Despite the recent blast in Delhi, I didn't once think about changing my plans. It is embarrassing to note that even after 9/11, there've been no reports of blasts in the US, whereas in India, even after the Mumbai terror attacks, we hear about a bomb blast somewhere or the other every few months.

It's a matter of great concern and I feel that it's high time we did something about it," she says. Missed Messi in kolkata Raima made it to Delhi, but she couldn't be in Kolkata for the recent FIFA friendly match there.

"I was so busy shooting that I missed the Messi match in Kolkata. My sister Riya was there and I was supposed to join her, but my plans were cancelled at the last moment," she says.

On the work front, Raima says she's been experimenting with her look on screen. "People have mostly seen me in non-glamorous roles, so they sometimes can't accept me when I'm looking sexy.

I feel it is very important to keep changing your looks," she adds. I look like my grandmom Remembering her grandmother, actress SuchitraSen, Raima smiles and says, "People say I look like my grandmom and that makes me feel very happy.

But I can never match up to the magnetic beauty that she was on screen.You won't believe this, but it's true - my grandmom has never watched any of my movies.

It was just few days ago that we all sat together at home and she watched my Bengali movie "Nauka Dubi" - her first. Afterwards, her only reaction was a big smile on her face and a pat on my back.

I don't think my mother, sister or I can ever match her acting skills. She is truly a talented actress.

" I'm happy being single She has been linked to cricketer Yuvraj Singh, but has denied the reports.Raimatells us, "I'm single now and trust me, I'm very happy being single.

But that doesn't mean that I won't fall in love or get married. I would definitely want to settle down soon.

Unfortunately, I haven't found my Mr Right yet!" And what sort of guy would he be? "I want my man to have a sense of humour. He should be someone who can make me laugh and smile all the time," she says.

Tweet'; var stindex=100; var stp=150; var taglen=0; var tmp; var tagcheck = new Array("div","span","br","font","a"); if(storymetalinks==true) { var storydiv=document.getElementById("storydiv").

innerHTML; if(storydiv.indexOf(" ") > '-1' || storydiv.

indexOf(" ") > '-1'){ var beflen=storydiv.indexOf(' '); if (beflen == '-1'){beflen=storydiv.

indexOf(' ');} var befart=storydiv.substring(0,beflen)+" "+ almtatag +" "; var aftart=storydiv.

substring((beflen+8),storydiv.length); } document.

getElementById("storydiv").innerHTML=befart+aftart; } var storycontent = document.

getElementById("storydiv").innerHTML; var firstpara = storycontent.

substring(0,storycontent.toLowerCase().

indexOf("")).toLowerCase(); function findptt(cnt){ zz++; if(zz == 10)return; var xxx=-1,yyy=-1; var ccnt = cnt; for(ii=0; ii "); if(yyy != -1){ taglen += yyy; stp = stp + yyy; yyy+=1; } break; taglen = taglen + tagcheck[ii].

length + 3; } } if(xxx == -1 || xxx >= 150){ return; }else{ var tmp2 = ccnt.substring(0,xxx); tmp2 += ccnt.

substring((yyy+xxx),ccnt.length); findptt(tmp2); } }findptt(firstpara); if(firstpara.

length ")){ }else{ tmpminus = tmpcon.length - tmpcon.

lastIndexOf(" Watch Video'+'';} else {tmpdiV="";} var b1=""; var b2=""; var hid="526"; if(sldemsidcnt>1){imglinksh='View Images';}else{imglinksh='View Image';} var b2 = ''+''+ capt +''+ tmpdiV +''; bellyad.innerHTML = b2 + b1; (less)

Actor and chat show host Simi Garewal was reportedly approached to feature Paris Hilton on her show, Simi Selects India's Most Desirable. But the lady in white declined, as did another popular celebrity talk show host, Karan Johar! While KJo reportedly refused to host Paris Hilton because he didn't want to ask her previously approved questions, Simi Garewal refused to be the second choice.

Says a source, "Simi was informed that there were only initial talks with Karan Johar, but no agreement was settled and no interview with him is happening. Apparently, Karan did not want to do an interview where the questions would be dictated to him.

As a result, they were keen that Simi do the Paris interview as she had also featured Lady Gaga on her show. But Simi does not want to be a last-minute second choice.

" Composer Aadesh Shrivastava has been co-ordinating with Simi on behalf of Hilton's managing company in India. The source adds, "Simi has recently shot back-to-back episodes with Kangana Ranaut, Rani Mukerjee, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Asin and is extremely tied-up with the post-production.

She is also planning for the grand finale episode. There are deadlines to be met and Simi just can't suddenly fit in Paris.

" Meanwhile, Paris Hilton is ready to come to India. She tweeted: "This will be my first trip to Mumbai.

I've never been to India before." While talk show hosts may have disregarded Paris' Mumbai visit, there are other plans to keep her well-entertained in the Maximum City.

Gauri Khan is reportedly hosting a bash for Paris on September 24. The who's who of Bollywood are expected to attend the event to be held either at the Khans' home Mannat, or at a luxury hotel.

Here's some Paris trivia : Paris Hilton has featured in the 2007 Guinness World Records as the world's Most Overrated Celebrity. In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and America Online, Hilton was voted the second Worst Celebrity Role Model, after Britney Spears According to a 2011 poll conducted by Ipsos, a global market research company, Hilton is the most unpopular celebrity among Americans, with 60 per cent of the responders having an unfavorable opinion on her.

Critics suggest that Hilton epitomises the title of famous for being famous; echoing that sentiment, the Associated Press conducted what they called an experiment in trying not to report on Hilton for a whole week. Her latest show The World According to Paris (which chronicles her daily life) will not be returning for a second season due to low viewership ratings.

Paris features alongside mom Kathy Hilton, boyfriend Cy Waits and Charlie Sheen's ex Brooke Mueller on the series. A homemade sex video of Paris Hilton and then-boyfriend Rick Salomon was leaked on the Internet in 2003, later released as the DVD, One Night In Paris, despite attempted legal action.

Hilton has had a fair share of runs-ins with the law, driving under the influence of alcohol, over-speeding and has been detained on suspicion of drug possession. Tweet (less)

. she does a striptease for him in Desi Boyz , after all.

But we got our fair share of oomph-n-sizzle from the seductress. Playing a teacher in the film, Chitrangda agreed to play 'sexy professor' for zoOm reporters, too.

Cashing-in on the opportunity, we fired away our best questions and she breezed through them. Here's the rapid fire session: If you were an accountant, not a teacher, whose account would you handle? At this moment, that would be Salman.

His films are earning so much money, I'm sure he needs an assistant to take care of finances. Which of the Khans would you want to be paired with? Ummm.

..

uspe kafi extensive kaam chal raha hai. As soon as something comes out of it, this class would be the 1st to know.

..

Have you met the special someone in John's life? Agar mila denge toh mil lenge..

. And tell me if you guys find out something.

Just ring me up! Which Bollywood camp do you belong to? I'm trying to set up my own camp in the industry. And that camp would be.

..

Well, zoOm and all its employees to begin with..

. Who has the best abs in Bollywood? I haven't seen many.

I loved SRK in 'Dard-E-Disco' but I don't know whether they were abs or bronzer. Nonetheless, I loved him, he's SRK! Which Bollywood couple should patch-up? All of them.

Break-ups make bad headlines. They should all patch-up.

Should celebrities use the brands they endorse? Endorsements fetch you free samples. So why not? Ha, ha! Which B-town boy would you like to be linked with? Ranbir is in a dark ('Rockstar') zone and John has already found someone special.

Ranveer Singh is all over the place, so I'd like to be linked with him. After a few more questions, the sexy teacher dismissed the class, but for once, the students weren't waiting for a break.

Well, they haven't learnt their lesson well, sexy teacher. You gotta come back soon to this class.

Watch this zoOm Exclusive with Chitrangda on B Tonite, on Fri, Nov 25 at 10 pm, only on zoOm - India's No 1 Bollywood channel (less)

While the dashing cricketer has made an impression on the pitch, off it he's been scoring maidens. Amid a busy season, Virat was recently spotted partying with British actor-model Sofia Hayat at the London nightclub Merah, a celebrity hangout.

And Sofia claims that the 24-year-old cricketer was interested in her. "I was in London shooting for a Hollywood film when Virat approached one of my friends and said that he wanted to party with me," says the model, a regular at the club.

When BT quizzed Virat, who was in Bangalore recently, about whether he did party with Sofia, he quipped, "You should ask her." But when told that BT had already spoken to Sofia, Virat was more keen to know about what she had to say rather than comment on the issue.

Virat, who is often under the media glare for his hard partying ways, maintains he is single. "I don't have anybody in my life," says Virat, putting to rest rumours about a link-up with actor Sarah-Jane Dias .

So how does he deal with the party boy image? "Well, we work hard, so there's no harm in enjoying a spot of fun," he says. As for the upcoming one-day series against England, Virat says the team has no revenge strategy in place to win back lost ground.

"There is no particular strategy. After all, it's not a battle.

It's all about the score and we will just try to beat them in the series," says Virat. The cricketer, who is fast becoming a T20 specialist, adds that doing well in one-dayers and Test matches is the real test of a player.

"T20 has become big and I am enjoying it, but you improve and learn only in the longer format matches," he says (less)

Many younger stars like Asif Ali, Bala, Vinu Mohan, Nikhil, Bineesh Kodiyeri, Nivin Polly, Manikuttan, Rajeev Pillai, Saiju Kurup and Rajat were present for the shooting. The shoot that began in the morning went on till late the evening, but that didn't fag the spirits of the actors, perhaps because their captain, Lal was especially gung-ho.

