Coming Soon: 'Ready 2'

Bollywood is hooked to sequels.

Till quite some time back, sequels were considered an absolute no-no, but times have changed and how. Today, most film-makers, who have a success to their credit, feel they can capitalize on its success by announcing a sequel. What's more, even the actors associated with those successful films give sequels a preference over other assignments.

While 'Bheja Fry 2' opens this Friday and 'Double Dhamaal' arrives on June 24, 'Murder 2' and 'Don 2' are also expected to hit the screens this year. That's not all, 'Ghayal Returns', 'Dostana 2', 'Dhoom 3', 'Krrish 2', 'Dabangg 2', 'Golmaal 4', 'Housefull 2', 'Munnabhai 3', 'Wanted 2', 'Partner 2', 'Race 2' and 'Raaz 3' are in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, the industry is abuzz with the speculation that the makers of 'Ready' are toying with the idea of making a sequel, but even if it materializes, it won't happen immediately, since Salman gets into 'Ek Tha Tiger' soon after he completes 'Bodyguard'. Post 'Ek Tha Tiger', Salman is expected to start 'Sher Khan', followed by 'Kick' and 'Dabangg 2'.

'Ready' producer Bhushan Kumar doesn't rule out a film with Salman, but adds that it's a bit too early to start work on a sequel. "Salman and T-Series share a terrific rapport and we will definitely plan a film for sure, but there's nothing on the cards now. He has commitments to fulfill," Bhushan states.

Source: Bollywood Hungama

John Abraham to join 'Housefull 2' crew later

The 'Housefull' team left for London last week but without John Abraham. He will join the 'Housefull 2' gang a week later.

Apparently, Sajid Nadiadwala had earlier planned to hire a private jet to take the whole 'Housefull 2' crew to England from Mumbai. But now with various members opting for scattered travel, Sajid has no options but to cancel the jet plans.

Sajid Nadiadwala who is in the middle of implementing this dare devilish co-ordinating stunt hardly has time to pause to talk about his problem. "Kya Karen? These are all busy stars. We can't have them over in London and then have them sitting idle waiting for actors with whom they are to do combination shots. And losing precious shooting dates in London means losing out on permission to shoot in places like Leicester Square where getting permission again is impossible. It's a very tricky situation. And it's the biggest challenge I've faced in my career as a producer."

Getting the star's dates synchronized is an ordeal for Nadiadwala. "We are trying to accommodate the actors in different groups in the shooting schedule so that no one has to sit idle. Let's see how we do it."

Source: Bollywood Hungama

Varma making 'BHHOOoo' to scare his rivals

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is reportedly making 'BHHOOoo' to counter producer Nitin Manmohan's plans to make 'Bhoot 2' with Vikram Bhatt.

"Yes 'BHHOOoo' will be 'Bhoot 2'. Let's see who can stop me from making it. The title 'Bhooo' comes from that commonly uttered sound by us when we want to scare the daylights out of our enemies. That's what I want to do to my enemies who are now doing a sequel to my film on the sly," said Varma.

"When that sound Bhooo we utter as kids is used in an adult-horror film context, it completely changes in its intention and intensity," said the director who kept mum when asked about the cast of 'BHHOOoo'.

But sources said that it will star Mahie Gill. Raj Kumar Yadav, who played the lead in 'Ragini MMS' and 'Shaitan', has impressed the director enough to be cast in 'BHHOOoo' as the leading man.

Released in 2003, Varma's 'Bhoot', which starred Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar and Rekha, was a hit movie.

'BHHOOoo' will carry forward the story from 'Bhoot' with the same characters.

"Let Nitin Manmohan use the title. Ramu will carry the story and characters forward in 'BHHOOoo'. That will be 'Bhoot 2'," said a source.

Source: IANS

Shruti Haasan busy with three films

After making her Tollywood debut with the fantasy-adventure 'Anaganaga O Dheerudu' early this year, actress-singer Shruti Haasan has signed three films, two in Telugu and one in Tamil.

They are 'O My Friend', in which she stars opposite Siddharth, Jr. NTR's yet-to-be-titled Boyapati Srinu film and Suriya starrer 'Ezham Arivu', which marks her Tamil debut.

