Revelers ring in 2011 at First Night celebration

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Fireworks light up the sky at Jordan Valley Park at midnight during First Night festivities. Revelers braved temperatures that dipped into the 20s at the annual event. (Valerie Mosley /

Happy New Year from AINews

The entire Adult Industry News staff wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope for a prosperous 2011!

Tara Lynn Foxx Party

Tara Lynn Foxx honored at Legends of Erotica AfterParty. Party Hosted by Charity McLain of Cyberstationusa.com.

On January 7, 2011, at 11pm until ??? the blowout of the 2011 AVN Expo party circuit will arrive. At DeJaVuShowgirls, 3247 Industrial Road, Las Vegas NV, Cyberstationusa.com is honoring Miss Tara Lynn Foxx with a party that will go down in the history books.

The roster of adult industry performers that will be attending include Teagan Presley, Nyomi Banxxx, Dani Cole, Marcus London, Devon Lee and Craven Moorehead and appearances of other superstars of the adult industry. Joining our event will be celebrity MMA fighters and world renowned boxers, as well.

We will have raffles for gift certificates from DeJaVuLoveBoutique and giveaways from Astroglide and other sponsors. There will be private areas for the adult performers and free bottle service. (That means free booze, guys.)

The party will begin immediately following the Legends of Erotica Show at Showgirl Video and continue until the wheels fall off. This is the Official Legends of Erotica Afterparty Honoring Tara Lynn Foxx and Hosted by Charity McLain on behalf of Cyberstationusa.com.

Please, e-mail: the1charity@gmail.com or call end_of_the_skype_highlighting to be put on the list and to be recognized at this great event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Craig Valentine’s back in front of the camera

Craig Valentine is the first adult star to become a pro wrestler. Last Friday, Valentine went back to work as an adult performer, leaner and a bit blonder, and still wrestling. Valentine wants to get to the WWE some day, but he is an adult actor first. Valentine’s first scene was for a feature film in which he performed with veteran Adult Film Star Nikki Hunter. “We’ve have been friends for a long time, and I said I would never work with her as we were just too good of friends, but my girl said my first time back might as well be with a friend" said Valentine. ”It’s really nice to work with professionals who can get hard and stay hard and bring their professional game with them on the set. I liked working with Craig. It was fun working on this project" said Hunter.  ”I’m back in action, in the ring and on camera” added Valentine. Interested companies wanting to book Valentine can contact him at his My Space page:   www.myspace.com/nrpw or email craig@newpornorder.com

XXX Content Direct Signs Exclusive Licensing Deal with Pink Visual

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Howard Stern Announces Miss Howard TV of the Year: 2008 -BRENDA ACEVEDO

HOWARD STERN ANNOUNCES MISS HOWARD TV OF THE YEAR: 2008 The Votes Are in and the Winner is Brenda Acevedo Howard TV On Demand Presents The Miss Howard TV Of The Year Special Friday, March 20 Howard Stern fans and readers of www.UGO.com have cast their votes and selected Brenda Acevedo as Miss Howard TV of the Year: 2008.  Brenda rose to the top in a contest between the twelve beautiful women selected monthly as Miss Howard TV throughout 2008.  She and the other eleven sexy ladies will be featured on The Miss Howard TV of the Year Special, premiering on Howard TV On Demand Friday, March 20th.  On the special, each girl will be interviewed and will show off why she was chosen as a featured spokes-model. Brenda appeared on the Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio this morning (3/17/09) where Howard himself crowned her the winner.  Fans will have a chance to hear from her personally as she hosts a live video chat today on HowardTV.com at 12pm ET/ 9am PT. Brenda received almost half of the 350,000 votes cast at http://howardtv.ugo.com.  Each competitor’s entry included photos, interviews and a Q&A dealing with her thoughts and feelings about the Howard Stern Show, her sexual appetites and life in general As Miss Howard TV of the Year, Brenda will receive a $1,000 cash prize; a photo shoot for UGO.Com’s “Foxy Fans” (http://foxyfans.ugo.com) and a one-of-a-kind specially designed Miss Howard TV diamond necklace from Steven Singer Jewelers. Brenda Acevedo is 5’2” (34DD-26-36) and a cocktail waitress and model who resides in Southern New Jersey. She gives her age as “twenty-something.”  Her favorite Stern show regular is Artie Lange and she aspires to become a “Playboy Playmate.”  She hopes someday to “be a sexy hot mom, have fun, party and be successful.” Each month, Miss Howard TV spokes-models are interviewed on the Howard Stern Show and then featured on Howard TV On Demand, where they introduce and give an overview of that month’s programming on the channel.  All spokes-models are also featured in a downloadable calendar at http://www.howard.tv/missHowardTV/. Doug Z. Goodstein is the Executive Producer for Howard TV On Demand.  Mike Gange is Supervising Producer.  Vincent Onorati is Director of Online Marketing for HowardTV.com.

ALEXIS TEXAS Announces EXXXOTICA Appearance!

