Miss World to be crowned in China

SANYA: More than 100 beautiful women from across the globe will vie for the Miss World crown in the Chinese resort of Sanya on Saturday in a pageant sure to deliver sex appeal and glamour.

British bookmaker William Hill listed Norway's Mariann Birkedal (pictured), a 23-year-old blue-eyed brunette who earned an automatic spot in the final by clinching the preliminary Top Model title, as the hot favourite for the crown.

With only a few hours to go before the competition, William Hill listed Birkedal's odds of winning at 6/5, followed by Alexandria Mills of the United States and Yara Santiago of Puerto Rico, both at 7/1.

Serbia's Milica Jelic is fourth in the running, according to the bookmaker.

"I really can't believe I've been chosen best model out of so many wonderful girls here," said Birkedal. "It's a great honour for me and, of course, I'm delighted to be in the top 25. Now I can look forward to the final."

After a month-long tour of China, from visiting the striking Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing to shopping in Shanghai, the 115 contestants have now invaded Hainan island's pristine beaches for the main event.

The competition, which was first held in 1951 and is being staged in Sanya for the fifth time in eight years, annually rakes in a global television audience of about a billion viewers. It begins at 8:00 pm (1200 GMT).

"Miss World has a special relationship with Sanya and there is no better place to begin our 60th year celebrations," the pageant's co-chairwoman Julia Morley said on the official website.

The glittering final competition, to be judged by seven former Miss Worlds including 1953 winner Denise Perrier Lanfranchi of France, will see the reigning glamour queen, Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar, relinquish her throne.

The event rivals the Miss Universe pageant owned by US tycoon Donald Trump, which was won by Mexico's Jimena Navarrete in August.

The Miss World competition emphasises the importance of charity work.

Miss 'Beauty with a Purpose' -- Kenya's Natasha Metto, who has worked on combating an epidemic of parasitic Jigger fleas in her country -- is one of several contestants who have earned "fast-track" spots to the finals by winning mini-titles.

Along with "Top Model" Birkedal, Santiago booked her place with the Beach Beauty title, and Ireland's violin-playing Emma Waldron won the talent contest.

Lori Moore of Northern Ireland, a 20-year-old hockey and netball enthusiast, also secured her spot by taking the Sportswoman crown.

In 1951, Sweden's Kiki Hakansson became the first Miss World. Oscar-winning American actress Halle Berry was a finalist in 1986.

Venezuela and India have produced the most Miss Worlds, with five titleholders each. Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai took the crown in 1994

Miss World to be crowned in China

SANYA: More than 100 beautiful women from across the globe will vie for the Miss World crown in the Chinese resort of Sanya on Saturday in a pageant sure to deliver sex appeal and glamour.

British bookmaker William Hill listed Norway's Mariann Birkedal (pictured), a 23-year-old blue-eyed brunette who earned an automatic spot in the final by clinching the preliminary Top Model title, as the hot favourite for the crown.

With only a few hours to go before the competition, William Hill listed Birkedal's odds of winning at 6/5, followed by Alexandria Mills of the United States and Yara Santiago of Puerto Rico, both at 7/1.

Serbia's Milica Jelic is fourth in the running, according to the bookmaker.

"I really can't believe I've been chosen best model out of so many wonderful girls here," said Birkedal. "It's a great honour for me and, of course, I'm delighted to be in the top 25. Now I can look forward to the final."

After a month-long tour of China, from visiting the striking Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing to shopping in Shanghai, the 115 contestants have now invaded Hainan island's pristine beaches for the main event.

The competition, which was first held in 1951 and is being staged in Sanya for the fifth time in eight years, annually rakes in a global television audience of about a billion viewers. It begins at 8:00 pm (1200 GMT).

"Miss World has a special relationship with Sanya and there is no better place to begin our 60th year celebrations," the pageant's co-chairwoman Julia Morley said on the official website.

The glittering final competition, to be judged by seven former Miss Worlds including 1953 winner Denise Perrier Lanfranchi of France, will see the reigning glamour queen, Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar, relinquish her throne.

The event rivals the Miss Universe pageant owned by US tycoon Donald Trump, which was won by Mexico's Jimena Navarrete in August.

The Miss World competition emphasises the importance of charity work.

Miss 'Beauty with a Purpose' -- Kenya's Natasha Metto, who has worked on combating an epidemic of parasitic Jigger fleas in her country -- is one of several contestants who have earned "fast-track" spots to the finals by winning mini-titles.

Along with "Top Model" Birkedal, Santiago booked her place with the Beach Beauty title, and Ireland's violin-playing Emma Waldron won the talent contest.

Lori Moore of Northern Ireland, a 20-year-old hockey and netball enthusiast, also secured her spot by taking the Sportswoman crown.

In 1951, Sweden's Kiki Hakansson became the first Miss World. Oscar-winning American actress Halle Berry was a finalist in 1986.

Venezuela and India have produced the most Miss Worlds, with five titleholders each. Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai took the crown in 1994

Entertainment Sania says not fond of acting in films

MUMBAI: Sania Mirza and Shoaib Mallik, the top sought after celebrity couple, made their first public appearance in Mumbai to open the first Salon and Makeup Lounge of the new age makeup artiste Manzoor Khan in Malad.

Other celebrities who came to see the Salon & Lounge and offer their best wishes were Raima Sen, Ruslan Mumtaz and Sajid Khan, one half of the famous music director duo Sajid Wajid.

Manzoor, who has till now done makeup for celebrity brigade like Sania Mirza, Kaitrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Amisha Patel, Sameera Reddy, Koena Mitra, Riya Sen, Hansika Motwani, Mahima Chowdhary, Raima Sen, Tanushree Dutta, Dipika Padukone, Mallaika Arora Khan, Minisha Lamba, Aarti Chhabria and Pia Trivedi, is now all set to embark on the second wrung of his journey as a makeup artiste and consultant.

Sania said she was not fond of acting in television and films, adding tennis is her identification.

Talking to media after the inauguration, she said she wanted to win as many medals as possible for her country India.

Comments Manzoor, “Today art of makeup has gone beyond the process of just applying makeup or making a woman look more beautiful. There is whole lot of beauty science involved before doing the makeup. One needs to understand the skin tone, skin texture, personality, the occasion, clothes etc before we can decide on type of makeup and colour tones to be used. Hair type and cut too play a vital role in selecting the makeup. In my Salon and Lounge we are not doing juts makeup. We have skin consultants available to give that extra edge and better confidence to the client.”

Manzoor, who has been exposed to international market through his work on various commercials and his personal association with L’Oreal, treats make up as a fine art.

Through his Salon and Lounge, Manzoor will also be imparting courses for personal makeup. Besides this he has also started 3 & 6 months’ professional courses in makeup and hair. “Just knowing how to use a brush or scissors is not enough. You also need to understand its strength in enhancing or spoiling the looks,” comments Manzoor

Entertainment Sania says not fond of acting in films

MUMBAI: Sania Mirza and Shoaib Mallik, the top sought after celebrity couple, made their first public appearance in Mumbai to open the first Salon and Makeup Lounge of the new age makeup artiste Manzoor Khan in Malad.

