So, I will write a script for him now," said Bhardwaj at the inauguration of a lawn tennis court here. Even Paes hopes to work with Bhardwaj, known for films like Maqbool , Kaminey and 7 Khoon Maaf .

"If I ever get a chance to work with him, it will be a great honour. I really hope that the day comes but before that I have to prove myself," said Paes.

"I want to prove that I can act well and hold my movie and give him a realistic opportunity to put me in his movies. I really look forward to that," added the 38-year-old tennis player whose debut Rajdhani Express , directed by Ashok Kohli, also stars Paresh Rawal.

Leander Paes, who dated actress Mahima Chaudhary, is married to Rhea Pillai and they have a daughter. Tweet (less)

They are currently working out his role in the film, and there is no truth to these rumours. Ekta is very upset about it," said the source.

Incidentally, the trailer of Ekta's next production The Dirty Picture , featuring Vidya Balan in the lead, was integrated with the show in Thursday's episode. Media reports indicated that Vidya, who was rumoured to have dated Shahid briefly, asked Ekta not to feature Shahid's forthcoming film Mausam in her TV show for promotional purpose.

But a source from Ekta's production house Balaji has denied that as well. "Vidya is non-political and is a thorough professional and doesn't involve herself in matters of casting or other aspects of production," said the source from Balaji.

"It's Balaji's policy to not integrate the show 'Bade Achche..

. with films.

However, an exception was made for The Dirty Picture since the movie belongs to the parent company and will be the only movie promoted on the show." "Ekta is very focused as a producer and is very concerned with the film.

There were several films that approached Balaji apart from Mausam , so we fail to understand why only Mausam is being talked about," added the source. Tweet (less)

It was only after Ali and the film's producers agreed to make the required deletions that the Censor Board passed the film with a UA certificate. The changes ordered by the board included the muting (beeping no longer allowed) of the words "sex" and "b*****d" in the soundtrack--words that commonly occur in our films and would have been allowed if the Rockstar team had agreed to an 'A' certificate.

Likewise, a Hindi expletive which apparently Ranbir Kapoor's character uses whenever he's emotionally aggravated, has been muted wherever it occurs. Again, the word, common in the films of Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and other purveyors of cowbelt lingo, was not permissible in a film passed for kids with parental guidance.

Most notable of all is the board's instruction to do away with a reference to Tibetan freedom from Chinese dominion. Apparently, Imtiaz Ali has been asked to do away with a flag in the film that reads 'Free Tibet'.

" Rockstar has been given two options regarding the flag that reads 'Free Tibet' -- either they can delete or blur the visual of the flag," a source said. "Not that there are too many Bollywood films that would dare to take a stand on a sensitive political issue like Tibet.

Rockstar does. The Censor Board has asked for its removal," the source added.

The CEO of the Censor Board, Pankaja Thakur, has confirmed the alterations in the film. Tweet (less)

For his own big screen debut, "Aamir", Rajeev worked under the direction of first timer Rajkumar Gupta . Even his second film "Shaitan" was directed by newcomer Bejoy Nambiar, while his last release "Soundtrack" was helmed by debutant Neerav Ghosh.

"As far as newcomers are concerned, I invest in someone who has the knowledge of filmmaking, someone who has a great script and content to offer," Rajeev told IANS. "I have worked with people who had been running around with their scripts for four to five years, wanting to make a film.

I work with new directors because I know I will benefit from their passion. I am not vary or nervous about it at all," he added.

Rajeev is a rare example of an actor who took a leap from the small screen to the big screen and tasted success. But he says his career path has always been unplanned.

"I have never thought about what kind of an image I want to build. I really don't know what kind of films I would do in future; I don't know what I want to do on TV next.

My choice of work is never a conscious decision," he said. The actor first rose to popularity with Ekta Kapoor's TV show "Kahin Toh Hoga" in 2003.

At the peak of his popularity, he chose to quit the show and move ahead. It was a risk, but he emerged back with a bang as Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat in "Left Right Left".

Later, he moved away from TV and went on to try his luck on the 70 mm screen, and his transition proved quite fruitful. The 36-year-old now wants to do projects which have a human connect.

"I want to do films with human connect, but not really issue-based films. I also wish to direct films which have human connect to it.

I can't do projects where my role is not humane and I don't even enjoy watching such films," Rajeev said. For now, Rajeev is busy connecting with common people as the host of the second season of controversial reality show "Sach Ka Saamna".

Initially, the show was about people opening up their dark secrets on national television; for this season, the central theme has been changed to corruption. The first season of the show found itself embroiled in controversy as the content was deemed to be vulgar, indecent and against good taste thanks to questions on sex and extra-marital affairs.

However, Rajeev is quick to defend it. "When we started the show, we had never thought that it would end up creating controversy.

I knew this is a great show and would work well among the audience. I don't know why the controversy happened.

"It's not that the show worked because of the controversies. It was quite popular even before that.

I went into a lot of debates and realised that it was nothing but hypocrisy, and trying to shield their own insecurities," he said. As far as the ongoing season, launched on new channel Life OK, is concerned, the actor said: "The intention is not to create a revolution against corruption, or teach or preach.

It's just an attempt to make you think about it, and we may start talking about it. After all, change happens when we start to talk about it.

" (less)

Reportedly designer Ritu Kumar is busy creating the perfect wedding ensemble for the actress, Saif recently ordered for a selection of diamond rings for his ladylove from a Bandra based jeweler and chosen one from the beautiful 4-5 carat diamond rings for her. A source revealed, ?Saif had asked for a selection of diamond rings from this jeweler based out of Bandra.

They sent him rings of different cuts and carats. He had asked for princess cut diamonds and also a few other shapes.

? Saif, who had been a generous beau to Bebo ever since they started seeing each other in 2007, has already gifted bestowed the actress with some really pretty pieces of solitaire diamonds. For example, in October 2007, the actor had bought a one carat diamond ring for Kareena which she flaunted proudly to the media.

?Kareena and Saif are ready to tie the knot in February next year. In fact, Saif had started ordering various designs of rings for a while now.

He took his time deciding on the perfect ring for his girl and finally took the one he liked about a week back,? revealed the source. Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

Agent Vinod releases on February 10, 2012 and Saif Ali Khan has said they will make an announcement after that. The Omkara star's impending marriage to Kareena Kapoor has been making headlines ever since the day Saif and Kareena declared their relationship is for keeps.

The actor said the he doesn't want to talk about his relationship with Kareena as it tends to shift focus from films and makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. "It (the marriage) is something that I look forward to next year.

It's just that in my experience whenever we talk about it beyond that it tends to become the headline and all our hardwork of trying to create an interesting film and chemistry falls flat and it becomes about the wedding, which is something that I respect and I'd like to discuss after this film is out of our way, so we'll talk about that next year sometime. Agent Vinod is scheduled to release on 10th February, 2012 and Saif was only too excited to ask everyone to remember the date.

On another note, the actor was quizzed about Kareena's look in her upcoming film and if the nawab preferred her doing mujra in Agent Vinod vis--vis being Shah Rukh's Chammak Challo . "I think variety is the spice of an actor's life.

When we started out we were going to have a rocking item song in the movie but (we realised) an item song these days is pretty run-of-the-mill. I think this film has got a destiny of its own and it's very lucky in that way.

" "I don't like to call her 'lucky'. I think she is a tremendous artist and she lends a lot of class to the screen and is one of the best actors I've worked with," Saif said on being asked if Bebo is every actor's lucky mascot at the box office.

