Veena Malik in Jism 2 ?

Actress turned filmmaker Pooja Bhatt has delivered one of the most sexiest Bollywood movies in 2003, Jism, starring Bipasha Basu and John Abraham. A perfectly in shape model John debuted in Bollywood with this movie and became a craze among the youth. The sizzling chemistry between Basu and Abraham rocked the viewers and the film was a roaring hit. There were talks regarding a sequel of this movie earlier but nothing materialized. It is probably because they could not bring John and Bips together anymore for repeating their seductive act. Now again, the talks are rife about Jism 2 and Pooja Bhatt is seriously thinking about the lead cast, who can replace the hot couple. There was a buzz that Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez of Aladin fame has been approached to enact the leading lady. But this did not go well with the Jism and they openly expressed their displeasure over her name on a microblogging site. Pooja Bhatt also rubbished reports saying that they never thought of Jacqueline. However, fans have suggested a very good option for Jism 2. Most of them have suggested the name of Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who has been popular in Bigg Boss 4 for her sizzling acts with inmate Bollywood actor Ashmit Patel. Their proximity on camera has grabbed many eyeballs and is being considered as perfect couple to replace Bipasha and John. However, Veena is quite far from a perfect figure when it comes to play a seductress in a movie like Jism 2. If she is considered seriously then she will require losing some extra kilos that she keeps showing frequently. However, Ashmit is quite good in shape and has been seen working out with Hrishant Goswami earlier. But recently, he is behaving like a sick person and does not look to be in a very good shape. However, he can enact the role perfectly because Ashmit is often seen drooling over Veena and that is very much required for the role!

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Kangna isn't a poor little girl from the hills, she is Rich: Sources

Here's what Kangna left behind in her village to become an actress... a luxurious life, a 25-room haveli and an influential family While people assumed Kangna Ranaut to be a struggling wannabe actress from Himachal Pradesh when she entered B- Town, the truth is far different. The actress comes from one of the richest and politically most influential families in the state. Hers is not a rags to riches story. Which explains the lakhs of rupees she spends on clothes, shoes and bags every month, more than even the top actresses of B-Town and star wives. Have money, won't talk A source close to Kangna confirms her family affluence, "She doesn't like talking about her family wealth as she's struggled on her own to be in her position. Besides that, she believes it's in bad taste to talk about one's wealth." Her family is from the blue-blooded Rajputs from Bhambla village in Himachal Pradesh. Our village Kangna has a huge 25-room ancestral house or haveli in Bhambla (currently called Surajpur) belonging to her great- grandfather. "While it was originally called Bhambla, when Kangna's great-grandfather became the local MLA, the village was named Surajpur after him. " Kangna grew up in a joint family, with her brother, sister, parents, great- grandparents, grand- parents and chacha and chachi. The family owns several acres of land in Surajpur. Luxurious living Adds an insider, "Kangna's father Amardeep Ranaut is in the construction business and he supplies construction material for building roads etc for the Public Works Department (PWD) in Himachal Pradesh. She has been brought up in luxury and always had five cars parked in front of her home." But things suddenly took a turn for the worse when she decided to come to Mumbai to become an actress. Her grandfather was dead against any female from his family joining films as he felt it was demeaning. On your own, please! Kangna's father too supported his father, and when she insisted on acting, both of them stopped talking to her. Her father told her that he would give her no financial support and she would have to make it on her own. Hard times Kangna left home at 16 and initially stayed with a friend in Delhi before coming to Mumbai in 2005. She went through a lot of hardship but never asked her family for help. She lived in Aasha Chandra's hostel and shared a room with three other girls. It was a miserable time for her as she was cut off from her family and struggling in a strange city. It was only after Life In A... Metro that her family relented and welcomed her once again into their fold. Preity connection There was a family reunion when her parents, sister Rangoli and brother Akshat came to Mumbai. Today, her family is very proud of her. Kangna's friend insists, however, that the actress is not related to Preity Zinta. "Preity's maternal aunt is a resident of Surajpur and PZ often comes to meet her. Once during a family function of Preity's in the village Kangna and her siblings met Preity. Now they keep in touch. That's all. Kang's Grandpa Kangna's great-grandfather (and idol) Sarju Singh Ranaut left his job as a head clerk for the British government to become a freedom fighter with Mahatma Gandhi. Kangs still has the letters Gandhiji wrote to her great-grandfather. He was also the only man from his village who knew English at that time and got electricity to his village.

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Neha Uberoi is getting married on Dec 14

Sanjay Dutt's business manager Dharam Uberoi's daughter Neha gets married on December 14 to industrialist Vishal Shah. The wedding invite has Dutt's and his wife Maanayata's names along with Dharam and his family. The reason: Dutt and Maana are Neha's moohbole maama-maami and will be throwing a party for the happy couple soon.

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Sonam Kapoor and khandaan go Goa for New Year

Anil, Sunita, Sonam, Rhea and Harsh will spend New Year's in the land of feni Anil Kapoor will finally go on a long holiday with his entire family to Goa. Says a source close to the actor, "Anil and his family, including wife Sunita and children Sonam, Rhea and Harsh will be going to the Sunshine State on December 28 and will stay there for a week. They plan to bring in the New Year there and have already booked into one of the most expensive beach resorts in South Goa. Sonam, Rhea and Harsh's friends, along with other family members, will also accompany them. Harsh, who is studying in USA, is coming down for his Christmas holidays." Special holiday The source adds that for the Kapoor couple, this holiday is very special. "Anil has been extremely busy the last few years. After Slumdog Millionaire, he got busy in Hollywood with 24 and then returned to work on his home production, No Problem. While Sunita and he have been on trips to Paris and other parts of Europe and Anil and Sonam have holidayed in Canada on her shoots, it is one of those rare times that the entire family is together." Anil won't release No Problem on Christmas as a courtesy to close friend, director Farah Khan. The actor confirms, "Farah is a dear friend and even though my friends and distributors wanted No Problem to release on December 24 as it's a great period, I stuck to my guns and said we would release it on December 10 as I don't want to clash with Farah's big date. Both are big films and family entertainers and there's no point cutting into each other's business."

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Indian model Lakshmi Menon strips all for Pirelli Calendar 2011

Bangalore based Indian model Lakshmi Menon has created history in the international fashion world! The 28-year-old model has become the first Indian face for the renowned ‘The Pirelli Calendar 2011’ since last 38 years. However, Menon had to give a nude pose for getting this honor. It does not seem to be quite unusual for a model because many other Indian models have stripped for various magazines and photo shoots. Photographer Karl Lagerfeld has snapped the model when she flaunted her assets alongside models Erin Wasson and Bianca Balti. It has been shot at Lagerfeld’s Paris studio. The 2011 calendar is prepared based on the Greek and Roman Mythology themes. It also portrays the event of golden child Baptiste Giabiconi. With this, Lakshmi has entered the line of many other renowned international models like Jeneil Williams, Erin Wasson, Lara Stone, Freja Beha, Heidi Mount, Anja Rubik, Magdenlena Frackowiak, Iris Strubegger and many others. Lakshmi started her career in modeling only to earn to some extra money when she was studying at the Bangalore University. She continued her modeling career in India till 2006 and then entered the international arena.