After shooting with Jr. NTR for almost ten days in Ramoji Film City, she wrapped up her part on Saturday. She will soon join Ezham Arivu's sets in Chennai and later will head to Hyderabad again to complete O My Friend's new schedule.

The movies are expected to hit screens by 2011 end.

Source: Galatta

Gautham Menon to direct Karthi?

Is another hit director-actor combination in the making?

After teaming up with brother Suriya in 'Kaakha Kaakha' and 'Vaaranam Aayiram', ace director Gautham Menon is all set to direct Karthi in an upcoming Tamil flick.

This untitled film is expected to be a typical Gautham Menon styled action entertainer. Karthi is currently busy with his first political thriller 'Saguni' and will be getting married in Coimbatore on July 3, 2011.

Gautham Menon is currently shooting the Hindi remake of 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa' with Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson. The duo is expected to start their venture after completing their ongoing projects.

Source: Galatta

Rajnikanth says I have fans here: Allu Arjun

Telugu star Allu Arjun presents his most expensive and physically taxing film till date...

With the film 'Badrinath' set to hit the screens this week, Telugu star Allu Arjun is naturally excited. He's been touring across the southern states to promote the film and Bangalore, incidentally, was on the top of his list of places to be. And there's good reason for that too.

The film, he says, is easily the most expensive one he has been part of. "I'm not just an actor in this movie; I'm also the producer's son," says Arjun, who feels a close connection with the film as he has also been involved in its production. There is also an impressive sequence of songs and dances, he says, "I think the audience can expect good dances from this movie, I am saying this humbly, not overconfidently. I had a good choreographer."

Arjun has come back to working with Chinni Krishna, the screenplay writer, who also wrote Arjun's debut film 'Gangotry'. "I think Chinni has done a fab job," says Arjun, adding, "I hope the audience receives it well." The actor also reveals that the preparation for this role was rather intense. The intricate storyline has Arjun playing an Indian samurai, a role for which he had to spend two months in Vietnam -- preparing for.

"Peter Hein has directed the fight sequences. I trained under a woman named Lee, who is a professional and has even participated at national level competitions," he says. The amount of training and hard work that went into the film is no joke, as Arjun insists. "We shot continuously for 60 days in the Himalayas, and that has never been done before. We filmed in spite of the critical weather conditions," he says.

The film is the only Telugu film to be releasing simultaneously in Malayalam also. "The Malayalam film industry is extremely supportive," Arjun says. But that isn't the only industry he is happy with.

Arjun speaks of the audience in Karnataka with enthusiasm, and says he finds the industry here very receptive. "Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are close neighbours and our languages are similar; so the audiences are good." Certainly, Allu Arjun has a huge number of fans in Bangalore. "Superstar Rajnikanth told me there's a huge craze in Karnataka for me. This was Rajnikanth! Talking to me about craze! Coming from him, it was the best compliment I've ever got."

Source: Apoorva Tadepalli, DNA-Daily News & Analysis

Siddharth's dates dilemma

Siddharth is as busy as a bee.

Siddharth's bag is full of films in different languages, but the actor is finding it hard to allocate dates to the makers of those movies.

"Desperately trying to allocate dates for 5 films in 3 languages in the next 8 months. Total madness but I hope I manage to pull it off," Siddharth posted on Twitter.

"Kerala fans, sorry guys. I was supposed to do a Malayalam film but had to back out because of date issues. Hopefully, next year," he wrote.

Source: IANS

Review: 'Bhindi Baazaar Inc'

'Bhindi Baazaar Inc' doesn't really open the X-files of the disreputable and tarnished, but it makes you revisit the dark alleys where shady men execute shady deals. The game of one-upmanship, the power-hungry gangsters, the scene of carnage and massacre ... 'Bhindi Baazaar Inc' packs just about everything that we've come to correlate with gangster movies. Yet, what keeps you absorbed is its engaging screenplay [Ghalib Asad Bhopali] and of course, some nail-biting moments.

Director Ankush Bhatt equates the games gangsters play with a game of chess and that's what sets it apart. The story is narrated in episodes and though, at first, you don't really comprehend the goings on, you gradually start getting a hang of proceedings as you get acquainted with that world and those sundry characters. Let us add, however, that 'Bhindi Baazaar Inc' isn't for the faint-hearted or lily-livered. In this story, the human life is cheaper than perhaps a bottle of beer, the spoken language is acidic and at the same time loaded with expletives and the games gangsters and their women play is scandalous and contemptible. You need a strong stomach to absorb this one!

