gossip artis HOLLYWOOD~BOLLYWOOD~MALAYWOOD

WILL NATALI BE SALMAN'S HEROINE?

Another beauty queen will soon enter the movie world. This became evident from the announcement made by Miss Universe Natali in New Delhi recently. According to reliable sources, she will enter films by playing heroine to one of her two favorite heroes of Bollywood. You need not guess as this is going to be none other than Salman Khan. Though Natali cannot sign any movie until she is bound by the Miss Universe contract, she has no hesitation in disclosing her future plan.

Her debut will be Arindam Choudhary's English movie for which the latter has already signed Salman Khan as hero.Natali inaugurated in Delhi a school that imparts education to poor children. Interestingly, Arindam Choudhary was also present at the inauguration function.

Do you have a plan to enter acting in films?

If everything goes well, I can be active in Bollywood after my contract with Miss Universe ends.

Who are your favorite heroes in Bollywood?

I like Salman Khan and John Abraham very much.

Any special choice for a role or a banner in Bollywood?

I shall be happy with any challenging role, a good banner plus a respected director.

Has any director or a producer approached you?

Not yet as I am still bound by Miss Universe contract. Besides, I am not in a hurry. But some filmmakers have shown their interest, and have expressed their intention to sign me. I have neither said yes nor no. I am, of course, considering them.

Since Arindam Choudhary is also making films and some of his movies are on the floor, any indication from him?

She smiles, but keeps mum, leaving the question unanswered. However, it can be anybody's guess.

Salman Khan


[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 27-12-2006 04:53 PM ]

Karan: Shah Rukh best as papa

Producer-director Karan Johar has a formula for hit films. He believes that any of his movies with Shah Rukh Khan or Kajol has proved a hit. Besides, he also trusts that Shah Rukh Khan as father also helps in hitting movies. He illustrates that his two recently released movies -- 'Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai' and 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum' -- have succeeded as Shah Rukh plays father in both. Karan is therefore utilizing this formula in his next 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna'. In this movie, Shah Rukh plays father to a seven-year old child.

Shah Rukh Khan


[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 27-12-2006 04:58 PM ]

Big B recovers, takes stroll

Millions of his admirers heaved a sigh of relief on the news of Big B showing signs of improvement in his health when the latter took a brief stroll inside the intensive care unit of the Mumbai hospital. According to his family sources, Amitabh has recovered seventy percent. The family also discounted the reports of Amitabh being taken to the US for treatment. Amitabh wishes to remain in Mumbai. India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also wished Amitabh good health. This is to recall that Amitabh has been operated following colitis ailment



[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 27-12-2006 05:06 PM ]

Bachchan films fly off shelves

Amitabh Bachchan's illness has proved to be a boon for at least one group of people - those who deal in his films.

Cable operators, DVD libraries and bookstores are firing off Bachchan films at fans who can抰 get enough of him. A cable operator in Dadar says, "Customers have been calling us with requests to show Amitabh films, so we play at least one, at times two, Bachchan films a day." Yogesh, an executive at Shemaroo video library, says, "Since he fell ill, more people are renting and buying CDs and DVDs of his films, especially Coolie." Future releases are drawing a lot of attention, too. Ek Ajnabee, which releases on Friday, is expected to do great business. "It (the health scare) is a million-dollar free publicity for the film that will bring him back in an action role,

Arjun Rampal as item boy

Arjun Rampal will soon be on the screen as an item boy in 'Ajnabee'. No, it's nothing new in Bollywood. In the past, Shah Rukh Khan had given an item number in 'Shakti'. And in the recent past, Abhishek Bachchan and his father Amitabh Bachchan picturized an item number on Aishwarya Rai, singing 'Kajrare Kajrare...' in 'Bunty Aur Babli'.



[ Last edited by Gadis_Venus at 13-1-2006 11:55 PM ]

Arjun Rampal: The eyecandy man

Arjun Rampal celebrated his birthday last month in Sydney, Australia with Mahima Chaudhary leading thousands of fans in a rendition of Happy Birthday.

