Balakrishnas summer gift to fans

The unit of Balakrishnas upcoming film has recently returned to Hyderabad after a long schedule. The unit was busy shooting the film in Rajamundry. "This is a complete Balakrishna film. It has got all the elements that his fans are expecting. There is sentiment, there is comedy, there is action and there is romance. We are planning to start the next schedule here in Hyderabad from 18th Jan to 7t February.

We are planning to soot an action episode," said Producer Siva Lanka Krishna Prasad with media. "We recently shot few songs, and few talkie scenes. Two more songs and few action sequences are left. We are planning to complete the film as soon as possible and release the film as a summer gift to his fans," added the producer. Priyamai is paired opposite Balakrishna in this flick, which is being directed by Mahadev, a debutant director, who earlier worked with Raja Mouli.

Asin moves get acknowledged

Remember Asins introductory song in Tamil Ghazini the Rahatulla… number? Well in the Hindi version, the song was shot by noted ad filmmaker Ravi Udhyavan, who had shot a few commercials with Aamir Khan. Asin is all smiles after she completed her introductory song in Hindi Ghajani, tuned by A.R Rahman at a Mumbai studio a few days back.

On Aamirs recommendation, Ravi did the song like a music video which has an international feel to it. He was all praise for Asin, her dedication, and the way she danced. This song will be shown on television promos only after the release. The film is slated for December 25 release.

Akshays kiss is more passionate than Bonds sex

By locking lips with him in Kambakkht Ishq, Hollywood hottie Denise Richards calls Akshay Kumar the sexiest man in India after lip-lock in film. It appears there is a full-on, two-minutelong kiss between Akshay and Denise in this Bolly-Holly film that also features Sylvester Stallone and Brandon Routh. The kiss, which has been passed by the Indian censor board, has been described by Denise as passionate.
 
Apparently, she enjoyed the kissing sessions with the actor and found his technique was most impressive. Denise, who hasn’t kissed any other Indian actor but has done love-making scenes with several in Hollywood including Pierce Brosnan, is adamant that no man in Bollywood can match Akshay’s skills.

Nayanathara getting back to original shape

When Nayanathara entered in to films she was bubby and she got to fame with her heavy body structure in Tamil films and even Telugu audiences also encouraged her. As she got more Tollywood offers she started controlling her weight and it was said that she underwent for a surgery. She surprised every one with her slim structure in Boss opposite Nagarjuna. After that she did Dubai Seenu, Yogi and Tulasi in Telugu but none of these films became successful at box office and the result is that she hasn’t yet signed any Telugu films after Tulasi. But she ahs signed few Tamil films. According to sources, now she is again concentrating to come back to her original shape. There is also another reason that she has been advised from the producers and her beloved ones from Tamil and Malayalam industries o come back to her original shape.

MAA TV may not support Chiranjeevi

Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna have stake in the channel.  For the past few months there were speculations that MAA TV is all getting ready with special programmes that will support Megastar. Few experts say that it will be a perfect media for Chiru.  But Chiru do not want that the channel to be labeled as mouth piece of his party.  "There are other board members in the channel like Chalasani Ramesh, N Prasad of Matrix Labs, C Rama Krishna, Chairman Murali Krishnam Raju, Venkateswara Raju.  It is not clear whether they fully support Chiranjeevi or not," said a source. 

Shweta Prasad impressing big wigs

Shweta Prasad... remember the little girl in Makdee... or the kid sister of Shreyas Talpade in Iqbal .. Well, Shweta is no longer a child artist, but all grown up and romancing heroes too. The actor is enjoying her first hit in the Telegu film industry, Kotta bangaru lokam , produced by Dil Raju. Apparently the film is doing brisk business even after 6 weeks since it released.

And now the buzz is that, she has been signed by Shekhar Kammula. With long hair and a svelte body, this 18 year old has certainly evolved into a glamorous actress. Talking of pretty actresses, there are also rumors that Nagarjuna has signed up Shweta Prasad to act opposite his son Chaitanya. She’s a good actress, but rather plain looking. Wonder what Nagarjuna’s strategy is?

Shriya goes gaga over Goa

Recently media is portraying Goa to be a dangerous and unsafe location filled with drugs and violence. But for Indians Goa still remain a beach paradise and the ultimate party destination in the country. Shriya too feels the same way and loves going to Goa as she can unwind there and be herself. "It’s a holiday destination where people can let their hair down.

They don’t have to worry about whether they’re dressed appropriately or not," she says. "I’ve been there four times in the last five years and I think it’s not right to blame the place or the people either. It is a very sad incident, but as a single girl, you should be careful, even in the safest city."

