And for King Khan, this is an effort gone well. "I know for a fact that when you try to attempt something different, some people would like it and some won't, and I knew this from the beginning," Shah Rukh told reporters in Mumbai.

"Maybe, it is wrong to say that it is a youngster's movie, but I don't think only young people should watch it..

.but it is a different generation film.

Maybe, it's more appealing for the younger lot..

.But I think 60-70 per cent people have liked it," he added.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film was made with a budget of Rs.150 crore.

Its visual effects have raised a bar in Bollywood, and taken the technology to the next level. So, the 46-year-old is happy with the reviews and feedback he has received so far.

"In the past five to six days, a lot has been written about the movie. Some are writing good and some are saying bad things.

But a lot of people are going out to watch the film, so I think all is well," he said. In the film, Shah Rukh plays G.

One, while Arjun Rampal features as villain called RA.One, and Kareena Kapoor as Shah Rukh's lady love.

Tweet (less)

The producers were then aghast to see the promos of Jodi Breakers , the plot of which is strikingly similar to their film. It's a huge loss for them and they decided to take serious action against the Bollywood producers for plagiarism.

" The source adds, "The French producers have filed the case against five people the producer, Prasar Visions Pvt Ltd, director Ashwini Chaudhary, the writer, the processing lab and Dariwala who claimed that the producers stole her idea. The first hearing took place on February 10 and today is the second hearing.

" The Neolegal Associates (a leading intellectual property firm which handles many such litigation for Hollywood studios) represents the Heartbreaker producer. Xerxes Ranina, the founding partner says, "The matter is subjudice.

I won't be able to comment on the specifics of the case other than the fact that the case has been filed in the Bombay High Court." The director of Jodi Breakers remained unavailable for comment.

Tweet (less)

Unlike Hollywood, the Indian version will not have stars but imprints of the celebrity hands in clay casts which will be processed in brass. The idea has been conceptualised by UTV Stars and Nikhil Gandhi, the business head of the channel, says the initiative will increase the number of visitors from the country and abroad.

"We consider ourselves to be the official Bollywood channel so we wanted to do something for the the biggest superstars who have contributed so much to the industry over the years. This is the best possible way in which we can show how much we appreciate their contribution.

"We started working on this project six months ago. We finalised Bandstand as the location because of its iconic stature, easy access and exotic ambiance," Nikhil told PTI.

The idea comes from the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in Los Angeles. It showcases a star and the name of the Hollywood artist on the famous pavement.

Nikhil also said that permission has been received from the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bandra Residents' Association (BRA) for the project. "We have taken all necessary permission that is required.

The residents' associations are also with us. It will add to the beautification of the city as well.

But we won't have tickets for this. It's open to everyone, unlike any other tourist spot," said Nikhil.

The first phase, which will start in January next year, will have as many as 60 imprints of actors from the industry. Asked about the budget of the film, Nikhil didn't reveal anything and said that it will be a continuous project, so the budget cannot be ascertained.

"It is a permanent project. It will go on and on.

So there is no definite budget in place right now," he said. Tweet (less)

A doctor from the hospital informed that Mundhra later had a cardiac arrest and had to be put on a ventilator, but eventually expired at 12:57 pm. Actress Neetu Chandra, who was seen in his 2010 thriller Apartment: Rent at Your Own Risk, informed, "Jag sir's body will be taken from Bombay Hospital to his residence in Shivaji Park, Dadar West at 3 pm.

Following which, the cremation rituals will be held at 4.30 pm, at a nearby cremation ground.

" Mundhra was born into a conservative Marwadi family. He studied engineering at IIT Mumbai and then moved to the US to do his MSc.

However, he eventually followed his calling for filmmaking in 1982. His debut film Suraag starred Sanjeev Kumar and Shabana Azmi .

He went on to make women-centric films like Kamla with Shabana and Deepti Naval in the lead roles. In 2000, Mundhra then moved on to address social issues through his films.

The last member in the industry to have met the filmmaker was Arya Babbar. A few days ago, Mundhra had narrated the script of his thriller K3 to Babbar.

It was supposed to go on floors in October. Deepti Naval: Jag changed my career I've been shooting non-stop for 45 days in Delhi.

I had left my phone behind in Mumbai. So, I had no clue he was unwell.

The last I spoke to him, he was very keen to see my directorial debut Do Paise Ki Dhoop Chaar Aane Ki Baarish. Now he's gone! Jag was a very dear friend.

When I did Kamla with him in 1985, I was only playing the sweet girl-next-door kind of roles. Initially, I was opposed to doing Kamla.

It appeared to be a demeaning role and I told him so. I remember sitting with him on my sofa in my apartment as he tried to convince me.

'I need those eyes for Kamla,' he urged me. I finally agreed.

And am I glad! I'd like to remember the wonderful discussions we had on cinema and all the encouragement he gave me. I'll miss him Shabana Azmi: He was a generous man I can't believe he is gone.

On my last birthday, he had sent me coffee cups with images of my films printed on them. It shows how thoughtful he was.

At his house in Los Angeles , any and everyone from Bollywood was welcome. He would've guests staying in his house for days and weeks.

Anyone in Bollywood, who needed any kind of Hollywood assistance-an editor, a technician or a stuntman-only had to get in touch with Jagmohan. He was keen to make a film titled Bardaasht about a man who faces a lot of injustice in his life and he is unable to take anymore.

Now, that film shall remain unmade. I'd like to remember Jagmohan as an extremely generous, kind, hospitable and thoughtful man.

Nandita Das : I will always remember his warmth I am speechless. There are people, even if one is not in constant touch with, give you a sense of warmth and affection.

Jagmohan was that. A director, who struggled to be known beyond his erotic thrillers, and did make his contribution to Indian Cinema with Kamla, Bawandar and Provoked.

But more than that, I will always remember his warmth and genuine persona. Like others, I saw his past films as a bit dodgy and my first reaction to his offer to do Bawandar was a firm no.

But he literally chased me to four different cities. He even came to Bangalore, where I was shooting a Kannada film called Deveeri and then to Hyderabad, where I was filming for Shyambabu's film Hari Bhari.

But it was his research, sincerity and genuine intention to tell this story that finally convinced me to do the film. It was one of the most difficult shoots and roles I have ever done.

Even though Bawandar, which was based on the real-life rape victim Bhanwari Devi in Rajasthan, was not a biopic film and the names were changed, I had made Jagmohan promise me that he will show it to her first. He kept his word.

He showed her the film and I spoke to a very moved and disturbed Bhanwari straight after that. Bawandar will always remain a special film for me, just as I know it was for Jagmohan.

We worked together more than 10 years ago, but kept in touch off and on. I am deeply saddened and he will be missed sorely.

His wife Chandra and only daughter, Smriti, will be devastated just as all those who have been touched by him. Noyon Jyoti Parasara / Subhash K Jha (less)

The movie is a love story between two outlaws (reportedly a take on Abu Salem and Monica Bedi's life), and will be shot in Delhi and Mumbai. Apparently, it's Richa's oomph factor that got her the role, and she has already started preparing to play Bedi's character on screen.

Richa was reportedly finalized for this role after an intensive search, since the producer was looking for someone with the right face and attitude. A source from the movie's unit tells us, "She was born and brought up in Delhi and she's also completed her education from here.

She studied at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and did her graduation from DU's St Stephen's College. She has done theatre in Delhi with Barry John and then she started modelling.

So, as someone who has spent so much time in Delhi, she had the right attitude and haav-bhaav to be able to play this character." But before the team had even met her, it's apparently director Anurag Kashyap and the casting director for his film "Gangs of Wasseypur", who recommended Richa.

