Kangana has her way with 'Tanu Weds Manu'

                                                                             "Tanu Weds Manu", which will see the fresh pairing of Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan, was initially titled "Manu Weds Tanu" but the name was changed at the lead actress' behest.

Director Anand Rai felt "Manu Weds Tanu" was an appropriate title, but Kangana who plays Tanu in the film, insisted that the title should be "Tanu Weds Manu" and not "Manu Weds Tanu" because the narrative unfolds from Tanu's point of view, said a source.

The director was taken aback, but Kangana explained her point saying Tanu, a small town, wild girl, is the one in the commanding position compared to Madhavan's character Manu who is shown as a simple NRI guy in the comedy.

When the director spoke to Madhavan, thinking he would get upset, the actor saw the point immediately and readily agreed with Kangana.

"It's true that the film was earlier titled 'Manu Weds Tanu'. However, we felt that 'Tanu Weds Manu' was a more suitable title, according to the demands of the script. So we decided to go with 'Tanu Weds Manu'," said Rai.

It’s my turn to dance to Farah's tunes: Sonakshi

                                                                             Dabangg is one of the year’s biggest blockbusters and the best new face of 2010, Sonakshi Sinha, admits that it feels wonderful to have made box-office history with her debut film. “But the one who’s really on top of the world is my dad (Shatrughan Sinha) who’s happy for and proud of me,” she beams.

“He relays with childlike delight every compliment he hears. He’s also a little bemused because suddenly, he’s not the only one getting the attention, despite one of his finest performances in Rakht Charitra. And his pampered darling is taking some of her own decisions too,” says she.

Lil’ Ms Sinha admits to being the obdurate sorts since she was a child. She points out that when everyone expected her to get into acting, she took up fashion designing. When they thought that she would never lose her puppy fat, she proved she could. “Then, they said I’d be just another star kid who was all talk and no show. I showed them I could do more than just talk,” she says.

Come 2011 and she has Shirish Kunder’s Joker to look forward to. Co-starring Akshay Kumar, she describes the film as “a real story in 3D”. Apart from the SFX, she’s looking forward to an item number choreographed by Farah Khan: “Farah had the choice of choreographing Tere mast mast do naina… and Munni badnaam hui… in Dabangg. She chose to do Munni… and made it the country’s siren call. Then, she turned Katrina into a sizzling Sheila in Tees Maar Khan. Now it’s my turn to dance to her tunes.”

There’s also Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick. Even though it is a Telugu remake, it has some changes that should make it a bigger and better film. “Besides, it has Salman Khan,” she reasons.

He’s been recommending her and even presented her with a Being Human watch? “I bought the watch myself and the money went to his charity,” she clarifies. Sonakshi is looking forward to returning with Chulbul Pandey in the Dabangg sequel. That won’t be for a while though, since Salman is busy. Meanwhile, there’s Race 2 and Housefull 2, and reportedly, she’s the chosen one for both. But Sonakshi is wary of revealing too much too soon.

According to her, in some of these films, she’ll be seen in very different avatars. More glam, more westernised, but definitely no bikinis. “Since I was a child I’ve known what was off-limits. I’ve never run around in bikinis and shorts and I’m unlikely to do something that would make me uncomfortable. Why should I, when everyone wants a sister, daughter or wife like Rajjo?” she argues.

And will she walk the ramp again after her big Humpty Dumpty fall in the Lakme Fashion Week?

“It wasn’t a big or bad deal. But it was caught on tape and the media went to town with it,” she protests, pointing out that after that, she’s walked a more complicated ramp without stress.

“There was a time when designers wanted me because I was Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter,” she recalls. “I still am, but now they want me because I’m Sonakshi Sinha.”

Tracks to bring in 2011!

                                                                It comes out as a surprise that in a Bollywood centric city, international songs have been clear favourites as far as DJs in Mumbai are concerned. Most acknowledge the need to play Bollywood music to entertain the masses. But when it comes to ringing in the New Year, three out of 10 listed The time... by the Black Eyed Peas, as their most-spinned song.

The song is on the band’s recent album, The Beginning, which is chorused on the Dirty Dancing hit ‘(I’ve had) The time of my life.. Sheila ki jawani... from Tees Maar Khan and I got a feeling by the Black Eyed Peas tied as the Katrinasecond most spin-worthy tracks.

The Black Eyed Peas is a party favourite with five of the 10 DJs, who selected their songs to play at New Year’s eve parties. Munni badnaam hui..., one of the biggest hits of the year, features only in one DJ’s list.

1 DJ Akhtar, Renaissance, Powai
I will be playing either Munni badnaam hui... or Sheila ki jawani.... I haven’t decided on which one, but it is going to be one of these, as I will be playing to more than 3,000 people.

Since Bollywood sells amongst the masses, I will also play Laila o Laila... from Qurbani and a few Bappi Lahiri and RD Burman remixes, which I have specially produced for the New Year.

2 DJ Kiran, Valhala, Churchgate
I will play mostly Bollywood songs, depending on the crowd. I will bring in the New Year either with a remix
of Tees Maar Khan title track or Sheila ki jawani... or play contemporary English hits by Akon or Black Eyed Peas.

3 DJ Hiren, Sahara Star, Vile Parle
At Seduction 2011, I will be playing Munni badnaam hui..., Sheila ki jawani..., Amplifier..., Mithi mithi bolo... from Aisha and also The time..., by the Black Eyed Peas. For the final countdown I will play I got a feeling... by the Black Eyed Peas or Final countdown... by Europe.

4 DJ Ricky, Manchester United Café, Lower Parel
I will bring in the New Year by playing The time... (Dirty bit) by the Black Eyed Peas, as the song is very upbeat and has amazing lyrics that talk about good times. It’s a perfect track to make the club atmosphere crazy.

5 DJ Reji, Bonobo, Bandra
I will be playing The time... by the Black Eyed Peas at midnight. I guess it’s very popular and brings back old memories. Other tracks that I play will be Bollywood, especially from the last decade.

6 DJ Akbar Sami, Renaissance Club, Versova
I will be playing a soundtrack called, The anthem... by David Guetta. I have recreated it by adding numbers along with the sound. I will also play Bollywood numbers along with tracks by Black Eyed Peas and Akon.

7 Meldan DaCunha, better known as Big M, Soul Fry Casa, Fort
I will play Auld lang syne... which is a traditional Scottish poem played to bring in the New Year. Then I will play Soca music, which is very popular at my outlet and has community members also joining in to sing.

8 DJ Joel, Blue Sea, Worli
There have been a lot of commercial hits this year. So other than the Bollywood favourites Munni badnaam hui... and Sheila ki jawani... I have selected tracks by Axwell. But to bring in the New Year, I will spin The time... by the Black Eyed Peas.

9 DJ Emaan, Dome, InterContinental, Marine Drive
The song I would be playing is Party animal... by David Guetta feat Akon because it’s everyone’s favorite at the moment. It relates to people partying in the New Year.

10 DJ Henson, Gadda da Vida, Novotel, Juhu
I will be playing I got a feeling... by the Black Eyed Peas. It’s a song that is sure to get people into the feel of New Year.

Top 10 Bollywood songs

                                                                                          The year 2010 offered a wide range of Bollywood songs. While raunchy numbers like Munni badnaam hui kept the adrenaline pumping, soft and romantic numbers such as Dil toh bachcha hai jee and Pee loon caressed listeners' hearts and the Sufi number Sajda spelt bliss for music lovers.

