Bollywood 'Shahenshah' Big B turns 70

Bollywood 'Shahenshah' Big B turns 70

New Delhi: God of Indian cinema the mega star Amitabh Bachchan turns 70 on Thursday. The wrinkles are visible more than ever on his face; the mortal body getting weaker day by day but the charm and warm in his character still has the power to hypnotize anybody easily.  Despite 40 odd years in Bollywood, the ageing actor is not the one to rest on his laurels. He is back to woo his fans with KBC 6 which is said to be the highest TRP gainer of this year. From a not much hyped debut with ‘Saat Hindustani’ in 1969 to essay a role of 12 years old Progeria kid in Paa, Big B has come a long way.

On asking about his birthday plans and gifts, Amitabh said, I look forward to spending time with my family. All the gifts and presents that I needed have already come my way - the blessings of my parents, which I consider the greatest gift, and their presence in my life through all the upbringing that they gave me."

Happy Birthday Big B!

It was earlier reported that wife Jaya Bachchan and designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla are planning a big surprise bash for the actor. "A million interviews, a million good wishes and a million desires of continuance... birthday at 70 seems special to some. Just another day for me," tweeted Bachchan.

WISH 'BIG B' A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY (click here)

However, this birthday seems to be very special for Big B as his 10 months old granddaughter Aaradhya keeps him busy always. “My family - my wife Jaya and the two wonderful gifts that she gave me - Abhishek  and  Shweta and now the bahu (daughter-in-law) in the house, Aishwarya, and the little (granddaughter) Aaradhya... so these are my wonderful gifts and no one can replace them," said the megastar.

No wonder his milestone birthday is the talk of the town. If the celebrations were in his hands, the busy star would have wanted some rare, quiet time with his family. But close ones of Big B want to

make it big - reportedly with a huge dinner party Oct 10, an art show, poster exhibition and book launch on the big day.

"My family this time round wants to have celebration on my birthday. I have heard that it might be celebrated on Oct 10 at night. I absolutely don't have any idea about it and nobody is ready to disclose anything about it (to me)," he said.

Though this megastar doesn’t like any fuss or big party on his birthday, he loves to get surprises from his close ones. "I don't see why there should be so much fuss, but sometimes you have to go with what friends, well wishers and family wish to do for you and you comply with that.

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Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday bash a star studded affair

Stars descend at Big B’s 70th birthday bash

Mumbai: The Indian film industry's biggest stars like Dilip Kumar, Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and to southern superstar Rajinikanth to high profile politicians like Praful Patel flocked to the big bash organised on Wednesday to usher in the living legend Amitabh Bachchan's 70th birthday.

The red carpet was rolled out for as many as 800 guests at the Reliance Media Work, Film City, Goregaon. Amitabh, dressed in a black velvet outfit, came with his family wife Jaya Bachchan, son Abhishek, daughter Shweta, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and he too walked the red carpet with live orchestra playing hit numbers from his films.

Big B, who turns 70 on Thursday, told media, "Thanks for coming", while Aishwarya, flaunting a cream long dress with golden detailed work all over, told reporters, "We are so happy that we are all on Thursday celebrating his birthday.

 Thank you so much."If yesteryear veterans like Hema Malini, Saira Banu, Waheeda Rehman, Vinod Khanna, Prem Chopra, Kader Khan, Pran, Zeenat Aman, Jeetendra and Asha Parekh came to wish Big B, his co-star of many films like "Deewar" Shashi Kumar was wheeled in to join the revelries.

Also Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, who have worked with Big B, were seen walking the red carpet. Aishwarya and Abhishek played a perfect host and escorted 89-year old legend Dilip Kumar inside the venue.

Big B's one time competitor Vinod Khanna, who rarely speaks to the media, was in a generous mood and said: "I wish him all the happiness and good luck."From the current lot stars like Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra, Anurag Kashyap and his wife Kalki Koechlin, Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan, John Abraham and Arshad Warsi came to wish Big B.

Also Tabu, Madhuri Dixit with her husband Sriram Nene, Mahima Chaudhary, Abbas Mastan, Sudhir Mishra, Anil Kapoor, Subhash Ghai, Alka Yagnik, Boman Irani, R Madhavan, Ameesha Patel, Ajay Devgn-Kajol, Sridevi, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Divya Dutta, Ashutosh Gowariker, Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta, Vipul shah, Rana Daggubati and Urmila Matondker among others were there.