"When I look at a script, I ask myself if I would watch a movie like this. This character gives me the opportunity to do different things, to look different and work in a new environment. Also I got to work with Mr Bachchan again (their first together was Aankhen). He brings out the best in everybody, he抯 such a professional and has so much energy,

Bhardwaj's 'Othello' excites Kareena

Kareena Kapoor is very excited about her new movie though she has been initially hesitant in accepting it. This is Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Othello' based on the famous drama of Shakespeare. Kareena will play a vital character of Desdemona in the movie. She is all praise for Bhardwaj who, according to her, has scripted the movie as well as was recently released 'Iqbaal' based on the same author's Macbeth. She adds that this movie will certainly lift Vishal Bhardwaj to the status of hardly three top filmmakers of Bollywood." I am very eagerly waiting for the shooting of the movie. Besides, Kareena will be starring along Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi and Konkana Sensharma.

Kareena Kapoor


[ Last edited by Gadis_Venus at 13-1-2006 11:56 PM ]

Lara Dutta in 'Dosti'

Lara Dutta will soon be seen in filmmaker-director Sunil Darshan's 'Dosti' starring Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor. Miss Universe Lara began her filmi career with Miss World Priyanka Chopra but remained much behind Priyanka. In fact, Lara is hardly noticed in industry as often as Priyanka. First, Lara failed to compete with Priyanka in 'Andaaz'. Then, her 'Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost' and 'Bardaasht' flopped. Karan Johar's 'Kaal' starring Vivek Oberoi and Ajay Devgan didn't lift her spirits either. Now, Lara's fate in the industry is to be judged by her 'Dosti'.



[ Last edited by Gadis_Venus at 13-1-2006 11:57 PM ]

SQ154

Marriage Mariah?  
December 13, 2005      




WILL it be wedding bells soon for Mariah Carey?

  
Sporting a huge sparkling ring on her engagement finger during the Billboard Music Awards last Tuesday, the 35-year-old singer is rumoured to be engaged to mystery boyfriend Mark Sudack after accepting his proposal two weeks ago.

The couple supposedly plan to walk down the aisle next June.

Sudack is co-executive producer of Carey's smash album, The Emancipation Of Mimi.

He was hired last year as her 'house photographer' and quickly moved up the ranks in Carey's management team. Friends say that she considers Sudack her 'good luck charm' since the album marked the highest first-week sales in her career.



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Eminem: I'll be back

THIS is not the last we'll see of Eminem.

The 33-year-old insists there are no retirement plans in the works after the release of his new greatest hits album Curtain Call, but says that he is simply getting ready to reinvent himself.

He added that he needed an extended break to recover from exhaustion and his spell in rehab where he was treated for addiction to sleeping pills.

Speculation about him quitting the music scene arose when the cryptic title of the album was leaked.

But Eminem clarified: 'The album is like the final chapter of this part of Eminem, until I figure out what I'm doing and what my next move is.'



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When love turns sour

ACTRESS Heather Locklear and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora are giving their love a bad name.

As they prepare to celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday, they've been busy denying talk that their marriage has hit a rough patch.

Locklear, 44, has reportedly been refusing 46-year-old Sambora's requests for them to have another child.

They are already parents to 8-year-old Ava.

A source told the New York Daily News: 'She is more concerned about resurrecting what's left of her career... Richie is a sweetheart, but I don't know if he can take it much longer.'

Another source told Radar Online: 'She doesn't want another kid because she thinks she's Hollywood royalty. But Richie is an only child and desperately wants another kid.'

The members of rock group Bon Jovi, which just kicked off an extended world tour, are trying to get him to dump Locklear and move on.

The source added: '(They) never liked her anyway, particularly (frontman) Jon Bon Jovi. They're regular guys, and Heather is spoiled.'



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The single life

LIKE her former best friend Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie will be living the single life once more.

The 24-year-old reality TV star and club DJ Adam Goldstein, 32, have called off their nine month-long engagement and split up.

According to Richie's publicist, the decision was mutual, but word has it that Goldstein was the one who dumped her.

