"Well, it's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men."

"Well, it's not the men in your life that counts, it's the life in your men."

Thursday, April 30, 2015

In Bollywood true friendship is just a myth




With the sociable Karan Johar claiming to have no friends in the industry, we asked a few film folk how difficult it is to find true buddies in Bollywood...

In an industry where cut-throat competition rules the roost, people tend to be fickle and relationships fragile. And if you must believe Karan Johar, Bollywood is a place where one will find no friends at all. At the launch of Bombay Velvet's second trailer (Watch the trailer here) on Monday, the filmmaker was asked about the nature of compliments he received for his negative role in the film from his industry friends and he remarked, "Who has friends in Bollywood? There are just human beings here."

Karan Johar

Coming from a person like KJo, who is easily one of the most well-connected and sociable filmmakers, the statement was quite an eye-opener and a telling comment on the transient nature of friendships in tinseltown. For someone who has been in the industry for close to two decades now, he certainly has seen the best and worst of friendships - his alleged fallout with Ajay Devgn last year created quite a few ripples. Even when it comes to taking an opinion on his films or his own acting performance, Karan would prefer to repose his faith in media experts rather than listening to the fake praises showered by his industry friends. "They (industrywallahs) praise you openly, but never hesitate to talk behind your back or on Twitter," he said.


Mahesh Bhatt

Is Karan's grouse an exception or is Bollywood a place bereft of true friends? hitlist delves into the issue...

No love lost
If you are in competition with someone, it is difficult to be friends with them. While Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan may have kissed and made up during the former's sister's wedding last year, they will remain rivals in the professional space. Salman father's Salim Khan himself made it clear at the trailer launch of Sholay 3D when he said, "Salman and Shah Rukh are two individuals...Grown up people. I think there cannot be love between rivals. There can be courtesy. To have love between Salman and Shah Rukh is not possible. One should not expect that if Shah Rukh's film is a success, Salman will dance and celebrate. Or if Salman's film is a hit, Shah Rukh will throw a party. It's not possible."


Nimrat Kaur

Unlike Hollywood or the South Indian film industry, Bollywood rarely churns out multi-starrers featuring A-listers. While many may put it down to lack of scripts, Akshay Kumar had in an interview pinned it on lack of unity among top actors, a fact that Aamir Khan is also said to echoed.



Akshay Kumar

Lucky chance
Mahesh Bhatt, who has launched many careers in the film industry, believes one needs luck to find a lasting friendship in B-Town. "This is Planet Bollywood. You would be lucky if you find one friend here and that one friend is enough to see you through life." The filmamker considers himself lucky for having found not one but plenty of true friends within the industry. "The question is: Was I friend to people? The answer is yes. So I have innumerable number of friends. Without their help, I wouldn't have been where I am today," he states.


Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan

Director Sudhir Mishra feels those keen on conning others into becoming successful will never find true friends, and that fake friends exist in Bollywood, not in the true creative realm. "There are two Bollywoods here - a fake one and a creative one. Creative Bollywood comprises people who are confident of themselves and are respectful of others. Here, true friendship exists."


Sonu Sood

Too busy to bond
Actors are always on the move and often lose track of time. Their choc-a-bloc schedule leaves them with little time to spare even for their loved ones. Says Nimrat Kaur, "Friends happen after you do a lot of films and have a constant friend circle, people you hang out with as you work together on a certain film. But one thing that people tend to forget is that everybody has a hectic and busy life and it is difficult to coordinate (to meet) as everyone is always travelling. I feel that can be a big factor in people not being able to forge friendships that last for a very long time."


Familiar territory
There are some actors who are involved in a project for a longer duration and end up meeting and interacting with the same set of people daily, thereby developing a close bond. For Sonu Sood, it was the long shoot hours with Salman Khan during Dabangg and Shah Rukh Khan for Happy New Year that helped him gel with the stars. "Friendship exists in Bollywood. While doing Dabangg with Salman, I developed a great rapport with him. He is someone I could call up in the middle of the night. While shooting with SRK, we used to work out together and today I have a good friend in him. He is just a phone call away."


