A Bollywood-style ending to UK's lost brother-sister story

London: In a real life twist to the familiar Bollywood storyline of siblings separating in childhood and meeting years later, a brother and sister reunited after 18 years when they discovered they worked in the same office.

Siblings Kay Lund and her half-brother Steven Philips could not believe their luck when a chance encounter at their workplace in Bradford brought them together for the first time since 1989. The story also has an India connection.

Lund, 23, who had spent the last five years searching for her older brother, said: "It is absolutely unbelievable to think I had been looking everywhere for Steven and we had been working in the same building for five months.

"It is like some kind of soap opera story line. It's like our own little miracle."

Philips, 33, and Lund last saw each other almost two decades ago after their father, also called Stephen, 56, lost contact with his son, who was from a previous relationship.

Lund, who was only six at the time, moved to India with her father and mother Rose, while 16-year-old Steven lived with his mother in Wolverhampton. By the time Lund and her parents returned to Leeds, the family had lost all contact with Philips.

On turning 18 she started a campaign to track down her long-lost half-brother, even asking customers at the lingerie shop in which she worked if they knew him.

But despite checking on Internet sites such as Friends Reunited and MySpace it was not until the pair started working together at Loop Customer Management that she tracked him down in March.

She told the Yorkshire Post: "When I started working at Loop I went through my usual routine of asking everyone if they knew a Steven Philips. I couldn't believe it when I was told someone by that name worked here.

"My colleague pointed to a man at a desk on the other side of the room. I wasn't wearing my glasses, but squinting I could see a man with grey hair and his back to me. I thought 'No, there's no way that could be him'.

"I then checked on the internal database which confirmed he wasn't my brother as he spelled his name Steven and not Stephen. It turns out that I was looking at the wrong guy and Steven - who changed the spelling himself - was stood next to him.

"It wasn't until a colleague came up to me and said I think Steven's your brother. We checked parents' names and it turned out we were related. I wanted to scream and shout but we were in work so we just hugged and chatted."

Philips said he was delighted, and added: "I'd resigned myself to the fact that we would probably never meet again. I can't wait to get to know my sister properly. We have so much to catch up on and I'm sure we are going to be great friends." -IANS

KYA LOVE STORY HAI

KYA LOVE STORY HAI easily qualifies as the shortest ever Bollywood flicks. After all it lasts just 6 minutes - a minute spent into the title roll immediately followed by Kareena's five minute appearance in 'It's Rocking'. Once the song gazes through and the opening shot of the actual film begins with two sex starved sidekicks romping on a bed and bath tub respectively with stuffed plastic dolls, you know that it is only going to be downhill from hereon.

So bad is debutant director Lovely Singh's effort that calling KLSH a cliché would be a cliché in itself! Even though the film is just 120 minutes with 30 minutes consumed by 6 songs and further 30 minutes dedicated to the sidekicks trying to make love to anyone and everyone who comes in their way, there is nothing at all to tell in remaining 60 minutes. Even a tele-serial may have fared better!

To add to the woes, Ayesha Takia has all the reasons to be sidelined! And no, it is not due to Kareena Kapoor being more prominent on billboards, posters and other publicity material but a certain South African blonde called Martha! Reason? As Ayesha's snooty to-be-husband’s [Karan Hukku] secretary, she makes it into the record books to be spending more time with her boss discussing business deals and contract sign-offs. Considering the man is touted to be one of the most successful entrepreneurs around, whatever happened to good old 'art of delegation'!

Well, talking of art, even our very own lead actor [Tusshar] boasts of prowess in one form of art - that of architecture. He can make out the wrong symmetry of a building in one look and even declare that what looks good from distance may not quite be the same when close. Alas, the entire audience (or whatever little number present in the auditorium) understood the reference but poor Ayesha doesn't quite till the film's end!

Ayesha's characterization itself is a paradox of sorts, as is the entire film in fact. On one hand she proclaims at the film's start itself that she is career oriented, wants to start early, grow early and be big, while on the other hand at an age of 20 she is willing to marry a 'perfectly-wrong-stranger'! In the times when even small town girls are willing to give themselves some time before taking a plunge into marital hood, it is comical to see her falling pray to her 'sapnon-ka-rajkumar' fantasies on the first given opportunity.

Now let's talk about 'sapnon-ka-rajkumar' who is perhaps modeled straight on the ever-so-snobbish-and-high-headed Prince of SHREK series. He is rude, he is angry, he has a constant frown on his face, he fires people because they spell him as whatever-Uberoi instead of whatever-Oberoi, he calls a girl who shows him a mirror as 'over smart' and he kicks and hurts Ayesha’s good-friend Tusshar in a beach rugby match! But guess what? The girl forgives and forgets (well almost)!

