He may have acted as an outlaw umpteen times on the screen but the terror attacks in Mumbai were enough to shake Amitabh Bachchan up who kept his revolver under his pillow while going to sleep.
"Last night, as the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never ever to be in a situation to do.
Before retiring for the night, I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow. For a very disturbed sleep," the megastar wrote on his blog.
Bachchan was glued to TV screen as security personnel battled the militants yesterday, also the birth anniversary of his father.
Bachchan, known for his on-screen 'Angry Young Man' image depicting the rebellious youth, fumed with anger at the "ineptitude of the authorities" who were supposed to take care of the country.
"My pain has been the sight and plight of my innocent and vulnerable and completely insecure countrymen, facing the wrath of this terror attack. And my anger has been at the ineptitude of the authorities that have been ordained to look after us," Big B expressed in his blog.
Lauding the efforts of troops in tackling the terrors ituation, he wrote "brilliant officers and police personnel
have laid down their lives for us. I can only but salute them and respect their sincerity in the call of duty." Bachchan was disgruntled over the cliche "spirit of Mumbai" which he said people were using to cover the traumatic experiences that the merry city underwent in recent years.
"Yes Mumbai is strong and resilient and shall not be cowed down by any such occurrence. But let us not conveniently use it as our cover sheet, pull it over our heads and go off to sleep," he said.
Despite repeated requests by electronic channels to issue a statement on the tragedy, Bachchan refused to do so.
An irked Bachchan wrote in bold, "Tell me and order me instead that we require every Indian to get up and walk into the facilities where the action is on and I will be the first to walk.
"But, please do not ask me to come and make sloppy statements that will do nothing more than create viewer interest."
The Indian film industry today expressed a deep shock over the nightmare that unfolded on Wednesday night as terrorists targeted various important locations in the Bollywood capital of Mumbai. The industry people also appealed for sanity and called for unity after one of the biggest terrorist strikes rattled the country's financial and dream city.
"Terrible! terrible situation!," a shaken Amitabh Bachchan wrote in his blog.
"Mumbai under terrorist attack!! Several locations bombed and terrorist firing all over the city. Major hotels under siege. Taj hotel battle going on inside the hotel," says Bachachan, whose post reads like a doomsday account.
In one of the most audacious terror attacks in Indian history, at least 100 people have been killed and nearly 300 injured.
Two five star hotels, hospitals and the city's CST Railway station were among the key targets of the terrorists, who entered the city through boats at Gateway of India, just opposite the heritage Taj hotel.
"I am scared! shocked! I don't have words to describe my feelings. It seems unreal to me almost like a film. I don't know who are they and why they have resorted to such ruthlessness," film director Anurag Kashyap, who is in Goa to attend the IFFI told reporters over phone.
"They just enter the city like that and hold it hostage. It is unbelievable. Obviously Mumbai will bounce back but it has been hurt badly and it will take time to heal,"
says Kashyap, who has directed films like 'Black Friday' based on the 1993 terror strike and the ensuing riots.
The green-eyed beauty who was in town to launch the Longines watch collection said she did not mind the kissing scene between hubby Abhishek and John Abraham. Presently shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Ravana with hubby Abhishek in Kerala’s feisty forests, Aishwariya Rai Bachchan recently flew to Mumbai for a day. One to be with her dad, retired Merchant Navy Officer Krishna Raj on his 70th birthday and secondly, being brand ambassador of Longines watches she was to introduce their new collection. Dressed in a Cinderella-like white-and-black gown the beauty looked fresh despite performing her wifely duties and going about her hectic work schedule. Aishwariya is looking forward to the release of her Hollywood flick Pink Panther, is working on Shankar’s Robot and Mani’s Ravan (working title) and reveals that she is in discussion with Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for their forthcoming ventures.
“The keyword is time management and I say it’s all about managing it and not questioning it! I learnt this a long-time back when I would always chalk-out a schedule for myself depending on how much I could fit in,” gushes the beauty.
She reacts with a grin when asked why she did not do Dostana and what was her reaction to Abhishek’s kissing scene with John Abraham in the film. “That’s okay, it was part of the film,” she replies coolly, “I’d have accepted Dostana, but it was my first offer immediately after marriage. Since the focus was on the chemistry between Abhishek and John and not on a love story, my presence would have taken that away from them.”
She concedes that both Abhishek and she are always attracted by films which give them a chance to experiment with their looks and characters. And she wants to give the audiences a different Aishwarya every time. “Not that I plan my moves, as something great always comes along. Like the role I play in Ravan is something completely different from what I did in Mani Sir’s Iruvar and then Guru.”
As for the kind of endorsements she likes to do, the former Miss world smiles, “The product and campaign should be simple and understated and something that complements my personality.”
Britney Spears says her life is so dull under her father's watchful eye that she feels old and boring. With her new album Circus out next week, the 26-year-old singer is working on a comeback after seeing her life spiral out of control with a run of strange behavior, a bitter custody battle over her two sons and the loss of her rights to administer her own affairs.
"I feel like an old person now," Spears told Rolling Stone in an interview for the music magazine's December 11 issue. "I do! I go to bed at, like, 2130 every night and I don't go out or anything, you know what I mean? I just feel like an old fart."
