It’s a man’s world for sure. And when it comes to Bollywood, men do rule the silver screen. No matter how big a star an actress is, she does taste the bitterness of being the fairer sex. Despite being a huge brand in herself, Kareena Kapoor has been seconded in the promotional trailors of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer superhero flick ‘Ra.One’.

Moreover, last year blockbuster film ‘Robot’ starring southern superstar Rajinikanth did not have enough space both in the promos and in the film for someone as big as Aishwarya Rai, who has an international appeal.

"There is not much difference between ‘Ra.One’ and ‘Robot’, when it comes to the treatment meted out to the female protagonist. Like everyone is aware, the role of Aishwariya Rai in ‘Robot’ was largely inconsequential barring her song and dance sequences and those curve showing moves. It seems Kareena, despite being the female protagonist in the film does not have much to do in the film either. Now, it only goes on to show that Bollywood is still a man dominated territory," the source added.

Nonetheless, it’s the same industry that has produced masterpieces like ‘Mother India’, ‘Bandini’ and even newly released films like ‘Black’ and ‘No One Killed Jessica’. But will Bollywood ever give fair and equal importance to women in the industry? Only time will tell.

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Mumbai: Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra are both reigning divas of Bollywood and filmmakers are dying to cast the two bombshells together in a film.

Filmaker Shristhi Behl wanted to cast Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra together in her indian version of ‘Bride Wars’ and also director Anurag Basu`s was keen on casting these two Bollywood hotties in ‘Barfee’.

However that did not work out but according to the recent reports Kat has been added to the cast of Rakesh Roshan`s ‘Krrish-3, which means finally Kat get to work in tandem with PC!

The two beauty rivals have to great lengths to ensure that they do not share screen space ever. But, destiny has its way and now they are set to come together. So now it remains to be seen how PC would react to her being cast along Kat in ‘Krrish 3’.

A source says, "The film is expected to go on floors on June 15 after Hrithik finishes shooting the major schedule of Agneepath in Diu. The writing work on Krrish-3 is currently in full steam. And a new role has been written in for another actress (read: Kat) in the superhero sequel."

Kat and Hrithik, got along great with each other during their shooting schedule in Spain while shooting for Zoya Akhtar`s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and apparently Duggu has been very keen on having Kat play a role in his home production.

There have been no formal word by Kat or the Roshan’s on this yet however a source close to the actress reveals she is already planning her wardrobe and look for one of the Bollywood’s most awaited sequels of the year.

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Mumbai: To his credit go some astounding performances that Bollywood has seen in the recent past. And if the latest news that’s doing rounds is to be believed then it will be a phenomenal story all together. Buzz has it that Shah Rukh Khan might fancy getting into the shoes of worlds most dreaded thug and serial killer Charles Sobhraj!

According to the latest reports, French filmmaker Alain Andre is making a flick on the serial killer and he has wished to cast none other than the undisputed king of Bollywood in the film as the lead role.

“We were sure we wanted Shah Rukh Khan ... We think he is the best person to portray Sobhraj,” said Andre to whom Sobhraj has given exclusive rights for his biopic.

“Just before Charles got free from Delhi’s Tihar jail, Chantal (his first wife) asked us (Andre and partner Francois) to make a movie,” said the filmmaker. “Charles wanted to be famous, to see his stories in books and novels, which is why he never said ‘no, I’m innocent’,’’ he added.

The director is now looking for a co-producer from Bollywood to make the film, which he plans to set in India, where Sobhraj spent some years.

Director Andre also added that Sobhraj has demanded that he should not be portrayed as a killer in the movie.

Sobhraj’s lawyer Isabelle Coutant Peyre said, “I have asked Mr André to finalise a movie project about the life of Charles Sobhraj, with my total control on the contents on his behalf.”

Given the audiences’ new taste for coming of age flicks, SRK might just lap this opportunity lest it goes to any of his adversary.

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Its that time of the year again when everyone is busy filing income tax returns and so is Bollywood.

Over the past years it can be recalled that some celebrities have been the highest tax payers in the country such as Akshay Kumar with Rs 18 crores, Hrithik Roshan with Rs 15.10 crores and Shah Rukh Khan with Rs 14 crores.

This year, the Bachchan family is one of the highest tax paying family of the entertainment industry. A source says, "2010-11 has been one of the most prolific years for the Bachchans. Each of them has had multiple film releases.

They have also done an enviable number of commercials. So the collective earnings of the three have totalled up to an impressive amount. Hence they have ended up with these high income-tax figures.``

For the year ending March 2011, Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek and his daughter-in-law Aishwarya will collectively pay an income tax of Rs 37.55 cr!