Other celebrities who came to see the Salon & Lounge and offer their best wishes were Raima Sen, Ruslan Mumtaz and Sajid Khan, one half of the famous music director duo Sajid Wajid.

Manzoor, who has till now done makeup for celebrity brigade like Sania Mirza, Kaitrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Amisha Patel, Sameera Reddy, Koena Mitra, Riya Sen, Hansika Motwani, Mahima Chowdhary, Raima Sen, Tanushree Dutta, Dipika Padukone, Mallaika Arora Khan, Minisha Lamba, Aarti Chhabria and Pia Trivedi, is now all set to embark on the second wrung of his journey as a makeup artiste and consultant.

Sania said she was not fond of acting in television and films, adding tennis is her identification.

Talking to media after the inauguration, she said she wanted to win as many medals as possible for her country India.

Comments Manzoor, “Today art of makeup has gone beyond the process of just applying makeup or making a woman look more beautiful. There is whole lot of beauty science involved before doing the makeup. One needs to understand the skin tone, skin texture, personality, the occasion, clothes etc before we can decide on type of makeup and colour tones to be used. Hair type and cut too play a vital role in selecting the makeup. In my Salon and Lounge we are not doing juts makeup. We have skin consultants available to give that extra edge and better confidence to the client.”

Manzoor, who has been exposed to international market through his work on various commercials and his personal association with L’Oreal, treats make up as a fine art.

Through his Salon and Lounge, Manzoor will also be imparting courses for personal makeup. Besides this he has also started 3 & 6 months’ professional courses in makeup and hair. “Just knowing how to use a brush or scissors is not enough. You also need to understand its strength in enhancing or spoiling the looks,” comments Manzoor

Hrithik to star opposite Kristen Stewart

MUMBAI: American actress Kristen Stewart is reportedly stepping into Bollywood domain. And if reports are to be believed, the ‘Twilight’ lass will be romancing none other than heartthrob Hrithik Roshan in the upcoming Shekhar Kapur film Paani. So after his much talked-about chemistry with Spanish actress Barbara Mori, Hrithik Roshan will next set the screen on fire with American Kristen Stewart.

According to sources associated with the film, Paani is inspired from the Romeo and Juliet theme of Shakespeare. The Shekhar Kapur film tells the story about a poor boy, portrayed by Hrithik Roshan, who lives in the slum areas of Mumbai. A rebel at heart, the boy comes across a rich girl, played by Kristen Stewart, and the two fall in love.

Paani has been in the production stage for some time now and while Hrithik Roshan had already been finalized for the male lead, Shekhar Kapur was on the lookout for somebody tall and fair to play the part of the contemporary Juliet.

The grapevine has it that Shekhar Kapur approached Kristen Stewart directly for being a part of his upcoming venture, and since the actress has always been a fan of his works, she said yes without giving it a second thought.

The audience though is eager to see the Hrithik – Kristen chemistry

Hrithik to star opposite Kristen Stewart

MUMBAI: American actress Kristen Stewart is reportedly stepping into Bollywood domain. And if reports are to be believed, the ‘Twilight’ lass will be romancing none other than heartthrob Hrithik Roshan in the upcoming Shekhar Kapur film Paani. So after his much talked-about chemistry with Spanish actress Barbara Mori, Hrithik Roshan will next set the screen on fire with American Kristen Stewart.

According to sources associated with the film, Paani is inspired from the Romeo and Juliet theme of Shakespeare. The Shekhar Kapur film tells the story about a poor boy, portrayed by Hrithik Roshan, who lives in the slum areas of Mumbai. A rebel at heart, the boy comes across a rich girl, played by Kristen Stewart, and the two fall in love.

Paani has been in the production stage for some time now and while Hrithik Roshan had already been finalized for the male lead, Shekhar Kapur was on the lookout for somebody tall and fair to play the part of the contemporary Juliet.

The grapevine has it that Shekhar Kapur approached Kristen Stewart directly for being a part of his upcoming venture, and since the actress has always been a fan of his works, she said yes without giving it a second thought.

The audience though is eager to see the Hrithik – Kristen chemistry

Hobbit films to stay in New Zealand

WELLINGTON: Two $500 million (£315.63 million) Hobbit movies will be made in New Zealand as originally planned, Prime Minister John Key said after two days of crisis talks with Hollywood studio executives.

Senior executives from Warner Bros and New Line Cinema won an agreement for a change in labour law and bigger tax breaks to keep the project in New Zealand after a dispute over pay and conditions for actors threw the production into turmoil last week.

The studios had warned that unless the threat of labour action was removed, production of the two movies would be moved to another country.

The dispute became a national issue in New Zealand, which received a huge boost to its tourism and film-making industries after The Lord of the Rings trilogy was made here. Hundreds of people marched in several cities to show their support for keeping production in New Zealand.

The Hobbit is JRR Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings.

Mr Key says the package includes an extra tax break of NZ$20 million (£9.43 million) for the studios, on top of $45 million (£28.38 million) already pledged by the government.

A labour law change will be put to Parliament on Thursday "to ensure New Zealand law in this area is settled to give producers like Warner Bros the confidence they need to produce their movies in New Zealand," he said.

The change - which applies only to the film industry - ensures actors and others will be hired as contract workers, a method often used by production companies, not as employees. The union had wanted local actors and other production workers to be hired as full-fledged employees on union contracts.

New Zealand will also contribute $7.5 million (£4.73 million) to help with marketing costs of the two films.

"It's good to have the uncertainty (surrounding the movies) over and to have everyone now full steam ahead on producing these two movies," Mr Key told reporters after two days of intensive talks in the capital, Wellington.

Hobbit films to stay in New Zealand

WELLINGTON: Two $500 million (£315.63 million) Hobbit movies will be made in New Zealand as originally planned, Prime Minister John Key said after two days of crisis talks with Hollywood studio executives.

Senior executives from Warner Bros and New Line Cinema won an agreement for a change in labour law and bigger tax breaks to keep the project in New Zealand after a dispute over pay and conditions for actors threw the production into turmoil last week.

The studios had warned that unless the threat of labour action was removed, production of the two movies would be moved to another country.

The dispute became a national issue in New Zealand, which received a huge boost to its tourism and film-making industries after The Lord of the Rings trilogy was made here. Hundreds of people marched in several cities to show their support for keeping production in New Zealand.

The Hobbit is JRR Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings.

Mr Key says the package includes an extra tax break of NZ$20 million (£9.43 million) for the studios, on top of $45 million (£28.38 million) already pledged by the government.

A labour law change will be put to Parliament on Thursday "to ensure New Zealand law in this area is settled to give producers like Warner Bros the confidence they need to produce their movies in New Zealand," he said.

The change - which applies only to the film industry - ensures actors and others will be hired as contract workers, a method often used by production companies, not as employees. The union had wanted local actors and other production workers to be hired as full-fledged employees on union contracts.