She says, "I am confused"! Girlie, what's there to be confused about? Just kick him aside and move on! What is anyways there at all in this model-trying-to-look-like-an-entrepreneur who doesn't come personally to pick his girl for his first date, asks his secretary to choose flowers for her and heck, even asks one of them to write a so-called personal note! And by the way, when he takes her out eventually, he is supposed to make an audience believe that he is having fun while dancing amidst tanks, soldiers, choppers and bikes, all in the middle of a city!

So what happens to the 'good-friend' eventually? Well, he gets a 'dhakka' of his life when his 'good friend' tells him that he needs to have an identity. So off he flies, gets an identity in around 15-20 days flat, wears a 'mehnat-ki-kmaai-se-earned' glares, walks out of an airport in slow motion and walks back to somewhere with a tear in his eye after realizing that his 'good-friend' is now engaged to someone. To add to his horror, the girl has even changed her hairstyle for the occasion by knotting her hair back!

He supports her decision, girl starts seeing her dreams shattering as she comes close to Mr. Model, Mr. Model refuses to grow up, eventually he realizes that two 'good friends' love each other, he sportingly backs out, 'good friends' say "I Love You' to each other, I clap and eventually the 22 odd people in the auditorium wake up and ask - "Picture is over, is it?"

I say 'Yes', they say 'Thank God' and we all leave! And no one is singing 'It's Rocking' en route to exit doors even though the song blazes on for the second time in two hours!

Saif's sunday funda...

After his break-up with Rosa and a health scare, the actor is indulging in some feel-good therapy with his two kids every week.

Not too many people know how emotionally vulnerable Saif has become in recent months. The break-up with long time lady love Rosa has left him more attached to his two children Sarah and Ibrahim than ever before.

It was under these vulnerable circumstances that Saif found himself getting ‘paternally bound’ with the two child actors Angelina Idnani and Haji Ali while shooting for Yashraj Films’ ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’ in New York.

The two little actors not only regaled Saif throughout the extended three-month long shooting schedule in New York, they eventually served as anchors and a great source of solace during those painful months of solitude.

Says Saif, “I really did miss Sarah and Ibrahim while shooting there. The two kids who play Rani and my children in ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’ were absolutely amazing on and off camera. They were not only the same age as my own children, they even resembled my own children! So for the first time I found myself quite attached to my little co-actors. So much so that I miss them now after shooting.”

Saif has been spending a great deal of his time with his own children. “That’s partly because I was recovering after my illness at home. Now that I’m getting back to work I won’t have that much time for them and that’s a regret. I don’t like to have them over on the sets. But I’ll make sure I’ve time for them. That’s one of the main reasons why I won’t be working on Sundays anymore.”

Bheema: When will it release?

Bheema: When will it release?

Director Lingusamy is considered the man with the Midas touch in Kollywood. Not just his directorial ventures, but also his home production has emerged successful. However the director is tight-lipped when queried about the release of Bheema. The coming together of Lingusamy, Harris Jayaraj and Vikram created a sensation almost a year ago. However Lingusamy has managed to complete the shooting but for a song sequence. Post-production works too have commenced at the right earnest. Asked when the movie would hit the screens, Lingusamy maintains a 'stoic silence'. With big films Sivaji, Mayakkannadi and Kireedom releasing in several theatres followed a slew of releases in May, Lingusamy might hope for a release after June. He feels it would be appropriate to release the movie after the colleges and schools open

Genelia making it big..

Genelia has already done 3 mega budget films in Tamil and all of them became a big disaster at the box-office. As usual, the film pundits stamped her as unlucky, and this has kept her away from Kollywood.

But her luck is working out well in Tollywood. Film critics have given accolades on her performance in Bommarilu, and now she has a handful of films in Telugu.

Now there is a chance for this young artiste to test her luck in Tamil cinema again. This time, Gowtham Menon has given her the opportunity to play the lead role against Surya in Vaaranam Ayiram. After signing the contract, Genelia told us, 'I'm so excited about acting with Surya, one of my favourite heroes in Tamil. I hope this film will break all odds against me in Tamil cinema'.