This is a huge sum for a declared annual tax and it is good to know in an industry, where more black money floats than genuine money, there are still some people who practice honesty. And the Bachchan khandaan has clearly shown the way.

-Spicezee

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He might be called the Badshah of Bollywood, but superstar Shah Rukh Khan considers himself labour class.

"I consider myself labour class as I like to maintain an active lifestyle. I like to work all day round and when it is taken away, it affects me mentally.

And that percolated down to my family... as a result, everyone in my house also becomes sad," said Shah Rukh while speaking at the India Today Conclave here Friday.

The actor has been dealing with a problematic back for a long time which has slowed him down.

Shah Rukh says he enjoys sharing his life with his fans as he has worked hard to achieve where he stands today.

"All my life I have worked so that I can be recognised. I want thousands of people to scream my name out. I want girls and youngsters to tear my clothes. I have worked very hard to achieve this, then I find it very stupid when I see stars hiding their faces.

"I want to be disturbed and troubled by people for as many years possible. I want to be remembered as `he tried and he tried very hard`," he added.

IANS

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‘Desi Boyz’ is Chitrangada Singh`s first big movie and she is excited to share screen-space with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar.

A source states, "The actress is very excited and enthusiastic about the forthcoming schedule of the film. Chitrangada is very inspired by Khiladi Kumar`s action image and she is hoping for some great adventure action with Akshay during the schedule of the film".

The film also stars John Abraham, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.

Following the footsteps of papa David Dhawan, Rohit Dhawan is making his directorial debut with ‘Desi Boyz’, which may release at the year end.

IANS

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Madhuri Dixit has moved back to industry after a sabbatical. She was in the US playing the perfect homemaker and raising two lovely kids. Now that she is back in the industry filmmakers are looking to cast her in the films and TV projects.

Apparently Madhuri Dixit has quoted her price as Rs 5 crore to do a film! Something similar to what the popular actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra charge for their films.

Interestingly, Madhuri has been out of the industry for a few years now and is on the wrong side of 40. Considering these factors, she sounds a bit over demanding for that kind of fee.

Madhuri has huge fan following and many filmmakers would want to work with her but her last hit film was ‘Devdas’ under the Bhansali banner which was eight years ago and let`s not forget, it also starred Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan.

Although she is a big name in Bollywood, no filmmaker would be willing to pay her that kind of money. One should not forget that her comeback film ‘Aaja Nachle’ (2007) was a box office dud.

Buzz has it that she is meeting filmmakers at the moment and reading scripts. Grapevine also has it that four filmmakers have approached her. Speaking to a daily, Rikku, her manager confirms, "Yes, Madhuri has asked for five crores. We feel she is definitely worth the price she is quoting. She is a superstar with an enviable fan following even today. So, why shouldn`t she ask for what she deserves? We are sure the filmmakers will gain from the fact that Madhuri Dixit is making a film with them."

Meanwhile, industry is rather bemused at Mrs. Nene’s over ambitious demands. Asks a trade analyst, "Who will give Madhuri five crores now? Though she does have the fan base, she isn`t a top actress anymore. She has been out of the industry and the kind of roles she can do are limited. The roles that she has been approached to play are either sister or mother characters, which she is not too keen to play. She should learn from Amitabh Bachchan. A superstar, who still has roles specially written for him, isn`t demanding that his pay cheque match that of Aamir, Salman, Akshay or SRK. Madhuri needs a reality check. In case someone has a particular script in which only she fits, perhaps she will get the high price."

Well, we’d love to see the ek-do-teen star sizzle on the silver screen once again however we hope her fee makes a landing on our planet earth soon!

-Spicezee

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Adnan Sami looks set to sing a different tune. After wowing fans with his mellifluous voice, the singer-musician is readying to make an acting debut in a “mad comedy”, written and produced by writer-lyricist Irfan Siddiqui. Rumours had suggested that ex-wife Sabah Galadari was to produce his acting debut.

“Yes, it’s expected to go on the floors in summer 2011. It’s a funny script with loads of gags. Besides acting, I’ll also be composing music for it,” says Sami, adding, “If the producers feel I can do justice to the music score, they will ask me themselves. I will only ask to sing my own songs in the films. It would look weird if I sounded like someone else in the song sequences, especially since people recognise my voice,” he says.

Adnan SamiSami also reveals that another script, a dramatic love story, is being worked on. “Filmmaking demands a lot of patience from you,” he says.

