Sen sister Raima shed her inhibitions and clothes for the Men’s magazine Maxim

Soha Ali Khan, Gul Panag, Minissha Lamba, Amrita Rao…. All have done it. Then why not the petite Bong beauty Raima Sen?

So, this time we have the younger Sen sister Raima shed her inhibitions and clothes for the November issue of the famous Men’s magazine Maxim. The actress appears in a sexy makeover with black and white lacy lingerie set.



Raima has already made her presence felt with films like Chokher Bali, ‘Antar Mahal’ or bit parts in big films like ‘Eklavya’, ‘Parineeta’, ‘Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd’ or flops like ‘C Kkompany’, ‘Mukhbir’ and ‘Manorama Six Feet Under’. Currently she has ‘Teen Patti’, ‘Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye’, ‘Sunglass’ and ‘Mumbai Cutting’ on her cards.

The issue has Raima speak about herself saying, “My birthday is on November 7th. I’m a typical Scorpio. Last year the party was at China House, but this year, I’m planning to have it at home. Nothing’s been decided yet. My parents are really cool. The best part is that I won’t have to worry about organising anything as they’ll take care of everything.”

Raima confesses that she has a pretty bad taste in men. When Raima was gifted a lifetime subscription of the mag, a happy Raima said that ‘It might help me understand men better’. Raima finds ex-Bond man Pierce Brosman pretty charming and good-looking. About her ex-love Kunal Kapoor Raima says, “We do talk occasionally, but it’s just that his friend circle is different from mine. And if you want to beat him up, please be my guest”.

Kashmiri women led by Bipasha moving towards one of the houses in a van

Seems the shooting of ‘Lamhaa’ in the Kashmir valley has not been a very pleasant experience for producer Bunty Walia and actress Bipasha Basu. There have been many unpleasant experiences and disruptions during the shoot of the film.

On Wednesday, during one shoot Bipasha with a band of Kashmiri women in burqas was moving in a van. The local Kashmiris got apprehensive and demanded the shooting to be stopped.


Recalls Walia, “It wasn’t a pleasant experience for Bipasha to suddenly see a mob of locals descending on the unit. We were shooting on the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) compound, which was supposed to pass off as a street in Kashmir because there are a lot of Kashmiri Pundit houses in the compound.

One sequence had a band of Kashmiri women led by Bipasha moving towards one of the houses in a van. When the local Kashmiri men saw so many women in burqas, they wanted to know what was happening. They got increasingly agitated.

We realised that when it comes to mobs nothing works…not the police, not the CRPF. We decided we had no choice but to quickly pack up for the day for the sake of the unit’s security.”

There have been incidents before when last week, Kashmiri fruit traders had intervened to stop the shooting of the film at the fruit market as they feared the movie might portray them in a bad light.

Again on Monday, the principal of a college asked the shooting to be stalled when students of a college in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district posed objections to some of the portions being shot inside the campus premises.”

Bunty Walia is very disappointed and worried at the same time. He said, “I realised quite early in our schedule that shooting the entire film in Kashmir would be impossible. The minute the locals saw a 150-strong unit in Srinagar they got suspicious and excited. There have been recent film units in Kashmir but none in Srinagar before Lamhaa.

They are apprehensive about the guns. But the gun culture has been a part of Kashmir for years. I was not showing anything unreal. This is the real Kashmir. But unfortunately their reality in a film is not acceptable to the locals,” Walia said.

After Wednesday’s disruption, director Rahul Dholakia called a press conference in Srinagar to explain that Lamhaa wasn’t projecting the Kashmir valley incorrectly.

“Rahul was very upset about the disruption. He asked the locals not to become a mob,” Walia said. “Why did the Jammu and Kashmir government promise us all cooperation and protection? I’m anxious and irritated. I’m losing a lot of money because of the disruptions. I can’t shoot beyond November 21. I don’t have my stars’ dates beyond that. The light starts fading at 4.30 pm. I’m working against all odds. We feel pushed against the wall,” he added.

Now almost 80 percent of Lamhaa will be shot in Film City in Mumbai. “We’ve rescheduled. We’ll shoot vital scenes with our stars as fast as possible and quickly move out of Kashmir. My entire film was to be shot in Kashmir for 60 days. Now we can only shoot in Kashmir for 20 days. The rest of the film will be shot on a set erected at Film City (Mumbai),” Walia said.

