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U.S. Records Increase in Kids With Down Syndrome

2009-12-01T22:42:00.001-08:00

— A growing number of children in the United States are being born with Down syndrome, federal researchers say.

The overriding reason, experts add, is that more older women are having babies.

Data from 10 regional registries of birth defects show that the incidence of Down syndrome among U.S. children increased by 31 percent between 1979 and 2003, from 9.0 to 11.8 per 100,000 live births.

The survey of U.S. children with Down syndrome provides a benchmark for determining whether adequate health services for them are being provided, the researchers say.

“In the past we have focused on the prevalence at birth,” said Dr. Adolfo Correa, a supervisory medical officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lead author of the report, published online Nov. 30 in Pediatrics. “The survival of children with Down syndrome has improved over the years, so we were interested in knowing the prevalence among children.”

The growing incidence, however, could paint a false picture, said Dr. Siobhan Dolan, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City and a consultant to the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

The increase simply reflects the fact that more American women are having babies later in life, and “there is a strong epidemiological association between Down syndrome and maternal age,” Dolan said.

Down syndrome occurs when a child has an extra chromosome, number 21 of the 23 that determine genetic characteristics. Though most people think of the syndrome as a cause of mental retardation, some children with Down do not need special schools, Dolan said. But the extra chromosome is associated with a number of major physical problems, including life-threatening heart abnormalities.

The numbers in the new study “allow us to plan for Down syndrome, to see what is working for the children, including cardiac surgery to extend the life span,” she said.

Correo said the findings will help determine “whether the availability of specialty services will be enough to meet the needs of the Down syndrome population.”

The increased number of people with Down syndrome reflects “an accomplishment in our health system that should be noted,” Dolan said. “The care for Down syndrome individuals is probably improving, so that life expectancy is improving.”

Studies of the relationship between maternal age and the incidence of Down syndrome are continuing, she said. “That is the subject of very active research — what causes chromosomes to divide abnormally at certain ages. The genetics is really interesting.”

Tests to detect chromosomal abnormalities during pregnancy now are widely available, Dolan said. Such tests “can allow us to plan for health care, to plan for delivery, having a cardiology team there to care for the child,” she said.

A number of organizations provide advice and services for families with children who have Down syndrome, she said. “Getting educated from other families and support groups is an important asset,” she said.

Dolan also noted, however, that the data in the federal study now are now nine years old. “It is not 2009 data, and this is a continually changing field,” she said. “It is going to be interesting to see what happened between 2003 and 2009.”

Never Mind the Flu—Loneliness is Going Around

2009-12-01T22:41:00.001-08:00

Happiness, laughter, and smiles are often described as infectious. It turns out you can catch loneliness too.

Having just one lonely friend, relative, or neighbor increases your risk of feeling lonely by 52%, according to a new study led by John Cacioppo, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Chicago. Loneliness, in fact, spreads through networks of friends, families, and neighbors more quickly and easily than a sense of social connectedness does, the study says.

It’s the latest research from a team who has discovered that your friends and family influence you more than you may think. In a series of recent studies, Cacioppo’s coauthors, Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, a professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School, and James H. Fowler, PhD, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, have shown that happiness, smoking, and obesity can all spread through social networks.

But can you really “catch” loneliness? The researchers suggest that a lonely person’s body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice may actually make the people around him or her feel lonely too.

What’s more, loneliness appears to be a vicious cycle, according to the study, published this week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Lonely people tend to lose friends over time, which makes them feel more lonely and isolated; it pushes them to the edge of the social web.

Plus, loneliness spreads—far. The effects were seen not only in the lonely person’s close friends, but his friends’ friends and his friends’ friends’ friends.

People in the study felt lonely 48 days a year, on average. A person surrounded by lonely connections would spend six hours more a week feeling lonely than someone with no direct links, the study found.

Loneliness was more contagious among friends than family. The size of a person’s family didn’t influence the likelihood of being lonely, and, surprisingly, a lonely spouse had less of an impact than a lonely friend.

Why Lymph Nodes Are a Magnet for Breast Cancer

2009-12-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

You may need to have your lymph nodes biopsied or removed.

(RICK GOMEZ/RADIUS/MASTERFILE)

Lymph nodes are small glands that act as a filtering system for the body; the nodes in your armpit can become a magnet for breast cancer on the move. "What I tell patients is that there are two parts to breast cancer surgery—the first part is the operation on the breast itself, whether the lumpectomy or mastectomy, and the second part has to do with the lymph nodes, which is the first place cancer cells tend to go when they leave the breast," says Monica Morrow, MD, chief of the Breast Service in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

If you have breast cancer, here's what you need to know about your lymph nodes.

If you're "node negative" (meaning no lymph nodes show cancer cells), that automatically cuts the seriousness of your diagnosis and puts you in stage I.
Being "node positive" means the cancer may have spread. The more nodes involved, the more serious things get.

What Puts You at Risk for High Cholesterol?

2009-12-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

A bad diet is a sure way to spike your triglyceride reading.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

Blood cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary artery disease and heart attack, so reducing your risk of high cholesterol is a worthy goal. However, the next time you brag that your cholesterol is nice and low—or lament that your number is in the mid-200s—know this: "Your total cholesterol is a pretty meaningless number," says Maureen Mays, MD, a preventive cardiologist and lipid specialist at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. "Not only does the general public not know this, some doctors don't either."

Here's why "the number" is so misleading. Total cholesterol is calculated by adding LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol), and one-fifth of your triglyceride total. "We have been using this formula of adding a bad thing to a good thing and factoring in one-fifth of a bad thing, and it's not useful," Dr. Mays says.

That's one reason 50% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol readings.

Natural Body Detox for Kids

2009-12-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

If you have been benefited a lot by following a body detox program, then it is possible that you are thinking of passing the same benefits to your little one as well. However, you should know that it is very important to choose detox food items for children carefully as their kidneys and liver are not as strong as of adults. There are some food items which can be given to children for cleansing their body.

One should know that whole foods are very effective in detoxifying a kid’s body. Children also love to eat whole food items. They will help in removing toxins from their body, in a gentle and safe way. You should keep in mind that most of the body detox recipes cut down the protein intake significantly. However, protein is very important for the growing children. So, while you give them such food items which aim at cleansing their bodies, you should also add some protein in them. If you are planning to follow detox diet for your obese child, you should consult a professional.

Other than trying detoxifying food items, you should also ensure that your child is drinking adequate quantity of water. This will improve their bowel movement and simplify digestive disorders. Experts also insist that every kid should be involved in some kind of physical activities. This will make them sweat, which is regarded as one of the most natural way of body detoxification. When it comes to your kid, don’t experiment with the body detox products available in the market.

Using Smoke Assist To Stop Smoking

2009-12-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that smoking is extremely dangerous for our health. In spite of this, there are a large number of people who are posing a risk to their precious lives by smoking cigarettes. This may cause incurable diseases like mouth and lung cancer.

If you want to find an alternative to cigarettes for satisfying your oral fixation, then you should purchase Smoke Assist. You will feel like you are smoking a real cigarette while using this product. Using Smoke Assist will cost you a lot less than tobacco cigarettes.

It has benefited many to quit the ill habit of smoking. It does not contain tobacco, nicotine, tar or any harmful chemical or carcinogens associated with regular cigarettes.

While using Smoke Assist, people will feel that they are inhaling real nicotine and exhaling it as smoke. However, the truth is that while using Smoke Assist, you will be emitting only water vapors. This way you can also avoid consequences of passive smoking.

If you face a lot of trouble while spending time in no-smoking areas, this product will come as a great solution. You can use Smoke Assist even in no-smoking zones. A single cartridge of this e-cigarette will last for 400 smoke mouthfuls. Each pack comes with 4 such cartridges.

This product can be purchased only from its official website. Do not wait for buying this product for the sake of your health. There’s also an option of getting this product absolutely free of cost. Visit the website to know more.

India, not a land of erotica?

2009-09-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

The newly released anthology Electric Feather, published by Tranquebar, is a celebration of the sexual desire, and compiles 13 stories by South Asian writers.

The release of the book has initiated a debate on erotic literature and whether it has any takers in India.

In Indian literature, certain subjects have always been taboo. While love has always been there, most writers, perhaps in their attempt to write more pan-Indian novels which speak to a larger audience, get inhibited to write for pleasure.

Is India still uncomfortable with erotic art and literature? Or is the newly released anthology a sign of changing times? Watch the debate on Verdict.

Minissha Lamba sizzling hot latest photoshoot

2009-09-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Indian men are boring: Lara Dutta

2009-09-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

In an exclusive backstage chat before she walks the ramp at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week, actress Lara Dutta tells Shweta Shiware it's a waste expecting Indian guys to dress stylish, and why Sush topples Ash in the style chart. Plus a wrap-up of the finale.

The backstage recesses of the show area is simmering with activity just before Raakesh Agarvwal's show, manifesting itself in an unsettling quiet before a stylish storm breaks through. Actress Lara Dutta walks in nonchalantly, and on time.

She seets herself down to get her make-up and hair done, looking comfortable in a worn-out Ed Hardy tee, ripped jeans and animal print wedges. She juggles two phones - an iPhone and a Blackberry - alligning them on the dressing table to match her line of vision.

Fashion has been a familiar playground, she admits, with international supermodels Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, and Indian counterparts Madhu Sapre and Mehr Jesia inspiring the little Lara to preen like a model in family photographs. "I understood couture as early as 10, " she smiles before getting ready to take our volley of questions. "Shoot."

Who is the most stylish beauty pageant winner - Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai or Sushmita Sen?
Sushmita, of course. I appreciate her personal style. She doesn't believe in sticking to rules.

And what's Lara's personal style?
It depends on my mood. I am inspired by the classic styles of the 1920s, 40s and 50s. But I am not a fashion victim. I invest in pieces that stay relevant irrespective of cyclical trends.

Which designers sit in your wardrobe?
Shahab Durazi, Tarun Tahiliani and Raakesh Agarvwal. Among the international lot, if I am feeling young, it's Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli. For classic styles, it's Armani and Valentino.

How long do you take to get ready?
If I am not walking the ramp or a red carpet, not more than 30 minutes. And that includes hair, make-up and dressing up.

Indian designers are taking an active interest in styling Bollywood films. Has style overridden substance?
My experience in modelling has helped me in Bollywood, as far as confidence with clothes is concerned. With Bunty aur Babli, Aki Narula changed the way masses dressed.

In Tashan, each character was individually styled, and the trailers looked fabulous. But the film didn't do well. A huge PR machinery was at work to promote Bebo's shoes in Kambakkht Ishq.

I've worn an expensive Alexander McQueen dress in my next release, Houseful, for all of 30 seconds. Producers understand the needs of global viewers.

They know that the audience won't go, "Kya pehna hai!" after looking at a fashionable outfit. If they (producers) are spending lakhs on outfits and accessories, they will make sure it's all publicised.

Who makes it to the most stylish Bollywood stars list?
Sonam Kapoor makes an effort to look fashionable. I like that about her. Among men, it's Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. They have an inherent sense of style.

Do you think Indian men need to make an attempt to dress more stylish?
Men don't really believe in taking chances. They are a boring lot (laughs).

Actors who walk for designers are handsomely paid...
I haven't charged a dime for this show. I have done it because I genuinely like Raakesh's clothes - they are avant-garde and cutting edge. Else, I walk for friends. It takes me back to my modelling days (winks).

Any fashion fetish?
I have one, a really bad shoe fetish. I can't divulge how many pairs I have. Easily over 100. Shoes matter. What sort, doesn't. So, I have everything from Kolhapuri chappals to Louboutins.

Poonam Jhawar

2009-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Kashmeera shah and mona wasu new bathing pics

2009-08-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Kashmeera shah and mona wasu new bathing pictures from Iss jungle se mujhe bachao

HD Caps: Sizzling hot Amrita Rao from Shortcut

2009-08-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Kangana Ranaut Hot Stills from south movie Ek Niranjan

2009-08-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Longines Pics, Stills, Images

2009-08-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

Con-dom Queens

2009-08-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Kim Kardashian pics

2009-08-01T06:43:00.001-07:00

Mallika Sherawat's Bare figure

2009-07-28T04:07:00.000-07:00

amisha patel exposing her thunder thighs

2009-07-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

Kangana Deepest Cleavage Show in Public

2009-07-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

Urvashi Sharma in a bikini and exposing her thong

2009-07-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Rakhi upset with Mahmohan's Family

2009-07-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

Continuing with her trips to her prospective sasurals, television actress Rakhi Sawant visited the holy town of Rishikesh in Rakhi Ka Swayamvar to meet family members of Manmohan Tiwari. She went around and visited their family temple and also went to see the holy Ganga. Rakhi has a chat with all of Manmohan's relatives and asked some uncomfortable questions to his father like dowry and her career in the glamour world and the lifestyle associated with it.

It may be recalled that when Manmohan’s mother had come on the show Rakhi had got a taste of the orthodox nature of their family. Manmohan's mother had informed Rakhi that she would want the bahu of the house to wear a ghoonghat and sindoor. Rakhi would also have to give up her career in Mumbai and move to Rishikesh where she would be a homemaker.

Interestingly during Rakhi's visit Manmohan's family seemed to have shed some of its orthodox nature as they now see Rakhi as a success ladder for their son. The television drama queen is not a person to be fooled that easily and she clearly understood the motive behind their warm reception. Grapevine has it that off camera she said “In logon ko bahurani nehi naukrani chahiye”(They don't want a daughter-in-law but a servant)

kim-kardashian-bikini-pictures

2009-07-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

College denies Dhoni not Promoted to second year

2009-07-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

The college in which Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is studying as an under-graduate has refuted reports that he has been denied promotion to second year after failing to appear in second semester examinations.

Dhoni, who is pursuing his graduation degree from St Xavier's college in the city, failed to appear in second semester examination held May-June, as he was not in the country and it was reported he had been denied promotion to the third semester.

'Promotion can be denied to a student after he or she appears in an examination. When Dhoni did not appear in the examination at all, then the question of denying promotion is ruled out,' a member of the college administration told IANS.

Meanwhile, the college principal, Father Nicolas Tete said: 'Special arrangements have been made for Dhoni (to take the exam). It is up to Dhoni to decide when and where he wants to appear in the examination.'

Dhoni was admitted in the St Xavier's college under sports quota and he was exempted from attending classes. He has passed the first semester, taking the examination from his Ranchi home.

To graduate from St Xavier's College, Dhoni will have to clear six semesters in five years. Normally, a student has to clear six semesters in three years to get the degree. However, if they fail to clear any of the semester examinations, they will be given a maximum period of five years to clear all.

Salman is not an insecure Person, says Katrina

2009-07-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Despite the ongoing buzz about her on and off break up with Salman Khan, actress Katrina Kaif has revealed what impressed her in her beau.

In a recent interview to a news channel, without really getting into the details of her love relationship, Kat said, “Salman has been a wonderful person for the last six years I have known him. He has got a great soul and he is very fearless. He is not afraid of anything and he is not an insecure person. A lot of people live their lives with so much insecurity—fear of rejection, of losing things. But he doesn’t fear. And he tries to teach me that.”

Justifying the kind of image Salman has, Katrina explained, “He has made his own mistakes in life. In case of other people, he has a great quality of being able to negate all the bad things and flaws and see their potential. For me, he has been a great teacher and a great guide. He has seen me grow up in the last six years. For 18 to 24 is a journey, especially for a young girl. At times, he says you are changing. And I say, I am changing because I am growing. He says, ‘Be careful, don’t change into something that is not good’.”

However, Katrina made it clear that she wants her personal life to remain personal. She said, “You will waste a part of your life answering, denying or clarifying things that don’t matter or are just speculations. I am too much of a sensitive person to have this side of my life debated or to enter and participate in these kinds of debates.”

Well, everything has been said before, but “Salman’s not an insecure person” is sure going to be news to many!

Ayesha Takia turns fashion Designer post marriage

2009-07-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

Besides helping restaurateur husband Farhan Azmi set up his boutique hotel in Goa, Ayesha Takia is now getting ready to launch her own designer label.Says a source close to Ayesha, "She has been working on a fashion line for a while now. She was interested in designing even before she entered films but it took a backseat once she started doing films." The source adds that the designing bug never left her. "Ayesha would take a keen interest in the outfits she'd wear in her films and give her own inputs to the designers."

