Bollywood

Calling him the “biggest boss” and “sab ki jaan” (everyone’s favourite), Bollywood celebrities wished Salman Khan on his 48th birthday Friday.

Celebrities like Nargis Fakhri, Prateik Babbar, Dia Mirza and Neha Dhupia took to Twitter to wish the superstar:

Nargis Fakhri: Happy birthday Salman Khan. May all your birthday wishes come true! But remember – be careful what you wish for. God bless.

Prateik Babbar: Happy birthday Salman Khan…love…forever.

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and Manju Warrier were spotted at the openings of Kalyan Jewellers stores at UAE.

The 40-year-old actress thanked her fans for being at the third store of Kalyan Jewellers marathon opening in the UAE, Gulf News reported.

The 35-year-old south Indian actress managed to be at all store openings and addressed the crowds in Malayalam from a small platform outside the store.

Amitabh Bachchan also opened the store on Meena Bazaar lane and thanked Dubai for their overwhelming love and affection.

If 2013 was about box office records, it will also be remembered for superlative performances by a host of actors like Irrfan, Rajkummar Rao and Sushant Singh in highly acclaimed films such as “The Lunchbox”, “Shahid” and “Kai Po Che” respectively.

These films might not have been gold diggers at the box office, but they struck the right chord with the audiences for the power-packed performances by the talented, who were noticed amidst the glitter of big stars.

IANS lists best actors on the basis of their acting skills and not box office records:

Superstar Salman Khan will host Renault Star Guild Awards which will take place next month.

The Film and Television Producers Guild of India announced that Salman will host the ninth edition of the Renault Star Guild Awards. The `Dabangg` Khan had also hosted the eighth edition of the event last year.

Instituted to commemorate extraordinary achievements in cinema and television, the film and TV fraternity converges every year to celebrate and honour best contributions of both the world.

The event will take place on January 16 at the NSCI stadium in Mumbai.

Naseeruddin Shah has said that his chemistry with Arshad Warsi in the upcoming film ‘ Dedh Ishqiya ‘ is better and warmer than what they shared in the 2010 hit ‘Ishqiya’.

In an interview, the 63-year old said ,”because in these three years we have become more experienced. We still know each other the same amount as we did three years back and we are not very close friends. But I know that we both love and appreciate each other.”

Shah said that he believes that Warsi is a very secure actor, like him.

Actor Ali Zafar has reacted to reports that Shahid Afridi has not taken a dialogue from the forthcoming film `Total Siyapaa` well. He says the Pakistani cricketer has not demanded any explanation.

The film`s teaser shows Ali`s character, a Pakistani boy trying to woo a Hindu girl with a dialogue that implies that Pakistanis are fed up with Afridi.

As an aftermath, it was reported that the allrounder had demanded an explanation for this.

But Ali took to Twitter Friday to clear the air about how the dialogue is harmless.

Actress Payal Rohatgi, whose wrestler-boyfriend Sangram Singh is one of the finalists of “Bigg Boss – Saath 7”, says she wants him to get the maximum votes and win the reality show. Also, she has a New Year resolution to avoid any fights with him.

“I want everyone to vote for him and I would obviously root for my boyfriend. Please vote for him,” Payal said here on the sidelines of a rehearsal for a New Year’s Eve performance.

The show’s finale will go on air on Colors Saturday. Sagram Singh is competing with Gauhar Khan, Tanisha Mukherjee and Ajaz Khan for the winner’s trophy.

Sonakshi Sinha has said that she won’t be at ease being seen in a bikini, so she wouldn’t wear one.

She said that she has to face her parents, and despite being edgy and experimental sometimes, she won’t cross the line of comfort, L’Officiel India magazine reported.

She also opened up about the intimate scene with her co-star Ranveer Singh, saying that director Vikramaditya Motwane had come to her with the script, which had a full-fledged kissing scene, which she told him that she wouldn’t be able to carry that on-screen.

Bollywood is a man’s world, they say. But female screen scorchers like Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha surprised the audiences and critics with their performances this year, while others like Nimrat Kaur and Huma Qureshi impressed with their finesse in non-commercial outings.

IANS takes a look (in alphabetical order of name) at the women who impressed with their choice of roles in tinsel town in 2013:

Bollywood is a man’s world, they say. But female screen scorchers like Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha surprised the audiences and critics with their performances this year, while others like Nimrat Kaur and Huma Qureshi impressed with their finesse in non-commercial outings.

IANS takes a look (in alphabetical order of name) at the women who impressed with their choice of roles in tinsel town in 2013:

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan believes emotions like disappointment, defeat and despair are positive “tools” which help people find the right path in life.

The actor took to Twitter to share his philosophy and belief in life.

“Disappointment, defeat and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way. Within this you will find your path….start today with this belief,” Shah Rukh posted on the microblogging site Thursday.

On the work front, the actor is busy shooting for Farah Khan`s “Happy New Year”.
IANS

Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who has married businessman Asad Bashir Khan Khattak, will host a reception here Thursday evening for close friends and family members.

“Like her wedding, even her reception will be a private affair for her close friends and relatives. It will take place today evening in Dubai,” a source close to the actress said Thursday.

Veena, who became a known name in India post her stint on the fourth season of reality show “Bigg Boss”, entered wedlock Wednesday. She even took to Twitter to share a photograph showing her and her husband`s wedding band.

Director Samir Tewari has roped in Arshad Warsi for his debut film `Mr Joe B. Carvalho`. He says that the actor is very versatile, but his potential hasn`t been fully utilised yet.

