What are Bollywood Hotties doing this New Year?

Beaches, mountains or just spending time with family and friends - Bollywood celebrities are all set to take a break from tinseltown to usher in the New Year. While Sushmita Sen and Shilpa Shetty are heading to the waters, Mugdha Godse and Minissha Lamba will be with their loved ones.

Minissha Lamba: This New Year I'm going to be with my close friends.

Shilpa Shetty: (I'm) really excited about the Mediterranean cruise we are taking with the family, my first ever, making it even more special. I will be out at sea for the next two weeks... (I) will be bringing in the New Year on the ship.

Jaya Prada: I will be in Hyderabad with my mother. I believe that New Year or any other festival is the time to be with your family. And next day, like all the previous years, I will be going to the Tirupati Balaji temple before returning to work.

Fardeen Khan: We are going to the mountains this year. I'm off on a romantic holiday in Shimla for five days with my wife (Natasha) to celebrate New Year. I haven't been there earlier; so I'm looking forward to it.

Mughda Godse: This New Year's eve I'll be working and spend the rest of it with my family.

Celina Jaitley: I will be performing at the JW Marriott in Mumbai which means that I am making money this New Year.

Sushmita Sen: I am going to Goa or the Kerala backwaters. I haven't decided yet. I can't go out of India because my younger daughter doesn't have a passport yet.

Manoj Bajpayee: I will be in Delhi with my family. I will welcome 2010 with them at home. I will chat, dance, play music and eat... I'll do everything that makes one happy.

Sukhwinder Singh: I'll be home with friends to welcome the New Year. I'll sing and dance and be merry in general. I don't like going out because on New Year, all places are over crowded. Fun is when you are with friends and nothing is better than home.

Purab Kohli: I plan to be in Mumbai this New Year as it has been eight years since I've been spending this time here...I'm looking forward to a great party in 2010.

Rannvijay: I am going to my hometown Jalandhar after a very long time. I'll be spending my Christmas and New Year there with my family and friends.

Revealed: Future of Bollywood's biggest films in 2010

My Name is Khan: One of the biggest films to come out this year, ‘My Name is Khan’ adds up to Number 37 which is Karan Johar’s strongest number. Even his ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ vibrated on the same number and that film remains one of the best to come out of Dharma Productions.

For SRK, the year 2010 is not bad plus his pairing with the charismatic Kajol will draw fantastic response. But the film releasing on 12th February is not a great date as Numbers 1 and 3 do not gel well at all. The business of the film may drastically come down after the initial euphoria subsides.

According to me, the film should be released a day or two earlier i.e. 10th or 11th February to make it the ‘biggest hit of the year’, else it may not turn out to be that way.

Rann: Starring Mr. Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh, this Ram Gopal Varma enterprise is releasing on 22nd January 2010. The title of the film adds up to Number 13 which is not considered much auspicious. But for RGV and Big B, Number 4 is amongst their better numbers and also for Riteish who is a Number 8 (December 17), the year 2010 is looking bright. According to me, Rann should do well at the box office.

Teen Patti: The title of the film is adding up to Number 37. The compound number 37 has a good meaning as per numerological texts, but the year 2010 does not support Number 1 in general and so the fate of the film looks dicey to me. Also as of now, the film is clashing with the much biggie Karan Johar’s ‘My Name Is Khan’ on 12th February 2010 and that can create further dent in it’s business.

Karthik Calling Karthik: One more attempt by Farhan Akhtar at acting, the title of this film adds up to Number 53. Number 8 is a very tricky number and is known to give extreme results.

Farhan is a Capricorn ruled by Saturn (Number 8) and even the release date has been fixed for 26th Feb. Luckily. the year 2010 supports Number 8 and it seems this film should sail safely and make it’s investors happy.

Kites: This international venture starring superstar Hrithik Roshan and Hollywood hottie Barbara Mori, can easily rank amongst the most awaited films of 2010. The release date is still not fixed but it may arrive sometime in March. The title of the film adds up to Number 15 which is a powerful octave of Number 6 but does not support Number 4 and 8.

Unfortunately, the film’s director Anurag Basu is a Numer 8 person (8th May) and so his previous work may be compared to this film. Luckily 2010 is a favourable year for Number 8 people and also for Number 6 – producer Rakesh Roshan.

For Hrithik, he may garner mixed reviews since 2010 does not support Number 1 people. Also he entering his 37th year (10th January 1974) may add to the pressure. He should take care that he does not create over hype for himself once the promotion of the film starts.

11) Shaapit: After singing and hosting various musical reality shows, Aditya Narayan finally jumps on to the bandwagon and debuts as an actor with this super natural thriller directed by Vikram Bhatt who has almost mastered in this genre.

The film name adds up to Number 23 which is a positive compound number of Number 5 and so is Aditya’s age (6th August 1987). The release date of 26th February 2010 also works in his favour as Number 8 usually benefits Number 6 people.

Rajneeti: Rumoured to be based on the life of Sonia Gandhi, this political saga by Prakash Jha has been in the news right from it’s inception and all through it’s making.

Starring an ensemble cast of Ranbir, Katrina, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal and Nana Paterkar the film was supposed to release in the early part of the year but now has been pushed to 28th May 2010. The title of the film adds up to Number 25 which is a favourable octave of Number 7.

Luckily for most actors playing a part in this movie, Number 7 is amongst their best numbers and so the fate of the film is safe and that’s sealed. Also the release date of 28th May is a good one and everybody associated with film will benefit out of it.

Chance Pe Dance: As the title says it all, the film is purely based on dance and who better than Shahid Kapoor to play the part? The film name vibrates on Number 53 and the release date is set for 15th January 2010.

Shahid is running in his 29th year and will soon be entering his 30th. The film may not turn out to be a big success but may just about manage to do well since Number 8 can be pretty unpredictable at times. Shahid will garner great reviews and appreciation though.

Paan Singh Tomar: This historic war film based on the lesser known character of the same name, the title of ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ adds up to Number 50 which is a strong octave of Number 5. Starring Irrfan Khan in the title role and directed by the very talented Tigmanshu Dhulia, the film’s release date is still not fixed but may arrive in the month of March.

That is not very good news for the film or it’s makers. The film should ideally release after 20th May to see a better fate else a good film may remain unwatched by most people.

Koochie Koochie Hota Hai: The release date of this animated version of ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ is still not fixed but the title of the film vibrates on Number 54. Number 9 is not amongst Karan’s weakest numbers but the year 2010 would support it as Number 3, 6 and 9 are like a family of numbers. Depending on the release date, the film should do just about average business.

Pyaar Impossible: Starring the unconventional pairing of Yash Raj scion Uday and Priyanka Chopra, this film was supposed to release in November 2009 but was pushed to 2010 to find a better placement. Now releasing on 8th January 2010, the title of the film adds up to Number 50.

