Is Lara Dutta pregnant?

Reports suggest that the Bollywood star who married her tennis ace-beau Mahesh Bhupathi in February this year is already in the family way.

The speculations of Lara's pregnancy have hit the world just after Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan broke the big news of expecting her first child in November. Mandira Bedi and Konkona Sen Sharma were blessed with their first-borns recently and there has been a considerable buzz over Shilpa Shetty's frequent visit to a gynaecologist in Bandra recently.

"Lara and Mahesh prefer to take things as they come. They are both quite occupied with work in their respective areas, but at the same time they feel the time is ripe for them to have a child," a friend of the couple said.

Lara has just finished shooting for Farhan Akhtar's Don 2, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra.

She, along with Mahesh, also released the couple's first production Chalo Dilli, recently. The film - in which Lara shared the screen space with Vinay Pathak - was a rip- off of the Hollywood hit Planes, Trains And Automobiles. Chalo Dilli had a decent run at the box-office.

Lara had been busy wrapping up Don 2 and also handling the prerelease publicity for Chalo Dilli after her February 16-marriage. Now, she has free time to focus on family matters, according to sources.

Incidentally, Lara did not sign any new film after Don 2. Her only film in hand is the long- stuck Govinda-starrer Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai, but Lara has already finished shooting her portions for the film.

Sources said Lara and Mahesh consider it inauspicious to reveal the good news to the world at such an early stage, and will wait for at least three months before they make the news official.

"As of now, even if the pregnancy is confirmed, they would want to stay silent on the issue. Lara and Mahesh feel they should make the news public only when the time is correct," the source said.

She had also been to her parents' to take rest, giving way to the speculations of her pregnancy.

Lara was about to announce her next production after Chalo Dilli soon, but those plans are now stalled as she is pregnant, according to a source. Incidentally, Lara was supposed to launch her second film as producer soon after Chalo Dilli released in April, but she did not go about it then.

The ex-Miss Universe has been a struggling actress for quite some time in Bollywood.

Her fellow actress and also Miss World in the same year as her, Priyanka Chopra, has waded her way gracefully to the top in the industry.

However, Lara has chances of coming back to the limelight after starring in Bollywood-biggie Don 2. But, how much the pregnancy rumours would help her in getting the lead roles in Btown remains questionable. 

Sonakshi Sinha not acting in Kamal Haasan’s Viswaroopam

If sources are to be believed, then Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha who showed much interest in acting with multi-talented South Indian actor Kamal Haasan in Viswaroopam has now opted out of the project. The reason for this, the project did not take off on time.

The film was suppose to kick start from June but it has been postponed to August. And now, Sonakshi is facing with dates clash with prior commitments and hence, walked out of it. It is learnt that Sonakshi had to start the shooting of Prabhu Deva’s Rowdy Rathod opposite Akshay Kumar. Rowdy Rathod is the Hindi version of super hit Tollywood film ‘Vikramarkudu’.

Vishwaroopam is a trilingual film which is going to direct and produce by Kamal Haasan and expected to start in August .The film is touted to be a spy thriller.

Sources say that Kamal Hasan has already started looking for another actress for the film and Deepika Padukone might replace Sonakshi Sinha.

Let see who will grab the lucky chance to act as Kamal Haasan’s wife in the film.

Sallu-Sajid face off

Ek Tha Tiger ’s release clashes with Housefull 2, likely to rock their relationship again

Salman Khan and Sajid Khan’s friendship is about to be tested. And if their relationship can withstand the box office duel remains to be seen. YRF recently announced that its production, Ek Tha Tiger, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, is slated to release on June 1, 2012.

This happens to coincide with the release of Sajid Nadiadwala and Sajid Khan’s Housefull 2. While Salman and Sajid Khan’s friendship is still in safer territory, the same cannot be said for the actor and Sajid Nadiadwala, who have shared a strained relationship for some time.

The problems between Salman and Nadiadwala escalated when the actor demanded an additional Rs 5 crore from Nadiadwala to go ahead with Kick (Mumbai Mirror, April 8, 2011). Even though Nadiadwala and Salman have resolved their differences and the actor has confirmed that he will be a part of Kick (Mumbai Mirror, June 27), the latest turn of events is likely to stir up yet another storm.

