Pernia graces the Dubai shopping Fest

Actress and fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi has been invited by the organisers of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) as a Chief Guest for the DSF 2016 edition.

The organisers have invited the successful fashion entrepreneur to be part of DSF, considered as one of the most happening and prestigious shopping festivals scheduled for three days (1st to 3rd January).

Considering Pernia's sartorial choice of fashion and popularity in the fashion world, she has been the chosen one, as she brings a variety of designer clothing accessible to people through her online business venture, 'Pernia's Pop Up Shop'.

The event saw Pernia interacting with the high-end fashion brand retailers and the organisers specially organised a meet and greet session to explore the possibility of associating with Pernia in the future.

Besides Pernia shopping exclusively at the Dubai mall she also selected the raffle winner and will been seen doing lot of other fun activities for all the days.

Raveena bags the Mighty Mom Award this year

Last year, Kajol bagged the Mighty Mom Award from the animated hero Chhota Bheem. This time, the recipient is Raveena Tandon.

The actress will be presented with the honour at an event on January 6. At the age of 21, when Ravs was at the peak of her career she adopted two girls - Chhaya and Pooja. Raveena also has her own two kids - Rasha and Ranbir. Raveena considers 'Chhota Bheem' as a superstar and wishes Bollywood make more children's films since she has been the chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India from 2003-2005.

She will also be attending a screening of the upcoming film, Chhota Bheem Himalayan Adventure, with kids from her social circle.

Chhota Bheem Wins Akki’s heart

The much-awaited Premier Badminton League kick-started on January 2 and Chhota Bheem, who is the brand ambassador of Hyderabad Hunters, came to support and cheer for his team.

The popular animated character not only thrilled the audiences with his presence but also won superstar Akshay Kumar's heart with his cute antics. Akshay, who is the brand ambassador of PBL and also co-owner of team Mumbai Rockets, posed for pictures with the Indian superhero. Left-handed international badminton player Jwala Gutta is the captain of Bheem's team.

Meanwhile, the makers of Chhota Bheem are gearing up for the release of their upcoming film Chhota Bheem Himalayan Adventure, which is all set to illumine the screens on January 8.

The film is set in Manali and all the characters will be seen donning winter wear in the movie. Produced by Rajiv Chilaka and Samir Jain under their banner Green Gold Pictures, the film has been directed by Rajiv Chilaka and Rusauro B. Adorable and Teja Pratap has written the film's story and screenplay. John Stewart Eduri has composed the music and Kushal Gummadidala has edited the animated adventure comedy.

What is Shotgun's biggest regret?

Actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha has said that contesting elections against Bollywood star Rajesh Khanna was his biggest regret and he had apologised to him too.

"If there is one regret that I have in politics, it is that I was made to fight Rajesh Khanna from Delhi in 1991," Sinha revealed in his biography "Anything But Khamosh" slated to be released on Wednesday.

Sinha revealed that losing the electoral battle was one of his rare moments of dejection and he had apologised to Khanna.

"For this, in his lifetime, I had apologised to Rajesh Khanna both directly and indirectly. Under no circumstances should I have started my active political career with a bye-election. But I couldn't say no to (L.K.) Advani ji, who was my guide, guru and ultimate leader," Sinha said in the book.

Advani, who had contested and won the 1991 elections from Gandhinagar and New Delhi, had opted for his seat in Gujarat.

In the bye-election that followed for the Delhi seat, then political novice Sinha was brought in by the BJP to counter the Congress candidate Rajesh Khanna.

Sinha insisted that he joined the party and fought the bye-election "Only because of the persuasion of Kalyan Singh, Shanta Kumar, Madan Lal Khurana and other party leaders.



"I had initially resisted all their overtures but I was finally taken before Advani ji, and he had said, 'It's a question of our prestige and I don't want to hear a 'No' from you this time."

"When I lost that election, it was one of my rare moments of dejection," he said.

"It was the one time I really cried. I also felt very let down because Advani ji had not come even for one day to campaign for me."

Terming his debut electoral loss a "misstep", Sinha revealed that it was a terrible time for him.

"Politics showed its ugly profile in many ways. After I lost that election, I was so sharply sidelined that I would be made to feel distinctly unwelcome at our party office on Ashoka Road. People would stop talking when I entered, or change the topic and make me uncomfortable.

"One day, a party official who is still with the BJP, came up and told me, 'Shatruji, please sit outside. We'll call you when we're ready to talk to you'," he remembered.

"That went straight to my heart and hurt me so badly, that for years, I never visited the office," he added.

Purab to learn Martial Arts!

The multi-talented, Purab Kohli who will soon appear in 'Airlift' along with Akshay Kumar wants to undertake martial arts lessons.

The actor while shooting for the film 'Airlift' had discussions with Akshay Kumar and was inspired to take some action lessons for himself.

Purab who is​​ currently in London celebrating fatherhood with his first child has a special new year resolution of learning some action moves​ this year​.

The actor will be coming back from London​ this month, soon after his arrival he will enrol for martial arts classes.

The lad who has done everything from modelling, video jockeying, hosted TV shows, appeared in several commercials & films and now will be learning martial arts is undoubtedly 'Jack of all trades'.

A temptation Shahid cannot resist

Shahid Kapoor cannot resist rajma. The actor is known to stick to a strict diet, but when it comes to rajma, he forgets everything.

He posted on social media, "Hungry lazy vibes. Family time. Waiting for rajma." Looks like wifey Mira is making sure that her hubby's favourite dish is on the dining table every few days.

