Now recharge your cellphone in seconds

A 3-D nanostructure designed and developed by scientists at the University of Illinois may make it possible to recharge mobile phones in seconds and a laptop within minutes.

The nanostructure would also charge high power lasers and defibrillators, required in surgeries, without loss of time between pulses, the journal Nature Nanotechnology reports.

Paul Braun's group at Illinois developed the nanostructure for battery cathodes that allows for dramatically faster charging and discharging without sacrificing energy storage capacity, according to a statement.

Aside from quick-charge consumer electronics, batteries that can store a lot of energy, release it fast and recharge quickly are desirable for electric vehicles, medical devices, lasers and military applications.

"This system that we have gives you capacitor-like power with battery-like energy," said Braun, professor of materials science and engineering at Illinois.

"Most capacitors store very little energy. They can release it very fast, but they can't hold much. Most batteries store a reasonably large amount of energy, but they can't provide or receive energy rapidly. This does both."

The performance of typical lithium-ion (Li-ion) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries degrades significantly when they are rapidly charged or discharged.

Making the active material in the battery a thin film allows for very fast charging and discharging, but reduces the capacity to nearly zero because the active material lacks volume to store energy.

Braun's group wraps a thin film into 3D structure, achieving both high active volume (high capacity) and large current.

They have demonstrated battery electrodes that can charge or discharge in a few seconds, 10 to 100 times faster than equivalent bulk electrodes, yet can perform normally in existing devices.

Braun is particularly optimistic for the batteries' potential in electric vehicles, which would slash charging time from half a day to a few minutes.

Laptop for Rs. 5000 thanks to these students

It's a pretty incredible deal. A laptop that can potentially cost Rs. 5000 to produce.

Two young student-innovators from the Techno School in Bhubaneswar, Orissa have spent 10 months developing what they call the i-Webleaf laptop.

"You will get a 320 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, LAN, 2 USB ports, printer port, and a VGA port for a projector. So you will get everything on this laptop," explains one of the innovators, Chandrasekhar Panda. It also features a 10.2-inch LCD screen and a web camera. To keep the costs low they have also designed the processor for this laptop in their college lab. They call it DXA 16 and claim that it is as fast as the Intel Atom processor.

Along with his partner, Saswat Swain, Mr. Panda hopes that the government can help find the funding to mass produce more of these machines, so that they can be used in schools all over the state.

"In case you are providing a laptop for Rs. 5000, each and every school can get 5 to 10 pieces of laptop easily. It will naturally help them to improve their education standard," says Mr Swain.

They have also designed a data card for Internet connectivity that costs Rs. 1300. Similar data cards from major telecom vendors cost more than Rs. 2000.

The two innovators are desperate to find financiers who can help mass-produce their laptop. They have approached the Orissa government to help them with their venture and are waiting for the government's response.

Congress gives in, accepts Mamata's offer for seats

Minutes before a deadline set by Mamata Banerjee expired, the Congress capitulated and accepted her terms for a political partnership for the West Bengal elections.

The Congress had originally asked for 90 seats, and Ms Banerjee, who is the chief of the Trinamool Congress, offered 64. Her take-it-or-leave-it deal today saw her willing to offer one additional seat. And the Congress accepted. So while it will contest 65 seats, Ms Banerjee's candidates will take the remaining 229 seats for the West Bengal Assembly. "To bring back democracy in Bengal, we are giving one more seat to Congress," she said today, as she announced her party's manifesto.

The Congress denied that it had sold out, a complaint voiced by unhappy state leaders from West Bengal who had travelled to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi, and urge her to push for 90 constituencies. "There is no question of compromise or surrender when two parties agree for a negotiated settlement. All should honour it," said Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed in Delhi.

Ms Banerjee had surprised the Congress on Friday by unilaterally announcing her party's decision to contest 228 seats, even though her ally had asked for some more time to work on its shortlist of candidates and the constituencies it wanted.

Finally, Ms Banerjee told the party to indicate by 4 pm today whether it would team up with her. Through the day, a breakthrough seemed distant; a long afternoon meeting between Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Sonia Gandhi reportedly ended the dithering.

The devil, however, lies in the detail, mainly in who gets what constituency. The additional seat that Ms Banerjee has sanctioned for the Congress is Canning East and not one of the three it really wanted: Kolkata Port, Metiabruz or Kharagpur Sadar.

Both sides are aware though that they need to stick together to ensure the vote against the Left is not divided between them. In 2009, when the Left had suffered a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool and Congress had fought as allies. The hope is for some sort of action replay.

Workers flee Japan nuclear plant as smoke rises

Fukushima, Japan:  Grey smoke rose from two reactor units on Monday, temporarily stalling critical work to reconnect power lines and restore cooling systems to stabilize Japan's radiation-leaking nuclear complex.

Workers are racing to bring the nuclear plant under control, but the process is proceeding in fits and starts, stalled by incidents like the smoke and by the need to work methodically to make sure wiring, pumps and other machinery can be safely switched on.

What caused the smoke to billow first from Unit 3 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and later from Unit 2 is under investigation, nuclear safety agency officials said. Still, in the days since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami wrecked the plant's cooling systems, both reactors have overheated and seen explosions. Workers were evacuated from the area to buildings nearby, though radiation levels remained steady, the officials said.

Problems set off by the disasters have ranged far beyond the devastated northeast coast and the wrecked nuclear plant, handing the government what it has called Japan's worst crisis since World War II. Rebuilding the northeast coast may cost as much as $235 billion. Police estimate the death toll will surpass 18,000.Traces of radiation are tainting vegetables and some water supplies, although in amounts the government and health experts say do not pose a risk to human health in the short-term.

"Please do not overreact, and act calmly," said Chief Cabinet spokesman Yukio Edano in the government's latest appeal to ease public concerns. "Even if you eat contaminated vegetables several times, it will not harm your health at all."

Edano said Fukushima's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., would compensate farmers affected by bans on the sale of raw milk, spinach and canola.

The troubles at Fukushima have in some ways overshadowed the natural catastrophe, threatening a wider disaster if the plant spews more concentrated forms of radiation than it has so far.

The nuclear safety agency and Tokyo Electric reported significant progress over the weekend and Monday. Electrical teams, having finished connecting three of the plant's six units, worked to connect the rest by Tuesday, the utility said.

Once done, however, pumps and other equipment have to be checked -- and the reactors cleared of dangerous gas -- before the power can be restored. For instance, a motorized pump to inject water into Unit 2's overheated reactor and spent fuel storage pool needs to be replaced, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

Early on Monday, the Health Ministry advised Iitate, a village of 6,000 people about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the plant, not to drink tap water due to elevated levels of iodine. Ministry spokesman Takayuki Matsuda said iodine three times the normal level was detected there -- about one twenty-sixth of the level of a chest X-ray in one liter of water.

