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Shah Rukh Khan Will Bring 2011 In Dubai

Shah_Rukh_Khan_and_Family

Shah Rukh Khan and his friends will not bring in 2011 in Goa, but along with his family and friends in Dubai. The entourage includes Karan Johar, Hrithik-Sussanne, and several other friends of the couple.

Says a source, "The Khans and their friends will ring in the new year at the couple’s palatial home on The Palm in Jumeirah." The B-Town brigade leaves on December 30.

Gauri’s close friend Kaajal Anand (Putlu) is also part of the group. Arjun Rampal is not going but Chunky Panday with his family might join the gang later.

Some people are waiting their visas to get cleared today and will finalise their plans accordingly. Last year SRK had brought in New Year at his Mumbai home, Mannat.

The Palm forms part of The Palm Islands, along with Jebel Ali and The Palm, Deira, the world’s three largest manmade islands by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government.

They are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and each is created in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent.

The residents of the island are rumoured to include Hollywood actor Brad Pitt England footballers David Beckham and Michael Owen.

Shah Rukh, who was handed over the keys to his house on the The Palm Islands in 2007 became a resident of Dubai on November 1, 2008.

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Bipasha And Roland Discussing Each Other's Work

Bipasha and Roland

Director Roland Joffe loves India and Indian films. One is not sure anymore if he loves Abbas-Mustan as much as loves the rest of the Indian movie industry. Eighteen years ago, he shot The City Of Joy with Om Puri and Shabana Azmi in Kolkata (then Calcutta).

Now he’s shooting a Maratha period film, Singularity, with Bipasha Basu in Australia.

Bipasha and Roland hit it off instantly in Brisbane. While shooting, they got down to discussing each other’s work. And that’s when Bipasha unwittingly let the cat out of the bag.

Says a source, "Bipasha and Roland were discussing one another’s work. Roland asked Bipasha to name her most well-known films.

Bipasha immediately named Jism, Raaz, Ajnabee, Dhoom 2, Shob Charita Kalponik (Bengali) Corporate, Lamhaa and Race. Roland got interested in Race and Bipasha narrated the film’s plot to Roland, who seemed more than casually interested in Race."

At a point during the narration Joffe yelled out, "Hey, that’s my film!" Before the startled actress could ask Joffe what he meant, he told her that his 1999 film Goodbye, Lover had the same plot as Race.

Says the source, "Roland was shocked to know that Race had ripped off his film without his permission."

Apparently the director of such renowned films as The Killing Fields and The Mission now intends to take action against copyright infringement.

What Joffe would be less amused to know is that a majority of Abbas-Mustan’s film are unauthorised ripoffs of Hollywood films. Abbas-Mustan’s Ajnabee was Consenting Adults, Aitraaz was the desi version of Disclosure and Daraar was ripped off from Sleeping With The Enemy.

With American studios clamping down on illegitimate adaptations, Abbas-Mustan have planned an official remake of The Italian Job. But now that Joffe has belatedly become aware of his film’s ripoff, he’s apparently contemplating taking delayed legal action.

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Katrina Kaif Has Refused To Dance On New Year

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Malaika Arora Khan postponed her New Year vacation with husband Arbaaz Khan, when an entertainment group offered her a large undisclosed sum for her anthemic Munni jig at Amby Valley. Katrina Kaif, on the other hand, has refused to dance to her Sheila ki Jawaani number from Tees Maar Khan.

Says a source close to Kaif, "A suburban luxury hotel offered her Rs 3.5 crores for the jig. Frankly, Katrina was tempted. But she backed out in time."

Munni and Sheila are Salman Khan’s sister-in-law Malaika and former girlfriend Katrina Kaif respectively. The stunning ladies, never close friends but cordial enough to be called civil acquaintances, have revealed a contrasting attitude to their dance numbers.

Kaif screams in protest. "Are you crazy? I am not dancing at any hotel on New Year’s eve. To be entertaining a live audience that night instead of enjoying oneself as another year slips in -- how sad is that! It’s almost like you are telling the audience, ’Hey guys, I don’t have a life.’

It’s true I am not going on my annual family holiday, but the reason is not a lucrative dance offer."

Interestingly, last year Kaif was almost dragged to court for opting out of a New Year’s eve performance at a luxury hotel in Mumbai. This year, she was adamant. No dancing for drunken revelers on December 31.

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Actors Are Beggars-Rani Mukerji

Rani Mukerji

Rani Mukerji says she wants to be seen more often on the big screen but describes actors as beggars waiting for good scripts to come their way, which is the reason for her long absence.

"Actors are beggars! They wait for good scripts to come their way. It’s always the makers who decide to make a film and then it’s on the actors to choose what they want to do on the basis of what is being offered to them," Rani, who will feature in a never-before-seen avatar in "No One Killed Jessica", told IANS in an interview.

"Honestly, the kind of roles that are being offered to me, I have to think hard before taking them. I have a responsibility towards my fans and I can’t do random things. I have to do a role that catches people’s attention. If my fans love me so much, the least I can do is to come out with a good film for them; that’s why I do fewer films now," said the 32-year-old.

The dusky damsel wants to be seen more, but somehow she is not so lucky.

"I keep hoping and praying that I get scripts which are different so that I can take up those films. As an actor I want to be seen.

"The constant reaction that I keep getting is that ’Rani, we want to see more of you’, and I too want to do more films. In fact, I want to come out with two-three films every year, but I’ve not been really lucky that I could do that. I’m not getting the roles that I really want to do," she said.

Rani, who used to do a couple of films a year earlier, has squeezed it down to just one project per year now. In the last three years, Rani was seen in just two films "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" and "Dil Bole Hadippa", but both failed to spin any magic at the box office.

She is, however, very optimistic about 2011 when her "No One Killed Jessica" will hit the screens. Slated for a Jan 7 release, the film, based on the murder of model Jessica Lall in 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of a Haryana politician, will see her as a gutsy, fearless and bold crime reporter Meera Gaitey.

"When I was approached for this role, I was told that when the case was going on, there were a lot of reporters who pursued it actively. In a film, we obviously can’t have all of them. So my character is an amalgamation of all of them," said Rani.

"It would have been unfair to model the character on one person. So, I played it how I thought the character would be. Also I have taken bits from reporters I have met in so many years. I incorporated inputs from my observation," she added.

It was a long battle for Sabrina Lall to fight for justice for her sister and finally Manu Sharma was awarded life imprisonment by the Supreme Court. The film, which has been produced by UTV Spotboy and directed by Rajkumar Gupta, also features Vidya Balan as Sabrina Lall.

Throwing some light on her experience of working with Vidya, Rani said her co-star is very involved as an actor.

"Vidya is a method actor, which is what I have seen during the shooting of the film. She gets very involved in her character. She is a kind of actor who prepares a lot before coming on the sets. When she has to do a serious scene, I have seen her being very quiet and serious," she said.

"When she worked with me, she got a pleasant surprise because I’m fun on the sets and she didn’t expect that. The minute she used to look at me, she used to start laughing because she finds me very naughty," she added.

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Bollywood Beauties Who Stood Tall In 2010

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A-listers like Aishwarya Rai, Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu failed to lure audiences this year, while lady luck’s favourite Katrina Kaif and item girl Malaika Arora Khan along with some newcomers managed to keep the clock ticking for Bollywood heroines.

IANS jots down names of some Bollywood beauties who stood tall in 2010:

- Katrina Kaif: Ramp to rampage - this model-turned-actress has taken Bollywood by storm. Continuing her habit of turning a movie into a hit, the gorgeous face with a stiff upper lip that has now gone desi rocked the box office with her chaste Hindi volleys in Prakash Jha’s political thriller "Raajneeti". And if that wasn’t it, she stood out to wipe out mankind with her pelvic thrusts in the item number "Sheila ki jawani" from her latest outing "Tees Maar Khan". Katrina is leaving no stone unturned to enchant the public with her best.

- Malaika Arora Khan: She has the look, the moves and knows how to groove. If Bollywood is synonymous with ’jhatkas’ and ’matkas’, it doesn’t get bigger than this as Malaika left audiences gawking with her hump...her hump, her hump in the item number "Munni badnaam hui" from "Dabangg". Have feet, will dance but won’t act. And did one notice, this one’s got a surname too to hang on to - Khan!

- Vidya Balan: If the leading ladies in B-Town hit the gym with a vengeance to shed the extra kilos, Vidya hogged until she turned herself into a deglam, voluptuous and conniving woman for "Ishqiya". Mouthing expletives soaked in chemical derivatives, this "Parineeta" girl turned femme fatale and left men scratching their brains.

