Hollybollywood

2010-06-05T23:52:00.001-07:00

Rafael Nadal to Face Robin Soderling Today for Men’s Finals

Its going to be a exciting Men’s finals for the french open 2010 as Rafael Nadal Faces off with Robin Soderling today. Robin Soderling was the only player in the French open 2010 to be able to beat No. 1 Roger Federer off for this season. the Roland Gaross will witness the finals between Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling. This is going to be a tantalizing rematch between the two. According to ESPN, “I never believe [in] revenge,” Nadal said. “I will be as happy or as disappointed if I lose to Robin or to any other player. I don’t think this is going to change the way I’ll approach the match.” This is going to be bringing a lot of heat as Nadal who has a 37-1 record in the French Open, and it was Soderling who have him that one Defeat. Will Robin Soderling be able to pull this one once again?

Rafael Nadal has been a four time champion in four years, will Robin Soderling stop Rafael Nadal? A statement from ESPN says, “It’s always good to have beaten a player before,” Soderling said. “I know that I can beat him. I showed it. But every match is a new match, and every match is different.” Rafael Nadalwas able to beat Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (6). The match will be happening later today. Dont miss this out as we have the latest updates for the Rafael Nadal to Face Robin Soderling Today for Men’s Finals.

2010-06-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart: What is Wrong Between Them?

People just cant get over with Robert Pattinson andKristen Stewart as things seems to be shady between the two. First we have heard of the official announcement that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are dating but now seems like there is something wrong between them. Questions keep pooling over Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart after both of them are getting far off from each other. Robert Pattinson who is getting linked with Reese Witherspoon and Kristen Stewart with Taylor Lautner. Kristen Stewartnever likes getting ambushed by paparazzi and as forRobert Pattinson, Who always refer to himself as single.
After the rumors that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are just publicly dating to create a hit for their upcoming movie Twilight eclipse. That is why both of them are in this way towards each other. We hope that this is not true because both Robert Pattinson andKristen Stewart are really good for each other. So what is wrong between them? Twilight Saga Eclipse is set off to release this July 1, and Robert Pattinsonand Kristen Stewart are all over the media right now, People keep asking what their relationship status. But We know nothing between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Will this end up into something splendid? Lets find out as we have more updates between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart: What is Wrong Between Them?.

2010-06-05T23:47:00.001-07:00

BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT THE FINAL

Daredevil gymnasts Spelbound stormed Britain's Got Talent last night - and pledged to take their breathtaking show to the London Olympics.

The 13-piece acrobatic act trounced the opposition with a stunning display of aerobatics, including a gravitydefying 20ft human cannonball over the heads of the judges.

After beating runners-up, dancing double act Twist and Pulse and drummer Kieron Gaffney, 13, Spelbound team member Edward Uppcott, 18 said: "Wow. Getting the Queen to watch us... that will be a great experience."

But as well as getting to perform for the Queen at the Royal Variety Show and a £100,000 prize, the Sunday Mirror can reveal they have ALREADY been offered a chance to perform at the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Games. Judge Amanda Holden told them after their incredible show: "I'm literally running out of adjectives to describe you... We are hosting the 2012 Olympics and I think you would be brilliant opening act."

Simon added: "To put it in Olympic terms - that would have won a gold medal." An estimated 14million watched as the group - who had put in over 100 hours of training in the run -up to last night's final - scooped first place.

Other favourites impressionists Paul Burling, singing granny Janey Cutler and dog act Tina and Chandi failed to live up to expectations.

As Spelbound - aged between 12 and 25 - were told they were the winners they jumped with delight, kissing and hugging each other.

Alex Uttley, 24, said the group would divide the money up and spend it on holidays adding: "Oh My God. This is unbelievable we want to say thank you to everyone out there."

Their coach Neil Griffiths said: "I couldn't have asked for more."

Simon said: "I'm very proud of you."

Holden on to a new 'do

Last night Amanda Holden showed off a dramatic new bob hairstyle.

The 39-year-old judge, wearing a floor-length dress with plunging neckline, unveiled the new style which was cut by stylist Ben Cooke - the man responsible for Victoria Beckham's famous "Pob" cut.

Big Shout out to England's charity song

Dizzee Rascal and James Corden debuted Simon Cowell's unofficial World Cup song on Britain's Got Talent last night.

Shout - based on the 1984 Tears for Fears hit - saw rapper Dizzee and comedian Corden leaping around in England shirts at the end of the talent show.

Dizzee rapped: "Come on England, we need to sort it out... Leave the Wags alone, set aside your ego, We're tired of bragging about 40-odd years ago."

Royalties from the song, to download from Wednesday, go to Great Ormond Street hospital.

2010-06-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

Dani Garavelli: The legacy of Big Brother

It's farewell to the housemates. As the programme which gave birth to the reality TV phenomenon reaches

the end of its 'emotional journey' with one last series starting on Wednesday, Dani Garavelli
looks at the legacy it leaves behind

DID THEY OR DIDN'T THEY

Despite the frenzied "how far did they go" speculation it provoked, Jade Goody and PJ's fumble under the duvet was tame when you consider the sizzling scenes served up in later series. First Michelle Bass and staurt Pilkington turned up the temperature with steamy antics in a makeshift tent under a table in BB5 and then – egged on by The Sun's offer of £50,000 for the first bonk – Makosi Musambasi claimed to have gone all the way with Anthony Hutton, above, in the hot-tub in BB6. Steamy footage seemed to confirm her claims and – though her gallant lover denied all suggestions of sex – she asked producers for the morning after pill.

But Ziggy Lichman and Chanelle Hayes' eight-hour session was too hot even for Big Brother and was never shown – much to the consternation of some viewers who had tuned in especially.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

Although many have denounced BB for the transient nature of the fame it yields, many contestants have successfully used the show as a vehicle for transforming their lives.

The first winner, Craig Phillips, gave his prize money to Down's Syndrome sufferer Joanne Harris who needed a heart and lung transplant, but went on to make £5m carving out a lucrative career as TV DIY expert, while BB's first twins Sam and Amanda Marchant, right, have landed a stack of endorsements including Young and Pure Cosmetics (£400,000) and a Barbie-themed mp3 player (£200,000).

Others have claimed BB ruined their lives (usually when their names disappeared from the press) and a few – including Chanelle – have made suicide attempts, but the contestant who has suffered the most traumatic BB afterlife is probably Makosi, who was exposed as a prostitute and faced deportation.

CURSED COUPLINGS

Big Brother has spawned a host of affairs, several marriages and two babies, but for most, the flames of passion have been extinguished the minute the interest of the gossip mags waned. Pete Bennett, who suffered from Tourette's Syndrome, dumped Nikki unceremoniously weeks after they came out of house, revealing to the shock of absolutely no-one that their affair had been a publicity stunt.

Star-crossed lovers Ziggy and Chanelle couldn't make it through the after-show party without a bust-up. By the time they split, they were gripped by the kind of mutual loathing it takes most couples decades to achieve, their acrimony manifesting itself in a bitter custody battle over a dog called Poppy.

Tom McDermott and Claire Strutton had the first Big Brother baby – a son called Pierce – but didn't go the distance, while Sophie Pritchard and Lee Davey – who married and gave Big Brother its

second scion Max – fared little better.

No sooner had the wedding photographs of Ordinary Boys

frontman Samuel Preston and fake pop star Chantelle Houghton (left) appeared in Now magazine than they went their separate ways. Even lovebirds Helen Adams and Paul Clarke – who lived together for five years – eventually split. Mikey Dalton and Grace Adams-Short are still wed (but they only tied the knot last year).

I WANT TO BREAK FREE

And – given that the house is Colditz as styled by Ikea – who wouldn't? Only a handful of contestants, however, have made a serious escape attempt.

Bored Scot Sandy Cumming set the standard by climbing the garden fence, leaping on to part of the set roof and clambering down scaffolding on the other side on BB3. There have been a few attention-seeking escape bids amongst the celebrities, including Jack Dee, Leo Sayer, and Donny Tourette, while sales rep Lisa Appleton tried to storm out when someone interrupted her in the toilet and Kenneth Tong scaled the roof days after his girlfriend Karly had been evicted.

Only once, however, has there been a mass escape. Urged by Big Brother to "do something interesting", the housemates in series ten broke out, only to find themselves punished for their bad behaviour.

AND THE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD GOES TO...

Jade Goody. No-one knew how to capitalise on the opportunities BB provided better than Jade. Initially, a figure of ridicule, she nevertheless wormed her way into the public affection and, though she didn't win, managed to ride the tide of fame to transform what had been a bleak and drug-afflicted past into a brighter future.

