Bela Bhansali Sehgal’s directorial debut looks thoroughly entertaining

Bollywood really seems to be coming of age. We say so because, in the last few years, many non-mainstream films have been setting the BO on fire. Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor and Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar have been accepted by the audience. And these films have proved that there is more to our films than just six-pack abs, size zero figures and item numbers. Bela Bhansali Sehgal’s directorial debut, Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi seems to be a potential addition to the list of unconventional films making the cut.

The trailer of this Boman Irani-Farah Khan-starrer looks very promising and entertaining. SFKTNP is the love story between two Parsi characters played by Boman and Farah, and we must say that they make a very cute couple. We are sure that their chemistry will be the highlight of this romcom and from what we’ve seen so far, Bhansali has a potential winner on his hands. Last time we saw a film about Parsis was Soni Tarporewala’s Little Zizou, and it should be interesting to see what first-timer Bela does with SFKTNP. For now, she has won our vote of confidence with this funny trailer. We are definitely waiting to watch Shirin and Farhad on the big screen soon.

ALSO READ: Farah: I don’t give a rat’s ass about what people say

SHIRIN FARHAD KI TOH NIKAL PADI poster: Farah Khan and Boman Irani make a cute couple!

The two have been paired up for the first time on the big screen. But is their chemistry really as rowdy as it looks? Here’s a dekho at what could have been the real story behind this rowdiness

Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha are getting rowdier by each passing promo. And while the action hero is loving it all, Sonakshi might have been li’l apprehensive about being so, er, bindaas. Yet, the lady ended up shaking her chikni kamar in the song Chammak challo chel chabili and letting her hair down (literally) in Thadang Thadang.

But have you wondered what might have been the case behind the scenes for this duo? What must have nudged Sonakshi to turn brash? Well, we might have hit upon the real reason. To know what it is, take a look at what lies beneath!

Check out the stills of Damarukam starring Nagarjuna and Anushka Shetty, which is set to release this July in both Telugu and Tamil

Nagarjuna’s most awaited film is finally completed and all ready to release. After being in the making for over a year, the music will be launched in June and the film will hit the theatres by the second week of July. The makers of the socio-fantasy flick are currently working on the graphics of the film. Damarukam is a first-of-its-kind movie, claims Nagarjuna, who will be seen romancing Anushka Shetty in it.

Touted to be one of the costliest films of Nagarjuna’s career, Damarukam has been having trouble finding buyers. The film went over the budget of Rs 40 crores, and now producer Venkat  of RR Movie Makers is desperately looking for someone to invest in the big budget project. However, if they do not find an investor in time the film is likely to get further delayed.

Right after Poonam Pandey shed her clothes and posed nude for Shahrukh Khan, the IPL party girl strips for the Chennai Super Kings captain

MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings might have lost the final match against Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2012, but the Indian captain has a reason to cheer up. While SRK went on to win the elusive trophy and Badshah’s victory inspired Poonam Pandey to go nude, Dhoni’s popularity motivated little known model Rozlyn Khan to go topless.

Rozlyn recently did a tacky photoshoot and exhibited her unflinching support for Dhoni’s men in yellow. She also showed her butt while supporting her favourite team. Before the final game, Rozlyn had announced that she would do a special bikini shoot with captain Dhoni if his team won. Unfortunately, Dhoni’s team did not go on to win the match, but that did not stop Rozlyn from doing a dare-to-bare act. “I would like to dedicate my affection towards the team. I am sure they will bounce back in next series but before that they will create a history in the Champions League. What I am doing is a small token of appreciation for their efforts,” said the sensational babe, before unveiling her topless shoot for the CSK.

Honestly, we are quite tired of these damsels threatening to strip each time there is an important cricket series. Still, we wonder what the desperate-for-attention gal Rozlyn would have done had the Captain cool pulled of a stunning victory. Would she have beaten Poonam Pandey at her own game? It’s time to put your imagination to use Bollywoodlifers!

The longest running detective show on Indian television could soon be seen on celluloid, says director-producer BP Singh

Indian television’s longest running detective show CID might soon be a film, says director-producer BP Singh, promising more action, a unique storyline and different styling with the same cast. “There will be a film on CID with the same cast, but one main villain will be from outside,” said Singh, adding that he was not sure about the time frame.

