The 'Rockstar' actor, director Imtiaz Ali and actress Nargis Fakhri later apologised for the delay, shifting the blame on Delhi's traffic. "I am very sorry that we are late.

But the traffic in Delhi is maddening. There is nothing much that we could do," Ranbir said.

Ali also appologised for the delay saying, "We got stuck in traffic. We were on the road for four hours.

Those who left we have nothing to tell them but those of you who waited all I want to say is thank you so much." Later, Ranbir made up for the delay and wooed his miffed fans by proposing a girl at the event.

The actor, in a complete Janardan Jhakhar style, the character he plays in 'Rockstar', jumped over the chair and said "I Love You" and asked her if she would like to be his girlfriend. The actor's antics left the fan blushing with joy.

'Rockstar' hits the theatres on November 11. Tweet (less)

There is still a lot of disbelief at the moment that he is no more. It is difficult for me and my family," Soha told reporters on the sidelines of a programme organised here by coffee chain Cafe Coffee Day and ITC's stationery brand ITC Classmate.

When asked about the love and support that has poured in from all over the world after the death of Tiger Pataudi, Soha said: "I and my family really appreciate the love and support that we have received from all over India and the world. We thank everyone for standing by us in this difficult moment.

" Pataudi, who led India in 40 Test matches, died Sep 22 following a lung infection (less)

The 'Rockstar' actor, director Imtiaz Ali and actress Nargis Fakhri later apologised for the delay, shifting the blame on Delhi's traffic. "I am very sorry that we are late.

But the traffic in Delhi is maddening. There is nothing much that we could do," Ranbir said.

Ali also appologised for the delay saying, "We got stuck in traffic. We were on the road for four hours.

Those who left we have nothing to tell them but those of you who waited all I want to say is thank you so much." Later, Ranbir made up for the delay and wooed his miffed fans by proposing a girl at the event.

The actor, in a complete Janardan Jhakhar style, the character he plays in 'Rockstar', jumped over the chair and said "I Love You" and asked her if she would like to be his girlfriend. The actor's antics left the fan blushing with joy.

'Rockstar' hits the theatres on November 11. Tweet (less)

He's been there for about 18 days. We are praying and we want him to get well soon," Soha told IANS.

The actress was in the capital to flag off Cannon Photo Marathon aimed at bringing together photographic talents. Mansoor was admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital following interstitial lung disease, when the passage of oxygen to the two lungs is less than normal.

As a result the patient breathes out more carbon dioxide. His actor son Saif Ali Khan, also made his third Delhi trip Wednesday to meet his ailing father and was accompanied by girl friend Kareena Kapoor (less)

"I simply love to believe in love stories. They are so cute and mushy.

..

I think everyone should believe in them, why just filmy people," says Ayesha who played a romantic heroine in the recently released Nagesh Kukunoor film, "Mod". Though Ayesha received popularity with her de-glamourised role in Kukunoor's "Dor", which also featured Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade, the actress says, "The genre of romance is perhaps the closest to my heart and I like the whole idea of feel good, look good roles and films that have a positive vibe.

" (less)

All of 25, the Poker Face superstar landed here Thursday night and addressed a press conference and met some of her fans Friday afternoon. She shot for a chat show with Indian cinestar Shah Rukh Khan and rehearsed long and hard for what was her maiden stage show in India Sunday night.

The singer is lovingly called 'Mother Monster' and she refers to her fans as 'monsters'. The singer had planned a special treat, and fans were treated to just that--Gaga played the piano herself, and even sang to the strains of a sitar to offer her desi monsters some Indian element.

Known for her bizarre sense of dressing, she chose to go mellow with a creation by designer Tarun Tahiliani for her performance here. She wore a white, knee-length dress and flaunted her open, blonde locks.

She ended her performance with a warm and cheerful "Namaste India". Around 1,000 guests, including high-profile celebrities from the film, fashion, F1, sports and business worlds, gathered to witness Gaga perform live at the F1 finale after-party here.

And so what if ticket were priced at a whopping Rs.40,000! The line-up of guests at the Arjun Rampal-hosted party at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida, saw Shah Rukh Khan, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta, Imran Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Riya Sen, Raima Sen, Rahul Bose, Sanjay Kapoor, Gauhar Khan, Nigaar Z.

Khan, Susanne Roshan, Gauri Khan, Mehr Jessia Rampal, Jackky Bhagnani, Jas Arora and Rannvijay Singh, among others. F1 racers Felipe Massa, Kamui Kobayashi, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo attended the party as well, apart from a few designers like Manoviraj Khosla, Manish Arora, Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna, Kavita Bhartiya, and cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra.

She bonded well, and met some guests personally too. But she went a step ahead to do something special for Shah Rukh, who wanted to work with her on a song for his film RA.

One . Gaga gave away her personal shades to Shah Rukh for his 11-year-old daughter Suhana.

Of his experience of chatting with Gaga, Shah Rukh told reporters: "It (the interaction) was very nice. She (Gaga) was very sweet.

I sat with her for a couple of hours and exchanged a lot of good things about life. She is very deep, very sweet.

" The singer has taken home a unique dress by designer Nida Mahmood. The outfit, a short dress, is made with 1,000 LED lights.

Describing it, Mahmood told IANS: "The dress which I made for her was part of my WIFW SS-12 collection titled The Great Indian Bohemian Tamasha. The dress is little above the knees and is embellished with over 1,000 LED lights.

"The digital print has been carefully designed incorporating the essence of Indian street theatre. The colours are very Indian - a mix of orange, red, green and blue.

I call it 'Jadugaar dress for magical Gaga.'" Tweet (less)

VJ and TV show host Rannvijay Singh, who gets paid to talk, is christened 'official troublemaker' by director Nagesh Kukunoor. Rannvijay who plays the main lead in Nagesh Kukunoor's Mod , opposite Ayesha Takia , finds it tough to keep quiet.

So, whenever there was a commotion around, everyone knew who to blame. It's a known fact that Nagesh Kukunoor works in silence and is serious while on the sets.

On the contrary the Rannvijay (who can't stop chatting) found his partner in crime in Ayesha. Rannvijay says, "For now I'm trying to strike a balance between anchoring and acting.

My two favourite Nagesh films have been Iqbal , as I'm a sportsman myself and Dor." While he has already starred in multi-starrers like Toss, London Dreams and Action Replayy , Mod is his first film as the solo male lead (less)

He's been there for about 18 days. We are praying and we want him to get well soon," Soha told IANS.

