Asin is in deep trouble. The Southern actress is already in the bad books of the South Indian Film Artistes Association (SIFAA) that has formed a joint consultative committee to decide on the action to be taken against actors visiting Sri Lanka. The actress recently visited Lanka to shoot for a Bollywood film ‘Ready’ opposite Salman Khan.

Along with SIFAA, yet another organization has taken up the issue against Asin. The Federation of Tamil Associations of North America (FeTNA), an umbrella body of more than 30 Tamil organisations across the United States, has decided to boycott films starring the actress on the same grounds.

FeTNA chief Palani Sundaram made it clear in a recent statement, “The Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America will boycott films of Asin because of her visit to Sri Lanka despite a ban by the Tamil film industry.”

But the actress is unperturbed. Asin claims that she did not flout any diktat of the Nadigar Sangam as she stayed away from the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) award ceremony in Sri Lanka. But Asin sticks to her ground that she was in Colombo strictly for professional reasons.

Asin also reveals that she has spoken to SIFAA president Sarath Kumar and is ready to abide by the joint committee’s direction. Now only time will tell what fate the committee decides for Asin.

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Following reports that Dimpy Ganguly has walked out of her four-month-old marriage to Rahul Mahajan alleging domestic violence, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath Friday said a panel will look into the matter if the victim lodges a complaint with them.

"I will ask the National Commission for Women (NCW) to look into the matter if she (Dimpy) lodges a formal complaint with us. Domestic violence in no way is acceptable," Tirath told reporters here.

Dimpy married Rahul, son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, on the Imagine TV reality show "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega" in March this year.

"Rahul beat me up early Thursday morning after waking me up to know the contents of a message that had beeped on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me. He punched, kicked and dragged me by the hair," the 22-year-old Kolkata-based model told a TV channel.

Rahul has been accused of domestic violence for the second time. Earlier, his first wife Shweta Singh had accused him of physically abusing her. They separated in 2008.

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There used to be a time when Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan didn’t exactly get along (Remember Aamir writing about having a dog named Shah Rukh, and that not going down too well with SRK?). Now things have changed, and it’s possible that Karan Johar is the man for bringing about a proper patch-up between the two Khans.

Karan’s always been very close to Shah Rukh, and he’s been getting closer to Aamir. It sort of started with Aamir’s nephew Imran being cast in KJo’s ’I Hate Luv Storys’ and then Aamir being the only non-cast member invited to the movie’s success party. In turn, Aamir invited Karan to the music launch of his home production ’Peepli Live’.

Later, Aamir and Karan met up with Shah Rukh in London, where he’s shooting for ’Ra.One’.

And now Aamir has invited Shah Rukh to the premiere of ’Peepli Live’. He said that SRK attended the ’Raavan’ premiere, and that he’d definitely invite him for ’Peepli Live’. Now if only we saw a similar thawing and bonding between SRK and Salman too. Maybe Aamir could step in to bring them together.

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Like any actresses, Vidya Balan also woos Salman Khan and desperate to romance him on-screen. Salman is in Vidya’s wish list and looking forward to work with him in the near future.

When she was asked about her choice of actors whom she would like to pair with, she mentioned Salman’s name. According to her, he is a quintessential lover. Next in her wish list is superstar Shahrukh Khan. She even called him the ultimate romantic star.

Vidya is a romantic person and she believes in falling in love with her man someday but at the moment she is enjoying her work.

“I would love to fall in love again. But right now I am in love with my work which I am enjoying. It give me pleasure, it give me satisfaction. I love working. So my current love is my work,” says Vidya Balan,

She was highly acclaimed for her role in ‘Paa’ and ‘Ishqiya’ and currently shooting for ‘No One Killed Jessica’.

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Preparations are on in full swing for the fourth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Buzz is that the show will flag off on Sony on October 11, host-actor Amitabh Bachchan's 68th birthday. Our source from the channel confirms the news, "That's the plan, but there could be a last-minute change. It's a programming and marketing decision that will be taken in due course of time." 

Sony's business head and executive vice-president, Ajit Thakur, asserts that the show will definitely come on in October, but the date hasn't been locked yet.

"Yes, we are toying with the idea of starting it on Mr Bachchan's birthday, let's see what happens. Right now we are focussed on sifting out entries. The phone lines open on Monday, August 2," says Thakur.

Bachchan has got the channel to incorporate the new rupaiyya symbol in the show's logo, replacing 'Rs' that was used in the earlier seasons. "He proposed it a week ago during one of our meetings and we readily incorporated it in our campaign designs. It enhances the logo," asserts Thakur.

Logo so good

Bachchan on his Twitter blog has mentioned: "Note the rupee symbol incorporated in the design. My suggestion! Yeah! Feeling good. Insisted to Sony to incorporate the new rupee symbol in the KBC logo. They did. Looking so cool!"

The superstar has started mock rehearsals for the show in his bungalow Jalsa in Juhu. "The first rehearsal was two weeks ago on a mock set at Mr Bachchan's bungalow," informs Thakur. "The actual set is being erected at Goregaon's Film City."

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The latest on Preity Zinta's Twitter timeline is that she will be leading this year's Indian Independence Day parade in New York.

Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan have led it in the past. "Just confirmed my attendance at the Independence day parade in New York City on the August 15. Looking forward to the festivities," she wrote.

Preity has also been debunking rumours that she is selling her share of the IPL team Kings XI Punjab.

"Stories and gossip get carried around as News. I will always own KXIP! How can I leave? I want to see us win IPL or I might start playing!" she writes.

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On July 31, Mohammed Rafi's 30th death anniversary, an academy will be launched in his memory. Actors like Rishi Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, singer Nitin Mukesh and Kishore Kumar's family, composers Anandji and Pyarelal are expected to be at the launch on Saturday at Juhu's Novotel Hotel.

Rafi's son, Shahid, says that the idea for the academy came to him about three months ago. He informs that his father's fans still come home on his birth and death anniversaries, asking to be shown into his music room. Here all his instruments, trophies, photographs, collection of records and his telephone have been lovingly preserved.

What an idea!

"I thought why not place the memorabilia in a museum. Also, start an academy where music, art and culture is taught to young children and shows are performed through the year in memory of yesteryear greats," he says.

The sons of other singers and musicians, including Raju Naushad, Ruhan Mahendra Kapoor, Javed Shakeel Badayuni and Andalib Majrooh Sultanpuri, have joined hands with Shahid and his son Firdaus on the project.

Andalib and Shahid had studied briefly, in the same school and class, then lost touch. "Only recently, we got together to discuss the academy that would be a memorial to our fathers," Shahid points out. "Inshahallah, by this time next year, we will be meeting at the academy."

Total recall

Shahid remembers his dad as a soft-spoken man whose world revolved around his work and home. "Any free time he had, he would play cricket or carrom with us. During the kite flying season, we'd hold his 'chakra' (wheel) while he flew a kite," he says.

Ask him to pick a Rafi favourite and Shahid insists that it's impossible. But he recalls his father coming home after recording 'Chal mere bhai...' for Naseeb looking excited. "Guess whom I sang with today?" he asked.

When told that it was Amitabh Bachchan, the kids flooded him with queries about the superstar. "We wanted to know if Amitji was really as tall as he looked in the movies and if his voice was as deep," recalls Shahid. "Little did we realise at the time that dad was a superstar himself."

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Raring to go even at 86, Bollywood's evergreen actor Dev Anand said Wednesday that he was going to remake his 1971 hit "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" very soon.

