How Dr Shah Rukh Khan keeps his awards

London: On Friday, Shah Rukh Khan was presented an honorary doctorate in arts and culture by the University of Bedfordshire.

Dressed in ceremonial robes, King Khan was his usual charming self. “My wife is here too. She thinks being a doctor is really serious stuff. Of all my achievements as an actor, this one is a special achievement,” he quipped.

And just like his acting roles, SRK wants to take his scholarly duties seriously.

“I will entertain like Walt Disney where he says I will entertain and help people learn. But if you are asking if I will make films to teach people ABC, then I doubt it. You wont see them but I will make films that people can go and see for three hours and then come back and study hard for their exams,” he said.

Apart from film awards, SRK was honoured with the Padmashri in 2005. Internationally he was conferred the Order of The Arts and Literature Award by the French government in 2007 and last year Malaysia's Datuk honour, similar to British Knighthood.

So where do these awards go? The actor, who has 13 Filmfare awards, amongst other honours, says that this doctorate is 'right up there'.

“On one wall, where I have my personal desk, where I keep my scripts, I have the Padmashri, the French honour the Malaysian honour. This one will go there. The Filmfare awards are in front of me. So I am like a megalomaniac, self-centered person who likes to be surrounded by his awards,” he said

Gay community turns assertive in workplace

Last Thursday, gay men and women across the country were going around their offices with a spring in their step and a grin on their faces. They were constantly on the Net and on the phone,typing endless messages and talking excitedly about parties. Some even parked themselves in front of the office TV, unabashedly switching from business channels covering the Economic Survey to channels reporting on the Delhi High Court judgement de-criminalising homosexuality.

All this surely posed a bit of a dilemma for their colleagues. Were congratulations in order or should one just let the whole thing pass? Did one have to be a close friend to congratulate someone on matters of sexuality? What exactly does one say under such circumstances anyway?

In some offices, however, there was no dilemma. When Parmesh Shahani, Editorial Director of Verve magazine, entered his office late in the morning, he was greeted with a big hurrah. “It was like India had won the World Cup,” he says. “My straight colleagues were as excited by the judgement as my gay colleagues. It became a way for them to show their support.”

Never has it been harder to stay in the closet in India . After Facebook, Dostana, pride parades and television talk shows, the Delhi High Court judgement is the latest in a recent series of opportunities for gay men and women to declare themselves. “This is such a morale booster,” says Shahani , who authored the book Gay Bombay: Globalisation , Love and (Be)longing in Contemporary India last year. “It quite often happens that everyone around you knows you’re gay but they’re just waiting for you to come out and tell them. Now the process has become easier.”

One might say these things are always easier if you’re lucky enough to be working at a fashion magazine, but Shahani actually began his corporate career at staid old Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M ) before Anuradha Mahindra whisked him away to Verve. He still holds the post of head, vision & opportunities, at the parent company and says, “I’ve been out at M&M since I joined. It’s a very warm, accepting group.”

While those in the closet ponder the possible process through which they could come out — start with the boss? Tell colleagues in the immediate team? Spill the beans to the office gossip and wait for him or her to spread the news? — others are making things simpler for themselves by declaring their sexuality during the recruitment process itself.

When Harish Iyer, 30, joined Shobiz five years ago, he made it a point to scratch out the marital status options in the event management company’s standard recruitment form and write ‘gay.’ “It’s a very important part of who I am and I wanted my boss to know right from the beginning ,” he says.

Hrithik turning global super hero with Krrish 2

With Kites all set to go global, Rakesh Roshan has also revived the idea of a Krrish sequel. This time, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra will not be directing the Krrish sequel for Rakesh Roshan.

Rakesh has decided to take over the responsibility from Rakeysh, and with good reason. After Kites, Rakesh Roshan wants to take Hrithik Roshan's career to the next international level. The next instalment of Krrish will therefore be a super-hero film to compete with the Hollywood films of the genre like Batman, Superman and Spiderman.

Confirming these developments, Rakesh Roshan, who has won the ‘director of the decade’ award in Macau says, “The destiny of the next Krrish movie depends entirely on the way Kites goes. Kites director Anurag Basu and I are preparing two different versions of Kites in Hindi and English. The English version will be viewed by our potential buyers in the US. Only then will we move forward with plans on how to release Kites and how to make the next Krrish movie. We should release by December.”

