Hollywood Bollywood News & Gossips

Bollywood’s gripped by cricket fever and B-towners seem to be reeling under the spell of the on-going World Cup. And even while all roads in B-Town may not be leading to Mohali in Punjab, where our men in blue will be taking on the rival Pak team in what is expected to be a thrilling semi-final tomorrow, our stars are not letting go of their dose of the cricket action. Whether in person at Mohali or catching up on the action while at work, B-Town will make sure cricket’s the name of the game.

Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Preity Zinta are two of the few stars who’re planning to catch the action live by flying to Mohali. Actor Deepika Padukone might also be joining them. Singer Mika will also be catching the match live.

Though the others won’t be seen in the stands cheering team India, they will be keeping their fingers crossed for our boys for sure. Reportedly, Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan will host a cricket party at Mannat where he, along with his close coterie of friends, will be cheering for India, as is actor Aamir Khan, who will apparently be hosting a bash at home with wife Kiran Rao.

Film-maker Sajid Khan said he would be attending a small get-together being planned at actor Akshay Kumar’s residence, though initially, the star was rather keen to attend the match. Actor Tusshar Kapoor was planning to go catch the action live, but changed his mind about it.

Actor Saif Ali Khan will be unable to attend the match as he’s shooting in Delhi for Agent Vinod. According to a source, “They are on a tight schedule, so, it may be tough for him to fly to Mohali even for a day. But he does plan to catch up on the match.” Bollywood hottie Kareena Kapoor is busy shooting for Short Term Shaadi, while Katrina Kaif who’s an avid cricket buff will be busy with Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. “But I’ll definitely keep a tab of the scores,” she smiles.

Actor Ranbir Kapoor is busy shooting for Barfee, and so will be skipping the match, but has plans to keep up with the team on TV. Bong beauty Bipasha Basu too is planning to catch on the action at home. “Will be at home watching and cheering for the team with my friends and family,” says Bips. Work commitments will be keeping actor Sonakshi Sinha away from the pitch too, as is also the case with the Devgns — Ajay and Kajol, who are at present in Goa.

Actors Riteish Deshmukh and Sanjay Dutt who are shooting for Double Dhamal in Macau have plans to put up the screens on sets and catch the match in between the shoots. Actor Sameera Reddy too wishes she could have gone to Mohali, but ‘I’m shooting in Karaikudi. But wishing the men in blue all the best!’ she says.

www.dnaindia.com

New Delhi, Action star Akshay Kumar will have the pulses racing in his latest Thums Up ad, in which he plays two characters - each leaping into the air to grab a bottle of the soft drink.

"The new campaign comes with loads of action, adventure, drama and humour. This time, my fans are sure to have double the fun," said Akshay, the brand ambassador of Thums Up, in a statement released here Thursday.

Shot by Australian director Jon Gwyther in Sydney, the advertisement will see the two avatars of the actor competing with each other to be the first one to grab the bottle of the soft drink without letting their feet touch the ground.

While, the first avatar will be shown to be an intense character, the other will be a fun loving person.

On big screen, the actor portrayed a double role for the first time in the 1997 movie "Aflatoon".

Thanks to www.bollywoodworld.com

New Delhi: After bagging four Golden Globes and 11 BAFTA nominations, Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle's rag-to-riches story about the coming of age of a Mumbai slum child has bagged 10 Oscar nominations this year.


Slumdog has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Picture, Best Original Score (A R Rahman), Best Song (One each for Jai Ho and O Saya), Best editing, Best Sound Mixing (Resul Pookutty), Best Sound Editing (Resul Pookutty), Best Cinematography and Best Director (Danny Boyle) at the Oscars.


Slumdog Millionare has already bagged four coveted Golden Globes and multiple Bafta nominations.


The nominations were announced at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theatre by Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker. The awards will be announced on February 22 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.


"It's unbelievable. We've got 10 nominations and three are extraordinarily special because they are for A R Rahman who is not here because he's working on Dilli 6 in Chennai right now," said Danny Boyle at a press conference organised in Mumbai.

Thanks to www.ibnlive.in.com

With all eyes on Bollywood, and a whole slew of movies due for release, Bollywood Hungama took up the challenge to chart what are likely to be the biggest blockbusters of 2009. The analysis took the form of an extensive survey (from 16th to 29th Dec.) conducted online amongst those who really matter - the consumers. Spanning regions as diverse as India and South-East Asia to the European Union and USA-Canada, the user had to select his/her 5 most anticipated movies. To ensure complete transparency and accuracy, a three level authentication check with email validation, cookie check and IP mapping was put into place.