In 2007, all that changed. On Celebrity Big Brother, she clashed with Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and cast herself as a bully and a racist. Only an expert PR exercise – she appeared on an Indian show alongside Shetty as penance – and the news she was suffering from cervical cancer rescued her image. She used her fame to secure her children's financial future. When she died she was worth £8m and was once more a working class heroine.

THE CHEATS

It is difficult now to conceive of the national sensation caused when "Nasty" Nick Bateman was thrown off the first series for trying to manipulate his housemates' votes by passing notes. Big Brother's other Big Cheat, Dawn Blake, was ejected after C4 discovered a message from home saying her sister was sick was a code set up to warn her she was attracting bad publicity. Later she threatened to go on hunger strike until the show's producers handed over a tape of her time in the house and sued Endemol unsuccessfully claiming footage of her had been unfairly edited.

FIGHT NIGHTS

Emotions have spilled over into violence – causing the live feed to be cut and security officers to be sent in to the BB house – just twice in the show's combustible, ten-year history.

The first Fight Night came in BB5 when Emma Greenwood – who had been locked in a bedsit where she could watch, but not participate in the activites – lashed out at self-proclaimed gangster Victor Ebuwa on her release. The drink-fuelled row escalated, and other housemates got involved, turning over tables, and throwing trays and food. As Victor accused Emma of being a racist, Jason Cowan yelled at Marco Sabba for dancing provocatively and Vanessa Nimmo pushed Nadia Almada, Scot Shell Jubin threw up in the bathroom.

Fight Night 2 in BB9 was a bit of a damp squib in comparison. Ignited when Rex Newmark smudged a piece of pizza on Jennifer Clark's drawing, it culminated in Edinburgh dance teacher Dennis McHugh allegedly spitting at Mohamed Mohamed, an offence for which he was later ejected.

DUMBED DOWN BRITAIN

Anyone who tuned into BB hoping to hear intelligent conversation would have been sorely disappointed. Indeed the bulk of the social interchange suggested that the IQ levels of contestants lay somewhere between that of a donkey and a plate of cold custard. Observations which left many viewers despairing for the future included:

"I love blinking, I do" – Helen Adams.

"Have they not got seasides in Birmingham?" – Jade Goody.

"If there were less people in here, it would be less crowded" – Dean O'Loughlin.

"When you delete a phone number from your phone, where does it go?" – Emma Greenwood.

MEGA MELTDOWNS

Who could forget Vanessa Feltz scrawling words such as "incarcerated", "desperate" and "frustrated" on the dining room table, or Les Dennis sharing his marital woes with the chickens on the celebrity show?

But there has been no shortage of tears and tantrums among contestants on the regular show. "Princess" Nikki Grahame freaked out about everything – her bed, bottled water, the air conditioning system – while Chanelle Hayes wailed she felt like a "big, fat whale".

Once even the show's psychologists were concerned. Glaswegian Shebaz Chaudry exposed himself repeatedly in front of his housemates and threatened suicide before walking out after just five days.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

Compared with the billions the programme has generated, the £100,000 prize money is loose change. Naturally, the biggest winners aren't the contestants, but the brains behind the show.

Dutch media tycoon John de Mol, the former boss of Endemol, which owns the rights to the BB format worldwide and produces the show in Britain, is one of Forbes magazine's 500 richest people in the world with a fortune estimated at more than £1bn.

Another beneficiary of BB's success is That's Life reporter Peter Bazalgette, who was made chairman of Endemol UK and creative director of Endemol worldwide on a £4.6m salary after tinkering with the Dutch format to make the show a global hit.

But BB has also boosted the profile and earning power of its presenters. Before she became the face of the show, Davina McCall's biggest claim to fame was as the presenter of the cult dating show Streetmate. Within a few years, she was one of the most sought-after personalities on TV, hosting the Brit Awards, Comic Relief and the Baftas. She is currently on £1.25m a year, earning around £1,190 a minute on screen.

And then, there's Dermot O'Leary, who – by 2007 – was making £500,000 a year hosting spin-off show Big Brother's Little Brother. The following year, he jumped ship, after shaking hands on a two-year £1m-a-year deal to front the X-Factor on ITV.

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO BE THE CAT?

Imagine spending a lifetime carving a reputation as a fearsome firebrand only to throw it all a way in a moment of feline madness. Less than a year after George Galloway launched an impressive verbal assault on senators who accused him of profiting illegally from Iraqi oil sales, he was pictured on all fours lapping cream out of Rula Lenska's hands in what has to be Celebrity Big Brother's most iconic moment.

Galloway's loss of dignity eclipsed even the unsettling sight of the MP prancing around in a red lycra cat suit. The resulting images – which, some claim, would not look out of place in a David Lynch movie – will doubtless feature prominently in his obituary (alongside his praising of Saddam Hussein's "indefatigability").

THE LEGACY

Although few will mourn its passing,

BB has changed our viewing habits forever.

Loved and loathed in equal measure, the show was both a pioneering social experiment and a cynical exercise in exploitation and its impact on television is impossible to overestimate. Not only did it give birth to a generation of reality TV shows – from Supernanny to The Secret Millionaire – but it created the climate in which mockumentaries such as The Office and The Thick of It,

and dramas such as Shameless, flourished.

Its influence is also seen in talent shows such as the X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent, where the back stories are as important as the acts.

It may well be time for BB to be laid to rest, but its legacy lives on.

2010-06-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Rolling Stones' secret documentary

Mick Jagger by the pool at Michael Butler's house in Los Angeles

There are secrets, and then there are secrets. With all the carefully recalibrated stories about drug excesses and sexual high jinks during the recording of the Rolling Stones’ 1972 album Exile on Main St, it’s hard to believe there could be anything that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of their band of groovy, deeply grooved superstars could possibly have to hide or be ashamed of. So it’s astonishing to discover that, for nearly four decades, the Stones have vigorously enforced a strict legal injunction banning the screening of a documentary about them, a film some of the few people who have seen it think is a masterpiece.

Called Cocksucker Blues, after a raunchy Stones song of the same title that Jagger dared the record label to release (it didn’t), the documentary was mainly shot during the Stones’ 1972 tour of North America, just after they had released Exile. It was directed by the photographer turned avant-garde film-maker Robert Frank, best known for reflecting 1950s America back at itself in the collection of street photography titled simply The Americans. Frank, a Swiss Jew born in Zurich in 1924, had emigrated to America in 1947. The grainy black-and-white cover of the Exile on Main St album is one of his works.

Under the terms of the injunction, which Frank fought at the time, CS Blues can be shown only a limited number of times a year. The photographer, who is now 85, has been a virtual recluse in Nova Scotia for the past few decades. He owns one of the only two prints of the film; his is reportedly unprojectable now. The Stones own the other print. One of the rare contexts in which it has been legally shown in the UK was during a retrospective of Frank’s work at Tate Modern in 2004, where it was screened eight times. Until recently, when pirate copies began appearing on the internet, the few people who had managed to see the film had watched it on bootleg VHS videos of dubious quality and provenance.

In part because of its outlaw cachet, CS Blues has become an iconic “text” in the history and mythology of the Rolling Stones. The film even appears as a short chapter in Underworld, Don DeLillo’s 1997 novel about the cultural history of 20th-century America. Nick Broomfield, the English documentary film-maker, who rates the Stones as his all-time favourite band, first saw it at a rare screening at an art-house cinema in Los Angeles in about 1980. Well, part of the film.

“It was a big cinema, and it was completely full,” recalls Broomfield, who has made documentaries about Kurt Cobain and the rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. “About half an hour into the film, these stink bombs, smoke bombs, went off, and they cleared the cinema. The story going around was that the Stones didn’t want the screening, and that somebody had deliberately let these things off. Who knows?” It was another two years before Broomfield managed to see the rest of the documentary. His verdict was, and remains, unequivocal. “I think it will survive as one of the greatest rock’n’roll films ever made,” he says. He believes it’s on a par with Don’t Look Back, the documentary made by DA Pennebaker about Bob Dylan’s 1965 British tour. “Any documentary film-maker would have been exceptionally proud to have made it.”

The 1972 North American tour was important for the Stones, and was shaping up as a big cultural event, with celebrity writers such as Truman Capote covering it. Their tour of America in 1969 had culminated in mayhem and murder at the Altamont Free Concert, events captured in brutal detail in the documentary Gimme Shelter, which showed a member of the Hell’s Angels security detail at the concert stabbing a man to death. The Stones hired Frank, then 47, to cover the new tour vérité-style, partly because they liked his photography, but also because they were admirers of his 1959 avant-garde documentary Pull My Daisy, which was adapted from a play by Jack Kerouac and had an improvised narration by the Beat writer.

