Shweta Basu Prasad Latest hot photo shoot

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Flexible South Girl Neetu Chandra

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Kajol as Cover Girl On M - Magazine January again Looks Classic look

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I am a slumdog millionaire myself

I am a Slumdog Millionaire says Anil Kapoor. The actor high on the success of his film draws similarities from the film to his own life when he made it to films. Anil Kapoor who has been in the industry for nearly two decades now says that his life is much similar to the Slumdog in the movie. "I resided in a small house in Chembur and had to struggle and work hard to become a millionaire and stay in Juhu. The actor who has made it to the top despite his struggles advises the youth of the nation to be focussed. "All I can say at the moment is if one has to come up in life you have to be focussed and work hard. Don't get bogged down by jealousy." With the success of Slumdog we quiz the actor if he is open to many more international ventures "Why not if something interesting and good comes up I will definitely do it. Right now I am looking forward to the film here in Mumbai and see how people will react to it."

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Shah Rukh to recreate Mogambo

After his tremendous performance as a villain in “Baazigar” and “Darr”, Shah Rukh Khan may again be seen as a villain in a film.

SRK has reportedly been offered the role of Mogambo in the sequel to “Mr. India”.

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur is presently working on the sequel, which is titled “Mr. India 2”. Shekhar, who is very close to Shah Rukh, is said to have made this offer to him.

It will be a role of a lifetime for Shah Rukh if he accepts the offer.

Mogambo was earlier played by the late Amrish Puri and to date remains one of the most iconic negative characters in a Bollywood film. Puri’s performance, especially the line “Mogambo khush hua”, is still remembered by the masses.

Shekhar short-listed Shah Rukh as the actor has given noteworthy performances as a villain and Shekhar feels no one can do better justice to Mogambo’s role than SRK.

Anil Kapoor and Sridevi will also be seen in “Mr. India 2”.

Now we are awaiting Shah Rukh's answer, which we hope be in the affirmative.

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More honours for Slumdog Millionaire

Danny Boyle's acclaimed film "Slumdog Millionaire" has taken home two more major US film industry awards over the weekend, winning the top prizes from both the Screen Actors Guild and the Producers Guild of America.

Bollywood stars Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, British Indian actor Dev Patel, and newcomer Freida Pinto received the overall cast prize for the Mumbai-set rags-to-riches saga at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday (January 25) night from Anthony Hopkins.

Anil Kapoor, accepting on behalf of the "Slumdog Millionaire" cast, dedicated the award to the slum children shown in the movie.

"They deserve this award. They set our performances," he said. "It's the children who've done it, not us."

The Oscar-nominated film tells the heart-warming story a young man from the slums of Mumbai who risks all for love and for a shot at instant wealth as a contestant on the Indian version of the TV game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".

Patel, who plays the protagonist, and Pinto, his ladylove, introduced the film clip at the event.

"Slumdog Millionaire" also won the top prize from the Producers Guild of America on Saturday (January 24), giving it another boost in the race for the Oscars next month.

The top award from the Producers Guild of America or PGA goes to the movie's producer, in this case Christian Colson, whose previous feature credits consist of three relatively obscure thrillers.

Meanwhile, following its 10 Oscar nominations and expansion into more theatres, "Slumdog Millionaire" has jumped into the North American Top Five for the first time in its 11-week run with its weekend gross soaring by 80 percent to $10.55 million.

Now running in 1,411 theatres across America, up 829 from last weekend, the film has to date grossed a total of $55.92 million, according to the movie website boxofficeguru.com.

The Producers Guild award is considered an important bellwether for Oscar success as its members make up an important constituency of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which votes on the Oscars.

In its first 19 years, 12 of the PGA's top film picks went on to win the Academy Award for best picture, including last year's champion "No Country for Old Men" although the producers missed the mark for three straight years starting in 2005.

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Preity Zinta back in cricketing gear

Preity Zinta is a very known face in bollywood and now also on the cricket field. She is known to own the biggest and the best team in cricket today. Last year her team Kings XI Punjab performed very well in the T-20 tournament. Preity knows very well how to boost the confidence of her players and to encourage them. Her players were very motivated through the tournament by Preity's presence during all the games whether they were successful or they lost the match. Preity now wants to attempt to give chance to budding cricketers to showcase their skills. Her Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will hold a cricket seminar and tournament in Chandigarh and Mohali. The aim of the seminar and tournament will be to conduct a T-20 tournament between the teams of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K. It will also a platform for the States to connect with different communities of the nation. The tournament is being conducted in conjunction with the state associations and in particular the PCA. KXIP Cup matches would be played in a league format among five teams i.e. two from Punjab and one each from the other three states. Each team will comprise of 14 players and two officials. A total of 11 matches will be played in the tournament. "My aim is to promote cricket at the grassroot level and to nurture new talent. I also want everyone involved to have fun, " says Priety.

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Slumdog is hardly best work of Rahman, Anil

'Slumdog Millionaire', which is presently the talk of the nation for being nominated for 10 Oscar Awards this year, is given an insight by Indian Film industry’s most experienced Director-Producer and pioneer in filmmaking, Mr. Mahesh Bhatt, who is also often referred to as The Encyclopedia. 'Slumdog Millionaire' is going to do no use to India and it is not at all an Indian Film is what he says. “It is Danny Boyle’s film and he is just using India’s finest talent to hit hard at the Oscars this year. I think the film would be very good as is being praised by many and I don’t criticize its content. But my question is, why is it that the same Indian talent is never recognized by the Oscar Jury when it independently enters the race of awards? When it is a foreign film with Indians, you honor it and when it is an Indian Film of same caliber, why not even have a look at it", asks Mahesh Bhatt. 'Slumdog Millionaire' might be starring Anil Kapoor and Irfaan Khan in the film, but Mahesh Bhatt doesn’t think it to be as best of their works. In fact he believes that there are much better Indian Films that they have worked in. He says, "Anil Kapoor is just playing a cameo in the film and is not in the main lead. The main leads in fact are not Indian actors even. So it is just like making hay while the sun shines for Danny Boyle, who is using the Indian effect for grabbing an Oscar." In Delhi to promote his film 'Raaz-The Mystery Continues', India’s most expensive horror film till date which released yesterday worldwide, Bhatt saab very confidently said that 'Slumdog Millionaire' is not the best work of even A.R Rehman. “If you see his work in the past, he has produced such a quality product that it shouldn’t even take a minute to award this legend. His music in 'Taal', 'Rang De Basanti' or even 'Lagaan', which was nominated for the Oscars, stood nowhere in eyes of the Oscars’ Jury. However, when his music has a white connection, it comes to the priority list of the awards. Why? So is it that we Indians are incapable of making it to Oscars? Or it is just that we would be used for other’s benefit and just left unrecognized, ” questions Mahesh Bhatt. He firmly said that India is on path of yet another slavery and if others can’t respect our talent, they have no right to use us. He also said, “In my opinion, if any Indian related to this film gets the Oscar, it should not be kept in India, because we want to actually win the Oscar and not be given as an offering.” Mahesh Bhatt who is busy promoting his film 'Raaz The Mystery Continues' is very confident about his film and says that “I don’t want to make any comparisons of my film with 'Slumdog'. It may be a very nice film; however I can’t comment on it as I haven’t seen it. But yes, RTMC is what I can guarantee you is the perfect 21st century horror film. Never can a film like this in this genre be made again.” Emraan Hashmi and Kangna Ranaut saw the first day first show of RTMC film at G3S Cinemas at Rohini in Delhi on Friday amongst the Full House audience and were mobbed for appraisals. “I am highly touched with audiences’ reaction. The other day, my daughter found a beggar on the streets of Mumbai singing 'Maahi', and there and then I knew that there is nothing stopping Raaz now. It is going to be a genuine hit, ” signs off Bhatt.

