'Acid Factory' about horror of discovering true self

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta is known for making multi-starrer action thrillers. His next offering 'Acid Factory', which releases Friday, continues the trend and is about the horror of self-discovery.
Said to be inspired by Hollywood's "Unknown" (2006), it has been produced by Gupta's White Feather Films and directed by Suparn Verma. Made at a budget of Rs.25 crore, including print and publicity, the film is releasing with around 800 prints worldwide.
Starring Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea, Manoj Bajpai, Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan and Irrfan Khan, "Acid Factory" is about five men confined in a factory. What complicates matters is that the past of these men has vanished in a haze of coma and they suffer sudden memory loss.
As the story unfolds through the hazy mist of confusion confounded by loss of memory, the audience is just shown five men who wake up inside an acid factory to find themselves locked in the claustrophobic nowhere land.
What is slowly revealed is that two of the trapped people have been kidnapped and held hostage by the other three for a robbery. But the irony is they themselves don't know who the hostages are and who the kidnappers are.
Their fears are heightened by a phone call from the gang leader who informs them that he is on his way with the loot and plans to knock off the two hostages as soon as he arrives. Everyone fears for their life and they plan to escape but fail. The boss eventually arrives and what follows is mayhem.
Describing his role, Aftab said: "My character in the film is that of a very aggressive, edgy and violent guy. It was a challenge to portray a character like this because personally I'm a calm person. But my character in the film has a very bad temper.
"I really had to leave myself behind and keep imagining the character so that I could do my best. I couldn't afford to be calm or composed; I had to be hyper in almost all the scenes."
Dino plays a wicked character in the movie. "I am playing a 'kamina' in the movie. In the film, we all have lost our memories. So it would be interesting for people to watch it," said Dino.
After playing roles in many forgetful movies, Dia is also looking forward to the film as she is the only female character in it and has performed several stunts on her own.
" 'Acid Factory' is one of my biggest films. I really worked hard for the film," she said.
With the box office going good with movies like "Do Knot Disturb" and "Wake Up Sid" and a slew of big-budget movies lined up for release, it is to be seen if "Acid Factory" lives up to the buzz and hype too.

Preity to have her own chat show

Preity Zinta is being paid Rs. 10 crore for hosting a 20 episode chat show which will premiere on TV in mid-December. The Preity Zinda Show, as it is called, will have Preity interviewing celebrity guests and will be a weekly show.

Last week, the channel’s officials met her and finalized the deal in Los Angeles. Preity is awaiting her television debut eagerly. But as of now, the news is being kept under the wraps and no one is allowed to say anything about it this soon.

Hema Malini re-launches daughter Esha into Bollywood

Hema Malini’s film, Tell Me Oh Khuda, the one she had planned for her daughter Esha is finally in its pre-production stage. Starring Arjan Bajwa opposite Esha, the film is about a girl who is on the search for her father. It bears too much resemblance to Hema Malini’s first and only film as a director, Dil Aashna Hai which was about a girl on the lookout for her mother and starred Divya Bharati and Shah Rukh Khan.

The film will be directed by Om Shanti Om’s dialogue writer and Dhoom’s associate director, Mayur Puri. Arjan was thrilled to meet Hema Malini and was overjoyed when she said that she had liked his work in Fashion. Tell Me Oh Khuda is supposed to be Esha’s Bollywood re-launch. The film will commence shooting from the end of this year.

Ranbir sprays insecticide on his underarms!

Ranbir Kapoor had a disastrous experience recently when he used insecticide instead of his deodorant. He was chatting with a crew member in his makeup room and he reached out for the can of insecticide kept on his table without looking at the bottle and sprayed it on his underarms. Only when his underarms had a burning sensation did he realize that he had used insecticide instead of deodorant.

He went on the sets, in spite of the pain and the stench. But the stench got stronger later and it was impossible to continue working like that. Ranbir then took a shower and continued shooting. Ranbir is now going to be very careful about using deodorants now. As for the insecticide kept on his table, it was there because the production guys use it a lot to keep the flies away.

Shilpa Shetty invites Jermaine Jackson for dinner

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty “caught up on good old times” with her former “Celebrity Big Brother” housemate Jermaine Jackson, late pop legend Michael Jackson’s brother, at her house here.
“I met Jermaine Jackson and his wife Halima after nearly three years…caught up on old times, got nostalgic over our experiences in the ‘Big Brother’ house. It had been so long but we picked up from where we left, one thing being constant - our friendship, so was happy on that front,” Shilpa, who won “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2007, posted on her blog www.shilpashettylive.com/blog.

Jermaine landed in India Friday for 10 days to collaborate with singer Adnan Sami on an album being produced by T-Series. During his stay here, he will also shoot for a concept video for the same song.

Shilpa says their meeting Sunday night was “a strange co-incidences” as her younger sister Shamita was heading for “Bigg Boss”, the Indian version of “Celebrity Big Brother”.

Shilpa is apprehensive about how Shamita will fair well in “Bigg Boss”.

“I scurried to spend the last two days before she left, tried to dissuade her considering she’ll be away for three months if she lasts. (I) can’t describe how difficult our last goodbye was. Now I know what she went through when I left three years ago to be a part of ‘Big Brother’. We are very close so it was heartbreaking. But I’ll get to see her everyday if that’s any consolation.”

Anupam Ahuja: “I Can’t Wait To Take Shiney Home”

Shiney Ahuja would’ve been able to go home with wife to meet his daughter Arshiya in Delhi on Thursday itself, but for the bail papers not being ready, and then Gandhi Jayanti occurred the next day.

“So we had to wait till Saturday. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve waited three months for Shiney to be released. I don’t mind waiting one more day,” said the lately-incarcerated man’s ecstatic wife Anupam.

Anupam Ahuja doesn’t know how to react to the bail plea being accepted. “It just goes to prove that the law of the country is always trustworthy. I’ve a feeling Shiney will never have to go back (to jail). God has tested us enough. If he has been suffering inside, I’ve been suffering outside.”

Shiney can’t wait to be united with his daughter Arshiya. “Do you know when I last met Shiney in court in 25 September he was in acute pain. I think he was doing something in jail when something in his back got severely strained. He told me he had dreamt of our daughter. And the same day my parents in Delhi told me Arshiya had woken up calling out, ‘Papa’. I saw that as a premonition for Shiney’s freedom.”

The fact that Shiney won’t be able to stay in Mumbai is not seen by his wife as a damper. “Why should I be unhappy about such a small matter when I’ve got my husband back and our daughter has got her father back? We’ll be just fine in Delhi. I see our life coming together again, with the good wishes of our friends, like (filmmaker) Ashok Pundit who has been a brother to me through this trying period.”

Now begins the process of Shiney’s re-acclimatization to normal civil life. “He needs to heal physically and emotionally. Now begins the second phase of my struggle. But you know what? I can’t seem to feel any bitterness. God is great. The judiciary system in our country is great.”

Ravan cast up for another darshan

Recently Ravan star cast was up for another darshan at a temple for shub mangal of the completion of the film. Abhishek and Ashiwarya Rai Bachchan were accompanied by Govinda to Ojhar Temple in Maharashtra.

“All three of them recently headed to Ojhar temple for the darshan. Things have not been going good with the film Ravan and it has been in talks for all wrong reasons thus they decided to took the blessing of Ganpati Bappa,” chirps the source.

Elaborating more on their visit to Bappa temple our source adds, “It’s one of the most powerful idol of lord Ganesha and thus all of them straight headed to the temple. Govinda who essays the role of Hanuman accompanied the duo (Abhi and Ash) and was by their side till the end.”

“The authority people of the temple also took away some precious moments by clicking pictures with Chi Chi while Abhi, Ash were hiding from the camera’s of the media,” concludes the source.