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Filmmaker Manish Acharya passes away

People come and go but there are a few that make a mark on society that lasts a life time, and Manish Acharya was one such being. The young director, writer, actor par who has given us films like Loins Of Punjab, Sita Sings The Blues, Luck By Chance is no more.

The director who tweeted just yesterday about his impending trip to Matheran is said to have met with a fatal accident that eventually led to his demise. This will be the third filmmaker to have passed away at such a young age following Sourabh Usha Narang, then Pankaj Advani.

Bollywood Hungama mourns the loss of such talent and sends out its solemn condolences and prayers to Manish's family and friends.

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Raju Hirani starts his company Canvass Films to make commercials

Raju Hirani today is a household name thanks to his brilliant films such as 3 Idiots and the Munnabhai series. However not many people know that this talented filmmaker was actively involved with the ad world many years ago. Raju had in fact even starred in commercials for brands such as Fevicol and Luna. He has even directed few commercials in the recent past featuring stars such as Amitabh Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor.

Now it seems that Raju is keen on once again connecting with his roots in the ad world. HIrani, along with friend Sanjeev Kishinchandani, has now started a company called Canvass Films to mainly mad ad commercials. Raju, who has always loved making ad films, will be directing around 6 - 7 commercials each year for his company.

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Music Review Tees Maar Khan

EXPECTATIONS

2010 couldn't have ended on a better note. One expects nothing but the best to bring on the smiles as one moves on from one year to another. With the music of Tees Maar Khan arriving at the stands now and expected to make waves by the time the film releases on Christmas, it couldn't have been any better for a music lover. After all Farah Khan has been known for her keen music sense when it comes to masala soundtracks (Main Hoon Naa, Om Shanti Om are testimonies of that) while Vishal-Shekhar too have been enjoying a good year with Anjaana Anjaani & I Hate LUV Storys turning out to be successful and Break Ke Baad boasting of a different sound as well. With lyricist Anvita Dutt joining all the fun, one looks forward to check out what does Tees Maar Khan have to offer.

MUSIC

Write your own music review of Tees Maar Khan

It is a cracker of start with title song 'Tees Maar Khan' bringing with it the kind of hook that is totally addictive to begin with. A true blue theme track that can be expected to make an appearance at regular intervals right through the film's running length, 'Tees Maar Khan' is a guest composition by Shirish Kunder who has written it as well. One can confidently say that if at all a 'khiladi' film was to be made today, it would have proudly boasted of a song like this. What also impresses is the way Sonu Nigam contributes with male, female, child, chorus as well as other quirky voices to make it a unique affair. Not just that, the 'dhol' beats in the end make it a truly entertaining affair that ensures that 'Tees Maar Khan' would be heard for many more months to come. No wonder, there is a deserving 'remix version' that arrives later in the album as well, hence making it a complete 'paisa vasool' affair.

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Movie Preview Tees Maar Khan

Only once in a blue moon is such a great criminal born who is fearless as well as shameless! Now is the blue moon and the great criminal is TEES MAAR KHAN. He steals cons and cheats all with such alarming audacity that even shame shies away from him! He and his gang comprising of Dollar, Soda and Burger have managed to keep the police, world over, on their toes. Then one fine day international antique smugglers, the Johri Brothers, assign Tees Maar Khan the BIGGEST CON JOB OF HIS LIFE! He must rob antiques worth 500 crore rupees from a heavily guarded MOVING TRAIN! Will Khan and his merry gang, with some unwitting support from his wannabe-actress girlfriend, Anya, and a greedy Bollywood superstar be able to pull off the greatest heist in history?

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Movie Review Rakht Charitra - 2

Brutality has a new name and it's called RAKHT CHARITRA. The first part was gruesome. The second part, well, is not as violent, but is a bloodbath nonetheless. I don't think Hindi cinema has ever witnessed such gruesome murders, such manslaughter and such scenes of carnage ever. But beneath the blood and gore, slaughter and assassination lies the shocking story of enmity between two families.

RAKHT CHARITRA undertakes to enlighten the story of vengeance in two parts. RAKHT CHARITRA 1 depicted the rise of Pratap and how he became a demigod for the poor and the exploited. The Part 2 unfolds a new story, although it's linked with Part 1. The challenge lies in making it more attention-grabbing than its precursor.

Write your own movie review of Rakht Charitra - 2

Brutality, gore and violent behavior are indispensable attributes of RAKHT CHARITRA 2. The story in itself is nothing more than a customary vendetta drama, but what makes you connect compellingly with the narrative is the fact that Ramgopal Varma [RGV] has treated it like he was recounting a first-hand version of what really transpired between the adversaries.

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Movie Review Phas Gaye Re Obama

What's the recipe for a winning motion picture? A gigantic financial plan? Striking locales? A mammoth star cast? Strictly going by the number of low cost films that found tremendous appreciation, it reiterates and restates the fact that content always reigns supreme. 'Small' films like LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA, TERE BIN LADEN, UDAAN, PEEPLI [LIVE], KHICHDI and DO DOONI CHAAR have had a lot to say when compared to several mammoth ventures, which drove on star power while content took a complete backseat.

Subhash Kapoor's PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA banks on a taut screenplay and not a showy star cast to deliver the goods. Choosing an interesting plot is one thing and doing justice to it is another. But the assorted characters, the sequence of events in the narrative and the bunch of talented actors do the trick. At the same time, though the film has the right running time, it could've done with some sharper editing at places.

Write your own movie review of Phas Gaye Re Obama

Final word? PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA may not boast of stars to entice the viewers in hordes. It may not have a colossal canvas [on the contrary, the making is very basic]. It may not have a wonderful musical score to act as a hook [there are hardly any songs here]. But PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA succeeds, and succeeds largely, in its endeavour: Make the viewer laugh at the right places. A small little gem that deserves a watch.

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Movie Review Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

Adapting a work of literature into a movie is an arduous task. Satyajit Ray's 'Apu Trilogy' [PATHER PANCHALI, APARAJITO and APUR SANSAR] was based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhuthibhushan Bandopadhyay. Ray's SHATRANJ KE KHILADI was based on Munshi Premchand's short story of the same name. In fact, film-makers have always been fascinated by best-selling books/novels for adapting into feature films. Mira Nair's THE NAMESAKE, P.C. Barua, Bimal Roy and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's DEVDAS, Pradeep Sarkar's PARINEETA, Rajkumar Hirani's 3 IDIOTS, Atul Agnihotri's HELLO and the recent AISHA have been adapted from literary works. Even in Hollywood, LORD OF THE RINGS, HARRY POTTER, NARNIA and many more have been successfully adapted from novels by reputed names.

However, if you analyze the past, you will realize that not all movies adapted from novels/short stories have set the cash registers jingling at the box-office. Films like PINJAR, PAHELI, RAINCOAT and international experiments like BRIDE AND PREJUDICE and THE MISTRESS OF SPICES have found very few takers in the past.

