Not at all! In fact the first film that comes to my mind when I see Akshay Kumar and John Abraham together is Garam Masala because that got them together for the first time. But let me tell you that Desi Boyz is not in the same space as Dostana or even Garam Masala.

Just because it's a film about male bonding, it doesn't have to be like Dostana. After two films with Akshay Kumar we were expecting your pairing with him over John Abraham.

Exactly! Even the audiences would have assumed the same which would have made it a predictable casting. So director Rohit Dhawan thought there would be fresh chemistry with the pairing of John and me.

So did you miss sharing screen-space with Akshay Kumar? I didn't actually, because in the film we three (Akshay, John and me) team up to do a lot of things together. So we have a lot of common scenes.

How pampered were you by the Desi Boys? Oh, I was extremely pampered, especially by John who likes taking care of everyone close to him. Akshay Kumar of course has been a great support.

Though I might have not done my first film with him, he was there for me in the initial stage of my career. I have done two big films with him and so there is that familiarity and comfort factor between the two of us.

Without being diplomatic and if you had to choose only one - who would you say is hotter between Akshay and John? I think it's an invalid question because both are good looking guys and extremely charming. Does Rohit Dhawan take ahead his father's style of comedy filmmaking? It is too soon to say how good a filmmaker he is or whether he is like his father or not.

Of course he has learnt a lot from David Dhawan and other filmmakers since he has grown up in the industry. But, I would say, he has an identity of his own and Desi Boyz is entirely his film.

There were stories that you and Chitrangda Singh shared cold vibes. I think these are just stale boring gimmicks and the publicist of film should think of some innovative ideas to promote the film (less)

"I really hope 2012 turns out to be a year full of surprises for me, and surprises spring after one another. I am really happy with the kind of response I received for my work in 'Desi Boyz'.

It was really encouraging and I am looking forward to more good work this year," Chitrangada told IANS. The dusky beauty, who will be seen on an upcoming episode of UTV Stars' "Superstar Santa", made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi", and was subsequently seen in films like "Sorry Bhai!", " Basra " and "Yeh Saali Zindagi".

"Desi Boyz", which also featured Akshay Kumar , John Abraham and Deepika Padukone , was a radically different project for her. Nevertheless, she loved it, and the audience loved her in it too.

No wonder she feels her fans will appreciate her item song in Shirish Kunder's 3D project " Joker ". "The item song was hard, we rehearsed for it a lot and it has turned out to be fabulous.

It is not into-the-face, the music is very catchy and the choreography by Farah (Khan) is very sensuous. It was great fun doing it," said the 35-year-old.

In 2012, she is looking forward to "I, Me Aur Main" with John, and Sudhir Mishra's film with Arjun Rampal . "'I, Me Aur Main' is going to be a great film.

John is fantastic in it. It is an emotional, yet comedy film about a man, his relationships, his busy life in a metro city.

..

it's basically about men. The film was a lot of fun and has a lot of drama," she said of the movie, expected to release within the first quarter of the year.

"Sudhir's film is about sexual harassment, it is about a woman's ambition in the workplace and how that is curbed..

.so it's an interesting script, and I am extremely excited about it," she added.

In the meantime, she has had to turn down an offer to work with Kamal Haasan, who had reportedly contacted her for a role in his Hindi-Tamil bi-lingual "Vishwaroopam". But she had to refuse as the dates clashed with those she kept aside for Mishra's film.

"I had to refuse the offer. I would love to work with him (Kamal), he is a legend to work with," said the actress.

On the small screen, Chitrangada says she loved playing Santa for a bit, on the show "Superstar Santa", where celebrities play peacemakers between two common people. "Santa is too big a role to play.

But it's always nice when as celebrities, we can do something for common people," she said (less)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. song.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. song.

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

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

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

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

Even Farah Khan was there choreographing the song. But while everyone returned last week, the much-in-love couple decided to stay back for a short holiday.

" The source adds that Sajid is besotted with the actress and even has a say in her professional matters. He even has imposed strict dictats for anyone wanting to do photo shoots with her, to avoid tight, skimpy outfits, including short skirts, as he's very possessive about her.

"But producers and directors are in a fix as Jackie's image, especially post Murder 2, is precisely that - sexy and glamorous!" Sajid, of course, denies all this saying, "It is not true. Jackie has gone to Sri Lanka and I am in Bangkok.

" We wonder what he's doing alone in Bangkok when the entire unit has packed up and come back to India? (less)

"I wish to work with Rajini..

. If I come across a good project I will certainly act (opposite him)," she said.

The 26-year-old actress will be next seen opposite Akshay Kumar in Housefull 2 and the actress is looking forward to the release of the film, which boasts of 22 major actors working in it. "We wrapped up shooting in record time and the film is ready for an April release.

It has shaped up very well. I am looking forward to it," she told reporters at the announcement of the 57th Idea Filmfare Awards here.

Housefull 2 boasts of 22 major actors including Akshay, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty. It was a huge challenge for Sajid Nadiadwala and Sajid Khan not just at the scripting stage, but also logistically.

"It was a lot of fun working with Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala. Both have managed such a huge cast very well.

Everybody had a blast during the shoot," Asin said. "It was also great sharing space with senior actors like Mithun Da, Rishiji, Randhirji, Boman Irani, Johnny Lever and the other girls (Jacqueline Fernandez and Zarine Khan).

With such a big cast, it was literally housefull," she added. Asin said apart from Housefull 2 , she is working in Bol BachchanM starring Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan and directed by Rohit Shetty.

"We have just wrapped up one schedule and shooting is going on," she added. When asked whether she has any plan to act in Hollywood flicks, Asin said, "I think right now I better concentrate on Indian cinema.

" Tweet (less)

"I want to produce commercial films. But if I get a good script, I would love to make a National Award-winning movie," Akshay, 44, who has spent two decades in Bollywood , told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

The actor is all set to put a lid on 2011 with "Desi Boyz". Releasing Nov 25, the film will see him teaming up with John Abraham as a co-star.