Meanwhile, Gowtham has changed his name as Gowtham Vasudeva Menon for this film. When I asked him about this change he told me, 'there is nothing special about this name change. I just feel good in using my name with my father's full initials. That's all. There are no numerology factors behind this change. It is not true that I have decided to change my name after the box office debacle of Pachaikili Muthucharam. The fact is that the film is doing good business in B centers too, and I will join hands with Sarath again after some time…'

According to the director, the film Vaaranam Aayiram will be shot at breathtaking locations in Afganistan, Russia, US and most of the South East Asian countries.

More on Genelia

After being born in England, Genelia studied at Apostolic Carmel High School in Bandra, Mumbai. After school, she joined the St Andrews College, Bandra to pursue a Bachelor's Degree. Mumbai-based Genelia starred in the big budgeted Boys by top director Shankar. She starred opposite fellow débutante Siddharth. The film was a box-office hit and launched her career.

She left Kollywood for a while to concentrate on the Tollywood industry, starring in other successful films including, Satyam, Masti, Samba and Sye. She followed it up with a pairing with popular actress Shriya in Subhash Chandra Bose. She returned to the Tamil industry with the hit, Sachein with Vijay. Her film, Happy opposite Allu Arjun was a hit. Her most recent film, Bommarillu, with Siddharth Narayan, is a super hit. Chennai Kadhal, her Tamil project did average business. She was also a part of Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai. She has also been a part of many TV ad campaigns, the most famous ones being for Fair and Lovely, Cricket World Cup 2003 with Kris Shrikanth and Parker pens with Amitabh Bachchan.

Lollywood to try Bollywood

After their first unlucky stint in Bollywood, Pakistani actresses Meera and Sana Nawaz are back for round two to try and make it big in Bollywood.

Sana will be seen in two films, 'Kaafila', which has been in the making for some time and Shashi Ranjan's next Indo-Pak joint venture.

Meera will be seen in 'Simran' a film rumored to be based on the life of Aishwarya Rai.

Let's hope they make it big this time.

Bollywood this week..

This Friday's only major release is the Tusshar-Ayesha starrer, KYA LOVE STORY HAI. With a popular music, thanks mainly to Kareena's sizzling dance number and Tusshar's reasonable popularity, Lovely Singh's first attempt at direction, KYA LOVE STORY HAI, may get a decent start at the ticket window.

The other releases like AUR PAPPU PASS HO GAYA and PANGA NAA LO are not expected to make much of an impact.

Last week's releases like BIG BROTHER, LIFE MEIN KABHIE KABHIEE and BHEJA FRY had a mixed fortune.

BHEJA FRY had a dull to poor start but may find favour with multiplex audiences of big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. But given the lack of face value, it may not perform according to its potential. However, due to its rock bottom selling prices, BHEJA FRY has every chance of getting to an average status.

The Sunny-Priyanka starrer BIG BROTHER failed to get released at most multiplexes (specially in Delhi and Bombay) but despite being an old project the movie opened to a surprisingly good response in UP, East Punjab, Bihar and Rajasthan, though the opening in Mumbai was expectedly poor. Given the fact that it has been sold at a very reasonable price, the movie will be a safe bet for most of its distributors in the above mentioned Hindi-belt circuits.

Vikram Bhatt's attempt at something different, LIFE MEIN KABHIE KABHIE proved to be a non-starter and is a definite failure. It is sad because the critics as well as the few who ventured into the theaters liked the movie.

From the earlier releases, SHAKA LAKA BOOM BOOM could not find much appreciation. The movie collected 1.05 crores from Bombay, 56 lakhs from Delhi, 15 lakhs from Calcutta, 14 lakhs from Jaipur, 8.25 lakhs from Lucknow, 6.35 lakhs from Gurgaon and 32 lakhs from Hyderabad. The total all-India collections are in the range of about 6.50 crores and in the UK it has earned £ 152,834 so far. Given the fact that Suneel Darshan has distributed SHAKA LAKA BOOM BOOM himself, the ordinary to poor collections mean that he will be lucky to recover even his investment.

Aishwarya Rai's PROVOKED has found no takers in India, more so for the dubbed version, though the original English version fared comparatively better. PROVOKED (dubbed) collected 11 lakhs from Bombay, 3.50 lakhs from Delhi, 11.25 lakhs from Calcutta and 2 lakhs from Hyderabad. PROVOKED (English) collected 40 lakhs from Bombay, 12 lakhs from Delhi, 5.5 lakhs from Gurgaon and 3.70 lakhs from Hyderabad. The total all-India earnings of the dubbed and English version of PROVOKED is in the range of about 1.30 crores, while in the UK the movie is doing quite well, collecting £ 312,021 so far. On the whole PROVOKED will turn out to be a losing proposition in India and a reasonable success in the UK.