Clearly, the stars want to put their best foot forward for the sporting event, and have been taking it no less seriously than their on-screen acts. During the shoot, Lal pointed out the absence of a leg umpire in the frame, which not only displayed the actor's keen presence of mind but also the perfectionist streak in him.

Lead guitarist for A R Rahman, Sanjeev Thomas, has sung and composed the theme music for the Kerala Strikers. The one-and-a-half minute song that will be aired by the end of this month on television, will encompass all the striking features of Kerela, but will be equally appealing to the national audience.

"The lyrics have a mix of both English and Malayalam keeping in view the non-Malayali audience," says Lissy Priyadarshan, yesteryear actor and co-owner of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL). The Malayalam actors have great observation power and that is what enables them to slip in so easily in the role of a practised sportsmen, adds Lissy.

Coach Chandrasenan is all praise for the actors. "They are very professional and dedicated.

..

they arrive for practice regularly. Apart from being actors, they have an inborn sportsman in them which just needed a push.

So it was quite an experience to train them," says Chandrsenan. Director Vijay of Kireedam, Madrasapattinam and Deiva Thirumagal fame is directing the theme song, while R Rathnavelu of Vaaranam Aayiram and Enthiran is the cinematagrapher.

Hence, naturally the expectations are sky high. The sensuous Lakshmi Rai who is the brand ambassador of the CCL was also present for the photo shoot.

We saw her bubbling with excitement over the event and gushed that she loved being a part of it. "My co-stars look great in this new avatar.

Their performance on the ground is as good as it is on screen. I am glad about being one of the brand ambassadors of CCL," she exclaims.

While speaking about the captain of the Kerala Strikers, Lakshmi Rai says about Lal, "He is a multi-faceted personality. Be it in films, or as ordinary man or now sports.

..

he merges into any role very easily." A major portion of the shoot is complete.

"Prithviraj's part is the only remaining one that will be completed in Chennai," says Lissy. She also adds that the actors will not let down the hopes of people and are striving hard to win the cup.

Tweet (less)

Reportedly, the actor has managed to win over the girl that Salman Khan and cricketer Shreesanth could not hold on to. A source informed us that Akshaye and his Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai co-star Shreya Saran have hit it off very well.

The source told us that the two, who have been filming in Bhopal for Rumi Jaffrey's directorial venture, have been spotted cozying up to each other for the past 15 days. "Shreya and Akshaye hit it off from the get-go.

Akshaye has been going out of his way to help her perfect her sequences in the film, since she is more familiar with South Indian cinema. It is clear that they are a couple.

Everybody on the sets is talking about their relationship, albeit in hushed whispers," said the source. And it seems that this new development is a stark change from Akshaye's dating track record.

The source explained, "Akshay is very reticent and withdrawn. He rarely mixes with his co-stars.

But his affinity for Shreya is crystal clear. Shreya is exactly opposite in nature.

She is a social butterfly. It really seems that opposites attract" The actor was previously dating actress Tara Sharma.

However, in January 2006, the couple ended their two-year relationship. Following his break-up with Tara, his personal life only came under the spotlight in 2010 with a rumoured link-up to Urvashi Sharma, his co-star in the suspense thriller Naqaab.

Shreya, on the other hand, has been more visible on the dating circuit. The South Indian actress was rumoured to be getting rather close to Salman.

In fact, she was even invited to Arpita's birthday bash (On August 5, 2011, Mumbai Mirror). Prior to which, she was linked to her Dum Maaro Dum co-star Rana Dagubatti.

And before all the Bollywood men lined-up at Shreya's doorstep, she had a fan in Indian cricketer Shreesanth. Despite repeated attempts, Akshaye and Shreya remained unavailable for comment (less)

On her recent visit to London, when Katrina had trouble reaching her hotel before the premiere of her film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan , her ex beau-cum-best friend saved her day. Problems started for Katrina after she landed in London from Abu Dhabi, where she had to attend a promotional event first.

The half-hour drive extended to one-and-half hours and Katrina had no idea how far was she from the hotel. A source explained, "The driver of the car organised for her by Yash Raj Films turned out to be a novice who didn't know the roads well enough.

After being driven around for an hour and a half, Katrina got so irritated that she called for a taxi service. And while waiting for the other cab to arrive, she also called Salman to apprise him of her situation.

" The actor was shooting for Kabir Khan's Ek Tha Tiger at that time. Soon after the other taxi arrived, Katrina hauled her luggage and headed straight to a hotel in South Kensington, where Salman was staying, revealed the source.

She requested Salman to organise a car for her with a chauffeur who knew the roads well. It is learnt that when she reached her hotel later, the representatives of YRF were profusely apologetic for the inconvenience caused to her.

"But Katrina had had enough and she was so upset that she didn't want to use any transport being arranged by YRF for her to get to the premiere venue," the source added further. Unfortunately for Katrina, her troubles didn't end there.

It seems the team of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan reached over an hour late for the premiere. And also, the premiere didn't go as well as they expected.

"Maybe it wasn't promoted very well, so naturally the movie's team was surprised that the crowd wasn't as huge as they had anticipated. Since they had reached late, they couldn't spend much time at the venue either because they had to catch a flight to Mumbai," the source informed.

However, by the time Katrina reached the airport, the check-in counters for her return flight had closed. "Obviously, she wasn't too pleased with the way her day was going," the source said, adding that fortunately for her, help came in the form of her co-actor Imran Khan.

"Although he was returning by another airline, Imran helped Katrina secure a reservation on Oman Air, with a stop-over at Muscat," the source added. Tweet (less)

And so now, producer Sunil Bohra and Vipin Sharma, who played Darsheel's father in Taare Zameen Par , are all geared up to pay tribute to Manto. Reportedly, the two are working on a play based on Manto's story Toba Tek Singh.

A source informed that the play, which will be held in a five-star hotel in Mumbai in November, will have Sharma acting and directing the play. "Sanjay Chouhan is writing the play for Sunil Bohra.

The play will be based on Saadat Hasan Manto's story Toba Tek Singh, a powerful satire based on the relationship between India and Pakistan . The story revolves around Bishan Singh, a Sikh inmate in an asylum in Lahore , who gets transferred from the town Toba Tek Singh to India after the 1947 partition," said the source.

When contacted, Bohra confirmed the news and said, "I have wanted to do this play for a long time now. It is my tribute to this iconic writer.

I could not find the right actor or director to make the play earlier. However, when I spoke to Vipin he shared my sentiments.

We were on the same page and immediately decided to do it. We will be having a grand premiere of the play on November 14.

We will donate some of the proceeds to various NGOs" (less)

According to sources, the date has been set for February 4. Divulging the wedding plans, a friend of the actors told Mumbai Mirror, "We've been told to keep ourselves free from the third to the fifth of February.

The wedding has been finalised for the fourth. They have decided the venue as well.

Hyatt Regency has been booked." "The families have decided to keep it a very low-key affair.

So only close family and friends will be invited," added the friend. The guest list to this low key wedding will include Genelia's friends from Bollywood and the south Indian film industry.

"She will invite her Jaane Tu..

.Ya Jaane Na co-star Imran Khan and the director Abbas Tyrewala.

Her latest Telugu co-star Rana Daggubatti will also be on the guest list," revealed a source. "Riteish's guests will include the Bachchans, Karan Johar , Boman Irani, Sajid Khan and Ram Gopal Varma," added the source.

According to the source, unlike the buzz in the industry, Genelia would continue with her Bollywood career even after the marriage. "Riteish's parents have no objection to her working in films," informed the source.

Riteish and Genelia, who had always maintained that they are 'just friends' and managed to keep their romance under wraps went public earlier this year by gracing a media event together. Interestingly, Riteish and Genelia starrer Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya, which is currently on the floors, has been scheduled to release in the same week as their wedding.

The filmmakers of Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya are probably looking at pulling a Mani Ratnam, who released his film Guru soon after the Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai engagement was announced. Even after repeated messages, Riteish remained unavailable for comment (less)

. RAVEENA TANDON AND ANIL THADANI WHEN: February 2004 LOVE-O-METRE: Nearing the 10-year milestone.

THE PROPOSAL: The couple met for the first time on Valentine's Day at Olive restaurant in Mumbai. After that, however, they did not see each other for two years! Then Raveena made her first film, "Stumped" as producer, and Anil sent her an SMS that he would like to help her distribute the film.

"We actually dated for only two months," shares Raveena. "We met in August 2002, and he proposed in October.

That year, like this year, Diwali and my birthday were on the same day! So he planned a proposal on Diwali day. We first went to his chacha's house to celebrate, and then headed to my family's Diwali puja.

When I reached my dad's house, I saw huge ornate baskets, lots of them lying around the house, and my mom just dismissed them saying, 'Your brothers want to send this to their colleagues and friends.' We started getting ready for the Lakshmi puja, but we were just waiting! And I kept asking, 'Why are we delaying things, it's nine o' clock.

..

lets start! And it was the first time my two adopted daughters, Pooja and Chhaya were standing around with their cameras. Usually I would film or take photographs of the celebrations! Suddenly the doorbell rang and I saw Anil's mom, dad and sister walk in.

It still didn't strike me, but I said, 'So mom, we were waiting for them?' And then my dad asked Anil to do the honours! Everybody was giggling as Anil got on his knees and pulled out a big box with a ring and asked, 'Will you be my wife?' It took me a long time to respond, I saw my mom all teary-eyed, and my daughters were both laughing and crying..

. and everybody said, 'Please say yes, he will get tired being on his knees!' So I said 'Sure!'" WEDDING TRIVIA: Manav Gangwani designed Raveena's bridal wear.

He also designed three exclusive outfits for the groom. The bride's wardrobe was 10 times more elaborate than the groom's.

