Munnabhai Goes to Jail? Sanjay Dutt Sentenced to Six Years

In what has been described as stunning and surprising news, Munnabhai aka Sanjay Dutt, the actor, has been sentenced to a 6-year prison term for his role in the 1993 Bombay blast case. This has come in so swift and quick that people are just beginning to realize that the unthinkable has happened.

Sanjay's appeal to the court to give him a few days before he goes to jail has reportedly been declined. Reports are trickling in that he has also appealed to the Supreme Court. Sanjay needs time to tie up his loose ends etc.

The sentence being reversed appears to be slim at this point. It is ironic that the hallmark dialog from his Munnabhai film come was this:

"Ek kahani khatam toh dujee shuru ho gayee...Mamu."

Here is a timeline of Sanjay's involvement in the 1993 blast.
For the past few months there has been heightened drama around Sanjay's involvement in the 1993 Bombay blast. For the past few days what will happen to Sanjay Dutt was the dominant news in many TV Channels. TimesNow.TV had this video clip about Sanjay's superstitions.

The clear message that is coming from the judiciary and the government is that there will be no middle ground in how they treat people involved in such cases. The court and the judges through this legal and tough sentence have clearly not treated Sanjay as a celebrity. Instead, as the news media is reporting Sanjay was treated as an equal in the eyes of the court, and that his celebrity status was not considered. I wonder how this news will go down with the film fraternity and the film industry wallahs?

I wonder how the next couple of days will pan out and what will be the reaction of his fans and public? Will they make a distinction between Munnabhai and the actor Sanjay Dutt or are the two people fused into one? Does the public see Sanjay in the same way it sees Munnabhai? A Munnabhai who fought for the have-nots, and who showed them what love is? Or, will they look at him as Sanjay Dutt, a person and not an actor?

Bow Barracks Forever - Movie Review

Starring Lilette Dubey, Victor Bannerjee, Moon Moon Sen, Sabyasachi Chakbraborty, Neha Dubey, Clayton Rodgers
Directed by Anjan Dutt
Rating: ***

Trust Pritish Nandy's production house to give that crucial thrust to deserving cinema.

Sure, Writer-director Anjan Dutt's second release in two weeks (after the tepidly –received Bong Connection) is not as powerful and poignant a portrait of the rapidly-disintegrating anglo-Indian community in Kolkata as Aparna Sen's 36 Chowringee Lane.

The earlier film had a hauntingly intimate quality to its tragic theme of a woman's solitude and emotional exploitation.

Bow Barracks Forever is more rumbustious raunchy and scathing. The spoken word is constantly harsh and the songs (composed partly by the director) cheer up up only fpr a few seconds.

Largely the narrative scans the dilapidated tenement with ruthless directness. A lack of romantic yearning is also the presence of a captivating candour in the narration.

The more the director looks into these desperate lives for anguished statements, the less representational they seem in their communalized seclusion.

What the saucy screenplay lacks is a kind of subtlety. The characters are as broadly bravura as they are uninhibited in their expressions of geo-political indignance.

Perhaps the 'ideas' tend to swamp the emotions at times. The one tenement in Anjan Dutt's plot seems to encompass characters of every shape and size, from the over-sexed rebellious housewife (Moon Moon Sen, in full-blown form) to the battered wife (Neha Dubey, more hysterical than required)….from the footloose moorless boy (Clayton Rodgers) who sneaks into the battered wife's bed to his strong-and-dignified mother (Lilette Dubey) who continues to believe that her elder son will summon her to Australia although he hasn't spoken to her for four years.

These are 'real' people given that cinematic tweak which separates the mannequins from the flesh-and-blood types.

The cinematography by Indranil Mukherjee invests these derelicts with a life beyond the womb of the screenplay. The editing,though, could have been crisper. Some of the situations tend to get aggressively monotonous. And you wonder, is the monotony a symptom of the characters' lives, or is that simply an imagined virtue?

And what pray tell, was the planted pre-interval murder in loo, if not a ploy to get the audience back in their seats quickly from the loo?

Somewhere towards the end the gifted Roopa Ganguly shows up as an abandoned wife seeking solace from the abandoned husband. Such geometrical gyrations do not take away from the distinctly cutting edge in the plot.

The skyline of the screem-play is ceaselessly scattered with salacious tidbits. Love-making scenes come on with energetic emphasis to remind us derelict lives needn't be dull. The juices and aromas from the kitchen and bedroom hit your senses in perpetual motions.

Standing tall and statately at the center of this awry universe of disoriented fringe- people is Lilette Dubey.

What an actor! No Violet Stonehem from 36 Chowringhee Lane, Lilette plays her character with delicious abandon. And yet there's a restrain and dignity in her gait and language, quite like what Shabana Azmi had created in her lonely anglo-Indian character in Anjan Dutt's Bada Din.

The other imposing performance comes from the irrepressible Victor Banerjee. After seeing him do his ho-hum two-bit in two Hindi films Tara Rum Pum and Apne it's a joy to watch Victor emerge victorious as the twinkle-eyed sodden trumpet player who chuckles loudly in the face of adversity and asks the Lilette character for a li'l kiss ("No real smooch or anything") just to remind you that life goes on….come what may.

Another tale of inspirational deprivation? Not quite. Bow Barracks Forever takes the marginal stereotypes by the b…lls and turns them into something distinctly glorious, if not grand.

A must-see for those who love stories about tribulation and redemption. They don't make films about such characters with such ironical integrity any more.

Yes, We are the Krazy 4!!!

Of late Irrfan Khan has been attempting different genres and coming up trumps. He recently did an action-comedy Sunday where for the first time he got to do stunts.

And now in Nishikant Kamath's Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan, Irrfan plays a coffee seller on a railway platform.

The role required a whole lot of physical re-orientation for the actor. Irrfan studied the behaviour of the platform people before plunging into the role. "It's the kind of part that just saps you. I'm getting exhausted playing this guy. But what a far cry from the Bhadra-Lok I played in The Namesake," he laughs.

"I'm looking for challenges now all the time. I'd be bored to repeat myself."

And one more challenge is upon Irrfan. In Rakesh Roshan's Krazy 4, his first production for an outside director, Irrfan will star as as a certified mentally imbalanced character.