Good for Uday who is also a Number 5 person (5th January) and he may receive appreciation for his role in the movie. But being a bigger star, the film obviously rides more or less on Priyanka Chopra’s shoulders and for her Number 5 is one of her weakest numbers.

Also she being in her 28th year will clash with the year 2010 which does not support anything to do with Number 1. So for that reason mainly, the film will meet with mixed results at the ticket window.

Salman's alcoholism caused us Rs. 60 lakhs

Salman Khan’s alcoholism caused the makers of Veer a whopping Rs. 60 lakhs of Rupees. No it wasn’t the bill of his alcohol drinking on the sets mind you! Read on to know why it cost a bomb for them.

An unit source revealed, “During the entire making of Veer had Salman indulged in less alcohol, partied less and slept on time it would save his producers many lakhs of rupees. 

Believe it or not the producer of the film ended up spending around Rs. 60 lakh to only digitally improve his look. 

And digitally improving the look in the case of this handsome hero implies erasing the bags under his eyes and reducing the puffiness of his face, both results of his drinking binges and late nights. 

As if the alcoholic binges of the hero affecting the shift timing and shooting the following day and the consequent financial losses weren’t bad enough for the producer comes this huge expenditure on DI work.”

Why SRK & Karan Johar are not celebrating New Year

Along with being good friends and doing a lot of things together, it seems that Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar are in sync with their new year’s celebrations as well.

Mannat, SRK’s Bandra residence seems to be the place to be for SRK in keeping with plans for a quiet family time. While Karan continues to move ahead with the editing and soundwork of ‘My Name is Khan’ in Mumbai, which compels him to abandon celebration.

Sources reveal that Karan’s initial plans were to ring in the New Year abroad with Dubai villa as the pit-stop for SRK over the holidays.

Now it seems that SRK will return from Dubai to spend a quiet new year at his house with Karan canceling his overseas plans as he did last year due to the November terror attacks in Mumbai.

Faces of 2009: Ek Katrina Thi, Lakhon Diwana Tha

By Subhash K Jha

It was a relatively quiet year for some of the icons of showbiz. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek spent of the year shooting Mani Ratnam’s Raavan in the wilderness. John, Bipasha, Preity and Shah Rukh also had a quiet year. Saif Ali Khan made waves with Love Aaj Kal and then vanished during the second part of year. So who were the most visible faces of the year?

Katrina Kaif: Ek Katrina thi, lakhon diwana tha…could be the song this wholesome lissome winsome win-all lass could sing to her grandchildren. With 3 blockbusters New York, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and De Dana Dan to her credit Katrina left the female competitors far behind.

At year-end she suffered a bout of ill health but was on her feet soon enough. You can’t keep a lucky-charm down.

Auro: He took a large chunk of the year off to be with his friend Amar Singh, faced a thundering failure in Aladin. But Amitabh Bachchan bounced back at year-end as the 12-going-on-80 prematurely aged child-man Auro in Paa. Then there was his return to television with Bigg Boss.

Once again at year-end the question is not, how long will Mr Bachchan continue to surprise us, but what will he do next? Buzz is, AB Corp Ltd back in booming business with Paa will be producing a film that will star all the four star-Bachchans together for the first time.

In the meanwhile Paa director Balki took off for the mountains for a 10-day retreat to write yet another startling role for Mr B. After courting Tabu and Progeria in Cheeni Kum and Paa, what next? Balki knows best.

Ranbir Kapoor: So okay at year-end Ranbir’s most precious film and the performance he was proudest of in Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year failed to take off. Rocket aborted, lekin kya missile doon Ranbir ke stardom ka?

The guy proved unstoppable with two back-to-back hits both with weird kinky titles Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and both featuring Ranbir in author-backed roles.

The quota of conviction and credibility combined with a star presence that we thought went out of vogue with Rishi Kapoor, makes Ranbir the most dependable star-actor of our times. He won’t bend to break the rules. He will just do what he wants, regardless of repercussions.

All through the year he remained in the news for his breakups linkups, and what-not though he swears he has no interest in being newsworthy. Neither did Tiger Woods.

Pritam Chakraborty: Every year it’s the same story. The hot-hit machine. Practically every chartbuster of 2009 was Pritam’s. No wonder he can’t stop grinning from year to year.

Pritam scored bull’s eye with songs in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Tum Mile, De Dana Dan, New York…The birth of a baby girl ensured that the goofy smile never left Pritam’s face.

Vishal Bharadwaj: While he lit up the pubs with Dan ta nan, his latest stab at direction Kaminey got the nation’s critics swooning in ecstacy. Yup, Vishal Bhardwaj clicked in both capacities as a music composer and a filmmaker. On the home front Vishal’s wife Rekha made headway as a playback singer of substance. This Bhardawaj sure has come a long way.

A R Rahman: He went off to get the Oscar for us. Came back to a cluster of pending assignments and then is now off to get Grammy for his Slumdog Millionaire. Not since Pandit Ravi Shankar has an Indian musician made such a grand impact globally. It would be no exaggeration to say that when it comes to our music Rahman is the global ‘band’ ambassador.

Akshay Kumar: He ran into some choppy weather during the earlier part of 2009 when three of his purported blockbusters Chandni Chowk To China, Tasveer and Kambhakkt Ishq under-performed.

But the second-half of the year with De Dana Dan and the singular honour of carrying the Olympian torch proved to be the high points of Akshay’s year. He’s all set for a year of big events ahead.

Salman Khan: With Wanted Salman proved that the oldfashioned larger-than-life hero still ruled the roost. Salman’s spate of non-starters at the boxoffice were quickly forgotten as he singlehandedly revived the sagging fortunes of Boney Kapoor’s production house.

The film had no star value except Salman.As though to prove he sells solo Salman’s home production Main Aur Mrs Khanna with the hot-and-happening Kareena Kapoor tanked during Diwali.

Working with SRK is a bad habit: Kajol

After Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham the trio of Shah Rukh, Kajol and will be back once again with Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan. Kajol is excited as she is back with a film after a two year gap.

Her last was her home production U Me Aur Hum. But the actress says working with Shah Rukh is a bad habit. “Once you work with him you are spoilt. When a lot of people saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge they believed in us.

It has set the standard for us. When you will watch this film too you will think of nothing but of Rizwan Khan played by Shah Rukh. The film is a humanitarian tale of love and sacrifice. It’s about triumph of human emotion.”

Kajol feels that nothing has changed in Shah Rukh, “Except for his six pack abs which he didn’t have during the making of Dilwale Dulhaniya.” 

But goes on to add further, “We have worked hard on this film and it has been an intense experience to go through it. I think Karan’s films completes us. I have worked with him earlier right from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Kabhi Khush Kabhi Gham and every time it is a new and exciting experience for me and Shah Rukh together.”