Samir Tewari said: `Arshad is a great actor. Can you imagine `Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.` without him? He is an incredible actor, but he is the most underrated and unutilised actor.”

Post the success of `Munna Bhai` series, Arshad is mostly seen in funny roles despite the fact that he won lots of critical acclaim for his work in `Sehar`.

Actress Alia Bhatt was an early learner! She says she started dating in Class sixth, but explains that those relationships were harmless and innocent.

“I started dating in the sixth standard. That wasn`t really dating. We`d used to just smile at each other from across the classroom,” Alia said on popular talk show `Koffee With Karan`.

The actress, who will flaunt a gold coloured gown by designer Shehla Khan, will be joined by her `Student Of The Year` co-stars Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan Sunday, on the chat show that will be aired on Star World.

Bollywood star Aamir Khan-starrer action thriller “Dhoom:3”, which is expected to mint Rs.300 crore (about $48 million), is going so strong at the box office in Nepal that the local filmmakers have had to delay the release of their own films for the next three weeks fearing tough competition.

“We do not have Nepali movies to release now and for another two weeks, though five to six Nepali movies were ready to come out,” Rajkumar Rai, chairman of Nepal Film Producers Association said.

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is confident that his chemistry with Arshad Warsi in “Dedh Ishqiya” is better and warmer since they starred together in the 2010 hit “Ishqiya”.

In an interview here, the 63-year-old was asked if his chemistry with Arshad has improved over time.

“Definitely, because in these three years we have become more experienced. We still know each other the same amount as we did three years back and we are not very close friends. But I know that we both love and appreciate each other,” Naseeruddin said.

He believes Arshad is a very secure actor like him.

Former video jockey Andy, who was evicted mid-week from reality show “Bigg Boss – Saath 7” just days before its impending finale, found few but good friends during his stint and one of them is wrestler Sangram Singh, whom he describes as his “teddy bear”.

“I’d like to think of everyone in there as friends. Yes, there were cowardly double-standards and mistakes were made. But at the end of the day, we are all human. And I’d like to only focus on the good things that happened in there,” Andy said.

Bollywood icon Aamir Khan’s latest release Dhoom 3 has broken box office records in Pakistan in the first week of its release, with multiplexes running five shows a day to capitalise on interest in the film.

In the country’s largest city of Karachi, Dhoom 3’s box office receipts from 56 screens on its opening day was around Rs 20 million. This easily broke the record set by the Pakistani film Waar last month for the highest box office collections on the first day of release.

VJ Andy, one of the strongest contenders of “Bigg Boss – Saath 7”, got evicted Wednesday as part of the mid-week elimination and says the show’s format is such that the inmates find it difficult to trust anyone.

Andy says the Bollywood superstar and the show’s host Salman Khan guided him and encouraged him like a big brother.

An unreleased 1990 Bollywood film, ‘Aag Ka Dariya’, starring one of India’s most loved actors, Dilip Kumar, is set for its first theatrical release some time around New Year.

The director of the film, VS Rajender Babu, told the BBC that the film did not get released initially because of a financial dispute and the original print of the film was badly damaged in the intervening years.

But Babu recently found a “perfect print” of the film with a distributor in Singapore.

Babu asserted that he was surprised when he saw the negative of the print, as it was kept so carefully.

For debutante actor Himansh Kohli, it was like a dream come true to share a platform with superstar Salman Khan who praised for his work in his upcoming film ‘Yaariyan’.

Himansh along with co-star Rakul Preet Singh and director Divya Khosla Kumar recently visited the reality show ‘Bigg Boss’ to promote ‘Yaariyan’.

“It was a dream moment to go to ‘Bigg Boss’. It is the dream of a newcomer to see a star like Salman praising your work. I am following him since childhood and it is a dream come true for me,” Himansh said.

Actress Soha Ali Khan feels that comedy is a tough genre and it makes people look weird on screen.

The 35-year-old actress, who is all set to showcase her comic skill in upcoming film ‘Mr Joe B Carvalho’, says taking up the project was a conscious decision as she wanted to breakfree from her serious image.

“Comedy requires certain expressions which don’t make you look beautiful or elegant onscreen but I don’t mind making fun of myself. What I love about this movie is that for the first time I was given an opportunity to break the image of doing certain roles,” Soha told PTI.

For some people, a perfect holiday could mean an adventure trip or a trip to an exotic destination. For actress Neha Dhupia, it’s neither. It is totally different.

“My idea of a perfect holiday…One that’s spent at home with family and doing absolutely nothing,” Neha posted on her Twitter page Wednesday.

The former beauty queen-turned-actress was recently in the capital city to launch a fashion store.

Actress Shruti Haasan says the year 2013 has been life changing for her in numerous ways.

On work front, she returned to Hindi cinema with spy thriller `D-Day`and love story `Ramaiya Vastavaiya`. Before that she was seen in 2011 film `Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji`.

“I`m so looking forward to 2014. Positivity, light, joy, love and focus. 2013 has been life changing for me in so many ways! Thankful,” Shruti tweeted Tuesday night.

–IANs

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan recently shot for ace photographer Dabboo Ratnani’s yearly calendar.

The 71-year-old posted his photograph on Twitter and wrote: “The calendar shoot for Dabboo Ratnani. Tux and shades and a rickshaw.”

Actress Sonakshi Sinha also shot for the calendar a few days before Big B.

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Working X-mas for Shah Rukh

Superstar Shah Rukh is away from family singing Christmas carols underwater on the festive occasion.