Rakesh Roshan hasn’t directed a film since Krrish in 2006. But now he plans to go fully international with the Krrish sequel. “It all depends on the fate of Kites in the international market,” says Rakesh Roshan..

"Do heroines really hate each other" asks Asin

Instead, she’s enjoying the monsoon and forced vacation at her new 3BHK in Versova where her neighbours are Sridevi and Tabu.

Asin’s under contract so she can’t comment on the reasons for her film being stalled. But she chirps happily, “I will complete all my endorsement work now and read scripts.”

When Asin’s car first drove into the building complex where she now lives, it was Sridevi’s younger daughter Khushi who ran up to her. According to Asin, “Sridevi herself is an absolute picture of grace and she welcomed me to Bollywood with open arms.”

Tabu, who resides in the building opposite, hasn’t yet met her to say hello. “But we met at the Filmfare Awards and shared a jacket because the air-conditioning was so strong,’’ says Asin. At the same function, she bumped into Preity Zinta who gregariously hugged and welcomed her to Hindi cinema, as well. “And at the Femina Miss India contest, where I shared a podium with Sushmita Sen, her daughter Renee sat on my lap for the longest time,’’ recalls Asin.

Naturally, she wonders why the media exaggerates the so-called cat-fights between actresses. “Do actresses really hate each other,’’ she asks. “I’ve been lucky in this aspect,’’ adds the South sensation who made a niche for herself last year with Bollywood’s highest grosser, Ghajini. “Sonam is my best friend in Mumbai,’’ she smiles.

They have been making plans to hangout and do girlie things, but haven’t got around to partying yet because of their individual work schedules. She also fails to understand why the media harps on about actresses giving each other the royal ignore because Deepika Padukone and she are buddies.

“We SMS each other as often as possible and we’re even set to shoot for Farah Khan’s talk show together,’’ she reveals. “Just because we’re competing for the same roles, it hardly means we can’t be civil with each other.”

We’ll check out the scorecard when the honeymoon is over.

Sexy Hema Malini in Guru Sishyan

Director Shakthi Chidambaram is once again going for a Rajinikanth film title - this time it is Guru Sishyan. The new Guru Sishyan will have Sathyaraj, Sundar.C and Vadivel in the lead roles along with a new glam girl Hema Malini. The film will have music by Dhina.

Shakthi Chidambaram had earlier taken the title Rajathiraja with Lawrence and got enough publicity and collection at the box office. Based on that sentiment, he has chosen Guru Sishyan as the title of his next film. The director revealed it during the pooja of the film.

Sakthi Chidambaram has made it clear that he has borrowed only the title of the old Rajinikanth- Prabhu film, and that it is not a remake. The shooting of the film started this morning. Shakthi Chidambaram said that the film would be released in December.Tags: guru sishyan, sathyaraj, sundar c, vadivel, hema malini, shakthi chidambaram, settu shankar.

Kambakkht Ishq Not only is it one of the most offensive, gender-insensitive flicks of late but is also utterly blase and blatant about it

Recently, at a Kambakkht Ishq press conference, Kareena Kapoor staged a walkout when a journo asked her if she would go nude for a film. Her contention was that she "commands respect" and doesn’t need to respond to such distasteful queries. Fair enough. But if she feels so strongly for women’s dignity, what made her accept a sexist film like KI? Not only is it one of the most offensive, gender-insensitive flicks of late but is also utterly blase and blatant about it.

The template is the age-old Taming of the Shrew and Shammi Kapoor variety ’60s romcoms like Junglee to which the Akshay Kumar brand of high stunts and low comedy have been added liberally. In the end, it doesn’t come together well. The war of the sexes, between a Hollywood stuntsman (Akshay) and a model-surgeon (Kareena), is all about calling each other "dog" and "bitch" and shutting each other up with some vigorous kissing.

KI’s target audience is the chauvinist male. So women here are showpieces for their gaze. Some, like Kareena (who models for a living and is a surgeon for some undefined higher cause) and Amrita (Arora) are mere clotheshorses, who display more skin than clothes. They put their best leg forward to give the has-been Bond girl Denise Richards a run for her bikini. Women are insulted throughout, yet the one who ill-treats them (Akshay) corners the sympathy.

