However, after Not A Love Story, Ramu seems to have rediscovered his love for the actress. Ramu and his one time muse Nisha are back together albeit for a film titled Stalker.

A source revealed, “Ramu and Nisha have been spending time together. The fact that Ramu has taken her back in his life implies that he could not forget her.

Now, they are even planning a film together titled Stalker.” While the details of Stalker are not yet known, a source close to Nisha says, “Stalker will star Nisha in the lead.

The details of the remaining cast are yet to be finalised. The film is likely to go on floors next year.

” After Nisha went out of his life, Ramu was involved with Antara Mali, who is now happily married. Clearly, the 27-year old Nisha is back on RGV’s radar.

Planning a full-fledged film with the actress in the lead just goes to show how besotted the filmmaker is with her. Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

She took this job very seriously because she did not want to let her parents down. She also took it up because she wanted to pull her family out of one of the rockiest patches - financially and emotionally - ever.

Fifteen years hence and innumerable awards and accolades later, her life looks like a fairy tale or a Bollywood script that could not have been written any better. In an industry where the shelf life of an actress is getting shorter by the month - even as actors rule the roost for two decades or more - Rani has seen her fair share of ups and downs that have taught her valuable lessons.

In the last few years, she has faltered in terms of choice of films. But one thing that she hasn't forgotten is to do her job well, i.

e. to act.

She takes it up as seriously as she did during the mahurat shot of "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat" as a 16-year-old. But today, there's more passion than ever, and a mastery of her craft that compels you to appreciate her skills as an actress, even if you aren't her die-hard fan.

After the success of "No One Killed Jessica" early last year, she is awaiting her next two releases this year - the Reema Kagti-directed thriller "Talaash", with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap's quirky comedy "Aiyya" directed by National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar. We ask the 'Queen of Bollywood' about the journey during which her job turned into her passion, the girl Rani morphed into the woman who rules hearts and, of course, a certain someone she "is dating".

What are you doing these days? I've just returned from Lonavala where I was shooting for "Aiyya". A few songs are left.

Has the industry changed since you joined films? Immensely. Today, the first look of the film is almost as important as the film itself.

I'm eagerly waiting for the promos of "Talaash", which are to hit the screens soon. It's going to be released in June.

The fact that I'm doing two films that are as different as they can be, in the same year, speaks volumes about how times have changed. It's a far bigger, more diverse than ever industry that's gone global in terms of its scope in every possible way.

Did you always want to become an actress? Arre, my joining films is a poori filmi kahaani. Though I technically come from a film family, my father had stopped making films even before my brother and I were born.

So I did not really grow up in a filmi environment. And when I was growing up, becoming an actress was still quite a taboo.

And you may not believe this but even my father did not want me to join films. Salim (Akhtar) uncle, who was very close to my family, came with the offer of "Aa Gale Lag Jaa" in 1994, but my father was aghast and turned it down.

In the meantime, I joined college (SNDT, Juhu) pursuing Home Science. Those days, the 'in thing' that most girls were going after as a career choice was jewelery and interior designing.

I did not have the money to pursue a `3 lakh course to make a career. And then Salim uncle came back again.

I think he must have been pretty desperate to launch a new actress. This time, he managed to convince my parents.

How did he manage that? (Laughs) When Salim uncle came to me and said he wanted me to act in his film, I started crying. I thought he was making a pass at me.

..

Why on earth..

.? Because I was daft.

And the fact that in those days, acting was still considered a taboo for the girls in my family. My mom's side was okay with it, as my aunt (Bengali actress Debashree Roy) is an actress.

In fact, she had kept it from me till then, but she was seriously harboring dreams of me becoming an actress. My father was still adamant about me not joining films.

But by that time my second cousins, Kajol and Sharbani, had entered films. And that sort of paved the way for me.

My mother and father still fought over it for quite a few days before he finally agreed to give me at least one shot at it - of course, with the strict clause that my mom will accompany me everywhere. And you? Did you know anything about acting by then? I wish I could show you the recording of my first screen test.

You will literally sprint away from the room thinking 'who is this horrible actress?' What was so bad? Those days, I used to be quite chubby. And Salim uncle, who had done "Baazi" with Mamta Kulkarni a few years ago, fished those shorter-than-short and tighter-than-tight clothes that looked completely hideous on me.

And to top that, I had to act! I was a shy kid with inhibitions galore. It was some courtroom scene and when someone gave me the sheet with dialogues, I was dumbfounded.

I saw all these famous dialogues from famous films which I had to say in front of the camera. My understanding of films was just as much as any young girl who watches Bollywood films.

I had no idea about the whole process of filmmaking, about dialogue writing, scripts, screenplay etc. I had probably gone to two or three film shoots in my childhood.

And even when on a shoot as a young girl, I would find actors just giving their shots and sitting in their vans getting bored in-between shots. So when the whole picture opened up in front of me about the reality of becoming an actress, I was petrified.

And my screen test was a disaster. I came back crying and said 'I would not be able to do this - anything but acting! Then? But Salim uncle came back and said I had a photogenic face and the camera captured me quite well, which is very important for any actor.

That was one glimmer of hope in my otherwise nightmarish experience. My mother sat me down that night and told me, 'Opportunity knocks at your door just once, take it up.

What's the worst that could happen? You'll fail at your effort? We are there after that. But at least you'd know you have tried, and won't regret leaving this golden opportunity'.

And though it was never told to me, but I knew my family was going through a financial crisis. And there was also tension in the family because of a lot of bickering between my father and his brothers.

I decided that I would work very hard (there was a month left for the shoot of "Raja Ki..

.") and give myself one good shot, even if it did not work out in the end.

I took it up as a job that just had to be done. What happened in that one month for you to give that spirited performance? My father took me to join Roshan Taneja's acting classes.

Mr Taneja had two courses, one was a year-long one and the other a three-month one. I had to learn all the acting I could in one month.

I told Mr Taneja I would come in the morning and evening for a month and be a dedicated student. On the very first day, my dad said to him, 'Please teach my daughter how to act'.

Mr Taneja said, 'Acting isn't a tablet. You can't pop it and become an actress.

It has to come from within you. It's either deep within you or it's not there'.

His statement stayed with me for a long time. It was my first lesson.

But in the classes, I did not know where to start. Thankfully, one good thing was the improvisation classes - where we all had to face the camera and say whatever came to our mind and enact a scene.

It sort of broke through my shy exterior. In any acting class, there are always a lot of faces looking at you from all corners and that's done on purpose so that the person drops all his/her inhibitions.

On the day of the mahurat, when I was called to give my first shot, I thought, 'yaar, I can't let my parents down. I just have to give it my best'.

And then, when I walked into the shot, I was this confident, fiery ball of energy, spouting dialogues like I had never imagined I would. I haven't looked back since that day.

And how did this job eventually become your passion? That happened later when I started getting fan mails. I was doing a lot of films.

But my fans kept on writing that they were not happy with me. So I wondered 'Arre, I am working 72 hours at a stretch, not eating right, not getting enough sleep, giving my best to each shot, so what was going wrong?' Then I realized that after "Ghulam" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hain", my fans' expectations of me were higher than my own.

That's when I learnt my second lesson - that it's not just performing, I also had to know good scripts from the not-so-good ones. I started getting more involved in the whole process; understanding films beyond just acting.

During this whole process, acting became my passion. Coming back to the present, what went wrong in the last couple of years before "No One Killed Jessica" last year? You had some consecutive flops after a spate of hits, and suddenly you just vanished.

..

(Snaps her fingers and says with a smile) Don't worry, from this year, you'll see me in two films every year at least. Coming back to your question, I had seen failures before but when those three films ("Laaga Chunri Mein Daag", "Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic" and "Dil Bole Hadippa") failed in quick succession, it affected me in a way no flop had before.

My confidence was completely shattered. All my movies failed to make a mark with audiences and critics alike.

Maybe the critics thought 'we've praised her enough, now it's time for her to fall a bit hard, so she steps her game up' (smiles). I also think I was plain unlucky.

The audience has little memory of what you have done before or are capable of doing. What matters is today.

So three flops probably told them 'Rani has worked so well in the last few years, maybe it's time she took a back seat and settled down'. And are you settling down? (Smile that says read-my-expression-if-you-can) When I plan to settle down, I will announce it to the world.

Marriage is an occasion to celebrate. I'll celebrate it when it happens, letting everyone know about it.

What about the rumors of your relationship with Aditya Chopra? I have been linked with so many of my co-stars and this Aditya rumor has stayed with me for the longest time. This time, I'm going to give you the cliched answer no journalist wants to hear, 'No comments'.

Are you dating someone? Yes, I am dating, but that's as far as I'm willing to talk about my personal life. Your fans want to know about your personal life? They want to know if marriage is on the cards.

They will know when the time comes. Right now, I have two movies coming out and that's what I'm going to talk about.

Are you saying nothing is serious as far as your dating goes? In a relationship, there are two people involved. Since I'm a public figure, if I start answering questions, it'll open doors for more questions, speculations, gossips, and then it comes to a point where every day someone has something to say about your personal life.

It's unfair to the other person. I do not mind a bitchy comment about the way I dress or my films, but a comment on my private space isn't welcome.

Are you a romantic? I'm a born romantic. I romanticize everything in life.

My personal life is full of love and romance. God's given us one life.

You should romance it. It's not always nice and cool to be practical and logical.

What have your relationships/ heartbreaks taught you? I haven't been in a lot of relationships. Heartbreak definitely teaches you to be a better actor.

Don't they say, an artiste always performs better when he or she has experienced heartbreak? (Laughs) That was a joke. I don't give that much importance to men.

All my heartbreaks have been because of close friends, and not men. Seriously? (On a serious note) Heartbreak, anger, frustration - if you can overcome these emotions, you become a better person.

If you're a person of substance, you'll overcome your bad times. Who wants to be a loser? Will you marry an actor? No, two megalomaniacs can't exist in the same house.

We'll end up killing each other. What's the best thing about being in a relationship? (Enigmatic smile) That you can hide it.

And the best part of getting married is that you can announce it to the world. What about the fact that today the shelf life of actresses is low? Would you ever decide to do an item number or attend red carpet events as visibility is important these days? No.

Because for me, it's important to cement an impression of my work. Acting is what I do best.

It's not difficult to be in the public eye. Go anywhere and you'll find the media.

I am not trying to sound high and mighty here. If I was being launched today, I would do exactly what newcomers do these days.

But after 15 years in the course of which I have firmly established my credentials as an actress, I plan to only focus on acting. But if friends call me, I'll be there.

Like I went to Farah's (Khan) house-warming party recently. Aamir (Khan) and Kiran (Rao) had a son and going there was important for me because he is someone who is very dear to me.

As are Shah Rukh Khan and Karan (Johar). Have you spoken to Abhishek after he became a father? We aren't in touch on the phone, but whenever I come across him, I will definitely congratulate him.

It's great news. What did that low phase in your life teach you? When I was joining films, my dad had told me, 'Don't ever be disheartened with failure and don't be over-excited with success'.

This is an important lesson in any actor's life. But can you really separate your emotions as professional and personal in your mind? Hurt is hurt, disappointment is disappointment.

..

That's where your family and your strength as an individual come in. I am very close to my family.

And I have other interests, like baking. I started baking in one of my very low phases in life.

I find it therapeutic. So, would we see a Rani Mukerji patisserie soon? You could.

I'm serious about going to Paris or Chicago for a fulltime patisserie course. Any other venture in mind? A lot of actresses are starting their own fashion lines.

Or maybe even film production..

. No.

The only thing I will be producing next is babies. No other production happening with me.

Is there a lot of bitching/backbiting in the industry? There is, but that's true of any industry where over-competitive minds are always at work. But it is blown out of proportion in ours because it's the glamor industry.

Have you been at the receiving end of bitching? People say bitchy things about other people to feel good about themselves. Whatever I have got in life has been a huge blessing.

I've never gone after something that's not mine. Today, I am sitting at my office in Juhu, overlooking the sea.

I used to live in a shack before. I used to travel in rickshaws.

Today, I have a Mercedes. But if I start thinking, 'I have a bungalow, why not a building in Bandra tomorrow? Or now, I have a car, why not a yacht next?' my life will be difficult.

My mind doesn't work that way. The only ambition I have is to pick up interesting scripts and give a stellar performance that'll be etched in the audiences' and my fans' minds (less)

Here friends and family congratulate him for his act. Sunil Shetty I went to see Agneepath with my entire family.

My son Ahaan has already seen it twice because Sanju is like God for him. My mother, who is very shy, actually called Sanju to tell him how much she loved his performance.

I thought he was deadly in the film. Everyone looked like a baby in front of him because of the intensity he had.

I'm so happy Deadly Dutt is back to doing what he does best - action! A few days ago, we had a heart-to-heart conversation and I told him, 'Agneepath is your film, and I have a strong feeling it is going to be a huge success.' Now I want to see baba to in his Munnabhai avatar again! It's amazing to see how effortlessly he transitions from playing the good guy to the baddest of the bad! Priya Dutt Roncon I loved Sanju's performance.

He was brilliant! Kancha stays with you long after the movie is over. Sanju is a great actor and has never bothered about the numbers game.

