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Salman Khan has proved yet again that he reigns supreme at the box office, with his latest film  Ek Tha Tiger netting a whooping Rs. 32 crores on the first day. However though the film is setting new records in India, across the border,  Ek Tha Tiger  seems to have run into trouble.   Apparently, post the back and forth pertaining to the release of the film in Pakistan, it is now learnt that  Ek Tha Tiger  will not hit the theatres there.  This comes after initial reports that of the film being banned in Pakistan on the grounds of its theme being anti-Pakistan, but recently an NOC was granted for  Ek Tha Tiger  to be screened for the censor board members there. However, now it appears that ETT failed to convince Pakistani board members of the benevolent treatment of their country in the film.  With Eid just around the corner, this setback may just prove costly putting a dent to the gross collection of the film.

In the latest development in the release plans for K C Bokadia's  Deewana Main Deewana , Priyanka Chopra has come forward to help in the film's smooth release in every way possible.   Priyanka has apparently shot a special item song for Bokadia's film. The song, a new adaptation of the popular Punjabi-folk number ' Kala Doriya ', was freshly recorded in Sundhi Chauhan and Ila Arun's voice. Confirming these developments the grateful producer K C Bokadia says, "God has been kind. Every producer goes through ups and downs. Priyanka Chopra is a gem of an artiste. She has offered to help in every way possible. You mark my words ' Kala Doriya ' would do to Priyanka's reputation as a dancer what the song ' Gori Hai Kalaiyan ' in my film  Aaj Ka Arjun  did for Jaya Prada." Reminiscing about the ups and downs in his career Bokadia says, "When I made  Pyar Jhukta Nahin  with Mithun Chakraborty distributors discouraged me saying he was a

Just recently, Bollywood was abuzz with Ameesha Patel claiming that she had purchased a flat right next to the Bachchan's bungalow. However, now we hear that contrary to what was being claimed, Ameesha had only rented the 4000 sq feet residential property. The owners of the flat, the Valias, in Harsh Jyot Apartments in Juhu have since told the actress not to move into the premises. Apparently, the Valias were shocked when they heard Ameesha's claims on the property. The entire farce came to light when the Valias were approached by previous solicitors inquiring behind the reason for them selling the flat to Ameesha. While on the other hand, it is learnt Ameesha had paid Rs. 5 lakh to the Valias as a token amount, following which she was allowed to make the desired renovation.

Priyanka Chopra was in for a surprise when she woke up to the news making rounds around her being interested in doing Satyagraha. While the actress is hardly aware about what the film actually deals with, it has been claimed that she recently sent feelers to director Prakash Jha and expressed her interest in doing the film. "This is untrue", informs a close associate, "Priyanka has most definitely not approached Prakash Jha for any film. She is currently neck deep into shooting for Krrish 3. Moreover her international album is about to be released as well and she is making frequent trips between India and U.S.A. for that. There are a couple of projects already in the anvil. In between this all, where is the time to get committed to another film?" It was also being reported that while Prakash Jha had confirmed Kareena Kapoor for the film, he is now having another choice opening up in the form of Priyanka. "That's entirely his call. If he considers Pr

Kareena Kapoor has always known to set fashion trends. Remember how her costumes from  Jab We Met became a rage when the film released.   Now Kareena's attire from her next film  Heroine  has also received a lot of praise and appreciation from all and sundry. The bright pink saree worn by the actress in the ' Halkat Jawaani ' dance number is all set to be auctioned for a charitable cause. The cause is something which Bebo is closely associated with. The costume has been designed by Kareena's good friend and ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra.

Fatherhood for the third time has turned Aamir Khan into quite a home-bird. He wants to stay as close to wife Kiran and newly-born son Azad as possible. Opting for a departure from his habitual way of working, Aamir has taken wife and son to Chicago to be with him for the 3-month schedule.   And now we hear from a friend of Aamir that the star while shooting for  Dhoom 3  has opted to stay in a rented apartment in Chicago with his family rather than a hotel.  Says the close friend of Kiran and Aamir, "Though Yash Raj wanted to hire a suite in one of the best hotels in Chicago for Aamir, Kiran and Azad, Aamir declined the offer. He preferred a rented apartment. In this way, he cut down Yash Raj's accommodation budget in Chicago for Aamir by nearly 60 percent. But the main reason why Aamir opted to stay in a rented place is the  ghar ka mahaul . The homely environment is what turns Aamir on these days."  Aamir apparently told his friends that nothing gives him greater joy n

