gossip artis HOLLYWOOD~BOLLYWOOD~MALAYWOOD

Preity Zinta Bubbling to the Top

One of the highest paid actress in Bollywood Preity Zinta is a darling of the national news media, not because of her antics as a Bollywood star, but because of her willingness to speak her mind and stand up for her values on issues of core concern to all.  

Preity Zinta never had to flash flesh to establish her popularity in Bollywood. When you have talent and charm well defined dimples can be more attractive than well defined boobs! One of the highest paid actress in Bollywood, Preity Zinta does just a few films every year and yet manages to stay in the limelight. She is a darling of the national news media, not because of her antics as a Bollywood star, but because of her willingness to speak her mind and stand up for her values on issues of core concern to all. Preity steers clear of the temptation to cash her success by signing up too many films. She does not believe in the making hay while the sun shines, confident that the sun will continue to shine for her in reward of her sincerity and hard work.

Preity has just finished shooting for Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehnaa, KANK for short, which additionally stars Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherji. The film has been largely been shot in the US.

Karan Johar and the star cast have so far been tight lipped about the film's storyline. However, based on leaks it is believed it revolves around a budding romance between Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherji who are married to different people. When their feelings for each other surface in the open, lives of everyone involved are affected and things change forever.

Priety has stuck to her image of bubbly roles since her debut film, Dil Se but with KANK she hopes to change that. Preity believes that her role of a very ambitious magazine editor in KANK is unlike anything that she has done in the past. The role has given her a chance to portray different aspects of being a woman.

In the past Priety has not shied away from unconventional roles having played an unwed mother in Kya Kehna and Salaam Namaste and performed a negative role in Armaan.

KANK is scheduled for release in August 2006 but her fans will have to keep a watch on the date which has already been moved up from June 2006.

Priety with other Bollywood stars such as Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sushmita Sen are currently on a world tour with the Bollywood show 'Heat'. The tour was recently in Atlanta, Georgia, USA where Priety danced to hit songs from her past hit films, Mission Kashmir, Hum Tum and Veer Zara. the audience was charmed with her stage performance. She also danced with Saif Ali Khan to the beat of Salam Namastey songs and had the audience in splits essaying the Salam Namastey style of humor.

Zinta is said to be dating Bombay Dyeing heir, Ness Wadia, son of industrial Nusli Wadia.

Kareena: All charged up!

Kareena Kapoor is all set to sizzle the screen in 36 CHINA TOWN that releases tomorrow. She is also working for her forthcoming film OMKARA with Ajay Devgan and Saif Ali Khan where she plays Desdemona. OMKARA is an adaptation of Shakespeare's play 'Othello'. He (Othello) starts suspecting his wife Desdemona of infidelity and eventually kills her in a fit of rage.

Also the latest buzz doing the rounds is that she has buried the hatchet with Karan Johar and is doing his next film. Kareena has also won Zoom's most glamourous Filmstar award recently. She feels glamour is a very subjective term. Glamour could mean different things to different people. As for her dream role, she informed a section of press that she's very keen on doing a film with her sister Karisma and it would happen very soon.  

Incidentally beau Shahid Kapur wants to do a genuine love story with Kareena as he feels 36 CHINA TOWN and Priyadarshan's forthcoming film CHUP CHUP KE (in which he co-stars with his real life love) are not love stories in the true sense of the world.

Actresses get more popular after crossing 30: Urmila

Age is not a factor for actresses to get more film offers and real acting starts only after 30, Bollywood star Urmila Matondkar said on Tuesday.

"Age is no bar ... Aishwarya Rai who has crossed 30 is getting more films. In fact, film actresses become more popular after crossing the age of 30," Matondkar, who was here to inaugurate a garment showroom, told newspersons.

She said she was getting more films now and her next movie 'Speed' would be releasing shortly.

The 'Rangeela' girl said she was also acting in a film directed by eminent filmmaker, Shyam Benegal, but the name of the venture has not been announced yet.

Asked whether she was also acting in any film by Ram Gopal Verma, who has directed her in many a hit movie, she said "please ask him about this."

Sanju, Arshad together again!

They shared amazing chemistry in Munnabhai MBBS, and cracked you up with their one-liners.

Now, they're all set to thrill in Anthony Kaun Hai.

Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi come together again in this thriller, directed by Raj Kaushal (Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, Shaadi Ke Laddoo).

Also starring Minisha Lamba, who made a startling debut in Yahaan, Anthony Kaun Hai is scheduled for a June release.