Revealing more about the actress' designer plans, the source continues, "The actress will design her own clothes rather than enter into a partnership with any fashion house. It's entirely her baby and Farhan is not helping to launch it except in giving her moral support and encouragement."

The source adds, "Her designer line won't be called Ayesha but something more exotic. It will be an exclusive designer range that will feature high-end and even affordable stuff. The line will be simple and classic, stylish with elegant lines."

Ayesha's husband Farhan Azmi confirms, "It's true that Ayesha is working on her own designer line but it's still in the pipeline. It might take another year or so. It's too early to talk about it right now."

Bikini Poll of the Week: Gisele Bundchen

2009-07-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

Giselle is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's richest supermodel and has appeared on more magazine covers than any other supermodel.

Bikini #2

In the December 2006 issue of New York Magazine published a list of the 123 reasons to love New York City. Gisele was named as number 43, because she lives in New York. It might be time to move.

Bikini #3

Growing up, Gisele wanted to be a professional volleyball player. I think she should take up beach volleyball when she retires from modeling. She would easily take home the gold.

Giselle Bundchen is the highest paid model in the world and she deserves every single cent she earns. She has the most amazing body around and these shots of her in a bikini relaxing on the beach prove it. This could just be our hottest bikini poll yet!

So the tough question of the week - Which bikini does Giselle Bundchen look hottest in?

Sexy Hot Babe

2009-07-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Top 10 Female Politicians

2009-07-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Sexy Hot sisters

2009-07-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hot Babes

2009-07-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

The joy of confidence

2009-07-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Joy of sex Photograph: Corbis/Corbis

At 48, Philippa is vivacious, attractive and is having the best sex of her life. "It's quite wonderful," she says. "If you'd told me at 28 that this would be happening I'd never have believed it."

But there's a catch. "It's great sex, but it's not with my husband. To be absolutely honest, he's the last man on the planet I'd want to have sex with."

Philippa is by no means the only fortysomething having a great time in the bedroom. In a survey of 2,000 women carried out by Health Plus magazine, 77% said that their sex life was at its best in their 40s; 82% of that age group also said that sex was as important to them as it had ever been. Other surveys echo these conclusions - one carried out in the US, for instance, found that women in their 40s want to have sex more often than younger women. Jane Polden, a psychotherapist who specialises in working with middle-aged women, says it's a story she hears time and again, as does relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam, co-author of The New Joy of Sex. "There's plenty of research that shows sex gets better for women as they get older," says Quilliam. "It's one of the best-kept secrets of women's lives." While our culture constantly associates sexiness with youth, the truth seems to be that it is those of us who are approaching the menopause - our hair greying, skin sagging a little - who are at our sexual peak.

Polden says there is a host of reasons for this. One is simply that, by this age, women tend to have fewer insecurities. "Younger women are much more likely to be obsessed with their appearance, their weight and so on," she says, "and worries about those things sap their self-confidence and get in the way of them enjoying themselves. Older women are more confident of who they are, and it's a deep-seated confidence, which means they're not scared of intimacy, and they're not scared of going all out for what they need to feel satisfied."

The impending menopause is also significant. As it approaches, levels of the so-called "nurturing" hormones - oestrogen and oxytocin - diminish in women, which allows our testosterone to make more of an impact. The theory is that from puberty women are physically wired to be attentive to the needs of others, our bodies priming us to care for children. In our 40s, though, when those nurturing hormones melt away, many women are led to the epiphany that they have been putting their own needs in second place for decades.

"It's an extraordinary moment of realisation for many women," says Polden. "Doris Lessing sums it up very well in her book The Summer Before the Dark. Her fortysomething heroine has an affair, and she says it makes her feel herself for the first time since she was 13. She's felt overwhelmed, controlled almost, by this hormonal surge ... and now it's draining away, and she can work out who she is, and who she wants to be."

For many women, the light that goes on illuminates a faltering marriage. "It was almost inevitable, really, that I'd find Paul boring after 20 years," says Philippa. "But it wasn't just the boredom - he also seemed not to be the right partner for me any more. It struck me that when I was younger I was searching for an alpha male, a provider, but what I want now is a much more sensitive man." From the practical point of view, she says, there is also more space in her life to enjoy herself now that the children are growing up. "It's wonderful to go out for lunch with someone who notices what I'm wearing and flirts with me. It spices everything up, it makes me feel energised and youthful, at precisely the moment I was beginning to feel a bit dull and over the hill." And a lot of women in their 40s seem to share this sense that they suddenly have time to indulge themselves. Having brought up their toddlers, they have more freedom to go out again and relax with their husband, their partner - or indeed someone else entirely.

The data on extramarital affairs supports the notion that, like Philippa, many fortysomething women are having great sex with someone other than their husband. A study last year from the University of New Hampshire found that the most common age for women to have affairs is 45 (for men it's 55) and these US figures dovetail with a UK study last summer that found that women aged 45-54 had the highest rates of STIs for their gender, while men aged 55-60 had the highest rates for theirs. The authors of that last study said that their research suggested that "sexual risk-taking behaviour is not confined to young people".

For those who embark on them, the fortysomething sexual relationship is often a way of reclaiming their youth. "It's been the most delicious, unexpected, delightful pleasure ever," says Nancy, 50, who split up with her long-term partner four years ago and, soon afterwards, met George. "I thought I'd hung up my boots, and to find myself in love again has been amazing. I don't feel 20 again - I can't claim that - but I do feel the world is full of possibilities, just as I did when I was 20." For some it represents a second chance. "I met Stephen at 19 and married him at 22," says Harriet. "He was my only lover. But our marriage went stale, as they do, and one night at a drinks party I met someone new, and we ended up having the most amazing sex upstairs in a bedroom while the party was happening below." Harriet has since found another lover, although she still lives with her husband and their children.

Women's enjoyment of sex in their 40s can also be chalked up at least partly to feminist advances, which have made us much less likely to settle for second best. In the past, many women simply tolerated their husbands' affairs - now they're getting out there themselves. "My marriage wasn't working," says Sian, 49, who has had an on-off affair with an old university friend for the last two years. "And my feminist instinct is that if things aren't right for you as a woman, you change them. Women of my generation know we can change the world - we've done it before." The fact that most women in their 40s are in employment also means that they have many more opportunities to meet men - and to pursue affairs - than their stay-at-home predecessors.

These mid-life affairs don't necessarily spell the end of a marriage. Quilliam believes that a sexual relationship with a life partner, especially one with whom you have children, leaves an attachment even once the sex is over, which can potentially carry a couple through a few crisis years. For some women, though, finding a lover in their 40s is a prequel to leaving their marriage (in seven out of 10 cases, divorce is instigated by women). "Many of those who have affairs at this time in their life are having what we'd call transition relationships," says Quilliam. "Their main purpose is to reaffirm these women sexually and to help them believe that they could have another long-term relationship with someone new - even if it isn't this particular one. So they boost your self-belief, and they give you the confidence to get back on the market sexually."

For Quilliam, another key factor in the 40s sexual peak is that this is the age at which we really start railing against the inevitability of death. "The menopause rehearses our mortality," she says. "We have to face the fact that we're no longer able to have babies, no longer able to pass on life. We're losing our looks: it's a wake-up call to the fact that we won't go on forever, that one day in the no longer impossibly distant future, we're going to die. And sex and death are very closely related. Put crudely, we fuck to prove we're alive."

Why Mini got it right and Jessica scr*wed up

2009-07-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

A new study warns mothers of getting on to that treadmill too soon unless they are okay compromising with their baby's nutrition, and landing with ugly stretch marks. FYI tracks celeb moms to tell you what works, and doesn't.

After flaunting their baby bumps on the cover of magazines (pop star Britney Spears did it for gossip glossy, Indian actress Tara Sharma, for an Indian childcare magazine) most celebs are in a tearing hurry to lose the baby weight. But following the examples of yummy mummys may cost you more than you think, warn experts.

Doctors from the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) have revealed how extreme and immediate weight loss attempts after delivering a baby can have a negative impact on breastfeeding. Weight gain during pregnancy is not only normal, it is necessary, they stress. A mother's body has to nourish the growing baby, and her body needs to take on more fluid to support the extra circulation her baby needs.

Too much exercising can lead to Vaginal Prolapse

Mumbai gynaecologist and chairman of Gynaec World, Dr Duru Shah says losing weight rapidly after pregnancy is a dangerous trend she's noticed among young urban mothers. After delivering a baby, a the body's tissues are flaccid. If you start indulging in intense exercises too soon, there is a danger of the uterus slipping downward, leading to a condition called Vaginal Prolapse. "Usually, we advise mothers to wait at least six weeks before exercising. They should consume a diet that's rich in calcium, proteins, and drink lot of liquids," she says.

Opt for pilates and yoga

Celeb fitness trainer Deanne Pandey reveals how some women make the mistake of resorting to quick-fix measures including intense exercising and crash dieting. "This is bound to affect the quality of a mother's milk since she's not acquiring proper nutrition." If that doesn't bother you much, ruining the texture of your skin sure will. "Rapid fat loss can lead to ugly stretch marks. It's best if women wait for their bodies to heal before embarking on a rigorous workout. They should start off with basic meditation and relaxation techniques, all after consulting their doctor, of course. They can then focus on core strengthening exercises for the back, spine, abdomen and hip bones. Avoid rigorous forms like swimming, intense spinning and kickboxing altogether."

Jessica Alba gymmed 6 days a week
The Hollywood actor reportedly worked with a trainer an hour a day, six days a week, after giving birth to her baby girl Honor Marie Warren. Alba, who was back to her pre-pregnancy body just two months after giving birth, reportedly took in just 1,700 calories a day to shed her pregnancy pounds quickly, burning up to 600 calories a day.

I started gymming only 3 months after my baby was born
Television host Mini Mathur says she put on nine kilos during her second pregnancy, but she managed to lose all the extra weight in nine months by following a healthy diet and a regular fitness routine. "Since I had a C-section, I had to wait for my body to heal before hitting the gym. I began gymming three months after giving birth. I lost the kilos through a circuit training programme that oscillates between one day of functional training, and three days of cardio. I made sure I ate a balanced diet," she says.

Lactating women need to eat every 2-and-a-half hours

Deepshikha Agarwal, dietician and sports nutritionist
"If a lactating woman does not have a healthy balanced meal, both, the quality and the quantity of milk are affected. When women resort to dieting to lose baby weight, it results in low production of milk that lacks nutrition since it doesn't contain all the necessary nutrients required by the mother and her baby."

>>Lactating women should eat every 2 Â½ hours. Avoid spicy food and include fruits and vegetables in their diet.
>>Low-calorie food like soya khakras and soups should replace processed or tinned food.
>>Avoid hidden fats (mayo in salads, cream and fat in pastries).
>>Avoid red meat (mutton and pork).
>>Opt for food that is baked, boiled, grilled or steamed rather than fried.
>>Avoid corn; it is calorie-rich and can cause constipation
>>Drink lots of water.

Your ideal diet to lose weight the quick and healthy way:
>>Start your day by having two glasses of warm water, a bowl of mixed fruits, and a fistful of dry raisins, almonds, dates and walnuts.
>>After 1 1/2 hour, have a cup of tea with milk and Poha or Upma. Avoid having strong coffee or black tea.
>>After 2 Â½ hours, have a glass of buttermilk.
>>After 2 hours, have two Ragi flour rotis (three times a week) or two wheat flour rotis with dal and bhaji for lunch. Avoid potato bhaji.
>>After 3 1/2, hours have a snack (either bhel or a fruit chaat) and a glass of milk.
>>Have an early, light dinner at 7.30 pm. It should include a bowl of salad, soup, sautÃ©ed vegetables or a leafy bhaji. Reduce the number of chapatis so you cut down on carbs. Non-vegetarians can have egg whites or lean chicken.

Penn Blames Pride, Alcoholism For Divorce From Madonna

2009-07-02T13:26:00.001-07:00

Oscar wining actor Sean Penn has blamed his pride and excessive drinking for the end of his marriage to pop star Madonna.

Penn married Madonna at the height of her fame but they got divorced four years later. He believes he really didn't know Madonna when he was married to her and cannot remember having a 'single conversation' with the singing sensation, contactmusic.com reports.

He said: 'She was a phenomenon but nothing could have told anybody what would happen next. I describe that marriage as loud. That's how I remember it. I don't recall having a single conversation in four years of marriage. I've talked to her a few times since and there's a whole person there. I just didn't know it.

'I was just living in my own head. Who was it that said 'Men are vain, particularly young men'? I liked to drink a lot. I'm not saying it was meaningless. I've carried over the lessons to things more applicable now.'

Nicole Wants To Team Up With Chris Martin

2009-07-02T13:25:00.001-07:00

Singer Nicole Scherziner of the Pussycat Dolls wants to team up with Chris Martin of Coldplay to complete her 'British songwriting mission'.

Ananova.com reports her saying: 'I just need to work with Chris Martin to complete my British songwriting mission. That would be amazing.'

Nicole has already worked with other rockers like Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane.

Lohan Kisses Three Men In One Day

2009-07-02T13:24:00.001-07:00

Controversial actress Lindsay Lohan was spotted kissing three different men in one day while holidaying on the island of Capri.

Lohan was first spotted kissing waiter Allesandro Di Nunzio just after she arrived on the island, the sun.co.uk reports. A few hours later she was seen kissing Italian actor Eduardo Costa and then later Dario Failla.

'Lindsay certainly likes her men and judging by her efforts over the weekend, they love her too. She wasn't content to share a snog with just one fella - it seemed like she wanted them all. She certainly set tongues wagging,' said an onlooker.

Lohan is reportedly seeing music producer J.R. Rotem who had in the past dated troubled pop star Britney Spears.

Katrina And I Will Make Striking Pair: Neil Mukesh

2009-07-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

Katrina Kaif, who's paired with Ranbir Kapoor in Raj Kumar Santoshi's 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', seems to be getting into the let's-get-young mode.

She has now been signed to star opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh in Yash Raj banner's next venture to be directed by Kabir Khan and the hero says they will make a good couple on screen.

'Kabir made a very unusual film 'Kabul Express' for Yash Raj earlier. This time he's going all-out to make a commercial film. I think Katrina and I will make a striking pair,' Neil told IANS.

All her earlier films have been primarily with the 40-plus Salman Khan, Govinda and Akshay Kumar. Now she's finally working with co-stars nearer her own age.

'I wouldn't know about that. My bonding so far has been with John. I really get along with him. He's so funny and entertaining. Somehow, he reminds me of Dharamji (Dharmendra) with whom I did my first film 'Johnny Gaddar'. The same towering personality, physique and a heart of gold,' said Neil.

Let's hope the initial camaraderie lasts through the film. Considering what happened to John's friendship with Arshad Warsi during Khan's 'Kabul Express' one wonders if Neil would be singing the same tune by the time he and John finish shooting together.

81 attacks on Indians in Oz since May 23: Govt to RS

2009-07-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: A total of 81 confirmed cases of attacks on Indians, including students, have been reported in Australia since May 23 this year, the
government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vyalar Ravi said the Australian government has informed India that it was taking a series of steps to check attacks on Indians and ensure their safety.

"The total number of confirmed cases of attacks on Indians, including students, since May 23 is 81," he said.

Ravi said the matter has been taken up with the Australian government at the highest level.

"It has been conveyed to them that such attacks should not be allowed to happen and that it is the responsibility of the police authorities in particular to ensure the well-being and security of our students in Australia," the minister said.

He said that in some cases, arrests have been made and offenders charged

Delhi HC legalises gay sex between consenting adults

2009-07-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, July 02: Delhi High Court, in its path-breaking judgement on Thursday, legalised gay sex among consenting adults holding that the law making it a criminal offence violates fundamental rights.
In a courtroom packed with around 100 people, half of them activists, Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S Muralidhar sought changes in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), saying it violated Article 21 of India's constitution promising all citizens equality before law.