Move over SRK, Salman-Akki are Farah's new friends

Shahrukh and Salman are not good friends, the exact opposite of Shahrukh and Farah- no secrets there.

With Farah’s new directorial venture, ‘Tees Maar Khan’, Shahrukh has been sidestepped by Farah for Akshay. At the same time, hubby, Shirish Kunder has signed Salman for this next movie planned to start after ‘Alien Sahib’ starring John Abraham.

The casting with Salman is certain as confirmed by both Farah and Shirish. At Salman’s birthday party in Panvel on December 24 Farah and her husband sealed this deal.

Speculation on where this casting call will leave Farah in her perpetual alliance with her mentor Shahrukh Khan remains to be seen in the coming months.

Katrina fooled Salman to be with Ranbir Kapoor?

Katrina Kaif, who is supposedly in London recovering after her surgery, was actually in New York for a bit to meet Ranbir Kapoor, who is shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Anjaana Anjaani’. 

She is in London to celebrate New Year’s Eve with her family but looks like family is tangential when it comes to Ranbir. 

A family member of Katrina’s let slip that she is in New York. And while Katrina has denied it saying that it’s a family joke that she is in New York because she is harassed by many calls, it is just too coincidental.

Recently, Katrina skipped boyfriend Salman Khan’s birthday and their relationship hasn’t been going great. Ranbir split with Deepika but neither of them has really let go. 

Ranbir and Katrina’s friendship blossomed on the sets of ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ and they even worked on ‘Rajneeti’ together.

Aamir Khan is God: Kareena Kapoor

By Subhash K Jha

Kareena Kapoor has a lot to celebrate. Her film 3 Idiots is a runaway hit. And Kareena decided to run away to Delhi to be with her sister Karisma for New Year.

Sounding more relaxed than she did recently Kareena took time off from the very special family gathering to speak. “I’ve been running around frantically promoting my film. And then I was ailing for a week. I decided I had to be well for the festive season. 

Christmas was a very very special occasion for my mom and sister. But we never get to be together for the occasion. This time I was adamant. I made sure I took time off from work so all us girls could spend time together. My mom and I were here in Delhi to spend time with my sister and niece.” 

Laughs Kareena, “Karisma and I don’t get to spend that much time together. She has her home and husband in Delhi. My career takes me all over the place. Mom cribs we’re never together. This year-end reunion was something we had promised ourselves from long before.”

In Delhi Kareena is over -whelmed by the response to her new film. “Everywhere I go I am swamped by compliments for the role. The length of the role didn’t matter. I’m just glad to be part of a historic happening. 

When Raj Kumar Hirani and Aamir asked me to be part of their film I jumped at it. I knew the film would be special because of Raju and Aamir, and I was right. As far as our cinema is concerned, Aamir is God.” 

Reacting to the opinion that Kareena hardly has anything to do in her new film Kareena says, “Who says I’ve nothing to do? I’m very part of the main drama. Would the story forward if you remove my character? ”

Kareena is specially pleased by the compliments she has received for her pairing with Aamir. “Everyone in one voice thinks we look good together. I think Aamir and I make a fantastic pair. I’d love to do another film with him immediately, this time I don’t want share him with other pivotal characters.”

In fact talks are on with two leading filmmakers including Mani Ratnam who is apparently all set to revive his Aamir-Kareena project Lajjo. A R Rahman and Gulzar have even recorded the songs.

Looking back on the year Kareena feels happy by the response to her performances in Kurbaan and 3 Idiots. “Both films are very precious to me. Kurbaan was intense, 3 Idiots was more fun. In 2010 I did films with all the Khans…. Salman, Aamir, Shah Rukh (I had a song with him in Billu) and of course Saif.”

Katrina Kaif is jobless!

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee
She may be one of the most sough after actresses in the industry, but believe it or not Katrina Kaif has no films on her hand after Prakash Jha's Raajneeti. The actress who is currently in London after undergoing an appendix surgery has no project officially on her hand. There are rumours that Katrina is calling all theproducers and directors from her contact list to consider her for their next projects but hasn't been able to strike any deal as yet There is buzz around the tinseltown that Katrina could have easily got a role in Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan which stars her favourite co-star Akshay Kumar but the the role has been offered to Sonam Kapoor. There are rumours that Akshay insisted on working with a new face in Tees Maar Khan which has left Katrina with no projects and plenty of time to kill. We wonder what her beau Salman Khan is doing?

Kareena relents to do Gol Maal 3 but as a solo hottie

By Subhash K Jha

Kareena Kapoor will break the jinx on leading ladies being a part of Bollywood sequels. In fact Bipasha Basu had recently commented on this regressive trend of getting fresh female faces for every sequel after she was declared out of Race. She had even threatened to ‘kill’ Rohit Shetty if he didn’t sign her for All The Best 2.

Rohit Shetty isn’t sure if he’s been scared by the mock-threat into signing Bipasha for the All The Best 2 in 2011.

But Kareena Kapoor is back in Gol Maal 3 which starts shooting in April 2010 and will be release next year Diwali.

Kareena who had earlier expressed reluctance to be part of the next instalment Gol Maal franchise, has apparently relented on hearing what Shetty had written for her.

Says the shy young director, “Kareena will be the only female lead along with the five boys Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi and Shreyas Talpade. And she won’t be the romantic interest of any of the heroes. In fact Kareena will be one of the heroes!”

Apparently the Gol Maal producers Astvinayak were eager not to break the Gol Maal 2 team. And since Kareena is not keen on doing multiple-heroine director Rohit Shetty was asked to make sure Kareena was the solo heroine in the third Gol Maal film.

Says Rohit, “I’ve been working on innumerable drafts for Gol Maal 3. I’ve finally come up with the right spirit for the next instalment of Gol Maal.

Besides the fact that Kareena will not be the romantic interest but one of the heroes I’ve also made sure Gol Maal Part 3 is far more family-oriented than the other two films. The boys’ jokes in Gol Maal Returns won’t return.”

Rohit says he’s aware that Gol Maal is seen as a boys’ franchise. With Gol Maal 3 he wants to change that perception. “Through Kareena’s character I want to get the women audiences into the main action of the comedy.

She will be one of driving forces in the plot and not just there to sing and dance and add glamour. Like I said Kareena is the sixth hero of Gol Maal 3. There’s no point in doing sequels unless you build on and enhance the original audience-profile.”

