My Name is Anthony Gonsalves with OSO

Farah Khan’s much awaited film Om Shanti Om is all to release in November. The film has a huge starcast which includes Shah Rukh Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Arjun Rampal and Debutant Deepika Padukone. Om Shanti Om hits the theatres on November 9. But before this SRK starrer gets projected on screen, you will see the theatrical promo of another SRK production My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves.

My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves is made under the banner of SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment and T Series. The film marks the debut of Nikhil Dwivedi. The starcast of the film includes Amrita Rao, Pawan Malhotra, Lilette Dubey, Anupam Kher, Saurabh Shukla, Kunal Vijaykar and Mithun Chakraborty. The film is directed by E Niwas.

And for all the IndiaFM surfers, the first theatrical of My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves will also be released exclusively on IndiaFM.com, the same day when it will be showcased in theaters.

Aamir very upset with brother

Faisal Khan's recent allegations against elder brother and renowned Bollywood actor Aamir Khan have left him stunned and very upset. Aamir is so disturbed that he had cancelled his plan of coming live and chatting with fans on his personal website www.aamirkhan.com on Saturday at 8 pm IST, citing personal problems.

The note on the site from the "Lagaan" actor says: "Sorry everyone, but due to unavoidable personal reasons I will not be able to chat live with y'all today 8 pm IST as I had earlier mentioned.

Will fix a new date and time for my chat and keep you posted. In the meantime, please continue to post your comments and reactions to the curtain raiser of TZP ("Taare Zameen Par") in the blog space. Regrets. Aamir".

His blog also adds: "Sending all a warm hug. May we invest more in peace, happiness and in the wellbeing of all humanity. Eid Mubarak".

On Friday, Faisal spoke to the media and publicly accused Aamir of mentally torturing him and forcibly locking him up in a flat for almost a year. He added that Aamir wanted to prove that he was suffering from mental illness and Aamir's bodyguards had been forcing him to take medicines.

Even Aamir's father, film-maker Tahir Hussein, stood by his younger son and provided in writing that Faisal was completely healthy in all aspects.

Faisal and Hussein were spotted visiting Mumbai's K.E.M. Hospital for check-ups, the results of which Faisal might use to prove his fitness and to reaffirm that his statements against Aamir were not a result of his alleged unstable mental state.

A very close source said: "Aamir was overjoyed by the response his website had generated and was extremely excited to see the reactions to the first promos of "Taare Zameen Par", his debut directorial film.

He had planned to be present online to know the reactions. But after his brother and father went on record with their accusations on Friday, he was extremely upset and hurt."

In July 2000, Aamir's lawyer had posted a notice in several trade magazines severing all professional ties between the actor and his father.

The notice read: "Mr. Aamir Khan, a cine artiste, is not associated with the business of production of cinematographic films of his father Mr. Tahir Hussain Khan..." and that anyone who got involved in Tahir's company "shall do so at his own risk and my client shall not be liable for any such dealings".

Industry insiders had speculated that the rift was a result of Aamir's disapproval of his father's reported involvement with a newcomer, a much younger actress whose work Tahir intended to showcase through his production company.

A few had claimed that Aamir was reacting to news that his father had been raising funds by trading on his son's name and reputation.

On February 9, 2005, the Mumbai police had reportedly persuaded Faisal to get admitted to a hospital for psychological treatment. Aamir had filed a petition with the police claiming Faisal had been sending threatening letters to him and other family members.

When neither Aamir nor any other family member were able to persuade Faisal to get admitted to a hospital, the "Rang De Basanti " star approached the Khar police station with the letters and sought help.

An industry source said: "Faisal's acting career never took off and he was in a major depression with no help coming from any corner. This led him to troubling his elder brother Aamir."

Aamir had set up Faisal's acting debut in "Madhosh" in 1994 under their home production company T.V. Films. But the Vikram Bhatt-directed film flopped at the box-office. After that, no good offers came Faisal's way.

