Will Deepika annoy Dev again?

Dev Anand won't take this lying down! Without saying anything directly to the evergreen actor, filmmaker Rohan Sippy is out to antagonise the Bollywood veteran, or so it seems.

News has just come in that the makers of Dum Maaro Dum have made their version of the famous song, picturised on Deepika Padukone. The line will read Not Your Daddy's Dum Maaro Dum." Rohan says, "We will be introducing the song as Not your Daddy's Dum Maaro Dum.

It is just in keeping with the brazen attitude of the song. And the fact that our DMD is meant for this generation. It may be better or worse than the original but it's for today.

Ruckus at Veena's B’day party

I'm here, what else will Veena need on her birthday?" asked Ashmit Patel, who flew down to Delhi from Mumbai only to make the occasion extra special for her.

And him being here must've turned out to be a boon for Veena as the party went on, and from it being a birthday bash, turned into a tough QnA session for Veena. Both Ashmit and Veena were happily answering the posse of questions posed to them by the journos until one of them referred to Veena as " Pakistan ki Rakhi Sawant". And the journalist then went on to ask Veena about her relationship with Pak cricketer Mohammad Asif, and whether she was also involved in the match-fixing controversy. The lovey-dovey duo did what was rather predictable: They decided to cut short that particular interview. Ashmit was also heard saying, "What kind of questions are we being asked?"

And no, they didn't walk out after that, instead both of them continued to give interviews to other mediapersons present there. Sab theek hi chal raha tha, the duo went upstairs to cut the cake, and just then, a verbal (and physical) spat ensued between a bouncer and journalist, whom the bouncer was barring from entering Nyx, the club in Hotel Ramada Plaza, which was the venue for Veena's birthday party. Seeing this, the electronic media decided to boycott the coverage of the event. And suddenly, a second bouncer came in to help his buddy... it was then that the media called the cops. The bouncer was asked to apologise to the journalist, but he refused to do so because the cameras were rolling!

Salman's highest paid actor!

He is still considered Bollywood's enfant terrible. But that doesn't hamper his price. Trade talk is that Salman Khan is the Hindi film industry's highest paid actor at this point.

Our source says, "Actors keep saying that they have stopped charging a price because they are now take home a share in the percentage of profits.

The profit-sharing bit is right but actors, especially those like Salman and Akshay Kumar also charge a price and over and above it, 

they take home a share in the profits." Salman is reportedly charging Rs 17.5 cr for Ready and he is a partner on the project. So he will get a percentage of the profits too.

Salman who is red-hot after Dabangg has allegedly even been made an offer of Rs 30 cr as his price. The share in the profits goes without saying.

Katrina calling Aamir

Exactly a year ago when TOI asked Aamir Khan why he hadn't worked with Katrina Kaif, the actor said, "Katrina is a huge star. But no filmmaker has come forward with a proposal to cast us.''

Now the grapevine says a very established banner did suggest to Aamir that he should team up with Kat. The two even sizzled on a magazine cover a year ago where they reprised the look of the legendary screen couple Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. Apparently the camaraderie between Aamir and Kat during the photo-shoot was great. Of course since it was just one photograph, so it was no big deal. Aamir knew that when it came to a film things were bound to be different.

The film executive who took the proposal to one of the most powerful men in the Hindi film industry says that the actor was a wee bit hesitant about working with Bollywood's most desirable woman because she was Salman Khan's girlfriend then. And Aamir, who owes allegiance to Salman over all else, wasn't comfortable romancing his best friend's girl on screen.

Our source says, "Now that Salman and Kat have split, Aamir may team up with the Bollywood diva." The same banner is very keen to get this super-hot jodi together. Let's see how quickly this happens.

Long hair tough to manage SRK

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has donned a new look in the sequel of his film "Don", says it is a real problem to maintain long hair and wonders how girls manage them so easily.

"It's a real problem maintaining such strings of hairs attached. I haven't shaved for so many days. I have huge respect for women, but really want to ask them how they maintain their long hair," Shah Rukh told the media at the launch of a documentary his production house made on the 1960s epic film "Mughal E Azam" at the JW Marriot Hotel Thursday night.

Shah Rukh said he was waiting for the shooting of director Farhan Akhtar's " Don 2" to wrap up so that he could get rid of the wig.

"I wake up in the morning and have to set it. I can't take a proper bath. They had to be washed with care. I am really, really looking forward to the shooting of 'Don 2' to wrap up," he said.

"My daughter tells me 'Papa I want to take you for a bath'. It's a huge problem. No sooner than the shooting of 'Don 2' finishes, I will take out this wig," the actor joked.

Akshay stranded at Amausi

Akshay Kumar came on a blink-and-you-miss-it, entirely unplanned visit to the city on Thursday. The Bollywood actor, who has been shooting for the film "Joker" with Sonakshi Sinha in Chandigarh last week, stopped over at the Amausi Airport in Lucknow on his way to Bangladesh.

According to a source at the airport, the Khiladi had to take a break from the shooting as he was supposed to be in Dhaka for a show. Apparently, he was also scheduled to watch the match between Bangladesh vs Ireland on Friday in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

"Yes, Akshay Kumar's chartered plane had landed at the Lucknow airport en route to Dhaka," confirms Nitin Kadyan, airport manager at Amausi.

Akki boarded a chartered flight from Chandigarh on Thursday evening. "But due to some technical reasons – the plane had to refuel here, Akki's flight had to make a stop-over in Lucknow for about two hours in the evening," says the source. The flight landed some time after 4pm and took off at about 6pm.

"At the airport Akshay had a few cups of tea while waiting to board the flight. Of course, the moment people around realised that they had a Bollywood actor amidst them, a crowd began to gather around him. He signed autographs and posed for pictures," added the source.

Salman comes to brother-in-laws rescue

Bollywood star Salman Khan rescued brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri on the sets of "Bodygaurd" when actress Kareena Kapoor fell ill.

The star wasn't required on sets on that particular day because his co-star Kareena's solo portions were being filmed, but shooting came to a halt after the actress fell ill.

"The shooting had come to a halt since Kareena fell ill and Salman wasn't expected till much later. A lot of time would have been wasted and nearly 200 people would have been left hanging if it weren't for Salman's quick thinking," said a source.

In order to make it on time Salman took the same helicopter that had flown him to Jaipur that morning back to Pune.

Said Agnihotri: "Salman bhai saved a day's shooting for us after Kareena fell ill and was advised two days' bed rest. We were canning a song that day and so I didn't have a supporting cast to fall back on. I requested Salman bhai to return early and he was back by the time we'd finished lunch. And we shot some solo portions with him.

Nana Naseer in uniforms

 Nana Patekar, who's role as a cop was highly appreciated in Ab Tak Chappan, once again plays a policeman in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Shagird.