Harshvardhan Kapoor to step in papa's shoes

Rumours of a sequel to Anil Kapoor and Sridevi-starrer Mr India have resurfaced after a brief lull. According to industry insiders, Anil's son Harshvardhan Kapoor is likely to play the lead in the sci-fi's second instalment.

Says a source, "Though Harsh will debut this year with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Mirziya', he will turn to his uncle's (Boney Kapoor) banner for his second outing, which will be 'Mr India 2'."



In November last year, Boney had said. "We are keen to make 'Mr India 2', but we need an exciting idea for it. The day we get the idea we will jump at it."

For the sequel, the producer said the casting of actors would depend on the script, while promising that wife Sridevi and brother Anil would no doubt be part of it. It had also been speculated that Boney's son, actor Arjun Kapoor would star in the film.

While Boney remained unavailable for comment, a source close to Harshvardhan confirms the story.

Zubaan to release in March 2016

Raju Chadha led Wave Cinemas will release Mozez Singh's debut feature film "Zubaan" on 4th March 2016. The musical is produced by Guneet Monga and Shaan Vyas of Sikhya Entertainment (makers of The Lunchbox and Masaan) & Metamozez Entertainment. Zubaan stars Vicky Kaushal and Sarah-Jane Dias in the lead roles. Vicky, one of the best debuts this year in the critically acclaimed Masaan, will also be seen in Anurag Kashyap and Aanand L Rai's next projects. Sarah was greatly appreciated in her last outing, the recently released and critically-acclaimed Angry Indian Goddesses.

Zubaan won accolades when it opened Asia's biggest film festival, the Busan International Film Festival held earlier this year with director Mozez Singh bagging the Rising Director award. It recently also played to an overwhelming response amongst the Indian communities of Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver.Wave Group Chairman Raju Chadha and filmmaker & CEO Wave Cinemas Rahul Mittra were impressed by Zubaan's unique and fresh approach to mainstream filmmaking and feel that it is going to be a significant film for Bollywood.

Bhushan Kumar's T-Series is on board as the music label and is projecting it to be the musical album of next year.

Zubaan is a coming of age story of a young man who has a fear of music and is set between Punjab & Delhi. It is a Wave Cinemas Ponty Chadha presentation in association with Raju Chadha.

When Big B ditched his car and walked

Seeing the traffic bottleneck at Juhu Tara Road, Amitabh Bachchan chose to walk from his residence to a five-star hotel in the vicinity.

Knowing Big B's penchant for punctuality, there was no way he would have got stuck in traffic and reached late. Meanwhile, he returned to Kolkata for the shoot of his film, Te3n. Bachchan felt the tremors of the earthquake which hit north east India yesterday. He tweeted, EARTHQUAKE! felt it around 4.30 am here in Kolkata, bed shook .. i wondered .. confirmed this morning .. May all be safe! PRAYER (sic).

Shraddha cheers her Rock On 2 team while shooting for Baaghi!

Shraddha who was shooting for her forthcoming film Baaghi in Bangkok picked up gifts for her team and the team on Rock On 2!

The actress while shopping in Bangkok also picked up gifts for each one of her team members and also for the AD's of Rock On 2.

While shopping, Shraddha came across goodies that she thought her team would like and so she got it packed!

Her team was surprised with the gifts and loved the surprise goodies.

Shraddha shares a great rapport and bond with her team.

The actress has been occupied with the shoots of her forthcoming films Rock On 2 and Baaghi.

Shraddha also has been in news for playing the lead in the remake of Mani Ratnam's Ok Kanmani opposite Aditya Roy and singing the film Half Girlfriend.

Is Riteish upset over unwanted attention for 'Mastizaade'?

Riteish Deshmukh alleges 'breach of contract' after makers of an upcoming sex comedy 'Mastizaade' use him for promotions.

In most cases, actors take offence when they are not highlighted enough during their film's publicity campaign, but Riteish Deshmukh, who has a bit role in upcoming sex comedy 'Mastizaade', is upset with the makers for giving him too much prominence. Last evening, the actor made his displeasure evident as he took to social media over the issue, calling it a 'breach of contract'.

In a two-part post, Riteish tweeted last evening: "I am part of 2 scenes and a song in MastiZaade -nothing more. I am requesting the makers again- Please honour our agreement. Disappointed with MastiZaade :Its shocking to see them blatantly use me in their promotions-Absolute breach of my contract-agreement &trust (sic)."



The film, which stars Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das, is slated to release later this month and the promotions are already underway. A source says, "Riteish has a special appearance in the film and does not want undue attention for it. He had clearly told the makers not to highlight him in their promotional campaign, but they have gone back on their word."

The makers remained unavailable for comment, but an industry insider pointed out Riteish's tweets could be a publicity stunt for the film.

Big B puts Indian flag as profile pic after Pathankot attacks

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan changed the profile pictures of his social media into National flag to pay tribute to the soldiers killed in Pathankot terror attack.

Bachchan, 73, said he did the same because when Paris attack happened, the French changed their display picture to their National flag.

The 'Piku' star, who is currently shooting for an upcoming film in Kolkata, said the "disturbed World affairs" have affected him a lot.

"The pain of killings and death of our brave heart soldiers... Of the destruction by nature from the morning earthquake in the North Eastern region of our land, close by to where we are now...

"The disturbed World affairs... The weeping and the distress of the families of those lost forever... The anger and outrage, the raised voices and concerns of the common us... The anguish of what we live in and what we shall leave behind for ours..DISTRESSING, DESOLATE AND DISMAL.. Why ..??!!!"

