"Fashion would be unveiled on 18th July" - Madhur Bhandarkar

In exactly 3 weeks from now, the world would know about how 3 National Award winning director Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion would look like. Come 18th July and the film's first look would be unveiled along with the screening of Kismat Konnection. Though it would only be a teaser, it would mark the launch of the film's first ever official peep in.

Says Bhandarkar whose Fashion yet again promises to be a film that would present realism in an entertaining manner, "The film is getting closer to the finishing line and over the next few months, we would see Fashion getting more and more visible. Along with Kismat Konnection, audience would now also get a chance to get a peek at Fashion."

Though the teaser would last for only one minute and would come sans any dialogues, it would introduce all the important characters of the film which includes Priyanka Chopra along with Kangna Ranaut, Mugdha Godse and Arjan Bajwa.

Says a source attached to the film, "The first look itself has turned out to be mind blowing. As has been the case with Bhandarkar sir's films from the past, Fashion too has a shock value attached to it and would catch the viewer unaware. The one minute teaser has been cut quite well and would act as a good enough kick start for the film to start creating a buzz from the word Go! The film is looking great and this is certainly going to be Bhandarkar sir's biggest project till date."

On questioned about the film being indeed so huge, Madhur only goes on to say, "I have always maintained that Fashion has gone deep into the underbelly of what happens in the word of glitz and glamour. My films have always showed a mirror to the society and Fashion is no different. Just wait and watch for the film's teaser on the big screen. This is just going to be the beginning of many more things to come."

Looking at a November release, Fashion would be one of the many releases of Priyanka Chopra this year which include Love Story 2050, Drona, God Tussi Great Ho, Dostana and Chamku. A co-production of UTV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment Fashion would be releasing more than one and a half years after Bhandarkar's last film Traffic Signal (which recently fetched the director a National Award for the Best Director). It is filmmaker's most expensive project till date and is being shot across different countries.

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Singh is Kinng Movie Preview

Music: Pritam
Guest Track: RDB (Rap by Snoop Dogg)
Producer: Vipul A. Shah
Director: Anees Bazmee

Singh Is Kinng, the most keenly awaited romantic comedy of 2008, revolves around a gang of crooks transformed by a good man and his selfless love for a pretty girl…

Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the ‘king’ of the Australian underworld accompanied by his associates (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande.)

Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him – Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar).

The village is fed up of his magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip (that will keep him out of the village for a while!) to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.

The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey accompanied by his friend, Tony Singh (Om Puri), who hates Happy for dragging him into it.

The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.

In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky’s life is foiled by a well-intentioned Happy who fights off the attackers by risking his own life.

Following the hilarious altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed, and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new ‘kinng’!

The series of chaos, shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensue eventually result in redemption and an accidental wedding!

Shot in Punjab, Australia and Egypt, Singh Is Kinng marks superstar Akshay Kumar’s re-entry into the action-comedy minefield. With plenty of romance, glamour, laugh-aloud moments and chartbusting music, it promises to be one of the most appealing and entertaining motion pictures of 2008.

It comes from Vipul Shah and Anees Bazmee, the master-makers of blockbusters like Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, No Entry and Welcome.

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Ranbir gets Rs 7 crores for a film

Raj Santoshi is a very happy man.

Belying all rumours of a fall-out with Ajay Devgan Raj Santoshi is all set to make another film with his favourite actor.

"We're just about to zero- in on the subject. It's a contemporary film, not the two period films on Emperor Ashok and the Ramayan that we were planning to do together. Those are on hold right now.

For now Ajay and I getting ready for another film, though I'll definitely make Ramayan and Ashok with him. But we haven't fallen out just because a couple of our films together haven't clicked. That's not how we work."

For now Raj is on another trip. "I'm finally starting Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir and Katrina from tomorrow (Wednesday).

It's my first love story, though people seem to think it's an intense love story. Which it is not. It has lots of very light very humorous moments. I haven't worked with Ranbir and Katrina before. So I'm really looking forward to that."

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is to be shot in Mumbai (from tom) then Goa and finally Italy.

"A lot of elements in Ranbir's character will remind people of his grandfather Raj Kapoor. I've worked with Ranbir's father in Damini.

When I saw the boy in Saawariya I wanted to work with him immediately. Katrina and I were supposed to do a film that had Shahid in it. That didn't work out. This is a totally different subject."

Ask the director about Ranbir's reported remuneration of Rs 7 crores, and Raj shrugs. "That's between Ranbir and the producers Tips."

