Rakhi Sawant sets 10 rules for reality show

Candolim (Goa), Sep 24 (IANS) Bollywood item girl Rakhi Sawant has a list of 10 rules for anyone visiting her villa in Goa on the sets of the reality show 'Pati Patni Aur Woh', where she and her Canada-based fiance Elesh Parujanwala are experiencing the hardships of parenting.

At the entrance of Rakhi's villa in Candolim, which has been hired for the show, a visiting IANS correspondent noticed a board which read - 'Please remove your shoes'.

Further into her living room, Rakhi has put up a sheet of paper with various rules to be followed in the house by Elesh and herself.

These include - no pets allowed, no negative conversations, pray before morning and evening meals, respect each other, keep (the) house clean, make beds in the morning, house chores to be shared, respect guests in the house and no abusing, smoking or alcohol.

For NDTV Imagine's show 'Pati Patni Aur Woh', the duo, along with four other celebrity couples, have been relocated to five individual villas here and they have to take care of infants as well as adolescents in the course of the show that goes on air Sep 28.

Rakhi and Elesh got engaged in another reality show called 'Rakhi Ka Swayamvar', also on NDTV Imagine.

Hollywood's sexiest shirtless heroes

British actor Daniel Craig has come out tops in a new poll conducted on sexy male chests in Hollywood.

The survey by LOVEFiLM.com showed that a whopping 34 percent film fans voted 41-year-old Craig's skimpy trunks scene in Casino Royale as their favourite.

Image: Daniel Craig

Bipasha’s Anti-smoking Act

Bipasha Basu in Pankh

Bipasha Basu’s anti-smoking act has been recently seen on the sets of Pankh, when she refused to hold cigarette in hand for a song sequence of the film. However director Sudipto Chattopadhyay understood her concern and came up with a creative solution on it.

Bipasha is well known in the industry as to never drink or smoke. She is health conscious and so refused to smoke a cigarette for a scene thinking that it might promote smoking into audience. “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,” a source said.

The actress confirmed it and explained her point, “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.”

The director agreed to Bips point of view and planned something else for the scene. “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,” said the director.

Also the producer of the film, Sanjay Gupta said, “It’s the question of an actor being comfortable. Bipasha had some inhibitions about it and it’s perfectly fine.”

May be Bips is inspired from beau John Abraham for fitness and no smoking mantra. John earlier had done a film titled No Smoking, showing rehabilitation of smoking addicts in different way.

Shazahn Padamsee Loses The Race

Shazahn Padamsee

Well it’s not about getting a film but a swimming race, which the debutant actress Shazahn Padamsee lost to a nine-year-old kid. Shazahn who is making entry to Bollywood with Shimit Amin’s Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year comes to shock last week at Breach Candy Swimming Club when a kid challenged her for a swimming race and defeated her.

One onlooker said, “Every onlooker felt that Shazahn would beat the kid easily. The end result was a big surprise. Shazahn and the kid even had a bet on the outcome of the race, which obviously Shazahn lost.”

Well the race was for a ticket. The actress confirmed it and said, “Yes, I did lose the swimming race to a nine-year-old. But I didn’t mind it, it was fun. He said that if he beats me, I have to gift him a ticket to see Rocket Singh… in the theatre. I’ll get that done when the film releases.”

Abhishk to Appear with Ash on Oprah Winfrey

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachcha

Maintaining her status of an international star, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is once again set to appear on Oprah Winfrey. However husband Abhishek Bachchan is also invited to join her on the show.

This is for the second time Ash making appearance on the show. The show is one of the prestigious shows and big celebrities like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman have appeared on it revealing their secrets.

Last time when Ash went on the show, she spoke about importance of family, living with parents and also taught Oprah about how to drape sari. However this time she might more emphasize on family values as she is married now and into a prestigious first family of Bollywood.

Aishwarya has also appeared on David Letterman’s Late Show previously. The couple had already flown to States for the shoot of Oprah Winfrey.

SRK Becomes Guru To Sameera Reddy

Sameera Reddy

Millions of fans from country and abroad admire Shah Rukh Khan an their favorite superstar. However he is also an inspiration or guru to some of them. And one of them is actress Sameera Reddy. Shah Rukh is well known for his witty and intellectual personality. Sameera admits that she adopts SRK’s philosophies about life. She even feels that he acts as spiritual guru to her.

Talking about one such conversation with the actor which made huge impact on her, Sameera said, “It was during a not-very-pleasant phase in my life, and I had too much on my mind. We were flying back after attending one event in Kolkata, when he realised that I was restless about something. And when I shared it with him, he said, ‘You will be subjected to constant speculation and talks in this industry and you shouldn’t take it seriously. All you got to do is know, accept and embrace yourself.’ And over the time I do realise that the key of happiness does lie in finding peace within oneself.”

Well now you all know the secret behind new Sameera.

Face Off: Is Bollywood killing the essence of Cricket?