He was, however, quick to add on a lighter note that action "is not her thing". Tweet (less)

After working with Saif in Tashan and Kurbaan , she will be seen with him again in the upcoming Agent Vinod , set for release March 23. "Kareena looks good with me and there is no comparison! Apart from me, I don't see anybody (with whom she looks good)," Saif told reporters here on the sidelines of the first poster launch of his production Agent Vinod .

Kareena, the leading lady of the spy thriller, was missing from the event Wednesday. Saif explained: "We had to divide to conquer.

..

she will be seen in future promotional activities for the film." The first poster of the movie features only Saif in it.

However, he promises that unlike other action films, the actress has a justified role in his film too. "Kareena has a very strong role in the film.

She has done justice to the role and the role has also done justice to her," Saif said. The shooting of Agent Vinod , directed by Sriram Raghavan, took a while.

And Saif denies rumours that the delay ensued due to budget hassles. "The film taking time to complete are the reports given by media.

There were lots of rumours that the film is getting delayed, it's getting over the budget..

. everything was just a rumour.

Films take time," he said. He guarantees that the wait will be worth it, as he said: "The kind of action and locations that we have chosen, I have not seen in much movies.

The film must have taken a longer time, but it does not matter as long as the product is interesting." The film is said to have dollops of action, but Kareena wasn't too comfortable with it.

"She doesn't like doing action, but she is very good at it. She gives pretty intense expressions.

As far as I am concerned, I thought it (action) would be fun, but it was very frightening. It's not easy," said Saif.

Besides the unique action sequences, Agent Vinod will also have a "different" item song, a mujra picturised on Kareena. "We thought let's go a different way and try something different in terms of expression.

I believe even Dinesh Vijan was pushing for a mujra..

. we needed to make our item a little bit different," said Saif.

Tweet (less)

The filmmaker, who has long dreamed of making a film on Bajirao Mastani, is spending sleepless nights over her television show on the same love story. He has been trying to persuade the television channel in question to delay, or better still, trash the series completely.

Ekta Kapoor , who has secretly been working on the epic tale for the past three months, is planning to launch it by early next year. This has rattled Bhansali, who wants to be the first one to tell the story.

A source said, "He is trying to sabotage Ekta's plans. But then everything is fair in love and war.

And these two are currently locked in a big business battle. People in the film and television circles are talking about it.

Some of them are caught in the crossfire." The source added, "Bajirao Mastani is very close to Bhansali's heart.

He keeps reviving it every few years. He had started working on it before Saawariya and Guzaarish.

He would love it if he can put just that on floors very soon." Bhansali has refused to give up on his magnum opus, which was originally to star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan .

Based on the story of the renowned Maratha general Peshwa Bajirao and his half-Muslim second wife Mastani, the film hit a roadblock when Salman and Aishwarya parted ways. He considered making the film with Salman and Kareena in 2005 but dropped the idea because both signed another project with Priyadarshan.

Rumour had it that Bhansali wanted exclusivity for his lead pair. Ekta, we hear, is adamant to go ahead with her TV show.

"Why should she stop simply because Bhansali wants her to? She is aware that Bhansali has met some people who matter in the TV industry to dissuade them from the show," said the source. Bhansali, who is about to make his own debut as a TV producer, has hired Ekta's right hand person Ravindra Gautam, who worked on Bade Achche Lagte Hain.

He has asked Gautam to direct his first TV show. The source said that this, however, has gone down badly with Ekta.

"Ravindra is a very senior professional who sets up a show and then moves on to other projects." Bhansali and Kapoor remained unavailable for comment (less)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Says a trade source, "Bollywood has often seen male actors play double roles. Amitabh Bachchan , Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan , Shahid Kapoor , Anil Kapoor , and Govinda have pulled off double roles with aplomb.

Fewer heroines, though, have been given this honour." When you talk of women in double roles, Sridevi in Chaalbaaz, Madhuri in Sangeet, Kajol in Dushman and Kuch Khatti, Kuch Meethi, Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om as well as Chandni Chowk To China and Priyanka Chopra in What's Your Rashee come to mind immediately.

Joining them now, will be Kangna. Kangna confesses, "I can't give out much on the story, but yes, I am playing a double role in the TWM sequel.

It is going to be a bigger and better film; I'm really excited!" There's a lot more to be excited about. She has been shooting for Rakesh Roshan's Krrish-3 that went on the floors earlier this month.

The curly-haired actress plays a super-girl in the film. Almost breathless with excitement, she gushes, "Krrish-3 has taken all my time, my life and energy.

" This year has been a fantastic year for this young, thinking actress. She had multiple releases including the hits Tanu Weds Manu and Double Dhamaal .

She has replaced Vidya Balan in Dedh Ishqiyaa. Her name also figures on the wish list of reputed filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj and Ekta Kapoor.

However, her crowning glory at this juncture is that she has a double role in the TWM sequel. Director Aanand Rai feels that Kangs was the backbone of the original and is happy that the script makes place for "two of her" in the sequel.

Reiterating Bollywood's faith in the fiery actress' ability, trade guru Taran Adarsh says, "Kangna has always managed to surprise her audience with her diversity. She took up challenges early in her acting career.

2011 has been telling because she shed that neurotic image she had cultivated with Gangster, Woh Lamhe and Fashion, and proved that she can be versatile.'' "Kangna's among the few current actresses who has the versatility to pull off a double role.

Her spirited performance was the best thing about Tanu Weds Manu and it'll be interesting to see how she creates two entirely different characters for the sequel," says leading film critic Rajeev Masand (less)

While other members of the cast have to be finalized, there is a strong buzz that Kareena Kapoor who has earlier touted to be the female lead of the film will no longer be a part of the project. And Kareena Kapoor's ex-love Shahid Kapoor might just join the cast as the second male lead.

However Kareena's exit has got nothing to do with Shahid Kapoor being considered for the film. A source close to the film reveals, " Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai 2 is not a solo-hero project but has two male leads like the first part.

While Akshay Kumar is confirmed to play the character loosely modeled on the lines of underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim, there is a second male lead who challenges Akshay in the film". Names like Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh were being considered for the part though there's more probability of the former signing the dotted lines.

For the female lead however, Kareena Kapoor's name never surfaced after the initial hoopla. "Also there are two female leads in the film", adds the source but Bebo's chance of being any one of them seems bleak.

Director Milan Luthria has also put speculations to rest that he is casting his Dirty Picture heroine Vidya Balan as the second female lead citing the reason that the character doesn't suit her (less)

The Kapoor gal has her plans in place post-shaadi. When asked if she will work at the same pace as she is doing today, she replies candidly, "My career will always be the way it is.

Work is my passion. Saif and I are very urban and contemporary thinking people.

We have our own space, he does his own thing. We don't even discuss work and I don't think he has ever asked me which film I am doing.

He probably gets to know from the newspapers and magazines (laughs). If I am in a meeting, he doesn't even ask me who I had a meeting with.

He is the most supportive man I could have asked for." And all those who feel that Bebo is jealous of her beau's leading ladies, especially Deepika Padukone , with who he has done the maximum number of films, Bebo clears that, too.

"I encourage Saif to work with everybody. He is free to work with whoever he wants to, it is not my concern.

Even I am free to work with whoever I want, Saif never interferes," says Kareena (less)

They are currently working out his role in the film, and there is no truth to these rumours. Ekta is very upset about it," said the source.

Incidentally, the trailer of Ekta's next production The Dirty Picture , featuring Vidya Balan in the lead, was integrated with the show in Thursday's episode. Media reports indicated that Vidya, who was rumoured to have dated Shahid briefly, asked Ekta not to feature Shahid's forthcoming film Mausam in her TV show for promotional purpose.

But a source from Ekta's production house Balaji has denied that as well. "Vidya is non-political and is a thorough professional and doesn't involve herself in matters of casting or other aspects of production," said the source from Balaji.