The World Bank said in a report Monday that Japan may need five years to rebuild from the disasters, which caused up to $235 billion in damage, saying the cost to private insurers will be up to $33 billion and that the government will spend $12 billion on reconstruction in the current national budget and much more later.

Growing concerns about radiation add to the chain of disasters Japan has struggled with since the 9.0-magnitude quake. The resulting tsunami ravaged the northeastern coast. All told, police estimates show more than about 18,400 died. More than 15,000 deaths are likely in Miyagi, the prefecture that took the full impact of the wave, said a police spokesman.

"It is very distressing as we recover more bodies day by day," said Hitoshi Sugawara, the spokesman.

Police in other parts of the disaster area declined to provide estimates, but confirmed about 3,400 deaths. Nationwide, official figures show the disasters killed more than 8,600 people, and leaving more than 13,200 missing, but those two lists may have some overlap.

The disasters have displaced another 452,000, who are in shelters.

Bahrain's King: Foreign plot to destabilize country foiled

Bahrain has foiled a foreign plot to destabilize it, the country's king said Sunday.

King Hamad said the plot had been in the making for more than two decades -- but did not name a country that he believed was trying to carry it out.

Bahrain's Sunni Muslim monarchy has long suspected Iran of attempting to foment unrest among the island's majority-Shiite population.

Relations have been tense in recent weeks as anti-government protesters have taken to the streets of Manama and Iran has condemned Bahrain's violent crackdown.

The king was speaking to officers from the Peninsula Shield, the military arm of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Several members of the council have sent troops to Bahrain to help Manama quell the protests.
Bahrain destroys Pearl Monument

"An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years for the ground to be ripe for subversive designs," the king told the gathering.

"Such subversive designs are not however possible, whether in Bahrain or in any other GCC country, thank goodness," he added, according to a report by the Bahrain News Agency. "I here announce the failure of the fomented subversive plot."

King Hamad said that if the plot succeeded in one council country, it could spill over into others.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch urged Bahrain on Monday to end its "campaign of arrests" of doctors and human rights activists.

Over the weekend, security forces arrested four medical doctors and two activists, the group said.

"The arrests, some of which occurred during pre-dawn hours, appear part of a broader government crackdown involving nighttime raids on the homes of those viewed as supporting pro-democracy protesters," Human Rights Watch said.

Among those detained was Nabeel Rajab of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.

About 25 people in about a dozen cars pulled up to his house early Sunday morning and took him to the offices of the interior ministry's investigative department, he told CNN.

"They said that they were looking for a suspect who was armed and thought I might know him," Rajab said. "They beat me, punched me, kicked me, handcuffed me. Blindfolded me."

The government confirmed Rajab was arrested but did not provide additional details.

In a statement released Monday, the government denied accusations from the Human Rights Watch suggesting "there is a campaign of indiscriminately arresting or targeting doctors."

"What such organisations have so far failed to understand is that the services of some of Bahrain's main medical facilities, including Salmaniya Medical Complex, had been overrun by political and sectarian activity, Luma Bashmi, a spokesman for the government said.

"This was totally unacceptable behaviour, by any standard," Bashmi said. "Those responsible are being investigated and will be held to account in the proper, legal manner."

Thousands of people have been demonstrating in Bahrain since last month, part of a wave that has spread through North Africa and the Middle East.

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Bahrain to allow its people to demonstrate peacefully as opposition members reported the death of a fifth protester.

"We have made clear that security alone cannot resolve the challenges facing Bahrain," Clinton said. "Violence is not and cannot be the answer. A political process is. We have raised our concerns about the current measures directly with Bahraini officials and will continue to do so."

The demonstrators were killed when Bahraini security forces cleared protesters from the Pearl Roundabout in the capital, Manama, on Tuesday. The roundabout had been a rallying site for anti-government demonstrators since the unrest began.

Three days later, the government demolished the landmark monument at the center of the traffic circle.

Mumbai wants Esha Deol married!

Ever wondered which celebrity is most likely to tie the knot in 2011? Well, that question has just been answered. Mumbai feels that Bollywood actor Esha Deol and politician Rahul Gandhi are best suited to get married this year.

This was revealed by a survey conducted by shaadi.com, a matrimonial website. Incidentally, the duo beat really tough competition by fellow singletons like Vijender Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Sushmita Sen and even Mallika Sherawat.

Amongst the celebrity couples, Mumbaikars have their hopes pinned on Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor taking the plunge this year. So what if Kapoor declared on national television that D-day is in 2012? One can always hope, right? Other couples in the list included Mahesh Bhupathi-Lara Dutta and John Abraham-Bipasha Basu. Bad news for Chhote Nawab’s little sister though. Soha Ali Khan-Kunal Khemu were voted the least likely to get married.

And proving that we are, in fact world conscious, the wedding the city is looking forward to the most this year, is that of Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton’s. In fact, even a Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie wedding (if it happens) was more favoured than the Imran Khan and Avantika Malik shaadi that is happening this weekend.

Reminiscing about the weddings that took place in 2010, Mumbaikars voted Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni’s quiet ceremony with Sakshi Singh Rawat as the best celebrity event.

And finally, when asked whether Mumbaikars think that 2011, is in general, a good year for people to get married, nearly 80 per cent agree, while 95.92 per cent think that they will meet the partner of their dreams in 2011. Happy weddings!

Best celebrity wedding of 2010
MS Dhoni and Sakshi Singh Rawat 48.97%
Sania Mirza and Shoaib Mallik 30.61%
Shashi Tharoor and Sunanda Pushkar 14.28%
Konkona Sen and Ranvir Shorey 4.10%
Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Alva 2.04%

Woman most likely to get married in 2011
Esha Deol 40.81%
Sushmita Sen 24.48%
Anushka Sharma 12.24%
Sonam Kapoor 8.16%
Mallika Sherawat 8.16%
Saina Nehwal 6.15%

Man most likely to get married in 2011
Rahul Gandhi 34.69%
Vijender Singh 18.36%
Ness Wadia 16.32%
Rahul Khanna 12.24%
Kunal Kapoor 10.23%
Rahul Bose 8.16%

Most anticipated celeb wedding of 2011
Prince William and 46.93%
Kate Middleton
Brad Pitt and 32.65%
Angelina Jolie
Imran Khan and 20.42%
Avantika Malik

Most likely to tie the knot in 2011
Saif Ali Khan and 34.69%
Kareena Kapoor
John Abraham and 26.53%
Bipasha Basu
Mahesh Bhupathi and 28.57%
Lara Dutta
Kunal Khemu and 10.21%
Soha Ali Khan

Aishwarya Rai still endorses L'Oreal

Officials of cosmetic firm L'Oreal Paris have denied reports that Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai has been replaced by Frieda Pinto as the new brand ambassador.

