Big B open to working with Rekha again

Mumbai: An all time popular on screen couple, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha might have parted ways over decades but Big B doesn`t rule out the possibility of reuniting with her again on the silver screen.

"If there is a good story and like it then I don`t mind working with her," the megastar said at a function here Saturday.

The two have earlier worked together in films like `Silsila`, `Mr Narwarlal`, `Muqaddar Ka Sikandar` among others.

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Rumours about Salman Khan don't bother me: Katrina Kaif

Actress Katrina Kaif, who is teaming up with Salman Khan again in Ek Tha Tiger, says she is not bothered about the gossip that goes around regarding her and the actor.
Katrina reportedly dated Salman when she started off her career in Bollywood but later separated. And their new movie has got the rumour mills spinning again. She was last seen with the Dabangg star in 2008 movie Yuvraaj.
"When we start working for a movie we go in as professionals. I am here to do my job and if people want to highlight baseless stories then it's up to them. I don't think that these stories will have any affect on my work and the film.
"I am never bothered about such stories. Why should I? I think it's what every actor goes through. When you start working in the industry, people taking about you becomes a part of your life. Why analyse it so much?" Katrina told PTI.
The 27-year-old actress, who first starred alongside Salman in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, said she is excited to work with him again.
"I am excited about the film, it's shaping up good. Salman is working with Yash Raj for the first time and it's my second film with them. It's always fun working with Salman, he makes everything very comfortable on the sets," she said.
Katrina is also working in another Yash Raj film opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The untitled film will mark the comeback of veteran director Yash Chopra after a gap of eight years.
"I am enjoying working with Shah Rukh and Yashji. Yashji is a living legend in Indian cinema and working with him has been a learning experience for me. I am very fortunate to have got an oppurtunity to work with him. Working with him is magical.
"And Shah Rukh is a wonderful co-star. I have learnt so much from him," she said.
With hits like Singh Is Kinng, Raajneeti, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Namastey London to her credit, Katrina has always been experimental with her choice of roles.
The actress says she likes exploring herself and does not think there is any definite formula to success.
"I like experimenting with my roles... If you stick to one thing you can easily get bored. Everything in life is a risk, there is no definite way to success.
"Today if I do a role which I have done before there is no guarantee that the audience will like it. The higher the risk the greater will be the outcome. You won't be able to work if you fear taking risk. I just try to give my best," Katrina said.
The actress, who has made heads turn with her seductive act in a recent Slice ad, said, "It is a very different campaign. The new ad is very rustic and ethnic. I think it is the best one. I love the rapport which I share with the brand."

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Pay me a rupee more than SRK, says Salman: Report

While a lot has been said and written about the rivalry between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, the story looks like it's getting more interesting by the day. The recent buzz is that Salman wants to be paid a rupee more for his film with a big production house than what they are paying SRK for his upcoming movie with Katrina Kaif.

Surprisingly, this information has come out at a time when SRK has already started shooting for the Yash Chopra film, while Salman has almost finished filming the Kabir Khan directed venture.

Race to the top
"Before Salman committed to the movie, he asked Aditya Chopra to pay him a rupee more than what SRK was being paid for Yashji's film," says our source, adding that Aditya couldn't promise this then as he's also asking for a percentage of the profit as part of his remuneration. "Aditya explained to him that his percentage of profit share depended on how much the film makes on release.

And no one can say for sure whose film will collect how much at the box office." Salman felt relieved when Aditya reassured him that they'd give him as fair a deal as he gets with any other filmmaker. "So Salman need not worry about being shortchanged as compared to SRK," pointed out our source.

Changing terms
Apparently, the three Khans are said to be getting a fixed fee of not less than Rs 15 crore each. "The Chopras weren't known to pay anyone's market price earlier. But with the change in the industry, they've agreed to the fees of the Khans being divided into a fixed amount and a share in the profits," said our informer.

About this, our first source reasons, "With back-to-back Rs 100 crore plus earners like Dabangg, Ready and Bodyguard, Salman knows he's the biggest draw in India. So in keeping with his drawing power at the domestic box-office, if he's asking for a rupee more, he's not being unreasonable. Is he?"