"It's Balaji's policy to not integrate the show 'Bade Achche..

. with films.

However, an exception was made for The Dirty Picture since the movie belongs to the parent company and will be the only movie promoted on the show." "Ekta is very focused as a producer and is very concerned with the film.

There were several films that approached Balaji apart from Mausam , so we fail to understand why only Mausam is being talked about," added the source. Tweet (less)

One, Shah Rukh Khan has decided to essay a prince for his next. Reportedly, the actor, who was supposed to work with Vishal Bhardwaj and Sajid Nadiadwala in the film adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's 2 States, had a closed door meeting with the filmmakers, last week.

A source informed Mumbai Mirror that SRK, who is currently shooting for YRF's untitled project, discussed his reluctance to do two back-to-back romantic films. The actor suggested working on one of Bhardwaj's film adaptations of Shakespeare instead.

The source explained, "Shah Rukh clearly told producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bharadwaj that he didn't want to work on another love story. He is already doing a romantic film with Yash Chopra and so, to go straight into the romantic space again seems redundant.

Shah Rukh suggested that he go into the Maqbool-Omkara space with Vishal." Reportedly, the actor will essay Prince Hamlet in Bhardwaj's film adaptation of the Shakespearean classic.

"Shah Rukh loved what Vishal did with Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan in Omkara. They plan to shoot the Bollywood adaptation of Hamlet in the remote areas of This will be Bhardwaj's third Shakespearean adaptation.

In the past, the director based his films Maqbool and Omkara on Shakespeare's Macbeth and Othello respectively. Despite repeated attempts, SRK, Bhardwaj and Nadiadwala remained unavailable for comment.

Significant screen adaptations of hamlet Hamlet (Germany, 1920) by Svend Gade & Heinz Schall Hamlet (UK, 1948) by Laurence Olivier Hamlet (aka Richard Burton's Hamlet) (1964) by Bill Colleran and John Gielgud Hamlet (UK, 1969) by Tony Richardson BBC Television Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, UK, 1980) by Rodney Bennett Hamlet (USA, 1990) by Franco Zeffirelli Hamlet (UK, 1996) by Kenneth Branagh Hamlet (USA, 2000) by Michael Almereyda (Modern Retelling) The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark (2007) (AUS, 2007) by Oscar Redding (less)

Calling his ex-flames Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra but leaving Kareena Kapoor , the one woman with whom he had the longest relationship. A source said, "Shahid and Pankaj decided the guestlist.

They personally called or texted everyone from the industry. But maybe, Shahid didn't want Kareena.

" This comes as a surprise because Shahid and Kareena have maintained that that they are cordial to each other and would love to work together again after Jab We Met . Shahid and Kareena had also been very warm towards each other during the Filmfare awards earlier this year.

Saif was also present with Kareena. The three of them had exchanged pleasantries and spent time together.

The reason for their break-up still remains a mystery since both of them have remained tight-lipped about it and moved on. Kareena began dating Saif Ali Khan immediately while shooting for Tashan.

Shahid found love in Vidya Balan while shooting for Aziz Mirza's Kismet Konnection. However, once the film released, Shahid decided to move on.

Soon, they stopped talking to each other. According to sources, they drifted apart because Shahid was attracted to tennis star Sania Mirza.

Though, Kareena has been going strong with the Chhote Nawab, it is not the same for Shahid. The actor was seen hanging out with Priyanka Chopra soon after Vidya.

Shahid and Priyanka had an on-off relationship interspersed with a lot of fights. However, they have not let their personal differences disrupt their professional lives.

Shahid and Priyanka will be seen together in Kunal Kohli's next untitled film. The three girls in question were unavailable for comment (less)

Imran has found an old akhada in Juhu and has started working out there, said a source. Bhardwaj is known for making his actors go through an image makeover.

If it was Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi in "Omkara", Bharadwaj made Shahid Kapur sport two different looks in "Kaminey". So no wonder, he wants Imran to fit well in his new project, which was to feature Ajay Devgn earlier.

"Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola" also features Anushka Sharma (less)

Apart from this, they've also been approached to do five endorsements together. So expect to see SRK and PC starring in a series of campaigns and commercials in 2012.

Currently, they are in the midst of deciding which endorsements to give the nod to. A source who has made one such offer says, "They are definitely one of the hottest jodis in the market right now.

Last year, PC and Shahid Kapoor were the hot pair and they teamed up for a series of coffee advertisements. Now, Shah Rukh has replaced Kapoor.

Also, Shah Rukh was seen in a series of print and television commercials for a home decor brand with his wife Gauri last year." Interestingly, the Don 2 pair has been offered ads together in the past but they've turned them down because they weren't interesting enough.

Now, with the sudden interest taken in their pairing by the public, SRK and PC are getting offers they are excited about. While they've been on many public platforms together to promote their upcoming film, the pair is definitely most wanted for their chemistry.

Which is perhaps why a last minute role was added for her in SRK's home production RA.One as well.

So far, SRK has hosted awards shows with Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan . This is the first time he will be teaming up with one of his leading ladies.

Says a source, "It was SRK's idea to get PC on board. A few years ago, she had hosted the same awards show and imitated Shah Rukh's character in My Name Is Khan.

He was very impressed with her talent and thought they should host the show together in the future." (less)

It was only after Ali and the film's producers agreed to make the required deletions that the Censor Board passed the film with a UA certificate. The changes ordered by the board included the muting (beeping no longer allowed) of the words "sex" and "bastard" in the soundtrack -- words that commonly occur in our films and would have been allowed if the "Rockstar" team had agreed to an 'A' certificate.

Likewise, a Hindi expletive which apparently Ranbir Kapoor's character uses whenever he's emotionally aggravated, has been muted wherever it occurs. Again, the word, common in the films of Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and other purveyors of cowbelt lingo, was not permissible in a film passed for kids with parental guidance.

Most notable of all is the board's instruction to do away with a reference to Tibetan freedom from Chinese dominion. Apparently, Imtiaz Ali has been asked to do away with a flag in the film that reads 'Free Tibet'.

"'Rockstar' has been given two options regarding the flag that reads 'Free Tibet' -- either they can delete or blur the visual of the flag," a source said. "Not that there are too many Bollywood films that would dare to take a stand on a sensitive political issue like Tibet .

'Rockstar' does. The Censor Board has asked for its removal," the source added.

The CEO of the Censor Board, Pankaja Thakur, has confirmed the alterations in the film (less)

A source told Mumbai Mirror, "Vishal Bhardwaj is known for making his actors go through a complete image makeover. Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi in Omkara being one of the best examples.

Vishal is a very meticulous director. He looks into every minute detail.

He likes to sketch different characters and wants his actors to get into the skin of their character." Talking about Imran's makeover for the filmmaker's next project, the source revealed, "Imran will have to meet the requirements.

He will be on a high carbohydrate diet to gain the extra kilos. He will be appointing a special trainer soon.

" According to sources, Vishal Bhardwaj wants Imran to look rugged and tough. "Apart from gaining weight, Imran has to go through a makeover to look rustic as well.

His clothes will also have to change. The way he talks and walks too will have to different for the film," claimed the source.

This will also be a first for Imran Khan, who has played the quintessential city boy in most of his films except Kidnap. While Imran remained unavailable for comment, his spokesperson confirmed, "Yes, Imran is required to go through drastic changes.

He has to increase his weight by about 15 kg. It is too early to decide how he will go about it.

He will soon have a meeting with Vishal on this and work it out accordingly." Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola stars Imran opposite Anushka Sharma.