A source told us, “Yash Raj Films, yesterday, announced that the Salman-Katrina starrer, Ek Tha Tiger, will be releasing on June 1. It will clash with Sajid Nadiadwala’s multistarrer Housefull 2. Nadiadwala had already announced the release date some months ago.

Nadiadwala and Salman have been friends for years and although there have been various rumours about an alleged fight between them, the fact remains that they are both thick-as-thieves.

YRF seems to have played their cards well, with the strategic move to announce the release date as June 1, especially since Nadiadwala announced that Housefull 2 would release on the same date, during this year’s world cup. They also ran promos and the media buzz about two best friends clashing at the BO will help the films.”

Another source said, “Sajid is extremely confident about his film Housefull 2 and the film boasts a huge star cast, which includes Akshay, John, Riteish, Mithunda, Rishi Kapoor, Jacqueline, Shazahn and Salman’s own close friends Asin and Zareen Khan. Salman is all set to start shooting for Nadiadwala’s film Kick, in November.

The rumours about Nadiadwala and Salman having issues over Salman’s remuneration has been spoken about extensively, but both of them have clarified that there is no truth to these rumours.”

When contacted, Nadiadwala said, “We had already announced the release date, three months ago. As far as the clashes of both the films are concerned, both of them are different films and after the IPL, the release of two big films on the same date will be very much welcomed.”

Ram Gopal Verma wants to cast Maria Susairaj in a film

Ram Gopal Varma wants to cast Maria Susairaj in his next film now that the Kannada actress has been absolved of murder charges in the killing of TV executive Neeraj Grover.

Varma has already made a film 'Not A Love Story', which is inspired by the events that led to the gruesome murder.

"Maria Susairaj wanted to become famous as an actress and she became famous as a murderess. If things went well it could have been a Rangeela for her," Verma wrote on Twitter.

"Now that she has been released I want to sign Maria Susairaj for a film," the filmmaker, who has a penchant for controversy, said.

Maria's boyfriend and former navy officer Emile Jerome had gone to her residence in suburban Malad on May 7, 2008 where he got into a fight with Grover (26) during which Jerome stabbed the TV executive to death.

Maria and Jerome later cut Grover's body into pieces and disposed it in Manor forest in Thane.

The actress, who has already been in jail for three years, is expected to walk free after she was found guilty of destroying the evidence and not committing the murder.

Delhi Belly bigger box office opener than Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap

Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap

It was a clash between Aamir Khan's Delhi Belly and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap at the box office today and it seems the former has outdone the latter.

Delhi Belly, an adult comedy, is aimed at the youth and has had a better opening in theatres across the country, according to trade analysts and multiplex chains.

"Delhi Belly has opened with a bang. It has seen a better response in cities including Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Indore, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Comparatively Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap has had a lukewarm response," said Rahul Singh, VP, PVR Cinemas.

And the bigger opening is being credited to the movie's already-hit music and Aamir's promotional strategies.

Delhi Belly

"Delhi Belly is performing better mainly is due to its music and Aamir's brand value. The youth have liked the film. It is expected to attract more audience in the weekend," trade analyst Taran Adarsh told PTI.

Besides Bachchan, Bbuddah... also stars Hema Malini, Prakash Raj and Raveena Tandon, while Delhi Belly has a young cast comprising Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Poorna Jagannathan and Vir Das.

An official at multiplex chain Cinemax said, "Delhi Belly has performed better than Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap, primarily because it is a youth film and of course due to Aamir and the film's music. Hopefully Bbuddah... will pick up in the coming days."

While Bbuddah... is about the exploits of a quick-tempered, flamboyantly dressed retired gangster, played by the Big B, Delhi Belly is the story of three young boys living in the capital who go through a horrible few days due to certain turn of events.

Madonna’s movie W.E to release during awards season

King Edward VIII with Wallis Simpson

Madonna’s movie about the life of Wallis Simpson will be released during the film awards season.