X.R.C.O. Performer Of The Year Nominee ALEXIS TEXAS Announces EXXXOTICA Appearance! Adult Entertainment Superstar Alexis Texas is set to make a special appearance at the EXXXOTICA MIAMI BEACH event! Hot on the heels of the announcement that blonde beauty Alexis Texas (http://myspace.com/TheRealAlexisTexass) has won a Cyberspace Adult Video Reviews  Performer of the Year award and scored an X-Rated Critics Organization Performer of the Year nomination does the stunning Texas native reveal that she will be meeting fans and friends at the EXXXOTICA Miami Beach (http://exxxoticamiami.com/) event!  One of the most popular performers in the adult film genre, Alexis has skyrocketed into prominence since entering porn.  Her scorching hot and energetic sex scenes have made her a hit with fans and one of the most sought after actress in adult. The demand by fans to get a glimpse of the reigning Buttwoman in person will be met this May as Alexis is ready to rock EXXXOTICA! The fourth annual EXXXOTICA Miami Beach is set to shine on May 8th – 10th in the Florida city and ensuring the event will be hotter than ever before, some of the biggest names in adult are set to appear including L.A. Direct Models's own Alexis Texas! At the Fantasy Island booth (sponsored by Genesis Magazine) Alexis will be signing autographs and her mega-hit award winning DVDs like Alexis Texas is Buttwoman (Elegant Angel) and Performers of the Year (Elegant Angel). “Finally I get a chance to meet my South Florida fans! I am very excited about coming to EXXXOTICA!” said Alexis. “It’s going to be one big party out there and I’ll be right in the middle of it! I’m telling fans right now to get their tickets and get ready for some Texas type of fun!” More information on the EXXXOTICA Miami Beach event can be found on exxxoticamiami.com. Alexis has also taken to updating fans and friends on social networking site, Twitter.com.  By logging on to the site and following Alexis’ feed, everyone can keep up with the multi-award winning superstar.  Alexis takes readers along with her to the sets of her hardcore pictures, invites everyone to virtually accompany her on all her exciting adventures and offers a voyeuristic view of her XXX life. Find out what Texas is doing right now by clicking over to Twitter.com/Alexis_Texas. A current X.R.C.O. award nominee for Performer of the Year, Alexis is excited about the recognition she has received from the conglomerate. With the recent announcement that Texas has won the CAVR award for Performer of the Year it makes the triple X star a virtual lock for the win. The winners of the X.R.C.O. are set to be announced on April 16th in a special Hollywood awards event. Meet multi-award winner Alexis Texas this May as she steps into the spotlight at EXXXOTICA Miami Beach! Photo courtesy of Elegant Angel For More Alexis Texas, please visit www.Myspace.com/TheRealAlexisTexass

Family over Shahid for Priyanka

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra has chosen to be with her family and close friend, Tamanna instead of Shahid Kapoor this New Year.

Though it has been reported that she might be flying to Chandigarh to be with her 'boyfriend' who is shooting for his father's film Mausam, Priyanka said that she had no such plans. Moments before she boarded the flight, Priyanka told TOI that she is off to Goa to chill.

The hectic schedule that she has had through the year (she has been shooting for Saat Khoon Maaf and Don 2 in Berlin), scuttled her family bonding sessions for at least six months. And now she wants to give her family proper time before she starts shooting again. A hectic 2011 awaits Priyanka. Her father (Ashok), mother (Madhu), brother (Siddharth) and Tamanna are with her. "Despite our busy schedules, we just about managed to get a few days off and decided to make it a Goan New Year," the actress said.

Check out Priyanka Chopra's homepage

What B'wood has in store for 2011

Looks like Bollywood's finally growing up. 2011's line-up is an impressive mix of big budget multi-starrers, intelligent films directed by intelligent filmmakers and eagerly awaited indies.

How they all fare with the critics and the box-office is, of course, something that remains to be seen

Commercial cinema – good or bad – needs at least a two year incubation period from the idea to the release of a film. The global recession of 2008 thus affected Bollywood fortunes in 2010. That and its lack of creativity as the big budget films lacked spunk and idea – safe as Bollywood is in the faulty knowledge that stars are enough – made the industry lose close to Rs 500 crores this year.

Despite these debacles Bollywood stars make a major comeback in 2011 with multiple films of each in the offing. Aamir Khan has two sure and one probable release, Shahrukh has two, Salman Khan with as much as six, while Hrihtik Roshan has three, Akshay Kumar seven, Ajay Devgn two while both the new stars Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor have three releases each.

Any other year and it would been an easy story to do with the title reading something like '11 films to watch out for in 2011' and the article carrying a roster of the big releases of the year. But as 2010 proved beyond any doubt that the small intelligent film has as much chance at the box office as the biggie, we bring you a rooster of those in the race, and not just the star attractions. Nothing's sure in 2011 except that merely star appeal will not work.

Sequels Galore
Sequels, till a few years back the exception in Bollywood, might make a splash this year with the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don 2 directed by Farhan Akthar, Abbas-Mustan's Race 2 starring Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor and John Abraham, Abhishek Kapoor with Rock On 2, David Dhawan's Salman Khan and Govinda starrer Partner 2, Indra Kumar's Dhamaal 2 with Sanjay Dutt, Sanjay Gadhvi's Dhoom 3, Tarun Mansukhani's Dostana 2 and Anees Bazmee's Hera Pheri 4 fighting it out at theatres near you. Phew.

Stand-alone Biggies
Shah Rukh Khan's home production Ra.One is due early 2011. The Deol family's outing with Yamla Pagla Deewana is another eagerly awaited film. Nikhil Advani will return with the Akshay Kumar starrer Patiala House, while Shirish Kunder will keep his fingers crossed this time with 2010's hit jodi, Salman and Sonakshi, in his film Kick. Aamir Khan productions will release its first English film Delhi Belly with Imran Khan in the lead and first-timer Abhinav Deo in the director's chair, while Aamir will also star in Farhan Akhtar's yet untitled film with Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee and directed by Honeymoon Travels' Reema Kagti.

'Bluffmaster' Rohan Sippy will reunite with Abhishek Bachchan in Dum Maro Dum while the south Indian hit Khakha Khakha will be remade by Vipul Shah and star John Abraham. Vidhu Vinod Chopra Production returns, with debutant and Rajkumar Hirani's protégé, Rajesh Mapuskar in Ferrari Ki Sawaari. Tigmanshu Dhulia also makes a comeback with Shagird starring Nana Patekar. Ali Abbas Zafar debuts with Mere Brother Ki Dhulhan with Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead.

Food for Thought
After the big commercial directors failed miserably in 2010, the focus will shift to the intelligent band of commercial Bollywood makers with their more modestly-budgeted films. Reticent autuer Vishal Bharadwaj returns with Saat Khoon Maaf, starring Neil Nitin Mukesh, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham; Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar stars rock star Ranbir Kapoor. Sudhir Mishra will hopefully see his luck shine with two hopefuls in Tera Kya Hoga Johnny (originally slated for 2010) and Yeh Saali Zindagi. Other promising films incluce Madhur Bhandarkar's Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji starring Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi, Zoya Akhthar with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara starring Hrithik Roshan, brother Farhan and Abhay Deol, Anurag Kashyap's yet untitled film with Aamir Khan and Pankaj Kapoor's Mausam starring son Sahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor etc.

Also, Aamir director Raj Kumar Gupta returns with No One Killed Jessica, while Anees Bazmee is the director with most films in 2011 with Thank You, Hera Pheri 4, Ready, It's My Life and another untitled film.