- Kajol: There is nothing that she can’t do. Daughter, actress, wife, mother - Kajol’s dormant comings and goings on the big screen took a surprise turn when the dusky beauty returned with three outings this year, "My Name is Khan", "We Are Family" and "Toonpur Ka Superhero". No matter the box office fate, she is one performer the audience would give anything to watch. However, leaving them wanting for more, the mother of two is now headed for a three-year sabbatical.

- Konkona Sen Sharma: She already has to her credit powerful movies, the scripts of which some actresses wouldn’t even dare read. And KoKo, as she is fondly called, surprised the masses with her metro wifey avatar in the comedy "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?" before enacting a lawyer in "Right Yaaa Wrong" and a sexually aggressive woman in "Mirch". Talk about her acting prowess, if one had a parameter to judge, this one deserves nothing but a 10 on 10.

- Neetu Singh: As calm as a river and still sporting the fresh glow of the morning sunshine, yesteryear heroine Neetu Singh made a full-fledged comeback in "Do Dooni Char" 27 years after bidding adieu to celluloid. Bringing a smile on one’s face with her acting nuances and immaculate chemistry with actor hubby Rishi Kapoor, she just proved she still has it in her to win people’s hearts.

- Kangana Ranaut: Perhaps the most unfortunate of talents this year, she was almost jostling for space in multi-starrers like "Kites", "Knock Out" and "No Problem" but believe you or not, this golden gem did make her presence felt with her glitter in Milan Luthria’s retro underworld saga "Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai".

- Shalini Vatsa: Ever thought Dhaniya from "Peepli Live" would have an M. Phil degree? No one did, but this full time theatre actress left audiences applauding at her rants in the satire with her splendid portrayal of a rustic, illiterate, short-tempered mother of three with zeal.

- Malaika Shenoy: Model, actress and voice-over artiste, this Mumbai-based girl got her due with "Peepli Live". Her experience as a TV presenter in reality came handy to bring out the poise, panache and perfection of a star reporter in the black comedy which she edgily used to cast a dig at one real female scribe. Thanks to her involvement in the vibrant English theatre movement in Mumbai, her performance simply couldn’t go unnoticed.

- Sonakshi Sinha: What would you do if your debut project was with none other than Salman The Khan? Hit the metal and cut down flab! Perhaps the perfect example of fat to fab, Shatru ’Shotgun’ Sinha’s daughter made a "Dabangg" debut in the year’s highest grosser. Getting into the star mode day by day, this one’s sure a dark horse.

- Anushka Sharma: Petite, pretty and now pricey. This 22-year-old couldn’t have asked for more. In two outings with the Yash Raj banner in the year - "Badmaash Company" and "Band Baaja Baaraat" - she managed to persuade audiences of her potential with her Delhi ’kudi’ role in the latter.

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Celebs That Raised Eyebrows In 2010

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Celebs never let you down when it comes to bad behaviour. It was the year that Mel Gibson was slammed for an alleged racist rant, Charlie Sheen had woman troubles, Lindsay Lohan admitted dabbling in drugs, Dolly Bindra foul-mouthed everyone and more. Celeb antics ensured that there was no dearth of masala in our tabloid. Here’s a birds’s eye-view of celebs that raised eyebrows in 2010.

Lady Gaga
The year saw eccentric pop star Lady Gaga barge into the scene with quite a noisy bang. Be it for her jaw-dropping music videos, eye-grabbing stage outfits, half-naked airport appearances or middle-finger act at baseball game, Lady Gaga screamed from newspapers front page throughout the year. And she was well rewarded for the effort- her craziness as got her a six million fan following on Twitter. Now you can either love or hate her but you can’t ignore her...

Miley Cyrus
The teenage sweetheart has made Madonna’s Papa Don’t Preach the motto of her life. From no-panty leaked pics, giving lap dances, smoking bong video, the wannabe adult has left no stone unturned to prove that she can’t be tamed! With her risqué outfits and saucy attitude, she is this year’s good girl gone bad.

Charlie Sheen
The actor had a rocky year. Just days after a messy divorce from Brooke Mueller, The Two and a Half Men star was back to what he does best - hooking up with pretty girls. But even this went horribly wrong when the porn star accused him of assaulting her in the hotel room. The star’s raunchy lifestyle, and obsession with call girls, drug rehab made for dramatic year.

Lindsay Lohan
Thank God for Lindsay Lohan! If it weren’t for her wild habits, the year would have been without spice. With drunken driving case, cocaine rehab, porn star role rejection, nude magazine covers, the Mean Girl star went berserk this year. Unfazed by controversies LiLo is trying to pull her life together - sitting and brooding in Bert Ford rehab.

Mel Gibson
The year has seen the Braveheart star hit rock bottom and really hard. The actor has been at the receiving end of accusation of domestic abuse from his ex-partner Oksana. Adding to the blow has been Winona Ryder’s revelation that the actor is racist and homophobic. Talk about adding fuel to fire!

Mallika Sherawat
As if sleazy B-town scenes were not enough, the actress decided to bare it all for a Hollywood film - Hisss. But even the star’s bold act couldn’t add fizz to the doomed film. From showing off her friendship with Salma Hayek, hobnobbing with Hollywood celebs at Cannes, Mallika’s antics irritated no end. To top it all was her wardrobe malfunction at a promotional event for Hisss, which added nothing to her crumbling reputation.

Dolly Bindra
The name Dolly Bindra has become synonymous with fighting and bad mouthing. The abusive and violent Bigg Boss contestant raised tempers inside the Bigg Boss house. Be it abusing everyone in the house to hitting Shweta Tiwari, the foul-mothed Dolly picked a fight at the drop of a hat.

Rakhi Sawant
With no more sense than a sheep, the item girl drew flak for being an ignorant judge on the reality show Rakhi Ka Insaaf. The controversy queen was taken to court for abetting the suicide of a participant on Sawant’s reality television show.

Rahul Mahajan
Be it drug abuse cases, or beating his women, Rahul Mahajan has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The incorrigible flirt tied the knot on TV show Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega. But showed his repulsive side when Dimpy accused him of beating her. She says Rahul allegedly punched, kicked and dragged her by the hair. His first wife Shweta Singh, who was his childhood friend, had accused him of physically abusing her.

Salman Khan
Salman Khan had a foot-in-mouth moment for which he got flak from everyone. The actor made irresponsible comments about the 26/11 terror attacks on a Pakistan TV channel saying, "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targeted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."

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John Abraham Has Stripped Completely In Saat Khoon Maaf

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Last time, he teased the audience with his suntanned butt when he showed off his toned body in Dostana and this time he’s taken it a step further, well, the last really.

Actor John Abraham has stripped almost completely in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film Saat Khoon Maaf.

John plays one of Priyanka’s husbands in the film and has shed his clothes for a steamy lovemaking scene.

The actor is actually wearing nothing although a cap has been strategically planted to save his modesty, reported Says.

The proof is the fact that this scene was shot with the ’bare’ minimum crew. It seemed that Bhardwaj was rather hell-bent on this scene, but we wonder how this will get past the censor scanner, which has been asking for scenes to be chopped left right and centre.

So, while John and Priyanka seem to be rather comfortable with the scene, is Bipasha as cool as well?

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Amitabh Bachchan`S Kandahar Received A Great Response

Kandahar

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan`s Malayalam-language film Kandahar,which hit the theatres has received great response from audiences in Thiruvananthapuram.

The film, written and directed by Major Ravi has jointly been produced by Sunil C. Nair and actor Mohan Lal.

Meanwhile, its actor Ganesh Venkatraman said that he was happy with the film, and had learnt a lot working with Bachchan and Lal.

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Nepal's Break Into The Hindi Film Industry



As Manisha Koirala, who was Bollywood’s reigning star in the 1990s, plans to spend more time in her home country, others from Nepal are finding it tough to break into the Hindi film industry in India.

"It is difficult," says Mohan Saraf, a former Nepali film producer, and owner of Bishwajyoti, one of the oldest theatres in Kathmandu. Saraf’s family had close links with Hindi film icon Raj Kapoor.

"First, there’s the matter of looks. Nepali looks may not always appeal to the Indian filmgoer. Then there’s the question of talent. And finally, even if you have both, there’s the decisive thing called getting a break."

Fired by Manisha’s success, Nepali actors and celebrities have been trying to carve a niche in Bollywood but with little success so far.

Manisha says she was lucky to get good directors.

