Priyanka's one tight slap!

On Thursday, a little before midnight, Priyanka Chopra hit back at a man who misbehaved with her outside her vanity van in Colaba, where she was shooting.
The man, presumably in his 20s, caught hold of the actress the moment she stepped out to join her colleagues after the day’s shoot for her upcoming film with Zayed Khan, directed by Siddharth Anand.
Said an eyewitness, “Priyanka finished her shoot and went back to her vanity van to change. After some time, she stepped out to join Siddharth Anand and Tarun Mansukhani sitting in a different enclosure, from where they were all supposed to go for dinner. Suddenly, a man came running towards her and demanded, ‘You must talk to me!’”

Priyanka simply ignored the guy and hurried to where her friends were. “At this point, the man grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her close to him. Stunned at his aggressiveness, Priyanka, shot back at him, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ But the man was in no mood to listen and did not let go of her arm. An angry Priyanka slapped the guy hard, sending him reeling,” narrated the source.
At this point, a few members from the cast and crew who had been watching the incident from a distance came to Priyanka’s rescue. “They caught hold of that guy. After talking to him for a bit, they let him go,” he added.
Priyanka’s official spokesperson confirmed the incident, “The actress did not file a police complaint. She didn’t want to pursue the matter and make it complicated.”
A close friend of Priyanka said, “That guy deserved a tight slap. In fact, Priyanka should have slapped him harder for his audacity.”

Kangna Ranaut gets curvy

All rest and no work makes Kangna Ranaut a curvy girl. Surprisingly, the producers and director of Tanu Weds Manu are only too happy with her curvy avatar
When the usually waif thin Kangna Ranaut fractured her foot in Jalandhar while shooting for Tanu Weds Manu she didn’t realise that all the bed rest will result in her gaining several pounds. Just twelve days of rest and gorging on Indian ghar ka khaana and mithaais while recuperating at her parents’ house in Manali has resulted in Kangna putting on 7 kgs.

Another factor that's making Kangna’s resolution of staying in shape an uphill task is all the pampering by Tanu Weds Manu producers Vinod Bachchan and Shailesh Singh, and director Aanand Rai. The filmmakers have been making sure that Kangna eats to her heart’s content.
And her diet has gone from healthy greens to chhole bhature, gulab jamuns and jalebis, which they keep sending to her parents' house ever since she fractured her foot. What's making matters worse is that Kangna has also been giving a miss to her daily workout, which includes 2.5 hours of yoga and gym.

While Kangna is obviously not too happy about the extra weight, surprisingly, her director is delighted with her new curvy avatar. So what if all her costumes for Tanu Weds Manu have to be made all over again? Designer Reza is being sent to Manali to take Kangna’s new measurements for the costumes, which will be used in the Punjab schedule as soon as the actress recovers.

The film's producers too are not grumbling about the unexpected cost, which could easily amount to more than Rs 2 lakh.
A delighted director Aanand Rai says “Kangna is looking very pretty with the added weight. I had been asking her to put on some weight. I'm quite happy as she looks perfect for the role of the Punjabi girl she plays in my film.”

Why Farah Khan refused to judge 'Zara Nachke Dikha'

Choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan was very keen to judge the upcoming season of STAR Plus' reality show "Zara Nachke Dikha", but she turned it down because its dates clashed with her next directorial venture "Tees Maar Khan".
"I couldn't do 'Zara Nachke Dikha' because they wanted me to shoot from April 3, but that was when I was starting my schedule of 'Tees Maar Khan'. The dates were just not matching and unfortunately I had no option," Farah told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
The filmmaker, who has previously helmed two films - "Main Hoon Na" and "Om Shanti Om" - says she would have loved to be on the show, alongside actress Shilpa Shetty on the judging panel.
"I share a very good relationship with STAR. I have done shows like 'Nach Baliye', 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar' and 'Tere Mere Beach Mein' with them and it has always been lovely working with them. I was looking forward to 'Zara Nachke Dikha' as well, but I couldn't do it at the cost of my film," she said.
"Tees Maar Khan" is Farah's first movie without her friend, superstar Shah Rukh Khan. It features Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif in the lead. While the shooting will get over in August, Farah does not rule out being a part of another reality show.
"The movie is 50 percent complete. I have the last 10-day schedule in August and I am busy shooting it now. I will be fairly free in May, June and July which is when I can do some other reality shows," she said.
If the grapevine is to be believed, there is a possibility that Farah might be judging Zee TV's "Dance India Dance - Little Masters".

