What's cooking between Abhishek and Shruti?

Abhishek Kapoor (Gattu) and Shruti Hassan like each other a lot but admit to little else than a mutual admiration society. The director first met the actress when he was considering her for a part in his film 3 Mistakes Of My Life, based on Chetan Bhagat's book. When the duo met, they clicked instantly. Apart from the fact that he made India's first rock film Rock On!! and she is a rock chica, they had a lot more in common.

Buzz up!

Says a source, "Gattu and Shruti are definitely interested in each other but it's too early to say if they will date. Shruti, who is somewhat of a wild child, was charmed by Gattu, who is known to be mature and balanced for his age. Gattu, too, in his way has always been attracted to beautiful, intelligent women who are known to be strong-willed. His list of women include Twinkle Khanna, Raveena Tandon and Pooja Bhatt. And Shruti seems to be his type of girl."

Elaborating on the Gattu-Shruti friendship the source adds, "Right now, they are testing the waters. They've stayed in touch after that first meeting and they often chat and exchange text messages. They are just getting to know each other and have been communicating regularly on Facebook as well. But both are being extremely cautious about their friendship right now even the normally straightforward Shruti, who loves to talk on anything and everything, is being guarded."

Gattu denies that he is in talks with Shruti for his film, "That's news to me," he says and adds that he met her through an agent a few months ago. "I barely know her and haven't been in touch with her. Currently, I am single and working with Ubali Choudhury, on the drafts of my next film, which is based on Chetan Bhagat's 3 Mistakes Of My Life."

He insists she isn't in consideration for his film, but he's all praise for the actress who makes her debut in Luck, "Shruti has a great personality and is very talented. I am sure she will do very well in her career. I have seen her in the Luck promos and liked them. She looks very promising and sings beautifully."

Shruti, too, denies being in talks with Gattu for a role, "I am not in talks with Gattu for any film. I haven't gone on a date with Gattu or anybody else for a long time. Unfortunately, I don't know Gattu very well." Unfortunately? "I loved Rock On!! Gattu is a very talented director and I would love to work with someone as talented as him."

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Kareena bids goodbye to 'size zero' figure

Kareena Kapoor has finally bid goodbye to her 'size zero' figure. The Jab We Met actress who had one point of time become obsessed with her weight now looks healthier and fitter. Recently the actress was spotted eating her heart out in Italy where she is holidaying with beau Saif Ali Khan. Well this by the same Kareena who was once on liquid diet to reduce her weight.

Kareena displayed her amazing figure in a sizzling bikini in the Yash Raj nightmare Tashan. She also donned a range of hot pants and mini skirts in the movie. Bebo carried her slim look in Golmaal Returns which was shot immediately after Tashan. But the actress put on some weight for Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakkht Ishq and Karan Johar's Qurbaan although she did a bikini shot in KI too.

Kareena has reduced her weight to under 50 raising health scares across the industry. It was being rumored that beau Saif at one point of time was worried about Kareena's obsession with a size zero figure. All that is past now and Kareena is known to have crossed the 50 kilo mark by many miles bringing relief to her loved ones especially Saif Ali Khan.

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Katrina snatches another deal from Aishwarya

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Bachchan may not have come out of the pain of loosing the Nakshatra jewellery endorsement deal to Katrina Kaif last year. but now the New York actress has snatched another endorsement deal from her. A soap that the former Miss World endorses wants Katrina to sign up for their upcoming campaign. A well placed sources confirmed that the company is already in talks with Katrina but the deal with the actress hasn't been finalised yet.

If that was not enough a reputed watch company which has Aishwarya on board for endorsing its products is in talks with Katrina as well. Earlier in the year Mattel Toys India Pvt. Ltd. had made Katrina the face of Indian barbie doll during the Lakme Fashion Week. This after the company had almost finalised the deal with Aishwarya Bachchan. So when the soap giant thought about dumping Aishwarya it did not surprise many.

Analysts believe Aishwarya who is the wrong side of 30 is slowly loosing her appeal over the younger girls. When L'Oreal hired Sonam Kapoor to endorse its product it was evident that Aishwarya's brand value had certainly taken a hit. Sonam made matters worse for the actress when she stated that she was youth face of the product while Aishwarya would appeal to the older women. Ash did not take this lightly and made sure Sonam's red carpet walk at Cannes was cancelled.

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Rambha upset by Rajendra Prasad's remark

Even after her good work in the recently-released Quick Gun Murugan, Rambha is not too happy. Shooting as Mango Dolly, the actress enjoyed the experience and feels she did full justice to the role. But Rambha is peeved at the comment of her co-star, veteran actor Dr. Rajendra Prasad to a Telugu newspaper. What is his cutting coment that has hurt Mango Dolly? He said that her minuscule role is no more than a bar-dancer act.

Rambha did participate in the promo events with Rajendra Prasad, but deep inside, she felt hurt at his remark. She reportedly even discussed the issue with the movie's director Shashank Ghosh. So now, Rambha is clarifying that her character was vital to the plot and helped the protagonist to attain his objective.

There is also another side to the story. All this ruckus is reportedly part of the publicity to promote QGM, which had a modest opening in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu (dubbed versions).

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Did Katrina undergo a lip surgery?

