India needs many Women’s Day in a year: Gul Panag

Women's Day is just round the corner. And while women get ready to get pampered and be in the limelight on March 8 th , actress Gul Panag feels that India needs more than just one Women's Day.

Talking about the day, around which all products and services catering to women try to come up with the best offers and tempting deals, Gul says, "Women's Day- while not doubting its spirit, has become another day to market goods & services. Commercialization is the objective."

Gul was discussing Women's Day and the hype around it with fans and friends on a micro blogging site. Voicing her thoughts the actress said that, "Even an hour would be enough if people have serious intentions; WD has been reduced to just another branding opportunity."

The actress has always come out strongly about issues concerning women. And today although she is looking forward to celebrate womanhood this women's day, Gul is saddened by the evils against women that still prevail in society.

"Knowing the condition of women in India, we probably need many many Women's Days in a year," said Gul who referring to the ills like female foeticide, dowry and rape that are still the order of the day.

Rakhi Sawant wears a diamond as her tooth!

Mar 5, Pune- Rakhi Sawant, the drama queen of India, is back in news again. She is notable for her juicy comments and nakhras. Wherever she goes, controversy follows her like a shadow.

This time, she took the help of her tooth, to grab media attention. For quite sometime, she was missing from the gossip columns. And now that she has got a diamond tooth, she candidly spoke about her new ornament to the whole world. After getting layers of plastics implanted on her body, she is set to beautify her smile. 

 

When asked why she preferred a diamond tooth, she blatantly spoke that she loves jewellery. Her tooth is made up of pure diamonds and is on her left jaw. She longed for it, and now she has already got it. She also added that she does not like Indian jewellery like nose studs and all, because it does not go with her modern glam look. So she prefers to wear those ornaments which go on well with her look. 

Our own item girl Rakhi thinks her overdone plastic surgeries and heavy makeup are no longer sufficient to glam up her look, and thus got diamonds set on her tooth.

Ben and I had a joint bank account: Matt Damon

London, March 6 – Actor Matt Damon says he and his actor friend Ben Affleck had a joint bank account and they used to share money to pay for audition trips in the initial days of their careers. 

‘I started coming down here to New York by myself with money I had made in local commercials in Boston. Ben and I actually had a joint bank account and the bank account was money we had made from doing local commercials and we could only use it on trips to New York to audition,’ Damon told Piers Morgan on his show Piers Morgan Tonight.

‘When I look back at that, 16 and 14-year-olds, we were really young to be taking the bus by ourselves to New York and spending a day going to an audition – we were living adult lives as teenagers,’ he added.

Both the actors shared the screen in ‘Goodwill Hunting’, a film that they had co-scripted and won Oscars for writing the best original screenplay.

Damon is known for his performance in ‘Saving Private Ryan’, the ‘Bourne’ series, ‘Syriana’, ‘The Good Shepherd’ and ‘The Departed’, while his friend Affleck has films like ‘Armageddon’, ‘Changing Lanes’ and ‘Daredevil’ to boast about.

Damon says he’s glad that he didn’t get his big break until after college, admitting he’d hate his daughters to follow him into the industry before they’re adults, reports dailystar.co.uk.

‘I’m very fortunate I didn’t get a job then, because I did end up going to college. That’s what my parents wanted for me, they said, ‘Do theatre now but go to school, there’s plenty of time to be an actor’, and I think that’s the advice I’d give to my girls. Your teenage years should be fun with your friends, not with a profession,’ he said.

Jason Trawick and I are really normal: Spears

Los Angeles, March 6 – Singer Britney Spears has revealed that her relationship with Hollywood agent Jason Trawick is like any other normal couple. 

‘We’re really normal,’ Spears said on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM radio show.

She and Trawick have been dating each other since 2009 and usmagazine.com reports that Spears also told the Radio station that they love doing things together.

‘We like to just watch movies. We work out a lot. We love to work out. We do stuff together like that. We take walks,’ she said.

I can’t do what Mr. Bachchan did in KBC: Prosenjit

Mumbai, March 6 – Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee recently got an offer to host the Bengali version of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), but he refused. He says he can’t create the same magic that Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan did with the quiz show. 