Oh one more thing. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani also stars Upen Patel.

"It's a pivotal role. Upen expressed a desire to work with me. We met up. When I narrated the subject he fell in love with it. I'm working with an entirely new team including music composer Pritam."

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Lage Raho Munnabhai wins four National awards

Lage Raho Munnabhai wins four National Awards in categories which included Best Popular Film providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Screenplay (Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijaat Joshi), Best Lyrics (Swanand Kirkire) and the Best Supporting Actor (Dileep Prabhawalkar)




An exhilarated Vidhu Vinod Chopra adds, "It is a wonderful surprise. What makes me happy is that it is a great inspiration for newcomers and fresh talented people who have a fire in their belly to make a mark in this industry. Abhijaat Joshi (screenplay) and Swanand Kirkire's (lyricist) work getting acknowledged makes Raju and me very proud." After four prestigious awards and world recognition, even Raj Kumar Hirani cannot stay shut. "I am happy that a film based on the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi wins the award for wholesome entertainment. It is a big achievement for my team and me. My associates, Abhijaat Joshi, and Swanand Kirkire's awards make this moment even greater," expresses Hirani.

The music and lyrics have been a revelation in itself. "I might be the one who has won the award but this was a collaborative and collective piece of work. I am grateful to Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani and Shantanu Moitra for bringing out the best in me and and for creating the atmosphere where one can strive for excellence," says an exhilarated Swanand Kirkire.

Apart from Lage Raho Munnabhai, Vishal Bhardwaj won the Special Jury Award for Omkara, Madhur Bhandarkar won The Best Director Award for Traffic Signal, Kabir Khan won The Best Debutante Director for Kabul Express and Konkona Sen Sharma won The Best Supporting Actress award for Omkara.

So here's a round of applause for all the winners and their achievements.

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I love to hate Rakhi Sawant: Kashmera Shah

The war of words between two Bollywood item girls continues as actress Kashmera Shah says she is far better than Rakhi Sawant who, she asserts, gets into controversies just for publicity.

Said Kashmera: 'I have nine hits from 'Jungle', 'Yes Boss', 'Aankhen' and many other films. What does she have? She knows that if she can get into a controversy with me, she will gain popularity.'

Kashmera first got noticed with the song 'Jawani Se Ab Jung' in Mahesh Manjrekar's blockbuster hit 'Vastav'.

'I'd like to be known as an actor who can dance, unlike Rakhi who is a trying to be an actor from a dancer, ' she said.

'I love to hate her and I hate to love her, ' Kashmera told.

Rakhi and Kashmera's rivalry goes back to Sony TV's reality show 'Big Boss', where the two were participants. They started off as good pals but their relations soured during the show. The duo accused each other of maligning their image to gain sympathy votes.

Their relations only worsened during reality dance show 'Nach Baliye 3', in which they even took personal potshots at each other.

Incidentally, Kashmera is playing an item girl named 'Rakhi' who aspires to become an actress in a big budget musical called 'City of Dreams'.

The play, directed by Mohamed Morani, gives an insight into the Hindi film industry and depicts the struggle of an aspiring actress.

So, does she play the real Rakhi Sawant?

'I am not playing Rakhi Sawant? It's not difficult to play Rakhi because she is just one-dimensional. But I think it would be difficult to play me, ' Kashmera retorted.

The actress revealed that she has been offered many projects in various television reality shows. Kashmera is also playing an important role in Sunny Deol's directorial debut 'The Man'.

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Is Katrina Kaif trying an Akki fry?

It looks like hot babe Katrina Kaif has lost her cool on the unwanted rumours created by some part of the media and has decided to rebuff.

Recently it was reported that Akshay Kumar, while seated at the IIFA awards with his wife Twinkle, ignored Katrina’s calls. It was also said that Twinkle and Katrina share cold vibes and looked through each other at Vipul Shah's party thrown for his wife Shefali last month.

Katrina, listening to all, fumes, “People need to stop imagining so much. This is pure imagination on someone's part. Akshay Kumar came in for the show in the night and left right after as he had a flight to catch.

I had dinner with Twinkle and some of her friends after that and even my mom was with me. So what's with these stories?”

It’s thus proved that media was throwing imaginative bricks at the otherwise cool Kat. But it’s said that everything, said or drawn, has to have some base.

Even imagination must have some stage to stand on. What should we think then? And if, throwing an if, the whole picture is baselessly imaginative then what’s the need of becoming so hot?

Especially when people know Kat is really hot. Maybe the temperature is required to make some Akki dish! Who can say if something is cooking at the backdoor? Hun, you naughty hot Kat?