The year cannot be dedicated to any one musician - from Pritam Chakraborty to Vishal-Shekhar; all enjoyed a fair share of the spotlight. But amid singers it was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan who made it big with a couple of hits.

Here're the most popular songs of 2010:

MunniDil toh bachcha hai jee: It was a melodious beginning to the year with the romantic number from Ishqiya. Vishal Bharadwaj directed the music and roped in Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to sing the song that instantly struck a chord with listeners. The sound of the accordion was prominent in the composition and was reminiscent of Raj Kapoor songs.

Sajda: Composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy mesmerised listeners with this song from the film My Name Is Khan. Once again sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan along with Shankar Mahadevan and Richa Sharma, the Sufi number tugged at one's heartstrings. The sounds of tablas and dholaks were moulded together so beautifully that it helped the song become a chartbuster and stay on top for a long time.

Aap ka kya hoga (Dhanno): An interesting remix was packed into the Housefull album by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in the guise of Aapka kya hoga (Dhanno). Sung by Mika Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan and Sajid Khan, it revisited Amitabh Bachchan's popular song Apni to jaise taise from the 1981 superhit Lawaaris. The hit number appealed even after a makeover because the composers retained a few original lyrics. It was a winner all the way and made everyone dance to its tunes.

Bin tere: The song from I Hate Luv Storys managed to bring out the hidden romantic side in all of us. Composed by director duo Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravijiani, it surely is a soulful and melodious number. The simple lyrics were beautifully rendered by Shafqat Amanat Ali with ample support from Sunidhi.

Pee loon: The soft love ballad from the crime thriller Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai still occupies air time on most of the radio channels. Pritam Chakroborty's composition and Mohit Chauhan's voice have spelt magic for the song. It also contains traces of Sufi elements that add edge to the song.

Gal mithi mithi: This track is an amazing folk outing by Tochi Raina and is not like any run-of-the-mill Punjabi number. Composed by Amit Trivedi of Dev D fame for Aisha, the fast number instantly made its mark because of the unpredictable orchestration and the fun element woven together intelligently.

Munni badnaam hui: One of the most popular item numbers of the year, the fast-paced, catchy song with a rustic flavour created a nationwide sensation. Composed by Lalit Pandit and sung by Mamta Sharma and Aishwarya, Munni... from the superhit film Dabangg is still ruling the roost.

Tere mast mast do nain: Dabangg gave another hit in Tere mast..., but this time the composers were brothers Sajid-Wajid. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan crooned the moderately paced romantic track with such expertise that it made people sit up and take notice.

Zor ka jhatka: Even though the film failed to take off at the box office, this song from Action Replayy flew higher and higher on popularity charts. Sung by Daler Mehndi, Richa Sharma and Master Salim, Pritam's composition was appreciated for its quirky lyrics and unusual orchestration.

Sheila Ki jawaani: As they say the best is always reserved for the last, this song appeared almost at the end of the year and was an instant hit thanks to its urban appeal and a raunchy feel. It's giving competition to Munni badnaam hui for the best item number crown.

Brilliantly sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and composed by Vishal-Shekhar, the Tees Maar Khan number has foot tapping beats and an impressive composition has made it a favourite among people of all ages. With an urban appeal and a raunchy feel, the song is currently ruling every music chart.

Dabangg rated no 1 film of 2010

                                                                      The year has come to a close and it’s time to salute the winners of the box-office battle. But instead of crowning the highest grosser, we’ve selected movies that earned well in multiples of the money invested in them. In the trade world, everyone from analysts and theatre owners to head honchos of multiplexes and distributors had a unanimous answer — in terms of return on investment, the number one film of 2010 is Dabangg, which made `140 crore.

Komal Nahta, editor of Film Information, asserts, “Dabangg is the highest earner of the year. Not only did it do phenomenally at the box-office, it also fetched a great price for the satellite rights. The music too continued to do well long after the film’s release.”

One reason why Dabangg was made at a reasonable cost is that there’s nothing big in the movie except for Salman Khan. According to Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Films Ltd, “The director and heroine were both new. The film didn’t boast of extravagant sets or exclusive outdoors, so the production cost was automatically in control, at ` 32 crore minus Salman’s fee. In terms of volume, it returned about 300 per cent.”

Question them about Ekta Kapoor’s relatively economical Love Sex Aur Dhoka directed by Dibakar Bannerjee, which cost about ` 4 crore and grossed over ` 10 crore, and Mumbai distributor Ramesh Sippy says, “Although LSD had a turnover much in excess of its cost, it’s not an all-India hit nor will it go down memory lane. It is a commendable effort that paid off very well, but the fact remains that Dabangg worked all across.”

In the same vein, Suneil Wadhwa, a major distributor from CP (north India) territory, adds that universal appeal makes Dabangg the numero uno movie of 2010. “It worked equally well in single screens and multiplexes, in all centres from big metros to small towns, and struck a chord with the audience. Every distributor and exhibitor made money,” he explains.

The trade market shares a similar stance on Golmaal 3 being the second biggest hit of the year. “Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor were the biggest actors and it maintained a good risk-reward ratio. Being a Diwali release, it not only opened very well, but also went on to do good business in the third and fourth weeks, crossing over `100 crore,” says Delhi-based distributor Sanjay Mehta. Interestingly, Golmaal 3 scored over Dabangg in the Mumbai territory.

While a section of the trade put Prakash Jha’s political drama Raajneeti at number three, trade analyst Amod Mehra feels I Hate Love Storys, too, makes the grade. “Costing about `25 crore, it returned about `45 crore, which is very good,” he says, adding that Sajid Khan’s Housefull comes next, making the top five.

Apart from these, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai and Peepli Live too make it to the hit category while Ishqiya and Tere Bin Laden are said to have done average business. Sanjay Ghai says Shankar’s Robot (Hindi) too did well earning `30 crore, while the figures of the Tamil original aren’t being disclosed by Sun, which produced and distributed the Rajnikanth-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan sci-fi extravaganza. Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol did very well internationally, but according to Ashish Saxena, CEO, Big Cinemas, “It didn’t make money for Fox Star, which distributed the film worldwide.”

Plugging into Kher!

                                                                    Kailash Kher along with band Kailasa held a two-hour unplugged concert on Thursday at the Nehru Centre in Worli. The classical/ folk-rock act comprising brothers Naresh and Paresh Kamath played popular songs such as Teri Deewani and Saiyyan, and also rare numbers including Meri Maa and Awara Rahi Gumshuda from the 2008 film Dasvidaniya.

The performance was the Mumbai leg of Kailasa’s unplugged tour in association with Fever 104 FM. The first edition of the tour was organised in Delhi last week.

Having also played live at venues outside the country the past year, the singer-composer now derives inspiration from the worldwide recognition he’s received. “It’s nice to see your music being appreciated the world over. These incidents turn into magical moments, which I reproduce in my music,” says Kher.

Earlier this year, Kher collaborated with musicians like Cheb Khaled and Cheng Lin of China for a musical group called Pangea. The multicultural band composed the song ‘Citizens Of The World’ to bring together their varied heritage. They also shot a music video at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

While opportunities to collaborate with world musicians did crop up at the time, Kher says he’s going to stay put in India for the time being. “I’m so fascinated by Indian culture that I don’t want to commit to foreign artistes at this time,” he adds. Kher also recently met musician Michael Brook, and says they liked each other’s work and might collaborate sometime in the future.