Jayasudha says she deserves doctorate

Student unions want the University to recall the doctorate announced for youThese student unions have no right to talk about me. This is just another publicity stunt. Why don’t they concentrate on student welfare activities instead. There would be some merit to it if the criticism came from top leaders like Chandrababu Naidu or Chiranjeevi.  Critics point out that you’ve done nothing to deserve a doctorate... Of course I deserve it. In fact, everyone in the film industry has been saying I got it a tad too late. I have been working since I was 13. I have done the maximum number of lead roles and I’m the only actress in the industry to have done roles portraying the problems faced by women. I’ve also got the maximum number of Nandi awards. If I don’t deserve a doctorate, then who does? Would you have been chosen if you hadn’t joined the Congress?

My role in the Congress party has nothing to do with the University’s decision to confer an honorary doctorate on me. I can understand if an Ileana or Nayanatara joins the Congress and then gets an award. But i am a senior actress and I certainly deserve it. Don’t you think universities should stop felicitating those who wield political power?

I am an actress first, and then a politician. I have been doing a lot of charity work for the past several years. Also, through television shows, i have helped the poor. Politicians are eligible for doctorates if they are worthy of it. Moreover, this honour is not a result on anyone’s recommendation. I never applied for any award or doctorate.  Should be strict guidelines to decide who gets a doctorate?It is for the Universities to decide. All i can say is that i should have gotten such accolades long ago.

Kareena says no to 10 Downing Street

Kareena Kapoor, who wooed Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone got noticed even by the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. According to sources, Kareena was invited for a gala event by the House of Commons as a special guest of the PM at his residence at Downing Street on November 18th. She was supposed to meet Brown himself and also be honoured as an international ambassador and join the Silver Star charity that helps in spreading awareness about diabetes.

Leading members from the political, business, arts and culture, and sports fields were present at the occasion but, unfortunately, Bebo couldn’t make it. Says a source, “She was looking forward to attending this prestigious event, but had to opt out. However, Kareena intends joining the Silver Star charity and working closely with them soon.”

Charmi with R Narayan Murthy

Post Mantra, Charmi is the hottest girl. According to sources. Charmi is all playing an important role opposite R.Narayana Murthy in one of his upcoming films. According to sources, Kuchipudi Venkat, who is busy with Krishna Bhagawan’s John Apparao 40 Plus, will direct this film.

It is said that the director has made three characters very interesting in this film and the fate of the film will depend on these character. Everyone in the industry is looking forward to see this new combination.

Murugadosss universal dreams

Guess who Murugadoss is dreaming about these days? The director disclosed this in public at a recent awards show where he had the honour of presenting an award to the actor of his dreams. “In fact, I have had dreams where I tell Kamal sir that I have had dreams of talking to him,” revealed the director to the amusement of the audience.
 
And Kamal, the gentleman he is, on receiving the award, told the director that he can very well meet him in person if he ever felt the need to talk to him. So, do we see the Ghajini director working with him on a film soon?

Megastar clears Gunashekhars subject

Director Gunashekahr recently said that he is all getting ready to come back with a big bang. According to latest buzz Gunashekhar recently met Megastar and convinced him with his subject and he may soon direct Megastar.

Gunashekhar earlier worked with Megastar for Chudalani Undhi and Mrugaraju. Post Shankardada Zindabad, many directors approached Megastar with their subjects. N.Shankar, Krishnavamsi, VVVinayak and Shankar’s names were in the list. According to the buzz Megastar has given green signal to Gunashekhar and the film may start in January 2008.

NTR shifts his focus back

The shooting of NTR’s upcoming film was stopped as he was busy with the political campaigns. Adding to that the accident further delayed the shooting. Now he is all getting ready to shoot from 20^th June onwards.
 
“The shooting will resume from 20^th of this month. This will be a non stop three months schedule. My focus is completely on this film now,” said NTR.

Sexy Sameeras noble act

This Independence Day, several street kids in Mumbai will have a pucca roof over the heads, thanks entirely to the efforts of Sameera Reddy.   The sexy actress and her mother have been supporting NGOs in suburban Mumbai that take in beggar children, give them shelter and try to put them up in schools. Last year, a girl child got molested in one such shelter, and when Sameera’s mother got the police involved... the landlady of the shelter was pressurised by the molester to evict all the children and shut down the home.  “It happened on Independence Day,” revealed Sameera, “and that’s when I decided to do something for these children. One year later, on this August 15, the actress will throw open the doors of a 1,200 sq ft shelter in Goregaon East that she has managed to raise from scratch for these same street kids. “I appealed to everyone to chip in and within a week, managed to raise Rs 25 lakh,” she said. “I was overwhelmed. Even my liftman offered to help.”  She’s had further luck since then. Another well-wisher has donated a place in Mulund for the same cause. “We can now house the girls and boys separately,” said Sameera.