Again !!! Shahid and Alia to come together

Its been in news that Shahid and Alia have been approached by several brands to come on board to endorse their products!

Sources revealed, the duo have been getting various brand endorsements as their pairing has been well accepted by the audience.

When Shahid and Alia were paired together for their last release, their Jodi was talked about widely! Audiences loved seeing them together as they make for a lovely pair. Their chemistry on screen was well appreciated and it seems that audiences want to see more of it!

The duo also share a great rapport in real life and their tunning with each other seems to be effortless. This is what even transforms on the screen.

Now brands want to capitalise on this exact equity and hence are approaching the duo for their brands.

In Fact the pair will again be seen in their next which is Abhishek Chaubeys Udta Punjab. One of the most talked about films will have Shahid and Alia romance on the silver screen.

'Bigg Boss 9': Priya taunts Prince; calls him a coward

During the ticket to finale task, Priya tells Prince to gather courage to play an individual game instead of playing in a group resulting in a massive war of words between them.

'Do Aur Do Paanch' wakes up the housemates on Day 86 of Bigg Boss. Rochelle apologises to Priya for hiding her stole and she accepts it but when Mandana apologises to Priya, she refuses to accept the apology. Rishabh tells Mandana not to expect an apology as she has made friends in the house only for her own benefit. Surprisingly, Prince takes Mandana's side and tells Priya to accept her apology, giving her the reason that he is certain that Priya has also been mean in the past.

Later in the day, Bigg Boss announces the first task of the 'Road to Finale' week. While Keith is the 'sanchalak', the other housemates are provided with funnels full of 400 kgs of sand which they have to prevent from falling off the funnel and save till the end of the task. The housemates are allowed to attack others and dislocate their funnels with the help of a lever placed at the bottom of the funnel. The three housemates who will have most number of sand left in their containers by the end of the task will move to the next level of the game.



Making Mandana the first target, the housemates immediately attack her funnel, trying to lessen the quantity of sand. Agitated by them, Mandana breaks Rochelle's lever and puts the blame on Rishabh. Kishwer tells Mandana that other housemates do not consider her as a competition and believe that she does not deserve to win the show. Rishabh adds on to Kishwer's point and says that it was a stupid decision that he took to support Mandana all this while.

Bigg Boss Day 86Priya Malik and Prince Narula get into a massive fight.

Within seconds, Priya becomes the next target and the housemates pounce on her. She tells Prince and the rest of the housemates to gather courage to play an individual game instead of playing in a group. Priya further gets instigated and Priya twists Mandana's hand while Mandana complains about Priya getting physical in the task. Soon enough, Priya does the same trick with Rochelle and even Rochelle cries out for help.

When the task for the day ends, both Priya and Rochelle display talk about their injuries to Bigg Boss. Kishwer tells Mandana that the game is not over yet and she will not leave any opportunity to harm her further. Meanwhile, Keith consoles Rochelle when she feels upset about Priya having attacked her in spite of Rochelle staying off of Priya's funnel. Rochelle tells him that everyone is playing double games and she is going to try and defend herself and in case anybody attacks her, she will attack right back.



In the evening, Kishwer confesses to Rishabh that Rochelle's friendship for her is over after last week and she might just attack her in the task the next day. Later, Priya asks Rishabh if he ever thought she was being violent in any way.

She tells him that she would only attack nominated contestants the next day so that she gets saved from being ousted. When they join the rest, the other housemates taunt Priya for groupism with Rishabh. Priya and Prince get into an argument when he sees that the next day will have Priya see the real Prince. The day draws to an end with Rochelle trying to strategise with Rishabh.

Tanishaa Mukerji spreads her charm in the Bigg Boss House again

The gorgeous Tanishaa Mukerji recently entered the Bigg Boss House and charmed the contestants with her persona. During this episode she also made some startling revelations when she got the contestants to reveal their deepest darkest secrets in the form of a confession. From Priya Malik confessing her guilt on throwing urine on Kishwer to Kishwer's biggest revelation on not helping Mandana when she scalded her hair, Tanishaa helped the contestants alleviate their guilt.

Tanishaa Mukerji was one of the most popular contestants on Bigg Boss Season 7 in 2013. The audience loved her on the show mainly for being herself throughout the season. She shared a great rapport with her co-contestants and she passed on similar advice to the participants this season.

Tanishaa has definitely helped lighten the mood in the house with her appearance.

Ekta Kapoor objectifies the 'men' in her next film

Producer Ekta Kapoor objectifies the 'men' in her next porn com! Ekta apparently made one small but significant change in the lyrics of The naughty track 'oh boy' from her next film Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3.

While initially the ace music composers Sajid - Wajid had recorded the song with the girl singing ' oh boy, I am your soft toy' , ekta on hearing this insisted the song be re-recorded for the bombshell Mandana to instead address the boys Tusshar and Aftab as 'her' soft toys. Eventually the song was re-recorded with 'oh boy, you are my soft toy'. Talk about women power! The boys though seem to enjoy being Mandana's soft toy!

Starring Tusshar Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani and Mandana Karimi in lead roles, 'Kya Kool Hai Hum 3' is scheduled to release on the 22nd of Jan.

Why Rekha left Fitoor?

Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor has put rest to rumours that actress Rekha left "Fitoor" as she found an uncanny resemblance between her real life and her character. He says it was only because they "saw things very differently" that they decided it would be best not to do this film together.

