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INDIAN officials said on Tuesday (June 18) they were probing reports Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan knows he and his wife are expecting a baby boy, in a country where prenatal sex tests are banned.   Local media has in recent days reported that 47-year-old Khan and his wife Gauri, who have a teenage son and daughter, are expecting another son by surrogacy.   The couple, who live in the entertainment hub of Mumbai, are yet to confirm they are expecting.  ]]>
TWO Bollywood families have broken their silences over the suicide of starlet Jiah Khan after police arrested actor Suraj Pancholi in connection with his girlfriend’s death last week.   Pancholi was arrested on Monday (June 10) after Khan’s mother, the 1980s actress Rabia Khan, made public a six-page letter apparently written by the 25-year-old actress before she hanged herself on June 3. Her last phone call was to Pancholi.   In the letter, widely publis]]>
    AFTER dominating Indian cinema for more than four decades, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is gearing up for his television acting debut this year.   Bachchan is no stranger to television, having hosted several seasons of the Indian version of the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire but this will be his first role in a TV fiction series.   It comes after Bachchan make his Hollywood debut last month in Australian director Baz Luhrmann’]]>
AFTER dominating Indian cinema for more than four decades, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is gearing up for his television acting debut this year.   Bachchan is no stranger to television, having hosted several seasons of the Indian version of the quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” but this will be his first role in a TV fiction series.   It comes after Bachchan make his Hollywood debut last month in Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s &ldquo]]>
INDIAN lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times hosted a gala evening to announce NDTV Good Times’ presence in the UK at an event in central London on May 23.     There was a surprise appearance by Bollywood’s composer Bappi Lahiri as well as a live cooking demonstration by chef Manish Mehrotra, winner of the reality series, Foodistan.       Among those present at the celebration were State Bank of India's regional head (UK) Mrutyu]]>
BOLLYWOOD actress Preity Zinta, who has had a busy few months with the Indian Premier League (IPL) and release of her debut production venture ‘Ishkq in Paris’, is heading for a vacation.   The 38-year-old actress-turned-producer is a co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab, which finished sixth at the recently ended tournament.   Her long stalled maiden production ‘Ishkq in Paris’ also finally hit theatres last mont]]>
THE makers of actor Sanjay Dutt’s last completed screen role before going to prison are preparing for the release of “Policegiri” in July, hoping fans of the beefy Bollywood hero will boost ticket sales.   Dutt, 53, went back to jail on May 16 to serve the remainder of a five-year sentence for firearms offences during the Mumbai bombings 20 years ago. The actor wrapped up work on pending Bollywood projects in the weeks before he reported to prison.   ]]>
MAVERICK Indian filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh was the only director to have worked  individually with the whole Bachchan clan.   “Just realised that Ritu da (Ghosh) was the only director that all my family have worked with individually,” Abhishek  posted on Twitter after knowing about Ghosh’s death following  a cardiac arrest at his south Kolkata residence.   Ghosh directed megastar Amitabh Bachchan in his first  English language fil]]>
NOTED filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh on Thursday (May 30) died of cardiac arrest at his south Kolkata residence. He was 49.   Winner of 12 national and some international awards, Ghosh was suffering from pancreatitis and died of heart attack at 7.30 am, his family said.   Ghosh shot to fame by his direction of a children’s film ‘Hirer Angti’ in 1994. His film ‘Unishe April’ won a national award in 1995.   His other widely acclaim]]>
INDIA’S prominence at the ongoing 66th Cannes Film Festival could be gauged not just by the star turn outs but also from the rave reviews its films got from major trade publications. Dabba, Bombay Talkies, Monsoon Shootout and Ugly are some of the films that tried to make the global audience realise that contemporary Indian films have much more to offer than song-and-dance-sequences. Director Amit Kumar’s Monsoon Shootout had a midnight screening a]]>