The actress was in the capital to flag off Cannon Photo Marathon aimed at bringing together photographic talents. Mansoor was admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital following interstitial lung disease, when the passage of oxygen to the two lungs is less than normal.

As a result the patient breathes out more carbon dioxide. His actor son Saif Ali Khan, also made his third Delhi trip Wednesday to meet his ailing father and was accompanied by girl friend Kareena Kapoor.

Tweet (less)

It took an offbeat flick like "Rockford" or the critically acclaimed "Black" to provide the deviation from the norm, or if you want to look really far back in time for a mainstream example, there was, well, the Naseeruddin Shah starrer "Sir" in 1993. But slowly, somewhere, the teaching bug bit Bollywood's A-listers, and films started providing a non filmi, non naach-gaana-mohabbat-butt-of-jokes portrayal of the classroom and the teacher.

Where "Taare Zameen Par" had Aamir take on a dyslexic child and "Stanley Ka Dabba" (which, incidentally, was directed by Amole Gupte, the guy who walked out of "TZP" and made a film on the classroom again) left audiences in tears, "3 Idiots", a laughter-cum-tears riot, made students throughout the country think that this was the story of their college days (with Boman Irani playing the classic college professor), Amitabh Bachchan took a hard hitting look at the morals and ethics of the teaching profession in "Aarakshan" - never mind that the film became 'a controversy' even before it released. But it looks like this subject's finally working for Bollywood.

Happy Teachers' Day! Bollywood's tryst with teachers through the decades Mera Naam Joker, 1970 Sir, 1993 Rockford, 1999 Mohabbatein, 2000 Main Hoon Na, 2004 Black , 2005 Iqbal , 2006 Taare Zameen Par , 2007 3 Idiots, 2009 Stanley Ka Dabba, 2011 Aarakshan, 2011 With inputs from Radhika Bhirani/IANS Special : Teachers Day (less)

"There are three genres that I have not tapped into yet, which are action, romcoms and sci-fi. I want to tap into these after the release of my upcoming, " Mod "," says Nagesh.

The director, who cast the action hero, Akshay Kumar in "8/10 Tasveer", says he can only think about the hero of his intended action film after the script is ready. "I write all the scripts of my films myself.

So, it is only once my script is done, that I can think about casting either Akshay, if he agrees, or one of the Khans" he smiles (less)

Said an industry insider, "Asin has beautiful features. She has lost some weight and is looking like a million bucks! She is showing an amazing sense of style which makes even the simplest of outfits stand out.

" All we can say is that we are loving this new look and would like to see more of this pretty actress! (less)

But this is what everyone, including Rakhi had expected. The whole week she kept on and on about what-if, when she would be evicted from Bigg Boss house.

Now what remains to be seen is how she will teach the don’s moll on how to hook a man in 100 ways. The TV channel Colours would definitely not shoot itself in the foot by evicting the lone entertainment factor Rahul Mahajan at this early stage.

In fact, this guy’s definitely going to be long in the house – without Krishan Kanhaiya there would be no Bigg Boss, or rather the advertisers. The guy’s probably found his calling – he can participate in all the reality shows.

We have our assured entertainment! Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

Ashok Sentali, a 53-year-old general manager at the Shipping Corporation of India, was diagnosed with the condition a few months back. He recollects, "Nobody knew of the disease till it was disclosed that Salman Khan suffers from it.

It has now become easier to explain my medical condition to people, as I can tell them 'Mujhey Salman wali bimari hai, (I have the same disorder that afflicts Salman)." Sentali, who is presently on medication, said, "The magnitude of the pain cannot be explained in words.

The bursts of pain last for a few seconds at a time, but leave you shaken for hours." Another patient of Trigeminal Neuralgia is the 55-year-old Jude Britto, who first felt the searing pain in his lower jaw in January last year.

Initially attributing the agony to a newly emerging wisdom tooth, he made the rounds of dentists' chambers for the next nine months, in search of a diagnosis but in vain. "I could not utter more a few words at a time, or even chew my food.

I had to be put on a liquid diet when the pain became intolerable," he recounts. "Even the slightest exertion of my facial muscles would result in utter agony.

I had teeth extracted, went for root canal procedures, but the pain did not subside. Finally a dentist suggested that the pain could be stemming from a nerve disorder," said Britto.

Meanwhile, doctors put him on pain medication, which has helped in subsiding the "excruciating pain". It was only in July that Britto decided to undergo micro-vascular decompression (MVD) surgery, in which the Trigeminal nerve was separated from the offending artery, which was pressing down upon it, causing the pain.

He has been living a pain-free existence ever since. He said, "If only my condition had been diagnosed earlier, I would not have had to endure such agony for one-and-a-half years.

" A neurosurgeon at Hinduja hospital, Dr Milind Sankhe explains the complex procedure for patients suffering from the ailment. "In order to give the patient relief from pain, the offending blood vessel has to be separated from the trigeminal nerve, with the use of some artificial material.

The pain disappears after surgery," he said. Dr Atul Goel, head of the Neurosurgery department, KEM hospital, said, "The press has reported that surgery for the condition is not offered in India, as a result of which the actor had to seek treatment in foreign shores.

This is not true. Most neurosurgeons in the city operate regularly on patients suffering from the condition.

" Dr D P Mazumdar, neurosurgeon at SL Raheja Fortis hospital, said, "The incidence of neuralgia is rare, and 90 per cent of the cases are controlled by drugs. The sure-fire cure is through surgery, which has a 95 per cent success rate.

" To help such patients doctors have even come out with a list of symptoms that could help them diagnose the sickness. The patient may experience very sharp and painful spasms, which may last from a few seconds to several minutes.

The pain is usually experienced on one side of the face, which is the most commonly afflicted areas are the around the eyes, cheeks, and jaws. The soreness or the sting of the pain may be triggered off by touch or even by sounds.

The spasms may also be set off by everyday activities, such as brushing teeth, chewing, drinking, eating, or even shaving. Tweet (less)

Now we figure the two of them would meet there, away from the snooping eyes of paparazzi. Says a source, "Shahid is placing a vacation in Europe with five of his closest friends.

They leave next week and they will be visiting many European countries. It's a three-week holiday and all of Shak's friends will be accompanied with their girlfriends.

Apparently, he will meet Bipasha in Greece at the end of his travel and they will backpack together." We are happy for the lovely pair.

Except Bips doesn't seem like a packing kind of girl to us (less)

Technologically there is a great deal of advancement. I think girls are more beautiful and talented and so are our men.