Aamir then convinced Dharmesh Darshan, with whom he had delivered one of his biggest hits of 1996 "Raja Hindustani", to work on a project starring Faisal and him together. The film "Mela" too was a box-office washout of 2000 and Faisal went on to do Bollywood C-graders. Gradually, Aamir too distanced himself from his brother.

Faisal's accusations came the same day Aamir presented his first directorial venture "Taare Zameen Par" to cinema screens worldwide. Aamir's mother has sided with him and is his pillar of support against his father and brother. Earlier, there were reports that Aamir parents had parted ways and were no longer staying together.

I'm competitive with Rani:Saif

Idle talk about Saif warring with Rani in New York during the making of Tara Rum Pum has the affable actor amused and annoyed.

"I know there were stories of bitter quarrels between me and Rani. But if these were true why would we be doing a third film together? Yes, we're in Kunal Kohli's next. I like working with both Rani and Kunal. I must admit it wasn't so in the beginning with Kunal.

But during Hum Tum I established a comfort level with him and now I can easily work with him in project after project. As for Rani, She was good in Hum Tum. I'm competitive with her because she's a really talented actor. I just want to be better than her on screen.

Even as a person I vibe with her. We did sit around and talk quite a lot, though we can't claim to be close friends."

Saif is all praise for director Siddharth Anand. "It's always fun working with Siddharth and that crazy bunch. In Salaam Namaste half the crew was Australian.

In Tara Rum Pum half the crew was American. We started off not understanding each other. Then everyone got drunk and started loving each other, giving gaalis in Hindi."

Saif explains how the collaborative spirit changed between the two films he did with Siddharth. " In Salaam Namaste it was more me than him. This time it's more him than me. Salaam…. was based on performances.

In Tara Rum Pum Pum Siddharth is the real star. Very often the moments took over, and I didn't have to do much. And the two child actors were fabulous."

Saif's last release Eklavya didn't do all that well in India.

He disagrees. "It wasn't a disappointment for me. I read the script and I liked certain things in it. I had certain expectations from the film, and they were fulfilled. Above all, I wanted to work with Mr Bachchan.

Failure or success, I don't have to take responsibility. There're much bigger warriors in the film to take credit or flak. You can make out my importance in Eklavya from the Ravan-like arrangement of the heads in the poster.

I believe mine is the smallest. It's Mr Bachchan, Jackie, Boman, Vidya and then me. We can blame my mom (Sharmila Tagore) also."

Rani & Adi to wed on Feburary 10?

Here's is some bizzare new information about the Queen bee. According to a latest gossip Rani Mukerjee and Aditya Chopra are set to marry on Feburary 10 next year at Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel in Jodhpur, following an as yet unacknowledged engagement ceremony in June.

Rani and Aditya have booked the entire hotel which was in the news in March this year when English actress, fashion model and designer Elizabeth Hurley wed Indian businessman Arun Nayar there.

An insider reveals, “It’s one of the most expensive place in India, but Aditya and Rani thinks it’s the perfect place to get away from the prying eyes of Mumbai’s media.

They have booked the entire palace way in advance and everything is done in a hushed manner.Only a few close friends know about it. Rani's family knows about it, but we are not sure about Aditya's family."

A local film distributor of Rajasthan confirms the news.

"Yes, Umaid Bhawan has been booked for their Shaadi, and we are sure lots of people from Bollywood will be coming here for the wedding," he says.

Earlier talking to press Rani vehemently denied that she was engaged to Aditya.

At the launch of Raga Crystals range of women's watches, when Rani was quizzed on rumors of marriage to Aditya Chopra, she sarcastically responded.

"You might not know but I have five children also. Go find them and I will reward you," Rani said.

Salman is totally misunderstood: Zayed Khan

Amongst the scores of star sons and daughters in Bollywood, one prominent name is Zayed Khan. Although he got spotted right in his first film "Main Hoon Nan", the actor is still struggling to make a mark in the industry.

