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Ash's commercial Umrao Jaan

Versatile Shabana Azmi says her forthcoming movie Umrao Jan is a mainstream Hindi movie, unlike the artistic version made 25 years ago.

"It is an entertaining film, a complete departure from Muzaffar Ali's version," Azmi says. Azmi is playing a role that her mother, Shaukat Azmi, performed in the classic version.

Muzaffar Ali won numerous awards in 1980s for Umrao Jaan, which has become a classic of Bollywood cinema and was a major hit despite being highly artistic.

Director JP Datta is shooting the film in Jaipur and dusty villages around Lucknow. It is likely to be released later this year.

"Ammi (mother) gave me tips on everything from costume to diction. I hope I am able to do justice to the role," she said. Azmi said it was probably the first time in India that a daughter has been cast in the same role played by her mother in an earlier version of the same movie.

The film tells the story of a courtesan named Ameeran, or Umrao Jaan Ada, who was kidnapped from her home and sold into a brothel filled with dancing girls in the old Indian kingdom of Oudh, centered around the modern city of Lucknow.

Aishwarya Rai plays the key role of Umrao Jaan alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Sunil Shetty.

I'm waiting for Amitabh's nod

Water is fast acquiring the reputation of being the most internationally feted Indian film since Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali.

After a screening in the US, litterateur Salman Rushdie described Water as a "magnificent film" and compared Mehta to Satyajit Ray.

"I'm deeply flattered by such comparisons. It just goes to show that the theme of humanism that Ray advocated has found its echoes in my Water," says Deepa

. Speaking on the film's recent screening in the US Depa says, "It was an evening I'd never forget. Everywhere I've gone with Water, the reaction has been that of stunned silence at the end. At the LA screening it was no different. And yet it was different.

There were dignitaries from all professions at the screening. They were just so overpowered. Seema Biswas' performance has them specially moved. Audiences in the West don't remember her as the Bandit Queen at all.

She's totally unrecognizable as the voice of reason Shakuntala in Water. We've so far had screenings in Washington, New York and LA. The impact is stunning. Our distributors Searchlight Fox are unleashing the kind of promotion and marketing in the US that's unheard of for a Hindi-language film."

Onto her forthcoming project. "I'm working on the script of my historical opus Kamagata Maru which I've now titled Exclusion. Once it's finished it will be sent to Mr Bachchan for his green signal. But I don't want to rush it. Water isn't allowing me to move away."

Before getting into Exclusion Deepa wants to do a comedy tentatively titled Stella. "It's a wacky fun comedy about a woman who's an out-and-out con person. I've just spoken to the Bollywood actress that I've in mind for the role. And she seems all for it. Now we just need to work out her dates. And we're on."

Manisha charms her fans abroad

Manisha Koirala managed to mesmerize her audience at the Caribbean'Bollywood Nite' held at the Center of Excellence Auditorium in the Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies, this week.

The actress who performed a distinctive ethnic song sequence, had the over-flowing crowd of 8,000 people screaming for more. As Manisha gyrated to a few conservative Indian songs, the audience burst into long spells of clapping and whistling.

"The response was just amazing. My performance was more culture-based. I guess, that did the trick!," she said, and added, "It felt real good to perform before such a receptive and cheering crowd."

Presented by Tony Maharaj and organized by AIM India (partnered by Chunky Panday and Abhijit Chowdhary), the event also saw Akshay Kumar, Urmila Matondkar, Dino Morea, Alisha Chinoy, Sukhwinder Singh and Kunal Ganjawala perform to 10,000 watts of live music at the Center of Excellence Auditorium on the Caribbean islands.  

Hrithik launches Krissh Merchandise

Pantaloon Retail India Limited (PRIL) in association with Filmkraft launched the'Krrish Merchandise' in Mumbai today. This is the first time that an Indian film merchandise will be manufactured and marketed in India through the organized retail format.

Krissh marks the entry of the'Super Hero

Protests in Uttar Pradesh against 'tax notice' to Amitabh

Activists of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), protesting across Uttar Pradesh Monday against an income tax notice Amitabh Bachchan has reportedly received, turned violent in Bollywood superstar's hometown Allahabad.

Samajwadi Party (SP) activists, wearing black sunglasses, took to streets here Monday to protest a reported notice by the income tax department to Bollywood actor over an alleged purchase of a costly pair of shades.