INDIAN director Dibakar Banerjee has marked 100 years of Indian cinema with a short film inspired by a story written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray.   Banerjee has adapted the story “Patol Babu, Film Star”, about a middle-aged man getting his moment of fame playing a bit role in a movie, as part of a Bollywood project by four Indian directors to show what the movies have meant to them.   “Bombay Talkies” opens in cinemas on Friday (Ma]]>
ACTOR and filmmaker Aamir Khan said he was keen on making a film to mark the centenary of Indian cinema.    “I was looking forward to making a film on 100 years of cinema...I wanted to do something, but couldn’t do it. “I am happy that Indian cinema has completed 100 years and happy to be a part of this industry. “My completion of 25 years in the industry coincides with 100 years of cinema. This makes me feel all th]]>
  TENT cinema has returned to India’s capital thanks to the ongoing Indian cinema centenary festival. The audience is enjoying the escapades of the legendary Hunterwali in a 1940s talkie and rare silent films such as Diler Jiger or Gallant Hearts (1931). Amidst old tent paraphernalia - wooden benches and floor mats - the audience aged from five to 75 are having a great time ‘living’ the olden days of the beginning of cinema in India. Famous as Indian silver ]]>
  A SIX-DAY-LONG film festival, marking the 100 years of Indian cinema, commenced on Thursday (April 25) with  the screening of silent movie Throw The Dice accompanied by Ustad Nishat Khan’s live musical orchestra.   The festival and an exhibition on legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray were inaugurated by Union Information &  Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari. “The challenge was - how do you commemorate 100 years of]]>
  BOMBAY TALKIES, the anthology tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema by four top filmmakers, will be screened at the 66th Cannes Film Festival this year.   The film, directed by Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar, weaves together four stories and stars actors Rani Mukerji, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have put in special appearances in the film.. ]]>
  IN A bylane next to Mumbai’s biggest mall, in a suburb teeming with people even at midnight, is a building that at first glance looks like an abandoned warehouse. The decrepit exterior hides the set of what may be one of India’s most ambitious TV shows yet - the domestic version of the US television hit action series 24, which its makers hope will revolutionize Indian TV. The Indian 24 is a novel concept in an industry where daily soaps reign. It will be the fir]]>
ONE OF Bollywood’s most famous villains, Pran, will receive the highest award in Indian cinema to honour the actor whose career has spanned about 350 films over nearly 60 years, the government said on Friday (April 12).   Actor Pran Krishan Sikand, 93, who is known just by his first name, will be awarded the 2012 Dadasaheb Phalke award that was set up in the name of the man who made India’s first feature film a century ago to reward a lifetime of contribution to film.]]>
BOLLYWOOD is branching out from its traditional song-and-dance dramas and slapstick comedies with its first zombie films which filmmakers hope will entice younger crowds back to Indian films from Hollywood’s living dead.    Few horror films are made in Bollywood and those that do make it to the big screen tend to focus on ghosts and the after-life, which are common themes in Hindu mythology.   But this year, as Indian cinema celebrates 100 years, three zom]]>
HE IS on the wish-list of some of the top directors in Bollywood, thanks to his performance in Rockstar and Barfi, but Ranbir Kapoor says he is not satisfied with his work in the industry so far.   “Now, there is a constant search inside me to find my characters, find the right emotions and do my job honestly and truly.   “I am not even two per cent happy with what I have done so far. This thought of “miles to go before I sleep” stays with me,]]>
BOLLYWOOD actor Sanjay Dutt, ordered by the Indian Supreme Court to complete his five years sentence for complicity in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, is mulling filing a review petition against the judgement, sources close to him said.   The Supreme Court had on March 21 upheld Dutt’s conviction under Arms Act and sentenced him to five years in jail of which he has already served 18 months. In keeping with the order to surrender within four weeks, Dutt has to give himself up befor]]>