Nana with his stringent look, body language and dialect is just like a real strict, stern policeman. Meanwhile, Bong director Ribhu Das Gupta is making his debut as a director with the Hindi film, Michael.

A psychological thriller about a senior cop who has been falsely convicted, Naseeruddin Shah plays the protagonist fighting the vicious political scenario. Naseeruddin has shot extensively in Kolkata for the Anurag Kashyap film. Mahie Gill plays the female protagonist in the film.

Katrina s good at waiting

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif sincerely believes that "Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai" (Patience always pays off) -- the slogan for her new Mango Slice ad campaign. She says she adapts to it in real life too.

"When one hears the word patience, a lot of people think of 'waiting for a long time' and sitting idle doing nothing' but it is not my interpretation of patience. For me, patience is about waiting for the right thing and also about what you're doing while you're waiting," said Katrina.

"It is about actively having a plan and a goal and knowing what you want to do; it is the most important thing for me. Of course, hard work and determination are important, but having a passion for something is what makes the difference. That is the mantra I follow in my career and in my life," she added.

However, the 26-year-old stunner, who has made it big in tinsel town in a span of just seven years, also believes luck played a strong role in her life.

After a bad start with the 2003 "Boom", the British-born actress started her success story with "Namastey London" and continued with "Apne", "Partner", "Welcome", "Race" and "Singh Is Kinng" -- not to forget her stint in political thriller "Raajneeti".

"I had a goal and I was very passionate about it, but I was not in a rush to grab anything to get there. I've also been blessed, the right opportunities unfolded for me at the right time. But still it is a step by step journey, it is a process...," said Katrina, who is a rage nowadays for her saucy dance in "Sheila ki jawaani".

She says that is also the thought behind the Mango Slice campaign featuring her.

Shot in Thailand, the Slice commercial features Katrina wearing an orange dress. Her look has been styled by designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock.

I m accountable to my parents Priyanka

Her dark comedy " 7 Khoon Maaf" has under-performed at the box office, but Priyanka Chopra is confident it won't lose money as it was not a big budget film.

"We haven't really spent that much on it. No, it isn't an expensive film," said the 28-year-old who enjoys being one of the top actresses in Bollywood.

It wasn't easy for Priyanka to go through seven different looks and emotions in "7 Khoon Maaf", which is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. On top of it there were all those stories about the intimate scenes with her leading men.

"After seeing the film, I've had people ask, 'Where is the kissing scene with John (Abraham), the love scene with Neil (Nitin Mukesh)?' Did I say there were love-making scenes? The one really lengthy bedroom sequence I have was with Irrfan (Khan) and that was done in a salwar-kameez. It was hardly pleasant. For the love-making sequence with Anu Kapoor, I wasn't even present on the sets," she said.

The near-seduction sequence with Vivaan Shah was also done with a body-double. And Priyanka selected the body!

"The bare back had to be that of a 50-year old woman. My back just wouldn't have worked. I was shown dozens of backs. I finally chose one that I thought would pass off one which I thought could be my back when I am 50. The hardest part of '7 Khoon Maaf' was ageing in front of the camera without props."

There was a lot of improvisation on location of "7 Khoon Maaf".

"That moment when I slap myself in front of the mirror? It wasn't even there in the script! I was supposed to break down in front of the mirror. I suggested I slap myself," said Priyanka, who is sure she cannot get into a role without preparation.

"I am doing 'Agneepath' and 'Barfee' back-to-back. I've set aside time for preparation. I expect a certain surprise element from myself in every role that I play," said the actress who wowed her fans with her performance in "Kaminey" and "Fashion". In fact, the latter fetched her first prestigious National Award.

The recent weeks have not been too easy on the former beauty queen, what with the income tax raid in her house and reports that Shahid Kapoor opened Priyanka's the door to the officials in his shorts.

Commenting on the incident, Priyanka said: "First of all, my maidservant opened the door for the officials. Yes, I did immediately call Shahid because he was the closest to me. My parents were in my other house.

"Shahid is my neighbour. He's five minutes away. He did come to help me out during the raid, as he would've for any other friend. But why would he be in his boxer shorts? I was very angry when I read this.

"The IT officials were very kind. But people who made up such stories were not too kind. I've parents whom I am accountable to when such stories come out," she said.

Vidya Sid getting engaged

"More women are lost to marriage than floods and famine,'' said a skeptic. Despite constant and vehement denials from the concerned parties, it seems like Bollywood is about to lose some of its best talent to the institution shortly.

Talk is that B-town's most celebrated talent Vidya Balan, who is good friends with Siddharth Roy Kapur, a top film corporation honcho may reportedly get engaged to him.

A top industry source says, "Vid and Sid are close. And in the past weeks they have been spotted spending quality time with each other on two occasions. The first time was when they reportedly stayed back after an awards night in Singapore and more recently when they were photographed in casual attire at a beach destination in India.''

Rumours say that Vidya who is doing some exceptional film work this year may consider getting engaged to Siddharth. There is also talk that the film corporation executive is not comfortable talking about his friendship with the actress because he is allegedly waiting for his divorce to come through.

Vidya's secretary however rubbishes all this talk. Says he, "Vidya has to first know Siddharth well enough to marry him. One doesn't necessarily marry people one is friendly to or has dinners with."

The actress remained unavailable for comment.

Salman didn't throw me out Kangna

TOI pins the actress down with seven prickly questions...

Charge 1:
Films in which you haven't played an edgy character, haven't clicked.
It would be wrong to say that. Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai did well. But yes, that was more of Ajay Devgn's film.

But how long could I go on playing those whacko characters? I kept getting similar roles but yearned to play other characters and I reached a pint of desperation.

I used to cry and wonder why I was not being offered roles, which could do justice to my talent. I could see that those roles were going to girls who had boyfriends and contacts at the right places. I couldn't make friends.

I was lonely Nobody was even recommending me. Instead of unwinding, I would often be researching drug-addicts or schizophrenics.

Thankfully, times have changed. Today I am in very happy space. I am playing a flirtatious girl in Rascals and Sanjay Dutt's secretary in Dhamaal 2.

Charge 2...
You said nobody was recommending you. But today, Ajay Devgn does.
(Interrupts) That's not true. In fact now, Ajay and I are thinking of not doing films together for two-three years. We are taking a break from each other professionally.

That's how Ajay also feels. We can't make our on-screen chemistry repetitive.

Charge 3...
Its' said that you use names of A-list actors to add to your brand equity.
If I could win so many awards- there are close to twenty lying in my house- without dropping names and without even working with big actors, then why would I suddenly start now? That too at a time, when I am actually doing better for myself.

I suspect sabotage. I know people who bitch about me; they are nice to my face though.