We hear that Anurag liked her work in his flick and recommended her for this role. When we contacted the movie's producer Suryaveer Singh, he said, "She has a very hot vibe and the role required the actress to be like that.

She's a woman who uses her sexuality to make her way up..

. She's like a typical starlet.

" (less)

"It's (TV is) home ground. You might want to travel the world.

..

you might say, that you love Paris, but Mumbai will always be Mumbai for you. So for me if you ask, television is Mumbai and films are like Paris," the 36-year-old producer said at the launch of her new serial Kya Huaa Tera Vaada .

"It's (films) a great vacation, but I will come back to television," she added. Pics: Ekta at the launch of new show Ekta, daughter of yesteryears star Jeetendra, has produced films like Love Sex aur Dhokha, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Shor In The City and Ragini MMS .

She insists films are an experiment for her, and help her understand TV better. "Whatever I am today, is because of television.

So all the emotional connect is with television. I am experimenting with films and enjoying the freshness of a film but it helps me understand television better.

Whatever art of storytelling I have, is because of television," said Ekta, who is also co-producing "Shootout at Wadala" with Sanjay Gupta. The New Year is a busy time for her production house with films like Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum, Rock The Shaadi and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2 lined up for release.

Tweet (less)

While appealing politicians and those from the film fraternity to come out against the ban, the movie director said he was pleased by the acceptance of the movie in Kerala. Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani held a daylong fast at Chappath in the district today in support of Kerala's demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar in place of the existing 116-year-old reservoir.

Roy, who has moved the Supreme Court against the ban, said he would pursue the case in the interest of creative freedom. The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu had banned the movie on November 24 on the grounds that it can disturb cordial ties with Kerala and create law and order problem.

Chief Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government, Debendranath Sarangi had said that the title Dam 999 seemed to refer to the Mullaperiyar Dam (in which Tamil Nadu holds lease rights for 999 years). Tweet (less)

"Being a part of the movie means a lot to me. For the first time, I am playing a north Indian character, a Haryanvi," the actress said on arrival at Mumbai airport Thursday.

The Murder girl was happy to see that members of the cast and crew of the film had come to receive her. "My entire cast is here.

What better welcome than this. It's such a pleasant surprise.

I had never imagined that I will get such a surprise," said Mallika who recently featured in a Hollywood film titled Politics Of Love . Reportedly, Mallika wants producer Sanjay Khanduri to wrap up the shoot in three months as she has commitments in Hollywood.

Her last Bollywood film was Double Dhamaal . Tweet (less)

Their greatest quality is they are so clear oh what they want, even in their instructions to actors, its precise and to the point. They are very sure of what they want and how they want it done.

..

very planned and it all stems from the fact that they are really great guys," said the 35-year-old actor in an interview. "Players", an official Hindi remake of the Hollywood film "The Italian Job", is slated for a Jan 6 release.

Abhishek says he is a big fan of the original version of "The Italian Job". "I have seen 'The Italian Job', the original, about five-six times and also the one they made in 2003, about three-four times.

I am a big fan of the film. I think it's a fantastic film, very cool film and when we were in school, we watched it very often," said Abhishek who was last seen in "Dum Maaro Dum".

The Hindi version, a multi-starrer, also features Sonam Kapoor , Bipasha Basu , Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bobby Deol . Meanwhile, Abhishek is working in director Rohit Shetty's "Bol Bachchan".

He also has "Dhoom 3" and "Dostana 2" in his kitty (less)

The very next day, actor Nikhil Dwivedi was said to have suffered two fractures in his right hand, while shooting an action sequence for Vikram Bhatt's next, Hate Story. And now, accident-prone Hrithik Roshan has fallen victim to yet another injury.

While shooting for Krrish 3 last week at Filmistan Studios, the actor fell down and hurt himself very badly. A member from the unit revealed to Mumbai Mirror that Hrithik, who has been assisting his father on the sets, attempted to attend to his injury himself.

"Hrithik tried to use the first-aid kit to nurse his hand, but then he realised that the injury required professional attention. His skin on his right hand had peeled off and so, he had to take a break from the shoot.

Everyone on set was very concerned, but he did not let it affect the shoot," added the unit member. Milan Luthria diagnosed with Typhoid He should have been reveling in the success of his hit film The Dirty Picture.

But, instead director Milan Luthria has been suffering with Typhoid and has since been bedridden. Not only were his post-film celebrations short-lived, but all his future endeavours had to be squashed too.

A friend of the director revealed to Mumbai Mirror that Luthria, on Sanjay Dutt's advice, had planned a trip to Cape Town to scout for locations to shoot his next film Once Upon A Time in Mumbai 2. But now, he is not in the condition to jet set to anywhere for a long time.

When contacted, Luthria said, "On a personal note, it's been bad not to be able to celebrate. But thank God for cell phones.

In the grander scheme of things, it's nice to get this time to reflect without being surrounded by a lot of people." (less)

"Being a part of the movie means a lot to me. For the first time, I am playing a north Indian character, a Haryanvi," the actress said on arrival at Mumbai airport Thursday.

The "Murder" girl was happy to see that members of the cast and crew of the film had come to receive her. "My entire cast is here.

What better welcome than this. It's such a pleasant surprise.

I had never imagined that I will get such a surprise," said Mallika who recently featured in a Hollywood film titled "Politics Of Love". Reportedly, Mallika wants producer Sanjay Khanduri to wrap up the shoot in three months as she has commitments in Hollywood.

Her last Bollywood film was "Double Dhamaal" (less)

Though still playing in narrow release, the film has found enthusiastic audiences and has been a critical darling since premiering at last May's Cannes Film Festival, positioning it as the first silent movie with serious awards prospects since the first years of the Oscars in the late 1920s. In an age of elaborate computer effects and digital 3-D projection, The Artist is such a throwback to early cinema that it comes off as something entirely fresh.

"It's very relaxing for people to actually go to this movie," said Dujardin, nominated for best actor in a musical or comedy for his role as a silent-era star whose career implodes when talkies take over. "It's a new visual and emotional experience for people.

..

. It's really strange and rare to not hear anything in the theater.

" Tied for second-place at the Globes with five nominations each are George Clooney's family tale The Descendants and the literary adaptation The Help, both competing for best drama. Also in the running for best drama: Martin Scorsese's family adventure Hugo ; Clooney's political thriller The Ides of March ; Brad Pitt's sports tale Moneyball ; and Steven Spielberg's World War I epic War Horse.

For best musical or comedy, The Artist is up against: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cancer story 50/50 ; Kristen Wiig's wedding romp Bridesmaids ; Woody Allen's romantic fantasy Midnight in Paris ; and Michelle Williams' Marilyn Monroe tale My Week with Marilyn. Along with honors from trade groups such as the directors, actors and writers guilds, the Globes help sort out key contenders for the Oscars, whose nominations balloting closes Friday, with nominees announced Jan.

24. British comedian Ricky Gervais returns as host for the third-straight year, despite uneasy moments a year ago when he took sharp swipes at celebrities and Golden Globe organizers themselves.

It paid off with a boost in TV ratings for the show, though, so the Globes invited Gervais back. A win Sunday can firm up a film's prospects to triumph at the Oscars, though the Globes have had a bad track record predicting eventual best-picture winners in recent years.

Over the last seven years, only one Globe best-picture winner -- 2008's Slumdog Millionaire -- has gone on to claim the top honor at the Oscars. Before that stretch, the Globes had been on an eight-year streak in which only one of its two best-picture recipients went on to become the Oscar champ.