"When we started out, Rekhaji was in the film. She is a wonderful, gracious, generous and a very lovely lady. During the course of the making the film, we just saw things very differently and right at the beginning, we thought it's best that we don't do this film together; and we will workout something else in future," Kapoor said here.

Rubbishing recent reports conjecturing on Rekha's exit from the film, he said: "When reports like this come out, it's not fair to the lovely lady because she is a very reserved and a private person. She would not stand up and say something to safeguard her own interest. I think we should be more cautious and it would be cruel to say something like that about her."



The enigmatic veteran actress in future was roped in to play the character of Begum in Kapoor's Indian adaptation of the popular Charles Dickens's classic novel "Great Expectations". She walked out of the project in May 2015, and the very versatile Tabu replaced her.

Kapoor said he's thankful to Tabu.

"I had Tabu who graciously came on board and she got into the skin of the character, which is so layered. I want to thank Tabu who came to rescue us in a matter of three days. More than that, I don't know what to say," he said, adding that the characterisation didn't change at all.

"Fitoor", releasing next month, features Katrina Kaif playing Firdaus, while Aditya Roy Kapur is seen as Noor.

Akki's Independence Day outing

Kriarj Productions recently announced their project, 'Rustom', in collaboration with Zee Studios. The Akshay Kumar-starrer will be creatively steered by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey.

Plans are on to announce another film that will also be in collaboration with Zee Studios. Kriarj also has three other films lined up. Arjun N Kapoor, co-founder of the company, says, "Early in my career, I have got an opportunity to work with Akshay Sir. It is a dream start. His commitment to his work and films is legendary and that is exactly what I would like to emulate in my journey in the industry."

He adds, "Akshay Sir is one of those rare gems who have made a place for themselves even though he is from a non-film background. In this competitive and tough environment of Hindi films, he has remained in the top rung consistently for a long time and this is what I admire in him."

'Rustom' will be directed by Tinu Desai. He might be making his directorial debut, but he has a vast experience in filmmaking. The story that Tinu has managed to etch out is gripping and will keep the audience hooked. The film is being co-produced by Friday Filmworks which is Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatia's film company.



Shital Bhatia, partner Friday Filmworks says, "Our focus has always been on high content-driven commercial cinema, especially in the thriller space, a fact well borne out by our filmography. Rustom fits perfectly with this focus of ours and, more importantly, presents us with one more opportunity to work with Akshay Kumar, someone who we really enjoy working with and have some of our biggest hits with.

Akash Chawla, Zee Studios business head, says, "We are happy and pleased to associate with Akshay Kumar, Friday Filmworks and Kriarj Entertainment. We look forward to making 2016 Independence Day weekend a cinematic treat for movie lovers with 'Rustom'."

Aftab not worried about 'Airlift', 'Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3' clash

The erotic double entendre-loaded Bollywood sex comedy "Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3" will clash at the box office with action thriller "Airlift" on January 22. But Aftab Shivdasani, who is part of the former, says he is not worried about the clash with the Akshay Kumar-starrer.

"Both are very different kind of movies. Last month also, we watched a big clash ('Dilwale' and 'Bajirao Mastani'), but both went well at the box office. There is an audience for both the films. So no need to worry," Aftab said.

"Kyaa Kool Hai Hum 3", said to be a porn-com, also stars Tusshar Kapoor and Mandana Karimi in lead roles along with Gizele Thakral, Claudia Ciesla, Krushna Abhishek, Shakti Kapoor and Darshan Jariwala.

Clearly, a clash with "Airlift" is a clash of genres.

"'Airlift' is an action thriller and more on patriotic side... ours is in the light-hearted and adult comedy space. There is a certain type of audience who want to watch these type of movies. Akshay is a big star and a very dear friend, so I hope both films will do well at box office.

"We think that both the films will find audiences because of different genres," the "Masti' actor added.

Shraddha in 'LOVE' with Aditya's 'Fitoor' trailer

The film industry is going gaga over the painting-like trailer of "Fitoor", but a special someone is in love with it! It is Aditya Roy Kapur's rumoured ladylove Shraddha Kapoor.

"Fitoor" stars Aditya with Katrina Kaif -- a first-time pairing in Bollywood.

After watching the trailer, which was released on Monday, Shraddha tweeted: "In LOVE with the #Fitoor trailer. You guys have to check it out http://bit.ly/FitoorTrailer."

The film, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, also features Tabu.

Farhan's 'Wazir' avatar impresses IPS officer

Farhan Akhtar's look and performance as an ATS officer in "Wazir" has received a thumbs up from an an IPS officer, who was the actor's role model for his character in the forthcoming film.

After watching the premiere of the Bejoy Nambiar-directorial, IPS officer Vishwas Nangre Patil took to Facebook to laud Farhan. The film, which will release on Friday, narrates a story of how two officers join hands for revenge, and how they accomplish the mission despite several hurdles. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan plays the second officer.

Patil posted on Facebook: "Mr. Bachchan and Farhan both have put life into the characters and the director has succeeded to carve out world class epic. The plot is so intriguing and dramatic that even being police officers we could not anticipate the shock and suspense at the climax."



He added that though there's some semblance of Farhan's character to his life, the role is quite different.

"Yes, somewhat Farhan's moustache, hairstyle and sleeves style matches with mine, but the character has no connection with my life or personality, except being an IPS officer. In all the roles in the movie as a husband, father, police officer, friend and patriot with a mission, he is so intense and outstanding.

