"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."

Friday, May 29, 2015

Jacqueline's endorsement bunch gets thicker

Jacqueline's endorsement bunch gets thicker

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who is originally from Sri Lanka, has been appointed the ambassador of British luxury bathware brand Queo.

The "Kick" star will be seen as the face of Queo 's 360 degree integrated campaign, which will roll out on all media and retail channels shortly.

"Luxury cannot be defined in a few words, it has to be felt, seen, experienced and appreciated. Signing on Jacqueline is a conscious decision taken by us as her persona, work ethic and achievements blend perfectly with what Queo stands for; design, finesse and artistry.


"Jacqueline inspires her audience and colleagues with her hard work, versatility and magnetic charisma; she will definitely connect with the consumers who can appreciate all these traits. There could not have been a better 'fit ' 'n ' influencer than Jacqueline to connect with them," Sandip Somany, joint managing director at HSIL Limited, said in a statement.

Jacqueline is excited about her association too.

"The brand spells luxury in craftsmanship, modernity and elegance. They are not just bathroom products but a fashion statement for any home owner. We are living in a time when the bathroom has reached an elevated status in our lives, a place for relaxation and rejuvenation, and Queo embraces this philosophy to the fullest," she added.

Sonakshi to follow Shraddha and Priyanka

Sonakshi to follow Shraddha and Priyanka

"Dabangg" actress Sonakshi Sinha, who will soon be seen as a judge in "Indian Idol Junior", will entertain the audience in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with her voice and sing live at the 16th edition of the three-day International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards in June.

Hosted by actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra, IIFA Rocks, an exclusive music extravaganza, will see a host of musical performances by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Mika, Ankit Tiwari, Kanika Kapoor, Javed Ali and the Nooran sisters.

Sonakshi will also exercise her vocal chords at IIFA Rocks on June 5.

"There will be some exciting first-ever at the IIFA Weekend and Awards. Sonakshi Sinha is going to take the stage as a singer at IIFA Rocks," Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment, the organisers of IIFA, told IANS over phone from Mumbai.


Actresses Jacqueline Fernandez, Aditi Rao Hydari, Lisa Haydon and Lauren Gottlieb will also perform at IIFA Rocks.

Joseph shared that Sonakshi will perform on the awards night June 7 as well.

"On the awards night, we will see performances by Hrithik Roshan, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Parineeti Chopra, Shraddha Kapoor, Sonakshi and Shahid Kapoor. It will be larger than life, big and spectacular," he said.

Established in 2000, the International Indian Film Academy was initiated with the aim of celebrating Indian cinema across the world.

I hope after 'Quantico', Indian actors are taken seriously

I hope after 'Quantico', Indian actors are taken seriously: Priyanka

She remembers being bullied as a "brownie" in her teenage years in the US. But now Priyanka Chopra, who has landed a key role in American thriller show "Quantico", hopes her new endeavour helps her to break the "stereotype" that global pop culture has made out of Indians, and opens more doors for the country's actors to be taken seriously in the west.

"The fact that 'Quantico' happened was a big win. I just hope it is successful because I really think that it would make a dent in Indian actors being taken seriously. I think," Priyanka said here.

A teaser of "Quantico", which has been picked by ABC, gives ample footage to Priyanka, who essays FBI Agent Alex Parrish. And she even speaks with an accent!

Commenting on her debut in the US TV series, the 32-year-old said she agreed to work in the show only on a condition.

"The fact that she is an Indian should have nothing to do with the story. 'I am an actor, so cast me as an actor' (was my point)... They indeed found me a part where I play a half-Indian, half-Caucasian FBI agent."

"I play an American girl, I have an American accent, and it's nothing related to the stereotyped image of Indians. We are beyond the exorcism, spirituality and yoga... it's there, which is great, but that's not it," said Priyanka, who also broke stereotype when she ventured into the global music scene with her single "In my city".

Some of her past memories of the US -- when she went to study there -- are sour.


"I was bullied a lot when I was in a school in America. A lot of racism happened with me... which is why I came back. I was in high school, only 16 years old. I was called 'Brownie, go back on the boat you came from' and things like that."