Katrina Kaif has come back from her recent holiday in Italy and there's something different about her. The actress who has been often voted as the sexiest actress in B-Town, returned with fuller lips than she left with. Says a source, "Katrina has always wanted shapelier lips. She recently returned from a long holiday — almost three weeks. During her trip to the USA for the Independence Day parade in Houston and Chicago , everyone first noticed the marked change in her appearance. Her lips were still puffy at the time, but now the swelling has vanished."

What's Roaccutane?

Roaccutane is a vitamin A derivative (13-cis-retinoic acid) which is administered orally in pill form, normally for 15-20 weeks (3.5-4.5 months). It was originally prescribed for people with severe acne that did not respond to other treatments, but has gained in popularity in the past 25 years. This practice is controversial because Accutane is a serious medication and causes side effects which can be as devastating as they are widespread. Apart from severe allergy and other side effects Roaccutane can also have inflammation of the lips or cheilitis as another side effect.

Katrina Kaif says, "It's not true. I have not had any work done on my lips and to say that is ridiculous."
A source close to Katrina adds, "She can't afford to take any medication right now as she's on a very strong medication for her skin. It is called Roaccutane and she's under treatment for it under Dr Neena , a cosmetologist from Mumbai, for the last six months and will be under medication for six months more. The medicine is so strong that Katrina can't take any other medicine during this time and in fact, because Roaccutane is so harsh it gives rise to swollen, dry and chapped lips — which gives the impression as if she has done something to her lips."

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Shilpa Shetty: Dad is getting his passport for Raj's birthday, not my wedding

passport from Surat (where the document is kept because of a pending court case) so that he can be in London for his daughter's wedding has Shilpa in splits.

"The passport is certainly not meant for my wedding, please! It's not happening in October, November, December or any of the dates that have been fixed for my wedding in the media. Raj and I will announce the date from the rooftops and invite the entire press corps to be part of the baraati when it happens. In the meanwhile, please leave my father alone."

Papa Shetty's passport needed retrieval, not for Shilpa's wedding but for another family gathering altogether. "It's Raj Kundra's birthday on September 9. Our entire collective family will be bringing in the occasion at the Maldives. That's what my dad needed his passport for."

On a more sober note, Shilpa says, "We all respect the judiciary. But it's very humiliating for any daughter to have her father rushing to another town for his passport. It's even more humiliating to have erroneous media reports being put out about one's father. He had applied for his passport a few months ago."

As for the wedding, "There's no reason on earth why Raj I wouldn't want to get married at the earliest. At the moment we've our hands full with many new exciting ventures. We need get the space in our lives to plan and enjoy this wonderful event. Haath peele karne ke liye haath khali to hone chahiye."

Courtesy: Bollywood Hungama

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Bipasha Basu garners praises from her directors

Bipasha Basu does not leave any stone unturned to come up with nothing but an unmatchable performance. She has always been the director’s actor, and has garnered praises for the same. And now, director Sudipto Chattopadhyaya of her forthcoming film Pankh has enlisted himself in the category.

Bips plays the role of a fantasy woman whom Maradona Rebello (a protagonist) conjures up in his head-a phantom who taunts him and fights with him, an alter ego who questions his every move.

The director Sudipto can’t withhold raving about Bipasha’s professionalism and exclaims, “Bipasha is an epitome of professionalism.” He recalls, “On the very first day of the shoot Bipasha was to do six minute single shot which has loads of complexity involved. I was amazed to see her conviction to perform such a complex shot, something which she has not attempted before as main-stream films have a maximum six second shot to perform. She welcomed the challenge and in co-ordination with the choreographer, her co-star and dancers, did justice to the scene.“

As far as her role goes in the film, interestingly, Bips' character loosely resembles to the character played by beau John Abraham in Tanveer Khan’s Madhoshi.

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Imran proposes, Avantika accepts

And although the actor is keen on making the formal announcement only in January, the industry has already raised a toast to the couple.
“Yes it’s true. But we’re planning to have a proper ceremony later, so right now it’s just for us and our families,” admitted Imran refusing to reveal the wedding date. But, a source said, “Imran had thrown a surprise party for Avantika on her birthday on July 18, a very private affair, with only very close family and friends present. There he surprised everyone by proposing to Avantika. Amidst much cheering, she accepted.”

But Bollywood got whiff of the news last week at Arjun Rampal’s nightclub opening in Delhi where Imran and Avantika were spotted. When Arjun found out about the couple’s engagement, he doubled the celebration quotient by announcing it. Several Bollywood biggies including Karan Johar who were present congratulated them.

The couple, who’ve been dating for quite a while now, have always been candid about their relationship and are always seen attending parties and events together. Now that the two have taken their relationship to the next level, when’s the wedding?

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Love Khichdi

He doesn't really agree with his boss, master chef (Saurabh Shukla), a philosopher in the kitchen, who reminds him of the futility of running after 99 women when the special one could be around the corner. Pyaar uss se karna chahiye jisse pyar mile, he says.

But wisdom doesn't come easy to Vir, a rake driven by hormones and a no-scruples quest for upward mobility. Essentially, Love Khichdi is his rites of passage. The boy from Chandigarh has to step over a minefield of women, taste love and heartbreak, before finding his true value girl at the end.