Reports of Frieda replacing Aishwarya came up after the "Slumdog Millionaire" star featured in L'Oreal's 'Happy New Year' television commercial.

"We are shocked and surprised to read in some sections of the media/press about Ms. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being replaced as the face of L'Oreal Paris," said an official statement from the firm.

"L'Oreal Paris strongly reiterates that this is absolutely untrue and that Ms. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan continues to be our valued spokesperson, as she has since 2000. While she remains an integral part of the L'Oreal Paris world wide Dream Team, she was unfortunately unavailable for our New Year commercial shoot due to prior commitments.

"She is one of the most iconic women of our times and is certainly the face of L'Oreal Paris internationally and in India for a range of products which include campaigns for Total Repair 5, Excellence Crème, Color Riche, Hydrafresh," the statement added.

Hrithik seeks sister-in-law's forgiveness on birthday

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan believes in simple joys. So, for his 37th birthday Monday, all that the actor wanted was forgiveness from his sister-in-law Farah Khan Ali, who was upset with him over an issue.

"Hello tweeple. I have upset d one person responsible 4 introducing me 2 dis twitterworld my beautiful FarahKhanAli who I love very much. u think u guys cld help her forgive me, since I'm human n since its my b'day tom? Love u all soo much! (sic)" Hrithik posted on his Twitter page Sunday.

Farah is the eldest sister of Hrithik's wife Sussanne.

Hrithik's public apology on the micro-blogging site melted Farah's heart, after which she posted: "OMG. Duggu did u have to do this on twitter. U know I love u unconditionally and the people u love the most sometimes hurt u too. Love u and Suss and will see u tom. Happy Birthday my brother. May u both live a long and happy life. (sic)"

She followed up the post with a warm birthday wish for the actor.

"Happy B'day to a great soul, pure & giving. Love u Duggu. May u never experience a moment of sadness or a bad health. Love always."

Actors like Bipasha Basu and Arjun Rampal wished Hrithik on Twitter as well.

"Happy happy birthday Rockstar, fly high always, love you," posted Arjun.

Imran, Avantika tie the knot, to honeymoon in Thailand!

Bollywood's chocolate boy Imran Khan finally bid adieu to bachelorhood and married long time girlfriend Avantika Malik here Monday. He said he is very happy.

The couple is off to Thailand Tuesday for their honeymoon but not alone - 50 guests will be accompanying the newly-weds.

Imran, who had been dating Avantika for the past eight years, had a registered marriage at his superstar uncle Aamir Khan's house in Pali Hill.

After the wedding, Imran came to his house with his newlywed wife in a black Porsche decorated with white flags with "Just Married" written on them. The house was decorated with flowers and lights

Both wore beautiful traditional wedding costumes - Avantika was wearing a light grey lehenga choli with a red border and gold work and Imran was dressed in a black bandhgala.

"I'm not feeling married right now, it will take some time to sink in. I'm very happy" Imran told reporters after reaching home.

Asked how he felt after breaking the hearts of his female fans, the 27-year-old said: "I've been in a relationship for the past eight years so the point of breaking hearts doesn't arise. Everyone always knew that I'm dating and was never single, so getting married is nothing new."

Imran's maternal uncle, Aamir was dressed in black sherwani with self-print and a maroon churidar and his wife Kiran Rao went traditional too, donning a purple-gold lehenga choli.

"We are very happy for both of them and all our blessing are with them. I hope they have a happy married life and have lots of kids," said a visibly elated Aamir.

The actor will be hosting a grand reception once the couple returns from their honeymoon. The date has not been fixed, but it is scheduled for the end of this month.

After the wedding, the couple hosted a quiet dinner for close family and friends at Taj Lands End Hotel.

Kareena loses weight again!

Kareena Kapoor's weight fluctuates like the sensex! One day you can count all the bones on her body and the next she glows with all the right weight on her. Yet again after putting on weight for Golmaal 3, she's back to her skinny self for an item number in Ra.One.

Famous dietician Rujuta Divekar had chalked out three different diet plans for Kareena.

Rujuta told Mid-Day, "For the shoot of Ra.One's Chammak Challo, she had to fit in to this sexy white dress. To attain that perfect figure, we had a Mumbai diet charted out on her return to the city, one for her stay in Las Vegas another for her 24-hour flight from Mumbai to Las Vegas via London and then back again to Mumbai after the shoot ended. She lost five kilos for the Ra.One song but still ended up looking fit and fabulous."

The dietician, who has previously planned diets for Kareena, said that it was very difficult to plan this one. "We had two diets in place one for 10 days and one for the nights. It was very tough to find the right food in Vegas as they were shooting outside."

Incidentally, during the shoot of Ra.One, Kareena had to eat several pan cakes topped with maple syrup. That got Rujuta extremely worried but Kareena managed to stick to the diet perfectly.

During the shoot of the song, Kareena ate makhaanas (lotus seeds) to sustain energy and necessary nutrients.

Celina: Badhaai on sagaai!

                                                                  Oi oi.. what is this I'm hearing now? At a time when many of our starry folks are going off Twitter, Celina Jaitly is getting overactive. My parinda from Andheri's Lokhandwala Complex maintains that she has every reason to tweet on and on.

The sex siren is writing 'thank you' notes to her fans and everyone who is congratulating her on her engagement to Dubai-based restaurateur Peter Haag. Jaitly, who exchanged rings with Haag in the city during last year's Durga Puja, had kept her sagaai a raaz ki baat all this while.

However, when buzz about her secret shaadi made media headlines recently, Jaitly is clarifying that she will officially announce the wedding date soon. Seems like she wants to concentrate on her films and endorsements for now. Didn't know she had many either. But then, such is life dearies.

Weather woes for Saif, Kareena!

                                                                                         Sher Lock Holmes has just come in, saying he has an interesting tidbit on Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor from the shoot of their spy thriller, Agent Vinod.

A few weeks ago, when they were filming in Latvia, it was freezing, considering the thanda thanda cold cold winters high up in the north location.

However, it seems like Khan had it easier shooting in the outdoor locations as he was wearing a coat for his scenes... while Bebo was shivering in an off-shoulder outfit. My super sleuth recalls the actor-producer's take on his comfort as against his heroine's in such adverse weather, saying that Khan conceded that while heroes don't have much trouble, heroines end up looking better despite working in tougher conditions. Must admit, Saifu ki baat mein dum toh hai. What say Bebo?

