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National award winning director Priyanandan's new Malayalam flm Sufi Paranja Katha, an adaptation of famous writer K.P. Ramanunni's first novel by the same name, will be released on Friday. Starring Sharbani Mukerji, Prakash Bare and Thampi Antony in the lead roles, the film was screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2009 and the response to the film was tremendous. Set in the early nineteenth century Kerala, Sufi Paranja Katha evolves around the inter-religious marriage between a Muslim and a Hindu, played by Mammootty and Karthy. Though converted to Islam, Karthy is unable to resist the primeval tug of her original religion. The theme of the film is that no one is free from his cultural heritage of generations, irrespective of the religion that one is born into or chooses.

The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) has asked controversial actor Thilakan to appear at its disciplinary committee meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on March 1. Thilakan should give an explanation on his allegation that a superstar was responsible for denying him work in a movie. He had alleged that the film industry was under the clutches of a mafia backed by lead actors. An association meeting in Kochi on Thursday decided to take action if Thilakan failed to appear before the panel. The committee consists of actors Innocent, Janardhanan, Kunchan, T.P. Madhavan and Edavela Babu. The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), a combinnation of several trade unions in the industry, have also decided not to cooperate with the actor protesting against his allegations against the FEFKA leadership.

Debutant director Tekula Kriapakar Reddy's offbeat Telugu flick (tentatively titled Kotta Bandham) which marks the coming together of National Award winning actor Prakashraj and reigning actress Bhumika as the lead pair for the first time, is nearing completion. Prakashraj plays the role of a District Collector, while Bhumika plays an MBA graduate in this rather unusual story, that is currently being shot in Hyderabad under the supervision of Amod Entertainments. Talking to the media, the director said the current schedule would continue till March 15. We are trying to explain how the relationship should be between a husband and wife. We are also explaining how modern lifestyle is having an adverse impact on marital life. We are making efforts to release the film as a summer gift, he added. Prakashraj and Bhumika have worked together in several films earlier, but this is the first time they are pairing together in the lead roles. Screenplay and dialogues are by Paruchuri Brothers.

Script-writer Deedi Damodaran will inaugurate the three-day International Film Festival of Malappuram at the DTPC Auditorium, Kottakunnu, on Friday at 6 p.m. Poet Alankode Leelakrishnan will deliver the keynote address. MLA M. Ummer will inaugurate the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Rasmi Film Society. Said to be one of the oldest international film festivals in the country, the festival is organised by Rasmi Film Society in association with the Kerala State Chalachitra Akademi, the National Film Development Corporation, the State Public Relations Department, the Film Society Federation and the Malappuram Municipality. The screening of films will begin at Naveen Theatre, Vadakkemanna at 9.30 a.m. on Friday. As many as 17 films will be screened during these three days, said Manambur Rajan Babu, President, Rasmi Film Society. Ravi Barwani's Germal will be screened at 9.30 a.m. Askhar Farhadi's About Elly will be screened at 11.30 a.m. Petro Almadoar's Broken Embraces wi

After her Telugu debut Annavaram, for which she won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, noted Tamil actress Sandhya is busy with her second Telugu film titled Hasini, being directd by B. V. Ramana Reddy and produced by B. Kamalakar Reddy under the banner of Kamal Pictures. Kamalakar is the hero. According to sources, the film is complete except for the songs which will be shot at Mauritius from February 27. Also in the cast are Giribabu, Ahuti Prasad, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam, Ali, Venumadhav, Krishna Bhagawan, Gauthamraju, Duvvasi Mohan, Vasu, Pruthvi, Saraswatamma, Hema, Surekhavani, Ragini, Nirmala Reddy, Suddepa, Jyothi and Ramyasri. Dialogues are by Marudhuri Raja, lyrics by C. Narayana Reddy, Ramajogaiah Sastry and B. V. Ramana Reddy, with music by Koti, camera work by K Prasad, while story, screenplay and direction are by B. V. Ramana Reddy.

