Abhishek Bachchan

Profile
Date of Birth: 5th February, 1976.
Nickname: Junior B, A B baby.
Address: Abhishek Bachchan, Pratiksha, 10th Road, J.V.P.D. Scheme Mumbai 400 049
Height: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
Education: Graduate, Aiglon College (Switzerland)
Debut Film: "Refugee"
Film Awards: IIFA Awards
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor for "Sarkar"
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor for "Yuva"
Star Screen Best Comedian Award for "Bunty Aur Babli"

Mini Biography
Abhishek Bachchan is son of the famous Bollywood mega-stars Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan. Abhishek Bachchan is married to Aishwarya Rai, the former Miss World and Bollywood heartthrob. Abhishek Bachhan started his filmy career with the movie "Refugee" opposite Kareena Kapoor. Refugee was not a success at the box office. In the next four years after refugee Abhisek did many more movies without any success at the box office. Abhishek Bachchan proved his mettle as an actor in Mani Ratnam's "Yuva". The same year, he gave his first major hit film "Dhoom". His next released films "Bunty Aur Bably", "Dus", "Bluffmaster" and "Sarkar" were also successful at the Box Office. Abhishek went on to win Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for "Sarkar". His dance sequence with Amitabh Bachchan in the song "Kajra Re………." became a rage. Abishekh Bachhan also sang in the films "Bluffmaster" and "Dhoom".

Abhishek's recent released film "Guru" was successful at box office; rather it was his first solo hit film. He also received good reviews for his performance in the movie "Laga Chunari Mein Daag".

Filmography
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom , Shootout at Lokhandwala , Guru , Dhoom 2, Umrao Jaan , Kabhi Alvida Naa kehna , Bluff Master, Vasundhara , Salaam Namaste, Sarkar, Bunty Aur Babli , Antar Mahal, Dus, Dhoom, Phir Milenge, Yuva, Hum Tum , Naach , Rakht, Run, Kuch Naa Kaho, LOC Kargil, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost, Zameen , Desh, Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya, Om Jai Jagadish, Shararat, Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai, Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke, Refugee and Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa.

Trivia

• Abhishek did not finish his business degree from Boston University (U S A) as he wanted to pursue his career in Bollywood.
• He has a sister named Shweta, now she is married.
• Abhishek was awarded "Yash Bharatiya Samman" by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• He was engaged to Karishma Kapoor, which did not last long.

Aaftab Shivdasani

Profile
Date of Birth: 25 June, 1978
Nickname: Faffy
Address: 22, Mistry Court, Opposite CCI Club, Churchgate, Mumbai-20.
Height: 6' (1.83 m)
Education: Bachelor of Commerce, HR College, Mumbai.
Debut Film: "Mast"
Film Awards: Filmfare Best Debut Award for "Mast"
Zee Cine Best Villain Award for "Kasoor"
Nation Honor Awards for "Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai"

Mini Biography
Aftab Shivdasani is not new to Bollywood. He had acted as a child artist in the late 80's and early 90's in films such as "Mr. India", "Shahenshah", "Chaalbaaz" and "Insaniyat". Aftab made his debut as the lead actor in Bollywood with "Mast" opposite Urmila Mantodkar. Though "Mast" was not successful at the box office, yet Aftab Shivadasani's performance in the movie won accolades. He won Filmfare Best Debutant Award for his performance in the film "Mast". Then he did "Kasoor" opposite Lisa Ray. This was a thriller movie in which he had done a negative role. Aftab Sivdasani received Zee Cine Best Villain Award for his performance in the movie "Kasoor". Since then he had done more than a dozen films with mixed response from audience as well as at box office. Aftab Shivdasani's hit films are-"Awara Paagal Deewana", "Hungama" and "Masti". Many of his films have done poorly at the box office; still he has been getting decent reviews for his acting from fans as well as critics.

Filmography
Dus Kahaniyaan, Speed, Life Mein Kabhie Kabhiee, Red, Jaane Hoga Kya, Ankahee, Shaadi Se Pehle, Mr. Ya Miss, Koi Aap Sa, Masti, Footpath Hungama, Darna Mana Hai, Pyaasa, Awara Paagal Deewana, Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, Pyar Ishq aur Mohabbat, Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Kasoor and Mast.

Trivia

• Aftab's parents are of different religious backgrounds. His mother is a Parsi and his father is a Hindu.
• He shares his birthday with his father (25th June).
• Aftab did his schooling from St. Xavier's High School, Mumbai.

Exculsive: Watch Priyanka Chopra's favorite trailer moment now!

Paramount Pictures India have released a brand new exclusive YouTube video featuring Priyanka Chopra as she shares her Favorite moment from the 'Mary Kom' Trailer.

Watch the gritty actress as she reveals her favorites scenes from the trailer.

'Mary Kom', the film is about the Indian Boxer and Olympic Bronze medallist MC Mary Kom. Depicting her life, struggles, family and her perseverance to be the best - Priyanka Chopra stars as Mary Kom along with Darshan Kumaar, Sunil Thapa, Shishir Sharma and American actor Zachary Coffin.

Directed by Omung Kumar, 'Mary Kom' is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film is scheduled for release on September 5, 2014.

Seema Biswas to debut on TV with 'Maha Kumbh'

Bollywood actress Seema Biswas, who rose to fame with her compelling performance in Shekhar Kapur's 'Bandit Queen', will soon make her television debut with 'Maha Kumbh'.

Confirming her foray into the small screen, Seema told reporters here that it was a new medium for her which was basically a writer's medium. The actor said she had taken up the project on a friend's request.

The shooting was likely to be in Varanasi, but it had been held up due to rains, she said. The acclaimed actor said she was still waiting for roles that would challenge her. Seema, who has to her credit a Malayalam film 'Shantam', said if good offers came, she would like to do more films in the language. She is here to perform a one-act play 'StreerPatra', a Hindi adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's drama, tomorrow. The 45-minute Hindi play, will be directed by Seema herself.

The actor also launched the logo of 'Ekaharya', a performance festival conducted by Rajeev Varma memorial trust at nearby Tripunithura at the Ernakulam Press club. Ekaharya festival will be held from December 25-28 at the Tripunithura Kalikotta Palace here.

Kareena Kapoor Khan visits Ajmer Dargah

Kareena Kapoor landed in Jaipur on Monday and headed straight to the Ajmer Dargah to seek divine blessings of Khawja Moinuddin Chisti.

The actress spent almost half-an-hour there, offered flowers and prayed for her success. According to sources, the actress looked a little uncomfortable as the crowd surrounded her and tried to click her pictures.

'PK' poster approved by Govt panel: Aamir Khan tells court

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and director Rajkumar Hirani questioned the locus standi of the social activist who had sought a ban on their forthcoming film 'PK' for its widely-publicised poster, saying he had not been able to prove that it was vulgar and constituted nudity.

The court is hearing a suit filed by Hemant Patil, in which he has sought a ban on the film and the poster in which Aamir Khan is seen in the buff standing on the railway tracks with a radio, unless the objectionable scene was removed reports The Times of India.

In a reply filed in a civil court, the duo said that the poster had been duly approved by the Film Publicity Screening Committee, a Government body, which screens film posters to check obscenity and depiction of women in derogatory manner or highlighting violence.

Hence, by virtue of the approval given by the Publicity Screening Committee of Films to this impugned poster, the suit was not maintainable in law and should be dismissed, Hirani and Khan stated in their reply.

