Thirteen years after she acted in her last film of note, ‘Tirchhi Topiwale’, Monica Bedi, better known as the companion of jailed mafia don Abu Salem, has begun a new innings in Nepal, acting in a new film that could be the mirror image of her own aspirations.

The 36-year-old, whose glamorous looks survived her long ordeal in the past when the Indian government sought her extradition from Portugal along with Salem, and her subsequent stay in prison for passport forgery, starts shooting in a Nepali film, "Parichay", directed by Mumbai-based director Akash Pandey.

On Saturday, soon after she flew into Kathmandu and dumped her baggage in a hotel in Thamel, the prime tourist hub in the Nepali capital, Monica was followed by the paparazzi to an ethnic restaurant in the Lazimpat area where she went to savour Nepali food and culture.

It was in the same neighbourhood that Nepali media baron Jamim Shah, alleged to have close links with underworld king Dawood Ibrahim, was gunned down in broad daylight in February 2010. Bharat Nepali, another mafia hit man who claimed responsibility for Shah`s killing, was himself shot dead in Bangkok nine months later.

Monica, whose links with the underworld have remained the subject of unquenched speculation, looked unaware of the gangster history of the area as she smilingly posed for photographers in dark skintight trousers topped by a dark Reebok jacket over a jazzy T-shirt, boots and a pair of large sunglasses.

While refusing to comment on the fake passport charge that landed her in prison in India, Monica was, however, happy to talk about the new celluloid venture that has cast her opposite Nikhil Upreti, Nepal`s action hero who last year left the Nepali film industry to carve out a niche in Bollywood.

Much of the shooting will be done in idyllic tourist town Pokhara, where earlier Govinda, Priyanka Chopra and decades ago Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman had flocked to shoot their new films.

In "Parichay", Monica plays a girl from a middle-class family who works in an office but is driven by dogged ambition to become a film star.

It could be the true life story of the girl who was born in a village in Punjab and then taken, as a babe in arms, to Norway by her parents. But at 18, she spurned the staid and respectable life of her parents, who ran a garments store, to return to India to seek adventure and her fortune in Mumbai`s tinsel town.

Being made in Nepali and believed to have the investment of non-resident Nepalis, "Parichay" unfolds after Monica meets Nikhil at a dance bar and the two fall in love and marry, only to be parted by her unbridled ambition.

Years later, when both have carved out their own identities they meet again, leading to a twist in the plot.

The rest of the film will also be shot in India and Thailand.

IANS

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Imran Khan, who recently got married to his long time girl friend Avantika Malik is enjoying a much needed break in Goa.

The cute looking actor and his wife are having a gala time in Goa and Imran is leaving no stone unturned to please his better half.

The ‘Break Ke Baad’ star is learning to make exotic beverages. And since November last year, Imran had been working relentlessly.

He flew of to Thailand for a short honeymoon immediately after his wedding but couldn’t do justice to his newly wed wife. So the young actor is now in a mood to unwind and make the most of the current break.

Talking to a daily, a source close to kid Khan said, “Imran is at a close friend Chinu’s restaurant in North Goa, a secluded area, frequented mostly by foreigners and some locals.

Imran took off with a group of friends and his wife Avantika and visited this restaurant, where he was thrilled to watch the bartenders at work.

So impressed was the actor that he expressed the desire to learn their work. His friend immediately made the arrangements.”

Imran must be a happy man now. He finally realized his wish to learn bartending.

“I am enjoying every moment of it. This is something that I wanted to do for some time now and when the opportunity came, I grabbed it with both my hands.

I am not someone who drinks a lot but I love getting people drunk and learning the art of making
exotic drinks will go a long way,” the actor said.

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s last venture ‘Guzaarish’ dumbfounded all with Hrithik Roshan’s portrayal of a quadriplegic, gripping the audiences that empathised them of the pain that exists.

The film’s vivid storyline not only impressed people in India but also earned appreciation overseas. News has it that ‘Guzaarish’ grabbed a rare honour of featuring in the esteemed library of the Oscars.

