And it's rare. Regularly accused of snobbery, the Academy typically reserves it's favours for actors such as Sean Penn, Tom Hanks and Daniel Day-Lewis - actors who's abundance of talent has never been in danger of being overlaid by the glamour factor.

It is a fact that Hollywood's biggest names find it challenging to get anyone to go further than skin-deep, often achieving this by taking roles that render them entirely unrecognizable - Tom Cruise as a portly, balding studio executive in Tropic Thunder springs to mind. This holds largely true for Clooney and Pitt as well.

Both graduated from heartthrob roles - Clooney as a dishy doctor in ER , Pitt as a roguish hitchhiker in Thelma And Louise . Both gravitated towards ensemble movies - most notably, together, the Ocean's Eleven trilogy .

And both have, almost always, played furiously against type, choosing roles that showcase their talent rather than their matinee idol looks. Consider Clooney.

He has variously played: a bank robber battling vampires in From Dusk To Dawn; a fishing boat captain outrunning murderous weather in The Perfect Storm; an escaped convict traveling hilariously across Depression-era America in O Brother Where Art Thou ; a CIA agent investigating petroleum politics in Syriana ; an attorney with a gambling habit in Michael Clayton ; a special military forces operative dabbling in psychic warfare in The Men Who Stare At Goats ; and a corporate downsizer firing employees for large companies in Up In The Air . Or take Brad Pitt who has been: a mental asylum inmate who may or may not have caused an apocalypse in Twelve Monkeys; a soap salesman with an existential crisis in Fight Club ; a stranger in a strange land in Babel ; a man who uniquely ages backwards in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button ; an American soldier leading a band of Nazi hunters in World War II Germany in Inglorious Basterds ; and a father struggling to make sense of a troubled relationship with his son in The Tree Of Life .

Neither actor is a stranger to the Oscars. Syriana won him the Best Supporting Actor in 2006, and has already been nominated twice for Best Actor, for Michael Clayton and Up In The Air .

Pitt scooped a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Twelve Monkeys and a Best Actor nomination for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button . If this awards season's trends are anything to go by, it seems unlikely that either Clooney or Pitt will wrest the Oscar from French actor Jean Dujardin's stellar turn as a fading silent movie star in The Artist .

But it's become increasingly rare for the Academy to smile upon Hollywood's superstars, leave alone two of them in the same category, in the same year. And for just that, this year's Oscars will be worth watching.

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Akshay Kumar in “810 Tasveer” also has a secret. The movie is about Jai (Akshay Kumar), having a supernatural gift to see into the past by touching the 8X10 sized photograph of dead people.

Well, word is out that actually Akshay Kumar has a double role, of which one is that of Jai, a sincere Forest Officer, while the other is the villain. Since both of them get separated at birth (not again!), unknown to both.

Mom Sharmila Tagore and father is portrayed by Benjamin Gilani. The story unfolds when Gilani dies and the ‘hero’ Akshay senses trouble, after seeing his father’s photograph.

He is sure that his father was murdered. Mom Sharmila feels otherwise as she was besides him at his death bed.

Akshay refuses to believe. The movie is all about the revelation that the father was indeed murdered by the bad boy Akshay.

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During a staging of Waiting For Godot in Bangalore, Naseeruddin Shah lost his cool when a lady landed up on his stage. Our source said, “The play was going on and Naseer and Benjamin Gilani were in the middle of an extremely serious scene.

Randeep Hooda who plays the God was also on the stage. Just then a lady accompanied by an old man landed up straight on the stage.

The lady started shouting and complaining that someone had parked a car right outside her house. Everyone in the audience was shocked about how someone could interrupt a play this way.

Naseer completely lost it and was very angry. He started abusing the lady and the audience agreed with him.

Not only Naseer but also a few people from the audience abused the lady, who quickly hurried away from the scene. Naseer abused her with four-letter words and the lady didn’t know what happened.