They also argued that the suit was premature as the film was not yet complete and there were some portions of the film which were yet to be shot. Since the film was not completely shot, the question of Central Board of Film Certification examining it (the film) for grant of certificate did not arise.

"It is ludicrous for the plaintiff to commence an action on such a flimsy ground, especially when there is a quasi-judicial authority that is authorised to deal with such issues," the reply filed by the duo said.



Further, such a suit infringes upon their right to make films and hence should be dismissed outright, they contended.
They also argued that a similar issue was raised in another petition filed before the Supreme Court which had dismissed it. Hence, this suit also was liable to be dismissed.
Civil judge M S Sharma has posted the matter on August 27 for arguments.
The judge asked the plaintiff's lawyer R N Kachave to satisfy the court whether a case of obscenity and vulgarity was made out against the actor who allegedly posed nude.

Evelyn Sharma Knocked out by boxer Vijender Singh

It seems Olympian Vijender Singh's rugged looks have charmed the petite Evelyn Sharma. The model-turned-actress of German origin, who was seen in bit roles in 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' and 'Main Tera Hero', was judging a modelling event last Saturday. The boxer, who recently made his Bollywood debut with Kabir Sadanand's Fugly, was also on the panel.

An eyewitness told Mirror, "The duo met and sparks flew. Evelyn didn't hide her feelings and Vijender loved all the attention that was coming his way."

After the event, the two hung around in the vicinity. When we contacted Evelyn gushed, "Vijender is really cute. I thought being a boxer he would be rough and tough, but he's such a gentle guy!"

'Decoding Bollywood' decodes lives of 15 filmmakers

"Decoding Bollywood", a new book by author Sonia Golani, takes readers through the unusual lives of 15 Hindi movie makers, including Mahesh Bhatt, R. Balakrishnan and Anurag Basu, who have created benchmarks in their respective genres.

The book is due to be launched here Thursday in the presence of Farah Khan and Kunal Kohli, whose lives have also been 'decoded' for the literary offering.

Among the 15 names are also Ashutosh Gowariker, Kabir Khan, Nagesh Kukunoor, Nandita Das, Prakash Jha, Rohit Shetty, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Sudhir Mishra, Vipul Shah and Zoya Akhtar.

"Decoding Bollywood" will unravel some interesting facts about the lives of these filmmakers, who have steered the Hindi film industry to new heights by giving different creative dimensions.

They have spoken about their experiences, battles, observations and learning during their journey in the film world.

For example, Kabir Khan who made "Kabul Express", produced by Yash Raj Films, has revealed he never approached the banner due to "stereotypes" regarding it. "The only studio I didn't approach was Yash Raj Films because of the stereotypes that we have in our minds. I though Yash Raj Films only made chiffon romance and love stories, and why would they be interested in a film like 'Kabul Express'! If at all they did, they would make sure to add an item number in it, and so on and so forth," Khan has shared.

The outspoken choreographer-filmmaker Farah has shared her observation of a new trend.

`I see a new trend now, a breed of young 20 something women managers accompanying actresses. Earlier there used to be the quintessential star mommies who would chaperone their daughters but in retrospect I feel they were better than these new age managers who brainwash actresses," she has said.

Bhatt, whose production banner Vishesh Films backs new talent in the industry and churns out hit movies off and on, has also recounted how he began his journey in filmdom.


Priced at Rs. 250, the book is published by Westland Limited.

Its author, Golani, holds a bachelor's degree in history from Lady Shri Ram College and a master's degree from the University of Delhi.

She is also an entrepreneur and her second book, "My Life, My Rules: Stories of 18 Unconventional Careers" was published in 2013. Her first book was titled "Corporate Divas".

Attenborough's 'Gandhi' changed lives of all of us: Om Puri

Om Puri, who had a miniscule role in British filmmaker Richard Attenborough's Oscar winning film "Gandhi", says the film changed the life of everyone who has been associated with it.

"Richard Attenborough's Gandhi changed the lives of all those who were associated with the film. Most of all, it changed Ben Kingsley's life. Thereafter each time Gandhi's picture flashed across our mind, we saw Ben's face along with Gandhiji," said Puri.

"I had barely one-and-a-half-minute screen-time in Gandhi. But what an impact my cameo made! I believe it was shown as the footage during the Oscar nominations, a huge honour in a film that starred the most distinguished cast possible...," he added.

Oscar winning filmmaker Attenborough died Sunday. He was 90.

Puri says that his going away is sad, "but then death is inevitable".

"However the pain of his going away is diminished when we consider the fact that an artiste and a visionary like Sir Richard has gone away after using his creative powers to the maximum. Such people become a part of history and a source of inspiration for many generations to come.

"He was an accomplished actor and a filmmaker. With Gandhi he achieved the pinnacle of success. With the film he changed India's image abroad. A very large section of the Western world did not know our values, culture and ethics, our struggles and triumphs as a nation. Because 'Gandhi' was such a success, it reached into the recesses of hearts all over the world...," he said.

The actor, who has worked in several international films in lead roles, the recent one being "The Hundred Foot Journey", had just a cameo in "Gandhi". Puri played a man who had lost his son.

"I played a cameo as Nahari. Sir Richard had seen me in 'Aakrosh' and had decided to give me the role of 'Nahari in 'Gandhi'. I shot for just one night. I had screen time of barely 90 seconds. But my scene came at a very important point in the narrative and it was so well written. But it was a memorable night," he said.

The purpose of the multiple-Oscar winning film was to highlight the humanism of Gandhi.

"Sir Richard made Gandhi with complete passion. He was not so much interested in the politics of Mahatma Gandhi as he was in his humanism. The film focused on the non-violence and the freedom struggle of the Mahatama. Sir Richard deliberately didn't feature Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the script. If he had been present, 'Gandhi' would've become a political film, which Sir Richard didn't want it to be.

"Where do I place Sir Richard among my international directors? He was certainly among the greats. No doubt about it."

Dubbing studios under BR Chopra banner been shut down

A few months ago, we had heard that Bhoothnath Returns was an attempt to revive the BR Chopra banner but now it has emerged that both its dubbing studios have been shut down. The studios - one of which was set up in 1971 and the other in 1983 - were apparently shut down after the recording for Bhoothnath Returns was over and now their staff is also said to have left.

An insider reveals that the studio staff was asked to leave one by one. `Now only an electrician is working here and everyone else has already left. The studio's equipment too has been sold; there was a beautiful lift in there and that too has been sold. For the outside world, the studio is under renovation but we know that the studio has been shut. Why will the staff be asked to leave if the studio was just under renovation? The staff strength was 20-22 people but now they are no longer working here,` says the source.

Turns out that it was around last year that people working in the studio first got a whiff of things to come. Interestingly, some people seem to have got their salaries while some others are apparently struggling to get it. BN Tiwari, President, Sound Artist Association, who worked at one of the studios, says, `Yes, Bhoothnath Returns was the last film the studio did and the studio has shut down now. It is appalling to see such big studios shut down. I won recognition only thanks to these dubbing studios. I left in 1996 and then my wife, who is Asia's first woman sound recordist, left sometime in 2008. It was a dream studio, but now it stands shattered.`

Another source says that the younger Chopras thought it was better to shut down the studios owing to the many litigations it is currently facing. `The owners plan to put them for sale,` says the source.