It's not Rani, it's not Vidya, who is Jessica?

                                                             Everywhere you look for Jessica, all you can see is Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan and by now everyone knows that neither of these two ladies is Jessica but then who is? Jessica Lall is played by Myra Karn. Who is Myra? Well, she is a model but search for her on the web and even Google seems to be clueless about what this lady looks like.

Director Rajkumar Gupta has been very smart in keeping the identity of 'Jessica' under the wraps. Apparently, Gupta met Myra Karn at a coffee shop and finalised her for the film. He thought she had the looks and the character to play Jessica, reported Mumbai Mirror.

It is believed that producers and the director did not want to reveal the model's identity till the time the film was released and considering Myra is a newcomer, no one predicted people would get to know about it, a source told the tabloid.

SRK - Salman face-off averted!

                                                         It could have been a face-off, or a happily ever after. On Monday, January 3, when Bollywood arch rivals Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan walked out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai within minutes of each other, the airport came to a standstill. Both stars were returning from Dubai, after having celebrated New Year’s Eve there, with their respective families.

According to eyewitness accounts, Shah Rukh walked out at 9.23pm, with wife Gauri and his son Aryan. A minute later, Salman walked out with his father Salim and stepmom Helen. Both actors were also spotted at the Dubai airport at around the same time.

The timing led to speculation that the stars may have finally buried the hatchet and started 2011 on a note of friendship. However, sources say the near-miss was completely coincidental. Both actors reported travelled to India on chartered flights, separately, and had no clue about the other’s presence at the airport.

However, adding to the mystery around the strange coincidence is a Mumbai tabloid’s report that at the airport, the actors’ cars were parked together. Despite the odds, there was no chance encounter between the Khans of Bollywood.

No wedding bells for Lisa (Movie Snippets)

                                                           Model-turned actress Lisa Ray has denied rumours that she is getting married to her Can adian friend W. Brett Wilson.

A newspaper had reported that the two had decided to take their friendship to another level and that marriage is on cards.

"Rumours of marriage??! Jeez! Why subject a great friendship to an imperfect institution," the 38-year-old actress posted on micro-blogging site Twitter Thursday.

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Ajay, Emraan bond again

The audience loved Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi's intense roles in "Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai". The two actors are back again on screen in comic roles in "Dil to Baccha Hai Ji" and it seems they have bonded really well.

"It's always good to work with an actor like Ajay. He is brilliant at what he does. He has done a number of romantic comedies and this is my first time. But Ajay makes things easy for the co-stars who work along with him," said Emraan.

"He doesn't throw his weight around and does not talk like one of the seniors of the industry. We had a lot of fun shooting for 'Dil Toh Baccha..'," he added.

"Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji" is Madhur Bhandarkar's first attempt at comedy and will release Jan 28.

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'Faltu' to release on All Fools' Day

This is no joke but Vashu Bhagnani's next release "Faltu" will hit big screens April 1.

This comedy is shot in the exotic locales of Mauritius and will be the directorial debut of choreographer Remo D'Souza.

"The film is due for release on April Fool's Day which goes with the theme of the film. The youthful zing about the film is only going to add to the movie's fortunes," said a source.

The movie stars Jackky Bhagnani, Puja Gupta, Arshad Warsi, Angad Bedi and Riteish Deshmukh.

Priyanka, Katrina patch-up? No way!

                                                                        If you thought Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif hugged at Salman's Being Human event to start a new friendship, think again! The actors didn't even say a formal hello to each other at a recent event.

Piggy Chops and Kat came face to face at an awards function, but behaved as strangers. They didn't even say hi to each other, forget about a warm hug.

An eyewitness told Mumbai Mirror, “Priyanka and Katrina were next to each other for quite some time backstage. Their eyes met, but they did not give each other even a faint smile. They behaved like total strangers. There was ample opportunity for both the ladies to at least acknowledge each other’s presence but even that did not happen. Everyone around them noted this.”

To refresh surfers' memory, Priyanka and Katrina are at loggerheads since the latter replaced former in Dostana sequel, and Priyanka in turn replaced Katrina in Anurag Basu's Silence (now titled Barfi).

Even at IPL awards, the actors kept their distance. So we wonder, why they had to give jadu ki jhappi to each other at Salman's event? Keep guessing.

Missed me doing action? Coming back soon, says Suniel Shetty

                                                    Suniel Shetty is taking a U-turn and returning to where he started in Bollywood - action. The macho actor, who is taking a sabbatical from producing movies after facing losses, is pumping his muscles to crush some bones on the big screen for a resurrection.

"There are plans to come back to action. I am working hard on my body and fitness for that. I will do something that is extra extraordinary. It will be a patriotic film," Anna, as he is fondly called, told IANS in an interview.

"The script is ready and I am playing a central character in the film. The action in it will be unbelievable. Hopefully, it will work," added the 49-year-old, who drifted to comedy with movies like "Hera Pheri" and "Hulchul" for a new innings.

Asked if the film will be a contemporary or period outing, the fit actor nodded for the former.

Prodded to reveal more, he said: "I wouldn't like to talk about it until it happens. But it's just that they (the characters) are in the raw, in the jungle and up in the mountains. So there will be a lot of commando oufit action up there."

Suniel, who will reach the milestone age next year, is also pumping metal hard for the film and to mould his muscles into an age defying body cover.

"I am training hard for it. I am much leaner now and far more ripped than I was, but I want to go down even further. I want to be very sporty than I have ever been. I want to be really lean and ripped," said the actor, who looked everything but his age in a more toned than ever avatar.

"I am also hitting 50 next year and when people believe they are getting older at that age, I want to believe I am younger," he added looking dapper in full sleeve black t-shirt and blue jeans.

So will the movie be a home production?

"No home productions for me right now because in the two years I did productions, I lost a lot of time as I was not acting. There's too much stress with productions," said the actor, who couldn't impress lady luck when he turned producer in 2003 with his banner "Popcorn Motion Pictures" and produced duds like "Khel" and "Rakht".

Suniel injected action in the common man's home as a desi Schwarzenegger in his 1992 debut "Balwan". While he jumped bridges in the movie to save women from goons and slithered in paint in a dark godown to break the antagonist's jaw, he became the contemporary He-Man in Bollywood.

A Black Belt in kick boxing, he kept the decade packed with more of muscle power in outings like "Waqt Hamara Hai", "Mohra", "Suraksha", "Shastra", "Rakshak", "Krishna", "Aakrosh" and "Dus", to name a few.