Manchu Lakshmi reveals spicy tastes

A regular breakfast at our home comprises idli and mutton pulusu. The idlis that my mom makes are like cotton, it melts in the mouth. We get the rice for the idli from our hometown. That lends the softness to the idlis. My father is particular about the way breakfast is made at our place, since he is away for the rest of the day. Idlis are steamed in a brass vessel, where we put cloth under the idli pindi as it becomes easy to remove them. Idlis are incomplete without the yummy palli chutney that my mother makes.

A lot of red chilies and onions are used in Rayalseema food. The small white onions used at our home also come from our hometown. We eat a lot of karam podi with ghee at home. My mom is a wonderful cook, the chicken fry and the mamidikai chepala pulusu that she makes is out of the world.

Tamannah suffers with flu on set

Tamannaah is in Theni shooting the climax scenes for her Tamil film Kanden Kathali, a remake of Jab We Met. The heat and sultry weather has taken a toll on the actress as she was keeping unwell and has just recovered from a flu.

“Everyone on the sets including my director, hero and assistant directors were having flu and I too caught it. Now I am ok,” said Tamannah

Jia Khan not in secure of Asin

“No one’s seen me in my new look yet. I’m playing a medical student in Ghajini and I’m covered from head to toe for the most part,” says an excited and nervous Jiah Khan. She doesn’t mind the change of image because she believes the role is worth it. “The role is amazing, so I didn’t mind being completely covered up. But I do have a song in which you’ll see a different look. It’s very stylish in a Jennifer Lopez kind of way,” she gushes.  There’s been a lot of talk about friction between Jiah and Asin, who’s getting a lot more publicity in the film’s promos. “I’ve met Asin twice and she’s a nice girl. Using her for the promos is a professional marketing strategy. I had my bit of fame when I made my debut in Nishabd. Now it’s Asin’s turn as it’s her Bollywood debut,” she says matter-of-factly. But Aamir Khan’s been singing Asin’s praises does that make Jiah insecure? “I’m the surprise package of the movie. Aamir has completely changed my look. So he’s left it to the audience to judge,” she replies.

Sonali Bendre has no time for movies

Sonali Bendre, who took a break from the big screen post marriage, has no intentions of coming back to films at present.   “I am not really ready for movies yet. It calls for a bit too much commitment,” Sonali said.   She was speaking on the sidelines of the Omega Olympics Evening organized to honor the Indian contingent for the Beijing games. Asked when she was planning a comeback to the silver screen, Sonali said: “It is going to take me a while and I won’t call it a comeback. Once an actor is always an actor. There is nothing dramatic as a comeback about it. Right now I am taking a break. I don’t have the time to do movies now.”
The actress has been on a sabbatical from acting since her marriage to filmmaker Goldie Behl in 2002. However, the beautiful actress will be seen on television as a judge in the fourth season of the upcoming music reality show Indian Idol along with music stalwarts like Javed Akhtar, Anu Malik and Kailash Kher.  This is not the first time the actress will be seen on the small screen. Sonali has earlier judged Sony Entertainment Televisions reality show Mr. And Mrs. TV with Bollywood director Madhur Bhandarkar.

She didnt know that she was sexy

Shes currently shooting for Mani Ratnams bilingual film Ravan/Ashokavanam, but its her appearance in an item number in Nagarjunas King that has got people talking about Priya Manis sexy looks. After all, shes who audiences found most interesting in the song sequence that featured seven other beauties, including Trisha, Anushka, Genelia, Mamtha Mohandas, Charmee and Sneha Ullal. Tell her that and she sounds surprised, "Is it? I didnt know I was sexy. I do put in a lot of effort to look good on screen. But yes, that statement has made my day."  And if taking the glam route for a song wasnt enough, Priya Mani has taken the sex quotient a step further by wearing a swimsuit in her next film, Drona. The film sees the National Award-winning actress pairing up with Nitin, who has had a spate of flops recently. Is the swimsuit a part of trying to give Nitins career a much-needed boost? "One swimsuit sequence cannot ensure a hit. The scene is in a dream song and I had to jump into a pool. Obviously, I cant jump into water wearing a saree," she says.  Ask her about working with Mani Ratnam and shes all excited. "Its been great. I just started shooting two days ago in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, in misty weather. Im lucky to work with Mani sir at an early stage in my career. Its every actors dream and I am living it," she says. In Ashokavanam, she also co-stars with Prithviraj. The duo has already worked together in several movies and rumour mills have been on overdrive about the two being more than just co-stars. "Theres nothing brewing between us. He was my first Malayalam co-star. Our association dates back to well over 5-6 years. And my mother and his mother are batchmates," Priya clarifies.