New Zealand will also contribute $7.5 million (£4.73 million) to help with marketing costs of the two films.

"It's good to have the uncertainty (surrounding the movies) over and to have everyone now full steam ahead on producing these two movies," Mr Key told reporters after two days of intensive talks in the capital, Wellington.

Is Ash-Sallu breakup Ash's loss

They were the most beautiful couple in Bollywood, but destiny had other plans for the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai and the hunky Salman Khan!

While Ash is now the Bachchan bahu, married to Abhishek Bahchan, Salman, till not long ago, was dating the hottest girl in B-Town, Katrina Kaif! Of course Salman, and Ash both have moved on, but the relationship between the two remain so strained that the couple is doing everything in the book to avoid coming face-to-face. But is this affecting the promotions of their respective films?

With the small screen's huge popularity, films these days are using the television as a platform for movie promotions. And with Salman Khan hosting the popular reality show 'Bigg Boss', it seems as though Ash and her producers have more to lose. Only recently, Salman refused to promote Guzaarish on 'Bigg Boss'. The channel and the team of 'Guzaarish' (read: Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai) were to come to the Bigg Boss House, but Salman flatly refused. Also, Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah (actor and director of 'Action Replayy'), it is heard, will partake in the reality game show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' hosted by actor and Ash's father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan. Aishwarya is cast opposite Akki in this flick but refused to appear even on the show hosted by her pa-in-law only because the proceeds were going to be given away to Salman's NGO 'Being Human'!

Insiders from the 'Guzaarish' team maintain, "Bigg Boss is huge in popularity. Of course, we were keen that we be seen there, but in today's day and age it's not the end all and be all. There are several ways to promote a film these days. Also, the major strength lies not in how well you promote your movie, but how good the movie really is, and Bhansali is damn sure of the quality of his product."

A unit member from 'Action Replayy's production house insists, "Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah did appear on KBC. So our objective was met. The movie was promoted. No one's complaining," whilst he chose not to divulge, agree or disagree why Ash really didn't appear on the game show!

Is Ash-Sallu breakup Ash's loss

They were the most beautiful couple in Bollywood, but destiny had other plans for the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai and the hunky Salman Khan!

While Ash is now the Bachchan bahu, married to Abhishek Bahchan, Salman, till not long ago, was dating the hottest girl in B-Town, Katrina Kaif! Of course Salman, and Ash both have moved on, but the relationship between the two remain so strained that the couple is doing everything in the book to avoid coming face-to-face. But is this affecting the promotions of their respective films?

With the small screen's huge popularity, films these days are using the television as a platform for movie promotions. And with Salman Khan hosting the popular reality show 'Bigg Boss', it seems as though Ash and her producers have more to lose. Only recently, Salman refused to promote Guzaarish on 'Bigg Boss'. The channel and the team of 'Guzaarish' (read: Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai) were to come to the Bigg Boss House, but Salman flatly refused. Also, Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah (actor and director of 'Action Replayy'), it is heard, will partake in the reality game show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' hosted by actor and Ash's father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan. Aishwarya is cast opposite Akki in this flick but refused to appear even on the show hosted by her pa-in-law only because the proceeds were going to be given away to Salman's NGO 'Being Human'!

Insiders from the 'Guzaarish' team maintain, "Bigg Boss is huge in popularity. Of course, we were keen that we be seen there, but in today's day and age it's not the end all and be all. There are several ways to promote a film these days. Also, the major strength lies not in how well you promote your movie, but how good the movie really is, and Bhansali is damn sure of the quality of his product."

A unit member from 'Action Replayy's production house insists, "Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah did appear on KBC. So our objective was met. The movie was promoted. No one's complaining," whilst he chose not to divulge, agree or disagree why Ash really didn't appear on the game show!

I'm not pregnant: Sakshi Pradhan

Sakshi Pradhan has been in the news for all controversial reasons.

This Splitsvilla 2 winner, who got eliminated from the Bigg Boss house sometime back, loves being in the news. While she was in the house, she was allowed to consult a doctor and this gave rise to speculation that she was pregnant. Sakshi even confided in her female co-mates, Shweta Tiwari, Veena Malik and Sara Khan that she'd missed her menstrual cycle and she was worried if she was pregnant. TOI spoke to the girl grilling her on her penchant to be in the news...

Why is it that you have always hit headlines for controversy? Do you think when you need limelight to be in news any publicity is good publicity?
I don't know why my name is associated with controversy. I want to meet those people who are spreading these stories and have a heart-to-heart conversation with them. They don't realise that I'm somebody's daughter and I have a personal life too. Gossip doesn't affect me. But I hope that it doesn't affect people close to me. I don't look to be in news and create false stories that are sensational so that I get good coverage. If media is doing that, it is their fault as they are lapping up controversy without even checking the news.

Are you pregnant as was reported?
This one was the most bizarre one. I'm 21. Why will I be pregnant when all that I'm thinking is about my career? I'm not pregnant and don't intend to be.

Has your MMS sex scandal got you attention that made you get a chance to be in the house?
I hope not as I know people who don't even have any controversy around them who were approached by the channel. I don't want to talk about the sex scandal. It has disturbed me enough and has depressed me. I have clarified it a long back.

It is also being said that you are the person who has got Sara Khan excited about Ashmit?
Sara is a grown up girl and she knows what she is doing. I'm not the one creating a rift between her and Ali Merchant (Sara's boyfriend). She calls Ashmit Pops and he thinks of her as his daughter. The show is just playing portions that can be perceived as sensational for TRPs. Don't go by that.

I'm not pregnant: Sakshi Pradhan

Sakshi Pradhan has been in the news for all controversial reasons.

This Splitsvilla 2 winner, who got eliminated from the Bigg Boss house sometime back, loves being in the news. While she was in the house, she was allowed to consult a doctor and this gave rise to speculation that she was pregnant. Sakshi even confided in her female co-mates, Shweta Tiwari, Veena Malik and Sara Khan that she'd missed her menstrual cycle and she was worried if she was pregnant. TOI spoke to the girl grilling her on her penchant to be in the news...

Why is it that you have always hit headlines for controversy? Do you think when you need limelight to be in news any publicity is good publicity?
I don't know why my name is associated with controversy. I want to meet those people who are spreading these stories and have a heart-to-heart conversation with them. They don't realise that I'm somebody's daughter and I have a personal life too. Gossip doesn't affect me. But I hope that it doesn't affect people close to me. I don't look to be in news and create false stories that are sensational so that I get good coverage. If media is doing that, it is their fault as they are lapping up controversy without even checking the news.

Are you pregnant as was reported?
This one was the most bizarre one. I'm 21. Why will I be pregnant when all that I'm thinking is about my career? I'm not pregnant and don't intend to be.

Has your MMS sex scandal got you attention that made you get a chance to be in the house?
I hope not as I know people who don't even have any controversy around them who were approached by the channel. I don't want to talk about the sex scandal. It has disturbed me enough and has depressed me. I have clarified it a long back.