Genelia steals Vidya’s show

Not a long time ago, R Madhavan and Vidya Balan were all over the small screen with the sizzling chemistry for a mobile service provider ad. The romance between the two seemed so real that audience wished to see more of them.
But it seems their fans will have to wait as this year, the mobile company has roped in a new face opposite Madhavan.

The beautiful Genelia D’Souza will now be seen romancing Maddy in the Airtel ads. Now it remains to be seen how this new pair fares on the small screen.
Question: Will Genelia-Madhavan be able to portray the same chemistry as Vidya-Madhavan? Leave your comments below...

Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan to host IPL Awards

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his close friend filmmaker Karan Johar will be hosting the Indian Premiere League (IPL) Awards night to honour best players and performances of the T20 tournament at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai April 23.
The evening, to be telecast on Colors in May, will be a fusion of cricket and entertainment - to be called Cricketainment - with some of India's biggest entertainers - including Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan - set to perform.
"This star-studded award ceremony will see the superstars of Bollywood and cricket get together to make it the Oscars of the cricketing world. Celebrating sportsmanship, the viewers will be in for colourful treat as IPL champions get felicitated for their performance through the series," Ashvini Yardi, programming head, Colors, said.
"It will be one of its kind and fitting celebration with lots of exciting performances and brilliant surprises to conclude this year's IPL action," Yardi said in a press release.
The awards will be given in 22 categories including batting, bowling, fielding, most stylish player, best stadium and commentator etc.
There are also categories like IPL Jury Awards, Viewers' Choice Awards, Statistical Awards, IPL Captain's Awards and IPL Winners Award.
"IPL has evolved into a uniting force in world cricket and signalled a new era in sports entertainment over the past three seasons. The IPL Awards is the crowning jewel and a fitting event to recognise the best of this season's breathtaking tournament," said IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi.
The critics' choice awards will be adjudged by the IPL Awards Jury, comprising Lalit Modi, cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara and Javagal Srinath, well-known umpire Simon Taufel, and cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.
For the Viewers' Choice Awards categories, fans can vote by visiting IPLT20.com or IPLAwards.com.

Hrithik to perform at IPL 3 closing ceremony

The audience at the IPL 3 final at DY Patil stadium (Nerul) is in for a double treat on April 25. Apart from all the cricket excitement in the evening, the audience will get to see India’s dancing superstar Hrithik Roshan showing off his dancing skills.
Hrithik’s dances will also include a promotion activity for his forthcoming home production Kites, which is up for release next month.
A source says, “Like the previous seasons, the third season of the IPL this year has been a big hit ever since it started. Most of Hrithik’s songs are popular and his dance performance during the finale will be the icing on the cake. His performance will be part of the closing ceremony. It will be a rocking item.”
It is learnt that Hrithik, who is currently in Singapore, has been busy rehearsing for his IPL 3 act since the past couple of days.
We tried speaking to Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan, who claimed that he was unaware of Hrithik’s performance at the IPL 3 final. The actor’s official spokesperson said, “No comments.”