In 2007, the Louisiana native was a near-constant figure on the Hollywood party scene. She shaved her head, then wore a pink wig and spoke with a fake British accent. By early this year, she was hospitalised twice for psychiatric evaluation.
By February, a California court named her father as a conservator of her estate, giving Jamie Spears control over her personal and business affairs. Since then, she seems to have put her life back in order.
Womaniser, the first single from Circus, reached the top of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart in October. The album is set for release on December 2, the singer's 27th birthday and she plans to tour this spring to promote it.
It’s been a busy year for Soha Ali Khan, with successful ventures like ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’ in her kitty, but the actor says she’d not have it any other way. ‘The first year was a disaster — in retrospect, I wasn’t focussing,’ she says, talking of the bad choices she made and how she is looking to rectify them. Her next venture, ‘Dil Kabbadi’, is set for a December 5 release and the actor sounds all gung-ho about it. The film is about the power equations in a marriage, but has been treated in a light-hearted way by director Anil Sharma. ‘My character, Mita, a cosmetic surgeon, is an introvert and very clinical, which lends a cold vibe to her relationship with her husband (Irrfan Khan).’ Soha is also excited about having had a chance to work with established actors like Konkana Sen Sharma, Rahul Khanna, Rahul Bose and Irrfan. ‘I’m a huge fan of Irrfan. I learnt from him not to fear looking foolish on screen.’
Known for her reservations about talking to the media, Soha lets on that it all depends on her mood. ‘I’m a bundle of contradictions — I’m a private person, like my dad (MAK Pataudi) and sister (Saba), but I do have occasional outbursts of loquaciousness, a trait I inherit from my mother and share with Saif, where I give away too much about myself.’ Likewise, comparisons with her mother Sharmila Tagore, too leave her unperturbed. ‘There’s an inherent sense of security I grew up with. Comparisons and rat race don’t bother me,’ she grins.
The coming year is poised to be an equally busy one for the actor. ‘There’s UTV’s ‘Dhoondte Reh Jaoge’, a commercial film with Vishesh Films, a horror movie and a Bengali film by Aparna Sen.’ With a mixed bag of commercial, comedy and regional films in her kitty, she feels her patience is paying off.
The cliched statement that 'Models can't act' seems to be slowly disappearing, what with many models making their big screen debut each year. After Mugdha Godse, who gave a brilliant performance in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion, yet another supermodel is all set to enter Bollywood. We are talking about Canada born model Saira Mohan who was first seen in a blink and miss role in Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.
Saira is all set to do full-fledged role in the Big B starrer Teen Patti. After working with AB Jr. in KANK, Saira is maha-thrilled at the prospect of sharing screen space with the living legend of Indian cinema- Amitabh Bachchan. Directed by Leena Yadav, Teen Patti stars Amitabh Bachchan, R. Madhavan, Boman Irani and Mahesh Manjrekar amongst others. Recently, Ajay Devgan was roped in to do a guest appearance in the film and with Saira joining the ensemble cast, things only get hotter.
From six-pack abs in that Shah Rukh Khan parades in his Om Shanti Om song 'darde-disco' to a mustache and ill fitting clothes getup in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, SRK takes up a curious journey in acting.
The song in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is sure to make people wonder as to what is going on in this film. The music of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is already on the stands.
"This is about an ordinary person's conversation with himself. SRK plays a character who works in the electricity department. He doesn't have the words or gestures to be able to express himself in a manner which is flashy or which would attract attention. Here, he finds himself very badly desiring another person. Now, he is not used to romancing the girls and is not the kind of person who spends a lot of time with the opposite sex. He's not a poet," said Jaideep Sahni, the lyricist of the song in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
"It was supposed to be a very easy and breezy kind of a song. That was basically the brief. The director had already given us the line and it read "haule haule". That was part of the script. It means that the character is telling himself, don't worry as she will fall in love with you," said Salim, the music director of the film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
On one hand one has this breezy number but on the other hand is the one where King Khan seems to have two left feet. That was the brief from the filmmaker not only for SRK but also for the music directors.
"Adi's brief was very, very clear. I want a clutter breaking song and a nursery rhyme, is what the director said. The song should have a nursery rhyme quality. A simple one almost like a master teaching a student. It should have that quality. Something like the rhyme "Put your left leg in, put your left leg out" and that got us thinking in a completely different zone. That's what you hear right now. 'Dance pe chance' is that whole thought going down into those four and a half minutes. So like that concept of 'Put your left leg in put your left leg' out in a very simple Punjabi way and the Punjabi elements in which SRK suddenly says 'To hell with you and I'm on a Punjabi trip' as she is teaching him how to dance," said Suleiman the music director.
The music director duo don't seem to care too much about the rumour of their song being inspired from Adnan Sami's hit track 'Kabhi nahi'.
"It normally happens when a song becomes really popular. People cannot believe that it's such a good song, it must have been copied from somewhere. Even if there is a one per cent similarity, people say its copied. Obviously, they cannot believe that a great song can be done by itself. I feel its a very simple song without an ounce of pretension," said the music director duo of Salim-Suleiman.