He was reportedly fed up with Richie's erratic and moody behaviour stemming from the media's constant accusations of anorexia and also discovered that she was not exactly the faithful girlfriend.

A source said: 'Goldstein has a residence in Las Vegas, where he goes to spin every weekend, and when the cat's away, the mouse will play. Adam found out that Nicole was 'partying' when he was away, and he does not tolerate that.'

SQ154

A new love in Lindsay's life  
December 14, 2005      




ACTRESS Lindsay Lohan has been romantically linked to a new man - rapper/actor Nick Cannon.

  
--AP
He recently presented her the VH1 Big In '05 'It' Girl Award and is coy about the gossip.

He told Los Angeles Daily News: 'I'm very fond of her. She's a very beautiful person and a great friend of mine. And I probably wouldn't be here tonight if she wasn't here.'

Cannon, 25, once dated singer Christina Milian and met Lohan on the set of the movie Bobby, which follows the assassination of US politician Robert Kennedy.

Wedding bells soon?


AVE singer Beyonce Knowles, 24, and rapper fiance Jay-Z, 36, realised their destiny?

It is rumoured that the couple plan to marry in the Caribbean in summer next year.

A source said: 'It will be a small, intimate wedding with just close friends and family. Preparations are under way, but the exact date and location have yet to be decided.

'Both Beyonce and Jay are determined to avoid turning the day into a media circus. So only they and their parents will know the full details until the very last minute.'

Of his hush-hush relationship with Knowles, Jay-Z said he's ready to be a dad in 'the next five years'.

More antics from Aussie bad boy


FATHERHOOD doesn't seem to have tamed Aussie actor Heath Ledger. Four weeks after becoming a dad, he threw a fit at the premiere of his new movie, which he attended with girlfriend Michelle Williams.

Asked to pose for photographers, Ledger told them to 'say something to make us smile then'. When somebody asked them to 'look as though you like each other', Ledger swore at him, grabbed Williams' hand and stormed off.

Last March, Ledger threw eggs, shot the middle finger at photographers and spat and swore at media on the Sydney set of the movie Candy.

Browneyes

apsal takde update ah venus...

Blum sempat gi Bombay la...

Amitabh Bachchan back home

Amitabh Bachchan was discharged from Mumbai抯 Lilavati Hospital on December 17. Clad in a white kurta-pyjama the actor emerged at 11.15 a.m. accompanied by his children Abhishek and Shweta along with close friends, Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh, Sahara honcho Subroto Roy and industrialist Anil Ambani. His Range Rover was followed by a convoy of cars all the way to his Juhu bungalow Prateeksha. The hospital Vice President, Dr Narendra Trivedi said that Bachchan will need 7-10 days of bed rest and will be under the care of family doctor, Dr Jayant Barve. Doctors from Lilavati will visit when required.

The 63-year-old actor spent 20 days at Lilavati Hospital after being flown in from Delhi抯 Escorts Hospital on November 28. He was operated on for diverticulitis of the small intenstine two days later.



[ Last edited by Gadis_Venus at 22-2-2006 09:51 PM ]

Priyanka doesn't mind Abhishek taking centrestage

Though she is being offered plum assignments, Priyanka Chopra chose to play what she describes as a relatively small role in "Bluffmaster" and doesn't regret her decision.

"See, Abhishek (Bachchan) plays the title role. I knew exactly what I had to do. And I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm only doing the films I know I'll be proud of. And 'Bluffmaster' is certainly one such film," Priyanka told IANS.

"Being a female actor it's unlikely for me to play the title role in 'Bluffmaster' or 'Don'. But I was the only girl on the sets. I play Abhishek's love interest. But Abhishek and Riteish (Deshmukh) make a pair. They're fantastic. Their chemistry together is unbelievable."

"Abhishek is a fantastic actor. He knows exactly what to do and how the film will turn out. When he was acting I realised how intelligent he is as an actor."

She's also doing a film with Hrithik Roshan. "Abhishek and Hrithik are very different but very, very good actors. But Duggu (Hrithik) is also a spontaneous actor. Both of them are very focused on their roles."