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Why Sonam Kapoor likes Abhishek so much?

Rakeysh Mehra’s Delhi6 is all set to release in February. Director Mehra released it’s music on the sets of a reality show. But while everyone including Sonam to director Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, lyricist Prasoon Joshi and others participated enthusiastically, lead actor Abhishek was nowhere in the promotion. When asked about the Abhishek Bachchan, Rakeysh informed us that Abhi was busy shooting for Mani Ratnam’s Ravana somewhere far off, with wifey Aishwarya Rai. Interestingly both Ash and Abhishek were very much in town to grace another event that happened in the same evening. It is believed that and promotion that has given more importance to Sonam. It seems that Abhishek is not so pleased by the promos as Sonam is getting lot of attention from the promoters thus AB baby has taken the backseat. When we asked Sonam about Abhishek she said, “I liked working with Abhishek. He is really a cool guy. He is fun to work with. We all had fun on the set. We both are foodie.” Hope Abhi feels the same for his co-actress.

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Kangana opens her mouth

The unconventional looking Kangana Ranaut has made it in Bollywood her own way, but she still remains controversy's favorite child. Be it for the acid attack on her sister Rangoli, her affair with the much older Aditya Pancholi, his outburst against her later and the her liason with Adhyayan Suman, she has always created news. Well, that has helped a lot too, but that's another story. There have been spats with her current man's parents too. Recently Shekhar Suman had reportedly yelled at Kangana during a debate on money-making films. He reportedly went on to make a grave remark and blatantly told her that he knew what her knowledge was and how she kept the fire burning in the kitchen. He then went on to give an interview hinting that he really doesn't approve of Kangana much. But Kangana has a totally different story to tell. The actress whose 'Raaz — The Mystery Continues', opens today says, "I had a hearty laugh over that bit of news. They seem to be very fond of me. If ever our parents object to our relationship, we will end it. It's family that matters the most." More over some people have been saying that the dame has had plastic surgery as many felt her looks changed dramatically ever since the publicity promos and release of 'Fashion'. She says, "I have not had plastic surgery. My face looks different as I have put on weight. I was sick of my thin body. The world is dying to get skinny, and I like to be different. In 'Kites', I will look still more different." She has learnt the diplomacy game well along with other tactics to survive in the industry. That very well explains her coping up well in the big bad world of Bollywood.

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The Salman-Katrina marriage sham

'Saamna', the famous Marathi daily which also happens to be the Shiv Sena mouth piece had claimed that Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif were married which of course came as a piece of shocking news, no less. Now the news has been refuted by Salman's father Salim Khan who was reported to have said it. The interview was for the special supplement to commemorate Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's birthday on Friday. During his conversation, Salim Khan had talked about the secular values of his family and their cool attitude towards religion. He'd said, "I mentioned how Arbaaz was married to Malaika, a Christian, Sohail to Seema, a Hindu, and Salman's girlfriend Katrina is a Muslim." Salim said he was misquoted by the newspaper and clarified, "The reporter has translated my comment into Marathi saying that Salman was married to Katrina.The Marathi word "jar" (if) was missing in the operative sentence, which wrongly gave the impression that the two are married" A senior journalist with the newspaper called it a printing mistake on the condition of anonymity. Katrina's spokesperson termed the report as "baseless" and he said they will be sending a notice to the newspaper demanding a formal apology. She's said in an interview, "I definitely think that Saamna should issue a clarification if not an apology because it's not a small thing. It's not the news of a movie or some endorsement that one has signed. It's a big think to make a mistake about somebody's life like this. And I think a clarification is a must because I know for a fact that Salim sahab has definitely not said anything and one should be careful while reporting for such a major newspaper and while writing articles. My managers have spoken to the editors at 'Saamna' and they were assured of a corrigendum. People who read 'Saamna' are regulars so when they open the paper tomorrow, there should be a clarification in the paper. They should say that they were misinformed or the misprinted and that's it. I think the matter should be ended then and there." Katrina sure knows what she wants! It's definitely not marriage or talks of a marriage at this point!

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Lara and Dino keep mum

They might not be as comfortable as Saif-Kareena and Ranbir- Deepika to reveal details of their love life but it seems Dino Morea and Lara Dutta are deeply in love. There were rumours that the couple had moved in together which they later denied. The buzz is that though they do spend a lot of time together, they do not live together. Lara stays at her apartment and Dino lives in a bungalow nearby. Rumour has it that since their previous relationships didn't work out; they have decided to keep a low profile. By the way, Lara was living in for many years with her ex boyfriend Kelly Dorji. Dino Morea and Lara's ex were best friends. After Lara and Kelly's breakup, she chose friend Dino for emotional support. They reportedly fell in love; have been out on the social circuit and are even traveling the world together. In between there were talks too that they had fallen apart but nothing is clear. The word is that they would rather want people to pay attention to their respective careers and not their relationship. If only they had happening careers it would have been far easier for us to do that!

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I don't have any kissing scenes in Raaz 2

All excited about his next release, Raaz 2 The Myster Continues, Emraan talks to us about his role in the film, his fears and the fact that he won't have any lip locks in the movie. Role in the film - I play a painter whose name is Prithvi and he can foresee the future of a model Nandita played by Kangana Ranaut. And in my character the audiences will find different grey shades which surely can be spooky. I'm quite excited that finally I'm the part of a horror film. I had always wished that my debut film should be a horror film but didn't happen. What scares Emraan - Believe it not but I am scared of kisses in the films that I have to do. Also I am scared of the dark so whenever I sleep I always have one dim light on and I am also scared of empty corridors after watching The Shining. No kissing scenes in Raaz 2 - I don't have any kissing scenes and that's why I'm feeling very relaxed. All the kissing scenes are done by Adhyayan Suman! On his new lean look in Raaz 2 - Mohit told me to reduce my weight as it was the requirement of the character and so I gave up on all junk food, switched from aata to nachni rotis and gave up bread completely. Six packs - I am not much of a fitness freak and hate this six pack - eight pack business. I would like to admit that I am a very lazy person when it comes to body building. But I feel all this is just a fad. It is okay if one has to do for a particular role otherwise its silly to flaunt it every now and then in films.