Buzz is that the three Khans are being paid the same fixed fee upfront. However, who earns the most will be seen when the final India net figures are tabled.

Insecure of Aamir too?
Interestingly, there's another angle to this one-upmanship of the fees between the three Khans with reference to their movies with Chopra's production house. Another industry veteran tells us that when Salman was asked to sign the contract for the Kabir Khan film, he asked to see the kind of deal they had worked with Aamir, for their action thriller.

"It seems Salman was keen to see the kind of terms his friend was getting for the action thriller franchisee film that also features Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra," said our source. Not to be left behind, before committing to Yash Chopra's directorial venture with Katrina and Anushka Sharma, SRK wanted to be apprised of the terms and conditions Aamir and Salman had finalised with the banner.

"Considering that SRK has been long associated with the Chopras, he can't afford to let Aamir and Salman get a better deal than him. So he too was signed on for the same terms as Aamir," explains our source.

Rs 1 rules
Not surprisingly, ego issues between stars over money matters are not new. Industry sources tell us that the demand for a rupee more were first made many years ago. Apparently, Manmohan Desai was once confronted with this dilemma when he cast Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna in Amar Akbar Anthony. "Their rivalry was at the peak then and each wanted to be paid more than the other. Eventually, Amitabh Bachchan walked off with a fatter pay cheque," says an old source.

Kishore Kumar made no secret of his eccentricities. Known to be a miser, he charged a whopping amount of Rs 15,000 per song back then. However, he took Rs 1 less than what Lata Mangeshkar charged, as a mark of respect towards her.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?keyword=bollywood&ID=ENTEN20120196568&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=185344&cp

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Byari’s show at National Awards delights Bearys

The first movie in the Beary (also known as Byari) dialect of costal Karnataka, titled Byari, has been named the best film at the 59th National Award announced on Wednesday. The award has been shared with Marathi film Deool.
Beary is a Muslim community involved in business activities from as early as 12th century with its own culture, language and literature. Bearys, who speak Beary, are found in the coastal and Malnad districts and form one of the largest demographic groups in Mangalore.
Beary does not have a script of its own, but is spoken by a significant number of people, mostly Muslims living in the coastal belt of Mangalore and Ullal segments and in Kasargod.
Beary is a mix of Malayalam, Tulu and Urdu. Byari is the first film made in Beary , and deals with the exploitation of women and young girls.
The film has been directed by Suveeran and produced by Altaf Hussain, a Mangalore-based hotelier. The film was released in Mangalore’s Prabhat theatre a few days ago.
Suveeran is happy that his maiden directorial venture has received the National Award.
“We shot the entire film with a 16-mm camera and took local artists, who had some background in theatre. To get a realistic look for the film, I tried to project the film as naturally as possible. Weshot at places where there is heavy concentration of Bearys,” said Suveeran.
Bearys launched their own Sahitya Academy, which was later recognised by Karnataka as Beary Sahitya Academy. “This award is the national recognition we got in return to our long struggle to establish ourselves as people of letters, music, culture and theatre and now film, too. This is the first film made in Beary; it depicts the socio-religious convictions of a society that has been dogged by religious dogmas,” said MB Abdul Rahman, founder president of Central Beary Parishat.
TK Rahim, a writer who belongs to the Beary-speaking community, said: “I did not have any expectations from the film. Before I took my family to the film I had told them not to expect great things, but after watching the film for 10 minutes, I apologised to my family and told them that the film had a very valid theme and had a statement to make.”
TK Ummar, a Bangalore-based businessman, is disappointed as he missed the opportunity to see the film when it was released. “I lost the opportunity to see the film that has won an award. I will see the film the moment I come to Bangalore,” he said from Belgaum.
Beary Sahitya Academy president Rahim Uchchil expressed pain that of the 25-lakh Beary speaking people, only 3,000 have seen the film. “In some places, clerics had asked people not to see the film because it depicted several socio-religious dogmas in the community. I played a negative role in the film. In my role, I had to give ‘talaq’ to a woman standing on the road; after enacting the scene I cried within myself and told the producer Althaf and director Suveeran that ‘talaq’ is an uncivilised practice.”
Althaf said he was happy because the award panel, comprising those who did not know the language, found the film was motivating and had a socially relevant message.

