Deepika is the new Katrina

If you are the kind who has regularly watched Hindi movies over the years, you can summarise the storyline of most movies into one line: boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy wins girl again. Most Hindi films are essentially versions of this story line (or what the director of the movie may tell you treatment bilkul alag hai.)

Now what would you say about a movie which twists this entire logic on its head. Boy loses girl in the beginning, boy loses girl at the interval, boy loses girl again after interval and boy wins girl, finally, in the end, after the girl has gone ahead and married the second hero.

Well that it is different. Hmmm, almost. In a nutshell that is the story of Imitiaz Ali’s much awaited Love Aaj Kal. The movie works over most its two hours running time except towards the end when it really drags and of course whenever Deepika Padukone tries to act.

What works for the movie? Some semblance of a new storyline.

Great visuals (human as well as natural. You know what I mean.)

Great music backed by some real good lyrics. My favourite being the song Chor Bazaari, which has some brilliant lyrics.

Rishi Kapoor is excellent as usual (For a guy who barely acted for most of his career as a hero, he is having a real good second innings in Bollywood, with some excellent roles in movies like Hum Tum, Luck By Chance and now Love Aaj Kal. For the record he won a National Award for his debut role in Mera Naam Joker, when he was barely 18).

There are some real good oneliners in the first half, which I won’t reveal here.

Then there is Shweta Gulati playing the young Harleen (the girl who Rishi Kapoor’s character is in love with), who looks fantastic. She has been kept under the wraps, so don’t know what her name is. But she clearly reminded me of Bhagyashree in Maine Pyar Kiya. (How many hearts fluttered when she said hota hai, hota hai)

Oh and you must look out for this yesteryear actress, towards the end, who makes her comeback, after nearly 30 years away from the movies.

What doesn’t work for the movie?There is very little chemistry between Saif and Deepika. Now that means two things. Either Kareena should have been the heroine or Ranbir should have been the hero.

Some really corny lines in the second half. Sample this: “Love-who knows what love is. I haven’t figured out that one as yet.” In these portions Imitiaz Ali who has written the movie as well, has clearly been inspired by the Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar school of film making. (Remember when Shahrukh Khan says in Dil To Pagal Hai to Madhuri towards the end “Rahul,naam to yaad rahega na” and when he tells Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai “Tum nahi samjhogi Anjali Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”. That for me is the corniest line written ever.)

The major weakness of the movie is : Deepika Padukone, for sure. She can’t act for nuts. Her first film Om Shaanti Om did not need her to act. Her second movie Bachna Ae Haseeno had two other non acting heroines (Minisha Lamba and Bipasha Basu) which of course allowed her to share the blame.

But this movie rests solely on her and Saif Ali Khan. Saif is pretty decent continuing with his Hum Tum act. Deepika though is a disaster, and that makes what would have been a very good movie, a pretty average movie.

You can make out how much difficulty she has had just mouthing her dialogues. As friend who works in the film industry puts it “These days we say cut as soon as the actresses are able to complete their lines without any mistakes.” So that rules out any space for them getting their emotions right as well, while acting.

Deepika Padukone clearly belongs to that category. You can make out that she tries hard to emote, but her dialogue delivery clearly lets her down. I guess we can safely say “Deepika is the new Katrina.” And given that, she has a bright future. Who wants heroines to act anyway?

Nayan has no dates for Mani!

Date problems, it seems, have denied actress Nayanthara an opportunity to work with one of the industry’s best directors, Mani Ratnam, in one of his most awaited projects Raavan.

Sources in the industry had it that the actress was approached by Suhasini Mani Ratnam with an offer to act in the mega project that has already triggered huge expectations.

However, the actress has been unable to accept the offer, thanks to a busy schedule.

Talking to Chennai Times, Nayanthara said, “Yeah, it’s true. Suhasini Mani Ratnam called me when I was in South Africa, shooting for Aadhavan, starring Suriya. They wanted me to do Mandodhari’s role in Raavan. However, I haven’t been able to accept the offer because of date problems.”