Harvey Weinstein, who recently acquired the rights to W.E, which is about the romance between King Edward VIII and American divorcee Simpson, has said that he wanted to give it a “prominent release date”.

“Madonna beautifully interweaves past and present in W.E,” the BBC quoted Weinstein as saying.

“It’s a very smart film, and a stunning feature directorial debut. I’m incredibly excited about this movie and I wanted to give it a prominent release date,” he added.

The film is set for its US premiere in December, putting it in line for Academy Awards consideration. And a wider release is also planned for the middle of January.

Pamela Anderson denies responsibility for real estate deal failure

Pamela Anderson's representative has lashed out at a countersuit filed by a real estate entrepreneur who claims that the actress failed to promote the sale of his condominiums in the Panorama Towers in Las Vegas.

The former Baywatch star filed legal papers in February 2011, claiming she made the deal in 2006 with Laurence Hallier to promote his Las Vegas Panorama Towers development in return for one of the properties for free. 

She also claimed Hallier agreed to hand her one million dollars in cash if the apartment wasn't built in time.

Earlier this week, Hallier countersued over Anderson's alleged lack of promotion for the properties, insisting her failure to do so cost him 22.5 million dollars in unsold units.

Now the actress' lawyer has slammed his allegations in the suit, and Hallier's claims Anderson was his lover at the time of the deal.

"Pamela Anderson is no more responsible for the failure of this real estate project than she is responsible for the 2008 real estate downturn or the collapse of Lehman Brothers,” Contactmusic quoted the attorney as telling.

"The counterclaim is an attempt at publicity, filed by a defendant who revelled in utterly false rumours that he was romantically involved withAnderson while she was promoting his failed real estate project in London, Los Angeles and Las Vegas,” he added.

Neeraj Grover Sentence: 3 Years For Maria

Kannada actress Maria Susairaj has been sentenced to a maximum three years' imprisonment for destroying evidence in the Neeraj Grover case. A sentence she has already served during trial. This means that if formalities and paperwork are completed, she could walk free this evening. Her former fiancé, Emile Jerome Mathew, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing TV executive Neeraj Grover in May 2008. And three years for destroying evidence.

Neeraj Grover's family is stunned. The promising, young TV executive, was killed at Maria Susairaj's Mumbai suburb flat on May 7, 2008, by Jerome. Maria and Jerome have been found guilty of destroying evidence - Neeraj's body was cut in pieces with a knife purchased for the purpose and transported to another suburb in gunny bags, where the corpse was set on fire. Maria and Jerome were arrested soon after.

The judge accepted yesterday that Mr Mathew had killed Neeraj in a fit of jealousy after finding him at Ms Susairaj's flat. But it was not pre-planned murder, and so Mr Mathew was indicted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and for destroying evidence. Jerome's two sentences will run concurrently - he has already spent three years in prison and will need to be in jail for another seven years.


Ms Susairaj, the court said, had been proven guilty of destruction of evidence.

The court as also fined Maria and Jerome Rs. 50,000, to be paid to the Grover family. The judgment noted that nothing could compensate for the loss that Neeraj's parents had suffered and that had been taken into consideration.

Neeraj's grieving father, Amarnath Grover, described the sentence as an acquittal for Maria. "Why were Jerome and Maria given different sentences, when both were there when Neeraj was killed and his body brutally disposed of," he asked.

Broken, the elderly man said he did not have the energy or resources to take his fight further but hoped that the state would take the case to a higher court. The public prosecutor has indicated that the state shall plead in a higher court.

Today, the prosecution had sought a life sentence for Mr Mathew. It contended that the former Navy officer didn't need to kill Neeraj; that having had commando training, he could have easily overpowered Neeraj. It also pointed to the brutal manner the body was disposed of. "As a naval officer, Jerome was supposed to defend the country, but he committed this crime," the prosecution pleaded.

"Yes, he joined the defence services to serve the nation and he still wanted to do so," said Mr Mathew's lawyer, pleading for a lenient sentence. The lawyer said maximum quantum of sentence was for habitual offenders, which, he said, Mr Mathew was not. The former Navy officer, the lawyer said, had "lost his balance of mind" when the incident happened.

