Breaking News: Geeta Basra keeps Harbhajan company on reality show set

Harbhajan Singh was recently shooting for a reality show in Pune. And keeping him company on the sets was Geeta Basra.

The starlet was spotted stuck to his side throughout the filming presumably giving him acting tips, even while Singh was giving pep talk to the pahalwans who feature in the show, Geeta was chirping away on the sets.

And in case if you are wondering if Geeta features in the telly show, Bhajji is slated to spring some surprises. Unless he's popping the question, I am not interested. Are you?

Breaking News: Veena Malik is married in Pakistan, Rakhi Sawant

Targeting the controversial Pakistani starlet Veena Malik few days before th reality show, ‘Veena Ka Vivaah’ goes on-air, item girl Rakhi Sawant said that Veena Malik is already married in Pakistan and in India she is in a live-in relationship with actor Ashmit Patel.

“I haven’t seen anybody more irresponsible than her. She goes into hiding like a Gaddafi saying she’s unwell. You only go into hiding if you are guilty. She is fooling the whole world. The whole industry knows that she is married and now, she is in a live-in relationship with Ashmit Patel. I haven’t heard of any man wanting to marry a married woman, and who’s living in with another man. I want to know where these contestants (grooms) are coming from,” asks Rakhi.

Rakhi further said that she is still married and not yet filed for divorce. “You just need to see the reports that have come out in Pakistan. They mention that she got married to a Pakistani man. Regarding her live-in relationship, there is even a more solid proof with me. The legal notice that was sent to a magazine when they published her nude images (a copy of which is with DNA), the home address that was mentioned there was in fact Ashmit’s home. So, she’s not only living in with Ashmit at the moment, she has also used his address as his home address in court documents,” informs Rakhi adding, “And a woman like that is getting married on television.”

Let’s wait and see how much truth has in Rakhi’s word.

World’s shortest woman wants to be Bollywood star

Nagpur: A high school student in central India was recognized as the world`s shortest woman by Guinness World Records on Friday as she turned 18 and said she hopes to earn a degree and make it in Bollywood.

Jyoti Amge stood just 62.8 centimeters (24.7 inches) tall — shorter than the average 2-year-old — when Guinness representatives visiting from London measured her at a ceremony attended by about 30 relatives and friends in the town of Nagpur, in Maharashtra state.

A teary-eyed Amge, dressed in one of her finest saris, called the honor an "extra birthday present" and said she felt grateful for being small, as it had brought her recognition. After receiving a plaque, she and her guests cut a birthday cake.

"I have put Nagpur on the world map. Now everyone will know where it is," said Amge, who says she dreams of one day becoming a Bollywood film star as well as pursuing a university degree after she finishes high school this year.

"I want to be an actor," she said.

She measured 7 centimeters (2.76 inches) shorter than 22-year-old American Bridgette Jordan, who had held the title since September.

"Jyoti encourages us all to look beyond mere size and to just celebrate our differences," Guinness adjudicator Rob Molloy said.

This was not Amge`s first Guinness record. Until Friday she was considered the world`s shortest teenager, but in turning 18 qualified for the new title. She has grown less than 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) in the last two years, Guinness said in a statement, and will grow no more due to a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.

Her teenage title brought the chance for multiple Guinness-sponsored trips to Japan and Italy for tours and meetings with other record holders, she said.

The title of shortest woman in history continues to be held by Pauline Musters, who lived in the Netherlands from 1876 to 1895 and stood 61 centimeters (24 inches) tall.

Is Bollywood finally bold and sexy?

Vidya Balan with Emraan Hashmi and Tushar Kapoor in a still from The Dirty Picture

Bollywood is coming out of the closet. Bold depictions and taboo topics have suddenly become common on the big screen as well as on TV. What was considered forbidden so long is becoming saleable subject and being served as entertainment.

