My wife has stripped me bare: Om Puri

Veteran Hindi and international film actor Om Puri has stoutly defended wife Nandita Puri s book on his life and times, asserting that the controversy over it wasn t a stage-managed publicity stunt.At a function organised to release his biography, An Unlikely Hero: Om Puri, at the 40th International Film Festival of India on Wednesday, the globally known thespian said: It isn t easy for a woman to write a book on her husband. But Nandita has done a fantastic job, with detachment, objectivity and honesty. She has sized me up perfectly, both personally and professionally. Puri continued: Not only has she highlighted my early life and growth as a man, she has also thrown light on my personal life, affairs and weaknesses with the professionalism of a seasoned journalist who has two decades of experience.

The biography, published by Roli Books, has been in the news for allegedly causing a rift between husband and wife.Puri, who is the current chairman of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), had been quoted by certain sections of the press as saying that he wouldn t let his wife get away with it . Speaking here, the actor pilloried the media, both print and electronic, for blowing the controversy over the book out of proportion. They gave the impression that this biography is a scurrilous, sensational piece of writing. Believe me, it is anything but that. The focus on my personal life is only a small part of the book, he said.With this book, my wife has stripped me bare and I enjoyed being stripped by her, Puri said, his tongue firmly in cheek. The controversy was a result of a misunderstanding. I assure you that it wasn t a publicity stunt that my wife and I decided to orchestrate in order to sell the book.

Nandita Puri, on her part, asserted that she approached the task of writing her husband s biography with as much detachment and empathy as she could muster. Striking a balance was important. That is the only way I could have done justice to the book, which covers every aspect of the 60 years of his life, she said, speaking at the book release function.Om Puri pointed out that Nandita was no greenhorn as a writer and knew exactly what she was doing. She has written two screenplays as well as an anthology of short stories. She is now working on a big historical novel, he said.The actor said that the story of his life was worth narrating. At the age of seven, I was a rag-picker. I would collect coal that steam engines would leave behind at the railway station. I would wait until the coal cooled down and then take it home to be used as fuel, he recalled.From there on, he added, he went on to school, college, drama school and the film institute, evolving as a human being all the way.

Nandita has captured all that with great skill and lucidity, he said. Puri paid a special tribute to his teachers and mentors who helped him become what he is today. If men like Govind Nihalani and Shyam Benegal hadn t made the films that they did, I wouldn t have been the actor I am, he said. (Saibal Chatterjee is a National Award-winning film critic who has covered film festivals around the world, including the ones in Cannes and Toronto. He will be writing exclusively for NDTVMovies.com from IFFI 2009)

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Akshay sends Katrina get well soon wishes

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif is down with jaundice and missing from the promotions for her latest outing De Dana Dan. And her co-star Akshay Kumar was prompt in wishing her speedy recovery.Rumours were rife that the actress was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai Monday night, where she was diagnosed with jaundice and has been advised complete bed rest for a while.Asked if it were true, Akshay said: “Katrina is down with jaundice… We are missing her and hope she gets well soon.”

Apparently De Dana Dan is Akshay and Katrina’s sixth outing together after movies like Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye and back to back hits like Namastey London, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng.They also starred recently in underwater thriller Blue.Akshay, who has had a string of flops this year with Chandni Chowk To China, 8×10 Tasveer, Kambakkht Ishq and Blue, is now keeping his fingers crossed for De Dana Dan.”Our chemistry does work and we’ve seen the results in Singh Is Kinng and other films and we expect the same from this film too.

This movie should do very well and I expect great returns for my producers. I have great expectations from this one,” he said. Akshay was here at the DT Cinema multiplex in Vasant Kunj to promote the movie with his co-stars Suniel Shetty, Neha Dhupia, Sameera Reddy and producer Sunil. A. Lulla.Directed by Priyadarshan, De Dana Dan has also been produced by Ganesh and Girish Jain. It also stars Paresh Rawal in an important role.

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Bollywood divided on capturing 26/11 on reels

A year after the country’s entertainment capital witnessed one of the worst-ever terror attacks, Bollywood is still divided on whether it is the right time to bring alive the 26/11 carnage on the silver screen.Though around 10 film titles revolving around the tragedy have been registered and a couple of low-budget movies are ready for release, mainstream filmmakers have chosen to stay away from the issue after noted director Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘terror tourism’ episode, which got him much flak and cost the then Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh his chair. Filmmaker Rensil D’silva, whose debut movie Kurbaan recently hit the screens, feels it is too early to explore the subject as the audience is not ready for it.”Not anytime soon. The wounds are yet to heal. We should wait for at least 3-4 years before embarking on a film on the subject.

Hollywood made films on the 9/11 terror attacks but these films were made just four years ago, a few years after the tragedy,” said D’silva, who directed the Saif Ali Khan- Kareena Kapoor starrer with terror in the backdrop.”Besides whatever details we have is just about 40 per cent of the facts of the attacks, barely enough to portray a tragedy of such magnitude as 26/11,” he said.However, industry’s bad man Gulshan Grover does not subscribe to D’silva’s views and says “there is nothing like a proper time to tell a story. There are many people around the world who are curious to know what happened on 26/11.”"As long as the story is authentic and sincere and the film fraternity is not looking to just commercially exploit the subject, I see no problem why a movie (on the subject) should not be made,” he asserts.

Actor-filmmaker Anant Mahadevan, who is ready with his next release Red alert, with a naxal setting, reasons that the Indian film industry does not have enough means to deal with the subject, which is why it is not willing to take risk.”It is not possible to recreate the Taj Hotel..where would you create the inferno? Where is the budget? Besides, what we have is only a superficial idea of what happened and no one has tried to go down deep into the issue. Inadequacy of research and budget have restrained the industry,” he said.”What we can do is to take one particular human angle.. for instance the case of the fisherwoman (Anita Uddaiya), who claimed to have seen the terrorists landing on the sea shore and was allegedly whisked off by the FBI, and other stories of human courage and give them an investigative touch,” he said.”Did she know too much? Is she hiding something?

Does FBI know something which it is hiding from us? that may be a story I would like to explore,” the director of Dil Vil Pyar Vyar and Dil Mange More said.

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Shilpa increases gold prices in India!

There is a joke going on around at the Dalal Street, that gold prices are soaring because of Shilpa Shetty. The Bollywood actress seems to have purchased half the gold in India for her marriage. Jokes apart, Shilpa seemed to have bought a lot of the precious yellow metal and got designer Tarun Tahiliani to fashion a dress out of it.

If her wedding dress had make the world take a note of it, Shilpa was in no mood to take it easy during the wedding reception.Shilpa set ablaze the banquet hall when she arrived hand in hand with hubby Raj Kundra. The sizzling Shilpa donned a contemporary styled ghagra choli sexily draped around her awesome figure.

