BUZZThe

Bipasha boardwalks for Beti

The gorgeous Bengali babe Bipasha created quite a stir as she sashayed along the ramp with none other than her mother, at the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW). The glam duo was one of around 40 celebrities walking the ramp in aid of Beti, a campaign against female foeticide supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Dressed in a peach, net, embellished sari, Bipasha flaunted a diamond necklace and earrings. Her mother Mamata also wore the similar diamond necklace and earrings in traditional paisley pattern. The actress broke into a jig at the end of her round. “This is the first time that I walked the ramp with my mother. It was a great experience and I loved it,” said the ebullient Bipasha. So did we, Bips, so did we!

AB flaunts KBC

You can rely on the Big B to get his paisa vasool, even if he’s rolling in the stuff. Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone will appear as special guests on the fifth season of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, which starts off August 15, and once again, Amitabh will host the show. The Big B blogged that invites had been sent to Saif and Deepika “.. who come to promote their film and mine as well - Aarakshan!” Whatever happened to the game, for the game’s sake?

“In many ways, the philosophy of the film and that of KBC is quite similar. Given opportunity, even the lesser privileged shall prosper. Or at least have the capacity to prosper,” he wrote. Certainly, everyone seems to be prospering on KBC!

Star kid Mimoh stressed

Son of yesteryears actors Mithun Chakraborty and Yogita Bali, newbie Mahakshay alias Mimoh, isn’t all that thrilled about being a star son. “Everything is a curse of being the son of such a big actor. It’s a big burden,” stated Mimoh with surprising vehemence recently.

“I am a newcomer and he (dad Mithun) has been here in the industry for 30 years and he says that he is still learning. I am just two films old. How much would I know,” asked Mimoh, who made his nonstarter acting debut with Jimmy in 2008.

“But people still compare me with him,” lamented Mimoh, who starred in the Vikram Bhatt directed Haunted 3D this year.

Being constantly compared to his National Award winning father is not easy, but now Mimoh has learnt to take it in his stride.

“Now I am used to it. I am proud to be his son. It involves huge responsibility, which is helping me in being more responsible,” said the 26-year-old. And he’s taking a couple of pages out of his dad’s book too, by picking up a few of Mithun’s trendy disco dance era steps. And fortunately, he isn’t stopping there, but getting ready with some of Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor’s too. Now Mimoh, do remember that these are star sons too, and you don’t hear them cribbing. So snap out of it and make a name for yourself too….just like your dad did, before you!

Smug Salman for dancing king!

Salman Khan can’t stop himself. He’s on a high after being confirmed as the box office champ among the Khans in Bollywood, and now he’s looking at making his life more challenging. Sallu’s now working on proving himself as the best dancer among all the Khans.

That’s what he said to his current favourite choreographer Mudassar Khan, when they started shooting the track Desi beat for his upcoming film Bodyguard Sources say that Salman was taken out of his comfort zone, but he still followed the choreographer’s minutest instructions, another first for Sallu. He shot the song like crazy, and even got a song director on board to shoot the number. Now the concept of a song director joining the choreographer for a star is still novel in Bollywood, but Salman’s now looking at patenting this collaborative style of shooting a song. “Salman will work simultaneously with a choreographer of his choice and a dance director in all his major song and dance numbers,” says the source. So in the Bodyguard number, Mudassar choreographed and Sumit Dutt was the song director. Well, there you go, another first! The buzz is that the song rocks! Let’s wait and see, shall we?

ABHILASHA SENGUPTA brings

in Bollywood

Katrina’s now a rockstar!

Super-sexy Katrina Kaif’s ready for the next phase following the superhit Sheila ki jawaani. She’s now set to don the avatar of a 1970s rockstar, itty-bitty shorts and all, in the song Dhunki for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Katrina, dressed casually in a pair of shorts, a white t-shirt and a bright orange inner, holds a guitar in the song, and looks like a complete rockstar.

The 27-year-old shot for the song at Agra fort, and a crowd of over 1,000 gathered in no time, which certainly made for authentic shots of the audience. But getting Katrina out of their adulating numbers proved to be quite a challenge. A team of policemen was called to escort the actress out, and she was taken away in a police van. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan also features Imran Khan and Ali Zafar. Kat as a rockstar, now that’s a must-see!

Sanjay nervous about TV debut

He may be a lovable goon on the big screen, but Sanjay Dutt is a bit of a woos when it comes to his TV debut. The actor will soon be seen in reality show Bigg Boss 5, and the prospect is making him nervous!

“I’m pretty nervous doing it. I’ve never done it, I don’t know what it will be but I know one thing that it will be very different,” said the 52 year old actor. Sanjay, who is said to be teaming up with Salman Khan for the controversial show, reveals Salman won’t be with him throughout the season. Nevertheless, he promises to try to make it fun.

“Salman will introduce me in the show and will do two episodes with me and then I’ll be on my own. Salman asked me to do it and I thought I should do it. It’s something new for me. It’s a good platform. I’m going to have fun. That is the way I am. I will not make it serious,” he added.

Bigg Boss is a reality show where celebrity contestants stay in a single house for about three months, with no connection to the outside world. They are overseen by a mysterious person known as Bigg Boss, whose only presence in the house is through his voice. One thing’s for sure, the show’s viewings will certainly be high, as the nation gawks at Sanjay on the small screen.

