Kat becomes eye candy for Akki

Katrina Kaif role in most of her flicks was just of an arm candy. Post New York she decided she wouldn’t play arm-candy anymore but bent the rules for good friend Akshay.

She says, My reason for accepting this film is only because Akshay asked me if I would do it.” 

“Akshay is a friend and I could never refuse. The two of us have given some of the biggest hits together. When I learnt De Dana Dan is Akshay’s home production (Akshay’s Hari Om Productions is producing the film in partnership with Ratan Jain’s Venus Productions) I said yes without hesitation.”

Talking about playing an arm-candy, Katrina says, “I have played the arm candy in one too many films in the past. Post New York, I have Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti where I’m the only girl with superb male actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Manoj Bajpai, Nana Patekar and Arjun Rampal. It is a performance oriented film for me and that’s the way I would ideally like most of my future films to be.”

Moving over to De Dana Dan, Katrina says, t has a host of almost 22 super actors. Obviously, there may not be too much of me on screen.”

Katrina is currently filming Prakash Jha’s Rajniti.

Shahid Kapoor: I don’t miss Kareena

Shahid Kapoor in a recent tell-all interview revealed that he doesn’t miss Kareena Kapoor at all.

He says, “I have moved on in life. I don’t miss her. It’s been quite long. I am happy to be where I am. I am not in love and if there is someone, people will eventually come to know. Till then, people should keep patience. However, I will not go outside and wave. I feel very loved by the masses; they want me to get settled for good.”

Shahid however talks about his dream woman, “My dream woman is someone who is real. By real, I mean honest and straight-up…someone who tries to understand me as a person and does not care for the persona. Someone, who is very simple. No, I don’t think I have met her. Love cannot be planned and it happens. It can happen now, it may happen five years down the line. My search continues…”

All girls love in love with Shahid, you have a chance now!

On a Date with Priyanka Chopra - Part 2

Priyanka Chopra has moved from rom-com success to weightier drama. But, writes UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent Devansh Patel, its hard work telling when the acting stops and the real Priyanka Chopra starts. Part two of 'On a Date with Priyanka Chopra' continues....

She's not one of those Bollywood stars who plays on her stardom to have you listen to her on other issues. She's worth listening to because of her own inherent intelligence, experience and background. In films, she suggests so much while saying so little - anger, desperation, loneliness, humour - all through the tiniest movements of a tight-lipped mouth. Priyanka has often portrayed women of rare strength, despite her super glamorous image.

Her professionalism is to the core and so is her privacy when she informs me, "I don't invite cameras in my house. I don't mind doing a one off interview sometimes but don't want it to become national television where everyone comes to know what my house looks like." 

I ask her whether she considers herself lucky. "There was a lot of being at the right place at the right time but there was also a lot of not getting the right films to start off with. If I missed out on a film, somebody up there was making place for something better to come along. That has made me a very positive person because I've seen it happen in my life too."

Her accent is American but she is a rooted Indian who came back after four years of studying in the United States. "I remember one day when I suddenly decided to come back to India because of racist issues back in the States. I left India when I was twelve and came back when I was sixteen. My father saw me as a grown up girl and I was happy. But was very upset that I came back. It was all well. I often myself questioned why I came back; just because of the racist issues or because I missed home." But little did Miss Priyanka Chopra know that her home coming was going to take her the world over in years to come. "I then wanted to go to Australia and study engineering and I was applying in colleges out there. The next thing I see myself becoming Miss India and then Miss World. For a girl picked up from school in a school uniform and then be standing on the world stage wearing the Miss World crown was ridiculous."

Call Priyanka destiny's child and she will agree. "Yes. My life has entirely been a twist of destiny. So I've left it up to it. I never plan my life and what I do at this moment is what matters to me. I'm not worried about tomorrow." Good for me too because I never planned this gorgeous 'date'. It just happened. 

What's Kaminey going to bring out in her? "I'm going to make people laugh a little bit. My character is very endearing and small, comparatively. My role of Sweety has no interest in studies and likes going to the boys' hostel and hangs out with her boyfriend. It's a sweet love story and very grounded. She doesn't have time to go through the make up routine. She puts on her Indian dress, makes her choti (Indian hairstyle) and out she goes. It was very liberating for me to do that."

Watching Chopra talk so much felt like watching a movie. It was liberating. But reading scripts does engage this Miss World quite a lot. "I love reading scripts. I also proof read scripts for friends. It's a good way to pass my time. We did a lot of reading sessions for Kaminey because it's an interactive film."

Her film talk continues. "The title of the film is really doing wonders for the film. When my director Vishal told me that the film is titled 'Kaminey' I thought he was joking. It is definitely something that's making people inquisitive." She adds, "The film is a very different take on the way Indian cinema has been. The characters are so real that you can touch them, feel them and talk to them. My character of Sweety and Shahid Kapoor's character of Guddu are lovable. Kaminey is probably Vishal Bhardwaj's most commercial films. It's an action comedy caper like Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels type. Kaminey caters to an intelligent audience. It intrigues you because it looks different, it has got music which touches your tastes somewhere and here is my role of a middle class girl who is a sister of a local mafia don going to college whose aim in life is to get married."

Priyanka's manners are impeccable. She's smart enough to talk at length without letting her guard down. But she noticeably retreats when the conversation turns personal. But I like slipping in things. "What about your marriage plans?" I ask. I see Priyanka sensed this one coming. "You do a lot of these things, don't you Devansh? Nicely slipped in", she comments.

With her career's soaring success, I ask Chopra whether marriage eventually will take a back seat if and when she does get married. "I think that happens to everyone isn't it? There are some professions which need priority. I really believe that from the age of 18 to say 35 is the only time where you will be working with the zest. The rest of the years you can get married and have kids. It's a balancing act."

Not many are aware of the fact that the former Miss World is a big foodie. She believes that London serves the best Indian food. When asked whether she would prefer the famous Mushy Peas of London, she replies, "I hate mushy peas but love boiled peas with lots of butter with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That's yummy." Along with foods, she is a voracious reader too. Her favourite book is 'Letters by a father to his daughter' by Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Having met Priyanka in the past, she reckons that I'll like her new film. "I think I know that you'll like Kaminey. I can sense it", she says. She also checks on her fear. "But you will criticise the film too, isn't it?" she wants to know. I answer, "I will if I want to and if the film deserves to be criticised." Pat comes her comment, "You should."

Ever thought of being a part of the London's musicals or America's Broadway? "I love stage. It's something else. I've seen Mama Mia in Las Vegas. I'd love to perform one day on stage. It may sound tragic but because of my non vacation life since the last six years it's been difficult to cherish the best musicals or broadways. I just can't take out time and though it may sound stupid, I cannot explain it to people."

"Once everybody leaves the seventh floor of Priyanka Chopra's apartment I clean up. This is how I am: real and clean," she confesses. So as I prepare to leave, my eyes spot her picking up the gift wrap lying on the floor. There she was: the real Priyanka Chopra.

Emraan Hashmi speaks out; minority commission's verdict today

Friends close to Emraan Hashmi insist he will fight out the issue to its bitter end, no matter how isolated he may be in his battle to prove that sections of supposedly progressive metropolitan Mumbai practice religious segregation.

