Pics - Aishwarya Rai hot in red on Vogue

Aishwarya Rai is quite a favourite of the fashion magazine Vogue. It seems yesterday only when we saw her on Vogue cuddled up with her handsome hubby Abhishek Bachchan for a sensuous cover. But it was seven months back and the actress is again hotting up the magazine with her drop-dead gorgeous looks.

If you liked her on the cover in black feathers, you will be awe-struck seeing her saucy in red for some stills of the photoshoot. She is all set to take your breath away.  

The spread is also very special because it got five different men from Ash’s life to speak on her. Abhi says it was always perfect, “the minute we came together, we both knew that this was something for keeps. So, there wasn’t just this ‘one’ defining moment, it always felt perfect.”

Movie Review of United Six

Cast: Parvathy Omanakuttan, Daisy Bopanna, Luna Lahkar, Mahi, Isha Batwe, Pooja Sharma

Direction: Vishal Aryan Singh

Genre: Crime

Duration: 2 hours 

Story: Six uptown girls loot a bank in Kuala Lumpur to teach the world a lesson. A world that's full of exploitative male bosses and two-timing boyfriends....

Movie Review: Justice for the bimbette? Well, if robbing a bank would be the plausible way to set right the gender imbalance, then cheers to the girls with the drillers and the .22s. But hey, there's got to be some attitude girls, specially when you try to tread the Thelma and Louise way to liberation. You can't go cackling like a bunch of geese with fake accents, faux oomph and freakishly bad performances.

Give us a wicked woman anyday. But give it in style.

I am the No. 1 actress: Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra's Saat Khoon Maaf is just a few days away from release but the actress is not at all nervous about how audience will react to the film...

The film's trailers have been appreciated a lot and have all audiences inquisitive.

Even Priyanka has been getting calls and messages from people in the industry, complimenting her about the film, her look and performance. Ask PC about what she thinks about SJM and pat comes the reply, "I can't be objective about my films. For me, it is the film! It is perfect."

So do compliments matter to her? "Yes of course they do. You feel good when someone says something good about you, your work. But at the same time, I know what I am. I know my work and I know where I stand."

Priyanka is one of the best actresses we have today and has her place secured in the top 5 actresses list across all polls or surveys. However, such lists don't give PC sleepless nights. The actress confidently declares, "From my first film to Saat Khoon Maaf, I consider myself the No. 1 actress. I don't believe in poll results and surveys. For me, I am the No. 1."

Now that's some great attitude girl. Keep it going!

Kajol, Tanishaa root for mom

Sisters Kajol and Tanishaa went all the way to Pune yesterday to to root for their mother, Tanuja, who was getting a tribute through her pictures at an event that was held in the city.

The doting daughters were evidently porud about their mom's feat. "I am very proud to be attending a retrospective of my mom's life being held at an art gallery in Pune where they will be displaying photos from a personal collection of her life and work. She has been such an inspiration to me and I have no words to express how excited and happy I am for her. My mom, my sister and I will be there on this glorious evening to celebrate and reminisce with her."

Mika, Kangna set the dance floor on fire

It's not everyday that a song has so much energy that the actors get swept off their feet, but that seems to have happened during the shoot of a video with Kangna Ranaut and Mika Singh.

Call it chemistry or call it love for dance, but the video shoot for a song Jugni by Mika, which was to take three days to shoot, got shot in five hours flat. When the shoot started late the cast and crew were expecting further delays and a long drawn process of cuts and retakes, however, once Mika and Kangna matched steps there was no stopping them and much to choreographer Saroj Khan's delight, the song got done in a fraction of the time allotted to them. "We managed to can about 15 scenes of the video within a few hours. I must say that Kangna can dance as good as any Punjabi kudi I have ever met," gushes Mika, after his shoot with Kangna for Tanu Weds Manu.

Minissha dismisses Dubai property scam

Minissha Lamba, whose name along with Hollywood hottie Tara Reid has got associated in a 9.3 million Dubai property scam, tried to clear her name saying that she has got nothing to do in that mess.

Reportedly, Minissha and Tara's name have been used to swindle investors of more than nine million dirhams. It has also been said that high profile Emirati businessman Ahmad Al Falasi and 11 more investors ar battling it out in the court against four Indians who have allegedly duped them off the money. When contacted, Minissha told BT, "I have no clue how something like this has happened. Forget about buying a property in Dubai, I have never even entertained the notion yet. Its a sad state of affairs when people are duped out of their hard earned money like this."

Dia Mirza is in demand

Everyone in Bollywood is in a mood to sign up for a film with Dia Mirza. No, the actress isn't paying handsome remunerations. However, she has a bag of goodies that looks like Karan Johar's Koffee with Karan gift hamper accompanying the cheques being sent out to the actors who will be there in her home production.

