Big B visits Shashi Kapoor in hospital

The 70's charmer Shashi Kapoor, who has been hospitalised for a while now, had a surprise visitor.

TOI spotted Amitabh Bachchan walking into the hospital to meet him. Big B spent half an hour talking to him and lent a patient ear to Shashi. Amitabh and Shashi were a winning team through the 70s--when they did unforgettable films like Deewar, Trishul, Imaan Dharam and Suhaag.

Both actors care deeply for each other. Shashi, doctors maintain, is suffering from age related problems and refuse to give details on his condition. However, the yesteryear superstar has had very few visitors from the industry. Amitabh, onlookers say, was pained seeing Shashi in such a condition and when he walked out people saw his eyes moist.

Aamir, SRK, Sallu keep controversies alive

Things may have been dull at the box office with big budget films like Kites, Raavan and Guzaarish falling flat one after the other but Bollywood stars and their 'politically incorrect' ways more than made up for the lack of spice onscreen in 2010.

The major film controversies revolved around the three Khans —Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman— and their releases. Aamir's Rancho act in Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots brought audience affection but the film's box office triumph saw the producers and writer Chetan Bhagat fighting over credits. Chetan was upset that his name was given in the last credits while Hirani said the film was partially inspired from the book and the writer had approved everything. Aamir jumped in the ring by calling Bhagat a liar while producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra locked horns with media telling the journalists to 'shut up' when questioned on the controversy only to apologise later. As if 3 Idiots was not enough, Aamir's production Peepli Live was also embroiled in a similar row.

Director Anusha Rizvi and her husband separated themselves from the project over differences with Aamir on credit and promotions. Aamir, who has a reputation of being too interfering as a producer, had also famously fallen out with Amol Gupte during the making of Taare Zameen Par. After his airport detention incident in the US, Shah Rukh continued to dominate headlines. He earned the ire of the Shiv Sena, which threatened to stall the release of the movie after the actor refused to apologise for his comments supporting the inclusion of Pakistani players in IPL.

The issue had the whole industry divided. Many stars including SRK's arch rival Salman came out in the actor's support and commended him for not bowing down to the illogical political pressure but Amitabh Bachchan drew a flak for keeping mum. Salman was another star who was caught with the 'foot- in-the-mouth syndrome' during the release of Dabangg by saying that Pakistan should not be blamed for 26/11 attacks. Salman reportedly told a Pakistani news channel the attacks were a security failure and Pakistan should not be blamed for it but after political parties raised a storm, he apologised.

Deepika, Mallya off to London

Deepika Padukone and her alleged boyfriend, Sidhartha Mallya, packed their bags for a romantic gateaway to London to bring in the New Year.

We hear that Dips and Sidhartha have chalked out a full-fledged plan on what all they want to do this vacation. Right from shopping to partying to bonding with friends in London, Sidhartha and the sexy heroine have their hands full. We also hear that they have plans to tour the countryside.

Looks like the two have a reason to celebrate. For Deepika, with two back to back box office upsets, she would need time to rejuvinate and start the year afresh given the industry has put so much hope on her as the next big thing in Bollywood.

Salman gets advance b'day gift from Kat

Now this is news! When everybody is speculating whether there is a strain in the friendship between Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif especially after it was reported that the macho Bollywood actor's digs about Ranbir Kapoor did not go down too well with Kat, TOI spotted Sallu's ex-flame paying him a visit on Saturday night.

Kat drove into Salman's Galaxy pad in Bandstand (Bandra) late evening and even stayed there for at least one-and-a-half hours bonding with him as well as his family members. We hear that she was there to wish him in advance for his brithday. Family sources tell us that Salman was very friendly with Kat and vice versa and they had a blast chatting up after ages as both were busy with their respective shooting commitments. "Kat had some food at Salman's pad and caught up on some hearty conversation.

By the way they were interacting with each other, nothing seems to be wrong between the relationship that they have been sharing. Kat continues to be close to the entire Khan family and considers Salman to be her advisor and, most importantly, a very close friend. Salman, too, is quite fond of her. They hugged each other and spent at least one hour with just each other." What's also interesting is that Salman even escorted Kat all the way to her car when she was leaving and waited at the door waving to her till her car zoomed away.

Amit Trivedi Five feet something man is sitting quietly in the lobby:

Make ups and Break ups
Rows, ruckus and brawls, the year saw all of that and then some more. Some made news for their public spats or hidden hostilities and others made a show while they hugged, kissed and made up. Whether it was the brash face-off between Dolly Bindra and Shweta Tiwari on "Bigg Boss 4" or the brewing controversies on "Koffee with Karan 3", there was never a time without scrimmage.
This year hurled a surprise for all the film buffs as Bollywood biggies and erstwhile BFFs Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan fell apart following a rift over the casting of Akshay Kumar in "Tees Mar Khan".