He works with his heart and gives it his best. We are so proud of him - he deserves it! Namrata Dutt I thought Sanju was fantastic in Agneepath.

It was a very challenging role for him, both physically and mentally. It was difficult for him to portray Kancha Cheena as he doesn't identity with the character.

For him to do such an evil role with conviction was brilliant. What I like about him is that he's not a method actor.

He can switch on and off easily. Whenever he returned from Diu, he never got Kancha home.

Now when I think about it, I realise it must have been very difficult to switch on and off like that everyday. Karisma Kapur Sanjay is out of this world as Kancha Cheena! This performance will rate as one of his best films ever.

People will remember his portrayal for a long, long time. No words are enough to laud his tremendous performance.

Milan Luthria Sanju strides across the screen like an evil colossus in Agneepath. After Gabbar Singh and Mogambo, here's a truly memorable onscreen villain.

We were at his house for dinner after watching the film, I told him how incredible it was that Munnabhai could morph into Kancha. He truly rocks.

Rohit Shetty Kancha is a visually striking villain. He can kill you with his look.

Kancha's menacing appearance on screen scares the audience. Sanju has done justice to the character and he will win many hearts in the cinema halls.

Ajay Devgn Agneepath! Sanjay Dutt ! That's the only thing that strikes me when I watch the film. Sanju is to Agneepath what Heath Ledger was to The Dark Knight.

Sanjay Dutt I am overwhelmed at the reactions for Agneepath. I visited some popular single screen theatres and was taken aback by the audience's response! I was stunned when they started whistling and clapping at my entry.

The noise was deafening. I felt on top of the world! I never expected such big opening collections either.

People have complimented me on my range as an actor - that I can play both the lovable Munnabhai and the horrible Kancha with ease. It's a very good feeling to be praised like that.

When you work hard and get such tremendous appreciation from both fans and friends, you feel a real sense of achievement (less)

Hits like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron , Mandi, Maqbool and Halla Bol followed. Then there's his brilliant comic turn for TV in Office Office .

Kapur firmly believes Mausam was specifically conceived for son, actor Shahid Kapoor. Pankaj has been working on scripts for a very long time and finally chose Mausam to be his directorial debut.

Pankaj knows the music of the film is breaking the chartbusters and is excited and anticipating the film's release. Eros International and Vistaar Religare Film Fund present Mausam produced by Sunil Lulla and Sheetal Vinod Talwar.

The film releases on September 23 (less)

IANS lists the top 10 actresses who swept the audience away in 2011: 1. Vidya Balan: She started the year with a stellar performance as a deglamorised, strong-willed simpleton in the real-life inspired "No One Killed Jessica", and featured in cameos in "Thank You", "Dum Maaro Dum" and Malayalam film "Urumi".

But for the 33-year-old 'bombaat' actress, 2011 ended with a bang with her sizzling portrayal of a dancing star, Silk , in "The Dirty Picture". Vidya explored new realms to her acting potential, and emerged as a winner, overshadowing other commercially hit Bollywood divas.

2. Kareena Kapoor: Two films and both hits! Even after over a decade, Kareena stood out among her contemporaries with the record-breaker "Bodyguard" opposite Salman Khan , and Shah Rukh Khan's mega-production "RA.

One". She also proved her dancing mettle once again with "Chammak challo", which went on to be a huge chartbuster.

3. Priyanka Chopra: After an average 2010, Priyanka Chopra sprang back into action by carrying out seven different looks in Vishal Bharadwaj's critically-acclaimed "7 Khoon Maaf".

In the character of a serial spouse-killer, Sussanna, the actress has displayed why she is a National Award winner at such a young age. She will round up the year as Shah Rukh Khan's 'junglee billi' in the much-awaited "Don 2: The King Is Back".

4. Katrina Kaif: As a free-spirited, independent girl in the multi-starrer "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", as a sexy item girl in "Bodyguard" or as the effervescent Dimple Dixit in "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan", this Britain-born girl has been proving her range with every passing year.

5. Kalki Koechlin: With four diverse films -- "Shaitan", "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", "That Girl in Yellow Boots" and "My Friend Pinto" - Kalki has been on a roll this year! Her easy and fluid portrayal of a mentally disturbed girl, a nagging girlfriend, a girl in search of her father, and a lost girl abandoned by her boyfriend, have reassured cine-buffs of her capacity as a new age, commercially-viable actress, who dares to choose different roles.

6. Kangana Ranaut: Year 2011 saw Kangana in a new avatar.

As a bindaas Kanpur girl in "Tanu Weds Manu", she gave her most desi performance ever. She followed it up with the role of a cop in "Game", a supporting act in comedy films "Double Dhamaal" and "Rascals", and featured in "Miley Naa Miley Hum", which went unnoticed.

However, Kangana's standing in the industry remains quite unaffected. 7.

Rani Mukerji: Her fans got a treat after two years when Rani returned to the big screen in "No One Killed Jessica". As a bold journalist, who gets the public together to demand justice for a cause, Rani delivered an image-breaking performance when she mouthed expletives and smoked a cigarette for the role.

8. Anushka Sharma: There's something that clicks about this Yash Raj Films find, despite average earners like "Patiala House" and "Ladies VS Ricky Bahl" in 2011.

Anushka's vivaciousness, million-dollar smile and perfect dancing skills have catapulted her into the league of promising leading ladies of tinsel town today. 9.

Deepika Padukone: At 25, Deepika has established herself as one of the more popular female stars of Hindi cinema. This year she strengthened her stance, not so much with her performances, but because of the elan with which she carried out the sultry song "Mit jaaye gum"; as the small town but confident girl in "Aarakshan"; and as the love interest of John Abraham in "Desi Boyz ".

10. Mahie Gill: Her films, "Utt Patang", "Not A Love Story" and "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster" this year didn't mint enough money at the box office, but her performance, like always, was well noticed.

The critically acclaimed actress continues to choose films away from tried-and-tested formulas, and garners appreciation galore (less)

"Now I'm back in action, leaving for Hubli for another action packed schedule of 'Rowdy Rathore'! Just got back from Germany post some therapy. Feeling much relief now, thank you to all my well wishers, who prayed for me," he posted on Twitter.

The film, which is the remake of Telugu film Vikramarkudu , features Akshay in a double-role opposite Sonakshi Sinha and is scheduled to hit theatres on June 15. Tweet (less)

However, finding the male lead was reportedly quite a challenge. The industry was abuzz with speculation about the possible contenders and those included Saif Ali Khan , Abhishek Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi.

But, all the rumours can be put to rest, as Mumbai Mirror has learnt that Emraan has finally been zeroed down for the role in the film. Apparently, this will be the first UTV venture for the former Bhatt camp loyalist.

When contacted, UTV CEO Siddarth Roy Kapoor confirmed the news and said, "After two back to back hits with Aamir and No One Killed Jessica we are thrilled to announce Ghanchakkar, our next film with Rajkumar Gupta. What makes this even more exciting is that we will be working with Emraan Hashmi for the first time.

Rajkumar and Parvez Sheikh have written the script and Emraan's character will be unlike any other role he has ever essayed in the past." With regard to the script, director Rajkumar Gupta said, "Ghanchakkar is a quasi-realistic urban comedy, thriller highlighting the absurdity of certain real human situations.

" Emraan told us that he decided to get on-board as he found the script very "edgy and gripping and at the same time extremely commercial". He explained, "Rajkumar has made very daring and bold films.

When he narrated Ghanchakkar to me, I was very impressed." (less)

But the Bihar Police says the apprehension doesn't hold much ground. In Motihari, Sushil's native town, there are rumours doing the rounds that fearing abduction, his family has been reluctant to disclose the date of his much-awaited arrival from Mumbai.

The hundreds of visitors at his house have been told by his family that due to security reasons nothing is certain about his arrival. Sushil's elder brother Sunil did not rule out the possibility of abduction attempts by criminal gangs and anti-social elements.

"Nothing can be ruled out," he said. Sushil's close friend Jitendra Singh said the family was afraid.

"It is well known that Motihari and its neighbouring areas are notorious for extortion and abduction for ransom. The family's fear is natural.

" However, Motihari Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar said there was no threat of abduction. "Fear of abduction is baseless if there is any" he said.

Sushil Kumar, a computer operator and tutor who earns Rs.6,000 per month, went on to win the top prize in the show hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

The 27-year-old is married and lives in a big joint family with five brothers, five nieces and a nephew in East Champaran district. Tweet (less)

Since the film's release a week back, he has time and again said that it told a tale in simple humour. "This film is not at all a second part or a sequel of the blockbuster Udayanannu Tharam that strarred Mohanlal.

In the present film, there is no character of Udayabhanu (essayed by Mohanlal in Udayanannu Tharam ) and his wife," he told reporters. The film is different from Udayanannu Tharam as the story line is different because Udayabhanu's story ended in the first film itself, Sreenivasan told reporters.

The latest film directed by debutant Sajin Raghavan takes a dig at the never ending feuds between the numerous film-based organisations in the Malayalam film industry. Antony Perumbavoor, Mohanlal's business associate in all film-related business ventures, came out against Udayanannu Tharam and called up the film's cinematographer S Kumar.

S Kumar told reporters that he got a call from Antony and he was not happy with the manner in which the film allegedly took on Mohanlal. "He told me that at least I should have not allowed these veiled barbs against Mohanlal.

I asked him why he is saying all this to me because I am only a cameraman," Antony said. "I told him to speak to the producer or director or others who are behind the film," said Kumar.

Director Major Ravi, whose films Keerthi Chakra and Kurukshetra that starred Mohanlal in a character wearing army uniform, termed the events as sad. "These two people have been in films and they act together.

Doing like this is not good," he said. Tweet (less)

In fact, she has surpassed her own portrayal of a sexually charged woman in Ishiqya . When launched, the film grabbed attention as it was touted as a biopic on southern sex symbol Silk Smitha who had committed suicide in 1996.

But recently when the late actress' brother objected and filed a complaint against the content of the film, the makers said it's not based on anyone's life. Vidya pulled out all stops at the music launch of the movie when she gave an adrenaline pumping performance along with co-star Naseeruddin Shah.

Criticism and complaints notwithstanding, the trade pundits forecast that amidst the four big releases--the Vidya starrer, produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures, will take the cake when it hits the screen Dec 2. T.

N. Kapoor, of Bharti Film Distributors in Indore, says: " The Dirty Picture is likely to do good business as it has got mass appeal.

Vidya's already generated a lot of buzz with the way she is presenting herself in the film." Ranbir Kapoor's musical saga Rockstar released last Friday and T.

N. Kapoor said: " Rockstar is for youngsters and caters to the audiences of bigger cities.

It may do well." Set in London, Desi Boyz , releasing Dec 25, will see the hit team of Akshay Kumar and John Abraham.

" Desi Boyz is good but whatever little I have heard about the story, I don't think the audiences will be able to digest it. But since it is a solo release, people would definitely go and watch it as they wouldn't have any other option to choose from," said T.

N. Kapoor.

Ranbir and director Imtiaz Ali have rocked the nation with their promotional events and the promos of the film have generated curiosity among the masses. But Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan, said, " Rockstar is for the multiplex audiences and I don't find anything extraordinary in Desi Boyz and Don 2 .

All the three films are made at a budget of over Rs.70 crore and it often becomes difficult to recover so much cost.

"I feel The Dirty Picture will work more than other films as it has appeal for both mass and class. The Dirty Picture will not only work in the metros but it is likely to work in B and C class cities like Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Bareilly among others.

" Vidya has been one of the few actresses who has spent most of her screen time looking old, unglamorous and now even vulgar to earn that highest spot in the creative field. Her endeavour may be earning flak for her sexy avatar, but the actress was quoted as saying that she had a blast doing the film and that "I have given it my all".

Businesswise this year is said to be better compared to 2010. Some fell flat at the box office, some recovered the cost and some appealed to the public and spun profit.

But No One Killed Jessica , Yamla Pagal Deewana , Tanu Weds Manu , Bodyguard , Ready , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , Singham and RA.One set the cash registers ringing and bailed out the filmmakers by earning profit.

Don 2 will be the last big release of the year. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film will reach the theatres Dec 23.

Tweet (less)

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Vivek: I've been busy shooting for Zilla Ghaziabad . It's an interesting film, where I play a gangster who starts off as a teacher.

He returns to his village to improve the quality of life there, but soon becomes a gangster after realising it is the only way to clean such a society. Preparations for the Krrish sequel have also begun.

It's the biggest movie in my career so far. Ques: What prompted you to take up Zilla Ghaziabad ? Director Anand Kumar isn't exactly a known name.

..

Vivek: It was Arshad Warsi who told me that he had a script with a relatively unknown director, and that he was acting in it too, though they didn't have any producer then. When I read the script, I knew instantly I wanted to play the infamous Satbir Gujjar, the most educated gangster in the history of India.

He was loved by the public and feared by the oppressors. Ques: Moving to Krrish , buzz is your character is confined to a wheelchair in the first half, but does lots of action in the latter part.

..

Vivek: Well, it's designed to generate curiosity. All I can say for now is that he's like a crazy, comic book villain.

When Rakeshji (Roshan) narrated the role to me, he told me he had written this character with me in mind. I wanted to do cartwheels right there and then! Ques: But there were reports of Salman, Shah Rukh and even Ajay Devgn being approached for this role.