Dia feels sending the gift hamper with the cheque just adds a thoughtful touch to the whole signing business. "Sending just a cheque is not a warm gesture," she smiles. "Since it is Zayed's (Khan), Sahil's (Sangha) and my first production, we want to add a personal touch to the whole business.''

Uday Chopra welcomes Aamir to ‘Dhoom’

New Delhi, Feb 5 – Bollywood actor Uday Chopra, best remembered for his role as Ali in the ‘Dhoom’ franchise, has extended a warm welcome to Aamir Khan, who is on board to play a baddie in its third edition. 

‘Heres welcoming @aamir_khan to the Dhoom madness. Maybe he teaches us a few things or then again maybe we do (sic),’ Uday posted on his Twitter page Saturday.

Aamir has come in after John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan respectively played the smart thief in the first and second movie of the franchise.

Uday and Abhishek Bachchan would continue to be the permanent feature in the franchise. While Uday plays Ali, Abhishek essays the role of inspector Jai Dixit.

Produced by Aditya Chopra, ‘Dhoom 3′ will be written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, popularly known as Victor. The movie’s shooting will begin this year-end and it is slated for a 2012 Christmas release. 

IANS

Penguin to release a book on ‘7 Khoon Maaf’

Penguin is set to launch a book on Ruskin Bond’s short story ‘Suzanna’s Seven Husbands’, which Bollywood filmmaker Vishal Broadwayj has adapted into a movie and titled it ‘7 Khoon Maaf’.

‘Penguin will release the book Feb 19. This will help readers know our journey from the short story to the film,’ said Bharadwaj.

‘7 Khoon Maaf’ stars Priyanka Chopra as the protagonist, who kills her seven husbands.

Victoria Beckham expecting baby girl?

London, Feb 5 – Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has been told that she is expecting a baby girl this time. The singer-turned-designer is ‘over the moon’, a family friend said. 

The pregnant star, who is expecting her fourth child with soccer ace David Beckham, even wept tears of joy after her doctor said a hospital scan indicated that she was expecting a girl, thesun.co.uk said.

‘David and Victoria are over the moon. This will be their last child and to be told they are having a girl is the icing on the cake for the Beckham clan,’ said a close family friend to the Beckhams.

After three sons, a daughter is all that the couple could ask for.

The 36-year-old singer-turned-designer went for a scan in January, but doctors couldn’t determine the gender of the child then.

However, after a 16-week ultrasound scan nearly a fortnight later, she was told that she was expecting a girl. Then she went in for an advanced scan and was told her daughter was healthy and developing perfectly.

The child is due to arrive in the summer. 

IANS

Rahman’s nephew to compose music for ‘Joker’

New Delhi, Feb 5 – Oscar-winning musician A.R. Rahman’s nephew G.V. Prakash Kumar has been chosen to compose the music for Bollywood fimmaker Shirish Kunder’s upcoming directorial project ‘Joker’.

‘A.R. Rahman’s nephew G.V. Prakash to compose music for JOKER. This will be his debut in Hindi. And our initiative to introduce new talent,’ Kunder posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Prakash, who is Rahman’s elder sister’s son, made his foray as a composer with Tamil film ‘Veyil’ in 2006.

He has also given vocals for some Tamil films like ‘Gentleman’, ‘Anniyan’ and ‘Unnale Unnale’, apart from having worked on some projects with his maternal uncle.

‘Joker’ will be Prakash’s first association with Hindi movies.

The movie boasts of actors like Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Shreyas Talpade and Minissha Lamba.

IANS

Ravi Kissen now turns producer

Bhojpuri film star Ravi Kissen has now turned into a film producer and has started his production house Ravi Kissen Production house with two bhojpuri films. The shooting of his first movie will start from this month. This movie has been titled “Kaisan Piyava Ke Charittar Ba” and the other one has been titled “Shooter Shukla”. Famous bhojpuri film writer Santosh Mishra will now try his hands on direction with “Kaisan Piyava Ke Charittar Ba”. Santosh started off his career with Ravi Kissen starrer “Preet Naa Jaane Reet” and now he will also start his direction career with Ravi Kissen home production. The songs of the movie have already been composed by Madhukar Anand and the casting of the actors is in process. Ravi Kissen will play the main lead in the movie. 

Ravi Kissen’s second venture “Shooter Shukla” will be directed by the national award winner Anand D Gahatraj. The music will be given by Raj Sen while the writer is Santosh Mishra. According to Ravi Kissen, his production will be regularly producing movies from now on. When asked about his busy schedule and how will he manage this new responsibility, he said that the movies he is doing presently have their fixed schedules so it will not affect his responsibility as the producer.

Manoj Tiger turns director with “Raja Doli Leke Aaja”

Famous bhojpuri film actor Manoj Tiger will now be seen behind the camera. He will be working a sroty writer-director in “Raja Doli Leke Aaja” which will be made under the banner of Aadi Shakti Entertainment and Rahul Movie Makers and presented by Master Pritam Reddy. Manoj Tiger has been a writer-director in many theatre plays and he has selected one of his plays, Amar Prem Ke Kahani, on which his movie will be based. “Raja Doli Leke Aaja” was launched at the bungalow of Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua.

