Says a source, "Mugdha and Madhur may have appeared to be cordial and even posed for snapshots on the red carpet. But when it was time for both of them to go up on the stage, Mugdha refused to share the space with him.

As a result, director Ken Ghosh was roped in to present the award along with her." The awards event was organised by a channel at the Yash Raj Studios.

Adds the source, "Mugdha's sudden change of mind shocked the organisers. However, she did not mind going up on the stage with anyone else.

" Though Madhur had provided her a break in Bollywood with Fashion and later she also did Jail with him, buzz is that all is not well between the duo. Though they greet each other cordially in public, there is a bit of resentment from Mugdha as she was left to make it on her own in Bollywood.

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And if reports are to be believed, the Jab We Met actress is going to play a schizophrenic character. Reports also suggest that Bebo plans to shoot exclusively for the film as she feels essaying a schizophrenic character will be taxing.

And without a Khan as her co-star, Kareena wants to totally drown herself in the character. Madhur is likely to begin shooting for the project by the end of November which is when Kareena will have wrapped up all her major projects.

(With Mid-Day inputs) Tweet (less)

"Yes, we showed the middle finger but the censors are not okay with it. They don't care what is happening on the internet.

My teenage cousins are seeing things, worse things than what is happening in the cinema. Just one finger is not going to change anything," the 26-year-old actress said while promoting "Players" at a radio station here.

Earlier, Ranbir Kapoor was seen raising his middle finger in "Rockstar", but the censors didn't object to this. Sonam, daughter of actor Anil Kapoor , defended her act, terming it a part-and-parcel of the lives of today's youth.

"It's the normal language that we use in our day-to-day life, especially us young people. I am not saying that it is a good thing to do, but it's very today.

If I am playing a girl of today, and I speak this way and I am not going to say the 'F' word, it will look very unreal," she said. Meanwhile, Sonam is happily lapping up all the praise coming her way for her uber-cool and hot look in "Players".

Co-starring Abhishek Bachchan , Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bobby Deol and Bipasha Basu , the film will release Jan 6, 2012. Sonam is also looking forward to working on Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", opposite Farhan Akhtar (less)

The 32-year-old actor came to be known as Hindi cinema's serial kisser after numerous lip locks in films like Murder, Zeher, Aashiq Banaya Apne, Gangster and Jannat . "The tag would never go.

I tried to get rid of it, but it follows me everywhere. I have done so many films with it (kissing) and so many people went and watched those films.

So probably they want to remember me for that. And if kissing is a great way to remember me, I have no complaints! My audience base is there and I can't change overnight," Emraan told IANS in an interview.

"I am trying out different things in my forthcoming films. Hopefully it would be another dimension, which would change people's perception about me," he added.

The Dirty Picture is said to have Emraan in yet another kissing scene, this time with actress Vidya Balan. He however stresses that the film, based on the life of the late southern sex icon Vijayalakshmi aka Silk Smitha, takes sexuality to a different level.

"It's a different take on sexuality. Sexuality in my films was shown differently before this.

The Dirty Picture takes it to a different level," said Emraan. The first trailer of the movie has already created a buzz, with Vidya in a bold new avatar.

Emraan plays one of the three men in her life, while the other two male characters have been essayed by Tusshar Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah. "I play a movie director who believes in artistic cinema.

He is one who doesn't really give a damn about commercial viability of a film. He would rather make a film, which critics will appreciate; he sticks to his guns creatively, never budges from his creative instincts of a film and the content the film.

It's a very different character that I haven't played before," said the actor. The Dirty Picture , produced by Ekta Kapoor, and directed by Milan Luthria, will release on Dec 2, which happens to be Silk Smitha's birth anniversary.

Even though the movie is being promoted as Silk Smitha's biopic, Emraan says it has been spiked with fiction for commercial value. "It's basically a fictional film.

It might have been taken from different sources and it's about the southern film industry, about the actress, her rise, her stardom and her relationship with these three men..

.Eventually, lots of comparisons can be made but lots of things have been added for commercial effect.

So I wouldn't say it's truly a biopic," he said. This is the first time that Emraan has teamed up with the critically acclaimed Vidya.

"Vidya is a great actress. Our combination is new.

It's a great experience working with her. Every character in the film is very intriguing and interesting; so we share a very different kind of chemistry on screen.

" He is also in awe of veteran actor Naseeruddin. "Naseeruddin is god of acting.

I did a couple of scenes with him, which was a great learning experience," said Emraan. Bipasha Basu offered prayers at the Lal Baug Ka Raja pandal: "Went to get blessings from Lal Baug Ka Raja! Most amazing darshan and aarti ! It was my mother's wish for six years and I am happy I could take her there.

" Seen here with singer Sonu Niigaam. Tweet (less)

All the three heroines of Sajid Khan's Housefull - Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan had men drooling over them as they were seen prancing around in a two piece on the beach comfortably. Anushka Sharma too has joined the bikini club and she will be seen wearing it in Yashraj Film's (YRF) Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl.

YRF had got Esha Deol and Bipasha Basu to wear a two piece swimwear for Dhoom and Dhoom 2 respectively. Shazahn Padamsee, who joined the Housefull 2 team some time back, is very much keen on donning a bikini, but sadly for her, the film may not require any of its female leads to wear an itsy-bitsy outfit since the film's sequel doesn't demand so.

But, the perky actress is hoping that Sajid Khan brings in a twist in the tale and she gets the opportunity to wear a bikini. "I am full on.

.I am dieting, I am working out, I am fit.

.bikini dena hai de do," she said recently.

And now it is Sonam Kapoor who would like to shed the girl-next-door image and wear a bikini. Sonam says, she has absolutely no inhibitions in wearing one.

"I have worn angrakhas, salwar-kameez, bandana, jeans, skirts, gunjee - whatever it takes. If the character I play is on the beach - the correct gear would have to be a bikini.

And then I wear it in real life, too," she squeals away naughtily. But the only problem is her figure, she says.

"I want to wear a bikini but currently my figure doesn't permit me to do so," adds Sonam who will be seen in a glamorous avatar in soon to be released Players. Few years back Priyanka Chopra or Piggy Chops flaunted her body in Dostana in a gold colour bikini.

Then Kareena Kapoor set the temperature soaring in a hot bikini scene in Yash Raj's Tashan where she flaunted her size zero hot bod in Chalia..

. song.

Lara worked really hard for a perfect bikini body in underwater adventure movie Blue. Kangana Ranaut was easily convinced by director David Dhawan to wear one in the recently released Rascals.

Mallika Sherawat wore a bikini in Bachke Rehna Re Baba. A very bold and confident Mugdha Godse looked extremely hot and comfortable in a bikini scene in her debut film Fashion.

Voluptuous Ameesha Patel shed off a few kilos to seduce Saif Ali Khan in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic's Lazy Lamhe song. Her underwater sensuous moves in bikini was the only highlight of the flop film.

The bikini babes have certainly arrived in a big way in Bollywood (less)

Madhur, who is known for his staunch spiritual and religious beliefs said, "Spiritual visits are for the soul and this trip is a part of my regular spiritual dosage. I am rejuvenated and elated to be here.

I thank God to have supported me through the first schedule of this journey of making the film." Ask him about the film that remains one of the few to generate so much controversy even before its shooting started; what with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being dropped out of the project owing to her pregnancy and being replaced by Kareena Kapoor; and he is very hopeful about the film's outcome.

"As I had visualized, "Heroine" is shaping up to be a very contemporary film with a different premise and strata. This film, like most of my other films is a blend of facts and fiction.

The film has a larger span, more characters, and costumes..

. a journey that revolves around an actress's life and the showbiz," he added (less)

All the three heroines of Sajid Khan's Housefull - Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta and Jiah Khan had men drooling over them as they were seen prancing around in a two piece on the beach comfortably. Anushka Sharma too has joined the bikini club and she will be seen wearing it in Yashraj Film's (YRF) Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl.

YRF had got Esha Deol and Bipasha Basu to wear a two piece swimwear for Dhoom and Dhoom 2 respectively. Shazahn Padamsee, who joined the Housefull 2 team some time back, is very much keen on donning a bikini, but sadly for her, the film may not require any of its female leads to wear an itsy-bitsy outfit since the film's sequel doesn't demand so.

But, the perky actress is hoping that Sajid Khan brings in a twist in the tale and she gets the opportunity to wear a bikini. "I am full on.

.I am dieting, I am working out, I am fit.

.bikini dena hai de do," she said recently.

And now it is Sonam Kapoor who would like to shed the girl-next-door image and wear a bikini. Sonam says, she has absolutely no inhibitions in wearing one.

"I have worn angrakhas, salwar-kameez, bandana, jeans, skirts, gunjee - whatever it takes. If the character I play is on the beach - the correct gear would have to be a bikini.

And then I wear it in real life, too," she squeals away naughtily. But the only problem is her figure, she says.

"I want to wear a bikini but currently my figure doesn't permit me to do so," adds Sonam who will be seen in a glamorous avatar in soon to be released Players. Few years back Priyanka Chopra or Piggy Chops flaunted her body in Dostana in a gold colour bikini.