Directed by Rohit Dhawan, the son of director David Dhawan , "Desi Boyz" also has Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh in the female leads. Akshay, a Punjabi who has spent many years in Delhi, says he has always been a "desi" at heart and his recent decision of communicating in Hindi shouldn't be taken as a marketing gimmick.

"I have always tried to speak in Hindi. It is because in real life I am a real 'desi' boy.

All my life I have believed that the day should start with touching the feet of my parents, that home cooked food is always better than outside food. I have always preferred ghar ka parantha to anything from outside," he said.

"Even if we go out for a movie, I prefer to watch Hindi films over English. So it was there in me, always.

I am very grounded that way," he added. The crackling chemistry of Akshay and John was the highlight of "Garam Masala" and Akshay says his friend and co-star has improved a lot since then.

"We are coming back together on the big screen after six long years. We were not offered any movies together during that period.

While shooting for this film, we had much more fun than we had in 'Garam Masala'. So, we were wondering why no one ever thought of casting us together all these years," said Akshay.

"We have become quite good friends now. And, trust me, John has improved a lot since then, especially his comedy timings.

The way he has improved his muscles, his comedy timing has also improved," he added. From being an action hero to doing comedies, Akshay tried different things and in his upcoming film "Desi Boyz" he will be seen stripping and doing pole dancing.

And what he liked about his character, Jerry Patel, is that it was a different role. "I had a lot of fun while doing this movie.

First of all I haven't played this kind of character ever. When the role was narrated to me, I knew this was something I wanted to do.

And, secondly, its director Rohit Dhawan told me the film is based on the real-life incident of two people who had to take extreme paths to survive during recession," he said. The action-comedy deals with how the life of two friends turns upside down when recession hits Britain and they are left with no choice but to strip and pole dance for a living.

And then the story has its twists and turns. Akshay made his mark with hits like "Khiladi", "Ajnabee", "Hera Pheri" and "Namastey London " and is all set to entertain his fans with interesting projects like "Joker", "Rowdy Rathore" and "Housefull 2" next year.

He turned producer in 2010 with "Tees Mar Khan" and later produced "Patiala House " and "Thank You" as well. Even though these films flopped at the box-office, Akshay is undeterred.

"I will always do a film I believe in, I can connect to and my fans can relate to it as well. So even if 'Patiala House' didn't do well commercially, it was critically acclaimed.

I was close to the film because it dealt with the emotional bond between a father and a son," he said. He made his presence felt with "Thank You" and "Speedy Singhs" this year and he was also seen in a special appearance in "Chalo Dilli" (less)

And recently she bagged Sajid Khan's Housefull 2, an upcoming Bollywood comedy and sequel to Housefull. "Bollywood is a different world for me, but passion overtook everything.

I was drawn to Hindi movies and cinema as a medium and luckily I have blended with everyone, even the hardcore Bollywood guys..

I feel like one of them. I feel at home on sets.

I am taking one step at a time and don't want to sign random films," says Shazahn. Shazahn says, she was very clear that she wanted to start off her career with a big production house.

"I was lucky that Yashraj's Rocket Singh fell into my lap. I got to work with Ranbir when he was three films old at that time.

I got to learn a lot from him. He is very dedicated to his work and I drew inspiration from him.

He is like a horse with the blinkers on. He is totally focused and immersed in his work and quick with his dialogues.

I would really find it amazing when he would run to the monitor and check whether he needs to do the shot again, he was just 26 then," says Shazahn. And immediately after Rocket Singh, she got two offers from the South one Tamil and the other Telugu.

Telugu film Orange was opposite Chiranjeevi's son, Ram Charan Tej . "It was the role of a possessive girl friend and I got an opportunity to perform.

I played a slightly eccentric character and I ran away with all the good reviews. Since I played a Mumbai girl in the film, it was shot here with just few portions shot in Hyderabad," says Shazahn, who was always keen on doing South films, "because I had heard that it gives a certain kind of experience and ease in front of the camera," she says.

And then came Dil To Baccha Hai Ji where she played June Pinto, an office intern. "I loved the character because there is so much of me in it.

And I was really lucky to get that film because Madhur has always been on the dream list of directors," says Shazahn, who has now joined the gang of girls - Asin, Zarine Khan, Jacqueline Fernandes in Housefull 2. Coming from the theatre background and with her ad guru dad Alyque Padamsee's bank of knowledge, Shazahn has something new to learn each day.

"My dad is not remotely connected to Hindi commercial cinema but he guides me for my acting as language is no barrier. I always run my scenes and auditions by him.

I have to live up to certain standards. Then Madhur Bhandarkar is also there to advice me," says Shazahn.

"I consult my dad, but finally use my mind, my judgement. I take my own decisions," says Shazahn who spents a lot of time watching classics like Sholay , Mother India Keen on taking up only commercial, mainstream projects, Shazahn says, she is happy and enjoying her space with Housefull 2 in her kitty, and few more projects in the pipeline.

"But yes, theatre is my roots and I will be doing a play some time..

something like Shakespeare. My entire family is into theatre and ad world and I am the odd person out," she laughs.

Ends (less)

Akshay and I share a very special equation and the film is an extension of our offscreen and onscreen bonding," said John, who was in the capital on Thursday to promote his film. John was accompanied by Akshay and the film's leading ladies, Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh.

Desi Boyz is directed by Rohit Dhawan, son of popular filmmaker David Dhawan. But the director's style is different from his dad, says Akshay.

"The way Rohit has made this film is very different from the kind of comedy films we have seen. His take is exactly opposite from that of his father's works.

Rohit is a happy-go-lucky person and very honest with his work, and his way of dealing with comedy is very subtle," said Akshay. The film is about two friends who become a victim of recession, how their friendship sours and how they end up being employed as pole dancers.

