Sasha to gift a puppy on Valentine

Sasha is planning to gift an Alsatian pup to costar this Valentines Day . 

 As Valentines Day is closing in, every one out there in love is planning something great for their dear ones and Bollywood has its own charm and style to bring in the V-Day. Where some of them plan to give expensive gifts to their loved ones Debutant actress Sasha Goradia who is all set to make her debut in Deepa Sahi's first directorial venture Tere Mere Phere is also planning to give a surprise gift to her co-star Jagrat Desai.

We have heard that Sasha is planning to gift Jagrat an Alsatian pup. "Jagrat loves animals, he loves dogs. I couldn't think of anything better to gift him. I remember when we were shooting in Himachal last year a stray dog suddenly entered the sets of our film and started barking and creating nuisance. The entire unit was disturbed and a lot of time was getting wasted. This is when a few unit members tried chasing the dog out but it kept coming back. But then, Jagrat came to its rescue with a packet of biscuits and called for a bowl of water. The satisfied dog wandered around on the sets for sometime and later followed Jagrat to his vanity van like a sincere bodyguard!" says Sasha.

It's not just the V-day but Jagrat's birthday also falls on February 14 so the celebration just gets doubled. Jagrat Desai and Sasha Goradia who play Rahul and Pooja – a married couple in Tere Mere Phere share great chemistry on screen and are best of friends in real too.

Amisha's making heads turn!

It wouldn't be wrong to call Amisha Patel sexy siren by the way she's swooning not just her fans but even the tinsel town!

Her new waif-thin sizzling avatar is making heads turn in every party she's attending.

A little birdie told us that at a recent private bash of renowned industrialist Mukesh and Neeta Ambani, Amisha earned a lot of praises from Shashi Tharoor,

Cricketer Imran Khan, Parmeshwar and Adi Godrej and the head honcho was also heard discussing films with Amisha.

But if that wasn't enough the actress also sent the shutterbugs in a tizzy when she attended Imran Khan and Avantika Malik's wedding reception which was organized by Aamir Khan.

Apparently, the photographers couldn't get enough of Amisha! Well, this sassy babe surely seems to be painting the town red with her new glam avatar!

'Dil ya Bill?' brings a unique contest this valentine

Suniel Singh is going to host a contest for his forthcoming film Dil Ya Bill? this valentine.

As he is preparing himself for the role; he appeals to everyone to share their experience about Dil Ya Bill in their life.

The best experience will be published and will be rewarded in Mumbai this special Valentine's Day.

Suniel also shared his own opinion about the concept saying, "That in today's commercial world people spend a lot of bill in search of dil and most of that end up paying their heavy bills because – Bill ke bina toh koi bhi ladki deti nahi hai Dil."

Hrithik reveals his V-day plans

This Valentine's Day, like every year, is going to be very special for Hrithik Roshan. The superstar has his day chalked out for family and children and most importantly he is looking to surprise Sussanne.

"I really put in an effort when I buy gifts. I believe in giving my wife meaningful things that can bring a smile on her face. Which woman doesn't like receiving gifts from her man? Not just Sussanne, even if I'm gifting something to anyone be it my parents, children or close friends, I make sure the gift is special," Hrithik told TOI.

Ask him to reveal his best moment of romance and he shoots, "It is definitely the day I said the three big words to Sussanne. It took her by surprise. I don't really have great memories of Valentine's Day as I was a shy kid and never really got the courage to walk up to the girl I liked and talk to her, forget asking her out." Now, this really surprises us as Hrithik has been making girls go weak in their knees for the longest time. "I became confident as I grew up. But it surely feels great getting all the attention. It is a huge compliment. I don't think today being married changes anything. Marriage makes people sexier," he says.

For Hrithik, love is like oxygen that he can never do without. "I'm an incurable romantic. I love the concept of being in love with one person throughout my life and I'm blessed to have Sussanne and on Valentine's Day, I renew my vows of being with her, loving her and be her bouncing board all my life. I believe that little things make the biggest difference to a relationship. I'm a very passionate person. For me, Valentine's Day is more than just the conventional man-woman relationship. It's about love for family, for children and for people around me. I thank my fans for the love they have been showering on me and I promise to give back as much as I can."

Salman's no more a bad boy

Even as you read this, several projects are being tweaked to make room for the one star producers have put their monies on. 

Boney Kapoor is turning his mutli-starrer No Entry sequel into a Salman Khan comedy. David Dhawan's Partner 2 has been shelved because Salman refused to do a multi-starrer and Atul Agnihotri's Bodyguard has gone through several changes to make it a film about Salman.

Enjoying what is undoubtedly the best phase of his professional life, Salman has turned a completely new leaf. The eternal struggle with the expanding waistline or multiplying chins apart, the 45-year-old has never looked more confident, sounded more assured and made so much money.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala, his friend of 20 years, says it has a lot to do with the way the star has finally managed to rid himself of negative press and the bad boy image. In fact, the way Salman, known for his utter contempt for the media, has been working it, has fuelled speculations that his new image may have been sculpted by spin doctors. "There are no brains driving him, it is just Salman bhai all the way," says Sajid of Sajid-Wajid, who have been composing music for his films. Insiders say, Salman's turnaround came just before Dabangg, which was also the time Arbaaz had hit rock bottom in his career. "Salman wanted to make Dabangg work for Arbaaz," says Sajid. "And he took charge of the film like the dutiful elder brother." It also helped that there were no distractions (read women) in his life then.