As of now, he is much excited about his forthcoming film "Speed", for which Zayed had to stay away from the camera for a good six months.

Q: Vikram informed that you injured your back quite seriously during an action sequence in the film. How are you now?
A: I am much better, thanks to the prayers of my well-wishers. Vikram had explained each and every scene of the film to me in detail.

In fact, that's the reason I signed the film, I knew exactly what I had to do. As for accidents, they just happen. My only grievance is that the accident forced me to stay away from the camera and in bed rest for some six months.

Q: Tell us about how the accident happened.
A: The action scene involved nine other men. I had to climb up with the help of a rope. Unfortunately, the rope couldn't bear my weight and tore off; I landed right on a chair, while the other men fell on my back.

However, this accident has made this film memorable for me. I have noticed that the films which get delayed often do well at the box-office. I have similar hopes of this film.

Q: What's the reason behind you signing so few films over these years, whereas your colleagues in the industry have signed so many of them?
A: I am quite choosy about my films now. As in, I don't want to spend 60-70 days on the sets of a film that I don't like. I want to work in films that I am excited about.

Of course, a newcomer must do many films as that's how he/she will gain experience. But that doesn't apply on me anymore. When I was a fresher I did many films as it was the only way to improve my acting skills.

Q: You are mostly seen in thrillers and action films. Why don't you try your hand at romantic films?
A: Frankly speaking, I want to do romantic films, but unfortunately good scripts are not coming my way. I wish to do a romantic film with good costars, producer and director. The main reason behind this is thriller films are easily accepted by the audience compared to romantic ones.

There is much for the cine-goers to look forward to in thrillers. But love stories can either be good or bad, there are no average love stories. A romantic film will go waste despite good director, producer and actors, if not projected properly.

Q: Would you like to play a historical character like Akbar that your brother-in-law Hrithik is playing in Jodha-Akbar?
A: Why not? God willing, I certainly will. Hrithik is a very hardworking guy, and a perfectionist at that. I respect him for that.

Right now, I want to work with good directors to understand and learn more about cinema. I have told Subhash Ghai that whether he loves me or hates me, all I want him to do is improve my acting skills.

Q: How was the experience of working with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in "Mai Yuvraj"?
A: It was good. Many say Salman is moody. But there is nothing like that. Those who spread rumours against him either don't know him or don't mean him well.

I think he is a great human being, with a heart of gold. He is one amongst the few in the industry who don't care what the media writes about them. He doesn't follow people, it's the other way round.

Q: Besides Salman, who else do you think can be included in Madame Tussauds wax gallery?
A: According to me, Hrithik will make a good choice. His talent makes films come alive.

Q: What you have to say about yourself?
A: If I manage to work in 10 hits in the coming two-three years, I would also wish that my wax statue be installed in the museum.

Q: "Shabd" was a different film of yours. What about that production?
A: I really liked that film, it is close to my heart. Unfortunately, the film was much ahead of its time. When I heard the story, I was sure that it would win the hearts of the audiences, but that didn't happen, quite like "Lamhe".

Q: Tell us about "Idiot", "Happy New Year" and "Bisaat".
A: It's been ages since "Idiot" was called off. As of now, I am not doing "Bisaat", but I am doing another film with Vasuji. As for "Happy New Year", I will go whenever Farah calls me.

Q: And your forthcoming films....
A: As of now, I am doing "Mission Istanbul" with Aporva Lakhia and "Mai Yuvaraj" with Subhash Ghai. I am quite excited about my role in "Mission Istanbul" as I am playing the lead. It is a good film, and I am sure that Indians will accept films of this genre. The story is set in New Work, where a man forms a gang with his friends and goes about terrorizing them.

Tapur out of Jhalak Dikhla Ja

The elegant Tapur Chatterjee happened to be the first female celebrity and only the second to be voted out of Sony’s ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ but it has done nothing to change her ever smiling demeanor.

