earlier link ups collapse because of excessive attention they got?
Quite possible. At the end of the day it was just destiny that I was meant to be with Ranbir. And we’re very happy together.

Do you get time to be with one another?
We try to be together as much as possible. We did a film together Bachna Ae Haeseon. That’s when we got close. We had met and interacted earlier. But we didn’t get a chance to know each other well enough.

He was busy with his film. I was busy with mine. We were both under all kinds of pressure. Everything became very messy.In Australia when we shot together we started afresh. We almost met like two new people.

There was no baggage to be carried forward from the past. Because even in the past we didn’t part bitterly

The concept of Bollywood merchandising has come a long way since then.

Well, the 1973 Rishi-Dimple starrer has a distinction to its credit. It was perhaps the first film to start merchandising its products the hair clips and pins worn by Dimple Kapadia could be bought by fans.

The concept of Bollywood merchandising has come a long way since then. The latest film to have marketed its products is Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus Jodhaa Akbar whose main characters would be reproduced as toys by a leading toy maker. Besides toys, other merchandise includes jewellery, coffee mugs, sports items, stationery, curios, mobile ring tones, vehicles, food, beauty products, toiletries, bath items and apparel.

The movie credited with popularising merchandising is Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) - the ‘Friend’ cap featured in it sold like hot pancakes. Another Barjatya blockbuster, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun also did brisk business, with Madhuri Dixit’s purple sari becoming a craze. Films that have merchandised successfully of late include Bhoot, Fanaa, Goal, Hum Tum, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Saawariya, Om Shanti Om, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish.

So, why are filmmakers increasingly venturing into merchandising? Firstly, it adds up to the profits. Also, by flooding the market with movie-centric products, the movie gets more visibility. As Ram Kamal Mukherjee, VP, Pritish Nandy Communications explains, “Merchandising is a tool for the filmmaker to keep his film alive in public memory. It’s all about providing something different, a unique product to the customer.

Bollywood memorabilia or merchandising has a lot to do with how retail functions. Till now, it was marginalised. There were thousands of outlets and negotiating with them was a very tedious process. Now, with major retail outlets replacing the numerous others, distribution and placement becomes easier,” says Ravi Gupta from a premier production house.

9X will launch an new reality show Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket (KJBKT),

9X will launch an new reality show Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket (KJBKT), where the winning couple will get the opportunity to act in a Bollywood blockbuster. The show is jointly produced by Balaji Telefilms Ltd and Popcorn Entertainment.

Indrani Mukerjea, Founder & CEO, INX Media, said, "I am delighted to announce that 9X will air the biggest Bollywood reality extravaganza - Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket. 9X is the strong No.3 Hindi GEC of India as per both TAM and aMap and we have achieved this by virtue of our innovative content.
This reality show will provide a great platform for people who aspire to make it big in Bollywood giving them the biggest launch platform that the country has ever seen."

Soap queen Ekta Kapoor said, "Being the first reality show produced by Balaji Telefilms Ltd we wanted it to be associated with a channel that could share our vision and not compromise on the budgets. This unique reality series on 9X will bring to the viewers the biggest celebrities and the best of talent from across the country. Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket is a show that can take a person from being a talented unknown to becoming India’s next superstar!"

Karan Johar's next flick My Name Is Khan

Kajol is holding up pre production work on Karan Johar’s next flick My Name Is Khan, as she has yet to sign on the dotted line.

According to media reports Kajol has reportedly stated in interviews that she would only agree to star in the film once she reads the final script.

However, Karan has said that his script is complete and Kajol has seen and admired it.

According to sources Kajol might be delaying signing up for the role opposite actor Shah Rukh Khan because she is waiting on her husband Ajay Devgan.

Aishwarya rai at 61st Cannes festival

Actresses Rachida Brakni, Eva Longoria Parker and Aishwarya Rai arrive for the screening of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles’ film Blindness on the opening night of the 61st Cannes Film Festival.

