Shah Rukh to skip IIFA

Navdeep Kaur Marwah, Hindustan Times

Actor Shah Rukh Khan, who was supposed to be the star attraction at this year’s IIFA awards in Colombo from June 3-5, has decided to give the event a miss.

“I don’t think I will be able to come for IIFA…too much work here, will miss Colombo,” SRK tweeted. Apart from upping the function’s star power, SRK was also supposed to captain the Bollywood team in a friendly cricket match against the Sri Lankan team.

Sabbas Joseph of Wizcraft, the show’s organisers, said, “Stars have their commitments. Hrithik Roshan will now be the captain,” SRK’s absence is another blow to the event after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and hubby Abhishek announced that they won’t be attending the gala, usually touted as a Bachchan family affair. Amitabh Bachchan will only make a fleeting appearance.

Katrina Kaif offers prayers for Rajneeti

Sify Movies Desk

Katrina Kaif is hoarding blessings for her upcoming, Rajneeti.

The actress was, on Friday, spotted in Ajmer at the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty. The Boom star was reportedly offering prayers for her film's success. Dressed in a salwar and without her make-up, Katrina did seem a little apprehensive - after all, there's no dubbing involving!

We wish you all the very best for the movie Ms Kaif, and yes, we are prepared for your Rajneeti.

Salman Khan hogs limelight at Dubai celebrity event

Dubai: The crowd was divided in two halves. But unlike any other India versus Pakistan cricket match, the frenzy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday night was more for an individual rather than the individual nations.

To say Salman Khan was a crowd favourite would be an understatement. Women – stretching to get a glimpse of the star – had to be escorted down from the first and second floors, for fear they would fall off from the railings.

One fan even considered divorcing her husband of eight years to be with the star. “I love Salman Khan… I was probably one of the first to buy the tickets for the game. I just need to meet him once to convince him that I am the one he needs to get married too,” Riah John, a 32-year-old homemaker and Dubai resident, said.

Forty celebrities, from Indian and Pakistan, including renowned cricket personality Shoaib Akhtar, had flown in to be part of the Celebrity Cup 2010 on Thursday and a fashion show held last night - a two–day event which organisers claim took over two years to materialise.

Khan had admitted during a press conference earlier on Thursday that the Indian team might face issues – on returning home – for agreeing to play against political rivals, Pakistan.

However, the thousands of Indian and Pakistani fans, from all over the emirates, had clearly packed away their differences for the night. “I am here to just enjoy the show. It doesn’t really matter who wins or loses,” Anand Ravi, a call centre executive and resident of Sharjah said.

Gulf News also spotted Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her husband, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malek, who said they were rooting for team India. They declined to comment further.

The walk

Before the start of the game, all 40 celebrities - dressed in blue and led by Salman – walked around the stadium, stopping at times to interact with fans, before collecting at centre stage for a group photograph.

Salman won the toss and elected to field first. However, he decided not to play and instead asked brother Sohail Khan to take over as captain.

Pakistan celebrities launched the innings with Saud and Saleem Shaikh as their opening batsmen. Saud hit a six in the first over, bowled by Indian actor Aftaab Shivdasani, but was clean bowled on the very next ball.

However, the highlight of the over was when actor Suniel Shetty sustained an injury after a ball hit him on the right foot. Fellow actors Ritesh Deshmukh, Aftaab Shivadasani and Javed Jaffery rushed to Shetty’s side and a few minutes of attention and ice packs later, the actor was back on his feet and entertained the crowd till the end of the event.

At the end of the15 overs, India had 121 to chase, which Salman said his team would chase in 11 overs itself.

He kept the promise. India won the match.

Sixth flop in five years

Sharadha Narayanan/Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association has demanded that actor Vijay, whose 50th film 'Suraa' was a total washout, compensate the theatre owners for their losses, to the tune of 35 per cent of the Minimum Guarantee (MG) amount that they paid up to screen the film.

In Chennai, a system is followed by which both theatre owners and distributors share the profits or loss that a film makes. The rest of the State, however, follows the Minimum Guarantee system.