It’s hard to know whether or not the Stones really understood what Frank was up to. According to Susan Steinberg, who edited the film: “He had no interest in the music at all. He hired a separate crew to film the music sequences.” Frank used three kinds of cameras, including one left lying around for anyone in the Stones or their large entourage to shoot with. Starting as the band were mixing Exile in LA and finishing some two months later with the final concert at Madison Square Garden, in New York, Frank, and others, including Jagger, shot about 25 hours of footage.

As Steinberg discovered when she started editing, a lot of it was of poor technical quality, because one of the film magazines had a light leak in it. Not that it bothered Frank. She says that as she started watching the footage, she found herself “drawn into how Robert saw things, how he experienced their world. I felt like I was there with them”.

And that, through the fractured, grainy, loose, swirling images and deconstructed sound, is how the finished film comes across. (I have seen a pirated version.) We feel we’re there, hanging with the Stones and their entourage — backstage, in hotel rooms and corridors, in planes between cities, in cars between gigs. We feel we’re getting a visceral sense of what it must really have been like to be in and around the world’s biggest and baddest rock’n’roll band, at a time when that really mattered. While many scenes feature nameless members of the endless entourage, Frank’s documentary is also spattered with socialites eager to get close to the flame, including a bored Bianca Jagger, whom Mick had recently married, and who had her own posse, and Princess Lee Radziwill, younger sister of Jackie Kennedy.

So why is CS Blues so controversial? Where to begin? The film shows things that are only hinted at in most documentaries, including The Stones in Exile, the group’s new sanitised, self-produced documentary about their sojourn in France making the album, shown recently on BBC1. (The Stones in Exile includes about 10 minutes of judiciously selected outtakes from Frank’s footage.)

Frank casually shows people shooting up heroin, including a beautiful young groupie in a hotel room choking off her veins and plunging a needle into her arm as Richards watches. He shows Jagger snorting a large mound of cocaine off a switchblade; Jagger filming himself in a mirror, with his hands down his tight pants, starting to masturbate; a groupie lying on a bed, her legs spread, rubbing semen into herself; Keith rolling up a dollar bill to snort coke. And, in the most disturbing scene, two groupies being jostled by roadies on a plane, then having oral sex performed on them as Jagger and Richards look on, nonchalantly banging tambourines.

“I didn’t censor anything,” says Steinberg, who was just 22 when she edited the film in Frank’s loft in the Bowery, New York. “I went for the blood and the guts, the sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. I saw quite clearly that it was a film about being behind the scenes, not about what’s on stage; about being on the road, being back in those hotel rooms with them, seeing the underbelly of the boredom, the ennui, the drugs, the girls.”

At first, says Steinberg, Jagger seemed happy with it. “At that time, they loved being the bad boys, so this film was a direct expression of how they perceived themselves.” But the Stones and their lawyers were worried that such open drug use, in particular, might get the band banned from America, so the film was shelved. Then, in 1977, Steinberg got a call from the Stones saying that they were keen to see if a re-edited version could be released. Steinberg says she simply shortened some scenes. I ask whether she took out shots of Richards shooting up heroin. “Well, this is going to be printed, and they’re going to kill me, so I don’t know quite what to say,” she says.

It’s many, many years later, I say.

“I know. Many, many years,” she says. “Look, I can’t remember the exact shot, but it was clear that Keith had shot up. Even now, in the film, you see that scene of him nodding out in the dressing room, going lower and lower into that girl’s lap. It’s quite clear that he was using heroin.”

While Steinberg was recutting the film, Richards was busted for heroin in Toronto. One of the Stones’ lawyers came to see it and said, Steinberg recalls: “‘There’s just no way you can show this film.’ And that was that.” According to the late Allen Ginsberg, a friend of Frank’s, Jagger told the director: “It’s a f***ing good film, Robert, but if it shows in America, we’ll never be allowed in again”

While that may have been a valid justification for keeping the film under lock and key at the time, it can hardly be now. I mean, the Stones have even played the Super Bowl. The truth may be that what troubles Jagger and the band is that CS Blues so ruthlessly deglamorises what the Stones have always been so keen to mythologise, their “elegantly wasted” rock-star lifestyle. Instead, Frank shows us a world that is “empty and dehumanising, a blur of people in rooms, waiting for the time between gigs”, said one writer, making being in the world’s biggest rock’n’roll band “look like such a soul-destroying, achingly empty hell”. As DeLillo puts it in Underworld: “The camera phalanx in the tunnels. People sitting around, two people asleep in a lump or tripped out or they could be unnoticeably dead, the endless noisy boredom of the tour — tunnels and runways.”

Broomfield is exasperated that people should be judgmental about what Frank shows in CS Blues. “I don’t think you can look at it as a bleak vision,” he says. “Maybe that’s why the Stones don’t want it out, because they are worried that people will judge it like that. It is a complex portrait of some really brilliant artists, of people who are pushing the boundaries in all areas, an amazing portrait of the greatest rock’n’roll band ever at the height of their creativity. It is what it is.”

2010-06-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

'IIFA is in Colombo to spread peace'

Several big stars are missing from the IIFA awards this year after the boycott call from the southern film industry, but veteran Anupam Kher says the event is an effort to spread peace in the island country and should be supported.

"To heal wounds it is important to keep them open. What happened that time (in Sri Lanka), every one is sad about that. But if an effort is being made to spread peace and happiness through something (like the IIFA awards), then that should be supported. I hope people recognise (that) and not create any controversies," Anupam said.

The actor was on Friday honoured with the Presidential Award by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa here.

A statement issued by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce had stated that southern stars and filmmakers would boycott all Bollywood stars who attend the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) event in the Sri Lankan capital.

They have been campaigning against the Sri Lankan government and the alleged killing of civilian Tamils at the height of the conflict between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers last year.

Anupam is not new to conflict situations.

The Kashmir-born actor had fled the valley in the early 1990s when Muslim militancy peaked. He returned to his home state many years later to shoot for the 2008 movie ‘Tahaan’. He is now filming in the valley for Rahul Dholakia's ‘Lamhaa’, where he is cast as a Muslim leader.

Was he scared going back to his home town that is suffering from militancy?

"Yes, I was scared before going to Kashmir to shoot. But being a celebrity I got adequate security and protection. We shot under heavy police and army protection. I felt better," said Anupam, 55.

Asked whether it was only the Kashmir factor that convinced him to take up the role, he said, "Apart from the fact the film is on Kashmir and I got a chance to go back to the place, the film also had a good story, a good star cast and a good director. As an actor it is important to do films you relate to."

Up next is also ‘Hitler’, where he plays the title role. It's a first for the versatile actor, who has played every kind of role in his two-decade career, but gets his first historical character only now with debutant director Rakesh Ranjan's film.

"I'm very happy about my role as Hitler in the film, which is called 'Hitler'. We will start shooting in August. I'm quite excited because for the first time I will be playing a historical character on the big screen."

This is, of course, not the first time Anupam will be seen in a role with grey shades.

After starting his career with critically acclaimed film ‘Saaransh’, he became a household name with the evil Dr. Dang in ‘Karma’ (1986), the wicked uncle Tribhuvan in ‘Chaalbaaz’ (1989), the greedy father Shyamlal in ‘Tezaab’ (1988), the miser Hazari Prasad in ‘Dil’ (1990), the corrupt businessman in ‘Rang De Basanti’... the list is long.

In a career spanning an enviable range of characters, nuanced and also in-your-face, Anupam also made his mark as the loyal friend in ‘Lamhe’ (1991) and the funny guy in ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’ (1992).

In recent times, he has been appreciated in critically acclaimed films like ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara’ and ‘Morning Walk’.

Apart from ‘Hitler’ and ‘Lamhaa’, the actor is looking forward to Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut ‘Mausam’ that has Shahid Kapoor in the male lead.

"I will start shooting for Pankaj Kapoor's 'Mausam' in Scotland after 10 days. I'm quite excited about my role in the film," he said, without giving out details about his role.

Anupam also keeps busy with his acting academy, Actor Prepares, and theatre.

2010-06-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

Cricket never be the same after IPL: Dia

NEW DELHI: The top Bollywood actress, Dia Mirza has unlocked her lips on the matters associated to cricket as soon as Shoaib Akhtar got his place in the Pakistan squad.

Showing her cricket intellect at the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum, Dia Mirza was of the view that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed the face of the game by inter-mingling with it fun and glamour (Bollywood).

Glamour was always there in cricket from dates back in the 1980s, when Indian and Pakistani showbiz people used to visit Sharjah on consistent basis to watch the arch-rivals play the game. However, the indulgence of stars in cricket has emerged a new cricket industry in the world, termed as Cricketainment.