Salman began with getting rid of some of the sycophants who surrounded him all the time. "When he got into TV Salman realised he needed better brains to drive a better deal for him," says a source. While negotiating for Dus ka Dum, Salman was allegedly unhappy with the way his finances were being handled. He hired business managers who took charge of his brand endorsements, television appearances and accounts. "All his peers were minting money on TV and Salman, who realised he had a fantastic connect with his TV audience, was determined to milk it," says a Salman watcher.

While Salman was paid Rs 80 lakh per episode of Dus ka Dum, for the second season, he demanded Rs 1.2 crore per episode, and got it.

With Bigg Boss, which came close on the heels Dabangg, Salman's impossibly lucky streak continued. Here too the star showed how serious he was about getting it right. He worked hard on the promos and made sure the TV channel made good the investments it had made in the star, which was Rs 24 crore. Along the way, he also assumed the role of a mentor for protégé Sonakshi and despite his breakup with Katrina, continued to be protective about her. Incidentally, post Bigg Boss, Salman has also signed three brand endorsements for Rs 15 crore.

Says Ashvini Yardi, programming head of the channel that hosts Bigg Boss, "Salman's persona appeals to both the classes and the masses. His unique sense of humour, spontaneity and ability to connect with everyone and his Dabangg attitude took Bigg Boss to new heights this season."

There is a pattern in Salman's choice of films. "He knows the audiences no longer accept him in soft, romantic roles," says an industry expert. "Tere Naam, Wanted, Dabangg have convinced him that the way to the box office is by picking up hit southern-style, male-oriented films and customise them according to his image," he says. It does not really matter who directs Salman's films, as long as he gets to call the shots.

It is a formula successfully tried out with Dabangg. Insiders says Salman is now concentrating only on projects driven by the motley crew at the Khan household, from Arbaaz to Alvira to Sohail, so that he has the last call on everything from the budget to the final product.

The new-found confidence is also attributed to his getting smart about money. With Matrix hired to manage his endorsements and finances, Salman is laying down the rules for every ramp he walks on, every ribbon he cuts. He has refused to attend awards shows unless he is given a live performance slot, for which he charges anything between Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 3 crore. For films, he is demanding something like Rs 30 crore. On several occasions he has also demanded that his remuneration be donated for his charity Being Human, which incidentally has ventured into branded retailing.

Everyone wants a piece of Salman and he is in no mood to give any. Story has it, Himesh Reshammiya, who had a famous fallout with the star from which his career never quite recovered, called him recently saying he was in the vicinity and wanted his audience for a few minutes. Salman kept him waiting for three hours, during which Himesh made several rounds of Galaxy apartments. Salman eventually met Himesh for 30 seconds, only to tell him that he had no time for him.

"For the first time in his life, Salman bhai is concentrating on himself," says Sajid. It shows, and how.

Bollywood treat for V-Day

Not up for Hollywood? Try some of last year's Bollywood flicks on V-Day

My Name Is Khan
Religious prejudice, yes, but "MNIK" is also a film about love – the love story of a socially incompetent man with a neurological disorder, and a single mother brave enough to deal with marrying him. Director Karan Johar and actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol bring warm-fuzzyness to what could have been a preachy lesson in harmony.  

Kites
Yes, the film failed to take off despite its ambitious name, and the only thing that flew – thick and fast – were rumours of the Hrithik Roshan-Barbara Mori affair. But "Kites" has some luminous romantic moments between the two stunning protagonists, and when they look into each other's eyes, you might actually smile with them.

Band Baaja Baaraat
Though not regularly described as a love story, this one's another make-your-eyes-mist-over Valentine's Day watch. The journey that the lead pair take to finding their feet also leads them to discover that they're actually, surprise surprise, perfect for each other.

Break Ke Baad
You like this one because it's not overly theatrical, and young people can see shades of themselves in the audacious Deepika and the cautious Imran. Like "BBB", it's warm-fuzzy quotient is largely due to the belief that growing up doesn't mean that you stop believing in love.

Lafangey Parinday
It's not exactly a movie that ran to packed theatres, but a bit of Pradeep Sarkar's "Parineeta" magic could be seen in "Lafangey Parinday". The refreshing thing is that it isn't a bubblegum-yuppie-coffee shop-bar-party urban romance. The protagonists, whose lives are gritty enough to make them indifferent to right and wrong, are able to find strength in love. Worth a try.

( Compiled by Kritika Kapoor)

Go total filmy on Valentine's

V-day's that time when popcorn and romantic movies make the going special. Go for these timeless, all-time favourites... 

 Bollywood loves love stories. Right from the days of Alam Ara (1931) till the recent Dil Toh Bacha Hain Ji, the Hindi film industry has produced innumerable love-movies. On the occasion of Valentine's Day, let's catch some of the most romantic flicks which have gained a place in every lover's heart.