Write your own movie review of Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

This is not the first time Ashutosh Gowariker has adapted a book into a film. KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY is yet another book-to-movie adaptation by this talented storyteller [this one is based on the book 'Do And Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34' by Manini Chatterjee]. Again, this is not the first time Ashutosh Gowariker has revisited the bygone era. He did it successfully in LAGAAN [period], then JODHAA AKBAR [historical] and now KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY [period].

Recreating the bygone era is indeed demanding, laborious and strenuous. It's a challenge to present the era convincingly. Besides extensive detailing to lend authenticity, the director carries the responsibility of making the characters come alive to the present-day generation. Gowariker has successfully done that in the past and does it successfully yet again in KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY.

Once the film-maker takes on the task of depicting a chapter from history, it's imperative that he/she remains factual to the depiction of the revolution, giving an accurate account of what actually transpired in that period. But details alone won't help, it needs to be well dramatized for the big screen. There's a vast difference in the style novels are written, but one needs to take extra care to make it film friendly. While I may not be able to comment on whether Gowariker has been faithful to the book or tampered with it or implemented some changes, which may be necessary to suit the tastes of the present-day spectators and make it more palatable, I would definitely like to say that what comes across on screen is very absorbing, truly informative and exceptionally inspiring.

Final word? The expectations from KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY are minimal, but you can't overlook the fact that it's a genuinely honest effort that needs to be encouraged and appreciated. I would like to add here that the promotional posters/billboards/promos don't create any impact whatsoever. Wish the makers would've looked into this very important aspect as well!

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Yash Raj approaches Aamir Khan for Dhoom 3

Yash Raj Films has plans to launch a line of five movies as a celebratory mark of its golden jubilee next year. The banner is in talks with Bollywood hotties to play meaty roles in those movies. It was earlier reported that Aditya Chopra is keen to rope in Aamir Khan to play a lead role in one of the movies. Recently, Yash Raj Films approached Aamir Khan to play the villain in Dhoom 3. Many would wonder why Aamir is offered the negative role. If previous two movies of the Dhoom series are to be considered, it is clear that the villan in the movie has an essential part to play. John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan donned the villain's cap in Dhoom and Dhoom 2 respectively. Another reason for cinegoers's curiosity to see Aamir in a Yash Raj Films is that the actor has not worked with the banner since Fanna. It has now become the most-awaited movie since Aamir is a part of it. Aamir has neither confirmed nor denied the news. Dhoom 3 is at the planning stages. The spokesperson of the banner revealed that even the scripting is not finished, so finalizing the cast is out of question.

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Lafangey Parindey fails to fly high at box office

The title of the movie might be crisp as nachos, but Neil Nitin Mukesh and Deepika Padukone starrer edgy love story "Lafangey Parindey" was not crunchy enough to attract the audiences to theatres. "The business of 'Lafangey Parindey' was nothing great. It was below expectations as the movie could manage only 50 percent occupancy over the weekend on an average, " Amit Awasthi, senior manager (Programming and Operations) of Spice Cinemas, told. "The content was appreciated, but it couldn't gather hype because of the star cast. We are hoping it stretches till the second weekend, " he added. "Lafangey Parindey" opening day's collection was approximately Rs.35 million (Rs.3.5 crore) across India. According to estimates, the movie's opening weekend net collections should be in the range of Rs.100-Rs.110 million, reports businessofcinema.com. Aamir Khan Productions' "Peepli Live", that was made at a budget of Rs.100 million has earned about Rs.210 million in its first week at the Indian box office. Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas said: "'Lafangey Parindey' is over as far as business is concerned. It could manage an occupancy of only 30-40 percent over the weekend. Though the content was OK, it had no buzz." Produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF), directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the story revolves around a street fighter Nandu (Neil), who can combat blindfolded and a visually challenged Pinky Palkar (Deepika) who can dance on skates. While Deepika's performance in the movie has won her appreciation, it has proved a disappointment for Neil, whose last outing "Jail" too bombed at the box office. "The movie has been only average with only 30 percent occupancy over the weekend. It wasn't appreciated that much and now we have no hopes for it too, " said a source from PVR cinemas. Amit Shah, chief manager (programming) of DLF DT cinemas, however, blamed the incessant rains for low footfalls. "The weekend was not at all good. Despite a pretty OK content, the rains played spoilsport in the capital for footfalls. People just didn't come out of their houses to watch a movie. We got only 30-35 percent occupancy over the weekend, " said Shah. "Considering tomorrow (Tuesday) is Raksha Bandhan, hope it gets some footfalls but otherwise now there is no scope for the movie picking up, " he added. Deepak Taluja, senior vice president (business and operations) of Fun Cinemas, said: "The weekend business was lukewarm. The occupancy was 30-35 percent. The content was OK but not very highly appreciable. Though weekdays now look slightly down, it looks positive for the next week as there are no big releases as such."

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Rakta Charitra: RGV to delete controversial scene?

Ram Gopal Varma is facing the wrath of fans of megastar Chiranjeevi and his brother actor Pawan Kalyan. The reason is the filmmaker's upcoming Telugu movie Rakta Charitra. One of the scenes in the movie shows a man's head being tonsured by the lead actor Vivek Oberoi, who plays the late controversial political leader Paritala Ravindra. In real life, Paritala Ravi was rumored to have tonsured Pawan Kalya's head. This has angered the fans of the actor. On the other hand, the director argued that the movie does not even show the face of the person being tonsured so the fans should not object. He also questioned the fans on how could they conclude that the person in the movie depicts Pawan Kalayan. when they can't even see the face of the person. Varma had even held a meeting with Chiranjeevi in Hyderabad to settle down the issue. He also reportedly offered to delete the tonsured scene from the movie. The movie also stars Suriya, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Radhika Apte in other important roles. Now, the big question is whether Ram Gopal Varma will delete the controversial scene from the movie to appease the fans of Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan?

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Bobby Deol's father-in-law dies, leaves behind fortune

Bobby Deol's father-in-law Dev Ahuja who was recently in the news for leaving a large chunk of his fortune for Tanya Deol, passes away A day before banker and promoter of Centurion Bank and MD of 20th Century Finance Devendra Ahuja, 74, passed away, son-in-law and actor Bobby Deol was shooting in Toronto with buddy Akshay Kumar for Anees Bazmi's Thank You. Deol was unable to concentrate on his shoot because he was concerned about his father-in-law's health. Filmmaker Samir Karnik, a family friend, says Deol was expected to shoot a love song this week in Agra. "Bobby has been concerned about his father-in-law's health ever since the property dispute erupted." Ahuja had apparently disinherited his son Vikram, and wanted to leave a large chunk of his fortune to daughter Tanya and son-in-law Bobby Deol. After I-T officials raided Ahuja's Nariman Point residence and office on May 10, they recovered documents that proved that Ahuja had transferred a major part of his property to his daughter. The public dispute left the Deols in an embarrassing position. Deol told close friends he didn't want to be part of the wealth dispute. Says a close family friend, "All he ever wanted was for peace in his wife's family, and his father-in-law to be healthy." When news of Ahuja's illness reached Deol in Toronto, he wanted to return. Kumar who has connections in Canada made arrangements for his return. Ahuja died of a cardiac arrest on Saturday morning. Deol was expected to return to the city on Saturday night via London. The funeral is expected to take place on Sunday.