Movie review Bhootnath, Bhootnath ready to shock viewers away from the theatres

Bhootnath is kiddish rather than being a movie for kids. If you want to watch Big B making faces, rather than emoting, watch Bhootnath. Bhootnath disappoints grossly and add one more to the disappointing flops that Bollywood has generated this year.

The story: It is about a child’s encounter with the friendly ghost of the house. As you know it, the Bhoot is only visible by the child and the ghost is always there to help the kid in every scene except for one. The kid (Banku) has a doting mom in the form of Juhi Chawla and a dad in the form of SRK(who seems to have given just three odd days to shoot the movie). Shahrukh Khan works in a cruise liner and mostly interacts with the kid by phone.

One comes to know about the ghost’s sad story which coincides with Baghban released some years ago. Mr. Bhootnath was a doting father whose son(Priyanshu) became busy with his career in the west and couldn’t call his parents on time. I fail to understand what is a cardinal sin if the boy goes to the US and cannot get time to speak to his parents. It is not his fault, is it? Ultimately, the boy comes back with his wife (with a fake ‘n’ funny US accent) and they decide to sell of the traditional house, which Big B does not want because the house echoes of sentiments of growing years. While trying to stop his son from leaving, Mr. Nath has a bad fall, and dies to get a prefix, Bhooth before Nath. The rest of the movie is about a hawan to free the haunted spirit trapped inside Bhootnath.

Technicalities:

Bhoothnath has major flaws in its script, screenplay and editing, so glaring that an average movie goer would be able to find out. For instance, there is one scene in which Big B fails to stop the kid from falling from a flight of stairs because he is in spirit, but then has the power to move the boy from here to there through his ghostly prowess.

The initial scenes do not quite bring out the prankster in Banku.Bhootnath suffers from very poor editing. A person sitting to me grimaced saying there is no link between some scenes. He was right, because some of the scenes did not have a sequence and looked like being dropped from nowhere. Debutant director Vivek Sharma looks helpless, and it is obvious that he has depended more on amateur special effects.

The less said about the songs, the better. The nastier part is that songs crop up at odd occasions and accelerate the boredom. If Banku is happy, there is a song, if Banku is sad, there is a song and if Banku is slapped,there is yet another song.

Plus points:

It is a welcome sight to see Juhi Chawla on-screen after a long time. Her famous chirpiness is very evident and she lights up the screen with her presence. Priyanshu looks perfectly cast as Big B’s son.

Performances: Bhootnath is probably the easiest role Big B has played. All he has to do is look weird and make faces. The boy Aman Siddiqui is promising and has performed to expectations. Juhi Chawla looks beautiful and shows flashes of brilliance. Watch her as she stifles her laughter when the principal’s face is doused with ink, or the shock in her eyes, when her son is hospitalized. We’d definitely like to see more of Juhi Chawla. One feels sad for Rajpal Yadav reduced to a pitiful role which gets him more sniggers than laughs. Satish Shah is downright irritating.

The verdict: A subject like Bhootnath could have been much more entertaining and funnier. Just when it looks like a good scene is in the waiting, the characters break into an irritating song. For a much better Bollywood movie in this genre, watch SRK’s Chamatkar.

Bollywood flops 2008-Bollywood Box office results,first quarter

There is a close relationship between Bollywood and cricket, and I am not talking about the IPL matches. I am referring to the bad patches. Bollywood has been suffering from a bad patch for the past 4 and a half months. 2008 had a lot of expectations for Bollywood, but save for the super hit Race, every other movie released so far, has flopped miserably. Jodhaa Akbar can hold its head moderately high because it fared well as a semi hit.

Tashan, Krazzy 4, Black and White, U, Me aur Hum, Halla Bol and Bhootnath had a lot of expectations and all of them have disappointed. Here are some of the reasons why such movies turned flops:

Halla Bol: Bad music, some scenes looked fake and long-drawn….(In fact, Halla Bol can be termed as an unfortunate flop, because it was one of the better movies of the year)

Sunday: It was not funny ! We wished there was more of Ayesha Takia around who charmed the audience in the first half.