Last year, The Social Network won best-drama at the Globes and looked like the early Oscar favorite. But momentum later swung to eventual Oscar best-picture winner The King's Speech.

The Globes generally do a better job predicting who might take home the acting Oscars. A year ago, all four actors who won Oscars earned Globes first -- lead players Colin Firth for The King's Speech and Natalie Portman for Black Swan and The Fighter supporting stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.

Along with Clooney, Pitt and Williams, other established stars nominated for Globes include Meryl Streep in the Margaret Thatcher tale The Iron Lady, Leonardo DiCaprio in the J. Edgar Hoover saga J.

Edgar, Glenn Close in the Irish drama Albert Nobbs and Kate Winslet in the stage adaptation Carnage. The lineup also features many newcomers to the awards scene, among them Wiig for Bridesmaids, Gordon-Levitt for 50/50, Michael Fassbender for the sex-addict drama Shame, Rooney Mara for the thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Brendan Gleeson for the Irish crime tale The Guard.

The Help picked up three acting nominations: Viola Davis for dramatic actress and Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain for supporting actress. Adapted from Kathryn Stockett's best-seller about black maids speaking out about their white employers during the civil rights movement, the hit drama has been a career-maker for many of its collaborators, including first-time director Tate Taylor, a childhood friend of Stockett, and producer Brunson Green.

"It's a testament to pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and not taking no for an answer," said Spencer, a longtime friend of Tate who had been toiling in small parts before The Help. ''Kathryn was an underdog, and Tate and I and Brunson.

..

. They'd only done independent films and shorts, and now they're in the big leagues.

" The Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 85 entertainment reporters for overseas outlets. The ceremony, carried live on NBC, is a more laid-back affair than the Oscars, with Globe guests sharing dinner and drinks that can loosen up stars' tongues when it comes to presenting or accepting awards.

Behind the scenes, the HFPA and the Globes' longtime producers, dick clark productions, continue to fight in federal court over which entity has the authority to negotiate multi-million dollar broadcast rights to future shows. Although this year's telecast was never in serious jeopardy, the HFPA is anxious to try to negotiate a better deal with other networks.

While Hollywood will be in party mode right through the Feb. 26 Oscars, not every nominee will join the fun.

Midnight in Paris director Allen, a notorious no-show at awards ceremonies, said he does not believe in competition among films. "Who's to say Steven Spielberg's film is better than Martin Scorsese's or better than Francis Coppola's? These guys are all wonderful filmmakers, and everybody does his best," Allen said.

"Who's to say what's best? You can say that's your favorite, and that's fine. .

..

But to say it's better than another film, it's a very subjective judgment. Someone else may feel, 'No, I think this is the better film.

' It's unquantifiable." Tweet (less)

But the timing of the collision went wrong and he fell to the ground. "When I fell on the ground, I heard a sound and I was sure that I have fractured my hand," Dwivedi said in a statement.

"Hate Story" is being written and produced by filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and is being directed by Vivek Agnihotri , who has previously made films like "Chocolate" and "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal". The film also stars Bengali actress Paoli Dam (less)

"It's (TV is) home ground. You might want to travel the world.

..

you might say, that you love Paris, but Mumbai will always be Mumbai for you. So for me if you ask, television is Mumbai and films are like Paris," the 36-year-old producer said at the launch of her new serial Kya Huaa Tera Vaada .

"It's (films) a great vacation, but I will come back to television," she added. Pics: Ekta at the launch of new show Ekta, daughter of yesteryears star Jeetendra, has produced films like Love Sex aur Dhokha, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Shor In The City and Ragini MMS .

She insists films are an experiment for her, and help her understand TV better. "Whatever I am today, is because of television.

So all the emotional connect is with television. I am experimenting with films and enjoying the freshness of a film but it helps me understand television better.

Whatever art of storytelling I have, is because of television," said Ekta, who is also co-producing "Shootout at Wadala" with Sanjay Gupta. The New Year is a busy time for her production house with films like Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum, Rock The Shaadi and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2 lined up for release.

Tweet (less)

"Sonakshi doesn't have any issue at all doing late night shoots. At least, she hasn't come and told me about it.

If this problem is addressed to me, I will take special care as the director and producer of the film," says film's director Shirish Kunder. The director is also clueless about Shatrughan's 1 am deadline.

"I have not been informed of any deadline set for Sonakshi by Mr Sinha. We have been shooting a lot of night sequences.

Sometimes we shoot till sunrise. We want a lot of dramatic light in the film, which is not possible to create during the day.

In fact, 40 per cent of our shoot is still remaining and most of it is at night," he says. However, a crew member of UTV Motion Pictures insists, "It's a known fact that Shatrughan Sinha is very protective of his daughter.

Being an actor himself he understands the unpredictable shooting hours, but as a dad he is not very pleased with her continuous late night shoots. He has asked her to be home by 1 at night.

The actress knows that her dad is just hyper-ventilating, so she hasn't felt the need to inform her producers about this as yet." Tweet (less)

Khan brothers have decided to work with a completely new team in Dabangg 2 that goes on floors in March 2012. A source revealed, "The earlier plan was to retain the entire cast and crew barring of course Abhinav Kashyap who had already opted out of the sequel.

Dileep Shukla was roped in to write Dabangg 2. As the script developed, Arbaaz Khan realised that he'll have to work within a new setup and with an entirely new set of man-power for the film.

" On the other hand, most of the technicians who worked on Dabangg have opted to work with Abhinav on his next film, a Shah Rukh Khan starrer set in Australia, claimed the source. When contacted, Arbaaz admitted that there has been a total makeover in the sequel as far as the technicians are concerned.

He added, "Why are people presuming that I'd have to depend on creative resources from the first Dabangg to make Dabangg 2? I've been born into a film family. I grew up hearing scripts and people talking cinema.

I know enough about cinema to turn director confidently. It's true we don't have the original crew on board.

We've hired a first-rate group of fresh technicians for Dabangg 2." "We know what we're doing.

It's Dileep Shukla who has written the sequel. But it is my vision and ideas that have been put into the screenplay.

I know exactly how I want to shoot the film. The novelty of seeing Salman playing Chulbul Pandey with a moustache has worn off.

We'll be going beyond," said Arbaaz (less)

The film follows the story of 19-year-old Olivia running a crew of well-trained, orphan street urchins but they are suddenly plunged into the middle of a nasty turf war between two criminal gangs when they take on a simple kidnapping job. First-time screenwriter Michael Roberts has penned the script while The Social Network co-producer Michael De Luca is spearheading the project, which is yet to get a director.

Tweet (less)

Actor Imran Khan lit a lamp at Metropolitan Hotel and Spa marking the beginning of another enchanting journey of felicitating Bollywood's best. The actor, who has grown a beard for a forthcoming film, spoke of his emotional connection with the awards.

"My relationship with Filmfare awards is both special and unique. It has added to my career and to who I am," said the actor, who has hosted two Filmfare Awards shows with fellow actor Ranbir Kapoor.

The award ceremony had been previously hosted by the formidable star duo of Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan. Imran admitted that he felt scared taking over the mantle from the two top-notch performers.

"We prepared and rehearsed for about four weeks. The writers chipped in with one-liners.

What you saw in the end was the result of a lot of hard work," he said. He tipped Vidya Balan as one of the favourites for the best actress award for her role in The Dirty Picture.