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Sallu back as Prem after patch up with Sooraj Barjatya

The distance between Salman Khan and Sooraj Barjatya has finally been bridged. Salman, known as 'Prem' in previous three movies from Sooraj Barjatya's Rajshri Productions, has been offered a lead role in the next cinematic venture under the same banner. As per the recent reports, Salman has already been signed by Sooraj for a cameo role in his Love You Mr. Kalakaar. Differences crept in between Salman and Sooraj following Raj Kumar Barjatya's disapproval for the actor after the blackbuck killing accident. A source close to Sooraj Barjatya informed that everyone at Rajshri Productions had thought that Soorajji would not plunge into directorial ventures any more. Without Salman, his scripts were incomplete. The source added that Salman was as intimate with the Rajshri household as hand in glove. But, the blackbuck killing incident turned the relationship upside down. Salman played the male lead in three of Rajshri's movies – Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Apke Hain Kaun, and Hum Saath Saath Hain. Though the scripts of Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon and Vivah were also penned down keeping Salman as a lead character in mind, he was not cast in them ultimately. Now after a period of four years, Sooraj Barjatya has put on the director's guise to be back in business again.

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I love 'Losing My Virginity'

If you thought Bollywood celebrities only read scripts, here is a surprise. From fiction to philosophy to thrillers to romances, they love reading books and consider it their favourite pastime. Many of the B-town celebrities spoke to swore by well-known tomes like "The Idiot", "Chariots Of the Gods", "The Kite Runner" and "Interview With A Vampire". Sameera Reddy: I love reading and my favourite book is "Losing My Virginity" by Richard Bradson. Neil Nitin Mukesh: My favourite book is by a man called Shiv Khera and the book is "You Can Win". The reason it's one of my favourite books is it makes you feel rather positive about life and about yourself in general. I have read it almost four times and every time I read it, it teaches me something new. Chunky Pandey: I'm currently reading a series of books by Erich von Däniken, the one I just finished is called "Chariots Of the Gods". I loved it. The book is based on the premise that what humans across the globe refer to as gods were actually extra terrestrials and aliens who visited earth and gave us advanced technology that was described as miracles in ancient texts around the world. Eesha Koppikar: One of my favourite authors is Richard Bach and I also loved reading "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. I am not too fond of fiction. I like philosophical reads. Deepika Padukone: I read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini and I really liked it. It's a wonderful book." Bobby Deol: I haven't read a book in some time, but I used to love vampire books. I was obsessed with vampires. I love "Interview With A Vampire" by Anne Rice. Cyrus Sahukar: I love "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. It was the first book I read by Oscar Wilde and I have been a fan ever since. Every line is so beautifully written that you can revisit it at any stage in your life and it will always make you think. Mugdha Godse: I like reading and "Only Love Is Real" by Brian Weiss is one of my favourite books. That book has really changed my concept about love. It has pointed out how your soul can find your real love. Rajat Kapoor: I love reading and my favourite is "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It's a fat book, but it was so engrossing I finished it in just four days. I just didn't want to leave it. Trisha: I like fiction. But I liked reading "The Kite Runner". It's serious and not my kind of book, still I liked it a lot and read it thrice. The first two times I read it in quick succession, with a one-week gap. Arbaaz Khan: Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" is one of my favourite books. I have read it a couple of times. Randeep Hooda: I read a lot. I read biographies. I read every day. I think reading makes your imagination big. My favourite book is "Papillon" by Henri Charriere. It's a very old book about prison escape. Then I like "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho and there are a number of others. Koena Mitra: The last book I read was by Paulo Coelho. I really like his writing, it has a sense of realism to it and one can actually relate to it." Kim Sharma: I am not an avid reader. I like reading romantic novels. I am the Mills & Boon type of a reader.

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Soha Ali Khan bikini waxing MMS scandal is a dud

We have reason to believe that searching for the 'Soha Ali Khan waxing MMS scandal' might be an exercise in futility Over the weekend, Bollywood websites and blogs went into a tizzy with reports of a "Soha Ali Khan waxing MMS scandal" video. After trawling through several dead links and investigating the matter in detail, we can safely assume that it's a campaign by vested interests with an explicit purpose: to malign the actress. Apparently, Saif's little sis underwent a bikini wax session at a beauty salon recently. Unknown to her, there were cameras strategically placed in the room that recorded her in various states of undress and in some scenes, from close quarters, says the report. She didn't know... Mention is made that she is completely at ease, implying that all this was done without her knowledge and that the going price of the clips are anywhere between $20 to $30. It appears that a "leading" website (unnamed in every website and online report) shot this video in association with the salon. Supposedly, the video shows her getting undressed and wearing a towel. Over time, her body is revealed. The salon attendant is then seen waxing her body including the bikini area. The video has been made into two episodes with "before" and "after waxing" shots. Not to be simply content with that, the conversation (we assume doctored) borders on the "kinky". It's a troubling trend that actresses are frequently becoming victims to the online demand for show-and-tell videos. Websites in order to attract hits, go to weird lengths to advertise MMS videos even as innocent actresses pay the price. With most people choosing to believe that these "skin flicks" are "real", it seems like a battle they're losing. Soha remained unavailable for comment.

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KRANTIVEER Movie Review

Raising a strong voice against the system, corrupt netas, dishonest cops, fraudulent land sharks and the corrupt practices in general has been a fav subject of dream merchants in Bollywood. Mehul Kumar's KRANTIVEER [Nana Patekar, Dimple Kapadia] is best remembered, among other things, for Nana's fiery performance and his outburst in the finale, when he's about to be hanged in public. I distinctly recall, the single screens [there weren't multiplexes then] reverberated with ceetees and taalis when Nana delivered those acidic lines.

KRANTIVEER - THE REVOLUTION remains faithful to the core issue. This time, it's Nana and Dimple's screen daughter Jahan who takes the onus of fighting the politicians, land sharks and corporate honchos who take the common man for a royal ride. That's not all, Jahan even 'awakens' a harassed housewife who is assaulted in full public view by her errant husband. Quite a hothead!

KRANTIVEER worked for various reasons, but a strong reason was it being amongst the early films to raise a voice against injustice and malpractices. Post KRANTIVEER, there has been a barrage of films that have followed a similar path. That's why KRANTIVEER - THE REVOLUTION, despite the right intentions, doesn't stand out. However, the provocative dialogue and the reference to 26/11 do catch your attention in its second half.

The young daughter of the man responsible for the last revolution, Pratap [Nana Patekar], is now wielding the power of media as a fearless journalist. Roshni has inherited not only the courage and sting of her legendary father, but also the spirited lingo and the indomitable style.

