Svelte and sexy! Disha Patani goes topless for Dabboo Ratnani's calendar

Disha Patani poses topless for Dabboo Ratnani's 2017 calendar. Picture courtesy/Disha Patani's Twitter account/Dabboo Ratnani

×Actress Disha Patani, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story', posed topless for Dabboo Ratnani's 2017 calendar photo shoot.

Doesn't she look smokin' hot?

Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, Sunny Leone, Abhishek Bachchan, Shraddha Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan, among other Bollywood stars, feature in Dabboo Ratnani's calendar this year.

Naseeruddin Shah: Om Puri's journey was incredible

Om Puri (1950-2017)

×At Om Puri's chautha ceremony on Monday, Naseeruddin Shah remembered his best friend and shared a few anecdotes from his early days. "Om Puri once invited me to his place in Delhi; it was a railway guard's house. He had cooked egg curry. I asked him to show me where he sleeps. He took me to a corridor facing the station and a stench greeted me. I saw a neat charpoy with a pair of chappals slipped under the bed. The stove on which he had made the anda curry for me was also there. There were a couple of books on exercising apart from Constantin Stanislavski's My Life In Art.

Naseeruddin Shah

I need not describe this, but wanted you to know Om's journey from the corridors of an old Delhi station to the successful actor we all fantasise about," he said.

Naseer also recalled how Om Puri would impersonate the late actor Amrish Puri over the phone. "In those days, there were only landlines. I would hear Amrish Puri's voice on the other end and be on my best behaviour. Many thought Om was Amrish Puri's son or brother and Govind Nihalini is solely responsible for it [creating that perception]. I envied Om's voice and he envied my English [speaking abilities]."

Tom Alter to play Ruskin Bond in short film

Veteran actor Tom Alter has taken on a role as celebrated author Ruskin Bond in a new short film, its maker Bhargav Saikia has revealed.
Saikia, whose Kashmir-set independent thriller production "Kaafiron Ki Namaaz" and horror short film "Awakenings" was widely acclaimed, is happy to welcome the actor on board for his new project, which narrates one of Bond's short stories. The director-producer did not wish to name which story of the noted author he has picked to translate to the screen.
Talking about roping in Tom Alter for the role, Saikia told IANS that his extensive acting experience in films, theatre and television, and his close friendship with the author, will be an asset to the film.
While Saikia is looking forward to a "fruitful collaboration" with the actor, he is happy that he has Bond's support for the film too.
"I met Ruskin Bond sir in Landour (near Mussoorie) last year and he was very kind to grant me the permission to make a short film on one of his stories," Saikia said and clarified that his film is not a biopic on Ruskin Bond.
Other cast members of the project are yet to be revealed.
India's much-loved author, Ruskin Bond, is 82 and continues to enthral readers with his stories, mostly themed on nature.
Earlier, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj had adapted two of his stories for the film medium. The films made were "The Blue Umbrella" and "7 Khoon Maaf".

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Haraamkhor' connect

Vidhu Vinod Chopra

×The forthcoming release "Haraamkhor" was made via crowd funding, but what many don't know is that filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave a personal grant for its production.It was when Chopra read the film's script that he was convinced to contribute personally for the film.

Producer Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment said in a statement: "We were at the NFDC (National Film Development Corporation) pitch lab where we had to pitch our film. And we won the pitch which was sponsored by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and we got the grant of the money from him, which worked towards the post-production of our film.

"The film was produced through a crowd fund on Facebook. Phantom Films wasn't involved. But when the film was wrapped up, we showed it to Anurag (Kashyap) since he's both Shlok (director Shlok Sharma) and my mentor. He saw the movie and loved it and came on board in the capacity of a producer. The film was produced under Rs 1 crore."

"Haraamkhor" is releasing on Friday, and features Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi in key roles of a teacher and student.

After almost 20 years, Shoojit Sircar's dream project, a biopic on Udham Singh, becomes reality