The rivalry between Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra resurfaced yet again as the leading ladies hit out at each other on "KWK 3". But all seems well now after the two ladies hugged each other on stage at Mumbai Police Mela. Rishi Kapoor and Karan Johar also came to loggerheads over the episode with Deepika and Sonam when the girls churned out comments on the philandering ways of Ranbir Kapoor.

Another buzz that brought about many smiles was the apparent patch up between T-Town biggies Chiranjeevi and Mohan Babu. The strained relations between Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan has been repaired. Salman also reportedly broke up with on-off girlfriend Katrina Kaif, while Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia also called it quits earlier in the year.

Sport on
Our sports stars were at their scintillating best this year. Sachin's 50 tons in Test cricket; Gagan Narang becoming the first Indian to qualify for the 2012 Olympics coupled with his career best of four golds at the Common Wealth Games and two silver at the Asian Games; Pankaj Advani becoming World Professional Billiards Champion and winning gold at the Asiad and Saina Nehwal, the only Indian shuttler to have reached No. 2 spot in world ranking have been the high points of the year. It was a very special year for Saina having been awarded the Padmashree in January and the Khel Ratna in August.Status unclear: Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra had barely rekindled their romance there's fresh news about the cracks in that relationship.

Rah- Mania
AR Rahman's fans went into a dizzy overdrive as the maestro scooped a double whammy at the 52nd Grammy Awards for his music in "Slumdog Millionaire" this year. But the accolades faded as his Common-wealth Games theme song, "Swagatham" which he scored for a whopping `5 crore was a big letdown.

What an item!
Some latka-jhatkas, some cool naach and yes...a little bit of controversy was the recipe behind the rocking item songs of the year. While 'Munni Badnam Hui' got audiences drooling, it also had its share of controveries (the song was alleged to be a rip-off of a Pakistani qawali from a 1992 film, there were also claims that it was a copy of the Bhojpuri number "Launda badnam" and a balm company even wanted the producers to pay damages for using their brand name in the song without prior permission); while a sexy and trimmer Katrina's moves and grooves in 'Sheila Ki Jawani' got enough eyeballs from the moment the promos came on air. The latest is: PILs have been filed against both songs for violating the basic norms of decency. The debate continues!

Come back
superstars
The year 2010 saw Prince Mahesh Babu's return with "Khaleja" and Pawan Kalyan with "Puli", the films got talked about more for their title controversies than their performance at the BO. Overnight the reclusive Mahesh became accessible and visible all over town with his multiple appearances to promote the film and endorse a leading garment brand.

They are taken!
T-town's eligible bachelors broke a lot of nubile hearts and found their perfect soulmates this year - NTR Junior is slated to tie the nuptial knot with family friend Lakshmi Praneetha and Allu Arjun got engaged with Sneha Reddy at a hush-hush ceremony. Adding grist to the rumor mills was news of Ram Charan Tej's reported engagement with Upasana Kamineni which he denied eventually.

Shaadi Story
This year led us to all sorts of conjugal ceremonies. From the bride's trousseau to the couple's honeymoon destination, everything made news. Among all the shaadi stories, one that stood out for controversies was the Sania- Shoaib nikah. Amidst ayes and nays and much mud slinging, the marriage finally took place drawing attention towards even minutest of the allegations and counter allegations.
Russel Brand-Katy Perry's marriage was also followed closely as the couple tied the knot in Ranthambore in a traditional Hindu wedding. Among other weddings that got the nation hooked were the Vivek Oberoi-Priyanka Alva's which made news for all it's hungama and jamboree, its band, baaja and baraat. While Vivek's wedding made waves right from its first ritual, the wedding of the Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's secret and low-profile marriage with Sakshi Singh Rawat got the fans and media in a dizzy stir.

Among the notable engagements were those of Mahesh Bhupathi with the Bollywood beauty Lara Dutta, and Imran Khan's with long time girlfriend Avantika Malik.

Movies that rocked
If you find yourself humming to the tunes of 'Hud Hud Dabangg' even now, don't blame yourself. The song was catchy and the film was even more infectious. With a scorching run on the box office, catchy dialogues and oodles of masala, "Dabangg" surely broke all the records. Another movie that created much buzz and even more number of Rajnikanthisms (jokes depicting Rajnikanth as a man of extraordinary and supernatural powers) was "Robot". The movie made on a budget of `150 crore once again wooed and wowed Rajni's fans who poured out in large numbers to watch the superstar's big budget movie.

