gossip artis HOLLYWOOD~BOLLYWOOD~MALAYWOOD

慖抦 dying to do a Comedy Film!

With 態enares

Amisha in Goa

Amisha Patel is having the time of her life in Goa working especially with woman director Reema Kagti for Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd. She'll be in Goa for a month.

According to Amisha a woman director understands the psychology of a female actor very well. But she is not having the time to enjoy the beaches because of the round the clock schedule.

The executive producer of the film is Zoya Akhtar. Her other films are Dharmesh Darshan's Aap Ke Khatir with Priyanka Chopra, Ankahee of Vikram Bhatt with Esha Deol.  

Amisha Patel looks forward to her 2006 releases

Amisha Patel may be heaving a sigh of relief inspite of 3 flops in a row. Afterall why not as she has finally managed to clear her backlog of films like 'Mere Jeevan Saathi', 'Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai' and 'Teesri Aankh - The Hidden Camera'.

From now she can look forward to her upcoming films with a fresh mindset as each of them sounds promising while belonging to diverse genres. First to come should be Vikram Bhatt's 'Ankahee' that should see her in different shades while enacting the role of a wronged wife. Then there is another hard hitting film titled 'Tathastu' where she would be seen with the likes of Sanjay Dutt. To get a little light hearted after two dramatic movies in a row, she has 'Aap Ki Khatir' by Dharmesh Darshan who is known for presenting his heroines with great Indian grace!

Here is wishing Amisha Patel all the very best for her new innings ahead!



[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 11-4-2006 05:35 PM ]

Tusshar plays a brattish 'gunga' in 'Golmaal'

TUSSHAR has had a rocking year last year with the super success of Kya Kool Hai Hum. The resounding success has also given him the much-needed fillip to experiment with his roles.

Tusshar has gone in for a completely new makeover in Rohit Shetty's 'Golmaal'. Apart from that, Tusshar plays the role of a mute in Golmaal. Says Tusshar, 'It is a very challenging role because though this character is 'gunga', he is always up to mischief. He is a complete brat!'

Golmaal which also stars Ajay Devgan who plays the head of a gang of young guns. Adds Tusshar 'It will be a rollicking comedy' but Tusshar has also done his homework for the role. Well-known actor in the theatre circuit, Vikas Kadam of 'All the best' fame trained Tusshar for over a month on the various nuances of a 'mute'.

Says Tusshar with a tinge of satisfaction, "It definitely was a difficult role but my training and home work and rehearsals made it easier. Such roles are always difficult to enact. They have their own way of expressing themselves. It was quite a learning experience and humbling too."

Tusshar is only pleased that with the success of 'KKHH' he can afford to take more risk. "A hit under your belt always help. I will continue to be experimental with roles that will help me grow as an actor," says Tusshar.

And with good projects like Subhash Ghai's GOOD BOY BAD BOY & Satish Kaushik's KYA LOVE STORY HAI, Tusshar is definitely on track.

Tushar plays mute in comedy Golmaal

Tushar Kapoor has finally got the much-needed lift in his career with his last flick Kya Kool Hai Hum. He is now busy experimenting with roles and looks. He has a good amount of variety at hand. He is doing Kya Love Story Hai with Ayesha Takia, which is directed by Satish Kaushik.

It is a different love story. He is also doing a pivotal role in Mukta Arts film Good Boy Bad Boy that also stars Emraan Hashmi. He is doing one of his most interesting roles of all times. He plays a mute in Rohit Shetty's film Golmaal. He has gone through a lot of training to play a mute perfectly.

He has learnt the sign language that is used by mute people. It is a very challenging role for him to essay. The film also stars Ajay Devgan who is the leader of the young guns of bollywood. The film is a laugh riot.

Pooja Bhatt: I have never struggled per se!

She hails from a heavyweight Bollywood dynasty. Today actress-turned-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt - daughter of Mahesh Bhatt - is making the family name her own with a series of out-of-the-box films.

Legends can cast long shadows. It took years for Pooja Bhatt to emerge from under the shadow of her father Mahesh Bhatt, uncle Mukesh Bhatt, and grandfather Nanabhai Bhatt. But she has blossomed in the recent past, earning appreciation with box-office successes, such as 'Jism', 'Sur' and 'Paap', which gave her the impetus to work more independently in 'Holiday'.