From a modest show in 1953 with four categories that lasted for less than a couple of hours, the Filmfare Awards has evolved into a glamorous event watched by millions on television. With its rich legacy, the Filmfare Black Lady remains the piece de resistance on every Bollywood actor, director and producer's shelf.

Extending support to Filmfare for the fourth consecutive year, Rajat Mukarji, chief corporate affairs officer, Idea Cellular, said, "The 57th Idea Filmfare Awards is special as it celebrates the centenary year of Indian cinema and coincides with Idea crossing the 100 million subscriber mark." Tarun Rai, CEO Worldwide Media said, "The 2500th Black Lady is a testament of Filmfare's long association with Indian cinema and its commitment to recognize the immense talent of our film industry over 57 years.

" (less)

But it does not mean that if south film remakes are doing well so I am here or it is the right time for me to make a film in Hindi. I have already made Ek Deewana Tha in Tamil and Telugu and it did well.

I was always looking to do this film in Hindi..

.I thought it would be universally appealing," Gautham told PTI in an interview.

"It took us some time to come up with the Hindi version as we had pre-production work - planning dialogues to getting dates of Prateik. Since February 2010, we wanted to do this film much before the hindi version of Bodyguard, Ready and Singham came out and became hits," he said.

Tweet (less)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since the director of the film is also a first timer, Nikhil has been personally involved in assembling a worthy technical crew for the film. So much so that many corporate honchos are now taking note and talking of how Tamanchey is being shot with precise planning and looking like an A-List film despite a modest budget.

The film boasts of a visual director from Hollywood. A visual director is a principal technician in Hollywood films, but it is the first time such a technician has been appointed for a Hindi film.

In addition to the camera crew - also from Hollywood - the film has a choreographer who is leaving no stone unturned to make the songs look visually appealing. Sources say Tamanchey, which is an intense love story set against the backdrop of crime, has Nikhil playing a character loosely inspired by gagnster Abu Salem.

The producers vehemently deny any such inspiration or association though. Nikhil was last seen in Shor In Ihe City, and seeems like he's back in the solo lead bracket post its success (less)

Ali had asked the movie's line producer to allow him meet a Kashmiri Pandit family. He visited the family, whose house was located in a small Hindu settlement in Srinagar, and sat with them to understand the nitty-gritties of their weddings.

From the way food is served in the tram (copper plates) to the traditional Dejhor which is Kashmiri jewellery worn in the ears (symbol of a married woman) along with the shaneel fyran (velvet dress/outfit), the intricate henna patterns and the tarang (cap) that the girl wears during the wedding rituals - Ali took care to research it all. Imtiaz and the team also walked to Srinagar's popular Kheer Bhawani temple, met the priest and watched his daughter's wedding video to have a visual understanding of the rituals.

Even for the bridal dress, designers Manish Malhotra and Aki Narula roamed around the streets for hours to get the perfect traditional attire. To add more authenticity to the shoot, the locals who were part of the scene were given full freedom to inform the filmmaker if anything was amiss.

Starring Ranbir Kapoor and newcomer Nargis Fakhri, Rockstar will release Nov 11. It is co-produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision and Eros International.

A major part of the film's shooting has taken place at locations in Kashmir. Tweet (less)

"It's (TV is) home ground. You might want to travel the world.

..

you might say, that you love Paris, but Mumbai will always be Mumbai for you. So for me if you ask, television is Mumbai and films are like Paris," the 36-year-old producer said at the launch of her new serial Kya Huaa Tera Vaada .

"It's (films) a great vacation, but I will come back to television," she added. Pics: Ekta at the launch of new show Ekta, daughter of yesteryears star Jeetendra, has produced films like Love Sex aur Dhokha, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Shor In The City and Ragini MMS .

She insists films are an experiment for her, and help her understand TV better. "Whatever I am today, is because of television.

So all the emotional connect is with television. I am experimenting with films and enjoying the freshness of a film but it helps me understand television better.

Whatever art of storytelling I have, is because of television," said Ekta, who is also co-producing "Shootout at Wadala" with Sanjay Gupta. The New Year is a busy time for her production house with films like Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum, Rock The Shaadi and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2 lined up for release.

Tweet (less)

Unlike Hollywood, the Indian version will not have stars but imprints of the celebrity hands in clay casts which will be processed in brass. The idea has been conceptualised by UTV Stars and Nikhil Gandhi, the business head of the channel, says the initiative will increase the number of visitors from the country and abroad.

"We consider ourselves to be the official Bollywood channel so we wanted to do something for the the biggest superstars who have contributed so much to the industry over the years. This is the best possible way in which we can show how much we appreciate their contribution.

"We started working on this project six months ago. We finalised Bandstand as the location because of its iconic stature, easy access and exotic ambiance," Nikhil told PTI.

The idea comes from the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in Los Angeles. It showcases a star and the name of the Hollywood artist on the famous pavement.

Nikhil also said that permission has been received from the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bandra Residents' Association (BRA) for the project. "We have taken all necessary permission that is required.

The residents' associations are also with us. It will add to the beautification of the city as well.

But we won't have tickets for this. It's open to everyone, unlike any other tourist spot," said Nikhil.

The first phase, which will start in January next year, will have as many as 60 imprints of actors from the industry. Asked about the budget of the film, Nikhil didn't reveal anything and said that it will be a continuous project, so the budget cannot be ascertained.

"It is a permanent project. It will go on and on.

So there is no definite budget in place right now," he said. Tweet (less)

He just needed to develop that idea. And we have the sequel," producer Sunil Bohra says.

The sequel will be launched Thursday at the Kino Cottage here in Andheri. The film will feature the same cast of Randeep Hooda, Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill .

But it would be made on a far more lavish scale. All three actors' remuneration has been seriously hiked.

"We never expected this kind of appreciation for 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster'. We've decided to launch a sequel right away.

Why wait? At the moment the excitement is fresh and vibrant in both the crew and the audience," Bohra says. Probably the swiftest sequel ever, the second instalment will be made on a far grander scale.

"The success of this film proves we can make unconventional themes for a mainstream audience," Bohra says (less)

"Sonakshi doesn't have any issue at all doing late night shoots. At least, she hasn't come and told me about it.

If this problem is addressed to me, I will take special care as the director and producer of the film," says film's director Shirish Kunder. The director is also clueless about Shatrughan's 1 am deadline.

"I have not been informed of any deadline set for Sonakshi by Mr Sinha. We have been shooting a lot of night sequences.

Sometimes we shoot till sunrise. We want a lot of dramatic light in the film, which is not possible to create during the day.

In fact, 40 per cent of our shoot is still remaining and most of it is at night," he says. However, a crew member of UTV Motion Pictures insists, "It's a known fact that Shatrughan Sinha is very protective of his daughter.

Being an actor himself he understands the unpredictable shooting hours, but as a dad he is not very pleased with her continuous late night shoots. He has asked her to be home by 1 at night.

The actress knows that her dad is just hyper-ventilating, so she hasn't felt the need to inform her producers about this as yet." Tweet (less)

There are now about a 100 pictures Imran personally took of Kareena. "I find Kareena one of the most beautiful actresses that we have.

When I was looking at her through viewfinder, I realised that camera loves her. People who have seen these pictures keep saying that I am a good photographer, but actually it is her beauty and versatility of her face which is doing the trick," said Imran.

Directed by first-timer Shakun Batra, the film's first trailer was released with The Dirty Picture and it is expected to come out around Valentine's Day. The exhibition of Imran's pics of Kareena is now being planned.