"So, when the opportunity of working in the West started coming in, starting with my music, I really wanted to try and bring relevance to Indian talent, because I was given the opportunity, " added the multi-talented former Miss World.

The National Award winning actress, who has made her mark in Bollywood with films like "Fashion", "Mary Kom" and "7 Khoon Maaf", shared that it is important for her that Indian talent be recognised.

"Our accent is made fun of, and we all do not speak like that! We all do not smell of curries, we all are not just nerds who are ugly looking, sitting behind computers...Why... Why do we have Indians stereotyped? We are very proud of our big families, but that doesn't mean that you will see 15 people coming out of one car."

"My point is that in global pop culture we are represented like that. I wanted to break that. It annoyed me that my country is seen only like that."

Bhaai is now 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'

Watch The Teaser: Bhaai is now 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'


Salman Khan's highly anticipated film 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' teaser released at 7:58 PM, Thursday on a social networking platform for fans.

Salman Khan took to Twitter to thank his fans for the overwhelming response to the first look and also released the first poster of 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', which revealed that the trailer will release on Thursday on a leading entertainment network's channels.

Director Kabir Khan on Wednesday night showed the teaser of his upcoming Salman Khan-starrer 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' to 50 select fans in Mumbai.

We had an exciting morning... showed the #BajrangiBhaijaan teaser promo to the 50 selected fans," Kabir Khan posted on Twitter alongside a photo with the group of fans.

On Tuesday, Shah Rukh Khan revealed a photo of Salman Khan in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' on Twitter which was also tweeted by Aamir Khan later.

Salman, 49, took to Twitter to say that he was touched by SRK and Aamir's gesture. "Thanking sharukh an amir for the 1st look of bajrangi bhaijaan. V touched n extremely happy. God's give them n thr fans all the happiness (sic)," Salman Khan tweeted.

The film which also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui is set to release on EID 2015.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Over 25,000 actors vie to be Poonam's hero

Over 25,000 actors vie to be Poonam's hero

A contest titled 'Kaun Banega Poonam Ka Hero', organised to find a lead actor to be paired with Poonam Pandey in "Helen", attracted over 25,000 people, says the film's producer Suresh Nakum.

Nakum told IANS: "The kind of response that has come for the contest of 'Kaun Banega Poonam Ka Hero' has been nothing less than mighty pleasing for the team. In fact, I have never seen such kind of a response for any Bollywood movie before the film goes on the floors."

He said that "over 25,000 followers of Poonam Pandey have uploaded videos and audio clips to try and play the male lead".


The hunt required the contestants to make a two-minute audition video, during which they were free to enact a movie scene or dialogue of their choice to the best of their ability. Poonam herself invited the candidates through a video in which she says she is looking for a male lead to star opposite her.

"Helen" is produced by Nakum and Vipin Medhekar under the World Networks banner.

Arbaaz Khan Debuts on Dubsmash

Arbaaz Khan Debuts on Dubsmash

After Salman Khan's first dubsmash video went viral across the internet, his brother, and producer and director of the Dabbang series, Arbaaz Khan too made his debut on dubsmash with a dialogue from Dabbang-1.

Salman earlier shot a video with Sonakshi, dubbing a popular line from Shatrugan Sinha's movie. With so many celebrities taking to Dubsmash, the fans are certainly in for a lot of entertainment, even though if it lasts for a few seconds.

Why Huma is fed up of denims?

Why Huma is fed up of denims?

She feels that being a girl, she has so many things she can adorn and tries to make the most of it.

She has an interesting collection of dresses, printed pants, skirts, Indian wear and she keeps adding to the collection.

The talented actor likes experimenting with her dressing.

She is always up for trying things and putting together an ensemble look.

Even in her films she is always gung-ho about trying new looks. The stylists she works with are always appreciative on how she is always up for experimenting and trials

Huma infact keeps tabs on international trends and shops online or whenever she is travelling.


Denims for the young actress is a no brainer. Even though she likes denims for casual affairs, she consciously tries to keep them at bay.