Then Kareena Kapoor set the temperature soaring in a hot bikini scene in Yash Raj's Tashan where she flaunted her size zero hot bod in Chalia..

. song.

Lara worked really hard for a perfect bikini body in underwater adventure movie Blue. Kangana Ranaut was easily convinced by director David Dhawan to wear one in the recently released Rascals.

Mallika Sherawat wore a bikini in Bachke Rehna Re Baba. A very bold and confident Mugdha Godse looked extremely hot and comfortable in a bikini scene in her debut film Fashion.

Voluptuous Ameesha Patel shed off a few kilos to seduce Saif Ali Khan in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic's Lazy Lamhe song. Her underwater sensuous moves in bikini was the only highlight of the flop film.

The bikini babes have certainly arrived in a big way in Bollywood (less)

We take a quick sneak peek into Neha's Bollywood diary and ask her about her journey so far in the industry. Tell us a bit about your character in the movie ' Luv U Soniyo' My character in the film is that of a Punjabi girl who is upbeat and lively.

She is someone who carries positive energy with her wherever she goes. She loves to aspire big and is her family's favourite child.

I did not have to struggle or put in much effort to bring out the real character because 'Soniyo' is very much like me in real life. The fact that I could relate to the character made me believe that I can portray it with correct passion and genuity.

Does acting come naturally to you or have you undergone a professional training for the film? I am a software engineer by profession and Bollywood has never been a conscious decision for me. It happened by chance and now that I am into it, I am ready to explore its depths.

Yes, I would definitely like to polish my acting skills so that I find myself at ease with other film projects sure to come my way in the near future. As far as Luv U Soniyo is concerned, I just let myself loose and that I guess worked! Your experience shooting for Luv U Soniyo It has been a fun ride.

I remember my first shot was in Goa and that was like living a dream. My co-star Tanuj Virwani (son of yesteryear actress Rati Agnihotri) and I shared a rocking equation on the sets.

My director Joe Rajan helped both of us bring out our true potential in the film. Our chemistry in the film is one of the highpoints to watch out for.

I had never met Tanuj before but we clicked instantly at the shoot and I think this will reflect onscreen too. How far has Miss India helped you carve a niche in Bollywood? Did it come easy? Most definitely! Miss India has played the role of a catalyst in giving me a quick entry into Bollywood.

I was adjudged the Bollywood Diva during the pageant and I can proudly say that I was the only contestant (who did not win the International crown) to have been selected by veteran director Madhur Bhandarkar for his film. However, prior commitments, preparation for Miss International pageant and a host of other reasons did not allow me to be a part of the film.

In fact it was Madhur Bhandarkar who recommended me to Joe Rajan for Luv U Soniyo and I am grateful to him for that. Dream directors you would like to work with.

..

Oh! The list is endless. Some of the names that come to my mind are Imtiaz Ali, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and of course the Yash Raj banner.

The kind of roles you'd want to do..

. I am open to all kinds of roles for I believe it is important to be versatile and experimental to be recognised in Bollywood as an actor.

Current projects/ endorsements you are associated with..

. No, there are no projects in the pipeline as of now.

For the time being my focus is only on 'Luv U Soniyo', the shooting of which got completed earlier this month. Dubbing and other technical details are still at finishing stage.

After that I will be off on a vacation to Pune and spend quality time with family and friends. We wish Neha the best for all her future endeavours (less)

Kareena will definitely be a shock element to the people because of the way she has worked in the film," the 43-year-old producer-director said here at the launch of photographer Dabboo Ratnani's calendar. "I am looking at the film because I know the story, I know the screenplay, I know the dialogues.

She will be fabulous," he added. Known for his films like Chandni Bar, Satta, Page 3, Traffic Signal and Fashion , Bhandarkar believes "Heroine" will be a milestone in Kareena's career.

" Heroine is 25 per cent over. The next schedule is in February, March and April and the picture will release in September.

The way you people are waiting for the film, so am I. I hope it finishes really soon," he said.

The director found himself in a tight spot when Aishwarya Rai, the original choice for the film, decided to quit the project due to her pregnancy. Kareena is also expected to tie the knot with Saif Ali Khan early this year and the actress may wrap the film up before that.

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The first big release of year 2012 is Abbas-Mustan's multi-starrer action-thriller "Players", starring Abhishek Bachchan , Sonam Kapoor , Bipasha Basu , Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bobby Deol and Sikander Kher. The actors are extensively promoting the film.

The film has already created a lot of buzz for its action sequences and ultra-glam avatar of the leading ladies Bipasha and Sonam. The film boasts of action and thrills galore.

This will be followed by horror film "Ghost", which marks the comeback of actor Shiney Ahuja . Shiney's movie career hit a rough patch when he was convicted by a Mumbai fast track court of raping his domestic help two years ago.

The actor has challenged the sentence in the Bombay High Court and is currently out on bail. "Ghost" will release alongside Hriday Shetty's "Chaalis Chauraasi", a crime-humour offering, starring Kay Kay Menon, Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Kishan and Atul Kulkarni.

This year will see two Karan Johar flicks - "Agneepath" and "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu" - hitting theatres. A remake of the 1990 film, "Agneepath" sees Hrithik Roshan stepping into the shoes of Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan alongside Sanjay Dutt who plays baddie Kancha Cheena.

Set for a Jan 26 Republic Day release, it also features Priyanka Chopra. Romantic comedy "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu", starring Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor, will release in February.

The new year will be high on comedy with Akshaye Khanna's "Gali Gali Chor Hai", Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D'Souza-starrer "Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya", Bipasha-Madhavan's "Jodi Breakers", Sajid Khan's "Housefull 2", Sachin Yardi's "Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum", Sameer Sharma's "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" and Rohit Shettty's "Bol Bachchan" scheduled to release. Vishal Bhardwaj's comedy "Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola", set in a rustic Rajasthani backdrop, goes on the floors in February and is slated for release later in 2012.

It stars Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma. Actress Sonakshi Sinha once again hopes to make it big with "Joker", "Son of Sardar", "Dabangg 2" and "Lootera".

While the "Dabangg" sequel reunites her with Salman Khan, she will be seen opposite Akshay Kumar in "Joker". "Son of Sardar" and "Lootera" have Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh as her co-stars respectively.

Audiences would be introduced this year to a new genre of zombie-comedy with Ekta Kapoor's "Rock The Shaadi", starring Abhay Deol . Those looking for thrills and action wouldn't be disappointed either.

Apart from "Players", "Agent Vinod", "Blood Money", "Tezz" and "Jannat 2", Aamir Khan-starrer "Talaash", Akshay Kumar's "Rowdy Rathore" and "Race 2" are lined up for release. After a bold performance in "The Dirty Picture", Vidya Balan will return with the thriller "Kahaani", a story of a pregnant woman in search of her missing husband.

After three back-to-back hits with "Wanted", "Dabangg" and "Bodyguard", Salman Khan will once again attempt to strike gold with Kabir Khan's romantic thriller "Ek Tha Tiger". "Rockstar" Ranbir Kapoor's next big release "Barfee", directed by Anurag Basu, will see him playing a deaf individual, while Priyanka Chopra will esssay a mentally challenged girl.

It is a murder mystery. Movie biopics "Paan Singh Tomar" starring Irrfan Khan, and Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra's "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", with Farhan Akhtar in the lead, would also release this year.

Two of the most popular actresses are making a comeback this year. Sridevi will return to the big screen after 15 years with Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish", which is is produced by Balki of "Paa" fame.

Karisma Kapur also makes her acting comeback with Vikram Bhatt's horror film "Dangerous Ishq". Madhur Bhandarker's ambitious project "Heroine" starring Kareena Kapoor will see the light of the day in 2012.

Sharman Joshi's first solo project "Ferrari Ki Sawaari" and Prateik's "Ekk Deewana Tha" will also release this year. (Priyanka Sharma can be contacted at priyanka.

s@ians.in) (less)

It is learnt that Bobby has been roped into the team for his bowling skills. Our source says, "Although Bobby is good with the bat too, it's his swingers that have impressed Suniel Shetty and Sohail enough to bring him to their team.

" It appears that Suniel is instrumental in getting players from Bollywood to build a good team. "Besides, the starry line-up will get a bigger audience for the tournament next month," adds our source.

Bobby's love for the game is well known in B-Town. "Bobby's known to indulge in the game with his friends as and when time permits.

So when he was asked to join the Mumbai Heroes, he immediately agreed," reveals our informer. Not surprisingly, the actor has also started practicing with his team mates at the Air-India ground in the suburbs.

"Bobby is a good bet to spearhead the bowling attack. And he can be a solid batsman to hold the middle order if the going gets tough," said our source (less)

one'' will pay tribute to southern superstar Rajnikanth , whose ''Endhiran'', a 2010 Tamil science-fiction film, broke many box office records. Reports of similarities between 'Endhiran' and ''Ra.

one'' have been surfacing since SRK's film went on the floors but the Bollywood actor claims that his release is different. They (Endhiran and Ra.

one ) are different films and how to compare. Ours is a different film.