"I will make another version of 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' in Nepal very soon. The script is ready. People want another 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' I know that," the ebullient Dev Anand told reporters at the first look of his directorial venture "Chargesheet" at the JW Marriott hotel here.

"If people can make remakes, make biopics, why can't there be a remake of this film... The film will be made keeping in perspective the present generation," the actor said, adding that his film was about drugs and hippies and the former was still a factor.

Dev Anand's last few directorial ventures "Censor" (2001), "Love at Times Square" (2003) and "Mr Prime Minister" (2005) sank without a trace. But the legendary filmmaker is not disheartened.

Produced by Navketan films, "Chargsheet" is a suspense thriller where the 86-year-old star plays a pivotal role. He has also cast expelled Samajwadi party leader Amar Singh as a home minister in the film.

"He looks like a member of parliament. You can see the dream in his eyes that he can be home minister any day. Anything can happen in politics."

Amar Singh had given his home in Delhi for the shooting of his film.

Dev Anand also spoke of his classic "Hum Dono", which is being released in a colour version.

"The film 'Hum Dono' has been coloured and it will be out very soon. It looks fantastic, as if it has been shot in colour."

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Salman Khan inaugurated the blood donation camp at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Maldives and even donated blood. His initiative was part of the annual India-Maldives friendship festival 2010.

President Mohamed Nasheed, the First Lady Laila Ali Abdulla, a few ministers and senior officials of the government attended the blood donation ceremony.

After the camp, Sallu judged a children’s painting exhibition at the Iskandhar School. He requested the media to remain outside so he could enjoy his time with the kids.

Apart from selecting the best paintings, he discussed painting with the kids. And on their request, he even sang a few songs and danced with them.

This isn’t the first time the actor has been part of a charity programme in Maldives. In the past, he participated in the Medical Assistance Programme at Villingili Children’s Home.

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Neither of them had a clean slate when they met. And in spite of knowing each other’s infamous past they decided to get married, which of course everyone thought was a point of benefit for both Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguly.

But if sources are to be believed suddenly Rahul Mahajan has a problem not only with Dimpy’s past but also with her "frivolous" attitude.

During the swayamwar, Dimpy vowed that Neil Shah was her past and that she doesn’t have any intentions to keep in touch with her ex-boyfriend. Since Rahul was also linked with Payal Rohatgi and Monica Bedi, he decided to giver her a chance.

But no sooner they came home from their honeymoon, she started chatting with him on Facebook. Thinking its harmless, Rahul chose to ignore. And if that wasn’t enough Dimpy decided to take part in a upcoming summer bikini photo shoot without informing him.

Taking into consideration his political background, Dimpy’s decision didn’t go down well with him. And he has given her a final warning to mend her ways.

Dimpy on the other hand claims that it’s Rahul who has not changed and that he still keeps in touch with Payal and a few other girls he dated including Nikunj Malik. Being a "self-respecting" person, it’s she who has decided to file for a divorce.

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Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has given a peek into the new logo of the upcoming fourth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which he is set to host. The logo also flaunts the new rupee symbol.

"Insisted Sony to incorporate the new rupee symbol in the KBC logo. They did. Looking so cool," Amitabh posted on his Twitter page.

The 67-year-old also uploaded a picture of the logo on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.

The centre of the round logo has six of the new Indian rupee symbols strategically placed to make it appear as a wheel.

The new symbol for the Indian rupee is an amalgam of the Devnagiri Ra and the Roman capital R without the stem.

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Former actress Sangeeta Bijlani has shot to newspaper headlines overnight after walking out of her 14-year-long marriage with former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin because of his alleged affair with the 26-year-old badminton star Jwala Gutta.

With Azhar all but out of her life, Sangeeta is learned to be finding solace with her ex beau Salman Khan and his family.

It’s no secret that Sangeeta has been in touch with the Khan family over the years despite her bitter break-up with Salman before she married Azhar.

Sangeeta bonds well with Salman’s two sisters and his parents Salim Khan and Salma. In fact, Sangeeta was also spotted at Salman’s birthday party in December last year at the actor’s Panvel farm house.

And in this phase of crisis when Sangeeta’s marriage is on the rocks, there’s every chance of her turning to the Khans for succour and emotional support.

For when friends need them, the Khans are always there.

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Mallika Sherawat continues to make waves in the run up to the release of her movie Hissss in which she plays a snakewoman.

In the latest, the actress, presently residing in Los Angeles, has posted a topless pic of her on her Twitter account and asked her followers: “is this too much”.

In the pic, a kohled-eyed Mallika poses topless and has her breasts covered with her hair. There’s snake-skin pattern in the background and on Mallika’s body.

Check out the image and leave your comments below.

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The reigning queens of Bollywood are in a tussle to grab a prestigious project. If reports are to be believed, the actresses are frantically SMSing a famous filmmaker to convince him that they fit the role.

It may be recalled that the hotties don't see face to face after Deepika reportedly broke up with Ranbir.

Katrina was apparently one of the reasons why Deepika refused to continue with her relationship with the Kapoor boy.

At present, Katrina is shooting in Spain for Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara and Deepika is in Mumbai to promote Pradeep Sarkar’s Lafangey Parindey.

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While Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise were shooting for the film 'Knight & Day', they had a li'l baker to deal with 24 x 7. Yes, Suri Cruise, Tom's li'l one was constantly on the sets and had opened an imaginary bakery.

It has been heard that between shots, mommy Katie Holmes was requested to take orders on the sets, while Suri would get the breads and pastries ready!

Tom Cruise is more than happy with his daughter's creativity and imagination, like many of our own actors in Bollywood, who have been impressed by their li'l ones' creative expressions.

For example, Shah Ruh Khan at one point was convinced that son Aryan was growing up to be an astronaut or then a part of NASA, with his penchant for spaceships et al.

Actor Akshay Kumar, on the other hand, was excited with the fact that Aarav would be a mountaineer or a sailor. "He is very fond of the outdoors. And is often trying to climb heights at home, too," he once told us.

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‘Dabangg’ promo is out and the newcomer Sonakshi Sinha, who makes her Bollywood debut with the film, is getting a lot of compliments. Surprisingly, her friends and fans think Sonakshi has a strong resemblance to Hollywood actress Monica Bellucci.

Sonakshi has worked a lot on her body to make herself apt for Bollywood. The actress has been getting a lot of calls and messages after the promo but is amused with her fans comparing her looks to Monica Bellucci.

But although new in Bollywood, Sonakshi seems to be mastering the art of taking things in a lighter vein. When we asked her about the hot comparison, she laughed it off and agreed that most of her friends have told her about the similarities. “Do you really feel that? My friends keep telling me that but I never believe them,” Sonakshi gushed.

It can be recalled that before loosing weight Sonakshi was compared to yesteryear actress Rina Roy and the young lass never liked it. But it seems the actress is cool with her resemblance to Monica Bellucci this time!

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Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan were a hit jodi in Love Aaj Kal. Sources tell us that she is all set to join the cast of Agent Vinod as a parallel lead.

Kareena Kapoor had made her displeasure known when post the success of Jab We Met, Imtiaz Ali cast Deepika Padukone in Love Aaj Kal instead of her. Anyway, Saif produced the film which turned out to be a blockbuster.

Moreover, Saif has been paired with Kareena in Tashan, Roadside Romeo, and Kurbaan and all three films were duds. "Kareena is a professional and she has the lead role in Agent Vinod, so she has no qualms with Deepika joining the cast. Anyway, Kareena and Saif are not paired together in the film," informs a source.

