Katrina Kaif : Fever Pitch

Trust Katrina Kaif to be a thorough professional. The actress was down with heavy viral fever during the IIFA Awards held in Bangkok recently. The doctors had advised her complete bed rest. The organisers wondered whether Katrina would be able to live up to her commitment and perform live for the event.

In fact, taking the doctor's advice into consideration the organisers too suggested that Kats should just take it easy and not perform at the show. But Kats being Kats, popped in some antibiotics and was on the go! It was all rock and roll from then on.

Retracting from a commitment was out of question for her. And the kind of performance Kats dished out, not once did the onlookers come to know that Kats was completely under the weather, Looking as fresh as the morning dew, she not only had the audience on her side, but also the producers and directors who were stunned by her professionalism.

Looks like it's the offers that are now 'heating up' for the lovely Katrina.

Vidya goes ‘devil’ hunting in Toronto

She is one of the most gracious stars we know. At a recent episode during the shoot of Kismat Konnection, Vidya Balan realised her fascination for ‘devilry’. Apparently, the entire unit would go partying after pack-up everyday while in Toronto. So much so, that they soon started running out of great joints. And that’s when a friend of Vidya’s cousin who stays in the city recommended a place called ‘Devil’s Martini’ as a must-go.

From there started a real filmy tale that will stay with the unit members forever. Sharing it with Indiatimes Movies, Vidya said, “This is one incident that will stay with me for long. It may sound silly but it did freak all of us. I had the exact address with me and the entire crew, including me couldn’t wait to reach there and have a ball. But some how, when we reached the area, there was just no sign of ‘Devil’s Martini’.”

She added, “I even went ahead and asked the locals for direction who kept pointing a few blocks away but after hunting down the entire area, the nightclub was just nowhere in sight.”

A couple of days later, they once agin tried finding Devil’s Martini, but it could not be traced. The crew tried hunting it out on five different occasions during the entire shooting schedule, but it was nowhere to be found. In fact, the entire crew was so spooked by this, before eventually realizing that it is just not in their ‘kismat’!

But like they say, when it rains, it pours. On-set dress designer Shabeena Khan decided to take on the task of throwing parties regularly back in her hotel room which she shared with Rahila Mirza, the director’s daughter and writer of Kismat Konnection. And while the unit partied away to glory, they soon got so famous that it ended up in Shabina’s room getting ransacked!

“Shabina’s parties were really extravagant and trust me; we had the time of our lives. Unfortunately, some not-so-lucky beings got wind of our fun and one day when we returned from the sets, the entire room was ransacked, including even the peanut butter sachets and loose pennies,” revealed a giggling Vidya.

Shriya goes itsy-bitsy

Kollywood siren Shriya Saran is all set to scorch the screen this summer even as she turns cover girl for a popular men’s magazine.


She is the first South Indian star to be featured on the cover of the magazine, the photoshoot of which was done by celeb photographer Darren Centofanti on the outskirts of Mumbai.
The actress, who became a household name with Rajinikanth's Sivaji has been at the heart of some controversies, including the one where her 'inappropriate' attire at a function, where the Tamil Nadu CM was the chief guest, caused quite a stir.
Shriya is also acting in Ashok Amritraj's Hollywood flick The Other End of the Line, which co-stars Desperate Housewives hottie Jesse Metcalfe. The actress has her plate full this year as she will be seen sharing screenspace with Vikram in Susi Ganesan's Kanthasamy and play Sarath Kumar's daughter in Jaggubhai.

Amisha Patel’s skin show

All those who have seen the rushes of Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic are going gung ho about Amisha Patel.

Apparently the actress is looking wow in a glamorous new avtaar. More than her look, there’s plenty of skin show, but no one is complaining because the actress has worked on her body and is looking very hot and happening. In fact, we hear that with this film, she is planning to revamp her onscreen image from a girl next door to a sexy siren.

With a new boyfriend Kanav, who is ready to lay the world at her feet and now with her new sexy look, Amisha seems to be heading at the right direction. Now do we see Vikram Bhatt raising his eyebrows?

Smiliey Suri won’t stand eve-teasing

Bravo! Smiliey Suri should be applauded for her guts and the strength she displayed recently when she was almost rubbed off the wrong way.

The actress was at the Mahim Church last week when she was targeted by two rowdy boys who were lurking around the holy place. “I normally go to the church in the evening but this time I decided to go in the morning instead,” says the actress, who still gets goosebumps thinking about the incident.

“I noticed that there were two guys who were staring at me. They stood at a distance and kept saying something and smiling,” says Smiliey, who found the whole thing a little odd.