Coming to Vipul Shah's Akshay-Katrina starrer NAMASTEY LONDON, it is the only Hindi release that is still pulling in the audiences and that too in its third week. After two stupendous weeks in Delhi, the collections came down to 50 lakhs. However, the movie is very stable in Bombay, collecting 81 lakhs and also in Calcutta, where it collected 20 lakhs. From the other centres, NAMASTEY LONDON collected 8.60 lakhs from Gurgaon, 10 lakhs from Lucknow, 4.30 lakhs from Jaipur and 15 lakhs from Hyderabad. The movie is doing splendidly in UK collecting £ 812,978 and is quite good in the US collecting $ 1,207,007 so far. With about 5.25 crores in its third week, the all-India earnings of NAMASTEY LONDON are about 30.50 crores and it is a big hit in the North and overall a semi-hit in India. NAMASTEY LONDON is a superhit in the Overseas.

Mira Nair's Tabu-Irrfan starrer THE NAMESAKE, continues to get good collections from India, given the limited release. In its third week THE NAMESAKE has earned around 1 crores from India, taking its three week total to around 3.75 crores.

THE NAMESAKE, continues its dream run in the US having collected $8,661,334 so far. It has not had a similar success in the UK but is quite impressive with £390,464 so far. On the whole, THE NAMESAKE is an above average in India and a blockbuster hit in the Overeas.

I can even do semi-nude scens if Mahesh Bhatt asks me: Saadhikka Randhawa

She was crowned Jaipur Queen during her college days and is the sister to well known model Jesse Randhawa. Discovered by Sawan Kumar Tak for his movies 'Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya' and 'Sanam Harjayee', Saadhikka Randhawa has been around for almost 12 years now. After films like 'Bullet - Ek Dhamaka', 'Indian Babu' and many more down south, she is all set to play play a hot and sexy yoga teacher in the sequel of much talked about B grade flick, 'Tauba Tauba', 'Phir Tauba Tauba'. Hear her defend her project and disclose the fact that she has made her mind comfortable for bold roles. Q: What's up with you these days? A: I am shooting in Panchgani for a film called 'Riwaaz' with Deepti Naval and Meghna Naidu. It's a realistic film based on some customs happening in some villages across India. Q: What made you accept 'Phir Tauba Tauba'? A: I share a very good rapport with TLV Prasad, the director. He used to narrate to me his film stories since the time he was working with Mithun Chakroborty. Last time when he and producer Mahendra Dhariwal came to me for 'Tauba Tauba', I was uncomfortable with the exposure the film demanded, so I walked out and Payal Rohatgi accepted the offer. But this time it's not such. The story is very appealing and it revolves around me. All I can say is I have done some different scenes for the first time in the movie and people will see a different Sadhikka. Q: What made you agree to doing bold such scenes? A: Nothing as such! I haven't done any vulgar scenes in 'Phir Tauba Tauba'. I am very well within my limits. Also, after I saw almost everyone jumping in the bold scenes' race, I thought about joining them and made myself comfortable with all this. But again I will say yes, only if the script demands. Q: Do you think going bold scenes guarantee a hit film or a successful career? A: Only if it is the demand of script! I would strictly like to read the whole script of any film first to see if exposing is really required. If something is forced on a character the audience cannot be fooled. Q: Do you think Payal Rohtagi was benefited by her role in 'Tauba Tauba'? A: Yes! It was only she who was benefited and got recognized instantly. Q: But she refuses bold roles now! A: After 'Tauba Tauba', she did a few films where the roles were almost same and it must have become monotonous for her. Also one gets typecast in these roles and people think that this actor is fit for such roles only. You know every actor is here to grow as an actor and being typecast prevents your growth. For more, you better ask Payal as the above said are purely my thoughts. Q: What are the kinds of hot scenes that you have done in this film? A: There is nothing as very hot. Yes there are hot scenes but not vulgar. It shows how teenagers imagine about a girl who is a yoga teacher, and all those fantasies what youth have in their mind about a girl. I guess this kind of subject hasn't been presented till date. That is what I liked and thought of giving it a try. Q: What if a filmmaker like Mahesh Bhatt asks you to do a semi-nude scene as he did with Mallika Sherawat who had refused later on? A: I think, if a person like Mahesh Bhatt offers me something, then I think there won't be any harm accepting the offer. 'Murder' was a brilliant movie and it will be fine for me if something like that comes my way. Q: Have you ever wished you had a godfather? Do you think it's difficult without a mentor? A:Oh yes, things would have not been easy for me. But it only helps if your films do well, other wise nobody is going to take risk on you. Q: What is important for you, money or fame? A: I think both because money brings fame and fame brings money… (Sounds confused) I guess fame is more important. Q: We have heard you are on television too? A: I have done a show 'Karishma Karishma' on Sahara and presently I am playing the protagonist of a DD show 'Hamari Bahu Tulsi' produced by Dheeraj Kumar. Actually I received lots of offers for TV serials in the past. Even Balaji offered me the lead role for 'Kasauti Zindagi Ki' but I didn't realize the importance of this medium which gives you more popularity than films. Today also whenever I go to any rural area, people instantly recognize me as Tulsi (character in the DD show). Then I feel I am getting my due. I am also doing another show for DD. Q: Tell us about your sister Jesse Randhawa,the super model? A: She is my real elder sister. I stay with her and my mom here. Most people are not aware that we are sisters as I am not spotted in parties or elsewhere wit her. I am not a party girl like my sister who is partying almost every time. Q: And where do you see yourself in the next 2 or 5 years? A: I see myself doing better and better roles in good movies with big banners because I have lost many good offers in the beginning as I was new at that time. Otherwise in 10 years an actress is at the peak of her career. - (SAMPURN)