"Deepika is tall and athletic so people will accept her in an action role. Moreover, she has a huge fan following and this is a different role for her so that will be an added attraction for the film. Her role is that of the parallel lead and is obviously significant," adds the source.

Producer Dinesh Vijan has approached Deepika for the role and is working out the details of the same. He denied the story while Deepika Padukone remained unavailable for comment.

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Bollywood film “Khatta Meetha” made waves in the Goa legislative assembly Monday as legislators drew comparisons between corruption in the state and contractor-oriented systemic corruption theme shown in the Akshay Kumar-starrer.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Damu Naik exhorted all members to watch “Khatta Meetha” because of its similarity to the corruption in Goa’s corridors of power.

“Everyone among you must see ‘Khatta Meetha’. It is a movie about a contractor and his struggle with corruption. A lot of the things seen in the movie are just like what happens in Goa,” Naik said, while speaking during a discussion on public works-related demands during the monsoon session of the assembly.

Naik, a film producer himself, said “Khatta Meetha” had lessons to be learnt for legislators, officials and the common man.

Ruling legislator Dayanand Narvekar also made allusions to the Bollywood film, saying that one of the characters shown in the movie even looked like state Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao.

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Alright! “Bigg Boss 4′ is slated for a year-end launch. Colors though have begun the hunt for a host and the inmates.

Reportedly, Amitabh Bachchan was slated to continue his tryst with “Bigg Boss’ but Big B chose “Kaun Banega Crorepati’ instead. That left Colors to look for an able replacement. Shah Rukh Khan was earlier said to have stepped into Big B’s shoes, but reports say that King Khan has turned down the offer as he’s busy shooting in Bali for Don 2.

The same report says that Colors is looking to Akshay Kumar to bail them out, and if he refuses too, then they might opt for a non-filmy celebrity. Akshay is highly improbable as he will be hosting “Master Chef India’ on a rival channel around the same time.

The speculative game has just begun expect, more probable hosts ad contestants to emerge. Apparently, we’ve been amused to hear the name of Sachin Tendulkar. Yes, you’ve heard it right! The great India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on “Bigg Boss’.

A little birdie from the production informs, “There is plenty of speculation surrounding “Bigg Boss’. Most of it is coming from the media. What I can tell you is that some time back, we did hear the name of Shah Rukh as a probable host.

Colors want the show to be much bigger than last time. Some even spoke of having Tendulkar. That is highly improbable though. Perhaps, the channel might want him as a guest in one of the episodes”.

Well, the source itself has ruled out the possibility of Sachin hosting. We have our doubts whether Tendulkar will even entertain any thoughts of making guest appearance. If an Amitabh, SRK or Aamir were to host the show, Tendulkar might just entertain thoughts of being generous guest.

As “Bigg Boss’ fans, we certainly long to see Sachin on the show. Let’s hope the Sachin that the birdie talked aobut is Tendulkar and not his doppelganger Balbir Chand. The speculation game has just begun.

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Antara Mali, the onetime Bollywood hottie, is making a comeback, in a very unconventional manner.

She was last seen in the very forgettable movie Mr. Ya Miss, five years back. The film was a dud at the box-office.

Antara has got a makeover that most Bollywood actresses wouldn't even dare to think. Antara would be playing the role of a Buddhist monk and has shaven her head.

She would be seen essaying this role in acclaimed yesteryear actor and presently director Amol Palekar's film And Once Again.

The movie deals with all the man-woman relationship, And Once Again delicately speaks about all the repercussions of the severe violence on the human life and its persistent darkness on each of us with its astounding hues.

The movie stars Rajat Kapoor and Rituparna Sengupta in the lead roles along with Antara Mali. The beautiful locales of Sikkim have been chosen as the movie's location.

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He's consolidated his status in Indian cinebiz. And after savouring success as a leading man in Hindi movies, Akshay Kumar is all set to forge a cinematic bond with Hollywood and Canada as a producer.

Akshay Kumar, Canada Tourism Brand Ambasssador, will deepen ties between the two nations as he turns producer with the Indo Canadian venture 'Break Away' helmed by Robert Lieberman ('The Tortured') and will showcase Canadian actress Emily Van Camp, who made her mark with the winning telly series 'Brothers And Sisters'.

Crafted under his home banner: Hari Om Productions, 'Break Away' is unlikely to star Akki in any of the roles, as per reliable sources.

Action Kumar, who recently played host to a dinner meet between the top politicos of the two nations, viz.

Manmohan Singh and Stephen Harper, is said to enjoy an enviable reputation in Canada. Reportedly, Akki left a great impression on Canadian minds after he turned brand ambassador of the 2010 winter Olympic Games in Canada.

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Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol, the leading duo of 'Aisha' make a winsome pair in the Rhea Kapoor venture, as the promos seem to suggest. Come August 6, 2010, Sonny Girl will make a chic splash with the adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel 'Emma'.

While filming in Rishikesh for 'Aisha', a few 'extras' were needed for a volleyball sequence in the chick flick. Eventually, they couldn't find any that would fit the bill aptly.

Stuck with this unfavourable fix...director Rajshree Ojha decided to pull in the two costume designers and stylists Pernia Qureshi and Kunal Rawal of 'Aisha'… right into the camera frames! And place them behind the main cast in the volleyball game. Not only did they seem like they were part of the gang, they shot well too.

Kunal Rawal, who enacts Gulshan in 'Aisha' has been ribbed ever since over his mini debut in the flick. Though, there's little disputing that both Qureshi and Rawal truly…had a ball! Hah, quite literally.

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Hackers are probably targeted Bollywood heroines.Bollywood item girl and actress Meghna Naidu’s email id was hacked by someone, and now its turn of actress Kareena Kapoor to fall into the trap.

After finishing the schedule of Agent Vinod, Kareena was returning from Morocco with her beau Saif Ali Khan and she got the shock of her life on finding that her personal email id was hacked.

According to a source close to the actress, “Kareena could not manage time to check her emails as she had been busy with the shooting of Agent Vinod in Morocco. So, as soon as she was back to India, she tried to check her emails.

But to her utter surprise, she was unable to log into her account after trying several times. Then she suspected hacking. The hacked account is one of her oldest e-mail accounts so Kareena is very upset with the incident”.

However, Kareena has not filed any police complaint yet. The source added, “She is very busy with the shooting of Golmaal 3 so she did not get time for that. The matter is being looked into by her office and it will file a police complaint soon”. 

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At an inspiring and solemn graduation ceremony befitting the University of London, Mr. Yash Chopra was awarded an honorary higher doctoral degree, a DLit, a Doctor of Letters honoris causa, for having made an outstanding contribution to the field of cinema in his six decades of work in the Hindi film industry, by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

The function held on Friday, 23rd July 2010, opened with an impressive procession, which included Heads of Departments, Senior Management and the Presidents of the Students' Union, entering the Hall to a musical accompaniment. The Director and Principal of SOAS, Professor Paul Webley and The President of SOAS, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, welcomed the graduates and their guests. One of the highlight of the ceremony was the Presentation of an honorary doctorate to Mr. Yash Chopra. Professor Rachel Dwyer, the public orator, read a citation in tribute to Mr. Chopra and the President, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, presented the degree.

Mr. Yash Chopra's career and his work was compared with the greats of the Indian film industry. Professor Dwyer said that his films use a melodramatic form to show emotions at their deepest and rawest and that the dialogues and the song lyrics of Yash Chopra's films are remembered and recited almost as mantras, as they describe things that are hard to say, using language, imagery and music in a perfect balance. She pointed out that Yash Chopra continues to innovate with every film he makes and remains young at heart, always interested in how people think, feel and behave.