‘They offered and they are still asking me to do this, but I am not doing that. I am a big follower of Mr. Bachchan. I still remember his signature dialogue in ‘Mohabbatein’ and we used to be excited when he used to say ‘Lock Kiya Jaye’ (on KBC). I can’t do what Mr. Bachchan has done. I somehow can’t place myself where Mr. Bachchan sat,’ Prosenjit told IANS on the phone from Kolkata. 

KBC, based on the British show ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, created history when it was first launched on Star Plus in 2000 with Big as the host. Five years later, he hosted the second season of the show. 

In 2007, superstar Shah Rukh Khan hosted the third season. But last year Amitabh returned to host the fourth season of KBC. 

Bollywood actors are doing lot of television shows and the trend has reached the Bengali film industry too, but Prosenjit is statying away from small screen right now. 

‘I will come to television very soon. But I have been keeping myself away for a very long time because I am waiting for the right thing. Basically, I was trying my patience. I have seen so much ups and downs, I don’t want to rush for anything. I have never hurried in life,’ said the national award winning actor. 

Son of yesteryear superstar Biswajeet, he made his debut with ‘Duti Pata’ in the year 1983 and is known for his powerful performances in ‘Omor Shongi’, ‘Apon Amaar Apon’ and ‘Ami, Yaseen Aar Amaar Madhubala’. He also won accolades for ‘Chokher Bali’ and calls ‘Dosar’ his most challenging role. 

Recently, he received appreciation for his work in Goutam Ghose’s ‘Moner Manush’ and Srijit Mujherji’s ‘Autograph’. 

But despite being so successful, the 48-year-old is never in a rush and takes his own time in selecting an offer. 

‘My only plus point is that I don’t rush. I wait for the right time. I try to study and I try to know it first. From television, of course, I got lot of offers. I get offers every day, but I am trying to keep myself away as much as possible,’ he said. 

IANS

‘Thank You’ is not ‘No Entry Part 2′: Anees Bazmee

Mumbai, March 6 – Writer-director Anees Bazmee says he doesn’t mix ‘n’ match scripts with projects like women colour-coordinate their clothes and clarifies that his forthcoming romantic comedy ‘Thank You’ is not part two of his 2005 hit ‘No Entry’.
 

‘I read that my script for ‘Thank You’ is actually the script that I wrote for the sequel to ‘No Entry’. Ab aap bataayiye (now you tell me), am I so foolish that I’d just mix ‘n’ match scripts with projects like women colour-coordinate their clothes?

‘And if I had actually given over the script of ‘No Entry Mein Entry’ (‘No Entry 2′) to another producer, would Boney Kapoor (who produced ‘No Entry’) have been happy with me?

‘For the record, the script of ‘No Entry Mein Entry’ is in progress. The idea for ‘Thank You’ came to me when I was shooting a song with Akshay Kumar and Katrina in Egypt. We decided then and there to make ‘Thank You’.’

‘Thank You’ is said to be about three married guys who romance other women and originally Katrina was supposed play the lead opposite Akshay, but later Sonam Kapoor stepped in.

‘Some people are spreading these baseless stories about my projects. They won’t spare a bachcha (kid) like Aarya Babbar either. Some people wrote he abandoned my location in Bangkok for ‘Ready’ to join Shirish Kunder and Farah Khan in Chandigarh for ‘Joker’ because they are like his family.

‘For the record, even our unit is like one big family. Aarya did not desert our shooting. He left when there was a break, and with my permission. Please spare the boy. He’s trying to establish himself,’ he said.

Bazmee’s first big hit was Ajay Devgn and Kajol starrer 1998 romantic comedy ‘Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha’. And he also gave hits like ‘Welcome and ‘Singh Is Kinng’ with Akshay.

He is currently busy shooting ‘Ready’ with Salman Khan in Bangkok and supervising the post-production ‘Thank You’ here.

‘I’ve two big back-to-back releases, first ‘Thank You’ and then ‘Ready’. I suppose that’s too much for my well-wishers to digest. I request them to let me do my work in peace. The rest I leave to god and the audience,’ said the director.

Shekhar Kapur denies turning down Cruz’s offer

New Delhi, March 6 – Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who made his mark in Hollywood with ‘Elizabeth’, is surprised at the reports claiming that he refused to helm Spanish actress Penelope Cruz’s movie. 

‘Why would any director in his right mind say no to Penelope Cruz? I hear the media has been saying that. Not true,’ Shekhar, 65, wrote on his microblogging site Twitter.