Brett Lee the future of Bollywood..

In more news you couldn't live without, Mike Tyson and Brett Lee are getting ready to make their Bollywood debut.

Tyson, once the biggest (and youngest) boxing sensation in the world, is reportedly going to make his appearance in a music video for the aptly named Fool-n-Final starring Vivek Oberoi, Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia and Sunny Deol.

When asked about this casting coup from the blue, producer Firoz Nadiadwala responded that it's a movie about a bunch of bumbling criminals, one of whom is a boxer. I refuse to write a punchline for that one - it's simply too easy.

Personally, I can't help but hope someone will lose their temper on the sets of this video. Then Tyson can bite off Sunny paaji's ear, Sunny paaji can knock him back Punjabi-ishtyle, bachcha log Ayesha Takia and Shahid Kapoor can sit on the sidelines drinking Complan, while Vivek Oberoi calls a press conference. They could just release the "Making of" video and forget about the flick altogether.

The news channels will go crazy. Fun, fun, fun around the clock! Angry people, all yelling to be heard above each other about racism, violence, movies, sports, conspiracies, the Dalai Lama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sonia Gandhi, Hinduism, Khajuraho, China, George Bush, Muslims - sorry, I get carried away talking about Indian news channels.

Damn, now I'm going to be sad if Tyson gets cold feet and pulls out.

More attuned to the Indian scene is Brett Lee, who's apparently a huge star in India(?). I'm not really a fan of the game so maybe that's true. I have, however, seen his video with Asha Bhosle and I'm so glad he has cricket to fall back on.

But he sure has some "mates" in high places. Apparently, the last offer he received was from the grand-daddy of them all, Amitabh Bachchan himself. That's right folks, the Big B is recruiting. Lee, however, declined in favor of his number one job because he didn't have the dates. Man, the guy hasn't even joined Bollywood and he already knows all the lines. Now that's what I call doing research.

Since then, an ankle injury has pulled him out of the world cup and he's currently making the rounds in India, brushing up his Hindi, endorsing products, signing up for more music videos/albums, etc. Bollywood and its date hassles can wait till his career in international cricket comes to an end, he says.

Good for him if he can pull it off but going by Bollywood's track record, he doesn't really need to put his heart and soul into learning the language. I mean, why bother?

Take a look at Tom Alter: real talent, Indian (of American origin), excellent language skills - and in movie after movie, he got to play the part of Damned Cruel Whitey With Atrocious Accent. Once in a while he got to act in movies like Shatranj ke Khiladi but otherwise, talk about a pure waste of talent thanks to blatant stereotyping.

But this is New India or something similar that we're living in, so maybe New Bollywood is going to take a few chances. There are definitely intrinsically-Indian stories out there today that can be made with a multicultural cast.

The problem of course is that nobody is really interested in these. When we hear about non-Indians getting cast in Bollywood it's almost always a gimmick - including the short-lived Shakira storm and once, long ago, when Samantha Fox (who?) shook her booty in Govinda's face (ew). Or else you're a Pakistani and the schtick is that you're a symbol of the world peace that is about to descend on us all at any minute, in just another second really, two minutes, sir, that's all, see this movie while you're waiting.