Tahiliani made sure that Shilpa’s outfit shone and onlookers had to hide their eyes behind shades! If the gold in her outfit wasn’t enough matching jewellery from Anmol jewels captivated the guests. After all, Shilpa had to sparkle among the who’s who of the tinsel town

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Deepika Padukone cutting off ties with Ranbir?

Once bitten, twice shy. It seems actress Deepika Padukone is determined to keep a distance from her ex beau Ranbir Kapoor since they broke up recently. And now, she is cutting off all ties with him including professional life.The grapevine is abuzz with the news that a popular filmmaker approached Deepika to act in his film.

However, she turned down the offer simply because he was planning to cast her ex beau Ranbir in the lead role.It is said that Deepika has turned a workaholic after parting ways with Ranbir. She used to divide time between her acting career and her boyfriend when she was seeing him but now, the story has changed. She is now giving her everything to films.

It looks like Bachna Ae Haseeno will be their first and last film together!

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Farhan Akhtar mobbed in Kanpur

Farhan Akhtar was mobbed at an awards function in Kanpur recently. As a result, the Rock On!! star had to be locked inside a room for over an hour till the crowds dispersed. The director-actor was attending the Madhavrao Scindia Awards ceremony where he was honoured for outstanding performance in cinema.

Says a source close to Farhan, “At the event there were intellectuals, industrialists and politicians. But the situation turned chaotic as there were many young people in the audience. They became quite excited after seeing Farhan and charged on to the stage.” Says Farhan, “There was a crowd but one manages to get over such things.

It was a novel situation, I haven’t been locked inside a room before!He points out, “It becomes more awkward at such events when I am asked to sing impromptu. After Rock On!! wherever I go, people expect me to break out in song and it’s hard to do that. ‘Kuch ek-do line gaa lijiye’ they say but I feel awkward to sing randomly like that. Fortunately, they didn’t ask me to sing in Kanpur.”

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Raj insisted on not inviting Akshay

Akshay Kumar and Twinkle were not part of the 30-odd B-Town folk invited to the Shilpa Shetty-Raj Kundra wedding reception last night. Says a source, “The newly-weds didn’t want to be in an embarrassing situation and thought it best not to invite Akki and Tina. Akshay and Shilpa were romantically involved over a decade ago and while they were dating, there was talk of marriage.

However, Akki married Tina and a heartbroken Shilpa had to move on. In fact, Raj was firm about Akshay not being invited for the reception.”The source adds that though Shilpa and Akshay met and sorted out their differences a few years ago things again turned awkward after a British tabloid report. “Akshay was livid over a ‘funny’ story which had come out in The News of the World in 2007 after Shilpa had won the UK celebrity show Big Brother.

A furious Akshay had even threatened to sue the tabloid. Last year, the actor had even showed up for the finale of Bigg Boss 2, which Shilpa had anchored. They appeared at ease with each together.”

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Why has Salman’s yankee accent disappeared?

Salman Khan remains Salman Khan when it comes to his acting in most of his films is what his critics keep complaining about… be it his yankee accent or erratic attitude. These comments have definitely lessened post the success of ‘Wanted’. However Sallu seems to have taken this accusation way too seriously as he will not only be sporting a different look but also flaunt an all new attitude in his forthcoming film Dabang.Dabang is Salman’s brother Arbaaz’s first production which stars Sonakshi Sinha (Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter), Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan in the lead roles. The film is being directed by debutant director Abhinav Sinha and will see Salman Khan in a completely new light.Dabang itself means a fearless cop so no prizes there to guess what role will Salman play in this film.

Brother Sohail has revealed that the film will see Salman in a very loud character. “He plays a corrupt police officer based in the north who loves to mouth loud dialogues in northern accent. For the first time he will play a negative role. He has never played such a role before” said Sohail.Renowned fashion designer Ashley Rebello who has designed outfits for Salman in this film revealed, “Salman will sport an altogether different look in Dabang. He plays a cop but is dressed in civilian clothing most of the time. Salman is clad in simple clothes throughout the film. Trousers, shirts and no much of body or bicep show from the superstar. He won’t look fashionable as he always does. It’s no where close to Wanted or even Garv.

Arbaaz on the contrary will sport Indian kurtas while Sonakshi Sinha will wear Indian saris, ghagra cholis and lot of Indian outfits.”It would definitely be a welcome change to Salman’s fans for getting to see Sallu like never before.Question: Do you think Salman Khan looks and acts the same in all his movies? Leave your comment…

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I am the biggest idiot: Aamir Khan

It seems like the ‘pucca idiot’ effect. Actor Aamir Khan appears to be in no mood to stir up the Khan war again, especially with Shah Rukh Khan, as his next movie 3 Idiots gears up to open this Christmas Day.”I am not the emperor. Instead, I am a joker, I am the biggest idiot,” he said when asked for a reaction on being called ‘the emperor of Bollywood’ – that clearly puts him above the ‘King’ Khan SRK – by his 3 Idiots’ co-star Kareena Kapoor.Last year, besides taking a jibe at Shah Rukh’s No. 1 status in Bollywood, he had also termed Salman and SRK as the industry’s idiots along with himself.But now, he clearly doesn’t want a clash or war of words.

“Did I really call them idiots? I don’t remember,” he said while jokingly checking with other journalists if he had really said it. “I feel a person’s opinion keeps changing with times. At different points, distinct people appear idiots to you,” he said.Aamir’s latest reaction is in sharp contrast to his last year’s diatribe. Maybe, all of that had to with the fact that his last year’s hit – Ghajini – released in the same month as SRK’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. But this time round, he has no competition. Coming to Salman, Aamir firmly clarified that his blog shouldn’t be viewed as a publicity vehicle for his films. “My blog is not meant to promote films,” he stated when asked about Sallu’s newly- launched blog for his new film, Veer.

However, Aamir was all praise for Kareena.The actor, in fact, found her “too pretty” to be called the fourth idiot. “Kareena has worked hard in this film. As a creative girl, she has come across as very clear and evolved,” he added.Aamir was in town on Wednesday to release a new song of 3 Idiots. Though the event was initially slated to kick off at Sri Ram College of Commerce, it was shifted at the last minute to a five-star hotel due to security concerns.”I worked very hard for my physique in 3 Idiots after bulking up for Ghajini. I lost all the weight in six- seven months to look like a college boy,” said Aamir, who was accompanied by ” the other two idiots – R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi.” It’s not surprising that Aamir took the centrestage even as Madhavan and Sharman looked on.

Unlike Aamir, the two actors could “easily identify with” their roles.Aamir conversely felt he “never experienced college in real life.” “I started working right after my school days as an assistant director in films. So, I could never really experience the thrill of college life. But my school life was fun since I was into sports and would always get less marks,” he stated.Low marks notwithstanding, he has a personal take on the education system. “It should help build complete personalities instead of just focusing on results. I think the current HRD minister is taking the right steps,” he said.