Launched January 21, 1998, on Sony, CID has so far aired more than 615 cases in over 824 episodes. Shivaji Satam plays ACP Pradyuman, while Aditya Shrivastav, Dayanand Shetty, Dinesh Phadnis, Vivek V Mashru, Hrishikesh Pandey, Narendra Gupta and Shraddha Musale are the important members of his team. “The cast will be the same, but there will be additional casting for villains. We need to see who we can afford. There will be outstanding action scenes to make it different. The story, treatment and action should look different from our regular episodes. We need to present a story that is remarkable and unique from the regular CID,” he said. “Theoretically, it should start by the end of this year. The channel owns the rights…even if the channel says yes today, we would be able to start early next year,” Singh added.

It will be the third TV show after Office Office and Khichdi to be converted into a movie.

According to Singh, showing relevant content on the show has been a challenge. “The most difficult part is how to keep pace with changing scenarios. In 15 years, the TV viewership has changed completely, people have grown up but they are still watching our show. When we are writing, we try to incorporate modern ideas and situations that people can connect to easily. But the basic has not changed. We are still making mystery. We have reduced violence because we want to connect with the family audience. It is not gory or shocking.”

The main attraction of CID is how it deals with the forensic management of evidence. “I wanted to make it different. Forensic science is what people are not aware of and we thought we should introduce that. From day one, a real forensic doctor was acting in our show. When I used to hear forensic stories, they used to amaze me. Everyone wants to know what goes on inside the body. We have developed and made our forensic lab more attractive over the years,” he said.

“We cannot show dissection of a body on screen, we use special effects. We use our lab as an entertainment centre. We don’t give lectures. It would become very boring to give people scientific facts. We purposely use language that is easy to understand. In CID, it is hard to find any English word… There are people who feel that the show is not intellectual enough, but we are not ashamed of it.”

After directing thrillers like CID and Aahat, Singh also directed the comedy show Gutur Go on SAB TV but the focus is on crime. “Once you are successful at something, the industry is such that you get that kind of work only,” he concluded.

We’ve been hearing several tales about Anu Malik being unhappy with Sunidhi Chauhan judging Indian Idol, ever since she joined the panel last season. Yesterday, we actually witnessed an incident on stage that made us believe that there is some truth to these rumours

After a host of speeches, the judges – Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan and Salim Merchant – sang a couple of songs each by way of introduction. Salim was the first and he rocked the floor with his rendition of Main toh ainvayi ainvayi loot gaya from Band Baaja Baaraat. We expected Sunidhi to be next as usually the judges are introduced in the ascending order of importance. Instead, it was Anu who was the next to perform. He sang three songs, accompanied by Salim on the piano. Things were going smoothly so far.

Then it was Sunidhi’s turn. She rendered a slower, sexier, sultrier version of Aa zara kareeb se from Murder 2 that garnered applause and whistles from the audience. Salim accompanied her on the piano, but there was nothing for Anu to do. For some time, he stood at the side of the stage, nodding his head in appreciation of the song. But it didn’t take much time for him to grow restless with his situation. He joined Sunidhi centre stage while she was in the middle of her song and for one second we thought they’ll sing a duet. Then when Anu herded her to the front of the stage, we thought he’s being considerate. But we were wrong!

As Sunidhi continued to sing, photographers jumped up to catch Sunidhi and Anu together in the same frame. That’s when we realized that it was at their request that he had come to stand by Sunidhi! He was posing! Once the cameramen were done clicking pictures, he returned to the side of the stage.

That was really weird. Here is Sunidhi, singing melodiously, and Anu steps in just so that he can pose for a few photographs? What kind of behaviour is that? While Sunidhi sang, Salim was all smiles at the piano, but Anu had an expression that didn’t have an iota of geniality.

We hoped that after judging Indian Idol 5 together they would have arrived at some sort of truce, but looks like the war is going to continue this season too.

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Baby K is currently reigning over his dad’s microblogging site. And that’s where Papa Kundra revealed how much can actually lie in a name!

Raj Kundra aka Papa K has gone almost berserk tweeting about his li’l one on the microblogging site. And one tweet that caught our notice yesterday was: “#babyK latest update: Enjoyed a lovely sun bathing session now having his feed. Will be giving baby K his first proper bath today so excited” Awwwww. First ever bath! Now that sounds really special, no?