There have been speculations about Salman Khan buying an IPL team post his meeting with Lalit Modi enquiring about the ‘what and how’ of IPL. Lalit Modi has already confirmed that Salman Khan has shown interest in buying a team. We talk to a few eminent personalities to know their take on yet another star entering T20. Is Bollywood’s increasing penetration into IPL diluting the essence of cricket? We find out...

Team 1: Brand Salman will add value to IPL

Commentator Charu Sharma: Cricket is played inside the field. What happens off the pitch is not cricket. We might thrive on it, we might discuss it but it’s not truly cricket. Also, a cricketer is not concerned about what is happening off the field and they are least bothered about which actor or actress is cheering at the stands. All that’s on a cricketer’s mind is the game and his performance. Salman Khan is a megastar; his association will definitely add value to IPL. The only dangerous thing about Bollywood’s and Corporate house’s association with sports is that sometimes the owners of these teams do not know much about the game. Their personal pride takes over their good sense and they start putting unreasonable pressure on the team. But Salman Khan and his family- his father Salim and brothers Arbaaz and Sohail are big cricket fans. Salman is sure to add to the entertainment factor associated with T20. The bulk of the cricket watching audience today comprises those who want racy action on field and plenty of glamour off it.

Cricket Expert Ayaz Memon: T20 Cricket has become a high profile event. Bollywood’s association with it is just natural. Salman Khan is a popular star and has a mass appeal. Additionally, the business model of IPL is so attractive that anyone would love to be a part of it. The decision to increase the number of teams from 8 to 10 will see more people coming in to invest in IPL. Also, buying an IPL team doesn’t restrict to performing at the opening and closing of the tournament. It comes with a lot of responsibility and accountability. And Salman Khan and family are totally obsessed with cricket. About film stars’ association diluting the essence of game, I don’t think it holds true. Film stars don’t play the game. It’s the cricketers whose performance matters irrespective of the star camp they belong to. In fact, the blend of glamour brought in by film stars and cricket makes the tournament all the more interesting
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Has Bollywood shut its eyes to movies on farmers?

New Delhi, Emaciated farmers ploughing the fields, parched fields, scheming land sharks, broken down huts – these may reflect the reality of many Indian villages, but seldom get captured in Bollywood films.

Audiences prefer an escape from the hard life of rural, agrarian India on screen, while filmmakers resort to idyllic, picture postcard landscapes in films with villages as their backdrop.

Actor-producer Sohail Khan’s attempt to revive the forgotten rural essence in Hindi cinema with “Kisaan”, which released Friday, has got a lukewarm response and not-so-encouraging reviews. It revolves around farmers being forced to sell their lands to rich businessmen.

“Such films are appealing only if they are packaged in a viewer-friendly manner. Movies like ‘Mother India’ and the lot were epics and brought about an absolute change in movies thenceforth…The audience will only watch such films when the right minds work on them and make them in an authentic yet mass appeal manner,” Madhur Bhandarkar told IANS.

Agriculture’s share in India’s GDP has plummeted from 46 percent in 1960 to 20 percent at present despite the fact that about 70 percent of the population is still engaged in the rural sector. Simultaneously, films on the rural economy have also dwindled.

Puneet Sira, who has directed “Kisaan”, says his movie is a tribute to the country.

“India is going through an economic change and today more than ever, people are paying attention to the problems of the country… I am sure after ‘Kisaan’, we will realise that the audience is aware and ready for such issues to be brought on the big screen. We owe a lot to our motherland and this movie is a befitting tribute,” said Sira.

Arbaaz Khan, who plays one of the male leads, said: “Farmer deaths have reached an all time high in our country. It’s not like it’s a problem that has just started. On the contrary, it’s a problem our country has been facing for centuries. We just decided to make a film on the basic difficulty faced by our motherland.”

If “Kisaan” hasn’t got an encouraging response, “Summer 2007″ by producer Atul Pandey last year that focused on the issue of farmer suicides in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region was also a no show.

In fact, Bollywood has only had a handful of successful movies throwing light on farmers like “Do Bigha Zamin” (1953) and “Mother India” (1957) apart from “Upkar”, which was made by Manoj Kumar on late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s request.

The 1965 slogan of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan” hailed the soldier and the farmer as icons of patriotism and hard work. But today the Indian farmer is no longer counted upon as a hero in the nation’s growth, not even on the big screen.

Bhandarkar blames “lack of audience” as the main reason for the rural theme getting sidelined in Bollywood.

“Movie viewers usually go to cinema halls to escape reality. Most of the audience is made up of mall-hopping youngsters who will not be able to relate to the topic and hence will not enjoy it,” he said.

“These films should be presented in a way that best suits people’s mentality. Urban India is very unaware of the problems faced by farmers and unless they (films) are presented in a particular manner they will not work,” he said.

Mahesh Bhatt too feels that such films are not commercially viable.

“They are very appealing but not very financially viable. They are viable only if the names making these films are big or intelligence is used in making such projects. Filmmakers don’t want to use topics which might have any chances of not making it big and would rather stick to money minting projects,” he said.

In recent times Aamir Khan’s “Lagaan”, which was set in a village in pre-independent India, did exceptionally well. But many feel the film’s success was due to the sub theme of cricket.