Mad comedies are fine. But if sense of humour means slapstick routines of the cake-throwing and farting kind, I’d rather remain forever grim. The only comic scene that clicked was the Hollywood fraternity mistaking "Om mangalam mangalam" chant for India’s national anthem. Obviously, the film has been made for Akshay alone and he valiantly tries to enliven it. Like the sequence where he mumbles on the operating table, calling the nurse "mother" instead of "sister". The much-hyped Hollywood stars, like Stallone, are past their prime or inconsequential (i.e. Routh). Other actors, like Boman Irani and Javed Jaffrey, are mere props.

Aishwarya teaches Sonam a lesson

The Aishwarya Bachchan – Sonam Kapoor controversy refuses to die down. Both Ash and Sonam seem to be in no mood of calling it quits from the war of words. Just a few weeks back Sonam had taken a dig at Aishwarya by calling her 'Aunty Ji' as she had starred with her dad Anil Kapoor. Now Aishwarya has hit back at her by calling her just another junior actress.

While inaugurating a beauty school for the cosmetic giant L'Oreal Aishwarya said that the issue had been blown up by the media. Aishwarya also said that there was no competition between her and Sonam and as the Saawariya girl was just another junior actress. She added that nowhere seniors need to compete with their juniors to prove themselves.

Sonam and Aishwarya have been engaged in a war of words ever since L'Oreal had chosen Sonam as the young face of their brand. Sonam had stated that she was the young face while Ash represented the older women. Ash did not take this dig at her age kindly and made sure Sonam missed the opportunity to walk the Red Carpet with other beauties of the world during the Cannes Film Festival

Katrina foolishly falls into Akshay's arms

Katrina Kaif

is perhaps the most-demanded actress in Bollywood today. She looks pretty on screen with an infectious smile but she is not a beauty with brains if we are to go by her words. She admitted that she made a mistake by foolishly falling into the arms of Akshay Kumar, who was known for his affairs with fellow co-stars at one point of time.

With strings of hits together, Katrina seemed to have developed trust on action king Akshay but she never knew that she would hurt herself in the process. She said that she foolishly bent her back on Akshay's arm while shooting for a song sequence in De Dana Dan and injured her back. He added that she should have warmed up before falling into Akshay's arms.

Katrina has injured her back and reeling in pain but she is not in the mood to disturb the schedule of the film. She is eager to join her family in London after wrapping up De Dana Dan and then go to Italy for a holiday. In spite of the pain, she is taking comfort in Akshay's words that the film would be a hit, as they have given their blood for it.

Well, Katrina still seems to have trust in Akshay

Meet Lt Colonel Mohanlal, actor in the Army

Delhi: It was a celebrity push for the Indian Army when it got itself a brand ambassador by enlisting southern superstar Mohanlal as an honorary Lt Colonel in the Territorial Army. And for once, it was the celebrated film actor who had stars in his eyes.

“It is an amazing moment. My family is with me in one of the best moments of my life,” Mohanlal said.

In reel life Mohanlal tackled the role of an Army man in two recent films. The successful Keerthi Chakra in 2006 saw him don the role of a Major while more recently in Kurukshetra he played a Colonel fighting the Kargil war.

The actor will be affiliated to the Kannur Terriers, a Territorial Army unit under the Madras Regiment.

To the star, the Army's olive green uniform has been the most powerful symbol of service to the nation.

“They asked me to be the brand ambassador of the Territorial Army. So it a great honour for me,” Mohanlal said.

A lot of effort went behind the actor’s crisp salutes as Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor welcomed Mohanlal into the fold of the citizen soldiers. An ustaad from the Indian Military Academy put Mohanlal through a crash course in military etiquette to prepare him for the induction.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister AK Antony, who too belongs to Kerala, was overjoyed at the turn of events. “This will be an inspiration for the younger generation to join the armed forces,” Antony said.

Like cricket icon Kapil Dev who enlisted in the Territorial Army in 2008, Mohanlal's role will be to inspire youth to join the armed forces and spread some stardust in the barracks.

His message is that it's cool and aspirational to join the Indian Army.

Priyanka reuniting with Hurman?

Shahid Kapoor may be picking up fights for her but seems like Priyanka Chopra is more interested in getting cosy with ex beau Hurman Baweja. The stars who are shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker's Whats Your Rashee? were busy mingling with each other on the sets. The crew members were left amazed seeing this. They could not believe two exes were so comfortable in each others company as the case is always the other way around.

Priyanka and Hurman shot a sizzling rain dance which wrapped up the shooting for the movie. The cast and the crew decided to celebrate this by organising a party at a bungalow nearby in Khandala. Priyanka and Hurman who attended the party had their eyes locked on each other. The crew members could sense the sparks between the former couple and they didn't intend to hide it. Well it's a wake up call for Shahid to find some new actress to mingle with.