I will not like to talk or claim about anyone elses film but Rajni sir is respectable to all of us. Actually, we have a tribute to Rajni Sir in the film.

We love him," Shahrukh told reporters here last night. ''Ra.

One'', a science-fiction superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha, stars Shahrukh, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in lead roles. It also stars Shahana Goswami, Dilip Tahil and Chinese-American actor Tom Wu in supporting roles.

While ''Endhiran'' directed by S Shankar featured Rajinikanth in dual roles--as a scientist and an android robot--alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Shahrukh said his film is indigenous and made in India.

"Everything you have seen is produced here?we are proud of it and have done a great job. We have taken the technology forward and we should be proud of it," he said.

Besides, ''Ra.one'' will also be dubbed in Tamil and Telugu for the southern audience.

"The film will be dubbed in Tamil and Telugu. Dubbing for Tamil and Telugu is going on simultaneously.

Also, we intend to dub the film in German and some other languages," he said. ''Ra.

one'' is all set to release on October 26 (less)

Bhandarkar has not only decided on the schedule for Heroine start-to-finish, but also started with his next project, Fashion Part 2. A sequel to the 2008 blockbuster, Fashion, Bhandarkar's next project after Heroine will be co-produced by Bhandarkar Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures.

Fashion, a film that revealed the darker side of the fashion world, marked the debut of Bhandarkar's production house in 2008. A source told Mumbai Mirror, "Bhandarkar and UTV's head honcho Ronnie Screwvala were both very keen to make the second part of Fashion.

Fashion did really well and also earned the lead actress Priyanka Chopra a lot of critical acclaim. Looks like finally, Bhandarkar and Screwvala will have their dream come true.

They have decied to launch the second part to Fashion in 2012." Heroine, which had originally gone on floors in June with Aishwarya Rai was halted midway due to the actress' pregnancy.

The film will now go on floors in November with the new lead actress Kareena Kapoor. "Fashion Part 2 will go on floors in December 2012," added the source.

Whether the sequel will star Priyanka Chopra, one of three female leads in the original is still not decided. "The cast has not been finalised.

Bhandarkar will zero down on a few names and then shortlist them. Right now, he is totally focused on Heroine," said the source (less)

Women have played several roles on screen - helpless mother, submissive wife, devoted girlfriend and ignored sister. But over a decade, filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali , Shyam Benegal, Vishal Bhardwaj have tried to break the stereotype and present them in a more realistic way, and successfully too.

IANS lists women-centric films in the past decade that have ruled the box-office or garnered critical acclaim: "The Dirty Picture" (2011) - Vidya Balan's itsy bitsy clothes, cleavage-showing blouses and raunchy dance numbers swept the audience off their feet even before the film hit the silver screen, but her powerful and crisp dialogue delivery and easy portrayal of the character took the attention away. The film is an unofficial biopic of southern sex symbol Silk Smitha, her rise to fame and downfall.

"7 Khoon Maaf" (2011) - Priyanka Chopra won critical acclaim for her performance as Susanna, a potentially loathsome serial spouse-killer. At the outset Priyanka's character seemed negative but at the same time it gave an insight into a woman's heart and soul.

Rather than hate her, many ended up sympathising with her. "No One Killed Jessica" (2011) - Based on the real-life murder of model Jessica Lall in 1999, this film kickstarted the year on a positive note.

While Vidya Balan triumphed with her non-glamorous and distraught portrayal of Jessica's sister Sabrina, Rani Mukerji's unprecedented use of abuses as a journalist raised quite a few eyebrows but brought critical acclaim for her. "Fashion" (2008) - Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar , "Fashion" gave a sneak peak into the dark reality of the glamour world.

Priyanka stole the show with her powerful and intense performance as a girl who goes from aspiring model to supermodel before her descent. The actress played a bubbly girl, who connected with the darkest of human emotions while pursuing her dream.

Her performance also won her a national award. "Dor" (2006) - A Nagesh Kuknoor film, "Dor" was the poigant tale of two women and how their fate brings them together.

Relatively new to the world of cinema, both Ayesha Takia and Gul Panag proved their mettle as actors with their distinctive performances. "Black" (2005) - Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, "Black" was one of the best films of Rani Mukerji's career.

Her portrayal of a deaf and blind girl and how she forms a strong bond with her teacher played by Amitabh Bachchan won her accolades from all over the world. The film brought out the untapped potential of the actress.

"Chameli" (2003) - "Chameli" was a brave attempt by Kareena Kapoor , where she played a sex worker. With her over-the-top makeup, bright coloured saris and intense portrayal, Kareena proved that she is much more than just glamorous.

"Zubeidaa" (2001) - A Shyam Benegal film, "Zubeidaa" starred Karisma Kapoor and Rekha in prominent roles. It was the story of a girl who gets married into a royal family and frets about the restrictions on her as princess and often vents her frustrations at not having her husband to herself.

The film saw Karisma in a completely different avatar. "Lajja" (2001) - Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, "Lajja" satirized the status of women in society and the restrictions on them.

The film chronicled the story of four women with the names Maithali, Janaki, Ramdulhari and Vaidehi that are considered to be the versions of Sita. The film starred Manisha Koirala , Rekha, Madhuri Dixit and Mahima Chaudhry.

"Chandni Bar" (2001)- Madhur Bhandarkar's "Chandni Bar" was again the heartwarming story of a sex worker played by Tabu and how she struggles to provide a better lifestyle to her kids, keeping them away from the gritty world of prostitution. Tabu walked away with the national award for best actress (less)

Breaking away from this serious stereotype, Kulkarni will be seen, perhaps for the first time in a completely comic avatar in Hriday Shetty's Challis Chaurasi. Confirming the story, the actor said, "Yes, this is a first for me.

I started off my career with Hey Ram and followed it up with Chandni Bar. These films created an image of me.

The image stuck with me. Ironically, I started off my stage career with comedies.

Even when I was in NSD (National School of Drama, New Delhi), I essayed quite a few comic characters. However, I never got a chance to do comedies in my film career.

Because of my image, I always ended up getting serious roles." However, Atul Kulkarni doesn't deny that his first attempt at comedy was in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6.

"My character Gobar was a light hearted and simple man. But that wasn't outright comic.

Challis Chaurasi certainly is a surprise. Hriday Shetty believes that my character of Bobby will surprise everyone," added the actor.

Talking about the film, the actor revealed, "In Challis Chaurasi, Naseerbhai ( Naseeruddin Shah , Ravi Kishan , Kay Kay Menon and I play four undercover cops. It is a comic thriller.

Since there are no female leads in the film, we do the dancing and singing part as well." (less)

Veena has already shot for the item song in Ritesh Deshmukh-Genelia D'Souza starrer Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya directed by Mandeep Kumar. In the Channo song, Veena plays a dancer, who comes to Mumbai to entertain politicians through her sizzling and sensuous performance.

"Veena was never exposed to item songs; she can groove. I was sure she will do justice to the song by her brilliant performance.

The song is shaping up very well and Veena has given a brilliant performance," Director Rumy Jafry said. Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai has been produced by Nitin Manmohan under the banner of One Up Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

The film, which also stars Fashion actress Mugdha Godse, will release on February 3, 2012. Tweet (less)

But she is making an exception for Madhur Bhandarkar's movie Heroine. The actress is ready to tweet via UTV Motion Pictures' Twitter account, just for this movie.

She will share moments from the shooting of the movie and be up, close and personal with her fans about her character and working experience on the sets of Heroine. "Yes, I will be on twitter for the first time as heroine, my character in UTV Motion Pictures and Madhur Bhandarkar's film.

It will be a new experience for me and I'm really looking forward for it. I think I will thoroughly enjoy it.

I will be doing so from UTV's Twitter handle utvmp," says a very enthusiastic Kareena. 1st Tweet : @utvmp : Finally, here's the video - @mbhandarkar268 and Kareena on the sets of #Heroine http://t.

co/jSOVmewo. This is not just an important project for Madhur, it is equally important to Kareena and that's why the actress is going out of the way for this movie.

You can follow Heroine on Twitter @utvmp Heroine is a UTV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment film. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, the film stars Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami.

The music of the movie is directed by music directors Salim-Sulaiman (less)

Produced by Nitin Manmohan under the banner 'One Up Entertainment Pvt Ltd', the movie deals with the issue of corruption. Akshaye plays the role of a victim, while Shriya plays his wife, and Mugdha essays the role of a call centre employee.

The movie will also see an item number The item bomb Channo picturised on Pakistani model-actor Veena Malik. Tweet (less)

"Madhur and I did talk about 'Heroine'. For me, however, it would have been like a Bollywood version of 'Fashion'.

Kareena is the perfect choice. She's such a brilliant actor," Priyanka told ETC's "Bollywood Business" host and trade analyst Komal Nahta on his show.

"As a filmmaker, Madhur brings out the best in any actor, and Kareena's such a superior one," she added on the episode to be aired Wednesday. Both the actresses shared the screen in hit movie "Aitraaz".