In fact the way she bowed out from the show so gracefully leaving anchor Mona Singh actually teary eyed and judge Urmila Matondkar openly expressing grief and shock at her ouster, proves yet again that she is an epitome of class

. As for Shiamak Davar, he didn’t need to say anything, his expressions said it all.

“I am sad but then I am also happy that I could come this far, thanks to the support of my well wishers. It was a great experience. I enjoyed this completely new experience. I loved the appreciation.

Staying back or going was not in my hands,” quips the supermodel. Tapur might not have sizzled in her debut performance but then her second and third performances rocked.

So was it the fact the other contestants are from more commonly known fields ( TV, films, sports etc) and she being from a field only still acquainted to the elite few, affect her status when it came to the votes? Explains the Bengali beauty,“The others are very well known in their respective professions, the public know them very well. I come from a very different market. I was kind of new to them. Actually people need time to know somebody a little more.”

Unfortunately this was not the case in the show as Tapur was seen for just about three weeks on TV screens. Now she will only be back for the grand finale sometime in December.

Interestingly Tapur and her twin sister Tupur (who is 12 minutes younger than her) have been named after the famous Bengali poem by Ravindra Nath Tagore ‘Brishti porey tapur tupur" which means 'Pitter-patter falls the rain.'

Her moves on the dance floor were no less poetic. Tapur was improving fast and she managed to shine through(not to forget her goodbye performance). That’s why the voting out seemed to be even more surprising.

She says, “Actually I loved my third performance the most. I was doing a topple for the first time and it was all new to me, though everybody applauded the second performance the most.” Really it’s sad that the audience didn’t wait to know her enough!

Very few know that Tapur is the granddaughter of legendary filmmaker, the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Apart from such an illustrious background, people now have come to know about her dancing skills. So are movies on the cards? “ “I believe in the saying ‘never say never’.

I did get offers in the past. But then they have to be interesting enough. If at all it happens now, it should have a strong story base. It would be something with a strong Indian background like ‘Parineeta’ or maybe like ‘Black’.

As for my grandfather’s movies I love his all his movies. ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Abhimaan’ and Gol Maal are special for various reasons.

Any dream directors she wants to work with? ‘Oh there are so many of them who are doing great work. It will be unfair to single out anyone,” she retorts . But TV doesn’t really interest her. Serials are a strict no no but will she ever turn host, if it’s something interesting? “I can’t say that now. Maybe, if it’s worthwhile.”

Tapur is somebody who has achieved it all on her own steam, without really piggy backing on anyone, not even her grandpa’s name. It won’t be understatement to say that this trait is very unlike some of her co contestants on the show.

Now who doesn’t know about serial actors nurturing big Bollywood dreams and same goes for the ones on ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ who have taken the show as a ladder.

Even though they hardly make it there, they look for or have a strong backing in the form of a Godfather and the case is not different here. Tapur on the other hand was and is on her own. If this girl isn’t a winner, who is? Sneha Hazarika

Spotboy ties up with Benegal and Kashyap

Spotboy, the production arm of UTV Motion Pictures has tied-up with filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap and debutant Raj Kumar Gupta.

“Shyam Benegal and Anurag Kashyap are masters in their field and here they bring new narratives or give a twist to old narratives with their distinctive signature styles. And, Raj Kumar Gupta is someone to look out for. This slate surely includes some of the most discerning, entertaining cinema being produced in India today,” says Vikas Bahl Creative and Business Head, Spotboy

Shyam Benegal comes back to comedy after two and a half decades with Mahadev (working title). In Mahadev, he narrates the story of a village, which is a representative of lakhs of the villages in India. All the politics, love and romance, dreams and simplicity of a village is showcased through the eyes of a young man who wants to be a writer but ends up being a letter writer outside the post office in the village of Sajjanpur.