Vijay Singh and Vishal Bhardwaj are the co producers of the film (less)

It is learnt that Kareena Kapoor is rooting for Imran Khan, her co-star in Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu (previously titled Short Term Shaadi ), to play the character inspired by Chhota Rajan. Interestingly, Kareena herself isn't being paired with Imran in the Milan Luthria directed movie, as she has already confirmed to pair with Akshay Kumar, who plays the role of a don, inspired by Dawood Ibrahim.

According to an insider associated with the film, "Kareena feels that Imran would bring novelty to the character inspired by Rajan. More so because he has played strong romantic roles in most of his films.

" Besides that, an insider told us that working in the project, Short Term Shaadi , Kareena is enthused about how well she gets along with the co-actor. "That's also one reason why she's so strongly recommending Imran's for this movie," said our source.

Now, the actor will have take a call when the producers approach him. However, our source maintained that producer Ekta Kapoor is also backing Kareena's suggestion to director Milan Luthria.

"But it's still some time before they connect with Imran, as currently Milan is focused on finishing the last schedule for The Dirty Picture , for Ekta's company. In another week or two, talks should be initiated," said our source.

When contacted, Tanuj Garg, CEO Balaji Motion Pictures said, "It's still too early to talk about the parallel male lead. When things are finalised, we'll make a formal announcement.

" Tweet (less)

After working with Saif in Tashan and Kurbaan , she will be seen with him again in the upcoming Agent Vinod , set for release March 23. "Kareena looks good with me and there is no comparison! Apart from me, I don't see anybody (with whom she looks good)," Saif told reporters here on the sidelines of the first poster launch of his production Agent Vinod .

Kareena, the leading lady of the spy thriller, was missing from the event Wednesday. Saif explained: "We had to divide to conquer.

..

she will be seen in future promotional activities for the film." The first poster of the movie features only Saif in it.

However, he promises that unlike other action films, the actress has a justified role in his film too. "Kareena has a very strong role in the film.

She has done justice to the role and the role has also done justice to her," Saif said. The shooting of Agent Vinod , directed by Sriram Raghavan, took a while.

And Saif denies rumours that the delay ensued due to budget hassles. "The film taking time to complete are the reports given by media.

There were lots of rumours that the film is getting delayed, it's getting over the budget..

. everything was just a rumour.

Films take time," he said. He guarantees that the wait will be worth it, as he said: "The kind of action and locations that we have chosen, I have not seen in much movies.

The film must have taken a longer time, but it does not matter as long as the product is interesting." The film is said to have dollops of action, but Kareena wasn't too comfortable with it.

"She doesn't like doing action, but she is very good at it. She gives pretty intense expressions.

As far as I am concerned, I thought it (action) would be fun, but it was very frightening. It's not easy," said Saif.

Besides the unique action sequences, Agent Vinod will also have a "different" item song, a mujra picturised on Kareena. "We thought let's go a different way and try something different in terms of expression.

I believe even Dinesh Vijan was pushing for a mujra..

. we needed to make our item a little bit different," said Saif.

Tweet (less)

. Wedding of Bollywood actors is news of public interest and thus an overdose of speculation is guaranteed.

News of Rani Mukherjee getting married every six months, John Abraham getting secretly married every now and then is common. Kareena-Saif marriage is another 'popular news'.

Its now said, the two are planning to get engaged on Feb 10. The day will also see the release of Kareena's film 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'.

When we met up Kareena a few days back, she told TOI.com, "Yes we are definitely thinking of marriage but it all depends on our film commitments.

I am busy promoting Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, then Agent Vinod and also shooting for Heroine. So all depends on when's the right time.

" The actress also denied of Ritu Kumar designing her wedding outfit. "That's not true" she said.

The wedding news has put both Saif and Kareena in spotlight. "I am only asked about the marriage.

No one seems interested in our films anymore" laughed Kareena (less)

All of a sudden, we see Vidya Balan opting for different kinds of roles..

. I am on a trip of playing different people - living their lives, fiction or real through the characters I play.

And these are the people who are so not like me. And why shouldn't I play these characters? I am getting these opportunities and I am grabbing them.

A film has to have something beyond the regular song and dance for me. You know what, I want people to come out after watching each and every film of mine and say, 'This is not the Vidya we know' or 'This is not the Vidya we saw last time'.

But you refused Vishal Bhardwaj's offer of Daayan..

. There wasn't much for me to do in Daayan.

And then Vishal did not even inform you that you were not a part of Ishqiya sequel. The producers did.

Was that revenge? I don't know about revenge. But yes, Shemaroo informed me.

Anyways, I had been wondering what I would do in Dedh Ishqiya. If you have seen Ishqiya, the two guys (Naseer and Arshad) had met Krishna (myself) along the way.

They sure would have moved on in the sequel. But theek hai.

I have no hard feelings on not being chosen for Dedh Ishqiya. Coming back to your 'trip' of playing different characters, it seems like this is the same trip Rekha was on.

Or have you become the female Aamir Khan ? To a certain extent, yes. And didn't Rekhaji do it beautifully? She played so many interesting, different yet commercially viable characters.

As for the second part of your question, thanks for the compliment. Whenever I have to take a risky decision, I think of Aamir and Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Those two simply defy rules. But on both counts, I still have to go a long way yaar.

Still, how did you do The Dirty Picture? You are such a shy and inhibited person. Were you comfortable sitting with your parents when the promos went on air? Well, I always tell my parents everything I do.

So they knew that in The Dirty Picture, I was playing a role that was..

..

(thinks hard for too long) Blasphemous? No, not blasphemous. Risky is the word.

But they knew that I was in safe hands. They had seen Milan Luthria's work, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai.

And they knew Ekta since my Hum Paanch days. But yes, I did feel awkward sitting with them when the promos were first telecast.

However cool and evolved I maybe, I am never going to coochie-coo with my boyfriend in front of them. Hence, watching my intimate scenes with the actors, along with my parents was never going to be easy.

By boyfriend you mean Siddharth Roy Kapoor . So, what's his take on The Dirty Picture? No.

He doesn't have any issues with my work. You had to use prosthetics in The Dirty Picture.

How was the experience? Well, all I can say is that I have worked with Amitabh Bachchan in Paa. After that, if I say using prosthetics was difficult, I would sound spoilt.

So I won't say. But you are seriously getting bolder.

What if Raj Kapoor was alive and offered you Mandakini's role in Ram Teri Ganga Maili? I would have loved to work with Rajji. But that's not what we're asking.

..

(Smiles) You! Well, I don't think he would have made Ram Teri Ganga Maili in today's times. But yes, I must say that I would have loved to do his Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Bipasha had objected to your on-screen pairing with John Abraham. Now that the two are no longer together, would you work with John? Would you want to work with John in Sanjay Gupta's Shootout At Wadala? I was always okay to working with John.

I still maintain that. But I still have to meet Gupta for the narration.

Would you be okay to working with Shahid? Depends. The script will be the decisive factor.

Coming back to your boyfriend. There are rumours of you and Siddharth buying a house near Rizvi college in Bandra? Nonsense.

My house in Khar is pretty new. Ek toh sambhal loon.

But the two of you are rock steady. Some time back, there were rumours about the two of you getting married.

If I was in a relationship I couldn't talk about, I would never have been in it to begin with. I am in a very happy space with Siddharth.

Yes, I want to get married. I want to be a bride.

But I am not married yet (less)

She explained that her beau Saif Ali Khan's dad Nawab Pataudi recently passed away and it would look really bad on her part if she dolled up for a public event when the family was in mourning. So, Kareena asked the designer to tone down the brightness.

Finally she wore a simple white silk salwar-churidar with a net duppatta and pink border." We must say here that she has worn the red sari for the Chamma Chalo song for Ra.