Apparently, Bollywood perfectionist Aamir has shown interest in producing a film based on the plight of farmers in Bhopal. Anusha Rizvi, a former journalist with first hand knowledge of the issue, is going to direct it while Raghuvir Yadav has been roped in to play the lead.

“It’s not that these issues are irrelevant; on the contrary, they are more relevant now than ever before. These topics are very good and should be touched upon more often. There would be a large audience which would be interested in watching such meaningful cinema,” said Bhatt.

Pussycat Dolls to split?

By ani
Sunday Aug 30 2:45 PM

London, Aug 30 (ANI): American pop girl group Pussycat Dolls may split soon, it has emerged.

It is believed that jealous rows over the surging popularity of lead singer may be the reason for the split of the 2003-formed group.

Earlier in the year Nicole, was specially mentioned for the group's Slumdog Millionaire single Jai Hoh!, which was dubbed as The Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger.

Band member Kimberly Wyatt's admission that the group was taking a long break to consider their future has only sparked more speculation of the band's break-up.

The Mirror quoted her as saying: "The girls and I have just finished our huge world tour and are taking a break from the band and doing our own thing.

"We're all concentrating on our own projects and deciding what the future will hold."

The band latest concert was held earlier this month in Beirut, Lebanon.

Kya 'Dil Bole Hadippa'?

By movietalkies
Friday Aug 28 3:21 PM

Cricket and Bollywood have always made for a delicious combination, but unfortunately this combo has never worked in movies. There have been movies like 'Awwal Number', 'All Rounder', 'Victory' etc, but somehow films on the game have just never seemed to do well, until one came to the likes of a 'Lagaan' or 'Iqbal'.

Even though 'Lagaan' or 'Iqbal' are not exactly about cricket, the game forms a major backdrop for the protagonists of both these movies. There is yet another cricket film coming up on the horizon, Yash Raj's 'Dil Bole Hadippa', starring Rani Mukherjee and Shahid Kapur. From the looks of it, cricket is not just a backdrop for the action, but plays a more major role this film. Everybody knows that Rani plays a cute little sardar in the movie, but not everyone knows that Indian cricket team's ace spinner, Harbhajan Singh, also knows as Bhajji, has been the inspiration behind her look in the movie. It seems that the film's makers and the actress actually went through enough match footage of the ace spinner so that they could get the look and the nuances right. The result is there for all to see. One has Rani sporting a very authentic look as a sardar. It seems that the actress is quite keen to hold a special screening of her film for the Indian cricket team. The stakes seem to be loaded in favour of this movie, even though it is early days yet. The presence of Shahid Kapur and his 'sudden discovery' as this phenomenal actor following the release of 'Kaminey' is another factor which should go in the film's favour. Besides, the cricket, of course!

A Tale of Two Beauties

By movietalkies
Friday Aug 28 3:21 PM

Madhuri Dixit and Amrita Rao may be soon seen on the same canvas and in the same frame. Both beauties are known to inspire famous painter M.F.Hussain for his paintings, after painting numerous solos of the beauties, Hussain is now gearing up to get the two of them together on the same canvas. In fact the idea and inspiration to do so cropped up in Hussain's mind from a film he is planning to make with his two muses. The painter will begin work on the painting and the film simultaneously. And as we all are aware that nobody can dictate terms to Hussain, it is unlikely that this film too as his previous work 'Gaja Gamini' and 'Meenaxi: A tale of three Cities' is going to be a commercial one.

Ashish Chowdhry: DADDY COOL is an intelligent comedy!

Don't be amused by our headlines and just lend the good looking Ashish Chowdhry your ears and you will get the gist of what the talented actor is saying!

CHECK OUT: DADDY COOL Movie Review

Ashish says, ''While my film DHAMAAL can be categorized under slapstick, my latest release, DADDY COOL, is an intelligent comedy. And that because the film is about the funeral service of mine and Sunil Shetty's (who plays my elder brother) on-screen father. We are obviously sad, but the film looks at the proceedings from a third person's point of view. We have everyday examples of people (who come to express grief) laughing and discussing everything under the sun on such morose occasions, and that is what the movie tries to look at. I'll say that the last ten minutes will make the audience shed a tear or two. In fact, you can take your brains and enjoy this comedy!''

Probe him about DADDY COOL being a remake of DEATH AT A FUNERAL, he clears the air by saying, ''It is not exactly a take off, but the makers have had the decency of buying the remaking rights of DEATH AT A FUNERAL.''

Interesting thoughts from an erudite actor and we will surely take his word and check out this Friday's hot release, DADDY COOL.

Malaika Arora excited about Salman's IPL dream

Though it's believed that Salman Khan's decision to buy an IPL team is all about fulfilling his sister's wish, the fact is that the whole Khan family is glued to cricket during the IPL tournaments and Salman's move is seen as the coming true of the family's big wish.