Shruti on her relationship with Imran Khan

Imran Khan, it is learnt doesn’t like the tag of a chocolate hero given to him post his debut film, the romantic comedy Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’s success. In fact, it seems he detests the word even today. The actor made it clear that he did not want to be associated with that tag anymore during his recent interview “Please don’t call me that. I have been trying to come out of that tag after Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and have been doing different roles,” he says.

During the press meet when he was further prodded with questions like whether he consider his co-star Shruti Hassan in Luck as a kid sister, Imran looked stunned and replied, “She is a close family friend, and I have known her since we were kids. She is my co-star and a friend.”

Shruti chose to take a call on that question and said, “Let’s not get into the brother sister relationships. We have been friends for the last so many years that I have lost count. We are romancing each other in the film so just keep to that. One can’t romance a brother, in fact the thought itself is repugnant, don’t make such insinuations in the future,”

Reacting on this Imran quipped this time, “Don’t use the word sister, it sounds horrible. We are more of friends. And one cannot romance a sister. It sounds very repulsive.”

Preity forgets Ness, moves on in life

Bollywood bubbly actress Preity Zinta had recently hit the headlines much for her unceremonious break-up with Ness Wadia. If Ness had moved on in life then Preity is also strong enough to forget the past and chase her dream to firm her foot in Bollywood again. After a month long tour across Europe and the US, Preity is back in Mumbai with new hopes and with smiling face.

Preity admits that she had broken off with Ness but at the same time fills in her a new enthusiasm to move on with positive attitude in life.“But then that’s life. It’s filled with unpredictable twists and turns. I have come out of the relationship smiling. Every experience in life helps you grow. You preserve the positive and move on. There’s no point dissecting it. Everything is so temporary. Even a Michael Jackson dies,” she said.

After spending quality time with friends and relatives, Preity is completely at peace, “Either they’re writing about my broken heart or calling me a home breaker. I don’t care. I’ve to live with my conscience. I’ve to look myself in the eye in the mirror. I need my space. For those who want to know how I am, I am fine,” she added.

She has devoted much of her time in IPL and now she wanted to concentrate only in films. Recently she had signed two big banner films.

First Look: NTR's Adurs

NTR is back to work for his latest Telugu movie Adurs a few days after recuperating from the injuries he sustained in an accident on one of his election campaigns.

The young actor, who started campaigning for Chandrababu Naidu'sTelugu Desam Party, is proving to be a chip off the old block -- rather like his late grandfather -- in terms of his mesmerising speeches till the accident cut short his campaigns.

Adurs is being produced by Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan (under Vaishnavi Arts Banner) and directed by VV Vinayak. Slated for summer, the film's release got postponed on account of NTR's injury. NTR and Vinayak share a good rapport as they have done Aadi and Samba together before.

Nayantara and Sheela give NTR company in Adurs and thereby revving up the glamour quotient of the film which is now scheduled for release on October 14.

Devisriprasad composes music like he did for NTR's film Rakhee (helmed by Krishnavamsi).

NTR is rumoured to be playing a double role (a brahmin and a don) in Adurs while Nayantara is rumoured to appear in a bikini.

NTR's last film Kantri directed by Mehar Ramesh did average business at the BO, while Rakhee (the film before Kantri) rocked at the turnstiles. It's been a year since a NTR release so his fans must be waiting with bated breath for Adurs.

Shruti Hassan sizzles in two-piece swimwear

The latest star kid on the block Shruti Hassan is all set to dazzle the silver screen with her debut in Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd.’s film Luck directed by Soham Shah. And while there are newbies who shy away from sporting a bikini in their very first film, Shruti seemed to be game for it
Says the debutant, "When Soham narrated the script, I did not even consider the bikini thing as a big deal, as it was logical to the premise. While shooting for it, the weather was very weird that day. It was freezing cold, but apart from that it was like any other scene in the film for me."

Informs director Soham, "Shruti did work-out, to get a toned body. Moreover, she worked hard to maintain it. We shot the sequence in Cape Town. The temperature was only two degrees. She had to brave the icy weather for the shoot."

The director also mentions, "The scene involves Imran Khan, Ravi Kishan and Mithun Chakraborty. Shruti was not at all apprehensive of wearing a two-piece swimwear as she was aware of it from before. The scene is totally justified as Ravi Kishan's character pins his eyes on her."