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People tend to forget we are basically actors: Saif Ali Khan

Actor Saif Ali Khan says people tend to forget that he and his girlfriend Kareena Kapoor are basically actors and it is the "most shallow" reason to see a film just because two people are involved off-screen as well.

"People forget that we are actors as well. Whenever we are together people tend to see us more as a couple. They stop thinking that we are basically actors.

"The USP of a film will be different for different people. But I think this is the most shallow reason to watch a film just because two people who are involved off-screen as well as acting in the film. This should not matter," Saif said at a promotional event.

Asked whether the increasing focus on his personal life was affecting his career, he said, "I don't think so. All these things don't last long. These are sensational and silly things."

Last week, the 41-year-old made headlines after being arrested and released on bail for allegedly beating up an NRI businessman at a five-star restaurant in Mumbai.

Asked why Kareena, his co-star in the upcoming film Agent Vinod, has stayed away from its promotions so far, he said, "It is not a strategy at all. I think it's important for us to talk as individual actors as well... It is not required for the two of us to be present together everywhere," he said.

Action-thriller Agent Vinod is made at a budget of around Rs 50 crore and will see Saif play a spy agent. The film will be release on March 23.

"For the first time in my 20-year-old career my film is not for a sophisticated audience, but for a majority of the people," he said referring to his earlier works like Hum Tum and Salaam Namaste.

Describing his new film's story as an original idea, Saif, who is also producing the project, said the film has elements of a James Bond film and the adventures TinTin.

"A film of this genre has not been made in India for a long time. We have tried to sum up all the films of this genre made in the 1970's," Saif said.

He also added that to give the audiences a 'desi' feeling, a 'mujra' was chosen in place of an item song.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20120195819&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood&nid=182141&cp

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Celebs have edge over social workers: Salman Khan

Salman Khan, who runs charity organisation Being Human for underprivileged people, feels that due to media coverage movie stars tend to have an edge over others who sincerely work toward the betterment of society. And he is not too happy about it.

"We (celebrities) have an edge because we are there on every TV and every screen, good films, bad films, stuff like what we do in restaurants...So, we are there all over and we have an advantage over people who are really great people, and have not been given the coverage because of TRP ratings," the 46-year-old said here.

"It sucks because if you are doing that kind of (social) work, and nobody knows about you, it's weird," he added.

Salman keeps doing his bit as a socially concerned citizen. He sells his paintings, and the proceeds are used for the welfare of the underprivileged.

Last seen in " Bodyguard," Salman will soon be seen sharing screen space with ex-flame Katrina Kaif in " Ek Tha Tiger."

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Saif Ali Khan's counter complaint does not stand: Police sources

Actor Saif Ali Khan's counter complaint against Iqbal Sharma, the man who claims that the actor assaulted him and fractured his nose at a restaurant in Mumbai late on Tuesday night, does not stand, police sources have told NDTV.

In his complaint last night, Saif alleged that Mr Sharma's father-in-law punched him first and that the duo abused the women who were accompanying him at the restaurant. The actor alleged that his eye was swollen after he was punched. After studying the application, police sources say the actor's injuries cannot be ascertained as he has not backed it up with a medical certificate. The police, sources add, have examined 15 people so far, which includes Mr Sharma's father-in-law and the waiters at the restaurant.

Yesterday, at around 7:50 pm, Saif was arrested by the police at his lawyer's office based on the complaint filed by Iqbal Sharma. The actor arrived at the Colaba police station at 8 pm. Girlfriend and co-star Kareena Kapoor accompanied him. Around 90 minutes later, he left after having paid Rs. 15,000 and being granted bail.
Mr Sharma, a businessman from South Africa, says he was seated at the table next to Saif and his group at Wasabi, the uber-fancy restaurant at the Taj hotel in Colaba. The actor had other Bollywood friends with him - Kareena Kapoor, Kareena's sister Karisma Kapoor, actor Amrita Arora and her husband, Shakeel Ladak, and Bilal Amrohi, a producer. 