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I admit I have no friends in Mumbai: Deepika

Being a star at 23 is not easy. Deepika has no friends in Mumbai. And she doesn't have any qualms in admitting it. So busy is the stunning actress that she went off for the North American and London premieres of Chandni Chowk To China just when her sister Anisha was playing at a national golf tournament in Pune. "Yes Anisha who's five years younger to me and the baby of the family was playing in Pune just when I left for my premieres. I'd have definitely liked to watch her, " says Deepika wistfully. "But then maybe having family around to watch her play would make her selfconscious. She needs to find her own identity away from the family cocoon. And for that we need to leave her along to swim in the waters and face the storms. So in a way it was good that I wasn't around when she played." Deepika has been traveling unchaperoned all through the year. "Both me and my sister have been taught to be selfdependent. I am 23 and very proud of it. I'm young and raring to go. Age has nothing to do with maturity. I started traveling alone at a very young age (12) as a badminton player. That made feel responsible from a very young age. I learnt to travel in a team share dormitories and bathrooms. You could say I've roughed it out. My parents made sure my sister and I were brought up with normal workingclass values." She says she isn't into celebrations. "I've never been the partying type. I'm not much into celebrations ever since I moved to Mumbai to become an actress. I don't have any friends to call over. Earlier when I was in Bangalore I used to call all my friends over for my birthday over and then take them bowling or to watch a movie…" She trails off. "Now all my free days are spent with my family. My entire family comes down from Bangalore to Mumbai for my birthday every year. It becomes a family reunion time. The came to visit me around my birthday. My Dad, mom and sister were here. We also paid a visit to Tirupathi for my birthday this year." And now Deepika travelled all across the US, Toronto and London, all on her own. "Why do you say that? " she shoots back. "I had the Chandni Chowk To China team with me. We were hopping from city to city. The only sleep I got was on flight."

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Kareena, Katrina and Yana to dance at beauty pageant

Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Yana Gupta are set to add a dash of glamour at the grand finale of PC Jewellers Miss India Worldwide pageant to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on January 31.

"There will be a mix of beauty, talent and glamour at the finale of the pageant, with Bollywood beauties shaking a leg with the participants; it will be an evening to remember," host Deepak Tijori said at the press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Deepak's Tijori Entertainment is hosting the show with Kaleidovision.

The 20 finalists will go through a 10-day grilling regime.

"Training is not going to be a cakewalk for them. They will have to go through a tough and hectic regime of around 14 hours a day, which means they cannot take it easy," said Mehar Bhasin, who will look after the grooming of the contestants.

"The finalists will undergo an exclusively designed training and grooming regime that includes fitness, diction, psyche, aptitude, hair and make-up sessions. The training will enhance their confidence not only for the finale, but for further rounds to be held on the international stage as well," she added.

Beauty expert Blossom and Samantha Kochhar will take care of their beauty and hair, while fitness tips will be given by model-turned-actors Milind Soman and Rahul Dev.

Designer duo Rahul and Rohit Gandhi of the label Cue will design cocktail and evening wears for the participant. Madhu Jain and Milind Soman of the label M will design Indian traditional wear for the grand finale.

What makes this pageant different from other beauty pageants is the fact that even short girls may take part.

Tijori said: "This pageant is not restricted by banalities like physical shortcomings; the absence of height criteria and swim suit rounds makes it different from the conventional pageants.

"Majority of the Indian girls do not match the height criteria of other beauty pageants. Though they might have oodles of talent one shortcoming ruins all their chances of applying there. We understood this thing and came with a concept that will cheer up many beautiful and talented girls all over India."

Miss India Worldwide started 17 years ago and the contestants were primarily selected from the Indian diaspora. But it was felt that the pageant without a participant from India would be incomplete.

Then Tijori Entertainment and Kaleidovision took its franchisee from the Indian Festival Committee (IFC), a pioneer organisation conducting Indian pageants and fashion shows, in the US and worldwide.

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Men still find Aishwarya a desirable woman

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is proving to be an ageless beauty. She's made to the sexy, hot and beautiful lists around the world many times. Now she's been voted as the most desirable woman in the world. Age han't deterred this woman in any way. The happily married actress has been ranked 48th in the annual survey titled 'Top 50 Most Desirable Women in the World' conducted by leading men's portal AskMen. Though her name features towards the end, she still managed to outshine an internationally renowned face like that of singer-actress Beyonce. Ash is the only Indian beauty in the top 50. Voters were asked to select their ideal partner based on 'intelligence, charisma and ambition' in the survey. The list is topped by American actress Eva Mendes followed by other names like Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson, Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum and Jessica Alba. Two years back Ash was voted the 9th most beautiful woman in a survey by Harpers and Queen. But even after marriage and at 35 she's considered piping hot. Ash has also cleverly managed her career after marriage. She has movies like Mani Ratnam's 'Ravana' with hubby Abhishek Bachchan, 'Endhiran' (Robot) with Rajinikanth, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film opposite Hrithik Roshan, a Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani production co- starring Abhi and a film with Akshay Kumar. Well, this dame seems to deservingly have all the luck.

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Slumdog Millionaire - Movie Review