In gratitude for the land allotted in Kancheepuram for deserving members of the cine industry by our venerated Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi, FEFSI organised a felicitation ceremony recently. Ajith, who is known for his quick, diplomatic messages went on to make a very sincere request that cinema and politics need not be forcibly co-mingled. The actor also requested the CM to make a statement that members of the cine industry must not be forced to participate in demonstrations based on political or social issues. While the whole of the industry sat shocked, not knowing how to respond to Ajith's honest words, it was Super Star Rajinikanth, who was seated beside the CM, who stood up and clapped. The rest of the industry followed suit. Following this incident the actor on Thursday met the Chief Minister at his residence to explain his stand. Sources say that the meeting was a courtesy call by the actor to clarify his earlier statement. After the meeting the actor met

Looks like the gorgeous lady is on a high these days, because after all Trisha's much awaited Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is slated for a worldwide release on February 26. Sources believe that the film will be a highlight in Trisha's career. In an interview to a leading English daily the pretty actress cofessed, "It is a breathtakingly beautiful, romantic movie made in typical Gautham style and will tug at your heart strings. I'm happy that I did the film and I think it's the best that I have done so far!" Kollywood enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting VTV given its hype, breezy posters and chart-buster songs. The trailers depicts a terrific on-screen chemistry between the lead pair, Simbu and Trisha and when asked about the liplock scene between them, the lissome lass replied, "Yes, there is. But the director has integrated it seamlessly into the story." The lady has more reason to cheer, since she is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Priyadarshan&#

Reigning actors Jagapathi Babu and Priyamani team up again for Sadhyam, after their super hit combo in Pellaina Kothallo and the recent Pravarakhyudu. The new movie is directed by Karthikeya Gopala Krishna and produced under the banner of Kumar Brothers. The film was earlier slated for February 19 release, but got postponed at the very last minute due to some tech reasons. According to latest reports, Sadhyam will grace screens on February 26. Music for the movie is by Chinni Charan. Story and screenplay are by Shyam Manohar, dialogues by Shyam and Maduri Madhu, camera work by Maaro Palini and editing by Gautham Raju. Others in the cast are Thanikella Bharani, Kota Srinivasa Rao, U.P. Raju, Madhumani, Pragathi, Munna Venu, Gundu Sudarshan and Bhargavi.

Its just A saying no idea do you what that is???

Sivaji Productions and director Saran have decided to add one more song to their recently released Ajith starrer Aasal (also spelt Asal). The song 'Yengay Yengay' penned by Vairamuthu and sung by S. P. Balasubramaniam was not featured in the film as the makers felt that it would distract the pace of the film, but due to the overwhelming response to the song, the makers have decided to include the same in the movie. Interestingly actor Ajith at the audio launch of Aasal said that 'Yengay Yengay' was his favourite song. The song expresses the inner strength and agony of a man. This song also has an interesting history in that when Saran asked Vairamuthu to write the lyrics he insisted that the words be such that while the visuals be centered around Ajith, when one listened to the song minus the video, it had to be an ode to Sivaji Ganesan. Saran added that the entire Sivaji family were moved to tears when they heard the number. Let's hope the video lives

After making her debut in films with last year's Luck (Hindi), directed by Soham Shah, legendary actor Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti Haasan, one of the most celebrated star kids these days, is now busy with her second film titled Yodha (Telugu) opposite Siddharth. If reports are to be believed, this singer-turned-actress will soon make her dream debut in Kollywood, opposite reigning actor Suriya in a film that will be directed by A. R. Murugadoss of blockbuster Ghajini fame. To be prodced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, this untitled film will have music by Harris Jayaraj. Ravi K Chandran will be the cameraman. The shooting is likely to begin in April. More details are awaited. Meanwhile, her Yodha, which was launched at a glittering function in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad last year, is progressing at brisk pace under the direction of Prakash Kovelamudi (son of K. Raghavendra Rao).

Enthralled by the grand reception of Yuganiki Okkadu, the dubbed version of leading Kollywood actor Karthi's Selvaraghavan directed Aayirathil Oruvan, which collected Rs. 2 crores within first 4 days of its release in about 93 centres in Andhra Pradesh, Karthi's uncle and popular film personality Gnanavel Raja has decided to dub Karthi's debut film Paruthiveeran (2007) in Telugu as Palanti Veerudu. Incidentally the movie which was directed by Ameer and also won Priyamani the National award, was to be remade in Telugu in 2008 with Tollywood's leading actor-producer Mohan Babu's son Manoj in the lead role, but the project was shelved. The latest reports say that Karthi will dub in his own voice for Palanti Veerudu. Paruthiveeran was a biggest blockbuster in 2007, grossing around $14 million at the box office in its 368 day run in the theatres.