Hope the god is listening to them…

‘Wake Up Sid’ gives ‘Do Knot Disturb’ a beating

Debutant director Ayan Mukerji’s charming “Wake Up Sid” about a young man and a woman five years older has not only wowed critics but pulled in the crowds too, sidelining the Govinda starrer “Do Knot Disturb”.
The box office received a shock with Ashutosh Gowariker’s “What’s Your Raashee” that released Sep 25 but proved to be tedious for audiences with its length and 13 songs.

But the buzz is back with “Wake Up Sid”, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, that released Friday along with “Do Knot Disturb”.

” ‘Wake Up Sid’ is doing extremely well. We’ve had an occupancy of more than 90 percent across 17 shows over the initial weekend and it is still going strong while ‘Do Knot Disturb’ had only a two-day run with close to 75 percent despite 16 shows,” Amit Awasthi, manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas at Noida, said.
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“We are expecting ‘Wake Up Sid’ to continue a good run at least until the Diwali weekend, which has major releases like ‘Blue’, ‘Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna’ and ‘All The Best’. Though we have ‘Acid Factory’ on Oct 9, we are sincerely doubtful about its future in multiplexes,” he added.

Made at a budget of around Rs.15 crore (Rs.150 million), “Wake Up Sid” has been produced by Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures with around 700 prints worldwide.

” ‘Wake Up Sid’ has had a very good occupancy and opening over the first weekend. It is a different movie for different people and is totally a multiplex movie. It is going to have an extended play,” said a source from PVR Cinemas.

“It has done what ‘Rock On!!’ did last year… it has evoked people’s hidden past and is so associative. While ‘Do Knot Disturb’, despite having almost the equal number of shows as the former (around six each per property) did have a good opening, but it fell flat in no time,” the source added.

“Do Knot Disturb” has been co-produced by Vashu Bhagnani and Big Pictures and directed by David Dhawan. Released across 1,060 screens worldwide, it stars Govinda, Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta and Riteish Deshmukh.

Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, however, thinks it is too early to tell.

“We kept around 10 shows each for both the movies across different properties and the result has been around 60 and 80 percent respectively for ‘Do Knot Disturb’ and ‘Wake Up Sid’,” said Raizada.

“The response for the latter has been very good and this one is in fact sustaining too but, as far as the long run is concerned, nothing can be said as the business has mostly been done during the initial weekend,” he added.

Shiney needs to heal physically and emotionally: Anupam Ahuja

Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja arrived in New Delhi from Mumbai Sunday morning after spending 110 days in jail for allegedly raping his domestic help. His wife Anupam Ahuja feels that the process of her husband’s re-acclimatisation to normal civil life will begin now.

“He needs to heal physically and emotionally. Now begins the second phase of my struggle. But you know what? I can’t seem to feel any bitterness. God is great. The judiciary system in our country is great,” Anupam said.

Shiney, who was behind the bars for more than three months after his maid accused him of rape, got bail Thursday. He reiterated his claim that he had consensual sex with the domestic help.

Shiney would’ve been able to meet his daughter Arshiya in Delhi on the day he was freed, but the bail papers were not ready and then Gandhi Jayanti occurred the next day — as a result his trip home was delayed.

“So we had to wait till Saturday. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve waited three months for Shiney to be released. I don’t mind waiting one more day,” said Anupam.

She says she didn’t know how to react to the bail plea being accepted.

“It just goes to prove that the law of the country is always trustworthy. I’ve a feeling Shiney will never have to go back (to jail). God has tested us enough. If he has been suffering inside, I’ve been suffering outside.”

Shiney can’t wait to be united with his daughter Arshiya.

“Do you know when I last met Shiney in court on September 25, he was in acute pain. I think he was doing something in jail when something in his back got severely strained. He told me he had dreamt of our daughter. And the same day my parents in Delhi told me Arshiya had woken up calling out, ‘Papa’. I saw that as a premonition for Shiney’s freedom.”

The fact that Shiney won’t be able to stay in Mumbai is not seen by his wife as a damper.

“Why should I be unhappy about such a small matter when I’ve got my husband back and our daughter has got her father back? We’ll be just fine in Delhi. I see our life coming together again, with the good wishes of our friends, like (filmmaker) Ashok Pundit who has been a brother to me through this trying period,” she said.

Rajneish Duggall obsessed with superheroes

Bollywood actor Rajneish Duggall, who will be seen in Vikram Bhatt’s “Phhir”, has a fetish for superheroes. He loves them so much that he has huge collection of various merchandises like Batman T-shirts, Superman boxers and Phantom belts.

“I was always fascinated by these superheroes and the powers that they possess. Whenever I go shopping the first thing that I put my sight on are superhero accessories. In my free time too, I am usually watching a superhero flick or playing superhero games,” said Rajneish, who is going to be a father soon.

According to a source close to the actor, Rajneish has set a Spiderman caller tune for all his callers, owns Phantom key chain and keeps superhero soft toys on the car’s backseat.

I’m not as fit as I want to be: Mandira Bedi

She is 37 and flaunts quite a toned body but actress-cum-anchor Mandira Bedi still rues that she isn’t as fit as she wants to be.

“I am not as fit as I want to be. But during ‘Khatron Ka Khiladi’, I was,” Mandira said.

Now, the actress is back to a strict regime to keep herself in good shape.

“I try and make time for exercise out of whatever opportunity I get. I believe that in the day when we have 16-18 waking hours, taking out half an hour for exercise is not tough. So even if I have a shortage of time, I try and take out at least half an hour for exercise in a day.

“And I ensure that I work out five to six days a week,” she added.

Ranbir turns statue for ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani’

Ranbir Kapoor had to pose like a statue in his forthcoming release “Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani” and makeup man Vikram Gaikwad spent four hours to turn the actor into a sculpted figure.
In the film, Ranbir has the habit of talking to an icon that stands in the centre of the town and one day he realises it looks like him. And for that particular scene, he had needed the makeover.

“Once the make up was done, Ranbir would have to just stand till the shot was canned and that took hours. But it was a very tedious and tiring process but Ranbir did it very enthusiastically,” said a source.

After the shot Ranbir would want move around all the time. “Standing like a stone, it made Ranbir realise the value of freedom,” said the source.

‘Bigg Boss’ launch was hit by heavy rains, says Big B

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, who is set to host the third season of “Bigg Boss” that goes on air Sunday, says that the launch of the reality show was washed away by rain twice within a day.
“It just got over and it almost did not! The launch of ‘Bigg Boss’ got washed away twice in one day by the heavy and incessant rain over the hills here (at Amby Valley). Thunder, lightning…so close, it was blinding,” Amitabh posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com early Sunday morning.

“The sets, the electronics and all the preparations got drenched and short circuited and the sound of the rain was so loud that even within the closed environment it was impossible to work,” he added.

The shoot, however, went on thanks to a production team of “close to 700″ people.

The third season of “Bigg Boss” has celebrities like Poonam Dhillon, Claudia Ciesla, Kamaal R. Khan, Sherlyn Chopra, Vindu Dara Singh, Shamita Shetty et al competing with one another. The show has the celebrities staying inside a specially designed house under constant camera surveillance and no contact with the outside world.

The 66-year-old commends the inmates who will spend weeks together inside the Bigg Boss house.

“I think it is most brave of all of them to have decided to get away from life for 84 days, leaving home and hearth in the care of others. I wish them all well and will be meeting up with them every Friday and Saturday,” he wrote.

The contestants will be locked up in an actual house in Lonavala and Bachchan wrote about the preparations and the set-up.

“The set is massive… Intricate control rooms, electronics, cameras, microphones… it is quite something,” he posted.

“And they (the Channel producers) have built an entire chalet for me when I come in to work over the weekends - bedrooms, makeup rooms, hall, dining area, kitchen, verandahs, huge courtyard… a Spanish villa in design with the personal touches of family photographs all over the house. I could move in here! This is some operation,” he added.

Big B welcomes Rakhi Sawant’s mom on ‘Bigg Boss’

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan launched the third season of the reality TV show “Bigg Boss” here Sunday night and welcomed 13 participants - including item girl Rakhi Sawant’s mother Jaya.
Jaya, who used to work as nurse to bring up her kids, was quite an unexpected participant on the show considering her strained ties with daughter Rakhi, who was a part of the show in the first season in 2006.

