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Love stories seem to be the fav genre of dream merchants here. I've a hunch, if we ever do a count of romantic films made in Bollywood, it would easily score over other genres. The question is, how innovative can a love story get in today's times? Milap Zaveri provides the answer: Man from Earth, woman from Venus. Having penned some likable comic capers in the past [MASTI, HEYY BABYY], Milap's directorial debut JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI has liberal doses of light moments dominating the first half of the film and heartache and reunion following soon after, in its post-interval portions. JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI works for its light moments mainly. It's bizarre to think of a love story between a human and an alien, but Milap garnishes it well with assorted characters, sets the story in the film industry and has several laugh-inducing moments. Resultantly, the first half is paisa vasool in filmi lingo. But the problem arises when the focus shifts to the prem kahani

IN Entertainment (India) Limited (INE), the Hinduja Group initiative for Content Business, has acquired Hindi remake rights of Tamil film VINNAITHANDI VARUVAAYAA. Helmed by director Gautham Vasudev Menon, the film, co-produced by Gautham Menon and S. Elred Kumar, released worldwide in February 2010 and is still running successfully. A.R. Rahman has composed the music of the film. The film was also made in Telugu as YE MAYA CHESAVE and continues to run successfully in Andhra Pradesh. Simbu and Trisha have enacted the lead roles in Tamil, while Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth have enacted the lead roles in Telugu version. The Hindi remake of the film will be directed by Gautham Menon and will have music by A.R. Rahman. The Hindi remake will be co-produced by INE and Photon Kathaas. The producers of the Tamil version, Gautham Menon and S. Elred Kumar, will be co-producers on the Hindi remake. The lead cast for the Hindi remake is still to be finalized. Gautham's associ

If there was an award for someone who works 25 hours rather than the instituted 24 hours and lives and eats 'acting' day in and out, it has to be indeed the one and only Anupam Kher! Wonder where on earth he gets so much of energy from! Having started as an old man (G.V. Pradhan to be precise in the historic Saaransh), Anupam Kher went onto do films which made him into a legend of the highest order! After having made his mark in Bollywood in various arenas (actor, producer, director etc...), this actor par excellence has now been signed up as the Brand Ambassador for Proctor & Gamble's 'Project Shiksha'. Speaking exclusively to Bollywood Hungama , Anupam said "Its P&G's campaign about child education. I have worked with a lot of children's causes. That's why they asked me to be the brand ambassador for 'Project Shiksha'. It's a project which deals with girl child in general. As the brand ambassador, I will be brin

Vidya Balan has time again managed to bag roles which any other actress would give her right hand for. Whether it was the sensual performance in Parineeta , or playing the bold and sexy woman in Ishqiya or playing mommy dearest to Amitabh Bachchan himself in Paa . So when casting for a film based on a strong yet sensual woman is being done, it's hardly a surprise that Vidya Balan seems like an obvious choice. Sure enough then Ekta Kapoor's next film, that chronicles the life of the infamous actress Silk Smitha, is into pre- production, the lead is being discussed and the buzz is that it's Miss Balan herself who will play the dare all Silk Smitha in the film. Unlike what seems to be the obvious, the film does not revolve around the sleazy image that this late actress got stuck with, instead it's about how the industries complexity, stress and the eventual loneliness that led to her death. Silk Smitha was a south siren, a cult figure that defied conventions a

All of you, who wondered where John Abraham had disappeared, will be in for some real good news. The hot Dostana hunk, who has a body to die for, is getting an even shapelier body for himself. If you're drooling already, then, we feel that it's time for some clarity. This Greek God of Bollywood is all set to do a film to be produced by Vipul Shah. The film is an adaptation of a Tamil film called Kaakha Kaakha in Hindi. While the original (Tamil) film had the south superstar Surya alongside Jyothika, it will be Asin who will be doing the honours in the Hindi remake. This film will be directed by Mumbai Meri Jaan director Nishikant Kamat. John, who plays a tough officer of a special squad, is getting in shape for the role. So, don't be surprised, but just be ready to swoon every time he comes on the screen. This film is likely to hit the floors by May or June this year

It's a dream of every father to see his son prosper, and in case of actor R. Madhavan, satisfaction has come fast and in a small package. Folks we are talking about Madhavan's son Vedaant. The young lad is soon to make his small screen debut along with his proud father for a social cause. With this advertisement hitting the screens, it will be the first time the father-son duo will be seen together on screen for a social cause. However, the details of this advert are being closely kept under wraps for the moment since the advertisement is still in its shooting stages. But on the other hand, with the makers being tight lipped about the ad, we to hear that, just 5 years old Vedaant is already showing a lot of potential and has great screen presence just like his father. Reveals a source, "This being Vedaant's first stint in television, Maddy is very proud of him. The boy has great potential and is a lot like Madhavan." Well if this is anything to