Tweet (less)

Aarakshaka is a curiosity inducive film with intelligently written sequences and Vasu's script impresses despite the fact that as a director he has not shown such consistency. Though the film is heavily inspired by Hollywood hit Shutter Island , Vasu has given it a desi touch by adding comedy, songs, fights and emotions into the script.

Aarakshaka wins because the film keeps the audiences engaged. There is plenty of juggling between emotions and thrills in the script.

Some interesting twists, mind boggling thrills and suspense will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The last 20 minutes is the best narrated part in the entire film.

Certainly Vasu has excelled in writing a totally out of the box script for the Kannada cinema. But Vasu failed to extract the best from the composer also, some comedy sequences do not gel with the film, and the first half drags.

The story is about Arun Kumar, a police officer, who has to find Stephen Raj, a witness to three murders. Arun suspects that Raj is hiding in a mental asylum as a fake patient and the doctors in the hospital are shielding him.

The hospital dean asks doctor Maya to assist Arun in solving the mystery of Stephen Raj. Whenever Arun tries to investigate Stephen Raj's past, he reaches a dead end.

Meanwhile, he reveals his past to Maya and says Stephen Raj is responsible for his missing wife. During the course of his investigation, Arun spots his look alike in the hospital and wants to find out the real identity of his look alike.

The entire secret behind Aun's real identity is revealed in the climax as well as the mystery behind the three murders. Upendra delivers a strong performance in both the roles he has played.

His body language and mannerism are perfect. His dialogue delivery is another high point.

Raagini is good and Sada is also impressive. Shahaji Shinde overacts, but Aadi Lokesh is impressesive.

Seetha and Rajesh have played their respective roles aptly. Sharan's comedy irritates, but he has been able to raise a few laughs in some sequences.

P.K.

H. Doss' camera work is exceptionally good.

His superb craft can be seen by the way he has shot some visually spectacular outdoor scenes in Kerala. Music director Guru Kiran is inconsistent, but two songs - Kalli kalli and Anna Hazaare - are well composed and picturised.

Editing work of Suresh Urs is top class. Aarakshaka is an impressive film and can be watched despite flaws.

Tweet (less)

This year, the focus of filmmakers still lured by the world of crime seems to be none other than the man being the 1993 Bombay bombings, Dawood Ibrahim. While Sanjay Gupta's Shootout At Wadala and Milan Luthria's Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Part 2, both films dealing with the powerful gangster, have already been announced, Kal Ho Naa Ho director Nikhil Advani is reportedly planning a film on the man as well.

Nikhil's film will feature actors like Arjun Rampal and Ronit Roy. According to sources, the film is expected to be shot in Afghanistan .

A source close to the project informed Mirror, "Nikhil has been planning the action film alongside his other project that stars several A-list actresses including Madhuri dixit , Dimple Kapadia , Shabana Azmi and Karisma Kapoor. This action venture will be about guys from RAW looking for Dawood in Pakistan and bringing him back to India from Karachi by road.

" Advani is very keen to shoot the Pakistan portions in Afghanistan. "He is now seeking for the relevant permissions," revealed the source.

When contacted, Nikhil Advani simply said, "My action film is still in the planning stage. I can't talk about it at the moment.

" (less)

"Being a part of the movie means a lot to me. For the first time, I am playing a north Indian character, a Haryanvi," the actress said on arrival at Mumbai airport Thursday.

The Murder girl was happy to see that members of the cast and crew of the film had come to receive her. "My entire cast is here.

What better welcome than this. It's such a pleasant surprise.

I had never imagined that I will get such a surprise," said Mallika who recently featured in a Hollywood film titled Politics Of Love . Reportedly, Mallika wants producer Sanjay Khanduri to wrap up the shoot in three months as she has commitments in Hollywood.

Her last Bollywood film was Double Dhamaal . Tweet (less)

Aarakshaka is a curiosity inducive film with intelligently written sequences and Vasu's script impresses despite the fact that as a director he has not shown such consistency. Though the film is heavily inspired by Hollywood hit Shutter Island , Vasu has given it a desi touch by adding comedy, songs, fights and emotions into the script.

Aarakshaka wins because the film keeps the audiences engaged. There is plenty of juggling between emotions and thrills in the script.

Some interesting twists, mind boggling thrills and suspense will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The last 20 minutes is the best narrated part in the entire film.

Certainly Vasu has excelled in writing a totally out of the box script for the Kannada cinema. But Vasu failed to extract the best from the composer also, some comedy sequences do not gel with the film, and the first half drags.

The story is about Arun Kumar, a police officer, who has to find Stephen Raj, a witness to three murders. Arun suspects that Raj is hiding in a mental asylum as a fake patient and the doctors in the hospital are shielding him.

The hospital dean asks doctor Maya to assist Arun in solving the mystery of Stephen Raj. Whenever Arun tries to investigate Stephen Raj's past, he reaches a dead end.

Meanwhile, he reveals his past to Maya and says Stephen Raj is responsible for his missing wife. During the course of his investigation, Arun spots his look alike in the hospital and wants to find out the real identity of his look alike.

The entire secret behind Aun's real identity is revealed in the climax as well as the mystery behind the three murders. Upendra delivers a strong performance in both the roles he has played.

His body language and mannerism are perfect. His dialogue delivery is another high point.

Raagini is good and Sada is also impressive. Shahaji Shinde overacts, but Aadi Lokesh is impressesive.

Seetha and Rajesh have played their respective roles aptly. Sharan's comedy irritates, but he has been able to raise a few laughs in some sequences.

P.K.

H. Doss' camera work is exceptionally good.

His superb craft can be seen by the way he has shot some visually spectacular outdoor scenes in Kerala. Music director Guru Kiran is inconsistent, but two songs - Kalli kalli and Anna Hazaare - are well composed and picturised.

Editing work of Suresh Urs is top class. Aarakshaka is an impressive film and can be watched despite flaws.

Tweet (less)

Ali had asked the movie's line producer to allow him meet a Kashmiri Pandit family. He visited the family, whose house was located in a small Hindu settlement in Srinagar, and sat with them to understand the nitty-gritties of their weddings.

From the way food is served in the tram (copper plates) to the traditional Dejhor which is Kashmiri jewellery worn in the ears (symbol of a married woman) along with the shaneel fyran (velvet dress/outfit), the intricate henna patterns and the tarang (cap) that the girl wears during the wedding rituals - Ali took care to research it all. Imtiaz and the team also walked to Srinagar's popular Kheer Bhawani temple, met the priest and watched his daughter's wedding video to have a visual understanding of the rituals.

Even for the bridal dress, designers Manish Malhotra and Aki Narula roamed around the streets for hours to get the perfect traditional attire. To add more authenticity to the shoot, the locals who were part of the scene were given full freedom to inform the filmmaker if anything was amiss.

Starring Ranbir Kapoor and newcomer Nargis Fakhri, Rockstar will release Nov 11. It is co-produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision and Eros International.

A major part of the film's shooting has taken place at locations in Kashmir. Tweet (less)

There are now about a 100 pictures Imran personally took of Kareena. "I find Kareena one of the most beautiful actresses that we have.

When I was looking at her through viewfinder, I realised that camera loves her. People who have seen these pictures keep saying that I am a good photographer, but actually it is her beauty and versatility of her face which is doing the trick," said Imran.

Directed by first-timer Shakun Batra , the film's first trailer was released with "The Dirty Picture" and it is expected to come out around Valentine's Day. The exhibition of Imran's pics of Kareena is now being planned (less)

And for King Khan, this is an effort gone well. "I know for a fact that when you try to attempt something different, some people would like it and some won't, and I knew this from the beginning," Shah Rukh told reporters in Mumbai.