While Rakhi didn’t care to invite her mother to the finale of her recent “Swayamvar” show, the latter was upset that she (Rakhi) was taking the decision about her life partner without her family’s consent.

“…I thank the general public for understanding me. I am confident that I will be able to handle everyone on the show,” Jaya told Bachchan before entering the “Bigg Boss” house.

She recalled how Amitabh had given her a Rs.200,000 cheque for her mother’s well-being in the 1990s. She said: “For the world you may be a superstar, but for me you are god. You had helped my mother when she was ill and she gave you a lot of blessings.”

Dressed in a flashy, red, green and gold sari, she seemed ready to give her famous daughter a run for her money with her melodrama.

The third season of “Bigg Boss” is quite high on glamour with celebrities like Poonam Dhillon, Shamita Shetty, Aditi Govitrikar, Sherlyn Chopra, Tanaaz Currim Irani and Claudia Ciesla featuring in it.

However, with other contestants like music composer Ismail Darbar, actor-director Kamaal R. Khan, actors Vindu Dara Singh, Bakhtiyaar Irani, fashion desinger Rohit Varma and stand-up comedian Raju Srivastava, the list of men on the show failed to impress.

The first episode of the show saw Bachchan ushering in the 13 celebrities into the specially designed house in this hill station.

While all the participants will be closeted in the house for three months under 24-hour surveillance with no access to telephones or television, Bachchan will host the show on the Colors channel.

The show will air in a prime-time slot Monday-Friday but Big B will appear only in the elimination episodes every Saturday and Sunday, communicating with the contestants through a TV screen. Each week, one contestant will be voted out.

The winner will walk away with the grand prize of Rs.1 crore.

Salman, Aamir similar as people, differ in working style: Asin

After working with Aamir Khan in her Bollywood debut “Ghajini”, southern beauty Asin will now be seen with Salman Khan in “London Dreams”. She says while the two superstars are very similar as people, their working styles are poles apart.

“As people, there are a lot of similarities between Aamir and Salman. Both are extremely warm, very friendly and down to earth. Not at all pretentious,” Asin said.

“As actors their working styles are quite different. Like for example when Aamir used to come on the sets to shoot, he used to sit with the cast and crew and used to discuss the scene, give his ideas and his inputs; he used to be quite involved,” the 23-year-old said.

“On the other hand, Salman used to come on the sets, shoot for the scene and leave. There used to be no give and take of ideas; so it used to seem very spontaneous. However, I am sure in his mind he must be knowing exactly what he has to do and how he has to do it,” she added.

The actress, who was brought up in Kerala and debuted in Sathyan Anthikad’s Malayalam film “Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka” in 2001, created a mark in the Hindi film industry with “Ghajini” in 2008.

She is ready with her second Bollywood venture “London Dreams” that stars Ajay Devgan along with Salman.

Asked if she was nervous being in the same frame as two such experienced actors, Asin said she neither felt nervous nor intimidated.

“When I go on the sets, I forget all my inhibitions. When I was working with Ajay and Salman, I didn’t feel any pressure, maybe because they themselves did not behave like stars and threw no starry tantrums.

“When you work with such dedicated actors, you also do your job well and try to learn whatever you can. But there was no intimidation… I was not scared or anything to work with them. They are experienced but also make you feel very comfortable,” Asin said.

“London Dreams”, slated to release Oct 30, tells the story of two childhood friends who dream about making it big in the music industry and start a band. Asin, who is a dancer in the band, is the love interest of both friends.

So what made her sign the film?

“When the film was offered to me, I was keen to do it because I had worked with a star like Aamir in my first Hindi venture and in this one, there were two stars; so that was a ‘double dhamaka’ .

“Apart from that I loved my character Priya, which is quite different from my earlier role, and also a filmmaker like Vipul Shah is making the film. All these factors made me say yes,” Asin said.

Now read 100 of Gulzar’s favourite lyrics in English too

Oscar award winning lyricist Gulzar has handpicked 100 of his best works that have been translated into English by scriptwriter Sunjoy Shekhar for an anthology titled “100 Lyrics”. And the poet reveals that he was inspired by rocker Sting to come out with this compilation.

“100 Lyrics” is a bi-lingual volume that contains the original lyrics in Hindi along with their English translations, featuring anecdotes about the composition.

Published by Penguin-Books India, the yet-to-be released volume has English versions of the lyricist’s early hits like “Mera Gora Ang Lai Le”, the first film lyric that Gulzar wrote for Bimal Roy’s “Bandini” in 1963, to the enduring “Dil Dhoondta Hai” (Mausam), “Naam gum jayega” (Kinara), “Humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki…”, “Is mod pe jate hain (Aandhi)” and “Mera kucch Saman (Izazat)”.

Gulzar, who won an Oscar this year for the song “Jai Ho” in the film “Slumdog Millionaire”, has surprisingly drawn inspiration from English musician Sting.

“The popular musician Sting inspired me to compile this book. I have published several volumes of my poetry before and compiled my stories separately in two small volumes in Hindi. Somehow, I do not mix the two, except when my poems were picked up for a film and dressed with a musical rendering,” said Gulzar.

“Following in the footsteps of Sting, I undressed my lyrics - and realised that lyrics can survive on their own without a mannequin or a visual. If not all, a good majority of them survived in another genre or form- as poetry,” says Gulzar in the book.

“When Sunjoy translated a few of my lyrics to English, they sounded suspiciously like poems. In a poem and a lyric, the major difference is that a poem is a personal expression of the poet, whereas in a lyric, the expression is primarily that of a character arising out of the situation of a film story,” Gulzar said.

The song “Musafir hoon yaron…” or “I am, but a wanderer, my friends” from the movie “Parichay”, recalls Gulzar, was his “first song for Pancham” or composer R.D. Burman.

“On his way to the Raj Kamal Studios, where he was supposed to record music for ‘Parichay’, he picked me up from home. He had explained the situation to me. En route, Pancham told me he had not thought about the score. ‘Give me a couple of lines and I can work on them, Pancham said’,” Gulzar recalled.

The lyricist thought of a few stray lines and after reaching the studio, he made Pancham write a couplet, “Musafir hoon yaron… mujhe chale jaana hai, bas chalte jaana.”

“Pancham dismissed me saying my work was over. At midnight, he knocked on my door and hauled me out of my bed into his car waiting below my apartment. He switched on the cassette and there was this incredible melody. As he raced his car down the empty streets of Mumbai, he hummed the tune and I supplied the words. That’s how we carried it forward,” Gulzar said, narrating how the popular song took shape.

Gulzar’s lyrics transcend social barriers, says translator Sunjoy Shekhar.

“Be it a rickshaw-puller or a Sufi saint, Gulzar touches them both. The lyrics are not about words or rhythms, but about interpreting the world,” said Shekhar.

The translator, a native of Sahebganj in Jharkhand, has more than 3,000 hours of story-writing credits across a host of television channels in India.

Irrfan Khan to play Nehru in ‘Indian Summer’?

Filmfare Award winner Irrfan Khan is expected to play India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in Cate Blanchett starrer “Indian Summer”, according to reports.

Government of India officials, being concerned about how the affair between Nehru and Lady Edwina Mountbatten, wife of last British viceroy of India, would be played out, scrutinized the script, and have reportedly conditionally shown green light for its shooting to go ahead.

Government officials reportedly want some incidents removed, like Nehru-Edwina kiss, their being in the bed together, etc.

The makers reportedly have also been told to state that the film is a fictional work and any changes in the script should seek pre-approval. Officials reportedly will oversee the shooting and it has to be okayed before release.

Blanchett (Elizabeth) will reportedly play Edwina in this upcoming movie, which will portray last days of British rule in India. Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) will reportedly be last British Viceroy in India Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, while welcoming Hollywood attempts to show India’s history on big screen, urged the filmmakers to portray India’s historical events authentically.

Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, in a statement in Nevada (USA), asked filmmakers not to re-imagine India’s history just for mercantile greed.

Aimed at a release in 2011, this Universal Pictures and Working Title Films drama will be reportedly directed by BAFTA winner Joe Wright (Atonement) and written by Oscar nominated William Nicholson (Gladiator), and will show Mountbatten handing over the power during the summer of 1947 to Nehru.

It is based on the book “Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire” by Alex von Tunzelmann. Film will reportedly follow the important events during India’s Independence. It will be shot in capital Delhi, Punjab, Jammu-Kashmir, and other parts in India and filming starts early next year.

After bail, Shiney Ahuja reaches Delhi

Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja arrived here from Mumbai Sunday morning after spending 110 days in jail for allegedly raping his domestic help. He was granted bail Thursday.

The actor, accompanied by his wife Anupam, arrived at the New Delhi domestic airport aboard a Kingfisher flight No.303 Sunday at about 11.30 a.m. Shiney’s parents were also there and they left the airport in a Honda Civic car which had an Uttar Pradesh registration.

“He left for Delhi by Kingfisher flight at around 7 a.m.. He will be coming back to Mumbai for the court hearing on Oct 7,” Shiney’s lawyer Shrikant Shivade said.

The actor was granted bail Thursday on a surety of Rs.50,000 by the Bombay High Court in the rape case and was released from the Arthur Road Jail Saturday.

Strict conditions have been imposed on the actor by Justice A.P. Deshpande, who has ordered Shiney to live outside Mumbai, but not leave India till his trial begins in a fast-track court in Mumbai.

Shiney was arrested June 14 for allegedly raping his teenaged domestic help at his Andheri (West) home. He was in custody since then.

On two occasions, lower courts in Mumbai had rejected Shiney’s bail application and he had been lodged in the Arthur Road Jail where Pakistani terror accused Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab is also lodged.

If the charges against him are proved in court, Shiney faces a seven-year jail sentence. His wife Anupam and his lawyer have maintained that he is innocent and is being framed.

Salman Khan’s trainer turns to acting!

They say that the company you spend time with changes you after a while. That seems to be the case with Salman Khan’s fitness trainer, Abbas Aly. He is now eyeing acting as a career.

Salman is helping Abbas to get some good Bollywood offers. And thanks to Salman, Abbas has got some big banners films. He has done some cameos but Salman encouraged him to become an actor for good. So now, Abbas is part of Race 2 and an international project.

Apart from Salman, Abbas has also been the trainer for Bipasha Basu and Anil Kapoor and hopes that he will do good job acting.

Shahid Kapoor’s butt exposed!

Shahid Kapoor needs to wear bum bags to make his rear look in shape. Shahid, who has worked on achieving a good physique, was still not very confident about his butt. So, in order to make his hips look nice and round, he wears a bum bag, which is a small pouch like thing secured with a zipper and is worn at the waist.

Shahid has been wearing bum bags since his first film in 2003. While he doesn’t wear these at home, he needs to wear them during film shoots because he is afraid his near-flat butt will look bad. Guess everyone has their own little quirks!

Ranbir turns to stone!

Ranbir Kapoor turns to stone! No we are not kidding but apparently that is a part of his role in Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani.

The film shows that Ranbir has a habit of talking to an icon that stands in the centre of the town. And one fine day, he finds that that icon looks like him. Ranbir was absolutely charged about turning into a figurine.

Interestingly, it took four hours to turn Ranbir into a sculpted figure. Makeup man Vikram Gaikwad had to really work hard on the look. A source said, “Once the make up was done, Ranbir would have to just stand till the shot was canned, and that took hours. It was a tedious and tiring process, but Ranbir was all enthusiastically.”

After the shot Ranbir would want move around all the time. “Standing like a stone, made Ranbir realise the value of freedom,” said the source.

Katrina scares Raj Kumar Santoshi!

RajKumar Santoshi is heard to be uncomfortable with Katrina Kaif on the sets of ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’. The director confirms Katrina’s successful career and his series of flops in the past is the reason for his timid behaviour on the sets.

Santoshi was quite modest to express his emotions before the media. He adds, “It becomes very difficult to work with an establish star like Katrina. I would be very reluctant to ask Katrina for a retake.” On the contrary Katrina denies everything and says, “Santoshi is a fantastic director and has a great sense of humour. We had a wonderful time working together on the sets. Hope nobody takes him seriously on that.”

Well, Katrina we take your point on that considering the jovial personality he has. Nevertheless, hope his fantastic humour works for ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ too.

Shiney released from jail, set to leave Mumbai

Actor Shiney Ahuja, accused of raping his 20-year-old domestic help, on Saturday walked out of the Arthur Road Jail where he was lodged for more than three-and-a-half months following bail granted by the Bombay High Court.

On Thursday, the court had granted him bail but asked him to stay in Delhi till the commencement of the trial.

Apart from setting a bail amount of Rs 50,000 and a surety of the same amount, Justice A P Deshpande had said the actor should surrender his passport and warned him against offering inducement to witnesses, directly or indirectly, and tampering with evidence.

Prakash Raj walks out of Pokkiri remake

Prakash Raj holds special mention for enacting the same baddie role with more variations in all the three versions of Pokkiri (Telugu, Tamil and Hindi). Indeed, his extraordinary performance in the Hindi remake “Wanted’ as Ghani Bhai has won him more offers in B-town.

Regrettably, the actor has to turn down those big offers patently for his commitment with dozen of South Indian projects. Precisely, the actor has refused to play the baddie in Kannada remake of “Pokkiri’.

It was not because of his refusal to play clichéd roles, but because of prior commitments to other projects. Reportedly with no options left, producers of Kannada remake have roped in Aashish Vidyarthi while Darshan plays the lead role as an undercover agent.

Riteish Deshmukh confesses about lonely school days!

It wasn’t tough for Riteish Deshmukh to play a shy lad in Sujoy Ghosh’s “Aladin’ as he says he was very much like his onscreen character during his own school days.

Aladin, produced by Eros International and Sujoy Ghosh, is a contemporary look at the classic fairy tale, where Riteish plays the title character.

“When Sujoy told me that I play a young, introverted boy in Aladin, I could perfectly relate to it as I was myself a very quiet boy during my school days. I didn’t have many friends and would mostly keep to myself. ” Riteish confesses.

In this contemporary version of the classic tale, Riteish will be seen playing a reclusive high school boy who carries an old, tattered leather bag with him all the time.

Speaking more about his character, Riteish said, “Aladin is so dumb and lost that when Genie asks him for his 3 wishes, he doesn’t even know what to ask for. He’s a complete loser!”

However, playing Aladin was like a dream come true for Riteish who was always fascinated by the famous fable. Besides, he also got a chance to fulfill his desire of working with Big B!

Sex and violence sells, can’t show only fairy tales: Sharmila Tagore

A dash of sex and violence is a sure shot formula for filmmakers to bring in audiences, says censor board chief Sharmila Tagore, who insists she doesn’t run the scissors if the scenes gel well with the script.

“Sex and violence sells. Everybody is not Shakespeare, everybody is not a great director or an Imtiaz Ali whose ‘Jab We Met’ was a clean film and yet worked at the box office,” Sharmila Tagore siad in an exclusive interview.

“Some people make a clean film and then put one item song because they feel that will bring in the audiences and it does turn out to be true. They do it for the sake of money. You can’t blame them as filmmaking is ultimately a moneymaking proposition,” she added.

Sharmila, 62, who was also on the jury of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival recently, says it’s high time the audiences and those who believe in moral policing stopped pretending about the existence of an underbelly in Indian society.

“In every city and village, there is an underbelly and there is a clientele that does go for drinks, gambling and dancing with women in red light areas. So by hiding all that, we cannot pretend it’s not happening. If it is happening, it will be shown in movies.