The actress, who is working on two Telugu films and Aadhavan in Tamil, said, “I’ve already given the dates to Telugu films and both the films are in the finishing stages and I can’t change them. Had it been in the middle, I could have adjusted. Mani sir’s movie too has a fixed schedule and even they can’t adjust the dates as there are combination scenes with Ash, Abhishek and Vikram.”

The actress, who rues missing the opportunity, said, “It’s a great honour to have got an offer from Mani sir. But unfortunately, date problems have stopped me from accepting it.”

Magadheera is technically brilliant

C 1600 Aravalli, the kingdom of Udaygarh. Two lovers die; one a warrior and the other a princess, confessing their love for each other. Their love remains unfulfilled. And the person who cremates them -- Sher Khan (Srihari) says aloud that they will be reborn again to unite. Fast forward 400 years, and lo, they are.

A reincarnation story is not often seen in Telugu cinema and SS Rajamouli uses this theme for Ram Charan Teja's second film Magadheera.

Well, Rajamouli's Magadheera, a fantasy tale should be seen on many grounds- it's a magnum opus production with great technical work. It's a high-budget extravaganza which shows in almost every frame. It's directed by SS Rajamouli, one of the top directors in the Telugu industry. It's got fine music by MM Keeravani, brilliant camera work by Senthil, good art direction by Ravinder, good styling and costumes by Rama Rajamouli and is edited well by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao. The graphics are excellent for a Telugu movie. Overall, the movie is a mainstream one with good packaging.

The tale goes back and forth into the past and the present. The period, the contemporary look and styling of the film is in sync with the depiction. The accomplished and skilled warrior Bhairava (Ram Charan Teja) wants to marry the princess of Udaygarh Mitra (Kajal Agarwal) ) and even wins her in the race against competitor Randev (who is the senapati and the villain, the traitor who allows the enemy Sher Khan into the kingdom) but bows down to the wishes of her father and does not. Bhairava is so consummate a warrior that he even killed 100 warriors of Sher Khan (who has been over riding kingdoms before he eyed Udaygarh) before dying like a true warrior. Bhairava's valour impressed Sher Khan so much that he even cremated him.

Cut to modern times where Harsha (Charan) rubs his fingers against a girl in a white churidar and feels a vibration, and realises it's the princess. He remembers his past birth and goes in search of this girl who after a chase reveals her name as Indu (Kajal).

Randev is reborn as Raghuvir, Indu's cousin. Raghuvir sees Indu and is smitten by her. Will the lovers reunite in this birth?

As far as story is concerned, there's nothing great or new about Magadheera. It's the production and direction which makes up for this. Rajamouli's deft direction plugs the loopholes and knowing the pulse of the audience crafts a mainstream film.

In reincarnation stories it's best to forget reason and logic and see the story for one can never question and find answers to them. What's strange is that only the boy remembers and feels the vibrations, and not the girl. There is some kind of similarity to Arundhati in terms of the reincarnation element of the story and the presence of the Aghora.

Keeravani's music sounds good on screen. The Bangaru Kodipetta song with Chiru doing a cameo with Mumaith Khan is sure to draw audiences. Keeravani and Kalyani Malik's background score is also in tune and does not overshadow the image. Kim Sharma's [ Images ] item number seemed unwarranted though.

Senthil's camera pans a landscape which is 'period' and 'present' in a beautiful way. The sepia tones and the white stark landscapes against a blue sky are stunningly captured. The difference in colour tones mark the periods well.

The magnificent sets created by Ravinder especially of Udaygarh are a treat to watch on screen, plus his art direction. Rama's Rajamouli's ensemble's and the styling is rich and elegant and worth a watch. Her effort shows off on screen.