"At the interval, Farhan was kind to introduce me as his role model to his friends... I have seen his passion for every minutest detail. He is a perfectionist... A must watch 'this game of shatranj and two great Wazirs of Bollywood playing together."

Pouting a fine art, takes a lot to get right: KJo

Filmmaker Karan Johar has said pouting was an art and "it takes a lot to push the boundaries" to get it right.

Karan was responding to a Twitter-user who had mentioned that she was "falling into the abyss of depression" after seeing the filmmaker, who has helmed movies like "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...", "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" among many, pouting in an image.

"I'm suddenly falling into the abyss of depression after seeing @karanjohar pouting. (Despite) Being a guy he does it better than me," the user tweeted.

The 43-year-old filmmaker expounded on the art of pouting by saying: "https://twitter.com/anjalihegde/status/684230092600430592... It's a fine art Anjali!! It takes a lot to push the boundaries of your lips and suck the contours of your cheeks!!"

Meanwhile, Karan is busy shooting his forthcoming film "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" with actors Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who made her comback in 2015 with the film "Jazbaa".

Love story in 'Wazir' very intense, intimate, says Aditi Rao Hydari

Actress Aditi Rao Hydari was delighted to act with Farhan Akhtar in "Wazir", and says their love story in the movie is "intense and intimate".

Talking about her chemistry with Farhan, Aditi said: "I'm very grateful because ultimately the love story portion of 'Wazir' is a very intimate and very intense. I'm ecstatic because I'm a big fan of Farhan. I'm really happy that I got this opportunity to work with him, and I'm happy that people have liked us together.

"I hope that I can work with him again."

The songs "Tere bin" as well as the song "Tu mere paas" from the film, have highlighted the chemistry between the two actors. Both songs also show the differences they share and how they please each other later on. Farhan had also termed an intense kitchen scene in the film as his most favourite.



About the film and her experiences, Aditi said: "The team of 'Wazir' is very special. All those who have worked on the film -- whether it is Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Bejoy Nambiar... everybody is a special person and a very special artiste... They are all amazing people. I'm the youngest of all of them, so I'm privileged to be a part of it."

The film's story, she says, is "very gripping and beautiful".

"It's the first film of the year, so let's start the year on a good note and make it a hit," she said.

"Wazir" is releasing on Friday.

'Dilwale' still stronger than 'Bajirao Mastani'

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's romantic action comedy film "Dilwale" is going strong in theatres, especially overseas, even after three weeks of its release. The film has made a gross collection of Rs.335 crore worldwide.

The Rohit Shetty-directorial, which also stars Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, among others, has minted Rs.141.58 crore in India so far and an overseas collection of Rs.149.80 crore, thus taking its net total to Rs.291.38 crore, read a statement.

"Diwale", which marks the return of Bollywood's most-loved onscreen couple - Shah Rukh and Kajol - after five years, released alongside filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Bajirao Mastani" on December 18 last year.

The film has collected $7.5 million in the Gulf which is the second highest so far for a Bollywood film. In Malaysia, "Dilwale" raked in $one million, which is the highest so far.

US collection of the film now stands at $4.8 million, while in Britain, "Dilwale" has collected 2.17 million pounds.

Pratyusha creates a controversy again

Television actress Pratyusha Banerjee of "Balika Vadhu" fame has filed an FIR against eight men, including three policemen, claiming tried to barge into her residence here.

The incident happened on Monday evening.

Pratyusha told IANS that eight people barged into her Kandivali residence here and asked for her friend, actor Rahul Raj Singh. When the actress told them that he was not at home, they forcefully tried to barge inside.

"I'm extremely upset with whatever happened last evening. If this is how policemen are going to behave, then what to do? I have filed an FIR against eight men, of whom three are policemen," Pratyusha said.

"They entered my house, pushed my door, they were misbehaving with me and were so rude. It took me three hours to convince the police to file the FIR since police themselves were also involved in it. Today, I am going to meet the (area) DCP," she added when IANS contacted her on Tuesday.

Apparently, it's all got to do with a car loan that Rahul Raj Singh had taken from a bank and had been irregular in his repayments.

Pratyusha said: "On the night of December 31, the bank had sent a recovery agent to my place for a Rs.5,000 EMI for the month of December without even informing us. The man had come drunk and was not ready to leave even after we gave the money. So, Rahul took matters in hand and sent him out of the house.

"Last night, they again came to my house. I told them Rahul does not live here and that's when all this happened," she added.

Divya never mixes work and relationship

Actress Divya Dutta says working with friends makes the experience enjoyable but doing a film for the sake of friendship is not on her to-do list.

Calling her next film titled "Chalk N Duster", helmed by Jayant Gilatar, "most interesting", she told IANS: "I was going to meet somebody. I was in a building lobby and then I met the director by chance. He said 'I was going to call you up.' I asked 'Why?'. He said 'I am starting a film called 'Chalk N Duster'. I want you to do the main negative role'."

Shocked by the offer, the actress thought that the director was joking.

"He was serious. The kind of faith he had in me... I instantly agreed to do the film," she said.

But Divya added that she is not one of those actors who will take up a project for the sake of friendship.



"I never do films for relationships. They only add on. There are some things that you do instinctively. Being an actor, it's very important to keep the actor in me happy. I am sure people won't call me for anything stupid. The kind of work you do, is what matters," said the actress, who has impressed with her work in films like "Veer-Zaara", "Delhi-6", "Welcome to Sajjanpur" and "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag".

Her forthcoming film "Chalk N Duster", which will hit the screens on January 15, is based on commercialisation of education. Divya says it depicts reality.