Says a source very close to Emraan, "He moves around with a lot of security. It's a precautionary measure. Emraan has filed a complaint with the minority commission. It will come to its decision today, the 10th August. Until they do, he's in danger. Emraan is not really troubled. His house IS looking like a fortress. The police complaint doesn't deter Emraan at all. It's an age-old ploy to silence you. No one can accuse Emraan of inciting communal disharmony. Religious discrimination in buying and renting property has been going on for a very long time. No one talked about it openly. It's a sensitive issue." Now the people who denied Emraan property are tripping over changing their statements repeatedly. "They said he was kept out because Emraan was serial kisser. For some reason they also made up an absurd allegation that Emraan's parents barged into the office of the property dealers. Emraan's parents had taken a proper appointment and gone and they were treated badly. They were told the housing society people were busy. Emraan was enraged because his parents were badly treated. He had earlier bought an apartment in 2007 in Pali Hill. But there was no such problem. This was his first real encounter with discrimination."

Now the people whom the actor was trying to buy property from have buckled under. Says Emraan's friend, "The prospective property seller now says he doesn't want to sell. But for Emraan it is no longer about personal hurt. He's standing up for an issue. People have accused him of doing this to gain publicity. Let them say what they like. He has no releases in the next few months. Emraan doesn't care what the cynics say."

About the lack of support from within the industry, Emraan's friend says, "He wasn't expecting any real support. Javed and Shabana have spoken on it. Also, Saif, Emraan didn't raise his voice hoping to get support. Emraan is prepared to take the issue to its logical issue. He hopes people will no longer keep quiet about being denied property in spite of being law-abiding citizens and paying taxes."

For Emraan the issue has become much larger than a personal one. Says Emraan, "The problem of being denied property on grounds of religion is prevalent all over the country. Now so many Muslims have come forward claiming the same. And mind you, I know religious profiling works both ways. I know of Muslim colonies where Hindus are not allowed to stay. I spoke out as a segregated citizen, not a Muslim. I want all discrimination in property allotment to go. Otherwise why do we call ourselves a democracy?"

Emraan hopes more voice to be raised against discrimination. He's shooting for Ekta Kapoor's Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. The shooting doesn't stop.

I'm not focussing only on comedies: Shreyas Talpade

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) He's made audiences laugh in several films and has signed on four more comedies, but actor Shreyas Talpade insists he is not concentrating on just humorous films even though he enjoys doing the funny man's act.

"Attempting comedies is not everyone's cup of tea...it's very tough to carry off and my doing comedies has just been a coincidence, as the scripts were very good. But that doesn't mean I'm doing only comedies. There is a mixed bag of roles that are happening to keep me going as an actor," Shreyas told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

"There are a couple of films that I'll be doing that are going to be thrillers. It is only if you attempt something new that keeps you going; otherwise it's like offering the same staple diet," said the actor, who has given some hilarious performances in "Apna Sapna Money Money", "Om Shanti Om", "Golmaal Returns" and "Paying Guests".

But Shreyas, who debuted with the more serious "Iqbal", refused to divulge any details about the forthcoming thrillers. "It's too early to talk about them."

The laughathons he has lined up include "Hook Ya Crook", "Aage Se Right", "Season's Greetings" and "Mirch".

Apart from comedies, Shreyas has also been a regular in multi-starrers. Is that a conscious move?

"It's not like that. It's just that my career has been mixed so far. I go by what film appeals to me. I'm going to do solo roles too. And for that matter two of my forthcoming films 'Click' and 'Aage Se Right' have me in the solo lead."

Of all the movies he has done, Shreyas has been in the lead role only in "Iqbal", "Bombay To Bangkok" (2008) and "Welcome To Sajjanpur" (2008).

The 33-year-old is also known for his mimicry skills that he showed off in Nagesh Kukunoor's "Dor" (2006), but he has gone slow on that front now.

"I used to do a lot of mimicry when I was in college and I won quite a few awards too. But I've stopped doing it because it started affecting my acting career.

"Nagesh, however, knew about my mimicking capabilities and he came out with it in the 'bahurupiya's' character in 'Dor'. But the art is now more like an added thing in my whole package than anything else," he said.

Not many know that Shreyas started his career by acting in many Marathi soap operas and doing stage shows across Maharashtra before foraying into Bollywood.

Asked if he would like to go back to his roots, he said: "Well, that's quite on halt as of now because of my Bollywood commitments. But I will produce a Marathi film this year and it'll go on floors this September."

Bollywood newcomers prefer good scripts over big banners

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Teenage pregnancy, terrorism, an out-and-out actioner or a spooky jungle thriller-Bollywood newcomers like Shruthi Haasan, Ruslaan Mumtaaz and Arunoday Singh are opting for different themes and strong scripts rather than being lured by big banners and typical potboilers.

Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruthi chose an unconventional debut in "Luck", a hardcore action film.

"I've never understood what is or is not commercial. I chose 'Luck' because I loved the concept. I'm glad I was a part of it. I chose a script that excited me and I will continue to do so-whatever the genre may be," 23-year-old Shruthi told IANS.

Similar is the case with Arunoday Singh, grandson of Congress veteran Arjun Singh. Arunoday is making his entry into Bollywood with Piyush Jha's "Sikandar" and he plays a militant. Set in Kashmir, the film is slated to hit screens Aug 21.

The budding actor says he can't fathom the need for a marked difference between commercial and non-commercial cinema in Bollywood.

"I don't know why there is an understanding here that films with a serious subject are inherently better than typical masala films. It's not like that.

If the story and the script of a film are interesting-that's all that matters," said Arunoday, who had been living abroad for nine years.

He says doing a film like "Sikandar", which has terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as its backdrop, was not at all a deliberate effort to do something out of the box.

"I've just arrived in Bollywood. It's not like I had to choose a certain role. I was keen to just work and didn't think it was practical to wait for someone to launch me. I had economic reasons to get work as well.

"But when I heard what Piyush (Jha) wrote for 'Sikandar', I really liked it.

It is a very strong script and that's why I'm proud and grateful to have been cast in the film. The film is not preachy-it doesn't give a biased view on terrorism," said Arunoday.

While Shruthi and Arunoday made a conscious choice of doing 'script-based' roles, Ruslaan just happened to be roped in for "Teree Sang", Satish Kaushik's take on teenage pregnancy.

"My first movie 'Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar' was not a commercial one and I wanted my second project to be a commercial one. When I was approached by Satish Kaushik for 'Teree Sang', I gave my nod, thinking his films are always commercial in theme and presentation. But after reading the script, I realised it was not. But I'm glad I did it," Ruslaan said.

"The film just has a non-commercial theme, teenage pregnancy, interspersed with a love story. It has turned out to be a great learning experience for me and I've grown a lot with this role. Ultimately, it's the character that makes you a hero-not always your acting," he said.

Another newcomer to make an unconventional entry is Gautam Rode. He plays a superstar in Ram Gopal Varma's adventure thriller "Agyaat", which again is not a regular Hindi potboiler.

For Gautam, his choice of "Agyaat" was a mix of three things-a "gripping story", "different character" and the "way Ram Gopal Varma narrated it".

"I took up 'Agyaat' after the way I was approached for it. Ramu approached me for the film in November. He met me for an hour and the way he narrated my character and told me about the film, I was assured it wasn't going to be a regular role," Gautam said.

Having said that, the 31-year-old actor says he felt it was a risk doing such an offbeat film-but was confident about going ahead with it.

"I was open to taking risks. I knew it was not going to be a conventional story with 8 to 10 songs in it. All I saw was that it was a combination of a good script, a good banner and a fabulous director," he added.

Varma's 'Agyaat' to open with 960 prints

Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is pleasantly surprised that his "Agyaat" is being released on more screens than any of his earlier films despite not boasting of big stars. The horror thriller opens on 740 screens in Hindi and 220 in Telugu.