But that’s not what nudged us to mention it here. After a series of ecstatic tweets that revealed Mr Kundra’s ‘independently wealthy to be unemployed’ status, Papa K shared the driving thought behind Baby K’s name.

And here’s what – “Dear #babyK You’re born without anything but u die with you’re name. so that name must not be a WORD…it must be a HISTORY…!!” Ah! Now that’s very, er, profound. Right? But it makes us wonder what’s on dear Papa’s mind.

Is he hinting at a historical name? Or will the baby’s name be an anagram hinting at the history of Kundra family? Or will the moniker reflect the life of his famous parents? We’re not sure. Nevertheless, all this makes us look forward to Baby K’s naming ceremony. But till then, tell us what you think the name might be, dear Bollywoodlifers. And remember, the tip-off is – HISTORY!

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Exclusive: Pics of Shilpa Shetty-Raj Kundra’s new baby!

The Dev.D director’s gangster flick is making waves at all prestigious film festivals and is being loved by the audiences, but surprisingly, he wasn’t the first one to be approached to make this one!

Anurag Kashyap’s ambitious gangster flick set against the backdrop of the coal mafia of Dhanbad has managed to impress everyone at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. The Manoj Bajpayee-Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer has made a place for itself in the top films list at the fest. Kashyap, who has been mentoring young filmmakers, maintains that he is a ‘lucky producer’, as he gets the opportunity to work with films that are too ‘hatke’ for mainstream masala production houses. It seems that not only is he a lucky producer, but a lucky director as well!

Apparently Hansal Mehta, who directed the Sikandar Kher-Arbaaz Khan-starrer Woodstock Villa, was first approached with the idea of making Gangs Of Wasseypur. Confirming this, Mehta posted an update on Twitter: “Idea for Gangs of Wasseypur was given to me before Anurag. I am glad I could not make the film! @ankash1009 transformed an idea into cinema.” He added, “I simply did not have the grand vision that @ankash1009 has finally given to Gangs of Wasseypur. I would have made an ordinary film.”

Well, we are glad that Mr Kashyap found the idea exciting enough that he created a film that has garnered so much acclaim. We are now waiting to watch both the parts of GOW once it is back from the festival circuit. Are you?

ALSO READ: Bollywood 2012-13: Which are the exciting movies to watch?

Anurag Kashyap all over Cannes film festival 2012

The Ladies vs Ricky Bahl actor looks absolutely debonair with his facial fuzz

There’s a streak of impishness in Ranveer Singh’s persona. No matter how hard he tries to be suave and mature, the glint in his eyes reflects a thousand mischiefs that his naughty heart holds. And here we have the Lootera actor on the cover of popular AndPersand magazine, trying to hide the prankster in him behind a gentlemanly facade. But that cheeky wink and the pert smile give it all away.

Wearing a snug brown tee with a pristine white shirt underneath Ranveer looks dishy. What complements the casualness of Ranveer’s attire is his never-seen-before full facial fuzz, which gives a hint of mellowness. Ranveer has sported a stubble and French beard before (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl), but never has he made a public appearance wearing full-grown mustache.

We like Ranveer’s new look. What stands out in this picture is Singh’s jet black mane that makes him look incredibly sassy. We know his ‘close’ friend Anushka Sharma will agree!

Music direction: Sajid-Wajid

Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

Rating: ***

Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra starrer, Teri Meri Kahaani is a commercial rom-com about love in three different eras. Therefore there had to be three distinct tones and expressions for the songs, with the use of a wide range of instruments.

Two songs belong to the early 19th century – Allah Jane and Humse pyar kar le tu. Allah Jane is seeped in shayari (full credit to Prasoon Joshi) and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sings it beautifully. Flute, tabla, harmonium and sarangi make the song sound authentic, and easily take you to the Lahore of pre-independence India.

Humse pyar… is a good composition with catchy lyrics, but when put in the context of the movie, it is unconvincing. Did people use words like ‘nashedi’, ‘besharam’ and ‘cheez tedhi’ in their conversations or songs at that point in time? I don’t think so. Kunal Kohli and Parasoon Joshi take a good amount of creative liberty when writing this ched-chaad number. Otherwise, the song is melodious and grows on you, and the qawwali portions stand out.