3 Idiots has a Munnabhai hangover

Sonia Chopra

Let’s face it: this film is all about expectation. There is Rajkumar Hirani coming out with a film after three years and teaming up with Aamir for the first time; the Rang De Basanti cast reunion with Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman and, add to that, a creatively empty year with hardly any worthwhile films. Whoosh, you can actually cut through the pressure with a knife.You can hardly help yourself as you watch the film - you’d expect the best from the best, right? Not always, as you learn here. The film’s a good watch, but not great. And worse, you may be entertained, but you’re unlikely to internalise its core message. The film doesn’t convince you enough. Special: All about 3 Idiots Part Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone, part Dil Chahta Hai (the invincible friendship) and part Munnabhai, (it also had this writer think back to Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead that spoke about characters breaking the norm as opposed to those who follow the system), 3 Idiots seems a bhel puri of sorts. Like in Munnabhai, where Sanjay Dutt’s character pleads for simplifying and humanising medicine, here Rancho (Aamir Khan) openly challenges the education system that encourages learning by rote. New students at a premiere engineering college, the three characters meet on their first day. Rancho, who we are told belongs to a wealthy family, upsets the higher-ups almost immediately. His two other friends Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman) form the other two idiots. Their individual stories are fairly interesting. Farhan belongs to a family where the parents sacrificed the sole family AC for his room so he could study better. Raju’s story, complete with a sick dad, teary-eyed mother and unwed sister is shown in black and white in the fashion of the ‘50s movies. You sympathise with his situation while smiling at the stroke of delicious black humour. The film trails their life during the four years in college and after. A couple of scenes are truly memorable. Like the one where Rancho asks the examiner for five extra minutes to finish his exam paper and describes his reaction “as if he had just been asked for both his kidneys”. The part where we see students feverishly praying and “striking deals with God’ is also realistic. The ragging appears over-the-top, but it’s amusing nevertheless. The Aall iz well anthem, too, is pretty catchy. From then on the film slowly disintegrates. Several portions immerse you, only to lead nowhere. Whether it’s the boring romance (and a clumsy kiss), or the few moments of suspense when we realise one of the characters is not what they seem. The portions that deal with pressure on students leading them to suicide is just touched upon. There’s no depth in the thrashing of this topic. Images: The 3 Idiots and Christmas > | SRK, Salman attend 3 Idiots premiere > The second half is totally cuckoo, complete with a never-ending scene around an emergency baby delivery that has zero relevance to the story and surprisingly loud melodrama. The finale is coincidence-driven and is too much of a stretch for the viewer to be delighted. And, yes, at three-and-half-hours the film is too long, especially since it’s laden with scenes like the ones mentioned above that could have been done away with. The humour is average - most of it is juvenile and will tickle those who find the repeated mention of balatkar funny. Characterisation is sketchy and one-note. Aamir is the flawless do-gooder ‘hero’ who is a genius student, dependable friend and expert advice giver all in one. Heck, he can even look at a girl and magically guess that she’s wearing her late mother’s watch and is missing her at the moment. Sharman plays a character that does a complete volte-face towards the end, good-naturedly blabbering about all his faults to a stern interview panel and impressing them with his honesty (unintentionally hilarious, this). This is the ending so we can also guess whether he lands the job or not. Madhavan’s character we don’t learn about at all. Kareena’s med-school student act is just a shield – she’s rather brainless, ready to marry a man (twice) who insults her just because her romance with the boyfriend doesn’t work out. Boman Irani does the grumpy principal act again after Munnabhai, this time with less charm. Despite the cast’s stellar performances, they don’t completely take you into their stories. Aamir playing a 20-something student is dependably good, though one can’t help question casting older actors to play roles half their age. Sharman Joshi gives an earnest performance and Madhavan, too, is impressive. Omi playing Chatur, an ambitious student, has the best lines and is the source of most of the humour. The actor playing Millimetre leaves you with an endearing performance. Technically, the film is functional. The editing could have been more alert, of course. Music is alright - a slight disappointment as Hirani’s films always have memorable music. Special: All about 3 Idiots So there you have it. 3 Idiots is a film that appears borrowed from too many sources and the haphazardness shows. Editor-director Rajkumar Hirani can’t seem to shake Munnabhai out of his system and appears to have replaced the actor and the setting, while retaining the core formula. Unfortunately, 3 Idiots lacks the effortless simplicity, sweetness and honesty of theMunnabhai films. Though a bit too calculated and designed, 3 Idiots is still an ok option for the significant message, interesting cast and scattered breezy moments. Rating: 3 stars

Accident On Hill Road

Film: Accident on Hill Road 

Cast: Farooque Shaikh, Abhimanyu Singh, Celina Jaitley 

Genre: Thriller 

Direction: Mahesh Nair
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

Critic's Rating: 

Story: Celina Jaitley hits pedestrian Farooque Shaikh on Hill Road and runs...She parks the car in her garage, with the still breathing victim wedged in the windshield and unleashes a cat and mouse game that heads towards a bloody climax. 

Movie Review: The film is based on a real-life incident and features Abhimanyu Singh. Remember the actor who walked away with your applause as the student leader in Anurag Kashyap's maverick movie Gulal? More importantly, the film provides a role of a lifetime to Celina Jaitley as the nurse who seems to lose all her humaneness in a freak situation. And if that's not enough, it marks another return of the talented Farooque Shaikh to mainstream cinema after the disastrous Saas Bahu aur Sensex.

Sadly, nothing seems to work in its favour. Abhimanyu Singh's drug peddlar act is too minuscule and poorly-crafted to actually make a difference. Farooque Shaikh as the hit-and-run victim spends too many awkward moments lying upside down on screen. And Celina Jaitley simply screams her lungs out or feverishly gulps down whiskey, vodka or what-you-will to display her fear, anger and desperation as the woman who might lose everything -- her future in London, her life with boyfriend Singh -- after some binge drinking.

All set for an interview with the Red Cross, Celina spends the evening partying with friends. But too much Ecstasy and alcohol send her into a tizzy and embroil her in an accident on her way back home. Instead of abiding by the law, the woman panics and drives off into her garage, with the victim (Farooque Shaikh) dangling and desperately begging for help. She tries to wrap up the sordid story with the help of her boyfriend, Abhimanyu Singh, who keeps popping some more pills into her. Naturally, the out-of-focus twosome can hardly control events which completely go out of hand. As does the film...

Raat Gayi Baat Gayi

Film: Raat Gayi Baat Gayi 

Cast: Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia 

Genre: Drama 

Direction: Saurabh Shukla 

Duration: 2 hours 

Critic's Rating: 

Story: Rajat Kapoor and wife Iravati Harshe attend a party at night and wake up to a frosty morning. What has brought about the chill in the marriage? Did the husband have a one-night stand with the delectable Neha Dhupia? The husband can't remember.... 