Raveena got a dream wedding going, after scouting for the best possible locations with Anil. Her sangeet and mehndi parties were held on separate evenings at the Shiv Niwas Palace hotel in Udaipur.

Her wedding reception was held at the Jag Mandir Palace hotel, on Pichola Lake, Udaipur. Farah Khan Ali designed Raveena's jewellery.

Guests included the who's who of Bollywood, and a diverse range of the couple's friends like Gautam Singhania, Manish Malhotra, Vijay Mallya, Ravi and Ritu Shastri, Amar Singh, Vasundhara Raje and Subrata Roy Sahara. HRITHIK ROSHAN AND SUSSANNE KHAN WHEN: December 2000 LOVE-O-METRE: They celebrated a decade together in 2010 and have two delightful little boys, Hridhaan and Hrehaan.

THE PROPOSAL: One year after he started dating Sussanne on Valentine's Day, in 1999, Hrithik went down on his knees and proposed to her at Juhu beach in Mumbai. "I'd known since I was 12 that she was the girl for me, but that was the big moment, complete with a ring.

Earlier, on another Valentine's Day, I'd told her those three all-important words, 'I love you,'" Hrithik has been quoted saying. WEDDING TRIVIA: In a confluence of Hindu-Muslim rituals and cultures, Hrithik performed certain Hindu rites and Sussanne, Sanjay Khan's youngest daughter, performed certain Muslim rites.

The mehndi and sangeet were homespun affairs, mostly at home with close friends and family. But the wedding was a spectacular affair.

The ceremony took place at Sanjay Khan's heavilyguarded Golden Palms resorts and spa, on Bangalore's outskirts in December 2000. In a brief appearance before the media in the midst of the pre-wedding haldi ritual, Hrithik said with a laugh, "There will be no heartburn.

They are my well-wishers. They will continue to wish me luck and success," he said, referring to his choice of bride vis-avis his family's response.

"Sussanne is our last daughter and I'm very happy that she's getting married," said Feroz Khan. About 70 members of the Khan and Roshan families and their friends attended the wedding.

Guests at the reception included stars like Dimple Kapadia, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor, Uday Chopra, Karan Johar and childhood friend Abhishek Bachchan. Hrithik's mode of transport to his wedding was a white horse.

His wedding oufit was a white Jodhpuri suit with gold-embroidery designed by Rocky S, while Sussanne wore a gold and red ensemble designed by Tarun Tahiliani. ABHISHEK BACHCHAN AND AISHWARYA RAI WHEN: April 2007 LOVE-O-METRE: They have reached the half-decade mark this year and are parents to the new-born angel! THE PROPOSAL: This classy couple surprised everyone with their engagement announcement back in 2007.

Although Abhi and Ash were very hush-hush about the love brewing between them, it seemed inevitable as fate repeatedly cast them together in a slew of magnum opus projects such as "Umrao Jaan", "Dhoom 2", and what seemed a turning point, "Guru". Aishwarya becoming a part of the Bachchan parivaar started looking more imminent when she did an electrifying stage performance of Kajra Re at the 2005 IIFA Awards with senior and junior Bachchan.

Abhishek popped the question with a borrowed ring in hand (allegedly from the production department of his film), proposing to Ash spontaneously as they were heading home after the premiere of "Guru" in Toronto, waiting for their flight at the British Airways lounge at New York's JFK airport on January 12, 2007. According to eyewitnesses, a very emotional Ash accepted.

After Abhishek called home with the good news, the couple was asked to come and they had a formal engagement ceremony at Jalsa, attended only by close family friends like Amar Singh, Anil and Tina Ambani, Kirron Kher and the Johars. Finally, the couple was unafraid to hang out at each other's sets and make public appearances together.

WEDDING TRIVIA: The actual wedding became a homely, though celebrity-studded affair mostly set around the Bachchan residences, Jalsa and Pratiksha, as Teji Bachchan, Amitabh's mother, was critical. However, many details about the nuptials were unique: the wedding invite had two 'editions' - one invite only solicited blessings, while the second set actually invited a limited number of guests.

While the Bachchans sent out golden chocolate boxes with the cards, they also sent ensembles by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla to close friends. The Rais also sent out jewellery and clothes to select invitees, including close friend Subrata Roy Sahara.

Celebrations kicked off at Pratiksha with the sangeet, where it is believed a lot of family members danced to Bollywood songs, with Karan Johar playing MC. The mehndi was held at La Mer, Ash's residence.

Fifteen kilos of special Nihar henna was brought in by Shweta Nanda, Sonali Bendre, Rinkie Khanna and other close friends for Ash from Sojat in Rajasthan. A 30-foot walkway was erected at the entrance of La Mer to the main area of the ceremony.

The actual wedding saw 11 pundits from Benaras and Bangalore, and it was conducted in Arya Samaj tradition. Chanting started in the morning, and massive tents were put up to accommodate guests around Pratiksha.

The ceremony was conducted in an air-conditioned pandal in the same garden. At 5.

15 pm the colourfully-dressed dhol players kicked off the baraat from Jalsa, which ended at Pratiksha, where a bejewelled Aishwarya in a gold kanjeevaram ensemble waited for her groom. The ceremony was over by 7.

30 pm and then the friends danced the night away. KARISMA KAPOOR AND SUNJAY KAPUR WHEN: September 2003 LOVE-O-METRE: " He's (Sunjay) not the film-going sort.

I think Sunjay has made me a calmer person; if you ask me that's the one thing that has changed about me after marriage," said Karisma a year after her wedding. The couple completes a decade in 2013.

WEDDING TRIVIA: Bollywood's blueeyed girl Karisma Kapoor tied the knot with Sunjay Kapur in a ceremony marked by style and grandeur. The wedding ceremony, which was to take place at 11 am, was delayed because the groom was stuck in traffic.

Sunjay arrived at the venue at 12.45 pm and rushed inside the cottage's gates.

He was dressed in a cream sherwani and wore a gold sehra. The pheras finally took place at 1.

00 am in the presence of both families. In typical Kapoor tradition, Karisma was married at her grandfather, the late Raj Kapoor's home, R K Cottage.

The couple opted for an hour-long Sikh ceremony. At around noon, Karisma's family and friends were still busy with pre-wedding ceremonies.

Both the bride's sister Kareena and her aunt Rima Jain supervised last-minute preparations. The strains of the shehnai wafted through the air.

Outside the cottage, the scene was both crowded and confused. Curious onlookers were milling around, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars.

Journalists, photographers and camera crews had stationed themselves outside the gates of the cottage. A phalanx of policemen was doing their best to manage the crowds and the ensuing traffic jam.

Because of the crowds, no member of the RK family was present at the gates to welcome the groom and his family. Among the guests who drove in were Lolo's uncle Rishi Kapoor, actor Sanjay Kapoor who reportedly played the brother's part at the ceremony, designer Manish Malhotra, granduncles Shashi and Shammi Kapoor, filmmaker Bharat Shah, cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin and Sangeeta Bijlani, Govinda, Rahul and Akshay Khanna.

Manish Malhotra had designed Karisma's trousseau. Being a style icon herself, it wasn't a surprise when she chose to follow the unconventional route and opted for a pastel shade for her bridal outfit instead of the usual reds and maroons.

The tasselled dupatta was embellished with zari and stones. The house was decorated with flowers and the garden that surrounded the house was turned into a Sheesh Mahal-like mandap that could accommodate 600 guests who were offered non-alcoholic drinks and vegetarian starters until the wedding ceremony was completed.

Karisma's father Randhir, according to reports, opened a bottle of champagne after the wedding, after which a wellstocked bar was thrown open to the guests. An elaborate lunch was served later which included a variety of cuisines like Oriental, Thai, Chinese, Italian, French and Continental.

It also included Punjabi, Gujarati and Rajasthani food (less)

Apparently Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Arjun Rampal have expressed keen interest in hosting parties for the Hollywood actor during his stay here, on December 4 and 5. However all requests have been politely declined.

According to sources, Anil offered to have Tom as a guest at his house. But practical considerations came in the way.

"Anil is Tom's co-star in Mission Impossible . They have a personal bonding.

But for security reasons, he will stay at Taj Lands End which is now being turned into a fortress," a source said. Sources also added that Anil is planning a huge bash in honour of his friend where the who's-who of the entertainment world will be invited.

Some of the other Bollywood names who wanted to host parties are apparently not happy with the idea of reveling in the borrowed glory of Anil's bash and may not even turn up for the party. The source added, "But Anil can be very persuasive.

He will win over all the Khans and Kapoors and the rest of his fraternity and they will all be there finally." The venue of Anil's do is being kept under wraps.

The source added, "The producers have lined up big events. The core event is a screening for fans of MI4 on December 4, three days before the film's global premiere in Dubai.

" Officials from India's MI4 's distribution company in India have either switched off their mobiles or taken leave. A source said, "News of the fan screening has leaked out.

Requests for invites are driving the production company up the wall. They've surrendered Tom's schedules to Anil who will take a call on where and for how long Tom will be in Mumbai.

" Tweet (less)

With Ready and Bodyguard breaking box office records, 2011 undoubtedly was Salman Khan's year. Off-screen, controversy's favourite child has steered clear of trouble.

He underwent surgery last year and had to take time off to rest and recuperate. Yet, he managed to fulfill all his professional commitments.

Relationship Status: Single Desirability Quotient: This good-looking man is also known to have a heart of gold. On screen, his action sequences and comic turns are known to send crowds into a tizzy.

Of course, it does help that the charismatic Sallu is in great shape physically and age seems to have had no effect on him. 2)Ranbir Kapoor Who: Actor Claim to fame: Rishi and Neetu's son is a superstar in the making.