“We can’t look away from reality. We don’t want to be a state or country of pretenders or hypocrites. But, yes, we have to keep a balance in what is shown; so we censor accordingly,” she said.

A few months ago, gay activist Sridhar Rangayan, who has made movies like “Pink Mirror” on issues confronting the community, had said that the censor board needs to update its rule book and rid itself of “antiquated rules”. But Sharmila differs.

“I don’t agree with that statement. We do have a set of rules, but it is interpreted by everyone differently. One rule says, ‘Don’t glorify violence’. Now every individual will be comfortable with a different degree of violence in a film - it’s subjective.

“All of us at the censor board know India and Indian sensibilities. I have been involved with media for the last 50 years, my regional officers are sensitised and trained and the panel is good. We know our country and know how regional sensibilities differ - so we censor when it is required,” she said.

Sharmila added that she doesn’t necessarily cut a scene if it goes well with the script.

“We don’t necessarily cut, but we certify. India is free for all and all sorts of material comes in. Some kind of censorship is absolutely essential. But what we believe is that it must be flexible, has to be aware of the times, have a hand on the pulse of the nation and should be forward-looking. But we won’t agree that we are regressive,” she clarified.

In fact, she suggests that filmmakers exhibit the certification of the film prominently on posters and advertisements so that the audience can use their discretion on whether or not to watch the film.

“In our country people take children without bothering to see the certification. A lot of times the posters and the ads of movies in papers don’t have a certification - so people aren’t advised properly - that’s not our problem,” she rued.

“The audience needs to be advised that a film contains explicit language and sexual scenes and so they should not take their kids along. Personally, I let tolerable adult content pass through with an A-certification. We can’t completely protect the audience and just show them fairy tales,” Sharmila said.

Another pertinent point that she keeps in mind while running her censor scissors is the fact that the Indian film industry is competing with the global market in terms of content and quality.

“We are competing with the world market; so we need to come up with competitive films. Then only our industry will grow…We have to make today’s films. We have to keep in step with what’s happening in the world,” she said.

Preity Zinta dances free of cost for Salman!

Preity Zinta has not charged a single penny from the Khan’s for the 
brief appearance she makes in Sohail Khan Productions Main Aur Mrs. 
Khanna.

A source said, “Preity and Salman have been good friends. The 
two have done some of the most remarkable films together. Chori Chori 
Chupke Chupke was hit. Jaaneman was a hit too.”


Preity feels that Salman is man with a heart of gold.

“Salman has stood by Preity whenever she needed him. So this time when they
 approached Preity to do a brief appearance in Main Aur Mrs. Khanna, Preity said yes instantly. Preity let money matters take a back seat and said that she was just happy being a part of that film,” said the source.

Abhishek-Asin in Ashutosh’s next

Ashutosh Gowariker has decided on Abhishek Bachchan and Asin as the lead pair for his next film, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. The movie is based on the Chittagong Uprising and will have Abhishek Bachchan play Surjya Sen. The shooting of the film will begin around 25th November. This movie, unlike Ashutosh’s earlier films, will be produced by PVR Pictures and not UTV.

The battle takes a turn

The war between the Khans is getting worse day by day. After Aamir Khan agreed to model for Salman Khan’s Being Human charity to compete against Shah Rukh Khan who will be the showstopper for Karan Johar, he has now got along other Bollywood A-listers like Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt to join the bandwagon. Even though Sunny Deol is very shy, he has agreed to walk the ramp for Salman. The two groups are hoping to be a part of the grand finale of the couture week.

Akshay given more importance than Sanjay

Sanjay Dutt is not impressed with the promos of Blue. Even though he is the protagonist of the film, Akshay Kumar, who plays the villain, is getting more coverage. He has now refused to promote Blue as the promos feature Akshay Kumar more than him. This idea was apparently that of T Series’ head, Bhushan Kumar who wanted to highlight Akshay’s presence in the film. Sanjay was further hurt when Tony D’Souza, the director of Blue, talked about casting Akshay and John Abraham in his next film and not Sanjay. Sanjay apparently called him up and even said that he was hurt over it. Tony is now trying to see where he can put Sanjay in the film. Sanjay is also missing from the promotional song of Blue, Fiqrana. Tony however, has no clue why Sanjay didn’t turn up to shoot for the song.

Sanjay is now promoting his other film, All The Best with Ajay Devgan.

Johar apologises for using 'Bombay' in 'Wake Up Sid'

Film-maker Karan Johar on Friday apologised for using the word 'Bombay' instead of 'Mumbai' in his new film 'Wake Up Sid'.

"We apologise, we used the word 'Bombay' in the film. We didn't mean to hurt anybody' s sentiments," said Johar after his meeting with MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his residence here.

Karan Johar met Thackeray after party activists stopped the screening of the film in some cinema halls here. He was reportedly discussed the issue with him.

He further said that a disclaimer would now be carried in the beginning of the film.

'Wake Up Sid' is a story of Sidharth Mehra played by Ranbir Kapoor, an unmotivated boy from Mumbai, whose life undergoes a series of changes after taking his final year college exams.

The film is produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar and directed by Ayan Mukherji.

Johar apologises for using 'Bombay' in 'Wake Up Sid'

Film-maker Karan Johar on Friday apologised for using the word 'Bombay' instead of 'Mumbai' in his new film 'Wake Up Sid'.

"We apologise, we used the word 'Bombay' in the film. We didn't mean to hurt anybody' s sentiments," said Johar after his meeting with MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his residence here.

Karan Johar met Thackeray after party activists stopped the screening of the film in some cinema halls here. He was reportedly discussed the issue with him.

He further said that a disclaimer would now be carried in the beginning of the film.

'Wake Up Sid' is a story of Sidharth Mehra played by Ranbir Kapoor, an unmotivated boy from Mumbai, whose life undergoes a series of changes after taking his final year college exams.

The film is produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar and directed by Ayan Mukherji.

Ranbir does not have a ego problem : Katrina

Actress Katrina Kaif may have worked with some of the biggest names in Bollywood including Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar but she says that her latest co-star, Ranbir Kapoor, was great to work with because he does not have a ego problem.

The actress who is paired opposite the 'Saawariya' actor in the upcoming romantic comedy 'Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani' said that she had fun on the sets, thanks to Ranbir.

"I was kind of chilled out and had fun while shooting with Ranbir. He is a great co-star who is passionate about his work and does not have an ego," said Kaif.

The 25-year-old actress who debuted with the Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Boom' in 2001, considers Anil Kapoor her mentor as he taught her the value of concentration and focus.

Prakash Raj to direct a Hindi movie

National award winner Prakash Raj has been witnessing heavy downpour of offers from B-Town producers and directors. It all happened with his spellbinding performance in Prabhu Deva’s Hindi remake of “Pokkiri’ titled “Wanted’.

The characterization of Ghani Bhai has seemingly impressed not merely the audiences, but leading filmmakers of Hindi film industry as well. Now, they are approaching him to play the villainous role in their flicks.

Nevertheless, with his hands full of offers with 12 South Indian projects, Prakash Raj turned down their offer.

Meanwhile, he has expressed his wish about making a Hindi film very shortly. At the moment, he has started working on Kannada remake of “Abhiyum Naanum’, which will mark the directorial debut of Prakash Raj in tinsel town.

Wake up call for Karan Johar over his new movie ‘Wake Up Sid’

Filmmaker Karan Johar got a rude wake-up call Friday when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists protested the use of ‘Bombay’ instead of Mumbai in his latest movie “Wake Up Sid” as soon as it was released.

Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, is the latest offering from Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd.

Even as angry activists vociferously protested the movie and tried to disrupt its screening in at least two south Mumbai cinemas, a harried Karan rushed to meet MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his Shivaji Park residence.

“He has tendered an unconditional apology for this faux pas which the party has taken serious note of,” MNS vice-president Vageesh Saraswat said.

Emerging from the meeting a short while ago, an aggressive Raj said that such things (using ‘Bombay’ instead of Mumbai) would not be tolerated and Karan has realised his mistake.

