Cocktails, dinner and more...

She warmly welcomed each and every guest, as did Vie’s Basab Paul and wife Anu, into the abode of what looked like a warm living room at home with soft lighting, comfy lounge sofas, pretty paintings and a TV screen flashing music video images. But you didn’t want to look at the screen but rather focus your attention on all the colourful people in the room.

The sound of music was in the air, played by the DJ, and not by the musicians present — we’re talking about Sonu Niigam in a white suit and ghazal great Talat Aziz accompanied by his artist wife Bina. In casual chic mode was Sonu Sood who spent quality time with Aushima Sawhney who bounced back on the party scene after a while. Meanwhile, Bunty Walia was seen getting cosy with a friend.

Shweta Vijay, Jennifer Kotwal and Jagmohan Mundhra, who chatted with US Consul General Paul Folmsbee and Afghan Consul General Mardan Ali Qasemi, were among the other guests present, sipping cocktails and having a bite of their chicken and olive pizzas, asparagus bundles and lamb kebbeh. Sinful desserts were the perfect end to this semi-sinful night.

Salman’s dildaar act!

The kids had a gala time singing and dancing in Salman’s presence. Salman has been a regular visitor here, thanks to Rajasthan tourism minister Bina Kak, who has also played the character of his mother in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya.

Salman Khan – ‘Salman uncle’ to these children – had brought along with him some of the crew members of Wanted, to entertain the kids. Salman is on a promotional tour for the movie. These special kids had a good time with Prabhu Deva, who’s the director of Wanted. Kak, who is a patron of Umang, was not present at the programme. “We are missing nani Bina Madam!” said the kids, even as they welcomed Salman and his team with a chorus, “Salman uncle! We are great fans of yours!”

Instead of joining all the guests who were present at the event, Salman sat with the kids on the floor. The children, starting with the prayer Humko Itni Shakti Dena Data, went on to sing other filmi numbers. For the finale, the film folks joined the young ones in their songs.

Brain-teasers
One of the kids from the organisation, Lokesh, turned out to be a mathematical wonder kid as he provided the day for any date the audience could come up with. Salman Khan wanted to know the day of April 7, 2003, and January 4, 2010, and the answer was Monday in both cases. When he checked the calendar, Salman found that the answers were absolutely correct and exclaimed, “Arre waah!”
The actor was heard asking one kid, “Hum pehle kab mile?” to which the kid answered, “In April 2007.” The children surely won the hearts of the Wanted team as at the end of the one-hour programme, Salman announced a Rs 5 lakh donation for Umang. The amount would be used for building a new home for the kids.

Makers of Wanted' agree to deposit Rs 3 cr in court

An undertaking to this effect was given by them on a civil suit filed by the Mumbai-based GG Photo Limited, which claimed that the Kapoors have to settle about Rs 9 crore claim before they release the film. The company claimed the producers had sourced raw films and other financial assistance from it to make the film, which is scheduled to be released later this month.

Last week, a single judge had directed the Kapoors to deposit Rs 3.6 crore in cash, and furnish immovable property security worth Rs 5.4 crore on or before September 16. The Kapoors cannot release the film unless they made the deposit, the single judge had stipulated.

Senior advocate AL Somayaji, who represents Sridevi and others, questioned the order saying they had repaid substantial portion of the dues and that the Madras high court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter as the transaction had taken place in Mumbai. No reasons had been set out for granting the relief, he said.

GG Photo Limited also filed a separate appeal seeking modification of the single judge order.

On Friday, a division bench comprising Justice M Chockalingam and Justice Subbiah recorded an undertaking from the Kapoors that they would deposit Rs 3 crore "to the credit of the suit before the trial court on or before September 16." The truth or otherwise of the letters, agreements and cheques could be examined at the time of trial, the judges said, adding that at this stage these issues could not be analysed by the court.

Shahid Kapoor: HADIPPA is a complete contrast to KAMINEY

Even though he has worked in films across varied genres, the lover boy image seems to be stuck around Shahid Kapoor, courtesy his recent successes like KISMAT KONNECTION, JAB WE MET and VIVAAH.