When contacted, Abhay Chopra, Ravi Chopra's son who owns the dubbing studio, said that the studios have been shut down temporarily. `They have been shut down for renovations and upgrading,` was his reply.

Jay Bhanushali and Mahi very much together

Rumours are a part of every actor's life. Recently there were rumours that Jay Bhanushali and his wife Mahi are planning to get separated.

As they both got to know about it they couldn't stop laughing about it.

Jay and Mahi just got back from a small holiday from goa and spent some quality time together Infact when jay was shooting for Leela in Rajasthan Mahi was present with him during the shoot as well.

They both very soon are going to celebrate their wedding anniversary as well on 9th of September.

Furqan Merchant's 'Identity Card' wins three awards

Newbie Furqan Merchant is on cloud nine. His film Identity Card has bagged three awards at international film festivals.

He says, `I am so glad that my film is getting such a great response and bagging awards everywhere it's being screened.` He adds, `The character I play in the film has more expressions than dialogues and that too with veteran actors like Saurabh Shukla, Brajendra Kala, Raghuvir Yadav among others.`

Furqan considers it the start of his journey in the film industry and wants to explore various facets of his acting prowess. `I am deeply inspired by Shah Rukh Khan and always wanted to act in an emotional film like Devdas.`

There's also been a trend of biopics and Furqan seems to be bitten by the bug. `I would love to star in a biopic of a great personality. It's exciting when such roles challenge you so much,` says Furqan.

Identity Card releases on August 29.

Anurag Kashyap to move to Paris?

Director anurag kashyap is likely to shift base to France for some time in the future

The latest buzz has it that Anurag Kashyap will be moving out of the country for some time. A source says, `Anurag has been working non-stop on Bombay Velvet since the past few months and he is now contemplating fly down to Paris and living there for a while.

Of course, he will be working there and so he'll continue to be a part of Bollywood. But he will spend more time out of the country as he wishes to move base to France and try and operate from there. This will happen sometime next year after the release of his ambitious project, Bombay Velvet.`

Apart from this film, Kashyap is apparently also keen to see Ugly release in India after it was screened at Cannes last year. `Ugly has been stuck for a long time now, and he is keen to see it release in theatres as soon as possible. It is a project that he holds close to his heart and he's said to be looking forward to its release on September 19, though it's a tentative date at this stage,` says the source.

When contacted, Anurag said, `The only thing true is my moving out but it's not going to happen in the immediate future. I have a lot to finish here. And I only have stories that I want to turn into films in India. So even if I move, it will be a temporary and partial move.`

Emraan Hashmi's professionalism amazes Kay Kay Menon

 

Actor Kay Kay Menon, who teamed up with Emraan Hashmi for the first time in forthcoming con film "Raja Natwarlal", marvels over his co-star's dedication and professionalism.

Emraan will be seen as the conman who is out to take revenge from bad guy Kay Kay in the Kunal Deshmukh's directorial venture.

"Emraan is a very cool person. He never takes tension and he comes prepared with all his scenes on the set. He works very professionally," Kay Kay said here in an interview.

"All the scenes that we did together, I enjoyed a lot. I loved the fact that there is a person who works with such dedication," added the actor who has proved his mettle in much appreciated celluloid offerings like `Hazaaron Khwaishein Ais`, `Life in a Metro` and `Black Friday` .

Slated for a Friday release, it also features Paresh Rawal and Pakistani actress Humaima Malick.

What's wrong with Salman's health?

 

Actor Salman Khan will apparently not be in Mumbai during the Ganpati festival as he is headed to Los Angeles for an annual medical check up

Sources say that Salman Khan has left for Los Angeles for his routine medical check-up. The actor has just finished shooting for the promos of reality show, 'Bigg Boss 8', and it is being said that he will make several stops before going to LA. Says a source, "The actor has gone to Dubai from where he will travel to Toronto for a show and then to LA for his routine medical check-up."

It may be pointed out that the actor underwent treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and a brain aneurysm back in 2011. Since then, the actor has been advised to go to LA regularly for his medical check up. The source says, "It is a annual medical check up that the actor has gone for."

This means that this time around, Salman will not be in Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city. `He will go to Dubai from LA on September 8 and then return to Mumbai on September 13,` says the source.

It is also being said that once he's back, he will start shooting for Bigg Boss, which goes on air next month. `After this, he will resume shooting for Sooraj Barjatya's film, Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo, on September 23. As it happens, the sets of his show and his film are quite close to each other,` says the source.

Finally, Honey Singh's wife steps out

Honey Singh, who had kept his wife Shalini away from media glare, is now finally stepping out with his better half.

She was spotted on the sets of his TV show India's Raw Star during the shoot at Film City. Honey was so nervous having her around (she features in an upcoming episode) that the pressure just went to him and a doctor had to be called.

The singer had earlier kept his personal life under wraps even denying that he was married.

Challenging the Verdict: Rani to get 'Mardaani' re-certified?

Actress Rani Mukerji, who is enjoying the success of "Mardaani", Tuesday said that on behest of viewers and NGOs she will send the film to the censor board for re-certification.

Despite being awarded an A-certificate, "Mardaani", which earned Rs.15 crore in the opening weekend, has been made tax free in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The actress is keen to show the film on female trafficking to children who are above 12 years.

"I am so happy with the response to 'Mardaani'. Many people have asked me why the film has been given an A-certificate? I am going to put in all my effort to re-certify 'Mardaani', which will make a huge difference," Rani told reporters here.

The actress wonders what the censor board is trying to protect the young viewers from?

"...this is very sad and disappointing. So many people have called me and said it's so sad that they can't show the film to their children and that they are waiting for the film's DVDs so that their children can also watch it," she said.

Rani campaigns for a new category that allows children above 12 years to watch a film like "Mardaani", which has been directed by Pradeep Sarkar and produced by Yash Raj Films.

She said: "I have people from NGOs who want to show the film to the children. So I will take a letter from them to the censor board. We have made the film for kids to spread awareness.

"I don't know why we are shying away from reality. Had we wanted a U/A certificate, we could have easily got that by chopping a few scenes, but that's not the point. We want 12 years and above kids to watch the film."

Meanwhile Rani urged the Maharashtra government to make "Mardaani" tax free.

She said: "I am so happy that the film has been made tax free in UP (Uttar Pradesh) today and that shows the relevance of the film. I also want Maharashtra government to make it tax free."

Will the Khans turn average 2014 into Bollywood blockbuster?

Box office calculations indicate Bollywood made a decent start with the young kids on the block such as Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. But the onus is on superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan to turn an average year into a blockbuster in the last quarter, say trade analysts.

With close to 120 releases till mid- August, the box office has garnered over Rs.1,400 crore ($230 million) so far. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh extols the young brigade's achievements, saying they have done a "tremendous job" this year.

"They have put their best foot forward - be it Tiger Shroff in 'Heropanti', Varun Dhawan in 'Main Tera Hero', 'Alia Bhatt' in 'Highway' or Arjun Kapoor in '2 States'.

"This was something unexpected and they have proved their talent with their films," Adarsh told IANS.

Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir, also admitted the newcomers' good performances have "come as a surprise to all ofus".

"Be it 'Heropanti', '2 States', 'Highway' or 'City Lights' - these films have not just recovered their money but also made a huge profit," he said.