Aishwarya Rai was the original choice for "Heroine", which narrates the journey of a once successful film actress whose career is on the decline. Bhandarkar had begun shooting with Ash , but the project was put on hold when the actress' pregnancy was announced.

Later, several rumours about the replacement made their way. However, Kareena was zeroed in on as the final choice.

The "Heroine" team is already shooting. As for Priyanka, she is busy promoting her upcoming film "Don 2: The King Is Back", in which she plays Roma or 'Jungle billi'.

The film releases Friday (less)

The trip that began with her luggage being lost at the Dubai International Airport, ended with the actress being detained by the customs at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on arrival. Despite the actress having no undeclared goods, the ordeal lasted over an hour.

When contacted, Mugdha told Mumbai Mirror, "I had gone to Dubai for two days. It was for the premiere of my film Gali Gali Chor Hai.

My baggage failed to arrive on time. And I had to rush to a press conference.

" Thankfully, the actress on a shopping spree had picked up a top at the Delhi airport. "I wore the top at the press conference.

But I had nothing to wear for the premiere night. I called up Neeta Lulla.

She has an outlet in Dubai as well. She sent me a dress and that thankfully fitted me," informed Mugdha.

The lost baggage, however, gave Mugdha an excuse to shop. "I did a lot of shopping at the Dubai airport.

I had to pass time while I waited for my baggage," said the actress. The ordeal wasn't over yet.

On her arrival, the actress was detained by the customs officials. "Thankfully, they were polite and kind to me.

They did ask a lot of questions and I was stuck at the airport for over an hour. But I had no undeclared goods.

The good news after all this is that the airline called me on Friday to say that they have found my luggage and will be sending it over to me," added Mugdha (less)

The Marathi version of Laadla is being produced by Nitin Manmohan and directed by Rajiv Patil, whose Marathi film Jogwa won five national awards. A source close to the film told Mumbai Mirror, "Mithun was finalised for the role a few days ago.

It is going to be a big challenge for him to step into Anil's shoes; it is his first film." Mugdha and Mithun have had a rather rocky relationship.

They first met in 2003 during the shoot of a music video, which was being directed by ace photographer Jagdish Mali . The couple of modelling assignments together, strengthened their 'liking' for each other.

Mithun, who was smitten by Mugdha, had reportedly booked an entire theatre when Fashion hit the screens in 2008. Things started going wrong soon after.

While insiders maintained that that the two were back together as a couple, Mithun claimed, "We are not dating. We have moved on to be great friends.

" Friends or lovers, the two have now been cast together in the remake of Laadla, the shooting of which will begin in January 2012. "Yes, I am doing Anil Kapoor's role in the Marathi remake of Laadla.

It's a good opening. I am thrilled," said Mithun.

We wonder if Mugdha is equally thrilled about the same (less)

" Lanka got a lot of appreciation but lack of good promotion again killed a film which I am very proud of. Not angry, but disappointed," Manoj wrote on Twitter.

The film released on December 9. Tweet (less)

And if reports are to be believed, the Jab We Met actress is going to play a schizophrenic character. Reports also suggest that Bebo plans to shoot exclusively for the film as she feels essaying a schizophrenic character will be taxing.

And without a Khan as her co-star, Kareena wants to totally drown herself in the character. Madhur is likely to begin shooting for the project by the end of November which is when Kareena will have wrapped up all her major projects.

(With Mid-Day inputs) Tweet (less)

I had a handful of friends who were my partners in crime for fun and work. My friends and I worked for some extra money so that we could be more indulgent.

I did odd jobs like selling oil or doing a survey at petrol pumps. We'd make ` 100 a day.

Coming from a middle class family, I had a nominal pocket money - ` 300 a month. The extra money was used to take care of our so called 'lavish fun'.

While movies occupied most of our free time, we also enjoyed lunching outside, and sometimes even having beer in the afternoon! Afternoon discos, and hanging out at Vaishali, a famous place on Pune's FC Road was another passtime. Sometimes we'd get hold of studious kids to gain entry into the british library, where we'd chill for hours.

There is loads of lukhagiri to talk about. Mass-bunking and going for coffee instead.

Another pastime was puncturing bikes and car tyres. However, there was one class I never bunked.

I loved attending the Economics lecture. No one bunked her lecture, especially the boys, as she was very beautiful.

I was quite in awe of her. Among all the masti, I also remember I moment of pride.

During my standard 11 exams, I was given a class 12 English paper by mistake, which I ended up solving! Being an 'outstanding' student that I was (pun intended), I didn't know my syllabus so didn't guess it wasn't meant for me. I was in a hurry to catch a film, so took to solving it right away.

And though I found it to be difficult, I assumed it was because I hadn't studied. After the exam, when my friends and I started discussing the paper, to my horror I realised that I solved the wrong paper for my final exam.

I met the principle and thankfully the issue was resolved. Back track 1.

Fav canteen snack: Vada pav 2. Fav subject: Economics 3 my Crush: A new one every day 4.

Topmost 'outstanding' activity: Puncturing tyres 5. Hangout budget: ` 10 every day As told to Saadia S Dhailey (less)

Kareena will definitely be a shock element to the people because of the way she has worked in the film," the 43-year-old producer-director said here at the launch of photographer Dabboo Ratnani's calendar. "I am looking at the film because I know the story, I know the screenplay, I know the dialogues.

She will be fabulous," he added. Known for his films like "Chandni Bar", "Satta", "Page 3", "Traffic Signal" and "Fashion", Bhandarkar believes "Heroine" will be a milestone in Kareena's career.

" 'Heroine' is 25 percent over. The next schedule is in February, March and April and the picture will release in September.

The way you people are waiting for the film, so am I. I hope it finishes really soon," he said.

The director found himself in a tight spot when Aishwarya Rai , the original choice for the film, decided to quit the project due to her pregnancy. Kareena is also expected to tie the knot with Saif Ali Khan early this year and the actress may wrap the film up before that (less)

Flash-bulbs popped and the paparazzi went into a tizzy as Kareena dressed in a short black dress, stepped out of her high-end luxury car, accompanied by Madhur. Bebo calls the film "a fascinating insider's account of a leading lady's life".

She adds, "Madhur has touched on some aspects that have never been explored on screen before.'' Ask her if she was offered eight crores for the film (including a share in the profits) and she clams up.

"I've been rewarded with a role of a lifetime. Everything else is a bonus,'' she insists.

For Madhur, just the fact that Heroine has gone on the floors is a happy moment. "We've started work in right earnest,'' he says.

"Our target is to make a hard-hitting, mainstream commercial film that will shock and entertain.'' Known for his amazing collaborations with some of the top heroines - Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma Shorey, Priyanka Chopra , Bipasha Basu and Kangna Ranaut , Madhur says, "Working with Kareena is a dream come true.

She was always my first choice.'' Heroine, a UTV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment co-production, has Manish Malhotra designing for Bebo and music director duo Salim-Sulaiman scoring the music.

Arjun Rampal , Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami also star in the film. Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV, is excited about the association with Madhur because their last outing Fashion brought them accolades, National Awards and box office returns.

He says, "Heroine is one of the most anticipated movies of 2012 and for all of us associated with it that means a lot of hard work over the next few months to meet the massive audience expectations. With an excellent script, a talented director and a superb cast and crew, we're confident we'll be up to the challenge!" The project also marks 10 years of Madhur's critical and commercial success.

In the span of his career, he has bagged 11 National Awards. "But Heroine is my biggest film,'' he says.

"I'm delighted that I'm making this film with this production house. We made a fabulous team for Fashion and we're happy to be taking this beautiful relationship forward.

'' (less)

"Everyone likes to do quality films and I am no different. But, to this I'd like to add that, I also choose films, which I feel will work for me.

And barring one film, I think most of the films have worked for me," says Mugdha, who is all set to star in Rajiv Patil's Marathi film, which is a remake of the hit Hindi film Laadla. With one Hindi film up for release and two for which the shooting has commenced (Oh God Saare Fraud and Will You Marry Me), Mugdha is excited to be doing a film in her mother tongue - Marathi.

"The film is a remake of Laadla, which in fact, was already made in Tamil and Telugu. And if the same film could work in so many languages, I thought it will click in Marathi too.

" Mee Marathi Given the fact that Marathi films' budgets are not very high, quiz the actress on how she agreed to do the film, and she says, "The director Rajiv Patil's directed some amazing films like Savarkhed Ek Gaon, Sanai Choughade and Jogwa. So, I definitely wanted to work with him.

Also, Nitin Manmohan is a trusted name in film production and he's producing this film, so here I am doing a Marathi film!" And is her Bollywood experience adding value to the film? She laughs and says, "Both the director and producer are adept in their art of adding value to a film. I, on my part feel I can contribute to style sense of this film.

So in general, my fashion sense will be my value add to Marathi films." And what about the lavani that's touted to be the hottest item song in Marathi films? "Well, we are all working on that and I really wish it all works out.

" 'Pune and I' The actress, who prides herself on doing things her way to carve a niche in the industry, says this habit started in Pune, her home city. "Right from my student days spent in Pune, I've always worked for pocket money and never asked my parents for help.