  ACTRESS Mahi Gill, who is stepping into Bindu’s iconic ‘Mona Darling’ act in Apoorva Lakhia’s remake of Zanjeer, says the glamorous role pushed her out of her comfort zone. Gill, 37, made her debut in Bollywood with Sudhir Mishra’s Khoya Khoya Chand, but became famous with her role of Paro in Dev D. The actress says she had never given importance to her looks until now. “This role is quite difficult for me ]]>
INDIAN actress Freida Pinto, of Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire fame, said on Friday (March 15) she would have become a wedding planner if she had not succeeded in show business.   Pinto, a former model, said “my only passion was acting” but she had told her sister that if she hadn’t become successful by the age of 25, she would switch profession.   “But fortunately when I was 23, Slumdog Millionaire happened and so I didn’t become a w]]>
    WITH HER last few films tanking at the box office, Sonam Kapoor says she has learnt her lesson  and will select only those projects that satisfy her as a performer. The 27-year-old actress says she is not in a hurry to be at the top. Sonam's recent films Thank You, Mausam and Players did not fare well, but the actress believes they helped her understand the kind of roles she wants to do. “Two years ago, I did a couple of ]]>
ACTOR Ajay Devgn, who has made a mark in commercial as well as critically acclaimed movies, counts his survival in Bollywood, where competition has intensified over the years, for over two decades as his biggest achievement. "I think six to seven actors including me have survived here since 20 years and this is a big achievement. It speaks about our place and position in the industry and in the hearts of the audience," Devgn said. &nb]]>
US DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg is planning to produce a film set partly on the de facto border between India and Pakistan in the disputed Kashmir region, a report said on Tuesday (March 12).   Spielberg, who is currently in India’s entertainment capital Mumbai, told The Times of India that the film would be produced by his DreamWorks Studios and its Indian partner Reliance Entertainment, which is headed by tycoon Anil Ambani.   “We have finalised a script f]]>
US DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg was in Mumbai on Monday (March 11) to meet Bollywood filmmakers and stars of the country’s film industry.   Spielberg and various Indian directors were seen by a photographer arriving at the Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai’s fashionable Bandra suburb on Monday evening.   Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan wrote on Twitter on Sunday (March 10) that he would be moderating a talk with the Hollywood veteran at an event for showbus]]>
A DRAMATISED Bollywood account of the Mumbai attacks of 2008, when 166 people died in a three-day rampage, opened in Indian cinemas on Friday (March 1) to present an unusually emotive tale told from the perspective of a police officer. The Attacks of 26/11 chronicles the events that began on November 26 2008, when 10 gunmen went on a killing spree throughout the coastal city, attacking two luxury hotels, a train station and a Jewish centre, among other places. It is the latest in a re]]>
  ACTOR Boman Irani, who plays an unscrupulous lawyer in upcoming courtroom drama Jolly LLB, says the film shows the bizarre reality of the country’s judiciary. “What you see is so bizarre and inherently satirical, that it is funny. It’s a very real film, but the reality makes you laugh. The film is a serious subject, but when you see how a courtroom is conducted, you wonder how any justice can emanate from that. You’ll b]]>
  BOLLYWOOD star Amitabh Bachchan has given Anurag Kashyap a go-ahead to shoot in his home ‘Pratiksha’ for the director’s segment in the film Bombay Talkies. A collection of four stories, the film has four different directors -- Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibarkar Bannerji and Karan Johar. The 70-year-old actor agreed to open the doors to his house for the first time for a film, after Kashyap approached him. Kashyap’s story revo]]>
BOLLYWOOD star and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has called for “immediate” action to protect women in India following the fatal gang-rape of a student that horrified the country.   The vicious attack by a group of drunken men on a 23-year-old medical student in New Delhi two months ago in which she was raped and assaulted with an iron bar sparked outrage in India.   The appeal by the star of dozens of movies comes as Indian lawmakers are due t]]>