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In the song, Malla will don six different outfits ranging from desi to western. She says, "It's been over a year since Munni happened and everyone has been asking me about my next time song.

When Sajid (Khan) offered me the Anarkali song, I fell in love with it and said yes." What did she like about the song? Pat comes the reply, "I liked the fact that Anarkali is completely different from Munni, from the clothes to the music.

What's similar is the choreographer - Farah Khan. She and I have a superb track record and we intend to keep it going strong.

" Farah says, "Malaika looks like a million bucks in this new song. She's a mixture of Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce.

I try not to repeat the steps or ambience of the songs and like to create something new and different each time." Director Sajid Khan reveals that Malaika also has a cameo in the film, apart from the item number, "I am superstitious about Malaika.

She has been part of my first film Heyy Babyy She also did a cameo in Housefull. So fi had to repeat her in my third film.

" Producer Sajid Nadiadwala lists why Munni was chosen for the song. "Malaika's a part of Sajid Khan's trilogy and a lucky mascot for us.

She always adds a touch of class and grace to any item song and who better than Munni to become Anarkali?" Not Sheila for sure! (less)

" How about the man in your life - would you go for a desi or non desi types, we asked her, to which she replied saying, "I don't think I can really predict that right now, but I think I will end up with a desi boy." At this point, Akshay Kumar, who was with the actress, quipped, "I know this one.

..

It's a desi one..

. it'll be a desi boy.

Knowing Deepika, I have done three films with her, she will be with a desi boy. She is very gharelu types, you see.

" Is it that you've already found your desi boy, Deepika? (less)

He's very encouraging, warm and very humble. I was feeling very anxious working with someone who has done more than 120 commercial films," she said.

The film also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone and is slated for a release Nov 25 (less)

Inside the box is the white on gold card which has three inserts inviting guests to various functions. The sangeet is on January 31, the wedding on February 4 and the reception on February 5.

Along with the card, comes a box of chocolates. Each piece of hand-made chocolate has the letters R and G imprinted onto it.

Says a source close to the couple, "Riteish and Genelia both decided to have the wedding invite made in such a manner so it looked simple yet elegant. The invite has been designed by a top entertainment design company in Bandra who also designed Lara Dutta and Hrithik Roshan's wedding invites.

" The wedding will see a flurry of pre-wedding parties before that. The first party will be jointly thrown by Sajid and Wardha Nadiadwala and Fardeen and Natasha Khan.

Akshay Kumar , will be flying down from Karnataka for a day to attend the party. Upala KBR (less)

Our source said, "Deepika has bought a palatial three-bedroom house - probably the most expensive apartment any actress has bought in recent times. She had never hosted a party before, and this was pending for a while.

She shifted to her new house during Ganpati with a small pooja. Her family is devoted to Ganpati.

Given her hectic schedule, she had no time to really settle down in her new house. It is only now that she has had the time to hold a bash.

She is planning to invite everyone she has worked with in the industry." According to sources, Deepika has already invited Shahrukh Khan and Farah Khan with whom she made her debut.

She has also invited her ex, Ranbir Kapoor. The others on her list include Imran Khan, Karan Johar, Saif Ali Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Sajid Nadiadwala, Kunal Kohli, Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan and Ashutosh Gowarikar among others.

When contacted, Deepika confirmed the news. "Yes I am having a house warming party.

It is a small get together for friends." However, there was no word on whether her because Sidhartha Mallya will be there on the occasion (less)

They would be seen in Rohit Dhawan's upcoming film, Desi Boyz . "I think John has changed a lot since the time we worked earlier.

He has a fantastic comic timing. I feel the way his muscles have flexed up, his comic timing has also improved a lot.

In fact, I am learning comedy from John. His style of comedy is very laid-back.

Laid back in the sense, the way he delivers the dialogue is so effortless that it leaves an impact behind," Akshay told PTI in an interview. The 'Khiladi' actor compares John's comic timing to that of 'Mr Bean', a British comedy television programme starring English actor-comedian- screenwriter Rowan Atkinson in the title role.

"I think his comedy is somewhat similar to Mr Bean. He does laid-back comedy, his way of delivering dialogues is very slow.

..

that is another way of comedy. Like Mr Bean has a very laidback style of talking and audience will catch it up.

It is a very great qualification he (John) possesses. I have started learning from him.

Charlie Chaplin is loud, while Mr Bean is more subtle and laid-back," Akshay said. Akshay, who started off in Bollywood as an action-hero, later forayed into comedy.

His comic performances in films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Garam Masala (2005), Hey Babyy (2007), Welcome (2007) and Singh is Kinng (2007) proved success. "It has been six years since we worked together in Garam Masala .

We were not very close at that time but the equation today is completely different. I am surprised that all this time no one wanted to do a film with us together.

Now we are doing not one but two films Desi Boyz and Housefull-2 ," Akshay said. "He is very hard-working and best-looking boys in the industry.

He is a model, walked ramp and now acting," he said. For the first time, Akshay would be seen opposite Chitrangada Singh, known for doing unconventional films, the actor has all praises for his dusky co-star.

"I loved working with Chitrangda. She is a very beautiful, dusky desi girl.

Whenever I look at her, she reminds me of Smita Patil, she has got that kind of beauty. She would rehearse her lines before coming onto the sets.

She knows exactly how she is going to play her scene," Akshay said. Recollecting an incident about Chitrangada, the 44-year-old actor, said, "She has done parallel films and this is her first commercial film.

During a promotional event, when she saw a huge crowd, she got frozen and I remember I was walking ahead and she was standing behind. The power of commercial cinema is different.

"I held her hand and asked her to come with me, while Deepika was walking in full confidence as she knows about it," he said. The film, which also stars Deepika Padukone, opposite John, releases on December 25.

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The scene will have her emerging from the water wearing it. We hear it had director Homi Adajania excited.

Gimme red, anyone? (less)

.Does not confine itself to Hyderabad alone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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During a recent visit to the city, Akshay took some time off to chat with BT..