So does it belong to 'watchable gangster flick'? Yes and no! Yes, because it's gritty, hard-hitting and bold. No, because the director knows not where to stop. A more concise version would've only enhanced the impact.

Mamu is the title of the mafia-head of Bhindi Baazaar. Years ago, the reigning Mamu [Pavan Malhotra] snatched it from someone and may be someone has to do the same to be the next Mamu, but you never know who it will be.

The film begins with a game of chess between Shroff [Kay Kay] and Tez [Gautham], each move of which unfolds the story. It starts with Fateh [Prashant Narayanan] and Tez getting enrolled in Mamu's gang. How Fateh backstabs Mamu and grabs the title [Mamu] is the crux of the story. But the journey from a small-time crook to Mamu isn't easy. Betrayals, deceits, treachery and vengeance are a part of this expedition.

Strangely, 'Bhindi Baazaar Inc' brings back memories of 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai', which also spoke of the chela overpowering the guru in a game of power-play. The setting and characters are as real as real can be and that's what makes the proceedings watchable. But the film stagnates towards the post-interval portions, more so towards the finale. Ideally, the film should've ended the moment Gautham becomes Mamu. Bluntly put, the subsequent portions are redundant. Also, the Jackie Shroff track is far from convincing.

Ram Shreyas Rao and Viraj Singh's cinematography captures the atmosphere well. Though there's no scope for music, the titillating song in the bar is well choreographed.

Director Ankush Bhatt has executed the plot well and the writing has the power to engage and alarm you consistently. Besides, the choice of actors is most appropriate. Kay Kay is a seasoned player and he gets it right yet again. Pavan Malhotra is first-rate. Prashant Narayanan is natural and the scene stealer. Newcomer Gautham springs a pleasant surprise with a supremely confident performance.

Deepti Naval is wonderfully restrained. Vedita Pratap Singh is excellent. Piyush Mishra pitches in a power-packed performance, as always. Shilpa Shukla doesn't get much scope. Shweta Varma is wonderful. Jackie Shroff is wasted. The actor playing the role of the corrupt cop is first-rate.

On the whole, 'Bhindi Baazaar Inc' doesn't offer anything novel in this beaten-to-death genre. But it makes for a compelling watch due to several nail-biting moments.

Source: Bollywood Hungama

'Avan Ivan' on June 17

'Avan Ivan', starring Arya and Vishal, will be released on June 17.

National Award winning director Bala's first full-fledged commercial film 'Avan Ivan' will finally grace theatres on June 17.

'Avan Ivan' stars Arya, Vishal, Janani Iyer and Madhu Shalini.

The film is a comedy entertainer which narrates the story of two siblings.

'Avan Ivan' is produced and marketed directly by AGS Entertainment. Yuvan Shankar Raja's songs, which were released recently, are already topping the charts.

Source: Galatta

Rajnikanth leaves Singapore hospital, calls Jayalalitha

Rajnikanth leaves Singapore hospital, calls 

Jayalalitha

Rajnikanth was Wednesday discharged from the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore but will remain in the island-country for another month and a half.

Soon after reaching his place of residence from hospital in Singapore, Rajnikanth spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, said a Tamil Nadu government's release.

Rajnikanth told Jayalalithaa that he wanted to speak to her first after getting discharged from hospital and called her on phone, the statement said.

Wishing Jayalalithaa on her election victory, he told her that he would return in a month and a half.

Expressing her happiness on hearing Rajnikanth's voice and on his recovery, Jayalalithaa asked him to come back early.

The 60-year-old actor, who made his mark as a character actor in the movie 'Aarulirunthu Arupathu Varai' (From Six to 60 Years) was flown to Singapore on May 28 and admitted to the hospital the next day.

Sources said the actor's entire family - wife Latha, two daughters Aishwarya and Soundarya and sons-in-law Dhanush and Ashwin Ramkumar - are in Singapore.

Rajnikanth was admitted to the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre in Chennai with fever and fluid retention following acute gastro-intestinal and respiratory problems on May 13. He was discharged from hospital on May 28.