“Raja Doli Leke Aaja” will star Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua, Pakkhi Hegde, Awadhesh Mishra, Sanjay Pandey and Golu. The music will be rendered by Rajesh Rajneesh and lyrics will be written by Pyare Lal Yadav. Many famous personalities were present to grace this occasion namely T.P.Agrawal, Abhay Sinha, Alok Kumar, Durga Prasad, Ravi Ujjain, Rajkumar Pandey, Aslam Sheikh, IM Raj, Harry Fernandes, Sanjeev Sharma, Vikas Singh, Smrity Sinha and Anara Gupta.

DABANGG fever on Pravesh in bhojpuri cinema industry

It seems that the blockbuster movie DABANGG’s fever has caught the bhojpuri cinema industry big time. While it was reported that Pawan Singh will be seen in a role similar to Chulbul Pandey, news has arrived that now Pravesh Lal Yadav aka Junior Nirahua will also be seen in in the Dabangg Look. His Dabangg avatar will be seen in an album which has been shot for the holi feastival. He has done shooting of some scenes and songs at the Russian Villa at Mumbai. Though his looks are very similar to Salman Khan but he will not be seen in any action scene, rather he will use his Dabangai in playing holi with his sister in laws. Pravesh hopes that his new look will appreciated by the audience.

NEHLE PE DEHLA starts on Mahua from 4th feb

The reality show for kids “Nehle Pe Dehla” will start on Mahua from 4th feb. The show will be telecasted on Friday-Saturday at 8.00 PM. It is the first time that the kids will be seen competing in any Bhojpuri singing show. After taking auditions from 3 states and 7 cities, 10 kids have been selected from almost 20,000 contestants and these kids will be trying their hands to become the winner. The show has been produced by The Right Picture Company which has already produced Dance India Dance show.

The kids will be singing the folk and cultural songs in this show, as well as the recent popular songs. In today’s episode, the initial auditions at the different cities will be telecasted while in tomorrow’s episode, the mega audition held at Delhi will be telecasted. The top 10 contestants comprise of 5 boys and 5 girls, who will be trained by the music director duo Satish and Ajay.

Viraj Bhatt shoots difficult stunt scenes in his upcoming movie "Hot Baa Jawani Jiyaan Raja Ji”

Bhojpuri film actor Viraj Bhatt will be seen in some very difficult stunt scenes in the upcoming movie “Hot Baa Jawani Jiyaan Raja Ji”. Made under the banner of Seven Star Entertainment and directed by Arvind Chaubey, this film will feature hi voltage stunt scenes performed by Viraj Bhatt in his quest to save her love interest Ruby Singh.

The movie stars Viraj Bhatt, Chhotu Chhaliya, Ruby Singh, Shyamli Srivastava, Gopal Rai, Satya Pandey, Alok Yadav, Payal, Vinod Mishra, Jay Singh, Sanjay Pandey and Jaswant Kumar. Famous singer Shani Kumar Shaniya will also start his career with this movie. The story is written by Manoj K Kushwaha, music is composed by Luvly Sharma, Lyrics by Pyare Lal Yadav, RR Pankaj and Manoj Matlabi, Cinematography by Javed, Action by Shakil Sheikh and arts by Anjani Tiwari.

Source: Ranjan Sinha

Lily Allen to tie the knot in June

Singer Lily Allen who got engaged to Sam Cooper has reportedly booked a church in England for June 11.

"Lily doesn't want a huge showbiz wedding, she's simply not into all that any more," femalefirst quoted a source as saying.

"She and Sam are really happy and will marry near their Cotswolds home," the source added.

The couple had got engaged just weeks after suffering the tragic loss of their unborn child.

The "Smile" singer has been dating Cooper since July 2009 and has previously spoken of how happy she is with him.

"Sam treats me differently. He's told me he'll look after me forever. That's what I've always wanted - someone to look after me. We've never had one argument and there's nothing about him that annoys me," she said. 

IANS

Miley Cyrus dating Joshua Bowman

Miley Cyrus is reportedly dating British actor Joshua Bowman after meeting him on the set of her new movie "So Undercover". 

"They were inseparable at the movie's wrap up party but Miley's back in Los Angeles at the moment and Joshua's in Louisiana, so they're going to see how it goes," femalefirst quoted a source as saying.

Last year, Joshua hit the headlines after he was spotted with Amy Winehouse on the beach in St. Lucia, while Miley split from ex-boyfriend Liam Hemsworth in November. 

IANS

Lourdes Leon, Suri Cruise tops stylish kids list

Suri Cruise - five-year-old daughter of Hollywood couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - and Madonna''s teenage daughter Lourdes Leon have been named the most stylish children on the planet.

The children topped the survey of 2,400 adults, conducted by superstore Woolworths.