Starring: Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto Director: Danny Boyle Rating:* Anil Kapoor stood up and cheered lustily into the camera when Danny Boyle won the Golden Golden Globe last weekend. I wish I could share his enthusiasm for Danny's phenomenal flight into frenzy. After all the accolades and awards Slumdog Millionaire (SM) proves to be a deafening blow to the year that saw Mumbai go numb with terror. SM takes nasty below-the-belt potshots at the underbelly of the city, portraying Mumbai as the armpit among the metropolises. Mira Nair once paid a warm endearing homage to the street children of Mumbai in Salaam Bombay.Long before, Satyajit Ray in Pather Panchali portrayed rural India as poor but never as a gutter of misery. It's now Danny Boyle's turn to do a 'Slam' Mumbai. The coming-of-age tale about three orphaned chawl kids bears just a passing resemblance to Boyle's rightly-celebrated Trainspotting where the director trailed a bunch of misfits through the streets of Edinburgh. Slumdog Millionaire is Trainspotting on steroids. It's a beefed -up look at the scummy side of Mumbai, bewildering in its obsession with discovering life in the chawls of Dharavi (curiously the protagonist Jamal is referred to as "the boy from Juhu") as being a facsimile of that drain-inspector's report which Mahatma Gandhi had discovered American journalist Katherine Mayo's account of India in Mother India to be. Slumdog Millionaire is worse. It looks at Mumbai as a swarming slum of sleaze sex and crime with characters who seem to have jumped out of Rakesh Roshan's and Manmohan Desai's cinema bruising their deep-focussed emblematic quality while making this huge global leap from 'Bollywood' to 'Hollywood'. After seeing Boyle's much talked-of film it's crystal clear why this murky and squalid portrait of Mumbai has the Americans preening in delight. At one point after being thrashed mercilessly our hero Jamal tells American tourists, "You wanted to see real India? Here it is. " "Now we'll show you the real America," the American lady replies handing Jamal a 100-dollar bill. This, without any apparent sense of irony. This isn't the 'real' India. This is India as seen through the eyes of a Westerner who's selling desi squalor packaged as savvy slick entertainment. There is a very thin line dividing slick from scum. Slumdog Millionaire doesn't stop to make those subtle distinctions. It moves at a frenetic pace creating a kind of sweaty energy that one sees in marathon runners in the last lap of their journey. Boyle is constantly busy whipping up a hysterical banshee of sights and sounds in Mumbai denoting the embittered angry generation of the underprivileged class that grows up in the slums dreaming of the Good Life. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle shoots Mumbai with a gun rather than a camera. Every frame conveys the killer instinct. Every shot ricochets across eternity solidifying sounds and feelings that are otherwise intangible. Yup, this is a film on a mission. It wants to exploit the Mumbai slums as a hotbed of tantalizing images conveying the splendour of squalidity. And to think every prominent of the cast and crew went around proclaiming Slumdog Millionaire would do wonders for Mumbai's tourism industry! Yeah, right. It does as much for the cause of Mumbai as Rolamd Joffe's The City Of Joy did for Kolkata. That much-vilified film at least secreted a core of humanism under its pretentious surface. Slumdog doesn't even pretend to care for the city that it so unabashedly cruises in search of imperialistic tantalization. From Frame 1 Danny Boyle goes for the jugular. Every scent and stench of the city is converted into a liquid asset.Groups of defecating young boys running out in otherworldly ecstacy when they spot Amitabh Bachchan's helicopter hovering abovehead becomes a celebration of lowly life. Our protagonist Jamal dunks himself into excreta from head to toe and wades through the disgusted crowd to get Mr Bachchan's autograph. The star signs calmly, as though exceptionally smelly young boys covered in human waste are the odour of the day. Such moments define Boyle's attitude to Mumbai. He sees it as city where humour emerges from human waste. But who's laughing? Even communal riots are not spared of this tantalizing trivilazation of abject misery. Rioters descend on a Muslim locality like Bandits attacking a village in the Chambal valley. A mean Mumbai Mafioso (Ankur Vakil) gouges out orphans' eyes and makes them beg on the streets singing what appears to be his favourite Bhajan Darshan do ghamshyam ad nauseam. Even Madhur Bhandarkar got it better in Traffic Signal. There's absoloutely no sense of historic sensitivity in the narrative. "If it was not for Ram and Allah, my mother would be alive," says our regretful hero Jamal after the riots. Such corny dialogues, so much a part of Vikas Swarup's novel is minimized in the film. But not enough. Some of the outrageously filmy plot maneouverings from the novel like the game show host (played in the film with cheesy relish by Anil Kapoor) turning out to be Jamal's illegitimate father, are done away with. But the film nevertheless remains as wedded to kitsch and as ridden with coincidences and implausibilities as any formula Hindi film. In fact the two runaway brothers from the chawl being called Salim and Jamal seems like a backhanded homage to Salim-Javed the pair that wrote the hit films of the era that Slumdog Millionaire adopts, the 1970s Every sequence is punctuated and edited to accentuate the cinematic aspect of the drama. Each time game-show host Anil Kapoor has to provide our callow hero Jamal a clue, a flackback highlighting the theme of the quiz-question, is conveniently arranged in the plot. Squalour never appeared designed than it does in Slumdog Millionaire. Bollywood has never been more audaciously honoured. This is an over-hyped and disappointing film that insults Mumbai, culminates with a Bollywood –styled item song on a railway platform. Mike Myers does it far less self-consciously in The Love Guru.

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Raaz - The Mystery Continues - Movie Review

Rating: ***1/2 The team behind Raaz - The Mystery Continues have often clarified that it's not a sequel to RAAZ, one of the most interesting cinematic experiences, besides being the biggest Hit of that year. Yet, you cannot but draw parallels with the first film of the franchise. Horror as a genre hasn't been tapped to the optimum in India. We've witnessed spooky fares in the past and some of them have succeeded in making you break into a cold sweat (BHOOT stands tall in this list). Last year's PHOONK and 1920 were scary movies as well. There's tremendous curiosity to watch Raaz - The Mystery Continues, but does it scare the living daylights out of you? Fortunately, yes! The story (Mohit Suri) is absorbing and Mohit treats the subject like a veteran, as if he knows the genre very well. There're moments that make your heart beat faster, you watch the events with eyes and jaws wide open. Sure, there're blemishes as well, but they don't overpower the plusses or make you change your opinion about the film. While the beginning and the middle of the film is engrossing, it's the end that could've been better thought of. Wanna get scared? Wanna get goose pimples? Buy the ticket for Raaz - The Mystery Continues pronto. It lives up to the hype and expectations completely. A brooding artist Prithvi (Emraan Hashmi) experiences mysterious and distressing visions about Nandita (Kangna Ranaut), a woman he has never met, while he paints on canvas. Intrigued by these visions, Prithvi tracks her down and warns her that these are not merely paintings of her, but accidents that are waiting to happen. At first, Nandita refuses to believe him and dismisses him as an eccentric stalker. However, the striking resemblance between Prithvi's paintings and the near-death incidents in her life is hard to ignore. Now, one of Prithvi's paintings has revealed her as dead. The only way she can change her fate is to unravel this mystery with his help, at the risk of alienating herself from her boyfriend, Yash (Adhyayan Suman). But he refuses to believe in Prithvi's premonitions. Will Nandita risk her love and her life to unravel this mystery? Most of us have heard, witnessed or perhaps had a first-hand experience of supernatural. The present-day generation may, perhaps, term it as wild imagination or hallucination, while the believers may have their point of view. Mohit and screenplay writer Shagufta Rafique's characters in Raaz - The Mystery Continues are believers and non-believers, both. Mohit smartly builds up the atmosphere. Sample these: Emraan and Kangna's first encounter at a mall and minutes later, inside an elevator; the New Year bash when Kangna is 'attacked' by spirits; Kangna's experience in her bathtub and also when she looks at the mirror; Kangna almost jumping off a cliff; the highpoint sequence, when angry bulls attack Emraan and Kangna. Incredible sequences all! Mohit has handled the most difficult portions with panache. However, the entire flashback part, towards the pre-climax, is not as convincing. The ending too could've been better in terms of writing, although Mohit has filmed it exceptionally well. Mohit's choice of the subject as also the actors is right. This is, without doubt, his finest effort to date. Shagufta's screenplay is watertight at most times. Like always, the Bhatts come up with a lilting musical score and at least two songs -- 'Soniyo' (Raju Singh) and 'Maahi' (Sharib-Toshi) -- are first-rate compositions. Ravi Walia's cinematography is up to the mark. The effects are impressive. On the acting front, both Emraan and Kangna vie for top honours. Emraan is excellent. He conveys a lot through facial expressions and that's the sign of a proficient actor. He's just getting better and better with every film. Kangna is top notch. After FASHION, this one's another power-packed performance from the actress. Adhyayan Suman is super-confident and registers a strong impact, especially towards the climax. He shows promise. Jackie Shroff is quite okay in a brief role. On the whole, Raaz - The Mystery Continues is rich in the horror quotient and that is one of its major USPs, besides the highly competent performances by its principal cast and a lilting musical score. At the box-office, this one will continue the winning streak of Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films. The 4-day weekend (Monday, January 26 in a holiday) will only cement its status further. Go for it!

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Juhi Chawla wears a new look

Juhi Chawla is wearing blonde highlights in hair hair for her role in Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut "Luck By Chance" (pictured above).

Juhi, last seen in Ravi Chopra's "Bhootnath", will play veteran actor Rishi Kapoor's wife in the film.

"Playing Minty was so much fun! And moreover I got to colour my hair blonde, which was something I had never done before," said Juhi.

"When Zoya offered me the role I was extremely thrilled. Even though I was told it was not a big role, I didn't mind as it was different from all the other characters I have played before, and that was the most exciting part," she added.