In a 105-page judgement, the judges said that Section 377 should be amended and any sex between consenting adults must be legalised. This must not apply to those under 18 years.

"We declare Section 377 of IPC in so far as it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private is violative of Articles 14, 21 and 15 of the Constitution," a Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Murlidhar said.

The Court said "the provision of Section 377 IPC will continue to govern non-consensual penile non-vaginal sex and penile non vaginal sex involving minors". It however clarified that "by adults we mean everyone who is 18 years of age or above".

It further said that this judgement will hold till Parliament chooses to amend the law.

"In our view Indian Constitutional Law does not permit the statutory criminal law to be held captive by the popular misconception of who the LGBTs (lesbian gay bisexual transgender) are.

"It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster dignity of every individual," the Bench said.

While allowing the PILs filed by an NGO, Naz Foundation and others fighting for gay rights, the Court clarified that "its judgement will not result in the reopening of criminal cases involving Section 377 of IPC that have already attained finality"

It observed that the inclusiveness that the Indian society traditionally displayed in every aspect of life manifested in recognising a role in society for everyone.

"Those perceived by the majority as 'deviants' or 'different' are not on that score excluded or ostracised," the Chief Justice writing the judgement for the Bench, said.

SextCasting Makes Keeping Kids Off Pornographic Websites a Prehistoric Concept

2009-07-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Sexting is just one method of performing a much larger and dangerous issue known as “Sextcasting”

, a term defined by The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication as the process by which an individual(s) performs actions of a risqué or sexually explicit nature via a (live) webcam (or webcast), digital (image or video) camera, or other form of digital technology (i.e. a cell phone) and sends and/or saves the content of their actions using digital technologies (i.e. a computer, camera card, email, social website, message board, etc).

If you are still wrapped up with the phenomenon of “sexting”, then much like the rapid development of digital technology, your digital knowledge and concerns are already outdated.

As advancements and access by minors to technology such as free webcams, free blogs, message boards and social sites have evolved, sextcasting has become more than a trend, but a frightening epidemic far too common in our society. SextCasting is an epidemic destroying our digital generation (young and old), and after ~ 10 years of damage our global community can no longer afford to be ignorant to this very serious issue.

According to the Executive Director for The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication, “Prior to the very recent explosion of digital disease like sexting, society's primary concern about the internet was how to keep kids off of pornographic websites. Thanks to the continual rapid evolution of digital technology with no proactive or concurrent communication about how to responsibly utilize these new gadgets, keeping kids off of pornographic websites is a prehistoric concept as we now battle to keep our kids from becoming the producers and providers of pornographic content.”

A SextCast is not isolated to cell phone usage, and the consequences can be exponentially worse as they are farther reaching, more malicious, and almost impossible to contain once viral.

The following examples are just two of the vast catastrophic outcomes that can result from a SextCast.

1) An Unintended SextCast: Whereby an individual(s) creates a Private SextCast unaware that the content is; (i) being stolen from their hard drive, (ii) being stolen from their password protected webpage, and/or (iii) their webcam feed is being watched and recorded by a third party via a hacker and spyware program which often leads to “Viral SextCasts.

2) A Viral SextCast: Whereby an individual’s Public or Private SextCast unknowingly becomes public and is spread globally (a.k.a. becomes viral) through email, social networks, websites or other digital technologies thus the content can be saved to private hard drives across the world and resurface again at any time.

Thousands of times a day tweens, teens, young adults, and couple’s sextcasts are being commercialized by other kids, individuals, and companies with an agenda. These aforementioned users (secretly) save, edit, brand, and re-release your kid’s images, videos, or webcasts globally for their own financial benefit. They use your kid’s content on their blogs, message boards, and websites as it provides them with free (adult) "entertainment" to boost their website or blog traffic & revenues. Frequently this occurs without you or your kid ever knowing that their content is public until it is ultimately too late, and your child, unfortunately, becomes an “amateur pornographer”.

Has your kid ever taken a risqué picture with a digital camera?

Has your kid ever performed or recorded a sexually explicit act using a digital video camera or via a live webcam feed or webcast?

If so, a "SextCast" was created, and if you read this and think, not my kid, you better be absolutely sure because more importantly than whether or not they did it, is what they do next.

There are many more details about the dangerous epidemic of sextcasting that we simply cannot provide in one story or make public via a press release, however if you are interested in learning more, please contact The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication with your questions at www.iroc2.org or www.sextcasting.com.

# # #

The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (I.R.O.C.2) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a new way of social thinking as it relates to the use of digital technologies and "Digital Responsibility 2.1C".

We as a nation need to provide direct proactive communication of Digital Responsibility (Responsibility 2.1C) to a new generation. We cannot be reactionary treating today's digital issues, and we cannot resolve them with 20th century threats, reprimand and curriculum. The real problem is our youth has grown up learning what we call responsibility 1.0 or offline responsibility. They do not understand the scope of the repercussions when they invoke poor (digital) judgment because they have not been proactively taught 21st century digital responsibility or what we call, Responsibility 2.1C. We cannot apply 20th century solutions to 21st century issues."

Myla Opens New Luxury Lingerie Store In Bluewater Shopping Centre

2009-07-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

yla’s portfolio currently consists of seven stand alone designer lingerie stores and three concessions throughout London along with concessions in Paris, Germany, Ireland and independent stockists worldwide. The Bluewater store will be Myla’s first UK regional stand alone store outside the London area.

CEO, Daniel Gestetner said: “We are delighted to be opening our first Myla store outside the London area. This is a prime retail space for us and will be an important addition to our current portfolio”.

Founded in 1999, Myla is a luxury underwear, sexy lingerie and lifestyle brand offering a gorgeous selection of lingerie, sleepwear and designer sex toys. The Bluewater store will stock the full Spring Summer 2009 collection including the recently re-launched swimwear, designer bikinis and beach cover up collection.

Andrew Parkinson, Bluewater General Manager said: “We are delighted to welcome Myla and are thrilled they have chosen Bluewater as their first UK regional stand alone store outside the London area. Bluewater continues to lead the way with another industry debut adding to the offer of an exceptional shopping experience for guests with this exciting new boutique.”

To celebrate the opening of the new boutique Myla will be holding an in store competition offering customers the opportunity to win two sets of £250 Myla vouchers. To be in with a chance to win simply visit the Bluewater store in the first week of opening and sign up to the mailing list. Winners will be drawn on 30th May 2009.

Baitullah Mehsud Rival Zainuddin Shot Dead

2009-07-02T12:55:00.001-07:00

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Qari Zainuddin, a rival commander of Baitullah Mehsood, was killed by a gunman Tuesday morning.

ARY NEWS citing the sources reported that Gulbuddin Mehsud, a close colleague of Qari Zainuddin, opened fire at him in Madeena Colony here this morning killing him on the spot.An aide of Zainuddin was seriously injured in the firing.

Qari Zainuddin Mehsud had recently announced his opposition to Baitullah Mehsud led terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Zainuddin had recently disclosed that Taliban supremo Baitullah Mehsud has been involved in terror attacks in Pakistan and he was the mastermind of the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Qari Zainuddin was a close aide of Mehsud but after martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto and attacks on mosques and public places in Pakistan he and his several aides had announced their opposition to Baitullah Mehsud.

Zainuddin Mehsud had also claimed that Baitullah Mehsudi was getting foreign currency and other assistance from the Indian embassy in Afghanistan for terror strikes within Pakistan.

Denise Richards On 4th Pair Of Boobs

2009-07-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Lohan Red Bikini Devil!

2009-07-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ah here’s something worth of a post! LINDSAY LOHAN in bikini! Now, you’ll have to congratulate me for posting these pictures… either your gay or straight, I’m sure you’ll find her hot enough to give an itch down there… The pictures were taken at her birthday so she thought it’ll be cooler if everybody would be wearing bikini and thongs… great idea Lindsay, maybe next time I’ll get invited too! Hurray!

Nayantara does a Sushmita in ‘Mallika I Love You’

2009-07-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

Tamil actor Vijay romances Bolly beauties

2009-07-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

From Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu to Amisha Patel and Genelia D’Souza, Vijay has romanced them all. We take a look at his hot arm candies.

Amrita Arora bikini photo after Kareena Kapoor in Kambakkht Ishq

2009-07-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Kambakkht Ishq promises to put all its actresses in bikinis to match the high testosterone count in the movie.

Remember, its got Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sly Stallone, Brandon Routh, and Akshay Kumar?

The Kambakkht Ishq bikini babes Kareena Kapoor, Denise Richards, and Amrita Arora are supposed to be extremely stylish supermodels in the movie.

Denise Richards bikini photo

Aki Narula will design Kareena’ clothes, Shabina Khan will design Denise Richards’ outfits, while Ashley Rebello will style Amrita Arora’s clothes, reports say.

Kareena Kapoor in a bikini in Tashan

Kareena Kapoor is said to be doing an underwater bikini scene in Kambakkht Ishq. There was a lot of brouhaha when she wore a bikini in Tashan, which is now being repeated with Kambakkht Ishq.

But this time, Kareena will be a little more curvaceous. Apparently, she has been asked to put on weight, so she will not look rail thin as she did in Tashan.

Amrita Arora bikini photo from Kambakkht Ishq

And what Kareena does, her bosom buddy Amrita Arora does too. She says she has worked hard on a bikini body, but from her pictures she does not look cadaverous or starved, which is a relief.

I suspect Kambakkht Ishq is peppered with bikinis to make up for the lack of a storyline. The movie peddles the done-to-death battle of the sexes.

Kambakkht Ishq is about an Indian stuntman (Akshay Kumar) and a supermodel (Kareena Kapoor), who hate each others guts. He is a casanova and she is a prim little miss who thinks that men are only interested in sex.

A look at the promo is enough to convince me that this movie will be a complete waste of the tons of money poured into it.

The movie is supposed to be funny but if the lines in the promo are anything to go by, Kambakkht Ishq is going to be boring as hell.

Sample this. “What do you know about stuntmen, huh?” our hero asks. “Second-hand people with second-hand lives,” she retorts. If this the level of their banter, I will gladly give the movie a miss.

Photo: Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor cross swords in Kambakkht Ishq

And, what’s with the sword-fighting scene, a direct copy of the absolutely sensuous scene from Joddha Akbar? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Photo: Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Jodhaa Akbar

The tag lines of Kambakkht Ishq in the promo, say Hollywood Meets Bollywood, and A Perfect Love Story…..That Wasn’t.

My problem is why on earth did the bickering duo have to be in Hollywood? He can be a stuntman here, she can be a supermodel here; why drag in a poor Sylvester Stallone who looks as though he has no clue why he is there?

The only funny line in the promo- albeit unintentionally - is Sylvester Stallone ferociously nodding his head and spitting out “Kambakkht Ishq.”

But since the movie insists on being a mating between Bollywood and Hollywood, it has been shot entirely in Los Angeles, California, and Universal Studios.

The promo of Kambakkht Ishq was revealed during the screening of Aa Dekhen Zara, which released on March 27, 2009.

Kambakkht Ishq has been produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and helmed by first-time director Sabbir Khan. The script has been written by Sabbir Khan and Ishita Moitra.

Sabbir Khan was the Assistant Director in hits like Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya? and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

Akshay Kumar’s last movie Chandni Chowk to China was his biggest flop after nearly seven back-to-back hits, the last one being the blockbuster Singh is Kinng.

He will be seen next in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Tasveer 8×10 and Blue.

7 Questions with Megan Fox

2009-07-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

Megan Fox walks the red carpet at the 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen' Los Angeles premiere at the Mann's Village Theatre in Westwood. (Photo by Photo Agency)

When Transformers came out, it was all “Who is this Megan Fox?” For the sequel, it’s all, “Wow, Megan Fox is back!” The release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was accompanied by an onslaught of magazine profiles with Megan Fox talking about stuff. Now here’s another one.

Zimbio: How has your daily life changed since Transformers came out?
Megan Fox: Getting photographed at Whole Foods or coming out of Rite Aid with your shampoo bottles and stuff, that's new for me, but that's not that crazy. You adjust to that. You acclimate to that pretty quickly. I mean, I don’t know if you are ever prepared for the public scrutiny. There’s no way to prepare yourself for it, but it is a part of your job. It’s maybe not the most pleasant part but I get to experience so many other things that are blessings, so that’s the trade off.

Do you actually know anything about cars?
Megan Fox: Before I did the first one, part of my audition process was that Michael [Bay] made me come to his studio and, like, pretend to work on his Ferrari. He had all these videos of me working on the Ferrari, trying to figure it out. I still don’t know anything about cars though.

Zimbio: In British GQ, you talked about recreational drug use. What kind of message is that sending to your young fans?
Megan Fox: I wouldn’t call it recreational drug use. That makes it sound like I’m going to clubs and doing cocaine, things like that. I talked about the legalization of marijuana, which I think in the United States, it should be. If alcohol is legal, I don’t see why we still have a ban on marijuana. That’s all. I mean, you ask me how it’s going to influence ten year old girls? Are they reading British GQ?

Zimbio: Is there anything that you’ve said to the press that you regret saying?
Megan: You would like me to clarify it right now? Anything that I’ve ever said that I regret? That’s possible. I mean, that’s something I struggle with because I feel like I have the best intentions when I do these sorts of interviews and when I speak about what I do. It’s unfortunate when journalists or press choose to knowingly twist the meaning of my words. That discourages me from being outspoken and being as honest, but I feel like it’s something that I just want to do, because I hate reading or watching bullsh*t interviews and watching these pretty images, these things that people present to you on television that you know are fake and manufactured. I’m trying not to be one of those.

Zimbio: Was there anything in the press that was just plain silly?

Megan Fox: I don’t research any of my own press. I really don’t like knowing about it, so I just pretend that none of it’s real.

Zimbio: What toys did you play with growing up?
Megan Fox: I had My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, things like that.

Zimbio: Is it good for your ego to be called one of the most gorgeous women in the world?
Megan Fox: I mean, things like that, the movie was so successful and was such a global success, it exposed me to people who had never seen me before. Other actresses -- your more successful actresses -- don’t ever get the chance to be a part of a film like this where their images are taken around the world the way that mine was with this movie. I get really embarrassed. Have you ever been given a compliment and you just can’t take it, because you just don’t agree with it or you are just uncomfortable taking it? It’s like that. It’s nonstop, all day, every day, and I get really embarrassed by it. I don’t know how to react to it. If I told you that you were the sexiest man I had ever seen in my life, how would you feel?

Top 10 Bad Hollywood Boob Jobs

2009-07-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes shallow celebs happier than a stiff injection of saline solution. But just like with Kevin Costner's acting career, things sometimes go horribly wrong.

Audrina Patridge

The Hills has a lot to answer for. This MTV-produced bucket of rotting fish bait was thrust upon our small screens in 2006. Audrina has probably had breast implants, as they look perkier and significantly larger than they used to. However, we forgive her; any girl’s boobs would droop in the presence of Spencer Pratt.

Jewel

Jewel’s musical career has been declining in recent years. A boob job can usually help fix a performer’s esteem at least for the foreseeable future. Unless that boob job leaves you with some bizarre wrinkles that look like your granny’s forehead when she is frowning as you try to explain to her what bukkake is.

Jenna Jameson

Well it’s no surprise to find Jenna on this list. Jenna’s boobs were once a 32DD and currently come in at a more petite 32C. At one point, her boobs looked like they were made from Play-Doh; You could definitely see Tommy Lee’s handprint there. And a bit of his arm (what do you mean that’s not his arm... oh... Wow!).

Tori Spelling

Tori is an evil genius. Bad boob job? Of course, but have you seen her face? We’re all too busy staring at her mammary glands to actually realize that Tori looks like that guy you keep seeing down at the market who has nice legs and boobs, but you are sure he is a guy because of his huge hands and chin (and moustache). And you worry because you keep getting a bit of a chubby when you see him/her. But you also secretly like it. You want the man/woman/beast don’t you? And Tori knows that

Tara Reid

Way to go Tara, not easy to push Tori into 2nd place. Remember Tara in “American Pie”? She was cute, sexy, and incredibly hot. Fast forward 10 years and tell me if you had a choice between Tara Reid and a meat grinder, which you’d take home to introduce to your parents? Tara’s boob job is so nasty that she was once used by NASA to scare away a potential alien invasion. The extra-terrestrials took one look at those Hellish mounds and beat a hasty retreat. She is an all-American hero.