Asin's bullock cart ride

Asin seems to be following in the footsteps of her former co-star Salman Khan, who is known to hop into rickshaws on impulse and even engage in antics like driving one late at night. Recently, when Asin was heading to Madurai airport to catch a flight, she took up an unusual dare by her friends - to travel in a bullock cart. A source close to Asin reveals, “It is a two-hour drive to Madurai airport from Kairaikudi. Asin was to catch a flight to Mumbai and was accompanied by three friends. On the way, they spotted a bullock cart and one thing led to another. When her friends challenged Asin to ride on it, she immediately agreed.”
But when Asin got out of the car and jumped on to the bullock cart, the owner was shocked to see the actor. “He initially thought that Asin just wanted to click some pictures, but when she asked to ride in the bullock cart, he was flabbergasted. Since the flight was a little delayed, Asin and her friends had some time on hand, so they travelled in the bullock cart for over 25 minutes before getting back in the car,” adds the source.
Even more than the bullock cart owner, people travelling on that road were stunned to see the actress and stopped to click pictures. “Some of them came running to ask her for autographs. It was an adventurous ride for the actress and she enjoyed it thoroughly,” adds the source.
Confirmed Asin’s spokesperson, “She has an adventurous streak and enjoyed the bullock cart ride.”

Wallpaper : Mugdha Godse

‘I’m praying that SRK and Aamir become a reality too’

Kalki Koechlin’s a busy girl these days. In between juggling theatre, reading scripts, writing scripts and shooting, the child-woman Chanda of the cult hit Dev D is busy polishing her Hindi and dancing skills as she prepares for her big leap into mainstream Bollywood with Zoya Akhtar’s Running With the Bulls. Self-admittedly, hers wasn’t the most conventional debut Bollywood’s witnessed in recent times, but then, “Nothing I do ever does fit the definition of conventional anyway,” she points out. Whether it’s her live-in relationship with boyfriend director Anurag Kashyap or her professional choices — the actress took time off post Dev D to act in a play Skeletons in the Cupboard — her bold choices often see her being labelled a rebel.
“I live my life the way I want to, not to earn tags like rebel or different. I am not a rebel, this is the only way I know to be. Tags like these make me squirm,” she retorts. And ‘sexy’? “I don’t think I’m sexy in the Bollywood sense of the word. I don’t even think that I fit the mould of the conventional Bollywood beauty. But, sexy has been redefined in Bollywood, so I don’t know!” she says flashing an impish smile.
And though her phirang looks (she’s of French descent) coupled with her anglicised Hindi may limit her choices here, Kalki’s not letting that keep her from trying her hand at conventional mainstream Bollywood. Candid about the offers coming her way, she admits that the offers are not exactly pouring in. “The choices are few, but I’m happy as long as I do get to choose. Filmmakers are experimenting and it’s a good phase for actors here, as stories are getting more real,” she says.
Is that also why she doesn’t mind the shift from realistic cinema to Bollywood? “To a great extent, yes. Realism is already seeping into mainstream Bollywood and the lines are blurring. Though, I must admit that I like Bollywood with all its kitsch and don’t mind being a part of it at all.” And to prove it, she reveals that she has even done her first item number in the forthcoming film Happy Journey.
“It wasn’t meant to make any point though,” she laughs, adding, “But I am excited about it for sure. It’s a full on
item number and I am doing the latkas and jhatkas, too.” What has Kalki equally excited is the mix of films in hand — Anurag’s thriller That Girl in Yellow Boots, Happy Journey and Zoya’s film with Hrithik Roshan. “Hrithik, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan have always been my favourites. Am working with Hrithik now and I’m praying that SRK and Aamir would be a reality, too, some day!”