..

Vivek: I don't know about the reports. When I read the script, I felt it was written for me.

Rakeshji and Hrithik also said the same thing. I've too much love and respect for them to think it's not true.

As far as everyone else is concerned, without sounding cheeky, I'm happy I'm doing it. Ques: On the personal front, you'll soon be completing a year of marriage.

How's married life treating you? Vivek: When Priyanka is not in town, everyone around feels I become insufferable. My team tells her that I become chidchida when she's not around.

I always thought that I'd be an eternal bachelor, but I was wrong. Ques: Your family must be eagerly waiting to see little children running about the house.

..

Vivek: I'm crazy about kids, so I'm looking forward to it as and when it happens. Tweet (less)

Directed by Milan Luthria, The Dirty Picture is said to be the tragic tale of a southern sex symbol's rise and fall and Vidya is playing the voluptuous woman who was loved and desired in the 1980s and 1990s. Leaving behind the grace and charm she showed in her first film Parineeta and then again in films like Paa and No One Killed Jessica , Vidya has done everything - from wearing garish clothes to showing meat to making provocative dance moves - to make her character believable.

In fact, she has surpassed her own portrayal of a sexually charged woman in Ishiqya . When launched, the film grabbed attention as it was touted as a biopic on southern sex symbol Silk Smitha who had committed suicide in 1996.

But recently when the late actress' brother objected and filed a complaint against the content of the film, the makers said it's not based on anyone's life. Vidya pulled out all stops at the music launch of the movie when she gave an adrenaline pumping performance along with co-star Naseeruddin Shah.

Criticism and complaints not with standing, the trade pundits forecast that amidst the four big releases - the Vidya starrer, produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures, will take the cake when it hits the screen Dec 2. T.

N. Kapoor, of Bharti Film Distributors in Indore, told IANS: " The Dirty Picture is likely to do good business as it has got mass appeal.

Vidya's already generated a lot of buzz with the way she is presenting herself in the film." Ranbir Kapoor's musical saga Rockstar is releasing Friday and T.

N. Kapoor said: " Rockstar is for youngsters and caters to the audiences of bigger cities.

It may do well." Set in London, Desi Boyz , releasing Dec 25, will see the hit team of Akshay Kumar and John Abraham.

" Desi Boyz is good but whatever little I have heard about the story, I don't think the audiences will be able to digest it. But since it is a solo release, people would definitely go and watch it as they wouldn't have any other option to choose from," said T.

N. Kapoor.

Ranbir and director Imtiaz Ali have rocked the nation with their promotional events and the promos of the film have generated curiosity among the masses. But Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan, said, " Rockstar is for the multiplex audiences and I don't find anything extraordinary in Desi Boyz and Don 2 .

All the three films are made at a budget of over Rs.70 crore and it often becomes difficult to recover so much cost.

"I feel The Dirty Picture will work more than other films as it has appeal for both mass and class. The Dirty Picture will not only work in the metros but it is likely to work in B and C class cities like Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Bareilly among others.

" Vidya has been one of the few actresses who has spent most of her screen time looking old, unglamorous and now even vulgar to earn that highest spot in the creative field. Her endeavour may be earning flak for her sexy avatar, but the actress was quoted as saying that she had a blast doing the film and that "I have given it my all".

Businesswise this year is said to be better compared to 2010. Some fell flat at the box office, some recovered the cost and some appealed to the public and spun profit.

Some big budget disappointments were Game , Thank You , Dum Maaro Dum , Rascals , Mere Brother Ki Dulhan , Mausam and Patiala House . But No One Killed Jessica , Yamla Pagal Deewana , Tanu Weds Manu , Bodyguard , Ready , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , Singham and RA.

One set the cash registers ringing and bailed out the filmmakers by earning profit. Don 2 will be the last big release of the year.

Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film will reach the theatres Dec 23. Tweet (less)

But the same cannot be said for the movie that is being touted as the superstar's foray into Hollywood. Earlier this year, it was reported that King Khan had hit jackpot by managing to rope in the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese to co-produce his dream project, Xtrme City .

But alas, the film already seems to be facing a major glitch. Apart from Scorsese and SRK, Xtrme City was to include actor Leonardo Di Caprio, but now apparently, the makers are not able to zero in on a date for the Hollywood star.

Adds a source, "The script has been locked and right now they have been zeroing in on everyone's dates for the project. SRK, Scorsese and even writer Paul Schrader's dates are pretty much in.

The problem is Leonardo Di Caprio's dates haven't been decided upon." The actor is busy filming The Great Gatsby (which is incidentally Amitabh Bachchan's first Hollywood project) at this point and nothing really can be finalised unless his dates are confirmed.

For a film that boasts of such heavyweights, it's little surprise if delays are part and parcel of the process. It was during the Berlin film festival in February that SRK got a chance to meet the Oscar winning director and actor and discuss the project.

Interestingly, it is said that Scorsese's interest in Indian cinema was one of the main reasons he agreed to come on board for this film. Adds the source, "Now, we all know that Scorsese and DiCaprio are thick as thieves and always work together.

So it's very essential that he comes on board for this one as soon as possible." So despite all the dilemmas, if this project does manage to take off, there's little doubt that it may become even bigger than SRK's superhero thriller! Tweet (less)

Titled Tagore , the film starred Chiranjeevi as an anti-corruption crusader who starts a vigilante organisation called Anti-Corruption Force. It as old as 2003, and was quite forgotten, but suddenly there was a high demand for its remake rights, say sources.

The producers of Tagore jacked up the remake rights of the film to a staggering Rs 10 crore. What's more, Mantena is believed to have paid up the amount.

When contacted, Mantena said he is in the process of acquiring the rights for the film. "I love the title and I love the message of the film.

I think it's far more relevant today than it was when it was made seven years ago." Interestingly, Tagore itself is the remake of a 2002 Tamil film called Ramanna .

AR Murugadoss, who directed Ghajini for Mantena, had also written Tagore . According to sources, Mantena wants to cast Aamir Khan in the role of the anti-corruption crusader.

While not denying this bit of news, Mantena refused to talk about the subject. He said, "I can't talk about the casting.

It's too early." Tweet (less)

Ramu was so impressed by Lakshmi Manchu's performance as a witch in the Telugu film ' Anaganaga O Dheerudu ' that he roped in the versatile actress to play the leading lady opposite Sanjay Dutt in his forthcoming Hindi film Department . Department also stars Amitabh Bachchan as a politician and Rana Daggubati.

Lakshmi plays the role of a conventional housewife but it's more unique than ever before. Lakshmi is working with Ramu for the second time, the first one being a Telugu movie Dongala Muthu .

"Ramu is truly inspiring to work with him. When Ramu asked me, I had the dates available and I jumped into it", says Lakshmi.

Working for her first Hindi feature film was quite an experience when you know not much than just to manage to get an auto. Lakshmi says, "It is my first Hindi film.

I never had spoken so much Hindi in my life. Most was getting an auto while bunking college.

" "Movies are my passion. My dedication and love for acting has made me feel like it's a holiday.

I never feel like work. Acting is the way of life for me.

I get to be so many people". Talking about her co-stars she says, "I was super floored by Amithabjis energy! Electrifying!!! Most of my scenes are with Sanju Baba and it has been great working with him.

He is such a gentleman - very humble and down to earth. Rana, I have known him forever.

He is a real good friend. He is always there for you".

Much excited about her foray into the Hindi film industry, Lakshmi says, "Bolllywood here I come to do Chamak challo with the bodyguard and the delhi bellys" (less)

Rohit, whose dad David Dhawan has apparently never got an A-rating in his entire career as a filmmaker, is dismayed at his maiden film being tagged as adult fare. "I'm extremely disappointed and saddened by the censors' verdict.

I've made a positive feel-good film. I think it'll go down as the cleanest 'A' certified film ever," he said.

Starring Akshay Kumar and John Abraham , the film is about two jobless guys who become male strippers to earn money. It is releasing Friday.

However, a senior filmmaker on condition of anonymity, said: "With due respects to David Dhawan, we all wish his son well as a second-generation filmmaker. But the film is about male escorts, and that is adult content.

Period. Anywhere in the world males escorts are subjects for adult contemplation.

" Apparently, CBFC regional officer J.P.

Singh firmly turned down Rohit's request for a UA certificate. Rohit felt an 'A' certificate would curtail his potential audience-profile drastically.

To this the senior filmmaker reacted: "The RO was right in giving the film an 'A' certificate. Adult content must be treated accordingly.

As for the film losing out on the younger audience, 'Delhi Belly' and 'No One Killed Jessica' were hits despite being certified as 'Adults Only' films. "The censor board works under extreme pressures of time and rules.

Full marks to Mr Singh for maintaining an equilibrium between the requirements of filmmakers and the basic codes of public morality." The spokesperson for film's producers said cautiously: "Eros Entertainment respects the censor decision and they have described it as a 'coming of age' film.

" Vidya Balan-starrer "The Dirty Picture" chronicles the life of a sex symbol and it is coming out Dec 2 (less)

Q: You have opened the production house Ameesha Patel Production with your best friend, Kuunal Goomer. Is it a good idea to mix business with friendship? Ameesha: While I was apprehensive about starting my business ventures with my other friends, with Kuunal I knew it would only grow into something better.

After God if I trust someone it is Kuunal. It was his dream to start this production house.

He felt that I was wasting my education and I needed to do more with myself. Q: Both the directors you have signed Priyadarshan and David Dhawan didn't have a good run at the box office, recently.

Ameesha: But they have also given 40 hits. We are honoured to have them on board.

Being in this industry for 12 years, I have gone though the valleys and the peaks and seen the cyclical changes. When Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan can be written off, who are we? Therefore, we don't judge anyone from their last hits and flops.

Q: Will you act in all your home ventures? Ameesha: Yes, because I am young, pretty and a good actress. But our doors are open to all the talented actors.

I am also working in movies outside my home production like Race 2, Shortcut Romeo, Bhaiyyaji Superhit with Sunny Deol. Q: Will your good friend Sanjay Dutt act in your film? Ameesha: My production house would be incomplete if Sanju was not part of it.

Even if he is not on the mind of any director, we will make sure that there is a special role written for him. Q: How do you react to your detractors who say that Ameesha has opened her production house because no one else is giving her work? Q: Is it easier to go get work or to get hundred crore to fund yourself? Q: You think you got your due as an actor? Ameesha: Not at all but I will get it now.

Q: What went wrong? Ameesha: I did not have brains and circumstances did not allow me to take my career in the right direction. I was not a filmy kid and I came around the time when all the star kids including Kareena and Hrithik were being launched.

I had to crawl while they were already running. I am still from outside and I don't have a godfather.

I did not even have a filmy boyfriend to push me for roles. No Salman was my boyfriend, no Akshay Kumar, none of them.

Even Kuunal is from the non-filmy background. Q: Who is your Prince Charming? Ameesha: After some terrible mistakes I am still waiting for my Prince Charming.

I have never changed men to suit my career. I am a sucker for love.

Q: Will you be able to convince your friends like Hrithik and Shah Rukh who are very busy to work in your films? Ameesha: So many producers want David Dhawan and Priyadarshan but we managed to rope them. Likewise if we have a role for Hrithik or Shah Rukh we are confident enough to get them.

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Ramu too has announced his own version of The Ramayan. What's this latest fascination of Bollywood with the epic? It's mere coincidence because when this film was written, "Raavan" was not even in the picture.

The director and writer were so new that they didn't know how to get in touch with actors like me. Eventually, they did so but by the time they got in touch with me, "Raavan" had been made.

Ramu must be having his own take of how he wants to handle the mythological text. My "Lanka" is inspired by the relationship that Ravan and Vivishan shared.

"Lanka" explores the small town culture of western UP. You've played a character that would be synonymous to Ravan in mythology.

Is your role essentially evil? Not really. I play a powerful guy and he uses his power too when he falls for a girl, who doesn't reciprocate.

How would you define it in the context of the film industry? Power is the ability to give three hits in a year. Nothing else can give power.

Critics might praise my work but if my films keep failing at the BO, nobody will give me work. So, where you would find yourself on any powerlist? Oh! I would be very low in the pecking order.

That I am still managing to survive is only because of some directors, who have faith in me. Nothing goes against a person if he is part of a hit movie.

Whether he is talented or not is immaterial. Anurag Kashyap is one such director and you've done "Gangs of Wasseypur" with him recently.

How has been the experience been? Anurag uses me very well. He is too intelligent a director and considering that he tours the world over, he has a lot of new ideas.

After Shekhar Kapur and Mahesh Bhatt , he is Indian cinema's biggest actor's director. It's not easy to become a director who understands the emotional requirements of an actor.

Your "Chittagong" too will eventually be releasing. Are you aware of comparisons with "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey"? Nobody is scared of comparisons but I must add that director Bedabrata Pain has a very different take on the subject.

A child in awe of Masterda is in the foreground, whereas I am the second or third lead in the movie. This movie has a new style of storytelling that I absolutely loved being a part of.