"The Krazy 4 of the title, that's me, Rajpal Yadav,Arshad Warsi and Suresh Menon, are funny people, sad people, real people mad people. It's very difficult to play a mentally challenged person without going-over-the-top."

Coffee-wallah or crazy, Irrfan seems to enjoy the idea of traversing the whole gamut of roles.

You'll see Hrithik-Ash on time - Ashutosh

For a long time now some sections of the media have been inexplicably eager to see a delay in the release of Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodha-Akbar.

Several manufactured 'accidents' from the sets of Jodha-Akbar were reported, just to fuel the tantalizing possibility of a postponement in the release date of this eagerly awaited film.

In fact I contacted Hrithik after the report of his most recent 'accident'. He categorically said he had never suffered any accident during the shooting of Jodha-Akbar.

But then the naysayers and sensation-hungry fiction writers can't get enough of the quick- fix method of news-making. Hence last week there was again a report that the release of Jodhaa-Akbar has been postponed.

"Not again! Not true at all!" laughs Ashutosh Gowariker as he speeds to a spectucular conclusion of his Mughal epic. "I've been reading stories of Jodhaa-Akbar being postponded every couple of months.

These rumours are not true at all. We had locked in on October 12 as the release date since it coincides with Eid when audiences swamp to the theatres. We've to be stupid or careless to let go of such a coveted date."

So where does Ashutosh think these delay rumours are coming from? "Beats me! Probably because I've one song and one scene left to shoot, some people might be jumping to the wrong conclusions. But October 12 was, and is the release date for Jodhaa-Akbar."

There has also been some talk of Ashutosh returning to his first love, acting.

"First love?" he laughs. "Direction is and always be my pehla nashaa. If after that I get some time off I may, mind you may, consider giving acting a try. And that too only if a friend is insistent."

However right now it seems unlikely that Ashutosh Gowariker would be able to take up any acting assignments, what with the grueling post-production of Jodhaa-Akbar awaiting his full attention

Priyanka to move with Parents

Priyanka Chopra's new home may not be ready. Time has been at a low premium. But she continues to take interest in its construction and design very carefully. In fact one reason why she hasn't signed any films is because she could never find the time to get her new place ready.

"And now it's now or never," laughs Priyanka. "It will be ready during Diwali. It will be two connecting flats, just like it was earlier on. My family would be staying in one flat while I'd be staying in the other. They've always given me my privacy. I'd never be comfortable without my parents by my side."

Hrithik's wife Susanne is doing up her two new flats. "It's the first time I'm moving into a new place ever since I moved into Bombay. And so far I've had no opportunity to do up my place the way I always wanted to. If you come to my house at the moment you'll see it's very functional."

But now comes Priyanka's dream house. "Having a friend to do the interiors helps a lot. Susanne and I are doing it up the way I had always visualized my home. My parents will be just a door away. I always want my life to be this way. With my family at a place where I can reach out and touch them."

Akshay-Twinkle: It's not over yet!

Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle Khanna have shot off a legal notice to a certain publication in Mumbai for "publishing a false report on July 24, 2007".

The petition in this regard was filed in the court on July 26. The couple announced in the media: "We will not stand malicious reporting by any publication anymore. We will take them to court."

Their media statement reads: “We have never reacted to what is written about us because we are happy in our own little world and have never felt the need to prove anything to anyone. But people are taking advantage of our silence to slander us and write things without an iota of truth, which we shall not accept anymore”.

The report in question claimed that the actor had checked into the JW Marriott, Juhu, for four days last month after an altercation with his wife "over his alleged philandering" with a Bengali starlet.

The report quoted sources saying: "We often saw Akshay's car stopping by at the actress's place at odd hours to pick her up. They were spotted together, sometimes even on the sets, where either of them was shooting."

It further added that Twinkle had given Akshay an ultimatum to mend his ways, but in vain. At present, Akshay is shooting in Ladakh for Yashraj Films's Tashn.

Celina Jaitley is the Sexiest girl

At last, Celina Jaitly is on the top, beating off competition from Mallika Sherawat and Koena Mitra.

Not in bagging item numbers in Bollywood, but in a recent poll conducted by a well-known media house to find out the sexiest actress in tinsel town.

Said a psychologist who was on the poll panel: "Celina has a very pretty face and a great body. She is very sensual and not over the top and she knows how to carry her sensuality. Her attitude just adds to the X-factor."

The actress was shooting for an international project Love Has No Language in New Zealand when her friends sent her congratulatory text messages.

Celina said: "Yes, I did receive a lot of messages and I take the win as a compliment. My sex appeal lies in my face. It's also a lot about the right attitude."

Way to go, Celina!

Exposing Mallika & Bipasha's real age

There have been countless debates over many months about Bollywood’s favourite sex bomb Mallika Sherawat’s real age.

While a prominent news channel questioned Mallika’s talll claims of ‘being very young” by digging into her history and exposing her past credentials which included her airhostess job at a certain age and her failed marriage, another one very recently talked about how Mallika lies about being 26 when she is actually 36.

This big question and controversy about Madame M’s real age just refuses to die down. There have always been contrary reports of her age in the media. At times she is 26-28 and at times 35-36. After almost succeeding in hiding her marriage, now it seems Mallika is hell bent on putting her real age under wraps.

Mallika is the front runner here, but she is not exactly alone. Bipasha Basu has convinced everyone that she is 28, while a school junior of hers from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Kolkata who is herself actually around that age says, “Bipasha was my senior in school and at least three years older than me. I don’t know how she suddenly cut down so many years”. That makes dear old Bips almost 31!

Wannabe sex kitten and queen of sleazy cinema Sheryln Chopra claims to be only 22, where as sources claim otherwise. ‘Sherlyn has been 22 for many years now”, jokes a source.

Well, there are only a few examples. There are not many (like Ash and Tabu) who admit their age blatantly. For the rest, it all boils down to Indian woman being ‘oh so conscious’ about their ages.