Shah Rukh - Salman begin online race

Rat-race is a very common term in Bollywood dictionary. Whether they admit it or not, every big celebrity indulges in the game and wants to top it too. But we are talking about a different race today – the hare and the tortoise race, a story that you might have heard in your kindergarten days. The same story seems to have come out true in present times in Bollywood with ‘Shah Rukh Khan’ being analogous to the ‘hare’ and ‘Salman Khan’ being analogous to the ‘tortoise’. We explain how...
A couple of days back Salman Khan logged on to the social networking website Twitter and cyberspace went into frenzy. All his fans who had been waiting since ages to connect with the superstar on the social networking website were elated and in minutes he had, not hundreds but, thousands of fans following him on his account.
An interesting fact to be noted is rival superstar Shah Rukh Khan completed 100 days on Twitter on the same day when Salman Khan joined the network. So while SRK may be celebrating his century with the immense popularity he enjoys on the website, Sallu isn’t far behind in giving tough competition to Shah Rukh and catching up with him in the race.
Today, Shah Rukh Khan has more than 2.7 lakh followers on Twitter which is humungous. But within just three day’s of presence, Salman Khan has gained as many as 30 thousand followers and by the time you read this, the number could even double. So the rate at which Salman Khan is winning followers, seems like it won’t be long before he matches up to Shah Rukh. So despite starting late, the tortoise (Salman) is almost on the verge of catching up with the hare (Shah Rukh) and if consistent enough, might even overtake it.
But does popularity on a social networking site, in any way, also affects the star-status or brand value of a celebrity to some extent or are these figures simply frivolous? “Definitely it affects the brand value of a celeb”, says prominent trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “The social networking websites have given a platform, both to the celebrity and the fans to interact on a one-on-one basis. Gone are the days when stars used to hide behind sunglasses or black windows. Today everyone is getting real and attempting to connect more openly. Social networking websites esp. Twitter are helping celebrities increase their fan following in a huge way and the more fans and followers you have, the more you add to your brand value.”

Clearly the Shah Rukh – Salman war has transcended to a new arena and though they aren’t making any conscious attempts to intrude each other’s territory, in coming days one can expect a cold war between the two in cyberspace. Fans who were following SRK’s tweets have a new option to follow Salman Khan now, a domain which was dormant till some time ago.
Of course, like a film, the fan-following on Twitter too will clearly depend on the appeal of their tweets. Like S. Pankaj, a hardcore social networking enthusiast says, “Salman Khan has just joined Twitter. But his tweets are interesting and not monotonous like SRK. SRK says a lot of things in a single tweet which is not appealing. I just hope Salman doesn't use twitter to promote his films.”
Jigar Shah, a computer professional who keeps a track of both SRK and Salman’s tweets says, “Salman is still new. He is decent till now. SRK is too much speech thingy. But Salman has his own brand of comedy in his tweets”. Then there are loyal Salman Khan fans like Assad Khan, a hardware engineer who says, “I will always follow Salman Khan because I am his hardcore fan and he supports causes like Being Human”.
Extending the debate on whether popularity on Twitter helps the celebrities’ add to the box-office prospects of their films, Pankaj gives a logical answer saying, “It is the other way around. The more good work you do in films, the more popular you are on Twitter.”

The new girl who's rocking Ranbir's life

Speculation about who will play the lead actress in Imtiaz Ali's next film is finally over. Buzz is that Imtiaz Ali has finalised 25-year-old model Diana Penty as the lead actress opposite Ranbir Kapoor in his film Rockstar. The Mumbai-based model is quite famous in the fashion industry and was shortlisted before being finalised to play the lead role.
A source said, "There were several rumours about the girl in Imtiaz Ali's film. Imtiaz had almost finalised Anushka Sharma at one point of time. However, Imtiaz eventually decided that he wanted a new girl for his film and has finally zeroed down on Diana Penty. Incidentally, Diana has also done an ad film for a mobile service provider with Ranbir and was in the news when she replaced Deepika as a cosmetic brand's face."
"The film is being produced by Ashtavinayaka who also made Jab We Met with Imtiaz. Rockstar is one of Imtiaz's most ambitious project. He was initially supposed to make the film with John Abraham and UTV but then he went on to make Love Aaj Kal. After Love Aaj Kal released, he narrated the subject to Ranbir, who immediately agreed to do the film. Imtiaz had been considering various options to play the female lead in Rockstar and finally his wait is over," added the source. We sent a text message to Imtiaz but he did not revert.