As far as performances go, he only gets better with each passing role. He showed his mettle with 2011's Rockstar in a role that outshone every other performance last year.

Desirability Quotient (DQ): He's got the looks, the lineage, is young, and makes the ladies swoon. Relationship Status: Dating Katrina Kaif again.

Sorry, girls! Fun Fact: He's moving into a place of his own soon. He's moved up a spot in the list.

Did we hear him go Sadda Haq Aithe Rakh? 3)Hrithik Roshan Who: Actor Claim to fame: Rakesh Roshan's son is built like a Greek god. And he works pretty hard in the gym to keep his bod that way.

He works equally hard on his performances and in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, one got to see an image quite contrary to what he usually portrays. The man cried, dammit! Relationship Status: Married to Sussanne.

DQ: Last year's Most Desirable Man is humble, genuine, has a body to kill for and those light eyes make us weak-kneed. Fun Fact: Has a wax statue in Madame Tussauds and is occasionally known to wax eloquent.

How many actors can claim that? 4)John Abraham Who: Actor Claim to fame: The former model came to prominence with his constant state of shirtlessness, a trait he played to great effect in last year's Force and Desi Boyz. There was also an interesting turn he made in 7 Khoon Maaf.

Relationship Status: Dating investment banker Priya Runchal. Split from girlfriend of several years Bipasha Basu last year.

DQ: Has been in great shape for as long as we can remember. Seems to have let go of commitment issues.

Fun Factor: Johnny boy is finally out..

. flaunting the new girl in his life! 5) Mahesh Babu Who: Actor Claim to fame: He is one of Telugu cinema's leading actors of his generation.

His debut won him several awards. As did some of his latter films, most notably Pokiri.

The only film he starred in last year, Dookudu, had the Telugu film industry's largest worldwide opening. Relationship Status: Married to former Bollywood actress Namrata Shirodkar.

DQ: He might have chocolate boy looks, but the actor is undeniably known for his powerful screen presence. 6)Mahendra Singh Dhoni Who: Cricketer Claim to fame: One of India's most successful cricket captains, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been a force to reckon with, mostly for his devil-may-care attitude and for his many endorsements.

Whatever this Jharkand boy says or does these days makes news. Relationship Status: Married to Sakshi Singh Rawat.

DQ: Charismatic and attractive. Girls love his rugged charm.

7)Shah Rukh Khan Who: Actor Claim to fame: Known by several names, most famously as King Khan, he is a force of nature in overseas markets. His RA.

One and Don 2 hit box-office gold in India and worldwide. Stuff superstars are made of.

Relationship Status: Married to Gauri Khan. DQ: A workaholic, he still finds time for his family.

He's intelligent, suave and a true-blue performer. 8)Shahid Kapoor Who: Actor Claim to fame: Shahid is veteran actor Pankaj Kapur's son and finally saw the release of his father's directorial debut through, hiccups notwithstanding.

Delivers outstanding performances. Relationship Status: Single DQ: The quintessential good boy.

This boy has no vices, unless you count breaking hearts. He's got the six-pack and he charms the ladies with his unassuming nature.

Over a million fans on Twitter. He's one of India's most eligible bachelors.

9)Imran Khan Who: Actor Claim to fame: Counts Aamir Khan as his maamu. Had a dream debut.

A few flops followed, but Imran bounced back in due course. Last year, showed off his funny side with Delhi Belly.

And Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. Relationship Status: Married to Avantika Malik.

DQ: He's committed to his wife, dedicated to his work and he's one of the most level-headed actors we have. Pretty mature for his age.

10)Arjun Rampal Who: Actor Claim to fame: The former supermodel has had his fair share of ups and downs, and a slew of critics bashing him from every quarter, but has always managed to stay in the hunt. A National Award winner, he also played the title role in last year's Shah Rukh-starrer RA.

One. This guy is slowly and surely heading up the ladder.

Relationship status: Married to former supermodel Mehr Jesia. DQ: Great looks, effortlessly stylish, erudite as well! Text by Bryan Durham (less)

Anyone looking to download the latest videos or pictures of their favourite celebrity could end up with a malware-riddled computer instead of trendy content. Says Venkatasubra-hmanyam Krishnapur, Senior Director, McAfee India, "Malicious software within these sites are designed to steal your passwords, bank details and personal information.

Cyber criminals are now also disguising malicious software in shortened URLs that can spread virally on social networking sites. Consumers should be careful when searching for their favourite celebrity on social networking platforms.

" RISKY BUSINESS Name Risk Percentile 1.Katrina Kaif10.

26% 2.Deepika Padukone10.

00% 3.Kareena Kapoor9.

08% 4.Saif Ali Khan8.

24% 5. John Abraham 8.

07% 6.Priyanka Chopra8% 7.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan7.82% 8.

Bipasha Basu 7.82% 9.

Aamir Khan7.65% 10.

Shah Rukh Khan 6% 11.Yuvraj Singh4.

96% 12. M S Dhoni 3.

53% 13.Anna Hazare2.

85% 14.Harbhajan Singh2.

77% 15.Rahul Gandhi2.

60% (less)

After all, the cricketer is used to bowling maidens over (less)

"I will be directing 'Shab', which means night. It is set in Delhi.

Right now finalising the draft of the script. In one line, it is a love story between a gigolo and a prostitute," Onir, 42, told IANS on the sidelines of the 13th Mumbai Film Festival.

"I will start shooting the film after wrapping up my production venture 'Chauranga'. We will start shooting 'Chauranga' in January and expect to complete it by mid-February.

" The director had raised funds for his film "I AM" through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. "I will start again the process of sourcing people, talking to financiers, and definitely a part of it will be crowd-funded because whoever has been part of 'I AM' wanted to come back as part of our future project," he said.

After "I AM", he will continue with crowd-funding with "Chauranga", which will be a Rs.3 crore movie.

"We started crowd-sourcing for 'Chauranga' by launching a contest for publicity design on social networking sites and got 60 designs from Spain, Bangladesh , the UK and small towns in India and found it exciting." Onir was speaking at the Open Forum of the Mumbai Film Fest on "Queering India: Gay And Lesbian Portrayals In New India Cinema".

"Filmmaking is mostly centred on Mumbai, but to involve people from various parts of the country and other places through the social media to make it accessible is interesting." Soon Onir will launch a hunt for composers for the film on social networking sites.

"We are shooting in Jharkhand for sure because the film belongs to that place. Seventy percent of the cast will be new people.

..

next week we will start the process on the social network - we will put the character profile and if people feel they fit the character they can send their photos. We will then do auditioning and we will also be doing auditioning in Jamshedpur and Ranchi as I need that flavour.

" And then, there will be "Shab". "I will start 'Shab' hopefully around March.

A lot of the cast in the film will be new," he said. Onir's "My Brother Nikhil" came in 2005 and the filmmaker says in the last six years he has grown as a filmmaker.

As people expect something different from him, it is easier for him to make "Shab" now, he said. "Actually this was the first script I wrote, but it didn't get made.

When I wrote the film, it was too bold and at the same time 'Shab' is a bigger film. It's Rs.

5 crore film, while we made 'My Brother Nikhil' at Rs.1.

5 crore. I have also grown as a filmmaker.

People expect a certain kind of film from us. So it's easier for me to make this film now.

" 'Shab' is very close to me and I am very happy with the final shape it has taken." Onir, who is expanding his horizons by delving into other subjects, is producing "Chauranga", which is Bikas Ranjan Mishra's directorial debut.

It is based on a true life story that took place in Bihar. In 2008, a Dalit boy was thrown under a running train because he wrote a love letter to an upper caste girl.

"When I read the script, I strongly felt that this film really needs to be made. As a filmmaker I feel more comfortable with the urban settings but at the same time I don't look at it as my strength.

So I thought if I could be part of this film, I knew I would probably never be able to direct it with the kind of vision that Bikas would have. He is from Jharkhand, he knows the area and the people.

So we (Onir and Sanjay Suri ) decided that we will produce the film," said Onir (less)

He also told us that it was fellow cricketer Bhajji who turned out to be the inadvertent fixer of this match! Shikhar was all smiles when we met him recently at a Delhi do, where he was accompanied by Esha. Born in Australia, Esha is half English and half Bengali.

She tells us, "My mother is English and my father is Bengali, and I speak fluent Bengali. I have been visiting India often as I have many relatives here.

Shikhar and I got acquainted through a social networking site. We were common friends of Harbhajan Singh on the site, and it was Bhajji who introduced us.

" Says Shikhar, "We're engaged and planning to get married by the year-end. Marriage is not a priority for me right now; I want to concentrate on my game.

So abhi toh nahin, lekin IPL season ke baad shayad kuch plan karenge." And is Esha interested in cricket or sports? "I'm an amateur boxer and love sports ," she says.

"I love watching cricket and never miss any of Shikhar's matches." Shikhar will soon get busy with the IPL season, and she hopes to come back to India at that time.

"I've been here for almost for a month, and will get back to Australia in few days. But I hope to come back for IPL," she adds.

There's no lack of cute lovey-dovey stories with this pair. Esha narrates one - "During the last IPL season, Shikhar was playing a match in Kolkata and he would send me messages in Bengali.

I was surprised initially, but later found out that he would ask the hotel boy some Bengali words and would message me in Bangla! By now, he can understand Bengali and can also speak a few words," she says, laughing. At that, in a surprisingly filmi manner, Shikhar lovingly looks at Esha, takes her in his arms and says, "Ami tumake bhalo bashi.

..

" Awww! (less)

.Does not confine itself to Hyderabad alone.

