The actress has been chosen to inaugurate the luxury hotel along with Hollywood stars

Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra has been chosen to officially inaugurate Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai's latest iconic luxury resort at a $40 million glittering function Thursday, according to reports.

The former Miss World has also been chosen 'Goddess of Atlantis' at the function, the highlights of which will be one of the world's largest fireworks display and a performance by Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, the online edition of the Arabian Business magazine reported.

As the Goddess of Atlantis, Priyanka will introduce 'Atlantis Rising', an aerial ballet of fireworks to be performed by the Grucci Family, who did the pyrotechnics in the Beijing Olympics.

Among the A-list celebrities who will reportedly be attending the Thursday evening event are Hollywood actors Lindsay Lohan, Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro and Gerard Butler, singers Janet Jackson and Lily Allen and basketball star Michael Jordan.

Bollywood's oomph girl Mallika Sherawat is among other Indian celebrities who have been identified for the megashow, it is learnt.

Top business leaders, politicians, chief executives and members of the Dubai royal family are among the 2,000-strong guest list of the black-tie affair.

Celebrity chefs Nobu Matsuhisa, Santi Santamaria, Michael Rostang and Giorgio Locatelli will treat guests to a sumptuous meal called the 'Atlantean Feast' before Minogue takes the stage, the Arabian Business report said.

Actor Lohan's partner DJ Samantha Ronson will host an 'Atlantis Afterglow' show to round off the evening's events.

Atlantis, The Palm, is the flagship resort of Palm Jumeirah, one of the three palm-shaped artificial islands off the coast of Dubai.

The Bollywood star will play Rama in pa-in-law's Ramayana

Sajnay Khan, producer of the popular television serial The Sword of Tipu Sultan will now produce a film called The Legend of Rama, Mumbai Mirror reports. And playing Lord Rama will be his son-in-law Hrithik Roshan.

Confirming the news, Zayed Khan told Mumbai Mirror, "My father is indeed making the Ramayan. It's called The Legend of Rama. He has been planning this film for the last three years and looking for (someone) perfect to play Rama. And who but Hrithik could be the perfect choice for the role?"

It seems Amitabh Bachchan had agreed to play the role of Rama's father Dashratha about two years ago. Zayed, of course, will play the younger brother Laxman.

The paper reports that Sanjay Khan and Fattukh Dhondy and Zayed Khan have co-scripted the film and that the actors are yet to be cast in the roles of Sita and Ravana.

John stays in a 200 square feet apartment in Bandra. The long string of flops that he has delivered in the recent months has got nothing to do with that!

You must be wondering that either the recession bug has hit the actor sooner or he is perhaps preparing for a role by getting the feel of it. But it is nothing like that.

Our source reveals, "John is presently put up in a 200 square feet small room with a small attached terrace. It overlooks the sea at Bandstand, Bandra, Mumbai. John's brother and father have converted the small dingy room into a beautiful studio apartment. It has a small kitchen and a toilet-bath. There are no beds, just sofas. John uses one of these sofas to sleep. He has been living like this, alone, for a long time now. Now it is the same building he has purchased another flat in, but he won't be shifting there. He has purchased that flat for his parents, as he wants to stay close to them. The interior work is happening there currently."

Simplicity runs in the Abraham family, it seems. John's father, who has an office in Prabhadevi, often uses the public transport to reach it. His brother and mother too prefer BEST buses or the local trains for transport at times. We also remember John once telling us that his brother uses his old shirts once he stops wearing them

Will Smith is a self-confessed fan of Bollywood cinema and Aishwarya Rai and now he his toying with the idea of a crossover flick starring himself, Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor.

A source reveals, “Will has been coming to India every few months and is scouting for actors and places. He already has a script in mind and now has approached a handful of Indian actors. Two of them being Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.”

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle was recently heard saying, “While we were filming there, Will Smith came over twice. There’s a massive coming together of Bollywood and Hollywood. It’ll only take one person to bring them together and it will be huge.”