. You and John Abraham seem to be the latest Jai-Veeru in town.

..

Aaj ke Jai-Veeru..

. Wah Wah! We are also the latest Ram and Balram.

John and I are teaming up again after Garam Masala. He has come a long way since then and has grown as an actor.

I see a big difference in him. We have great chemistry in the film.

What was it like working with Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh? Deepika is the epitome of beauty and it was great to team up with her again after Chandni Chowk to China and Housefull. As for Chitrangda - though she has just taken the plunge into commercial cinema, she is not a newcomer and has the ability to blow everyone away with her stunning looks and her acting prowess.

There is some confusion regarding the remake rights of the Tamil hit number Appadi Podu from the film Ghilli. Actor Sonu Sood claims he has bought the rights for his film Lucky Unlucky, but another report says you had already bought the rights of the song a few years ago.

..

I don't know which Sonu Sood you are talking about. My production company considered remaking the song a long time ago, but so many films come and go that you don't remember what is happening with every project.

My company has 4-5 films in the pipeline that don't have me in the lead. I have no idea who has got the rights for Appadi Podu.

And there's no fight here. I am sure the right person will get it in the end.

Will you ever take the plunge into south Indian films? I have already done a south Indian film, that too in Kannada. It's a film called Vishnu Vijaya, which had Ashwini Bhave and the late Vishnuvardhanji in the cast.

The film was made in Kannada and Hindi. The Hindi version was known as Ashaant.

I want to do a film in Tamil as I've already done a Kannada project. In fact, I am waiting for someone to approach me with a good offer.

What are your thoughts on Bangalore? It was in Bangalore that I shot the first scene of my career for my maiden venture, Saugandh. Hence, this city will always have a special place in my heart.

Any chances of you and Twinkle doing a film together? No! She is not interested in films anymore (less)

But what's put the actor in the limelight is the recent news of her starring in Rajinikanth's next. The latest buzz doing the rounds in Kollywood circles is that she's been offered to play the lead role opposite the Superstar in Kochadaiyaan, beating competition from the likes of Vidya Balan and Anushka Shetty.

Quiz her about the offer and the actor remains tight-lipped about it. "You'll have to ask the producer of the film.

I can't comment about it now," she says, adding, "I would love to work with Rajinikanth and if a good project comes by, I'll take it up." Asin, who is still basking in the success of her last release, Ready, has reportedly said that she wouldn't like to do many films with her 'dear friend' Salman Khan .

Rumours that she is dating Neil Nitin Mukesh - with whom she was said to have broken up with - have resurfaced, but the actor is unmindful of the controversies that surround her. "Bollywood gossip is a cliche.

I am a straightforward person and prefer to set the record straight if anything comes up," she asserts. The 26-year-old actor, who has wrapped up the shoot for Housefull 2 opposite Akshay Kumar, is looking forward to the release next year.

"With 22 stars working on the film, we had a blast shooting for it. Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala managed the cast really well," says Asin.

When asked about how it was to work with the new dostana in town - Akshay Kumar and John Abraham - she says, "It's Akshay plus John! Both of them drove the entire cast and crew crazy with their pranks." What excites the actor is that the roles she plays in her upcoming films will show her in a different light altogether.

Is she choosy about her roles? "I am not choosy. I can shuffle between a serious role and feature in an out-an-out commercial flick too.

Nevertheless, I prefer to act in movies that strike a balance between both," she says. Having worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, does she have plans to work on a Kannada film in the near future? "I have no qualms about working for any film industry as long as my role in the film is meaty.

I'd love to work for a Kannada film, but I haven't been offered any scripts so far," she says (less)

And loving son Sajid, held up everything else to look for the lost bag only to find it in his mum's car. A source from the sets informed Mumbai Mirror, "Sajid's mum entered the studio number 3 around 4 pm.

Within a few minutes she realised that her handbag was missing. According to the source, Sajid immediately halted the shoot and ordered a thorough search.

He was in fact heard shouting out orders to his staff. "Sajid told them 'mujhe nahi pata kaise bhi dhoondho meri mummy ka bag'.

He wanted everybody to look for the bag at that time," added the source. The bag, apparently, had around Rs 30,000 in cash, a few credit and debit cards and other valuables.

While a bag search was taking place on the sets, director Sajid Khan, who was busy filming the movie's climax with Akshay Kumar , Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor , Riteish Deshmukh , Shreyas Talpade , Zareen Khan, Mithun Chakraborty and Chunky Pandey, had to keep his actors waiting. "The stars had to keep waiting.

Everybody was busy looking for the missing handbag. Finally, after five hours, it was discovered that the bag was in Sajid Nadiadwala's mother's car.

She had forgotten to carry it along with her," said the source (less)

Akshay and I share a very special equation and the film is an extension of our offscreen and onscreen bonding," said John, who was in the capital on Thursday to promote his film. John was accompanied by Akshay and the film's leading ladies, Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh.

Desi Boyz is directed by Rohit Dhawan, son of popular filmmaker David Dhawan. But the director's style is different from his dad, says Akshay.

"The way Rohit has made this film is very different from the kind of comedy films we have seen. His take is exactly opposite from that of his father's works.

Rohit is a happy-go-lucky person and very honest with his work, and his way of dealing with comedy is very subtle," said Akshay. The film is about two friends who become a victim of recession, how their friendship sours and how they end up being employed as pole dancers.

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It will probably be the first time that you will se Chitrangada shake a leg with a renowned mainstream co-star like Akshay Kumar. Chitrangada shared with us how she was pretty nervous the first time she met the Khiladi kumar.

"Akshay Kumar is a huge commercial actor who has done plenty big films in the past. I was awed by him when I first saw him! I was a bit nervous and my onscreen character had to portray otherwise.

It took some time to register that I was indeed working with him. It was fun shooting with him", gushed Chitrangada.