She chuckles at the memory of the pranks shared with Abhishek.

"One day we decided we'll take Rohan's trip. We decided to pull a prank regarding Nana Patekar whom we were all scared of. I used to arrive half an hour before him and wait for him. No pranks when he was around. But one day Abhishek and I decided to make up this story and complain that Nana had misbehaved with me.

"I went hysterically hammy. Rohan was ready to speak to Nana when we all burst out laughing... Nana has such an aura of being private and inaccessible. But he's a warm soul. He used to bring food for all of us."
  
As for her director, Priyanka speaks from the heart.

"He made it with his heart. I came out of 'Bluffmaster' with great memories, great friends... All my friends are from the films I work in. Otherwise, I've no one to go out with. Come on, hook me up with someone."

"Of all the films I've done so far, this one has been the most fun to make. 'Bluffmaster' is one of a kind. While everything was completely organised, all of us, Rohan, Riteish, Abhishek and I, were completely mad on the sets. This wasn't an easy film to make. This kind of a film hasn't been made in Hindi before," she adds.

It's been a tough year for Priyanka.

"My father fell ill. Now he's in America recovering. He's out of the hospital. But he has to get himself checked once a week. The doctors say he'll be ready to return in January. He's been in hospital for six months. It's been a traumatic time. I think I've matured quite a lot.

"Professionally, it was quite a tumultuous year. 'Waqt' did really well... 'Barsaat' too did well. Now I hope to pull a hat trick with 'Bluffmaster'."

She seems upbeat about her future projects.

"God's been very kind to my career. Good things happened after 'Aitraaz'... Now I've Rakesh Roshan's 'Krrish' and Rumi Jaffrey's 'God Tussi Great Ho' which are complete, Farhan Akhtar's 'Don' which I start shooting in January, Dharmesh Darshan's 'Aap Ki Khatir' and Nikhil Advani's 'Salaam-e-Ishq' where I pair with Akshaye Khanna for the first time...All these films will be over by July 2006."

Is Priyanka happy inching towards the top slot?

"It's such a slippery place to be in, dude. Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan, Shah Rukh (Khan), Madhuri (Dixit), Kajol, Aishwarya (Rai)...they've been there for years. But look at them. They're incredible actors. I'm happy being recognised as versatile. I just want to let things flow. I've been here for a very short span of time."

Priyanka Chopra


Abhishek Bachan


[ Last edited by Gadis_Venus at 14-1-2006 12:00 AM ]

Aamir leaves Salman, SRK out of guest list

Aamir Khan has stopped shooting to devote more time to organise his wedding at a Panchgani hotel on December 28. It's a four-day party near Wai, the place where the actor fell in love with Kiran Rao.

Ceremonies are to begin with a registered marriage in Mumbai on December 27, which in all probability will be conducted at his newly renovated home in Bandra's Marina Apartments.

Though the actor has planned an elaborate function, his guest list from the film industry is not really long.

With as many as 35-45 people attending the celebrations, it is learnt that most of the bigwigs from the industry, including Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, are missing from the list of invitees.

The only person who has been invited being Rani Mukherji, a close friend of the Khan since 1998. Even the famed Lagaan ensemble has not been invited by the actor.

Ashutosh Gowarikar will probably be the only member from the Lagaan team to attend the wedding to participate in the marriage celebrations of his film's protagonist.

Confirming not having received any invitation, two of the actors from the Lagaan team said, "If the invitation would have been sent, all of us would have got it."

Ashutosh Gowarikar will probably be the only member from among them to participate in the marriage celebrations of his film's protagonist.

Aamir Khan


Salman Khan


Shah Rukh Khan
]

[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 27-12-2006 05:09 PM ]

Aamir Khan to ring in New Year with new beginnings

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is all set to ring in the new year with new beginnings, with his marriage to Kiran Rao and the subsequent grand party at the hill resort of Panchgani, about 200 km from Mumbai, on January 1.

This is the second time to the altar for Khan, who has divorced his first wife Reena. They have two children, Junaid and Aira, both of whom are expected to attend the wedding celebrations.