This has been my approach in the industry as well." However, mention the word Pune and Mugdha can't help but get nostalgic.

She says, "You know I keep coming to Pune and each time I go to various places, I remember little incidents, which bring a smile on my face." Recollecting one such incident, she says, "Once, as I was driving through FC Road, suddenly a floodgate of memories just opened; and I actually stopped near my college (MMCC) and relived the memories.

I sat back and remembered how we friends would have breakfast in the canteen, the lunches we had at Vaishali, the time we spent at British Library..

.gosh it all just came back! That small stop on FC Road suddenly put my life in perspective.

I remembered my roots, my journey; then thanked God and my parents for helping me become the person I have today." (less)

Edgar star said he never thinks about the type of genre he wants to tackle next in his career path and instead plans his movie choices according to the roles he finds interesting, Contactmusic reported. "I've never doubted the material I've been drawn to.

I don't do a film because I feel it's time to do a comedy or a science-fiction or another genre. "I do it because I'm motivated, it interests me, and I feel as if I could be of service to the character.

And I like complicated characters," he said. DiCaprio, 37, stars as FBI founder J Edgar Hoover in the drama film and is also working on The Great Gatsby - an adaptation of F.

Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel - and has enjoyed the experience of both movies as he was able to do so much research to prepare for the parts. "Like The Great Gatsby , 'J.

Edgar' led to a million questions I wanted answered, and it got me excited to research the character," he added. Tweet (less)

The next date of the hearing is scheduled on November 29. Facts of the case In July 2004, Preeti had lodged a complaint with the Versova Police against Madhur alleging he had raped her 16 times between 1999 and 2004 under the pretext of casting her as actress in his films.

Madhur insists the complaint was of "cheating" and did not mention rape. In a statement issued at that time, Preeti had said, "We had sex 16 times and Madhur made promises of giving me a lead role in his films.

However, he didn`t offer me a lead role in any of his movies. At times when I refused, he raped me.

" Drama unfolded when Preeti was arrested in 2005 for hiring a contract killer to murder Bhadarkar. In January 2006, police requested the court to dismiss the case against Bhandarkar as they had found Preeti`s allegations to be false (less)

"Madhur and I did talk about 'Heroine'. For me, however, it would have been like a Bollywood version of 'Fashion'.

Kareena is the perfect choice. She's such a brilliant actor," Priyanka told ETC's "Bollywood Business" host and trade analyst Komal Nahta on his show.

"As a filmmaker, Madhur brings out the best in any actor, and Kareena's such a superior one," she added on the episode to be aired Wednesday. Both the actresses shared the screen in hit movie "Aitraaz".

Aishwarya Rai was the original choice for "Heroine", which narrates the journey of a once successful film actress whose career is on the decline. Bhandarkar had begun shooting with Ash , but the project was put on hold when the actress' pregnancy was announced.

Later, several rumours about the replacement made their way. However, Kareena was zeroed in on as the final choice.

The "Heroine" team is already shooting. As for Priyanka, she is busy promoting her upcoming film "Don 2: The King Is Back", in which she plays Roma or 'Jungle billi'.

The film releases Friday (less)

The latest is that the team (owned by Sohail Khan ) has got Bobby Deol on board. It is learnt that Bobby has been roped into the team for his bowling skills.

Our source says, "Although Bobby is good with the bat too, it's his swingers that have impressed Suniel Shetty and Sohail enough to bring him to their team." It appears that Suniel is instrumental in getting players from Bollywood to build a good team.

"Besides, the starry line-up will get a bigger audience for the tournament next month," adds our source. Bobby's love for the game is well known in B-Town.

"Bobby's known to indulge in the game with his friends as and when time permits. So when he was asked to join the Mumbai Heroes, he immediately agreed," reveals the source.

Not surprisingly, the actor has also started practicing with his team mates at the Air-India ground in the suburbs. "Bobby is a good bet to spearhead the bowling attack.

And he can be a solid batsman to hold the middle order if the going gets tough," said our source (less)

Whither lawyer! Speaking to us, Pretti said: "Based on my application of professional misconduct, Madhur Bhandarkar's advocate Ashok Mundergi withdrew from the matter before the arguments could begin at the pre-admission stage. Matter was adjourned the court to January 16, so that Bhandarkar can appoint a new advocate.

Madhur's application for quashing the issue of process against him is still at a pre-admission stage, and has not been admitted by the High Court . So, right now, Madhur Bhandarakar has no lawyer to defend him!" (less)

The ace director will also walk the ramp in the film as a part of a grand finale of a beauty pageant. Its the Glamarama Beauty Pageant finale organized by Tusshar and Shreyas who play event managers in the film.

Madhur plays a film director who is the Chief Guest of the evening. He walks the ramp along with Minissha Lamba and Pia Trivedi, the female leads of the film, says producer Sunil Chainani.

Sources say that the director loved the story of the film and hence decided to make a special appearance (less)

Marketing of a film is way more hectic then making the film," the 29-year-old actor posted on Twitter. The action-thriller is a remake of the Hollywood film "The Italian Job" and it also stars Abhishek Bachchan , Sonam Kapoor , Bobby Deol and Bipasha Basu .

Nitin has also revealed the name of his character in the film. "PLAYERS! My characters name is SPIDER," he posted.

Directed by Abbas-Mustan, "Players" will releases Jan 6 next year (less)

" Lanka got a lot of appreciation but lack of good promotion again killed a film which I am very proud of. Not angry, but disappointed," Manoj wrote on Twitter.

The film released on December 9. Tweet (less)

So, if I am given the chance to plan a wedding, it would be their wedding," the 36-year-old said at the music launch of the film. Meanwhile, talking about his character in the film, Shreyas says it's a story about a good man who turns wicked.

"I am a wedding planner who is planning a wedding and the film is about whatever happens during the preparations. He is a good guy, who becomes a little wicked.

Why he becomes wicked you will have to watch," said the actor, who was last seen in "Hum Tum Shabana". His other films in pipeline are " Housefull 2 " and " Joker ".

"Will You Marry Me" is slated for release April 1 and also stars Mugdha Godse , Rajeev Khandelwal , Celina Jaitly and Muzammil Abraham (less)

Produced by Nitin Manmohan under the banner 'One Up Entertainment Pvt Ltd', the movie deals with the issue of corruption. Akshaye plays the role of a victim, while Shriya plays his wife, and Mugdha essays the role of a call centre employee.

The movie will also see an item number The item bomb Channo picturised on Pakistani model-actor Veena Malik. Tweet (less)

But it is also a beautiful love story about what happens to two characters from the same line of work and how much misunderstanding is created by people who are supposed to make that communication easier," the 39-year-old actor said at an event here. Kareena plays an actress who touches the heights of fame and then falls from glory.

Asked about his role, Arjun said: "It's going to be a Madhur Bhandarkar film which deals with a lot of layers of reality and that's what I enjoy doing. I like all my characters to have a certain level of realism.

I hope to portray it with conviction and not in a caricaturist manner." Arjun debuted in Bollywood with 2001 movie "Pyaar, Ishq Aur Mohabbat" but had to wait for a long time to find a firm foothold.

He was first appreciated for his role in "Don - The Chase Begins" (2006) and then people liked him in the negative role in "Om Shanti Om". But he came into his own as a brooding musician in "Rock On!!" and continued it with "Raajneeti".

"Heroine" is expected to hit theatres September this year (less)

Even I told myself, 'who wants to act in a horror film?' But when I was given the narration, I liked the subject. It is not just a horror film where you see demons and dead bodies flying and screaming.

It is rare in the sense that it is a story of a doctor who believes in ghosts. Science and demons do not go hand-in-hand, but this film shows that and that is why it interested me.

After doing the film, I have actually started believing in ghosts. The audience will get to see the movie through my eyes.

So, is it more your film than anybody else in the flick? The film shows a beautiful romantic relationship between Shiney Ahuja and me. But yes, the narrative is through me.

Even in earlier horror films like "Raaz" and "Bhoot", it was Bipasha Basu and Urmila Matondkar who were crucial to the plot. I think women are given more importance in horror flicks because they have varied emotions - love, fear, vengeance - all in extremes.

You made headlines recently with your allegations against some of the big names in the industry. You did clarify but those allegations got Big B to take to a microblogging account and voice his anger.

I am still agitated with the whole episode. I still can't understand why he (Anant Narayan) did it! It appalls me.

..

. And not just me, he has done it with so many other celebs.

I don't know why he never thought that he could be arrested. I understand Mr Amitabh Bachchan's sentiments.

Anybody would have gotten angry. And I think when he posted about the allegations, he was talking about the 'malign' against me and not about me leveling allegations against him.

So many names were dragged into it and that night itself (when the news about allegations broke), I made frantic calls to each and every person concerned and clarified that it is not me who has leveled such allegations against them. I am fortunate that they heard me out and understood me.

I had a word with Shiney's wife as well. It must be a relief now that he (Anant) is arrested? It is, but, like I said, I am yet to recover from the entire episode.