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Deepika, Irrfan unveil Piku Melange Collection

Actress Deepika Padukone along with "Piku" co-star Irrfan Khan and director Shoojit Sircar unveiled the 'Piku Melange Collection', an ethnic fusion collection from Melange by clothing brand Lifestyle.

The collection takes inspiration from Deepika's carefree, modern meets ethnic styling in the upcoming family comedy drama and aims at giving consumers access to their favourite Bollywood superstar's style as seen in the movie, read a statement.

Bringing fans closer to their dreams of looking like Deepika, five consumers were given the opportunity to walk the ramp dressed in different ensembles from the collection.

Pampered with professional make-up, styling and ramp walk tutorials, the participants perfectly channelled their energy and confidence as they came on the ramp in different glamorous avatars. Deepika crowned the most stylish participant the 'Piku Melange Queen'.

"Piku embodies the spirit of the modern day woman. Taking inspiration from the movie, the 'Piku Melange Collection' offers a range of easy to wear pieces that merge the ethnic style with modern sensibilities," Deepika said in a statement.

The collection comprises endearing kurtas in summery fabrics that are embellished with intricate Indian motifs, colour blocking and minimal ornamentation. Paired with straight pants, palazzos decorated with Schiffli lace and printed scarves, 'Piku Melange Collection' captures the subtle elegance of a modern woman firmly rooted in tradition.

"Piku" is a roller coaster ride of a crazy father-daughter relationship essayed by megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika, with Irrfan top lining the cast in a pivotal author backed role.

Produced by MSM Motion Pictures, Saraswati Entertainment and Rising Sun Films and distributed worldwide by YRF, "Piku" will release worldwide on May 8.

Is Jacqueline the next superstar in the making?

With her recently released film 'Roy' and numerous upcoming projects in 2015, the gorgeous Jacqueline Fernandez has now added another feather to her cap, by making it to the top of the Times Celebex List.

The list, launched in September 2012, is a monthly rating index based on several measurable parameters, including the stars' Box-Office performance, their ability to stay in the news across print, TV and online, their brand endorsement, and their popularity among fans on the internet and social media. All the above mentioned are taken cumulatively to assign a final rank for each actor. With data collected Times Celebex is the first ever ranking system for Bollywood.

The stunning lady, who created a buzz with her roles in 'Kick' & 'Roy' has an assortment of upcoming projects lined up for the year ahead along with her various brand endorsements, has definitely rocked the rankings and deservedly found herself at the top of the list.

With 'Bangistan', 'Brothers', 'Turbantor' and the special number for Salman Khan's 'Hero' coming up in the year ahead, we wish this talented star all the best in her endeavors.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Second trailer of 'Bombay Velvet' is out!

The star cast of Anurag Kashyap's much-awaited film "Bombay Velvet" on Monday unveiled the second trailer of the film. Filmmaker Karan Johar who will be seen in a negative role in the film said for him it was like going to a school working with Kashyap.

"I think it's been the best experience of my life being directed by Anurag Kashyap... from a man that we began to hate which ultimately ended in love. It's been quite a journey for me it was like going to film school," Karan Johar said.

"I also feel Ranbir co-directed the film with Anurag. I felt I was being directed by both. Ranbir has the makings of a great film maker which is his fall back plan," Karan Johar told reporters during the second trailer launch of 'Bombay Velvet'," he added.

"Bombay Velvet" features Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar among others. The film is slated for May 15 release.

"This film starts in 50s and 60s and there were superficial references when it comes to preparation. I feel the technical side of research was difficult. We were transported in the world of 50s when we came on to the sets," Ranbir said.

