Ash turns 35 on November 1

At 35, Bollywood's blue-eyed-girl Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who celebrates her birthday Saturday, continues to woo Indian filmmakers with her international appeal, making her one of the most bankable stars in the Indian film industry.

Says popular film critic Taran Adarsh: “Aishwarya's career graph has been very good though not excellent but she is the only actress who can attract national and international crowds. She is the face of so many international brands and a very good actress also.”

London-based Indian filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra, who directed the actress in the critically acclaimed English movie “Provoked”, also credits her as a superstar with an international appeal.

“She is a superstar. Not only is she a recognised name worldwide; she is a totally bankable star. My personal experience with her from 'Provoked' says that the film wouldn't have worked without her.

“The best thing about her is that despite her stature, she is completely a director's actor. She would also give her inputs in the character and would never come back to see a shot once the director approves it. She is thoroughly professional,” Mundhra added.

Aishwarya, now married to Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, was born in Mangalore to Krishnaraj Rai, a marine biologist, and Vrinda Rai, a writer.

After winning the Miss World crown in 1994, Aishwarya took to acting in 1997 with a Tamil film “Iruvar” opposite southern superstar Mohanlal and made her Bollywood debut in the same year opposite Bobby Deol in "Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya". Both films bombed.

In the following year, she won her first Filmfare Best Actress award South for the Tamil film “Jeans” but became an overnight star with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” in 1999. She bagged the Filmfare Best Actress award for this too.

In 2000, she gave a power packed performance in Subhash Ghai's "Taal" but followed it up with a string of flops like "Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai"(2000), "Dhai Akshar Prem Ke"(2000), "Albela" (2001), "Hum Kisise Kum Nahi"(2001) and many more.

In between, she was recognised for her supporting role in Yash Chopra's 2000 hit “Mohabbatein”.

Her career was resurrected in 2002 with Bhansali's “Devdas” fetching her another Filmfare award in the Best Actress category.

She was highly appreciated for her performances in “Chokher Bali"(2002), “Raincoat” (2004), "Guru"(2006), “Dhoom 2” (2006), "Provoked"(2007), “Jodhaa Akbar” (2008) and “Sarkar Raj” (2008).

In her career spanning 11 years, Aishwarya has acted in over 40 movies in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and English. Her English projects included “Bride & Prejudice” (2003), “Mistress of Spices” (2005), and “The Last Legion” (2007).

She is also starring in another international project “Pink Panther 2”, a sequel to the original comedy.

The beauty queen-turned-actress is also counted among the 100 most beautiful women in the world.

Actress Priyanka Chopra feels that “Aishwarya has a perfect face”.

“She is a gorgeous lady, a very elegant person and a great representative of India abroad and I think she has made some great cinema recently. I'd like to watch a lot more of her in films,” Priyanka told IANS.

After her wedding in April last year, Aishwarya has cut down on her projects and has become very choosy too. But critic Adarsh feels it is only due to her “added family responsibilities”.

Currently, the actress is busy shooting with Abhishek in Kochi for Mani Ratnam's forthcoming film tentatively titled “Raavan”.

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John turns producer!

John Abraham is super excited about his next film with Abbas Tyrewala. So much so that he's decided to turn producer with the film. Guess John's been mighty impressed by Tyrewala's success with 'Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na'! The buzz is that the movie '1-800-Love' is a quirky, witty and savagely funny look at the man-woman relationship penned by Tyrewala's wife Paakhi. Apparently so impressed was Abbas with his wife Paakhi that he had no objection about she wanting to be the heroine of his film! As for John, he can't help but gush over the film's script! The word is that after Anurag Kashyap's 'No Smoking' and Nagesh Kukunoor's to-be-released 'Aashayein' John is now looking out for roles that would challenge him as an actor. Now very few people could get 'No Smoking' and apparently the upcoming 'Aashayein' is finding it difficult to get buyers! So even though John thinks he's doing great, we wonder if he's actually making the right moves! He's said, "After hearing the narration, John not only loved the script, he wanted to come on as a partner. So, effectively, the project will have three producers - Madhu K., John and myself." The movie gets its title from the toll-free phone numbers in the US. It will be shot in Boston in April in a start-to-finish schedule. Let's wait and watch to see if John's career takes the right path post this flick!

