Aishwarya pregnant, says Big B

Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai is in the family way, says her father-in-law and Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
NEWS NEWS NEWS !! I AM GOING TO BECOME A GRANDFATHER .. AISHWARYA EXPECTING .. SO HAPPY AND THRILLED, (sic)" Amitabh posted on his Twitter account.

Ever since Amitabh posted the message on the microblogging site, congratulatory messages have started pouring in.

Aishwarya, 37, and Abhishek, 35, were married in 2007 and as soon as they tied the knot, the rumours of Aishwarya getting pregnant have been making the news. And finally she is expecting.

"Yes, it is true," Ash's spokesperson told IANS, confirming the news.

Kareena kapoor thanks by Sharukh Khan

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has showered praises on his "RA.One" co-star Kareena Kapoor for her hard work and sincerity in completing the shooting in time.
Finished the last few bits and pieces of 'RA.One' with Kareena. Want to thank her for working so hard and fast...she was such a sport. Hope we haven't tanned her too much in the hot sun," Shah Rukh posted on his Twitter page.

The actors were busy shooting portions of the film in Hyderabad. "RA.One" is a much-awaited superhero film, in which Kareena plays Shah Rukh's love interest.

The movie is set for release on Diwali.

-*-

Ash makes Shahana nervous!

Shahana Goswami was a bunch of nerves before giving her first shot with Aishwarya Rai for Madhur Bhandarkar's "Heroine", but later she had a wonderful experience working with the former beauty queen.

"Just gave my first shot with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for @mbhandarkar268 (Madhur Bhandarkar's) film! Came nervous but am at ease now thanks to both of them! Fun!," Shahana posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

The 25-year-old actress, who has featured in films like "Rock On!!", "Mirch" and "Tera Kya Hoga Johnny", refrained from divulging any further details on her character in the film.

"Can't talk about my role but its very exciting and am very happy to be working with @mbhandarkar268! Ash is a sweetheart, always been," she added.

"Heroine" is Bhandarkar's take on the life and times of a superstar Bollywood actress, and the lead role is being essayed by Aishwarya.

-*-

Ishq Bector 'amused' at allegations of stealing song

Singer-composer Ishq Bector has slammed allegations that his latest song "Ishq da keeda" is a stolen piece.

Bector, who is credited with writing and composing the number for "Bheja Fry 2", has been blamed by lyricist Shabbir Abbas for copying the song.

"It's amusing that a con artist would falsely take claim over my song 'Ishq da keeda'. I will prove myself as a genuine music director by constantly churning out original hits for years to come... Some desperate people will do anything for fame or money.."

"This guy wants to be famous. But the only fame this guy will get is in the courtroom. So now our lawyers will make him a star in the court room by suing him for whatever he's worth (which is surely not much)," Bector said in a statement.

According to reports, Abbas sent a legal notice to "Bheja Fry 2" producers raising questions on the originality on the song.

Salman to skip IIFA

All those who were expecting a face-off between the two Khans of Bollywood - Salman and Shah Rukh - at the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend will be disappointed as Salman has decided to skip the award ceremony.
Here to promote his debut movie production "Chillar Party", Salman confirmed that he won't be present at the three-day event which will kick off Thursday in Toronto.

"I am shooting for my next 'Bodyguard' and it is an action movie, so yes, you people won't see me there. IIFA will miss me this time," Salman told reporters at the Film Division here Tuesday.

This year, Shah Rukh is performing on the IIFA stage after seven years. The actor has attended two editions of the IIFA Weekend in the past - in Singapore in 2004, and Amsterdam in 2005.

As "Chillar Party" will open the 12th IIFA awards ceremony and this being Salman's first production, his presence was more than expected. But it seems the rift between the two Khans has pushed Salman to stay away from the ceremony.

Katrina Kaif in UAE to promote airline's new destinations

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif was spotted at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi to promote UAE airline Etihad's new destinations and to also meet her fans.
At the Mall, Kaif, 26, spoke about how important her audience are to her.

"I'm not going to do a movie just because I will get critical support. As long as the audience comes to the theatre and enjoy themselves, I'm happy," Gulf News quoted her as saying.

When asked how she feels about her best actress nomination in the upcoming International Indian Film Academy awards for her role in Rajneeti, Kaif admitted it was the first she'd heard of it.

"I had no idea, thank you for giving me the good news. It's very nice that the film was appreciated," she stated.

No reality show for Sonam Kapoor

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor has denied reports that she is hosting a style-based reality show on the small screen.
A newspaper had reported that the "Aisha" actress is following in the footsteps of Kareena Kapoor and has agreed to do a reality show, but the 26-year-old cleared the air through her post on Twitter.

"No, I'm not doing any show on television. Wasn't even approached and I have no interest as of now. #deccanchronicles reporter has written fiction (sic)," posted Sonam.

-*-

SRK's easy moves!