Black & White: The title kept many viewers out of the theatre. Bad movie, no commercial ingredients kept the youth away. How can you ignore the biggest pie of movie viewing audience-the youth! That’s hara-kiri!

Mitya: Too multiplex type…the masses never understood the movie.

Superstar: Tacky script, poor editing and bad music.

Bombay to Bangkok: Cant believe Nagesh Kukunoor made this half-baked movie with a boring script and wrongly concocted scenes.

Krazzy 4: Dhamaal and Golmaal were quite funnier compared to this one. We are so used to four hero comic capers that we expect nothing but the best. Krazzy 4 had a sad ending.

One Two Three: Nothing can be more vulgar than Paresh Rawal selling lingerie Also, the movie had a bad script and humor that would make one cry.

Bhram: Abusive!!!!! And this is not to say about the words in the movie. Dino talks to his bhabhi about a$$. Shocked? This is just one of the revelations of this putrid movie

U, Me aur Hum: Bad music, nothing new!

Tashan: Too many cooks spoils the broth! Had the right stuff but the substance was never there. Cliched plot, stupid dialogues, and slow first half, long drawn scenes disappointed the viewers.

Bhootnath: Tacky editing, clichéd story line, bad music and that too the one which distracts the plot can be downright nauseating.

Yes, the bollywood’s diva, Madhuri Dixit turns 41 today

It’s the day to wish the bollywood beauty a happy birthday. Yes, the bollywood’s diva, Madhuri Dixit turns 41 today (though she still gives competition to loads of teenagers). Nicknamed as mads by the bollywood, this beauty can certainly drive people mad about her even at 41!!!
So all we wish on this day is a huge career success and great life ahead to this ever smiling taurean beauty…
Happy Birthday Mads

BEBO-VIDYA…NOT THE BEST OF BUDDIES

Looks like Vidya Balan isn’t happy with Bebo for giving her beau Shahid Kapur heartache. Cold vibes between the two were felt at the recent practice session at the Zee cine awards. Vidya and Kareena were to practice at the same venue for their respective performances at the awards. But only to avoid Bebo,
we hear that Vidya waited in her car in the parking lot and entered the venue only after Kareena finished her practice session with Saif and left.
Looks like Sania Mirza might earn a new critic soon….what say Vidya?

Vidya Balan cleavage show, vidya balan hot pictures

Vidya Balan is truly a beauty. Check out the sexy Vidya Balan's full curves straining against her black dress. Vidya Balan is no slim lady and has a voluptuous figure, just what the men truly love. You can help drooling at the buxom Vidya Balan in the sexy black outfit. Vidya's face has a matured sensuality and she looks confident, feminine and cute at the same time. We love Vidya and her curves.

The unseen side of Soha Ali Khan

The gal has finally learnt the ways of Bollywood. After a disastrous ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’, Soha Ali Khan has decided to shed her inhibitions and clothes for ‘Maxim’. So, all we can see is that things are getting hotter this season.

Our words need no proof once you see Soha down to bare minimum on the cover page of fashion magazine, Maxim, in its May issue and gotta say Pals, she is sure to set ardeline rushing in you!

Sanjay Gupta celebrates the beginning of ‘Acid Factory’

Sanjay Gupta is very excited about his next project ‘Acid Factory’ and there was no better way to send out the vibes with a bash in association with Kingfisher Force One India, at Aurus Juhu.