I was so mad and felt helpless as I didn't know how to go about stopping him from maligning me further. An actor friend then told me that I should contact the cyber crime cell.

I didn't even know that something like cyber crime cell existed and that maligning somebody is a non-bailable offence. After I got to know about it, I took it further.

There were talks that it was all a publicity gimmick..

. No, it was not.

I have heard about it too. I have heard people saying 'Oh! her film is soon to release, that's why she is doing all these to be in news'! Why would I malign myself to be in the news? It's bizarre.

Moreover, my film is releasing in January, so where's the connection? It is wrong to make up stories, you know. I didn't do anything for publicity, otherwise why would I call up every actor who I 'supposedly' maligned and clarify myself and also get Anant arrested? Today, I am scared to Google my name because all my contributions to modeling comes later and all the controversies are on the first page.

Like most celebs, controversies have followed you too..

. when Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik tied the knot, you were questioned because you once dated him.

..

why did you answer questions? Being in the industry for the past seven years, I know what controversies mean. I have accepted the fact they will always keep following us.

When Sania and Shoaib got married, I was dragged into the controversy. There was no need for people to question me, but they did and I had to answer because I can't shy away.

I am a public person and I understand the importance of media. Even now, as I promote "Ghost", I know I will be asked questions about the allegations and Shiney.

Yes, Shiney..

. while working with him, did you at any point feel that he was disturbed by all that has happened to him? Let me tell you first that I was scared of Shiney.

I was very apprehensive about whether we will be able to work together or not. I felt uncomfortable for the first two-three days.

Then one day, on the sets, I saw him eating a cheesecake. And I went up to him and said, 'I am jealous, because I love cheesecakes'.

That broke the ice. I remember that night I called my dad and told him that I think I am now comfortable and see the film happening.

It was not because the ice between Shiney and me had broken, but also because I wasn't scared of Shiney anymore, all the fears had gone. We then started talking about films, life and many other subjects off sets.

And I realized he is not only an interesting person but also very philosophical. It was very interesting in fact, to discover that we had so many subjects of interest in common.

So, have you also discovered a philosopher who can be with you for the rest of your life? You are talking about a boyfriend, right? Well, I really don't know whether I have a man in my life or not. Right now I am in a confused state.

It's like I am a confused single because things are just starting and I don't know where it is headed. And if you want to know whether he is an actor or not, well, I am not going to tell you that.

(laughs) (less)

Shah Rukh Khan: Long flt great sleep. Got pleasantly hit by the Delhi winter start.

refreshed..

reloaded..

ready to enjoy F.One and 'Ra.

One' in my hometown i am ON. Preity Zinta: Driving to the Formula 1 Race! So excited.

..

.Cannot believe the crazy traffic and how hot it is! Bring on the speed boyz.

. We are ready! Rahul Bose: Young F1 fans travelling to Delhi spotted a mile away.

Ferrari t-shirts, shades, shorts..

.Foggy day in Delhi.

Presume it will lift before long. Psyched for the race! Madhur Bhandarkar : On my way to the FORMULA ONE racing, exuberance all over!!! Dino Morea: Morning all.

F1 in Delhi finally. Have a super Sunday.

Jackky Bhagnani: On my way to Delhi for the F1 looking forward to it should on hell of an experience. Gaurav Kapur : Heading to the race with Yuvraj Singh .

stuck in manic traffic, becuse he was 1 hour late to pick me up. His timing is good only with the bat.

Roshan Abbas: The Buddha international circuit! Encompass in the thick of it! Our team has worked for this moment! Proud of them (less)

Flash-bulbs popped and the paparazzi went into a tizzy as Kareena dressed in a short black dress, stepped out of her high-end luxury car, accompanied by Madhur. Bebo calls the film "a fascinating insider's account of a leading lady's life".

She adds, "Madhur has touched on some aspects that have never been explored on screen before.'' Ask her if she was offered eight crores for the film (including a share in the profits) and she clams up.

"I've been rewarded with a role of a lifetime. Everything else is a bonus,'' she insists.

For Madhur, just the fact that Heroine has gone on the floors is a happy moment. "We've started work in right earnest,'' he says.

"Our target is to make a hard-hitting, mainstream commercial film that will shock and entertain.'' Known for his amazing collaborations with some of the top heroines - Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma Shorey, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu and Kangna Ranaut, Madhur says, "Working with Kareena is a dream come true.

She was always my first choice.'' Heroine, a UTV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment co-production, has Manish Malhotra designing for Bebo and music director duo Salim-Sulaiman scoring the music.

Arjun Rampal , Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami also star in the film. Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV, is excited about the association with Madhur because their last outing Fashion brought them accolades, National Awards and box office returns.

He says, "Heroine is one of the most anticipated movies of 2012 and for all of us associated with it that means a lot of hard work over the next few months to meet the massive audience expectations. With an excellent script, a talented director and a superb cast and crew, we're confident we'll be up to the challenge!" The project also marks 10 years of Madhur's critical and commercial success.

In the span of his career, he has bagged 11 National Awards. "But Heroine is my biggest film,'' he says.

"I'm delighted that I'm making this film with this production house. We made a fabulous team for Fashion and we're happy to be taking this beautiful relationship forward.

'' (less)

Kareena will definitely be a shock element to the people because of the way she has worked in the film," the 43-year-old producer-director said here at the launch of photographer Dabboo Ratnani's calendar. "I am looking at the film because I know the story, I know the screenplay, I know the dialogues.

She will be fabulous," he added. Known for his films like Chandni Bar, Satta, Page 3, Traffic Signal and Fashion , Bhandarkar believes "Heroine" will be a milestone in Kareena's career.

" Heroine is 25 per cent over. The next schedule is in February, March and April and the picture will release in September.

The way you people are waiting for the film, so am I. I hope it finishes really soon," he said.

The director found himself in a tight spot when Aishwarya Rai, the original choice for the film, decided to quit the project due to her pregnancy. Kareena is also expected to tie the knot with Saif Ali Khan early this year and the actress may wrap the film up before that.

Tweet (less)

At least professionally. When faced with personal questions about rumours of her special friendship with Shah Rukh Khan, the actress fidgets and declares, "I will not talk about this.

I shall never talk about this." However, when it comes to her films, the actress doesn't shy away from answering.

About her upcoming Dharma Productions venture 'Agneepath', the actress gushes, "I am nervous and excited. Reports have been brilliant.

They have liked Hrithik (Roshan), Sanju ( Sanjay Dutt ) and my work. More than anything, they have loved the film.

I'm very proud of Karan (Malhotra, the director) as this is his first film and I'm his first heroine. For me, it's not a remake.

I hadn't even seen the original 'Agneepath' till I signed this film. Also my role has been written fresh.

" And this film strengthens her bond with Karan Johar and Dharma. She had earlier worked with the production house in 'Dostana'.

Though she is not doing 'Dostana 2', "My love story ended in the first part when I walked away with Bobby Deol" being the actress' reason for the same, her relationship with the production house has remained. "Miami to Mandva.

It was lovely working with Dharma again. As an actor, you don't involve yourself with the production much.

You're closer to the director," says the actress. Despite her proximity to Dharma, her relationship with Yash Raj Films is reportedly not as strong.

Rumour has it that Yash Raj did not keep its promise of offering her a big film after she agreed to do a small project 'Pyaar Impossible'. However, the actress maintains that it wasn't YRF she was working for but Uday Chopra Productions.

Good with a section of the industry and not too close to the rest, this is Priyanka's career graph in a nutshell. However, with single minded determination and what trade analyst Amod Mehra calls 'luck' the actress despite being shunned some, has managed to maintain her position in Bollywood.

The actress has also tried to hold on to the few 'good' relations she has in the industry. For example, despite delivering an award winning performance for Madhur Bhandarkar in 'Fashion', the filmmaker's next project 'Heroine' finally had Kareena Kapoor.

But the actress doesn't begrudge him that. "I couldn't have done that role.

Working on a similar plot did not make sense for Madhur and me. We spoke about the film several times.

I'm glad that Kareena's doing it. Both of them will work very well.

" Priyanka puts up a brave front on her reported alienation from the Salman Khan camp. "I have worked with every co-actor possible.

I don't come from a film background. I don't have relationships with people in terms of uncles and aunts.

I have been an outsider. Wherever I'm today is due to the support of this film industry.

They have given big films and amazing work to me. It hasn't been because of any director, production house, actor or a person.

I have never been a part of any camp. I respect every co-actor tremendously and equally.

I would work with anyone," declares the actress. As for her not having worked ever with the third Khan of the triumvirate, Aamir, she simply laughs, "Ask Aamir.

If the offer hasn't come to me yet, what can I say about it?" While in hushed tones, insiders do cite her friendship with Shah Rukh as the reason of her alienation from the other Khans, when questioned about her rise and rise in Bollywood, they all agree upon one thing - her professionalism. According to Suneel Darshan, who gave her the first break with 'Andaaz', " Priyanka is not the conventional beauty like Kareena Kapoor.

Despite that, she has done very well for herself. Knowing well that the perks of stardom can be really high, she has set her goals accordingly.