"Everything has become commercial... right from the medical department to teaching. Anything that is ambitious, that offers opportunity has become commercial," she said.

What added to Farhan's anxiety?

Actor-director Farhan Akhtar, who will be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the film "Wazir", says he was really excited and anxious to work with him in the forthcoming movie.

Asked if it was intimidating to work with Big B, Farhan told reporters here: "It was not intimidating. I was really excited (to work with him). So that was the predominant kind of emotion."

"Anxious to a certain degree of course, because you kind of want to be there with him because you know what he is capable of doing. So just anxious about that. I think those were the two main things."

Farhan, who directed the 73-year-old thespian in the 2004 war drama film "Lakshya", says that he had an "out of body experience" on the "first day of shoot" with Amitabh.



The 41-year-old actor will be seen essaying the role of a tough Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer named Daanish Ali in "Wazir".

Asked how different is this role from the others he has essayed, the "Dil Dhadakne Do" star said: "It's a completely different part. It's a completely different film. So you can't compare."

Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, "Wazir" is co-produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani.

The film also features Aditi Rao Hydari, Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham in pivotal roles.

"Wazir" is slated to hit the screens on Friday.

Sonakshi still has a long way to go

Actress Sonakshi Sinha, who won the Filmfare Award for best debutant in 2011 for the Salman Khan-starrer film "Dabangg", says she has to work hard to win the Black Lady in the best actress category.

In her five-year career so far, Sonakshi has worked with superstars like Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan and given hits like "Son of Sardar", "Rowdy Rathore", "Dabangg 2", "Lootera", and "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty", among others.

The actress was present at the 61st Filmfare Awards press meet here on Monday.


On being asked when her dream of winning the best actress Filmfare Award will get fulfilled, she said: "I think I have to work really really hard for that. I got a chance once (nominated for 'Lootera' in 2014) but did not get the award."

"...I have to do lot of good work. And, when they will realise that I am worthy enough, I am sure they will give it to me," she added.

The 61st Filmfare Award will take place on January 15.

Meanwhile, Sonakshi is now waiting for the release of "Akira" and "Force 2".

Why Juhi skipped SRK's film 'Dilwale'?

At a recent event, Juhi Chawla reportedly told the audience that she had not seen 'Dilwale' because she had not heard good things about the film.

The actress felt it was okay to not watch it as it did not matter. Now, everyone knows that apart from Kajol, it was Shah Rukh Khan's pairing with Juhi that worked magic and the two have done several films together.

They had also launched a production house together years ago and are now also co-owners of a cricket league team. Now, I wonder what SRK has to say about Juhi's frank talk.

Kat doubting men's intellect?

There is a popular saying that "women's minds are difficult to read" but actress Katrina Kaif disagrees.

During the trailer launch of "Fitoor", when the actress was asked if she agrees with the saying, she said: "No I completely disagree. I think that women know more than men. I can only speak for myself. Well I can say I know my mind."

Katrina, who is currently dating actor Ranbir Kapoor, says that she is so certain of her mind that sometimes it becomes her "weakness".

"I am very certain of my mind and sometimes it becomes my weakness. I think sometimes men know their mind less. I am not saying this in a bad way." She quipped.

"Fitoor" directed by Abhishek Kapoor, also features Aditya Roy Kapoor and Tabu. The film is co-produced by Aditya's brother Siddharth Roy Kapur. Katrina plays the role of Firdaus who is the daughter of Tabu's character in the film.

The film is an intense love story between Firdaus (Katrina) and Noor ( played by Aditya). It will release on February 12.

2016: Bollywood to treat buffs with melange of genres

"Wazir" and "Chauranga"; "Ghayal Once Again" and "Chalk n Duster"; "Airlift" and "Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3" - Bollywood's slate for the first month of 2016 itself tells the myriad shades of cinema which will entertain and engage audiences this year.

There's a bouquet of commercial as well as content-oriented films in the first quarter of 2016, which trade pundits hope will not just rake in the moolah at the box office, but will give the year a "bright" and "big" start.

In fact, there's hope that the movie exibition industry will mint bigger business this year as compared to 2015 as almost 20 big tickets movies, including those from Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and two from Shah Rukh Khan, said Amit Sharma, managing director, Miraj Cinemas.

Right from megastar Amitabh Bachchan to Akshay Kumar, Shabana Azmi, Sunny Deol, Priyanka Chopra, Manoj Bajpayee, Ritesh Deshmukh, R. Madhavan, Sunny Leone, Sonam Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif -- these names will add their magic to the silver screen in the first quarter itself, with films of different genres.



"To start off, January is looking quite promising. In terms of first quarter, whatever releases we have in front of us, we definitely see variety in genres right from a niche film like 'Chauranga' to action thriller 'Ghayal Once Again' and adult comedy 'Maastizade'. Than 'Saala Khadoos' is a sports drama film.

"Also, in February we have romantic films like 'Sanam Re' and 'Sanam Teri Kasam', biopic like 'Neerja' and a strong undercurrent film like 'Bollywood Diaries'. Then in March there is 'Jai Gangaajal' and 'Great Grand Masti'," Girish Johar of Zee Studios told IANS.

Mumbai-based trade expert Rajesh Thadani believes there are various films "which look commercially viable" in this leap year.

"The first quarter slate looks good as compared to last year, but obviously we have to wait and watch what better comes out (through the year)," Thadani said; while Devang Sampat, business head - Strategy, Cinepolis, pointed out that as compared to three mainstream movies last January, 2016 has five of them.