KAI PO CHE, an Indian film about cricket, love and politics set against a tumultuous backdrop of brutal sectarian violence and an earthquake, bowled over the crowd at the Berlin film festival on Thursday (February 14).   In a year in which the main Berlinale competition has failed to inspire much passion, Kai Po Che (Brothers For Life) sparked cheers and tears from a packed cinema as it screened ahead of its global general release next week.   Based on the best-selli]]>
A COURT in Mumbai has ruled that Bollywood star Salman Khan will be tried for culpable homicide over a 2002 hit-and-run case which could land him behind bars for 10 years, his lawyer said on Friday (February 1).     Khan is alleged to have rammed his Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle onto a pavement and over five sleeping homeless people in suburban Mumbai, killing one and injuring four others.     Dipesh Mehta, who represents Khan, said a sessions court ]]>
BOLLYWOOD superstar Shah Rukh Khan tops the first Forbes India Celebrity 100 with annual estimated earnings last year of $37.7m (£23.85m), the magazine said on Friday (January 25).   In the list - a ranking of the country’s biggest entertainers based on income and popularity - fellow actor Salman Khan came in second with estimated earnings of $30m (£18.98m).   In third place was India’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with $25m (£15]]>
VJ-TURNED-ACTOR Ayushmann Khurrana, who made a successful Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor, wants to play realistic characters onscreen and not the typical hero. Ayushmann will be seen next in Rohan Sippy’s directorial venture Nautanki Saala. The film is set against the backdrop of theatre and its lead actors Ayushmann and Kunal will be dressed as nautankiwalas -- donning the traditional attire of folk drama artistes. ‘The best part is all t]]>
  BOLLYWOOD superstar Shah Rukh Khan has insisted he is “safe and happy” in India in a bid to end a controversy sparked by an article he wrote on being Muslim in the Hindu-majority country.   The piece led Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik to say that India should provide Khan with security. India’s home secretary RK Singh responded curtly that Pakistan should look after its own citizens.   Reading out a lengthy statement to j]]>
  BOLLYWOOD actress Sridevi, who has been chosen for Padma Shri award this year, says she feels humbled to receive the honour. ‘I am honoured and humbled by the recognition. I would like to thank my fans for all the love and support they have given me,’ she said. Sridevi made her comeback after a gap of 15 years with English Vinglish, which released in October last year. The film, directed by debutante Gauri Shinde, saw the versatile actor]]>
BRITISH author Salman Rushdie said he was “sick and tired” of being called controversial as he flew in to India for the screening of a new film based on his iconic novel Midnight’s Children.   The Mumbai-born novelist, whose 1988 book The Satanic Verses remains banned in India for allegedly insulting Islam, said it was groups which enforce bans on books and artistes that should be branded as controversial instead.   “I don’t know why the]]>
    BOLLYWOOD actress and author Deepti Naval is excited about teaming up with eminent actor Farooq Sheikh for the upcoming film Listen Amaya.  “I was excited about working with Farooq again as we have done some memorable films together such as Chashme Baddoor, Katha, Saath Saath and Rang Birangi. I have always enjoyed working with him. “My two favourite actors are Naseeruddin Shah and Farooq Sheikh. I am happy t]]>
    DIRECTOR Sudhir Mishra has teamed up with actor Arjun Rampal for the very first time in Inkaar  and he says the actor is finally getting roles that suit him. Inkaar deals with sexual harassment at the work-place and also stars Chitrangada Singh. Rampal, 40, has successfully managed to shake off his wooden face image with films such as Raajneeti, Rock On.  Mishra says that he is growing as an actor. “Arjun is growing a]]>
  BOLLYWOOD actress Kareena Kapoor says her cousin Ranbir Kapoor has become “tough competition” for her when it comes to film awards. The Rockstar actor star already has four Filmfare trophies in his kitty and is catching up with Kareena, who has won six of them so far. “I have very tough competition in my own family now. You never know, soon Ranbir might cross my record and that of my grandfather, who had won 11. But that would surely be a very joyous momen]]>