"Maybe, it is wrong to say that it is a youngster's movie, but I don't think only young people should watch it..

.but it is a different generation film.

Maybe, it's more appealing for the younger lot..

.But I think 60-70 per cent people have liked it," he added.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film was made with a budget of Rs.150 crore.

Its visual effects have raised a bar in Bollywood, and taken the technology to the next level. So, the 46-year-old is happy with the reviews and feedback he has received so far.

"In the past five to six days, a lot has been written about the movie. Some are writing good and some are saying bad things.

But a lot of people are going out to watch the film, so I think all is well," he said. In the film, Shah Rukh plays G.

One, while Arjun Rampal features as villain called RA.One, and Kareena Kapoor as Shah Rukh's lady love.

Tweet (less)

There are now about a 100 pictures Imran personally took of Kareena. "I find Kareena one of the most beautiful actresses that we have.

When I was looking at her through viewfinder, I realised that camera loves her. People who have seen these pictures keep saying that I am a good photographer, but actually it is her beauty and versatility of her face which is doing the trick," said Imran.

Directed by first-timer Shakun Batra, the film's first trailer was released with The Dirty Picture and it is expected to come out around Valentine's Day. The exhibition of Imran's pics of Kareena is now being planned.

Tweet (less)

. I don't believe in measuring the success of a year based on my professional life.

For me, a year is fantastic only if I've achieved my goals, personally and professionally. The year 2011 will be a high point for me because it was the year I married Avantika.

My journey with her has been great. I couldn't have asked for more.

Yes, on the professional front too, both my films "Delhi Belly" and "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" did well at the box office..

. So, yes, the year has been good.

So you expect the good run to continue this year as well? Well, in our business you never know what to expect. Everything is so unpredictable that no matter who you are - big star or small -you have to leave everything to fate.

As far as I'm concerned, I believe in giving my best. After that I just sit back and let the audience decide the fate of the film.

But yes, as an actor I do try to do something different each time. "Delhi Belly" was different from the usual Imran Khan fare.

But then after that you did "MBKD" and now, "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu". Critics say it's a return to your comfort zone.

I don't think so. Look, I believe in striking a balance as an actor.

With "Delhi Belly" I went risque and then to balance that out I did "MBKD", which was a complete masala flick. Similarly, now I'm doing "EMAEK", which is a typical commercial fare that the usual movie-goer likes.

After that I'll be starting work on Vishal Bharadwaj's "Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola", which again is not commercial. Yes, post "DB" people expected me to do movies like that, but no one knows that the film sat in the cans for three years with no one willing to buy it.

I don't believe in restricting myself at all. And honestly it's tough to know what the audience will like.

So how do you decide on your films? Like I said, you cannot second guess the audience. You make a film and by the time it reaches the theatres, it's almost a year and by then, the tastes of the audience has changed.

So, I chose my films depending on what I would like to see. I ask myself if this is the film I would watch and only then do I sign on the dotted line.

Apart from that, the script, director and producer are very important to me. The script has to be appealing and entertaining.

The director - even if he is a first-time filmmaker - needs to know how to translate the story on celluloid. And finally a good producer is important to market your film well to the audience.

See, it's tough to make a movie relevant with times. I think it's a movie that makes time relevant.

Look at "DDLJ" or "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" - people watch them even today. Coming to "EMAET", many are drawing similarities to the Hollywood flick "What Happens in Vegas".

The only similarity between our film and "What Happens In Vegas" is that the characters get married in Vegas after a drunken night in town. But this premise has been used in other films as well - "Hangover", "Two to Tango" heck, even in an episode on "Friends", Ross and Rachael get married after a drunken night.

But that's where the similarity ends. "EMAET" is a coming of age film.

My character is rather sad, because he has never done anything fun in life. He has only done what his parents tell him.

And this changes after he meets Kareena's character. So, rest assured, there are absolutely no similarities between our film and the Ashton Kutcher-Cameron Diaz flick.

The film is also been talked about for your pairing with Kareena. Ah! Working with Kareena is such a joy.

I've been friends with director Shakun Batra since my "Jaane Tu..

." days and he wrote the script keeping Kareena and me in mind.

When I read the script, I knew exactly why the movie needed an actor like Kareena. Her character has shaped up so well and to tell you the truth, no one could have played that role other than her.

Do you mind playing second fiddle to an actress in a film? I always believe in one thing - there are no small parts, only small actors. I would love to do a role in a heroine-centric film.

Look at what Vidya did in "The Dirty Picture". She carried the entire film on her shoulders and it's one of the top grossers of 2011.

You know, there is no dearth of good leading ladies in our industry. It's only the scripts that fail them.

Once you have a strong script for them in place, it works wonders. Hats off to directors like Milan Luthria who came up with "TDP".

Priyanka propelled "Fashion" to number one slot, Vidya did the same with "TDP", and now Kareena will steal the show with "Heroine" later this year. Any wish-list for 2012? I don't have any expectations as such.

I don't believe in them. I only hope that my endeavors bear fruit this year too.

As a person, I'm very optimistic in nature. I take life head-on and see the best in it.

Hopefully, the outcome of this year too will be great (less)

A source says, "Like Tezaab , this too is as an aggressive passionate love story." The film will use facts merged with fiction.

The highlight of the film is a steamy scene shot between the protagonists in Gujarat that will replicate Azamgarh, Abu Salem's birthplace (less)

While in Kolkata, the actor has been busy shooting a road movie in Kolkata titled "Path Ghat" starring Moubani Sarkar, Debdut Ghosh and Biswajit Chakraborty, among others. In Mumbai, he will soon begin shooting a Vivek Agnihotri movie that has his "Kagojer Bou" co-star Paoli playing the lead.

Says Joy, "This is a road movie about a television crew that's going to north Bengal to shoot a reality show. I play an executive producer in this Partho Ganguly movie.

On the way to north Bengal, a lot of interesting things happen that almost unfold like a reality show. The film is smartly packaged and the concept is very interesting.

Besides, I also have Ashok Viswanathan's adaptation of Nastanirh. My film, "Tobe Tai Hok", with Swastika is also slated to release soon," he says.

As for Hindi projects, Joy is awaiting the release of "Shakal Pe Mat Ja". "I have also signed on Vivek Agnihotri's Hindi film titled " Hate Story " that has Paoli playing the female lead.

I have acted with Paoli in "Kagojer Bou". This is my second outing with her.

The film is produced by Vikram Bhatt. It also has Nikhil Dwivedi.

And then, there is a Bollywood musical titled "Taj Express" that I have signed on to do for a year. It's being choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant.

The musical has 32 dancers and five actors," he concludes (less)

He just needed to develop that idea. And we have the sequel," producer Sunil Bohra says.

The sequel will be launched Thursday at the Kino Cottage here in Andheri. The film will feature the same cast of Randeep Hooda, Mahie Gill and Jimmy Shergill.

But it would be made on a far more lavish scale. All three actors' remuneration has been seriously hiked.

"We never expected this kind of appreciation for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster . We've decided to launch a sequel right away.

Why wait? At the moment the excitement is fresh and vibrant in both the crew and the audience," Bohra says. Probably the swiftest sequel ever, the second instalment will be made on a far grander scale.

"The success of this film proves we can make unconventional themes for a mainstream audience," Bohra says. Tweet (less)

A few day ago, Nikhil had also celebrated his birthday on the sets, and his wife Gauri Pandit had dropped in to surprise him there. However, it seems that the adventure got a bit too much, when Nikhil fractured his right arm during the shoot.