Apart from the above two names, "Peepli Live" has also been in limelight not just for its oozing comic satire but also for its controversies. All said and done, it is India's entry to the Academy Awards in the best Foreign Film Category. In Tollywood while "Leader" and "Ye Maya Chesave" bought the much-needed respite to a year replete with commercial flops, "Prasthanam" and "Vedam" garnered critical acclaim for their offbeat themes.

Shows that stirred
Indian television had its share of hungama. Early in the year, shows like "Emotional Atyachaar" faced the ire of the I&B ministry when they were issued notices for their explicit content. The incident repeated itself when the shows "Bigg Boss" and "Rakhi Ka Insaaf" had to change their time slots to 11 pm, following protests and notices from the ministry.

From Pamela Anderson's visit to the onscreen coziness between Veena Malik and Ashmit Patel, from Sara Khan's controversial wedlock with Ali Merchant to Dolly Bindra's brashness, "Big Boss" has managed to generate more and more controversies with every passing week, even if the TRPs haven't exactly sky-rocketed in inverse proportion. "KWK" too grabbed eyeballs whether it was Kareena and Priyanka's verbal duel or Deepika's wish to gift Ranbir "a pack of condoms". While Madhuri Dixit's entry with "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 4" made her fans happy, Big B's charisma got his fans glued to KBC-4 too and changed the channel's fortunes too.

Crossovers
Telugu films have made their presence in Bollywood. B-Town biggies were in a tussle to shop for the remake rights of "Kick" and "Ready", while waiting to be remade are "Arundhati" , "Don Seenu" and "Magadheera" to name some. B-town blockbusters that are getting a Tollywood makeover are "Love Aaj Kal" and "3 Idiots". This was also a year when the southern stars took their all-important first bow in Bollytown - Trisha in "Khatta Meetha", Suriya in "Rakth Charitra 2" and Priyamani in "Raavan

"I am inspired by Hans Zimmer, Rahman & James Newton Howard" - Amit Trivedi

Five feet something man is sitting quietly in the lobby area where Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan were to attend their video interviews. As I finish my meeting with Vidya, I head to the first floor lobby for some unfinished business when my eyes catch an attention of a man facing his back, sitting quietly on the couch kept near the glass door of the grand balcony. I lean forward and see a man in spectacles fiddling with a music CD. The film's PR was seated opposite him. We exchange eye contact and she is seen whispering in the man's ear. He turns and smiles. My first meeting with India's finest after A.R Rahman, Amit Trivedi. AR and AT have a lot in common. They speak less, listen more and entertain us the most with their unusual but lovable soundtracks. Amit Trivedi is a revolutionary when it comes to scoring music for Hindi films, surprising when you come to know that he is only six films old. It's a pun when I say that Trivedi doesn't play instruments, he plays ideas but that's what reflects in his songs and background scores. Aamir, Dev D, Wake Up Sid, Aisha and his recent, No One Killed Jessica is a prime example of his striking balance in the songs, a sense of fragility blended with ominous, nearly sinister overtones. But it's not just the songs that he is bothered about. As an ardent fan of background scores, I firmly buy the conviction of Amit Trivedi when he quotes, "These days scores were more likely to be written by keyboard players with computer skills learned at film schools rather than composers trained at music college". UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent meets India's finest, most innovative and probably, in the near future, the only man who might be Oscar worthy - Amit Trivedi.

Amanda Seyfried Returning To 'Big Love' for Finale

HBO/Courtesy Everett Collection

The actress shoots a special appearance for the HBO hit's last episode.

Amanda Seyfried has established herself as a movie leading lady but  she will be making her small screen return for the final episode of the Big Love's five-season run.

our editor recommends

For four seasons, Seyfried played Sarah, the eldest daughter of polygamist Bill (Bill Paxton) and Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn). At the end of season four, her character ran off with her husband Scott Quittman.
Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul will also return for the finale to reprise his role as Quittman.
"Both Amanda and Paul really wanted to be a part of the last episode, even though they were both shooting movies," co-creator Will Scheffer tol.
The episode was shot in mid-December and will air in March.
His partner Mark Olsen added, "It was special. Literally and figuratively it was a family getting back together."
Season five is set to premiere J

Angry Reaction as Theater Critics Cross the Line on 'Spider-Man'

Jacob Cohl

Bloomberg News and Newsday reviewers file reports long before the February opening, breaking longstanding agreement.