Having done movies like "Raajneeti" and "Aarakshan", are their any movies/roles of yours that you now can't sit and watch? I will never do a "Bewafaa" or a "Fareb" now. Today, I realize that I was not the right cast for these films and that I was not good in the roles either.

You admit that fatherhood has toned you down. What are the things you will never say or do now? Internally, there has been a shift in search towards spiritualism.

Of course, my daughter ( Ava Nayla ) has changed my life too. Even as I speak, she is sitting on my chest and looking at me with wide-eyed wonder.

Seeing her grow is a unique experience. I have calmed down a lot.

I am an actor and I have realized that even if I don't like a performance, I'll never say the truth on anyone's face. In this industry, people can't accept the truth.

As a child, you are told to be truthful. But as you grow up in the industry, you learn to be a liar.

That's a survival tactic. You might believe that you are saying the truth because you want to be honest.

But not only will you lose friends by doing so, you will also end up losing a few years in the industry by rubbing people the wrong way. So, what's the biggest lie in the industry? I'd like to mention two lies - talent survives and that a good film does well.

In reality, anybody can be a part of a hit film. He will survive and there will be hype surrounding him.

Truth is that a film that becomes a hit is not necessarily a good movie. Did you ever attract a Vivishan in your career? I am no Ravan in real life to have a Vivishan.

On a serious note, nobody is that close to me apart from my family. They are all very loyal to me both during my good and bad times.

There is no giant Lanka that I have built to be pulled down to ashes. What about your wife's film career? She is a mother now.

Currently, she is too involved with our daughter. She doesn't believe in keeping a domestic help and does everything by herself (less)

Before she flew to the British capital, she offered her reasons for consistently turning down dancing offers, "I don't think it's worth it. I would dance at a New Year's bash in a five-star hotel or anywhere else only if I was offered a humongous amount of money! Money that would allow me to buy a house for my family in London or not do a couple of films or something equivalent to that.

I haven't been offered such an amount as yet. The money has to be so ridiculous that I can't refuse!" Money and hits (Chikni Chameli and Sheila Ki Jawani ) aside, the lure of spending time with family is overbearing, "For my family and me, Christmas and New Year's are very special occasions, a time when the entire family comes together.

I would never sacrifice those moments for a dance at a hotel." (less)

Bollywood has a lot to offer in 2012. TOI picks the 10 hot favourites AGNEEPATH DIRECTOR: Karan Malhotra CAST: Hrithik Roshan , Priyanka Chopra , Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor EXPECTED RELEASE: January 26 The raw, pulsating aggro of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan - portrayed by none other than Amitabh Bachchan in the 1990 classic - will be brought alive on screen by Hrithik Roshan.

For visual relief from the all-out action is the leggy Katrina Kaif as the fetching Chikni Chameli. WATCH OUT FOR: Sanjay Dutt as the bald baddie Kancha Cheena.

EK THA TIGER DIRECTOR: Kabir Khan CAST: Salman Khan , Katrina Kaif EXPECTED RELEASE: August Salman turns tiger for this one, his prowl - sorry, pay - was a whopping 32 crore. Filmed in five countries including Ireland and Turkey , the crew faced some tense moments when an earthquake hit Turkey.

It's touted as a romantic thriller, but will it romance the BO? Let's wait and watch the tiger. WATCH OUT FOR: Kat sizzling opposite her ex.

BARFEE DIRECTOR: Anurag Basu CAST: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D'Cruz EXPECTED RELEASE: July Bolly heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor in a non-star avatar, as happy-go-lucky deaf-mute man, Murphy, while Piggy Chops plays autistic girl Jhilmil. A murder mystery with a fair share of thrills and chills, "B" has been the buzzword in tinseltown ever since it hit the floors.

WATCH OUT FOR: South siren Ileana D'Cruz, who's the narrator of the story. HEROINE DIRECTOR: Madhur Bhandarkar CAST: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal , Shahana Goswami, Randeep Hooda EXPECTED RELEASE: September Heroine ho aur nakhre na ho? Madhur had a taste of this Bollywood adage as his first heroine, Ash, became pregnant and dropped out.

Madhur went back to his 'first choice' Kareena Kapoor. The film captures the insecurities of a once-famous heroine whose career is on the decline.

WATCH OUT FOR: Echoes of Madhubala and Marilyn's lives. ROWDY RATHORE DIRECTOR: Prabhu Deva CAST: Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha EXPECTED RELEASE: June 15 Akshay returns to full-on action with this remake of the Telugu bumper hit "Vikramarkudu" - and that too in a double role, as a dhaansu police officer and a thief.

Akshay is learnt to be finetuning his martial art skills for this role. Kickass, eh? WATCH OUT FOR: All eyes will be on Sonakshi.

This will be her next release after "Dabangg". And, of course, Pradhu Deva as director.

TALAASH DIRECTOR: Reema Kagti CAST: Aamir Khan , Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji EXPECTED RELEASE: June 1 Another cop movie, with Aamir donning khaki for the first time since "Sarfarosh" (1999). Being an Aamir film, the buzz over it is a given.

And Aamir being Aamir, he's making sure that the plot isn't leaked. Fans posted 'inspired' posters online (above), forcing producer Farhan Akhtar to clear the air on Twitter.

WATCH OUT FOR: Kolkata boy Subrat Dutt's performance. BOL BACHCHAN DIRECTOR: Rohit Shetty CAST: Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan , Asin Thottumkal and Prachi Desai EXPECTED RELEASE: July 6 Rohit Shetty had a hit with "Golmaal 3", but instead of another sequel, he announced "Bol Bachchan", which, we now hear, is a tribute to the 1979 "Golmaal", a Hrishikesh Mukherjee classic.

Abhishek is Ram Prasad (Amol Palekar in the original) and Devgn plays Bhawani Shankar (Utpal Dutt). WATCH OUT FOR: LOL lines every minute.

AGENT VINOD DIRECTOR: Sriram Raghavan CAST: Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor EXPECTED RELEASE: March The director has said that it's not a remake of the 1977 film, but it's not every day that you get to see the Nawab of Pataudi romance his would-be begum on screen, right? The only 'wrong' is that the release of the much-hyped film has been delayed a number of times. Pull up your socks Agent Vinod, you have to save the film! WATCH OUT FOR: Thrills, thrills and more thrills.

SHANGHAI DIRECTOR: Dibakar Banerjee CAST: Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee EXPECTED RELEASE: April/ May A take on the anti-corruption movement. The hatke political thriller focusses on the revenge of the common man and has been inspired by Greek writer and diplomat Vassilis Vassilikos's book, Z.

Dibakar has raised the bar with films like "Khosla Ka Ghosla" and "Love, Sex Aur Dhoka". We're waiting for more! WATCH OUT FOR: Prosenjit Chatterjee's return to Bollywood.

HOUSEFULL 2 Akshay Kumar is all set to tickle your funnybone in 'Housefull 2' DIRECTOR: Sajid Khan CAST: Akshay Kumar, Asin, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade and Shazahn Padamsee EXPECTED RELEASE: April 5 "Housefull" had a house full run at the BO. Idea! Why not repeat the success with a sequel? That's how "Housefull 2" happened.

Akshay Kumar's character, Aarush, is supposed to be a comic take on James Bond. Will Sajid get the comic formula right and laugh all the way to the bank? We'll have our eyes glued.

WATCH OUT FOR: Performances by Mithun Chakraborty, Rishi Kapoor and even Big B (less)

Dev Anand, who had come here for medical check up, was not keeping well for the last few days. , family sources told PTI.

His son Sunil was with him when he breathed last. Dev Anand made his debut as an actor in 1946 in Hum Ek Hain .

By the time his Ziddi was released in 1947 he was a superstar and has never looked back. Versatile Dev Anand has given countless hits like Paying Guest , Baazi", "Jewel Thief ", "CID", "Johny Mera Naam", "Amir Garib", "Warrant", "Hare Rama Hare Krishna and "Des Pardes".

For his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, Dev Anand was honoured with the prestigious the 'Padma Bhushan' in 2001 and 'Dada Saheb Phalke Award' in 2002. He established his film production company 'Navketan International Films' in 1949 and has produced more than 35 movies.

Dev Anand has won two Filmfare Awards - India's equivalent of the Oscars - in 1958 for his performance in the film Kala Paani (Black Water) and in 1966 for his performance in Guide . "Guide" went on to win Filmfare Awards in five other categories including "Best Film" and "Best Director" and was sent as India's entry for the Oscars in the foreign film category that year.

He co-produced the English Version of Guide with the Nobel Laureate Pearl S Buck ("The Good Earth"). In 1993, he received a Filmfare "Lifetime Achievement Award" and in 1996 he received a Screen Videocon "Lifetime Achievement Award".

Of late he was involved in the direction of a new all American film Project "Song Of Life" - a musical love story which was to be shot in the United States. He was to play the central character in the film which was to have a predominantly American star cast.

Dev Anand is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand.

Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned film director Shekhar Kapur. Tweet (less)

In fact, she has surpassed her own portrayal of a sexually charged woman in Ishiqya . When launched, the film grabbed attention as it was touted as a biopic on southern sex symbol Silk Smitha who had committed suicide in 1996.

But recently when the late actress' brother objected and filed a complaint against the content of the film, the makers said it's not based on anyone's life. Vidya pulled out all stops at the music launch of the movie when she gave an adrenaline pumping performance along with co-star Naseeruddin Shah.

Criticism and complaints notwithstanding, the trade pundits forecast that amidst the four big releases--the Vidya starrer, produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures, will take the cake when it hits the screen Dec 2. T.

N. Kapoor, of Bharti Film Distributors in Indore, says: " The Dirty Picture is likely to do good business as it has got mass appeal.

Vidya's already generated a lot of buzz with the way she is presenting herself in the film." Ranbir Kapoor's musical saga Rockstar released last Friday and T.

N. Kapoor said: " Rockstar is for youngsters and caters to the audiences of bigger cities.

It may do well." Set in London, Desi Boyz , releasing Dec 25, will see the hit team of Akshay Kumar and John Abraham.

" Desi Boyz is good but whatever little I have heard about the story, I don't think the audiences will be able to digest it. But since it is a solo release, people would definitely go and watch it as they wouldn't have any other option to choose from," said T.

N. Kapoor.

Ranbir and director Imtiaz Ali have rocked the nation with their promotional events and the promos of the film have generated curiosity among the masses. But Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan, said, " Rockstar is for the multiplex audiences and I don't find anything extraordinary in Desi Boyz and Don 2 .

All the three films are made at a budget of over Rs.70 crore and it often becomes difficult to recover so much cost.

"I feel The Dirty Picture will work more than other films as it has appeal for both mass and class. The Dirty Picture will not only work in the metros but it is likely to work in B and C class cities like Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Bareilly among others.

" Vidya has been one of the few actresses who has spent most of her screen time looking old, unglamorous and now even vulgar to earn that highest spot in the creative field. Her endeavour may be earning flak for her sexy avatar, but the actress was quoted as saying that she had a blast doing the film and that "I have given it my all".

Businesswise this year is said to be better compared to 2010. Some fell flat at the box office, some recovered the cost and some appealed to the public and spun profit.

But No One Killed Jessica , Yamla Pagal Deewana , Tanu Weds Manu , Bodyguard , Ready , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , Singham and RA.One set the cash registers ringing and bailed out the filmmakers by earning profit.

Don 2 will be the last big release of the year. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film will reach the theatres Dec 23.

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The lone male in the house and Bollywood's favourite villain Shakti Kapoor would probably still wince if Nepal is mentioned to him. Three years ago, Kapoor triggered a row in southern Nepal's Birgunj city, where he had gone to shoot a Bhojpuri film being directed by Nepal's Sanu Shakya.

While Kapoor was playing a make-believe Indian villain who trafficked Nepali girls to India, the reel-life villainy act allegedly lapsed into real-life misdeed with the leading lady of the film, Nepali actor Rekha Thapa, saying the Bollywood stalwart had misbehaved with her. Another contestant, Norwegian model turned aspiring Bollywood actor Mahek Chahal, visited Kathmandu in 2004 when she took part in a show at Galaxy, a nightclub in the capital.

The nightclub erupted in violence after the then crown prince of Nepal, Paras Bir Bikram Shah, picked up a drunken brawl with some of the guests, including Nepal's blue-blooded and plutocracy. Another contestant, sexual minority rights activist and transgender Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, has been hailed by Nepal's sexual minorities.

"Nepal's lesbian-gay-bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is very happy that Bigg Boss 5 included Indian third gender Laxmi Tripathi," Nepal's openly gay member of parliament and the founder of the gay rights movement in the conservative Himalayan republic, Sunil Babu Pant, said. Pant, who is currently in India's Bangalore city and watched the introductory episode Monday night with keen interest, said the inclusion of the outspoken and sophisticated Laxmi showed the Indian media was becoming more open and respectful of the community.

"We hope Bollywood will also start respecting (the community) and make movies on strong gay themes," Pant said. "We hope Bigg Boss will continue including LGBT members in the coming years and not just from India but also from neighbouring countries.

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Some of their common friends include Dino Morea, Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor, Sameer and Neelam Soni, Ana and Jaiveer Singh, Sohail and Seema Khan, Sunil and Krishika Lulla. Hrithik had flown in to Dubai with wife Sussanne and parents Rakesh and Pinky Roshan a few days earlier, along with Arjun and his wife Mehr.