At the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, Rajnikanth underwent advanced treatment, including haemodialysis.

Rajnikanth was earlier admitted to St. Isabel Hospital on April 29 after a bout of vomiting, and was discharged in the evening.

On May 5, he was again admitted to the ICU of St. Isabel Hospital after allergic bronchitis and fever.

Source: IANS

Sridevi and Lizzy Priyadarshan join CCL

After checking out the success of the first edition of the tournament, more women have come on board to join the CCL.

If the country's T20 cricket league has women team owners like Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty, Nita Ambani and Gayathri Reddy, the Celebrity Cricket League is going to be no less. After seeing Tamil cinema's top actor of yesteryears, Radhika Sarath Kumar successfully see through the first edition as director of the tournament, actors Sridevi and Lizzy Priyadarshan will be the faces of teams next year.

No, we're not talking about being brand ambassadors here. These two actors-turned-wives of film-makers will be fronting the responsibilities as co-owners of the two new teams that will join the league next year. Sridevi and husband Boney Kapoor will build the cricket team comprising of Bengali actors. While Lizzy and husband Priyadarshan will own the team comprising of Malayalam actors.

"In fact, both these ladies have evinced a lot of interest in the league. They were present for the matches. While Sridevi was at the final, Lizzy watched all the matches held in Chennai. They checked out the crowd and the vibes and were convinced about taking on their new role," says an insider from CCL.

These new teams will be part of the second edition, which will be played in February next year.

Source: Sunayana Suresh, DNA-Daily News & Analysis

Rajnikanth calls up Karunanidhi

Convalescing in Singapore, Rajnikanth on Thursday called DMK president and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi and informed him about his condition.

Karunanidhi expressed his happiness at Rajnikanth's recovery and added that he expected the actor to return soon, according to a DMK statement.

The matinee idol told Karunanidhi that he had seen several ups and downs in the life and what is important is his health, and not bothering about other things.

Rajnikanth on Wednesday was discharged from the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore and will be there for a month and a half.

Soon after his discharge, Rajnikanth spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa and told her that she had saved the state by winning the assembly elections.

The AIADMK alliance led by Jayalalithaa trounced the ruling DMK-led alliance in the April 13 assembly elections.

Source: IANS

It's tough being a woman: Vishal Krishna

Kollywood actor Vishal Krishna will sport as many as nine looks in the upcoming Tamil film 'Avan Ivan'.

For Kollywood actor Vishal, this would probably be the most important phase in his career. After going through a box-office low, Vishal is pinning his hopes on his upcoming release 'Avan Ivan'. The film, that will hit the screens this week, is directed by Bala and also stars Arya, Janani Iyer and Madhu Shalini.

"I am not sure if I am excited, but I am definitely not nervous," says the young star. Since the director, Bala, is known to be quite choosy about his cast, Vishal considers this opportunity to be something he's rather proud of. "Though I've been part of several films before, I was looking out for that one role that would let me prove myself as an actor. It was Arya who suggested my name for this role and I am indebted to him," says Vishal.

The film sees him play the role of Walter Vanangamudi, a dramatist, and required him to sport nine different looks. So, which among them was the most exciting? "I got to dress up and live like a woman for 17 days! For the first few days, I couldn't get the nuances right. Bala wasn't convinced either and advised me to lose all my inhibitions for this part! Over the next few days, he was surprised to see me walking confidently as a woman," he reminisces, adding, "It was rather tough being a woman."

Talking about his experience, working with the ace-director, he says, "Bala can extract raw talent from his heroes. Contrary to rumours that imply he is tough to work with, he is a friendly and flexible director. I can proudly say that he has re-introduced me as an actor in this film."

Source:  DNA-Daily News & Analysis

What's next for Mani Ratnam?

We all know that Mani Ratnam's dream project 'Ponniyin Selvan' has been shelved due to budget constraints. So what's next?

Kollywood rumour mills now say that Mani Ratnam will direct Vijay in an action entertainer.

Since Mani Ratnam already has Vijay's dates (which he signed for 'Ponniyin Selvan'), he is now considering an action entertainer on the lines of 'Thalapathy' and 'Agni Natchataram'.