Nearly 200 activists of Uttar Pradesh's ruling party gathered outside the state assembly complex here and burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, whom they blamed for what they termed as "hounding of Bachchan by income tax officials."

Bachchan enjoys close proximity with Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav as well as SP general secretary Amar Singh.

Reacting to media reports about the income tax department serving him a notice for purchasing a pair of sunglasses worth Rs.270,000, Bachchan in a statement issued Sunday termed the story ridiculous. The department too has denied sending him any such notice.

However, what really provoked protests in parts of Uttar Pradesh was the rumour that the income tax authorities were after Bachchan simply because of his close association with Amar Singh and the ruling party.

In Allahabad, the superstar's hometown, SP activists turned violent and nearly stormed the income tax office. Pelting the office building with stones, they left a large number of windowpanes smashed and even caused injuries to about a dozen people.

Police personnel reportedly remained mute spectators while the SP activists indulged in vandalism. However, subsequent intervention by senior income tax officials compelled police to file complaints against 60 people.

In Lucknow, the demonstration outside the IT office building remained peaceful as the protesters confined themselves to raising slogans like "Sonia Gandhi murdabad" (down with Sonia Gandhi) and "Manmohan Singh murdabad" (down with Manmohan Singh).

They threatened to extend their protest to the entire state if the authorities did not stop Bachchan's "harassment".

"Enough is enough and we will not tolerate any further harassment of our idol Amitabh Bachchan," said Samajwadi Party leader Mujibur Rehman'Babloo', who led the demonstration.

Is Salman Khan unprofessional? A fan defends

From the regular feedback that we get from our readers, some do turn out to be quite informative. One such letter comes from a regular reader of IndiaFM and a hardcore fan of Salman Khan. Moimeme brought into light some interesting facts clearing the accusations on Salman Khan of being unprofessional and responsible for the cancellation of the recent Rockstars star concert in UK. Check out this letter where Moimeme defends Salman Khan.

In the last few days, there have been several reports in the media about the cancellation of the last show in the RockStar's tour starring Salman Khan and others. Like sharks scenting blood in the water, many people in the media have pounced on this cancellation to make gleeful or solemn pronouncements about Bollywood stage shows in general and Salman Khan in particular, blaming the cancellation on his lack of appeal to fans, his lack of responsibility in promoting the show properly, or his lack of seriousness in fulfilling his commitments. It all fits nicely into the preordained framework into which the media likes to imprison "Bollywood's Bad Boy." Only one problem, however- It doesn't fit with the facts.

What are the facts? To address just the London show to begin with, the media reports of its ticket sales has been steadily dwindling from "less than a thousand", to 600 to 300. Next no doubt we will hear that no one but the gate keepers were in attendance! According to actual fans who were there, however, there were several thousand waiting to be admitted when the announcement was made of the cancellation. If not poor ticket sales, then what was the reason for this cancellation?

Salman extends his heartfelt and sincere apology to all his fans and the general public for the cancellation of the London show. The reason behind this unfortunate cancellation was an argument between the local promoter and the international promoter over some money owed by the former to the latter. All the stars of the show were present at the arena ready to perform when the promoters made a decision to cancel it. Salman wants everyone to make sure that they contact the local promoter and get their money refunded. He also would like to confirm that there is no further Rock Star event scheduled for the near future as being rumored. Once again Salman wants to extend his apologies to all and that he is tremendously disappointed that he and the other stars did not get to perform for their fans, which they were very much looking forward to doing so.

So it is clear that it is not lack of attendance, but an excess of greed on the promoter's part that led to the cancellation.

On the general question of whether Bollywood stage shows are losing their appeal to fans abroad, the answer is that it depends on the show and the stars. When the New York promoters held a promotional event with Salman to meet fans, they were shocked (and the security completely overwhelmed) when over 10,000 people came, while the promoters were expecting a few hundred. At the New York show, the promoters made an announcement that, with all the rumors that Salman would be unable to come, ticket sales were around 1200 in four days before the show. But, in the last four days, once people were convinced that Salman would indeed be there, they sold over 9000 tickets! So much for Salman's lack of appeal to the fans?

Next, the question of Salman's "irresponsibility". One really wonders who is irresponsible here, the star, or the media who, if they weren't actually fabricating completely false stories and rumors, were certainly aiding and abetting those who were, by repeating every rumor without question or verification. To counter all these rumors, Salman not only came to the U.S. several days ahead of the rest of the Rock Stars team, but while there, he tirelessly gave his all to countering these lies about his not coming or shows having to be cancelled because of his absence. Let me tell you about one day of promotional activity by him, which I witnessed personally.

Salman was on the east coast of the U.S, and did an online chat with his fans until about 1:00 am local time. He then flew off at 5:00 am to go to San Francisco on the west coast, arriving there in time for a 11:30 press conference and meeting with fans. After spending the afternoon in San Francisco, he then flew to Los Angeles, for further press conferences, interviews with local TV shows, and more meetings with the fans. When I left the fan event at 8:00 pm, he was still there. He left later that night, flying to Chicago and arriving in the early morning of the next day, where he was to perform that night. In all, he had been on the go and working for 24 hours continuously, and traveled a total of about 9700 km, or almost the distance from Mumbai to Sydney, Australia! And this was just one day out of the many he spent in ensuring the success of these shows. For those who do not have a feel for the geographic extent involved in traveling in North America, a map of his travels might give a better idea. Check this Compare it with the amount of travel done by his fellow Rock Stars. Check this It is clear by comparing the two that the others basically traveled to the cities where the shows were being held on the day of the show, and confined their promotional activities to whatever couldbe accomplished in that short time. Is this the behavior of a man who is irresponsible?

And now for the last charge of lack of seriousness by Salman toward his professional obligations. From the very beginning, Salman has been very clear and explicit that his only purpose in doing these shows was to show his appreciation to his fans, and to do whatever he could to repay them for their support of him. To this end, he went wherever the fans were. He did not stay in the comfort and luxury of five star hotels or air conditioned TV studios, or even VIP dinners. He went to grocery stores, video shops, sari stores, and paan centers where ordinary people live and work. He did this braving, unruly and unmanageable crowds, with no or very little security, without considering the wear and tear on himself from the incessant criss-crossing of the country, risking his strength, his health, and his very life. At the end of the show in Chicago, about 30 overenthusiastic fans broke security and swarmed over the stage, imperiling Salman and the other performers. At the 'meet the fans' event in London on Friday night at a paan center, the crowd was so uncontrollable that he only left when they had broken open the glass window of the store he was in, and a riot seemed imminent. If Salman was not serious about anything, it was only about his own personal well-being and safety. Can you think of any other Bollywood star who would put himself out so unsparingly and for so little appreciation, not to mention vilification?

That brings me, finally, to the role of the media in all this. Many years ago, they wrote a script that seemed to bring them box office success, that of the "bad boy" who was wildly out of control, and around whom no one was safe, with little talent and no fan following. From the beginning, they have been confounded by the facts, by his undiminished (indeed, increasing) popularity, his loyal fan base that cannot be convinced or persuaded to think him anything other than their hero, despite the best efforts of the media. Now it is time for the media to throw out that old formula, and try to understand reality. Many filmmakers in Bollywood have recently found that today's audience is not so complacent as the one of previous years, and cannot be fobbed off with old-time formulas painted in start black and white, totally unconnected with reality. Today's viewers are more discerning, and more demanding, and expect a fact-based portrayal of life and characters in all their complexity and veracity. The same can be said for today's readers. No longer are they confined to only whatever their local media choose to make available to them. Thanks to the internet, they have the entire world open to them at their fingertips, and can find out the truth for themselves, without filtering or distorting by anyone else. Of course, these same resources are open to the media. Even the most perfunctory search of the internet would have turned up documentation of the facts I have cited here. But even the World Wide Web is of no use to those with closed minds.

Now I wonder, will this rebuttal of mine be published, or does "freedom of the press" mean only that those who own the presses are free to publish whatever they want, without challenge?  

'Rockstar' Salman back to woo fans!

Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan has helped pull off the Rockstar series in the US and Canada.

The series had received a lukewarm response "because the euphoria and excitement that was once prevalent about these shows has died down with too many such shows making the rounds," said Bunty Walia, one of the three organisers of the show.

Walia is however not disillusioned by its mediocre performance, reports Bollywood Trade. He says Salman's tremendous fan following gave the series a boost whenever he made his appearance on stage.

Walia is now looking forward to the next and final round, scheduled for June 9, 10 and 11 in Amsterdam and Birmingham.

"There's a great anticipation in these places for the concerts and they could just be a total sell-out," he says.

Meanwhile, he has decided to lie low on the production front before he starts his next film with director Apoorva Lakhia.

"That will happen in due course. I am also looking at other possibilities and tie-ups with other directors," he says.

Salman is really a bright light of hope

The celebrity image in general is what is projected by the media and gets perceived by the public. Human psychology dictates that parasocial identification with celebrities is associated with the image portrayed to the public.

However, things are different for Salman Khan in this prospect. Public emotions don抰 swing from left to right in his case. Fortunately, a celeb love-hate relationship does not exist in his case. Despite being portrayed as the 憭bad boy拻, he is the heart throb of masses. Being a Bollywood star is not the only causative factor behind his fame, he is loved because of his kind and gentle nature. He respects women and does not need to give any explanations; his attitude over the last 17 years clearly shows that he is a gentleman.

His good deeds and generosity have been completely disregarded by the media. He has brought a smile on the faces of the deprived; faces that many of us see everyday and walk away without a second glance. For such people, Salman is an angel who has brightened their lives.

People who know the real Salman are aware that beneath the actor-superstar is the real Salman; our loving, kind and beautiful Salman, our bright light!!!

Bollywood films becoming popular in Europe: Shah Rukh

After making inroads in the UK and US, Indian films are now becoming popular in France, Germany and Poland, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has said.

The Bollywood hearthrob, who was here for the release of the soundtrack of his new film 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna', told newsmen that the film, scheduled to be premiered on August 11 will have a sub-title in French.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Karan Johar's first directorial role in five years, is a story of two complex relationships of marriage, disappointment and ultimately betrayal.

On the theme of the film - extra-marital relations - Khan who has so far featured in a string of super successful love stories including Dil To Paagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Veer Zaara said it showed "the sign of maturity of the director.

"It is a great story, with great music," he said.

Asked whether Bollywood directors produced films keeping NRIs in mind, Johar said "we are quite emotional people and we produce films for Indians, whether in India or abroad."

Set in New York, the story revolves around the relationship between Dev (Shah Rukh Khan), and Maya (Rani Mukherjee). They are both married to different people. Dev is married to Priya (Preity Zinta) and Maya is married to Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan).

However, when Dev and Maya meet, the holes in their respective marriages become more apparent as they realise that they are perfect for each other.

Asked whether he planned to work in Hollywood films, Khan who has won more awards at the Filmfare Awards than any other Star in the history of Bollywood, said "I have not been offered any Hollywood roles.

"I feel very proud of those Indian actors and actresses who have been offered Hollywood roles."

Noting that Bollywood has a global audience of three billion worldwide, Khan said he was grateful to people who are kind to him.

On the song and dance in the film, he said "I love the fact that Karan and Farah Khan always stretch my dance skills, and create scenes that are so vibrant and colourful in all the films we have worked on together."

"The mood of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is very different... more sensitive in some scenes and yet much more exuberant in others. The soundtrack and the dances will take you on a parallel roller coaster to that of the film and the characters themselves," he said.

Johar said: "Many people view the music and dance in Bollywood films as purely incidental. I believe that the music is integral to the film, and for me it is developed very closely within the framework and structure of the film."

Why Priyanka went barefoot to Vaishno Devi

Bollywood favourite Priyanka Chopra went to the Vaishno Devi temple barefoot to pray for her ailing father and also because she had a lot to be grateful for.

'It was an awesome experience. I felt so much at peace just walking up that hill. I feel a load off my shoulder now,' Priyanka told IANS about her three-day trip to Vaishno Devi with her parents.

'What was it for? Oh, it was a sense of accumulated gratitude that took me to Vaishno Devi,' said Priyanka from Malaysia where she has rejoined the unit of 'Don' after a three-day break.

'I guess the visit to Vaishno Devi was long due. And I wanted it to happen before my father's next surgery. My father's illness was a reason for the pilgrimage. So was the release of 'Krrish'.

'So many things, good and bad, have been happening lately. Fortunately there has been no end to things to be grateful for. I guess I had a lot to speak to god about. So I just flew off to Jammu with my parents.'

At Vaishno Devi, Priyanka went barefoot up the hill while her parents were taken by a chopper.

