Entertainment: 2008

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Love gone sour For Salman

Love gone sour: Salman Khan allegedly locked-up his girlfriend Katrina Kaif in her vanity van recently. The actor was upset about spotting Katrina and Akshay Kumar together at an IPL match.

One tight slap: Not very long ago, Salman had slapped Katrina in public at a Mumbai restaurant. Later Katrina denied it.

Say Brazil!: Sallu seems to be smitten by Brazilian model Bruna Abdallah of late. His relationship with long time girlfriend Katrina Kaif has been questioned following his close rapport with Bruna. The latest is that he wants to launch Bruna in a film and is taking personal interest in training her.

In happier times: His much-publicised affair with Aishwarya lasted two years. Salman, known to be a very possessive person was accused of beating up his girl friend.

I want to break free: Hell broke loose when Ash made a public statement that she has decided to 'break-free' from the relationship not only because he hit her, but also because he cheated on her. The Khan was accused in a press conference in 2003 by Vivek Oberoi to have called him on his mobile 41 times during one night and threatened him with death as well!

Somy, not for me: Salman’s subsequent relationship with Somy Ali became ideal grist for the fanzine mills, topped with the widely reported story about an infuriated Salman emptying a glass of cola on her head in a Juhu restaurant. The relationship with Somy continued on-and-off, and it was rumoured that he would certainly marry her.

Bijli but no spark: Sangeeta Bijlani was his first publicised affair. In fact, he was seeing Shaheen Jaffrey (who was seen in Mashook) before Bijlani.

Electric smile of Ash At Cannes

Electric smile: Our Cannes regular Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked perfect in her black evening gown.

Pretty ladies: Aishwarya seen here with Eva Longoria, who has recently featured in the World's most beautiful list.

Just laughs: Ash, Longoria share a light moment on the red carpet.

Bollywood's blog war

Blog blog...: Aamir Khan, who is known for being a non-controversial actor, took some time off to try his hands at blogs and is now an active blogger. But his recent dig at Shah Rukh Khan by naming his pet dog as Shah Rukh didn't go down well with his fans.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Amy Winehouse wants to renew wedding vows with jailed hubby

Washington, May 19 (ANI): Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has decided to renew her wedding vows with her husband Blake Fielder-Civil once he is released from jail. The news comes amidst several reports that the coupleâ€™s marriage is on the rocks and the Rehab singer has allegedly fallen for her manager’s assistant Alex Haynes. Meanwhile, Fielder-Civil is said to have developed a close relationship with friend Sarah Thomas after receiving frequent visits from her in jail. However, despite all the rumours, the couple are keen to prove critics wrong, and want to reaffirm their love and dedication to one another in an intimate ceremony in East London as soon as Fielder-Civil is free. “Amy and Blake are more determined than ever to show the world they are together,â€ Contactmusic quoted a source as telling Britain’s Sunday Mirror. “As soon as he is out they will be renewing their wedding vows… They want another wedding, a family and are even planning to se...

Shakira, Ricky Martin perform for childrenâ€™s charity

London, May 19 (ANI): A host of Latin celebrities including the likes of Shakira and Ricky Martin are doing their share of charity by performing at two fundraising concerts to highlight the plight of some 32m Latin American children living in poverty. The concerts will be held in the two Buenos Aires and Mexico City and will be attended by many thousands of viewers. The proceeds of the two events, being held simultaneously in Argentina and Mexico, will be going to the Latin America in Solidarity Action (Alas) charity. Earlier Shakira revealed that she had managed to get 200m dollars in donations from Mexican and US tycoons Carlos Slim and Howard Buffett and said that the eradication of poverty was “doable.” While Slim is the telecommunications magnate, Howard Buffet is the eldest son of the US investment guru, Warren Buffett. “Imagine what Latin America could achieve if we invest in developing the potential of these children,” BBC quoted Shakira, as saying ...

Amitabh apologised to Shah Rukh over blog

Mumbai, May 17 (IANS) Superstar Amitabh Bachchan is enjoying his blogging experience and “the ugly abuses, the healthy criticism” that come along with it. The Bollywood icon has clarified that his remarks about Shah Rukh Khan’s quiz show on his blog were misinterpreted by the media and he has apologised to the actor since then.

Amitabh Bachchan Being Paid 115 Crores for Blogging?

