مکی ماؤس کی آواز ’دم توڑ‘ گئی

امریکی اداکار جو بتیس سال تک کارٹون کے کردار مکی ماوس کی آواز تھے، باسٹھ سال کی عمر میں انتقال کر گئے ہیں۔
وینی ایلون نے انیس سو چھیاسٹھ میں والٹ ڈزنی کے میل روم میں کام شروع کیا تھا جس کے بعد انہوں نے انیس سو ستتر میں کارٹون کے مشہور کردار مکی ماوس کی آواز بن گئے۔
والٹ ڈزنی نے ایک بیان میں کہا ہے کہ ایلون ضیابیطس کے مرض میں پیچیدگیاں کی وجہ سے وفات پا گئے ہیں۔ ان کی اداکارہ بیوی جو کہ مینی ماؤس کی آواز تھیں وفات کے وقت ان کے پاس تھیں۔
ان کی آواز اب بھی والٹ ڈزنی کے تھیم پارکس میں سنی جا سکے گی۔
انہوں نے انیس سو چھیاسی میں ایم بی سی کی ’امیزنگ سٹوریز‘ کے لیے ساونڈ ایڈیٹنگ کے لیے ایمی ایوارڈ حاصل کیا تھا۔
مکی ماؤس کو آواز دینے والے تیسرے اداکار تھے اس سے قبل وہ والٹ ڈزنی اور جمی میکڈونلڈ مکی ماؤس کی آواز نکالتے رہے ہیں۔
والٹ ڈزنی کے باسز نے وین ایلون کی آواز کو سرہاتے ہوئے ایک مرتبہ کہا تھا کہ انہوں نے مکی ماؤس کو روح اور جان عطاء کی۔

Cannes shrugs off economic gloom, reels in the stars

The French Riviera shrugs off economic gloom on Wednesday to reel in a bevy of auteur directors and megastars, from Quentin Tarantino to Brad Pitt, for its annual Cannes film festival frenzy.The notoriously extravagant event has toned down the glitz for this year's crisis-era bash, but a galaxy of top-notch movie celebrities were jetting in for the gala opening on the palm-fringed beachfront.Tarantino's long-awaited war movie "Inglourious Basterds" is one of the 20 films vying for the Palme d'Or top prize at the film industry's biggest annual binge. Cannes 2009, said movie magazine Variety, will see the festival's "biggest heavyweight auteur smackdown in recent years."From "Brokeback Mountain" Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, to veteran "New Wave" icon Alain Resnais, at a ripe 86 back behind a camera, the world's grandest film-makers are competing to take home the coveted prize They include four previous Palme winners -- Tarantino, Jane Campion, Lars Von Trier and Ken Loach -- who will line up alongside Pedro Almodovar, Johnnie To, Marco Bellochio, Elia Suleiman, Lou Ye and Park Chan-wook.Lee takes a humorous look at the 1960s Woodstock festival, Suleiman offers a Palestinian family saga, while in an out-of-competition movie, Anne Aghion's "My Neighbour, My Killer" recounts the chilling aftermath of the Rwanda genocide.The late Heath Ledger's unfinished stint in Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," being screened out of competition, is also gauranteed to create a buzz at the festival which ends May 24.The festival, which has become a showcase for respected but not necessarily commercial directors, is this year mostly sombre in theme, with war, fascism, gore and even vampire priests set to fill screens over the next 10 days.But it kicks off on a light note Wednesday with a 3D animated movie for kids, Pixar's "Up," also showing out of competition. Set in the wilds of South America, the 150-million-dollar adventure is just the tip of the 3D iceberg as far as studio owner Disney is concerned, with a dozen big-budget 3D movies and six more with live-action 3D in the works.3D, said Cannes festival president Thierry Fremaux, is "one of cinema's upcoming adventures."Star power and prestige have helped Cannes -- which organisers say is the biggest global media event after the Olympic Games -- limit the damage from the global economic slowdown compared to some other big industry events.But belt-tightening is in the air, with industry players trimming back on champagne-fuelled parties and expensive extras, advertisers and local professionals said. The most high-profile sign of cost-cutting came when Vanity Fair magazine called off its exclusive party. And at the Cannes Market, the industry's biggest deal-making forum, executives are sounding a note of caution. But the mega-yachts are still anchored in the bay and palaces along the seafront are booked out for A-listers like Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, and Jude Law.In Paris fashion houses, Dior's John Galliano and Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld had scrambled to drape Charlize Theron, Eva Green, Asia Argento or Robin Wright Penn.The last two are part of the glammed-up 2009 jury headed by French star Isabelle Huppert that will award the prized Palme at the gala close of the festival.The yearly filmfest rarely goes by without an outcry of sorts. This year -- the 62nd edition -- it might spring from a torrid tale of love by banned Chinese film-maker Lou Ye or an Iranian movie on the underground rap scene in Tehran.And movie buffs and critics are keenly awaiting a new indie film by veteran Francis Ford Coppola, being screened on the sidelines after failing to be selected for the Palme."We made a formal offer to Francis Coppola to present his film out-of-competition," said Fremaux. "He declined because he wanted to be in the competition."