Blame it on the knee injury or whatever, but Shah Rukh Khan is taking it easy when it comes to his finale performance at the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend on June 25.

The Bollywood superstar has been busy wrapping up shooting of his sci-fi film "Ra.One" in Hyderabad and, despite his hectic schedule, he flew to Toronto to practise for the performance and has thanked everyone for making room for adjustment.

"Back in Mumbai. Wanted to thank Anubhav (Sinha), Tarun, V. Manikanandan and the crew for making the hectic schedule possible. Nursing knee injury to get ready for IIFA. Wish Toronto was closer to Bandra. Shiamak (Davar) team making the dance steps easier for me (sic)," Shah Rukh posted on Twitter.

-*-

Raveena feared item-girl tag!

If it wasn't for the item-girl tag, Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon could have stepped into the shoes of Malaika Arora Khan and danced on the roof of the train in popular item-number "Chaiya-Chaiya" from "Dil Se"!

"Incidentally!! 'Chaiya chaiya' was offered to me first!! I'd already done many songs that I said no to this, afraid will be labelled item girl! ha ha," Raveena posted on her Twitter page.

Aishwarya Rai pregnant with first baby, tweets Big B

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai is expecting her first baby with her husband Abhishek Bachchan after four years of their marriage.
Abhishek’s father, actor and producer Amitabh Bachchan, broke the good news on his Twitter page.

“NEWS NEWS NEWS!! I am going to become a grandfather. Aishwarya expecting... So happy and thrilled!!!” the Daily Mail quoted him as tweeting.

Amitabh later wrote that the news had only just been confirmed.

It would be the first child for the 37-year-old actress and her actor husband Abhishek Bachchan, 35, who got married in 2007.

Bheja Fry 2 - Minissha's Sunday treat

Actress Minissha Lamba says that after a long time she is not working on a Sunday and that she will enjoy the break by watching her film "Bheja Fry 2" with friends.
Enjoying my 1st sunday off in weeks..heading to a theatre nearby to watch a film with my friends...No prizes for guessing which one. 'BhejaFry2'(sic)," she posted on micro-her Twitter page.

The 26-year-old plays a reality TV show producer in "Bheja Fry 2", which was released Friday.

Produced by Mukul Deora and directed by Sagar Ballary, the movie has Vinay Pathak as the protagonist and he is joined by Kay Kay Menin and Suresh Menon in the cast.

Aamir Khan celebrates a decade of 'Lagaan' in style

When sports-themed period film "Lagaan" released in 2001, it created a rage and now after a decade, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan celebrated the film's 10 years and his own 10 years into production with fanfare and jubilation.
The actor invited all those who were part of "Lagaan" and also the teams of all the films produced under his banner "Aamir Khan Productions".

"I'm very happy to meet my entire team of 'Lagaan' after so long. The film has completed 10 years. It's so nice to meet all these people and celebrate with them," Aamir told reporters here late Wednesday night.

"Teams of all the other films are also here. I thank them that such great talents have worked with our production house and made it what it is today," he added.

A special screening of a film based on the making of "Lagaan" was also organised for the guests that included Ashutosh Gowariker, Imran Khan, Javed Akhtar, Gracy Singh and others.

In 2002, "Lagaan" was nominated for the best foreign language film at the Oscars but it didn't win the award.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who was the narrator in "Lagaan", also made an appearance.

"I'm happy and proud that my name is associated with such a great actor, director and producer like Aamir Khan and with a film like 'Lagaan' that created waves even internationally," Amitabh said.

The evening also witnessed the presence of Aamir's wife Kiran Rao, who was an assistant director on the sets of "Lagaan", and his ex-wife Reena Dutta.

"I don't believe that it's been 10 years now. Today when we saw this screening, we realised that it has been so long. We are very thankful to Ashutosh and Aamir that they made such a great film and made us a part of it," Kiran said.

"It's a very unique film and you can't make such films every day. History was written when this film was made," she added.

It was reported at that time that Aamir and Kiran began dating during the shoot of "Lagaan" but the actor denied it.

"I did not meet Kiran properly that time because she was a part of a 300-plus crew, so I was not really good friends with her during that time. I made friends with her later in 2003," the actor revealed.

Aamir also ruled out the possibility of a sequel to "Lagaan". "We will not make a sequel of this film. That's for sure," he said.

Aamir Khan productions celebrate a decade of film-making

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has said he never aspired to be a producer but the strong script of 'Lagaan' made him resolve to plunge into the film-making arena.
He was addressing a success party last night to celebrate 'Lagaan', which completed ten years, and with it Aamir Khan productions also completing a decade into film production.

Aamir said producing a movie was a tough job as he had seen his father and uncle making Hindi films and trying to come to terms with the medium. ''I never wanted to become a producer but with the passage of time the medium has fascinated me'', he told the cast and all others associated with the film and his company.

A documentary 'Madness', on the making of Lagaan, was screened for the guests. Made by Satyajit Bhatkal, who handled production for Lagaan, it brought back memories of the movie for the cast and crew of the film.