"Even when I was on the verge of signing KAMINEY, people discouraged me. Since on paper itself it sounded such a different film, I was advised that I should follow a conventional route and do more love stories. People felt that I was on a wrong path by signing on something experimental when I should have rather consolidated my image as a lover boy. I am glad I took a firm stand though because I sincerely believe that audiences today want a change", explains Shahid.

CHECK OUT: I have to continuously prove myself

He isn't turning his back away from romantic films though.

"They will also continue for sure", he smiles, "Now DIL BOLE HADIPPA is a complete contrast to KAMINEY with a lot of 'bhangra-shangra' and other related stuff. See, at the end of the day, I do want to do different kind of work and find acceptance in all spaces. It's just that I am not willing to restrict myself to a particular genre, especially in the times when change is the order of the day. Thankfully, audiences have become much more receptive to you being seen in a different avatar."

No wonder, in weeks to come, DIL BOLE HADIPPA would be followed by CHANCE PE DANCE.

"It's all fun though crazy situation to be in", says Shahid, "DIL BOLE HADIPPA will release on 18th September and a day after the film's release, I leave for USA. Then soon after I would be back to promote Ken's CHANCE PE DANCE. Meanwhile I am shooting for Parmeet Sethi film with Anushka Sharma. I don't really have time to breathe though honestly, it's a happy problem to be a pa

Priyanka excited about entering Guinness Book

And now Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra is all excited about the possibility of her entering the record books for doing 12 roles in forthcoming "What's Your Raashee".

"I was aware about Sanjeev Kumar playing nine roles in 'Naya Din Nayi Raat' and Kamal Haasan being seen 10 times over in 'Dashavatharam'. However, even I got to know about Lupino Lane's achievement very recently. Hats off to him to have done that eight decades back and that too in a silent film," Priyanka told IANS.

In Ashutosh Gowariker's "What's Your Raashee", she plays 12 different roles and the film has already been referred to the Guinness Book of World Records.

While there have been quite a few double role performances by leading ladies in the past, there aren't many movies where a Bollywood actress has played even a triple role, let aside coming close to enacting a dozen-odd characters in a single outing.

"Yes, I have been told about this. I guess not just in India but even in world cinema no woman has ever played 12 different characters in the film. In fact, the producers of 'What's Your Raashee' have got in touch with the Guinness Book of World Records and we are awaiting their response," said Priyanka.

If one goes down the memory lane, one can comfortably say that with "What's Your Raashee?", Priyanka may well boast of doing the biggest ever film written for a woman protagonist in the history of Indian cinema.

"Please don't make it all sound so big and heavy. Let's just look at it as an entertaining movie and leave it there. Words like 'greatest' and 'biggest' don't hold much relevance if one doesn't justify each of the characters. You may win when it comes to count but then you must also be able to put some weight in your performance," she said.

So was she overjoyed when Gowariker approached her for the role?

"Not at all. In fact I was quite nervous about how I would manage to pull it off. A role may look fantastic on paper and you too may feel confident of pulling it off. Still, you have to be extra careful to make sure that audiences too like what you bring to the table," said Priyanka, who has given three consecutive hits - "Dostana", "Fashion" and "Kaminey".

This was the reason why she stayed away from all the limelight while shooting for 'What's Your Raashee?' and her look for each of the characters too was kept under wraps.

"You end up picking on all the flattery around you but none of that helps in what comes across on screen", she said. "'What's Your Raashee?' has such a fantastic script written with each of the 12 roles boasting of such well-etched characterisation.

"I had to go all out in following Ashutosh's vision. With the coming together of a great production house, an intelligent director, a fantastic co-star and some melodious music, it all seems to have summed up well. Now that the mathematics part has gone well, it is time to see how audiences react to our effort."

"What's Your Raashee?" is set to release Sep 25.

Bipasha has never looked so simple: Rocky S

"In this movie, you will be surprised to see Bipasha in a non-glamorous role. She is without any makeup and has worn simple clothes to fit in perfectly for this role," Rocky S told IANS in an interview.