"I missed action and I am happy that films like 'Wanted', 'Ghajini' and 'Dabangg' brought back action in such a big way. It is larger than life," said the actor.

Apart from fame, the action image, however, proved fatal for Suniel when it came to comedy.

"It (comedy) was something that was natural in me but because of my structure and because of the action that I did, people didn't see that side of me. But I am not held on to my forte by doing only action as the thing that sells. I wanted a change of image and I am working towards it," said the father of two, who received critical plaudits for his role in the Maoist drama "Red Alert: The War Within".

Apart from action and comedy he also has to his credit patriotic outings like "Border", "Refugee" and "LOC: Kargil".

For his almost two-decade journey in Bollywood, he said: "There have been highs and lows but the day I get out of the industry, I just want people to say, 'he was a nice guy... he was a good actor and a good human being'. That's why I also make a conscious effort to make sure that I don't hurt anybody," he said, sporting a childlike smile.

A "family man", who likes to keep it low-profile, the actor also owns restaurants specialising in Udupi cuisine and clothing boutiques. "I am also trying to revise my water sports business in Mumbai."

As for films, his other future projects include a venture on capital punishment and "Thank You".

Never thought of changing surname: Kiran Rao

                                                    Unlike other star wives, Kiran Rao - the better half of superstar Aamir Khan - uses her maiden surname and says that the thought of changing her surname to Khan never occurred to her or to Aamir.

"I've grown with my name and have had it for so many years. I have always wondered how people change their names. I'm quite comfortable with Rao and even Aamir is, he never asked me to change my surname," Kiran told reporters here

"I don't mind calling myself Mrs. Khan but its definitely nicer to be called what I have been referred to for all these years," she added.

Kiran, who was at an event to launch a new promo of her forthcoming directorial debut "Dhobi Ghat", also revealed that she is a fan of Salman Khan and initially had wanted a special appearance by the actor in her film.

"In the film, Prateik's character is someone who wants to be an actor and is a huge fan of Salman Khan, so initially when I was writing the film, I had thought I'll ask Salman to make a guest appearance but then that part didn't fit in the film at all, so we dropped it.

"I myself like Salman a lot and this is my tribute to him. Since we have shown that Prateik's character has his (Salman's) posters in his room and wears a bracelet which is quite similar to the one Slaman wears in real life," she said.

"Dhobi Ghat", slated for a Dec 21 release, also stars Aamir and is the story of four individuals and how their lives are intertwined with each other.

Secret behind Vidya-Rani's kiss!

                                                  Vidya Balan always shies away from controversy. Even when reports of her being sidelined, during the promotions of No One Killed Jessica surfaced, she maintained strict silence. But when co-star Rani Mukerji ‘mock-kissed’ her at a media event, heads turned.

“Rani and I were fed up of answering questions about whether we had catfights. The truth is that we didn’t have any. Someone asked us if we had kissed and made up, so in the heat of the moment we did a mock kiss. I don’t need that kind of publicity, and neither does the film,” says Balan.

vidya balanThe actor will be seen playing model Jessica Lall’s younger sister Sabrina in the film. She and Mukerji, who dons the role of a reporter, team up to take the criminal to task and fight for Jessica’s justice. When asked why she wasn’t part of initial promotions for the film, Balan says, “Sabrina is like a wallflower… shy, awkward, timid and yet ready to take charge. Over the years, she transforms into a real-life hero. The role has more silence than dialogue.”

Balan was pleased about the fact that the Jessica case verdict came out while the film was still being shot. According to her, hearing that news was reassuring.

Even though the film borrows a lot from the actual case, it is not a docudrama: “It’s a dramatised version of the actual event.” She also met two people who called the No One Killed Jessica thappad (slap) help line to offer solutions to their problems. “We had an astounding response. Five thousand people called up on an average every day — to complain about eve teasing, harassment and other issues,” she says.

Refuting reports of her having earmarked three weeks to lose weight and practice for dance sequences in Ekta Kapoor’s The Dirty Picture, Balan says, “We have to figure out what preparations need to be put in. We haven’t even had a meeting yet.” She does add that there might be scope for an item number in the film. She will be seen playing the role of South siren Silk Smitha.

The actor was also recently approached to host a couple of television shows. She has previously starred on UTV Bindaas’ Love Lockup. However, she maintains, “No recent TV offers have excited me. I’m open to doing a short stint on television for up to three months.” While Vibhu Puri’s Chenab Gandhi with Amitabh Bachchan has been shelved, Balan has finished shooting for Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahani and Santosh Sivan’s Malayalam film Urumi, which will release around mid-2011. “Urumi is a gift to my parents, as they’ve always wanted me to do a Malayalam film,” she says, adding, “A love story and comedy film are around the corner; news of which I will announce soon.”

Hum Dono in colour!

                                                          After 50 years of its black and white release, Dev Anand is all set to bring his classic Hum Dono to screens in colour this February. “This time it will be in colour — Cinemascope and Dolby Digital,” says the veteran actor. The global release of the film is scheduled on January 28, while the Indian release is on February 4.

“Cinema is a medium that touches emotions irrespective of language or culture. I am sure that the film will create a similar magic not just in India but across the world,” says Anand.

Dev AnandBarry Sandrew, the Founder of Legend films, whose company specialises in colouring some of the best Hollywood black and white films such as cult classic Night of The Living Dead, and who took on the task of colouring this one, says, “I saw the film and was really impressed … the coloured version has been enhanced a lot in quality and am sure will be a treat for his fans. It is looking spectacular. In fact, a 3D version of Hum Dono Rangeen is also being contemplated.”

Why is Kat furious these days?

                                       Katrina Kaif is livid and it's all because of some rumour about her and her ex-beau Salman Khan doing the rounds in the industry. A peeved Kat is losing her cool because of reports, which claim that Kat spent her New Year cozying up with Salman in Dubai.

Katrina, who always spends year-end with family, could not be with them because of work in Mumbai. A rather irritated Kat told Mumbai Mirror, "I'm here in Mumbai rehearsing for my performance at an awards function next week. Why would I go to Dubai? If I could be away from my commitments in India I'd be with my family in London, as I always am at this time."

Buzz was that Kat went to Dubai to celebrate his birthday.

KatrinaLosing her temper, Kat said, "Why would I not visit his home? And why would I try to hide the visit? Have I ever said I am no longer friends with Salman and his family?

The actress has made it very clear that even if she or Salman were to start seeing other people, she would always be close to Salman and his family.

Last, we saw Kat and Salman together was on the sets of Bigg Boss and the meeting left Kat teary eyed. Wonder if, all this temper stems from there

Bollywood's de-glam and geeky look

 

                                                        Glamorous looks and designer outfits have been synonymous with Bollywood, but 2010 saw a lot of mainstream stars going de-glam. From Bipasha Basu and Aishwarya Rai to John Abraham and Akshay Kumar, few shied away from experimenting with their on-screen appearance.