The film, releasing Friday, stars Nitin Kumar Reddy, Priyanka Kothari and Gautam Rode.

"I don't understand it. 'Agyaat' has no big stars, and yet it will open on more screens across the world than ever before, even more than 'Sarkar Raj', which had the highest star value among all my films," Varma told IANS.

"Not bad for a non-star film, huh? I think there're two kind of releases. The ones with the star value and the ones where the genre is the star. I don't have to tell you which genre 'Agyaat' falls into," he added.

Would he attribute the large number of prints to the hype created by the publicity?

"I think we did a good job of creating hype. Even the dummy corpses worked," said Varma, who landed in a controversy after the publicity stunt for "Agyaat" saw around 15 dummies of dead bodies suspended from the movie's posters

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New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) One of Bollywood's most successful comedy makers directors, David Dhawan, says a filmmaker has to be emotional to make a good movie. He also admits to getting stressed even now before the release of each of his films .

"If you don't know how to cry or laugh, then you can't understand the audience. The goodness has to be within you to come up with something exciting. A good movie should have the right mix of emotions, backed by a powerful script," Dhawan told IANS here.

Dhawan's upcoming "Do Knot Disturb" is again a lighthearted romantic comedy that stars Govinda, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen. It is scheduled for a September release.

He is also working on another project titled "Hook Ya Crook" that stars John Abraham, Kay Kay Menon, Shreyas Talpade and Genelia D'Souza.

After teaming up with stars like Govinda, Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan in several hits, Dhawan now wants to make a movie with animals as protagonists.

"I love animals and I want to make one movie with them. I have always wanted to make a movie with animals, but for that you need a trained animal and lots of patience too," said Dhawan, who used a chimpanzee in "Aankhen" and a dog in "Biwi No.1".

He confesses he was under extreme stress before the release of his first hit, "Shola Aur Shabnam" (1992).

"I must admit that 'Shola Aur Shabnam' was my last chance to prove myself as a director. I had given a series of flops before the film.... and I had no clue what I would do if the movie would fail at the box-office," said Dhawan.

"When the film was released, I was under extreme pressure and nervous too. My condition was so bad that I was shivering and my wife had to give me brandy to put me to sleep. But when I got a call at 5 a.m. from a film critic who told me that my film in not just good but too good and a hit, I was relieved. After that I never looked back," he added.

After the success of the Govinda-Divya Bharati starrer, Dhawan gave a series of hits like "Saajan Chale Sasural" and "Deewana Mastana", "Biwi No.1", "Jodi No.1", "Hero No.1" and "No Entry".

But even after so many hits, Dhawan gets nervous before the release of his movies.

"For every film of mine, I'm nervous. I hide myself in the editing room because I have raised the level of people's expectations...What bothers me mostly is whether audience will like my movie or not, whether my movie will make them laugh or not.

"Sometimes you have to outdo your own projects," said the director.

Post-"Shola Aur Shabnam", the Dhawan-Govinda combination was seen as a sure shot success at the ticket window. But the director has also churned out hits with other stars like Anil, Salman and Sanjay Dutt.

Love Aaj Kal's Punjabi kudi 'Harleen' is actually Brazilian model Giselle Monteiro

At last the mystery of the mysterious Punjabi girl in Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal who gets royally wooed and won by the Sardar Saif has been solved. The girl, a Brazilian model named Giselle Monteiro couldn't speak Hindi or dance to save her life.

In fact the sequence showing her dancing at her engagement drove the entire unit up the wall. Apparently, our Brazilian babe just couldn't get the steps right. Says Imtiaz, "We wanted to put her through the paces with Sarojji (choreographer Saroj Khan). But it never happened. Sarojji didn't have the time. For a foreigner to get the Indian adaa right is very tough. We take for granted those nakhra-jhatka-matka which we've seen our sisters perform at weddings. Indian girls have those adaas without being trained. But for a foreigner, it is tough. Giselle could've done with a bit more training than guidance."

So who's this mysterious girl who throughout the making of Love Aaj Kal was referred to by her screen name 'Harleen'? Even when she became visible in the trailers she remained inaccessible to the public.

Imtiaz Ali finally reveals Harleen's true identity. "She is actually a Brazilian girl named Giselle Monteiro. Why a Brazilian girl to play an old-fashioned Punjabi girl? Well, I was auditioning girls from all over the country to play the Punjabi girl opposite the Sikh Saif. I couldn't find the right girl to play the 1965 ki gali mein rehne wali ladki, purane zamane ki."

Giselle one day walked into Imtiaz's office to play another part. "Giselle came to me through dress designer Anahita Shroff. She was to play Jo, Saif's Caucasian girlfriend in the second-half. She wasn't right for Jo. But my wife, who was there, suggested Giselle for Harleen. I turned and looked at Giselle and realized she is Brazil's Harleen. She didn't know how to speak Hindi. But she had only two lines to speak, which we dubbed."

Significantly, Giselle understood the old-world values of her small-town character better than an urban Indian actress would have. Says Imtiaz, "The small-town mentality in every part of the world is similar."

A lot of interest in Giselle is being shown by Bollywood now that Love Aaj Kal is released. Says Imtiaz, "She has been traveling all alone all over the world from the age of 17. She's 19 now. Saif kept grumbling he'd look too old with Giselle. But he pulled it off completely.

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By Renu Chawla, Bollywood Hungama News Network

The latest Swine flu epidemic has developed an eerie feeling amongst everyone. An entire last schedule shoot of Dharma Production's Qurbaan was cancelled as the shooting was to take place in Pune- the largely affected city with the epidemic.

A source from the unit reveals, "The cast and crew were to travel to Pune on Friday afternoon. Everyone was all set and prepared to leave for the last schedule. But lead actress Kareena Kapoor was adamant on not going to Pune after the break out of Swine Flu in the city where they were headed to shoot. Very little portions had to be shot and the crew really wanted to get done with it as soon as possible and Bebo was required for the scene."

The source continues, "Bebo had a word with the director Rensil D'Silva and asked him to reconsider the shoot. The team members gave it a thought and cancelled the scheduled."

Kareena's spokesperson confirmed, "Yes, the Pune schedule was cancelled."

Adds director Rensil D'Silva, "We considered the situation in Pune carefully and decided not to shoot there since we did not want to put either the cast or crew at risk."

The team still has to shoot the remaining scenes, but hasn't decided the venue and is also waiting to again acquire dates of the actors.

Hrithik Roshan Wheelchair Bound for 'Guzarish'

Don't worry all you Hrithik Roshan fans out there, the actor hasn't injured himself. But what is Hrithik doing in a wheelchair then? The reason is to prepare for his role in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, "Guzarish." It's not surprising that Hrithik would research for a film role knowing what a dedicated and serious actor he is. 

Hrithik will be playing a paraplegic in the film, which co-stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. To fully get into the character, Hrithik has a wheelchair which he can practice with at home. Hrithik wants to be fully prepared to look convincing when playing a paralyzed man. Reportedly that's not all Hrithik is doing to prepare for the role. He is also reading up on paraplegia and watching videos to understand and study their mannerisms and behavior.
  
With the great performances Hrithik gave in "Lakshya" and "Koi Mil Gaya" this film, like the others, should be an interesting watch.

Although it hasn't yet been confirmed, the rumor is that Aishwarya will be playing the role of a nurse who falls in love with Hrithik's character. However, the twist is that he doesn't want to live his life as a paralyzed man so he asks her to help kill himself via euthanasia. Some heavy duty material included puts Hrithik's studying up for the part even more into perspective.

What do you guys think about all this? Will you watch the film when it releases?