Salman, meanwhile, partied with his family and close friends including Sajid Nadiadwala. Nadiad (as friends fondly call him) flew in straight to Dubai from Goa where he celebrated Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle and her father Rajesh Khanna's birthday (December 28).

Adds a source from Dubai, "Last night, the B-Town stars all hosted their individual parties in various parts of Dubai, including restaurants, lounge bars and luxury suites of hotels while SRK held his, at his private villa at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. His good friend Karan Johar was unable to attend as he's busy with the release of his production house's next releases.

" The common gang was invited to all the three bashes of Arjun, Hrithik and SRK. The source adds, "Naturally, the camps became divided and were seen party-hopping through the night.

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Movies that are in the running for the best film category are Rajkumar Gupta's No One Killed Jessica , Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar , Rohit Shetty's Singham , Milan Luthria's The Dirty Picture and Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara . Priyanka Chopra ( 7 Khoon Maaf ), Katrina Kaif ( Mere Brother Ki Dulhan ), Rani Mukerji ( No One Killed Jessica ), Mahie Gill ( Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster ), Kangna Ranaut ( Tanu Weds Manu ), Vidya Balan ( The Dirty Picture ) are competing for best actress in a leading role.

Nominated for best actor in a leading role are Salman Khan ( Bodyguard ), Shah Rukh Khan ( Don 2 ), Emraan Hashmi ( Murder 2 ), Ranbir Kapoor ( Rockstar ), Ajay Devgn ( Singham ). Shreya Ghoshal has bagged two nominations for Teri Meri ( Bodyguard ) and Saibo (Shor in the City) while Sunidhi Chauhan has been nominated for her foot tapping hits Te Amo (Dum Maaro Dum) and Aa Zara (Murder 2) for best singer female.

In the best singer male category Mohit Chauhan is leading with his two tracks - Saada Haq and Naadaan Parindey ( Rockstar ), Akon for Chammak Challo (Ra. One) , Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Teri Meri (Bodyguard) and Mohammed Irfaan for Phir Mohabbat (Murder 2) .

Actors nominated in the supporting role category are Rana Daggubati, Dum Maaro Dum , Randeep Hooda Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster , Gulshan Deviah Shaitan , Naseeruddin Shah for The Dirty Picture , Emraan Hashmi The Dirty Picture and Farhan Akhtar for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara . Best actress in a supporting role nominees are Parineeti Chopra Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl , Sulagna Panigrahi for Murder 2 , Aditi Rao Hydari for Rockstar , Divya Dutta Stanley Ka Dabba and Swara Bhaskar for Tanu Weds Manu .

In the technical category, films like Ra.One, No One Killed Jessica, 7 Khoon Maaf and Tanu Weds Manu have received the highest number of nominations.

The popular TV show Bade Achhe Lagte Hai has garnered the highest number of nominations for the Apsara Awards 2012 including, best drama series, best director fiction, best actress & actor in drama series, best writer & best ensemble cast in the television category. Tweet (less)

Wilson will receive half an acre of land in Jalandhar from the producers. The venture, titled Har Ek Friend Zarori Hota Hai, will be a youth centric comedy, unlike his other releases like Kaalo, Mallika and Ho Sakta Hai, which were all horror films.

When contacted Wilson said, "After the positive reaction that Kaalo recieved, I wanted to make people laugh. When the producers offered me a piece of land, it was like a dream come true.

In today's world, it is easy to become a filmmaker than a farmer." The producer of the film, Pankaj Batra said, "We were moved by the idea of the film and its twist in the end.

We offered him half an acre of land in Jalandhar and he readily agreed. If everything works out, this will be our first Hindi film after producing four Punjabi films.

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..

Vivek: I've been busy shooting for Zilla Ghaziabad . It's an interesting film, where I play a gangster who starts off as a teacher.

He returns to his village to improve the quality of life there, but soon becomes a gangster after realising it is the only way to clean such a society. Preparations for the Krrish sequel have also begun.

It's the biggest movie in my career so far. Ques: What prompted you to take up Zilla Ghaziabad ? Director Anand Kumar isn't exactly a known name.

..

Vivek: It was Arshad Warsi who told me that he had a script with a relatively unknown director, and that he was acting in it too, though they didn't have any producer then. When I read the script, I knew instantly I wanted to play the infamous Satbir Gujjar, the most educated gangster in the history of India.

He was loved by the public and feared by the oppressors. Ques: Moving to Krrish , buzz is your character is confined to a wheelchair in the first half, but does lots of action in the latter part.

..

Vivek: Well, it's designed to generate curiosity. All I can say for now is that he's like a crazy, comic book villain.

When Rakeshji (Roshan) narrated the role to me, he told me he had written this character with me in mind. I wanted to do cartwheels right there and then! Ques: But there were reports of Salman, Shah Rukh and even Ajay Devgn being approached for this role.

..

Vivek: I don't know about the reports. When I read the script, I felt it was written for me.

Rakeshji and Hrithik also said the same thing. I've too much love and respect for them to think it's not true.

As far as everyone else is concerned, without sounding cheeky, I'm happy I'm doing it. Ques: On the personal front, you'll soon be completing a year of marriage.

How's married life treating you? Vivek: When Priyanka is not in town, everyone around feels I become insufferable. My team tells her that I become chidchida when she's not around.

I always thought that I'd be an eternal bachelor, but I was wrong. Ques: Your family must be eagerly waiting to see little children running about the house.

..

Vivek: I'm crazy about kids, so I'm looking forward to it as and when it happens. Tweet (less)

The lone male in the house and Bollywood's favourite villain Shakti Kapoor would probably still wince if Nepal is mentioned to him. Three years ago, Kapoor triggered a row in southern Nepal's Birgunj city, where he had gone to shoot a Bhojpuri film being directed by Nepal's Sanu Shakya.

While Kapoor was playing a make-believe Indian villain who trafficked Nepali girls to India, the reel-life villainy act allegedly lapsed into real-life misdeed with the leading lady of the film, Nepali actor Rekha Thapa, saying the Bollywood stalwart had misbehaved with her. Another contestant, Norwegian model turned aspiring Bollywood actor Mahek Chahal, visited Kathmandu in 2004 when she took part in a show at Galaxy, a nightclub in the capital.

The nightclub erupted in violence after the then crown prince of Nepal, Paras Bir Bikram Shah, picked up a drunken brawl with some of the guests, including Nepal's blue-blooded and plutocracy. Another contestant, sexual minority rights activist and transgender Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, has been hailed by Nepal's sexual minorities.

"Nepal's lesbian-gay-bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is very happy that Bigg Boss 5 included Indian third gender Laxmi Tripathi," Nepal's openly gay member of parliament and the founder of the gay rights movement in the conservative Himalayan republic, Sunil Babu Pant, said. Pant, who is currently in India's Bangalore city and watched the introductory episode Monday night with keen interest, said the inclusion of the outspoken and sophisticated Laxmi showed the Indian media was becoming more open and respectful of the community.

"We hope Bollywood will also start respecting (the community) and make movies on strong gay themes," Pant said. "We hope Bigg Boss will continue including LGBT members in the coming years and not just from India but also from neighbouring countries.

" Tweet (less)

One, releasing worldwide today, is Shah Rukh Khan's ninth Diwali release. Long before other superstars could claim their stake on the Diwali festivity, the Badshah of Bollywood has lent the festival of lights his box office vigour.

All his Diwali releases from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) to Om Shanti Om (2007) have created history. Naturally, hopes on RA.

One are high too. But SRK downplays the excitement, saying, "RA.

One is a fine film. By chance we are releasing on Diwali again this year, but it is a Diwali kind of film.

It is festive; it's for the family, it's happy, has songs and action. I would describe it as a perfect movie for the holidays.

Our villain is called RA.One (i.

e. Raavan), and it is pertinent because Raavan was killed just before Diwali.

" RA.One is slated to have the widest release ever for a Hindi film.

It releases with 3,500 prints in India and 900 prints abroad. When asked whether this gave him extra impetus as a superstar, SRK says, "I don't think of these things much.

I know we have the holiday advantage. I am told by my partners and distributors that Diwali day itself is weak because people have pujas in their homes.

However, after that things are very good." He adds that he never talks about business.

"It is not something I do as an actor. As soon as actors start talking business, it makes them look vulnerable and inartistic.

When we started the film, we didn't know the kind of business possibilities that existed. I didn't think we would release in Poland , Russia , Germany, China and South Korea.

I am happy that our films are now getting as wide a release as films from the West. We are touching 4,500 prints with RA.

One. It's good for everyone.

" Kareena Kapoor is excited that her last two hits 3 Idiots and Bodyguard are competing with her present release. "As long as the competition is healthy, it feels great.

This Diwali we will have a special dhamaka!" SRK adds, "This Diwali is extra special. I will be on a plane from London to Toronto on Diwali day, but Gauri has organised a puja at home to celebrate.

" Looking at the lights around him, the superstar adds, "I love the way our home looks on Diwali. It is nicely lit up.

We are film people, so for us lights are essential! Diwali is the entire film industry's favourite festival." (less)

One, releasing worldwide today, is Shah Rukh Khan's ninth Diwali release. Long before other superstars could claim their stake on the Diwali festivity, the Badshah of Bollywood has lent the festival of lights his box office vigour.

All his Diwali releases from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) to Om Shanti Om (2007) have created history. Naturally, hopes on RA.

One are high too. But SRK downplays the excitement, saying, "RA.

One is a fine film. By chance we are releasing on Diwali again this year, but it is a Diwali kind of film.

It is festive; it's for the family, it's happy, has songs and action. I would describe it as a perfect movie for the holidays.

Our villain is called RA.One (i.

e. Raavan), and it is pertinent because Raavan was killed just before Diwali.

" RA.One is slated to have the widest release ever for a Hindi film.

It releases with 3,500 prints in India and 900 prints abroad. When asked whether this gave him extra impetus as a superstar, SRK says, "I don't think of these things much.

I know we have the holiday advantage. I am told by my partners and distributors that Diwali day itself is weak because people have pujas in their homes.

However, after that things are very good." He adds that he never talks about business.

"It is not something I do as an actor. As soon as actors start talking business, it makes them look vulnerable and inartistic.

When we started the film, we didn't know the kind of business possibilities that existed. I didn't think we would release in Poland , Russia , Germany, China and South Korea.

I am happy that our films are now getting as wide a release as films from the West. We are touching 4,500 prints with RA.

One. It's good for everyone.

" Kareena Kapoor is excited that her last two hits 3 Idiots and Bodyguard are competing with her present release. "As long as the competition is healthy, it feels great.

This Diwali we will have a special dhamaka!" SRK adds, "This Diwali is extra special. I will be on a plane from London to Toronto on Diwali day, but Gauri has organised a puja at home to celebrate.

" Looking at the lights around him, the superstar adds, "I love the way our home looks on Diwali. It is nicely lit up.

We are film people, so for us lights are essential! Diwali is the entire film industry's favourite festival." (less)

The actress, who in previous media reports said "As an actor, change is important", has reportedly shot for a rather intimate scene with Ranveer Singh in director Vikramaditya Motwane's film, which is co-produced by Phantom Production House and Balaji Motion Pictures. A crew member revealed, "Ranveer and Sonakshi have a very intimate scene in the film, which was shot last week in Film City.

A special set recreating Dalhousie was constructed. Ranveer and Sonakshi were quite comfortable while filming the scene.

Of course, there were a few retakes." One of the producers from the Phantom Production house (on request of anonymity) confirmed the news and said, "The scene is suggestive and not vulgar.

It has been shot very aesthetically. It appears in one of the songs.

In the film, Sonakshi and Ranveer are madly in love. Both of them were very comfortable shooting the scene.

" Sonakshi's decision to do the steamy sequence has shocked and awed the industry in the backdrop of her reluctance to do such scenes. The actress, had earlier opted out of Kamal Hasan's Vishvaroobham simply because she was expected to do a similar sequence.

Despite repeated attempts, Sonakshi and Ranveer remained unavailable for comment (less)

But the Bihar Police says the apprehension doesn't hold much ground. In Motihari, Sushil's native town, there are rumours doing the rounds that fearing abduction, his family has been reluctant to disclose the date of his much-awaited arrival from Mumbai.

The hundreds of visitors at his house have been told by his family that due to security reasons nothing is certain about his arrival. Sushil's elder brother Sunil did not rule out the possibility of abduction attempts by criminal gangs and anti-social elements.

"Nothing can be ruled out," he said. Sushil's close friend Jitendra Singh said the family was afraid.

"It is well known that Motihari and its neighbouring areas are notorious for extortion and abduction for ransom. The family's fear is natural.

" However, Motihari Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar said there was no threat of abduction. "Fear of abduction is baseless if there is any" he said.

Sushil Kumar, a computer operator and tutor who earns Rs.6,000 per month, went on to win the top prize in the show hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

The 27-year-old is married and lives in a big joint family with five brothers, five nieces and a nephew in East Champaran district. Tweet (less)

Joshi's words are dedicated to the iron will and strong determination of the Indian security men who fought off the attack, said a press statement. "The screenplay is based on the deposition made by the conspirators before the police and documents and evidences placed before the courts.