“He has sought time from us to rectify the error. We shall wait for three-four days before the next step,” Raj told mediapersons outside his residence.

To a query, he said that not only the directors, but all persons connected with filmmaking and other fields must ensure that Mumbai is used in place of ‘Bombay’.

“When the names of other cities like Delhi and Chennai are not changed, why should Mumbai be change to ‘Bombay’?” he thundered.

Saraswat said that Karan explained to Raj the complications about deleting and replacing ‘Bombay’ with Mumbai since over 700 prints have been sent worldwide for a simultaneous release.

“However, Karan Johar assured the MNS chief that he would be able to insert an apology at the start of the movie. We shall wait and watch. If the apology is not shown as promised, we shall plan our further steps in the matter,” Saraswat warned.

“Wake Up Sid” has been released in 42 cinema halls in Mumbai alone and another 150 in the rest of Maharashtra, according to an industry analyst.

‘Wake Up Sid’ a delightful movie

Film: “Wake Up Sid”

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak, Rahul Khanna; Director: Ayan Mukerji

Next time when a star son gets an opportunity to get an author-backed role, let’s not complain. That’s because if he actually goes on to come up with as flawless an act as seen in “Wake Up Sid”, there is no reason why one should really be looking around for anyone else.

Ranbir Kapoor comes up with a neat, simple and believable performance. When most actors would have been happy to establish their standing in Bollywood with a quintessential romantic hero role, Ranbir is anything but a hero here.

This is why he allows himself to be treated as a ‘kid’ by Konkona Sen Sharma, who by the way is happy to play a woman five years elder to him. However, there is this special something which brews between them that pretty much gives the true meaning of a platonic relationship.

There are five things that make “Wake Up Sid” a delightful affair. It has a constant flow throughout; no over the top or understated drama; no ultra emotional strangulation of audiences; absolutely no yuppie cool dude act; and last but not the least, this is an original and refreshing story.

While the film actually becomes really engrossing in the second half, the first half facilitates an adequate groundwork for the story to progress. There are bitter sweet moments in the first half as well but one still wishes for that extra something to kick start that would make “Wake Up Sid” go beyond a regular “coming of age” film.

This is where young director Ayan Mukerji’s writing comes in handy because unlike a conventional movie, he doesn’t just bring a turnaround in Sid’s character by throwing a song to bring in that ‘overnight transformation’.

He keeps it soft and subtle starting from something as simple as Sid learning how to prepare an omelette, keep his comic books stacked, prepare his own bed and of course, earn his very first cheque.

By the time he returns to his dad (Anupam Kher in a short but effective role), you realise that the destination was eventually met even as the journey wasn’t quite ‘on your face’ or ‘over the top’.

Meanwhile Konkona gets yet another complex role for herself. She is brilliant. Watch out for her in the interview scene or the outburst when Ranbir decides to go back to his parents’ house. Her irritation in certain scenes with Ranbir is utterly believable too and so are the tender ways in which she looks after him.

The supporting cast fits in well too. The young man who plays Rishi (Namit Das - last seen in “The President Is Coming” as Ramesh) is just effortless. Kashmira Shah, in her four-scenes act, is a pleasant surprise while Rahul Khanna is decent in the limited footage.

While “Wake Up Sid” would of course raise Ranbir’s stock in months to come, it would be noticed in a major way for Mukerji’s script sense and direction. He makes the kind of debut that made Farhan Akhtar hot property after “Dil Chahta Hai”.

Katrina Kaif gets new nickname

Her fans have often referred to her as Kat, but now actress Katrina Kaif has a new nickname — Sambo — courtesy her Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani co-star Ranbir Kapoor.

“Ranbir coined the name on the sets of the movie when both were required to shoot for an action sequence,” said a unit source.

For the scene, Katrina and Ranbir were required to climb a ladder placed at a height of 200 feet. Ranbir had to save Katrina from goons and then escape on a jet ski. While everyone was doubtful about Katrina doing the stunt, she shocked everyone with her confidence.

“Everyone on sets was quite sceptical about Katrina. But she amazed everyone as she comfortably climbed the ladder leaving Ranbir lagging behind. Ever since that day Katrina has always been addressed as Rambo’s sister Sambo by Ranbir,” said the source.

‘Wake Up Sid’ – a delightful affair

Next time when a star son gets an opportunity to get an author-backed role, let’s not complain. That’s because if he actually goes on to come up with as flawless an act as seen in Wake Up Sid, there is no reason why one should really be looking around for anyone else.

Ranbir Kapoor comes up with a neat, simple and believable performance. When most actors would have been happy to establish their standing in Bollywood with a quintessential romantic hero role, Ranbir is anything but a hero here.

This is why he allows himself to be treated as a ‘kid’ by Konkona Sen Sharma, who by the way is happy to play a woman five years elder to him. However, there is this special something, which brews between them that pretty much gives the true meaning of a platonic relationship.

There are five things that make Wake Up Sid a delightful affair. It has a constant flow throughout; no over the top or understated drama; no ultra emotional strangulation of audiences; absolutely no yuppie cool dude act; and last but not the least, this is an original and refreshing story.

While the film actually becomes really engrossing in the second half, the first half facilitates an adequate groundwork for the story to progress. There are bitter sweet moments in the first half as well but one still wishes for that extra something to kick start that would make Wake Up Sid go beyond a regular “coming of age” film.

This is where young director Ayan Mukerji’s writing comes in handy because unlike a conventional movie, he doesn’t just bring a turnaround in Sid’s character by throwing a song to bring in that ‘overnight transformation’

He keeps it soft and subtle starting from something as simple as Sid learning how to prepare an omelette, keep his comic books stacked, prepare his own bed and of course, earn his very first cheque.

By the time he returns to his dad (Anupam Kher in a short but effective role), you realise that the destination was eventually met even as the journey wasn’t quite ‘on your face’ or ‘over the top’

Meanwhile Konkona gets yet another complex role for herself. She is brilliant. Watch out for her in the interview scene or the outburst when Ranbir decides to go back to his parents’ house. Her irritation in certain scenes with Ranbir is utterly believable too and so are the tender ways in which she looks after him.

The supporting cast fits in well too. The young man who plays Rishi (Namit Das — last seen in The President Is Coming as Ramesh) is just effortless. Kashmira Shah, in her four-scenes act, is a pleasant surprise while Rahul Khanna is decent in the limited footage.

While Wake Up Sid would of course raise Ranbir’s stock in months to come, it would be noticed in a major way for Mukerji’s script sense and direction. He makes the kind of debut that made Farhan Akhtar hot property after Dil Chahta Hai.

SRK dubs Hindi version prologue of 'Pazhassi Raja'

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has dubbed the prologue of the Hindi version of multi-lingual film 'Pazhassi Raja', a film based on the revolutionary hero from Kerala.

King Khan has dubbed the prologue for the Hindi version of the Mammootty-starrer movie, which is releasing simultaneously in five languages including Hindi and English tomorrow. When the film's director T Hariharan approached Shah Rukh for the movie, the actor readily agreed to do the prologue without even charging a penny. Praveen VC, Executive Producer of the movie says, "Shah Rukh comes from the family of freedom fighters and feels happy to be associated with such project."

The Tamil prologue of the movie was also given its due worth when superstar Kamal Hassan dubbed the prologue. The Malayalam original has Mohanlal introducing 'Pazhassi Raja' to the audiences through a 45-second prologue, Praveen said.

The film is about 'Pazhassi Raja' played by Mammootty, a native king of Waynad in Malabar area of Kerala. He is said to be one of the first freedom fighters who started a guerilla war against the British. Apart from superstars Mammootty and Sarath Kumar, the film also stars, Manoj K Jayan, Thilakan, Padmapriya, Kanika and Jagathi Sreekumar in other pivotal roles.