Katrina Kaif's Family Filled Birthday

After all the hoopla from last year's birthday celebrations, Katrina Kaif kept things all in the family this year. Katrina turns 25 today and she chose to do something that she hasn't been able to do since she started her career in Bollywood - a reunion of all seven of her siblings and her mom.

 It's not that Kat hasn't seen her family in all these years, but with her six sisters, one brother and mother, they all have busy lives and work in different parts of the world that make it difficult for them to be in the same place at the same time.

The reunion has been in the works for the last few months and earlier this week Katrina took off to London to meet with all of her family. After the much publicized blow up between her beau Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan at her 24th birthday party last year, this year none of her Bollywood pals were invited - not even Salman Khan. Even though one of her favorite costars Akshay Kumar was in town shooting 'Houseful,' he also wasn't invited.

It seems like the whole Kaif clan is on their way to a vacation in an Italian resort town. As mentioned earlier the Kaif's all have busy lives. Her mother runs a charity foundation in Madurai, her brother Michael is an adventure enthusiast and her younger sister Isabella is taking acting classes in Europe and plans to pursue a career in Bollywood just like her big sis. She plans to move to Mumbai and live with Katrina. 

Here's to Katrina, we here at DesiHits! hope she has a lovely birthday and a fun time on her well deserved vacation!

Asin Receives Highest Civilian Honor as her 150th Award

Bollywood actress Asin is receiving her 150th award and this time it’s not for her acting. It seems that our little screen maven has secretly been involved in a lot of charity and philanthropic work; so much so that the Tamil Nadu government is awarding her with the highest civilian honor. Asin will be awarded the Kalaimamahi Award, which will be presented to her by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu himself, M. Karunanidhi.

"I'm proud that the state chose me to give its highest honor. It is true that this one is my 150th award and the number of awards might sound a mouthful but I have miles to go and lots to achieve. I'm still very young and it's great to have won so many awards in my film career. I have had a great start in Bollywood and I'm looking to do some good projects in this industry as well as down South," she says.

That being said, how come we never heard about any of her philanthropic work in the past? Well this is because Asin is a very private person and prefers not to be an exhibitionist. Although she is grateful for her new award, she does her charity work out of the goodness of her heart, not for extra publicity.

A source says, "Asin hates talking openly about her social work. She is a private person and does not want to flaunt her good deeds. She secretly takes time off regularly and visits the institutes she is associated within Kerela and Tamil Nadu.”

It looks like Asin’s big heart and good deeds have not gone unnoticed.

Shahid Kapoor Will Receive the Rajiv Gandhi Award

These days Bollywood cutie Shahid Kapoor is living the good life, with his career on a high after a number of hit films. With the success of his career it's no surprise that Shahid has received numerous awards for his work and now he's receiving perhaps the most prestigious award in his career thus far - the Rajiv Gandhi award. The award is given to a person who shows prominence in his or her chosen field. Plus the award show will take place in the second week of August, just in time for the release of Shahid's highly anticipated film, 'Kaminey' costarring Priyanka Chopra. No doubt this will be a welcome source of positive press for the film.

Shahid was quoted as saying this about receiving the award - "I was pleasantly surprised to get the news about my being chosen for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi award. I'm only 28 years old and it's really early in my career. I feel humbled and honored to be chosen by the jury."

Previous recipients of the award include Sunita Williams, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani and Amitabh Bachchan, so it looks like Shahid has some legendary company!
So we want to know what you guys think. Do you think Shahid deserves the award at such a young age and at this stage in his career? Drop us a comment with your thoughts!

Hrithik Roshan Gets Tattoo of Wife's Name

It's just about the biggest trend in Bollywood since the days of using "dishoom" as a sound effect for punches. Bollywood's hottest stars are all about ink at the moment. 

Stars like Saif Ali Khan, Amrita Arora, Malaika Arora Khan, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal, Akshay Kumar among others. All of them sport tattoos somewhere on their bodies and one of those actors is Hrithik Roshan who recently added another tattoo to his body.

On a recent trip to London with his children, Hrehaan, Hridaan and wife, Hrithik got a tattoo of his wife's name "Suzanne" on his right wrist. Notably, he got this ink just weeks after rumors of tension in his marriage due to alleged closeness to Barbara Mori, his 'Kites' costar came about. 

Hrithik didn't get the tattoo on a whim however, he had a long meeting with tattoo artist Sameer Patange to talk about the font and the size of the tattoo before hand. Patange is the same man who had previously tattooed a six pint star on both Hrithik and Suzanne's forearms. He's also done work on Barbara and her brother. It's being said that Hrithik was excited as a kid on his birthday after getting his latest tattoo. 

What do you guys think about Hrithik getting his wife's name tattooed on his wrist? Do you think it has something to do with the rumors about an affair with Barbara or was it just a sweet and loving gesture? Drop us a comment with your thoughts.

Exclusive Interview With 'Bollywood Hero's' Pooja Kumar

Last time we talked to VJ-turned-actress, Pooja Kumar, she was back in the States ready to promote her newest project, 'Bollywood Hero', a three part mini-series for the IFC network. Now that its air date is just a few weeks away and the excitement is rising, Desi Hits! got in touch with Pooja to find out the juicy details. From her personal adventure to working with Hollywood and Bollywood stars like Chris Kattan and Neha Dhupia, Pooja tells DH! how it felt.

First off, we know 'Bollywood Hero' is a romantic comedy but, can you tell us a little bit more about the premise?

It's a three- part TV mini-series about an American comedian who goes to Bollywood to become a hero. It is premiering on the IFC Network August 6th, 7th, and 8th. I play the character of Priya Kapoor, who manages the famous Bollywood Film Studio-Kapoor Studios. My brother Monty Kapoor, played by Ali Faizal, hires Chris [Kattan] to be in our latest production and that is where the drama unfolds! This is a romantic comedy with a Bollywood twist.

From signing for a 3-part mini-series on the web to having posters and advertisements on New York City buses, this show has really expanded its reaches tremendously-- how did that happened? What was the journey like?

I was visiting Mumbai in January - just as I was about to catch a flight back to New York, I received a call regarding this amazing international project for American Television that stars the charming and witty Chris Kattan. When I heard the story and the actors who would be involved, I jumped at the opportunity! Anjula Acharia Bath, the President/Chairman of Desi Hits! recommended my name to the producers - she really believes in me and the work that I have done. Plus, she thought I fit the role of the lead actress and did not want me to pass up on this wonderful opportunity. I met Chris 3 days before the shooting began and there was instant chemistry - we got along great!

This project gave you the opportunity to work with some really big names, from Bollywood and Hollywood. That must have been quite the experience. What was the chemistry like between you, Chris Kattan and Neha Dhupia?

I was visiting Mumbai in January - just as I was about to catch a flight back to New York, I received a call regarding this amazing international project for American Television that stars the charming and witty Chris Kattan. When I heard the story and the actors who would be involved, I jumped at the opportunity! 

I was very fortunate to work with an amazing cast and crew. From Hollywood we had Chris Kattan, from Saturday Night Live, [and] Julian Sands (A Room with A View), Keanu Reeves, Maya Rudolf, and David Allen Grier doing cameos. From Bollywood we had Neha Dhupia, Rachna Shah, Ali Faizel, as well as the same line production team as 'Slumdog Millionaire' that included our line producer Tabrez Noorani. Furthermore, our Director of Photography was from Israel and our Director was from Australia! What a phenomenal ensemble of cast and crew. Chris, Neha, and I were a great team and always in sync. Acting with them seemed effortless. Furthermore since the entire production team was a tightly knit group, the chemistry between us was very comfortable and we were able to finish the shooting 5 days ahead of schedule.