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Shahid Kapoor brings Big B nostalgia back

Shahid Kapoor does in ‘Chance Pe Dance’ what Amitabh Bachchan did in ‘Yaarana,’ on his way to becoming a renowned singer in the film, and with much of the same dexterity!At the start of the recently released theatrical trailer of Chance Pe Dance, Kapoor is heard mouthing the tongue twister “Kaccha Papad Pakka Papad” like a pro.In the film, Kapoor plays a struggling actor determined to make it big in Bollywood. So along with his daily physical exercise regimen he is also seen doing elocution and pronunciation exercises.

Actors mouth tongue twisters to get their pronunciation right. Shahid uses the technique religiously every morning before arriving on set, says a source from the Chance Pe Dance unit.Considering the toungue twisters that Shahid had to mouth in Kaminey because of his character’s lisp, you would imagine Shahid didn’t need any more practice. If you can say “Favere favere iff manhoof ka chehera dekho to raat tak mayyat pakki famjho” then you have been there, done that. Not so for the perfectionist ‘Fahid!’

Shahid is currently in Bangkok filming for Yashraj Films’ production, Friends N Co. (Working title), directed by Prameet Sethi and featuring Anushka Sharma as co-star. He says he will be back to Mumbai in mid December to promote Chance Pe Dance from end December. The film is due in theaters on January 15.

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IIFI 2009 organisers fight over Amitabh Bachchan

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is in the news for all the wrong reasons. He has become the bone of contention between the two organisers of the International Film Festival of India (IIFI) 2009.The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) alleged that the Directorate of Film Festival (DIFF) did not want to invite Amitabh to the festival. Rajendra Talak, member of ESG’s Red Carpet Committee, claimed that ESG wanted to invite the Big B to the festival but DIFF was not interested.

Talak said that they felt Amitabh should grace the occasion but couldn’t do anything, as the final decision was taken DIFF. He added that ESG was not even allowed to recommend names to the Directorate.On the other hand, Director of DFF, S M Khan denied the allegation of the EGS. He said that they didn’t receive any formal or informal proposal from EGS to invite the superstar to the festival. He added that they didn’t receive any request even though he was in touch with the EGS.

Amitabh had earlier expressed his eagerness to attend the IIFI.When asked why he is not attending this year’s festival, he said that the question should be asked to the people who organises it.The IIFI 2009 will be held in Goa from November 23 to December 3.

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Amitabh is Aishwarya’s time keeper!

Bollywood’s leading beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan believes that when it comes to time management, there is no better example than her father-in-law, megastar Amitabh Bachchan. The 36-year-old actress who is currently shooting Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzarish with Hrithik Roshan, said that the Big B inspires her to be punctual.”His commitment and dedication is an example for everyone to follow,” Ash told reporters last night at the launch of a new product of the international watch brand she endorses.

The actress who is a globally known face thanks to her high-end endorsement deals and international films like The Pink Panther and Bride and Prejudice said that she likes to enjoy the present and live it to the fullest whether it is professional or family commitments.”We live such busy and hectic lives that we just sail through the moment. The pace of our lives is so hectic that we don’t get to feel what now is all about,” she said.

The former beauty queen who recently completed shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Raavan slated for a mid-2010 release, said that she does not have any regrets.”I have a positive approach. Times can be good or bad. I look at all experiences as a learning curve. Sanjay (Bhansali) reminded me that Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam has completed ten years. Subhash Ghai also recalled that Taal has also turned 10. Times flies fast and I consider myself blessed,” the actress said.

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Wedding bells for Shilpa, Raj today

The much-awaited marriage of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and her long time beau Raj Kundra is going to take place today evening. The whole nuptial tie ceremony is expected be one of the most happening events in the film industry.According to the reports Bollywood’s who’s who are expected to be in attendance in Lonavala, a place in Mumbai, where the marriage will take place. Before the marriage, it was her wedding card, which created a buzz for it’s look and content. Both Shilpa and Raj want to have a royal marriage so they insisted that their wedding card should reflect the same.Well knonwn designer Tarun Tahiliani is the man who will dress up Shilpa for this royal marriage. He has designed a special wedding gown for her.

Her beau Raj Kundra has chosen to wear creations by Shantanu and Nikhil.In fact Shilpa expressed her feelings to her fans by writing on her blogs just sometimes back. She wrote, “To all those who want to know how I am feeling, I just want to say I’m going through a lot of mixed feelings – happiness, excitement, nervousness, just like any bride to be and sadness as well. “Both Shilpa and Raj have been dating since 2007 and Shilpa termed her marriage as a very significant moment in her life.”Honestly it still hasn’t sunk in completely, it’s a strange emotion, can’t describe it The only consolation is that I’m tying the knot with Raj – a man who lets me be myself and doesn’t want me or my life to change and that erases premarital jitters, ” she wrtoe.

But Shilpa tried to overcome all her nervousness in the Sangeet ceremony, which was held in Khandala on Saturday. She herself danced on a Bollywood number from the film ‘Chandni’.

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Salman-Aishwarya love story on reel now

Small-time filmmaker Javed Khan is all set to make a film that is said to be based on one of the most talked about love stories in Bollywood — that of Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. The film titled Ajab Hai Ishq is gearing up to go on the floors soon. Javed Khan, who is producing the film and also playing the lead role of Salman Khan in the film, says, “If a love story is depicted authentically and emotionally, the film will surely attract the audience.

Ajab Hai Ishq is a love triangle. The story resembles the real life story of Ash and Sallu.”In real life, the two actors may have gone their separate ways, but Javed will show a different version. “I want to send home the message that if you love someone, you should get married to her or him. Leaving your loved one in the lurch will not bring peace in your life.”

Interestingly, singer Salamat, who recorded the title track of the film recently, had earlier sung the emotional number Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam from the Salman-Ash film by the same name.

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No English for Amitabh Bachchan

In a time when actors are demanding that their dialogues be written in English, here’s an actor who stands tall and different. Yes, we are talking about Big B who recently demanded that his dialogues be drafted in Hindi instead of English.The incident happened during the shoot of his upcoming film RANN. According to reports when Big B demanded his dialogues to be written in Hindi, it first took everyone by surprise.

But, later considering the fact that the veteran actor comes from a literary background and is the son of the well known literary poet Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan, it must not be tough to fathom the actual reason for the actor’s preference of Hindi over English. Big B’s act has shown that the actor still believes in the richness of India’s national language despite everyone getting carried away by the lure of the western lingo.

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Marriage still Aishwarya’s sweetest experience

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish with Hrithik Roshan, and Vipul Shah’s Action Replay opposite Akshay Kumar, made a fleeting public appearance in Mumbai recently to launch a new watch collection. Speaking on sidelines of the event, Aishwarya explained she has recently been spotted only in commercials because she has been busy shooting.She is set to shoot a commercial for the watch brand too, and revealed director Bhansali was very accommodating. “I was too busy shooting when the brand approached me to be a part of their commercial and launch.