Victoria Beckham

It was hard not to put Victoria in first place, her boobs are not just bad, they’re actually hilarious. Apparently she had them spaced like that deliberately to remind her of home, specifically, the English Channel. At some points, the English Channel is only 21 miles wide, just a bit slimmer than Overtanned Spice’s cleavage. Seriously, are they boobs or neoplastic benign tumors growing out from her armpits from frying her skin too much?

Pamela Anderson

The queen of the boob job. There was a point when Pammy’s breasts were so large that astronauts could seem them from outer space (or rather the dust that collected on top of them). Her boobs have been chopped up so much that her nipples are practically falling off. Pammy is so plastic that when she dies it will take 1,000 years for her body to decompose.

Donatella Versace

The horror, the horror. She’s making my eyes bleed, please, put me out of my misery.

Paula Abdul

I think it was just wrong of Simon Cowell to put Paula in a microwave. That’s what he did you know. Look at her. She looks like a prune with all the juice sucked out of her. If she got bitten by a vampire she would just explode like a piñata full of dust. Her boobs look like she uses them to weigh vegetables by hooking a balance on nipple rings. Yuck.

Vivica Fox

Vivica Fox had such a bad boob job that “Vivicas” is now a term used to describe breasts that have hardened breast implants. Really, check the Urban Dictionary. Vivica played a hardened killer in Kill Bill Vol 1. No doubt she put her newfound skills to use by pounding the butcher who shoved an old pair of sandals in her chest cavity.

Genelia spicy PHOTOS in yellow top and blue jeans http://www.telugufilmblog.com/2009/01/genelia-spicy-photos-in-yellow-top-and.html#ixzz0K8DIDWAw&D

2009-07-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Vyapari-Namitha goes Hot-PHOTOs

2009-07-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Pak offensive kills over 50; Taliban suspend peace talks

2009-07-02T08:44:00.003-07:00

Helicopter gunships on Monday pounded Taliban hideouts, as Pakistani security forces in intensified operations killed over 50 militants in NWFP, putting the recent peace deal reached between the government and radicals in jeopardy.

The paramilitary Frontier Corp continued their operations for the second day on Monday hitting militant hideouts in the province as Taliban suspended talks with government on the peace deal to protest operations in Dir, adjoining Swat.

"Twenty militants were killed in operations in Maidan area of lower Dir today," a military statement said. Earlier, briefing newsmen Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said security forces had killed at least 30 militants overnight.

Malik said the operations were launched in retaliation to efforts by Taliban to extend their influence outside Swat.

As Pakistani forces intensified the offensive, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi spokesman Izzat Khan told reporters that no peace talks would be held with the government unless the security forces halted the operations.

Izzat Khan said their peace deal with the government was now ‘worthless’.

The pressure on the deal built up when authorities sent troops backed by artillery, tanks and helicopter gunships to attack militants in lower Dir, part of the area which is covered by the Swat peace accord.

Islamabad has been under severe pressure from the US and other countries to back out from deals with radical militant outfits which they say pose a danger of destabilising the entire region.

Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan denounced the operations as a violation of the pact and vowed his militants will not lay down their arms at any cost.

If Afzal were Anand, he would have been hanged by now'

2009-07-02T08:44:00.001-07:00

BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani on Monday raked up the issue of Afzal Guru and said that the UPA government was delaying his execution thinking they will get votes by doing so. "They (UPA) are saying that there were terrorist attacks like the one on Parliament and Aksahrdham when I was Home Minister, I say yes I accept it. But see what we have done in the case. We caught the conspirators, prosecuted them and convicted them," Advani said, addressing an election rally in New Vadaj area of the city.

"One of the main accused was given death sentence. He appealed in higher courts but it was rejected. Still he has not been hanged. If he (Afzal) were Anand Singh or Anand Mohan then he would have been hanged by now. I would like to ask Manmohan Singh is it just because he is Afzal Guru he is not being hanged?" Advani asked. "I have talked to my Muslim brothers, they too are not for this decision. They say that government was taking their name and doing wrong things, we are not saying don't punish the terrorists," he said.

He said, "If the UPA government is thinking that by delaying execution of Afzal Guru they will get votes, then they are wrong... India's Muslims are saying that by doing this the government was defaming their community."

Advani, who has till now addressed election rallies in over 90 Parliamentary constituencies, said that BJP government in Gujarat has done well and that is why people are talking about it in the entire country.

India welcomes Lanka's move to cease hostilities

2009-07-02T08:43:00.001-07:00

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday welcomed the Sri Lankan government's announcement that combat operations in the northern parts of the island nation have reached a conclusion, saying it meant cessation of hostilities.

"It means cessation of hostilities.It means to the government of India that the Sri Lankan government has put an end to the ongoing offensive," he said. Chidambaram, who spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, informing him of the Sri Lankan government's decision, said from Kariakudi where he is campaigning that "Sri Lanka's announcement offers solace to us. The next course of action on the issue will be decided in consultation with all."

"I think we all should welcome the development. More needs to be done. The Government of India will do more. The Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh), the NSA (M K Narayanan) are in touch with the Sri Lankan authorities. We will try to do more. But for now this means there is cessation of hostilities," he said.

Chidambaram said New Delhi's understanding was that Sri Lankan government, which launched a decision combing operation against LTTE, has put an end to the hostilities.

The Home Minister said India was asking for cessation of hospitalities and the Sri Lankan government's statement was a significant one. "It is a result of the efforts that the Government of India has been making over the last several days, specially in the last 72 hours. We have exerted pressure on the humanitarian situation...," he said.

Asked whether India would send relief material to affected Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, Chidambaram said indeed it was a humanitarian situation and it was prime concern for India. "I think we are examining the possibility of stepping up humanitarian aid. I intend to speak to the Prime Minister later on Monday and if there is any aid, it will be announced on behalf of the Prime Minister," he said.

It has become a fashion to aspire for PMship: Sonia

2009-07-02T08:42:00.001-07:00

Sharing the dais with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for the first time in eight years, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that so many people want to become a prime minister, it has become a fashion now.

"But the aim of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi is not to become PM but to serve the poor," the UPA chairperson said.

Sonia also launched a scathing attack on the Left parties for failure to support UPA government on the nuclear deal issue.

"To meet the growing energy requirement, we went for the nuclear deal, but the Left opposed us saying it was not required," Gandhi said addressing an election meeting in this key Lok Sabha constituency from where External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is contesting.

Attacking the Leftists in the Left Front ruled state, she said that the ambitious rural job scheme, NREGA, was not implemented properly in West Bengal.

Gandhi accused the Left Front West Bengal government of paying lip service to the poor and downtrodden sections of the society though Leftists swore by their name and claimed themselves to be their 'messiah'.

Pointing out that West Bengal had bountiful production of paddy, she said it was a paradox that the people of the state did not have enough to appease their hunger.

The Congress president told the voters that the party-led coalition at the Centre took bold and historic decisions for the benefit of the farmers particularly the farm loan waiver scheme.

Taking a dig at the hordes of prime ministerial aspirants, Gandhi said "these days it a fashion to aspire for Prime Ministeriship. But the Congress aim is to serve the country and its people."

After 20 yrs, Gandhi’s birthplace votes without fear of dons

2009-07-02T08:38:00.002-07:00

It’s been a long wait but the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi which had since the 1980s become a cradle for dons is finally looking at an election out of the shadow of the underworld.

Most of these godfathers, and the only godmother, have been wiped out since the last general election in 2004, or are in jail. They include Santokben Jadeja, whose transformation from a simple housewife to India’s only mafia queen was the

inspiration for the Shabana Azmi-starrer Godmother, her brother-in-law Bhura Munja, rival Bhima Odedara and other smaller, less-colourful dons.

“There are not many goons around this time. That is why no election ‘fatwas’ have been heard yet, through only four days are left for poll day,” says Karshan Mehta, a resident of Kadiya plot in Porbandar.

The Porbandar Lok Sabha seat comprises Porbandar, Kutiyana, Manavadar, Keshod, Gondal, Jetput and Dhoraji. The first two used to be the hub of mafia dons, seeing at least 21 deaths between 1985 and 1987 in gang wars. As they rose in prominence, they acquired political dimensions by supporting different parties. The BJP has been consistently winning the Porbandar seat since 1986.

The bloody battle, which basically centred around control of the coastal region’s mining and transport business (with a turnover of over Rs 400 crore), peaked around 1986, when Sharman Jadeja, husband of Santokben, was killed by rival gangster Kesav Kala. Santokben stepped into Jadeja’s shoes, and four years later, got elected as an MLA from her hometown Kutiyana, without addressing a single rally.

6 lakh Indians lost jobs in four months

2009-07-02T08:38:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: More than 6,00,000 Indians, many employed in the gems and jewellery sector, lost jobs in just four months from October 2008 as the impact of the global economic crisis hit the country's shores.

About 5,00,000 people lost their jobs in the October-December 2008 period, while over 1,00,000 were shed in January this year, the Economic Survey said.

In September, the crisis turned severe following the bankruptcy of American financial services major Lehman Brothers. Since then, millions of jobs have been shed worldwide, as companies resorted to massive layoffs as part of their cost cutting measures.

Attributing to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the report said that during the three months from October to December 2008, there was a decline in employment of about half a million workers.

Among the sectors, the most hit by the financial turmoil are gems and jewellery, transport and automobiles.

"The most affected sectors were gems and jewellery, transport and automobiles where employment has declined by 8.58 per cent, 4.03 per cent and 2.42 per cent, respectively during the period (October to December 2008)," it said.

Another "thin sample survey" by the Ministry of Labour and Employment indicated that in January about 1,00,000 jobs were lost.

I am not a choclate hero: Imran Khan

2009-07-02T08:36:00.001-07:00

Actor Imran Khan may have found fame with his boy-next-door role in debut film 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' but he does not like being called a chocolate hero.

Imran Khan
Imran followed up the character of a lovable Jai with a negative role in 'Kidnap' but the film flopped at the box office.

But the actor said that he was not making any deliberate attempt or strategy to seek a change of image.

"I don't like this terminology of 'chocolate boy hero' but I am not intending to be an action star. I am not planning to change track from love stories to action films," he told reporters.
The 25-year-old star said he judges a role as an audience before signing up a new project.

"I dont know whether I am right or wrong in this approach. But, I have not made any deliberate attempt to change my image after 'Jaane Tu..'," he said.

The actor is looking forward to his upcoming release 'Luck' but he is not a believer of destiny.

"I don't believe in luck because I am a very practical person. But, if luck is real then I should say that good things have been happening to me," Imran said.

Speaking about 'Luck', which hits the screen on July 24, Imran said the film was a commercial entertainer with an very unusual theme of human betting.

Kamal Hassan's daughter Shruti Hassan, who is paired opposite Imran in 'Luck' said the situation in which the script is set, prompted her to sign the project.

"Director Soham Shah was clear about his vision and knew exactly what he wanted," she said.

Shruti said she has known Imran for the last 15 years and hence comfort level between the two helped in their performances as well.

To a question on whether she had any apprehensions about the director since his first film 'Kaal' was a flop, Shruti said she does not judge a person on his past, but what he has to offer in the present.

'Luck' stars Imran, Shruti, Ravi Kissen along with Mithun Chakraborty, Danny and Sanjay Dutt.

B-Zone: Latest Bollywood Gupshup

2009-07-02T04:32:00.002-07:00

12 March 2009 by Kaynath Parvez

Amrita Arora married new boyfriend Shakeel Ladak in a lavish Catholic ceremony at Bandra Church, followed by a gathering at the Olive restaurant in Mumbai on 4^th March 2009. The sexy heroine has had a string of boyfriends in the media spotlight the past few years, with Upen Patel, Ashmit Patel, and Usman Afzal to name but a few. However, dressed in an off-white vintage Ashley Rebello gown draped in rice pearls and diamonds, the Golmaal Returns actress Amu, as she is fondly called, seemed elated surrounded by the who’s who of the industry, including best friend Kareena Kapoor, big sister Malaika Arora, Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Dino Morea, Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mirza, Hrithik Roshan, Arjun Rampal, and Lara Dutta. Her Sangeet night prior to the wedding was choreographed by none other than Bollywood’s dance maestro Farah Khan, and the night was hosted by jeeju Arbaaz Khan’s sister, Alvira Agnihotri. The newly-weds had their Nikaah on Friday 6th, and are now off on their much-awaited honeymoon.

And they’re not the only ones. The on-off on-off wedding between Ayesha Takia and long-term sweetheart, restaurateur Farhan Azmi, finally happened in a private Nikaah ceremony at Farhan’s restaurant, Koyla, in South Mumbai on 1^st March 2009. This was followed by a grand white-themed reception the next day at the Cricket Club of India lawns. The couple, who were initially due to wed on Christmas Eve but had postponed their wedding following the tragic Mumbai attacks, have finally taken the bull by the horns and tied the knot. Abhishek and Jaya Bachchan, Reitesh Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, and Suniel Shetty were all there to wish the newly-weds, and given that the groom’s father Abu Azmi is an active politician (leader of the Samajwadi Party), many political heavyweights were also present at the occasion.

Mumbai’s Massakkali, Sonam Kapoor, became the first actress to be honoured with a specially-designed gown as a gift from the Paris-based fashion house, Chanel. Chanel had spotted Sonam’s sensational photographs in Elle and Verve Magazine, and decided that she was the most deserving of a special gown from their ‘celebrity closet’. They flew over 3 gowns for Sonam to choose from, and the lucky Indian beauty chose the simplest of the three: an elegant white off-shoulder gown. The overwhelmed young actress, daughter of senior actor Anil Kapoor, exclaimed that she felt like Cinderella before going to the ball, and proudly displayed her beautiful gift at the recent Filmfare Awards last Saturday.

Speaking of Sonam, Bollywood’s new darling appears to be fed-up of being cast in her traditional roles, following playing characters ‘Sakina’ and ‘Bittu’ in Saawariya and Delhi 6. And since no one has come forward to cast her in a contrasting role, who better to come to the rescue than Daddy dearest? Anil Kapoor has indeed stepped up to make his daughter’s dreams come true with the film Ayesha: a Bollywood interpretation of Jane Austen’s famous novel, Emma. Apparently, Sonam has wanted to play the role of the rich, easy-going and flamboyant protagonist for a long time. Devika Bhagat, writer of Bachna Ae Haseeno, has been given the task of editing the script and storyline to suit the Indian audience. Alongside Sonam will be Abhay Deol, newcomer Arunodoy Singh, and VJ Cyrus Sahukar.

Finally, on an international note- Sajid Nadiadwala’s forthcoming romantic comedy, Kambakth Ishq, stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in pivotal roles. The film also features Aftab Shivdasani and Amrita Arora in supporting roles. However, the real hype of the movie comes with the roping in of Hollywood stars in abundance. The film is rumoured to have Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh, Arnold Shwarzenegger, Beyonce Knowles, and Carmen Electra in cameo roles, all playing themselves. British Band RDB are also apparently part of the star-cast. The storyline is on these stars ultimately helping the hero, an Indian stuntman in Hollywood, achieve his romantic mission in finding his leading lady. This will be the first Indian film to be shot within Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California, with shooting also taking place in Venice, Italy, and of course Mumbai. The movie is set to release this coming May, and is being anticipated to be the biggest blockbuster of 2009.

Happy Two-Year Anniversary to Abhishek & Aishwarya

2009-07-02T04:32:00.001-07:00

Indian cinema is renowned for its love stories. Some love stories trickle from reel life to real life. And there is one such real love story, which is sure to have been the reason for numerous broken hearts worldwide (and also warmed the hearts of all the romantics out there). The very eligible son of a legendary veteran actor, meets the world’s most beautiful woman. They fall hopelessly in love, and (after much speculation), tie the knot to become the Indian film industry’s new generation ‘Golden Couple’.

