Oops! Alia fails on her commitment due to Arjun Kapoor's bash

Saturday, June 29, 2013 13:15 IST

Alia Bhatt skipped a scheduled event a day after Arjun Kapoor's bash as she was apparently in a mood to party 

So much so that after having fun through the night and up to the wee hours of the morning, the newbie slept so hard that she had to skip a previously scheduled event during the day.

According to sources, Alia was to attend an art exhibit around 11 in the morning. After the actress called to cancel, the event was postponed to 4 pm.

An insider says, `Alia had to request the organisers of the event, who were her family friends, to delay it. She was up partying till late and overslept in the morning. But she was right on time for her evening appointment.`


However a source close to the actress says that it was not because she partied hard but because of her early morning ballet class that Alia skipped her morning schedule.

`Alia's ballet class takes place at 11 am. That's why the timing was altered,` says her friend. Alia was unavailable for comment. 

My biggest strength is my gift of the gab: Malaika Arora Khan

Saturday, June 29, 2013 09:46 IST

Malaika Arora Khan who has been lying low, talks about her life as an entrepreneur

After scorching the screen with her act in Pandeyji Seeti from Dabangg 2, Malaika Arora Khan has been lying low as far as film appearances are concerned.

However, the lady is busy with her business ventures. Here's what Malaika had to say about life as an entrepreneur to CS:


Life is a journey
I have always taken life as it comes, and tried to give it my best. The same philosophy applies to my entrepreneurial life as well. What I love about being a businesswoman is the fact that it is a 24x7 job. You just can't take time off. The very task of keeping a business afloat is a huge challenge in itself. I am learning the ropes, and hope to venture into other avenues as well.

Beauty and the boardroom
Women with a strong business acumen can be glamorous as well. Nothing can stop a woman from enjoying her feminine side. According to me, my biggest strength is my gift of the gab. I can talk my way out of any situation. Moreover, I am extremely hard-working and a hands-on person.


My inspiration
I am a Mumbai girl, and this city really supports the spirit of entrepreneurship. Right from the woman who makes tiffins for office-goers to the guys who sell trinkets in the train, people here believe that where there's a will there's a way. I feel that every woman should explore and challenge herself in life. All of us have the latent potential that just needs a little push.

Time management
Women are born multi-taskers, and we can manage our time quite well. I try and lead a disciplined life as much as possible. At the same time, I believe that delegation is very important in the modern world.

You should learn to prioritise and take on tasks in order of their importance. Though all of us would love to do many things on our own, we just can't do them all. Somewhere, women should draw the line and create that little time for themselves.


Bonding with the family
I love to de-stress by spending time with my kids. Nothing beats their innocence and enthusiasm. Cooking for family and friends is another hobby of mine. Once in a while, I like to go for a nice lunch with all my girlfriends too. 

Flab to Fab: Why Huma Qureshi is trying to get in shape ASAP

Saturday, June 29, 2013 09:41 IST

After Vidya Balan and Sonakshi Sinha, apparently, Huma Qureshi is on a serious weight loss trip

Her plus size figure was apparent in her debut film Gangs of Wasseypur as well as later in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana and Ek Thi Daayan.

The actress considers herself a foodie and her father is a restaurateur so meal times are serious business. However, the constant talk about her weight issue has made the actress do a rethink. Shedding the flab is high on her must-do list for now.

Says a source, `Huma has been working out regularly and is on a strict diet. She has been gymming for almost two hours everyday. She has already knocked off quite a bit.`


Adds the source, `The kind of films she featured in so far always required her in a certain look. So size matters were not exactly the issue. In fact, the filmmakers preferred the way she was as it suited her characters.

Even in her upcoming film directed by Nikhil Advani, she needed to have a certain look. As she plays a RAW agent in the film, the idea was to make her look her part and not stand out.`

As soon as Huma wrapped up

the shoot of the film, she began knocking off the inches and has already done a photo shoot in a bid to look svelte.