There is determination written all over her face. When it comes to her, there is hardly anything left between the apple and the arrow.

" But trade analyst Amod Mehra feels differently. "Kareena is number one.

Katrina is on number two. And Priyanka who was once on the second position is now on number three.

That's because Priyanka has made all the wrong choices and given many flops - '7 Khoon Maaf', 'Kaminey', 'What's Your Rashee', 'Drona'. I would say that she has been lucky," says Mehra and adds, "Also, she has limited choices.

Her big star bracket is restricted to SRK and Hrithik. Salman doesn't want to work with her.

Aamir hasn't worked with her yet. She hasn't worked much with Ajay Devgn.

And she can't work with Akshay Kumar." Filmmaker Ratan Jain who worked with Priyanka in 'Aap Ki Khatir' however seems to be almost on the same page as Darshan.

Maintaining that films in Bollywood depend on the male actor, Jain says, "Priyanka is a very popular actress. She is an excellent performer too.

Else, why would she be cast in so many movies? Note that she has also improved her acting abilities over the years." (less)

They might not essentially be flops but turned low on the immense expectations that they came with. As we reach the yearend starts the predictable countdown to the best of the year.

While most award functions will go on to honour the good works of 2011, we go a step ahead to list down some of the most disappointing films of the year. They might not essentially be flops but turned low on the immense expectations and promise that they came with.

Here's the Top 10 list..

. 1.

) Aarakshan Director: Prakash Jha Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Manoj Bajpayee, Saif Ali Khan , Deepika Padukone , Prateik Babbar With Prakash Jha's past repertoire one may reserve the right to believe that his films are social, sensible, well-researched, hard-hitting and conveys a message. But he proved us wrong with Aarakshan .

This film touched its core theme of educational reservations only partially and peripherally. Jha played safe by barely emphasizing anything about reservations beyond what is common knowledge.

The issue and its implications were seen through the confines of the viewpoint of its principal protagonist (Amitabh Bachchan) and the narrative lacked any broader perspective on the national issue. Not only does the film fail to offer any solution to the issue, it doesn't even illuminate interlinked concerns like the debate over the extent of reservations or the aftermath of compromise on merit.

Moreover the narrative very conveniently overlooks one of the most potent and prevalent hidden-agenda behind the quota system - the vote-bank politics of government. The film reeked of idealism and yet attempted to tackle a practical issue! 2.

) Dhobi Ghat Director: Kiran Rao Cast: Prateik, Monica Dogra , Aamir Khan , Kriti Malhotra What would you call a film whose central characters comprise of an aspiring actor, a photographer, a painter and a videographer? 'Art' cinema! Well jokes apart and with due respect to arthouse cinema, which can be an enriching and exquisite experience, Kiran Rao's directorial debut seems like a pretentious attempt to adapt to the prerequisites of the offbeat genre. Minimalism, as a tool, is effective when it adds merit to the medium.

But here it only leads to nothingness in the narrative. Dhobi Ghat is the kind of cinema where you expect the end-credits to appear after any random scene in the concluding reels.

The long pauses, slow pacing, extended shot-taking, erratic editing and a murky look at Mumbai clearly work towards giving the film its intended artistic aura. However the story lacks the depth that could have added more meaning to this tangential look at the town.

Blame it to the weak chemistry of the characters or the premature culmination of the plot but the melancholy of the characters fails to move you beyond a point. Mumbai is predictably captured by means of ordinary people like housemaid, vegetable vendor, fisherwoman, street rat-killers to the laundryman ( dhobi ) - like how it is regularly portrayed to the international audience in its underprivileged glory.

Unfortunately the depiction of Mumbai as an additional character in the film doesn't add any new dimension to the narrative. All it does is give a new Indian ambassador to the world - so after dabbawala , it's now the dhobi .

Is that what you mean by world cinema? 3.) Game Director: Abhinay Deo Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut, Sarah Jane Dias, Boman Irani Coming from ever-bankable Farhan Akhtar and Delhi Belly director Abhinay Deo, Game was surprisingly a weak attempt.

It only played with our sensibilities. The narrative of Game was as much inconsistent as the continuously changing geography of the plot that kept shifting from Thailand , Istanbul , India, UK to Greece.

Under the guise of an espionage thriller and a slick murder mystery, Game ended up being a formula flick driven by ancient cliched conflicts like badle-ki-aag and jaydaad-ki-ladaai . It was too convoluted, cliched, convenient and coincidental for a suspense thriller.

Surprisingly Farhan Akhtar's dialogues only added to the corniness. The direction was mediocre and storytelling blemished with too many loose ends.

Abhishek Bachchan tried too hard to be cool but he needs to 'get idea' of good scripts. 4.

) Mausam Director: Pankaj Kapur Cast: Shahid Kapoor , Sonam Kapoor What you expect to be a timeless love story turns to be an endless episode in Pankaj Kapur's Mausam . Kapur uses actual unfortunate events from communal riots to terrorist attacks as the backdrop to symbolize changing seasons of love in his coming of age love story.

And the sluggish story makes an attempt to push itself 'only' during these adversities. So disillusioned are you after a point that you hopelessly pray for another catastrophe to strike and thereby end your turmoil.

Sonam Kapoor appears too juvenile for the role and lacks the maturity and range to handle a character which spans a decade and demands diverse emotions. The entire basis of this ill-fated love story heavily depends on the chemistry between Sonam and Shahid but it certainly wasn't of the kind that one could rave about.

And with their mediocre rapport, you don't feel as much for the love birds as one should ideally have. Marred by its unrelenting length, what Mausam serves in its three-hour runtime is so shallow and stretched that you yearn for the onset of the next season.

5.) Rascals Director: David Dhawan Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut Rascals is what one can call a 'vacation' filmmaking stint where everyone works on the film as if they were on a 'holiday' and the audience is expected to 'leave' their senses behind.

The actors make least efforts to add conviction to their performances and the patchy writing just allows them to play as they please. Invariably the director tries to camouflage the shallowness in the story by adding depth only in the decibel levels of the dialogue delivery.

The one-upmanship between Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn doesn't work primarily because Kangana Ranaut doesn't share any chemistry with either men and so their persistent pursuit to get the girl falls flat. Also thanks to the dull camaraderie, the viewer never really bothers which hero would actually win the heroine in the end.

The humour lacks imagination or wit and one can easily see through most of the worn-out gags. You laugh more on the corniness of the scenes than the comedy per se.

The tone of humour is consistently loud and commotional. Ajay Devgn keeps screaming most of the time and hams outrageously.

Sanjay Dutt doesn't seem interested. Kangana Ranaut is ill at ease in comedy.

She struggles to hold her own and emerges as a bimbo in her act. Rascals ended up being a silly and stupid comedy! 6.

) Thank You Director: Anees Bazmee Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Irrfan Khan, Suniel Shetty In times when comedy is being redefined with rational and refreshing wit, the likes of Anees Bazmee have demoted themselves to the old school of humour. This is another comedy on the theme of adultery, perhaps with commercial considerations of reviving the success of Bazmee's No Entry .

Akshay Kumar is ruthlessly repetitive and remains in his comfort zone. Knowing that Sonam Kapoor and Bobby Deol can't act for nuts, Bazmee tries to balance it off by giving Irrfan Khan and Rimmi Sen more mileage.

And though the two try their best to salvage the situation with their decent comic timings, the load is too much for them to handle. Sadly this Shaadi No.

1 -meets- Biwi No.1 narrative is adulterated with so many tacky references that you end up saying thank you but no thank you.

7.) Ra.

One Director: Anubhav Sinha Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor , Arjun Rampal Shah Rukh Khan's superhero character takes too long to boot in this science fiction flick. G.

One arrives just five minutes before the interval point by when you have already restarted your system several times, which has been hanging into nothingness. And the film's title character Ra.

One, a skeletal villain, gets a face (Arjun Rampal) even later in the second half. Is it worth the wait? Only intermittently and inconsistently! While the sci-fi film is able to pull off some visual dazzlery, fast-paced storytelling and thrilling action sequences, it relies too much on SRK's stardom than the script.

The title character Ra.One is not half as menacing as it claims to be.

Not only is Arjun Rampal inducted pretty late in the plot, being an 'outcome' of virtual reality he is too shallow and ineffective as the main villain Also the film has a very crude sense of humour and surprisingly the dialogues are more vulgar than witty for a film largely targeted at the family audience. With the theory that anything sells in the name of Shah Rukh, you are served with butt-spanking, crotch-grabbing, cleavage-popping, nose-picking, condom innuendoes, gayish and garish gags.

While any other actor doing that would have been tagged as 'cheap', girls going gaga over SRK would still like to call it 'charming' over here. At best Ra.

One qualified for a 'one' time watch. 8.

) Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji Director: Madhur Bhandarkar Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya A love story seen through the male perspective, Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji with three stars in its cast failed to achieve (or even come close to) what Pyaar Ka Punchnama did with its complete new cast (arriving a few months later). That's because the latter had a brilliant story to say while the former didn't.