Meanwhile, there are also reports that Mani will soon launch actor Karthik's son Gautham in his upcoming project. Rest of the star cast will be finalized shortly. Veteran cinematographer P.C. Sriram and music director A.R. Rahman will be a part of the project.

Source: Galatta

Toronto to see largest galaxy of Bollywood stars

With more than half a million people of Indian origin in its population, Canada's largest city will see the biggest gathering of Bollywood stars on North American soil to honour its best films and stars for the 12th Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards to be held from June 23-25.

Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, the Deol clan of Dharmendra, Sunny, Bobby, Esha and Hema Malini, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Mallika Sherawat, Dia Mirza, Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan and many more stars are descending here for a grand showcasing of the world's largest film industry.

But the Bachchans - superstar Amitabh or any of his family members Abhishek, Aishwarya and Jaya - are not coming to the party.

Shah Rukh Khan has been nominated for his hit lead role in 'My Name is Khan'.

The three-day show, which opens with Salman Khan's debut production 'Chillar Party', a light-hearted comedy about the lives of seven children hailing from different sections of society, will culminate in the "Bollywood Oscars" night of the IFFA Awards June 25.

There is so much rush to see Bollywood stars that the tickets for the awards night were sold out in minutes. Shiamak Davar, who is also a Canadian citizen and runs a dance school here, will be the official choreographer of the IIFA Awards.

According to organizers, more than 22,000 people are expected to attend the IFFA Awards which will be beamed internationally to over 700 million people.

Twenty Bollywood films are being screened in Toronto and its sister cities of Brampton, Mississauga and Markham as part of the IFFA Awards. These include 'Chak de India', 'Hera Pheri', 'Dabangg' and 'Dil To Pagal Hai'.

Interestingly, the Indian-dominated city of Brampton on the outskirts of Toronto will name a street Raj Kapoor Crescent after the legendary Raj Kapoor during the IFFA Awards.

On the business side, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) will participate in the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum during the three-day show.

Russians still sing 'Mera joota hai Japani'

Russians still sing 'Mera joota hai Japani': Neil

The song "Mera joota hai Japani" picturised on legendary Raj Kapoor and sung by Mukesh is still a phenomenon in Russia and it was proven last month when a fan sang it out to the singer's grandson Neil Nitin Mukesh in a cab in Murmansk.

Recalling the incident emotionally, Neil said: "I was shooting in Russia for more than a month for Abbas-Mustan's 'Players'. The country has deep connections with my grandfather. His songs 'Awara hoon' and 'Mera joota hai Japani' are hummed all over Russia to this day. So, I called my father (Nitin Mukesh) over to Russia to spend some time with me."

In Murmansk, when Neil was travelling with his dad in the cab provided by the unit, he encountered a memorable moment.

"My Russian driver Roma was driving me and my dad when he burst into 'Mera joota hai Japani'. He sang the whole song just to let my father know he loved Indian cinema. My father's eyes welled up with tears. When Roma finished the last note, my father softly asked, 'Do you know who has sung this song?' Roma promptly said Raj Kapoor. My father gently corrected him, 'No, it was my father who sang 'Mera joota hai Japani'."

Then began a discussion on the song.

"Roma said his father used to sing 'Mera joota hai Japani' to him every night. But Roma didn't know what it meant. My father patiently explained the meaning of every word in the song to him," Neil said.

"It was uncanny because when I was a child, my father too would sing 'Mera joota hai Japani' to me. I'd sing the song without knowing what it really meant. So, there was my Russian driver and me both bonding over a song that my grandfather sang and my father was explaining to both of us," said Neil.

From that moment onwards, Roma and Neil's father were inseparable.

"Roma wanted to know everything about my grandfather's collaboration with Mr Raj Kapoor. Dad sang all the songs that they did together. I don't know who felt more rewarded. Me or Roma," said Neil.

In Russia, the locals have made Neil promise he will bring Raj Kapoor's grandson, Ranbir Kapoor, to the country. Neil intends to keep the promise.

"Ranbir and I are so different from one another and yet bonded so closely by our past. He loves the songs and cinema of Raj Kapoor as much as I do. Yeah, I want to take him back to Russia."

India 4th most dangerous place for women

The high number of female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking prevalent in India has placed it as the fourth most dangerous place for women in the world, according to a survey.