We all know blogging can be lucrative however who knew that Amitabh Bachchan might actually be one of the highest paid bloggers out there! Confused? According to Mid Day, Big B has been paid a whopping Rs 115 cr for writing posts on Ambani-owned bigadda.com. So is that the reason, the usually non-confrontal Bachchan is taking pot shots at some of his colleagues?The mind truly boggles!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Bengali model Anushka Sharma to star with Shah Rukh Khan

Sharma to star in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Bengali model Anushka Sharma has been chosen to play the female lead in Aditya Chopra's keenly awaited movie, Rab Ne Bana Jodi.

Yash Chopra, Chairman of Yash Raj Films, announced this week that 19-year-old model Anushka Sharma, from Bangalore, has been chosen to play the female lead opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (meaning 'match made in heaven').

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi will be director Aditya Chopra's third film. His previous movies Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Mohabbatein were major box office hits in the UK, so great interest is now being shown in Aditya's new venture.

Incidently all of Aditya's films star King Khan who has become the number Bollywood star in the Indian film industry.

Yash Chopra said: 'We were looking first and foremost of someone who could truly embody the spirit of small town Punjab and we know we have found her in Anushka.

'And while she has no previous acting experience, we have seen that unique spark in her that makes us confident that she will stand tall even opposite Shah Rukh.'

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi's shooting schedule will begin on 16 May 2008 with a release planned for UK cinemas this December.

Popular Actor Akshay Kumar in Singh Is Kinng

Singh Is Kinng trailer proves popular with fans

The trailer from director Anees Bazmee's new release later this year has already received raved reviews from fans.

The Bollywood action comedy from director Anees Bazmee, Singh Is Kinng, is one of the most keenly anticipated titles to release in UK cinemas this year.

Starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, Singh Is Kinng releases in the UK on 8 August 2008, according to Head of London-based Studio 18 Tanuj Garg.

From Vipul Shah and Anees Bazmee (who have delivered UK box office hits like Namastey London, Waqt, No Entry and Welcome) Singh Is Kinng is an action comedy about an adorable bumpkin from Punjab who ends up in Australia in a zany situation that he had never imagined.

The trailer, which is presently being screened with Tashan, has already received rave reviews from fans, particularly as it reveals Akshay Kumar's stylish new Sikh get-up.

Eros to release Dhoom Dadaka

All-out comic caper Dhoom Dadaka releases this month starring Anupam Kher.

Eros International announced the release of director Shashi Ranjan's Dhoom Dadaka on 23 May 2008.

A fast-paced comic caper, Dhoom Dadaka is about a gangster ( Anupam Kher) in search of an heir.

Filmed entirely in Bangkok, this comic flick is said to include 14 well-known comedians from the Bollywood film industry. These include Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Aarti Chabria, Sammir Dattani, Gulshan Grover and Jackie Shroff.

The musical score for this film is composed by Roop Kumar Rathod.

The song, Aashikan Di Balle Balle by Daler Mehndi and Jaspinder Narula is doing well in the music charts while the song-and-dance sequence, Sa ra ra ra rang barsaye chhailva is proving popular on Asian satellite channels.

Saif Ali Khan turns producer

Renowned actor, Saif Ali Khan, whose work was very much appreciated by audiences in the latest Abbas-Mustan flick, Race, is said to be producing two films this year.

His first project which is yet to be titled, will be directed by Imtiaz Ali whose film, Jab We Met did great business at the UK box office.

Saif’s second film production titled, Agent Vinod, will be directed by Sriram Raghavan.

Both films will be made by Saif Ali Khan’s production company called Illuminati Films will see a UK release by Eros International based in London.

Parker keeps Sex plot under wraps

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker has begged the media not to reveal the plot of the eagerly anticipated Sex and the City movie.

"We have worked desperately hard to keep some obvious plot things secret so people can have an experience which hasn't been ruined," she told the BBC's Tom Brook.

She said she hoped the press would feel "honour-bound" not to divulge the film's secrets ahead of its release at the end of the month.

Sex and the City: The Movie, which reunites Parker with her co-stars from the popular US comedy series, has its world premiere in London on Monday.

The original TV series, which followed the love lives of four professional women in New York, came to an end in 2004.

'Complicity'

When pressed to give some clue as to the movie's content, Parker did reveal it was "about forgiveness and pursuing love in a way that is real and meaningful".