The hot list of the Most Awaited Movies of 2009* truly proved to be the voice of the masses, garnering an overwhelming response. A 14-day survey, conducted between 16th Dec. to 29th Dec. saw humongous number of valid responses, thus zoomingly surpassing our expectations like a tornado! Results were compiled based on votes from 72 countries - countries which constitute about 98% of revenue towards Bollywood releases.

The poll threw up several interesting results generating quite a buzz in the industry.

Top 20 movies

1. My Name is Khan
2. Three Idiots
3. Billu Barber
4. Kites
5. London Dreams
6. Delhi-6
7. Kambakth Ishq
8. Veer
9. Blue
10. Dulha Mil Gaya
11. Main Aur Mrs Khanna
12. Wanted Dead And Alive
13. New York
14. De Dana Dan
15. Housefull
16. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
17. Kaminay
18. Yash Raj Films' Next Untitled
19. Delhi Belly
20. Aladin

Top 10 Movies for India

1. Three Idiots
2. My Name is Khan
3. Kites
4. Billu Barber
5. Delhi-6
6. Kambakth Ishq
7. London Dreams
8. Blue
9. Veer
10. Wanted Dead And Alive

Top 10 Movies for USA

1. My Name is Khan
2. Three Idiots
3. Kites
4. Billu Barber
5. Delhi-6
6. London Dreams
7. Veer
8. Kambakth Ishq
9. Blue
10. New York

Top 10 movies for UK

1. My Name is Khan
2. Three Idiots
3. Billu Barber
4. London Dreams
5. Kites
6. Veer
7. Main Aur Mrs Khanna
8. Blue
9. Dulha Mil Gaya
10. Kambakth Ishq

Some Facts

1. For the first time in the survey history, a movie from Yash Raj Films has failed to make it to the Top 10 list.

2. Aamir Khan clearly holds the edge over Shahrukh Khan with the Indian audience. That explains why Three Idiots is no.1 in India.

3. Amongst the movies securing the least votes or having lowest awareness, Mukta Arts' two films figure in the list.

4. Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan have two movies each in global Top 10. Kareena holds the edge over her female competitors with two movies in the global Top 10.

5. Male stars to watch out for in 2009: Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan & Hrithik Roshan.

6. Female stars to watch out for in 2009: Kareena Kapoor & Katrina Kaif.

Thanks to www.bollywood.com

Characters:

Emraan Hashmi as Prithvi A silent, brooding artist, who expresses his feelings through his paintings. He has a unique gift that goes beyond his talent as a painter. He can see the future. And now, he sees Nandita's future. Fearsome and deadly.

Can we save her soul??

Adhyayan Suman as Yash

Yash is a driven charismatic and extremely ambitious man. As a documentary film maker, he aims at dispelling and debunking religious superstitions and paranormal beliefs. His strong commitment to rationalism and logic sometimes, even results in him having to challenge and take a stand against existing age old traditions and myths.

And yet, when Nandita, the closest to his heart, claims to be traumatized by supernatural occurrence. Will his beliefs still hold true?

Kangna Ranaut as Nandita

A young, accomplished and independent model. She has found her love in Yash. Behind her self-confident façade, lies a woman vulnerable to fear and insecurities. She is about to witness a terrifying struggle fro survival. What will survive- She or her fear???

Synopsis

A brooding artist Prithvi, experiences mysterious & distressing visions about Nandita, a woman he has never met, while he paints on canvas. Intrigued by these visions, Prithvi tracks her down and warns her that these are not merely paintings of her, but accidents that are waiting to happen! At first, Nandita refuses to believe him and dismisses him as an eccentric stalker. However, the striking resemblance between Prithvi's paintings and the near - death incidents in her life is hard to ignore. Haunted by a series of deathly and paranormal experiences, her reason crumbles in the face of fear.

Now, one of Prithvi's paintings has revealed her as dead! The only way she can change her fate, is to unravel this mystery with his help, at the risk of alienating herself from her boyfriend, Yash, who is a rational and logical man. But he refuses to believe in Prithvi's premonitions. Will Nandita risk her love and her life to unravel this mystery? Is there no escape at all?