Charge 4...
Salman and you had an issue earlier.
Salman has never had a problem with me. Why doesn't anybody ask this question to Salman? It could be that people misconstrue my introvert nature.

I could never develop friends in this industry. I don't like filmi life and I don't connect to people who say nothing but, 'yeh woh picture kar rahi hai, yeh woh picture nahin kar rahi hai'. Most people are self-obsessed here and can't have a good conversation.

Charge 5...
You have had a wardrobe malfunction more than once at social gatherings. Its' said that you do it for publicity.
I have seen the pictures that were printed. It was definitely not intentional. I would do anything to be left alone.

If nobody believes that, I request the media not to fall prey to my plans. I am too smart. Don't give me publicity.

Charge 6...
You have become a part of Sanjay Dutt's house. You are more close to his wife Manyata than her best friend Amisha Patel is.

If I could be a part of my own household, I would be glad. I haven't gone home for the last three months. How can I be a part of Sanjay Dutt's house and why?

Charge 7...
You gatecrashed at Salman's party in Bangkok and were asked to leave.
I am young, successful and happening. People pay me to attend their parties. Would you close the gates to me if I wanted to attend your party? Salman, who I repeat is a friend, requested me to do a cameo in Ready. Why would I go uninvited to his party?

Ranbir Grandma meets Katrina

Katrina Kaif is fast becoming a favourite at the Kapoor household. And a permanent fixture on Ranbir Kapoor's arm.

While it is an open secret that Kat spends time in the Krishna-Raj bungalow on Pali Hill, the residence of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, 

what came as a pleasant surprise is information that, Ranbir took Kat to meet his grandmother, Krishna at their ancestral bungalow in Deonar. 

Krishna Raj Kapoor is the first lady of Bollywood and a picture of dignity.

She has seen a few of Katrina's movies. And she is also aware that Ranbir and Kat are friends. Says our source, "She was more than happy to welcome Katrina to her home.

None but Bhutt came to my assist in India Farhat

LAHORE: Prominent Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Wednesday said no one came to assist him in hours of difficulties in India besides Bollywood Director Mahesh Bhutt, adding that he could move Indian court to retrieve $1,24,000 seized by country’s Custom Department under charges of possessing undeclared money at Delhi airport, Geo News reported.

Holding a press conference in Lahore accompanied by a social worker Yusuf Salahuddin, Rahat said foreign-earned money does not fall under Pakistan Tax Regulations, maintaining that he regularly pays out taxes on the money he earned in Pakistan.

Detailing on the tragic incident he had to undergo at Mumbai airport, the singer said that apart from paying out fine 15,00,000 Indian Rupees, his hard-earned $1,24,000 were also seized by Indian Custom Department.

He said they were 14 people traveling under same/one PNR number, elaborating that the money carried to Indian airport should have been considered belonging to 14 people, however, all what happened was due to his lack of knowledge regarding Indian Customs Regulations.

Later, he ruled out the impression of a conspiracy given what happened with him in India.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan home

ISLAMABAD: Famous singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, detained in India under charges of carrying undeclared money, has reached home today, Geo News reported.

He said his detention was due to lack of his knowledge relating to Indian Custom Laws. However, he showed agreement to revisit India conditioning that if hosts invite him with respect.

To a question, he dismissed impression of being made a target in India unlike Adnan Sami Khan.

Later, he thanked Abdul Rehman Malik and Pakistani High Commission in India on being helpful in troubled hours.

Salman's Ready to help Zarine

When Salman Khan is in your corner, consider yourself blessed! One such lucky actress is Zarine Khan.

Despite her less than satisfying role in Anil Sharma's film, Veer, the actress has still managed to remain Salman's favourite protégée. Recently, Salman pulled some strings, convincing Anees Bazmee to bring Zarine on board, for a small appearance in Ready.

Zarine, accompanied by Dabangg producer, Arbaaz Khan, flew down to Bangkok, on Friday to shoot the cameo with Salman, in Pattaya. Bazmee confirms, "It's a small scene. We needed Arbaaz and Zarine.

Salman's equation with them made it easy for us to get them to agree to do the scene." A source tells us, "Salman felt Zarine is being left behind for no fault of hers. Salman somehow feels responsible for Zarine's career not taking off. He is trying to get her into his new projects.

Ranbir Katrina on a date

Kat has been cribbing how the press goes on and on about her relationship with Ranbir without any photographic evidence. So we did the needful

On Monday, we read in a section of the media that she is genuinely tired of news reports of her proximity to Ranbir Kapoor and she says the reports are even more disturbing because no one really has any photographic evidence of them together.

As soon as we read this, we sent our sleuths scouting for the evidence, which Katrina so categorically wished to be presented.

Well, here it is, Katrina! A few days ago you were with Ranbir at a 5-star hotel in Santacruz East.

You were seated to his right.

Both of you looked rather happy in each other's company (For reference to context, see Picture 1).

A few days prior to this, you were again with him having coffee and cold drinks.

Both of you again looked very happy in each other's company. (For reference to context, see Picture 2).

To add to our practicals we had told you that you spent quality time with Ranbir at a Juhu nightspot.

We had an eyewitness report, which we are sure you read. Over to you now, Katz.

Have we mirrored your relationship well enough? And please don't bring out that old toy called 'We're just good friends'.

Hrithik helps out Sussanne

Just a day before Hrithik Roshan started filming for the ambitious remake of Agneepath, he was spotted in Andheri with his wife Sussanne trying to oversee the business venture that she is rolling out.

Eyewitnesses inform TOI that Hrithik has been a regular at this part of the suburb for the last 15 days. On probing, we learned that the actor is hands on with his wife's business plan.

"He has been seen in Andheri almost every single day. Hrithik's wife has been with him and they have been overseeing the work that is going on for Sussanne's business venture. He is very passionate about what his wife is doing and is extremely proud telling the world about it. 

Sussanne's business will have a grand launch soon and Hrithik wanted to make sure that he is on top of things and completes as much important work as he can before he starts Agneepath," says a source close of the star.

Hrithik had told TOI, "I will be a constant support for Sussanne. I'm very happy and proud that she has decided to do something like this. It has been her dream and I will be there beside her to make sure that things are always in place."

Sussanne's gang of girls Gauri Khan, Mehr Jessia, Nandita Mahtani among others certainly will be the prime feature among many others at the launch.

I feel extremely lucky Bips

Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, whose journey in showbiz began in 1996 after winning the Cinthol supermodel contest, says she is extremely lucky and proud of her achievements.

"I just realised my journey has been quiet a long one, from 1996 to 2011. It's only me who knows how much hard work and dedication has gone behind everything. I have been honest with my profession and brought the best of me on the screen," Bipasha told reporters here.

Dressed in a formal white outfit with black beads and sequin work on it, she came for the the launch of Versace collection of watches in collaboration with Timex Group.