The galaxy of celebs present were Sanjay Gupta, Fardeen Khan, Natassha, Manoj Bajpai, Aftab Shivdasani, Suparn Verma, Hansal Mehta, Dia Mirza, Gulshan Grover, Mika, Sanjay Suri, Masumeh, Sophie Choudhry, Anupama Varma, Aryans, Shibani Kashyap, Sudanshu Pandey, Mita Vashisht, Anand Raj Anand, Bappa Lahiri, Manoj Bohra, Teejay, Samir Soni, Saurabh Shukla,

Celebrity D J Akhthar rocked the dance floor palying DJ to the party. Gupta had announced his film just last month. The film to be directed by Suparn Varma stars Fardeen Khan, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Dino Morea, Aftab Shivdasani and Danny Denzongpa. Since, in the film the lives of all major characters revolve around the acid factory, it will be shot in an acid factory itself.

Vidya Malavade: Diamond eyed Girl Of Bollywood

It was a dream come true for the women present at this do hosted by jeweller Pradeep Jethani and his wife. After all, when there’s so much gold and diamonds to see (and secretly wish for), it would make any woman smile. Among the women talking shop and lots more were debutante actress Anisshka Khosla, Krishikka Lulla and Vidya Malavade. Sanjay Suri came with his wife Ambika, nice to see the two socialising together. Shaan made for a perfect picture with wife Radhika and his two kids; the family had come straight from a birthday party. Alka Yagnik was in seventh heaven, as she admitted her liking for jewellery, bags and clothes. Designers Anita Dongre and Babita Malkani were also seen window shopping.

Ranbir-Deepika: Head over reels in love

In 1975, Rishi Kapoor was paired with his future wife, Neetu Singh; five years later, they were married. Now, it seems like history might repeat itself with their son! Ranbir is set to romance real-life lady love Deepika Padukone in Vikram Singh’s next flick, Mera Jahaan. The director, however, feels it is too premature to comment. “I have approached Ranbir,” says Vikram. “I don’t want to comment on the casting right now though. I’ll be in a better position to comment next month. I’m a bit superstitious, so let everything just fall into place. I will then give you the full low-down!” Stay tuned.

Yana electrifies the IPL club!

Country Club of India Ltd (CCIL), the largest chain of family clubs in India, proudly celebrated the launch of its new property, Country Club Springs in Kandivili on Saturday. Hottie Yana Gupta performed exclusively for the club members.

CCIL is a pioneer in the concept of family clubbing in the country. With the Country Club Springs in Kandivili, CCIL opens their second property in Mumbai (the first one is in Andheri). Chairman and MD Y Rajeev Reddy said on the occasion, “Nothing gives us more fulfillment than seeing our members get a variety of Club locations to choose from. With the launch of Country Club Springs, we add one more name to our existing chain of family clubs.”

Why Prachi and Ekta fought

Differences seem to have cropped up between the blue-eyed girl from the Balaji camp. Rumours of a clash between Ekta Kapoor and Prachi Desai are spreading. Then came reports of Prachi vowing to never work in Balaji’s Kasam Se, her launch vehicle that brought her to the limelight.

According to reports, all is not well between Ekta and Prachi. Recently, the two were having lunch together with a bunch of common friends and Ekta abruptly walked off. Prachi tried to cajole her back. However, ask Prachi to throw some light on the incident, and she acts ignorant. “I don’t know anything about it. I was surprised when I read this in the papers,” is what the lass had to say.

Well, she obviously doesn’t care about staying in the good books of her mentor. After all, she is now the star of Farhan Akhtar’s Rock On. The film will also mark Farhan’s debut as an actor.

Three Mistakes & one starry launch

Sharman Joshi recently released author Chetan Bhagat’s latest book called ‘The Three Mistakes of my life’ at the Courtyard at Big Bazaar. This was followed by a book reading session and then an interactive session between the audience and Bhagat. The audience, comprising mainly youngsters who are Bhagat’s fans, asked him a range of questions, the persistent one being when his next book will be out!

Also present at the event was Future Groups President Customer Strategy Sandeep Tarkas. It was a pleasant surprise to see Atull Agnihotri at the do but then after all, Atull is directing a movie based on one of Chetan’s most popular works ‘One night @ the call centre’. He came and congratulated the author and later, was seen in a discussion with him.