Last night’s season finale of Leverage averaged 2.85 million viewers and a 0.9 adults 18-49 rating. That’s up only slightly from last week’s 2.78 million and 0.8 rating with adults 18-49, but the season finale squared off against the Olympics. It’s choppy waters for USA’s Psych with up and down weeks. Two week’s ago was a down week, but a week ago Psych rebounded nicely to a 1.3 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.573 million viewers. Last night, against the Olympics on the NBC mother ship, Psych averaged a 1.0 rating with adults 18-49 and 2.935 million viewers.

I know the Renew/Cancel index hasn’t been updated in a couple of weeks – it will return on February 23rd. A couple of weeks off from the index don’t matter much for most shows at this time of year, but for a new show like Life Unexpected it can make a lot of difference. The ratings for Life Unexpected have trended down Mondays at 9pm, and that’s not good news. With the announcement of early renewals for several shows already, the fans start to worry. But all the news isn’t bad. Despite downward trends of the overall numbers, 18-49 demo and even women 18-34 for the Monday airings, the encore broadcasts on Wednesday at 8pm have done pretty well. Some people think that’s because the people who love it watch it again on Wednesdays, but that’s not the case for the most part. For the first four episodes the percentage range of unique viewers for the encore ranged between 84% to 90% so there’s definitely some duplication but it’s only on the range of 10%-16%. The numbe

via USA Network: AWARD WINNERS ‘COME OUT OF HIDING’ FOR USA NETWORK’S HIT SERIES “IN PLAIN SIGHT” Two-Time Grammy Award Winner Liz Phair joins as Composer LOS ANGELES, CA – February 18, 2010 – Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner Rita Moreno (“Cane,” “The Guardian”) and 4-time Emmy winner Allison Janney (“The West Wing,” “Juno”) guest star in season 3 in the USA Network hit original series, IN PLAIN SIGHT , starring Mary McCormack, returning on its new night — Wednesday, March 31 at 10/9c. Critically acclaimed actors Steven Weber (“Wings,” “Studio 60”), Tess Harper (“No Country for Old Men,” “Breaking Bad”) and Josh Cooke (“Committed,” “Four Kings”) have also been cast to guest star. Moreno guests as Raph’s (Cristian de la Fuente) Aunt Rita who takes the town by storm, helping Mary and Raph plan their wedding. Janney guest stars as a newly-appointed US Marshal for the district who butts heads with Mary (McCormack). Weber stars in two episodes as a brilliant and char

Some shows are faring well against the Olympics. On Tuesday night the second season premiere of 16 and Pregnant delivered series highs in viewers (3.4 million) and all key demos including an 8.0 coverage rating with young women 18-24. It was the #1 cable telecast of the day with people 12-34, females 12-34 and total viewers and more than doubled its series premiere ratings with people 12-34 and total viewers. It was the #2 telecast (trailing only American Idol)of the day across broadcast and cable with females 12-34, and bettered the Olympics on NBC in that demo according to MTV.

New York, NY, February 18, 2010 — Wiggle your nose and cast a spell along with America’s favorite witch, Samantha Stevens, when TV Land celebrates the launch of the beloved classic “Bewitched” with a marathon of beloved episodes on Saturday, March 20th and Sunday, March 21st from 11am-7pm ET/PT. Samantha and her mortal husband, Darrin Stevens bring the supernatural to Morning Glory Circle when the series airs in its regularly-scheduled timeslot on the network: weekdays from 5pm-6pm ET/PT beginning March 1st. Viewers will enjoy the funny, enchanting and magically mischievous situations that Darrin finds himself in, being married to a sorceress and inheriting a feisty mother-in-law as well. “’Bewitched’ is a timeless favorite that all generations can enjoy together,” states Jaclyn Cohen, senior vice president of programming and acquisitions for TV Land. “Viewers still love to watch as mortal and immortal worlds intermingle in this quirky and endearing show. TV Land is proud to welco

ID Continues To Break Ratings Records Investigation Discovery’s Disappeared set a new record on Sun (10-11 p.m.) garnering the network’s best ever telecast in P2+ (670k), P25-54 (402k), W25-54 (254k) and W18-49 (220k), yet again beating fully distributed networks Bravo, National Geographic (NGC), Lifetime, Hallmark, Travel, MSNBC, CNN, Lifetime Movie Network (LMN), AMC, Oxygen and We in P25-54 and Bravo, NGC, Hallmark, Travel, MSNBC, CNN, LMN, AMC, Oxygen and We in W25-54. Disappeared, which follows the unpredictable twists of missing person cases, tracking investigations aimed at solving how and why people simply vanish, also posted triple-digit gains vs. the 1Q10 prime average in P25-54 (+108%), W25-54 (+121%) and W 18-49 (+139%).

