Bollywood

Back in 2004, Neha Dhupia created quite a furore by playing a prostitute in Deepak Shivdasani’s “Julie”. Now the director is back with a sequel starring Sakshi Chaudhary.

“Julie 2” is likely to be a story of an actress, not a prostitute.

“Considering how controversial and steamy Neha Dhupia’s role was in ‘Julie’, Sakshi was apprehensive about the role. But then she heard her character in ‘Julie 2’ and flipped for it,” said a source.

Sakshi says she was apprehensive initially.

Popular southern villain Adithya Menon, known for films such as “Eegaa”, “Mirchi” and “Billa”, will soon be seen in a Hindi film titled “Main Hoon Rajinikantha”. Adithya will be essaying a character called Rajinikanth.

“I feel blessed to be playing a character called Rajinikanth on screen. This is our tribute to the superstar. I can’t divulge more details about the project but it will be high on entertainment. This is definitely not a spoof on him,” Adithya told IANS.

Faisai Saif of “5 Ghantey Mein 5 Crore” fame is directing “Main Hoon Rajinikanth”, which has already gone on floors.

Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone had reportedly brought a smile to the faces of the guests attending the Indian Premier League (IPL) gala dinner on Tuesday, including Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, by busting some moves and laying on their collective charm

The sit-down dinner was a glamorous prelude to the cricket beginning on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the seventh season of the IPL will begin on April 16.

Thin strips of leather replicate strokes of oil paint in the canvases of artist Anita Ahuja, who has used waste products like seat belts and bottle caps to highlight the usability of such objects.

The exhibition “At War With The Obvious”, at the India International Centre, comprises 30 artworks in myriad hues, braided together in acrylic and recyclable material which serve as a reminder for utilising waste products wisely and productively.

“This exhibition is a fight of an individual against the waste of the society,” Ahuja told IANS.

Tamil comedian Santhanam, who is playing the lead role in upcoming action-comedy “Vallavanukku Pullum Aayudham”, says he agreed to do the film for the sake of his fans.

“I’m doing the film for my fans. They’ve been asking me to play a hero for quite some time. But I’ve never been interested in playing the lead roles because I’m more comfortable doing comedy. Moreover, if you have to be a hero, you need to dance and fight,” Santhanam told IANS.

“Vallavanukku Pullum Aayudham” is the Tamil remake of Telugu blockbuster “Maryada Ramanna”. Santhanam felt he was apt for the remake.

From the time she sang “Ghar jayegi tar jayegi doliyaan chadh jayegi” for Gulzar in “Khushboo”, Asha Bhosle has shared a very special rapport with her Gulzar bhai who has been named for the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award. She feels it has gone to the “very deserving artist”.

“When I see how far he has come in his life, I feel happy. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award honours a very deserving artiste this year,” she said expressing great joy at Gulzar’s latest recognition.

Actress Malaika Arora Khan will be walking the ramp for ace designer Vikram Phadnis at the upcoming fashion event at IIFA Awards in Florida.

Leading fashion designer Vikram Phadnis, who is also a favourite among leading ladies of Bollywood, has been roped in to design an exclusive collection for Vishal Fashions, which is making its international foray and will showcase its garments at this year’s IIFA Awards in Tampa Bay.

The collection will be showcased at IIFA Rocks, (to be held on the April 24) an event that is a specifically designed platform for fashion and music.

Choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan said she was deeply moved after receiving a brand new black SUV from her superstar friend Shah Rukh Khan.

Farah, 49, and SRK have been keeping busy with the filming of her upcoming action-comedy ‘Happy New Year’, which reunites the actor with his ‘Om Shanti Om’and ‘Chennai Express’ co-star Deepika Padukone.

“Look what I got!!!! Thank you… Touched and beyond,” Farah tweeted along with a picture of the car.

In the picture Farah and SRK are all smiles while leaning against the brand new SUV.

Actor Emraan Hashmi would play a conman in masala thriller titled ‘Raja Natwarlal’.

The UTV Motion Pictures’ movie captures the essence of Emraan’s character in the film.

“Ever since I heard this title, I have been after UTV to get it. It etches out my character perfectly and is extremely catchy. Also, because it fits in so well with the space of the film, it will help us in promoting the film very well,” Emraan said.

Director Kunal Deshmukh feels that the title takes the film to another level.

Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has guaranteed that “Humari Adhuri Kahani” will be Mohit Suri’s career best directorial. He is confident that his nephew will manage to touch the audience’s heart with his skills.

“Mohit Suri, you are the only one who can musically explore the depths of this story and touch the world with your cinematic skills,” Bhatt posted on his Twitter page Tuesday.

The movie was recently in the news due to rumours that Shraddha Kapoor was going to replace Vidya Balan as the lead heroine.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has travelled the world, meeting cinema icons from all over. He feels happy at the growing reach of Indian movies and says younger stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan deserve the credit for realising their potential globally and pushing it in the world.

Of course, filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy and Mrinal Sen as well as actors like Raj Kapoor meandered their way into hearts across boundaries with their craft, but the visibility of Indian films – Hindi and regional – currently seems to be at an all-time high.

The career path of producers Ekta Kapoor and Kavita Barjatya has similarities, but the latter doesn’t find the comparisons just.

If Ekta started her career with TV by making hit shows like “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” and then shifting to filmmaking, Kavita too has ventured into the movie- making business with “Samrat & Co” after producing soaps like “Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki” and “Do Hanson Ka Jodaa” for the small screen.