The film outlines the contours of the plan prepared by Jaish-e-Mohammed and the execution of conspiracy by Afzal Guru and five Pakistani terrorists, who were killed in the encounter, outside the parliament house," the statement further said. M.

G. Shastry has made this film, which has been shot in different locales in Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar and other parts of the Valley (less)

" Magadheera is a passion project for us at Phantom and we are happy to have the rights to re-create this magical piece of work, that blew us. Ranveer is the best thing that could have happened to it.

He has all the ingredients to be a passionate lover a warrior and an entertainer all at the same time. All the biggest fans of Magadheera are coming together to re-live its magic with the support of Allu Aravind (producer of the original film)," said Bahl.

Before confirming Ranveer, there were strong rumours that actor Ranbir Kapoor was do the film. Magadheera will go on floors this year with a budget of 50 crores.

Bahl is yet to sign an actress opposite Ranveer and a director to helm the ambitious project. The Band Bajaa Baaraat actor is currently shooting for Lootera , the first film to come out of the newly formed production house.

Tweet (less)

The film will star three heroes, and Varma reportedly wants to bring together Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor. Some sources said that Hrithik Roshan was going to be approached, but upon learning that he will be acting in Johar's Agneepath , he plans to approach Kapoor instead.

A source disclosed, "Ramu wants to make his ultimate underworld film next year and then retire from this genre." The source also added that Varma planned to shoot the film so as to outdo both, Johar and Ekta Kapoor.

Ekta Kapoor is collaborating with Sanjay Gupta to produce the Rs 40 crore Shootout At Wadala and plans to also start work on Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2 . He said, "Ramu will show Mumbai like never before.

He is keeping the locations close to his chest so that Karan and Ekta don't beat him to it." The film will reportedly be shot in four languages--English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and will be produced by Sunil Bohra, who also produced Not A Love Story .

When contacted Bohra said, "The gangster film that we are now planning will be bigger than any seen in this genre." Reluctant to talk about the project, all Varma was willing to admit was, "The film will be unlike anything I've attempted so fat.

In fact, it will be my most expensive film." Tweet (less)

Directed by Milan Luthria, "The Dirty Picture" is said to be the tragic tale of a southern sex symbol's rise and fall and Vidya is playing the voluptuous woman who was loved and desired in the 1980s and 1990s. Leaving behind the grace and charm she showed in her first film "Parineeta" and then again in films like "Paa" and "No One Killed Jessica", Vidya has done everything - from wearing garish clothes to showing meat to making provocative dance moves - to make her character believable.

In fact, she has surpassed her own portrayal of a sexually charged woman in "Ishiqya". When launched, the film grabbed attention as it was touted as a biopic on southern sex symbol Silk Smitha who had committed suicide in 1996.

But recently when the late actress' brother objected and filed a complaint against the content of the film, the makers said it's not based on anyone's life. Vidya pulled out all stops at the music launch of the movie when she gave an adrenaline pumping performance along with co-star Naseeruddin Shah .

Criticism and complaints notwithstanding, the trade pundits forecast that amidst the four big releases - the Vidya starrer, produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures, will take the cake when it hits the screen Dec 2. T.

N. Kapoor, of Bharti Film Distributors in Indore, told IANS: " 'The Dirty Picture' is likely to do good business as it has got mass appeal.

Vidya's already generated a lot of buzz with the way she is presenting herself in the film." Ranbir Kapoor's musical saga "Rockstar" is releasing Friday and T.

N. Kapoor said: " 'Rockstar' is for youngsters and caters to the audiences of bigger cities.

It may do well." Set in London , "Desi Boyz", releasing Dec 25, will see the hit team of Akshay Kumar and John Abraham .

" 'Desi Boyz' is good but whatever little I have heard about the story, I don't think the audiences will be able to digest it. But since it is a solo release, people would definitely go and watch it as they wouldn't have any other option to choose from," said T.

N. Kapoor.

Ranbir and director Imtiaz Ali have rocked the nation with their promotional events and the promos of the film have generated curiosity among the masses. But Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan, said, " 'Rockstar' is for the multiplex audiences and I don't find anything extraordinary in 'Desi Boyz' and 'Don 2'.

All the three films are made at a budget of over Rs.70 crore and it often becomes difficult to recover so much cost.

"I feel 'The Dirty Picture' will work more than other films as it has appeal for both mass and class. 'The Dirty Picture' will not only work in the metros but it is likely to work in B and C class cities like Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Bareilly among others.

" Vidya has been one of the few actresses who has spent most of her screen time looking old, unglamorous and now even vulgar to earn that highest spot in the creative field. Her endeavour may be earning flak for her sexy avatar, but the actress was quoted as saying that she had a blast doing the film and that "I have given it my all".

Businesswise this year is said to be better compared to 2010. Some fell flat at the box office, some recovered the cost and some appealed to the public and spun profit.

Some big budget disappointments were "Game", "Thank You", "Dum Maaro Dum", "Rascals", "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan", "Mausam" and "Patiala House". But "No One Killed Jessica", "Yamla Pagal Deewana", "Tanu Weds Manu", "Bodyguard", "Ready", "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", "Singham" and "RA.

One" set the cash registers ringing and bailed out the filmmakers by earning profit. "Don 2" will be the last big release of the year.

Directed by Farhan Akhtar , the film will reach the theatres Dec 23 (less)

Himesh's music in Bodyguard has become a huge hit and his return to singing is with the song Umrao Jaan from Damadamm. Himesh has had a hit track record of 50 hits in an row in singing and this time with his return to singing with the tracks of Damadamm it's as exciting for Himesh as it was for him when he returned to music with Bodyguard which has proved to be huge chartbusters.

His songs from Bodyguard are No.1 on all charts and the song Teri Meri Prem Kahani is the highest downloaded song in Asia announced by BBC.

The theatrical trailer of Damadamm has been launched with the release of Bodyguard and created quite a buzz for its humour. The music of Damadamm will be released by T series and HR MUSIK together where again the winning combination of Himesh and Bhushan are coming back together.

Himesh says "I'm very happy to have a feel good romantic comedy like earlier Hrishkesh Mukerjee films coming on Diwali as it couldn't have been a better date for release."As far as clash with RA ONE goes, Himesh says,"RA ONE is the biggest film of the year and will be a superb film but there is always room for a good romantic comedy in Diwali.

I am very confident of its music becoming a huge hit just like BodyGuard's music which is at the top of the charts." (less)

But the same cannot be said for the movie that is being touted as the superstar's foray into Hollywood. Earlier this year, it was reported that King Khan had hit jackpot by managing to rope in the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese to co-produce his dream project, Xtrme City .

But alas, the film already seems to be facing a major glitch. Apart from Scorsese and SRK, Xtrme City was to include actor Leonardo Di Caprio, but now apparently, the makers are not able to zero in on a date for the Hollywood star.

Adds a source, "The script has been locked and right now they have been zeroing in on everyone's dates for the project. SRK, Scorsese and even writer Paul Schrader's dates are pretty much in.

The problem is Leonardo Di Caprio's dates haven't been decided upon." The actor is busy filming The Great Gatsby (which is incidentally Amitabh Bachchan's first Hollywood project) at this point and nothing really can be finalised unless his dates are confirmed.

For a film that boasts of such heavyweights, it's little surprise if delays are part and parcel of the process. It was during the Berlin film festival in February that SRK got a chance to meet the Oscar winning director and actor and discuss the project.

Interestingly, it is said that Scorsese's interest in Indian cinema was one of the main reasons he agreed to come on board for this film. Adds the source, "Now, we all know that Scorsese and DiCaprio are thick as thieves and always work together.

So it's very essential that he comes on board for this one as soon as possible." So despite all the dilemmas, if this project does manage to take off, there's little doubt that it may become even bigger than SRK's superhero thriller! Tweet (less)

Q: You have opened the production house Ameesha Patel Production with your best friend, Kuunal Goomer. Is it a good idea to mix business with friendship? Ameesha: While I was apprehensive about starting my business ventures with my other friends, with Kuunal I knew it would only grow into something better.

After God if I trust someone it is Kuunal. It was his dream to start this production house.

He felt that I was wasting my education and I needed to do more with myself. Q: Both the directors you have signed Priyadarshan and David Dhawan didn't have a good run at the box office, recently.

Ameesha: But they have also given 40 hits. We are honoured to have them on board.

Being in this industry for 12 years, I have gone though the valleys and the peaks and seen the cyclical changes. When Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan can be written off, who are we? Therefore, we don't judge anyone from their last hits and flops.

Q: Will you act in all your home ventures? Ameesha: Yes, because I am young, pretty and a good actress. But our doors are open to all the talented actors.

I am also working in movies outside my home production like Race 2, Shortcut Romeo, Bhaiyyaji Superhit with Sunny Deol. Q: Will your good friend Sanjay Dutt act in your film? Ameesha: My production house would be incomplete if Sanju was not part of it.

Even if he is not on the mind of any director, we will make sure that there is a special role written for him. Q: How do you react to your detractors who say that Ameesha has opened her production house because no one else is giving her work? Q: Is it easier to go get work or to get hundred crore to fund yourself? Q: You think you got your due as an actor? Ameesha: Not at all but I will get it now.

Q: What went wrong? Ameesha: I did not have brains and circumstances did not allow me to take my career in the right direction. I was not a filmy kid and I came around the time when all the star kids including Kareena and Hrithik were being launched.

I had to crawl while they were already running. I am still from outside and I don't have a godfather.

I did not even have a filmy boyfriend to push me for roles. No Salman was my boyfriend, no Akshay Kumar, none of them.

Even Kuunal is from the non-filmy background. Q: Who is your Prince Charming? Ameesha: After some terrible mistakes I am still waiting for my Prince Charming.

I have never changed men to suit my career. I am a sucker for love.

Q: Will you be able to convince your friends like Hrithik and Shah Rukh who are very busy to work in your films? Ameesha: So many producers want David Dhawan and Priyadarshan but we managed to rope them. Likewise if we have a role for Hrithik or Shah Rukh we are confident enough to get them.

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He also has high fever and is as 'grumpy as a baby' the wife says. A candid chat with the actor-producer on his next home production, wife Maanayata, dosti with Ajay Devgn and his next film Agneepath which releases this week: Maanayata is turning producer soon? Yes, Maana will be producing the super-hit Telugu action film Badri.

Maana has designed the new office in Bandra and now our house too. She does everything in a cost-effective way.

She is also into designing jewellery. I have told her that she should bring out her own jewellery line.

I offered the remake of Badri to Ajay (Devgn) as Rascals was a disaster and I owe him one. Is Ajay upset about Rascals? He hasn't told me but I know he was disappointed.

He asked me to just forget it. You are an actor but have banned daughter Trishala from acting? Why? There's nothing wrong for a girl to be in the film industry.

But my father ( Sunil Dutt ) had a few rules about the girls in his family whether it were my sisters Namrata or Priya or their kids and they are very pretty girls too! They knew it right from the beginning that they can't even go that way. I want to carry my dad's legacy forward.

When people ask me why can't Trishala be in films I will say just one thing - Trishala is my daughter and nobody can tell me what to do! They have no right to talk about it. First take care of your kids and let me take care of mine! Is Trishala is upset with your decision? She may have been upset but I am sure some day she will understand what I have done after she starts doing well in another field.

She's graduated in forensic science which I always felt was a very dignified job. She wants to earn lots of money and I keep telling her that Rome wasn't built in a day.

I hope some sense comes to her soon as she's a very intelligent kid. Maana is more in touch with her than me.

Agneepath releases this week..

. Yes it's a role which fascinated and repelled me.

When Karan Malhotra came and narrated me the script that I was blown away by it. It was phenomenal! Kancha Cheena is the most complex, crazy, dark, unpredictable and evil character I have ever played in my life.

I was an anti-hero in Khalnayak but this guy is too evil! Kancha is a very dark character his lines are very funny! One of my favourite lines is when Hrithik's father comes to me and says, 'Hum usko milke maarenge.' To which I retort, 'Tu kya kisiko marega mama?' He's an old, half-dead guy how will he help me? I have some really good one-liners in the film.

Did you have any objections to becoming bald for the role? Yes. When Karan (Malhotra) told me I had to go bald for the role, initially I objected.

I told him I could do prosthetics. A lady from Los Angeles came and we had the look test with the prosthetics.

But the real test came in Diu where it was so hot the prosthetics melted. It took me three hours to put it on and two to take off.

When I put it on and went out there it just melted in the heat! There was a unit of 500 people and we had to decide what to do. I couldn't keep putting it back on and off.

I just had to take a call so I told Karan that I would shave off my hair as there was no other way out. I think it was the best thing I did because it helped me in my performance.

Imagine something stuck on your head for 10 hours. Everything gets restricted and I can't focus on my performance.

As it gets hotter and hotter as you get more irritable. It was the best thing that happened and luckily my other producers understood.

But when I went bald on the first day I felt funny..

. From being a great-looking guy you look ugly and menacing in Agneepath.

Did you ever feel insecure about the way you looked as compared to Hrithik? If I said yes to the script that means the character attracted me. I never had any insecurities with anybody in the industry in the last 32 years, why should I have it now? (less)

She took this job very seriously because she did not want to let her parents down. She also took it up because she wanted to pull her family out of one of the rockiest patches - financially and emotionally - ever.