Lagaan had broken all rules of Indian cinema, it was made against a village background, where the hero wore a dhoti and the climax was a cricket match, all forbidden areas in Indian film making.

An ambitious project written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and produced by Aamir Khan, it became the third Hindi-language film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film after Mother India (1957) and Salaam Bombay! (1988). Lagaan became a super hit, breaking all records. It also won critical acclaim.

The function was about this joy and happiness that came after a series of difficulties and hurdles, which the Lagaan team overcame.

Aamir Khan production with Lagaan began a memorable journey of producing good cinema. Under the AKP banner are also credited films like 'Tare Zameen Par', 'Dhobi Ghat', 'Peepli Live', 'Jane Tu Ya Jane Na' and the latest and yet to be released 'Delhi Belly'.

Among the personalities that graced the occasion were Ashutosh Gowariker, who wrote and directed Lagaan, Javed Akhtar who wrote the songs, Udit Narayan wth son Aditya Narayan, Vaibhavi Merchant, Abbas Tyrewala and Amitabh Bachchan, who gave the voice over for Lagaan and all actors, who worked in an AKP film.

Ranbir Kapoor to auction his portrait to support girl child

Actor Ranbir Kapoor is set to do his bit for the welfare of girl child in the country. He will auction his portrait, done during Simi Garewal's chat show "India's Most Desirable", and says the money will go to the Mijwan Welfare Society.
Mijwan Welfare Society is a non-government organisation (NGO) in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, which is being run by actress-activist Shabana Azmi and Namrata Goyal.

The organisation works for the empowerment of girl child.

"By associating with Mijwan Welfare Society, an NGO founded by the extraordinary poet lyricist Kaifi Azmi, I am paying my tribute to a rare poet who practised what he preached," Ranbir said in a statement.

"I am happy to join hands with MWS, which is working to provide equal opportunity to the girl child through education, training and employment generation. It is heartening that Shabana Azmi and her godchild Namrata Goyal are taking Kaifi Saheb's dream forward," he added.

I'm performing with Jermaine in Toronto Sonu Niigaam

Versatile Indian singer Sonu Niigaam says he will perform with Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine during the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend in Toronto, as a tribute to the late King of Pop on the eve of his second death anniversary.
The duo will perform Sonu's composition, which has been chosen as a tribute song for Michael, who died June 25, 2009, by his family.

"Yes, I am performing with him (Jermaine), the MJ tribute song that is getting released by Universal America next week. It is called 'This Is It'. I wrote and composed the song and he sang it for me in Los Angeles. It is the first ever tribute song in the world post MJ's sad demise that is endorsed by a member of Michael Jackson's family," Sonu told IANS.

Their performance will be a part of the IIFA Rocks, a music and fashion event which will sponsored by Grey Goose on the second day of the three-day Bollywood extravaganza in Toronto, starting June 23.

"We were fortunate to have met with Michael Jackson in 1996 when we brought him to India for his concert. With IIFA in Toronto, we will be commemorating Michael Jackson's second death anniversary with a performance by his brother Jermaine Jackson on the IIFA Rocks stage. He will be joined by Sonu Niigaam," Sabbas Joseph, one of the founder directors of Wizcraft International Entertainment, told IANS.

Sonu is a huge Michael Jackson fan, and he has admitted in the past that his style of singing the hit number "Ye dil deewana" was majorly influenced by the international pop superstar.

Jermaine, MJ's elder brother, had last visited India in October 2009 for 10 days to record an album with composer-singer Adnan Sami.

Mithun Chakraborty turns 61

Mithun Chakraborty, the actor who brought in fresh new dancing trends in the glitzy world of Bollywood, turns 61 on Thursday.
The Bengali actor, who was born in Kolkata as Gouranga Chakraborty became popular in the film industry as Mithun Chakraborty.

Although he was best known for his dance moves that were imitated by millions of his fans in the 70s and 80s (known more as the disco age of B-town), but a young Mithun had spell-bounded the audience by his acting talent in his debut film 'Mrigaya' which fetched him National Film Award for Best Actor.

His dance moves and his own unique dialogue delivery in films like 'Disco Dancer', 'Dance Dance' and 'Agneepath' made him the popular face of the matinee shows in India.

In recent years he re-appeared on the silver screen with films like-'Guru', 'Heroes', 'Chandni Chowk To China','Luck' and 'Golmaal 3'.

But more than films, he is now-a-days seen judging dance reality shows like 'Dance Bangla Dance Junior; on the small screen.

I consciously kept my wife away from limelight Rajeev Khandelwal

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal, who married girlfriend Manjiri Kamtikar in February this year, says it was a conscious decision to keep his wife away from the media glare.
Manjiri is not the type who wants to be written about or covered by the media. She likes her independence. She likes being in her own world. She is very happy like that. Even I don't like talking about my personal life a lot. So it was my decision to keep my personal life and marriage away from the limelight and Manjiri agreed with me too," Rajeev told IANS.