It is also being said that you are the person who has got Sara Khan excited about Ashmit?
Sara is a grown up girl and she knows what she is doing. I'm not the one creating a rift between her and Ali Merchant (Sara's boyfriend). She calls Ashmit Pops and he thinks of her as his daughter. The show is just playing portions that can be perceived as sensational for TRPs. Don't go by that.

Bebo, Tusshar gang up

The Director Lovely Singh will remember his recent trip to Hyderabad for some good reasons, but more importantly, some very unpleasant ones.

When he landed up on the sets of Golmaal 3 in Hyderabad to meet his friends Kareena Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor, Lovely was oblivious that the two had planned to gang up against him.

Later that day, both Kareena and Tusshar told Lovely that the hotel he was supposed to stay in, was haunted.

That night, minutes before falling asleep, Lovely found two `Nimboos' on his bed. The next day, he found blood in his toilet. And on the third day he started hearing weird noises, like that of a girl crying.

Only later did Lovely realise that these were all pranks and that Kareena and Tusshar had planned them.

A petrified Lovely said, "I could not sleep for three nights. Even Ajay Devgn teamed up with Tusshar and Kareena. The worst was when they hid a walkie-talkie behind the AC that made weird noises." Wait, that's not been mentioned; are you sure there was a walkie-talkie Lovely?

Bebo, Tusshar gang up

The Director Lovely Singh will remember his recent trip to Hyderabad for some good reasons, but more importantly, some very unpleasant ones.

When he landed up on the sets of Golmaal 3 in Hyderabad to meet his friends Kareena Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor, Lovely was oblivious that the two had planned to gang up against him.

Later that day, both Kareena and Tusshar told Lovely that the hotel he was supposed to stay in, was haunted.

That night, minutes before falling asleep, Lovely found two `Nimboos' on his bed. The next day, he found blood in his toilet. And on the third day he started hearing weird noises, like that of a girl crying.

Only later did Lovely realise that these were all pranks and that Kareena and Tusshar had planned them.

A petrified Lovely said, "I could not sleep for three nights. Even Ajay Devgn teamed up with Tusshar and Kareena. The worst was when they hid a walkie-talkie behind the AC that made weird noises." Wait, that's not been mentioned; are you sure there was a walkie-talkie Lovely?

Sallu back in Dus Ka Dum

As far as the show Dus Ka Dum is concerned, it seems Salman Khan is irreplaceable. The broadcasters of the show have realised this over time. Last week, they called up Salman and asked him to return to the show. And guess what? Salman agreed!

The acrimonious fallout that Salman had with the channel three months ago is over now. Next year, the superstar will return to the third season of the show as the host.

Explaining how it all happened, our source says, "The broadcasters told Salman, 'Sir, we'll do it as per your terms and conditions.'"

Apparently, a lot of efforts were made to get a replacement for Salman but all in vain. But you wonder if the broadcasters of Bigg Boss would be miffed if Sallu went back to Dus Ka Dum. Said the source, "Not at all. Salman doesn't have a binding contract with them. He can always do Bigg Boss next year again if he wants apart from doing Dus Ka Dum."

When Salman walked out of Dus Ka Dum early in August this year, which caused a delay in the third season of the show, it was supposedly because the channel was not inclined to give Salman a remuneration hike. At that time, Salman made it amply clear to the channel that he will return to the show again but strictly on his own terms.

According to insiders from the television industry, Salman had charged Rs 89 crore for the 104 episodes that were telecast in the first season of Dus Ka Dum. And for the second season of the show, the actor had reportedly asked for a decent increment of Rs 44 crore. But even that didn't materialise. Then, Salman slashed his fee for the second season after the channel admitted a cash crunch as a result of the economic recession (Mumbai Mirror, August 4, 2010).

Says the source, "Considering Salman agreed to a fee cut in the second season, shouldn't the channel telecasting Dus Ka Dum have given him a fee hike in the third season? Anyway, 10 Ka Dum is very dear to Salman; that was his first show on Indian television

Sallu back in Dus Ka Dum

As far as the show Dus Ka Dum is concerned, it seems Salman Khan is irreplaceable. The broadcasters of the show have realised this over time. Last week, they called up Salman and asked him to return to the show. And guess what? Salman agreed!

The acrimonious fallout that Salman had with the channel three months ago is over now. Next year, the superstar will return to the third season of the show as the host.

Explaining how it all happened, our source says, "The broadcasters told Salman, 'Sir, we'll do it as per your terms and conditions.'"

Apparently, a lot of efforts were made to get a replacement for Salman but all in vain. But you wonder if the broadcasters of Bigg Boss would be miffed if Sallu went back to Dus Ka Dum. Said the source, "Not at all. Salman doesn't have a binding contract with them. He can always do Bigg Boss next year again if he wants apart from doing Dus Ka Dum."

When Salman walked out of Dus Ka Dum early in August this year, which caused a delay in the third season of the show, it was supposedly because the channel was not inclined to give Salman a remuneration hike. At that time, Salman made it amply clear to the channel that he will return to the show again but strictly on his own terms.

According to insiders from the television industry, Salman had charged Rs 89 crore for the 104 episodes that were telecast in the first season of Dus Ka Dum. And for the second season of the show, the actor had reportedly asked for a decent increment of Rs 44 crore. But even that didn't materialise. Then, Salman slashed his fee for the second season after the channel admitted a cash crunch as a result of the economic recession (Mumbai Mirror, August 4, 2010).

Says the source, "Considering Salman agreed to a fee cut in the second season, shouldn't the channel telecasting Dus Ka Dum have given him a fee hike in the third season? Anyway, 10 Ka Dum is very dear to Salman; that was his first show on Indian television

Salman Khan gears up to get inside Bigg Boss house

As a Diwali bonanza, the inmates will get a surprise visitor in Salman Khan who will enter the house to stay with them for a day...

While Diwali is just around the corner, Bigg Boss Season 4 seems to be getting into the festive mood already.

Pleasant surprises are always welcome especially as an added bonanza when you are expecting it the least. While the housemates eagerly wait for a glimpse of Salman Khan every Friday on the plasma screen, Sallu will be seen actually entering the house and spending a day with them..Just Imagine, this is a jackpot from nowhere! For the first time in the history of Bigg Boss, the viewers will see none other than the host himself entering the house and having a gala time with the housemates. What better a treat can the housemates get!

As they say, the wearer knows where the shoe pinches; Salman will actually be seen entering the house and getting a taste of what house-arrest means. Now we all know Salman can go to any extentin Mehmaan Nawazi... will the host bring in some home-cooked biryaani and other yummy delights for the housemates? Considering Salman's generosity…we wonder if Veena's going to add another pair of stilettos to her collection; if WWE Superstar The Great Khali's going to blow a new flute, will the housemates get messages from their loved ones or would it be painting from Salman himself?

Wait... there's more to the good news. In Bigg Boss always expect the unexpected!! While there's butterfly buzzing in Sara, WWE Superstar The Great Khali, Seema and Sameer's stomach; wondering who's going to be out of the house this week…Salman brings in some relief ruling out the eviction this week. Now this definitely is a dhamakedaar start to the forthcoming festive week.