"I feel extremely lucky when I look behind in my life. I am proud of myself and also proud of what I am today. I used to dream of having such luxury brands and now I effortlessly own so many of them," said the 32-year-old, who has a fetish for watches.

"The one object that I love the most is the watch. It is a must have possession for everybody. It is also my favourite gifting option.

"All the watches that (actor) John (Abraham) owns are gifted by me. Now I think his collection is set to have a Versace watch," she said.

Salman leaves Katrina frustrated

The actress who was keen to work with SRK, Hrithik finds herself sharing screenspace with Salman again!

B-Town has gone berserk contemplating if Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif will actually work together in Kabir Khan's (of 'New York' fame) next directorial venture produced by Yash Raj Films. Now, not many know that though Katrina was always on board, Salman Khan wasn't the production house' first choice to play lead actor.

Apparently, Shah Rukh Khan was offered the role first, Hrithik Roshan was next in line... However, 'date problems' was a cause of concern and the script ultimately landed in Salman Khan's lap. So while Salman Khan is taking his time in negotiating his price with Yash Raj Films, Katrina, we hear, isn't the happiest person.

A source close to the actress tells us, "Katrina has worked with Salman before. She was looking forward to working with some new actors. Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan would've been a great opportunity, she thought." However, she is now all set to romance ex-boyfriend Salman Khan on screen - that is if he agrees to do the movie in the first place.

Read more: Salman leaves Katrina frustrated - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Salman-leaves-Katrina-frustrated/articleshow/7548293.cms#ixzz1ElXzR500

Mahesh Lara get rude to media

Mahesh Bhupahi and Lara Dutta may be in romantic bliss right now but apparently they have certainly rubbed people from the media the wrong way during their wedding.

The industry is majorly pissed off with some even alleging that they were dished out with bad behaviour from Mahesh. Sources from Goa point out that when people from the fraternity asked the newly wed groom to pose for pictures, he sharply told them, "Who invited you here?" The couple also refrained from posing for pictures despite repeated requests. Lata, on the other hand, was courteous.

But she, too, is in the middle of controversy because of her better half. Gossip also has it that the photographers are planning to talk among themselves and ban the couple for sometime much like they did to Amitabh Bachchan some years back. "There was no need to give us such bad behaviour specially when we have always stood by the couple and covered each and every event of theirs so well for so many years now.

All we wanted was a little co-operation. We know that they were busy and that it was a private thing but they are celebs and their lives are not meant to be private. If they wanted it to be private and media-free they should have gone to Honolulu or somewhere where no one would bother them. We were shocked that someone could be so rude to people on their wedding day. We were well-behaved. No one gate-crashed. We just stood outside and requested Mahesh to give us a picture.

He just took off on us. We have no problem with Lara but we are planning to boycott the couple for some time. Mahesh should get to know our grievance," says a top photographer on conditions of anonymity. "Again, when Mahesh was playing tennis with his pals, he had no problem posing for pics.

 That's odd. If you don't want to pose with your wedding fineries on, why bother to pose otherwise? It was his wedding with Lara that people travelled to Goa for and not to see him play. Maybe they are looking to sell off their wedding pics to some magazine, maybe not, but Mahesh did not do himself any good with such behaviour," the informer adds.

SRK is the busiest person Roshan Abbas

Actor Roshan Abbas, who is making his directorial debut with " Always Kabhi Kabhi" under Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment banner, said the superstar has some unique promotional ideas up his sleeve.

"His involvement is there but he is also shooting for two movies. He has 'RA.One' on one side and 'Don2' on the other, but in the midst of these, his support is always there and you will get to see some unique Shah Rukh ideas as we go along," Abbas told us in an interview.

Shah Rukh is in touch with his office from Malaysia, where he is shooting for "Don2", said Abbas.

"Currently, he is in Malaysia. But he has seen the marketing plan of the film. He is continuously in contact with Red Chiiles because he wants to know what we are doing, what our ideas are to promote the film. He has also given us some ideas," said Abbas.

"Once you see the posters, which would be out soon, you will see how the Red Chillies' look and feel has come into this film," he added.

Abbas also said he regards Shah Rukh as his mentor.

"He has always been around on the sets. He is the busiest person on this planet. Even in the middle of that, he used to find time for my film. That's what makes him really interesting. He was there as a mentor in that sense, but he has not been a tormentor," Abbas laughed.

Set in a high school, "Always Kabhi Kabhi" captures the emotions of love, jealousy and pride that marks one's school years.

"It's an adaptation of my play about a high school 'Graffiti', which I earlier wanted to turn into a graphic novel," Abbas said.

Salman Khan more worthy than SRK

The actor is paid more than SRK to host reality shows...

Actor Salman Khan seems to be having the last laugh. After top league actors bask in titles such as Badshah, Shehenshah, and Khiladi, Salman, who wasn't given any such title, is suddenly described as 'Dabangg' as he rules the roost today. Extremely 'wanted' in films or then on the small screen, Salman Khan's popularity seems to have become so huge that everyone wants a part of him.

In fact, with him having successfully hosted Bigg Boss Season 4 - a reality show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty in the past, Colors has already roped him in for season 5. As if that isn't enough, Sony is keen that Salman hosts Dus Ka Dum, too.

Talks have it that Salman Khan is being offered big monies for his (hosting) services, even more than what a Shah Rukh Khan is getting for 'Zor Ka Jhatka' or what Hrithik Roshan is charging for being a judge on 'Just Dance'. We are told that Salman Khan, at this point, is leading the pack, and is being paid heavily for it!

Jennifer Lopez in Indian reality show

We got a chance to witness international hottie Pamela Anderson in Season 4 of Bigg Boss. Guess what? It may just get even bigger than that - only figuratively speaking.

We hear that Jennifer Lopez may be signed up to judge a reality show in India.

'X-Factor' is a musical reality show in the US, and the desi version is all set to hit the Indian screens as well. Speculations were rife that JLo would judge this one. However, the smoke was formed out of a little misunderstanding. "JLo was to judge the US reality show X-Factor. Now the Pussycat Dolls will be on the panel. There's no such luck of JLo judging the Indian version," said a source.

However, with the ever-rising popularity of reality shows in India, it's only a matter of time before international celebs partake in the Indian frenzy, too. Pamela Anderson was just the beginning, we're sure.

PC Yes I have ten flats so

Priyanka Chopra refuses to accept that the year started on an unpleasant note for her because of the income tax raid at her residence this January.

She says that contrary to stories, there were no men who came upstairs to her house and no "gaddiyan of money" recovered. In fact, she claims that she still will be one of the highest tax payers this season. But it is still a "no comments" stance when you ask the actress whether it's true that once the raid was over, the I-T officials asked her for pictures and autographs!