The Bheegi bheegi raaton mein... singer is, though, confident that he doesn’t want to play a musician in all his films. He says: “Usually, people feel, ‘musician hai toh musician hi banega.’ (If he is a musician, then he’ll act as one too). But I won’t fall in that rut.” Sami also throws light on his now-shelved project with debutante Bela Segal, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sister.

“Bela had written a script about an obese man searching for love. But by the time she came to me with the script, I had lost around 145 kgs and didn’t fit the role. And I wasn’t going to gain weight again for a film,” he says.

By Hindustan Times

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With an eye on adding glamour, the latest entrant in the Indian Premier League, the Kochi team is in talks with Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif to be the brand ambassadors for the Indi Commandos.

“We are currently talking to Salman and Katrina for endorsement deals,” Kochi IPL Team co-owner Mukesh Patel says. While Katrina has been seen promoting the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the past, Salman has been reported to be keen on buying an IPL team.

Salman KatrinaIndustry observers pointed out that if the deal is signed, the Kochi IPL team (officially named Indi Commandos) would get the much needed boost on the glamour front with the Dabangg of Bollywood, Salman promoting the team along with Katrina.

They pointed out that IPL is not only about of cricket, and glamour plays an important part, with the likes of Shilpa Shetty adding zing for Rajasthan Royals and Shah Rukh Khan doing the same for Kolkata Knight Riders, while Preity Zinta ensures glamour for Kings XI Punjab.

The Kochi IPL team is even ready with a promotional video directed by film maker Priyadarshan, which is likely to be on air soon.

By Hindustan Times

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It promises to be a ’housefull’ of surprises. As director Sajid Khan gears up to kick-start Housefull 2, he will employ a completely new technique - 3D pre-visualisation. And Khan feels the "technique is needed due to multiple action sequences."

For the uninitiated, storyboards are usually designed in the form of illustrations to pre-visualise a scene. "But since Housefull 2 will have four action sequences, I am going to use 3D pre-visualisation. It’ll help a lot," he says.

According to Khan, the storyboards will be designed in the form of illustrations. "Then, it’ll be converted into animated 3D visual. And the actors will be able to watch the sequences three months before they actually shot on location," he says.

In fact, the Housefull 2 makers are putting in ’special action’ sequences. "People are surprised to hear that my film will have action scenes. Not many know that I love action but my action won’t be about blood and gore. It’ll be cool and stylised," Khan says. Interestingly, Dhoom star John Abraham will be seen with a bike again in an action sequence while he shares screen space with Akshay Kumar in another scene.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala feels that this method will help match Hollywood standards. "If you want to even come close to the standards set by Hollywood action films, you need to be totally prepared. And this technique is surely the best," he says.

The Housefull 2 cast is loaded with names like Akshay, John, Asin, Jacqueline Fernandez, Riteish Deshmukh and Rahul Khanna but Khan insists he "will cast two-three other actresses." He adds: "I’ll also need a huge female star for a guest appearance."

By Hindustan Times

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Some feel International Women’s Day is about creating awareness towards certain issues, some feel it is to celebrate womanhood and celebrities like actress Raveena and author Shobha De welcome the special occasion.Here are the views of some female celebrities on International Women’s Day that falls on March 8:

Raveena Tandon: Honestly, I think Women’s Day is celebrated on the note of trying to be more aware so that media focuses more on women’s problem, women issues, violence against women and all these things. It’s not that Women’s Day is for sudden empowerment of women. It does not happen. I think it works as a purpose to bring awareness towards certain issues. Yes, it’s an honour for women that they have a day to celebrate the achievements of women who have gone against all odds and achieved something in life.

Shobhaa De: It is a symbolic day that has assumed certain significance over the years. I try and make time to attend special functions that focus on women’s issues in a serious way. It reminds us of our own special place in society, and it is definitely a day to celebrate, especially in a country like ours, which has a poor track record of how it treats its women.

Prachi Desai: We are really fortunate to be born in families so liberal, so educated, broadminded, independent that it helps us grow. But there are many unfortunate women too. This day is also about reaching out to all those women. This particular day brings that to notice.

Minissha Lamba: I am proud to be a woman of this century. Its a blessing for me as we are mentally and emotionally stronger than men. Today, women are reaching such great heights not only on the domestic front but also professionally. I gracefully celebrate womanhood. Today women are able to take up challenges with better elan and confidence than men.

Aarti Chabbaria: I am very happy to be a woman. It’s us who have the strength to express our views nonchalantly. But my heart goes out to the women of our nation staying in the interiors. Every day one hears stories of rape, dowry harassment cases and female infanticide. These women need help and be made to be aware of their rights in the society. It is in these small towns that one needs to bring about a drastic change. The day we succeed in doing it, we know for sure that Indian women have finally come of age.

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