The set for Lamhaa will be constructed by Wasiq Khan. “He’s done other Kashmiri films like Tahaan and Yahaan. We’re shopping for Kashmiri artefacts and furniture right now. We hope to create an authentic Kashmir in Mumbai,” Walia said.

“The administration in Kashmir was cooperative. The local people were hostile. They misinterpret anything we shoot. I’m not going to explain every shot and action to the mobs. Sadly I’ve to announce that the dream of Kashmir being a paradise for film units remains just a dream.”

Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi Bollywood Movie Review

Away from the by-now-mandatory bikinis and brawns of Bollywood, Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi takes you into a different world, where love happens in mere passing of glances, and where values like sacrifice for one’s family forms the premise of an entire story.
Some things remain untouched by the passage of time. One such is the genre of family flicks by Rajshree Films, with its helmsman Sooraj Barjatya having himself churned out a good number of love stories set against the backdrop of families. Now, debutant director Kaushik Ghatak adapts himself well to the Rajshree genre and comes out with a simple and evocative story, rich in emotions that perhaps some, if not many, of us can barely identify with.


‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ is a film with an old-world charm. It’s a charm we haven’t yet become alien to. That’s perhaps why it appeals. It’s a love story where romance brews despite any physical closeness between the lovers. In fact, the film is about separation, about not being able to be together despite wanting to. The villain in the story is not any character, but circumstances. Circumstances that test the story’s characters. It may sound cheesy, but ‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ does get your handkerchiefs out in the second half.

The movie tells the unique love story of Chandni ( Eesha Koppikhar ) and Prem ( Sonu Sood ). The two meet and fall in love at a singing performance. She comes from a poor family with an old father and two younger siblings. He hails from a rich family.

Chandni is set to get engaged to Prem. But she postpones her marriage plans after her father passes away and she has to assume the responsibility of her younger siblings. Prem waits for Chandni. But the wait lasts nine long years. And after that when it looks Chandni and Prem would unite forever, another twist gives a new direction to their love tale.

‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ conforms to the quintessential Barjatya tradition of songs set against the backdrop of weddings. That’s what pinches you in the first half, when you are served a good number of songs in quick succession. The story takes a serious turn in the second half. At one point, it appears that Prem and Chandni’s love story is doomed to die. But then, it’s a Rajshree film. The ending always has to be on a positive note.

Eesha Koppikhar excels in a role that focuses not on glamour or skin-show, but solely on performance. And she does act well for the most part. Sonu Sood looks a tad mature for his role, but the actor delivers a fine performance. On the sidelines, Alok Nath and Vishal Malhotra (as Chandni’s brother) are good.

The music of ‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’ doesn’t exactly win your heart. The cinematographic style too is pretty traditional, with smiling characters moving into the frames and the camera panning across to establish the setting of a scene. Kaushik Ghatak ’s style of direction is simple. He lets the story come to the fore without letting the style take over. Now, that’s another thing that the story is such that it appeals to us solely for nostalgic reasons. That’s the film’s shortcoming and yet also its uniqueness.

Rating: **1/2

Take a look at their progress one year after Ranbir,Sonam and Deepika

Changed the lives of three beautiful youngsters - Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor who made their Bollywood debuts with the depressing Saawariya and Deepika Padukone who made a sparkling debut in the blockbuster Om Shanti Om.

We Take a look at their progress one year after they entered Bollywood.

Ranbir Kapoor

Though Saawariya tanked, Ranbir made a mark with his towel dropping scene and chiseled abs. The chocolate boy is touted to be the superstar of the future and carry the Kapoor legacy forward. He showcased his star quality and impressive acting range in Bachna Ae Haseeno. He may have broken hearts in the movie but won many hearts with his natural performance. And if you're a star, can women be far behind? Of course not! There were strong rumours of Ranbir getting cozy with his Saawariya co-star and family friend Sonam but all that cooled down as things heated up between Ranbir and Deepika in Australia while making Bachna Ae Haseeno. Their reel-life love story turned into a beautiful real life story and the two have been dating since February. Deepika also resides close to Ranbir's bungalow and has secured her place in the Kapoor household.