Anurag Kashyap, is set to recreate the classic Devdas in contemporary times in his forthcoming film Dev D. He is currently searching for the right ‘Chandramukhi’ to be cast opposite Abhay Deol.

Raj Kumar Gupta, who has been associated with Hindi feature films as a writer, assistant director and associate director, he makes his debut as a director with his film Amir, a thriller. Amir is the story of a young Muslim professional who lands at Mumbai International Airport expecting to be greeted by his family. Instead, he is thrown a cell phone and from that moment onwards has to follow instructions of a faceless, nameless voice. Starring television actor Rajeev Khandelwal, the film is at the pre-production stage with an entire crew of debutants.

'Sen girls driving me insane'

When Rituparno Ghosh first saw Madhavan in Kolkata he exclaimed, "But you look too young for the role!"

Grins Maddy, "That's because Ritu hadn't seen me after my weight loss."

Ever since Madhavan returned from Kent (UK) 6 ½ kgs lighter he's been feeling on top of the world.

"Everything seems so different. I knew all along that I was overweight, thanks to my Tamilian background that made me gorge on rice and curd every day.

All that has changed now. Not only do I recommend a light meal for myself but also for my other Tamilian colleagues in Chennai who seem to subscribe to the more-the-merrier way of life a little too obediently," Madhavan has finished shooting in Kolkata for Rituparno Ghosh's Sunglass.

"Would you believe I said yes without hearing the full script yet?" Maddy mock-whispered. "But the fact that Ritu felt it was the right role for me, gave me the courage to just plunge into the film after hearing Ritu give me brief narration. Ritu is a fabulous storyteller.

Though I met him for the first time for Sunglass I feel I've known him well for some time, thanks to his persuasive way of reaching out. I think between Mani Rathnam and Rituparno I'll cover the entire spectrum of filmmakers."

Konkona Sen-Sharma is Maddy's co-star in Sunglass. Maddy grins from ear to ear. "I think she and I make a great pair. She's dusky and so am I. Thank God I lost weight. She's reed- thin, yaar! We'd have looked like Laurel and Hardy on screen."

Maddy's other female co-star in Sunglass is Raima Sen. "Reema, Riya, Raima….all these Sens are driving me insane. As it is, I'm terrible with names. And to compound my confusion I'm also doing a Tamil film with Reema.

I hope I don't end up confusing Raima's name.By the way, she was supposed to be my co-star in Run. Good we're working together finally."

He narrates an incident that happened when he was shooting for his latest Tamil hit Thambi. "I had put on a lot of weight to play the do-gooder-goon. A female fan came straight up to me and whispered, ' I like you more this way. There's more of you fantasize about.'

I distinctly remember I had flinched because it was a a not-so-rude reminder of my weight and also because such lewd female attention always makes me feel inadequate."

This was Maddy's first visit for a shoot in Kolkata. " I love the Bengali cuisine. No fish curry for me because I'm a strict vegetarian. But I love mishti dohi, sandesh and rashogolla. Gosh, I hope I don't regain the weight I lost after such hard work!"

Why Harman's debut was postponed

Harman Baweja's debut film Love Story 2050 was supposed to be released on December 21 this week. Now we suddenly hear it’s gone to next year.

Official reason given? "The special effects in this film are far too intricate. And we don't want to rush through it." But there's a far more valid and crucial reason for the postponement of the Baweja boy's debut. And it's got to do with the clutter of male debutantes this year.

Says a source, "No living year has had so many promising male newcomers. From Ruslaan Mumtaz in Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar and Muzammil Ibrahim in Dhokha to Neil Mukesh in Johnny Gaddaar and of course Ranbir Kapoor who will make his debut with Saawariya. Naturally, Harman didn't want to come in this crowd of distinguished debutants. Next year is expected to be relatively quiet on the debutants' front." It was much for the same reason that Ashutosh Gowariker decided to come with his ambitious historical Jodhaa Akbar in 2008. With Saawariya, Chak De India, Taare Zameen Par expected to sweep the awards there was no point in losing out on the awards by releasing this year.