A woman weeps as she sits outside her house after police arrested her male family members, following Saturday's clash between farmers and police, at Bhatta Parsaul village in Gautam Buddha Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh. "India ranked fourth primarily due to female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking," the poll said. REUTERS

Afghanistan is the most dangerous place for women followed by Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India and Somalia in the survey conducted by Thomson Reuters' Trustlaw Women, a hub of legal information and legal support for women's rights.

Three of these countries are in South Asia. The poll asked 213 experts in the field from five continents to rank countries on their overall perception of danger as well as by six key categories of risk, health threats, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, harmful practices rooted in culture, tradition and/or religion, lack of access to economic resources and human trafficking.

The oppressed standing up to oppressor touched a chord with audiences

If cricket was not the most important element in the film was it included because Indians are crazy about cricket?
I needed a sport which has planning in it, which is dependent on weather and where within the team there are three different armies -- the batsman, the bowlers and the fielders. All the characters had different occupations and these were adapted to the sport. It could as well have been football, but that wouldn't have been as interesting as cricket because it has only one target -- to hit the goal.

Was the cricket the reason the movie was so successful all over the world?
I think the movie clicked because people wanted to see how the characters were going to solve such a huge task. The oppressed standing against the oppressor is a universal theme. At some point of time every nation has gone through this situation, so that connected audiences to the movie. I remember that at the screening at the Locarno film festival, 8,000 people were watching the film and I was worried that none of them had any clue about cricket.
 
I introduced the character of Ram Singh, the interpreter, because he was like a rule book of cricket who was explaining things to people who didn't know anything, or had little knowledge, about the sport.
Image: A still from Lagaan

I had an inkling Lagaan would work in a big way

After his first two films (Pehla Nasha and Baazi) bombed at the box office, director Ashutosh Gowariker took a five-year break and wrote a script that was rejected outright by many bigwigs in the film industry. Finally, Aamir Khan decided to give it a shot, and now, we are celebrating 10 years of its undoubted success.

Yes, we're talking about the Oscar-nominated blockbuster, Lagaan. After chasing the director for a month, Sonil Dedhia and Abhishek Mande finally caught up with Gowariker. 
Lagaan and Gadar released on the same day and both had a patriotic theme, but Lagaanwas not jingoistic like Gadar. Was it a conscious effort to draw a line between being patriotic and being jingoistic?

The basic plot of Lagaan is this group of people who are oppressed and have no desire to fight against anything because they are just trying to survive. In that scenario when they have to pay the lagaan, the only way they can retaliate is in a non-violent way. Bhuvan, the protagonist, thought winning a game of cricket was a very subtle way of trying to achieve the goal. When you are showing this, you cannot have jingoism.

The film is not about cricket. It's about society. The emotional drive of the film is very strong and it's reflected in Bhuvan's saying, "Don't think this is a game of cricket. It's a game of survival." This is the driving force of the movie.

I'll stay in India if I marry a handsome Indian

Mumbai49 asked, what do you like about india the most ?
Caterina Lopez answers, I love the fact that everyone is so happy here whereas in USA everyone seems to be worrying about something and not enjoying life

Debkumar jana asked, Hey Caterina, how do you maintain your figure and diet?
Caterina Lopez answers, I eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and make sure to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Exercising is also very important even if you are not a member of a gym you can take a walk outside and stay fit.

saurabhshukla571 asked, would u like to stay in India forever?
Caterina Lopez answers, If I happen to marry a handsome Indian man here then maybe I will buy a house in Goa and live here forever.

Image: Caterina Lopez

I think Salman is very charming

Sonu25 asked, Cat, How was ur experience working in your first Bollywood film?Caterina Lopez answers, It was very exciting and fun. It was a little difficult. Hindi is not the easiest language to learn especially when I come from USA. I can't wait to do more films in Bollywood.

hero asked, Why did you come to Bollywood? Why don't you go work in your local film industry?
Caterina Lopez answers, I think Bollywood is fun because films here have singing, dancing and acting all into one and those three things excite me.

amaan asked, hey Catrina r u planning to meet Salman Khan as he is the real Godfather of Bollywood in terms of promoting new talent in real ways.
Caterina Lopez answers, Hopefully. I would like to work with him. I look upto him as well. I think he is very charming and a great actor.