Recently the band received an award for their 2009 album Chaandan Mein at the Global Indian Music Awards (GIMA). While the members certainly were humbled by the gesture, frontman Kher believes that more than the memento you’re presented, it’s the acknowledgement you receive among the fraternity that’s touching.

“It’s a large world, and ours is one of the biggest music industries. To be featured on it is a huge honour,” says Kher. Kher attributes the success of GIMA to the fact that producers, music directors and singers all came together on one platform to honour talent in the country. “There may be some amount of rivalry among these guilds otherwise, but when they unite for a cause they believe in, it’s sure to be a success,” he adds.

I don't let age overpower me: Dharmendra

                                                                                        Horses and men never grow old, says Dharmendra, still young at 75 and getting ready to entertain his legion of fans in the upcoming comedy "Yamla Pagla Deewana".

"There is a saying horses and men never grow old and I'm one of those men who was tagged as the 'He Man'. So can a 'He Man' afford to become old? This tag keeps me young at heart and I don't let age overpower me," Dharmendra told IANS in an exclusive interview.

"My soul is still very innocent, like that of a mischievous kid. Since I feel young inside, it reflects on my face," he added.

The senior actor, who has completed 50 years in the industry, has entertained audience with movies of all genres -- from the intense "Bandini" and "Satyakaam" to outright potboilers like "Raja Jani" and "Pratigya", and, of course, as the comic artist with perfect timing in "Sholay" and "Chupke Chupke".

His laugh riot "Yamla Pagla Deewana" will hit screens Jan 14 and will see him teaming up with his actor sons - Sunny and Bobby - after the 2007 hit family drama "Apne".

The veteran actor said when asked what took him so long to come back to movies: "After 'Apne' I wanted to do more films, but we were not getting a very good script. Otherwise who wants to sit at home? Someone who loves acting, why would he want to stay at home? I'm always in search of good roles."

"Finally, we decided to do this film and things worked out," added the senior actor, who will also feature in his wife Hema's directorial venture "Tell Me Oh Khuda".

Director Samir Karnik has taken the responsibility of bringing the father-sons combo on screen again with the fun flick, which originally starred only Sunny and Bobby.

"First we had planned to make the film only with Sunny and Bobby and that time the name of the film was 'Double Trouble'. But we couldn't get the title because it was already registered with someone else.

"So I just joked that why not you make it 'Triple Double' and I'll also act in the film. Sunny liked the idea and we changed the story a little bit to incorporate my character too," said the still very garam Dharam.

The story revolves around a Sikh guy living in Canada, who learns that his father and brother are alive and live in Benares. He embarks on a journey to bring the family together.

In the film, Bobby has very friendly relationship with his on- and off-screen father, so much so that he even calls him by his first name.

"Everyone knows we live according to the culture of Indian society where there is respect for parents and certain rules are followed. But when the camera rolls, then you forget who is who. Then you become the characters of the film.

"In this film Bobby and I share a very different rapport as compared to in real life. We are more of friends there. The relationship and chemistry is very open. It was quite a nice experience and fun to do that," said the veteran actor.

How does he feel after completing 50 years in Bollywood?

"It seems that these 50 years just passed by in a jiffy. When you think of it, 50 years seems like a long time, but I still feel I came to Bombay yesterday.

"I want to live that life all over again and want to make it even more beautiful. I'll throw all the mistakes I made and make it a much better life."

Shahid-Priyanka get cosy!

                                                              Chemistry between Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra started on the sets of Kaminey. Since then, there have been speculations about their union and splits. Leaving the past behind, the lovebirds will get together to celebrate New Year.

"Shahid and Priyanka are back together. The couple recently reunited at Karan Johar's chat show Koffee With Karan. That's when they met and sorted out their misunderstandings and problems," a source told Mumbai Mirror.

Priyanka-ShahidKaran, who has played cupid to many Bollywood romances in the past, can be credited for offering Kaminey's lead couple an opportunity to solve their differences. The couple looked very comfortable in each other's company on the chat show.

Priyanka Chopra, who has turned down all offers for New Year live performances, will fly down to Chandigarh, where Shahid Kapoor is shooting for his father Pankaj Kapoor's film Mausam.

The duo will be staying at an undisclosed resort in Chandigarh, reported the tabloid. That's a lovely way to welcome the New Year!

Madhuri's sons, husband visit 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' sets

                                                                                     It was family time for actress Madhuri Dixit on the sets of "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4" as her sons, husband and parents came as audience members on the dance reality show.

Her sons - Arin, 7 and Ryan, 5 - and husband Shriram Nene are here for their Christmas and New Year's break and seemed visibly happy to see Madhuri in the judge's chair on the show.

When the children were asked whether they liked their mother's show, one of them replied: "It is good", while Nene said it was a great experience.

Madhuri had left her children with her husband in the US before she came here for a three-month break from household chores to make a comeback to showbiz. She has also shot for an advertisement during her stay and plans to go through some scripts as well.

The episode featuring Madhuri and her family will be aired Monday.

Asha Bhosle's never heard before dance number released

                                                                   She has crooned over 12,000 songs in 18 languages but aficionados of legendary singer Asha Bhosle can rejoice as one of her never released dance numbers from a shelved 1970s movie has been released online.

Called "Aaj ki shaam pahloo mein tu", the seductive dance number was written by Naqsh Lyallpuri and recorded in the 1970s for a shelved film that was then tentatively titled "Rehnuma".

Composed by late Madan Mohan, the song has an alterante tune for the antara and is available on the composer's website www.madanmohan.in.

Four never before heard Asha Bhosle-Madan Mohan songs were also released last year in the album "Tere Bagair".

The two have given many a hit songs like "Jhumka gira re", "Sabah se yeh kahdo", "Zameen se humen aasman par", etc.

Akshay plans holiday in Goa for Twinkle's birthday

                                                                         A family holiday is the only thing on Akshay Kumar's mind after the release of "Tees Maar Khan". So the Bollywood star is off to Goa to celebrate his wife Twinkle's 36th birthday Wednesday as well as ring in the New Year with a bang.

"I am going to Goa with my family for nine days and I will just enjoy myself. We will be celebrating Tina's (Twinkle) birthday there first and then party on New Year's Eve," Akshay told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The action star, whose cookery game show "MasterChef India" on Star Plus came to a grand end last week, says he makes sure he chalks out adequate family time every year to take Twinkle and their eight-year-old son Aarav.

"You need to strike the right balance between work and family. I manage it very carefully. My family understands the nature of my work and never bothers me when I am working. So when I am on a holiday, I never give them a chance to complain and I just have fun," he said.

He also makes sure to pamper his wife once every year.

"I like to take breaks between my projects and once every year, I take a slightly long break. At that time, I just keep a globe in front of my wife and I ask her to choose whichever destination she wants to go for a holiday, and that's where we head! She allows me complete freedom, so I can do at least this much for her," said the dutiful husband.

It was an average year for Akshay with films like "Housefull", "Khatta Meetha", "Action Replayy" and "Tees Maar Khan", apart from his presence on the small screen as the host and judge of "MasterChef India". He says the TV show was a "great learning experience" as it was not just a chance for him to get a step closer to the masses, but also a chance for him to pick up new cookery tips.

"I met so many people through this show and learnt so much. For the first time I heard of cooking fish in curd and mustard...I picked up many such new combinations and ingredients.

