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Bipasha & Arshad Warsi at War?

Stories that she squabbled with her co-star Arshad Warsi on the set of "Goal" in London have Bipasha Basu baffled. "Look, I can't say Arshad is a friend. But we were cordial co-stars. He's a fantastic actor. The story of our supposed fight was definitely leaked from someone from the unit. Not me. I didn't speak to anyone from the media at all. I've no issues with him. Arshad plays my brother in 'Goal'. We had great bonding on screen," Bipasha told. The entire unit knew about the fight, except Bipasha. "I was in the dark until Boman Irani spilled the beans," said Bipasha who is still reeling under that story. "It was so bizarre. But no one told me. It said I stormed out of the set. I'd never do that. I'm too professional for that. Whether another actor comes on time or not is none of my concern. I'll sit on the set for the number of hours that I'm paid for. I don't react to unpleasant situations with tantrums at all. "Why would I walk out of the set because of Arshad? I'm not being politically correct. I was proper with Arshad. We didn't become buddies. So what? He kept to himself. That was his choice. And we didn't have a chance to get along. But no, I didn't carry a friendship with Arshad back home." It's said the problems between Arshad and Bipasha can be sourced to his cold war with John Abraham. She retaliates: "If people say we had a problem because my boyfriend was on sets and I was aloof, then that's rubbish because I wasn't aloof. Boman and the other boys can vouch for that. "John and I mix around on the sets. We like to work as a team." She falls into thought. "Arshad was the only person aloof on the sets. Maybe he was stressed or tired. But that doesn't mean we had a problem." The actress claims she bonded with all her male co-stars in the film. "I specially liked bonding with the Bangladeshi football players. Since I play a doctor, I was on the bench most of the time. These Bangladeshi players and I had a blast every day. "The weather got freezing at times. Sometimes it felt like we'd freeze to death. But we survived. The character I play is completely different from anything I've done so far.

Bipasha Basu

When Celina rocked all night!

Celina Jaitely recently hosted a party to welcome one of her close friends from London. And truly, her party rocked her terrace apartment till the wee hours of the morning. And guess who were the invitees? Subhash Ghai, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sangeeth Siwan, Javed Jaffri were amongst others who celebrated with her. Incidentally, Celina Jaitely has been on a brand endorsement spree. And believe it or not, recently she was signed to be the brand ambassador for Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs and Nile! Besides, Celina has also signed to endorse a mineral water brand as well as a saree brand. Looks like the party never ends for Celina!

[table=98%][tr][td=2,1]Dia wants to learn how to act![/td][/tr][tr][td=2,1]Dia Mirza抯 performance in Apoorva Lakhia抯 Shoot Out At Lokhandwala, as a deglamourised, no-nonsense news reporter modelled on Mintty Tejpal, who covered the real encounter in Lokhandwala 20 years ago, is fetching her rave reports.

It is Dia抯 first film shorn of all make-up. In Shoot Out At Lokhandwala she play a serious, socially aware woman who doesn抰 want to attract attention to her physicality.

She抯 a woman in a man抯 world, so she wants her work to be the focus of her personality.

To equip herself well for this more realistic phase in her career, Dia now leaves for the US to sharpen her acting skills.

揑抦 off to New York to do a seven-day workshop in acting at the New York University. It抯 very important for every actor to renew and refurbish one抯 skills.