"Heropanti" collected around Rs.51 crore, "2 States" entered the Rs.100 crore club with a Rs.102 crore collection, "Gunday" minted Rs.80 crore, "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania" raked in Rs.75.5 crore and unusual road movie "Highway" took home close to Rs.30 crore.

This is not to forget Sidharth Malhotra's "Ek Villain", which has done an amazing business at the box office. "It managed to garner close to Rs.98 crore", said Rajesh Thadani.

Even some small-budget films did fair business.

"Queen" and "Raginni MMS 2" were big earners.

" 'Queen' managed to do really well as the film had strong content and managed to collect around Rs.57 crore," Thadani said.

For the first six months, the youngsters set the ball rolling; then entered Salman Khan and 'kicked' a storm with his action-romantic drama "Kick", the biggest money spinner of 2014 so far.

Lauding Sajid Nadiadwala's directorial debut, Thadani said: " 'Kick' was a money spinner, which collected close to Rs.211 crore. It's outstanding. 'Kick' is the biggest film of 2014 so far."

In between, Akshay Kumar too contributed with "Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty", but his "Entertainment" didn't turn out to be entertaining enough to make big bucks.

And recently, Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty set box-office milestones rolling with "Singham Returns", which earned Rs.100.68 crore in the first five days of its release and it's still counting.

" 'Entertainment' barely collected close Rs.41 crore," said Thadani.


Despite satisfactory performances by young actors, overall collections have not been overwhelming.

"Business has been poor and there has been a slowdown because of three reasons - general election, the Indian Premier League and examinations," said Adarsh.

According to Thadani, "It has been a decent year, but it could have been even better. If we compare it to the last year, the collection has been almost the same."

Three films - "2 States", "Jai Ho" and "Holiday" - entered the Rs.100 crore club - but trade expert Manoj Desai insists that so far, it "has been an average year".

"If we look at the records of the last year, it was way better than this year. I hope the remaining part of the year will make up," he said.

Consequently, distributors are pinning hope on SRK's "Happy New Year", Aamir's "PK" and "Bang Bang", which has Hrithik Roshan.

If Adarsh's expertise is anything to go by, there is a lot of "expectations from 'Happy New Year' and 'PK' and, as always, the second half will belong to them."


Apart from the two Khan biggies, there is an interesting line up for "Finding Fanny", "Mary Kom", "Khoobsurat", "Haider", "Welcome Back", "Action Jackson" and "Happy Ending".

Thandani said: "We hope few films will hit the Rs.100 crore club, but with films like 'Happy New Year', the expectations are higher. We are hoping for Rs.200 crore with these films."

Hrithik's 'Mohenjo Daro' to release ahead of Republic Day 2016

Ashutosh Gowariker's mega project "Mohenjo Daro", starring Hrithik Roshan, will be Bollywood's big ticket offering Jan 22, just before Republic Day in 2016.

"'Mohenjo Daro' starring Hrithik and introducing Pooja Hegde to release on 22nd Jan 2016 @agppl_tweets," read a tweet from the official Twitter handle of the film's co-producers UTV Motion Pictures Monday.

The announcement of the film's release date comes just a day after it was known that Gowariker has roped in Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning international costume designer April Ferry to put her creative forces together for the film.

A love story set during the Indus Valley civilisation, "Mohenjo Daro" is jointly produced by Disney India's Studio business and Ashutosh Gowariker Production Pvt. Ltd. (AGPPL).

It is due to go on the floors in October 2014 and its first schedule will take place in South Africa.

Kudos! 'Mardaani' is tax-free in UP too

Rani Mukerji-starrer "Mardaani" has been exempted from entertainment tax in Uttar Pradesh, an official said Tuesday.

The decision was taken by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav owing to the theme of the film which portrays the battle of a woman against sexual offenders and crimes against women, a state government spokesman said.

The spokesman said the film depicted serious social evils like crimes and sexual offences against women and gave a positive message to society.

The film shows a woman's fight against such evils and it was therefore decided by the government to make it tax-free, he added.

Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, "Mardaani" stars Rani as police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy, who fights the girl trafficking mafia.

Artistes from North-East who made the cut in Bollywood

With the 'Mary Kom' biopic featuring artistes from the North-East, we take a look at the talent pool from the region

The upcoming Priyanka Chopra-starrer Mary Kom, based on the boxing champ, has put the spotlight on the North-East and its presence in Bollywood.

Several local actors have been roped in to play supporting roles in the film. There may not be too many Hindi films releasing in many states in the region, or as many actors, musicians, filmmakers from the region that have made - or are trying to make - an impact on the big screen.

Finding a foothold
Adil Hussain, who is from Goalpara in Assam, essayed the role of Sridevi's husband in English Vinglish (2012).

Last year, Geetanjali Thapa, who hails from Sikkim, bagged the National Award for Best Actress for her performance in Liar's Dice

Patralekha, who was seen in Hansal Mehta's Citylights earlier this year with beau Rajkummar Rao as her co-star, is from Shillong in Meghalaya.

Geetanjali Thapa won the National Film Award for Best Actress (2013) for her performance in Liar's Dice. She is from Sikkim and began her glamour innings after winning a beauty pageant in Guwahati, Assam. Veteran actor Danny Dengzongpa is also from Sikkim.


Model Monikangana Dutta hails from Guwahati; she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish (2010) where she played Hrithik Roshan's ex-flame

B-Town singers Zubeen Garg is from Jorhat, Assam, while Papon is from Guwahati in Assam.

Model Monikangana Dutta, who hails from Guwahati, starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Guzaarish (2010) playing the character of Hrithik Roshan's ex-flame.

Meanwhile, Reema Debnath from Agartala in Tripura featured in the Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard.

The outsiders
Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Chak De India! (2007), for one, showcased Mary Ralte (Kimi Laldawla) from Mizoram and Molly Zimik (Masochon Zimik) from Manipur - in the film, both are treated as 'foreigners' in the Indian women's hockey team.

Being looked upon as outsiders is something that they are used to. When told that they are from the North-East, it is as if they belong to another territory.

For some artistes like Patralekha, it is a sense of deja vu. Says the actress, `I am always asked such questions and I do not want to say anything more on that front. I am from Shillong in Meghalaya and my parents still live there.`

While Monikangana who disappeared from Bollywood after Guzaarish says, `People always ask me where my folks stay. I always tell them I am from Guwahati and my family is based there.` Incidentally, Monikangana has gone back to studies while there is a project in the pipeline.

Playing the part
Adil Hussan began his career with theatre and stand-up comedy, and eventually landed in Bollywood with roles in films such as Ishqiya (2010) and Agent Vinod (2012). He was also seen in Life of Pi (2012) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012).


Adil Hussain, who starred in English Vinglish, hails from Goalpara in Assam

The actor feels that these are roles that suit his salt-and-pepper look, as he `detests dyeing his hair.`

The Seven Sister states (read: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura), are often referred to as 'Paradise Unexplored'. If the talent in Bollywood is anything to go by, this holds true as B-town doesn't seem to have tapped the North-East's full potential.

Known filmmakers from the region include Jahnu Barua, whose 2006 film Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara had Anupam Kher and Urmila Matondkar; Utpal Borpujari; and singers like the late Bhupen Hazarika.

Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi shot her Naseeruddin Shah-Shabana Azmi starrer Ek Pal (1986) in Shillong in Meghalaya and Jorhat in Assam. Her Raveena Tandon-starrer Daman was shot in Guwahati in Assam. She says, `Where a filmmaker wants to shoot is a personal choice. But to be honest, Bollywood rarely makes films with a realistic backdrop. If the reason is inadequate infrastructure, that is the case across the country. You realise this as soon as you move out of Mumbai. A lot of Assamese films are made and shot in the region.`

Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan shot the Madhuri Dixit-Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Koyla (1997), in Arunachal Pradesh. He filmed a song against the backdrop of Shungetser Lake in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang, that is known for its stunning visuals. Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se had ULFA's Assam liberation struggle form its backdrop. Now with the release of Mary Kom, the North-East will hopefully have a bigger presence in Bollywood.

Kat's sister's 'Dal Makhani' connect?

Bollywood actresss Katrina Kaif's sister Izabelle loves Indian food, specially Dal Makhani. So, the team of Indo-Canadian film production "Dr. Cabbie", in which Vinay Virmani plays the title role, decided to dedicate a full song to the actress.

Izabelle, who is cast opposite Kunal Nayyar, in the film, has danced as well as her elder sister Katrina did in "Sheila ki jawaani".

Vinay says Izabelle's dancing took everyone on the sets by surprise.

`She is quite the chip off the block. I mean, we have all seen her sister dance, right? What do these Kaif sisters eat,` Vinay asked.

Katrina has been keeping close tabs on her kid sister's movie debut.

Says a source from "Dr. Cabbie": `Katrina is constantly inquiring about Izabelle's role and the release plans for the film. When she heard about the song 'Dal makhani', she immediately wanted to see her baby-sister dance,` said a source.

If the source is to be believed, Katrina even plans to promote the film with Izabelle when the movie releases in India.

`She wants her sister's debut to be smooth. She also wants Izabelle to have her own identity. There was a suggestion that she be christened 'Izabelle Kaif' for her screen avatar. Katrina insisted on the family name," the source added.

Not A Joke: When Priyanka ditched Aamir?

The actress had apparently agreed to appear on Aamir Khan's TV show, but she failed to turn up for the shoot

Aamir Khan has finished shooting for the third season of Satyamev Jayate this month. While Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Kangna Ranaut and Parineeti Chopra have already shot with the actor for their respective episodes, Priyanka Chopra, who was also invited by Aamir to be on the show, did not turn up.

A source close to the show says, `This time around, the show's format will see some changes. In every episode, we will have various celebrities coming in.

Not only will they support a particular cause, they will also sit through the episode and meet the concerned patients/ victims. In keeping with this format, Priyanka Chopra was approached to be the show and she had apparently agreed to make an appearance in one of the episodes. But on the day of the shoot, she did not show up. We were not even informed about the reason behind her absence. We had no option but to go ahead and shoot without her.`

It is being said that this season will have only six episodes, so the show will run for one and half months while the time slot will remain the same. `Aamir wanted to complete the shoot before starting work on the promotions of his upcoming film, P.K. He has already finished shooting for the show and all this while, he kept a close watch on how things were panning out. He has asked his show's crew to keep mum about the concept,` adds the source.

Priyanka's spokesperson denied the story while Aamir's spokesperson and the channel's representatives were unavailable for comment.

Shot in the dark: TV actress having a affair with her publicist

The small screen world is buzzing since the last few days about the alleged romp between a TV actress and her publicist. Ever since one of the unit hands of her daily historical drama happened to see her sex chats with her rep, a snapshot of the conversation between the two women has gone viral among the telly folk.

The actress has been part of the television world for over a decade and is known to swing both ways. When she was part of a reality show sometime back, a female co-contestant had alleged that she had tried to get too close for comfort with her. She has had her share of boyfriends too.



For a long time, she was in a relationship with a guy who is not part of the industry and later on, she dated some small-time actors, but those relationships did not last.

Now ever since the said publicist has started handling her work, the two seem to have been mixing work with pleasure.

Shut Up Gossip Mongers! SRK not getting threats

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has reportedly got threats from a gangster, but a source close to the actor-producer denied the news saying "it is untrue".

Media reports said that Shah Rukh and his residence Mannat here got tight security from the Mumbai police after gangster Ravi Pujari tried to get in touch with him Monday afternoon. However, a source close to the movie icon, says otherwise.

"Shah Rukh has not got any such calls. We wonder why such rumours are being spread," the source told IANS.

Following rounds of firing that took place at Kareem Morani of Morani Brothers' residence, who are close to SRK, security around the actor is said to have been upped.

When contacted, a police official told IANS: "He has been given police protection for a long time now. So why is there so much of talk about it?"

Shah Rukh, who has worked with the Morani Brothers on his Temptations Reloaded tour, is currently awaiting the release of "Happy New Year".

Exposed: Elli's fascination for Salman

Swedish-Greek actress Elli Avram, who gained popularity in India with her stint in 'Bigg Boss', says she will watch the new season of reality show only for it's host and 'good friend' Salman Khan.

"I will try to watch it regularly but I am not going to miss the weekend's episodes because of Salman. Though I participated in the show last year, as a viewer I don't like to watch people fighting all the time. Still I will watch it for Salman," Elli told.

The two teasers of the reality show are already up and Salman is back as a host on 'Bigg Boss' for the fourth time. The inmates for the show are yet to be confirmed. The 24-year-old 'Mickey Virus' star says she and Salman are still good friends and often meet at parties.

"Salman and I are still good friends. We meet at parties. But I could not attend Salman's 'Kick' bash last month as I was on a month-long holiday. I watched the film and found it amazing," Elli said. Elli would be next seen on Colors' dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa', where she has teamed up with contestant Sophie Choudry and her choreographer partner Deepak for an act.

"I will be on Jhalak for just one episode with Sophie and Deepak for an act. This act would be the part of show's next challenge 'Teen Ka Tadka'. Our performance is a sensual one and I love the choreography," she said and added, "I am very passionate about dance. I love to express myself through this art form."



On 'Jhalak', she will also meet her 'Mickey Virus' co-star Manish Paul, who is currently hosting it with Ranvir Shorey. "It was such a fun to meet Manish on the show. We met after a long time. It was great fun," Elli said.

The actress also credited her film debut last year for making her a popular face worldwide. Post the film, she worked on improving Hindi, dance moves and acting. "I can communicate in Hindi now. I am going to sign my next project soon as I am reading few scripts and meeting directors," Elli said.

Apart from films, Elli has also featured on Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's upcoming album 'Back 2 Love'. The album will be released on August 28.

Priyanka's fitness secret revealed

Actress Priyanka Chopra is not only known for her powerful acting capabilities but also for her hour-glass figure. She credits her healthy diet chart for her body.

Priyanka was on the sets of Zee TV's `Cinestars Ki Khoj` to promote her upcoming movie `Mary Kom` where she revealed the secret of her healthy body.

When quizzed about how she maintains herself, she said: `I believe that in order to stay fit and lose weight in a right manner, one needs to eat and not starve themselves. I eat right and ensure that I burn it all by working out equally as much as I eat.`

She reunited with her `Barfi` director Anurag Basu, one of the judges of the talent hunt show, briefly to judge with him.

While the two shared anecdotes from their `Barfi` days, Basu told the unit about Priyanka having an elephant's diet.

He spoke about her gulping down two to three parathas for breakfast and a 12 inch pizza for lunch all by herself.

The episode will air Sunday.

"Mary Kom", based on Olympic bronze medallist boxer M.C. Mary Kom's life, is directed by Omung Kumar. It is slated for a Sep 5 release.