When Anil Kapoor was quizzed about the same, he said, “Yes, he came to visit us. He came to my residence. Very nice chap.”

So do we see Ash romancing Will any time soon? Well only time can tell.

Aishwarya Rai celebrated her most romantic birthday in the wilderness of Kochi, Kerala, with her husband Abhishek Bachchan. This was all she could wish for on her birthday.

She said, “In a way I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s a beautiful green paradise here. We started shooting just a day ago. And we already feel those vibes of an extraordinary happening. And my husband is with me.

So is my most favorite director (Mani Ratnam) who directed us in in one of our best films together (Guru) and who incidentally also happens to be my first director. And we’re working on the most beautiful film that we could ever hope for. What better birthday could I as for?”

Ask her what she has asked for as a birthday gift and she says,

“Ha, ” laughs lovely diva, “You know me. I don’t ask for anything. I already have everything that I could possibly want without asking for. And like I said I’m with the love of my life in the wilderness.

Sadly no one will be able to get through to me where I’m shooting. But all the sms, prayers and love will be with me when I return to civilization in the evening tomorrow. Yeah I miss my family on my birthday. But then I can’t have it all, can I?”

Aishwarya indicated that Mani Ratnam had given her a day off yesterday so that she could go out with Abhishek and enjoy celebrating her birthday.

Shahrukh Khan once again woke up on his birthday to be mobbed with fans and well-wishers who gathered outside his home Mannat in Mumbai to wish him. He came out of the balcony and waved out to his fans.Later he hosted a press conference where he was presented a cake by CNN IBN and he cut it with the media men his fans watching him all across the globe, celebrate his 43rd birthday.

Former Miss World Yukta Mookhey got married yesterday to her fiance Prince Tuli.The marriage took place at a Gurudwara on the Nagpur-Jabalpur highway in traditional Pujabi style in presence of close friends and relatives from both sides.

Yukta Mookhey wore simple Punjabi Salwar Kameez and exchanged vows with Tuli. Prince Tuli is the son of Bachetar and Harminder Kaur Tuli. He supposed to be into hotel, automobile, fuel, tourism businesses in India and abroad.

It was a night to watch out for, there was glamor, there were stars and it was all for a good cause. Stars like SRK, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta and the Rock on team along with many other headbanging rockers descended the night to perform for Humanity for the children affected by Bihar floods

Sexy Celina looked gorgeous in her traditional ‘ghagra choli ’dress as the actress celebrated Diwali with her ‘Golmaal Returns’ co-stars Tushar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Ajay Devgan at The Club at Andheri in Mumbai.

Moustache seems to be the latest trend in Bollywood movies as Ajay Devgan sported his new moustache-look from ′London Dreams′ and so did Arshad Warsi, who looked cool in his newly acquired look. Kareena gave the event a miss despite being in town, and so did her ′best friend′ Amrita Arora. Tushar Kapoor was dressed apt for the occasion in his ethnic ′kurta′; the star was enjoying lighting ′sparklers′ along with co-star Shreyas Talpade.

Actor Hrithik Roshan revealed his new look from his movie 'Kites' as he stepped out to party with wife Suzaane at the Poison night club at Bandra in Mumbai. Hrithik looked suave in his stubble coupled with a black hat for the evening; wife Suzzane looked stunning in a wine-red gown. The two were there to extend their support to brother-in-law DJ Aqeel, who is also the owner of Poison. Fardeen Khan walked in with his gorgeous wife Natasha, sister-in-law from London, mom Sundari and older sister Laila Khan Rajpal.

Minnisha Lamba was in a party mood as she arrived with her friends at Posion; the actress in fact, walked in with a special someone, who did a great job of shielding himself from the shutterbugs. Actress Urvashi Sharma looked sexy in a short pink dress which matched her golden clutch.