Indie-go Nation
If 2010 is any indications, the low budget independent film will play a crucial role in 2011. The most expected indie of the year, of course, is debutant director Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat. There are many first-time directors who will try and make their mark this year such as Bedabrata Pain's take on the revolutionary Masterda in Chittagong and Alankrita Srivastava's Turning 30 with Gul Panag and Purab Kohli. Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms spurred by the tremendous success of Love, Sex Aur Dhokha, will try hitting the jackpot with the similarly-styled Ragini MMS, while Shorr, originally slated for a 2010 release, will hit screens this year as well. Both are by debutant filmmakers as well. Also, Onir's experimental, cooperatively-funded I Am will also release alongside all these indies.

Canned and Ready
Every year hundreds of low-budget films get made, many of them extremely worthy (like Dibakar Banerjee's Khosla Ka Ghosla that went unreleased for two years), but which end up in the bin waiting for distributors to pick them up. Estimates peg that number in 2010 to be at least 150 such films. After many indies becoming hits in 2010, hopefully some of these will find a release in 2011.

2011 is an open house in Bollywood and like in 2010 many biggies will fall while we'll see many small, sleeper hits. As we herald the New Year, we've only got this to say – may the best films win.

Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty…. Kiss on the cheek!!!

A press conference held for HIV-AIDS awareness, couldn’t get worse with effigies burning and protests on the roads, etc etc. It all started with Hollywood star Richard Gere giving Shilpa Shetty a kiss on her cheek. Hell actually broke loose. Effigies were burnt, protests were carried out and a court in Rajasthan even issued a warrant for their arrests. Fortunately, nobody was arrested.

Rakhi-Mika… Oh zara zara Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me

This happened way back in 2006, when item girl Rakhi Sawant attended a party where pop singer Mika was also present and rather treated her too warmly. He grabbed her by her hair and kissed her straight on the mouth. This gesture didn’t go down well with Rakhi and a drama queen that she is, filed a police complaint against him. Mika didn’t keep quite. He said he was prompted to kiss her coz of her flirtatious behaviour.

Aamir Khan_Jassica…..the kid is not my son!!!

People were shocked. Aamir himself was shocked when British journalist Jessica Hines claimed that perfectionist Aamir Khan was the father of her son, Jaan Harry Hines, who was born in 2003. Aamir denied the rumors, and the whole thing remains unresolved till date

Salman-Ranbir to clash!

The year has just kicked in and the star wars have already erupted. Trade sources say that Salman Khan's Ready and Ranbir Kapoor's Rockstar will both reportedly release on May 27.

While Ready is an action thriller, Rockstar is a musical-emotional extravaganza. It would be interesting to watch the fireworks of having Salman and Ranbir out there promoting their new releases simultaneously. Ranbir keeps stressing that he adores Salman and has no issues whatsoever with the senior actor.

However, the trade and the media are standing back for some live action because Salman most certainly doesn't reciprocrate Ranbir's feelings. And when it comes to the box office, Sallu will crush everything that comes in his way.

Hema Malini Turns Director To Dharmendra And Esha Deol

Actress Hema Malini will reportedly wield the mike again for an upcoming film that hits theaters early next year. According to reports from Bollywood, the actress will return to direction after a span of eighteen years with her husband Dharmendra and daughter Esha Deol as stars of the upcoming Bollywood film. In a statement to the media, Hema Malini says that she had a very nice time shouting directions at her hubby and daughter. Considering that Dharmendra is known for his angry image, did he work according to Hema Malini’s directions? The actress turned director says that Dharmendra did object to her methods of direction initially, but since Hema Malini was strict about what she wanted from her actors, he too was bound to listen to her!
Hema Malini makes it clear that she has returned to direction only for her daughter Esha Deol, who unfortunately cannot boast of a real career in Bollywood! But mommy dearest is hopeful that her second directorial venture Tell Me Oh Khuda with Esha Deol will be liked by the masses. Hema Malini says that she shared a wonderful relationship with her daughter on the film’s sets and she loved the fact that Esha Deol always made it a point to take her advice before and after each shot.
Tell Me Oh Khuda will hit theaters in March next year. Hema Malini’s first film as a director was the Shah Rukh Khan and Divya Bharati starrer Dil Aashna Hai, which was one of the first hits of superhit actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Arjun Rampal hikes his price, Loses Housefull 2

Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal is flying in the seventh sky these days after the success of his multi-starrer film Rajneeti and doing the lead role in We Are family with Kareena Kapoor and Kajol. The actor has turned very pricey these days thus losing the roles in the sequels of his movies.
Earlier, Arjun lost his role in the sequel of Don to Kunal Kapoor and now he has been replaced by Rahul Khanna in the sequel of Housefull. Rampal had reportedly quoted a huge amount of Rs 2.5 crore to producer Sajid Nadiadwala.
Hosuefull 2 will have new faces like John Abraham, Paresh Rawal and Nana Patekar. Director Sajid Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala found Arjun’s demand too high, so they finally replaced him. Both of them agreed to cast Rahul Khanna, who has been known mainly for his off-beat roles.
A source has been quoted saying that Hosuefull 2 will also have new female faces like Genelia D’souza and Sonakshi Sinha. However, Lara Dutta will continue to be one of the leading ladies.
It will be interesting to see if the new cast can create the same magic as done by Akshay Kumar and Ritesh Deshmukh.

Akshay Kumar On A Family Holiday After Tees Maar Khan

The year 2010 has been an average for Akshay Kumar in his professional life. He had four releases this year, which includes Housefull, Khatta Meetha, Action Replay and the Christmas release Tees Maar Khan.
The last release could not impress the critics as well as the viewers and faced all negative reviews. Now, after all these hectic schedules, the family man Akshay has planned a family trip to Goa to celebrate his wife Twinkle Khanna’s birthday on December 29.
He was recently busy with his television show ‘Master Chef India’, which also concluded during Christmas making him a free man for some days. Apart from celebrating Twinkle’s 36th birthday, they will also have a New Year bash there.
Akshay says that he always manages to find out some exclusive for his family. He adds that every year he allocates some time to spend only with Twinkle and his son Arav. The Khiladi star of Bollywood says that he puts a globe in front of her and asks her chose a place where she wants to go on a holiday. The dutiful husband says that she gives him enough space and freedom in his professional life so he should give her at least this much of pleasure in return.
The 43 year old informs that he is on nine day long holiday and will enjoy being with wife and son. We wish this family time helps him to recover from the plight of failure of Tees Maar Khan!