Says Huma "I find dressing in denims absolutely boring! They are comfortable but are like a shortcut to dressing. I like experimenting with my clothes and creating different looks."

She further shares "Even though jeans are pretty much a must have in ones wardrobe I try and do without it. I keep looking out for fashion trends so I can find alternatives to them. I have been doing this for a while now"

Alia Bhatt praises Kangana Ranaut

Alia Bhatt praises Kangana Ranaut

After Priyanka Chopra, Bollywood's young powerhouse of talent Alia Bhatt has praised 'queen' Kangana Ranaut after watching her latest movie "Tanu Weds Manu: Returns". She has also given the thumbs up for content-driven films led by women.

The 22-year-old even called Kangana an "inspiration".

"Such an inspiration, and the rare ability to just purely ENTERTAIN !!! Ufff loved Kangna in TWMR.. Wohoooo to girl power;) superbbbb," the "Highway" actress tweeted.

Alia will next be seen in "Udta Punjab" directed by Abhishek Chaubey. The film also features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

After Kashmir Salman lands in Himachal, but why?

After Kashmir Salman lands in Himachal, but why?

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Monday had a taste of Himachali culture when he savoured local delicacies during his foster sister's reception ceremony in this town. The reel-life hero also left the crowd swaying after he danced to the tunes of Himachali songs.

Clad in full-sleeve round neck T-shirt and blue jeans, Salman wore sunglasses as he was accompanied by brother Sohail at Himachal Pradesh's Mandi town, located on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway-21, in the morning to attend his younger sister Arpita's marriage reception.

Interacting with the crowd at the reception venue, Salman, who looked suave in a suit at the ceremony, struck an emotional chord by saying: "I have come here to hand over my sister, who is my heart."

"I heard that people of Himachal are very good so are the locals of Mandi. It gives me a great pleasure to see the good people around... Now I have a connection with people of Mandi and Himachal Pradesh. I will do whatever I can do for you people."

The Khans later danced to the region's folk music.

Arpita is married to Aayush Sharma, son of state rural development minister Anil Sharma. They tied the knot on November 18 last year.

The week-long celebrations in Mumbai and the Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad were attended by stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif.

"We feel honoured with the visit of Salman Khan and, of course, excited over bahu's (daughter-in-law) first homecoming," Anil Sharma told IANS.


Arpita tweeted on May 22: "Looking forward to going bk (back) to Mandi HP as Mrs. Arpita Khan Sharma."

A traditional community feast, locally called "Dham", was organised to felicitate the daughter-in-law and the son at the celebrations, where more than 10,000 people, mostly from the area, were invited.

"Dham" is a traditional meal served on leaf plates to the guests sitting on the floor. The feast consists of the finest ingredients, traditional recipes and methods. It is cooked by chefs trained by the "botis" or hereditary cooks.

It is basically a four-course unlimited meal.

The main course has the chaa ghosht or lamb cooked in yoghurt gravy, or murgh anardana, chicken stewed in pomegranate paste, for non-vegetarians.

For vegetarians, it was Himachali dal channa, split gram with fennel seeds, and mathri choware, lentil fritters in spinach gravy.

For those with a sweet tooth, there was meethe chawal (sweetened red rice with dry fruits and saffron).

The food was cooked in copper vessels which impart a unique flavour to the dishes.

The Khans reached Sundernagar town in a chartered chopper from Chandigarh. From there, they drove to Mandi town, which is dotted with more than 80 temples built in typical hill architecture. It's popularly called "Chhoti Kashi".

Shraddha Kapoor goes on Rock On 2 recce

Shraddha Kapoor goes on Rock On 2 recce

​​Shraddha Kapoor is set to become the first actress who has gone on a recce with the production team of her film. She has gone on the Rock On 2 recce.

The actress is in Shillong where the entire production team of Excel Entertainment is gone for a recce and location hunting for the shoot of their film of Rock On's sequel.