This past weekend theater insiders were surprised when two critics, Jeremy Gerard of Bloomberg News and Linda Winer of Newsday, crossed an unspoken line and published their takes on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, more than five weeks before opening night on February 7th.
The result has not pleased representatives for the troubled production.
"For a major critic to review a Broadway musical, or play for that matter, after only the twentieth preview, is disappointing and uncalled for,” Spider-Man’s spokesperson, press agent Rick Miramontez said in a written statement to The Hollywood Reporter. 
“Whatever reason the critic or their editor may have, it does not mask the fact that for decades, musicals have developed in front of paying audiences before critics are INVITED," he added. "While we are certainly not naive about the media scrutiny attached to this production, as we have been accommodating throughout, this unprecedented new development is troubling, to say the least."
Winer’s piece in Newsday on Christmas acknowledged that she “broke Broadway’s gentleperson’s agreement,” by purchasing a ticket for a preview.
The common practice on Broadway is to invite critics to one of several “critic’s previews” right before opening once the producers and creative team have deemed the show finished.  Their reviews are embargoed until after the curtain falls on opening night.
But Winer wrote that with all the news about the show -- the opening delayed for the fourth time and audiences buying full price tickets for previews, -- “it seems that critics are now the only interested parties who can’t see the bride before the wedding.”
Her piece was less a review than a report, though she did acknowledge that the show’s vaunted flying effects are “exciting and scary, in a circus way,”  and that director Julie Taymor was “said to be making much-needed changes to the meandering book, especially in the weak second act.” The rest of the criticism came from audience members Winer interviewed, one of whom complained the music was “weak” and another who said she “didn’t think this is theater for adults.”

Bloomberg's Gerard wrote a full-out review, although he acknowledged that this was an “interim report” and fully intends to re-review the show and publish it the day after Spider-Man opens.  Like Winer, Gerard purchased a ticket (one of the $292.50 “premium’ seats in the orchestra).
He praised the sets, lighting and choreography, acknowledged the short-lived thrill of some of the flying effects, but came down hard on the show itself: “an unfocused hodge-podge of story-telling, myth-making and spectacle that comes up short in every department.  Can it be saved?  Ask me on Feb. 8.”

Reached by phone, Gerard explained his decision to “breach the compact” that critics hold off on seeing a show and publishing their opinions until asked by the producers.  He explains that “in the past, previews were given for a limited time and tickets were discounted pretty heavily.” But, in the case of Spider-Man, the ads don’t acknowledge the show is a work-in-progress and most theatergoers are paying full price.
“My own feeling,” he says, “is that when they postponed from December to January to, now February, asking critics to wait was just too much.  I had an obligation to the readers to get involved in the conversation.”  He adds that with his review “you’re getting more than gossip, more than a hospital report, more than a ga-ga report about the flying.”

Gerard, who has covered theater for the New York Times, Variety and New York Magazine, as well as Bloomberg, points out that there are several precedents.  When shows tried out regularly on the road, critics like Richard Coe in the Washington Post and Elliot Norton in several Boston newspapers reviewed unfinished products and “were proud to be part of the process.”
And a couple of Broadway shows with unusually lengthy preview periods, Nick & Nora (1991, 71 previews) and Sarava (1979, 39 previews), were reviewed by critics before they officially opened.  While Gerard doesn’t see his interim review of Spider-Man as the start of a trend, he doesn’t discount the possibility of doing something similar in the future should circumstances warrant it.
 “I’m comfortable in doing the responsible thing,” he says.   “It’s a show there’s great interest in.

Online Critics Swoon for 'Swan,' Diss 'King,' Dodge 'Fighter

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Just as Oscar ballots go out, the Online Film Critics Society does its best for Black Swan (seven noms) and The Social Network (six noms), a bit less for The King's Speech and The Fighter.
Though the Onliners bowed to the Oscar inevitable -- nominating actors Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Melissa Leo and Christian Bale (and also the non-inevitable King's Speech writer David Seidler and the highly possible but non-inevitable The Fighter supporting actress Amy Adams) -- they pointedly left both The King's Speech and The Fighter off the best picture list. They may not pack a wallop with AMPAS voters, but just when The Fighter's hopes were heating up and The King's Speech was losing mindshare to The Social Network, the omission has got to sting just a little. Especially since Network got noms for best film, director, actor, editing, supporting actor (often-overlooked Andrew Garfield) and adapted screenplay (never-overlooked Aaron Sorkin).
Winners will be announced Jan. 3. Here are the nominees:
Best Picture
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Best Lead Actor
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Edgar Ramírez, Carlos
Best Lead Actress
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Kim Hye-ja, Mother
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Best Original Screenplay
Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin, Black Swan
Noah Baumbach, Greenberg
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King's Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay
Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, Winter's Bone
Best Cinematography
Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, 127 Hours
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Wally Pfister, Inception
Robert Richardson, Shutter Island
Roger Deakins, True Grit
Best Editing
Jon Harris, 127 Hours
Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan
Lee Smith, Inception
Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall, The Social Network
Best Animated Feature
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
Best Film Not in the English Language
Carlos
Dogtooth
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Mother
A Prophet
Best Documentary
Catfish
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
Waiting for "Superman

Ash and Sallu To Work Together Again?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her ex-flame Salman Khan are said to be reviving their old lost love on-screen. Although Aishwarya Rai had sworn in public that she is never going to work again with Sallu, she is reconsidering her decision now.Priyadarshan is said to have wished to cast Ash and Sallu together for his forthcoming film. Ash who is a thorough professional is wondering whether she should give a nod to this project. In the film, Salman wouldnt be romancing Aishwarya but they will share a few scenes together. Salman’s role would be just a cameo.
Salman Khan has apparently told Priyadarshan that he will let him know his decision only after Aishwarya gives her verdict.
Lets see… what happens.