The few times it isn't ultra-gimmicky, it's a movie like Lagaan or Rang de Basanti that calls for a specific engagement before you pack up and go back where you came from. Otherwise, there is a huge market for models and back-up dancers. And the odd firang who shows up as local color in movies shot abroad, of course.

In this context, Tyson is a little more interesting of the two in my opinion because Bollywood and black people have a strange and uneasy relationship - Bollywood prefers to ignore black people even while it vainly tries to incorporate things like rap and the black gospel choirs into its movies. It's kind of worse when it does pay attention to black people because then they're either laid back reggae musicians in tons of beads who show up to mouth profound lyrics like "Yo man!" in varying tones or else they're gangsters out to kill/mug/rape you. Back in the day there was even a little blackface going on but the trend (thankfully) didn't last.

As for Lee, how many times can he play the befuddled angrez hero who falls for a gaon ki chori? It remains to be seen.

The Richard Gere/Shilpa Shetty kiss: made in Bollywood

The outrage in India over the Richard Gere/Shilpa Shetty kiss has a dreary predictability about it. Putting aside the fact that Gere was rather embarrassingly parodying his Shall We Dance? moves after Shetty complimented him on his performance in that film, this is a controversy that has its own history.

In 1980, actress Padmini Kholapure (who famously portrayed Raj Kapoor's teenage widow in the pioneering film Prem Rog) scandalised the nation by kissing Prince Charles on the cheek when he visited the country. Actress Shabana Azmi's "freedom kiss" planted on Nelson Mandela's cheek in 1993 inflamed the righteous once more. This latest story demonstrates with brutal clarity one difference between Holly and Bollywood. The celebrities of the west have the paparazzi snapping at their heels but Bollywood babes come under the judgment of the holier-than-thou crowd.

Give or take a song, the scenario itself has played out like a Bollywood storyline - two lone innocents representing common sense and human values battling against an unjust and repressive society. The furious activists, including those burning effigies of both actors, mainly hail from Hindu fundamentalist groups: Shiv Sena, and the rather sinister youth wing of the rightwing BJP. Both have appointed themselves the guardians of Indian womanhood against corrupt western influences.

Bollywood has long drawn objections from such folk; from the beehive hairdos of the 50s and 60s to the famously sexy cabaret numbers of the 70s, the "western" accusation has been flung about willy-nilly. From this comes the notion, once prevalent about actresses in the film industries of the west (and the theatre before that), and still commonplace in mainstream India, that the women of Bollywood are "modern" anyway; as distinguished from the good Indian girls of the real world.

But while kissing is rare, it isn't new to Bollywood fans. Pioneering smoochers go right back to the 30s, while a raunchier recent release, Khwaish, boasts no less than 17 lip-clinches.

Interestingly, independent Indian cinema and that of the diaspora is frequently filled with the kind of naughtiness that a general Bollywood formula excludes. Monsoon Wedding has adultery, half-naked kisses galore and even the odd cigarette. Hey Ram, an intriguing modern film about Indian independence which sketches a psychological portrait of a man who almost assassinates Gandhi, features songs accompanying sex on a balcony.

As the landscape of Indian cinema changes, more kisses arrive, along with more radical stories. It's when that fantasy spills out of the cinema screen into real life that the golden-robed rent-a crowd emerges.

Namitha inaugurates her own fan club..

Chennai, Apr 5: Kollywood glamour queen Namitha formally inaugarated her fan's club.

It has been named 'Namitha Welfare Association'.

She is the first actress to have started her fan club at a public function.

She inaugurated the club at the German hall, very close to the office of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association.

After the launch, Namitha told us: 'Thousands of my fans from all over the South have been persuading me to allow them to start the fan club. Initially I was hesitant but later I considered their request. All male heroes have their own fan club but very few actresses actually have one. According to me, having a fan club is not a sin for an actress like me. There are no political motives behind this. I have started it in lieu of my fans' welfare. I will help them if they are in need of it. At the same time, they can provide their humanitarian services to the society in my name.'

Actress Keerthi Chawla, Swathika and Jyothirmayi also attended the function.

Namitha donated free saris to poor ladies and free note books to poor students at the function.

She also provided free silk saris and gold magalsutras to poor brides as a gift.

At present Trisha is the only other actress to have thousands of Tamil and Telugu fan clubs.

Is Mahima Choudary expecting??