"'Holiday' is a turning point in my career... in my life. My metamorphosis started with my decision of making 'Holiday' on my own. I did not want my father to be present on my sets and prevent me from making errors. I wanted to learn from my mistakes; whether the film would be a success or failure, I wanted to be accountable for it. So I went to Goa and with my narrow understanding of cinema and made this film completely on my own. It was important for me to end my dependence on my father. Yes, there were several hiccups, but the end-result was worth it."

Pooja is calm and affable, relishing her choice of words. And, interestingly, the only thing she likes to talk about more than her films is her father. "Why should I ever get fed up talking about my dad?" she asks. "He is a brilliant man who leaves audiences with thousands of memories, but I have got anecdotes and advice tucked away inside my head. I am always amazed that there are more to come out, but one day something triggers something off and a new idea emerges."

"I have never struggled per se," she says. "I wish I could feed you tales of deprivation, but I just remember my debut being rather cheerful." So was the fun factor high, I wonder? "It never actually feels like fun when you're going through it," says Pooja. "It feels normal."

If you set Pooja off, she'll tell stories late into the night. She is a great raconteur. Pooja and I have met a few times already in the recent past. The girl who was pretty much last to leave at any party had gone through a complete transformation. "I am not into clubbing anymore. I find it all very repetitive; the same faces, same music - I have had enough of all this. I was determined that my life would not end with a round of parties and failed relationships; it would take off from there. You can spend nights attending fashion shows or go clubbing but suddenly you wake up and years have gone by. I would rather gamble with a number of films than with how many Tequila shots I can hold! I want to make unusual films and be a platform that offers talented actors a chance to perform; this is why I launch a new face in each of my films."

There's a peculiar pattern to the films Pooja has served up recently. Hailing from an illustrious family - with several box-office successes to its credit - why does she make only small-budget films, I wonder? "Small budget movies offer the opportunity to experiment. If I were to make a big budget extravaganza, I would be bound by market considerations, which in turn would kill my creativity. I don't want anyone to tell me what to put in my film. Don't big banners shot in foreign locales flop at the box-office?"

"I learned this from my father," she continues. He was not on the sets of 'Holiday' and I did fine on my own. But I think the next time I'll be far more experienced. I have also learned from watching others direct me. Acting and filmmaking are my passions. It's not a case of my feeling a pressure to direct, just a passion to make a good film. So I can approach filmmaking with a relaxed attitude. Things are easier when they are not born of desperation."

As strong a filmmaker as she's now proving, Pooja is likely to return to acting if she is offered a plum role. "I have not quit acting; I have taken a hiatus. There were no challenging offers. After doing movies like 'Daddy', 'Sir', 'Zakhm' and 'Tamanna', a formulaic role will not interest me. Unless the role is challenging, why should I waste my time and energy on a film? I would rather make good films." Some say, the success of her previous films has affected her; how true is it? "Such allegations are totally baseless! Look, I did 'Daddy' at the age of 17; I was a veteran actress at 21. After that there weren't any good offers and I asked myself, 'now what?' I didn't want to do a film for 'x' amount of money; that is why I switched over to filmmaking. Acting is just one of the things I did in life. Simple!"

There's a knock at the door. Pooja's father, Mahesh Bhatt, has arrived and they're going shopping for rare books to Khan Market. Then she has to nip to the theatre for a photo-session followed by a dinner hosted by ad man-turned-actor Suhel Seth. "'It's going to be insane, but it has to be done," she grins.

Riya Sen not so Hot anymore

Glam girl Riya Sen will be seen in a deglamourised role in Sangeet Sivan's "Money Money Money".

The insiders said she doesn't mind the Plain Jane look because, she feels, she is blessed with flawless beauty that doesn't need to be highlighted with makeup.

Riya is looking forward to the film and is happy to be part of it.  

Dia Mirza nursing a superhero

The buzz is that photographer-turned-producer Subi Samuel's debut film "Alag" falls in the genre of "Superman" and is similar to Rakesh Roshan's "Krrish".

Directed by Ashu Trikha, the film revolves around the character played by Akshay Kapoor - first seen in "Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao" - who has special electromagnetic powers and anything electrical in nature reacts to him.

Whenever he is upset, electric bulbs in the room start flickering. And when he tries to speak while angry, the energy reaches such a point that bulbs and other glass objects in the vicinity start breaking.

Gorgeous Dia Mirza plays a psychologist in the film, who reads minds. She isthe link between the hero and the outside world.

Alag is produced by Subi Samuel and Its music is composed by Aadesh Shrivastava.

Sexual attraction is no big deal : Saif Ali Khan

Q: You've a very unusual release coming up?
A: I loved Being Cyrus. Speaking honestly厀hether it's Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara or Homi Adajania's Being Cyrus , I feel I've gone to a different level as an actor. I may be a little unsure at the beginning of a project.