Roshni acts as a pivot of the revolution and gets along her determined neighbour Vishal [Sameer Aftab] and college mates Uday [Harsh Rajput] and Goldie [Aditya Singh Rajput]. The story takes all of them on a mission to rid the present society of the evils, a revolution for cleaning the system.

While the plotline is easy to guess, the execution of a few sequences do make a difference. Veteran Mehul Kumar handles the plot like a complete expert, more so towards the second hour, which has some engrossing moments. Sachin-Jigar's music is okay, with the birthday song being the pick of the lot.

Jahan delivers a fiery performance and remains true to her character. She does a wonderful job. Sameer Aftab is decent. Aditya and Harsh are okay. Govind Namdeo and Mukesh Tiwari enact their villainous parts with ease. Ashok Samarth stands out in the confrontation sequence after the interval. Farida Jalal [as Jahan's granny] is as usual. Hiten Paintal is competent. Aman Verma plays the lecherous corporate bigwig well. Ranjeet, Darshan Jariwala, Avtar Gill and Suhasini Mulay feature in brief roles.

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Jealous of Ranbir, Imran is not doing a sex-comedy

Imran Khan, who is starring in his uncle Aamir Khan's production Delhi Belly, revealed that the film is like the Hollywood blockbuster Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Refuting rumours that the film is a sex comedy along the lines of American Pie, Imran said it is actually a comic caper like the Guy Ritchie film. It is set in Delhi and tracks a few youngsters who get caught in a tight situation. Delhi Belly will have the same kind of treatment as Lock but will be different as it is set in the context of Delhi unlike the Hollywood film which was set in London. Talking about his old friend Ranbir, Imran said, "I find Ranbir a very exciting actor to watch. He's a damn good dancer. He is a better dancer than I am. I don't have that natural flair. I need to work and rehearse. He doesn't rehearse. I am always jealous of people who dance well." However, Imran doesn’t rule out the fact that the two are really close to each other. “We don't discuss scripts but we are very upfront about (each other`s) films. He called me after watching ‘Luck’ and said that it was damn bad,” revealed Imran. Meanwhile, Imran's next release is Dharma Productions' I Hate Luv Storys with Sonam Kapoor. The film hits screens on July 2.

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Revealed: Cell Phone Phobias of the Bollywood Hotties

Gone are the days when the yesteryear stars, including those who held sway till the 90's, were blessed with only a landline, which was always manned personally by them, when at home. So much so that even their secretaries or houseboys hardly dared to meddle with their telephonic chores unless their Sahabs or Madams were busy shooting outdoors. And those days the outdoor locales extended only as far as Kashmir, Shimla or Darjeeling. Thanks to the technological revolution today, stars can now be tracked down even if they are shooting in a remote corner of the world. Yet, they never felt as insecure as they do now. This has made the task of the film scribes much more difficult. The first thing they have to do to break the communication barrier is to get the latest cell numbers of the stars, which keeps on changing.. Time to unravel their cellular secrets. Let's begin with Jackie Shroff aka Jaggu Dada. He is the only star who has not changed his number after going mobile. Also, he makes it a point to answer all his calls with the same standard opening line, 'Haan bol biddu, kaise yaad kiya?' He could be at the other end of the globe, yet he patiently answers all his callers and assures that he would do the needful only on returning back home. One actress with an unusual phone phobia is Bipasha Basu {Bips!}. When yours truly, after several attempts, finally managed to track her on phone, she avoided prolonging the conversation saying: “You have caught me on a wrong day as I have been hospitalized for a serious ailment. I generally don't take calls, but if it's necessary just send me a SMS. I will definitely get back to you.” Definitely, Ms Bips! The story repeats for her hunky beefcake beau John Abraham. Every time I managed to get him on the mobile, he would give a similar excuse no matter what the time or the date. “You have caught me on a wrong day as I am in a hospital attending to a friend who has been hospitalized for a serious ailment. Besides I have made a conscious decision of not giving any interviews till my next release comes up.” Now, now guys you can put two and two together and draw your own conclusions. Okay! Then there are two other stars, who never take their calls directly Sunjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty unless they know a scribe on a one to one level. But for first timers and strangers, they see to it that the caller's message is not only delivered to them, but action is promptly taken. Sunjay Dutt's Man Friday not only receives the call, but also fixes up a proper appointment for you and rests only when he plonks you right in front of the Deadly Dutt. And the same holds true in case of Anna alias Suniel Shetty. Of course with his own Man Friday gracefully coordinating the whole affair. While former Miss. Universe Sushmita Sen's houseboy really gets on your nerves as he always cradles the cell phone and delivers a clichéd round the clock reply. “Memsaab so rahi hain ji.” Queen Bee Rani Mukherjee and the ravishing Raveena Tandon too never answer their calls directly. The former makes her mother and the latter makes her secretary to do the needful. On the other hand the gorgeous Bollywoodian diva Rekha's Man oops Woman Friday Farzana does gets back to you only when you send her, first a detailed SMS and then your detailed requirements or rather the core of your story and that too funnily enough both on her pager! Mademoiselle Rekha and Farzana still seem to be living in Stone Age! Next, when I had tried to contact Faffy dear oops Aftab Shivdasani, he was holidaying alone, or so he wanted me or every caller to believe, in South Africa. So naturally his mobile had a recorded message. “Call my mom on…..” I did and then thankfully his mother Joyce Shivdasani not only attended my call, but also delivered my message on the South African hotel number of the 'Mast' and 'Masti' bhara actor. Who promptly called me back from his overseas sojourn and instantly fixed up the interview session for the day he would land up on the home terrain. So once he reached Mumbai he called me up on my cell and asked me too meet him up at the airport. The interview was done in his car on his way back home. But then trust Akki aka Akshay Kumar for his constant cellular pranks. The moment I dialed his number 'His Masters Voice' boomed in my ears, “ Hi! I'm Akshay Kumar and you know what to do?' Yes. I knew. I left a message for him in his voice mailbox and forgot about it. The next thing I knew was that his Woman Friday Ms Pooja started hounding me on my cell phone that too at unearthly hours for 'fixing' up an interview almost akin to a match-fixing syndrome. But alas! The interview never happened until I was on the verge of tearing my hairs apart. As in the meanwhile the action hero had safely left for one of his foreign shoots. And finally before I could heave a sigh of relief, Akki Baba gave me a midnight jolt by making an overseas apologetic call with the option, “Can we do a telephonic interview now?” Since I was already bugged by his pranks, I politely declined his generous 'overseas' offer then. The reward: An excellent vibing with him since then with no more mobile pranks repetition. Last but not the least is the father and son duo of Suresh and Vivek Oberoi in tandem with their joint Woman Friday. So just as an absentee student lands up in school with a medical certificate first she and then Papa Oberoi always return my calls with an excusable cellular medical report on behalf of their always-recuperating Jr. Oberoi's sickly state of affairs. Until I had finally caught up with the healthy looking Vivek at a Mumbai premiere. Oberoi Baba clarified, “Don't you trust them? You see I have now been nicknamed a china doll, by one and all, as I keep having this great humpty dumpty fall.” Needless to say I was dumbfounded. So the ultimate analysis of the Bollywoodian stars Cell phone phobia is that after all these and more 'accidental' and typically funny, filmy cellular encounters I think that I have turned over a new leaf, from a veteran freelancing scribe to an amateur freelancing cellular jockey. Period!