Movie Review: Fundoo party at night. Fuzzy logic next morning. Commonplace situation, no? So, when was the last time you woke up to a grumpy spouse/partner, a splitting head and memory interrupted...All you remember of last night's wild party are stray vignettes of drooling over the dishy stand-out-in-the-crowd, following him/her, whiny dawg-like, and desperately trying your luck with your best pick up lines. Voila! One line seemed to have worked, for the last memory you have is of a remote corner and some rosy possibilities that may or may not have come true. Did they come true....So how do you resolve the mystery of the one-night stand? 

Director Saurabh Shukla makes a sassy attempt to tell you how. Yet sadly, the film that begins so smartly -- great characterisations, witty dialogues, funky situation -- peters off into a somewhat pheeka climax, with our protagonists being forced to do an Akshay Kumar (hide in a closet). Now that's unwarranted because Raat Gayi... isn't supposed to be a run-of-the-mill comedy like De Dana Dan, is it? And awkward situations in slice-of-life cinema are generally resolved more realistically. 

Nevertheless, the film does augur for interesting viewing, providing an opportunity for a roll call of the entire current art house ensemble cast. Rajat Kapoor and Iravati Harshe are the upmarket couple invited to a party full of stock people. There are the hosts, pseudo-intellectual writer Dilip Tahil and airhead wife Navneet Nishan, the soil-bound Vinay Pathak and his svelte missus, Anuradha Menon, the ekdum desi `Austraylian myte', Ranveer Shorey, the enigmatic artist, Aamir Bashir and the oomph factor, Neha Dhupia. Trouble begins when Rajat Kapoor has a drink too many and can hardly control his libido after spotting the mysterious single woman (Neha Dhupia) who agrees to play hide and seek with him in the overcrowded house. Nothing wrong with that, except that Rajat's a devoted husband and Dhupia's already got a boyfriend. Have the flirty twosome ended up jeopardising their core relationships? Did the one-night stand actually happen? Is Sex and the City more than a mere sitcom? 

Watch out for some fine performances by the entire cast. Veterans like Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey are eminently watchable as always. But it is Neha Dhupia who is fast emerging as the natty new wave girl with her newfound talent. Not forgetting her item numbers too which do set the mercury rising in mainstream masala. Don't go looking for a desi flavour of the screwball comedy, The Hangover and you might just enjoy this slightly heady potion too. 

Priyanka Chopra India's top brand endorser of 2009

Indo-Asian News Service

After emerging as one of the leading actresses in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra has been declared India's top brand endorser in 2009, says a report.

According to the report by TAM AdEX, a division of TAM Media Research, Priyanka, 27, has edged past endorsement giants like skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and actors Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.

Priyanka, who is awaiting the release of her next movie Pyaar Impossible, is all smiles.

"I have always strived to give my very best. It has been very fulfilling experience to be the face of some of the best brands. In my mind, the findings of the survey endorse the equal opportunity country that we are emerging. Being a woman is no longer a disadvantage," Priyanka told IANS.

"It is a humbling recognition and I am grateful for the adulation and unconditional support of millions across the world which is most integral constituent all the successes in every phase of my life," she added.

Currently, Priyanka endorses a variety of brands including Nokia, Lux, Sunsilk, Levi's, Hero Honda and Asmi.

These days the former Miss World is busy promoting her romantic-comedy "Pyaar Impossible", the story of a beauty and a geek. She has teamed up with Uday Chopra in it.

Apart from making her mark in ad world, she has also delivered hit film Kamineyand won critical appreciation for her performance in What's Your Raashee? She bagged a few awards as well.

Dear Santa: Would you bring a job for Dad?

Letters to Santa, Post Office elves report, are taking a realistic turn this year as kids wish for better fortune for their families.

BY ROBERT SAMUELS

RSAMUELS@MIAMIHERALD.COM

The glittery and crayon-scrawled letters to Santa can seem so whimsical as they pile up in postal bins. Then, you read a letter like Michael's and reality hits.

``His grandfather just lost his job,'' said Kelly Levy, a marketing secretary and the head elf of the Letters to Santa program in Pembroke Pines. ``So he's asking Santa to find a job for him.''

Wrapped inside the envelope was his grandfather's résumé.

For more than a century, the U.S. Postal Service has pledged to read and respond to every single one of the thousands of letters sent to Santa Claus, the bulk of which officials say will arrive this week. And although it is a cute tradition carried on by the country's most innocent civilians, it is a psychological sleigh-full.

There are sons asking for their mother's return from Afghanistan. Questions about Santa's technological know-how. Detailed job qualifications for their out-of-work relatives, with a crumbled up cookie inside.

And this year, for the first time, Broward and Miami-Dade post offices are participating in a national program that allows volunteers and organizations to sponsor some of the neediest children. The country's limping economic condition encouraged the district to start the program, said spokeswoman Debra Fetterly. Sponsors won't learn that much about the child more than their age, the child's first name and their Christmas wish.

``We only decided to start the program when we could ensure the privacy and security of the child,'' Fetterly said.

Privacy for Santa Letters became a national issue when a postal worker in Maryland recognized that one of the volunteers for the Santa program there was a registered sexual offender.

The Post Office stopped the individual before he answered, but the incident served as a reminder that even the most cheerful of traditions need modern precautions.

Such a philosophy was raised again when a small town in Alaska named North Pole -- yes, it's actually named North Pole -- declared it would no longer stamp their postmark on letters children sent to Santa.

People wondered why -- Was it the sex offender scare? Was it the added workload to a stressed work place? -- and their decision made national news. The outcry was so strong that the Post Office decided to restart the program days after The Associated Press reported it was canceled.

Each year, at least 2,000 letters to Santa are recorded at processing centers in South Florida. A bar code transfers them to a separate bin.

The bins are then taken to a Pembroke Pines office, 16000 Pines Blvd., where a committee of postal staff volunteers read them.

``They are the elves who help Santa because he's very busy,'' Fetterly said.

The Post Office took on the task in the early 1900s, but the goal seems even more important in the digital age. A few children ask for St. Nick's e-mail address, but Fetterly said the number of hand-written letters has remained steady over the years.

Every child who writes gets a post card from Santa in return. Sometimes, the staff will even personalize an answer.

That would please Eddie, a 6-year-old who wants to know if his mom is lying to him.

``My mom used to tell me that the lights up in the sky were Santa's lights,'' he said. ``I just don't think those are really your lights because they look exactly like the spotlights during concerts and other events. . . . Don't get me wrong I still believe that you exist. I am just not so sure about those lights.''

The vast majority of requests are typical: iPods, Nintendos, Disney princesses, toy cars, elves. Sometimes, the children will affix cut-outs from ads, Fetterly added.

They are even letting Santa know where the item is selling at a discount -- just in case times are tough for him, too.