Action King Arjun bereaved

Kishore Sarja, elder brother of Action King Arjun, died on Saturday in Bangalore due to a cardiac arrest. Kishore Sarja made his debut as director in Kannada cinema many years ago with Arjun as hero and has been associate to many famous Kannada directors like SV Rajendra Singh Babu, D Rajendra Babu, V Somashekar and others.

Kishore has recently completed Vaayuputra (the launch film of his cousin Chiranjeevi) that will be released shortly. Arjun has been very close to his brother and was by his side at the time of his death.

Bheeshas grand launch on 29th June

Farmal Pooja of Balakrishna’s upcoming film Bheeshma was held on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at producer Bellamkonda Suresh’s office. Bhishma is being directed by Ramesh Varma of Ride and produced by Bellamkonda. “We are yet to finalize the other star cast. We will have big launch ceremony on June 29th.

On that day, I will announce the three heroine’s names and also the release date of the movie. This is my third film with him after Chennakeshava Reddy and Lakshmi Narasinha. I loved the script narrated by Ramesh Varma. It is going to be more action oriented flick,” said producer Belamkonda Suresh.

100 security men to protect Mallika

The shooting of Mallika Sherawat starrar  Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam, which was scheduled in Puducherry, came to a standstill when thousands flocked to the set to catch a glimpse of the Mallika Sherawat.  Producer Ratan Jain had to hire about 100 security personnel to keep them away.  Mr. Jain says, “The situation got out of control, and hence I had to immediately make arrangements to tackle the situation. Mallika is the lead actress of my film. Hence she is my responsibility.” “I hired a local agency to protect her,” he added. Jain’s repeated pleas to the people to keep their distance was in vain. The crowd wouldn’t budge an inch. They refused to keep their hands off her.  “This practically brought the shooting to a standstill. Fans kept crowding around her and refused to leave her alone. No matter what we did, they were determined,” a unit member revealed.  

Kuselan audio sold for record price

The mere name of superstar Rajinikanth sells. The audio rights of Kuselan, has been snapped by Big Music, an Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group company for a new record high of Rs 2.25 crore! Remember Rajini is only making a special appearance in the film. The film has music by G V Prakash.

According to industry sources, the huge price is only because of the magic of Rajinikanth and nothing else. Umesh Pai of Big Music says, "Kuselan has five songs, with a Daler Mehendi number being the highlight. The others who have rendered their voice for the album include Shankar Mahadevan, Kailash Kher, Shriya Ghosal and Hariharan."  The audio is likely to be launched on June 30 in Chennai.

No lip kisses and no bikini for this hot girl

Madhurima, who played apposite Ajay in his debut film as hero Aa Okkadu said that she never gives nod neither for bikini scenes nor for on scene kisses.

“I don’t believe that a film becomes hit with just a kiss scene or a bikini scene. I am ready to avoid such offers,” said Madhurima, who sizzled hot in AA Okkadu.

Celina abused by Pakistani Cricketers

This certainly isnt cricket. On Sunday, when Celina Jaitley was invited to perform at the Indian Cricket Leagues match between Pakistan and India, she had what could be termed an encounter with abusive guests from across the border. Celina had finished her performance and was taking what she calls a glory round with her security personnel around the stadium, when she heard loud abuses in Hindi coming out of the players enclosure.

"At first I couldnt believe where it was coming from. I still want to give them the benefit of the doubt because its so hard to believe they could behave this way," she says with a shudder, recalling how she wanted to rush back to her car and drive away from the nightmare. "But I couldnt because the security guys wouldnt let me pass. So I was stuck listening to myself being described in the most colorful language

Mumaith bids good bye to Tollywood

Few months down the lane Mumaith Khan she won’t be seen in Tollywood. It’s not because of lack of offers but she is not happy about few things here. Her easy going and friendly attitude masked the hurt and trauma "Check the Net to see what they write about me. ‘Din mein Savithri, raath mein... bla bla’. I am not happy about this. I don’t know who are writing all this," says the actress fed up with all this.
"If you have guts say it on the face. I will reply. Nobody has any right to talk ill of others. Of course by writing about me, they are earning their bread and supporting their families,"consoling herself. "Even some newspapers and channels are also doing the same thing. A newspaper quoted me saying that I have ‘tribal instinct’. I never spoke to them. Recently a Telugu TV channel ran a scroll for two days that a case has been filed against me which is not true," she says.
Is this the sole reason behind her decision. "Not like that. I do need some change. I want to start my life afresh in Mumbai." "If I want I can take action. But I don’t. What can I do yaar. I can’t do anything. We can’t shut them up. I am working hard and derive pleasure in what I do. The rest doesn’t matter to me," she clarifies.
"I have only three projects left. Once they are done I will go back to Mumbai,"she says. "My parents raised me up. Now its my duty to take care of them in their older years,"says Munnu who is the youngest of the three daughters and do not want to think of marriage at least for five years. Mention her big ear rings, her face lights up and says,"My sister bought me this dress and ear rings when I was in China recently. I went there for a vacation. She is the number two in a big textile company."