New Delhi: Gestating for nearly two decades, director Shoojit Sircar's dream project, a biopic on revolutionary Udham Singh, is finally set to become a reality.
Shoojit, who produced last year's most impactful film "Pink", says he wanted to make the movie on Udham Singh right after he shifted to Mumbai.
"I have been working on the story for 18-19 years now. When I shifted to Mumbai, this was the first film that I wanted to make but something else would always come up. It is set in pre-Independence era, so it was a little difficult to plan," Shoojit told PTI in an interview.
The director says his visit to Jallianwala Bagh in the '90s triggered the idea about Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab in British India in 1940, to avenge the 1919 massacre.
"In the '90s we had a group in Delhi called Act One which had me, Piyush Mishra and Ashish Vidyarthi. We used to sing songs of national harmony."
"During this time, Punjab was coming out of turmoil. I visited the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh at that time. When I went there and saw what actually happened there, that triggered me emotionally."
Shoojit, who has films like "Yahaan", "Vicky Dina", "Madras Cafe" and "Piku" to his credit, says Udham Singh is a forgotten hero.
"He was one of the prominent faces of the freedom movement but youngsters don't know much about this martyr. He is a forgotten hero. Through my film, I want the youngsters to know him."
Shoojit has already started work on the film but he is mum about casting.
The project on Udham Singh is not the only film that will keep the director busy in 2017 as he is collaborating with his "Piku" scriptwriter Juhi Chaturvedi for a love story.
"Juhi and I are working again after 'Vicky Donor' and 'Piku'. We share a very good rapport. It is a simple love story. There will be issues around it. We are currently working on it. We are producing with Ronnie Lahiri. I will direct both the films."
He is also one the producers of "Runningshaadi.com" and Shoojit says he is happy for the film, which has been directed by Amit Roy and stars Amit Sadh and Taapsee Pannu.
Talking about "Pink", which has been hailed as one of the strongest movies to come out of Bollywood on the issues that modern women face, Shoojit says they were careful in keeping the story's integrity intact.
"When you make a film like 'Pink', you are working on the edge. We were very careful about the integrity of the issue.
With 'Pink', we tried to address all the issues that women face. We decided to open up completely so that there is no debate left.
"Similarly, 'Vicky Donor' could have easily been slapstick but I knew that the topic we were dealing with was serious. So, we walked a thin line."

Has Katrina Kaif refused to promote 'Jagga Jasoos' with Ranbir Kapoor?

Katrina Kaif

×Buzz is Katrina Kaif has refused to promote 'Jagga Jasoos' with ex-flame and co-star Ranbir Kapoor. Though RK is game, Kat has put her foot down. Although the duo split close to a year ago, it is obvious the actress is still hurting.

Ranbir Kapoor

Kat posted a still from the film on social media along with the caption, "I've seen fire and I've seen rain, seen sunny days that I thought would never end." Okay, Kat, we got the hint.

Ex-wife Sussanne Khan and family attend Hrithik Roshan's birthday bash

Sussanne Khan along with brother Zayed Khan with family and Rakesh Roshan with wife Pinky and daughter Sunaina among other family members were present at Hrithik Roshan's birthday bash at popular eatery on Tuesday night.

Hrithik Roshan with his kids Hrehaan and Hridhaan

Hrithik Roshan arrived with his kids Hrehaan and Hridhaan. Rakesh Roshan's brother was also present with his family. Hrithik and Sussanne's pals Sunny and Anu Dewan also came in with their daughter.

Zayed Khan with wife Malaika and kids

Hrithik's 'Kaabil' co-stars Yami Gautam, Ronit Roy and Rohit Roy along with director Sanjay Gupta were also in attendance.

Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan's ex-wife Sussanne Khan had the sweetest birthday wish for the actor!

The couple ended their 14-year marriage by mutual consent on November 2014, with a family court granting them divorce. Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan have always ensured that their divorce doesn't come in the way of good parenting.

Oops! Parineeti Chopra deletes controversial video after being slammed

A still from the video that Parineeti Chopra deleted. Pic/Parineeti Chopra's Instagram account

Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra, who is currently in Dubai, has deleted a video post, which showed a man carrying her luggage and holding an umbrella over her head, after facing backlash.

Parineeti Chopra received hate on social media for making someone else carry her bags and hold an umbrella for her. After the outrage, the actress deleted the post.

Parineeti Chopra also shared a couple of photos from her Dubai sojourn. 

This is not the first time Parineeti Chopra has received flak on social media. In August last year, Parineeti Chopra was slammed on Twitter for 'body shaming' her friend on birthday.

WATCH VIDEO:

(VIDEO) @aliaa08 wishing @ParineetiChopra 's friend a happy birthday ❤ï¸Â pic.twitter.com/2c9vJRzRBw

— AliaaHolics™ (@AliaaHolics_) August 16, 2016

On the work front, Parineeti Chopra will next be seen opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in 'Meri Pyaari Bindu'.
 

Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte to star in 'Padman' with Akshay Kumar

Sonam Kapoor

×Akshay Kumar is set to slip into the shoes of India's 'Menstrual Man' in R Balki's 'Padman', and starring alongside him will be Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte.

Radhika Apte

Sonam announced the news on Twitter and shared the poster of the film, a biopic on social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented the first low-cost sanitary napkins in the country. "Thrilled to be a part of this prestigious project," she wrote.

Akshay Kumar

This will be the second time that Sonam is teaming up with Akshay; they have earlier worked in Thank You (2011). For Radhika, it will be her first film with Akki. Akshay's wife and actress-turned-writer Twinkle Khanna will produce the film under her new banner, Mrs Funnybones Movies.