Guess Who

This Kashmir-born starlet was most recently seen in the comic caper BhejaFry2

Singh will be Kinng again

Akshay Kumar is excited about making a sequel to his 2008 hit Singh Is Kinng, but he’s still waiting for the right script. “I am keen to (make the sequel), but not getting the right subject to make it. Once I get it, I would love to make the sequel,” Akshay said recently. The versatile actor has been successful in his production ventures too, having made films like Khatta Meetha and the immensely popular Tees Maar Khan Akshay, who is now producing IndoCanadian venture Breakaway said, “It feels great that I could do something which I had never imagined. It’s a very big thing for me.”

Directed by Canadian Robert Lieberman, Breakaway is the tale of a young Indian ice hockey player who wants to get into the big league. The Indian version of the film has been named Speedy Singhs

Releasing at the end of September, Breakaway stars Vinay Virmani, Rob Lowe, Russell Peters, Camilla Belle, Noureen DeWulf and Anupam Kher. Akshay plays a cameo in the film. After this ventue, let’s hope Akshay finds the right script that will make Singh the Kinng again!

Rafi remembered

Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar remembered late singer

Mohammed Rafi on his 31st death anniversary, and said that there can never be a singer like him again. Both of them sang 414 duets together.

“July 31 is the 31st death anniversary of Rafi sahab. He was an honest and a lovely human being. My family and Rafi sahab shared a great relationship together. It’s my honour that I got an opportunity to sing maximum number of songs with him,” posted Lata on her Twitter page.

“We have worked in almost 315 films and have sung 414 duets together. We can never have such a great singer again,” she added. Some of the songs they sang together are still evergreen, like Bekhudi mein sanam, Haye re haye, Chhup gaye saare nazare, among others.

At a tribute held in New Delhi for the legendary singer, T.S. Jyothiraman, an executive with Lemon mobiles, mesmerised the audience with his impeccable performance. The 58-year-old Jyothiraman who sings as a hobby and is an ardent Rafi fan, even overshadowed established singers like Anand and Roop Kumar at the show organised by the Mohammed Rafi Academy. “He (Mohd Rafi) may not be between us but he is still alive through his musical legacy,” said Anand.

Rafi’s son Shahid Rafi also took the stage and entertained the audience with songs like Pukarta chala hun main, Badan pe sitaare and Bar bar dekho, a performance which had them dancing in their seats.

Rafi lent his voice for almost all the leading actors such as Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna. The singer died of a heart attack in Mumbai on July 31, 1981, at the age of 56. RIP, Mohammed Rafi, your legacy lives on.

Old is gold, for Kangana

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut made a pretty picture strutting down the ramp in a red and black long anarkali kurta designed by Masaba Gupta, wearing uncut diamonds set in traditional Rajasthani ornaments by Amrapali at the IIJW show.

The actress, who looked dazzling in the jewellery pieces that included neckpieces, earrings, maang tikka, bangles, rings and even an armlet, said she was very fond of jewellery but preferred the ones that had some character.

“Amrapali is my favourite brand of fine jewellery and I’m glad that I got this opportunity to showcase their pieces which embodies our rich heritage, our culture and that’s why it has so much character and history in it,” said Kangana.

“I would love to wear this jewellery on my wedding day, whenever that happens. I would love to be dressed like a traditional bride. So the maang tikka I wore at the show would definitely feature on that day. It’s very authentic and has character,” she added.

The 25-year-old actress also revealed that when it came to jewellery, she was very sentimental about a pendant that her grandmother gave her.

“I’m very sentimental about a little pendant my grandmother gifted me because it is very, very old. I’m very touchy about old pieces. Jewellery that has character to it really stands out and that’s what attracts me,” she

Now jewellery may be Kangana’s thing, but item numbers are still not her baby. She may have grooved to beats and shaken a leg on screen, but the actress feels she is still not capable of doing an item number in a film. At a time when most actresses, including Katrina Kaif, and even actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Aamir Khan have gone the item number way, Kangana, who has got many such offers, is still chary of accepting them.

“I was offered an item number in ‘Housefull’ and then its sequel. There have been other offers too, but I don’t think I can do justice to an item number. I think people will not like me doing that, so I’m not keen on doing them,” said the 25-year-old actress. So do you think Kangana should give item numbers a go? We certainly think so!

Bollywood backs Beti

It was a jewellery show for a cause as the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) kicked off with glamour, glitz and gems to gladden any heart. The opening ceremony of IIJW saw about 40 celebrities from film, television, business, fashion and music walking the ramp in aid of Beti, a campaign against female foeticide supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Soha Ali Khan, Riya Sen, Mahie Gill and TV stars Smita Bansal, Avika Gor, Deepshika and Poonam Soni, sashayed down the ramp sporting a collection of diamond and kundan ornaments, and lending their support to the cause of female foeticide.

To add an edge to the show, Raageshwari Loomba and Kavita Seth were roped in to perfrom. They enthralled the audiences with Sufi numbers Laal meri and Kinna sona tenu rab nay banaya respectively. And that was just the opening ceremony! Its heartening to see Bollywood back a good cause, good on the glam girls!