Jump to 1960 and you get a Shammi Kapoor-Mohammad Rafi-RD Burman tribute in the form of Jabse mere dil me uff. And it’s no surprise that Sonu Nigam was chosen to sing this one. He has grown up singing Rafi numbers and he slips easily into the ’60s mode. Sunidhi Chauhan also does a great job. The ‘uff’ is used perfectly as a hook in this rock and roll number and Sonu’s style of saying the word makes it even more fun. The orchestration is perfect for the time its set in – multiple trumpets, drums and guitar.

The 2012 phase has two tracks – That’s all I really wanna do and Mukhtasar. That’s all I really wanna do sounds quite childish and lame. It feels like a nursery rhyme! The makers probably wanted to keep this track simple and hummable, but that doesn’t absolve them of producing such a below-average number. I wish more thought and effort had gone into this song.

Mukhtasar is definitely the best track on the album. The word ‘mukhtasar’ sounds amazingly poetic in the way it’s been used. It’s high on energy and there’s no respite from the fast-paced tempo and beats. Composer Javed takes to the mike for this one, and adds loads of freshness. Despite the heavy beats, it’s the melody that stands out and stays with you.

After listening to entire CD, I was relieved not to find an item song. That’s rare these days! Teri Meri Kahaani is a soundtrack that grows on you. Sajid-Wajid is a duo whose strong point is the melodiousness and the entertaining structure they bring to their songs. In this album too, they have focused on the melodies and that’s what has made the songs catchy, hummable and fun. The soundtrack is filmi and commercial without compromising on the basic composition, and without playing to the gallery. A little more depth in the romance would have added a new dimension to these songs though. All in all, definitely worth repeated listening!

WATCH: ‘Jabse mere dil ko uff’ from ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’

WATCH: Humse pyar kar le tu’ from ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’

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The man with many passions is all set to return to Bollywood with the sequel of the 1981 classic

After watching the reigning queen of the 70s play a courtesan in Muzaffar Ali’s beautifully-crafted Umrao Jaan, the audiences hoped to see more of the multi-talented filmmaker’s work on the big screen. However, he chose a less glamorous life in his hometown Lucknow, and whiled away his time in painting, making music and designing.

In the late 80s, Ali did ambitiously set out to make another passionate drama titled Zoonie, starring Dimple Kapadia. The film was based on the life of Habba Khatoon, the wife of the last independent king of Kashmir, Yousuf Shah Chak. But due to the sudden militancy at that time in the state, Ali’s film got shelved mid-way.

But all that is a thing of the past, according to the latest chinwag. We hear that the filmmaker is working on a new script with Javed Siddiqui (the writer of Umrao Jaan). The film is an extension of Ali’s 1981 classic hit. In an interview the writer confirmed the news: “Yes, I’m working on a script for Muzaffar saab and we will be working together after 30 years. The film is very much on the lines of a sequel to Umrao Jaan.”

Since Ali created unparalleled magic with Rekha in Umrao Jaan, he has sent out feelers to the veteran actor to make a brief appearance in the sequel of his 1981 hit film. Maybe the filmmaker can get the diva to lip sync to the modern version of Dil cheez kya from the original and have the nation go gaga all over again!

The Dabangg Khan, who is busy shooting for Ek Tha Tiger in Thailand, has managed to squeeze some time out of his hectic calendar to train Katrina Kaif

Chikni Chameli aka Katrina Kaif is gearing up to kick the butt of none other than Aamir Khan in Dhoom 3. Aamir is playing a super villain in Yash Raj Films’ much awaited action venture that will dish out a never-seen-before fight sequence. We hear that Aamir will start taking up strenuous training for this fist-to-fist combat with the beautiful actor. And to make Katrina ready for these demanding action scenes, former beau Salman Khan has left no stone unturned.

We hear that the Bodyguard man,who is busy shooting for Ek Tha Tiger in Thailand, has managed to train co-star Katrina. A little birdie informed us that Salman was only going to give Kat fitness tips, but later changed his mind when he saw her unquestionable dedication. The 46-year-old actor finally decided to train Kat himself for Dhoom 3.

With Salman being Katrina’s trainer, Aamir is going to get some nasty punches in the film. Will Mr Perfectionist be ready for the battle?