Gossip mills have been indicating that Pardes gal Mahima Chaudhary has got married. Now the latest rumour doing the rounds is that the actress is actually expecting a child out of her marriage.

A visibly embarrassed Mahima Chaudhary, who was in the capital recently to inaugurate a jewellery exhibition, neither refuted nor confirmed rumours of her secret marriage and pregnancy.

Asked whether there was any truth in these reports, she said: "I do not read magazines neither do I lend my ears to rumours."

The actress was clad in a brown and beige salwar-kurta and an extensively spread dupatta.

Mahima, who inaugurated MMTC's Festival of Gold, admitted that the presence of Bollywood celebrities at exhibitions proved to be a hit formula in attracting crowds.

"India is a celebrity driven country and the presence of Bollywood stars in exhibitions proves a success in drawing more and quick attraction of people," Mahima told reporters here.

The former girlfriend of tennis player Leander Paes confessed that her heart melts for gold.

"I like platinum but I love gold, especially yellow gold. When it comes to jewellery I love Indian ethnic designs. I am very fond of rings, bangles and earrings but I do not like chunky neckpieces hanging around my neck."

The actress, who gained immense popularity with her debut film Pardes, is still waiting to prove her acting prowess.

Talking about her upcoming projects, Mahima said, "I have done Hope and a Little Sugar with director Tanuja Chandra, which is slated for worldwide release around September."

"The film is based on the 9/11 terrorist attack on the US which led to a lot of racism towards Asians living there. Travelling abroad during that period was so difficult. Anybody wearing a turban or having a beard was treated badly," the actress said.

In the film, Mahima plays a Sikh girl Saloni who marries a Muslim boy, played by Vikram Chatwal.

"Anupam Kher plays the role of my father-in-law. The film is about the love story of Saloni, who loses her husband in this unfortunate incident," she added.

Sanjay Dutt..

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta announced his plans to launch a book on the life of his friend and actor, Sanjay Dutt.

He explained that the decision was undertaken because a three-hour movie would be inadequate to capture Dutt's life.

"There is so much to talk about Sanjay that I chose a book to tell his story. The book will cover every important aspect of Sanjay's life," Gupta explained to IndiaFM.

The biography will be written by a professional writer while Gupta and Dutt's joint production house, White Feather, will publish the book.

Is there a cold war between Kabul Express stars Arshad Warsi and John Abraham?

Warsi told IndiaFM that it is just "the media's creation".

But the current rumour says otherwise.

Apparently, Warsi has had a falling-out with Bipasha Basu on the set of their current movie, Goal, in London
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When asked to comment, Warsi was gobsmacked by the news.

"Nothing of that sort happened. I came late on location because my driver arrived late. Some member of the cast is always coming late. It is inevitable. I said sorry and we all moved on. The next thing I know there are stories of a showdown with Bipasha. What rubbish!"

He added: "This whole Bipasha nonsense was invented to make it seem like I'm extending my supposed cold war with John to her. There is no problem with John and certainly not with Bipasha.

"I can't say we have been spending time together. We went out for dinner together just once. After that my wife, Maria, was here, so John and Bipasha were on their own. Besides, after shooting for Goal every day, all I want is to be alone at night.

"That doesn't mean we're at loggerheads."

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra, a former Miss World, was overcome with emotion judging at the recently held Femina Miss India contest.

"It made me so nostalgic and emotional. I remember my own walk down the ramp and knew exactly what the girls were going through - it was tough. I kept telling the other judges to get it right because their decisions could make or break someone's life. Life since the crown has been tough and the walk from the ramp to screen hasn't been easy.

"But the journey has been worthwhile," Chopra told IndiaFM.

The actress then raised the topic of her latest film, Big Brother after Don - The Chase Begins Again and Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love.

"I haven't done a film like this and my co-star, Sunny Deol, will always remain special. I'm still very nervous around him. There is so much respect for him when he walks into a room. He has a charming personality that's hard to ignore.

She added: "I think it is important to be part of successful films. Once I stand on my own, I can do heroine-centric films. Right now I am trying to do box-office-compatible films. I am not ready to shoulder a film yet. I will leave that to Sunny's sturdy shoulders."

Bollywoods latest hero..

He is remembered for chewing off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear, but boxer Mike Tyson is all set to make a name for himself in a totally different field – as a Bollywood item song hero.

Producer Firoze A. Nadiadwala has invited Tyson to star in a promotional video for his comedy thriller Fool And Final in June this year.