Shooting for 'Gandhi' was a revelation: Rohini Hattangadi

Actress and theatre personality Rohini Hattangadi played Kasturba in the late Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" and says that working in the multiple Oscar winning film was a revelation for her. She said that the British film director gave a bound script to everyone and followed it religiously.

Attenborough died at the age of 90 Sunday.

"I still remember vividly how I got Kasturba's role in 'Gandhi'. At that time I was doing Marathi theatre when casting agent Dolly Thakore contacted me to meet Sir Richard," said Rohini.

"He was going from Delhi to London via Mumbai. Luckily, I was in Mumbai that day. I met him for an hour. We spoke about theatre and then he left. I later got to know he had so many other actresses for Kasturba's role. So I didn't really bank on getting the role. But the very next day Dolly called to say I had to leave for London for shooting immediately," she added.

It wasn't easy for Rohini to pack her bags and hop on the plane, but thankfully things fell in place.

"I was booked for the coming weeks for my play. I didn't even have a passport. So how was I supposed to leave for London all of a sudden? But Dolly said she'd help me with all the travel details. In eight days, I got a temporary passport and the producer of my play was very accommodating. Everything just fell into place..."

"Gandhi" was Rohini's first international film.

"Shooting for 'Gandhi' was a revelation for me. We were all given scripts and then we were asked to do our homework. I searched for books on Kasturba, but I found only two books, that's all. So I had to rely on my own skills.

"At the same time Sir Richard did not allow us to deviate from the script. He was very clear on how he wanted my English pronunciation. He didn't want me to put on an accent. At the same time, he didn't want any Maharashtrian or Marathi pronunciation in my speech. Since I had gone to a Marathi language school, I had to take elocution classes as preparation for my part as Kasturba.

"Sir Richard also made me and Ben Kingsley learn to spin the charkha. We spent two-and-a-half months learning both," she said.

Released in 1982, the biographical film brought the life of Gandhi on celluloid and the appreciation that the film garnered across the world was phenomenal. It won eight Oscars out of its eleven nominations.

"Did I expect the film to have such an impact? Frankly, when I was doing the part, I was too young to understand the importance of it. It was just a role for me. And it all happened so suddenly.

"Sir Richard would often allow me to interpret certain scenes in my own way. He gave me a lot of freedom because he said I understood the culture better than he did.

"I remember one sequence where a man comes visiting Gandhiji in Champaran. I was supposed to be in the background. The question was, what was I supposed to do? I suggested I could be making rotis in the background. So a chulha, tawaa, and all the ingredients were arranged. The scene came out so well. The importance of what I had done occurred to me much later," she said.

Remembering the film's release, Rohini said: "After release we were suddenly thrown into this situation of tremendous impact. I found myself travelling all over the world with the film for the premieres. The impact was immense. In 15 days we did six premieres."

The success of "Gandhi" opened doors for Rohini.

"After 'Gandhi', Bollywood offered me mothers' roles. I played mother to heroes older to me like Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty. When I came into the movies, I was 27 years. I had the choice of playing the mother or sister. I chose mother," said the actress who was seen in films like "Saaransh" and "Agneepath".

Blessed to be part of 'Shaukeen' remake: Lisa Haydon

Model-turned-actress Lisa Haydon is excited to be part of the "Shaukeen" remake and says that working in the film has been a learning experience for her.

Seasoned actors like Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor and Paresh Rawal along with Bollywood action star Akshay Kumar will be seen in the film, which revolves around three lecherous old men.

"I am extremely excited about 'Shaukeen'. Working with all the veterans like Anupam Kher, Piyushji, Annu Kapoor was super fun. It was a learning experience for me and I feel blessed to be part of 'Shaukeen' remake," Lisa told IANS.

"I have almost finished shooting for the film... I used to feel so fresh working for the film. It's like an absolute fun time," she added.

Basu Chatterjee directed the original, which came out in 1982 featuring Ashok Kumar, A.K. Hangal, Utpal Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty and Rati Agnihotri, while Abhishek Sharma helms the new version.

Lisa, who started her acting journey with "Aisha", also featured in "Rascals", but she won appreciation for her work in "Queen", which had Kangana Ranaut in the lead role.

For the "Shaukeen" remake Lisa has dubbed herself and added: "I will not let anyone dub for me."

Priyanka Chopra

Profile
Date of Birth: 18th July 1982, Jamshedpur, India.
Nickname: Sunshine, Mimi, Yanka.
Address: Priyanka Chopra, 803, Karan Next to Green Acres, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri, Mumbai 400053
Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Education: Graduated from Cepar Rapids, Iowa's John F. Kennedy High School (U. S. A)
Debut Film: "The Hero" Opposite Sunny Deol.
Film Awards: Filmfare Best Debut Award for the film "Andaaz "
Filmfare Best Actress Award (negative role) for the film "Aitraaz".

Mini Biography
Priyanka Chopra was born at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand state of India. Her father Dr. Ashok Chopra was a surgeon in army. Priyanka Chopra was in Jai Hind College at Mumbai when she won Femina Miss India contest in 2000. She was crowned Miss World in 2000 at London. Priyanka Chopra is the fifth Indian to be crowned Miss World. She left her studies midway after winning the beauty pageant and joined film Industry.

Priyanka Chopra first acted in Tamil film "Thamizhan ". Her debut Hindi film was "The Hero" opposite Sunny Deol. Though the film was average rated, it went on to become one of the highest grossing films of that year. Priyanka Chopra's next film was "Andaaj" opposite Akshay Kumar. "Andaaj" was a successful film at box office and Priyanka was nominated for Filmfare Best Actress Award. Her next release was "Aitraaz", which is a Hindi remake of the Demi Moore-starker "Disclosure". Prianka won the Filmfare Best Villain Award for her performance in "Aitraaz". Since then she has given many Hit films such as "Bluffmaster" opposite Abhishek Bachchan, "Mujhse Shadi Karogi" opposite Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan and "Krissh" opposite Hrithik Roshan. Priyanka Chopra was voted Sexiest Asian Woman of 2006 in Eastern Eye, an Asian newspaper published in Britain.

Filmography
Big Brother, Salaam-E-Ishq, God Tussi Great Ho, Don, Aap Ki Khatir, Krrish, 36 China Town, Taxi No. 9 2 11, Bluffmaster, Barsaat, Yakeen, Waqt, Karam, Blackmail, Aitraaz, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Asambhav, Kismat, Plan, Andaaz, The Hero and Thamizhan.

Trivia
Priyanka Chopra was the only Indian in the USA to have been selected at the state level for the "National Opus Honor Choir".
While shooting the song "Do Me A Favor, Let's Play Holi" in the movie "Waqt: The Race Against Time ", Priyanka stepped on a live wire and received a shock. She was hospitalized for a day.
She turned down the lead role in the film "Umrao Jaan" to work in "Bluffmaster".
Priyanka did her schooling from La Martinière in Lucknow. She completed tenth grade in Boston (U. S. A.) and wanted to become a software engineer or a criminal psychologist.