Shakun Batra recently confessed in an interview that he’s literally hounding people for work. And we are sure, after directing Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor right in his first film, the last thing Shakun expected was that he had to go knocking on people’s doors for work. Seems like having a hit film on your resume and being Karan Johar’s protégé isn’t enough to sustain you in a place like Bollywood and Shakun has realised this.

So what’s the talented 29-year-old doing these days? It seems he’s paying heed to mentor Karan Johar’s precious pearls of wisdom. KJo has asked Batra to strike the iron when it’s hot and keep his eyes open for his next project. Although Karan hasn’t taken any real initiative in giving a much needed push to the rookie’s career, he has been quite generous when it comes to doling out advice. So now that Mr Johar has left Shakun to his fate, we wonder what’s next on this young director’s agenda. We wait and watch!

After a few initial hiccups, the ‘Chammak challo’ babe will finally be seen sharing screen space with the serial kisser

The last time Kareena Kapoor rejected a Karan Johar film, she got into his bad books, and Preity Zinta walked away with all the accolades for Kal Ho Na Ho. Years later, the two kissed and made up on Karan’s talk show Koffee With Karan. It seems dear Bebo has learned from her mistakes and will not turn down a KJo film, even if it means that she has to work with somebody who wasn’t a Khan.

Recently Kareena said that she couldn’t imagine being in a film that didn’t have one of the top three Khans in it, which is why we weren’t surprised when we heard that she had said no to Karan’s thriller opposite Emraan Hashmi, quoting date reasons. Next we found out that Karan went to Deepika Padukone with the offer, and that she agreed to do it immediately. The new twist in the tale is that the ‘Chammak challo’ babe has found her way back into this project. Reminds you a bit of the Heroine story, no?

We wonder what made Ms Kapoor change her mind – is it Emraan’s growing clout at the BO or was KK afraid of being booted out of Dharma Productions’ office for good? We are yet to find out what exactly is happening, and Mr Johar is too busy with Student Of The Year to comment on it. We hope this isn’t a false alarm and that some official source puts an end to this confusion.

ALSO READ: Kareena Kapoor and Ranveer Singh to romance to 11 songs in ‘Ram Leela’

Deepika Padukone steps into Kareena Kapoor’s shoes

The curvaceous Kahaani beauty was asked to comment on the two starlets doing Bengali and Kannada remakes of her super-successful film, The Dirty Picture. Guess whom she voted for!

If you thought Vidya Balan was being straightforward during the promotions of The Dirty Picture only because her character in the film was that way, well, you got it right. Just the other day Vidya was quizzed about what she thought of Rakhi Sawant and Veena Malik starring in the Bengali and Kannada versions of The Dirty Picture respectively. The Kahaani actor proved that unlike Silk she prefers diplomatic answers to speaking her mind. Vidya, we hear, said that she is sure Rakhi will be “superb”. She has seen Rakhi’s earlier work and thinks that the item gal will definitely make the film entertaining. And this seemed spot on, since that is the character, after all – entertainment, entertainment, entertainment!

If that wasn’t too safe an answer for Vidya, she took the other more clichéd route for Veena. She claimed she hasn’t seen Veena’s earlier works and hence could not comment on the Pakistani import’s suitability. We wonder though if Vidya is truly as blasé about other actors revisiting her role as she claims to be. Or whether she has taken the saying ‘imitation is the best form of flattery’ to heart.

But the ex-lovers-turned-good-friends aren’t whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears any more

Our li’l birdie, who knows people who know people who are working days and nights on the sets of Yash Raj Films’ Ek Tha Tiger in Bangkok, told us that the former couple Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif still make an adorable pair even off screen. As soon as the arc lights are switched off, the ex-lovers-turned-good-friends hang out together.

But all those who wish to see Sallu-Kat reunite as lovers in real life too, hold your Hayabusas. That isn’t happening, not for now, at least. The thing is, the gorgeous leading lady, with her action role in Dhoom 3 (a Yash Raj Film opposite Aamir Khan), has developed a sudden interest in fitness. So the latest work-out addict is always taking tips on the different kinds of push-ups, crunches, lunges, squats and what-have-you from the original star with six-pack abs. Meanwhile, Sallu’s mighty pleased with Kat’s dedication to fitness.