Actress Soniya Mehra posed in her sexy black-n-grey number and purple pumps for our cameras. Dia Mirza opted for a black dress for the evening while friend-n-actress Neha Uberoi tried to make a style statement with her colorful number.

Bollywood actor Akshay kumar and olympic medallist for boxing, Vijender Singh made their presence felt at an event for make a wish foundation at Oberoi Mall, Goregaon on friday. The highlight of the evening was the boxing match between the two and not Surprisingly, Akki showed off this karate skills in reply to Vijender's prowess with the boxing gloves.

KITES movie Photo

Hrithik About To Sizzles With Latin Actress Barbara Mori in his new film 'Kites'
Lady Fortune seems to be smiling at Hrithik Roshan and Papa Rakesh Roshan as the world rights for their home production ‘Kites’ is said to have been brought by Eros International for an unprecedented Rs1 billion (USD25 million).

The speculations doing the round also suggests that besides buying the world rights Eros has also bought the music and satellite rights of "Kites".

But there has been no confirmation on the reports from Filmkraft, Roshan's production banner, or Eros International.

"It is just a speculation in the market," a Filmkraft source said on Saturday.

The movie, starring Hrithik Roshan and the US-based Spanish model Barbara Mori, is scheduled to start next month. To be shot mostly in New Mexico, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, it will be directed by Anurag Basu with music by Rajesh Roshan.

The movie revolves around romantic engagements between an Indian boy and a Latino girl, who do not speak each other's language.

Earlier, the film was in the news of the bold role of the heroine, which made Sonam Kapoor reject the film.

October 14, 2008,- Going by recent press reports of Hrithik Roshan having injured his knee once again on the set of Kites in the US, you would imagine the knee joint had turned into pulp by now, like the play dough his son Hrehan, 2, would be playing with soon at daycare!

Actually, Hrithik's knee is as strong as that of a race horse because he never hurt it!

"Hrithik did not hurt his knee as recent press reports claimed. He is absolutely hail and hearty," his manager Tanujaa Mehra told Sawf News exclusively. "Actually, he has been in India since October 10 to attend a friend's wedding."

"He will jet back to the US tomorrow, October 15, to complete the US schedule of Kites in the US, and return back to India with the entire unit before Diwali!" Tanujaa added.

So was the Kites schedule in the US delayed for any other reason, we asked?

"None, whatsoever," Tanujaa assured us. "The next schedule of Kites will be filmed in India after Diwali."

Indeed, press reports of the knee injury had sounded dubious. Initially, it was reported that Hrithik hurt his ankle, and that his knee, which was injured during the filming on Jodhaa Akbar in 2007, was just fine.

Later a report, said he had indeed hurt the same knee again and had been advised 45 days bed rest by his doctor. But, the report incredulously went on to suggest that Hrithik miraculously recovered in just three days! The news story even included quotes from Hrithik!!

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, admitted to Lilavati Hospital here for treatment of abdominal pain last week, is likely to be discharged Friday.

Though the hospital authorities were tight-lipped about the discharge, sources close to the actor told PTI that "in all likelihood, he will be discharged around noon or afternoon. He is perfectly fine." Bachchan was admitted to the private hospital on October 11, his 66th birthday, after he complained of severe abdominal pain.

Blood investigations and CT scan of the abdomen were done on him and the reports were normal, doctors had said.

Doctors are happy with the progress made by the actor and have said he is on the road to recovery. Bachchan is currently on a liquid diet.

Doctors have, however, refrained from declaring the cause(s) of the pain and the line of treatment given to the Bollywood icon.