On the other hand, Hollywood divas Madonna, Salma Hayek, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts and co might have admitted to heir ages but that hasn’t belittled their grace, charm, appeal and appearance in any way. Our desi ladies might have emulated them in as many ways as possible but this leaf out of their book has still not been taken and will not be for long, by the looks of it.

I'll sue Raj Kundra's wife

Shilpa Shetty has been repeatedly named by UK based NRI Raj Kundra's wife as the third party responsible for the breakdown of the couples nuptials. And now it seems Ms Shetty is tired of taking allegeations of her being a "home wrecker" lying down.

Hence she has released a statement quashing rumours that she is responsible for their marital collapse;

“After having been the subject of unwarranted media speculation in the past 48 hours, I feel the need to express my absolute shock at the way there is negative publicity…from someone called Kavita Kundra."

“I do know Raj Kundra as he was introduced to me three months ago regarding the perfume as he is a business associate.”

“I met with Raj in the capacity of the perfume deal and we have had discussions and meetings regarding finalising the perfume S2 which released in stores earlier this month.”

“My understanding is that Raj and Kavita's marriage was over a year ago and they have filed for divorce and have been living separately for over a year."

"I met Raj Kundra 3 months ago in a business capacity, so where the question of me breaking up her marriage arises this is impossible.”

Empathising with Kavita, Shilpa said she feels for her if she is going through some frustrations in life, but refused to stand for her using her name to vent "her frustrations." She has also threatened Kavita with legal action if she continues to taint her name;

“My culture and upbringing does not permit me to break marriages and I am the least interested in knowing or hearing anymore about her.”

“If she continues to TARNISH my name out of any insecurity or otherwise, I will consider taking legal action as I see no reason why my name is being dragged into this mess."

Apne - A Movie Review

Cast: Sunny Deol, Dharmendra, Bobby Deol, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Kirron Kher, Victor Banerjee, Aryan Vaid
Director: Anil Sharma

Baldev Choudhary (Dharmendra) is an ex-boxer who has never achieved his dream of becoming a champion during his boxing career. This was mainly due to lack of financial support. So now he wants to fulfil his ambitions through his son, Angad's (Sunny Deol) success.

Though Angad pulled through fine, Baldev never forgot who ruined his chance of becoming a winner. Soon, an opportunity arrives for Baldev in the form of a television show.

He is supposed to train a local lad to get into this media hyped boxing show. But he is ditched for a better coach at the last minute.

Baldev's younger son Karan (Bobby Deol) has just launched his first music album. Seeing his father in trouble, he gives up his musical career and decide to take up boxing.

Karan works very hard and wins all the competitions to international levels.

But during his boxing match with the current world heavyweight champion, Karangets hurt.

He ends up paralyzed in a hospital bed. Baldev, who once wanted to achieve his life long ambition, is now about to loose his son.

He feels like killing himself. Angad steps in to turn the game upside down and bring his father the happiness of a lifetime in this touching drama.

Apne sees the all three Deols on the screen for the very first time.

Diya Mirza and Shamita Shetty at DDamas

Bollywood Parties - Diya Mirza and Shamita Shetty at DDamas

Shamita Shetty at DDamas

Kunal doesn't discuss his girls

The young shaayar that Kunal Kapoor played in ‘Rang De Basanti’ is not far from his real life character.

Besides acting in films, Kunal is deeply passionate about writing. He is particularly fond of poetry. Writing poems in Hindi and English is something he has been doing for good many years now.

Kunal says that deep down he is a shy and reserved person who hates to talk about his intimate feelings and about the people he is close to. This is where poetry fills the gap.

The actor says poetry for him becomes cathartic, an emotional release.

"I find it very hard to talk about my relationships…That's where the poet in me surfaces. Poetry helps me to exteriorise my thoughts," Kunal is quoted as saying.

Kunal adds that he writes only for himself and has no intention of publishing his poems or even showing them to anyone.

On the movie front, Kunal is extremely excited about being part of two forthcoming Yashraj Films – ‘Aaja Nachle’ and ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’.

Both films have Kunal sharing the screen space with his favourite actresses. ‘Aaja Nachle’ has Madhuri Dixit, and ‘Laaga Chunari’ has Jaya Bachchan, of whom Kunal is an ardent fan.

I've no plans to be SRK's dad

Another rumor regarding a forthcoming film of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan bit the dust recently. Contrary to reports being strategically placed in sections of the media, the mighty thespian Dilip Kumar isn't playing SRK's father in the Vivek Vaswani comedy ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’.

The thespian's wife Saira Banu personally denies any such plans for her 84-year old husband. Beyond that the gracious couple refuses to say anything. But a close family friend has a lot to say about such arbitrary and illusory attempts to bring the two Khan superstars together.

Actually the Dilip Kumar–SRK ties go back a long way. Both are Pathans and share a common passion for cinema. There's a more- than- passing facial resemblance between the two.

What clinched the matter was Saira Banu’s declaration some years ago at an awards function that if she and her husband had a son he'd probably look like SRK.

The idea of casting them as father and son must have been born then, but as of now they are not coming together in any film.

‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ was shot in Tobago and Trinidad and the film stars Sushmita Sen and Fardeen Khan. SRK is paired with Sushmita in the film.

Hrithik out, SRK is new Boss!

Acoording to latest buzz, after his blockbuster Sivaji, Shankar has approached SRK for his next venture, supposedly, a sci-fi flick.

A source close to the director says, “Shankar wanted Hrithik but it seems that he won’t be able to do the film because he has already committed to his father Rakesh Roshan for Krrish 2.

Now, Shankar has approached SRK and he has agreed.”

It was only on the actor's request that the shooting will commence after a while. SRK has agreed to begin shooting for Shankar's film only after as he completes Shirish Kunder's film, which is untitled so far.

How Abhishek fell in love with Ash!!!

Abhishek Bachchan said his wife is uncomplicated and "always smiling," in a newspaper interview published Wednesday, describing how he met and fell in love with Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai.

Bachchan and Rai were married in April in what Indian media dubbed "The Wedding of the Century" — an extravagant affair that had photographers and cameramen camped for days outside their homes in suburban Mumbai.

The two became friends when they worked together on the 2000 movie "Dhai Akshar Prem Ke," but cupid didn't strike until they filmed "Dhoom 2" five years later, he told.