"Actors are not shying away from experimenting and they are willing to shed those extra kilos of jewellery, designer outfits and make-up to get into character," trade analyst Taran Adarsh told IANS.

"Moreover, since the storylines are getting real, audiences also look for real characters they can connect with. They have started accepting actors in plain looks," he added.
Bipasha in Lamhaa
The otherwise bold and sensual Bipasha opted for a no make-up look in two of her films, Aakrosh and Lamhaa. While Lamhaa saw her playing a simple Kashmiri girl, in Aakrosh she played the role of a tortured wife.

Akshay Kumar played a struggling road contractor in Khatta Meetha. With his shirt buttoned up to the collar, oily hair, and a small pouch and umbrella in hand, Akshay immersed himself in the character of the common man.

John Abraham also turned geek for Abbas Tyrewala's Jhoota Hi Sahi. But the actor admitted he was unsure whether he would be able to carry it off.

"When Abbas spoke to me about the character, I was not worried about the way I would look because I think the look completely befitted the character...I was worried about whether I would be able to carry off the look," John said.

The glamorous Katrina Kaif broke the mould by going completely de-glam for her role as a politician in Prakash Jha's Rajneeti. Her simply tied hair and subdued saris proved to be as popular with the audiences as her fashionable looks.

Vidya Balan oozed sensuality in her bold village girl avatar in Vishal Bharadwaj's Ishqiya. Aishwarya Rai too sported a no-make up look for Mani Ratnam's Raavan. Minissha Lamba went plain for her role in Shyam Benegal's National Award-winning film "Well Done Abba".

Deepika Padukone's plain appearance in Ashutosh Gowariker's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey has already become a rage. Neha Dhupia also sported a no-make-up look in Phas Gaye Re Obama, where she played the role of a woman gangster.

"Glamour no longer remains the key thing. Young actors have also started realising that success comes from real and entertaining films," Habib Faisal, director of the lighthearted film "Do Dooni Chaar", told IANS.

Do Dooni Chaar saw the real life couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor coming together on screen after 30 years.

"Filmmakers are trying to be true to the demographics and the material of the story. So if it requires the actors to go de-glam, they are game for it. The directors want to tell the story honestly and not create false glamour," he added.

The evergreen yet glamorous couple dressed down for their role of a typical middle class husband and wife in the film. Faisal said the crew went shopping in Lajpat Nagar and also went to roadside vendors to pick their clothes.

Yesteryear diva Dimple Kapadia made a comeback with Kabir Sadanand's Tum Milo Toh Sahi, where she played a simple Parsi lady wearing frocks, skirts and shirts with glasses.

Dimple Kapadia has always been known for her flowing hair and glamorous looks. In my film, I wanted to highlight her as a human being and not someone glamorous. It was a risk in its own way considering her image, but we are happy that our efforts paid off," said Sadanand.

"When I told her that this is going to be her look, there were no apprehensions and she was really happy. We picked up a lot of her clothes from street shops," he added.

Arjun is Ra.one

                                               All those awaiting the release of the Shah Rukh Khan film Ra.One are in for a bit of a surprise as contrary to popular belief, in this multi-crore budget sci-fi, it is not the King Khan who plays the lead role of Ra.One but actor Arjun Rampal.

According to sources, Shah Rukh Khan plays a double role in the film, a scientist and the good robot, G.One

Hrithik Roshan: A year of action

                                                                        The past year may not have been great for him at the box office — with both Kites and Guzaarish bombing big time— but actor Hrithik Roshan has no complaints. The actor has no real wishes for 2011, only a determination to work harder and harder. “I really don’t believe in asking and wishing. I believe that you get what you deserve. I just hope I keep believing that so it will make me work harder and harder.”

About his lack of success last year, he is pragmatic. “Well, Kites was in the commercial space. So I accept that not doing well. But it is not really fair to judge a film like Guzaarish right now. For a film like this, the entire spectrum of markets around the globe is still open.”

Still deeply moved by his role as a paraplegic in Guzaarish, the actor says what he has got from the film is far more than anything in the past ten years from any of his other films. “I have to be in gratitude and not complain at all because otherwise, He is watching you. He will get angry and punish you.”

After Guzaarish, Hrithik was quoted as saying, ‘I want to get back to doing what the audience wants to see me as.’ Explaining what he meant, he says, “At heart, I am an explorer. You have to truly juice out life, especially as artistes. As artistes, we have to be adventurous. Sometimes, you meander and just go with your heart and take that journey. I was on that curve where I wanted to know what my abilities are, what is my heart asking me to do and why is it asking me to do these things. Now it’s coming around a full circle where there is a volcano inside all of us. You are waiting to explode and that is what I feel right now with my next films, starting with Agneepath and Krrish 2.”

How does it feel to fill in the boots of Amitabh Bachchan in the remake of Agneepath? “If the question was to fill those boots, I could use 10,000 adjectives like fool, stupid, preposterous, ridiculous, idiot to explain that action; but that is not what I am doing. It’s not about filling those shoes. It is a different, much younger script. It’s about a boy with rage. I don’t want to give the story away completely but it is not the way you saw it earlier. The way you will see it now is different from what it was.”

Having put on weight for his role in Guzaarish, Hrithik says he’s ready for the upcoming action. “My next action film, Agneepath, starts in February, and then Krrish 2. For a year, I will be jumping around, breaking my bones. I am so raring to go, I can jump now for you.”

Indian Ocean: Second coming!

                                                                  It’s a well-kept secret, but as soon as you pop the question, pat comes the reply. “We are not a ‘New Year band.’ This is the second time in our 20-year career that we have decided to play a gig on December 31,” the very candid Rahul Ram bemuses. For the bassist and vocalist of Indian Ocean, entertaining a ‘party only’ crowd to their previously considered ‘niche’ mellow sound, seemed quite unlikely.

But the band will play their second New Year’s Eve gig in the city at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. “We asked the organisers if they were absolutely sure they wanted us, and they seemed confident enough,” shrugs Ram, who is determined to pass on the catcalls and song requests from the audience to the other acts playing the evening.

Ram recalls their first New Year’s gig that the young Indian Ocean played nearly 20 years ago, on an outdoor terrace in Gurgaon, on a foggy night, pre-Bandeh (their biggest song) and Bollywood. “That time, because we were lesser known, it was a random gig. We politely fielded all song requests and stuck to our songs. I’m at least somewhat hopeful it won’t be the case this time around,” says Ram.