Gauri Attends Sohail’s Birthday Bash

We know that both the superstars have not been on talking terms for so long now (since 2002 I suppose). But, the diplomatic relationship between the two seems to be alright (the reason why Sallu appeared in Om Shanti Om).
And now, it looks like even Gauri Khan is trying to patch up the relationship between the two. Well, don’t know if it was a diplomatic mission, but Gauri was at the birthday bash of Sohail Khan on Malaika’s invitation.
Gauri and Malaika (Arbaaz Khan’s wife) are good friends, the reason why the former decided to show up. And guess, what? The party went on smoothly with no issues whatsoever from Salman’s side.
Looks like this diplomatic mission could work! Fingers crossed

Salman Khan to retire from Bollywood?

Rumors are doing rounds that Salman Khan is planning to put an end to his acting career, and plans to settle down with his ladylove far away from noisy and blaring Mumbai.
Sallu Miya has already scheduled his wedding for 2010 and is currently hunting for a home in Dubai.

A source says, “Last month, Salman Khan launched the Hydra Twin Towers project at Jumeirah Village. The actor came away highly impressed with the facilities offered at the project, which is in the heart of Dubai. It is expected to be complete by early 2010. He found the property interesting as it has spacious car parks, shops, spas, gyms, and luxury cafes and restaurants — all designed for luxurious living, in tranquility and comfort.”

But I wonder if Katrina will be ready to give up her Bollywood career, especially after 9 back-to-back hits.
What do you think guys does she love him enough to give her career?

Salman Khan Is Unromantic Says Katrina Kaif

As they get ready for the release of their forthcoming film Yuvraaj, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif gave their first joint interview and answered questions about their love life for the first time.When Katrina was asked whether Salman was a very romantic boyfriend and she promptly replied,

“No. He is not romantic at all. He keeps it all for the screen.”

This will be their first serious romance and Katrina confesses that their ideas of romance are very different from each others’.

“I want to go for holidays, but he says its boring to be alone together. He hates candlelight dinners. He wants his food to be ready on the table when he reaches a restaurant. He likes to be surrounded by people.”

Katrina also spoke about what she likes about Salman, except for the fact that he is a good looking man,

She says, “Earlier I used to think, models were drop dead lookers. But today I cherish a complete personality. But I cannot deny that Salman and I had an instant connection when we met. I thought he was a striking personality.”

Salman was asked who he thinks of as the most beautiful woman in the world and guess what he replied

Yuvraaj Spells Loss for Multiplexes

Yuvraaj after all the hype and hoopla especially around the real couple on screen turned out to be a disappointing film. Much hyped off-screen pair with their on-screen chemistry seemed dull and their performance seemed very thanda.

The film got a major thrashing from the film critics and upon that it fared below average at the box-office

Industry trade sources tell us, “The film opened to 30-40% in all the major multiplexes on Friday but the collections actually dropped down further as Sunday came. Then on Monday it went lower to a poor 20-25%. Later, as the week progressed one saw just 30-40 people patronizing its show in most of the multiplexes. At some places even in big cities, the response dwindled so low that the multiplexes were left with no option but cancel some of Yuvvraaj’s shows.”
“Salman’s last project, God Tussi Great Ho had met with almost a similar fate and it was necessary for him to deliver a hit in Yuvvraaj. But more than him it is the showman to be blamed for disappointing everybody, including Salman. It is learnt that some portions of the movie have been re-edited. But now its too late!” the source further adds.

Poor Salman – We sincerely hope with Veer he delivers a hit otherwise there a lot of fresh faces who are ready to take over him. Perhaps a few tips on Aamir Khan would help

Katrina Kaif Absent For Salman’s Birthday Bash!

Salman Khan turned 43 on 27th December and he celebrated this day very well with his buddies and colleagues. Adnan Sami, Anil Sharma, Aalim, Sajid Nadiadwala, David Dhawan, Ramesh Taurani, Vijay Galani, Mallika Sherawat, Asin and Zarine Khan where all present at the bash.
But girlfriend Katrina Kaif excused herself from the party, she was more interested in celebrating Christmas with her family back in London than Salman’s birthday bash.