I asked him (Bhansali) if I could take some time out and he was generous. In fact he was happy to let me go for a while!” she said. Accompanied by her mother Vrinda Rai, Ash seemed in a reflective mood. She mused about her long journey in the film industry, calling it “wonderful”. “I like to work with a degree of passion,” she said, “I always believe in the word ‘now’, and now is changing every minute.I don’t have in any regrets from the time that has gone.We point out that marriage has made her look better than ever.

She has seen so much happiness in her life, where does matrimony rank? “I am fortunate enough to have had many great experiences. But marriage remains the sweetest experience of my life,” she signed off.

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Aamir and SRK join hands for Paa’s sake

Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan have reportedly decided to forget their rivalry for the sake of Paa. Yes, come December and the supposedly warring Khans will join hands for the premiere of R. Balki’s Amitabh Bachchan-starrer in Mumbai. Confirming the good news, Big B writes on his blog: “Aamir and Shah Rukh have both assured me of their presence there, today, as I begin to send out letters and requests to block the said date from the industry.” On the other hand, the London and Dubai premieres of Paa have been cancelled. “Several issues have cropped up and it would not be prudent to go ahead with it, under such uncertain pressures and circumstances.

But Mumbai (premiere) is on … at IMAX Wadala on the 3rd of December,” Bachchan senior’s blog further informs.He is also gearing up to organise Bachchan Sandhya as a tribute to his late father, poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan.”Along with this (Paa premiere) is the preparation for November 28 and the ‘Bachchan Sandhya’ at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. (I am busy with) the arrangements, the invitees, the programme and its functions, rehearsals for the recitation and getting the family to gear up for its participation,” Bachchan adds.

Aamir and the Bachchans have been busy promoting their movies. Aamir’s muchawaited 3 Idiots will release on December 24.

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Kareena’s statement a shocker for Shahrukh Khan!

Everyone in the Bollywood industry knows about the growing rivalry between Badshah Khan and Aamir Khan. Bebo Dear put more fuel to the whole thing just to clear her stand that she is equally with Aamir as she is with Shahrukh! She gave Aamit the title of emperor on which Shahrukh has a bigger hand than anyone else. It’s nothing but demeaning the actor. She went on and said that an actress career is incomplete if she has not worked with Aamir Khan as he is the ultimate icon of the Bollywood clan. Now that’s quite a humble statement Bebo!

But someone must have felt very hurt. It is assumed that Shahrukh’s popularity is sinking day by day with actors like Ranbir Kapoor who is almost snatching The Yashraj Productions from Shahrukh.His magic can be found no more. Shahrukh can be seen in a sinking ship though we expect something good to happen with the actor after the release of My Name Is Khan. We can see that Shahrukh’s near and dear ones turning their face off! Can’t help Shahrukh it’s all part of the game called Bollywood.

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Shilpa Shetty’s wedding jewelry worth Rs 3 crore

Shilpa Shetty is going to embark into a new life with her beau Raj Kundra and like any other bride; she too wants to look gorgeous like a fairy. To make Shilpa beautiful, designer Tarun Tahiliani has designed a special saree that worth Rs 50 lakh. Shilpa’s jewelry also costs Rs 3 crore. During Mehendi, the bride chose to wear Kaftan instead of lehenga or saree and for the sangeet she wore Anarkali churidar-kurta. The wedding attire will see Shilpa in a traditional Bunt saree colored burgundy and red. For the reception to be held on Tuesday, Shilpa will wear a saree resemblance to a gown with 8,000 crystal work over it.

Raj will wear a black sherwani for the reception.Confirms designer Nikhil Mehra, “Raj is wearing a black short sherwani and trousers. The sherwani has a lot of textures, applique and patterns, and muted Swarovski embroidery and crystals.”He further adds, “Raj has picked up two to three more outfits from us, but I don’t know if he will be wearing them for the wedding. Raj is a very well-travelled man and the best thing about him is that he knows exactly what he wants.”

Both Shilpa and Raj are very excited about the wedding. The wedding will take place today at Shilpa’s close friend farmhouse in Khandala.

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No ego issue with Sonam Kapoor: Abhay

Abhay Deol is currently one of Bollywood’s hottest properties.The actor who has been on a roll since Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D and Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye got those rave reviews, is once again in news courtesy Dev Benegal’s The Road Movie, a film that has taken the international film festival circuit before it comes to Indian shores. As the leading man of the film, Abhay has been jet-hopping from Toronto to Venice, New Delhi to Doha. On a day when he can actually catch his breath for a few minutes, the actor says, “I’ve bought myself a new office in Mumbai.My banner is all set to roll with our first production in the month of January 2010.My director Navdeep Singh and I are just finalising details before we go on set.”He has an achiever.

In the first leg of his journey, the young actor has gone from struggling actor to being the toast of the international film circuit; and in the second leg he has gone from being Bollywood hottie to independent film producer. Yup, in about a year, life has thrown up a myriad of opportunities for this contemporary thinking actor. But there has also been his share of controversy. Reports said he was unhappy with the treatment meted out to him on the sets of Sonam Kapoor’s home production Aisha. It is conjectured that Abhay was cooling his heels on the sets of the film in Delhi because things were haphazard.However Abhay refuses to be drawn into a controversy. Says he, “My producer should be clearing the air on any controversy surrounding Aisha.

As a professional actor I will never talk about what happened on set. I hold Sonam (co-star and part producer) in highest regard. And, there is no ego issue with her.Abhay is also expected to start work with Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s banner and he is said to be in talks with producer Krishna Shah for the film on Indira Gandhi. Of course, the actor’s silent on these films too. “My producers will make the announcements as and when they have to,” he says. “All I can say is that I’m exhilarated with the work I’m doing.”

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Why are actresses smitten by married men?

When Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty walks down the aisle to marry London-based businessman Raj Kundra this month, she will be following in the footsteps of Hema Malini, Sridevi and Raveena Tandon – actresses who famously entered into wedlock with men who had been married earlier. Shilpa met millionaire Kundra, 34, shortly after she found fame in Britain by winning the international reality series Celebrity Big Brother two years ago. Now she is marrying him Nov 22 at a private ceremony to be attended by close friends and family.Kundra was already separated when he met Shilpa, but his estranged wife Kavita publicly blamed the actress for the break-up of the marriage.

However, Shilpa was adamant she would date him only after he was officially separated.”To be honest, I think I was in love with Raj from day one but I was in denial. I made it clear to him that our relationship could go no further than friendship until he actually had his divorce,” the Daily Mail online had once quoted her as saying.”It actually made me feel physically ill.To be called a marriage-breaker was the worst thing possible. It brought such shame on to my parents, and I felt so bad for their sake,” she added.In the past, many actresses have found love in successful married men – who may or may not have been separated from their first wives. Even though yesteryear star Dharmendra was married to Prakash Kaur and had four children with her – two daughters and sons Sunny and Bobby Deol – Bollywood ‘dreamgirl’ Hema Malini got romantically involved with him.