Surprisingly the makers should have sensed this considering both the films came from the same production house. Madhur Bhandarkar's first attempt at making a lighthearted 'feel-good' film got an adult censor certificate but it certainly turned out to be a certified childish attempt at comedy.

The film tried too hard to be funny but became bland and repetitive after a point. The pacing was too laidback, proceedings too predictable and the graph of the narrative never picked up.

Emraan Hashmi was in his comfort zone. Ajay Devgn seemed uncomfortable.

Shahazn Padamsee irritated with her constant childish demeanour. And the only (unintentionally) funny moment in the film is whenever actor Aditya Raj Kapoor attempts to speak any casual line.

It's good that Madhur Bhandarkar is sticking to his brand of expose cinema (making ' Heroine ' next), because this juvenile attempt has exposed his weakness in handling other genres. 9.

) Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Director: Abbas Ali Zafar Cast: Katrina Kaif , Imran Khan, Ali Zafar It's more than obvious with a self-explanatory title like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan that the story of the film would be about a guy falling for his brother's bride-to-be. Predictability seeps in this Yash Raj romantic comedy from the title itself.

When Imran Khan does a takeoff on the three ruling Khans of Bollywood in the opening credits, you somehow sense that the film has defined its domain. And it isn't long before you realize that the narrative is taking the route of Shah Rukh Khan's Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge .

By the time the boy comprehends his love for the girl, she is already engaged to someone else. Only this time it's the boy's brother - so it's more of an inhouse affair! With Imran Khan restricted in his range and the immensely talented Ali Zafar being reduced to a second fiddle and grossly underused, it's left up to Katrina to save the ship which she ably does as far as the average script allows her to.

Mere Brother ki Dulhan was relatively old and familiar entertainment. 10.

) Tell Me O Kkhuda Director: Hema Malini Cast: Esha Deol, Dharmendra , Vinod Khanna , Rishi Kapoor Life seems to have come full circle for Hema Malini . In an attempt to reintroduce daughter Esha Deol with Tell Me O Kkhuda , the yesteryear dreamgirl does a spinoff on Dil Aashna Hai (1992), a film with which she attempted to launch herself as a feature filmmaker.

And the outcome is the same - dud! A girl who learns she's an adopted child sets on an aimless, endless and pointless journey to find her biological parents. She has managed to preserve her 24-year old hospital birth tag (phew) that wins her paternal prescriptions from the municipal hospital.

And every time the hospital is refurbished, she gets new options for Daddy dear! Hema Malini's direction is slack, shallow and lacks the dramatic punches when the scene demands and, on the contrary, gets melodramatic when not required. There is no palpable tension when the protagonist confronts any of her prospective papas for the first time.

And by the time Esha Deol walks with 'four fathers' in the climax, you realize that this dull drama dates back to your 'forefathers' (less)

2 crore of the film's budget to costumes. A source revealed to Mumbai Mirror that the film's leading lady, Kareena Kapoor , will have 130 costumes designed especially for her by ace designer Manish Malhotra.

The source explained, "Kareena plays a diva at the prime of her career. Each scene will have at least four costume changes.

Heroine is an extravagant project and they are leaving no stone unturned to make it look as glamorous as possible." Reportedly, Kareena is expected to meet with Malhotra next weekend for dress fittings.

And apparently, National Award winning director Madhur Bhandarkar will also be present to oversee the costume trials. The source also informed us that Rs 5 lakh of the film's budget was previously spent on costumes that the former leading lady, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, wore, during the nine days that she shot for Heroine.

However, all those costumes were of no use, as Kareena is a different size. When contacted, Manish Malhotra told Mumbai Mirror, "I have never made so many costumes for one actress in my entire career, till date.

" (less)

Says a source, "Mugdha and Madhur may have appeared to be cordial and even posed for snapshots on the red carpet. But when it was time for both of them to go up on the stage, Mugdha refused to share the space with him.

As a result, director Ken Ghosh was roped in to present the award along with her." The awards event was organised by a channel at the Yash Raj Studios.

Adds the source, "Mugdha's sudden change of mind shocked the organisers. However, she did not mind going up on the stage with anyone else.

" Though Madhur had provided her a break in Bollywood with Fashion and later she also did Jail with him, buzz is that all is not well between the duo. Though they greet each other cordially in public, there is a bit of resentment from Mugdha as she was left to make it on her own in Bollywood.

Tweet (less)

According to sources close to the project, the actress refused to get intimate with actor Arunoday Singh on screen. And Randeep Hooda had to fill in Singh's shoes.

The Sudhir Mishra protege, Arunoday Singh had been a part of the project from the very beginning. At that time, Singh was to share screen space with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

An excited Arunoday had then said, "Why feel the pressure? I am not going to fight a battle. To work with Aishwarya would be amazing and I am looking forward to it.

" Unluckily for Singh, he is no more a part of the project. Randeep Hooda is.

The decision to replace one with the other has however, come as a surprise. Hooda, in his Bollywood career spanning a decade, has carved a niche for himself in films that are generally tagged as 'different'.

The five film old Singh too entered the same space, eight years later. But leading lady Kareena seems to prefer Hooda to the newer actor.

"Kareena approved of Randeep filling up for Arunoday. She was also informed at the earlier stage when Randeep was being approached," informed our source.

"Randeep is very happy to work with Bhandarkar and UTV. Heroine, after all, is a big film.

He will be playing a cricketer in it," added the source. When contacted, Bhandarkar confirmed that Randeep has indeed replaced Arunoday in the project and added, "The role was changed.

Randeep suits it more now. Arunoday is a very talented guy.

I am looking forward to working with him in the future."Despite repeated attempts, Kareena remained unavailable for comment (less)

"Would you imagine Bollywood heroes agreeing to play a truck driver few years back, or have a title like Rowdy Rathore for a film? Everybody wanted to do romcoms and go abroad to exotic locations for shoots." says Vijay Galani, the producer of Jat Dehati (less)

Yes, my stint as a ramp model was fabulous and I loved every bit of it. However, I am now enjoying doing films.

So, very simply put - I don't miss the ramp anymore! Moreover, I do get to walk the ramp as a showstopper for a few designers, so it's not like I am not seen on the ramp at all! Acting as a career option is very challenging and has no end!" Unlike modeling, you ask her? Thinking for a bit, she says, "Modelling too can be done for long, if you remain fit and take care of your body. Look at some of the ramp models we have today, they've been at this job for years.

But, in terms of challenge, I find that the acting profession gives me more of them." All set for her next release Gali Gali Chor Hai with Akshaye Khanna , Mugdha says, "I also have Oh God Saare Fraud and Will You Marry Me that I am currently shooting.

Then I will start my shooting for my debut Marathi film, which will be the remake of the Hindi film Laadla, which had Sridevi in the lead role. I'll be essaying her part.

" (less)

The 32-year-old actor came to be known as Hindi cinema's serial kisser after numerous lip locks in films like " Murder ", " Zeher ", "Aashiq Banaya Apne", "Gangster" and "Jannat". "The tag would never go.

I tried to get rid of it, but it follows me everywhere. I have done so many films with it (kissing) and so many people went and watched those films.

So probably they want to remember me for that. And if kissing is a great way to remember me, I have no complaints! My audience base is there and I can't change overnight," Emraan told IANS in an interview.

"I am trying out different things in my forthcoming films. Hopefully it would be another dimension, which would change people's perception about me," he added.

"The Dirty Picture" is said to have Emraan in yet another kissing scene, this time with actress Vidya Balan. He however stresses that the film, based on the life of the late southern sex icon Vijayalakshmi aka Silk Smitha, takes sexuality to a different level.

"It's a different take on sexuality. Sexuality in my films was shown differently before this.

'The Dirty Picture' takes it to a different level," said Emraan. The first trailer of the movie has already created a buzz, with Vidya in a bold new avatar.

Emraan plays one of the three men in her life, while the other two male characters have been essayed by Tusshar Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah. "I play a movie director who believes in artistic cinema.

He is one who doesn't really give a damn about commercial viability of a film. He would rather make a film, which critics will appreciate; he sticks to his guns creatively, never budges from his creative instincts of a film and the content the film.

It's a very different character that I haven't played before," said the actor. "The Dirty Picture", produced by Ekta Kapoor, and directed by Milan Luthria, will release Dec 2, which happens to be Silk Smitha's birth anniversary.

Even though the movie is being promoted as Silk Smitha's biopic, Emraan says it has been spiked with fiction for commercial value. "It's basically a fictional film.

It might have been taken from different sources and it's about the southern film industry, about the actress, her rise, her stardom and her relationship with these three men..

.Eventually, lots of comparisons can be made but lots of things have been added for commercial effect.

So I wouldn't say it's truly a biopic," he said. This is the first time that Emraan has teamed up with the critically acclaimed Vidya.

"Vidya is a great actress. Our combination is new.

It's a great experience working with her. Every character in the film is very intriguing and interesting; so we share a very different kind of chemistry on screen.

" He is also in awe of veteran actor Naseeruddin. "Naseeruddin is god of acting.

I did a couple of scenes with him, which was a great learning experience," said Emraan (less)