The actress also rubbished the claims that she had problems working with Deepika (less)

And now she is all set to reprise her Munni avatar in Sajid Khan's Housefull 2 , where she joins the returning cast of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Boman Irani, along with new entrants Jacqueline Fernandes, Asin and Shazahn Padamsee. With this bevy of beauties already adding to the glam quotient, Malaika's apparently rustic number should break the barometer in no time.

Watch this space for more updates. Tweet (less)

As we said, there is no barrier and all film industries can be a part of this competitive sport. It is great to see them unite and play cricket in a sporting spirit," said Sohail, who owns Bollywood team Mumbai Heroes.

The 20-20 cricket tournament has teams not only from Hindi cinema, but also Telugu, Kannada and Tamil cinema. While actor Vishnu Manchu owns Telugu Warriors, L.

Ganga Prasad of GVR Infra Projects is the owner of Chennai Rhinos, and Ashok Kheny of AKK Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

has Karnataka Bulldozers. "It is great fun and we have a good laugh in the after parties regarding the experiences of the game.

We are not cricketers. We are just actors training to play good cricket.

Getting everyone together is good fun," he added. Sohail's team boasts of actors and filmmakers like Suniel Shetty, Riteish Deshmukh , Aftab Shivdasani , Sohail himself, Sonu Sood, Apoorv Lakhia, Shabbir Ahluwalia , Sunny Singh , Varun Badola, Kabir Sadanand, Raja Bherwani, Angad Bedi, Tushaar Jalota, Sharad Kelkar, Varun Rao, Sachin Joshi, Ashish Chaudhary and Vatsal Seth.

However, Salman Khan would not be able to play. "Unfortunately not.

His filming schedule and surgery last year have restricted him from playing but he may play in the next season of CCL. He is the icon player and ambassador of our team," said Sohail.

After an exciting first season, the second season brings in two new teams Bengal Tigers, owned by filmmaker Boney Kapoor and his actress wife Sridevi , and Kerala Strikers of the Malayalam film industry owned by National Award winning actor Mohanlal. And Sohail says that more teams are likely to join in.

"The league is also growing in size. Last year we had four teams, this year we've got six teams and next year we are going to have eight teams and then we are going to end with ten teams.

We are going to introduce the Marathi and Punjabi team next year," said Sohail. "Then there will be a Bhojpuri and a Gujarati team.

We plan to cover all the film industries of India and it is a great platform for bringing together directors and producers," he added. The Celebrity Cricket League matches will begin Jan 13 in Sharjah (less)

"Maybe now that I have joined the team, it will change. I am full on to wear a bikini.

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

. bikini dena hai toh de do," the spunky actress laughs uproariously.

She will be seen opposite Shreyas Talpade in the multi-starrer. Shazahn made her debut with Ranbir Kapoor in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year in 2009 and then she was seen in Madhur Bhandarkar's Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji released early this year.

"I was lucky to work with Ranbir in my first film. Then I started getting lot of offers after Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji and now I am very happy to get to work in Housefull as it will help me expand my canvas.

At present, I would like to do just commercial, mainstream cinema," says Shazahn. On October 19 Shazahn celebrated her birthday by cutting a cake with the entire cast.

She says, "I was drawn to Hindi movies very early in life. I am very comfortable working with the Bollywood guys, I feel like one of them.

I don't want to sign random movies. I do consult my dad (ad guru Alyque Padamsee), but the final decision is mine," says Shazahn (less)

"I don't know from where this kind of news is coming from. There is no tiff between us.

We have just one scene together and we spoke on the day we shot it. Besides that we hardly have any scenes to share.

But all these stories are disappointing," Deepika told reporters here last night. It was reported that a pink outfit by a designer for the film, caught the eye of both the ladies and resulted in a cat fight as they both liked it and wanted to wear it.

"These are mere rumours. Deepika and I are comfortable with each other.

The story about some dress and that we fought for it is untrue. Both Deepika and I can buy a dress for ourselves.

There is no reason for us to fight with each other for it," Chitrangada said. The film starring Akshay Kumar and John Abraham , releases on November 25 (less)

One in Tamil in Chennai, Shah Rukh Khan expressed condolences over the death of India's gazal maestro Jagjit Singh . After Shammi Kapoor , this being another terrible blow to the music and Bollywood fraternity, Shah Rukh Khan said, "Uff so sad to hear of the demise of Jagjit Singhji.

May Allah bless his soul." Shah Rukh Khan is in Chennai for the promotion of his film Ra.

one. The actor had south's demi god Rajinikanth for company during the Tamil music launch of his film in Chennai today.

Akshay Kumar too expressed his thoughts. "Saddened to know 'The Ghazal King', Jagjit Singh is no more.

Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, this song makes me misty-eyed, especially today. RIP Jagjit Singh.

" Shabana Azmi on whom Jagjit Singh's iconic gazal 'Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho' was picturised, said, "Kisi ki nazar lag gayi hai kala ki duniya ko..

jagjit singh no more. His contribution to the ghazal in India is unparallelled.

big loss." Lara Dutta added, "Very saddened to hear of the demise of Jagjit singh! May his soul rest in peace.

" Superstar Amitabh Bachchan said, "The sonorous silk voice of Jagjit Singh silent now! A great loss to the world of music and Ghazal. Prayers and condolences.

" (less)

"Akshay has always been a guiding force from 'Garam Masala' itself. I was very raw then.

I have learnt a lot from him," said John. John, who built a muscular body for his last release "Force", even feels Akshay is fit as a fiddle at 44.

"Even during 'Force' I was always asked who is the fittest man in the industry and I have always said it is Akshay Kumar and I stand by it. He is a true inspiration in a lot more ways than one.

To look so fit and handsome all the time is really difficult and he does it all the time," added John. "Desi Boyz" marks the directorial debut of Rohit Dhawan, son of filmmaker David Dhawan .

Also starring Deepika Padukone , Chitrangada Singh and Omi Vaidya, the film will release Nov 25 (less)

During a recent visit to the city, Akshay took some time off to chat with BT..