What lifts this smart-assed flick above the mundane is its attention to detail. Every character in the film, major or minor, is neatly rounded. We have not only seen them somewhere close by; we also wish to see them somewhere close by. Cool and sexy without getting risqué, director Srinivas Bhashyam turns Vir's journey as a fantasy fulfiller for the young, urban male. In the end, we want him to make the right choice. And when he does, it feels good.

In its narrative technique, Love Khichdi uses two innovations. The minor one is the sach ki ghanti, a bell that rings whenever the hero speaks the truth. It sort of underlines the moment. But more than that it is getting each character to talk to the audience in a soul searching, confessional mode that works as a neat narrative device. The technique allows us to peep into the heart of every character, know their motivations.

It helps that the characters are sharply delineated. There's the simple girl next door Sandhya Iyengar, a pal he croons happy birthday to, drunk late night, using a lighter as a candle. There's coquettish Punjaban Parminder Kaur (Divya Dutta), a regular scene-stealer in another scene stealing act and the husband-hating hot maid (Sonali Kulkarni) whom Vir gives the (allegedly) Shiney Ahuja sort of look. Then there is the bookstore woman played by Rituparna Sengupta, the tough cookie corporate who gets the better of him, and the hot Gujju schoolgirl (Riya Sen), who is too sexy for her skirt.

Director Srinivas Bhasyam gets great work from the ensemble. Among those who stand out are Kulkarni, Dutta and Shukla (in that order). Hooda too looks the part. What adds to the movie is a mood-enhancing track that runs through the first half. Listening to Mujh jaisa hero, meri makhna (singers: Gopal Rao, Mahalakshmi Iyer, music: Pritam) is like watching snowflakes in the moonlight. It makes you feel young and wanted.

Love Khichdi has style, wit and that dirty five-letter word, heart. In the latter part of the second half, the movie tends to drag. Perhaps trimming it by 15 minutes would have made it crisper; just like one of those dishes that Vir rustles up. Nonetheless, it's a swell date flick. And, like the film's protagonist, don't hesitate to lie if your partner predicts your sun sign wrong after the lights come on.

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I'm not getting married this year: Shilpa Shetty

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is upset over news that she is set to tie the knot with London-based businessman Raj Kundra by the year end. She clarifies that she isn't getting married this year.

"I've said before, I will make an official announcement the day my parents decide on my marriage date and I promise the press will have at least a month to celebrate the announcement. So to set the record straight, no I'm not getting married this year. Yes, I am looking at next year, but date not decided," said Shilpa posted on her blog www.shilpashettylive.com/blog/.

A British newspaper reported Thursday that the actress would be getting married between September and December in Britain after her father, Surendra Shetty, wrote so in an application to an Indian court.

But Shilpa has slammed the news. "I am sick and tired of people calling me to clarify after they've put it as breaking news on some channels and wasted reams of paper on concocted news articles," she said.

Shilpa is also upset over the leakage of the details her father gave to the court to acquire his passport. "My poor dad is already having a tough time every time he has to travel abroad and has to apply for his passport, and as alway it's harrowing enough for him to go back and forth every time for his passport...," she said.

Surendra Shetty's passport was reportedly confiscated after he was charged with threatening a business associate he claimed owed money to his daughter. Since then, he and his wife Sunanda have only been able to travel overseas with the court's permission, which is why he applied for the passport on the alleged pretext of Shilpa's wedding.

"My dad's 67 and ageing, please let the poor man live in peace and dignity, it's annoying. I request the press to report responsibly and not make any baseless assumptions," stated Shipa.

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Bipasha shines in 'Shob Charitro Kalponik'

In Shob Charitro Kalponik(SCK) that wizard of sensitive storytelling from Kolkata Rituparno Ghosh takes his protagonist the unhappy wife Radhika on a journey that opens doors within her heart that she would have liked to remain closed.

Sach ka samna is not just a reality show

. It’s also a reality that cannot be shown as cinema without a basic element of subterfuge. Ghosh occupies the two mutually exclusive yet inseparable world of art and reality with a fluency and effortlessness that takes his characters far beyond the cartel of prototypes.

We see Radhika, trapped in state of marital unhappiness , as not just woman struggling to keep her home and heart together, but also as an individual trying find her identity against odds that are created mainly in her own mind.

Orson Welles style the ‘real’ personality of the dead poet emerges in fitful flashbacks which are more cursory than comprehensive. But then when has life ever offered complete solutions to the riddle of marriage that has puzzled man(and woman) for centuries?

Echoes that reach back to the very core of humanity reverberate across this miniature masterpiece on marriage and fidelity. Ghosh’s forte is the unspoken word. The bonds that form between Radhika and her maid and between Radhika and her colleague(Jisshu Sengupta) rely on resonances beyond the rhetorics of interactive art. The director creates room in cramped spaces.

Most of Ritu’s narrative are vibrant vignettes behind closed doors done up in deep shades of anguish and bitterness. The progression towards a mellower comprehension of the tenderness behind the seeming spousal insensitivity begins after the husband’s death. The irony of loving a spouse after he’s gone is far from lost.