I'm geeting flabby for Aparna

For the last one month Rahul Bose has stopped working out. He has even ceased to play his favourite sport rugby…all this to look 45 for Aparna Sen's The Japanese Wife.

Says Rahul, "We started shooting for the portions where I've to look 45 on Wednesday (3 October). I've been preparing for it for a month. Earlier I needed to look far fitter for Samar Khan's Shourya.

But for The Japanese Wife there were many weight swings since we shot my character from his early 20s and now to 45."

To compound the physical complexities The Japanese Wife is the only film of Rahul that hasn't been shot at a stretch. "So we're taking my character through the various physical phases piecemeal. It's been tough. But finally worth it. It was the biggest challenge of my acting career."

Rohit Shetty's next titled Pocket Money

Kumar Mangat and Rohit Shetty have yet again teamed up to start with their new venture, which is based on the Hindi play ‘Uncle Samjha Karo’. This will be an out and out comedy film titled Pocket Money and will be directed by Rohit Shetty.

Producer Kumar Mangat who is excited about this new venture says, “It is a thought which will take six to seven months to shape up in to a story. Interestingly, this play has got its share of inspiration from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s classic comedy Chupke Chupke.” He also adds, “Pocket Money is an entertainment comedy which revolves around two friends and an old man.”

Without revealing many details, Rohit Shetty says, “Kumar Mangat has the rights of the play; we are on the verge of scripting.”

On asking how different will the film Pocket Money be from the play, Mangat says, “The film will differ from its screenplay and characterization.” He further adds, “As soon as we finalize the script, we will decide upon the star cast.” Pocket Money is expected to go on the floors by next August-September.

The shooting of Mangat and Rohit Shetty’s other project, Sunday, is completed and the film is expected to release in the month of January next year. The film is a comic thriller. Kumar Mangat is particularly excited about his forthcoming flick, No Smoking that is releasing on October 26.

Mangat’s film, Haale-E- Dil is on the verge of completion with three songs pending, which will be shot in Austria. It stars Shekhar Suman’s son Adhyayan and Mangat’s daughter Amita and is directed by Anil Devgan.

Sushmita Sen Stills

Sushmita Sen Stills

Deepika Padukone Stills

Deepika Padukone Stills

Bolly Mixed actress

'My efforts on Saawariya have paid off'

The hullabaloo around Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Saawariya is building up by the day. Monty Sharma's music is already scorching charts while newbies -- Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor have become the subject of all coffee table conversations.

The plush, enthralling visuals bear the discernible Sanjay Leela Bhansali stamp. Saawariya retains his trademark extravagance and grandiose and the captivating promos say it all.

Those who have worked with Bhansali swear by his penchant for perfection and his doggedness of getting to the nitty-gritty's. Meet once such man responsible for the very opulent, larger than life look in the film -- art director of the film Omung Kumar Bhandula.


'The ambience is almost like Venice'
"Saawariya allows you to live your fantasy. The night life, smoke, lightning, the floors, walls, the boat, lotuses, peacocks, diyas, snow, bulbs and all the glitterati. Everything about Saawariya is exceptionally magnificent," says Omung.

"And we have been extra meticulous about painting. Saawariya is a dream world that doesn't exist but if it existed, everyone would have loved to be a part of it. The ambiance is almost like Venice and Moulin Rouge," gushes Omung adding, "The basic briefing given to me was that we needed a mystical town that no one has seen before. So we created a town that encapsulated India. Every frame has been shot within India. There are nine massive sets in the film. Every set had to out do the previous one and had to be a bigger masterstroke. I was required to outperform at every stage."


'The whole set is replete with water'
"We chose the blue colour as the theme for the entire film. It's all like a painting. The painted streets and the malmal curtains will definitely draw attention. The film revolves around night life and the whole set is replete with water," he continues with unabated enthusiasm.