Police warn Hrithik over loud music at mummy's birthday bash

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan was warned against playing loud music at a late Sunday night party at his suburban Juhu residence.
Besides a host of celebrities from the tinsel town, police too made their appearance at the party, thrown to celebrate the birthday of Pinky Roshan, the actor's mother, and advised Hrithik not to play loud music.
Police reached Roshan's 8th floor apartment in Plazzo building in Juhu Vile Parle Development (JVPD) area at around 2.15 am after they received a telephone call complaining of loud music being played in actor's house. Police also found a large group of onlookers outside the building waiting to have a glimpse of celebrities -- Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Amisha Patel and Shilpa Shetty.
"The first call was about a crowd outside the building. Ramachandra Mane, one of our officers, went there to check and found that a party was thrown by Roshans," Ramesh Sawant, Assistant Police Inspector of Juhu Police Station, said.
"There was another call complaining about loud music being played at Roshan's flat. We again inspected the place and spoke to Hrithik, who told us that they were winding up the party and the volume was low," said Sawant.
"However, we warned Hrithik not to play loud music and do anything that may inconvenience the people," he said, adding no complaint was registered as no violation of rules was established.

SRK made me nervous: Rituparna Sengupta

Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta rues she hasn't got enough opportunities in Bollywood to showcase her talent despite being around for four years. But the National Award winner is excited about sharing screen space with none other than Shah Rukh Khan - in an ad film.

"Yes, Bollywood couldn't recognise my talent to the extent expected, " Rituparna, who forayed into the Hindi film industry with "Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh" in 2005, told on phone from Kolkata.

She was then seen in box office duds like "Unns - Love...Forever", "Gauri - The Unborn" and "Sirf - Life Looks Greener on the Other Side".

Rituparna believes she could have made a mark in the Hindi film industry if she had had the advantage of Bollywood lineage or contacts.

"It's difficult to make a mark in Bollywood if you do not belong to a film family or have proper contacts. Talent speaks when you get proper opportunity, " said Rituparna.

Her consolation is that she got a chance to share screen space with superstar Shah Rukh in an ad film for Sona Chandi Chyawanprash. She plays his wife in it.

"It was an amazing experience to work with Shah Rukh. He is cordial and the kind of person who values time, " she said.

Asked if she was nervous about working with the actor, she said: "I was very nervous when I got to know that I would be opposite Shah Rukh. I have a huge fan following, but personally I am a great fan of his."

Rituparna shared her first National Award for Best Actress with Bengali peer Indrani Haldar for her role in Rituparno Ghosh's "Dahan" in 1998 and recently won the same for Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's Bengali film "Anuranan".

Right now she is looking forward to her forthcoming Hindi movie "Paroksh". It is Anup Das' directorial debut and the filmmaker has woven a captivating story around a surrogate mother.

"It's a very women-oriented film. The story is so contemporary that a woman can easily relate herself with the characters, " added Rituparna, who recently did the dialogue promotion for director David Dhawan's "Do Knot Disturb" along with actor Riteish Deshmukh.

"When David Dhawan approached me for it, I happily agreed. Riteish is a nice guy and a fantastic person to work with, " she said.

Asked if she had taken Hindi lessons during her initial days in Bollywood, she said: "No, I knew the language and I do my own dubbing."

Rituparna has also proved her talent as a playback singer in a song featured on her in "Anuranan".

"I sung it only to sync sound as my director said he would get it professionally sung later. But he liked it so much that he kept it as it is. Thus I made my debut as a playback singer, " said Rituparna.

The actress has finished shooting for two more Hindi films - Ajay Varma's "S.R.K" and Faisal Saif's "Osama". She will also be seen in Priyadarshan's Hindi version of Iranian film "Children of Heaven".

I had to lose several kilos for London Dreams: Brinda Parekh

A name of mighty weight down in the South Brinda Parekh is now at her heels to make a mark in Bollywood.

And what better opportunity to be reckon with than in Vipul Shah’s ‘London Dreams’ sharing space with none other than the superstar himself Salman Khan.

On a personal front Brinda is all set to blaze the big screen with her drop dead gorgeous looks and perfect toned body.

Brinda speaks from her heart, “Working down South requires a heavy body with oodles of weight. When I was offered the grey shade in London Dreams, Vipulji first asked me to cut down on some kilos.

I was so excited that I readily agreed. But believe me it wasn’t easy. I was on salads for quite a few weeks. Also to acquire a well toned body Vipulji helped me with a trainee Ilona in London. She was a darling but very strict with her schedules.”

Expounding on her grueling schedule Brinda says, “I did one hour of cardio each day with abs and weight training. Today when I look in the mirror I wonder how easy it was to gain weight but it took quite an effort to reduce about 7 kilos in the end.”

“I am very happy with the results and also the way the film and my role has shaped. But the only thing I regret is that I never got an opportunity to see the macho man Salman working out. I hope I get this chance soon in the future, ” says a happy and toned Brinda.

I've blurred Neil Mukesh's frontal nudity: Madhur Bhandarkar

Frontal nudity by lead actor Neil Nitin Mukesh in his new film "Jail" made headlines, but filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar now says he has blurred the scenes so as to make it watchable for all age groups.

"The film will shake up a lot of people and give a perspective to the common man who has never gone inside a jail. That is also the reason I wanted a U/A certificate for the film, as I want all age groups to watch the film, " Bhandarkar told in an interview here.

"I have also moderated the swear words in it for the same reason and have blurred Neil's frontal nudity so that the film becomes commonly visible, " he added.

Despite controversies surrounding the film courtesy Neil's complete peel-off for his character, Bhandarkar's "Jail" has got a universal adult certificate for the masses.

He also denies making reality-based films to win National Awards.

"Awards do give one a sense of encouragement and a feeling of achievement. But I don't make films to win a National Award. As far as 'Jail' is concerned, it will depend on what the jury thinks. It is too premature to talk about it, " said Bhandarkar.

"I am basically a very blessed person to have it all - critical acclaim, box office success as well as National Awards for my films. For me it's a great moment when my films are appreciated and I just want the same for this one too, " added the director who won the honours for "Chandni Bar", "Page 3" and "Traffic Signal".

Co-produced by Percept Picture Company and Bhandarkar Entertainment, "Jail" is releasing Nov 6. Mugdha Godse plays the female lead in the film that also has Manoj Bajpai in a pivotal role.

"'Jail' is a subject I really felt I should explore because this is something no one has touched earlier in Bollywood. In Indian films, jails have always been shown larger than life. NO one has thrown light on details like how it functions, etc, " he said.

"The trigger for this film is middle-class man Parag Dixit - he lives with his mother, has a girlfriend, works in the corporate sector and has a good record, but how he gets stuck in the law. It can happen to anybody, " said Bhandarkar whose last release "Fashion" was a gold spinner at the box office.

Bhandarkar insists he chose "Jail" as a subject to explore a new territory.