Mr. Yash Chopra's love of London and his connections with SOAS, one of the first universities to offer a course in mainstream Indian cinema, began in 1992. Professor Dwyer further said the graduates should be inspired by Mr. Yash Chopra's success, learn his dedication, hard work, focus and his ways of rising above failure, saying that his films have brightened the lives of people from the poorest to the richest, from heads of states to humble people. He has been honoured by royalty, presidents and prime ministers and this DLit was a mark of the esteem in which the academic community of professors and students holds him.

Mr. Chopra in his response said, "I am humbled by this honour and would like to thank SOAS for this recognition. My filmmaking has always been from the heart and I would like to pass on this same message to students all over the world".

Mr. Yash Chopra has previously been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by The Leeds Metropolitan University, UK in 2007, The Punjab University, Chandigarh, India, in 2008 and The Guru Nanak University, Amritsar, India, in 2004, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

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Priyanka Chopra has seven co-stars in Vishal Bhardwaj's Saat Khoon Maaf. While she has worked with John Abraham in the past, the rest were first time co-actors for the actress.

Here's Piggy Chops talking about her off- screen chemistry with the leading men of Saat Khoon Maaf...

Vivaan Shah: I got to know him during the making of the film. We used to hang out a lot together. He's a very, very talented young boy. With parents like Naseer sir and Ratna ma'am, it's obvious he would be. He's super talented, we did a workshop together before the film started.

Neil Nitin Mukesh: I have known Neil on and off. Am working with him for the first time and he's a super fun guy. We bonded a lot on topics like gadgets, as we are both geeks.

We had no technology where we were shooting so we would watch movies and hang out and stuff. His brother Naman was also there. I think I can safely say that we have become really good friends now.

John Abraham: I have done three films with John and I can say that he's completely mad. We had a great time; most of his role was shot in Mumbai as we were in Coorg for a very short while. John made Coorg really fun. He has this sarcastic sense of humour; he's very funny. He had me in splits all the time.

Irrfan Khan: I was petrified about shooting with Irrfan because I started shooting with him first. I was nervous as he's such an incredibly talented actor and I didn't know if I could match up to that. He brings tremendous energy on the sets and I would just keep watching him perform for hours.

Alexander Dyachenko: My Russian co-actor would converse in English with me. We used to discuss a lot about celebrities in Russia and in India. He was really amused by the way people reacted to me.

He would be 'why do they look like they are having heart attacks!' I said that's how Indians are, very expressive in their love.

Annu Kapoor: I have known Annu Kapoor for a really long time since he's friends with my dad. He's a highly knowledgeable man and can talk about anything under the sun for hours. He had done an amazing part in the film -- he's brilliant!

Naseeruddin Shah: Naseer sir was my teacher, and I have done workshops with him. Now about working with Naseeruddin Shah what can I say? Half the time, I used to watch him give his shots. It's an education by itself.

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Inception takes place in a world where Leonardo DiCaprio's character Dom Cobb dives into people's dreams to extract information.

While there, he can also 'plant' an idea into the protagonist's head and make them believe in their awakened state that it is their own idea. Taking off from Inception, here is a list of dreams or ideas that planters must plant in our B-Town stars.

Dreamer: Katrina Kaif
Planter: Kareena Kapoor.
What: Katrina is the only one standing between Bebo and the number one position, so the Kapoor girl wants Katrina to 'dream' of a better life back home in London/Hawaii or wherever it is she came from -- leaving Bolly-wood forever and going back to her roots. Bebo might even buy her the one-way ticket.

Dreamer: Salman Khan
Planter: His friends and family.
What: The planters must tell Sallu to stop shedding his shirt and look at shedding his single status. It is time he got married now that Kat has moved on.

They can also egg on Mr Controversial saying that it has been a long time since Bollywood saw a big shaadi (the curtain fell on the Abhi-Ash wedding drama long ago) and it is time large-hearted Salman gave Mumbai something to talk about.

Dreamer: Karan Johar
Planter: Aam Aadmi.
What: The people who watch his movies (ordinary folk) must make him believe that it is okay if he makes films with actors other than Shah Rukh Khan.

KJo's SRK-obsession needs to crumble -- maybe his new bonding with Aamir Khan will give him some new ideas. Maybe, My Name Is Khan And I Am Not A Terrorist Part II with the new Khan dost -- Aamir?

Dreamer: Aishwarya Rai
Planter: Disgruntled filmmaker.
What: That she needs to concentrate on B-Town. She has flirted with the West and the South (Raavan, Robot) so Ash, the time is 'Abhi' (pun intended) that you need to stop looking elsewhere and come back to make a film that 'shek's (pun intended) up the B-Town world.

Dreamer: Shah Rukh Khan
Planter: Khan Fan Club!
What: The unique fan club needs to put an idea in his head that Salman Khan is not a bad guy.

Two buddy-buddies fighting over a woman who is married to somebody else? That's the stuff movie scripts -- which bomb at the box office -- are made of; not real life. So Bandra boys, stop being katti, she already has a pati and start going from Ash to bashes together.

Dreamer: Shahid Kapoor
Planter: All his ex-girlfriends.
What: Shahid's former gal pals must open up that head of his and remove his fuddy-duddy I-am-20-something-going- on-80 brain and replace it with a young man's brain.

Maybe, then Sasha will understand the meaning of being spontaneous, look less serious (like the world and its problems are weighing down on him). Jive to Mambo No 5. 'A little bit of Kareena in my life, a little bit of Priyanka by my side...'

Dreamer: Kareena Kapoor
Planter: Katrina Kaif.
What: Kat wants Bebo to stop looking at her as an outsider and be her best friend. The KKs have so much in common like age, initials, being approached for the same roles and endorsements and also have a 'Khan' each in their life. When they become BFFs, imagine the trouble they could make for Priyanka.

Dreamer: Priyanka Chopra
Planter: All the single girls.
What: They need to plant an idea in her head that it is okay to talk about the presence of a man in her life without going into the gory details.

Piggy Chops must know it is perfectly fine to admit that she is with Shahid Kapoor and how being in love is great.

Let us not hear the familiar 'Oooh, there is no one' or even the archaic 'We are just good friends' (does anybody even say that any more?).

Dreamer: John Abraham
Planter: Disgruntled fan.
What: Johnny Big Bucks needs to realise that money is not everything. He has managed to chase off all good filmmakers by quoting figures bigger than his biceps.

He should accept that he isn't the best judge on what films he should do, as three of his pet projects remain unreleased. Get a good manager, John. You will get good films and improve your media relations. Dono ek hi shot mein.

Dreamer: Hrithik Roshan
Planter: Well-wishers.
What: They must plant an idea in his head to go back to being a good boy. Hrithik can do with a brain transplant and take Shahid's serious brain.

The once-upon-a-time good boy is now seriously tripping on wine, women and what-not. Roshan Jr has also turned a deaf ear to papa Rakesh Roshan who made him the star that he is. He is flying like a 'Kite' and needs to be reeled in.

Dreamer: Deepika Padukone
Planter: Prakash Padukone.
What: Papa Padukone has got it into her head that it is time she left acting and moved on to a badminton court. With Saina Nehwal becoming World No 2, there's no reason apni Dippy would be unable to achieve her dreams. The endorsements would come too.

So, Deepika should put down the movie script and take the shuttle to another kind of success.