A media report stated that Cruz had approached Kapur to direct her production venture based on Javier Moro’s novel ‘Passion India’, but the director turned down the offer saying he was busy with ‘Paani’, which is likely to star Hrithik Roshan and ‘Twilight’ actress Kristen Stewart.

After making his mark on Indian celluloid by directing critically acclaimed ‘Masoom’, box office hit masala sci-fi comedy ‘Mr. India’ and reality-based ‘Bandit Queen’, Kapur embarked on a challenging journey in Hollywood with ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’ and ‘The Four Feathers’.

Colin Firth to play vampire?

London, March 6 – After playing a stuttering king in ‘The King’s Speech’, actor Colin Firth is likely to play a vampire in a horror movie. 

‘It’s dark, modern and creepy. He’s (Firth) going out on a limb with this part,’ a source told News of the World.

The 50-year-old Oscar winner is expected to join Nicole Kidman, 43, and ‘Alice In Wonderland’ star Mia Wasikowska, 21, in the film, which is inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel ‘Dracula’. It is about a girl called India and her mother who are visited by a mysterious uncle after the death of India’s father, reports dailymail.co.uk. 

If the things work out, Kidman may play the mother, Wasikowska will feature as India and Firth as uncle Stoker. 

IANS

Why get so excited about Hollywood, asks Sharmila Tagore (Interview)

New Delhi, March 6 – Bollywood veteran Sharmila Tagore, who plays a key role in the British movie ‘Life Goes On’ by an Indian- origin filmmaker, says she can’t understand why Indian actors clamour for Hollywood. She believes the focus should be on being at par with the international film industry instead of merely being a part of it. 

‘We have got a very supportive Indian diaspora. As long as we get good and meaty roles abroad where we are at par with international actors, it’s fine. Otherwise, what’s wrong with our own industry which is doing well?’ Sharmila, who is the Indian censor board chief, told IANS.

‘Indian actors are getting a lot of international recognition anyway…Of course, I understand actors want to broaden their horizon, but I don’t know why we get so excited about Hollywood,’ she added.

The 64-year-old, who has over five decades of experience in the Indian film industry, acknowledges that some Indian actors have definitely made a mark internationally.

‘ ‘Namesake’ was a fantastic film – Irrfan (Khan) did a wonderful job. Of course, Mira Nair is not 100 percent international, but take Kabir Bedi’s example. His work in ‘Sandokan’ (Italian-German-French TV series) was a big success and he was quite a well-known name in Italy for many years.

‘Even (composer) A.R. Rahman is at par with any other music director in the international space now. It is high time we answered ourselves – is our aim to work in the international arena or in our language?’ she said.

Sharmila, who made it big in Bollywood with films like ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, ‘An Evening In Paris’ and ‘Chupke Chupke’, will soon be seen in filmmaker Sangeeta Dutta’s ‘Life Goes On’, which will release in Britain March 11 and in India March 25.

The London-based movie explores the relations between a grief-stricken father, played by acclaimed actor Girish Karnad, and his three daughters, after the death of their mother Manju, essayed by Sharmila.

The actress, who has played a mother on screen umpteen times in films like ‘Viruddh’ and more recently in ‘Break Ke Baad’, says nothing is extraordinarily different about her role in ‘Life Goes On’.

‘Manju is a mother’s role – she has children and she connects very well with them. But you know, every family is different – your grief, the way you cry, my grief, the way I cry….every individual is different. So the treatment of the film and the way it has been handled, is different; the role isn’t different,’ she said.

The movie marks the first-time pairing of Sharmila and her daughter Soha, who plays the youngest child in ‘Life Goes On’, and Sharmila says she enjoyed every bit of it.

Sharmila, especially, loved the optimum utilisation of time and professionalism on the sets of the film.

‘We managed to pack in a lot of work in very little time. Nobody was late, everything was clocked. The cast and crew used to eat something before starting work, and worked five hours at a stretch. It was unlike here, where we start at 12 p.m. and then break for lunch at 1.30 p.m. So I really liked that about working on this film.’

However, she admits the work culture in Bollywood has improved by leaps and bounds.