Ranbir has plump projects ahead: He is currently shooting for Dharma Productions' Wake Up Sid, Rajkumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani alongside hottie Katrina Kaif. He also has Prakash Jha's Rajneeti up his sleeve. I almost forgot to mention, he has swept all the popular awards in the best debut category. Phew it’s been quite a successful year for someone made a debut in a film that crashed and burned at the BO!
Success rating: 8 on 10

Sonam Kapoor

This statuesque beauty loves all things fashionable. That is why we see her couture-clad self more on the ramp and at movie premieres than on movie posters. We have lost count of the number of magazine covers she has graced in the past one year. Anil Kapoor's daughter should seriously consider modeling as a full time profession. Sonam's head-to-toe covered debut turn got a decent response and helped her bag the female lead in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Dilli 6. The grapevine was abuzz with her turning down an uninhibited role in Kites and being replaced by Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. She obviously refuted them all. The media shy gal is tight lipped about her personal life. She has brushed off rumours of a romantic liaison between her and Ranbir saying 'we are just family friends' and she has denied dating Kunal Kapoor though the two have been spotted cooing over coffee across town. So no romance and no movies, Sonam's life seems boring except for all the fashionable photo shoots that keep her busy.
Success rating: 5 on 10

Deepika Padukone

The former ramp queen left the glitzy fashion world for the arc lights of Bollywood when she got the chance of a lifetime to debut opposite the Badshah of Bollywood. Her good fortune continued as Om Shanti Om became Bollywood's biggest blockbuster and she swept most of the awards in the best debut category. The doe eyed beauty had already been in the news for her ever-changing boyfriends. She dumped Yuvraj Singh for Ranbir Kapoor and the two have been going steady since February this year. Between shooting for her films, the leggy lass spends time with her delectable beau and squeezes in time to pose for numerous fashion magazines, endorse watches, jeans and coconut oil and occasionally return to the ramp. After Bachna Ae Haseeno, she will be seen kicking butt alongside Akshay Kumar in Chandni Chowk to China and is currently shooting Imtiaz Ali's next venture with Saif Ali Khan. With all the right friends in B-town, this gorgeous gal will go a long way.
Success rating: 8 on 10

Akshay did the shot without a duplicate in just one take

The Khiladi Akshay Kumar has done it again. This time he has done a jaw-dropping stunt for Nagesh Kukunoor’s new action venture ‘Eight By Ten’.

The stunt has Akshay running to the edge of a cliff situated at the dizzy height of around 160 feet and then taking a dive into the water below. Akshay did the shot without a duplicate in just one take, stunning everyone in the unit, including the director. While the entire crew was terrified, Akshay was pretty cool about it.

‘Eight By Ten’ is a supernatural thriller produced by Percept Picture Company. The film has Akshay playing a guy with amazing mental powers. The rumours are that his character in the film is of a guy who cannot be hurt. The climax of this movie is set underwater for which Akshay was tied up in chains. The movie stars Ayesha Takia playing the role of Akshay Kumar’s wife. The supporting cast included Vinod Khanna, Sharmila Tagore , Javed Jaffrey and Anant Mahadevan.

When 2 Bollywood babes come together! S E X P L O S I O N

When two Bollywood babes have come together, there has always been an explosion behind the screen and in front of it. We all know Katrina Kaif and Bipasha Basu dont get well with each other. Thing were not fine between Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor back in the days of Ajnabee, Bipasha's debut film. Here are some films in the current decade where two of the sexiest Bollywood babes have come together and scorched the screens.


Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor in Ajnabee(2003)
Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta in Andaaz(2004)
Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra in Barsaat(2005)
Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu in Dhoom2 (2006)
Bipasha Basu, and Katrina Kaif in Race (2007)
Quite evidentally, Bipasha Basu is mostly the common factor here

Kareena Kapoor is not a size zero!

Though the secrets of Kareena Kapoor’s slim body has been splashed in every form of media and her bikini act in the movie Tashan used as a promotional matter to lift up its swaggering trot at the box office, the thin frame has not gone down well with Indian audiences. Indians prefer the curves, and voluptuousness will never go out of Indian psyche, not matter what the fashion gurus scream about. An abundant looking Sameera Reddy or a voluptuous Bipasha Basu is usually more scorching than angular bodies. Also Kareena’s brash blonde hair and tight dress in the film made her look like a caricature instead of an actress.


First of all, Kareena Kapoor is not a size zero as advertised in the Bollywood industry. A size zero or an angular look will never work in Bollywood, where people still love women with curves. Also a woman who goes for a so-called size zero look ends up looking anorexic. In the western countries, women who go for a wash-board slim abs and narrow waist, opt for surgically enchanting their breasts and buttocks to compliment the thin waist line. This is quite an expensive and emotionally draining experience for an Indian woman, to get a pencil thin waist line and then accentuate the places which have to be naturally endowed. Frankly, the deal is not worth it for the Indian woman who starves her to get a size zero figure and ends up being all flat and physically unappealing.