In return for the work-out tips the Ek Tha Tiger leading lady behaves like a family member with Salman on the international shoot. She is always checking that her co-star is hale and hearty and isn’t under any strain ‘coz of the facial nerve disorder. Isn’t that sweet?

However, we wonder how Ranbir Kapoor is reacting to the new found affection between his rumoured flame Kat and her former boyfriend Sallu! Or maybe he is too busy canning romantic shots with ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone in the scorching heat of Udaipur for Yeh Jawani Hain Deewani to pay heed to anything. We wonder…

After showcasing her not-so-polite side to the whole wide world by engaging in a never-ending string of fights on Bigg Boss 5, Pooja Misrra, we thought, had gone into hiding. The belligerent babe has now come out of hibernation, totally revamped!

This is Pooja Misrra, ladies and gentleman! The bespectacled babe of Bigg Boss 5 who would jump at every opportunity to pick up a fight only to take it to its logical conclusion…the next fight, that is!

The aggressive gal has been missing in action of late. We did not see much of her infamous explosions and anger bouts after her exit from the reality show, though we expected an ad commercial or two showcasing Pooja, perhaps throwing one of her famous tantrums. But now the belligerent gal has undergone a total metamorphosis.

We spotted Pooja on the cover of Enlighten India magazine. The Misrra gal slipped into a fluffy white frock to pose in. Though her torso doesn’t look relaxed in that white corset, we bet Pooja squeezed herself (quite aggressively) to look polite in that outfit. Nevertheless, if this makes Pooja happy and calms her fiery nerves, we are all for it. May peace prevail on Earth!

The veteran actor-dancer will receive the lifetime achievement award while the filmmaker will get the outstanding contribution honour

Veteran actor Zohra Segal, who turned 100 last month, and filmmaker Ramesh Sippy will be honoured for their outstanding contribution to Indian cinema at the 13th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards ceremony to be held in Singapore next month. Sippy will be conferred for his outstanding contribution to films. He said in a statement, “I am truly honoured that my work has been recognised on an international platform.” He is known for blockbusters like Sholay and Seeta Aur Geeta.

Zohra, who celebrated her 100th birthday on April 27, is an acclaimed dancer and actor, and has had a prolific career in theatre, film and dance. She will receive the special award for contribution to 100 years of Indian cinema, for her large body of work, and the impact she has had on the industry.

“Nothing gives us more pleasure than to honour these incredible individuals, who have dedicated their life to the progress of Indian cinema and the passion with which they entertain people across the globe,” said Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd. “It is through their work that the Indian film industry has grown and we are honoured to be able to recognise their efforts,” he added.

The three-day cine event, to be held June 7-9 in Singapore, will feature fashion shows and a musical extravaganza, with all celebrations culminating into a glittering awards presentation ceremony.

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South and Bollywood babe Trisha Krishnan has earned the ire of the online community and cricket lovers of Chennai

The actor was spotted in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp during the final match of Indian Premier League (IPL) in Chennai on Sunday nightTrisha Krishnan who was last seen in Dammu opposite STR was seen cheering for Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the finals of the IPL match.  But this not go down too well wish her fans.  They took to the internet and posted hate messages against the actor. But Trisha kept her cool and responded, saying, “Don’t make it a big issue. I will always support only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but I have some KKR friends too. Let us have a large heart ‘n’ be happy for others.”

Trisha is a great lover of cricket, and Sachin Tendulkar is her favourite batsman. Recently, an insurance company gifted her a bat personally signed by the master blaster and this gesture put the actor on cloud nine.

The Agneepath director finally agrees that the leading lady of his debut film deserved better

Karan Malhotra’s Hrithik Roshan-Priyanka Chopra-starrer Agneepath was one of the biggest hits of this year, one that crossed the Rs.100cr mark. Though the film was appreciated by the critics and the masses, everyone had raised eyebrows over leading lady Priyanka’s role not being half as power-packed as that of Hrithik or Sanjay Dutt. Some even said that Katrina Kaif’s item number got more eyeballs than Piggy Chops’ screen-time in the film.