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Sridevi is the most beautiful, most sexiest woman God ever created: Ram Gopal Varma

RGV is obsessed with Boney Kapoor's wife and desperately wants to work with her. She hasn't returned any of his SMSes. He hopes a handwritten letter will have better luck. Ram Gopal Varma has written a letter to Sridevi expressing his desire to work with her in one of his productions. The director wanted Boney's biwi to act in his film Shaque, directed by his assistant Rumina. In the past too, RGV has offered her some films, but she'd begged off. This time he decided to get her attention, and convince her by writing to her. Ramu has even admitted to having a huge crush on the actress and has been obsessed with the idea of working with her. When the subject of Shaque came up -- a story of marital discord between a husband and wife -- Ramu immediately thought of Sri. Says a source, "When she didn't respond to his text messages, he sent her a letter talking about the film and his desire to work with her." When contacted, Ramu claims he hasn't sent her a letter but admits to posting one on his blog. "Yes it's a letter expressing my feelings about her as an actress. I just felt whatever I wanted to and wrote on my blog." He isn't aware if she has read the letter." He further adds that the Shaque script is still in the works and he hasn't approached Sri for it yet. Ramu's letter on his blog So straight from her super stardom and magazine covers and her dazzling beauty on the silver screen, I saw her in Boney's house serving tea like an ordinary housewife. I hated Boney Kapoor for bringing that angel from heaven down to being just an ordinary housewife. I don't go to Boney's house these days because I can't bear to see Sridevi in a realistic house, in a realistic atmosphere and with realistic people around. For me, she is like a highly precious diamond which should be seen only in beautiful settings or in exotic locations and only in the surroundings of cinematic brilliance. Sridevi is the most beautiful, most sexiest woman God ever created and I think he creates such exquisite pieces of art like her only once in a million years. So what if Boney has the real Sri in his house...? I have her captured as a cinematic goddess in the temple of my mind -camera and as a divine angel in the heart of my celluloid dreams. I thank god for creating Sridevi and I thank Louis Lumiere for creating the movie camera to capture her beauty forever.

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Raavan Movie Review

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Govinda, Ravi Kissen and introducing Vikram Director: Mani Ratnam Rating: ***1/2 Since the time of the announcement of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, curiosity about how India’s most accomplished filmmaker manages to do a modern day adaptation of the mythological epic, Ramayan, has known no bounds. Thankfully, Mani succeeds in his own inimitable way. His team’s painstaking hard work shows in every frame of the film and his actors help him raise the film’s bar. The film opens with policemen killed at various places around Lal Maati, a small town in Northern India. This is followed by abduction of the local police chief Dev’s (Vikram) wife Raagini (Aishwarya Rai). The dreaded low cast tribal lord Beera (Abhishek) is behind the kidnapping. Dev (Vikram) immediately gets hot on the trail of Beera with trusted lieutenant Hemant (Nikhil Dwivedi) and seeks the help of the jovial forest guard Sanjeevani (Govinda). Beera knows the dense jungle like the back of his hand and is helped by the tribals, managing to stay just one step ahead of Dev and his team. But as the cat and mouse chase proceeds between Beera and Dev, the initial hate of Raagini for Beera subsides. As Dev inches closer, the near maniacal Beera shows he has a heart too and Raagini almost loses hers to him. What follows after Beera and Dev come face to face forms the rest of the film. Taking on a mega epic like Ramayan and turning it on its head giving his own personal interpretation, Mani Ratnam dares to depart from the religious text and succeeds in showcasing how Ram can be a Raavan and how a Raavan can also be a Ram. Aided by the best technical crew of Indian cinema, Mani has made his multilayered film, a technical marvel to watch with awe. The first half moves on rapidly mostly focusing on Dev’s chase of Beera, but however it gets boring beyond a point since the story hardly moves ahead. Mani also fails to establish the exact setting of the outlaws. Are they Naxals or a modern day Robin hood gang? But it is the beginning of the second half where Mani begins to pack his solid punches and achieves the peak with an unusual climax. Beera’s background (the reason for Raagini’s abduction), Dev’s impatience to grab Beera, Raagini’s gradual change of perception about Beera and eventually the final face off between Dev and Beera have all been terrifically captured. Abhishek is nothing short of brilliant, portraying Beera. If you thought Abhishek delivered his best under Mani in Yuva and Guru, watch Raavan for his evolvement into an actor of true caliber. Aishwarya Rai delivers a top notch act. Makeup less and forever battered and bruised, Aishwarya’s eyes convey a lot more than the shrieking her character has to resort to most of the time. Vikram unfortunately is saddled with a one dimensional character for most part of the film until the climactic punch. He looks fearless and arouses enough curiosity as an actor to watch him play Beera in the Tamil version of the film. Govinda as Sanjeevani brings on the much required comic relief in the tense proceedings and succeeds. Ravi Kissen grabs the opportunity to impress with both his hands and does well. Priyamani playing Beera’s sister, in her brief role manages to bring out the pathos of her unfortunate character. Mani takes you to virgin locations within India never exposed before on screen. Be it the thick dense forests in Kerala or the same state’s dangerous Athirappally Waterfalls or the exotic Orcha in Madhya Pradesh and Malshej Ghat valley in Maharashtra, Santosh Sivan and Manikandan’s camera captures it all with super finesse. The action finale on the hanging bridge, a never seen before feat in Indian cinema makes your heart skip a beat. Oscar winner A.R. Rahman’s music coupled with Gulzar’s lyrics is mesmerizing but Mani hardly gives any time for any song to register any impact, as if in a quick hurry. The subtle statement Mani incorporates against the system on behalf of the low caste have-nots is laudable but could have been a little more elaborate. Nevertheless, as Mani Ratnam’s metaphoric interpretation of the grand epic, Raavan definitely deserves a visit to your nearest cinema hall for its plusses certainly over ride its minuses.

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Race 2 gets hotter: Priyanka Chopra to join Kareena

If the buzz in the industry is to be believed, then Kareena Kapoor will be joined by none other than Priyanka Chopra in Race 2. Priyanka is apparently very excited about being a part of the thriller and is busy working out her dates. Priyanka is currently busy with Saat Khoon Maaf, after which she will shoot for Don 2 and then for Khatron Ke Khiladi. Meanwhile, Katrina Kaif and Bipasha Basu, the female leads in Race, will not be reprising their roles in the sequel. Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

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Kareena Kapoor to play sex worker

Kareena Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali will finally be working together on Sanjay's next film after Guzaarish. The two had been hoping to work together for a long time but their plans fell through every time. Once Kareena returns from shooting for Agent Vinod in Morocco, the two will meet and finalise their project together. Kareena and Sanjay were supposed to work on a film on Mahatma Gandhi's son after Devdas, but circumstances forced Sanjay to shelve the film. They then planned Bajirao Mastain with Salman Khan, but that had to be scrapped after Kareena and Salman's Kyon Ki flopped. Then Sanjay got busy with Black and Kareena could not be a part of it as her sister Karisma and Black's male lead Amitabh Bachchan's son Abhishek had just broken their engagement. But now, it seems the two will finally get together. Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

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Aamir turned down KBC 4 but why did Big B accept it?