Yes, it’s none other than the debonair Abhishek Bachchan and his stunning bride Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary next week. The couple were first seen on-screen in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke back in 2000, where their friendship began. At the time, Abhishek was involved with Karisma Kapoor, and Aishwarya was in her first high-profile relationship with Salman Khan. Two years later, the Bachchans publicised Abhishek and Karisma’s engagement, which coincided with Amitabh’s 60th birthday. Amitabh believed the announcement was the perfect gift for the milestone.

Much to everyone’s disbelief, the buzz of the news was somewhat short-lived. Just a few months later in January 2003, Karisma’s aunt, and wife of the evergreen Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, let slip to a newspaper that the engagement was off. The reports sparked rumours of an unprecedented kind: the media and the fans yearned for an explanation to stop the speculation once and for all. However, the audiences were left disheartened as the Bachchans and Kapoors remained tight-lipped about the chain of events which led to the break-up. To this day, it’s still uncertain as to what took place.

During these eventful years, Abhishek and Aishwarya had formed a strong friendship with one another. Not long after the break-up of the engagement, Aishwarya also made the decision to remove Salman Khan from her life. Towards the end of their relationship, Khan had become overly-possessive of the beauty queen and, in turn, this gave her ample ammunition to move-on in her life and her career without him. In 2003, both Abhishek and Aishwarya were experiencing rough patches in their respective careers, and at the same time, trying to come to terms with the ends of their individual relationships.

It was at this time that Aishwarya found a much-needed solace in Vivek Oberoi, who she dated for nearly two years. During these years, her career went from strength to strength, with Hollywood also knocking on her door. On the other hand, Abhishek was getting accustomed to delivering failure, until his critically-acclaimed performance in Mani Ratnam’s Yuva blew everyone away. This was followed by the super-hit Dhoom, which made everyone sit-up and take notice of Jnr Bachchan. In mid 2005, due to her dissatisfaction of Oberoi openly talking about marriage plans, the Kyun Ho Gaya Na! jodi went their separate ways.

The void in Aishwarya’s life was soon-after filled by a very impressionable Abhishek. At first it was explained that time spent in each other’s company was simply due to the films they had signed together. However, the Bollywood rumour mills are seldom scared to go overtime, and their growing closeness was increasingly difficult to hide.

In April 2006, it was evident that the two were seeing each other, when they were witnessed sneaking-off together to the cinema on one night, and partying all-night on another. As the year came to an end, the couple were spotted together at various temples across the Indian sub-continent. In Janurary 2007, Amitabh Bachchan announced to a TV channel that Abhishek had asked for Aishwarya’s hand in marriage, not long after the premiere of Mani Ratnam’s Guru, in Toronto. From then onwards, gossip began once again with everyone trying to determine when the wedding would take place. Just a few months later, on 20 April 2007, the couple wed in a lavish ceremony with the world peering through to witness an almost epic match of destinies.

The wedding, a very close-knit affair, brought Bollywood politics to light and gave the media a field day. The Bachchans’ wedding guest-list somewhat divided the Indian film fraternity. There was no invitation for King Khan, with whom it seemed Bachchan Snr had a continuous popularity battle with. It was obvious that a lot of security and outside effort had gone into keeping the media and fans at bay during the celebration of the wedding. The Bachchans believed this was a family occasion, and they wanted to keep it limited to a close circle of friends and acquaintances. Once again, the audiences were somewhat hard done-by, as they were in no way able to be part of, or come into view of, a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. Was it wrong to shut out those who made the Bachchans who they are today? Or was this decision purely taken to enjoy an important private ceremony, much like any other less-publicised wedding?

The beginning of the “Golden Couple’s” official relationship couldn’t have been on a better note, with Guru becoming a much-needed turning point in Abhishek’s career. It also gave the couple their first success as co-stars. During their first year of marriage, they also (together with Papa Bachchan) delivered success in Sarkar Raaj. In the same year, Aishwarya also gave the audiences another hit (after Dhoom 2) opposite Bollywood’s ultimate heartthrob, Hrithik Roshan in the enchanting Jodhaa Akbar. Post-marriage, Aishwarya has also been seen in two Hollywood flicks; The Last Legion and, more recently, Pink Panther 2. Whereas his wife’s career chart is visibly rising higher and higher, Abhishek seems to have delivered a mixed bag of films post-marriage. Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Drona, Mission Istanbul and Ram Gopal Verma ki Aag failed miserably at the box-office. Arguably however, his most recent two films, Dostana and Delhi 6 saw Abhishek give two of his best performances to date.

Career-wise, it appears that the Bachchans have finally landed on their feet. On a more personal level, it seems the two could not be more perfectly matched. In just viewing their live dance performances during the Unforgettable Tour, it’s clear to see that the compatibility between the two is just right. Their performance of Guru’s “Tere Bina” in Houston oozed true love, and made the romance of the song just something else. In an age where the glamour, fan following and celebrity status of Bollywood actors can overshadow their work, it’s refreshing (to say the least) to see that two of the biggest names in their field are, quite simply, completely in love. A recent newspaper interview with Aishwarya’s bhabhi and first runner-up of Mrs India 2009, Shrima Rai, confirms this fact: “They are one of the cutest couples I’ve ever known. They are so close that they complete each others’ sentences. It’s absolute fun to watch them narrate their experiences, of a shoot or anything else…”.

With Abhishek believing married life is a continuous honeymoon, and Aishwarya reportedly saying “life is wonderful” after marriage, the two are truly living up to their “Golden Couple” tag. As the world is eagerly waiting for the pitter-patter of tiny Bachchan toes, the couple seem to want to enjoy the time they spend together surrounding their hectic schedules. So maybe love truly does conquer all!

We wish the couple a very Happy Anniversary, and pray their love remain strong forever.

The Art of the Publicity Stunt

2009-07-02T04:31:00.001-07:00

Link-ups, break-ups, patch-ups, punch-ups; Bollywood, it seems, doesn’t miss a thing… or does it? The well-known phrase “Don’t believe everything you read” takes on a whole new meaning with the popularity of the Internet as a prime news portal. However, it’s one thing being apprehensive about what the websites might say but it’s a different kettle of fish when one witnesses the news unravelling themselves in front of their own eyes… right?

A mutual Facebook friend of Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra revealed not so long ago that the two have been exchanging flirty messages on the popular social networking site in full view of their accepted buddies. It was disclosed that the two had formed a strong bond while filming their forthcoming movie Kaminey and have increasingly started spending more time with another. Chopra, who normally keeps relationships under wraps, recently split with Hrithik look-a-like Harman Baweja, just before the release of his second movie, Victory, in January 2009. At the time, it was rumoured that Baweja’s co-star Amrita Rao was to blame for the break-up.

Apparently Baweja was besotted with Rao and made no secret about it despite his involvement with Chopra… does it not sound a little far-fetched? How much of it is really accurate?

Given that the Baweja-Chopra association was only acknowledged by Chopra after the announcement of their break-up, does it add insult to injury to ponder whether the exploitation of audience hype is at the root of such incidents? Both link-ups in the example surround the films in question. The link-up of Rao-Baweja was conveniently revealed before the release of their film Victory. This is much the same for the Chopra-Kapur involvement which not-so-coincidentally came prior to the public unveiling of flick Kaminey. Are the audiences and the media merely being used by celebrities and film-makers to make the most of the limelight a film receives before its release?

It seems audiences and fans fall prey to rumours and stories reported in the media on a regular basis. In turn the media strives to give any sort of coverage to a brand, whether that is a movie or a celebrity associated with it. Why? Well, it seems the “agreement” between the media, the filmmakers and the celebrities is mutual. As long as the hype or coverage is timely and comes across with even an ounce of integrity, it can do wonders for the box office figures of any given film.

In recent years, audiences may or may not be aware of deliberate publicity stunts carried out by members of the film fraternity to promote a film or endorsement. In keeping with the “love-square”, it’s true to assume that the most popular way of creating hype for a film is by linking two stars who are part of it. Although a handful of these love stories do have truth in them, the rumours seem to gather ammunition when falling fittingly before the release of a relevant film. However, this is not the be-all-and-end-all of the advertising bandwagon.

Aamir Khan is notorious for personally marketing his films. One of his antics during the promotion of Ghajini was ensuring that the ushers in the major multiplex cinema halls in India were sporting his trademark hairstyle. Khan also turned barber by setting up shop in heart of New Delhi to personally give fans the famous buzz cut.

Similarly, Abhishek Bahchan and Rani Mukerjee also looked for a different technique to promote Bunty Aur Babli before its release in 2005. They made use of MTV India’s popular wind-up show “Bakra” to play practical jokes on unsuspecting members of the public. The broadcast of the show tied in well with the release of the film in which both actors play con-artists.

Film promotion in Indian cinema has finally come of age. Innovative technologies can contribute heavily to different avenues for endorsements. It seems producers are more than willing to fork out a more than healthy sum for the endorsement of a film as a brand. Actors are also becoming market savvy by using fresh methods to outdo the competition, more so when there are clashing release dates. However, many a time, audiences have witnessed the media-hype being misplaced and disappointment can prove greater than just your average unsuccessful film. It’s proving increasingly important that the viewers become more vigilant about advertising antics. The filmmakers are gradually becoming pros at pushing the right buttons to achieve better audience figures which could help establish more ways of audience manipulation.

Ranbir Kapoor: A Star is Born

2009-07-02T04:30:00.001-07:00

Entering into a profession in which your family have already carved their niche brings with it not only huge prospects but also extra pressure to succeed. Personal goals are outdone by the determination to prosper on your own merit. Ranbir Kapoor is all too familiar with these kinds of expectations.

Coming from the prestigious Kapoor clan, he is part of the fourth generation of what is the first family in Bollywood. Named after his grandfather, Ranbir Raj Kapoor, although Ranbir is still to make a real mark within the industry, he somewhat epitomises the youthful, fresh, up-and-coming era of Indian cinema.

Ranbir began his acting career in Saawariya in which his co-star was fellow debutante Sonam Kapoor, the daughter of the forever-young Anil Kapoor. Produced and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ranbir’s debut was nothing short of a dream launch. Disappointingly, the film bombed at the box office but his performance was well received, winning him a number of awards. In 2008, Ranbir wowed the audiences with Bachna Ae Haseeno, in which his character, Raj, romanced three different heroines (Minisha Lamba, Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu). The character was poles apart from that of Saawariya’s Ranbir Raj (his and his grandfather’s namesake) and, almost instantly, placed him in the running for the newest male sex symbol of Bollywood. His fresh performance, contemporary look and lovable character all rolled into one provided him with a pleasing second movie.

Bachna Ae Haseeno also gave the viewers a peak of the real-life chemistry between Ranbir and his significant other, Deepika, and visually they were the best duo in the film. There is an added sparkle to their pairing due to the fact that they have never hidden their special bond from the media, the audiences, or their respective families.

Around a year ago, the People Magazine India gave a feature on the couple with their first and only joint interview to date. Coincidentally, when they first met, they were both dating other people. However, where cupid’s arrow strikes there’s no running away from the inevitable and the duo is still going strong more than a year later. Along with his personal life, Ranbir’s acting career is also set to go from strength to strength in the coming year. He has some big banner movies under his belt as well as a self-identified need to portray his true acting abilities in roles with specific substance which are sure to embrace a love and admiration of a different kind from the audiences.

The next year will see Ranbir in Karan Johar’s Wake Up Sid, in which he will be seen to play a young guy who falls for an older woman (played by Konkona Sen Sharma). Ranbir is also paired opposite every producer’s lucky charm Katrina Kaif in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, a love story produced by Rajkumar Santoshi (a first for him in the genre). Ranbir will also be seen in a political thriller, Rajniti, to be released in 2010. In this film, he will share screen space with the likes of Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai.

So what does Ranbir offer the audience which makes him stand out from the other new male Bollywood actors of recent years (such as Neil Nitin Mukesh and Imraan Khan)? Well, although the answer to this is yet to be proved, it’s safe to say that Ranbir is all set to emerge as a solid young actor who will fulfil the ultimate Kapoor dream. The late Raj Kapoor was known to be very fond of all of his grandchildren - in particular Ranbir - so here’s hoping the audiences and fraternity alike continue to show the same warmth and affection for this generation’s Ranbir Raj Kapoor.

Has Lady Luck cast her shadow on Akshay Kumar?

2009-07-02T04:29:00.001-07:00

When one thinks of Akshay Kumar, it’s virtually impossible to discard the fact that he is the ultimate action hero. His martial-arts background has always given him an upper hand somewhat and he has been known to carry out his own stunts on film sets. However, there seemed to be an obstacle preventing Akshay from carving his own niche among the Khans in the industry.

In 2006, it seemed luck, for Akshay, came in the shape of the model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif. From their first film as co-stars, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, to their most recent box office hit Singh is Kinng, the two have gone from strength to strength together. Their hit pairing opened many doors for Katrina and also put Akshay back into the “superstar” category post-marriage. Akshay became hot-property alongside fresh-faced Katrina, and they delivered successes in all the movies they were cast opposite each other.

During the time, Akshay also had a number of releases minus Katrina, the majority of which didn’t go down to well with the audiences. Katrina on the other hand was delivering hit after hit at the box office, whether that be with or without Akshay. So much so that Katrina has become known to have the Midas touch. In light of this, is it right to ponder whether Akshay was getting just as much from Katrina lucky streak as Katrina was gaining career-wise by being cast opposite the Khiladi of Bollywood? Was Akshay cashing in on Katrina’s luck and slowly making his way back into the hearts of the audiences?

The hit Kumar-Kaif jodi hasn’t been seen together following the comedy Singh is Kinng almost a year ago. Since then, Akshay seems to be finding it difficult to please the masses. His first attempt in the animated movie genre failed miserably at the box office, as did the much-hyped Chandi Chowk to China opposite Deepika Padukone. His most recent offering, 8 x 10 Tasveer, seemed to have all the ingredients to wow the audiences once more but unfortunately went virtually unnoticed at the box office. Is Akshay’s hard work being overlooked without Katrina’s fortune to see it through to success?

On the personal front, Akshay quite recently ended up in hot water when a group of spectators present at his Levi’s unbuttoned range fashion show, during Lakme India Fashion Week, found a significant part of his act offensive. The act surrounded a female model unbuttoning Akshay’s jeans in reference to the same of the Levi’s range. However, during the actual show, Akshay opted to get his jeans unbuttoned by his wife, Twinkle, who was in the front row. It seems that didn’t seem to matter to the onlookers who went on to file a police case against the couple for public obscenity. It seems as if Lady Luck really has left the stunt hero in the dark and not just professionally.

As Katrina’s career chart still seems to be on the up, Akshay is preparing one more to impress all with his next venture, Kambakkht Ishq. The film boasts cameos of a number of Hollywood stars as Akshay plays the role of a Hollywood stuntman. Rumour has it that the producer of the film is planning to release the film in a “bigger and better” fashion than the norm. It is thought that the overwhelming success of Slumdog Millionaire has given way to a new breed of directors who feel they can aim higher and targeting an international audience no longer seems extraordinary. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 and has Miss Popularity Kareena Kapoor in the female lead.

So as Bollywood’s Khiladi prepares for yet another major release, the audiences will need to sit tight to see him share screen space with the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards. Kambakkht Ishq is the first in a long line of big-budget films to be released this year and early promotional videos give the feeling of an out-and-out masala movie. Let’s hope Kareena’s never-fading fame brings with it Lady Luck’s sweet offerings, not only for the film but also for Akshay.

The Bollywood Kissing Dilemma

2009-07-02T04:25:00.003-07:00

Kissing has always been a taboo subject in India. One hint of a snog in public and you can literally ‘kiss’ your freedom goodbye. Can you imagine the conversation you would have with your fellow convicts about why you are in jail?

Oh, I’m serving life for kissing.

Right, after reading about a “lucky couple” in India who escaped prison last month for smooching in public, I got thinking.

Why is it the country that invented the Karma Sutra have such an issue with people showing each other a bit of affection?

In addition, India is happy to display many historical monuments and pieces of art, some of which are quite ‘graphic’.

So how can a little snog be offensive?