One and we have to say that Babo has never looked better. Guess she will be back in that avataar soon when she will start the promotions for the film.

Patience, till then, people (less)

The 41-year-old actor, who walked as a show-stopper for designer Mandira Wirk at the ongoing Blenders Pride fashion tour, was seen wearing a black, sophisticated Band Gala suit with matching shoes. His suit was a perfect tribute to the design inspiration of Wirk who took references from 16th and 18th century Rococo and Baroque style.

Saif, who was looking extremely confident on the ramp, said he was perfectly fine with actress Priyanka Chopra turning down an offer of doing an item number for his upcoming movie Agent Vinod . "I am completely fine with that as most of the actresses do not want to share screen space with Bebo (Kareena Kapoor)," he said.

The actor is reportedly planning to settle down with Kareena next year. On being asked about his marriage plans, he preferred to remain silent, but disclosed his wedding outfit.

"Since I belong to Bhopal, I will definitely wear an achka ," Saif said. Tweet (less)

A source close to the actress elaborates, "Geeta was asked to get in shape for her item number in Zilla Ghaziabad. After working out she decided to intensify her workouts with power yoga and soon that became the focal point of Geeta's fitness process.

" Geeta says, "I have just started power yoga few months back and it feels simply unbelievable. The relaxation one feels after doing it is very soothing.

" (less)

However, ask Shahid Kapoor if he is a part of the sequel of 'Kaminey', and he is quick to reply, "Yes, I'd love to be a part of the movie. It's always fun to work with Vishal Bhardwaj, and though we have mentioned the sequel of Kaminey in passing nothing concrete is on paper yet.

So let the script come to me first, and then we all can get excited about it," he said. Shahid's 'Heer Ranjha' is also on the back burner, and not much is being said about it.

Getting a clarification from the actor, we learn that the movie is being kept aside for now, and it may be worked upon on a later day. However, these hiccups won't drown Shahid's spirits that are soaring high with 'Mausam' being on the brink of release.

He still gets those butterflies in the stomach, and is hoping that all goes well for him this 'season' (less)

Reportedly designer Ritu Kumar is busy creating the perfect wedding ensemble for the actress, Saif recently ordered for a selection of diamond rings for his ladylove from a Bandra based jeweler and chosen one from the beautiful 4-5 carat diamond rings for her. A source revealed, ?Saif had asked for a selection of diamond rings from this jeweler based out of Bandra.

They sent him rings of different cuts and carats. He had asked for princess cut diamonds and also a few other shapes.

? Saif, who had been a generous beau to Bebo ever since they started seeing each other in 2007, has already gifted bestowed the actress with some really pretty pieces of solitaire diamonds. For example, in October 2007, the actor had bought a one carat diamond ring for Kareena which she flaunted proudly to the media.

?Kareena and Saif are ready to tie the knot in February next year. In fact, Saif had started ordering various designs of rings for a while now.

He took his time deciding on the perfect ring for his girl and finally took the one he liked about a week back,? revealed the source. Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

However, Gupta doesn't 'want him' anymore. Tired waiting for the actor to get back with a confirmation, Gupta and producer Ekta Kapoor have not only decided to replace him but also ask Vivek to return the script that he had been keeping with him.

The fact that Vivek took too much time to revert back with a definitive answer irked Gupta. "We ran out of patience.

I don't put up with such behaviour. We don't want Vivek in the film now.

We have also asked him to return the script," said Gupta. Ekta, however, decided to remain diplomatic and simply added, "Gupta felt that he needed someone with a different personality than Vivek.

We abide by the director's vision." Vivek's inclusion in the project that already had Anil Kapoor and John Abraham as part of its cast had always been under the scanner.

After initial discomfort with the role, Vivek had told the media how excited he was about the film. The actor, however, had failed to revert with any confirmation as far as the director and the producer was concerned.

Both Ekta and Gupta, reportedly, want to start the project soon. They could not keep waiting for Vivek forever.

Finally, Gupta and Kapoor decided to inform Vivek that he was no longer required in the film. Meanwhile, Mumbai Mirror had reported how Sanjay Dutt had asked the actor not to opt for the film.

"Dutt's manager, Dharam Oberoi had told Vivek to stay away from Sanjay Gupta's film. Dutt wasn't too happy that his former friend Gupta was getting back to direction after so long," revealed a source close to the film.

Vivek Oberoi however, had a different story to tell. According to the actor, it wasn't his failure to respond but availability of dates that made him withdraw from the project.

"I have six films in my kitty and despite being friends , at times dates can be an issue. Nevertheless, I understand Gupta is angry since he is a friend.

But such things do happen. However, I would like to work with him in the future, dates permitting," said the actor.

The actor also added, "I have earlier spoken about my discomfort about the character that was offered to me, But I have now signed Bejoy Nambiar's film. The character that Bejoy has offered is better for me and the space I am in right now.

This is purely a professional decision and not personal at all. I wish Gupta loads of luck with Shootout At Wadala.

" (less)

All of a sudden, we see Vidya Balan opting for different kinds of roles..

. I am on a trip of playing different people - living their lives, fiction or real through the characters I play.

And these are the people who are so not like me. And why shouldn't I play these characters? I am getting these opportunities and I am grabbing them.

A film has to have something beyond the regular song and dance for me. You know what, I want people to come out after watching each and every film of mine and say, 'This is not the Vidya we know' or 'This is not the Vidya we saw last time'.

But you refused Vishal Bhardwaj's offer of Daayan..

. There wasn't much for me to do in Daayan.

And then Vishal did not even inform you that you were not a part of Ishqiya sequel. The producers did.

Was that revenge? I don't know about revenge. But yes, Shemaroo informed me.

Anyways, I had been wondering what I would do in Dedh Ishqiya. If you have seen Ishqiya, the two guys (Naseer and Arshad) had met Krishna (myself) along the way.

They sure would have moved on in the sequel. But theek hai.

I have no hard feelings on not being chosen for Dedh Ishqiya. Coming back to your 'trip' of playing different characters, it seems like this is the same trip Rekha was on.

Or have you become the female Aamir Khan? To a certain extent, yes. And didn't Rekhaji do it beautifully? She played so many interesting, different yet commercially viable characters.

As for the second part of your question, thanks for the compliment. Whenever I have to take a risky decision, I think of Aamir and Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Those two simply defy rules. But on both counts, I still have to go a long way yaar.

Still, how did you do The Dirty Picture? You are such a shy and inhibited person. Were you comfortable sitting with your parents when the promos went on air? Well, I always tell my parents everything I do.

So they knew that in The Dirty Picture, I was playing a role that was..

..

(thinks hard for too long) Blasphemous? No, not blasphemous. Risky is the word.

But they knew that I was in safe hands. They had seen Milan Luthria's work, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai.

And they knew Ekta since my Hum Paanch days. But yes, I did feel awkward sitting with them when the promos were first telecast.

However cool and evolved I maybe, I am never going to coochie-coo with my boyfriend in front of them. Hence, watching my intimate scenes with the actors, along with my parents was never going to be easy.

By boyfriend you mean Siddharth Roy Kapoor. So, what's his take on The Dirty Picture? No.

He doesn't have any issues with my work. You had to use prosthetics in The Dirty Picture.

How was the experience? Well, all I can say is that I have worked with Amitabh Bachchan in Paa. After that, if I say using prosthetics was difficult, I would sound spoilt.

So I won't say. But you are seriously getting bolder.

What if Raj Kapoor was alive and offered you Mandakini's role in Ram Teri Ganga Maili? I would have loved to work with Rajji. But that's not what we're asking.

..