The year 2015 proved to be lucky for Salman Khan as both "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" did well at the box office. This year, he will be seen in "Sultan", which will clash on Eid with "Raees", starring Shah Rukh, who first has an April release of "Fan".



Also, Aamir, who was missing from action in 2015, will return to the silver screen with "Dangal".

Asked about number of films expected to cross Rs.100 crore mark, Thadani pointed out that as there is a big film releasing every Friday in the first quarter, most films "won't have a long run in theatres to make big figures due to competition".

"But films with strong content will be appreciated," Thadani said.

Sampat added: "Good content is lined up throughout the year. Two weeks is a good time for a big release to prove its mettle. If the content is good, then it can run for further five to six weeks like 'Baahubali: The Beginning' and 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'."

Another interesting factor in the 2016 lineup is the increase in number of films based on real-life incidents and biopics like "Airlift", "Neerja", "Aligarh", "Azhar", "Udta Punjab", "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story" and "Dangal".



"All these films are quite different from each other. People talked about in these films have big stories and history behind them. If the films are properly mounted and well-made, people would definitely look forward to them," Johar said.

So far, the year looks promising. But whether they set the cash registers ringing or touch a chord in the audiences' heart, remains to be seen.

Is Katrina insecure about her love?

Actress Katrina Kaif says the difficult thing in a relationship is either the opposition from others or shaky commitment of the person one loves.

In the upcoming film "Fitoor", the lead pair of Katrina and Aditya Roy Kapur seemingly face difficulty in uniting.

Asked about the difficulties in love, Katrina said, "In love, opposition comes from either outside force or from the person you are in love with.

"Every relationship and love story has its own conflicts. Sometimes it can be conflict of third party, of being afraid of commitment, there can be so many conflicts." To portray certain emotions on screen, the 32-year-old "Bang Bang!" star draws from her real life experiences.

"It is not necessary that you translate everything from your own life to a film. But the moments of pain, happiness, moment of love, sorrow, you can you use those moments."



The director of "Fitoor", Abhishek Kapoor, said it's difficult to read the mind of women.

Katrina demurred. "I disagree. I think women know their mind better than the men. I can speak for myself. I think I know my mind. I am too certain... It, probably, is my weakness. Men know their minds less.

"This character is inspired by 'Great Expectations' (Charles Dickens's novel). She has a mind of a man. Her mind is so unlike mine," she said.

BO Diary: 'Bajirao Mastani' rules at box office

Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed period drama 'Bajirao Mastani', one of the most talked about movies of 2015, has mopped up Rs 301 crore worldwide since its release on December 18, its distributor said today.

The film, starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles, had a gross collection of Rs 211 crore in India (net box office collection of Rs 162.35 crore) and Rs 90 crore (USD 13.5 million) in overseas markets, Eros International Media said in a statement here.

"The Christmas and New Year holiday weekends have shown tremendous footfalls (in cinema halls) and with no new release for another week, we expect this phenomenon to continue," Eros International Senior Vice-President (India Theatrical) Nandu Ahuja said.

The movie production and distribution company claimed the movie was the third highest grosser of 2015.

The film, produced by Bhansali, narrates the story of Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I and his second wife Mastani.



Eros released 'Bajirao Mastani' across 3750 screens worldwide on December 18 and went on to increase showcasing to meet demand in the subsequent weeks.

"Bajirao Mastani continues to perform equally well in the overseas markets too with it crossing the coveted million mark across key territories including the US, the UK and Australia.

"Overall, the third weekend collections have dropped by only 20 per cent approximately over the second weekend," Eros International President Marketing and Distribution Pranab Kapadia said.

Richa touted as one of the best actresses of 2015

Actress Richa Chadha is listed among one of the finest actresses in Bollywood today. With films like Masaan and Main Aur Charles, Richa Chadha impressed all with her performance. The year 2015 was full of accolades and praises for her, she was featured among the best actresses of the year indicating the impact she has made on the audience.

Her film Masaan was one of the best films in 2015 and was showcased at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival where she walked the red carpet with the movie winning 2 prestigious awards. She was even awarded as the Editor's Choice Best Actress Award for Massan at the Stardust Awards.

The critically acclaimed actress, who received immense recognition for her role in Masaan, has always been known to break barriers with her choice of films. She is one of the most diverse actors in the industry today; from playing an old lady to playing a young lawyer Richa has essayed each role with ease. The actress has never shied away from making bold choices and has always stood up for a challenge.

Owing to her choices she is undoubtedly called as one of the best actresses of 2015 by renowned personalities like Anupama Chopra, Miss Malini, Kaveree Bazmai, Aniruddha Guha, Shubhra Gupta, Rajeev Masand, Malishka to name a few. Richa Chadha took the international stage by storm as the Jury member at the Marrakech Film Festival alongside Hollywood's legendary director Francis Ford Coppola.

The year 2015, showcased Richa as a talented, strong willed actor whose hard work has been appreciated by fans and critics alike.

Why is Malaika missing from her show 'Power Couple'?

Malaika Arora Khan has strangely gone missing from the reality show 'Power Couple' that she was hosting with husband Arbaaz Khan.

The irony is hard to miss. Reality show 'Power Couple', which hit the tube last month with Arbaaz Khan with wife Malaika Arora Khan as hosts, has been putting crazily-in-love celebrity couples through various tasks to test their compatibility. However, since the last few episodes, Arbaaz has been flying solo with Malaika curiously missing from the scene.