They were paired together again in Kuch Naa Kaho (2003) but it wasn't till Aishwarya and he jived together to the beats of Kajra Re in Bunty Aur Babli, right under the eyes of dad Amitabh Bachchan, that the sparks began to fly.

The romantic drama, Umrao Jaan, was supposed to be their big film together.

When it hit the floors Abhishek and Aishwarya had not started dating, but well before its release they were known, though not acknowledged, to be an item.

The film, though made with a lot of passion, failed to stir audiences and onscreen chemistry between the couple remained lackluster.

Dhoom 2 shortly followed Umrao Jaan. Though Abhishek was not paired opposite Aishwarya the two spent a lot of time together on the sets and that seems to have done it.

"We started dating in the latter half of the film as 'Dhoom 2' was shot for over a year-and-a-half," he said.

"There are so many things I love about Aishwarya. She's very human and unaffected and down-to-earth," Bachchan told The Times. "A simple little girl who is always smiling and that's very endearing."

But he said it was difficult to pinpoint when he fell in love.

"There was no defining moment as such," said Bachchan. "I cannot explain it in words."

Has life changed after marriage? Bachchan says Rai was pressuring him to change his diet.

"She tries to make me eat healthy food as she knows I have unhealthy habits," said Bachchan.

Don't waste your time on me: Bips

Bipasha Basu isn't enjoying the way her relationship with John Abraham is being linked to her absence in the new shampoo ad for the brand they they endorse.

"People can say what they like. They do that anyway, no matter what explanations we give. John and I are not answerable to anyone."

Regarding the speculation about John doing the shampoo ad with another model, Bipasha sighs, "When we signed the contract for the shampoo we didn't even know we'd be doing any of their ads together."

Bipasha and John signed their contracts separately. "And my association with that brand of shampoo continues. At this point of time John and I are advertising different brands of shampoo. So the question of me being replaced in the new ad doesn't arise. People can continue to speculate as much as they like. It doesn't bother me."

All the loose talk about the status of her relationship with John has begun to annoy Bipasha. "Let them say what they like. My life is mine alone. I'm answerable only to myself, my family and my close friends.

Beyond that, does it really matter? What I'm doing in my personal life shouldn't be of any consequence to anyone except me. I mean no harm to anyone. So why harm me with such endless speculation?"

The gossip mongers have been going to town with the now-off-now-on observations. Says Bipasha. "Precious news space shouldn't be wasted on such trivia. There's so much more worth writing about. From now I won't discuss my private life in print."

Salman dropped Kareena for Katrina

Salman Khan has ditched Kareena royally and the actress is upset about the way Khan's team is going about treating the issue.

Kareena had been finalised to play the lead opposite Salman Khan in My Punjabi Nikaah. That was long ago. Now Salman Khan's girl Katrina Kaif has become bigger than what she was after a string of better movies.

So Salman didn't really think twice before calling and asking Kareena to step out so that he could cast Katrina in the film and spend more time with her.

Also since Khan too is moving towards a Nikaah with Katrina, everyone felt it was a good idea.

Trouble happened with some of Khan's cronies started spreading the word that it was Kareena who had dropped out of the film. Obviously they did not want the market to know that Salman had dropped a heroine to accommodate his girl.

Shilpa Shetty sued for not paying her bills

Washington, July 24: A law firm has sued Indian actress Shilpa Shetty's firm for failing to pay a bill of 13,000 pounds.

The Celebrity Big Brother winner's Cine Entertainment had consulted Carter Ruck after the racial row that made her famous, reports the Sun.

The news comes after reports that the actress has been dropped from Max Clifford's client list due to repeated conflicts with the firm's employees

Security company CTR Services has also claimed that the 32-year-old Bollywood star owed them a sum of 3,000 pounds, according to Contactmusic.

However, Shetty's rep Farnath Hussain said that the company is in 'the process' of paying off the debts.

Shahrukh Khan, the new boss?

After making the blockbuster Sivaji: The Boss with Rajnikanth, director S Shankar is all set to make a film with Shah Rukh Khan. The two will apparently work together on an action thriller.

SRK has been in talks with the director for a while now about working together. The Bollywood superstar has not yet signed on the deal but it is believed that the duo have already discussed the script and other details of the film. The shooting of the film, however, will take a while to begin as SRK wants to finish work on Shirish Kunder's yet untitled film. Shankar has won many accolades for the stupendous success of his Sivaji. The film has broken all Indian ticket sales records, prompting its makers to have it dubbed in Hindi and some foreign languages as well. Shankar is also the man who directed Aishawariya Rai in one of her first film's Jeans.

It's real-kickass role:Priyanka

Remember those Mata Hari/Catwoman comic-book heroines? Priyanka Chopra harks back to the comic-book heroine of yore in Goldie Behl's Drona.

It's a F-X spectacle done up in the full-on comic-strip mould with Abhishek Bachchan playing a bespectacled nerd in the US.

"And guess what? I play Abhishek's bodyguard. It's a real-kickass role, and a first of its kind since we've never had the leading lady 'protecting' the hero…unless we remember Hemaji in those hunterwalli movies like Jyoti she looked after the hero. "

No wonder Priyanka is often looked on as the new-millennium Hema.

"Really?" Priyanka laughs. "I'm flattered. My entire look in Drona is very virile and aggressive. "

Priyanka learnt a special strain of the martial arts for her unique-dimensional role in Drona. "I had learnt some kung- fu for Don. But this is different. It's a full-on actioner for me, with kicks and somersaults galore. I quite enjoyed the cuts and bruises. "

She agrees her Drona look and body language is unlike anything she has done before. Quite like what stylist Anaita Shroff did with Aishwarya Rai in Dhoom 2.

"Yeah, we've the same stylist. But my character is more action-oriented. In fact for a change it's the leading lady doing more of the dada-giri than the hero," she laughs.

While she has been staying away from signing new films Priyanka has been doing a lot of ads. "I've been taking the time before my next bunch of assignments making money through ads and live shows. What I do next will have to take me beyond Drona. "

Salman is reluctant to Kiss!

Salman, by his own admission, is often tempted to overstep the law and do what he knows to be wrong.