Urmila's stint with another AB

Even as Ram Gopal Varma put Urmila in the same frame as Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan for the song Mehbooba oh mehbooba in Sholay, Urmila has gone and done something very special with another AB. Urmila recorded a song with Asha Bhosle. Recounts the music director Shamir Tandon, "Urmila sang beautifully with Ashaji. To compose a duet with two ladies is tough. We decided to do a fun number about two beautiful women trying to outdo one another in being beautiful. The words are 'Main ghulab ghulab hoon mahtab hoon匨ehbooba mehbooba.' Shamir Tandon is unusually charged about his new album called Asha & Friends. "I was planning this album with Ashaji for three years. After we worked together in Page 3 and Corporate I approached her. Ashaji found the idea interesting. My idea was to do a non-film album where she'd sing 7-8 duets. She found nothing unique about the idea. She suggested we bring in celebrities from various walks of life who aren't singers. The first name she suggested was Sanjay Dutt. She had seen both the Munnabhai films 4-5 times and is an ardent fan." Continues Shammir, "I was a little apprehensive. Of course I had heard him sing in Khubsoorat and Zinda. But that wasn't my kind of a song. Anyway I made Ashaji call Sanjay. At first he thought it was Asha Parekh calling. But then when he realized it was Asha Bhosle whom he had seen bonding with his parents, the phone nearly fell off his hands. When she said she wanted to sing with him he was dumbstuck. He agreed saying, 'Aapka hukum sar-aankhon pe.' I went to his house and he learnt the song attentively. When I called him to the studio he came on the dot, got on the mike and was done in fifteen minutes!" Brett Lee has also sung a number with AB. "Whenever he came to India to play he asked me to do do some music with him. Brett has cut an album in Australia. He even has his own music band. He was also offered a film in India which he didn't do because films take a lot longer. 匢 went to Chandigarh to rehearse the song with Bret. I got him to write the English lyrics while I wrote the Hindi lyrics. I recorded Brett on a rough track in Chandigarh and got Ashaji to record in Mumbai." Shamir honestly admits the guest singers didn't record face-to-face with Asha Bhosle. "Both Sanjay Dutt and Urmila requested me to record their voices separately. 'Unke samne mein to meri awaaz nahin niklegi. Humko door hi rakhiye.' Ashaji has also recorded a song in the album with the children from Zee's Sa Re Ga Ma Li'l Champs. Says Shamir, "Ashaji was surfing on tv one evening when she heard them. She was deeply moved by the little blind boy Divakar and the other little champs.She decided to sing with them." The album Asha & Friends is being produced by the dot-com company Mauj. Says Shamir, "It's our moral responsibility to provide an alternative route to our musicians. Because more and more filmmakers like Madhur Bhandarkar and Nagesh Kukunoor will have just a couple of songs in their films. What would the musicians do in the free time? It's time to give non-film albums a big boost厀ith some help from glamorous people who aren't part of the music industry." Shamir Tandon is very proud of the fact that he's the only composer of his generation who has recorded songs with both the Mangeshkar sisters. "I also recorded a song with the 80-plus Manna Dey in Umar. In Vinod Pande's new film Red Swastik Bhupinder makes a comeback as a singer. I am often asked why I suffer from this vintage mania. But I've grown up listening to Lataji and Ashaji It was my desire to record with them one day. Who can replace Kishore Kumar and Mohd Rafi? So why not avail of these legendary voices while they're still with us? Tomorrow when they're gone we'd probable name a road junction after them and be done with them. When Pancham-da (RD) was alive he was almost jobless in his last days. Today they consider him God. Why wasn't he acknowledged during his lifetime?" Shamir has just composed a lavni for Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal. "It's sung by Vaishali Samant and Bhavni. My benchmark was Usha Mangeshkar's Mungda from Inkaar. My lavni is not a pure lavni. It's a lavni with a Goan feel." For Bhandarkar's Fashion, Shamir hopes to a song like Lataji's Kitne ajeeb rishte hain from Page 3. "Fashion shows the grime behind the glitter. I've recorded a song with Lataji for Madhur's cinema. Kyon yahan hota hai jo yahan hota hai / Muskurata hai koi to koi kyon rota hai. I might use it in Fashion. I want to use Lataji's voice in only the films that justify her presence."

Priyanka Chopra visits Dal Lake

Former Miss World and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra visited the Dal Lake in Srinagar much to the delight of her fans.

Priyanka, who was in Srinagar as brand ambassador of Swiss luxury watchmakers Tag Heuer, visited the world-famous lake for a sightseeing trip on Sunday evening.

Priyanka herself rowed the boat for a while much to the delight of her fans, who had assembled along the banks of the lake.

However, a large number of young fans of Priyanka were disappointed as they failed to see her despite skipping meals and climbing hills and trees.

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

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

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 meet cricketing legend Kapil Dev.

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

Tourism Minister Mohammed Dilawar Mir inaugurated the tour at the Royal Springs Golf Course.

Bipasha Basu gives credit for the huge popularity of her item song Bidee in Omkara to playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan.

"I'm flattered to see everyone else performing to my 'Bidee' song. I've been watching Bigg Boss, and I'm delighted to see the female contestants almost invariably requesting my Bidee number and dancing to it like crazy. Sunidhi is a goddess. Her singing is so powerful. She added another dimension to my dancing," Bipasha told IANS.

As a rule Bipasha is still petrified of singing and dancing.

"'Dhoom 2' may look like a fun film to do. But it was a challenge. Singing and dancing are challenging for me. I do enjoy it more now than I did earlier. But, I'm still nervous about it."
Bipasha is looking forward to her new film.

"I'm working opposite Saif Ali Khan in 'Race' for the first time. It has lots of stars in it. And I'm one of them. I've accepted the fact that I'm the queen of multi-starrers.

