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Akshaye Khanna 'Non disclosure' about Gandhi, my father!!!

Recently a hush hush screening of Gandhi, my father was held exclusively for the overseas distributors in London. Insiders who have seen the film, produced by Anil Kapoor claim that it is Akshaye Khanna's finest performance till date. They add that like Lagaan, it's an international film and will make it as India's entry into the Oscar next year. But the common factors that everyone associated with the film has been tight lipped about the film. Even Akshaye Khanna is not revealing since apparently he has signed on a 'Non disclosure' clause in the contract. But the joke doing the round amongst the cast and crew of the film is that Anil Kapoor didn't have to sign the contract with Akshaye, since he is in any case so reclusive. And the latest we have heard is that Akshaye is so superstitious and respects Anil Kapoor, he even gets more reclusive when asked about Gandhi, my father". Akshaye Khanna

[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 3-5-2007 05:08 PM ]

Tabu's extraordinary, says Big B
Amitabh Bachchan admits Tabu embarrasses him of his own talents.

If all had gone well, Big B and Tabu would have come together in a dark drama about a father-in-law-daughter-in-law relationship that Rituparno Ghosh had planned.

Big B is all for working with his new favourite. "Yes! There was some talk," he admits. "And I've been waiting to work with Tabu for many years. I finally got the chance in Cheeni Kum. She is simply exemplary. She works from within. Nothing that comes out from her as a performance is without conviction. She brings emotions from the bottom of her heart. A keen observer can actually see the emotion building up within, welling up in the eyes, before it pours out from her face and mouth. Simply extraordinary!"

Many times during the shooting of Cheeni Kum, Big B says he simply stared at his co-star's dramatic dynamics.

"You simply continue to admire her wide-mouthed, often forgetting that you are in the frame as well. In fact, her personal demeanour is no different either. It's such a delight to be in her company," he adds.

Now with Tabu being a favourite, at least two other filmmakers are planning projects specially written for the two performing dynamos.

"The beauty of her performances is that whatever she feels is shown on her face. That's an unbelievable quality in an artiste. We generally try to come as close to what's required from us. Not Tabu. She goes the whole hog. She feels every bit of her emotions. It's a hallmark of a true artiste. The rest of us aren't that sincere. We sometimes fake the emotions. I don't know what the methodology of her performance is. I just have to see her face to know she's getting it right," sighs Big B.

Tabu

Tabu craves for comic roles .

Bollywood actress Tabu, who achieved eminence through her roles in experimental and offbeat films like "Astitva" and "The Namesake", says she would prefer to act in comedies now. "I have made audiences cry as much as possible. Now I would like to make them laugh," she said. She added that she prefers watching comedies too. Is any director out there listening?

[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 3-5-2007 05:43 PM ]

Bipasha gave her unit a fright

Recently while shooting in Durban for Abbas-Mustan's Race Bipasha gave her friends a nasty scare. She suddenly decided to withdraw into a shell. "She suddenly became a recluse. Wouldn't go out with us. Would just disappear after shoot," says one of her co-stars. Explains Bipasha, "Sometimes even I have my moods. I know they all got anxious. I was going out every night with them. Usually I don't go out while I'm shooting because I like to report the next morning on time, and fresh. But in Durban they'd all wait for me to finish gym and we'd all go out every night." After twenty days of swinging till the wee hours Bipasha had a mood swing. "I just didn't want to go out any longer. They got panicky. 'What happened? What's wrong?' Akshaye Khanna got specially insistent. But there was nothing wrong. I just wanted to call it a day at a decent hour, watch a film or Lost on DVD and sleep early. So for the next fifteen days I didn't go out at all." Apparently the unit was extremely worried. "I know," Bipasha grins. "It was hard for them to accept that I wanted to be alone. 'Hey guys can I just watch my DVD, please? The fact is, I'm a home bird. I like to be on my own. For me to shoot the whole day, work out and then go out is too much effort."

[table=98%][tr][td=2,1]Raveena is still doing films in her pregnancy[/td][/tr][tr][td=2,1]Though heavily pregnant, Raveena Tandon turned up at Anand Studios in Bandra on Thursday to do her bit for debutant Pammi Somal抯 English film Mummyji.

The actress was slated to render a bhangra number initially with Gurdas Mann, who is making a special appearance and rendering a track in the film. Obviously, now that Raveena is expecting for the second time, she could not do the jig with Mann.