The styling is done by the director’s wife, Binal Shah who is a fashion designer. She says, "I bought a plain Bebe bikini that fitted Shruti perfectly. I then embellished it with mother of pearls in shades of green that matched the night pool ambience."

Well, for a debutante, Shruti’s confidence and zeal are quite inspiring, we must say.

Priyanka says no to throwing parties

Bollywood bombshell Priyanka Chopra has decided to stop partying for sometime because of her obsessive-compulsive disorder. The actress has decided that she won't throw a party again at her home.

Our party animal birdie tells us, that Piggy Chops was exhausted after the party that she hosted at her newly done house in Versova. She took care of everything - big and small. And by the time the bash concluded she all but fainted with fatigue.

Now, Priyanka wants to go to other people's parties and enjoy, even spend time on the sets or just relax, but would definitely not throw another party at home, adds the birdie.

But Priyanka, won't you even invite Shahid to your newly done den?

Court stay on Short Kut for a day

The Delhi High Court stayed for a day the release of the promos, as also the preview, of Bollywood movie Short Kut - The Con Is On after a filmmaker alleged its producer, Anil Kapoor Film Co Pvt Ltd, had lifted the title of his own proposed film.

On a petition filed by one B S Bhullar, Justice Reva Khetrapal of the Delhi High Court ordered the stay till Thursday, when the matter will be heard. With the movie set for release Friday, the judge also asked the two parties to mutually resolve the issue.

Bhullar contended he had registered the title Short Kut in Sep 2005 and the Bollywood actor's production company copied it in an "illegal and unauthorised" manner.

Bhullar claimed that to make his own movie, he had forwarded the script to Anil Kapoor and offered him a key role in the film. However, Kapoor had turned down the offer, Bhullar added.

The film stars Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi and Amrita Rao.

‘Love Aaj Kal’ cast and crew come face to face with the Screen team

A new initiative, Screen Preview, is a teaser to the season’s most-anticipated movies. The film’s team – stars, director and producer - are put in the dock – to answer frequently asked questions about the best scenes, favourite songs, behind-the-scenes equation and a lot more.

Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal, top-lining the mercurial Saif Ali Khan and sugar-n-spice girl Deepika Padukone made it to the first edition. And if the quick-witted repartee about kissing scenes, on-screen chemistry and love in Patiala was anything to go by, there is a blockbuster in the pipeline. Excerpts from the livewire interaction

Teaming up

Dinesh: Saif and I were staying together in the same hotel at Panchgani while working on Being Cyrus .

Saif: The hotel seemed haunted. Dinesh is a little scared of sleeping alone at night in hotel rooms so he came over to my room and we sat up talking all night till 5 am. That is when we decided that we wanted to work together. Eventually things fell into place and we got together for Love Aaj Kal as co-producers. I am really excited. I have been an actor doing films for other people for more than 18 years. I thought it was time for me to take more responsibility and contribute more to a film than just being an actor.

Imtiaz: When I landed up at Saif’s doorstep, one of the first questions I asked him was why he wanted to turn a producer. From what he said I realised that Saif was a man with a vision and with a Vijan! (referring to co-producer Dinesh Vijan). My whole idea was to find out what was so great about his vision, which was important to me because I was going to commit my life to him for two years. I was, in fact, pretty rude and obnoxious, but I must say that all my ghosts were exorcised.

Deepika: I have known Dino (Dinesh Vijan) even before he started Illuminati Films, I had no apprehensions about signing the film. It was one of those times when you just know you are getting into the right thing with the right people.

Role-Playing

Deepika: When you go in for a narration, you have to find a connect with the script and in this case, Imtiaz was sure that I could relate to the character. But other than that, I think it is the entire experience of everyone being together while working on the film that makes it special. We were in London for a good one-and-a half months and then in Delhi for almost a month. I am privileged and honoured to be a part of Love Aaj Kal and having worked with Dino, Saif and Imtiaz.

Saif: It is essential that an actor trust the director’s instincts. You have to trust the director like you trust a healthy parent. Imtiaz and I are like-minded people and the minute we decided to work on the film I knew we were committing the rest of our three -four months to each other. So much discussion goes into making a film that it is almost like signing a pre-nuptial agreement! Imtiaz and I were looking at doing something new. It was almost as if we instinctively decided that we wanted to work on a love story, which had something new, with fresh dialogues and interesting situations. It is not like I didn’t know Imtiaz before we started working on this film - since the time Kareena was working on Jab We Met she had kept saying that Imtiaz as a director was one to watch out for. It was an actor-to-actor recommendation that worked in my favour.