However, he has much greater respect for his ethos. When it comes to kissing his leading ladies he just won't do it, in deference to his culture and upbringing.

Admitting his proclivity to tread over the law, in a recent interview with a newspaper, Salman explained that he had an evil side that he is not very fond of.

"It is my conscious effort to control that and not to go to the evil side. I have got a tremendous evil side that I don't like. I know this is good, this is bad, and what the right way is. And that is my constant battle, my constant fight with myself," he said.

In sharp contrast, when it comes to kissing his leading ladies on screen, Salman is clear headed and categorical - He won't do it!

According to a source, before he signed up for 'Marigold', his next release and first Hollywood film, the yet to be married 42-year-old told Willard Carroll, the director, that he will not kiss on screen. "No kissing scenes, please!" he said.

Carroll confirms Salman made his sign up conditional.

"That's right. Out there in the West, it's different, but the culture in India is different, and I respect it. Salman came and told me, 'what face will I show my father?' Now, who can argue with that?"

Oh! Salman. You make your fans so proud of you!

Partner - A Movie Review

Cast: Salman Khan, Govinda, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif and Rajpal Yadav
Director: David Dhawan
Rating: **1/2 (Not bad at all)

It’s a jolly well accepted norm that you have to leave reason and logic behind at home to enjoy typical David Dhawan comedies. His latest ‘Partner’ too abides by the norm and for Dhawan film loyalists, the film will be entertaining.

‘Partner’ brings forth the comic pairing of Salman Khan and Govinda with success. David Dhawan has delivered majority hits with Govinda in the 90s wherein his pairing worked well with the likes of Sunjay Dutt and it’s like returning back to his roots for the actor who only recently made his Bollywood comeback. And despite the ageing and the weight and two recent misses ('Salaam-e- Ishq' and 'Bhagam Bhag'), one realizes that he still shows no sign of rust while doing what he is best at.

The film which has undertones of the Will Smith and Eva Mendes Hollywood flick ‘Hitch’ has Salman Khan playing the cool dude Prem (yet again), the ‘love guru’, one who sets up dates and has solutions to all problems connected to the heart. Govinda’s character Bhaskar Diwakar Choudhary is the ‘simple bumpkin but good hearted type’ who is desperate for some of Salman’s ‘gyan’ as he thinks he is the only one who can get him the lady of his dreams, the sophisticated heiress Priya (Katrina Kaif). There after follow their travails, adventures, misadventures wherein the comic timings and chemistry of the two get displayed full on.

In between Salman meets and falls in love with single mom Naina (Lara Dutta) and tries to get close to her bratty yet cute son. There is also some amount of special effects thrown in (watch the scene where Salman is chased by the missile his nephew makes). Foreign locations pass off as Mumbai but as said earlier don’t look for reason and logic here. That’s how the world of make believe is supposed to be in Bollywood comedy king David Dhawan’s films!

The film does have some hilarious moments and the one that deserves special mention is towards the end when Govinda keeps barging into Salman’s suite for advice on how to go ahead with his honeymoon. Sanjay Chhel’s peppy and witty dialogues help throughout as they succeed in stirring up laughter.

Some of the situations in the film are clichéd and chances are, they won’t appeal to the elite audience. Especially things like Lara printing the ‘love guru’ scandal in the paper she works for without confirming things with the love of her life, Salman are a little too hard to digest.

Camera work is topnotch and the frames look nice and colorful. The locations are appealing. Sajid Wajid’s music is foot tapping. The title song and ‘you are my love’ stand out. ‘You are my love’ deserves special mention as it has been choreographed and picturised well and scores with its international feel. However the placements of some of the songs don’t feel quite right. Again typical of a David Dhawan mindless masala entertainer!

Govinda is in form and ditto for Salman who looks stylish and hep throughout. He is his usual self and the distinctive Salman style is visible, complete with facial histrionics and all. The film belongs to Salman and Govinda and the ladies do what they are supposed to – provide support. Lara suits the role and must say her styling is really nice. Katrina too looks pretty and since the role is not very demanding, she doesn’t disappoint. The boy who plays Lara Dutta’s son does a good job.

Deepshikha, Rajat Bedi and Aarti Chhabria play really small roles and don’t have anything much to do. Surprisingly, the talented Rajpal Yadav as chota don (spoofing Don) too doesn’t get much of a chance to display his skills. Interestingly, producer Sohail Khan of the ‘Khandan’ is seen in a photo frame (way to make one’s presence felt?) as Deepshikha’s hubby.

All in all, recommended for the masses, especially all die hard David Dhawan/Salman/Govinda fans and those who have a soft corner for pure masala flicks.

He made me look stupid seductress

They say, behind every successful man is a woman. Likewise, in Bollywood, behind every successful brand, is a publicist.

Upcoming actress Sherlyn Chopra realized this last year, when she hired the services of celebrity publicist Dale Bhagwagar, who also looks after the imaging of the likes of Hrithik Roshan, Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Esha Deol and films of Farhan Akhtar.

Sherlyn, (then called Mona Chopra) was languishing in obscurity after her C-grade films ' Time Pass ', 'Jawani Diwani' and 'Naughty Boy' had bombed. But the self-proclaimed "master manipulator" that Dale is, he managed to turn the tides for the actress.

Within no time Sherlyn was splashed in various newspapers and magazines with a variety of pictures, all of which befitted her well-publicized 'split personality'.

At times, she would look demure. At other times, bold and daring. At times, she would be photographed dressed as Santa Claus and playing with kids. At other times, she would appear on the cover of Man's World, imparting sex gyan.

At times, she would pose for newspapers wearing a tricolour salwar-kurta. At other times, she would be arrested by the Alibaug police for doing a bikini photo shoot without police permission on the beach.

At times, she would attend a music launch event dressed in a burkha, protesting against the unwillingness of the makers of her film 'Game', to change her name from Mona Chopra to Sherlyn Chopra in the title credits of their film. At other times, she would appear nude in fashion photo shoots.

Whatever the reason, Dale ensured Sherlyn Chopra always hogged the limelight. On her part, she never disappointed him and churned out scandalous quotable quotes by the dozen to a jaw-dropping media; a quality the publicist loved.