2011 saw many Bollywood biggies visit the city and their trip brought with them face-offs, link-ups and more. Here's a round up of the various headline-creating moments for Bollywood in Hyderabad Cover-up of the year Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma: Are they? Aren't they? The question that plagued Bollywood for long was finally answered in Hyderabad.

Former lovers, Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma, were spotted together at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad as they had come to town to attend the wedding of a city biggie. As the shutterbugs spotted the duo, Ranveer in all his chivalry tried to protect his lady love, Anushka, who demurely chose to walk behind him.

That the couple chose to part ways later is a different story altogether. Holidayers of the year Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor: They are self-confessed lovers of London and Switzerland.

In fact, Kareena claims Switzerland is "like home". But when Bollywood's star couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor needed to spend some quality time with one another, they chose Hyderabad, in all its princely glory.

While Saif was in town shooting with Deepika Padukone for "Cocktail", Kareena flew in to join him for a few days. The couple then moved into the palace-turned-star hotel for some R&R, putting the destination on the map for all lovers.

Hip shakers of the year Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif: He jumped from a platform of considerable height and she dance to "Sheila Ki Jawaani". And in between all this, the services of a chopper were used.

Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif regaled a select few in Hyderabad during the engagement ceremony of Mallika and Siddharth Reddy. Yes, Bollywood stars shimmying and shaking at weddings is what we heard of in other cities, but this time, B-Town came calling for an engagement ceremony.

And what a spectacle it was! The Ooh La La Lady of the year Vidya Balan: While the world had forgotten about Silk Smitha and her story, actor Vidya Balan was single-handedly responsible for bringing the southern siren with Telugu roots back in public memory through "The Dirty Picture". And along with that, Silk's long lost relatives and friends too managed to find their five minutes of fame.

Be it shooting in the city for the flick or returning to promote the movie, Vidya gave it her all. From going retro to risque, Vidya sure made many turn around and say 'Ooh La La'.

Jodi of year Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra: Yes, it all began here, in Hyderabad. The stories that now so frequent the pages of all entertainment and gossip tabs and mags was originally a Hyderabad baby.

Shah Rukh Khan's proximity to co-star Priyanka Chopra has been documented for the past few months. But it was in Hyderabad that King Khan brought along Priyanka Chopra for the first time to perform at the GVK wedding.

And ever since, the rumor mills have been churning overtime. For now, it seems like PC accompanies SRK wherever he goes! Rockstar of the year Ranbir Kapoor: He is one cool customer - charming, talented and a ladies man.

Ranbir Kapoor sure knows how to make the ladies swoon. In the city to promote his flick "Rockstar" the Kapoor lad, not only had the ladies eating out of his hands, but also managed some 'me' time with director Imtiaz Ali.

Taking an auto ride around the city, the actor not only soaked in the sights of Hyderabad, but also gorged on the delectable cuisine and did some late night shopping as well. And all this minus the fuss and hullabaloo that usually surrounds a B-Town star.

No wonder then, Ranbir is Bollywood's original Rockstar . Most-awaited drama of the year It was touted to be the biggest face-off in the history of Bollywood.

The playground was Hyderabad and the players were Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Now everyone knows that there's no love lost between the two Khans.

That Ash and Salman share a very troubled history too is old news. But all these years, the three have been careful to avoid bumping into one another in public, even by mistake.

So when the three of them were scheduled to come to the city for the wedding festivities of a famous city family, the media went berserk. A face-off was guaranteed and that left most mediawallahs salivating.

But trust our B-Town stars to avoid such situations with perfection. It so happened that while SRK was at the venue Ash-Abhishek and Salman were conspicuous by their absence.

The moment SRK took his leave Abhi-Ash sauntered in, socialized for a while and left. Then entered the Khan of the season, Salman, with his entourage in tow.

Yes, they were all at the same venue, albeit at different times. So no fireworks here folks.

Tourist of the year Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan: If one owns an IPL team, the other is part of the CCL team. The Badshah of Bollywood and B-Towns enfant terrible were Hyderabad's most frequent high profile B-Town visitors this year.

SRK came to the city to watch his team, Kolkata Knight Riders , play in the IPL, apart from attending a high profile shaadi and shooting portions of his magnum opus, "Ra.One".

Meanwhile, Salman too came to the city umpteen times to watch his team in the CCL, Bollywood Heroes, play cricket. That apart, film promos and weddings too kept the Khan of the season coming back to the city for more.

Not forgetting however are the rocking bashes that Salman would throw in the city for his buddies. But alas, only a select few were allowed entry! Compiled by Sarah Salvadore (less)

Look, everyone in this industry has a personal life. I am not saying I am single or not single.

Beyond that, whether we are getting married or not..

.I am not getting into all that.

I am here to work really hard. And it hurts to hear my hard work being trivialised by such rumours," she said.

"I've shot a terrific item song for Zilla Ghaziabad . Rumours of an engagement or marriage at this juncture would definitely harm my career.

There is no shaadi on the anvil. Such talk will take my career 10 steps backwards.

I can't afford that. When producers hear such rumours, they will obviously say, 'Isski to shaadi hone wali hai.

' I've been hearing such talk for three years. How come I'm not married yet?" Reacting sharply to the latest engagement rumours, Geeta said: "I've been getting updates about my private life in the papers.

Now they're even drawing up a list of the guests. Let me set the record straight.

He (Harbhajan) is my very good friend. But we aren't getting engaged or married.

My personal life is my personal life. No way am I going to use it to stay in the news.

" Refuting the January engagement rumours, Geeta said: "I am not getting engaged. Maybe he (Harbhajan Singh) is.

You've to ask him. Forget enagagement or marriage, I am starting a new movie in January.

Let January come and the world will know. Why do I need to say anything? As per reports, Itni baar hamari breakup aur shaadi ho chuki hai.

I feel there's no need to clarify anything." "Who is giving these reports on my engagement and marriage?" Geeta's last release was The Train in 2007 and she is making a comeback with an item song with Sanjay Dutt in Zilla Ghaziabad .

She admits she has waited long to sign a new film. "Three years is a very-long time in the entertainment industry.

But it was a conscious decision. I had so many offers.

It was very hard to turn them down. You can't imagine the number of films I've turned down in the last three years, including Golmaal Returns .

Even the money was good. Everyone kept advising me, 'Geeta, you've to be seen'.

But I knew what I wanted. I had to wait.

And I had no godfather to guide me." In three years, apart from other things, Geeta did a music video with Rahet Fateh Ali Khan.

Geeta gets charged up at talking about her item song. "I love dancing.

I always wanted to do an item song like Madhuri Dixit's Ek do teen'. In fact, I came down from London to Mumbai because I was inspired by Madhuri.

I wanted at least five days to rehearse. But there was no time.

I had to virtually get ready in a day. Luckily my choreographer Remo D'Souza is so calm.

It's so difficult to perform an item song. I don't know how Madhuri made it look so effortless," she said.

Tweet (less)

. she does a striptease for him in Desi Boyz , after all.

But we got our fair share of oomph-n-sizzle from the seductress. Playing a teacher in the film, Chitrangda agreed to play 'sexy professor' for zoOm reporters, too.

Cashing-in on the opportunity, we fired away our best questions and she breezed through them. Here's the rapid fire session: If you were an accountant, not a teacher, whose account would you handle? At this moment, that would be Salman.

His films are earning so much money, I'm sure he needs an assistant to take care of finances. Which of the Khans would you want to be paired with? Ummm.

..

uspe kafi extensive kaam chal raha hai. As soon as something comes out of it, this class would be the 1st to know.

..

Have you met the special someone in John's life? Agar mila denge toh mil lenge..

. And tell me if you guys find out something.

Just ring me up! Which Bollywood camp do you belong to? I'm trying to set up my own camp in the industry. And that camp would be.

..

Well, zoOm and all its employees to begin with..

. Who has the best abs in Bollywood? I haven't seen many.

I loved SRK in 'Dard-E-Disco' but I don't know whether they were abs or bronzer. Nonetheless, I loved him, he's SRK! Which Bollywood couple should patch-up? All of them.

Break-ups make bad headlines. They should all patch-up.

Should celebrities use the brands they endorse? Endorsements fetch you free samples. So why not? Ha, ha! Which B-town boy would you like to be linked with? Ranbir is in a dark ('Rockstar') zone and John has already found someone special.

Ranveer Singh is all over the place, so I'd like to be linked with him. After a few more questions, the sexy teacher dismissed the class, but for once, the students weren't waiting for a break.

Well, they haven't learnt their lesson well, sexy teacher. You gotta come back soon to this class.

Watch this zoOm Exclusive with Chitrangda on B Tonite, on Fri, Nov 25 at 10 pm, only on zoOm - India's No 1 Bollywood channel (less)

The two new friends in Bollywood were spotted having a good time at a Delhi five star recently. A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "Yuvraj and Arpita were seen together at a five star hotel in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on Sunday evening.

The hotel has a new club, which opened recently. Yuvraj and Arpita spent a lot of time in the club that day.

They were not accompanied by others." Following the tradition of linkups between cricketers and actresses, Yuvraj Singh had once dated Kim Sharma.

Subsequently, he was linked up with Deepika Padukone, model Aanchal Kumar , Ameesha Patel and Neha Dhupia. It seemed only logical that he would hence buy a house in Mumbai.

After settling in the city of the film stars in 2009, Yuvraj became quite close to the Khans. His presence at every Khan family function or private screening made for a great photo-op for most shutterbugs in the city.

A blossoming friendship between Yuvraj and the little daughter of the Khan family became inevitable. A very close friend of Arpita told us, "Arpita knows Yuvraj for some time now.

They are very close friends. Yes, they were together at the five star hotel in south Delhi on Sunday.