CHECK OUT: It's my first raw-and-real film

Confessing about these details is none other than the bahu of the Khandaan, Malika Arora Khan. She says, ''We are all very excited about Salman's plan to own a cricket team in IPL. The whole family shares a huge passion for cricket especially Arbaaz, Salman and Sohail. All of us are keeping our fingers crossed.''

The family is also thrilled about Sohail Khan's film KISSAN that releases in theatres today that features Sohail and Arbaaz in the lead. It seems the family is actually having many reasons to celebrate.

Well, let's hope with Salman upping the ante with his IPL announcement, the Khan's have their wish fulfilled soon.
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Britney's 'too provocative' fans kicked out of concert venue

Fri, Aug 28 04:45 PM

New York, Aug 28 (ANI): It has been revealed that fans at pop princess Britney Spears' concert at Madison Square Garden had to be evicted from the show for dancing "too provocatively" at their seats.

Of those, who had been yanked out by security guards on August 25, was Sandra Ion, a Dramatics hair salon manager.

"I guess there had been a complaint from someone in our section that our dancing was too risqui," the New York Post quoted her as saying.

"Meanwhile, Britney is onstage gyrating half-naked and singing 'Get Naked'. It was totally ridiculous. They should have just moved whoever complained instead of all of us," she added.

Ion said that guards forced her and her pals, including Amanda Lapore's stylist Harliquin, to miss three songs, and Garden management refused to reimburse them.

A representative for the Garden did not return a call for comment. (ANI)

Online female daters dumping casual sex for traditional marriage partners

Fri, Aug 28 03:40 PM

London, Aug 28 (ANI): Girls dating online seem to prefer a long lasting relationship to one-night stands, a new survey has found.

Over a period of one year the percentage of women looking for "a night of passion" has apparently made a drastic decrease to just five percent from thirty.

Ross Williams of Global Personals said that the lasses now look for "traditional marriage partners" rather than casual sex.

"It's a return to more traditional female and family values," the Sun quoted him as saying. (ANI)

ANI

Kajol’s Book-ish Buys for daughter Nysa!

Kajol is a doting mother. After wrapping up the US shooting of Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, she was seen book shopping at a famous Juhu store. And while she’s known to be an avid reader, this time she was shopping for daughter Nysa.
Dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and designer glasses, she left after buying practically half the store. The staff offered to help her carry her purchases, but she kindly declined.

Length of a film matters a lot: G Dhananjayan

Is the length of a film an important factor in deciding its fate at the box-office? Says Amrita, a college student and a movie buff, “We just do not have time for anything as life is fast-paced
Let me tell you, nobody can sit through a film if it is over two hours and 20 minutes, however good it is.” Says producer G Dhananjayan, “In today’s world, length of a film matters a lot when it comes to retaining the audience’s interest. Audiences, who are used to watching big budget Hollywood films that run for a maximum of 100 to 115 minutes, are not prepared to watch any Indian film for more than 130 – 140 minutes, giving a concession for the songs in our films.” According to Sekhar, trade analyst and mediator, “Pokkisham and Kanthaswamy, which recently hit the screens, have a screening time of 170 and 192 minutes respectively. Before release, the directors refused to trim them. But within 48 hours of their release, they reduced it by 20 to 25 minutes. However, by then, the word of mouth had already spread that the films were too long to sit through.” Kollywood directors like Cheran and Susi Ganeshan are very rigid when it comes to the length of their films and refuse to cut them before release. They are from the old school of the 1970s and 80s, where length of a film did not matter, as there was no other form of entertainment. Remember Cheran’s Thavamai Thavamirunthu was three hours and 20 minutes, before theatre operators in Tamil Nadu cut it down to two hours and 50 minutes! His Pokkisham producer Hitesh Jabak wanted him to reduce the length before release, but Cheran refused and finally agreed only after the film’s release! In an interview to a website, Cheran said, “How can some critics say that today’s generation won’t like the pace of my film? They don’t have the right to say so. It is the prerogative of the film-maker to make a film the way he wants to. Cinema is a creative medium and not a commercial proposition.” Says Roy Augustine who runs a chain of theatres, “Some directors think before release that they have made a classic, without caring for the audiences and subsequently, they realise it’s too long after release. They then cut 20 to 25 minutes. But by then, it is too late. What cannot be said in 120/130 minutes cannot be said in 180 minutes and films, being a visual medium, one should be able to tell the story in a shorter duration.” A manager of a leading multiplex found that for a recent film which was too long, he had to start the noon show at 10.30 am. The Chennai audiences are used to noon shows beginning at 12 pm. In the multiplex, the night show of the same film ended around 3 am, and ushers had to wake up audiences who had snoozed off! Says Jayavel Murugan, a leading Tamil film distributor in the US, “Our prime time show in the US is the 11pm show. For some of the recent Tamil films, we had to cancel the shows from day three as nobody turned up and the American operators of cinema theatres hate to screen Tamil films because they are too long!”
By: - Sreedhar Pillai27 August 2009, 12:05am IST