"She is looking very simple, and trust me, she has never looked that simple. She has always looked glamorous onscreen but this time, it would be the girl next door look," he added.

Elaborating on Bipasha's look, Rocky said: "In this movie, you will see her in salwaar kameez, kaftans and dupattas. The colours that I have used there are also very subtle."

"She is playing the role of a tortured girl in the movie and this demanded a very subtle look," he added.

Was it difficult to portray Bipasha as a simple girl?

"Not at all. She is someone who carries every outfit with elan. She is beautiful and sexy and looks very feminine. The character of this simple Kashmiri Muslim girl has brought out that femininity," Rocky explained.

"It took me about one-and-a-half months to create the look for her. But at the end of the day, I am very happy with her look," he added.

Mumbai-based Rocky S is in the capital to participate in the three day Van Heusen India Mens Week (VHIMW) that opened Friday.

Rocky's Bollywood clientele includes John Abraham

, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Shilpa Shetty. When asked which celebrity would walk the ramp at VHIMW, the designer said: "Now I don't need any celebrity to prove myself."

Apart from "Lamhaa", he is also designing for Katrina Kaif

in Priyadarshan's "De Dana Dan" but refused to divulge any details.

Slideshow - Bollywood’s highest paid actresses

Who is the highest paid actress in Bollywood? In a male-dominated film industry where movies are made for the heroes, some fantastic Bollywood actresses are thriving to falsify the dictum. They are no longer eye-candies in the films. Their beauty and presence is as crucial as a script is to a movie. So, why won’t they charge some extra crores; undoubtedly they deserve it. Actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra are among Bollywood’s highest paid beauties. Thus, who among them commands the highest remuneration? Let’s check it out, as we list six Bollywood beauties with their signing amounts. (Profiled in reverse order)

Bipasha Basu The hotsy-totsy bong girl has proved her mettle as an actress. Bipasha Basu is not just a screen scorcher but a favourite of the producers too. The girl reportedly demands around Rs 2 crores to sign a film and if the story is good, she might overlook the money aspect. Great! Katrina Kaif In the fifth position we have Katrina Kaif. Surprisingly, the actress charges Rs 3 crore per movie. Bollywood producers are running after her, but the gorgeous female is getting choosier than before. Kareena Kapoor The style diva’s power status and stunning performance comes for Rs 3.5 - 4 crores per film. Kareena Kapoor has big films like 3 Idiots and Main Aur Mrs Khanna lined up for release this yea Priyanka Chopra She is not that old in the industry, but charges around Rs 5 crores, that’s the jalwa of the desi girl. Priyanka Chopra has recently hiked her price and producers are not worried yet. Aishwarya Rai Her marital status has nothing to do with what she demands. An international face of Bollywood, the Bachchan bahu, Aishwarya Rai is the highest paid actress in the industry because she signs a film for about Rs 6 crores. Freida Pinto She may not be in Bollywood but Freida Pinto is the highest paid Indian actress of all time. The young girl, whose rise to fame has been meteoric, is reported to have signed Woody Allen’s film for around three million US dollars.

Slideshow - Bollywood’s Bikini Babes

Killer Curves Nothing highlights the killer curves of Bollywood babes better than a bikini. But how much can a bikini excite if it were not for the hot bods that don it? To see the curvy babes of Bollywood in a two-piece or a swimsuit can be worth the price of a ticket for many a movie buff. For most of the actresses, putting on a two-piece is often the “demand of the script” thing and for some it’s simply a publicity gimmick. The truth is, to flaunt oneself in a bikini is not easy; ask our Bolly divas and they will tell you how hard it is to get that perfect shape - a bikini bod. From, former beauty queens Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta, new comers like Shruti Haasan and Minissha Lamba, the glamorous Kareena Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty, to Rani Mukherjee, the newest to join the bikini brigade. Here, we have some hot actresses, who have dared to wear a bikini. Hold your breath…