Ram, for that fact, is happy that the nation’s taste and knowledge for alternative music has changed. “Even Bollywood music has evolved, which is why we are exploring so much more. A lot of younger bands have grown to play Hindi rock and are following suit. Which is why I am perhaps more comfortable doing a gig like this,” he reasons.

So while Indian Ocean is planning to stick to their good old playlist for their last gig of the year, the band is hopeful of ringing in the New Year on a higher note. “It’s been a very interesting year for us,” says Ram.

Bring in the New Year with Indian Ocean live tonight at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. Call 67361020 for passes.

My chemistry with Shruti amazing: Emraan

                                                         Bollywood's serial kisser Emraan Hashmi seems to be bowled over by Shruti Haasan, whom he will be seen romancing in Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji, and is all praise for their on- screen chemistry in the comedy.

"Shruti is a fabulous actress and extremely beautiful. The on-screen chemistry between us in the film is amazing and that's something to look forward to," said Emraan.

The film that also stars Ajay Devgn and Omi Vaidya will release Jan 28 and has been directed by Madhur Bhandarkar.

The new stars of Bollywood

                                                              Out with the old and in with the new. As 2011 comes knocking, so does the promise of new talent. And newcomers Nargis Fakhri and Girish Taurani, say industry insiders, may just be the hot new stars of 2011. 31-year-old Fakhri, who has already made headlines as filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s new find, will be seen with Ranbir Kapoor in the film Rockstar. The son of Tips honcho Kumar Taurani, 23-year-old Girish, trained for four years and assisted his father on films before he signed his debut movie, being directed by Prabhu Deva.

A cross section of filmmakers, trade analysts and industry insiders came up with 11 names that promise to cause a stir in 2011. Filmmaker Karan Johar is launching two newcomers — Siddharth Malhotra and filmmaker David Dhawan’s son Varun. Actor Govinda’s daughter Narmmadaa, politician Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag, South stars Anushka Shetty and Ileana D’Cruz, Delhi boys Nalin Singh and Imran Zahid and Punjabi actor Kulraj Randhawa are among the others to watch out for.

NargisNargis Fakhri
Age: 31
Film: Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar
Who is she? A former swimsuit model
Half Czech, half Pakistani and brought up in New York — Nargis was a professional model long before she featured in the 2009 Kingfisher calendar. She was also a contestant on America’s Next Top Model in 2004. “Nargis looks very promising. Her chances are bright,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta. Photographer Atul Kasbaker says, “She is tall, she has Indian looks and is the kind of person you would want to get to know.”

Girish Taurani
Age: 23
Film: Prabhu Deva’s untitled film
Who is he? Tips owner Kumar Taurani’s son
Girish will be launched by his father, in a film directed by Prabhu Deva, who made the 2009 hit, Wanted. He has been training for three years, learnt fight sequences in London and Bangkok and assisted on films. “I see a lot of dedication in him. He has been training hard to be a complete actor,” says scriptwriter Shiraz Ahmad.

Sidharth Malhotra
Age: 24
Film: Film-maker Karan Johar’s untitled film
Who is he? A well known model
Malhotra assisted film-maker Karan Johar in My Name Is Khan is now coming in front of the camera in a KJO film. Sources close to Johar say “Karan is planning a launch pad for some promising young talent, including Siddharth.” Trade analyst Komal Nahta gives his vote to Malhotra as one of the newcomers to watch out for.

Chirag Paswan
Age: 28
Film: One and Only
Who is he? Chirag is a former model
Chirag Paswan isn’t following in the footsteps of his politician dad Ram Vilas Paswan. Rather, he is all set to pursue his Bollywood dreams. The 28-year-old actor is set to make his acting debut with Tanveer Khan’s upcoming romantic film One and Only in which he is playing the romantic lead opposite actor Kangana Ranaut.

Kulraj Randhawa
Age: 27
Film: Yamla Pagla Deewana
Who is she? A known face in the Punjab film industry, Randhawa has also acted in the Hindi TV series Kareena Kareena
Randhawa is making her debut with the much awaited film Yamla Pagla Deewana, which stars all three Deols — Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby. Actor Bobby Deol who plays the lead opposite the actor says, “She is the only female lead in the film, so naturally, we chose someone who is a very good actor. Kulraj is a fresh face, very hardworking and professional. She will go very far in the industry.”

Varun Dhawan
Age: 23
Film: Karan Johar’s untitled project
Who is he? He is film-maker David Dhawan’s son
The buzz around director David Dhawan’s younger son Varun is strong. Varun, who has been signed on for a Karan Johar production in 2011, also worked with Varun Dhawan and has served as an assistant to Karan Johar during the making of My Name Is Khan. Talking about his son’s debut, David Dhawan said, “Varun would surely be debuting in the year 2011. I hope for the best for him.” Trade analyst Komal Nahta, too, gives his vote to Varun as one of the most promising newcomer of 2011. He says, “I am really looking forward to see Varun’s debut in the industry. He is among the three people to watch out for — Siddharth Malhotra and Nargis Fakhri are the others.”

Ileana D'Cruz
Age: 24
Film: Barfee
Who is she? A known south Indian star, she has acted in hits such as Pokkiri and Jalsa
D’Cruz will star alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in Anurag Basu’s upcoming film Barfee. The actor is known for her distinct style statement. “She is very sexy and has everything that it takes to be commercially successful in Bollywood. She is a fantastic actor,” says south Indian filmmaker Vikram Kumar.

Narmmadaa Ahuja
Age: 22
Film: She has 3 untitled films in hand at the moment
Who is she? Ahuja is actor Govinda’s daughter
This 22-year-old has studied acting at the London Film Institute and already has three projects in hand. “I am very confident as I know what am I doing and really looking forward to it.” Talking about her, film analyst Taran Adarsh says, “I hope she has the talent of her father, but is more professional than him.”

Anushka Shetty
Age: 29
Film: Rohit Shetty’s untitled film
USP: Already recognised in Tamil and Telugu film industries
Anushka already has a star status in both the Telugu and Tamil industries. And she is now all set to make her mark in the Bollywood. Shetty who made her acting debut in Puri Jagannath’s 2005 Telugu film Super alongside Akkineni Nagarjuna has been reportedly roped in to play the role opposite Ajay Devgn in the Hindi remake of the mega hit Tamil film Singam. She played the leading lady in the original too. Rohit Shetty, of the Golmaal series fame, will be directing the remake. Taking about her, south film-maker Vikram Kumar says, “She is glamourous, strikingly beautiful and a very competitive actor. She will surely do well in Bollywood.”