Shabana Azmi called him an "iconic figure" and added: "I got an opportunity to work with him. He is my favourite."Madhuri wished him all the "happiness and success", while Juhi said: "I respect him, admire him and I had a great time working with him."Vidya, who played his mom in "Paa", said that "he is an inspiration not only for actors but for everyone".

From down south, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Ram Charan Teja were present among others.If glamour was at its high, the big names from political corridor including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gathered here to wish Big B.

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A 70-foot painting from Allahabad for Big B's 70th birthday

70 foot painting on Big B’s 70th b’day

Lucknow: Even as actress Jaya Bachchan lines up a slew of events, gifts and surprises for hubby and mega star Amitabh Bachchan, who turns 70 on Thursday, a young fan of Big B is working tirelessly 24x7 to gift him a "touching and a very big gift".

Raj Kapoor Chitera, 26, is making a 70-foot oil painting which will show various milestones in Bachchan's personal and professional life. Chitera, a resident of Allahabad, has done such work in the past too.

In his earlier works, he has tried to push the case for implementing the death sentence awarded to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist after the attack in Mumbai in November 2008 that left 164 people dead. He has also taken on the theme of pollution of the Ganga.

 In 2011, he drew a 1,500-foot long painting on Sachin Tendulkar to mark his 38th birthday. Chitera told IANS that he was a die-hard fan of Big B, and proud to belong to the city from where the Bachchans trace their roots.

"Through this humble present, I want to show Amitji how he still is a smashing hit with his fans, all of us Allahabad residents," Chitera says proudly. Originally from Ambedkarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, the painter now lives in Allahabad.

Producing a large painting for a big occasion is something Chitera is passionate about. Chitera says his Big B work will be in oil paint and on a roll of veneer, so that he "can send it to Jalsa (Amitabh Bachchan's residence in Mumbai) later".

"The painting will have shades of all sorts, you will see a picture of  Amitji's bachpan (childhood), his marriage to Jaya Bhaduri and his subsequent successes at the box office," the artist says, adding that the painting too, like a film, would have a story line. The films depicted in the painting would include "Abhimaan", "Shakti", "Sholay", "Zanjeer", "Coolie" and "Baghban".

Chitera has been a painter and sculptor in sand for the last ten years. On Oct 11, Amitabh Bachchan's 70th birthday, Chitera would also be simultaneously doing a sand art gift for Bachchan, which will be executed at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

While Amitabh Bachchan's birthdays have thus far been largely private affairs, this time, the family has decided to make it a mega event as he turns 70. Media reports suggest that Jaya Bachchan, along with Piyush Pandey, will organise a two-day art exhibition - B Seventy - set to open Oct 12 at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery in Mumbai.

The exhibition is likely to host 70 Indian artists, including Manu Parekh, Paresh Maity, Anjolie Ela Menon, Akbar Padamsee, Badri Narayan, Satish Gujral, Gieve Patel, Jayasri Burman, Arzan Khambatta, Farhad Hussain, Satish Gupta, Sujata Bajaj and Praneet Soi, among others.

The lone effort of this artist from Uttar Pradesh, however, will stand out. And not just for its size

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Yash Chopra shouldn't have retired as director: Katrina

Yash Chopra’s retirement upsets Katrina

Mumbai: Actress Katrina Kaif, who has teamed up with Yash Chopra for her forthcoming film "Jab Tak Hai Jaan", is disheartened that the filmmaker has announced his retirement.
  
"I think he shouldn't have retired. It is sad that he has announced his retirement. He is a legend and I don't think anyone can match him. I feel I am honoured to be part of his last film," she told reporters from Chicago.
  
"He is an amazing person. He has a great sense of emotion and passion for cinema. It was great working with him," she said.
  
Recollecting an incident while she was shooting for the film, Katrina said that there was a scene which she couldn't get right despite her repeated attempts.
  
"Everyone from Shah Rukh to Aditya Chopra tried to explain to me about how to get it right. But it was Yashji who understood that I was nervous and hence couldn't get it right. So he started cracking jokes, since he understood what I was going through. That was an amazing moment. He is a very sharp person."
  
She said it was at the premiere of "Veer Zaara" when she watched a scene where Shah Rukh picks up Priety Zinta on a bridge, that she wished she could get to do a Yash Chopra film.
  
"I was aspiring to do a film with him and it eventually happened. I am happy and honoured."
  