"I knew that there will be a lot of spotlight on my marriage and there were a lot of requests etc for the pictures. That's why I got married in Jodhpur and kept it a personal affair," added the actor who exchanged marital vows at Khimsar fort in Jodhpur.

The 35-year-old, who garnered fame on the small screen with the show "Kahiin Toh Hoga" and later hosted "Sach Ka Saamna", had an Arya Samaj wedding.

When asked whether anything has changed in his life post-marriage, Rajeev informed: "Nothing major."

"Marriage hasn't changed anything in me, it hasn't changed anything except the way I live my life. Basically, my home front…the state of my house has changed, the ownership has changed, the rules have changed. There is nothing similar in my house to what it used to be four months back, the decor, the colours, the curtains everything has changed and not in my control anywhere. Other than this everything is the same," added Rajeev laughingly.

"But I am still the same guy, I still operate in the same manner. If I have to meet a girl for a cup of coffee, I still meet her because I know where to exactly draw the line. Manjiri is not the kind who would call me if I'm having a cup of coffee with a girl. She is a very secure person, which gives me so much independence and a lot more reason to love her even more," he said.

The actor, who made a successful transition from small to big screen with "Aamir" and "Shaitan", is looking forward to Neerav Ghosh's "Soundtrack" set for an August release, and Tanuja Chandra's "Raakh", which will be released at the end of the year.

Shah Rukh Khan to perform on IIFA stage after seven years

Bollywood fans in Toronto just got luckier - superstar Shah Rukh Khan is not just attending the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend, but he will also enthrall the audience with a befitting finale performance at the awards ceremony June 25.
The actor has attended two editions of the IIFA Weekend in the past - in Singapore in 2004, and Amsterdam in 2005. He had last performed in the Singapore show.

"Shah Rukh Khan will be our finale performer for this year. He is returning to perform for us after seven years, and we are very excited," Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment, the IIFA organiser, announced at a press conference here Thursday.

Shah Rukh has also been nominated in the best actor category for his performance as Rizwan Khan, a patient of Asperger's syndrome, in Karan Johar's "My Name Is Khan". IIFA organisers are expecting a huge turnout of fans with Shah Rukh's presence.

"He is a phenomenal performer and a huge star. He hasn't been to Canada in a long time... so the kind of expectations that fans and people have of Shah Rukh is quite something!" Joseph told IANS.

Other performers at the star-studded event include Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan and the famous Deol family - veteran star Dharmendra and his sons Sunny and Bobby.

Salman Khan is also expected to be at the three-day IIFA Weekend as his debut co-production "Chillar Party" is set to kick off the IIFA Film Festival. It would only be interesting to see a face-off between the once friends-turned-foe stars.

But whether their star power will make up for megastar Amitabh Bachchan's absence or not is yet to be seen at the weekend, set to be held June 23-25.

Mallika Sherawat on her attempts to cross over to Hollywood

Indian actress Mallika Sherawat has spoken out about rumours of her attempts to cross over to Hollywood from Bollywood, and she insists she has never tried to do so.
Sherawat, who is in Dubai to inaugurate the Chemannur International Jewellers store, said she is proud to be part of Bollywood, but she is also looking forward to starring in movies outside her homeland.

“I never attempted to cross over to the West. I have done over 20 films in Bollywood. I am who I am because of Bollywood,” Gulf News quoted her as saying.

“But Hollywood is showing me a lot of love right now. When they offered me the part to play a half-American, half-Indian Democrat volunteer in Politics of Love, I was like — why not?

“Tomorrow, if I get a good role from Mexico or Spain or from Korea, I will take it on.

“Today, we live in a global world. I will do any film in any language, like Malayalam, if I get a great part in it,” she added.

Ekta Kapoor inspires Minissha Lamba

Actress Minissha Lamba, who plays a reality TV show producer in "Bheja Fry 2", says she took inspiration from Ekta Kapoor to prepare for her character and dedicates it to the TV tsarina.
I was inspired by Ekta, I thought of her when I was conceptualising this character because everybody knows the success story but the hard work that one puts in is unknown," Minissha told reporters here Tuesday.

"Sometimes it happens that you are just a few steps away from success but you fail. You come with a value system but end up compromising. It is like you are being tested all the time. I really took inspiration from that phase. So I wanted to dedicate this character to a woman who revolutionised the television industry, in fact, she has made the television industry in India," she added.

The actress was here to promote "Bheja Fry 2" which releases Friday and was accompanied by her co-star Vinay Pathak.

Although she would be a reality show producer in the film, the actress said she wouldn't mind being a part of one. "I wouldn't mind being a part of a reality show but it should be appealing," she said.

John Abraham to join Sajid's 'Housefull 2' team in London later

The "Housefull 2" team left for London last week but without John Abraham. He will join the gang a week later.
Apparently, producer Sajid Nadiadwala had earlier planned to hire a private jet to take the whole 'Housefull 2' crew to England from Mumbai. But now, with various members opting for scattered travel, he has no option but to cancel the plan.