“Before the IPL, not everyone would have preferred to watch cricket, but now the IPL or cricket has become the buzz in the town all across the world”, she added.

“IPL has added the masala of glamour to lift it to a new level called Cricketainment and now it’s a product that can lure any audience in the world”, she said.

A bunch of Bollywood stars including Salman Khan, Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu and Anupam Kher were in Sri Lanka to first attend the IIFA Awards and then to play a charity match against Sri Lanka, but controversies never stopped chasing them as back in India a group of people started propagation against the event.

Praising IIFA for the feat, Dia Mirza commented, “IIFA has done a great job by holding such an event which is important in a way that it brings the two nations closer and would help in future to bridge the gulf among India and Sri Lanka”.

2010-06-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Deepika Padukone Feels Proud of Being in Saree

Deepika Padukone is very glamorous and her image will be more brightened and impressive if she wears saree at the Cannes Film Festival.

Deepika wants to bring some change in her lifestyle by planning to cover her sophisticated body with colorful saree which will magnify the national ethos.

She has expressed her wish in a newspaper that in the coming international film festival, the Bollywood actress will attend the show by wearing the fantastic saree which will represent her homeland. She is right in every thing.

She is always perfect in style, manner and taste. She is the sophisticated lady with high profile career and she will be soaring high.

IIFA Awards 2010: '3 Idiots' ruled the ceremony with 8 awards

2010-06-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Kareena with her IIFA trophy after winning the Best Actress award

Colombo: Bolywood's highest grossing film till date '3 Idiots' starring superstar Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and R Madhavan ruled the 11th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards with eight awards here.

Sharman Joshi, who played Aamir Khan's friend in '3 Idiots', won the Best Supporting Actor Award, while Boman Irani received the Best Actor in Negative Role honour for his brilliant portrayal of an eccentric professor in the film.

Divya Dutta received Best Supporting Actress honour for herperformance in 'Delhi 6' while Bollywood's Munnabhai, Sanjay Dutt was declared the Best Comic actor for his rib-ticklingperformance in 'All The Best'.

In the special award category, well-known Hindi filmmaker J. Omprakash and Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan's maternal grandfather, who made films like 'Aap Ki Kasam' (1974) , 'Aasha' (1980) and 'Aas Paas' (1981), was honoured for his outstanding contribution to cinema.

Versatile actor Anil Kapoor, who made his mark in the international arena with British filmmaker Danny Boyle's multiple award winning rags-to-riches drama 'Slumdog Millionaire', was honoured for outstanding achievement by an Indian in international cinema.

Bollywood heart throb Slaman Khan was given the Habitat for Humanity Award.

Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra received the Best Story Award for penning the interesting tale of '3 Idiots'.

'3 Idiots' was nominated for the 12 out of 13 main categories in the 11th IIFA awards and the film won the eight of 12 technical awards including Best Screenplay and Best Cinematograpy.

Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez jointly won the Best Debut Female Actor along with Mahie Gill for their role in Aladin and Dev D, respectively.

Omi Vaidya aka Chatur Ramalingam of 3 Idiots shared the debut male honours with Jackky Bhagnani for Kal Kissne Dekha.

Here is the list of the stars who walked away with the trophy:

Best film: 3 Idiots
Best Director: Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Story: Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra (3 Idiots)
Best Actor in a lead role: Amitabh Bachchan (Paa)
Best Actor in a supporting role: Sharman Joshi (3 Idiots)
Best Actress in a lead role: Kareena Kapoor (3 Idiots) & Vidya Balan (Paa)
Best Actress in a supporting role: Divya Dutta (Delhi 6)
Best Actor in a comedy role: Sanjay Dutt (All The Best)
Best Actor in a negative role: Boman Irani (3 Idiots)
Best Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire (3 Idiots)
Best Music: Pritam (Love Aaj Kal)
Best Singer Male: Shaan (Behti Hawa Sa Tha Wo from 3 Idiots)
Best Singer Female: Kavita Seth (Ektara from Wake Up Sid)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Zeenat Aman

2010-06-05T23:18:00.002-07:00

Salman Khan doesn't give autographs on cleavage

Fans go crazy just hearing the mane of Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Recently in Dubai Salman walk the ramp in a fashion show and a fan wants the actor to give his autograph on her cleavage.

Salman Khan is known for taking off his shirt wherever he is. Taking off his shirt has become a signature move for him. Even his fan wants him to take off his shirt wherever they see him.

An event was held in Dubai for Salman Khan Charity program “Being Human” with a cricket match and a fashion show.

The cricket match was played between Pakistani cricketers and Bollywood actors. Aftab Shivdasani, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sharman Joshi, Chunkey Pandey, Vasal Sheth and Salman Khan were the players from the B-Town. Bollywood defeated the Pakistani cricket players in the match.

Day after the match, the fashion show was held. A large number of people attended the fashion show. Salman Khan walked the ramp and as usual, he threw his shirt in the crowd.

In the crowd, there was Reema Khan, a Salman Khan die-hard fan and also a Pakistani actress. She wanted Salman to give his autograph on her cleavage but Salman Khan politely refused.

Reema Khan, also known by her screen name Reema is a Pakistan actress, director and producer. She has done more than 200 films.

2010-06-05T23:18:00.001-07:00

Men in black, beauties in gowns ruled IIFA green carpet

Dresses, train gowns, saris and black suits ruled the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony in Colombo. Just like previous years, most of the Bollywood beauties stuck to gowns and dresses while men chose to play it safe with black.

But there were some leading ladies who opted for the elegant sari. Among them was Bipasha Basu who had combined a rustic orange sari with a fuschia halter neck blouse - a creation by designer Anamika Khanna.

Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez also draped a white sari with lots of crystals by designer Manav Gangwani while upcoming actress Sonakshi Sinha walked the green carpet in a golden sari.

Actresses like Lara Dutta, Dia Mirza, Malaika Arora Khan and Suzanne Khan wore long dresses. While Lara and Dia, both former Miss Indias, preferred the colours beige and black respectively, Malaika looked stunning in lime green and Suzanne shone in electric blue.

TV anchor Mandira Bedi and Sophie Chaudhary drew considerable attention with their rather revealing dresses.

Mandira wore a light blue, knee-length dress that was transparent enough to expose her tattoos. Sophie chose to wear a bold black dress in sheer transparent fabric by Manav Gangwani.

The Bollywood heroes stuck to the all-time favourite black. Everyone from Hrithik Roshan to Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor to Sanjay Dutt, Govinda to Vivek Oberoi and Neil Nitin Mukesh were all wearing formal black suits.

2010-06-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sri Lankan Bollywood fans enjoying every IIFA moment

Thirteen-year-old Arawinda Perera kept screaming the name of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan till the actor faded away from his sight.

This is not an unusual scene these days at the entrance to the plush Cinnamon Grand Hotel that is housing Bollywood celebrities who are in the city to participate in the three-day International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards extravaganza that will conclude on Saturday.

Like Perera, many Sri Lankan's are flocking around the hotel. As soon as they get sight of a luxurious and expensive car or a sedan, they queue up in enthusiasm and wait with baited breath for a celebrity to emerge from it.

"We love you Hrithik!" a group of young girls cried out loudly, as soon as they saw the actor coming out of his car and making his way to the hotel.

"We just love Bollywood. You can say we are crazy about it. Not just that, IIFA is such a big event and my country hosting it in itself is a proud moment," said Khadiyah Yoonus, a 14-year-old girl.

"I love him(Hrithik). He is just way too handsome and dashing. I saw him at the charity match. When will he come out?," asked little Khadiyah.

Khadiyah's elder sister Raeesah Yoonus was happy because she had manged to get an autograph from TV actor Ronit Roy.

"I am here because I want to see Hrithik, Kareena and Saif. What about Katrina Kaif? Is she here?," questioned Raeesah. "I can come here again in the evening if you confirm that they will come out so that we can see them," she added.

It's not just the kids who are pushing and shoving to get a glimpse of Bollywood celebrities. Even middle-aged women and some parents along with their kids flock the venue.

"I am here for Salman Khan. He is so cute. I am also fond of Indian movies. It is because I am an Indian and now I live here. But the charm of Bollywood is such that age doesn't matter," quipped Jyoti Tezwani, a woman in her 50's.

Tezwani was accompanied by her friend Riya Lalwani, who missed the presence of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan at the IIFA awards.

"I really wish Shah Rukh had made it to IIFA this time. Also, we heard that Amitabh Bachchan is coming. He is the brand ambassador of IIFA, so we are just hoping that he comes here. We will try to get his glimpse only," said Lalwani.