Ram Charan seems to be a chip of the old block when it comes to dancing. For, he is very flexible and dances well like his dad. He's got a lot to do in this film from horse riding to sword fighting to singing and dancing. He's done them all pretty well though one felt that he needs to hone his skills of acting further particularly in expressing emotions. Also, one feels he need to have more josh to be a warrior -- at times one felt he was rather subdued.

Kajal Agarwal was quite a surprise package. She was sweet and charming and looked like an 'ethereal' princess. She carries off both the roles fairly well. Srihari was at his usual best performing both roles (later he's born as Solomon-the fisherman).

The song with all the technicians making their appearance at the end is innovative and Rajamouli should be appreciated for this.

Rajamouli has packaged Magadheera well as a mainstream film. Have a look at it for its technical brilliance.

* EpaperEpaper * NewsletterNewsletter * StocksStocks * WeatherWeather * HoroscopeHoroscope Sach ka Saamna offends? Turn off you

Delhi High Court today threw out two petitions against the game show Sach ka Saamna, saying “moral policing” was not its job, and advised those offended by the show to turn off their TVs.

The judges slammed the petition as an example of the “misuse” of public interest litigation and, going a step ahead, also ridiculed the “hypocrisy of various ministers and parliamentarians” over deciding broadcasting law and television content.

“In this land of Gandhi, it appears that nobody follows Gandhi... Follow the Gandhian principle of ‘see no evil’. Why do you not simply switch off the TV?” a division bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan told the petitioners.

“We have very good advice for you. You have got two judges sitting here who do not watch TV at all. It will certainly help.”

Individual ideas of morality were not the business of the court, the judges said. “We are not sitting here for moral policing... You approach the Parliament and get the remedy. The courts cannot be expected to deal with issues that involve different individual perceptions.”

Billy, go back! says Bips

Monica Bellucci was supposed to join Sanjay Suri for Jagmohan Mundhra’s now aborted bio-pic on Sonia Gandhi. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan couldn’t find dates to co-star with Will Smith and Michael Douglas in 9 Pounds and Racing With The Moon, respectively.

John Abraham’s wish to pair with Rachel Weisz in Deepa Mehta’s Luna never went beyond a wish. Now it’s Bipasha Basu and Billy Zane’s togetherness that seems star-crossed.

Bipasha’s much-publicised psychological thriller Chimera with the Titanic and Phantom actor threatens to become a sinking disaster of another kind. The film, to be jointly directed by Daniel Silverman and Tapan Saha, was to start last week. The first long schedule was supposed to begin in Kodaikanal on July 23. However, there was no sign of either Bipasha or Billy on location. And the schedule had to be cancelled although both actors were booked to shoot from the appointed day.

If reports are to be believed, Billy was on the way to India for his schedule when he was stopped short in his tracks because Baipsha had certain reservations about the project. The actress remains unavailable for comment. It seems she raised some questions about the film for which she got unconvincing answers.

So, Bips put her foot down. Nobody knows as yet what these reservations are but this is not her first aborted Bollywood-Hollywood merger. Remember, she was supposed to star with Ben Kingsley in a film on the Taj Mahal. What happened to that?

Shilpa does the honours!

Well, well, well ... there was wellness in the air as the swish set sauntered into this new space on Sunday evening with happy hosts Shilpa Shetty and Kiran Bawa at the entrance meeting and greeting each and every guest.
And they were more than overjoyed when Rekha stepped in – yes, the enigmatic lady was there to do the inaugural honours of Iosis Medispa’s flagship outlet in Khar that was far from the madding crowd.

Actually, there was a madding crowd out there what with the presence of Bollywood, corporate bigwigs, television personalities, fashion designers and assorted others. Making heads turn was Sushmita Sen, looking slim and trim.

The champagne was flowing and so, too, the hors d’oeuvres. In fact, the party continued there as guests ate and drank to their heart’s content. And who was there at this stylish and healthy do?