Dharmendra converted to Islam to wed the actress in 1980. They have two daughters – Esha and Ahana.Bollywood’s former cabaret queen Helen also fell for screenwriter Salim Khan, who was married to Salma Khan (original name was Sushila Charak). Though he had four children from Salma – Salman, Sohail, Arbaaz and Alvira – he married Helen in 1980 and adopted a daughter named Arpita.Even Sridevi tied the knot with film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she did films like “Lamhe” and “Mr. India”. Boney, the elder brother of Anil Kapoor, was married with two kids before he married Sridevi in 1996.Critically acclaimed actress Shabana Azmi fell in love with prolific writer Javed Akhtar, who was married to scriptwriter Honey Irani. Shabana and Akhtar entered into wedlock in 1984.

Akhtar had two kids – Farhan and Zoya – from his previous marriage.Raveena Tandon also decided to wed film distributor Anil Thadani, who was married to Natasha Sippy. It was reported that the actress had once lost her cool at Thadani’s former wife upon seeing Natasha trying to get too close to her husband at a New Year’s party in 2006.Popular actress Karisma Kapoor also entered into matrimony with a divorcee – Delhi-based businessman Sanjay Kapur. Mahima Chaudhary also wed architect Bobby Mukherjee, who was earlier married with two kids.These days, a prominent actress dating a divorcee is Kareena Kapoor. With Saif Ali Khan, she makes for one of Bollywood’s most talked about couples. The actor had once been married to actress Amrita Singh. Tabu is also reportedly dating southern star Nagarjuna, who is married to former actress Amala.

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Aamir-Kareena get sizzling and erotic

If you thought Kareena Kapoor could only shoot intimate scene with beau Saif Ali Khan you are wrong. Kareena recently shot a sizzling and erotic dance sequence with Aamir Khan for the movie 3 Idiots. Sources close to the movie reveal that the dance which was shot in artificial rain is one of the most sizzling scene in Aamir’s career.

The focal point of the movie is the romance between Aamir and Kareena and the dance establishes it all.Aamir Khan was in all praise for Kareena Kapoor and said she was one of the most hard working actresses in the industry. He hoped audience would like the rain dance as the entire team had put a lot of effort in it.

Kareena is also busy promoting her other movie Kurbaan with beau Saif Ali Khan where the real life couple have shot some very intimate scenes. It remains to be seen whether Kareena is more appreciated romancing her beau or Aamir Khan.

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Imran Khan takes a cue from Ranbir

After the heartbreaking failure of Kidnap and Luck – it was as if somebody had kidnapped his luck – Imran Khan has finally decided to take charge of his career. According to sources, instead of ‘different’ films, Imran will now stick to commercial films. The inspiration for this new strategy is good friend-cum-profession rival Ranbir Kapoor.

Imran, we hear, wants to do romantic comedies with popular heroines and famous banners.He recently turned down Dibakar Banerjee’s Abhay Deol- starrer since that was experimental cinema.Kunal Kohli also offered him a film but since the director was a newbie – Danish Khan – Imran refused.

He is currently is shooting for Karan Johar’s I Hate Love Stories with Sonam Kapoor. The boy wants it to release before his experimental venture Delhi Belly produced by uncle Aamir Khan.

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Freida Pinto has eyes only for Dev Patel

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is so love-struck with co-star Dev Patel that she couldn’t even take her eyes off him at a public do recently. The 25-year-old actress was surrounded by a string of admirers at the Britannia Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, but she batted them away only to focus her attention on Patel, New York Post reported.

“She only had eyes for Dev. They look like they are totally in love,” said a source. Director of the Oscar-winning film Danny Boyle, who was also present at the event, said, “I’m delighted for them, they seem to be real soul mates… and I’m sure more than that.”

Boyle was surprised to know that the onscreen couple were also dating in real life, as he had no inkling of an impending romance between them despite working together for months.

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Shahid Kapoor is all set to do an Aamir Khan

Choreographer Ahmad Khan is back from the US after months’ shooting for a song with his best-friend Shahid Kapoor. And Ahmad just can’t stop singing his star-pal’s praises for the generosity Shahid showed in the US. The actor actually made sure Ahmad Khan’s kids got a long-cherished dream to come true. Says Ahmad fondly, “I had been promising my two sons Azaan and Subhan a trip to Disneyland for months. Earlier when we shot in the US for another Yashraj Film Bachna Ae Haseenon I kept hoping there would be time. But I couldn’t manage to get away. But this time, Shahid made sure it happened.”

Apparently Shahid not only ensured that Ahmad wrapped up his work as quickly as possible he made all the arrangements for Ahmad his wife Saira and two sons to take off for Disneyland.“And why not?” says Ahmad defensively. “Shahid and I are childhood friends. Before my mother held my sons Shahid took them in his arms. So it’s perfectly natural for him to look out for me and my family.”Recalling the fabulous experience Ahmed says, “Out of the one month I spent in the US only 12 days were devoted to shooting the song. It wasn’t even a dance song. It was a concept number showing the hero and his friends splurging and binging all over the US. We shot at casinos and at various pleasure and tourist spots in Philadelphia, Orlando, New York, New Jersey and Chicago.”

Shahid will now be seen in Ahmad Khan’s directorial project Pathshala. “In a 2-hour long film Shahid is there for an hour. So he’s there for 55 minutes. His role is like Aamir Khan’s in Taare Zameen Par. He comes in mid-way and yes, he’s the teacher. Both Shahid and I have decided to focus on the kids in the marketing rather than on Shahid.”

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Preity Zinta more than just a ‘dumb actress’

Preity Zinta is hard at work, proving to herself and her fellow students that there is more to her than the bubbly Indian actress label. Yes, Preity has taken herself and her dimples to get some education and what better place to prove her intellectual mettle than Harvard University in the US. Preity just took to her twitter account to tweet, “Stepped into the Harvard campus with the biggest smile !

Saw my course and homework and got a heart attack !Now i am the official book worm!” She added, “good night everyone ! I need to work hard otherwise i will be seen as a dumb actress …. and that cannot happen so wish me luck ! muaah !”

The pretty Preity has enrolled in a course on Negotiations and The Deal Process! So I guess all her future producers and directors should watch out!

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Girls all over Emraan Hashmi

The serial kisser was at the receiving end of kisses from his female fans in Kolkata last week while promoting his upcoming film Tum Mile, co-starring Soha Ali Khan.Emraan Hashmi was caught off guard while he was about to step onto an escalator in a mall where the promotional event was being held.

A group of his female fans approached him quietly and threw themselves upon him.
One of the girls planted kisses on Emi boy’s cheeks. In the melee, Emraan’s shirt ripped apart. The actor took this outpouring of adulation from female fans sportingly, even though he emerged out of it with lip-stick stains on his cheek and a torn shirt.

The next thing Emraan did was to buy a brand new shirt and replace it with the torn one. Emraan made a light of the whole incident but his wife Parveen might be feeling a bit jealous.

