BUZZThe Bodyguard busts box office

Abhilasha

in Bollywood

Bips needs no beaus!

Now that beauteous Bong bombshell Bipasha’s single, it seems like Bollywood’s buzzers are trying hard to set her up with any going hunk. As the gorgeous actress discovered when she mentioned that she trailer, featuring Ranbir Kapoor. Instantly reports were out that Bips was trying to woo Ranbir, which she

The actress claims that she’s not hunting for love, after splitting up with long-time love John Abraham, another stunning piece of eye candy. Now use your imagination, buzzers, Salman Khan’s hitting highs with . Don’t you think Bips and Sallu would make a lovely pair?

Naseer trusts his instincts

It’s quality over quantity for Naseeruddin Shah, the versatile actor who has spent 35 years breathing life into innumerable, welletched out characters on the big screen. He has been lauded innumerable time and deservedly so, for his acting ability and considerable contribution to Bollywood. The National Award winner admits he is getting better roles now than ever, but he picks a film only if he has “faith” in it and his “instinct” pushes him to go for it!

“It is extremely gratifying, flattering almost, that so many young people find place for me in their films. I’m probably being offered better parts now than I was being offered five years ago or for that matter in my 35-year-old career,” said the Naseer’s performances have been Ijaazat, Sparsh, Aakrosh, Karma have testified. But in recent times, he has been proving his versatility over and over again, without bothering about the screen time he gets.

Whether it was in the role of a cricket , a common man ready

A Wednesday, a or a painter in Zindagi , he carried out every role with aplomb. The length of the role isn’t as important for him any more, as Naseer says his priorities as an actor have changed over

Naseeruddin plays a tainted cop, whose trials and tribulations have been narrated in the film.

“To get a script like Michael, where I was the eponymous character, it was a bonus to be present in practically in every frame. But my real reason for doing the film was because I feel it’s a sensible film and it is a film that will be remembered,” he claimed.

There’s another criterion behind Naseeruddin’s choice of films.

“I choose my films on instinct. My reason to do every film is different. I should just feel like doing it. I believe in my instincts. When I decide to do a film, I don’t think whether that film will work or not or whether it will fetch awards or not. All I think is how can we make this film a good film.”

If you’re a fan as I am, watch Naseer do brilliant job as usual, in That Girl in Yellow Boots

Preity for cultural harmony

Now it’s been a while since pretty Preity Zinta’s been in the news, apart from a mention here and there about the nowancient IPL masala . But now that the actress will be honoured at the 68th Venice Film Festival for bringing cultural harmony through her work, she has good reason to feel pretty perked up. Preity will be awarded the “World Diamond Group Platinum Award for Peoples/Friendship” at the Kineo “Diamanti al Cinema” event at the festival for her contribution towards reconciliation and cultural harmony among people of different cultures.

Preity will be felicitated with a white olive tree, with its tree trunk sculpted off a block of Carrara hand-carved marble, and its branches and leaves fashioned out of 3,333 grams of platinum and 3,003 diamonds - 2,503 marquise cut and 500

Guess Who

Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard is on a record-breaking spree. After a stupendous opening in the domestic market with Rs 22 crore in collections on its opening day, the film is creating waves on the international scene too.

Bodyguard has surpassed the record of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer My Name Is Khan by earning 194,000 pounds on the first day of screening in Britain. The film is also on its way to becoming the highest grosser in the Middle East, having begun with a promising $1.6 million in the first two days of its release. But that’s not all, as it earned $3.8 million in the US, and is expected to increase. Let’s not forget that Kareena Kapoor also stars in this blockbuster, which could have something to do with its success. However, Salman himself finds it hard to believe the amazing success of this movie, a sentiment which actress Pooja Bedi shares. “Salman (Khan) must be destiny’s child! Worst dialogues, worst script, zero story but the film’s a roaring success! I’d love to have him as my bodyguard,” she tweeted on Twitter. Wishful thinking Pooja, he’ll have other things on his mind now, like Bodyguard II. Que sera sera!

“When I began my career in films, I had a lot of hopes, most of which have been fulfilled. The hopes were to play varied roles and to be different in every movie. My priorities over the last 35 years have shifted

“I’m still not averse to play great roles, but that is no longer the most important thing for me. Over the last 10 years I think I have come to a realisation of what an actor’s role in a film should be. That’s why I have been participating in any movie that I feel needs support and in which I have faith. The size and the importance of the part has receded to secondary importance for me,” said the actor, who received a Padma Bhushan award in 2003 for his contribution

Currently he is looking forward to his return as a lead in a film with Anurag Kashyap’s production venture Michael, directed by a newcomer, Ribhu Das Gupta.