Contrary to rumours making the rounds, Shah Rukh Khan's next will not be showcased with Salman Khan's  Ek Tha Tiger .   "This isn't a decision that has been taken overnight, it was always the plan", informs our well placed source, "Neither is there any promo being attached nor would the film's title be revealed."  This would indeed be heart breaking for those who were expecting that the lid would be finally off the suspense surrounding the film. It also raises question around the rumours making rounds for last few days.  "Well, there is a promo being attached but it is more as a homage showreel of Yashji's achievements over the decades and the various films that have been made", adds an insider.  The only incentive would be a very brief glimpse of the Shah Rukh starrer that would be included in the showreel.  "That doesn't even qualify as a teaser, leave aside the promo. For that you would have to wait for a few more days"

Following Vidya, the entire unit of the under-production marital comedy  Ghanchakkar  has moved close to the venue of the shooting at the Essel Studio in Trombay for the next couple of weeks. Confirming this developme nt, director Rajkumar Gupta said, "We all decided to move to Trombay or close. Commuting every day from different parts of Mumbai to the studio in Mumbai meant losing precious time. We've just decided to stay close to the shooting until we complete the studio bit and move outdoors."   Gupta is currently staying with a relative in Trombay. "Vidya has her own place where she has shifted. We've all found temporary residence."

The recently release Ajay Devgn- Abhishek Bachchan starrer Bol Bachchan has been enjoying a successful run at the box office. However, the producer of the film, Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, found themselves embroiled in a legal tussle. Due to this, the company's account had been sealed, thus stalling the payment of the crew to the tune of Rs. 26 lakhs. The news is that director Rohit Shetty has come to the aid of the crew and has paid them from his pocket. Apparently, when Rohit learnt about the unpaid dues of the crew, he called them and handed over the amount on Friday night. Speaking about this, a source close to the film says, "Yes, Rohit has compensated the crew members, from his own pocket. However, Ashtavinayak, which was unable to pay the dues since their account was sealed owing to the legal tussle, will be returning the amount to Rohit by this week itself."

Earlier this month, we reported about Shahid Kapoor being signed on for Rajkumar Santoshi's next film titled Phata Poster Nikla Hero. Now, we hear the producers have also finalized the lead actress for the film. News is that producer Ramesh Taurani has signed Ileana Dcruz to essay the female lead opposite Shahid in the film. But the details of her role are being kept tightly under wraps. The film which will be an outright Bollywood masala entertainer is about a young boy who wants to be a superstar despite his mother's protests. Phata Poster Nikla Hero which is scheduled to go on floors later this year in November and will release next year.

Sanjay Dutt always wanted to be like his father. Now when he actually adopted one of Sunil Dutt Saab's roles, Sanju broke down and wept at the likeness.   Sanjay Dutt's plans of remaking his father's immortal dacoit drama  Mujhe Jeene Do  have now been incorporated into the new Ajay Devgn starrer  Son Of Sardaar  (SOS). It's reliably learnt that Sanjay Dutt's character in SOS is modeled on his father's in  Mujhe Jeene Do , down to the clothes, hair and make-up. Says a source, "It wasn't the original plan to cast Sanju as a replica of his dad from  Mujhe Jeene Do . When Sanju signed on for SOS, he didn't even know what his role was. He just did it blindly for his friend Ajay Devgn who's producing the film. No particular look or get-up was planned for Sanju initially. But then  Agneepath  came. In the film the special look went a long way in making Sanju's character a success. That's when Ajay suggested a special get-up for his pal Sanju

After fighting tooth and nail to ensure that Sridevi's comeback vehicle  English Vinglish  does not budge from its release date September 21, the film's producers have finally bowed out of the woman-centric race. Leaving the coast clear for Kareena's heroine on Sept 21,  English Vinglish  has now moved to October 5.   The decision was taken at a meeting earlier this week attended by the producers, director Gauri Shinde and Boney Kapoor.  Various reasons are being put forward for Sri's delayed arrival in the theatres. None of them, claim the producers Eros Entertainment and Balki, has anything to do with another heroine-oriented jostling for attention on the same Friday.  Balki says the film is just not ready. "There are three separate versions of the film in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi to be completed. Though we could've rushed into release on September 21, we saw no point in it. We're yet to shoot with Ajith who plays Mr. Bachchan's role in Tamil and Telu

Set in the turbulence of the 1930s British India, Chittagong is a true story of a 14 year old boy, Jhunku, and of his journey to find where he belongs. For the first time in Indian history, the British army is defeated by a ragtag army of schoolboys and their teacher, Masterda. Called a traitor by his peers, and let down by a man he trusts, Jhunku impulsively joins the movement. As his world is turned upside down, Jhunku is forced to confront his self-doubts. As the leaders of the movement are progressively caught or killed, Jhunku battles against seemingly insurmountable odds to win a victory of his own.