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Shahid not too happy about his vegetarian ways!

Bollywood’s much-celebrated vegetarian Shahid Kapur doesn’t seem very happy for being the way he is! The actor recently revealed that he is not too happy with the limited variety of food that he gets whenever he is out of India, because he is a staunch vegetarian.A few months back, Shahid was voted as the ‘Sexiest Vegetarian in Asia’ in a poll conducted by PETA.And now, the actor is a feeling a bit edgy as he is all set to fly to Bangkok for a shooting schedule, since he is worried about the fact that he won’t get sufficient variety of veg food there.

The actor revealed that he also had a tough time for the same reason in the US where he stayed for 40 days last month while shooting for the same film. A friend of Shahid says, “Shahid serves non-vegetarian food to his friends whenever he has a party at home but himself is a staunch vegetarian. He doesn’t even eat eggs.”“Many hotels abroad do not have much to offer as far as vegetarian food is concerned.

When he was in the US last month, his man Friday had to especially instruct the chefs in the hotel what he likes and dislikes so that they could accordingly cook for him. A similar thing might happen in Bangkok,” adds Shahid’s friend.

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Ranbir Kapoor’s new girls fight it out

Well, on the one hand there’s this young debutant Shazahn Padamsee who claims to be great friend of the Kapoor boy and is cast opposite him in YRF’s next Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year. And on the other hand, there’s model turned actress Gauhar Khan who’s finally bagged a big role for herself who claims it’s her the audience will remember after watching Rocket Singh. Just the other day, at the wrap up party of the film, the air around the two ladies was sub-zero. Made me want to go back and get my mink coat. (Oh my! Is it illegal these days?). However, after catching a terrible cold post that, Juicy Mausi just couldn’t resist doing a little snoopin’ around. And guess what all people said.

A little birdie who kept hovering around the unit during the making of the film told me that Shazahn was more of show off than anything else. Apparently she has been doing all it takes to publicise herself. She had started talking about her acting and dancing classes and all of that when she had only shot for four days. She even went around saying that she had nothing to do with Gauhar. She hasn’t shot with Gauhar (they have, actually, ONCE). And that she has only shot with Ranbir who happens to be a great friend.Also, Shazahn apparently was heard saying that though she has only shot for four days as opposed to the four months of Gauhar, it is the quality of work and the character that defines who the female lead inthe film is.

Not too tactful, huh? Me thinks these young ones have to grow up so much! I mean, just see the way Gauhar handled the entire situation. My friend, the little birdie, went to ask her about all that was going on. The Khan girl said that she definitely has not interacted with Padamsee on a ’social’ level. (How about anti-social level? One wonders…). And about who’s playing the lead, Gauhar was heard saying that though Shazahn is cast opposite Ranbir, she did not think she could be called the ‘lead’. In fact the ‘lead’ should be the one who leaves an impression on the audience. And well, she very diplomatically left it to the audience to decide.

WOW. Wonder what Ranbir boy was doing between the two women. Probably enjoying the fireworks, eh?

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Careless Karan Johar!

Karan Johar was in London recently promoting his upcoming film Kurbaan. He lost his wallet containing several credit cards and some cash whilst he was there.KJo was busy promoting the film and didn’t realize he had lost his wallet until he wanted to use his credit card.A source tells us, ‘KJo didn’t get a chance to shop in London this time as he was there only for a couple of days which were spent interacting with the press for Kurbaan. He went out for lunch with Saif and Kareena which is probably when he realized that his wallet was missing.’

‘Usually when Karan is in London he makes it a point to indulge in retail therapy and visit his favourite restaurants. He prefers carrying cards to money as it is more convenient. When he lost his wallet, he called up his friends and borrowed some money from them. Also, this is not the first time that he has lost his wallet so he didn’t feel lost or helpless. He immediately called up the credit card companies to cancel his cards. Even the credit card companies are used to him losing his cards and then calling them to cancel them,’ adds our source.

Karan is currently in Mumbai and is busy at the editing studio with My Name is Khan. He will be in New York next week for the promotion of Kurbaan which releases on November 20.When contacted, Karan said, ‘I don’t want to talk about such silly things as they hardly matter.

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Kareena to star opposite SRK in ‘Ra.One’

Finally, we will get to see Kareena and SRK together in the leading pair for Shah Rukh Khan’s home production Ra.One, about a flying superhero. The two had appeared together in 2001 for ‘Asoka’ which bombed at the box –office. Since, then Kareena has only done two item numbers for SRK- one in ‘Don’ and the other in ‘Billu Barber’. Now, reports have it that she has finally given the nod for the lead role opposite SRK in this sci-fi venture from Red Chillies providing some major scripts changes are made. She does not want to be known as ‘King Khan’s flop Queen’. Therefore, she wanted a much meatier part in this film.”

Kareena will be doing some very good stunts in the film apart from flying in the skies and saving people. Production will begin end of this year and continue well into 2009. The film is expected to be shot in USA. No release date has been finalized as of yet but it is expected that the film should hit the screens by Diwali 2010.

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When Big B knelt down and touched Sanjay Dutt’s feet

The makers of the film ‘Aladdin’ were quite apprehensive about the key sequence in their film which required the character played by legendry Amitabh Bachchan to kneel before Sanjay Dutt’s character and also touch his feet. The scene was an important part of the film’s narrative where Genius-the Genie (played by Big B) surrenders before the ringmaster (played by Sanjay Dutt).

Sujoy and others feared how exactly millions of Amitabh Bachchan fans would accept this scene. For Sanjay Dutt too it was challenging since Amitabh Bachchan is too big a name to be kneeling down.

But, given the professionalism of the Shehenshah of Bollywood everything went on perfectly as Big B was game of the scene and quite well understood its importance. The film does convey the message of good’s win over evil and the scene heightens the impact of the final result.

“That’s the beauty of working with Mr. Bachchan”, says Sujoy, “He lets himself be driven as wanted by the director. We were a bunch of kids wondering how to approach Sir to do this scene and there he was game to do whatever that went well with the character. He has always stated that once he is committed to a project, he doesn’t protest on anything. This is why we could can such a crucial scene without any hindrance. It is indeed one of the highlights of the film.”

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Asin faints, has a restful birthday

Asin has been so over worked and busy these days that finally, her body could not take the strain and she passes out at an Andheri club because of non-stop interviews that she had to give for her latest film, ‘London Dreams’. The actress had reportedly slept for barely 3-4 hours last week and on that day, she had no sleep or food. This, added to the fact that she was on a slimming diet, led to her collapse and she had to be revived by her staff and friends by instant energy boosters.

Later, she rested at home on her birthday. When she came home on Sunday evening, her parents had done up the entire house with balloons, like they used to when she was younger. The night was spent with close friends who came over to dinner after which they made her cut the cake at midnight. She also spent some part of her day with children from her building.

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Aamir-Bebo get wet and wild

Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor will be seen getting hot and wild in their upcoming flick 3 Idiots.