The Sex and the City movie reunites the TV series' four leading ladies

"I think it's about what it means to be a grown-up, and to recognise your own complicity and disappointment," she continued while promoting the film in New York.

"I think in your twenties you spend a lot of time making the boys the villains.

"There's a difference when you're 40. You really experience loss and disappointment and you have to reconcile what part you played in it."

Traditionally, Sex and the City's core demographic has always been urban women and gay men.

With the worldwide release of the film version, however, Parker said she hoped it would be seen by a broader cross-section.

"There was a time when that was predictably our core audience," she conceded.

"But we've been on the air four years since [the show ended] and our demographic has grown substantially.

Product placement

"The age has changed and the kind of women and men that are watching has changed," the 43-year-old added.

"Do we reach the newer people or do we shore up our core base? We'll see."

The film spin-off's plot details have been kept a closely guarded secret

One thing that won't change is the ubiquitous product placement that became as much a part of the TV series as Manhattan scenery and Samantha's libido.

After all, Parker's character Carrie Bradshaw would not be complete without her Manolo Blahnik stilettos or designer threads.

The actress admitted it can be a challenge to get the right balance. "You have to be careful and not sell yourself down the river," she explained.

"These are women that are, for better or worse, ruled by material products - it's how they live their lives.

"It takes strategising and good counsel and smart choices about what's helping the movie and what isn't distracting."

Tom Brook's interview with Sarah Jessica Parker can be seen on the latest edition of Talking Movies on BBC World News.

Can Playboy pull a rabbit out of the hat?

Hugh Hefner recently bought millions of dollars' worth of Playboy stock. Does the Robed One know something about the struggling company that other investors don't?

By Michael Brush

Given the huge amount of adult entertainment we consume as a nation, its a wonder Playboy Enterprises' stock performs like it needs a dose of Viagra.

Just look at the size of the porn market:
Americans spend about $5 billion to $8 billion on smut each year.

Sex sites account for 40% of all Internet traffic.

Satellite and cable operators earn about $800 million a year from adult movies, or about 40% of pay TV and on-demand TV revenue.
Now look at how Playboy Enterprises (PLA, news, msgs) continues to struggle:

Playboy magazine lost money last quarter as publishing revenue slipped 8%. Playboy circulation fell again to near 3 million -- which means the monthly places 19th among U.S. magazines.

Founded by Hugh Hefner in 1953, the magazine is now firmly entrenched in circulation rankings below National Geographic, Good Housekeeping and Ladies Home Journal. So far this year, Playboy's publishing unit has lost $3.4 million.

In the third quarter, Playboy as a company took in just $80.9 million in revenue. The 10 cents a share in profit Playboy earned may seem good -- since that beat last years results by four cents. But a closer peek reveals cost-cutting saved the day, along with sharp declines in taxes and interest payments. Without that help, which cant last forever, the company would have reported a loss of 5 cents per share.

For the first three quarters of the year, Playboy revenue grew an anemic 3%, and the business lost 16 cents a share -- exactly the same amount of red ink spilled in the same period last year.
All of this paints a fairly dreary portrait of Playboy.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Bips flies to Miami to be with John

Bengali beauty Bipasha Basu who has been away in Europe for quite some time due to her shoot of the upcoming Hindi film was able to finish her schedule quickly and now she has squeezed out three days to rush to Miami to see her beau John Abraham. They will be seeing each other after a month and it will be a truly romantic reunion for the love birds. Later, she will be going ahead with her next assignment and John will continue to shoot for his film 'Dostana'.

Madhuri Dixit to receive Padma Shri Award

Madhuri Dixit will be receiving the prestigious Padma Shri Award for her contribution to the Indian India Cinema on May 10. Though Madhuri's comeback vehicle Aaja Nachle failed to create an impact at the box-office last year, the undisputable queen of Bollywood can still make many hearts flutter with her million dollar smile.

Madhuri Dixit along with her husband Dr. Nene will be coming down from Florida for the award ceremony. And, with Madhuri's birthday being just a few days away, this is going to be real celebration month for the Nene family.

One man who will surely be delighted on hearing this news is artist M.F Husain. After expressing his disappointment over the debacle of Aaja Nachle, Husain saab will now have a reason to be happy for Madhuri.

Bipasha to be sued?