By this method, theatre owners pay up a specific amount upfront to the distributor, and if the film makes more than the MG amount, the distributors and theatre owners share profits at an already-specified percentage, usually 50-50. This partnership system is followed usually for upcoming actors, while the MG method prevails for films of big actors.

"By the MG system, when a film flops, the losses are borne by the theatre owners solely. And the practice of screening preview shows for us before the movies are sold, was stopped more than 10 years ago. So we do not know how good a film is, until we actually buy it. We want to stop acquiring films by this method, or seek at least a reduction in the rates at which movies are sold to us," said Rohini Paneerselvam, president, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association.

Such continuous losses have forced many theatres to shut down. From over 2,500 in 2000, today, the State has only about 1360 theatres.

When Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Kuselan’ had flopped in 2007, the theatre owners had similarly sought a refund, and the actor had done it to the tune of 35 % of the MG amount paid.

'Suraa', by Sun Pictures, was released on April 28. The film was produced by Murugan Cine Arts. "This film was bought at high rates because expectation were high as this was his 50th film. 'Suraa', however, turned out to be a flop, and theatres have totally incurred a loss of Rs 10 crore. Two hundred and forty theatres released this film in the State," said Paneerselvam.

The theatre owners are seeking a refund.

'Suraa' is Vijay's sixth flop in five years, and his fifth consecutive flop, after 'Vettaikaaran' (2009), 'Villu' (2009), 'Kuruvi' (2008) and 'Azhagiya Tamil Magan' (2007). In 2006, his film 'Aadhi', produced by his father SA Chandrasekar, flopped, forcing theatre owners to seek compensation. No compensation, however, was paid then. "The overall losses incurred by theatre owners because of these films totals to Rs 30 crore," said Sridhar, executive committee member, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association.

"When we tried to contact the actor, he remained unreachable. If he still refuses to pay heed to our demands, we will decide our further course of action at an executive committee meeting to be held later in June," Paneerselvam added.

Emraan escapes a fatal accident in Australia

Actor Emraan Hashmi, who is known for his sizzling chemistry and steamy scenes on screen with his female co stars, is also pretty good at action sequences. 

It is believed that the sexy actor escaped a fatal accident in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday while shooting for his upcoming movie “Crook”. The movie is being produced under the banner of Vishesh Films and once again Emraan is being directed by Mohit Suri of Raaz 2 fame. 

It also stars a new face Neha Sharma opposite Emraan Hashmi.

‘No frontal nudity for me’

Minakshi Saini, Hindustan Times

Sherlyn Chopra on the cover of Playboy magazine may seem like a far-fetched thought for most, but the item girl claims the international magazine, which has made the who’s who of Hollywood shed their clothes, approached her to be on its cover. “Got a Playboy cover offer. Don’t know what to say,” posted Sherlyn on her Twitter account last week.

Before long, the actress, predictably enough, did a U-turn, explaining why she couldn’t go ahead with the offer. “I guess it’s my Indianness to blame. I adore nudity. It is pure and it projects the subject in its most genuine form. But to do full frontal nudity is something I am not ready for,” she said.

Ironically, the actress had posted a picture of herself in the buff on Twitter only last week. And, in earlier interviews, she even claimed that she would “love to be on the (Playboy) cover and make India proud.”

While Sherlyn’s claim sounds suspicious, to say the least, a close friend of the actress reveals, “It all started when Bob, the chief official Playboy photographer, saw bikini clad images of Sherlyn on the Internet and contacted her for a shoot. But the deal fell apart as they were not offering her a cover.”

In an attempt to verify Chopra’s claims, HT City contacted the Playboy head office in Chicago, but received no confirmation on the matter.

Jai Ho... New York fans ready to pay $1,000 for AR Rahman concert

NEW YORK: Most international musicians barely get noticed in the bustling Big Apple, but AR Rahman is a show-stopper — and very profitable.

Fans have paid prices of up to $1,000 (Rs47,000) for 11 concerts in North America between June 11 and July 5, which are already thought to be sold out.