Catch the Salman dhamaka on Big Boss Season 4 This Saturday, October 30 at 9 pm Only on COLORS

Salman Khan gears up to get inside Bigg Boss house

As a Diwali bonanza, the inmates will get a surprise visitor in Salman Khan who will enter the house to stay with them for a day...

While Diwali is just around the corner, Bigg Boss Season 4 seems to be getting into the festive mood already.

Pleasant surprises are always welcome especially as an added bonanza when you are expecting it the least. While the housemates eagerly wait for a glimpse of Salman Khan every Friday on the plasma screen, Sallu will be seen actually entering the house and spending a day with them..Just Imagine, this is a jackpot from nowhere! For the first time in the history of Bigg Boss, the viewers will see none other than the host himself entering the house and having a gala time with the housemates. What better a treat can the housemates get!

As they say, the wearer knows where the shoe pinches; Salman will actually be seen entering the house and getting a taste of what house-arrest means. Now we all know Salman can go to any extentin Mehmaan Nawazi... will the host bring in some home-cooked biryaani and other yummy delights for the housemates? Considering Salman's generosity…we wonder if Veena's going to add another pair of stilettos to her collection; if WWE Superstar The Great Khali's going to blow a new flute, will the housemates get messages from their loved ones or would it be painting from Salman himself?

Wait... there's more to the good news. In Bigg Boss always expect the unexpected!! While there's butterfly buzzing in Sara, WWE Superstar The Great Khali, Seema and Sameer's stomach; wondering who's going to be out of the house this week…Salman brings in some relief ruling out the eviction this week. Now this definitely is a dhamakedaar start to the forthcoming festive week.

Catch the Salman dhamaka on Big Boss Season 4 This Saturday, October 30 at 9 pm Only on COLORS

Vivek invites Bachchans to his wedding

MUMBAI: Seems like Vivek Oberoi is turning a new leaf! The groom-to-be wants to sort out all differences with the Bachchans and Dutts before he ties the knot with lady love Priyanka Alva tomorrow.

In an attempt to break the ice, he personally invited them to the wedding.

Sources said Vivek went to Mehboob studio to invite the Bachchans to his wedding. In fact, it was also reported that even though Jr. Bachchan accepted the invitation very grudgingly, it is highly doubtful that the Bachchan couple will make an appearance at Aishwarya's ex-lover's wedding reception.

However, Sanjay Dutt, who was miffed with Vivek for passing unkind remarks about his wife Maanayata, has sorted things out with Vivek after the Rakht Charitra actor personally apologized to him.

Now, here's the twist. Vivek, who in the past has made several futile attempts to sort out differences with Salman Khan, did not try to invite Khan to his wedding.

Vivek invites Bachchans to his wedding

MUMBAI: Seems like Vivek Oberoi is turning a new leaf! The groom-to-be wants to sort out all differences with the Bachchans and Dutts before he ties the knot with lady love Priyanka Alva tomorrow.

In an attempt to break the ice, he personally invited them to the wedding.

Sources said Vivek went to Mehboob studio to invite the Bachchans to his wedding. In fact, it was also reported that even though Jr. Bachchan accepted the invitation very grudgingly, it is highly doubtful that the Bachchan couple will make an appearance at Aishwarya's ex-lover's wedding reception.

However, Sanjay Dutt, who was miffed with Vivek for passing unkind remarks about his wife Maanayata, has sorted things out with Vivek after the Rakht Charitra actor personally apologized to him.

Now, here's the twist. Vivek, who in the past has made several futile attempts to sort out differences with Salman Khan, did not try to invite Khan to his wedding.

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey music launched

MUMBAI: The music of “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” was launched in a suburban hotel tonight among a lot of paparazzi and the cast and crew of the film. All the people present there were dressed in red and white Indian attire to grace the occasion.

“Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” or “KHJJS” is an upcoming Hindi film directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar which stars Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. The film is a period thriller based on the book ‘Do and DIE : The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34’ by Manini Chatterjee. “KHJJS” is a true story of those forgotten heroes from Chittagong in Bengal who sacrificed their lives to chase out the britishers from our country.

This little-known chapter in the history will be presented in a film to showcase how a group of 64 people reigned terror on the Britishers through a series of calculated attacks. Big freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Shaheed Bhagat Singh are known to all but little did we know about this idealistic leader Surjya Sen, a school teacher by profession.

Ashutosh Gowarikar has made serious efforts to tell the world about this forgotten hero Surjya Sen and his band of 64 people which mainly constituted of teenagers.

The event was completely star studded as expected. Obviously the entire Bachchan family i.e; Amitabh, Jaya, Aishwarya were there to support Abhishek. Anupam and Kiron Kher were also seen backing their son Siddharth as he also plays a major role in the movie

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey music launched

MUMBAI: The music of “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” was launched in a suburban hotel tonight among a lot of paparazzi and the cast and crew of the film. All the people present there were dressed in red and white Indian attire to grace the occasion.

“Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” or “KHJJS” is an upcoming Hindi film directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar which stars Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. The film is a period thriller based on the book ‘Do and DIE : The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34’ by Manini Chatterjee. “KHJJS” is a true story of those forgotten heroes from Chittagong in Bengal who sacrificed their lives to chase out the britishers from our country.

This little-known chapter in the history will be presented in a film to showcase how a group of 64 people reigned terror on the Britishers through a series of calculated attacks. Big freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Shaheed Bhagat Singh are known to all but little did we know about this idealistic leader Surjya Sen, a school teacher by profession.

Ashutosh Gowarikar has made serious efforts to tell the world about this forgotten hero Surjya Sen and his band of 64 people which mainly constituted of teenagers.

The event was completely star studded as expected. Obviously the entire Bachchan family i.e; Amitabh, Jaya, Aishwarya were there to support Abhishek. Anupam and Kiron Kher were also seen backing their son Siddharth as he also plays a major role in the movie

Oprah in comedy film with Sandra, Streep

LOS ANGELES: Universal Pictures has acquired an untitled comedy pitch with Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, and Oprah Winfrey attached to star.

Michael Patrick King, who wrote and directed the Sex and the City movie and its sequel as well as the original HBO series, will pull double duty on this concept.

The comedy will center on the world of a home shopping network as the three women “make their way through the maze of mania that surrounds marketing, marriages and the media,” reports Deadline. King plans to finish the script by January.

Scheduling will be the biggest issue since Bullock is committed to starring in Gravity and attached to several others following her Oscar win.

Meryl “T-Bone” Streep does just about whatever she wants, but she’s set to appear alongside Julia Roberts in August: Osage County. Oprah is, of course, busy with her regular television show, magazine, and all-around empire. This will be her first live-action appearance since 1998’s Beloved.

King’s limited experience and “Sex and the City” background don’t exactly inspire confidence, but he certainly managed to convince a dream team of female leads to unite so he’s brewing something fascinating based on the cast alone.

With that sort of celebrity power, the pressure is definitely on to deliver a script worthy of its attached talent and the inevitable intense public scrutiny. He may have assembled an impressive ensemble, but King has his work cut out for him now.

