Why is Shahid Kapoor hiding?

Shahid Kapoor is undoubtedly one of the most reliable actors of Bollywood and in the past few years he has given a string of solo hits like Vivaah, Jab We Met and the quite successful Kismet Konnection, something which only the top stars can guarantee. So, our headlines may come as a complete surprise to many that Shahid is lying low these days. His fans need not worry; it's not as a result of any more personal problems.

Well, its all due to a new look that he is sporting for his upcoming film with Vishal Bharadwaj, Kaminay. The buzz is that Shahid Kapoor has sported a very trendy new hairdo and has also tanned his body for which he has been sun bathing regularly. The result (as per the unit sources of Kaminay), is mind blowing.

And our (still) teen sensation wants to surprise the audience with his new look and for that he is keeping away from the media glare and not making many public appearances. Must say Shahid, your legion of female fans will definitely increase after they see your new hot look in Kaminay.

Akshay's 'Cold' treatment by Vipul Shah

If you are wondering why Akshay sounds uncharacteristically nasal and toned-down in Singh Is Kinng, producer Vipul Shah gives the answer.
"Akshay had a fierce cold while dubbing. There was no way we could postpone. So we used his nasal voice and Akshay even added a line in the dialogue about his character having a terrible zukaam"
The Friday agitations by the Students Sikh Federation about the 'wrong' depiction of Sikhs at a theatre in Amritsar has left producer Vipul Shah agitated
"My film has grossed 46-48 crore rupees over the first weekend. That's more than Om Shanti Om and Welcome which had the highest opening so far. So obviously the film has been liked. I can't please every single Sikh. Who are these agitators? This is nothing but a shortcut to fame. The boys of the Sikh Youth Federation must've thought that when the Delhi Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee protested, Akshay rushed to Delhi. In Amritsar they must've thought this is their way of getting Akshay into Amritsar. Surely there're easier ways of getting stars' attention. And Akshay couldn't spend one year moving from city to city appeasing the imagined hurt of self-appointed champions of the Sikh community. These are people who don't respect the opinion the highest authorities of their community who've said there's nothing objectionable in Singh Is Kinng. All the important and powerful bodies of the Sikh community cleared the film. What were these boys on Friday protesting about? They said they hadn't even seen the film. They just said it was an insult to Sikhism. But in what way?"
Vipul feels there are professional protestors who jump up in protest against any culture-specific cinema. "They feel somehow their culture will be threatened when on the contrary, culture-specific films like Jodhaa-Akbar and Singh Is Kinng pay a homage to the people and culture of a community."
On Friday 300 Sikhs saw Singh Is Kinng at Cinemax in Mumbai. "They were dancing the Bhangra with dhols after the screening. They told a news channel that this was the first film in 70 years of Indian cinema that had done justice to the Sikh community. What more endorsement for our motives can there be?"
Vipul admits his guilt on the beard issue. "We admit Akshay's beard should've been longer. We added a scene where Akshay says he made a mistake by trimming his beard. And in the video with Snoop Dogg during the end titles he comes with a full beard, albeit a false one. It'd have taken Akshay two years to grow a natural beard. We had told the Shirmoni Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee that the beard would be false, and they had agreed"
Vipul wants a law whereby freedom of expressions cannot be curbed. "The final authority on right and wrong in a film should be the censor board. Once the censors approve, all protests should be crushed with iron hands. Otherwise all of us should just fold up our production houses. I'm not disrespecting Sikh sentiments. So please stop hounding me for nothing."
Vipul Shah couldn't be in a happier place. "The opening of Singh Is Kinng has been incredible. Business everywhere has been thundering. But I can only rest easy after the first two weeks. I'm glad that in spite of being a comedy, Singh Is Kinng isn't vulgar. I gave my director Anees Bazmi the freedom to do what he likes. I only wanted him to tell a morally correct story. I didn't want to flinch while watching it with my sons."

Aamir Khan to be face of 'Incredible India'

It's now Aamir Khan's turn to sell India to the world! The Bollywood hero has been roped in by the tourism ministry to be the face of its brand campaign 'Incredible India' to showcase the country's rich heritage and culture and the message, Athithi Devo Bhava (guest is god).

Khan, who met Tourism Minister Ambika Soni personally to receive the offer officially in the national capital Friday, said he was more than happy to be part of the campaign.

“I have accepted the invitation. I am very happy to be part of it. It is a wonderful country and 'incredible' is the fitting word for it,” Khan, who was wearing a black T-shirt over rugged and torn jeans, told reporters at Soni's residence here.

However, the ministry is yet to finalise the type of campaign it wants to do for the coming year.

“We will be coming out with an ad campaign and a road show to promote India's tourism. It will highlight the culture and heritage of the country, which are the USPs of our country,” the minister said.

The actor, who said he would be working free of cost for the campaign, appeared to have a fair idea about what he was going to do.

“We should show our hospitality. India is famous for it. Even if there are some incidents, we should take steps to sensitise people,” he said.