Raveena still honoured her commitment in another way. Raveena has now lent her voice to the film and will also introduce the character of Mummyji.

Says director Somal, 揟hose who thought Raveena has said goodbye to films for motherhood, are wrong. She is still at it even in her pregnancy! Moreover, Raveena has been a dear friend for 15 years, so she had to be a part of my film.

Besides, the title and subject of the film also excited the second time mum-to-be.

John, Bipasha to have Koffee with Karan
	This week, actor Bipasha Basu will join filmamker Karan Johar on his chat show Koffee with Karan on Star this weekend. Karan's second guest this week is actor John Abraham. On the show, Bipasha talks about how she loves her sex-symbol tag and how she would like to have it forever and be a sexy grand mom. She tells Karan how she had to work so hard, eat less and spend extra hours at the gym to get in perfect shape to wear a bikini in Dhoom 2. The off-screen couple chats with Karan about their relationship, their struggling days in the film industry, marriage, success and how they deal with each other's 'hotness'. They also talk about their equation with their colleagues in the film industry and for the first time, John opens up on national television about his issues with his co-stars Salman Khan, Kareena and Shahid.

John Abraham & Bipasha Basu

Amitji and I make a terrific pair: Tabu

She has been playing truant... till she relents, 揅ome over to Shabana aunty抯 house, right across Prithvi Theatre.

Shilpa Shetty Blames 'Lunatic Fringe' For Gere Kiss UproarBollywood star Shilpa Shetty has hit out at a "lunatic fringe" for the outraged reaction to her kiss with actor Richard Gere. A warrant was issued for Gere's arrest after he embraced the actress on television at an AIDS-awareness event in Delhi last month, after complaints of "obscene behavior."
Gere has since apologized for the kiss, but Shetty insists the incident was blown out of proportion.
She says, "The media tends to get slightly irresponsible at times but that's the price one has to pay for celebrity."
The incident has provoked debate in India, where conservative attitudes contrast suggestive behavior in Bollywood films.
The judge who issued the warrant has been criticized by many, who claim the arrest order against Gere has no legal merit.

Shilpa Shetty & Richard Gere

Shilpa Shetty among most eligible single women

Though we knew it already, it has now been authenticated. Shilpa Shetty has been voted one of the most eligible single women by a British Men抯 magazine.

Fortunes have kept raining down on Shilpa Shetty ever since she won the Celebrity Big Brother show in Britain. Just a few days back, the leggy lass became the 搎ueen of the cyber world

Kareena Kapoor changes her fashion designer  

Save for a few occasions, Kareena Kapoor has always been loyal to fashion designer Manish Malhotra .

But now the beautiful actress is drifting away to a new designer. Not that there is any spat between Bebo and Manish. It is just that she has worn dresses designed by Manish in so many films that change seems to be the need of the hour.

Bebo seems to have now switched her loyalty to Aki Narula , who designed her resplendent golden coloured outfit in song 慪eh Mera Dil

[table=98%][tr][td=2,1]Shilpa Kisses and tells more![/td][/tr][tr][td=2,1]Shilpa has actually gained a lot of mileage from the Gere pecks. The men's magazine FHM polled her at 38 in their 'Most Eligible Women in the World 2007' list.

Speaking about kissing on screen during a recent visit to Australia, she told Sydney Morning Herald, "I have never kissed on screen匢 don't want to do it but it is a personal choice; it is not because of a rule or law

Sunny Deol with Vidya Balan?

Sunny Deol will be dancing around trees and revealing his softer side in films, Guddu Dhanoa has now decided to completely revamp his favourite hero's image in his new film called Victory. Sunny plays a cop and Like their earlier collaborations like Ziddi, Salakhein and Big Brother it will show him as a powerful man. Victory will feature the soft, sensitive and romantic side of Sunny which I feel hasn't been tapped so far." Sunny's co-star in this intense love story will in all probability be Vidya Balan. "I've told her the story's basic premise. I'll give her a full narration as she is back from Bangkok last night," says Dhanoa. "Both Sunny and I hope to change our image with this film. Gadar too was a love story. But it had large doses of action. Victory would be a surprise for Sunny's fans. Though he plays a cop, he hardly does any stunts," adds Dhanoa.

Sunny Deol

Vidya Balan

[table=98%][tr][td=2,1]Bhansali's Mallika-Rakhi Love[/td][/tr][tr][td=2,1]If Mallika Sherawat hit the headlines with her mindblowing quotes that made her the Queen of Quotes, the in-your-face bindaas 'item-girl' Rakhi Sawant who has taken over the reins from Mallika, has done it again!