Shah Rukh takes blame for KKR’s IPL debacle

Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan, taking the blame for his team’s poor showing at the IPL, has offered “unconditional apologies to all” and “no promises anymore”.
“I completely take the blame for not putting up a good enough show... so much love for KKR & I couldn’t reciprocate,” Shah Rukh Khan tweeted after his Knights were mauled by the Chennai Super Kings.
He did not hide his frustrations and was candid enough after the Knights’ poor show at the Chidambaram stadium where his franchise lost by nine wickets.
“JUST DISAPPOINTED. Can’t do any more for KKR. Sorry can’t sound fakely uppity about next season & thanks for support tweets,” he said.
Though mathematically the men in purple still have a remote chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, the Bollywood Badshah sees no light at the end of the tunnel. “Substance leads to style & glamour. Supporters of KKR, we can say goodbye to IPL now. Better than last year is not good enough.”
“I am not sad. Just feel awful for Kolkata and all of this, most wonderful city and my sponsors. No promises anymore. Bye all.”
KKR may be the most successful franchise commercially, but SRK is not only concerned about the riches -- King Khan says he is emotionally attached to the team. “Someone just sent a mathematical (ill-informed) profit made by KKR. To correct you, not invested million $s just some priceless emotions in KKR.”
“Bye all. I am off now to deal with disappointments in the way I know best.

Interview : I haven't done 'Paathshaala' for commercial reasons: Shahid

Actor Shahid Kapoor, who will be seen as a school teacher in director Milind Ukey's "Paathshaala", says he has not done the film for any commercial reason, but the message of the film inspired him to be associated with it.
"We really want this film to be seen by people because it is saying something good. I haven't done this film for commercial reasons. I don't think Ahmad (Khan) made this for commercial reasons. We just believe in what the film is saying, we wanted to reach out to people," Shahid told reporters here Sunday.
"People don't pick up a subject about children, the education system and try and make a film about it. You try and make a documentary and it becomes boring," he said.
"It's all the more difficult to find a subject and make it entertaining and make it like a story which has little bit of emotion, a little bit of comedy, drama and you want to sit through it. And so, all of us did this film because we wanted to participate in this process of trying to create awareness about something very relevant today," Shahid added.
Releasing April 16, "Paathshala" tries to answer questions related to the sanctity of today's education system.
It sheds light on the shortcomings and wrong doings in today's schools where the high morals and basic ethics associated with the teaching profession seem to have taken a back seat.
Throwing light on the message, he said: "There are lots of things that the film talks about. There are small situations in the film which signify various problems that children are going through."
"How schools compete with a high-end school in the locality and what happens to parents when there is a certain hike in fees. The kind of pressure children have to face when they have to attend school and match up to the studies and match up to the extra curricular activities and match up to the requirements of their parents."
Shahid is certain that "Paathshaala" is unlike actor Aamir Khan's "Taare Zameen Par", and praising Aamir he says "Taare Zameen Par" created a platform for others to make films on related subjects.
"This film is nowhere near 'Taare Zameen Par'. But 'Taare Zameen Par' gave a platform for this type of film. Before that no one ever thought that this type of film could be made and released at the commercial level. 'Taare Zameen Par' talks about a dyslexic child and this film is about the general education system," Shahid said.