We ran into the article from the Bombay Times that said you are actually the true lead in the show and not Neha Dhupia. What was that all about?
 
Take a look at this impressive advertisement on a New York City bus for 'Bollywood Hero'.

Firstly, Neha and I are friends and there is no bad blood between us to my knowledge. Secondly, we all know the media loves to hype up everything and add a little bit of their own masala. There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the article and quite frankly, I don't understand why. I can't recall any comment about Neha and her role in the project. All I stated was the truth: I am the romantic lead actress opposite Chris Kattan. Trust me; we're not in a cat-fight unless there's something I don't know...

What is next? Where do you go from here?

I have two other feature films coming out very soon. One is called "Bollywood Beats" starring Lillette Dubey, Sarita Joshi, Sachin Bhatt, Mehul Shah, and Mansi Patel. I play the character of Laxmi, a south Indian who had an arranged marriage and comes to the United States for the first time. The other film is called "Drawing with Chalk" and it's about an Indian woman married to an American musician and how they struggle between choosing their career and family. Currently, I am involved in producing a Bollywood romantic comedy in English filmed in New York.

Katrina Kaif Too Busy for Govinda

Bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif is too busy for her one time co-star, the old schooler Govinda. Katrina Kaif has turned down a cameo role in the film, "Life Partner." The film stars Fardeen Khan, Genelia D'Souza, Tusshar Kapoor and Prachi Desai and tells a story of contemporary couples. Katrina was asked to do a cameo appearance opposite Govinda who is the only actor in the film without a heroine opposite him.

It seems like director Rumi Jaffrey jumped the gun and expected Katrina to take on the role since she had played a full fledged romantic role opposite Govinda in " Life Partner," and thought she would be excited to do the cameo. But alas, Katrina said she just doesn't have any time to spare for the appearance.

It wasn't a film that she was busy with. She is in London for her birthday and family reunion. The whole family is going to take a vacation together soon after. The director says they couldn't wait for Katrina because that would mean they'd have to delay the wrap up shoot since most of the movie has already been shot. 

The producers Abbas-Mastan want to release the film in August without delay, so Katrina was no longer considered for the part. Instead they have gotten Amrita Rao for the film, who has been getting a lot of attention for her new sexy look.

Katrina Kaif might've wanted a new beat, considering Govinda has been around the business and then some. Still a young actress, and definitely a hot one, Govinda could be old news to her.

What do you think about all this?

'Delhi-6' Wants to Try for Oscar Gold

"Delhi-6" didn't really do it for its targeted audience. Even our readers seemed to have mixed opinions about the film. But despite this setback, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra believes so much in his movie, that he and UTV want to go global with 'Delhi-6'. They've officially written to the Oscar committee to send it to the Oscars next year.

 Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra told sources that "Yes I am confident about my product thus we have written to Oscar committee India about 'Delhi-6.' We are awaiting their reply." It's unclear if the committee will agree with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's vision, but it will be interesting to see if "Delhi-6" stands a chance.

This isn't the first time that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has submitted to the Oscar committee. He sent Aamir Khan's "Rang De Basanti" before, which never made it into the top five. That's why we wonder if our readers think "Delhi-6" will have more or less of a chance

AR Rahman's Son Ameen Rahman Is Following His Father's Musical Foosteps

World renowned composer, producer, musician, and singer extraordinaire AR Rahman has had a very successful year. This year not only did AR Rahman receive the usual awards and recognition from his Bollywood peers, he also gained the international acclaim every composer dreams of with a couple Oscars; one for best original song and the other for best original score. He inspires so many its no wonder that AR Rahman's son Ameen will be joining his father in the music biz.

Ameen, 6 years old, aspires to be a playback singer. He has just sung his first song for the Hollywood film 'Couple's Retreat'. A member of Rahman's camp, Vjay Mohan Iyer tell us, "' Couples Retreat' is a Universal Studio Production. AR's son, Ameen, has sung a few lines for a song which is still 'work in progress. The song has not been finalized yet, but yes Ameen did lend his voice to the production." With A.R. Rahman as the musical composer, Ameen must be at ease in recording sessions. The movie 'Couples Retreat' stars some big Hollywood names including Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, and Jason Bateman. It is a romantic comedy directed by Peter Billingsley hitting theaters October 9, 2009. The opportunities that AR Rahman is seeing in Hollywood will undoubtedly help his son get recognition he deserves even faster than his dad did.

A source close to the family said, "A.R. Rahman's family and people in his office have still not gotten over the fact that Rahman's little son has sung the song. They are very excited and happy and can't stop talking about it. His mom and dad are very proud of him."

So what do you think about A.R. Rahman's son Ameen Rahman becoming a singer? Is Ameen too young? Do you think that the talent will run in the family? Leave us your comments and thoughts below.

Kareena Kapoor's New Roles

Actress Kareena Kapoor has decided that she would be going for more reserved and conscious roles these days. We are all used to Kareena's role being the out-of-sight character, with strong and very assertive roles. Are we ready to let these images go just yet?

This time around however the Bollywood beauty has given up such roles and has taken up the role of a salwar-kameez-clad Punjabi role female in Raj Kumar Hirani's film 'Three Idiots' as well as Rensil's D'Silva's 'Kurbaan'.

"I play a quiet and nice Punjabi doctor", says Kareena about the role she plays in 'Three Idiots'. In 'Kurbaan', Kareena plays a role in the film that is close to her heart.

"I've got one of the best roles of my career. Rensil D'Silva is such a fine storyteller. I play a simple Delhi girl who finds out that her husband is a terrorist."

Kareena describes her previous characters as being very talkative, and now she really enjoys the new roles she has recently taken.'In 'Three Idiots', I'm soft and gentle and that's the real me" said Kareena.

According to Kareena "I like my silence to speak for me. Unfortunately, in this business I am constantly asked to voice my opinion on everything."

I guess we will just have to wait and see if the quiet Punjabi girl and the humble wife of a terrorist role that Kareena have taken on suits her.

What do you think about Kareena's new roles? Drop your comments below

Akshay Kumar cares for Deepika Padukone during her illness

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar took care of Deepika Padukone when she recently caught malaria on the set of “Houseful.” The two are shooting in London after recently working together on “Chandni Chowk to China.”  


When Deepika became ill, Akshay quickly showed his chivalry, reaching out to make sure she was ok. He advised his costar to stay away from the set and ensured that she was looked after during the three days she was confined to her bed. 


The two recently worked together on the flop, “Chandni Chowk to China.” While that film was not a career builder, it did build their friendship. Because of that film Deepika even included Akshay on the list of men she trusts most in her life. She said,”I'm lucky to be surrounded by gallant men. Whether it's my dad, Ranbir (Kapoor), Akshay (Kumar), Shahrukh Khan or any of my co-stars, I haven't so far encountered any ill-behaved men."


Deepika returned to the set after her days off with some hesitation due of the seriousness of the disease. She told IANS from London, “I did return to the set on Saturday. I had to shoot. But I'm not sure whether it was the wisest of decisions, considering it was malaria.” Deepika says that she is still recovering.


Deepika next release is “Love Aaj Kal” that comes out this Friday. Saif Ali Khan, who plays the cynical love interest opposite of Deepika in the romance, was also mentioned in Deepika’s list of “gallant men”.  
It looks like Deepika knows some things about romance and leading men. She admits that like many others, she is a hopeless romantic, “So many times I advise people on their love life. I can always tell the difference between those who understand and don't understand the value of true love,” she said.