Hema Malini, who will celebrate her birthday tomorrow, wishes to master Urdu, sing Sanskrit shlokas and play the sitar, discovers
that she has kept herself insulated from Time is a palpable truth. Perhaps, you can attribute it to Hema Malinis untiring need to reinvent and discover herself. I am never too shy to learn. Ive studied Urdu up to the eighth level. But I want to perfect it—if not as well as Dharamji (her actor husband is known for his felicity for writing Urdu poems) at least somewhere close, laughs Hema who will turn 60 tomorrow. I also want to master Sanskrit. I want to record a CD of shlokas as much as I wish to learn Rabindra sangeet and sing at least one song, adds the young at heart actor.
Interestingly, the techno-savvy Hema (enjoys computers and photography) also wishes to master the sitar. I know a bit of it. I want to be able to play it well. It can transport you to a different world, muses the actor who jests she has to juggle her time between dance shows and acting as much as supervising the cook or checking if the curtains need to be changed!
The actor is also readying to essay the role of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia (the late queen of Gwalior and founder of the BJP) in Gul Bahar Singh�s film Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi, a biopic on the leader. The film is my tribute to her. Rajmata even went to jail for 18 months during the Emergency with Gayatri Devi. In prison she rehabilitated women prisoners,� says Hema admiringly.
The actor counts daughters Esha and Ahana Deol as her best critics. I ask my children to correct me and tell me what I am not supposed to do, says Hema who confesses becoming more frank and understanding of the others point of view through the years.
Asserting that Eshas best is yet to come, Hema has a few scripts in mind and even contemplates directing one of them. Gulzarsaab had urged me to direct Nupur (Hemas TV show). He had said, Whilst expressing feelings dont worry about the technicalities. Where emotions are concerned grammar doesnt work, she relates.
Hema describes her other daughter Ahana as difficult to understand and explains, Ahanas a good dancer, writes beautiful poems and now wants to get into designing.
Hema, who says that balance is integral to her Libran personality, credits much of her achievements to husband Dharmendra. Hes a nice human being. I loved him so I married him. Our marriage, which is very different from any other, has helped me grow. If it were a regular marriage, I wouldnt be who I am. Dharamji has never interfered in my life. I cant crib at all. I have everything.

At the same time, Raima Sen feels that it's a lot sexier to ‘leave something to the imagination’
When most actresses are falling in line and sporting a bikini in their films to sizzle on the screen, meet Raima Sen, who thinks a person can be sexier if something is left for the imagination.

“Firstly, I don’t think I have the figure to wear a bikini and I cannot say anything to people who are sporting it on screen. But as far as I think, it is far sexier to leave something to the imagination,” Raima says.

This Bengali beauty may have shown her acting prowess in dramas, romances and lately, comedy but there is a genre that doesn’t quite excite her.

“I don’t think I’m cut out for action. I have a good mix of films with me currently and
I’m very happy doing those as of now. But yes, I like to do different things,” she says.
Raima is currently working on several projects like Aparna Sen’s The Japanese Wife, Rituporno Ghosh’s Nouka Dubi and Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye in which she will share screen space with Arbaaz Khan and Randeep Hooda.

“Though I have more serious and experimental cinema as my forthcoming releases, I would like to do more commercial cinema. It was great to be a part of C Kkompany. I would like to do more comedies too. It was a good experience to do something different even though the film did not do well commercially. I got to play a role that was closer to my age. I really want to do roles which are like that. I guess I have played enough characters that do not fall under my age bracket,” she says.

Raima is known to be very choosy about films. We quizzed her if she does more off-beat cinema as it is a safe bet for critical acclaim.

“It is true that I’m choosy but I’m not the type who will sit at home and let offers go by.
If I get three offers, I try and pick the best. It’s not that I have always been spot on with films. I have made mistakes too. But yes, I did not want to take big risks. I would always do films that I want to,” she says.

Raima has just come back to Mumbai after staying in Kolkata with her family for Durga puja. She is happy that she got time for pandal hopping during the Durga Puja.

“I spent a lot of time with mom and sis. I visited at least 15 pandals in four days. I saw some during the day time and a few at night. My grandmother (the legendary Suchitra Sen) is fine too. We had a good time during Durga Puja,” she ends.

Officials said he was responding to treatment and had a "restful night" after being admitted to hospital on Saturday, his 66th birthday.