Imtiaz: The great thing about Saif is that he is a believer. He trusts and he will not intrude because of that. And he is smarter than we think!! Actually, Saif’s been acting for a long time. He always has many questions in his mind and a hyperactive imagination. You could say that his brain is not in his control (Laughs) and I have to be in tandem with that and try and know where he is going. He’s very different from the actors I have worked with. I would shout something out to him at the last moment and he would just do it, because he trusts.

Real and Reel

Deepika: I completely related to Meera’s character. I just had to walk on to the sets and react the way I would in real life. Imtiaz would tell me to continue being myself.

Saif: We have facets to our personality and I am happy to have got the opportunity to perform completely two different roles in the film. As an actor the film challenged my potential. My character Jai is a lot like me in the sense that he is very spontaneous. Jai thinks and speaks at the same time, not because he is stupid but because there is no backlash. In real life, I love giving interviews and interacting with the media because I am spontaneous. I do not prepare answers for my interviews and thankfully I haven’t gotten into too many problems except for press conferences.

Imtiaz: Saif’s character was so close to him that Saif had a problem playing the character! And after I shot the New Year party sequence, Deepika came up to me and asked “Do you know me?” because she had the same problem!

On-screen Chemistry

Deepika: I don’t think a couple needs to have a great off-screen chemistry to create it in front of the camera.

Saif: Chemistry has a lot to do with the script. If the director is able to bring out the chemistry in the script and translate it on screen, it works. There are so many real-life couples who have zero chemistry in reel life. Two people might have an amazing chemistry in front of the camera but they don’t necessarily need to like each other in real life. Every person has an aura and you instantly know when your auras match. Deepika has a very earthy quality to her that keeps me grounded. We look like a complete package.When we weren’t shooting we were practically stuck to the ‘phone because we were both involved with someone else in our personal lives, but when you see the film, the chemistry is great. I guess off-screen couples don’t make for a good on-screen pair because there is lack of tension between them.

Imtiaz: I don’t think that there are any special ingredients needed for chemistry on-screen. By definition, any chemistry always happens on its own. But yes, if the characters have a chemistry, the actors acquire it too.

Most romantic moment in the film

Deepika: I think it would have to be the scene, where ( if I told you then, it would be giving away the story), Jai comes back to Meera.

Dinesh: I loved the scene in which Saif is sitting on a cot with Qutub Minar in the background.

Saif: My favourite scene in the film is when Jay realizes that Meera is actually his soul-mate. Jay doesn’t know that he actually cannot survive without Meera. They go far away from each other and then he understands that she is the one. What happens to them in the situations that they have created themselves without a villain makes the film unique.

On-screen Kiss

Saif: Actually I didn’t have much of a choice. Imtiaz forced me to kiss in this film. But frankly, I think it is an actor’s job. At times, the script does not require it and at times it is necessary. If done aesthetically, it’s beautiful. When you start objecting to intimate scenes in the movie you compensate by including pelvic thrusts in songs. You kind of compensate for the sexuality in the film. That is when you have songs like Choli ke peeche.

There is a difference when a scene is done for cheap thrills to titillate and when it is done aesthetically. In American films, the love-making scenes are different. There is nothing to make a hue-and-cry about a kissing scene in Indian films.

Favourite romantic film/book

Deepika: I am a sucker for romantic films. For me, films like Serendipity and Jerry Maguire are the ultimate in romance.

Saif: It actually depends on the story. The first meeting could be the most romantic part of the story or the last meeting could be it. Moments like when you are going out with someone else and then you bump into your ex could also be romantic. Sometimes even breaking up would be romantic, but well, not really! I really loved the book Fountainhead. It is a beautiful love story, really intense and moves you deeply. She gets married thrice before she actually finds the right guy in life, which is so cool. Of my films, I guess Hum Tum was a sweet love story, Salaam Namaste was different and so was Parineeta. But I enjoyed working on Love Aaj Kal the most.

Love aaj kal

Saif: Emotions and sensations are two things that haven’t changed over the years. I think love as a concept hasn’t changed at all in the recent. It is ridiculous to say something like that because burning yourself with a candle feels the same as it felt years ago.