The TV host, who was herself nominated for an Academy Award for her role in 1985's The Color Purple, will appear in a currently-untitled new comedy created by Sex and The City writer Michael Patrick King, the Daily Express reports.

The role will be Winfrey's first onscreen part since 1999's Beloved

Oprah in comedy film with Sandra, Streep

LOS ANGELES: Universal Pictures has acquired an untitled comedy pitch with Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, and Oprah Winfrey attached to star.

Michael Patrick King, who wrote and directed the Sex and the City movie and its sequel as well as the original HBO series, will pull double duty on this concept.

The comedy will center on the world of a home shopping network as the three women “make their way through the maze of mania that surrounds marketing, marriages and the media,” reports Deadline. King plans to finish the script by January.

Scheduling will be the biggest issue since Bullock is committed to starring in Gravity and attached to several others following her Oscar win.

Meryl “T-Bone” Streep does just about whatever she wants, but she’s set to appear alongside Julia Roberts in August: Osage County. Oprah is, of course, busy with her regular television show, magazine, and all-around empire. This will be her first live-action appearance since 1998’s Beloved.

King’s limited experience and “Sex and the City” background don’t exactly inspire confidence, but he certainly managed to convince a dream team of female leads to unite so he’s brewing something fascinating based on the cast alone.

With that sort of celebrity power, the pressure is definitely on to deliver a script worthy of its attached talent and the inevitable intense public scrutiny. He may have assembled an impressive ensemble, but King has his work cut out for him now.

The TV host, who was herself nominated for an Academy Award for her role in 1985's The Color Purple, will appear in a currently-untitled new comedy created by Sex and The City writer Michael Patrick King, the Daily Express reports.

The role will be Winfrey's first onscreen part since 1999's Beloved

Justin Bieber’s movie trailer out

LOS ANGELES: Whatever your opinion of Justin Bieber, one thing's for sure: Even when he was 3, the guy could lay down a solid drum break.

The first full trailer for the Bieb's 3-D movie Never Say Never is here, and while it's full of the requisite skinny jeans, stylish hoodies and blown-out hair, it also features several revealing moments of Bieber before he became a music phenomenon...

From the looks of the trailer, the movie seems to be shaping up as a full Bieber retrospective, not just a concert video with some skits thrown in, a la the Jonas Brothers and their attempt.

In Never Say Never we get actual home video of young Justin (well, younger than the world-weary 16 he is now) showing off multi-instrumental music skills, behind-the-scenes glimpses into the stresses of touring and interviews with some of his mentors, aka Usher.

Add to that the prowess of director Jon Chu (Step Up 3D) and Bieber's story is not only in good hands, it looks like it'll deliver on what it promises: A compelling look into the life of this 21st century superstar. Never Say Never hits theaters Feb. 11.

The movie is a total look at Bieber though…from his early life to what his life is like now being mobbed by screaming fans and hanging out with celebrities like Usher. It’s an intimate look at one of pop’s most exciting young stars.

Justin Bieber’s movie trailer out

LOS ANGELES: Whatever your opinion of Justin Bieber, one thing's for sure: Even when he was 3, the guy could lay down a solid drum break.

The first full trailer for the Bieb's 3-D movie Never Say Never is here, and while it's full of the requisite skinny jeans, stylish hoodies and blown-out hair, it also features several revealing moments of Bieber before he became a music phenomenon...

From the looks of the trailer, the movie seems to be shaping up as a full Bieber retrospective, not just a concert video with some skits thrown in, a la the Jonas Brothers and their attempt.

In Never Say Never we get actual home video of young Justin (well, younger than the world-weary 16 he is now) showing off multi-instrumental music skills, behind-the-scenes glimpses into the stresses of touring and interviews with some of his mentors, aka Usher.

Add to that the prowess of director Jon Chu (Step Up 3D) and Bieber's story is not only in good hands, it looks like it'll deliver on what it promises: A compelling look into the life of this 21st century superstar. Never Say Never hits theaters Feb. 11.

The movie is a total look at Bieber though…from his early life to what his life is like now being mobbed by screaming fans and hanging out with celebrities like Usher. It’s an intimate look at one of pop’s most exciting young stars.

Kylie 'so lucky' to put name to mango

SYDNEY: Sugary pop star Kylie Minogue could be about to get a little sweeter -- an Australian politician wants to name a new variety of mango in her honour.

Scientists have developed three new mangos in the Northern Territory and the region's primary industry minister Kon Vatskalis wants one named for the pint-sized former "Neighbours" star who has won worldwide fame as a singer.

"I think Kylie should be so lucky to have this mango variety named after her," Vatskalis said in a statement Wednesday.

"She is the princess of pop and just like royalty it would be fitting to have a Territory icon named after her."

Vatskalis said he would send Minogue a batch of the mangos so she could be one of the first people to sample the new varieties of the tropical fruit.

The three new versions, developed after 16 years of research as part of Australia's National Mango Breeding Program, have a higher blush colour which is designed to make them more appealing to shoppers.

They are also more productive and able to be harvested for longer than current varieties.

Vatskalis said he would lobby the breeding programme to name the mango after Minogue before of its expected release for sale in late 2012

Kylie 'so lucky' to put name to mango

SYDNEY: Sugary pop star Kylie Minogue could be about to get a little sweeter -- an Australian politician wants to name a new variety of mango in her honour.

Scientists have developed three new mangos in the Northern Territory and the region's primary industry minister Kon Vatskalis wants one named for the pint-sized former "Neighbours" star who has won worldwide fame as a singer.

"I think Kylie should be so lucky to have this mango variety named after her," Vatskalis said in a statement Wednesday.

"She is the princess of pop and just like royalty it would be fitting to have a Territory icon named after her."

Vatskalis said he would send Minogue a batch of the mangos so she could be one of the first people to sample the new varieties of the tropical fruit.

The three new versions, developed after 16 years of research as part of Australia's National Mango Breeding Program, have a higher blush colour which is designed to make them more appealing to shoppers.

They are also more productive and able to be harvested for longer than current varieties.

Vatskalis said he would lobby the breeding programme to name the mango after Minogue before of its expected release for sale in late 2012

'70s look largely mirrors modern tastes and times

NEW YORK: A new 1970s-style fashion muse, who means business during the day but can disco the night away, dominated the recent runway trends in the world's fashion capitals.

Gone from the spring 2011 collections previewed in New York, London, Paris and Milan, Italy, was the aggressive, tough woman designers had sent out to do battle with the recession. But, it seems, the fashion world isn't quite ready to embrace a full, floaty free-spirit, either.

The vision falls somewhere in between, which is the way most people live and dress.

Starting this fall, there already is movement toward high-waisted, trouser-style pants, bow blouses and longer hemlines. The fabric moves away from the body instead of cinching it. Still, you can find skinny jeans and a short biker jacket if you want them.

That will be a harder task in the coming months, and fashion insiders say women are ready for the change.