Xurayk Walfir, a student, came along with her parents in the mad rush and waited patiently to meet any actor.

"I don't have any personal favourites. I love anyone, just everyone. I am basically from the Maldives and have shifted to Sri Lanka just three years back. Even the Maldives people are big Bollywood fans and we are just no exception," smiled Walfir.

"I am lucky enough to get a glimpse of these stars. I am so happy," she added.

2010-06-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Comfortable with both Bollywood and Hollywood: Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan, who is not only a popular actor but also one of the biggest Bollywood actors in Hollywood, says that he enjoys working in both kinds of movies and likes to do things from different parts of the world.

'As actors, we all need change, we can't deal with similar stories and do same things. Also, the way of telling a story should be different so that it enhances your acting capabilities,' Khan told IANS at the ongoing International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards here Saturday.

'I am comfortable with both sides of the entertainment industry -Hollywood and Bollywood. All I want to do is things from different parts of the world,' he added.

The actor was present here for the press conference of his upcoming film 'Knockout' which is directed by Mani Shankar and also stars Sanjay Dutt and Kangana Ranaut.

'Knockout' is supposed to be based on the 2003 Hollywood flick 'Phone Booth' but the actor denies it saying that the movie is very contemporary and is based on reality which is very relevant in today's world.

'I won't reveal much about the movie but the thing is that it is going to be an explosive movie that will touch some reality issues,' said Khan.

The 48-year-old actor has worked in movies like 'Haasil', 'Rog', 'New York' and 'Maqbool' among many others. He became a prominent Indian face in the international film circuit as well after he featured in movies like 'A Mighty Heart' and Danny Boyle's multiple Oscar winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. He is also working in Jennifer Chambers Lynch's 'Hisss'.

The actor at present is shooting for the American television show 'In Treatment' but says that working in Bollywood movies is a different experience altogether.

'The magical thing about Bollywood is that it gives aspirations to different people. It is a different kind of story telling in which you don't need to be logical all the time. Real life can bore you so Bollywood will always remain close to my heart,' said Khan.

When asked whether he had any dream role the actor replied, 'No, I don't have any dream role. All I want to do is to do diverse roles as an actor and learn with every movie.'

2010-06-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Bollywood moment at the Pahurat market in Bangkok

If you had asked me in the past if I'd be interested in watching a Bollywood movie or go hunting for bright shimmery Indian fabrics, I would have shrugged my shoulders and pooh-poohed the idea.

That was 15 years ago. These days, to the amusement of my friends, I would gladly spend my weekends eating Indian food and getting lost in an Indian goods market ortalad (Thai word for "market") -- which unfortunately, Manila does not have yet.

To my delight, I managed to visit my favorite Indian market in Bangkok recently. It is called Pahurat Market, located in the old part of Bangkok about 800 meters from the Chao Phraya River. The market was started by Indian immigrant families residing in Bangkok, and has existed since the end of World War II.

River Route and Chinatown

My trip started with a short ride aboard the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat. I took the Bangkok Transit Skytrain to Taksin Bridge (Saphan Taksin station) and walked under the bridge towards the pier, where the booth for the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat is located. With its orange and yellow color and wide body compared to regular express boats, the Tourist Boat is noticeable from afar and seats 40-50 people. A trip upriver or downriver is a flat rate of 25 Baht (35 pesos).

We disembarked at the Rajawongse Pier, the gateway to Chinatown (or Yaowarat to locals). I walked up Rajawongse Road to reach Pahurat, which is adjacent to Chinatown. Stores and stalls selling all sorts of dried goods -- ready-to-wear clothes, bags of all shapes and sizes, hair ornaments, trinkets and accessories, cards and other paper products – lined the street all the way to Yaowarat Road.

I turned left on one of the small winding alleys branching out of Rajawongse and found a small Chinese temple, Wat Ga Buang Kim, its yellow pillars encircled by fiercely bright dragons. These small alleys give the feeling of being in another world, where the next turn might lead you to another wat or market.

Through another Chinese-inspired archway and out to another small soi ("street" in Thai), I found another well-traversed alley that widened out to a big compound housing Wat Chakrawat. What caught my eye were the ornately designed black and golden curliques of its iron gate and a naga (mythical serpent in Thai folklore), which guarded the front of the wat.

The street led to Chakrawat Road, which I crossed to reach Sampeng Lane, a major enclave of textile shops and food stalls where goods can be bought cheaply.

Hole-in-the-wall Indian resto

About 500 meters through the shady and crowded space of Sampeng Lane is Chakraphet Road, one of the boundaries of Pahurat Market. Smoke-belching cars, buses, and motorbikes crowded the street; in fact, I don't remember Chakraphet Road being vehicle-free except during the last Bangkok riots.

Craving for Indian food? Just go to Pahurat in Bangkok where you can find all sorts of Indian goods.

After the long walk, my stomach was grumbling so I walked about 100 meters to my left into a small, shady soi and ended up in one of my favorite eating places, the Royal India Restaurant.

A few local friends had joined me on my very first trip to this restaurant about a decade back, and I realize it has never changed. Rather nondescript, the entrance to the restaurant can hardly be seen due to lack of a sign. The restaurant is small, almost a hole-in-the-wall space. The ceiling still wears the old patterned wallpaper I had seen on my first visit, and only the red brick walls had been cleaned and repainted.

Nevertheless, I am greeted by the appetizing smells from within -- of cardamom, curry, and other spices mixed with meat. The place is frequented by both foreigners and the local Indian community, not bad for a 43-year old restaurant which has won the local Tatler Magazine Awards for best restaurant and customer service for three years.

After a gut-bulging repast of samosas, chicken masala in a special Royal India sauce, and nan bread, I was sufficiently filled to walk to my next destination -- the little Indian-owned shops opposite the road.

Most of the little businesses that sprouted around Pahurat Market are somehow connected with the trading of goods sourced from India. In this little soi just opposite Royal India Restaurant, I found my objective -- a well-stocked Indian convenience store!

The very friendly Indian lady proprietor was busy attending to an impatient customer but after he left, she turned all her attention to me. Most of the time, I buy Indian snacks made of lentils, chick peas, and other crackly stuff nicely packed in sachets. But today, I bought my favorite Indian soaps made of sandalwood and other herbs, plus some boxes of incense for my little altar at home.

I noticed the new four-storey building next door, which seems to have sprouted from the vacant lot a year ago. It was the new India Emporium, a white spic-and-span building in this row of grey, dusty and dilapidated shop houses and buildings.

The air-conditioned mall has coffee shops, a food center, and lots of Indian goodies - shimmery fabrics for saris (India's national dress for women made of six yards of continuous material draped around the woman's body) and local wear, imitation gold accessories from India, the curved and ornately decorated leather Indian shoes, tailoring supplies, Buddha souvenirs – all at reasonable prices. Textiles are priced from 100 to 150 baht (140 to 210 pesos) per meter, while a heavily embroidered and sequined shalwar kameez outfit (an Indian dress consisting of a loose, long tunic and wide, long pants) costs only 799 Baht (1,100 pesos).

But the India Emporium, despite its very tantalizing array of goods, didn't exude that "flea market" feeling I was enchanted with in Pahurat so I dashed out and went straight to my destination just a few meters away.

Thai-Indian vendors

The thing about Pahurat is, you can easily get lost looking for your favorite stall selling textile bargains or accessories. There is no clear or orderly pattern for the corridors inside this market. Good thing my suki is located on the second floor of the market, up a rusty old escalator that has not been working for years.

There he was -- sitting amid the tiers of shiny bundles of cloth. Ashish is the son of the distinguished looking Indian lady I used to buy cloth from, very much looking like a native Indian from the peninsula. Ashish is a third-generation Thai-Indian who was born in the Kingdom and, like many young people of mixed ancestry in Thailand, has very little interest in visiting his parents' homeland.

Ashish's business. A third generation Thai-Indian, Ashish prefers to sell his wares in Thailand than go to India.

"We get most of our goods from our suppliers in New Delhi," said Ashish. "They come here quite often. So we don't even need to go to Delhi and face the traffic or spend on the costs of flying, accommodation, etc," he quipped.

Ashish said business was rather slow lately, which wasn't too surprising because of the recent violence in Bangkok. He added that a lot of the stall owners in Pahurat have moved to the new India Emporium. "Maybe because there is air-conditioning there, better stalls, all new," Ashish said matter-of-factly. "Here, we have only the textile wholesalers left."

The sari seller. Despite slow business, Ashish stayed in the Pahurat market instead of moving to the new Indian Emporium.

Whatever the cause for the transfer, it was not reflected by Rachen Batra, managing director of the Usha Saree Palace, one of the oldest sari textile manufacturer and importer stores in Pahurat. Commanding a good location at the corner of Pahurat Road and Chakraphet Road, it was certainly an auspicious place to do business.