The other day I posted the episode description for the 2/23 episode of Lost and some of you complained about “why was I posting something that wasn’t ratings related?” I’d tell you that “maybe people want to figure out what the ratings will be based on the episode description” but mostly it’s because a.) I freaking love me some Lost and there are a lot of readers on this site who are interested in Lost . The spoiler in this case is pretty tiny. There’s only really one sentence of description. Via ABC: SAYID IS FACED WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION, ON ABC’S “LOST” “Sundown” – Sayid is faced with a difficult decision, and Claire sends a warning to the temple inhabitants, on “Lost,” TUESDAY, MARCH 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. “Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Dani

The Weather Channel – Leading Weather Provider During Historic Winter Storm Ranked No. 1 for Snowstorm Coverage in Recent Survey among Adult Consumers; Sets New Record for Digital Platforms ATLANTA (February 18, 2010) – During last week’s “February Fury” that walloped the mid-Atlantic and Northeast setting snowfall records, The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) set new records and was the No. 1 choice for winter storm coverage. According to a recent poll conducted by SurveyUSA, respondents favored TWCC for having the best coverage of the winter storm on each platform – TV, online and mobile.* When it comes to severe weather information, TWCC continues to be the most reliable and trusted name in weather. Feb. 5, 2010, marked the television network’s best day in 2010 and on Feb. 9, 2010, TWCC reached its single-day record of 178 million total interactive page views across its digital platforms – weather.com, The Weather Channel Desktop and The Weather Channel Mob

via press release: Nickelodeon’s The Penguins of Madagascar President’s Day Special Tops Basic Cable with Total Viewers on Monday Night Penguins Special Starring Neil Patrick Harris Ranks as Number-One Telecast On All TV with Kids 2-11 and Kids 6-11 Viewers flocked to The Penguins of Madagascar President’s Day special, “Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge,” guest starring Neil Patrick Harris on Monday night (Feb. 15, 8 p.m., ET/PT). The new episode ranked as basic cable’s number-one telecast with total viewers (4.6 million, +19%) in its 8-8:30 p.m. time period, and was broadcast and basic cable’s top telecast with kids 2-11 (8.3/2.9 million, +34%) and kids 6-11 (9.9/2.1 million, 167%) on Monday. “Dr. Blowhole’s Revenge” also ranked as broadcast and basic cable’s number-one animated telecast with total viewers on Monday. Year to date, The Penguins of Madagascar ranks as the number-two animated series on broadcast and basic cable with kids 2-11 and kids 6-11 (Source: NMR,

Here’s the press release from NBC: OLYMPICS BEATS IDOL Head to Head: Olympics 30.1 Million, Idol 18.4 Million 29.4 Million Watched NBC Last Night, Nearly 12 Million More Than First Wednesday of 2006 Winter Games VANCOUVER – February 18, 2010 – The Olympics on NBC last night broke American Idol’s six-year unbeaten streak (since 2004). When going head-to-head against Idol (9-10 p.m.), the Olympics drew nearly 12 million more viewers (30.1 million vs. 18.4 million) for an advantage of 64 percent. Head-to-head (9-10 p.m.), the Olympics out-rated Idol by 63 percent (17.0 vs. 10.4) among households and 30 percent among Adults 18-49 (9.0 vs. 6.9) based on data provided today by Nielsen Media Research. On the night (8-11:17 p.m.), NBC’s Olympic broadcast – featuring the greatest single day in Winter Olympics history as Team USA captured six medals – drew an average audience of 29.4 million, more than 11 million more than the first Wednesday of the 2006 Winter Games (17.9 mi

SNL RETURNS FEBRUARY 27 WITH AN ALL NEW SHOW UPCOMING SHOW: February 27 Jennifer Lopez New York, NY – February 18, 2010 – “Saturday Night Live” returns with original shows starting February 27 with Jennifer Lopez pulling double duty for the second time as host and musical guest. Jennifer Lopez, set to release her seventh studio album in April “Love?,” will be returning to studio 8H as the host and musical guest February 27. Lopez, renowned as an iconic and versatile actress, singer, record producer, dancer, fashion designer and television producer, began her career on the hit comedy program “In Living Color.” Lopez can next be seen in the romantic comedy “The Back-Up Plan,” in theaters April 23. She has also starred in “Selena,” “Monster-In-Law” with Jane Fonda, and “El Cantante.” In addition to Lopez’s acting career, the Grammy-award nominee has sold over 48 million albums worldwide. “Saturday Night Live” is from SNL Studios in association with Broadway Video. The cr