I'm here to share love: Atif Aslam on performing in India

Popular Pakistani musician Atif Aslam might not have been able to entertain his fans in Pune with his rock numbers and melodious tracks as his concert had to be cancelled, but he says he has no grudges and has only love to share with his Indian fans.

Aslam's concert was scheduled to be held in Pune on Saturday, but he couldn't play in the city due to opposition from a Hindu outfit.

"I respect all the promoters (of events) who invite us. But it is the responsibility of organisers. I love my fans and I like being in India. I'm a musician. I make music for everyone. I don't categorise (anyone) into Hindus or Muslims."

"When it comes to music, there are no boundaries. I'm here to share love. I'm not doing anything wrong. Whatever I earn, I make sure to pay taxes," Aslam told reporters here prior to his performance.

The 32-year-old, who entered Bollywood in 2005 with "Woh lamhe" from the film "Zeher", also shared that there is lot of love for Indian artists in his country.

"If you come to my country, you will see that there is lot of respect for Lataji (Mangeshkar). People still listen to Rafi-ji's songs and people try to copy Kishore Kumar. Even Bollywood dance steps are followed by Pakistanis," said Aslam.

The singer, who has performed in Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, is performing in Indore for the first time.

"It feels good to be back here. People have appreciated (my work) and called me back here. This time around, I'll be performing different kind of music - EDM (electronic dance music). It's not my kind of music. I'm looking forward to it."

"I will perform with a DJ. My band won't be there. I'll miss that. It will be completely electronic music, but I might do some unplugged songs," the "Tere bin", "Doorie" and "Jalpari" hitmaker told IANS.

He is here for Royal Stag MTV Bollyland, which is a series of multi-city music concerts that see the fusion of popular Bollywood soundtracks with heady electronic beats.

DJ Chetas and rapper Hard Kaur will also perform at the musical event on Sunday evening.

Bipasha Basu fed up of waiting for 'Nia' to take off?

There have been all kinds of speculation about the Bipasha Basu-starrer 'Nia'. The latest is that designer Vikram Phadnis' directorial debut has now been pushed back to next year.

This is making Bips do a rethink as she is apparently fed up of waiting for the film to take off. The actress is now looking at other offers.

Hrithik Roshan thanks Hrehaan and Hridaan for being his inspiration

Hrithik Roshan won the Brand Visionary of the year for HRX at the colors awards gave a speech

I have received many awards in my life but this one means a lot more than any single one of them.because it stands for something very close to my heart.something that was inspired by my children and extends beyond to all the children of the world. I believe every child has the potential to contribute something amazing to this world. But I also know that in their journey they are going to encounter a lot of failures a lot of fear and setbacks, some that may even devastate them. I know this from my own journey of battling my fears and my set of failures and setbacks.

As a child I had many fears, I lived in a box and in that box were all my handicaps , my challenges and my difficulties, and I viewed the entire world thru that box, I never knew there could be a life beyond that was beautiful. I never imagined there could be a life without fear. But then I took a decision to Break out of that box, I attacked al my fears and discovered a new life. That taught me a great lesson and it propelled me to give back and contribute to all my fans and people of the world.

One day I looked into my children's eyes and thought how great I would be if I could create a model for them, a symbol to inspire and empower them, to help them believe , not just believe but prove to them infallibly thru million examples that impossible is nothing!! That they could create the life that they wanted and achieve all that they aspired no matter what! That every problem physical or mental had a solution and that thru this education they could harness their fears and learn to overcome every demon that threatened their passion and their dreams.

That is the day HRX was born. It's when I realized that my greatest accomplishment would be if I could make my children fearless! THE MISSION OF HRX is huge. It's a movement that will make a nation of champions. To enable and empower every single person who wants to make a change but is disabled by fear or the assumption that "I can't".

I believe a disabled spirit is the worst of all handicaps!