“Each social work is different. Through this, I want to remind people how great is our country and want to sensitise our people. I want to tell them what we are - we are warm and hospitable people. We have to protect those who are visiting our country. We must ensure that they have a good time and come back again.”

The 'Incredible India' campaign launched in 2002, showcasing the country's unique heritage and cultural aspects, has been a major hit and made considerable impact on its tourism sector.

Khan made it clear that his participation was a part of his social commitments and he had no plans to enter politics. “I am an entertainer and will continue to do good work. I am part of it because I want to spread social message.”

Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan was a part of the campaign for creating awareness on garbage disposal.

According to Aamir, films are good way to showcase India. “After the movie Lagaan,  wherever I go, I used to meet people who were interested in visiting India.”

Asked if the recent terror attacks - in Bangalore and Ahmedabad - would damage the country's aspirations in the tourism sector, Aamir said: “Terrorism is against everyone. We should be united. We are for peace and if there is one bomb blast, we should light a billion candles.”

“If they (terrorists) are spreading poison, we should spread the message of love and peace,” he said.

Bollywood director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi were also present.

I cannot be friends with Shahrukh: Salman

Actor Salman Khan has had it with his on-again, off-again friendship with Shah Rukh Khan. Talking, for the first time about their public spat a few weeks ago, Salman says he can never be friends with SRK again. “I cannot really tell you what happened at the party,” Khan said. “But I won’t deny that there is a problem between us. There has been this kind of animosity between us for a long time. In fact, this is the third time we have fought. We have tried being friends, but it just doesn’t seem possible. We are different people.”

Asked if he would like to sort things out with Shah Rukh this time, Salman said: “No, why should I? Not interested. We are two different individuals. He may be a great person, but his values and scruples are not the same as mine. I can’t continue being a buddy to someone I don’t get along with. I am not the kind who would pretend to be great friends with someone and then back-bite about the person.”

The incident took place on July 16, at a party Salman had organised for girlfriend Katrina Kaif’s birthday at Olive restaurant in Bandra. Almost the entire industry was there, including Shah Rukh and Aamir Khan.

Towards the end of the party, when most guests had left, an altercation broke out between Salman and Shah Rukh, allegedly over their respective television shows, Dus ka Dum and Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass se tez Hain? SRK apparently stormed out of the party, with wife Gauri and friend Karan Johar in tow. According to sources, Aamir tried to intervene, but the two Khans were in no mood to make up.

Sources added that Salman allegedly compared his show to SRK’s and said despite his (Shah Rukh’s) being a superstar, Paanchvi Pass was not doing well. Apparently enraged by this, SRK passed a snide remark about Salman’s love life.

On Saturday it became clear the fight was indeed over TV shows. Salman was overheard comparing his show to SRK’s earlier show, and saying: “My show is not like Dus Karod (referring to SRK’s Kaun Banega Crorepati?) where there may be some ghapla. People end up winning phenomenal amounts. I would be the last person to support something like this. People in my show get out after having won just about a lakh, but it’s genuine...

Asked further about his misunderstanding with SRK, Salman added: “It’s sad but that’s how life goes. His way of thinking is totally different from mine. Doesn’t look like we can be friends.”

Akshay refuses to compare 'Singh is Kinng' with 'Om Shanti Om'

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has refused to draw comparisons of the first week box office collections of his latest success "Singh is Kinng" with that of Shah Rukh Khan's 2007 film "Om Shanti Om".

"It is wrong to compare the success of the two films. The Hindi film industry is one big market. Whatever money earned from the movies made goes into one kitty ... the film industry. Every one benefits out of successful films. Actors' fees also goes up," the actor told reporters last night at the function organised to celebrate the success of the film.

"Singh is Kinng" opening weekend gross ticket sales are a massive Rs 59.5 crore worldwide, he said.

Speaking about the trend of deciding the fate of a film in the opening week itself, Akshay said multiplexes have changed the business of cinema in recent years. "In an area like Juhu in suburban Mumbai, there are 28 shows of the film in one multiplex alone. Due to this, 80 to 90 per cent money is recovered by the producer," he said.

The actor agreed that the second week is the deciding factor of the film's fate in the long run. "It is quite natural that the collections slump at the start of the second week. Everything depends on how steep is the decline in box office collections. If the steep is less, the film is sure to bounce back during the weekend," he added.

When asked what worked in favour of the film, Akshay said that it was for the first time all the principal characters in the film were sikhs, the title of the film was catchy and it spoke about positive attitude to succeed in life.

To a question on whether he saw himself as the new "king" of Bollywood, Akshay replied in negative. "I have been around for only 15-16 years. To become a king, one has to have a long span of good work. I may call myself, if I survive for another 15 years," he added.

Akshay said Abhinav Bindra, who became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal in Olympics was the real 'king'.

To a question on the film industry being divided into different camps and the reported fight between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh, Akshay Kumar said he saw no reason why he should interfere in others' affairs.