'Negative comments about my weight did bother me'

Bollywood diva Sushmita Sen, who faced criticism for her weight gain last year, is back in perfect shape but the actress says that snide remarks about her looks did bother her.

The actress shows off a stunning figure in the 'Bebo' song from her upcoming movie 'Do Knot Disturb' but Sushmita, who is playing a housewife opposite Govinda, was required to look slightly plump in the first half of the movie.

Sushmita's fuller looks had invited a flood of negative articles during the shooting last year but the actress insists that she did not let herself feel "hurt" by what was being written about her.

"It (stories) did not hurt me as hurt is a very personal emotion and I don't take anything that is written about me personally. But it did bother me because it made me think about the shallowness of the society and the media," Sushmita told PTI in an interview.

"It is not even about me. They were sending out a signal to the young people that you need to stay skinny to be defined as beautiful. I don't agree with that notion and I don't endorse it. I am size 4 but that does not mean that I am more beautiful than I was before," says Sushmita.

The 33-year-old former Miss Universe says that the negative stories about Bollywood stars less-than-perfect figure create a wrong impression on the youngsters, who believe that it is a requirement to be thin to look beautiful.

Sushmita says that could not reveal the reason behind putting on weight as she was instructed by the producers against doing so.

"I was required to look plump in the first half of the movie and Vasu (Bhagnani) and David (Dhawan) did not want to say anything about the movie before the promotions and I respect their decision. It was a marketing strategy," she says.

The actress is returning to the big screen after the disappointment of 'Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag' but that has not dampened her spirit as Sushmita is determined to make her presence felt.

"My films got delayed, some stopped midway but now I am ready to make my fans laugh with 'Do Knot Disturb' and 'Dulha Mil Gaya'," the actress says.

'Do Knot Disturb', which unites the successful comic duo Govinda and David Dhawan once again, is slated to release tomorrow.

Apart from Sushmita and Govinda, the film stars Lara Dutta, Reitesh Deshmukh and Sohail Khan.

The actress has done a variety of roles, be it playing a surrogate mother in "Filhaal", a single working mother in "Samay" or donning the role of a prostitute in Kalpana Lazmi's "Chingari", but Sushmita says her dream role is yet to come.

"The first prerequisite to be an actor is that you must be greedy. if you are not greedy then you don't grow here. I want to do so many other roles. I want to do that intensely mad love story, I still want to do that very deep rooted drama, I still want to do one full on rock band film and a mindblowingly, villainous role," Sushmita says.

The actress started her Bollywood career with Mahesh Bhatt's 'Dastak' in 1996, two years after winning the Miss Universe title.

Since then she has starred in a number of commercial and non-commercial movies like "Biwi No 1", "Filhaal", "Samay: When Time Strikes", "Chingaari", "Zindaggi Rocks", "Main Hoon Naa", "Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya".

Lara Dutta slams TV production rumours

Rumour mills are abuzz that beauty queen-turned-actress Lara Dutta is set to venture into production for small screen, but the 31-year-old has rubbished it.

It was reported that Lara will produce a travel show.

"It's not true. I don't have the time to do anything except the films I am doing right now," said Lara.

We are proud of Kareena, Ranbir: Karisma Kapoor

She has had a successful innings herself in Bollywood but actress Karisma Kapoor can't seem to stop raving about her sister Kareena and cousin Ranbir for the way their careers are shaping up.

"We are very proud of Kareena and I think it's a great follow up (as to Karisma's career). Touch wood, first I had a great career and now she is following our (the family) legacy and keeping our name alive," said Karisma.

Asked about Ranbir, the 35-year-old promptly replied: "Definitely, him too... I think we grandchildren are trying to strive and work hard to keep our grandfather's (Raj Kapoor) name alive... always."

When an insecure SRK wouldn't let Gauri wear skirts, T-shirts

Star wife Gauri Khan is known for flaunting stylish clothes, but very few know that her superstar husband Shah Rukh Khan barred her from wearing skirts and T-shirts while they were dating because he was insecure about her.

"I wouldn't like it if Gauri left her hair loose. She's so beautiful that I used to stop her from wearing mini skirts or T-shirts. But I promised her the minute we get married, I'd never behave in such a rotten manner," Shah Rukh told his friend Farah Khan on STAR Plus' chat show "Tere Mere Beech Mein".

The 43-year-old stressed that he was insecure about Gauri till he got married in 1991 because "I didn't know if she belonged to me like I belonged to her".

And now Gauri is not only seen as one of the most stylish women in Bollywood, Shah Rukh says their son Aryan considers her the most beautiful lady, even above Hollywood star Angelina Jolie.

"Today, if she returns from a party wearing a long skirt even Aryan asks her not to wear it as he doesn't like her in long covered clothes," added Shah Rukh.

'Do Knot Disturb' to release across 1,060 screens worldwide

Director David Dhawan's "Do Knot Disturb", a comedy about marriage and infidelity, is set to release across 1,060 screens worldwide on Friday.

Co-produced by BIG Pictures and Vashu Bhgnani's Puja Entertainment, the film is bringing together the hit actor-director duo of Dhawan and Govinda for the 19th time.

It also stars two former beauty queens - Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta. Riteish Deshmukh, Sohail Khan, Ranvir Shorey and Rajpal Yadav will also be seen in the movie.

"Do Knot Disturb" revolves around a rich businessman (Govinda) who wants to hide his extra marital affair with a supermodel (Sushmita). He bribes a waiter (Riteish) into pretending to be the model's (Lara) boyfriend. Thereafter, mistaken identities and misunderstandings form a hilarious situations.

According to Dhawan, certain audience members will be able to relate a lot with the movie.

"I have taken cues from society and people around me for the film. I'm sure someone or the other in the hall will identify with the film and realise that it is his or her story," said Dhawan.

Govinda is extremely confident about the film. "'Do Knot Disturb' doesn't give you time to think... it only makes you laugh and keeps you happy - which has been (the case) with almost all of David's films. Audiences laugh and come out satisfied and happy, which has always been a big achievement for us," he said.

"The best part about the film is that it has no end... neither a happy end nor a tragic one. It's like an episode with excellent humour punches. But it has a couple of messages in the garb of humour, especially about people who go out and cheat on their wives, which might help many families," he added.

'Do Knot Disturb' to release across 1,060 screens worldwide

Director David Dhawan's "Do Knot Disturb", a comedy about marriage and infidelity, is set to release across 1,060 screens worldwide on Friday.

Co-produced by BIG Pictures and Vashu Bhgnani's Puja Entertainment, the film is bringing together the hit actor-director duo of Dhawan and Govinda for the 19th time.

It also stars two former beauty queens - Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta. Riteish Deshmukh, Sohail Khan, Ranvir Shorey and Rajpal Yadav will also be seen in the movie.

"Do Knot Disturb" revolves around a rich businessman (Govinda) who wants to hide his extra marital affair with a supermodel (Sushmita). He bribes a waiter (Riteish) into pretending to be the model's (Lara) boyfriend. Thereafter, mistaken identities and misunderstandings form a hilarious situations.

According to Dhawan, certain audience members will be able to relate a lot with the movie.

"I have taken cues from society and people around me for the film. I'm sure someone or the other in the hall will identify with the film and realise that it is his or her story," said Dhawan.

Govinda is extremely confident about the film. "'Do Knot Disturb' doesn't give you time to think... it only makes you laugh and keeps you happy - which has been (the case) with almost all of David's films. Audiences laugh and come out satisfied and happy, which has always been a big achievement for us," he said.

"The best part about the film is that it has no end... neither a happy end nor a tragic one. It's like an episode with excellent humour punches. But it has a couple of messages in the garb of humour, especially about people who go out and cheat on their wives, which might help many families," he added.

Pataudis spend the weekend with Julia Roberts

The entire Pataudi clan, former cricketer Tiger, his actress wife Sharmila Tagore and their three children, including star son Saif Ali Khan, were at Pataudi, Haryana, over the weekend sharing their ancestral home with Hollywood's Pretty Woman Julia Roberts.