Speaking at the do, Big Bazaars’s CEO Rajan Malhotra said, “Chetan’s books match our values of reach and affordability very powerfully. We are perfectly poised to take authors like Chetan to every corner of this country, wherever book lovers and readers are present. We are confident of selling large numbers of this title.”

Meanwhile, Chetan said, “I was looking for a retail partner who could give me access to my readers in majority of India’s towns and cities. Big Bazaar is the perfect platform to reach out, meet and access these young, middle-class Indians across the country today.”

Aarti Chabria Biography

Aarti was born on the 21st of November 1982 into a sindhi-speaking family, which did not have any links to the film world of the Bollywood film industry. So it was a total surprise when she entered the filmi dunya.

Aarti was born on the 21st of November 1982 into a sindhi-speaking family, which did not have any links to the film world of the Bollywood film industry. So it was a total surprise when she entered the filmi dunya.

Aarti completed her education and was catapulted to fame when she won the crown of Miss India in the year 2000. it was then that she got into shooting for ads and she did a total of approximately 200 ads, starting with Krack Cream and moving on to Amul. Later she also did music videos for Sukhwindar Singh and Adnan Sami. This is when she was realized by the film industry for her talent and stunning good looks.

Aarti is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi, Sindhi and Gujrati, and hence had no language problems where ever she went. Her debut was in the film Tum Se Aach Kaun Hai in ’02 opposite Nakul Kapoor. However the movie failed to make an impression on the Box Office. But prior to this she was also in Akansha and Lajja in 1989 and ’01 respectively.

Later Vikram Bhatt signed her on for the multi starrer Awara Pagal Deewana opposite Akshay Kumar. She has also done Raja Bhaiyya with Govinda and other comedy flicks.

When asked about how she felt about entering Bollywood without a godfather the actress said that she really doesn’t mind. She says that she was born to act and that it was her destiny to be here. She thoroughly enjoys herself while acting by saying that she gets to go places, work with handsome men while being paid to do all this.

Besides the main stream Bollywood movies she has also done a Kannada film Pritisonaba. She says that the people down south are so organized that it is really easy to go ahead as per schedule. Aarti has a bit of a problem at first with her language but eventually she started to understand it.

Her latest venture was that of a bar dancer in the much acclaimed Shootout At Lokhandwala. Her performance in the film, though brief, was quite appreciated. Since then, she has been approached with many film offers as well as brand endorsements.

Sameera Reddy Biography with slideshow

...She is the youngest sister of top models and VJs, Sushma and Meghna Reddy...

Sameera Reddy was born on 14th December 1978 and will be 29 this December of 2007. She is the youngest sister of top models and VJs, Sushma and Meghna Reddy.

Sameera’s is a trained Kathak dancer and she loves swimming, dancing and playing video games. She just cannot do without working out in the gym. Yoga is another one of her favorite activity and she absolutely hates fatty and fried foods.

Sameera Reddy first shot to fame with Pankaj Udhas’s music video Aahista. She did the video when she was in college. In the video she played a demure character, as opposed to her current sex symbol image. In her school days she was very fat and was teased a lot for that. But everything changed when she started working out. Nowadays she is called the Indian Jennifer Lopez.

Her debut on silver screen was through Sohail Khan’s Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, in which she played an introverted girl. Although she gave competent performance, the subject was not good and the film didn’t work out. The film that resurrected her career was Ram Gopal Varma’s Darna Mana Hai. Sameera’s sizzling dance in it was widely appreciated. But the film that brought a drastic change in her image was Musafir, directed by Sanjay Gupta. Musafir is still considered to be one of the hottest films in Bollywood. After that she got many offers but decided to take it slow and do only few, but good assignments.
Sameera also did a couple of films down south, one of them with Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi. Both were huge hits. She also did a Bengali film ‘Kalpurush’ with renowned director Buddhadeb Dasgupta. ‘Kalpurush’ is perhaps her best work so far. She also did a few Hindi films like ‘Taxi Number 9211’, ‘No Entry’ and ‘Naksha’.