They were closely followed by Will Smith''s 10-year-old daughter Willow who came third with 14 per cent of the votes.

The poll was carried out to rank celebrities and their famous offspring based on style.
Unlike her on-trend daughter, Madonna was named the least stylish celebrity parent with just one per cent of the overall vote.

Katie Holmes and Will Smith fared slightly better with nine per cent of the vote each.
The few Hollywood parents who still lead the fashion pack over their children include Gwen Stefani with 23 per cent of the vote and Victoria and David Beckham who managed to beat their sons in the poll.

"Our Ladybird buying team keeps as close an eye on celebrity kids, as we do their stylish parents, ensuring the lines we buy are on trend and in demand," the Telegraph quoted Dan Rubel, marketing director of Woolworths as saying.

Priyanka's facing a cash crunch?

Guess who's having paisa problems these days? It's PC, of course, and we're not talking about the IT officials who raided 'poor' Priyanka's personal space.

It was meant to be an IT raid, but sadly, it raided into her personal space too (we're talking about Shahid...got the point?). PC was so eager to clean the IT mess and give a clarification to the media that she didn't count her words before shooting from the lip.

The gal who is supposedly one of the highest tax payers of last year, said, "I haven't even seen six crores at once, in my life." Hmmmm...though we would love to believe her, we know that she'd apparently charged a whopping amount (in crores) for starring in a big banner film last year. Priyanka, tumhe khoon maaf hai, jhoot nahi! Lol! For more Bollywood news and gossip, keep watching Planet Bollywood, everyday at 7 pm only on zoOm.

Salman, Govinda patch up

Looks like the month of February seems to be all about patch-ups! Probably the approaching Valentine's Day seems to be putting our stars in a very loving and forgiving mood.

First with Deepika and Katrina and now Govinda and Salman have decided to take the high-road and let bygones-be-bygones.

On Thursday night, at Dev Anand's Hum Dono Rangeen premiere held in Cinemax (Andheri), Salman and Govinda hugged like long-lost friends and cleared the air. They were even seen leaving the premises together.

If you are wondering what went down, well let's just say that behind any male friendship that goes sour, there is always a woman! Mumbai Mirror was the first to break the story of how Salman and Govinda, who were as thick as thieves, fell out with each other.

The story goes back to when Salman had a keen interest in launching Govinda's daughter, Narmada. Instead he launched Shatrughan Sinha's daughter, Sonakshi.

There was a time when Govinda used to frequently visit Salman's house, Galaxy Apartments, at Bandstand. Their friendship was on a high after Partner.

From spending time at each others' homes to auto rickshaw rides at odd hours of the night, they were indeed inseparable. Then came Dabangg.

While Salman remained unavailable for comment, Govinda told Mumbai Mirror, 'Yes, Salman and I met after a very long time.

And we met very warmly' and then quickly he added, 'Salman aur mere beech koi problem nahin tha. Partner 2 didn't take off and people stared talking.'

It probably is too early to ask him, but we couldn't refrain: Is Partner 2 going to be back on track now? 'Kaan aur sambandh ko mat jodo,' quipped Govinda.

Govinda is notoriously superstitious. So maybe talking about his lost-and-found camaraderie with Sallu could put 'nazar' on Narmada's debut. It might be on the backburner, but Bollywood daddies rarely give up on their kids' aspirations.

Vidya grabs Satte Pe Satta remake

Remember a sharp Hema Malini throws a watermelon from her balcony onto an unkempt Amitabh Bachchan, standing beneath her house to woo her?

And when she lines up all seven brothers and marches them off to take a bath? That Amitabh's most cherished films is being remade after 28 years, with Sanjay Dutt stepping into his shoes is known.

But now this adaptation of the 1954 Hollywood musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, will have Vidya Balan play Hema Malini's straight-talking, no-nonsense bhabhi.

The director, Soham, wanted someone who looks mature and very charming at the same time. He thought of a few other names, but after consulting apna Sanju baba, he felt that Vids would do justice to the role.

The actress has been on an all-time high after an award-winning spree this year for her stellar performance in Ishqiya.

If all goes well, the film will take off with the Lage Raho Munnabhai pair.

A source close to Vids told Mumbai Mirror, "Soham sounded it off to Vidya, who was blown away by the script. She has agreed. The modalities are being worked out."

While Vidya chose not to respond to our calls and text messages, Ashtavinayak Films and Soham Shah refused to comment on the story.

But we had this ace up our sleeve, so we thought we'd share it with you.

Colin Firth is Bachchan's Oscar favourite?

Amitabh Bachchan is moved by British actor Colin Firth's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI in 'The King's Speech'.

Colin Firth, loved for his portrayal of Mr Darcy in 'Pride & Prejudice' and the actor who rendered an impeccable performance in Tom Ford's highly acclaimed 'A Single Man' two years back is Amitabh Bachchan's favourite for this year's Oscars it seems.

