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Leave me alone: Sara
A volley of questions were thrown at Sara Khan and initially she refused to budge with a bold, "No comments." Only if she knew there was no escaping this time. "Whatever happened is a personal matter, which I don't want to discuss in public," Sara has the explanation ready, which after a few minutes changed to, "I was cheated. Somebody (read Ali Merchant, by the way, she never took names) who desperately needed publicity planned everything, even marriage. When I got out of the house, I got to know the reality and selfish motive behind it." Last few months have been quite tough for Sara Khan, wherever she has been she has faced the same questions. "It wasn't easy to call off a three-year-old relationship, especially after I got married on national TV." Still she doesn't regret becoming an inmate of Bigg Boss house. "It has been a learning experience. I went inside as a naïve, gullible girl and came out as a mature person. Now I understand the manipulative world around." In between questions and answers on her Bigg Boss episode, the actor managed to throw some light on her character Mona in Ram Milaye Jodi. "Mona is an extension of the real me. She's bubbly, straightforward, lives life to the fullest and believes that there's a solution to every problem." Although the actor shoots for over 12 hours a day she feels that it's nothing compared to the rigours and controversies of Bigg Boss, "Because I don't have to survive with bare minimum necessities, I don't have to live in a one room space with a front yard, and I don't have to be with people like Dolly Bindra." Now that she was open about everything controversial, she didn't mind adding a bit on her own, "Please don't think that I got married on TV for publicity. I already enjoyed a huge fan following, courtesy my character in Bidaai. Instead, the controversy has traumatised me. I want everyone to stop asking me questions about my life and let me move on." Well, the very next question that someone popped was, "Three years of courtship, then marriage, then divorce, how do you feel about it?" She gazes helplessly and once again resorts to the safer option, "No Comments". ashima@tribunemail.com
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Vidya refuses to gain weight for
Dirty Picture
Producer Ekta Kapoor and director Milan Luthria had asked her to put on some weight, as the late actress Silk Smitha was famously voluptuous. "Largely, it will be my interpretation of Silk Smitha and not an impersonation of her," she said on the sidelines of a promotional event of a hair oil, of which she is a brand ambassador. Admitting her nervousness ahead of the next month's shooting, the 33-year-old said, "It is difficult for me even to imagine myself in that avatar. So it is a challenge and fun as an actor to portray characters which are very different from you," she said. Born as Vijaylakshmi, 'soft porn queen' Silk Smitha ruled the silver screen in the South in the 1980s and early 1990s as her oomph factor made her the ultimate sex symbol in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu cinema. Having acted in over 200 movies like Moonram Pirai, Sadma and Alaigal Oivathillai, she was paired opposite screen legends like Kamal Haasan, Rajnikant, Chiranjeevi and Sivaji Ganesan. Suspected to have committed suicide due to financial problems, unsatisfactory love affairs and over-dependence on alcohol, the sultry star was found dead in her Chennai apartment in 1996 when she was merely 35-years-old. "I still have not started preparing for the film. I have to watch her films as well," Vidya said adding that she might need to go through some training in dance as Smitha's iconic status was credited to her seductive numbers. Dirty Picture, also starring Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor, is scheduled to go on floors in the second half of April.
—PTI |
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Are fashion weeks just
tamashas?