Within a matter of months, Dale's calculating strategies and media placements turned her into being 'controversy's favourite child'. She received loads of attention in the print, television and internet media throughout the year.

So it has come as a shock to the fourth estate, that Sherlyn has kicked out the very publicist who made her the brand she is. She has claimed that the publicist tried to be "God" in her life and kept telling her what she should do and what she should not.

Sherlyn loves to be in the midst of things and her teaming up with this publicist had proved to be an unbeatable dynamic combination.

So what made her throw him out? "Apart from manipulating the media, Dale constantly told me what I should do and avoid; which paper I should speak to and which paper I shouldn't. I even heeded to an extent, but then he began behaving as if he was all powerful; as if he ruled me. But he's just a PR. Not a God," quips Sherlyn.

But surprisingly, the publicist only has good words for his ex-client. He says, "Sherlyn is not only a fiery person but a powerhouse performer. Her talents have been untapped until now. But just wait for her music album 'Outrageous' to release.

She will stun everyone with her singing prowess and performance. Pralhad Kakkar is directing her debut video and he will work magic for her. "

Isn't the publicist upset with Sherlyn for throwing him out? "I can't help but move on. She fired me as she thought of me as a control freak. But I can't help it as I pride on that quality of mine. I like to guide and tell my clients and the media what I need from them. My profession demands me to be stern at times.

See, I can't be a yes-man to my clients. I prefer to plan, strategize, do imaging and media placements. I like to tell my clients what to do and what not to. I like to guide and groom them for the media. If that's being God, then I am God".

As soon as Sherlyn removed the publicist, she went ahead and bad-mouthed Vinod Pande, the maker of her recent film 'Red Swastik'. Pande had mentored the actress when she was down and out and cast her in his psycho thriller which miserably bombed at the box-office due to an improper release strategy.

Sherlyn asserted. "I will never again work with a filmmaker like Vinod Pandey. I am ashamed that I had to mouth my dialogues like a seductress. Vinod wanted me to overact all the time.

Can't you seduce without nakhras? At 22, when I can understand, why can't Vinod pandey who is a veteran in this industry understand what the difference between real and fake is?"

"I would have never allowed her to do something as foolish as spewing venom against a film director," says Dale. "I know that by now, she hates me advising her, but makers and their films are the ones to catapult an actor to stardom. One should never badmouth them. "

Dale modestly adds, "However hard a publicist would try, it's ultimately the films and their appreciation that speak for any artiste. "

But wasn't he the one who managed to bring Sherlyn into the limelight when the media was wary of featuring her because of her down-market past? "Yes, I did. So what? It was my job and I was handsomely paid for it. Even if I have to do it all over again for any other actress, I would," he says.

"When the media refuses to give mileage to an artiste I take it up as a challenge to splash him or her across the papers and television screens. Such challenges give me a kick," Dale adds.

Sadly for the publicist, while fulfilling one such challenge, it has turned out that he himself got the kick.

'Shilpa wrecked our marriage': Wife of UK-based producer Kundra

London, July 22: The wife of UK-based Indian film producer Kundra has accused Bollywood beauty Shilpa Shetty of ensnaring her film producer hubby and wrecking their marriage.

Kavita Kundra hit out against the Celebrity Big Brother winner for pursuing an affair with Raj Kundra when they had just welcomed their first child.

The news comes after the stunning actor was spotted shopping with Kundra.

"Shilpa's a cultural icon in the Indian community, but she's not what she appears. She can have any man she wants - there are plenty of single men. She didn't need to go after my husband," News of the World quoted her as saying.

"Raj bragged Shilpa and her family had been sounding him out as a potential husband. I was stunned. Up until then I didn't even know they'd met," she added.

According to reports, things started after Raj went to Bombay (Mumbai) to work on a script and when he got back to the UK, Kavita noticed a change in his behaviour.

"He'd been away in Bombay for a month working on a script. I'd gone to stay with my parents at their home in West Bromwich. But when Raj returned to the UK he sent me a text message, which took my breath away. It read simply, 'Don't bother coming back,'" she said

The 25-year-old also revealed that Raj was keen on bringing their relationship back on track, but suddenly things just fell through.

"I thought I had every chance, but the arrival of Shilpa wrecked everything. Suddenly Raj's attitude changed and he wanted a divorce," she said.

Last week, the film producer sent a message to Kavita saying 'Lots of rumours in press regarding Shilpa and me. Dad says press were standing outside house all day asking questions'.

Kavita also said that whenever she tried to probe into the depth of their relationship, Raj avoided her questions or laughed off the topic.

"I texted back saying, 'Is this your way of telling me?' He just ignored the question. Since then, every time I try to find out the depth of their relationship, he avoids the question, or he laughs," Kavita said.

However, Raj has denied having an affair with the Bollywood star and said that his marriage ended a year ago, and that it had nothing to do with the actor.

"We're just friends. I have a business relationship with Shilpa regarding her perfume. My marriage ended twelve months ago and it was nothing to do with Shilpa," he said.

Hurricane Katrina hits Mallika

Mallika Sherawat has been having problems with Katrina Kaif. Ask the unit hands of the Anees Bazmee film Welcome. Mallika Sherawat was shooting a scene with Katrina.

Mallika's portions were tougher and the actress too was playing second fiddle to Katrina in the film. Ever since the Bipashas and the Aishwaryas started dropping their clothes for films like Doom, Mallika's relevance has come down.

And it was during the shooting of Welcome that certain hard facts hit Mallika like Hurricane Katrina.

Not only was Katrina being pampered for being Salman's girl, a scene where Mallika had tougher lines got more claps for Katrina when the shot was being canned.

Mallika was stunned and she stormed off into the habourage of her make up van and sobbed uncontrollably. Mallika has come to terms with the fact that she is not a unique factor anymore in Bollywood and there are many replacements who can drop clothes, inhibitions etc.

Priyanka Chopra - The Singing Diva

See Priyanka Chopra in her new avatar as the singing diva. Priyanka Chopra and her father did their own special bit by singing for old age music lovers. Priyanka sure is a socially responsible citizen and sings her way straight into our hearts... Way to go supergirl!