Ranbir Kapoor woos the world with his sex appeal

According to a survey conducted by the British weekly newspaper, Ranbir Kapoor has bagged in the title of the Sexiest actor of Bollywood racing ahead of hunks like Hrithik Roshan and JohnAbraham. John Abraham was positioned to the second place and Hrithik fell to the third slot.
Ranbir, who secured the title with a huge margin, was obviously thrilled and stated, “If the women didn’t like me I would feel that something is going wrong, but it feels good. I do understand that the fans I have comprises mainly of women, it feels good to be wanted by so many women.”
Talking about this, the Eastern Eye editor, Asjad Nazir stated, “Usually it is a closely fought contest, where as this year there was one very clear winner. Winning by a large margin is remarkable when you consider the very high profile men who are in the list.”
Katrina wins the ‘Sexiest Asian Woman’ title for the third time in a row. After having won the title for the third time, Kat said, “I’m very happy that I have made it to the top of Eastern Eye’s list again. England is of course a very special place to me and I think it’s very sweet to be voted the sexiest by them. I just want to thank everyone for the support.”

The 5 most sizzling debutants in the year 2010

The year 2010 was marked by some very beautiful, talented and of course sexy girls who made their debut in the tinsel town and left the cinegoers panting for more. Interestingly, more girls stepped in than the boys, the only male debutant to get noticed being Ranvir Singh who got appreciation for his performance in ‘Band Baaja Baraat’. Though, there are many names which made their presence felt, we list down our top 5 favorite debutant hotties:
Sonakshi Sinha:
She is definitely the most promising and the most talked about debutant in the year 2010 who gave a huge hit with the biggest box office collections with ‘Dabangg’ where she starred opposite none other than Salman Khan himself. Being Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter, the tinsel town was not new for her but the entire credit for her fan following goes to her poise and performance alone.

Barbara Mori:
This Mexican beauty created more stirs with the rumors of her alleged affair with Hrithik Roshan than her performance in ‘Kites’. The movie failed miserably at the box office and though none can question her oomph and appeal and her perfect, sizzling chemistry with Hrithik Roshan, she failed to set cash registers ringing with her Bollywood debut.

Aruna Shields:
This British actress set temperatures soaring as she looked amazingly sexy in her bold and bikini clad avatar in her debut film ‘Prince. There after, this bold actress with doe-like eyes and a svelte body went a step ahead and shed her clothes further for ‘Mr Singh Mrs Mehta’ in a few scenes.

Trisha Krishnan:
Though Trisha is a successful and known name down South, she made her debut in Bollywood with ‘Khatta Meetha’ where she was paired with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. However, the role was not a very glamorous one and it failed to give the desired push to her career in Bollywood.

Lisa Hayden:
Super model Lisa Hayden, half Malayali and half Australian created waves with her debut in Aisha. Lisa was busy walking the ramp in fashion weeks until Bollywood knocked at her door. She was seen as Abhay Deol’s friend in the movie Aisha. It may be mentioned here that Anil Kapoor himself approached her for the role.

Shahid Kapoor And Priyanka Chopra Reunite For New Year

Bollywood actors and rumored couple Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra have decided that the only way to solve the differences that have greatly affected their blooming relationship in the past is to spend quality time with one another. Therefore, the couple are headed to a resort in Chandigarh to spend a quiet and romantic New Year. Many would be surprised by the choice of location for celebrations, but the news is that Shahid Kapoor is busy with the filming work of his latest movie Mausam in the Punjab capital, and will only get a break during the New Year!
However, a spokesman for Priyanka Chopra has vehemently rubbished rumors of her going to Chandigarh to spend the New Year holiday. On the other hand, another source says that the couple have already made necessary arrangements at a resort in Chandigarh. The media on its part can only hope for a reunion of the couple, whose relationship as was understood over a Koffee chat with Karan Johar, is a victim of misunderstandings created by other people.
Shahid and Priyanka were announced a couple after the audience loved their superb chemistry in Kaminey and since then the actors are trying hard to maintain that they are only good friends in front of media cameras. A source is of the opinion that it was on the sets of ‘Koffee With Karan’ that the actors sorted out their problems and then decided to give each other a little time to understand where their relationship is going.
Hence, Shahid Kapoor will be taking a break from work in the New Year weekend, Priyanka Chopra will drop in at Chandigarh and the media will be waiting for a confirmation!