It all depends on whether Adnan Sami buys into that or not.
With a huge sigh of relief, Priyanka Chopra celebrates the success of Dostana, her sixth and final release this year. With God Tussi Great Ho, Love Story 2050, Chamku, Drona, Fashion and Dostana she’s had six screen outings in the past six months,”Phew! It has been really hectic,” admits pretty Priyanka flaunting a sleek, tanned, beachy form. As she wrests free of the b.o. jinx with Fashion and Dostana, she describes the current phase of her life as “very exciting and very emotional”.
Fashion, she says, has gone beyond her expectations, “We took Bond (Quantum Of Solace) head on and the the film is still in theatres,” she points out happily. Life seems like a picnic, just like it was in Miami while shooting for Dostana. The best deal about Miami beach was “hearing the seagulls and going to the cafes on the beach” and the worst was “the onset of lethargy” like a beach-bum. But on the whole, she found Miami to be a nice blend of Mumbai (cosmopolitan energy) and Goa (sea, sun and sand). But she rues that even though that she was the object of desire in this quadrangular love story, she was “left out” by the boys,”John and Abhishek were like Jai -Veeru, completely inseparable,” she guffaws.
In a serious vein, she reveals that her best scene in Dostana is where “the three friends come together and cry”. Priyanka is staunch supporter of the homosexual movement, “We live in a democracy and we have the right to elect our representatives. Then in our personal lives why can’t we have our own preference?” she asks. She is glad that in both her recent releases, gays haven’t been reduced to ludicrous “caricatures”. “Ours is a conservative society and it will take time for us to accept it wholly, but we are certainly opening upto discussing it now. We are getting there,” she says defensively of the homophobic attitude of our society.
Ms Chopra is quick to brush off the allegation of glorifying drug addiction in Fashion, “It is shown in negative light - as Kangana dies after getting overdosed-and how my character is at the edge when she drugs herself.” She says that the fashion industry has a big heart. “Be yourself and be proud of your achievements” is the bottomline. She gushes that she received over 500 congratulatory messages for her performance.
But the mention of Drona brings her to a halt, “Drona broke my heart. I liked the film, I just cannot be objective about my films,” she sighs.
The coming year looks promising with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminay where she speaks in Marathi,”Kasa kaay? (How are you)” she shows off her linguistic versatility. She’s also happy about Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Rashee? opposite her “very good friend” Harman Baweja.
'Item Girl' Rakhi Sawant has decided to go in for a major image change and planned her personal website.
The website will have interactive chat features where her fans can log in and chat with her. It will be online in a month's time, Sawant's spokesman said in a release.
This is part of a major image and perception re-engineering and make over exercise planned for Rakhi. The spokesman said that Rakhi is already a household name.
‘A few may have hated her, but most people love her for her inimitable style. We are giving Rakhi, a make over adding a touch of sophistication and finesse with a dash of technology. We want to present a new Rakhi Sawant to audiences in a few months,’ he added.
The new website will give Rakhi a new presence in the virtual world and will add a new dimension to the persona of Rakhi Sawant, he added.
Pop queen Madonna's split with her director husband Guy Ritchie got the legal stamp on Friday after the High Court in London granted them a preliminary divorce. Madonna and Ritchie did not attend the hearing. The "decree nisi" was pronounced by District Judge Caroline Reid after the couple agreed not to demand a financial settlement from each other, the Telegraph reported. The divorce will become final after a period of six weeks and a day.
Their case - Ciccone M L v Ritchie G S - was listed before District Judge Reid and was announced in Court 10 of the Principal Registry of the High Court's Family Division, the paper said.
The 50-year-old singer and her 40-year-old British filmmaker husband had announced their decision to separate in mid-October after a marriage of eight-years.
The duo had married in lavish ceremony in 2001. Madonna will keep most of her USD 440 million fortune after Ritchie said he did not want "any of her money".
They have also agreed to share custody of their two boys, eight-year-old Rocco and three-year-old adopted David Banda.
Under the British law, Ritchie, whose fortune is estimated at some 30 million pounds, could have claimed to half of Madonna's wealth earned during their seven and a half year marriage but he reportedly rejected the offer.
The bone of contention between the high profile couple were their two children, with both of them wanting to keep the children.
Madonna and Ritchie will now share the custody of their children, who will divide their time between New York with their mother and London with their father.
Madonna's 12-year-old daughter Lourdes, from a previous relationship, will live in America with her mother. Ritchie will, however, keep the couple's 1,200 acre estate in Wiltshire - reported to be worth 12 million pound - and the Punchbowl Pub in Mayfair.
Initial reports had suggested that the divorce was headed for yet another bitter celebrity court drama on the line of the Sir Paul McCartney's acrimonious separation from Heather Mills because Ritchie wanted a pie from singer's fortune but Ritchie later he was not interested in Madonna's money.
The singer had hired Fiona Shackleton, who represented Sir Paul McCartney's case while Ritchie had hired Lady Helen Ward and Stephen Cobb, QC, one of the top children's lawyers in Britain.
According to close friends Madonna's desire to adopt another child had been a source of friction between the couple.
