Vinay Pathak to share screen with SRK in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi:

His comic timing has been fantabulous. Witty, smart, adorable, and talented, Vinay Pathak is all this and much more. After his stint in Bheja Fry directors and producers are lining outside his house and Bollywood Hungama can say this looking at the number of films he has already signed.

In addition to all that, he now has another film in the Yash Raj Film's camp after Aaja Nachle. Vinay will now appear in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. "Yes, I have signed Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in which I will be playing an important role. But I cannot divulge into any details as the director and producer have clearly asked me not to do so. And I really cannot break a promise", states Vinay.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi will be Aditya Chopra's directorial venture after 8 years. The film has Shah Rukh Khan and debutante Anushka Sharma. His last film was Mohabbatein. On the other hand, Vinay Pathak has a release next Friday's (June 27) titled Via Darjeeling.


Lata Mangeshkar to receive One Time Award for Life Time Achievement: 4 top film personalities will be conferred with the 'One Time Award for Life Time Achievement' honour to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India's independence. These include noted veteran playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, thespian Dilip Kumar, filmmaker Tapan Sinha and Kannada film actress Saroja Devi.

Since Tapan Sinha is not in the best of health, the Governor of West Bengal would confer the award to him at his residence in Kolkata along with I & B Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi. President of India, Pratibha Patil would be honoring the remaining 3 personalities at a later date. While Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar really need no introduction, filmmaker Tapan Sinha is mostly known for his films like Kabuliwala, Uphaar and Safed Haathi. On the other hand, Saroja Devi is a popular actress down South having acted in quite a few Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu films in the 50's and 60's.

The significance of being Nana Patekar:
He's an insatiable traveler. And makes no bones about the fact that life is a journey to collect material for the roles he plays. "Acting, earlier in dramas then films, has always been a passion. And now there's a shooting of another kind. I won a bronze medal at the state level for my gun-shooting. So I enjoy both the shootings. Whatever I do I've to do with equal passion. Even if I'm hanging up curtains I've to make sure they hang well," Nana chuckles.

He divides his time between Mumbai and Pune. "I like to travel. I like to meet people. It helps me grow as an actor. I feel I'm now enjoying my work much more than before. I thoroughly enjoyed my work in Apaharan and Taxi No 9211. And of course Bluff Master was great fun. He was a weird kind of villain."

Nana is the happiest while talking about his son Malhar. "He's interested in cinematography, direction and writing. Since I'm doing a film with Rohit Shetty for Ramesh Sippy. He may come there with me to assist Rohit. He has already assisted Amol Palekar and Chitra Palekar on two different projects. And Malhar is an amazing dancer. You know what an amazing dancer I am?" Nana is at his ironical best. "I've left a choice of career to him. When I started, I had to think of everything including a buying a house. Malhar can take it easy. He can do what he wants. All I want him is to have the right values."

Nana is gung-ho about Gautam Ghose's Yatra. "After a long time I've done a role in Yatra I'm happy about. I loved working with Gautam Ghose. I worked with Rekha and Gautam for the first time. For many years I kept abusing and accusing Gautam of not working with me in Antarjali Yatra. I've been wanting to work with him for a very long time. The minute I heard the script of Yatra I told him I won't charge him a single penny. I gave him 40-50 days and didn't charge anything."

He admits he had a bit of a run-in with Akshay Kumar during Welcome. "These things happen. Why play it up? Akshay is a very good boy and he's working hard. If I'm angry I'll abuse in the face, and finish with my fury. It was between two individuals. Nowadays even before anything happens, the media is informed."

He chuckles. "Let's talk about more pleasant things. I've a suspense thriller with Sangeeth Sivan with Bobby Deol. Dekh lo pataa chalega kya hai. Bobby is such a sweet guy. He has taken after his father. Kamaal ka parivar. Sangeeth was a pleasure to work with. He's very clear about what he does. I'd love to work with him again. All in all, I'm very happy with life. God has given me a great life. Great friends?Aur kuch nahin chahiye?Now let me see what I can give to people. "

Tell him all his directors like to repeat him and he counters, "Listen, I give a hundred percent of myself to my work. Acting isn't work for me. So naturally that passion is understood and appreciated by filmmakers."