Shraddha wanted to absorb the location and wanted to get the feel of her character therefore she joined the crew for the recce

Shraddha also wanted to re- read her script at the actual locations! She feels this will serve to be one of the ways of prepping for her character in the film.


She is keen to rehearse the scenes close to what she has read in the script and wants to absorb her character's nuances to the fullest. Therefore, the actress has taken some time off and has gone to Shillong to prepare herself for her role.

Shraddha who is also taking voice modulation classes for her character in the film will be lending her voice to the music of the film.

Rock On 2 sequel will also see Shraddha and Farhan coming together for the first time on the silver screen.

Shraddha confirms the news and shares, "It is a beautiful place and I have carried the script along so that I can prep for my character in the place it's based."

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Whoa! Check out which legend is desperate to work with Salman?

Whoa! Check out which legend is desperate to work with Salman?

Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone, who has thrown up a suggestion to work with the "Dabangg" star Salman Khan in an action film -- in perhaps the "new 'Expendables'" -- is impressed with the fan following of the Indian superstar.

Be it his "Dabangg" style, his way of carrying his heart on his sleeves, witty nature or the ever popular shirtless stint on the big screen, Salman has developed a special relationship with his fans. And that has "impressed" Stallone.

Stallone took to micro-blogging site Twitter to appreciate his loyal fan following.

"Salman, I am very impressed with your many devoted fans. To make a great Action film Sucessful takes MANY great fans who support you, Sly," Stallone, who is known for his action-packed entertainers, tweeted.

This comes after the "Rocky" star suggested collaborating with Salman for an action film together, after Salman sent out a tweet, admiring his screen icon.

"Would like to thank the super talented Indian superstar SALMAN KHAN the Compliment he Tweeted! We should do an ACTION FILM together," Stallone posted.

The Hollywood icon even had a suggestion for the project as he posted: "Mabye the New EXPENDABLES".


On Friday, the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" actor had called upon his 12 million fans on micro-blogging website Twitter to follow the legendary actor as he is their "hero ka hero".

Salman's tweet read: "Agar kisi ko follow karna hai? Bahar ka... Inko follow karo @TheSlyStallone. Aapke Hero ka hero Sylvester Stallone (If anyone has to follow a Hollywood star, then follow Sylvester Stallone. He is the hero of your hero)."

A film with both the stars will be an interesting combination, but what remains a question is that will the film be a Hollywood venture or a Bollywood masala entertainer?

Stallone's earlier tryst with Bollywood was a cameo appearance in "Khiladi" Akshay Kumar film "Kambakkht Ishq" in 2009.

Why Anushka won't join 'Dil Dhadakne Do' team in Kolkata?

Why Anushka won't join 'Dil Dhadakne Do' team in Kolkata?

Actress Anushka Sharma's health has forced her to skip the promotion of the forthcoming Zoya Akhtar's directorial "Dil Dhadakne Do" at the Indian Premier League (IPL) final here on Sunday.

"Anushka Sharma has taken ill suddenly after completing her film promotions on Saturday (in Mumbai) and has been advised by the doctor to rest completely for a day or two as she is exhausted and is showing signs of effects of heat, so that she can resume the promotional activities soon," read a statement.

"She regrets she will not be able to travel to Kolkata as planned due to this," the statement said.

The Mehras, the dysfunctional Punjabi family in "Dil Dhadakne Do", are currently on a multi-city tour, which started on Sunday, to promote the comedy-drama.


The family will also be visiting cities like Indore, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

The film, which also stars Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shah and Priyanka Chopra, is to release on June 5.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

John Abraham's new muse?

Revealed: John Abraham's new muse?


Actress Neha Sharma has confirmed that she would be romancing actor John Abraham in the third instalment of the film "Hera Pheri ".

"'Hera Pheri' is one of my most favourite films of all times. Super excited to be part of this franchise and also about sharing screen space with John whose work I have always admired," Neha said in a statement.

Neha ventured into Hindi cinema in 2010 in the film "Crook: It's Good To Be Bad", starring opposite actor Emraan Hashmi. She was last seen in "Youngistaan " in 2014 opposite Jackky Bhagnani.