I was shocked when only two years ago, senior actor Richard Gere caused havoc all over India by planting a few over-enthusiastic smackers on Bollywood bombshell Shilpa Shetty. It was as if World War 3 had broken out. Effigies of Gere were burnt in rage, and angry death threats were made to Shetty. Ironically, Gere and Shetty were at a conference about safe sex when this debacle took place. This can be compared to the uncannily similar outrage concerning veteran actress Shabana Azmi, which took place in the early 90’s when Nelson Mandela visited the country and puckered up to her.

You would have thought that over a decade later, attitudes towards kissing would have changed. Obviously not.

The whole kissing saga in India is somewhat confusing and hypocritical. Public displays of affection between real-life couples can land you in prison, but the Bollywood industry showing kissing scenes with scantily-clad actresses is ok to watch? Having said that, there was a big issue made about the kissing scene between Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan in the 2006 release Dhoom 2, but since then, all has been quiet on the Bollywood kissing front…

…but apparently not in real society. What I really want to know is why India still has this view that kissing and loving affection of any kind is wrong. Is it not, after all, just simple human nature? Maybe these uptight law-abiding citizens are not getting any themselves? I think these people are stuck in some sort of time warp and are afraid to move on from traditionalist values. Some have also stated that big cities in India, such as Mumbai and Delhi, are falling under the influence of Western countries like the UK and USA. Therefore, the strict rules against kissing have been applied so that India doesn’t lose its old-fashioned morals like the West has.

Surely, with more important issues such as poverty, terrorism and corruption prominent in India, you would think that a minor thing like kissing wouldn’t even be given a second thought. How wrong are we?

It’s quite obvious what I think about this subject, and I’m not saying that people should be allowed to stand on street corners and snog the faces off each other (as it is quite repulsive to watch); just that rules should be slightly more relaxed. People shouldn’t have to fear prosecution or court orders when simply kissing their beau goodbye. Talk about ruining the moment.

Maybe in the next millennium it won’t be illegal to give your partner a peck on the cheek, but in the meantime, I would advise you not to kiss-and-tell the next time you’re in the kiss-a-phobic country they call India.

Dare to be Dramatic

2009-07-02T04:23:00.001-07:00

It’s no secret - Indian women are by far the most glamorous women around. We love big jewels, vivacious clothes and dramatic makeup. It’s quite disappointing to see women here in the states resorting to sweats in favour of flowing chiffon sundresses and oversized mirrored bangles. So why be boring, ladies? Dare to be dramatic, here’s how:

Beauty: Two words - Fake lashes. I cannot live without fake lashes. They just add that finishing touch to the makeup regime. I don’t see many women taking advantage of this not-so-secret beauty secret. Bollywood actresses aren’t born with lush, dreamy lashes, they glue them on and you can too. I prefer MAC falsies but you can find fakes at the chemist or any beauty supply store. Bronzed skin is also an Indian vixen signature. I’m personally as pale as Casper in the winter months, but no one knows that (until now) because I’m a devotee of bronzer. Indian women usually shy away from bronzer thinking ‘oh my, I don’t want to be darker’, but really, bronzer not only adds definition it makes you look healthier and mind you, skinnier. Just sweep bronzer right below the apples of your cheeks and voila, you’ll have an envious bone structure.

Kohl line eyes are huge right now. Especially the Amy Winehouse winged look. I don’t recommend going that thick but a little wing is ultra glam as well as flattering for our almond shaped eyes. I like liquid liner for this look although I recognize that it’s incredibly hard to put on and I still smudge even after 13 years of putting on makeup. But the trick here is to draw the wing first then go in for the kill. Also, don’t forget your colour contacts to really make a statement.

Now to the most important feature of an Indian goddess - the hair. Long, flowing, luscious tresses have been coveted throughout history. Indian women especially have the most amazing hair. Make your hair red-carpet ready with an Indian secret that’s been passed down from generation to generation, coconut oil. I personally use parachute coconut oil (I know, chuckle away sweetie). It really works wonders, not only is my hair silky smooth, it’s shiny and spectacular. I suffer from dry hair, and once I started using coconut oil, my hair is Pantene-worthy, and then some. Just rub into the scalp once a week, keep it on for 2 hours, rinse really well and you’re good to go.

Fashion: The colours that work best on us (you’ve all been asking) are Fuschia, Red, Persian Blue, Navy Blue, Gold, Black and White. Take a cue from old Bollywood actresses. Oversized sunglasses with a little gloss can be a saviour on those days you’d like to hide. Also you can never go wrong with an embellished tunic paired with long white pants and jewelled sandals (very VIVRE). Make use of your “Indian Closet”, if you’re an NRI you know what I am referring to. All those Indian clothes that are taken out for dinners, weddings, etc are just sitting there. You spend thousands on Indian couture and yet it’s pretty much useless. I didn’t realize how extensive my Indian closet was until a friend of mine, (who happens to be Parisian) almost went into cardiac arrest after viewing my collection of Indian garb. She taught me these looks:

Kurtas paired with opaque black tights and black oxfords (Perfect for shopping)
Lengha skirts paired with a plain white spaghetti strap top (Preferable for Sunday brunches or casual dinners)
Scarves paired with a matching jersey dress and cowboy boots. I never really thought about these looks but once we tried them, they looked fabulous.

If only Indian designers could be as inspiring as my Parisian friend in my closet… Now go on divas and explore rich fabrics and decadent jewellery and “look at me” makeup. Always dare to be dramatic.

Silenced Forever: Ishmeet Singh Sodhi

2009-07-02T04:22:00.001-07:00

Shocking reports have emerged of budding singer Ishmeet Singh Sodhi, winner of Star Voice of India 2007, drowning in a swimming pool yesterday evening 29th July, around 5pm. The charmingly-polite singer was on a promotional tour with fellow singers in the Maldives when the tragedy struck. Renowned playback singer Shaan, who was also present at the Male’s Chaya Dhonveli resort at the time, said that his cries for help were mistaken to be a prank by his fellows, and by the time they realised and rushed him to hospital, it was too late.

Ishmeet’s body was flown to Delhi today, with the Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal promising to make arrangements to airlift the singer’s body to his home town of Ludhiana. His family are said to be inconsolable.

He was due to perform for the Star Voice of Maldives event on 1st August 2008, and had travelled to the Maldives with an events management group. Upon his return to India, Ishmeet was scheduled to sing for the Nana Patekar flick Horn Ok! Please, under the direction of Star Voice of India judge Lalit Pandit, of Jatin-Lalit fame. The song was to be picturised on supermodel-turned-actor Muzammil Ibrahim.

Shy Ishmeet, who was one of two finalists in the musical contest, beat close friend and rival Harshit Saxena to the crown title in November 2007. Barely 20-years-old, the humble teenager had succeeded in winning the hearts of the Indian and International public with his humility and hard work. After winning the contest, he had promised to fulfil his mother’s dream of achieving a degree in Architecture, since he had just fulfilled his father’s aspirations.

Many of us will remember Ishmeet Singh Sodhi for his superior voice and his sensitive nature; after sharing his ups and downs for months every weekend, his death seems a loss very close to home. And although his voice may not make it to the big screen as he had hoped, he will no-doubt forever be remembered for everything that he stood for.

Stepping Into Spring With Style

2009-07-02T04:21:00.001-07:00

Spring is almost here ladies. Time to whip out that self-tanner, put away the tweed and break out those flirty summer sandals you scored at Harrods. What I love most about spring fashion and beauty are the fabulous new colors and textures. By far the “it” color of the season is green. Whether it is neon or emerald, green is huge this season. Other prominent colors of the season include bubble gum pink, Persian blue and citrus hues. My advice for pulling off these bright hues is simply pairing them with understated yet sleek charcoal for a bit of sophistication.

As far as spring evening wear is concerned, the one shoulder was also big on the catwalk, Versace did the best by making casual jersey dresses extra flirty with a one shoulder. Another huge trend in the evening is the “ethnic look.” Naeem Khan had gorgeous Indian printed dresses while Hermes and Costume National did their take on the sari. I suggest you look for dresses made from gorgeous fabrics in a simple silhouette, so that the dress won’t wear you.

India was also the inspiration for Spring’s most fabulous accessories. Jewellery designers took a cue from the east and dreamed up gorgeous Indian inspired creations that I was going mad for. My favourite way to incorporate this trend is by filling my whole arm with rhinestone encrusted bangles with chunky tribal cuffs. This is the season to be dramatic ladies so take advantage of it.

Speaking of drama, the new Spring beauty trends are definitely dramatic and then some. The most popular looks is artsy chic. You don’t have to be enrolled at Parson’s to adopt this look this Spring. Just head to the nearest MAC counter and try out the Fafi collection. The products are packed with color but the texture is sheer, giving you an airbrushed look. Hot pink lips are also a biggie for Spring but remember this trick, simply dab on the colour with your index finger for a light I just had a popsicle look. But if you’re like me, and would like to go the extra mile, forget the fingers and use a lip brush and flaunt fuchsia lips with confidence this spring, and after. Sometimes trends are meant to be adopted for a lifetime.

Karen David in The Scorpion King 2

2009-07-02T04:20:00.001-07:00

She has the face of an angel, sings like a star, and now we will finally see her in her biggest on-screen role yet. Canadian actress and singer/songwriter Karen David appears in her first Hollywood lead role in The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. It is a Universal Studios prequel to the blockbuster The Scorpion King, which starred Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

For this movie, Dwayne has been replaced by Michael Copon, who many might recognise from the Power Rangers series. He plays the role of the young Mathayus, who after witnessing his father’s death in the hands of the king, seeks revenge, and in the process, transforms himself into the most feared warrior of the ancient world.

Karen plays Layla, in many ways Mathayus’ female counterpart - and also eye candy for the mostly male audience of this franchise. There is even a fight sequence with fellow actress Natalie Becker - in reference to which Karen was quoted saying it’s ‘the girl fight to end all girl fights’.

Indian-born Karen Shenaz is no stranger to the big screen, she appeared in several movies including Provoked alongside Aishwarya Rai, as well as a brief cameo in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. She certainly has the talent and ambition to push her acting career forward, and might just have left the door open wide enough for many fellow actors/actresses of South-Asian descent to follow suit.

But just how likely is the prospect of seeing more Desi talent in Hollywood movies? Are there actually enough roles to satisfy the demand? Take Naveen Andrews for instance, he is a fixture in one of the biggest TV shows in recent years (Lost). He also has had a number of big screen appearances, including showing up in The Brave One with Jodie Foster and Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror - but we are yet to see him play a lead role. He can without question act, it appears however that directors are more willing to put other actors forward for roles which ethnicity little matters.

Another person who surely has had his share of big screen appearances is comedian Kal Penn. We have all enjoyed watching him in the Harold and Kumar movies, and also in National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, where he played the shy but not so entirely shy Indian exchange student Taj Mahal Badalandabad, who came to America to ‘study the great American art of muff diving’. Even though I laughed hysterically at his lines, I do wonder whether there are roles out there for him where he does not have to play on his Indian heritage or put on an accent.

Perhaps it’s a matter of patience, and as actors/actresses, they possibly need to accept more work until they have built an impressive resume for themselves.

Karen is well on her way to slowly culminating her aspirations as an actress; let’s not forget, she’s pretty busy being a singer too!

I have saved the bad news till the end: The Scorpion King 2 will unfortunately only be released on DVD and Blue-Ray Disc, but I am sure that won’t stop Karen’s career from blossoming like it has been. After all, who can deny a beautiful woman her success?

Jay Sean to take on the U.S…

2009-07-02T04:19:00.001-07:00

Although Jay Sean didn’t win any awards at last night’s prestigious MOBO award ceremony, he did make a rather surprising revelation backstage. He announced that he had signed a record deal with Cash Money Records - the label that made a massive score not too long ago with Lil’ Wayne’s latest album: ‘Tha Carter III’ (more than a million copies were sold in its first week). It seems that this is to be Jay Sean’s attempt to duplicate his UK success stateside.

The track record of British artists attempting to make a mark in the US has not been too great. Only a selective number have managed it, including Mark Morrison, Joss Stone, Radiohead and recently, Leona Lewis. The failure list includes - but is far from limited to - Robbie Williams, Mis-Teeq… and most importantly Craig David. With comparisons between Mr.Bo-Selecta and Jay Sean made quite rampantly, it’s apparent that Jay needs to bring more to the table, and work harder than ever before to make his attempt a success (none of Craig David’s six singles released from his ‘Slicker Than Your Average’ album charted in the U.S, consequently causing him to retreat back to familiar geographic territory).

Having already experienced what can only be described as a dream year (mainstream recognition, two top 20 singles and a top 10 album); Jay Sean does have momentum on his side. The 2 mil plus South Asians in the U.S (he’ll be the first to express his gratitude to the UK equivalent for his current accomplishment) also puts him in good stead to make waves and achieve the crème of music artistry success.

There are a few big/huge/massive concerns attached to the signing however. Cash Money Records churn out ‘Dirty South’ Southern Rap (anyone remember previous label artist Juvenile?), it’ll be interesting to see how this will affect Jay Sean’s style of singing; are we going to see ‘Jay Sean‘ replaced by ‘Jay Sheezy’? Also, one of the labels previous major signings included Terrance Quaites aka TQ, West coast American RnB singer, most notable for his albums ‘They Never Saw Me Coming’ and ‘The Second Coming’. 2 Years in, there was no album and no single - only a string of terrible collaborations - eventually resulting in a killer blow to his promising career. There was evidently a black and white clash between TQ’s style, mannerism, and image from that of The Cash Money Records clan.

The signing will see Jay Sean disappear for some time while he spends the next few months with the whining Lil’ Wayne, and the coo’ing Birdman (the guy actually makes pigeon noises in his songs) in an attempt to build up his U.S career. Whatever the outcome, we can all be sure that it will be quite different.

Busta causes stir with Muslims

2009-07-02T04:18:00.001-07:00

The remix of Busta Rhymes’ song Arab Money has caused a bit of a commotion among British and U.S. Muslims. The song, which features some of the biggest names in Hip Hop - including P Diddy, Lil Wayne and Akon, and produced by hip hop powerhouse Swiss Beats - features vocals which consist of lines off Surah Fateha, from the Holy Quran. To cause further anguish, the song is a very typical hip hop club anthem, with the rappers openly boasting about their girls, gambling, drinking and money. Blogs, forums, and social networks have been fervouring with the spread of the track, with many Muslims calling the song racist, disrespectful and offensive.

Further to using the line “Bismillahi r-rahmani r-rahim. Al hamdu lillahi rabbi l-’ālamin” (translated to: “in the name of Allah, most gracious most merciful. All Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds”) as the chorus, the song contains lyrics such as “dropping bombs like the Taleban“, “sitting in casinos while I’m gambling with Arafat“, “while I make you bow down and make Salaat like a Muslim“, “all the girls love me, yeah pop some bubbly“.

It seems that many Muslims are angry because the verses in the Quran are very sacred, and saying such things within the same breath comes across as nothing short of inflammatory.

The casualties so far have been award winning DJ, DJ Steve Sutherland, who was temporarily suspended after Galaxy FM received a string of complaints from it’s listeners after he played the song live on his radio programme on Saturday night. The radio station has since released a formal apology, both live on air and on it’s website, acknowledging that the song is offensive to Muslims, and that a “full internal investigation” is taking place.

No other major UK radio station has played the song, and from the reaction received to Galaxy FM, it would be very surprising if they did. Busta Rhymes nor his record label, Universal Motown, have yet made any official comments. One thing it is worth noting is that Busta Rhymes’ new album launch is immanent. A carefully planned PR stunt for a failing artist (he recently got dropped from Interscope records)? Or just an oversight by the producers, rappers, managers, the people at marketing, and the many chains of command the song passed through before it was released out into the public domain?

Yahoo or not Yahoo !?!

2009-07-02T04:17:00.001-07:00

It is said that lot of bheja fry happens while choosing a name. But here the name is still a problem, though the film is half way through.