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Bollywood villain Raza Murad to play emotional Sikh on TV

After portraying negative characters in Bollywood for over three decades, noted actor Raza Murad will now be seen playing a pious Sikh in a new TV series "Meet Mila De Rabba". "For me 'Meet Mila De Rabba' is a very important project since it will break my on-screen villainous image and prove my versatility as an actor," Raza told over phone from Mumbai. "The serial is bound to do well since it's a fresh story, very emotional and touching and entails characters with different shades," he added. Raza started his career way back in the mid-1960s and since then has worked in over 400 films including hits like "Prem Rog", "Ram Teri Ganga Maili", "Ram Lakhan" and "Kala Bazar", to name a few. He was also associated with a few TV shows in the past. "Meet Mila De Rabba" is about a young Punjabi girl's poignant love story and highlights the trials of the bubbly girl who happily accepts her fate, simply to please her family and society. The show goes on air Nov 3 on Sony entertainment channel. In the serial, Raza plays the role of Gyaniji, who moves out of his village in Punjab to Delhi to build his fortune but always misses his hometown. His character in the show has an emotional streak to it, something the actor has been looking for in a role. "I always wanted to do an emotional role but was rejected a couple of times because the directors felt that I have always done negative roles and so I wouldn't fit the bill. That was dejecting. So when I was offered this show, I readily agreed to it," Raza said. As for his Bollywood career, Raza was last seen in Ashutosh Gowarikar's period drama "Jodhaa Akbar". After acting in the epic romance, he was busy dabbling in regional cinema. "All this while when I was not seen in Hindi films, I did a lot of regional cinema. I was a part of various Gujarati, Punjabi and Bhojpuri films. "At the same time I wasn't in favour of playing second fiddle to anyone on the small screen even though I have played supporting roles in films. So I was waiting for something that was worth taking up," he added. The veteran actor feels that Bollywood has undergone a "complete transformation" since the time he entered the film industry, especially the villains. "The traditional villain has died a natural death. Today even a hero can portray a negative character. There are no lines drawn. The scope for actors like me has condensed," he said.

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I had no choice initially as an actress

National award-winning Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta, who is now concentrating more on Hindi films, says she won't be giving up Bengali cinema altogether. "Bengal is a very important seat of cinema for me. I can't even think of giving it all up. Though I am concentrating more on my Bollywood career now, I'll never say no to Bengali films in my lifetime. I got my name, fame, identity and even my National award from Bengali cinema, " Rituparna, who forayed into Bollywood with "Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh" in 2005, told in an interview. However, Rituparna's first commmerical Hindi venture was Parto Ghosh's suspense thriller "Teesra Kaun" (2004) with Mithun Chakraborty, Chunky Pandey and Somy Ali. Her success and commitments in the Bengali film industry and in Bangladesh did not allow her to focus on her Hindi film career at that time. In 2005, she was seen in Chandan Arora's light-hearted "Main, Meri Patni...", which was technically termed as her Bollywood debut. Her portrayal of an educated housewife in the film earned her rave reviews. She was then seen in box office duds like "Unns - Love...Forever", "Gauri - The Unborn" and "Sirf - Life Looks Greener on the Other Side". The actress, however, is not upset with her Bollywood ventures not taking off and doesn't shy away from her failure in choosing roles. "I had no choice initially as an actress to get a break in Bollywood. Moreover, in those days, I was just feeling my way through Bollywood. I almost felt like an intruder, as I was not familiar with the ways of the industry. "But now I can say I know the pulse of Bollywood as I have a line-up of movies that I have accepted on merit. Now I look at the subject matter of a film first before signing it and then to a substantial and meaty role, " said Rituparna, who has worked in over 50 Bengali movies. Rituparna says she is going through a transitional phase now. "My taking to Bollywood films is a transition. I don't want to get confined to only regional cinema as I want to exploit my potential. I want to perform challenging roles in a much more complex sphere like Bollywood. "Bollywood films are going through a change. Audiences have become more intelligent and I want to reach out to them in different roles through my Bollywood projects. They have woken up to the fact that it is the content of the film that matters, " she quipped. Known for doing bold scenes in some Bengali movies, Rituparna idolizes former Bollywood diva Dimple Kapadia. "Dimple-ji could slip into playing any bold role and still be on her own, maintaining her dignity. That's the status I want to achieve in Bollywood, " she said. Rituparna shared her first National Award for Best Actress with renowned Bengali actress Indrani Haldar for her role in Rituparno Ghosh's "Dahan" in 1998 and recently won the same for Aniruddha Choudhury's Bengali film "Anuranon". The actress has quite a few Hindi and Bengali films in her kitty right now. In Bollywood, she will be next seen in Priyadarshan's Hindi version of Iranian film "Children of Heaven", "SRK", "Saab Chai Pani", "Mujhe Rang De", "Love Game", "Mittal versus Mittal", "BBD", "Paroshkar", "Dard-e- Disco" and "Do Not Disturb". "Trishna", "Mon Amor" and "Piyalir Password" are some of the Bengali projects she has signed on. Rituparna says she will try her best to "maintain a balance" between the Hindi and Bengali film worlds.