The actress is not new to comedy and has done three films earlier in the same genre. These are "Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum ", "Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story " and "Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 ".


"Hera Pheri 3" will also feature Kay Kay Menon, Suniel Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan and Paresh Rawal. The first instalment of the movie was directed by Priyadarshan. The second and third instalments are directed by Neeraj Vora.

When Deepika rescued her overseas friend?

When Deepika rescued her overseas friend?

One of Deepika's closest friends stays in New York, US.

Her friend messaged her complaining about how she is unable to watch Piku as tickets were not available. The friend shared how she tried to watch the film over the weekend but did not get tickets. She even tried to pre-book tickets for Monday but tickets were not available.

Piku has been doing exceptionally well in the overseas market but Deepika did not expect such a call.

Deepika was elated with hearing this and quite enjoyed her friend's banter and she shared the news with her distribution team.

Deepika also requested them to check if they can arrange tickets for her friend in the U.S.


The distribution team made a few calls and got tickets arranged.

Deepika called her friend and asked her to collect the tickets.

Her friend was very surprised and elated. She never expected this coming her way.

Salman's special tribute to shotgun Shatrughan

Salman's special tribute to shotgun Shatrughan

The Dubsmash fever has gripped Bollywood and Salman Khan is the latest celeb to join the bandwagon. He shared a Dubsmash video of himself with 'Dabangg' co-star Sonakshi Sinha where they pay tribute to Shatrughan Sinha a.k.a. Shotgun.

Salman Khan mouths Shatrughan Sinha's dialogue from 'Mere Apne' (1971) in perfect Shotgun style, while Sonakshi lip-syncs to Mala Sinha's lines. Sonakshi Sinha, who has been entertaining her fans and followers with several Dubsmash videos, has had her own rendition of her father's famous dialogue.

To check out creative and hilarious Dubsmash videos by Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and other Bollywood celebs

SRK thanked his well-wishers for standing by him

SRK thanked his well-wishers for standing by him

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who successfully underwent arthroscopic surgery on hisleft knee on Thursday at a hospital here, thanked his well-wishers for standing by him during his tough time.

"Do they do Fequent Fliers Miles in Hospitals? If yes, I would own some of the hospitals! Thx all for standing by me as I pray on my knees...," tweeted the 49-year-old, who has been advised complete rest for three to four days.

The actor underwent the surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital on Thursday.


Sanjay Desai, who operated the superstar, said that the "Baadshah" of Bollywood was suffering from repeated pain and swelling of left knee over the last several months and the surgery confirmed "chondral wear of Patella, which is due to repeated injuries over the last few years."

But now the Shah Rukh, who was busy shooting for "Raees" until before the surgery, has been discharged and is taking rest at her residence here.

Bollywood celebs who funded their acting aspirations

Bollywood celebs who funded their acting aspirations


With musician-turned-actor Himesh Reshammiya gearing up to play the lead in his upcoming production, we take a look at others, who not only invested in projects but also starred in them

In an era of cross-functionality, not many Bollywood celebs have been spared by the acting bug. Filmmakers have often moved on to the other side of the camera while musicians rest their vocal chords to put their acting talent to test. While for some, the crossover has been rather sudden, a few others, who are quite well known in their respective fields, made a conscious effort to make the switch. The latter category includes several celebs who do not mind funding their acting aspirations.

Take for example Himesh Reshammiya. The musician-turned-actor will be seen in two of his upcoming productions Heeriye and Guns N Roses. The latter will roll this August in Greece. Known for his hit compositions and nasal voice, Himesh faced the camera for the first time in 2007 with Aap Kaa Suroor. Till now, he has starred in eight films, of which he produced two - The Xpose and Damadamm. In case of the former, he had invested somewhere around R20-25 crore and the latter cost him Rs 7-8 crore. Overall, he managed to recover Rs 20 crore for both films. He had also co-produced Khiladi 789 in which he was seen alongside Akshay Kumar and Asin.

hitlist points out a few Bollywood celebs who not only invested in projects but also starred in them, and met with moderate to meagre success...