"The raid is something that happened and there's no denying it. But, the I-T department is a hugely responsible part of the government and whatever investigations they are doing, we are fully cooperating with them – my family, my lawyers, my CA. It wasn't an unpleasant experience at all. You'd expect it to be a bad experience based on what you hear, but they were very well behaved, very courteous," Priyanka tells us.

She also vehemently denies any money being found at her place. Says Priyanka, "There wasn't much found, contrary to reports. They said `6 crore of cash was found, which is like gaddiyan of notes at my home! Are you kidding me? There were like `15,000 in my wallet. No, sorry, `40,000, which is also accounted for, by the way. And if that's a lot, then I am sorry. That's my petrol pocket money. Also, it was said that I have ten flats. These are all accounted for flats and I am very proud that I bought these from my hard-earned money. I am very proud that I started so young and that at my age, I can afford so much with my hard work. And it's all accounted for – all my homes, five of which I am currently living in. These were five one-bedroom flats, which were broken down to make one house. So, if that's considered as das ghar hain, toh hain bhai. Ismein koi galat cheez nahi hai..."

She is also all praise for the officials who came knocking at her door at 7am. "The officials were very kind about it. There was always a woman present in my room when the checking happened. She looked at whatever it was to be looked at, for me and for my mother. There were no men who came upstairs and it was very, very well done. There was a lady who always asked me, 'Ma'am, can I open this', 'Can I see this?', 'Can I read this?' or 'Do you want me to read this diary?' It was so well conducted."

The whole episode might seem ironic considering that Priyanka, as one of the highest tax payers in the country, did an advertisement for the income tax department last year. However, Piggy Chops doesn't think so. Says she, "I still did it this year. I think this year too, I will be one of the highest tax payers of the country. I have done an endorsement for the census too this year."

Even though I-T officials are yet to give her a clean chit, Priyanka is not worried. "I'm very clear when it comes to my dealings, but if the department feels that there's something I owe, I'll be the first to pay it up and say I'm sorry. If that happens – though I don't think it will – I am ready to accept it. I really believe in the laws of the country and I'm very proud of being a part of this democracy. And I have always very much been part of all things that the government has asked me to be part of, as my social responsibility as a celebrity." Tell her that's displaying wisdom beyond her years, and she replies, "I had to grow up very soon; I became Miss World when I was 17. I didn't have a choice. And when you don't have a choice, you deal with it

I am very fashionable Veena Malik

Pakistani actor-model Veena Malik changes her pitch. After tantalising viewers on Bigg Boss 4, she's back in India to make her cricket commentary debut with two shows

Everybody in this world is hungry for publicity. I enjoy it too. I didn't know I'll grab so many eyeballs in Bigg Boss 4 or earn so much fame," says Veena Malik. A channel's website cites her age as 32, but she claims to be 26. "My date of birth is 1984. I have my passport to prove it," she says in her defence.

The Pakistani actor and model who drew the media's attention after exposing her ex-boyfriend as well as cricketer Mohammad Asif's foul play, further gained popularity for her notoriety on the reality show Bigg Boss 4, last year. She's now making her cricket commentary debut.

Malik who admires Indian commentators such as Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar is hosting not one, but two shows on cricket Cricket-o-tainment along with other experts of the game; and Big Toss with Rakhi Sawant. "People have invested a lot of money and most of all, they have invested their confidence in me," she smiles. "The channel has chosen me as the face of the World Cup."

Quiz her about the terminology of the game What happens when the no-ball goes for four runs? What does it suggest when the umpire raises his one leg? Who's the captain of Zimbabwe? she isn't entirely stumped. "If you think I am an expert, let me tell you, I am not," she says. "But I know the basics of the game. I know when Sachin Tendulkar will enter the stadium he'll break the record of Sanath Jayasuriya and even Miandad."

She promises that the glamour quotient in her cricket shows will be high and is also up for any kind of wardrobe scrutiny. "Obviously, if I am there, the fashion element is going to be there," she stands firm. "I am very fashionable.

People always love my sense of styling. So many young girls out there look up to me. But I am not all fashion and beauty only, I have brains also."

Malik's rooting for India, but her prayers are with Pakistan. "I want to see India and Pakistan in the finals and may the best team win. But if you compare the two teams, then India is in way better form. And yes, it wouldn't help for Pakistan if Asif was playing," she mentions.

It isn't only her previous liaison with the Pakistani cricketer which stimulated her interest in the game. "Like India, people in Pakistan also consider cricket a religion. I have been following the game since childhood and I am emotionally aroused towards it."

In fact, Malik insists she even exposed Asif's match-fixing scandal for the love of the game. "I am a cricket lover. He didn't cheat on me; he cheated on the crores of people who love this game. Cricket is a gentleman's game and he didn't behave like one.

When I met him, he was nobody. He was banned and had so many cases against him. I helped him out in his dark days. I used to beg him to stay away from it, but he still continued," she drawls.

However, photographer Dheeraj Dixit, who was allegedly in cahoots with Asif, has accused Malik of being a bookie. "Really? If I am a bookie then what am I doing here? I was the one who provided the contact numbers and the truth. He's one silly guy who only knows to make stupid comments. Why is he not coming up with any proof? Why is he just a babbler?" she shoots back.

Post her World Cup shows, Malik hopes to visit Mumbai to do some charity along with her 'close friend' Ashmit Patel. The two became friendly on the sets of Bigg Boss 4. "Ashmit was an emotional support inside the house. We have great chemistry. He's very much interested in working in Pakistan, but right now, I have my own problems to deal with over there," she reveals.

She has also been offered roles in Bollywood, apparently, but has rejected all of them and remains unperturbed. She does not wish to start her innings doing B or C grade films. "I am like a river dariya hota hai woh apna raasta khud bana deta hai... Likewise, I work on my own terms. Things will happen when they have to," she signs off.

Anushka upsets Rohit Shetty Ajay

The attractive Anushka Shetty has put her wrong foot forward in Bollywood. The actor who is on top of her game down South was in talks with Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn for the remake of Singham.

Anushka was the first choice to play Ajay's love interest because she was in the original film with Sooriya.

Sources indicate that when she was asked to do the remake, she reportedly demanded Rs 1.5 crore; naturally she was shown the door. Of course, there are those who say the girl had genuine date problems, but an insider says, "Money was the issue."

Anushka has definitely upset Rohit and Ajay, a formidable Bollywood combination now. And she stands replaced by Kajal Agarwal. Kajal is a major draw in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

The girl rose to prominence after her performance as Yuvarani Mitravinda Devi in Magadheera. Rohit refuses to comment on Anushka. Praising his new heroine Kajal, he says, "She is very popular down south. She has done Magadheera, one of the biggest Telegu hits of all time. We are confident about her pulling off the role successfully.