Dreamer: Sonam Kapoor
Planter: The Fashion Week organisers.
What: Fashion denizens would plant an idea into Sonam's head that she has what it takes to be a top-notch supermodel and is being wasted in films.

What with all the Indian and international fashion houses wanting her to walk the ramp for them and Papa Anil making (ahem!) waves in LA, the Kapoor beti can make a noise in the fashion capital of the world -- Paris.

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It's confirmed that the beautiful Priyanka Chopra, wishes to tie the knot with a Punjabi guy. The Bollywood actress who has won several national awards for her acting excellence, says it all about her proverbial ‘dream partner'.

She would love to marry a Punjabi guy when the time is right. Miss. Chopra had celebrated her 28th birthday recently, says that she wishes to get married to the man who she selects, in a span of five years.

She wants her man to be amorous and at the same time well-mannered. He should not bear any sort of insult hurled towards her. He should also be chivalrous enough to beat up anyone who misbehaves with her.

She says that she would wish to be with a guy who would defend her honor completely. She's thus willing to wait for the right man to come and carry her into marital bliss.

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If you think that it was just Colors that struggled to get cricketing superstars on 'Fear Factor', think again.

Imagine TV too is struggling to come up with a suitable groom/bride for its third season of the swayamvar series.

The channel hoped to get a big star on board this time, but their efforts to have Vivek Oberoi has turned futile.

A reliable source says, “Imagine was keen on having Vivek, but after giving it a thought, Oberoi has rejected the offer.

Thus Imagine TV and SOL are looking for new options now. There is till time as 'Swayamvar' will now take place in December”.

The likes of Bobby Darling, Sherlyn Chopra, Kamal Rashid Khan have put in their hat for 'Swayamvar', but Imagine isn't keen on these names.

Prior to Oberoi, the channel was keen on having a cricketer. Monica Bedi too is said to have snubbed the show.

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Katrina Kaif's a top drawer professional. And she proved it once again, rather recently. Having bagged a break from her gruelling filming schedule in Spain for Zoya Akhtar's 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', Kat dashed off to London to spend time with her folks and unwind, a wee.

The much needed hiatus availed, Kat was all set to return to Spain, post catching a flight from London to Madrid.

Monumental pity, she ended up missing the bus, oops sorry, flight… and ended up travelling a good 11 hours... at a stretch to make up for the delay!

Reveals Kat in a media chat, "Since I missed the Madrid flight from London, I had to wait at the London airport for nearly three hours, travel to another city in Spain and then finally travel to Pamplona, a small mountain village in Spain where Zoya's unit was put up. Since I'd missed the flight, I ended up travelling 11 hours travelling from one location to another."

The cherry on her cine icing: Kat managed to make it… right on time for her schedule and impressed all with her punctuality. Phew!

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In celebration of the Income Tax Day celebrations at New Delhi, marking 150 years of taxation in the country, two of the highest tax payers of the country, Aamir Khan and Akhsay Kumar, will be spotted in a documentary produced by the IT department to spread the message of tax compliance.

The 20 minute documentary, which is also likely to star Priyanka Chopra, will also avail of a voice over from Om Puri.

The documentary, chronicling the journey of taxation in the country, will also have a shorter eight minute version.

The IT documentary will be unveiled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at New Delhi.

Reportedly, Akki paid an advance tax of Rs. 9 crore in March this year, soaring his total advance tax payment in the current financial year to a whopping Rs. 18 crore; while Aamir is close on his heels, standing second with an advance tax payment of Rs. 12 crore.

A top IT official told the media, "The star ensemble will represent the youth and the spirit of the country. They pay their income tax responsibly and should be a source of inspiration to the youngsters of our country."

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All hail, Prince Khan is here! Believe it or not, King Khan's 12 year old son, Aryan has been offered a movie along side dad Shah Rukh Khan.

Khan has been offered the role of Aryan's father in the movie. The film centers around the problems of growing up amongst teenagers.

The conflict and contrast between a father and son's perspective is the basis of the film. "The filmmakers are very confident that Shah Rukh will like it but there has been no response from SRK yet. The filmmaker is keeping his fingers crossed," the source told.

So, will protective papa give this project the green signal? SRK's staff neither confirmed nor denied the news.

"Aryan is only 12 now. I don't think Shah Rukh will green-light any project like that. However, we cannot confirm any information at the moment," one of Khan's staff members told DNA.

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Their 14-year marriage is reportedly over, following the former India skipper's close relationship with badminton champ half his age

Mohammad Azharuddin and Sangeeta Bijlani's 14-year-old marriage is reportedly over. If the buzz in Hyderabad (which has now reached Mumbai as well and is fast spreading to the rest of the country) is to be believed, then all is not well between the mian-biwi. According to a highly-placed source, Azhar will be filing for divorce within a week. And a badminton champ half his age is believed to be the reason for the split.

Jwala Gutta (26), World No 7 mixed doubles player, currently married to Arjuna Award-winner badminton champ Chetan Anand, is the one who has caught the fancy of the 47-year-old former India skipper and Congress MP from Moradabad.

He is said to be so besotted with her that he has gifted her a BMW, in which she rides all around Hyderabad -- something that first raised eyebrows, as mixed doubles badminton players are not a well-paid lot.

"Whenever he is in Hyderabad, he is seen in Pullela Gopichand's academy where Jwala practises and they both leave together. They head to some hotel but I am not sure if they stay together in the same room," said a highly-placed source from the Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association.


"Jwala and her husband are not staying together at the moment and are even practising separately," he added. Azhar was spotted at the Asian Badminton Championship in Delhi recently and the couple have even been watching matches together.

Gopichand refused to get embroiled in the controversy. "I don't want to comment anything on this," he said, cautiously.

Badminton officials say Jwala was the reason why Azhar was interested in fighting the Badminton Association of India (BAI) elections, and not to "bring professionalism, accountability and transparency in BAI's working" as he had said. Azhar, however, withdrew his nomination later. With inputs from Amit Singh

First shaadi and divorce

After an eight-year marriage, Azhar divorced his first wife Naureen after he started seeing Sangeeta. His messy divorce cost him two bungalows in Hyderabad's Banjara Hills, two BMWs apart from lakhs of rupees. He has two sons from his first wife -- Asaduddin and Abbasuddin. Five years after the divorce, Naureen married a Canada-based real-estate businessman.

Snippets from the dressing room

A NEWSPAPER photographer managed to capture Mohammed Azharuddin and Sangeeta Bijlani at the Cricket Club of India when the Indian team led by Azharuddin trained at the Brabourne Stadium in 1995. Azhar was livid when he saw the photograph in the newspaper the following day. However, a little birdie tells us that he took a liking for the photograph and requested the cameraman to part with a copy.

DURING the Board President's XI vs New Zealand, the batting stylist annoyed agency reporters, who had to file their copies from the press centre of Rajkot's Municipal Stadium in 1995, by using the telephone line to talk to his new-found love. When a senior journalist protested, Azharuddin couldn't understand what all the fuss was all about. Can't blame him.

For, the then India captain rarely cared about members of the fourth estate. According to some senior pros, he once addressed a media conference while clipping his toe nails. A few years later, at the Brabourne Stadium, he tucked into a snack while the pressmen waited for their bytes.

WHEN Azharuddin was on the threshold of becoming the most capped player in One-Day Internationals (Allan Border held the record for 273 ODIs) during the Mini World Cup in Dhaka, 1998, one of the several people he thanked for supporting him right through was his wife. It did not take long for a Smart Alec of a scribe to ask, "Which wife?" He didn't get an answer, as Azharuddin made it appear as if he didn't hear the question.