Katrina said she felt intimidated by Shah Rukh Khan while working in the film.
  
"I was initially intimidated by him. I had to find a way to connect with him as an actor. Once that awkwardness was gone, I felt he is very caring. He gave me certain tips for a romantic film, like I should look into the eyes whenever we were together for a scene," she said

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Life is not a bed of roses in Bollywood: Deepika Padukone

Life is not bed of roses in B-Town: Deepika

Elegant and laborious actress Deepika Padukone easily transforms herself into the character she portrays. More importantly, she enjoys what she does. Her off-screen appearance is always that of a traditional girl wearing modern attires. 'Sakhi' tried to catch up with this attractive actress and have an insight about her thoughts on life and career. Excerpts from the interview…

Rising expectations

I know that people’s expectations from me have risen but this does not make me nervous. I do not think about my responsibilities during the shooting of a film. I work with my heart and soul. If I start thinking about the expectations and responsibilities I won’t be able to enjoy my work.

Faith of audience

When people start developing faith in you as an actor then films flopping at the box-office hardly matters. It is true that hit films will make my career graph zoom up but no one can run away from flop films. For me, the most important thing is that the audience loves me, they go to the theatres to watch my film having faith in me.

Family support  

My co-actors who are of my age, like Sonkashi, Sonam, Ranbir or Imran, have filmy background which surely benefit them in some way or the other. They can depend on their family or consult them regarding any professional query like what to do and which film to sign, with whom to work? I do not come from a filmy background. That is why my family’s suggestions are only for my comfort. My family always supports me and so I am here.

No mistakes

As far as my decisions are concerned I do not think I have taken any wrong ones. All those film offers which got rejected either was not make or the ones which hit the theatres becaming super flops.

Where is glamour?

I have heard girls saying that they want to become actress because films are full of glamour. I want to tell them that film world is not as glamorous as it seems from outside. People who know this industry from close quarters are aware of this. Life is not easy here. One has to do many sacrifices and compromises in this industry.

Fitness

I believe that a healthy body should be everyone’s priority. My suggestion to all is to combine a healthy diet with proper workout. You will neither lose your weight nor be healthy if just go for any one of the above. Apart from all these, healthy and positive thinking are must. For me, fitness doesn’t mean to be slim. Most essential thing is to feel healthy from inside.

Live life king size

It is important to do everything as a woman. She is required to do many things at one time. I also do the same. If a group of boys are playing cricket I can also join them and if girls are working in the kitchen I can help them out in cooking. In life, it is important to do things other than your profession. We have got only one life and so we should cherish its value.

Marriage and career

A woman’s priority changes with time. Her life changes completely after marriage. The responsibility of family and kids increases. With this, most of the actresses voluntarily retire from films owing to the added responsibilities after marriage. But there are exceptions to this like Kajol and Madhuri Dixit. Both of them have balanced their personal and professional life very well. As far as I am concerned, I will try to maintain a balance between my family and career after marriage. I will continue acting in films along with looking after my family.

Deepika is simple and grounded: Imran Khan

On the first day of rehersals for our movie ‘Break Ke Baad’, I realized that my chemistry with Deepika would gel. She is a very nice girl, simple and grounded. She is hard-working. Deepika takes care of people around her which I really admire. It is very hard to spot such a person in the film industry. She is not concerned about money and fame. She just wants to do good work.

She has the passion to excel in life: Pradeep Sarkar

I have done several TV commercials with Deepika as well as the film ‘Lafange Parindey’. She can blend herself in any look and style. I have noticed the spark of excelling in life in her. Every time she has made me realise her fighting spirit. Deepika has the passion to succeed, to improve. She has her own style which makes her stand apart.

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Kareena down with throat infection, weeding preparation in limbo

Kareena down with throat infection

New Delhi: The soon to be bride Kareena Kapoor is reportedly down with a bad throat infection and owing to her illness she had to skip a party organized by the makers of Bebo’s latest release Heroine. Not only that, even her wedding preparations are about to suffer with her plans for clothes shopping taking an inadvertent break!

Even all major preparation like clothes, jewelry and many others are yet to be completed and her ailment is bound to hamper them. While Patuadi Palace is already getting ready for the much awaited October 16 wedding event, we can only pray “get well soon”  for Kareena.