The release of Milenge Milenge now depends on Kareena Kapoor. Producer Boney Kapoor met her for the publicity of the film before she left for Goa to shoot for Ra.One. Shahid Kapoor has done his bit. Now it's up to Kareena Kapoor to see when their pending film Milenge Milenge is released. Shahid shot the music video for the film with choreographer Ahmed Khan on March 26. The track written by Sameer Anjaan and composed by Himesh Reshammiya goes... ' Sab kuch khatam hokar bhi tere mere darmiyaan kuch to baqi hai... ' And now Boney waits not-so-patiently for Kareena to do the needful. Says Boney, "Yes, now the release would depend entirely on when Kareena allots the dates to shoot the music video. I've slotted the release for the last week of June or the first week of July. I'm hopeful that Bebo's portions of the music video and other publicity footage would be shot and ready. So yes the release is now in Bebo's hands." Kareena who

She is not just super hot and but also mint fresh. Hers is a smile that can even give all the Mona Lisas a huge inferiority complex. She is none other than Deepika Padukone; the pretty lass who has, with her exceptional talent set the silver screen on fire from the word go! After having endorsed many superhit films and launching a million products with her trademark smile (as they say in Bollywood ...Sirf Smile hi kaafi hai!), the ultra gorgeous Deepika Padukone is now all set to become the Brand Ambassador for Sony's Cyber Shot digital cameras. Sources close to Bollywood Hungama said that 'Deepika was the obvious choice to become the said company's brand ambassador due to her persona plus her instant appeal and connect with everyone alike. In addition to this, the company officials were also looking at someone whose personality could mirror the effervescence of a free spirited bubbly young girl, who, at the same time, is also extremely talented and a profes

Another actress hears the wedding bells. Joining the likes of Amrita Arora, Shilpa Shetty, Ayesha Takia and Isha Koppikhar is none other than Manisha Koirala. Unlike the others, this one is a typical arrange marriage. Both the families have known each other for a while and when Manisha's mom spoke to her about Samrat Dahal, the boy in question, it was a match made to be. Samrat is an MBA from the US and is in the process of setting up an alternative energy company in Nepal as he handles the family business on the side which is based out of Kathmandu. Once Manisha gave her approval, an astrologer was consulted to pick a date and an auspicious date was found to be in the month of June. The whole wedding would be a Nepali affair, and Manisha will be flying down her loved ones including Deepti Naval. Anu, Avinash, Paulomi Singh to join in the celebrations. Here is another most awaited wedding.

Miami based Motion Pixel Corporation (MPC) and Cornerstone Entertainment of India have finalized the signing of one of India's most prolific cricket players to star in a new animated movie titled Captain India . The story entails Yuvraj Singh growing up in Mumbai and encountering a magical cricket stick which he realizes has special powers and uses it to help fight crime and also becoming an Indian Cricket Star to help India win the cricket World Cup. The movie is currently in preproduction and is scheduled to be released in early 2012. "We felt Yuvraj was the best fit for the project which we think will be a mega hit with all the Bollywood and Cricket fans not only in India but throughout the World," commented MPC Chairman, Manny Bains. "Cornerstone has always made best efforts to promote brand Yuvraj as uniquely as possible. This project is one such opportunity for Yuvi to reach out to the millions of children across the countries who aspire to be

That they got along like a house on fire during the shooting of Raajneeti is a well-known fact. And the main reason for it was their frank and forthright nature. Both Nana and Ranbir call a spade and don't care for the repercussions. During their long schedule in Bhopal, Nana and Ranbir had many meals together (to which no other member of the crew was invited) and discussed all things cinema from Raj Kapoor to Mehul Kumar. But the fact that Nana's blunt speak could cause Ranbir public embarrassment had not been foreseen by the younger actor. So it happened on Saturday in Delhi during a public event for Raajneeti . In front of media persons Nana declared Ranbir had no faith in the last film that starred Ranbir and Katrina, namely Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani . For a minute there was a stunned silence among the stars of Raajneeti , especially Katrina who tried not to look anxious and embarrassed. Laughs Prakash, "Yes this incident did happen. A media person

Making it a first of sorts, Studio 18 has pushed the envelope on emerging rights by licensing the Hotel VoD rights of five top TIFC films for China & Macau - JAB WE MET, WELCOME, SINGH IS KINNG, KIDNAP and GOLMAAL RETURNS. The globalisation of Bollywood and the enormous tourist traffic in China is expected to trigger an uptake of these titles. While Hollywood studios are known to place their blockbusters in hotel rooms for customers to pay and watch, Bollywood content had not made any significant breakthrough so far. Conventionally, films sourced by established hotels in the region comprise adult and non-adult content from US, China, Japan, Europe and Korea. TIFC's Indian titles will be placed on the interactive entertainment system of bedrooms in three of the topmost hotels of Macau - Venetian, Sands Casino and Four Seasons. Remarked Tanuj Garg, Head of International Business, Studio 18, "This initiative with our preferred content aggregator is in line with