Batra is also a 3rd-generation Thai-Indian national whose grandfather migrated to Thailand more than 100 years ago to do business.

Staying power. Rachen Batra, managing director of the oldest textile manufacturer in Pahurat, sells textiles with authentic Indian designs but made with Japanese silk.

He said his sari business caters to five countries - India, Thailand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. "All these countries need saris, therefore we provide them with the cloth," he said.

Batra added that despite the proliferation of many beautiful sari cloths in India, there are still Indian buyers who purchase his products. "There are certain textiles that are not available in India. We have these textiles made in Japan where Japanese silk is in abundance. But the designs are made by us and by Indians 100%," he said.

Apparently, affordability is not an issue here, Batra explained. He said his saris - mostly made of silk or chiffon - can be bought at a reasonably-priced range of 200 to 3,000 baht (280 to 4,200 pesos).

Batra foresees a thriving future for his sari business. He believes his clients, including the local population, continue to wear saris even in this modern age.

To cap your trip to Pahurat, I recommend a visit to the Old Siam, a shopping mall with European architectural influences on the corner of Pahurat Road and Triphet Road. Old Siam is one of the oldest shopping malls in Bangkok with lots of dry goods, but the bigger attraction is the old-style Thai market inside which sells all kinds of indigenous Thai food including a great variety of Thai desserts. - YA, GMANews.TV

2010-06-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Indian film 3 Idiots sweeps Bollywood awards

A film that broke box-office records in India has won nearly all the top International Indian Film Awards in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The comedy 3 Idiots, starring Aamir Khan and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, won 16 out of 27 awards, including best director and best film.

But members of the film industry from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu had asked Bollywood stars to boycott the event in protest against the treatment of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.

Roopa Suchak reports.

Bollywood blitz

Colombo has been obsessed with all things Bollywood this week, but how much do you know about your favourite stars? Are you a true fan or a newbie to be despised? Let the quiz decide.

1. ‘Kites’ Hrithik Roshan’s newest film symbolises Bollywood’s capacity for increasingly sophisticated productions. It is also distinctive for the fact that he:

a. broke a leg while doing his own stunts
b. made a successful debut as a singer
c. had jaws dropping over his explicit scenes with a foreign actress.

2. Amitabh Bachchan, actor extraordinary and IIFA ambassador, made his debut in 1969, jostling for attention alongside:

a) 6 other protagonists
b) A rampaging elephant
c) Om Puri – one of India’s most successful villains.

3. Spot the odd one out:

a) My Name is Khan
b) Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
c) Hum Apke Hain Kaun
d) Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

4. 3 Idiots, being billed as the ‘highest grossing Bollywood film of all time,’ is nominated got 14 IIFA award categories in 2010. In fact, the only significant one where it doesn’t have a nomination is for:

a Best Supporting Actress
b) Best Soundtrack
c) Best Director
5. The critically acclaimed ‘Taare Zameen Par’ (literally, Stars on Earth) marked the debut of which IIFA nominated director?
a) Aamir Khan
b) Rakesh Roshan
c) Mani Ratnam

6. Which model/actress went on record with a statement claiming that being sexy was her USP?

a Priyanka Chopra
b) Bipasha Basu
c) Katrina Kaif

Answers:

1.b) Hrithik’s debut – Kites in the Sky - skirts the profound: Kites in the sky/ Soaring together/Lovers forever/Forever is a lie. Don’t write him off yet, it probably sounds better in Hindi, anyway. In a statement issued to the media, Hrithik said, “I was nervous to make my debut as a singer, considering I come from a family that is well known in the world of music, but for this very reason my chacha [Rajesh Roshan] and director Anurag Basu were most certain that I could sing. I have given this song my best and honest shot, but I still don’t consider myself a professional singer.” If the boy can only sing as well as he can dance, we have winner.

2.a) In the film ‘Saat Hindustani’ (Seven Indians) Bachchan played a Muslim poet.

Written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, the film was a heroic tale of seven Indians attempting to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, and A. K. Hangal, but Bachchan shone in the role of an Indian POW for which he won a National Film Award for Best Newcomer.

3.c) Director Karan Johar had nothing to do with ‘Hum Apke Hain Kaun’ and neither did Shah Rukh Khan. The latter is clearly one of the formers favourite actors, since just about every film Karan has directed has featured ‘King Khan’. “In many ways, he is like therapy to me,” the director says of his close friend SRK. “He senses when I am down and out. He tells me this is bothering you even if I may appear completely normal. It makes you wonder how he sensed that. He has that kind of intuition. He is a wonderful human being.”

4.c) 3 Idiots is loosely adapted from the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat and stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Kareena Kapoor among others. With much charm and hilarity, the film uses real inventions by little known inventors: Remya Jose, a student from Kerala, created the exercise-bicycle-cum-washing-machine, Mohammad Idris, a barber from Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh, invented a bicycle-powered horse clipper, and Jahangir Painter, a painter from Maharashtra, made the scooter-powered flour mill.

5.a) The critically acclaimed Taare Zameen Par marked Aamir Khan’s debut and was produced by Aamir Khan Productions. Released in 2007, the film was the story of an eight year old Ishaan Nandkishore Awasthi who suffers greatly until a teacher identifies him as dyslexic.

The screenplay began as a short story titled ‘High Jump’ and developed into a full work seven years later. The husband and wife team of Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia initially conceived Taare Zameen Par as an illustration of what happens to children who cannot conform to an educational system – and what a difference a single teacher can make.

6.b) The sometimes outrageous Bipasha Basu became a Ford supermodel at 17. Staying with the Ford family themselves, she went to sleep at seven every day, and found herself completely out of her depth with the other models. But Paris proved a revelation, and the actress returned to India where she says she challenged preconceptions of what a Bollywood heroine should be with her focus on outright sexiness.

2010-06-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Why you should be wary of going to a foreign dentist in search of that Bollywood smile

My first patient of the day was a middle- aged woman whose face was totally misshapen. She had been on holiday to India to have dental implants. The procedure had gone wrong but her fears had been dismissed despite the pain.
On her return, she had been admitted to Manchester's Royal Infirmary where doctors confirmed she was suffering from a blood infection.
Her implants had to be removed, as did some of the jaw bone, and she was warned that should she ever want implants again she would need a bone graft.
The poor woman could not face any more expensive procedures and I had to fit her with false teeth.
Shining example: Actress Davinia Taylor shows off her home-grown smile with Tariq Idris
Her story is a stark warning of the dangers that patients face when they travel abroad for what they believe is a bargain.
Unfortunately she is not the first such case I have seen - nor is she likely to be the last. That is why I want to warn patients about the risks involved. Weigh up everything before undergoing treatment abroad.
I invite anyone planning to go abroad for expensive treatments such as implants, crowns or veneers to get a second opinion from me.
I have worked in the industry for 15 years and my patients have included former Hollyoaks actress Davinia Taylor, singer Charlotte Church and England footballer Steven Gerrard.
I am happy to assess whether patients' treatment plans are correct and whether they could save money by staying in this country. They can even scan in X-rays and send reports online.
But why the sudden desire to go abroad? Let me explain.
Since the new contract for NHS dentists was introduced in 2006, people are finding it harder to locate an NHS dentist: only 26.9 million people - about half the population - saw a dentist in the two years following the reforms, a drop of 1.2 million from the two previous years.
Dentists are no longer paid different fees for each treatment. They get lump sums instead, meaning they find it less cost-effective to carry out difficult, time-consuming procedures.
Recent statistics have revealed that the number of treatments such as crowns, bridges and dentures has plummeted by 57 per cent since the system was introduced.
Meanwhile, the number of patients having teeth extracted in hospital has risen by a third from 135,000 in 2003/4 to 175,000 between 2007/8.
How awful is that in 21st Century Britain? There is also a rise in the number having implants - artificial titanium tooth roots - inserted into the gums to support crowns, bridges and dentures.
There has been a culture shift away from dentures. People are keen to look and feel younger and more attractive. Even 20 years ago, a pensioner might have accepted that they would end up wearing dentures; nowadays that's something most try to resist.
However, implants are expensive. We have 28 teeth, excluding wisdoms, and costs can vary from £2,000 to £2,500 a tooth. I have seen treatment plans in this country approaching £100,000.
But that is because about half of all patients wanting implants need bone augmentation. In the most severe cases, bone is removed from the hip and implanted in the jaw.
And that is why many people go abroad. They do not want dentures and fear the costs in this country will be prohibitive. Yet often the service abroad is no cheaper.
Foreign clinics may market an implant in basic terms as costing about £400 to £500. But that is not the whole picture.
Firstly, that price does not include the tooth or any bone graft - just the screw.
Secondly, patients often do not actually need the number of implants or the grafting for which they have been quoted. Thanks to modern science and research, we now know that you do not need 14 implants to replace a top jaw - but a smaller number of pegs with a bridge between them.
You might need only six implants to support a whole jaw and sometimes you can get away with as few as four.
People may be persuaded to have teeth extracted unnecessarily and more implants than they need, both of which push up the cost. They are often told they need bone grafting when they may not necessarily.
A handful of patients I have already given a second opinion to have said: 'Wow. I don't need a bone graft? Forget the money. This is saving me from going through a pretty horrendous operation.'
The Hollywood smile is a combination of veneers, crowns and bridges, for which you can pay anywhere between £8,000 and £20,000.
But often the treatments recommended abroad are not appropriate, for example if the patient has a gum problem. Dentists here would not advise veneers or crowns until that was fixed. Otherwise the patient would end up with more problems and could even lose all their teeth.
There is also a potentially serious problem if the veneer is not fitted properly - it will not look good and could trap plaque and cause gum inflammation. And if the tooth is not drilled correctly there is a real risk of damaging the nerve.
Then you have the costs of booking a flight, taking time off work and dealing with any problems on your return.
The key thing to remember is that whether you plump for Eastern Europe or Asia, you are not covered by British regulations.
Here we have a system where you can go back to your dentist, which is regulated by a governing body, or complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
And, ironically, about half the patients I have seen who have had procedures abroad would have paid the same, or even less, in the UK.