Yuvraj bowls another Bollywood babe

Whats up with  Yuvraj Singh? After IPL he seems to be in a mood to party and celebrate, but for what? Whatever the reason, the other day we spotted him at a suburban nightspot, flashing his usual infectious smile and dancing away to glory. After sometime his roving eyes caught up with another damsel.

And on closer look, she turned out to be Divya Dutta Rest assured, both were soon caught in a deep animated conversation. Whats cooking guys? Maybe they are just good friends. Well thats where everything starts, isnt it? Anyways, we decided to leave the two alone for the rest of the night, hopefully they headed home after their clubbing ended!

Sameera Reddy becomes busy in Tamil

Narasimhudu, Jai Chiranjeeva and Ashok her three Telugu films bombed at box office. Sameera Reddy is busy in Bollywood with her special appearances. Now Sameera is getting busy with Tamil offers. Her first film in Tamil with Surya is still under production but Sexy Sam has already signed up her second film with Ajit.
 
This untitled film is to be directed by none other than Gautham Menon of Gharshana fame. Sameera is sure to get more opportunities at a time when there is a dearth of glamorous actresses in Tamil.
 

Priyanka Kotharis favorite pose

"I dont know how to make headlines", is what the petite actress Priyanak Kothari tells when we ask her of her staying as a recluse. So we decided to bring her out one more time.  Off screen, shes graced numerous newspaper and magazine pages in come-hither poses, unleashing the kinds of provocative quotes that give publicists cardiac infarctions. Not that its shutting her up now.

"I love posing on the rocks with sexy attire. That has always been my fascination and will remain."  When ased being linked up with Ram Gopal Varma, “The media always talks about Urmila Matondkar, Antra Mali and me but they wont talk about Amitabh Bachchan, Rajpal Yadav. Why are we actresses linked with Ram Gopal Varma, I dont know,” Priyanka Kothari

Why didnt Kamal sign Ads?

Kamal Haasan has probably lost count of the number of times he has been approached to endorse a brand. In fact, there have been offers till as recently as last year. “The money was too small and it was not hard to say no,” says the actor, laughing. More seriously, the actor’s discomfort with appearing in commercials is quite evident. “I think the cost of my own integrity is far greater,” he adds. Haasan admits that there was a temptation to take the plunge at some stage. “Sometimes, I guess all of us need the money. Having said that, there are no regrets since it is important to enjoy my acting,” he says quite firmly.
Haasan like his contemporary Rajinikanth has stayed away from commercial endorsements and it is apparent that the decision is one of choice rather than default. “I am here to act and why should I do anything else?” asks Haasan. Rajinikanth, like him, has also been clear about why he will not be drawn anywhere close to either appearing in commercials or lending his name for anything beyond what he is best known for, which is acting. Keeping Rajinikanth and Haasan company is Nagarjuna, who again has steadfastly stayed away from brand associations. So, what would these super heros cost to a brand, if they were ever tempted to turn brand ambassadors. But, more about that a bit later.  

Hot babe gets buried her self in snow

Recently Lakshmi Rai was in the Swiss mountains shooting her Tamil film. There was a severe snow storm during the shoot and Lakshmi found it extremely cold and wore layers of plastics around her to keep herself warm.

During one such shot, she fell into a deep snow pit and was engulfed by snow. Luckily for her, the crew members saw this and immediately rushed to her rescue. She lost consciousness and was taken to a nearby hospital for first aid. The shooting continued afterwards.

Yanthram in the hands of Sun Pictures

This buyout has a filmy touch to it. Buoyed by its initial success in movie production, Marans-owned Sun Pictures has bought out the production rights for the costliest Indian movie to date Robot- starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai. The sci -fi movie, to be directed by Shankar and with a whopping Rs 100 crore + budget, was initially supposed to have been produced by London based Ayngaran International, in which Kishore Lulla-owned Eros International has a controlling stake.
But sources close to the development said owing to financial troubles, Ayngaran is transferring all the production costs of the movie to Sun Pictures. Officials at Ayngaran and Sun Pictures could not be reached for comment or further details. But sources involved in the deal said that a formal agreement will be signed on Thursday and the total value of the deal could cross a hundred crore. If the agreement goes through, this will be the second such bailout for the recently floated Sun Pictures.

