Jennifer Lawrence's 'Silver Linings Playbook' clothes up for auction

Oscar-wining actress Jennifer Lawrence's some outfits which she wore in " Silver Linings Playbook" are up for auction.

The 22-year-old walked away with the best actress prize at the 85th Academy Awards for her performance in David O'Russell-directed movie.

Now memorabilia dealer Nate D. Sanders has put several items, including the skin-tight white dance pants that Lawrence wore in the film, up for sale in an online auction that will end Thursday, reports femalefirst.

There are five items altogether, and auction experts expect them sell for between $500 and $1,500.

"She's now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now," said a spokesperson of the auction house.

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Most composers and singers lack originality: Bappi Lahiri

Bappi Lahiri on Bollywood music today, why he loves Gujarati songs and more in a quick chat with TOI

Moments into a conversation with the undisputed 'disco king' Bappi Lahiri, during his recent visit to Vadodara and the chubby musician breaks into Ooh La La and says with a smile, "It has become an anthem of sorts, isn't it? Even when I do stage shows abroad, the crowds ask me to sing it at least four times! I have completed 40 years in the industry, but even this generation still loves my music. I have always believed that songs are meant for enjoyment and I guess that's the secret behind my success." He adds, "I have delivered seven hit songs in a row and they are revisiting my old songs. That's why I am looking forward to the release of Himmatwala. It's a great feeling. I may have done about 470 films, but I never feel ki bahot ho gaya." Excerpts from a chat

Destination Gujarat
Gujarati is a very sweet language and I have always used elements from Gujarati songs in my music. In fact, I had really enjoyed composing music for the Gujarati film Janam Janam Na Saathi. I love the garba songs here, they are so rich!

Music aaj, kal
Singers have come and gone, but my songs continue to be repeated and remixed even today. I feel very lucky that I got to work with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha didi and many more in the 1980s. Not just every singer, but even the composers back then had their own individual styles and distinct identity about their voice/music. You could easily differentiate between film scores by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji or R D Burman. I won't say that good work isn't happening. There are hit songs being made and some good singers too. But the problem is that today, most composers and singers lack originality. You may love a certain song, but that distinct flavour isn't quite there.

Refreshing break
After 1999, I thought that I needed a break. As a senior composer, I didn't like the trend of three music directors working on a single film. But after a few quiet years, I was back for good.

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Has Priyanka Chopra chosen Ekta over Shah Rukh Khan?

Trade reports say Priyanka Chopra was meant to be allotting dates later this year to either Shah Rukh Khan's home-production 'Happy New Year' or to Ekta Kapoor's 'Milan Talkies'. Both films are going to be on the floors almost back-to-back.

At this point, PC is one of the busiest girls. She has to complete Zanjeer, Gunday, the biopic on Mary Kom and then move to one other film. Earlier it was being speculated that Priyanka would choose Happy New Year and a few trade reports hinted at this possibility a few months ago.

However, now news has it that PC has given Ekta a go-ahead to shoot Tigmanshu Dhulia's Milan Talkies with Imran Khan from early September this year.

So SRK's home production will feature another girl in the lead along with Shah Rukh and Abhishek Bachchan.

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Home Minister, top cops turn down RGV’s invitation

Ram Gopal Varma is known for his ingenuous ways of grabbing eyeballs. And his film on 26/11 has been an example of how the filmmaker has often flirted with controversy.

TOI has learnt that RGV's plans to stir up a storm before the release of his film, was foiled by wary members of the State home ministry. Last week, the filmmaker had organised a screening for the Home Minister R R Patil, Commissioner of Police Satyapal Singh and other senior cops. More than take their opinion, he was perhaps hopeful of ruffling a few feathers to his advantage.

Some of his invitees, including R R Patil, turned down the offer to watch the controversial film, while others were undecided. "Ever since his infamous terror tour of the Taj with the Late Vilasrao Deshmukh, people are cautious about being associated with him. And in order to convince them all, RGV sent Nana Patekar as his emissary, to do the needful," said a source close to the development.

Nana, who enjoys considerable currency among the police department, tried his best to woo them. In fact, his charm did work to a great extent, and some of the invitees decided to watch the film.

"They agreed to come for the screening, but on one condition - Ramu would have to stay away from the venue. No one wanted to be photographed with him," added the source. Moreover, when word reached the party high command that some senior cops and secretaries were perhaps inclined towards accepting Ramu's invite, a stern reminder was immediately issued about the fallout of the Taj incident. "It was sufficient to send them scurrying back. And the screening could not take place."

When contacted, RGV said, "The screening for the Home Ministry was supposed to be organised by Nana Patekar. And I cannot really comment on it. However, leaders of the opposition parties are watching my film tonight and I am told a few senior police officers have agreed to watch my film as well."

While we cannot comment on the controversial film, we'll be watching this one for sure.

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Salman Khan locking horns with Abhinav-Ranbir

His next Mental which went on floors yesterday, won't release on Eid but most probably October 2

For many years now, it's been the norm for Salman Khan starrers to release on Eid. His last three films - Wanted, Bodyguard and Ek Tha Tiger - all of which hit theatres on Eid, went on to become big box office hits.

For the first time however, the actor has decided to buck the trend. We've learnt his next titled Mental, produced by brother Sohail Khan, won't release on Eid this year as decided earlier. Instead, it will open sometime in October, most probably October 2.

Apparently, the reason for the change in plan was that the brothers didn't want to rush into things with the film having gone on floors just yesterday. But if sources are to be believed, it may also have something to do with Abhinav Kashyap's Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Besharam releasing around the same time.

A source close to the project told TOI, "It's after a long hiatus, and schedules and re-schedules that sets have been erected in Dubai for Mental. It isn't going to be easy for Salman to release the film on Eid this year. Rather than hurry up, Salman and Sohail have decided to release the film in October, which too has long weekends. It's tentatively scheduled for an October 2 release."

But wouldn't Mental then clash with Abhinav's Besharam? "By releasing the film on October 2, Salman would also manage to ruffle feathers in Abhinav and Ranbir's camps," said the source.

Readers may recall Salman hasn't shared a good equation with Abhinav ever since the latter turned down his offer to direct the sequel to Dabangg. As for Ranbir, he happens to be dating Salman's ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan seems to have benefited from Salman's decision. Traditionally, his films have always opened during the Diwali holidays but this time round, he was keen that Rohit Shetty directed Chennai Express hit theatres on Eid. With Salman and Sohail changing the release date of Mental, Shah Rukh's wish is likely to come true.

Despite repeated attempts, Sohail remained unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile... In Rajini's league?
Salman Khan-starrer Ek Tha Tiger, produced by Yash Raj Films, which hit Indian screens on August 15, will now release in Japan on March 7.

Director Kabir Khan will be flying to Japan on March 3 and will be touring four cities.

According to a source close to Salman, until now, Japan hasn't been a very big market for Indian films, except for films starring Rajinikanth, who happens to have a huge fan following there. "Perhaps Salman can now be equated to Rajinikanth in terms of popularity. Which is why Ek Tha Tiger is releasing there," the source said.

Asked about his trip, Kabir said, "This will be my second Japan trip. I went there in 1998; it was a two-days stop over when I was making a documentary. It will be fun to revisit and watch the audience reaction."

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Acting was never planned: Sridevi

Sridevi flaunted saris in her comeback movie "English Vinglish" and looked pretty. The actress says in real life too she prefers Indian clothes, especially six yards, and she is not a brand person.

"Well, definitely I love good brands, but at the same time I am not obsessed with them. I go for anything as long as it looks good on me. I am definitely someone who prefers Indian clothes especially saris," the 49-year-old told IANS.

The actress was in the capital to inaugurate an exhibition.

Dressed up in Sabyasachi Mukherjee's anarkali suit, this was not the first time that she opted for his designs.

Talking about her fascination for the designer, she said: "I always like him and from 'English Vinglish' days, I really started liking his clothes. My favourites are Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi and of course, few more designers but these two really come first."

And what about her beauty secret?

"I am very health conscious. I also try to be happy and positive all the time. Also, one should check their diet," said the actress, who is married to filmmaker Boney Kapoor with whom she has two daughters - Jhanvi and Khushi.

The actress, who had a filmography of over 200 movies, made a grand Bollywood comeback last year with Gauri Shinde's directorial debut "English Vinglish". Recently she was named for the Padma Shri.

However, she says that acting was never a planned thing for her.

"Acting was never planned. I came to Chennai only for studies because my father was a lawyer and he was practising there. He always wanted me to study. So from Madurai, we shifted to Chennai only for the studies.

"When I was child, I got the offer from Sando Chinnappa Thevar and then things starting falling into my lap. I was the busiest child star doing three shifts a day. Then I became heroine, when I was 11 years and since then, there has bee no looking back," she said.

So what next?

"Nothing I am reading scripts and meeting people. If anything interesting will come across, I will say yes. I want the makers and directors to decide if I am good for the particular role or not."

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Nargis Fakhri refuses to shake a leg for Dharma Productions

Looks like Nargis Fakhri will have to wait a while longer for her chance to do a special song like her peers.

Apparently, Punit Malhotra, who made his directorial debut with Dharma Productions' I Hate Luv Storys, had approached the actress last month to perform a special number in his next Gori Tere Pyaar Mein starring Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor. While Nargis was pretty kicked with the idea, she was forced to come back with 'no' as answer because of a clash of dates with Madras Cafe.

A source told us, "Puneet met up with Nargis last month. He had this lavish set-up in mind with loads of dancers giving Nargis company and discussed the concept with her. She was very excited, especially since the offer had come from one of Dharma Productions' directors."

Puneet had planned to shoot the song in a few months and shared the tentative dates with Nargis. "However, she found the dates clashing as she will be busy with Madras Cafe during that time. So she refused. Puneet told Karan Johar about this and Karan, being the supportive kind, told him to look for other options," the source said.

While we tried getting in touch with Punit and Nargis, neither was available for comment.