Mughal-E-Azam
This K Asif-directed magnum opus starring the great Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala is probably the best romantic film ever made. It asked the entire world a simple question — Jab Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya? And the world realised that Darr ke age jeet hain.

Awaara
A beautiful story enacted with precision by Raj Kapoor and Nargis, Awaara was a runaway success as a romantic movie. Shankar-Jaikishan's music was an add-on for the film.

Andaz
One of the best love triangle films ever made in Indian cinema, this potent melodrama by Mehboob Khan illustrates the convolution of love and hushed yearning.

Bobby
A trend-setter indeed with the Rishi-Dimple pair taking the nation by storm. It introduced the genre of teenage romance with a rich vs poor clash, which inspired films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and more.

Kabhi Kabhie
A classic starring Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, Rakhee, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, and Neetu Singh, it was a blockbuster straddling two generation of lovers.

Maine Pyar Kiya
This film about friendship and love gifted Bollywood a superstar in the name of Salman Khan.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
SRK, stretching his arms in a perfect Punjab da khet backdrop, Kajol running towards him, with the most beautiful mandolin-melody in the background – even Grinch would have felt the love in this scene. 

Source: TOI

The bond between Kat, Kareena

The industry constantly has these jokes saying if Dimple Khanna had married Vinod Khanna in the days when they were doing movies together, she would not have had to change her surname.

Or if Priyanka Chopra got hitched with Uday Chopra she could continue with her maiden name. Now, the latest joke making the rounds is, that if Katrina Kaif who is good friends with Ranbir Kapoor decided to take her relationship with him to the next level (honestly?) then she would be called Kat Kapoor.

Hearing this a top actress said, "Then both Kareena and Katrina would share the Kapoor surname and what's more, they would have to bury their rivalry because they'd be related.'' Of course, all this is hypothetical, but worth a laugh! 

Source: TOI

Willow Smith shoots for Teen Vogue

London, Feb 13 – Daughter of Hollywood actor Will Smith, Willow Smith might be 10-year-old, but she has managed to do her first-ever photo shoot for Teen Vogue.

Willow has already released a hit song and has almost 500,000 Twitter followers, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The ‘Whip My Hair’ star put her unique sense of style on show in the photo spread, posing in a series of quirky costumes.

‘I wear anything I feel like. If I want to put on a pair of Converse with a pencil stuck through them, I will,’ she said.

IANS

Janet Jackson still remembers brother

London, Feb 12 – Singer Janet Jackson has opened up about her close relationship with late brother Michael admitting she still thinks about the pop king every day. 

The 44-year-old singer did ‘everything’ with her superstar sibling who died in June 2009 and says they were confidantes for each other, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

‘We shared every dream, every confidence. I was his little sister and he always knew that I had his back… Later on in life, certain things that he was going through, I tried to be there for him as much as I could,’ she said.

‘there’s still not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. Not one day. Not one day,’ she added. 

IANS

Nicki Minaj tones down sexual contents in album

London, Feb 12 – Singer Nicki Minaj claims the songs in her debut album ‘Pink Friday’ have far less sexual content as compared to her earlier videos.

‘If you listen to my album, compared to my early mix-tapes, a lot has changed. I mean, I have really toned down the sexual stuff,’ contactmusic.com quoted 26-year-old Minja as saying.

‘There was no need for me to do it. I feel like in the past females have kinda relied on that because they feel like that’s all they have to offer,’ she added.

The rapper initially felt like she had to talk dirty in her album because she was told to and felt ‘young and impressionable’.

‘I felt like this was what I was supposed to do. I was around people who were telling me, ‘This is what you should be doing’,’ she said.

‘You know, when you’re young and impressionable you feel like, ‘OK, you know best’, then you get a bit older and you’re like, ‘Hold on, you don’t know best and I’m gonna control this thing from now on’,’ she added.

IANS

Sonakshi Sinha: The Next Big Item Girl in Bollywood

Mumbai, Feb 12 - The new entrant to the world of entertainment, Sonakshi Sinha created lot of ripples for her performance in the movie “Dabaang”. Her acting prowesses were recognised and the audience kept asking for more. 

The famed new comer is all set to work in her next movie “Joker”, and she is paired against the Khiladi Akshay Kumar. Farah Khan is the director and choreographer of the movie. It is her home production and her husband Shirish Kunder will be producing the movie. 

The ace chorographer Farah Khan is in the news recently for the item number “Sheila Ki Jawani” that she choreographed for the film “Tees Maar Khan”. The performance of Katrina Kaif earned rave reviews and her item number act firmly established her popularity among the Hindi audience. So much so that she is now hailed as the best item number girl of the Bolly town.

Farah Khan states that she has similar ideas for Sonakshi in the movie “Joker”. Farah plans the role of Sonakshi to be more seductive in the flick. Also there will be an item number for Sonakshi to perform in the movie. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that Sonakshi emulates the success of Katrina, and becomes the next big hot item girl of the film industry.