Acting in movies is most boring job: Naseeruddin Shah

New Delhi, Aug 26 : After delivering superlative performances in the Indian film industry for over 30 years, veteran actor-filmmaker Naseeruddin Shah says acting in movies is the most boring job in the world.
"(I'm) terribly fatigued at the thought of acting in movies. Movie acting is the most boring job in the world. No one would do it if it weren't for the money," Naseeruddin said in a yet to be aired interview to NewsX. The actor spoke about his films, the film industry and his colleagues to the channel for a show called "Naseeruddin Shah Unplugged" on the sidelines of a theatre workshop at Srinagar. Though Naseer, who gave some of his best performances in movies like "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" and "Masoom" is a three-time National Award winner and a recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, he has always stayed away from the industry's glamour. And he thanks his stars for it. "Nature has saved me from major stardom," he said. According to Naseer, whose acting in Neeraj Pandey's "A Wednesday" won critical acclaim, the Indian film industry is suffering from a sheer lack of quality scripts. "We do not exactly produce the greatest scripts in the world. We are still content to churn out what the hacks who pass off as writers in the film industry (write based) on the last Hollywood film they have seen." However, he feels "there are a number of youngsters who are producing promising scripts," especially in the comedy genre. The show will go on air on NewsX Thursday at 8:45 a.m. and will be repeated at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.
--- IANS

Acting in movies is most boring job: Naseeruddin Shah

New Delhi, Aug 26 : After delivering superlative performances in the Indian film industry for over 30 years, veteran actor-filmmaker Naseeruddin Shah says acting in movies is the most boring job in the world.
"(I'm) terribly fatigued at the thought of acting in movies. Movie acting is the most boring job in the world. No one would do it if it weren't for the money," Naseeruddin said in a yet to be aired interview to NewsX. The actor spoke about his films, the film industry and his colleagues to the channel for a show called "Naseeruddin Shah Unplugged" on the sidelines of a theatre workshop at Srinagar. Though Naseer, who gave some of his best performances in movies like "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" and "Masoom" is a three-time National Award winner and a recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, he has always stayed away from the industry's glamour. And he thanks his stars for it. "Nature has saved me from major stardom," he said. According to Naseer, whose acting in Neeraj Pandey's "A Wednesday" won critical acclaim, the Indian film industry is suffering from a sheer lack of quality scripts. "We do not exactly produce the greatest scripts in the world. We are still content to churn out what the hacks who pass off as writers in the film industry (write based) on the last Hollywood film they have seen." However, he feels "there are a number of youngsters who are producing promising scripts," especially in the comedy genre. The show will go on air on NewsX Thursday at 8:45 a.m. and will be repeated at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.
--- IANS

Salman Khan interested in buying an IPL franchise

Wed, Aug 26 05:00 PM

Wed, Aug 26 05:00 PM

Mumbai, Aug 26 (PTI) Salman Khan could become the latest Bollywood superstar to join the Indian Premier League bandwagon with the actor today expressing his interest in bidding for a franchise for the 2011 edition of the cash-rich event.

Salman Khan takes part in Ganesha immersion ceremony

My show starts with Salman, ends with Shah Rukh: Farah Khan

All the news on Salman Khan

Salman met IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi today and discussed the procedure to buy a team for the 2011 edition which will see the addition of two more franchises.

Modi disclosed that Salman was in discussion with him on this matter for the last few months but they had a formal meeting only now. "We were having a discussion for last few months but this is our first official meeting," Modi said.

Modi said although it was too early to say anything but he felt the actor was a "serious buyer". "He was interested to know what it takes to own a team, what''s the process, when it will be initiated and what''s the timeline for it. I think he is a serious buyer," Modi said.

Asked if he was interested in any particular existing team or a new team, Modi said "it''s for a new team". IPL is set to introduce two new teams in the 2011 season and the franchise may "cost over USD 200-300 million".

At present, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla (Kolkata Knight Riders), Preity Zinta (King''s XI Punjab) and Shilpa Shetty (Rajasthan Royals) are associated with the high-profile Twenty20 cricket tournament.

50years of Kamal Haasan 5 treasured decades of India cinema

There is a very interesting short-talk bit in the brilliant BBC/HBO series Extras where Sir Ian McKellan lays it down about acting. He says " I pretend to be the person I'm portraying." It's that simple. What is difficult, is to consistently do that and have your peers recognize you with State and National recognition for 50 years. Say,a career worth around 28 Best Actor Awards in 50 years of acting in four languages, I believe, would be a good place to start with for any interested movie-buff.

The point here is not validation by a third party or an agency on the capabilities of the actor called Kamal Haasan. He doesn't need that, in the first place.Nor is this an effort to eulogize the virtues of a 'Star'. On the contrary, this is an honest attempt to re-emphasize on five decades of method acting of a consummate actor amidst us, that even had Time magazine honoring Nayagan in its All-time 100 Great Movies in World Cinema.