Are some mysteries better left unsolved, some secrets left uncovered and some questions left unanswered? Watch the mystery unfold...

Thanks to http://bollywood.com

New Delhi: While many Indians may not endorse PM Manmohan Singh's unilateral expression of "love' ' on their behalf to President George Bush, a similar wish for an ailing all-time great actor by President Pratibha Patil would hardly have anyone disagreeing. Moreover, Patil's wish of speedy recovery to Dilip Kumar, 86, seems to have worked because the thespian's condition is stated to be stable.

On Friday, the President called up Kumar at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital and wished him speedy recovery. "We want you to get well soon,'' a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman quoted Patil as telling the actor.

Another Bollywood great, Shashi Kapoor, 70, was also admitted to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for a "routine' ' check-up . Kapoor, who has a heart problem, is expected to be discharged on Saturday.

source: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Reality TV star Jade Goody has spent her first night on the Indian version of Celebrity Big Brother.

It comes 18 months after the 27-year-old was accused of racism towards Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty in the UK show.

Goody told Indian audiences before she went in to the house the incident with Shetty was "in the past" and that she was "not proud of it".

Shetty takes Davina McCall's role on the Indian show, known as Bigg Boss.

"I know I have behaved wrongly but that was my yesterday," Goody said.

"Today, I have changed for the better and I am here to prove it. I am determined to be myself and win everyone's heart."

'Sorry'
Goody arrived in Mumbai on Friday

So far on the show, Goody has learnt Hindi phrases and Bollywood-style dancing.

As the only non-Indian contestant and first international celebrity on the show, Goody is immune from nominations this week as a mark of hospitality.

Last year's British show attracted 45,000 complaints to media regulator Ofcom over the alleged bullying of Shetty by Jade Goody and fellow contestants, model Danielle Lloyd and singer Jo O'Meara.

It also led to a protest in the eastern Indian city of Patna which saw the burning of an effigy.

A month after leaving the house, Goody visited India and told the Indian community: "I am sorry for the hurt and pain that my actions caused."

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

The Bachchan family’s Unforgettable tour is running to packed houses all over its venues in U.S.A, according to reports.

The tour, with a cast of other A-list stars dancing and singing live onstage in a spectacular musical production, is boasting sold-out venues with seating for about 10,000 people each, the Chicago Tribune reported .It mainly features Amitabh Bachchan, his son, Abhishek Bachchan and daughter in law Aishwarya Rai.
“It must be centuries ago that I did my last tour,”Amitabh Bachchan told the daily. “Many, many years ago I stopped doing shows. At age 66, it’s not advisable to get back on the stage, but the organizers, managers and other artistes involved, particularly Aishwarya, were very keen that I come along.”
But Amitabh Bachchan’s age has not been an issue and his performances have been electrifying for hungry fans. “What we do onstage is a reproduction of what we do on film, so obviously music, dancing and singing are an integral part.” Bachchan was quoted as saying. Some of the film favorites the show covers may include “Don”, “Kaalia”, “Bunty Aur Babli”, “Kabhi Kabhie” and “Silsila”, he said.
The show features splashy Vegas-style stage, backup dancers and spectacular costumes, the Tribune said. Asked if this will be his last tour, Amitabh Bachchan said,” “I have no idea if it is I thought of that 20 years ago, and I’m back, so one never knows. I’m just thankful people still consider me a performer. It’s very gratifying.”

source: www.newsline365.com

You’re romancing three girls in your second film?
What can I say, I guess I just got lucky! (smiles)

What’s Bachna Ae Haseeno all about?
It’s a romantic comedy. It’s a journey of a guy from the age 17 to 30 and the relationships he has in his life at different phases and how each relationship teaches him about life in its own sweet, sexy, sassy way.

You didn’t get the girl in Saawariya. Similar fate in this one too?
No, here I do end up with someone. Love is such that God grants us one person who we can spend the rest of our life with. It rarely happens that we don’t. So it’s a happy ending.

When did you take up this film?
I signed this movie before the release of Saawariya. At that point, I wasn’t signing any movies then but then Siddharth Anand called and said he has a script for me. I was a little hesitant because I didn’t want to sign anything before Saawariya’s release but when I read the script, I fell in love with it. I told him I will kill anybody who does this role! It’s written for me.