Maria's lawyer had asked the court to consider that she was young and unmarried. He pleaded with the court to consider releasing her since she had already served her sentence.

The verdict of the sessions court, that has been hearing this sensational case for over two years now, has come as a huge setback to the police and prosecution.
"Even I am shocked by the verdict. Certainly we will go into an appeal," said RV Kini, Public Prosecutor.

The judge said, "The killing took place on the spur of the moment. Obviously any man who finds his fiancé with another man will get upset and lose control."

What seemed to have helped Mr Mathew and Ms Susairaj is that the prosecution was able to provide only circumstantial evidence and could not conclusively prove that the couple had conspired to kill Mr Grover. It was also unable to establish a motive for murder for Ms Susairaj.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20110179084&keyword=regional&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=116134&cp

When Ranbir Came Face-To-Face With Deepika

When Ranbir Kapoor was on his way to Yash Raj Studios for a screening of Delhi Belly, he probably didn't anticipate that two surprises were awaiting him.

First, he came face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone. Second, he was amazed that the special invitees enjoyed his rival's movie so much.

Ranbir had been messaging Imran saying he loved the Bhaag D K Bose song and that he was looking forward to the movie. So letting their proxy war be forgotten, Imran Khan invited Ranbir for the movie.

A source said. "Imran was previously in Delhi for the film's promotion. So he told Ranbir that he'd invite him for a show as soon as he returned to Mumbai. And since he returned late Tuesday, he decided to have a screening on Wednesday and invited Ranbir, Karan Johar, Rohan Sippy and some other friends."

However, it seems he had forgotten to tell Ranbir that Deepika had been invited too!

So, when Ranbir sauntered in with Karan Johar, he was astonished to see that Deepika was there with father, Prakash Padukone and sister Anisha.

"But Ranbir was very graceful and he spoke very warmly with her," informed a source.

"Deepika had flown down from London where she was shooting for Homi Adajania's Cocktail with Saif Ali Khan. She had told Imran that she wanted to see the film. She had got a couple of days off, so she came," the source added.

A little while after the screening started, our source revealed that Ranbir was observing how the others were reacting to the onscreen proceedings.

"Maybe he didn't expect people to enjoy the film so much," the source said, adding that when the lights came on at the end of the film, Ranbir's expression was one of shock and awe. "So much so that some people present were even sniggering among themselves that suddenly, Ranbir wasn't able to handle the competition," the source added. However, the actor was quick to regain his composure as he stepped out of the auditorium.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20110179054&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=116035&cp

Robert Pattinson Wields Gun in New Cosmopolis Pics

A couple new photos have been snapped of Robert Pattinson hard at work on the set of his upcoming film Cosmopolis from director David Cronenberg. 

One image shows Pattinson putting a gun under the chin of a suit-clad man apparently having a bad day. In that same image, and the second image, it looks as if Pattinson has cake or whipped cream or something smeared on the left side of his face. I guess he's having a bad day as well. 

These images follow the first-look at the film that shows Pattinson and co-star Sarah Gordon riding in the back of a limo. That image was photographed and tweeted by Caitlin Cronenberg, David's daughter.

Cosmopolis is adapted from the novel by Don DeLillo. It also co-stars Paul Giamatti, Jay Baruchel and Juliette Binoche, and is due to arrive in theaters in 2012. 

'Dabangg' dominates Bollywood awards with 6 prizes

From left to right, Diya Mirza, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma, and Shah Rukh Khan acknowledge the fans while on stage at the end of the 2011 International Indian Film Academy Awards in Toronto early Sunday morning, June 26, 2011.

TORONTO—"Dabangg," a tale about a corrupt police officer, dominated the 12th International Indian Film Academy awards, snagging six prizes including best picture at the star-studded event in Toronto—held on North American soil for the first time. 

"My Name is Khan" also scooped up several top honors at the five-hour award bash that started Saturday night and rolled over into early Sunday. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan took the prize for leading male role for the film, about the treatment of Muslims in a world of heightened suspicions following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Khan played the family's Muslim patriarch who suffers from Asperger's syndrome. The film, nominated in seven categories, also took home the prize for best direction and best story. Khan was handed his award by Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor and two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, who congratulated Bollywood for helping to unite the world through film. 