"I have a glamourised look in Heyy Babyy." - Vidya Balan

A serene and silent music release was held for the film Heyy Babyy, directed by Sajid Khan, on the last day of the shoot at Film City recently. Quiet because, only the media was invited with the cast and crew, minus the regular pomp and splendour of a five star hotel. On the sets, we met up with the beautiful Vidya Balan. A brief tête-à-tête follows:

How is the music of Heyy Babyy?
The music is extremely youthful and chirpy. Very soul stirring. The kind you will love to hear anytime, anywhere. When you have the trio of Shankar- Ehsaan- Loy composing for you, it's got to be out of the world! The story is based on people of Indian origin living in Australia, so the music is in tune with the theme. When you watch the movie, you will realize that you can go out of India, but you can't let India go out of you!

What is your role in Heyy Babyy?
Sajid Khan has presented a different side of me. He has a great sense of humour. The story is set in Australia. For the first time the audiences will be looking at a western and glamorized me! I hope they enjoy it. Can't really disclose much about the character right now, but you will know in time. When the story was narrated to me, I really felt confused whether I can do justice to the role. Sajid convinced me wonderfully and so I did it. Sajid is a close friend, so there was no way I would be uncomfortable with his judgmental prowess.

How was it working with a first time director?
He has a cinematic bent of mind. He is extremely affluent with the technical aspects of film making. His ability of explaining the scenes reminds me of childish enthusiasm coupled with the art of a connoisseur. As a director, he gives due liberty to the actors to give their inputs and allows them to perform freely. That's how the look of the movie is very fresh.

How was the atmosphere on the sets of the film?
It was a complete mad house with Akshay, Riteish and Sajid. I was almost thinking that I was back in college. They used to play so many pranks that we used to end up crying while laughing. My boisterous attitude had sprung up during the making and it was a perfect situation of work and pleasure going together.

Were a lot of pranks were played at the shoot of the film?
Of course. There was this one time when Susan, our foreign co-star had a fight with her driver. We were shooting at Madh Island. The guys started scaring her saying that it is very unsafe for females to drive down home alone as a lot of rape and murder cases have already taken place in this area. After a while Akshay gave her a note saying that it was from her driver, who gave it before he left. "How will you go alone now?" the note said. Poor Susan was very nervous and in tears. But, when they realized it was going overboard, they burst out laughing and called it off!

How do you compare these with your earlier movies?
My earlier films, Parineeta, Eklavya, Salaam- e- Ishq; all created a serious impact on the audiences. This is a fun packed entertainer with great commercial value.

Your family is very protective about you.
Yes they are. Apart from my parents, who are extremely protective, my sister and my brother-in-law are also very particular about how I am handling my life. They are more keen to know what I am doing, how I am going about things etc. Honestly, in the movie business, one has to have a support system without which it isn't easy. And it feels nice to live a life where you feel sheltered.

Have you looked up to any actress and any performance?
I think makers also have an important role to play in this. Madhuri Dixit was wonderful in 'Devdas'. She has gone through her career very well and this was a high point. I want to live my life the way she did and I shall feel very happy about that for sure.

People have even compared you with the legendary Madhuri Dixit. Comment.
I am quite flattered by the comparison. But I guess I have loads to reach before I come close to her.

Are you an ambitious actress?
Yes. But I am not very ambitious. I love to enjoy and live life to its utmost.

Do you think we should leave our hearts and minds at home before we watch Heyy Babyy?
Not at all! You can take both to the cinema halls and enjoy the film. It is also an intelligent film in parts.

Source - Sanskriti Media

Doctor Shilpa Shetty

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Leeds Metropolitan University on July 18 for her outstanding contribution to cultural diversity.

Shilpa, who won the Celebrity Big Brother reality television show, collected the award amidst 4,000 students present at the ceremony, thus becoming the youngest actor from the Indian film fraternity to join the ranks of Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Yash Chopra who have so far been conferred with the honour.

Thanking the University for selecting her for the Doctorate, she said, “You have bestowed this great honour on me and I promise to act responsibly. I have tried my best to do my best in whatever I have done in my life and I am going to continue to do so.”

"I don't let any man come close to me." - Tanushree Dutta

From Miss India to oomph princess, Tanushree Dutta has an eventful journey in Bollywood. She started off as an item girl in roles that any actress looking for performance-oriented work would shy away from. But now, Tanushree has had enough of fluff. She’s looking for author-backed roles with big banners that will add her name to the A-list of performers. A casual chat with the pretty actress:

What can we expect from you in the near future?
Well, I’m working on Priyadarshan's Dhol and Vikram Bhatt's Speed. While Dhol is a comedy, Speed is a thriller. I play Zayed Khan's love interest in Speed. I am looking forward to the release of both the films.

You have gone for a complete makeover...
Yes. I have changed my image completely. After Raqeeb and Good Boy Bad Boy, I felt I needed to give myself an image makeover. I had also put on some weight recently. But I worked hard and now am back in shape. I have also worked on my look, makeup and approach. At one point, I had too many things on my plate. I committed myself to too many projects as a result of which I had to work two to three shifts a day sometimes. It was easy to get undisciplined. I became a bit lazy. But now I am back on track. I have learnt to balance my professional and personal life effectively.

Most of your recent films haven't done well at the box office...
It's true that most of my films have not been great hits, but I see it as an opportunity to analyze and see what went wrong. After seeing Raqeeb and Good Boy Bad Boy I worked on myself a lot. I am sure it will show in my forthcoming releases.

How did you manage to lose the weight you gained recently?
I work out four times a week. My trainer takes care of my training schedule. I don't believe in crash diets. But I control my diet a lot. I don't eat fried foods. No aerated drinks for me. My mom strictly monitors my diet. I am a bit lazy sometimes but my mom makes sure she pushes me. She also pushes me to go and work out in the gym. Being a Bengali I was exposed to a lot of sweets before. Now, when I am tempted I eat a tiny bit of something I like. But mostly I try and avoid fattening foods.