In his version of events, Mr Sharma says he sent a note to Saif's table, asking his group to talk a little softer. "They were making a lot of noise. And we asked the management to ask them to be quiet so that we could also enjoy our evening. This failed on about three occasions at least." Mr Sharma says his family and he decided to leave the restaurant; on their way out, they ran into Saif who had left Wasabi and was on his way back in. At this point, Mr Sharma says, Saif struck.

But the actor says that's not the case. He claims he was hit first and so he acted in self defence. He adds that Mr Sharma was rude to the women at his table and that when he intervened, Mr Sharma threw the first punch. "I acted in self-defence. I was hit...I've got hit on the eye," he said in a press conference on Wednesday evening.  Earlier, in a press statement released just after he got bail, Saif said, "I don't think any gentleman would have behaved differently. The CCTV footage in the restaurant will prove everything."

Saif's home production, Agent Vinod, releases on March 23. It co-stars Kareena.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20120195049&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=178904&cp

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I am a trend setter, says Vidya Balan

Mumbai: February 23, 2012 – Vidya Balan, whose film count includes mostly female-oriented themes, says the film industry changed over the years and co-incidentally she has become the face of this change.

“I believe that change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. I am lucky that today when we are feeling the change, it’s a co-incidence that I have become a face of this change,” she said in an interview.
Vidya gave strong

performances in ‘Ishqiya’, ‘Paa’, ‘No One Killed Jessica’ and ‘The Dirty Picture’. The 33-year-old, who will be seen next in Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Kahaani’, feels lucky to be present at a ti
“I am lucky to be a part of Indian cinema at a time when such stories and roles are being written and I am getting a chance to be a part of such good films. I try to do my work honestly. It feels great to get so much love from the people,” said Vidya who had stormed the industry with her very first film ‘Parineeta’ in 2005.me when such stories are being written.
Releasing March 9, ‘Kahaani’ is a thriller and shows a pregnant woman’s struggle to find her missing husband in Kolkata.

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Halkat Jawani, item song from Heroine, sparks interest

A second round of filming is underway for Heroine, Madhur Bhandarkar's film with Kareena Kapoor, from today.

Meanwhile, fresh interest has sparked in the film with first reports of Kareena Kapoor's item song in the film. Apparently, she performs two, one of which is Halkat Jawani, composed by Salim-Sulaiman.

Halkat is not actually a Hindi or Marathi word, but Mumbaiya slang which loosely translated is 'Nasty' or 'Mischievous' in English. You get the gist.

Perhaps Kareena will be seen doing the lavani, the Marathi folk dance that is Bollywood's best-loved dance form this season. Katrina Kaif just did it in Agneepath and Vidya Balan's doing it in Ferrari Ki Sawaari.Can the fiercely competitive Kareena not stake her dibs too?

Filming for Heroine first began with Kareena in November last year. Earlier Bhandarkar famously signed Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the film and made a grand announcement at the Cannes film festival in May, as Aishwarya posed for photo-ops.

The film was temporarily shelved when Aishwarya's pregnancy was outed by father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in the now famous all caps tweet. Bhandarkar said he was never told by Aishwarya and the Big B's breaking news tweet was when he came to know.

The film was temporarily shelved as the producers felt certain scenes were too intense and physical for a pregnant lead actor, though Aishwarya had apparently filmed a few scenes.

Months later, Kareena Kapoor stepped in. Arjun Rampal and Randeep Hooda are the male leads in the film. Apart from the item numbers, Kareena wears 130 costumes in the film, designed by Manish Malhotra.

On the sets today, Arjun Rampal posted this tweet: "Back on the sets of #heroine with @mbhandarkar268 lovely to see him all positive, energised, need some of that energy, to overcome my jetlag." The actor has been in New York City.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20120194932&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=178325&cp

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Whitney Houston secretly purchased cocaine few days before death

London: Whitney Houston had allegedly bought three-and-a-half grams of cocaine two days before she died, by pretending her drug supplier was an autograph hunter. The drug dealer, David Joseph, concealed the 190 pound stash in a pen and acted like an excited fan looking for a signature, as Houston partied at Tru Hollywood nightclub in Los Angeles days before she was found dead in her bathtub on February 11.

According to Joseph, Houston returned his piece of paper complete with signature, with the cash he was due hidden underneath. She kept the pen so she could feed an addiction that saw her spend up to 1,500 pounds a week on the drug.