Koel Purie with her firangi hubby, Devita Saraf, Leena Mogre with hubby Nikhil, Queenie and daughter Tiara, Vikram Bawa, Ashmit Patel, Gayatri Patel, Farah Khan, Ameet Gaurr, Ekta Kapoor, Rohit Roy in his famous black jacket, Arjun Punjj, Manasi Scott, Kaushika and Kamlesh Hemdev, Kishwer Merchant and Poonam Sinha... you get the drift. And the talk was on the new India that is awakening to health and wellness.

I’m not marrying, now: Rakhi Sawant

A local court in Jaipur has asked the cops to register an FIR against six people, including you, for alleged breach of copyright for lifting the concept of Rakhi Ka Swayamwar from the portal of a Pink City-based These are all false allegations. The show, Rakhi Ka Swayamwar on NDTV Imagine, is immensely popular and that’s why people want to use its popularity to their own advantage. Tell me one thing: Was this Gaurav guy sleeping all this while? Rakhi Sawant is a brand name and it is my Swayamwar, my concept. If it was Shah Rukh Khan’s swayamwar or Kareena Kapoor’s swayamwar, then too the shows would have had nothing to do with Gaurav Tiwari’s concept.

Is your lawyer looking into the issues?
I wouldn’t like to comment on it. Such petty things do not bother me.

Could it be just another publicity gimmick?
It is definitely not the case.

Coming back to the show, you have taken marriage to the levels of reality TV. How does it feel?
It was a very hard decision. I’ve tried to create history. But the concept of swayamwar traces its roots to Indian mythology. Didn’t Sita have a swayamwar? I don’t think I’ve done any wrong. There should be more such swayamwars.

So, you are getting hitched on August 2?
Let me clarify, I’m not getting married, now. I’m selecting someone from the show to be my life partner. It’s more of an engagement. So far, I’ve dated the contestants on camera. Now, I’ll date the man I select off camera. I need to know the person well and I can’t gamble with my life for the sake of entertainment. There will be no saat pheres, maang mein sindoor or wearing a mangalsutra just yet. If after knowing the person well, I feel that he’s my Prince Charming, I’ll tie the knot.

It’s news that you are going to select Gujarati NRI, Elesh Parujanwala...
You never know what’s going on in my mind. Elesh is a very nice boy, so are the other two finalists. But my hero is Jesus and it’s He who’ll decide who I’m going to select.

Many feel that the show is rigged...
Media’s circulating wrong information. Main ek Hindustani nari hoon aur yeh mere zindagi ka sawaal hai. Can I rig my destiny?

So, Abhishek Awasthi is a closed chapter now?
You bet, it is. I wouldn’t like to talk about my past at a time when my future is going to get decided.

Is your caller tune, Ab hum ho gaye pardesi, meant to suit your current mental frame?
Absolutely. I got a lot of Bollywood actors to perform to the number for my sangeet. I need all your prayers, now that my Swayamwar’s coming to a close.

Akshay takes good care of Deepika!

He not only made sure Deepika was looked after, but also persuaded her to stay away from shooting.

While Deepika was resting, alternative scenes that didn't require her were shot.

"I'm recovering. I was bedridden for three days. And yes, I did return to the set on Saturday. I had to shoot. But I'm not sure whether it was the wisest of decisions, considering it was malaria," Deepika told IANS from London.

Akshay and Deepika earlier teamed up for "Chandni Chowk To China", which turned out to be a box office dud. But the film's failure hasn't affected their friendship.

"I'm lucky to be surrounded by gallant men. Whether it's my dad, Ranbir (Kapoor), Akshay, Shah Rukh Khan or any of my co-stars, I haven't so far encountered any ill-behaved men," said Deepika whose next release is "Love Aaj Kal".

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, "Love Aaj Kal" hits the screens Friday. And Saif Ali Khan, who plays Deepika's cynical love interest in the romantic saga, also gets high marks from Deepika, though she admits they aren't close friends.

In the movie, Saif plays a guy who doesn't believe in romantic love whereas Deepika is a die-hard romantic both in the film and in real life.