Bhavana seeks Nitins help for better curves

There is a buzz in the industry that Nitin is dating Tamil actress Bhavana of Ontari fame. According to sources both Nitin and Bhavana enjoying their best here in Hyderabad. The latest buzz is that Nitin has become a fitness trainer to Bhavana.

It is said that Bhavana is trying her best to look slim and Nitin, who recently developed eight pack abs is helping her.  According to sources this couple may go soon for marriage. It is said that they got green signal from both sides.

Shriya film to make international debut

Indian-American producer Ashok Amritraj and Anil Ambanis Reliance Entertainment will unveil their first film under a unique five-year co-production deal a comedy The Other End of the Line on October 31.   The film stars Jesse Metcalfe of Desperate Housewives and Shriya. Shot in Mumbai and San Francisco, it also features Anupam Kher.  The former tennis ace-turned film producer said he had never dealt with an Indian or an Asian group before, although he has made 98 films in Hollywood over the past quarter of a century.  The Other End of the Line is the story of an Indian credit card phone operator (Shriya) who travels to San Francisco, disguising herself as American, for a romantic liaison with a man (Metcalfe) she met through her work.   Upon her arrival, however, she decides to keep her true identity a secret, which threatens to dampen the sparks between her and her potential beau. Amritraj said Reliance entertainment was an investor with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as distributors.

Will Vijay IPS help Sumanth?

Sumanths ‘Vijay IPS’ which has been delayed for long, however, will be released soon. Sumanth plays title role as a sincere police officer in the film. Chandini plays heroine. ‘‘It’s a thought provoking film for the youth. Director Hanumantha Rao has shaped it up well,’’ said its producer Natti Kumar.  Hanumantha Rao, who makes his debut as director says that the film suggests that everyone has to respect law and law enforcing agencies. Vijay Kumar plays Sumanth’s grandfather in the film. Satyanarayana and Jayaprakash Reddy appear as politicians. A Raja is the cinematographer. Lalith Suresh has composed the music. Gautham Raju is the editor. Natti Kumar is the producer. Y Narender Reddy is the executive producer.

Kajal Agarwal injured in action sequence

Ram Charan’s second heroin Kajal Agarwal celebrated her birthday two days ago. According to sources, she met an accident on the sets of her upcoming Tamil film and despite injuries it is said that she continued to participate in the shooting.

“The lady, who was shooting for Tamil film Modhi Vilayadu at the AVM studios, continued to work despite an injury she sustained during an action sequence. A sword fight with hero resulted in the actress sustaining a cut that required a few stitches,” said a source.

Shreya assures that she is single

After teaching an overzealous fan a lesson in Tirupati, actress Shriya is nowadays camping in Delhi for a film shoot. Shooting for Deepa Mehta’s What’s Cooking? And waiting for the release of Ek, Mission Istanbul, a Tamil film and her Hollywood venture The Other End of the Line, Shriya says that she’d rather call it Indian cinema and not Kollywood, Tollywood or Bollywood. “Call it Indian cinema. South Indians think Punjabis form North India and North Indians think that Madras is all there is in South India. Cinema is a powerful medium and as a young actor I want to convey my message strong and clear,” she says.  Which Bollywood star does this heroine of Rajinikanth want to work with now? “Amitabh Bachchan,” is the answer. And then, there’s Hollywood. “Hollywood is Hollywood! It is interesting to do different kinds of cinema and it was a great experience. In The Other End of the Line, I play a peppy girl from Mumbai who works in a call centre and falls in love with Jesse Metcalfe,” she says. Did Cupid strike in real life too? “No! People started thinking that way because Jesse and I got along very well. He’s a very nice guy but there is nothing between us. He is one of the most professional actors, simple and very easy to get along with. I’m not seeing anybody as of now,” she says.

Asin sees a long way to go

Asin, in the manner of Hema Malini, Rekha and Sridevi, is set to storm Hindi films with Ghajini after conquering Telugu and Tamil cinema. Ask her if she is set to become next big Bollywood’s diva from the South, and the actress giggles in embarrassment, “I’m a long way from getting anywhere near Hema, Rekha and Sridevi. But I feel hugely welcome in Mumbai. I don’t know why filmmakers are showing so much interest in me.” For now, Mumbai is her home. “But only because my immediate commitments are in Mumbai,” she clarifies. “I’m the brand ambassador for six multi-national companies and the ads need to be shot in Mumbai. Now there are Hindi films too.”  Fortunately, Asin speaks Hindi without that Southern twang that is even now so pronounced in Hema. “I’ve never used a dubbing artiste for any of my films, not even for the Hindi ads, and I’m speaking in my own voice in my first Hindi film Ghajini,” she claims. “In these days of globalisation, I don’t think language is a barrier. I’m interested in films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and any other language as long as the projects are exciting.”