"I could relate to their emotions because I also come from the same background. I could understand their feeling of staying away from home for a long time and could understand their needs in their quest for success...," said the 43-year-old, who lead a simple life in Chandni Chowk in New Delhi before he became a chef in Bangkok and then finally movedg to filmdom with "Saugandh" in 1991.

The actor, best known for his action stunts in Bollywood, says he is ready to be back with a second season of the show.

"I hope so that the channel would like to do a second season of 'Masterchef India'. I don't know yet, but Star Plus and I share quite a good rapport and hopefully we will return with the second season. I am all for it," he said.

After the holiday, Akshay is looking forward to the release of "Patiala House", the official trailer of which has been released with "Tees Maar Khan". Following that, he will begin shooting for Anees Bazmee's "Thank You".

I had a superb time directing Dharamji: Hema Malini

                                                               Directing your husband and daughter could have its tricky moments and so it was for Hema Malini too. But it was enormously enjoyable and everything eventually fell into place, says the Bollywood diva and director whose forthcoming "Tell Me Oh Khuda" stars husband Dharmendra and daughter Esha Deol.

"Directing Dharamji was superb. In the beginning, however, he did not listen to me. He used to ask me 'What is this, what is that'. Then I used to tell him that I want it like this, so just do it. So he realised I knew the job and then left it entirely to me. He didn't interfere at all after that," Hema, who has wielded the megaphone after 18 years for the movie, told IANS in an interview.

The crackling chemistry between the couple was in evidence in blockbusters like "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Sholay", "Razia Sultan" and "Pratigya".

Hema, 62, who earlier directed the Shah Rukh Khan-Divya Bharti-starrer "Dil Aashna Hai" in 1992, is making "Tell Me Oh Khuda" for her daughter Esha.

"I'm very excited about my film. It's a very interesting story of a girl's passionate quest to know her origins. The film might get delayed a little bit because of the whole process of change in directors. But I'm trying to release it latest by March," said the actress, looking graceful as ever in a green silk sari.

She has roped in Arjan Bajwa, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor for the film. It was earlier being directed by Mayur Puri but Hema decided to take the reins in her own hands.

The film is in the post-production stage and work is expected to get over by Jan 10.

How was it directing Esha?

"We have a different relationship on the sets, but still we are mother and daughter and so that does come across. After every scene she used to ask me if it was okay or not. It was really a pleasure directing her and the whole process was very sweet," said Hema.

That's not all what is keeping the multi-faceted actress occupied. She is also producing a TV show for Colors called "Maati Ki Banno", which hit the small screens Monday.

This is her first television show in eight years. In the past, she has produced shows like "Nupur", "Women of India" and "Aap Ki Saheli" as well as the Marathi shows "Songti" and "Umberta".

Discussing her long absence from the small screen, the actress, who was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, said: "Nothing great came across. Also, I got busy with parliament. I had to spend time there. My term got over last September and next month this happened."

The show follows the journey of an orphan girl from Mauritius married into a family in Bihar and details her struggles with her new life overshadowed by secrets that haunt her husband's family.

So is it difficult to manage direction, production, dance shows and the family?

The multi-tasker says she manages it all. "You need to take out time for everything. If you want to, you can manage things and that's what I do. I'm very happy with whatever I have done in the past and whatever I am doing now. But, yes, there are times when I feel like going away to some place for some time, doing just nothing.

"However, that's just a momentary thing because we are creative people and we can't sit without doing anything for long," added Hema, whose younger daughter Ahana has evinced interest in becoming a director.

Saat Khoon Maaf track inspired from Russian melody?

                                                             Whether it’s his music or his films, Vishal Bhardwaj is known for his trademark originality. Even when he adapts from a known source, he gives credit to the the original, which inspires his work.

Earlier, he has credited his intensely dramatic Maqbool (2003) and Omkara (2006) to William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello respectively. So it came as a surprise to know that a song from his forthcoming movie 7 Khoon Maaf, Darling... has strains of a Russian tune, Kalinka...

We contacted the composer-filmmaker, but he didn’t reply to our text messages. However, a source associated with Bhardwaj confirmed that Darling... is inspired from the Russian Red Army choir. He further explained, “It’s also one of the most notable folk songs of Russia and fits perfectly for the portions in which Priyanka Chopra’s Susanna marries a Russian character, Vronsky, essayed by Aleksandr Dyachenko.”

Our informer adds that the way the song is used in the promo of the film, makes it sound inspired. But it actually is an adaptation. Vishal even got four singers from Russia to record it. He says, “Due credit has been given to the original Russian song in the movie and album.”

Bhardwaj, who has given credit for 7 Khoon Maaf to Ruskin Bond’s Susanna’s Seven Husbands, previously credited a Kenyan guy, Cajetan Boy, for the story idea of Kaminey (2009). He had picked up the idea from the writer while conducting a workshop with Mira Nair in Uganda. “But since Cajetan Boy couldn’t develop the story, Vishal bought it from him for $4,000 and gave him due credit in the movie,” concludes our source.

Bollywood's slip-of-the-tongue moments!

                                Here are some slip-of-the-tongue comments our dear celebs made in 2010.

Abhishek Bachchan He claimed that he jumped off the cliff for a stunt in Mani Ratnam’s film, Raavan. “I told Mani that if the local boys could do it, so could I, only if there was a professional diver to train me. The only thought in my mind was ‘Oh, my god, I am going to die,” he said. Later, M Balram, a national-level swimmer, said, “I had done the stunt.”

Preity Zinta
The actor mixed up Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan with Rajput leader Prithviraj Chauhan. Zinta tweeted, “Prithviraj Chauhan is r new CM; he’s the namesake of a fearless Rajput King! We hope he can b an inspiring leader & do justice 2 his name (sic)!” Actor Amitabh Bachchan corrected her. “Preity, its Chavan not Chauhan.” Preity’s mistake got the blogosphere and news channels abuzz about her ignorance.

Sonam Kapoor
Columnist Shobhaa De criticised the actor’s film, I Hate Luv Storys, and said that filmmaker Punit Malhotra should be spanked. Punit in turn tweeted, “Shobhaa De is an old fossil who is going through menopause and getting no action.” Actor Sonam Kapoor replied to the comment and a controversy erupted that died down with an apology from Sonam to De.

Prahlad Kakkar
He took a dig at actor Abhishek Bachchan when he said, “Abhishek has 17 flops in a row and is still going strong. He should be in Guinness Book of Records.” In a reply, Abhi said Kakkar should be a comedian.

Priyanka Chopra
She got flak when she returned from a shooting schedule in Srinagar and commented, “I enjoyed Kashmir but I am happy to be back to civilisation.” Following the uproar, she had to clarify.

Ajay Devgn
He got into a foot-in-mouth situation when he addressed railway Minister Mamta Banerjee as the information and broadcasting minister at an event.

Anil Kapoor
The actor said Abhay Deol needs “serious help in every way because he is doing all the wrong things”. Deol called Anil a “waste of time” and said he needs help “to not get affected by him.”

Deepika Padukone
She advised former lover Ranbir Kapoor “to endorse a brand of condoms”. It created buzz and Ranbir replied, “This is good. We should spread AIDS awareness.”

Salman Khan
He landed himself in a soup when he gave an interview to a channel in Pakistan saying that the Mumbai terror attacks got attention because the “elites were targeted”. Political parties jumped on his case, and he had to issue an apology by saying, “I apologise if I may have hurt anyone’s sentiments.”