"He (Saif) also believes in love and realises it when he can't do without the girl. So I guess there's a romantic in all of us. It just needs to be tapped. But you need to experience that journey

from disbelief to love, like I have in real life.

"So many times I advice people on their love life. I can always tell the difference between those who understand and don't understand the value of true love," she said.

Did Nikhil Chinappa ask for sexual favours?

The show ended almost a month ago, but the allegations are surfacing now. First, eliminated contestants Varun Jhamb and Nalini Negi alleged that “some of the top crew members, including the director, had slept in the same room as top contender Joanna Magee; and others engaged in sexual favours, especially towards the end.” Now, Swagata G Shah is screaming herself hoarse about an alleged sex scandal. In a tell-all interview to a tabloid, this ex-contestant alleged that the contestants had to give sexual favours to the crew members that included, to the surprise of many, Nikhil Chinappa as well. DT got talking to some of the people embroiled in the controversy.

Siddhartha, winner: We all knew that there’d be only two winners and loads of losers. What was expected of them was that they’d take their defeat graciously. But that that’s where they’ve all f***** up. All these allegations are just publicity hungry losers teaming up. This ultimately reflects badly on them. Swagata was the first contestant to be eliminated. This is when she’s chosen to speak the ‘truth’ – almost after four months? Dragging Nikhila Chinappa’s name into it all is ridiculous – he’s had 10-12 years of a spotless career in the industry.

Probably, when she was eliminated, she didn’t expect the show to be such a hit. And when she realised that she hadn’t gotten much out of it, this is what she’s resorted to.

As for Nalini and Varun, they’d started using the show’s name to their advantage. They’d go to pubs in Delhi and ask for a free entry, saying they were Splitsvilla contestants. As for the pool party that Swagata has spun her version around, let me clarify that there was a pool only for the crew members and there was a separate party area for the contestants. During the show’s shoot, contestant-crew member interaction was barred and the same applied to the pool party as well. Although there were a few minutes of interaction, none of the girls were left alone with the crew members in the pool.

Nikhil Chinappa: I don’t want to comment on it. The channel will come out with an official statement soon. After all, it’s about the channel’s image and mine.

Rajiv Laxman (Creative director of the show): I categorically deny these allegations. We have strict rules that prevent the mingling of the crew with the cast. Swagata was the first contestant to be eliminated and didn’t even spend a night at the villa. She doesn’t have any inkling of the way things work there. The channel is seen as a soft target. With every season of our reality show such things have come to the fore.

There’s been a lot of learning from this incident. In our forthcoming season, we’ll make sure that a thorough background check is done on the cast.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice A P Shah suggested the petitioners to approach the central government over it. "It is for the government to decide whether the programme should be banned or not. It is not the function of the court ... There are far more serious problems in this country which we have to settle," the bench said. Two petitioners, Deepak Maini and Prabhat Kumar, had approached the court seeking a stay on the show being telecast on Star Plus channel alleging that the programme was against the values of the Indian society. Rejecting it, the court said, "Our culture is not so fragile that it would be affected by one TV programme."

More Stories from this section

John mingles with a new girl

There seems to be a new girl in John Abraham's life. Well he hasn't dumped Bipasha Basu and hooked up with some one for sure but these days he often mingles with jewellery designer Paulomi Sanghavi. Although there is no romance brewing up between the two, John constantly keeps in touch with Paulomi whom he met through a common friend.

Paulomi's elite clientele stretches across Bollywood so she is a pretty well known figure in the tinsel town. People close to them swear by their chemistry together. Although John has been in a steady relationship with Bipasha has been linked to Vidya Balan and more recently Katrina Kaif. Well hope this doesn't make the Bong babe feel insecure

Priyanka got diamond ring for her b'day

Rumour-mongers were having hay day speculating why Priyanka Chopra looked so happy on her birthday in spite of the absence of her boyfriend (just good friend) Shahid Kapoor. Priyanka did have a reason to smile.She received a surprise special gift from her parents. Believe it or not, she was gifted a diamond belly button.“Hey tweeple got some rocking news… My parents got me a diamond belly button ring for my b’day. Guess what? Just got my piercing done! Yay!” posted Priyanka, a regular on Twitter.