Naseer always says that the stage is his temple and no one is allowed to enter when he is performing. The audience also agreed that no one has the right to disturb when an actor is performing on the stage.

” When contacted Randeep Hooda, who plays God on the show, said, “Yes such an incident occurred. The lady accompanied by an old man had to face the brunt from everybody.

However the funny part was that no one in the audience got up as they also would have had to face the brunt. Naseerbhai now jokes about the incident and says that she might be a struggling actor who came for her audition and I might cast her in one of my next plays.

However it was really ridiculous and she had her 15 minutes of fame.” (less)

And here's a picture by Shyam Aurangabadkar of the very actor in one of his earliest films Shikshaa, released in 1979. Produced by Rajshri's Tarachand Barjatya and directed by S Ramanathan, the film was about a rich kid Vijay Gupta played by Kiran.

The actor who later went on to play some important character roles in Mahesh Bhatt's Arth and Subhash Ghai's hit Karz was the hero in this Rajshri film. Seen with him in the particular shot is Benjamin Gilani, the same man who played Pandit Nehru in the 1993 film Sardar.

While his co-star from this scene, Raj Kiran was already incommunicado by the 1990s, Gilani is still seen on the silver screen, the latest being Rohan Sippy's Game, earlier this year. The picture brings back memories.

And with it, the depressing thoughts of 'could have beens' as far as Krian is concerned. A talented actor, Kiran completely vanished from Bollywood years back.

Earlier in the year, his co-star Deepti Naval tried to take the search for Raj Kiran online with a social networking portal, without avail. It was only recently, that Rishi Kapoor, found out about his Karz co-star who now lives in a mental health home in Atlanta and fends for himself without any family support.

Kapoor also wished to get Kiran back to Bollywood. Looking at this, we wish Kapoor the very best (less)

One can credit the success of this genre majorly to the likes of Abbas Mustan and gang. The latest movie that's doing the rounds with its suspense element intact is the Akshay Kumar-Ayesha Takia starrer 8 X 10 Tasveer , that's being directed by the talented Nagesh Kukunoor.

Rumours have already started doing the rounds regarding the 'unveiling' (read 'spoiling') of the film's much-guarded suspense. Till, now, what has been known of the film is that Akshay Kumar, who plays the role of plays a Forest Ranger called Jai Puri, possesses supernatural powers.

And how a personal tragedy 'leads' him to use his unique supernatural power to unravel the mystery behind the murder. Rumours have it that the film has Akshay Kumar in a double role, of which one is a sincere Forest Officer, while the other is the villain.

Since both of them get separated at birth, this fact remains unknown to both of them. While their mother is played by Sharmila Tagore, their father is portrayed by the versatile Benjamin Gilani.

The actual story unfolds when Gilani dies and the subconscious of the 'hero' Akshay becomes restless, after seeing his father's photograph, that's of the size '8 X 10', thus forming the film's title 8 X 10 Tasveer . Since he is blessed with supernatural powers, he becomes dead sure that his father was murdered and that he just did not die a natural death.

Sharmila Tagore tries her level best to convince him that his father died a natural death since she was besides him when he died. But the subconscious in Akshay refuses to agree or believe a word of this.

After all the high voltage drama, comes the revelation (courtesy the 'good' Akshay) that his father was indeed murdered by the 'villain' Akshay. Now whether this is true or a rumour, only time will tell (less)

Yet, 8 x 10 TASVEER goes wrong, horribly wrong. Now what was that? This is one question that haunts you at the end of the show.

And, seriously, you want to direct this question to Kukunoor, who is also credited as the writer of this film. Okay, let's dissect.

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The concept is interesting. The atmosphere is perfect.

The mystery deepens with each passing minute. Just when you thought that Kukunoor had pulled it off, a twist in the tale pulls the carpet off your feet.

The film crumbles and the impression generated by some brilliantly executed sequences evaporate into thin air. Write your own movie review of 8x10 Tasveer For any whodunit to succeed, it ought to hold your interest till the very last frame.