My children are not only the inspiration behind this but thru time have become examples of it. They have already learnt to attack every fear and in doing so have accomplished some great feats! For example I am very proud to say that both hrehaan and hridaan are probably the youngest snowboarders u can find , hrehaan is also a scuba diver and they did this inspite of feeling fear. For that I think they deserve a huge round of applause!

I wanted them to hold this award this evening for it is a prize for them too and I share this award with them.

I want to thank you hrehaan and hridaan for being daddy's inspiration...daddy loves you very much!

I want you all to go back this evening and look your families in their eyes and tell them that they are GREAT! And that they must dream big! Bigger than big! Not thru logic but thru their imagination cause it's only thru our imagination that we can truly discover out our true potential !

And they can cause as I said - nothing is impossible!

Evelyn 'obsessed' with Ram's 'Dil Ki Baatein'

Actress Evelyn Sharma, who will be seen portraying an aspiring rockstar Naina in comedy caper film "Kuch Kuch Locha Hai", says she is hooked to co-star Ram Kapoor's ongoing TV show "Dil Ki Baatein".

The 28-year-old, who has appeared in films like "Yaariyan" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", doesn't watch many Hindi shows, but she feels Ram is doing an "outstanding job" in the Sony Entertainment Television show.

"Right now I am obsessed with the show 'Dil Ki Baatein'. I think Ram Kapoor has done an outstanding job in it. I am totally hooked to the story," Evelyn said in a statement about the show, about a woman's battle with cancer and how her family deals with it.

Directed by Devang Dholakia, "Kuch Kuch Locha Hai", which also stars Sunny Leone and debutant Navdeep Chhabra, is slated to release on May 8.

Divya enjoys 'Ram Singh Charlie'

Actress Divya Dutta is loving the experience of being directed by "Filmistaan" maker Nitin Kakkar in his new movie "Ram Singh Charlie".

"Gudmorning! Bak on t sets of ram singh Charlie!!!! Ahem no makeup, so just go n shoot!!!! loving being drcted by nitin kakkar," she tweeted.

A teaser poster of the movie, which also stars Kumud Mishra, was released earlier this year.

Friday, April 24, 2015

When Deepika, shocked Big B

Piku and her Baba, Bhashkor Banerjee, seem all set to win over the audiences with their quirky chemistry, crazy videos and just-so-adorable posters! The makers of Shoojit Sircar's family comedy drama have unveiled the third poster of Piku which has left us mighty impressed and yet intrigued because we cannot get over the starkly different expressions of the father-daughter duo.

While Deepika looks absolutely adorable giving a warm hug to Big B, he looks completely shocked by her gesture. The latest poster is in sync with the last two posters. The makers have kept an element of quirk running through the entire series, thereby ensuring that audiences don't regard Piku and her Baba as just another father-daughter Jodi-they promise to be different!

Piku is a family comedy drama that revolves around a quirky father-daughter relationship essayed by Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone with Irrfan Khan top lining the cast, in a pivotal author backed role. 'Piku' also marks coming together of Shoojit Sircar, Ronnie Lahiri and Juhi Chaturvedi, the team behind Vicky Donor.

Produced by MSM Motion Pictures (a division of Sony Entertainment Network), in association with Saraswati Entertainment Creations Limited and Rising Sun Films, and distributed worldwide by Yash Raj Films, 'Piku' will release worldwide on May 08, 2015.

Kat planning to leave Ranbir alone?


Katrina Kaif will supposedly take a two-day break from her Maldivian vacation with Ranbir Kapoor for an ad shoot in Mumbai

A brief interruption awaits rumoured lovebirds Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor, who are currently holidaying in Maldives.

Industry insiders suggest the actress has to be back in town for a day or two to honour her work commitment.

A source says, "They have taken a break from work to spend quality time together. Katrina has just wrapped up her shoot for 'Fitoor' and has some time in hand before flying to Cannes for her red ca pet debut. However, she will have to return to Mumbai tomorrow to shoot a commercial."