(Smiles) You! Well, I don't think he would have made Ram Teri Ganga Maili in today's times. But yes, I must say that I would have loved to do his Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Bipasha had objected to your on-screen pairing with John Abraham. Now that the two are no longer together, would you work with John? Would you want to work with John in Sanjay Gupta's Shootout At Wadala? I was always okay to working with John.

I still maintain that. But I still have to meet Gupta for the narration.

Would you be okay to working with Shahid? Depends. The script will be the decisive factor.

Coming back to your boyfriend. There are rumours of you and Siddharth buying a house near Rizvi college in Bandra? Nonsense.

My house in Khar is pretty new. Ek toh sambhal loon.

But the two of you are rock steady. Some time back, there were rumours about the two of you getting married.

If I was in a relationship I couldn't talk about, I would never have been in it to begin with. I am in a very happy space with Siddharth.

Yes, I want to get married. I want to be a bride.

But I am not married yet (less)

The Kapoor gal has her plans in place post-shaadi. When asked if she will work at the same pace as she is doing today, she replies candidly, "My career will always be the way it is.

Work is my passion. Saif and I are very urban and contemporary thinking people.

We have our own space, he does his own thing. We don't even discuss work and I don't think he has ever asked me which film I am doing.

He probably gets to know from the newspapers and magazines (laughs). If I am in a meeting, he doesn't even ask me who I had a meeting with.

He is the most supportive man I could have asked for." And all those who feel that Bebo is jealous of her beau's leading ladies, especially Deepika Padukone , with who he has done the maximum number of films, Bebo clears that, too.

"I encourage Saif to work with everybody. He is free to work with whoever he wants to, it is not my concern.

Even I am free to work with whoever I want, Saif never interferes," says Kareena (less)

However, February 14, 2012 (Valentine's Day), the date on which Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor were meant to be marrying, doesn't seem like a probable date. Reason - here's how the first six months of 2012 pans out for this couple.

..

January 15 they return from Gstaad, Switzerland . January 18 Kareena starts to promote Ek Main aur Ekk Tu and shoot for her commercials.

February 11 EMAET releases. February 14 Saif and Kareena at best can get officially engaged, say sources.

February 20 Second major schedule of Heroine begins. March 10 Saifeena start promoting Agent Vinod that is currently scheduled for a March 23 release.

The film's release has already been postponed twice until now. April 2012 Kareena may take up a new film.

While many say she is in the sequel to Once Upon A Time in Mumbai; insiders say nothing is confirmed. However, Rohit Shetty is keen to start his Chennai Express with her and Shah Rukh Khan.

May 2012 Kareena, Rani Mukherji and Aamir Khan start promotion tours for their June 1 release Talaash. So it looks like Saifeena can marry only after June 1.

Incidentally, it is being said that neither Karan Johar nor Aamir Khan are keen that Bebo gets married before the release of their movies. It may just take away the sheen from their respective films.

"Married heroines are welcome in the industry; but a heroine getting married just before the release is a 'no-no'," says a trade source. punetimes@timesgroup.

com (less)

It was a last minute decision and Junior Nawab needed Gulshan urgently. Putting all celebration on hold, Gulshan took the first flight out of the US and rushed to Mumbai's Filmistan studio, where Kareena Kapoor was shooting a mujra sequence.

Says Gulshan, "I was flattered and happy when Saif and director Sriram Raghavan told me that they rushed me over because they felt only I could do the role. I am also amazed at the passion with which Saif is making this movie.

The detailed work, Sriram's creativity and working with Kareena, with whom I have not worked with for a while, made me feel very special. It is indeed a special appearance for me.

" (less)

It was only after Ali and the film's producers agreed to make the required deletions that the Censor Board passed the film with a UA certificate. The changes ordered by the board included the muting (beeping no longer allowed) of the words "sex" and "b*****d" in the soundtrack--words that commonly occur in our films and would have been allowed if the Rockstar team had agreed to an 'A' certificate.

Likewise, a Hindi expletive which apparently Ranbir Kapoor's character uses whenever he's emotionally aggravated, has been muted wherever it occurs. Again, the word, common in the films of Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and other purveyors of cowbelt lingo, was not permissible in a film passed for kids with parental guidance.

Most notable of all is the board's instruction to do away with a reference to Tibetan freedom from Chinese dominion. Apparently, Imtiaz Ali has been asked to do away with a flag in the film that reads 'Free Tibet'.

" Rockstar has been given two options regarding the flag that reads 'Free Tibet' -- either they can delete or blur the visual of the flag," a source said. "Not that there are too many Bollywood films that would dare to take a stand on a sensitive political issue like Tibet.

Rockstar does. The Censor Board has asked for its removal," the source added.

The CEO of the Censor Board, Pankaja Thakur, has confirmed the alterations in the film. Tweet (less)

Saif had been on the sets for many days and all was well till July 18, Sly’s first day on the set. Kareena, was like an excited school girl around him, which irritated Saif .

Bebo and Sly were to shoot for a scene where he saves her from a dangerous situation. After the rescue, Kareena threw her arms around Sly and kissed him smack on the cheek.

It is not clear if the kiss was part of the scene but it didn’t go down well with Saif. After the scene, an upset Saif who had seen the scene on the monitor was seen talking seriously to Kareena.

Saif took Kareena into a corner. She was overheard telling him that she simply did what was asked of her.

She also told Saif that she’d never complain if he did a kissing scene with his leading lady. At one point, she got irritated and snapped that he shouldn’t come on her sets if he couldn’t deal with her intimate scenes with other heroes.

They continued to argue till Saif walked out in a huff. But the much-in-love couple patched up soon afterwards.

Kareena’s best friend Amrita Arora who was on the sets that day was one of the witnesses to the Saif-Kareena fight. She was seen calming down Bebo after Saif stomped out.

By evening, the lovers patched up and Bebo was seen whispering sweet nothings into Saif’s ear at dinner. Kareena and Sajid remained unavailable for comment.

Stallone got along especially well with Akshay. They would spend hours discussing athletic workouts and diets.

Stallone seemed very impressed with Akshay and the fact that he had such a strong body without picking up any weights. Stallone’s diet consists of his food including proteins like tuna fish and Indian kebabs.

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

"My shooting with Saif and Kareena is over. We are all done.

Saif and Kareena did their last shooting for my film on December 24 and left for their holiday. We are now in post-production work.

The release date is March 23," said the director known for making thrillers Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddaar . The Kareena-Saif wedding would follow in the last week of March or the first week of April and the next schedule of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine has been advanced from the end of February to the middle of February to accommodate the promotion and release of Agent Vinod into Kareena's clogged schedule, followed by the wedding and honeymoon.

"After the release of Agent Vinod , the wedding will happen immediately. Kareena and Saif don't want to delay it any more," siad a source.

Tweet (less)

At the Jaipur Literature Festival, the filmmaker confessed..

. "My life was confined to my friends and for me, an adaptation was like taking a master's hard work and riding on its success.

I knew that I didn't possess the kind of depth writers normally have and Shakespeare came very late to me as I always wanted to make movies of the underworld genre. But then, I realised you don't take back home anything after watching such flicks.

But even after the discovery, the poet gave Bhardwaj the royal jitters. He recalled, "During my early days, Shakespeare was a scary thing because his language scared me and if you watch my movies that have been adapted from his works, you will see that I have taken a lot of creative liberty in making those movies.

" But, he says, he was stupid. "When I finally starting understanding his plays, I bought all his plays and read them in a year," he said, adding, "Now I realise, I can live my life based on Shakespeare's works, spend my life reading him," said Vishal.