The couple has opted for a registered marriage, which will take place at a city court on December 28, after which close family and friends will drive to Panchgani for the wedding celebrations, which will culminate in a grand reception on January 1.

Three resorts have been booked entirely for the reception, sources said, adding all the preparations have been personally supervised by Rao and Khan.

The reception is likely to be attended by Bollywood bigwigs Shah Rukh and Salman Khan as well as Aamir抯 heroines Rani Mukherji and Juhi Chawla.

The couple met on the sets of the hit film Lagaan, where Rao was assistant to director Ashutosh Gowariker. The bride抯 parents will host a reception for the couple in Bangalore, the sources added.  



[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 27-12-2006 05:10 PM ]

Will Sushmita's Tantra succeed?

Sushmita Sen's production company has launched its first advertisement for jewellery brand Kiah.

When Sushmita Sen announced her big plans of turning entrepreneur in November, she managed to hog the headlines. At a glittering ceremony in Mumbai that coincided with her birthday, she officially launched her production company, Tantra Entertainment.

At the time, Sen had shared that her company's plans included producing commercials, making a film on Rani Laxmi Bai, besides opening spas, nightclubs (she wants to open one in Kolkata, we're told) and much, much
more.

While most of the other plans remain in the pipeline, - she's holding talks with Chandraprakash Dwivedi for her film on Rani Laxmi Bai. Tantra Entertainment took its first baby steps in the entertainment industry by producing an advertisement for Kiah, a jewellery brand for which she's also the brand ambassador.

Says the company's spokesperson, "Tantra has been launched to broaden our base in the entertainment industry." The Kiah advertisement has been doing the rounds since November 2005 and can be seen on a majority of prime-time slots.

Manav Menon, the man behind campaigns like Aquafina, Ponds and Zingaro, was roped in by Sen to direct the eye-catching commercial that was shot for nearly five days using special digital effects.

Gautam Gulati, brand director, Sheetal Creations, the company which launched Kiah in October 2004 says, "It was a wonderful experience to work with Sushmita, and I'm sure our company will do more work with her
production house in future."

He adds, "Right from the ideation to taking care of the minute details to being involved in post production, Sushmita's involvement was commendable."

The commercial was shot in Mumbai while the post-production work was done in Singapore. Though Gulati refuses to divulge details on the exact figure for the ad, he says, "It was obviously not a small budget ad, and all I can say is that it was made at what a small budget feature film would cost."

According to sources, the ad may have cost at least Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million), if not more. There was no involvement from any agency, and the entire project was collaborated between Tantra Entertainment and Sheetal Creations.

Though the company is tightlipped about its future plans, it is hopeful that the production house will ride successfully on Sen's brand name.



[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 27-12-2006 05:11 PM ]

Rani, Priyanka unable to fly

This could be their worst travel experience. Four of Bollywood's biggest stars were stuck in an immobile flight at Delhi airport for nearly six hours.

Actors Priyanka Chopra, Esha Deol, Zayed Khan and Rani Mukerji along with singers Abhijeet Sawant and Shweta Pundit had a harrowing time while returning to Mumbai from Delhi Saturday evening after their Temptations 2005 concert.

Exhausted and barely able to speak, Priyanka recounted the experience at Delhi airport.

"It's really funny. But Zayed was supposed to take an earlier flight, which Shah Rukh left on. But Zayed decided to be a sport. He didn't want to break the team. So he chose to travel with me, Rani, Esha and the rest. After what happened, I'm sure Zayed would think twice before being generous. While the earlier flight left on time, we got into the 7.40 p.m. flight on Saturday evening... and finally left Delhi at 11 a.m. on Sunday."

So what happened?

"When we got into flight everything was fine. Shah Rukh messaged to say his flight had taken off. We hopped, skipped and jumped on board. Within 10 minutes the entire airport was enveloped in the thickest fog. We waited patiently for a clearance. The clock ticked way... We didn't feel the pressure of delay since we had two singers Abhijeet Sawant and Shweta Pundit as part of our team. And since I'm fond of singing, I didn't mind playing Antakshari on board. That kept us going for a couple of hours."