Fifteen years hence and innumerable awards and accolades later, her life looks like a fairy tale or a Bollywood script that could not have been written any better. In an industry where the shelf life of an actress is getting shorter by the month - even as actors rule the roost for two decades or more - Rani has seen her fair share of ups and downs that have taught her valuable lessons.

In the last few years, she has faltered in terms of choice of films. But one thing that she hasn't forgotten is to do her job well, i.

e. to act.

She takes it up as seriously as she did during the mahurat shot of "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat" as a 16-year-old. But today, there's more passion than ever, and a mastery of her craft that compels you to appreciate her skills as an actress, even if you aren't her die-hard fan.

After the success of "No One Killed Jessica" early last year, she is awaiting her next two releases this year - the Reema Kagti-directed thriller "Talaash", with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap's quirky comedy "Aiyya" directed by National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar. We ask the 'Queen of Bollywood' about the journey during which her job turned into her passion, the girl Rani morphed into the woman who rules hearts and, of course, a certain someone she "is dating".

What are you doing these days? I've just returned from Lonavala where I was shooting for "Aiyya". A few songs are left.

Has the industry changed since you joined films? Immensely. Today, the first look of the film is almost as important as the film itself.

I'm eagerly waiting for the promos of "Talaash", which are to hit the screens soon. It's going to be released in June.

The fact that I'm doing two films that are as different as they can be, in the same year, speaks volumes about how times have changed. It's a far bigger, more diverse than ever industry that's gone global in terms of its scope in every possible way.

Did you always want to become an actress? Arre, my joining films is a poori filmi kahaani. Though I technically come from a film family, my father had stopped making films even before my brother and I were born.

So I did not really grow up in a filmi environment. And when I was growing up, becoming an actress was still quite a taboo.

And you may not believe this but even my father did not want me to join films. Salim (Akhtar) uncle, who was very close to my family, came with the offer of "Aa Gale Lag Jaa" in 1994, but my father was aghast and turned it down.

In the meantime, I joined college (SNDT, Juhu) pursuing Home Science. Those days, the 'in thing' that most girls were going after as a career choice was jewelery and interior designing.

I did not have the money to pursue a `3 lakh course to make a career. And then Salim uncle came back again.

I think he must have been pretty desperate to launch a new actress. This time, he managed to convince my parents.

How did he manage that? (Laughs) When Salim uncle came to me and said he wanted me to act in his film, I started crying. I thought he was making a pass at me.

..

Why on earth..

.? Because I was daft.

And the fact that in those days, acting was still considered a taboo for the girls in my family. My mom's side was okay with it, as my aunt (Bengali actress Debashree Roy) is an actress.

In fact, she had kept it from me till then, but she was seriously harboring dreams of me becoming an actress. My father was still adamant about me not joining films.

But by that time my second cousins, Kajol and Sharbani, had entered films. And that sort of paved the way for me.

My mother and father still fought over it for quite a few days before he finally agreed to give me at least one shot at it - of course, with the strict clause that my mom will accompany me everywhere. And you? Did you know anything about acting by then? I wish I could show you the recording of my first screen test.

You will literally sprint away from the room thinking 'who is this horrible actress?' What was so bad? Those days, I used to be quite chubby. And Salim uncle, who had done "Baazi" with Mamta Kulkarni a few years ago, fished those shorter-than-short and tighter-than-tight clothes that looked completely hideous on me.

And to top that, I had to act! I was a shy kid with inhibitions galore. It was some courtroom scene and when someone gave me the sheet with dialogues, I was dumbfounded.

I saw all these famous dialogues from famous films which I had to say in front of the camera. My understanding of films was just as much as any young girl who watches Bollywood films.

I had no idea about the whole process of filmmaking, about dialogue writing, scripts, screenplay etc. I had probably gone to two or three film shoots in my childhood.

And even when on a shoot as a young girl, I would find actors just giving their shots and sitting in their vans getting bored in-between shots. So when the whole picture opened up in front of me about the reality of becoming an actress, I was petrified.

And my screen test was a disaster. I came back crying and said 'I would not be able to do this - anything but acting! Then? But Salim uncle came back and said I had a photogenic face and the camera captured me quite well, which is very important for any actor.

That was one glimmer of hope in my otherwise nightmarish experience. My mother sat me down that night and told me, 'Opportunity knocks at your door just once, take it up.

What's the worst that could happen? You'll fail at your effort? We are there after that. But at least you'd know you have tried, and won't regret leaving this golden opportunity'.

And though it was never told to me, but I knew my family was going through a financial crisis. And there was also tension in the family because of a lot of bickering between my father and his brothers.

I decided that I would work very hard (there was a month left for the shoot of "Raja Ki..

.") and give myself one good shot, even if it did not work out in the end.

I took it up as a job that just had to be done. What happened in that one month for you to give that spirited performance? My father took me to join Roshan Taneja's acting classes.

Mr Taneja had two courses, one was a year-long one and the other a three-month one. I had to learn all the acting I could in one month.

I told Mr Taneja I would come in the morning and evening for a month and be a dedicated student. On the very first day, my dad said to him, 'Please teach my daughter how to act'.

Mr Taneja said, 'Acting isn't a tablet. You can't pop it and become an actress.

It has to come from within you. It's either deep within you or it's not there'.

His statement stayed with me for a long time. It was my first lesson.

But in the classes, I did not know where to start. Thankfully, one good thing was the improvisation classes - where we all had to face the camera and say whatever came to our mind and enact a scene.

It sort of broke through my shy exterior. In any acting class, there are always a lot of faces looking at you from all corners and that's done on purpose so that the person drops all his/her inhibitions.

On the day of the mahurat, when I was called to give my first shot, I thought, 'yaar, I can't let my parents down. I just have to give it my best'.

And then, when I walked into the shot, I was this confident, fiery ball of energy, spouting dialogues like I had never imagined I would. I haven't looked back since that day.

And how did this job eventually become your passion? That happened later when I started getting fan mails. I was doing a lot of films.

But my fans kept on writing that they were not happy with me. So I wondered 'Arre, I am working 72 hours at a stretch, not eating right, not getting enough sleep, giving my best to each shot, so what was going wrong?' Then I realized that after "Ghulam" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hain", my fans' expectations of me were higher than my own.

That's when I learnt my second lesson - that it's not just performing, I also had to know good scripts from the not-so-good ones. I started getting more involved in the whole process; understanding films beyond just acting.

During this whole process, acting became my passion. Coming back to the present, what went wrong in the last couple of years before "No One Killed Jessica" last year? You had some consecutive flops after a spate of hits, and suddenly you just vanished.

..

(Snaps her fingers and says with a smile) Don't worry, from this year, you'll see me in two films every year at least. Coming back to your question, I had seen failures before but when those three films ("Laaga Chunri Mein Daag", "Thoda Pyaar, Thoda Magic" and "Dil Bole Hadippa") failed in quick succession, it affected me in a way no flop had before.

My confidence was completely shattered. All my movies failed to make a mark with audiences and critics alike.

Maybe the critics thought 'we've praised her enough, now it's time for her to fall a bit hard, so she steps her game up' (smiles). I also think I was plain unlucky.

The audience has little memory of what you have done before or are capable of doing. What matters is today.

So three flops probably told them 'Rani has worked so well in the last few years, maybe it's time she took a back seat and settled down'. And are you settling down? (Smile that says read-my-expression-if-you-can) When I plan to settle down, I will announce it to the world.

Marriage is an occasion to celebrate. I'll celebrate it when it happens, letting everyone know about it.

What about the rumors of your relationship with Aditya Chopra? I have been linked with so many of my co-stars and this Aditya rumor has stayed with me for the longest time. This time, I'm going to give you the cliched answer no journalist wants to hear, 'No comments'.

Are you dating someone? Yes, I am dating, but that's as far as I'm willing to talk about my personal life. Your fans want to know about your personal life? They want to know if marriage is on the cards.

They will know when the time comes. Right now, I have two movies coming out and that's what I'm going to talk about.

Are you saying nothing is serious as far as your dating goes? In a relationship, there are two people involved. Since I'm a public figure, if I start answering questions, it'll open doors for more questions, speculations, gossips, and then it comes to a point where every day someone has something to say about your personal life.

It's unfair to the other person. I do not mind a bitchy comment about the way I dress or my films, but a comment on my private space isn't welcome.

Are you a romantic? I'm a born romantic. I romanticize everything in life.

My personal life is full of love and romance. God's given us one life.

You should romance it. It's not always nice and cool to be practical and logical.

What have your relationships/ heartbreaks taught you? I haven't been in a lot of relationships. Heartbreak definitely teaches you to be a better actor.

Don't they say, an artiste always performs better when he or she has experienced heartbreak? (Laughs) That was a joke. I don't give that much importance to men.

All my heartbreaks have been because of close friends, and not men. Seriously? (On a serious note) Heartbreak, anger, frustration - if you can overcome these emotions, you become a better person.

If you're a person of substance, you'll overcome your bad times. Who wants to be a loser? Will you marry an actor? No, two megalomaniacs can't exist in the same house.

We'll end up killing each other. What's the best thing about being in a relationship? (Enigmatic smile) That you can hide it.

And the best part of getting married is that you can announce it to the world. What about the fact that today the shelf life of actresses is low? Would you ever decide to do an item number or attend red carpet events as visibility is important these days? No.

Because for me, it's important to cement an impression of my work. Acting is what I do best.

It's not difficult to be in the public eye. Go anywhere and you'll find the media.

I am not trying to sound high and mighty here. If I was being launched today, I would do exactly what newcomers do these days.

But after 15 years in the course of which I have firmly established my credentials as an actress, I plan to only focus on acting. But if friends call me, I'll be there.

Like I went to Farah's (Khan) house-warming party recently. Aamir (Khan) and Kiran (Rao) had a son and going there was important for me because he is someone who is very dear to me.

As are Shah Rukh Khan and Karan (Johar). Have you spoken to Abhishek after he became a father? We aren't in touch on the phone, but whenever I come across him, I will definitely congratulate him.

It's great news. What did that low phase in your life teach you? When I was joining films, my dad had told me, 'Don't ever be disheartened with failure and don't be over-excited with success'.

This is an important lesson in any actor's life. But can you really separate your emotions as professional and personal in your mind? Hurt is hurt, disappointment is disappointment.

..

That's where your family and your strength as an individual come in. I am very close to my family.

And I have other interests, like baking. I started baking in one of my very low phases in life.

I find it therapeutic. So, would we see a Rani Mukerji patisserie soon? You could.

I'm serious about going to Paris or Chicago for a fulltime patisserie course. Any other venture in mind? A lot of actresses are starting their own fashion lines.

Or maybe even film production..

. No.

The only thing I will be producing next is babies. No other production happening with me.

Is there a lot of bitching/backbiting in the industry? There is, but that's true of any industry where over-competitive minds are always at work. But it is blown out of proportion in ours because it's the glamor industry.

Have you been at the receiving end of bitching? People say bitchy things about other people to feel good about themselves. Whatever I have got in life has been a huge blessing.

I've never gone after something that's not mine. Today, I am sitting at my office in Juhu, overlooking the sea.

I used to live in a shack before. I used to travel in rickshaws.

Today, I have a Mercedes. But if I start thinking, 'I have a bungalow, why not a building in Bandra tomorrow? Or now, I have a car, why not a yacht next?' my life will be difficult.

My mind doesn't work that way. The only ambition I have is to pick up interesting scripts and give a stellar performance that'll be etched in the audiences' and my fans' minds (less)

Since the film's release a week back, he has time and again said that it told a tale in simple humour. "This film is not at all a second part or a sequel of the blockbuster Udayanannu Tharam that strarred Mohanlal.

In the present film, there is no character of Udayabhanu (essayed by Mohanlal in Udayanannu Tharam ) and his wife," he told reporters. The film is different from Udayanannu Tharam as the story line is different because Udayabhanu's story ended in the first film itself, Sreenivasan told reporters.

The latest film directed by debutant Sajin Raghavan takes a dig at the never ending feuds between the numerous film-based organisations in the Malayalam film industry. Antony Perumbavoor, Mohanlal's business associate in all film-related business ventures, came out against Udayanannu Tharam and called up the film's cinematographer S Kumar.

S Kumar told reporters that he got a call from Antony and he was not happy with the manner in which the film allegedly took on Mohanlal. "He told me that at least I should have not allowed these veiled barbs against Mohanlal.

I asked him why he is saying all this to me because I am only a cameraman," Antony said. "I told him to speak to the producer or director or others who are behind the film," said Kumar.

Director Major Ravi, whose films Keerthi Chakra and Kurukshetra that starred Mohanlal in a character wearing army uniform, termed the events as sad. "These two people have been in films and they act together.

Doing like this is not good," he said. Tweet (less)

murugadoss SHARE AND DISCUSS Tweet Shah Rukh Khan More Pics If Kamal Haasan had his way, superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be the only actor to step into his shoes for the Hindi remake of Gautham Menon's Tamil film " Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu ". Shah Rukh is currently in a dilemma as he has to choose between the remakes of two Tamil films - "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu" and A.