Earlier in the day, fans crowded outside Bachchan's home with flowers and banners to mark his birthday.

Known as the "big B", Bachchan has starred in over 150 films in 30 years.
He had been working on Hindi film Teen Patti - Three Cards - until Friday.

"The medication has worked on him and doctors are pleased with his recovery," hospital spokesman Mohan Rahan said, adding he could be out in a few days.

His son and fellow actor, Abhishek Bachchan, told reporters on Saturday that his father was suffering from an "intestinal obstruction", and asked fans to pray for his speedy recovery.

Indian media showed Bachchan being taken to hospital on a stretcher, and fans and reporters maintained an overnight vigil outside the hospital.
Bachchan underwent surgery for an intestinal condition at the same hospital in 2005.

Earlier this year, Bachchan, who starred in legendary Hindi movie Sholay and hosted India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, appeared on stage with his family in a London showcase for Bollywood stars.

Yuvraj Singh may not have made it to the Indian Test squad (that recently played against Sri Lanka), but the lanky cricketer has certainly made good use of his free time—shooting for the latest Reebok ad campaign with the gorgeous Bipasha Basu..

The chemistry between Yuvi and Bips is certainly sizzling—what with his `six` appeal and her `sex` appeal.

The magazine`s first anniversary cover lands the girl herself on its covers. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks stunning in a no-frills rendevouz with photographer Farrokh Chothia and if you thought October would leave you in limbo - here`s the solution!

Bollywood's most awaited superhero flick 'Drona' premiere last night in Mumbai was quite the star-studded event. Ash made in time for the Premiere from Peru; she looked gorgeous in a blue gown. While Ash did look quite voluptuous, beau Abhishek Bachchan shed a couple of pounds and he looked really handsome in a black suit.

Priyanka Chopra looked sexy in a beige dress and a jewel-drop Zanotti sandals, she posed with Arjun Rampal on the blue carpet even though Harman Baweja was there for her. Preity Zinta looked gorgeous in a black sari and her green stone earrings and she walked in with make-up maestro Mickey Contractor. Sush looked average in black dress while we didn't like what Harman Baweja wore for the big night. Twinkle Khanna walked in with her 'entourage' of Sunny-n-Anu Diwan, Sanjay-n- Maheep Kapoor and actress Neelam Kothari.

Shahid Kapoor made a sole entry so did VJ-n-actressess Sophie and Anusha Dandekar. Suniel Shetty came in wife Manaa. Big B walked in with wife Jaya and Politician Amar Singh. Director Goldie Behl looked nervous and lending him support was his goregous wife Sonali Bendre along with their son. Kay Kay Menon who plays 'Riz' in Drona walked in with his wife, Producer Riteish Sidhwani, Adnan Sami, Arshad Warsi, Sajid Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh and Anil Kapoor were few famous faces at the Premiere of 'Drona'.

After playing the conservative Bahu for a year looks like Ash is bored and she flaunted her sexy facade for a photo shoot for Vogue.

Bollywood is known for rivalry, and Priyanka v/s Kareena has been going on for a while now, and once again the two will be fighting out for a role. Filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who is riding high after the success of Amrita Rao starrer 'Welcome to Sajjanpur', is keen on reviving his project 'Chamki' a musical based on opera 'Carmen' by George Bizet. Kareena Kapoor had been approached earlier by Shyam, who shared a great rapport with older sister Karisma Kapoor when shooting for 'Zubeida'.

Kareena however, didn't show much of interest in the project that's when Shyam approached her rival Priyanka for the project. Priyanka fell in love with the script as

'Chamki' story is about a dancer in Rajasthan who leads a life of a gypsy, who woos men with her beauty. Priyanka felt she could do full justice to the role and agreed to do the movie, unfortunately 'Chamki' got shelved.