Radhika’s tormented understanding of her dead poet -husband’s inner world is laced with luminous moments of revelatory tragedy , leading up to a finale that’s surreal and introspective. The hallucinogenic conclusion where Radhika enters her husband’s poetic world is charming controlled and yet frightening.
Ritu’s cinematographer Soumik Haldar shoots the interior of Radhika’s home as a manifestation of her innermost turmoil. She paces the bedroom , speaks to her dead husband , scolds and accuses him , as the family’s silently-observant maid tries to come to terms with the enormity of Radhika’s self-recrimination and loss.

SCK is a work suffused with longing for a world that has slipped out of the protagonist’s fingers while she was counting the money in her purse. It’s the illuminating story of a woman’s voyage into the dimmed light of a yesterday that she thought was wretched.

But it was just life.Finally the impact of the marital tale depends completely on the central performance. As the working wife who feels her husband has let down their marriage Bipasha Basu pulls out all stops to deliver her career’s best performance. Her moments of anguish before and after her screen-husband’s deaths are expressed in tones of cathartic conviction that we never knew existed within Biapsha.
In the scene where she shouts against her imaginary husband on his favourite chair Bipasha furnishes the proceedings with the anguished portrayal of bereavement that perhaps only a Shabana Azmi can equal.
This despite the fact that Bipasha’s voice has been dubbed by a woman who doesn’t really have a say in the character’s portrayal.

But then in an ironic way, isn’t that what the characters is all about? The disembodied voice is a reminder of Radhika’s dissociation from her own identity .

Somewhere in finding the centre to her marriage, Radhika lost it. And loss, as we all know, is one helluva upper for art.

Savour the delicacy of Rituparno Ghosh’s poetic work. And never mind the spoken language. In a true work of art the sound is the least important component.Listen carefully. You can hear the muffled sound of a broken heart in this film.

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Bipasha Basu was 'Lady Goonda'

She might be one of the most hot and sizzling actresses in the B-Town but during her during her childhood the boys in her locality called her Lady Goonda. Yes, we are talking about the Bong bombshell Basu who came on Farah Khan's chat show Tere Mere Beech Mein in the episode themed 'Ghar Ka Beta'

She said that during her childhood days in Kolkata she used to keep a stick in my hand and straighten out all the colony boys if they acted smart. This made the boys nickname her 'Lady Goonda' She also revealed that she used to be very short during her childhood and was the monitor in school. When the tall boys would be up to mischief, she would jump on their back during breaks and pull their hair and beat them up.

Becoming emotional when her parents said she had taken up responsibility like their son Bipasha saod that no one can deny the bond one has with one’s parents and those who do they’re not human. She added that she strongly felt that that parents sacrifice their entire life so the least one could do was to love them back in their old age when they were alone.

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Aishwarya at Oprah again!

Bollywood's first bahu and the international icon Aishwarya Rai not only rules Indian hearts but also hearts abroad. Her next move proves it. She has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show yet again. This is one of the most prestigious talk shows in the world.

The stunning actress had already appeared on the show in a sizzling sari before her marriage in February 2007. And now the Bollywood hottie is making a second appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, with hubby Abhishek Bachchan.

Reportedly, they had flown to the United States last week to shoot for an episode on Oprah.

So Ash, is it an image building exercise?

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Bollywood newcomers prefer good scripts over big banners

Teenage pregnancy, terrorism, an out-and-out actioner or a spooky jungle thriller-Bollywood newcomers like Shruthi Haasan, Ruslaan Mumtaaz and Arunoday Singh are opting for different themes and strong scripts rather than being lured by big banners and typical potboilers.

Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruthi chose an unconventional debut in Luck, a hardcore action film.

"I've never understood what is or is not commercial. I chose Luck because I loved the concept. I'm glad I was a part of it. I chose a script that excited me and I will continue to do so-whatever the genre may be," 23-year-old Shruthi told IANS.

Similar is the case with Arunoday Singh, grandson of Congress veteran Arjun Singh. Arunoday is making his entry into Bollywood with Piyush Jha's Sikandar and he plays a militant. Set in Kashmir, the film is slated to hit screens Aug 21.

The budding actor says he can't fathom the need for a marked difference between commercial and non-commercial cinema in Bollywood.

"I don't know why there is an understanding here that films with a serious subject are inherently better than typical masala films. It's not like that.

If the story and the script of a film are interesting-that's all that matters," said Arunoday, who had been living abroad for nine years.

He says doing a film like Sikandar, which has terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as its backdrop, was not at all a deliberate effort to do something out of the box.

"I've just arrived in Bollywood. It's not like I had to choose a certain role. I was keen to just work and didn't think it was practical to wait for someone to launch me. I had economic reasons to get work as well.

"But when I heard what Piyush (Jha) wrote for 'Sikandar', I really liked it.

It is a very strong script and that's why I'm proud and grateful to have been cast in the film. The film is not preachy-it doesn't give a biased view on terrorism," said Arunoday.

While Shruthi and Arunoday made a conscious choice of doing 'script-based' roles, Ruslaan just happened to be roped in for Teree Sang, Satish Kaushik's take on teenage pregnancy.

"My first movie Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar was not a commercial one and I wanted my second project to be a commercial one. When I was approached by Satish Kaushik for Teree Sang, I gave my nod, thinking his films are always commercial in theme and presentation. But after reading the script, I realised it was not. But I'm glad I did it," Ruslaan said.