R. Murugadoss's " Ramanna ".

Both offer the picky King Khan a chance to do something he hasn't done before a south Indian remake with parts that he hasn't tried before. "While Murugadoss's film casts SRK as a social crusader, Menon's film casts him as a cop, a role he has played just once in Shashilal Nair's 'One 2 Ka 4' and that too a plain-clothed cop.

SRK has never got a chance to get into khaki uniform. This, 'Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu' will let him do," said a source.

Haasan, who played the role of the cop on the lookout for a serial killer in the original movie "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu", has expressed keen interest in Shah Rukh reprising the role in the film's Hindi version. "Kamalji is extremely fond of Shah Rukh.

They go back a long way to the time when 12 years ago Shah Rukh agreed to do Kamalji's 'Hey Ram' free of cost. When director Gautham Menon , who understandably respects Kamalji's opinion, asked the thespian who should play his role in the Hindi remake, Kamalji promptly gave Shah Rukh's name," said a source close to the project.

Menon confirmed his eagerness to cast Shah Rukh and said: "I don't know where these reports of Salman Khan being an option for 'Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu' are coming from. It's Shah Rukh Khan, who is the first and only choice.

Kamalji played the part in the Tamil original. So Shah Rukh seems the right candidate for the part.

" There is another reason why Salman was eliminated early from the race to play the cop in Menon's film. Salman has already done the khaki bit several times over.

"Shah Rukh in khaki is a novelty. Salman has been there and done it many times.

Shah Rukh is our man for the part," said the source. Apparently, "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu" will explore the same dark noire cop-killer space as Aamir Khan's " Talaash ".

A source close to the project says that the only reason Shah Rukh has not given a final nod to Menon's remake is because he wants to see how "Talaash" is received by the audiences (less)

But the Bihar Police says the apprehension doesn't hold much ground. In Motihari, Sushil's native town, there are rumours doing the rounds that fearing abduction, his family has been reluctant to disclose the date of his much-awaited arrival from Mumbai.

The hundreds of visitors at his house have been told by his family that due to security reasons nothing is certain about his arrival. Sushil's elder brother Sunil did not rule out the possibility of abduction attempts by criminal gangs and anti-social elements.

"Nothing can be ruled out," he said. Sushil's close friend Jitendra Singh said the family was afraid.

"It is well known that Motihari and its neighbouring areas are notorious for extortion and abduction for ransom. The family's fear is natural.

" However, Motihari Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar said there was no threat of abduction. "Fear of abduction is baseless if there is any" he said.

Sushil Kumar, a computer operator and tutor who earns Rs.6,000 per month, went on to win the top prize in the show hosted by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

The 27-year-old is married and lives in a big joint family with five brothers, five nieces and a nephew in East Champaran district. Tweet (less)

A source informed that Devgn Jr has devised and executed all the heavy-duty fight for his Sardar character. A member of the unit said, "It all started when Ajay's Sardar character had to perform a stunt on a horse.

The actor felt that the way he was being told to do the stunt was not in keeping with the decorum required for the Sikh character. He did the horse sequence his way.

That's when director Ashwin Dheer and Devgn decided to let the latter take over the film's stunts." That makes Ajay the producer, leading actor and also the film's stunt coordinator.

The source said, "Ajay has always been fond of action sequences. He has taken more than a passing interest in action sequences especially in those directed by Rohit Shetty.

While Ajay's father is an eminent action director, Rohit's dad Shetty was a leading stuntman and actor in the 1970s. So the process towards conceiving and executing self-devised stunts has been on for a while.

" The director Ashwin Dheer said, "Yes, Ajay has designed the action scenes himself. It's in his genes.

" Earlier leading men like Akshay Kumar in Singh Is Kinng and Saif Ali Khan in Love Aaj Kal have gotten into trouble while playing a Sardar. Great care is being taken by Devgn to ensure that his Sardar character conducts himself with adequate decorum on screen.

Dheer informed, "Ajay not only grew a beard of proper length he also made sure he played the Sikh correctly in every detail. Both Ajay and I are Punjabis, so we're familiar with the milieu and culture.

" Apparently, as the producer, Ajay is taking great pains to pre-empt any protest against the film by Sikh communities by getting experts on board. Dheer added, "Ajay's involvement as the producer is full-on.

Don't forget, he let go of Vishal Bhardwaj's film to do SOS. He believes this remake of the Telugu hit Maryada Ramanna has the potential to be a milestone in his career.

" Tweet (less)

"I don't have to rely on a man to give me financial security. I have the confidence as a 29-year-old of knowing that I can work and make money.

That's something most women my age don't have. That's a big deal.

It's amazing that I can help my family. My grandmother lives with my mother in a gorgeous house.

I am afforded these luxuries and I'm very young," Dunst said. The actress also said she doesn't mind posing nude on-screen as long as it is appropriate.

"I'm happy doing nudity in a film when it's appropriate. There's a scene in Melancholia where I'm lying naked, bathing in the glow of the Moon, but it looks like a painting as it's lit so beautifully.

You can almost forget that I'm nude." Tweet (less)

6 million)-mark in 2011. And, sure enough, a pot of gold lay at the end of the rainbow year thanks to the "real hero" Vidya Balan.

Bollywood rediscovered hits with "Bodyguard", " Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", "Ready", "Singham" and "Ra.One" this year.

According to Box Office India, while Salman Khan's "Bodyguard" and "Ready" collected Rs.229 crore and Rs.

179 crore respectively, multi-starrer "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" raked in Rs.152 crore.

Ajay Devgn's "Singham" joined the jakpot with Rs.139-crore earnings.

Made at a budget of over Rs.60 crore, Ranbir Kapoor-starrer " Rockstar" is expected to earn Rs.

105 crore while Shah Rukh Khan's "Ra.One", the first of its kind in terms of technological use, pocketed Rs.

240 crore. "It has been a very positive year.

..

this year has proved fruitful with more hits than last year," film historian S.M.

M. Ausaja told IANS.

It won't be wrong to say that the Vidya- and Rani Mukerji-starrer "No One Killed Jessica" - the first big release of the year - turned out to be the lucky mascot. Based on the Jessica Lall murder case, it brought the masses and classes to the theatres and the footfalls did not stop thereafter.

Made at a budget of Rs.10 crore, it grossed Rs.

49 crore. 2011 can also be called Vidya's year.

She came dancing on "Ooh la la" as the sex symbol Silk Smitha in "The Dirty Picture" and rocked the box office. The film earned rave reviews and earned Rs.

66 crore net in the first 11 days. The joyride wasn't for biggies alone; small fry too cruised happily side by side.

The approximate earnings of "Yamla Pagla Deewana", "Tanu Weds Manu", and "Delhi Belly" were Rs.87 crore, 54.

50 crore and Rs.89.

50 crore respectively, while their budgets were Rs.26 crore, Rs.

17.5 crore and Rs.

25 crore respectively. Also "Chalo Dilli", "7 Khoon Maaf", "Shor in the City" and "Force" walked away with critical acclaim.

The content of "Stanley Ka Dabba" and "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" too got a thumbs up. "Small budget films doing well at the box office is another good sign, as at least new producers and directors will get motivated.

People used to be scared of making such films because there was no audience. But the audiences have opened up and they are largely appreciating the content," said Ausaja.

"Films like 'No One Killed Jessica' or 'Delhi Belly' are niche films and their star value has added to the saleability. It's nice to see that people are experimenting and their experiments are reaping benefits at the box office," said film critic Omar Qureshi.

In between, the box-office journey was impeded by the poor response to "Patiala House", "Game" and "Dum Maaro Dum", but only temporarily. The industry witnessed many changes this year - extensive use of technology, the focus on weekend collections and aggressiveness in film promotion.

"The business no longer spreads across 25 weeks. It has come down to weekends and I would say that this year's movies have been able to capture the weekend very well.

No movie gives you enough time. It just dazzles you.

It is either good or bad," said Qureshi. Ausaja pointed out that the revenue expanded because "marketing and promotion tactics turned aggressive.

Then there are so many mediums available - whether it is the internet, mobile or television. The number of screens has increased.

" Filmmakers adopted macro marketing devices like live concerts and travelling to two-tier and three-tier cities to create awareness about their films. "Marketing plays a crucial role in telling the audience what a film stands for.

The strategies have indeed changed. We have now moved away from a micro-marketing approach," said Priti Shahani, chief strategy and marketing officer, Reliance Entertainment.

"It is important to have a consistency between content and communication for the audience. Connecting with the audience is of paramount importance.

We now release films on as many as 2,000 screens and it becomes important to get the audience," he added. There were moments of sorrow and pain when luminaries like Shammi Kapoor and Dev Anand bid their final adieu.

Filmdom also halted to mourn the death of Jagmohan Mundhra, Jagjit Singh, Bhupen Hazarika, Manish Acharya and Gautam Rajadhyaksha. "Don 2 - The King Is Back" will be the last big release of the year and trade analysts are optimistic that the box office will reach its zenith with it (less)

Dutt has always maintained that he doesn't want his daughter to venture into acting. Elaborating on this, a source says, "Sanjay is quite worried about Trishala.

He wants her to pursue her career in forensic science having got her degree in the US and also worked with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). And since he knows that Ramu's also managed to keep his daughter Revathi away from the film industry, Sanjay's consulting him to be able to manage the same vis-a-vis Trishala, albeit without hurting her.

" For the uninitiated, Ramu's daughter Revathi practises medicine. "She's a doctor and interning in Hyderabad," revealed our source, adding that likewise, Sanjay too wants to ensure that his daughter stays as far away from the industry as possible.

Not that Sanjay is against the industry. He attributes this thought to a rule laid down by his father, the late Sunil Dutt.

In the past, he had said, "Dad never wanted any of our family girls to be in the film industry, so it's the same with my sisters and their daughters. I want to keep that going.

" About his plans for his daughter he had said, "If she has worked hard to pass with good grades and worked with the FBI, then she must further her career in it." Recalling her decision to study criminal law, Dutt had said "Back then, she had said that the reason she wanted to study criminal law was that she didn't want innocent people like me to suffer.

I was very touched by that thought. Besides, it's a big thing to work with the FBI.

" Tweet (less)

But now, it is no more than just a shooting venue for the actor. Reason: Once close friends Saif and YRF scion Aditya Chopra have drifted apart.

Cracks started appearing in the relationship during the days of YRF's animation film Roadside Romeo starring Saif opposite his girlfriend Kareena. Adi was very miffed with the actor because he refused to promote the film.

Adi's anger intensified when Roadside Romeo failed at the box-office. A source said, "Roadside Romeo was an experimental film for YRF.

This was the first time they were venturing into the animation genre. Hence, Roadside Romeo was very close to Adi.

His anger at the failure of the venture was justified." The same applied to Kareena Kapoor.

Adi, who had not been very happy with her boyfriend wasn't too pleased with Kareena either. Revealed the source, "She too did not promote Roadside Romeo.

" Saif who did six films with YRF (Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste, Ta Ra Rum Pum, Roadside Romeo, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Tashan) in quick succession hasn't signed a YRF project ever since Roadside Romeo hit the theatres. Tashan released in April 2008 and Roadside Romeo released in October 2008.

Interestingly, Kareena too hasn't signed a single YRF project ever since. Tashan was the last film Saif and Kareena did for the production house.

These days, whenever Saif is shooting at the Yash Raj Studios, he makes a hasty exit as soon as the shoot is over. "Earlier, he would often go up to Adi's office and have a chat with him over a cup of coffee," informed a source.

According to a source, "Adi too misses Saif and Kareena. They both are excellent performers.

It's just his ego which is coming in the way and not paving the way for a patch-up." The latest is that Saif is in repentant mode.

"He has told his friends that he is looking ahead to work with Adi again," informed a source. It may be recalled that Saif was launched by YRF in Parampara (1992).

Saif did not respond to our calls. We then sent him a text asking him to talk on this story.

To that, he in Bollywood speak said, "I started my career with YRF and got my first success in films with them. I love Yashji and can never have anything but respect and good wishes in my heart for his family.

" (less)

And to essay a village girl residing in Punjab during the 1950s also means that the actress will have to do without her gizmos and gadgets. Mehra has asked Sonam to sweat it out without airconditioners and mobile phones and live like the village belle she is supposed to play in the film.

An entire village on the Indo-Pak border, a few kilometres away from Ferozpur is now being transformed, to represent 1930s India by art director Sumit Basu. "We had to travel to the remotest corners of Punjab to find a place that resembles Milkha Singh's birthplace Lyallpur, now in Pakistan ," informed filmmaker Mehra.

Having found an authentic location for his film, Rakeysh is now concentrating on keeping his key characters Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor real. No cellphones, no computers, no gadgets, not even air-conditioners that's the rule Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has laid down for the lead actors.

"We often tend to think shooting in black-and-white or sepia colours as reflective of period cinema. But that's like drawing attention to rather than recreating the era.

I want to merge into the era that we're going into, not stand outside it by drawing attention to it," said Mehra explaining his decision. "Sonam and Farhan have to feel like they belong to the 1950s, just as I've started feeling.

Nowadays when I wake up, I am shocked to feel the chill of the airconditioner in my house. I am gradually cutting myself loose from all the luxuries we take for granted," he added (less)