“We just kind of played it off, you know like ‘Oh I’m a big fan’. She’d then say, ‘Thanks for listening. Thanks for being a fan’,” a leading daily has quoted Joseph as saying in an interview.

“We didn’t have an in-depth conversation or anything. She knew what I was there for. She was a little f**king wasted. But it’s one o’clock, f**king club, they’ve got f**king free bottles and shit, they were drinking all night,” he said.

The drug ruse worked, said Joseph, because they had done it before.

“Both times it was an eight ball [an eighth of an ounce of cocaine] and both times it was 300 dollars,” he said.

“There were a lot of people around and stuff like that so I did my autograph move. I just asked her for her autograph and I got a pen ready, it’s full of coke. I hand it to her, (she) signs it, she keeps the pen, she gives me the autograph and the money’s in there underneath it. It works out pretty good,” he added.

He revealed that over the “last couple of weeks...four or five grand” of cocaine had been ordered by Houston.

“Total? Maybe half a million, or something,” he said.

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Fresh medical issues have come up: Amitabh Bachchan

A day after assuring fans that all is well with him post his abdominal surgery, Amitabh Bachchan has said he is now facing "fresh medical issues".

The 69-year-old megastar, who has been bravely updating his fans on his hospital stay, today posted a brief entry on his blog saying that he won't be detailing on his medical condition further.

"I seek forgiveness... I will not be detailing any more... Some fresh medical issues have come up, and I need to concentrate on the treatment now," he wrote last night.

Bachchan was operated on at the Seven Hills hospital Saturday, after which he had tweeted that he was in pain.

His tweet yesterday indicated that he was on his way to recovery, but it seems that Bachchan will have to spend some more time at the hospital.

Bachchan has been battling a string of stomach ailments since his near fatal intestinal injury while filming a fight scene in 1982 movie Coolie. His latest condition is also a result of the same accident.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?ID=ENTEN20120194635&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=177012&cp

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Whitney Houston's funeral to be screened on the internet

The singer's private memorial service is to take place at the New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark, New Jersey, where she sang as a child, on Saturday (18.02.12) and her publicist Kristen Forster has announced a camera will be allowed inside to film the ceremony so Whitney's millions of fans can watch it online and grieve for her.

The funeral will be shown on livestream.com/aplive on the day as well as being available on some satellite services.

Following the service, Whitney will be laid to rest at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey, in the plot next to her late father John Houston.

The funeral is set to be attended by around 1,500 mourners, including many names from the music world such as Chaka Khan, songwriter Diane Warren, L.A. Reid and Whitney's cousin Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, who was the star's godmother, has been asked to perform at the service.

However, Whitney's mother Cissy Houston and her family have reportedly barred her ex-husband Bobby Brown from attending because they blame him for getting her hooked on drugs during their disastrous marriage.

Bobby, who has an 18-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina from his relationship with the One Moment in Time hitmaker, is quoted by TMZ.com as saying he is "extremely disappointed" by the news, and insists he wants to attend, but he "hasn't decided on a plan of action yet".

The music icon was found dead in the bathtub of her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton hotel last Saturday (11.02.12). She was aged 48.

Half a dozen bottles of prescription drugs including Lorazepam, Valium and Xanax - used as sleeping aids, relaxants and to ease anxiety - were allegedly found in the suite and it is believed a combination of prescription pills and alcohol caused her death.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20120194661&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=music&nid=177048&cp

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I was a fool to try and do Devdas: Shah Rukh Khan

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who essayed the iconic character of Devdas in a 2002 remake, now feels he was a fool to try and step into the shoes of Dilip Kumar.
Dilip Kumar had played the same role in 1955, in the film directed by Bimal Roy.
"I was a fool to say I will do Devdas, I feel I shouldn't have done it. I have a very deep regard for the fact that my parents loved Devdas. I was young and it was very stupid of me to do it. But I had the blessings of Dilip Sahib," Shah Rukh said here last night after launching the book The Dialogue of Devdas.
"As I am getting mature, hopefully more intelligent, I would have not been able to do it at this point of time....I think Devdas did great for me. It was made so beautifully that whoever would have done it would have looked good."
The book has the complete dialogue of Bimal Roy's film, written by Rajinder Singh Bedi.
When asked if he tried to copy Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh said, "You can't imitate Dilip sahib. No one can dare copy him and whoever does so, are idiots like me."
"Like every Indian mother, my mother also thought I look like Dilip Kumar...only a mother can say this. I cannot become like Dilip sahib and can't even think of it. But now I feel at least her soul would be a bit at rest with my presence here," he said.
Shah Rukh, on this occasion, also read out a letter from Dilip Kumar, who couldn't attend the function because of ill-health.