Scoreboard Rating: Adults 18-49 8.9/23 4.5/12 1.8/5 1.7/4 1.5/4 0.4/1 Rating: Adults 18-34 6.7/20 3.5/10 1.1/3 1.8/5 1.1/3 0.5/2 Total Viewers (million) 29.26 12.78 6.87 4.12 3.86 .98 American Idol had to settle for the silver medal for the first time in six years. It’s the first time Idol had lost a single half hour to its competition since 2004. NBC bested American Idol across the board from 9pm-10pm and in most demographics (though it was a tie with women 18-34). In the 9pm hour Idol averaged a 6.9/17 rating /share with adults 18-49 to NBC’s 9.0/22. NBC averaged over 30 million viewers for that hour (30.065M) to FOX’s 18.42 million. On the night NBC averaged an 8.9/23 rating/share with adults 18-49 and 29.26 million viewers overall. Fueled by gold medal performances from the likes of Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White, NBC saw its best numbers of the games in Vancou

Live + Same Day Cable News Daily Ratings for February 16, 2010 P2+ Total Day FNC – 1,385,000 viewers CNN – 441,000 viewers MSNBC –352,000 viewers CNBC – 586,000 viewers HLN –319,000 viewers P2+ Prime Time FNC – 2,375,000 viewers CNN – 632,000 viewers MSNBC –712,000 viewers CNBC – 1,145,000 viewers HLN –580,000 viewers 25-54 Total Day FNC –359,000 viewers CNN –127,000 viewers MSNBC –93,000 viewers CNBC – 264,000 viewers HLN- 144,000 viewers 25-54 Prime Time FNC – 564,000 viewers CNN – 175,000 viewers MSNBC –193,000 viewers CNBC – 581,000 viewers HLN – 208,000 viewers 35-64 Total Day FNC – 660,000 viewers CNN – 184,000 viewers MSNBC – 171,000 viewers CNBC – 302,000 viewers HLN – 176,000 viewers 35-64 Prime Time FNC –1,020,000 viewers CNN – 294,000 viewers MSNBC –361,000 viewers CNBC – 593,000 viewers HLN –315,000 viewers Morning programs (6:00AM-9:00AM) P2+ (25-54) (35-64) FOX & Friends- 1,180,000 viewers (360,000) (688,000) American Morning- 360,000 viewers (119,000) (141,00

Based on the preliminary household metered market numbers it looks like American Idol’s streak of not losing a single half hour to the competition — any of its competition — for the past six years is over. In the early metered market numbers NBC saw growth Wednesday night and won every half hour: Vancouver Olympic Winter Games (NBC) 8:00 p.m.: 16.4/26 (#1) 8:30 p.m.: 19.0/29 (#1) 9:00 p.m.: 19.1/28 (#1) 9:30 p.m.: 20.4/29 (#1) 10:00 p.m.: 20.6/31 (#1) 10:30 p.m.: 20.0/33 (#1) ( via Marc Berman ) In the 9pm-10pm hour American Idol was a very distant second with a 12.3/18 household rating/share. Though these numbers are preliminary and I suppose it’s possible American Idol could still win out with adults 18-49, given the share differences there’s no chance that Idol will have more viewers, and I’d guess NBC wins the hour with adults 18-49, too. We’ll know for sure a little bit later in the morning.

UK theater chain Cineworld on Thursday said it will play Walt Disney Co's "Alice in Wonderland," signalling an apparent truce in a dispute over Disney's plans to speed up the release of the film to DVD. "After much speculation around whether or not major cinema exhibitors in the UK would play the film, Cineworld has reached an agreement with the Walt Disney Company UK," Cineworld said in a statement. The chain said it will play the film in 150 theatres, including many screenings in 3-D. Last week, Disney said it asked U.S. and international theatre operators to agree to a shorter gap between the debut of its "Alice in Wonderland" theatrical release and the DVD launch, to help spark DVD sales. Disney continues negotiations with European theatre owners who have threatened to boycott "Alice" over concerns a shorter theatrical release will encourage audiences to wait for the DVD release, instead of seeing "Alice