Male strippers, sperm donors, extra-marital sex, the casting couch, free use of cuss words and the middle finger, and exploited starlets suddenly comprise themes in commercial Bollywood. While it is still understandable if going bold is a part of the big screen masala, the Indian middle class audience got a shock when porn star Sunny Leone entered the reality show Bigg Boss 5. On the big screen, use of expletive, double innuendos and objectionable gestures - till now avoided by filmmakers or underplayed on screen - are suddenly considered to be ways of expression.

"The audience wants to look beyond regular entertainment that they have been getting for years. We cannot let several interesting issues remain hidden under the carpet simply because these issues are bold," says Milan Luthria, director of The Dirty Picture, a film that grossed it big by unabashedly projecting the life of eighties sex bomb Silk Smitha.

"It is not that only showbiz has gone bold. Society at large has developed a rather daring approach towards life. People in their day-to-day life now openly discuss what was taboo in the past and this is the reason that films are being made on such themes," says Prahlad Kakkar, adfilmmaker and image consultant. "For how long will the audience watch cliched symbolism like two roses coming together or two birds flying? Filmmakers have to explore bold themes boldly so that the audience is amused and entertained."

Luthria's The Dirty Picture openly discussed sleaze behind the glitter in showbiz through Silk's life story. Vidya Balan's bold portrayal of a village girl's ambitious shortcut to the top was widely appreciated by the masses. On screen, Vidya, known so far for her demure image, shocked the audience with her dare-bare act as Silk Smitha. The success of the film proves the audience is willing to accept bold themes.

On the other hand, Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, image-conscious superstars, surprised all with their performances as strippers Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz. The film highlights how two London-based Indians lose their jobs in the time of recession and are forced to take up jobs as male escorts in a nightclub. Bollywood hunks Akshay and John strip down to innerwear only to be cheered by the stinking rich women guests at the club.

Sperm donation is another issue that was avoided by filmmakers till now. In Onir's episodic film, I Am, one of the segments has Purab Kohli playing a young boy who makes a living as a sperm donor. The story shows how a single woman played by Nandita Das approaches the donor.

Elsewhere, veejay Ayusshman Khurana makes his Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor, where he plays a budding cricketer who becomes a sperm donor to earn a few extra bucks.

Thanks to moral policing, filmmakers till recently were wary of what they showed on screen. This included the use of language in the dialogues. However, a change in the trend was noticed this year with Delhi Belly, Bhindi Baazaar Inc. and No One Killed Jessica, where cuss words were liberally used.

The Aamir Khan-produced Delhi Belly, fast emerging as a cult film, was promoted as an adult comedy where the use of colloquial urban language was considered natural because that's how our youth speak nowadays.

"Delhi Belly is an accurate take on the youth of today. If you are making a film describing the modern urban youth then you can't be showing them as ideal virginal kids in designer clothes, who don't do anything bad or wrong," said Imran Khan, the fil's hero at the time of the release.

The change is not just restricted to language. The middle finger has emerged as a popular gesture for a range of expressions.

In Rockstar, Ranbir Kapoor expresses aggression showing the finger to a crowd. In No One Killed Jessica, the finger is Rani Mukerji's way of saying she doesn't give a damn about life. Sonam Kapoor is seen showing the finger at the camera in a promo of the upcoming Players, as a gesture of going one-up in a certain situation. Hrithik Roshan was seen making a similar gesture in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Rockstar director Imtiaz Ali was clear that Ranbir's finger action is "bold" for the Indian mindset but was necessary "to show the point of view of a rebel".

While the finger fetish has caught on, the censors really drew the line on Sonam's gesture in Players when Abbas-Mustan, makers of the film, tried showing the scene in the television promos. The scene has since then been blurred in the television promos.

It is not just films, even television - widely considered a medium for the middle class family audience - is going no-holds barred. There is now a slot after 11 pm for adult content. Colors channel readily made use of the late timing by introducing porn star Sunny Leone in Bigg Boss 5. While the housemates were not told who Sunny really is, the PR machinery of the show ensured the press was supplied with enough information to let the audience know what her real calling is.