Nana has one policy in his career. "Once I've completed the dubbing and shooting of a film I like to move on. Whether people like it or not, is in no one's hands?I'm happy with my life, mother, son and my wife?My wife and I aren't divorced. She's more a friend now than a spouse. We meet every day. Whatever I'm today is because of her. When I wanted to become an actor she was working in a bank and let me do whatever I wanted."


B.O. update: 'De Taali' best in Mumbai, 'HED' & 'Khushboo' poor:
DE TAALI opened to a decent response at multiplexes of some major centres, especially in Mumbai. But at most single screens and also at several centres, the opening was way below the mark [15% to 20%]. The film is not likely to sustain since the appreciation is missing? The much-publicized HAAL-E-DIL opened to a poor response everywhere. The opening was 10% to 15%, at places even lower. Again, appreciation is missing? KHUSHBOO has also opened to a lukewarm response. Its opening was 10%, at places lower.


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"We have their unconditional support" - Vipul Shah:

All producers should learn a lesson or two from Vipul Shah and Akshay Kumar. Sometime back, the industry was rife with rumors that the promotion of SINGH IS KINNG was stalled because of the objections raised by the Sikh community. "We had a special screening for the Sikh authorities not because they had objections, but because we didn't want to court controversies or problems at the time of release. We felt, if there are issues that need to be sorted out, they should be done at the very outset," Vipul Shah sets the record straight.

He continues in the same breath, "The committee suggested two changes, which will be carried out immediately. They've been extremely co-operative and supportive and we have their unconditional support." With people within and outside the industry looking at SINGH IS KINNG as the next blockbuster, the makers have only acted with utmost maturity and avoided any last-minute hiccups.

While on Vipul, there's talk that he has signed South actress Asin for LONDON DREAMS, which teams Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan after a hiatus. "Sure, I did meet Asin a couple of times and I admit, I am seriously considering her for my film. However, as of today, nothing is final," he states.

Sanjay Dutt's Chatur Singh Two Star kick starts:

Director Ajay Chandok is a happy man. Even though he has long forgotten his experience on Nehlle Pe Dehlla (Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu) which got horribly delayed and saw a pathetic release last year (only to bomb miserably at the box office), he has completed his comedy outing Khalbali Hai Khalbali. Not just that, in the meanwhile he has also got the shooting of Chatur Singh Two Star kick started which yet again stars Sanjay Dutt in the lead title role.

"I hope there would be good times from here on", beams Chandok who has two more films (Team - The Force, Kisse Pyaar Karoon) stuck in the cans, "I could have continued to mourn about my films not being released or moved on and plan further projects. Of course I chose the latter and result is there to be seen with two new films in the pipeline. Khalbali Hai Khalbali is complete and has shaped up quite well. On the other hand, Chatur Singh Two Star, a project I am quite confident about, is already on floors. It couldn't have been better."

This Sanjay Dutt-Ameesha Patel film has already seen its first schedule wrapped up in quick time this month. "That's right", informs Chandok who has assisted David Dhawan for most part of his career, "We began shooting early June and are now looking at kick starting our next schedule. In the months of July and August we would be going to Cape town to shoot the film."

Chatur Singh Two Star comes with a horde of character actors, as has been the hallmark of Chandok's films like Nehlle Pe Dehlla and Khalbali Hai Khalbali. Apart from Sanju baba and Ameesha, the film also stars Anupam Kher, Gulshan Grover, Satish Kaushik, Suresh Menon, Murli Sharma and Vishwajeet Pradhan amongst others.

Chatur Singh Two Star has music by Sajid-Wajid. A comic caper that promises to showcase the funny side of Sanjay Dutt, the film was announced last Eid and is aiming for an early 2009 release.