Nadiadwala, who is in the middle of implementing a dare-devilish co-ordinating stunt, hardly has time to pause to talk about his problems.

"Kya karen? These are all busy stars. We can't have them over in London and then have them sitting idle waiting for actors with whom they are to do combination shots. And losing precious shooting dates in London means losing out on permission to shoot in places like Leicester Square, where getting permission again is impossible. It's a very tricky situation. And it's the biggest challenge I've faced in my career as a producer," Nadiadwala says.

Getting the stars' dates synchronized is an ordeal for him.

"We are trying to accommodate the actors in different groups in the shooting schedule so that no one has to sit idle. Let's see how we do it," he says.

Esha Deol on her growing proximity to Deols

The Deols and Hema Malini's daughters are coming together. Hema's daughters, Esha and Ahana, are in fact very close to their stepbrothers Sunny and Bobby Deol.
this fact is kept hidden away from public view is because "she" wouldn't like it. Yes, that's how the first Mrs Dharmendra, Prakash, is addressed.

Sunny and Bobby keep their affections for their half-sisters discreetly away from the public eye but it looks like Dharmendra's nephew Abhay and Esha share a great bond.

Esha in fact gets along like a house on fire with Abhay. The two spend a lot of time together, bonding unconsciously, building a bridge between Dharmendra's two families.

Says a source, "Abhay and Esha are constantly in touch. She has in fact taken charge of his fitness regime. Abhay is very lazy about going to the gym. Esha drags him to the gym and makes him work out. She wants him to build on his muscles while Abhay thinks the body is not quite the acting tool that he would like to use. They're constantly arguing over his laidback attitude to physical fitness."

When asked, Esha was candid about her closeness to Abhay.

"We've always been very close from our school days. I guess because now we're grown up and known names, people want to know about us."

Esha admits she has been helping Abhay with his gym regime.

"I do take him for wor-outs. It's always fun doing things with Abhay. We share a lovely bond. Like any brother and sister. We stay two minutes away from one another. So as and when we want to chill together we meet up. But we keep in touch constantly."

Serial kisser tag irritating Emraan Hashmi

Emraan Hashmi rose to fame not only through his acting but also his lip lock scenes with almost every actress opposite him in his film - the reason why he was tagged as the serial kisser. However, the actor is now irritated with the tag.
I don't have any problem with sexual content films because of which this name has been coined. But this name is very irritating. If this name is changed, I will do these films throughout my life. I would rather have the name serial killer than serial kisser," Emraan told reporters here.

The 32-year-old actor has locked lips in films like "Murder", "Zeher", "Aksar", "Gangster" and "Crook" among others.
I find myself lucky: Asin

Southern beauty Asin Thottumkal, who stepped into Bollywood three years back and has already worked with bigwigs like Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, says that she finds herself lucky to have got such opportunities.

"I do find myself lucky because in the film industry there are a lot of factors that probably result in success. You need talent and discipline but somewhere you need to have that X factor also. What that X factor is, whether that's luck, or god's grace or the wishes of all the people around you, that is open to interpretation.

"But I think that that one factor that helps is definitely with me otherwise I wouldn't have got all these opportunities to work with these bigwigs of the industry," Asin told IANS.

The 25-year-old has worked with Aamir in "Ghajini" and with Salman in two films - "London Dreams" and "Ready". She is now geared up to work opposite Akshay Kumar in "Houseful 2".
I have based my character on Laurel: Jaaved Jaaferi

Dancer-actor-comedian Jaaved Jaaferi, who is playing a funny, simple guy in upcoming film "Double Dhamaal", says that he modeled his character on classic comic character Laurel from the Laurel and Hardy pair.

"I brought whatever I could to the table for my character. I took a little reference from Laurel. I mixed all that and made this character," Jaaved told IANS.

"Double Dhamaal" is a sequel to 2007 hit film "Dhamaal". It has been directed by Indra Kumar and retains the original cast including Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Aashish Chaudhary. Mallika Sherawat and Kangna Ranaut have joined them in the film, set for a June 24 release.

Amitabh Bachchan wins 'distinguished personality' award

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was named the most distinguished personality of 2010 at the BIG Television Awards here. He says TV is a "complex and vibrant" medium and he admires the small screen fraternity that works tirelessly.
So I went to the BigFm TV Awards and came back with one .. the most distinguished personality of the year in TV for the last year...," Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com, following the event Tuesday night.

The 68-year-old, who will be back on the small screen with "Kaun Banega Crorepati 5" starting Aug 15, is in awe of those who work round-the-clock for the small screen.

"The TV industry a revelation for me...a most complex and vibrant medium .. a difficult medium to be in, and most of all a tough medium to be connected with. It takes the mickey out of you when you are asked to perform for it...and I speak from experience," he wrote.