Finally at 1.30 a.m. Priyanka and other passengers de-boarded and booked into a hotel.

"We checked in at the hotel at around 2 a.m. and caught the flight back in the morning. I haven't slept for five days. I had just landed from a concert in Dubai before leaving immediately for the concert in Delhi. Now, what I really want is to sleep," said Priyanka.

This was her second tryst with an inordinate flight delay from Delhi to Mumbai. Two months ago after a plane skidded off the Mumbai airport, Priyanka was left circling the airport for several hours.

"Why do these things keep happening to me?" Priyanka wailed, before crashing out.

Rani Mukherjee


Priyanka Chopra


[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 28-12-2006 12:51 PM ]

Me & Bobby are good friends in real life: Akki  

After making you crack your sides in the laughter ride Garam Masala, the dashing Akshay Kumar is back again with his saga of friendship with Bobby Deol in his latest film Dosti - Friends Forever. So let's know more about what his latest flick Dosti is all about.

Till now you have had six releases this year and have two more movies lined up. So how has the year been for you?
Well of course, the year has been great for me. Yes I had a number of releases this year and my last film Garam Masala has been a doing well at the box office, so I am really happy for the way things have worked out for me.

What is the movie Dosti all about?
Well Dosti is the story of two friends played by myself and Bobby Deol. The film is about how these two friends are strongly bond to each other and how the film takes an emotional turn when the circumstances change suddenly. The film is great but especially I think the last 35 mins of it has one of my best performances till date.

How was it working with Bobby Deol in Dosti?
Great! We two are good friends in real life and we were supposed to do the same in the movie so it wasn't a tough job at all. All we had to do was to know our lines well and then perform naturally.

How were Kareena and Lara as co stars?
Both Kareena and Lara were great co stars. I have worked with them before so it was very comfortable working with them. In fact in this film we all teamed up well.

How was Suneel Darshan as a director?
I have worked with Suneel Darshan for nearly four to five films now and all the time the experience of working with him has been great. We team up well together and I am aware of what he expects from me. Also, most of the films we have done earlier have been great hits at the box office so I believe that Dosti will also turn out to be great as well.

Tell us about the music of the film
As any other movie of Suneel Darshan's, the music of this film is also brilliant. Music directors Nadeem Shravan have created some excellent tracks for this film. My favorite song in the film is the one called 'Dulhaniya'.

What are your expectations from the Dosti and Family?
Well, my expectations are very high. My earlier films this year have been successful and I hope that these one too succeed as well. That would be the best New Year's gift for me.  

Akshay Kumar


Bobby Deol


[ Last edited by  Gadis_Venus at 28-12-2006 01:14 PM ]

Bobby Deol on textbook cover raises hackles

A textbook cover bearing a photograph of Bhagat Singh has raised the hackles of political parties, teachers and parents here.

They insist it isn抰 the revolutionary抯 picture and is an image of actor Bobby Deol, who in a recent film, played the freedom fighter.

The book, 'Sahid Bhagat Singh,' written by Samar Das, is prescribed by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education for schools run under the Union government抯 flagship elementary education programme, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

But the primary education board rubbishes the charge. "This is a storm over a tea cup. If at all there抯 any resemblance with the actor, the board cannot be blamed for it. The picture on the cover of our Class I textbook, 'Sahid Bhagat Singh,' was sketched by a Government Art College artist. It has nothing to do with the actor. Moreover, the book wasn抰 prescribed recently," Sulopani Bhattacharya, board president, insists.

But the Forward Bloc isn抰 convinced. About 200 supporters of the party抯 Youth League blocked G T Road near Burdwan town for hours on Friday. They distributed photocopies of the controversial book cover to passersby. Debabrata Hazra Choudhury, district Forward Bloc leader, described the "faux pas" as "disgusting" and urged the Primary Education Council to recall copies of the book, correct them and immediately issue an apology.

The book cover, he said, was in bad taste and sends the wrong message to youngsters. His contention: "This isn抰 the first time that such a 憄rinting error