Meanwhile, here's an exclusive first peek at the poster.

Sanjay Dutt & Arshad Warsi

JIMMY BANKS ON 'DELHI HEIGHTS'

Jimmy Shergill and his wife Priyanka are made for each other. This is the feeling of the two even today though several years have passed since their marriage. Who dated whom, and who dared express one's love for the other is no longer a secret. Both confess that their common friends did play the vital role in bringing and binding them together for life. In his professional life too, Jimmy is lucky. He has to his credit movies like 'Maachis', 'Haansil', 'Charas', 'Mohabbatein', 'Dil Vil Pyar Vyar ' and 'Umar'. And, that's not the journey's end.

His forthcoming movies are still more important . They are 'Tom Dick Harry', 'Rehguzar', 'Khaffa', 'Yun Hota To Kya Hota', 'Bas Ek Pal' and 'Eklavya'. Besides, Jimmy is equally proud of his Punjabi movie 'Yara Naal Baharaan' opposite Juhi Babbar, and his next to come 'Mannat'. Jimmy is very excited about Onir's 'Bas Ek Pal' starring Urmila Matondkar, Juhi Chawla, Rehan Engineer and Sanjay Suri. The movie's story is about five friends living in a metro and their human relationships. Jimmy didn't miss an opportunity to work with Nasseruddin Shah either as he readily agreed to act in his 'Yun Hota To Kya Hota' starring Irfaan Khan, Boman Irani, Suhasini Mulay and Paresh Rawal beside others, when Arshad Warsi quit it for dates' problem. Jimmy is placed opposite Konkanasen Sharma in it. Jimmy plays a cop in 'Khaffa' and a Rajasthani royal in 'Eklavya - The Royal Guard' starring millennium star Amitabh Bachchan . jimmy isn't shy of acting with the Big B as both have acted together in 'Mohabbatein'.

Last of all, Jimmy is playing an active role in 'Delhi Heights' , a love story being shot in and around Delhi these days with three couples. He plays opposite Neha Dhupia while Rohit Roy acts opposite Simone Singh and On Puri against Kamini Khanna. Yes, this is Sivaji Ganesan who ruled in Indian cinema for fifty long years is back with a bang with this movie.

Sushshshshshssh厖

Aishwarya not wearing any pants

Will they wont they? Is she mangilk or is she not? Are they going to get hitched or are they not?

So many questions are being asked about the relationship between Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. No one really knows what is happening. But one thing is quite clear, Abhishek is the one that is going to wear the pants in this filmi marriage, and not Aishwarya.

The poor girls was given a right telling off because of her mother抯 antics. It seems that Mama Rai has been talking a little too much to the press, and we all know how 憇hy

BIPASHA BASU actress on why she is acting only in multi-starrers now

'I've smartened up after the flops'

Why are you doing so many multistarrers?

I worked so hard on so many films like Madhoshi, Rakht and Chehra, which no one even saw. But I smartened up after all the flops. And decided to do only multi-starrers. No Entry was part of this scheme of mine.

If you can make your presence felt among 10 other actors, you know that you have done a truly good job. In the forthcoming Corporate, I will be seen with 35 actors.

For the moment, I am enjoying doing multi-starrers. Anyway, besides Shah Rukh Khan no one can guarantee a solo hit these days.

How has it been working in the film industry?

My years in the industry have been a learning experience. I made mistakes initially, since I do not come from a filmi background. As an outsider, my path has been, perhaps, a little more difficult than those of star kids. But I am proud of the fact that I am a familiar name.

What about your stint with comedy?

It's not that I have become an expert at it, but I am definitely more confident and have fewer inhibitions about doing it. The inherent quality to improvise exists and after a few more comic turns, I hope to become an expert.

And the future?

I want to start a restaurant but do not have time for it now. I want to do it myself. I also want to have a fashion label and a health spa. And also get married.

Is an announcement in the offing?

I have spoken extensively about John and so has he. He is not a national monument for me to keep talking about him.

Priyanka in a remake  

It's remake time in Bollywood. Since the time old classics like Devadas and Parineeta became a hit, there's a rush to remake Don and Sholay too.

It'sa  known fact that Farhan Akhtar is remaking Don with Shahrukh Khan. Priyanka Chopra will be playing Zeenath Aaman's role.

The actress says she is making effort to live upto the expectations of scores of people and admits that she can come nowhere near what Zeenath has done to the role.

The new spice in Viveik抯 life  

For all those who are wondering what actor Viveik Oberoi抯 upto these days, 揑抦 spicing up my life,

Does Ash have super-powers?  