There is some great stuff happening," Zeenat said at an awards function ceremony. Pics: Zeenat Aman: Still making hearts flutter Zeenat, an iconic actress of the 70s-80s, was considered to be a sex-symbol owing to her bold appearances in the films that she acted in.

The actress was catapulted to instant fame and stardom following her portrayal of a westernised and emotionally disturbed junkie in 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'. Pics: Zeenat Aman steals the show at Apsara Awards When asked about the memories of first award, she said, "It was for Hare Rame Hare Krishna it was prestigious to me.

When you are new and don't know about the business and your work gets recognised it makes you very very happy." Tweet (less)

The first shot took place at 8:45 am and while the unit was expecting for a trouble-free experience at such an early hour, on the contrary they faced a stampede and the shoot had to be wrapped much earlier to its scheduled pack-up time. Moreover the evening shoot had to be canceled and the reason is being told that a lot of people came to see Emraan Hashmi when they came to know that he is shooting at a nearby location in Delhi.

Jannat 2 directed by Kunal Deshmukh (who also directed the first part) is a sequel to the 2008 hit Jannat . Esha Gupta will be seen opposite Emraan Hashmi in the film.

Previously titled Informer , the film is thematically similar to the prequel. Jannat 2 is also a story about a single man's immense desire to make it big in life by any means.

Arjun Dixit, the character played by Emraan Hashmi in Jannat , was a small time gambler turned into a big shot bookie, while this time Jannat 2 will have illegal arms trading as its backdrop (less)

But in today's times, a good film needs to be presented to the audience in a smart way, for which a lot of marketing is required. If the marketing is not good, then even a good film will not be able to reach out to the target audience," Gul told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi.

The actress, who earned critical acclaim for her performance in films like Dor , Manorama Six Feet Under and Turning 30 , married her long time boyfriend, Rishi Attari early this year. She feels one should marry when he or she wants to and not out of societal pressure.

"I recommend marriage to girls who want to marry out of choice. I don't believe that marriage can be done when someone else chooses (someone) for you and you just get married.

Women must have the right to choose whom to marry and when to marry," she added. Tweet (less)

. 'Honesty starts from our conscience' - Salim Khan We have only got the freedom to breathe.

We can't talk, we can't demand. It is a very selective democracy.

It was after so many sacrifices, so many lives laid down and so many tragedies that India got its freedom. The individuals who sacrificed selflessly for India had a vision for post-independence India.

But what happened? Did we get freedom from poverty? Did we get freedom from hatred? Can all the people of India manage to get at least two square meals a day? Forget communal harmony between two religions, today there are caste wars and daughters are killed by their parents. No political party says what they will do for the country, instead they expose scams of the other party during elections for their own gain.

Will corruption stop when the Lokpal bill comes into existence? Will that police c o n s t ab l e, who stands at the other end of the 'No Entry' sign give up his chance of taking home 2,500 to 3,000 in bribes every day? We give bribes even to get our legal and legitimate work done. Even I have succumbed to that.

Honesty starts from our conscience. It is our mother who tells us 'don't pick it up, give it back'.

But mothers these days are seen only on the silver-screen not at home. Mothers are busy at work or found in clubs.

The family is the first school and a mother is the first teacher. But that doesn't happen today.

Freedom doesn't merely mean driving the British out and hoisting our flag. Law and order, governance, administration was much better in the British period.

I was 12-years - old when we got our freedom and I have exper i e n c e d those days. Today, people have the freedom to announce Bharat bandh, they have the freedom to burn buses, freedom to block roads.

'We have to be free of biases' - Javed Akhtar Are we really free? I am afraid it can't be answered in a yes or a no, because we as a society, as a nation, are rather paradoxical. There are countries where there is no freedom, you cannot write anything, you cannot say anything, you cannot protest against the establishment.

We are somewhere in between. I can write articles against the establishment, I can write about various cultures, sub-cultures, communities.

I can dissent on the most sensitive topic, but I can't do the same in a movie. That will be banned.

That will be censored. The people who matter are willing to give the common man freedom up to a point where it does not challenge the status quo.

And when it comes to that, there is no freedom. But we should not be pessimistic.

Since we have accepted the basic norm of freedom, we have got our basic morality right. In practice, we have to struggle and get complete and real freedom.

However, this ideal form of freedom is not possible without some kind of economic justice in the society. What is freedom to me? That I be allowed to live with all my identities.

I don't believe in a singular identity as it can be dangerous. Everybody should be free to protect his or her dignity.

I should be free to make choices - the kind of job I want, where I live, who I marry..

.Our law allows us but society is not very liberal, to put it mildly.

A lot of freedom is taken away from an individual not from law enforcement agencies but from the civil society, which itself cries for freedom. It's a contradiction.

We as individuals have to be free of biases, prejudices, opportunism, corruption and only then we can have a completely free society. 'You cannot change the way people think' - Pritish Nandy, filmmaker & columnist I was born into freedom and grew up with it.

For me, and for millions of Indians, freedom means everything. It is only recently that I find it under assault.

No, not only from the State, which has chosen to believe that the only way to ensure greater security for the nation is by trampling on the freedom of its individual citizens. So you have indiscriminate phone taps, unexplained encounters, custodial deaths, banned Internet sites and attempts to tap into private chats and emails.

These would have been unthinkable some years ago. But far worse than that it are the new incursions into personal freedom by radical fringe groups who want to tell us how to dress, what to eat and drink, how to pray to our different Gods, w h a t books to read, what movies to watch, who to marry.

This is what worries me most. You can change governments that intrude upon your personal freedoms.

But you cannot change the way some people think. The burning of books, the vandalising of libraries and art galleries, the outlawing of beer bars, beating up college girls who dress in jeans, prohibiting people below 25 from drinking, honour killings, and of course these stupid, meaningless bomb blasts meant to hurt and intimidate the common citizen are all signs of intolerance and erosion of our personal freedoms.

The magic of India has always been its celebration of freedom. If we allow that to be eroded, we will erode the greatness of this nation.

India is its many cultural and religious narratives that run concurrently. That is what makes us, us.

'How free are our tribals?' - Rahul Bose, actor & social activist While India can certainly boast of a democracy that holds, largely, free and fair elections, a judicial system that, in fits and starts, upholds constitutional liberties and a s e em - inglylive ly and vocal press, it would be worth examining what democracy has translated into in our everyday lives. How free are our women? Like the men, can they walk out at night without fear in our cities and villages? How free are India's Muslims? Can they step forward and name and shame Hindu-born terrorists like Hindus do in the reverse? Can young Muslims go to the press and speak out when they are rounded up after a terror attack as a matter of routine? How free are our Dalits? Can they say they are not discriminated against in private sector jobs in the country? How free are our tribals? Can they contentedly claim they have the same rights as our farmers? How free are our urban poor? Can they lay equal claim to the government services that their middleclass counterparts enjoy? How free are our linguistic minorities? Can Biharis claim they enjoy Mumbai's comforts with the same fearlessness as their Maharashtrian counterparts? How free are our politicians? Can they effect systemic change without a nod from the mining lobby/the real estate lobby/the industrial family house lobby/the 'trade interests' lobby? How free is the press? Which articles do they carry that are bought by people with the reader having no clue? Finally, how free are you? Free to, within the bounds of the Constitution, wear jeans to college, celebrate Valentine's Day, whistleblow on a powerful lobby, have a drink in a pub, choose a person of your choice to marry, speak out against the uncle who raped you.

You tell me. 'Freedom is being free of fear' - Rina Dhaka, designer Sixty-five years of Independence, but are we really free? Am I free to do a Hare Rama, Hare Krishna T-shirt with a logo of Lord Ram or Krishna to express my creativity? To be honest, I'd be scared.

I'm not free, even after years of Indian Independence. When we're not free, we live in fear that doesn't allow us to grow.

As a nation, we doubt everyone; we have no faith or trust in the goodness of the other. Truth is, we're paranoid of the powerful in this country, and they disempower us.

When we are living in fear, can we ever be free? Can I safely walk on the road without the fear of being killed by a terrorist? This is a new fear. People want to be free, people want liberty and people love democracy, yet do they really realise what freedom actually is? Is there space in our country to live freely, to do what our heart desires? I define freedom by being free of fear, being liberated.

It's freedom from anger. In our country, we're not even free to protest; look at Anna Hazare.

Is he free to demonstrate for his people? True freedom comes from inner freedom; we need to move ahead with a new confidence. Personally, we all need to free our minds from stereotypes and fear.

A celebration of freedom is incomplete if we live in fear and are not allowed to fulfil our creative pursuits. Being free in these times is also about being tough, e n t e r - prising, and genuine.

This free spirit will take our nation ahead. Express your freedom for only then can you enjoy and live life to its best.

Simply put, be free to think simply, naturally and spontaneously. 'Soon, we'll be a truly free country!' - Mary Kom, five-time world boxing champion This question is actually as complicated to answer as it sounds simple! I do believe that India has taken very large strides in becoming a truly free country, though there is still some way to go before we can be completely 'free'.

The increasing freedom in India is manifest in so many ways - options on occupations, including in sports being a viable career (thank God!); options on goods, technologies, entertainment options, travel, etc; options and increasing access to education; access to the best Indian and International cinema, which while still censored, is obviously being censored less and less and is reflecting the maturity and freedom of choice of the Indian audience - even the option to select one's own life partner, which would have been well near impossible only a few years ago! My personal experience in becoming a boxer does perhaps tell the story of the increasing freedom in India. From the time I was laughed at when I made the decision to become a boxer to now, when I am respected for what I am and what I have achieved - everything suggests a transition in attitudes.

That said, there are a lot of ways in which we still aren't free. We still struggle to control our population, to ensure the safety of women, to fight violence on various fronts, to control corruption, to increase education and literacy and to improve health.

Yet, positive steps have been taken and I have no doubt that in the coming years, we will be a truly free country! It is important to remember that almost all countries, including free societies such as America or Europe, have in their past or are now undergoing a phase of transformation, where they have fought or are fighting against restrictions on their freedom and have moved or are moving towards a free society. Watch Video'+'';} else {tmpdiV="";} var b1=""; var b2=""; var hid="526"; if(sldemsidcnt>1){imglinksh='View Images';}else{imglinksh='View Image';} var b2 = ''+''+ capt +''+ tmpdiV +''; bellyad.

innerHTML = b2 + b1; (less)

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

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

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

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

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

..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, there are voices of dissent as well. Rahul Bose , who was hitherto silent on the issue has finally voiced his opinion on a microblogging site.

Slamming Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill, Rahul says, the Jan Lokpal draft is flawed in deeper ways, seeking to root out corruption by centralizing power with the Jan Lokpal. "It's totally anti-democratic.

Imagine a Jan Lokpal panel made up of very intelligent right-wing despots," he states. On Anna's methods of campaigning, he says, "To clean up the democracy, doesn't mean you set anti-democratic precedents.

" He adds, "The mobilization of the middle class by Anna, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and the rest has been incredible, but to what end?" Rahul terms the Lokpalit flawed and one that needs discussion and amendments. "If you want the Jan Lokpal bill in its entirety, you've to start fighting for a dictatorship, albeit an intelligent one," he adds.

However, Rahul maintains that it was wrong of the government to arrest Anna. "It has shown a singular lack of political imagination in handling this affair so far," states Rahul (less)

He's been there for about 18 days. We are praying and we want him to get well soon," Soha told IANS.

The actress was in the capital to flag off Cannon Photo Marathon aimed at bringing together photographic talents. Mansoor was admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital following interstitial lung disease, when the passage of oxygen to the two lungs is less than normal.

As a result the patient breathes out more carbon dioxide. His actor son Saif Ali Khan, also made his third Delhi trip Wednesday to meet his ailing father and was accompanied by girl friend Kareena Kapoor.

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"I respect Raj-ji a lot. He is a very good man and his team is equally good.

He is doing a great job. Don't see what is happening in the city, but see what, how he is helping the poor.

I always say that Raj-ji is like a brother to me," the 33-year-old controversy queen said while attending a screening of Don 2 with cancer patients. " Kehte hain na ki jab seedhi ungli se ghee nahin nikalta hai toh ungli tedhi karni padti hai, aur koun nahin hai .

..

And I don't find anything wrong in his conduct," she added. When asked will she go and tie a rakhi to Raj, she promptly replied, "If bhai (Raj) asks me to come, I will surely go.

What is wrong in that and I always send him rakhi." The actress is clear when it comes to her career choices.

She says she has no plans to join politics. "Not at all, I don't understand politics.

I am an artist, a normal artist, a normal human being and I don't know anything about politics. I don't think I should ever join that profession.

We are artists and our work is to make people laugh. I have never thought about it and I have to do a lot of work in this industry," said Rakhi who had a dull 2011, except for a TV show Ghazab Desh Ki Ajab Kahaaniyan .

Rakhi was last seen in item numbers in films Rakhtbeej and Loot . Tweet (less)

"I respect Raj-ji a lot. He is a very good man and his team is equally good.

He is doing a great job. Don't see what is happening in the city, but see what, how he is helping the poor.

I always say that Raj-ji is like a brother to me," the 33-year-old controversy queen said while attending a screening of Don 2 with cancer patients. " Kehte hain na ki jab seedhi ungli se ghee nahin nikalta hai toh ungli tedhi karni padti hai, aur koun nahin hai .

..

And I don't find anything wrong in his conduct," she added. When asked will she go and tie a rakhi to Raj, she promptly replied, "If bhai (Raj) asks me to come, I will surely go.

What is wrong in that and I always send him rakhi." The actress is clear when it comes to her career choices.

She says she has no plans to join politics. "Not at all, I don't understand politics.

I am an artist, a normal artist, a normal human being and I don't know anything about politics. I don't think I should ever join that profession.

We are artists and our work is to make people laugh. I have never thought about it and I have to do a lot of work in this industry," said Rakhi who had a dull 2011, except for a TV show Ghazab Desh Ki Ajab Kahaaniyan .

Rakhi was last seen in item numbers in films Rakhtbeej and Loot . Tweet (less)

"Along with NIMS Hospital two years back we had announced that 100 poor patients would be given totally free treatment, including by-pass surgeries. We did that and now we have decided to carry forward the scheme for another 250 more poor patients," said Mammootty.

The veteran superstar, who turned 58 this month, does charity work through his Fans Association and apart from sponsoring heart surgeries, he is also involved in providing free cataract surgeries. Faizal Khan, managing director of NIMS Hospital, said that they are happy that Mammootty has decided to sponsor another 250 patients.

"The patients are identified by his Fans Association through medical camps. The financial position of the selected patients are thoroughly examined by them and the poorest of the poor people are selected.

Once they get admitted to our hospital, then we take over till the time the patient leaves the hospital by providing free treatment," said Khan. Tweet (less)

Malayalam has to be the toughest language in the world.Rattling off those long lines in Malayalam was an ordeal, especially in the scene where I had to die in front of Kamal Hassan.

I died. But in an unexpected way.

I was playing a woman with terminal cancer. While Kamalji was sitting beside me, on the hospital bed nursing me, I had to puke and he had to take the puke in his hands.

Oooof! I was deeply embarrassed, when I had to do this scene. Imagine puking into the legendary Kamal Hassan's hands! But he was so cool about it.

He assured me there was absolutely no need for me to feel self-conscious. He is a great actor.

And he took care of me in that scene. You've to see the dignity and grace he portrayed in this very scary and embarrassing moment in the ailing character's life.

He made it seem like the most natural thing to do. The scene taught me to lose all my inhibitions, while doing a scene.

When I met Kamalji again, after 30 years, to do a small role in his film Vishwaroopam, I remembered that same scene from Madonalsavam. It still makes me wince (less)

The deal was announced on the day it was screened for the press and the film industry at TIFF. Michael, which makes its world premiere in TIFF's Contemporary World Cinema section, has proven to be a success in the world market.

The feature film debut of Ribhu Dasgupta is a 98-minute film that follows the lives of people as they merge and get lost in Kolkata's landscape. Naseeruddin Shah essays the character Michael, a police officer, and Mahie Gill plays the nurse who befriends Michael.

While Kashyap's film has had an excellent start thanks to the screening at TIFF, Pankaj Kapur's big ticket film Mausam faced a major setback. One day before the screening, the filmmakers withdrew what was considered to be India's most prized entry at TIFF.

Mausam's filmmakers released a statement to the press explaining why the last moment decision was taken. They stated that the film could not be screened publicly because of delays in censorship and related permissions from the Indian Air Force.

Back home, Mausam due to the same problem, has now been delayed for a week. The film which was scheduled to release on 16 September will now release a week later.

When contacted, TIFF's co-director Cameron Bailey said, "Audiences in Toronto have been powerful champions for the promotion and growth of Indian cinema abroad. It's a shame that our audiences will be left disappointed.

" Reportedly, due to the latest turn of events, future blockbuster choices from India are expected to undergo more stringent guarantees on participation at TIFF (less)

"Lamba was arrested today and immediately released on bail," Additional Police Commissioner (West Region) Vishwas Nangare Patil said. Lamba, who possesses a 0.

45 bore pistol, was allegedly showing it to friend Rahul Bhatt at former's residence at Park Plaza on Yari Road when a bullet suddenly went off and travelled all the way to the Central Fisheries Education Institute, which is located a few hundreds yards away. It hit the wall of the boys hostel, before richocheting and hitting a student.

The police on Tuesday recorded Lamba's statement, in which he said that he was handling the gun and not Rahul Bhatt, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son. Lamba told police that soon after the bullet went off, he panicked and left the house with Bhatt without informing police.

On Tuesday night, police recorded Bhatt's statement, whose alleged friendship with David Headley led him to several rounds of questioning from police. Bhatt has also applied for a gun licence.

"We have confiscated Lamba's weapon and have sent it for ballistic examination. Records suggest he first owned a 0.

32 bore gun in Ludhiana, which he sold and later purchased a 0.45 bore gun in Mumbai," Addl CP Nangare Patil said.

The 0.45 bore pistol is prohibited in the entire country except Mumbai (less)

"Every addict in rehab feels like everyone's staring at them. With me, everyone was staring at me.

I could never be comfortable. There were people there that treated me normal.

Then there were a bunch of idiots who aren't even concentrating on their own sobriety because they're so worried about mine. They're stealing my hats, my books - it was chaos," Eminem said.

"Everything was drama in there. And, at the time, I didn't really want to get clean.

Everybody else wanted me to. And anyone will tell you, if you're not ready, nothing is going to change you," he added.

The star also said that his fear of dying ultimately forced him to clean up his act. "(One day) I had a feeling in my arm that was weird, man.

Like, it really freaked me out. So I went to some people I trust and said, 'Look, I know I need help.

I'm ready now.' I got a room in the same hospital where I overdosed, and I detoxed," he said.

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"I don't think we'll worry about that stuff," contactmusic.com quoted Warne as saying.

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Our houses share the same boundary wall," says Chirag Paswan , when asked about Rahul Gandhi's coming to watch the special screening of Chirag's debut " Miley Naa Miley Hum ". He says, "I won't say we're the best of friends, but we've grown up together and our families are very close, so I didn't have to convince him to watch my film.

In fact, he agreed instantly to watch my film at the first opportunity he got." So what was Rahul's reaction after he saw the film? "Oh, he enjoyed the movie.

The best part, he said, was the strong social message that our movie has. He even enjoyed the songs and the tennis sequences in the film," says Chirag (less)

There is still a lot of disbelief at the moment that he is no more. It is difficult for me and my family," Soha told reporters on the sidelines of a programme organised here by coffee chain Cafe Coffee Day and ITC's stationery brand ITC Classmate.

When asked about the love and support that has poured in from all over the world after the death of Tiger Pataudi, Soha said: "I and my family really appreciate the love and support that we have received from all over India and the world. We thank everyone for standing by us in this difficult moment.

" Pataudi, who led India in 40 Test matches, died September 22, 2011 following a lung infection. Tweet (less)

..

.says Soha Ali Khan who is back in Mumbai after attending to her father Nawab Pataudi Actor Soha Ali Khan who has been shuttling between Delhi and Mumbai to be with her father Nawab Pataudi who is suffering from Idiopathic lung fibrosis, trashes rumours that her father was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.

"He's doing all right, is stable now and we are with him. My brother has also gone over today and two-three members of the family are always with him.

He was never in the ICU, infact he doesn't need to be in ICU," she clarifies (less)

.Little thinking, yes," Holmes told MTV Digital during an interview for the promotion of her film.

Holmes is expected to accompany her superstar husband Tom Cruise, who is coming to India on Dec 2 to promote his forthcoming film Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol . He is also set to host a screening of the film for his Indian fans.

Directed by Dennis Dugan, Jack and Jill is about a guy who visits his twin sister for Thanks giving and the sequence of events after that forms the crux of the story. Tweet (less)

3 million. However, on the delivery day, the couple decided to throw out other patients from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which was on the same floor as Beyonce's delivery "suite", reports New York Post gossip column Page Six.

"They just used the hospital like it was their own and nobody else mattered," said Neil Coulon, whose efforts to see his premature, newborn twins in the neonatal ICU were disrupted by the birth of the superstar's first child. "They locked us into the NICU and would say, 'You can't come out to the hallway for the next 20 minutes'.

When I finally was able to go back out, I went to the waiting room and they'd ushered my family downstairs," Coulon added. Tweet (less)

Tagore, a great-grandniece of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, said: "This is my home. I have grown up here and attended school here.

My film career also began (with Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar) here." "This is where I met my husband.

This is where I got married. This city has wonderful memories for me," she said.

Tagore, who turns 66 Dec 8, again turned nostalgic towards the end of the speech. The trigger was the tune of a very popular Tagore song "Purano sei diner katha" (Memories of the good old days), played by the Kolkata Music Academy Orchestra conducted by Abraham Mazumdar.

"I just want to thank Abraham Mazumdar for the wonderful music, for his 'Purano Sei diner katha bhulbi ki re hai'. This song was my mother's favourite.

"It brings back so many memories," she added. Pataudi, an Indian cricket legend who personified style on and off the field, died Sep 22 in New Delhi after battling a lung infection.

He was 70. Pataudi and Tagore married Dec 27, 1969, after a four-year courtship (less)

Malayalam has to be the toughest language in the world.Rattling off those long lines in Malayalam was an ordeal, especially in the scene where I had to die in front of Kamal Hassan.

I died. But in an unexpected way.

I was playing a woman with terminal cancer. While Kamalji was sitting beside me, on the hospital bed nursing me, I had to puke and he had to take the puke in his hands.

Oooof! I was deeply embarrassed, when I had to do this scene. Imagine puking into the legendary Kamal Hassan's hands! But he was so cool about it.

He assured me there was absolutely no need for me to feel self-conscious. He is a great actor.

And he took care of me in that scene. You've to see the dignity and grace he portrayed in this very scary and embarrassing moment in the ailing character's life.

He made it seem like the most natural thing to do. The scene taught me to lose all my inhibitions, while doing a scene.

When I met Kamalji again, after 30 years, to do a small role in his film Vishwaroopam, I remembered that same scene from Madonalsavam. It still makes me wince (less)

"Along with NIMS Hospital two years back we had announced that 100 poor patients would be given totally free treatment, including by-pass surgeries. We did that and now we have decided to carry forward the scheme for another 250 more poor patients," said Mammootty.

The veteran superstar, who turned 58 this month, does charity work through his Fans Association and apart from sponsoring heart surgeries, he is also involved in providing free cataract surgeries. Faizal Khan, managing director of NIMS Hospital, said that they are happy that Mammootty has decided to sponsor another 250 patients.

"The patients are identified by his Fans Association through medical camps. The financial position of the selected patients are thoroughly examined by them and the poorest of the poor people are selected.

Once they get admitted to our hospital, then we take over till the time the patient leaves the hospital by providing free treatment," said Khan. Tweet (less)

My dream was to be a filmmaker. I started out making music videos and that was how I entered tinsel town.

Now, I guess I'll have to set a new milestone and mull over my next film, which hopefully will happen soon! I believe that a director can sustain his good work for around 10 years. That's his shelf life!" Elaborating on it he says, "From the time I began watching films, I've seen nearly all the works of N Chandra, JP Dutta, Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt and I've realised that for a decade or so, they give their best work to the audience.

Then somewhere mid-way they lose the plot. This is not to cast aspersions on their talent, it's just the way the industry works.

And then again, there are exceptions to this rule like Sudhir Mishra !" Speaking about this director, Neerav says, "Whether it was Yeh Who Manzil To Nahin, Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi, Chameli or the recent Yeh Saali Zindgai, he always manages to make relevant cinema. Yeah, maybe some of his films are not BO successes, but years later when you pick a CD and watch his film, his film seems to be telling a story of a relevant era, a burning issue etc.

, and how he manages to do this with such finesse is something I admire!" (less)

"I respect Raj-ji a lot. He is a very good man and his team is equally good.

He is doing a great job. Don't see what is happening in the city, but see what, how he is helping the poor.

I always say that Raj-ji is like a brother to me," the 33-year-old controversy queen said while attending a screening of "Don 2" with cancer patients. "Kehte hain na ki jab seedhi ungli se ghee nahin nikalta hai toh ungli tedhi karni padti hai, aur koun nahin hai.

..

And I don't find anything wrong in his conduct," she added. When asked will she go and tie a rakhi to Raj, she promptly replied, "If bhai (Raj) asks me to come, I will surely go.

What is wrong in that and I always send him rakhi." The actress is clear when it comes to her career choices.

She says she has no plans to join politics. "Not at all, I don't understand politics.

I am an artist, a normal artist, a normal human being and I don't know anything about politics. I don't think I should ever join that profession.

We are artists and our work is to make people laugh. I have never thought about it and I have to do a lot of work in this industry," said Rakhi who had a dull 2011, except for a TV show "Ghazab Desh Ki Ajab Kahaaniyan".

Rakhi was last seen in item numbers in films "Rakhtbeej" and "Loot" (less)

.!no regrets,worries or issues.

God has been soo kind to me n my family,its been a fabulous year. Ok now as promised I'll tell u wot I wanna change about myself.

. I'm always worried sum1 will get hurt or upset if I say nething negative so I can never put my foot down sternly.

I need 2 not care so much..

N if I say sumthing sternly I feel guilty n over compensate by saying more sweet things,its ridic..

LOL. I need 2 learn how 2 b mean sumtimes.

And then later I think of wot 2say,and feel bad I didn't think of it at the time!, any tips 2 help me out with this.(sic)" Well, we hope nothing, not even time, can change your sweet nature and demeanor Ayesha (less)

Sincerely! On a rather lazy evening, they even landed up by the furniture and cushions in the hall! I had spent many nights chasing them around with a broom until exhaustion overtook my violent adventure and slumbered me down". Even the rat traps placed by Bachchan failed to get them.

"They have discovered the means of escaping from them - and worse, with the cheese! I tried all possible remedies for this and failed, until finally it struck me that 'loha loha ko kat ta hai' and decided to encourage the stray cats from taking their stroll in the garden and occasionally to be fed with great sympathy by the staff of the house. In between I even tried that ingenious paste that when placed on a piece of paper that houses the treasured cheese, encourages the mice to have a go at it and get stuck in the paste before they reach the bait!! A huge sense of victory was experienced by me, when I met up with 'stuck' rat in the paste - a scenario I had long wished would happen some day!" Bachchan wrote furthe that he had a conversation with rat: "I spent a good half hour conversing with monsieur rat, telling him in a one way conversation sort of way, the anguish it had caused me for this rather large period of time chasing him about the house.

I think he was least interested in my vocabulary, which I must confess was a bit tempered and x-rated and proceeded to show me his prowess in trying to escape even when he was in such dire circumstances. Of course he failed, but the attempt was honest and worthy of mention .

..

he tried to bite its way out by attempting to eat and chew up the paper, little realizing that every portion of his body that touched 'paper treated paste' would have even grave consequences on the rest of his body!" Bachchan goes ahead and shares an earlier experience. He wrote "The rat that crawled out from a large gutter or drainage system in an earlier home of mine when I stayed in a rented place, is even more alarming! On returning from my work late one evening, I discovered a rat the size of a cat, over-grown and over-fed, taking very measured steps up the staircase in the house like he owned it! On making a few 'shooo' sounds to drive it away, it, moving in any case at.

005 feet per hour, stopped for a moment and slowly but very determinedly turned its head around to give one of the most evil glares that I may have ever received. It was almost human in its demeanor and this prompted me to leave it alone rather than be obsessed by its presence in the most personal portions of the house!! The other sized rats that came close in presence to this fellow were the ones on the sea front of Marine Drive among the quadrupeds, or whatever they are called, to prevent erosion ! Those experiences were at a time when there was no roof over my head and I had spent the nights on a bench the entire night, by the pavement! (less)

Oomph is wow! The lady, who has already given an inkling of the things to come in her sweltering item number Umrao Jaan of Damadamm, says without any inhibition: "Till date I have played the good gal in films like Aashayein, Jaane Kahan Se aayi Hai and Radio. But, I am loving my sexy avatar in Damadamm now.

I play the other woman, who completely floors Himesh with her chilled-out viewpoint and oomph quotient, and is in sharp contrast with his seedhi-saadhi wife. I know I look sizzling hot in the movie and I am sure audience will love this makeover of mine!" Stork can wait! When she is all ready to sizzle, ask her when is the stork visiting, and Sonal says with a throaty chuckle: "My husband Naresh Kamath is very busy as the bass guitarist of Kailash Kher's band, and I am also enjoying my stint in Bollywood.

So, stork will have to wait for a while. Later, we definitely have plans to welcome a baby in our world!" (less)

Singing is something that I am getting hang of. I may take up singing in future for sure," said the actress who is focusing on off beat films these days.

In last few years she has been seen in films like "My Brother Nikhil", "Jhankaar Beats" and "3 Deewarein". Her last release was the critically acclaimed film "I AM".

Though the film has been appreciated a lot, Juhi didn't get any awards for her performance. However, the 44-year-old is not concerned as she believes in associating herself with strong content.

"It's heart-warming..

.wherever 'I AM' has been showcased, I get a wonderful response from audiences.

It's a low budget film, we couldn't do marketing on a large scale. I believe the content matters more than anything else.

"Awards or no awards, it doesn't matter if your audience likes your film. The world will realise it someday.

I am anyways not bothered about it," she said. The former Miss India , who hails from Ludhiana, will now be seen playing a Punjabi woman in the romantic comedy " Son Of Sardar ".

"'Son Of Sardars' as the title itself suggests is about the Punjabi family and I am playing a Punjabi woman in it. It's a typical Punjabi life where they have a house in the middle of the farm.

It's a mad family. It's a feel good humor," Juhi told to IANS.

The film is being directed by Ashwani Dhir and is produced by Akshay Kumar's production house Hari Om Entertainment. It also features Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha .

Juhi, who will be share screen space with Sanjay Dutt in the film, says: "He is a really sweet guy. It's great working with him.

I have just worked with him for two days for this film." (less)

Could it be because he hasn't considered casting A-list actors? "It (having big stars) does make a difference you want your film to be seen by the widest audience. No one controls this.

..

If you don't have any of the 10 main actors, then you are always going to struggle to attract an audience. And that's the fight that I am not giving up on," Kukunoor told IANS.

He has worked with actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Shreyas Talpade, Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and John Abraham. He is confident that until and unless his script demands a superstar, he doesn't need one.

"That's not the goal with what I started making out my films. That was not the idea.

Only if the script demands, then I will (cast a star)," he said. Kukunoor has always maintained a variety in his projects, but he doesn't mind repeating his actors.

"I do repeat my actors absolutely. If you have a nice actor, I don't see reason why you have to look out for another," he set the record straight.

However, the filmmaker is open to all and sundry. Even after stating that he won't enter the romantic genre, he went ahead and made "Mod", starring Ayesha and Rannvijay Singh.

And now he plans to make something completely different. "In this industry, we say something and do something else.

But it's a part of the game. I said I'll never make a love story, but I made one.

But one thing I do is don't repeat is my story. Since I've made a love story, I will make something different now," he said (less)

"He is suffering from a disease which does not have proper or permanent cure. It takes time.

We are giving him treatment to reduce infection. We are giving him oxygen supply so that he can inhale easily.

He may be discharged some time next week," a doctor attending on him said. Pataudi''s son and Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and actress daughter Soha Ali Khan are meeting him on and off while his wife Sharmila Tagore is with him all the time.

Pataudi, regarded as one of the finest Indian captains, played 46 Tests for the country, scoring 2793 runs at an average of 34.91 with an unbeaten 203 being his highest score.

In all, he smashed six centuries and 16 fifties in his career (less)

This was due to a chapter of the Rotary Club booking the hall for a charity show to raise money for medical treatment. The Rotary Club of Durbarmarg has begun a fund donation drive to raise money for patients who need blood for major surgeries but can't afford the tests required to see if the donor's blood group and the recipient's are compatible.

Cancer specialist Rajendra Baral, who also heads the Durbarmarg chapter of the club, said seed money of NRS.70,000 (a little less than Rs.

45,000) had been raised from the charity show. Despite occasional brushes with censors, Bollywood films remain one of the most popular fund-raisers for charitable projects in Nepal.

While Aarakshan has been banned in some Indian states, it has received medium acclaim in Nepal so far. However, Jha's earlier release in Nepal, " Rajneeti " starring Katrina Kaif , was well received with Nepal's leading politicians also turning up to watch the film on politics.

One of the most popular Nepali films of 2010, "Bato muni ko phool" (The flower by the roadside) directed by Suroj Subba was on the issue of untouchability (less)

Karan was obviously flattered. Unfortuantely for Kat, Tarun Mansukhani the director of Dostana has been stuck without a second half for the Dostana sequel.

So the film has been long delayed in the making. When Kat heard Ayan Mukerjee was casting a leading lady opposite her estranged boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor for a Dharma Production, she once again sent out feelers seeking the role.

A trade source says, ``Since Kat is the No 1 Bollywood girl today Karan and co were reportedly flattered with her interest in the project. However when it came to the crux, Kat happily chose Aditya Chopra over his best friend Karan Johar.

Since she had a choice between allotting dates in the month of November 2011 to the Shah Rukh-Yash Chopra project or the Ranbir Kapoor-Ayan Mukerjee project, she chose SRK and Yashraj over Ranbir and Dharma. A source says, ``Kat has clearly played favourites and this has reportedly not gone down well with some at Dharma.

However Karan Johar maintains a good equation with Katrina on the face of it. So naturally no one is willing to say anything on record (less)

"One of the main reasons for films not to be shot in Las Vegas is that the character of the place is very defined and we need to show it as Las Vegas. It can't be shown as any other city.

Since most films are not set there, it gets difficult. In case of "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu" our film is set in Las Vegas and Mumbai," Batra told IANS.

"To shoot 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' was a bit difficult as we were shooting in the middle of Christmas and New Year to catch the festivities of the place. Otherwise, it is like shooting in any other foreign location," added the director who spent 30 days there to shoot the film.

The Alps in Switzerland , beaches in New Zealand and Australia or the hustle bustle of cities like London , New York , Los Angeles , Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur , have become a staple in Bollywood films as it jazzes up the look and feel of the movie, but filmmakers have stayed away from Las Vegas so far. In last 14 years a few films were shot in the entertainment capital of the world -- "Pardes" (1997), "Jeans" 1998 and 2010 releases "Kites" and "Anjaana Anjaani".

Though filmmakers stay away from shooting movies in the Las Vegas for obvious reasons, but tourists are thronging the place. Located in the Nevada state in the US, the place, also known as "sin city" for its relaxed laws on gaming and prostitution, reportedly receives about 40 million visitors every year.

Now Imran wants to backpack and holiday in Las Vegas with friends. "Every year Imran Khan and his buddies take off to back packing trip for a week or so.

This year he is very keen all his friends and he should visit Las Vegas," said a source close to the actor. "Imran fell in love with Las Vegas while shooting there for 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' last year.

Kareena Kapoor and he had a blast while shooting. The place is anyways very peppy and full of life, however, Christmas and New Year it turns special.

Imran Khan tried to learn gambling, watched plays and magic shows to enjoy the festivity the unit had a blast," the source added. The travel package for Las Vegas costs between Rs.

1,50,000 to Rs.200,000 and one gets to see other cities too.

"These locations where films are shot are very expensive. Young people and young families are more inclined towards such trips.

They call for queries and ask us to include the specific locations in their package, but after working out the complete package it turns out a little expensive -- so at times they drop it down considering their budget," said Nupur Goswami, sr. consultant of outbound tour at Prime Travels.

"A trip to Las Vegas alone does not really happen often because it is included in package with other places. But if somebody wants to, then the package would roughly be around Rs.

1,50,000," she added. Neeraj Dev, head of Outbound Vertical at Yatra Online Pvt Ltd, said: "People don't visit Las Vegas alone, the package includes New York, Washington and Las Vegas.

They spend about two-three nights in Vegas. It is a 15 days package, which comes around to Rs.

200,000." (less)

Says a source, "Vivek is extremely attached to his two dogs who have been with him for years. He was heart-broken at Duke's death as his pooches are not just his companions but almost like his friends.

Few people know that VO is an animal lover who goes out of his way to pick up stray dogs and cats and nurse them back to health." (less)

" Though the role is small, Tarantino was concerned about choosing a suitable actor for the part as the character is vital to the story. Django Unchained follows the story of Django, a freed slave who under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter Ace Woody becomes a bounty hunter himself.

"After assisting Woody in taking down some bad guys for profit, he tracks down his slave wife and liberates her from an evil plantation owner, variety.com reports.

The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as the film's villain, Calvin Candie; Jamie Foxx as Django; Christoph Waltz as Ace Woody, the bounty hunter on Candie's tail; Kerry Washington as Django's wife, Broomhilda; and Samuel L. Jackson as an outspoken slave.

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