Katrina blew a kiss at Imran

Katrina Kaif says the kiss she blew at an awards night was in the direction of her Mere Brother Ki Dulhan co-star Imran Khan and not in the direction of his co-host that evening Ranbir Kapoor.

She is sure that the person who saw her blow a kiss towards the stage misjudged the direction of the kiss and who it was actually intended for.

Kat found Imran extremely funny is in his various avatars. Kat says she is genuinely tired of news reports of her proximity with RK Junior and she says the reports are more disturbing because no one really has any photographic evidence of them together.

Don 'SRK' caught in Malaysia

Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin...namunkin hai' is something everyone in Bollywood believes.

Naturally, it was shocking for TOI to discover that Shah Rukh Khan, who is reprising his Don avatar was actually spending time in a Malaysian jail. Hello, what just happened here? We're wondering how SRK landed in jail. His motive remains unexplained and even the filmmakers of Don 2, Excel Entertainment Pvt Ltd are not divulging any further details.

Jailbird or otherwise, SRK with his long dishevelled locks and a lean sculpted body looks terrific. Of course, his incarceration comes as a rude shock. Perhaps even this has some hidden logic. As the adage goes — Whatever Don does, he does for a reason.

This thriller is due on Christmas. We'll have to wait until then to know how the Don landed himself in this spot.

Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi ditched the paparazzi and got married in a civil ceremony in Mumbai on Wednesday morning, before heading to Goa where their wedding celebrations started yesterday .

An hour before the wedding, Mahesh posted online that there would be no media during the civil ceremony and he would post pictures of the marriage on his online profile, which he did after the ceremony was over.

Mahesh wrote online, "Mr and Mrs Bhupathi folks..." and also posted a picture. While Lara was dressed in a cream coloured ensemble by designer Ritu Kumar, Mahesh was in formal attire.

Post the ceremony, which happened at Mahesh's residence, they flew to Goa to join friends and begin the celebrations. Today is the sangeet, which is expected to be attended by close friends of the actress and the tennis champ, including Boman Irani, Ritiesh Deshmukh, Sajid Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Bipasha Basu and Saif-Kareena. Lara will don a lehenga designed by Manav Gangwani tonight – an outfit in shades of marigold with French net. Mahesh will wear a chikankari churidar kurta, also by Gangwani, with a stole matching Lara's lehenga. This will be followed by a Christian style Victorian wedding tomorrow. Roger Federer and Martina Navratilova are also expected to attend.

Sangeet, samundar ke kinare
The sangeet will take place today at a lounge-club at Candolim in Goa. Set against the backdrop of the Arabian sea, flowers and candlelight will make up the decor. A strictly invitees only evening, it will have DJ Whosane spinning the tables, who'll play a mix of English and Bollywood. Live music will be provided by a dholak party brought from Mumbai. Live performances by acrobatic group Lucien Dossier from California will also be part of the entertainment line up. The cuisine will be predominantly that of seafood, sushi, Goan and Pan Asian preparations.

Kareena vs Katrina for Sharman

Sharman Joshi might be feeling lucky. Two top-league actresses are being considered to be cast opposite him in Ferrari Ki Sawari.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari is all set to go on floors in March 2011 with Sharman Joshi. However the leading lady of the film is yet to be finalized

Spills the source "Rajkumar Hirani was in the process of scripting his next when Vidhu Vinod Chopra asked him to write Ferrari Ki Sawaari . While writing this film, he came up with Joshi's wife's character, which is pivotal to the storyline," reveals a source. The female lead's role was completely absent in the script. Raju Hirani introduced the role when he took over the scripting of the film.

The director Rajesh Mapuskar suggested they should cast Katrina Kaif as he believes she would do justice to the role which goes in flashback mode and has to be shot in the era of black and white cinema.

However, Raju Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra are considering Kareena Kapoor, bearing in mind that Sharman and Kareena have worked previously in 3 Idiots and have done a scene where Sharman and R. Madhavan help her unite with Rancho, played by Aamir Khan.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra says that they need to mull over the cast of Sharman's wife in the movie and finalize things. They will take a final call in a few days time.

Whether it's Kareena or Katrina – it's a win-win situation for Sharman Joshi. Getting to romance a top-league actress should surely catapult him in the top league.

Ain't Nobody Going to Akons House Tonight 'Unless We F!@#$%^'

Despite the somewhat NSFW lyrics and monotone Euro-disco beat, Akon's new track is quite cool. "Unless We F!@#$%^" features Clinton Sparks and we think it will hit the clubs fairly soon. 

And we can't wait for Akon's India inspired music to hit the stands soon as well! The R&B star, who has been working hard on the soundtrack for Shahrukh Khan's and Kareena Kapoor's upcoming action movie Ra.One, visited Mumbai a few times last year to lay down his beats in the studio. 

SRK was excited to see the singer back in town to work on the movie. "Yes Akon is set to do another song for us. We are just working on it to finalize things. December might be the month. We are excited to have him in our film," King Khan told the Times of India. 

  

After throwing a party for the famous rapper when he first came to town, Shahrukh invited Akon to India again! The B-town superstar invited the rapper to Mannat in October last year to record a new song in order to create more buzz about the movie. Together they held a press conference and even showed off some moves to Akon's hit single "Smack That." 

And Akon was inspired by his trips to India and promised some new material. He told Contactmusic, "I am the kind of artist that creates my music on the basis of my experience. I'm always in Europe, always in Asia, always in India and this is the kind of music that I'm exposed to. You start traveling, you start collaborating with different people and you start experiencing life bigger."

We wonder what inspired Akon's to write this upbeat and quirky track? Listen to "Unless We F!@#$%^" and let us know what you think; boring and bland or funky and fun?

Jacqueline Fernandez and Emraan Hashmi on Steaming Hot 'Murder 2' Poster

Hot, hot, hot! The poster for Jacqueline Fernandez's and Emraan Hashmi's new movie Murder 2 is out and it's steaming hot!

Miss Fernandez is most known for her role as Jasmine in the romantic comedy Aladin starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ritesh Deshmukh. Well now one of the newest additions on the Bollywood scene is set to take on a whole new character as she will replace Mallika Sherawat in Murder 2.

The former Miss Sri Lanka better get ready to get her sexy on as the character will hit the bedroom for some steamy scenes with none other than the kissing king of B-town, Emraan Hashmi. Sporting a tight and revealing blue dress, Jacqueline shows off her curves in the first poster from the movie - sure changes from her innocent and cute Aladin days!

Murder 2 director Mohit Suri seems to think that Jacqueline fits the profile better than her predecessor as he told Mid Day, "I signed her as she fits the role very well. Murder is a brand and I feel Jacqueline carries the sensuality that the character required, very well."