Ghanchakkar ends up forgetting what it's about

The finest, most fascinating mysteries are the ones where we find the red herrings stashed away in plain sight all along. In Raj Kumar Gupta's Ghanchakkar, the true clue to the proceedings is barely hidden.

It's in the song playing in every trailer, the song over the opening credits of the film: it's fiendishly smart to say Lazy Lad and make us assume the filmmakers are talking about the protagonist when in reality they mean the screenwriter. For this is a confoundingly half-written film.

Like all of Gupta's films, it starts brilliantly. Emraan Hashmi's Sanju lives with his wife Neetu (Vidya Balan) who dresses like a backup dancer in an 80s music video and doesn't have a knack for seasoning food. What is exasperating is how good it is right up to the third act, right up to the point when the people plotting this clever and twisty story decided not to type out any more ideas and let the film remain an almighty mess.

One evening, over a plateful of something too salted, a mysterious man calls with a very lucrative offer. Sanju, who insists they have enough saved up for a few years of idling, isn't keen but Neetu nudges him towards that classic 'one last job.'

This leads to a hilarious bank robbery, one that makes dazzling use of celebrity masks that I would hate to ruin by telling you about, but it's like a Hrishikesh Mukherjee version of Point Break. Each mask wears a different expression -- a Grin, a Gasp and a Frown -- and the way these famous faces fumble their way through the chaos is priceless.

The film rollickingly (and with very impressive narrative economy) zips through its constantly compelling story, and in less than a half hour we know all our principal protagonists, have seen a great robbery, and are aware that one of them has lost his memory and thus forgotten, three months later -- when the cash is meant to be divvied up -- where the loot lies.

So far so far-out, and Gupta and his fine ensemble cast fill in the details with wonderful whimsy. The reliably excellent Rajesh Sharma plays an unctuous baddie called Pandit, a great contrast to his profane and trigger-happy partner, Idris (Namit Das), while Hashmi looks appropriately befuddled and Balan, from amid a deluge of polka dots, sparkles in that way only she can.

I think I smiled at the screen throughout the madcap first half, the lunacy of which echoed early Coen Brothers movies. (I was particularly reminded of Raising Arizona.)

Balan, in particular, deserves to be singled out for applause simply because of her willingness as a leading lady to take on a role this farcical -- that of a loud character not just overweight but mocked for her weight, through dialogue and ludicrous costume. There is a scene, I kid you not, where she wears giant earrings shaped like prisoners, as if The Beagle Boys were using her ears for clotheslines.

But despite all the merry tomfoolery, a film like Ghanchakkar depends more on the meat of the story than on its execution. And somewhere through the second half, it stops being funny and becomes inane precisely at the time when it should have showed off its intelligence.

We look for a big reveal and there is none. And a house of cards can't be built on jokers alone.

So despite the delicious nuances -- the sabzee-buying commuter; the roadside apothecary with technicolor bottles; a chipmunk-like crook talking naughty on the phone before, without irony, straddling the film's hero -- Ghanchakkar builds up and builds up and builds up magnificently before collapsing in a bloody silly heap.

I was loving this film till it turned the tables and cheated me.

Maybe, like the television-addicted Sanju, we're all better off watching these films on Zee Cinema. At least we can change channels or fall asleep midway.

Priyanka Chopra Father Funeral In Pictures

Priyanka Chopra Father Funeral In Pictures Priyanka Chopra's father Ashok Chopra, who was hospitalised at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital two weeks ago, passed away Monday afternoon. “He passed away at 12.30 p.m. today (Monday). He was undergoing cancer treatment,” hospital COO Ram Narain told IANS. Chopra was admitted to the hospital about 17 days ago, Ram Narain said, adding that he was undergoing cancer treatment for the past few years but this time he was at the terminal stage. Priyanka had reportedly cancelled all her shoots and was by his side for the last few days. Chopra, a doctor, had retired from the Indian Army in 1997 as a lieutenant colonel. Chopra is survived by his wife Madhu, also a former army doctor, daughter Priyanka and son Siddharth.