Rakhi put the celebrated Black and Devdas maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in a corner and compelled him to draw parallels between her and Mallika, the two Bollywood oomph girls.

Bhansali said that he appreciates Rakhi's steadfast loyalty to her humble beginnings and would have loved to share space with the lady on the popular television show 'Koffee With Karan' on Sunday last. "Karan should've asked me. I'd have happily gone (to share screen space with Rakhi on the show). If I can appear with Mallika, why not Rakhi?" Bhansali admitted to a news agency.

The provocation probably was that Rakhi's now-famous "bluntness" must have given Bhansali an ego boost when she told the host Karan Johar that she liked his films but confessed and stressed that it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali who was her favourite filmmaker.

The gracious Karan agreed with a smile and went on to heap praises on Bhansali, and Bhansali had only then accidentally tuned on to the programme for relief from fatigue and headache.

"匴hen I heard Rakhi talking about me, (I though it was) so sweet! 匰he won my heart when I was feeling so low on Sunday

Rani Mukherjee is too old for me: Aditya Narayan

Up close and personal with Aditya Narayan after he has signed as the anchor of Zee's 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007-Sangeet ka Pratham Vishwa-Yudh'. Q: How is it feeling hosting Zee 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007-Sangeet ka Pratham Vishwa-Yudh'? A: It is feeling nice that I have got the opportunity of hosting such a good show. It is not a new show; it has been on television since the past thirteen years now and has done very well. So when I was approached by the channel, initially I thought about it but I guess there was no need of thinking. I accepted the show even though I was not planning to begin my career before my studies. Also it is a musical based show, and I'm passionate about music. Q: So that must be adding a greater responsibility on your shoulders as an anchor? A: Yes it does add a sense of responsibility. Earlier too the anchors were Sonu bhaiya and Shaan bhaiya who did a very good job here on the show. Actually it is a show which does not have any usual anchors. I'm not pointing my fingers at other anchors, but here the anchors here have been related to music so as an anchor too one can comment on the performance of the participants. But I will try to do my best. Q: Do you have any prior experience of anchoring? A: No I do not have any prior experience. Q: So are you undergoing any kind of homework or training? A: I have been watching the show for a long time now and so have a bit of cue. Also I have been with the team of Zee where I had been briefed about how to go about it. I do have an experience of acting but it is different from anchoring. So I do not have to worry when professionals are guiding me. Also I will learn as time passes by. Q: Tell us a bit about your academic background? A: I was doing my graduation here but in between I left for London where I did a Diploma in English Contemporary Music. Now I'm in Mumbai for the past three month and willing to complete my graduation. I have also learnt Indian classical music from Satyanarayan Mishra and also took training under Kalyanji Anandji. Q: Why Diploma in English Contemporary Music? Was it your choice? A: See I want to know music to the fullest. Not just Indian or classical, I want to learn international music and in truly international way. It was purely my choice; Uditji did not want me to go abroad, but I forced my decision on him. Q: So what are your future plans? A: I have a lot planned for future. I want to do good work where I can utilize my capabilities to the fullest. I want to do good work and put in my best efforts in whatever I would do. Q: Does it include films too? A: Yes why not. I have acted before and will do films if I get good work which I can identify with. But my first preference would always be music. But I tell you it will not only be in films but also in other aspects. I want to spread my wings. Q: So how much does Uditji guide you? A: Frankly speaking, Uditji guides me in only one way. He only reminds me of my roots. He tells me that there is nothing compared to hard work and effort. He tells me that 'power comes with hard work'. That is all that he guides me about. Q: Does being Udit Narayan's son help you in some way? A: If I tell you frankly it does help and it doesn't. See if I did not have talent, I would have still managed some work considering that I was Unit Narayan's son. But till when? At some point, they would have known that I do not have the talent. Now since I'm his son, there is more expectation from me. So there is a plus side and a negative side too. Q: So do people treat you differently since you are his son? A: Yes they do sometimes. Q: Coming on a lighter note, now that you are back, have you united with your old friends? A: Yes I have and I'm happy to be back with them. I'm enjoying my time here with them. Q: United with girlfriends too. Do you have girlfriends? A: See it would be wrong if I say that I don't enjoy the company of men (laughs). I'm just 19 so I do have friends who are girls but basically I'm a reserved person and do not have a girlfriend. But see women following makes a person star (laughs again). Q: Uditji is a judge in Indian Idol and you are the anchor of challenge 2007. Do you think you will be able to attract more eyeballs? A: (laughs) I hope so. But I also wish the other show success because my father is a part of it. Q: We have heard that you wish to work with Jiah Khan? A: (laughs out loud) Actually I was asked as to who I would like to work with and since I'm young so I think that I would look good with Jiah since even she is young. I don't think I would look good with Rani Mukherjee at this age. Moreover she acts well so what is the problem.