Most importantly, the answers raised in the screenplay have to be convincing and justified. But 8 x 10 TASVEER gets unbearable towards the penultimate 20-25 minutes.

When the mask is taken off the killer's face, you are surprised. But the reasons that compelled him to act that way are childish.

What happened, Mr. Kukunoor? To cut a long story short, this tasveer is out of focus! 8 x 10 TASVEER is about Jai [Akshay Kumar], who possesses supernatural powers.

Jai is of Indian origin who works as a forest ranger in Canada. His life is shattered by a loss of an important person in his life - his father [Benjamin Gilani].

This personal tragedy leads him to use his unique supernatural powers to unravel the mystery. Now let's get to the root of the problem: The discrepancies in the script.

Of course, 8 x 10 TASVEER is a whodunit and it would be sacrilege to reveal the end or the identity of the killer, but the reasons that compel the murderer to commit crime after crime are unbelievable and far from convincing. The moment the truth is out in the open, from that point onwards, the writer doesn't have convincing answers to offer.

There are so many gaps that remain wide open till the end. Nagesh Kukunoor goes two steps ahead as a technician, but five steps behind as a storyteller.

The film has been shot stylishly and the breath-taking locales of Canada and South Africa only give the film a picture perfect look. But the screenplay is faulty.

So faulty that you exit the auditorium with questions and more questions in your mind. The outcome fails to convince.

Vikas Sivaraman's cinematography is top notch. The locales are splendid and the DoP has captured them with élan.

There's no scope for music in the film and the three songs [opening titles, romantic song and end credits] are passable. The background score [Salim-Sulaiman] is electrifying.

Akshay pitches in a sincere performance. 8 x 10 TASVEER is a complete departure from the kind of films the actor is popular for and it only goes to prove that he's ready to experiment.

Ayesha is natural. Sharmila Tagore is graceful.

Jaaved Jaaferi is first-rate. Girish Karnad, Benjamin Gilani, Ananth Mahadevan and Rushaad Rana are perfect in their respective roles.

On the whole, 8 x 10 TASVEER disappoints. The film goes wrong, in fact horribly wrong, in the penultimate 20-25 minutes, which is the lifeline of any suspense-thriller.

Nagesh Kukunoor has missed the bus this time! (less)

Despite being the first and only Bollywood film that opened in the second quarter year, it is Akshay's second big-budget dud in the year after "Chandni Chowk To China" that opened the first quarter for biggies this year. It is also director Nagesh Kukunoor's second endeavour gone wrong at the box office in terms of commercial cinema post "Bombay To Bangkok" (2008).

"The reaction to 'Tasveer' is not at all up to the mark. It is in fact very disappointing.

Neither the public reaction nor the collections are good -- considering the fact that it is an Akshay Kumar starrer and that it opened as a solo release over a long weekend due to Ram Navami, " Sakshi Mehra, an exhibitor and president of the Motion Pictures Association of Delhi-Uttar Pradesh, told. "The business for the film started falling Sunday onwards, when otherwise, it should have soared.

And with the bad word of mouth now, there is no chance even for it to improve at the box office, " he added. Released April 3, "8X10 Tasveer" also stars Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore, Javed Jaffery, Girish Karnad, Anant Mahadevan and Benjamin Gilani in pivotal roles.

It is the story of a young man Jai (Akshay) who has a supernatural gift to look into the past of dead people by looking at their 8x10 photographs. A PVR official said on the condition of anonymity that "the film has managed to collect 40 percent over the opening weekend despite holidays.

" He further added that the collections are slow. Made on a budget of approximately Rs.

600 million, "8X10 Tasveer" released with around 1, 500 prints worldwide and the least hype for any Akshay starrer since the last four years. The actor too was reported to be underplaying the promotion of the film.

Trade analysts are not even excepting more than the initial business for the movie. "The film is dull and shatters all hopes from a director like Nagesh Kukunoor.