The renowned British actor has been nominated at the Oscars in the 'Best Actor' category this year.

The legendary superstar of Hindi cinema, Amitabh Bachchan shared with us, "The King's Speech' is an amazing film. Colin Firth is simply outstanding in his performance! The attention to detail... incredible!"

Big B seems to be cued in to the Oscar-fever this year. He had earlier commented on another Oscar favourite 'The Social Network' too saying, "The Social Network' was a good film but unfortunately most of India does not know internet. Let Hollywood make a film like 'Baghban' ... will they?"

The King's Speech has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards and tells the story of the Queen's father, King George VI, played by Colin Firth, who struggles to overcome a stutter with the help of an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush.

Other than Amitabh Bachchan, Queen Elizabeth too was moved by the film when it was shown to her at a private screening.

I'm sexier than ever: Amisha

Amisha Patel's sensuousness was never in doubt, but like fine wine, she has become sexier now. TOI bumped into Amisha, who enjoyed getting ready for a hot photo-shoot. And, boy she did get the temperature to soar.

Effortless and relaxed, she made Dabboo Ratnani's shutter go crazy about her charm, body and raw sensuality.

The pretty actress admits that she is in her best shape ever. "I'm sexier than ever right now and I can feel it. During Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (the 2008 film in which she wore a yellow bikini and seduced Saif Ali Khan underwater) I was in good shape. But I wanted to better the standard that I had already set on screen. I followed a healthy diet chart and worked out regularly. I didn't kill myself exercising and I don't believe in dieting. One has to eat right and healthy," she says.

Just before she struck a pose in her ganjee and shorts, Amisha said, "It's this sexy girl-next-door look that I have. I'm not in your face obvious. It's a look that a friend of mine came up with especially for me when I went to a party wearing a pair of shorts and a tee."

While many B-town divas have an international body type, which is the size-zero, Amisha says, "I don't believe in size zero. I believe in having curves. A man's body is different from a woman's and women should have curves. That's hot! A woman shouldn't be thin as a stick and look like a clothes hanger. I have always worked out appropriately, so that I have a curvaceous body and thankfully I'm very happy with the body I have. When you look good, you feel happy and I'm in that space at the moment."

Amisha has Run Bhola Run and Chatur Singh Two Star releasing soon and she is enjoying the compliments that she has been receiving. "I have worked a lot on myself and it feels good when people notice it," she says.

Meanwhile, celebrity photographer Dabboo who shot this photograph said, "Amisha's smile is fabulous and her body is perfect now. I can see the effort that she has put in to get it all right. It takes a lot of dedication. She is looking hotter than ever before."

I never thought of acting: Kriti Malhotra

Kriti Malhotra has never acted before in her life. And yet, she has made her Bollywood debut opposite Aamir Khan in Kiran Rao's highly anticipated flick, " Dhobi Ghat"– and guess what, she got her big break via a social networking site! A break, Kriti swears she didn't want.

"I never thought of acting. Kiran spotted me on the site and liked my picture. She called me for a screen test, saying that she was looking for a fresh face and especially someone who was not an actor. I kept saying no, but one of the unit members who I am close to kept calling me relentlessly so I eventually gave in and went for the screen test. I was so shy, I asked them if I could give the test alone in the auditorium." Kriti, a make-up artist, is no stranger to the film industry. But ask her about her first sitting with Aamir Khan, and she swallows nervously, "It was unnerving to meet him. I've been around actors before – but that first rehearsal with the cast members was the most intense, heart-pounding moment of my life. I was so sure they won't be able to hear my voice."

Kriti says that Kiran was so sure she wanted someone new that she specifically asked her not to rehearse her dialogues, "I was the only one with zero experience. Monica (Dogra) is a stage performer and she has acted in front of hundreds of people, Prateik is a film-old and Aamir has 27 years of experience! We took a lot of reshots. Especially since most of my scenes were long monologues that were shot in one frame, but Kiran was very clear about what she wanted. And she was extremely patient with me and held my hand through the experience."

Even so, her first encounter with herself on screen was nerve racking. She says, "My first reaction when I saw myself on screen was – 'Oh my god'! I kept saying, 'Yuck!' I was critical of every eyebrow movement and when I heard my voice for the first time I thought, 'Are you serious? I sound like that!'"

Kriti says that the film is different from Bollywood's usual mainstream fare, "The movie is on the lines of world cinema. It's been shot 40% in English and that's because it keeps true to its characters. These are four very real people with interconnected lives. Indian cinema has never seen a film like this and Mumbai has never been explored in this way."

The young actor has her POA in place, and acting is definitely a part of the agenda, she says, "I have been given this opportunity on a golden platter. In the "masala" genre of Bollywood there are thousands of newcomer everyday and I don't want to be a part of the crowd. I want to explore the other area, I want to be a part of movies that I will go to watch."

Is Break up of Bipasha and John final?