Bhansali is known to take up subjects that are closer to life and prefers keeping a low profile. But his stupendous piece of art has found its way to the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Oscars). And the screenplay of ‘Guzaarish’ will be part of its permanent script collection.

While talking to a daily, Bhansali expressed his take on ‘Guzaarish’ and said, "The movie makes you aware about the beauty of life and what we have and how we should cherish what we have.

I have learnt so much about living a good life, of becoming a better human being and of evolving as a person."

Everything about ‘Guzaarish’ was grand. Delving on a sensitive issue of mercy-killing, the film opened to rave reviews and was praised for its finer nuances, right from the script to the idea put behind it.

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Dabangg is box-office history. And now Sonu Sood is gearing up to create history again with the Hindi-Tamil-Telugu trilingual Rana, which features Rajnikanth in a triple role, and has Sood as the main baddie.

He was confirmed a week ago.“I’ve seen Robot twice, once with my friends and then with my family. And I was spellbound by the film’s special effects and Rajni sir’s star charisma.

In a week’s time, I start shooting Buddha with Mr Bachchan (Amitabh Bachchan) and then, in April, I will be working with Rajni sir.

Imagine a small-town boy with no film background working with legends that we’ve grown up idolising and still in awe of. I feel blessed,” marvels Sood.

Rajnikanth was reportedly keen on casting the Bollywood actor for the much-coveted negative role after seeing him as Cheddi Singh in Dabangg and Pasupathi in the Tamil blockbuster, Arundhati.

He was also impressed with his act in Jodhaa-Akbar, as Rana is a period-action film along the lines of the Hollywood hit, 300.

“Rajni sir hugged me the day we met and said he was looking forward to working with me. I can’t wait for the camera to roll,” says Sood.

Rana, directed by KS Ravi Kumar of Muthu and Narasimha fame, will be shot in India and abroad with foreign technicians. It’s touted to be the most expensive Indian film ever made.

Deepika Padukone is the leading lady, and the film has music by AR Rahman. Robot cameraman Ratnavelu returns as the cinematographer.

The film is being co-produced by Eros International and Ocher Studios, the production house run by Soundarya Rajinikanth.

Meanwhile, work on the script of Dabangg 2 is on and it is expected to start by the year-end. Cheddi’s twin returns to avenge his death in the sequel and Sood says, “Dabangg is a huge brand today and the responsibility will now be greater.”

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Their real life romance might not be official yet, but Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra will play lovers for 100 years in an upcoming movie.

The film would be directed by Kunal Kohli who has made love stories like Hum Tum and Mujhse Dosti Karogi before.

A source told Mumbai Mirror, "This has a very different script dealing with the concept of eternal love. Priyanka loved the script the very moment she heard it and has accommodated her dates to shoot with her beau Sasha."

Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor, who were earlier seen together in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey, will be seen in different get-ups and lPriyanka-Shahidocations in the film.

The source adds, "Since it is a period film, spanning over 100 years, it becomes essential to have different get-ups and different locations with unique set-ups and backdrops.

Kunal has shortlisted various locations, but he will be paying a personal visit to each one to ensure that the locations fit into the script perfectly."

Kunal Kohli is yet to finalise the locations and title.

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Shakira’s date with Bollywood is off for the time being. The Latin American sensation won’t be seen singing for music director duo Salim-Sulaiman in debutant Sachin Joshi’s Azaan. For the uninitiated, the pop diva was set to sing a “very sensuous cabaret kind of song.”

“Initially, Shakira had agreed to sing the number and was excited but she got busy with her huge world tour. Since then, we haven’t had any response from her, possibly because she is caught up with her tour and other assignments,” informs Salim.

He admits that they’ve repeatedly “tried to contact Shakira again”. “But there has been no response from her side. So now, we have Shakiraaccepted that the song isn’t happening. After all, it is only up to a point that you can pursue someone,” says the composer.

Apparently, the Shakira number was supposed to be a frenzied dance track to be filmed on South African model Candice Boucher, who stars in Azaan along with entrepreneur Sachin Joshi. The song was supposed to have been recorded by mid 2010.