Singer Chris Brown, who pleaded guilty to assaulting his former girlfriend Rihanna last year, is doing well in meeting the terms of his probation, a judge said on Thursday. Brown has attended 17 of his 52 domestic violence classes and completed 32 days of his total 180-day sentence of hard labour, his lawyer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg at a probation status hearing. "It looks like you're doing really, really well," Schnegg told the singer. The police chief in Richmond, Virginia, where Brown lives and is serving his sentence, wrote Schnegg telling her the singer was following orders and listing tasks he performed. Schnegg set a date of May 11 for another status hearing. Brown, whose hits include "Kiss, Kiss," pleaded guilty in June to assaulting Rihanna, 21, in their car on the eve of last year's Grammy Awards, the music industry's top honours. Following the attack, pictures of a bloody and

When producer Rick Rubin awkwardly describes Johnny Cash's latest album as "otherworldly," he's not kidding. The country titan has been dead for almost seven years, and Rubin's American Recordings label will mark the 78th anniversary of Cash's birth on Friday next week by releasing a second posthumous album of new material. "American VI: Ain't No Grave" is the sixth and final instalment in a series of acoustic-oriented albums that sparked one of the unlikeliest comebacks in living memory. Rubin, the hirsute tastemaker who worked with speed-metal band Slayer and rap trio the Beastie Boys, rescued Cash from a creative and commercial slump in 1993. Together they pored over hundreds of spirituals, folk tunes and challenging rock material by Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails. Cash, suffering from a range of ailments, instantly became the darling of hipster rockers who reveled in his well-deserved outlaw image. The pop-lean

Kathryn Grayson, a singer and movie star of the 1940s and 1950s best known for MGM musicals such as "Kiss Me, Kate," has died at age 88, her secretary said on Thursday. Grayson died at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday in her sleep, said Sally Sherman, who had worked with Grayson for 31 years. The actress was among the top movie musical performers of her day, starring opposite Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly in 1945's "Anchors Away" and Ava Gardner and Howard Keel in 1951's "Showboat." "She was a lady of class and quality, with the greatest sense of humor conceivable," Sherman said. Scott Stander, Grayson's longtime booking agent with Los Angeles-based Scott Stander and Associates, echoed Sherman's sentiment, calling Grayson "very much her image." "She didn't cuss, didn't use foul language," he said, "She was well-liked, gracious and true to what everybody thought.&quo

Gordon Lightfoot is very much alive despite reports on Thursday that said the legendary 71-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter had died while on a North American tour. Lightfoot, whose hits include "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", "Sundown", and "Carefree Highway", was said to have been pronounced dead by a prank message posted on the Twitter micro-blogging service, according to the website of the Globe and Mail newspaper. Reports of his death spread quickly on radio, television, and news websites. Lightfoot, noted for richly crafted lyrics and a deep, smooth voice, was reached by telephone by Toronto's CP24 news station and said he was informed of his death by a report he heard on his car radio as he drove to his office. "Everything is good," he told CP24. "I don't know where it come from, it seems like a bit of a hoax. I was quite surprised to hear it myself... I feel fine."

One cardiac arrest put paid to all his acting plans. Actor Nirmal Pandey was pulled into the dark throes of death, after he succumbed to a heart attack at Mumbai on the noon of Feb 18. The talented actor breathed his last at Mumbai's Holy Spirit Hospital. Sudhir Mishra who directed Pandey in 'Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahin' told the media, "I am completely taken aback." Scriptwriter Atul Tiwari, scriptwriter ('Mission Kashmir') and Pandey's senior at NSD, too rushed to the venue and confessed to "being in a state of shock." Pandey, an acolyte of the National School Of Drama (NSD), soared to fame with his first rate histrionics in 'Bandit Queen.' 'Godmother,' wherein he shared screen space with Shabana Azmi too had earned him a fair share of fame. Last week his Telugu flick 'Kedi', starring Nagarjuna , was released to a heartening response from cinegoers. Actors, filmmakers and professionals from the fraternity

U.S. film star and Twitter celebrity Ashton Kutcher encouraged Russians on Thursday to share ideas through social media websites during a visit by U.S. technology leaders to Moscow. Kutcher, with more than 4.5 million followers on microblogging site Twitter, is the star of the number one film at the U.S. box office last weekend, "Valentine's Day". "More importantly than anything I write, it's really about what you write on your blogs," Kutcher said at a press briefing. "That is the power of the social web, which is to say you don't have to be a celebrity or sit on a podium to have a community that you can build, run an idea, a thought, a piece of leadership," he said. Kutcher was joined by U.S. State Dept officials and executives from U.S. technology firms including electronic auction company eBay and hardware manufacturer Cisco Systems. eBay this week said it is entering the Russian market. The delegation is m

Earlier, housed in Chembur, a Mumbai location renowned for it's South Indian denizens, Vidya Balan has proceeded in life... and in residence too. Reportedly, Balan's old building at Chembur was up for redevelopment and she didn't intend to stay put at Chembur. After house hunting for a while, Balan managed to track down her dream house at Khar, a more upmarket location of Mumbai. Her four bedroom apartment now houses Balan along with her doting parents. The house also has an office (with a separate entrance) for meetings with the actor. But Chembur still holds pride of place in Vidya's celeb heart. Says a close pal, "Vidya keeps going back to the old house, coz' a lot of her stuff is still there."