SANGEETA Bijlani's presence on the 1997 tour of West Indies was not well received by members of the Indian team. Apparently, wives of other players had to return home after a while, but Bijlani stayed on.

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Corruption is rampant in many countries today. No work is possible without chai paani (bribe). Everyone must have experienced this ubiquitous nuisance. KHATTA MEETHA, a remake of the 1989 Malayalam drama film, VELLANAKALUDE NADU (which was again directed by Priyadarshan) is a satire on this perpetual menace. While it was a novel issue back then, it’s been done copious times over the years.

Sachin Tichkule (Akshay Kumar) is a struggling road construction contractor in a small town who has taken loans practically from the entire village. But he still manages to wear sunglasses! Trigun Fatak (Manoj Joshi), Sachin’s brother-in-law, is a corrupt chief engineer who works in the municipality. Suhas Vichare (Milind Gunaji) is a road contractor married to Sachin’s second sister. Anjali (Urvashi Sharma) is Sachin’s college-going sister.

While Sachin struggles through his never-ending woes, things go haywire. A bridge collapses because of bad construction, taking many innocent lives. Figun, Suhas and others who were involved in the construction, conveniently pass the buck to Vishwas Rao (Tinu Anand), who is a driver of the Tichkule family and later kill him. Azad Bhagat (Makrand Despande), who has lost his wife and son in the bridge mishap, is determined to bring to justice the criminals behind the scam.

The common man’s troubles remain the central plot of the film. As if Sachin’s miseries weren’t enough, the new municipal commissioner turns out to be his ex girlfriend Gehna Ganpule (Trisha) who now loathes him.

The successful director-actor jodi of Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar (HERA PHERI, BHOOL BHULAIYAA, DE DANA DAN) fails to entertain this time. Priyadarshan falls short to render the issue of corruption, which Rajkumar Hirani did effectively in portions of LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI. It has the right intent but offers nothing which we haven’t seen. The screenplay gets monotonous with Sachin Tichkule constantly borrowing money, his numerous tiffs with Gehna, perverted acts of Rangeela (Rajpal Yadav) and random songs.

That a corrupt politician has maintained a file of all the wrong doings of his accomplices including himself, is inexplicable. It’s ludicrous to see Azad Bhagat easily getting inside a politician’s house and stealing important documents. The climax is too convenient to grasp.

There are a few laugh-out-loud moments like the one in which the road roller rams through Gehna Ganpule’s house or when Karodimal (Asrani) is attending countless calls at the same time. But that’s just about it.

With an excruciating long running time of 2.40 hours, the film drags. Music by Pritam except for the song Nana Chi Taang, is very poor according to his standards. Only V Manikanandan’s choreography is neat.

Akshay Kumar’s comic timing is impeccable but he is very loud. Trisha, who makes her Hindi film debut, is passable. She looks too young to be a municipal commissioner! Urvashi Sharma is decent. Johny Lever, who is seen after a very long time, is uproarious. Wish we could see more of him. Rajpal Yadav gives a superlative performance. Makrand Despande is effective in his small role. Manoj Joshi is impressive while Kulbhushan Kharbanda is good.

KHATTA MEETHA isn’t sour or sweet. It’s simply bland.

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Kareena Kapoor’s on-screen pet in Golmaal 3 has been named Facebook by the director Rohit Shetty.

The dog is the same one which had been seen earlier in All The Best. Rohit felt the name would strike the audience’s funny bone, just like it did of the cast when he suggested the idea to them.

Kareena who plays a tomboy, will sport t-shirts with funny sayings on them throughout the film.

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No glamour and no film stars. Much to the disappointment of Bollywood fans, the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi will not have a filmy face as its brand ambassador.

Chairman of the Games Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi told HT City, "The face of the games won't be anyone from Bollywood. We will have 5-6 sports stars promoting the Games."

Earlier, there were reports that various Bollywood stars were in contention to the brand ambassador. Actor Amitabh Bachchan was the initial choice, but was later turned down by the committee, as they wanted a younger face. Akshay Kumar's name was also doing the rounds.

At the HT-Commonwealth conclave last month, Kalmadi had said, "We shall go with a filmstar who won't charge us to be the brand ambassador."

The film fraternity seems to be fine with the organising committee's decision. "The landscape is infested with Bollywood icons. It would be a relief to see someone else play the role of a brand ambassador", says filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. "Why should there be Bollywood brand ambassador to begin with?" asks actor Gul Panag.

Director Anurag Kashyap feels it's the right decision. "It's not a snub to the film industry if they are looking out for fresh faces," he said.

Star struck fans, however are disappointed. "It's a big event, how can we not have Bollywood stars," asks Preeti, a media student. "Only cricket stars can be a fair replacement now", says Harshita Sethi, a DU student.

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A local court has imposed a fine of Rs. 120 on Bollywood star Aamir Khan, director Ketan Mehta and producer Bobby Bedi for failing to appear in person or through their counsel in connection with a case against them for alleged distortions in the film "Mandal Pandey: The Rising".

Junior division judge Azad Singh, hearing the case pertaining to alleged distortion of facts in their film on the life of the hero of the first freedom struggle, imposed the fine as they failed to appear in person or through their counsel despite orders to this effect.

Besides these three, fine has also been imposed on the Chairman of the Film Censor Board.

The next date for hearing in the case has been fixed for August 6.

The case was filed in September 2005 by one Santosh Pandey belonging to the native village of Mangal Pandey objecting to alleged character assassination of the freedom fighter as well as some portions of the film. (IANS)

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Hema Malini’s ambitious project Tell Me O Khuda, starring her daughter Esha Deol, is in hot water. After the project ran into creative differences between the producer (Malini) and its director (Mayur Puri) the latest is that Puri has been shown the door.

The decision to oust Puri has come in the wake of the creative melee between Malini and Puri having snowballed into a nasty avalanche of bitter vibes. Puri was thrown out of the project at 4 pm yesterday at the IMPPA (Indian Motion Pictures and Producers’ Association) office, where the association and the IFTDA (Indian Film & Television Directors Association) convened to resolve the issue.

The buzz is that his name will not appear in the credit titles either. Instead, Hema will direct the film herself. “Quite a few portions of the film may have to be reshot,” says a source.

“Hema and Puri could not reconcile. It is good for both of them and the film that they are not working together anymore. Quite a few solutions were offered but there was no way that Puri could have remained the captain of the ship any longer. Puri’s money issues have been settled too.

Hema has directed Dil Aashna Hai and she has a good knowledge about direction,” says the source.

Another source close to Hema said, “Puri overshot the film. Nearly 1.5 lakh feet of footage has been shot. This skyrocketed the budget. Hema bore that with a pinch of salt, but she almost fell off her chair when she saw what Puri had shot until now.

Hema realised that Puri’s reels were nowhere close to the script he had and the canvas he had envisaged for her. “Forget the script, Puri hadn’t even shot the basic storyline he had sold Hema while being appointed to wield the megaphone,” reveals a source close to Hema.

On the other hand, Om Shanti Om’s dialogue writer and Dhoom’s associate director, Puri, is tearing his hair out. According to a source close to Puri, “Hema Malini’s sensibilities are far different than his. Whenever Puri tried reasoning with her, Hema did not lend him a ear.