"I could have made a big movie after 'Fashion'. But I felt I should work on a subject that is in contrast to what I have done earlier, keeping in mind that my script will always dominate the subject and budget of my film, " he said. 
"A huge amount of research went behind the film like around seven months of paper scanning, TV monitoring, meeting and interacting with people who have gone through the trauma of being in a jail.

"Every minute and basic detail as in how people stay in a jail, what happens to them, how a first time offender is frisked, their body language - everything was looked into for the film, " he explained.

Bhandarkar also visited "three jails for the movie, namely Thane Jail in Mumbai, Yerawada Jail in Pune and Dehradun Jail" where he "observed the functioning of the whole system".

"I also took Neil with me to Thane jail. All the jail authorities cooperated with us considering the kind of information we got from them, " said Bhandarkar.

But won't his cinematic revelation disturb the authorities and the inmates?

"Though 'Jail' is 70 percent fact and 30 percent fiction, it is not judgmental. I am not giving any message with the film; neither am I saying that the authorities or the inmates are right or wrong. The film shows the point of view of a lot of people through Neil's character, " he said.

My wedding date has been finalised: Shilpa Shetty

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty says that her wedding date has been finalised, but she will announce it only when her sister Shamita is by her side.

"I know everyone's eager to know about the wedding date. All I can say is yes it's been finalised and I will make an official announcement as soon as I know when Shamita's coming out," Shilpa, who got engaged to London-based Raj Kundra Saturday after a courtship of about two years, posted on her blog.

Shamita is currently participating in the Colors' reality show "Bigg Boss 3". She is locked in the house with 10 more inmates and has no connection with the world outside.

Shilpa says she missed her sister.

"It's been a time of both joy and sorrow for me. The joy is obvious because Raj and I feel happy to take our relationship to the next level, but as most of you know my sister Shamita is still in the 'Bigg Boss' house and could not attend. She doesn't even know.

"The date was decided a week ago and we all came to the consensus that we should go ahead because another good mahurat (auspicious time) was a long way off. And considering Raj's parents and relatives were down from London for a week, so it seemed convenient," she wrote.

"I wanted to have Shamita there during this special moment, but I had to be considerate towards Raj's family too. So for all those who wanted to know why I went ahead without Shamita, it was a difficult decision but this is the answer."


Shilpa admits that when her sister comes out of "Bigg Boss" house, the news of the engagement will shock her.

"I know Shamita will be shocked... she'll kill me. Missed her more than words can describe but I'm sure she'll understand! Can't wait to show her my ring," she wrote.

So far Shilpa has not commented on her sister's stay in "Bigg Boss" house. But now she says that she is proud of Shamita.
"I've never commented on what I think of her in there, but just want to say she's been the pampered baby in our house. It made our whole family so proud to see her have no airs and do all the chores with no qualms," wrote Shilpa who won the British reality show "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2007.

"She's never cooked in her life and I saw her make rotis. I felt terrible watching her cry on TV, but I am amazed to see her growth on the show. This will definitely make her a stronger person. So proud of the way she's conducting herself with so much dignity."

The show only winds up December-end, and the actress cannot postpone her wedding. So, we hear that frantic negotiations are on to get the Shamita out of Bigg Boss before Shilpa's D-day. It is believed that the channel has agreed to Shamita's eviction in time for her to attend the marriage.

Either Bigg Boss will break the news to her and she will voluntarily leave the house, or she will be nominated and then evicted the same week.

I'm a big fan of Kareena Kapoor: Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif is going ga ga over Kareena and their bond. Recently giving an interview to a news channel Kat was excited to talk about her friend. Not many people know that both the vivacious actress shares the same manager too.

“She is very nice girl and I like her as well as her work. We even shares one manager and I am a big fan of her,” says Katrina.

There had been news in the industry about their cold war but with this statement of Kat, she is putting it all the rumours at rest.

Kareena Kapoor was the unchallenged queen of B-Town at as far as her price was concerned. But Katrina Kaif started competing with her at every turn: with the price, the number of film, as well as endorsements.

“Whenever we meet each other she talks with me very nicely and I too love her company. I really do admire her as one of the great actress in the industry,” she states in the interview to the entertainment channel.

Looking at this statement it seems the cold war between the two actresses has ended. All’s well that end’s well is what we can say in this case.

Sushmita to reveal her Raaz on TV, Rekha declines despite big money

Yes we are talking about Ex- Miss World Sushmita Sen who will be soon seen in NDTV Imagine’s new show Raaz Pechle Janam Ka which is hosted by Ravi Kishan. The promos for the same are on air.

“Sush will be the first guest on the show as she talks about her pechle janam to Ravi. The shooting of the same will start on 28 of this month, ” chirps the source.

Elaborating on the format, our source adds, “A therapist, Dr Trupti Jain, will take all the celebrity participants back to their past life and help them resolve a problem in their present life, which is believed to be due to one's deeds in their past lifetime. Jain has trained under the famous Dr Newton from Hyderabad who is an ace in past life regression.”

Rekha, who has time and again refused to make an appearance on television, has once again turned down an offer by saying, "I have had enough controversies in my life. I don’t want anything from my past life to be made public."

During the meeting that took place at Rekha's Bandstand residence, the producers tried their best to convince the actress but she did not relent. She was quite apprehensive when she learnt that her previous life will become an open book.

“The show will go on air in November midweek or last week, the date and time slot is yet to be finalised, ” quips our source.

The show will see many celebrities as participants. “Not only celebs from different fields but common people will be also participating in this unique reality show. The details are already aired on the channel, ” concludes the source.

So are you ready to go back in your past? So keeping watching this space for more news on Raaz Pechle Janam Ka…

I'm the luckiest girl in the world: Asin

By Subhash K Jha

Asin’s back-to-back promotional campaigns for London Dreams have left her exhausted.

Resting at her home on her birthday on Monday, Asin laughed, “Actually I hadn’t slept at all that day or the night before. I had been doing back-to-back interviews non-stop for London Dreams for the last one week with just 3-4 hours of sleep.

On that day there was no sleep or food at all. Anyway I’m making up for the exhausting week with the most peaceful and happy birthday of my life.”

Asin brought in her birthday with a quiet dinner on Sunday night with her close friends. “ It was eight of my closest friends at dinner. We had a ball. At midnight they made me cut a cake. I felt 12-years old again.”

Earlier during the evening Asin arrived home to a big surprise. “When I opened the door the entire house was done up with ballons by my parents, just like they used to for my birthdays when I was a child. I had to burst quite a few balloons because there was no room to even walk. I’ve never felt happier.”

On her birthday Asin regained all the weight that she had to lose for her role in London Dreams. “I had to be much thinner for my character. Now in 24 hours I think I’ve regained all the weight that I lost for London Dreams. I’ve been gorging non-stop on chocolates and chocolate cake. And there’s still so much left.”