It is not difficult to stay, (be around would be a better term) in this business of Movie Making for five decades and be reasonably well-known and recognized in your trade.Look around,and as a true blue Constant Indian Movie Fan,you would know.What is difficult,is to consistently keep exploring new thresholds in 'pretending',earn accolades for projects which seem as experimental to others,and keep reminding his peers that he stands vindicated in the brilliance of his craft, for 50 years.Now,THAT is what makes Kamal Haasan a treasured part of Indian Cinema. There isn't anything new here than that have been said already about this 'Complete Chameleon' ,nationally and internationally.When Dashavatarm was released in June,2008, there had been a brief note in these columns on the 'makings of this Chameleon.'

And truly,he has never even stopped to look back on his accomplishments,and like a true professional has trudged on,mostly through paths that never were,between rocks and a hard place.There is also something interesting in the way he has approached his movies,down the ages,if you can call it as a broad pattern of sorts.For me,it falls in four broad categories.

1.The 'Business' Ones - Those that are made on a huge canvas,but are sure to be unique and never-been-done before script formats.Mostly produced by him and directed by current commercially solid, technical superstars,where he gives his inputs (read scripts) and his 100 percent.
(Indrudu Chandrudu,Thevar Magan,Michael Madana Kama Rajan,Indian would be a few of my favorites).

2.The Modest Soul Stirrers - The ones made on modest budgets,powerful (and at times slightly skewed )scripts and a small band of characters that shake your foundations with their performances.Most of the times,poor farers at the Box-office,but gems,none the less.(Nayagan,Pushpak,Guna,Mahanadi,Anbe Sivam,Virumaandi..not necessarily in that order).

3.The Bold (and sometimes Bizarre) Epics. These are the ones the Chameleon goes around producing,help producing,or still in the processes of it,known for its 'epic' nature and of course the epic costs associated with it.
( Hey Ram,Aley vandaan,Marudhunayagom,Dashavatharam).

4.The Commercial Ones..Mostly directed by brilliant Directors,these are also driven by the needs and demands of the Industry trends,though he makes sure they stand apart with their script or characterization.Interestingly,he always finds time to release one in this category regularly,without fail.(Sathi Leelavathi,Kuruthipunal,Avvai ShanmugiPanchathanthiram,Vasool Raja MBBS,Mumbai Xpress,Vettiyadu Vilayaadu,Unnaippol Oruvan).

I repeat,this is just an attempt in making sense of an immense body of work,incomparable in Indian cinema,for its variety and technical brilliance.
Well,I am not going to be politically correct in wishing him another 100 years of great movies.All that is wished here,Sir,is that may you keep making movies till the time you can,and possibly amaze us with characters that mentally nudge us with that whisper,"You owe me awe."
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79.5-kms-long Ganesha Chathurthi convoy sets record in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 24 (ANI): Malaysia's longest convoy of 213 lorries participated in Vinayagar Chathurthi celebrations on Sunday, marking the birthday of Hindu Lord Ganesha.

The 79.5 kilometres long convoy, which included an elephant to signify the deity, achieved a new feat in the Malaysia Book of Records.

Hundreds of devotees walked beside the lorries, which had been decorated with portraits of the elephant-headed Hindu god, in a procession that began from the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara, the Star Online reports.

The procession stopped briefly at various places, including the Kottu Malai Pillaiyar temple in Jalan Pudu Lama.

Among the devotees at the Kottu Malai temple was J.K. Vassanthi, a school teacher, who has been taking a fast of silence in homage to Lord Ganesha's birthday for the past 28 years.

Another devotee who came to offer her prayers there was a Chinese woman, who embraced Hinduism three years ago.

"I feel calm and serene in this temple," said the woman, who only wanted to be known as Adeline.

The 32-year-old fitness trainer said she often prayed at a nearby temple but decided to drop by Kottu Malai after finding out about the festival.

Clerk C. Minatchi, 31, said she had been going to the temple every week for six years since her prayers had been answered.

"My brother had gone into coma after an accident. I prayed to Lord Ganesha and 10 days later, my brother recovered," she said.

Port company executive C. Kaleappan, 51, said he had been travelling all the way from Penang with his family to celebrate the occasion at Kottu Malai for the past 18 years.

"I feel a special bond with this temple and with the blessings of the Lord, my family is prosperous and healthy," he said, who came with his wife and three daughters. (ANI)

ANI

How To Have A Successful Office Romance

Chances are, you've gotten it on with a colleague. According to a 2009 survey by the job search Web site CareerBuilder.com, four out of 10 workers say they've dated a colleague at some point in their careers. Three in 10 say they married the person they dated at work.

The office seems to be a hotbed of romance and a more effective one than dating Web sites or the corner bar. Helaine Olen, co-author with Stephanie Losee of Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding--and Managing--Romance on the Job, says the workplace is where most people find love these days. "The office has turned into the village of the 21st century," she says. "Where else do you spend 12 hours a day?"

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And fewer workers are keeping their romances secret. CareerBuilder found that 72% of workers who have office relationships are public with them, compared with 46% five years ago. The survey, of 8,000 workers, was conducted for CareerBuilder by Harris Interactive.