But instinctively I think I'm getting it right. Being Cyrus is my first English-language film. It's a different kind of cinema. It's a quality film. It should be evaluated in its own space. It's a quirky dark indefinable cinema. I'm quite proud of it.

Q: People are interested in Being Cyrus primarily because you're in it?
A:That sounds like a huge burden to carry around. I must warn people Being Cyrus not my regular kind of movie. I've done what I was expected to. If they expect me to do comedy and sing songs like in Salaam Namaste or Hum Tum then they'd be disappointed.

I'll be seen without my shirt, though, ha ha. It's a bit of a noire thriller. I say 'bit', because it only took twenty of my shooting days. It's a good little story. And cinematographer Jehenagir Chowdhary has shot it amazingly.

Q: Did it allow you to stretch yourself as an actor?
A: It did, actually. Homi was very insistent on me not being at all posed or filmy.

Q: Homi is also a scuba driver.
A: He's a lot of things. He wants to show a lot on his cv I think. I thought he'd be a laidback rugby-playing, beer-drinking kind of guys. But I was quite surprised by his dedication and sincerity as a director.

Q: Did you hit it off instantly?
A: No initially he used to irk me somehow, giving instructions like, 'Don't stand like some Bollywood star'. I finally told him this film would get released only in Mumbai gym. That's when the ice broke. We laughed and laughed together. Homi gave me back something that I had lost. He gave me back my sense of humour.

We laughed the way only men do at some jokes. I had a blast with him. I remember I once bent down near him because I had dropped my cigarette. He quipped, 'My God, you aren't touching my feet, are you?' Homi is like that.

Q: Did this film come at a time when you were grappling for the correct grammar of expression?
A: Not really. I remember I was sitting at Nataraj studio when Homi came to narrate the script. At that time my first thought was, it would be fun to do a film in a language in which I think. At the same time I also wanted to be part of Being Cyrus because it sounded like an interesting and brave effort. I realized there was no money in it.

Q: Is money a decisive factors for selection?
A: It is certainly one of the factors. Why not? I've seen enough actors trying to live on commitment. It doesn't work. Often actors waste their time doing films that have no impact. There was no money in Being Cyrus.

But I was impressed by the production. I think today after doing films like Being Cyrus and Omkara I'd do movies just because I felt they're right. These films allow you to call yourself an actor.

Q: About doing a film in a language that you think in

Manisha Koirala gave 'supari' to kill her secretary?

After Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan it's now actress Manisha Koirala fell in trouble due to gangster Abu Salem's confession to police.

A TV channel recently reported that Salem confessed during his recent brain-mapping and narco tests that actress Manisha Koirala had given him a supari to kill her secretary Ajit Dewani.

The TV channel reportedly claimed that Salem indeed named the actress. According to the TV reports, Salem confessed that he had killed Dewani after being "approached" by Koirala who had a monetary dispute with her secretary.

However as per Bollywood sources, the dispute between Manisha and her secretary Ajit was resolved much before Ajit's murder in June 2001 by two Salem shooters. Also Jai Jeet Singh, additional commissioner of the anti-terrorist squad, said the report false. "This is just speculation. The forensic report is with me in a sealed envelope. Nobody knows its contents. I would just say that the news is false," said Jai Jeet Singh.

Koirala is now in Australia and we couldn't contact her.



[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 7-4-2006 04:58 PM ]

Aishwarya-Rani-Saif enthralled Australians!

It's a golden moment for our Bollywood stars to cherish life long. Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherji, Saif Ali Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta and Isha Sharvani took almost a lakh spectator gathered at the closing ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Cricket stadium by storm with their enthralling performance.

India as the host of the next edition of the Games to be held four years later in Delhi showcased India's diverse culture, magnificent landscape and rich heritage by the stars' presentations.

Shera, the Mascot of Delhi Games, was brought into the stadium accompanied by Indian global icons - former Miss World Priyanka Chopra and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta.

The India segment led off with Isha Sharwani, Isha's performance was a yoga-inspired dance.

And then Aishwarya Rai, with dancers with petals forming a rose, she appeared performing a dance and golden rays unfurled all around the stage to represent the sun and monuments of India and Delhi were projected on to the main stage.

Next it was Saif Ali Khan, he combined with Rani Mukherji danced to the tune of bhangara, called "Delhi Dhamaal' scripted by well-known lyricists, Gulzar and Javed Akhtar.