"Luck By Chance", releasing on January 30, stars Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma and has a much-hyped guest appearance by superstar Hrithik Roshan.

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Raima Sen: Wooing Women!

Raima Sen has often been compared to grandma Suchitra Sen. But Raima has not just acquired her looks; she has also acquired tips of gaining a fan following from grandma Sen.

Her next movie MERE KHWABON MEIN JO AAYE focuses on how a woman who's tied down with her daily routine and household chores, dreams of making it big.

Raima says, ''It is a woman-oriented subject, but it would cater to everyone, especially people who are fighting their fears. I can say that because the movie has given me the inspiration to fight my own phobias, which frankly I'm still trying! Also I feel it will gain me a lot of female fan following.'' Female fan following? Shouldn't she be concentrating on the men instead? ''If my grandma is to be believed, men anyways would swoon over you, but if you get appreciations from a woman, it means you've truly proved your competency, as women wouldn't easily appreciate another woman!''


What are the phobias which she's trying to fight? Raima, who sheds all inhibitions when she is in front of the camera, confesses that she is petrified of the camera but only when it comes to giving a screen test. ''I don't know why, but this has been a case with me forever. That's one of the reasons why I don't even try for foreign films... they all follow the process of undergoing a screen test. That has also been the reason for my missing out on some great films. However, fortunately for me, whatever roles I've done so far have been offered to me and have been appreciated by people.'' she says.

Speaking about this phobia of hers, she says, ''Back in school, I was once playing Cinderella on stage and I still remember; when I went on stage, suddenly I couldn't speak and I just went blank. Another girl was called then to say the dialogues back stage while I lip-synced. Maybe that has still remained in my mind somewhere.''

Another critical role for now that she has bagged ''without a screen test'' is Aparna Sen's JAPANESE WIFE where she plays a widow. In a scene she had to interact with the Japanese actress and Raima recalls, ''It was a bit difficult conversing at first as we had to communicate with the help of an interpreter. But slowly, we somehow managed to strike a conversation without the interpreter and it was fun understanding the context in spite of not understanding the language!'' she laughs.

Looks like Raima is doing her best to woo everyone, and language doesn't seem to be a problem for her!

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Chitrangada Singh in a red hot avatar

Chitragada Singh has a unique sophisticated look, which can bowl over all and sundry.

Just after one movie, ‘Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi’ she had gathered an incredible fan following. So much so that people missed her in action for years.

But after the self imposed exile, the babe is back with ‘Sorry Bhai’ and is very much in the news.

And boy, she can look hot too.

Her hot look is on display now in Femina’s January 2009 edition. The magazine features the actress on the cover page with her ‘Classic in the Making’ look.

Let’s see how it works out for her from here

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Has Kareena broken up with Saif?

Post the success of 'Jab We Met', Kareena Kapoor has been all over the place. Her relationship with Chotey Nawab Saif Ali Khan and the fact that they were seen joint at the hip at loads of places also made sure that it was so. Shoots and social gatherings kept her in the news, but the movie for which she developed her size zero frame-'Tashan' flopped badly. Only the Diwali release 'Gomaal Returns' made money but then the credit for the same doesn't go to her fully. After all, it was a multi-starrer with a lot of boy bonding. This sort of depressed the actress who thought that her career is going downhill and that's why she's decided to make her high profile relationship low profile now. In the New Year she's realized that being in the media glare all the time with Saif is harming her. So she's decided to play it safe and is not breaking up completely. Instead she's keeping her private life away from the media. Well, it seems Kareena has realized what was needed to be realized. Let's see if this strategy actually helps her out in the long run or not.

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SRK, the king with the heart of gold

Two child victims of a grenade attack in Srinagar are undergoing treatment at the Nanavati hospital with the help of superstar Shah Rukh Khan who is bearing the entire cost of treatment. SRK first heard of the orphans -- Muddassar (5) and Amina (3) from Dr Ali Irani, head of the department of physiotherapy and sports medicine at the hospital. The actor has donated Rs 50 lakh for the children's ward at the hospital in memory of his mother. Dr Ali, who is part of a team of doctors that treats children hit by disasters in Jammu and Kashmir, met the kids during one of his visits to Srinagar. Dr Ali told People magazine that he knew he could ask the doctors to treat the children for free but there would be plenty of other expenses. "So, I just spoke to Shah Rukh," he said. The superstar also visited the hospital and promised to introduce them to his kids as soon as they were out of the hospital. Zubair, the elder cousin of the children told the magazine, "Amina keeps asking me if I have spoken with Shah Rukh and when is he going to take her to meet his daughter. She also plans to invite SRK's children Aryan and Suhana to Srinagar so that they can all play on houseboats."

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Hansika reveals secrets of her killer figure

"A diet is a selection of food that helps to loose weight" says actress Hansika Motwani. She may not be called as new entrant as she has been into the industry since long time as a child artist. Just like a fairy tale she grew up fast and suddenly appeared as a beautiful actress. Hansika spoke to us about the secret of her fitness and her favourite food. "I am not very foodie. I like home made Rajma Chawal. I don't indulge in oily cheesy stuff." Says Hansika who loves home made. She begins her day with a healthy breakfast as she believes that it's the first meal of the day and it should be healthy. She loves to have skimmed milk and an apple in the morning. Hansika believes in diet and follows her guru Micky Mehta's instructions properly. After her first movie Aap Ka Suroor Hansika lost seven kilos. Talking about fitness she says, "I prefer both cardio and weight both exercises. I exercise two hours everyday in my gym. I prefer protein milkshake after workout. I believe in yoga and meditation as well." Being particular about her food Hansika gives credit to her balanced diet and healthy eating habits. "I don't starve myself. I take eight meals through out the day. My lunch comprises Roti, daal, dalia, salad and yoghurt. I prefer fruit juice rather than cold drinks. I avoid dinner or any kind of food late at night rather I prefer to have my dinner in the evening." She concludes.+ Kareena throws surprise birthday bash for family doctor Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor recently organised a surprise birthday bash for her family doctor. "Bebo (as she is fondly called) is very fond of Dr Agarwal. She took time out from her busy schedule and threw him a nice party. She herself made every phone call and invited people," said a source close the actress. The source added: "Dr. Agarwal was unaware of the surprise party and was flattered. He was very happy." Guests who made it to the event included Tusshar Kapoor, Shabina Khan, Kareena's mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor among others. Agarwal is a family doctor for other celebrities like Tabu and Urmila Matondkar.

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After bikini act Minissha goes for plastic surgery

Minissha Lamba kept on displaying her girl next door image until she got all fed up of it and suddenly decided to turn sexy. She donned a bikini and itsy bitsy clothes in the Id release 'Kidnap' but unfortunately fell flat on her face. Actually this dame neither has the body nor the attitude to turn hot. The buzz is that now she's gone under the knife to get a better nose. Minissha is rumoured to have undergone plastic surgery to get a thin and pointed nose. The actress felt she had a broad nose which didn't look good on her face. 'To hell with natural beauty', that seems to be the mantra in Bollywood right now. Now it's well known that both Koena Mitra and Shilpa Shetty look unnatural because of their nose jobs. Koena recently made a very candid confession that her nose job was a huge mistake that distorted her face, compelling her to go into a shell and avoid being in public for months. Shilpa has never admitted to having had such complications but her fake nose has always looked unnatural on her face. Same goes for the likes of Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra who look made up most of the time. Well the chances of this nose job actually helping Minissha's sagging career looks difficult. Let's wait and watch.