"They are adults and since they are said to have fought they would patch up eventually. who am I to interfere. The film industry is undergoing a change in the last five years. Bigger films with huge budgets are made. Profits made by any film helps the industry to grow. Dividing the industry into camps is not fair," he added.

Akshay said he was taking a short break with his family before resuming shooting for his pending projects. "I have not had a holiday for the last four months," he added.

He lauded co-star Katrina Kaif for her success. He said, "four years ago, she came to Mumbai from London to make it big in Hindi films. She did not know a word of Hindi. But she learnt it and is continuously improving her accent and diction. Whatever she has achieved is commendable," he added.

Producer Vipul Shah said, 'Singh is Kinng' has shattered all previous opening weekend box office records. Indian Films has given the movie the widest ever release worldwide. "It released with 1,350 prints across 1,800 screens.

"The film has received excellent response in Delhi,UP, Rajasthan, Punjab, UK, Canada, USA and even Pakistan. Shows start as early as 7 am with the last show in Pakistan being conducted at 1 am, all to packed houses. In Mumbai, some multiplexes are running 28 shows a day to occupancy of 95 per cent," he added.

Aamir Khan moved to tears at Chennai awards fest

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan was presented the 11th Gollapudi Srinivas National Award on Tuesday evening in Chennai for directorial excellence in Taare Zameen Par.

The Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation gave the award, instituted in memory of the late director Gollapudi Srinivas, to Aamir. The award honours achievements by upcoming directors.

And now comes the interesting part!

Speaking at the event, veteran filmmaker K Balachander gave a heart-warming speech about Taare Zameen Par and it's director. The speech, which spanned nearly 30 minutes, moved Aamir to tears and he looked choked for the remainder of the ceremony.

“This movie made me cry, yet made me happy somehow. You made a movie on a buck-toothed baby (Darsheel Safary) and still emerged successful,” said Balachander. He also said that films such as Taare Zameen Par should make Indian cinema 'wake up from its complacency'.

Aamir, clad in his trademark long-sleeves and jeans, was unable to speak when his turn came and the hall went silent as he admitted how touched he was with Balachandar's words. The Lagaan star later kept the copy of Balachander's speech—'for reading out to my grandkids'.

The occasion also saw some of the biggest names in the industry flanking Aamir onstage. Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh set the mood with a rendering of six of his best songs and veteran actor Anupam Kher was also present to give Taare Zameen Par his words of appreciation.

“Today, when we are marketing cinema, lives and values, to make a film on special children is truly an act of courage,” Kher said.

Also present was director Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who recollected various memories of Aamir and him before both made it big in Bollywood. He said he was wonderstruck at how Aamir remains 'free of muck and remains untouched by success'.

The night was an amazing spectacle for fans who had arrived from far and wide to watch the Bollywood superstar accept an award after years of boycott. And yet the 11th Gollapudi Srinivas National Award turned out to be one of the most emotionally charged moments in movie-award history—and possibly for Aamir Khan himself!

The award celebrates the work and memory of Gollapudi Srinivas, an upcoming director who was killed by a freak wave on a Vishkapatnam beach while shooting his first film.

Aamir dedicated the prize money of Rs 1.5 lakh towards the assistance of young filmmakers.

Truly an evening to remember.

Bipasha’s mushy comments on Ranbir leave Dips fuming

If Ranbir Kapoor romancing three sizzling babes was not hot enough, the messy cat fight brewing between his real life girlfriend Deepika and onscreen love interest Bipasha is sure spice things up.
Though, Bipasha has shunned all rumours about a cold war boiling up between her and Deepika Padukone, it looks like it’s going to take much more than mere denials for the two ladies to prove that all is well.
According to sources, the Bong bombshell and sultry Deepika Padukone just don’t see eye-to-eye and prefer sticking to a minimal courtesy conversation routine. Wonder why?
Apparently Bipasha simply seems to be bowled over by the charms of Bollywood’s light-eyed boy Ranbir, as the lady just can’t stop raving about the young actor. And the trouble is that this mushy ‘goody goody’ talk about Ranbir by Bips is not being taken in the best of spirits by Dips.
Story goes that it all stared on the sets of a reality show where Bips and Dips were to accompany Ranbir as part of promotions for their forthcoming film ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, which also stars Minissha Lamba.
Things got ugly when Bipasha showed up and learned that Deepika and Ranbir were going to make an entry and she would have follow later. Feeling cornered, Bips then demanded to make the grand entry with Ranbir
Ever since this ugly face off the two just don’t seem to gel well. But if sources are to be believed the cold war has been going on ever since the shooting of the film began.
An insider stated that Deepika and Bipasha were never friendly in the first place, while Dips and Minissha bonded right from the start.
What’s interesting is that the grapevine now has it that it’s Bipasha, who walks away with Ranbir in Bachna Ae Haseeno and not Deepika!
Hmm… suddenly all this triangular 'filmy' melodrama is making sense.