Soha Ali Khan’s Parents Approve her Decision to Marry Kunal Khemu

Mumbai, Feb 12 -  The tinsel town grapevines were abuzz about the relationship between Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu. However, none of them have stated any thing to the press about their relationship. This is in contrast to Soha’s brother Saif Ali Khan. Saif is having a rock steady relation with the Bollywood glamour queen Kareena and is open to the media about it; even the couple doesn’t have any inhibition to let the world know that they are having a live in relation. 

Finally, Soha broke the silence and during an interview stated that she and Kunal will be ready to get married in a couple of year. The Kalyug actor and Soha have been noted dating each other previously in several occasions, in the course of past two years. The actress adds that they have met each other’s parents and have their approval for the marriage. 

Soha is concerned about her cooking skills and though she knows to cook up one or two dishes, she needs to take up cooking classes as she wishes to cook for Kunal, who is a great foodie.

On asking the actress whether she will wait for her elder brother, Saif Ali Khan to get married; the actress patly replied that she can not wait for her brother to get married, if he takes up another ten years to take the vow.

Dia Mirza, Zayed Khan – The On and Off Screen Partners

The dazzling Bollywood beauty Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan have appeared together in movies such as “Dus”, “Cash” etc. The audience has appreciated the cute couple on screen. It remains to be seen how they fare as off screen partners.

Both of them are the business partners now days. Their film production company is named as the “Born Free Entertainment”. Sahil Sangha is the third partner of the production house, along with Zayed and Dia. The company is all set to start work for its first venture.

The first movie is titled as “Love, Break Ups, Zindagi”, it is a movie based on the real day to day life and the importance of love in it. The entire star cast of the film was present in the launch of the movie at a suburban lounge on one fine afternoon. All the people are visibly excited about the film project. 

Tisca Chopra, who is a part of the film’s star cast praised the efforts under taken to make the movie and appreciated the efforts of Dia and Sahil, to highlight the credits of all.

Zayed Khan is also looking forward to the romantic film as his come back vehicle and states that the role is a welcome change from the action movies that he have been doing.

Sanjay Dutt Planning to Pen Autobiography

Mumbai, Feb 12: Munnabhai Sanjay Dutt is planning for some time, to create his autobiography that will narrate to the world different facets of his life. Right at this moment, the actor is busy shooting at Bangkok, for the David Dhawan flick “Rascals”. It is heard that he was approached by a biographer in Bangkok who wished to write down the story of the Bollywood personality. 

The veteran actor started his career with the film “Rocky” in 1981 and his famous movies includes blockbuster hits, such as Sadak, Taaqatwaar, Khoon Ka Karz, Khalnayak, Saajan, Kaante, Munnabhai M.B.B.S and Lage Raho Munnabhai. 

Life hasn’t been a smooth ride all the way for the actor. Sanjay Dutt wishes to write about his movies, marriage, separations, drug abuse, love affairs, Mumbai blast of 1993, his jail terms, associates and enemies. No wonder he has a great tale to tale.

However, the busy actor doesn’t have the time to seat down and write his biography. Dutt is in the lookout for a good ghost writer who can write his story. Munnabhai states that it will be great if he can have a writer who asks him questions about his life in the outdoor shoots as he usually have lot of idle time once the shooting is over. Lets hope that we see the autobiography soon.

Aparna Sen flick launches Ahana Deol

Mumbai, Feb 12 -  Ahana Deol is the younger daughter of charismatic Dharmendra paji and dream girl Hema Malini. Therefore her entry in the glamour world was highly anticipated. Even, her elder sister Esha Deol is a well known actress of the tinsel town. Finally the wait is over, it is announced that she is starring in a movie. 

She was supposed to start her career with a Vikramaditya Motwane film. It was selected to be her best launching pad in the film industry. However, things didn’t go as according to the plans. The movie is on hold now and no one is sure about when work for the movie will resume.

In spite of the setback, Ahana is going to appear in the big screen this year. She is a part of the yet to be named film, by famous director Aparna Sen. “Mr. & Mrs. Iyer”, “The Japanese Wife” and “36 Chowringhee Lane” are few of the memorable and acclaimed films of the director.

The movie is supposed to be a modern day take on the eternal love story of Romeo and Juliet. Prateik will play the role of Ahana’s Romeo. Hema Malini is producing the film and the shooting will begin in September, this year.

Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor flies in F-16 at air show

Bangalore, Feb 12 – Bollywood hero Shahid Kapoor Saturday flew in an American F-16 fighter at the AeroIndia 2011 military-cum-civil aviation trade expo on the outskirts of this aerospace hub. 

‘It was a thrilling experience, which will help me in the role as a fighter pilot in my forthcoming film ‘Mausam’,’ a beaming Kapoor told reporters after a 40-minute sortie at the Indian Air Force (IAF) air base near Yelahanka, about 20 km from the city.

The F-16IN Super Viper was flown by Lockheed Martin’s test pilot Paul ‘Bear’ Randall on mission mode and was escorted by another F-16 flown by test pilot Jim Hedges and a US Air Force pilot.

‘Though Kapoor didn’t take controls of the aircraft mid-air, the flight was operated on mission mode for about 40 minutes with AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar,’ a company spokesperson told IANS.