As Sunny went pole dancing on the show, the TRPs of the show increased - proving the viewership was indeed interested. Google searches and downloads of content featuring Sunny have gone up, and the middle class has accepted watching a godman and a porn star on the same show.

"Gone are the days when showbiz had to be politically correct. The fact that such efforts are yielding good business proves the audience has started to enjoy mature subjects that were till now referred to in hushed tones," says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Although the audience has been enjoying such content, a counter argument is that these are quickfix attempts to draw the crowds. "Bold themes need to be dealt with a lot of creativity and finesse. Failing this, the attempt can become cheap and gross. The focus should be on combining creativity with entertainment," adds Adarsh.

Very few in Bollywood have successfully dealt with bold subjects in the past. For instance, Dev Anand's Guide openly depicted extra-marital love way back in 1965. Anand was also among the earliest actor-filmmakers to deal with drugs in Hare Rama Hare Krishna in 1971. Yash Chopra presented Waheeda Rahman as a woman who abandons her daughter from a pre-marital relationship in his 1976 film, Kabhie Kabhie. Chopra also faintly touched on incest in his 1991 film, Lamhe. These however were rare instances. Mainstream Bollywood seems to be growing up only now.


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bollywood-the-dirty-picture-desi-boyz-delhi-belly/1/164656.html

DON 2 Tv rights sold for Rs. 37 Crs

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan’s upcoming film Don 2: The Chase Continues, directed by Farhan Akhtar which is planned to launch on December 23, has apparently, fetched massive amount of cash from its Tv rights. ‘Don 2′ is SRK’s initial sequel in his 20 years old career, has wrapped up all pre-release deals,except the satellite agreement.Zee has received satellite rights for DON 2, Don 2 – The Chase Continues, for an predicted Rs. 37 crore.

Jayantilal Gada, head of the film acquisition business at the Zee Group, didn’t expose the size of the 7 yr agreement, which is possibly the greatest satellite agreement singed by Zee for a movie. As per industry sources requesting privacy, Reliance given close to Rs. 80-85 crore to receive the movie and spent another close to Rs. 22 crs in print and advertising the movie.

Reliance has also got the maximum satellite sum for Don2 as compared to their other movies this season.

John Abraham breaks ‘anti-graft handi’ in Hazare’s support

Actor John Abraham Monday expressed his support for Anna Hazare’s anti-graft stir by breaking a special dahi handi named ‘Anti Corruption Handi’ with his forehead.

“I am with Anna. All chors (thieves) should be thrown out,” he told reporters after breaking the handi at Vihangs Palm Club in Thane.

At the handi breaking ceremony on the occasion of Lord Krishna’s birthday there, John supported the girls’ team and cheered for them. The Bollywood hunk, sporting a Gandhi cap, awed the crowd interacting with them in chaste Marathi.

John Abraham, who is set to re-emerge as an action hero with his upcoming cop-film “Force”, chose to use that platform for the music release of the film. Actor Nishikant Kamat and director Vipul Shah accompanied him.

The model-turned-actor made his debut in Bollywood as a passionate lover with “Jism” (2003) and then moved on to action with “Dhoom” (2004) followed by “Kaal” and then the terrorist drama “New York” (2008).

Releasing Sep 30, “Force” is a remake of the Tamil film “Kaakha Kaakha”, where John is paired with Genelia D’Souza.
- IANS

Celina Jaitely at Azad Maidan to support Anna Hazare

Anna Hazare’s fast at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi has taken the nation by rage ans sure enough, Bollywood, too, could not remained untouched by the nostalgia. As the Gandhian leader enters the sixth day of his fast on Sunday, he got more support from Bollywood stars as actors Celina Jaitly and Shreyas Talpade came to the Azad Maidan here.

Before this, A.R. Rahman, Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Kapur, Bipasha Basu, Sushmita Sen and Shahid Kapoor have already offered their support in Anna’s fight against corruption. Anupam Kher and Farah Khan even flew down to the capital to participate in the protest.