Aishwarya Rai


Rani Mukherjee


Saif Ali Khan


[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 7-4-2006 05:00 PM ]

Esha, Diya at Mrs World contest
  
Diya Mirza, Amrita Arora, Arbaaz Khan and designer Neeta Lulla will be part of the jury, while Esha Deol, Dino Morea and singer Sukhwinder Singh will perform at the Mrs India World 2006 contest, scheduled to take place at a suburban hotel.

The winner will be India抯 official entry to the Mrs. World 2006 contest at Russia.

Esha Deol


Diya Mirza

Urmila takes up another challenging role  

'Bhoot' girl Urmila Matondkar is quite excited about her forthcoming release 'Banaras - A Mystic Love Story.' "I play a normal college going girl called Shwetambari. Certain things happen in her life, which change the course of her life. The film deals with mysticism and culture in a big way within the commercial format. I was amazed when I read the script written by producer L C Singh," she said.

"'Banaras - A Mystic Love Story' sets out to show certain aspects of our culture. Till date I have never acted in a film like this, which has been shot totally on our soil. What is interesting about the film is that it does not set out to sermonise or whitewash anything," Urmila said.

The film directed by Pankuj Parashar also starts Ashmit Patel. Raj Babbar and Dimple play Matondkar's parents in it. Unlike her role in the film, Urmila, known to take risks as an actor, admits she is not much of a spiritual person and had to read some books to get into the skin of her character.

"For an actor, risk taking is important because there is this challenge of you not knowing what it entails when you take a risk. I was criticised when in the initial stages of my career I went ahead and attempted doing different kinds of films instead of letting myself stagnate with stereotyped roles," she said.

Arjun ban gaya producer

Arjun Rampal will soon be launching himself as a producer with a film that will be entirely shot abroad.

Actor Arjun Rampal has joined the bandwagon of star producers. The actor will soon be launching himself as a producer with a film that will be entirely shot abroad.

The actor will also be playing the main lead in the film. Arjun plans to launch a new face for the female lead in the film. "The search is on for the new girl,"informs an insider.

Not only will he be launching a new girl, he's also looking to give a break to a new director. Vivek, an assistant to cinematographer Ashok Mehta who launched Arjun as an actor, will be the director, with Mehta as the cinematographer for the film.

Arjun, who is currently in Kuala Lumpur shooting for Farhan Akhtar's Don was not available for comment, but a source close to the actor said, "the film will not be a run-of-the-mill subject, but something very different."

Some of the other actors who have been successful film producers are Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan. Arjun too hopes to be successful.

Madhuri misses the dhak-dhak days

Madhuri Dixit, now holidaying in Mumbai, says she reminisces about her years in the film industry but doesn't miss the hustle and bustle of Bollywood.

The actress, who shifted to the US after marrying an NRI doctor, says: "I miss my craft, the preparation for scenes, the nervousness before every shot and all that dhak-dhak."

Madhuri is planning a comeback and getting good offers too, but her priority is location.

It would be difficult for the producers in Mumbai to reach you in LA?
The world is becoming such a small place. People sitting in Hong Kong do business with people in India. So communication is not a problem.

Most people feel there can never be another Madhuri Dixit.
In fact, the audiences still send me fan mails. It is a beautiful feeling to be loved and cherished. Talent never dies. I was very apprehensive about dancing on stage. I hadn't done it for four years. To my surprise, it wasn't difficult.

Even Sarojji (Khan) said it didn't look like I had been away for so long. Acting and dancing are hard to forget.

Do you miss the film industry?
It depends on what you mean by the industry. If you mean the paraphernalia, then I don't miss that. But I miss my craft, the preparation for scenes, the nervousness before every shot and all that dhak dhak....
But I hardly have time to think of all this in LA. My kids are young - one and three years old - and demanding. But in a quiet moment I do think about my studio life.

Do you miss the adulation?
Not at all! I am too busy being the wife and mom. It was a dream for me to have my own family. And I have it today. I grew up in a big family. It was very important for me to have one of my own... as important as my stardom, in fact more... I enjoyed the acting. But I was sure of how many years I'd give my career. After enjoying every bit of that I'm now enjoying domesticity.

You have come back to a different film industry...
Yes I have. Today's films are technically so much more advanced. And since Hindi cinema now goes to many parts of the world, they are aesthetically far better than the films earlier on. I look at some my earlier films and cringe.

But that was what filmmaking was about then. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Though it's great to see the changes. I love the care taken to look into details.