Prior to the flight on the fourth day of the five-day biennial mega air show, Kapoor underwent mandatory health check-ups and was found fit to fly in the combat aircraft.

‘It’s a huge honour and privilege to fly such a magnificent aircraft. I wanted to have real-time experience of flying a fighter before action in the movie,’ the 30-year-old actor said.

A couple of hours before the take-off, Kapoor was familiarised with the operations of the aircraft and made to ‘fly’ it in a simulator by Lockheed Martin’s test pilots and engineers.

‘I have been preparing for this event with rigorous training over the last one month. The tests included flying at a very high velocity and making sure I would not suffer from motion sickness,’ Kapoor recalled.

Kapoor is the latest to join the likes of Tata group chairman Ratan Tata, IAF Wing Commander (Retd) Rakesh Sharma and Lok Sabha member from Haryana Navin Jindal to have flown in the tandem-seater fly-by-wire supersonic F-16

‘It’s a great experience and I learnt how to fly a fighter. Paul (the pilot) gave me lot of tips about flying such an awesome military aircraft and I am thankful to Lockheed Martin,’ he said.

The US-based Lockheed’s F-16 is in contention for the estimated $10-billion Indian tender to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to the IAF along with five global aerospace majors — F/A-18 Super Hornet of Boeing, Gripen of Saab, Rafale of French Dassault, Typhoon of Eurofighter and MiG-35 of Russian MiG Corporation.

‘Mausam’ is being directed by Shahid’s father Pankaj Kapoor, in which the younger would play the role of a fighter pilot opposite Sonam Kapoor. The film is due for release in July.

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni too visited the air show at the closing hours and went around the base where various aircraft and helicopters were on display. 

IANS

Priyanka Chopra gets V-Day proposals galore!

New Delhi, Feb 12 – When Priyanka Chopra went to the sets of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa- 4′ to shoot for the Valentine’s Day special episode, little did she know she would end up getting proposed by all the male participants of the reality show. 

While each male contestant popped the question in his own way, the only one to catch her attention was actress Mahii Vij’s choreographer Savio.

Savio chose to propose to Priyanka in the signature Shah Rukh Khan style from his movie ‘Darr’, and it hit bull’s eye! Priyanka was quite floored and agreed to shake a leg with him on her famous dance number ‘Pehli baar mohabbat ki hai’. 

The V-Day special episode will be telecast on Sony Entertainment Television Tuesday.

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Maria Goretti reminisces about last Bryan Adams’ concert 

‘Awesome’ is the word that comes to former veejay and anchor Maria Goretti’s mind when she thinks of Canadian rocker Bryan Adams’ 2001 concert in Mumbai.

‘Bryan Adams… the last time he came to India i hosted his live concert… he was too awesome… still have the plec he gave me with BAD on it…(sic),’ Maria posted on her Twitter page.

Maria was a video jockey with MTV back in 2001 when Adams came for the show.

‘Not hosting it this time… but will scream shout and sing all his songs… sometimes i miss being with MTV… today is one of those days,’ added Maria.

Adams is in India after a decade for the Micromax Bryan Adams Live in Concert India Tour, scheduled Feb 11-16 at Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi and Hyderabad. 

Maria’s actor husband Arshad Warsi seemed quite excited about the show in Mumbai Saturday.

‘Looking forward to the Brian Adams show…,’ he posted.

-*-

Young actors are luckier than us: Farooque Sheikh

Veteran actor Farooque Sheikh, known for films like ‘Chashme Buddoor’ and ‘Umrao Jaan’, says today’s young actors come well prepared and have a whole lot of choice in movies, unlike the situation in the past.

‘A lot of newcomers have joined the industry and they are extremely talented. The reason is that they have a lot more exposure than we ever had. I remember when I came into the industry in 1973, there used to be TV which used to run between just 6 p.m.-10 p.m., and just three or four well-known actors.

‘Now there are dozens of channels and hundreds of films… so the preparation and understanding of young actors is much more… they come with a lot of ability,’ said Farooque.

The 62-year-old, last seen in ‘Lahore’, is all praise for debutant Ranveer Singh of ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ fame, and feels that Ranbir Kapoor is extremely versatile. 

IANS

Sanjay, Ajay ‘Ready’ to meet Salman in Bangkok

Mumbai, Feb 12 – A get-together bringing together Bollywood A-listers Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan is being planned in Bangkok — thanks to simultaneous shoots of director Anees Bazmi’s ‘Ready’ and David Dhawan’s ‘Rascal’.

Anees Bazmi and David Dhawan have more in common right now than meets the eye. Considered comic maestros, they both are in Bangkok shooting almost next to each other.

Under normal circumstances, the stars from the two units would be seen hobnobbing with one another, especially since Devgn-Dutt-Dhawan bond magnificently with Salman. But blame it on the mutually incompatible schedules, the ‘Rascal’ team is not able to spend time with the ‘Ready’ team.

With David Dhawan helming Sanjay Dutt’s first production ‘Rascal’ and Anees Bazmi determined to wrap up ‘Ready’, the pace is naturally frantic. Repeated attempts to party together have been thwarted.