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Top 10 Richest Bollywood Actors in 2013

Top 10 Richest Bollywood Actors in 2013 Bollywood is known for its legendary actors and actresses, musicians and music composers. The Indian film industry has been there for a while and has been flourishing by leaps and bounds since 1980s. One can see stunning success graph of Bollywood since the 80s. As Indian currency is getting strong day by day so is the revenue generated by the film and television industries. Film industry of a country plays a major role in sustaining that respective country or state’s culture and traditions. People do not read books as much as they follow the films and television serials. Although India has a number of several film industries but the most well known of all of them is Bollywood. That is because the industry carries the national language of the country and secondly because of its huge budget movies. There are faces in Bollywood we have been seeing since years and it just happened recently that new stars are being promoted by the industry. Before this, there used to be only a couple of celebrities who were the kings and queens of Bollywood. The most popular stars also demand a lot for signing a role for a movie. Here is the list of the top 10 richest actors of Bollywood in 2013. 10. Ranbir Kapoor The new shining star of Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor makes his place in the richest celebrities of Bollywood in such a short interval of time. Of coarse when you are from the Kapoor’s and you are in the show biz there is no stopping of your career. And we can see that very easily as how fast he is signing new films. 9. Saif Ali Khan Saif Ali Khan is another handsome of the industry. He has been in Bollywood for more than a decade now. Now married to the most gorgeous celebrity of Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor (also known as Bebo), Saif sustains to be one of the richest actors of the industry. He is 9th richest Bollywood actor in 2013. 8. Sanjay Dutt The son of Sunil Dut and Nargis Dut, Sanjay Dut owns assets of around $10 million. His role as a villain in the films is the most appreciated than all. His intense looks just sit perfect for negative roles. Moreover, Munna Bhai’s entry in politics recently is now putting a full stop to his showbiz career. 7. Hrithik Roshan The most charming and the most handsome man of the industry, Hritik Roshan owns assets of around $30 million. His charm and personality make many girls fall for him. But in most of his starting movies he has been doing the role of a mentally unstable kid. And he has got excellent acting and dancing skills no doubt. 6. Ajay Devgan Ajay has also been in the industry for more than a decade. Before these couple of years he has been doing serious and army roles in the industry. But from the past few years he has come in the genre of comedy. And now there is no stopping to his career. Ajay’s assets are also around $30 million. 5. Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachan, also known as Big B is the biggest inspiration for all the Bollywood new and old actors and actresses. He is truly a legend who has ruled Bollywood for many decades. He is not well nowadays but still part of Bollywood. His family can be termed as richest Bollywood family. His assets’ net worth is almost $50 million. He has surely ruled over the industry for past couple of decades. 4. Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar is actor, producer and martial Artist. He started its career in Bollywood as the stunt man. He is not a shy guy and does his stunts himself. He has been part of many action movies and has played the character of police man. But now he is at the peak of success. His net worth is about $65 million. 3. Salman Khan Salman Khan is considered as the most charming actor in the Bollywood. He is in the industry for about 25 years. When he entered Bollywood, he was a smart and slim guy but now he is renowned for his body building and posing shots in movies. His family is also very popular in film industry as his father, Salim Khan, brothers, Arbaaz and Sohial Khan, and his sister-in-law, Malaika Arora Khan are popular figures of Indian film industry. His net worth is about $100 million. 2. Aamir Khan Aamir Khan is also the richest actor in the Bollywood. He does not have a good height but his acting makes him stand high among Bollywood actors. He appeared on big screen in 1973 which makes him one of the seniors actors in the list who has a huge number of fans all over the world. On the basis of his popularity, UNICEF made him brand ambassador against malnutrition. He is also one of the highest paid actors of India and his net worth is about $180 million. 1. Shahrukh Khan Shahrukh Khan is the most popular actor in Bollywood who has great number of Fans. Shahrukh Khan has been named as India’s most popular father and as we are publishing this post we have heard that his wife is expecting baby in July. His net worth is about US $310 million. He is the multi-millionaire person in Bollywood.