“Today is a wonderful morning sreyas, deepti talpade (Shreyas’s wife) and myself are on our way to Azaad Maidan to show our support to Anna hazaarey Jai Hind!” Celine posted on micro-blogging site Twitter Sunday.

“Feel enriched/motivated after attending Anna Hazare’s anti corruption gathering @ azad maidan with sreyas & deepti..long live democracy,” she further posted.

Rakhi Sawant : Anna is being blackmailed into fasting

Rakhi Sawant

I feel that Anna hazare is being black mailed and his arm twisted to fast. There's an ulterior motive to make Anna fast and the person behind this is Arvind Kejriwal. It's really sad that an old man like Anna who is so clean and pure at heart is being used for some one else’s benefit. I stand by Anna, but am not so sure that his fasting is going to be a solution to the corruption in the country.

To give benefit of doubt to the government, they have been showing signs of wanting to curb this monster of corruption. They put Kalmadi behind bars and took action against him. Also our economy is in a much better shape than the other countries. Even though there are clouds of recession looming over us again, India is in a position to combat it and even sustain the current growth.

My view is that why just corruption? There’s so much of poverty and the issue of rising prices and basic commodities in the country. Why not tackle that? I don’t want to sit with Anna and fast because I feel that the biggest issue in the country is the farmers committing suicide, the villagers not being able to afford a basic two course meal. Rather than increasing the prices of vegetables and basic stuff, they should hike the rates of expensive items that are not necessary like accessories and cars and other things.

I feel that Arvind Kejriwal is the real face and Anna is just the mask. He’s using some one like Anna to give this whole revolution a political shift. My question to Kiran Bedi who is also part of this protest is that, if you were in the police force and in office would you take part in the agitation or would you follow the orders of the government. I have many questions to ask.

It is sad that a honest and sincere man like Anna is being used as a bait for other people and their selfish motives.

Minissha Lamba Regards Anna Hazare As Second Gandhi

Minissha Lamba, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade were in their element at a promotional video shoot of a song number for Hum Tum Shabana, the hilarious flick helmed by Sagar Ballary.

The mood, however, turned all somber at the suburban Mumbai venue when social crusader Anna Hazare was mentioned. “Anna Hazare is the second Gandhiji that India needs,” asserted Minissha Lamba. “It is the constitutional right of any Indian citizen to peacefully protest against what they feel is injustice. If the Government is not allowing Anna Hazare to do that, what is the point of being a citizen of the largest democracy in world, if one cannot exercise that right.”

Added she significantly, “It’s time we have a Government that respects our Constitution and grants us our basic rights. Anna Hazare’s fight is against injustice. It’s the fight of the common man of India and Anna Hazare’s fight surely affects him.”

Breaking News: India chase history but Lankan lions in the way

Mumbai: Armed with the wishes of millions of passionate fans and a never-say-die spirit, India are just one win away from crowning themselves the ODI world champions after almost 28 years as they clash with an equally determined Sri Lanka in the first all-Asian ICC cricket World Cup 2011 summit showdown on Saturday.

More than two decades after their incredible World Cup triumph at the historic Lord's, India find themselves on the threshold of probably their biggest cricketing moment as they brace up for a nerve-wrecking battle for supremacy at the renovated Wankhede stadium.

Both India and Sri Lanka, two Asian giants who have played against each other frequently in recent times, have won the coveted trophy once each and will leave no stone unturned to regain the Cup.

Though there is little to choose between the two teams, India will fancy their chances of putting it across the islanders as they are playing at home and are peaking at the right time after a rather patchy beginning to their campaign.

Both the teams have some injury concerns ahead of the grand finale which will be high on emotions for a variety of reasons and will give one last chance to ageing maestro Sachin Tendulkar to fulfill his dream of winning the World Cup, one silverware that has been missing from his collection.