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There is no leaning towards comedy in my career: Sharman Joshi

Bollywood actor Sharman Joshi who made a mark for himself with his comic timing in movies like "Style", "Golmaal" and "Dhol" denies that his career is only comedy centric. "There is no leaning towards comedies as such in my career. If the script interests and excites me, I do a comedy but people are appreciating my roles in other films too. My role in 'Life in a…Metro' for that matter was a serious one and much appreciated. I enjoy doing every genre, " he said. He added: "It is not a role that is important for me but the content of a film." Sharman was recently seen in box office dud "Hello" and has a platter full of projects in his kitty with films like "Sorry Bhai", "Three Idiots", "To Baat Pakki" and "Allah ke Bande".

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Who is Shakti Kapoor`s favourite actor?

It is a known fact that every father loves his son more than his life. But what would you call a father who dares to call his son a favourite in the field he has not even set his first step? Confused? Well so are we! After all Shakti Kapoor is going around town saying his son Siddhant is his favourite actor! Siddhant was in the news recently for being a part of the infamous Rave party held at a Juhu night club. Now to bring him more in the news positively, Shakti Kapoor is trying his best. Sometimes he goes on to claim, his son Siddhant is turning music director and at times, he starts speaking about his to be soon started acting career. His son is a DJ and has never announced his acting plans. But, Shakti Kapoor has already made up his mind that now his son his going to be an actor and who better person to give his acting skills testimony that Siddhant's papa the great himself!

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Eesha Koppikhar learns taekwondo

With a red belt in taekwondo, Eesha Koppikhar is now keen on doing an action film, in contrast to her demure and simple look in the forthcoming film "Ek Vivaah...Aisa Bhi". "I love action and I really want to do an action film. Maybe something like 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith', 'Charlie's Angels' or a 'Million Dollar Baby', " Eesha told over phone from Mumbai. The actress, whose claim to fame are item numbers "Khallas" and "Ishq Samundar", reveals that she has been learning taekwondo for the past six years. "Taekwondo requires your entire body to work at the same time and it helps the mind also. I feel while practising taekwondo, one becomes more focussed, " Eesha said. Apart from taekwondo, the actress regularly practises yoga and heads to the gym. For now, however, Eesha is busy with the promotion of "Ek Vivaah..." in which she plays a small town girl Chandni, who dons the mantle of being the bread-winner of her family from being a naive bride-to-be after the death of her father. A typical Sooraj Barjatya family film, "Ek Vivaah..." is set for a Nov 7 release and stars Sonu Sood opposite Eesha. "I started my Bollywood career with a glamorous image and the songs became a rage; so I never got an opportunity to do something like 'Ek Vivaah...'. "But this film has given me a chance to explore my personality as an actress, " Eesha said. Eesha had for some time been looking to play a typical Indian girl. "I was looking for a role of an Indian girl, who is loving, a perfectionist, believes in commitment and has strong values. This film offered me that and it is a complete family movie, " she said. The actress is upbeat about her traditional look in the film. "I wear very simple and ethnic clothes in the film. I don't wear too much make-up and the entire look is very serene. I liked doing it, " she said. In her Bollywood career spanning eight years, Eesha has been associated with films like "Company", "Don: The Chase Begins", "Darna Mana Hai", "Salaam-e-Ishq" and more recently "Hello" - most of which had an ensemble cast. Besides these, she made special appearances in a number of films including "Kaante", "Hum Tum" and "36 China Town". Eesha says she is now "happy to have moved on from friendly and special appearances to better and full-fledged roles". After "Ek Vivaah...", Eesha will be seen in "Har Pall", "Hello Darling" and a lead role in Ram Gopal Varma's "Shabri".

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Saif's tattoo inspired Golmaal Returns

Saif Ali Khan's tattoo of girl friend Kareena's name made it to the headlines a few months back. Rohit Shetty's Golmaal Returns has a scene inspired by it. When asked in regards to it, Rohit says, "Yes I was inspired by the tattoo that Saif had on his arm. I found it very funny when Kareena's name tattooed on Saif's arm became breaking news and making it to the headlines. In fact Saif was tired of the news. I told them I am making use of it in my film. Saif actually laughed over it." Rohit adds, "Incidentally Kareena is playing the lead opposite Ajay Devgan in the film. The opening scene opens with Ajay Devgan showing off a tatoo with Ektaa that is Kareena's name in the film written in it. Whenever Kareena sees that portion she bursts out laughing. Surprisingly I have shot a very lavish and a big song but in that three and half minute song everyone talks of the tattoo in the film. I have done a spoof on power yoga also which is a hot topic these days.

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