John Abraham
He claimed that he had done Aashayein for free because it was based on a social issue. “I felt that the nature of the film was such that it should be made, that is why I didn’t take any money for it,” he said. However, Shailendra Singh of PPT, the film’s distributor said, “John and Nagesh got their full payment.”

Deepika-Mallya Jr holiday together!

                                                               Seems like love is in the air and Deepika Padukone and her 'good friend' Siddharth Mallya are basking in it! Dips and Mallya Jr were spotted at Mumbai International Airport and were headed to England together, Mid-Day reported.

While they decided to celebrate Christmas in India, it is believed that the two jet-set to London to bring in the new year.

The actress was spotted in her casual jeans and furry boots while Siddharth was seen in a leather jacket and a muffler.

Seeing Deepika's non winter attire and the fact that London is freezing at this time, one can't help but wonder if Siddharth is going to provide Dips-Sidall the warmth!

I may contribute to Akshay's film again: Pakistani rapper Bohemia

                                                      US-based Pakistani rapper Bohemia, who collaborated with Akshay Kumar in "Chandni Chowk To China" for the snazzy version of the title track, is expecting to ink another deal with the Bollywood star.

"Last month I had a meeting with Akshay bhai again. Hopefully, I will again contribute in his another film. Talks are on with many other filmmakers and very soon things will be finalised," Bohemia told IANS.

"My fan base started in America and now whatever I get from outside is an added bonus. Now Bollywood is helping me. Akshay Kumar approached me for 'Chandni Chowk to China' and I could not say no as I am his big fan," he said.

Bohemia feels hip-hop or rap is not culture or society bound.

"Hip-hop and rap is something that represents a whole culture. In other forms of music there are many restrictions and you are compartmentalised into certain compositions. But rap is absolutely free, you are just naked in front of your audience and that is the real test of any musician's abilities.

"I have many fans. I do not know the reason why they are so impressed with me as I never do anything to impress anybody. I just go to the stage and scream my heart out.

"I am never bothered about my looks and clothes like other singers. I think that rap represents a culture and most of the youngsters easily relate to it."

Born as Roger David in Karachi, Pakistan, Bohemia shifted to the US when his parents decided to migrate there 14 years ago. He is now based in California. Bohemia's grandfather had converted from Sikhism to Christianity.

Talking about his fan following in India, he said: "Whenever I come to India, there is a huge queue of youngsters outside my hotel room and at the venues. I like to take out time for them and teach them about hip-hop and rap music. Hopefully, in future I would find more time to interact with youngsters and some concrete planning is on my cards," he said.

Bohemia, a big fan of Mirza Ghalib, feels rap is fast picking up in India.

"Rap is a cool quotient for kids. I do not find any difference between Indian kids and those from other countries. Kids in Europe and America are also doing the same thing. It took about 25 to 30 years for rap music to develop in America. In India, you just wait for another five years," said the singer.

Bohemia became an instant hit in 2003 with his first album "Vich Pardesan De" and followed it with "Pesa Nasha Pyar" and "Da Rap Star".

Talking about his inspiration, Bohemia said: "I was a mamma's boy and I was only 16 when my mom passed away. I was a dejected teenager in a new country.

I did not even know the language. I wanted to leave the school and home. I wanted to kill myself.

"I was on streets, running here and there, struggling in life. I did not really trust anyone. I was very blunt. The anguish, struggle and difficult phase were my inspiration. I started becoming friends with black Americans who are very good in rap. I learned many things like the English language from them," said Bohemia.

He is not too happy with the DJ culture and said: "DJs don't have knowledge of music, they are only doing mixtures. In India, we do not have DJ culture; we are just copying what we are seeing in the west. For making good music, we have to be creative."

Hollywood scored high with fantasies, action in India (2010 in Retrospect)

                                                                            Fantasy, fantasy and more fantasy - Indian audiences swooned to the Hollywood mojo in 2010 thanks to their penchant for out-of-the-world experiences with a dash of action.

IANS lists top imports that grossed their way to success in 2010:

1. "Inception": Mindbender - one word that aptly describes the sci-fi entertainer that took the world by storm and why not when it comes from a mind that is equally complex yet brilliant - Christopher Nolan. Watch it once, twice, thrice before you shake your head in frenzy and succumb to the masterpiece. With Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, it raked in Rs.33 crore in India across four languages - English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

2. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I": The penultimate sequel to one of the most successful wizard franchises the world has seen. With an established fan base that is outnumbered with every new sequel, this one was sure to draw footfall. Released across English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, it grossed Rs.30 crore (about $6.6 million).

3. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time": Remember the after-school timepass video game of the same name? Well, this big screen retelling brought out the sword-and-sorcery action from the blurry computer screen in live action to make Rs.28 crore. While Jake Gyllenhaal took centrestage as Prince Dastan, Gemma Arterton enacted the lovely Princess Tamina and the very own Sir Ben Kingsley donned the evil Nizam's robe to conquer time.

4. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader": It was another epic 3D fantasy-adventure that had kids transported to their bed-time story world. Hitting the Indian screens in four languages a week before its worldwide release, it didn't take time to make Rs.23 crore and is still running.

5. "Clash of the Titans": You saw him as an "Avatar" before he became a part-human part-android Marcus Wright in "Terminator Salvation." And this one just required you to wear a pair of 3D glasses to see Sam Worthington as a demi-god. A remake of the 1981 film of the same name, the Greek fantasy-adventure cashed in Rs.22 crore.

6. "Salt": Confess it, you will watch whatever she does and this one had to be seen as Angelina The Jolie was going to jump flyovers and assassinate political bigwigs in her secret mission as a blonde Russian sleeper agent Evelyn Salt in the US. A female spin to the "Mission: Impossible" series, it did make one fall in love with the beauty again. For the collections, how does it matter even if it made Rs.16.5 crore?

7. "Knight and Day": Tom Cruise just won't stop playing a spy. No. Even if it means drifting to an outing with the now rapidly aging Cameron Diaz before buckling up for his fourth "Mission: Impossible" movie. Having released in English and Hindi, the action-adenture earned Rs.16 crore only because of its 'associative' value - after all it was a Bollywood film with Hollywood stars!

8. "Iron Man 2": Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and the comeback kid Mickey Rourke. Man, what else does one need in a metal clanking superhero flick? The answer is Scarlett Johansson as an undercover spy in body hugging leather suit! Not quite living up to its buzz, the movie managed Rs.15.5 crore leaving audiences wanting for much and for more.

9. "The Karate Kid": Star sons don't work in Bollywood alone. They do in Hollywood too and how! If his father Will Smith has been voted as the most dependable star, the son in his lanky meek form is no less. Cute as per his 12-year-old looks, intelligent and lethal courtesy a trainer like Jackie Chan and with acting chromosomes overlapped across his DNA, Jaden Smith did what veterans could not - command an ovation. A reboot of the 1984 film by the same name, don't go by the earnings of this one which was a modest Rs.13.5 crore. Go by the name!

10. "Resident Evil: Afterlife"/"The A-Team": Breaking into a tie with Rs.11.5 Crore each, the two didn't lag behind in making a mark in the Indian terrain. "Afterlife", the fourth part in the sci-fi action series, saw Milla Jovovich in a mission to save humanity from a virus with her numerous clones while "The A-Team", an action outing, was simply a boy's delight with cigars, guns and panache.