"We thought Mike Tyson would be the perfect choice for this promotional video because the film does have an element of boxing in it. Also all the stars of the film including Sunny Deol are huge fans of the boxer," Nisha Chattani, a media consultant for the film said in Mumbai.

The film, which is being directed by Ahmed Khan , stars Sunny, Shahid Kapur , Ayesha Takia , Vivek Oberoi and Sameera Reddy and is scheduled for a June release in theatres.

"Ahmed himself will shoot the video and Tyson will fly down to Mumbai in early June to shoot it. The video will primarily be released as a promotional item, but it could be included in the film as well," she said.

While the final details are still being worked out, Chattani said the video would be "very unique" and will star all the stars of the film in it along with Tyson.

Sunny stars as a boxer in the film.

Tyson, one of boxing's most colourful characters, has seen his career take a hit after he was convicted of rape in 1992. He currently faces charges of drug possession and driving under the influence of drugs in an Arizona court in which he has pleaded not guilty.

When is a promise not a promise?

If stars like Aishwarya Rai (Bride and Prejudice), Shilpa Shetty (Celebrity Big Brother) and even a sexy starlet like Mallika Sherawat (Jackie Chan’s The Myth) are attempting crossover moves, stars from the West are also increasingly turning up in Bollywood movies. This week’s release, Namastey London, features British actor Clive Standen as Charlie Brown, a London millionaire who woos the leading lady.

Samantha Fox (Rock Dancer), Paul Blackthorne (Lagaan), Sophie Dahl (King of Bollywood), Emma Bunton (Pyar Mein Twist), Toby Stevens (The Rising), and Steven McIntosh (Rang De Basanti) have all featured in past Bollywood flicks. Why do goras (whites) want to act in Bollywood movies? It could be for the exotic experience or simply to enjoy a freebie five star holiday in Mumbai. It could also lead to being part of an Oscar or Bafta nominated movie as happened with Rachel Shelley (Lagaan) and Alice Patten (Rang de Basanti). None of these stars however have repeated the experience. Toby Stevens, recently seen as Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre, told me he has “hung up his bollywood dancing shoes for the time being.”

NRI’s (Non Resident Indians) are also jumping on the Bollywood bandwagon. Namastey London, which opens on Friday, features three actors who are phirangis (foreigners) with an Indian connection. Upen Patel, the newest wooden kid on the block, is a British Asian former male model from east London, Shaana Diya describes herself as a “mixed breed” whilst the film’s female lead, Katrina Kaif, remains vague whenever she is asked to clarify her, perhaps dubious, claim to being half-Indian.

I met up with the aforementioned Shaana Diya at a nightclub in London last month. I later asked her how a “half gujerati-half swiss” girl like herself got into the big bad world of Bollywood. “Serendipitously!” she replied, adding that she “did not consider herself a foreign girl in Bombay as it is as much home as London or Zurich.” So, does she fancy the film’s hunky male lead, Akshay Kumar, with or without his chest hair? “I’ll let his wife decide what she prefers!” Shaana laughed.
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* Will I ever eat lunch again?

* Ken Russell

When is a promise not a promise? When it is made by Bollywood stars and directors. Time and time again I have suffered the disappointment of cancelled appointments when I have rearranged my schedule to accommodate visiting Bollywood stars in London, only to be told at the last minute that “they are not coming.” At the press showing of Namastey London held earlier in London this week, director Vipul Shah and lead actress Katrina Kaif were scheduled to attend a press conference. No prizes for guessing that they did a no show.

Is not showing up at all better than being kept waiting endlessly to interview the stars? At the Paheli press conference, Shah Rukh Khan kept me waiting for eight hrs before I finally interviewed him. Similarly, Preity Zinta kept over 40 journalists waiting at a central London hotel late last year. When Preity eventually arrived, she said “I am so sorry guys; I was stuck in traffic for four hours in Tottenham.” Did Ms Zinta get her cities muddled by any chance? I know the traffic in London can be bad but it is certainly not as horrendous as Mumbai where such an explanation would have come across as more credible.

Jagmohan Mundra, the director of Aishwarya Rai’s much delayed film Provoked, is a relieved man. The film is finally releasing on April 6, and a press preview was held at a plush central London hotel this week. The film had its debut at Cannes in 2006, so why the delay in its release? “It’s been an endless wait for me,” Jag told me, adding that the reasons for the delay “can be answered best by the producers and distributors who decided to coordinate a worldwide release.”

Is he going to the Aishwarya-Abhishek wedding? “I will go to the wedding if I am invited but my relationship with Ash is strictly professional, not personal.”