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Bollywood makes gays appear feminine, idiotic and abnormal: Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal's ambitious plan includes a book and a film that will deal with the real concerns of the gay community and not the usual caricature

Fashion's most flamboyant, the gay community's most iconic - Rohit Bal has dominated collective consciousness for years. And now the fashion designer with the famous curls and even more famous candour, has trained his sights on Bollywood. Not on any ordinary styling assignment, but on a self-styled mission to purge the industry of what he says are depressing caricatures of his kind. And he is preparing to tackle the beast with a book and a film.

In a conversation with TOI, the 51-year-old fashion designer said, "Bollywood makes gays appear feminine, idiotic and abnormal. I strongly resent it. We need to portray the true lives of gays in India."

Gudda, as he is fondly called, is writing two books. "One is a pictorial, which is more about my craft than about fashion. The other, is about the world of fashion seen through my eyes," he says, adding that both should be ready in a few months. It is the latter, which is the preamble to his film. "Both the book and the film, when it is made, will be based on my perceptions about gays and not anything else and an intense love story."

Gudda rues the fact that there are many in the fashion fraternity who are yet to come out in the open. "This is really so unfortunate. There are people who still haven't come out in the open. The moment we feel closeted, the world gets closeted for us," he says.

Never the one to shy away from his sexual orientation, Gudda's many boyfriends have enjoyed their place in the sun as much as he did. But he admits, that the biggest challenge here is winning parental approval. "But for me it was never a problem because I came from a liberal family. But I see people living double lives all around me. I see parents ostracising their kids because they are gay. They force gay men to get married and their children to lead double lives. It is really sad."

While everyone from Shah Rukh Khan to Abhishek Bachchan has played characters that get into a bit of gay role playing purely for 'comic relief' Gudda insists, his film will be shorn of stars. "No star has the real courage to play a gay character. If they do, no one will accept them," he says.

Troubled by the way the community continues to be portrayed in the entertainment industry, Gudda says that using the medium of cinema to explore the real concerns of gays and lesbians is better than participating in candle-light marches. "The gay march is a once-in-a-year activity and it's more like a celebration. Only a genuine film will help me reach millions of people," he says.

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Pakistani actress Meera to remake 'Pakeezah'

Meera, who made her debut in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Nazar' ten years ago but failed to make her mark in Bollywood, is now dreaming real big.

The actress wants to step into the shoes of (late) Meena Kumari and is leaving no stone unturned to cast herself in the role of the Sahibjaan of Kamal Amrohi's 1972 classic 'Pakeezah'. On Monday, Meera met Amrohi's son Tajdar and requested him if she can make the film with her own resources.

And Tajdar, who is in no mood to produce or direct his father's magnum opus, has given it a nod of consent.

Meera told TOI: " I simply loved Meena Kumariji in the film. It has played again and again in my mind. I came to India with the dream of wanting to essay the immortal role some day. At this point of time, I am simply too overwhelmed."

When contacted, Tajdar said, "Meera's idea is still in its inception stage. She is like a little child with a big dream. Pakeezah is not an easy film to make. It is a huge challenge. The same sets would cost twenty times more today. Then you have the elaborate costumes, intricate dialogues and not to mention the very aura of the film—none of it is easy to recreate."

"Pakeezah is in the same leagues Mother India, Mughal-E-Azam and Sholay. Meera will have to convince me with her choice of director and music composer before starting the film," he added.

Meera is in the process of finalising the director.

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I don't like sex comedies: Arshad Warsi

Arshad Warsi loves to entertain people with light-hearted films, but he is not game for sex comedies and prefers to be part of "intelligent" and "smart humour".

In fact, he is still remembered for his role as Circuit in the "Munnabhai" series and his next " Jolly LLB" is a fun film too - and a clean one.

"I don't like sex comedies or over the top comedies. I like intelligent and smart humour," Arshad told IANS in a group interview.

"It is very easy to write sex comedies, it's crap. Even over the top banana peal comedy, it's typical...I don't like it," said the actor who made it big with "Tere Mere Sapne". The 1996 release saw him in a funny, yet decent role.

"I prefer to do cleaner films. I was offered all these 'Kyaa Kool Hai Hum' and all, but I refused...it's great that it works, happy that people made money. But I don't want my kid to think, 'What is my dad doing?'"

Giving reference to classic comedies like "Angoor" and "Chashme Buddoor", the actor said such films require skill to write.

"What's difficult to write is an 'Angoor', or a 'Chashme Buddoor'. You are not using anything else to make it funny...you have to rely on your intelligence," said the actor who tried serious genre with critically acclaimed films "Seher" and "Kabul Express".

But Arshad admits that often actors are forced to do something even when you don't approve of it because it works.

"Actors are the most insecure fragile people and everyone is hungry for a hit," said Arshad, who has his own sets of regrets but doesn't want to talk about them.

"I do have many regrets. I don't want to talk about them. All of us have regrets. We have all done things which we wished we hadn't. It's just that if I was in a position to make choices, I would never do those things. So now I say no most of the times," he said.

His next, Subhash Kapoor-directed "Jolly LLB", is a social satire on the legal system of the country and he plays a small-town struggling lawyer.

The 44-year-old considers himself lucky to be part of a clean film like that.

Boman Irani and Amrita Rao are there in the film too and Arshad is confident that families can watch the film without getting embarrassed.

"The movie has clean comedy, not one double-meaning line is there. It is humorous and you will not be embarrassed to watch it with your parents or anyone," he said.

"I am happy doing less work than thinking every day on the set about what am I doing? I'd rather not do that.

"When I do a film, I enjoy myself. 'Jolly LLB' will do well. When your intentions are right, the result will be right. And Jolly has that," he added.

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No entry to Imran Khan's new house

Imran Khan has been snowed under with requests from architects and interior design magazines ever since he got his ancestral home renovated -- however, the actor is not keen to let anyone enter his private pad.

Imran's house in Pali Hill, Mumbai, belonged to his grandfather, late filmmaker Nasir Hussain, and it has been there for the past 50 years. The house is eco-friendly with interesting aspects like solar panels, water harvesting and perfect ventilation.

It took nearly two years for the renovation to be completed and the actor moved into the home only last month. Ever since, he has been flooded with requests from magazines, which are keen to profile Imran on their cover, but he isn't keen on it.

The 30-year-old, recently seen in "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola", is not ready to budge.

"Imran has as of now given a blanket 'no' to all the magazines who have got in touch with him to cover his house. He wants his house to be his den and does not want to share his space," said a source close to the actor.

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Amitabh Bachchan to work with Anurag Kashyap

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is teaming up with Anurag Kashyap in his next untitled movie.

The 70-year-old will play the lead in the thriller, which is set to go on the floors early next year.

"I am delighted to be working with Anurag, a director, who has through his rugged belief in his kind of cinema compelled us to fall in line with him. I have a general concept of the story and anxiously wait for him to begin shooting," Bachchan said.

The duo recently worked together on short film " Bombay Talkies".

"I'm thrilled. Like everyone, I have also been a fan of Mr Bachchan from my growing up years. Though I wanted to make a film with him for the longest time, I wanted to be sure that the role is something he has never done before. While working on the short film with him, I got this idea, which we discussed and he agreed," Kashyap said in a statement

The movie will be produced by Phantom Films.

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Too shy to be on Twitter: Ranbir Kapoor

When B'town celebs are increasing on social networking sites and becoming accessible to their fans, Ranbir Kapoor prefers to be away from the light.

The actor blames his shyness for keeping himself away, but claims his phone to be the medium to be in touch with his close ones. Ranbir Kapoor has become the brand ambassador of Blackberry Z10 and on being asked whether the technology will get him close to Twitter, he said, "BB is a way beyond social networking. I am happy expressing myself to people I know and I am too shy. I like to share things with my close people."

While talking about being brand ambassador of different brands, Ranbir feels responsible towards aam janta. "I truly believe that I must sell things that I believe in. I endorse quality products and use them personally," concluded the Kapoor boy.

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TV industry cries foul over political intervention in crime shows

TV industry cries foul over political intervention in reality-based shows after episodes featuring Delhi gang-rape and Om Prakash Chautala's recruitment scam were blacked out

Popular television series Crime Patrol, that reconstructs high profile cases, has been asked by the Delhi High Court to withdraw two episodes based on former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay, who are serving a jail sentence after conviction in a recruitment scam.

Advocate Rajiv Nayyar, appearing for Chautala, asked the court to direct the channel to postpone the telecast till the pending petition seeking suspension of their sentence is decided by another bench.

This is the second such instance in two months that the producer was asked to black out content, the first being two episodes based on the Delhi gang rape incident, which followed an intervention by the I& B Ministry.

An alarmed TV industry now sees a bigger and sinister political design behind the move. It is being held that there is a very real threat of the general entertainment channels losing their right to expression. Not to mention the financial setback suffered due to the last - minute cancellations.

Vipul Shah of Optimystix, the producers of Crime Patrol said, "Well, the broadcasters (Sony) have been supportive about compensating me, but I don't know if I'll get to air the episodes at all. All I can say is this is reflective of the sad fate of reality shows."

But Shah is not fighting a lonely battle. Senior producer Manish Goswami of Siddhant Cinevision, registered a strong protest. "I'm shocked at the political interference in our freedom of expression. The TV industry has a body called Indian Broadcasting Federation where we have a clear list of do's and don'ts in accordance with the government's regulations. It seems that the politicians are unable to stop the newspapers and news channels and have decided to turn against us."

When contacted, I & B Minister Manish Tiwari said, "The gang rape was too sensitive a matter to be telecast. Please don't draw parallels between the two stories you are referring to." When asked if both the decisions were infringing on the media's freedom of expression, Tiwari said, "The recent case of Crime Patrol is a Court directive. Who am I to comment on it?"

But the industry is not convinced. TV producer J D Majethia said: "Most TV shows, including Crime Patrol, run promos at least two weeks in advance. If anybody has an objection, a committee should be set up to preview the content in advance."

Majethia points out that television has already self-imposed censorship and for the government to barge into the scene at the last moment, is not welcome. "Steps should be taken to control the collapse of the system, not the portrayal of it. Why are you treating the symptoms of the disease when you can treat its cause?" he asked.