The bong beauty, Bipasha Basu and the handsome hunk, John Abraham had so many rounds of break ups in the eyes of the media…..perhaps even the lovely couple would not be able to count on that! According to recent news, the eight year old relationship between these two actors has come to a standstill and Bollywood is buzzing with this news as usual.

Bipasha and John were seen to be dating each other during the making of the very hot ‘Jism’. Even director Amit Saxena confessed that he thought the couple had more than ‘just friendship’ while on the sets of the film. Though John has been quite open in the media about his love for Bipasha, Bips on the other hand has usually mentioned John as her ‘best buddy’ who she is most comfortable working with.

The first news of their breakup came in after the couple completed a hectic schedule for the making of the film Goal. According to sources the couple was seen having a tiff over John referring other Bolly actresses like Priyanka Chopra for roles opposite him. A close source said that the duo was having more quarrels than they could handle and had decided to call off their relationship.

Post this incident, news of fight over the phone was also heard when Bips was in Rio for the shooting of Dhoom-2. Bipasha reportedly started weeping after a call from John. She even confided in her close friend Abhishek Bachchan who shared screen space with her in the film. Infact Aishwarya was also said to be feeling sorry for the Bong beauty.

Recent news of the couple finally deciding to separate came in a month ago. Close friend of the couple have said that the split was inevitable as John was keener on settling down in his personal life but Bips, being the more ambitious and successful of the two was not too keen on marriage at this moment of her life.

Bipasha and John came out with an explanation as an answer to the rumours that have been spreading like wild fire. They said that their individual professional commitments have not allowed them to make public appearances together for a long time and that has probably caused such doubts among people around. Though Bipasha sent a tweet recently clearing any such news between the two, fans of the couple would have to judge the sensitivity of the situation themselves…..because Bolly town is unimaginable without both…..split ups…..and rumours!!

Movie Review of Brighton Rock

Director: Rowan Joffe

Screenwriter: Rowan Joffe, Graham Greene

Starring: Helen Mirren, John Hurt, Sam Riley, Nonso Anozie, Andrea Riseborough

Running time: 111 mins

Certificate: 15

Why don't film studios remake dodgy movies and improve them, rather than vice versa? The latest such example comes in the shape of Brighton Rock, which falters in comparison to the compelling and iconic 1947 film noir. Apart from uniformly superb turns by the impressive cast, spearheaded by the phenomenal Sam Riley, there is little about Rowan Joffe's remake that elevates it above a mundane thriller best suited to drizzly Sunday night viewing on the telly.

Riley takes on the role of Brighton-based sociopath Pinkie, a role memorably portrayed by Richard Attenborough in the original. The Control actor shows his class as the babyfaced gangster who becomes entangled in murderous turf warfare with a rival gang led by Colleoni (Andy Serkis). In order to survive, Pinkie is forced to immerse himself in the life of Rose (Andrea Riseborough) - a vulnerable young damsel who becomes besotted with the violent lad. It's up to local tearoom owner Ida (Helen Mirren) to convince Rose to flee from Pinkie before he can 'dispose' of her once she's served her purpose. It all leads to a horribly melodramatic and stale clifftop finale that undoes a lot of good work put in by the actors.

The basic premise, from Graham Greene's 1938 novel, is solid enough to ensure that interest in the fates of the characters rarely wanes. Yet there is something sorely lacking in the execution. Pinkie's transition from the hesitant figure we're initially presented with to the ruthless assassin who would shoot his own grandmother to keep his trigger finger supple is simply too sudden. There's no sense of character development here, rather an incongruous leap that appears to have been taken in order to advance the plot in a pacy manner. Bad move. In a similar vein, the screenplay insufficiently presents the motivations for Rose falling for Pinkie. We're simply supposed to accept her unlikely attraction, rather than witness the process of it happening.

Nonetheless, that should not detract from the striking individual performances from Riley and Riseborough. As the story's callous cat and misguided mouse, they deliver moving portrayals that demand you dare not take your eyes off them, monitoring every possible flicker of emotion etched on their faces. The supporting cast of Mirren, Serkis and John Hurt are all eminently watchable too, making the best of the limited opportunity of their underwritten caricatures.

The decision to set the film in the 1960s is a largely redundant change that adds nothing to heighten the atmosphere or the context. Several pointless scenes of mods and activists parading around feel shoehorned into the action unnecessarily. If only Joffe used the same minimalistic conviction that he deployed in his script for last year's excellent thriller The American. He certainly shows occasional visual flourishes on his directorial debut, with nicely stylised scene transitions and an effectively shot brutal murder early on that carries visceral impact.

Brighton Rock's pros and cons pretty much cancel each other out when assessed as a standalone movie, but it comes nowhere close to breaking free from the shackles of its 1947 antecedent. The foreboding horns and murky waters that follow the opening credits promise much and the cast deliver the goods, but the script is sorely lacking in characterisation and conviction.