Rani Mukherjee She is the latest to join the bikini brigade. Who could have imagined an actress like Rani Mukherjee, mainly seen in sarees and salwars, would don a bikini, that too in a Yashraj film. The test of her oomph quotient is still not over. Kareena Kapoor She created hullabaloo with her bikini avatar in Tashan and people still love to talk about Kareena Kapoor in that lime-green, teeny-weeny two-piece and, of course, her size-zero figure. Priyanka Chopra For even the swimsuit round at Miss World pageant she gave a miss to bikini and worn a monokini. In Dostana again Priyanka Chopra chose a single piece swimsuit that was like a bikini from the back side. The lady seems to have something against the two-pieces. Bipasha Basu The sultry, dusky babe not only entices you with her seductive glances but also with her curvy body. Bipasha Basu wore bikini in Dhoom 2 and made the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai almost forgetta Lara Dutta She might have done innumerable photo shoots in that itsy-bitsy swim wear, but the sensuous Lara Dutta has for the first time donned a bikini for the movie Blue, and what a svelte figure the lady has. Marvelous to the eyes Shilpa Shetty This lithe lass is just too perfect for a bikini, but the sexy Shilpa Shetty never wore a bikini for silver screen; it was only a bikini top in ‘Dostana’. Now that’s a bummer! Minissha Lamba The chirpy babe tried to look hot as well as sizzling in a white bikini in Kidnap, providing her co-star Imran Khan ample reason to kidnap her. Minissha Lamba has made a leap from being a girl-next-door to a siren that sends men swooning. Shruti Haasan We don’t know why Kamal Haasan’s talented daughter had to be in a bikini for her maiden film Luck as we know by now it wasn’t for the script’s sake. Nevertheless, Shruti Haasan knows how to flaunt what she’s got.

In good company: Asin

In fact, just after her first movie, people were comparing her to Bollywood diva Sridevi. According to industry folks, Asin did not only resemble Sridevi, but even her mannerisms were similar. When we asked Asin about it, the actress said, “People have told me that, but it’s not a conscious thing. I admire her and I take it as a compliment.” Of course, now that they stay in the same building and spend some time together, we are sure Asin can get some tips to survive in the industry from one of Bollywood’s most successful heroines. Looks like Asin’s in good company!

Katrina will never work with him…

Well, in case you’re wondering, he’s certainly not Shahrukh Khan. He’s not even Shahid Kapur, another star who doesn’t share warm vibes with Salman Khan. So, who’s the male actor Katrina Kaif has vowed never to work with. Not hard to guess, it’s Vivek Oberoi, the man who’s not in Salman’s good books even after having expressed his regret umpteen times over the impulsively-called press conference to publicly “expose” Salman in 2003, after the latter called him repeatedly and allegedly threatened him over having an affair with Aishwarya Rai. “I would not work with Vivek anyway,” Katrina told reporters when asked about a recent interview in which Salman had spoken about not interfering in Katrina’s career. Salman had said he doesn’t mind Katrina working with anyone in the industry “except one idiot”. The star hadn’t named who that “idiot” was, but now Katrina has left nothing to imagination. Sorry, Vivek!

12 roles in one film get Priyanka a Guinness mention

If her role in Kaminey won her critical appreciation, then her next film, What's Your Rashee has won her a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. However, what Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra is really busy with is helping underprivileged children.

Don't be surprised if you see her flashing a ring - not an engagement ring, but just a token of appreciation received by her for pledging her support to Save the Children's "Rewrite the Future" campaign on Monday in Mumbai. And the actor played her part by giving a pep talk.

"I come from a simple Army family in Bareily. Winning the Miss World pageant wasn't expected by me or my family. What I knew is when I had to represent myself at the function I had to give it my best. I was 17 years old when I won the title and within two months, I had to grow up and face you people and not get fazed out," she said.

Miss World is a thing of past though and for now, Priyanka has her fingers crossed for her forthcoming release What's Your Rashee. In the film, she plays 12 different characters, a feat that's got her name in the Guinness Book of World Records.

"I am am looking forward to it. Choosing entries for the Guinness Book of World Records is a long process. The officials have to see the film and then take a call but from what the officials are saying, it will be announced before the film releases so I am keeping my fingers crossed. It's something that I would show my grandchildren and tell them this is what your granny was," she said.