Big names, multiple releases, Bollywood promises entertaining 2011

BollywoodWorld.com, Romance, action, comedy, real life stories… Bollywood is geared up with an interesting line-up of releases in 2011, starring big names like Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan and Ajay Devgn who have more than one film on offer.
Vidya Balan, a perfect combination of beauty and talent, will start the New Year on a serious note with “No One Killed Jessica”. Based on the murder of ramp model Jessica Lall, the film directed by Rajkumar Gupta, is releasing Jan 7. It also has another powerful performer, Rani Mukerji.
Vidya will be seen in another real life story “Dirty Pictures”, a biopic inspired by the southern sex symbol Silk Smitha’s tragic life.
The serious mood will soon be dispelled by the release of fun flicks “Turning 30″ and “Yamla Pagla Deewana”. While the former, starring Gul Panag, is an effort to entertain audiences through the story of a 30-plus single woman and her woes, the latter will see the three Deols – Dharmendra and his actor sons Sunny and Bobby Deol indulging in funny antics.
None other than Bollywood perfectionist Aamir Khan will appear in his wife Kiran Rao’s directorial debut “Dhobi Ghat”, about the city of Mumbai and four ordinary people whose lives intersect and become forever altered as they journey through longing, loneliness, loss and love. Releasing Jan 21, it also features Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra and Kriti Malhotra.
Aamir is expected to appear on screen again at the end of the year in Reema Kagti’s yet-to-be-titled movie.
Madhur Bhandarkar’s first comedy “Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji” will wrap up the first month of the year. The National Award-winning filmmaker, known for making hard-hitting movies, forays into comedy with Ajay Devgn and a host of other actors such as Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Shazahn Padamsee and Shruti Haasan.
Ajay, who had the maximum releases in 2010 and has been named the most profitable male actor of the year, once again has the highest number of releases in the new year – “Tezz”, Rohit Shetty’s remake of Tamil hit “Singham”, “Aarakshan”, “Rascals”, and Shetty’s Diwali comedy with Abhishek Bachchan.
It was not a favourable year for Akshay Kumar, but he may climb up on the hits list with his first release of the year “Patiala House”. His role is inspired by the first Sikh cricketer in the English team, Monty Singh Panesar, and the promos look promising. In the latter part of the year, Akshay has several releases lined up – “Thank You”, “Desi Boyz”, “Joker” and “Housefull 2″.
2010 was a National Award year for Priyanka Chopra, but this beauty queen couldn’t give any big hit. The glamorous actress, who shocked and surprised her fans with her zara hatke performances in “Fashion” and “Kaminey”, will be seen as a femme fatale in “Saat Khoon Maaf”. It seems the actress is trying to make her body of work versatile as her next release “Barfee” will see her as deaf and dumb.
Just like January, the second month will also end with a smile with the release of the comedy “Tanu Weds Manu” that has R. Madhavan and Kangana Ranaut.
Abhishek Bachchan was appreciated as freedom fighter Surjya Sen in “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se”, but the film couldn’t create a buzz at the box office. In March, the actor will return with the thriller “Game” that will hopefully have a better fate at the ticket window. His other releases are “Players” and Rohit Shetty’s Diwali comedy.
Sunny Khanna, director of Mumbai-based production and distribution house Watch Tower International, said: “It will be perhaps for the first time that all the biggies will have multiple releases in one year in 2011. But the major point is the corporates have again got the movies at extreme prices and they are going to bleed. Let’s see how much the audiences will spend this time.”
There are other big stars with multiple releases in 2011, but the dates are not finalised yet.
Shah Rukh Khan will have two releases, “Don 2″ and “Ra.One”, as well as the animation movie “Koochie Koochie Hota Hain” where he has given the voiceover.
Saif Ali Khan’s long-awaited home production “Agent Vinod”, which will see him in the lead, will hit the screens. He will also be seen playing an important role in “Aarakshan”.
Salman Khan is expected to repeat the success of “Dabangg” with three releases in 2011 – “Ready”, “My Love Story” and “Bodyguard”.
His “Kites” couldn’t fly high, but the actor is set to prove his worth with “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” and the remake of “Agneepath”.
Ranbir Kapoor, who emerged as a dark horse, thanks to his performance as a scheming politician in “Raajneeti”, will take his versatility to another level with “Rockstar” and “Barfee”.
While John Abraham will be seen in the Hindi remake of Tamil action cop drama “Kaakha Kaakha” and two sequels “Dostana 2″ and “Housefull 2″, Sanjay Dutt will feature in “Rascals” and “Double Dhamaal”.
It wasn’t a great year for Sonam Kapoor, but she bagged three projects – “Thank You”, “Mausam” and “Players” – all coming in the new year.
Katrina Kaif will entertain her fans with her roles in “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” and “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan”.
Kareena Kapoor has Shah Rukh’s home production “Ra.One” and her boyfriend Saif’s movie “Agent Vinod” as well as “Short Term Shaadi” in her kitty.
Imran Khan, Aamir Khan’s nephew, is a good actor, but it seems lady luck is eluding him. He may turn the tide with three releases – “Delhi Belly”, “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” and “Short Term Shaadi”

Shedding clothes is a public demand – Tanushree Dutta

Bollywood bombshell Tanushree Dutta feels that actresses are asked to shed inhibitions in front of the camera mainly to cater to the public demand and not because the script demands it.
“Actually, when people come to you with the line that shedding of inhibitions is the demand of a particular screen role, they are actually pandering to the public demand. Words like demand of the role or the character are all trash,” Tanushree told IANS in an interview.
Asked whether she is ready to shed clothes if the character required that, Dutta said: “In Bollywood, people have been making movies for more than half a century and they are made in such a way that you need not shed off all your inhibitions. I would really draw the line. I am no more a newcomer in Bollywood.”
Tanushree had won the Femina Miss India Universe title in 2004, and made her entry into Bollywood in 2005 with the hit film “Aashiq Banaya Aapne”. She starred in “Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets” the same year, and came to be considered one of tinsel town’s dark horses.
But she failed to live up to the initial expectations of her fans as most of her films except “Dhol” and “Bhagam Bhag” bombed at the box office.
Asked about the fate of most of her films, the former beauty queen said: “To what extent a film works is beyond me. My first film ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’ did wonders at the box office. Then ‘Chocolate’ was also quite popular, but it didn’t have the same effect as the first one.
“I just look at my work and of course it’s my responsibility to sign good films so as to make sure that people come to watch. But sometimes there are lots of things which are not in our hands. I always try to do the best I can. Some movies work, some movies don’t,” said the 26-year-old actor.
spending more than five years in Bollywood, and with an experience of working in nearly 12 Hindi and Telugu films, Tanushree now wants to do something different.
“At this point of time I really want to do a historical movie. May be it’s going to take some time. I have covered various genres. I have done romantic, psycho-thriller, thriller, crime based, comedy, romantic comedy. Now I want to do a periodical. I also want to do a musical film,” she said.
Tanushree nurtures a dream of working on a hardcore subject and literature-based Bengali film in the coming years, but says that she hasn’t got an impressive offer yet.
“I have always wanted to work in a Bengali film. But till date I haven’t got that kind of offer that would impress me.
“Bengali filmmakers have come up with subjects that are so touchy and hardcore. Literature- and sahitya-based movies are made here. I want to work in literature-based movies in Bengal as this is the specialty of the Bengali film industry,” said Tanushree, who has completed a month-long acting workshop in the US.
Tanushree said she wants to sign movies, but she doesn’t have the “psychology” of having back-to-back releases in a short span.
“I am planning to sign movies. Actually I don’t have that psychology of having two back-to-back releases in three months. I don’t know what I am going to sign next or when I am going to sign next. But one thing I can guarantee, that it’s going to exciting,” said Tanushree