"I can’t speak for others," the 40-year-old veteran actor told IANS. "I can speak only for myself. I always sought to excel at what I did and I also got to work with the best directors, like Mani Ratnam and Sanjay Leela Bhansali."

Manisha, who got married this year to a businessman, wants to be with her family and concentrate on directing her own films.

Six years ago, Nepal’s expectations arose when Bollywood director Rajat Mukherjee’s comic-thriller "Love in Nepal", starring Sonu Nigam as hero, released with former Miss Nepal Jharana Bajracharya in it.

But despite her talent and undoubted sex appeal, Jharana’s role was little more than that of an "item dancer" and the physical exposure in a song and dance sequence generated more negative publicity in Nepal than appreciation. Nor did it help her catch the eye of more directors in India.

In 2009, another Miss Nepal, Malavika Subba, was cast in Indian director Sanjay Srinivas’ film, "God Lives In The Himalayas".

Though Malavika had a meaty role, little more has been heard about the film so far and Bollywood is yet to discover the celeb master of ceremonies and talk show hostess.

Though Saraf feels Darjeeling girl Neeruta Singh, former leading lady of the Nepali film industry, has the looks that could captivate Indian audiences, she was unable to make the right connections.

When the doe-eyed beauty left Nepal for Mumbai last year, there was speculation that she was trying to break into Bollywood. However, Neeruta says she is camping in India’s tinsel town to do a course in interior decoration.

Now two more Nepali actresses are camping in Bollywood, with the avowed intention of trying to get a toehold.

Among them is Usha Poudel, an upcoming Nepali heroine who was last year chosen by Bollywood actor Rohit Roy.

Roy, who debuted in 1990 with teen romance "Aashiqui", came to Nepal to announce that his One Stop Shop company would make a Nepali film and Usha was chosen to play his love interest.

Though shooting was to start this summer, there has been no further news about Usha’s career.

A second Nepali actor, Sanchita Luitel, is also seeking to enter Bollywood or the regional film industries in India. However, Sanchita carries some heavy baggage with her.

She is said to be accompanied by her new beau, Nepali action hero Nikhil Upreti, and the Nepali film industry has been speaking reprovingly of the alliance, especially as Nikhil is married and has a child in Nepal.

Nepali daily Nagarik offers another explanation for the failure of the new aspirants to make a mark. Their ages did not support their ambition, it said.

"Neeruta is in her mid-30s, Sanchita and Usha are in their 30s while film city Mumbai is flooded with aspirants who are 19 or 20," the daily said. "In some (Indian) serials, even women who are 19-20 are playing the roles of characters in their mid-40s."

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Salman Khan Buried The Hatchet With Hrithik Roshan

Salman-Khan-with-Hrithik-Roshan

Yes Salman Khan can actually forgive! With the record of maximum enemies in film industry, Salman Khan has decided not to add another one to the list. The actor has reportedly buried the hatchet with Hrithik Roshan.

Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan had a fallout after Sallu took potshots at Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish in which Hrithik Roshan starred.

Hrithik, who generally keeps to himself came out and called Sallu pompous. The war didn’t end there. Salman went ahead and decided to clash the release of his upcoming film Ready with Hrithik’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

But that was it. Hrithik Roshan was invited to Sohail’s birthday bash, and then the unexpected happened. When Salman and Hrithik came face to face, Sallu immediately hugged him.

Both of them had a long chat post the lovey dovey hug. If this was not enough, Salman even requested Hrithik to stay longer than he was planning to.

Maan gaye Sallu!

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Hrithik Roshan's Name Should Be In Guinness

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan’s name should be in Guinness World Records for going on maximum diets for gaining weight, losing it, and then gaining it back for another role.

The actor is currently put on a high protein diet, comprising 22 eggs a day for his role in Agneepath. He had earlier piled up kilos only to lose them for two different sequences of Guzaarish.

The actor is now religiously working on his new regime. "Hrithik is undergoing a special exercise regimen for four hours every day.

He spends an hour doing cardio every morning and three hours in the evening lifting weights," says Satyajit Chaurasia his trainer.

"He has to eat lots of chicken and consume 22 eggs every day," says his trainer. "He breaks down the intake of eggs through the day, taking four in a single shot. This makes it easier for him to stick to his diet."

Adds Chaurasia, "To begin with, we are working on expanding his arms. When we started out his arms measured sixteen-an-a-half inches. We need to notch up 18."

The actor and his trainer have set themselves a deadline of two months to achieve the perfect form.

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Aamir Khan Has Become The Face Of Citizen

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Aamir Khan has often been the face of social causes, be it the Narmada Bachao Andolan or the Atithi Devo Bhava campaign.

This time he is involving himself to fight the cause of malnutrition, Mid-Day reported.

The actor has become the face of Citizens’ Alliance To Fight Against Malnutrition and was recently in Delhi to discuss some core issues with some leading politicians.

The Alliance has been founded by a group of MPs-Sachin Pilot, Shahnawaz Hussain and Supriya Sule along with 20 or 25 more MPs from different political parties. Aamir was approached by them.

AamirAamir Khan told the tabloid, "Malnutrition is an alarming issue in the country. One in every two children in India suffers from malnutrition. For our nation to prosper, our kids have to be healthy.

Malnutrition causes physical and mental problems. Often by the time you are 20 or 21 years old, you are not sharp enough because you did not receive the right kind of nutrition as a child."

The alliance is planning to launch an awareness programme through television and print medium.

The actor said, "A lot of women are economically weak so even if they are made aware, there is little they can do. There is corruption in the delivery system and so they do not reach the people."

Aamir felt that they need to inform mothers about their right to free nutrients from the local anganwadi. "Right now, they don’t even know they have this right," said Aamir.

However, he ruled out joining politics.

"I agreed to join the group because it counts a couple of doctors and an NGO as its members. If it had been one political party, I would have refused. I have no interest in politics."

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Sonakshi Sinha Bikini Image In Maxim Cover

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Sonakshi Sinha who recently posed for Maxim cover, was shocked to see her fake bikini image doing the rounds in media.

Her mentor Salman Khan is also fuming over the image as he had adviced Sonakshi not to pose for Maxim in the first place, rumour mills suggest.

Sonakshi wrote on microblogging site Twitter, "I’m on Maxim is right, but the figure (pun intended) completely wrong!

Would’ve been smart if they checked out the magazine before writing whatever they felt like. It’s not about me anymore but about their credibility."

Sonakshi Sinha has always maintained she won’t be seen in revealing clothes in her films.

The actress would next be seen opposite Salman Khan in Kick and Akshay Kumar in Joker.

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Mallika Sherawat Talks About Two Fighting Khans

mallika sherawat

When Mallika Sherawat speaks, the world listens and when she talks about two fighting Khans, the world sits up and pays attention. So, according to the Haryanvi actress, Salman Khan is a ’pussycat’ while Shah Rukh Khan is the ’king of charisma’.

But, here’s the catch! Mallika has taken a liking for Bollywood’s enfant terrible Salman Khan and ’pussycat’ in her dictionary means "good". Replying to one of her followers in Twitter, Mallika posted: "Salman is a pussycat. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing."

The Hiss actress also had flattering words to say about Shah Rukh Khan. Mallika wrote: "King of Charisma! Luv em :) (sic)"

MallikaTalking about the Guzaarish star, Hrithik Roshan, Mallika wrote: "Talent plus beauty! Lethal!"

But here’s the best part. When asked who according to her was the hottest Khan in the industry, Mallika quipped, "Malaika Arora Khan."

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SRK Wants All His Friends Back

SRK

Seems like SRK wants all his friends back! In a candid confession on Karan Johar’s Koffee with Karan, the actor for the first time accepted that "if Farah, Salman were not talking to him, it was probably his fault".

While this season’s Koffee with Karan is in news for caustic comments made by people in the entertainment industry, SRK who made a solo appearance on the show took it as an opportunity to convey to his ’frenemies’ that he was more than willing to bury the hatchet.

It may be recalled that SRK has been losing friends since a long time, and is now left with very few of them. A spat with Salman on Katrina’s birthday has left Salman still fuming. His relations also soured with friend Farah over Tees Maar Khan.

A source informs Mumbai Mirror, "Shah Rukh said that if they weren’t talking to him, it could probably be his fault."

The statement has shocked the channel officials and other people associated with the programme. Has it shocked you?

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Tees Maar Khan To Go On A Global Promotional Journey

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Catch them if you can! Team ‘Tees Maar Khan’ is packing its bag to go on a global promotional journey.

UTV is pulling out all the stops to promote Farah Khan’s highly awaited film ‘Tees Maar Khan’. Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif along with the director will be embarking whirlwind 4 city tour overseas next week to promote their film.