They say that love is the best medicine so Deepika should be mending very quickly!

Film Review: Love Aaj Kal

The Story:

"Love Aaj Kal" is a 2-sided love story which portrays love in today's time (Aaj) and love two decades ago (Kal).

"Love Aaj Kal" opens in London with Jai (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera (Deepika Padukone), who break up after a two year relationship due to practical reasons. Meera prepares to move to Delhi in pursuit of a career in conservation architecture while Jai stays in London with hopes of getting his dream job in San Francisco's Golden Gate Co.

To celebrate their split, they throw a "break-up party" where Jai is reminded by friends that he is now a wild stallion who can freely date more girls, while Meera can continue to value her professional success. But deep down inside, Jai and Meera both know that they are inseparable, so they decide to stay friends keeping in touch via net and phone calls. Just when Jai is set to move on with his life, he is approached by the café owner Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor). Veer tries to convince a reluctant Jai that he is making a mistake by letting Meera go and begins to narrate his own 1965 Delhi love story with Harleen Kaur (Giselle Monteiro), to give Jai a peak into old-fashioned romance.

Shuttling between two different times, both love stories unravel simultaneously exploring the two different styles of love; ‘love aaj’ – Jai's passionless practical and bold approach to relationships and "love kal" – Veer's eternal pledge to make Harleen his wife in all lifetimes. Within the midst of Jai and Veer's love debate, Jai falls for a French girl named Jo and Meera starts dating her boss Vikram (Rahul Khanna). 

Jai and Meera’s discovery about love in modern times is defined by the enduring yesteryear love of Veer and Harleen. Where their discovery leads them and how they come to terms with New Age love and Old Age emotions, is all revealed through their journey between London, San Francisco and New Delhi. 

The Cast:

Saif Ali Khan as Jai Vardhan Singh – a heartless happy-go-lucky metro sexual guy who doesn't believe in love and for whom relationships only mean one-night stands. For him, long distance relationships is a pain so he breaks up with his girlfriend Meera and decides to stay friends to make things easier. He works as an architect in San Francisco at Golden Gate Co., but is later shattered by emotions.

Saif Ali Khan as Young Veer Singh – a brooding romantic who is thunderstruck by Harleen's smile and makes a pledge to make her his wife in all lifetimes. Driven by his love, he overcomes the many odds piled up against him to win over Harleen.

Deepika Padukone as Meera Pandit – a fun-loving, career-oriented girl who doesn't know the meaning of love until she experiences the ups and downs of a real relationship versus a practical relationship. She works to restore old buildings, but in reality her emotions are being restored.

Rishi Kapoor as Present Veer Singh – the "Great Indian lover", he shares with Jai his sweet love story and convinces him that love today has a new language but carries the same emotions.

Giselle Monteiro as Harleen Kaur – a sweet and innocent girl-next-door who makes Veer fall in love with her demure smile.

Rahul Khanna as Vikram – Meera's boss and boyfriend who brings Meera out of her fun relationship with Jai, and makes her experience a relationship which she later relents.

The Crew:

Director: Imtiaz Ali
Producer: Saif Ali Khan, Dinesh Vijan
Production House: Illuminati Films
Distributor: Eros International
Music Label: Eros
Screenplay: Imtiaz Ali
Story: Imtiaz Ali
Cinematography: N. Natarajan Subramaniam 
Choreography: Bosco-Caesar, Saroj Khan, Ashley Lobo
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyricist: Irshad Kamil
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Giselle Monteiro, Vir Das

What Worked:

If there is anyone who can write a love story without making the hero or heroine say "I love you," it's Imtiaz Ali. Even with such an airy plot, Imtiaz scores high with a strong screenplay. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, Saif and Deepika's relationship is established through choppy scenes at nightclubs, coffee shops, and trains. Imtiaz even inserts a montage of various twists which arise later through a melancholic song called "Yeh Dooriyan." The complexity of the characters, mixed emotions, and unusually witty dialogue strengthens the interaction between Saif and Deepika, making their love story relevant to everyone.

It's Deepika's best work yet. Aside from looking stunning, she naturally transforms her character from the first scene to the very last scene. Saif also works the screen by his portrayal of a contemporary lover but it's really the emotional scenes where he surprises you - especially in the picturization of "Main Kya Hoon" in San Francisco.

The juxtaposition of the two love stories is beautifully captured. There is real sweetness in the sepia-toned love of Veer and Harleen, and breeziness in the contemporary love of Jai and Meera. Rishi Kapoor is loveable as the mature Veer Singh and remains humble on screen. The actress kept underwraps enacting the role of Harleen, looks delicate and performs simply through timid expressions.

What Didn't:

"Love Aaj Kal" is not as engaging as expected. It tends to get confusing since the narrative runs between two decades and journeys through London, San Francisco, New Delhi and Calcutta. The continuity of narration is disturbed by the awkward placement of the songs "Twist"; and "Aahun Aahun."

Although casting works in the context of the film, Saif comes off a bit uncomfortable in his role as a Sikh man since his delivery of Punjabi dialogue seems forced rather than natural.

The Soundtrack:

Pritam has composed a spunky soundtrack blended with Indian and Western influences. The outstanding tracks include "Twist", "Chor Bazari", "Aahun Aahun", and "Main Kya Hoon." Sunidhi Chauhan, Neeraj Shridhar and KK's vocals in all of the tracks are full of energy. Mohit Chauhan's "Yeh Dooriyan", written by Irshad Kamil, is the soul of the film and is sung beautifully.

Slated Or Rated?:

"Love Aaj Kal" is a fresh take on love. It's got a chic look, fantastic performances and great music. Whether you're a modern-day lover or an old school lover - go for it!

Kamini Says: Can Kareena Kapoor and Rakhi Sawant Change Roles?

Kareena Kapoor was saddened with media criticism this week. Now, she's talking about new roles that let her be the real her -- soft and gentile.

Rakhi Sawant's telecast wedding is Sunday. Rakhi is usually in the spotlight for her outrageous behavior and now she's chosen a sophisticated wedding style. People are asking if she can really be the demure, coy bride.

These are role reversals that I'm not sure we're ready for! I wonder if these two women are ready for them too? The drama created and the attention we give to people when they do something unexpected may be the real news here.

The media was hard on Kareena Kapoor in "Kambakkht Ishq" and she fired right back that the criticism went too far and people took the film too seriously. Now she's playing more soft-spoken roles in new films, "3 Idiots" and "Kurbaan" where she plays a Punjabi Doctor and a simple Delhi girl. Kareena recently said, "I like my silence to speak for me. Unfortunately, in this business I am constantly asked to voice my opinion on everything." I'm not convinced! She was pretty quick to fire back to critics about their excessive attack on her. I wonder if she likes the drama too much to be the simple girl.

Rakhi is planning to show us her new sophisticated wedding style Sunday. She'll wear a Neeta Lulla creation and jewellery by Farah Ali Khan. The necklace is worth Rs.3 million alone. It is scheduled to be a major affair with a spectacular guest list rumored to include director Karan Johar and actors Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. However, scandal still follows Rakhi! A police complaint was filed against her and five others connected to the reality show "Rakhi Ka Swayamvar" for infringement of copyright. NDTV Imagine is handling the case, but I question what's next. I just don't think she's changing to a demure coy bride for long!

I see both women sticking to the same role here with just a broader range of acting skills!