A close source tells us, “Originally Katrina was supposed to come back by 27th evening for Salman’s birthday. She declined at the last moment. She’ll be staying with her family till New Year.”

On the other hand Salman seemed pretty cool without Katrina and had all the fun dancing with other Bollywood hotties like Mallika Sherawat, Asin and Zarine.

An onlooker at the party revealed, “Zarine and Salman thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Zarine is a beautiful girl and since she is an Indian, I thinkSalman could relate to her better than Katrina. The two shared a great rapport. They had a great time laughing and dancing together.”

Does this mean trouble in Sallu-Kat paradise? What do you think?

Miss Loudmouth Diya Mirza

Diya Mirza was recently invited at Sajid Khan’s chat show Sajid’s Superstars where the starlet made some very bold comments (probably it has something to do with her so called ‘bold’ makeover).In 2000, Miss Indias Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra and Dia Mirza all brought home international beauty crowns and did India proud. Sajid asked Dia as to who does she think is best of the three in Bollywood.
And Miss Loudmouth without battling an eye said ‘Me’ and she added that the collective potentials of Lara and Priyanka cannot match up to her talent.
I see… that is certainly not what your box office record tells us Ms. Mirza!

First Peak into SRK’s Om Shanti Om

Yet another Shahrukh Khan starer and a mega production is coming to light this November – it is none other than Farah Khan’s second film “Om Shanti Om”. Revisit the 70s of Bollywood with film!

Here is the synopsis of the film’s promos as circulating on net:

Noor-e-haq sham-ae-ilahi ko mita sakta hai kaun Jiska haami hai khuda usko mita sakta hai kaun
Alright, so the hardcore Urdu couplet that kick starts the promo of Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om rewinds you back to the sixties social, a la Yash Chopra’s Waqt where the poetic meaning forewarned us, as to what is going to follow. Well, it goes without saying that the premise of this hugely mounted entertainer has movies as its backdrop. Shah Rukh is a junior artiste with star-gaze as his only respite; while ravishing Deepika Padukone is the proverbial amply-endowed star of the sixties-seventies, with a smile that kisses her dimples like the dewdrops sliding on a nubile flower petal.
The dream girl is off to a premiere of her big ticket flick while love-struck SRK (in a check coat) is driven away by guards forcefully. Montages of transition follow. A convertible biggie car stops with a screech. ‘STAR’ shines on its number plate. SRK has a Filmfare award in his hand while Padukone draped in a Kanjeevram sleeveless sari dances away to glory on a big dhol (obviously it’s an ode to Sridevi of Himmatwala). Helen is not to be left behind, as totally transformed Deepika oozes out of a life like cage draped in the Monika ensemble. Phew!

SRK on his part showcases many of the characters that he has played in his career. There are traces of Raj-Rahul as he dances in a lavish party, sings the open-chested romantic duets, rides a macho bike, the blood smeared Baazigar who also dabbles in Devdas for a while. There’s a Shah Rukh Khan voiceover that takes this ninety second promo forward proclaiming adherence to escapist cinema. Yes, no bad endings for this one. “Picture abhi khatam nahin hui hai,” he says in an inebriated tone.

So what do you have to say about ‘Om Shanti Om’ first look??? Let’s hear it from you

Soha Ali Khan Joins the Bikini Race

Looks like it’s the “shed-the-good-girl’s-image” era going on. The otherwise “good girl” actress Soha Ali Khan is all set to pose in a bikini for the cover page of a magazine named Maxim. The magazine also has the credit of roping up actresses like Bipasha Basu, Mallika Sherawat, Mailika Arora and Sherlyn Chopra to pose in bikini for the magazine.
With Mum Sharmeela Tagore having done bikini scenes in her time, this is a girl who surely follows her mama’s footsteps

Bro Saif Disapproves Soha’s Bikini Pose

With the rest of the world awing at the bold and beautiful picture of the actress Soha Ali Khan, her own brother, Saif seems to be quite unhappy with his sister’s boldness. According to the reports, Saif also messaged Soha his disapproval of the actress posing in bikini for the magazine named Maxim. The sweet faced girl sported a black two piece bikini on the cover of the magazine and looked stunning.
With his skinny girlfriend dancing around in bikini in the movies, isn’t Saif being unfair to his sis??

Soha Ali Khan Scared of Driving Cars

Soha Ali Khan who proved that she is a brave girl by deciding to live on her own despite having her big brother in town has revealed that what scares her the most is driving cars.
In some films, where Soha was required to drive a car, she tactfully avoided it but she couldnt do that for Dil Kabaddi.