Suraj has everything any young man would kill for - an MBA degree, a well-paid job and an offer from UK with a 5,000 pound salary. But Suraj is no ordinary boy! He has only one passion - Cinema. His only dream is to be a film Producer-Director. He chooses passion over money and becomes a rebel. He produces a shocker to his family and friends, that he is quitting his job to follow his dreams of film making. Being disowned by everyone and without any industry contacts, Suraj is left all alone to find his way in the big bad world of Bollywood. Suraj starts his career by putting posters alongside roads. He struggles as an assistant on the sets and has to face rejection from the industry, his friends, family and loved ones. Chal Pichchur Banate Hain is Suraj's passionate journey from an MBA to a film maker. Filled with humor, lies, deceit, love, ambition, success, obsession, dedication and a spice of reality, Chal Pichchur Banate Hain is a must watch for the youth.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's fans thronged in thousands to get a glimpse of their favourite star in Kochi where she was there for the inauguration of the first Kalyan Jewellers store It was a sight to be seen. Thousands of fans had lined up the roads on either side leading up to the Kalyan Jewellers store in Kochi on 19th August where Aishwarya Rai had come to inaugurate the store. A special stage was made anticipating such a large crowd outside the store for her to address the fans before she went ahead with the formalities of the launch of the store. Aishwarya came looking resplendent in an off white lehenga by Abu-Sandeep and spoke to the crowds. She then, along with Malayalam superstar Dileep, inaugurated the jewellery store and then addressed a select invitee list of guests and media where she spoke about her connection with Kerala which she addressed as 'God's Own Country'. Ash's baby girl Aaradhya and mom Vrinda Rai accompanied her for this trip to Ker

Disclaimer:  The above rendition is a representation of the artist. Any resemblance to person(s) /subject(s) is done with humorous intent, and not to defame, hurt or tarnish the image of the person(s) / subject(s).

It's just not easy to convey to someone who doesn't read comic books about the passion that Uday Chopra posseses when it comes to giving the art form a life of its own. It was this very zest that gave birth to Yomics. The excitement to see how his personalized cabin would look like amazed me. I enter Chopra's domain. The room is immeasurable and the ceiling high. It's like walking into Asgard. All I was then looking for was Uday's hammer. The actor seemed to loom in the confined space. It is, however, an entirely affable, unthreatening sort of loom. I look around to find a few comic books kept on the far away shelf with his own Yomics venture. I gaze at a beautiful painting and then look further. 'No action hero figurines' for a guy who loves comic books? Ok, this is unreal. I expected an animated expression on Uday's face after asking him the above question. But in person, his expression is more mischievous than wild. In a career with more than its fair

Akshay Kumar certainly feels that comedy has to be an inherent element in each of his films. Starting off with a 'family comedy'  Housefull 2  and then an 'action comedy'  Rowdy Rathore , both of which also facilitated an entry for him in the 100 crore club, he is now jumping genres with 'sci-fi comedy' Joker . Moreover, the promos have pretty much indicated that this is a new world that Shirish Kunder has created with the film. One can well expect a different experience for Akshay to be finding himself in this world. "It certainly was a different world for all of us", says Akshay, "The first day when we all walked on to the sets in Chandigarh, we were all blown away. The structures by themselves were so magical but to build an entire story around a desolate village was enchanting. Shirish had a vision that we all understood. This was his new world and we knew that we had to throw ourselves into the characters written for us and help make them all

Santosh Sivan remembers his mentor Ashok Mehta… "I think a lot of what we see in Indian cinema today is attributable to Ashok Mehta. What he did with candles in Shyam Benegal's  Trikaal  was beyond the imagination of Indian cinema at that time. He brought a certain respect, almost a kind of awe, for cinematography and cinematographers in India. I came into the picture much later. Ashok was a true pioneer. When I started out as a cinematographer, I had two idols, Subrata Mitra who did all of Satyajit Ray's works and Ashok Mehta who never restricted himself to one style or genre. I think that's what I liked immediately about his work. If Ashok could shoot the exquisite  36 Chowringhee Lane , he could also apply his skills and expertise to an out-and-out commercial film like  Andar Baahar  with equal fluency. He didn't shy away from going commercial. I loved his love for cinema of every genre. He was one of the first people I met when I came to Mumbai for the first

Would  Chakravyuh  turn out to be one film that may pay an ultimate homage to Rajesh Khanna? If the core plotline of this Prakash Jha film is any indication, it seems to be inspired by Hrishikesh Mukherjee's  Namak Haraam . " Namak Haraam  was about a rich industrialist (Amitabh Bachchan) who asked his friend (Rajesh Khanna) to infiltrate his factory's trade union and work for him by breaking the union. Similarly,  Chakravyuh  too is about a cop (Arjun Rampal) who takes help of his best friend (Abhay Deol) to enter a Maoist organization and pass on information to him", informs a source.  In  Namak Haraam , Rajesh Khanna's character was shown to go through a change in heart and he ended up being on union's side, hence taking on Amitabh Bachchan. Similarly,  Chakravyuh  too has Abhay ending up being influenced by Om Puri and Manoj Bajpayee (who lead the Maoist organization), hence resulting in a clash between him and Arjun.  While the treatment is of course expe