Do you have lots of friends in the industry?
Not very many. But yes I have lots of well-wishers. And I know if they have something in mind, they'll approach me. The project has to be worth my while. Actually there were three films I was supposed to do two years ago. But they didn't happen because I got pregnant.

I guess at that point of time bringing up a baby was more exciting than doing a movie. Now people who come to me, do so with concrete characters and not just random offers. That's wonderful. I am open to all kinds offers as long as I am not asked to do anything boring.

Have you watched any films lately?
I saw a few songs of Bunty Aur Babli. I love the song Kajra re. Parineeta is the only one film I have seen and I liked it.

Salman-Bips-Fardeen-Lara waiting for a 慛o Entry

Hrithik Roshan's 'Krrish' to get a cut?

Yesterday afternoon Hrithik Roshan's wife Suzanne has given birth to a baby boy, the proud father almost in a celebrating mood, but the happiness, though a little but hampered of course as the news of the Animal Welfare Board has raised objection against his forthcoming film 'Krrish' for the use of animals in the movie hit in evening on the same day.

And the Censor Board is seized of the matter. As per source, in the film, a mare has been used while portraying a Hindu marriage scene, which invoked AWB's wrath. However the scene has been shot in Singapore, and the animal board of that country has allowed the use of animals during its shoot. But the Censor Board is insisting that the marriage scene has been shot in Uttaranchal, and the mare has been used in the scene without the permission of the state's animal board.

Now the Censor Board has two options, one, they will pass the film uncut after getting clearance from AWB, or they may have to insist producer-director Rakesh Roshan for a cut. However the industry circle stood by the Roshans. They want AWB to withdraw their objections.

Priyanka turned down Subhash Ghai抯 offer!

'Aitraaz' was the film, which brought Priyanka Chopra first to the attention of the audience. Abbas-Mustan had directed the movie and Subhash Ghai produced it under his production banner Mukta Arts. The film had given the much-needed boost to Priyanka's career. And after 'Aitraaz', Priyanka had committed to do a film for Mukta Arts. So when Subhash Ghai set to do 'Shaadi Se Pehle', he offered a role to Priyanka.
However Priyanka had turned down his offer saying she had reservation about playing opposite Akshaye Khanna. Ghai recently recalled the Priyanka episode in an interview. "Priyanka rejected my offer saying she needed to be case opposite relatively bigger actors than Akshaye."

However Subhash hadn't dropped Akshaye to get Priyanka. Ayesha had been roped in as Priyanka's replacement. 'Shaadi Se Pehle' now stars Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia and Mallika Sherawat in the leads is slated to release in April. Let's the film release, then it will be proved whether Priyanka was wrong or right in her decision.  

Priyanka Chopra

Know when Priyanka will quit films!

Actress Ayesha Takia has already declared that after her marriage she will stop doing films. But Priyanka Chopra wants to quit even before the marriage. In a recent interview, sexy Priyanka said she is too young to fall in love. "At present, I just want to concentrate more and more on my work, and nothing else," she quipped. But she wants to quit films immediate after she will fall for a person she long desires. "I believe in love so much that I know it will happen to me someday where I won't see beyond the person and then I'll just give it up," gushed the sensational leading lady of Bollywood in a much convincing gesture. Priyanka's next release is Rakesh Roshan's 'Krrish' opposite Hrithik Roshan, scheduled to rock theatres in August.

Aishwarya Rai too busy for Will Smith

Here's the hitch - and it involves Will Smith: Aishwarya Rai has charmed the Hollywood actor, who wants her to appear in his new film. But Rai is busy on the dates he wants.

Smith, 37, raved about Rai during his first visit to India last month. He wants her to shoot with him for three months starting in July - the same dates she has committed to Indian director Ashutosh Gowariker, the DNA newspaper reported Saturday.

Gowariker is working on a period film, "Jodha Akbar," the story of an arranged marriage between Emperor Akbar and his wife that later blossomed into love.

"We are in a bit of a situation. Aishwarya will obviously stick to her earlier commitment to `Jodha Akbar' as she is very professional. But if she loses out on Will Smith's film, it would be a great loss. Let's see what happens. We're hoping for the best," Hari Singh, Rai's business manager, was quoted as saying.

Smith has said he wanted Rai to star with him in the 2005 romantic comedy "Hitch," but was told she was filming "Bride & Prejudice."

The newspaper said Rai planned to ask Gowariker to free her up on those dates, but that might not be possible because co-star Hrithik Roshan, a major Bollywood star, would also have to reschedule.

Aishwarya Rai