Ken Ghosh is stuck up with naming of his forthcoming movie, starring Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D’Souza. According to him people have assumed the title to be ‘Yahoo’ but in real it is not. He says since the classic hero, Shammi Kapoor, is in the movie, the team started to call the movie ‘Yahoo’. Originally it was called ‘Star’ and now Ken is looking out to finalise the final name. Meanwhile, other people in the industry are behind this same name ‘Yahoo’ and Ken doesn’t want to get himself in any financial problems in terms of owning the name.

Don’t worry something will turn up soon!

‘New York’ brought audience back

2009-07-02T04:15:00.001-07:00

Now Fridays will be no more spent in aimless shopping, cafes or other time pass spots. Movies are said to take their place back in their big screened homes. The waters seem to have calmed down on the shores of theatre and film business fronts.

With Yash Raj Films’ movie ‘New York’, it brought relief among the film buffs and it seems the season of movies have set on hereafter. ‘New York’ is said to be an outcome of minimal budget and yet went out to capture the audience both in India and abroad.

The land of movie lovers had been parched with lack of new releases past couple of months and with this one, movie seekers hungrily expects for more. Down the line this season, are couple of movies which are soon going to pull the audience back to the theatres. One can look forward movies from big banners like ‘Kambakkht Ishq’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’, ‘Kaminey’, ‘Luck’ and many more…

The wait is over, people!

Listen to ‘New York ‘ songs

Luck and the Lucky draw

2009-07-02T04:13:00.001-07:00

Promotions for Shree Ashtavinayak CineVision Ltd's latest offering ‘Luck’, directed by Soham Shah took off with a thrilling start on Wednesday 1st July when the cast & crew of ‘Luck’ descended at The Intercontinental, Andheri (E) for a special affair!

The event kick started with none other than the lead heroine of the film, debutant Shruti Haasan crooning the title track ‘Aazma Luck’ and entertaining the audiences with a scintillating performance!!! With her unconventional voice and stunning looks, Shruti had the spectators spellbound with her sizzling number!

Luck

View 'LUCK Press Meet' Gallery

This was followed by an exciting AV where each of the actors invited the crowds to place their bets on them! And the excitement and the exhilaration in the air mounted when each of cast members actually emerged on stage one after the other!!
Interestingly the attires worn by the stars were also in tune with the theme of the movie.

Post the AV clips, the cast of the film, comprising of Imran Khan, Shruti Haasan, Ravi Kisshen & Chitrakshi were joined by Producer Dhilin Mehta & Director Soham Shah on stage for an open session with the media.

The event concluded with a ‘Lucky Draw’ for the invitees where the winners not only won exciting prizes but also got a chance to pose for the shutterbugs with their favourite stars on stage.

With so much Luck & Glamour around, this was surely one of the most memorable evenings in B-Town!

Celina happy for gays

2009-07-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

Delhi High court has lifted the ban on homosexual sex, which was against the law of British colonial, once upon a time. Finally, the gay clan can come out of their cocoons and rejoice. At last their silence has been considered and now, they too have a reason to live in peace.

One personality will now be completely at peace - who had been stubborn in this battle and fought as an enthusiastic activist for the gay rights. Celina Jaitly. She is the one who stood for this controversial issue and made her stand. On hearing the verdict, she was really happy and relived to see the change in the amendments. The pleased actress expressed the victory, saying, “With great pride and tears I would like to congratulate the entire LGBT community. Homosexuality is now legal in India. Our long battle is won and with pride can the gay walk with their heads held high.”

Well, for the time being, all are now happy and gay (pun intend)!

I can't choose between Salman and Akshay, says Sajid Nadiawala

2009-07-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

It's three days before the release, what's going on in your head?
Every minute is tension-ridden. I am in such an emotional state that I can't sleep before 6 am. I'm feeling the pressure. Around the release, we become as vulnerable as babies and are sensitive to anything people say or do. I start crying at anything I feel touchy when people say the first and second half is too long or too slow. I am in a very fragile state of mind right now.

Why the gimmick of Hollywood stars in the film?
It's not a gimmick. We have stars like Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh in Kambakkht Ishq as it is a Hollywood-based film. I could have cheated, saved money and got Indian actors but I felt Hollywood actors were required. We had many ideas â€“ like even making Akshay a South Indian or Punjabi stunt man and take only South Indians or Punjabi stars but the Hollywood backdrop worked the best.

Admit it, you got Stallone in because you admire him.
Of course! Getting him on board was the biggest achievement for me. I cried the whole night after I first met him. I didn't know what to sign agreement or get his autograph first. Seeing Stallone on my monitor, having lunch with him, and hugging him after the shots, is a different high.

Why Denise Richards and not a younger, hotter actress?
We wanted the tag of someone who was actually a James Bond girl. There were other girls available but to Indians, Denise is a well-known name.

Is KI your most expensive film?
Yes, we've spent approximately over Rs 65 crore on it. We shot with foreign actors in Hollywood studios, and also at the Kodak Theatre one of the most expensive places in the world to shoot for two days with a crowd of 4000 people at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore a day.

A memorable action sequence of Akshay's in KI?
He's done many stunts but the one I remember was where he had to ride a jet ski. The Australian authorities wouldn't give us permission as the rider needs a licence, which Akki didn't have. So he got up at 4 am and started training. We were looking at him from far, would see him falling down but he still continued till 7 am. When he came out, he was shivering like a baby and I had tears in my eyes. Through the one-hour drive back, we wrapped him in hot towels and gave him hot drinks. He trained in his own spare time and ran a temperature, but not once did he complain. That's professionalism. The next day two people from the training center came to see if he'd fall. Had he, they wouldn't have let him to do the stunt. We were praying, but Akshay did it so well that we clapped!

Your equation with your rakhi sister Farah Khan was strained because of Jaan-E-Mann?
Yes, but fortunately things have become normal now between Farah and me. I know one thing the power of the mangalsutra will always be stronger than the rakhi. A husband will be always bigger than a brother. Shirish and I had our problems in production but nothing else. After Jaan-E-Mann, Farah was upset with me so we had become distant but with the passage of time, things are fine now.

Salman Khan delayed Jaan-E-Mann which made the film more expensive. True?
No. One or two sets costing over 30-40 lakh going over budget is not expensive. Times were bad and Salman compensated in a big way. He didn't shoot for any other film during that time. I will say till my last breath that he is not from this planet. For him, it's not about being a human being but about being human. For Salman delaying the film, increasing costs, coming late is ridiculous because he'll compensate in 10 other ways if he comes late. To talk about him with negativity is stupid.

Who are you closer to Akshay or Salman?
This is a very difficult question to reply I can't choose between Salman and Akki! Akshay has been with me since 1979 as we were in the same school together. My first break Waqt Hamara Hai was with him. Salman joined me in 1996 when Akshay and I hadn't worked together for 10 years as I wasn't making any action films. Akshay is an outstanding professional but my love for Salman has increased 2000 times since when we first met especially when we aren't doing films together because then we don't have any matlab in the friendship.

Isn't he upset that you have been signing Akshay for your productions?
No. Every film that I make with Akshay, is screened by Salman on the script level. So it's not like he learns about me making a film with Akshay one fine morning. Salman and my relationship is very honest, loving and transparent. Aki respects my sentiments for Salman.

Salman acknowledges SRK for first time since their spat

2009-07-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

A pro-SRK statement on Salman's show? Believe it. Recently Riteish Deshmukh was on 10 Ka Dum, and for the first time after the Salman-Shah Rukh fight the host actually acknowledged the other Khan on his show. Riteish stopped after winning Rs 10 lakh and gave away the money to Salman's Being Human foundation.

When Sallu asked Riteish who his favourite actor was, the former said SRK. The host, without blinking an eye, agreed about SRK being a good actor.

Salman Khan and Riteish Deshmukh
Too much fun

Says Ritiesh, "Govinda, David Dhawan and I went together on the sets of 10KD and we have never had so much fun! We got along so well that we forgot there were cameras around."

He confirms that when Salman asked him about his favourite actor, he mentioned SRK, "I didn't get any negative vibes about Shah Rukh from Salman on the show. He was very cool and dignified and didn't pass any snide remarks about him. In fact, Salman spoke highly about SRK and his work."

Riteish, who had gone to promote his next release Do Knot Disturb, says despite being so close to Shah Rukh, Salman and he share a cordial and warm relationship. "He pulls my leg whenever we meet. I imitated Salman too on the show. I looked at him the way he does with the contestants and said in his voice, 'Salman, mere saath nahi khela toh kya khelaâ¦!' He took it in the right spirit."

Copying Kat

Riteish, who is known as a brilliant mimic, even copied Salman's girlfriend Katrina Kaif's dance steps from Race. He laughs, "It was an impromptu dance which Salman took very sportingly and even complimented me. He started laughing when I started dancing! They started playing the song 'Touch Me, Touch Me, Zara Zara Kiss Me and I knew the steps well I had done it at a recent award event too."

Even Govinda was a laugh riot he adds, "Though he's known to be late for events Govinda surprised us all by coming and getting ready before all of us. Salman made us do a scene from Do Knot Disturb, which had everyone in splits. I have never enjoyed myself so much. Salman is an extraordinary host very casual, chilled out and unpretentious it's almost as if we were sitting in his living room and doing the show!"

Anil Kapoor advises Amrita Rao to shed her girl-next-door image

2009-07-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Whatever apprehensions Amrita Rao had for her skinfest in her next flick Shortkut were put to rest by producer Anil Kapoor. He convinced her to give it a shot to shed her simple girl-next-door screen image.

"I went solely by his judgement," says the actress. "He has been around for a long, long time and knows what is right. Initially, I was a bit sceptical as it was something that I had not done before. But he told me to go for it and trust him. And I am glad I took his advice."

Huge change

Says Amrita, "It is not that there was a definite gameplan to go for a bold, new look. If the film had come two years ago, I would have still done it. But after Vivaah and Welcome To Sajjanpur, it is a huge change for me."
As the actress does not have a weight problem, getting into the bra tops and hot pants was no big deal. "I have always eaten in control and sensibly. I also do yoga regularly. That is all I had to do to get into ship-shape for the film."

Didnt expect it

Her family has yet to view the film "but as my mother accompanies me for shoots, she has seen me on the sets. And after the promos, they didn't expect that I could look like this too!"

This is also the first time that Manish Malhotra has worked his designs on Amrita. "I never had an opportunity to wear his creations on the screen. When I had my fittings and saw myself in the mirror, it was like 'okay, that's me! We shared a great comfort level and that's there to see in his creations."

It is learnt that each time she appeared on the sets, the unit went gung-ho and co-star Arsahd Warsi started calling her Amrita Wow instead of Rao and then the entire unit had Ms Wow as her nick."

Asin Looking So Cute New Photoshoot

2009-07-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Katrina Kaif Look-Alike Posing in a Black Bikini

2009-07-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Luck - Movie wallpapers

2009-07-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Kat doesn't need short skirts!

2009-07-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

There’s additional security posted outside Katrina Kaif’s home.

Guess one can’t take chances with stalkers these days. The Bollywood sweetheart who is currently on a roll — yeah, she has just notched up another successful film — is jubilant.

Dressed in a pair of slim-fitting jeans and a pink tee-shirt, her pretty face devoid of pancake, she smiles, “At least they can’t say my latest film is doing well because Katrina Kaif wore a short skirt. I don’t need to show leg to win notices.’’

The actress doesn’t take kindly to being called Bollywood’s lucky mascot either.

“Saying I’m just lucky kind of annihilates all the hard work that I have put into my films,’’ she says. “It also derides the capability of my directors. A script makes a film work, a lot of hard work goes into getting the right script, and to just attribute a film’s success to my good-luck is not right.’’

Of course, she’d rather be called a lucky mascot than a jinx, but she says in her four years in Bollywood, she has strived to make things work. Today, she is in a cushy place. Even Kareena Kapoor, Bollywood’s No. 1 actress, concedes that Katrina is hot property, but Katz is definitely not resting on her laurels. “I’m not ruthlessly ambitious. But, there is greed in me to want to do better work. In that sense, I’m exactly like Akshay Kumar. I deeply admire that quality in him. He has done over a 100 films, yet Akshay still has the same hunger in him to strive to do better.’’

Bollywood looking south for scripts

2009-07-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Hindi film industry is infamous for lifting Hollywood movies, but it has often been inspired by cinema content from southern India as well. With forthcoming movies like "Kambakkht Ishq", "Short Kut - The Con Is On" and "Wanted", Bollywood seems to be on a spree of remaking films made down south.

Releasing on Friday (July 3), Akshay Kumar-Kareena Kapoor's romantic comedy "Kambakkht Ishq" is the remake of Kamal Haasan's 2002 Tamil hit "Pammal K. Sambandam".

The film was earlier to be remade in Hindi by writer-turned-director Anees Bazmee for south-based production house G.V. Films, which had acquired the remaking rights for Rs.500,000.

But it was producer Sajid Nadiadwala who finally made it after buying remaking rights of the same film by reportedly shelling out Rs.7.5 million.

"Short Kut", another forthcoming comedy, is a remake of Roshan Andrews' Malayalam movie "Udayananu Tharam". Similarly, southern dancing star Prabhu Deva's directorial venture "Wanted", which has Salman Khan in the lead, is a remake of Tamil film "Pokhiri".

"Bollywood has always survived on the pillars of inspiration and remakes... whether it is the west or the south, it has always copied content. While half of it has been successful, others have been blunders," said a trade analyst from Mumbai on condition of anonymity.

But Anil Kapoor, who is producing "Short Kut", described the trend as a consumer-driven call.

"Actually it was not my idea to adapt a south Indian film... as a consumer I had seen this film in Malayalam and loved it. I thought it will be great to make the film in Hindi. I spoke to Anees Bazmee (who has written the script) about it and he too liked the idea of adapting it for a Hindi film," the actor-turned-producer said.

While "Udayananu Tharam" starred Mohanlal, Sreenivasan and Meena, its Hindi version, directed by Neeraj Vora, features Arshad Warsi, Akshaye Khanna and Amrita Rao.

"We made some changes in the script to suit Bollywood sensibilities and made it more appealing for north Indians or say core Bollywood audiences. After the script was ready, we thought Neeraj Vora would be the best person to direct the film. I called him up and he was on board," Anil added.

A recent example of a successful Bollywood remake of a south Indian film becoming a huge hit is A.R. Murugadoss' "Ghajini" (2008) that was a remake of the 2005 Tamil film of the same name.

Starring Aamir Khan in the lead, the film went on to rake in more than Rs.290 crore (Rs.2.9 billion) worldwide, making it one of the biggest grossers in Bollywood.

Remaking southern hits is not a new trend in Hindi cinema. There have been hit films earlier like "Nayak", "Saathiya", "Viraasat" and "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein" that were remakes respectively of Tamil films "Mudhalvan", "Alaipayuthey", "Thevar Magan" and "Minnale".

Multilingual filmmaker Priyadarshan, known for remaking his own films in Hindi, had said: "My Hindi films are mostly inspired from Malayalam comedies."

His popular films like "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "Kyon Ki..." and "Garam Masala" are remakes respectively of Malayalam films "Manichitrathazhu", "Thalavattom" and "Boeing Boeing". His other Hindi remakes include "Virasaat", "Billu" and "Ye Teraa Ghar Ye Meraa Ghar".

Tamil and Telugu filmmaker L.V. Prasad's Hindi films "Sharada", "Miss Mary", "Chhoti Bahen" and "Ek Duuje Ke Liye" were also adaptations of Tamil films. A. Bhimsingh's "Bhai Bahen" was a remake of Tamil hit "Pasamalar".

Bollywood saw a series of remakes in the late 1970s and 80s with Jeetendra in the lead in movies like T. Rama Rao's "Lok Parlok", "Judaai", "Maang Bharo Sajana", "Himmatvala", "Swarg Narak", "Jyoti Bane Jwala" and "Pyaasa Sawan".

Films like "Solva Sawan", "Sargam", "Sadma", "Woh Saat Din", "Aakhri Raasta", "Andha Kanoon" and "Eeshwar" were also inspired by southern hits.

Bollywood saw its first anti-woman slant in the 1980s Rajesh Khanna-starrer "Red Rose" adapted from Tamil film "Sigappu Rojakal". And in 1992, Indra Kumar remade "Enga Chinna Rasa" as "Beta" as part of the continuing 'south inspires north' trend.