Kareena Kapoor, who is acting opposite Aamir Khan for the first time is in dilemma about promoting her both movies Kurbaan and 3 Idiots.

Bebo says, “Both Saif and Aamir are very dear to me. I think I’ve created magic with both co-stars and it is impossible for me to choose one over the other.”

Aamir who also romanced Bebo’s elder sister Karishma Kapoor,says, “Kareena is one of the most beautiful actresses that we have today. She is also a very good friend and we have both worked very hard on this rain song. I hope people like it.”

3 Idiots will be hitting the theaters on 25th December.

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Nana Patekar picks fight with Rajneeti director

Nana Patekar has let his temper take over him again. He had an argument with director Prakash Jha on the sets of Rajneeti in Bhopal. Nana walked out of the sets and promised never to work with Jha again. It is said that Nana had an argument with Jha over some scenes which went so bad that he grabbed Jha’s collar. He then left the sets in a rage, booked tickets to Mumbai and left. The unit members failed to calm him down.

Nana doesn’t want to shoot for the film anymore. Many important scenes with Nana are yet to be done. Jha said that this is not the first time Nana is having issues. He still has to shoot for the film but he doesn’t know if Nana has said that he won’t work with him anymore.

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What the future holds for Ash and SRK?

Both the Scorpions are superstars at the top of their game. Aishwarya Rai turns 36 tomorrow and SRK turns 44 on Monday. Celebrity astro-numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi decodes what the stars in the firmament have in store for the Bollywood icons. “Ash was born on 1st November, 1973 which makes her a Number 1 person in numerology. Her sun sign is Scorpio (ruler Mars – Number 9) and her destiny number adds up to Number 5 (Mercury) which indicates a strong ‘mangal’ in her birth chart,” explains Bhavikk.“Ash is what she is ruled by – Number 1, the most powerful star in the solar system – the Sun. Without it, there is no existence. She is strong, aggressive and a complete go-getter. She is so determined about what she wants in life that nothing and absolutely nothing can stop her from doing that.

At times her approach could be a bit forceful but she knows how to mellow it down when required. Her communication skills are so effective that she can make people spell bound by her speech,” he explains further. “Ash will soon be entering her 37th year, which cannot be termed as a good time for her. Especially the year 2010 which belongs to Jupiter (Number 3) does not support Number 1 people in general,” warns Bhavikk.“On the professional front, her next release Raavan along with hubby Abhishek adds up to Number 16. If released before this year end, this film will not only do well but also Ash’s performance in this film will be widely appreciated. After that in Action Replayy, it will be Akshay Kumar who will steal the limelight from her but she will definitely share the credit of the film’s success.

Lastly, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish, once again her work will gather great reviews from audiences and critics alike but the box office fate of the film does not look bright,” predicts Sangghvi. “Now talking about her personal life, the world is eager to know whether she will embrace motherhood in the New Year. My answer for this would be – YES. For Abhishek, he will soon enter his 35th year which is good for him. But there can be a possibility that the baby would be born only in 2011,” is Bhavikk’s final word on Ash.

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Shamita unlikely to attend Shilpa’s wedding

There’s chance that Shamita may not be able to attend her sister’s wedding. According to highly-placed sources at Colors, there seems to be no provision to get a contestant out of a game show for a wedding. Hard as it may be to believe, Shilpa Shetty’s kid-sister now locked away in Bigg Boss 3, is oblivious of the momentous developments in her star-sister’s life.Says a highly-placed Colors source, “Shamita has not been told anything about Shilpa’s engagement or the marriage in the last week of November. As far as Shamita knows the marriage was supposed to happen in December after the show was over.”Now that Shilpa has approached the channel to evict her sister in time for the wedding- and a meeting between the two parties is on the cards this weekend – the channel bosses are at a loss as to how the rules can be bent to get Shamita out of the Bigg Boss house.

Says the source, “There’s a provision for a house-mate to be brought out in case of an extreme emergency. It happened with Jade Goody last year. But does a sister’s unscheduled wedding qualify as a family crisis? We’re now wondering if the same rule as Jade can be applied to Shamita’s case.”The international Big Brother rules are being consulted. If there’s no provision for a contestant to leave the game for a family wedding, then Shamita Shetty may not get the permission to leave Bigg Boss house for the wedding!This however seems improbable, considering Shilpa’s old relations with the reality show. (She was contestant on Bigg Brother and hosted Bigg Boss 2).Says the source from Colors, “After meeting Shilpa this weekend we’ll work out a strategy on Shamita’s eviction.” According to plans if rules apply, Shamita’s eviction will be done live.

“If an unexpected turn of events helps us boost our TRPs we’re certainly not shy of putting it on camera. We did with Jade Goody. We’ll do it with Shamita.”The pop philosopher of the show Amitabh Bachchan is expected to do the needful. He will be breaking the news of Shilpa’s engagement and impending marriage to Shamita.“The rest is up to Shamita. Once we’re sure she can be evicted whether she decides to come out or stay in the House is entirely her decision,” ends the channel source.

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Big B brokers Peace between Sherlyn Chopra and her Mom

The real character of Sherlyn Chopra come out of the box, when she started talking to Big B Amitabh Bachchan on “Aakhri Salam” of Bigg Boss 3. Sherlyn, who was evicted from Bigg Boss house yesterday, became emotional and even cried on the set. She revealed everything about her plan, family and dreams.She admitted that she was not good during the early days, but changed a lot, as the show progressed. “I tried to make two groups inside the Bigg Boss house – guys and girls and I wanted to stay with the guys. But Poonam Dhillon ji said what I was thinking was not proper and we all were one group. I repent for those first two weeks. I changed myself a lot, but perhaps it was too late”, said Sherlyn.

Sherlyn said she was surprised by the public voting. She was pretty sure that Vindoo will be evicted from the house and she would stay on. But that did not happen. “I may sound outrageous and provocative on reel life, but i am a normal person in real life” she said.The biggest moment in Sherlyn’s life came, when Amitabh Bachchan brokered peace between her and her mom. Sherlyn had earlier admitted that she was not at good terms with her mom and sister. “My sister used to tell that she was being subjected to taunts by her friends because of me. There were several differences between me and my sister”, revealed Sherlyn.

Sherlyn also said that she has been living alone since the age of 16. “I was not even called to my brother’s wedding. When my father died, I was the only family member to attend his funeral. None from my family came to pay their last respect to my father”, she said.Sherlyn finally held herself responsible for the rift within the family and wanted to talk to her mom. Amitabh Bachchan immediately called her mother and both mother-daughter talked for a while. It was an emotional moment, as her mother said she wants Sherlyn back. Sherlyn too said that she wants to forget everything and start a new life.

Sherlyn may be out of Bigg Boss 3, but she gained a lot. Although the housemates nominated her for four times in a row, they felt upset and sad for her, when she left. Most of them were of the view that Sherlyn was made a scapegoat and she deserved a second chance. But it’s too late. Life in BiggBoss 3 will move on without Kamal Khan and Sherlyn Chopra. The next two targets will be Vindu Dara Singh and Rohit Verma.