Soha tells us, “I am a very bad driver. In fact I get really scared if I have to drive. I never shot driving scenes in my previous films, but then for this particular shot in Dil Kabaddi I had to drive at the marine drive 7 o clock in the morning. We had made my personal driver to sit at the back seat to instruct me while I was supposed to drive. He helped me but then I was very stressed out for the shoot.”
Debutante director, Anil Senior Sharma adds, “Soha had told me she hates driving and is scared of doing that but we couldn’t avoid the scene. We had to coax her and convince her that she could do it well. I made her take eight to ten rounds just to increase her confidence before actually shooting for the scene. She did it easily but one can see the tension on her face. I must say she managed it well in the end.”

I’m curious to see her expressions in that scene.

Saif Ali Khan wants to make films for Kareena

Saif Ali Khan is back to his producing ways after a brief stint with Being Cyrus and this time he is back with Homi Adjani again.

Saif warns, “But not right away. We’ll be doing it next year. I’ll produce a film and it’s not really a period film.”

Saif explains, “It would be a period film. But it won’t feel like one. By that I mean it’d be very contemporary in terms of actions and emotions. But in order to make those actions and emotions credible the plot will be set in the past. Part of my character might have some thugi traits. But I don’t play a thug, as defined in the history books.”

The Chote Nawab makes it clear that he is gonna rope in his ladylove Kareena Kapoor for his future productions.

Saif adds, “I’d love to make films for Kareena and my sister Soha. But I don’t have to star in all my productions. See, initially the whole idea was to give myself a chance to produce films and do the roles I wasn’t being offered.”
“Now when I’m in my first three production being directed by Imtiaz Ali, Sriram Raghavan and Homi Adjania I don’t mind playing just the producer in future.”

Well let’s see if Saifoo’s other movies with Bebo make it big on the box office or are big duds like Tashan.

2010: When Indian stars went global

Bipasha describes Singularity as an epic romance of an impossible love set across two time periods and continents.

The year 2010 saw Hollywood opening its door for Indian talent in a big way with actors like Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Bipasha Basu and Irrfan Khan landing meaty assignments in the West. The biggest surprise came from Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of 'Brokeback Mountain'. Lee spent months auditioning over 3000 young men to zero in on a 17-year-old Delhi school boy Suraj Sharma to play the lead in Yann Martel's Booker-prize-winning book 'Life of Pi'.
Sharma is not the only Indian talent in the Twentieth Century Fox movie. Actor Irrfan Khan, now one of the regulars in Hollywood, will play elder Pi.
Irrfan was also part of Fox's multiple Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire', which again starred a host of Indian actors and helped them reach international heights. The actor is also in talks to play the villain in 'Spider-Man' franchise. Irrfan recently finished his role in US TV drama 'In Treatment'.
Actress Tabu, who played Irrfan's wife in Mira Nair's 'Namesake', is playing his mother in 'Pi' while 'For Real' star Adil Hussain, who also stars in Italian filmmaker Italo Spinneli's movie 'Gangor', will play her husband.
It may have been a disappointing year for Bipasha basu in Bollywood with her films 'Pankh' and 'Lamhaa' failing at the box office but the actress rounded off the year well by bagging her first Hollywood project.
The Bengali beauty will romance 'Pearl Harbor star Josh Hartnett in her first international film 'Singularity', which has been directed by 'City of Joy' filmmaker Roland Joffe. The new film will see Bipasha playing an Indian she-warrior, named Tulaja.
Apart from Bipasha, the film also stars 'Dev D' actor Abhay Deol with clutch of renowned Hollywood stars including 'Star Treck' actor Chris Pine, Bond girl Olga Kurylenko and Christopher Egan among others.
Anil Kapoor is finally reaping the benifits of 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The star, who became an internationally known face, following his turn as a mean show host in the Danny Boyle film has bagged a role opposite Tom Cruise in 'Mission Impossible 4'. The actor is reportedly playing a baddie alongside 'The Girl With Dragon Tattoo' actor Michael Nyqvist, who plays the main villain.
The fourth installment includes 'Hurt Locker' actor Jeremy Renner as Cruise's partner, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg.
Celina Jaitley did not have much to do this year in Bollywood but but the actress managed to score an international project. Jaitely will play mystical warrior princess Sheherzade in historical epic 'The Quest of Sheherzade', based on legendary '1001 Nights'.
'Hisss', Bollywood Bombshell Mallika Sherawat's second Hollywood venture after her bit role in Jackie Chan's 'Myth', failed to get audience love despite her bare-all scenes.
But the actress, who spent a year hobnobbing with Hollywood crowd, managed to nab another international project. Mallika will star in 'Love Barack', which is based on the US President Barack Obama's political campaign.
Newcomer Tina Desai, who stars with Anupam Kher in 'Yeh Faisle', could well be next Freida Pinto. The young model has landed a role opposite 'Slumdog Millionaire' actor Dev Patel in 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'.
A large portion of the film was shot in India. The movie, starring Hollywood A-listers like Julie Christie, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, and Peter O'Toole, is about a group of British senior citizens who travel to India.