Lisa Ray arrives on the green carpet at the 2011 International Indian Film Academy Awards, Saturday, June 25, 2011, in Toronto.

"Hollywood and Indian cinema must bring the world closer together," said Swank, draped in a glittering sleeveless deep red gown. "I believe in IIFA's vision—one people, one world." 

Another Academy Award winner, Cuba Gooding Jr. presented the best director award to Karan Johar for "My Name is Khan," declaring that he was impressed by the power of Indian films around the world. 

"I think it's absolutely wonderful how India has traveled the world of entertainment and I would love to play and be a part of a Bollywood movie myself," said Gooding, who broke out into a few dance moves. 


"Dabangg" led the awards tally sweeping trophies in the music category in Toronto's packed Rogers Centre, filled with more than 22,000 Bollywood fans and stars. The hit took the prize for best playback singer female, best playback singer male and best music director. A playback singer pre-records songs so Bollywood actors can lip sync to them in their films. "Dabangg" star Sonu Sood won for best performance in a negative role. The film also garnered the awards for best screenplay and for best female debut which went to Sonakshi Sinha for her role in the film as Sood's love interest. 

Anil Kapoor and Hilary Swank wave to fans as they arrive on the green carpet at the 2011 International Indian Film Academy Awards, Saturday, June 25, 2011, in Toronto.

Anushka Sharma won the best female lead for her role as an assistant to a wedding planner in "Band Baaja Baaraat," a film about the world of wedding planning. Arjun Rampal took home the best male supporting prize for the political thriller "Raajneeti," and best supporting female role award went to Prachi Desai for "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai." 

Kangana Ranaut, the model turned actress, gave the night's first performance with her fellow "Double Dhamaal" actors Arshad Warsi, Javeed Jaffrey and Ashish Chaudry. The film was one of several that premiered during the IIFA weekend. 


A lifetime achievement award was given to Dharmendra Deol, patriarch of the Deol dynasty, who received the special award for his 55-year-long career. Dharmendra's sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol, Bollywood stars in their own right, performed with their father for the first time on stage to a song from their film "Yamla, Pagla, Deewane." 

Outstanding achievement in Indian cinema went to Sharmila Tagore, who has starred in such films as "Mera Sapnon Ki Rani," "Namkeen," and "Chingari," and has spent 52 years in the industry. Tagore's son is the popular Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan. She said her son wanted to attend the weekend festivities, but couldn't because they are both finishing films. 

Ontario Premier  

Dalton McGuinty gave a speech at the ceremony, which also saw a number of energy-packed Bollywood dance numbers and tributes, capping the three days of festivities. McGuinty lured the IIFA to the city by pledging $12.25 million. 


Roughly 16,000 of the 22,000 tickets to the awards ceremony available to the public sold out in minutes. Those lucky enough to get seats were charged between $49 and $126, while resellers offered last-minute tickets online for more than $1,500 each. 

Launched in 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, the annual IIFA awards have traveled around the world in the hopes of exposing the genre to various audiences and opening trade markets. 

Holding the event in Toronto was a strategic move as India's cinematic royalty makes a bid for a piece of the North American box office. Held previously in Amsterdam, Sri Lanka, Macau, London, Malaysia, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg, IIFA is capitalizing on the already huge Bollywood following in Toronto, which has an estimated population of nearly 700,000 South Asians. 


"For the first time in its 12-year history, IIFA makes its North American debut, and its biggest stars are you," Kapoor said in a mix of English, Hindi and Punjabi while pointing to the audience. "Thank you Ontario. Thank you so much for making us feel the warmth in Canada." 


Organizers say more than 200 filmmakers and actors came from overseas in the bid to gain inroads into the North American market and build production partnerships. 

The awards gala is considered India's biggest media event and one of world's most-watched televised spectacles, with hundreds of millions of viewers tuning in.

Farah Ali Khan goes international

Actor, producer and director Sanjay Khan's daughter and celebrity jewellery designer Farah Ali Khan has all reasons to celebrate.