Saif turns 'Love Guru'

Saif Ali Khan has a new profession these days. No, he hasn’t given up acting but is also playing love guru on the sets of Imtiaz Ali’s, Love Aaj Kal.Recently, Saif gave the film’s still photographer some important love tips when he wanted to woo a girl. A source said, “While shooting in New Delhi, the still photographer got some much-needed love tips from Saif. The photographer was in love with a girl and wanted to ask her out. However, he didn’t know how to take things forward and express his feelings to her. That’s when Saif helped him out.” “Saif, who plays Jai in the film, taught him a few flashy lines from a particular scene, which he was enacting that day with Deepika Padukone, who plays Meera. In the scene, Jai tells Meera, ‘Yeh waise wali feeling hai’. To which Meera asks, ‘Kaise wali?’ Jai replies, ‘Waise wali. Meerawali’,” said the source. And before anybody knew it, Saif taught these lines to the lovesick still photographer. “When the photographer and his girl were in an auto rickshaw, he used the same lines only replacing Meera’s name in the dialogue with the girl’s. It worked wonders. The girl was quite amused and agreed to go on a date with the photographer. Their relationship has deepened and they are a couple even today,” added the source. Dinesh Vijan, co-producer of Illuminati Productions, said, “Yes, I do know the unit member who used this line from the film to woo his ladylove. Since I believe it worked, I don’t want to ruin it for him by naming him. Why spoil the fun?”

Kiefer Sutherland arrested on assault charge

Actor Kiefer Sutherland, best known for his television role as a special agent, was arrested Thursday on charges that he head-butted a fashion designer at a Manhattan party."He was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge," the duty officer at the New York Police Department told AFP.Sutherland, famous as the fearless agent Jack Bauer in the blockbuster television series "24," surrendered to police at a Manhattan station.The 42-year-old actor was not jailed and remains free prior to a court appearance, the duty officer said. The date of that hearing was not immediately known.Sutherland allegedly head-butted Jack McCullough, a fashion designer, at a nightclub on Monday, following a glamorous event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. McCullough alleges the blow cut his face.According to unconfirmed newspaper accounts, Sutherland assaulted the designer after McCullough bumped into actress and model Brooke Shields.Sutherland's legal situation may be complicated by the fact that he is currently on probation for drunk driving. He spent 48 days in jail after that arrest in 2007.