The actress, however, continued to pray and left the church to get into her car which was parked on the opposite side of the road. “When I was crossing the road, one of them brushed against my back, I stopped and turned and that’s when the other man, brushed against me from the front. I was shocked for a second and didn’t know what to do. I went up to them and asked them what they thought they were doing,” says the brave girl.

The boys looked as if they were doped, she says and denied doing anything intentionally. “But I kept arguing and also removed my shoe to hit them. That’s when two elderly women intervened and told me not to create a scene and let the boys off.” Smiliey then put her shoe down but when she was about to leave, she saw the guys laughing. “It was a smile of victory, like as if they had achieved what they wanted,” says the angry actress.

“But then I lost it, I just ran up to them, kicked one guy, punched the other one hard. I kept doing this for atleast a few minutes. Then I turned back and ran to my car. The whole incident shook me up and I was sobbing, but yet I was happy that I had taught them a lesson,” says the actress, who is still nursing a bruised wrist.

She is sure that the boys must have learned a lesson and won’t try the same thing again. “Girls shouldn’t let others take advantage of them. We are not weak, we can fight back too,” she says. Girls are you’ll listening?

A song Rahman wanted to sing

We all know that AR Rahman is the most sought after music director in our country and more than that he’s often accused of keeping the best song in the film album for himself...


Whether its Khalbali in Rang De Basanti, Khawaja in Jodhaa Akbar, Tere Bina in Guru and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na title track.
Laughs AR Rahman, "Actually that’s not true at all...Usually it is the producers or the filmmakers who insist that I should sing. In the case of Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na, it was the other way round.
I was very keen to sing the title track as it had a jazz ring to it and Abbas was not very keen to use a male voice.
I had to really convince him to let me sing the song. Thankfully it’s come out really well and now Abbas is very happy with the song.”
Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na marks the debut of Aamir Khan’s nephew and will have South Indian actress Genelia playing the female lead.
Aamir has gone all out to promote the film and has personally sat through the scripting and music sessions with Rahman.
With both Rahman and Aamir being perfectionists, this is one film to look forward to.

Preity Zinta off to Cannes

In between cheering for Team Mohali in the IPL and comforting the players, Preity Zinta has taken a few days off to attend the Cannes Film Festival as brand ambassador of a luxury watch and jewellery company.

“Can’t help it,” said Preity. “For two years now, I’ve been the brand ambassador for the company and I’ve to be at Cannes every year, come what may... ha, ha... pun intended.”

The actress has several events lined up in Cannes, but no movies. “There are no movies this year. I’d have liked to bring my film Har Pal, but it isn’t ready. If Rituparno Ghosh’s Last Lear is shown, I’ll go for it. But, my job as brand ambassador for this company will keep me busy for the next three days. I’ve a red carpet event. Then, a dinner organised by the company, followed by a picnic in the afternoon. Once I return to India, I will head immediately for my IPL commitments.”

Understandably, she’s exhausted. “But, I’m also exhilarated. The IPL has been a whole new learning experience for me,” said Preity, who is accompanied to Cannes by her cousin Inder. What about those who feel that IPL is confusing? “Not at all! It’s such an eye-opener. Players of different age groups and of different nationalities are interacting on one platform. The younger lot is learning from senior international names. Where would they get a chance to do that?”

Soha in a swimsuit

Soha Ali Khan sheds inhibitions and clothes”, says the cover page of Maxim, a men’s magazine. Well that is really a shock for her fans who love her girl next door image. Soha has surprised everyone by her sensuous side.

Her two piece bikini is a hot makeover for Soha who has been very much appreciated in her girl next door image. But don’t so be surprised by Soha’s new hot avtaar because she is not the first to show her sensuous side. Her mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore was known for her sensuous roles during her time. Interestingly Soha has been seen in her non glamorous roles in most of her previous films but her mother always had an extremely glamorous image.

It seems finally Soha has realized that apart from her great talent she needs to increase her glamour quotient. Maxim has given a great opportunity to Soha to flaunt her sinful side.

Maxim is a popular fashion magazine and it can be recalled that well known Bollywood actors like Bipasha Basu, Malaika Arora Khan, Mallika Shrewat, Sherlyn Chopra, Shilpa Shetty have posed for it.

Schwarzenegger is 'Sexiest Governor in the US

Actor/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has been voted the ‘Sexiest Governor in the U.S.’ by strippers.

According to the Playboy Radio poll, the ‘Terminator’ star - who is currently serving as the 38th Governor of California - is the one strippers would most like to date, reports Contactmusic.

Schwarzenegger has beaten President George W. Bush's brother Jeb, the Governor of Florida, and Michigan's Jennifer Granholm. Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned over a prostitution scandal earlier this year, landed at the 18th place.