But Anees is about to change that. He’s planning a big get-together for the two units this week.

‘It’s really strange. We all love one another in the two units… but we aren’t able to spend time together here in Bangkok. We’re doing night shoots. We haven’t had a moment to breath. I’m now planning a dinner for both the units. We have to meet… and I’ve to make it happen. We hardly get to meet in Mumbai. Chalo… Bangkok hi sahi,’ says Anees.

IANS

Playboy Mansion investigated for outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease

New York, Feb 12 – Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion has come under the scanner after more than 80 guests at a conference and party there became sick with a suspected strain of Legionnaires’ disease.

Those who attended the Domainfest conference in Santa Monica, held February 1 to 3, came down with symptoms including fever, respiratory infections and violent headaches.

Four Swedish guests were diagnosed with Legionellosis or pontiac fever, a milder form of Legionnaires’ caused by bacteria that thrives in warm air-conditioning systems.

Now some victims are blaming a fog machine, which steamed up the conference finale party on February 3. 

“So far, the number of victims is around 80. Everybody says they became ill around 24 hours after the party,” the New York Post quoted DNJournal.com editor Ron Jackson, whose wife, Diana, was stricken, as saying.

“Four guys from Sweden were diagnosed with Legionellosis, and they have the same symptoms as everyone else. 

“I don’t want to point the finger at the Playboy Mansion, but the disease lives in warm water, and people were engulfed in mist at that party,” he stated. 

New Yorker Elliot J. Silver, who runs Silver Internet Ventures, also fell prey to the bug.

“It is scary everyone came down with the same thing at the same time. It knocked me on my ass. A lot of people are blaming the Playboy Mansion on the blogs, but you can’t be sure,” he said.

A rep for Domainfest said it was working with the LA County Health Department to investigate.

“There were events every night, and we are giving them a list of all the venues. We have no idea what this is or where it came from. The mansion being to blame is, at the moment, pure speculation,” the rep said.

A Playboy rep has claimed that there is no truth in the rumour that people caught something at the Playboy Mansion.

“Nor is there any evidence. None of the Playboy staff became ill, the deejay was in the middle of the fog and she didn’t get ill,” the rep said. 

“We have been contacted by the Health Department and the Playboy Mansion is cooperating fully with the investigation,” the rep added. (ANI)

Miley Cyrus making ‘Saturday Night Live’ debut in March

New York, Feb 12 – Miley Cyrus is reportedly set to return to TV – not to act or sing, but as a host.

The 18-year-old actress-singer will be hosting her first ever ‘Saturday Night Live’ on March 5, according to People.com.

However, it is yet to be seen whether the teen star will be appearing in the show’s ‘The Miley Cyrus Show’ sketch, in which SNL cast member Vanessa Bayer parodies the Disney star, reports the New York Daily News. 

Miley, who has just finished wrapping ‘So Undercover’ with Jeremy Piven, will be seen in the upcoming film ‘LOL,’ out in theaters April 2011. (ANI)

Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh’s father dead

New Delhi, Feb 12 – Singers Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh’s father Ajmer Singh died here due to kidney and liver failure, family sources said Saturday.

Singh was in and out of hospitals the last few days and eventually died Thursday.

Singh was a singer and had instilled the love for singing into his family.

He is survived by six children, including Mika and Daler.

IANS

Punjab to set up film city

Chandigarh, Feb 12 – Giving a boost to the Punjabi film industry, the Punjab government has given its approval to set up a world-class film city in the neighbouring Mohali town. 

‘We have directed our tourism and culture department officials to prepare a conceptual plan for the proposed film city. This city would also have a film and television institute,’ said Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here Saturday. 

‘So far, many film professionals, who want to set up state-of-the-art film studios in the film Ccty, have already approached the Punjab government,’ he said. 

‘This city would give a push to Punjabi cinema, and the film and television institute would provide professional training to the youth about the art of film making and its various technical aspects.’ 

‘There is big shortage of quality technical staff for film making and this institute would provide the human resource backup to the film studios,’ he added.

The Punjab government is making many efforts to promote the entertainment industry in the state. Badal has asked the principal secretary of tourism and culture to institute awards for the Punjabi films to encourage people to produce quality films. 

The Bollywood film ‘Patiala House’ was Thursday screened in the state’s Patiala city, around 65 km from here. It was organised after Badal made a personal request to the film’s lead actor Akshay Kumar.

After attending the premier show, Akshay announced he would produce a Punjabi film by next year. 

He said: ‘Though I have acted in more than 125 films but this film (‘Patiala House’) is closest to my heart because it talks about Punjabiat. I would also make a high quality film in my mother tongue Punjabi on the traditional sports of Punjab and it would be a humble tribute to my motherland.’ 

IANS

Vivek Oberoi to perform at National Games

Ranchi, Feb 12 – The 34th National Games will open here Saturday evening with Bollywood stars Vivek Oberoi, Amisha Patel and Sameera Reddy performing for the 33,000-strong audience. 

Jharkhand’s ace archer Deepika Kumari will light the Games’ flame, to be followed by a march past by the participating teams. 