Rakhi Sawant Chooses her Match on Rakhi Ka Swayamvar

Looks like Rakhi Sawant is finally getting hitched! The Bollywood item girl has been searching for a groom on the NDTV Imagine show Rakhi Ka Swayamvar. After five weeks of putting 16 men to the test, the actress chose Toronto based businessman, Elesh Parujanwala yesterday. Desis all over the world were glued to their TV screens to see who out of the three suitors Rakhi would pick. Event planner, Manas Katyal, businessman, Chhitiz Jain and Elesh Parujanwala stood anxiously as they each hoped that Rakhi would choose them to be her match.

Well, thirty-year-old, Elesh won the prize. The young Canadian was also an audience favorite, with a poll showing 78 per cent respondents rooting for him when asked which of three finalists they think should be Rakhi's groom. The audience cheered and showered the couple with flowers after Rakhi walked up to all three of the suitors decked in traditional Indian wedding attire, and put a garland around Elesh showing the world that he is now her fiancé. Rakhi and Elesh shared vows of commitment and exchanged rings. 

The two did not get married yesterday as many hoped that they would as a grand finale to the show. Rakhi explained that they want to get to know each other away from the public eye. Seems like that's a good idea since the two have a lot of things to work on, one being communication. Elesh is not fluent in Hindi. Yesterday he told viewers that he looks forward to Rakhi being his Pathi (Hindi word for husband, he meant to say wife).

Rakhi not being so fluent in English creates another challenge for the couple. Hopefully things won't get lost in translation between the two.

Well we hope things work out and wish them the best! For those of you who were anticipating watching their wedding you still will be able to. Rakhi and Elesh promise that when they do get married it will be broadcast for everyone to see. Hopefully nothing happens in between to break them up. I guess we will have to wait for a wedding date!

Movie Trailer for 'Fox'

After the not-so-successful film 'Tom, Dick, and Harry', Deepak Tijori returns to the director's chair to bring his next film 'Fox' to the big screen. This time, his production company Tijori Entertaiment is teaming up with Zee Motion Pictures to deliver this upcoming thriller.  

'Fox' is a modern sleek thriller shot in the exotic locations of Goa and Mumbai. It is a story about a cat and mouse chase between a young successful criminal lawyer (Arjun Rampal) and a mysterious stranger who is controlling and threatening his life. Now the lawyer must seek the help of a reluctant cop (Sunny Deol) in solving the mystery. Other casts include the sensual Udita Goswami and 'Chak De India!' star Sagarika Ghatge.

This would be Zee Motion Pictures first film production. "'Fox' is our first offering as independent producers in the Hindi film market, and we are all eagerly looking forward to its release. This stylish and suspenseful thriller has Arjun Rampal and Sunny Deol together for the first time, a very powerful combination on the screen," says Sanjeev Lamba, Zee Motion Pictures.

Priyanka Chopra: Beauty Queen and Bollywood Based Activist

There’s no denying that Bollywood superstar, Priyanka Chopra is quite the looker. Aside from being a former beauty queen, Miss Chopra is also well known for her modeling career. However, Priyanka is more than a mere pretty face. The actress is socially aware and draws attention to issues such as, education, female infanticide and feticide.  

In a recent interview with an established media portal in Mumbai, Priyanka shared her concerns on these issues. Priyanka told the outlet, “I feel strongly about many things but the most important are educating the girl child and female infanticide and feticide.” Chopra then went into the importance of educating girls and how by doing so women can raise better families, which will result in a better society. Priyanka spoke about how she is shocked that in this day and age she still knows of affluent families who partake in female feticide.

Chopra went on to speak on other issues that she strongly believes should be addressed such as Thalassemia. Priyanka mentioned, “Much is being done about cancer and AIDS which is fine and needed as well but I don’t see much happening for Thalassemic children in this part of the world.” Thalassemia is a genetic disease that causes your body to not make enough hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen through the body) levels in the blood stream resulting in mild to severe anemia. The disease mainly effects people of Mediterranean or Asian heritage.

So now that makes us wonder how Priyanka is playing her part to improve society. Well when asked if she is currently doing something to help out, Priyanka replied by saying, “Yes, I am and since things are just about starting to take shape I prefer not to talk about it at this point in time.” Well it will be interesting to see what Priyanka Chopra does in the future to support these causes. In the mean time it’s good to hear how socially conscious the young star is. How do you feel about Priyanka Chopra’s thoughts on these issues? Drop your comments below.
RATE:
(4.2) 

Trouble in Paradise for Bipasha Basu and John Abraham?

Is there trouble in paradise for one of Bollywood's hottest couples? Well there is no denying that Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu and her long time beau, actor John Abraham seem happy together. However recent spottings of Bipasha with her ex-boyfriend Dino Morea make us think that if it hasn't happened yet, problems between Bips and John may be around the corner.  

The buzz is that Dino has been finding solace in his "good friend" Bipasha after his break up with Lara Dutta. Bips and Dino have been hanging out together a lot these days. The two arrived together at a private screening of the film, "Love Aaj Kal." Bips sister joined them at the event. However, at the end of the night instead of heading home with her sis, Bips left in a separate car with Dino. Hmmm... that's interesting. 

Not too long after the screening Bips and Dino were at their friend's farewell party. Sources at the party reveal that Bipasha and Dino seemed to be "bonding" at the event. So why wasn't John at this party? Well it just so happens that John Abraham happened to be away in London when this party was held. Poor Bips must be lonely?!  

The fact that adds most to the speculations is that since his breakup from Lara all that Dino has been twittering about is Bipasha. If he tweets about anything other than her somehow it ends up relating to her. His most recent tweet said," "Watching my second film Raaz on TV. Feeling totally nostalgic. Super." Just in case you have forgotten Raaz stars, Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea. 

So are Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea having a secret love affair? Or is Bipasha just being there for a good friend during a hard time? While we can't confirm what's going on right now, Dino's tweets tell us that Bipasha seems to always be on his mind. Looks like John may have something to worry about.

Music Review for Bollywood Film 'New York'

After being starved from Bollywood music for quite a few months owing to the stand-off between producers and multiplexes, music buffs finally have something really worth listening to. Yash Raj Films' first release of the year called 'New York' stars John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, and Neil Nitin Mukesh as three friends whose lives are changed forever after the devastating 9/11 attacks.

The music of 'New York' is youthful and fresh. Since the film is completely based in New York, the soundtrack has a complete western feel and there are very few Indian elements in it. The soundtrack features four songs, two remixes and two instrumentals.

The first song "Hai Junoon" is sung by KK, who has been known for his youthful voice in many of Pritam's compositions. It is a young, hip and foot-tapping number and it will be a hit amongst youngsters. The track also has a remixed version, which is average and adds nothing to the song. There is also a music video from the track below for those of you who want to see the song in action.

Next is "Mere Sang" by the diva singer Sunidhi Chauhan behind the mic. Sunidhi has the potential to mesmerize the listener and she succeeds in doing so in the song. Although the lyrics could have been better, "Mere Sang" sounds nice in parts where the tempo rises. This song also has a remixed version, which is far from interesting, making the original much better.

Up next is "Tune Jo Na Kaha". Mohit Chauhan has sung the track in his usual free-flowing, soft voice and trademark style. The song has a heard-before feel but still makes the listener sit up and take notice. The lyrics are good too.

The fourth song on the list is "Aye Saaye Mere," sung and composed by Pankaj Awasthi. It has a rustic feel to it but has an urban touch at places too. The song is well sung and the music makes it intriguing. "Aye Saaye Mere" is surely a good listen.