Growth chart
There's no denying the fact that the Indian fashion industry has a long way to go, feels Sonalika Sahay, a leading model. "I haven't seen a designer like Manish Arora. He took the fashion scene in India by storm, made creations as he wanted to." She adds that most of the designers are offering what's always been there and what people want. “Bollywood celebs make up for shortcomings." Creativity matters
With so many fashion weeks happening around the country, it's evident that the Indian fashion industry is doing well, opines Pradhdip Brar, assistant professor, UIFT, PU. She feels, "If the collection is worth it, no matter whether it is worn by a celebrity, a model or for that matter even if a zebra on the ramp, it will be a hit." Being proactive
All set to showcase their collection, designers Parvesh and Jai of Rural Species, who were inspired by Madhubani art and Piccasso's artworks at the Lakme Fashion Week, feel that Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) needs to get proactive. Having participated in Paris and Miami Fashion Weeks as well, Jai lists a major difference between fashion shows of the West and India: "The organising committees of Milan, London or any other major fashion week in Europe send across invitations to their permanent clients across the world. They even, at times, arrange for the air tickets. It helps in building up a huge client base." However, in India, designers are heavily dependent on retailers. "The pieces that are not bought further are sent back to us, reducing our profit share." Nascent phase
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SRK to play Indian don in Xtreme City
SRK's biographer (Still Reading Khan) and screenplay writer Mushtaq Sheikh has penned the script with Hollywood writer-director Paul Schrader, who will direct this movie. American filmmaker Martin Scorsese has come on board as a producer with David Weisman for the movie, where SRK will essay the role of an underworld gangster while DiCaprio will be playing a New York cop. Sheikh said Xtreme City is not in anyway a traditional gangster movie. "It’s a different kind of film...one where both Indian and American protagonists are balanced human beings who the story treats in their full complexity, and at no point in either culture ever dimished or taken for granted. It's a cross-cultural thriller designed for both Bollywood and Hollywood. And if we get it right..this will be an attempt at true global entertainment," Sheikh said. To a question on the title of the film, he said Paul Schrader titles have always been two-worded that express the script's metaphor.. like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo, Blue Collar, Hard Core. "This should have ideally been Maximum City but that was already taken courtesy the book. We needed another name..thats when Paul decided on Xtreme City because majority of the film is based in Mumbai and no other word catches the enigma of the city like Xtreme City. After all Mumbai is a city of extreme 'extremes'!!!," he said. — PTI
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Kochi IPL sets eyes on Salman & Katrina With an eye on adding glamour quotient, the latest entrant in the Indian Premier League, the Kochi team, is in talks with Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif to be the brand ambassadors for the Indi Commandos. "We are currently talking to Salman and Katrina for endorsement deals," Kochi IPL Team co-owner Mukesh Patel said. While Katrina has been seen promoting the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the past, Salman has been reported to be keen on buying an IPL team. Industry observers pointed out that if the deal is signed, the Kochi IPL team (officially named Indi Commandos) would get the much needed boost on the glamour front with the Dabangg of Bollywood, Salman promoting the team along with Katrina. They pointed out that IPL is not only about of cricket and glamour plays an important part with the likes of Shilpa Shetty adding zing for Rajasthan Royals and Shahrukh Khan doing the same for Kolkata Knight Riders, while Preity Zinta ensures that Kings XI Punjab has enough Bollywood quotient. The Kochi IPL team is even ready with a promotional video directed by noted film maker Priyadarshan, which is likely to be on air in the coming days. Already the new team has signed up Italian footwear maker Lotto as the apparel sponsor and is in talks with several companies for sponsorship. While the World Cup is headed toward the critical stage, the build up for the IPL has began with the broadcaster Set Max and franchisees finalising their plans for the season four of the IPL that kicks off on April 8. For instance, Pune Warriors, the team owned by the Sahara Group, has also signed up with Adidas as the uniform sponsor and is close to finalise the rest. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals which had won the inaugural season of the tournament in 2008, is focusing on building the fan connect in Rajasthan this year. "The focus this year is to connect with fans in Rajasthan for which we are doing a lot of on-ground activities in the state," Rajasthan Royals Chief Marketing Officer Raghu Iyer said. — PTI
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Julianne Moore joins Another Night
Olivia Thirlby co-stars as Dano's love interest, while Moore will play his mother who is seen in flashbacks. In addition to adapting the script, Weitz is also producing through his company Depth of Field along with Andrew Miano, Michael Costigan's Corduroy Films and De Niro's Tribeca Prods, a publication reported. Moore will soon be seen alongside Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling in the Warner Bros comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. — PTI
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Aishwarya to be honoured
Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Infosys Chief Mentor N R Narayana Murthy would be honoured by Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa next week at the World Kannada Conference for their achievement in their respective fields.
Yeddyurappa would honour them during the inaugural of the three-day celebrations of the second Vishwa Kannada Sammelan (World Kannada Conference) scheduled to begin on March 11 at Belgaum, an official release said. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be honoured for her contribution and achievement in the arts and culture segment in India and the world over, her spokesperson said in Mumbai today. The objective of the conference is to display the developments achieved by Karnataka in the field of agriculture, information technology, bio-technology, industry, arts and other sectors, it said. The function would also honour those from Karnataka and other States who have achieved great heights in their respective field, it said.