Bollywood wishes more blockbusters for Salman on 45th b'day

                                                                                   Bollywood's "Dabangg" star Salman Khan, who is celebrating his 45th birthday in Dubai Monday, has been wished many more blockbusters and lots of happiness by his friends from tinsel town.

Some actors took to micro-blogging site Twitter to wish Salman, who gave the highest grosser of 2010 with "Dabangg":

Sonakshi Sinha: Chulbul Pandey/Robinhood Pandey/Salman Khan ko janamdin ki shubhkamnayein (Wishing Salman a very happy birthday)! Pretty sure he is bringing the house down in Dubai!

Preity Zinta - Hey Salman! Wish you a very happy birthday and may all things wonderful big and small always come your way! Lots of love always.

Amrita Arora - Happpppy b'day Salman Bhai. Hope you have a superrrr year!

Sophie Choudhry - Wishing u a very very happy b'day! May the year ahead be filled with happiness, good times & blockbusters! Lots of love!

Riteish Deshmukh - Wishing Salman Khan a very happy birthday.

Even Salman's brother Arbaaz wished him on the social-networking site.

Arbaaz Khan: Happy birthday Salman bhai. Have a great day and a 'Dabangg' year ahead. We all love you.

Adnan Sami gets notice on Mumbai properties

                                                                  Pakistani singer-composer Adnan Sami has been issued a notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for owning eight flats and five car parking spaces in Mumbai.

A fine of Rs.20 lakh has also been slapped on the singer.

Sami said: "I have received an order from the ED which says my properties will be confiscated if I do not file an appeal in the next 45 days."

He rubbished media reports claiming that his flats have been confiscated.

"The order was received Dec 21 and we have 45 days from then to file an appeal, which we will move at the earliest. But the properties have not been confiscated yet," said Sami's lawyer Vibhav Krishna.

The ED order mentions that Sami's application for buying property in Mumbai was rejected by the Reserve Bank of India in 2003 owning to his Pakistani nationality. Sami, however, denies any knowledge of the rejection.

Sami owns eight flats and five car parking spaces in Oberoi Sky Garden in suburban Andheri.

Shifting the onus on the builder, Sami said: "I was friends with Vikas Oberoi, the builder of Oberoi Sky Garden. In 2003, I had told him I want to buy a property in Mumbai. He had told me about his upcoming project and that his legal team will take care of all the formalities if I want to buy property."

"In fact my bank loan was also cleared and the property registered in my name. I had no idea that the RBI has rejected my application."

Sami had purchased the flats in 2003 at the cost of Rs.2.53 crore and had taken a loan of Rs 1.5 crore for the purchase.

Sami has been served the confiscation order under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Vikas Oberoi could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Rani's sashtang before Madhuri!

                                                                              Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji made for a rare, picture perfect moment when she prostrated in a 'sashtang namaskar' before dancing diva Madhuri Dixit at reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4".

Rani admitted she is a self-proclaimed Madhuri Dixit fan after she shook a leg with the "Dhak dhak" girl on "Dola re dola" on the show's episode to be aired Monday.

Rani came as a special guest along with Vidya Balan to promote their upcoming film "No One Killed Jessica", releasing Jan 7.

The two actresses, who have burst the bubble of catfights in Bollywood by being unusually pally with each other, also danced together on "Ibn-e-batuta".

Most Outrageous Celebs Of 2010

                                                                               Celebs never let you down when it comes to bad behaviour. It was the year that Mel Gibson was slammed for an alleged racist rant, Charlie Sheen had woman troubles, Lindsay Lohan admitted dabbling in drugs, Dolly Bindra foul-mouthed everyone and more. Celeb antics ensured that there was no dearth of masala in our tabloid. Here's a birds's eye-view of celebs that raised eyebrows in 2010.

Lady Gaga
The year saw eccentric pop star Lady Gaga barge into the scene with quite a noisy bang. Be it for her jaw-dropping music videos, eye-grabbing stage outfits, half-naked airport appearances or middle-finger act at baseball game, Lady Gaga screamed from newspapers front page throughout the year. And she was well rewarded for the effort- her craziness as got her a six million fan following on Twitter. Now you can either love or hate her but you can't ignore her...

Miley CyrusMiley Cyrus
The teenage sweetheart has made Madonna's Papa Don't Preach the motto of her life. From no-panty leaked pics, giving lap dances, smoking bong video, the wannabe adult has left no stone unturned to prove that she can't be tamed! With her risqué outfits and saucy attitude, she is this year's good girl gone bad.

Charlie Sheen
The actor had a rocky year. Just days after a messy divorce from Brooke Mueller, The Two and a Half Men star was back to what he does best - hooking up with pretty girls. But even this went horribly wrong when the porn star accused him of assaulting her in the hotel room. The star's raunchy lifestyle, and obsession with call girls, drug rehab made for dramatic year.

Lindsay Lohan
Thank God for Lindsay Lohan! If it weren't for her wild habits, the year would have been without spice. With drunken driving case, cocaine rehab, porn star role rejection, nude magazine covers, the Mean Girl star went berserk this year. Unfazed by controversies LiLo is trying to pull her life together - sitting and brooding in Bert Ford rehab.

Mel Gibson
The year has seen the Braveheart star hit rock bottom and really hard. The actor has been at the receiving end of accusation of domestic abuse from his ex-partner Oksana. Adding to the blow has been Winona Ryder's revelation that the actor is racist and homophobic. Talk about adding fuel to fire!

Mallika SherawatMallika Sherawat
As if sleazy B-town scenes were not enough, the actress decided to bare it all for a Hollywood film - Hisss. But even the star's bold act couldn't add fizz to the doomed film. From showing off her friendship with Salma Hayek, hobnobbing with Hollywood celebs at Cannes, Mallika's antics irritated no end. To top it all was her wardrobe malfunction at a promotional event for Hisss, which added nothing to her crumbling reputation.

Dolly Bindra
The name Dolly Bindra has become synonymous with fighting and bad mouthing. The abusive and violent Bigg Boss contestant raised tempers inside the Bigg Boss house. Be it abusing everyone in the house to hitting Shweta Tiwari, the foul-mothed Dolly picked a fight at the drop of a hat.

Rakhi Sawant
With no more sense than a sheep, the item girl drew flak for being an ignorant judge on the reality show Rakhi Ka Insaaf. The controversy queen was taken to court for abetting the suicide of a participant on Sawant's reality television show.

Rahul Mahajan
Be it drug abuse cases, or beating his women, Rahul Mahajan has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The incorrigible flirt tied the knot on TV show Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega. But showed his repulsive side when Dimpy accused him of beating her. She says Rahul allegedly punched, kicked and dragged her by the hair. His first wife Shweta Singh, who was his childhood friend, had accused him of physically abusing her.

Salman Khan
Salman Khan had a foot-in-mouth moment for which he got flak from everyone. The actor made irresponsible comments about the 26/11 terror attacks on a Pakistan TV channel saying, "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targeted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."

What do celebs want from Santa?

                                                               On Christmas Day, Bollywood celebrities tell HT City the one wish they would want Santa Claus to fulfil this year.