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Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri wish Sridevi good luck for her comeback movie

Big B wishes Sridevi a happy comeback

Mumbai: Bollywood celebrities have praised veteran actress Sridevi on her return to Bollywood after 15 years with film 'English Vinglish' and wished her good luck.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who came to the premiere held here last night alongwith wife Jaya, said, "I am very happy to have worked with her earlier. My association has been very good and I wish her all the luck."

Actress Madhuri Dixit, who also came for the premiere, said, "I wish her all the best." On the occasion, Shilpa Shetty heaped praise on the actress saying, "I am a big fan of Sridevi. She looks very nice in the movie. I am looking forward to see it."

Sridevi graced the premiere with her family members including Boney Kapoor, daughters Jhanvi and Khushi, brother-in-law and actor Anil Kapoor and others.

"I am not at all nervous. I am just excited...feel like I am on top of the world. It is a special day. I thank all of them for the love and affection," an excited Sridevi told reporters.

Anil Kapoor, who worked with Sridevi in films like 'Mr India', 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja', 'Lamhe' and 'Judaai', was appreciative of the 49-year-old actress."It is a big day for all of us and the entire family. We all are very excited. The whole family is looking forward to it. It is a celebration time for us. It is a big thing that she is making a comeback after 15 years, her achievements are tremendous," Anil said.

"For me she hasn't changed. We pull each other's leg. For me she is just the same," he said. Bollywood celebrities Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Kangana Ranaut, Bipasha Basu, Ayesha Takia, Konkona Sen Sharma, Sonali Kulkarni, Ashutosh Gowariker, Ramesh Sippy andAnees Bazmee were also present at the premiere. Directed by filmmaker R Balki's wife Gauri Shinde, 'English Vinglish' releases today.

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List of expected Bigg Boss 6 participants

Vijender Singh, Kunder in Bigg Boss 6?

New Delhi: If grapevine is to be believed, boxing champ Vijender Singh, filmmaker Shirish Kunder and veteran actress Aruna Irani are likely to be a part of the new season of controversial reality show "Bigg Boss 6", which goes on air Sunday.

To be hosted by Salman Khan, the show is likely to have inmates from all walks of life, whether it's sports, television, films or Page 3 circuit.  Here is a tentative list of contestants:

Ashutosh Rana: Character actor Ashutosh, who has been a part of over 50 films, has been approached for his rustic style and temper.

Vijender Singh: Boxing champ Vijender has a huge fan base. His boxing skills might come in handy considering the verbal battles that take place in the house.

Satish Shah: Popular Bollywood comedian has been associated with more than 100 films. His comic timing will be something to watch out for in "Bigg Boss" house.

Mahesh Manjrekar: A well-known Marathi theatre and cinema personality, Manjrekar is known for directing films like "Astitva" and "Vaastav" and he has given a new dimension to the portrayal of negative characters with his power packed performances in films like "Wanted".

Luv-Kush: Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha's twin sons have also been approached for the show.

Shirish Kunder: The filmmaker, who has directed flops like "Jaan-e-Man" and "Joker", has also been approached.

Kavita Kaushik: Known for playing Chandramukhi Chautala in the popular comedy show "FIR", the actress has won a huge fan following for her role in the show.

Aruna Irani: A veteran character artist, who has been there and done it all, may join the gang.

The list also includes TV actresses Rashmi Desai Sandhu, Jennifer Winget, Sangita Ghosh, composer Bappa Lahiri, Udit Narayan's son Aditya, singer Anushka Manchanda and Sheetal Mafatlal, industrialist Atulya Mafatlal's wife and a regular in page 3 circuit.

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'Jaipur ka paan' to add flavour to Saif-Kareena wedding

'Jaipur ka paan' in Saifeena’s wedding

Jaipur: The famous paan (betel leaves) prepared in the Rajasthan capital are likely to add royal flavour to Bollywood couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's wedding, which will reportedly take place in Mumbai October 16.

Annu Mobile Paan Bhandar, a shop in the city, is said to have been approached by an event management company to supply a wide variety of paans for the wedding.

"We have been approached by an event management company to supply paans. We will be sending a few samples to them in a day or two and if everything goes fine, we have to send 500 special paans of about a dozen different qualities and flavours for the wedding," Annu Mobile Paan Bhandar's owner Annu Daswani, said.

"It is an immense pride for us to supply paans during the most awaited wedding of this year," added Daswani. Daswani also said that the paans with different flavours, including mango, orange, chocolate, strawberry and pineapple, will be wrapped up in gold and silver warq (thin foils).

