Race 2: Saif lets the cat out of the bag

MUMBAI: It was earlier this year that the directors in white, Abbas–Mustan, first hinted about the options for a Race sequel, rather Race 2 being very much open.

On that occasion, Abbas had also confirmed that the producer of Race, Ramesh Taurani (of Tips) had told them to work on a suitable script for the sequel, especially in view of the way the ending of Race had been left open. After that there was nothing more heard on the matter. But here we are, bringing you the latest.

Imran gets serious in shadow of Kidnap

MUMBAI: The press meet of Sanjay Gadhvi's Kidnap saw a very unusual Imran Khan. Imran is playing the lead in the movie along with Sanjay Dutt and Minissha Lamba.

Now we all know how serious kind of a person Sanjay Dutt is, but what we didn't know was that Imran too was portraying a very serious look.

Paul Newman remembered for cool style, heart

LOS ANGELES: The death of film legend Paul Newman sparked an outpouring of reaction on Saturday with friends remembering the Oscar winner for his cool acting style and his warm, charitable heart.

Newman, known for roles in films including "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "The Hustler," "The Sting," and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," died at his Westport, Connecticut, home on Friday night at age 83 after a long battle with cancer.

His wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, and family were at his side.

Heath Ledger's estate to go to daughter

SYDNEY: Heath Ledger's two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose will inherit the late Australian actor's entire estate, estimated to be worth 20 million dollars (16.6 million US), a report said Sunday.

The 28-year-old actor, who died in New York in January from an accidential overdose of prescription drugs, had named his parents and sisters as the beneficiaries in his will, Perth's paper reported.

The will, which has been probated behind closed doors at the Supreme Court in Perth, was made before Matilda was born, and there had been speculation that the child's mother, actress Michelle Williams, would lodge a claim.

But Ledger's father Kim has put an end to such speculation, revealing that Matilda will inherit the lot. "There is no claim. Our family has gifted everything to Matilda," he said.

Sayali-Malik love tale goes from real to reel

MUMBAI: Former Miss India Sayali Bhaghat and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik are set to do a film together.The tales of the romantic affair between Sayali and Shoaib are old now.

What’s new is that their love story is now going to get immortalized on celluloid.

After all, doesn’t art imitate life?Yup, Sayali and Shoaib are set to act together in a film to be made by Wilson Louis.

Sayali is already working in Louis’ film ‘Shout’.It is believed that when Louis read reports of Sayali’s alleged affair with Shoaib, he thought of making a film on it. Both Shoaib and Sayali will play themselves in the film, as it is a love story between a cricketer and a model. The movie, however, will have a unique end, says the director.

Shamita glamourise Hari Puttar

MUMBAI: Actress Shamita Shetty has added oomph to Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors by featuring in a sizzling song.

However, the sexy sister of Shilpa Shetty says her song in the movie is just a fun song and not an item number as described by many. "It is a masti number where I play myself.

The song is peppy Punjabi song. To term it as an item number is not correct. It is a kids’ film," Shamita told reporters in Mumbai.

Magician David Blaine hangs in Central Park

NEW YORK: Magician David Blaine unveiled his latest stunt at Wollman's Rink in Central Park, this time, the daredevil, will hang upside-down at a height of 44 feet for 60 hours.

Blaine, who has made a name for himself by pushing the limits of what humans can endure, will abstain from eating and sleeping for the duration of the challenge but will drink fluids.

He will also be able to zip around freely while upside-down to talk to those who want to visit him.

Two hours after being hoisted upside-down, Blaine looked uncomfortable.

He could be seen stretching his legs and pulling himself up to a horizontalposition about every five minutes.

Who else than Nasseruddin Shah?

MUMBAI: It is for the second time in the recent times that the prolific performer Nasseruddin Shah has replaced another acting legend Amitabh Bachchan.

Initially Big B was offered the role of the Muslim police officer at Scotland Yard who is given the task of finding some suspected suicide bombers.

This role from the film 'Shoot On Sight' directed by the veteran film maker Jagmohan Mundhra eventually was done by Naseer after Mr.Bachchan turned down the role citing it as too controversial.Now again Nasseruddin Shah has given the positive nod for portraying a character first offered to Amitabh Bachchan.

The role bagged by Naseer is for a film titled as 'Maharathi' to be directed by Shivum Nair.

Shahid Kapoor gives it all

MUMBAI: Its not yet December but Shahid Kapoor is already in the Santa Claus mood.In the last few days he has been distributing gifts to all his close staff members.

The list began with his man Friday. Shahid happened to gift him a digital camera.Shahid possesses a high end camera himself as photography is his hobby.

His man Friday liked his camera and wanted something similar to it.

Getting a digital camera as a gift left him completely astonished. He was touched by Shahid's thoughtfulness.

Kidnap preponed for overseas audience

MUMBAI: The release of new action thriller Kidnap has been preponed, but this preponement is not for the Indians but for the overseas audience.Kidnap was to release worldwide on October 2nd which falls on Thursday.

But the distributors of Kidnap, Indian Films - Studio 18 have decided to release it a day earlier abroad.

So now it will release on October 1st in UK/Ireland, USA, Canada and the Middle East.It is learnt that this was basically done to coincide the film's theatrical release with Id which in all likelihood will be celebrated the world over on October 1st.

Kareena fetes birthday with Saif in Kargil

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor celebrated her birthday with Saif Ali Khan at a hotel in Kargil last evening.

A news agency local correspondent who visited the hotel ''D-Zogela'' immediately after news spread in the border town that Kareena and Saif were staying there, saw hundreds of men, women and children waiting outside to have the glimpse of their favourite actors

Aishwarya takes to riyaaz for Raavan

MUMBAI: The seemingly coy ‘Bachchan Bahu’ Aishwarya Rai is turning all the more traditional and has taken to classical singing for the forthcoming ‘Raavan’, an adaptation of the epic Ramayana, in which she plays the role of Sita.