The lady is super excited as a crown designed by her has been worn by singer Beyonce in her latest album "4". . Farah who began designing jewellery in 2004 has had various celebrities as her clients but this was one feat she is really proud of and has propelled her towards an international presence. In her tweets Farah wrote, "Said i was excited and would share good news a few days ago. well here it is- Beyonce is wearing a crown designed by me in her new album "4".

Congratulatory messages have been pouring in for Farah from all her friends.

Selena Gomez feels 'awkward' in a bikini

Selena Gomez has admitted that she still feels "awkward" wearing a bikini.

The 18-year-old actress and singer - who is dating teen heartthrob Justin Bieber - is still conscious of her body as she grows into womanhood.

When asked if she feels under pressure to be sexy as she grows up, Selena told Time magazine: "Now that I am getting older I''m becoming a woman, and I want to explore that side of myself, reports Contactmusic.

But I still get awkward if I''m in a bikini so I don''t think I''ll be doing anything too drastic anytime soon, she added.

Ram Gopal Varma abuses Amitabh Bachchan

Known for his big mouth, Ram Gopal Varma has abused the king of Bollywood ,Amitabh Bachchan, for his film Bbuddhah Hoga Tera Baap on a social networking site


Ramu tweeted after watching Bbuddah - Hoga Terra Baap. Just watched Bbhuddah nd am. angry with bacchan that hes such a ch**** not to do films like this nd am such a l**** not to realize this


This is not the first time RGV has fallen short of adjectives and used abusive language instead! Earlier, after watching the trailer of Bbuddah - Hoga Terra Baap, Ram Gopal Varma tweeted: "Just saw sme scenes of Bbhuddah nd am fu***g super angry wth the f****g angry manfr not doing mre films like this all these f****g years"


He also tweets to cover it all by saying: Fr the ppl who took offence to my language I am rephrasing my compliment...Bbhuddah is a very nice film nd Amitji has acted very well


Well, Ramu, we understand that you are a big fan of Amitabh and you don't mean to abuse him.

Salman Khan in 3D

The actor wants to use the medium for next action adventure

Now that Shah Rukh is contemplating using 3D for his big release Ra.One, Salman too plans to follow suit. Buzz is that the actor who is on a huge high after the success of his last release Ready plans to use the medium for his next action-adventure film with brother Sohail Khan.

A source reveals, 3D is a medium that excites Salman. He sees it as a great opportunity to tap into his young fans. An action film will be a better platform to use the new age technology. Even though the planning is at a nascent stage, Salman is meeting foreign technicians and wanting to learn how it works.

Zareen Khan is all praise for her gym instructor

Fitness expert Yasmin Karachiwalla has found a huge fan in actress Zarine Khan. The star who went from a whopping 100 kgs to her current 57kgs gives all credit to her gym instructor Yasmin Karachiwalla.

Speaking on his exercising schedule Zarine informs, "Every morning, I do pilates for an hour and weight training thrice a week with Yasmin Karachiwalla. I also do some swimming and jogging and eat every two hours to increase my metabolic rate and its sweets and fried food are strict no for me."

With impressive results showing Zarine is even more encouraged to train harder. "In the next few months, results will be even more visible," adds Zarine

Aamir dismisses Shah Rukh's director

He said, who is he? While there have been mixed reactions to the infamous DK Bose number from his next release, we all know the strongest one came from SRK's director Anubhav Sinha.

Of course Big B strongly reacted to this too, but that's a different story. Sometime ago, at a press conference when Kiran Rao was asked to react to Anubhav Sinha's snide remark about the song, she rolled her eyes and said, "Anubhav Sinha, who?". It was repeat act when zoOm threw the same question at Aamir. With a smirk, he just dismissed it, "Who's Anubhav Sinha, what has he done?" Over to you Shah Rukh!

Ankita's eye campaign gets B-Town support

Sixteen years after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan pledged her eyes, beauty queen Pantaloons Femina Miss India — International 2011 Ankita Shorey has done the same. But Ankita is now taking it to the next level. She has initiated a campaign, supported by Provogue, to encourage the general public to pledge their eyes .