Omi Vaidya
Santa Claus has given me my wish already. I am in Los Angeles celebrating Christmas with my wife Meenal and family. I am going to be here
for New Year’s as well. I have been working all this while and have not been able to spend time with them since long.

katrinaKatrina Kaif
I won’t be able to celebrate Christmas with my family but I do have a Christmas wish. If I could ask Santa Claus for something, it would be hope and happiness forever. My film Tees Maar Khan is releasing on the Christmas day and I wish it does well at the Box Office.

Sonu Sood
I love Christmas and I would like to ask Santa Claus for a happy, healthy and peaceful year ahead for all. I’m grateful for the fantastic work coming my way and I hope the trend continues.

Bipasha Basu
This Christmas, I want Santa Claus to give me tons of romance and happiness for the entire year and also a sea-facing beautiful cosy home, just for myself. Christmas is one of my favourite festivals.

Kangna Ranaut
Incidentally, the promo of my film Tanu Weds Manu opposite R Madhavan releases on the Christmas day. My only wish from Santa Claus would be that people like the promo as much as we liked making the film.

Eesha Koppikhar
This Christmas I would like to ask Santa Claus for a fat bank balance and a thin body and not to mix the two. I am very fond of Christmas and today me, my husband Timmy and friends are doing a special Christmas lunch.

No rift between Rani and Vidya: Director

                                                                   Dismissing rumours that the two leading ladies of his forthcoming film "No One Killed Jessica" were at loggerheads, filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta says Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan share a camaraderie and gel well.

It was reported that Vidya is not very happy with Rani because the Bengali beauty is hogging the limelight and taking maximum space in promotions. But Gupta called all the rumours baseless.

"I have been accompanying Rani and Vidya on most promotional events and they have been having a fabulous time. These are just rumours and there is no truth in these claims," Gupta told IANS.

"I've seen how well they gel and the camaraderie that they share and the positivity with which they shot the film. So these are just rumours and not to be taken seriously," he added.

Gupta, whose first film "Aamir" was a tale of a man's struggle against terrorism, said that when he finished writing "No One Killed Jessica", Rani and Vidya's names instantly came to his mind for the main leads.

"Both are brilliant actors apart from being stars. Vidya has that certain kind of sensibility that was needed for her character. She is very sensitive not only as an actor but as a human being," he said.

"Rani's character required to have a lot of spunk and a headstrong and feisty attitude. I knew Rani will be able to do justice with that," he added.

The film, slated to release Jan 7, is based on the murder of model Jessica Lall in 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of a Haryana politician, and the struggle of her sister Sabrina Lall to get justice for her.

It took the director, who has assisted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in the past, three months to research about the case and seven months to write the script.

"I took up this subject as I thought it was a very inspiring story where in the course of events an entire nation came together and media played a very important role. I thought this would be an interesting story to portray on celluloid," Gupta said.

However, his road to making this film was not without obstacles. The filmmaker said it was very challenging to give shape to the project.

"At every stage, there were challenges. The writing was the most difficult bit because the canvas was broad, there were so many characters and I didn't want to make a documentary or a biography," Gupta said.

"I wanted to get into the realms of cinema and make it an engaging and entertaining thriller. To get that entire thing in place, it took me some time to figure out and see how to go about it," he said.

"I had to get a balance of fact and fiction because it was a very sensitive issue. So the script also had to be approached with a lot of sensitivity," he added.

But wasn't he scared that the movie might rake up many controversies because of the nature of the subject?

"This factor did come to my mind. So I tried to approach the film with as much sensitivity as possible," the director said.

"But we must also keep in mind that the film is not about naming people or accusing anyone. That's not my job as a filmmaker. It's just my interpretation of the case," he added.

After two serious drama films, Gupta is all set to make a light love story called "Rapchik Romance", which is on the scripting stage at the moment.

Karan wants 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' sequel: Amitabh Bachchan

                                                                    He brought together the three biggies of Hindi cinema - Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan - in his blockbuster hit "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" in 2001 and filmmaker Karan Johar is now pitching for a sequel to the family saga, reveals Big B.

"Karan Johar and we talk of cinema and other lighter moments. His visit to Goa and the sudden impulse to do a sequel to 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham', for he felt that all the relevant characters were still around and 'how'," Big B posted on his blog.

"It would be a story on the growth of the brothers and the problems that arise because of their independent understanding and working of the business empire of the father, a split within them and so on," he added.

Also starring Jaya Bachchan, Kajol and Kareena Kapoor, the movie was the highest grossing Indian film in the overseas market.

An active blogger, Amitabh has now left his decision for the Part II on the fans' discretion.

"I tell him I shall run a reaction to this on my blog and seek information on its feasibility. So what does everyone feel? Yes or no? (sic)... Tel me tell me tell me...no," he wrote.

The Next Big Thing: Film actors

                                                         According to the industry bigwigs there are certain actors who will do better than others in the year 2011. Let's take a look.

Our judges
Rohit Shetty, Film director

Actors
Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor
Both Varun and Arjun are good-looking and have a dream launch, so there’s every chance they will make it big in 2011.

Actresses
Sonakshi Sinha: She has an old-world charm
Sonam Kapoor: She fits a wide array of roles
Anushka Sharma: She is growing as an actress

And the film actors who get the maximum votes from our judges are...

Sonakshi Sinha
‘I would never do a size zero’

Move over Vidya Balan, here’s another curvaceous, classic Indian beauty whose performance (and curves!) won everyone over in her debut film, Dabangg. “And honestly, I don’t think I would ever do a size zero because it’s so unhealthy!” she says. “Indian women are naturally curvaceous and I am proud of my curves.” With four films coming up, the year ahead looks busy for Sinha. There’s Joker with Akshay Kumar, Race 2 with Saif and John Abraham and of course, Dabangg 2 with Salman Khan. “So it will be work and more work,” she says. “Hopefully.”

Claim to fame
Wowed audiences with a surprisingly confident debut in the hit Salman Khan starrer Dabangg
Is the daughter of actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha

Prateik
‘Will I fail public expectations?’

I’m very excited and nervous at the same time about Dhobi Ghat. What I am scared about is, how will Bollywood audiences react to a delicate film like that. Will I fail public expectations? Especially when I don’t know what they are!” That’s actor Prateik on his new Kiran Rao-directed film, releasing next month.

Prateik got noticed for his brooding good looks and restrained performance in his debut film, Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. And he tops our list of the actors to watch out for the second year running. “When I did Jaane Tu..., I was still testing the waters before taking a final leap,” he says. “But after Dhobi Ghat, I am sure. To achieve such recognition so early on is always very encouraging.”

*Debuted alongside Imran Khan in Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na
*Will be seen in Kiran Rao’s directorial debut, Dhobi Ghat

Who is Varun Dhawan?
Even Lord Google fails to throw up any concrete answers to that question. There’s precisely one photograph in Google Images (copyrighted, so we can’t even show you what he looks like here!) and little else.

Here’s what we do know though: Varun is film director David Dhawan’s younger son and is all poised to be the new (star) kid on the block in tinsel town. He is going to make his debut in 2011 in – get this – a movie being produced and directed by none other than Karan Johar. The movie will reportedly star only newcomers (which is a first for Johar).

We tried hard to reach Varun, but sources tell us he has been banned from speaking to the media. Oh well!

'Dhobi Ghat' to be released in two versions

                                                            Aamir Khan's production venture "Dhobi Ghat", which is the directorial debut of his wife Kiran Rao, will be released in two versions - one completely in Hindi and the other with a few scenes in English.