The team will travel through Dubai, London, New York and Toronto before returning to India for the final leg of promotions.

‘Tees Maar Khan’ is already hogging immense attention – one, because of its title, second, its lead pair and third the foremost for its ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’.

Going by Farah formula, one can expect some masti ka dhamaka in the movie and sparks flying at box office.

As a Christmas treat, ‘Tees Maar Khan’ is hitting the screens coming 24th December.

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Shriya Keeps Her Body Fit By Doing Just Three Things

Shriya Saran

Shriya Saran is one of the very few actresses whose fitness is always admired. According to sources close to the hourglass beauty, three things are behind her maintaining a slim physique.

“No crash diets and no tough workouts at gym. Shriya keeps her body fit by doing just three things - Yoga, cycling and swimming,” the sources say, adding: “And she reads a lot too.”

Saying that Shriya always believed in the concept of ‘a sound mind in a sound body’, they add: “Hence, she reads a lot whenever she gets a break. Books on various subjects are there in her collection.”

Shriya is currently having few South projects in her kitty, besides Deepa Mehta’s forthcoming English venture ‘Midnights Children’.

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Bipasha Basu Having A Fun Time In Australia

Bipasha-Singularity

Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu has been having a fun time shooting for her first foreign film Singularity in Australia, but says it is draining her physically.

"Whoa! It’s been physically tiring...the shoot! Lots of camel riding, compensated by the awesome locations," Bipasha posted on microblogging site Twitter.

She plays a Maratha warrior in the film directed by English-French director Roland Joffe.

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Salman Khan Voted As India’s Hottest Man Alive

Salman Khan

B-town macho hunk the ‘Dabangg’ Khan Salman has been voted as India’s hottest man alive in the latest issue of People Magazine.

The mag has quoted by saying, “Shows us that Sexiness lies not just in the Biceps but in being All Heart”

Well for us it’s the deadly balance of innocent face on a physic to die for that makes women go wild.

The hunk’s dare bare attitude which speaks the language of heart has made him the choice of many females.

Not too long ago Salman Khan was voted 7th best-looking man in the world by the same mag and also one of the sexiest men alive alongside Hollywood stars – for now though he reigns the “Sexiest Man Alive in India”!

Well, many of us will agree that Salman doesn’t need a poll to justify his charm amongst women.

He was, he is, and will be the choice of women who can steal any bholi bhali ladki ka dil at a snap.

Great going Salman we all love you…

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The Clash Between Priyanka Chopra And Kareena Kapoor

Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor

The B-town beauties, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor, who don’t see eye to eye over Shahid Kapoor didn’t leave the golden opportunity to take digs at each other on Karan Johar’s controversial show Koffee with Karan.

Kareena Kapoor who came along with beau Saif Ali Khan in the show said, "I wonder where Priyanka got her accent from?"

When asked to comment on Kareena’s query, Priyanka Chopra, who came along with rumoured boyfriend Shahid Priyanka-KareenaKapoor on Karan’s show had a smart reply for her arch rival, "I want to tell Kareena that I got my accent from the same place where her boyfriend (Saif Ali Khan) got his," referring to Saif and her education overseas.

According to reports, Priyanka later told a couple of people in the industry, "I’m flattered that Kareena thinks I am a good actress. But otherwise I don’t think people take Bebo too seriously."

Priyanka left no scope for doubt that the actors shared icy vibes, when she was asked what would she steal from computers of Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid, Kareena and others. Priyanka giggled and asked, "Does Kareena have a computer in the first place?"

Well, over to you, Kareena!

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A.R.Rahman Received A Hand-Written Note From Aron Ralston

127 Hours

American mountain climber Aron Ralston, whose life is the subject of Danny Boyle’s new movie "127 Hours", has complimented Indian composer A.R. Rahman for his music in the movie.

Rahman has received a hand-written note from Ralston, and he has posted a copy of the note on his social networking accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

The note reads: "For A.R, Thank you for bringing your amazing music to my story - if only I had your soundtrack in the canyon, I could’ve lasted another 127 hours. Best Wishes, A.R. (Aron Ralston)."

Ralston came to the limelight in 2003 when, while canyoneering in Utah, he was forced to amputate his lower right arm to free himself after his arm became trapped by a boulder. Boyle’s film traces his journey and struggle.

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Karan Johar Was Offered The Role Of A Wife Beater

Karan-Johar1

Known for making family entertainers, Karan Johar was left shell-shocked after he was offered the role of a wife beater and a sex maniac opposite Priyanka Chopra in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Saat Khoon Maaf. Bhardwaj was keen to cast KJo as a wife-beater to add curiosity element to his film.

Consequently, he requested Priyanka to use her influence on Johar to make him accept the role.

A source told Mid Day, "Vishal requested his heroine to put in a word. She promptly did."

But she couldn’t persuade him to accept the outrageous role. Though amused by the offer he declined saying, "From what angle do I look like a wife-beater?

And how could I enact a scene making love to Priyanka Chopra! And that too as a sex maniac! There is no way I could do this," reports the tabloid.

After the setback, Vishal finally cast Irrfan Khan for the role.

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Actor Dia Mirza Is In Love With Sahil Sangha

Dia-Mirza

Actor Dia Mirza is in love, and has finally confessed it. Though rumour mills had it that she may have been seeing upcoming film-maker Sahil Sangha since the two were spotted together at actor Shilpa Shetty’s Diwali party earlier this year, it is only now that the actor has openly admitted to beingin a relationship. “Yes, I am in a relationship and seeing Sahil,” she told HT City on Tuesday.

If her beau’s name doesn’t ring a bell, he was the assistant director for the hit 2007 film, Salaam-e-Ishq. Ask her how long they’ve been with each other, and she laughs, “The media has been slow in picking this.”

Dia MirzaBuzz has it that the two may’ve been an item since over a year. The couple first grabbed eyeballs when Mirza announced her decision to turn producer, with Sangha directing his first film under her banner.

“I’m really happy that she has fallen in love, for she deserves the best,” says designer Rocky S, one of Mirza’s closest friends. Mirza has earlier been linked to film-makers Apoorva Lakhia, Sanjay Gupta, and actors Kunal Kapoor and Arshad Warsi.

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Court To Serve A Show Cause Notice To Bigg Boss

Bigg-Boss-41

The Bombay High Court Wednesday asked the information and broadcasting ministry to serve a show cause notice to entertainment channel Colors over the content and timings of its reality show "Bigg Boss" to enable it present its viewpoint on the matter.

"In our petition to the honourable court, we had asked to be given a fair hearing by the I&B (information and broadcasting) ministry to understand our viewpoint and accordingly clarify our stance on I&B ministry’s objection to ’Bigg Boss’," a channel source told IANS.

"Today the honourable court has asked the I&B ministry to serve us a show cause notice on this matter and give us an opportunity to present our viewpoint on the same," the source added.

The I&B ministry also confirmed the development.

The ministry last month directed Colors to change the telecast timings of "Bigg Boss" from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. following viewers’ complaints of vulgarity.

"Bigg Boss" was, however, allowed to continue with its normal timings of 9 p.m. till Dec 3. It filed a petition in the high court soon after.

"Bigg Boss" features a group of celebrity participants locked up in a house for three months without any access to the outside world, including to newspapers or television.

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Karisma Kapoor Is Thinking Of Filing For Divorce

Karishma-Kapoor-and-husband-Sanjay-Kapur

Just days after the reports appeared that Karisma Kapoor’s marriage with Delhi-based businessman Sunjay Kapur is on the rocks, we hear that the actress is mulling divorce.

It’s been quite a while since Karisma has been stationed in Mumbai. And her hubby Sunjay has not cared to pay a single visit in months. Speculation was already rife about trouble in the marriage, but now the buzz is that the rift between the husband and wife is permanent, and Karisma is thinking of filing for divorce.

Cracks first appeared in their marriage way back in 2005 when Karisma was pregnant with her first child. But the couple ironed out their differences and got together again. Karisma gave birth to her second child in March this year. Within months, rumour mills were abuzz that Sunjay was seeing another woman in Delhi, an ex wife of a rich NRI hotelier.

Karisma, who is in Mumbai, is reported to be so frustrated that she’s now seriously considering divorce and could file for it any day.

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Amitabh Bachchan Used His Clout To Delay A Film

Amitabh Bachchan

Film-maker Anurag Kashyap has stirred up a controversy by claiming that Amitabh Bachchan used his clout to delay a film that’s based on Chittagong revolt so that son Abhishek Bachchan’s film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey could get enough eyeballs.