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Aishwarya plays dutiful bahu in a different way

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is now taking interest in resurrecting ABCL (AB Corp) and helping out with the marketing and promotion of Amitabh Bachchan’s forthcoming film, Paa. She wants Paa to do really well as it stars Amitabh and her hubby Abhishek. She is taking all the marketing decisions related to the film and she also has a say on how to promote the film.

Her ideas are appreciated by the Bachchan men. Paa has a different story with Abhishek playing Amitabh’s dad. To make the film a commercial success, various strategies are being made. Aishwarya has also suggested a lot that they could do to promote the film. Paa will release in a month’s time.

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How Sonakshi Sinha got in shape for Salman?

Not that Shatrughan Sinha has allowed Salman Khan to launch his daughter Sonakshi as a leading lady in Arbaaz Khan directorial Dabangg, the brawny star is taking his duty as the protective guardian very seriously.Thankfully for him, the burden of carrying the star-daugter on his able shoulders is much lighter now as Sonakshi has slimmed down from 90 kg to 60 kg. Salman has been giving her step-by-step advice on her career. He has not only advised Sonakshi to lose more weight, he has also told her not to do too many films at the same time.How did she manage to lose so much? “It took two years of hard work, determination and will power.

It was a combination of proper diet and vigorous exercise that got me to the shape, ” she says, “I did weight training four to five times a week along with cardio. I eat small meals every three hours to keep me going.”Sonakshi plays a village girl in the film and has been doing her homework to prepare for the character.”Other than working on my weight, I’ve been preparing by observing people and trying to pick up nuances. I play a village girl who is dabangg (fearless) in nature. Also, my director, Abhinav, and I have been rehearsing the script so that I am prepared once on the sets, “she tells.Dad Shhotgun is bowled over by Salman’s concern for her daughter. “Salman understands the way to work better than we did.

So we have full faith in him. He is making sure Sonakshi has the best possible launch. I allowed her to get into films on his persistence and Salman has taken upon himself the responsibility to make sure she emerges from her debut with our family name and her dignity intact, ” said Shatru. Sonakshi starts shooting for her debut film Dabangg on November 6 opposite Salman Khan.

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Katrina keeps bumping into Shahrukh Khan

Katrina Kaif isn’t very pleased about the way media goes in overdrive to hyperbolize her encounters with Shahrukh Khan. The pretty belle frequently finds herself in the middle of B-Town gossips ever since her beau Salman Khan and SRK fought at her birthday party last year. Whenever she bumps into Shahrukh at a film event or a party, her loyalty to Salman is questioned. This has miffed Katrina, who thinks her meetings with SRK are overblown.

In just last few days alone, Katrina has faced a barrage of rumours after she bumped into SRK on two occasions – at a party by Subhash Ghai and another by Hrithik Roshan.Not willing to be drawn in the cold war between her boyfriend and SRK, Katrina continues to be on talking terms with SRK and doesn’t miss a chance to chat with him when the opportunity presents.

“Naturally, when we’re under the same roof, we will interact. Why make a fuss? Who wouldn’t want to associate with Shah Rukh or Karan Johar?” Katrina is quoted as saying by a news network. In fact, Katrina went on to say that she wants to work with Karan Johar in the future because he’s emerging as a producer who thinks ‘out of the box’.

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Sanjay Dutt Knocks Out Kangana Ranaut

50-year old Sanjay Dutt has been shooting with 20-something Kangana Ranaut. And if they were looking super-compatible in spite of Kangana being half the age of Dutt, it’s all because of Dutt’s special ketosis-based diet.Says a source close to Dutt, “Sanjay went on this special diet in June. It required him to take lots and lots of fattie food and no carbohydrates at all. In fact carbs would’ve been potentially lethal for this diet. In no time Sanjay started losing weight. And that too without Sanju having to give up his favourite food.”

Today, Dutt is looking trimmer than he did ten years ago. And when he shot with Kangana last week, the camera made them look compatible.Dutt plays an assassin out to get his victim with a sniper rifle in Knock Out. Kangana Ranaut has always had a fascination for assassin heroes. She began her career with Gangster where her assassin-hero was Shiney Ahuja.Now in Mani Shankar’s Knock Out, she’s again attracted to the killer-hero, this time played by Sanjay Dutt.

The two became professionally fond of one another while shooting for the comedy No Problem in Cape Town. When Mani Shankar was looking for a bright intense young actress to play a television journalist it was Dutt who recommended Kangana to the director.

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Salman-Asin resorting to cheap publicity?

Somebody might have opened the Pandora’s box as the release date of London Dreams drew near. All sorts of gossips varying from Salman Khan’s close relationship with his co-star Asin Thottumkal to their big fight filled the newspaper entertainment columns and websites.Do you think the lead pair is resorting to cheap publicity? Who knows, because they neither complained nor cared to clarify the gossips.

Yes, they say ‘no publicity is bad publicity.’ Asin, being relatively a novice in Bollywood though a big name down South, seemed to be disturbed by all the gossips. But Salman handles it differently. He keeps mum on all the issues – be it his relationship with Asin or the alleged ‘fight’. He knows it would create more hype around the film and thus pave the way for a good opening.

Well, the much-hyped film London Dreams, starring Ajay Devgn besides Salman and Asin, releases today. Let’s wait and watch whether it’s worth the hype!

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Abhishek-Kareena come together

Over the years, Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor have been quite vociferous about not wanting to work together after his marriage to Karisma Kapoor was called off. Now things seem to be looking up as Kareena and Abhishek are in the mood to move on and have agreed to star together in a film after six years. Buzz is that the two have been signed for Abbas Mustan’s untitled film, a remake of the Hollywood film, Italian Job. The movie will also star Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh in lead roles.A source says, “Initially talks were on with Saif Ali Khan but he did not have dates and Abhishek Bachchan replaced him.

Although Saif and Kareena’s chemistry would have sizzled onscreen, it will be nice to watch Abhishek and Kareena after Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, which was their last film together in 2003. Both actors made their acting debut together in Refugee and have been in the industry for years but have only starred together in two films till date.”While Kareena’s manager Zahid denies that she has signed the film, a source close to Abbas Mustan says, “The directors always had Kareena in mind and now they have managed to get Katrina on board too.The film will go on the floors in April and like every Abbas Mustan film, this too will also be shot on a lavish budget at international locations.

The directors are clear about who they want to cast in the film.”The Italian Job (2003) rights are with Studio 18. CEO Sandeep Bhargava of Studio 18 says, “We have the rights of Italian Job. Abbas Mustan are working on the script and will also direct the film. The movie will go on the floors sometime next year.”When asked about the star cast, Bhargava says, “We can’t approach any actors till the script is ready.”Despite several attempts, Abbas Mustan remained unavailable for comment.

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