Rahman’s “Jai Ho — The Journey Home Tour” begins on June 11 at New York’s fabled Nassau Coliseum where Pink Floyd performed during “The Wall Tour”. More recently, Madonna held three performances of her “Blond Ambition World Tour” in the massive Nassau Coliseum.

“It’s definitely an East-meets-West kind of show where there’s technology and tradition. Just like AR’s music, it breaks all borders,” said the show’s artistic director Amy Tinkham, who has run tours for Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Mariah Carey.

Two years after Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars, interest in all things Indian is still going strong. Rahman’s Slumdog... soundtrack, which earned him two Academy Awards and two Grammys, has made him a recognisable name in America.

It also helps that Rahman is a prolific composer who has astaggering range. Americans find his music “easy listening” as it is brewed with an unerring feel for melody, swing and soul.

Ahead of his concert, Rahman who has been writing musical scores for Bollywood since the 1990s credited the film industry for his versatility.

“In America, they typecast a person — he is a good horror movie soundtrack composer or he is a good classical music composer. In India, the director expects everything from one person. That pushed me to compose different types of music — Indian and Western,” Rahman told DNA on the sidelines of an event in the Asia Society.

For a musician who has won two Grammys, Rahman started out as an engineer who was clueless about the depth of his prodigious musical talent. “My first movie, I thought it was going to be my last movie,” said Rahman. “So I wanted to do my best and then leave it.”

For a man who was going to do his “best and then leave it” Rahman has come a long way. He has sold 150 million records and 200 million cassettes and is counted among the top 25 recording artists of all times. TIME magazine rated the soundtrack of Roja in the top 10 of their all-time best movie soundtracks of the world.

Financially the “Jai Ho...” tour is being run like a Swiss watch. Rahman will perform at massive venues in North America and Europe, but there will be one night per city instead of a run, so more places will be pumped up with enthusiasm and keen for Rahman souvenirs. Rahman snakes through America and Europe before ending at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 25.

Rahman is putting on a three-hour concert that features Cirque du Soleil or circus acrobats, four troupes of dancers and a Mongolian contortionist who will demonstrate extreme Indian yoga. The show brings together flutists, cellists, tambura players, singers and musicians who have played with Lionel Richie and Fleetwood Mac.

“Rahman has captured the imagination of audiences of all demographics, both Indian as well as western. His music is multi-faceted. I don’t think his Oscar-winning Jai Ho is his best work, but he certainly deserves an Oscar for the breadth and excitement of his musical talent,” said Aroon Shivdasani, executive director of the Indo-American Arts Council, which is selling the concert’s tickets.

“Regular tickets to Rahman’s concert tour of the US are sold out. The only tickets remaining are those of high ticket value. I doubt there will be a single available seat at any of the actual concerts,” she added.

Americans are buying into the East-meets-West spectacle. “Landing a Rahman concert ticket is a big deal,” said attorney Gary Sherman, who has a ticket for Rahman’s concert at the Patriot Center, in Washington.

For Prakash's Jha's 'Raajneeti', Congress played first censor

ANSHUL CHATURVEDI,

NEW DELHI: Controversy has dogged Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, with the bulk of the attention focused on his choice of Katrina Kaif, foreign-born actress whose Hindi diction was less than perfect. Was the character modelled on Sonia Gandhi? Jha has stoutly denied it. 

The film just cleared the censors but with a U/A certification and an unprecedented pre-censor viewing by three representatives of Congress - Tom Vadakkan, Pankaj Sharma and Sanjeev Bhargava. The Congress reps wanted an adult tag for the political film, but the appellate tribunal made it U/A.

Jha recalled that the Congress reps demanded some specific cuts, bleeping out some expletives, deleting a scene where a party worker solicits Arjun Rampal for ticket, and chopping a supposedly racy lovemaking scene between Katrina and Rampal. Other cuts were more political. 

"They said you can't use the word 'qaum' in a dialogue which was about the 'qaum' always being betrayed by a political party. And there was a line that said 'le jayegi vidhwa support samet ke'; it was said in the context of an electoral sympathy wave. I had to change 'vidhwa' to 'beti'." 