"Special packets would be prepared for packaging the paans that will make them look attractive when they will be served to the guests at the wedding," said Daswani.

Each packet will have only five paans and the average cost of each paan is between Rs.150 to Rs.175, without transportation charges.

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Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone give 11 retakes during shooting of ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'

Ranbir,Dips give 11 retakes for a scene!

Mumbai: Here’s some buzz about Ayan Mukerji’s next film. After it was reported that Ayan’s film has overshot its schedule, there is another piece of news that his crew is getting extremely restless. It seems the director has managed to drive his cast and crew up the wall with his habit of calling for too many retakes.

The film has even seen several changes in its locations. After shooting extensively across Manali, Rajasthan and even Mumbai, the cast and crew are now all set to travel to France soon to shoot for the next sequence. Our sources say that about 40 per cent of the film still remains to be shot.
A source states, “A few days ago, Ayan made Ranbir and Deepika repeat the same scene for 11 times over an hour and half. Both Dippy and RK were very irritated, as both of them are known to be very spontaneous actors.” Looks like Ayan’s troubles are far from over.

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Manisha Koirala hints at the possibility of entering Nepal politics

Manisha Koirala may enter Nepal politics

Mumbai: A lot of yesteryear Bollywood actors have dabbled in politics. No wonder then that Manisha Koirala, who is all set to make her Bollywood comeback, is not ruling out entering politics in Nepal sometime in the future.

After initiating her acting career in Hindi films, Manisha eventually juggled movies in other languages as well, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali and Nepali. However the actress, who is starring in Ram Gopal Varma’s upcoming horror film, says she is in no mood to quit acting anytime soon. “I can’t predict tomorrow but politics could be my option. At least as of now, I won’t say no to it but I can’t be certain what’s going to happen in the future,” she sums up.

Interestingly, the Kathmandu-born actress is no stranger to the world of power as she comes from a political family. Her grandfather Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala and two of her late great-uncles, Girija Prasad Koirala and Matrika Prasad Koirala, all have had been Prime Ministers of Nepal. Her father Prakash Koirala is a prominent politician too. Manisha makes sure she visits her home country at least twice or thrice in a year.

From the Himalayan kingdom!

Before Manisha Koirala ruled the roost, the last actress of Nepali origin to make it in Bollywood was Mala Sinha. On being asked why no one else from Nepal followed in her footsteps, Manisha states, “Nepali women are inherently beautiful. But since the local film industry there is flourishing on its own, the younger lot may not want to travel far and wide.

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Don't want to be called item girl: Anisha

Don't want to be called item girl:Anisha

Chennai: Southern actress Anisha Singh hasn't grooved to any item song yet, but says she's ready to do it only if it helps her prove her acting prowess.

"When Katrina did 'Chikni Chameli' she was recognized as Katrina, but not as an item number girl because she had by then already created an identity. If I feel I'll get noticed as an actress through an item number, then I'm open to do it," Anisha, who has featured in films like "Ayyare" and "All The Best", said.

An alumnus of Asha Chandra Film Institute, Anisha rose to fame with reality TV show "Truth Love Cash" on Channel V.

"After the reality show in 2010, I auditioned for several advertisements and serials before landing the role in 'Ayyare'," she added.

Anisha, a trained dancer, is keen to experiment with roles that will help bring forth her hidden capabilities.

"I'm a dancer, but I didn't get an opportunity to portray my dancing skills in my films to date. I'm looking forward to do roles with all my heart, but not for the sake of doing it," she said. The actress feels confidence is the key to success in life.

"The most important skill for an artist, according to me, will be self confidence. If one can believe in themselves and be comfortable in their own skin, then there's absolutely nothing that can stop them," she said

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Cheryl Cole set to make cameo appearance in "The Hangover 3

Cheryl Cole to do cameo in 'Hangover 3'?

London: Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole looks set to make a cameo appearance in "The Hangover 3".
  
Zach Galifianakis, who soared to fame after starring in the first two movies in the comedy franchise, has fuelled speculation the 29-year-old singer is going to appear in the forthcoming film after admitting there is something to the rumours, reported Contactmusic.
  
"I have heard the rumours about her making a cameo and there seems to be something to them. But I don't know if anything's signed yet," he said.
  
"The Hangover 3" is currently being shot in Los Angeles with main characters Zach, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha all set to return.
  