Although he insists that the idea behind bringing Miss Fernandez aboard is more about giving the franchise a fresh face: "We wanted give the project a fresh look. The first Murder also had a new girl [Mallika], which worked," he told Mid Day,  according to Hindustan Times.

So what can Murder fans expect from the sequel? "People are also anticipating steamier and more intense love making scenes in the sequel. All I will say is that you will have to wait and watch. As you know, Murder came in 2005. It will be 2011 when Murder 2 will release so obviously the level will be higher," Mohit Suri revealed.

Do you think Jacqueline Fernandez looks hot in Murder 2?  And what about Emraan Hashmi?

Anushka Sharma's Fancy Filmfare Front Page

Anushka Sharma has come a long way! After graduating from Mount Carmel College with an arts degree, she moved to Mumbai to pursue a modeling career.

She soon made her Bollywood debut in 2008 as Tania "Taani Partner" Gupta in the Aditya Chopra directed movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi starring Shahrukh Khan and Vinay Pathak. The movie was an immediate box-office success and the budding actress was praised by various film critics.

She starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Badmaash Company in which she plays Bulbul Singh, a girl who dreams of becoming a top model. In 2010 Anushka also worked on Maneesh Sharma's Band Baaja Baaraat in which she plays the role of Shruti opposite newcomer Ranveer Singh.

And now she's on the cover of Filmfare magazine as part of the promoting for her latest flick, Patiala House with Akshay Kumar, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. Akshay portrays Parghat Singh Kahlon, a man who runs a corner shop in Southall, London, but dreams of playing cricket.

His dad, Gurtej Singh Kahlon played by Rishi Kapoor, is busy running the family and wants to make sure no one loses any of their traditional Indian culture. However, Parghat wants to play cricket for England and when he gets a chance to do so, the father/son drama sets in for real.

Do you think Anushka Sharma makes a good fit opposite Akki in Patiala House? And do you think she looks hot on the cover of Filmfare's February cover?

Actress Farah Naaz sues TV channel

Actress Farah Naaz, who reigned during the 80s and 90s, was in for a rude shock when a team from a reality show reached unannounced at her residence in Oshiwara on February 2 and allegedly began shooting her and her 14-year-old son without her permission.
The furious actress has sent a legal notice to the channel and the production house.

The show is about contestants exchanging mothers, and how she fits into and adapts to her new family.

Farah, known for hits such as Naseeb Apna Apna and Love 86, lives with her son at Starship apartments in Oshiwara. In her legal notice a copy of which is available with Mumbai Mirror -Farah says that her privacy was invaded by the channel and the production house to boost the show's TRP.

What has possibly complicated the matter is the fact- as brought out in the noticethat one of the contestants is Vindoo Dara Singh, Farah's ex-husband and father of her son. Singh is now married to Dina Unirovia, who is also participating in the show.

According to the format of the show Unirovia is required to take care of Tanaaz Irani's children Zeus and Zianne and in turn Tanaaz is required to take care of Unirovia's child.

Farah's lawyer advocate Rizwan Siddiqui said that Farah and her son had never shown any interest to be part of this show directly or indirectly. "In fact my client was startled when she saw Tanaaz and another lady at her residence at 10 pm in the night.

Tanaaz spoke to my client, aggressively seeking her permission to celebrate her son's birthday so that they could use the footage on the show," said Siddiqui.

The notice also says that Tanaaz, who is a reality TV veteran with Bigg Boss2 to her credit, and a camera/production person reached Farah's residence without intimation or invitation. "My client was absolutely unprepared and these people asked her provoking and intimidating questions, so as to catch and video record her reactions and comments, and then exploit the footage commercially," said Siddiqui.

Farah in her notice has also pointed out that Tanaaz had earlier caught her son on camera when he had gone to visit his father Vindoo.

Siddiqui also added that Farah got uncomfortable when Tanaaz asked pointed questions about Vindoo's present wife Unirovia and the equation between the two women. "My client has been an actor and she sensed something was wrong when Tanaaz began asking her probing questions.

She did not want to create a scene and asked the two to leave without giving in to their demands," he said. Farah later sent a notice so that the footage that was shot could not be put on air and also claimed damages for intrusion in her privacy.

While Tanaaz refused to comment on the episode, Ajay Bhalwankar, programming head of the channel, said, "We have received the notice and forwarded it to our legal department.

As far as charges of invasion of privacy are concerned, we will have to check with the production house, which organised the shoot.

Mika to kiss Kangna next

Kangna Ranaut and Madhavan will soon be seen in a film 'Tanu weds Manu'. And to make the promotions a little more hatke, director Anand L Rai got Kangna and Madhavan to shoot a music video featuring Mika. It is a Punjabi baraat number, with much energy and vibrancy.

Kangna was willing to do everything required by her till the point that the director suggested that Kangana get kissed by Mika in the same way he had kissed Rakhi Sawant. Kangna was aghast at the suggestion, and put her foot down.

So, the number is a simple, Punjabi number with much enthusiasm and zeal, but no kiss.

Sexs beautiful Dev Anand

Move over lovely ladies, bare as much as you want, but you can't beat the evergreen Dev Anand in 'showcasing' talent!

Damn his age, all of 87 years, he's still hip, hot and ready to romance the lens. Recently, while donning the role of the 'Guest Editor' for zoOm, he stunned us with his thoughts on nudity, sex and exposure! He said, "Sex is a beautiful thing, and we're all born with."

And added, "A woman's innocence and coyness is sexier than a completely nude picture. Nowadays, the actresses are ready to do everything a role demands, even if it is nudity. And there's nothing wrong with it, if it's made beautifully." Well, if this is not enough, we'll tell you more.

Devsaab unabashedly revealed that he didn't mind doing an inmate scene, "I will do it in a way in which I will make it look beautiful!" Well, if this conversation is not sexed-up, then we don't know what is?

Confident NY Fashion Week kicks off

NEW YORK: New York's Autumn-Winter Fashion Week kicked off Thursday in New York with designer clothing houses and the luxury sector feeling well heeled in a resurgent economy.

Putting the threadbare days of the global recession behind them, global fashionistas began gathering at Manhattan catwalks as earnings reports pointed to renewed good times.

Italy's Prada announced turnover of 2.04 billion euros in 2010, up 31 percent on the previous year. Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Levi's and other pret-a-porter labels also saw an upswing, mostly thanks to Asian-based consumers.

Prada alone saw sales in Asia rise by 48 percent over the year, the industry publication Women's Wear Daily reported.

At Lincoln Center, home of the New York fashion weeks, Asian fashionistas had a big presence, with South Korean, Japanese and Chinese bloggers, journalists and clients taking shelter from freezing cold outside.