It is said that Priyanka couldn’t believe her eyes when her parents gifted her a butterfly- shaped diamond belly button on her birthday, on 18th July, because she never expected such a gift. Priyanka had pierced her belly earlier and used to wear belly button until she was forced to part with it following the demand of her film roles.Well, Priyanka must be looking forward to show off her diamond- studded-belly the next time she appears in public. She also has a lot to look forward to this year with many promising projects in her kitty. Her film Kaminey, where she acts with Shahid Kapoor, is releasing this August and What’s Your Raashee with Hurman Baweja is scheduled for release in September.She also has another film titled Pyaar Impossible with Uday Chopra.

Star Plus replies to show cause notice

Star Plus, the general entertainment channel that telecasts the controversial show Sach Ka Samna sent its reply to the Information & Broadcasting ministry to the show cause notice issued to it last week. In its reply the channels has denied having violated any programming guidelines prescribed under the Cable TV (Regulation) Act, 1995.

Star Plus has said that that Sach Ka Saamna is based on an international game show and it does not, in any manner, depict obscenity or vulgarity. The channel also argued that it issues parental guidance warning during the telecast of each of the episodes. It also added that the show was being aired at a late night timing of 10.30 pm and thus it was not violating any provisions of the programming code.

The ministry had sent the producers a show cause notice to the channel after there was a furore in Rajya Sabha over the programme. The MPs claimed the content to be obscene which offending good taste and decency. The contestants are asked 21 questions in the show ranging from their professional to personal life. Some of the questions asked in the show so far have been very intimate.

TV’s moment of truth

And caught in the storm this time is the game show Sach Ka Saamna, the Indian version of the popular foreign show Moment of Truth.
The show created a furore in parliament, which led to the Government issuing a show cause notice to the channel and a PIL has also been filed in the Delhi High Court. Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akhtar asked for a ban on the show and has called for strict censorship on
TV content, which brings us back to the question; is censorship necessary for Indian television?

The nature of shows today has become bolder, in-your-face and full of expletives. Roadies, Spiltsvilla, Bigg Boss are the best examples. The makers of Roadies had to telecast an apology continuously for three days after the government found offensive material in the show. “A certain level of censorship is important,” believes VJ Cyrus Sahukar.” But as far as the show Sach Ka Saama is concerned, I think the participants know exactly what they are getting into before sitting on that chair,” says Sahukar.

Producer/director Rajan Shahi too agrees on the need for censorship. “On prime time we should not be showing content that’s not fit for family viewing,” quips Shahi.

Prabhu, senior journalist and member AP State Censor Board feels that the time has indeed come for
TV censorship. “Censorship has become necessary as channels air shows that have explicit content and some portray women in bad light,” opines Prabhu.

Recently, politicians and women and child welfare groups slammed Baalika Vadhu for glorifying child marriage and a few other shows for regressive portrayal of the fairer sex. But Shahi begs to differ. “I don’t think women are misrepresented. At the end of the day TV serials are fiction. I do agree that shows go to extremes in characterisations for drama.” Prabhu though counters this view saying, “Satellite channels have penetrated even villages in India and many a time the audience isn’t that discerning.”
But TV censorship is a formidable task as the board has discovered. “It’s an impractical proposal. Serials are streamed on the tube 24x7 and going through every bit before telecast is a Herculean task what with so many channels present. Channels and producers need to be a responsible lot,” says Prabhu.