The match will be the last outing for India's highly respected coach Gary Kirsten who has transformed the team into world-beaters as also Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss, who is set to resign after the World Cup.

It will also be a swansong match for Muttiah Muralitharan, who is racing against time to recover from a knee injury.

The home team has suffered a jolt ahead of the game with Ashish Nehra, who bowled well in the high-voltage semifinal clash against Pakistan in Mohali, being virtually ruled out because of a finger injury.

Similarly, Sri Lanka have injury concerns over Muralitharan and all-rounder Angelo Matthews and have called in Suraj Randiv and Chaminda Vaas as cover.

The hosts are also grappling with a selection dilemma ahead of the summit showdown which will be watched by millions of fans in both the cricket-crazy nations.

The Indians misread the Mohali track and opted for an additional seamer in Nehra at the expense of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who did a decent job in the two matches he has played so far.

The Mohali pitch assisted the slow bowlers more though the three Indian pacers -- Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and Nehra -- bowled well.

The Indians are peaking at the right time having prevailed over defending champions Australia in the quarters and arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage semi-final but it remains to be seen whether they can pull it off when it matters the most.

Captain Dhoni has warned his teammates not to get distracted by the excessive hype surrounding their World Cup campaign and just focus on the job at hand.

"There'll be plenty of things happening around us, but what's important is not to get distracted. We all know what our jobs are as professional cricketers so we'll stick to that and try to play good cricket", Dhoni said.

"The Sri Lankans have a good side and they have done really well in the tournament. We have to play good cricket to beat them. We have to be at our best."

Both the teams appear to be well-balanced on paper though the islanders certainly have a more potent bowling attack, particularly with the presence of spin wizard Muralitharan who will be keen to make an impression in his swansong game.

Muralitharan has been troubled by a knee injury and Randiv has been called in as cover for him, though the team management is confident that he would be fully fit by Saturday.

Although the Indians have a formidable batting line-up and most of them are quite adept in dealing with spin, Muralitharan is a wily customer and will find a way to put pressure on the batsmen if he takes the field on the morrow.

The home team will look to Tendulkar and the flamboyant Virender Sehwag to provide a rollicking start and set the platform for the middle-order to take India to a decent total at the Wankhede stadium track which is expected to suit the batsmen.

Tendulkar has been in good form right through the tournament with 464 runs and his fans will be hoping that he achieves the phenomenal milestone of scoring his 100th international century at his home ground.

Sehwag, who started with a brilliant 175 against Bangladesh, has not really fired after that knock though he has rattled up quick-fire 30s and 40s. India need him to be at his brutal best to take the game away from the Lankans.

India have the depth in their batting but they need to ensure that they don't collapse in the batting powerplay as they had done against South Africa and the West Indies. They, however, made the powerplay count in the last game against Pakistan.

Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Raina have enough talent and skill to put runs on the board. Dhoni has been struggling with the bat and will be hoping to make a contribution when it matters most.

Yuvraj, who is having a dream World Cup and has already won a record four man-of-the-match awards, will have a key role to play since he is the player in form both with the bat and ball.

The Sri Lankans, on the other hand, have a settled look to their squad and definitely have the resources to spoil India's party.

Their top batsmen -- Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene -- have all been among the runs.

"It means a lot to us. This is what we planned for over two years. We missed a great opportunity in 2007 when we reached the finals and again we've got a great opportunity on Saturday," Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said.

"We will be preparing for the finals. We don't have to get carried away. We are in the finals and that's great and we need to keep our heads down and keep in mind that there's a lot of work left to be done. Its the biggest day of our lives", he said.

The eventual winners of the flagship event of the game would be richer by USD three million, while the runners-up would take home USD 1.5 million out of the total prize pool of USD 12.52 million.

Sri Lanka have played four one-dayers at this venue, including a league match in this tournament against New Zealand. Out of those four, they have won two and lost two.

Sri Lanka had been beaten by India and defeated them once each in their first two encounters at the ground in 1986-87 and 1996-97.