Sonakshi Sinha is on a roll. With two 100 crore films to her name and at least two more expected to be added before the end of year, the voluptuous girl is pretty much in charge of her Bollywood journey so far. Though she could well be the first to admit that she hasn't been pushed to the hilt as an actress in films like  Dabangg  and  Rowdy Rathore , Sonakshi also knows that there is good time for performance based roles to come her way as well in future. "I am enjoying every bit of the work that I have done so far", says Sonakshi, "All said and done, I am getting to play a variety of characters. To think of it, who gets to play someone from different parts of the country in her first few films itself? You see girls out there who are forever playing Western stereotypes. I have been fortunate though to have played a U.P. girl in  Dabangg , a Bihari in  Rowdy Rahore  and now an NRI in  Joker . Moreover in  OMG Oh My God  I also have a song like ' Govinda ' wh

He was more than family to her. Manisha Koirala treated cinematographer Ashok Mehta as her mentor, guide and philosopher from the time she came to Mumbai to be an actress. In fact Manisha emotionally attributes all the right moves in her career to Ashok Mehta and all the blunders to herself. No wonder she cancelled the sit-in dinner at her home for her 42nd birthday on Wednesday night, personally calling up all the guests to say a party at a time when she had lost someone so precious, was impossible. "And they understood. Never in my entire life have I had a party on my birthday, and now I never will. Every birthday I'd be reminded of Ashokji's going away. It was supposed to be my first full-fledged birthday party. I had personally invited around 40 of my dearest friends. Little did we know that my mentor would be gone just hours before my birthday. When I heard of his death there was no question of a party. I rushed to Ashokji's," says Manisha on her birthday on

By now its common knowledge that Akshay Kumar will be playing God in his home production  OMG! Oh My God!  that also stars Paresh Rawal in the lead role. However what's interesting is that Akshay's character is that of Lord Krishna who descends on Earth to help Paresh Rawal solve his problems. Akki managed to get in character completely for the role and was styled by wifey dearest Twinkle Khanna. The necklace and wrist-band sported by Akki are made of peacock feathers while the Bansuri being played by him was gifted to him by one of his fans during a religious trip to Vaishnodevi temple few years back. OMG! Oh My God!  written and directed by Umesh Shukla is slated to release on September 28. 

To be fair to writer Christina Daniels, she makes it clear at the very beginning of the book that 'I'll Do It My Way', despite being pitched as 'The Incredible Journey of Aamir Khan' isn't really his autobiographical tale. In fact it is also declared that Aamir Khan hasn't even been interviewed for this book. Well, though one has to give full marks to the book for the honesty it displays, from the content perspective it is not even half baked.  There are two reasons for that. First and foremost it is entirely a complete outsider's account of what she perceives as Aamir Khan to be. Nothing wrong with that but then it would have still carried some credibility had the author at least met Aamir in person or would have been in his close vicinity for on and off basis. Here, none of that really happens. Secondly, and most importantly, the book is more of a 'Googled' affair. This means that quotes from Aamir as well as those who have worked with him in t

Now this is one book that leaves you with a sense of emptiness despite the fact that is loaded enough with as many as 20 write-ups on some of the most popular superstars in Bollywood. Even though it is quite word heavy, what with as many as 250 pages being dedicated to these superstars, the overall read is more literary than entertaining. This, when one is willing to ignore the fact that some of the most notable superstars have been missed from the 20 that Bhaichand Patel has compiled while entrusting other authors to pen down their thoughts for the respective actors. There is no reason to complain though for the ones who have been selected and those who have been missed in the Top-20. After all, it is a compiler's individual prerogative and there is no point expecting your list to match with his. However, what one does complain about is the uneven narrative that the entire book takes with many chapters being plain boring that leads to severe dissatisfaction.  Of course the authors

There is something about the Salman-Katrina pairing. Something that goes deeper than a real-life affection. Even deeper than that crackling pitch-perfect chemistry that we see among endearing star-pairs, like Raj-Nargis, Rajesh -Mumtaz, Shah Rukh-Kajol…you name it! Here in  Ek Tha Tiger  we see a look of genuine protectiveness in Salman's eyes every time he looks at Katrina Kaif. That look suits the film's purposes fine.  Ek Tha Tiger  is the love story of two spies from different sides of the border who during the course of their volatile sinister cloak-and-dagger work, fall head over heels in love. As the lovers flee their enemies they are pursued by  do mulk ke dushman . Which is 9  mulk  less than where Shah Rukh's Don was wanted.  Salman's spy-hero code-named Tiger cuts through the chase, brings the secret agent's role down to an amiably humane level, drawing secret alcoves of childlike vulnerability and, yes, humour from his character's secret life, making