Even after these changes, the panel insisted on an A certificate, says Jha. At this point, the makers moved the tribunal, which overruled the panel and gave a U/A certification. Only one member, Anil Thomas - he is also a member of the Kerala Congress committee - disagreed, and his dissent note has been marked on the order, the director chuckles. 

Earlier, the Raajneeti cast was denied permission by the police to hold an event at SRCC after getting the college authorities' nod, and on their next trip to Delhi their plans to hold a media event at India Gate or Red Fort came a cropper, with the team finally having to settle for a Gurgaon hotel. 

The mannerisms and dress of Katrina's character have not helped Jha disown her resemblance to anyone living or dead, while aggravating the anxiety levels of Congress loyalists as the movie approached the certification stage. But the pressure began in a concerted manner before that, says Jha. 

"In mid-May I got a call from my friend, actor Mohan Agashe, saying that a senior bureaucrat in the I&B ministry wanted to speak to me," said Jha. "He said he had heard good things about the movie, and asked if he could see it. I said, 'Sir, film toh dekhne ke liye banayee hai, let me just submit it to the censors, and I will organize a show'. But he said, it is a sensitive issue, I want to see it before you submit it." 

He added, "This left me surprised. A lot of small-time politicos were making the right noises to prove that they would not let their leaders be denigrated - though I am not doing that - but this was unusual." 

In 2006, director Jagmohan Mundhra's ambitious project to make a biopic on Sonia Gandhi with Italian actress Monica Bellucci playing the lead role floundered after the Congress first made disapproving noises and then served a legal notice asking him to desist.

Sonam declines Mani Ratnam's offer

Agencies

New Delhi,

Rumour mills suggest that Delhi 6 girl Sonam Kapoor said a polite no to Mani Ratnam when he offered her a movie.

A source informs Mumbai Mirror, “Mani Ratnam’s next film will be directed by his long time associate Shiva. The film stars Viveik Oberoi. Mani and Shiva felt Sonam was the apt choice and Mani even had a meeting with Sonam about the same. After a couple of more meetings, Sonam politely declined the offer, stating date problems as an issue.”

However, a close friend of Sonam said, “Sonam wanted to work with Mani Ratnam and was excited when she went to meet him. But she was disappointed when she learnt that Mani was offering her Shiva’s film and not his.”

Well Sonam building up contacts in the film industry is something that you should keep in mind.

How does Sonam Kapoor prepare for new roles?

A: Well I Hate Luv Stories is produced by Dharma Productions, directed by Puneet Malhotra and its starring opposite Imran Khan. It’s a romantic comedy and a feel good film. Ayesha is produced under the banner of PVR Cinemas and AKFC which is my father’s production company and produced by my sister Rhea Kapoor. It’s starring Abhay Deol opposite me and is based on Jane Austen’s Emma.

Q: How are you picking your films?

A: Well if I like the script, story, and my character. Also if I feel the director has a vision then I go for it.

Q: You are working on some other films as well even as these two get ready to release. How is the film industry looking at someone like you. By that I mean the kind of roles, what is the kind of work that is coming your way?

A: Well surprisingly I have never got in a role which is similar to which I have done before. I started off with Sakina then I got Bittu which is Saawariya and Delhi 6 for those who don’t know. Then I am doing an Ayesha in which I play a quintessential upper middle class spoilt brat and then I have Simran who is a upper middle class girl who comes from Juhu. Now I am playing Iaat in Mausam and I have Thank You in which I play amarried women so there are different different roles. I don’t know how people are looking at me and what they see in me but I know there is a quality that couple of people have remarked on is where they feel I look different in every space or in every magazine shoot that I do and they feel that I have a chameleon-like quality which is a huge compliment for an actor.

Khatron Ke Khiladi 3 runs into trouble

Press Trust Of India

Entertainment channel Colors' much-hyped action reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 3, which was to feature some Indian cricketers, is understood to have run into rough weather with cricket body BCCI preventing them from taking part in the programme.

Indian cricketers, including Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth along with Australians Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist, were some of the cricketers who were to take part in the show, industry sources said.