Aditya Narayan

Rani Mukherjee

Amitabh tops in tax too!

The tax authorities are said to have kept an eagle eye on the great Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding with as much interest as the papparazzi. But the Megastar of the Millennium prempted their zooming in on him too by announcing that he is the "top" tax payer in the country with Rs 15.59 crore and with Aishwarya Rai joining the family, the Bachchan family's total tax would be around Rs 25.3 crore for 2006-2007. As a matter of fact he was reacting to a newspaper report that quoted Hrithik Roshan as the highest tax payer with Rs 15.10 crore and Shah Rukh Khan paid Rs 14 crore. Expressing surprise at the report and doubt about its veracity since his name does not appear anywhere among the biggest taxpayers in the entertainment business. That certainly makes it look like a deliberate ploy and slyly hint to the tax authorities that though Amitabh Bachchan make pots of money he doesn't pay up enough taxes. Clarifying that he tops the taxpayers of the country, the Big B has said, "If you look at the figures for the year 2006-2007, you'll see Amitabh, that's yours truly, has paid Rs 14.15 crore and from our company AB Corp Ltd where all the earnings are mine, we've paid Rs 1.44 crore. "Abhishek Bachchan has paid Rs 4.75 crore. And now that Aishwarya Rai is a part of the family, approximately Rs 5 crore tax money has come from her. This makes it a total of Rs 25.3 crore." Amitabh also questioned the intentions of the newspaper in placing Hrithik (Rs 15.10 crore) as the topmost taxpayer because even if Amitabh's tax figures (Rs 15.59 crore) are taken individually, "I still top."

The south Indian style of Aishwarya Rai's wedding

The recent wedding of the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai to Abhishek Bachchan had its share of south Indian dose.

For example, the shehnai was replaced by the nadaswaram at the wedding, with a four-member team of musicians from Chennai playing traditional tunes with a south Indian flavour selected by Ash

Shilpa planning to buy apartment in London
With lots of plum assignments awaiting her in the West, Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty admits she may eventually buy an apartment in London for 'practical convenience'.

Though dismissing any immediate plans to do so, Shilpa said: 'I do intend to buy my property there. It's a matter of practical convenience. If I'm going to be spending a large chunk of my time there I might as well get my own apartment in London, right? Far more practical than staying in a hotel.'

So does she plan to eventually make London her permanent home? 'I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. Life is so unpredictable. There're lots of things waiting to happen in London. I need the time to sit and decide what to do,'.

'Immediately now I'll be performing at IIFA (International Indian Film Academy awards - at Yorkshire) and then attend the world premiere of my film 'Metro' in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Dubai, Toronto, Mumbai... Till the middle of May, my schedules are chock-a-block.'

As for inviting Jade Goody, the big bully from 'Celebrity Big Brother' TV reality show, for the 'Metro' premiere, Shilpa cuts down all such talk.

'I don't want the event to be overshadowed by a gimmicky Shilpa-Jade reunion. Besides inviting her would be a security hazard. It's (premiere) at the centre of London in Leicester Square.'

Shilpa says she is still in touch with her friends at 'Big Brother'. 'I do have an everlasting bonding with some of them. Germaine Jackson and I connect regularly. Yes, he might be coming to the 'Metro' premiere. My other friend from 'Big Brother', Ian MacKellan has his opening day for his play 'Fame' on the same day as the 'Metro premiere', so he won't be able to make it.'

As for a film with Akshay Kumar, she says, 'Somebody has come up with the idea of casting us together. But nothing definite. I've to be very careful about my moves. I'll be doing things that no one has done so far.'

Fans upset at not seeing Priyanka Chopra

Young fans of Priyanka Chopra here were a disgruntled lot on Sunday as they could not catch a glimpse of the Bollywood actress despite skipping meals and climbing hills and trees.

As news of Priyanka's arrival trickled in, her fans were seen scurrying around even in the high-security zones of this city.