Madonna is currently on the American leg of her "Sticky and Sweet" tour, while Ritchie is working on his latest film "Sherlock Holmes", starring Jude Law.
Their children Rocco and David are currently with their father and the eldest boy was seen on the "Sherlock Holmes" set.
When you have Salman Khan for a boyfriend, it’s no surprise if you make newspaper headlines regularly. But Katrina Kaif has broken out of the girlfriend mould and managed to carve her own distinct identity with an incredible six hit films in two years. “I think my hard work over the last four years has paid off,” she smiles proudly. While trade pundits call her a ‘lucky charm’, she objects to the tag. “It’s unfair. I don’t understand what people mean by luck. A film does well when it has a good script and good performances,” Kaif reasons.
With her next, Subhash Ghai’s Yuvvraaj, where she’s paired with her real-life lover, Kaif is confident about her good run at the box office continuing. “I play a cello player. Like all musicians, she turns to music during tough times.” Kaif, who played the piano as a child, was keen to learn a new instrument. “I was asked by Mr Ghai to learn to play the cello, just like I would learn a dance movement. I just followed instructions and was playing it even before the shoot began,” she shows off her soft smile again.
Kaif is known for subtlety but Yuvvraaj has the demure actress looking gorgeous. “The clothes have to be relevant to the story. In Austria, cellists dress in regal, classic gowns. Rocky S sourced a lot of my outfits from small Austrian boutiques and from designers like Gauri and Nainika Karan.”
This film is extra special to her because it’s her third with Salman but the first where she’s paired opposite him. “I hope its third time lucky for us,” she remarks casually. Kaif also admits she was anxious that their off-screen chemistry might make their on-screen pairing slightly uncomfortable.
“Sometimes when you know the person well, you tend to go overboard. But I was relieved to see the promos,” she says. The Britain-born actress is also seen speaking fluent Hindi in the promos. “But I can’t help the accent,” she complains. In an effort to blend into India, she’s also taken to the music of AR Rehman. “When I first came here, I found it difficult to understand his style. But it slowly grows on you. It’s timeless,” she says.
Kaif is modest enough to acknowledge good friend Akshay Kumar’s role in shaping her career. “Akshay has helped me a lot. I’m looking forward to our next, Priyadarshan’s De Dhana Dhan,” she says, and adds quickly, “And no, Salman doesn’t have a problem with me working with other actors.”
While directors like Imtiaz Ali, Yash Chopra and Raju Hirani are on her wish list, she’s happy to have bagged roles in Prakash Jha’s political potboiler Rajneeti, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir Kapoor and a Yashraj film. “I’ve done a variety of films to establish myself. But now, I want to play stronger characters. Katrina in 2009 is going to be different from Katrina in 2008,” she insists. We’re still not tired of the old Kat.
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Radiant, luscious, gorgeous – these are just some of the words that come to mind while describing the skin of our favourite Hindi film actresses.
We got celebrity skin specialist Dr Aparna Santhanam, who heads the medical services at Kaya Skin Clinic in Mumbai, tell us some of their skin secrets.
Aishwarya Rai
Rated one of the most beautiful women in the world by Hello! magazine, this blue-eyed stunner is naturally beautiful. No matter how grueling the shooting schedule, Ash makes sure her skin regimen is never affected.
Ash's secret: People close to her reveal that Ash is a water freak – she drinks at least eight glasses each day, if not more. A self-confessed naturalist, Ash also relies on natural products from the kitchen – cucumber to soothe her skin, gramflour to exfoliate and milk and yogurt to moisturise.
Dr Santhanam's tip: Sleep your way to a gorgeous, glowing skin.
Lack of sleep is the cause of most skin problems, dark circles, dull skin, pimples, you name it. Your skin thrives on oxygen, which it gets during sleep. So hit the bed at the first opportunity you get and catch up on some zzzzs.
Kareena Kapoor
The current heartthrob of the Hindi film industry (and actor Saif Ali Khan's, too), Kareena Kapoor is one of the luckiest stars -- she has inherited generations of peaches-and-cream complexion, a trademark of the Kapoor dynasty.
Kareena has lost oodles of weight and has acquired a natural blush, only possible with a regular exercise routine (and love, perhaps!). Kareena has often talked about her love for chocolate wraps, which is a known antioxidant to stop the skin from ageing.
Dr Santhanam's tip: A tiring session of any sort of exercise is the best facial you can get. Exercise increases the blood circulation in your body, and the blood gushes up to your face, to give you a happy glow. Exercise also rids your body of all the toxins, reducing pimples and acne.
Exercise can also work wonders in a short time -- just give it three days and you'll see your skin tone improve!
Katrina Kaif
The moment she appeared on the silver screen in the hit film, Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya, her lovely looks and silky Indo-Canadian complexion won our hearts! Katrina Kaif's skin has the unique mixture of the essentially Punjabi texture and an Anglo-Saxon skin tone.
Katrina is often asked about the secret of her skin -- she says it's her addiction to the purifying apricot oil by Anne Semoin.
Dr Santhanam's tip: You need protein to keep your skin looking young - whether your proteins come from fish and egg or almonds, sprouts and soy and pulses to compensate for the lack of protein.