Priyanka Chopra's father critically ill due to cancer

Priyanka Chopra's father, the affable Dr Ashok Chopra is unwell. Seriously unwell.
The cancer that struck the doctor a few years ago has returned. He's currently at the Kokilaben hospital and according to a friend Priyanka, "in a very very critical condition."
A self-confessed Daddy's girl is very anxious and worried. She has now postponed all rehearsals for Omang Kumar's Mary Kom bio pic.
Till last week when her dad's condition deteriorated, Priyanka went about her work as normal. Only those close to her know what she's going through. Priyanka was attending the rehearsals for the Mary Kom bio-pic while attending to her Dad in her free time.
Says a source from the Mary Kom crew, "Priyanka was religiously attending each and every rehearsal. She doesn't talk about her father's illness with anyone. Nothing in her outward behaviour suggests anything irregular in her life. Only her close friends know what she is going through."
Back in 2005 when she was shooting for Rohan Sippy's Bluffmaster her father was first diagnosed with the illness. Priyanka had not shared her agony with anyone on the sets.
"It's the same now. Priyanka hasn't told anyone at her work place how unwell her father is. When she does all the pugilist practice for her Mary Kom role it's almost as though she's venting all her grief through her fists. But now she has postponed all rehearsals," says the source from the Mary Kom team.

I feel bad if compared with Khans, says Ranbir Kapoor

 

 

Ranbir Kapoor does not prefer being billed as the next superstar and feels it is unjustified to be equated with the three Khans who have ruled the marquee for over two decades.


Ranbir made his debut in 2007 with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya', which did not do well at the box office. But the actor went on to give strong performances in films like 'Bachna Ae Haseeno', 'Wake Up Sid', 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', 'Rocket Singh', 'Rajneeti', 'Rockstar', 'Barfi' and his just released 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', which became a part of 100 crore club.

"I am not here in the industry to beat anyone. I am here to do good work and make a name for myself, earn respect. I don't believe in this term of being the next superstar. It means you are not a superstar but you can become one. I think anyone can come after me and become a superstar," Ranbir told in an interview.
The 30-year-old actor also feels that it is not justified to compare him with the three Khans --Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman.
"If I am compared with Khans I feel bad as they have worked hard for 25 years... they get so much love, respect from everyone. While I have just completed five years or so in the industry may be after 25 years I will answer this question. I am no where close to them, there can't be any comparison."
"I don't have a personality like Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan that I can be myself and the film will be a huge hit. I have to be a character," he added.
Since starting his career in Bollywood, Ranbir has appeared only in ten full-fledged films.

The actor says he is not multi-talented to do more than one project at a time. "Today a film takes 120 days or so, I am not multi- talented to do two films together. If we have four films in a year then audience will get bored and our career will be finished in five years. I feel there has to be mystery attached to an actor and that is why I am not there on social networking sites," he said.

The actor feels that today the focus is on look of the character. And considering he is a method actor, he likes to focus on one film at a time. Ranbir feels fortunate to work with different directors and play interesting roles. But he does credit himself to have understood the right opportunities.

"I am grateful that I got chance to play wonderful characters. I am thankful to all the directors for choosing me in their films. I am lucky roles were written for me. I grabbed the opportunities. I am motivated and charged about going ahead. There is still a long way to go," he said.


He will be seen next in Abhinav Kashyap's 'Besharam' where he is teaming up with his parents - Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, besides Indian-Australian actress Pallavi Sharda. The other project is Anurag Kashyap's 'Bombay Velvet' with Anushka Sharma and a just announced project with Karan Johar.