Critics, however, argue that shows like Sach ka Saamna thrive because the Indian society is turning into a voyeuristic one. “Everyone loves to watch what’s happening in someone else’s life. How else can you explain the success of a show like Bigg Boss?” asks singer Debojit Saha, a contestant of the show.”I think the Indian audience is indeed ready for shows like Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachaao, Bigg Boss and the kind. Of course, a certain kind of regulation is a must,” opines Saha. However there are those who think otherwise. Roadies contestant Nauman Sait is one of them. “The Indian audience is mature and knows what it wants. Why should there be someone to tell them what to watch?” he asks.

Thought the call for censorship is loud and clear, the TRPs tell a different story. The controversial shows rate high on the charts. As the debate rages on, it’s left to see who has the last laugh.

Priyanka Kothari lived with eight lizards during 'Agyaat' shoot

Actress Priyanka Kothari is petrified of lizards, but she had to share her room with the reptiles for a month while shooting in the Sri Lankan jungles for her forthcoming film 'Agyaat'.

'I had to live with eight creepy lizards who used to roam around in my room. I can say that I'm braver now. Earlier, I used to be petrified if I used to see even one lizard in my room... but I had so many in close proximity in the same room in the jungle,' Priyanka told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, 'Agyaat' was extensively shot in the Sigiriya jungles in Sri Lanka. Priyanka has teamed up with Telugu star Nitin in the thriller that revolves around a film unit that goes for a jungle-shoot. Soon the crew members get killed one by one, leaving the rest running for their lives.

Priyanka, who suffered several injuries while shooting the film, reveals that the cast and crew faced many problems during their stay in the dense forest.

'A lot of things happened with me during the shooting - like my ankle injury, elbow injury, then so many scratches, insect bites, et al. It's a part and parcel of a film like this,' said the 25-year-old who plays an actress in the film.

'Apart from the injuries, there were other problems as well. The hotel we were staying in was surrounded by wild animals. You wouldn't even come to know when a snake might enter your room. Then the biggest threat was from wild elephants. A lot of times we had to change our route to avoid them,' she said.

But the actress has no regrets signing on the film, which is set to release Aug 7.

'On the whole, I have no complaints. It's all worth it because I got to work in a wonderful film. I will get a romantic (film) or a comedy to work in future, but adventurous films like 'Agyaat' are not made every day,' she said.

Priyanka, who kick-started her Bollywood career with Varma's 'Sarkar', went on to act in other films with the director like 'James', 'Go' and 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'.

'It's always an honour to work with Ram Gopal Varma. He is a mastermind. I love working with him and I really respect him. He gives liberty and freedom to his actors which is the best part,' said the actress, known for doing glamorous and sensual roles.

Asked if she was comfortable with skin show, the actress said she wouldn't hesitate from doing something if the role demanded.

'Actors are like props on the sets. You do what your director says. And I'm the kind of actor who listens to her director. If the role demands and if the director asks, then I don't have problems in doing sensual scenes. That's my profession and there is nothing wrong with glamour. I trust my director - that's the reason why I accept a film,' Priyanka said.

Salman impressed by ace choreographer and director Prabhu Deva

Mumbai: Bollywood’s favourite bad boy Salman Khan is really impressed with actor-turned-director Prabhu Deva these days. According to latest B-town gossip, news has it that Salman is so happy with Prabhu Deva that he looking forward to work with the ace choreographer and director in another flick!

Prabhu Deva, popularly known for his choreography and acting has directed Bollywood hunk Salman Khan in his upcoming venture ‘Wanted’. With this film, Prabhu Deva starts his tinsel town directorial innings.

News has it that Salman is elated with the kind of response ‘Wanted’ has achieved so far and has decided to rope Prabhu Deva for another flick.

Prabhu Deva is a big name in down South and enjoys a huge fan base both as an actor and choreographer. Yet, when it comes to Bollywood, it will be a tightrope walk for the dancing ace. Nevertheless, with Salman is his first movie, Prabhu Deva has a bright prospect in Bollywood. Well, here’s hoping Prabhu strikes jackpot with ‘Wanted’!