'It was tough. But why do we need to talk about it? As a daughter and as an individual I have a certain relationship with god. And I value that relationship above everything else.'

Did she fly down from Malaysia only for the trip to Vaishno Devi?

'Of course! The minute I could get Farhan Akhtar to let me go, I flew back to Mumbai. I had been delaying the pilgrimage for a while now. My schedule just didn't allow me to take that crucial break. Now I am back to work on 'Don'.'

Kareena Kapoor joins the unit of 'Don', a remake of the 1970s hit and starring Shah Rukh Khan, in Malaysia from Thursday.

'That should be good fun. Kareena and I go back to 'Aitraaz'. We had a ball over that film,' said Priyanka.

She'll be unable to go to International Indian Film Academy ceremony taking place in Dubai.

'We are shooting in Malaysia non-stop until June 18. I have always given my work top priority over anything else. I have never allowed any event, no matter how important, to come in the way of my work.'  

Rai shines as IIFA kicks off

The International Indian Film Festival (IIFA) kicked off at the Grand Hyatt Dubai yesterday with scores of Bollywood stars gracing the red carpet. Apart from IIFA brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, who opened the four-day festival, other stars like Fardeen Khan, Suniel Shetty, Sohail Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta and Aishwarya Rai have all descended on the city.

Abhishek Bachchan, Hritihk Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee and others are expected to join later.擨ndian cinema is finally getting a global response. Mainstream Indian cinema is now been viewed and appreciated all over the world and this function just highlights that,

What Shahid loves about Bebo

Priyadarshan's Chup Chup Ke banks heavily on the screen chemistry between Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor, but Shahid refuses to consider that the sole criterion for the film's success.

"Kareena and I are only part of a film. The script, the characters and the music also contribute to a film's success," said Shahid, talking candidly about girlfriend Kareena.

"We are both young and single. We are lucky to be doing films together... that way we get to spend a lot of time with each other. But our careers are still priority, as both of us want to excel in our work."
  
When asked what he loves most about Kareena, Shahid said: "The way she wears her stardom and success... very casually!"

Once again you are paired with your girlfriend, Kareena Kapoor in Chup Chup Ke. Aren't you apprehensive about it ending up as Fida?

Remember Kareena and I are only part of a film. The script, the characters and the music also contribute to a film's success. In that way, I am very confident about Chup Chup Ke. It has shaped up really well.

For the first time you have worked with Priyadarshan in the film. What was the experience like?

Priyadarshan's forte is comedy, which is not loud or slapstick, but situational. Since it was something I had never attempted before, I was so nervous on the first day that I actually sweated.

It's my first film with him. It took me a few days to adjust to his style, but after that I was fine and started enjoying working with him.

How different is it from Priyadarshan's other films?

You have seen Priyan's successful comedies - Hulchul, Hungama, Malamaal Weekly, etc. But this one is a romantic comedy. It's a love story with loads of comedy.

You seem to enjoy comic roles...

Action, romantic... I love doing all types of roles. Each is challenging in its own way.

Tell us about Sooraj Barjatya's Vivaah and Ahmed Khan's Fool And Final?

Vivaah is a quaint romantic film while Fool... is an action flick. I think I am lucky to be working with so many big names and in so many genres so early in my career.

Kareena and you are quite open about your personal life...

Why not? We are both young and single. We are lucky to be doing films together... that way we get to spend a lot of time with each other. But our careers are still priority, as both of us want to excel in our work.

What do you love most about Kareena?

The way she wears her stardom and success... very casually!

And is marriage on the cards?

Presently I have only work on my mind!

What is the real Shahid like?

I am a very simple and down-to-earth person. I am a vegetarian who loves to gorge on Mumbai roadside food!

How do you find the audiences abroad?

I have done shows in Britain, the US, South Africa, Malaysia and other countries. Since the people there do not get to see us so often they get very excited and are terribly enthusiastic. It is very gratifying to perform for them.

What is your message to your fans abroad?

Enjoy all my films!

Shahid Kapoor & Kareena Kapoor


[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 18-5-2007 04:35 PM ]

Urmila抯 breathless schedule

Jet lag seems to have been invented for Urmila Matondkar. She has barely touched Mumbai after wowing Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies with her performance, when she抯 off to Dubai Thursday to attend the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards.

慖 have to go to Dubai because my friend Manish Malhotra has a fashion show there. But I won抰 be performing this time. Thank god! I抦 so exhausted,

Hold your breath, Madhuri is back

She is the celluloid Muse who launched a 1000 Bollywood banners, so to speak. Her very name sent Hindi movie buffs into raptures. This pop diva of yesteryears had one of the world抯 leading artists so inspired that he made a movie based on her. Well, who are we talking about?   

Let us set about to break the suspense. It is often said man was made in the image of his maker. By extension, if coquette Suganabai inspired late painter Raja Ravi Varma to create his legendary Godlike images, then illustrious film-maker Shaji Karun hopes to weave the same magic by bringing back Dhak-Dhak girl Madhuri Dixit to do an encore on the silver screen. Hold your breath. If the Bollywood grapevine is to be believed the Chandrumukhi of Devdas is likely to return as the Suryamukhi of late painter Raja Ravi Varma and is all set to blaze another historic trail in the annals of Indian cinema.

Let us delve a bit into the biographical moorings of the proposed film. While little is known of the legendary painter抯 personal life, he is known for drawing the likenesses of gods and goddesses. In order to give them an earthly demeanor, he found a model who was later to become his muse, and over a period of time, his lover. All this transpired over a century ago, and the artist in question was Raja Ravi Varma. Shocking as it may seem, he was married at the time of his extra-marital involvement. Now, well-known filmmaker Shaji Karun will etch this untold story and bring it on the silver screen with Madhuri Dixit as the model. The film has been tentatively named Suryamukhi (Sunflower), and shooting for the film is expected to begin later this year.

Now, what made Shaji抯 creative juices flow and make him embark on such an unconventional theme? This is what he had to say in a recent interview published in a film magazine: "The thought of filming the life of Raja Ravi Varma had been with me for a very long time. I was fascinated by his life, and intrigued by his efforts, through his paintings, to reconstruct the images of goddesses from what had been prevalent earlier." Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was an illustrious member of the royal family of Travancore. He drew inspiration from the styles of the past, but was also influenced by British portrait-painters of his time. In 1873, he won the first prize at an exhibition in Madras, and honors at the Vienna Art Exposition.

Film-maker Shaji Karun has just the right credentials to tackle such a subject. As a trained cinematographer, he began by shooting most of the movies of well-known Kerala director, G. Aravindan. Karun's first directorial venture Piravi (1988) won him the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He has won the national Swarna Kamal award as many as six times round.

Shaji, it is believed, met Madhuri Dixit and her agent in Mumbai some weeks ago. He was reported to say, "I instantly visualised her for the role because Suguna was a Maharashtrian, very pretty, and Madhuri also has a fleeting resemblance to the model as depicted in some of the Raja's paintings. Moreover, Madhuri's versatility will easily carry off the complications in the model's life." If things work out, this will be Madhuri's first movie since Devdas. For playing Ravi Varma, Shaji is in talks with two Bollywood stars. "I hope to take a final decision very soon," he adds.

Bobby Bedi of Bandit Queen and Mangal Pandey fame will produce the film, which will be shot mainly in Pune, Goa and Varanasi.

Amrita Arora抯 long-distance relationship going fine

Who says long-distance relationships cannot last long?

Bollywood beauty Amrita Arora seems to be going steady with her handsome English beau, Usman Afzaal, a 28-yr-old cricketer for English county.

The two met late last year through a common friend. What began as a friendship soon developed into something serious. The rest, as they say, is history.

Despite the physical distance between the two, Amrita and Usman have made their relationship last this long. There are times when the lovers are not able to meet for months, but such distance in space and time has not made any dent on their love. On the other hand, it seems to be growing stronger.

Amrita recently went to London to throw a party at Usman抯 birthday on June 9th. She was meeting Usman after a gap of three months.

A few days before Usman抯 b抎ay, when Amrita was in London, she spoke about her long-distance relationship: "Trust, friendship and lots of space. We need the time apart to excel in our individual professions. Also, the time we spend together is all quality time. I hardly get to see Usman these days. I'll be seeing him next week after three months匢n professions such as ours we really have to make an effort to keep a relationship going."

Thankfully, it is this profession that sometimes brings them together.

In August, Amrita will be shooting for a Bollywood film in Scotland for 20 days and in London for 15 days. During her shoot in London, she certainly hopes to spend 搎uality time

Raveena has lost it!