Imtiaz: I don’t think that love has changed aaj kal, but I could be wrong. Maybe I am trying to discover answers to my own questions on love through my films.

Most difficult part of the film

Saif: The most difficult parts of the film were the dialogues. We had to say the dialogues the way we talk in our day-to-day lives. The gaps, the pauses and the rhythm was very difficult to pick up. The greatest quality about Imtiaz is his ability to capture any moment beautifully yet realistically, to make it look like an actual guy and not like a romantic hero performing on screen.

Imtiaz: Since one part of my film is set in the 1960s, I wanted a train with a steam engine. I also wanted a station that seemed to belong to the past and I finally homed in on Patiala. I am glad we spent all that money and that my producers were willing to do so. It looks much more authentic than a set built somewhere. And even if a shoot was at five in the morning, there was complete clarity on every point. I was confident that there was a producer like Dinesh Vijan to watch my back no matter what when I went on the location or on my sets with all guns blazing. For me, Dinesh is the producer who made so much difference.

Words worth

Imtiaz: I come from a literate family and I am very finicky about these things. I cannot stand wrong words or grammar.

Saif: You have to be finicky about lyrics. We’ve seen songs been written in five minutes in a studio on a scrap od paper. If one line has naina, the rhyming word could be anything like dena! There was this glorious song that I danced to in the ‘90s from Yaar Gaddar. It was something about stroking then chooha, a Rat song, so to speak! I was dressed as a dance instructor with a beard and a protruding stomach teaching the kids. The song was gross and I had to pull out a white chooha from my pants. There was no censor issue and people didn’t even talk about it. We did the song back then probably because kissing was banned on screen!

Women-power

Saif: In all successful love stories the female protagonist’s role should be important. There has to be something unique about the girl so that everyone in the theatre falls in love with her. But I don’t think its fair to say that the hero is sidelined in a love story.

Deepika: In Jab We Met, Shahid Kapoor was good as Kareena but somewhere his performance went unnoticed compared to hers. Imtiaz is very perceptive director and understands his actors very well. He has definitely brought out a performance from me that I had not expected.

Imtiaz: The girl’s role in my film is always important. But if my heroines come across as remarkable, maybe it is because I am interested and intrigued by women than men. Women do seem to be more interesting, somehow!

Dinesh : Yeah, Imtiaz loves women!

Lessons learnt

Saif: Dinesh often sent me to the vanity van to sit with the mirror and said, “Saif, I want you to go and have a word with the lead actor.” And then I would look at the mirror and say, “Could you show up a little earlier? We’ve already had lunch and you’ve just arrived.” So respecting time is very important. What sets apart professional actors like Mr Bachchan is small things like turning up early on the sets, being ready for a shot in advance and contributing more to the film than just acting. I realize that an actor is given a lot of importance in the film. As an actor you have the responsibility of being the film’s face.

Great Expectations

Saif: When I saw the film’s final print for the first time I was happy. I was all over the place, jumping with joy like an over-enthusiastic school-kid. But later on, I started feeling nervous. As July 31 approaches, I am getting more apprehensive and nervous. Love Aaj Kal is a low- budget film but as a producer I have looked into every detail. Working with Imtiaz is almost like working with Farhan Akhtar. Imtiaz has one of the most organised teams in the industry.

Burial mystery follows Michael Jackson memorial show

Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of Michael Jackson's body today after last night's spectacular memorial show in Los Angeles's Staples Centre.
Jackson's gold-plated casket was wheeled offstage moments after his 11-year-old daughter Paris – surrounded by the singer's brothers and sisters – bid a tearful farewell to "the best father you could ever imagine".

The family had then been expected to return to the Hollywood Hills to lay the star to rest at the Forest Lawn cemetery, where they had held a private funeral ceremony yesterday morning.

But there was no grand motorcade back into the hills to match the one which brought the coffin to the public show and a death certificate released by city authorities last night described the body's disposition at Forest Lawn as "temporary".

It appeared instead that the body had been spirited away to an undisclosed location for burial elsewhere, although when and where is still unclear.

Some members of Jackson's family have reportedly been pressing for the star's remains to be taken to Neverland, the ranch in the Santa Barbara hills where Jackson lived until his acquittal on child abuse charges in 2005.

Under state laws, bodies cannot be buried outside a designated graveyard without special permission. If that was not forthcoming, Jackson's cremated remains could end up at the ranch if plans are adopted to transform it into a West Coast version of Graceland, the Memphis mansion where Elvis Presley died in 1977 and which lives on as a memorial.