However, the risky stunts that the cricketers were supposed to perform in the show to be hosted by Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra violated the player's contract with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and hence they were not given permission, the sources said.

The programme is modelled on Fear Factor, which is beamed by AXN. Comments from the channel could not be obtained as repeated phone calls and SMSes sent to Colors CEO Rajesh Kamath remained unanswered. An Email query to the channel's corporate communication person Sonia Huria also remained unanswered.

While BCCI officials could not be reached, Chopra's manager Natasha said: "It's best that you contact Colors for the same." It is speculated that Colors could change the format of the show and rope in 13 male contestants instead of the cricketers. Earlier this year, Priyanka Chopra was announced as the host of the show replacing Akshay Kumar who hosted the show for the last two seasons.

Interestingly, this season of the programme was also dubbed in media circles as the 'IPL special edition' with 13 renowned cricketers pitched to face their worst fears.

Singam

Movie Review: If you are one of those who is worried that this film will be too much like ‘Saamy’ or too close to ‘Khakha Khakha’, the film in which Suriya stumped movie goers with mind blowing cop presence, rest assured, your fears are unfounded. ‘Singam’ manages to stand apart. 

However, if you are gonna go, "Everyone listen, he’s on a mission" (a line in one of the songs in ‘Singam’), you are only partially right. You see, it takes a while for Duraisingam ( Suriya) to get there, although once he does, it is paisa vasool for you. 

It is Suriya who makes it worth the wait, until the story warms up, although to be fair, Hari keeps a tight rein on the screenplay throughout. Duraisingam is comfortable nabbing thieves who escape with temple jewels or settling petty disputes and playing cop to his relatives in Nallur village in Thoothukudi, although he would rather scale up his father’s (played by Radha Ravi) ‘maligai kadai’ to a departmental store. He has no burning ambition in him to change the world or prove himself. Until two people cross his life. 

One is Kavya (Anushka) daughter of Mahalingam (Nasser), a rich cycle tycoon. The other is Mayilvahanam (Prakash Raj), a racketeer who turns out to be involved in holding children for ransom. By the time Singam stumbles upon that, however, he and Mayil have gone around a few rounds. How Mayil removes Singam from the protective comfort of Nallur and transports him to his ‘area’ Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai , for the inevitable climax is what the second half is all about. 

This is far racier compared to the first, and although you wonder why Suriya has been given such dud steps in ‘en idhayam’, the other duet, ‘kadhal vandhale’ makes up for it. Do we see shades of Vijay and 

Simran in some of the moves in this number? Surely Hari is not spoofing here? Or music director Devi Sri Prasad? The songs ring a bell, if you know what I mean. Anushka passes muster, and you have seen better reel chemistry between Suriya and his heroines in the past. If you find out why Prakash Raj is so off-colour, do let us know. Vivekh as constable Erimalai is good in parts. 

When it’s a Hari film, you know what to expect when you walk into the theatre— a chess board hero who is all white, while the villain is totally black, no half measures for you. Even with a sleepy narration in the first 30 minutes or so , ‘Singam’ is worth a watch.

Shahrukh & Aishwarya not reuniting

Bollywood Trade News Network

Well, who doesn't want to see the two highly regarded luminaries world over -Shahrukh Khan & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan coming together for a film. But mere speculating and floating baseless rumours wouldn't do any good! 

Recently a few reputed publications reported that Bollywood's premier production house Yash Raj Films is planning to reunite the duo for a movie. Not only this, it further stated that Aditya Chopra even had telephonic conversations with both Shah Rukh and Aishwarya trying to coax them to do a project under their prestigious banner. Whenever this jodi came together, they did wonders at box-office. Be it JOSH, MOHABBATEIN or DEVDAS - all have been huge blockbusters. Infact MOHABBATEIN was produced under YRF banner and directed by Aditya Chopra. 

However, YRF have denied all such reports. A spokesperson from the production house clarified, "The latest news which appeared in a publication about YRF trying to convince actors Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to reunite for a movie is baseless. No such project is being planned which has the two of them paired together. Also, our next set of scripts are still under finalization and as and when the cast for each of them is locked, we will be more than happy to make the announcements." 