While everyone knows that Hrithik Roshan has super-powers on-screen, not many are aware that our doe-eyed beauty, Aishwarya Rai is a super-woman in real life. Well, with the jet-speed at which this actress works, what else can one call her? She was shooting in Hubli (down South) at a break-neck speed, and she dashed across to Mumbai for only a day. And in those eighteen waking hours she spent time with family, heard scripts, scheduled meetings, caught up on some reading (yeah all those reams of pages dedicated to her which she抎 missed out on), did some costume trials and went for her hair color too. Phew! We wonder what抯 the secret of her super-power? It can抰 be just a super-cool man in her life, can it?  

Kareena抯 憌eighty

Bandmaster Salman is a self-promoter!  

Sallu never ceases to surprise us. While most of the other stars accompanying him on the recent shows around the world were in a confused state till the eleventh hour, on whether the show would take off as planned, Sallu went a step ahead of the rest of the gang. He took at earlier flight to the US of A to meet with the show promoters in various cities and assure them their show would happen, and that it will rock. He traveled internally and set up meetings with the organizers, he was almost orchestrating the entire show for the guys, so that there抯 no last minute panic - To be or not to be? Now with that added punch from Salman, the rest of the gang is ready to roll

Bipasha-Rimmi Sen become cheergirls!  

With movie 憄romotion songs

Ajay: The ideal ambassador!  

Remember there was a time when Ajay Devgan didn抰 believe in endorsing products? Well, the actor has had a change of heart of late, and the advertising industry, we hear is making hay while the sun shines. In fact, a source informs us, 揟he actor抯 clean image - that of a sensitive actor, a strong family man and his reputation for professionalism - has at least two to three offers for new ads coming in regularly.

Bipasha is scared of prawns!  

She may have one of the hottest hunks - John Abraham, protecting her all the time, but Bipasha admitted that she is scared of being attacked any moment. 揑抳e had so many prawns in the last few days that I think all the prawns of the world will gang up against me soon and attack me,

Reema Sen goes hubby hunting!  

She?s delivered one of the biggest hits of the year in Malamal Weekly, but Reema Sen isn?t signing films like crazy just to make hay while the sun shines. ??I?m taking it slow,? Reema told us when we asked about her future plans. ??It was a pleasure working with Priyadarsan and I hope to work with him again. I?ve waited a long time for this and I want to tread carefully now.? As for getting hitched, she says, ??I know everyone says I should, but at the cost of sounding clich?d, I am really not seeing anyone. But I think I?ll go hubby hunting now!? Look out guys, here?s your chance!   

Ajay抯 heart captured!  

When it comes to camaraderie, no one can beat our stars. Kareena, who was recently talking about her forthcoming film Omkara, came up with a sweet line. The actress, who loves her role and look in the film and is playing Ajay Devgan抯 love interest, said that while she was the soul of Omkara, Ajay was the heart of the film. We don抰 know about Ajay, but we抮e sure any other actor抯 heart would have skipped a beat at that lovely line!  

Kareena looks like Alicia Silverstone!  

She抯 played soft, demure, de-glam roles in the recent past, but you simply can't take the glam quotient away from a screen-sizzler like Kareena Kapoor. Ever since the promos of 36 China Town bombarded the television sets; everyone has been gushing about Bebo. Once again, she's being touted as the hottest thing in the movie circuit. In fact, many who've seen the promos are saying that KK reminds them of Alicia Silverstone grooving in rock group Aerosmith's videos. "I have got tremendous feedback for the promos of 36 China Town. Not just men, even women have been raving about it and showering me with compliments. I am totally flattered, "says an elated Kareena. Well gal, with the way you're looking in those promos, the swooning men out there will take a 360 degree spin!  

Kareena Kapoor


Alicia Silverstone

Hockey: Shah Rukh抯 answer to Aamir?  

Here抯 some inside info on Yashraj抯 Shah Rukh starrer. Apparently, the film revolves around hockey. Shah Rukh, we hear, plays a coach and is on the look out for eleven girls from all over the country who can form a strong team. Titled Chakde and to be directed by Shimit Amin (who did RGV抯 Ab Tak Chappan earlier), the film抯 storyline immediately brings to mind the hit films based on sports - Gurrinder Chaddha抯 Bend It Like Beckham and Aamir Khan抯 Lagaan, which were also loosely based around football and cricket respectively. 揙ne of the girls is a take off on the Udham Singh character which is so well known,