From advertising to films
The advertising professional who kick-started his career with Hindustan Thompson Associates as a creative director has also hosted the once popular game show Anchor Ek Minute.

"Once I quit HTA, I started designing sets. My wife and I started Opus Planet Construction Entertainment (now Blue Lotus Productions), we designed for serials, game shows and it gradually led to films," says Omung who has films like Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, Jhankaar Beats, Ishq Vishq, Shabd, Pyar Ke Side Effects etc to his credit.

John-Bipasha patch up?

We don't know whether they are on or off.

John Abraham and Bipasha Basu seemed to be on a break earlier, as Bips seemed to prefer Saif Ali Khan, and even Christiano Ronaldo over John.

For the moment, the two were spotted together -- quite happily -- at a Gucci function.

Madhu Sapre and Preity Zinta

Madhu Sapre seems to have put on oodles of weight, while Preity Zinta seems to have lost a lot of it.

While we hardly see Madhu around these days, Preity seems to be keeping quite a low profile too. Besides, the actress has been seen in only one film this year, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

Another Khan in films

Ezaz Khan -- note the change in spelling -- makes his switch from telly to films.

Co-starring with Sangeeta Ghosh, Ezaz will feature in Bhanvraa: Love And Aggression.

The film is launched by Dharmesh Darshan, who made the blockbuster Raja Hindustani with Aamir Khan.

But we're wondering why he's showing off his six packs like Shah Rukh Khan!

Old Timers get together

A Kodak moment.

Yesteryear stars Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Dheeraj Kumar, Rakesh Roshan, Shatrughan Sinha, Raza Murad and Jagdeep celebrated the completion of 20 years of Dheeraj Kumar's company, Creative Eye.

A style check of Bollywood's glam divas

The first under surveillance is “The black and white Duo” coming together to support the good cause of education aka ‘Shiksha’ And looking at the pic below one may say when the commercials value art, you get a unique pair



Sushmita Sen’s style quotient- 5/10, Konkona Sen Sharma’s style quotient – 6/10 (extra point for her hair do)

No denying that Lara Dutta makes for the perfect ‘Partner’ to any man living but one surely wonders what is secret behind her ever fresh look, which keeps her going Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

Lara’s style quotient – 7/ 10

Expect Bebo to live up to the Bollywood babe icon seriously and you will find her impeccably stylish at any given event. Last seen at a popular reality show Kareena Kapoor looked sizzling hot in her off shoulder Red attire but a look closer than required and you see her diminishing waist line. Is it Kareena’s transition from big waist Kapoor Khandaan to lesser known (Shahid) Kapoor’s.

Kareena’s style quotient – 8/10

So what if Preity Zinta did not play a role in Loins Of Punjab, the tigress has definitely been signed in for playing a typical Punjabi housewife in Deepa Mehta’s next film, Heaven on Earth, well looks like that Zinta girl has taken the role a tad bit too seriously

Preity’s style quotient – 7/10

Urmila’s usual cool and chic persona seems to be retreating with passing day, looks like the style conscious gal has become too casual in her approach. Last seen at a popular Italian Restaurant, this Mumbai chi mulgi failed to impress

Urmila’s style quotient – 6 /10

Knocking at the ‘Dor’ was another pretty actress, Gul Panag. Known for her calm and composed attitude, she looked her delicious best in a white dress. Well, isn’t she the one starring in 'Manorama Six Feet Under'?

Gul’s style quotient – 7/10

Piggy chops as fondly called by her co-stars, Priyanka Chopra is known to dazzle just like her smile but fashion faux paus cannot be covered up with luring charm now, can it? Seen in a ghastly blue dress at a recent Mobile event, Priyanka strictly managed to pass the fashion gates

Priyanka’s style quotient - can’t rate it!