Now that Shyam has decided to revive 'Chamki' after three years actress Kareena has shown sudden interest in the project as she seems in a mood to give Priyanka a run for the role. So while Shyam decides about the final casting for 'Chamki' it will be interesting to see whose luck will 'Chamki' or 'Shine'.

The who's who of the social circuit turned up at the launch of GQ magazine at The Four Seasons hotel in Mumbai. Take a look at the guests....Yuvraj Singh spoils the fun for Dino and Lara by standing between them

After six months of living in denial, Shilpa Shetty and UK-based NRI entrepreneur Raj Kundra have come out in the open with their relationship. “I’m not denying it’s him (Raj) but I hope when this comes out, it doesn’t frighten him off,” Shilpa said on the New Year’s eve. And, no, this isn’t her resolution to come clean on all controversies this year, but as Shilpa’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar said, “Things have changed. The relationship has blossomed and matured with time. They were friends before. Now they’re a couple.”

Raj is responsible for the launch of Shilpa’s perfume. He is also the force behind her musical stage shows. Raj, who finances and produces movies, had presented the Jimmy Sheirgill-Kay Kay Menon starrer Strangers which released a few weeks ago. But like Shilpa, when the news of their relationship broke six months ago, Raj had denied it, stating they were “just friends”.

Raj’s former wife Kavita had accused Shilpa of breaking her marriage by having an affair with Raj. But the other version is that Shilpa came to know Raj four months after his wife had parted with him. Now the couple is seriously dating and getting to know each other better. Shilpa brought in the New Year with her family and Raj in Las Vegas.

Neha Dhupia is tired of playing 'just good friends' with squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya. Now, it's time for a game of 'love all'. Today, the actress is more forthcoming about her relationship with her best friend, as Ritwik shifted base to Mumbai last week.

Says Neha, "I have known Ritwik for the last 10 years; I have grown up with him. I'm tired of acting shy and saying we are just good friends when it's more than that. We are taking our relationship to another level now that he has moved base from London to Mumbai."
But Neha insists that he hasn't moved cities in order to be closer to his ladylove. "It's not just for me. As a sportsman, it would be a bad move for him to shift to Mumbai only to be closer to me. It's just that Ritwik feels Mumbai is better as a base as he's always travelling. Currently, he's away for a month to Sweden, Canada and New York for squash tournaments." So what's the status quo on their relationship today? "It's difficult to explain and I don't want to be misunderstood. We are cautiously exploring the relationship.

The media played Cupid and pushed us closer, but Ritwik will always be my friend, philosopher and guide. Now that he's moving here, we'll have more time to connect. It might turn out to be a very fruitful relationship, but I am being cautious as I don't want to lose friendship to love. We have to give each other time," says Dhupia candidly.

Katrina Kaif has been tagged with the title of ‘Queen of Bollywood’ after the super success of 'Singh is Kinng'. Kat’s fans base is sure on the rise and the latest addition to her admirers is the ‘King of Bhutan’ Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The King of Bhutan, who is a big fan of Kat, has invited the actress to perform at the royal ceremony where he will be officially crowned the King. Sources say that the King has also invited Shahrukh Khan to perform at the occasion.

We are sure the King of Bhutan would love to see SRK and Kat shake a leg together at the royal ceremony, but he will have to hold his breath a little longer until the stars accept the invitation.

Katrina is keen on dancing with Shahrukh as this would be the perfect stage to gear up for the Temptations tour. However, the actress wants to pass this invitation by beau Salman to ensure that to be comfortable with the idea of SRK and Kat performing together in Bhutan.

King Jigme is looking forward to the big day when he can meet-n-greet the actress. After driving India crazy with her groove Katrina Kaif is all set to conquer 'Bhutan'; way to go Kat.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is currently away shooting for 'Robot' AKA 'Endhiran' in Peru, and here are few pictures of the stars dancing on a track. Manish Malhotra has designed Ash's look in the song, and the actress is looking gorgeous in the black outfit with tribal jewelry and feather on her hair.