‘Indian cinema has also become pretty good. When we worked on ‘Break Ke Baad’, it was quite professional. If Imran (Khan) and Deepika (Padukone) were told to get ready with make-up at 5 a.m., they used to make sure they are ready by 5 a.m.

‘Now nobody comes late on the sets – things are very organised. It’s just that we don’t have the five hours non-stop work culture yet. I found it a good thing. Other than that, the work culture is pretty much the same except…it’s just that they are a little quieter and we talk a bit more. Indians are a little more talkative, isn’t it!’ she quipped.

(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in) 

IANS

Miley Cyrus admits she misses ‘Hannah Montana’

New York, March 6 – Miley Cyrus has admitted that she missed her ‘Hannah Montana’ role that made her famous.

Earlier the18-year-old star’s dad country singer Billy Ray had accused the Disney TV show of breaking up the Cyrus clan but she has a positive feeling, reports the New York Post.

During an interview on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,’ Cyrus tried to steer the conversation away from her Disney days but Fallon pressed her.

She grinned at the audience saying, “This is awkward!” about his questions regarding her perspective on her alter ego. 

Sources close to the star have said she was “very hurt and angry” after her father told GQ magazine “the damn show destroyed my family.”

Ultimately, Cyrus admitted she did miss starring in the sitcom that ran four seasons. (ANI)

Emma Roberts in ‘Scream 4′, happy to work with veterans

London, March 6 – Actress Emma Roberts feels honoured to have got a chance to work with veteran actors in her new film ‘Scream 4′. 

The 20-year-old star appears alongside Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Wes Craven in the horror film and admits she had a blast making the movie, reports contactmusic.com.

‘I was so honoured to work with veterans like Wes and Neve. And of course, the new generation – we called ourselves the ‘new blood’,’ Emma told Empire magazine.

‘I basically spent two months screaming, covered in blood and laughing my head off in between each take – of course I’d do it again,’ she added.

Though she is playing a role in the fourth instalment of the horror thriller, as a child Emma was terrified after watching the ‘Scream’.

‘I remember watching the films when I was 13 and thinking they were like nothing I’d ever seen. I’d be laughing one minute and then screaming in terror the next. I used to have to check every room in my parents’ house before bed to make sure there wasn’t a killer hiding in the closet,’ she said.

‘Tanu Weds Manu’ gave me new image: Deepak Dhobriyal

Mumbai, March 6 – He played ‘pappi’ in the film ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ and walked with accolades for his flawless comic timing. Actor Deepak Dhobriyal is now happy with his new image which is a far cry from his earlier serious roles.

‘The films I did so far like ‘Gulaal’, ‘Delhi 6′ and ‘Omkara’ cast a different image of me in the audience’s mind. People started taking me as a very serious person. That’s because they are not aware how fun-loving a person I am. I am happy that I could entertain people,’ Deepak told IANS.

Actor Madhavan and Kangana Ranaut played the lead roles in this romantic comedy.

‘This is my first film where after listening to the narration of my character from Himanshu (writer Himanshu Sharma) and Anand (director Anand Rai), I didn’t have to take a look at the script because their words got saved in my mind,’ said Deepak.

For him each script is a different world altogether.

‘Every film is a different world created by the writer and the director. I just try to be a part of it and the role takes its own flight. I only concentrate on what my lines are and what the character wants to portray. I don’t see whether the role is comedy or a serious one,’ said Deepak.

After ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ he is doing comic roles in ‘Mumbai Cutting’ and ‘Teen They Bhai’.

‘But given a choice I would always prefer doing a serious role,’ he said.

‘In a serious film, audience respects the content. There is always a thought; there is a socio-political subject. So, while doing a serious film, you shed your personal complexities and deal with something bigger than that,’ said Deepak.

‘Mumbai Cutting’ comprises 11 short films by 11 directors on the city.

‘I am doing Kundan’s (director Kundan Shah) film in ‘Mumbai Cutting’. It’s a silent film. It’s about an aspiring actor who has just arrived in Mumbai and his encounter with local trains. He comes to be the king of the film industry but misses eight trains; he is unable to board any of them. It’s a very funny film,’ said Deepak.

Giving a sneak preview of his other project, Deepak says, ‘In ‘Teen Thay Bhai’ I play the younger brother of Om Puri and Shreyash Talpade. The three brothers don’t see eye to eye. 