Dia Mirza finalised for Arshad Warsi's first home production :

After going through a whole roster of could-be leading ladies from Konkona Sen to Urvashi Sharma (who was almost finalized), Arshad Warsi has finally found a leading lady for his first home production tentatively titled I Believe In Angels ?just weeks before the film is scheduled to go on the floors in London in July.

Though Arshad is tight-lipped about his heroine crisis getting the right girl for his first film to be directed by Kabeer Kaushik has not been easy.

Says a source, "All the girls who were Arshad's pals turned him down. Arshad is in a peculiar place right now. He's seen as a natural scene-stealer but not leading-man material. The big heroines are wary of being paired with him. Lara Dutta said no to Shortkut, though it was an Anil Kapoor Production, when she head Arshad was one of the leading men."

Dia gladly said Yes. "First of all, I've always enjoyed Arshad's performances and it's an honour to be in a film to be produced by him. Then when I heard the script I simply fell in love with my role and the script. Every character is so beautifully written, I'm sure Arshad's first production is going to turn out to be very special."

Dia plays a very sweet angelic character in I Believe In Angels. "I've that image. And I suit it. Though I'm not bound by the sweet image I don't mind being perceived as ideal for angelic roles at a time when every second girl enjoys playing the wicked one."

The real reason why Karan Johar is turning into a blogger:

"Kuch to blog kahenge, blogon ka kaam hai kehna?choda bekaar ki baton mein kahin beet na jaye?", puns Karan about his new blogging aspirations. He promises to be regular on his blog. "But not compulsive. I don't see myself blogging from my sets when I start shooting Khan or when I'm abroad for my various events."

Once a week on the blog is all you'll get of Karan. "I've a staff to take care of the blog. And I certainly won't be peering anxiously into it every day. And the blog isn't to discuss my daily routine or my sexuality, although both may crop up when the need arises. But I'm not turning blogger to blabber about my life. God knows, I do enough of that on a daily basis."

So is it lucrative? "You mean, am I getting paid to write the blog? Who's going to pay me to hear me talk on the net when there's so much of the Karan Johar wisdom being spewed in every possible place? No, I'm doing the blog for free."

The real reason why Karan wants to blog is because he needs to put his thoughts into writing rather than vocalizing them all the time. "I've always been a closet- writer. I've been offered newspaper columns which I almost did; but never got down to it. I feel a blog would be a good way to express my thoughts on cinema, things that don't routinely get space in the traditional media outlets these days."

But if you think Karan's rishta with the media is going to change, then think again. "My relationship with the media is an uneasy but permanent marriage. We may quarrel in the morning over breakfast. But we are friends at the end of the day before dinner. And everything goes back to normal the next morning."

Kunal Deshmukh's next to star Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan:

Post Jannat, director Kunal Deshmukh is on a high. And why not, after all, Jannat was one of the few films which managed to hit the bull's eye and that too bang in the middle of the IPL frenzy.

Kunal is now abroad taking a much needed break. However, he would be starting his next film after he returns. This film is a part of the 3 film deal that Kunal has signed with the Bhatts. The buzz is that this untitled film would star a rather unusual combination of Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan. Bollywood Hungama got in touch with Kunal who confirmed the news. "Yes, my next film for Vishesh Films would star Emraan and Soha. We are still working on the story but the premise is centered on a couple that gets stranded in the Mumbai floods," says the young and dynamic director.

With such an unusual pairing and an interesting premise one can only hope for yet another good film from Kunal Deshmukh.

Amitabh Bachchan voted as the sexiest vegetarian in Asia:
Surely, he has a secret to his good looks and health even at the age of 60. Inspite of reaching his second childhood, Amitabh Bachchan is undoubtedly the sexiest man. And People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) agree with this completely.

PETA conducted a survey, according to which Amitabh Bachchan was voted as the sexiest vegetarian male in the whole of Asia. Among other Asian contenders in the running, besides Amitabh, Madhavan was the only Indian contender. Among the Asian female contenders Bollywood actresses like Hema Malini, Kareena Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhry and Vidya Balan were considered. However, it was Hong Kong's singer-actress Faye Wong who was voted as Asia's sexiest vegetarian female.

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