"The film just has a non-commercial theme, teenage pregnancy, interspersed with a love story. It has turned out to be a great learning experience for me and I've grown a lot with this role. Ultimately, it's the character that makes you a hero-not always your acting," he said.

Another newcomer to make an unconventional entry is Gautam Rode. He plays a superstar in Ram Gopal Varma's adventure thriller Agyaat, which again is not a regular Hindi potboiler.

For Gautam, his choice of Agyaat was a mix of three things-a "gripping story", "different character" and the "way Ram Gopal Varma narrated it".

"I took up Agyaat after the way I was approached for it. Ramu approached me for the film in November. He met me for an hour and the way he narrated my character and told me about the film, I was assured it wasn't going to be a regular role," Gautam said.

Having said that, the 31-year-old actor says he felt it was a risk doing such an offbeat film-but was confident about going ahead with it.

"I was open to taking risks. I knew it was not going to be a conventional story with 8 to 10 songs in it. All I saw was that it was a combination of a good script, a good banner and a fabulous director," he added.

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Where's Aditya, asks Katz

While it is hinted that one of the them is Dibakar Banerjee’s, the formalities for another film are being worked out. But the actress refuses to speak about her movies. She wants the filmmakers concerned to make the proper announcements. “You guys will know in due course,” says Katz.

Reacting to rumours that she is doing an Aditya Chopra film with Shah Rukh Khan, the Princess of Bollywood says, “Hey, where is Aditya Chopra? I keep reading about these rumoured films with him? I may be in a production of his banner, but I have no clue about Aditya directing any film with me as of now.”

Pretty Katz wants the rumourmongers to rest for a bit. Shoo, Aditya Chopra, too, is wishing them away.

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Bebo gives it up for Aamir!

The actress who turns 29 on September 21, is going to be busy on her film 3 Idiots with Aamir Khan, so bechara Saif Ali Khan will have to rework whatever surprise he had in mind for his Bebo.

Originally, she had wanted to spend time with Saif, mother Babita, sister Karisma and niece Samaira around her birthday... but tragedy struck Aamir’s close and happy little khandaan, and Kareena stepped to the rescue.

You know that Aamir’s wife Kiran Rao suffered a miscarriage earlier this month, and that Aamir promised Kiran he would take time off from 3 Idiots to help her recuperate from the trauma.

What Aamir didn’t realise when he made that emotional commitment was that he had given dates with Kareena to shoot a song in Mumbai during the very same period. Hesitantly, he called up his co-star and asked if she would reorganise her own diary to accommodate him at another time. And Kareena agreed, at the cost of her own birthday plans, because she realised how big Kiran’s trauma was.

Now Kareena and Aamir will shoot the song from September 25 to October 2 in Mumbai. She was in Switzerland all the while and is expected back in Mumbai today. While Aamir is in Europe. The actor has left behind his two cell phones and prefers to be incommunicado for the period that he spends with Kiran. He wants nothing to come in the way of her recuperation.

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Vidya Balan's vanishing act in Cambridge!

Much to the amusement of cast and crew of Paa, Vidya Balan got disappeared after shooting for Paa in Cambridge. But what made the actress vanish is the question everybody had on their lips?

“It’s nothing so dramatic. Yes, I did stay back in Cambridge. I simply had to. I had no choice.”

Recounting the experience Vidya says, “I just couldn’t help it. Just being in Cambridge shooting was not enough. I felt a deep connect with the campus and the environment. I just wanted to walk around the campus with books in hand so I’d look like a student.”

Once the shooting was over, Vidya decided to stay over. “Luckily I’ve a friend in Cambridge. I stayed with her, and her husband. It was the most enriching experience of my life. Just the air and the feel of the place are so special.”

Vidya not wants to create her own Cambridge ambience in Mumbai. "I can’t afford a place in Cambridge. But I know of a place near Mumbai that offers the same climate and topography. But I am not revealing it.”

Not a problem Vidya!

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'Rani is a foodie but she never went on a diet’

Rani Mukherji’s toned body in the forthcoming film Dil Bole Hadippa is the talk of tinsel town. The actress, informs her yoga instructor Payal Gidwani, had not worked out for a considerable stretch before beginning work on Dil Bole. “I was skeptical about what I was getting myself into when I first saw Rani but she told me to relax and said that we would easily achieve our target. It was her discipline that got us through,” says Gidwani.

The petite actress weighed 56 kilos in April last year. “Her ideal body weight is around 48 kilos, so she had to discard eight kilos.” The primary focus was to help Rani get her body back in shape and shed a few kilos in the process. The key, for anybody to lose weight, says Gidwani, is a disciplined lifestyle. A healthy diet plays a very important role. Add to that a diligent exercise regime and you have the recipe for a fab body. Gidwani, however, admits that this mantra is easier preached than practise.

Rani, she says, was a teacher’s delight. In fact, on several occasions Rani would get over enthusiastic with her workouts and Gidwani had to tell her to take it easy, and not burn herself out. “She has a record of not missing out on a single class, to date. Earlier she would work out for five days a week, two hours each day. Now we meet up thrice a week.” Bebo (Kareena Kapoor), is another student who is completely dedicated to her workout sessions.

Owing to her hereditary problem, her body tends to pile on the kilos easily, informs Gidwani. “Rani is a foodie but she never went on a diet and resorted to nutritious food instead. The trick is to eat all foods in small portions and then burn it out,” she adds.