Mallika Sherawat

Profile
Date of Birth: 24th October 1976, Rohtak, Haryana, India
Nickname: Reema Lamba, Bollywood's Kissing Queen.
Height: 5' 6½" (1.69 m)
Education: Graduation from Miranda House, Delhi University
Debut Film: "Khwaish"
Film Awards: None

Mini Biography
Mallika Sherawat was born in a conservative Jat family. She is a graduate in Philosophy from Miranda house, Delhi University. Mallika Shehrawat was an airhostess for some time. She married a pilot named Karan Singh Gill. Mallika Sherawat was such a dreamer that her husband Karan Singh Gill found it hard to adjust to her and soon they parted ways. Meanwhile, Malika got some modeling assignments and she entered in the glamour world. Later she modeled for some popular brands like BPL and SANTRO with Amitabh Bachchan and Sharukh Khan.

Mallika Shehrawat made her debut in the Bollywood with the film "Khwaish" directed by Govind Menon. The film "Khwaish" was in the news because of seventeen lip-lock kiss scenes. The movie failed miserably at the box office but Mallika didn't go unnoticed. She was offered another steamy role in the film "Murder" directed by Mahesh Bhatt. The film "Murder" was super hit at the box office and Malika Sherawat was nominated for Zee Cine Best Actress Award. Since then Mallika didn't look back. Mallika was also featured on the cover page of an international magazine- Snoop, which is the Indian edition of Cosmopolitan.

Filmography
Welcome, Aap Ka Surroor, Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Darna Zaroori Hai, Shaadi Se Pehle, The Myth, Bach Ke Rehna Re Baba, Kis Kiski Kismat and Jeena Sirf Merre Liye.

Trivia

• Mallika Sherawat bears a resemblance to actress Halle Berry (Hollywood).
• She is the first Indian woman to get an offer to pose nude for Playboy magazine. Mallika, however, refused the offer due to her morals and upbringing.
• Her performance at the televised 2006 New Year's Eve show at the hotel J.W. Marriot, Mumbai, was in the news because of her body-hugging skin suit and a silver bikini.
• She changed her name from Reema Lamba to Mallika Sherawat.

Isha Koppikar

Isha Koppikar in 2013
Born	Isha Koppikar 19 September 1976 (age 37) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Isha Koppikhar Narang
Occupation	Actress, Model
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Timmy Narang (2009–present )
Website
www.iamishakoppikar.com

Isha Koppikar (born 19 September 1976), is an Indian actress and model who has appeared in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and Hindi films.

Background

Koppikar was born at Mahim, Mumbai in a Konkani family.She has one younger brother. She graduated in Life Sciences at Ramnarain Ruia College in Mumbai. While at college she appeared in a photoshoot for Indian photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha. The shoot led to work in advertising as a model, notably for L'Oréal, Rexona, Camay, Tips & Toes and Coca-Cola. Koppikar competed in the 1995 Miss India contest, winning the Miss Talent Crown. Her modelling work gave her an introduction to the film industry and to her first film appearance in the Tamil movie Kaadhal Kavithai in 1998.Since then, Koppikar has made over forty films and has several Hindi films in production or due for release in 2010. She continues to model for fashion designers Anita Dongre and Pria Kataria Puri, and is currently the Indian representative of the Italian fashion company Police Watches and Jewellery. Outside her work in film, music and television, Koppikar is a spokesperson for the animal rights organisation PETA and received the 10th Anniversary Huminatarian Award in December 2009. She has a black-belt in Taekwondo.Koppikar married her boyfriend Timmy Narang on 29 November 2009.

Film career

South India

The 1997 Hindi film Ek Tha Dil Ek Thi Dhadhkan, directed by Shahrukh Sultan, is often stated to be Koppikhar's first film, but there is no evidence the project was ever released. Her career must therefore be said to have begun with the 1998 Tamil film Kaadhal Kavithai, co-starring alongside Prashanth, and directed by Agathiyan, with music by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. She was awarded the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Continuing her Tamil film career, Koppikhar's second movie was En Swasa Kaatre in 1998, opposite Arvind Swamy, directed by K. S. Ravi, with music by renowned music director A. R. Rahman. 1998 saw a third film, this time a cameo appearance in Praveen Kanth's Jodi, starring Prashanth and Simran Bagga.

In 1999, Koppikhar alternated between appearances in the Telugu comedy Chandralekha, co-starring Nagarjuna and Ramya Krishnan, directed by Krishna Vamshi; and the Tamil gangland movie Nenjinile, starring Vijay and directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar.

By 2000, Koppikhar's sights were on Bollywood, but this did not stop her appearing in four Kannada films: Hoo Anthiya Uhoo Anthiya with Ramesh and directed by Praveen Naik, with music by Karthik Raja; O Nanna Nalle, starring and directed by Ravichandran; alongside actor-director Ravichandran again in O Nanna Nalle; and finally Surya Vamsha, directed by S Narayan and starring Vishnuvardhan in a double role as father and son.

After four films in 2000, and a detour to Mumbai for a brief appearance in Fiza and an item number in Rahul, Koppikhar returned to the south in 2001 for Sundar C's Tamil project Kaathal Solla Vanthen. This was another film never to leave the development stage although a soundtrack of the same name was made available. However, the Telugu comedy Prematho Raa, starring Venkatesh and Simran Bagga, and directed by Uday Shankar, saw Koppikhar's penultimate South Indian role. She signed off her South Indian career in the Tamil action film Narasimha, directed by Thirupathisamy and starring Vijayakanth.

Bollywood 2000–2002

Taking time out from four Kannada films in 2000, Koppikhar appeared alongside Karisma Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan in Khalid Mohamed's Fiza. An item number appearance in Prakash Jha's Rahul completed Koppikhar's introduction to Hindi film. Brief returns to South India in 2001 were coupled with Koppikar's proper Bollywood debut in a small supporting role in Rajiv Rai's Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, starring Arjun Rampal and Sunil Shetty. Koppikar was paired with Shetty in the film. Her next release was K. Raghavendra Rao's urban comedy Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa, opposite Govinda, Juhi Chawla and Johnny Lever. By 2002, Koppikhar appeared to be consigned to support roles until she was asked by Ram Gopal Varma to appear in an item number for his underworld movie Company starring Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi and Manisha Koirala. The number in question was Khallas, choreographed by Ganesh Hegde and the effect on cinema audiences and critics was to leave her with the enduring nickname Khallas Girl. A second notable item number, Ishq Samundar, in Sanjay Gupta's Reservoir Dogs remake Kaante, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty, was enough to raise her profile and in the following year she took the Stardust Award for Most Exciting New Face for Khallas.

Eesha Koppikhar walks the ramp for designer Pria Kataria Puri

. Koppikhar's career produced five films in 2003. In Dil Ka Rishta, directed by Naresh Malhotra, she played opposite Arjun Rampal and Aishwarya Rai, marking Koppikar's second appearance with Rampal. Prawaal Raman's portmanteau film Darna Mana Hai saw her alongside college whipping boy Aftab Shivdasani. Dr Chandrakprakash Dwivedi cast her in the role of Urmila Matondkar's sister in the sectarian film Pinjar, also starring Manoj Bajpai. A brief appearance in J. P. Dutta's war movie LOC Kargil paired her opposite Sunil Shetty again. And in Harry Baweja's Qayamat: City Under Threat, she played one of three terrorists fighting off co-stars Ajay Devgan and Sunil Shetty; a role which would bring her a Filmfare nomination in the Best Villain category.