Make sure you include enough protein in your diet. Just to lose weight, don't give up on your nutrition.
Sushma Reddy
It seems like model and actress Sushma Reddy has been around forever, yet she looks as fresh and young as she looked in her first ad film.
What's her secret? "I begin my day with a huge jar of watermelon juice. It is body cleansing. I also love to meditate -- it helps me find inner peace. I think that's the secret of my glow," she says.
Dr Santhanam's tip: Yoga is one of the most common ways to get glorious skin. Follow this five-minute routine every day, and see the difference -- relax your facial muscles through simple Pranayama. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it in for ten seconds and exhale.
Deep breathing, for even half an hour every day, can delay the onset of wrinkles and other signs of ageing on your face.
Yana Gupta
Actress and dancer Yana Gupta personifies the term 'porcelain beauty'. Her skin always sports the freshly scrubbed, delicate look. Yana has a face, which looks even more beautiful without make-up on it than with make-up.
Yana's secret? Coconut water. "I drinks it more religiously than even normal water," says the beauty. Yana also uses no soaps, but just coconut paste to cleanse her skin.
Dr Santhanam's tip: Harsh soaps are a no-no. Exfoliate your skin at least once a week with oats, gramflour or any other scrub that suits your skin. Don't forget to cleanse thoroughly at least twice a day. Remember, sunscreen is your best friend, since weather in India is mostly sunny.
Aditi Govitrikar
When model Aditi Govitrikar walks the ramp, it is impossible to believe that she is a mother of two.
"I think my skin is a product of my Rainbow Diet -- I am a vegetarian and I make sure I add at least three colours in my diet every day. Greens, reds and oranges are my favourite, since they are antioxidant-rich. And, of course, I never forget to moisturise," she says.
Dr Santhanam's tip: Follow this like a religion: cleanse, tone, moisturise.
Get your skin analysed at least once from a dermatologist to know what kind of products suit you. If you look at the ill effects of wrong products, a visit to the dermatologist is totally worth it.
Moisturising is necessary even for oily skin. Never leave home without your moisturiser and sunscreen. It is a healthy habit and not an indulgence!
Rahul Mahajan, one of the celebrity inmates on the reality television show Bigg Boss, is out of the show.
Rahul, the son of slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and one of the most popular and controversial House inmates, was asked to leave the show when he refused to apologise for breach of discipline.
Rahul along with other inmates Raja Choudhary, Zulfi Sayed and Ashutosh Kaushik had attempted to jump out of the House by climbing the wall.
According to the rules of the show, no inmate is allowed to leave the House before the completion of the show or before he/she is voted out.
Rahul reportedly said, "I'd rather quit than apologise".
On Saturday, the four inmates jumped the walls of the Lonavala house they’ve been in for over 90 days, just because they had gotten tired of home-cooked food and wanted to eat outside.
The security team quickly jumped into action and made them return to the house. The four went back inside after five minutes of hanging around the gate.
Production House Endemol had assured action against the participants.
The episode of Rahul's exit will be aired on Colors on Tuesday night.
Monica Bedi has been evicted from the Bigg Boss mansion again. After she was evicted the first time from the reality show, she got to re-enter the house as a wild card entrant.
It was a move that didn't go down well with other housemates, except Rahul Mahajan.
Now the fight to the finish will be between Zulfi Sayed, Rahul, Raja Choudhary and Ashutosh.
While she was in the house, reports about Monica and Rahul getting “serious about each other” did the rounds in the grapevine.
There were also reports of Monica’s ex-beau, gangster Abu Salem, being furious at Monica-Rahul liaison.
Cast: Vinay Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Ranvir Shorey
Direction: Shashant Shah
A moving drama that will undoubtedly leave you with a lump in your throat, Dasvidaniya stars Vinay Pathak as 37-year-old simpleton Amar Kaul who lives with his eccentric mother in a small suburban apartment, and works for a bully of a boss who barely looks up from his lunch while scolding him.
When a visit to a doctor for a routine stomach ache results in his finding out that he's dying of cancer and has only three months to live, Amar decides to make a list of everything he'd really like to do before his time is up.
Directed by Shashant Shah, Dasvidaniya is heartbreaking and humorous in equal measures. Despite several missteps in the film's second half – especially the scene in which Amar has an emotional breakdown when abroad, extending into a short monologue in which he questions his fate; also all the mumbo-jumbo with tantrics – Dasvidaniya still succeeds in coming off as well-intended and sincere.
Much of the credit for that must go to Vinay Pathak who delivers a measured performance as the cheerily upbeat protagonist with an expiry date.
The film keeps you engaged not so much on the strength of its plot, as it does for the interesting characters who inhabit it.
Sarita Joshi plays Amar's cranky mother with a hearing problem, and she makes her one of the film's most loveable leads.
Saurabh Shukla is first-rate as Amar's dosa-chomping boss; and Rajat Kapoor and Neha Dhupia as Amar's childhood friend and flame respectively never miss a beat.
Gaurav Gera, playing Amar's younger brother is appropriately unobtrusive; and even Ranvir Shorey in only a cameo is delightful.
Starting off on an inspired note, Dasvidaniya loses some of its steam in its second half; but when it's not trying to beat its own chest about what an honorable film it is, it's actually quite poignant.