Shonali Bose’s small-budget film Chittagong that is based on the same subject and stars Manoj Bajpai as the revolutionary Surjya Sen, was meant to release in October, but it was delayed due to reasons unclear. But now, Anurag Kashyap, known for his brutal straightforwardness, has thrown light on the reasons.

Anurag has written on a social networking site: “See Chittagong, a far superior film made on the same subject as Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey... At 1/8 th the cost, far superior actors and immense passion...

Producers decided to sit on it, because of a phone call from someone, because that someone was trying desperately to save his son’s career... welcome to Bollywood, where whose son you are outshines all the hard work and passion and potential and talent. KHJJS came and went, now what?”

There can be no doubt that the “someone” referred to in the post is Amitabh Bachchan.

When the superstar was asked to reply to Kashyap’s allegation, he said he did not want to dignify an undignified remark by commenting on it. However, Big B did say that the allegation is ‘baseless’ and ‘incorrect’.

Meanwhile, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is on its way to be a flop.

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Manoj Tiwari Is Now Ruing Over A Tweet Of Arbaaz Khan

Manoj-Tiwari-Big-Boss

Bhojpuri superstar Manoj Tiwari is now ruing over a tweet of actor Arbaaz Khan which said, “I would try save Ashmit by sending a SMS,” insinuating that the Khan brothers Salman (the host of the reality show) and Arbaaz, have ‘scripted’ his eviction from Bigg Boss. Manoj is also learnt to have told a television channel that his eviction could be a ‘conspiracy’ against Bhojpuri actors.

“Mr Tiwari is singling out Arbaaz just because he is unable to digest his defeat opposite Ashmit Patel and probably feels the need to blame someone for it. If Arbaaz tweeted, what’s wrong about it? Doesn’t Arbaaz have his own identity, independent of Salman Khan? Just because he is Salman’s brother, can Manoj Tiwari hold him guilty for tweeting? By doing so, he’s being a petty superstar,” reacted Ashmit’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar.

In his moment of embarrassment, Manoj seems to have conveniently missed out the fact that Karan Johar, Amisha Patel, Manyata and Sanjay Dutt, Farah Khan, Ali Merchant, Hrishant Goswami, Ishq Bector and a host of Bollywood people, along with Ashmit’s growing fan-following, put in their bit to help him win the round opposite the Bhojpuri superstar. We are aware how most of them SMS’d, emailed, posted messages on their Blackberry Messengers, Twitter and Facebook and even spread the word-of-mouth.

Moreover, the biggest chunk of votes must have come from Gujarat, where a mass SMS campaign called ‘Save Aapno Gujjubhai’ (Save Our Gujjubhai) was conducted in the state by Ashmit’s managing team.

Inspite of this, fans of Manoj Tiwari have burnt effigies of Salman Khan in Patna. Manoj Tiwari Fan Club president Manish Kumar, along with some 20-25 supporters, protested against eviction of their superstar and claimed that Bigg Boss had ‘insulted’ the 26-crore Bhojpuri community.

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Madhavan Lead In PETA India's Vegetarian Celebrity Poll

Madhavan

The nominees have not been posted long on PETAIndia.com, but actor R Madhavan has already taken the early lead in PETA India’s annual Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity poll.

Madhavan, a longtime PETA supporter, says, "For me, being a vegetarian is about being compassionate.

I love animals, so I would never eat them. Having a healthy heart is a great bonus, but I’d rather people think of me as having a good soul and a kind heart."

R Madhavan has taken up the cause of chickens and has written to KFC CEO David Novak on behalf of PETA urging him to stop killing the birds.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is asking people to boycott KFC restaurants in India until animal welfare improvements are adopted.

"I am sure you’re a compassionate person who agrees that animals, whether they are dogs, cats or chickens, should not be abused and that working to stop this unnecessary cruelty should be a top priority," Madhavan wrote.

"Please use your unique position to stop the worst abuses of these sensitive birds by making the improvements suggested by PETA and KFC’s own former animal welfare advisors," he added.

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Deepika Padukone Holidaying With Her Family

Deepika Padukone

We had recently told you that Deepika Padukone had a blast while holidaying with her family in South East Asia.

She also visited Singapore Grand Prix track where Vijay Mallya gave a warm welcome to Deepika and her family.

So what do the locals (especially those of Indian origin) feel about it?

Well, during a recent visit to the venue we were amazed to see the superb track and all the arrangements.

We also interacted with the locals who are still excited about Deepika’s visit and are waiting for the actress to come and one of her films there, as she had reportedly promised!

Is Deepika listening!

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Shah Rukh Khan And Aamir Khan To Learn Marathi

Aamir-Khan-and-Shahrukh-Khan

They work in Mumbai but hardly any of the top Bollywood stars are fluent in Marathi.

Keeping this in mind, the University of Pune has sent invitations to Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and other Khans apart from Akshay Kumar to come and learn Marathi during a special course organized to celebrate the 60 years of the Marathi department in University of Pune.

Manohar Jadhav, the head of the Marathi Department, is quoted as saying that he’s already very impressed by the efforts of actor Aamir Khan to learn Marathi from colleagues in the film industry.

On a Marathi channel, Aamir had recently expressed his desire to learn Marathi. Will he take up this course? Wait a while to know the answer.

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Mallika Sherawat Pocketing 45 Lakh Per Episode

mallika_sherawat

The Hisss hysteria may have fizzled off in thin air, but Mallika Sherawat is now set to return on the small screen with a dance reality show.

If Sony has got Madhuri Dixit as a judge for the dance show Jhalak Dhikhla Ja, its rival channel Colors has roped in Mallika Sherawat for its upcoming show Chak Dhoom Dhoom for which auditions have already begun.

The participants of CDD are kids and this year they will contest in groups rather than individually.

Mallika will begin shooting for the show from December 14 onward. She is rumoured to be pocketing Rs. 45 lakh per episode.

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Vivek Oberoi's Honeymoon In Egypt And Saudi Arabia

vivek-oberoi

Mixing work with honeymoon! That’s what Vivek Oberoi will be doing as he rings in 2011.

It’s been more than a month since Vivek married Bangalore’s Priyanka Alva. However, unlike other newly-weds, the duo did not vamoose off for a honeymoon.

Rather, Vivek kept being busy with professional commitments and the promotion of Rakht Charitra - 2.

Now that the film has released Vivek is finally set to spend days and weeks with his wife alone. But work still doesn’t seem to leave him.

The actor is set to perform on Dec 31 for the Country Club New Year bash in Dubai. And accompanying him would be his wife Priyanka.

After the New Year eve the couple would then head for their honeymoon. We hear their destination would be Red Sea in the Arabian peninsula right between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

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Hrithik Roshan Mobbed In Delhi Airport

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan recently went through a security scare at Delhi airport. Hrithik, who was touring the city, was flying back from the national capital when his flight got a bit delayed.

The hunk had to wait at the airport and seing him strolling, there was bound to be a mob attack and it did happen.

However, Hrithik getting mobbed was getting a little out of hand with the crowd only swelling in number by the second.

Seeing this, airport officials called in extra security at that particular area to control the situation. Of course, no one got hurt, but Hrithik’s fans managed to get a piece of him.

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Kareena And Priyanka Fell Out Over Shahid Kapoor

Priyanka-and-Kareena

Mercifully these two don’t pretend to be friends. Of course, when asked direct questions about each other, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra — who bonded during Aitraaz and fell out over Shahid Kapoor — normally say innocuous things like, "Oh, we have no issues with each other. Blah, blah..."

But the fact remains that they do have very strong issues. And these came to the fore recently when Kareena bared her fangs on a talk show and said, "I wonder where Priyanka got her accent from?"

Not to be outdone, Priyanka who is coming on the same show shortly with none other than Shahid Kapoor, had people at the shoot in splits when she said, "I want to tell Kareena that I got my accent from the same place where her boyfriend ( Saif Ali Khan) got his."

PC reminded the show host (and all those who tune in) that she, too, had studied overseas and therefore had access to an accent just like so many others in Bollywood.

Of course, having been given the opportunity to take a dig at Bebo, Piggy Chops wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass with just one direct hit. Later, PC made it known to the host that people in the industry didn’t take Kareena too seriously.

"I’m flattered that Kareena thinks I am a good actress," she is said to have remarked. "But otherwise I don’t think people take Bebo too seriously," is what PC reportedly said.

And she hit one final nail when she was asked what she would steal from computers of Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid, Kareena and others. Known for her smart alec replies, PC giggled, "Does Kareena have a computer in the first place?" Hmmm... one can see round two of this cat fight happening soon.