The lyrics were supposed to be English, but with a smattering of easy Hindi. Sachin, who makes his acting debut with Azaan, was apparently in constant touch with Shakira. “We were excited to record the song but it’s not easy to get global stars,” says the composer.

Salim, on his part, is looking forward to a glut of films after the super successful Band Baaja Baraat. Plus, he will also be seen in a music reality show. “But I can’t divulge any details yet. It’s going to be very interesting. Let’s see how things go,” he says.

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Jiah Khan had a great time bonding with Australian cricket icon Steve Waugh.

The sexy star, who returned to India this Thursday, was spotted in Delhi for an event for which she had flown down from London.

Sources tell us that they have even seen the sassy girl having lunch with Steve and a couple of her business associates.

Jiah apparently has even told people that she finds Steve very charming. The two also shot in the capital for their venture.

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This Valentine’s Day, like every year, is going to be very special for Hrithik Roshan. The superstar has his day chalked out for family and children and most importantly he is looking to surprise Sussanne.

"I really put in an effort when I buy gifts. I believe in giving my wife meaningful things that can bring a smile on her face. Which woman doesn’t like receiving gifts from her man? Not just Sussanne, even if I’m gifting something to anyone be it my parents, children or close friends, I make sure the gift is special," Hrithik told TOI.

Ask him to reveal his best moment of romance and he shoots, "It is definitely the day I said the three big words to Sussanne. It took her by surprise. I don’t really have great memories of Valentine’s Day as I was a shy kid and never really got the courage to walk up to the girl I liked and talk to her, forget asking her out."

Now, this really surprises us as Hrithik has been making girls go weak in their knees for the longest time. "I became confident as I grew up. But it surely feels great getting all the attention. It is a huge compliment. I don’t think today being married changes anything. Marriage makes people sexier," he says.

For Hrithik, love is like oxygen that he can never do without. "I’m an incurable romantic. I love the concept of being in love with one person throughout my life and I’m blessed to have Sussanne and on Valentine’s Day, I renew my vows of being with her, loving her and be her bouncing board all my life.

I believe that little things make the biggest difference to a relationship. I’m a very passionate person. For me, Valentine’s Day is more than just the conventional man-woman relationship. It’s about love for family, for children and for people around me. I thank my fans for the love they have been showering on me and I promise to give back as much as I can."

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Vivek Oberoi has his entire day only for wife Priyanka. The actor, who married end of last year, is spending his first Valentine’s Day as a husband and he wants to make things memorable for his wife.

Not only is the actor gifting something very special to Priyanka, he is also in the mood to take her out for a small vacation.

The actor was very busy at the end of last year with his work commitments as both parts of Rakht Charitra released simultaneously. And so he could not really give as much time to his wife as he would have wanted to.

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Surprising it may sound but this is true. Abhishek Bachchan is no longer in the good books of Bipasha Basu these days. It’s learnt that Abhi’s pranks haven’t impressed Bipasha much and on the contrary she has not taken too kindly to it.

It must be mentioned that Abhishek is famous for playing pranks on the sets. So, recently when the actor was shooting for the upcoming film PLAYERS along with Bipasha Basu, Abhishek passed a comment that was not taken too kindly by the actress.

According to reliable sources, "On the sets of PLAYERS, Abhishek was up to his usual tricks. And then he cracked a funny one on Bipasha and John Abraham. And Bipasha didn’t take kindly to it. And she let her irritation known."

Though the misunderstanding might have stemmed from a casual friendly remark, the things are yet to cool down between the two.

This is not the first time Abhishek is making news for being the prankster that he is. Earlier too, the actor has put her co-actors in DILLI 6 and DHOOM through such brazen acts of fun.

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Arriving a year and a half after Vishal Bhardwaj’s last film KAMINEY, 7 KHOON MAAF tells the story of a woman who murders each of her seven husbands. While the promos so far have managed to catch one’s attention, there is an amalgamation of various moods that seem to be looking up from every frame of the film. Isn’t Priyanka Chopra bothered about the fact that 7 KHOON MAAF has the kind of subject that could well entice diverse reactions?