The politician's wife

Julianna Margulies puts in a wonderfully calibrated

What’s it about?
The Good Wife takes off from an interesting premise. An influential politician has been disgraced by a sex scandal and corruption charges and has been forced to resign his office. That’s his wife standing next to him, in her designer suits and prim pearls — what is she thinking?
She’s spent her whole married life being a pillar of support for her husband, raising his children, keeping his house and encouraging him with word and gesture. How does she deal with this very public humiliation. Apparently, it was these questions that sparked the idea in creators Robert and Michelle King when the Eliot Spritzer sex scandal broke and led them to explore the post-scandal life of just such a wife.
On the show, this character, Alicia Florrick, a former litigator, picks up her life where she’d left it when she married Peter Florrick, the now-disgraced State’s Attorney of Cook County. She’s joined a law firm as a junior litigator in order to support her family after her husband is sent to prison on corruption charges.
It’s a hard climb up the professional ladder for the mother-of-two, as she negotiates difficult cases, competitive colleagues and tries to come to terms with her husband’s betrayal.
Who’s in it?
Julianna Margulies puts in a wonderfully calibrated performance as Alicia. She’s great in all the situations that the character finds herself in — whether it is in her scenes with her husband, where she trembles with barely contained rage, or whether it’s in the courtroom, where she fumbles with her questions and deals with the scorn of her opponents.
Chris Noth has a special appearance as Peter Florrick — it’s nice to finally see Mr Big in a role that does justice to his capabilities as an actor. He brings the right amount of smarminess and intensity to his role here.
Archie Panjabi is another one in the stellar cast, putting in a performance as the hard-as-nails, cynical Kalinda Sharma, an investigator who teams up with Alicia. We can see why she won an Emmy for this cliche-free performance.
Other noteworthy cast members are Christine Baransky as the ambitious law firm partner Diane Lockhart and Josh Charles as Will Gardner, Alicia’s former classmate from law school who just might be in love with her.
What’s hot?
The performances are uniformly good and the story structure allows for three arcs to play at the same time. The first one is obviously episodic and shows the various cases that Alicia deals with; the second is her and her family’s struggle to come to terms with their new circumstances; the third arc deals with the leak of the sex tapes and the political rivalry between Peter and the incumbent State’s Attorney Glenn Childs, played by Titus Welliver, who was last seen on Lost as Jacob’s enemy.
But what we really like is that finally, this is a show from the point of view of a woman who is not obsessed with finding love or buying shoes a la Carrie Bradshaw or is digging her claws into a rival a la the Desperate Housewives characters. This is a real, flesh-and-blood woman, dealing with family and work, and going about her life in no-nonsense pantsuits.
What’s not?
The only thing we would cavil at is the slight predictability — about half an hour before the episode denouement, the viewer knows how the current case will pan out and that an ‘attagirl Alicia’ moment is just around the corner.
Should you be watching it?
Definitely watch this show for the strong performances and the out-of-the-box storyline. Especially recommended for television writers.

Grooving on new beats

Lisa Haydon debuted in Aisha.

Top model and recent Bollywood entrant, Lisa Haydon talks about hosting MTV’s Rock On and her fledgling movie career. What appealed to you about hosting Desi Beats Rock On on MTV?
I’ve always been passionate about music, so when MTV approached my agency with the idea of me hosting the show, I was completely on board with it. It gives me a chance to meet many outstanding talents from around the country. There are talents from across the nation — most people only think of cities like Delhi and Mumbai when it comes to music, but there are brilliant musicians in other parts of India, like Gangtok, Shillong and even Bihar.
Do you have a favourite to win the show already?
Yes, I do. No matter how objective we try to be, whenever we watch a contest like this, we do get emotional. I can’t, however, reveal who my favourite is as that would be unfair to the other contestants.
You’ve hosted a TV show, Babelicious on Zee Trendz before. How different are the two experiences?
Very different. This is much more challenging, since the format is bigger and more people are involved. There’s a script and I have a lot more to do than simply hang around and talk a bit.
You’re one of India’s busiest models, juggling your fashion commitments with television and film. How do you manage it?
I agree that I’m doing a lot, but its also a lot of fun. With Rock On, I have to shoot one episode every week, so it doesn’t get too stressful. Anyway, my philosophy is that since I’m young and able, I should get a taste of everything I can now.
Post-Aisha, how many film offers have come your way?
A few. In fact, I’m working on
a project now, but I can’t reveal anything until everything is finalised.
How did it feel to watch yourself on the big screen in Aisha? How would you rate your performance?
I think I did a good job of playing my role. Other people were kind to me and said I can definitely do this. It’s great to hear things like that. The thing is that as far as fashion is concerned, I think I’ve done a lot. I’m in my comfort zone when I’m modelling, but when it comes to acting, I know that I still have a lot more work to put in. I’m still taking coaching for my Hindi. It’s getting better everyday, but like I said, there’s still work to be done.
Are you worried that since you began as a model, you’ll get certain stereotypical roles in the film industry?
I’m aware that that’s how things work. Most people don’t think models can act and so they cast them mostly for glamorous roles. A model has to prove himself or herself. But I’m definitely willing to do non-glamorous roles. Even if I’m asked to smear mud on my face for a role, I’d say yes. I just need the opportunity to prove my capabilities

Elizabeth Hurley begins flirting with Warne again

Liz Hurley announced the breakdown of her three-year-old marriage to the Indian tycoon after she was caught kissing Australian cricketer Shane Warne.