Is it a deliberate effort on your behalf to move away from the lovelorn tragic image of your first film?
No effort at all. Every movie is different. Saawariya was my debut film. It will always be the most special film. I got to work with a master craftsman like Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Whatever I know about acting and cinema is because of him. Yes, I have moved from that phase to this second film. My third film will be different from my second film. I hope I can do cinema that sees a different side of me every time.

Is there a towel-dropping scene in this film too?
I can just promise you there’s more than just towel dropping!

Some feel that your chemistry with Bipasha Basu is more crackling than that with Deepika?
What can I say? Bipasha Basu is a sizzling lady and any actor has to just stand in the same frame to make the frame look hot, so I would give her the credit.

But does that bother you, since you and Deepika are seeing each other?
If they are saying that then I respect it. The chemistry of a pair on screen is known only when the audience reacts to it. This is moviemaking, it’s about the characters and not the personal life. I think enough has been spoken about it and I think it’s high time that our work is spoken about. I don’t want people to relate to me because of my personal life.

Would you say you’re a one-woman man?
I would like to believe every man is a one-woman man.

What’s next on your list?
I’m currently working on Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani which is a Raj Kumar Santoshi film I’m doing with Katrina Kaif. Then there’s a film called Wake Up Sid that’s produced by Karan Johar and directed by Ayan Mukherjee and it stars Konkona Sensharma and myself. I’m scared of working with her. She’s so immensely talented. I don’t know if I can match up to her but I’m really looking forward to working with her.

Thanks to http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif starrer Singh is Kinng had a record opening in theatres across the country on Friday.


The collections totalled to Rs 8 crores on day one and the weekend collections are projected to be anywhere between Rs2 8 to Rs 30 crores.


The highest first week collections for a Hindi film till date is for the Shah Rukh Khan Deepika Padukone starrer Om Shanti Om which earned Rs 37 crores.


Modest projections for the first week collections of Singh is Kinng is put at Rs 45 crores, which could be a new box office record.


Singh is Kinng a story about Haapy Singh played by Akshay Kumar who is brave, mischievous yet naive and accident-prone Sikh villager.

Fed up with his clumsy behaviour, the villagers send him to Australia on a mission that seems impossible to everyone. He has to bring back their fellow villager, Lucky Singh, who happens to be an underworld Don in Australia.


Accompanied by his best friend Rangeela, played by Om Puri, Happy goes on his mission half way around the world and somewhere in between he falls for a law student called Sonia, played by Katrina Kaif.


The other starcast of the movie includes, Ranvir Shorey as Puneet, Javed Jaffrey as Mika Singh, Kiron Kher as Rose Lady, Neha Dhupia as Julie, Kamal Chopra as Guruji, Yashpal Sharma as Pankaj Udaas and Sonu Sood as Lucky Singh.

Thanks to http://www.ibnlive.com

After roping in Katrina Kaif as the ambassador for Nakshatra Diamond jewellery, Gitanjali Group has now appointed Bipasha Basu as its new brand ambassador for Gili.

Gitanjali Group chairman Mehul Choksi said, "In our effort to find the right brand ambassador for Gili - a brand of mass appeal, we have stumbled upon the gorgeous and vivacious actress Bipasha Basu to endorse her alluring personality on its products, which is a rhapsody of the traditional and modern. Not only were we enthusiastic about the brand fit, but also we feel that Bipasha lends a refreshing look to the brand. We are excited about having her on board as the new face for Gili."

Basu said, "It gives me immense pleasure to be associated with a prestigious brand like Gili. I personally endorse it as I can totally depend on the brand value. Diamonds are a girl's best friend and Gili offers a wide range of diamonds to choose from. I hope this association is amiable and mutually profitable."

Basu's upcoming film – Bachna Ae Haseeno from Yash Raj Films is slated to release this month. The movie also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Minissha Lamba and has been directed by Siddharth Anand.

Thanks to http://businessofcinema.com

Kidnap is special for three reasons. It's Sanjay Dutt's first major release this year and Imran Khan's next release after the blockbuster hit Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. The movie is also Sanjay Gadhvi's immediate release after Dhoom 2.

The first promo of Kidnap, which will hit the screens with the prints of Singh is Kinng this Friday, looks astounding.

The trailer packs in a lot in its nearly three minutes of runtime. It has the edge of the seat feel, beautiful locations, rapid action, hot actors and most importantly, the confrontation between a boy and a man. Watch Imran fearlessly take on Sanjay Dutt head on, after the newcomer has kidnapped his daughter, Minissha Lamba.