Imran Zahid
Age: 30
Film: Mahesh Bhatt’s film Chandu
Who is he? Zaid owns a media school in Delhi and has been close to Mahesh Bhatt’s circle for many years.
Zahid plays slain JNU student leader Chandrashekhar Prasad in the film. Bhatt met Zahid at a media workshop in Dubai a few years ago. Even before this film was complete, Bhatt decided to cast Zahid in Murder 2. About his decision to cast Zahid, Bhatt says, “He has a passionate personality, the right angst for the role, he is rooted and has a raw flavour.”

Nalin Singh
Age: 36
Film: My Friend Hitler
USP: A film on Hitler and India’s relations with him
He is the co-producer of the film and playing Hitler’s right hand man Goebbles. Nalin has already become a known name in north campus. Students have done a signature campaign congratulating him and the actor has announced that he will first screen the film starring Raghbir Yadav and Neha Dhupia in Delhi University. Producer Anil Sharma says, “I want to be credited for discovering Nalin and introducing him to Bollywood. Later, you will find many people claiming to have discovered him. He is here to stay and stay for long. The shy, tall, dark, handsome is the next super star and the best part is that he is a Delhi-ite.” Director Rakesh Ranjan says, “He is like a clay for the director, mould him and the rockstar is ready to rock and roll.”

I was very naïve before, not any more: Rani Mukerji

                                                                               who comes from a film family and has been active in the industry for 13 years, says she was naïve and innocent but has become smarter with time.

"From the time I began to now the only change in me has been that I have become more confident. I was very naïve and innocent before. I have become smarter now because you have to be smart to be in this industry," Rani told IANS

"When I had started I used to get hurt about certain things, but today I have been able to develop a slightly thicker skin than I had. That has been the only change in me," added the 32-year-old.

The actress is all set for "No One Killed Jessica", where she will be playing a news reporter. Releasing Jan 7, the film, based on the murder of model Jessica Lall, is the first big release of the year.

New episodes of `Little Krishna' animation series in Malaysia

                                                                  Thirteen new episodes of "Little Krishna", the story about the Hindu deity depicted as an infant or a young boy playing a flute, have come to Malaysian viewers in animated form, in time for the Thaipusam festival of the Tamils.

The series was launched earlier this week by Ashish Sharad Kulkarni and Tejonidhi Bhandare, Big Animation's CEO and head of finance respectively.

Big Animation is the production house behind the animation and is an entertainment wing of the Reliance group, India.

Scripted by Emmy award winner Jeffrey Scott and directed by Vincent Edwards (of "Spider Man: TV Series"), "Little Krishna" won the Best Animation award at the Asian Television Awards (ATF) in Singapore and five Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Frames awards as well as three Golden Cursor awards.

Released this week were volumes 3 and 4, with total 13 episodes, with each episode running for 22 minutes.

Volume 1 and Volume 2 were released for Thaipusam last February, the New Straits Times said Saturday.

Malaysia is home to 2.1 million ethnic Indians, a bulk of them Tamils.

Priyanka Chopra welcomes New Year, but nervous about 2011

                                                                              Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra looks back at the past decade with pride, but hints that she is a little "nervous" about what the future holds for her. Nevertheless, she is raring to go.

"Today woke up with a strange sense of nervousness, fear maybe.. Worry also.. Wondering what direction life will take... new or familiar? I've always been God's favourite child. N everything happened for a reason. I look back at the last ten years n have a knowing smile that I'm right," Priyanka posted on her Twitter page Saturday.

The year 2010 proved to be an average for the National award-winning actress with films like "Pyaar Impossible" and "Anjaana Anjaani", and she is looking forward to a great New Year.

"It's the end of a decade. The most important one of my life. May this new decade bring only happiness and peace to all of you. Thank u for always standing by me," she added.

She has also wished her friends and fans love and success.

"Here's wishing you all the ability and power to love and spread love.. The world needs that more than anything. And so do we all. Happy 2011."

Priyanka's next release will be Vishal Bharadwaj's "7 Khoon Maaf", in which she has donned seven different looks.

Mayank Shekhar's Review: Ada

Direction: Tanveer Ahmed
Cast: Ayaan Ahmed, Nauheed Cyrusi
Rating: *

Words in relatively chaste Urdu, most would agree, makes commonplace dialogue, even gibberish, sound like poetry. So goes a voice like Gulzar’s throughout this film, gargling what’s
probably meant to be Rumi’s works.

Colour tones change with every scene. Background score changes genres. Dubbing is never in sync; editing, abrupt.

A brooding dodo sits on a bench, looks up to the sky, peers down a terrace…. Every few minutes, he walks out of his main door, lands straight into a gambling or drinking den. A gun in each hand, he furiously shoots randoms down, wipes his mouth with his wrist later!

This prominently lisping revolutionary is curiously modelled on the evolutionary primate: bonded hair loosely falls over the sides of his forehead, the face is unshaven from above the lip and under the chin; he walks with a hunchback and casually mumbles, “Main khooni, peshawar khooni (I’m a murderer, murderer by profession). Before taking another life, “I die many deaths!” He does this “not for lust, fame, money or power,” you see.

He does this for you, the eternally ungrateful — his gun is the “shield for the people.” He has a promise to his dead father to keep: “to cleanse this city (Mumbai, of course) with all sincerity, love and humility!”

Rahul Roy plays that dead daddy. He’s a poet, and he knows it. He comes back to a more coloured screen for his cameo to repeat, “Agar daku Valmiki ban sakta hai toh Valmiki daku nahin ban sakta? (If a dacoit can author Ramayan, can’t a writer become a dacoit?)” Heady stuff.

The deranged son agrees, groans, “Mein sabse bada daku banoonga. Iss sheher ke Duryodhan, Kans, Ravan, sabko maroonga. Maroonga! (I’ll become the city’s biggest dacoit, will kill all villains).” This ADA group consists of other underworld type hammies with names like ‘D’Coshta’, ‘Akraam bhai’ and the lot. Gulzar-like voice resurfaces to recite garbled poetry. Background score switches genres again.

A R Rahman has had to compose music for this dumbness. His work in Hindi movies have been terribly uininspiring lately. He’s looked westward for his finest scores instead.

You can tell why. They fetch him Oscars and Golden Globe shortlists (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Couples Retreat). His stuff here gets dumped into shoddiness like this (or Lakeer, or Yuvraj, or Jhootha Hi Sahi, why, even Delhi 6). The Madras maestro is clearly no more Bollywood’s number one composer. Which is fair. Sachin isn’t the best domestic cricketer either — he’s probably the best in the world. That’s where Rahman deserves to be — better for the world that way. “Mein sabse bada daku banoonga,” anyone?