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Why no one raised any eyebrows when Ranbir showed his bum

Bipasha brought in her birthday at an unknown destination. She was surprisingly quiet and reluctant to talk. "It's been fantastic year for me. Personally and professionally. Family is great. Boyfriend is great. Everything is fine. I couldn't have asked for anything more this year. I'm actually surprised the year went so well. I even got time to watch my niece and nephew grow. Yes, I've spent one more beautiful year productively.." Suggest that she needs to have children of her own, Bipasha baulks, "No no I don't have the patience for kids. I can't bear to have my 7-year old nephew around for more than two hours. He's a talkative brat. My 1-year niece is an a item number. She dances superbly to the worst songs. So yes another actress coming up in my film. And she's the first light-eyed fair-skinned Basu girl in the family." What pleases her was the success John had achieved.And the label of the 'sexiest' for her man pleases her even more. "There has to be one person who's the sexiest every year. In 2007 Eastern Eye voted me the sexiest. In 2008 it's John. If they didn't vote him the sexiest they'd look really foolish. I mean John is the hottest. No one is going to look hotter than him for a long time. And I'm not saying that because I'm in a relationship with him." Ask her how she felt about John letting it all hang out in Dostana, and Bipasha chuckles, "Ranbir Kapoor showed his bum (in Saawariya). How come no one raised any eyebrows? It was not so drastic with John. He has a fantastic body. If a woman on a beach is appreciated why not a man on the beach? If you are comfortable with your body and you can carry it off with grace like John did, why not? I'm proud of what John has achieved. I've been with him from the time we shot Aetbaar and Jism. We started dating on Aetbaar." Bipasha says she was really proud of her bikini shot in Dhoom 2. "At no point did I look cheesy. There was no heaving thrusting. It was just a healthy shot of a woman on the beach. Incidentally I came out of the water in Jism wearing a thick white dress. Such was the impact that people think I wore a bikini."

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Salman's big Valentines Day plan for Katrina Kaif

Valentines Day is a month away but Salman Khan is already getting ready to shower an expensive gift on girlfriend Katrina Kaif. Though there are rumors of a rift, things still don’t seem to be over for the two. The buzz is that Salman has painted her many times while she’s been visiting the sets of his films and accompanying him on some of his mid-night adventures and has even rode an auto rickshaw with him. Now Sallu’s big plan is to surprise her with a lavish Valentine’s Day gift. He has chosen a plush apartment in Bandra and plans to gift it to her on Feb 14. The flat’s location and its architecture go with Salman’s taste. He’s thinking of roping in Suzanne Roshan, Hrithik’s wife, to do the interiors. The flat has a spacious living room space for paintings and portraits. It has two balconies overlooking the city in different directions. Apparently Salman wants to decorate the flat with some of his paintings before handing over the keys to Katrina next month. Well, keeping in mind things like that, it seems all’s well in Sal-Kat’s paradise. So should we say, all the talks about Sallu being laid astray by Asin and the like are just rumors?

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Kangana strips completely for Raaz - The Mystery Continues

The buzz is that Kangana Ranaut has stripped completely in her upcoming horror flick 'Raaz - The Mystery Continues'. Well, this girl sure has played her cards right. She very well knows what the audience wants from her The movie is now under the Censor scanner for a nude scene that has been filmed on her. The scene shows Kangana in a bathtub. According to reports, Kangana had shot the scene with a skin coloured body suit. But then the audiences would still think that Kangana has bared it all for the scene. It may now be completely chopped off. Producer Mukesh Bhatt wants a U/A certificate but the Board is not complying. Apparently after the screening of the film for the Censor Board, there was an argument between some members and Mukesh Bhatt regarding the certification as the producer wanted the 'U/A' certificate to have a large audience base for the flick. The Censor Board on its part has confirmed that they have asked Vishesh Films to chop Kangana's nude scene. The movie would get an 'A' (Adults Only) certificate because of its spooky content as confirmed by a Board official. The film starring Emraan Hashmi and Adhyayan is set for release on January 23 but Mukesh Bhatt hasn't given up yet. Let's wait and watch to find out the fate of the movie and Kangana's striptease.

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Priyanka's got no issues with Amrita Rao

Recently there has been a buzz about how Priyanka Chopra's boyfriend Harman Baweja got close to his 'Victory' co-star Amrita Rao on the sets of their cricket based film. That was cited as one of the reasons for the breakup between Piggy Chops and her long time boyfriend. But it appears now the dusky beauty has absolutely no problems with the cherubic looking Amrita. In fact Priyanka has been going around praising Amrita's performance in 'Victory'. And she's doing that on Amrita's face too, quite blatantly. The buzz is that the two actresses recently caught up during a special show of the film. Priyanka loved her performance so much that she revealed it before Amrita there and then. A source says, "Priyanka liked Amrita's performance so much that after the screening she went up to her and told her how much she appreciated her work in the film. Amrita was quite touched to hear that from Priyanka. After that the two ladies were inseparable and they had a good chat for a long time." Well, we must say Priyanka sure has her very own unique way of doing things. Or is it just a game of diplomacy, huh Piggy Chops? Watch this space for more.

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Big Fight: It's Priyanka vs Kareena once again

Now that the ultra-prolific and passionately-productive Shyam Benegal has decided to revive his costliest project Chamki, a desi version of Georges Bizet's 1845 opera Carmen the question is, who will play the challenging title role of a free-spirited fiery-tempered gypsy? Though Benegal is at the moment reluctant to reveal details, sources close to the project claim that the closest contenders for the role are Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. Both have already been approached in the past for Chamki. But chose to opt out before the final yes for various reasons. Says the source, "Kareena was excited to begin with. She was supremely charged by the role and what Shyam Babu had done with her sister Karisma in Zubeida. But then she opted out, as she often does from offbeat challenges like Deepa Mehta's Water and Rituparno Ghosh's Raincoat pleading it was too early for her to attempt something so unconventional. Then came Priyanka Chopra who was quite kicked about the part. But she and the film's then-producer Sanjay Gupta had a fall-out earlier when she had said no to his Musafir. The role then went to Urmila Matondkar who had monetary issues with the producer." With the film changing hands from Sanjay Gupta to Reliance it is undertood that money is no longer an issue. If sources are to be believed Chamki has now gone back to the two original choices Kareena and Priyanka. Says the source, "Kareena continues to have reservations about non-mainstream cinema. She was recently offered another heroine-oriented film by Rituparno Ghosh. She declined. Barring Pritish Nandy Communications Chameli she has never returned to non-mainstream cinema. But now Chamki, set in Rajasthan, is being re-designed as a big broad epic musical with super choreography and lavish songs by Javed Akhtar and A R Rahman. No expense will be spared to make Chamki a big blockbuster." According to sources Priyanka more than Kareena is the natural choice to play Chamki since the role requires a trained dancer. Priyanka when contacted said she was open to the offer. "But I read the script ages ago. The whole project now has to evaluated afresh. And who wouldn't want to work with Shyam Benegal?"