With the looser silhouettes, white and tropical-hue colors, and a relaxed vibe, designers were showing both an optimistic attitude and a willingness to invest in design instead of gimmicks, they say.

"This comes after many seasons of maximalism and decoration, but no one wants to go back to '90s minimalism," says Stefano Tonchi, editor-in-chief of W magazine. "This is romantic minimalism."

He adds: "When you look at fashion the last 20 years, there's a lot of backward movement. You can't find too many meanings in why you're going back - last year was the '80s - but, in the end, this season has a contemporary attitude to simplify and take away the ornamentalism and give freedom and romance to clothes."

Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of the Tobe Report, a fashion retail trend consultancy, sees a little more purpose to the historical reference, though.

"What was happening in society then is similar to many of the global issues we're facing right now: It was a difficult economy, we were involved in an unpopular war, there were environmental issues," Moellering observes.

But when it came to the clothes of that era, women were happy with their choices, she says, and the spring outfits that came down the runway have potential to appeal to a large audience.

In addition to the trousers, she expects shirtdresses, trenches, kaftans, printed scarves and floppy hats all to score well at retail.

And, says Tonchi, can't you just imagine the racks of long skirts at H&M?

Shoppers, in fact, don't have to wait for that to incorporate the trend into their existing wardrobe.

Color registers very quickly with consumers, Moellering says, so start wearing anything in tangerine, purple or orchid pink.

It doesn't matter if the wearer is too young to remember Lauren Hutton, Ali McGraw or Bianca Jagger in their style heydays, she adds. There are plenty of teens and 20-somethings who know their fashion iconography.

Certainly, Yves Saint Laurent's peasant collection was on the mind of many designers, which is familiar and relatable, and doesn't have too strong of an urban voice, which can be a turnoff to some, says Tonchi. From an editorial perspective, the look is eye candy because it's sexy and colorful, and lends itself to dramatic makeup and accessories, he says.

But strip away those things, and you'll find that the '70s influence is already on the street every day, says Bridget Foley, executive editor of Women's Wear Daily. It's the ethos of the modern wardrobe, she explains.

"When you see various retro things coming and going, the one with the greatest legs is the reference to the '70s," Foley says, noting that even the hippie looks so strongly associated with the 1960s actually went mainstream in the following decade. (The '70s working girl-disco style wasn't totally original, borrowing from the 1920s and '30s.)

"You take away the over-interpretation in hair and makeup, and those clothes make a lot of sense," she says. "They are clean, wearable and pretty.

'70s look largely mirrors modern tastes and times

NEW YORK: A new 1970s-style fashion muse, who means business during the day but can disco the night away, dominated the recent runway trends in the world's fashion capitals.

Gone from the spring 2011 collections previewed in New York, London, Paris and Milan, Italy, was the aggressive, tough woman designers had sent out to do battle with the recession. But, it seems, the fashion world isn't quite ready to embrace a full, floaty free-spirit, either.

The vision falls somewhere in between, which is the way most people live and dress.

Starting this fall, there already is movement toward high-waisted, trouser-style pants, bow blouses and longer hemlines. The fabric moves away from the body instead of cinching it. Still, you can find skinny jeans and a short biker jacket if you want them.

That will be a harder task in the coming months, and fashion insiders say women are ready for the change.

With the looser silhouettes, white and tropical-hue colors, and a relaxed vibe, designers were showing both an optimistic attitude and a willingness to invest in design instead of gimmicks, they say.

"This comes after many seasons of maximalism and decoration, but no one wants to go back to '90s minimalism," says Stefano Tonchi, editor-in-chief of W magazine. "This is romantic minimalism."

He adds: "When you look at fashion the last 20 years, there's a lot of backward movement. You can't find too many meanings in why you're going back - last year was the '80s - but, in the end, this season has a contemporary attitude to simplify and take away the ornamentalism and give freedom and romance to clothes."

Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of the Tobe Report, a fashion retail trend consultancy, sees a little more purpose to the historical reference, though.

"What was happening in society then is similar to many of the global issues we're facing right now: It was a difficult economy, we were involved in an unpopular war, there were environmental issues," Moellering observes.

But when it came to the clothes of that era, women were happy with their choices, she says, and the spring outfits that came down the runway have potential to appeal to a large audience.

In addition to the trousers, she expects shirtdresses, trenches, kaftans, printed scarves and floppy hats all to score well at retail.

And, says Tonchi, can't you just imagine the racks of long skirts at H&M?

Shoppers, in fact, don't have to wait for that to incorporate the trend into their existing wardrobe.

Color registers very quickly with consumers, Moellering says, so start wearing anything in tangerine, purple or orchid pink.

It doesn't matter if the wearer is too young to remember Lauren Hutton, Ali McGraw or Bianca Jagger in their style heydays, she adds. There are plenty of teens and 20-somethings who know their fashion iconography.

Certainly, Yves Saint Laurent's peasant collection was on the mind of many designers, which is familiar and relatable, and doesn't have too strong of an urban voice, which can be a turnoff to some, says Tonchi. From an editorial perspective, the look is eye candy because it's sexy and colorful, and lends itself to dramatic makeup and accessories, he says.

But strip away those things, and you'll find that the '70s influence is already on the street every day, says Bridget Foley, executive editor of Women's Wear Daily. It's the ethos of the modern wardrobe, she explains.

"When you see various retro things coming and going, the one with the greatest legs is the reference to the '70s," Foley says, noting that even the hippie looks so strongly associated with the 1960s actually went mainstream in the following decade. (The '70s working girl-disco style wasn't totally original, borrowing from the 1920s and '30s.)

"You take away the over-interpretation in hair and makeup, and those clothes make a lot of sense," she says. "They are clean, wearable and pretty.

Adnan sami's wife's petition dismissed

MUMBAI: An Indian court on Thursday refused to disturb the family court's order which had granted access to Adnan Sami and his new wife Roya Farabi. Justice Dalvi has not stopped Sami and relatives from entering the flats on the 13th and 14th floors at Oberoi Garden, as Sabah sought in her petition.

His former wife Sabah Galadhari, who filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against Sami entering the house and for taking possession of the flats, has been given a flat each at Ankita building in Lokhandwala and Oberoi Garden. But of the two flats allotted to Sabah, the lease of one flat has expired and the other flat is in a bad shape, said her advocate Edith Dey.

Justice Dalvi has granted possession of the 12th floor flat at Oberoi Garden to Sabah, which her advocate said is not in habitable condition. Also, she has been given possession of the flat at Ankita Apartments in Andheri, the lease of which has expired.

Sabah was represented by counsel Mahesh Jethmalani and Dey, who said they would challenge the order in the division bench of the high court

Adnan sami's wife's petition dismissed

MUMBAI: An Indian court on Thursday refused to disturb the family court's order which had granted access to Adnan Sami and his new wife Roya Farabi. Justice Dalvi has not stopped Sami and relatives from entering the flats on the 13th and 14th floors at Oberoi Garden, as Sabah sought in her petition.