Kat is expected to join Ranbir back in Maldives by Saturday night and continue their holiday. Another source says, "Her dates for the ad shoot were locked in advance so she could not cancel it. She will fly out immediately after finishing her work."


Ranbir's upcoming film 'Bombay Velvet' is set to release next month, but the actor is apparently "not required" to join the promotional campaign at this point of time.

"That is why he decided to make good use of his free time and unwind. He may start with the promotions in the beginning of next month," adds the source.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

When actors 'courted' controversy with industry colleagues



When actors 'courted' controversy with industry colleagues

Shruti Haasan was recently dragged to court by a Telugu filmmaker for alleged breach of contract. We recall a few other instances when film folk faced legal action from members of their fraternity...

Celebrities often find themselves on the wrong side of the law and are hauled to court for off-the-set misadventures. But there have also been instances of film folk facing legal action from their ilk for issues ranging from non-payment of dues to non-fulfilment of contractual obligations. Though there are film associations to tackle the complaints, many a time things spiral out of control, forcing a filmmaker or actor to move court.


Shruti Haasan finds herself caught up in legal wrangles for allegedly reneging on contractual obligations and pulling out of a South film. A case of cheating was registered against the actress after she walked out of the Telugu remake of French film, The Intouchables, citing date problems. The film directed by Vamsi Paidipally stars Nagarjuna and Karthi. The makers even sought an interim ban on Shruti signing or acting in any film.


Sridevi

Meanwhile, Shruti, who has a busy year with three Bollywood films Gabbar Is Back, Welcome Back and Yaara, filed a defamation case against the production house. On Monday, however, the case was dismissed as the production house withdrew its charges.

Shruti's spokesperson states, "The case filed by Picture House Media Ltd against Shruti Haasan was dismissed at the Hyderabad District Court and the producers withdrew the case themselves. Shruti is thankful for the intervention of the South Indian Film Artists Association (SIAA) on the matter as the lawyer sided with her cause, due to the harassment meted out to her. Thanks to the support of the industry bodies, she has also decided to withdraw the defamation claim against the producers for misrepresentation and revealing misleading facts to the media."


Sharman Joshi invited the wrath of the producers of 3 Bachelors after he criticised them for releasing the stuck-in-the-cans film. He claimed that the makers were trying to piggyback on the success of his film, Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Hitlist rewinds to past instances when actors were embroiled in legal controversies allegedly for rubbing film folk the wrong way...

Past peeve
In 2012, Sharman Joshi found himself in hot waters when producers of 3 Bachelors decided to take legal action against him for his comments on the film. The actor had lashed out at the producers, claiming that they were releasing his stuck-in-the-cans project as they wanted to piggyback on the success of his film, Ferrari Ki Sawaari. The film's producers Pramod Sharma and Manoj Rastogi sent him a legal notice, but when he didn't respond, they filed a petition in court. The actor along with co-stars Raima Sen and Riya Sen also refused to promote the film, which tanked at the box office.

Ajay Devgn's production house filed a case against Yash Raj Films (YRF) in 2012 for allegedly using their influence to block more screens for Shah rukh Khan-starrer Jab Tak Hai Jaan, which was competing with his Son of Sardaar

Screen grabs
Ajay Devgn's production house filed a case against Yash Raj Films (YRF) for alleged abuse of dominant position - apparently restricting the exhibitors from providing more screens to his Diwali release Son of Sardaar (2012) than the latter's film, Jab Tak Hai Jaan starring Shah Rukh Khan. However, the actor lost the case in the Competition Commission of India as the body didn't find any merit in the allegations or any violation of the Competition Act.

Don't take names
It is well known that Ram Gopal Varma is a huge fan of Sridevi's and idolises her. When the filmmaker decided to use her name as the title for his controversial film on adolescent sexual fantasies, the veteran actress was hardly amused. Her filmmaker-husband Boney Kapoor filed a case against RGV for using her name inappropriately. She also accused RGV of violation of personality rights while Kapoor was quoted saying that the director's move showed "a perverse mind and an absolute bankruptcy of ideas".