Adult filmstar Sunny Leone will host the upcoming seventh season of popular reality show ‘Splitsvilla’.

Splitsvilla, aired on MTV India, is based on the American dating reality show ‘Flavor of Love’.

Sunny, 32, has decided to return to the small screen as the host of MTV Splitsvilla and will replace actress Sherlyn Chopra for the upcoming (seventh) season of the dating show, a source said.

The ‘Ragini MMS 2’ star had earlier participated in the fifth season of reality show ‘Bigg Boss’.

Noted film-maker Mahesh Bhatt Monday batted for the Congress saying it alone could ensure unity of the country and protect values of secularism.

In a telephonic interview to IANS, he stressed on secularism as a key ingredient to keep the country united and strong. “Only the Congress can ensure unity of the country and protect values of secularism….”

Few taste the degree of success that Amitabh Bachchan has in his over four decades as an actor. When the megastar was asked who from the current generation of actors can carry his baton forward, he said “I am in awe of all the fresh talent”.

He said: “I don’t think I would want someone to get into my shoes because they are all very competent and very talented people.”

Celebrity enthusiasts across the globe have gone head over heels to express their love for their favorite superstars by naming certain things after them, it has been revealed.

In Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan’s fans in Kolkata have established a special temple for him, where the superstar is worshiped as God with all the rites and rituals, whereas Madhuri Dixit has a star located in the Orion constellation named after her.

Sonam Kapoor, Lisa Haydon, Esha Gupta, Richa Chadda among others were recently spotted at Grazia Young Fashion Awards in Mumbai.

Shraddha Kapoor who expressed her enthusiasm at the possibility of winning an award said, “It shows appreciation for your work, so I’m very flattered for that. Yes, I am crossing my fingers to get it, so it will be nice.”

Aditi Rao Hydari who was also present at the Young Fashion Awards said, “Fashion and Bollywood, sort of go in hand in hand”.

Varun Dhawan, who went all out for the publicity of his latest release “Main Tera Hero”, says superstar Shah Rukh Khan is his role model when it comes to film marketing.

“My role model for marketing films is Shah Rukh Khan. He is unbelievable. Look at how he marketed ‘Chennai Express’, said Varun.

In “Main Tera Hero”, Bollywood’s other beloved Khan, Salman, has lent his voice. Isn’t he a role model for Varun?

Amitabh Bachchan has packed a punch with his new film “Bhoothnath Returns”, which not only opened to a positive response from both the critics and audiences, but the comedy has also proved to be commercially viable. It has earned over Rs.18 crore in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.

Also starring child actor Parth Bhalerao, who was called the film’s hero by Big B, “Bhoothnath Returns” carries a social message interspersed with dollops of entertainment.

Young actor Varun Dhawan, whose fan following seems to have increased following his latest release “Main Tera Hero”, wants to avoid calling himself a “star”. He says that establishing a connect with the audience will always be of importance for him.

“I wouldn’t call myself a star. Not now, not ever,” said Varun, who made his debut with “Student Of The Year”.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. “Main Tera Hero” (MTH) is a success and you now seem to have fans in all age groups?

Sidharth Malhotra, who shifted base from the capital to the country’s entertainment capital Mumbai, says while Mumbai has made him what he is today, he’s still a Delhi boy at heart.

“I was lucky to come in (to Mumbai) at a time when they (people) were looking for new talent. I have done my share of auditions. I have evolved and changed over the period and Mumbai has a lot to do with that,” the 29-year-old said here at the unveiling of the cover of Men’s Health magazine featuring him.

Actress Manisha Koirala, who has successfully fought cancer, has expressed her desire to adopt a baby girl but only when she overcomes the fear recurrence of the disease.

The 44-year-old actress, who is best known for her roles in acclaimed films like ‘Bombay’, ‘1942- A Love Story’ and ‘Dil Se’, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012.

“May be someday I will be free of fear of relapse and adopt a baby girl… till then having a family of my own is a distant dream!! Hope and more,” Koirala posted on Twitter.

Actress Katrina Kaif, who flaunts four Indian bridal looks for an ad, says she liked the Lucknowi avatar the most for its elegance and minimal yet glamorous look.

In the new mango drink Slice Swayaamvar commercials, Katrina is seen in four bridal avatars, which were designed by well-known designer Anaita Shroff Adajania.

The commercials highlight Slice’s three new variants chosen from across the country.

Pakistan’s legendary folk singer Attaullah Khan Niazi Esakhelvi, who is here for his first public performance in India, hopes that he leaves behind good memories and carries some with him back home.

“I will perform for Indian public for the first time. Earlier, I had performed (privately) for a few friends. But this is my first performance for the public and it feels good. I will try to leave behind good memories and take back home a few good memories,” Niazi told IANS in an interview.

Veteran actor Prem Chopra has launched his biography titled “Prem Naam Hai Mera” penned by his daughter Rakita Nanda.

“I always thought how is this possible what you want to write. This is my normal life, what you want to write? She was interested to write and she did. She went to my friends with whoever I have worked…,” Prem told reporters here at the unveiling of his biography Saturday evening.

Nanda shared how she decided to write a biography on her father, popular for playing negative roles in films like “Teesri Manzil”, “Woh Kaun Thi”, “Do Raaste” and “Kati Patang”.