Mike Tyson and Heather Graham are also expected to reprise their roles.
  
"Bridesmaids" star Melissa McCarthy is also set to make a cameo appearance in the much anticipated motion picture.
  
But the upcoming movie will not be Cole's first big screen role. She starred as herself as a TV dance talent show panellist in this year's romantic comedy "What to Expect When You're Expecting".
  
Cole also portrayed a girl group member in 2007 film St Trinian's alongside her Girls Aloud band mates Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, Sarah Harding and Nadine Coyle.

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Kim Kardashian denies to be a part of Bigg Boss 6

Kim Kardashian not in Bigg Boss 6

New Delhi: Popular reality show ‘Bigg Boss’, which has been raising TRP for the past five seasons, is all set to return on the small screen from October 7.  This season too, it was planned to add the ‘videshi tadka’ in the ‘Bigg Boss’, but at the last moment American Television star Kim Kardashian refused to participate in this reality show.

The controversial characters like Rakhi Sawant and hot stars like Sunny Leone, Pamela Anderson and Ashmit Patel have been participating in the Bigg Boss which is all set to repeat the same gimmicks for maintaining high TRPs.

If we have a look at the list of participants, it becomes clear that this season will be quite different from the previous one. Moreover, whoever participants are going to join the Bigg Boss league, have been controversial.

Refusing to participate in the show, Bikni girl Poonam Pandey said that she had received the offer but she will not join it due to busy schedule.  It is worth mentioning that this time too, film actor Salman Khan will be hosting the show. It is said that Salman Khan will add extra zing to the reality show with a speaking parrot and a fish.

Sources said that demand for Bigg Boss participants are increasing day by day. After making a mark on small screen, former cricketer and BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu will be staying in Big Boss house for 3 to 4 weeks. Sidhu has reportedly been offered Rs 4 crore for this. However, the former cricketer remained silent on this matter. One of his family members has said that television is source of livelihood, while politics is the goal for Sidhu.

Sidhu has been successful in every field be it cricket commentary, laughter challenge and politics. Sidhu’s participation in Big Boss 6 could prove a mile stone for him.  Interestingly, Sidhu had sought approval from national leaders to participate in Big Boss season 5. But they had not given nod to do so citing political compulsion

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Dream of making house for my husband unfulfilled: Rani Mukerji

Rani Mukherji’s unfulfilled dream

Mumbai: Her dream of making a house for her life partner remains unfulfilled, says Rani Mukerji, drawing an interesting comparison between herself and her character in her forthcoming film "Aiyyaa".

Rani is a dreamer and so is Meenakshi Deshpande, her character in "Aiyyaa" that releases Oct 12."I am quite a dreamer. I think we all are dreamers. We all don't like to live a practical life all the time. There is a thin line between our hopes and dreams," Rani said, highlighting the similarities between the two.

"My dream of making a beautiful house for my parents has been fulfilled and my dream of making a house for my husband is still there."Asked when she planned to fulfill the dream, Rani said on a philosophical note: "I don't know. Death, birth and marriage are the three things that you cannot plan and predict. When it will happen, it will happen."Rani, 34, who has completed 15 years in filmdom and has more than 40 films to her credit, feels that she has evolved as a person as well as an actress.

She, however, leaves it to the audience to decide how much she has evolved as an actress."But I have evolved as a person as well. It's not humanly possible for anyone not to go through changes. Change is a constant in everyone's life, even in mine. I have enjoyed the change at every stage of my life," Rani said in an interview.

Directed by Sachin Kundalkar, "Aiyyaa" revolves around a middle-class Marathi girl who falls in love with a south Indian boy, played by southern star Prithviraj.She feels that Meenakshi is "a sweet and endearing character and she dreams a lot"."She falls in love with a Tamil guy because of the way he smells. It's a unique concept about a love story," said the actress, adding that she would love to act in a southern film with Prithviraj if she was offered a good role.

"Every role is easy. As an actor it is my job to make my job easy. If I start hyper ventilating about my roles, then how will I do it? So with all my roles, somewhere I feel comfortable about them and that is why I play them."Entertaining masses is Rani's aim."I think the success of a film is very important to an actor. It depends on how many people go to watch your movies; the more the merrier. Nobody wants to do a film for five people. You work so hard that millions of people watch the movie; this is directly related to box office success.