Diamond belly button for Priyanka Chopra

Rumourmongers were having hay day speculating on why Priyanka Chopra looked so happy on her birthday in spite of the absence of her boyfriend (just good friend) Shahid Kapoor. Priyanka did have a reason to smile. She received a surprise special gift from her parents. Believe it or not, she was gifted a diamond belly button.

“Hey tweeple got some rocking news.. My parents got me a diamond belly button ring for my b’day.. Guess what? just got my piercing done! Yay!” posted Priyanka, a regular on Twitter.

It is said that Priyanka couldn't believe her eyes when her parents gifted her a butterfly-shaped diamond belly button on her birthday, on 18th July, because she never expected such a gift. Sources said that Priyanka had pierced her belly earlier and used to wear belly button until she was forced to part with it following the demand of her film roles.

Well, Priyanka must be looking forward to show off her diamond-studded-belly the next time she appears in public. She also has a lot to look forward to this year with many promising projects in her kitty. Her film Kaminey, where she acts with Shahid Kapoor, is releasing this August and What's Your Raashee with Hurman Baweja is scheduled for release in September. She also has another film titled Pyaar Impossible with Uday Chopra.

Expect the unexpected from Priyanka!

Katrina is Queen on web too; but King Khan languishes at bottom

Moreover, it’s all women on top, when it comes to the top searched celebrities in the Indian cyberspace. On the web charts, its Katrina followed by Aishwarya

Rai in the second spot. Sania Mirza and Priyanka Chopra rank in the third and fourth positions, respectively.

Among the top 10 celebrities on the web, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar comes in a distant fifth followed by Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan

. Shah Rukh Khan ranks at the bottom of the chart, in this case.

The popularity of women on top of charts also indicates the power of glamour factor which attracts the young online population to search for them. About 85% of them being below 26 years of age.

Amongst Bollywood actresses, Katrina rules the hearts of internet users across the country except in two states. Goans seems to be searching more for Aishwarya than Katrina. In Rajasthan, the popularity of both Katrina and Aishwarya is on par. The Google ranking is done according to the hits and searches an Indian celebrity attracts.

Till December 2007, Katrina Kaif was behind Aishwarya Rai, in terms of internet popularity. Interestingly, since the time Aishwarya finally hooked up with Abhishek, she has never been able to beat Kaif on the internet charts. On the other hand, Katrina was once beaten only by Deepika Padukone, during the release of her debut film Om Shanti Om in 2007.

The web results for most popular male actors shows a sharp contrast to Synovate rankings. A two year graph showing the web popularity of Bollywood heores is a zig zag one, with none at the top for more than two months, in contrast to Bollywood actresses where Katrina has been a clear number one.

But Indian web users are most keen on searching for Hrithik Roshan. While Aamir Khan was leading as the number one since the releasse of his film Ghajini. Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham and Hrithik were fighting neck and neck for the second spot. But since mid 2009, Hrithik’s Luck By Chance, has clearly got him to the number one spot.

Currently, John Abraham rules the hearts of Indian netizens at the second spot followed by Big B and then Aamir Khan. Experts, however, add that Aamir might rule again around December when hs film 3 Idiots - around IITians, will be released. But the release of Kites pegged around September might prop up Hrithik’s position.

Interestingly, Bollywood’s King Khan languishes at the bottom of the top 10 actors on internet with his Billu Barber bombing at the box office. Ranbir Kapur, Imraan Khan, Saif Ali Khan score much above Shahrukh Khan when it comes netizens searching for their favourite Bollywood actor online.

Obviously, King Khan needs to do much more to become attractive to the young netizen population. From actors not on the Synovate list, Akshay Kumar beats King Khan, considering the large number of releases he is churning out.

Amongst sportspersons, tennis ace Sania Mirza beats out all others hands down. Sania leads in cyberspace followed by Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in terms of popularity. Other sportsmen could not even boast enough searches to make them rank on Google charts.

The web rankings are important as most netizens are young, a prime target for most brands. Web advertisers in future also take into account a celebrity’s web popularity when considering her / him for an ad campaign.