"Look at it from the point of view of Susanna (the character that she plays in the film). The only thing that she looked for in life was love and this is what that kept evading her", says the National Award winning actress who pretty much lived her central protagonist role in FASHION as well, "Of course it was a different world that I was getting in. But then the kind of trust that I have with Vishal and the director-actor relationship that we share, I knew that we were in for something special."

However the fact remains that after all not many films would dare to portray a character, who goes on to kill each of her seven spouses. Isn’t she worried about the acceptability factor? "No, not actually", she says with a wink, "People may say that this woman is really wicked but then they would also exclaim that ’Ok, it’s fine actually because she had some good reasons of her own to get rid of these men." With lyrics by Gulzar and music by Vishal Bhardwaj himself, 7 KHOON MAAF releases all over this Friday.

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With a R 17 crore cameo by Akshay Kumar, does anyone realise that the film would have gone over budget? We wouldn’t even be able to recover the investments!" retorts Jacky Bhagnani when asked about the action star’s much-talked about cameo in FALTU.

"My father (Vashu Bhagnani) is a hard-core film trade person and understands the business very well. I even heard that Salman Khan is doing a cameo. But none of this is true. Apart from my leading lady and me, Riteish Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi are the only ones playing pivotal characters. There are no cameos!" FALTU is Jacky’s second film, which like his debut Kal Kissne Dekha, has been produced by his father.

Two years ago, his debut bombed at the box office. It was expected to release in March, but was pushed by three to four months following the multiplex strike across the country. "Not too many people saw it. I’m more recalled for my stage performances. It’s sad because if the film had been released as per schedule, it would have worked. It lost the buzz by the time it opened for public viewing. So, in some ways, FALTU is my debut," says Bhagnani. The actor’s father has released the music of the film on digital media instead of the usual CDs and DVDs.

When asked if that would be detrimental to the sales, he says that just the opposite may happen. "Today, no one hesitates to spend R 10. They can spend that much and download a song of their choice from the website of the film. Even the biggest selling music albums don’t make enough money because there is a limited number of CDs that get sold from the racks. Here, every song will sell individually," he explains.

Since Bhagnani’s second film arrives more than two years after his debut, isn’t he apprehensive about its box office reception? "I am," he says. "But I’m also nervous and excited because this film should give my career the opening it deserved two years ago."

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Hi da hi my rasile rasgullas! How’s the week going with you? To say that the going’s pretty hectic for moi would be to state the obvious...

Considering that my informers buzz me on Graham Bell’s invention at the crack of dawn and there’s no stopping the garma garam gupshup. And if you ask me, I just can’t get enough of all the chatpata information that I’m treated with all day. So read on for your dose of daily goss...

Okay, we do know that a lot has been said and written about Katrina Kaif’s break up with Salman Khan, their friendship continues to be strong as ever.

So much so that Sher Lock Holmes tells me that their song "Tu hi meri dost" or something such from Yuuvraaj couldn’t suit them better.

Matlab? I’m informed that after receiving her trophy at the Stardust Awards on Sunday evening, the lissome lass rushed straight to her hunky buddy, who was rehearsing his act in between their vanity vans. Bas, aur kya? Sallu stopped in his steps and gave her a warm hug, congratulating her winning the award.

Then, he called for coffee which they sipped in-between their leisurely conversation that seemed to go on and on. After about half an hour, Kat gave him another warm hug and left to give bytes.

My super sleuth remarks that her excitement was akin to what one feels when one is eager to share one’s biggest joy with one’s best friend. Wonder what Ranbir Kapoor has to say to that. Or shouldn’t I ask?

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Excuse moi while I check this sandesha on my kaaliberry. It’s my khabru from Kutch, insisting I hear this tiddy-bitty on Amrita Rao.

She had gone there to show her support for the Sarvoyada Bidada Village Camp recently. Seems the Maharaja of Kutch was so pleased to hear about her compassionate interactions with the patients that he invited her over.

So Amri went over to the majestic Vijay Vilas Palace for tea with the King and his family. Later on, the Maharaja also showed her around the palace and briefed her about the family history.