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Saifeena Planning To Tie The Knot Around 2012

saif-ali-khan-kareena-kapoor

Kareena Kapoor might be very satisfied on both her professional and personal life but little did we know about her mood swings. Off late, the actress has been quite a bit irritated and wants to be left alone. And there are times when she does not even want her beau Saif by her side.

To overcome her unpredictable mood swings, the Kapoor lass goes on a long shopping sprees. Moreover, she knows the new man in her life does not have enough patience to accompany her when she is shopping. But Kareena does not complain as she feels best when she shops endlessly alone.

Talking about Kareena’s fetish for shopping whenever she is feeling down and out, a source told a daily, "Kareena and Saif usually have small skirmishes since Saif finds it really tough to accompany Bebo on her shopping expeditions.

Such is the level of incompatibility here that Saif has decided to let Bebo be on her own. Even Kareena prefers the same since she wants to take her own sweet time while shopping, something which Saif can hardly stand."

And with the news of Saifeena planning to tie the knot around 2012, it must be quite a task for Saif to handle his ladylove with all the care and attention. What will Saif do to keep Kareena’s mood under check? Any guesses people?

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Salman Khan And Preity Zinta Involved In Drug Abuse Case

salman_preity

Salman Khan has extended his support to dimpled lass Preity Zinta, who is now challenging the authenticity of the news of her being involved in drug abuse case.

The generous Khan is all praise for the actress and has told her that he will be right there with her through thick and thin.

"Hope all gets sorted. Standing right besides you and hope so does the rest of the industry, fans, press and the law,” a daily quoted Salman as saying.

Salman has been in awe of Preity’s fighting and her “never say die” spirit and he feels that she is truly a woman of substance.

The actress lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell in Mumbai to challenge the false allegations.

Reportedly, Preity claims that the fake news was nothing but a result of a bitterness a journalist had for her.

Praising the lady who played his love interest in many films, Salman wrote on his blog, "She has to get her team back.

I have never met anyone so straight, clear, positive, clean, hard working and some one who fights her own battle single-handedly."

And the bubbly actress in response said, "Salman can I please borrow your muscles? Only for a day I promise. Need to Dishum Dishum!"

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India And France To Produce Films In Future

Nicolas Sarkozy

India’s song-and-dance routines will soon meet France’s scenic locales and production technology as the two countries have entered an agreement to co-produce films in future.

India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and French Culture and Information Minister Federic Mitter signed the agreement on behalf of the two governments at Hyderabad House Monday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were present while the agreement was signed.

The agreement is expected to help the film industries of both the countries in gaining access to latest and better film production technology as well as shooting locations.

Sarkozy, accompanied by wife Carla Bruni and a large ministerial and business delegation, is on a three-day visit to India.

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Aishwarya Rai Together With Kareena’s Beau

Aishwarya-rai

After Kareena replaced Aishwarya in Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s revived ambitious project ‘Bajirao Mastani’, it is reported that Ash bagged a role good enough to make Bebo go green with envy.

Buzz has it that, Ash has been offered a role opposite Kareena’s beau Saif in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next.

Sources confirm that filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj approached the green-eyes beauty with an idea to cast her as the female lead for his upcoming film.

It is also heard that Vishal has been chasing Ash for 14 years now, but the two never worked together owing to date constraints or because the project was not of Ash’s interest.

However, looking at Vishal line of work it is widely speculated that if Ash agrees to the film, it will be sheer joy to watch an interesting new pair on screen.

Besides approaching her to be the leading lady love for Saif in his next, the acclaimed filmmaker plans to cast her in another project the concept of which is a take on William Shakespeare`s cult tragedy, Hamlet, for which he plans to cast Hrithik Roshan.

Vishal was spotted entering Janak (Bachchans, usually, hold business meetings at this Juhu bungalow) with a script in hand.

This has set the ball in motion. Said a source, "Vishal was indeed there to meet with Ash. It went on for an hour at least where they discussed and dissected the offers that he had for her. As of now things are very hush hush."

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Akshay Kumar's Son Won Three Medals In Karate Tournament

Akshay Kumars son Aarav

Bollywood action hero Akshay Kumar’s son Aarav seems to be walking in his father’s footsteps already! The eight-year-old bagged three medals at a Karate tournament Monday.

"I’m the proudest dad in India today! My son just won three medals in his annual Karate tournament, " Akshay, a black-belt in martial arts, posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Aarav won a gold medal for his kicks, and a silver medal each for his squats and combat fighting.

Though Akshay’s genes could well be the reason behind Aarav’s accomplishment, the actor credits his wife Twinkle Khanna for their son’s success.

"I must say that Aarav’s gold medal is all thanks to my wife. She gave him extra training everyday at home for the last one month and he thanked her with an outstanding gold medal in return.

He may have my genes but he definitely has his mother’s fighting spirit, " wrote Akshay.

Akshay and Twinkle tied the knot in 2001, and Akshay is still quite vocal about his love for her.

"Tina (Twinkle’s real name) I love you and I’m so proud of our son, " he tweeted.

One wonders if later Aarav will take the Bollywood route to fulfil his love for action, just as his father did with films like "Khiladi" and "Mohra".

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Sonam Kapoor Labeled As The Hot Pin Up Gal

Sonam Kapoor

Sonam Kapoor is indeed the masakali girl who has traversed the path to success with aplomb. Despite the fact that her debut flick Saawariya failed to create a roar at the box office the gal has managed to sustain herself in the industry with quite a lot of positive attitude.

Sonam had been almost labeled as the gal with the traditional touch in the industry, what with her debut film having her portray the typical Hindi film heroine with the traditional attire and an ethnic background and her second movie Delhi 6, having her in a typical salwar kameez clad role.

However, this movie was also quite a transition for her as she also had a hep look with high street fashion garments sported by her in the second half.

Sonam Kapoor broke the mould to emerge as a true blue modern chic with the KJO flick I Hate Love Storys, where she was seen in the most modern attire with designer labels et al.

The actual transition of image for Sonam was of course with the movie Aisha, where she made a splash with her on screen persona and stylish attitude with the most happening wardrobe and a great positive attitude which literally made her one of the most happening fashionistas of B town.

These days Sonam has been seen in the most stylish of ensembles, be it at film premieres, events, or magazine covers or high end chat shows on the telly. Amazingly, Sonam has also been labeled as the hot pin up gal due to her appearance on magazine covers almost every month!

Well, we do hope to see a lot of the star in the coming months. Reportedly, her role in Pankaj Kapoor’s Mausam, co-starring Shahid Kapoor will see her in a series of different attires as her role in the movie will see her ageing from a young girl to an old woman. So get ready to see the fashionista at her best in the coming year.

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Panty-Less Yana Gupta Has Become A Hot Among Men

Yana

Czechoslovakian beauty Yana, who recently made news for turning up “panty-less” at a charity event, has become a hot among men.

Apparently, a UK based men’ magazine is planning to approach her to pose nude for their publication. Reportedly the magazine will be offering her a sum of Rs 1 crore for the job.

Yana, who, was quite a sport to take such an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction by her stride said that she love to endorse an underwear brand.

“I used to be known as an item girl. Now I will be known as a no-panty girl. I should do an ad for some underwear brand with a tag line saying: `I`ve got them NOW”, Yana was quoted as telling a daily after the incident.

A number of adult websites have been desperately trying to have the lady on board. They want the model turned item girl to flaunt her assets and give as many variations as possible.

The lady who went missing after sizzling in a raunchy number ‘Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo’ has finally managed to grab eyeballs once again.

And now it seems the “no-panty” act was an intentional one.

Right, Yana?

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Rani Mukerji Earn Her Rightful Share Of Limelight

No One Killed Jessica

Rani Mukerji will, in all probability, earn her rightful share of limelight and success with ’No One Killed Jessica’.

Besides, she’s pitted against another formidable ace: Vidya Balan. And there’s nothing like competition to get the adrenaline going…

As per insiders, Rani has sunk her teeth into her role deeeeeepppllllyyy and has proved her mettle as an actress with a portrayal that will have audiences stumped, for sure.

For a particular scene, Rani had to step in front of a car, stop it and sit on it. Word has it that RM ended up giving a dozen retakes.

Nah, before you jump to bizarre conclusions… let’s get this straight. Apparently, Ms. M wasn’t too pleased with the quality of her performance and requested director Rajkumar Gupta for retakes for "that perfect shot."