Elizabeth Hurley seems to be working on her fledging romance with Australian cricketer Shane Warne as they have started flirting again on Twitter. Hurley announced the breakdown of her marriage with Indian businessman Arun Nayar following reports that she cheated on her husband with Warne.
However, Warne, famous for his womanising ways, was caught two-timing Hurley by sending racy messages to his blonde neighbour.
But it seems that things are on the mend as Hurley and Warne started sending twitter message to each other again.
On Saturday, Warne initiated a conversation with Hurley when he asked her if she had any resolutions for 2011, the Daily Mail reported.
Hurley responded: "Lots of them and they all begin with Start or Stop..."
When Warne questioned what she meant, Hurley tweeted him: "You're being blonde...as in Stop eating sweeties and Start doing sit ups xx"
Warne, 41, then replied: 'Enjoy rabbit food me – not Enjoy NYE with Damian...' before Hurley tweeted back: 'I didn't mean u to stop eating sweeties & do sit ups-they're my resolutions. I know you're a salad eating gym bunny by nature xx (sic).'
The flirty banter suggests things are back on track with Warne and Hurley, whose relationship was revealed through their conversations on Twitter after photographs emerged of them

2011: A year of sequels and remakes

2011: A year of sequels and remakes

Bollywood is making the most of sequels. Though this trend has been quite rampant in Hollywood, of late even the Hindi film industry seems to be capitalising on it.
Ram Gopal Varma’s Phoonk 2 and Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal 3 hit the screens in 2010. While Phoonk 2 sank without a trace, as expected, Golmaal 3 was a box-office hit with the makers laughing all the way to the bank.
Little wonder then that makers have found a new formula. The moment a film is a hit it becomes a franchise with sequels being announced. Scripts are written and actors are being finalised for the sequels of Dabangg, Race, Dostana, Dhoom, Partner and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai.
2011 will see three sequels — Don 2: The Chase Continues, Double Dhamaal and Murder 2. After Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya, the versatile Farhan Akhtar is directing Don 2: The Chase Continues, a sequel to his 2006 film Don: The Chase Begins. While Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani and Om Puri reprise their roles in this sequel, Lara Dutta and Kunal Kapoor are the new additions. Hrithik Roshan in a cameo will be the surprise factor of the film. The actor will be seen as a stylish character with interesting shades. While a major portion of the 2006 film (that was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don) was shot in Malaysia, the sequel has been filmed in Germany. Don: The Chase Begins had grossed Rs 30 crore, it remains to be seen if Don 2: The Chase Continues will be a bigger hit.
Double Dhamaal, sequel of Dhamaal, the 2007 hit, will see many actors sharing screen space for the first time. While Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Javed Jafferi and Aashish Chowdhry will reprise their roles, Mallika Sherawat and Kangna Ranaut will also join the cast. The prequel did not have actresses and revolved around the adventures of the lead actors. But in the sequel, Mallika will be Dutt’s wife whereas Kangna will play his sexy secretary, who tries to woo him. Actor-turned-director Satish Kaushik will also be seen on the big screen after a long time. Dhamaal had grossed Rs 30 crore. Will director Indra Kumar create magic again next year with Double Dhamaal? Only time will tell.
Former Miss Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez, who played the girl-next-door both in Aladin and Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai, will be seen in a sexy avatar in Mukesh Bhatt’s Murder 2. The prequel that was released in 2004 was inspired by the Hollywood film Unfaithful and starred Emraan Hashmi, Mallika Sherawat and Ashmit Patel. While it was helmed by Anurag Basu, the sequel will be directed by Mohit Suri and is inspired by the Nithari killings. Jacqueline will be seen doing some bold lovemaking scenes with Emraan. Murder catapulted Mallika in the limelight, will its sequel change Jacqueline’s fortune too? Let’s wait and watch!

Madhuri is the biggest draw of 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4'

Madhuri is the biggest draw of 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4'

She came, she smiled and she conquered. Madhuri dhak dhak Dixit, has the viewers and participants of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa eating out of her hands and hanging on to her Americanised angrezi comments. Dressed in ethnic wear, be it a flowing kurta, churidar or sarees, the actress looks elegant on screen and makes up for the slightly jarring accent with her divine smile. No doubt, Madhuri has every reason to smile. The show opened to a rating of 5.6, the highest among its four seasons and has catapulted Sony to the No.3 position. “My relationship with Sony goes back to a match-making show Shubh Vivah,which I hosted over a decade ago. When they offered Jhalak.. I wasn’t very sure but they came to US and showed me the DVDs of the original show and I really liked it,” smiles Madhuri who was approached last year too for Dance Premier League. It didn’t work out as she couldn’t find a nanny to look after her kids. “I want my children to be very comfortable as they are my priority,” maintains the diva.
As for her two adorable boys, seven-year-old Arin and five-year-old Ryan, they flew down from Denver last week for the Christmas break and watched the dance reality show for the first time. Arin was so impressed that he turned around and told his mom, ‘I never knew you were such a big celebrity!’ Next he asked her to stand beside the TV and clicked a picture! How sweet! However, the kids will be here only for two weeks while Madhuri is going to stay back till March. So, won’t they miss her? “I think boys are different from girls. When Arin met me, he exclaimed ‘Mom, I never realised that I missed you in Denver, now I do!’,” chuckles the indulgent mom narrating the incident.
While it’s Jhalak..that has brought Madhuri back from a three-year hiatus, the actress now plans to be in India for four months and is looking at film scripts. So far, she hasn’t found anything “exciting”. “A role that I would like to put my heart and soul into hasn’t come to me,” says Madhuri who wants to do something like what Meryl Streep did in The Devil Wears Prada. “It doesn’t matter whether you have two kids or where you are, all that matters is the standard (of acting),” she quips. Madhuri, whose last film was the not-so-successful Aaja Nachle, is hopeful of getting a meaty role as she believes the industry has opened up and there are different types of audiences. “With multiplexes, there’s a niche audience and even filmmakers are experimenting with various kind of films,” she reasons.
Amongst the different films, Madhuri found Ishqiya interesting, funny as well as serious. “It was an entertaining film with actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Vidya Balan,” says the diva who is completely bowled over by the younger actress. “Vidya is beautiful and a natural actress, her face speaks,” says Madhuri appreciatively. Another film that she found unconventional was Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year, “which had a different theme altogether”. But it was Kajol’s role in Fanaa that floored her, so much so that she would have liked to step into her shoes. “The role had different shades to it. She falls in love with a guy only to discover that he is a terrorist. It was interesting and Kajol was brilliant in the film,” says the numero uno heroine of her time.
As for the song-and-dance fare, Madhuri, who can still burn the floor with her sensuous moves, as she did in a Jhalak..episode, points out that things have changed. “Item numbers have always been there but some things have changed. For me dancing is not just about the body movements, it’s spiritual,” she explains. Nevertheless, the dancing queen found herself shaking a leg to Munni badnaam hui from Dabangg. “It’s a folksy song with different beats that you feel like dancing to,” smiles Madhuri who loves all the songs from the film, Mast mast tere nain being her favourite. And though she hasn’t caught up with the Dabangg hero and her one time co-star Salman Khan, recently another Khan, Shah Rukh dropped on the sets of Jhalak..to meet her. “It was wonderful to catch up with Shah Rukh. He is such a nice person and has a good sense of humour. We were talking about our kids, how they are growing up etc,” she says flashing her million-dollar smile.
Talking about children, Madhuri has found new skills in cooking, much to their delight. She cooks Indian, Mexican and Chinese food, which she learnt after marriage. What’s more, she credits her husband as being the better cook and digs into his chicken tikka masala. Back home, even as she gorges on bhel puri and soaks in the energy of Mumbai, Madhuri misses her husband and her home in the mountains of Denver.