While Roberts, the first Hollywood celebrity to stay in Pataudi House that has now been converted to a heritage hotel, is at the Nafeez Manzil, the Pataudi family was at the main palace.

"Julia Roberts is our guest. She's staying in a part of our property. We've let the unit stay in a flank because she's a colleague and I know what it is like to shoot far away from home," said Sharmila.

"We're staying in the main palace. They are staying in a separate part of the royal property known as the Nafeez Manzil. In the past, Aamir Khan shot and stayed with us for 'The Rising'. Deepa Mehta shot 'Earth' in Pataudi though that portion was edited out," said Sharmila.

Sharmila says she came to her ancestral house, a short distance from the national capital, with her entire family for a family function.

"Tiger and I are here. He dragged us out here in this heat, much to our annoyance. Saif and my two daughters Sabah and Soha are also here for a Mewati Akikah ceremony which is a traditional Muslim mundan (head shaving)," said Sharmila, who is very angry at the way her son is referred to as the 'Chote Nawab' in the media.

"Saif is a grown-up man of 36. There's no Chote or Nawab in his personality. He wants to be known as an actor, though he comes from a royal family," she said.

Pataudi Palace belongs to Sharmila's husband, the erstwhile prince of Pataudi and former India cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

Roberts, who is here to shoot the India part of her movie "Eat, Pray, Love", landed in New Delhi Sep 17. She has been shooting scenes with her Hollywood colleagues Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem and Richard Jenkins at the Ashram Hari Mandir in Pataudi, about 40 km from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Directed by Ryan Murphy, the movie is based on Pushcart prize-winning author Elizabeth Gilbert's spirituality-travel memoirs, "Eat, Love, Pray", and features Roberts as Gilbert who travels to Italy, India and Indonesia in search of peace.

The 41-year-old will be in Pataudi till Oct 9 and is expected to leave for Bali thereafter.

There's no Karan Johar element in 'Wake Up Sid': Karan Johar

Once the script of "Wake Up Sid" was ready, the star cast finalised and shooting of the film commenced, producer Karan Johar says he completely backed off and let first time director Ayan Mukerji run the entire show.

"There isn't any Karan Johar element that you would see in 'Wake Up Sid'. It doesn't have any gloss, glamour or grandeur that one associates with me. In fact, it doesn't have any pre-requisite that one expects from a Dharma Productions," said Karan.

Karan, who has directed hits like "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", has produced this Ranbir Kapoor-Konkona Sen Sharma- starrer that releases on Friday.

For him it is the dawn of a new era for Dharma Productions as newer filmmakers are joining the banner, aspiring to make some pathbreaking yet commercial cinema.

"Yes, now is the time for new age Dharma Productions to start making a mark. It's a new reality that we are facing and new energy we are experiencing. This is what is keeping me so excited because I have a number of movies in production, all of which are being made by different filmmakers."

After Mukerji, another debutant director Rensil D'Souza will release his "Kurbaan" in November. Tarun Mansukhani is getting animation flick "Koochie Koochie Hota Hai" in place while working on "Dostana 2".

First timer Siddharth Malhotra has finished ground work on the Hindi remake of "Stepmom", while debutant Punit Malhotra's "I Hate Love Stories" is also in the pipeline.

His Dharma Productions has roped in another newcomer, Karan Malhotra, to direct the "Agneepath" remake, while Karan's own "My Name Is Khan" is scheduled for an early 2010 release.

"With so many films in different stages of production, it would be unfair on my part to be involved in each and every aspect of filmmaking. When I get someone to direct a film, I better allow him to take over the reins while being there for support only if required.

"This was the guiding principle that I applied for 'Wake Up Sid' too. I backed off completely once it came on floors. In fact, I didn't even get into the music or the look of the film; I wanted Ayan to visualise it all and take decisions. I didn't want to clutter his way of thinking by giving any unnecessary advice," said Karan.

He is glad with his decision to rope in Mukerji, who is Kajol's cousin, for "Wake Up Sid".

"The only person who could have done 'Wake Up Sid' was Ayan. It was his idea and he is the one who could do complete justice to it since he is younger and in the same zone as Sid, the protagonist. There was no way I could have come into his way and bring in some kind of fantastical aspect to the plot," Karan said.

"Why should I come in the way of any filmmaker's vision? It's their baby and it should not necessarily look the way I want it. I don't want them to be me. I want my directors to be their own brand," he added.

I get angry, but don't show it: Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan has learnt to live with controversies. But India's biggest star admits they sometimes get under his skin -- and when that happens he says he takes care not to show his irritation, particularly before the media.

"For celebrities, when you create a controversy, it happens and even when you don't create one, it still happens. Like if I sneeze, it can cause a controversy; if I don't, then also it causes one," said Bachchan.

"We (celebrities) have to live with that (controversies). I have accepted that controversies are bound to happen with me. I do get angry about it at times but we don't let it show - not in front of the media at least," added the 66-year-old thespian who will soon be seen as host of the third season of the reality show "Bigg Boss" that features a bunch of celebrities locked into a house.

The subject of many controversies, big and small, Bachchan seems to often vent his ire in his blog, which he labels a "revelation".

The blog - www.bigb.bigadda.com - has become almost an obsession, says the star candidly.

"It (my blog) has been a great revelation. It's a medium where I can talk to myself. It has now become almost like an obsession and it's not so much because I want to express myself but the fact that I better express myself now there are hundreds of people who wait to read what I'm going to do, what I am thinking and then they comment on it," he said.

He added that he would be going back to update his blog as soon as the interviews with the media were over.

Bachchan, whose forthcoming projects include Sujoy Ghosh's "Aladin", R. Balakrishna's eagerly-awaited role-reversal drama "Paa" and Leena Yadav's "Teen Patti", was in the capital for the launch of "Bigg Boss" that goes on the air Sunday.

"I had been getting offers from various channels. We had many advance talks with some of them but, for some reason, either I didn't like it or they couldn't conceptualise something for me. Then 'Bigg Boss' came along, so I said 'yes'," said TV's newest "pop philosopher".

Ask him how this whole concept of being a "pop philosopher" emerged, the actor said: "This word has been created by the channel and I am partially to blame for it. When we were in talks for the show, I kept asking Colors officials about what it is that may be different from what you have been doing.

"It intrigued me for very long as to why a human being behaves as he does, what's it that instigates him to behave in a certain manner? I thought it would be interesting to know all that and it may interest the people who will watch the show."

Though Bachchan will be seen twice a week as the show host, he is not open to the idea of being locked in the "Bigg Boss" house.

"I would hate to be in the 'Bigg Boss' house. How can you be cut off for three months without any newspapers and mobiles? With no knowledge of what time it is since there are no clocks?" he said in awe.

Apart from Big B hosting the show, the channel has also made changes in the selection format. This time, viewers were given a chance to vote for those whom they want to see in the "Bigg Boss" house.

Asked who he would personally like to see on the show and pat he responded: "Nobody. I don't want anybody to go in there."

Salman Khan gifts Kareena Kapoor Rs 250,000 bag

Bollywood star Salman Khan went out of his way and gifted a branded bag worth Rs 250,000 to his "Main Aur Mrs Khanna" co-star Kareena Kapoor.

Kareena and Salman went shopping together in Australia while they were shooting for the film and the young actress fell for a Dolce and Gabbana handbag.

"Kareena would usually land up shopping in the evenings after the shoot in Australia. She would go alone. But on one occasion, Salman accompanied her too," said a unit source.

"She instantly liked a Dolce and Gabbana bag, stepped in and bought it. When she was about to pay the storekeeper refused to take the money saying it had already been paid for. Kareena stood zapped and wondered who could be that generous soul. It was only later that she got to know that it was Salman who had paid," the source added.

The two actors plays main leads in Prem Soni's directorial debut "Main Aurr Mrs.Khanna". Sohail Khan, who has co-produced the movie with UTV SpotBoy Pictures, is also starring in it.

The film is scheduled for release Oct 16