I'll go with three out of five for director Shashant Shah's Dasvidaniya. It's emotional and sure to leave you teary-eyed. Watch it, but take your tissue box with you.
Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Kirron Kher, Bobby Deol
Direction: Tarun Mansukhani
Unapologetically irreverent, this week's new Bollywood release Dostana is a barrel of non-stop laughs; a film that pulls out all stops in its shameless attempt to win you over.
Set in sunny Miami, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham play a pair of straight blokes who must pretend to be a gay couple so they're allowed to rent rooms in a swanky condo occupied by single, young chick Priyanka Chopra. The trio strikes up a close friendship and all's going well in their little world until both boys realise they've fallen for her. Wait, what's more, she seems to be falling for her boss; that role played by Bobby Deol.
Stripped to its bone, the basic premise of Dostana is your fairly standard triangular romantic-comedy, but it's the manner in which writer-director Tarun Mansukhani gives this ordinary plot a whole new spin by throwing in that 'pretend-gay' angle that turns it into a winning lottery.
Laugh-out-loud hilarious, the film's first half comes packed with naughty lines and often risqué humour. That fake flashback which serves as Abhishek's romantic back-story with John, concocted for the benefit of Priyanka and her aunt, is one of the funniest scenes I've seen in months.
Prepare to crack up also in that scene in which Kirron Kher playing Abhishek's mum discovers to her horror that her son is gay; and that subsequent scene in which – having finally come to terms with this painful fact – she decides to accept John as her son's chosen partner, and gives him a fitting bahu's welcome.
Despite the stereotypical gay characters, it's to the director's credit that the film rarely comes across as mocking or insulting to gay sentiments. Even when reinforcing many gay clichés, Dostana has a naughty innocence to it that is hard to take offence to.
In a roundabout manner perhaps, but the film is even progressive when it comes to portraying same-sex relationships, as is evident from the Kirron Kher-character's acceptance of her gay son's relationship, her blessing of this union, and finally her expectation of commitment and fidelity from both boys towards each other.
Sure it wouldn't hurt if all gays weren't made to look like flaming queens, and if there was at least one gay character that wasn't a caricature, but in all fairness to expect any more in terms of the portrayal of gay characters is perhaps unfair – after all, Dostana never promises to deliver the sensitivity of Brokeback Mountain.
After all the fun-n-games, it's in the film's second half that the energy dips. For one, the tone shifts abruptly from comedy to schmaltzy romance, prompting a string of sappy scenes, including a contrived one each in which Abhishek and John both go to great lengths to woo the girl. There's also sadly no escape from those predictable misunderstandings and manipulations which only slacken the film's pace.
Having said that, it's still an immensely entertaining watch with producer Karan Johar's light-and-frothy signature style stamped across every frame. From the eye-watering photography of Miami's fabulous beaches, to the stars' slinky designer costumes; from Vishal-Shekhar's foot-tapping numbers to the carefully picked curvaceous blonde junior artistes in every scene – this is that cool-light-n-easy kind of film that you either have an appetite for, or no interest in.
Of the actors, Sushmita Mukherji as Priyanka's aunt and the boys' landlady is deliciously over-the-top and makes her every moment on screen memorable. Boman Irani as Priyanka's gay boss making that Devil Wears Prada-inspired entry, is particularly likeable, especially in that scene in which he mistakes Priyanka's aunt for the maid and declares her a fashion disaster.
Kirron Kher playing Abhishek's smothering Punjabi mum hams it up but does so very much in keeping with the film's tone. She delivers some of the film's funniest lines and leaves you hurting in the sides.
Of the leads, Bobby Deol is a smart casting choice, his simple, good-boy looks and understated performance a perfect foil to our 'chaalu' heroes.
Priyanka Chopra, is at complete ease, slipping effortlessly into the role of the hottie-with-a-heart-of-gold; she looks smashing in this film, better than she's ever looked before.
It's the boys who deserve to be singled out for praise, for confidently taking on such tricky roles. Both John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan drop their inhibitions – in the case of John, most of his clothes too – and without any awkwardness embrace their characters sincerely. There is a comfort and confidence in John's acting that one hasn't seen before; and Abhishek bravely goes where few have gone before, sportingly putting himself in the spot, and turning in the best performance of the film.
Dostana isn't great cinema, nothing close to it, but it puts the fun back into the movies. You laugh harder than you have in a long time, and for that reason alone, gather your friends and give it a watch.
I'm going with three out of five and a thumbs up for director Tarun Mansukhani's Dostana, it's a film with a one-point agenda – to entertain you while you're in your seat. It achieves that, no two ways about it.
Brazil's Melanie Nunes Fronckowiak (R) and France's Saiba Bombote (L) pose after they won the final of the Most Beautiful Bottom in the World competition in Paris on November 12, 2008.
Some 45 finalists from 26 different countries took part in the competition to win a modelling contract and 15,000 euros ($18,769) prize money.
Contestants pose as they compete during the final of the Most Beautiful Bottom in the World competition.
Brazil's Melanie Nunes Fronckowiak poses after she won the final of the Most Beautiful Bottom in the World competition.