The movie boasts of not one but two instrumentals composed by Julius Packiam. The first one, "Sam's theme", is slow, poignant, soothing to the ears and has less musical arrangements. The vocals are sung by Caralisa Monteiro who does a great job with it and apart from her vocals the music has little to offer in this theme. The fact that Sam's character has a theme proves that he is the central character in the film. It is an equally engrossing piece of work.

The second one called the "New York theme" is dark, edgy and definitely the highlight of the album. The music grows on the listener and is very intense. After a long time, a soundtrack entails an instrumental. 

On the whole, "New York" is a welcome break from the dry spell in the Bollywood music scene. I would give this album a three out of five and I think it is worth listening to. The best songs that stand out would be ""Hai Junoon"" (including the remix)," "Mere Sang"", and the ""New York Theme"". Pritam has done a good job and has created some nice hummable tracks that are sure to strike a chord with the listeners, especially youngsters.

Shahid Kapoor Shares Thoughts on the Khans of Bollywood

There is no denying that the last name Khan often comes up in chatter coming out of B-town. Considering the fact that renowned Bollywood actors Aamir, Salman and Shahrukh share the last name, it makes a lot of sense.

Recently Bollywood cutie Shahid Kapoor had something to say about the Khans. "I admire the stardom SRK, Aamir and Salman have achieved and I really believe they have worked hard for it" said Shahid. Then Kapoor went on to talk about how the Khans had to face struggles and he admires actors who have gone through hardships like he has. Well Shahid has many more obstacles to face before he catches up to the status of King Khan , Aamir or Salman, but it's good to know that he appreciates acclaimed actors in his industry.

With three releases set for this year Shahid is all smiles and definitely on a path where he too can share the same professional success that the Khans have achieved. Shahid obviously hopes he is able to, but that's not enough for the young actor.

Shahid Kapoor revealed to sources that he has one desire that is yet to be fulfilled. Kapoor told sources, "I would like to work with the Khan's at some point in my career and I am keeping my fingers crossed about it." Maybe Shahid Kapoor will get his wish. If that occurs we wonder who would get to play the lead in such a dynamic group?

Well no matter what happens Shahid's statements and wish to work with Aamir, Salman and Shahrukh are very sweet. Maybe they will be heart warmed and consider working with the rising star.

Kamini says: Emraan Hashmi Bounced from Bandra

This week, Emraan Hashmi went public with allegations that he was the victim of housing discrimination due to his religion. He was unable to get a "no objection certificate" for the purchase of his new home in the luxuriously posh Pali Hill neighborhood. Instead, Emraan will be seeking a "character certificate" from the police to assure the society members of his upstanding character. People, please.....

Do I think that a "character certificate" request is ridiculous? Definitely. I mean, please - who hasn't heard of Emraan Hashmi? He couldn't keep his private life secret if he wanted to. Rumor is that the housing society disproved of his film roles and "serial kissing." Um, it's called acting people. That means that it isn't real. And if the housing society can't figure that out, imagine the intellectual capacity of the residents or Pali Hill.

Do I think that Emraan Hashmi was discriminated against because he is a Muslim? Yes. It's happened before, it will happen again. Just ask Zulfi Sayed or Shabana Azmi.

And do I think that Emraan should move in to the Pali Hill home if all paperwork gets sorted? No. First of all, who would want to live where they aren't wanted? Second, as alluded to above, it is likely infested with intellectual half-wits.

If Emraan does decide to move into this home, however, I hope that he makes sure to throw lavishly loud parties, invite the brazen and bold from all corners of the globe to diversify the neighborhood, and that he trains his dog to piss on the stoops of his neighbors. Pooh-pooh, Pali!

Abbas-Mustan Never Interfered in Life Partner

RUMI JAFFERY tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that it was he, who changed David Dhawan’s penchant to go in for vulgar dialogues.

Did you conceive the subject of Life Partner when you were a bachelor?
Yes. I was working on the subject of Life Partner right from the 90’s when Waqt Hamara Hai shooting was on with Akshay Kumar and Suneil Shetty. It is one subject which has been very close to my heart, in the sense, that I had even done a lot of research and counseling on love and marriage at that time when I was a bachelor.

Is it true that Shah Rukh had liked the subject when you narrated it to him?
I had conveyed the subject when I was working on it to Shah Rukh Khan when I was in Greece, for the shooting of Chalte Chalte was on. I was the writer of the film. Shah Rukh loved the subject and encouraged me to work on the concept since he loved it.

How did you bag the offer to direct Life Partner?
After my film God Tussi Great Ho went on the floors, I met Abbas bhai and Mustan bhai. I respect them a lot, though I had never ever written for them. I was a new director since God Tussi Great Ho had not been released by then, though I was by then an established writer in my own right and yet they asked me to direct their maiden production venture Life Partner.

Did Abbas and Mustan interfere with you at any stage?
Not only did they refuse to come on the sets when I was directing their film, but also did not agree to my suggestion that their editor brother Hussain Burmawala should edit our film, because they felt that people would feel that they were behind each and every move of mine

Is it true that it was Subhash Ghai who gave you the title Life Partner?
I am extremely grateful to Subhash Ghai for having readily agreed to give me the title Life Partner even though it was registered by him for a film of his, because I share a very good relationship with him though I have never written or directed for his banner

How relevant is the title Life Partner for your film?
It is only the husband or the wife, who is termed as Life Partner, though we are in a relationship all through our life, whether it is with our parents, brothers or sisters. In Life Partner, I have shown both the plus and minus points of love and arranged marriage. I am so confident of my product that I have not even planned my next project after Life Partner.

Like David, does your film also have vulgar dialogues in it?
I started writing for David with the film Coolie No 1. It was after the release of Eena Meena Deeka and Raja Babu that I joined him, after David had to face a lot of flak for the double meaning dialogues and vulgarity quotient in them. Life Partner or any film that I set out to make will be clean and not steeped in vulgarity or double entendre dialogues. I do not want to make a film which I cannot set out to watch with my wife or mother or daughter. I can proudly claim the credit for having changed David’s way of going for vulgar dialogues with all the films for which I had written for him, till Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya.

Your style seems to be in contrast to that of David Dhawan!
Though I have stuck to the genre of comedy like David, I want to have a different and distinct style of my own as a filmmaker, who is here to stay and hence chose to make my debut with a film like God Tussi Great Ho. Contrary to what people say, God Tussi Great Ho was not at all similar to Bruce Almighty. I just take the basic element and then work on the subject to give my own take, because I am always of the belief that remakes do not work in Bollywood. Or else every remake of Mani Ratnam’s super duper Tamil films would have struck gold at the box office in Bollywood, including Vansh.

How did you have the guts to announce the release date of your film in spite of having Govinda in it?
People are shocked that I could complete Life Partner on time even though Govinda is one of the actors in my film. I had announced the release date of Life Partner even before Govinda completed his dubbing. Govinda is a misunderstood actor. Do you think he could have continued to survive in this industry if he was that bad and indiscipline? To be part of my film, it was Chi Chi and not Fardeen Khan who stepped in after Akshay Kumar opted out of the film by even reducing his weight and cutting his hair.

Is it true that you detest awards functions?
When I was a part of the jury for an award s function, I suggested unsuccessfully that Lalita Pawar ought to be chosen for the honor of being bestowed with the Life Time Achievement Awards and argued that the award need not necessarily go only to the big stars, but also to the senior most character artistes who have given their flesh and blood to this industry. Can you undermine the great contribution to the industry by Kader Khansaab or for that matter A.K. Hangalsaab? Yet they have not been conferred with the Life Time Achievement awards, because awards functions have become big business to milk money from sponsors.