Imran challenges Sanjay, 'everything you do - eating, sleeping, walking, talking - will be decided by me.' To which Sanju retorts, 'Go to hell.' From there the promo takes you on an action-packed ride with Sanju searching for his daughter relentlessly and Imran ending it all with, 'hell is already here'.

Imran Khan looks dashing in the new avatar (and with a tattoo on his neck). The role is a complete contrast from his debut film and he looks menacing on-screen.
Thanks to Sify.com

It seems like love in Bollywood can be expressed only by embedding tattoo on one's body. First it was the hunks of Bollywood doing it, now it's the ladies' turn. After Saif Ali Khan did it for Kareena Kapoor and Usman for Amrita Arora, it's Deepika Padukone's turn to do the needful (and painful too) in the name of her beau Ranbir Kapoor.

We recently noticed a tattoo embedded on Deepika Padukone's nape. The tattoo says R K (but obviously Ranbir Kapoor). Since it is hidden behind her hair, not many have caught sight of it yet.

We just hope Ranbir Kapoor doesn't have a 'D P' embedded somewhere or the other.

Anyways, great going guys, and pass the piece of (inspiration) to every one else in love too.

Ugly aur Pagli (comedy)
Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Mallika Sherawat
Direction: Sachin Khot

Ah! All those missed opportunities. This one could have been a laugh riot, but for a script that suddenly loses its nuts and bolts and winds up into irrational territory. The Sassy Girlfriend (Mallika Sherawat) suddenly grows senty, dives into the Mandovi river and leaves her petticoat boyfriend (Ranvir Shorey) hanging love-lorn notes on a tree. And when she re-emerges, she's ready to marry someone else who suddenly reminds her of her old flame and sends her scurrying back to him. Of course, she doesn't find him at the old address, but hey, what happened to the breezy first half and the outrageous bakwas between the odd couple: the he-girl and the she-boy?

The film begins on a promising note, despite being a re-take of a Korean film. Loser Ranvir meets a slobbered Mallika Sherawat trying to jump before a local train and ends up carrying her to a hotel and spending the night with her, until she sobers up. Of course, the loser ends up sleeping on the floor and falling deeply in love with a girl who slaps him hard and proper whenever she's not sloshed or demanding something bizarre. Like, walking in high-heels, riding a seat-less bike in a red petticoat, stealing red roses from a park or dancing with her while she's ekdum talli . Sometimes, he does get his moments too and dares her to play the superwoman she poses to be. But our Ms Sprightly is ready for any and every challenge, even if it means strutting in college (yes, Mallika is a college kid!) with her chhaddis over her jeans.

So these are the fun parts, where Ranvir actually wonders why he loves this girl who is an alcoholic, a snorer and a goondi . And Mallika maintains the mystery of why she hangs out with this guy who has failed four times in college and has neither looks nor spirit. But when the mystery is unspoiled, the magic wanes and the laughs dry down. Then, it's the performances that keep the film afloat, specially Ranvir Shorey who excels in portraying the perfect underdog. Mallika too displays a newfound restraint and creates a lively new image for the archetypal heroine. Wish the laughs hadn't petered away....Wish that Zeenat Aman hadn't been wasted in a fleeting cameo!

Thanks to http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Shahid Kapoor has been linked to many lovely ladies ever since he broke up with Kareena Kapoor and his latest romantic tangle is with tennis sensation Sania Mirza.

While some sections of the press were busy delving into a Shahid –Vidya Balan angle, Shahid and Sania were enjoying time together. Recently, Sania and Shahid decided not to bother about gossip-mongers, and spent nearly eight hours together on the sets of director Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminay, which also stars Priyanka Chopra and Amol Gupte.

Says a source from the sets of Kaminay, “It was a 7 am shift. Sania and Shahid did not come together, but once Sania dropped by, Shahid and Sania were almost inseparable. What was surprising was that they were very open about their relationship. Their body language said it all. When Shahid was not facing the camera, he spent all his time with Sania. Sania spent a lot of time with Shahid in his vanity van.”

Apparently Sania was cheering Shahid in all the scenes and checking out the scenes on the monitor.The Shahid- Sania romance first came into light when the two spent some time together in a hotel in Bangalore, last year. Thereafter they have been spotted together many times.

Tanks to http://www.newsline365.com