Writer-Director of Crime Patrol, Subbu, believes there is a bias against general entertainment channels that deal with real issues, as opposed to news channels. "On one hand, the entertainment media is told to be responsible and portray reality and then one is stifled. I have created something that is already on the public platform and the court verdict is out. Maybe I should make an episode saying that everything is fine in our country," he shrugs.

ABP News Bureau Chief Jitendra Dixit did not want to comment on the matter, saying it is sub-judice, but pointed out: "I must say that it is a very disturbing trend and we should not take it lying down."

Hosted by Anup Soni, Crime Patrol, since 2003, has reconstructed high-profile cases such as Baby Falak's murder, Neeraj Grover's murder among others.

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Ang Lee is like Buddha: Anupam Kher

Anupam Kher spoke to TOI minutes after his tryst with Hollywood A-listers at the Oscars

Your first thoughts about your first Oscar tryst.
I have learnt that this is a celebration of cinema. It is all about the warmth of meeting people and appreciating cinema. It is not about one winner or nominees, but a winner amongst many winners. I will always cherish this experience.

Your colleague Jennifer Lawrence bagged the Best Actress Award. We heard you had already predicted her win quite sometime back.
At 22 years of age, she is a very natural actress and a very humble person. This makes her an exemplary actress and it wasn't difficult to predict that she will get the Oscar. I am very proud of her and of the fact that I was with her to share the moment.

Life of Pi, which starred another Indian (Suraj Sharma) got the Best Director Award. Did you meet him? What do you feel about his potential as an actor?
I would like congratulate everyone who was a part of Life of Pi. Suraj has had a brilliant beginning with this movie, considering he carries the film on his shoulders. He is young with a very bright future.

How was your interaction with Ang Lee, who won the Best Director Award?
I have been fortunate to have worked with Ang Lee in the past (Conquest, Lust). He is an amazing person, very Buddha-like. I asked him, 'How are you feeling?' and he said 'Nothing'. I asked him again, 'What will you do post Monday?' and he said 'I don't know yet'. The Ang Lee that I know is one of the most calm persons with humongous amount of talent.

Heard you have already met your favourite actress Hilary Swank and she is very keen to act in an Indian film?
I met Hilary at Mont Blanc (The pre-Oscar Luncheon) lunch which is in association with Unicef. Hilary who is a global ambassador for Unicef and has done a lot of good work in Somalia. She appreciated my work for underprivileged kids and their education. And yes, there was obvious cinema conversation.

You had a memorable interaction with Bruce Willis too?
He is a very kind and soft spoken person, and it was a pleasure to meet the Die Hard hero.

A​lso heard that you are being felicitated in LA shortly after the Oscars ceremony. Could you tell us a little more on that?
I am in the entertainment capital of the world, and I realised after coming here that this proclamation is a huge honour. It is not just for my work in Cinema but also for all the social work that I have done so far.

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Best film Oscar for 'Argo' upsets Iran

The best film Oscar for the CIA thriller "Argo" has riled Iran, which says the award has unveiled the "bare politicization in Hollywood".

"In the era that politicization in Hollywood was very strong, and every awards and festivals in Hollywood had paid much attention to the anti-Iranian movie 'Argo', the 85th Academy Awards ceremony, unveiled the bare politicization in Hollywood," said mehrnews.

US First Lady Michelle Obama introduced the nominations and the winner via a video conference from White House. The team of "Argo" - co-producers Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney - collected the trophy at the function in Los Angeles Sunday night.

"Argo", set in the 1970s, talks about CIA 'exfiltration' specialist Tony Mendez (Affleck), who concocts a risky plan to free six Americans from Iran.

The Iranian news agency cited movie critics as saying that "Lincoln" was the best film of the year to win the Oscar.

"The Academy Awards ceremony to present the Oscar for the best picture 'Argo' by Ben Affleck revealed that Hollywood insiders are sacrificing quality and artistic cinema to political slogans and distortions," it said.

It noted that Hollywood has been "an instrument for the US politicians to use it for their political purposes, not based on reality, but one-sided and distorted, to present to the world".

"Interestingly, in the current Academy Awards ceremony, presence of Michelle Obama was even surprising for the audience," it added.

This showed the "bare Hollywood scandals and politicization of the 85th Academy Awards ceremony".

"Argo" was among nine films vying in the category. The others were "Amour", "Beasts of the Southern Wild", "Django Unchained", "Les Miserables", "Life of Pi", "Lincoln", "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Zero Dark Thirty".

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Manisha Koirala is desperate to come back home

Actress Manisha Koirala, who was diagnosed with cancer recently, is desperate to come back to India.

Koirala is in New York for her treatment. She wrote her heart out on a social networking site on Monday. "Ok now, I am seriously missing my painting classes. I shall turn the big dinning room into a studio. There are things to do once I m back home. As of now, I am learning French through internet and it seems exciting," the actress wrote.

From the posts, it was evident how the actress was missing her home. However, she is also concerned about her treatment.

She further wrote, "I can only come back, provided I get a smooth sailing of treatment, cross fingers." The actress is practicing yoga and praying to cope with the stress and pain that she is going through. "Strategies to stay calm and positive through hardship works are prayer and meditation."

Earlier this week, Koirala expressed her feelings of being avoided by her friends from the industry.

She poured her heart out writing, "How slowly, shadows of my past friendships are becoming distant dream..did I have bunch of friends with whom there were promises of life time? Disappointed, yes I'm..but then life fills you with new hope, new friends..hoping this time round it would be rooted in deep values rather then just crazy, fun times!!"

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Rs.100 crore tag is harmful for Bollywood, says Irrfan

Entertainment is not just time pass; it should "reflect the society that we live in", says seasoned actor Irrfan who is working with the motto of challenging the definition of entertainment.

A name to reckon with in the international arena thanks to his powerful performances in "The Namesake" and Oscar winning films "Slumdog Millionaire" and " Life of Pi", Irrfan is equally respected on home turf for his extraordinary work in "Maqbool" and "Paan Singh Tomar".

Sharing his views on movies and its content, the alumnus of the National School of Drama told IANS: "I am just trying to find entertainment, which is not regular definition of entertainment. It has to keep evolving and it should also reflect the society that we live in. I am constantly challenging the definition of entertainment. Entertainment has to do something more than just time pass."

With an interesting bouquet of work that boasts of variety and quality, have his options narrowed as an actor in pursuit of challenges?

"That has always been a problem because the industry doesn't know what to do after a point," Irrfan said, adding that once "they (filmmakers) thought they will make me a villain and I didn't expect that".

"But my job is to explore as much as possible even when I don't know where I would head to. And not knowing things has risk as well as fun in it," said the actor who entertained his fans with light-hearted roles in "Life... in a Metro" and "Sunday".

"Cinema should be entertaining" and at the same time "it should also leave some message and that is important for me", opined the 46-year-old.

"When you come out of the theatre and you don't even talk about that film or remember it, then it disappoints me. At times, even I do these kind of films (please don't ask me to name them), but I feel I should be part of those kind of films which should be worth watching again and again," added the Padma Shri recipient.

After the big success of "Paan Singh Tomar", a biopic on athlete-turned-outlaw Paan Singh Tomar, Irrfan's next is " Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns".

A sequel to critically acclaimed 2011 offering "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", Irrfan is a new edition to the cast. He joins Jimmy Sheirgill and Mahie Gill who were in the original. Soha Ali Khan too features in the latest instalment of the crime thriller directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia.

On the latest fad in Bollywood - the Rs.100-crore club - Irrfan felt it was "a ridiculous tag. It'll not do good to the industry".

According to him, filmmaking is a "combination of creativity and money".

"So you cannot reduce the power of story with the tag of money because it's not a share market. So you must know the seriousness of the power of storytelling. If it recovers its money, leaves something for the audience and creates the atmosphere of good filmmaking, that is something that matters. The tag of Rs.100 crore is harmful for the industry."

He would prefer his film to be known for its content and not just for the huge profit it earned at the box office.

"If my film continuously earns Rs.100 crore even then I will reject the tag because my film should be recognised for its story power. If a film is judged by money, it's a disrespect to the storyteller," he said.

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'Zero Dark Thirty' fails at Oscars amid political fallout

"Zero Dark Thirty," about the decade-long U.S. hunt for Osama bin Laden, has received more attention in the U.S. Congress than it did at the Oscars on Sunday, amid political fallout over its depiction of torture and alleged intelligence leaks to the movie's makers.

The film, which has sparked outrage among both Democrats and Republicans in Washington over its depiction of torture, and allegations that the Obama administration leaked classified intelligence to help the making of the film, won no major Oscars on Sunday and only one award overall.

Just three months ago, the thriller, which culminates in Osama bin Laden's killing by U.S. Navy Seals, was a strong contender to pick up the biggest prize of Best Picture, as well as the Best Actress and Original Screenplay awards.

By the end of Sunday night, however, it had picked up just one award - a shared Oscar for Sound Editing, which was a tie.

In recent weeks, the movie has seen a fierce backlash over its implied message that torture helped crack the bin Laden case.

Early signs of trouble came in mid-December when leading U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Carl Levin, both Democrats, and John McCain, the Republicans' 2008 presidential candidate, sent a letter to movie studio Sony Pictures, castigating the film.

They called the film "grossly inaccurate and misleading" for suggesting torture helped the U.S. track the al Qaeda leader to a Pakistani compound, where he was killed in 2011.

Three weeks later, the film's director, Kathryn Bigelow, was omitted from the Oscar's Best Director shortlist, chosen by about 5,800 movie industry professionals who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Bigelow was one of only four big directors to be snubbed while the film did receive five Oscar nominations.

In January, Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan pointed the finger at Washington, writing: "Chalk up this year's nominations as a victory for the bullying power of the United States Senate and an undeserved loss for Kathryn Bigelow."

Even on Oscar morning, the film woke to unwelcome headlines. The relatives of a flight attendant who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks criticized the film for using a recording of her last call before her American Airlines plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Harry Ong, the brother of the flight attendant, Betty Ann Ong, called the film "just outrageous."