. You and John Abraham seem to be the latest Jai-Veeru in town.

..

Aaj ke Jai-Veeru..

. Wah Wah! We are also the latest Ram and Balram.

John and I are teaming up again after Garam Masala. He has come a long way since then and has grown as an actor.

I see a big difference in him. We have great chemistry in the film.

What was it like working with Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh? Deepika is the epitome of beauty and it was great to team up with her again after Chandni Chowk to China and Housefull. As for Chitrangda - though she has just taken the plunge into commercial cinema, she is not a newcomer and has the ability to blow everyone away with her stunning looks and her acting prowess.

There is some confusion regarding the remake rights of the Tamil hit number Appadi Podu from the film Ghilli. Actor Sonu Sood claims he has bought the rights for his film Lucky Unlucky, but another report says you had already bought the rights of the song a few years ago.

..

I don't know which Sonu Sood you are talking about. My production company considered remaking the song a long time ago, but so many films come and go that you don't remember what is happening with every project.

My company has 4-5 films in the pipeline that don't have me in the lead. I have no idea who has got the rights for Appadi Podu.

And there's no fight here. I am sure the right person will get it in the end.

Will you ever take the plunge into south Indian films? I have already done a south Indian film, that too in Kannada. It's a film called Vishnu Vijaya, which had Ashwini Bhave and the late Vishnuvardhanji in the cast.

The film was made in Kannada and Hindi. The Hindi version was known as Ashaant.

I want to do a film in Tamil as I've already done a Kannada project. In fact, I am waiting for someone to approach me with a good offer.

What are your thoughts on Bangalore? It was in Bangalore that I shot the first scene of my career for my maiden venture, Saugandh. Hence, this city will always have a special place in my heart.

Any chances of you and Twinkle doing a film together? No! She is not interested in films anymore (less)

And though it has its share of inconsistencies, the desi duo is entertaining enough in the larger picture. In a recession-hit UK, it doesn't take too long for the jobless duo of Jerry (Akshay Kumar) and Nick (John Abraham) to rename themselves as Rocco and Hunter and turn towards the morally-low but highly-paying profession of male escorts.

They strip at hen parties though never cross the preset (Bollywood hero) limits of sleeping around. Things go wrong when Nick's girlfriend Radhika (Deepika Padukone) discovers of their clandestine career.

Jerry and Nick fall apart and the narrative divides into their individual episodes with Sajid Khan's Heyy Babyy being a strong influence for both tracks. Nick tries every trick in the trade to seek forgiveness from Radhika.

Anupam Kher, as her dad, reprises Boman Irani's part from Heyy Babyy supporting the repentant boyfriend. On the other hand, the flippant Jerry turns serious in life to win the custody of his orphan nephew.

For that he walks that extra mile - to the university, bringing back memories of Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na also. Rohit Dhawan's storytelling is simple and swift and the comedy never takes the no-brainer route with adequate conviction in the writing.

He smoothly establishes the comic chemistry between Akshay and John and never lets anyone overshadow the other, thanks to their reasonably written roles. Renuka Kunzru's dialogues, ranging from the witty to the wacky variety, are a major highlight and pack the requisite comic punches with some much-needed freshness over the customary synchronized lines in most recent comedies.

Certainly Desi Boyz isn't unblemished and has its set of flaws and formula. The basic conflict of Akshay Kumar going back to college to acquire a clean-chit image that could help him legally win back his nephew sounds too silly.

If that was not enough, he graduates in less than half a year, thanks to private tuitions by his super-hot teacher (Chitrangda Singh) who gives economics lessons through salsa and striptease sessions. Then the film treads in absolute unnecessary territory, taking its desi title a little too seriously, giving sermons on the intelligence of Indians amidst firangs who demean our country.

Sadly the Namastey London gimmick seems completely out of place in this film. After an interesting graph to the narrative, the film is marred by a weak end, which lacks the high point that a climax demands.

A courtroom drama, which drastically changes the scene tone from being comedy to contemplative, isn't a befitting culmination for the otherwise engaging flick. Nevertheless, on second thoughts, you find it as a much better end as compared to the commotional climax that most slapsticks resort to in present times.

And like its climax, the film underplays in its humour and romance. The decibel levels don't go deafening in an attempt to make you laugh and you prefer the half-baked Akshay-Chitrangda track rather than the plot straying into an extended love story.

Thankfully the film balances the Desi Boyz' acts and smartly summarizes their striptease stunts in a couple of songs. The strip-shows never go crass and are classily captured with the requisite gloss and glamour.

Akshay and John's sculpted bodies save the show and the average audience is never grossed out. With striking cinematography, crisp editing and vibrant costume design, the film's a technically superior product.

Pritam's music is catchy and peps up the mood of the film. Akshay Kumar is in good form and after long a film does justice to his impeccable comic timing.

He often steals the scene even where his presence is not primary. John Abraham is cool, convincing and glides effortlessly through his part.

Their casual chemistry makes the film work big time. Deepika Padukone is charming and makes her presence felt in the male-dominated flick.

Chitrangda Singh might not have as much extensive role but brings a refreshing appeal and immense screen presence to her character. Anupam Kher is funny.

Omi Vaidya is hilarious in his short role. Sanjay Dutt, in a cameo, perhaps gets the best lines in the film.

So make some way for the Desi Boyz . And be sure, they won't disappoint you! Verdict: Good (less)

"I am very much inspired by Akshay's fitness. He told me where he goes for a run in the park nearby and I too have started doing that at 5am in the morning," Chitrangda said.

Akshay and Chitrangda will be seen together in David Djawan's son Rohit Dhawan's upcoming film "Desi Boyz". The movie also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone (less)

"Akshay was on board from day one, when I was still developing the story idea. A two-hero movie is never easy to write and it took me almost two years to put this project together.