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Katrina's big embarassment in New York

Katrina Kaif and John Abraham might be big stars in India. But they are nobodies in New York. This they realized only a while ago. Interestingly these two are acting in a movie called 'New York'. Such is the irony of the situation. The two were denied entry to a nightclub in New York when they were trying to join a party for a crew member on their movie 'New York'. A source says, "When they were stopped at the nightclub, they tried to reason with the bouncers that they were well known and respected people from India. John and Katrina told them that they were film stars from India but the bouncers only stared at them. The bouncers had no clue what John and Katrina were talking about." But the experience hasn't stopped Katrina to encourage her sister to study in New York. The buzz is that she has been encouraging her sister, Isabelle Kaif who wishes to join the industry in a year or two, to sign up at the Lee Strasberg Theatre School in New York. And despite her wooden acting in all her films, things in India have been going great. She's been nominated for a Best Indian Award along with others such as Manmohan Singh and Aamir Khan. She thinks it's a great honour to be considered to be in the same league as great achievers. Well, in spite of everything, Kat sure has lots of reasons to smile about!

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Nadiadwala plans a star-studded premiere for Kambakht Ishq

Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, who has collaborated with Hollywood biggies Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards for his forthcoming film "Kambakht Ishq", has invited them for a grand premiere of the film in India later this year. He hopes it will help wipe away the traumatic memories of the Mumbai terror strikes from the tourists' mind.

"It's a do or die thing for me after 26/11. I don't feel like a Bollywood producer at the moment. I'm reacting as an Indian," Nadiadwala told IANS.

Post-26/11, the premiere of the Akshay Kumar-Kareena Kapoor starrer has become a show of strength for Nadiadwala as an Indian more than a producer. Invitations have been sent out to Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

"Let's just say I want my Hollywood team to come and erase 26/11 from Mumbai's tourist map. I'm going to leave no stone unturned to make sure Stallone and others go back with only the fondest memories of Mumbai.

"If six months ago I'd have laid out the red carpet for the Hollywood members of the cast, now I'm putting my entire production machinery and powers of hospitality on the block.

"The 'Kambhakt Ishq' premiere is not about our entertainment industry any more. It's about Mumbai and India. I want Hollywood to come to Mumbai and taste our hospitality. Nothing has changed in the country. We're still as warm and welcoming as we used to be," said Nadiadwala.

Over 20 foreigners were killed in the Mumbai terror strikes.

"'Kambhakt Ishq' is not just an exciting business venture after what happened to Mumbai in November. Suddenly all of us have become more sensitised. We need to prove a point to the world and to ourselves... I realise there's a black mark against Mumbai's name on the tourist map after 26/11. We will erase it. And to do that we need to invite the outside world to come to Mumbai and see that Mumbai is safe. I promise you, Stallone won't go back with any apprehensions about our city."

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Katrina-Ranbir's late night outing

Deepika Padukone had been away most of the last 7 days, attending screenings of “Chandni Chowk To China” in North America and Britain. Meanwhile, Salman Khan has been busy shooting for “London Dreams” and has not been in Mumbai too.

So what did we hear about their respective partners?

That Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif met up for a late dinner at a five-star hotel in Mumbai on January 11. They are said to have arrived separately but dined together in a private setting. They were reported to be in a relaxed and chatty mood.

The duo is co-starring in two movies and their growing closeness has reportedly already upset Ranbir’s girl, Deepika, leading to some tiffs between them in the recent past.

So wonder what she’d say to this one?

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I feel disgusted by Slumdog Millionaire: Amitabh Bachchan

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has slammed Danny Boyle's Golden Globe award winning underdog drama “Slumdog Millionaire” for showing India in poor light. “If 'Slumdog Millionaire' projects India as Third World dirty underbelly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky underbelly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations, ” Amitabh said in a posting on his blog Wednesday from Paris, France. “Its just that the 'Slumdog Millioanire' idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a westerner, gets creative global recognition, ” he added. The 66-year-old also talked about the changing trend in recognition of Indian cinema. “The commercial escapist world of Indian cinema had vociferously battled for years, on the attention paid and the adulation given to the legendary Satyajit Ray... and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass-oriented box office blockbusters that were being churned out from Mumbai. “Ray portrayed reality. While, the other - escapism, fantasy and incredulous posturing. Unimpressive for Cannes and Berlin and Venice (film festivals), ” he explained. He further wrote: “But look how rapidly all that is changing. Dedicated TV channels running Hindi cinema on prime timings. Premieres at Leicester Square (referring to 'Chandni Chowk To China'), the home of all Hollywood royalty, thronged by hundreds on the street in cold biting weather.”

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I hope Deepika does not beat me: Akshay

Action hero Akshay Kumar says he helped co-star Deepika Padukone match his action skills in their forthcoming film "Chandni Chowk To China" but made sure she came "second best" to him. "She (Deepika) once said she wants to be the female Akshay. I hope she doesn't beat me. She has done a good job in the film and I helped her here and there. That way I made sure she always came out second best to me, " Akshay told in an email interview. Though Akshay was slightly apprehensive in helping Deepika considering "how good women are at picking up skills", he was quite sure he wouldn't be "outshone" by his leading lady. "Chandni Chowk To China", slated to release Friday, features the two actors in a story of an Indian cook, Sidhu, played by Akshay, who goes to China and is mistaken for a martial arts expert. The film is apparently based partly on Akshay's own life as he was also born in Chandni Chowk in Delhi and grew up to go to Bangkok to work as a chef. About his character in the film, he said: "I love my character. It's so much like me. Come to think of it, Sidhu is a man I was once in Bangkok. Though the purpose of the journey is different but the drama is definitely the same. I have fought as many villains in this movie as I have in my career." "Chandni Chowk..." is being talked about for its aggressive promotional activities as well as for the association of international names like renowned Chinese actor Gordon Liu and action choreographer Dee Dee Ku. For Akshay, training under Ku, who has worked for films like "Kill Bill", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Matrix" among others, was like "squeezing blood from a stone". "He is super quick. Whenever he would have crazy stunt ideas, one couldn't figure if he was serious or joking. He is incredible in his field. And I trusted him with my life. "If I would have met him before, my life would have been different. He has only worked with the best. So pleasing him was like squeezing blood from a stone. When he used to say 'Akshay the take is okay', that used to be a huge compliment coming from him, " he said. Sharing screen space with Gordon Liu was like a childhood dream come true for the actor. "You know how fans react when they see Aamir Khan and how they run behind him. That's how I see Gordon Liu. I have admired him and his martial arts since the beginning. It was superb working with him, " said Akshay. "Chandni Chowk..." also holds the credit of being the first Indian film to be shot at the Great Wall of China. "We had a fabulous experience shooting at the legendary monument of the world - the Great Wall of China. It was spiritually breathtaking and probably the highlight of our shoot, " he shared. A part of the film has also been shot in Chandni Chowk. Akshay has a lot of fond memories of the popular market place. "Shooting in Chandni Chowk was a unique experience. I was born there. I thought it was sheer madness to shoot there in the narrow lanes but people there were overwhelming. I am an expert regarding the food available there so I used to treat the unit of the film to the best delicacies there, " he said.