Then they have to spend two days together in a single room. It’s full comedy.’

Deepak believes small-budget serious films fail due to lack of proper publicity.

‘There is so much of stress in society that people prefer to see comedy. Serious films require strong content and right publicity. I have observed that there is always some lacuna in publicity of a serious film except a few like ‘Rang De Basanti’ or ‘3 idiots’ even ‘Laagan’,’ said Deepak.

Beckham’s baby girl ‘looks like mini Posh Spice’

London, Mar 6 – Victoria Beckham couldn’t be happier – the fashion diva was told that her five-month baby daughter is her mirror image.

Victoria had had a hi-tech scan, which revealed her unborn daughter is her spitting image.

“It showed her in extraordinary detail. Everyone is ecstatic. Victoria said she has her nose,” the Sun quoted a pal as saying.

“She’s so happy. She and David are dying to tell the world they’re expecting a daughter. The boys mean the world to them but having a girl is a new adventure.” (ANI)

I'll play seductress to SRK: Vidya

But engagement though is not on the cards yet. To Vidya Balan, love is when you begin to see yourself in another person's eyes and you like what you see there. On her recent trip to the city, the actor decodes 'Ishqiya'

Critical acclaim, commercial success and controversies. All that has been part of Vidya Balan's life in the recent past. And now, there are also rumours of her getting engaged to corporate honcho Siddharth Roy Kapur — who also happens to be the elder brother of actor Aditya Roy Kapur of "Guzaarish" fame. Kolkatans have even gone to the extent of claiming that since she loves all things Bengali, she has chosen to date someone with a Bengali surname! But, fact is, Siddharth Roy Kapur doesn't have roots in Bengal and the Roy part of his surname has a Punjab-connect . Vidya, who was in town to promote her commercial with Chandrabindoo, shares her Kahaani.

Three back-to-back releases — "Paa", " Ishqiya" and " No One Killed Jessica" — have had you in performance-oriented roles. As an actor, can you rate the most challenging one?
It's very difficult for me to do that. When my mother watched "Paa" , she said she felt as if she was seeing me on-screen the way I am at home. Javed saab said that all through the film, he felt I'd slip out of the character. But that never happened. After "NOKJ" released, Shabanaji said that there was not one false note in my performance. After watching "Ishqiya", Vishal (Bhardwaj) said: "I could never see you in the film. It was your character everywhere." All compliments are important but these are very special. As for myself, I still think "Paa" was the most difficult role. Playing Sabrina (Lall) was straight and one had read so much about the incident. There is a seductress in every woman. In that context, my role in "Ishqiya" wasn't that unknown to me. But before doing "Paa" , I had never connected with my maternal instincts. Moreover, it's very difficult having Mr Bachchan play my son and me having to tap his head the way I would do with my family members. I had grown up watching his movies and getting under the skin of a character that demanded all this from me was very difficult. As an actor, that's also what I like.

There's already a lot of criticism regarding you playing Silk Smitha in "The Dirty Picture" what with Vinu Chakravarthy allegedly claiming that you just don't have it in you to play that role...
I take that as a compliment. It's true that I am absolutely not like Silk Smitha. I thank Milan (Luthria) for having faith in my acting abilities to cast me in this role. Of course, I'll be needing a lot of hand-holding for this role. I am not impersonating Silk Smitha. For me, it's about the person beneath the buxom body. Many find her sexually offensive. But I feel one has to understand the choices she made during the 70s and 80s. Today, we live in a global village and are exposed to a lot of things. Reality shows encourage people to be the way they are. It's far easier for Rakhi Sawant to say what she does today without people reacting to it. But when Silk Smitha was around, it wasn't easy to be a woman and do what she did. She was clear that she wanted to be a frontrunner at any cost. If displaying her body was the path for it, she had no inhibitions about choosing that route. During those days, Silk Smitha never played the female lead in the film and yet ensured that she got equal billing as a hero. That, I think, is commendable.

Do you have any inhibitions about how bold you'll get on-screen for this movie?
I am an actor and I don't have any reservations. But yes, as I said, I will need a lot of reassurance for this role. There can be instances when I might have reservations and not want to shoot some scenes in movies because I feel they are not important in the larger scheme of things.