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Suggest me a new marriage date: Rani

The question for the abundantly -talented Rani is, what next? After playing angel in Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic she is all set to do one more thoroughly unconventional role.

Rani plays a cricketer in Yashraj Films' next to be directed by debutant Anurag Singh. She's paired for the first time with Shahid Kapoor in what promises to be a first of its kind not just for the actress but for cinema anywhere.

Laughing her hearty Mukherjee laughter from her swanky new home Rani says, "I don't know if any actress has played a cricketer before.

But I am playing one for sure. In fact I've been learning cricket regularly on the field for the past two months. I can most certainly play the game convincingly now, though not as good as the professionals yet. How convincing I look, we'll soon know. It's a very big challenge for me."

Rani is hungry for new roles. " At this stage of my career I feel I need new challenges. When Kunal Kohli offered me angel's role I was kicked. I don't now of any actress who has played an angel before, do you?"

I remind her of Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black.

"Also, " says Rani. "For the first time I was playing a character who couldn't cry. Now they can stop saying Rani cries so much in all her films. It was pretty cool to play a character who actually doesn't know how to cry and who had to fly around like Hrithik in Krissh."

Being suspended on a harness was not easy. "It required a lot of physical strength to assume the correct 'flying' posture on the harness. I guess it'd be equally difficult for me to look convincing as a cricketer. But I'm glad to be doing work which challenges."

So is she equipped to join the ILP now? I quip. "I don't know about that. But I'm definitely enjoying it. My practical sessions are on full swing."

So who on earth is Anurag Singh and what gives him the privilege to work with an actress of Rani's stature?

"That you will have to ask Aditya Chopra. It isn't as if I haven't worked with new directors before. I was in Shaad Ali's first film Saathiya, remember? And Kunal Kohli who has made a beautiful magical film with me now started his career with me in Mujhse Dosti Karoge."

So after an angel and a cricketer what would Rani like to play? "Maybe an astronaut like Kalpana Chawla. And I'd also love to play a doctor. I've never done that before. Come to think of it I've never worked with Shahid Kapoor before either. I'm doing so now."

Isn't there a danger of her being branded a resident Yashraj heroine since all her recent films have been with that banner alone?

"Why?" Rani shoots back. "Wasn't Saawariya with Sanjay Leela Bhansali? And if Yashraj is making some of the best films in our country why should I keep out of them just because people are talking?

Incidentally my marriage date February 10, 2008 has come and gone. Would mediapersons like to set another date for me so I can start getting my trousseau ready?"

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Big B won't play Sarkar again

Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan has liked the 'Sarkar Raj' saga so much that she has urged director Ram Gopal Varma to make another sequel.

'Sarkar Raj' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek and his wife Aishwarya Rai, got a mixed response, but Jaya loved it.

'Varma was asked this question at a press conference in Bangkok and he said he has not thought about it. But Jaya in a rare reaction has urged him that he must do a part three, as did a few others. I personally feel he should not. Better for people to say 'why not' than 'why did you', ' Amitabh told.

Incidentally, she is the most outspoken Bachchan of the family who didn't think Varma's remaking 'Sholay' was a good idea and who was vocal of her opposition to tampering with an invincible classic.

And now Jaya is excited by the idea of a trilogy in the 'Sarkar' series. The latest political thriller ends with the death of Abhishek's character.

The third part would probably show the senior Bachchan taking charge of the family empire again, with his elder son's child manoeuvring the Nagre empire by his grandpa's side. Kay Kay Menon played the elder son in the first part.

Incidentally, the director had thought about another sequel even while 'Sarkar Raj' was in post-production.

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My first income was just fifty rupees: Shah Rukh Khan

All time hot item for news, Shah Rukh Khan, has recently started hitting news for his television appearance for Paanchvi Pass, too.

Starting his career with 1988 Doordarshan serial Fauji, Shah Rukh Khan has traversed a long to reach his status of King Khan. Here he has taken out few moments to have a bird’s eye view at his past life, his true colour and bit more…

Q. Who is the actual Shah Rukh Khan – an actor, a businessman, a father or a husband?
A. Even I don’t know who the actual Shah Rukh is as because I spend most of my time portraying different characters.

Most of the time we play such characters who are much superior from any point of view. But there is one common factor in each of the character I play and that factor is emotion. It’s impossible to depict a true sketch of a character without proper emotion.

But, when I stay at home I show my true emotions as a father and a husband. And I don’t know how much truth I can maintain while talking about my role of a father outside my home.