The second-half of the day was devoted to spending time with the kids in her highrise apartment. They all love their Asin Didi and wouldn’t miss her birthday for the world.

“Fortunately there was enough cake and chocolates to go around. So it was great fun. This is the best birthday I had. I woke up to God knows how many sms and missed calls. I can’t believe so many people remembered my birthday and cared about it.”

But by far the best part of her birthday was provided by her parents. “When I saw the trouble they had taken over decorating my place I decided then there that I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

Ranbir to walk the with Katrina, not Deepika

By Subhash K Jha

Today Wednesday (October 28) Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor will walk the ramp in Delhi for designer Rohit Bal at the conclusion of the Couture Week in Delhi.

Both Katrina and Ranbir have known Rohit Bal socially though this is first they’ll be wearing his clothes,

This is also the first time that Ranbir and Katrina will be walking the ramp together.

“And most definitely the first time for Rohit Bal. But it’s for our film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Rohit will be dressing us up in some fun funky young vibrant clothes. And I’ll of course be sporting my trademark ponytail hairstyle from Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, ” says Katrina.

Ranbir has been shooting in Bhopal for Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti. On Tuesday the film’s last day of shooting happened. On Wednesday morning Ranbir was expected to join Katrina in Delhi for their ramp romp in the evening.

The last Bollywood biggie to have walked the ramp for Rohit Bal was Shah Rukh Khan.

“I’m excited because Rohit is not a typical Bollywood designer. I want too see what he has put together for me. I’ll only know tomorrow, ” Katrina said on Tuesday.

Katrina is excited about the release of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani because it’s her first attempt at doing situational comedy. “I’ve a much smaller role in my next release De Dana Dan. But I’m equally excited about it since Akshay and I form a great team. And this is my first film with Priyadarshan.

Priyanka is confirmed, now I am in talks with Hrithik

He carved a niche for himself in filmdom with non-starrers like "Makdee" and "Maqbool". But composer filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj now says star presence is extremely important for a film's box office success and that he is trying to rope in Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan for his next movie.

"I think stars are very important to reach out to the people. Along with that they are good actors as well. I think Shah Rukh (Khan) is a very fine actor, so is Aamir (Khan), Hrithik (Roshan), Saif (Ali Khan) and even Shahid (Kapoor)," Bhardwaj told.

"If the audiences love them and they don't mind coming to the cinema halls to see their faces and their costumes, then that's good because we can tell a story through them," added the director who teamed up with big stars for "Omkara" and "Kaminey".

He made his directorial debut "Makdee" (2002) with Makrand Deshpande, Shweta Prasad and Alaap Mazgaonkar. The only big name in the cast was Shabana Azmi.

Two years later, Bhardwaj came out with his highly acclaimed movie "Maqbool", an adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play "Macbeth". It didn't boast of a star line up either -- Pankaj Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Tabu formed the cast.

But his next directorial venture "Omkara", again based on Shakespeare's play "Othello", was bejwelled with big names like Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Vivek Oberoi.

His latest hit "Kaminey" too had Bollywood stars Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Now Bhardwaj is trying to sign Hrithik and Priyanka for his next venture. "I am in talks with Hrithik for a film but nothing is confirmed at the moment. However, Priyanka is confirmed for that project," he informed.

The 49-year-old started his Bollwyood innings as a composer for Gulzar's "Maachis" (1996) followed by movies like "Satya" (1998) and "Chachi 420" (1998) before taking on the director's mantle. He has proved his versatility as a music composer, singer, writer and filmmaker.
When asked what among these gives him maximum creative satisfaction and enjoyment, Bhardwaj said: "Enjoyment keeps changing. When you are making a song and it turns out to be very good, then you enjoy that process and that gives you creative satisfaction.

"Similarly, when you are making a film, you keep struggling on it for seven-eight months to set it right and finally when you see the result then that too gives you creative satisfaction and enjoyment. Satisfaction, happiness, enjoyment are all very momentary. They keep changing," he said.

Bhardwaj was in the capital to attend the 11th Osian's Cinefan Film Festival and said that such festivals are imperative so that movie aficionados can see entire films without any censorship.

"People need to see the entire films. Normally, the censor board cuts half of the film; at least there is some place where we can see the film without censorship," he said.

He also feels that censorship should be a personalised thing. "We should be our own censor boards. It should not be imposed on us. This censor board came from the British because they didn't want the Indian movement and Indian struggle to be seen by others, but somehow laws in our country don't change," he rued.

Full Monty on Bigg Boss draws Govt’s ire

Reality show Bigg Boss-Season 3, anchored by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, is in trouble.

The Information & Broadcasting Ministry on Monday asked Colors entertainment channel to explain why it did not censor a scene where two participants — Aditi Gowitrikar and Tanaz Irani — pulled down the shorts of Raju Srivastava, another participant, and also provided the footage to news channels.

The ministry has asked the channel to reply by Friday or else face action, which includes suspension of the transmission or a ban for a certain period.

After the ministry’s intervention, news channels stopped showing the clip, which was repeatedly played on Sunday.

“The clip had evoked a strong reaction,” said a senior I&B ministry official requesting anonymity. “Social groups and political leaders have objected to this semi-nudity on TV.”

The ministry has the power to suspend transmission or ban a channel found violating the programme code, which lists dos and don’ts for the television industry. Colors has already been issued three notices and two advisories for violation of the code since it got approval on June 12, 2008.

“We are yet to receive the notice. We have taken all measures to ensure our programme Bigg Boss-Season 3 is in compliance with the program code and we meticulously beep out any abusive language used by participants keeping in mind the sensitivity of the audience,” a Colors spokesperson said.

Katrina responsible for Ranbir-Deepika's fights?

Of late stories were doing the rounds about Bollywood's much-in-love proclaiming couple Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone's relationship going through turbulent times. Due to the continuous fights the couple is not on talking terms.

However it's being maintained that Deepika is upset with beau Ranbir as he doesn't give her enough time these days. While Deepika is absolutely keen on commitment Ranbir feels it's too early to get into commitments. But it seems the fire behind this smoke happens to be Katrina Kaif.

CHECK OUT: Ranbir Kapoor does GHAZAB KA hardwork!

Well how? Apparently Ranbir shares good rapport with Katrina Kaif, who happens to be his co-star in films like AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI & RAJNEETI. And after working in these two films the duo get along like house on fire. Moreover, Ranbir and Katrina have been linked up time & again for their rocking chemistry. Even Katrina has been heard saying that she feels pretty comfortable working with Ranbir and the 2 bond fast as their working styles are quite alike.

Hmm...now under such circumstances do we see a new relationship brewing up? Well Deepika if that's the case, you soon need to take some action before it gets too late....