2010-06-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

Sarah Thompson: American actress on her Bollywood debut in Raajneeti

Sarah Thompson is an American actress who makes her Bollywood debut in Raajneeti. She talks about the experience of working with such a diverse cast and moving to Bollywood.

When I started work on the movie, I didn't know Hindi but that was fine because my character didn't know Hindi either. Ab mujhe Hindi bolne aati hai. I got a Hindi tutor and I am all set to move to Bollywood.

I love India and Indian films. The energy of Mumbai is like that of New York. I have come to India three times now because of Raajneeti and I am shifting to Mumbai. I am very excited, nervous and anxious.

I want to meet Vishal Bhardwaj, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and I will be meeting Rakeysh soon. I saw Rang De Basantiand felt I could play the British girl. I loved Kaminey and have seen it twice.

I had not heard of Prakash Jha before I met him for Raajneeti. I knew I had to play the role of Ranbir'sAmerican girlfriend. I saw Apaharan and Gangaajal and saw a new facet of Bollywood, different from the song and dance routines. I loved the gritty and realistic cinema.

Prakash Jha gave me Saawariya to watch to understand Ranbir Kapoor. I thought he was outstanding in the film. Then I saw Wake Up Sid when I came here and found him even better. The first time I met him, I told him how much I liked his work.

Ranbir Kapoor and Prakash Jha made me feel absolutely comfortable and at home. If I have decided to make a career in Bollywood, it is thanks to their hospitality because they never let me feel like an outsider.

My parents love India and have visited the country many times. Our home is full of souvenirs from India and I grew up listening to stories about India. I love roaming around Colaba Causeway in Mumbai and I hope my parents visit me here when I shift. I have their blessings for a career here.

2010-06-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

Salman fumes at Vivek for his antics

Salman Khan is upset with Vivek for resorting to cheap measures to gain publicity. He advises the actor to concentrate on his career instead.

On being questioned about why he snubbed Vivek, this is what Sallu had to say, "Some people just like to be seen with a big celebrity to gain cheap publicity. I think he (Vivek) should concentrate on his career and not resort to such measures."

Salman says that the business of Bollywood should be taken seriously by people. "I feel that one should be serious about one's career and the rest will follow."

Well Vivek, we hope you get the point.

Marilyn Monroe writings to be released this fall

2010-04-27T13:14:00.002-07:00

NEW YORK – Musings about life, literature and other rarely seen writings by Marilyn Monroe will be published this fall.

Farrar, Straus & Giroux announced Tuesday that "Fragments" would come out in October. Editor Courtney Hodell said the book would include poems, photographs, reflections on third husband Arthur Millerand other men in Monroe's life, and references to works by Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and numerous other authors.

"I think the book will show that she was a really thoughtful person with a real interior life," Hodell said. "She was a great reader and someone with real writing flair. There are fragments of poetry that are really quite beautiful, lines that stop you in your tracks."

The book features a long essay about Monroe's first husband, James Dougherty; notes about acting and the roles she was working on; lists of resolutions and a letter to acting coach Lee Strasberg. Monroe wrote on everything from spiral bound notebooks to stationery from theWaldorf Astoria.

The writings date from 1943, when Monroe was a teenager, to near the end of her life. Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home in 1962 at age 36, her death ruled a probable suicide, although theories of murder have proliferated.

Hodell said there were passages by Monroe that "make her seem suicidal," but declined to say what years the passages were written. Hodell also declined to say whether Monroe referred to Joe DiMaggio, her second of three husbands, or President John F. Kennedy, with whom she was widely rumored to have had an affair. But Hodell did say that "there's stuff about all of her relationships here."

The book was commissioned by Anna Strasberg, who manages Monroe's estate and is Lee Strasberg's widow.

'Real Housewives of New Jersey' remain divided

2010-04-27T13:14:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES – In the first episode of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" sophomore season, incendiary cast member Danielle Staubhangs out with her priest, pedicurist and daughters — but not any of the soapy Bravo reality series' other housewives. It seems the rift between Staub and her fellow leading ladies is now larger than aGarden State hairdo.

"I think in the first season, it caught me off guard," said Staub. "I thought at least one of them was truly being a friend to me, whereas as this season pans out, I realize that's not the case."

Staub adds that this season, which premieres May 3 at 10 p.m. EDT, she's "not going to be anyone's patsy. I think the world will be just as interested in me as a single person as they will be in them as a group."

Staub, a single 47-year-old mother of two daughters, continues to be on one side of the Jersey barrier opposite sisters Dina and Caroline Manzo, their sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita and family friend Teresa Giudice, who infamously savaged a table at a restaurant in last season's finale when the women confronted Staub about her alleged criminal past.

"I don't have any regrets," acknowledged Giudice. "As you saw throughout the show, she did a lot of things to me, and I kept my mouth shut, so it was like a buildup, and then finally, I couldn't take her no more. She did a lot of things off the scene and on the scene that you guys saw that got me to that boiling point, and then I was just done with her."

Last year's table-flipping finale drew over 4.6 million viewers. The polarizing suburban drama served as a shot of Botox for Bravo's aging "Real Housewives" franchise. Viewers were drawn to the less aspirational, more genuine antics of the Jersey gals over the tanned original Orange County brood, hot-to-trot New York City ladies and sassy Atlanta denizens.

Other equally unapologetic Jersey-set reality series have since followed suit, including MTV's "Jersey Shore," Style's "Jerseylicious" and Oxygen's upcoming "Jersey Couture," which stars an Italian-American family who run a dress shop. "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast and crew, however, dismiss any comparisons to other made-in-Jersey reality TV shows.

"What's amazing to me about this second season is it's so much about family," said Andy Cohen, Bravo's senior vice president of original programming and development who also hosts "The Real Housewives" reunion shows. "Each of these women are mothers, and they all have different, intense and interesting things going on with their children this season."

Of course, there's still female trouble. Unlike the other three "Real Housewives" editions, where the casts do lunch as often as they quibble, the Jersey women are clearly housewives divided, making this second entry in the popular Bravo franchise feel more like "The Real Housewives — and Danielle Staub — of New Jersey."

"Before the show, we weren't really friendly with her," admitted Dina. "It was the four of us who knew each other. Danielle was the one who came along that none of us knew. It's pretty much the same. It's like a working relationship. Obviously, we're contracted to do a show with her. We did interact during filming, but since then I haven't run into her."

The reality TV drama entered the courtroom earlier this year when Ashley Holmes, Laurita's 19-year-old daughter, was found guilty in a municipal court on one count of assault and ordered to pay a fine after Staub complained that Holmes ripped out a clump of her hair extensions during an altercation, which will apparently factor into the second season.

"It was very painful, really unexpected and much undeserved," said Staub. "Police showed up, charges were made and it was up to the state. I wasn't going to allow anyone to put their hands on me without thinking there were repercussions because I'm not garbage. I'm actually a good person who deserves to go where I want to go without people attacking me."

Staub, who was accused of being an escort and drug addict in the first season, said she will tell her side in her upcoming autobiography, "The Naked Truth: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewife of New Jersey — In Her Own Words." Despite Staub's rocky relationship with her "Real Housewives" cast members, she'd "absolutely" sign up for a third season.