In 2004, Koppikhar's films were releasing on average every two months. Both Mani Shankar's science fantasy Rudraksh and Kundan Shah's madcap comedy Ek Se Bhadkhar Ek teamed her next to perennial acting partner Sunil Shetty. In Krishna Cottage, she was cast opposite Sohail Khan for Santram Verma's creepy ghost story. Inteqam, directed by Pankaj Parashar and co-starring Manoj Bajpai, saw her revive the role played by Sharon Stone in the original Hollywood version: Basic Instinct. Another cameo appearance in Kunal Kohli's Hum Tum with Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji could have left a comedy taste to 2004, but this would be the year of street protests following Karan Razdan's controversial Girlfriend, co-starring Amrita Arora and Aashish Chaudhary caught in a lesbian love triangle. The film provoked public poster burning and calls for the film to be banned.

In 2005, she eased up somewhat only releasing four films. Sangeeth Sivan's bawdy comedy Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, with Anupam Kher, Ritesh Deshmukh and Tusshar Kapoor saw her nominated in three separate award ceremonies (IIFA, Zee Cine Award and Star Screen Awards) for best comedy role. Two more comedies saw her make guest appearances: David Dhawan's Salman Khan vehicle Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, and Abbas-Mustan's whodunit, 36 China Town with Akshaye Khanna and Kareena Kapoor. A return to Ram Gopal Varma's Factory saw her alongside Chunky Pandey in Vishram Sawant's gangster flick D: Underworld Badhshah, starring Randeep Hooda.

Farhan Akhtar directed a 2006 remake of the Amitabh Bachchan hit Don: The Chase Begins Again, this time with Shahrukh Khan in the lead. Koppikhar was cast as Khan's girlfriend 'Anita'. By now the success of Don was in contrast to her stuttering career with a string of films stuck in production or abandoned. Vicky Ranawat's Haseena Smart Sexy and Dangerous crept out towards the end of 2006, Jagdish A Sharma's murder mystery Garhee appeared on DVD, Hansal Mehta's Raakh was dropped, whilst Koppikhar's highest profile film of 2007, Nikhil Advani's multi starrer Salaam-e-Ishq, saw her sharing limited screen time with Sohail Khan. Ram Gopal Varma's much discussed Shabri, directed by Lalit Marathe -a role which led to her being unrecognised in character and barred from the film set by security men^[6]- has yet to attract a distributor. Later in the year came the haunted love triangle of Ram Gopal Varma's Darling, with Fardeen Khan and Esha Deol. Koppikhar's first film release of 2008 was Atul Agnihotri's Hello, based on the novel One Night in a Call Centre by Chetan Bhagat. This was followed within weeks by Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi, a Rajshri Production directed by Khashik Ghatak and co-starring Sonu Sood. She has had three films released in 2010, Jahnu Barua's Har Pal, Right Yaaa Wrong by Neeraj Pathak and Manoj Tiwari's Hello Darling.

Her latest release is Shabri (2011) directed by Lalit Marathe where she plays a woman gangster of Mumbai.

isha Koppikar has signed for Marathi Movie titled ‘Maat’.Where she is playing lead role, The movie is produced by Manali Mangesh Sawant under the banner of Saayali Dream Ventures, and will be directed by Manohar Sarvankar.The film also stars Sameer Dharmadhikari. MAAT story revolves around an ambitious couple passed through different stages of life, different colors of life.

Other works

Between filming Koppikhar, like many Bollywood actors, performs in stage music shows. In addition to this she has appeared in two music videos: Patli Kamar by KK for a private album commissioned by Sony in 2001/2002; and Bandish Projekt's Bhor (Satyam Shivam Sundaram) in 2004, choreographed by Bosco-Caesar. In 2006 she appeared onstage in the Indian Idol Grand Final to dance with the two finalists, and 2007 saw her as one of three judges in the celebrity dance competition Nach Baliye3, alongside director David Dhawan and Vaibhavi Merchant. She served as a judge in the Miss Universe 2008 contest, held on 14 July in Vietnam alongside, amongst others, fashion designer Roberto Cavalli and former winner in 2004 Jennifer Hawkins.

In 2008, prior to her taking on her married name, she adopted a second spelling change to her name from Ishaa Koppikar to Eesha Koppikhar, following the advice of numerologist Niraj Mancchanda.

In August 2009, Koppikhar presented the new Colors wrestling show 100% De Dhana Dhan.

Personal life

Eesha Koppikhar with Timmy Narang at their wedding reception

After a prolonged 10-year affair with Inder Kumar both broke off. Both Isha and he patched-up after the divorce but the relationship did not last too long.

Leena Mogre and Preity Zinta introduced her to hotelier Timmy Narang, whom she married on 29 November 2009.

She gave birth to their daughter in July 2014.

Filmography

Years	Title	Role	Language	Notes
1998	Kaadhal Kavithai	Jothi	Tamil	Won, Filmfare Best Female Debut (Tamil)
1999	En Swasa Kaatre	Madhu	Tamil
1999	Jodi		Tamil	Cameo appearance
1999	Chandralekha	Lekha	Telugu
1999	Nenjinile	Nisha	Tamil
2000	Surya Vamsha	Padma	Kannada
2000	Hoo Anthiya Uhoo Anthiya		Kannada
2000	O Nanna Nalle	Rangu	Kannada
2000	Fiza	Gitanjali	Hindi
2001	Prematho Raa	Swetha	Telugu
2001	Narasimha	Vanmathi	Tamil
2001	Rahul		Hindi	Special appearance
2001	Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat	Rubaina	Hindi
2001	Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa	Anjali	Hindi
2002	Company		Hindi	Special appearance
2002	Kaante		Hindi	Special appearance
2003	Pinjar	Rajjo	Hindi
2003	Dil Ka Rishta	Anita	Hindi
2003	Qayamat: City Under Threat	Laila	Hindi
2003	Darna Mana Hai	Abhilasha	Hindi
2003	LOC Kargil	Santho	Hindi
2004	Rudraksh	Lali	Hindi
2004	Krishna Cottage	Disha	Hindi
2004	Hum Tum	Diana Fernandez	Hindi	Special Appearance
2004	Girlfriend	Tanya	Hindi
2004	Ek Se Badhkar Ek	Tracy/Shalini Mathur	Hindi
2004	Inteqam: The Perfect Game	Avantika Suryavansh/Pinky	Hindi
2005	Kyaa Kool Hai Hum	Urmila Martodkar	Hindi
2005	D	Gunjan	Hindi
2005	Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?	Vicky's Girlfriend	Hindi
2006	Darna Zaroori Hai		Hindi	appears in a Darna Mana Hai flashback
2006	36 China Town	Sonia Chang	Hindi
2006	Don: The Chase Begins Again	Anita	Hindi
2006	Haseena Smart, Sexy, Dangerous	Haseena	Hindi
2007	Gahraee	Nishi	Hindi
2007	Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love	Phoolwati	Hindi
2007	Darling	Ashwini	Hindi
2008	Hello	Esha	Hindi
2008	Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi	Chandini Shrivastava	Hindi
2010	Right Yaaa Wrong	Anshita	Hindi
2010	Hello Darling	Satvati	Hindi
2011	Shabri	Shabri	Hindi
2011	Har Pal	Shweta	Hindi
2011	Raakh	Nandini	Hindi
2013	Maat		Marathi	Debut Marathi movie
2015	Bharosa	Herself	Hindi	Tamil language as Kandasa Special appearance in song
2016	Rani Tu Main Raja	Suraiya	Hindi	Opposite Girish Kumar & Amrita Puri