Salmans Taj Mahal for Katrina

With just over a month to go for the Valentines Day, Salman Khan is getting ready an expensive gift for his ladylove Katrina Kaif. In spite of all the rumours of a rift between the lovers, Sallu and Kat seem to be going through the best phase of their romantic relationship. While Salman has painted Katrinas immaculate beauty on canvases, she, too, has been showering all attention on her man – often visiting the sets of his films and accompanying him on some of his mid-night adventures like driving an autorickshaw. Now, we hear Salman is planning to sweep Katrina off her feet with a lavish Valentines Day gift. Salman has reportedly zeroed down on a plush apartment in Bandra and plans to gift it to her on Feb 14. According to reports, the flats location and its architecture are to Salmans taste and he is thinking of roping in Suzanne Roshan , Hrithik Roshan s wife, to do the interiors. Reports say Salman wants to decorate the flat with some of his paintings before handing over the keys to Katrina next month.

Will this Psycho pull Manoj on track?

Mohan Babu’s youngest son Manoj Kumar has been trying his best to get foot hold in Tollywood but he is yet to taste a commercial success. Manoj is now busy with a psycho thriller titled Nenu Meeku Telusa, which is being directed by directed by Ajay Sashtri.

It is said that Manoj is hoping big with this flick which is being produced by home production Lakshmi Prasanna pictures.  The promos look impressive and the filmmakers are hoping to release it next month. Hope this psycho thriller brings success to this young star kid.

Tom Cruise to visit India?

Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise is all set to visit Asia around mid January. And there’s hope for his female fan following in Mumbai as well. If the buzz is to be believed, then the actor will cruise into Mumbai for a day. The idea being to promote his new flick Valkyrie in which Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who daringly plotted to eliminate the German dictator Adolf Hitler. Cruise will be in Korea on January 17, and spend around three days in Seoul.

A spokesperson from Fox Star Studios India – the company that is marketing and distributing the film — said, “We are currently in talks with our office in the US to work out his trip to Mumbai, but it’s not confirmed yet.”   If he comes, Cruise might be accompanied by director Bryan Singer who has made films like Superman Returns, X Men, X2: X-Men: United & The Usual Suspects in the past. Valkyrie, which released in the US on Christmas Day, is slated for release in India in February.

Kamals daughter with Aamirs nephew

Kamal Haasan’s daughter Shruti is all set to make her debut opposite Aamir Khan’s nephew Imran Khan in Soham Shah’s Luck. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt and Mithun Chakraborthy. Speculations have been rife about her debut film and now, Soham Shah has finalised Shruti as she fit the bill for the character he had in mind. When contacted, the director said, “We wanted to cast a new girl opposite Imran and Shruti seemed perfect for the role.

We required a girl who would look innocent as well as convincing while doing the action sequences.” However, she didn’t hesitate to inform that this being her first film, she would like to take her father’s opinion before saying yes. The director added, “She wanted to consult her father Kamal Haasan before saying yes to my film. Once she got the nod from him, she was on board.”

Ram Charans film at RFC

Ram Charan’s second film has been getting shot at rapid pace. Almost 80% of this film has been completed and the unit has been busy with the shooting of this film here in Hyderabad at Ramoji film city.  Few important scenes are being shot on Ram Charan, Kajal and Srihari.  A unit member said that few scenes and two songs are yet to be completed.

Meanwhile the unit has been at the edge of finalizing the title for this film. Though media has been speculating Dheerudu, many names have been under consideration. The unit member said that they will announce the title of the film in a couple of days. Produced by Geetha Arts, this film is being directed by successful director S.S.Rajamouli.

What made Chiranjeevi a Megastar?

Producer KS Rama Rao is the person, who named Chiranjeevi as Megastar Chiranjeevi. What made him to name him Megastar Chiranjeevi, “ His talent, his sincerity towards work and his behavior on the sets and his success rate made me to change his name from Supreme hero to Megastar,” said KS Rama Rao. He was responding to the recent reports on Megastar’s entry into politics and the NTV polls, which said that only 39% of the participants responded positively for Chiranjeevi’s entry into politics. “ He is kind hearted, he is clean and he has the ability to start a new political party. He will stay as Megastar in the hearts of all Telugu people,” said KS Ramarao. Latter congress MP Hari Ram Jogaiah said that, “People never asked NTR to enter into politics. But after he announced Telugu Desam he got tremendous response. Now many people are asking Chiranjeevi to come to politics and he enters politics he will defiantly become successful.”