— PTI |
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Ryan Reynolds dating German model
The 34-year-old actor was seen cuddling up with Agnes Fischer both on and off the South African set of the political thriller Safe House, in which Reynolds shares screen space with Denzel Washington, reported People magazine. Fischer has been a frequent visitor to the set and plays a small part in the film. She was earlier photographed having coffee with Reynolds at Cape Town's Old Biscuit Mill, a popular market. The blonde model has graced the cover of several European fashion and fitness magazines, and has been featured in various ad campaigns, including one for Bebe. Johansson, 26, meanwhile has been spotted around Los Angeles with actor Sean Penn, 50. Earlier this week, the pair took a one-day vacation together in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. — PTI
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Catherine Zeta-Jones lined up for movie on gambling Actress Catherine Zeta Jones is lined up to star in upcoming gambling movie 'Lay The Favorite' alongside Justin Timberlake and Bruce Willis. The 41-year-old actress, who recently received a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the film industry and charity, has started negotiations for the project about a legendary gambler (Bruce) who tries to figure out a way of beating the Las Vegas betting system. The Town star Rebecca Hall is also set to be involved in the project. Lay The Favourite has been in the works for some time and is finally expected to begin shooting in April — PTI
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I won't sing in a Bollywood film: Kishori Amonkar Celebrated classical singer Kishori Amonkar, who once ventured into playback singing in the film Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne, says that she would never want to tread that path again. "I wanted to experiment with words and rhythm and I wanted to see how these two would work with my notes. But then I discontinued because I wanted to do much more in the world of notes, I call my singing a language of notes," the Padma Vibhushan awardee said at the launch of Saregama's album Rishi Gayatri by Yogiraj Siddhanath. "I don't think I'll sing in films again because, for me, the language of notes speaks much more. It can take you to ultimate peace, it can give you a lot of knowledge of life. Adding that to words and rhythms lessens the power of a note," she said. The veteran singer, who performs in the classical genre khayal and the light classical genres thumri and bhajan and has released albums like Prabhat, Samarpan and Born To Sing, among others, feels that classical music is not being given proper impetus today. "Labels have forgotten classical music. To preserve the divinity in classical notes, it's important to give impetus to these sounds. I hope people do that." "Music's meaning is the expression in the language of notes. So if it is expressed properly in the Indian way, it is bound to give you peace," she added. — IANS
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The 41-year-old was happy to show off her slim legs in shorts and her washboard stomach in a midriff-baring lace blouse when she stepped out in Hollywood this week, reports express.co.uk. J-Lo has been following an exercise programme and, it is said, using the Dukan diet to get into shape. The French eating regime combines slow-releasing carbohydrates such as wholegrain rice with protein-rich foods such as chicken and fish. — IANS
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The exhibition not only opened its doors for designers and jewellers but also for those associated with home furnishing and décor. Even though exhibitions are happening every day, the new thing about the Women's Day special exhibition was that both designers as well as their products were new. Dream Weddings also presented itself in the avatar of wedding planners. — TNS
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Chandigarh rock bands to get
world famous
MoneyGram International a global money transfer company is leveraging its ICC partnership for the ICC World Cup 2011 championship by launching the MoneyGram ‘Cricket for Peace’ programme across South Asia. The multi-country, multi-language initiative is being launched across nine cities in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, including Chandigarh
MoneyGram's unique Cricket for Peace is a theme-based music contest that links cricket with world peace. The programme invites rock groups across the three world cup hosting nations to create songs that depict how cricket can foster the spirit of world peace. While the songs would be mainly sung in English, the lyrics can be interspersed with Hindi and Punjabi. Participants can also bring in an ethnic flavor by wearing appropriate costumes. There is no entry fee. Auditions will be held in Chandigarh on March 13, 2011 at Kala Bhavan, Sector 16 where the various band performances would be video graphed and sent to a central jury that will shortlist five entry songs as finalists from Chandigarh. Consequently these bands will perform their compositions at a sound recording studio and the central jury would choose a single band thereafter. The selected entry will become a part of the International album. The MoneyGram Cricket for Peace finale will take place a day before the World Cup final match in Mumbai on April 1 at which nine artists selected from the three host countries will perform. The musicians will come together to create the Cricket for Peace anthem that will be multi-lingual and multi-ethnic in nature, highlighting languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Bangla, Sinhalese, Marathi, Tamil. The entry form can be can be requested by sending an email to cricketforpeace@gmail.com or downloaded from http://www.moneygram.com/ MGICorp/campaigns/cricketforpeace.