Bips aka Bipasha Basu known to raise people’s heart pulse and BP is now a days seen taking extra efforts to adorn her wardrobe but after a bikini stunt in 'Dhoom 2' she is taking her plunging neckline a tad too seriously. Seen last at the Filmfare event the Bong babes instead of a lethal weapon looked more like a naked weapon.

Bipasha’s style quotient – 5 /10

Hema Malini

Having faced rejection, at the hands of a little known Tamilan director early in her life, Hema Malini directed her energies Mumbai wards. She not only converted her initial setback to a triumph, but also proved that she was here to stay for a lifetime. She was the second south Indian actress after Vyajanthimala to excel at Bollywood. It is also a sheer coincidence that both of them are proficient in Bharatnatyam too.

Born in a remote village of Tamil Nadu on Oct 16, 1948, Hema Malini made her debut with Raj Kapoor in 'Sapnon Ka Saudagar' (1968). The film flopped, but 'Dream Girl' nevertheless was introduced into the arena, where she was to be coronated as the queen subsequently. Some ordinary films followed, till Geeta Aur Seeta (1972) gave her recognition in Bollywood as a top film star. The film had Hema’s double role. Both the characters of Geeta and Sita were diametrically different from each other. Hema justified the double role with a performance that was par excellence.

She was able to check the down slope of the career graph of Rajesh Khanna with Prem Nagar (1974). As an omen of things to unfold in future, films like Raja Jani (1972), Jugnu (1973), Sholay (1975) opposite Dhramendra, made her popularity soar higher and higher. Hema proved her ability to delve deep into woman's consciousness and emote its profundities on screen, in successful films like Khushboo (1975), Kinara (1977) and Meera (1979). They also created a versatile image of Hema Malini and gave her an opportunity to work with Gulzar.

At a time when she was riding a crest of popularity, famed actors like Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar proposed her for marriage. But she had something else in mind. Hema Malini later broke conventions by entering into matrimonial alliance with already married Dharmendra. The marriage not only prospered, but also made Dharmendra-Hema one of the most sought after Bollywood couples ever.

The late seventies and early eighties was the golden era of her career when she held the number one slot for a number of years. There was no other actress of Hema's stature in Bollywood, except the inimitable Rekha. Due to her knowledge of classical dance Hema's song-dance sequences were virtually cine goers delight. She also put her creative instincts to good use by producing films like Swami (1977), Sharara (1984), Aawargi (1987).

Hema starred in Manoj Kumar's greatest production Kranti (1980). Kamal Amrohi's extravaganza Razia Sultana bombed at the box office. In Ek Chaddar Maili Si (1986) and Rihaee (1990), we saw Hema as a mere shadow of the past. Later she also a left a mark on the small screen by directing serials like Dil Aashna Hai (1991) and Mohini (1994), Noopur (1990) and Women of India (1996). In a film based on Gandhiji's life Hey Ram (2000), Hema Malini came alive on the bigger screen again. Her latest hit Baghban (2003), opposite Amitabh Bachchan is almost reminiscent of her golden era of the seventies. The stars came together after almost nineteen years. Her stirring performance made people nostalgic of the Dream Girl of the past.

Lately Hema is busy casting the careers of daughter Esha and Ahna. Besides, she also edits a Mumbai based woman's magazine. Unlike, the case of hubby Dharmendra, Hema got the Filmfare award rather early in 1972. In 1992, Hema Malini was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India for her contribution to the society. In August 2003, the President of India nominated her to the Rajya Sabha.

In the latest scramble of stars joining political parties, Hema too has joined BJP at the behest of its President Venkiah Naidu. The veteran of over 100 films has campaigned hard for her husband Dharmendra, who has made into the Lok Sabha from Bikaner constituency. Only time can tell how far this famous pair of Veeru and Basanti with Hema sitting in the Upper House and Dharamji seated in the Lower House, can re-enact Sholay in public life. Hema Malini has lived life to its utmost with held high and we pray for her long life.