وسٹا کے بعد ونڈوز 7 تیار

سافٹ ویئر کی سب سے بڑی کمپنی مائیکرو سافٹ اگلے ہفتے ونڈوز کے نئے ورژن کی نمائش کر رہی ہے۔
نیا سافٹ ویئر’ونڈوز سیون‘ ونڈوز وسٹا کے بعد کا ورژن ہے اور کمپنی کا کہنا ہے کہ اس بار وہ سب کچھ نہیں ہوگا جو ونڈوز وسٹا کے اجرا کے موقع پر ہوا تھا۔
ونڈوز وسٹا کے اجرا پر صارفین نے شکایت کی تھی کہ یہ پروگرام دوسرے کئی سافٹ ویئر سے ہم آہنگی نہیں رکھتا جس کی وجہ انہیں اپنے کمپیوٹروں پر مزید رقم خرچ کرنی پڑی تھی۔
مائیکروسافٹ کا کہنا ہے کہ ونڈوز سیون کی دوسرے تمام پروگرموں سے ہم آہنگی ہو گی اور صارفین کو ونڈوز سیون استعمال کرنے کے لیے نئے کمپیوٹر یا موجودہ کمپیوٹر کے اپ گریڈ پر خرچا کرنے کی ضرورت پیش نہیں آئے گی۔
برطانیہ میں مائیکروسافٹ کےڈائریکٹر جان کرن نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ ونڈوز وسٹا کی لانچ کےموقع پر بعض صارفین کو مشکلات پیش آئی تھیں لیکن اس بار ایسی صورتحال سے بچنے کی کوشش کی گئی ہے۔
جان کرن نے کہا کہ مائیکروسافٹ نے ماضی سے سبق سیکھا ہے اور اپنے پارٹنرز کے ساتھ ملکر ایک ایسا سافٹ ویئر تیار کیا ہے جو تمام پرانے سافٹ ویئر سے مطابقت رکھتا ہے۔
انہوں نے کہا جن صارفین کے کمپوٹر ونڈوز وسٹا چلانے کی صلاحیت رکھتے ہیں وہ ونڈوز سیون بھی چلا سکیں گے۔
مائیکروسافٹ نے ونڈوز وسٹا کو پہلی نمائش کے پانچ ماہ بعد صارفین کے لیے جاری کر دیا تھا لیکن ونڈوز سیون کے بارے میں کمپنی کوئی تاریخ دینے سے گریزاں ہے۔
مائیکروسافٹ ڈائریکٹر جان کرن کا کہنا ہے کہ ونڈوز سیون صرف اسی وقت جاری کیا جائے گا جب وہ تیار ہوگا۔انہوں نے کہا مائیکروسافٹ نے ونڈوز وسٹا کے اجرا کے تین سال کے بعد نیا ورژن جاری کرنے کا پروگرام بنایا تھا اوراس کے مطابق جنوری دو ہزار دس میں ونڈوز سیون صارفین کی دسترس میں ہونا چاہیے۔
جن کمپوٹر ماہرین کو ونڈوز سیون کو ٹیسٹ کرنے کا موقع ملا ہے ان کا کہنا ہے کہ نیا سافٹ ویئر ونڈوز وسٹا سے رفتار میں بہتر ہے اور اس کے ساتھ کمپیوٹر کے آن اور آف ٹائم میں خاصی کمی ہو جاتی ہے۔

45 killed in attack on Turkish wedding

ISTANBUL: Masked gunmen armed with assault rifles and grenades attacked a wedding party in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey, killing at least 45 people including many women and children, authorities said. The attack on Monday evening was one of the worst involving civilians in European Union candidate Turkey's modern history. Interior Minister Besir Atalay said initial evidence did not point to involvement of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party(PKK). Media reports said there had been a blood feud between two families in the small village in recent years. The deputy governor of the province of Mardin, Ahmet Ferhat Ozen, told foreign news agency by telephone the assailants stormed a house in Bilge village near Sultankoy, some 20 km (12 miles) from Mardin, hurling grenades and opening fire on wedding guests. The assailants escaped from the isolated region of Turkey on the border with Syria before soldiers surrounded the village and cut off road access.

Sharukh to replace Aamir?

According to industry insiders, SRK is replacing his archrival Aamir Khan in Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani's next.Apparently Ritesh approached Aamir with a film idea on the sets of 3 Idiots. Riding high on his new market value, Aamir refused to agree to whatever Sidhwani offered. He demanded a whopping fee for acting in the film and on the top of that, wanted a percentage share from the movie's profits. There was no love lost between the producer and the actor, and eventually Sidhwani walked out on Aamir, which is quite ironical since their last venture together with Farhan had delivered the super hit cult film Dil Chahta Hai.Meanwhile, Ritesh did confirm that talks with Aamir had failed but refused to reveal who exactly is going to replace the actor. But since the incident, rumour mills haven't stopped buzzing that in all probability it's going to be Sharukh Khan. Sharukh is anyways a favourite with Farhan , who made Don with King Khan and now plans to make Don 2 with him.Well, the people in Aamir's camp insist that the perfectionist Khan didn't disagree over the cost rather it was the quality of the script that disappointed him. Aamir is currently finishing Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots where Aamir is co-starring with Kareena for the first time.Looks like for once it's going to be Aamir's loss, and Shah Rukh's gain in this war of mighty Khans.