Jackson thought no one loved him

2009-07-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson increased his drug use after the child sex allegations piled up and he used to cry often, says the late pop star's former manager Dieter Wiesner who also said that Jackson was in a "pathetic condition" before he died, battling drinks and weakness.

Wiesner claims that Jackson increased his drug use as the child sex allegations piled up, thesun.co.uk reported. Wiesner also reveals that Jackson cried often because he thought no one loved him and that his addiction really worsened after the Martin Bashir documentary in 2003 where he was questioned about sleeping with children.

"It broke him. It killed him. He took a long time to die, but it started that night. Previously the drugs were a crutch, but after that they became a necessity. They got him through his days and insomnia-riddled nights. And the people who gave them knew what they were doing. They should never have been around him," said Weisner.

"Those drugs and the 'Jesus Juice' - Michael's name for wine - began to claim him. I'll never forget the day at Neverland when he walked into the kitchen to eat. He was off his face, he couldn't even bring the fork up to his mouth. It was like watching a clumsy robot. There he was, one of the most talented guys on the planet, unable to even eat because he was so doped up," he added.

Weisner joined Jackson in 1996-97 and says during that time also he used to take drugs.

"There were drugs then. He said they were for stress. I noticed those man-child qualities - the boy who wants to be loved on one side, the business and musical genius on the other. And the drugs moved in to destroy both," he said.

"One day he sat down and just started to cry. He had $500 million in the bank and sold the biggest album of all time. I told him he had everything to live for. There was an inner melancholy to him. Once I asked about the pills. He said, 'I get the best ideas when I'm in this situation'.

"He really thought the drugs made him creative when all they were doing was killing him. When paranoid on drugs, he was scared social services would take his children away," he added.

I'm not getting married for next 10 years

2009-07-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

She was rumoured to be dating Shahid Kapur and then Hurman Baweja. But there is no one "special" in her life right now and she won't think about marriage for the next 10 years, says actress Amrita Rao, who is all set to don a glamorous avatar in "Short Kut" (pictured above).

"I'm not getting married for the next 10 years. I don't have anyone special in my life at the moment and my complete focus is on my work," Amrita told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The 28-year-old entered the Hindi film industry seven years ago with "Ab Ke Baras". She then featured in college love story "Ishq Vishk", sex comedy "Masti", shared screen space with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in potboiler "Main Hoon Na" and social drama "Vivah". She was also appreciated for her performance in Shyam Benegal's non-commercial "Welcome To Sajjanpur".

Now the actress is all set for her first release of the year, "Short Kut - The Con Is On", in which she has teamed up with Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi.

Set in Bollywood, the film is about two strugglers - one who makes it big as a superstar (Arshad) after stealing a script and the other (Akshaye) who continues to struggle as a director after his script gets stolen.

"I am playing an actress in the film. Neeraj Vora wanted to highlight the personal life of an actress through my character," Amrita said.

The actress said that her bold avatar in the film was not a conscious decision.

"Everyone has been asking me whether I made a conscious decision to change my look. This is not the case. I haven't sat and decided that I'm bored with one kind of role so give me something else. It's just that I have got an opportunity to do different roles and I have moulded myself to suit the character," she said.

"The same is the case with my character in this film. I wanted to do something different with the styling of this character and so the new look. Nothing more," Amrita added.

Fashion designer Manish Malhotra is the one who has styled Amrita's new look.

Produced by Anil Kapoor, "Short Kut..." is scheduled for a July 10 release. Amrita says she was thrilled to work with the actor-producer who used to give her pep talks during the shoot.

"Many times he used to give me pep talks, encouraging and motivating me. The whole energy and aura about him is great. He is an incredibly positive personality," the actress said.

Talking about the two male actors in the film, Amrita said: "Akshaye is an actor who comes completely prepared and is a 'one take' actor so you also feel you should give your best.

"Arshad comes up with these impromptu additions to the dialogues which are just so funny. So matching that becomes a little difficult."

Deadly drug found at Jackson’s home

2009-07-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Police searching Michael Jackson's home have reportedly discovered quantities of dangerous drug Propofol - which can be deadly if taken with narcotic painkillers.

The Thriller hitmaker passed away on June25 following a cardiac arrest at his California mansion, amid swirling rumours he was battling an addiction to prescription drugs.

Shortly after Jackson's tragic death, Los Angeles police conducted a search of the star's home and confiscated a variety of pills and medications which were among his possessions.

Now celebrity website TMZ.com is reporting cops discovered Propofol at Jackson's home, a potent drug used for surgical anaesthesia.

The medication, which can only be administered with an intravenous drip (IV), can cause cardiac arrest if it is taken in combination with narcotic painkillers, but the drug is so potent it can stop someone's heart on its own.

A source tells the website, "There is no conceivable way this drug can be properly prescribed for home use."

Jackson’s nutritionist Cherilyn Lee has also claimed the singer asked her for a prescription of Diprivan - the brand name for Propofol - a month before his death to help with insomnia - but she refused claiming the drug is too dangerous for personal use.

Michael Jackson’s funeral on July 3

2009-07-01T13:39:00.001-07:00

Pop legend Michael Jackson's body will be taken to his beloved Neverland ranch where grieving fans can say their goodbyes and it is expected to be buried there this weekend.

His coffin will be driven through Los Angeles before making a 130-mile journey to Neverland, site of the superstar's former fantasy home, reported thesun.co.uk.

A fairytale carriage will bear Jackson's coffin on the last trip to his home in Santa Barbara County. The white horse-drawn coach is being kept under wraps until the moment comes when the singer's coffin is expected to be tenderly lifted on to it.

Vast crowds are expected to watch the King of Pop's coffin taken through the streets of Los Angeles, starting at 10 a.m. local time on Friday (July 3). A 30-car motorcade will then make the drive to the remote 2,800-acre site of Neverland.

"The family want to give him a really special send off. They want the carriage to be a surprise for everyone. They want it to add a wow factor to the day. It is being kept hidden and is top secret," said a source.

Los Angeles Police Department are planning a huge security and traffic control operation.

"Michael always said Neverland kept him young. It seems fitting. On Sunday there will be a memorial service for his family and close friends to mourn in private," said the source.

Jackson bought Neverland in 1988, naming his hideaway after the home world of Peter Pan, where children never grew up. He made it a playground paradise, with Ferris wheel, roller-coaster, bumper cars and zoo.

It fell into disrepair after cash-strapped Jacko abandoned it in 2003 while dogged by child abuse allegations. But it will be transformed for his farewell.

Yet another Hollywood star in ‘Kambakkht Ishq’

2009-07-01T13:37:00.001-07:00

Hollywood biggies Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards and Brandon Routh are not the only ones who’ll be seen in Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Kambakkht Ishq”. Holly Valance (pictured left) is yet another Hollywood star who has made a guest appearance in the film.

“Hollyw was very impressed with ‘Kambakkht Ishq’. She agreed to do an appearance in the film immediately,” said a source.

Those not familiar, Holly Valance is an Australian actress, model and singer. She made her debut as an actress in the popular soap “Neighbours”, and went on to become popular on television.

Holly they chucked up ‘Neighbours’ to make a pop career for herself and her debut single ‘Kiss Kiss’ hit the top of the charts in the UK and Australia. She has also acted in a couple of Hollywood films

‘I'm not here to make friends’

2009-07-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Deepika Padukone has everything going for her in Bollywood. She has worked with top stars and big banners. But she does have one regret - making her relationship with Ranbir Kapoor public.

"When we got into a relationship, we decided to be open about it. Otherwise there would be reports about us being spotted holding hands, kissing, hugging, etc. Since we were so clear about our relationship, we had nothing to hide. I thought people would respect that. But it didn't work out that way," Deepika told IANS.

Deepika was especially upset about the paparazzi pictures of her and Ranbir.

"We both have families and very respectable families. People who take pictures of us secretly must have families and boyfriends and girlfriends. We've now decided not to talk about our friendship. At the end of the day no one is going to see our films because we're a couple," said the actress who teamed up with Ranbir in "Bachna Ae Haseeno".

Any other film with Ranbir after "Bachna Ae Haseeno"?

"We get offers every day to act together, but we're waiting for the right opportunity. The script has to be special. But we're very clear about not mixing business with our relationship," she said.

Tell her there was no upward movement in Ranbir's graph as an actor from "Saawariya" to "Bachna…" and she protests: "His graph was already so high in 'Saawariya', where could he go? 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' gave him a chance to do something totally different. I too want to get away from the glam sham.

"Of course, I want to wear good clothes and sing good songs. But I'd be uncomfortable doing just songs and dances. Beyond Sajid Khan's film I haven't signed any movie. Imtiaz Ali's films are very real relevant to today," she said.

Deepika has mainly worked with older actors - Shah Rukh, Akshay Kumar. In her next, "Love Aaj Kal", she teams up with another senior actor Saif Ali Khan. But she is not complaining.

"Ranbir and I work like pals. But I wouldn't say I had more fun working with him. You are not on the sets to have fun. But yes, definitely the comfort level with him was much higher even when we weren't seeing each other. My other co-stars were a lot more mature and I was a lot more reserved with them. But I've to tell you, Shah Rukh completely pampered me," she said.

Talking about her "Love Aaj Kal" co-star Saif, she said: "Saif is reserved. I've heard he wasn't like this earlier. I believe he has calmed down a lot because of Kareena or whatever. Saif and I just did our work on Imtiaz Ali's sets and went our separate ways. That's the way I like it. I'm a very reserved person. I'm not here to make friends. But yes, Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba are now friends."

Deepika has signed Sajid Khan's full-fledged comedy "Houseful".

"It's not just a few comic scenes here and there. It's a hardcore comic role. And I wonder how I'll manage it. I'll try. Sajid has a great sense of humour and I'd go by his vision. Sajid just told me to follow him. If my director has so much confidence in me, I can't let him down," said the actress, who has a very sober image.

"But that doesn't mean I don't have a sense of fun. I plan to have a ball doing 'Houseful'. I'm a reserved person in real life, but that doesn't mean I can't be funny for the camera," she added.

So after working with sister Farah it's brother Sajid.

"I'm very fond of both of them. At a time when the entertainment industry wasn't too confident about me, Farah trusted me completely. She didn't even audition me. Farah was the one who spotted talent in me and cast me opposite Shah Rukh," she said.

Bipasha shows how to 'fly' to keep fit

2009-07-01T13:33:00.001-07:00

New Delhi, June 1(IANS) Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu was at her sporty best when she demonstrated how to 'fly' to keep fit using a new gym workout - Jukari Fit To Fly - at an event in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 1) (pictured above).

The actress is the brand ambassador of Reebok, and was in the capital to introduce the new fitness regime, especially for women. It was launched in association with globally renowned entertainment company Cirque Du Soleil.

Bipasha demonstrated a few exercises along with a fitness expert using the FlySet, which is a special-designed piece of equipment for the workout.

"Right now I have just had a small taste of it but yes, when you do an hour-long workout like this, you actually will feel like you are flying. It's really fun," Bipasha said after trying it.

"There are a lot of women, and some of my friends too, who don't like to go to the gym and this kind of a workout is great fun because they will get to join a group class and there will be music."

"At the end of the day, you'll feel like a child - you will jump, fly and you can do just about anything. At the same time, there will muscle toning, stretching, lengthening," she added.

Katrina prefers Neil over John

2009-07-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

She has been cold shouldering her one-time buddy
picture: Viral Bhayani

Gone are the days when Katrina used to hang around with John during the shooting of “New York” or exchanged SMSes with him. As Salman did not like her proximity to John, Katrina has decided to leave him alone.

During the promotion of the movie too, Katrina pretty much gave John the cold shoulder. On several occasions she reportedly just said a cold hello and then preferred to be with Neil.

And from what we see at the promotions, Katrina does not even wear heels because she does not want to look taller than Neil, with whom she hangs around with at public events.

While John continues to be Salman’s enemy (because of Katrina), Neil has made friends with Salman by apologising after an episode where he called Katrina ‘sweetheart’. That’s the difference – Neil and Katrina can enjoy each others’ company, and that too with Salman’s approval!

Bollywood comes to Healdsburg?

2009-07-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

When I heard a Bollywood film crew was invading Healdsburg, I had to laugh: Could there be a more unlikely setting for the typical Mumbai movie masala than Alexander Valley?

Just as I was conjuring nightmare visions of the dapper, landed gentry of Healdsburg breaking into song and dance (another lame wine auction skit?), former Healdsburg council member Lisa Schaffner called to confirm that she’d opened up her house for filming along Greens Drive near Tayman Park golf course.

Bollywoods most Smooch-able stars!

2009-07-01T13:27:00.001-07:00

Recently former Bond girl Denise Richards, who will be seen with Akshay Kumar in the movie Kambakkht Ishq, said in an interview that Akshay Kumar is a good kisser.

"Akshay was so down to earth and very genuine. He made me feel very comfortable, plus he's a good kisser! I can see why he's India's sexiest actor," said Richards.

That got us thinking about the other hot B-towners and their Kiss-ablity! So flip and vote for the star you feel has lips that are the most kissable!

Hollywood Celebrity Kelly Brook Rocking In Bikini Photos

2009-07-01T12:39:00.002-07:00

Kelly Brook Rocking The Bikini….Damn!

Kelly Brook Sexiest Bikini Photo Shoot It's the same old Kelly Brook doing what she does best, which is off course looking damn hot in a bikini, but now Kelly's bikini get's a hand from the lucky bastard that is her boyfriend...

Brooke Hogan In A Bikini HQ Photo Shoot

2009-07-01T12:39:00.001-07:00

Brooke Hogan In A Bikini HQ Images

Brooke Hogan In A Bikini HQ Photo Shoot Here's Brooke Hogan and her boyfriend Stack$ on the set of her new music video yesterday, and obviously, Brooke's people have realized the only way to get any exposure is to make her roll around in a bikini and/or show as much breast as humanly possible.

Normally, I'd applaud this thought process except I'm kind of wishing they went for something a little more subtle. Like a bear costume.

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,
Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,
Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,
Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Adriana Lima Victoria's Secret Lingerie Stills

2009-07-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Adriana Lima Victoria's Secret Lingerie Images

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip, Hollywood Business, Hollywood Actress, Celebrities Stars

Miranda Kerr Doesn't Understand Her Job Pics

2009-07-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

Miranda Kerr HQ Bikini Images

Miranda Kerr Doesn't Understand Her Job PicsMiranda Kerr is the latest in a long line of models to make a very stupid comment about the profession of modeling and their personal view of it. Here's what she told In Touch Weekly during a recent interview...

“I don’t look at myself as a sex symbol. I see it as a job, and I’m working for a company that I really love and enjoy working for,” the brunette beauty told In Touch at the launch of the new Dream Angels Push-up Bra for Victoria’s Secret in New York on April 7.

So apparently she sees herself as more of an astronaut or possibly a receptionist. Let's get this straight - she works for a brand that very specifically sells an image of sex, and as a model she represents and/or symbolizes the brand. So I'm pretty sure the one thing in the world Miranda Kerr definitely is is a sex symbol. She must not think of herself as Australian, either, so much as a woman from down under. Supermodels, better seen than heard.

Here's Miranda Kerr not being a sex symbol for Victoria's Secret's latest swimwear catalog.

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip

Adriana Lima Bikini Victoria's Secret Lingerie

2009-07-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Adriana Lima Bikini HQ Pictures

Adriana Lima Bikini Victoria's Secret Lingerie Given the immense popularity of those Adriana Lima Victoria's Secret bikini pictures I posted a few days ago, I figured no one would mind if I followed up with more Adriana Lima pictures from Victoria's Secret, this time from the brand's latest lingerie catalog. It's still hard to believe she's actually married to this guy.

A rack lack that should have at least gotten her a good basketball player and not some bench warmer.

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip

Hollywood Gossip,Hollywood News,Hollywood Celebrity,Hot Celebrity Gossip

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Enjoy These Sexy Brithney Spears Photos

2009-07-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Sexy Brithney Spears Imagees