In what is a tradition now, BCBG Max Azria opened proceedings, displaying next year's fall colors of mustard, Bordeaux and grey, with white dots bringing definition to otherwise sheer bodysuits.

Long looks -- sometimes with long slits to show off long legs -- came in crepe dresses with pleats and ending in white turtleneck bodies. The preview also featured fur-lined flannel, ready for next year's cold season.

Even if access to the shows themselves remains highly restricted, fashion lovers can take advantage of the now nearly standard live streaming on the Internet of most collections.

The official calendar announces the broadcast of runway action, in contrast to last year when just a few designers took part in the experiment and most shows only appeared online hours after the event.

Broadcasts appear on labels' houses, their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.

Following BCBG came Korean-American Richard Chai, a former collaborator with Marc Jacobs, also showing long lines and pleated schoolgirl skirts.

Fashion Week, as always, is as much about the people as what they wear, and this year the father of fashion bloggers, Bill Cunningham of the New York Times, sees himself in the limelight.

The photographer, famous for extravagant snaps of fashionistas on the streets of New York, will be the subject of a documentary "Bill Cunningham New York" out March 16.

Meanwhile, green was the new black at an environmentally minded New York design school.

Students at the Parsons The New School for Design have come up with "zero waste" fashion, a pun on the controversial popularity on catwalks of skeletal, zero-size models.

"The goal was to create an organic garment with no scraps," said Janelle Abbott, 21, who was a finalist in the student exhibition organized jointly with Loomstate, an eco-friendly label.

Timo Rissanen, 35, assistant professor in Fashion Design and Sustainability, said the average wastage in clothes making is 15 percent. Although recycling is possible, it is also costly.

The idea of "zero waste is as old as clothing," he said. "The Japanese kimono is zero waste, the old underwear in 19th century Europe was mostly zero waste, and American Indians used everything too. It's the industrial revolution which is the cause of the huge waste."

What's hard is making the clothes beautiful as well as virtuous.

"It is very easy to do ugly zero waste," Rissanen said. (AFP)

Justin Bieber film a solid bid for credibility

LOS ANGELES: Setting out to demonstrate that overnight sensations deserve respect too, Justin Bieber should make believers out of all but the most hardened of skeptics with "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," which opens Friday.

An energetic 3D portrait of the global superstar as a down-to-earth teen from small-town Canada, the 105-minute documentary works overtime (by about 10 minutes too long) to change his perception from fluke Internet phenom to the hardest working 16-year-old on the planet.

And it generally succeeds, too, thanks to a visually energetic approach by director Jon Chu that keeps all the obligatory backstage/onstage bits moving fluidly.

In a business where timing is everything, the Paramount release is perfectly positioned for maximum impact especially considering an ambitious media blitz that saw Bieber extending his demographic reach with appearances on "The Daily Show" and "Late Show With David Letterman."

Unlike, say, the 2009 Jonas Brothers 3D concert film, which felt like it came out a couple of years too late, "Never Say Never" is striking while the fever's still hot, which should translate into more Miley-sized returns. "Hannah Montana" debuted to $31.1 million three years ago, and "Jonas Brothers" to just north of $12 million.

Starting off, appropriately, on a YouTube page, where Bieber famously overtook the sneezing pandas and cute kitties singing a cover of Chris Brown's "With You," the film follows the trajectory of its main man's career from behind his kiddie drum kit to the mighty Madison Square Garden stage, which, incidentally, was sold out in a mere 22 minutes.

Along the way we meet his young, devout Christian single mom, Pattie (who gave birth to The Bieb when she was all of 18) and his baby-faced manager, Scooter Braun, not to mention several of his more famous, early adherents, including Usher and prolific producer Antonio "L.A." Reid, who in the remarkably self-possessed Bieber saw a musical Macaulay Culkin.

Director Chu, who infuses the film with the same lively zip he lent "Step Up 3D" (although here he's working with a more intriguing "script"), keeps things disarmingly real for the most part, and even manages to work in a little drama when it appears Bieber's raggedy voice may not bounce back in time for the MSG gig.

And much like in Chu's previous film, the 3D pops mainly in the performance sequences, in which he's joined by the likes of Usher, Cyrus, Ludacris and Jaden Smith, where all the fist-pumping, dancing lasers and cascading ticker tape work to heightened effect.

But where the film ultimately hits home is with the more intimate, backstage stuff.

Under the protective wing of an on-the-road support system serving as, in the words of one of his crew, a highly functional dysfunctional family, Bieber manages to make his film's inspirational message heard loud and clear:

Despite your preconceived notions, he's just your average, everyday multiplatinum-selling teen idol who still likes to kick back with his Stratford, Ontario, homies and grab a slice at the corner pizza joint.

After saying grace, naturally.

Aamir Khan Ali Zafar: Bhai Bhai

Ali Zafar discovers that he is a distant relative of Aamir Khan's...

After a couple of music videos and his film debut, Tere Bin Laden, Ali Zafar has become quite a chocolate boy. Known to have come into this industry by his own accord, the actor now finds that he is indeed related to Aamir Khan.

Hailing from Pakistan, Ali Zafar has revealed that he is a distant cousin of the ace Khan. Just how? Let us tell you... It so happens that Ali Zafar's father-in-law's cousin's mother and Aamir's mother are cousins! Apparently, Ali has mention this to Aamir when he met him for the first time, and the Khan was quite taken aback.

We wonder if this connection is going to help Ali in the future, and more importantly, will he be using it?

Dia Zayed's first production a rom-com

Bollywood actors Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan, who have launched their production house Born Free Entertainment, annouced Wednesday that their first film is a romantic comedy titled " Love, Breakups, Zindagi".

Written and directed by their third partner, Sahil Sangha, it will see Cyrus Sahukar, Tisca Chopra, Satyadeep Misra, Pallavi, Vaibhav Talwar and newcomer Auritra Ghosh and Umang in the lead roles.

"With our first production we have put our money where our mouth is. Above all, 'Love, Breakups, Zindagi' is an entertaining look at today's relationships. But it is also absolutely honest about it. It has characters that will imprint themselves on the hearts and minds of all viewers," Sangha told reporters here.

Zayed and Dia will also feature in the film.

Talking about their new venture, Dia said: "We sincerely believe that filmmaking is first and foremost about honesty. You need to be honest to your characters as actors, and you need to be honest to the story as a director. And we believe that we need to be honest to the audiences, delivering exactly what we promise."

Zayed said that their production house will celebrate all kind of talent from anywhere.

"How often have you had a brilliant idea and thought there was no way you could translate that on to the screen? Well, Born Free Entertainment intends to give talented storytellers the opportunity to do exactly that, no matter what genre, no matter what background they come from."

The film will go on floors in March and is slated to hit screens August this year. Salim and Sulaiman Merchant will compose the music, while Javed Akhtar will pen the lyrics.