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No one can match Hrithik in Bollywood: Isha

She is known as the diva of the dancing world; the other rules the beat. But prolific dancer Isha Sharvani thinks no one can match actor Hrithik Roshan when it comes to shaking a leg. Isha waltzed with the actor in Parle's Hide and Seek biscuit ad and she once again teams up with the actor in the forthcoming film "Luck By Chance". "It was such an amazing experience to perform with Hrithik again. He's such a great performer. I remember, for the 'Hide and Seek' ad, our practice session lasted for three days and one should see him practise. No one can match his steps. He is so full of energy and is so much fun to work with," Isha told over phone from Mumbai. Apart from Hrithik, Isha assures that "people will get to see a little bit of dancing" from her too in the film. Directed by debutante Zoya Akhtar, "Luck By Chance" is a menagerie of characters and activities about making it big in Bollywood. Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, the film is releasing Jan 30. Farhan plays the main lead and the cast also has Konkona Sen Sharma, Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and an ensemble of almost everyone in Bollywood in walk-on parts. Throwing light on her character in the film, the 23-year-old said: "This is a whole film about making it big in Bollywood and I am a part of that struggle. I play the daughter of a diva played by Dimple Kapadia." Rumours are also rife that "Luck By Chance" is Bollywood's next "Om Shanti Om", considering its behind the scenes portrayal of the film industry. But Isha slammed all such speculations and said: "The film is very different from 'Om Shanti Om'. The plots of both the movies are very different. 'Om Shanti Om' was much more of a musical. While 'Luck By...' has a different take on Bollywood. It's much more real. "I think Zoya has really put together a fantastic script and characters in the movie. The film is unique in its approach." Isha considers her getting a role in "Luck By Chance" as a matter of "luck". "My getting this film is totally a matter of luck. I had no idea that Zoya would sign me for the film. I feel so lucky that I got to work with her in her maiden venture," she said. However, the actress also had some sore moments while shooting for the film. "When I was doing a ring sequence in the film, I was suspended from a hook in the air and the costume I was wearing had a lot of diamonds on it. As a result, I ended up being completely scratched because of the diamonds but I am glad the sequence came out really lovely," she said. Isha forayed into Bollywood with Subhash Ghai's dud "Kisna" in 2005 and has since been seen in lesser-known and back to back flops like "Darwaza Bandh Rakho", "Rocky: The Rebel" and "Good Boy, Bad Boy" in 2006. In 2008, she featured in Ajay Devgan's directorial debut "U, Me Aur Hum". She doesn't have any other films in her kitty at present, but is concentrating on a new dance show for smal screen with her mother, renowned dancer and choreographer Daksha Seth. "It's based on martial arts. We are thinking about a name right now for the show as we haven't zeroed in on anything yet. However, the show will be aired from April 3 onwards," she said. On being asked if she has any plans of stepping into her mother's footsteps - that is, choreography - she said: "I am not interested in any activity other than dancing and acting. So, no choreography or anything else for me in the future too. "I am a dancer and an actress and I am game for just the two as both are really and equally important to me," she said. The actress is not bogged down by the pressure in Bollywood and tries to balance dancing and acting. "I always think one should balance one's time and I think I am being able to do that between both my dancing and acting."

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

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Chandni Chowk To China: Maar-Saala Arts

Starring Mithin Chakraborty, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Ranvir Shorey Directed by Nikhil Advani Rating : * ½ This is a film about maar-saala arts, not to be confused with martial arts which Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan practice with such splendid and subtle skills on screen. Akshay Kumar cannot be accused of the sins of subtlety. Not at all. He goes from a sweaty cook in Chandni Chowk to a cheesy fighter in China with hammers tongs and indecipherable tongues. What lies between the extremities represented by the two Oriental cultures has to be seen to be believed….or, not seen to be not borne. But then we in country love to torture ourselves. And most of us do exactly what we are told not to. So go for this one. And find out why 'Bollywood' (that horribly inappropriate wannabe term used to describe Hindi mainstream cinema) cannot compete with its technically savvy upcountry cousins from the West, or even China and Hong Kong. When Jackie Chan kicks ass, man… he really kicks! No two ways about it. Akshay Kumar divides his time between being an action hero and a comic virtuoso, tripping over the line that divides the two genres with little or no scope to contain the fall as the screenplay plunges lower and lower into the depths of inanity. Writer Sridhar Raghavan, known for his smart slick cerebral takes on formulistic conventions spins a web of incidents chronicling the journey of Sidhu the protagonist from a cook in Chandni Chowk to the satirical samurai in Shanghai is littered with laughable incidents and episodes that appear more to be part of a clumsy sitcom lampooning the Chinese than purported large-screen spectacle bringing China to Bollywood. Director Nikhil Advani (who displayed pockets of sensitivity in his innovative but over-long Salaam-e-Ishq two years ago) takes the hero into what looks like a carryover of the Chambal ravines in China. Honestly, if this film had been shot anywhere in the world it would've been just as bland and fatuous. What compounds the woefully inadequate narration is the abject lack of connectivity between the protagonist and the audience. Not even for a second do we feel a rush of empathetic adrenaline for the culturally-displaced Sidhu who encounters all kinds of emaciated goons, terrorized by a suited, booted and largely-uprooted villain named Hojo (Gordon Lieu) who is no Gabbar Singh or Mogambo. Just an aging goon in a black suit who doesn't know it's bad manners to pee in public, specially in the hero's face. Brutality when done with grace can be extremely arresting. We saw that recently in Ghajini. Chandni Chowk To China does the cause of cinematic violence a great deal of disservice. The internationally-renowned action directors who pool in their might seem unsure of where to position the action. Perched on the Great Wall Of China, Akshay Kumar and his fellow fighters (and that includes the desi Lucy Lieu Deepika Padukone) slug it out like drunken revelers on a rowdy spree. Elegance is in short supply in the film, except when Deepika playing twin sisters (told apart mainly by their hair, one of them perpetually forgets to braid it properly) waltzes in with a light step and twinkling eye. She seems to have fun. We don't. And that's mainly because the scriptwriter forgot to include the audience in his circle of entertainment. Large chunks of this 'Adventures Of Sidhu in blunderland' saga leave us cold and unresponsive. And when the final climactic fight between the hero and the villain occurs, Akshay Kumar decides to turn it into a comic romp in the middle of the climac. We are more dazed than dazzled by the baffling mood swings in the plot. Yes, there are moments that hold your attention. Sidhu's martial arts training with twin Deepika Padukone's Chinese dad (who looks like he could do with a wash) are superbly orchestrated. That touch of unstrained comicality in stressful times that the narration apparently strives to achive, eludes the film by a wide margin. Most of the time you are looking at a film that does appalling things to Indo-Chinese relations. Not to mention our traditional perception of mainstream masala-maar ke entertainment. Martial arts are turned into maar-saala arts. And you leave the film wondering what it was meant to be. A bird, a plane or just a pathetic parody of Jackie Chan's comic vendetta sagas. Chandni Chowk To China isn't just no-brainer. Its lobotomized laughter can make you wish for anesthesia. At least you'd know where the numbness is coming from.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

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