Though "Maqbool" was shown at the Toronto Film Festival and it was received very well there, he says the kind of questions people asked him about the movie and Shakespeare made him realise he was a fool. "I started thinking of his plays as my work, but after that, I did "Omkara" and now I am not going to do any more adaptations of Shakespeare's plays because I am very scared," laughed Vishal.

In the same vein, he pressed on the importance of being - of all the things - a con man! "The perception of the masses is that literature is very boring and if you want to make a profound film, you have to be a con artist because it is very difficult to sell good work. And more so for me, because for me, it was double the convincing - I had to make a producer bet money on a music composer who wanted to make films.

You've to be a con artist," laughed the filmmaker (less)

Citing date problems, Shahid too has now refused to be a part of the filmmaker's upcoming comedy. A source told Mumbai Mirror, "After Ajay Devgn said no to MKBKM, Vishal thought Shahid would be a good choice opposite Anushka since their film Badmaash Company was received well by the audiences and critics.

However, Shahid has refused to be a part of the project since he is busy with Kunal Kohli's film Muqtassar and then Siddharth Anand's remake of Knight and Day." While some may attribute Shahid's refusal to thecreative differences he had with the filmmaker during the making of Kaminey, our source revealed, "Shahid is now fine with Vishal.

He really had date issues with MKBKM. He will definitely do Kaminey 2 with him next year, woh pakka hai.

" "Shahid is very keen on working with different directors. He has three films that will go on floors next year apart from his current projects.

His schedule is choc-a-bloc right now. He has given out bulk dates to his next films," added the source.

While Vishal remained unavailable for comment, Shahid who is holidaying in Europe with his friends chose to remain silent as well (less)

While Ranbir Kapoor is all set to essay the role of the male lead, the north Indian guy in love with a south Indian girl, his new BFF and Rockstar director Imtiaz Ali has been asked to take over from Bhardwaj, claimed sources. Ranbir, it seems, is very impressed with Imtiaz and feels only he can translate Chetan Bhagat's romantic novel into film.

"After working so closely with Imtiaz, Ranbir is convinced that Imtiaz is the man for the job. He is now trying to convince producer Sajid Nadiadwala to let Imtiaz take over 2 States.

He has even persuaded Imtiaz to direct the film," revealed the source. The Sajid Nadiadwala production had earlier been caught in many controversies.

Initially, the project was delayed due to creative differences between Vishal Bhardwaj and the author Chetan Bhagat. This was soon followed by various speculations about the leading lady in the film.

Later, reportedly the film was put on the backburner. Though Shah Rukh and Vishal Bhardwaj later decided to join hands for a film, it wasn't for Sajid Nadiadwala's project, which had brought the two together.

In an attempt to revive his project, Sajid had reportedly asked Ranbir to star in the film. And the actor seems to be determined to get his friend Imtiaz on board for the same.

"Ranbir will now finish Barfee. He will then move on to Ayaan Mukerjee's Yeh Jawani Jai Deewani.

After that he wants to work on yet another feel-good project. And that's exactly where 2 States would come in.

Of course, along with Imtiaz Ali," said the source.Ranbir, Imtiaz and Sajid remained unavailable for comment (less)

A source informed Mumbai Mirror that Vidya did not find the role challenging enough. "She felt she had very little to do in the film because it centres around Emraan Hashmi's character and his relationship with three women," said the source.

And so, now Vishal and Ekta are scouting for a replacement for their blue-eyed girl. The source added, "They already have a shortlist of names they are considering and should finalise an actress very soon.

" Vidya, however, has not been the only actress to turn down the role. Previously, her co-star in No One Killed Jessica, Rani Mukherjee, was also approached to play the lead role but she turned it down because of Emraan Hashmi.

Despite repeated attempts, both Vidya and Vishal remained unavailable for comment (less)

Says Bebo and he have decided against puckering up with co-stars Saif Ali Khan is unhappy with reports claiming he has smooched co-star Deepika Padukone in Race 2. Apparently, there are no kissing scenes in the film and Saif is wondering where these stories have originated from.

Says a source close to the actor, "During the release of their last film Aarakshan, there was buzz that Saif and Deepika had become very fond of each other. Now with Race 2 around the corner, everyone's talking about the kissing scene.

Saif wants to nip these rumours in the bud. He even plans to talk to Deepika about it.

" Interestingly, we hear that about a year ago Saif and Kareena Kapoor had decided they wouldn't do kissing scenes in their films and even made their decision clear to filmmakers. Adds the source, "With marriage imminent early next year, they don't want any controversies.

Even in the case of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine , Kareena has made it clear that she won't do kissing scenes. For Race 2, Saif had communicated the same to directors Abbas-Mustaan.

" Khan confirms to BT, "There are no kissing scenes in Race 2." His spokesperson adds, "Kareena and Saif had decided on a no-kissing policy sometime ago.

" Strangely though, all parties associated with the film confirm that there are indeed intimate scenes between Saif and Deepika. Which is confounding because aren't intimate scenes a step ahead of kissing scenes? So then, does the pact between the Nawab and his to-be-Begum make sense? Perhaps Himesh Reshammiya will see the irony in this situation because the lines from his song Umrao Jaan, which go something like, "No kissing, no kissing.

..

only seeing, only seeing!' completely defines the above situation! (less)

Rumour has it that Devgn and Mangat had a spat over Vishal Bhardwaj's film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola recently. Devgn was miffed with his friend Mangat when the latter held meetings with Fox Star Studios, the co-producers of the film in question without informing the actor.

A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "It was a misunderstanding between friends. One person (Mangat) took his friend (Devgn) for granted.

The friend, in turn, felt that his personal space has been invaded. Maybe, outsiders fuelled the fight.

" According to sources, it started when Devgn agreed to do the film and Mangat got a bit carried away. A source close to Devgn and Mangat informed, "Mangat began discussing the project on an individual level with the co-producers.

Devgn was not amused. He felt that Mangat should not have ventured into further talks with Fox Star Studios without keeping Devgn in the loop about each and every minute detail.

" While Devgn getting angry with his friend over space issues might have been justified, Mangat too had his reasons. "To be fair to Mangat, he did not imagine in his wildest dreams that Ajay will back out from the film.

Also Mangat is after all, the co-producer for the project," added the source. Devgn opted out of Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola since he was lured by the money Viacom 18 Motion Pictures offered him for Ashwini Dhir's Son Of Sardar (Mumbai Mirror, October 15, 2011).

Hoping that the misunderstanding between the two long standing friends in Bollywod gets sorted out, the source added, "Let's hope it gets resolved. Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat go back a long way.

They have always been there for each other." Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat have known each other for the last 20 years.

For the last 18 years Mangat has successfully managed Devgn's career. In 1996, Devgn started a film distribution outfit, Devgan Entertainment & Software Ltd.

with Mangat as the CEO. Mangat soon went on to become an independent producer with Ajay playing the lead role in most of his ventures - Omkatra, Sunday, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge, Toonpur Ka Superrhero.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola now stars Imran Khan in the lead (Mumbai Mirror, October 25, 2011 ). After Devgn walked out from the project, Bhardwaj had approached Shahid Kapoor who politely declined the offer, citing date issues (Mumbai Mirror, October 20, 2011).

While Devgn and Mangat chose not to comment, Devgn's official spokesperson said, "The rumours of a tiff between Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat are baseless and untrue. Mangat has worked with Devgn as his business manager for more than 20 years; he has established his brilliance as a reputed producer as well.

Their working partnership is based on trust and respect. They always ask each other advice and guidance for every project.

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After working with Saif in "Tashan" and "Kurbaan", she will be seen with him again in the upcoming " Agent Vinod ", set for release March 23. "Kareena looks good with me and there is no comparison! Apart from me, I don't see anybody (with whom she looks good)," Saif told reporters here on the sidelines of the first poster launch of his production "Agent Vinod".