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Gurmeet Choudhary is winner of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5

Mumbai : Television actor Gurmeet Choudhary and his choreographer Shampa Sonthalia Sunday won the fifth season of “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa”. He defeated Rashmi Desai and Rithvik Dhanjani and took home the winners trophy and a cash prize of Rs.40 lakh.

A novice and a stiff dancer, Gurmeet wooed the audiences and judges with his moves and stylish grooves to pip Rashmi and Rithvik with the maximum votes.

Gurmeet, who earned fame as Ram of TV show “Ramayan”, started his journey of “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5″ from day one as the other two finalists came as wild card entries midway in the show. The judges’ panel included Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo D’Souza.

Gurmeet’s popularity won him the much-needed audience votes, and his choreographer Shampa groomed him to get him the thumbs up from judges. He also suffered a shoulder injury, but he bounced back soon enough.

Gurmeet displayed performances ranging from robotic hip-hop, semi-classical moves and international dance forms like rumba and Paso Doble.

“It feels really great. After working for four to five months, this journey has finally come to an end. ‘Mehnat rang layi hai’ (hard work has paid off). The trophy belongs to my fans who have voted for me. Public is the winner of ‘Jhalak…’ not me,” Gurmeet told IANS after winning the show.

The show started June 16 with 13 contestants including Gurmeet, Isha, Pratyusha Banerjee, Giaa Manek, Talat Aziz, Bharti Singh, Archana Vijaya, Shibani Dandekar, Jayati Bhatia, Darsheel Safary, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sushil Kumar and Ravi Kishan. Rithvik, Rashmi and Karan Wahi were introduced midway as wild card entries.

The grand finale evening not only witnessed some wonderful acts from the three finalists and former contestants of this season, but also saw Madhuri and Sridevi, once big screen rivals, share the stage.

They shook a leg with each other on the show to “Mere haathon mein nau nau choodiyan” (Sridevi’s popular song from the film “Chandni”) and Madhuri’s “Dhak dhak karne laga” from the film “Beta”.

Another highlight of the show was Remo and Bharti’s performance, as they danced together on “Dil kyun yeh mera”. Throughout the season, Bharti often used have fun with Remo by calling him his “love-interest” and her dream of sharing the stage with the choreographer came true in the finale.

Her comical acts and funny one-liners kept the entertainment quotient alive.

Madhuri also mesmerised viewers with her Marathi mulgi avatar as she danced to three Lavani numbers. Madhuri’s husband Sriram Nene was also present on the show along with their children.

However, Sushil Kumar, Pratyusha, Isha, Jayati and Jayasuriya gave the finale a miss.

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`OMG` is for god-fearing people: Mithun Chakraborty

`OMG` is for god-fearing people: Mithun

New Delhi: ‘Oh My God’ is not against any religion but a comedy-drama that will help people to understand the need to love god, says Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty, who acts as a godman in the film.

Akshay reads ‘Gita’ before playing God!

"I play the character of a godman in the film and I have realise that we worship god because we are afraid of him. We actually worship our superstitions lying inside us. Through this film, we want to spread the message that if we love god whole-heartedly then he will eradicate every problem of us," says the 62-year-old National Award winning actor.

The film had a low-key premiere at the Sirifort Auditorium here this evening. Other cast members including Paresh Rawal, director Umesh Shukla and script writer Bhavesh Mandalia too turned up for the event.Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni also attended the red carpet.

Akshay Kumar, who plays a cameo in the film, could not attend the screening. His wife Twinkle gave birth to a baby girl on Wednesday.

’Oh My God’ has raised eyebrows from some quarters who alleged that it has hurt religious sentiments and a complaint has been filed in Jalandhar against the actors and producer of the film.

"We haven`t got the information yet. But the main aim of making this film was never to hurt sentiments of any religion. The film is not against any religion or god. It`s a light-hearted comedy film," says Shukla.

The film is about the life of a person, who begins to disbelieve in god after a tornado destroys his antique store. Asked about the message the film tries to give, Rawal says, "We should look for god within ourself."

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People keep asking me to recommend them for Big Boss: Salman Khan

Salman favours for a clean Bigg Boss

Mumbai: With the sixth season of Bigg Boss almost around the corner, Salman Khan is all geared up to take up the reigns as the show’s host once again. Interestingly this time, the actor has decided to make certain changes to the show’s format to make the content more audience-friendly. However, Sallu points out that he has absolutely no hand in deciding who gets into the Bigg Boss house.