His claim to fame comes from the small screen

(Find the answer under Caption Contest) new 82 facets round cut - adding to a total of 366 carats. A wonderful token indeed, and well deserved one at that. Preity seems to have taken to business ventures lately, probably a legacy left over from her nowdefunct relationship with tycoon Ness Wadia. But have faith, she’ll soon be back with a bang!

Final farewell to Shammi Kapoor

The late Shammi Kapoor, who romanced Bollywood beauties in the snow-capped mountains of Kashmir in films like Kali and Junglee and immortalised the shikara on the Dal Lake in the song Tareef karun kya uski has finally become a part of that idyllic surrounding forever as his ashes were immersed in the lake.

The ashes of the prolific actor, who died on August 14, were immersed by his son Aditya and daughter Kanchan. Actors Shabana Azmi, Vinod Khanna, Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore, Poonam Dhillon, Amitabh Bachchan and Tina Ambani joined them in a final farewell to the legendary actor.

A household name among the old and middle-aged locals of Kashmir, Shammi Kapoor’s family and friends could not have thought of a better farewell to the Bollywood veteran.

“He loved the Dal Lake and his soul will definitely be solaced as his ashes were immersed in the lake of his dreams,” said shikara owner Zahoor Ahmad, 56, on the lake.

The valley has, for the first time since the early 1990s and its era of armed violence, seen a plethora of Bollywood stars in its environs, as Shammi’s closest friends and colleagues bid him goodbye.

“We hope to keep Shammiji’s relationship with Kashmir alive. We hope his friends and family would persuade Bollywood to return to the valley with the same love and attachment as the Junglee did all his life,” local travel operator Abdul Hamid said.

And wouldn’t that be wonderful? Bollywood has the budget to film in exotic locations like the Swiss Alps and the Rocky Mountains, but the reality is that the Kashmir valley can match up to any global destination in beauty, serenity and breathtaking panorama. So wake up Bollywood, and smell the fresh, clean air.

Jagmohan Mundhra is no more Hollywood-based Indian filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra, who made films like Bawandar and Provoked , died of cardiac arrest on September 4 in Mumbai at just 62. His last rites were performed by family and friends, and were attended by Bollywood actresses Deepa Sahi, Deepti Naval and Udita Goswami. Mundhra is survived by his wife and a daughter, who lives in Los Angeles.

Born in 1948 in a conservative Marwadi family, Mundhra studied engineering at IIT Mumbai and then moved to US to do his M.Sc. But his ultimate calling was moviemaking, and in 1982 he ventured into filmmaking with Sanjeev Kumar and Shabana Azmi starrer Suraag , followed by the women-centric film Kamla with Shabana and Deepti Naval in lead roles.

Later he made films like Night Eyes, The Jigsaw Murders, Eyewitness to Murder, Halloween Night

In 2000, Mundhra moved to issuebased movies and the first in the series was Nandita Das starrer and critically , which was based on real story of rape victim Bhanwari Devi

In 2007, he teamed up with Aishwarya Rai to bring on screen the trials and tribulations of London-based Punjabi woman Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a victim of Provoked

In 2007, Mundhra took up yet another sensitive subject for his movie , which talked about the West’s perception of Muslims following 9/11. The movie’s take-off point is the order London police passed to shoot suspected terrorists after the July 7, 2005, London However, Mundhra recently moved to a lighter subject with Govinda Naughty @ 40 also very keen to make a film on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Tributes poured in from Bollywood’s actors and actresses, through microblogging site Twitter. Said veteran actress and activist Shabana Azmi: “Sad news. Film-maker Jagmohan Mundhra passed away this morning. Heartfelt condolences to his family. He was one the most subjective director. His Shoot On Sight is a film which is identical to A Wednesday .”

Pooja Bedi tweeted, “Deeply saddened to hear Jagmohan Mundhra passed away! A wonderful man, my first director and the one responsible for me being in show business.”

Vikram Bhatt said, “A prayer for the departed and strength to his family.”

Kabir Bedi tweeted: “Jagmohan Mundhra, friend from my Hollywood years, passes away and I’m deeply sad. Last met at Shammi Kapoor’s funeral. RIP.”

RIP, Jagmohan Mundhra, your legacy in Bollywood will be remembered and revered.

Ranbir and Rishi rock for Pepsi

They’re a popular father-son duo, but Rishi Kapoor and son Ranbir have never shared screen space together. But now for the first time, the actors have shot a commercial for Pepsi, playing father-son roles just like in real life. Sources say that both were professional and comfortable in their roles during the shoots. It seems commercial’s concept involves the hit TV show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, whose music featured in the teaser campaign. Well, considering that this Kapoor clique is now endorsing a big brand, it won’t be a surprise if they’re already adding crores to their kitty!