Himesh Reshammiya
Money invested: Rs 27-33crore
Overall, he managed to recover only R20 crore for both films

Ameesha Patel


After a dream debut opposite Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai (2000), the actress has featured in close to three dozen films. She turned producer last year with Desi Magic, in which she had a double role.
Money invested: Rs 15crore
As co-producer of the film, she expended R15 crore, say sources, adding that she couldn't succeed in winning back even 30 per cent of it.

Sachiin Joshi


The entrepreneur made his acting debut in 2011 with Aazaan and then went on to produce one more film, Jackpot, in which he was cast opposite Sunny Leone.
Money invested: Rs 50crore
The actor has put in approximately Rs 50 crore on his films till now, but has hardly been able to recover Rs 10 crore.

Kunal Kohli


He has hit films like Fanaa and Hum Tum to his credit and will make his acting debut with his upcoming production, Phir Se.
Money invested: Rs 2-3crore
He has spent nearly Rs 2-3 crore on the project, and if one includes the publicity campaign, it will come to around Rs 10 crore.

Kamaal R Khan


He made the forgettable Deshdrohi in 2008 on a small budget. He is said to be still working on a sequel which for which Vivek Oberoi was being considered to replace KRK.
Money invested: Rs 3-4crore
The monetary recovery was negligible and what he really earned was criticism.

Anuj Saxena


Having acted in more than 10 television serials, he produced and acted in Chase (2010) and Paranthe Wali Gali (2014).
Money invested: Rs 30crore
After putting in Rs 20 crore for Chase (shot in foreign locations), he halved the stake for Paranthe. But he has recovered only Rs 5 crore for both films combined.

Mika Singh


The maverick singer crossed over to acting with Loot (2011) and was again seen in Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya last year, which he himself produced.
Money invested: Rs 10-11crore
Mika is said to have invested a total of R10-11 crore for the film, but barely got anything back.

Lara Dutta


The former beauty queen got her acting break with Andaaz (2003) and featured in 33 other films. She was seen in her maiden production venture, Chalo Dilli, which starred the likes of Vinay Pathak and Akshay Kumar and did average business at the box office. She is likely to feature in the sequel to the movie tentatively titled Chalo China.
Money invested: Rs 10crore
Lara was able to recover 70 to 80 per cent of the total Rs 10 crore that she spent on the film.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Salman Khan wraps up Kashmir shooting of 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'

Salman Khan wraps up Kashmir shooting of 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan today wound up over month-long shooting for his new film 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' in Kashmir, with a promise to return soon to the valley which he fell in love with.

The 49-year-old actor tweeted his impressions about the beauty of Kashmir and hoped that more Bollywood film makers will choose the valley for their movies.

Salman was in the Valley for over a month for the shooting of the Kabir Khan film.

About 30 per cent of the movie was shot in Kashmir, which once used to be the preferred choice of all film makers but was abandoned since military erupted in 1989.

"Salman left Kashmir today after completing his shooting for Bajrangi Bhaijaan," line producer of the film, Khawar Jamsheed told PTI.

Jamsheed said the actor left for his home in Mumbai along with actress Kareena Kapoor.

'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' was shot at various picturesque locations including the famous resorts of Pahalgam and Sonamarg. A qawali song of the movie was shot at a famous shrine in Ashmuqam area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district.

The line producer said the film's shooting was wrapped up today and the unit will leave the valley tomorrow.

"We are happy that the shooting went off well and I am sure other filmmakers will come to Kashmir for their films," he said.

Jamsheed said Salman left the Valley with a heavy heart as he was in no mood to leave the place. "He was so relaxed, happy and enjoyed his stay. He was in no mood to leave," Jamsheed said, adding Salman promised to be back soon.

"He is in love with the Valley and it is 100 per cent in his heart that he wants to be here again very soon," he said.

Earlier, Salman kept his 11.9 million fans on Twitter updated with little glimpses into his schedule in the city.

"Flood Kashmir with only tourism tourism tourism," Salman tweeted with a photo of snow-clad mountains.