Movie Review of Rabbit Hole

Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Screenwriter: David Lindsay-Abaire
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Sandra Oh, Jon Tenney, Dianne Wiest
Running time: 92 mins
Certificate: 12A

Nicole Kidman falls into a downward spiral in Rabbit Hole, though in career terms, it's anything but. She may already have proven her ability to do abject misery in The Hours (thank you, Oscar), The Human Stain, Birth, Fur and Margot At The Wedding, but in this adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, she secures her right to that thorny crown (and possibly another Oscar) as a mother grieving the loss of her child. Add to that a crumbling marriage and broken family ties and life can't get much darker. Mercifully, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Everything appears to be in order at the start as Becca (Kidman) and husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) go about their daily routine in sunny suburbia. But there is an undercurrent of tension. Becca has a touch of the Stepford Wife about her, tied in apron strings, appearing to do her duty and yet barely responsive to Howie's touch. The elephant in the room is not addressed, even at the point when they resolve to attend a support group for grieving parents. Kidman also dares to be controversial, challenging one mother who uses religion to make sense of her loss.

Meanwhile, Becca's carefree sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard) is afraid to mention she's pregnant leaving mother Nat (Dianne Wiest) to negotiate the peace. Wiest is brilliant in this role, breaking the tension for us while ramping it up for Becca - plastering on a smile and making preconceived chitchat, hoping that her daughter will share her feelings. Of course, it has the opposite effect. You can sense Kidman building a head of steam. She nearly blows a gasket when Howie turns down the lights and turns up an Al Green CD. It's so discomforting to watch Becca squirming at the thought of intimacy that you may just miss the comedy of the moment.

There's more nauseating humour, most memorably when Howie shows his dead son's bedroom to prospective house buyers while his realtor cringes behind him. Eckhart is on top form, clinging to dignity by the barest thread. Such moments are sharply observed by director John Cameron Mitchell (who favours edgy comedy in films like Hedwig And The Angry Inch), but the uncertainty over whether to laugh or cry is also a weakness at times. He keeps us removed at the start, waiting for us to fill in the blanks and drawing us in that way. But after the truth is revealed, it's as if we're pulled away again, invited to look at this picture from a different angle.

The script also intellectualises the quest for meaning, which can be distracting. Becca states her position on God emphatically, more than once. Meanwhile, she is meeting in secret with the teenager who accidentally ran down her son (a startlingly mature performance from Miles Teller) in hope of finding some answers. He offers her the 'Rabbit Hole' theory, the notion of infinite worlds where her son might still be living and he illustrates this in a comic book. He makes it a gift, but the idea and the gesture feels calculated. What's more important is that a collision course is set, forcing the characters to tell their own truths. The actors don't flinch from the task and there is hope at the end, though it may feel like small reward after so much digging.

Movie Review of Sanctum 3D

Director: Alister Grierson
Screenwriter: John Garvin, Andrew Wight
Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Alice Parkinson, Rhys Wakefield, Dan Wyllie, Christopher Baker
Running time: 103 mins
Certificate: 15

This movie should be redubbed Rectum 3D, such is its propensity to churn out the cinematic equivalent of faecal matter for almost every second of its excruciating 103 minutes. It may have partially emerged from the creative bowels of executive producer James Cameron, a fact hammered home in the ad campaign, but Sanctum is devoid of the exhilarating action and engrossing (if simplistic) stories he brings to the projects he directs and writes.

"What could possibly go wrong diving in caves?" asks one of the moronic characters that populate this shameful subterranean shocker. Well, the worst thing that could happen is that someone makes an inane 3D movie about the venture. Ah, too late. The plot basically dumps a bunch of tedious fools in an uncharted underwater cave system, subjects them to predictable pitfalls and turns one of the characters into a horribly clichéd villain when it runs out of water-based dangers.

In between the repetitive splashing around sequences there's a laughably laboured subplot that dwells on the bonding process between gruff chief explorer Frank (Richard Roxburgh) and his estranged damp squib of a son Josh (Rhys Wakefield). This contrived attempt to inject some emotional truth into proceedings is a massive misfire, with the melodramatic dialogue between the pair making the kitchen sink melodramas in Neighbours look like a Brechtian dissection of human interaction.

The acting hardly rises above the material, with none of the cast doing anything of note to sell the (supposedly) harrowing ordeal to the viewer. Roxburgh mopes around rasping pseudo-mystical guff with a facial expression that denotes extreme constipation, Ioan Gruffudd barely registers as the mission's bankroller Carl and Alice Parkinson as the pathetic damsel-in-distress Victoria is the antithesis of the strong female heroines depicted in many Cameron blockbusters.

Worst of all is Wakefield as the supposed hero. He only appears to possess three settings beneath his blond boyband curtains: i) a vacant look that makes a shop window mannequin seem complex, ii) a scrunched up face and quivering top lip that resembles a bawling baby after a seagull has swooped to pinch the Rusks from his pram, and iii) an anguished wail of 'F*************K!' followed by an immediate visit to the Joey Tribbiani 'sniff the fart' school of acting (Dr Drake Ramoray - all is forgiven!).