"Hence my great admiration for all those that are connected with it, and continue to work each day for its betterment .. takes a lot out of the artistes and personalities that labor day and night in its working," he added.

Amitabh made his TV debut with the first season of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" in 2000, against the wishes of his family and friends.

"When I was given the opportunity to work in it for the first time for 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', everyone told me I was making the biggest mistake of my life. Today, after receiving recognition, I am happy to have made that mistake!"

"Kaun Banega Crorepati" is the Indian version of the internationally popular "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" The upcoming season will be aired on Sony Entertainment Television.

Shweta Bhardwaj's ode to Helen

Actress Shweta Bhardwaj, who made her Bollywood in 2008 with "Mission Istaanbul", returns to the silver screen with a item song in "Bin Bulaaye Baraati" and has dedicated it to yesteryears dance star Helen.
The song "Kismat apni sajale" has been shot in in a casino on a ship and Swheta said that it is her ode to Helen, known for dancing in songs like "Piya Tu" and "Yeh mera dil pyaar ka deewana"

After "Mission Istaanbul", Shweta took a break from acting to complete her studies and now hopes to return with a bang with this film. She has four more releases lined up this year.

Celina Jaitly admires Sunil Dutt

Actress Celina Jaitly says that she admires late actor Sunil Dutt for being a brilliant actor as well as a great human being.
"The person I admire the most in this industry has been late Sunil Dutt saab, a brilliant actor, father, husband and person who did lots for the community," she posted on microblogging site Twitter.

The actress' Bollywood career seems to be going through a rough patch as most of her films have failed to rake in the moolah at the box-office. Last seen in "Hello Darling", the actress is shooting for "Run Bhola Run".

She is expected to tie the knot this year with Dubai-based hotelier Peter Haag.

NGO sends kit to help Shah Rukh quit smoking

An NGO Friday said it has sent a set of nicotine replacement therapy (NRTs) patches to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to help him quit smoking.
HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth) said it has also sent a factsheet on tobacco cessation after the actor, in a recent media interview, expressed his willingness to quit smoking.

"We have sent him a letter along with the patches and a factsheet," the group's communications officer Nikunj Sharma told IANS.

Monika Arora, the senior director of the organization, in the letter sent Thursday said if Shah Rukh takes this step, it will help convey the right health message to millions of his fans in India and world over, especially the youth.

"His decision to quit smoking will set an example that smoking is hazardous for health and that quitting is possible no matter how long you have been smoking, said Amit Yadav of the NGO.

"Shah Rukh is a versatile actor and we are hopeful that this time he would succeed in his effort to quit smoking and thus motivate others."

"We hope that he also inspires the film fraternity to refrain from showing tobacco use in films which has an adverse impact on youth and prove to be a 'real hero' for all his fans," Yadav added.

Husain was sad about not returning to India Madhuri Dixit

M.F. Husain was always full of excitement and ever on the move, reminisces Madhuri Dixit, the celebrated painter's first Bollywood muse with whom he had planned an ambitious project on Indian cinema. The diva, who had spoken to Husain over a month ago, says he would become sad about not being able to return to India.
Trying to contain her emotions, Madhuri remembers her final conversation with Husain. "The last time I spoke to him was more than a month back. He was so excited about that project on 100 Years Of Cinema. He would always be filled with excitement and never get tired of his work. I think his work was his stress-buster. Most of us need a break from our work, no matter how much we love it. Not Husain Saab."

Husain died in London on Thursday at age 95.

Speaking from Denver, Madhuri said: "As usual he was very excited about this latest brainchild. His zest for life and his ideas always made me feel older than him."

Taking a deep breath, Madhuri sighs: "It's very difficult to believe Husain Saab is gone. It's like losing someone very near to you. If as you say I was some part of his huge legacy then I am very very proud of being part of what Husain Saab created. He is certainly someone who made a difference to my life."

Diplomatically evading the issue of Husain's enforced exile away from India, Madhuri finally burst out: "Whenever we spoke he was so charged. He would get sad only when he talked about not being home in India. Husain Saab was one of the more liberal people I knew. He believed in all religions and he experienced life to the fullest. Yes, I'll miss him."

In Madhuri's home in the US, M.F. Husian is a household name. "Even my children know about him. When I told my son Husain Saab is no more he was like, 'Aw Mom, is he really gone?'

Madhuri remembers the bare-feet bare-soled artist's illimitable energy. "Husain Saab called himself a nomad. And he was a really restless soul. I remember when we were shooting 'Gaja Gamini' he'd often disappear from the sets. We'd be like, 'Where is Husain Saab?' He'd be all over the place with his ideas."

Madhuri admits the movie that Husain made was a brain-teaser. "In 'Gaja Gamini' I knew I was not doing a regular normal run-of-the-mill film. He wanted it to be such a cinema where one could take any frame and treat it like an individual painting. It was a tough role. Husain Saab wanted me to portray facets of womanhood with all my mystique and charm. I don't know if I succeeded in putting across even a part of his ideas."