"The film has 8-10 scenes in English. But we realized that people who are not very comfortable with the language would be in a tough spot. So we dubbed those scenes in Hindi," Aamir told reporters here.

"We will release the film in two versions. One will be completely in Hindi and the other will have the original English dialogues. People can choose the version they want to see," he said.

The 45-year-old confirmed that both the versions will be released Jan 21.

When asked the reason for two versions when he could have also gone in for subtitles, the actor-producer informed: "We didn't want to keep subtitles because a lot of people don't like reading while seeing the film and many people can't read, so dubbing was a better option."

"Dhobi Ghat" that stars Aamir along with Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra, Kitu Gidwani and Nafisa Khan is a film about four characters from different classes of society and how their lives are interwined.

"I'm very happy for the film. Kiran has beautifully implemented what she intended to make. It's a very different film, an arthouse film that we haven't seen for a while.

"It's a film about moments. Kiran has shot at real locations with a small crew, so it has a real feel about it. She has brought about the vibrancy and colour of Mumbai very well," he added.

Prakash Jha: Saif has universal face, no problems with Ajay

                                                               When the cast of Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan was officially introduced, one immediately noticed that his favorite Ajay Devgn’s absence in the line-up. But another National Award-winning actor, Saif Ali Khan, has been roped in for the movie revolving around reservations in education. Reportedly, the director was keen on roping in Devgn but he wasn’t too enthused by the role. It’s learnt that the actor didn’t want to take chances in another ensemble film after his role in Raajneeti was edited, resulting in the character suffering an inappropriate representation in the story.

Jha says, “Saif has a universal face. He has played a romantic character (Hum Tum, Love Aaj Kal), a prince (Eklavya), a terrorist (Kurbaan), a brilliant Langda Tyaagi in Omkara, very convincingly. He fits the role of the brilliant student from a backward caste in Aarakshan,” asserts the director. As for Devgn’s absence, he says, “Ajay is there in the film, lekin woh adrishya hai (but he will be invisible).” The film, produced in association with Firoz Nadiadwala, also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Prateik, Deepika Padukone and Manoj Bajpai.

Denying reports of friendship gone sour, Jha reiterates, “Ajay and I have always worked together on the right subject. And I’m certain we’ll team up again for another right movie in the future too.”

Saif denied that his winning the National Award or being a Padma Shri awardee influenced him to sign on the film. “When I like a script, I ask myself if I’d like to see the film even if I weren’t in it. If the answer is yes, then I do it,” he says the actor, who’s currently working on his production, Agent Vinod.

Ask if being a politician himself has had advantages and Jha admits, “I’m not a politician. But yes, I’m politically aware and I use that awareness in my scripts.” So, will his movie will suggest a solution or two? “When you make a film on a realistic issue, it’s natural to include possible solution to conflicts. But reservation is an issue to which there’s no end.”

TMK fails to impress critics

                                                                         When Sheila Ki Jawani first hit the small screen, the junta went berserk. Suddenly, Sheila was being touted as the next Munni and Tees Maar Khan as the next Dabangg. But, while Dabangg (with Munni intact) got rave reviews from the critics, Tees Maar Khan has failed to impress the critics. In fact, one reviewer has gone ahead and said that the film is not even worth a free ticket.

Nikhat Kazmi, film crictic, who gave the film 2.5 stars, wrote, " Sadly, Tees Maar Khan begins as a spoof and remains a spoof, till the very end. All the characters end up as mere caricatures and completely fail to build up an emotional quotient in the film." She feels that even though the film has colour, humour and pace but nothing seems to fall in place in terms of plot and character connect.

Tees Maar KhanIf you think that was ripping the film apart, wait till you read this one. Renuka Rao, film critic, Daily News Analysis, has termed the film a catastrophe. "Tees Maar Khan is a classic example of a cluttered film in which a hodgepodge of characters incoherently jabbers ludicrous dialogues building up an odd plot that just refuses to make any sense at any point of time," wrote Rao.

She did not even spare the superhit jodi of Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar. "The so-called superstar jodi of Hindi cinema - Kumar and Kaif - has hardly any moments together, and individually both deliver pathetic performances."

Even Taran Adarsh, who is known to support mainstream Bollywood films, has not spared Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan. " The film gets messy in the second half, especially since Farah and her team of writers attempt to pack just about everything in this hour. Also, a couple of scenes don't register well. The sequence involving the 'headless ghost' appears futile. The heist is plain ordinary and doesn't conjure up the magic on screen. The finale in the courtroom and the premiere of the film fall flat as well."

All in all, Tees Maar Khan has not lived up to critics' expectations and they have left no stones unturned to lash out at the two time hit director. Wonder if Sheila will manage to salvage the film at the box office.

Actors are like beggars: Rani Mukerji

                                                                              Rani Mukerji says she wants to be seen more often on the big screen but describes actors as beggars waiting for good scripts to come their way, which is the reason for her long absence.

"Actors are beggars! They wait for good scripts to come their way. It's always the makers who decide to make a film and then it's on the actors to choose what they want to do on the basis of what is being offered to them," Rani, who will feature in a never-before-seen avatar in "No One Killed Jessica", told IANS in an interview.

"Honestly, the kind of roles that are being offered to me, I have to think hard before taking them. I have a responsibility towards my fans and I can't do random things. I have to do a role that catches people's attention. If my fans love me so much, the least I can do is to come out with a good film for them; that's why I do fewer films now," said the 32-year-old.

The dusky damsel wants to be seen more, but somehow she is not so lucky.

"I keep hoping and praying that I get scripts which are different so that I can take up those films. As an actor I want to be seen.

"The constant reaction that I keep getting is that 'Rani, we want to see more of you', and I too want to do more films. In fact, I want to come out with two-three films every year, but I've not been really lucky that I could do that. I'm not getting the roles that I really want to do," she said.

Rani, who used to do a couple of films a year earlier, has squeezed it down to just one project per year now. In the last three years, Rani was seen in just two films "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic" and "Dil Bole Hadippa", but both failed to spin any magic at the box office.

She is, however, very optimistic about 2011 when her "No One Killed Jessica" will hit the screens. Slated for a Jan 7 release, the film, based on the murder of model Jessica Lall in 1999 by Manu Sharma, son of a Haryana politician, will see her as a gutsy, fearless and bold crime reporter Meera Gaitey.

"When I was approached for this role, I was told that when the case was going on, there were a lot of reporters who pursued it actively. In a film, we obviously can't have all of them. So my character is an amalgamation of all of them," said Rani.

"It would have been unfair to model the character on one person. So, I played it how I thought the character would be. Also I have taken bits from reporters I have met in so many years. I incorporated inputs from my observation," she added.

It was a long battle for Sabrina Lall to fight for justice for her sister and finally Manu Sharma was awarded life imprisonment by the Supreme Court. The film, which has been produced by UTV Spotboy and directed by Rajkumar Gupta, also features Vidya Balan as Sabrina Lall.

Throwing some light on her experience of working with Vidya, Rani said her co-star is very involved as an actor.

"Vidya is a method actor, which is what I have seen during the shooting of the film. She gets very involved in her character. She is a kind of actor who prepares a lot before coming on the sets. When she has to do a serious scene, I have seen her being very quiet and serious," she said.

"When she worked with me, she got a pleasant surprise because I'm fun on the sets and she didn't expect that. The minute she used to look at me, she used to start laughing because she finds me very naughty," she added.