They were there for quite sometime, actually." When asked whether the friendship was platonic, Arpita's friend, raising her voice, retorted, "Big deal! Can't two friends go out together to have a meal?" Arpita, who seems to have found a dear friend in the cricketer, was earlier linked up with Boney and Mona Kapoor's son Arjun.

The cricketer, when contacted, however chose to deny having ever gone to the said hotel with Arpita. "This is absolutely baseless and I request everyone to stop spreading rumours about me.

Arpita is a friend and I know her for many years now. As a matter of fact, I wasn't at the hotel at all lately.

There is not an iota of truth in what you are trying to write," said Yuvraj Singh. Arpita remained unavailable for comment (less)

co.uk.

Another photograph shows her topless reflection in a mirror as she changes into a strappy black dress. The photographs leaked Thursday were snapped as Madonna prepared for a photoshoot with her then-lover, model Jesus Luz, in a hotel room in Brazil.

Tweet (less)

The funeral will take place on Monday morning, they informed. Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

The website was launched by veteran actor-producer Thyagarajan. Sreesanth said such a cricket league, which brings together film actors from various parts of the country, provided opportunity to the stars to get to know their counterparts from different film industries closely.

This is just like the IPL cricket matches in which players from various countries form a team, thus helping build friendships. In the last season, he had supported the Bangalore team, he said.

Prithviraj said the team cannot be taken lightly. Getting all the actors together, despite their hectic schedules, was by no means a small effort, he said.

Team captain and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was not present. Arun G S, lead guitarist with AR Rahman's team, has composed the theme song featuring Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Kunchacko Boban, Lakshmi Rai, Bhavana, among others.

The first match is slated to be held at Hyderabad on January 21 and the first home match would be held here on January 22 against the Bollywood team. The finals are scheduled on February 12 at Hyderabad.

Team owners Lissy Priyadarshan and Shaji P M were among those present. Tweet (less)

When we first contacted the ticket window of Inox Nariman point, we were told, "No tickets are available of this film." When asked when the film was pulled off from the theatre, the operator replied, "We were told on Friday morning about this.

" Singh claims it is not commercial considerations, but fear of a backlash from the police that has kept the multiplex from screening his pet project. In fact, last week, Singh sent a legal notice to the multiplex, (a copy of which is with Mumbai Mirror) accusing them of being scared of facing the ire of IAS officers who have "turned a Nelson's Eye to a violation specific to (the) property.

..

" He has hinted at gross irregularities committed by the Inox property at Nariman Point, and that it "is still operating notwithstanding the statutory violations." He has also mentioned in the legal notice that the management nurses a grudge against him because he had 'exposed' the fraud and corruption related to the said property of the multiplex chain.

When contacted, Y P Singh, said, "They have done whatever they had to do before the release of the film. Now it is my turn.

" An insider from the distribution network said, "The distributors of the film have been chasing INOX for a long time. Initially they told them that they will revert, but 10 days ago they told them they cannot screen it.

Because the film does not have a big star cast, the distributors were also ready to pay a security deposit to make up for the probable losses. But to no avail.

" When Mirror contacted the marketing head of INOX Leisure, Harsh Vardhan Gangurde, he refused to comment on the same saying, "I am not aware of the legal notice." Despite several attempts to reach the CEO, INOX Leisure, Alok Tandon , he remained unavailable for comment (less)

The two new friends in Bollywood were spotted having a good time at a Delhi five star recently. A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "Yuvraj and Arpita were seen together at a five star hotel in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on Sunday evening.

The hotel has a new club, which opened recently. Yuvraj and Arpita spent a lot of time in the club that day.

They were not accompanied by others." Following the tradition of linkups between cricketers and actresses, Yuvraj Singh had once dated Kim Sharma.

Subsequently, he was linked up with Deepika Padukone, model Aanchal Kumar, Ameesha Patel and Neha Dhupia. It seemed only logical that he would hence buy a house in Mumbai.

After settling in the city of the film stars in 2009, Yuvraj became quite close to the Khans. His presence at every Khan family function or private screening made for a great photo-op for most shutterbugs in the city.

A blossoming friendship between Yuvraj and the little daughter of the Khan family became inevitable. A very close friend of Arpita told us, "Arpita knows Yuvraj for some time now.

They are very close friends. Yes, they were together at the five star hotel in south Delhi on Sunday.

They were there for quite sometime, actually." When asked whether the friendship was platonic, Arpita's friend, raising her voice, retorted, "Big deal! Can't two friends go out together to have a meal?" Arpita, who seems to have found a dear friend in the cricketer, was earlier linked up with Boney and Mona Kapoor's son Arjun.

The cricketer, when contacted, however chose to deny having ever gone to the said hotel with Arpita. "This is absolutely baseless and I request everyone to stop spreading rumours about me.

Arpita is a friend and I know her for many years now. As a matter of fact, I wasn't at the hotel at all lately.

There is not an iota of truth in what you are trying to write," said Yuvraj Singh. Arpita remained unavailable for comment (less)

Many younger stars like Asif Ali, Bala, Vinu Mohan, Nikhil, Bineesh Kodiyeri, Nivin Polly, Manikuttan, Rajeev Pillai, Saiju Kurup and Rajat were present for the shooting. The shoot that began in the morning went on till late the evening, but that didn't fag the spirits of the actors, perhaps because their captain, Lal was especially gung-ho.

Clearly, the stars want to put their best foot forward for the sporting event, and have been taking it no less seriously than their on-screen acts. During the shoot, Lal pointed out the absence of a leg umpire in the frame, which not only displayed the actor's keen presence of mind but also the perfectionist streak in him.

Lead guitarist for A R Rahman, Sanjeev Thomas, has sung and composed the theme music for the Kerala Strikers. The one-and-a-half minute song that will be aired by the end of this month on television, will encompass all the striking features of Kerela, but will be equally appealing to the national audience.

"The lyrics have a mix of both English and Malayalam keeping in view the non-Malayali audience," says Lissy Priyadarshan, yesteryear actor and co-owner of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL). The Malayalam actors have great observation power and that is what enables them to slip in so easily in the role of a practised sportsmen, adds Lissy.

Coach Chandrasenan is all praise for the actors. "They are very professional and dedicated.

..

they arrive for practice regularly. Apart from being actors, they have an inborn sportsman in them which just needed a push.

So it was quite an experience to train them," says Chandrsenan. Director Vijay of Kireedam, Madrasapattinam and Deiva Thirumagal fame is directing the theme song, while R Rathnavelu of Vaaranam Aayiram and Enthiran is the cinematagrapher.

Hence, naturally the expectations are sky high. The sensuous Lakshmi Rai who is the brand ambassador of the CCL was also present for the photo shoot.

We saw her bubbling with excitement over the event and gushed that she loved being a part of it. "My co-stars look great in this new avatar.

Their performance on the ground is as good as it is on screen. I am glad about being one of the brand ambassadors of CCL," she exclaims.

While speaking about the captain of the Kerala Strikers, Lakshmi Rai says about Lal, "He is a multi-faceted personality. Be it in films, or as ordinary man or now sports.

..

he merges into any role very easily." A major portion of the shoot is complete.

"Prithviraj's part is the only remaining one that will be completed in Chennai," says Lissy. She also adds that the actors will not let down the hopes of people and are striving hard to win the cup.

Tweet (less)

I have a family. We're both answerable to people in our lives.

It becomes very embarrassing for me to be known as Wasim Akram's girlfriend. Just because I'm a girl, do I need to be identified by the presence of a man in my life?” The linkup with the ex-captain of the Pakistani cricket team, has severely inconvenienced the actress in the past.

Recalling one such incident, Humaima says, “I was ready to visit India to support Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. And that was not because Wasim was the team's coach.

Unfortunately, the Indian press went to town linking my visit to Wasim. As a result of which, I had to cancel my trip.

” Puzzled and a little miffed by people's fascination with cricketers and celebrities, the actress adds, “Being linked with a cricketer seems to be a big deal. Every Indian journalist asks me about Wasim.

As if that's all there is to me. In fact an Indian journalist who flown down to Pakistan, returned with gossip about Wasim and me.

Even in Pakistan, people are equally inquisitive. Even if we go out for a cup of coffee, people start speculating.

Bing a celebrity, it is very difficult for me to do normal things without being judged.” Speaking from Lahore, Humaima blames the Indian press for constantly linking actresses and with crickters.

“I guess it makes for really glamorous pictures. I noticed that in India, linking actresses with cricketers has become a trend.

Wasim was supposed to be seeing Sushmita Sen. And now, he's linked to me.

Should I feel flattered? Not at all. I am not a walkover.

I am not happy to be known as somebody's girlfriend. I was a supermodel and the Pakistani brand ambassador for an international brand of shampoo, before being selected by Shoaib Mansoor for my first film Bol,” says the actress.

Talking about her deglamorised role in her debut film, the actress adds, “I had to go completely against my image. I had to cut my nails short and sport non-threaded eyebrows.

I wasn't allowed to use any makeup. It was tough and I protested.

But the results have been rewarding. I feel that I have changed as a human being.

” All set to come to India for the release of her film Bol, Humaima says is open to Bollywood offers as well. “And why only Bollywood? I'm ready to do a Hollywood film, if offered.

So far Bol has fetched me recognition from all over the world. I've been invited to India for the film's release.

And I look forward to doing films in Bolywood. But Pakistan will always be home,” concludes the actress (less)

A source says, "On an average there were nearly 8,000 to 10,000 people on the sets. On the day we shot at Daulatabad Fort, over 30,000 people bought tickets to visit the place.

On the last day we were shooting at the lake, which was surrounded by hills. Two of those were completely filled with people.

It was madness. Some people tried to get too close to Priyanka and that's when Shahid came forward and took her aside.