Rajnikanth is also looking quite stylish and is matching steps with Ash. 'Robot' has been shot in 'Machu Pichu' in Peru and the movie is the most expensive Indian film ever made as it has a whopping budget of Rs. 120 crores ($30 million).

Pune, September 25: Aamir Khan's much acclaimed ‘Taare Zameen Par’ is now India's official entry to the Oscars. But Mangesh Hadawale's ‘Tingya’, a story of the relationship between a little boy and his bull amid the issue of farmer suicides in Maharashtra, is also getting ready to woo the nominations with producer Ravi Rai having decided to take his film as an independent entry. Here's asking a cross section of people which film stands a better chance at the awards.

Milind Soman, actor:

Well that's a tough question! I've seen both Tingya and Taare Zameen Par and I feel both are crafted equally well and cannot be compared on any terms be it acting, directing or story. Both films involve intense human emotions. It all depends on the jury this year and what they are looking for in international cinema. As both the films are going for the foreign language film category, I wish both would get nominated, as they are in different languages.

Suparna Gangal, short film director: I think Taare Zameen Par is the stronger contender. It had the best chance to be nominated. The story of Taare Zameen Par is intense and the content is superb. It can touch the heart of any individual irrespective of age and place. Besides, when you take a film abroad promotions play a very important role, and Aamir Khan has taken his films there earlier; this is his third time so he knows how to go about with things.

Ishani Nirgudkar, executive:

I think subject wise both the films are brilliant. I have seen both the films and the two of them have a message to give to its audience. As Tingya deals with the grave reality of agrarian issues of Maharashtra, Taare Zameen Par tells a story of a boy who's parents just want him to get good grades. Taare Zameen Par deals with a much common problem. This film gives a message to the parents as well as the education system. Also, Aamir Khan who is a better-known face at the international level. This being his third time at Oscars he would know better on how to do promotions for his film. So I feel it has a better chance.

Chandrashekar Joshi, film research officer, FTII:

Taare Zameen Par has a better chance at the awards not only because of its story line but also the treatment of production....

The Unforgettable Tour' is being unveiled on 18th July in Toronto and rehearsals for the tour have already begun in Mumbai. Taking time off from their busy schedule, the lead stars have already begun preparations for the elaborate song-n-dance-dialogue routines.

The first leg of the tour spans 10 cities, traveling to destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Trinidad & Tobago, Houston, Atlantic City, New York, Vancouver, London and Amsterdam. 'The Unforgettable Tour' will bring together, for the very first time, the legendary Bachchans -- Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Bachchan -- on one stage.
Also participating in this Tour are Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Preity Zinta and Riteish Deshmukh. The performances will be choreographed by Shiamak Davar, while music will be provided by Vishal-Shekhar. Wizcraft International Entertainment P. Ltd., the pioneer of many extravagant and mesmerizing events, has been instrumental in shaping the Tour.

Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif was named brand ambassador for Gitanjali’s Nakshatra Diamond Jewelry, taking over the mantle from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Aishwarya has endorsed the brand since 2004.
Gitanjali Group chairman Mehul Choksi said: “Katrina is the perfect representation of the young, trendy and fashionable woman that Nakshatra targets. She lends a refreshing look to the brand. We are excited about having her on board as the new face for Nakshatra.” In 2007 Nakshatra was awarded the Retail Jewelry Award for the best television campaign of the year in India.

You would except a statement like this from Salman Khan claiming, 'Kat is his favorite', but it was Akshay Kumar who shared this feeling about Miss Kaif. In his interview Akshay said that Katrina is really lucky for him and audiences love thier on screen pairing, the actor also appreciated the way Kat has progressed in Bollywood with her Hindi and dance.

Akki, who considers Kat to be his lucky mascot, has signed the actress for his first home production 'De Dhana Dhan' which will be directed by Akki's favorite Priyadarshan. As the title suggest the movie is a comic one and will be completely shot abroad. Akshay and Priyadarshan have a history of rocking the box-office with their comedy 'masala', and now with Kat joining the duo we are sure the audiences will cheer the trio by saying 'De Dhana Dhan'.