Add caption
Salman Khan had registered a case against Vijay Galani, the producer of his 2010 film Veer, for not paying him his remuneration of Rs 15 crore

Moolah matters
Salman Khan had registered a case against Vijay Galani, the producer of his 2010 film Veer, for not paying him his remuneration of Rs 15 crore. The star had approached the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, which declared Galani guilty and banned him from filmmaking until he settled the dues.

Galani then moved court to seek justice and later met Salman's father, Salim Khan, and reportedly requested for leeway due to financial stress on his part. "I have told Galani that when his financial situation improves in future, he can always come back and pay up," Sr Khan was quoted as saying.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

SRK mourns Bengal cricketer's death

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has expressed grief over the death of 20-year-old Bengal cricketer Ankit Kesri, who died from an on-field injury.

"Too young to go...extremely unfortunate & sad. Condolences & prayers for Ankit Keshri & his family. May Allah bless his soul. R.I.P," SRK, who is West Bengal's brand ambassador and co-owner of Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders, wrote on Twitter on Monday.

The former Bengal Under-19 cricket captain, Ankit sustained a head injury in an on-field collision during a local game in Kolkata on Friday during a senior knockout match against Bhowanipore.

The opening batsman, who was also a member of the Under-23 Bengal squad this year, passed away following a massive heart attack on Monday.

Another award in Shraddha kitty

The ceremony for the International Advertising Association Leadership Awards 2015 was definitely a magnificent event at The Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai. The award function that saw the presence of some of the top names of the industry was a tribute to the marketing, media and advertising leaders who have shunned mediocrity and embraced excellence. And among all the achievers present that evening was a beaming Shraddha Kapoor who was awarded with the Brand Visionary of the Year 2015.

Shraddha looked absolutely stunning in Philipp Plein coat paired with a a matching leather skirt, white tee and beige Louboutins as she went on stage to receive the prestigious award from the Union Minister of State for Finance, Sri Jayant Sinha and Srinivasan K Swamy, President of IAA's India Chapter. She gracefully accepted the award and said, "Big thanks to the IAA for this recognition and to CAAKwan and Spice. This would not have been possible without them at all. And to all the brands that I endorse".

After taking the industry by storm with hit films like Aashiqui 2, Haider and Ek Villian, the diva will next be seen in ABCD 2. Shraddha has a strong youth connect & hence several brands want her on board. She has also been the face of big Indian and international brands like Lakme, Lipton, Jewelsouk, Gitanjali and the list goes on.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

A year since '2 States', Arjun nostalgic

Time flies, and actor Arjun Kapoor agrees. It's been a year since his film "2 States" hit the screens, and he's glad the audience still loves it.

"Time flies...1 year of 2 states n still the film continues to grow...thank u for the love n reminding me of the memories #2States1Year," Arjun, who starred in the film with Alia Bhatt, shared on Twitter.

Even the Twitter handle of Dharma Productions, shared: "Mark 18th April as something special. #2States completes 1 full year of togetherness! Join in the celebration."

"2 States" was based on author Chetan Bhagat's "2 States: The Story Of My Marriage", and directed by Abhishek Varman.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Kangna Ranaut: Challenging to look convincing with Haryanvi accent

Kangna Ranaut, who is seen mouthing dialogues in Haryanvi accent with surprising ease in one of her avatars in the trailer of upcoming movie 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns', says it was very challenging.

She found it tough to make the accent and body language convincing.

"It was very tough, especially since the character has a Haryanvi accent. I had to make the character convincing not only through my body language but also accent," the 28-year-old said here Tuesday during the trailer launch of the film. "It was very challenging for me," she added.