The dusky Bengali beauty Bipasha Basu, who recently backed out of the world tour of the Bachchan family, which has been titled 'Unforgettable' is likely to be taken to task by the event managers. Speaking about it, it is said that Wizkraft is seriously considering the option of suing Bipasha for her walking out of the tour at the last moment, since she wanted more remuneration which was higher than the figure she committed. Only time will tell where all this is going to end.

Salman sleeps instead of shooting, reality show looking doubtful

In what could be said as one of the most horrendous situations, superstar Salman Khan has landed few others in a fix. Apparently, he was to shoot for the reality show 'Dus Ka Dum' and while the unit waited for him patiently on the set, Salman was in his vanity van getting a sound sleep. This has resulted in a bit of confusion, since Sallu is to leave soon for a foreign location for the shooting of his upcoming film, which might mean that the reality show might have to be kept on hold till next year. Lets see what happens....

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Fun Gallery

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Shoppers' Stop in SRK's 'brand' new kitty

King Khan is at the moment riding high with his Kolkata Knight Riders' successive wins and in between all the cricketing action SRK has added one more brand to his kitty.

After endorsing soft drinks, mobile services, soaps, fairness creams and almost everything under the sun, Shah Rukh Khan's kitty has Shoppers' Stop too.

And the success of his IPL team seems to have lifted SRK's spirits, the actor was in a rather talkative mood, from being blatantly honest about his contribution to the Knight Riders.

"I don't do anything. I just teach them a dance step every day," says Shah Rukh Khan.

When asked about starting his own blog, the actor says, "I don’t write because I get into so much trouble just by speaking."

Talking about his big dream for the IPL team, he says, "I'm silly like a child and I want my team to win all the matches."

SHOCKING! Konkona replaces Kareena

Director Zoya Akhtar's debut film's latest casualty

Rumour has it (and my sources are never ever wrong) that Konkona Sen Sharma has replaced Kareena Kapoor. Yes! You got it right! The sexy Bebo has indeed been given the boot and in her place has stepped in the dusky Ko.

The film is Zoya Akhtar's debut Luck By Chance (it was also called Kismet Talkies) and the role was opposite director-turned-actor Farhan Akhtar. Now, no one is talking about why the change actually happened. But it seems like it was all done in a hush-hush manner.

For all you who came in late, this isn't the first time there has been a replacement in Zoya's film. Last heard, Hrithik Roshan ditched her…apparently because he was dropped from Dil Chahta Hai and (believe it or not) Don.

Aishwarya's sweet revenge

The actress may get to settle scores with Kareena after all

Ah! Just when you thought there is no stopping this Kapoor girl, comes this spanner in the works. I am told by my trusted friend that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan may have her revenge on Kareena for being unceremoniously replaced in the now-shelved project Bajirao (meant to star Salman-Ash).

Though Bhansali never quite got to making the film with Kareena and Salman (he was willing to dump Ash but not Salman, it seems), Ash may just settle the score with her hottest rival in the industry, after so many years that is.

Remember Mani Ratnam's Lajjo? Well, for a long time, the prestigious project top lining Aamir Khan was Kareena's calling card, which she merrily plugged at all interviews when no one was willing to sign her up. Lajjo, it seems, got deferred time and again only for a new twist in the tale.

Mani Sir, as he is fondly referred to, is in good mind to replace Kareena with Aishwarya. Especially now that he has worked with her in Guru and is mighty pleased with her performance. However, the film may also see another replacement in the form of Tamil superstar Vikram (of Bheema fame). It seems Aamir asked for Rs 5 crore, which Ratnam was not comfortable paying.

So, crux of the matter is, Aishwarya, even as we speak, is reading the script for Lajjo and getting ready, perhaps for yet another tryst with her southern colleague Vikram, after Rajinikanth, that is.

Meanwhile, Bebo may just have to keep herself busy with the other projects in her kitty.

Such is the way of this world, dearies!

1st LOOK: Saif, Rani, Akshay's latest

What's in a name you might say...but for Kunal Kohli a lot depended on it. His fully made film was waiting for the perfect name for a while now. And finally he's found it. This Yash Raj film with Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, directed by Kohli has finally been named Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and the name 'perfectly encompasses the spirit of the film' according to the director. The other film that everybody was confused about was Nikhil Advani's project with Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone and Mithun Chakraborty. It was called Chinatown to Chandni Chowk...or maybe China and Chandni Chowk or maybe something else. But finally we have the first look and it is called Chandni Chowk to China. Take a look!