Labh Janjua's voice will be heard for the final time in 'Runningshaadi.com'

London Thumakda singer Labh Janjua's voice will be heard for the final time in Shoojit Sircar's upcoming film

A still from Shoojit’s film, Runningshaadi.com

×

Punjabi music sensation Labh Janjua's sudden demise in October 2015 came as a shock. The singer delivered chartbusters like 'Jee Karda' ('Singh Is Kinng'; 2008), 'Dance Pe Chance' ('Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'; 2008), 'Soni De Nakhre' ('Partner'; 2007) and 'London Thumakda' ('Queen'; 2014). But now, Labh's admirers will get to listen to his voice for the last time in a new Bollywood song.

Labh Janjua
Hitlist has learnt that he recorded an uptempo number, 'Dimpi De Naal Bhaage Bunty', for Shoojit Sircar's upcoming production, 'Runningshaadi.com', before his untimely death. The track, which has a blend of Punjabi and Hindi lyrics, has been composed by Abhishek-Akshay.

Labh Janjua’s top tracks included Dance Pe Chance from  Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
The makers are elated that Labh's vibrant voice will feature in the movie's soundtrack. Runningshaadi.com director Amit Roy says, "The experience of working on this track with Labhji was surreal. Before leaving the studio, his last words to me were, 'Yeh song bahut bada hit hoyega (This song will be a huge hit).' He was an amazing soul, a pure and exceptional singer. He sang the song effortlessly. He took it to a different level altogether.

Labh Janjua’s top tracks included London Thumakda in Queen
I feel he is blessing us from somewhere up."

Rapper Badshah becomes a father! Here's the first photo of his baby girl

Badshah and wife Jasmine. Pic/Badshah's Instagram account

×Rapper Badshah and his wife Jasmine have been blessed with a baby girl. Badshah's friend and rapper Raftaar took to Instagram to share the news and also posted the first picture of the little one.Raftaar captioned the image, "BETI HUI HAIN. Congratulations @badboyshah bhai and @thejessymessy bhabi. Chacha bann gaya ooyyeeeeeee. Rabba Meher Karin."

Here's the photo:

Badshah's baby girl. Pic/Raftaar's Instagram account

Isn't she adorable?

Hearty congratulations to the couple!

When 'Haraamkhor' director Shlok Sharma was jailed during shoot of 'Gangs of Wasseypur'

'Haraamkhor'

×Director Shlok Sharma had a run-in with the legal authorities when he went to jail during the shoot of 'Gangs of Wasseypur'.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who helmed the two-part crime-saga, revealed that Shlok is so passionate about his work that while he was the second unit director in "...Wasseypur", he had to go to jail twice.

"I have seen his journey, not only as a filmmaker but as a person. Earlier he used to ask before doing everything, then started to decide on his own, when he became the second unit director he started to shoot those things which were not even on the list," he said.

"In '...Wasseypur', he went to jail twice. He wanted to shoot such shots of tracks that he placed cameras on the bridge. He then went to jail for that and if they had a camera there, he would have shot there as well," Kashyap said. The filmmaker was speaking at a special screening of the film at the Jio MAMI Film Club with Star, last night.

Several Bollywood celebrities came to watch the film, including Kalki Koechlin, Vicky Kaushal, and the lead actress Shweta Tripathi.

Kashyap, who is the co-producer of the film, said he was extremely happy with "Haraamkhor" and had seen both, the first edit as well as the final version of the movie.

When asked if he is proud of his former assistant, Kashyap said, "People give me a lot of unnecessary and undue credit. I only choose people. I didn't even know what the script was. I choose people and then they work with full freedom."

"Haraamkhor" chronicles the relationship between a 14-year-old girl, played by Shweta, and her teacher, enacted by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film was presented the Silver Gateway of India trophy at the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

This is what Aamir Khan has to say on 'Dangal' becoming the highest Hindi grosser

'Dangal'

Superstar Aamir Khan says he is overwhelmed with the response his film "Dangal" has received."Dangal" collected Rs 345.3 crore till January 8, leading Aamir to create a new record for the highest Hindi grosser, beating the business of his own movie "PK".The sports drama film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, took a leaf out of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat's real life. The 51-year-old took to Twitter to share his happiness with his fans and followers.

"I am absolutely overwhelmed with all the love that 'Dangal' has got. It is one of the most passionate responses I have ever received. I want to thank everyone for owning the film as their own," Aamir tweeted.

The "PK" actor added that "it's the biggest compliment a creative person can receive".

"And thank you Nitesh sir. Love. Aamir," he added.

"Dangal" has been lauded by the audiences for its powerful portrayal of the story of Phogat, who, much to the disapproval of his wife and his whole village, trained his daughters Geeta and Babita to wrestle.