In her quest for perfection, Ms. M ended up with bruised shins and she summoned up her make up man to swiftly slather on some antiseptic cream on her bruises, even as she readied for a round of realism for future scenes…

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A New Round Of Success For Action Kumar

Tees Maar Khan

He’s been gaining ground again as the promos of ’Tees Maar Khan’ have found favour majorly. As per insiders, Farah Khan’s flick will usher in a new round of success for Action Kumar.

The actor, meanwhile, continues to be the affable and considerate soul that he always was famed for being.

A recent case in point serves to illustrate this further.

Reportedly, when Akki was filming for ’Desi Boyz’ in Mumbai, a young girl holding a photo of his would keep hanging around the sets.

She’d wait for hours in the sweltering sun, requesting the guards to allow her to meet her matinee idol and insisting that she wouldn’t budge unless she’d met AK.

Taking pity on her, one of them did go across and conveyed the message to Akki. No sooner did he learn of this, he had the young girl brought to him and spent over an hour chatting her up. Notch one more fan for life, AK…

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Ranbir Kapoor And Deepika Padukone's Public Relationship

Ranbir Kapoor And Deepika Padukone

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone might be taking nasty potshots at each other on TV shows but the two just can’t seem to get over each other.

At least the Kapoor lad appears to be having a tough time moving on, for he is time and again dropping outside Dips house begging for an audience with her.

And this is despite the fact that Deepika has moved on and is now in a very public relationship with liquor baron Vijay Mallya`s son Siddharth

According to sources, Ranbir went to Dips house at 12.45 am. The actor was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. Even though Ranbir insisted that he wanted to meet her, Deepika was in no mood to let him in. Consequently, the guard on duty did not permit Ranbir to go upstairs.

But adamant as Ranbir was, he kept convincing the guard that he should let him go and meet Dips. Confirming the news a source told a daily, “But rules are rules in Cozy Home Apartments (which incidentally is a stone`s throw away from Ranbir`s bungalow, Krishna Raj, in Pali Hill).

No outsider, however big or familiar he may be, is allowed without the permission of the person he is visiting. The guard stuck to his duty like a true soldier."

Left with no choice, Ranbir started calling Deepika. Giving an account of the incident an eyewitness said, "Ranbir was overheard telling Deepika, `Please allow me to come up. I am sorry. I want to explain.`"

However, after much drama Deepika allowed him in, but not before Ranbir had to wait down in the compound for a good half-hour.

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Salman Khan Refused Marathi Remake Movie

Salman Khan

It seems like Mahesh Manjrekar has waited enough. The long-pending Hindi version of Marathi film Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho was to star Salman Khan as an ambitious and academically-obsessed father of a boy who wants loves playing cricket.

About a year ago when Manjrekar offered Khan the role, he seemed eager to "break the mould" and do the unexpected in the shoes of a working class father of teenage kids.

That was before Dabangg. Now, ordinary characters are out of Khan’s career. Life-like is not acceptable. Larger-than-life is the need of the hour.

The Hindi adaptation of Shikshanachya Aacha Gho no longer enthuses him. Apparently, Manjrekar has moved on too. Bengali superstar Presanjeet is set to play the lead in the Bengali adaptation of the Marathi film, and he might just play the lead in the Hindi version too.

The other option is National Award-winning Telugu actor Prakash Raj, who played a villain opposite Salman Khan in Wanted.

Manjrekar is unwilling to admit he has given up on Khan. "Salman and I discussed the film while shooting for Anees Bazmi’s Ready. He was very excited. But he still hasn’t found the time to see the Marathi original. I’ll speak to him when we resume shooting for Ready, " he said.

In the meanwhile, Manjrekar admits that Prakash Raj is doing two versions of the film. "Prakash liked the Marathi film, and agreed to do both, Tamil and Telugu versions. He will also direct both versions. "

Manjrekar will play a supporting character (a Muslim money lender) in the Tamil and Telugu versions.

As for the much-awaited Hindi adaptation, it seems to have slipped out of Salman Khan’s hands.

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Dev Anand`S Hum Dono In A Digitally Coloured Version

Dev Anand`S Hum Dono

Evergreen star Dev Anand`s classic hit ‘Hum Dono’ (1961) will release in a digitally coloured version in India in February next year.The movie that saw the veteran in a double role opposite Nanda and Sadhana 50 years ago, will first release overseas on Jan 28 and hit the Indian screens in the first week of February.

"Where ever I go, people talk to me about the film. It`s nostalgic, I am releasing the colored version of the film in January for all my fans," Dev Anand, 87, said in a statement.Produced by Dev Anand`s Navketan Films, it was written by his younger brother Vijay Anand and directed by Amarjeet.

"This is the 62nd year of Navketan Films. I have received lots of love from my fans for a long time and `Hum Dono` was a craze when it released. Lot of people were requesting to release the colour version of the film for a long time," said the star, who has recently also wielded the megaphone for his next "Chargesheet".

’Hum Dono’ was the last black and white offering from Navketan Films that has produced cult films like ‘Baazi’, ‘Guide’, ‘Prem Pujari’, ‘Tere Ghar Ke Saame’ and ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ to name a few.The outing is also remembered for its still hummed songs like ‘Mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya’ and ‘Abhi na jaao chhodkar’.The coloured version of the film has been created by incorporating state of the art advanced technology in the US and is in anamorphic lens series CinemaScope with Dolby Digital Ex surround sound.

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Movie Review: Rakht Charitra 2

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Movie: Rakht Charitra

Director: Ram Gopal Varma

Cast: Vivek Oberoi, Suriya, Shatrughan Sinha, Abhimanyu Singh


We’re back in Anantpur where the saga of revenge continues. We’re shown a close-to 30-minute recap of the first instalment that led some of us in the screening to believe that Part 1 was being screened all over again.

A recap is necessary if you’re showing the film in two instalments, just not this detailed.

So you are reminded of the rivalry between politician Narsimha, his loyal worker Veerbhadra, and Naagmani who instigated Narsimha against Veerbhadra.

Lives are taken and Veerbhadra’s son Pratap (Vivek Oberoi) kills Naagmani and Narsimha in retaliation. He is helped by a powerful politician and becomes a minister. Post half-hour, the credits for Rakht Charitra 2 roll out.

We see a car bomb planted to kill Pratap, which he escapes. His people find out that the bomb was planted by Narsimha’s son Surya (Tamil actor Suriya) thirsting for revenge.

The story track has several similarities with Part 1 where it was Pratap who was distraught after the murders of his father and brother and wanted to even the score. So, the revenge and counter-revenge episodes continue as people on either side are murdered in the most gruesome manner.

The story also has similarities with Ram Gopal Varma’s Company that released in 2002. Those who have seen the film will remember that it was a small misunderstanding that led mentor and protégé to become sworn enemies.

Here too, half-truths lead either side to ruthlessly mow down each other. Add to that a chain-smoking DCP with a stylish swagger who appears and disappears at will, and you get the feeling that he’s a shade of the cop in Company who is getting either side to surrender.

Mercifully Part 2 is less violent that the first, which was a series of murders and rapes. And there are a couple of scenes that really have you at the edge of your seat, like the one where Suriya is escorted to the court.

The camera, that’s always hand-held and edgy in Ram Gopal Varma’s films, goes topsy-turvy this time. So you have two people conversing with the camera swerving till it’s completely upside down!

Performances are an absolute treat. South superstar Suriya is outstanding, flashing the wrath of his character through his expressive eyes.

Vivek Oberoi gives a nuanced, powerful performance in this instalment as well. The two are dynamite on screen, which is why one rues the lack of an equally solid script that could exploit the potential of this duo.

The characters of Pratap and Suriya are fashioned along similar lines: Both were on their way to becoming educated professionals till revenge got the better of them, both marry girlfriends who defy their families to be with them, and both have mothers who support their violent ways.

Writer-director Ram Gopal Varma is inevitably drawn towards fashioning his male characters around these attributes: The kind that are tough with the world, but committed to their women.

So there you have it, a revenge drama that’s not a patch on Varma’s earlier works like Satya and Company. And even though the performances are superlative, one cannot recommend a film on that account alone.

Verdict: 2.5 stars

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Movie Review: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

Khelein_Hum_Jee_Jaan_Sey

Movie: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Sikander Kher, Vishakha Singh


Adapting a work of literature into a movie is an arduous task. Satyajit Ray’s ’Apu Trilogy’ (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and Apur Sansar) was based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhuthibhushan Bandopadhyay. Ray’s Shatran Ke Khiladi was based on Munshi Premchand’s short story of the same name. In fact, film-makers have always been fascinated by best-selling books/novels for adapting into feature films. Mira Nair’s The Namesake, P.C. Barua, Bimal Roy and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, Pradeep Sarkar’s Parineeta, Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots, Atul Agnihotri’s Hello and the recent Aisha have been adapted from literary works. Even in Hollywood, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia and many more have been successfully adapted from novels by reputed names.