Bruce Willis stays a busy action man

Action stars may lose their currency as they move into their 50s. But Bruce Willis keeps on raking in the offers.The newly remarried "Die Hard" star, who turned 54 last month, has been in discussions to shoot and fight his way through three indie action pictures -- a thriller titled "Inventory," the CIA tale "Red" and the mob biopic "Scarpa."In "Inventory," Willis would play a detective on the trail of a murderer. It is set up at NuImage/Millennium, which is handling Sylvester Stallone's latest crop of movies.In the comic-book adaptation "Red," he would portray a former black-ops agent who is forced out of retirement when a high-tech assassin comes a-callin' to threaten him and his girlfriend.Summit Films, the studio behind the "Twilight" movies, has made an offer on "Red," and Willis' camp has counteroffered, though those with knowledge of the talks say negotiations could yet break off without the sides reaching a deal.Willis has also been weighing an offer from Morgan Creek to play the title character in "Scarpa," a mob biopic about Greg Scarpa, an FBI informant who worked deeply undercover in New York's Columbo family, though the odds are growing that Willis won't do that picture.After making his name as an action star through most of the 1990s with the "Die Hard" movies and pictures like "Armageddon" and "Mercury Rising," Willis briefly took on less action-oriented parts in such films as "The Sixth Sense," "The Story of Us" and "The Kid" before returning to his trademark roles. He revived his John McClane character in "Live Free or Die Hard" in 2007.Willis is attached to or is starring in a host of other action movies -- the buddy action-comedy tentatively titled "A Couple of Dicks" at Warners, likely to be his next movie, and Lionsgate's adaptation of the video game title "Kane & Lynch." He next stars in the Disney sci-fi actioner "Surrogates."Even brand-name actors have had trouble keeping action roles going once they hit the midcentury mark. But a select group of older icons like Stallone and Harrison Ford have found multiple jobs in action movies even into their 50s and even their 60s. Looks like Willis will be moonlighting that way too.

Priyanka Chopra turns down Sonia Gandhi's offer

Before Sanjay Nirupam was fielded as the Congress I candidate to fight BJP’s veteran Ram Nayak for this year’s Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was very keen to put up the much-in-the-news Priyanka Chopra in place of Govinda.According to very reliable sources the discussions had gone very much ahead. “The Congress wanted a glamorous and younger Bollywood candidate after Govinda for the prestigious Mumbai North constituency. Someone who would connect with the young urban youth of the nation. Initially Priyanka didn’t say no. But then her bulk of film-related work got the better of her. Shooting day and night and then putting in months of gruelling election campaigning and devoting quality and quantity time to her constituency seemed a bit much for Priyanka. She finally had to say no, although Soniaji was very keen.”The Congress I could’ve acquired itself another pretty and articulate Priyanka. Sadly it didn’t happen. For now Priyanka Gandhi would have to be content being the prettiest and most glamorous member of the Congress party.While the actress, finally on a much-needed sabbatical after the exhausting schedule of What’s Your Raashee remains tightlipped about her congress with politics, a close friend says, “Priyanka doesn’t rule out politics in the future.But this time she is neither contesting nor campaigning for any candidate. Besides her schedules taking over Govinda’s constituency seemed a rather daunting task to Priyanka.”

'Wolverine' premiere cancelled in Mexico: report

The Mexico City premiere of blockbuster movie ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ has been cancelled because of the killer swine flu outbreak, People magazine reported Monday.A spokesperson for Twentieth Century Fox told the magazine the red carpet event had been cancelled out of concern for the safety of the film's star Hugh Jackman and the studio's staff."We were not only concerned about Hugh's welfare -- and we would never send anyone into harm's way -- but we also have an enormous office filled with people we care about," the spokesperson was quoted as saying."There was no point in proceeding under the current conditions." Australian heart-throb Jackman was the only cast member from the film expected to attend the premiere, which could be rescheduled.Some 149 people are believed to have been killed from and more than 1,600 sickened from Mexico's swine flu outbreak.Schools across the country have been closed until May 6 in a bid to stop the spread of the flu.