The fact that PeeCee dies in the movie was also not appreciated by her fans. Months after the release, Malhotra finally admitted that his leading lady deserved better. In a recent interview he said, “Yes, Priyanka deserved a much bigger role. I wish I could’ve given her a bigger role. It was extremely kind of her to agree to do it. She knew it was a male-dominated film. But I wouldn’t agree if someone said that the role was half-baked.” Wethinks it is too late in the day to realise something so obvious and we hope that Karan – Malhotra and his producer Karan Johar – makes up for this with a powerful, woman-centric film where Piggy darling will get to showcase her acting chops. Don’t you agree?

ALSO READ: Should Parineeti Chopra take style tips from Priyanka Chopra?

Click to read the entire winners’ list of NYIFF 2012

The 12th New York Indian Film Festival announced its winners for 2012 at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Arts. The festival was held from May 23-27 at Tribeca Cinemas, Lower Manhattan. Director Rajan Khosa’s much-talked about film Gattu won the top honour of Best Film. Mohammad Samad, the child artiste in Gattu, won Best Young Actor, while Best Director went to Sujay Dahake for Marathi film Shala (School).

Academy Award-winning film Saving Face, co-directed by Daniel Junge and Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, took home the Best Documentary Film honour. Nawazuddin Siddiqui won Best Actor for Dekh Indian Circus and his co-star Tannishtha Chatterjee won Best Actress. Find the full winners’ list below.

12th New York Indian Film Festival winners list:

- Best Film: Gattu (directed by Rajan Khosa)

- Best Documentary Film: Saving Face (directed by Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy)

- Best Director: Sujay Dahake for Shala

- Best Actor: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Dekh Indian Circus (directed by Mangesh Hadawale)

- Best Actress: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Dekh Indian Circus

- Best Young Actor: Mohammad Samad for Gattu

- Best Screenplay: Avinash Deshpande for Shala

- Best Short Film: Bombay Snow (directed by Chinmay Dalvi)

- Audience Award: Let’s Be Out, The Sun Is Shining (directed by Bornilla Chatterjee)

- One-Minute Cell Phone Film Award: Love Lost (directed by Caroline Cantone)

- Special Contribution to Indian Cinema: Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh

- Lifetime Achievement Award: Filmmaker Shyam Benegal.

Anurag Kashyap and his team landed in NY late from Cannes for the screening of their film, Gangs of Wasseypur, which was being screened for the closing night. Hence, only the first part of the film could be showcased.

ALSO SEE: Cannes 2012 coverage

The first look of Ashwani Dhir’s next film packs a punch

The first look of the Ajay Devgn-Sanjay Dutt-starrer Son Of Sardaar is out and it seems that the makers have spent a bomb on the advertisements. This comic caper about vengeance is a Diwali release and also stars Sonakshi Sinha and Juhi Chawla. Director Ashwani Dhir’s previous outing, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge was well received at the BO, but this time around the stakes are very high.

The biggest challenge for Son Of Sardar is that it will be crossing swords with Yash Chopra’s comeback film – the Shahrukh Khan-Katrina Kaif-starrer – and Akshay Kumar’s home-production Khiladi 786. Probably that is the reason why the publicity of SOS has already begun. We were impressed by its digital poster; it looked almost like a teaser, unlike the unimaginative digital posters of Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan and Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger. It will be a war at the BO this Diwali and we are eagerly waiting to watch every release. Which film are you waiting for?

ALSO READ: BOL BACHCHAN digital poster: Unimaginative!

SHIRIN FARHAD KI TOH NIKAL PADI poster: Farah Khan and Boman Irani make a cute couple!

Ajay Devgn sings with Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan

The actor disappointed his admirers when he failed to board the open-top bus for the victory ride, but more than made up for it with his antics at the cricket ground

It’s been parties galore for Shahrukh Khan after his team Kolkata Knight Riders won the Indian Premier League 5 on Sunday night, but that hasn’t dampened his energy a bit. The actor performed impromptu jigs for a 60,000-odd crowd of fans at Eden Gardens this afternoon (May 29). SRK was joined by the team’s co-owner Juhi Chawla, KKR captain Gautam Gambhir, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other eager politicians on a makeshift dais to celebrate KKR’s first win. All the players were gifted gold chains with the inscription ‘Bengal Loves You’, and were fed cake made with the traditional Bengali sweet, sandesh. Considering the antics SRK performed when KKR entered the final and immediately after they won at Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, this was a considerably mellowed down way to declare his joy. What made us groan was Juhi touching Mamata’s feet – c’mon, that’s a bit too much!