— TNS |
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PS Mahesh, deputy director, CPDO & TI, Hessargatta, Banglore released a brochure of the company. PS Mahesh heads the largest government run Emu farm at Bangalore. He expressed happiness that Anubhav, Director of the company and who underwent training under his supervision had developed the Emu farm and hatchery within a short span of 6 months. — TNS
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Did Ali Merchant dump Sara Khan or vice versa, or did they mutually decide to go in for a split? Was it a publicity stunt, a well-planned move to garner TRPs for Bigg Boss or was she cheated? How did it happen, why did it happen or what happened at all? In the city, the celebrity in question could hardly do what she intended to-- promote her next soap, Ram Milaye Jodi on Zee TV.
Presenting her own interpretation of the voluptuous Southern siren Silk Smitha's tragic life in the biopic Dirty Picture, actress Vidya Balan has turned down the director's request to gain weight for the role. "For the first time, my director and producer told me to put on a little weight. But I don't want to. With an Indian face and an Indian body structure, I will manage it. If I increase it for this film, then I will also have to reduce it afterwards," Vidya said here.
When Rohit Bal critically reviews the fashion scene in India, the whole industry takes notice. Member of the advisory board of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), Rohit recently expressed concerns over the fashion weeks losing international appeal. He went on to say - "Fashion weeks are being treated as tamashas. There is a lot of Bollywood on the ramp and young designers are taking the serious job too easy." With the LFW just a week away, we ask people from the fraternity what they have to say about the fashion industry in India, its shortcomings and ways to become competitive. 
Anuj Sharma, designer, whose last collection Button Masala won rave reviews from the fashion experts, says it's too early to draw conclusions about the performance of the major fashion weeks of India. "We shouldn't forget that LFW is just into its 11th year. It shouldn't be compared to the Milan or London fashion weeks, for they enjoy a history of over 50 years." He adds that the fashion industry in India is going through a lot of experimental phases, "I believe this is how fashion evolves. Designers, models, and the entire fraternity should be gives some more time before it's critically reviewed."
If all goes well, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be seen sharing screen space with his Hollywood counterpart Leonardo DiCaprio in a cross-cultural thriller Xtreme City, a tale about two men from radically different worlds.
Julianne Moore is all set to join Robert De Niro and Paul Dano in new film Another Night.
The four-time Oscar-nominated star will play a supporting role in the Paul Weitz movie. Based on Nick Flynn's memoir, the story revolves around an estranged father and son, the latter of whom works at a homeless shelter in Boston.
Reynolds, who split from actress wife Scarlett Johansson recently, has been spotted getting cosy with a German model.
The famous curvaceous body of the singer is no more in sight as Jennifer Lopez have been replaced by a leaner, fitter look.
As promised, Dream Weddings by Rashmi Bindra is conducting a Women's Day special exhibition on March 5-6 in Chandigarh at Hotel Mountview, Sector 10. Says Rashmi, " A lot of endeavour went into bringing together 50 to 55 exhibitors from across India, of whom most visited and showcased their designs for the first time in city beautiful." The team of Dream weddings made lots of efforts to explore hidden talent in women and encouraged them to put their collections together.
Chandigarh now boasts of the first ever Emu Hatchery of the region being installed by Anubhav Emu Health Reforms Pvt. Ltd. at village Kandala, Chandigarh. SK Maini, National Consultant on Emu inaugurated the Hatchery. On the occasion the company launched the first hatch of Emu Chicks that have been hatched and brooded at the Emu Brooding farm of the company. Says SK Maini, "Emu chicks that are hatched and brooded here have greater immunity, lesser stress level that would result in better hatchability of eggs."