"From now on I'll only be doing multi-starrers," she joked. "I've made an impact, no matter how big the cast. Whether it's 'Omkara' or 'Dhoom 2', I've been noticed and talked about."

She's very happy with the progress she has made. "I'm getting there, I know that. I may be taking baby steps but every role should add something to my character."

Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu and Kareena Kapoor in a bitch fight?

When Bipasha took a dig at Kareena Kapoor's acting abilities on Kofee with Karan, was she turning the tables on Kareena by being frank or getting back at her for remarks she made about John Abraham in an earlier episode? Industry watchers content that Bollywood stars never forget any negative remark aired by their colleagues. Kareena started the bitch fight by saying she would not like to work with John Abrahams because she found his face 'expressionless.' Bipasha was definitely retaliating when on the Sunday (06 May 2007) episode she told Karan, "Kareena Kapoor has too many expressions on her face." Bipasha and Kareena have had a running feud ever since their fight over their costumes in Ajnabee, the hit film they made together with Bobby Deol and Akshay Kumar. Bipasha however denies she was nasty about Kareena. The Mirror reports her as saying, "John is a grown up man. He can fight his own battles. I won't jump in the fray for anyone and start a war of words with Kareena or anyone else. I was asked what I thought of Kareena's acting and I gave my opinion just as I gave my opinion on others. They weren't meant to be offensive."

Bipasha Basu

Kareena Kapoor

SShow me the money, says Shilpa
Actress Shilpa Shetty is excited about her latest film Life in a匨etro which premieres at London's prestigious Leicester Square, where UK film and royal premieres are regularly hosted at one of the square's four cinemas, on Wednesday. She spoke to CNN-IBN抯 Akanksha Banerji in London.
Shilpa Shetty: I am really excited that I am here for a film premiere and there is nothing that can get me more joy than this.
CNN-IBN: It抯 not just your film but also perhaps one of the first Bollywood films to have a premiere in Leicester Square.
Shilpa Shetty: Yes, but don抰 call it Bollywood. I would kill you if you do that! It抯 like calling French cinema Follywood.
CNN-IBN: Many are saying that Life in a匨etro is not your best but one of your best works so far. Do you feel the same?
Shilpa Shetty: I think it抯 one of my best. Technically Rishtey was my most difficult role because I had to pick up a dialect for that film but character wise I think this was the most complicated for me to have portrayed on screen.
CNN-IBN: How would you feel if it does better abroad, say in the London market?
Shilpa Shetty: That means it makes the money. Show me the money! As long as it makes the money that抯 all that matters and I think it will and am very confident about it.
CNN-IBN: Talking about money, there are a lot of big projects that are in the pipeline like your perfume, international films and many other products. So, when are they all materialising?
Shilpa Shetty: My perfume is being launched in July and there will be a formal announcement on June 12. But the media really wants to know everything now. I think curiosity is going to kill the cat (laughs).
CNN-IBN: So, when are you coming to Leicester Square for one of your international films?
Shilpa Shetty: Well, my fingers are crossed and I really hope that happens soon.
CNN-IBN: You recently declined the reality show, Big Brother in Australia. Any particular reason for that or you just wanted to concentrate on your films?
Shilpa Shetty: You think I need a reason to decline that offer? (bursts out laughing) One can be crazy once not twice.

Vidya Balan's now telling storiesVidya Balan will now be recording an audio book for children this week. The actress is all excited about lending her voice for the series for children, said Narayan Parshuram of Karadi Tales. Sanjay Dutt has already recorded two stories.

"There are a number of other big stars like Shah Rukh Khan who will also soon become a storyteller for kids," adds Parshuram.

She adds, "Vidya is popular with the kids because of Munnabhai and will definitely be a value addition."

Other actors who have narrated stories are Naseeruddin Shah, Gulzar, Saeed Jaffrey, Usha Uttup and Nandita Das. The music has been given by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and 3 Brothers and a Violin. The story and lyrics are by Gulzar.

Abhishek-Rani still rock...

Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherji no doubt share fantastic on-screen chemistry. But with Abhishek and Aishwarya's recent releases

Vivek Oberoi excels in 'Gangster' roles!!
Vivek Oberoi who made his debut in an unconventional launch pad as an underworld don 'Chandu' in COMPANY that earned him accolades for his sincere performance. Vivek literally got into the skin of the character of the gangster. And the portrayal of the same bespoke of his commitment & Integrity to his craft. Vivek next played a gangster character as 'Kesu Firangi' in OMKARA. And though the character was placed in the bad lands of UP, Vivek displayed a different nuances of the character as a 'Gangster'. He was critically appreciated again in OMKARA. Vivek will be seen again portraying the role of the dreaded gangster 'Maya Dolas' in SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA. He plays the Antagonist opposite the Protagonist Sanjay Dutt (A A Khan) in the real life 'Encounter' drama that rocked the Nation!!