Republicans in Washington have been particularly critical of the film, alleging that it was used to help the re-election prospects of U.S. President Barack Obama, and that it revealed national security secrets.

Other victims of the Sept. 11 attacks have voiced support for the film as did departing U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Before Sunday's Oscars, Rotten Tomatoes editor-in-chief Matt Atchity said: "Controversial movies suffer with Academy voters. I think 'Zero Dark Thirty' will have a tough time winning Best Picture because I think the Academy is going to go with less controversial choices."

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Manisha Koirala's friends turn their backs on her

None of her colleagues, except Deepti Naval, stayed in touch with her during her illness, laments the actress

The film fraternity is notorious for its share if fair-weather friends. And Manisha Koirala is learning it the hard way. The actress, who is preparing to return to India in July, post her treatment for cancer, poured her heart out on a social networking site on Saturday, on how lonely the journey has been.

Even though Manisha has received ample support from her family friend Subrata Roy Sahara, who ensured she received the best of medical treatment in New York, the actress seemed anguished over the no-show from her peers.

"How slowly, shadows of my past friendships are becoming distant dream... did I have bunch of friends with whom there were promises of life time? Disappointed, yes I m...but then life fills you with new hope, new friends...hoping this time round it would be rooted in deep values rather then just crazy, fun times!!" wrote the depressed actress wrote.

When TOI got in touch with Manisha's manager Subrata Ghosh, he couldn't recall any Bollywood stars visiting her or even enquiring about her wellbeing while she was going through chemotherapies in New York. Except, Deepti Naval.

Manisha had worked in Deepti's directorial debut Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish. Although the film was never commercially released, the two bonded. And it was Deepti, who has been Manisha's constant companion during these difficult times. "Deeptiji has been visiting her regularly in New York. She spends a lot of time with her. Apart from that I can only recall hearing about Rituparna Sengupta (Bengali actress)," said Subrata.

When we got in touch with Gulshan Grover, Manisha's neighbour in Mumbai, he admitted that Manisha, who loved to be surrounded by friends, is upset that her friends have turned their backs on her. "For some reason, several of her close friends have stopped asking about her or checking on her. Maybe they don't want to bother her. But I am sure everyone is praying for her speedy recovery," said Gulshan.

According to the actor, what exacerbated the crisis was Manisha's decision to switch off her smart phone after landing in New York.

Jackie Shroff, who has been friends with Manisha for a long time, admitted that it has been over a month since he last called her. "I haven't been in touch with her lately. I spoke to her about a month back. I know that a lot of people who used to call themselves her friends have not even bothered to find out how she is. She needs her friends now the most," said the actor who is shooting in Kolkata.

It remains to be seen if the missing friends rally around her once she returns to the city this summer.

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Ang Lee wins second directing Oscar for 'Life of Pi'

Taiwanese-born Ang Lee won his second Oscar for Best Directing on Sunday for " Life of Pi," the adaption of Yann Martel's fantasy adventure novel about an Indian boy who survives a shipwreck but is stranded in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger.

"Life of Pi" was nominated for 11 Oscars - including Best Picture - and also won for Cinematography, Original Score and Visual Effects. Starring newcomer Suraj Sharma, the film was lauded by critics for Lee's ability to bring the complex book to life.

"Thank you movie god," Lee said to a big laugh from the audience.

"I really need to share this with all 3,000 - everybody who worked with me on 'Life of Pi'," he said.

Lee won in a year in which the director's race was one of the most controversial for its exclusions, most notably Ben Affleck, the director of "Argo" who picked up the top award from his peers at the Directors Guild and a slew of other awards.

Lee, 58, won his first Academy Award in 2006 for directing "Brokeback Mountain," the story of a complex love affair between two men.

He began directing Chinese-language films and has made 13 films in a diverse career. Those films have included the special effects-laden "Hulk" based on a Marvel comic Book and the adaption of Jane Austen's classic, "Sense and Sensibility."

His 2000 Chinese-language film "Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger," won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was a surprise hit with worldwide ticket sales of $213.5 million.

Lee came to Hollywood's attention after directing three Chinese-language films, including "The Wedding Banquet" in 1993, nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Lee cast Sharma, then a 17-year old student, for the role of a young Pi Patel in 2010 after 3,000 young men auditioned for the lead role.

After his family goes down in the giant ship, Pi spends most of the film on the lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific, trying to avoid being consumed by the 450-pound (200-kg) tiger, a premise that Lee pulled off with heavy reliance on special effects and a digital tiger. The ocean scenes were filmed in a 1.7-million-gallon (6.4-million-liter) tank.

Movie reviewer critic Roger Ebert gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, calling it "a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery."

President Barack Obama also gave "Life of Pi" a thumbs up in an interview, saying the film "was good - because we had read that book together."

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'Argo' beats 'Lincoln' to Best Picture Oscar

Iran hostage thriller " Argo" won the Best Picture Oscar on Sunday, the highest honor in the movie industry, while Ang Lee was a surprise choice for Best Director for " Life of Pi."

"There are eight great films that have as much right to be up here as we do," said "Argo" producer and director Ben Affleck.

The not-so-unexpected win for "Argo" was announced in one of the biggest surprises in the history of Oscar telecasts as first lady Michelle Obama made an unprecedented appearance from the White House to declare the film the top winner of the evening.

It was the first time since "Driving Miss Daisy" in 1990 that a film won the top prize at the Oscars without its director also being nominated.

Daniel Day-Lewis made Oscar history and won a long standing ovation on becoming the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars. He collected the golden statuette for his intense performance as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in "Lincoln."

"I really don't know how any of this happened," said Day-Lewis, who has dual Anglo-Irish citizenship.

Jennifer Lawrence was named Best Actress for playing a feisty young widow in comedy "Silver Linings Playbook", tripping up on her dress while approaching the stage. She beat Jessica Chastain and France's Emmanuelle Riva, 86, in one of the closest Oscar contests this year.

Taiwanese director Lee beat front-runner Steven Spielberg in the directing race, in a controversial year that saw four of Hollywood's leading names omitted from the Academy Award directing shortlist.

Spielberg's account of President Lincoln's battle to abolish slavery and end the U.S. civil war went into Sunday's three-hour plus ceremony with a leading 12 nominations. But it ended up winning just two.

"Argo" also won best film editing and best adapted screenplay for its gripping and often comedic tale of the CIA mission to rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran shortly after the Islamic Revolution

In other contests, Anne Hathaway won her first Oscar and harrowing Austrian film "Amour" was voted Best Foreign Language Film.

Hathaway, who starved herself and chopped off her long brown locks to play tragic heroine Fantine in "Les Miserables," was considered the overwhelming favorite for supporting role in t. he screen version of the popular stage musical.

"It came true," she said, looking at the golden statuette.

"Here's hoping that some day in the not too distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and not in real life," Hathaway added.

"Amour," the heart-wrenching tale of an elderly couple coping with the wife's debilitating stroke, gave Austria the Best Foreign Language film after it had dominated awards shows in Europe and the United States for months.

Another Austrian, Christoph Waltz, was the surprise winner of the closest contest going into the ceremony. He took Best Supporting Actor honors for his turn as an eccentric dentist turned bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino's slavery revenge fantasy "Django Unchained."

It was Waltz's second Oscar, after winning for the Tarantino movie "Inglourious Basterds" in 2010.

A jubilant Tarantino also won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and credited the actors who brought the characters in all his films to life. "And boy this time, did I do it!," he said.

"Brave," the Pixar movie about a feisty Scottish princess, took home the golden statuette for Best Animated Feature.

The Oscar winners were chosen in secret ballots by some 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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No Oscar for Bombay Jayashri

Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri, who was nominated in the best original song category at the 85th Academy Awards for her track "Pi Lullaby" from " Life of Pi", lost the trophy to British singer Adele, who took home the statuette for " Skyfall". However, "Life of Pi" won the best music - original score award.

Written and sung by Jayashri, "Pi Lullaby" was also competing with other numbers like "Before my time" from "Chasing Ice" (music and lyrics by J. Ralph, "Everybody needs a best friend" from "Ted" (music by Walter Murphy; lyrics by Seth MacFarlane) and "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables" (music by Claude-Michel Schonberg; lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil).

Adele, who performed "Skyfall" at the glitzy ceremony Sunday night, collected her award with Paul Epworth.

The Oscar award for best music - original score went to Mychael Danna for "Life of Pi", about the journey of an Indian boy who survives a storm at sea.

Danna's competitors for the award were "Anna Karenina" (Dario Marianelli), "Argo" ( Alexandre Desplat), "Lincoln" (John Williams) and "Skyfall" ( Thomas Newman).

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Daniel Day-Lewis creates history by winning 3 best actor Oscars

Daniel Day-Lewis has won the lead actor Oscar for his portrayal of assassinated US President Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' at the 85th Academy Awards.

With this win, the 55-year-old actor has become the first person to win three lead Oscars, the LA Times reported.

Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan have also won three Academy Awards but theirs is a mix of both the lead and supporting categories.

The British actor also won the Golden Globe and awards from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), along with many critics prizes.

He beat Bradley Cooper - 'Silver Linings Playbook,' Hugh Jackman in 'Les Miserables,' Joaquin Phoenix - 'The Master' and Denzel Washington in 'Flight.'

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Payal Rohatgi is Nawaz's arm candy

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who will be seen in a suave avatar in his upcoming film 'Black Currency', will have actress Payal Rohatgi as his arm candy in the film. The movie, which will be shot in over 11 countries, will have Nawaz playing the role of a business tycoon and Payal will be his arm candy, but a police informer in reality.

The cast and crew of the film, which started shooting recently in Mumbai, will soon move to Thailand for the next schedule. Payal, who was last seen in a film titled Valentine's Night opposite boyfriend Sangram Singh, last year, is excited to be sharing screen space with Nawaz. She said, "Nawazuddin is hot property these days. He is a happening and saleable actor."
Talking about her experience of interacting and working with the Gangs Of Wasseypur actor, Payal added, "He is a very simple person and quite down-to-earth. People might think that he would have changed after tasting success through movies like Gangs Of Wasseypur, Kahaani and Talaash, but he is still very simple and humble. When I met him, I told him that I'm a huge fan of his work and he just blushed and accepted the compliment."
The movie, which is being directed by Anil Gadar Sharma's brother Sanjay Sharma, seeks to expose the business of counterfeit notes and stars actors like Minissha Lamba, Kapil Sharma, Hrishita Bhatt, Prashant Narayanan, Ravi Kishan and others, along with Payal and Nawazuddin.