Namitha in never seen before avatar

Namitha will be seen in a new avathar. Tamil director Thiru has given glam babe Namitha a completely de-glam and homely look in his movie Azhagana Ponnudhaan. This is surely, as the director says, “never-seen-before”.

“I wrote the script with Namitha in my mind. She plays a homely girl and it was a big challenge to see to it that she adapted to the script,” says Thiru. So, will there be no dare bare act by Namitha? “No,” he says, “You’ll find a different Namitha — one who comes wrapped in a sari throughout the film.”

Troubles hits Sangeethas love life

Recently there were rumors that Sangeetha is all getting ready to tie with her beau Krish in February. But nothing is going on her way. If the sources are to be believed there is a problem for this couple to get married.

There are no probles from Sangeetha’side but it is said that Krish parents are not happy with their son’ marriage with Sangeetha. It may be recalled that the impending wedding, which was said to have the consent of both Krish and Sangeethas families, made it to the news a few days ago.

Athidi beats Bollywood films at box office

“Worldwide collections of Athidhi in 11 days grossed Rs 25 crore with just 279 prints in 520 screens,’’ says Girish Johar, northern head, UTV Motion Pictures, which produced the film in association with Krishna Productions (P) Ltd. “Its success in south India prompted us to take the film to north India,’’ he says. The film is still ringing cash registers in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states.
Athidhi’s box office collections are reportedly even more than some of the popular Bollywood releases, including Cheeni Kum, Fool ‘n Final, Naqaab, Cash, Dhol, Laga Chunari Mein Daag, Jab We Met and now, Saawariya. “Jab We Met did very well in its second week due to the failure of Saawariya. After three days, Saawariya slipped terribly,’’ says trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh.

Rajini to take Kuselan to Japan

Rajnikanth has never been to Japan but the South superstar is already quite an iconic figure there. Japan has a sizeable South Indian population that, naturally, worships Rajnikanth but surprisingly, the Southie legend’s following is also huge among the Japanese. Local stores have DVDs of all his movies. And the release of a new Rajnikanth film, is cause for celebration. Ten year ago his film Muthu ran for 23 weeks at a Tokyo theatre and was seen by over 1,27,000 Japanese. Now Rajnikanth, at the invitation of the Tokyo International Film Festival, is preparing to take Kuselan to Japan. In it, he changes 20 costumes in two songs, which should amuse the Japanese considerably. But better still, Rajnikanth romances nine Japanese models in one song, and that should make him a household name.  Modestly, the actor told from his home in Chennai, “I don’t know whether I can make it to Tokyo. It’ll be great if I can. Otherwise, I’m excited that the Japanese are waiting for Kuselan with as much passion as they had for my films a decade ago. They are high on emotional content and comic action, it’s a treat to be watched by them.” Kuselan is based on friendship and is slated for release internationally in the first week of August to coincide with World Friendship Day.

Raghuvaran plays former president role

As an adorable villan, Raghuvaran had been part of many blockbusters. The last film he did was Rajinikanths Shivaji. He is now getting ready to play former president APJ Abdul Kalam in his upcoming Tamil film titled Thodakkam.

 "I am thrilled to do such a prominent role. I watched our former president in very close quarters and bought out his mannerisms on the big screen," said Raghuvaran. It is being said that he has even sung a song for this film.

Sexy Sam brushes with George Clooney

 It’s not everyday that one can rub shoulders with a man who has been voted as the Sexiest Man Alive. Sameera Reddy’s rendezvous with a Hollywood hottie George Clooney was as real as it could get. They two met by a stroke of luck at the Toronto Film Festival, and we caught up with Sameera, right after the event in lovely Canada for all the juicy details. 

 

“When I went for the premiere of George Clooney’s movie Michael Clayton and for the gala after that. I was standing with Shekhar Kapur and that’s when I was introduced to Clooney. I said … ‘Hi! I’m Sameera Reddy, from India’. And he replied, “Yes, I know. And congrats… you have two films at the festival, it’s great,” says Sameera.

 

“It felt like eternity, and I was speechless. He said that he loves Bollywood, and someday he would love to be a part of our movies. He is doing some fabulous charity work and we briefly spoke about how we could reach out to India. It’s so amazing to meet an actor with such a sense of awareness,” adds Sameera.