Shweta Tiwari, winner of reality show ‘Big Boss 4′, will anchor the show while singer Sukhwinder Singh will croon his way with popular songs. 

A film on polio eradication is to be played at the opening ceremony. It is to be followed by a ‘polio walk’ — by volunteers sporting T-shirts with polio eradication message.

The three-hour extravaganza will also see performances by school children, a ‘Bihu’ dance by local tribal artistes and a fire dance by local artistes. There will also be a dazzling display of fireworks.

Jharkhand Governor M.O.H. Farook will formally inaugurate the Games in the presence of Chief Minister Arjun Munda and Toursim Minister Subodh Kant Sahay.

The sporting events will begin Sunday. Besides Ranchi, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur will also host many events. 

IANS

Married doc from Cape Town leaves wife for Annie Lenox

London, Feb 12 – A married doctor has reportedly run off with pop star Annie Lennox.

South African gynaecologist Dr Mitch Besser, 56, has moved out of his Cape Town family home, reports the Sun.

Besser and former Eurythmics star Annie, both 56, met two years ago through his charity, which helps HIV positive mums in Africa.

Besser’s pals say that though his marriage to Debra was over at the time, there were hopes of reconciliation. But now that he has embarked on a relationship with Annie, there are no such expectations.

One friend said: “Debra’s devastated. 

“Annie and Besser became close throughout last year. It’s now serious. Annie didn’t set out to hurt Debra but understandably there’s some upset.” 

The former couple has two sons – Sam, 19, and Max, 16. (ANI)

Ex-Iron Maiden singer Paul Di’Anno faces jail over benefit fraud

London, Feb 12 – Former lead singer of iconic rock band ‘Iron Maiden’ is facing jail after being exposed as a benefit cheat by posting his music videos – on YouTube.

Heavy metal legend Paul Andrews, idolized by millions worldwide as Paul Di’Anno, yesterday admitted cheating taxpayers out of more than 45,000 pounds, reports the Daily Express.

Andrews, who left Iron Maiden in 1981, claimed incapacity benefit after telling authorities he’d suffered nerve damage to his back and was unable to work.

But the singer, who has had huge hits including Run to the Hills and The Number of the Beast, was still performing.

Andrews, of Salisbury, Wilts, was caught when investigators spotted a YouTube video of him jumping around on stage during a live show in 2006.

Yesterday he was told to prepare for some “jail house rock” after admitting eight counts of benefit fraud at Salisbury Crown Court.e will be sentenced on March 11.

Judge Andrew Barnett said, “Although all sentence options will be open, you should prepare yourself for a prison sentence.” (ANI)

In ‘Bheja Fry 2′, idiot’s journey continues abroad: Director

Mumbai, Feb 12 – In 2007, fresh-out-of-film-school director Sagar Bellary had made audiences laugh their hearts out with the satire ‘Bheja Fry’. After four years, he is set to hit the same chord with a sequel and says this time the ‘idiot’ will continue his journey abroad.

‘In ‘Bheja Fry 2′, the idiot’s journey continues abroad. It has a much bigger star cast and much higher budget,’ Sagar told IANS in an interview.

‘Bheja Fry’ shows how Ranjeet Thadani (Rajat Kapoor), a bored, arrogant music company executive, has fun at the cost of some simple people. But his meeting with an idiot, Bharat Bhushan (Vinay Pathak), doesn’t go the way he wanted it because of his bad back. The result is utter chaos let loose by the idiot, who cannot do a single thing without messing it up.

After the unprecedented success of ‘Bheja Fry’, why did he take four years to decide on the second part?

‘In 2007, ‘Bheja Fry’ became a very big hit and after that many producers approached me. My decision of choosing a producer was not based on money but on creative freedom. Sahara Motion Pictures was giving me the most creative freedom and I started making ‘Kachcha Limboo’,’ said Sagar.

Asked if it’s a mainstream commercial film, he said: ‘For me, any kind of film you make is a commercial film because ultimately it’s going to the commercial arena. But, yes, it’s not the run-of-the-mill kind of commercial cinema. It’s a different kind of commercial film.

‘Thankfully, these different kinds of cinemas succeeded last year. I think after ‘Bheja Fry’ and ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, big and small films are coexisting and basically it’s helping the industry in building an audience base.’

Before he starts the second instalment of ‘Bheja Fry’, the director is looking forward to the release of his second film, ‘Kachcha Limboo’, about the transitional feelings of children when they enter adolescence.

‘ ‘Kachcha Limboo’ is about a 13-year-old and his relationship with his parents, school friends and teachers and how everything goes wrong at one point of time. When a kid enters adolescence, hundreds of feelings start creeping into his head,’ said Sagar.

Though actor Atul Kulkarni and Sarika play lead roles in ‘Kachcha Limboo’, he roped in Vinay Pathak for a special appearance.

‘Vinay is there. After ‘Bheja Fry’ I couldn’t do without him. He has a small special appearance in ‘Kachcha Limboo’.’

Releasing Feb 18, ‘Kachcha Limboo’ was written before ‘Bheja Fry’, but Sagar was unable to get a producer for a children’s film.