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Ranbir, Deepika behave long-lost friends

Guests at Rohit Dhawan's after-party at the reception in Goa are talking about Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor bonding together like long-lost friends.
Says a source, "Everyone knows that Katrina Kaif and Ranbir are seeing each other, so there were many raised eyebrows at DP and RK's cuddly act. Kat was not present as she is in Cuba shooting for 'Ek Tha Tiger' and is unaware of these developments."
The source adds, "Dippy saw him and walked up to him. After that they stayed glued to each other till the time he left. It was almost as if they'd never split - they looked so close!"
The source continues, "The warm vibes shared could also be because both have remained good friends even after the patch up and they were catching up on old times... After all, DP and RK will now be shooting together for Ayan Mukerji's film in Nainital and this was just a way of breaking the ice?"
Whatever it may be, Ranbir appears to be having plenty of fun!

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Kanika Datta: The importance of being SRK

So actor Shah Rukh Khan is going to be the brand ambassador for West Bengal — that too gratis because, he says, he “feels for the state” which has become his “second home”. How sweet of him.
The question that Bengalis might want to ask is this. Is a fading star, producer of serial flops and owner of the money-guzzling Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders the right fit for marketing a bankrupt state suffering th

e pangs of slow economic growth?
It is possible that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is said to have requested Mr Khan, or SRK for short, to promote the state at the Kolkata Film Festival in November last year, did not consider this downside. She is, of course, reacting competitively, though belatedly, to Gujarat’s appointment of Bollywood supernova Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador in 2010.
Gujarat figures as rival number two in Ms Banerjee’s unique world view (number one will always be the Communist Party of India). It’s nothing to do with Narendra Modi’s politics (her party was, after all, a BJP ally at the Centre not so long ago) but more a reflection of her chagrin after industrialist Ratan Tata exited her state to universal sympathy, taking his car project to Gujarat and publicly snubbing Ms Banerjee.
So what exactly is SRK going to do for West Bengal on an honorary basis? He’s going to promote tourism in the state, apparently. State Tourism Minister Rachpal Singh thinks the star can “tap into the foreign market”. This is not such a far-fetched ambition, since SRK still has a respectably large NRI fan base and extensive overseas contacts courtesy his film production and marketing company Red Chillies.
Also, he’s working with some potential here. According to tourism ministry data, West Bengal weighs in at number six in terms of the number of foreign tourists visiting it, behind Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan and, yes, ahead of even Goa. Note that Gujarat does not figure here — and it comes in a notch behind West Bengal in terms of number of domestic tourist visits.
Anyone who has been to Bengal will not be surprised by these facts. It has all the basics for a roaring tourism business — a wide variety of historical, cultural and ecological tourism on offer and an engaging ambience. Unlike Gujarat, the state has long been free of the kind of communal tensions that could vitiate the atmosphere and the security milieu. That’s an achievement that goes to the credit of the Left Front as much as Ms Banerjee’s own staunchly non-communal politics — and it probably says something that she has chosen a Muslim star to promote her state whereas Gujarat has opted for a megastar whose Hindu religion is publicly on display on family occasions.
But there is one critical point that Ms Banerjee and tourism minister Mr Singh might want to consider before they splurge on an ad campaign and SRK gets down to business. West Bengal right now is mostly a budget destination. This is not an undesirable thing but is unlikely to bulk up the state’s coffers as much as high-end tourism can and this, surely, is the objective of retaining SRK’s services.
High net worth tourists demand a level of luxury that West Bengal is not yet geared for — whether it is fleets of high-end luxury cars, yachts and boats, the ability to handle private jets and even seven-star hotels. Is the state ready to pour in investments or create an enabling environment to attract rich NRIs and foreign tourists?
There are several reasons for doubt on this score. Achieving this metamorphosis will require Ms Banerjee’s government releasing resources, specifically land, power, water, at a greatly accelerated pace. Given the dismay that industrialists have expressed at the lack of progress on their projects since she took power, there is nothing to suggest that this transformation is likely to occur anytime soon.
To be fair, Ms Banerjee has history against her. After all, her predecessors Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya were active overseas sales agents for their state. None of this amounted to much. In fact, the earliest reality check came in the tourism business in a failed attempt to privatise the storied Great Eastern Hotel. It took nearly a decade to finally sell the troubled hotel.
So SRK may, like Mr Bachchan in Gujarat, enjoy a fine holiday at the state’s expense shooting at prime tourist locations. But whether the state is ready to back this hard sell with action on the ground is another question altogether.