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Mahesh Manjrekar to shift base to Pune

Actor-producer-director Mahesh Manjrekar has decided to shift his base to Pune. In a recent television chat show in Marathi, Mahesh expressed his desire to move out of Mumbai, since he is "fed up with the city's vertical growth". His wife Medha also said that "there were no open spaces for their kids to play."

Medha spoke to TOI and said, "We have decided to move to Pune and will be shifting our base by May. We have bought a place in a popular township in Hadapsar where we will be staying. We felt Mumbai was getting claustrophobic. There is no open space left and hardly any recreational options for children apart from malls. The beaches that we frequented as children have become polluted and there is no space left to cycle on roads. There is luxury of space in Pune. It has been a difficult choice, but we are happy for our kids who are looking at getting admission in educational institutes in Pune."

So how do they plan to manage their work front? "I don't think it should be a problem for Mahesh as most of his shootings take place in Pune and he plans to travel to Mumbai when required. He will soon shift his office to Pune as well. Also, some of our relatives and colleagues are shifting with us to Pune which will make things easy."

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Sajid Khan stands up for Sonakshi

Sonakshi Sinha invited comparisons with Reena Roy when she stepped out in a 1980s disco-style look for the launch of "Thank god it's Friday", her special song from upcoming film " Himmatwala". But the movie's director, Sajid Khan, came to her rescue.

Sonakshi was dressed in a shimmery silver dress complete with a headgear. She stated the look was inspired by Parveen Babi's look in Shaan. However, mediapersons could not help but point out a resemblance with yesteryear actress Reena Roy's look in songs like Disco station and Jaane jaan.

When Sonakshi was asked if she felt the same too, Sajid answered instead.

"She looks very much like Sonakshi Sinha! In fact the two outfits that we chose were (inspired) by Parveen Babi...and another like Sridevi. You cannot compare her (Sonakshi) with any other heroine, she has her own style, own charisma and she is fabulous," said Sajid, who has helmed "Himmatwala", a remake of the 1983 film of the same name.

Again, when a similar query was posed to Sonakshi, Sajid responded, "Not really! What you see is what you get, this is Sonakshi Sinha - looking beautiful, looking very much the top heroine that she is, looking fab.

"When this song catches on, you will find a lot of girls - 14, 15, 16-year-old girls copying Sonakshi," Sajid said.

Himmatwala features Ajay Devgn and Tammannaah.

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There is no combination like sports and women, says SRK

Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khan Saturday said he personally doesn't have time to play cricket and the Cricket Championship League (CCL) doesn't need a "smaller star" like him.

"I will be really honest... I am someone who believes professionalizing sports in this country is perhaps the most important aspect if I can any way get attached to it. I am happy that I am associated with it," Shah Rukh told reporters at the opening ceremony of a cricket championship.

"I personally won't get time to play cricket so I don't think I will be attached to anything else but if it requires me.. I think there are so many stars in CCL, I don't think they need a smaller star like me."

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the third edition of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) and was cheering for Mumbai Heroes - the team owned by his brother Sohail Khan.

Shah Rukh feels one needs to create alternate professions for youngsters in the country and sports is the greatest profession.

"Sports is perhaps the greatest profession in this country. We hope with this, many more tournaments are created . This is just the beginning," he added.

He also feels there is no combination like sports and women.

"You have to start somewhere and this is just the beginning slowly, it will spread to more places. Specifically if you ask me, then there is no combination like sports and women. I would be really happy if it went across and women participate in it," he said.

Cricketer RahulDravid shared the podium with Shah Rukh Khan during the press conference.

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Sonu Sood injured, admitted to hospital

Actor Sonu Sood has been injured during a Celebrity Cricket League match held in Dubai on Saturday evening.

A source said, "He has fractured his leg and is being flown to Mumbai and will admitted to Lilavati hospital where he will undergo a surgery.''

Sonu is an allrounder cricketer and plays for Sohail Khan's Mumbai Heroes. Sonu like most of his team members has been playing the CCL matches in between his shooting schedule.

He is currently shooting for a Telugu film and remake of Zanjeer in which he is playing Sher Khan.

His film Shootout at Wadala is slated for May release.

A source said, "It all depends on what the doctor has to say. If the fracture is complex, he will not be able to shoot or play cricket for a while.''

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Sunny Deol, Salman Khan to lock horns on Eid

Usually, Eid has somehow become identical with Salman Khan at the box office. But come this Eid (which is likely to fall on August 8), and Salman could have some stiff competition.

Sunny Deol's next 'Singh Sahab the Great' directed by Anil Sharma is all set to hit the screens on the same date.

Sources from the sets say, "Sunny is happy with the way the film has been shaping up. The drama and the action have brought so much confidence into the characters and Sunny feels Eid would be just the right date for the release."

Says Sunny, "The film is based on a common man's life and Eid is one of those holidays when the aam aadmi is in a much happier space. Since the significance of this festival is also interpreted as a good time to bring people together in harmony and gratitude, we are aiming for an Eid release."

Is he scared of tough competition on the festive date?

The actor shoots back, "The cinema business has changed. Since there are so many cinema halls, two big films can release at the same time. I am sure no one wants to take over anyone's business."

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Good ideas make big films, not the budget: John Abraham

Actor John Abraham, who turned producer with the Shoojit Sircar-directed film 'Vicky Donor', says filmmakers don't need to spend a lot of money to make a good film.

"Being an actor and film producer I feel that good ideas make big films, not the budget. A filmmaker does not need to spend crores to make a good film," John told reporters through video conferencing in Indore.

'Vicky Donor' was made on a small budget and won many awards for it's unique concept of sperm donation and infertility.

The 40-year-old actor is currently busy promoting his upcoming romance drama 'I, Me Aur Main' with his co-stars Prachi Desai and Chitrangda Singh.

"This is one of the best films in my career. I have actually lived up to my own age while acting in this film. I wish it could had been the first film of my career. I really liked working with John, he made my work really easy," said Prachi.

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Bhojpuri film industry has become Rs 2000 cr business: Manoj Tiwari

The Bhopuri film industry has become a Rs 2000 crore business, but it could be difficult for it to catch up with the South, Bhojpuri star Manoj Tiwari said.

"The Bhojpuri film industry has completed 50 years and is a Rs 2000 crore business now with over 60 films being released every year," Tiwari told in Ranchi.

"Its future is bright. But it can be difficult for the Bhojpuri film industry to catch up with the south," he said.

"Leave aside costly Tamil and Telugu film projects. Even Odiya and Bengali films have a budget of about Rs 1.5 crore, while Bhojpuri films are made with less than Rs 70 lakh," he said.

"Less budget means, less quality and less turnout," he said. He said the Rs 40 crore business done by 'Sasura Bada Paise Wala' in 2003 gave the Bhojpuri film industry hope.

"Talented script writers and directors can bring film goers to theatres. Now only one crore of 20 crore Bhojpuri-speaking people watch our movies. Talented hands can add four crore more people, for which there should be good payment to script writers and directors," the singer-actor said.

Tiwari, who is here for the February 24 Celebrity Cricket League tie between his Bhojpuri Dabang and Reitesh Deshmukh-led Veer Maratha, seemed disappointed at the huge gap of superhits between 'Nadiya ke Paar' and 'Sasura Bada...'.

"What can an actor do, if the director is poor?" he asked.

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Media, cinema are insensitive towards people's woes: Javed Akhtar

Noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar has criticised both media and cinema in the country for being "insensitive" towards the problems of the common man.

"It is sad to note that this insensitivity (towards common man) on the part of the media and cinema also extends to politics and other spheres," Akhtar said while delivering a lecture in Bhopal.

The Mumbai film industry has undergone a sea change from the time he entered it in the late 60s, Akhtar said, adding that when he first came to the metropolis, producers used to tell him that films should be written for those living in the small towns of the country.

"Those producers knew that if a film succeeded in small towns, it was bound to be a hit," he said.

These days producers are not even worried if their films are not screened in small towns, he regretted.

"We are now living in an age of multiplexes where a ticket costs around Rs 500 and producers feel that if their film is a hit even for a week in big cities, it will be a success," the 68-year-old artist noted.

Because of this thinking, now filmmakers are not concerned about majority of the country's population, he said.

In earlier films, the hero used to be a normal working man - a teacher, an advocate or even a rickshaw puller - but these days he is someone who lives in a palatial house and who has never seen life in small cities or towns, Akhtar said.

He also added that there was a time when Hindi films were known for their songs which were part of the script. During those days, special attention was paid to the picturisation of songs and this was evident in the work of filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Vijay Anand.

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Oscar best picture winners of last 20 years

Here is a list of the Best Picture Oscar winners from the last 20 years, ahead of this Sunday's 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Steven Spielberg's presidential drama " Lincoln" and Ben Affleck's Iran hostage drama " Argo" are seen as frontrunners, although it is seen as one of the least predictable Oscars races in recent memory.

2012 - "The Artist"

2011 - "The King's Speech"

2010 - "The Hurt Locker"

2009 - "Slumdog Millionaire"

2008 - "No Country for Old Men"

2007 - "The Departed"

2006 - "Crash"

2005 - "Million Dollar Baby"

2004 - "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

2003 - "Chicago"

2002 - "A Beautiful Mind"

2001 - "Gladiator"

2000 - "American Beauty"

1999 - "Shakespeare in Love"

1998 - "Titanic"

1997 - "The English Patient"

1996 - "Braveheart"

1995 - "Forrest Gump"

1994 - "Schindler's List"

1993 - "Unforgiven"

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Malaika Arora Khan refuses to dance!