Shahrukh, with his sheer personality overshadowed the true heroes – the team members of Kolkata Knight Riders. It’s a good thing actually that he did not ride in the open-top bus to Eden. The plan was that he and his team members would ride the victory bus from Hazra to Eden Gardens. More than fifty thousand people lined the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketer and the Bollywood superstar. While Gautam Gambhir, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Manoj Tiwari obliged by riding the bus and acknowledging the crowds, Shahrukh Khan chose not to do so. Maybe it was too huge a security risk for him to take. Or perhaps he just didn’t want to brave the Kolkata heat. Whatever the reason may be, we are glad that at least for a short time the true heroes could enjoy their well-deserved limelight.

Khan surfaced outside the state secretariat where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to felicitate the team. He hugged the chief minister, and held aloft the Indian Premier League champions trophy. Earlier, thousands thronged the Ashutosh Mukherjee Road to witness the victory parade of KKR though most of them had come to see the Badshah of Bollywood. Local councilors had put up a stage at the Jadubabu Bazar, south of the city, to felicitate the KKR players and Khan but his absence of took away all their enthusiasm. To add to their woes, a part of the stage collapsed causing minor injuries to a few. As the police did not allow the convoy to stop, the councilors threw the flower bouquets towards the players.

The Knight Riders, led by skipper Gautam Gambhir, waved frantically atop a trailer. “It is a consolation to see Gambhir and his team. We had come here to see Shahrukh. We now feel like fools after braving the sun for so long,” said a teenager who had been chanting the cinestar’s name in anticipation.

Anil Kapoor’s elusive brother, who disappeared from the big screen after his very short stint in Hindi movies, was recently spotted by the shutterbugs. And must say, he looked dewy fresh. Now is that a result of sitting at home for long periods of time, dear Sanjay?

Photos: Yogen Shah

A princely looking Arjun Rampal sashayed down the red carpet at Cannes in a Rohit Bal creation, leaving us awestruck

Till a few days ago, Arjun Rampal was extremely confused about what to wear at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival. And after a lot of hemming and hawing, he chose to don close friend’s Rohit Bal’s creation. We are mighty impressed with Arjun’s fashion statement at the festival and we think he looks hot in Jodhpur pants, which he teamed up with a stylish bandhgala jacket. His moustache and those pointy shoes complement his cool royal look, and with beautiful Mehr by his side, the actor looks no less than a handsome prince strutting around with his princess. Mehr looks gorgeous in an orange floor-length gown.

Arjun has come a long way – from walking the ramp to walking the red carpet. A successful model at one time, Rampal couldn’t resist the temptation of tinsel town. He decided to take the plunge and started his acting career with Ashok Mehta’s Moksh. Trashed by critics for his wooden expressions and substandard thespian skills, Rampal continued his struggle and nothing could alter his determination to make it in Bollywood; not even all the criticism. Over the years there hasn’t been any significant improvement in the way the actor expresses himself onscreen, but he still remains one of the most sought-after faces. And as he makes an appearance at this prestigious film festival as the brand ambassador of a liquor brand, wethinks it’s his charm and determination that has brought him to this coveted platform today. What do you think?

Photos: Yogen Shah

Photos: Yogen Shah

Mollywood star Meera Jasmine is irked at reports in certain sections of the media which claimed that she had married long time boyfriend Mandolin Rajesh

Buzz is Meera Jasmine who was last seen in Telugu film Moksha married Mandolin Rajesh, who is a popular musician, in a hush hush wedding ceremony recently.“There is no need for Meera to have a secret wedding. Rajesh doesn’t want that either. When they tie the knot, they will announce it openly and it won’t be a secret,” say circles close to the actor. They add: “She feels bad that the media often carries false reports about her without checking the facts. Her marriage will take place with blessing of elders from both the families.”

Meera, who started her career with  Soothradharan, a Malayalam film. She debuted in Kollywood with Run opposite Madhavan, was last seen in Mambattiyan opposite Prashanth. Some of her memorable movies are Geethai, Anjaneya and Sandaikozhi.

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Meera Jasmine in trouble