According to published reports, investigators believe that Spitzer paid up to 80,000 dollars for prostitutes over a period of several years while he was Attorney General, and later as Governor.

Vidya Balan or Sania Mirza: Shahid is 'torn'

Actor Vidya Balan has been in the news for several wrong reasons, but she is going to make all the wrong right it seems. "As long as my work isn't ridiculed," says the actor, reacting to comments made on her bad sense of fashion.

Anyway, if what unit members of Kismet Connection say about hers and Shahid Kapoor's chemistry is to be believed, we may just be writing about B-wood's next big hit jodi . This good on-screen chemistry has translated into an off-screen alleged link-up. And while Vidya insists that love is still to happen to her – someone like George Clooney may just make it happen – news of Shahid's non-stop gupshup on the phone with Sania Mirza is catching many eye-balls.

So while most swore that love bloomed between Shahid and Vidya in Toranto, their tales in Mumbai nagariya aren't quite the romantic sorts. How boring! But with Kismet Connection , round the corner another pyar bhari kahani may just be on its way. Let's see if such kind of connection is really in their kismet !

Deepika: Ranbir is my boyfriend

Deepika Padukone may keep quite when asked personal questions here in India.

But she was not so silent in Dubai. According to reports, she was quite frank and forthcoming in answering the numerous questions the local Gulf press asked her.

She also denied rumours of a break-up with actor Ranbir Kapoor. She said they were still very much an item, and were currently happy with the relationship.

“Yes I have a boyfriend and we are happy,” she supposedly said during a recent visit to Dubai as the brand ambassador of a real estate company. Then why the rumours? “There is always a lot of speculation, but that is something you have to deal with. We are together and I refer to him as my boyfriend.” Deepika is currently working on Nikhil Advani’s Chandni Chowk to China, with Akshay Kumar.

Red hot Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra dyed her hair red for Harry Baweja’s film Love Story 2050.


And she did this twice. She went from black to red to black and then back again to red during the making of the film. Usually actors wear wigs, but this time Priyanka chose to do otherwise. The look is the brainchild of director Baweja, make-up maestro Mickey Contractor and hair stylist Thea. Baweja says, “The idea was to have a look that people could imagine and relate to. We didn’t want the actors to look like aliens. The film is set in the future, but it’s not about space travel. It took us six months to zero in on the final look.” He adds, “The biggest challenge about coming up with Priyanka’s futuristic look was to predict fashion trends 40 years ahead.” Looks like Priyanka’s going to win over more people as a red-head.

Actress Soha Ali Khan's arms licence cancelled

The arms licence issued to film actress Soha Ali Khan, whose rifle was allegedly used by her father and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi to kill a blackbuck, was cancelled on Thursday by a court in Gurgaon.

Gurgaon District Magistrate Rakesh Gupta cancelled the licence issued to Soha in November 1996 on the ground that she had not attained the mandatory age of 21 years when Soha applied for the licence.

According to the district officials, Soha was only 18 years old when she sought the licence. Under the Arms Act, a person has to be 21 years to get a weapon licence.

The DM, however, took no action against Soha. The original file relating to the licence has gone missing, the officials said.

They maintained that when she got her licence renewed in 2005, Soha did not make any reference to the weapon being allegedly used by Pataudi to hunt a blackbuck in adjoining Jhajjar district.

The District Magistrate, in his order, said that it was the "moral duty" on the part of Soha to have disclosed in whose possession the rifle was.

Soha's counsel V Bhushan Arya told mediapersons that Soha may file an appeal against the District Magistrate's order after getting its copy.

Arya claimed that she did not hide her age while applying for the arms licence in 1996 and while getting it renewed in 2005. It was the duty of the police to have verified such issues, he said.

Everyone is raving over Bebo's bikini

ebo's super hot look in Tashan is bringing her super accolades.

Everyone's been trying to copy Kareena's cool look in Tashan, just like it happened with Jab We Met earlier and of course, her never forgotten style icon appearance in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.

She wowed everyone as Poo and now she's wowing everyone all over again as Pooja in Tashan. Her red hot look has caught the eye of the industry and endorsement wallahs alike and designer Aki Narula the man behind the magic is hounded by clients asking him to give them ' the Bebo look.'

Everyone's raving about her va va voom hot bikini shot. Almost Hollywood straight out of James Bond film, Bebo positively scorched the scene in her bikini shot.

She can play the hottie and the girl next door effectively as proved by her in Tashan. And obviously Ms Kapoor's very thrilled with the response. And she's all fulsome praise for Aki.. Nirula the designer, not to be confused with her co star Akki!