Can you imagine inviting Bollywood's hottest item girl Malaika Arora Khan to a function and not getting her to show some dance moves?

That's precisely what happened at a function overseas. The organisers got Rani Mukerji, Karisma Kapoor and Malaika to attend the show and even gave them trophies.

Rani showed off some Aiyya dances and received applause. Karisma did some Bollywood dancing too. We've heard that even though Lolo is in great shape, she didn't have the stamina required for a live concert.

She was one of the most proficient screen dancers in her time, the actress is obviously out of touch with live performances because she seemed out of breath by the time her act ended.

Malaika who is usually a hot favourite when it comes to dancing, sat and just watched the show. And, everyone around was truly disappointed that Malaika didn't dance.

To follo Malaika, visit www.follo.co.in/malaika on your mobile.

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Bollywood is running out of original ideas: Ali Zafar

Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar, who will be seen in the remake version of 'Chashme Baddoor', says that remakes are made to earn profit when at times Bollywood runs out of original ideas.

However, the 32-year-old actor also acknowledged that films based on innovative subjects too are being made in the tinsel town.

"To some extent it is true that the industry is running out of original ideas. But the commercial model of film-making is to revamp a story, keeping in mind today's times and present it in a different way. Cinema is a business. The aim is to make profit," Zafar said in an interview.

Zafar, who has acted in television dramas in Pakistan, also pointed out that the commercial viewpoint and original ideas go hand in hand in Bollywood.

"But there are original films also getting made like 'Tere Bin Laden', 'English Vinglish', 'Vicky Donor'. Both the things exist. There are times when industry people are running out of ideas and while there are others who are trying out newer subjects," he said.

Directed by David Dhawan, 'Chashme Buddoor' is the remake of 1981 hit romcom by the same name.

"I think remakes are tricky. But if somebody knows the art of remaking, it is good. The best part of this film is the dialogues that Sajid-Wajid came up with. When we were narrated the film we were in splits, couldn't stop laughing," Zafar said.

The 1981 film was about three bachelor students - Farooq Shaikh, Rakesh Bedi and Jai Ravi Baswani- and how DeeNaval comes in their life.

The remake version will see Zafar essaying the role of Farooq Shaikh.

"I am sure comparisons will be made. One can't avoid it. I doubt if everyone has watched 1981 film, especially the youth.

It will be new for them," Zafar said.

"I play a normal, shy and soft-spoken guy. The film is really very funny, the punch lines are hilarious, and it is a remake of a cult movie redone in a modern way," he added.

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Bullet Raja: Saif to make nasty look cool

Actor Saif Ali Khan says although his character in new film " Bullet Raja" wears nasty clothes, he will still try to make him look cool in them.

"I think it is one of the most fun things when you do a role, try and find the look for the character. So 'Bullet Raja' is kind of like this (points to stubble) but a little, sort of wears pretty big and nasty clothes but hopefully we'll make it look kind of cool. That's the idea, nylon shirts and white pants and white shoes," the 42-year-old said during a photo shoot.

Meanwhile, Saif believes that to have a certain image can harm an actor's prospects in the industry but, nevertheless, it is still important.

"I don't know how important is it for an actor to have an image because an image can sometimes stereotype you. I think the less you know about an actor, the better. An actor should just actually have an image of being a good actor," Saif said.

"But there are many other aspects to an actor's income, like magazine covers, forming some kind of, you being a brand ambassador and people investing in you. But as an actor I don't think it's very important," he added.

Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, "Bullet Raja" also stars Sonakshi Sinha.

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Imran Khan all set to open animal shelter

Imran Khan's love for rescuing strays is known. The actor is so passionate about the cause that he, along with his mother Nuzhat and wife Avantika Malik, work dedicatedly towards rescuing stray dogs and cats, trying to put them up for adoption.

Now, the actor intends to take his passion to the next level and has bought a few acres on the outskirts of Mumbai, where the rescued animals will be kept till someone is ready to adopt them — or for life if need be.

A source says, "The star has purchased close to four acres and he will convert this into an animal shelter. He has plans to hire in-house veterinary doctors and staff who will attend to the rescued animals."

When asked if this was true, Imran said, "This is a cause that resonates with me. If I didn't do this, there would be no me. I'm that passionate about it."

He refrains from speaking about the animal shelter as yet, because plans are still underway. However, even as we speak, Imran has five cats and one dog at his Pali Hill residence and all of them have either been picked up from the street or brought to him by friends and neighbours who know the animals will find care.

To follo Imran, visit www.follo.co.in/imran on your mobile.

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I get into trouble for being honest: Arshad Warsi

Arshad Warsi, who plays a struggling lawyer in Jolly LLB claims that in real life he couldn't have thought of being a lawyer as he can't tamper things and has always been honest about his opinions.

"In Jolly LLB, I play a struggling lawyer. Jolly's aim is small and he doesn't want to be biggest lawyer in the country. However, wants a picture of his in newspapers, so that he can grab big clients," said Arshad.

On being asked about his personal experience, he said, "Personally I have never got involved in legal issues and I don't want to ever go to courtrooms."

Did he ever thought about being a lawyer? "I never thought of being a lawyer. In fact, when lawyers will see Jolly LLB, they might also give up their profession seeing Jolly's struggle (he chuckled). In fact, I get into trouble for being honest and I say things directly on face," answered Arshad.

When asked about his opinion on the judicial system in India, the actor claims to have a mixed view about the system. "I have a mixed opinion about judicial system in India. There is a certain way our system works. I might be wrong, but I feel that there is a different work going behind door and people do get justice. At times, the innocent get caught too. There are pros and cons in our system," concluded the actor.

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Anurag Basu hunts for Madhubala

Filmmaker Anurag Basu, who is scripting late singer Kishore Kumar's biopic, is still hunting for the actress to play yesteryear diva Madhubala in the film.

"I am hunting for Madhubala but it is too early to talk about it. Casting happens two to three months before we start shooting. The film is in its initial stage and would probably release next year," Anurag said.

While Ranbir has been roped in to play Kishore Kumar's role, there were reports that Kangna Ranaut or Katrina Kaif might step into the role of Madhubala. However, no official confirmation has been made.

The biopic will go on floors soon.

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I am attracted to Deepika: Ranveer Singh

We caught up with Ranveer for a chat at the Yash Raj Studios late on Wednesday and the actor was looking dapper in a white shirt and blue jeans. As we settled over some coffee and sandwiches, the actor opted for almonds. And we popped the first question:

Are you on a diet?
Yes. I have to become leaner for Gunday and Ram Leela.

You had a long stint with Bhansali, who is known to be a hard taskmaster. How was the experience?
He pushes your limits and makes sure you are better than your best! On the sets, he is not happy with anything less than magic. He is temperamental. But then so are most creative people. The best part about working with him is that he involves the actors in the making of the film.

Tell us about your relationship with Deepika.
I am not dating her. Bhansali wanted us to develop a comfort level, as the film we are doing is a passionate and intense love story. And while working on it, I grew fond of her.

But the way you hugged her at a Dubai nightclub was very conspicuous.
I come from a family where people are physically affectionate. Hugging and kissing comes naturally to me. It is a very casual thing.

Would one go all the way to Dubai to meet a friend who is returning to the city in the next 24-48 hours?
As I said, I am fond of her. I enjoy her company thoroughly. We do what normal youngsters do.

Which is?
(Smiles) Grab a coffee or go for a film.... But we usually have common friends with us.

Correct me if I am wrong. You went with Deepika to a New Year party in Alibag?
You are not wrong. We have a common friend in Alibag who invited us over.

Are you attracted towards her?
She is a very attractive girl. In fact, she is gorgeous. I am attracted to her for sure. Even before I worked with her, I was attracted to her. I always thought she was hot.

So how do you manage to hold yourself back?
Well that takes some doing ((laughs). But I manage.

Is it possible that your attraction develops into a strong relationship?
Who knows what tomorrow holds?

Earlier, your personality was more flamboyant. Why this sudden change?
I am an animated and flamboyant person. But it is being mistaken as brashness. So now I am trying to be more dignified. I am a normal youngster who loves to let his hair down at times and party. But, I was tired of being misunderstood. It seemed I was ruffling too many feathers within the industry. People thought I was being too straightforward. It is then that I started moulding myself to fit in. But, that is all a garb—inside it is the same Ranveer.

Were you scared of Shatrughan Sinha when you were linked up with Sonakashi?
Sonakshi and I were never in a relationship.

Are you satisfied with your career so far? Hasn't it suddenly become crowded out there?
I want to do different kinds of roles. It may seem that with the new breed of actors- Arjun, Varun, Siddharth, Ayushmann, Sushant—there is suddenly too much of a hustle to make space for oneself, but acting is subjective. And we motivate one another.

On the sets of Lootera, you shot yourself in the waist with a staple gun to experience the pain of a gunshot wound and your back suffered due to that. What made you do something that crazy?
It was not a staple gun. I had pinned paper clips and used to whack my waist to get a feel of that excruciating pain of being shot. Initially, I had a niggling injury, which later snowballed into a serious back problem. And my undoing got me bedridden.

Coming back to Deepika. She has said that she would love to see Anushka and you get back together as a couple. Your comment.
(Thinks hard) I was not dating Anushka. Deepika must have meant a couple in reel, not in real life. Yes, I became close to Anushka while we were shooting two movies back-to-back. But after that, both of us got busy with our own films and we drifted apart.

Deepika or Anushka- who is hotter?
(Shakes his head) I won't answer that question. Aren't we done?

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Everything in India is politicised: Boman Irani

Boman Irani, who play an arrogant, but brilliant lawyer in Jolly LLB claims that one should not go to courtrooms for family matters. The actor also talks about the judicial system in India and believes that Indians should push the government to perform.

Boman asserts that Jolly LLB is not just a comedy film and he has done his research on different lawyers. "I have followed many lawyers. In fact, my son's father-in-law is a lawyer and I have taken lot of notes from him," said Boman.

On being asked whether he had any personal experiences in the court, he said, "I believe that family matters should not go to court. Why to spend money and ruin relationships. Courtrooms are for people who are not getting justice. For quarrels, one should not go to courtroom."