Fortunately, the shoot was nearing its end, and he was rushed to the hospital. Garima Sharma (less)

It was also earlier reported that Deepika was walking out of Race 2 because she was not happy with the film's constant change of schedule. Deepika Padukone to star against Rajinikanth in Kochadaiyaan According to a source, the reason Deepika had given for opting out -- that she was signing her first Hollywood film -- is not true.

The source reveals, "Deepika was already committed for Race 2 and had shot for it for a few days when she was offered a film opposite Rajinikanth. She was really keen to do the film but didn't have the dates for it.

As a result, she decided to opt out of Race 2 ." The source further adds, "Instead of telling the truth, her manager told the Race 2 producer that Deepika had a Hollywood film offer that she couldn't let go of and the dates were clashing with this film.

Though she was very apologetic about it, still it was very unprofessional of her to opt out of a film mid-way. Rameshji had let her go without creating any scene.

It was later found that the actress opted out for the Rajnikanth film and not for any Hollywood film." "Her manager Anirban said that she has bagged a big Hollywood film and it's a lifetime opportunity for her.

So, we had to let her go." Apparently the southern actress' departure has caused a lot of mess for the makers," said angry Taurani.

"We have to immediately look for her replacement and re-shoot her portions all over again. She has not only caused inconvenience to us but also to her co-stars (which includes Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt) who had allotted their dates for the shoot," said Taurani.

The producer adds that this has resulted in huge monetary losses for them as the building of sets for their next schedule is already underway and the crew and the location were already booked. A source close to Deepika however categorically denies that she opted out of Race 2 for Rajini's film.

The source points out, "The shooting was constantly getting pushed back. She shot for only two days for two hours each.

They have wasted her dates for December and January. She hasn't left Race 2 because of Rajinikanth's film.

The film was supposed to be completed before September 2011. We have documentary proof of that.

Now, there is a fresh requirement of dates as new actors like Sanjay Dutt have been roped in. She cannot give them blanket dates because of her prior commitments.

" Taurani says, "It's a highly unprofessional behaviour. In my entire career of 28 films, I have never faced such a situation.

It's not done!" Reports are that Taurani is going to lodge a complaint against Deepika with the Cine & TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA). Other actors who went the Deepika way : Chitrangada left Krissh because of prior commitments to Sudhir Mishra's untitled next with Arjun Rampal and Mehrunissa .

Imran opted out of Punit Malhotra's next for Vishal Bhardwaj's Maatru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola Vivek Oberoi left Shootout At Wadala for Bejoy Nambiar's David Kangana left Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children for Double Dhamaal Ajay Devgn left Maatru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola for Son Of Sardar Tweet (less)

..

. He previously planned to celebrate his birthday in Dubai , then he changed his plans and decided to stay back to spend his b-day with his family and friends.

He celebrated his birthday party at his Panvel farmhouse. Actor Nikhil Dwivedi was one of the invitees in the party, he tweeted about the party "Salman Khan's party was One of the warmest and coolest party that I ve been to in a long time.

. & to see Govinda dance on the floor.

. Magic!" Salman Khan will be spending his New Year eve in Dubai (less)

Winning the TV stunt ensemble prize was Game of Thrones . The stunt awards were announced on the arrivals red carpet before the show began.

Among the early arrivals to the cheers of enthusiastic fans on a sunny and warm afternoon were Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray of the old Dallas TV series, soon to be the new Dallas TV series on TNT. Meanwhile, Glenn Close was looking very unlike her Albert Nobbs character for which she received a SAG nomination as she posed for fans in a sleek black gown.

For the main event, Sunday's 18th annual SAG ceremony is heavy on actors playing illustrious real-life figures. Among them: Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady ; Leonardo DiCaprio as J.

Edgar Hoover in J. Edgar ; and Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe and Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn .

Streep won a Golden Globe for The Iron Lady and is considered a favorite for the SAG prize and for her third win at the Academy Awards, which are set for February 26. The front-runners for the other SAG awards are actors in fictional roles, though, among them George Clooney as a dad in crisis in The Descendants and Jean Dujardin as a silent-film star fallen on hard times in The Artist .

Both are up for best actor, and both won Globes -- Clooney as dramatic actor, Dujardin as musical or comedy actor. Octavia Spencer as a brassy Mississippi maid in The Help and Christopher Plummer as an elderly dad who comes out as gay in Beginners won Globes for supporting performances and have strong prospects for the same honors at the SAG Awards.

The winners at the SAG ceremony typically go on to earn Oscars. All four acting recipients at SAG last year later took home Oscars -- Colin Firth for The King's Speech , Natalie Portman for Black Swan and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for The Fighter .

The same generally holds true for the weekend's other big Hollywood honors, the Directors Guild of America Awards, where Michel Hazanavicius won the feature-film prize Saturday for The Artist . The Directors Guild winner has gone on to earn the best-director Oscar 57 times in the 63-year history of the union's awards show.

SAG also presents an award for overall cast performance, a prize that's loosely considered the ceremony's equivalent of a best-picture honor. However, the cast award has a spotty record at predicting what will win best picture at the Oscars.

While The King's Speech won both honors a year ago, the SAG cast recipient has gone on to claim the top Oscar only eight times in the 16 years since the guild added the category. Airing live on TNT and TBS from the Shrine Exhibition Center in downtown Los Angeles, the show features nine television categories, as well.

Receiving the guild's life-achievement award is Mary Tyler Moore. The prize was to be presented by Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the 1960s sit-com The Dick Van Dyke Show .

Tweet (less)

But the timing of the collision went wrong and he fell to the ground. "When I fell on the ground, I heard a sound and I was sure that I have fractured my hand," Dwivedi said in a statement.

Hate Story is being written and produced by filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and is being directed by Vivek Agnihotri, who has previously made films like Chocolate and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal . The film also stars Bengali actress Paoli Dam.

Tweet (less)

The film is a romantic comedy and it's a story about a couple who fall in love while visiting three of the most romantic places on earth; London, Paris and New York. "The story is very fresh.

We have tried our level best to make it as realistic as possible. It deals in different emotions that people experience when they're in love.

It is believable because it also talks about the pain and suffering of heartbreak," said Goldie. The title is simple and says a lot about the movie.

When asked about its significance, Ali Zafar said, "The title is an integral part of the film. It provides a backdrop to the love story and helps in portraying the characters' journey of love.

It's all very natural and realistic. The movie is about Nikhil and Lalitha, two very different people who fall in love.

" The music of the movie has been composed by Ali Zafar himself. In fact both the stars, Ali and Aditi, sing well and have sung in the film.

The movie has some intimate scenes between the two actors. But, according to Aditi, it is very different from the usual bollywood movies.

"The scenes are very organic in nature. They are there because without them the story would feel incomplete.

We have not forced sex scenes anywhere just because it is believed that sex sells. The scenes are beautiful and are lovely to watch," says Aditi.

The cast and crew just got done with the London chapter and if the chemistry shared between Ali and Aditi is anything to go by, this could be something to look forward to (less)

"It's (TV is) home ground. You might want to travel the world.

..

you might say, that you love Paris, but Mumbai will always be Mumbai for you. So for me if you ask, television is Mumbai and films are like Paris," the 36-year-old producer said at the launch of her new serial Kya Huaa Tera Vaada .