It took Rani 10 months to lose eight kilos as the focus was more on inch loss than weight loss. A lot of toning and cardio was required for which Gidwani made the actress walk up and down the stairs of her bungalow, a number of times throughout the day, as part of her workout regime.

Rani’s weak points, says Gidwani, are her tendencies to pile on the kilos on the lower part of her body and her weak nerves. Her strengths, however, are a flexible body and immense endurance which helped with the yoga asanas.

Pushing limits
Rani could earlier manage only five to 10 Suryanamaskars. Any stretching exercise would lead to cramps because of her weak nerves. Today, Rani can easily do 100 Suryanamaskars and an approximate 2500 kapalbhatis at a go.

She can hold on to asanas for a minute and her breathing technique had improved too.

Gidwani’s tips
One could combine yoga and gym exercises. “I advise people to do three days of yoga and hit the gym for three days. And while in the gym, it’s preferable to do free hand exercises than pumping iron,” she says. Taking up a sport or dancing (as they increase the heart beat rate) also helps in the long run.

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I would love to do more Bengali films: Bips

She is known for her bold image in Bollywood, but dusky beauty Bipasha Basu will now be seen in a slew of non-commercial films like the Bengali Shob Charitro Kalponik, Pankh and Lamhaa. She insists she is not making any special attempts to change her image and would love to do more Bengali films if they are interesting.

"I like to do films that are entertainers, glamorous, fun, action and definitely realistic. There is no effort that I am putting towards an image change with non-commercial films. I just feel that in the Hindi film industry, where you look in a particular manner, people consider your USP as something and you get a little typecast," Bipasha told IANS in a telephone interview from Mumbai.

"But I'm not trying to break any typecast. It's just that within the given limitations, I'm trying to push and taste everything a little bit," she added.

Bipasha plays a Kashmiri girl in director Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa, has a supporting role in arthouse film Pankh' and in her just released Bengali film debut she plays a typical sari-wearing Bengali woman.

Asked if Shob Charitro... marks her entry into regional cinema, she said: "I don't like to do films where I don't understand the language; so I don't know about other regional films. I tried doing a Telugu film (2002) and a guest appearance in a Tamil movie (2005), but it was the toughest thing I've ever done.

"But Bengali films...for sure because I know the language... I'd love it if there are some interesting films or a filmmaker who would love to make one...they are more than welcome to approach me and I'd love to do it," she added.

Produced by Big Pictures, Shob Charitro... has been written and directed by Rituparno Ghosh and also stars Prasenjit, Jisshu Sengupta, Pauli Dam and Sohag Sen.

The film shows the journey of Bipasha's character into the life of her late poet husband through his poetry.

Shob Charitro... was also screened in the Panorama Section of the 2009 Durban Film Festival and marketed at the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival.

Though it was her first Bengali venture, the 30-year-old didn't find any difficulties essaying the role.

"Ritu-da asked me to get into the typical Bengali woman mode for the character with the sari-and-blouse and body language, etc... it was not at all difficult for me as I have grown up watching my mother like that.

"For the language, it was very easy because it's definitely the Bengali I speak at home and understand. Apart from that there is also a lot of English in the film as my character speaks both," added Bipasha, who became an overnight sensation in Bollywood with the 2003 hit Jism.

Bipasha was all praise for the director.

"Ritu-da's films work on various levels and not just one level. When he narrated the script to me, I was really curious as to how he plans to do it because it sounded really tough. But when we shot the film and I actually performed, it was really effortless.

"He guides you well and the whole film flows and tells you a beautiful story of romance, realism, marriage and all kinds of emotions like problems with your partner and when you fall in love... and he uses poetry as a very strong tool in it," she explained.

Shob Charitro..., Bipasha says, isn't a commercial entertainer.

"It is very deep and very beautiful. It was very different for me too but I truly liked it and enjoyed the process of making this film," said the actress.

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Shilpa's kiss: Blessing or blooper?

These photographs are the latest in a series of controversies that Shilpa Shetty has been having with holy sites.

The first was during a shoot during which temple authorities accused the actress of entering the Gopinath Deb temple of Sakhigopal near Puri, Orissa, with her shoes on. An FIR was later filed against Shilpa by the officials.

The actress, however, was successful in averting that disaster after she lashed out at what she described as 'making scapegoats of celebrities'. The police too, refused to pursue the matter any further after it was revealed that Shilpa didn't even enter the temple premises during the shoot at Puri.

But no sooner was she out of the frying pan, blessings have come in the form of controversy. Pictures from Shilpa's time at a temple in Powai, Mumbai, show a swamiji delivering blessings in a manner that left the moral police fuming.

Many are familiar with the unfortunate Richard Gere episode which took the tabloid press by the storm. But Shilpa has vowed to take the fight head on. In a reaction, the actress lashed out: "What was obscene in that? Don't people kiss their daughters or sons?"

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Big Brother Too Boring For Facebook Generation

Big Brother, one of the biggest British reality TV shows will be taken off air after a fall in the number of viewers.

“Britain's Channel 4 network is to take the controversial show off air after a fall in the number of viewers, and an official announcement could come as early as Friday”, a source said.