"Words fall short to praise the kind of talent Aki has. He is one of the most talented designers we have.

He is just fantastic and what he has done for me in this movie is commendable he just changed my entire look; it is something that has never been seen before.

I think the whole idea of keeping it very grunge and rugged for me has really worked because I don't think an Indian actress has really done that on screen before..

We have all worked together as a team to give me a unique look.. I particularly love Pooja's signature outfit - A white shirt with nice jeans and boots. I think I live in that always and that's my style mantra!"

Amrita: When will Hollywood call?

After Aishwarya, many in apna Bollywood have been nurturing dreams of making it big in Hollywood.

Recently, when we asked the pretty actress Amrita Rao if LA featured anywhere on her career map and she was quick to say, “Yes, definitely. Aishwarya has set a trend and many Indian actresses want to head that way. The day isn’t far when many of us will make it big there.”

But, what about her? “Hollywood certainly features in my scheme of things. I’d love to do a good film there,” says Amrita. “The only difficult part is that we still need to be discovered,” she added. But, with Hollywood evincing interest in all things Indian, that day shouldn’t be too far, eh, Amrita?

Juhi on a new high!

Juhi Chawla, long tagged as the original Miss Bubbly, has recently discovered her sporty side .

Her new avatar as a cricket buff and promoter has meant she is taking more interest in the game than ever before.

But, Juhi is a wee bit disappointed with her team Kolkata Knight Riders’ loss in the last few games. “It is a disappointment, but ups and downs are part of the game,” Juhi says with a smile. She is quick to add, “We got off to a flying start with McCullum’s century. The team is getting along well as a unit. There are no frictions in the team. Of course, now with some of the players leaving, the composition will change a bit.”

The last time Juhi watched a match in a stadium was while she was in college, but she confesses that her knowledge of the game has increased post-IPL. “I used to watch cricket in snatches at home on TV. Now, I have become much more familiar and can recognise a lot of players,” she says.

Moving away from cricket, Juhi is busy promoting her latest film. In between, she is catching up on her ad shoots. “Also coming up is Kismat Konnection, where I have a guest appearance,” says Juhi. So, have priorities changed for her over the years? “Surely they have, with age. Previously, I was running around trees, but now every film has a different requirement. Now I first see the production house, and then who is directing it. The script is another concern. Earlier, most of the scripts were written on the sets,” says Juhi.

The moment we mention kids, Juhi’s face lights up. “Oh, they take up much of my time. But, it is nice to be around them,” she says. And, have they watched any of her films? “Shockingly enough, my kids haven’t watched any of my films. We have no TV c

Kate tops people's most beautiful list

/photo.cms?msid=3001428
Kate Hudson. (AFP Photo) More pics

People magazine unveiled Kate Hudson as the cover girl for its list of the world's 100 most beautiful people.

People said Hudson was chosen to showcase the unranked list because the natural beauty she represents is now at the height of fashion.

Hudson "just embodies such an incredible natural beauty that is in vogue right now," People Senior Editor Galina Espinoza said on The Early Show Wednesday.

"We've gotten so accustomed to celebrities getting breast implants and nose jobs, and she will talk about being flat-chested and having a little bit of an offbeat look."

Hudson, 29, daughter of actress Goldie Hawn, told the magazine that she can't remember the last time she had a manicure or a facial. "I don't do those kinds of things. And when I do, I always think, 'I should do this more often'," she said.

Also on the list were teen pop idols Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical, both of whom have been criticised for appearing in racy photos.

Hudgens also promoted the natural look saying "just recently I've learned to be okay with myself without wearing make up".

Among others on the list were Halle Berry, who makes a record twelfth appearance, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Matthew McConaughey, Johnny Depp, Alicia Keys and Beyonce

TV drama: Jane Austen a serial flirt

Jane Austen fans who think the novelist was a country mouse may be shocked by a new British TV drama which depicts her flirting, suffering from hangovers and reneging on the acceptance of a marriage proposal.

But the scriptwriter of 'Miss Austen Regrets' believes anybody who has read her books will recognize Austen as a woman of brilliant wit who knew her way around society.

"I am not dishing the dirt," said Gwyneth Hughes. "Some people might not like to see Austen with a hangover, but I am not out to shock."

Helen Lefroy, a distant relative of Tom Lefroy, a friend of Austen's, said the novelist may have been a livewire "but she wasn't wild."

"We know so little of her, but I do not think she was looking for marriage: she was looking to understand the relationship between men and women, which she used in her novels so well," Lefroy said.