"It's (films) a great vacation, but I will come back to television," she added. Pics: Ekta at the launch of new show Ekta, daughter of yesteryears star Jeetendra, has produced films like Love Sex aur Dhokha, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Shor In The City and Ragini MMS .

She insists films are an experiment for her, and help her understand TV better. "Whatever I am today, is because of television.

So all the emotional connect is with television. I am experimenting with films and enjoying the freshness of a film but it helps me understand television better.

Whatever art of storytelling I have, is because of television," said Ekta, who is also co-producing "Shootout at Wadala" with Sanjay Gupta. The New Year is a busy time for her production house with films like Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum, Rock The Shaadi and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2 lined up for release.

Tweet (less)

..

says actor Sonam Kapoor , in defence of the clip in her latest film that has been censored, which shows her giving someone the finger She can easily be described as the candid Kapoor, with her penchant for telling it like it is. In a chat with BT, Sonam talks about her Hollywood aspirations, reuniting with Abhay Deol onscreen and more.

We will see you in a different avatar in your upcoming film. Tell us what it was like playing this outspoken character.

Every character is a challenge and this was just fun. I am outspoken as a person and I just had to take how I am in real life and make it larger than life.

The script was so beautifully written that there wasn't much that I needed to do. In terms of styling, we padded the character a lot.

There was uproar over the middle-finger scene in the film, which has been blurred by the Censor Board. I think it is no big deal.

It is a part of our lingo and most youngsters do it these days. I have shown it to a lot of boys back home who tried to act smart (laughs) with me.

You said recently that you don't have a bikini body. How did that come about? Everybody just went on how hot I am and that I should wear a bikini.

Honestly, I was just being modest. I don't have Bipasha's body.

Will you don a bikini sometime soon, as it is the flavour of the season? I always do things that are not the flavour of the season. And that's why people like me.

Mausam, despite being a great story, did not do well at the box office. Were you disappointed? I am used to people loving what I do in a film, and the film itself not doing well.

I have three films that have done really, really well, so three out of six is not so bad and hopefully, my next film will even out the odds. After the success of I Hate Luv Storys, director Punit Malhotra has planned another film with you and Shahid in mind.

..

Yes, I heard about that, but I'm not doing Punit's film. Will you be reuniting with Abhay Deol soon onscreen? A couple of directors have offered us scripts for films that feature us together, but Raj Kumar Santoshi's is the best.

It's so much fun and I am dying to do this film. It's only Abhay and me talking throughout the film and it's brilliant.

There were differences between your father and Abhay Deol. Any comments? No comment, because it was between my father and Abhay.

How was your meeting with Tom Cruise ? He is so beautiful looking, very sweet and it was lovely interacting with someone who is so modest and down-to-earth. He looks you in the eye, and gives you that much attention.

Your father has already consolidated his position in Hollywood. Do you also have Hollywood aspirations? I have aspirations to conquer the world.

Let's see what happens. There must have been discussions about a Hollywood debut for you after your meeting with Tom.

..

It doesn't work like that. You audition for roles and you get them, just like in Bollywood.

Critics have taken digs at your father's cameo in Mission: Impossible 4..

. He always said it was a cameo.

My dad has been in the industry for 30 years. I don't think anybody has done the kind of roles he's done.

The exposure he's gotten in M:I4 is amazing. I think most critics are just jealous.

Who do you count as your friends in the industry? Asin. (pauses) And Jacqueline (Fernandez) (less)

So, ask him if he has ever thought of getting a biography done or writing one himself, Sanjay says, "I would love to do it. I have thought of it.

But it is an elaborate procedure. And you need the right sort of people around you, from the writers to the editors to the publishers.

If something works out, why not." " Meri kundli mein shani maharaj mere se bahut prasana hai ," he chuckled.

Son of renowned actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, Sanjay fondly called as Sanju baba, married actress Richa Sharma in 1986. She died of brain tumor in 1988, the couple have a daughter, named Trishala.

His second marriage with model Rhea Pillai in 1998 did not last too long as they divorced in 2005. He then settled down with Maanyata and they have twin babies -- a boy named Shahraan and a girl named Iqra.

Besides his marital life, Sanjay was notorious for having drug problems, in the early stages of his career for which he underwent treatment on his father's insistence at a drug rehab centre in Texas, US. He was arrested in a drug case in 1982 and was in prison for five months.

Another serious charge was of illegally possessing weapons and having interactions with terrorists like Abu Salem, which led to his arrest under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). Tagged as a terrorist, he spent a lot of time behind the bars.

But the court declared him free of terror charges filed against him in the 1993 serial bombings. In his filmi career, Sanjay, who made his debut in Bollywood with 'Rocky' in 1981, is best known for films like Sadak, Saajan, Khalnayak, Mission Kashmir, Vaastav, Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai among others.

His jail stints interrupted his Bollywood journey and he went through a very low phase in the late 90s and for a few years that followed, suffering many flops. The veteran actor would be seen next in romantic-comedy Son Of Sardar , alongside Ajay Devgn, Juhi Chawla, and Sonakshi Sinha.

. His next release in 2012 is Zilla Ghaziabad which is loosely based on a gang war between two rival groups in Ghaziabad.

For this film, Sanjay has teamed up with Vivek Oberoi, Arshad Warsi, Minissha Lamba. He will reprise the role of Ravi Ananda played by Amitabh Bachchan in the Satte Pe Satta , remake while Karisma Kapur will step into the shoes of Hema Malini.

Sanjay would be seen in the third installment of Munna Bhai series -- Munnabhai Ki Aatma Katha where Sanjay and Arshad Warsi will reprise their roles of Munna and Circuit respectively. This film is expected to release in 2013.

Tweet (less)

But it does not mean that if south film remakes are doing well so I am here or it is the right time for me to make a film in Hindi. I have already made Ek Deewana Tha in Tamil and Telugu and it did well.

I was always looking to do this film in Hindi..

.I thought it would be universally appealing," Gautham told PTI in an interview.

"It took us some time to come up with the Hindi version as we had pre-production work - planning dialogues to getting dates of Prateik. Since February 2010, we wanted to do this film much before the hindi version of Bodyguard, Ready and Singham came out and became hits," he said.

Tweet (less)

I am very happy. Emotionally and mentally I am in a very happy space, by god's grace.

I am not thinking about marriage as of now, but I'm sure a right time will come for it also. I believe in the institution of marriage.

I will not ignore it for a longer duration, but yeah, for now, I am keeping it aside. I will definitely get married," said Vidya.

The actress is said to be dating CEO of UTV movies Siddharth Roy Kapoor. After the super success of her "Dirty Picture", Vidya is promoting her forthcoming film "Kahaani", directed by Sujoy Ghosh.

She will also be seen in Nikhil Advani's "Chand Bhai" opposite Akshaye Khanna. Vidya admits it's the greed for good roles that keeps her on her toes.

"I am a very greedy actor. I want to play different people, I want to do different kinds of films.

Even if it means that the hero is the protagonist, as long as I have enough to do in the film I am more than happy doing it," the 33-year-old actress said during the launch of the first look of her new film "Kahaani". "I am very happy with the kind of films being made today and that I am getting a chance to work in them.

They are appealing to the audience as well, which is most important. Women-oriented films are being made since years, but it is only today that they are tasting success," Vidya added while sporting a fake baby bump during the launch.

She is not restricting herself to women-oriented films, says the actress who has done films like "Parineeta", "Ishqiya" and "Paa". "I have not made any boundaries or limitations for myself.

I have not dictated myself that if the script is women oriented only then I will work in it or anything. If the film is good, if the role is good I will definitely do it," she said (less)