‘I wrote ‘Kachcha Limboo’ when I was in film school in Kolkata. But you don’t get producers when you come out from film school, so then I thought let’s do a comedy first. I had two ideas. Both ‘Kachcha Limboo’ and ‘Bheja Fry’ were ready with me and I went for ‘Bheja Fry’,’ said the alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film Institute in Kolkata.

The director would continue making comedies.

‘I enjoy making people laugh. I will continue making comedy films. I will make other kinds of films too,’ said Sagar.

After ‘Kachcha Limboo’, he has another romantic comedy ‘Hum Tum Aur Shabana’ starring Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor and Minissha Lamba, releasing this year.

IANS

Miley Cyrus sells ‘Redneck Riviera’ beach house, gets richer by $1.9mn

New York, Feb 12 – Looks like pop star Miley Cyrus is also a young real estate mogul.

The teen queen reportedly flipped her Panama City (a.k.a. Redneck Riviera) beach house and may have walked away with a tidy 6 percent profit, reports the New York Daily News.

According to The Real Estalker, the posh pad sold this week for 1.96 million dollars. Cyrus reportedly bought the place for 1.8 million dollars last year.

The condo has five bedrooms, two fireplaces and 240 feet of private beachfront, the blog reports.

According to Seventeen magazine, the 18-year-old reportedly also owns a 6.2 million dollars L.A. home – a Mediterranean-style estate with five bedrooms, lots of closet space and, of course, room to entertain the whole family. (ANI)

Jwoww walks the ramp in a sheer Richie Rich dress – and no bra!

London, Feb 12 – Designer Richie Rich is famous for his out of the box thinking, but he probably went too far when ‘Jersey Shore’ star Jenni Jwoww featured in his show with a see-through dress without a bra.

The Jersey Shore wore a sequined sheer dress – and no bra – with the designer for the finale, reports the Daily Mail.

But Jenni did finally manage to make it across the catwalk, even as she hitched her dress up to reveal her legs.

The much-hyped event – that had been made open to the public for a 35 dollar fee to charity – also featured American figure skater Johnny Weir.

This is not the first time, however, that Richie Rich’s bizarre model choices are making headlines.ast year, Ellen deGeneres hammed it up in silver suit, multi-coloured t-shirt, fingerless blue gloves and a tiny hat. (ANI)

DA ‘insists’ Lohan should serve jail time if any plea deal is reached

New York, Feb 12 – Actress Lindsay Lohan could end up behind bars if reports of prosecutors “insisting” that any plea-bargain she makes should include some jail time, are true.

According to RadarOnline.com, LA’s deputy DA Danette Meyers and Lohan’s lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley are attempting to work out a deal without jail time, but sources close to the talks say that it’s “simply not going to happen”.

The DA likely wants Lohan to serve at least 60 days behind bars, time that would not be served in state prison.

“Lindsay would be put on felony probation, and under those terms, Lindsay can be sentenced to up to one year in LA County Jail,” the New York Post quoted the source as saying. 

“With jail overcrowding, Lindsay would only serve 25 percent of the sentence.

“Meyers is standing her ground and saying that any deal for Lindsay include jail time. This is a felony charge, and Lindsay has a criminal record. Meyers won’t back down on this.”

“Both sides are now at an impasse,” the source added.

Lohan has been accused of felony grand theft after prosecutors said she swiped a 2,500-dollar necklace from a Venice, California, boutique. (ANI)

Soha-Sharmila together on screen!

"Both Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan have been approached by a lot of film directors to come together on screen as mother and daughter, but they never agreed as they were not convinced about the script," says director Sangeeta Dutta,

She has accomplished the feat of getting the mother-daughter duo Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan together for the first time in her debut movie titled Life Goes On.

According to Sangeeta, it was the script and tight screenplay that sealed the deal. "What they really appreciated was the bonding between the mother and the daughter that comes naturally in the movie. It wasn't forced, and that's what both of them liked," Sangeeta tells us about the film.

And how was it working with both Sharmila and Soha? "Well, they both are great actors, but Sharmila is a legend. She has been there for so many years and has worked with the likes of Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal and others. She raises the bar with every movie. She is a perfectionist," Sangeeta says, adding, "Sharmila would get involved in the preparations from the core – be it costumes, dialogues, make-up – she wanted everything to be perfect. Soha is a natural. She brought the fun element on the sets."

Though complimenting Soha's acting prowess, Sangeeta says that Soha was terrified to work with her mother. "As an actor Soha is very relaxed, but on day one of the shoot, she was absolutely terrified. You see, Sharmila as an actor has tall demands, and one has to work hard to match up to her charm and charisma. But Soha sailed through and I'm sure the audience would appreciate her dedication and hard work in the movie," she says.

What after Life Goes On? "I'm working on a script, and it would definitely be a more ambitious project. The story would talk about a woman's journey — her journey from India to abroad and then back to India. It would be more on the lines of a biopic," shares Sangeeta. Does she have a lead actress in mind? "I would ideally want somebody of Vidya Balan's calibre to do that role. Though I haven't spoken to her or any star as yet," Sangeeta concludes.