Just like Mr. Bachchan, who was known as the 'Angry Young Man' & SRK as the 'Eternal Lover Boy' Vivek Oberoi seems to be the best star actor to portray the 'Gangster' roles.

Vivek Oberoi style acting helps in understanding the different psychological traits of 'Gangsters' in film right from Company, Omkara & the soon to be released 'Shoot out at Lokhandwala'. In every gangster roles, Vivek realistically portrayed different dimensions to the character. He literally lives the character.

All eyes are now on Vivek Oberoi, since he had made a stellar debut in COMPANY and was the most talked about sensation.

According to sources his portrayal of the dreaded don 慚aya Dolas

Is Madhuri Dixit in Bollywood to stay?

When Madhuri Dixit returned to Mumbai along with her husband, Dr. Sriram Nene, and sons, Arin and Ryan, for her comeback film, Aaja Nachle, it is unlikely she realized how quickly she would get embroiled in controversies. Soon after her return there was speculation that her marriage was on the rocks because she admitted Arin, 4, and Ryan, 2, into a school. However, Madhuri clarified that her sons were at the playschool stage and were having a ball with their loving grandparents in Mumbai while she completed filming. Madhuri has consistently maintained that she is in India only for Aaja Nachle and would go back once the film is completed. The film, being produced under the Yash Raj banner and directed by Anil Mehta, is a musical centered around the making of a play during which an aging actress, her director (and ex-lover) and a young actress discuss love, life, aging and their work. It features Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor and Divya Dutta. However, speculation about Madhuri's future plans persists. According to HT City the 40-year-old was recently in Bangalore to take a new 'look' test for Feroz Nadiadwala's Hera Pheri III. Madhuri's secretary, Rakesh Nath, denies that her visit to Bangalore is an indication she is planning to stay on in Bombay. "She is in India only for Aaja Nachle after which she'll go back to the US," he says dutifully. On another front choreographer turned film director Saroj Khan is aggravated with Madhuri because Yash Raj Films opted for Vaibhavi Merchant as the choreographer for Aaja Nachle. The job, believes Saroj, should have been hers because in the past she has choreographed several chart busting numbers for Madhuri. Saroj holds Madhuri at least partially responsible for the professional slight by the Chopras because Madhuri did not weigh in for her.

After HUMRAAZ, Bobby & Akshaye back with NAQAB

Both Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna enjoyed a big hit when they came together for HUMRAAZ 5 years back. The film was directed by masters of suspense and thrills Abbas-Mustan. Now the two would indeed be hoping that the history is repeated in their upcoming film NAQAB where they reunite with Abbas Mustan. A thriller, the film is also special for the director duo since they would be having a release to their name after some time since 36 CHINA TOWN. Though the film was a hit, it didn't have that edgy feel which most Abbas Mustan films boast of. A TIPS production, the film marks the launch pad of newcomer Urvashi Sharma as a lead heroine. The film also stars Vikas Kalantri and has music by Pritam.

Celina, Where Is The Party Yaar?

Just recently Celina Jaitely hosted a party to welcome her close friend from London. True to the expectations, the party rocked at her terrace apartment till wee hours in the morning. Subhash Ghai, Riteish Deshmukh, Sangeeth Sivan and Javed Jaaferi were amongst others who celebrated with her. Celina Jaitely incidentally has been on a brand endorsement spree. Recently she was signed to be the brand ambassador for Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs and Nile. Besides that Celina has also been signed up to endorse a mineral water brand as well as a saree brand. Looks like the party never ends for Celina!!