 

Sonam Kapoor to Wear Bikini in YRF Film

 

 After Mausam and Players didn’t do well, you slowed down. Was that a conscious decision?
I didn’t slow down, I stopped. Raanjhanaa is my first film in a year and a half. Actually six months before Players released, I had stopped shooting. So technically, I didn’t shoot for a year. I was in talks with some of the biggest directors but I was trying to find the right project. I have never thought about the prospects of a movie. I always see if I want to play the character that is being offered to me. Hit or flop doesn’t matter; what matters is whether I enjoy playing the character. I ask myself, will I learn and grow as an actor by playing this particular role? It was after doing Thank You, Mausam and Players that I realised I had to take a break and reevaluate where I wanted my life to go. I had also hit my mid-20s by then and realised that I needed to be proud of the stuff that I’d done. So I took my time to zero in on Raanjhanaa. When you’ve been in the industry for a while and you start doing well, like I did with Delhi-6, I Hate Luv Storys and Aisha, you’re bound to be on a high. So I went on a signing spree and there were all these big filmmakers who wanted to sign me. Everyone was telling me I’d be the number one heroine and I’d signed up with the biggest banners. I got swayed by it. Now I might be doing the biggest films but I’m doing films that make me happy. Also, I want to do just one thing at a time. So I finished Raanjhnaa and then started Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and now I’m doing Nupur Asthana’s untitled YRF film.

So how many releases do you have this year?I have three films for sure. Hopefully, I will have a fourth, Khoobsurat. That depends on the distributors and if they want it to release this year. It will definitely be ready by year end though.

Raanjhanaa is a much-anticipated film. There’s a lot of buzz around it. Tell us more.I had met Aanand L Rai (director) and Himanshu Sharma (writer) for Tanu Weds Manu. But because of my dates and other issues, I didn’t end up doing the film. Then they came back to me with Raanjhanaa. I had liked Tanu Weds Manu and I wanted to work with Aanand. I fell in love with this beautiful character he had created for me in Raanjhanaa. The story is about two characters who love each other passionately. But they’re really messed up in the way they love. And that’s how love is. It’s messy and it doesn’t always get tied up in a neat bow. I liked how real Aanand had made this love story.

Did you have any apprehensions about working with Dhanush? He might be a superstar down South but elsewhere he’s only known as the guy who sang Kolaveri Di.That is another thing I decided when I took some time off. I don’t care who my lead actor is. Even when I started out, I didn’t see who was opposite me. When I did I Hate Luv Storys or Aisha, Imran Khan and Abhay Deol weren’t big stars like they have become now. So I’ve decided never to choose a project because of the hero or the director but because of how I feel about it. It’ll be a cherry on the cake if I get films with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Aamir Khan. But in the next century, when Indian cinema completes 200 years, I want to be remembered for the work I’ve done. I don’t want to be another actress who came and worked here. I want to be driven by passion and by art and not the commerce.

During the shooting of Aisha, Abhay Deol had problems with the film and production. Now you’re working with him again in Raanjhanaa.Abhay had a problem with dad (Anil Kapoor), not me. If you ask Abhay, he’ll tell you the same thing. Even when we’re not shooting on set, we spend all our time together. We have similar interests. Plus people love us together. People love our chemistry. I crack up on Abhay’s off-kilter humour when he jokes that Aisha and Arjun have gone from Def Col in Aisha to JNU in Raanjhanaa.

You’ve also signed your first YRF film?I was in talks with Aditya Chopra for a long time. He offered this film to me. It’s a film written by Habib Faisal. Also, I’ve always loved the way YRF functions and I wanted to do a film with them for a while now. YRF is there to make movies and not just fancy proposals. Adi takes risks with the people he casts and gets it bang on. They know what they are doing unlike others. He has launched the next generation of actors in our country. Two of my brothers, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, have been launched by him.