What kinds of scripts are you looking for?
I have done comedy films like Bhagam Bhaag which I enjoyed a lot. I have played a sensual role in Chocolate. I have even done a negative role so early in my career with Raqeeb. I like to do different roles. I don't like to confine myself to one particular genre. When I hear a script, if it appeals to me I go for it. I listen to my heart. I am open to all kinds of roles.

Have you ever been invited to the casting couch?
When I came into the industry I had the advantage of the Miss India title which a lot of newcomers don't have. Because of the title, I have been respected and appreciated. Even without the title, I don't think anyone would dare approach me! I carry myself with dignity. I think a lot depends on body language and how a woman carries herself. I have never had casting couch experiences in the industry. I don't think I will in the future either.

You have often said that you don't have time for men in your life. What if you run into your dream man?
(Laughs) I maintain a professional relationship with all the people in the industry. I don't let any man come close to me unless I want him to. I am very clear about that. But tomorrow if I meet the dream man, I might go ahead. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. (Smiles)

From modeling to acting, how was your journey?
I come from a very close knit family. My parents mean the world to me. When I was in college, I started modeling just to earn that extra buck. Even then I used to have deadlines. I had to make sure my shoots wrapped up by 6 pm. My hostel was very strict and I couldn't go in late. Initially, my parents were a bit apprehensive but now they know that their daughter can carry herself well. It has been a pleasant journey and I hope to do a lot more good work in the industry.

Source - Pavithra Selvam/Sanskriti Media

"I wanted to be a famous porn star." says Sherlyn Chopra

Her snug fitting top says ‘The name’s Chopra… Sheryln Chopra’. Needless to say, the upcoming actress is a James Bond fan. She even had a car that had a sticker that read Bond 007. However, this time round, Sheryln is merely trying to stop people from getting her name wrong. Her quirkiness is endearing. And after Red Swastika, she hopes her acting will be too. For now, Sheryln’s making waves as a sex bomb. A freewheeling chat with the babe about her upcoming ventures, her Bond fetish and her love affair with Bollywood…

That’s an interesting top…
Yes (Giggles). I even had a sticker on my car that said Bond 007. But this top is to clarify that my name is Sheryln. There has been lots of confusion over my name. I have been introduced with different names. Everyone thinks my name is too western to appeal to the audience.

You seem to be Bollywood next screen sizzler. Does this sex bomb tag bother you?
You can call me anything except a bimbette. That’s because a bimbette looks awesome, has great figure, is hot and sexy but lacks brains. That’s the worst insult you can heap on me. I don’t have any problems being called hot.

How does your family react to your image?
My mom is always complaining about my clothes. She wants to burn all my bikinis but I have always told her I want to keep that image. I told her I worked very hard to look the way I do and I would like people to admire my body. I do a lot of cardio and dieting so that I look great. So what’s wrong with flaunting something I have?

Doesn’t your image cause you problems?
Only with perverts.

And how often do you come across perverts?
Daily. I run into such people daily.

Prahlad Kakkar found you too sexy. Did you shoot for his video finally?
We will be shooting for the video soon. I think we have different sensibilities. He thought I need to tone down a bit. Guess he wanted to play safe.

Did you always want to be an actress?
Yes, I always wanted to be an actress. It was somewhere deep inside always.

You said you were a bookworm and unattractive as a teenager. When did you metamorphose into this sex bomb?
There are always people who pull you down. They kept saying this girl won’t ever be able to do this and that. And that’s what made me want to surprise everyone. It took a lot of hard work but I did it eventually.

So catching people off-guard is an old habit?
(Laughs) Yes, I love doing that.

What would you have been if you weren’t an actress?
A famous porn star! (Laughs)

A porn star???
I don’t mean everything I say. Some things are said just in jest.

Yash Chopra was overheard saying you have the ability to sustain the viewer’s attention. Anything coming up with him?
No, nothing. People often say something when they find someone good but that doesn’t necessarily mean he gave me work. I hope I get to work with him someday. Who doesn’t?

So far, you have been given only sex bomb roles. Are these the only roles offered to you?
Yes, producers come to me with such roles. But I haven’t signed any. I’d rather sit at home than do any such roles. I am looking for something challenging.

Do you think you made wrong career moves?
Yes. I admit I made some wrong decisions. My previous movies were mistakes and I don’t want to keep them in my memory.

Have you encountered the casting couch?
There have been innumerable attempts. I mean you don’t need to have the couch but yes perverts keep trying. And the industry is full of them.

Your name is western and your surname Indian. What’s the deal?
I got my surname from my mom’s boyfriend.

What was the experience of working in Red Swastika like?
It’s a very sensible role. It was superb portraying such a character. It’s a character who has gone through a lot. I had to play a mother as well as a prostitute and a killer. My role is inspired from Charlize Theron. It’s sad that the movie didn’t get multiplex releases.

What about all the bold scenes in the movie?
People should understand that bold scenes do not make a film sleazy.

There were no objections from the censor board…
None. I think they understood the film. The board is full of sensible and smart people.

What kind of a director is Vinod Pande?
He is quite a fussy director. He is almost never happy with a take and makes you do something over and over again. It’s good as that improves the performance but there have been instances when take one and take 20 were similar. That’s when it gets annoying!

Do you need direction while doing kissing scenes?
I know how to kiss. So I don’t have to be taught to do that. I am not a kid who doesn’t know how to kiss.

How do you feel after doing all those scenes?
As an actress, it is my job to portray emotions on the camera. You don’t ask a soldier how feels after killing people in a war. That’s his job. It’s the same for me. I compare myself with a soldier. I do what I have to do and I don’t talk about it later. It’s over after I do it.

Do you feel embarrassed after doing such scenes?
No. Why should I be embarrassed about that? I am embarrassed about the society I live in where a 13-year-old girl is raped. I am embarrassed when a 12-year old girl has to go for an abortion. The society is full of evil. I am ashamed of all these rather than the length of my skirt.

Are you using such roles to make a place for yourself in Bollywood? There have been actresses who did this and then moved on to meaningful roles.
No, I am not. Why should I? I will keep doing roles that I like. It’s not pehle bikini aur uske baad bindi for me. I would like to do both. That’s versatility.

Any message for fans?
Don’t judge my talent seeing the length of my skirt.

Source -Sanskriti Media