" Director/producer Kunal feigned ignorance of Sasha coming to PC's rescue. "I am not sure because I was busy with the directorial team.

They both were pretty cool and took a break every two hours to wave to the people who had come all the way to see them. Shahid even said it would have been depressing if no one had come to see them.

" However Kunal denies that a near-stampede took place, "No, that's not true. There were no untoward incidents.

Fortunately, we had the support of the local police and we had our own security. We definitely had to tighten the security to manage the crowds.

" Tweet (less)

The young star will dance the night away to the tunes of his foot-tapping hits Aadat se Majboor and Ainvayi Ainvayi . Ranveer admits he's excited about his performance.

"This will be my first New Year's here and I look forward to celebrating it with all the guests amidst the beautiful paradise. The place provides the ideal ambience to bring in the New Year in perfect harmony with nature and luxury along with your friends and family.

" Ranveer's dance with the scenic surroundings and lip-smacking food and beverages, promises to make it a night to remember. The theme for this extravaganza is 'Angels and Demons'.

Says Vivek Kumar , CEO Aamby Valley City, "We are thrilled to bring in the New Year with Ranveer, who is sure to entertain and dazzle our guests with his performance." So, are you ready to head to the picturesque hill city this evening? Because that's where the action is (less)

Whether it deals with the life of skipper MS Dhoni is not yet confirmed (less)

Courtesy: the snowstorm that has struck the area. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that the estimated loss is about Rs 8 lakh.

"Worse still, the set will now have to be rebuilt. This will involve non-stop work to reduce the loss of working days in the schedule," informed a source close to the film.

"In fact, director Vikramaditya Motwane , DOP Mahendra Shetty and art director Aditya Kanwar were out on a recce of the set constructed in Gawar, an area three kilometers off Dalhousie. Scared about the entire set construction team being stranded there, with the heavy snow, Aditya even decided to stay back with them.

" added the source. While the sets are suffering, lead actress Sonakshi has her own set of problems to deal with.

"Sonakshi has been stuck in the hotel room since the last three days. She reached Dalhousie last week only," informed the source.

At the time of going to press, we also heard that lead actor Ranveer was stranded at the Jammu airport for the last two days. "The road from the airport to the hotel is snow laden and he will have to wait till the roads get cleared," said the source (less)

Apparently Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Arjun Rampal have expressed keen interest in hosting parties for the Hollywood actor during his stay here, on December 4 and 5. However all requests have been politely declined.

According to sources, Anil offered to have Tom as a guest at his house. But practical considerations came in the way.

"Anil is Tom's co-star in Mission Impossible . They have a personal bonding.

But for security reasons, he will stay at Taj Lands End which is now being turned into a fortress," a source said. Sources also added that Anil is planning a huge bash in honour of his friend where the who's-who of the entertainment world will be invited.

Some of the other Bollywood names who wanted to host parties are apparently not happy with the idea of reveling in the borrowed glory of Anil's bash and may not even turn up for the party. The source added, "But Anil can be very persuasive.

He will win over all the Khans and Kapoors and the rest of his fraternity and they will all be there finally." The venue of Anil's do is being kept under wraps.

The source added, "The producers have lined up big events. The core event is a screening for fans of MI4 on December 4, three days before the film's global premiere in Dubai.

" Officials from India's MI4 's distribution company in India have either switched off their mobiles or taken leave. A source said, "News of the fan screening has leaked out.

Requests for invites are driving the production company up the wall. They've surrendered Tom's schedules to Anil who will take a call on where and for how long Tom will be in Mumbai.

" Tweet (less)

I have a family. We're both answerable to people in our lives.

It becomes very embarrassing for me to be known as Wasim Akram's girlfriend. Just because I'm a girl, do I need to be identified by the presence of a man in my life?" The linkup with the ex-captain of the Pakistani cricket team, has severely inconvenienced the actress in the past.

Recalling one such incident, Humaima says, "I was ready to visit India to support Shah Rukh Khan's IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. And that was not because Wasim was the team's coach.

Unfortunately, the Indian press went to town linking my visit to Wasim. As a result of which, I had to cancel my trip.

" Puzzled and a little miffed by people's fascination with cricketers and celebrities, the actress adds, "Being linked with a cricketer seems to be a big deal. Every Indian journalist asks me about Wasim.

As if that's all there is to me. In fact an Indian journalist who flown down to Pakistan, returned with gossip about Wasim and me.

Even in Pakistan, people are equally inquisitive. Even if we go out for a cup of coffee, people start speculating.

Bing a celebrity, it is very difficult for me to do normal things without being judged." Speaking from Lahore , Humaima blames the Indian press for constantly linking actresses and with crickters.

"I guess it makes for really glamorous pictures. I noticed that in India, linking actresses with cricketers has become a trend.

Wasim was supposed to be seeing Sushmita Sen. And now, he's linked to me.

Should I feel flattered? Not at all. I am not a walkover.

I am not happy to be known as somebody's girlfriend. I was a supermodel and the Pakistani brand ambassador for an international brand of shampoo, before being selected by Shoaib Mansoor for my first film Bol," says the actress.

Talking about her deglamorised role in her debut film, the actress adds, "I had to go completely against my image. I had to cut my nails short and sport non-threaded eyebrows.

I wasn't allowed to use any makeup. It was tough and I protested.

But the results have been rewarding. I feel that I have changed as a human being.

" All set to come to India for the release of her film Bol, Humaima says is open to Bollywood offers as well. "And why only Bollywood? I'm ready to do a Hollywood film, if offered.

So far Bol has fetched me recognition from all over the world. I've been invited to India for the film's release.

And I look forward to doing films in Bolywood. But Pakistan will always be home," concludes the actress (less)

To prepare for the film that will go on floors in mid 2012, Farhan spent a couple of days with the athlete, better known as The Flying Sikh in Delhi. The actor from Mumbai and the sportsman, who flew in from Chandigarh stayed in the same hotel in the capital.

A source told Mumbai Mirror, "Farhan is an established actor now. He did not need to go through the basics.

But it was important for him to have a long interaction with the athlete." However, this is not the first time the athlete has interacted with the cast and crew of the film.

"Singh has given a lot of inputs during the scripting by Prasoon Joshi," informed the source. Milkha Singh's meeting with Farhan is not the last either.

"Now, Farhan has a good equation with Singh. They will meet again whenever required.

The athlete will make Farhan understand the nuances of running and winning races and the various other elements of his successful career." When contacted, Singh informed, "Haan, we'll meet again.

Probably within a week. I want every child in this country to draw inspiration from this film and do what I did.

The film should act as an inspiration for he kids of this country. They should make it to Olympics one day.

" According to sources, director Mehra has also written to various coaches in the country with the help of Milkha Singh. These sports consultants will prepare a training schedule for lead actor Farhan, who'll have to go through rigorous exercises for the same.

Singh revealed, "Three filmmakers had asked me for my story. They all wanted to make a film on me.

They were offering me lots of money. But I gave it to Rakeysh Mehra for Re 1.

I trust Mehra. My son told me that we should share our story with him.

Twenty percent of the film's profits would go to Milkha Singh Trust, which helps poor and needy sportsmen. I want this trend to continue.

" Farhan Akhtar remained unavailable for comment (less)

The website was launched by veteran actor-producer Thyagarajan. Sreesanth said such a cricket league, which brings together film actors from various parts of the country, provided opportunity to the stars to get to know their counterparts from different film industries closely.

This is just like the IPL cricket matches in which players from various countries form a team, thus helping build friendships. In the last season, he had supported the Bangalore team, he said.

Prithviraj said the team cannot be taken lightly. Getting all the actors together, despite their hectic schedules, was by no means a small effort, he said.

Team captain and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was not present. Arun G S, lead guitarist with AR Rahman's team, has composed the theme song featuring Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Kunchacko Boban, Lakshmi Rai, Bhavana, among others.

The first match is slated to be held at Hyderabad on January 21 and the first home match would be held here on January 22 against the Bollywood team. The finals are scheduled on February 12 at Hyderabad.

Team owners Lissy Priyadarshan and Shaji P M were among those present. Tweet (less)

However, a source tells us that Shifanjali is very much in a relationship with a well-known Australian cricketer who was earlier linked to another Indian actress. The couple have been seen together at various locations including a 5-star hotel in Mumbai, Delhi and even Bangalore.

Shifanjali denied all these rumors and said that she has been doing a lot of events and stage shows and other celebrities are part of the troupe (less)

The actress is sharing the screen with Ranveer in ‘Ladies vs Ricky Behl’. In a recent interview, Anushka was quoted as saying that Ranveer cannot be trusted but the actress said she was quoted out of context.

“Ranveer is a very good co-actor and I have a lot of respect for him. But he’s impulsive at times.

That’s why I once said that he can’t be taken seriously and media took it in another way. He says something one day, and something else the next,” Anushka clarified.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

The venue has not yet been finalized, but there are talks going on that the ceremony will take place in Lahore ." The source adds, "Meera is getting married in February.

Naved is a professional pilot. They both have been seeing each other for more than three years now.

Finally Meera wants to settle down in her life, but that doesn't mean that she will give up acting." We also hear that Meera is planning to invite her close friends from India to attend the wedding (less)

The actress is sharing the screen with Ranveer in ‘Ladies vs Ricky Behl’. In a recent interview, Anushka was quoted as saying that Ranveer cannot be trusted but the actress said she was quoted out of context.

“Ranveer is a very good co-actor and I have a lot of respect for him. But he’s impulsive at times.

That’s why I once said that he can’t be taken seriously and media took it in another way. He says something one day, and something else the next,” Anushka clarified.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

.says Asin, who has recently been linked with Housefull 2 co star John Abraham .