Vivek doesn't want to embarrass Ash

Bollywood is abuzz on how Vivek is back again in the gangster role while enacting Maya Dolas in SHOOT OUT AT LOKHANDWALA. Insiders who have seen the rushes rave about the realistic portrayal and the integrity & authenticity he has brought to his character. It has also been lately reported lately that Vivek refused to dance to the song 'Ganpat' from the film that had the name 'Aishwarya' in the lyrics. According to sources he was very dignified and tactfully told the director to give the lyrics which went like 'Bipasha, Mallika, Priyanka ya ho Aishwarya Rai' to some other actor. Eventually the gangsta influenced song, sung by the irrepressible Mika, had Tusshar mouthing the lines. According to the reports, though Vivek could have done the lines to get even with Ash, he was dignified enough to let go off the opportunity to embarrass her. Seems like Vivek Oberoi has left his past behind, and like his 'Company' days is concentrating to bring integrity to his craft in 'Shoot Out at Lokhandwala'. The film has been in news ever since its first teaser hit the small screen. Expected to arrive on May 25th, the film is a multi starrer that brings together a galaxy of star performers on a single stage. The film also sees Amrita Singh making yet another comeback on the silver screen after 'Kalyug'. In 'Shoot Out at Lokhandwala', she plays Vivek's mother who is fondly called 'Aai'. Interestingly Amrita's ex-husband Saif Ali Khan had a film to his name just lask week, TA RA RUM PUM, where he himself played a father of two children. Incidentally, his on-screen children were not as old as Vivek and were less than 10 years of age.

Vivek Oberoi

Aishwarya Rai

Shilpa's thigh on a plate

So lovely and awesome did the latest cover of 'Cine Blitz' magazine shape up that its editorial team made two huge chocolate cakes with Shiney Ahuja and Shilpa Shetty's cover images engraved on them. These were sent as thank you gestures to the actors. When Shiney received his cake, he promptly called his publicist Dale Bhagwagar and asked him to take a bite. A birdie tells us, the publicist, who takes care of the PR for both Shilpa and Shiney, was quite confused which part of the cake to cut and eat. Just then Shiney's unit boy came up and helped him out with a plate, cut a piece of the cake and put in it. It turned out to be Shilpa's thigh! It's been 48 hours since then, but we hear, Dale is still reeling in laughter. Meanwhile the magazine cover itself is making a lot of news. If it is anything to go by, heartthrobs Shilpa Shetty and Shiney Ahuja sure seem to share great chemistry. While Shiney has done his first bare-chested look, Shilpa has worn an ultra-revealing backless dress for the first time. Their vibe is also apparent from the interviews in the mag. With such comfort levels, one can surely expect fireworks from their performance in Anurag Basu's 'Metro'. Their spokesperson said, "Shilpa has matured into a versatile actress over the years. But it's only now that people are sitting up and noticing her. As for Shiney, he's been a powerhouse performer right from 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' to 'Gangster' to 'Woh Lamhe'. The combination of these two talents could be quite an interesting watch." 'Metro' is due for release on May 11 with worldwide premieres to add to the glamour.

Akshay support women's right to contraceptionBOLLYWOOD star Akshay Kumar was joined by Hollywood actress Ashley Judd to support womens right to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Akshay and Ashley who is aa HIV/AIDS activist and global ambassador for Population Solutions International (PSI) went to visit the Jawahar Nagar slums in Pink City to promote EC (Emergency Contraception) to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Emergency contraception provides a chance for women to prevent pregnancy. Although things are picking up for the mother and child in Rajasthan, the state is one of the most backward in the country when it comes to the maternal mortality rate (MMR) with 670 maternal deaths per 1-million births.

The lifetime risk of mothers is three times higher in the state's urban areas than in rural areas, which made PSI turn its focus on urban slums.

Said Akshay: "I am not an expert on this subject but I would like to say that when it comes to family planning, women should be involved. I am all for women's reproductive rights."

Ashley added:  "The future of India is in protecting mothers and children."

Ameesha Patel takes it easy
Ameesha Patel is taking it easy. In fact, the girl is taking it very easy. With just HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT. LTD released this year; she is in no hurry to prove anything. There are a few releases lined up for this year but she is in no mood to speak as yet. Meanwhile she is enjoying her state of relative bliss. And yes, she has some plans to bring in her birthday, which is next month (is it going to be celebrated abroad like last year with boyfriend Vikram Bhatt?) No, she is not giving out any details!

Rani Mukherjee slaps Harsh Chhaya on the sets

Rani Mukherjee and Harsh Chhaya recently had a tough time on the sets of the movie LAGA CHUNARI MAIN DAAG when they were shooting together. Harsh, who plays a gray character in it, had a sequence where Rani was required to slap Harsh. Rani, who insisted that she wouldn't literally slap Harsh, had to eventually slap him on the director's insistence. And after slapping him hard twice, she got the scene right as his specks kept flying each time which wasn't supposed to happen that way. "I don't know what to say, except that she has quite a hand which can come hard on the face. But it was nice working with her. She is quite dedicated to her work at the same time a jovial person," commented Harsh.

Rani Mukherjee

Shilpa Shetty抯 moment of truth

How Shilpa Shetty抯 dipping career received an unprecedented boost, everyone knows. From nowhere girl to the 慽t