Once I felt I had justified the presence of both the protagonists, I took the script to John who's been like a buddy since I worked as an assistant director on dad's film, Hook Ya Crook. He was convinced immediately," said Rohit.

"Both Akshay and John are extremely disciplined and professional. They were always on time and focused through the day, a dream team for any first-time director.

" The cast includes Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh as leading ladies and Rohit promises to bring the house down with the coming of age comedy that traces the lives of two young lads who refuse to grow up. The film will hit the theaters on November 25th.

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"I wish to work with Rajini..

. If I come across a good project I will certainly act (opposite him)," she said.

The 26-year-old actress will be next seen opposite Akshay Kumar in Housefull 2 and the actress is looking forward to the release of the film, which boasts of 22 major actors working in it. "We wrapped up shooting in record time and the film is ready for an April release.

It has shaped up very well. I am looking forward to it," she told reporters at the announcement of the 57th Idea Filmfare Awards here.

Housefull 2 boasts of 22 major actors including Akshay, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty. It was a huge challenge for Sajid Nadiadwala and Sajid Khan not just at the scripting stage, but also logistically.

"It was a lot of fun working with Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala. Both have managed such a huge cast very well.

Everybody had a blast during the shoot," Asin said. "It was also great sharing space with senior actors like Mithun Da, Rishiji, Randhirji, Boman Irani, Johnny Lever and the other girls (Jacqueline Fernandez and Zarine Khan).

With such a big cast, it was literally housefull," she added. Asin said apart from Housefull 2 , she is working in Bol BachchanM starring Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan and directed by Rohit Shetty.

"We have just wrapped up one schedule and shooting is going on," she added. When asked whether she has any plan to act in Hollywood flicks, Asin said, "I think right now I better concentrate on Indian cinema.

" Tweet (less)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

" said Asin (less)

com/celebs/indian-stars/akshay-kumar/portfoliolist/3878839.cms While Priyanka Chopra is known to be the desi girl, (courtesy her Dostana song) Akshay Kumar feels otherwise.

He recently said that he can only think of only Sonakshi Sinha as the ultimate desi girl. And he said this in the presence of his leading ladies Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh.

Even though they took it sportingly, we are curious about what PC has to say to Akshay's claim of Sonakshi being his choice of desi girl (less)

"Akshay has always been a guiding force from Garam Masala itself. I was very raw then.

I have learnt a lot from him," said John. John, who built a muscular body for his last release Force , even feels Akshay is fit as a fiddle at 44.

"Even during Force I was always asked who is the fittest man in the industry and I have always said it is Akshay Kumar and I stand by it. He is a true inspiration in a lot more ways than one.

"To look so fit and handsome all the time is really difficult and he does it all the time," added John. Desi Boyz marks the directorial debut of Rohit Dhawan, son of filmmaker David Dhawan.

Also starring Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh and Omi Vaidya, the film will release Nov 25. Tweet (less)

Here's what they wrote: Amitabh Bachchan: Happy Lohri to all..

.My Mother remembered on this festival.

..

used to sing ditties..

'Lohri da takka de, rab tennu bachcha de..

.' Akshay Kumar: Happy Lohri ji! Being Punjabi, I wish I was in Delhi to celebrate this festival.

Maybe next time. Mere walo rewadiyan khaan lena tussi (Please eat my share of rewris).

Tusshar Kapoor: Happy Lohri to everyone!!! Here's wishing the entire world of Twitter good health, wealth and happiness. Lara Dutta: Happy Lohri! Reminds me of childhood, with the bonfires and revdi and gajjak! Raveena Tandon: Lohri ki lakh lakh vadhaiyan!! Gul Panag: Happy Lohri! Sophie Choudry: Lohri di lakh lakh vadiyan! Me in Pune for a gig! Been ages since I've been here! Should be a good if not great night! Farhan Akhtar: Wish you all a happy Lohri.

Aadesh Shrivastava: Happy Lohri to all of you, my Punjabi friends. Miss rewadi.

Divya Dutta: De maayi Lohri, jeeve teri jodi! Happy Lohri people, its rewri gacchhak time! (less)

Apparently, Khan forbade her from doing an item number for Desi Boyz starring Akshay Kumar and John Abraham. Says an insider, "Director Rohit Dhawan and producer Krishika Lulla were keen that Jackie do an item song for DB.

However, she refused the song saying Sajid (Khan) wouldn't like it. Apparently, the director has a say in whatever Jackie does, personally and professionally.

The 'official' reason is that if Jackie acts with John in Desi Boyz (it releases before Housefull 2), the pairing would lose its freshness for Sajid's film." Khan refutes the buzz, "She hasn't discussed anything with me.

It's her choice..

. I will never interfere with anyone's career.

If she asks me, I will definitely stop her. Jackie is paired opposite John in my film.

If she performs an item song with Akshay and John in Desi Boyz and it releases before my film, it will affect the freshness of my film. I won't allow any of my pairs - Akshay-Asin, John-Jackie and Ritiesh-Zarine - to do item songs together in anyone else's film before Housefull 2 releases.

" When asked if he didn't want Jackie to turn down the song because of their personal equation, Khan says, "I don't discuss my personal life." Jacqueline says, "Sajid is the director of my next film, Housefull 2.

He wants to see John and me as a fresh screen pair with this film. Doing the DB song would've killed that element, so I respected his decision and passed on the opportunity.

" Krishika adds, "Jacqueline told me Sajid wouldn't allow her to do the song." (less)

"Akshay has always been a guiding force from Garam Masala itself. I was very raw then.

I have learnt a lot from him," said John. John, who built a muscular body for his last release Force , even feels Akshay is fit as a fiddle at 44.

"Even during Force I was always asked who is the fittest man in the industry and I have always said it is Akshay Kumar and I stand by it. He is a true inspiration in a lot more ways than one.

"To look so fit and handsome all the time is really difficult and he does it all the time," added John. Desi Boyz marks the directorial debut of Rohit Dhawan, son of filmmaker David Dhawan.