A contestant competes during the final round of the competition in Paris.
On the judging panel were supermodel Adriana Karembeu, astronaut Paolo Nespoli, FHM France Editor-in-chief Lomig Guillo and Sloggi underwear chiefs.
Undoubtedly, Bipasha Basu is too hot and sexy. Her acting charisma and sexy avatar makes guys fall weak at her knees. Recently, while shooting in Kashmir for Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa, she has drawn huge crowd and therefore shown her tremendous sex appeal. Wherever the lady goes, the crowd follows and the huge mob distracted the shoot. Regardless of tight security, a cop walked up to her and put forwarded marriage proposal in front of the cast and crew.
The source adds that Bipasha was stunned. "Initially, she was flustered. Though Bipasha is used to men getting over-enthusiastic around her; normally, boyfriend John Abraham is around to handle awkward situations. This time, Bipasha had to deal with it herself. After her initial hesitation, she turned to him and politely but very firmly turned down his proposal. She told the guy that John was in her life and they both loved each other very much."
Talking about the marriage proposal, Bips quips, "The proposal is something silly. I don't really want to talk about it. I am here to work and not to get marriage proposals from cops. I wish they understood that."
To avoid any more unpleasant occurrences; Bipasha packed her baggage in 15 minutes and left.
Volcano erupted when Aishwarya lip-locked Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2. The Bachchan family reacted strongly against the intimate scene and even approached the maker to delete it. But when the film released, the chemistry between Ash and Hrithik well appreciated and latter they became the hot favorite jodi of the cine-buffs. After the success of Jodhaa Akbar, the anger of the Bachchans calmed down and out of joy, they even threw an impromptu success party. Looking at the success factor, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is making a deliberate effort to bring together Ash and Hrithik for the third time.
News is rife that Sanjay is planning a mature love story starring Ash and Hrithik. Though Bhansali has not made any official announcement, it is known that Ash and Hrithik will sign the film very soon. Bhansali who has given Ash the massive hit Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is keen to cast her again. The film in question is a mature romantic tale to be penned by the director himself. If Hrithik sign the project then it would be his first film with Bhansali.
Hope Aishwarya and Hrithik sign the venture soon and recreate the magic of Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar.
Item girl Rakhi Sawant is outrageous, bold and outspoken. Whether it is professional or personal secrets, she never keeps things under wrap and with least botheration declares to the world about what she is going through in life. There are many times when her life came under the scanner of media but Rakhi remained unperturbed. When she entangled in the entire smooching tale with singer Mika, she deliberately came forward for clarification. Today, Rakhi is again in the news for her long time boyfriend Abhishek Awasthi. Reportedly, Rakhi broke up with Abhishek after some serious argument.
Rakhi has thrown Abhishek out of their Lokhandwala apartment. She says, "He was the biggest mistake of my life." According to Rakhi, Abhishek has changed totally and he is no longer the same guy with whom she fell in love, he has just used her to get work. "I felt like I was a ladder for him to get work. He used me when it was required. I don't want to take credit, but there have been occasions when I did help him in getting work. Today he's bought his own flat and is staying somewhere in Malad. I am not in touch with him."
Rakhi dumped Abhishek and now she in search of a new love. We hope Rakhi finds her true love item boy soon!
Aamir Khan's Ghajini is expected to set a record of sorts. While the promotion of the film kick-started during Diwali, the Indian distributors, Studio 18, have decided to go that extra mile and ensure that the biggies rakes in big moolah when it opens during the Christmas week.
While Singh Is Kinng was released with 1, 050 prints (physical and digital) in India, Ghajini will have close to 1, 200 prints in circulation in India alone.
"Ghajini will be the biggest and widest release ever, breaking the record set by Singh Is Kinng, which was also distributed by us, " Aman Gill, Director, Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Studio 18 divulges.
Adds Priti Shahani, Sr. V.P., Marketing & Distribution, Studio 18, "With Singh Is Kinng, we set a precedent in the way the films are marketed and with Ghajini we tend to go beyond that." Ghajini is expected to fetch an earth-shattering start.
Diana Hayden is out of the 'Bigg Boss' house but her spirit still remains the same.
When she entered the house, there was a feeling that she would be aloof and snobbish.
But Diana like the girl next door cooked, cleaned, washed, learnt Hindi and had a promising friendship with Ashutosh Kaushik.
Owing to that there were loads of teasing and tension in the house. This strong mutual affection also scared the rest and they ended up alienating and nominating the two.
The warmth that existed between Ashutosh and Diana made great viewing.
Diana maintains that it was just a friendship.
She's reportedly said, "Ashu's a very good friend and an honest guy. It was a case of two different people sticking together, but we are just friends."
She dismissed the love seen in Ashutosh's eyes by saying, "Ashu is a big nautanki. But, it was sad that he had been completely cut off by others, and I preferred to stay with him most of the time because I can't ditch a friend.
I am happy that I am out and Ashu has survived, because I can earn Rs. one crore (prize money) easily, but he can't do it right away.
So, it's important for him to win as he has to marry his sister off and establish himself. Later, he will also be able to earn big money."
