Kareena attends workshops to shed glamour image

Kareena Kapoor is leaving nothing to chance this time. Determined to match strides with the formidable scene-stealer Kajol in the Hindi version of 'Stepmom', the actress has been quietly attending acting workshops with the film's director Siddharth Malhotra.
"The last time I rehearsed for a part was for Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Omkara'. But that was a more unconventional film and role where I had to get into a milieu and character I knew nothing about. But 'Stepmom' is urban and very contemporary. I play a very normal metro-centric working girl," Kareena said.
Malhotra's film is inspired by director Chris Columbus 1998 hit drama "Stepmom", a heartwarming tale of two women - divorced Susan Sarandon and the new woman (Julia Roberts) in her ex-husband's life - and the problems they face to find a common ground of understanding.
And to attend the workshops, Kareena has been stealing time out of the rehearsals for a song she began shooting with Aamir Khan in "3 Idiots". Through the workshops Kareena is discovering how difficult it is to play a normal girl. "I walk, talk, dress like an ordinary working girl. I'll be using no makeup."
Bollywood's ace designer Manish Malhotra too is having a hard time trying to bring down Kareena's glamour quotient in "Stepmom" to look like an ordinary working woman. "I couldn't cut my hair as planned because of continuity clashes. And I didn't want to cut my long hair. But I'm going for a new hairstyle," said Kareena. The two actresses start shooting together from the end of this month.
Talking abour Kajol, Kareena said: "She's always been one of my favourite actresses. We worked together in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'. But this is something else." There will be a lot of dramatic scenes between the two women in the movie. "The desi version of 'Stepmom' is very different from the original. My role is also a big departure from what Julia Roberts played in 'Stepmom'," Kareena said.

Mommy Kajol’s Book-ish Buys!

Kajol is a doting mother. After wrapping up the US shooting of Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, she was seen book shopping at a famous Juhu store. And while she’s known to be an avid reader, this time she was shopping for daughter Nysa.

Dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and designer glasses, she left after buying practically half the store. The staff offered to help her carry her purchases, but she kindly declined.

My Name Is Khan creates a hurricane

The entire cast and crew of Karan Johar’s Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer My Name Is Khan, is back from San Fransico, USA. It is learnt that now they will be shooting soon in Mumbai for the last portions of their film, which incidentally is a hurricane scene. Presently for the same, a huge set is being constructed in Filmcity Goregaon, Mumbai.
Our industry insider reveals, “At the Josh Maidan in Filmcity the set being constructed is of a dam that is measuring around three feet in depth and is 135 by 240 meters in size. Then apart from that, a church and few small houses around it shall be constructed soon. There are plans to shoot a hurricane sequences showing these places such as the church and the houses getting completely submerged and devastated under it.”
The source further added, “After this sequence is shot, the film’s talkie portions will be complete and only the post-production will be left. The makers hope to release the film by January 2010 end.”