However, if you analyze the past, you will realize that not all movies adapted from novels/short stories have set the cash registers jingling at the box-office. Films like Pinjar, Paheli, Raincoat and international experiments like Bride And Prejudice and The Mistress Of Spices have found very few takers in the past.

This is not the first time Ashutosh Gowariker has adapted a book into a film. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is yet another book-to-movie adaptation by this talented storyteller (this one is based on the book Do And Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34 by Manini Chatterjee). Again, this is not the first time Ashutosh Gowariker has revisited the bygone era. He did it successfully in Lagaan (period), then Jodhaa Akbar (historical) and now Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (period).

Recreating the bygone era is indeed demanding, laborious and strenuous. It’s a challenge to present the era convincingly. Besides extensive detailing to lend authenticity, the director carries the responsibility of making the characters come alive to the present-day generation. Gowariker has successfully done that in the past and does it successfully yet again in Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.

Once the film-maker takes on the task of depicting a chapter from history, it’s imperative that he/she remains factual to the depiction of the revolution, giving an accurate account of what actually transpired in that period. But details alone won’t help, it needs to be well dramatized for the big screen. There’s a vast difference in the style novels are written, but one needs to take extra care to make it film friendly. While I may not be able to comment on whether Gowariker has been faithful to the book or tampered with it or implemented some changes, which may be necessary to suit the tastes of the present-day spectators and make it more palatable, I would definitely like to say that what comes across on screen is very absorbing, truly informative and exceptionally inspiring.

Final word? The expectations from Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey are minimal, but you can’t overlook the fact that it’s a genuinely honest effort that needs to be encouraged and appreciated. I would like to add here that the promotional posters/billboards/promos don’t create any impact whatsoever. Wish the makers would’ve looked into this very important aspect as well!

1930, British India: In the province of undivided Bengal lies the sleepy, peaceful port of Chittagong. In this unassuming little town, a revolution is about to begin; a revolution which will forever wake all of Chittagong and inspire the entire nation.

April 18. One night. Five simultaneous attacks. A band of 64 - 56 innocent yet fearless young boys, five defiant revolutionaries, two determined young women, and an idealistic leader (Surjya Sen), a school teacher by profession.

This group of 64 represents a little-known chapter in history; a forgotten night that reigned terror on the British through a series of calculated attacks. This is a true story of these forgotten heroes and the narrative takes us through every step of the action from the initial trepidation, to the thrill of the attack, to the underground movement, daring escapes and tragic captures, and most importantly, their undying legacy.

A film-maker of extensive aptitude and sensitivity, Gowariker’s tryst with period films continues. Seems like he has worked himself to the grind in order to attain perfection. The writing (screenplay: Raoul V Randolf and Ashutosh Gowariker) and execution of the material are so credible that it influences you to wonder if the writers and director were part of the revolution. The Bengali ethos and the behavioral patterns of the characters, recreating the etiquette and body language of people who lived in a different era along with their attire and styling and also their dwellings come across as very pragmatic. In fact, Gowariker has left no stone unturned to make a film that does justice to the event.

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey has almost entirely been shot in Goa and not Chittagong (now Bangladesh) because the location that was there in the 1930s no longer exists in that shape, I understand. However, the film captures the spirit and intensity to perfection. On the other hand, with Gowariker’s films, the length/running time of the film is always a topic of discussion and that’s a problem with Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey as well. The film has a running time of approximately 2.48 hours and the editor (Dilip Deo) and director could’ve easily trimmed a few fight sequences in the second half, to make the goings-on crisper.

Musically, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is embellished with soft and soothing compositions, but I have an issue with that. Sure, the album is high on patriotic sentiment, but the songs in the first hour act as a roadblock in the narrative. Ideally, it should’ve been a songless film. However, the background score (also by Sohail Sen) enhances every scene, making it more impactful. The production design (Nitin Chandrakant Desai) transports you to that era. It’s that authentic. The stunts (Ravi Dewan) are true to life. Kiran Deohans and Seetha Sandhiri’s cinematography captures the era to perfection.

Abhishek as Surjya Sen suits the character right. His character appears very fervent, but at the same time truly tranquil, incredibly unperturbed and really unruffled, which merges very well with the character of an educationalist that he illustrates. A freedom fighter with these attributes hasn’t been presented in a motion picture before. Abhishek gets to the character a certain authority. The rebelliousness and boisterousness are depicted to perfection.

Deepika sheds her glam look and looks every bit the character she illustrates. Kudos to her first of all for accepting a challenging role (of a woman revolutionary of the 1930s) so early in her career and then almost living that character in the film, continuing to prove her mettle far ahead of her poise and exquisiteness.

Sikander Kher leaves a terrific impression. He excels in several scenes. Vishakha Singh is a complete natural. She catches one’s attention instantly. Samrat Mukerji, Maninder and Feroz Wahid Khan, each actor is earnest and sincere to the core. In fact, every actor in the film looks most convincing in their respective parts. I would like to make a special mention of the young artists (most of them seem like first-time performers), who have a very unpolluted/uninfluenced approach to acting. Brownie points to each one of them.

On the whole, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, based on the Chittagong rebellion, is an enlightening experience of a poignant, but little-known chapter in history. It’s a film of immense significance which evokes a colossal patriotic fervor. A motion picture like Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey isn’t created targeting the box-office solely. It’s also made for the gratification of the senses. And that it does in sufficient measure. In an industry obsessed by opening weekend business and box-office records, this is one of those rare films that doesn’t compromise on its gracious objectives for the sake of becoming more box-office friendly. At the same time, a film like Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, although very well made, may not appeal to those who relish the customary kitsch and masala. Therefore, the film will have to rely on a very strong word of mouth to create any kind of an impression or impact at the box-office.

Verdict: Fours stars

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Charlie Chaplin High Definition Movies In India

Charlie Chaplin

Indian fans of Charlie Chaplin can rejoice as movies of the legendary English comic actor are being released here this Christmas in high definition (HD) on DVDs.

Eagle home entertainment in collaboration with the MK2 group is bringing out a compilation of the actor-filmmaker’s famous full-length feature films here like "The Kid", "Modern Times" and "The Circus", etc.

"Eagle home entertainment is making the collection of Chaplin movies available in Indian market... not only the collection is being available in DVDs but also is available in HD," read a statement by the company.

Remembered worldwide for his mime, slapstick and other visual comedy, Chaplin was one of the pioneers of the silent era.

Other names in the gift pack set include "A Woman of Paris", "The Gold Rush", "City Lights", "The Great Dictator", "Monsieur Verdoux", "Limelight", "A King in New York" and short film anthology "The Chaplin Revue".

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Tom Cruise Is Very Hardworking-Anil Kapoor

Anil_Kapoor

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, fresh from filming Mission Impossible 4 with Tom Cruise, marvels at the Hollywood superstar’s dedication and hard work. Kapoor, who plays an Indian in the action film, praised his famous co-star, saying, "Tom Cruise is very dedicated and hardworking. Some days he slept for just three hours. That is the kind of drive and dedication which makes you so successful. It (Hollywood) is like a Premier League," he said.

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol is likely to hit theatres in December next year. The 50-year-old actor, who starred in Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire and went on to play the president of a fictitious Islamic country in US TV show 24, said, "Working at the international arena is altogether a different experience."

Talking about his journey as an actor so far, Kapoor said, "I had the opportunity of working with (British filmmaker) Danny Boyle. I learnt a lot from him. They have a different way of working and different work culture. In addition, I also had the opportunity of working with some of the great Indian directors and co-stars," he said.

"You should be like a blotting paper and absorb whatever is good. It has been a wonderful journey and God has been kind to me," he added. Kapoor is currently focusing on his home production No Problem, a light-hearted comedy in which the actor himself stars as an inspector. Akshay Khanna and Sanjay Dutt play thieves while Paresh Rawal runs a bank. Suniel Shetty is a don in the film.

"We have tried our best to make No Problem entertaining for every section in terms of its music, action, etc. I would say it’s going to provide wholesome entertainment," said Kapoor. "I think the most difficult thing is to make people laugh and that’s precisely what this film is going to do," he added. The Anees Bazmee directed film, which also stars Sushmita Sen and Kangna Ranaut, is set to release on December 10.

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