Predictably, the petite Ms Rao was no less thrilled by her visit that she promised to meet them again soon.

Why am I not so surprised? It’s not like she’s too busy with a packed date diary to fit in another visit to Kutch or anywhere for that matter. Hai na?

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After an acrimonious fallout, Salman Khan and Abhinav Kashyap have patched up for good. The actor-director duo of 2010’s biggest hit ‘Dabangg’ had fallen apart after Abhinav quoted an outrageous fee to direct his next film.

However, after being snubbed by top producers for his astounding demands, Abhinav has made his peace with the Khan brothers and is now busy laying down detailed plans to direct a sequel to ‘Dabangg’.

Confirming the news of fallout, a source told a daily, “Abhinav is a good director, but the success of the film may have gone to his head. However, the fallout is a thing of the past and it will only be fitting if Abhinav directs the sequel.”

According to reports, Kashyap peeved a lot of producers by making astonishing demands. “He demanded more than Rs 10 crore from Eros International while negotiating for a film which did not materialise for obvious reasons. Kashyap next had a meeting with PVR Pictures. There too he demanded something between Rs 15 and 18 crore”, adds the source.

“When Salman learnt about Kashyap`s pricey ways, he responded with putting him off his radar,” says the source.

Nevertheless, Abhinav has now cleared the air with Salman. “We have Kashyap`s dates in place, which were finalised only last week. Both Salman and Arbaaz love Abhinav. Let`s not get into what went wrong, but look forward to a killer sequel,” adds the source.

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Salman Khan will bring in Ximena Navarrete, Miss Universe 2010, as his heroine in the upcoming sequel of Partner.

The 22-year old Mexican model was thrilled about making her debut in Bollywood, which Navarrete believes is one of the most colourful movie industries in the world.

Partner, which was released in 2007 was inspired from the American movie Hitch starring Will Smith. The movie will be directed by David Dhawan.

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Unlike her latest Telugu release Anaganaga O Dheerudu, which got lukewarm response at the box office, her new Hindi movie Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji (released on January 26) is getting positive responses from the audience and critics alike.

But Shruti Haasan is not happy! Why? The singer-actress felt that her scenes in the film were cut short considerably and her role did not turn out be as nifty as she expected. So it is heard that the actress is showing no interest in promoting Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji.

Shruti, who plays an industrialist’s daughter Niki who is keen on bettering society through social work, appears in the film halfway through, just before the interval. Almost till the interval, the audience wonders if Shruti is part of the cast or not! On the other hand, Tisca Chopra, who essays the role of her stepmother, is there throughout the film.

Meanwhile, her spokesperson said: "Shruti’s Tamil film opposite Suriya demanded all of her dates from December-end to February first week. She has been shooting in Chennai and overseas. As a result, she couldn’t promote the movie as much as she would’ve wanted to. She was looking forward to promoting the film but was really upset that the promotional dates clashed with her Tamil movie schedule."

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Sonakshi Sinha is on a rigorous exercise regime to drop weight for her upcoming roles in Joker and Race 2.

The actress, who had been quite chubby, reduced her weight for her debut film Dabangg. This was as advised by Salman Khan, whom the actress considers her mentor.

Sonakshi, realising that she now needs to look even slimmer, has hit the gym and has been working out without a break.

It is reported that Sonakshi will be replacing Bipasha Basu in the sequel of Race. Bipasha had a glamorous role in Race, but Sonakshi’s earlier statements that she wouldn’t take up steamy scenes have made viewers wonder how would Sonakshi be a replacement for Basu? Will the role be changed for Sonkshi or will she reverse her statements? We are yet to see.

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Dhoom, India’s version of hi-octane thriller films, is one of the most successful series in Bollywood. The much talked about third part of Dhoom has finally got the booster shot it needed. It is now official: Aamir Khan will be playing the villain in Dhoom 3.

Confirming this, Aamir says, "It is indeed a pleasure to be working with Yashji and Adi once again. Dhoom is a great franchise, most entertaining and full of fun. Every time I hear the theme tune of Dhoom, it brings a swing to my step. Victor’s script really won me over and I look forward to working with him."