Kool Kangy's on homely ground. In a swanky triplex penthouse, no less. Kangna Ranaut has bought a four bedroom apartment at Khar, in Mumbai's suburbs, and although her dream house is under construction, the star is over the moon with happiness. The Manali resident, was keen on having her parents live with her, but was hesitant initially, owing to the lack of space. Her new apartment, replete with a terrace, swimming pool and attached gym will certainly gladden the hearts of the Ranauts. What's better, KG's dream den will also have a private lift, so that her pals can party or visit her without disturbing the rest of the household. Lift kara de, Ranaut!

Thousands of Bruce Springsteen fans will receive refunds for what the U.S. Federal Trade Commission called deceptive ticket sales practices by TicketsNow, a ticket reselling unit of Ticketmaster, the FTC said on Thursday. The FTC said Ticketmaster, which is now part of Live Nation Entertainment Inc, will repay fans "upward of a million dollars" in refunds after it used "deceptive bait-and-switch tactics" to sell tickets at 14 Springsteen concerts last year. The FTC was inundated with complaints last year when people trying to buy Springsteen tickets from Ticketmaster were redirected to TicketsNow, at prices that were as much as three or four times face value. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz told reporters on a conference call that the investigation into the practices of the ticket reselling due to the Springsteen complaints had uncovered "pretty shocking" practices. One such practice was that TicketsNow sold "phantom tickets&q

American singer-actress Jessica Simpson is expanding her business empire by designing a new collection of watches. The singer already boasts her own jewellery line as part of her Jessica Simpson Collection, which also includes shoes, handbags, luggage, clothing and eyewear and now she's adding to her fashion empire with a range of timepieces, reports contactmusic.com. 'Creating and inspiring the collection is very near to my heart - my mom and I work on this collectively and it is a passion for both of us. It is a joy to be able to create a line that is affordable and fashionable. And collecting watches, both vintage and new, has been a hobby of mine for some time so adding watches to the collection was a natural extension,' she said. The watches will range from $60 to $250 in price and are due to launch later this year.

Kannada superstar Vishnuvardhan's 200th and last film Aptha Rakshaka will grace theatres on Friday. The film is releasing in nearly 120 screens across Karnataka. Aptha Rakshaka, the sequel of Apthamitra (which was remade in Tamil as Chandramukhi with superstar Rajinikanth in the lead), is directed by P. Vasu and Gurukiran has scored the music. The film stars Dr. Vishnuvardhana, Vimala Raman, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Bhavana, Sandhya, Komal Kumar, Srinivasamurthy, Avinash and others. The producer is Krishna Prajwal. Coincidentally Soundarya who starred in Apthamitra passed away in a plane crash few days before the release of the film in 2004 and now Vishnuvardhan passed away before the release of the sequel.

The famous duo of Kollywood, Vijay and Asin will reportedly team up again for an upcoming Tamil film, said to be the remake of Malayalam hit Bodyguard starring Dileep and Nayantara. Siddique, who directed the original, will direct the Tamil version also. Bodyguard is based on a plot with plenty of comedy and action. The duo was earlier seen in Pokkiri and Sivakasi, which did wonders at the box office. Asin, who has migrated to Bollywood and found success with her debut flick, the Aamir Khan starrer Ghajini. But her second venture London Dreams with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn did not recreate the same box office success. Rumours are that the actress has almost no movies in hand. Vijay who has seen success with Vettaikaaran is busy with his 50th film Sura. It has been heard the he was keen that Asin star in Sura, but Tamannaah bagged the role. So will his 51st film bring Asin back to Kollywood? We will to wait and watch.