The source added, "The reality is people are bored with it. Even at Channel 4 the vibe among staff is that if you like Big Brother you're not cool. "If the people commissioning the show don't think its cool, what hope is there”, the source told.

According to source, the “Facebook generation” is not able to relate with Big Brother. "The truth is nobody's talking about Big Brother anymore," a source told.

Big Brother is a reality show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras.

A source informed, “There will be one final series next year, after which the show will only go ahead if the production house can strike a deal with another channel”.

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Ready-To-Wear Saris Becoming Very Popular

According to a Kolkata-based fashion designer, Radhika Singhi, the ready-to-wear saris are gaining popularity in India very quickly.

"Indian women are becoming more inclined to use ready-to-wear, hassle-free party-wear saris and lahengas. There is a growing demand for cocktail dresses like gown-cum-saris as well," said Radhika, while she was launching the new collection of her new bridal wear at her boutique, Threads.

According to her, the current generation of Indian women prefer to dress in a similar way as Indian stars dress for international events like the Cannes Film Festival.

"Women today want to wear Indian dresses similar to those worn by Indian celebs at Cannes and other events. And hence instead of traditional heavy bridal wears they prefer to wear gown-cum-saris," she added.

Radhika, who has been a bridal wear designer for the past 3 years, added that the new generation brides prefer pastel shades along with the traditional bright shades.

"Besides traditional colours like red and maroon, today's brides are also choosing pastel colours like peach, powder blue, off-white, rusty red and muddy greys - that are very English - for their shaadi ka joda (bridal dress)," she said.

She also added that the current generation grooms and brides stress more on the comfort, patterns and colours of fabrics rather than on embellishments.

"The trend for wedding dress for both man and woman is minimal embellishments on comfortable fabric like silk, chiffons or organza," Radhika said.

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Bipasha Basu Refuses To Smoke For ‘Pankh’

Bollywood’s sizzling Bong babe, Bipasha Basu, who is known for being a teetotaller, is a true role model for all those who belong to Gen X. If the Bollywood gossip is to be believed, this beautiful actress has refused to smoke for a scene for her forthcoming movie, ‘Pankh’.

A source said, “Sudipto Chattopadhyay, the director of the film, wanted Bipasha to smoke on screen for a vital sequence. However, Bipasha flatly refused as she does not encourage smoking and hates it. She was not in favour of the scene and if she smokes, it meant that she would be promoting smoking. After that, Sudipto even gave her the option of holding a cigarette, but she refused that as well. Sudipto understood her point of view and agreed to shoot the scene differently.”

When asked Bipasha about the same, she confirmed the news and maintained, “I don’t smoke and I don’t encourage smoking. Unless it’s absolutely essential to smoke for my role, I wouldn’t agree to do it. In ‘Pankh,’ it was not essential, hence I refused. I had also refused to smoke in one of my earlier films, ‘Corporate.’ If my role is that of an addict, then I will do whatever the character and the role demands, which was not the case with ‘Pankh.’”

With Bipasha refusing to smoke on-screen, poor Sudipto had to alter the whole scene and clarified the same as, “It was a song sequence with a smoky atmosphere. We wanted to show that when she starts singing, smoke comes out of her mouth. However, she had a very valid point that smoking was a very politically incorrect thing to do. She said that she does not endorse smoking and she did not endorse John doing ‘No Smoking.’ She had never smoked in her life. We can’t fake smoking like we do with drinking. So, eventually, we placed a canister jar in front of her which emitted smoke and we framed it in such a way that when she sings, it seems that the smoke is coming out of her mouth.”

When enquired Sanjay Gupta, the producer of ‘Pankh’, he said, “It’s the question of an actor being comfortable. Bipasha had some inhibitions about it and it’s perfectly fine.”

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Toss is a laughable attempt

Watching crummy movies can do crazy things to your psyche. Toss is one such movie.

It's so unbelievably obnoxious that it's impossible you will come out unscathed. Clearly, that's not a compliment. For one, it opens up a nagging albeit well-meaning voice in the head which insists, 'Get up and get out.' That, however, isn't an option for the often-derided reviewer. So instead, you sit back and suffer.

Except, like I said, the voice won't shut up. And so, all through it keeps hitting a new wave of realisation that strives to describe Toss differently. Here are a few samplers:

Toss is about a bunch of creepy 20-something's (Prashan Raj, Ashmit Patel [ Images ], Rannvijay Singh, Aarti Chhabria [ Images ] and Madhurima Banerjee) finding the lamest excuse to clumsily make-out in the middle of a deserted forest while mouthing the corniest dialogues. Or maybe it's about those very dimwits bumping into two metal cartons filled with millions and letting greed get the better of them, if at all such a thing is possible.

Toss is about a gangster trio of three brothers -- two expletive-darting adults (Mahesh Manjrekar and Sushant Singh) -- with a thing for sharp objects that can slice all things alive and a roly-poly, twisted, gamer boy who shares their enthusiasm in these sickly activities.

Toss is about Rajpal Yadav's ghost, dressed in yellow beach attire with a hat, lurking in an old Goan villa during the first half. In the second, his spirit too does a mysterious vanishing act. Lucky bugger!

Toss is actually a confused horror film in the garb of a thriller that seems to have lost its script to the washing machine. Nine times out of 10, when they have run out of things to say, the makers employ the easiest trick in the book -- play a loud background score while the protagonists deliver mock lines.