A unit hand says, "Malaika comes off and on to the sets, but she has chosen to skip the last few days of shoot. We have not been informed about the reason."

An industry insider, however, claims that Malaika is playing truant on purpose. "The real reason behind her absence is that she and Arbaaz are going through some personal issues. In order to avoid a public squabble, she is staying away," says the source.

When we contacted Malaika, she said, "The show format is such that I come in for special episodes. There is no problem between Arbaaz and me. I have not been missing.

I had signed up for a few episodes only."

Censor stands divided over 'Jai Gangajal'?

Censor board member Ashoke Pandit has again questioned his chief Pahlaj Nihalani for making cuts in films, this time in the upcoming Priyanka Chopra-starrer cop drama 'Jai Gangaajal'.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) wanted to give the film an 'A' certificate due to a few violent and abusive scenes, but director Prakash Jha did not agree and wanted a 'UA' certificate.

Jha, in a recent interview, said he was offered a 'U/A' certificate with 11 cuts.

Pandit, himself a filmmaker, took to Twitter to criticise Nihalani.

"Sad that a filmmaker like @prakashjha27 has to face problems at #CBFC. What was #PahalajNihalani doing at the #RevisingCommitee? #JaiGangaajal," he wrote. While Rajkumar Hirani was allowed to retain the word 'saala' in the title of his next, "Saala Khadoos", Jha said he has been asked not to use the same word in "Jai Gangaajal".

Hinting towards censor board's apparent different treatment to the two movies, Pandit said, "Why was no #CBFC #BoardMember involved in the #RevisingCommitee during the screening of #JaiGangaajal? On what basis does #CBFC chairman allow cuss words in a film & not in another? Does it depend on his relationship with d maker?#JaiGangaajal.



"Why r Board Members not on the revising committee? Is it just because we don't agree with archival thoughts of the Chairman?#JaiGangaajal #CBFC," he further posted. Pandit added that the new committee formed by the government to revamp the censor board should begin its working as soon as possible. It is headed by eminent filmmaker Shyam Benegal.

"#ShyamBenegal ji should immediately look in to the functioning of the CBFC off & analyse how the Chairman manipulates screening of films. #JaiGangaajal."

The panel would submit its report in two months. It also includes filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, adman Piyush Pandey and film critic Bhawana Somaaya.

This is not the first time that Pandit has raised his voice against the censor board making cuts. He had objected to the cuts in films like "NH10", "Spectre", "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Dum Laga Ke Haisa".

Sona plays a bet on Ranveer

While Ranveer Singh is basking in the glory of his performance in 'Bajirao Mastani', actress Sonakshi Sinha feels the actor is going to sweep all the awards this year.

Ranveer essayed the role of Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao 1 in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed period-drama.

When asked which performances she liked in the year 2015, Sonakshi told reporters, "Varun (Dhawan) did a fantastic job in 'Badlapur', actually the entire team of Nawazuddin, Yami and Divya Dutta. Other than that, I think Ranveer in Bajirao was something else. I have no words for it. I think he is going to win all the awards this year."

The 28-year-old actress was speaking at the press conference of 61st Britannia Filmfare Awards 2015.

Sonakshi, who made her Bollywood debut opposite superstar Salman Khan in 'Dabangg', said she never wanted to be an actress, but "Chak De India" and "Aaja Nachle" were two films that inspired her.

"Growing up I never wanted to be an actor. I neither grew up on films, nor on watching performances... But, when I was in school or college, 'Chak De India' had released. The actor who played the 'Hatti-Katti' Punjabi hockey player, I saw that and thought it would be fun to play this role.


"That was the first instance I ever imagined myself wanting to play a role. Other than that, 'Aaja Nachle' of Madhuri Dixit, I watched the entire film and I was blown. I said if I'll dance I'll dance like that (in the film) otherwise I won't."

The actress is currently elated with the response to her maiden single "Aaj mood Ishqholic hi" and plans to sing more songs in the future.

"I don't want it to be a one-off thing. Music I something I am very passionate about. The response to the song has been fantastic so that gives me the confidence to do more in that space, do more songs. It's basically a passion project," she added.

Kangana the norm breaker of 2015

2015 was actress Kangana Ranaut's year. From ruling the box office with the success of Tanu weds Manu Returns to becoming the highest paid actress in Bollywood, Kangana took Bollywood by storm. Here's a list of the few standing norms of Bollywood that the actress broke in 2015:

1. Kangana Ranaut entered the 300cr club:


The actress' last film Tanu weds Manu Returns became the first and only female centric film till date to cross the 300 cr mark. The film had the highest collections in 2015 after Salman Khan's film Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

Kangana's double role in the film was regarded as the best double role ever in the history of Bollywood by the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.

2. Kangana Ranaut gave a new definition to women empowerment in Bollywood:


After delivering a stunning performance in a double role in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Kangana became the highest paid actress leaving all her contemporaries behind. The actress commanded a staggering fee of 11 cr for one of her upcoming projects



3. Kangana Ranaut became a global face:

One of the highlights of the year 2015 was that the actress was invited to speak at the most prestigious 'Women in the World' summit at the Lincoln Center. This was the first time when an Indian actress was invited to speak at this platform.

4. Kangana Ranaut stuns the world at the Paris Fashion Week:


Kangana's presence at the prestigious Paris Fashion Week in 2015 was a memorable one. She was the first Indian actress to be invited for the front row and was dressed exclusively by Dior couture. Kangana left the audience in awe with her fashion statements as compared to actresses who have attempted the show in the past