She also made it a point to complain, "For the past two weeks, things have really got very dirty, and they are getting nastier by the day. Rahul and Monica are playing the dirtiest game. Monica lies through her teeth and Rahul isolates people by accusing them of all kinds of things."
It will be interesting to see what course Diana's life takes after this.
Tarun Mansukhani is mighty pleased with the kind of response he is getting for the bodies that John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra have acquired for DOSTANA. Accolodes have been coming in from all quarters as both John and Priyanka ignite the heat in their pursuit for acquiring best bodies in the town.
"While John has worked hard on his physique and made sure that heads (belonging to both women and men) turn around him wherever he goes, I am not surprised since he seems to have been born with a six pack abs.
What amazes me though is the strange body that Priyanka Chopra has", says Tarun Mansukhani, debutant director who is beginning his innings with this Karan Johar production.
How exactly?
"Well, she eats so much and doesn't even work out much. Still, she manages to hold her figure. I guess it's her metabolism that allows her to be this way. With DOSTANA, she could well be termed as a sexy girl next door", smiles Tarun.
Abhishek seems to be just the same though as in all his films, isn't it?
"In fact Abhi too has gone through some transformation as he was still working on DRONA when DOSTANA began. He was in fact the fittest since even when John would be tired, he would push him to get back on his feet and face the camera", reveals Tarun.
But he doesn't seem to be flaunting his body the way John is in the film. Why is that case?
Defends Tarun, "See the film and you would know for yourself. The kind of body type that he is carrying is something like is required for the character. It is truly in conjunction with the film. In any case, Abhi is a completely changed person for DOSTANA and is looking really fantastic." - Joginder Tuteja
Orlando Bloom’s hot girlfriend Miranda Kerr is a keeper indeed. The hot chick, who has been keeping gossip mills busy with speculations of tying the knot with her dishy beau, has gone ahead and stripped down to her undies for a raunchy eye-popping photo shoot for a magazine.
With this the bootylicious model has surely exposed all her body moves that got Orlando hooked on her. Posing in a silver bow-clad lingerie, Miranda’s looks a stunner to say the least.
The photo shoot that is set to appear in mag ‘Ocean Drive’ will have Miranda strike off some of the mouth watering poses flaunting her perfectly hip toned body and full cleavage.
Well going by the sassy pictures, it’s no secret as to what got Orlando go bananas over this Victoria Secret model.
Looks like Saif Ali Khan’s ladylove is doing everything it takes to prove that she is the perfect choice for him. Kareena, it seems, feels blessed in playing Mommy to Saif’s kids Sarah and Ibrahim. And, now the beauty is all praises for his ex-wife Amrita Singh.
Kareena may still have 3-4 years more to go before she walks down the aisle and say Kubool Hai to Saif, but she is trying her level best to fit into Saif's family well in advance.
“I respect the fact that Saif was married before and has two lovely children. I have been a fan of Amrita Singh. I haven't met her ever but I know her through her films.
“For me, she'll always have a place of importance in his life because she is Saif Ali Khan's first wife and the mother of his children. And, I've told Saif this. I would want her to have that kind of respect always. This is what my parents have taught me.
“At the end of the day, it was just a marriage that didn't work out. I have always encouraged Saif to be friends with her because I think that would be great. I guess they will just need time but that's something that they would need to deal with”, a news daily quoted Kareena as saying.
But doesn’t the past bother her?
“As far as any other relationship of Saif is concerned, I don't think his past really mattered to me.”
Akshay Kumar has romanced his heroines everywhere and now he woos his heroine, Kareena Kapoor in Kambhaqt Ishq in an underwater sequence which has Bebo in a sexy bikini and Akki in shorts.
Set against large mountains, blue waters and frolicking marine life, Akshay Kumar will be seen romancing Kareena Kapoor in his latest flick, Kambhaqt Ishq . From Hollywood’s Universal Studios to a scenic village in Venice, the shooting locale for producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s film has now moved to Mumbai.
Although we had word that shooting at this location had started, neither the producer nor his cast was willing to say a word about anything. So we decided to investigate and found that once again Nadiadwala does not believe in doing anything in half measures.
A suburban swimming pool was first drained of all the water. Noted set designers, Acropolis were hired to create a replica of a Venetian lansdscape. While the mountains were made of acrylic, the coral for the coral reef was flown in from Venice. After the set was designed, water was poured back into the pool and a glass chamber was erected so that the film could be shot from there. To create an underwater effect, this costly set was put up.
Kareena is obviously wearing yet another bikini, and her look has been designed by Akki Narula. Akshay Kumar’s look has been done by Shabina Khan. The Khiladi will be wearing shorts for this shoot and has beefed himself up. Our sources say, “Akshay has been on a restricted diet for the last 40 days.”
Shooting at this site will continue till end of the week, which will also then wrap up shooting for the film. With a cameo from Sylvestor Stallone, Akshay Kumar’s death defying stunts and Kareena Kapoor’s sexy body in bikinis, Kambhaqt Ishq is certainly looking more than promising.
He may have acted as an outlaw umpteen times on the screen but the terror attacks in Mumbai were enough to shake Amitabh Bachchan up who kept his revolver under his pillow while going to sleep. 
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