When asked about his opinion on the judicial system in India, he claimed, "There is lot of change because of public outrage. Nothing happens without public participation and we are irresponsible Indians. When we become responsible we can expect the government to become responsible."

Citing the examples of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab, who were hanged while the public was kept in the dark came as a surprise to all and talking about the issue Boman elaborated, "Timing is of more important than the hush-hush way that they conducted things. If I am releasing a movie, I will either promote the movie after it's released or one year before but will time the promotion accordingly. One should not do things for any political mileage."

"Everything in this country has been politicised and what has Vishwaroopam got to do with politics? As a public, we need to be responsible and people need to get the government to perform. Government should know that if it's not performing, it won't be there," concluded Boman.

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Om Puri in no mood for reconciliation

It's been a while since their marriage hit a rocky patch and the only reason why Om Puri and wife Nandita haven't separated yet is their 15-year-old son Ishaan.

Yesterday though, TOI was surprised to chance upon Om at the Family Court in Bandra. After all, the actor had told this newspaper in June 2011 that Nandita and he had signed a MOU, where she had asked for two years before an official divorce, putting up certain conditions related to property etc. which he had agreed to. Later, in July 2011, we had reported that Nandita and her lawyer had received a letter from Om's lawyer, asking her for a divorce. However, she didn't consent at the time and a few months down the line, the couple decided to give their marriage a second chance. All was well for a while but by end-2011, the cracks in their relationship resurfaced.

Given this context, we were left wondering as to what Om was doing in court. After some digging, we found he had already filed for divorce in July 2012. Just that "he didn't want to make a noise about it and hadn't even told his close friends, which is why it never made it to the headlines till date," Om's friend revealed.

When contacted, Nandita confirmed Om wants to end their marriage. "But I have still not signed the papers. I am not taking this lying down. I have filed a legal suit against him under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act," she said. According to her, Om has stopped giving them money since September 2012. "Om wants us out from our Seven Bungalows flat. He wants his ex-wife Seema Kapoor to come and live with him," she said, adding "Om does not attend the court many times, saying he is busy. If he is really busy, how come he has no money to give us? He can give financial aid to folk singers in Canada but not us," she quipped.

On his part, Om, who was initially reluctant to speak, finally said, "Nandita is lying. I have been paying for her travel, all the bills, etc. I have coughed up Rs 350,000 for Ishaan's education. And what is this rubbish about me wanting her and Ishaan out? I have four flats; three are in our joint name. She has rented out one of these to a friend, who is paying her a measly Rs 5000 per month." He rubbished Nandita's claims about having a lot of work saying, "I am doing only Punjabi films at the moment."

So where is their marriage headed? Said Om, "Nandita painted a false picture of me in my biography ( Unlikely Hero: The Story of Om Puri), which she wrote despite my wanting Pawan Malhotra's ex-wife Aparajita to pen it. She alleged I had a relationship with the maid when fact is, it was the matron, who was looking after my 80-year-old father. I was only 36 then and unmarried. Was it such a crime? My fans were put off from buying the book and my image was sullied."

According to him, Nandita has a very bad temper and tends to get hysterical. "Currently, I am staying by myself in my fourth flat. I am 63 and have health issues. Please, I want some peace now," he said. At Om's response, Nandita shot back, "Om was a good husband until Seema Kapoor came back into his life in 2008. Our differences did not stem from the biography."

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Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns: Mugdha’s item song a satire on royalty

Mugdha Godse's item number in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns is said to be a satire on Indian royalty.

The song, composed by Sandeep Chowta and sung by Paroma Dasgupta, exposes the dark side and hidden agendas of influential people. The lyrics of the song, Media se keh du kya re main khule aam re, haye ke balma bandh kamre mein rajneeti kare, has been given a quirky touch.

Why mention the media in the song? Tigmanshu says, "People will not call the police, but the media to expose dubious activities. The royal family in my film has done something wrong and are celebrating, so the song."

About roping in Mugdha, he said, "She has never done an item song and I thought it would be interesting if she did it."

Mugdha is sure not complaining. The actress said, "The song is the flavour of the film, more so because the story is weaved into it. I loved the original Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster and feel thrilled to be a part of the sequel. I remember shooting in freezing cold for this song in Delhi. But all the hard work was worth the experience."

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns, Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Brandsmith Motion Pictures and Moving Pictures, releases on March 8.

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Imran Khan’s case to come up for hearing

Imran Khan filed a PIL against the government for setting the legal age of drinking at 25, around a year and a half back.

The case has finally come up for a hearing in the High Court and the young actor is really happy on this account. He has also managed to receive support from various quarters, especially from his fans. Imran has received around 2,300 posts encouraging him in his endeavour.

A source close to the actor says, "Imran's case is all set to come up for a hearing and he has earned a lot of support from his fans. Few of them had even landed outside his home and left messages for the actor." Those close to the actor say, "Imran is overwhelmed with the response."

Nearly 60 per cent of India's population in under the age of 25. "Imran condemns drinking and strongly believes it's bad for health. However, he feels that the youth should have the capability to decide for themselves what is good and bad. The government cannot take a stand on this," says Imran's official spokesperson.

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Zila Ghaziabad: Vinod Bachchan recalls his days of struggle

As his film Zila Ghaziabad is all set to hit the theatres, producer Vinod Bachchan recalls his days of struggle. Coming from Etah in Uttar Pradesh, his family was not even remotely connected to films.

"By the time I was in my adolescence, I had lost my parents. I came to Mumbai with just 500. I started approaching people for work and as an assistant, worked in various departments of filmmaking like direction and editing. But things were not easy monetarily. Then I set up a real estate business and my finances improved," he says.

Happy about how Zila Ghaziabad has shaped up, Vinod says he had to face many obstacles while making the film. "This is my first multi-star cast film. Hurdles are a part of filmmaking and if you can't face them, don't make films. Thankfully, I enjoyed everyone's support — from Bharat Shah and Mohammed Fasih to Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and Vivek Oberoi. The other actors — Paresh Rawal, Ravi Kishan, Minissha Lamba and Geeta Basra — were also cooperative."

Zila Ghaziabad, a Vinod Bachchan film presented by Bharat Shah and Mohammed Fasih, and released by Showman International, releases on February 22.

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Om Puri in no mood for reconciliation

It's been a while since their marriage hit a rocky patch and the only reason why Om Puri and wife Nandita haven't separated yet is their 15-year-old son Ishaan.

Yesterday though, TOI was surprised to chance upon Om at the Family Court in Bandra. After all, the actor had told this newspaper in June 2011 that Nandita and he had signed a MOU, where she had asked for two years before an official divorce, putting up certain conditions related to property etc. which he had agreed to. Later, in July 2011, we had reported that Nandita and her lawyer had received a letter from Om's lawyer, asking her for a divorce. However, she didn't consent at the time and a few months down the line, the couple decided to give their marriage a second chance. All was well for a while but by end-2011, the cracks in their relationship resurfaced.

Given this context, we were left wondering as to what Om was doing in court. After some digging, we found he had already filed for divorce in July 2012. Just that "he didn't want to make a noise about it and hadn't even told his close friends, which is why it never made it to the headlines till date," Om's friend revealed.

When contacted, Nandita confirmed Om wants to end their marriage. "But I have still not signed the papers. I am not taking this lying down. I have filed a legal suit against him under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act," she said. According to her, Om has stopped giving them money since September 2012. "Om wants us out from our Seven Bungalows flat. He wants his ex-wife Seema Kapoor to come and live with him," she said, adding "Om does not attend the court many times, saying he is busy. If he is really busy, how come he has no money to give us? He can give financial aid to folk singers in Canada but not us," she quipped.

On his part, Om, who was initially reluctant to speak, finally said, "Nandita is lying. I have been paying for her travel, all the bills, etc. I have coughed up Rs 350,000 for Ishaan's education. And what is this rubbish about me wanting her and Ishaan out? I have four flats; three are in our joint name. She has rented out one of these to a friend, who is paying her a measly Rs 5000 per month." He rubbished Nandita's claims about having a lot of work saying, "I am doing only Punjabi films at the moment."

So where is their marriage headed? Said Om, "Nandita painted a false picture of me in my biography ( Unlikely Hero: The Story of Om Puri), which she wrote despite my wanting Pawan Malhotra's ex-wife Aparajita to pen it. She alleged I had a relationship with the maid when fact is, it was the matron, who was looking after my 80-year-old father. I was only 36 then and unmarried. Was it such a crime? My fans were put off from buying the book and my image was sullied."

According to him, Nandita has a very bad temper and tends to get hysterical. "Currently, I am staying by myself in my fourth flat. I am 63 and have health issues. Please, I want some peace now," he said. At Om's response, Nandita shot back, "Om was a good husband until Seema Kapoor came back into his life in 2008. Our differences did not stem from the biography."

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The force behind the superstars of Bollywood!

There's a joke that asks, 'Who is more important than the Pope?' And the answer is — the Pope's driver. Why? It's because the driver is the one who takes the Pontiff around.

Likewise in Bollywood, there are driving forces behind our superstars, each with a distinct personality trait. While these traits are sometimes borrowed from the star, sometimes the people behind have their own individual characteristics.

In this context, a keen trade observer says, "One thing is clear, stars are constantly judged. With the constant media and public glare on them, they need to put their best foot forward, no matter what. Here's where the face behind them, or shall we say, the force behind them comes in handy." Without much ado, we come to some of the names that are associated with the stars and what they are all about.

Amitabh Bachchan (Rosy Singh): Always polite, never familiar. Her sentences start with a 'namaskar' and end with a 'thank you'.

Salman Khan ( Reshma Shetty): The best name there is in the business. Super efficient, super sensitive and a super gal.

Shah Rukh Khan (Pooja Dadlani): She was hired to make communication with the Bollywood Badshah easier. But from the limited experience one has had, she's harder to get through to than even the man who has hired her.

Aamir Khan (Advait): Young, energetic, friendly and can match Aamir's enthusiasm in conversations with the media, if required. Like his boss, he can disappear into oblivion too.