Also starring Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh and Omi Vaidya, the film will release Nov 25. Tweet (less)

. Don't go by the promos.

The story is about two men, played by John and me, who live in the UK and subsequently lose their jobs due to the recession. It's then that they take up the oldest profession in the world, escort service, to earn money.

So the film is not risque? Not at all. It's mostly a drama-driven film, which shows how difficult it is for men to put food on the table at a time of economic crisis.

The movie has its funny moments and it's racy - and by that I mean fast-paced. But the subject is emotional for any man.

At times it makes me want to cry. With you and John going shirtless, the movie is going to appeal a lot to the female audience.

Actually, the movie will appeal to kids and grandparents also. John and I play escorts who dress up like cricketers or firemen to please the ladies.

It's like a fancy dress competition. It's not about stripping at all.

I think the men should not feel insecure and watch the flick with their girlfriends. It will help the couple connect better with each other.

The things we men have to go through to make women happy, I tell you! These days, everything is about Box Office numbers - which movie collected how much on opening day, has it managed to beat the collections of the other superstar's film, etc. How important are BO numbers to you? Let's be honest here.

BO collections make a huge difference to an actor -be it me or anybody else. Saying otherwise would be a lie.

Yes, it is imperative, but at the same time it's essential to make a good film. As an actor I strive hard to give something new and different to the audience.

If my film manages to make money then sone pe suhaaga! A film which manages to set the cash registers ringing will help the actor bag bigger projects. John and I wish the audience come to the theatres in full 'Force'.

Even though critics and people from the film industry have often thrashed your films, the audience has mostly given them a thumbs-up. I think it would be too farfetched to say that I have my hand on the pulse of the audience.

It makes me happy when the audiences like my films because I work very hard to entertain them. As an actor that's my primary job.

My director Sajid Khan always says that we need to make films for the audience and not the critics. It's the audience who pay `200 to `300 to buy a movie ticket and at the end of three odd hours, they need to get their money's worth.

I endorse what Sajid says and that's exactly what I do. Tweet'; var stindex=100; var stp=150; var taglen=0; var tmp; var tagcheck = new Array("div","span","br","font","a"); if(storymetalinks==true) { var storydiv=document.

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innerHTML = b2 + b1; (less)

It will probably be the first time that you will se Chitrangada shake a leg with a renowned mainstream co-star like Akshay Kumar. Chitrangada shared with us how she was pretty nervous the first time she met the Khiladi kumar.

"Akshay Kumar is a huge commercial actor who has done plenty big films in the past. I was awed by him when I first saw him! I was a bit nervous and my onscreen character had to portray otherwise.

It took some time to register that I was indeed working with him. It was fun shooting with him", gushed Chitrangada.

The actress also rubbished the claims that she had problems working with Deepika (less)

And now she is all set to reprise her Munni avatar in Sajid Khan's Housefull 2 , where she joins the returning cast of Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Boman Irani, along with new entrants Jacqueline Fernandes, Asin and Shazahn Padamsee. With this bevy of beauties already adding to the glam quotient, Malaika's apparently rustic number should break the barometer in no time.

Watch this space for more updates. Tweet (less)

"Akshay has always been a guiding force from Garam Masala itself. I was very raw then.

I have learnt a lot from him," said John. John, who built a muscular body for his last release Force , even feels Akshay is fit as a fiddle at 44.

"Even during Force I was always asked who is the fittest man in the industry and I have always said it is Akshay Kumar and I stand by it. He is a true inspiration in a lot more ways than one.

"To look so fit and handsome all the time is really difficult and he does it all the time," added John. Desi Boyz marks the directorial debut of Rohit Dhawan, son of filmmaker David Dhawan.

Also starring Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh and Omi Vaidya, the film will release Nov 25. Tweet (less)

After the announcement of the release dates of Yash Chopra's Shah Rukh Khan-starrer and Akshay Kumar's Khiladi 786, Race 2 is next on the roster. This Anil Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan-John Abraham starrer hits theatres November 30 next year.

An insider revealed that director duo Abbas Mustan and producer Ramesh Taurani have zeroed in on that date so as to avert a clash with other big releases during the Diwali month. A source revealed, "There are no other big releases on that day.

Director Abbas Mustan and producer Ramesh Taurani felt it would be apt to release Race 2 two weeks after the SRK-starrer. It has also been widely reported that Akshay Kumar and Himesh Reshammiya plan to release Khiladi 786 during Diwali.

It is post the the two releases that Race 2 will hit the theatres." Producer Ramesh Taurani confirms, "Race 2 releases November 30 next year.

We felt it was just the right date to release our film." Race 2 has Deepika Padukone , Ameesha Patel and Jacqueline Fernandez in the female lead (less)

The baby is due in February. "90 percent predictions said that it is a baby boy and as for us, we don't know that,So we will be equally surprised," the 33-year-old actress said at her baby shower.

"I have my fingers crossed for a girl but I am being happy about anything," the father-to-be Mahesh chipped in. Lara and tennis player Mahesh tied the knot in February this year.

Before meeting her husband, Lara had dated Kelly Dorjee for around seven years, while Mahesh divorced his wife, model Shvetha Jaishankar , of seven years. Lara, who turned producer with "Challo Dilli" this year, is awaiting her next release "Don 2: The King Is Back".

Next year the former beauty queen will be seen in Ravi Chopra's "Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai". Lara was crowned Miss Universe in 2000 and later entered Bollywood in 2003 with "Andaz" opposite Akshay Kumar.

She went on to work in films like "Masti", "Kaal", "No Entry", "Zinda", "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom", "Partner" and "Housefull" (less)

Producer Krishika Lulla confirms, "You can't help but notice how great the lead girls are looking. Deepika is smouldering as ever and Chitrangda has undergone a glamorous makeover for the film.

" Starring Akshay Kumar , John Abraham , Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh, Desi Boyz comes to a theatre near you on November 25 (less)