"I have been here since the morning to see Priyanka," said an ardent fan Mohammad Amin.

He footslogged it around the world-famous Dal Lake, visiting all the Mughal Gardens at Nishat, Shalimar and Harwan and the Botanical Gardens, but all in vain.

"I have not seen her yet," a disenchanted Amin said.

Other fans skipped meals and roamed around in the hope of meeting the Bollywood beauty, who was in the city as brand ambassador of Swiss luxury watchmakers Tag Heuer.

Some youths shouted: "We heard she is staying in Grand Palace Hotel, but the guards are not allowing us inside."

The sporty ones had another grouse, unable to get impromptu bowling or batting tips from cricketing legend Kapil Dev.

Kapil was among 86 golfers, mostly from outside the state, who was seen in action for nearly three hours at the one-day Tag Heuer-Kingfisher Precision Golf Tournament, held for the third year running.

The tourney was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Mohammed Dilawar Mir at the Royal Springs Golf Course in the foothills of Zabarwan range.

Sushmita replaces Priyanka in Don 2

After the resounding success of the remake of 1978抯 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don, both the director Farhan Akhtar and Shah Rukh Khan have now shown their eagerness to make a sequel of the movie. While initially it was just eagerness, things seem to have been finalized now. There is a great possibility of Don 2 coming on the screen soon. The remake had left the opportunity for a sequel so possibilities cannot be ruled out completely. There is a buzz going around that except for the beautiful Priyanka Chopra, the entire cast of Don would be retained in the sequel. Reportedly, Priyanka is likely to be replaced by another beauty queen Sushmita Sen. So if things move in the right direction, now Sushmita will be playing the leading lady. Humm interesting! But let us wait for the official announcement.

Sushmita Sen

Priyanka Chopra

Himesh and I are not married: Emran Hashmi

Though it isn't public yet Emran Hashmi, just married and fresh from his honeymoon, is all set to stretch his wings beyond the family fold. Says a source, " Not that he's moving out of the Bhatt camp. Emran is too rooted to family values to turn his back on his uncles. But he's definitely doing outside films, chief among them being a comedy with Feroz Nadiadwala and another with Kumar Mangat." Emran is cautious in his reply. "When you work with a name like Mahesh Bhatt it has its pros and cons. The Bhatts do make a dark dramatic high-concept emotional kind of cinema. And it's wonderful to be part of that cinema. But I do need to explore another lighter facet of my personality as an actor" Also, one may add, the pay-cheque would be family-based and hence nominal. "Money has never been an issue with the Bhatts. Vishesh Films is a family concern. And I'm doing as many films now outside the Bhatt camp as I do outside. If I've two films with the Bhatts I now have at least two outside films including one with Shayam Bajaj with whom I did Aksar." What about the inseparable team with Himesh Reshammiya? "What about it?" Emran shoots back shyly. " For my own selfish reasons I wouldn't like to go on depending on Himesh's tracks. It then becomes like a crutch. I don't want any handicaps in my career. Yes, I'd like to believe good music adds as much to a film's success quotient as a good director. I've had a good run of films with Mohit Suri, Anurag Basu and Anant Mahadevan. It's good to learn from them and then experiment with other directorial talents. I'd rather move forward without any external support," Emran shyly refers to his move away from the Bhatts and Himesh. "Himesh and I are not husband or wife to be inseparable. He's a very talented man and he has played his cards right. He has played a big hand in my career. Himesh has given me great tracks like Aashiq banaya aapne and Jhalak dikhla ja. Music is today very important for the success of as star." Emran concludes, "I just want to do good and diverse films. I believe the boxoffice is important. For my kitchen to function it's important for the producer to profit. I'd like to work with more like-minded people. It doesn't matter who is making the film. For me acting is an expression of my personality. I started right after college assisting Bhatt Saab and Vikram Bhatt. I never felt I could make anything of my life. Then I met this man called Mahesh Bhatt who instilled a lot of confidence in me. He virtually held my hand and took me through the whole process of performing. I can never thank him enough." Marriage has brought no outward changes in Emran's life. "My wife Parveen knows my life inside-out. She recognizes my space. She knows how important my career is. She loves kids. She was teaching at a play school. She'll probably continue to do so. We haven't moved to a new place. 2007 will bring changes in my career. Somewhere I need to do films that will position my career on another level. Let's see it goes. I think this will be a very good year."

Emraan Hashmi