"It's not about them," said Staub. "My life is never going to be about them."

'Peanuts' gang sold to Joe Boxer owner for $175M

2010-04-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK – You've got a new owner, Charlie Brown.

Newspaper publisher E.W. Scripps Co. is selling licensing rights forSnoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the "Peanuts" gang to Iconix Brand Group Inc., the licensing company that owns Joe Boxer and London Fog.

The family of the late "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz will also own part of the business too, giving it more control of and money from the comic strip's legacy.

Heirs say the deal announced Tuesday for for the 60-year-old comic strip is what the artist would have wanted. Schulz worked for decades to win back the rights to his work, which many other artists like himself sold to appear in print.

Scripps will sell its licensing unit, which also represents characters such as Dilbert and Raggedy Ann and Andy, to Iconix for $175 million. The bulk of revenue generated by United Media Licensing comes from the "Peanuts" franchise.

Iconix will form a partnership with Schulz' family, who will receive 20 percent ownership in the unit that owns "Peanuts" and pay that percentage of the sale price.

Craig Schulz, one of the late artists' five children, said the family is relieved to win an ownership interest.

At the time of his death in 2000, Schulz had approval over all business deals and the use of art, which his family maintains. But now, they can craft their own proposals and shape the legacy of "Peanuts," said Barbara Gallagher, a lawyer for the Schulz family.

The family could potentially earn more money as well, and already earns a "significant revenue stream" each year from "Peanuts."

Scripps first brought the strip to market in 1950 and owned the rights.

"They were simply like an actor in a play," Schulz said of cartoonists from the era. "You did your part and everything else you had to give up totally, and that's the way the world was."

His father fought for years to get the rights back, even threatening to quit until he was given more business and artistic control, said the younger Schulz from Santa Rosa, Calif., where the family's business is run.

By the time Schulz retired in 1999, "Peanuts" was in more than 2,600 papers around the world and its cast of characters appeared everywhere, from T-shirts to greeting cards and sno-cone machines.

No new comics have been drawn for a decade, according to Schulz' wishes, but the licensing business is alive and well. Some 20,000 new products are approved each year in more than 40 countries. The business has more than 1,200 licensing agreements and relationships with companies and retailers such as Warner Bros.,Old Navy, CVS, MetLife Inc. and Hallmark Co.

The unit's licensed merchandise has annual sales of more than $2 billion, but the owners of the licenses receive a fraction of that. In 2009, revenue of the unit fell 10 percent to nearly $92 million. That figure includes United Media's syndication operations, which Scripps will still own, meaning it will still syndicate comic strips and editorial features.

Scripps said the cash deal will close by the end of the second quarter.

Iconix said it expects "Peanuts" to generate about $75 million in annual royalty revenue and noted an existing revenue split with the Schulz family will remain, separate from the new 20 percent arrangement. Iconix, based in New York, owns and licenses brands such Candie's, Starter, Mudd and many others, to retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.

Iconix CEO Neil Cole said the purchase moves the company away from being focused solely on fashion into new realms that include theme parks, media and financial institutions. The family also hopes to pair up the franchise with Iconix's fashion brands.

Insurer MetLife has used Snoopy as its worldwide icon since 1985. Spokesman John Calagna declined to say how much the company pays for the rights and said the new deal would have no effect on its plans.

"Idol" Adam Lambert announces first solo tour

2010-04-27T13:07:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert will embark on his first solo tour in June, playing 19 U.S. dates and bringing fellow "Idol" rocker Allison Iraheta along for part of the ride.

Lambert, 28, considered one of the most exciting contestants not to win the top-rated TV singing contest, will kick off his "Glam Nation" tour on June 4 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, his record company said on Tuesday.

The gay, glam rocker with a penchant for eyeliner and black nail polish has sold 600,000 copies of his debut album "For Your Entertainment". His single "Whataya Want From Me" has been a Top 10 hit in the U.S., Australia, Japan, Sweden, Singaporeand Finland.

Lambert finished second on "American Idol" to Kris Allen in 2009 but grabbed media attention with a sexually-charged live performance at the American Music Awards in November that was later edited, raising questions about differing media attitudes to gay and heterosexual performers.

"Adam is one of the most exciting artists I have ever seen live on stage," said Simon Fuller, Lambert's manager and the creator of "American Idol".

"As great as he has been on the 'American Idols Live' summer shows, this tour is going to surpass anything he's done before," Fuller said in a statement.

Iraheta, 18, the flame-haired rock singer who finished third on "American Idol" last year, will open for Lambert on some dates, with 25 year-old guitarist Orianthi warming up the crowds on most of the tour.

New movie shapes life of hairdresser Vidal Sassoon

2010-04-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hairdressing pioneer Vidal Sassoon rose to fame nearly 50 years ago with his geometric cuts and business savvy that created a global brand, but he says hairdressers still don't get the respect they deserve.

Sassoon is dubbed a pioneer by many for not only coming up with so-called wash and wear looks -- liberating many women from weekly salon trips to have their hair done -- but also creating a multimillion dollar line of hair care products.

The 82-year-old's life and career are depicted in "Vidal Sassoon The Movie," produced by Michael Gordon, founder of the Bumble and Bumble hair salons, which had its world premiere and is showing at this week'sTribeca Film Festival.

But while the U.S. hair care market is worth more than $8 billion and the country's 80,000 salons generate $16 billion annually, according to industry data, Sassoon said some people still viewed hairdressing as "a craft for creeps and freaks."

"Hairdressing in general hasn't been given the kudos it deserves," Sassoon, who was unable to appear at the festival after spending several weeks in hospital with pneumonia, told Reuters in a phone interview. "It's not recognized by enough people as a worthy craft."

"If you get hold of a head of hair on somebody you've never seen before, cut beautiful shapes, cut beautiful architectural angles and she walks out looking so different -- I think that's masterful," he said.

The film tells of Sassoon's rise from an impoverished childhood as a Jewish boy in London, to fighting for Israel against the Arabs, to forging his career as a hairdresser, building his company and becoming a television star.

He was born in Britain and spent several years in an orphanage as a young boy after his father left his family. He left school at age 14 and began to train as a hairdresser after his mother "had a vision" that her son should be cutting hair.

He opened his first salon at 26 and decided that if he could not change hairdressing within a decade he would quit and become an architect. Sassoon said he drew inspiration for hair cuts from great buildings around the world.

A big Chelsea football fan, Sassoon said that after working in the salon all week, watching his team play every weekend was "better than a psychiatrist's couch."

Sassoon, who now lives in the United States with his second wife and had four children in his first marriage, came up with the idea of selling hair care products to "make money while people sleep."

He sold the rights to his name and hair care products to U.S. health and beauty supply company Richardson-Vicks in 1983. The company is now owned by Procter & Gamble.

"I just consider being one of the luckiest people in the sense that creativity came to me and it flowed," said Sassoon.

Olympic federations to review TV revenue share

2010-04-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

DUBAI (Reuters) – The 28 Summer Olympic sports federations, feeling the squeeze from the global economic downturn, decided on Tuesday to review the way broadcast revenue from the Games are distributed.

Federations taking part in London 2012 will share around $375 million from the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) TV deals.

Athletics will get the biggest share with $35 million. Soccer, swimming, basketball, cycling, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball, ranked in group two, can expect about $18 million each.

Sports chiefs voted on Tuesday to alter the system after the London Olympics to make it more representative but some federations had argued that a revision was needed immediately.

The IOC distributes the broadcast revenue from Olympic TV deals to the 28 sports, placed in four groups. Federations in the two lower groups are allocated $13 million and $11 million respectively.

"The share of TV revenues ... needs to be reviewed now, not in two years," international swimming federation(FINA) chief Julio Maglione told a meeting of the 28 sports.

MARKET APPEAL

"The current distribution does not reflect ... the changes in market appeal and changes in sport."

Swimming is among the most watched sports at the Games.

Boxing chief Ching Kuo Wu had also asked for an immediate revision, as did handball and table tennisbosses.

The IOC has secured a record total of $3.8 billion from broadcast rights for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver that took place in February and for London 2012.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and world soccer's governing body (FIFA) agreed to give $20 million from the combined TV funds they will receive for the London Games to the other federations.

"I said last year that if our finances are comfortable we would give that (windfall) to the other federations," FIFA chief Sepp Blatter told Reuters. "That is exactly what we will do now."

Federations will receive more money for London 2012 compared to Beijing 2008 as there are only 26 sports on the program instead of 28.

Softball and baseball were voted off for London, with golf and rugby replacing them at the 2016 Olympics.