His former wife Sabah Galadhari, who filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against Sami entering the house and for taking possession of the flats, has been given a flat each at Ankita building in Lokhandwala and Oberoi Garden. But of the two flats allotted to Sabah, the lease of one flat has expired and the other flat is in a bad shape, said her advocate Edith Dey.

Justice Dalvi has granted possession of the 12th floor flat at Oberoi Garden to Sabah, which her advocate said is not in habitable condition. Also, she has been given possession of the flat at Ankita Apartments in Andheri, the lease of which has expired.

Sabah was represented by counsel Mahesh Jethmalani and Dey, who said they would challenge the order in the division bench of the high court

Celine Dion talks about her twins

LOS ANGELES: Celine Dion who gave birth to twins on Saturday confessed that looking after her twins will be overwhelming.

Along with the twins she has few excited set of people around her like husband, Rene Angelil who is giving her constant advices about taking care of the twins and Rene-Charles, who has his set of questions about them.

Celine Dion confesses that life will be chaotic for sometime now, “It will be overwhelming for everybody, the night time feeding and all that stuff — that is normal. That’s part of motherhood and that’s why it takes nine months and everybody says you have to rest.

You have to rest because you’re going to be busy! Why do you think you wake up every two hours to go to the bathroom? Because it’s a rehearsal for when you have to breastfeed every two hours. It’s all planned you know,” says Celine Dion.

Celine Dion has revealed that the nursery for the twins is still not complete as she was very nervous about the delivery due to all the complications. However, now she will try to finish it off amidst taking care of the twins

Celine Dion talks about her twins

LOS ANGELES: Celine Dion who gave birth to twins on Saturday confessed that looking after her twins will be overwhelming.

Along with the twins she has few excited set of people around her like husband, Rene Angelil who is giving her constant advices about taking care of the twins and Rene-Charles, who has his set of questions about them.

Celine Dion confesses that life will be chaotic for sometime now, “It will be overwhelming for everybody, the night time feeding and all that stuff — that is normal. That’s part of motherhood and that’s why it takes nine months and everybody says you have to rest.

You have to rest because you’re going to be busy! Why do you think you wake up every two hours to go to the bathroom? Because it’s a rehearsal for when you have to breastfeed every two hours. It’s all planned you know,” says Celine Dion.

Celine Dion has revealed that the nursery for the twins is still not complete as she was very nervous about the delivery due to all the complications. However, now she will try to finish it off amidst taking care of the twins

Australians vying for a slice of Oprah

SYDNEY: Australian tour operators are clamouring to feature in US megastar Oprah Winfrey's December tour Down Under and thousands of tickets have been sought, the tourism minister said.

Oprah and 300 audience members will spend eight days sampling the best of Australia's beaches, vineyards and shopping, taking in icons including Sydney Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef.

Her visit will conclude with a recording session of her hit talk show at the temporarily renamed Sydney "Oprah" House, which will be open to the Australian public via a ticket ballot.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said Oprah's decision to bring filming of her final season to Australia was a "major endorsement" and was a welcome boost for the tourism industry as it struggled with the rallying local dollar.

"To date there have been expressions of interest from 3,000 product and service offerers," Ferguson told parliament.

"Thousands of Australians, including many of the opposition side of the house, have sought tickets to the filming of the Oprah Winfrey Show," he added, eliciting hoots and jeers from MPs.

Ferguson said tourism employed almost one million Australians and it accounted for 8.3 percent of the country's total exports.

"The tourism industry at the moment is very challenged by the strength of the Australian dollar," he said, referring to the resources-linked surge which saw the "Aussie" breach parity with the greenback briefly this month.

"In that context the Oprah Winfrey show is very important."

Oprah's show weekly attracted more than 40 million viewers in North America, a market Ferguson said had remained resilient for Australia-bound tourism despite the global slump.

Tourism officials were swamped with offers to host the TV star following her announcement, from rainforest and reef resorts to humble homes in Outback towns.

Australia paid 2.3 million US dollars to lure the 56-year-old Down Under, and the talkshow diva hasn't ruled out a homestay with a "real Aussie" during her whirlwind tour.

Winfrey was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity by Forbes magazine this year, outclassing actress Angelina Jolie and singer Beyonce Knowles.

Australians vying for a slice of Oprah

SYDNEY: Australian tour operators are clamouring to feature in US megastar Oprah Winfrey's December tour Down Under and thousands of tickets have been sought, the tourism minister said.

Oprah and 300 audience members will spend eight days sampling the best of Australia's beaches, vineyards and shopping, taking in icons including Sydney Harbour and the Great Barrier Reef.

Her visit will conclude with a recording session of her hit talk show at the temporarily renamed Sydney "Oprah" House, which will be open to the Australian public via a ticket ballot.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said Oprah's decision to bring filming of her final season to Australia was a "major endorsement" and was a welcome boost for the tourism industry as it struggled with the rallying local dollar.

"To date there have been expressions of interest from 3,000 product and service offerers," Ferguson told parliament.

"Thousands of Australians, including many of the opposition side of the house, have sought tickets to the filming of the Oprah Winfrey Show," he added, eliciting hoots and jeers from MPs.

Ferguson said tourism employed almost one million Australians and it accounted for 8.3 percent of the country's total exports.

"The tourism industry at the moment is very challenged by the strength of the Australian dollar," he said, referring to the resources-linked surge which saw the "Aussie" breach parity with the greenback briefly this month.

"In that context the Oprah Winfrey show is very important."

Oprah's show weekly attracted more than 40 million viewers in North America, a market Ferguson said had remained resilient for Australia-bound tourism despite the global slump.

Tourism officials were swamped with offers to host the TV star following her announcement, from rainforest and reef resorts to humble homes in Outback towns.

Australia paid 2.3 million US dollars to lure the 56-year-old Down Under, and the talkshow diva hasn't ruled out a homestay with a "real Aussie" during her whirlwind tour.

Winfrey was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity by Forbes magazine this year, outclassing actress Angelina Jolie and singer Beyonce Knowles.

Tokyo film festival opens

TOKYO: The Tokyo International Film Festival opened Saturday with 15 movies competing for the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix, the top prize, in the nine-day gala.

Celebrities attending the opening ceremony of the 23nd edition of TIFF, which runs through to October 31, included French actress Catherine Deneuve, who stars in "Potiche" and the cast of science fiction film "Tron: Legacy".

"Tron: Legacy" will be shown as a short version in 3D ahead of its full version screening around the world in December.

Opening the festival is David Fincher's "The Social Network", whose star Jesse Eisenberg attended the launch ceremony.

Since 2008 the festival has had an environmental theme, with stars, filmmakers and other dignitaries walking along a ceremonial green carpet instead of the usual red.

Screenings include a documentary, "Countdown to Zero", which focuses on the reality and danger of nuclear proliferation, presented by the Oscar-winning crew which made "An Inconvenient Truth".

Fifteen films, ranging in theme and style, will screen in the competition.

TIFF has aspired to be the top festival in Asia for international films with the same prestige as Cannes, Venice or Berlin, although it faces tough competition from rivals in Bangkok and Busan, South Korea