"KASHMIR bahut AMEER (rich) in natural beauty... Maashallah Maashallah," the actor wrote.

Watch First Look of 'Azhar'

Watch First Look of 'Azhar'

Here's the first look of Bala Ji Motion Pictures and MSM Motion Pictures' "Azhar" which is a biopic of former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Mohammad Azharuddin's character will be played by Emraan Hashmi.

Prachi Desai has also been cast opposite Emraan in the film. The actress is currently on a vacation in London, and will commence shooting the film once she returns.


The film will highlight the life story of former cricketer and his much-talked about affair and marriage to actress Sangeeta Bijlani. The hunt for another actress is still on.

Towards the end of his career the cricketer was accused of match-fixing, which will also be another major focus of the film. 'Azhar' is directed by Tony D'Souza. Scripted by Rajat Aroraa. Film slated for release on 13 May 2016.


Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Richa Chadda's dress dilemma at Cannes

Richa Chadda's dress dilemma at Cannes

Actress Richa Chadda, set for the screening of the movie "Masaan" at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival, feels "fortunate" that several designers wanted her to flaunt their creations on the red carpet this time -- unlike her first experience at the gala.

"The last time I went to Cannes I had no experience of being in the limelight. Now I am more confident and grown up. I feel fortunate that so many amazing designers have shown interest in dressing me up. I want to showcase the best of the east in the west" Richa said in a statement.


According to a source, Richa had about 15 designers who wanted to dress her up for her appearance.

The actress, who last attended the extravaganza for Anurag Kashyap's "Gangs Of Wasseypur", left for Cannes on Saturday night to attend the festival for "Masaan", directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. The film has been chosen to be screened in the UnCertain Regard section.

A director was flirting with this actress at a party

Shot in the dark: A director was flirting with this actress at a party

This actress had a tough time keeping a director away from her at a recent party


This actress should have ideally looked the happiest at the success party of her film. But it just wasn't her day. If costume troubles were not enough, unwelcome attention from a director-friend royally put her off.

"They used to bond earlier. But at this party, she chose to maintain distance from him as he got dead drunk and kept blabbering," says a source.

As it is, the actress was not in a great mood after she had to change her ill-fitting costume at the last minute. She initially looked hassled but calmed down eventually.

"She was chatting with everyone around, including this director. But after downing a few pegs, he began flirting with her and made her uncomfortable. She was irritated and moved on to other guests," adds the source.

To the surprise of onlookers, the director started following her from one corner to another. "She finally asked him to let her be. But he was high and kept talking rot.

To avoid an unpleasant situation, she asked one of her director friends present at the party to intervene. That person then escorted her out of the party," says an eyewitness.

Is Parineeti Chopra regretting losing 'Piku'?

Is Parineeti Chopra regretting losing 'Piku'?



Parineeti Chopra is apparently still smarting over having lost an opportunity to work in 'Piku'

If the industry grapevine is to be believed, Parineeti Chopra is kind of regretting having lost out on the opportunity to work in Shoojit Sircar's 'Piku'. The actress has apparently been telling her friends that the titular role played by Deepika Padukone was also offered to her and how she couldn't take it up. An industry source says, "Many Bollywood stars dream of sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Parineeti is no different. But she couldn't lap it up as she was bound by the contract of a big banner, which wanted her in one of their projects at that time. So, Pari is upset that she was, in a way, not allowed to do the film."


Apart from Deepika and Parineeti, the makers of 'Piku' had supposedly also approached a few other actresses for the role. "Had Parineeti taken up Piku, it would have been a turning point in her career," adds the source.

The Chopra girl has not signed any film post her last film, 'Kill Dil', opposite Ranveer Singh. There is buzz that she may return to the big screen with a movie produced by her cousin, Priyanka Chopra.

Big-ticket Bollywood films that failed to live up to the hype

Big-ticket Bollywood films that failed to live up to the hype

Despite all the pre-release hype, mega budget film 'Bombay Velvet' has failed to live up to expectations. A look at other highly anticipated movies that proved to be damp squibs...