And he has not overshot the film. He was making only 5.6 cans per day which is very normal. It is an ego clash. Think of it, this is not the first time that a director finds himself in the lurch. It happened with Anurag Basu, Rahul Rawail, Shekhar Kapoor (Joshilay) and Amol Gupte (Taare Zameen Par).”

When contacted yesterday evening, IMPPA Vice President Sushma Shiromanee said, “Yes, we had a meeting today. Puri is not directing Tell Me O Khuda anymore. Hemaji will complete the film.” Hema did not deny that Puri is out from Tell Me O Khuda, but she was not too comfortable talking about her rift with Puri. She simply said, “I am the producer and now I will complete the film. I have people around me including some good technicians.”

Puri denied that he was present at the IMPPA office yesterday. But later he said, “Okay. But I don’t want to talk about this. I would rather maintain a dignified silence.”

Starring Arjan Bajwa opposite Esha, Tell Me O Khuda is about a girl who is in search of her father. The plot bears a slight resemblance to Hema Malini’s first and only film as a director, Dil Aashna Hai, which was about a girl on the lookout for her mother and starred Divya Bharati and Shah Rukh Khan.

Dil Aashna Hai was also incidentally ripped off from Shirley Conran’s bestseller Lace, which was later televised into a mini-series in the late 1980s. The film bombed and was ripped apart by critics. Let’s hope the fabric of Tell Me O Khuda has no tears.

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John Abraham is gearing up to start a football academy in the city with the help of footballer Bhaichung Bhutia.

The two have decided to try to reduce the bureaucracy that stifles the game’s development in the world level and help more Indians interested in football to take to the game.

They have already applied for the requisite permissions and are hoping they will be sanctioned soon.

John is not the first B-town movie star to venture into sports. Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra have a stake in the Indian Premiere League (IPL) team and have plans to start a Football Premier League. Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla also have stakes in IPL.

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Actor Salman Khan likes it when he’s left to himself. Though he actively updates his account on a networking site, Salman doesn’t have many co-celeb friends or colleagues on his list, and while the world is following him, he is following close to nobody!

When we caught up with the Khan recently, he told us, “Even the few people on my list... like Arpita, Sonaskshi, Arbaaz...they took my phone and updated my list.

They added themselves. I have added nobody!” The actor insists that the platform is just to update his fans and voice what and how he feels. He isn’t really bothered is anybody follows him or not, and he makes it clear that he doesn’t wish to follow anybody either.

So, if you wish that Salman follows you, you need to get his phone is your hand first, add yourself on it, and that’s that! So it’s quite a long shot this one!

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"Taare Zameen Par", "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Baghban" are among the Bollywood movies that will be screened during a week-long Indian Film Festival that is underway in this Kazakhstan capital.

"The festival will revive the appeal of Indian films amongst the Kazakh people and contribute to further expanding and diversifying relations between the two countries," an Indian embassy statement said.

In fact, so large were the crowds at the festival inaugural Monday at the reputed Kino Park Cinema Hall here that a neighbouring cinema theatre had to be opened to accommodate them.

Speaking at the inauguration, Indian Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar referred to the huge popularity of Indian, or more appropriately Bollywood, films amongst the Kazakh population, noting: "If Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty were the icons and legends of Indian films loved by the people of Kazakhstan from the 1950s to the 1980s, in current times the number of icons has grown much larger and ranges from Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan to Aishwarya Rai and Kareena Kapoor."

Sajjanhar stated that "even now, the senior generation in Kazakhstan fondly remembers the films and actors of the 1950s and 1960s as well as lyrics of some of the more well-known films like "Awara" and "Shri 420."

Even Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, during his visit to India in January 2009 "had enthusiastically narrated his fondness for Indian films and songs", the ambassador said, adding, "the youth of Kazakhstan today keenly enjoy watching Indian films, dances and songs."

Noting that the underlying theme of most Hindi films is love, Sajjanhar said "most Hindi films have a happy ending. Good always prevails over evil".

"In addition, Bollywood films also have action, drama, songs, dances and soul-stirring music. Several contemporary films, however, also deal with sensitive and important issues like terrorism, communal harmony and other challenges facing society," the ambassador added.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the Committee on Culture Iliyas Kozybaev referred to the strong, dynamic and rapidly expanding bilateral relations between India and Kazakhstan.

He thanked the Indian Embassy for organising the festival and said that it would go a long way in further strengthening, understanding and expanding people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

A large crowd, including the ambassadors of Germany, France, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe), the UN, Latvia and Palestine, diplomatic representatives from the US, Finland and Korea and officials of several public and private sector organisations, senior government personnel, students, and lovers of Indian art and culture attended the inauguration.

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The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Orissa Wednesday sought a ban on an Oriya film with a Maoist theme and accused its producer and actors of gloryfying the Left-wing extremists' ideology.

A delegation representing the state youth unit of the party met Governor M.C. Bhandare and submitted a memorandum demanding a ban on the release of "Swayamsidha" in which two leaders of the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) would be seen in prominent roles.

"At a time when the country is struggling to fight Maoism, how could a movie like this be allowed to be screened? We want a ban on the release of the film," Bibhuti Jena, president of the BJP's state youth wing, told reporters.

However, the producer of the movie, Prabhat Ranjan Mallick, denied the charge and said "it (the movie) was an attempt to bring the so-called Naxals (Maoists) to the mainstream".

Sidhant Mohapatra, a BJD member of the Lok Sabha, will be seen in the role of a Maoist leader in the film.

Mohapatra has acted in over 100 films, mostly in Oriya. "Swayamsidha" would be his first release after entering the Lok Sabha last year.

Another BJD Lok Sabha member, Prasanna Patsani, will be seen in the movie in a special appearance.

"Mohapatra doing a role in the movie has gone to the extent of justifying Maoism and has glorified them. He has endorsed their activities," Jena said.

The movie was shot in the dense forests of Koraput district, which is considered a Maoist hotbed.

Jena suspects that Maoists have helped the actors and the producer, a charge they denied.

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Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been roped in to endorse sports channel ESPN for the Champions League T20 tournament to be held in South Africa in September.

The 67-year-old shot for the promotional films and stills for the event Wednesday, he posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.

"Thankfully it has all gone off well and I have just completed the dub for what we shot in the morning.

But the rush and the speed with which it all had to be done was some kind of a marvel," he wrote.

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Akshay Kumar-Aishwarya Rai starrer Action Replayy has been set for a Diwali release on November 5. Shooting of the film was completed on July 15 in Manali.

Apart from Akshay and Ash, it stars Neha Dhupia, Kirron Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Om Puri, Randhir Kapoor and others.

The wrap was announced in a stylish way in Manali, where the last leg of the shooting took place.

Both Akshay and Aishwarya were in a cheerful mood and were in no mood of changing their costumes as they didn’t seem to be ready to say goodbye to the retro look, sources said.

They informed that Vipul Shah arranged for a bonfire party for the entire cast, which went on till the wee hours in the night.

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Diya Jewelry, a new segment of Jewelry brand by Gitanjali Group, has chosen Celina Jaitley as its brand ambassador. The brand has the philosophy as ‘Born of Dreams’ and it believes that Jaitley’s life reflects this philosophy truly.

Celina hails from a small town and winning the title of Miss India and having a dream journey in Bollywood seems to have every girl’s dream come true. The campaign required a sweet face which would represent a girl wandering in her own world of fantasies and fairytales and Celina fits this image perfectly.

The imagery of the campaign is very dream-like and ethereal, set against nature and is based on the transformation/ metamorphosis of the beautiful diya woman into a dove / pea cock etc.