Bobby Chawla, brother of actress Juhi Chawla, and the CEO of Shah Rukh Khan's company Red Chillies Entertainment, was admitted to a suburban hospital in a critical condition on Sunday evening. On Sunday, he was dining at a restaurant when he suddenly collapsed, a make up artiste who was present there as well, saw this and called Farah Khan to help do the needful. Farah first called Juhi and then SRK, but since both were at Kolkatta for the Knight Riders match, she got Bobby admitted in the hospital. Reportedly, Bobby suffered from a brain haemorrhage and was operated immediately. Chawla is under observation at the ICU and ApnaDesi wishes him a speedy recovery.

Priyanka unknowingly ended up offending some people on her Twitter account by saying she was back into 'civilization' from Kashmir. She clarifies, "I did tweet to say I was going back to civilization. That was more a state of mind expressing my happiness at being back in familiar surroundings. It didn't mean I didn't enjoy Kashmir." She eulogizes, "Kashmir is to me a dreamscape. I want to go back there as soon as possible. I tweeted saying it's completely safe. Forget Switzerland. When we have Kashmir, we don't need to go anywhere else." There's a rumour that she has been tweeting on Blackberry thereby offending Nokia the cell phone company she endorses. She clarifies, "I have not been tweeting on Blackberry. I've been tweeting on my Nokia from my laptop. I don't own a Blackberry. I've always been a Nokia fiend. I've owned only Nokia phones from the time I started using the cell phone."

At a time when most actors believe in multi-hero films, Vivek Oberoi has had the courage to accept PRINCE , a film that's riding on his shoulders. It's a risky situation. If PRINCE works, Vivek would be the new Prince of Bollywood. God forbid, if it doesn't, it would affect Vivek's standing in the industry. "That's true," PRINCE producer Kumar Taurani admits it's a big gamble, but the veteran film-maker is extremely confident that PRINCE would strike a chord. Says Taurani, "Vivek is an extremely hard-working actor and people will see a new Vivek in PRINCE. He was co-operation personified all through the making of the film. And when I look back, I think Vivek was the right choice for the role." Taurani has left no stone unturned to give his best to PRINCE. Besides being aggressive on the promotional front, Taurani is also giving the film the best possible release - approx. 1200 screens. "The distributors have indicated that th

Very rarely do you find directors starting a production house and not directing their first film themselves. But that's what Ahmed Khan has done. Having directed LAKEER and FOOL & FINAL, besides being an accomplished choreographer and making the top most stars dance to his tunes, Ahmed decided to write his next film, produce it as well, but not direct it himself. This time, for PAATHSHAALA , Ahmed decided to entrust the directorial reins to Milind Ukey, who had directed an award winning Marathi film earlier. Knowing Ahmed, one would've expected the top notch choreographer to pen a musical, but not a film based on the educational system, revolving around kids. But there's a story behind it. PAATHSHAALA was 'born' after Ahmed and his wife Shaira [the producer of this film], like every doting parent, decided to zero on the right school for their kids. They desired nothing but the best for their kids and their experiences slowly found their way into Ah

She is someone who cannot be called as the resident of the 'Bubble Gum' generation, as she is not just iconic but also 'Diva-ic'. She is none other than Shilpa Shetty, the long legged lass, who, after an impactful debut in Baazigar , went onto become a legend in her own right. If Bollywood, brand endorsements and IPL weren't enough for this girl, sources close to Bollywood Hungama said that 'she will now be seen as a judge in 'Zara Naach Ke Dikha', a dance reality show to be aired on Star Plus'. Shilpa, needless to say, is on a roll! Repeated attempts to establish Shilpa Shetty proved futile.

With around 20 more days of shooting left for his bio-pic Rakta Charitra on the life of the outlaw-politician Paritala Ravi, Ram Gopal Varma is already thinking of his next film. And what better fodder for filming than the allegedly lurid life of Swami Nityanand? Ramu doesn't deny that the film's title God & Sex comes in the wake of Dibakar Banerjee's Love Sex Aur Dokha . Says Ramu, "I won't deny that the word sex in a Hindi-film title seemed impossible before Love Sex Aur Dhokha . So to that extent, yes God & Sex is a title that owes its background to the earlier film." The film would be inspired by the Swami Nityanand sex scandal. But it isn't prompted by Vivek Oberoi, a self-confessed devotee of the Swami and Ramu's close friend currently working in Rakta Charitra . Smirks Ramu, "Vivek and I haven't been discussing Nityanand or the other god men and their sex lives. But I can't deny God & Sex is inspired