Allright! He may have said in an interview to a news channel that he was never offered 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 4' in the first place, but it's no secret that Sony Entertainment Television and BIG Synergy were keen on working with Bollywood's Mr. Perfectionist, Aamir Khan. A prominent Mumbai tabloid had first reported on Aamir Khan being offered the show. Producer Siddhart Basu was quoted saying that Sony Pictures, which owns the format, might have had an initial discussion with Aamir. The actor's spokesperson too had neither confirmed nor denied the story. In another report, Basu claimed that Aamir is one individual who he would like to work with. Just few weeks back, the buzz in the air was that it will be Aamir who will make his TV debut as the host of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 4'. Rumour has it that a popular news channel was even going to go ahead and break this news. However, everyone was shocked when it was learnt that it won't be Aamir but Amitabh Bachchan who will host the show. We were the first to report this story. Well, it just wasn't the public, but we too were taken by surprise by this development. Earlier, we'd broken the news of Khan being offered two projects – KBC 4 and orginal concept. However, it was KBC that he was expected to sign. So what went wrong then? A industry insider says, “Look while there was no formal offer, top officials from Sony did meet the actor. As always, Aamir takes his own time to respond. Unfortunately, for Sony, Aamir turned it down. He felt that doing TV is an enormous task. Aamir was simply of the view that he's not ready to take up such big responsibility as yet. Besides, he didn't have the time as he'll be busy, looking after his home productions.” Second choice simply doesn't exist in the Bollywood superstar's lexicon. After reading all about, Khan, why did Amitabh Bachchan accept the show then? “If it's KBC and Big B, there's simply no question of a second choice. Let's not forget that it's Bachchan who had propelled the show both in season one and two. Besides, I don't think Mr. Bachchan has any airs. Sony is confident that with Bachchan back as host, KBC will get the same numbers as it did for Star, ” added the source. Well, speculations, comparison, and theories around KBC won't end. Now that Bachchan is back at the helm, the viewers will simply say, “Let's play' Kaun Banega Crorepati'!

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Paathshala Movie Review

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Nana Pateka, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh, Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Avika Gor, Anjan Srivastava Director: Milind Ukey Rating: ** There are few films, a star does for friendship and some with the lure of working under a big banner, irrespective of their content. An extremely choosy actor Shahid Kapoor after giving big hits like Vivaah, Jab We Met and Kaminey has been giving duds like Dil Bole Hadippa (Yash Raj Films), Chance Pe Dance (UTV) and an equally bad follow up with Paathshaala. Shahid’s friendship with producer of the film, ace choreographer Ahmed Khan is well known. But still we wish, he should have not blindly trusted his buddy when it came to a film! Shahid plays Rahul Prakash Udyawar the new English teacher joining Saraswati Vidya Mandir, a school established in 1941. Since the school doesn’t have a music teacher, he ends up being one as well. He gets help in this from the school's nutritionist-cum-admin girl, Anjali Mathur (Ayesha Takia). School principal Aditya Sahay (Nana Patekar). Anjali ends up falling for Rahul during this process. Sahay who has nurtured the school for 32 years, cannot see it going down financially. So, he gives in to the management's demands of generating more revenue by commercialising the operations of the school. This is met with intense opposition from the teachers, but they eventually have to comply to save their respective jobs. The school management even decides t hired PR experts to change its image. Thus began, film and ad shoots happen on campus wherein students are used as extras. And before they know it, all kids have to now keep aside studies for 10 days and prepare for a reality show audition. The rest of the film is about how the reality show thing tortures the students and how Rahul stands against it. Director Milind Ukey who gave us the very lovable animated film Hanuman has got a good topical subject on hand but falters big time in the script written by producer Ahmed Khan himself. While it identifies the problems perfectly, a proper solution is not offered in the end. Also what happens to the school finally is also not made clear. Bad dialogues are made only worse by loud acting by most of the cast. Certain emotional scenes leave you either bored or end up making you laugh. Hanif Sheikh’s music barring the Lucky Ali number Aye Khuda is nothing much to praise about. In an attempt to showcase how education goes for a toss in private schools as the managements aims to earn the extra buck the makers also don’t lose out a chance to make a satire out of the media, shifting focus from his original aim. The pathetic climax is unintentionally hilarious with no conclusion to what happened to the villains of commercialization and all suddenly become well! Shahid Kapoor and Nana Patekar are the only saving graces of the film with their well nuanced performances. The rest including Ayesha Takia don’t really make a difference. The child stars are just about okay. Avoid this Paathshaala if you are in no mood for a badly written gyan giving film.

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Movie Review Phoonk 2

By Subhash K Jha Starring Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Neeru, Amit Sadh, Ahasaas Channa Directed by Milind Gadagkar Rating: ** In one of his multitudinous interviews to promote this intended shiver giver Ram Gopal Varma said the scariest film he had seen in recent times was Karan Johar’s Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna. Now that’s a scary thought. Because Johar’s film didn’t belong to the horror genre. Phoonk 2 does.And it is definitely NOT the scariest film we’ve seen. Varma’s terror theme has clearly run its course. What we see here are the remanents of another Friday. And definitely not Friday The 13th. Perched somewhere between crowing (ahem ahem) about the supernatural and crying over the nerve-wracking disruption of domestic harmony by a ghost which just won’t go away Phoonk 2 is like that promised rollercoaster ride which gets aborted in the first lap because of a short circuit. It’s not really Varma or his director Milind Gadkar’s fault. It’s the nature of the material. Ram Gopal Varma’s love for horror has never extended beyond the there’s-something-under-the-bed kind of unwarranted foreboding that we all feel in a new environment. In a majority of his horror films a family moves into a new haunted home and experiences the eerie. Ironically Varma’s best effort in the horror genre was Kaun where the victim of terror (Urmila Matondkar) was stalked by unseen forces in her own familiar home. The terror, it turned out was not under the bed, but in the mentally disturbed girl’s head. There wasn’t much terror let alone horror in Phoonk. Under the bed, or in the head. In Phoonk 2 the characters’ screeching plea to have us believe they are under immediate peril is sadly not communicated to the viewers . We remain tragically detached from the trauma of Kannada star Sudeep’s family. Haven’t we seen it all? By now the trademark Varma camera movements, here manoeuvred with emphatic energy by cinematographer Charles Meher, and the intricate cluttured but effective sound design (Jayesh Dhakkan, Jayant Vajpayee) do nothing to suck us into the plot. The technique remains unfastened to the characters.Their desperate attempts to get away from the supernatural remain desperately detached from the audience. At the end of the 2-hours into the zone of error-terror we are left wondering why Varma threw open a contest inviting any viewer to undergo an ECG to check his heartbeats. It is this film that needs a respiratory system. Varma’s last horror outing Agyaat with its spooky ominous wide-open jungles was far more gripping. In Phoonk 2 you wonder what the fuss is about. These people have nothing to fear except fear itself. And yes, Ramu was right. The crow does come up with the best performance. And that’s nothing to crow about.