Kareena, the leading lady of the spy thriller, was missing from the event Wednesday. Saif explained: "We had to divide to conquer.

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she will be seen in future promotional activities for the film." The first poster of the movie features only Saif in it.

However, he promises that unlike other action films, the actress has a justified role in his film too. "Kareena has a very strong role in the film.

She has done justice to the role and the role has also done justice to her," Saif said. The shooting of "Agent Vinod", directed by Sriram Raghavan , took a while.

And Saif denies rumours that the delay ensued due to budget hassles. "The film taking time to complete are the reports given by media.

There were lots of rumours that the film is getting delayed, it's getting over the budget..

. everything was just a rumour.

Films take time," he said. He guarantees that the wait will be worth it, as he said: "The kind of action and locations that we have chosen, I have not seen in much movies.

The film must have taken a longer time, but it does not matter as long as the product is interesting." The film is said to have dollops of action, but Kareena wasn't too comfortable with it.

"She doesn't like doing action, but she is very good at it. She gives pretty intense expressions.

As far as I am concerned, I thought it (action) would be fun, but it was very frightening. It's not easy," said Saif.

Besides the unique action sequences, "Agent Vinod" will also have a "different" item song, a 'mujra' picturised on Kareena. "We thought let's go a different way and try something different in terms of expression.

I believe even Dinesh Vijan was pushing for a mujra..

. we needed to make our item a little bit different," said Saif (less)

The 41-year-old actor, who walked as a show-stopper for designer Mandira Wirk at the ongoing Blenders Pride fashion tour, was seen wearing a black, sophisticated Band Gala suit with matching shoes. His suit was a perfect tribute to the design inspiration of Wirk who took references from 16th and 18th century Rococo and Baroque style.

Saif, who was looking extremely confident on the ramp, said he was perfectly fine with actress Priyanka Chopra turning down an offer of doing an item number for his upcoming movie "Agent Vinod". "I am completely fine with that as most of the actresses do not want to share screen space with Bebo (Kareena Kapoor)," he said.

The actor is reportedly planning to settle down with Kareena next year. On being asked about his marriage plans, he preferred to remain silent, but disclosed his wedding outfit.

"Since I belong to Bhopal, I will definitely wear an achka," Saif said (less)

It was only after Ali and the film's producers agreed to make the required deletions that the Censor Board passed the film with a UA certificate. The changes ordered by the board included the muting (beeping no longer allowed) of the words "sex" and "b*****d" in the soundtrack--words that commonly occur in our films and would have been allowed if the Rockstar team had agreed to an 'A' certificate.

Likewise, a Hindi expletive which apparently Ranbir Kapoor's character uses whenever he's emotionally aggravated, has been muted wherever it occurs. Again, the word, common in the films of Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and other purveyors of cowbelt lingo, was not permissible in a film passed for kids with parental guidance.

Most notable of all is the board's instruction to do away with a reference to Tibetan freedom from Chinese dominion. Apparently, Imtiaz Ali has been asked to do away with a flag in the film that reads 'Free Tibet'.

" Rockstar has been given two options regarding the flag that reads 'Free Tibet' -- either they can delete or blur the visual of the flag," a source said. "Not that there are too many Bollywood films that would dare to take a stand on a sensitive political issue like Tibet.

Rockstar does. The Censor Board has asked for its removal," the source added.

The CEO of the Censor Board, Pankaja Thakur, has confirmed the alterations in the film. Tweet (less)

"My shooting with Saif and Kareena is over. We are all done.

Saif and Kareena did their last shooting for my film on December 24 and left for their holiday. We are now in post-production work.

The release date is March 23," said the director known for making thrillers Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddaar . The Kareena-Saif wedding would follow in the last week of March or the first week of April and the next schedule of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine has been advanced from the end of February to the middle of February to accommodate the promotion and release of Agent Vinod into Kareena's clogged schedule, followed by the wedding and honeymoon.

"After the release of Agent Vinod , the wedding will happen immediately. Kareena and Saif don't want to delay it any more," siad a source.

Tweet (less)

The 41-year-old actor, who walked as a show-stopper for designer Mandira Wirk at the ongoing Blenders Pride fashion tour, was seen wearing a black, sophisticated Band Gala suit with matching shoes. His suit was a perfect tribute to the design inspiration of Wirk who took references from 16th and 18th century Rococo and Baroque style.

Saif, who was looking extremely confident on the ramp, said he was perfectly fine with actress Priyanka Chopra turning down an offer of doing an item number for his upcoming movie Agent Vinod . "I am completely fine with that as most of the actresses do not want to share screen space with Bebo (Kareena Kapoor)," he said.

The actor is reportedly planning to settle down with Kareena next year. On being asked about his marriage plans, he preferred to remain silent, but disclosed his wedding outfit.

"Since I belong to Bhopal, I will definitely wear an achka ," Saif said. Tweet (less)

Though he is interested in working with Vinod Chopra, Shahid wasn't keen on the script right from the beginning. So they approached Ranbir Kapoor .

As it turns out, even Ranbir is not too hot on the film either for the same reasons. So now people are spreading the news that both SK and RK are both competing for the same role which is not true at all.

It's a two-hero film and Sharman Joshi has already signed on for one of the roles." (less)

The recent passing of Bebo's grand uncle Shammi Kapoor doesn't seem to have put a dampener on her plans either. Says a source close to the couple, "Last week they were shooting for Agent Vinod, but nobody knew what Kareena had planned for Saif's birthday.

She requested Saif's production partner Dinesh Vijan for five days off from the shoot to whisk him off to London. This year, Saif's birthday plans have been kept completely quiet and nobody except their families know where they are.

They are staying at their favourite hotel Claridge's. Kareena even made all the arrangements for the birthday dinner on Tuesday night at an exclusive resto-bar in London.

" The source adds that Kareena and Saif were both adamant that they needed a short break. Though she was in the middle of photo shoots, promotional events and shooting for Agent Vinod, she completed everything before she left with Saif.

Kareena wanted to make this year special for him. As for Saif, taking this break meant a mix of both work and leisure, as he has some work-related meetings in London.

"They don't want anybody to know about their vacation, so they quietly flew out on August 14. This time the couple didn't want anybody to know what Kareena's birthday plans for Saif were.

Their close friends got to know only the next day." In the past.

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A year ago, Kareena and Saif brought in Saif's birthday in Latvia , where he was shooting for Agent Vinod. In 2009, Kareena had taken off with Saif to an undisclosed location near Chicago for a secret vacation after completing their shoot for Kurbaan.

In 2008, she had thrown a birthday party for Saif at a nightspot in Mumbai. A day before flying off Kareena, had told BT, "I can't talk about Saif's birthday plans.

He doesn't like us to talk about our personal life. All I can say is that we will be in London.

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Recently, Kareena reached an understanding with the producers of Heroine to reduce her signing amount and in exchange share the film's profits. Shahid too has decided to follow suit.

The actor has returned his signing amount of Rs 7 crore to producer Sheetal Talwar in exchange for a share in the profits of director Pankaj Kapoor's film Mausam. A source informed Mumbai Mirror that Sheetal was initially taken aback when Shahid returned the cheque and asked to be a shareholder instead.

"But then she readily agreed to Shahid's terms. Also, considering Mausam is Shahid's father Pankaj Kapoor's debut film as a director, Shahid didn't feel like charging for the film," explained the source.

While Kareena is the first actress in Bollywood to share profits of a film, Shahid will be the latest to be added to a list that has names like Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan (less)