Penelope, Natalie are sexiest stars

Penelope Cruz and Natalie Portman topped an online poll of sexiest actresses.

It may be the last thing on their minds but pregnant stars Penelope Cruz and Natalie Portman have beaten off competition from Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to be named the Sexiest Stars of 2010 in an online poll. While Cruz, 37, is eight months pregnant with her first child, Portman had announced earlier this week that she too is set to become a mother.
In an online poll at Fandango.com, Portman, 29 was voted the Sexiest Woman in 2010 movies by men, while Spaniard Cruz was the women's poll leader. The website's male respondents voted Johnny Depp and Ryan Reynolds the joint Sexiest Man in 2010 movies, while the women picked Depp ahead of Robert Downey, Jr.
The voters in the Christmas weekend online poll also chose Blake Lively as the Next Big American Movie Star.
Men picked Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz, stars of 'The Green Hornet' as the Most Mismatched Movie Couple and women opted for Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston who star in 'Just Go With It'.
Both sexes agreed 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2' is 2011's Most Anticipated Blockbuster

Katy Perry creates special tour scent

Katy Perry promises several of her signature outrageous outfits on the tour.

Popstar Katy Perry is creating a special scent for her 2011 European tour. The 'Fireworks' hit-maker is planning a extravagant stage show and wants to engage all the senses of her audience, reported People magazine. "It's going to engage all the senses, so we're looking into alternative stuff like smell. We're talking to a couple of companies at the moment about creating an aroma for the performance," said the 26-year-old.
She promised that the tour will see her appear in several of her signature outrageous outfits on stage, though they are not easy to get into.
"There will be a medley of looks, and they'll be very strong. When I get changed during a show it's like I'm at a Formula One pit stop. There's Velcro being ripped off and stuff getting strapped onto me. On my 'Hurricane' tour I wore a different outfit every single night. It was crazy, and not cheap," said the hit-maker.

Madonna most popular star in UK

dailies in the last decade.

'Queen of Pop' Madonna has been the most talked about celebrity in UK in the past decade. The 52-year-old star, who moved to US following her divorce from British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, was the top celebrity to be written about in UK since the year 2000, the Daily Star reported.
The 'Material Girl' notched up 46,000 mentions, at least 15,000 more than second-placed Simon Cowell, 51, who was followed by Robbie Williams, 36, Kate Moss, 36, and Britney Spears, 29.
'King of Pop' Michael Jackson was eighth on the list after his suspicious death in 2009 dominated headlines.
Power couple David and Victoria Beckham was undoubtedly the celebrity pairing of the decade with more than 50,000 mentions between them. Victoria, 36, pipped her husband David, 34, into seventh place by just 880 names. Former Beatles star Paul McCartney and Australian singer Kylie Minogue rounded off the top-ten list, according to a research on clickliverpool.com by Kantar Media.
"This shows just why Madonna is hailed as a legend," Kantar director Brian Merron said.

Binge drinking ''ups future depression risk in teens''

Washington: Researchers have warned that binge-drinking teenagers are more likely to have mood disorders such as anxiety and depression in adulthood.

Researchers at the Loyola University Health System have found that exposing adolescent rats to binge amounts of alcohol permanently altered the system that produces hormones in response to stress.

This disruption in stress hormones "might lead to behavioural and/or mood disorders in adulthood," researchers reported.

Senior author Toni Pak said while results from animal studies don’t directly translate to people, the findings do suggest a mechanism by which teenage binge drinking could cause mental health problems in adulthood.

"Exposing young people to alcohol could permanently disrupt normal connections in the brain that need to be made to ensure healthy adult brain function," said Pak.

The Loyola study examined the long-term effects of alcohol on the production of the stress hormone corticosterone in rats.

In the study, researchers exposed adolescent rats to an 8-day binge drinking pattern: three days of alcohol binging, two days off, then three more days of binging.

On binge days, rats were injected with enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol concentration to between 0.15 percent and 0.2 percent. A control group of rats received injections of saline.

One month later, when the rats were young adults, they were exposed to one of three regimens: saline injections, a one-time alcohol injection or a binge-pattern of alcohol exposure.

These findings have suggested that alcohol exposure during puberty permanently alters the system by which the brain triggers the body to produce stress hormones.

The findings were revealed at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.

Microsoft plans new Windows OS for mobile devices

San Francisco: Microsoft is working on a new Windows system for mobile devices like tablet computers, according to reports.

The system would focus on devices using energy-saving chips designed by the British company ARM. Many of ARM's chips are currently used in both the iPad and iPhone from Apple.

Now Windows will reportedly offer versions of its Windows CE and Windows Phone 7 systems that run on ARM chips. Its standard Desktop Windows system will be designed for x-86 architecture chips from Intel and AMD.

Microsoft head Steve Ballmer is expected to present the new systems in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new systems should support chips from both ARM, Intel and AMD. Quallcomm, Texas Instruments and Samsung all produce chips with ARM designs.

Microsoft competitor Apple currently dominates the tablet computer market, selling 7.5 million of its iPads between its debut in April and the end of September. Market researcher Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple currently holds 95 per cent of the tablet computer market.

However, tablet computers running Google's Android operating system are expected to eat into that lead in the near future.

An alliance with ARM could help Microsoft catch up in the mobile devices market. Microsoft official Achim Berg has noted that, since the introduction of its smartphone software, Windows Phone 7, 1.5 million Windows mobiles have been sold, meeting expectations.