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Sherlyn Chopra posts nude pic on twitter

Firebrand Sherlyn Chopra has donned a new hat. She has turned producer and says that she is happy to be a part of the era which has witnessed a huge revolution.

"Be it politics, cinema, sports, business or any other arena, women across the globe including India are in great form mentally, physically and consciously to undertake greater responsibilities and tougher challenges that are often encountered on paths less travelled," says Sherlyn.

Sherlyn is also happy that she has gone from being just a pin-up girl to an entrepreneur. The actress says ""Unconventionality is no longer a taboo. It is being applauded and celebrated by both the classes and the masses. The pulse of the youth is racing towards liberalisation. And I'm truly loving it."

Following her statement, the actress has recently posted her naked pics on twitter on her birthday saying "Thx a ton for all ur wishes!! Here's one more on public demand !!! I was born this way!!' .

However, one of the pics clearly resembles the first look of 'Jism2' campaign.

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Whitney Houston, Don Cornelius honored in Congressional Record

In the days since Whitney Houston died in a Beverly Hills bathtub, there have been emotional tributes on the Grammys and TV specials.

Radio stations have replayed her hits, and "Glee" -- perhaps by coincidence -- featured "I Will Always Love You" in its Valentine's Day episode.
So one Southern California lawmaker figured the Congressional Record ought to pay its respects to Houston's life and musical legacy as well.
On Monday, Rep. Laura Richardson, a Democrat representing a southern portion of Los Angeles County, made a statement honoring Houston as an "instant musical sensation" with an "extraordinary voice [that] touched the heart of America."
"She will always be remembered as one of the greatest voices who ever graced the Earth. To have heard the voice of Whitney Houston was to have witnessed singing perfection. My heart goes out to her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and all of her family and friends who are mourning the loss of this remarkable woman."
And then, she tried to work in as many references to Houston's work as she could.

"Mr. Speaker, where do broken hearts go? [1] Millions of hearts broke at the news that with her passing, we lost one of the greatest gifts of all; the pure joy we felt whenever Whitney sang one of those songs that made us get up and want to dance with somebody [2]. "Yes, we almost had it all [3]. Whitney Houston left us too soon, but her remarkable voice will live in our hearts as one moment in time [4] we will never forget."
Richardson also took time Monday to enter a statement honoring Don Cornelius, the legendary "Soul Train" host who fatally shot himself earlier this month in his Los Angeles home.
"As one of the millions of young girls who tuned in every week to 'Soul Train' to sing and dance along with that week's musical guests, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Don Cornelius for the sheer joy and happiness he brought to so many people and for 'Soul Train's' positive impact in bringing people of diverse backgrounds together around their shared love of good music and dance."
She said the show will be remembered for its bold fashion and "revolutionary" dance moves as much as the music it showcased.
"Don Cornelius lived a consequential life. He made a difference," Richardson said. "And for that, I conclude by wishing him, as he always concluded each 'Soul Train' show by wishing us, as always, 'peace, love and soul!'"

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Riteish-Genelia promote movie on V-Day

A working Valentine's Day may not be the ideal choice for any newlywed, but Mr and Mrs Riteish Deshmukh didn't mind doing the promotion rigmarole on their first V-Day as a married couple.