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao's French connection

 

Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao left last night for their European holiday. The couple will join Aamir's son Junaid and daughter Ira, who are currently in France. The kids left for France with Aamir's mother and two sisters three days ago.
A source close to Aamir said, “Junaid and Ira were keen to go for a ski holiday to Europe. When they expressed their wish to Aamir, the doting father could not turn down their request. The kids left for France three days ago.”
Last year too, Aamir had gone for a ski holiday. After his return, he had said, “Thanks to my persistent kids I ended up committing to a week of skiing, and I am glad I did. Those of you who have the resources and ability to try out skiing please do so, it is absolutely one of the best things I have done in a long time.”
Last year, Aamir had chosen Banff, a famous ski resort in Canada. This time, the family will holiday in Chamonix Valley, France. “They will also visit a few other places in Europe. It's basically a fun filled trip for the kids,” added the source.
Wasn't this holiday initially just about Aamir spending time with Junaid and Ira? “That's not true. Kiran, Aamir's mother and his sisters were always supposed to be part of this holiday,” said the source.
Aamir’s official spokesperson confirmed the actor’s plans. The family will return to Mumbai after twelve days.

Riya Sen: ‘I can’t reveal who I’ve kissed – Ashmit or Rahul …’

Even after years of being in the industry, the name ‘Riya Sen’ comes with a ‘sexy’ tag. And that one meaty role still beckons...
“Yes, I know, even after ‘Jhankaar Beats’ and ‘Qayamat’ I was being offered only sexy roles. I was being asked to look sexy all the time – wear mini skirts and run around trees, I was so bored of that. No one was taking me seriously, so I gave myself a break for some time. Sometimes you have to wait patiently for things to happen to you. And when it actually happens, you realise it was worth the wait. I waited...and ‘Silsilay’ came my way.”

So you’re finally trying hard to shed the ‘sexy’ image?
“There’s nothing wrong with being ‘sexy’; not everybody can carry off that image, right? But it’s tougher winning the title of a ‘good actress’. I didn’t go all out trying to se sexy, the tag was attached to me. Nowadays, being ‘sexy’ has become like a trend - there are so many new faces I see every day and they all want to be a sex symbol. So it’s not that I have any qualms about being sexy, but I want to be sexy and more!”

You mean ‘more sexy’?
“Ha, ha! I mean a sexy, good actress!”
People often say that your looks are like Aishwarya’s...
“I’m immune to it now. Ash is gorgeous and she’s indeed the most beautiful woman in Bollywood. But I want to have my own identity, and hear people say that ‘Riya Sen is good with all that she has’.”

Your grandmother was the epitome of elegant beauty, while your mother had raw sex appeal. What genes have you inherited?
“Actually, even my parents are confused; they can’t figure who I look like. Even my Dad is very good-looking - many wouldn’t know that Gayatri Devi was his mother’s sister, so he also comes from great looking stock. Of course, my grandma was considered a dream-beauty. I would like to believe I’ve inherited a bit of all of them. I don’t think I resemble any one of them.”

The Golmaal in Ajay Devgan's look

This time Ajay has gone all out to bring out his edgy and rugged style with diamond ear studs, tattoos and cropped hair. This new Avatar for Ajay had been conceptualized by director Rohit Shetty himself. Rohit has even styled the other cast members of the movie like Kareena Kapoor’s tomboy look, Tusshar Kapoor’s tapori look and Arshad Warsi’s look which is yet to be disclosed. The clothes for Ajay's new avatar have been styled by Navin Shetty.
When quizzed the director on the same he said, “I wanted all the characters to have different looks in G3. For Ajay (who plays Gopal again), I wanted a character that looked different from everything he has done. He has been working hard on his body a lot, so we will have him flaunting his body. He plays a hyper character who loses his temper very quickly, because of which everyone is scared of him. People never know what he will laugh about or get angry about.
The tattoos for Ajay’s new look have been designed by Aalim’s studio. He says, “Vishwas from my salon designed the tattoo on Ajay’s neck but the concept and choice was Ajay’s. The tattoo is of a Celtic or tribal trishul. It’s a daring to have a tattoo on the neck, even if it’s temporary. No actor in India has done it on the neck.”
Aalim continues,” We have given Ajay the buzz cut, a stubble ans overall, a more macho, masculine and grungy look than he normally sports. We were waiting for all his film shoots to get over before we could give him this look as otherwise it would have continuity problems. He took a keen interest in the whole look and styling.”