Hype is as much part of the moviemaking business as the film itself. Be it the lead actors' charm or the PR machinery going on overdrive, many projects are surrounded by enormous media build-up before their release. While that may ensure a great opening, it is not necessary that the movie will be a hit. A case in point is Anurag Kashyap's 'Bombay Velvet', which hit the marquee last Friday.


Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in a still from 'Bombay Velvet'. The film, which was made on a budget of over Rs 130 crore, has managed to collect only around Rs 16 crore in its opening weekend

Made on a humongous budget apparently exceeding Rs 130 crore, the film has managed to collect only Rs 16.10 crore in its opening weekend. Right from recreating Bombay of the '50s and '60 in Sri Lanka to having a never-seen-before jodi (Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma), the film got a lot of publicity only to leave the audience sighing eventually.

Hitlist gives you a lowdown on some films that failed to live up to the hype surrounding them...

Jai Ho


Budget: Rs 75-80crore
Collections: Rs 116crore
Lowdown:
Known as the boss of the box office, Salman Khan has delivered many big hits and raked in big bucks. His mere presence in a film automatically becomes its USP given his enormous fan following. This project also made headlines as the star was to romance a newcomer (Daisy Shah) and the media followed her to various events just for a glimpse. Though the film was expected to shatter all box office records, it didn't.

Himmatwala


Budget: Rs 70-80crore
Collections: Rs 30-40crore
Lowdown:
It was riding high on a promotional blitzkrieg and the fact that it was a remake of the 1983 hit film with the Naino mein sapna song being reprised. But when it hit the big screen, it left the audience stunned. What was one of the most anticipated movies of 2013, turned out to be one of the biggest flops of the year, panned by the critics and audience alike. Though the Ajay Devgn and Tamannah Bhatia-starrer grossed R12 crore on its opening day, it could not sustain the momentum.

Blue


Budget: Rs 90-100crore
Collections: Rs 54crore
Lowdown:
Publicised as Bollywood's first underwater action adventure flick, this Akshay Kumar-starrer couldn't stay afloat at the box office for a long time. The Anthony D'Souza-directed film even had a song featuring Kylie Minogue (Chiggy Wiggy) and was high on glamour and stunts. But the audience's reaction left the makers feeling blue. Besides Akki, the multistarrer featured Sanjay Dutt, Zayed Khan and Lara Dutta in lead roles.

Ra.One


Budget: Rs 130-140crore
Collections: Rs 140crore
Lowdown:
Shah Rukh Khan's superhero movie was aggressively marketed as the star launched a Ra.One play station game and even got American singer Akon to croon in Hindi (Chammak Challo). The movie's promotions were done on a grand scale. Though it set off fireworks during its Diwali opening, the numbers dropped significantly in the second week.

Kites


Budget: Rs 60-70crore
Collections: Rs 45-50crore
Lowdown:
Contrary to its title, the film crash landed at the box office despite breathtaking thrills, exotic locales and the presence of Mexican actress Barbara Mori opposite Hrithik Roshan. It was touted as Bollywood's first international project and made a lot of pre-release news - from a fallout between director Anurag Basu and producer Rakesh Roshan to an alleged affair between Hrithik and Barbara. Ticket rates hit the roof, but after a frenzied weekend, footfalls fell drastically.

Besharam


Budget: Rs 80-85crore
Collections: Rs 59crore
Lowdown:
After a brilliant performance in 'Barfi', not only Ranbir Kapoor's fans but even critics had great expectations from him in this film. There was a lot of media hype about the young actor sharing screen space with his parents, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, for the first time. However, the Abhinav Kashyap film failed to capitalise on all the PR buzz and Ranbir did not return to the screen for over a year.

Mausam
Budget: Rs 70-75crore
Collections: Rs 65-70crore
Lowdown:
There was a lot of noise about Pankaj Kapur's directorial debut starring his son, Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles. Even the film's poster was compared to a scene from the Oscar-winning 'Titanic' (1997). But when it was opened to the public, they gave it a thumbs down. While it had a fair opening in multiplexes, the crowd response in single screen theatres was rather dull.

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