Image: Caterina Lopez

Preity Tweety

Preity Zinta got herself a new haircut, and posted a picture of herself (left). 'Just got a hair cut ! Thanx Harmony Polo for making my hair look so va va voom ! Am loving it! Ting!' she tweeted.

Dia Mirza seems to be bonding well with business partner Zayed Khan. 'Zayed, Sahil and me at the delhi airport waiting to board our flight all smiles,' she wrote.

Sonakshi Sinha shared her mirror image.

Image: Preity Zinta

Imran: Raising drinking age is illogical

Most party-hearty youngsters in Maharashtra have faced the heat of the newly-set drinking age limit in the state but they have found a sympathizer in none other than actor Imran Khan. The Delhi Belly actor had expressed his concerns over the government decision and now is all set to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the state as he feels it is wrong on the government's part to ban a person's freedom of choice despite being an adult. 

Being an American citizen Imran is not eligible to file a PIL so he'll get his lawyers to file the PIL on his behalf. 

Before addressing the media Imran Khan read out a statement, "I want to state for the record that I do not endorse the consumption of alcohol as it can damage health, it can ruin careers and tear families apart and I have witnessed it first hand." 

The actor also maintained that youngsters need to be more responsible with alcohol. Being a part of a democratic society the actor felt that it was his right to stand up and ask questions. Imran further added that raising the age limit for the consumption of alcohol from 21 to 25 was illogical and counterproductive. 

Imran believes that raising the age will lead to a lot of illegal activities. "I think increasing the age limit would increase the criminal activities and also give rise to bootleggers." 

The actor felt that he was taking a very moderate stance as instead of raising a voice and protesting by going on strikes to garner public attention he was filing a PIL with the court.

Imran was unhappy by the double standards the government showed and that was the main reason for his protest. He said, "When one can vote at 18 and elect a government and even marry and have children at the age of 21, rainsing drinking age to 25 is ridiculous. Either have a blanket ban or this entire debate should not be brought up at all." 

The actor whose film Delhi Belly is releasing next month said that filing a PIL was not a publicity stunt to promote his movie, "I cannot deny that it might appear like I am doing a publicity stunt. The truth of the matter is that the issue is much bigger than films. The timing of my action is related to the state governments decision and not to my movie." said Imran. He also mentioned that taking up an issue consumed his time and he is already busy with his films. 

The actor also plans to start a signature campaign which will be a Facebook page called Power to You.

What makes Shah Rukh Khan moody

These days, Shah Rukh Khan is finding it difficult to stand on his feet. It's reported that the actor, who injured his knee over a year ago, will be going through a knee surgery next month.

The actor is feeling moody, and he has no time to rest. 'hot hurried and hectic shoot in hyderabad. sometimes being an actor helps u control ur emotion & sometimes the damn emotions control me,' he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the first promo of Don 2 will be released with Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Na Dobara on July 15.

Lagaan broke all rules

Aamir Khan's blockbuster Lagaan was released 10 years ago on June 15. We celebrate the film.
Satyajit Bhatkal, who made Madness in the Desert a national award winning documentary on the making of Lagaan, shares his experience of being part of this landmark movie with Abhishek Mande and Sonil Dedhia.

How did you get involved with Lagaan?

I was a lawyer and I'd seen people at their most vulnerable moments.

So after practicing for 10 years, I realised I had a story to tell.

Besides I had reached a stage in my life where wanted to do something different.

I was trying to figure out if I could express all my experiences creatively. At the time I had written three episodes (of a show that would become) Bombay Lawyers. I'd read it out to Aamir (Khan) who'd promised to produce it.

But at the time Lagaan was taking off so we decided to drop it and take it up again afterLagaan.

At that point they (Aamir Khan and co) were struggling to put together a good production team.

So Aamir asked (his then wife) Reena (Datta) to speak with me. I was not sure but Aamir convinced me that it would help me to be in a learning environment where I'd be watching a film being made.

I started shooting (the documentary) soon after. Everything on the set was new to me (because I had nothing to do with filmmaking before this).

As I began shooting interviews with the cast and crew -- and I even interviewed people who cleaned toilets and those who cooked food - I realised that everyone wanted to be in films. And that was a fantastic revelation.