The actress has gone back to her svelte shape.

Raveena Tandon proved her 'never say die' spirit yet again when she successfully knocked off kilos and kilos of extra fat to revert to her original self. An over-weight Raveena is now a thing of the past. It was evident when we last spotted her at the St Andrews auditorium, on Sunday.

When Raveena Tandon ruled the roost as an actress, her diet comprised watermelon and popcorn. Results of it showed on screen, and she was best remembered as a svelte actress. Of course, things changed drastically when she got married to Anil Thadani and delivered baby, Rasha.

"As an actress I always kept a tight check on my diet," she says. "I have a tendency to put on weight easily so I had to be extra cautious about my intake. For years I was on a popcorn and watermelon diet."

During her pregnancy Raveena took it easy. "I admit that I had put on immense weight during and after my pregnancy," says Raveena.

So what helped her to shed it all? "Nothing much," shrugs Raveena. "I am more careful about my intake. That doesn't mean I starve. I prefer to eat home-made food which involves grilled chicken or steamed fish and lots of greens."

The results of this diet have reaped positive results. "Several people have complimented me on my weight loss. But honestly, I'm not slogging hard to get back into shape," she says. "

What does her husband have to say about this look? "Anil says that he likes me the way I am," says Raveena. "He never commented on my weight gain. Even now, reacted with a, 'Why bother?'

Abhishek and Rani make Preity cry!

Guess what makes sexy Preity Zinta cry. It's nothing but a sequence of Karan Johar's forthcoming 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', whenever she watches the scene, she cries. Recently Preity confessed it in an interview: "There's one sequence of hers with Abhishek where I've cried. Normally I'm not much of a weeper at the movies."

According to Preity, it is Rani who did such a magnificent performance in this sequence that not only she anybody will see the scene will cry.

"Rani has never looked more glamorous and in-character," gushed Rani.

Abhishek Bachchan & Rani Mukherjee


Preity Zinta

Priyanka, Kareena friends again!

During 'Aitraaz' shooting, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor had got along like a house on fire, however their friendship faced a down after Priyanka took Kareena's left back role in Hari Baweja's forthcoming 'Love Story 2050', but as per latest the two sexy gals are coming closer again on the sets of Farhan Akhtar's 'Don'.

Recently Kareena Kapoor joined the unit of 'Don' in Malaysia. Kareena will be doing a raunchy item number in the film, originally done by Helen. Priyanka, who is playing leading role opposite Shah Rukh Khan already in Malaysia for last couple of weeks.
"That should be good fun. Kareena and I go back to 'Aitraaz'. We had a ball over that film," said Priyanka.

Both Kareena and Priyanka will not attend IIFA awards in Dubai.

"We will be shooting here in Malaysia until 18 June. I've always given my work top priority over anything else. I've never allowed any event, no matter how important, to come in the way of my work," said Priyanka.

Priyanka Chopra


Kareena Kapoor

Aishwarya in Ketan Mehta抯 next?

'Mangal Pandey' director Ketan Mehta is making his next on famous painter Raja Ravi Verma's life, as per rumours Ketan wants to cast Aishwarya Rai in the role of Ravi Verma's model Suryamukhi.

As we have already reported producer Bobby Bedi has also set to make a film on the artist's life and Madhuri to play his muse in the film. It will be Madhuri's comeback film so far.

On contacted, Ketan said, "Yes, I got to know that Bobby was planning a project. I spoke to him about it. I told him I had been working on the project for the last 6 years and I intended to make it."

About starcast, Ketan said casting has yet not finalized. However as per close source, Ketan has already approached Aishwarya for the role, and Aishwarya, if dates problem doesn't arise, is ready to do the role.

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya attended IIFA awards in Dubai!

As per latest, Aishwarya Rai attended 'Provoked' premiere last night at IIFA awards in Dubai. Aishwarya, who's now busy shooting Mani Ratnam's 'Guru', arrived yesterday afternoon in Dubai on just one-day leave for attending the 'Provoked' screening. Aishwarya played the main leading role in the film.

The premiere was well-attended by stars like Amitabh Bachchan - who is also the brand ambassador of IIFA - Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar.

As per reports, after the screening, Ash interacted with media persons and also took part in the 'Umra Jaan' media launch.

Unlike last year, Aishwarya will however not perform in the awards function.