Wish it had been true! Meanwhile, we wouldn't complain if other filmmakers are considering to pair-up the duo.

Dust storm Amitabh Bachchan's biggest challenge

DV Maheshwari / DNA

huj: On his mission to promote Gujarat tourism, cinestar Amitabh Bachchan arrived in Bhuj on Friday. He will be shooting at various tourist locations in Bhuj for three days starting Saturday.

Bachchan was welcomed at Bhuj airport by state tourism department and district administration officials amidst tight security. He was accompanied by state tourism secretary Vipul Mitra and members of ad film units.

Bachchan is scheduled to be in Kutch till May 31. He will travel to Saurashtra where he will again be shooting for three days. In Bhuj, he will stay in a private farm house near Kukma village on the Bhuj-Gandhidham highway.

"The administration approached us as it wanted a secluded and serene place with the facilities of a five-star hotel," said Vimal Gujaral, a businessman and chief executive of Cargo Motors which owns the farm house. Though no official was willing to comment on the superstar's shooting schedule, a top official told DNA that the megastar would start shooting at Dhodo in Banni, one of the biggest pastures in Asia, located on the edge of the Great Rann of Kutch.

But experts speculate that Bachchan, because of the strong dust storm lashing the state, would not be in a position to visit the White Rann this time of the year. During summer, the Rann of Kutch becomes very dusty. "The ideal time to visit White Rann is after monsoon, especially after October which is precisely the reason why the Rannotsav is held every November and December," said a group of experts who have moved around and know much about the Rann.

The final word

For all those talking nasty about Kareena Kapoor holding up the final schedule of “Milenge Milenge”, here's some news. But before that, the background. “Milenge Milenge”is a Boney Kapoor film that ran into trouble when the lead pair Bebo and Shahid split.

So, this year, when talks of it being revived started, speculation was rife on which of the stars will give Boney more trouble. Shahid readily agreed to doing the promotional song and publicity shoot, and it seemed like Kareena was playing truant.

But, clearing the air on this, Boney himself has said that Bebo has readily given him time, and it's only because of her “Golmaal 3”shoot in Goa that the unit is waiting.

The great escape!

Writer Mushtaq Sheikh's sister recently got married in Mumbai, and the who's who of Bollywood were in attendance, including two warring parties — Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

Yes, the impossible happened once again with Salman, Mushtaq's close friend, agreeing to be at the venue. Ditto SRK. To avoid a sticky situation, someone tipped off both parties about when the other was going to be present.

So, Salman happily came in among the first bunch of visitors, while King Khan sauntered in late.

Skip IIFA: South Indian film industry to Bollywood

Chennai: The South Indian film industry today joined the 'boycott-IIFA' chorus asking Bollywood not to participate in the entertainment gala to be held in Colombo early next month.

Pro-Tamil groups in Tamil Nadu have already asked actors from Bollywood to boycott the June 3-5 event.

In a joint statement here, various industry bodies including South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce said that they were not opposing the awards ceremony but were against the event being organised in Sri Lanka, in an apparent reference to the alleged killing of civilian Tamils at the height of the conflict between Sri Lankan army and LTTE last year.

"We request the brothers in the North Indian film industry not to attend the IIFA awards... and boycott the same. The same view is endorsed by all the artistes, producers, distributors and exhibitors of four southern states chambers of commerce," the statement said.

The South Indian film fraternity will not cooperate with film personalities participating in the IIFA event, they said, adding the Exhibitors Associations in South India will also boycott their films.

The industry bodies have also resolved not to encourage any South Indian film to be made in Sri Lankan locales and neither would they participate in cultural programmes there.

Opposition has been brewing in Tamil Nadu and Tamil filmdom over the choice of this year's venue for the IIFA, Colombo, with most artistes including icons Kamal Haasan and ace director Mani Ratnam opting out, citing the choice of the venue.

This year's IIFA will also miss most of the glam quotient including regulars Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The couple is busy promoting Ratnam's flick Raavan.