Well, three hits in a row in Bollywood is a record of sorts in itself.

Bipasha Basu blinded temporarily

Bipasha Basu recently suffered a bad bout of food poisoning in Kadaikudi, while shooting for Priyadarshan.'s film with Ajay Devgan. She also got an allergy that made her eyes swell up and shut tight. Bipasha confirms, "I have a strong eye allergy (due to dust, flowers, make-up) for years; so before putting on any eye make-up I need to have medication for my eyes. Unfortunately, I had become so ill prior to that I forgot to take any eye medication. I already had a severe bout of food poisoning and was bedridden for a couple of days. I became so weak that they had to call a local doctor."

The eye allergy Bipasha says was the result of some flowers her yoga teacher got to cheer her up when she was recovering from the food poisoning, "I was so thrilled to recieve the bonquet that I held them close to my face to smell them and then wham! My eyes swelled up and shut tight the next day. Obviously, I couldn't shoot like that so they had to cancel my shoot for two days. I was on antibiotics for 5 days. I became a bit better before I returned to Mumbai for the release of the music of All The Best in Siddhivinayak."Bips jokes, "Earlier too my eye has had problems because of the allergy; this became the baap of all allergies."

Shruthi rocks in Unnaipol Oruvan

If you’ve not heard Unnaipol Oruvan’s songs, then you better get down to that right away! Shruthi Haasan bore quite a pressure on her young shoulders when she took on the challenging task of composing music for her father Kamal Haasan’s upcoming Unnaipol Oruvan. Directed by Chakri Toleti, Unnaipol Oruvan is the Tamil version of Bollywood movie A Wednesday. For those who have not watched the Hindi movie, the core theme of the story is terrorism, hence there is no time for running around trees in the flick. With the seriousness of the subject in mind, Shruthi has done a commendable job with the music. The songs use a lot of techno beats combined with hard-hitting lyrics. The numbers are unlike any you’ve heard recently, and though they may not be the kind you’ll be humming while you’re driving to work, they really grab your attention.

What really takes you by surprise is the voice of a very young child saying in the middle of the title song ‘I am the new face of terrorism’. It immediately awakens your senses to the mood of the movie and the current terrorist situation in the world, a situation that is robbing children of their innocence. Another song that quite intrigues is 'Allah Jane' sung by Kamal Haasan. He has used a very different voice modulation – one that is more nasal, in an endeavour to sound more like an Islamic priest, and hits the mark. Shruthi’s version of the same song has her vibrancy in every line of the composition. 'Nilai Varuma' is a duet by Bombay Jeyashree and Kamal – a rather interesting combo, with both of them putting their full souls into awakening the world to the increase in violence. The music blends western beats and Indian classical ragas, deftly. Shruthi turns singer yet again with 'Vanam Ellai Illai' along with rapster Blaaze – another upbeat song, this time about hope and strength.

The verdict on the album: Shruthi Haasan has proved she’s worthy of the 'Music Composer' title, and Kamal Haasan can stand tall, proud that his daughter has such an amazing musical talent!

Pak actress accuses Indian filmmaker of harassment

She might not have a single new release to her credit, but Pakistani actress Meera continues to make news. This time, she has accused an Indian filmmaker - Faisal Saif - of threatening her.

Interestingly, Meera's accusation comes just days after an arrest warrant was issued against her in Lahore by Atiqur Rahman who claimed to be her husband and accused her of death threats.

This time Meera has accused Indian director Faisal of planting an agent in Pakistan to trouble her. Meera has done a film with Faisal apart from some other Bollywood movies like Kasak and Nazar.

"Faisal is the mastermind behind this. I did a film for him in India called Murder at Farmhouse. I have the tapes as proof. Now he has an agent in Pakistan to trouble me and it is this man who is claiming to be my husband," says the actress.

Preity Zinta grooves for Sallu!

Preity Zinta is the latest one to join the item-girl brigade as she shakes her leg for Sohail Khan's production Main Aur Mrs Khanna.