'Tanu Weds Manu Returns', a sequel to 2011 hit romantic comedy 'Tanu Weds Manu', features National Award winner Kangna in a double role of Tanu and Kusum. Kusum is a tomboy of sorts and for the character, the actress had to go rustic and speak Haryanvi.

Directed by Anand L. Rai, the film also features R. Madhavan, Deepak Dobriyal, Jimmy Shergill, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Dhanush. It is slated to release on May 22.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

'PK' still in trouble?

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the makers of Aamir Khan-starrer film "PK" to file their response on novelist Kapil Isapuri's plea that accused them of plagiarism.

The Rajkumar Hirani-directed film, which raises questions about religion and people's blind faith in godmen, was released in December 2014. It was co-produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Hirani.

Justice Najmi Waziri sought response from Hirani, Chopra and scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi by September 1.

Isapuri has alleged that certain portions from his Hindi novel "Farishta", published in 2013, were "stolen and copied" and used in the film.

He also sought punitive damages of Rs.1 crore from the filmmakers along with credit for his work.

However, counsel appearing for filmmakers contended that as per the custom and practice of Hindi film industry, the script of the movie was first registered with the Writers Association in Mumbai on July 29, 2010.

Earlier, the title of "PK" was "Ghar Jaana Hai", told the counsel, adding that later five revised versions of the script were submitted with the association and final version of the script was registered in 2012 having title "PK".

On the other hand, advocate Jyotika Kalra alleged that the makers of the film as well as scriptwriter Joshi stole characters, ideas and sequences from the novel "Farishta".

Kalra argued that the first manuscript of the novel was submitted to a publication house in October 2009 and the novel was first came into public domain in 2013.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Imran Khan tattoo's daughter Imara's footprints on his chest

Imran Khan who has been inked twice before , on his neck and arm, recently go a third tattoo, on his chest.

The design this time is a unique one as it features footprints of his 10-month-old daughter, Imara.

The actor got inked during a family holiday in Goa in January, by a tattoo artiste who has designed one of his previous tattoos as well.

Imran wanted to get something special, yet unusual done as soon as Imara was born., but he did not have a particular design in mind.

Imran's mother had his footprints etched on a piece of paper, which she has treasured all these years.

That's where the idea originated and Imran eventually decided to get it done.

When contacted, Imran confirmed the story and added, "Imara is my firstborn, and I wanted a tattoo that I would cherish forever."

Thursday, April 9, 2015

"Sushant Singh Rajput: Want to push the envelope with my films"

With his portrayal of Byomkesh Bakshy getting appreciation, Sushant Singh Rajput is a happy man and the actor says he will continue to explore challenging roles in his future projects.

It was something of a risk for both Sushant and director Dibakar Banerjee to reinvent the popular literary character as a young, inexperienced man in "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!" but it seems to have paid off.

"The film has made its mark. It has got a lot of praise for its direction, production design and look. I am really happy with the way it is been received. In fact, my family was surprised to see my transformation," Sushant said.

The 29-year-old rising star has taken a short break post the film's release last Friday and will begin shooting for his next soon. He is playing the lead in Mahendra Singh Dhoni biopic besides Shekhar Kapur's 'Paani'.

When asked about directors' trust in him, Sushant said, "It may be because they think I want to learn. I don't know how talented I am but one thing I am very sure about is that I will give it my 100 per cent. I will do it with utmost honesty."

Sushant's journey in the industry has been good so far and he wants to keep that momentum.

"All the films that I want to do this year, next year and in near future, I really want to push the envelope with them.

It can happen only when I take on films that have very different characters. This is the intention and till now this has been happening so I am very happy," he said.

The actor has found a foothold in Bollywood but that does not mean he has grown fearless.

"There can never be a state of mind when you are fearless.

You are always insecure. Either you are insecure about not getting what you want or you are insecure about losing what you have. It is a constant state of mind for everyone.

"There are so many parameters that are not in your hands.

If you want to explore, learn and have the courage to do films that are actually changing the cinema, then you will be at peace."