Hubby Abhishek is to play Ram, while Govinda will be seen in the role of Hanuman. Even hottie Ranbir Kapoor has been roped in for the film. The film is already making waves for all the right reasons and now, the news that Ash would be singing all the songs in the film, comes as an icing on the cake.

Kangana upset over Fashion promo

MUMBAI: Kangana Ranaut, the sizzling bombshell of bollywood who features in Madhur Bhandarkar’s upcoming film ‘Fashion’, is furious with the director for not giving her importance in the promo of the film.

Kangana has accused the producer Ram Mirchandani and Madhur of giving Priyanka Chopra center stage while ignoring her in the just released promotional material of the film. The promo, revolving around Sukhvinder’s number ‘Jalwa jalwa Fashion Ka Hai Yeh Jalwa’, has given more footage to Priyanka Chopra than Kangana and Mugdha Godse, who also feature in the song and dance sequence.

Even in the accompanying visuals, Priyanka Chopra has been highlighted instead of being given the equal footage with Kangana.

Welcome to Sajjanpur portrays Indian village life

MUMBAI: Welcome to Sajjanpur was previously titled Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur because it is Mahadev's (Shreyas Talpade) story of all the people residing in Sajjanpur.Mahadev wants to be a writer but ends up writing emotional letters for all and sundry.

He also reads the replies to those letters and sometimes messes around with the content, especially when it comes to the object of his affection, Kamala (Amrita Rao) whose husband Banshi is trying to eke out an existence in Mumbai. The two develop a special bond but Kamala is devoted to her husband and Mahadev realizes his modified letters have almost put Banshi's life in danger.

Taare Zameen Par selected as Oscar entry from India

MUMBAI: Actor Aamir Khan directorial debut Taare Zameen Par has been selected as India's entry for the Oscar 2009 in the best foreign film category, impressing the jury with its "perfection" in all aspects of filmmaking.

Taare Zameen Par is the final choice because it has a universal appeal and it has all the elements that make a good film, in terms of its production value, script, concept and story," filmmaker Sunil Darshan said here on Saturday.

Darshan is the chairman of the 10-member jury set up by the Film Federation of India (FFI).

Sonam: I am single ready to mingle!

MUMBAI: Sonam Kapoor has sported the simple girl-next-door look for her debut movie, but she insists she’s pretty glam in real life.

Nevertheless, she says she was petrified before she had to walk the ramp for Anamika Khanna in the HDIL India Couture Week in Mumbai recently.

“I was scared before the show, but after seeing the models, I decided to walk the ramp as myself – Sonam Kapoor,” she says.

The glam mag covers that she’s shot for are also very much the real Sonam, she says. “What you’ve seen in Saawariya, or will see in Dilli 6 , are characters that I’ve played.

But what you see on the magazine covers is what I am in real life,” she asserts, adding that she’s a bit of a fashion freak.

“I’ve always been interested in fashion and have known Anamika for ages. I can easily associate with and carry off her clothes well.”

Masumeh: A romantic at heart

NEW DELHI: Actress Masumeh was in town recently, for the premiere of her film, Saas Bahu Aur Sensex.

Wearing a short, printed green dress, she was all set to have a gala time, and enjoy every moment here.

Someone asked her about Delhi, and she said that though she does come here off and on, she hasn’t had the time to explore the city yet.

We hope you get the time, Masumeh. But the lady did admit that she was quite a romantic person.“I love everything romantic. I just love the idea of romance, actually. I love romantic films, and really enjoy soft, mushy roles. I am a complete romantic at heart,” she confessed.

Well, here’s hoping the lady finds romance in real life as well!

Potter author donates 1m pounds to Labour Party

LONDON: Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has donated one million pounds (1.3 million euros, 1.8 million dollars) to Britain's governing Labour Party, it announced Saturday.

The donation is a much-needed shot in the arm for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's debt-ridden party, which has been trailing the main opposition Conservatives by as many as 28 percentage points in the polls, and comes as Labour is set to kick off its annual party conference.

Rowling -- who was a single mother in Edinburgh surviving on state benefits when she was writing the first in the series about the bespectacled boy wizard -- said she backed the government's efforts to reduce child poverty, and opposed Conservative plans to give tax breaks to married couples.

The 43-year-old author now has a fortune totalling around 560 million pounds, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List.

Movie Review: The Last Lear is slyly over the top

MUMBAI: The Last Lear, directed by Rituporno Ghosh is what I would describe as a great idea that doesn't quite translate into a great film.

An adaptation of a play by Utpal Dutt, The Last Lear uses the film-within-a-film device to tell the story of Harish Mishra or Harry, an ageing theatre actor played by Amitabh Bachchan who knows Shakespeare off the top of his head, and who's persuaded by hotshot new-age film director Siddharth (played by Arjun Rampal) to perform his first ever film role as an old, disfigured clown.

Harry struggles with the cinematic process, but finds refuge in dispensing acting tips to his co-star Shabnam (played by Preity Zinta), with whom he gradually develops a warm friendship.

Cruise praises Holmes Broadway performance

NEW YORK: Katie Holmes made her Broadway debut in "All My Sons" Thursday night, and her husband Tom Cruise thought it was a knockout.

When asked for his verdict on Holmes' performance, Cruise stopped for a moment while moving through the crowd at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, telling The Associated Press: "Did you see it? ... It was extraordinary.

"Hundreds of people bought tickets to see Holmes act on Broadway for the first time in a preview performance for the revival of "All My Sons," co-starring John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson.