The Bachchans are known to be superstitious, and won't do anything that could have an adverse effect on their little one. It is heard that he family hasn't zeroed in on any name yet, though there has been a short-list of names beginning with 'A'.

Well, let's wait and watch what this little bundle of joy is going to be called (less)

He is anyway very kiddish, but I am sure he will mature now," Sikander said on UTV Stars' "Live My Life". The two actors are close buddies.

Sikander also happened to disclose that Abhishek is keen on a baby girl. Abhishek's wife, actress Aishwarya Rai, is due to have a baby in the second week of November (less)

Amitabh had broken the news that Aishwarya is pregnant in June. Tweet (less)

Rahman. "The movie has so many romantic songs, so what can be the perfect way to project my songs with Taj as a backdrop.

I always want people to recognise my music and this is what I am trying to do (through this album)," Rahman told reporters here on the sidelines of the music launch. "The film is the perfect expression of love and that's what the songs speak," he added.

Rahman was accompanied by the film's cast, Prateik and Amy Jackson. Even Prateik is excited to have got a chance to work with The Mozart of Madras.

"I love Taj, especially because it is a symbol of love. Also, working with Rahman was such a delight," said Prateik.

The album has an interesting mix of romantic and emotional numbers. While two of them are fresh Hindi songs, the remaining five are Hindi versions of original songs sung in Tamil and Telugu.

The lyrics are penned by Javed Akhtar. Directed by Gautham Menon, the film revolves around an aspiring filmmaker from Mumbai, who falls in love with a woman from a strict orthodox Christian family.

It is the remake of Tamil film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa , which was also directed by Menon. Tweet (less)

"I enjoy doing action films. Actually, in the last two-three years I have done more experimental films and I was really looking forward to get back to my original love," Abhishek told PTI.

"When Abbas narrated the film, I was all excited to start it. I knew he is the man who can handle the remake properly.

Being from a British boarding school, Michael Caine used to be my hero. I have watched his 'The Italian Job' many times.

There was a time when I used to know all the dialogues by heart," the 35-year-old actor added. The film was again made in 2003 by F Gary Gray, starring Mark Wahlberg and Abhishek is confident that it will be third time lucky for him.

"Mark Wahlberg did a superb job as he portrayed a completely different character of what Caine had done. He gave his own spin to the character.

"Similarly, when I approached the film, I also tried to do something different. I took it as a challenge to portray the character in my own way but by maintaining the essence of the originality in it.

Usually in our films we see thieves steal either for greed or money. But there is an emotional reason attached to it," Abhishek said.

Starting his career with cross-border love story 'Refugee', Abhishek has often been criticised by the critics for the kind of films he has done. But he says he has always taken criticism positively.

"People often compared me with dad (Amitabh Bachchan). But I have never felt low in my life.

Rather I have looked at the other side of the criticism. People criticise me because they feel I am worth the comparison with my dad," he said.

The actor, who has become a proud father of a baby girl with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, said the presence of the baby did not stop him from promoting the film. "Promoting my film is my priority at this moment as there are other people to look after the baby.

That's a part of one's job. My family completely understands it.

The actor said they are yet to come up with a name for the child. Tweet (less)

Jaswant Sisodia (Manoj Bajpayee) rules supreme in the town of Bijnor and one of his indulgences involve forcing a girl Anshu (Tia Bajpai) to be his mistress. Anshu's parents are as helpless and humiliated as the vulnerable victim, who ironically gets willfully raped every night by Jaswant.

Jaswant's close aid (Arjan Bajwa), who he as well considers his younger brother, comes to the town and supervises his illicit operations. His loyalty towards Jaswant remains integral until his empathy towards Anshu overpowers it.

That's when he decides to betray his mentor. Visibly Tia symbolizes Sita, Manoj Bajpayee represents Raavan, and Arjan Bajwa stands for Vibhishan in this selective depiction of Ramayana.

And through its dense drama, the film justifies Vibhishan's stand to stand against the morally wrong Raavan. Where debutante director Maqbool Khan's expertise comes is in giving Manoj Bajpayee's character a poised tone wherein, on one hand he is despicable for the heroine, on the other hand he is role model for the hero.

As an audience, you relate to both the extreme shades in his personality, which can also be immensely attributed to Bajpayee's persuasive hold on the character. The plotline isn't entirely inventive and one has seen thematically similar interpretations, notably in Rakesh Roshan's Koyla (1997) or more recently Kites (2010).

How it steers clear from other cinematic adaptations of Ramayana is from the fact that it intentionally avoids incorporating Ram as the ideal protagonist and substitutes it with Vibhishan who might not be perfect yet opposes evil. So the entire essence of the film lies in the camaraderie between Raavan-Vibhishan (Bajpayee-Bajwa) and their subsequent conflict.

Thereby the director keeps the romance track between Arjan Bajwa and Tia Bajpai to the minimal and thankfully the narrative never branches out into their individual love story. A better alternative would have been to restrict their bonding only till empathetic emotions (like in Emraan Hashmi's Awaarapan ) over the avoidable streak of romance.

The focus is more on the conflict between men than highlighting the trauma inflicted on the woman. Thereby the lust and obsession that fuels Jaswant's desire to dominate Anshu, both, physically and psychologically, remains peripheral to the plot and doesn't register effectively enough.

In fact their back-story is never fleshed out. Somewhere there is more amity between the male leads than animosity with Arjan Bajwa's duty-bound character being a mute spectator for the major runtime before he rebels in the very end.

And post his revolt, the film comes to a quick end with a solo climactic confrontation scene between the men. The climax, however, seems hurried and convenient in the bigger picture.

It's sad then that what could have been shown as a rare account of ethical unfaithfulness ends up being a generalized preachy epilogue on how men should treat woman with respect and how wronged woman should not lose hope and continue their fight against injustice and blah blah blah. It almost changes the tenor of the male-dominated drama to a woman-liberation film.

Shashank Dabral's writing is fairly interesting to the extent that it never strikes your engaged mind that Arjan Bajwa's character name is never mentioned in the film. However the political nexus in the narrative isn't seamlessly integrated with central plot and rather runs parallel to it.

Also the dialogues could have been more effective over the trite lines. The film is completely designed in and around Manoj Bajpayee's character and the actor justifies the immense scope he gets with an authoritative performance.

He has a menacing attitude, his eyes speak volumes, he laughs hysterically and thankfully never goes overboard (despite a strong tendency to ham). Arjan Bajwa is impressive as the man of few words and despite Bajpayee's towering persona; he still commands good screen presence.

Fortunately Tia Bajpai is given the least lines, scenes and footage in the film and one doesn't complain. Yateen Karyekar as the defenseless father is impressive.

The immensely talented Manish Chaudhari doesn't get much scope here. Yashpal Sharma is regular.

Director Maqbool Khan shows restraint and refinement in crafting his first film. This Lanka, though not full of gold, has some shining moments.

Finally there's a film about Raavan which belongs to its Raavan! Verdict: Good (less)

Sphere: Related Content Posted in (less)

"Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Both Aishwarya and the baby are doing great and taking some much needed rest.

..

." Abhishek posted.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivered a baby girl today at Mumbai's Seven Hills Hospital. Among the first visitors at the hospital were Abhishek's childhood friend Goldie Behl and his wife Sonali.

The Bachchan baby has generated huge interest and an avalanche of posts and tweets on social sites. Obviously, just as excited is Abhishek Bachchan.

"And I'm trying my level best to get rid of this caffeine high and get some sleep too. Don't think it'll work.

TOO EXCITED!!!!" Tweet (less)

..

let me thank all of you that have wished Aishwarya for her birthday..

.I shall pass on your greetings to her.

..

gratitude," Big B posted on Twitter. And Abhishek posted: "Thank you all for the wonderful and thoughtful wishes for Aishwarya.

Will read them all out to her." (less)

She was admitted to the Seven Hills Hospital in Andheri late last night, a spokesperson of the Bachchan family told the Press Trust of India. However, it is not known yet when she is expected to deliver the baby.

Aishwarya's father-in-law and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan tweeted a few hours ago: "A day of expectation ..

but another day ! The Lord has his ways and they are most special ..

we wait !!" Exclusive Photos: Aishwarya checks in for delivery This weekend, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was "up and about" as her husband Abhishek Bachchan's tweet in response to a fan's query, says. She paid another visit to the Seven Hills Hospital for a check-up on Saturday night.

She was accompanied by members of her family, including Abhishek and sister-in-law Shweta Bachchan Nanda. Meanwhile, preparations are on in full swing at the Bachchan home for the arrival of Baby B.

"The family gathers together from all over as we wait for the 'arrival' ..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel'" says a tweet from Aishwarya's father-in-law, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. But the preparations to welcome Baby B did not deter Mr Bachchan from watching Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar on Sunday.

"Its late but not without cause ..

just back from 'RockStar' and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis," he tweeted. Mr Bachchan, who is very active on Twitter, followed up with another tweet praising Rockstar.

In the same breath he tweeted on taking time off to wait for his soon-to-be-born grandchild. " Still with RockStar and its beauty .

.and now to be with family and its joys .

. some of the pleasures of vacant schedules .

.rare !! Excitement over soon-to-be-born Baby B reached a head on 11.

11.11, especially when Aishwarya was spotted at the hospital on the eve of 11.

11.11.

Many felt the Bachchan bahu was being admitted for delivery. However, a reported statement from her spokesperson on social sites categorically denied that she was indeed admitted.

She was apparently at the hospital for a check-up and left after that. On Friday night, Mr Bachchan's Twitter timeline was jammed with messages congratulating him for the birth of Aishwarya's baby boy.

This, after another round of gossip claiming she had delivered on the day which reportedly had 150 crore riding on it as bookies across the country went on an overdrive. Photos: Aishwarya's rare childhood photos "Getting congratulatory messages on Aishwarya delivering a boy !!! Guess they know more than even she does !! False and incorrect news," Mr Bachchan tweeted.

The Seven Hills Hospital has been in the limelight ever since it was confirmed as the choice of the Bachchans for Aishwarya's baby. Photos: Days before delivery, Aishwarya is angry Set in Marol, Andheri (E), it's easy to see why the Bachchans picked it over the usual celebrity choices, including the landmark Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai.

Before it became associated with the Bachchan baby, Seven Hills to the casual observer could pass for a luxury gated residential complex. There are two entrances to the main building and a massive car park which separates it from the road.

The back gate mostly remains closed and our sources say the Bachchans enter through the main gate like everyone else. There is now an enclosure built in the compound of the hospital (our sources say by the hospital).

Very likely, this is where the announcement for Baby B will be made. Photos: Bachchans' grand Diwali party This is likely to double up as security enclosure after Baby B's arrival.

For now, there is not much activity around the hospital. Looks like India and the Bachchans are patiently waiting for Baby B to arrive.

Keep watching this space for updates.(Some information courtesy PTI) Tweet (less)

She was accompanied by members of her family, including Abhishek and sister-in-law Shweta Bachchan Nanda. Meanwhile, preparations are on in full swing at the Bachchan home for the arrival of Baby B.

"The family gathers together from all over as we wait for the 'arrival' ..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel'" says a tweet from Aishwarya's father-in-law, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. But the preparations to welcome Baby B did not deter Mr Bachchan from watching Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar on Sunday.

"Its late but not without cause ..

just back from 'RockStar' and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis," he tweeted. Mr Bachchan, who is very active on Twitter, followed up with another tweet praising Rockstar.

In the same breath he tweeted on taking time off to wait for his soon-to-be-born grandchild. " Still with 'RockStar' and its beauty .

.and now to be with family and its joys .

. some of the pleasures of vacant schedules .

.rare !! Excitement over soon-to-be-born Baby B reached a head on 11.

11.11, especially when Aishwarya was spotted at the hospital on the eve of 11.

11.11.

Many felt the Bachchan bahu was being admitted for delivery. However, a reported statement from her spokesperson on social sites categorically denied that she was indeed admitted.

She was apparently at the hospital for a check-up and left after that. On Friday night, Mr Bachchan's Twitter timeline was jammed with messages congratulating him for the birth of Aishwarya's baby boy.

This, after another round of gossip claiming she had delivered on the day which reportedly had 150 crore riding on it as bookies across the country went on an overdrive. "Getting congratulatory messages on Aishwarya delivering a boy !!! Guess they know more than even she does !! False and incorrect news," Mr Bachchan tweeted.

There was high interest building up outside the hospital as 11.11.

11 dawned and progressed. Passersby craned their necks through cracks and crevices in the boundary wall surrounding the hospital, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the Bachchan family.

Aishwarya, we believe was at Jalsa, one of the Bachchan homes, through the day. The Seven Hills Hospital has been in the limelight ever since it was confirmed as the choice of the Bachchans for Aishwarya's baby.

Set in Marol, Andheri (E), it's easy to see why the Bachchans picked it over the usual celebrity choices, including the landmark Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai. Before it became associated with the Bachchan baby, Seven Hills to the casual observer could pass for a luxury gated residential complex.

There are two entrances to the main building and a massive car park which separates it from the road. The back gate mostly remains closed and our sources say the Bachchans enter through the main gate like everyone else.

There is now an enclosure built in the compound of the hospital (our sources say by the hospital). Very likely, this is where the announcement for Baby B will be made.

This is likely to double up as security enclosure after Baby B's arrival. For now, there is not much activity around the hospital.

Looks like India and the Bachchans are patiently waiting for Baby B to arrive. Keep watching this space for updates.

Tweet (less)

Rai of Tanu Weds Manu fame. He says he chose Dhanush for his simplicity.

"For the past six months, I've been looking for a simple boy to play the lead in 'Raanjhnaa'. My requirement was a man who could look vulnerable on screen.

When I saw Dhanush in the Tamil film Aadukalam , I liked him immediately. He looks very ordinary and honest, and that was the demand of the character," Rai said in a press statement.

If the grapevine is to be believed, the director had approached him for the movie before the success of Kolaveri di , from the upcoming Tamil film 3 , directed by wife Aishwarya. Dhanush, who is Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law, is not too well versed with Hindi.

But it won't be a barrier for his Bollywood career as he is keen to explore the industry and learn the local language and culture. "It's a big deal to get a launch like this at the beginning of my career here.

Aanand's script is different from regular cinema; it's one of those 'made to make a difference' kind of films," said Dhanush. "The film is an intense love story.

Just like my film Tanu Weds Manu , the film and its characters will take you to Delhi, Punjab, Chennai," said Rai. Both Dhanush and Rai recently visited Benaras for the film.

The actor is also perhaps planning to hire a coach to learn Hindi. He is convinced that by the time the film's shoot gets over, he will be able to communicate fluently in Hindi, which will open more avenues for him.

Tweet (less)

Both his daughters Aishwaryaa and Soundarya are locked in a race to apparently release the Hindi version of their respective Tamil films around the same time, irrespective of the loss in profits one may cause to the other. While news of Soundarya's Kochadaiyyan , featuring Rajnikanth himself, being dubbed from Tamil to Hindi for a wider audience is already known, now we hear that Aishwaryaa's 3 , better known for its iconic Kolaveri Di song by her singer/actor husband Dhanush, will also be dubbed in Hindi to release along with its Tamil version.

Dhanush confirmed, "Yes, I am planning to dub 3 in Hindi and release it along with the Tamil version. It's a thriller; there's nothing culture-specific about it.

" The decision, apparently, was taken earlier this month in the light of Kolaveri Di 's unprecedented success. When the song was shot for the film last week, everyone in the crew was convinced the film had the potential to launch Dhanush in Bollywood.

A source said, "Everyone connected with the project felt that a Hindi version of 3 was the need of the hour especially with its track Kolaveri di busting charts across the world. Then the way the song was shot, it sounded even better than expected.

Only Dhanush had misgivings. He felt his Bollywood debut should not be a dubbed Tamil film.

But he was out voted by the rest of the 3 team." It seems like Aishwaryaa's 3 has an edge to the finishing line, as the romantic portions featuring Rajnikanth are yet to be shot in Kochadaiyyan .

Interestingly when we asked Dhanush if he would like to work with his sister-in-law Soundarya at some point, he dismissed the idea saying, "She is not my kind of a director." Tweet (less)

Sources inform us that the shooting of the film will begin only around mid-2012. Apparently, Aishwarya is so keen to get back to the big screen and do what she loves most - act - that the gorgeous damsel has already hit the treadmill and is on the course of becoming fit and sexy all over again.

We are told that the dedicated actress has already hired a fitness trainer and has begun to sweat it out. A pregnant Ash had put on a sufficient amount of weight, and she felt that the time to lose it all has indeed come.

However, still basking in the glory of motherhood, Ash, we hear, is taking it one step at a time. It is being widely specualted that the actor cast opposite her in this magnum opus is none other than her Devdas co-star Shah Rukh Khan.

It's only a matter of time, in that case, that we'll see a much-in-shape Aishwarya emerge on the silver screen to wow the audiences and her fans all over again (less)

Not that it could be mistaken for anything other than what it is: a Bollywood epic with a magpie appetite and, of course, songs and dances. (The catchy, clubby Chammak Challo , featuring Akon, is already a hit.

) For all its cost, digital effects and virtual reality feints, Ra.One is a traditional, if somewhat undercooked, Hindi movie confrontation between good and evil.

After all, the villain is named Ra.One (for Random Access Version 1.

0), which can be pronounced Raavan, like the 10-headed demon in the Ramayana. And G.

One, the hero, is also Jeevan, which means life. Sporting a wig of floppy curls, Shah Rukh Khan, the film's star and guiding force, plays Shekhar, a nerdy computer game designer in London.

(Even the thieves speak Hindi in this town.) To win the admiration of his son, Prateek (Armaan Verma), he creates a game in which the bad guy, Ra.

One, is more powerful than the hero, G.One.

But Ra.One breaks into the real world and wants to kill Prateek, which sends the boy and his mother (Kareena Kapoor, looking great with a few new pounds) to India with G.

One (Mr. Khan again, sans curls), who has also come to life.

Ra.One , directed by Anubhav Sinha, works hard with its money.

(The Times of India has reported the budget as $30 million.) Full of digital effects, wire work and things that go flying (cars, men, supermen) the movie is technically as sophisticated as anything Bollywood has produced.

A standout is G.One's rescue of Kareena on a runaway train that crashes rather spectacularly out of Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.

You can see the money on screen, if not in the screenwriting. The exposition is longwinded and confusing, as are the rules of the game, in the virtual and the real worlds.

The bumbling Shekhar is too clownish; Ra.One is a dud demon (Raavan is invoked to little effect) who disappears for chunks of time; and you probably won't hold your breath as good fights evil.

But if the storytelling disappoints (shocking!), the film mostly doesn't. It relies on action and effects and Bollywood's trump card, star power, to carry the day.

This is Shah Rukh Khan's movie, and once he sheds Shekhar's droopy locks, he shines as the deadpan, action-hero robot with digital snot and smooth moves on the dance floor. Tweet (less)

..

Who do you love more, Beti B or Ash?, " Uday, 38, asked Abhishek, 35, on micro-blogging site Twitter. To which junior B replied, "I love Beti B in Aishwarya's arms the most.

" Aishwarya Rai gave birth to her and husband Abhishek Bachchan's first child Nov 16 and since then the entire family, including grandpa Amitabh Bachchan, is busy spending time with the new-born. "First day back at work after Beti B.

And so difficult to concentrate. Thoughts are monopolized by a certain little lady," Abhishek further posted.

Tweet (less)

Both his daughters Aishwaryaa and Soundarya are locked in a race to apparently release the Hindi version of their respective Tamil films around the same time, irrespective of the loss in profits one may cause to the other. While news of Soundarya's Kochadaiyyan , featuring Rajnikanth himself, being dubbed from Tamil to Hindi for a wider audience is already known, now we hear that Aishwaryaa's 3 , better known for its iconic Kolaveri Di song by her singer/actor husband Dhanush, will also be dubbed in Hindi to release along with its Tamil version.

Dhanush confirmed, "Yes, I am planning to dub 3 in Hindi and release it along with the Tamil version. It's a thriller; there's nothing culture-specific about it.

" The decision, apparently, was taken earlier this month in the light of Kolaveri Di 's unprecedented success. When the song was shot for the film last week, everyone in the crew was convinced the film had the potential to launch Dhanush in Bollywood.

A source said, "Everyone connected with the project felt that a Hindi version of 3 was the need of the hour especially with its track Kolaveri di busting charts across the world. Then the way the song was shot, it sounded even better than expected.

Only Dhanush had misgivings. He felt his Bollywood debut should not be a dubbed Tamil film.

But he was out voted by the rest of the 3 team." It seems like Aishwaryaa's 3 has an edge to the finishing line, as the romantic portions featuring Rajnikanth are yet to be shot in Kochadaiyyan .

Interestingly when we asked Dhanush if he would like to work with his sister-in-law Soundarya at some point, he dismissed the idea saying, "She is not my kind of a director." Tweet (less)

Having created RGV Ki Aag (the Varma version of Sholay) in 2007, the filmmaker will now create his version of the Ramayana in Telugu. Confirming the news, Ram Gopal Varma told Mumbai Mirror, "My version of the Ramayana will be a modern day interpretation of the epic.

It is my imagination of what would have happened if the mythological characters existed in 2011." All set to direct the film himself, Ramu has even decided to cast the biggest stars of Telugu cinema for his opus.

Situated in Andhra Pradesh, circa 2011, the film will be based on a war between two big corporates. "It is the story of Dasharath Rao who heads Ayodhya group of companies.

He is married to Kaushalya. On a business trip, he meets a woman named Kaikeyi Agarwal and ends up marrying her," revealed Ramu about the storyline of his next big venture.

"Dasharath Rao promises his second wife Kaikeyi that he will hand over his business to her son Bharat Kumar and not Ram Shankar, his son from the first wife. He asks Ram to head a sick unit situated far away.

Ram's brother Lakshman Shankar follows him," added the filmmaker. And the story gets better with the rivals of Ayodhya group entering the scene.

Lanka group of companies headed by Raavan Raju creates problems for Dasharath's family. Raavan has a brother Bheeshan Raju and a sister Shoorapauna.

Shoorapauna is a party animal and a drug addict. While the character names and the plot would appear comic to many, Ramu himself denied making a parody of the religious text.

"Unlike the speculations, my film is not going to be a comedy or a parody. It will be a very serious family thriller on the lines of Sarkar.

It will first be made in Telugu and then in Hindi," said the filmmaker. Ramu even assured that with this film he would make sure no religious sentiments are hurt.

A source close to the filmmaker told us, "Ramu recently saw the Telugu film Shri Ram Rajyam Prabhu Dev . That's when the idea of making a modern day version of the epic struck him.

He is currently filming Bejawada in Hyderabad. After this he will decide on the cast for RGV Ki Ramayana.

The Hindi version will in fact be rather interesting." (less)

AR Murugadoss was always to direct the Hindi version of Ramana - a movie that deals with anti-corruption. Shah Rukh is all set to play the vigilante in this one, and has already given a nod to the producer and director.

However, a source informs us that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will indeed be seen playing a part in Bajirao Mastani and not Ramana. he hunt for a female lead in Ramana is still on.

So SRK will be seen in not one but two of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's productions (less)

..

and my family," Aishwarya, who couldn't attend the ceremony, said in a statement. The 37-year-old, who is expecting her first child with husband Abhishek Bachchan, could not attend the event in Mumbai Aug 25 as she had a prior family commitment.

However, she acknowledged the award through her message. Aishwarya's father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan had received the same award in 2010 for his contribution to the Hindi film industry.

Pazhassi Raja Charitable Trust was formed with the intention of remembering freedom fighter Veera Pazhassi Rajaand and his patriotism and of introducing him to the new generation. Tweet (less)

Rai of Tanu Weds Manu fame. He says he chose Dhanush for his simplicity.

"For the past six months, I've been looking for a simple boy to play the lead in 'Raanjhnaa'. My requirement was a man who could look vulnerable on screen.

When I saw Dhanush in the Tamil film Aadukalam , I liked him immediately. He looks very ordinary and honest, and that was the demand of the character," Rai said in a press statement.

If the grapevine is to be believed, the director had approached him for the movie before the success of Kolaveri di , from the upcoming Tamil film 3 , directed by wife Aishwarya. Dhanush, who is Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law, is not too well versed with Hindi.

But it won't be a barrier for his Bollywood career as he is keen to explore the industry and learn the local language and culture. "It's a big deal to get a launch like this at the beginning of my career here.

Aanand's script is different from regular cinema; it's one of those 'made to make a difference' kind of films," said Dhanush. "The film is an intense love story.

Just like my film Tanu Weds Manu , the film and its characters will take you to Delhi, Punjab, Chennai," said Rai. Both Dhanush and Rai recently visited Benaras for the film.

The actor is also perhaps planning to hire a coach to learn Hindi. He is convinced that by the time the film's shoot gets over, he will be able to communicate fluently in Hindi, which will open more avenues for him.

Tweet (less)

Abhishek Bachchan tweeted, "IT'S A GIRL!!!!!! :-)))))". Proud grandfather Amitabh Bachchan tweeted, "T 561 - I AM DADA to the cutest baby girl !" "T 561 - A dada ji .

..

Ecstatic !!!!" Amitabh tweeted thereafter. Post the big news Twitter has been flooded with wishes for the Bachchan family and Amitabh was quick to that all his friends and well-wishers for their wishes.

"T 561 - thank you all ..

!" he tweeted. Hospital sources said the delivery was normal and came a few minutes before 10 a.

m. The Bachchan and Rai families were present for the momentous occasion.

Aishwarya, 38, developed labour pains around 4 a.m.

and was taken to the labour room where the delivery took place after nearly six hours. The actress is on the fifth floor of the luxury private hospital in Andheri east.

Photos: Aishwarya in hospital The Bachchans went in for the unconventional suburban choice of hospital, side stepping the more popular celebrity choices such as the Breach Candy Hospital. Reportedly, this is the same hospital where Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's sister-in-law, Shrima Rai, gave birth.

It was her father-in-law, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, who broke the big news on behalf of Bollywood's "first family." On June 21 (Tuesday night) @SrBachchan tweeted: ""NEWS NEWS NEWS !! I AM GOING TO BECOME A GRANDFATHER .

. AISHWARYA EXPECTING .

. SO HAPPY AND THRILLED !!!,".

Those 104 characters in all caps confirmed the news India waited for ever since the Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding in 2007. Hardly surprising, but awe-inspiring nonetheless that in half an hour Mr Bachchan's Twitter page received 2,843 congratulatory messages.

Fans and the media poured into the boulevard outside their Juhu bungalow the next morning. Photos: Aishwarya's rare childhood photos Despite the obvious goodwill and excitement surrounding a Bachchan pregnancy, it has not been controversy-free for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

After spending a good part of her married years fending of pregnancy rumours, things came to a head when rumours surfaced of a stomach tuberculosis plaguing her which was preventing her from getting pregnant and delivering a Bachchan baby to anxious in-laws counting down to being grandparents. Photos: Days before delivery, Aishwarya is angry A furious Amitabh Bachchan demanded an apology from the Mumbai tabloid which had carried the story and asked for a donation to a national charitable foundation working for tuberculosis.

Through his blog Mr Bachchan demanded an apology for the "defamatory" article. The actor also posted on his blog a letter written by Aishwarya to the tabloid asking for a denial and an apology which the tabloid printed.

"Do note that the last few lines of the letter seeking apology have been conveniently deleted in the print," Mr Bachchan posted on his blog. The next controversy hit right after Mr Bachchan's breaking news tweet.

Just a month ago, in May 2011, Aishwarya was introduced as the leading lady of Madhur Bhandarkar's ambitious new project, Heroine. The film was announced in Cannes, no less, during the Cannes Film Festival by Bhandarkar and production house UTV's Ronnie Screwvala.

Photos: Aishwarya at Cannes 2011 By July, days after Mr Bachchan's public announcement, the producers shelved Heroine. Certain scenes with adult content and physically excruciating were not fit for a five-month pregnant Aishwarya.

The director sank into depression over the loss of his "most ambitious dream project" - and total silence - as the rest of Bollywood furiously debated the inclusion of a no-pregnancy clause in the contract of heroines. When Bhandarkar did speak finally, he dropped another C-bomb.

"The truth was hidden from us," he said. We learnt about it from news channels like the rest of the world.

Filmmaking functions on faith and trust. The film was announced in Cannes on May 13 while we commenced shooting on June 7.

There was a gap of 24 days, if we had known the truth things could have been reworked." While Mr Bachchan continued to use his blog and Twitter handle to connect with fans and occasionally dispel rumours and tell off those whom he felt were infringing on the family's privacy, Abhishek and Aishwarya maintained a stoic silence.

Aishwarya discreetly moved away from public appearances, generating much interest in the few initial sightings. These included an appearance in the Delhi with the whole family in tow to collect an award from the French government in July.

However, the award ceremony was put off at her request due to three blasts which hit Mumbai the same day. "This isn't the time to celebrate.

Me and my family felt it was correct to request the French ambassador to postpone the ceremony to some other time," she said. The festive season saw Aishwarya attend a slew of religious functions - from Durga Puja at the Ramkrishna Mission in Khar to Mata ki Chowki at Sanjay and Maanyata Dutt's home.

She remained protective of her baby bump, throwing her trademark chic style to the wind and opting for loose traditional outfits as new rumours began to engulf the Bachchans. Photos: Bachchans' grand Diwali party The name of the hospital the Bachchans picked was revealed along with other "details" such as 11.

11.11 being the day handpicked by the family for the birth of the new Bachchan.

The "regressive remarks" evoked a reaction from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan through her spokesperson. The rumours were trashed as "Ridiculously insinuating such an esteemed and respected family would actually turn nature's course for such blind sensationalized beliefs.

" The hospital too strongly refuted the stories on 11.11.

11 being the handpicked date. This time, Mr Bachchan took a softer tone on Twitter, perhaps preparing finally for the great joy at home.

Sometimes criticised for being supercilious about family and values, Mr Bachchan tweeted on shopping "for the house" with Jaya Bachchan and said he was enjoying a surprise break. A recent tweet from Mr Bachchan sums it up for the happy Bachchans who have undoubtedly gathered with family now.

"The strength of a family is its relatives in unison..

break that up and you break the family..

Happy hours spent with family relatives." Mr Bachchan has just received happy hours forever.

(With inputs from IANS) Tweet (less)

..

I am afraid that is not going to happen..

. too personal.

..

you will understand..

.thank you," Big B tweeted.

Big B's daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai , gave birth to her first child Nov 16 here and ever since people are curious to see her daughter. Meanwhile dad Abhishek has asked fans to suggest names for his daughter through his tweet (less)

Now southern babe Flora Saini to make a foray in B'town. Most of them could not connect with Hindi film audience initially, so they went down south, did big banner, big hero films and returned to Hindi film industry to carve a niche for themselves.

Latest to join the bandwagon is Flora Saini. She has done big projects with actors like Rajinikant, R.

Vijaykant, Prabhu, Kartik, Dr. Balakrishna, Venkatesh, Jagpati Babu, Dr.

Rajshekhar etc. "I am comfortable with any south Indian language and I do my own dubbing.

In fact, I know Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Hindi & English. I have thoroughly enjoyed my southern experience.

And now I am all geared for my Hindi films," says Flora. Flora has signed a Hindi film titled 'Ya Rab' with the director Hasnanin Hydrabadwala at the helm of affairs.

Earlier, he had directed Imran Hashmi starrer film 'The Train' with Mahesh Bhatt. Ya Rub is written by Ikram Akhtar, a name that is associated with box office hit films like Thank U and Ready (less)

Not that it could be mistaken for anything other than what it is: a Bollywood epic with a magpie appetite and, of course, songs and dances. (The catchy, clubby Chammak Challo , featuring Akon, is already a hit.

) For all its cost, digital effects and virtual reality feints, Ra.One is a traditional, if somewhat undercooked, Hindi movie confrontation between good and evil.

After all, the villain is named Ra.One (for Random Access Version 1.

0), which can be pronounced Raavan, like the 10-headed demon in the Ramayana. And G.

One, the hero, is also Jeevan, which means life. Sporting a wig of floppy curls, Shah Rukh Khan, the film's star and guiding force, plays Shekhar, a nerdy computer game designer in London.

(Even the thieves speak Hindi in this town.) To win the admiration of his son, Prateek (Armaan Verma), he creates a game in which the bad guy, Ra.

One, is more powerful than the hero, G.One.

But Ra.One breaks into the real world and wants to kill Prateek, which sends the boy and his mother (Kareena Kapoor, looking great with a few new pounds) to India with G.

One (Mr. Khan again, sans curls), who has also come to life.

Ra.One , directed by Anubhav Sinha, works hard with its money.

(The Times of India has reported the budget as $30 million.) Full of digital effects, wire work and things that go flying (cars, men, supermen) the movie is technically as sophisticated as anything Bollywood has produced.

A standout is G.One's rescue of Kareena on a runaway train that crashes rather spectacularly out of Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.

You can see the money on screen, if not in the screenwriting. The exposition is longwinded and confusing, as are the rules of the game, in the virtual and the real worlds.

The bumbling Shekhar is too clownish; Ra.One is a dud demon (Raavan is invoked to little effect) who disappears for chunks of time; and you probably won't hold your breath as good fights evil.

But if the storytelling disappoints (shocking!), the film mostly doesn't. It relies on action and effects and Bollywood's trump card, star power, to carry the day.

This is Shah Rukh Khan's movie, and once he sheds Shekhar's droopy locks, he shines as the deadpan, action-hero robot with digital snot and smooth moves on the dance floor. Tweet (less)

In fact, a few days before leaving, she shot for a beauty product she endorses. Ash's holiday was the last one she and her hubby got to enjoy before she gets into her maternity leave mode (less)

..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel' (hustle bustle)," the 69-year-old posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. Aishwarya is expecting her first child with actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan .

Apart from waiting excitedly for the baby, Amitabh also took some time off to watch Ranbir Kapoor-starrer "Rockstar" which released Friday and the actor says he is impressed with the entire team. "It's late but not without cause.

..

just back from 'RockStar' and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis..

. Still with 'RockStar' and its beauty," he further posted.

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, "Rockstar" chronicles the journey of an aspiring singer Janardhan Jakhar, who wants to make it big in the music world. It introduces two new faces - Pakistani-American model Nargis Fakhri and Brazilian model Moufid Aziz (less)

Very famous and very prominent actor from Chennai. Off late, unfortunately they only seem to know him because of Why This Kolavari Di but, he has done great work down there.

He is a wonderful actor," said the 35-year-old actor. Kolaveri Di has received over 17 million hits on Youtube till now and Abhishek terms it as one of the greatest hits of the year.

"I think it's outstanding and I think it's wonderful because it has been made by two very dear friends of mine, Dhanush and his wife Aishwarya. I think it's a fantastic song.

He is a very talented guy and Anirudh, the music director has done a great job. I wish them all the best.

It's one of the greatest songs of the year," said Abhishek who is awaiting his next release Players by director duo Abbas-Mustan. Players , which is releasing Jan 6, also stars Bobby Deol, Bipasha Basu, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Sonam Kapoor.

Abhishek is also working on Rohit Shetty directed Bol Bachchan and Dhoom 3 . Tweet (less)

"The family gathers together from all over as we wait for the 'arrival' ..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel'" says the latest tweet from Aishwarya's father-in-law, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Preparations to welcome Baby B did not deter Mr Bachchan from watching Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar on Sunday.

"Its late but not without cause ..

just back from RockStar and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis," he tweeted. Mr Bachchan, who is very active on Twitter, followed up with another tweet praising Rockstar.

In the same breath he tweeted on taking time off to wait for his soon-to-be-born grandchild. "Still with RockStar and its beauty .

.and now to be with family and its joys .

. some of the pleasures of vacant schedules .

.rare !! This follows the full day of excitement and expectation that Aishwarya's baby would indeed be born on 11.

11.11.

On Friday night, Mr Bachchan's Twitter timeline was jammed with messages congratulating him for the birth of Aishwarya's baby boy. This, after another round of gossip claiming she had delivered on the day which reportedly had 150 crore riding on it as bookies across the country went on an overdrive.

"Getting congratulatory messages on Aishwarya delivering a boy !!! Guess they know more than even she does !! False and incorrect news," Mr Bachchan tweeted. Not much activity was seen at night around the Seven Hills Hospital where the Bachchan Baby is due to arrive.

There was high interest building up outside the hospital as 11.11.

11 dawned and progressed. Passersby craned their necks through cracks and crevices in the boundary wall surrounding the hospital, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the Bachchan family.

Aishwarya, we believe was at Jalsa through the day. However, there was been no word from the family or from her spokesman, today.

Photos: Aishwarya's rare childhood photos Excitement over soon- to be-born Baby B reached fever pitch last night on the eve of 11.11.

11, when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan appeared at the Seven Hills Hospital. Many felt the Bachchan bahu was being admitted for delivery.

However, a reported statement from her spokesperson on social sites categorically denied that she was indeed admitted. She was apparently at the hospital for a check-up and left after that.

The hospital has been in the limelight ever since it was confirmed as the choice of the Bachchans for Aishwarya's baby. Set in Marol, Andheri (E), it's easy to see why the Bachchans picked it over the usual celebrity choices, including the landmark Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai.

Photos: Days before delivery, Aishwarya is angry Before it became associated with the Bachchan baby, Seven Hills to the casual observer could pass for a luxury gated residential complex. There are two entrances to the main building and a massive car park which separates it from the road.

The back gate mostly remains closed and our sources say the Bachchans enter through the main gate like everyone else. There is now an enclosure built in the compound of the hospital (our sources say by the hospital).

Very likely, this is where the announcement for Baby B will be made. This is likely to double up as security enclosure after Baby B's arrival.

Photos: Bachchans' grand Diwali party Meanwhile, the Bachchans have been keeping cool, with reportedly not much movement around Jalsa, one of their homes. Aishwarya's husband, Abhishek wished fans on Twitter on Gurpurab.

Last night Abhishek replied to a fan on Twitter who asked about Aishwarya, saying she's "out and about". Keep watching this space for updates.

Tweet (less)

"I enjoy doing action films. Actually, in the last two-three years I have done more experimental films and I was really looking forward to get back to my original love," Abhishek told PTI.

"When Abbas narrated the film, I was all excited to start it. I knew he is the man who can handle the remake properly.

Being from a British boarding school, Michael Caine used to be my hero. I have watched his 'The Italian Job' many times.

There was a time when I used to know all the dialogues by heart," the 35-year-old actor added. The film was again made in 2003 by F Gary Gray, starring Mark Wahlberg and Abhishek is confident that it will be third time lucky for him.

"Mark Wahlberg did a superb job as he portrayed a completely different character of what Caine had done. He gave his own spin to the character.

"Similarly, when I approached the film, I also tried to do something different. I took it as a challenge to portray the character in my own way but by maintaining the essence of the originality in it.

Usually in our films we see thieves steal either for greed or money. But there is an emotional reason attached to it," Abhishek said.

Starting his career with cross-border love story 'Refugee', Abhishek has often been criticised by the critics for the kind of films he has done. But he says he has always taken criticism positively.

"People often compared me with dad (Amitabh Bachchan). But I have never felt low in my life.

Rather I have looked at the other side of the criticism. People criticise me because they feel I am worth the comparison with my dad," he said.

The actor, who has become a proud father of a baby girl with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, said the presence of the baby did not stop him from promoting the film. "Promoting my film is my priority at this moment as there are other people to look after the baby.

That's a part of one's job. My family completely understands it.

The actor said they are yet to come up with a name for the child. Tweet (less)

Read on..

. Actor of the year: Baba Ramdev We saw the drama unfold at the Ramlila Maidan when, in a series of events, Baba Ramdev turned to acting.

Blowing loud horns against anti corruption, Baba went on a fast, fell ill and then finally ran in despair dressed in a salwar kurta. Few are born actors, but fewer are born on a national stage.

Supporting actor: Kiran Bedi Riding on the Anna wave, supercop Kiran Bedi showed her lung power when there was no need for it. In a rather pensive moment, she even did a jig.

Foreign Import : Sunny Leone Adult film star Sunny Leone tripped TRPs, both of TV and internet search engines. Direct to home, she was imported from the forbidden fantasyland of porn.

She made internet search engines go on an overdrive. Now she is all set to scorch B-Town.

Best Kept Secret : azaad rao khan aka aamir Khan Jr It was Papa Kehte Hain time again for Aamir Khan. The actor and wife Kiran Rao took the world by surprise when they announced the birth of their son through surrogacy.

Missing man: D K Bose Everytime this invisible man ran, the nation hummed D K Bose who was last visible as a character in a Bollywood flick, might have made someone's life in Bengal a living hell besides offending the moral police for the unparliamentary lyrics. Comeback of the yea r: Bappida Bappi Lahiri basked in the glory of the chartbusting Ooh La La which gave younger artistes a run for their money.

In his words, "My song has created history". We agree! Wardrobe malfunction: DJ Jenny She embraced the national flag.

Just that and nothing else. Answering a call from an NGO DJ Jenny attracted eyes for her 'show' rather than ears.

Disappearing Act : Veena Malik Veena Malik's 'missing' clothes on the cover of a magazine with ISI tattoo on her arms created a lot of controversy. After receiving death threats for the same, Veena disappeared from a film shoot.

Clueless about her whereabouts, her manager had reported her missing. She was found in a Mumbai hotel after two days.

Fashion Accessory : Anna Topi The anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare not only took the country by storm; but also made way for Anna merchandise - tees, flags, posters, and Anna topi. Gandhiji's quintessential khaadi cap regained fame as Anna topi; popularized even more after it was sported by B-Towners Vidya Balan, Dia Mirza, Celina Jaitley and Shreyas Talpade.

Debutante of the year : Beti B Beti B (Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan's daughter) made headlines from the second she was born. And although there has been no glimpse of the newborn yet, people do know that "she is fair and has light eyes," thanks to the tweets by Grandpa B! Most talked about Newcomer: Siddharth Mallya Son of biz tycoon Vijay Mallya, Siddharth Mallya also features in Times of India's Most Desirable Men list.

The prince of 'Good Times', Mallya Jr's been in the news for everything - his almost liplock with 'good' friend Deepika Padukone, his weight loss secrets and his candid confessions on a chat show. Best Dressed: Poonam Pandey She came from nowhere, promised to strip for Team India if they won the Cricket World Cup.

Her striptease didn't happen, but she had TV show offers and made it to the 'Most Searched People' and 'Fastest Rising People' lists. Most Travelled India n: SRK Hopping from one city to another, to promote RA.

One and Don-2, SRK exuded charisma and flashed his dimples as he went on to woo his fans. New words: Boombat and kolavari di Vidya Balan's skimpy outfits earned her the name 'Boombat' from Naseeruddin Shah in the Ooh La La song, while Dhanush's Tamil song Kolaveri Di, became a viral hit with 1.

5 million downloads on the net and was on everyone's lips. Dialogue of the year: ek hi maara? Anna Hazare, following an attack on Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, said, 'Ek hi maara?'.

Compiled by Abhimanyu Mishra and Ano Patel (less)

She was accompanied by members of her family, including Abhishek and sister-in-law Shweta Bachchan Nanda. Meanwhile, preparations are on in full swing at the Bachchan home for the arrival of Baby B.

"The family gathers together from all over as we wait for the 'arrival' ..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel'" says a tweet from Aishwarya's father-in-law, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. But the preparations to welcome Baby B did not deter Mr Bachchan from watching Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar on Sunday.

"Its late but not without cause ..

just back from 'RockStar' and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis," he tweeted. Mr Bachchan, who is very active on Twitter, followed up with another tweet praising Rockstar.

In the same breath he tweeted on taking time off to wait for his soon-to-be-born grandchild. " Still with 'RockStar' and its beauty .

.and now to be with family and its joys .

. some of the pleasures of vacant schedules .

.rare !! Excitement over soon-to-be-born Baby B reached a head on 11.

11.11, especially when Aishwarya was spotted at the hospital on the eve of 11.

11.11.

Many felt the Bachchan bahu was being admitted for delivery. However, a reported statement from her spokesperson on social sites categorically denied that she was indeed admitted.

She was apparently at the hospital for a check-up and left after that. On Friday night, Mr Bachchan's Twitter timeline was jammed with messages congratulating him for the birth of Aishwarya's baby boy.

This, after another round of gossip claiming she had delivered on the day which reportedly had 150 crore riding on it as bookies across the country went on an overdrive. "Getting congratulatory messages on Aishwarya delivering a boy !!! Guess they know more than even she does !! False and incorrect news," Mr Bachchan tweeted.

There was high interest building up outside the hospital as 11.11.

11 dawned and progressed. Passersby craned their necks through cracks and crevices in the boundary wall surrounding the hospital, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the Bachchan family.

Aishwarya, we believe was at Jalsa, one of the Bachchan homes, through the day. The Seven Hills Hospital has been in the limelight ever since it was confirmed as the choice of the Bachchans for Aishwarya's baby.

Set in Marol, Andheri (E), it's easy to see why the Bachchans picked it over the usual celebrity choices, including the landmark Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai. Before it became associated with the Bachchan baby, Seven Hills to the casual observer could pass for a luxury gated residential complex.

There are two entrances to the main building and a massive car park which separates it from the road. The back gate mostly remains closed and our sources say the Bachchans enter through the main gate like everyone else.

There is now an enclosure built in the compound of the hospital (our sources say by the hospital). Very likely, this is where the announcement for Baby B will be made.

This is likely to double up as security enclosure after Baby B's arrival. For now, there is not much activity around the hospital.

Looks like India and the Bachchans are patiently waiting for Baby B to arrive. Keep watching this space for updates.

Tweet (less)

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and my family," Aishwarya, who couldn't attend the ceremony, said in a statement. The 37-year-old, who is expecting her first child with husband Abhishek Bachchan, could not attend the event in Mumbai Aug 25 as she had a prior family commitment.

However, she acknowledged the award through her message. Aishwarya's father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan had received the same award in 2010 for his contribution to the Hindi film industry.

Pazhassi Raja Charitable Trust was formed with the intention of remembering freedom fighter Veera Pazhassi Rajaand and his patriotism and of introducing him to the new generation. Tweet (less)

..

I am afraid that is not going to happen..

. too personal.

..

you will understand..

.thank you," Big B tweeted.

Big B's daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai , gave birth to her first child Nov 16 here and ever since people are curious to see her daughter. Meanwhile dad Abhishek has asked fans to suggest names for his daughter through his tweet (less)

This means that those under 17 would require a parent or guardian to see it, reported Ace Showbiz. "James Mangold and I talked about an R-rated version and we're like, 'Look, let's not put it off the table.

' There's even talk about us doing two versions, as in finding a way to do both while you shoot it, which could be really cool. But you need to have a really good reason to exclude those fans," he said.

Jackman has previously hinted the movie, which saw Mangold replace Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky, who dropped out for personal reasons, would be more extreme than previous incarnations because the character allows that possibility. "There is such great temptation to make an R-rated Wolverine.

I've always felt that, I know a lot of fans would like that, and if there's ever gonna be a superhero that's gonna be R-rated it's Wolverine," he said. Jackman latest film Real Steel has topped the box office in the US.

He will soon begin shooting his leading role in Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper's Les Miserables . Tweet (less)

..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel' (hustle bustle)," the 69-year-old posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. Aishwarya is expecting her first child with actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan.

Apart from waiting excitedly for the baby, Amitabh also took some time off to watch Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar which released Friday and the actor says he is impressed with the entire team. "It's late but not without cause.

..

just back from RockStar and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis..

. Still with RockStar and its beauty," he further posted.

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Rockstar chronicles the journey of an aspiring singer Janardhan Jakhar, who wants to make it big in the music world. It introduces two new faces - Pakistani-American model Nargis Fakhri and Brazilian model Moufid Aziz.

Tweet (less)

Mumbai Mirror has learnt that the actress has been approached by the filmmaker for his next Tamil project. Initially, Ratnam was to direct a Hindi film with Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , but since the couple recently became parents, the director had to put the project on the back burner.

Sonam's friend revealed to us that initially the actress was skeptical about working in a regional film. "Sonam's dad convinced her to do the film, since Anil himself had started his career with a Telugu film.

She will be required to learn enough of the language to understand her dialogue, however, her lines will ultimately be dubbed," explained Sonam's friend. Apparently, the romantic film is not only a first for Sonam.

Reportedly, the project will launch the career of Tamil actor Karthik's son Gautham. When we asked Sonam about her decision to star in a regional project, the actress said, "We (the Hindi film industry) are always remaking regional movies.

I would rather be a part of the original. I wouldn't like to comment on working with Mani sir.

But yes, I would love to do something amazing, after Players. However, nothing is confirmed yet.

" (less)

..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel' (hustle bustle)," the 69-year-old posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. Aishwarya is expecting her first child with actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan.

Apart from waiting excitedly for the baby, Amitabh also took some time off to watch Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar which released Friday and the actor says he is impressed with the entire team. "It's late but not without cause.

..

just back from RockStar and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis..

. Still with RockStar and its beauty," he further posted.

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Rockstar chronicles the journey of an aspiring singer Janardhan Jakhar, who wants to make it big in the music world. It introduces two new faces - Pakistani-American model Nargis Fakhri and Brazilian model Moufid Aziz.

Tweet (less)

Abhishek took a break from his shooting to spend the day with his wife. Ash had invited six of her closest friends for dinner and as she's expecting, Junior B helped her with the arrangements (less)

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and emphasizing the commendable desire of Aishwarya in having a normal delivery without any epidural or pain killers. The often coined phrase 'too posh to push' was put to rest in her case.

..

she was determined to do it the way she felt was correct! (sic)," Bachchan wrote on twitter. There were reports in the media that Aishwarya had undergone a caesarean.

Big B's tweet comes as a clarification to one of his followers about Ash's delivery. "@ @__alka.

. the media had already written about it and some did not know facts and printed wrong? said she had c-section.

..

so clarified it," Bachchan said. Aishwarya and Abhishek became proud parents of a baby girl on Wednesday after the actress delivered at the Seven Hills Hospital in suburban Andheri.

Earlier, in June, Amitabh had broken the news about Aishwarya's pregnancy (less)

But unfortunately what I shoot tends to require a lot of money. If I was writing stuff, I might write for Indian films and right now I think the films I (make) seem like the tail-end of a dying genre," Singh said in an e-mail interaction.

"I just look at it and say how I can put my DNA into a film that right now is at pulse of pop culture and I don't think right now Mahabharata's going to be on the hit list of that pop culture any time soon. So it's unfortunate," he added.

Singh, who spent his formative years in in India, graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He started his career by directing music videos and commercials of Nike and Coca-Cola.

The 50-year-old says he doubts he will be able to fit into Bollywood. "I've only seen one Bollywood film in the last 25 years.

It was by Aamir Khan-- Lagaan . "I loved that film and it's the only (Indian) one that I've seen.

I have very little to do with Bollywood, but I probably would. I think the person who made the best Bollywood films in Hollywood was Douglas Sirk.

I'd rather do one here. If I go back, I don't know if I'd fit in," said Singh.

Meanwhile, Singh's Immortals , an epic tale of treachery, vengeance and destiny, starring Freida Pinto, Henry Cavill and Mickey Rourke has hit the screens. For Rourke's character, Singh took inspiration from Raavan from Indian epic the Ramayana .

"I've been an atheist since I was nine years old. And my mom is really religious, so we have a strange relationship.

But if my mother was right, what would be the reason that the gods could let anything bad happen in the world? The seed of the film came from there," he said. "So mythology or religious texts I wasn't familiar with any.

However if I was to really pin point an Indian inspiration, then it'll be Mickey Rourke's character King Hyperion that resembles Ravana from the epic Ramayana . "I did actually show him some clips of the character just to give him the idea of what sort of savage intensity I was looking for," Singh added.

Singh is all praises for actress Freida who plays Phaedra. "When I met Freida, I just said, she's it.

She's phenomenal looking. She's very dedicated and a real professional.

She felt like the most natural part of the movie for us. There was no question that we wanted Freida Pinto," he said.

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..

Who do you love more, Beti B or Ash?, " Uday, 38, asked Abhishek, 35, on micro-blogging site Twitter. To which junior B replied, "I love Beti B in Aishwarya's arms the most.

" Aishwarya Rai gave birth to her and husband Abhishek Bachchan's first child Nov 16 and since then the entire family, including grandpa Amitabh Bachchan, is busy spending time with the new-born. "First day back at work after Beti B.

And so difficult to concentrate. Thoughts are monopolized by a certain little lady," Abhishek further posted.

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. Actor of the year: Baba Ramdev We saw the drama unfold at the Ramlila Maidan when, in a series of events, Baba Ramdev turned to acting.