In two other non-India games, the Lankans were beaten by the West Indies in 1993, while they defeated New Zealand earlier this month.

Teams (Probable elevens):

India: MS Dhoni (captain-wk), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain-wk), Mahela Jayawardene (vice-captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga

On-field Umpires: Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar.

Third Umpire: Ian Gould.

Fourth Umpire: Steve Davis.

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.

Match starts at 2.30 pm.

PTI

Hot news - Shilpa's low and skimpy dresses too hot to handle for us

The sex siren was scrapped from celebrity invitee list after writers criticised her for exposing her navel while starring in two Kannada films

Following close on the heels of the recent displeasure expressed by writers over Infosys chief N R Narayana Murthy inaugurating the Viswa Kannada Sammelana (World Kannada Meet), another noted personality faces their ire for a very different reason.

Writers preferred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as special invitee and perfect representative of Kannada pride outside the state, as opposed to Shilpa Shetty, because they think that the latter is known for her skimpy dressing sense.

The list

Shilpa has acted in Kannada films including Preethsod Thappa and Auto Shankar. But, the writers were not happy with her because of her steamy scenes and she exposing her navel while draped in a sari. They added that while she was a celebrity outside the state, she could not be seen as the pride of the state.

Deepika Padukone was also short listed along with Aishwarya and Shilpa as these glam dolls of Hindi filmdom are from the Tulu speaking part of Karnataka. But, since she was currently out of India and since the orthodox writers did not favour Shilpa, former Miss World Aishwarya was a clear winner.

Organisers speak

However, organisers sought to decline that skimpy dress sense was the criteria saying that Aishwarya was always the proffered choice.

A source from the organising committee requesting anonymity said "We prefer Shilpa to other Bollywood stars since she has acted in Kannada movies and connects well with the Kannada audience. But some writers are not comfortable with the idea and plans have been changed just to avoid controversy."

"Shipla Shetty was in the list, but we could not include everyone because of the space and time limit. Also, security was another major concern and we decided that Aishwarya would be the only invitee among all the film stars, " said Prabhakara Kore, working president of the meet. "I hope she will speak Kannada when she greets the audience, " Kore added.

'Ash no different'

Tara, Kannada film actress and a member of the BJP, was irked. She said, "It is ridiculous to reject anyone for their onscreen dressing. We have to be mature enough to see an actor beyond their onscreen roles.

If we say Shilpa was seen in revealing clothes, then Aishwarya is no exception as she has been seen in steamy scenes as well."

"Shilpa or Deepika are a better choice since both have acted in Kannada movies unlike Aishwarya, who has none to her credit, " she said. She also added that while people have heard Shilpa and Deepika speaking Kannada, no one she knew could vouch for Aishwarya.

I M Vittalmurthy, special officer of the meet, said, "Not that we have ignored other achievers by inviting Aishwarya alone. We have selected her as a representative of all of them."

Courtesy: Mid-Day.com

Pamela Anderson PETA ad banned in Hong Kong

An ad sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) featuring Pamela Anderson has been banned from Hong Kong's airport.

The "Cruelty Doesn't Fly" spot features the star acting as an airport security guard who removes furs and leathers from passengers and shows a couple nude from behind.

PETA Asia's vice president Jason Baker told The AFP: "Given the groping that you see at security checkpoints and the nudity that you see in body scans we're surprised that our lighthearted ad was deemed too risqué."

A spokesman for the airport said that the ad - which is also banned in Boston and New York City - is "considered inappropriate" for its potentially offensive content.

Source: digitalspy.co.uk

Pamela Anderson 'Crazed' fan arrested after he tried to board her train.

Pamela Anderson was left terrified after seeing a man feared to be a crazed fan was arrested by police after a violent altercation with officers at Liverpool Lime Street railway station.

According to the Mail, Anderson had just finished performing the role of the Genie in a theater production of “Aladdin” and was getting ready to return to London when the man tried to board the train car.

Source:dailymail.co.uk