'Red' is the color of the season and actress Karisma Kapoor looked splendid in a red velvet kurta- churidar created by Manav Gangawani, the outfit had golden embroidery which made it look grand. Karisma flaunted her sexy back and waved out to friends Karan Johar and Suzanne Roshan who were cheering for her in the front row.

Actor Rahul Khanna was dressed in a white 'sherwani' and red shirt; we loved the actor’s attitude on the ramp. Model Carol Gracais was wearing a 'japanese fan' blouse and a white sari and Nina Manuel looked hot in a red-n-white gown. Manav Gangwani's creation was spectacular and the designer was showered with all Bollywood attention and applause.

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh was busy promoting his forthcoming show 'Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena' and the controversial cricketer revealed that he would often get beaten by his dance partner Mona Singh if he failed to get the steps right.

All was said in good humor, and the bonding between Harbhajan and Mona was great as they looked like two buddies, so do except a great chemistry between the two on the dance floor which sure would take them to the finals.

Actress along with beu..saif ali khan, shared her borthday with the jawan who were present at kargil.

She made waves in Bollywood when Bebo went from a size '6' to a size '0' , and now the birthday girl is back on a nutritious diet to gain some instant pounds. Bebo, who turned 28 years old on Sunday, was put on a 'high-fat diet' by Director Rajkumar Hirani as he found her too thin to be paired opposite . Kareena is enjoying some Ladakhi delicacies like 'skyu' that are dumplings cooked with vegetables, 'thukpa' a soup with vegetables and 'mok-mok' that are steamed dumplings with chili sauce.

Sources revealed that Sunday was Bebo's day off as it was her birthday and beau Saif was to come down to Ladakh from Kashmir where he is currently shooting, but sever snowfall made it impossible for Saif t make it. However, Kareena was so determined to cut her birthday cake with Saif that the actress hit the road from Ladakh to Srinagar despite the bad weather. Saif was shocked to see Kareena in Srinagar and sources say that the caring boyfriend had a special surprise for her in store, the two celebrated over Kashmiri food and cake as Bebo is working on getting voluptuous. So here is wishing Bebo 'Happy Birthday, and may you weigh ten pounds heavier the next time you hit the scale' don't we all girls want that.

Surprised to see Imran Khan's new look? Well, the chocolate boy has tranformed completely into a man with a beard on his face. Imran was busy promoting his forthcoming movie 'Kidnap' with co-star Sanjay Dutt, Director Sanjay Gadhvi and Producer Dhillin Mehta.

Imran revealed that he settled in for a 'dark' role in Kidnap as he found the character very interesting and the newcomer considers himself quite lucky to have scored such an interesting role in the early stages of his career. Kidnap will be released on 1st October instead of 2nd October This was done to coincide the theatrical release of Imran Khan starrer with Id, which in all likelihood, will be celebrated internationally on the 1st.

Aamir Khan's directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par' is making it to the Oscars and the actor made a quick day trip from Ladakh to Mumbai to promote the movie with the media. This is Aamir's third movie nominated for the Oscars and Aamir was questioned by the media if he is the ' Real King of Bollywood'. Aamir first smiled mischievously and then replied with a glint in his eye 'Don't say that Shahrukh will get upset'.

Aamir-Shahrukh are famous for making potshots at each other earlier Aamir joked that 'Shahrukh is licking his feet', but it turned out to be his dog whom he was referring too. Shahrukh in one of his interviews joked that Aamir needs to grow up in life and in height which was not quite taken lightly by Aamir. The Salman-SRK war works in favor of Aamir as he belongs to the Sallu camp and he also has good relations with Big B. The Khans once ruled 'Bollywood' but now with all of them going on war it would be interesting to see who, is finally the 'King Khan'.