Blowing loud horns against anti corruption, Baba went on a fast, fell ill and then finally ran in despair dressed in a salwar kurta. Few are born actors, but fewer are born on a national stage.

Supporting actor: Kiran Bedi Riding on the Anna wave, supercop Kiran Bedi showed her lung power when there was no need for it. In a rather pensive moment, she even did a jig.

Foreign Import : Sunny Leone Adult film star Sunny Leone tripped TRPs, both of TV and internet search engines. Direct to home, she was imported from the forbidden fantasyland of porn.

She made internet search engines go on an overdrive. Now she is all set to scorch B-Town.

Best Kept Secret : azaad rao khan aka aamir Khan Jr It was Papa Kehte Hain time again for Aamir Khan. The actor and wife Kiran Rao took the world by surprise when they announced the birth of their son through surrogacy.

Missing man: D K Bose Everytime this invisible man ran, the nation hummed D K Bose who was last visible as a character in a Bollywood flick, might have made someone's life in Bengal a living hell besides offending the moral police for the unparliamentary lyrics. Comeback of the yea r: Bappida Bappi Lahiri basked in the glory of the chartbusting Ooh La La which gave younger artistes a run for their money.

In his words, "My song has created history". We agree! Wardrobe malfunction: DJ Jenny She embraced the national flag.

Just that and nothing else. Answering a call from an NGO DJ Jenny attracted eyes for her 'show' rather than ears.

Disappearing Act : Veena Malik Veena Malik's 'missing' clothes on the cover of a magazine with ISI tattoo on her arms created a lot of controversy. After receiving death threats for the same, Veena disappeared from a film shoot.

Clueless about her whereabouts, her manager had reported her missing. She was found in a Mumbai hotel after two days.

Fashion Accessory : Anna Topi The anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare not only took the country by storm; but also made way for Anna merchandise - tees, flags, posters, and Anna topi. Gandhiji's quintessential khaadi cap regained fame as Anna topi; popularized even more after it was sported by B-Towners Vidya Balan, Dia Mirza, Celina Jaitley and Shreyas Talpade.

Debutante of the year : Beti B Beti B (Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan's daughter) made headlines from the second she was born. And although there has been no glimpse of the newborn yet, people do know that "she is fair and has light eyes," thanks to the tweets by Grandpa B! Most talked about Newcomer: Siddharth Mallya Son of biz tycoon Vijay Mallya, Siddharth Mallya also features in Times of India's Most Desirable Men list.

The prince of 'Good Times', Mallya Jr's been in the news for everything - his almost liplock with 'good' friend Deepika Padukone, his weight loss secrets and his candid confessions on a chat show. Best Dressed: Poonam Pandey She came from nowhere, promised to strip for Team India if they won the Cricket World Cup.

Her striptease didn't happen, but she had TV show offers and made it to the 'Most Searched People' and 'Fastest Rising People' lists. Most Travelled India n: SRK Hopping from one city to another, to promote RA.

One and Don-2, SRK exuded charisma and flashed his dimples as he went on to woo his fans. New words: Boombat and kolavari di Vidya Balan's skimpy outfits earned her the name 'Boombat' from Naseeruddin Shah in the Ooh La La song, while Dhanush's Tamil song Kolaveri Di, became a viral hit with 1.

5 million downloads on the net and was on everyone's lips. Dialogue of the year: ek hi maara? Anna Hazare, following an attack on Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, said, 'Ek hi maara?'.

Compiled by Abhimanyu Mishra and Ano Patel (less)

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spending time with him now more often," Amitabh wrote on microblogging site Twitter. "Pets are so sensitive.

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!! They complain in their own way and so cutely..

. Shanouk needs great pampering to get him back in mood !" he posted (less)

Yesterday, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan celebrated her 38th birthday, with some unconfirmed reports suggesting that several gifts would be showered on her by the doting family, including expensive jewellery, a car and even a home! Meanwhile both Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan responded to the Twitter wishes posted by fans for Aishwarya, promising to deliver them to her. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is not on Twitter, though she has used her husband's Twitter handle in the past to reach out to fans.

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She will share screen space with neither a Bollywood actor nor a model, but with television stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande of Pavitra Rishta fame. The TV couple obviously is on cloud nine and can't stop gushing about the experience.

Apparently, Sushant had worked with Ash years ago when he was training with Shiamak Davar. He reminded the Bollywood superstar about a performance during which he had lifted her.

An elated Sushant says, "Aishwarya was very courteous. It was really nice working with her.

She was surprised to hear that we had danced together in the Australian Common-wealth Games in 2006 and now we were endorsing a product together." (less)

"The family gathers together from all over as we wait for the 'arrival' ..

Greatest joy for me - a full house and the 'chahel - pahel'" says the latest tweet from Aishwarya's father-in-law, the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Preparations to welcome Baby B did not deter Mr Bachchan from watching Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar on Sunday.

"Its late but not without cause ..

just back from RockStar and living in the brilliance of all - Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir, AR and Nargis," he tweeted. Mr Bachchan, who is very active on Twitter, followed up with another tweet praising Rockstar.

In the same breath he tweeted on taking time off to wait for his soon-to-be-born grandchild. "Still with RockStar and its beauty .

.and now to be with family and its joys .

. some of the pleasures of vacant schedules .

.rare !! This follows the full day of excitement and expectation that Aishwarya's baby would indeed be born on 11.

11.11.

On Friday night, Mr Bachchan's Twitter timeline was jammed with messages congratulating him for the birth of Aishwarya's baby boy. This, after another round of gossip claiming she had delivered on the day which reportedly had 150 crore riding on it as bookies across the country went on an overdrive.

"Getting congratulatory messages on Aishwarya delivering a boy !!! Guess they know more than even she does !! False and incorrect news," Mr Bachchan tweeted. Not much activity was seen at night around the Seven Hills Hospital where the Bachchan Baby is due to arrive.

There was high interest building up outside the hospital as 11.11.

11 dawned and progressed. Passersby craned their necks through cracks and crevices in the boundary wall surrounding the hospital, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the Bachchan family.

Aishwarya, we believe was at Jalsa through the day. However, there was been no word from the family or from her spokesman, today.

Photos: Aishwarya's rare childhood photos Excitement over soon- to be-born Baby B reached fever pitch last night on the eve of 11.11.

11, when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan appeared at the Seven Hills Hospital. Many felt the Bachchan bahu was being admitted for delivery.

However, a reported statement from her spokesperson on social sites categorically denied that she was indeed admitted. She was apparently at the hospital for a check-up and left after that.

The hospital has been in the limelight ever since it was confirmed as the choice of the Bachchans for Aishwarya's baby. Set in Marol, Andheri (E), it's easy to see why the Bachchans picked it over the usual celebrity choices, including the landmark Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai.

Photos: Days before delivery, Aishwarya is angry Before it became associated with the Bachchan baby, Seven Hills to the casual observer could pass for a luxury gated residential complex. There are two entrances to the main building and a massive car park which separates it from the road.

The back gate mostly remains closed and our sources say the Bachchans enter through the main gate like everyone else. There is now an enclosure built in the compound of the hospital (our sources say by the hospital).

Very likely, this is where the announcement for Baby B will be made. This is likely to double up as security enclosure after Baby B's arrival.

Photos: Bachchans' grand Diwali party Meanwhile, the Bachchans have been keeping cool, with reportedly not much movement around Jalsa, one of their homes. Aishwarya's husband, Abhishek wished fans on Twitter on Gurpurab.

Last night Abhishek replied to a fan on Twitter who asked about Aishwarya, saying she's "out and about". Keep watching this space for updates.

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Abhishek took a break from his shooting to spend the day with his wife. Ash had invited six of her closest friends for dinner and as she's expecting, Junior B helped her with the arrangements (less)