Apart from Jackson's resting place, lawyers are preparing for a possible battle for custody of his three children.

In his will, signed seven years ago yesterday, Jackson made clear that they should remain under the care of his mother, Katherine, or, in the case of his mother's demise, under the care of the Supremes star Diana Ross.

Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of Paris and her 12-year-old brother, Prince Michael, has indicated she may seek custody. The identity of the surrogate mother of Jackson’s youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, is unknown.

An initial custody hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Investigators are also waiting for the result of toxicology tests before they can determine the official cause of death. The death certificate released last night noted the cause of death as "deferred" and the tests could take several weeks to complete.

An LA coroner confirmed that Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being held by investigators and would not be returned to the family for interment until neuropathology tests are completed – which cannot be done until the brain tissue has hardened sufficiently for it to be examined.

Investigators have honed in on drugs that were administered to the singer. The powerful sedative Diprivan, which is usually administered by anesthesiologists in hospitals, was found in his home and detectives have reportedly interviewed five separate doctors who treated Jackson in recent years.

After announcing the success party

for Kambakkht Ishq as well as New York, Akshay Kumar almost became a real-life hero. In a magnanimous mood, Akshay had told us, “This isn’t a party to celebrate our success alone. It is also a party to celebrate the success of New York as much as my film. So apart from me and Kareena, Katrina (Kaif), John (Abraham) and the entire team of New York are the party’s unofficial hosts.”
While Akshay personally invited the cast of New York and many other guests, strangely, he did not invite New York director Kabir Khan to the party.

Katrina confirmed and said, “Akshay told me about the party just a few hours before the party when we were shooting together for De Dana Dan.”

John Abraham too was personally invited by Akshay and was deeply regretful that ill health kept him away.

As for Neil, he did not get an invitation from Akshay. “Vicky Rajani (from Eros, who presented Kambakkht Ishq) had invited me, but I couldn’t make it to the occasion because I had a family commitment,” said Neil.

According to sources, Kabir would have definitely attended the party had he been invited.

Kabir admitted that he was not invited and said, “I guess it’s okay. Akshay was generous to acknowledge the success of New York, that was good enough. Who acknowledges the success of somebody else’s film these days? I’m also happy for the success of Kambakkht Ishq.”

Meanwhile, Kabir said he was aware that New York stars Katrina, John and Neil had received invitations. “Having done many films with Akshay, Katrina is very close to him. She was definitely invited. John did not attend because he had a physiotherapy session for his ankle,” said Kabir.

“A few minutes after I read about the party, a unit member from New York called me to complain that I hadn’t invited him for my party. I had to explain that it wasn’t my party,” added Kabir.

When asked whether Kabir had any issues with Akshay in the past, he replied, “None. I had met Akshay a long time ago and we had exchanged pleasantries. I don’t think Akshay even remembers the meeting. I don’t know him or Sajid Nadiadwala too well

Katrina Kaif doesn't feel secured

Her Bollywood career may be at its peak but Katrina Kaif doesn't feel secured in life. It has nothing got to do with her on and off beau Salman Khan either. Katrina who stays at Waterfield Road in Bandra is desperately looking for a new house. The reason, well her house isn't safe anymore and off late there has been an increase in the number of intruders barging in.

Katrina had brought the apartment four years ago with her hard earned money. She confirms the lookout for a new house but says the expereince of house hunting hasn't been great owing to her celebrity status. The price of the property she likes is doubled when her name comes into the picture and it is getting increasingly dangerous to stay in her present residence.

Katrina is also bored with her solitude and is eagerly waiting for her sister Isabel Kaif to joins her in Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood. Isabel is still learning acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Well Katrina when the hottest hunk in Bollywood is your boyfriend you should not have fears about security!

Akshay doesn't find vulgarity in Kambakkht Ishq

Action King Akshay Kumar is back to where he belonged. His career graph dipped down following the debacle of Chandni Chowk To China and 8X10 Tasveer but the good opening of his latest film

Kambakkht Ishq at the box office has pushed him to the top again.

Film buffs are loving Kambakkht Ishq but some critics think that it's a vulgar film. However, Akshay thinks that the film is not at all vulgar and offensive. He said that the censor board would have censored had they found the film vulgar. He added that it is all about battle of the sexes.

Akshay said that Kambakkht Ishq is a family entertainer. He is happy that it had a good opening and that the audiences are loving it.