A change in format... why?

I thought that on last year’s show, there was too much screaming and shouting in the house. That is why it was pushed to the 11 pm time slot indicating that the show is damaging to our culture. I wanted it to be a family entertainer so that people from the age group of six to 60 can watch it.

Do you have a say on who gets selected for the show?

No I don’t get into that. Too many people keep asking me to recommend their names. Then it becomes difficult for me to either choose or drop them. During the last season too, I got to know people once I had shot with them.

But don’t you think certain people on the show become the victims of circumstances?

The actual personality of a person tends to come through in such situations. Some of them act, some don’t. Some former housemates have confessed to me that after two or three days in the house, they did not feel the cameras around them anymore. We are trying to bring well-behaved people on our show this time but we cannot guarantee if they will remain so inside the house.

This season will also have a common man in the house.

People who work for social causes are welcome to join the house. If you have done good work but people don’t know about it, you can apply.

Will you miss Sanjay Dutt this year?

Yes, I will miss him. Last year I got busy with my work and this year he is busy with his film commitments.

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Why Prithviraj not promoting 'Aiyyaa'?

Why Rani promoting ‘Aiyyaa’ alone?

Mumbai: South actor Prithviraj is making his Bollywood debut opposite Rani Mukerji in her upcoming film. While Rani has been on her toes to promote her film everywhere, interestingly Prithviraj has been missing in action, except for attending a music event.

Prithviraj tells us, “Unfortunately I am shooting for Yashraj Studio’s next film in Delhi. However, I will be in Mumbai today and will start promoting the film. My dates are with the production house of the film and they have given me the charts well in advance.”

However, a source from the channel says, “Prithviraj will be in Mumbai but only for one day where he will be doing basic interviews and radio bytes. He will promote the film in Dubai for a day. Nothing else has been scheduled so far.”

There has been buzz that the reason behind Prithviraj’s absence is because he apparently has only a cameo in the film. However the actor clarifies, “I have shot for 70 days for the film so it can’t be a cameo.”

While the South actor will be in the city today, incidentally Rani will not be joining him in promoting the film. The actress will be busy making a solo appearance in a comedy show. Rani has appeared on several reality shows and Ganpati pandals to promote her upcoming film.

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'Go Govinda' song was not required: Paresh Rawal

'Go Govinda' song was not needed:Paresh

Mumbai: Actor Paresh Rawal, who is making his debut as a producer with 'Oh My God', says item number 'Go Govinda' featuring Sonakshi Sinha was not required in the film.

"No, it (the song) was not required. The call is taken by marketing team and somewhere I agree to it, agree to their experience of so many years, so it is fine," Paresh said when asked if he is personally in favour of item songs and if this song was necessary in the movie.

'Oh My God' is based on Umesh Shukla's Gujarati play 'Kanji Viruddh Kanji' and has Akshay Kumar in the lead along with Paresh, who has co-produced the film.

For the first time, actress Sonakshi Sinha has done an item number 'Go Go Govinda', a Janmashtami song, with choreographer-director Prabhu Deva in the film.

 "The song will bring in crowds, it is an added attraction. It helps in running the film. If that was not the case, why someone would spend crores on it," he said.

Earlier, Akshay Kumar had said people could call this a marketing gimmick. "It can be a marketing gimmick. We requested Prabhu Deva and Sonakshi to do it and they agreed," Akshay had said.
  
"I have not selected Sonakshi, Akshay has taken the call. They are close as they have worked together in many films. When you are working in a team you have to go by majority," Paresh said. On if given a choice, would he go for this kind of a song, Paresh instantly said, "No."

Paresh doesn't believe much in promotions, but says being the producer of the film he is doing it. "We are marketing the film aggressively. Somewhere I fail to understand this strategy of going to reality shows, visiting cities, going to malls. As a producer I am committed to doing it but this way of marketing is wrong," Paresh said.

Going to malls, waving hands to the crowd will not translate into box office sales as there are people over there to make fun of stars. Even when you go to a reality show you
are made fun of, but in good spirit. Your value and dignity becomes less. Personally I find it all unnecessary," he said.

If the content of the film is good, it will definitely do well whatsoever, he insists."Promotions are happening because of paranoia, not because of strategy or campaign. Audience is not a fool, they see through you. Ultimately the film speaks for itself. Movies like 'Barfi!', 'Kahaani' work on word-of-mouth publicity," he said.

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