Prateik Babbar gets a thumbs-up from Aamir

The hard-to-please Aamir Khan has been gushing about the young actor

Newcomer Prateik has found support from a strong quarter—the hard-to-please Aamir Khan has been gushing about the young actor. At a recent press conference in Mumbai, Khan described Prateik, his co-star in Dhobi Ghat, as “talented and very dedicated”. Prateik, on the other hand, lived up to his reputation for reticence by answering questions in a few, carefully considered words.
“I’m very grateful that I got to work on this film,” said Prateik, who had made an impact with his bit role in his first film Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na. He admitted that playing the role of a dhobi was an unconventional move, given that most newcomers expect to play romantic college boys. “I was surprised to be offered the role of a dhobi, but the script was so good that I couldn’t resist it,” he said. On his few scenes with Khan in the movie, he said, “We have about three or four scenes together. The thing about Aamir is that he’s so intense when he’s acting, that he left me hungry for more. I wanted to do more scenes with him.” Khan returned the compliment. “It was a pleasure working with Prateik,” he said. “He spent about two to three months preparing for this role; he went to the Dhobi Ghat in Mahalaxmi everyday and spent time with the people there. He’s the ideal newcomer.”
Dhobi Ghat, made on a budget of Rs 5 crore, marks the directorial debut of Khan’s wife Kiran Rao. It will be released in an all-Hindi version as well as the original version in which key scenes are in English. Khan explained, “I met a lady who said that she didn’t understand English but she would like to see the film. We decided to dub those scenes in Hindi so that the film could reach out to more people.

Salman Khan’s top 10 Superhits….

In Bollywood, the Khans have always dominated the top slot. And one of them is our daring and dashing, Salman Khan, who has emerged as the unpredictable superstar, by delivering a whopping, unrivaled box office success at regular intervals.
Talking about his super hit flicks, listed below are Salman’s Top 10 blockbusters…
Maine Pyar Kiya (1989):

Released in 1989, Salman Khan had his first commercial success with this flick. He went on to win a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. The movie not just made him the worlds heartthrob overnight, but also heavily influenced impressionable future directors like Karan Johar.
Saajan (1991):

Released in 1991, the film stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan in leading roles. This movie was another superhit for Salman Khan. Suddenly there was a barrage of ‘Saajan’ led titles and ‘love triangles’ in the Bollywood market.
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994):

This movie, forced the audience to visit theaters. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun is considered to be one of the most successful Hindi films ever. Despite minimal promotion and limited screen release, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun- celebrating Indian culture using modern production values and its lavish depictions of North Indian wedding ceremonies, went on to make box office history.
Karan Arjun, (1995)

This flick is a mix of an upbeat Bollywood musical, religious overtones and an action movie. It is one of the highest earning films of five separate years during his career, making a gross of 357,000,000 Rs at the box office ranking it as a blockbuster. For Karan Arjun, Salman gave up his usual lover-boy ways to play a strong, silent type flexing his newly beefed-up physique.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, (1999)

This film went on to become a major critical success, and earned Sallu another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. The film was a hit at the box office, becoming the third highest grossing of the Bollywood films of 1999. It also did well in the foreign box office. Salman Khan’s performance is considered as one of the best in his career.
Biwi No 1 (1999):

He cries. He lies. He cheats. And still somehow manages to be the hero of the film. A David Dhawan’s flick having Salman play the lovable bad boy with such tickling energy, it’s hard to stay unimpressed.
Tere Naam (2003):

The new millennium wasn’t all that memorable for the actor as he was drowned in controversies. Yet this difficult and dry spell finally came to an end with his dramatic portrayal of Radhe Mohan in Satish Kaushik’s Tere Naam. The film was a major earner and his performance was praised by critics, with film critic Taran Adarsh noting, “Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..”.
Partner (2007)

David Dhawan’s favourite boys came together in Partner which opened to a positive response. The film did extremely well in Rajasthan where it broke several records. According to box office India, it was the first blockbuster of Bollywood in the year 2007. It grossed Rs. 118.1 crores in India, $1.1 million in the U.S, and £1.837 million in the U.K.
Wanted (2009):

The flick was declared a smash hit in its first weekend of release itself. It was one of 2009′s biggest hits with approximately Rs. 33.5 crore collection. The movie got more recognition for its slick action sequences performed by the actor himself.
Dabangg (2010):

The current favorite and the record breaking, Dabangg, tops the list. Upon release, the film went on to become the highest opening day grosser as well as the highest weekend grosser of all time at the box office, breaking both the previous records held by 3 Idiots. The Dabangg fever refused to seize.