Superstar Rajinikanth today met Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to thank the him for being a part of daughter Soundarya's engagement yesterday along with his entire family. According to reports after the meeting when asked about his upcoming film Endhiran, the superstar said that the film may hit the screens in July. He also said that after Endhiran, he would consider about his next ventures. When asked about his much hyped standing ovation to Ajith's speech at the recently held CM's felicitation function, he said that Ajith has echoed the feelings of all the artists. He also confirmed that the actors attend filmy functions only on their own will and not out of compulsions from anybody.

NBC's coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics beat "American Idol" on Wednesday, ending a six-year unbeaten streak for the Fox television ratings juggernaut, according to early audience figures on Thursday. Nielsen Media figures showed that 30.1 million Americans watched the NBC action from Vancouver in the 9-10 pm hour on Wednesday, compared to 18.4 million who watched the "American Idol" TV singing competition on Fox at that time. It's the first time that "American Idol", now in its 9th season, has been beaten in U.S. TV audience ratings since May 2004. Wednesday's Olympic action saw Americans capture six medals and featured top favourites such as skier Lindsey Vonn, snow boarder Shaun White and speed skater Shani Davis who all won gold.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Leonardo DiCaprio says at the age of 35 he is just beginning to absorb his heady acting career alongside the likes of Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day Lewis. He is one of Hollywood's top leading men who can regularly command $20 million a movie. His latest film, "Shutter Island," is his fourth collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. It hits U.S. theaters on Feb. 19. DiCaprio talked to Reuters about the film, his plans and the roots of his well-known passion as one of Hollywood's top environmental crusaders. Q. What surprised you about this film? A. "The thing that surprised me the most about this material is as many different genres that are mixed in, whatever Scorsese did stylistically with this film, at it's very essence it is a film about the human condition and human trauma and the dark side of who we are." Q. How is your influence in Hollywood changing? You seem to be doing a lot

Yes, this is what these two young pranksters did during a shoot of ‘Badmaash Company’, a Yash Raj Films’ production. Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma recently had been shooting for an intimate scene, in Bandra. The scene demanded them to be kissing, that too, three times. However, when the director wanted to have a retake, he found that both actors were missing from the sets. Attempts to call them through cell phones went in vain. The crew said to have waited nearly two hours when finally Shahid and Anushka turned up. When questioned, they replied that they had been shopping books at a bookstore! Though it is unknown what kind of books they had purchased, the crew members noticed that the actors gave their kissing shots perfectly, without any inhibitions. Hmmmm, kitabi gyan kya…..?

Looks like the skies have opened over Bobby Deol, that he has handful of projects. Earlier, we had it that this Punjab da munda will be sharing the screens with his dad Dharmendra in ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’. Now Bobby said to have yet another film with his pappaji. Titled ‘Cheers - Celebrate Life’, the film will be produced by Vijeta Films and directed by Sangeeth Sivan, whose film ‘Click’ is hitting the screens today. According to the director, ‘Cheers - Celebrate Life’ is based on a road trip story of a father and a son with some character driven humour. Bobby will face the camera for Sangeeth again with an out and out comedy ‘Jab Jab Fools Mile’. Produced by Rupali Aum Entertainment, the film has three leading men. Interestingly, Bobby will share the screen with Sanjay Dutt here for the first time. While the third male lead is yet to be finalised, the production will also make way for three leading ladies as well. Bobby’s last hit film had been ‘Dostana’. After that c

In a letter to a leading Mumbai daily, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has dismissed the rumours of her pregnancy and come out hard on the newspaper with strong words. The former Miss World and daughter-in-law of Bollywood icon Big B has accused the daily for being ‘irresponsible’ and blamed them for printing such news without confirming with her or her family or her spokesperson. She has said that she is shocked by such behaviour by a reputed daily and advised them to follow the principle of confirming the news first and then printing it. She dismissed the reports of her being pregnant. Aishwarya is suffering from a stomach TB.

A day after the controversy over Aamir Khan quitting a panel set up by the Union human resources development ministry to suggest changes in the Copyright Act, HRD minister Kapil Sibal stepped in and asked the actor to stay on. Javed Akhtar said he would be happy if Khan returned to the panel. "There is no need to stretch the issue," he said. "I have written a letter where I have said that if he returns to the panel, then I would feel happy." Sibal said he had spoken to Khan about the letter of the members. "I have told Aamir that they are not questioning your integrity and you should withdraw your resignation," he said. "Aamir said he will consider it." We ask what will be reconsidered, the issue was of the copyright act where the government is taking a good stand and wants to give some share to the lyricists who have written the song. At present in India, IPRS (Indian Performing Right Society) follows the system prevalent outside