Friendship with her co stars is getting Asin some bad publicity these days. Reportedly, Asin has been linked with her Housefull2 co star John Abraham.

The actress has denied the reports saying John is just a friend and nothing more. "It's ridiculous to put two and two together and assume that if two people are single and cordial at work, they are having a 'scene'.

John is one of my many co-actors on Sajid's (director Sajid Khan) Housefull sequel," reacts Asin on the reports of her dating John who is single now. The actress further explains that she is friendly with most of her co stars on the sets.

"We're a bunch of girls with loads of male co-actors. That's no reason to say that I'm having an affair with all or any of them.

" John is not the only costar she is friendly with. Asin claims to get along with Riteish Deshmukh and Akshay Kumar.

"I'm friendly with all the actors on the sets. In fact, I've spent more time with Akshay (Kumar), Riteish (Deshmukh) and the Kapoor brothers (Rishi and Randhir).

" said Asin (less)

The actor indirectly ended up becoming the talking point at the Bachchan family press conference to celebrate the latest addition to their family, Beti B when journalists were distributed DVDs of his co-production Watch Indian Circus right outside the Bachchan residence. It happened like this.

Journalists who had gathered at a Juhu hotel for the DVD launch the of Vivek's home production, had to cut short their interaction to rush to Jalsa, where the Bachchans were holding their press meet. The DVDs had not arrived by then but most of the mediapersons were not willing to wait.

At Jalsa, just when Amitabh and Abhishek were meeting and greeting the media, an SMS was sent out from Vivek's event manager. A journalist present on the occasion told Mumbai Mirror, "In the middle of the Bachchan event, we got a call and SMS from the organisers of the Vivek event asking us to come out and collect the DVD's of Watch Indian Circus.

" Needless to say, the journalists were pretty shocked and somewhat amused at the bizarre coincidence. When some of them did step out of Jalsa eventually, there was indeed a man waiting there with a boxful of Vivek's DVDs Interestingly, this was not the only thing that went wrong with Vivek.

Earlier in the day, the actor, who has been working hard to get rid of his 'bad boy' image, ran into a spot of trouble at hotel that was hosting his event. An eyewitness told Mumbai Mirror, "Vivek Oberoi arrived at the suburban hotel around 3.

30 pm for the press conference with his Man Friday and a personal security guard. The guard was carrying a licensed gun.

When Vivek headed for the security check, he was on a phone call. He asked the hotel security to hang on with their metal scanners till he finished the call.

" After the security check, Vivek headed towards the coffee shop of the hotel. "Realising that Vivek was already inside, his personal security guard ran after his boss, without bothering to stop for the mandatory security check," added the witness.

The hotel's security personnel did not take too kindly to this incident. "Vivek's guard was carrying a gun.

The hotel security got into a heated argument with the guard over this. The matter was escalated to the head of security of the hotel.

The head met Vivek and informed him about the altercation that happened," said the witness. However, a friend close to the actor present at the event informed that Vivek was not aware of the incident.

"Vivek's guard was indeed involved in a verbal spat with the hotel security. But Vivek was inside the venue at the moment had no clue about what was going on," said the friend.

Vivek Oberoi remained unavailable for comment (less)

Skipper M S Dhoni and his boys in blue took millions of Indians on a joy ride when Team India lifted the World Cup by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals. Anna Takes it All We all have lived with the big 'C' word for years.

But Anna Hazare turned it into a mass movement. Suddenly Gandhi cap became omnipresent.

Candlenight vigils across the country gave many sleepless nights to politicians. Lokpal Bill became the buzzword.

Part two begins now. A Cruise to India Tom Cruise finally made his trip to India mission possible.

Even as his blink and miss co-star Anil Kapoor could not stop talking about Cruise's visit, reports said cheering fans were hired for `300. B Bonanza She is yet to be named, but Beti B is already a limelight stealer.

Doting granddaddy, the omnipresent Big B tweeted little details about her birth, while her parents (Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) are simply bowled over. India Goes Gaga A global icon with a voice that creates waves.

For nothing, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta better known as Lady Gaga created a tsunami of fan hysteria when she visited India. Even celebrities could not stop gushing about their one minute interaction with her.

Big Ticket Move over story-lines. It's time to talk about superheroes, SFX and `100 crore budget films.

"RA.One" had all of that, plus an Akon number in Hindi and took filmmaking to new highs.

Last heard: SRK is already scouting for sponsors and scripts for a sequel! The New Crorepati Motihari became the cynosure of all eyes. From just earning `6000 a month to a billionaire, Sushil Kumar had just 13 questions in between.

The small town man with a charming smile won hearts and set the TRPs of the Kaun Banega Crorepati 5 rolling high. Poor? Not Really You can't be poor if you are spending `32 in urban India.

At least the government thought so. Did anybody check the inflation rate? Missing Ratna His fans are all disappointed.

For days, the talk was only about speculations on Sachin Tendulkar getting the Bharat Ratna. We have to wait, it seems.

Rolling Tracks F-1 in Buddha circuit was the world's second fastest. As the dream machines rolled on enviable tracks, India reveled in sheer ecstasy.

Sky in your palms A new tablet called Aakash priced at `2500 is all set to change the face India's tech revolution. And e-learning will now hit new milestones.

Compiled by Deepika Sahu (less)

Jenny D was non-committal about the celebrities joining the protest and even refused to say what the exact form of protest would - either a rally or something else. She only admitted that a novel form of protest is being planned out.

"We are yet considering the options and will not divulge any details unless we have a green signal from our lawyers," said Jenny D. However, a source said that a morcha on the lines of the Slut Walk March or Besharmi Morcha held in Delhi recently is being planned.

Last week the police arrested and detained about 133 party goers because the venue of the party - a bungalow in Juhu area did not have all the required licenses. The organisers of the party were also arrested by the police for serving liquor without obtaining the requisite licenses (less)

. Actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza have at last confessed their love and have even shared their marriage plans.

We hear that Genelia D'Souza has been extremely busy since the last two weeks arranging for a magnificent birthday bash she's throwing for her soon-to-be-hubby, especially since it'll be Riteish's last birthday as a bachelor. Genelia, we hear, wants to leave no stone unturned for this one.

However, we learn that there may be more than meets the eye, and the birthday party that will be held at a five-star hotel tomorrow will also be an engagement ceremony for the handsome couple. "They intend to announce their wedding plans, and even exchange rings!" says a friend close to the couple.

Talk about bringing together the birthday balloons and the engagement bubbly..

. always a pretty sight! (less)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, cricketer Yuvraj Singh and the actress' first love Nihar Pandya were seen having a ball at the christmas party at Yuvraj's Bandra residence on Sunday night. A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "Yuvraj loves to party.

So on Sunday night he threw a christmas bash on the terrace of his Bandra home. While a lot of tinsel townies were present at the party, including Ranvijay Singh, Prashant Chaddha , Sophie Chowdhury, Neha Dhupia and Arpita Khan , Nihar Pandya was definitely one of the most surprising entries.

" "Deepika moved on to date Yuvraj Singh after she broke up with Nihar. So his presence did manage to raise a few eyebrows," added the source.

According to another source from the party, Nihar and Yuvraj have become friends only recently. In fact, none of them talk about Deepika.

"Nihar is busy with his debut film based on his love story with Deepika. Prashant Chaddha, who launched Deepika in a music album will be directing the venture," added the source (less)

A source says, "On an average there were nearly 8,000 to 10,000 people on the sets. On the day we shot at Daulatabad Fort, over 30,000 people bought tickets to visit the place.

On the last day we were shooting at the lake, which was surrounded by hills. Two of those were completely filled with people.

It was madness. Some people tried to get too close to Priyanka and that's when Shahid came forward and took her aside.

" Director/producer Kunal feigned ignorance of Sasha coming to PC's rescue. "I am not sure because I was busy with the directorial team.

They both were pretty cool and took a break every two hours to wave to the people who had come all the way to see them. Shahid even said it would have been depressing if no one had come to see them.

" However Kunal denies that a near-stampede took place, "No, that's not true. There were no untoward incidents.

Fortunately, we had the support of the local police and we had our own security. We definitely had to tighten the security to manage the crowds.

" Tweet (less)

And so now, producer Sunil Bohra and Vipin Sharma, who played Darsheel’s father in Taare Zameen Par, are all geared up to pay tribute to Manto. Reportedly, the two are working on a play based on Manto’s story Toba Tek Singh.

Producer Sunil Bohra (above) and actor Vipin Shah (below) A source informed that the play, which will be held in a five-star hotel in Mumbai in November, will have Sharma acting and directing the play. “Sanjay Chouhan is writing the play for Sunil Bohra.

The play will be based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s story Toba Tek Singh, a powerful satire based on the relationship between India and Pakistan. The story revolves around Bishan Singh, a Sikh inmate in an asylum in Lahore, who gets transferred from the town Toba Tek Singh to India after the 1947 partition,” said the source.

When contacted, Bohra confirmed the news and said, “I have wanted to do this play for a long time now. It is my tribute to this iconic writer.

I could not find the right actor or director to make the play earlier. However, when I spoke to Vipin he shared my sentiments.

We were on the same page and immediately decided to do it. We will be having a grand premiere of the play on November 14.

We will donate some of the proceeds to various NGOs” (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)

On seeing her, the cricketer reportedly made a face and exited in a hurry asking helpers to find him another lounge. Reacting to the news, the cricketer tweeted about the incident, "Incorrect news! Did not run away, did not run out of the lounge! Saw the show and happily came back home!" Yuvraj and Kim were an item four years ago before they parted ways.

We wonder what brought out the need to explain for Yuvi who otherwise doesn't really talk about his relationships (less)