Oscar - and Grammy-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman will embark on his highly-anticipated tour, the A.R. Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour, produced by Deepak Gattani from Rapport Productions. The concert will kickstart from June 11 in New York and travel to over 20 major arenas and cities worldwide. Well-known choreographer-director Amy Tinkham, who has worked on the live musical concerts for pop icons like Paul McCartney, Madonna, Britney Spears, Dixie Chicks and Motley Crue, has teamed up for the tour. The live concert will be a theatrical experience that will blend in new technologies with dance arrangements and acrobatics. It will feature changing sets, large images and a cast of musicians and dancers from across the globe. Deepak Gattani, producer of the tour, said, "India has loads to tell and that has been woven in the Journey Home concert of Rahman, the treatment being theatrical with new-age technology. Rahman and his musical magic h

She is one star who is a true star in the true sense of the word. But the very utterance of the word 'Electrifying' immediately brings her face instantly! Well, we are indeed talking about the one and only Kajol, who went onto recapture hearts galore with her startling performance in the recently released smash hit My Name Is Khan . It is this very same powerhouse of talent who, after endorsing a million products, has now been signed up as the Brand Ambassador for Rin washing powder. Sources close to Bollywood Hungama told us, "Kajol has been paid a bomb to endorse Rin. The reason why she was chosen by the officials was purely because of her talent, squeaky clean image and her ability to connect with the audience of all age groups." The source also added that she might just be signing on the dotted lines for yet another Brand Ambassadorship for a FMCG brand. Great going Kajol!

Music director Sneha Khanwalkar on giving Love, Sex Aur Dhoka its unconventional, sometimes provocative, sound When director Dibakar Banerjee wanted a groovy yet rakish sound for his provocatively titled Love Sex Aur Dhoka - a bold attempt showing three stories weaving through each other through hidden cameras, he got 25-year-old music director Sneha Khanwalkar into the studio, giving her a lyrics sheet with four lines - Tasveer utaarunga, mele mein dikhaunga, Jo dekhega usski ankhiyan nachwaunga. Banerjee seems to have pulled the rug from under her feet right away. "I had never heard anything like that. It was weird, it was violent, yet somewhere it was interesting," says Khanwalkar, who was roped in for the project even before the script was ready. Khanwalkar worked with the shocking lyrics and came up with the LSD theme track, sung by Kailash Kher, which got massive airplay in the days running up to the film release. The song sounds gibberish at times, bitt

Anupam Kher is surely one happy man today. And he has all the reasons to be so. On one hand, while his acting academy 'Actor Prepares' is going great guns, on the other, he is someone who is one of the most sought after persons not just in Bollywood, but in all the arenas under the sun! The latest is in the form of an invitation from the prestigious TED, a non-profit organization, which holds an event in order to get many intellectual brains under one roof. While this event gets held every year in Oxford, UK, it was only last year that it found its Indian presence. Only recently, TED started TEDx, a program that allows professionals to share ideas that's worth sharing. This event is being held today in Mumbai under the aegis of 'TEDxMumbai', which will have around 160 people, consisting of professionals from all the walks of life, including scientists, executives and students. Talking exclusively to Bollywood Hungama from the venue, Anupam Kher sai

Bollywood actors are usually seen when their films are about to release... from online to reality show sets, they ensure that they do not miss an opportunity to talk about their films. Rarely have we seen any stars promoting an advertising campaign in this manner. However, Sanjay Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor are two actors who are doing just that. The stars are featuring together for the first time in an interactive Pepsi commercial called 'The Game' that combines gaming with TV advertising. Mounted on the scale of a mega Bollywood blockbuster, ' Pepsi The Game ' is a project that is dear to both. While Sanju Baba was seen on the Extra Innings show on Set MAX during the match as a commentator (on March 30th evening) in his unique Game Master avatar; Youngistaan's heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor is reaching out to his fans through a live Facebook chat on April 2 at 1500 hrs IST. Talking about 'The Game', Sanjay said, "Actually this entire concept i

For those who thought that a doctor's son will go onto become a doctor, an engineer's son will become an engineer, here is a man who went onto prove them wrong! He is none other than the Bollywood's literal blue eyed boy, Neil Nitin Mukesh, the son of the illustrious singer Nitin Mukesh. Having made his debut in Johnny Gaddaar , Neil showed to the industry what superstars are made up of! Neil made his mark in the industry, not just with his talent, but also with his Greek looks. No wonder then, he became an instant hit even with the ad walahs alike. After having endorsed FMCGs like shoes and watches, Neil has now been chosen as the Brand Ambassador for Oxemberg suitings . Speaking about this deal, Prasad Shetty, (President Sales and Mktg, Oxemberg) said, "We chose Neil for the reason that he is simply a youth style icon and the teenage heartthrob. Not just that, he is also a well established star. And since our brand Oxemberg is positioned as 'Bod