Says the actress, “Diya is the next biggest thing in India when it comes to diamond jewelry and in the most exotic beautiful designs I have ever seen. The whole ad campaign is out of this world and surreal.

Dabbo brings magic to the pictures, the peacock inspired creation by neeta lulla gives it an ethereal feel. And I, the mannequin, feel like a princess of another world altogether and makeup artist Ojas has done his wonder for the second time again after the proactive international ad campaign.”

The photo-shoot for the campaign is done by Dabbo Ratnani, costume is by Neeta Lulla, hair and make-up is by Ojas Rajani and the creative director is Priya Pardiwala.

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Bollywood hottie Sherlyn Chopra is set to open India’s first-ever designer bikini studio. After Hrs has learnt that the actor is scouting for locations to open a store that will house her label. She is also hiring professional designers to create chic swimwear and bikinis.

Ask her about her reason to jump into this venture, and she shoots, “To be able to choose flattering clothes is necessary. Well-fitting and nice-looking swimwear is of utmost importance as it is the only item one wears on the beach. To look good in a swimsuit one needs to know what suits one’s particular shape.”

Talking about her collection that will soon have a grand launch in the city, Sherlyn says, “Interesting designs and pretty patterns make the fabulous pieces. My collection will boast of feminine swimwear that is extremely sexy. It’s up to a woman what to choose.”

The sassy star also advises women on the kind of bikini they should choose to flaunt on the beach. “The most important thing one should keep in mind is the size. One should choose the right size of garments. A woman with an hourglass figure can wear almost any type of swimwear and look good. It’s all about how comfortable one is with one’s body, how much skin one wants to show and what areas one wants to play up or down.”

She adds, “My store which I believe is going to be the ultimate destination for high fashion swimwear will offer a wide range for girls who are not just thin. I would like to cater to women of all shapes and sizes. Putting on display beautiful bikinis for hourglass figures is no big deal. What would be challenging for me would be to do the same for other women with say plump arms, short neck, double chin, wide hips, saggy belly and other problem areas.”

The actress says, “People choose to believe that smart and attractive swimwear is only for those who are blessed with the right curves at the right places. What they fail to understand is that one can look flattering by following simple rules that create an optical illusion.”

Sherlyn also confirms that she will soon take up a place in the city. “Currently, I’m looking for a space for the retail outlet. Also, I’m keen on having on board young, ambitious designers/stylists who could execute with ease and finesse my vision of re-defining sensuality. All I need is unlimited madness and limited sanity for this business venture to have a smooth takes off,” she ends.

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After Toronto, Akshay Kumar has found another paradise on earth. He’s so impressed by Jammu that he intends to return there for a trekking holiday with his wife Twinkle. He intends to explore remote areas of Jammu with his wife, that too on a motorcycle.

Whether he will write his own motorcycle diaries on the way, Akshay won’t say, but maybe his articulate wife could do the needful. But Akshay is certainly kicked by the idea of exploring Jammu as soon as his new film is released.

The brainwave came to Akshay last week while he was shooting for a song for Action Replayy.

“I returned to Jammu after five years. Nothing had changed. I was stunned by the natural unspoilt beauty of the place. Jammu has not turned into a concrete jungle. It was so soothing and peaceful. Sometimes I just want to get away from all the stress,” says Akshay.

The actor is especially impressed by the hinterland in Jammu. “There are endless stretches of mountains and valleys waiting to be explored. And the only way to do it is on two wheels. As we travel we’ll pitch a tent anywhere in the night. It would be fun and adventurous,” he says.

As for being recognised and accosted on the way, Akshay has come to terms with pitching his tent in crowds. “My promotion of Khatta Meetha as a common man has taught me how to deal with crowds.

Last week I was in Nagpur and there were at least 15,000 people in an open field. Not once did anyone make a grab for me. People are fine as long as one doesn’t behave like a star in crowds. Yeah , we’ll be fine traveling alone.”

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Shah Rukh Khan has roped in Chinese-American actor Tom Wu for his home production ’Ra.One’.

"…a big welcome to Tom Wu in the film cast. He is so humble and such a sport… really nice to have him on board," Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page.

Tom Wu, a martial arts expert, was earlier seen in films like ’Revolver’, ’Shanghai Knights’, ’Batman Begins’ and ’Tomb Raider II’.

According to earlier reports, action legend Jackie Chan was approached for a role in the action flick.

’Ra.One’ will also see Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor. American singer Akon too is part of the crew as he recorded a song for the movie.

The film is expected to release in 2011.

Shah Rukh, who is currently shooting for the film in London, is a little unwell.

"Antibiotics have sucked all energy out of me. Throat feeling better now… can go on the sets and make some noise to feel important hopefully," he added.(IANS)

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Call it the price of being a celebrity. Katrina Kaif’s name is again dragged to the centre of a controversy. A sex video launched in her name is becoming a rage on the web.

The clip named ‘Katrina Kaif sex scandal’ shows a fair skinned girl, who has got Katrina-like hair style but not face, in a romp with a group of guys. According to a source, Kat’s name generates a lot of interest as she is the most popular actress on the net.

When informed about this alleged video tape, which features her lookalike, being in circulation, Kat reacted vehemently. She is quoted by a tabloid as saying, “The video is disgusting and the girl clearly doesn’t even look like me… I think it’s ridiculous to even talk about it.”

Though the gal in the video doesn’t bear a clear resemblance to the actress, as per reports, the porn sites and some forums are offering downloads of the video.

Last year, a similar controversy dogged Katrina’s sis Isabel when her porn tape started doing rounds on the net.

Who says, ‘What’s in a name?’

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The numbers have a lot to say. Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan may not be running a race to hog the top spot in Bollywood, but according to the Power List revealed by Filmfare for the year 2009, it’s Aamir who holds more sway than SRK.

Riding on the super-success of Ghajini which released in December 2008 but continued running well into 2009, and 3 Idiots (released in December 2009), Aamir has been named the most powerful celeb in Hindi film industry.

Shahrukh Khan who was seen in two flop movies , Dulha Mil Gaya and Billu, last year (his My Name Is Khan released in 2010) came second on the list, followed by director Rajkumar Hirani on the third place for the mega-hit 3 Idiots which is now the biggest hit movie in Bollywood history.

On the fourth position is music composer A R Rahman who won two Oscars in 2009. Fifth place is taken by Karan Johar’s production company Dharma Productions. Sixth and seventh slots went to Yashraj Films and Aamir Khan Productions.

Kareena Kapoor who was seen in films like Kurbaan, Kambakkht Ishq and 3 Idiots came 8th on the list. Hrithik Roshan took the 9th position while Katrina Kaif rounded up the top ten.

Surprisingly, Salman Khan, who featured in the hit movie Wanted, is not in the top ten.

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Amitabh Bachchan can’t stop praising Udaan and its director Vikramaditya Motwane, who also happens to be the school mate of son Abhishek Bachchan.

Big B posted on his blog: “In all the noise and thunder of popular cinema now prevalent, this film comes as a fresh breeze of air. Its simplicity is brimming over with the intensity of its content.”

He further adds, “Bringing an audience into the framework of the story is not an easy task. I thought it was extremely brave of the director to be able to achieve that. Apart from the novelty of the presentation of the film, the matter that stands out is the performances from each and every artist.”

Udaan isa story about a young boy, who lives with his authoritarian father after getting expelled from his boarding school .The movie stars Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Aayan Boradia and Ram Kapoor. The producer of the movie, Anurag Kashyap, adds that the movie carries further the message given by 3 Idiots.

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