With plenty of deaths and misfortunes taking place, there's a Jose Mourinho-style rotation system going on between ii) and iii) as Josh's immediate reactions, before quickly returning to i) as the demise of a close colleague is forgotten about in a matter of seconds. That could be construed as a positive for Sanctum, as at least there's some potential for a drinking game in conjunction with that. Anything to alleviate the boredom.

A strong visual element making worthwhile use of the 3D could have alleviated the boredom, but that is sorely lacking due to gormless direction, unimaginative set design and a flat use of lighting that fails to instil any atmosphere. The similarly cave-based The Descent effectively used the environment, evoking a strong sense of claustrophobia and excitement/trepidation over what lies ahead. There's none of that here. No creative spark whatsoever. To make matters worse, upcoming 'shocks' are blatantly signposted on the assumption that the audience has the attention span of a comatose gnat. For example, one scene begins with the camera dwelling on a sharp stalagmite protruding from the floor of a freshly discovered cave. Hmm, what are the odds on someone getting impaled on that bad boy?

Not that the audience should remotely care about the fates of anyone involved, given their nondescript nature. Treacherous character development, woeful acting, dire writing and shoddy direction all ensure that Sanctum is an unpleasant experience and one that has left this reviewer thumbing through a thesaurus in a bid to avoid running out of appropriate adjectives. Seriously, you'll find yourself more emotionally and viscerally involved by sticking some Lego men in a water filled blender and watching them go round and round.

Anushka Sharma: 'Ranveer is self-absorbed'

Anushka Sharma has claimed that Ranveer Singh is too "self-absorbed" to make a good boyfriend.

The actress confirmed to The Times of India that she is not in a relationship with her Band Baaja Baaraat co-star.

"Ranveer is too self-absorbed to be in a relationship," said Sharma. "But that is understandable considering it's the beginning of his career and that needs his complete attention. I need someone who can give me enough time."

The stars had been the subject of media speculation that they were together during the shooting of their 2010 surprise hit.

Singh explained: "I am single. Anushka and I are good friends, she is a lovely girl but we both are focussed on our careers right now."

Sharma recently stated that she would rather be known for her work in Hindi film than her relationship status or magazine cover appearances.

Working in Brighton Rock was fun: Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren says she loved her supporting role in the upcoming movie Brighton Rock.

The Oscar-winning actress, who plays the supporting role of Ida in Rowan Joffe's directed movie took upon the role as she wanted to go on a holiday, Contactmusic reported.

"I like the idea of playing a supporting role, the last few films I've done I've been the lead and in a way it was like a holiday for me. Ida is a force of nature but also the voice of justice. She's the revengeful queen if you like," Mirren said.

The 65-year-old actress stars alongside Sam Riley and Andrea Riseborough for the first time and predicts the movie to be a spectacular launchpad for both of them.

"It was very, very inspiring. I was really lucky, I got to work with two of the best young actors out there. I would say among the top three and it's exciting to be here early on in their careers and watch where they go from here.  They're both brilliant in the film," she said.

"They were very inspiring both of them, very wonderful. Andrea was just a revelation, she's brilliant absolutely brilliant and it's great to be a witness at the beginning of a very spectacular career," Mirren added.

Oscar nomination, again

Javier Bardem’s Biutiful has received two Oscar nominations — for the best foreign film and the Best Actor category. Here’s what the actor has to share about his role in the film and much more. What was it that really attracted you to Uxbal and made you want to play him?

A lot of things. I’m a huge fan of the director, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and his work, to begin with, but, as I’m not the kind of person that gets drawn towards names, what draws me toward a project is the script itself. 

For a film with this level of emotional intensity, how do you maintain that over a shoot that’s five months long?I don’t know how. I just did it, but I don’t know how to do it.

Did it help that this film was done chronologically? Yeah, that helped a lot. Otherwise, it would have been too crazy to be able to go through that journey randomly. 

How was Alejandro, as a director?
Javier’s one of the greatest directors of all time, with the way he films and the way he puts together the filming. He’s also an actor’s director. You can tear apart your heart  into pieces, but if the camera is not in the right place, it doesn’t matter. He knows where to put the camera.  He knows how to work with silence. That’s how good he is. 

How would you feel, having been nominated for an Oscar for this role?
It’s great fun and a great honour. It’s something that you never dream of. And then, it happens and you try to share it with all the people that are meaningful to you.

How do you pick your characters?
I don’t know. It happens. You feel driven to it. That’s it.

All smiles for Bardem
Javier Bardem smiles after winning Oscar for Supporting Actor, in 2007, for No Country for Old Men. He received his first Oscar nomination for Before Night Falls, 2000 in the Best Actor category. With Biutiful, 2010, the list of Oscar nominations under his belt goes to three.