Even the event's brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan's

presence is not confirmed. Superstar Rajnikanth has already

declined the invitation to attend the event.

Though Prakash Jha's Raajneeti may be screened at the IIFA, actor Arjun Rampal, who features in it, has decided to give the event a miss. "Will not be going to IIFA, have a charity event in Hong Kong for 'Raajneeti' that day," tweeted Arjun, who won the best supporting actor's trophy at IIFA 2009.

Sushmita wants a baby boy

Sujata Reddy, Hindustan Times

Sushmita Sen’s newest tattoo has I AM neatly inscribed on her wrist. “It’s what I believe in, hence the tattoo. I am... could mean anything. I can complete the sentence depending on the situation,” she explains.

Sen has four tattoos in all, and is still counting. Ask if she will ever consider tattooing a man’s name on her body and she lowers her voice, saying, “Never make that mistake, darling.” As an after-thought, she adds, “The only way I would tattoo a man’s name on my body, is if it were my son’s name.”

Is that a hint that she will soon adopt a baby boy? Maybe, though Sen says that she is ready to have biological children. “Why adopt? I may want to have biological children now. My biological clock is ticking away, so you never know.” So, is marriage on the cards? “Who said anything about marriage?” she counters, continuing, “It’s not like I don’t want to get married. I believe, like any other girl, in ‘Prince Charming’. I may not behave like a 12 year old, but I do believe in it.”

Currently, Sen is busy overseeing the grooming of the participants of the I AM She pageant. The winner will represent India at the Miss Universe pageant. “The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Las Vegas this year, and I want to see India bring home the crown. Aishwarya (Rai) and I made the country proud in 1994. We had our hattrick wins 10 years ago, when Lara (Dutta), Priyanka (Chopra) and Dia (Mirza) won the coveted titles. It’s time for history to repeat itself,” she says.

Though Sen devotes most of her time to the pageant, she will continue to act in films. “Eight months ago, I was working on an eight-hour shift to complete shooting for No Problem. I was trying to make time for my daughter, who was in boarding school, and getting things in place for the pageant. I thought it would be difficult to continue with everything,” she recalls.

But today, it’s a different story. “I am biased towards women – we can multi-task and we know to delegate work. I have a wonderful team, so I don’t have to give up on anything now,” she laughs.

Cult tattoo 

Sushmita Sen has the words, I AM, tattooed on her wrist, but she is not the only one. Almost all the members of Tantra, her company, her parents, friends and fans have begun sporting the tattoo too. “Sushmita was the first one to get the tattoo. Eventually we all saw the meaning behind it and got ourselves inked too,” says Sen’s secretary Rebecca Pereira. The next time you see someone with I AM on their bodies, you know who was the inspiration. Ask Pereira if they’re forming an I AM cult, and she says “Yes, it’s like a religion to us.”

We spotted about 10 people with the I AM tattoo at the event itself, but Pereira is quick to clarify that no one was forced to get the tattoo. “It wasn’t a compulsion. In fact, when we were getting tattooed, we met a lady there who had been through a difficult period in her life. She asked us what I AM meant. When we told her, she was so touched, that she got one for herself,” says Pereira, adding that her 19-year-old son has also taken to this philosophy. Given the speed at which the I AM wave is catching on, Sen is probably the first celebrity to have a tattoo fan club to her credit.

‘I’m a mother to 32' 

We’re used to seeing Sushmita Sen wave and blow kisses to her fans. But ever wondered what she is like when the cameras are not around? At the talent segment for the I AM She pageant in South Goa’s Alila Diwa Hotel, Sen went out of her way to bond with the top 30 contestants and mentor them. In fact, she’s more than a mentor.

According to her, she is a mother to them. “Yes, earlier I’d say that I have two babies, now I say I’m a mother to 32,” says a beaming Sen. But her ‘mothering’ is not restricted to only giving gyaan (advice) to the girls.

With her diva-like presence, Sen managed to brighten up all the girls’ moods, the second she walked into the room (minus any make-up). A few minutes before the talent round began, the girls were assembled near the stage, all in deep thought, the outcome of the sub-contest clearly playing on their minds.