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Alia and Sid to romance again?

We hear Alia Bhatt will star opposite rumoured beau Sidharth Malhotra in Mohit Suri's next. Apparently, Alia and Sid recently met the filmmaker fanning speculation about a project together.

The 'Student Of The Year' (2013) actors have featured in a commercial together. Reportedly, Suri has said that he thinks of his cousin Alia not only as a big star, but as one of the most emotional actresses, so he has to give her a role to live up to it.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Shweta Tiwari: Audience who like fair actresses should change mindset

Actress Shweta Tiwari today said that the audience who prefer fair-skinned heroines need to change their mindset.

"People who come to see a movie like fair-skinned heroines. They dislike dark-skinned heroines. This mindset needs to be changed," Shweta, the winner of reality show 'Bigg Boss 4', told reporters here.

"Indian mindset is such that they consider only fair girls as beautiful. They don't consider girls with whitish complexion as beautiful despite their sharp features," she said.

Referring to the 1978 movie 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram', she said Hindi films have been giving prominence to the beauty of the soul of heroines as well. But, the audience largely don't like this, she said.

Asked why she is missing in Bhojpuri films these days, Shweta said she had only acted in three movies of the dialect.

"After this, I did not sign any Bhojpuri film as I was not offered good roles," the actress said.

She said that she cannot act in movies in which the actress is portrayed in an obscene manner.

To a poser, the actress said that she won't join any political party as she is averse to politics.

Shweta said that she is outspoken, and thus such persons can't be into politics.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Trouble not yet over: Salman's driver lying about hit and run case?

The prosecution in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case on Monday rejected the testimony of the Bollywood actor's driver that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the September 2002 accident, and termed him a "self-condemned liar" who could face perjury charges.

Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said Ashok Singh had lied under oath and was coached by the defence counsel to lie in the court, while continuing the arguments in the hit-and-run case which left one pavement dweller dead and four others injured.

Last month, the driver's name cropped up for the first time when Salman testified that he was not driving the vehicle at the time and named Singh - who later confessed before Additional Sessions Judge D. W. Deshpande.

Terming the timing of the driver's confession as "suspicious", Gharat rejected it and called him a "self-condemned liar" who could be liable for perjury for falsely owning up to the accident.

He said there was no doubt that Salman was driving the vehicle that night when it met with the accident outside American Express Bakery in Bandra West suburb of Mumbai, close to the actor's seafront residence in Galaxy Apartments.

"Salim Khan (father of Salman) asked him (Singh) to own up and he owns up.. the conduct of the driver is unnatural," Gharat argued.

At the time of the accident, Gharat said witnesses heard a "big bang" and many had seen the actor stepping out of the right side of the vehicle.

"All witnesses said that he and his friend Kamaal Khan ran away from there after the accident," Gharat said, citing that witness Francis had testified to this fact and this was never challenged.

"At that time, the witness (Singh) was not present. He is a liar. He has stepped forward for the accused now, for whatever may be the reasons," he said.

He added Singh has testified that he went to Bandra Police station but was not arrested and asked to wait outside.

"He told the court that he was not arrested, and later that morning, Salman Khan was nabbed. He further said there was a huge crowd of media persons outside when police came out with Salman and their photographs were clicked. At that point with such a grand opportunity, why did he not tell the truth to media?" Gharat asked.

The prosecution has charged Salman with drunken driving and not possessing a valid license, both of which he has denied.

Gharat made a strong pitch for the court to accept the statement of the late Ravindra Patil, the police bodyguard assigned to Salman, who was the complainant in the case.

"The death of a witness does not come in the way of evidence. He was examined by the court (metropolitan magistrate's court, Bandra). He was also available for cross examination, and had given a detailed account of the sequence of events in his complaint," argued Gharat, citing supporting judgments on the issue.

The arguments in the case will continue again on Tuesday.

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