INDIA’S communications minister, already a poet in his spare time, has found another outlet for his creative ambitions: penning a slushy love song for a new Bollywood film.   Despite his challenging role as a minister and government troubleshooter, Kapil Sibal took up an offer by actor-director Aditya Om for the film Bandook (Gun) and wrote four songs, one of which made it into the movie.   Sibal’s romantic number “showcases the pangs of separation ]]>
  A chart-topping Indian rapper known for his sexually explicit lyrics was caught in a backlash on Tuesday (January 1) against sexism and misogyny after a deadly gang-rape that shocked the nation. Yo Yo Honey Singh, whose hits include "My home my village", saw his New Year's Eve concert in New Delhi cancelled following an online campaign highlighting lyrics that incite violence against women. His 2007 track "Prostitute" refers to him having violent sex]]>
BOLLYWOOD actress Kareena Kapoor says her cousin Ranbir Kapoor has become “tough competition” for her when it comes to film awards.   The Rockstar actor star already has four Filmfare trophies in his kitty and is catching up with Kareena, who has won six of them so far.   “I have very tough competition in my own family now. You never know, soon Ranbir might cross my record and that of my grandfather, who had won 11. But that would surely be a very j]]>
  AS SUPERSTAR Salman Khan turned 47 on Thursday (December 27), Bollywood celebrities wished the Dabangg star a happy and prosperous birthday. It has turned out to be a memorable year for the actor as his latest release Dabangg 2 is doing exceptionally well at the box office and has reportedly collected hundreds of crores in just 6 days. His Eid release Ek Tha Tiger this year has already broken box office records. Director brother Arbaaz Khan posted on T]]>
THE YEAR 2012 saw a number of  film stars dumping bachelorhood for good, right from Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D’Souza to Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan in high profile wedding ceremonies attended by prominent celebrities.   The Saif-Kareena wedding was undoubtedly the most-awaited and had the media on its toes through the five-day celebrations, which were an amalgamation of Nawabi charm and Bollywood style.   The couple tied the knot on October 16 after five ]]>
        BOLLYWOOD actress Vidya Balan tied the knot with UTV head Siddharth Roy Kapoor on Friday (December 14).   The wedding rituals, a mix of Punjabi and Tamil traditions, went on for over an hour at the well-decorated Green Mile Bungalow in Bandra in Mumbai.   “The wedding ceremony is a blend of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions. The food served is South  Indian,” said a source close to Vidya.   ]]>
ACTOR Vidyut Jamwal has been ranked among the top five fittest men of 2012 by a men’s  magazine alongside Hrithik Roshan and wrestling champion Yogeshwar Dutt. After making an impressive debut in Bollywood as a villain in Force, the 32-year-old Indian is now the newest entrant in the fitness space. Men’s Health magazine has ranked him one of the top five fittest men of 2012. Vidyut has also been voted as one of the Sexiest Men Alive in 2012 b]]>
  ACTRESS Karisma Kapoor has turned radio jockey with her own special segment on fashion and style. The 38-year-old mother of two will be hosting a section called BIG on Style on a radio channel this December. The star will help women who are intrigued by the glamorous promise of fashion, but are struggling to find their own foothold and style statement. Karisma will discuss trends, explain ideal ways to dress for different body types and analyze t]]>
  SUPERSTAR Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured at the ongoing River To River 2012 Indian Film Festival in Florence, where he was presented with the keys of the City of Firenze. The 70-year-old Indian actor said he was overwhelmed with the beauty of the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany as well as the honour bestowed on him. “Overwhelmed as I am with the beauty and elegance of Firenze, the opening of the River to River 12 India ]]>
BOLLYWOOD’s reigning star Priyanka Chopra has been crowned the world’s sexiest Asian woman by Eastern Eye, knocking reigning champion Kareena Kapoor and three-times winner Katrina Kaif off the top spot on the annual list.         A record number of votes from all over the world ensured that Priyanka secured the top position, followed by with Kareena Kapoor in second place and Katrina, third.         Ea]]>