Most of all Madhuri remembers the 90-plus icon's gusto for existence. "He was restless and fidgety. Always on the move. I was tempted to tell him, 'Husain Saab, slow down, so I can catch up with you.' My association started with him when he saw me in 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun'. He saw it umpteenth times. I guess he liked my screen presence. I learnt a lot from my interaction with him."

From billboards to Madhuri Husain's love affair with cinema

Indian artist M.F. Husain's undying passion for art was also manifest in a long love affair with cinema. From painting billboards to designing movie invitations to making films, he had a colourful tryst with Bollywood.
Husain, who died in London Thursday, came to Mumbai in 1935 in search of a career in art and ended up painting movie posters to earn livelihood. That was his first brush with cinema and the fascination was to last 75 years.

"He probably made the billboard for K.L. Saigal's (1935) 'Devdas'. After that he associated himself with New Talkies and then took off independently," K. Bikram Singh, who has written a book on the painter titled "Maqbool Fida Husain", told IANS.

"His experience in billboard-making art reflected in his later paintings. He used broad strokes and strong colours, usually used in hoarding paintings," he added.

Mumbai-based film historian S.M.M. Ausaja said, "MF designed invites for several movies. He designed it for 'Heena' and and his own films 'Gaja Gamini' and 'Meenaxi' and also the wedding invite of Juhi Babbar (the daughter of actor politician Raj Babbar and actress Nadira)."

After climbing the high ladder of the art world, Husain decided to show his creativity on silver screen and wielded the megaphone for his first film in 1967 for "Through the Eyes of a Painter".

Known for his cubist and abstract depiction of figures and animals in Indian art, he filmed the 15-minute long movie in Rajasthan which has shots of a goat, a hawk flying into the blue seas and women bathing.

His maiden work, sans dialogues, impressed the international film critics when screened at the Berlin Film Festival, walked away with a Golden Bear.

But it took him 33 years to make his next, a feature film titled "Gaja Gamini" featuring Bollwyood's dancing diva Madhuri Dixit who inspired him with her performance in the 1994 musical blockbuster "Hum Aapke Hain Koun".

Just like millions of Indians, Husain fell for her charm, not only watching "Hum Aapke...." 67 times but also making a series of paintings depicting the actress in various moods and roping her in to play the lead role in his film "Gaja Gamini".

The film projected the aesthetics of feminine beauty in different time periods. From the script, to production, Husain was involved in every aspect of the movie.

Unfortunately Husain, who co-scripted the film with Kamna Chandra, couldn't turn it into a commercial success.

Another Bollywood actress who caught his attention was Tabu and he made "Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities" with her in 2004.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said: "The kind of work and the kind of films that he has made, only he could make them. He made them all by himself and funded them also, so nobody had the audacity to question his conviction."

Husain's fascination for Bollywood divas continued. When the film "Vivah" was released in 2006, he instantly liked lead actress Amrita Rao, portrayed as a demure small time girl, and decided to paint her. It was big moment for Amrita.

Later it was Vidya Balan who struck a chord with her sensuous portrayal of a rural woman in "Ishqiya". Husain expressed a desire to make film with the talented actress - but this wish will now remain unfulfilled.

He also expressed a desire to bring the vivacity of actress Anushka Sharma on canvas after watching her spirited performance in "Band Baaja Baraat".

Poster and Bollywood memorabilia collector Siddharth Tagore remembers attending Husain's exhibition dedicated to Oscar winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray and his movies.

"The exhibition featured Husain's works inspired by Ray and his movies. It was a
legacy of his movie years in Mumbai - the love for good and meaningful cinema," Tagore, also the owner of Art Konsult Gallery in the capital, told IANS.

At the time of his death, his autobiography was being made into a movie tentatively titled "The Making of the Painter" starring Shreyas Talpade as the young Husain.

"I am honoured to have known Husain saab since childhood. Very few people know that his father used to sell small earthen lamps in front of the Pandharpur temple in Maharashtra. He would have been a happier person had he been in India during his last days," said Nadira.

Talking about the Husain painting in her living room, she said: "The painting is a depiction of images of a couple a pigeon and a lion. Looking at the painting now gives mixed feeling.

"A happy feeling of being fortunate of such a great artist putting down his work on our wall and sad because we will no longer be able to interact with him."

Sonam Kapoor turns 26, gets chocolate cake from sister

Actress Sonam Kapoor turned 26 Thursday. Her younger sister Rhea ordered her favourite chocolate cake to celebrate the occassion, while her friends from filmdom and the fashion industry sent their best wishes.
The celebs took to micro-blogging site Twitter to wish the actress.

Rhea tweeted: "Gearing up for @sonamakapoor's birthday. This means ordering the most indulgent chocolate cake ever and then convincing her that its 'diet' (sic)."