She is the only Bollywood actress who has a video game to her credit. Sameera, an ardent fan of video games, has been working on the game ‘Sam’s Mission’ for the last one year. In the game she is a princess who is trying to save her dad’s kingdom from enemies.
Although she hasn’t acknowledged any, her name has been linked up with many, including celebrities, director Sanjay Gupta and Telugu actor Junior NTR prominent among them.

John plays with Strings

Bollywood hunk John Abraham is all set with his first ever music video for the Pakistani band Strings. Koi Aanay Wala Hai is Strings’ latest album after a gap of four years.

The basic concept of the video is, ’There is an angel watching over everyone.’ John features as an angel who sights a beautiful girl in trouble. He falls in love with her and chooses to become human to be with her forever.

The most expensive Indipop video ever, Koi Aanay Wala Hai has been shot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The music of the album Koi Aanay Wala Hai takes a lot of inspiration from contemporary British rock and music from 1960’s and 1970’s. It features eight energetic tracks composed by the duo Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood.

Looking forward to the album, Shridhar Subramaniam, Managing Director of Sony BMG says, "We have been associated with Strings for over 5 years now and have released great stuff like Dhaani and Najanay Kyu. Now a part of this longstanding relationship is John Abraham with Koi Aanay Wala Hai and that’s truly a matter of pride for us. The music and the video are exceptional. So we’re very sure of a great response to this one!"

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Priyanka Chopra, now Red Hot!!

Priyanka Chopra dyed her hair red for Harry Baweja’s film Love Story 2050.

She went from black to red to black and then back again to red during the making of the film. Usually actors wear wigs, but this time Priyanka chose to do otherwise. The look is the brainchild of director Baweja, make-up maestro Mickey Contractor and hair stylist Thea. Baweja says, “The idea was to have a look that people could imagine and relate to. We didn’t want the actors to look like aliens. The film is set in the future, but it’s not about space travel. It took us six months to zero in on the final look.” He adds, “The biggest challenge about coming up with Priyanka’s futuristic look was to predict fashion trends 40 years ahead.” Looks like Priyanka’s going to win over more people as a red-head.

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Akshay Kumar, now Dr. Akshay ?

Akshay kumar’s contribution to the Hindi film industry is commendable. He is known as the Khiladi of Bollywood. Akshay Kumar is the No. 1 action hero of Bollywood and is known to perform any difficult stunts with ease. He gave four hits last year and made Rs. 500 crore profit at the box-office. Though he always misses Filmfare awards, Akshay has been honored with one of the most prestigious awards. He received doctorate degree from the Canadian University.

He will be honored with the doctorate degree for his outstanding contribution to the Hindi film industry and for the social work that he has rendered to the people of Canada. "The University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, will bestow Akshay with an honorary doctorate on May 9. It’s basically for all the social work that he has done in Canada. The University called him up to present him the doctorate," says Akshay’s spokesperson.

In the past, Yash Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Shilpa Shetty are honored with such type of doctorate degree from foreign universities. Akshay’s Sinngh Is Kinng is almost ready to hit the floor. kollywoodhots4you.blogspot.com wishes him for his achievement and success.

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Himani Chawla delays thriller Serial Hadsa?

The soon-to-be-released thriller serial Hadsa recently turned its title into a reality and witnessed a real-life accident on the sets. Debutant actress Himani Chawla was supposed to jump from a high wall, but things went terribly wrong with her landing. As a result, she landed up with a broken leg. “While shooting in Jodhpur, I jumped from a 16-foot high wall. I didn’t land correctly though,” smiles Himani.

Strangely enough, the accident was not entirely unexpected. Her co-star Khalid Siddiqui has an interesting nugget to share: “Perhaps Himani didn’t tell you, but a day before the accident, her astrologer had told her to be extra careful about her legs!”

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