Akshay Kumar (Zenobia): Efficient only when her boss wants her to be, otherwise incommunicado. In short, she treats you exactly the way she knows her boss wants you to be treated.

Hrithik Roshan (Tanuja Mehra): As spaced out as the star. Very sweet on certain days, lost on many occasions.

Saif Ali Khan (Nazia Ali): Courteous, almost like a wallflower. Unflappable. Knows how to treat Saif's visitors and yet maintains a definite distance.

Katrina Kaif (Sandhya Ramachandran): Warm, efficient, engages you in a nice conversation because Kat can be very uncommunicative unless she's in the mood or you have the privilege of knowing her well.

Kareena Kapoor Khan (Poonam Damania): Correct and caring, just like the actress.

Sonakshi Sinha (Bhakti Nihalani): Courteous at the beginning of the meeting. Insists on sitting through it. Uncaring once the meeting ends.

Shahid Kapoor (Shanti): Polite and professional. Cannot take decisions for Shahid, so in a sense, she cannot improve his public profile.

Anushka Sharma (Ritika): No distinct personality trait, but fairly efficient with routine communication.

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Music should not be restricted to a 10pm deadline: Taufiq

"A lot has changed and evolved when it comes to classical music in India. People have become more aware and there is a sense of pride that is now being associated with Indian music and culture," says Taufiq Qureshi, the ace percussionist and an acclaimed composer, who will be performing at the World Percussion Festival, brought to you by the Times of India and ICCR, on February 23, in the capital. Also seen performing on the day would be Buhle Besintu from South Africa.

Son and disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Allarakha, and brother of Zakir Hussain, Taufiq chose a different path when it came to keeping the family tradition alive - instead of being a tabla player, he chose to be a percussionist. Did he ever feel pressurised to live up to his family name or feel overshadowed by his brother's fame? "I feel proud to have been born in this family. My father is like my God and my brother, who is 12 years elder to me, has always encouraged me to explore new areas in music," says Taufiq, who has also performed at the Grammys.

Explaining why he changed track from tabla to percussion, Taufiq says, "The A to Z of tabla was in my home. A for Ustan Allarakha and Z for my brother Zakir Hussain. So I figured that if I need to make a mark for myself, I'll have to speak a new language and that is how I decided to get into percussion."
One of the most sought-after rhythm-programmers and composers today, he has rendered background score and music for movies like Dil Chahta Hai, Saawariya, Dhoom 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Jab We Met.

Taufiq, whose stint with live performances began with the creation of his own world music band, Surya, way back in 1986-87, says he loves performing in Delhi, as the crowd in the capital is evolving. "The audience here has matured a lot over the years. At one point, Delhi used to have only classical performances, but that has changed now. People here appreciate rhythm - be it classical, western or alternate music - and festivals like these (World Percussion Festival) help us get a wider connect," he says.

But Taufiq has one complaint too. He feels that such music and such concerts should not be restricted to a 10pm deadline. "These performances take time to reach its peak. Be it jamming or any sort of jugalbandi, the artistes' work hard to build up the tempo, but by the time both the artiste and the audience get into the groove, the cops play party-poopers. I'd like to request the government to support us on this and extend the deadline, so that the artistes feel at ease," he says.

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Joy Mukerji’s plaque on hold after residents object

Residents objected to the location, forcing the late actor's family to pull down the brick structure

Recent reports stated the BMC have named a stretch of Yari Road in Andheri after late actor Joy Mukerji on the occasion of his birth anniversary on February 24. A marble plaque with his favourite quote engraved on it - You can't build an empire with money, you can build it with love - was supposed to be installed at a suitable location so as to announce the newly christened road.

While the late star's family has gone ahead and invited the who's who of the film frat, including Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, Govinda, Salim Khan and Helen, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh and Bappi Lahiri for the naming ceremony, their plans of putting up a plaque have been thwarted.

TOI has learnt that on Friday, the stage had been set and the family had actually started laying bricks at the site chosen by Mukerji's widow Neelam and his sons Sujoy and Monojoy. The site in question was just outside the compound wall of Sangeeta Apartments, where the family lives.

However, the neighbours, especially the residents of Sangeeta Apartments, raised strong objection to the choice of location and called the cops, forcing the Mukerjis to beat a hasty retreat. Yesterday, they had to dismantle the brick structure outside Sangeeta Apartments.

On Sunday, Neelam tried telling the residents she was doing no wrong by mounting a plaque outside their building but in vain. Kavita Malhotra, Secretary of Sangeeta Apartments, told this newspaper, "Neelam is in the wrong. She has no permission to encroach anywhere near Sangeeta Apartments. She has permission to set up the plaque, but only in the lane behind our building."

The other reason the residents objected was that the building's compound has only recently been beautified, with nearly Rs 25,000 spent on putting up grills, etc. Said Neelam, "This is a small matter. Some people in our neighbourhood are trying to get publicity in my husband's name."

Asked when the plaque would now be set up, Neelam simply said, "We are going ahead with our function on February 24. That's very much in place. That's all I want to say for now."

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Shah Rukh looks beyond Juhi's brother

He replaces Juhi's brother from the CEO's post of his company with KKR MD Venky Mysore.

In a difficult business decision, Shah Rukh Khan has replaced Bobby Chawla from the post of the CEO of his production house with Venky Mysore, who is the CEO and MD of Kolkata Knight Riders.

The announcement was made through a press statement which said: "Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt Ltd announced today that Venky Mysore has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer. He will take full responsibility for all the operations of the production house. In addition he will continue in his role as CEO and MD of the Kolkata Knight Riders."

The press release has no mention of Bobby or his future association with the company.

Bobby, who is the brother of Shah Rukh's colleague and close friend Juhi Chawla, has been in a state of coma since April 2010 and all this while Shah Rukh had stuck to his guns about not dropping Bobby from the CEO's post. However, with Red Chillies expanding its business manifold in leaps and bounds in the last few years, it had become imperative to appoint a hands-on CEO.

While spokesperson from the company said that "all due process" has been observed while taking the call, sources close to Juhi claimed that she had no clue of this sudden change. It was Bobby's relentless efforts that helped Red Chillies become the country's premiere production house and he also played a major role in acquiring Kolkata Knight Riders for Shah Rukh Khan.

In mid-January, when TOI last checked with Shah Rukh's office, it was told that Bobby will continue as the CEO of Red Chillies and that his work is being shared among senior members of management team.

According to sources, the decision to replace Bobby was taken in the first week of February and although Shah Rukh is concerned and pained with Bobby's situation, it was unavoidable as the workload was increasing each day and the company was unable to perform to its best with an in absentia CEO.

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Salman Khan adds muscle to brother’s team

In Hyderabad for the Celebrity Cricket League, Salman Khan watched from the sidelines as his brother Sohail's team lost the match, despite all the support from him and actress Chitrangda Singh, who joined him in the loud cheering. Earlier too, Sohail's team had ended up loser in the Kochi match.

Upset over his brother's defeat, a second time, Salman suddenly announced that he was open to playing the matches next year. His statement took all those present by surprise. Many in the industry were left wondering whether it was just a statement made at the spur of the moment or whether it carried a deeper meaning and purpose. TOI decided to investigate and this is what we found out.

A source close to the actor said, "Salman has been extremely upset that his brother's team is not in 'winning mode'. He feels his presence will make a huge difference to Sohail's team. He thinks he can change the fortunes of Sohail's men."

Salman even told his close friends that since winning is a habit with him (read: his recent blockbusters), he feels the magic will rub onto his brother's team as well.

But hasn't Salman been advised by his doctors not to indulge in too much action due to his trigeminal neuralgia condition? "After his trip overseas for treatment this year, Salman should be fully fit. The game is not necessarily about one's age; it's all in the mind," the source said and added, "Interestingly, Salman's presence will be rather intimidating to his opponents on the field and Salman knows this well."

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Aamir Khan blames patriarchal mindset for gender inequality

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, who has been at the forefront of a debate on gender equality, blamed the "patriarchal mindset" of people for the lesser status of women in society.

Aamir, who interacted with students at a girl's college with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron in New Delhi, said most of the queries from the young women were related to the low status of women in society and how they can best use their education.

"The patriarchal thinking is to blame for the status of women in society. We are all born with it. The feeling that men are superior," he told reporters.

"We have to deal with the problem in a mature manner. We have to stop first the girl child being killed, then we have to bring her at par with facilities there for the male child," he said.

Asked whether he saw movies as a medium to create awareness on the gender issue, he said: "Dealing with patriarchy is not easy. It is a gradual process. You have to win people over through whatever medium you can like -- movies, culture and art".

Khan, who interacted with the students for nearly 30 minutes with Cameron, said the girls had questions on how to get jobs inside and outside the country.

On corruption, he said there was a need to eliminate corruption from amongst ourselves since the society has corruption at all levels.

"Only then we can stop corrupt leaders from being elected," he said.

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Satish Kaushik to remake Bengali film in Hindi

Director Satish Kaushik will return to direction with the remake of Bengali film 'Bhooter Bhabishyat'. The 2012 release of Tollywood, which traces the life of a group of ghosts in an abandoned bungalow, was one of the highest grossers of last year in the Bengali film industry.

Kaushik, who met Bengali film industry superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee recently at an award function, is said to have discussed the project at length. Sources close to the actor inform that they were discussing the characters in the film and Prosenjit seemed to be excited with the remake. "The actor was seen giving his valuable inputs for the film. They discussed ways to translate the story keeping in mind the Bengali sensitivities. Prosenjit was over-excited and he explained the whole idea to Kaushik," confirmed a source.

Kaushik, who has confirmed that he has bought the rights of the film, says that even though he will consider the inputs by the actor, he prefers an entire Bollywood starcast for the remake. "BB was made in a Bengali atmosphere. The Hindi version will have a pan Indian audience. So I would like to have actors from Mumbai. Prosenjit is a dear friend and a great actor, but I am not considering him for the film," said Kaushik who is bowled over by the storyline of BB. "It is a wacky comedy with a social relevance and one of the best comedies to work on after Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. We are still finalising the cast," he added.

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