To which, Sonam added: Sitting with my family is the most special thing ever! Thank you @RheaKapoor @moh_m arjun, shehlu @anshulakapoor and kunal.. And mom! Love u."

Maheep Kapoor, who is married to Sonam's uncle Sanjay: Happy birthday to my stunning niece @sonamakapoor.

Neil Nitin Mukesh wished her singing the birthday, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you dear sonam, happy birthday to you".

Celina Jaitly: Happy birthday@sonamakapoor big hug.

Madhur Bhandarkar: Many happy returns to @sonamakapoor God bless.

Designer Manish Malhotra posted: Wishing you a very happy birthday.

Designer Nachiket Barve: Wishing @sonamakapoor a sparkling birthday! Hope its super fun and the year ahead even better! Xx.

Sonam, eldest daughter of actor Anil Kapoor and designer Sunita Kapoor, made her acting debut alongside Ranbir Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Saawariya" in 2007. After that, she featured in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Delhi-6" with Abhishek Bachchan and later teamed up with Abhay Deol for the romantic comedy "Aisha", which was produced by her sister Rhea.

In 2010, she also appeared in Punit Malhotra's "I Hate Luv Storys" opposite Imran Khan.

Kapoor's forthcoming releases include "Mausam" with Shahid Kapoor and multi-starrer "Players" that stars Bobby Deol, Bipasha Basu, Abhishek, Neil, Omi Vaidya and Sikander Kher.

Shilpa Shetty turns 36

Hot Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty turns 36 on Wednesday.

The gorgeous actress had made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 'Baazigar' in 1993 but her career never reached the height till she gained fame after participating in the British celebrity reality show Big Brother in 2007.

Shetty was crowned the winner of the show after a racism controversy which involved her and fellow contestants Jade Goody, Jo O'Mearaand Danielle Lloyd.

She has charmed her audience not only by her electrifying figure but also her acting skills in films like 'Phir Milenge', 'Life in a Metro', ‘Dhadkan’.

The B-town diva also gained popularity via her item numbers in films like ‘Shool’, ‘Kushi’, ‘Dostana’.

Shetty, who co-owns the Indian Premiere League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals, had a sad encounter in the cricketing field in 2011 as her team could not qualify to the semi-final stage of the cash-rich cricket league.

She married to businessman Raj Kundra in 2009.

It was rumored that Shetty and Kundra were expecting their first child, but the actress brushed off the reports.

"Sick and tired of all the congratulatory msgs and calls,so for the last time "I AM NOT PREGNANT".all this is so annoying..grrrrrrrrr," she posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Shetty, who released a DVD on yoga a couple of years back, runs a spa called Iosis in Mumbai with her friend Kiran Bawa.

Sonam Kapoor turns 26 on Thursday

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor turns 26 on Thursday.
Sonam is planning to spend a quiet birthday this time in her house with her family, she told to a Mumbai daily on her birthday plans.

Sonam had a poor start to the year with her last released movie, 'Thank You', bombing at the box office.

The bubbly actress drew the attention of her fans with her gorgeous looks and at the same time with good acting skills in films like ‘Delhi 6’ and’ I Hate Luv Stories’.

She will be seen entertaining her fans in the upcoming films like ‘Mausam’ and ‘Players’.

Earlier this year, Sonam joined the list of Indian representatives at Cannes as she walked down the red carpet there.

She represented cosmetics brand L'Oréal, the brand she endorses in India at the 64th Cannes Film Festival.

Celina Jaitley supports green initiative

Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley has pledged to support the "Plant a Tree" initiative to create awareness and educate society on the importance of a green nation.
The initiative is taken by diamond brand, Diya Diamond, for which the 29-year-old actress is the brand ambassador.

The former Miss India, who is also an active gay rights activist, feels the tree plantation initiative has the power to become an agent of change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

"The activity is the perfect platform to create awareness about our environmental issues and a step in the right direction. I hope everybody joins us and takes a pledge to give back to nature and become proactively environmentally friendly," said Celina who has worked in movies like "Golmaal Returns" and "Hello darling".

Katrina voted FHM's sexiest woman

Actress Katrina Kaif tops the Sexiest Women 2011 list of men's lifestyle magazine FHM, edging out Deepika Padukone who won the title last year. Katrina had won the title in 2008 and 2009 too.
The FHM 100 Sexiest Women list is based on online and SMS voting and saw a whopping 35,000 responses this year.

"We'd love to say 2011 was a close contest, only Sheila made sure it was far from. A feat that becomes even more significant because no woman in the world across all 28 editions of FHM has ever won the Sexiest Woman in the World title three times in the last 17 years that we've been making the list. Her average is higher than Sachin Tendulkar's and she replaces Deepika Padukone who won the crown in 2010," said Kabeer Sharma, executive editor FHM India, in a statement.

Katrina seems to be the toast of the season -- she was the only Bollywood actress to feature on the India Today's Elite Power list and is also the most Google-searched Indian celebrity.