Says producer Yash Chopra, "It’s a great pleasure to have Aamir working with YRF once again. It’s even more special that he will be doing Dhoom 3. I am terribly excited with what an actor like Aamir will bring to the Dhoom franchise with his unique star power and level of performance. Adi and Victor have worked over a year to bring out what I can now confidently say is possibly one of the best scripts coming out of YRF. I am sure that Aamir and Adi together will create magic to give our audience one of the most exciting films ever seen."

Coming to the rest of the cast, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will be seen in their previous avatars of Jai Dixit and Ali respectively. Produced by Aditya Chopra, Dhoom 3 will be directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. Vijay is the writer of all three Dhoom films and has also directed Tashan. The film will begin shooting end of this year and is slated for a 2012 Christmas release.

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Renowned actor Anupam Kher Wednesday welcomed the arrest of former telecom minister A. Raja and said the current attitude of people to accept corruption with a "smiling face" is not good for the society.

"It`s a good step that finally Raja has been arrested. It is a good beginning, I welcome this step. In our country, there are allegations against many politicians and those cases go on for several years," Kher told reporters at the sidelines of a book launch here.

"But it should not be like he comes out after six months and this step becomes symbolic in order to calm down the anger of the common people," Kher said.

Raja was arrested Wednesday for his suspected role in the allocation of airwaves for second generation (2G) phone services, billed as the country`s biggest corruption scandal to date.

"I am optimist and hope this arrest will bring certain amount of halt to corruption charges against people, individual and government. I am a politically conscious person and never ever in my entire life I have seen or heard of so many scams in the country," Kher said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation held Raja, a senior leader of the DMK, a component of United Progressive Alliance government, and two of his aides on primarily two counts -- misuse of office in allocation of spectrum, a finite national resource, and amassing wealth much higher than the known and legal sources of their income.

Renowned lyricist and screenwriter Prasoon Joshi denied to comment on Raja`s arrest but felt that care-free attitude towards corruption was dangerous for the society.

"I do not want to be judgmental about it. But I would like to say one thing that the issue of corruption has become a very easy-going issue among the common people. People crack jokes about it. We do not feel angry about the issue of corruption, we do not feel concerned about it," Joshi, who was also present at the function, said.

"This is not good for a country which has such a large young population. What will they learn? We should be more firm on the issue of corruption," Joshi added.

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Superstar Aamir Khan Wednesday said that he was honoured to be part of the jury of the Berlin International Film Festival.

"I am looking forward to be in the jury. Berlin is a very prestigious film festival. It`s an honour to be invited to be in the jury. I am looking forward to watch all films there," Aamir told reporters here.

"World`s best films are showcased there. Berlin (gives a chance) to start the year with watching the best of world cinema. I am also looking forward to meet the other jury members," he added.

Aamir is recognized internationally for his films "Lagaan" and "Taare Zameen Par". His recent production "Peepli Live", directed by Anusha Rizvi, and "Dhobi Ghat" directed by his wife Kiran Rao also won him acclaim in the festival circuit.

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Evergreen actor-director Dev Anand, who is all excited about the re-release of his classic film `Hum Dono` in colour, says that he will not turn to the small screen to promote his film.

"Today, television is doing a lot of things. I won`t go to tv shows for the publicity of my film. This is not my style. I just want people to come naturally and see the film," he said on the sidelines of the music launch of the film here last evening.

`Hum Dono`, a 1961 black and white film, saw the actor in a double role opposite actresses Nanda and Sadhana. The film is set for a worldwide re-release in colour on February 4.

"Its a beautiful thing that the film is being released in colour. I can write a book on this film. Even after 50 years

people want to see this film... it feels great," the 87-year-old actor said.

Apart from Dev Anand`s acting, the film`s music caught the fancy of audiences back then, with melodies such as `Main Zindagi ka Saath`, `Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar` and `Allah Tero Naam`.

"It looks fantastic, as if it has been (originally) shot in colour. I don`t know whether the younger generation will like the music. Hope they like it," Dev said.

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