The script for the BBC production, to be shown on Sunday, is based on the 100-plus surviving letters by Austen to her devoted sister Cassandra and to her young niece, Fanny.

Austen, who wrote the classics "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility," never found her own Mr. Darcy.

But the drama features a number of romances as well as a proposal of marriage, which the 27-year-old Austen initially accepted and then turned down after a night's reflection. "It would have been seen as incredibly rude and ill-brought up," Hughes said. "Fast, scandalous and wrong."

Later, a middle-aged Austen had a crush on a doctor 10 years her junior, who was treating her brother. "My judgment is she fancied him like mad," Hughes said.

Austen had been a tremendous flirt, and enjoyed partying, the scriptwriter added.

"She was a normal woman," Hughes said. "If she went to a party, she would have had some wine and woken up with a hangover."

Hughes believes many letters may have been destroyed by Cassandra to spare the feelings of friends, family and neighbors, and to protect her sister's privacy.

"She was lively and ferocious. Some of the comments about her neighbors make your eyes water." But there was enough in the letters to hint at "what might have been" in terms of romance, Hughes believes.

"We are very condescending nowadays, thinking they had buttoned-up and boring lives, but they were no more boring than ours, and some were more interesting. I am looking for Jane as she was, who we can relate to and understand in a modern world." said Hughes.

IPL cheerleaders get a cover-up

Cricket fans at the IPL match in Nerul were in for a double treat. Not only were there cheergirls, but also cheerboys to encourage the spectators at the Dr D Y Patil Sports Stadium on Sunday. But restraint was shown in dress as well as dance.

The cheerleaders for the Mumbai Indians appeared in shiny blue lycra suits that covered their entire bodies under matching silvery skirts. What surprised the fans was the presence of male cheerleaders.

"Wow, they have girls and boys too," said one of the fans as they cheered on their favourites, the Mumbai Indians, who were playing the Team Hyderabad.

Following the recent statements of the Navi Mumbai police, that they would strictly monitor cheerleaders on closed circuit television to check if they were doing anything "vulgar", there were restrained dance steps performed at the stadium.

The cheerleaders mostly did aerobics on the ground to be on the safe side of the law.

Navi Mumbai police commissioner Ramrao Wagh was himself present at the stadium to watch the match.

Approximately 30 minutes before the match started, the cheerleaders were brought into the stadium in a minibus under tight security. Wagh said that he found the cheerleaders to be "well behaved". The cheerleading troupe danced to Hindi film tunes.

However, the controversy surrounding the cheerleaders was soon forgotten by the fans as the players made their way out to play.

A cricket official told TOI: "Everything is going smoothly and we are happy the security and other arrangements are perfect. The crowd’s reaction showed that the people are not here to just oogle at the cheerleaders but to watch the match and enjoy it."

Is Ashlee Simpson really pregnant?

Pop star Ashlee Simpson has further fuelled speculation she is pregnant by again refusing to be drawn on the claims during the taping for a U.S. TV show.

After Simpson and rocker beau Pete Wentz announced their engagement earlier this month, sources immediately alleged the Boyfriend singer is expecting the couple’s first child. The pair have since made numerous TV appearances and failed to clear up the rumours even spoofing them by making a video showing Simpson wearing a fake baby bump. And the 23-year-old singer remained coy about the subject when she was quizzed about the baby rumours during her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show which is due to air soon in the US. When asked directly by host DeGeneres, "Are you or are you not pregnant?" Simpson responded by saying, "Well, that has been going on for quite a while. That is something that I choose personally not to discuss."

DeGeneres then made her promise she would not keep the public guessing for as long as fellow singer Jennifer Lopez who waited until her swollen belly was so obvious, no one was surprised when she finally confirmed the baby news. Simpson told DeGeneres: "I swear. I promise you that. I give you my pinky (little finger) on that." The pair then hooked fingers to seal the deal. She also dodged one final attempt by DeGeneres to catch her out. When asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?" Simpson laughed and responded, "You’re funny."

Meanwhile in related news Pete Wentz has credited his fiancee Ashlee Simpson and his regular therapy sessions with helping him overcome depression. The bassist recently admitted that he was once so depressed he tried to kill himself. But Wentz is convinced that although he still battles with mental health issues, his relationship with Simpson has made him more emotionally balanced. He says, "The hardest thing about depression is that it is addictive. It begins to feel uncomfortable not to be depressed. You feel guilty for feeling happy. I think I’ve come to terms with that over the last six months. I’m in a happier place... Things are so good with Ashlee. To be in a position where you're with your best friend and you can hang out with them all the time is great. I never have moments of doubt with her." The couple announced their engagement earlier this month after dating for two years.