While people are more relaxed about office dating than they were in the post-Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas 1990s, workplace romance is still fraught with peril. Worst case scenario, says employment attorney Kathleen McKenna, of New York's Proskauer Rose law firm: A boss-underling affair that goes south and results in a sexual harassment suit. Such suits are based on either a claim of a hostile work environment or a charge that there was f-me-or-you're-fired quid pro quo harassment.

Which brings us to our first rule of office dating: Avoid a supervisor-supervisee relationship. Especially for the person in the supervisor's seat, such a relationship is "criminally stupid," says McKenna. "You might as well put a sign on your forehead that says, 'Kick me here.'" McKenna acts mainly as a defense lawyer.

Edward Hernstadt, a plaintiff-side employment lawyer with the New York firm Hernstadt Atlas, agrees. An employee can make a claim that she (it's usually a she) wouldn't have dated the boss if she hadn't felt compelled. "The supervisor will say, 'I just asked you to go on a date,'" says Hernstadt. "But the subordinate says, 'I felt I couldn't say no.'"

If a supervisor and an underling just can't resist each other, McKenna recommends that they sign what she calls a "cupid contract." They should spell out in writing the fact that both are engaging in a consensual relationship. If the company has a sexual harassment policy, they should make it clear they understand the rules.

Helaine Olen agrees. "Set some ground rules you can use if the relationship flames out," she advises. "It's like a prenup for an office romance."

Olen also suggests that the senior partner in the relationship step up and report the romance to the human resources department. In so doing, the supervisor should volunteer to take the hit if the company decides the pair should no longer work together.

Far preferable is finding someone outside your department to date. Connie Thenasoulis-Cerrachio, a career coach who has worked with companies including Merrill Lynch, Pfizer and Citigroup, recommends looking for love at office philanthropic activities and social events like softball games rather than in the next cubicle.

Another piece of perhaps obvious, but valuable, advice: Pause before you plunge. "Stop and think about yourself in relation to the other person," advises Pepper Schwartz, a relationship expert at the dating Web site Perfectmatch.com and the author of 16 books on dating and romance.

"If you're in heavy lust, you've got to slow down." Kathleen McKenna agrees. "Think about the fact that 50% of marriages don't make it," she says. "The batting average for other relationships is much worse."

One more piece of advice: Consider how you would feel if you lost your job. Everyone who has experienced heartbreak knows that sometimes proximity to an ex can be unbearable. All too often, say experts, failed office romances result in one person leaving the job--willfully or not.

"The possible consequences here are not just the loss of the person you're ga-ga over," says Schwartz. "It could mean the loss of your livelihood."

In Pictures: How To Succeed At Office Romance

Also on Forbes.com: "The 'New' Sexual Harassment."

Susan Adams, Forbes.com

Elesh shouldn't be known as my husband: Rakhi Sawant

By indiaabroad
Sunday Aug 23 8:45 AM

Mumbai, Aug 23 (IANS) They got engaged amid much fanfare on national television but item girl Rakhi Sawant is worried about her Toronto-based fiance Elesh Parujanwala.

She is worried about him accepting her sexy image, his financial independence and, above all, she doesn't want him to be just known as 'Rakhi Sawant's husband'.

'Will Elesh be able to support me financially? I don't want him to be known as Rakhi Sawant's husband. I need time.

'I agree Elesh is educated and he comes from a wealthy family. But all of it belongs to his father. He has nothing of his own in Mumbai, not even a home. He needs time to settle down,' Rakhi, who selected Elesh through NDTV Imagine's reality show 'Rakhi Ka Swayamvar', told IANS in an exclusive interview.

She is also concerned about Elesh being comfortable with her sexy image.

'People are spreading dirty rumours about me. On the Internet they've morphed my face on naked bodies. Would Elesh be able to tolerate it?' asked Rakhi.

She is also disgusted by singer Mika's attempts to gain mileage out of her name.

'I'm really tired of people using my name. I don't want to give such people importance. I've learnt the hard way how to be dignified. Jesus has taught me to be calm. My good days are just beginning.'

Rakhi says she'll marry Elesh only when he becomes economically self-sufficient.

'I don't want him to be another Abhishek Awasthi (her ex-boyfriend) in my life. Yes, we're engaged. I like him a lot. But how can I hand over my life to someone who isn't earning a proper living?

'That's why we're going on another reality show to see whether we're really as compatible as we seemed on 'Rakhi Ka Swayamvar'. I didn't get enough time with him on that show. You and I saw his best face. Now I want to see the real Elesh.'

Her new show 'Pati Patni Aur Woh', which is likely to be aired next month on NDTV Imagine, is about parenting.

'I want to marry a man who can support me. In India, wives are supposed to be looked after by husbands, not vice versa. I don't want him to come and stay in my house. I want to live in his house. I will wait for him to afford a house.

'I know Elesh is a decent guy. But is that enough? He has to be financially independent. He needed a place and a face to latch on to; that's why he came on the show. Abhishek was so decent. But he was known as Rakhi's boyfriend.'

Rakhi's new show is about parenting, but kids give her a headache.