A source said, "Preity was made to travel to Dubai for a single day shoot of the song Happening. The production team had to spend a fortune on that single day outdoor shoot for Preity as director Prem Soni required a huge open air theater for the song which they managed to get in Dubai."

"When Preity and director Prem Soni were thinking who could choreograph the song, they could only think of Farah Khan. Preity was very keen that Farah choreographed the song and Prem Soni always wanted to work with her", adds a source

A unit member said, "Preity had a ten day rehearsal with Farah Khan before she started shooting the song. Everyday she would reherse for 3 hours. She also was on a special diet and hardcore workout and yoga and swimming sessions.

Says Preity Zinta, “It’s an interesting cameo. The song’s called Happening and I agreed to do it because director Prem Soni is a friend. And since Salman has played Prem so often, let’s just say this one is for Prem.”

Well Preity, you are really looking 'happening' in the song.

Rani's feeling Hadippa!

Not just on screen, with her latest film Dil Bole Hadippa ready for release, but also on the air waves... which she burned in a rollicking chat show live from Mumbai’s No. 1 radio station the Radio Mirchi studios recently.

Listeners of the popular station lapped it up eagerly as Rani’s husky voice narrated to RJ Suren of Sunset Samosa how she plays a boy ‘Veer’ and a girl ‘Veera’ in the film just to live out her small town dreams in 70mm.

Then, the actress chatted with winners of a Radio Mirchi contest and tested their linguistic skills by asking them to say the Punjabi words of some of the foot-stomping music from the film. RJ Suren asked, “Rani, what does Hadippa mean?” And she replied, “It is an expression of excitement. Dil Bole Hadippa! means that my heart is very happy and excited.”

Next question: What is the interpretation of Disco Wale Khisko? And, promptly came the sexy reply, “India has amazing music, full of energy, and we should be dancing to desi beats and get Disco to Khisko (move over).” We agree, and you will too if you listen to the hot tracks from Dil Bole Hadippa! by tuning into Radio Mirchi 98.3FM.

Rani Mukherjee will not marry

The stories of her marriage has been doing the rounds for years now but Rani Mukherjee seems to be in no mood to tie the knot as yet. Recently the actress said the there was no marriage on the cards for her and she wasn't even getting engaged. The 31 year old actress took a dig at the media by saying that they have been trying to marry her off since the last three years but haven't been able to fix the day.

Making a strong statement the Bong babe said that she had no plans to marry even in the future. There has been a buzz around the tinsel town that she is involved with Aditya Chopra and has been the reason behind his divorce. Rani has time and again denied these stories and said Aditya Chopra was just her friend and there was nothing between them

Rani is desperate to revive her career with the upcoming movie Dil Bole Hadippa where she stars opposite Shahid Kapoor. It may not surprise many but her last three films Ta Ra Rum Pum , Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic have been under the Yash Raj Films banner. Perhaps, Rani only has the answer how does she make to a fourth YRF movie after delivering three duds.

Rani is leaving Aditya Chopra?

Bollywood queen Rani Mukherjee is all set to do the impossible. After being associated with the Yash Raj banner for many years, the pretty actress has now decided to part ways with the banner.(Photo: IANS)

Reports are that Rani, who is rumoured to be having an affair with its head Aditya Chopra, is ready to do films for other banners too

The actress will be seen in a sexy avatar in her forthcoming film Dil Bole Hadippa.(Photo: IANS

Rani, who plays a cricketer in the film opposite Shahid Kapur, says she worked really hard to get into that almost size zero figure

Reports are that Rani, who is rumoured to be having an affair with its head Aditya Chopra, is ready to do films for other banners too. (Photo: IANS)

After the debacle of her last few Yash Raj films, Rani has decided to move on as the banner doesn't offer her any variety. (Photo: IANS)

The actress will be seen in a sexy avatar in her forthcoming film Dil Bole Hadippa.(Photo: IANS)

Rani, who plays a cricketer in the film opposite Shahid Kapur, says she worked really hard to get into that almost size zero figure. (Photo: IANS)