People had high expectations from the film, as it was after a long gap that a big-budget movie was hitting the screens but it all went wrong, " said an industry source from Mumbai. "Whatever audiences it managed to draw over the weekend was courtesy Akshay and the supernatural element.

However, due to its horrible packaging, it is going to suffer a bad word-of-mouth. It is not likely that the movie will survive more than a week or 10 days at the maximum, " he added.

Utpal Acharya, vice-president (programming and distribution) of Inox Leisure, added: "It's a different movie altogether and not an in and out masala commercial cinema but due to Akshay's fan following, people have visited the theatres and it has been a good weekend with around 45 percent occupancy overall." "The movie has done good and has been liked by the multiplex audience.

However, it doesn't have a life more than around two weeks, " he added. Meanwhile, with the ongoing confrontation between the producer and distributors on one side and the exhibitors on the other over revenue sharing for forthcoming projects, April is again in the dry mode with only low-budget films on the anvil (less)

The runners up were beautiful, intelligent women, and honestly, I believe it was by a hair that I won. I am truly blessed to be given this opportunity to represent strong, independent, intelligent Pakistani women on a global level, and be the role model that Pakistani women need.

I am so excited about the upcoming year, and hope to represent the past and future generations of Pakistani people worldwide exceedingly well. Tell us a bit about yourself.

My family has lived and flourished in the culturally rich Lahore, Pakistan for 700 years. In 1971, my family migrated to the States, where I was born.

We frequently take trips back home to visit Pakistan, and they are never long enough. Currently residing in the Washington, DC area, I run a successful business of makeup artists called Limelight Beauty Artistes, focusing on weddings and the fashion industry.

What is your educational background? I am currently studying at the George Mason University, majoring in English Studies, with a minor in Business Administration. I have also trained with celebrity makeup artist Debra Macki, have taken and continue to take makeup artistry classes to expand upon my expertise.

In between my schooling, I have worked for the Washington Redskins (a National Football League franchise) Charitable Foundation, organizing events to benefit the less fortunate, and working with high profile clients to keep the Foundation running successfully. Previously, I was employed at a certified government contracting agency as Proposal Assistant and Editor.

It was a big step to leave a stable day job to pursue my then part time makeup artistry business as a full time endeavor, but I have never looked back since, and am blessed to be able to do what I love as a career. What interested you in taking part in Miss Pakistan World? Ever since I was a little girl, people have always told me I don't look Pakistani, and I don't act Pakistani.

How does one ?act? Pakistani? Apparently, people expect Pakistani women to be quiet, introverted, shy, oppressed women. Au contraire! I have always been a confident, outspoken female standing up for her beliefs.

Pakistani women do look like me, do ?act? like me, I thought. And now is my chance to educate the world on exactly how driven and headstrong we are (less)

Preston is due to give birth at the end of November and Travolta will be with her. He is currently busy celebrating the the 90th anniversary of Qantas airline in Australia, the Daily Express reported.

Travolta flew his personal Boeing 707 to Sydney for the 10-day multi-city event. Preston was not able to join him.

The Pulp Fiction star touched down in Brisbane on Monday and performed a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday with company staff and Queensland fans who turned out to see the actor. He ended his visit by performing Summer Nights from his hit movie Grease and was presented with cuddly koala and kangaroo toys for his son.

"He is due to be born in 19 days," Travolta said, adding that they will be calling their newborn Benjamin. The couple has a daughter named Ella Bleu, 10.

The Travoltas lost their 16-year-old son Jett after he suffered a fatal seizure at their holiday home in the Bahamas in January, last year (less)

The make-up team was detained by the Indian airport authorities for carrying a large amount of chemicals. They were questioned for a few hours and released but their luggage was given to them only after two days because of which the look test on Priyanka got delayed.

However, after getting their make-up and cosmetics back, the look test was done on Priyanka. The test took five hours, but Vishal is pleased with the results.

The news of the make-up team getting held up has been confirmed by Vishal?s spokesperson (less)