For this, she has urged Bollywood stars to come forward and be part of her campaign. Celebs like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Karan Johar have applauded her efforts.

"Actors are loved by the masses and when they do something, others follow," says Ankita. "We are not going to take our eyes to heaven with us. They will be burnt to ashes on earth, so I'd rather pledge to change someone's life after I breathe my last."

For this initiative, Ankita has associated with the Happy Home And School for the Blind at Worli. She recently met principal Mehr Banaji, who has received the President's Award and the Padma Shri for her efforts in this field. "When I went there, I saw that there's so much the school is doing... they teach kids weaving, carpentry, music and other crafts. And there's a lot of enthusiasm to learn."

Nikhil Chaturvedi, Managing Director of Provogue (India) Limited, is glad to be part of the initiative. He says, "I really respect Ankita for taking this step. I am sure her decision will give a ray of hope to someone who has been living in darkness. I believe it is like a legacy you leave behind and truly hope this step encourages many to follow her path. With almost 40 per cent of the world's blind population living in India and 75 per cent of which is avoidable blindness, such initiatives raise awareness about the cause, including prevention, which will help in reducing the number of people with acute blindness."

Ankita is hopeful that more people will come forward to pledge their eyes. "My friends have followed me. It feels nice to make a small difference in this big world."

Celeb Speak
Ajay Devgn: Giving someone vision is a great act. Ankita and others like her are to be applauded. When celebrities endorse a cause, it is easier to get others to sit up and take notice.

Akshay Kumar: I support all the beautiful people who are willing to give vision to the visually challenged.

Karan Johar : It's a very noble cause and something I would like to do myself. For people who pledge their eyes I always think of it as a great gesture. More power to Ankita!

Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan and Kalki Koechlin in Gurgaon

Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan and Kalki Koechlin will jam in a live concert in Gurgaon on July 10. The stars will perform to songs from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Says a source, The concert is being organised at a Gurgaon mall on July 10. There are jam sessions being planned with Katrina, Abhay, Farhan and Hrithik. Even Kalki will perform something interesting.

Hrithik, Abhay and Farhan have all sung in the movie, so they'll probably be singing live in Gurgaon too. And Hrithik may perform a short dance.

Shahid Kapoor's still the Sexiest Vegetarian!

Shahid Kapoor has won the title of Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian Man for 2011 after a fierce battle on PETA Asia Pacific website. Singer Faye Wong has been crowned Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian Woman.

Other popular contenders include Bollywood film heavyweight Kareena Kapoor, model-turned-Hollywood hottie Maggie Q and Mongolian singer Nominjin, Taiwanese actor Blue Lan, Super Girl Jane Zhang, actors Gao Yuanyuan and Barbie Hsu, and songwriter Louis Cheung. Favourite celebs from outside the continent include actors Natalie Portman, Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia; fighting champion Jake Shields and singers Anthony Kiedis (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Leona Lewis.

Shahid recently starred in ad campaign for PETA India extolling one of the many benefits of a plant-based diet: "Chicks Love a Vegetarian". Kapoor who won the same organization's India's Sexiest Vegetarian contest in 2009 and received the 2003 Filmfare Award for a Debut Film for his appearance in his Ishq Vishk. "I have always supported the cause of being a vegetarian, and it's nice to be felicitated for something so close to my heart," says Kapoor."Being voted as sexy is a matter of perception, but being vegetarian is a lifestyle change and something that comes from a sense of responsibility. I want to thank my fans for their vote and I am enjoying the sexy tag."

Did Aishwarya Rai go the IVF way for baby boy?

Wannabe starlet Bhairavi posts on 'superstars going to clinics specialising in boys' and then talking about wanting a girl; calls it 'typical UP mentality'

We asked Bhairavi Goswami about a rather attention-grabbing post that seems to have come from her, on superstars wanting to have baby girls and actually having gone to IVF clinics to have boys. Here's what she says. Is it her? Is it not her? You tell us!