Toss is a laughable attempt at a black comedy. The afore-mentioned gamer kid punches a dagger into his already stabbed victim. Previously, he's also had the pleasure of watching a naked guy getting slashed to pieces while he played Sai bhajan on his music system.

Toss is the kind of movie where perverted zombies inhabit the planet and pronouncing Da Cunha (Zakir Hussain) incorrectly amounts to a joke.

Toss is the A to Z of a rambling screenplay and tacky production values. One moment three guys are chasing one. Cut to the latter beating his chest in front of a Cross of Christ, 'Kill me, kill me.' Next scene, you have a stock-withdrawn mother emphasizing on the exceptional status of a live-in relationship to her unusually panting son.

Toss is a text-book demonstration of appalling, over-the-top and awful performances. Not one actor in a cast of mostly lesser known faces project anything remotely to an expression.

In all likelihood, this is not the last of the worst I've witnessed. Nevertheless, it's neither head nor tails (read stars) for Toss.

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I'm waiting for good work: Aarti Chhabria

Aarti Chhabria has had an eventful journey in Bollywood - right from Awara Paagal Deewana to Shootout At Lokhandwala. She may not have hit the top bracket yet, but Aarti is happy that she has survived.Last Friday, she had a double bill at the box office - with Daddy Cool and Toss hitting the screens simultaneously

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Shilpa Shetty May Enter Marital Bliss In 2010

There had been news very recently that Shilpa Shetty was entering the marital bliss with her long time beau and London-based businessman, Raj Kundra, after her father was reportedly asking for his seized passport to attend her wedding in December. But the beautiful actress has denied all the rumours.

The leggy actress has denied all those reports but says “I’ve said before, I will make an official announcement the day my parents decide on my marriage date and I promise the press will have at least a month to celebrate the announcement.”

She adds, “So to set the record straight, no I’m not getting married this year. Yes, I am looking at next year, but date not decided”.

Shilpa Shetty is engaged with London-based NRI businessman Raj Kundra.

Shilpa writes in her www.shilpashettylive.com/blog/ that “I am sick and tired of people calling me to clarify after they’ve put it as breaking news on some channels and wasted reams of paper on concocted news articles”.

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8 minutes of Katrina in 'Blue' She has only a guest role in the film

Just the mere presence of Katrina Kaif in a film is enough to get extra seat bumps in theatres. That’s why the early promos of the upcoming underwater thriller Blue have been focusing on Katrina, despite the fact that the actress has only a guest role in the film. “I appear for all of eight minutes in Blue,” Katrina clarified in a media report. Katrina said she did the movie only because her good friend Akshay Kumar asked her to. Akshay and Sanjay Dutt are the film’s leading stars along with Zayed Khan and Lara Dutta. The actress adds that she was assured by the film’s makers in advance that no attempt will be made to promote the film as a Katrina Kaif-starrer. Rather, the actress has been given the promise that she would be kept out of the film’s hoardings and billboards and will be credited as a guest performer in the film. Katrina feels that any attempt to mislead the audience won’t work in the movie’s favour. The beautiful belle also makes a unique style statement in ‘Blue’. She wears a ring under her lip. However, she did not pierce her lip for the accessory. Rather she used a magnetic ring. Can’t wait to watch her in ‘Blue’, even if she’s there for a few minutes!

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Ghazab Kahani

Bollywood’s most desirable female tickles the handsomest newcomer on his ear and plants a love bite.



It could have been a big scoop had it happened in private and not before the rolling camera on the sets of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. All those who had doubts whether Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor would look good together will be proved wrong in this film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. People from the film’s unit have been swearing by the natural, sparkling chemistry Kat and Ranby created on the sets.



This is duo’s second film together besides Prakash Jha’s Rajniti which is a political thriller.

Catholic Katrina The movie has Katrina playing a Catholic girl from Bandra. She’s is dramatic, hysterical and gives herself a lot of importance. She’s perennially surrounded by self-created problems which appear funny to others.

Bumbling Ranbir Ranbir Kapoor plays a bumbling do-gooder who is goofy and clumsy. His character in the film is a synthesis of Charlie Chaplin and Raj Kapoor. Ranbir stammers in many dialogues in the film. Slideshow - Katrina's love bite to Ranbir! Don’t be jealous by this ghazab kahani! By Nikhil Kumar Date: Tue, Aug 18, 2009 15:30:10 GMT Share this page E-mail myAOL Bloglines del.icio.us Digg Faves FriendFeed Google LinkedIn LiveJournal MySpace Netscape Netvibes Newsvine Propeller reddit Slashdot StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext tumblr Windows Live Yahoo Buzz Yahoo MyWeb Comedy For the first time, Katrina will be seen doing serious comedy (pun unintended) in ‘Ajab Prem’. Director Santoshi enacted many scenes for Katrina to help her. “He (Santoshi) would actually show me how to gesticulate and roll my eyes. Once I got the hang of it, I was fine,” Katrina said. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani The movie’s story is penned by Santoshi himself while music is by Pritam. It also stars Upen Patel and has a cameo by Salman Khan. Produced by Ramesh Taurani, the film will hit the theatres on November 6, this year.

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