'I've a migraine problem. When a child cries, I get a severe headache. I don't know how I'll manage for a month with a stranger's child.

'On top of that I've to cook on the show. I can't cook to save my life. I don't know how I'll manage. I can't even use make-up. Can you imagine Rakhi Sawant without makeup?' she said.

Asked how she'll cope when she has her own kids, Rakhi replied: 'Apna bachcha to har koi paal leta hai...jaanwar bhi. I don't know how I'll cope. I think I'm going to lose my cool completely. So far people have only seen the good Rakhi Sawant. Now they'll see the real me.'

Speaking about ex-boyfriend Abhishek, she said: 'I still consider him my good friend. I hope and pray he finds a good girl. If ever in life he needs me, I'll always be there.

'If he needs me to be a dance partner in a reality show I'll gladly do the needful. He has supported me a lot. I'll always be thankful to him for getting my mother out of my life. That's one good deed he did. If Abhishek hadn't been there, I'd have not had the courage to break away from my family. I'd have been wallowing in mud.'

(Subhash K. Jha can be contacted at jhasubh@gmail.com)

officially in Love

After months of denial, 'Slumdog Millionaire' couple Dev Patel and Freida Pinto finally made their romance public, when they stepped out as a couple during an out-door screening of their Oscar winning film here. (Text courtesy: PTI) In photo: Dev Patel, and Freida Pinto introducing a showing of Slumdog Millionaire at the Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House which is a major arts and cultural centre in the heart of London. on August 2, 2009 in London, England. (Photo Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
The 19-year-old NRI and the Mumbai native who had met and fell in love while shooting for the Danny Boyle film have never made a public appearance together after the awards season and fans were thrilled to see the two together, reported Daily Mail online. In photo: Dev Patel, and Freida Pinto introducing a showing of Slumdog Millionaire at the Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House which is a major arts and cultural centre in the heart of London. on August 2, 2009 in London, England. (Photo Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

Miss Universe: Girls day out

1) Miss India Ekta Chowdhry, right, and Miss Hungary Suzan Budai sit atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)













2) Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza, of Venezuela, waves during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)











3) Miss Uruguay Cinthia D'Ottone, left, and Miss USA Kristen Dalton wave, as Miss Sweden Renate Cerljen sits near them atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)












4) Miss Peru Karen Schwarz shakes hands with a boy, as Miss Russia Sofia Rudyeva adjusts her hair atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)













5) Miss Serbia Dragana Atlija gestures, right, as Miss Philippines Bianca Manalo sits nearby, atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)














6) Miss Montenegro Anja Jovanovic, left, and Miss Norway Eli Landa sit atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)













7) Miss Panama Diana Broce sits atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)














8) Miss Guatemala Lourdes Figueroa sits atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)













9) Miss Egypt Elham Wagdi, right, and Miss Cyprus Klelia Yiasemidou sit atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)















10) Miss Dominican Republic Ada Aimee De la Cruz, left, and Miss Colombia Michelle Rouillard, right, wave along with others from atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)













11) Bahamaians waves to contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition during a
parade in their honor, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)















12) Miss Peru Karen Schwarz, right, and Miss Russia Sofia Rudyeva wave from atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)














13) Miss China Jingyao Wang, right, and Miss Bahamas Kiara Sherman wave atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)














14) Miss Canada Mariana Valente waves from atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)














15) Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez waves from atop a moving float during a parade given for contestants of the 2009 Miss Universe Competition, in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Miss Universe 2009 will be picked from among participants from 84 countries on Aug. 23. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

LOVE AAJ KAL

Cast :

Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Giselle Monteiro, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Kh

anna, Vir Das

Synopsis :

Love Aaj London, San Francisco, Delhi - 2009. Jai and Meera is a modern-day couple in London. They are very happy together but do not believe in tying each other down. So when life pulls them in different directions, they decide to go with the flow. “These Heer-Ranjha, Romeo-Juliet type janam janam ka saath type couples exist only in story books”, Jai says. In the real life, we have to be practical. Love Kal Delhi, Calcutta - 1965. Veer Singh is struck by the thunderbolt when he sees Harleen for the first time. Soon after, he stands under a tree and swears that “is janam mein aur har janam mein… yehi meri votti banegi – Harleen Kaur.” He travels a thousand kilometers by train to stand under her balcony only to have a glimpse of her face. And yet not speak a word with her. Love Aaj Kal Veer does not understand how Jai can treat matters of the heart without passion, like a financial transaction. Jai does not understand how Veer Singh could have been so naïve and silly about Harleen in the days of his youth. But as both stories unfold, we realize that the process of relationship might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same. So there is the frolic and despair of modern living. The liberation and confusion. And there is the past – the times of innocence and compulsion. And there is distance, and the fondness that increases with distance. Gaps widen between two people, but bridges keep growing too.

Katrina's free advice

She rules the roost in Bollywood despite her foreigner tag. Now, Katrina Kaif is putting good use of her experience of being a Bollywood star to guide the foreign beauties who are bee lining in Bollywood with starry eyes. (Text Courtesy- Glamsham.com)