You've done backless shoots for magazines, used cusswords in movies and are now portraying Silk Smitha. At this age and stage in your career, do you still need to get all these vetoed by your family before shooting?
It's not about age or stage. No parent would feel comfortable to see their daughter play a seductress and discuss the role threadbare. My father, I think, didn't even understand the language in "Ishqiya" too well. My mother watched me and liked my portrayal. My family knows the profession I am into and they respect my choices. I like to share whatever is happening in my life with them. They have two questions to ask me when I have such scenes. They want to know I trust the people I am working with and if what I am doing is actually required. If I've the answers to that, they are okay with it.

You are very close to your family. Do you really have any secrets?
Of course, I do. I don't believe that my parents are my friends. They are my parents and I love that. Even when I turn 80, I'll still be their little daughter . Of course, there are some secrets that I can't share with them.

Like... being in love?
(Giggles) I thought that's my secret.

Define love and being in love...
Love is when you begin to see yourself in another person's eyes and you like what you see there. Being in love is when you begin to realize that everything else around you is inconsequential , when you feel all problems in life will surely get sorted out, when you feel very large-hearted , when you want to share that feeling with others and feel like hugging everyone around.

So, are you giving jadoo ki jhappis?
Yes, I just did. Or let me put it this way — I like when I see me now...

In his eyes?
(Laughs) I feel like a teenager now. Dil toh bachha hai ji...

In today's age when everyone is living for the moment, is marriage a necessary conclusion for a relationship?
Some things don't change. For most people, it's important to believe in the possibility of something beyond this moment. But for the moment, let me enjoy being in the moment.

From sensual, sari, Sabyasachi and SRK — what's between you and the S word? Is there a connection?
(Laughs out loud) As South Indians would say: Yesssssss. I'm ready to play seductress to SRK in a sari for a Sabya film. Hope Sabya casts SRK in the film that he is planning to direct.

While on South Indians, have you dubbed in Malayalam for 'Urumi'?
I've a song and a couple of scenes in Santosh Sivan's 'Urumi . It's my gift to my parents as they've always wanted me to do a Malayalam film. My mother always says I speak better Bengali than Malayalam. So, I've also dubbed in Malayalam for 'Urumi'

Of late, you've been a subject of controversial issues about you agreeing to pose nude for MF Husain or wearing a bikini for the annual issue of a mag or your marriage/engagement issues...
I was not even in the country when all these topics about me posing nude came up. I never posed in a bikini and all that one sees on the magazine cover is photoshop work. I plan to sue the magazine for this. As for the third issue, marriage or engagement is not on the cards.

Sridevi, Amitabh to pair-up?

There has been a rumour of Sridevi's comeback for many months now. But neither the filmmaker nor the actress was ready to confirm the news.

Until now.
For the first time, R Balki confirms that Ms Hawa Hawai is making a comeback in his wife Gauri Shinde's directorial debut this year. And she might also be paired in Balki's own directorial venture with Big B.
Balki believes in placing Big B in challenging combinations with screen divas (Tabu as his sweetheart in Cheeni Kum, Vidya Balan as his mom in Paa) has solved the dilemma of how to accommodate the two larger-than-life stars together. In Gauri's film, Sridevi plays a housewife who sets out to find her own identity. She has a much more challenging role opposite Big B.

Speaking for the first time on his wife's film, Balki says, "Yes, Sridevi will star in her film. And yes, I'm doing another project with Mr Bachchan. Like Cheeni Kum and Paa it is again an audacious idea that we are both hugely excited about. Will my film too star Sridevi? Why not? But at the moment it's too early to talk about the casting of my film."

Sri-Big B diaries
The two were earlier paired together in the 1980s hit T Rama Rao's Inquilaab and in the 1990s in Mukul Anand's Khuda Gawah. Most producers shied away from pairing them together as they were seen to be individually too big in their stardom to be accommodated together. In fact Yash Chopra wanted to cast Big B and Sri together in Veer-Zaara. But the pairing didn't work out.

Deepika takes acting tips from Big B

Deepika Padukone has found her acting mentor in Amitabh Bachchan. On the sets of Arakshan, she was spotted asking Big B for tips to perfect her shot.

Amitabh, too, has been most welcoming to the rising star. Informers tell us that Dippy has been saying that the film is one of the toughest films yet and she's loving having veterans like Big B and Hema Malini, to learn from them. How guru-cool is that?

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