Q. Where do you find yourself at the best of your professional graph – as a host or as an actor?
A. Whether it’s in acting or hosting a show, success stays with me for very short period of time. I feel reaching height only when I make my cameraman or director astonished with the best of my performance.

I feel really happy when all those shots reach the remote areas of the country and people feel them from the core of their hearts.

Q. What did your teachers think about when you were in school?
A. I used to be very mischievous in school but teachers always forgave me seeing the beautiful dimples. That’s how my smile was famously known as the Satan’s smile.

Despite being so naughty I was the monitor of my class because I always topped in the class. Reading less was enough for me to bag best numbers. I had interest in everything other than learning.

Q. Any memorable incident of those days?
A. I still can remember that my few friends, including me, were doing masti because of which all of those friends were suspended from the school. My absence from the school on that very day saved me from suspension.

The five of us were the best buddies in school. We later on decided to beg pardon from the principal. All my friends were very jealous of me as I was not suspended. I agreed on going with them to the principal and told them that everything would be alright.

We went to meet the principal. He was quite friendly with me and that day also he started talking to me very generously which my friends could not accept. All of a sudden they started revealing my tomfooleries one after the other. The aftermath was very obvious.

Along with my friends, the principal suspended me also. Still I can remember all those four friends.

Q. With your KBC you offered people an amount of two crores and the amount has reached to five crores with your on going show Paanchvi Pass… What was your first income?
A. If I am not wrong then my first income was just fifty rupees. There was Sri Ram center beside my home. Even Film Fare Awards ceremonies were held at the center.

Once there was the concert of Ghulam Ali Sahab at that center. I volunteered in the show and earned fifty bucks for that. I took my friends to visit Taj Mahal with that amount.

Q. What do excite your children most?
A. They feel excitement in all those things that excites me. They are all very excited with what their father does.

Q. What do you think of education?
A. All throughout my life I have believed that there is nothing more important than education. But the same education sometimes brings in tension and creates lot of problems. Today people stress more on becoming first than learning something.

When I hear the cut off marks for colleges now-a-days, I get traumatized thinking that was I a student at this time, I would never have reached college though I passed my tenth with 92%. I think about how to make today’s generation realize to go ahead despite having all the pressures from education and job.

I want an environment where children themselves wish to go to school. I would request all the schools not to create pressure on children for education.

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Caught cheating in Shah Rukh's class

It's fun-galore on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez hain? as the biggest stars of Bollywood descend on the small screen; Karan Johar, Rani Mukherjee and Shah Rukh Khan...

No, it is NOT Kuch Kuch Hota Hain? again; this time the trio have assumed different avatars and come together on India's biggest quiz game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? in which Shah Rukh officially plays the role of the knowledgeable teacher and Rani and Karan are summoned as classmates.

This Saturday, June 7th at 8 pm, viewers will witness India's finest actor, Rani Mukherjee, and ace-director, Karan Johar, stumble into Shah Rukh's classroom quite unaware of what trouble awaits them in the form of eleven fifth grade questions, as they try to prove that they are smarter than a fifth grader on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain

While the warmth, the funny repartees and camaraderie between the guests and host is the over-powering flavour of this celebrity special episode, it really does not help Karan and Rani win brownie points and impress the strict and intelligent teacher-Shah Rukh Khan who flummoxes them with his very first question.

As India's most celebrated actor and director struggle to get their facts right with the help of five 10-year-olds, Shah Rukh has a great time pulling their leg and making them beg for answers. Karan even gets down to his knees to beg for answers.

"Hamari bahot beizzati hui hai yahaan par", Karan jokingly kept saying. When Karan and Rani tried to cheat from the audience, SRK gave them a fitting punishment by making them stand on the chair in the classroom.

There are many hilarious and emotional moments intertwined in the show. The most funny being where Karan reveals that, as a kid, he wanted to be a barber and cut people's hair when he grew up.

This had the audience in split's thinking India's leading film director wanted to become a hairstylist at one point. He was refused admission when this question was asked in the schools.

On a serious note, Rani reveals that she always wanted to make it big but did not know which direction to go. She speaks of wanting to return plenty of happiness to her parents for all the hardship she has seen them face in her growing years.

Karan and Rani played in true-sportsmanlike-spirit giving everybody their share of laughter, entertainment and fun. They won a handsome amount which they intend to donate partly to Nanavati Hospital and partly to another medical facility in the country of Rani's choice.

To catch this teacher-student scuffle, tune in to Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on Saturday, June 7 only on Star Plus.

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