Then Sen walked in, sat with them, singing songs and cajoling them to clap and sing along. A few more laughs and the frowns seem to have disappeared off the girls’ brows. That’s the effect Sen has on her girls.

Each time a girl would perform to a Bollywood track, or attempt to sing a song for the talent round, Sen, sitting in the last row, would promptly get up, and shake a leg and cheer for the contestant.

The stares followed Sen all along, but she was oblivious to the attention she garnered. The girls came first. One girl may have won the pageant, but the others will return home with the satisfaction of having bonded with Sen for a lifetime.

On her daughters, Renee and Alisah 

Having been an actress and a model herself, Sen says that she will encourage her daughters if they want to follow in her footsteps.

“Renee already says that she wants to be an actress. And Alisah is only eight months old, but she was the first one to check out the crowns that the winners of the I Am She pageant wore. And she was so excited about it,” she says.

“But ultimately, it’s up to them. All I could dream of was becoming an airhostess, and look what destiny had in store for me,” she says on a philosophical note.

On being a female boss 

Having been in the public eye for more than a decade, Sen has learnt to dodge any question with panache, but this one caught her unawares. “What kind of a boss are you?”

She thought, smiled, grinning mischievously the whole time. “You should’ve asked me this when there was no one around,” she jokes.

A bout of laughter and she explains articulately, “If someone working for me has passion, logic and reason, I have no reason not to be a good boss. But if they lack either or all of these, I have to step in to make things happen.”

I observed Rahul Gandhi for my Raajneeti role: Arjun Rampal

Dibyojyoti Baksi, Indo-Asian News Service

Rampal, who seems to be on a roll after Rock On for which he got the National Award and hits like Om Shanti Om, says his role in Raajneetiis similar to that of Bhim in the epic Mahabharata.

"I have observed many politicians especially young guys like Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Rahul Gandhi as well as the young Rajiv Gandhi and the young Sanjay Gandhi. You see them to know how they moved and what their body languages were. You don't really copy or emulate them. In this film, we are all educated politicians," Arjun told IANS in an interview.

"When you see them you get a glimpse of how politicians have changed. There are things to observe like when they (young politicians) sport Reebok or Nike shoes with white kurta and pyjama while campaigning. These are the small, small elements that I tried picking up from them for my character."

Giving a peek into his new film that releases June 4 and focuses on how a handful of people control the destiny of millions, Arjun said Raajneeti, directed by Prakash Jha, does not preach politics. "The film is more about what happens behind close doors? It's more of a political family drama."

The characters of Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, Manoj Bajpai, Katrina Kaif, Sarah Thompson, Naseeruddin Shah and Nana Patekar are loosely inspired by those in the epic Mahabharata.

Arjun said: "Prakash came to me five years ago with the script of Raajneeti. He discussed how he wanted to make it almost like Mahabharata by taking certain characters from the epic and putting them into the political backdrop of the film. He wanted me to play the character of Bhim. I liked the idea.

"He disappeared for five years and then he called me back. I read the script and started working out how the character would be.

"He (Arjun's character Prithiviraj Pratap) is a person with big heart and wants to achieve something fast in life. He is aggressive. He is a person who sees either black or white. If he likes something, he loves it. If he dislikes something, he hates it. So he would be on that level of extremes. He goes through gamut of emotions. And he has a very good sense of politics."

According to Arjun, every character in Raajneeti is indispensable. "He (Prakash Jha) has not done injustice to any of the characters. It's like a jigsaw puzzle. If you remove one, the film would fall apart. Everyone has got almost equal screen time."

In real life, however, Arjun says he lacks the built-in quality to be a true politician and would not try his luck in politics. "You really need a different kind of qualities to be a politician. I don't think that I have those qualities, but, yes, if there is an issue, I will voice it."

In last few years, Arjun has featured in hits like Don (2006), Om Shanti Om(2007), The Last Lear (2007), Rock On!(2008) and Housefull (2010).

"I have been choosing the work I would like to do and luckily the choices are working."