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Bachchans' new abode: A plush bungalow in Goa

Goa, the land of the sun and the surf, is the dream destination for most people. It's an ideal holiday spot, for weekend getaways as well as for long vacations! Even Bollywood's premier family, the Bachchans is captivated by its allure. They were recently house hunting in North Goa. The Bachchans wish to acquire a property in the Goa. Reportedly they will be purchasing a bungalow in the picturesque village of Aldona. It belongs to a Kashmiri and is a beautiful, colonial mansion. The house boasts of Portuguese architecture and also has a swimming pool attached. Big B and AB were at the property recently to look over it and they were very pleased with the overall ambience of the place. Abhishek Bachchan is presently in Goa shooting for Rohan Sippy's Dum Maro Dum in the Canacona region. The family is keen to acquire the place to have a getaway from the mad rush of Mumbai. Amitabh has been fascinated with Goa since he shot for the seventies hit Bombay to Goa. Naturally, the news has caused a flurry among the locals, who can't believe that Bollywood reigning stars might soon be amongst them. So let's hope they soon attain their Goa home!

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Abhishek and Aishwarya off to NY for wedding anniversary

On this day, three years ago, there was an entire blitz of media surrounding Bachchan's bungalow in Juhu. The reason? It was on this very same day that Abhishek and Aishwarya tied the knot. Now three years later, the couple with much love intact have decided to disappear off to a location well hidden from the glitzy glare of the media and the prying eyes of public.

Abhishek who has been vociferously tweeting his mind has apparently taken wifey dearest to New York as a celebration for their third anniversary. Confirming this is father dearest, Amitabh's blog post stating, "He is on a rather long flight right now, as we connect, to New York with Aishwarya. And of course I shall tell him all the reactions that came by for the first promo of his film 'Ravana'... !!"

With his film, Ravaan, coming up for release and promos being aired, Abhishek definitely needs a break from his hectic schedule and who better than wife Aishwarya.

You can wish Abhishek and Aishwarya on their wedding anniversary by posting your wishes in the comments section.

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Check Out: Shahid and Anushka's sporty, funky look in Badmaash Company

The promo of Yash Raj Films' next release Badmaash Company starring Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in lead roles was unveiled last week and going by the looks of it, the film promises to be a complete entertainer. Directed by Parmeet Sethi, the film tells the story of four friends (Shahid, Anushka, Chang and Vir Das) who want to make it big in life.

For both Shahid and Anushka, this is the second film with the coveted Yash Raj banner. While Shahid starred in the fairly ordinary Dil Bole Hadippa alongside Rani Mukherjee, Anushka made a super debut opposite none other than SRK in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

In Badmaash Company however, both Shahid and Anushka would be seen in a young, fresh and altogether new look. Anushka, who in her first film, was mostly seen sporting Indian wear has gone glamorous for this role wearing cool and funky tops and hot pants. Shahid on the other hand too seems to be sporting a new cropped spiked look compared to his long hair look in Dil Bole Hadippa.

Apparently, both Shahid and Anushka had a great time shooting for the film. There were a few sequences in the movie where the cast needed to shoot some water sports and games. Shahid and Anushka took this sportsmanship very seriously and carried on playing games like badminton and beach volleyball even after pack up. To everyone's surprise, Anushka turned out to be the better player and beat Shahid everyday.

At the end of the day as long as the movie turns out to be victorious at the B.O., Shahid couldn't care less. What say?

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Movie Review Right Ya Wrong

By Subhash K Jha Starring Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen-Sharma, Esha Koppiker Directed by Neerraj Pathak Rating: *** Don’t breathe. Don’t dare even blink. And please forget that visit to the loo. Damn, even the bag of popcorn will be forgotten on your clenched lap. Right Yaaa Wrong is the surprise shocker of the year. If you’ve forgotten that jump-out-of-the-seat feeling then it’s time to nudge it awake again. Debutant director Neerraj Pathak deserves a welcoming salute. He puts together a thriller that’s as much a homage to Alfred Hitchcock and Brian da Palma as our own Abbas-Mustan.And Right Yaaa Wrong still emerges original and strong. An intricate jigsaw that always stays a step ahead of the audience, Right Yaaa Wrong makes a penetrating comment on how the country’s legal system can be subverted in a clever hand. More importantly the taut and briskly-paced script suggests that the yin and yang concepts of right and wrong are not only ambivalent but also interchangeable when the context is right. Sunny Deol, back in shape in every which way, plays a cop who in the first two reels loses the power to walk. But the narration simply sprints along through a series of unpredictable twists and turns that take the striking characters across a maze of intrigue and conspiracy. Truly, the screenplay is far superior to its execution. And that’s entirely a comment on the above-average caliber of the writing. Writers Girish Dhamija, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and Neerraj Pathak pack in a walloping punch in both pre- and post-interval hours. The characters and their motivations address themselves to adventure-thriller-suspense would of James Hadley Chase and Sidney Sheldon.The men are brave and heroic, clever and fearless. Even when cuckolded Deol is dignified in the embrace of betrayal. Editor Ashfaq Makrani juxtaposes moments of tense suspense with glimpses of heightened poignancy. This is murder in mellow shades. The cop’s wife played by Esha Koppikhar is unabashedly wanton. Outwardly she’s the duty-bound cop’s home-bound wife with a perfect home and cute son (Ali Haji). Scratch the surface and there emerges a woman who’s sleeping with the cop’s kid-brother. Ouch. Where’s the couch??? Shades of Bipasha from Abbas-Mustan’s Race? Yes? But don’t let this hectic whodunit’s antecedents bother you. The storytelling takes wings from the word go. And we are swept ahead. As the characters go from ‘bed’ to worse. However the people in Pathak’s pacy plot are so hurriedly propelled to their nemesis that we never get close enough to any of them to understand their inner world. The depths are discarded for the dips and curves. The performances are even and well-informed. Sunny Deol in a role that requires him to sublimate his pain in a status of stoicism gets it just right. Irrfan creates ample space for himself in a role that’s sketchy for starters but gathers substance as the yarn progresses. Konkona Sen Sharma as the stereotypical Sympathetic Shoulder gets rid of her set-expressions and comes up with a performance of restrained bravura in the courtroom. And Esha Koppikhar plays the thankless role of the unfaithful wife and a disgraceful mother with much relish. Here’s a film that extends the borders of morality. It does so in the commercial language without resorting to crass situations and dialogues. For fans of Sunny Deol’s fist-friendly image here’s the actor telling us that strength is sometimes a matter of holding back rather than letting it all hang out.

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