Excerpts from the interview:

The Post:
Nauseating 2 read superstars givg interviews abt wanting a girl baby whn she has gone 2 Bangkok to an IVF clinic which specializes in boy babies. Height of hypocrisy. They knw damn well its a boy, aftr all she has to produce a male heir at any cost – Typical UP mentality, no wonder that state has such high female foeticide (sic)

There's this rather sharp tweet of yours that's being talked about, it seems to refer to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan...
I don't tweet about celebs as a policy. I tweet about social issues close to my heart. As a rule, I don't tweet about celebs, actors or personalities of any field (sic). They don't need any attention, and I'm interested in the common man, not celebrities.

So this tweet that talks about a superstar talking about wanting a girl...
It doesn't even have to be a local Bollywood superstar, it can be, like, any superstar, right?

But it is your tweet?
It can be a Hollywood superstar, it can be any superstar, can't it?
(Yes, with a UP mentality, right!)

But that is your tweet, right? Your account?
The account is a public account. It's 'Bhairavi Goswami fan club', it has not been posted on my personal account, it has been posted on my FB page which is not managed by me. I also do post on it sometimes, I agree, but there are three of us who have the password, there are three people who are page admin – my manager, and another friend of mine who handles my shows and events. This tweet was not posted on Twitter. Since they're all interlinked – LinkedIn, MySpace – but this was originally posted on my fan page. So it's not my personal site. It was not posted on my account. It was posted on my fan page.

And not by you?
It was not posted on my personal account, which can be checked.

But it wasn't posted by you either – that's what you're saying?
No, as in... (pauses) Why do you have to get into this? But it was not posted on my personal space at all. Not on my personal account.
(Sorry Bhairavi, but you got into stuff. We're only getting into why you got into it. And this cyber-nuance is kind of incomprehensible!)

Then the comment's got nothing to do with you – it could have been someone else's?
Yes. And this comment has nothing to do with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or any... I don't talk about celebrities, I'm not interested in celebs and what they're doing. I'm interested in social issues.

But you are aware of the comment?
Someone called me from Mumbai earlier, and at 7.30am I got a call from a website saying they're going to run a story, so I said, why are you asking me? And they said we want a clarification. I haven't logged on to my computer. I said I don't have a computer because it got stolen two months ago and I haven't bought a new one. I said I don't own a laptop, and if you actually check this comment, and if you look at any comments on Facebook or Twitter, they say 'posted from iPhone'. I have an iPhone, and several other comments are also 'posted from an iPhone'. This one does not say 'posted from an iPhone', which means it was posted from a laptop. It's on record that my laptop was stolen. And I'm not that desperate that I'll go to a friend's house and say, 'Hey, can I open your laptop, post a comment, then shut your laptop and go back home?' I'm as of now not so desperate.

Well, then, wherever it's come from, the comment must be getting you a lot of unwanted attention. Aren't you going to have it removed?
I've nothing to worry about – I haven't committed a crime or anything, I've done nothing wrong, so I don't really... I've not broken the law as of now, so I don't think I'm going to get arrested, and I haven't defamed anyone, I don't think I'm going to get sued, so let it be. And I don't have a laptop and I'm leaving right now for Pune. My horse has got colic and I got a call at 5am. So it's not my priority to go to someone's house and open a laptop... because on the iPhone, as you know, you can only tweet or post. You can't get into history and delete. You need to be on a laptop for that. So I'm not... my priority is my horse, my priority is not some tweet posted four days ago. Not interested.

(Later, about Aishwarya, she says) "It's her pregnancy, I wish her well. But I'm not interested in whether she's having a girl baby or a boy baby, it's her personal business and doesn't concern any of us."

Victoria won't bare baby bump

She's all set to deliver a baby girl in a couple of days, but Victoria Beckham has no plans of showing off her baby bump by posing nude.

The pregnant singer-turned-fashion designer says, "I'm not really one of those people that likes to go out, pose and flaunt being pregnant. Not like there's anything wrong in that. I'm so proAud to be pregnant and feel blessed and so happy. But I'm just not that kind of person. So no, I won't be taking my clothes off. I don't think anyone needs to see that, other than my husband. Absolutely not!"