Riteish and Genelia spent Tuesday promoting their upcoming film "Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya" in the capital, and told us that they're slated to work till a little before midnight. The couple kickstarted the promotions with a trip to the IIPM campus in Chhattarpur and displayed enough affection for the shutterbugs to keep their fingers on the click button. While Riteish and Genelia spoke about the movie, and explained that it's not like their real life story, they did end up talking a lot more about their love story than anything else.

When asked about what present she got from Riteish, Genelia said "nothing", but hubby immediately hugged her in front of all present, and when Riteish was asked the same question, Genelia didn't hesitate in returning the gesture. Riteish also picked up a rose from a floral arrangement on the table and offered it to her. Perhaps that's why, after the event was over, Genelia told us that this has been the "most special Valentine ever" for her. She added, "Usually, Valentine's Day is about finishing work and then rushing to be with each other. But we've spent the whole day together, and that too while promoting something we loved working on. So, it's really special."

Prateik and Amy Jackson, who also arrived in the capital in the afternoon to promote their movie "Ek Tha Deewana", arrived almost two-and-a-half hours late at the coffee outlet where they were supposed to meet winners of a contest. But, after settling down, the duo told us that they've had the most hectic day with little or no time for themselves. Talking about his Valentine's plans, Prateik said, "My ideal plan would be a candlelight dinner, good conversation, a long drive and an ice cream... But I have no time today for it."

When asked if he'd like to take Amy around Delhi, he said, "For sure, but unfortunately we're completely packed during this trip doing promotions."

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Kareena to do two item numbers in Heroine

After doing a mujra number for her beau actor-producer Saif Ali Khan’s forthcoming spy-thriller Agent Vinod, Kareena Kapoor will be seen gyrating to item numbers in filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar’s most talked-about film Heroine, where she also plays the title role. Confirming the news Bhandarkar reveals. “Kareena will be doing two item numbers. One of them is called ‘Halkat jawani…’. I am sure she will take the nation by storm with this one.” As the title suggests, the film revolves around the life of an actor, but Bhandarkar says that he has treated the subject very carefully lest it sends out wrong signals about the film industry.  “The film also deals with the subject of manipulation in the casting and editing stages. I hope I don’t rub the film fraternity in a wrong way,” says Bhandarkar, who is also co-producing the film with UTV Motion Pictures.
Bhandarkar also reveals that Kareena’s on-screen chemistry with actor Arjun Rampal, who plays the male lead in the film, came out well and that they also pulled off the steamy love scene very professionally, “The bedroom scene was part of the film. Kareena is a professional actor and she understands the gravity of the film. Also, she has worked with Arjun in We Are Family and Ra.One,” he says. Currently in the second schedule of its shoot, Bhandarkar is relieved that the newly improvised script for Kareena after Aishwarya walked out from the film, could woo the trade analysts. “I have been through lots of ups and downs. The script has developed very well. The trade guys are impressed by the first look of the film. Heroine will finally see the light of the day in September,” says Bhandarkar.
Apart from Kareena and Arjun, the film also features actors Randeep Hooda, Rakesh Bapat, Divya Dutta and  Shahana Goswami in pivotal roles.

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Salman loyalist Zarine Khan says no to item song with Vivek Oberoi

In a display of her allegiance to Salman Khan, the man who launched her in Bollywood, Zarine Khan has turned down an item song with Vivek Oberoi.

Following the good response to ‘Character Dheela’ in the hit movie Ready last year, Zarine Khan had expressed her desire to do more item songs. Though the girl is playing a plum role in Housefull 2, she needed item songs as they promise easy and quick money.

Heeding Zarine Khan’s wish, Maanayata Dutt asked hubby Sanjay Dutt to rope in Zarine for an item number in his film Zilla Ghaziabad. Zarine, who needs money to buy a house in Mumbai, was reportedly being offered Rs. 30 lakh for the number.

However, when Zarine Khan heard that her item number will be with Vivek Oberoi, she baulked. Doing an item with Vivek who has a permanent place in Salman Khan’s bad books, would have riled Sallu. And therefore, Zarine declined the offer. About the loss of the item, she needn’t fret. With a snap of his fingers, Salman Khan could get her some.

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