Madonna voted hardest working mum

Pop diva Madonna has been named the hardest working mother in showbiz topping a new poll ahead of Hollywood actresses Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth The pop superstar took home $110 million (75 million pounds) in 2008, putting herself at the forefront of high-earning women with children, reports contactmusic.com.Madonna, who is mother to adopted toddler David Banda, 3, Rocco, 8 and 12-year-old Lourdes, took most of her money from her world tour as well as record sales and a string of endorsement deals. Coming second in the poll is divorced mother of two Witherspoon who took home $24 million (16.5 million pounds) in 2008. The actress has two kids, Ava, 9, and son Deacon, 5, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe. While, Gwyneth, came on the third spot and also has two children, with husband Chris Martin. She has earnings of $20 million (13.8 million pounds).

Feroz Khan passes away

Bollywood actor Feroz Khan today lost his battle with cancer and passed away at his farmhouse here.The 69-year-old actor-filmmaker died at 1:30 am at his farmhouse here, family sources said. Khan is survived by actor son Fardeen Khan and daughter Laila Khan. He was diagnosed with suffering from cancer and was being treated at a Mumbai hospital for a long time. His funeral will take place later in the day in Bangalore, the sources said. The actor was born and brought up in Bangalore. The Bollywood actor of yesteryear was known for his hit films of the 70s and 80s which include 'Dharmatama', 'Qurbani' and 'Jaanbaz'. The latest film he featured in was the blockbuster hit 'Welcome' in 2007.

‘Benazir and Democracy’ awarded at Chicago film festival

The documentary titled ‘Benazir and Democracy’ won the Certificate of Merit in the Category of Documentary on History and Biography at the Chicago Film Festival Hugo Television Awards.Pakistan’s private TV channel, produced the documentary, which was aired on December 27, 2009, private TV channel won the award for its contribution in over viewing the future of democracy in Pakistan at the 2009 Hugo Television Award ceremony in Chicago, USA as well.The award was received by Farah Jamal-Uddin, producer of the documentary. Ms. Jamal-Uddin has been working with private TV for more than a year now.Farah Jamal-Uddin is also the person behind producing the documentary, which won the hearts of all the judges.Speaking at the occasion Ms. Farah shared "I am extremely honored to be recognized for playing a part in influencing the ever-advancing field of television and making Pakistan proud of her greatest leader, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto".She further said that "the content and object of this documentary was to overview the future of democracy, after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto who strived for the institution of democracy her whole life and came to a tragic ending".The documentary was shown on Benazir Bhutto's first death anniversary, December 27, 2009 on private as part of its tribute to a strong personality in the Pakistan political scenario and who has shaped the future of the democratic agenda for Pakistan.The award show was a celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Hugo Television Awards.These awards are held on an annual basis to honor the important events, beloved personalities, and inspiring ideas that have shaped the unforgettable moments of television.Every year the most innovative members of the television industry submit their work to the Hugo Television Awards to be recognized as a leader in the field.This year the 2009 Hugo Television Awards was launched with the theme of raising the standard of quality in all aspects of the medium.

Cowabunga! Ninja Turtles back on big screen

Pizza-munching crimefighters the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are to return to the big screen for a fifth film based on the popular comic books, Daily Variety reported Thursday.The new movie, scheduled for release in 2011, is to focus on the origins of the sewer-dwelling superheroes and would be shot as a live action feature, in contrast to 2007's "TMNT", which relied on computer-generated imagery.Following their comic-book debut in 1984, the Ninja Turtles spawned a lucrative film franchise, the first four movies grossing more than 310 million dollars at the North American box office.

Kareena Kapoor Postponed NY Trip to Celebrate Her Mothers Birthday

Kareena was supposed to leave for a month-long schedule of Rensil D’Silva’s film. But she opted for a sudden change of plan. April 20 happened to be Kareena’s mother’s birthday. Mama as usual insisted that Kareena must not allow her work to suffer.
But while shooting an ad with Imtiaz Ali in Chandigarh two days prior to mom’s birthday Kareena suddenly decided to make April 20 a special day for her mom.Quickly wrapping up her work in Chandigarh she rushed back to Mumbai, postponed her and Saif’s trip to New York by a day to arrange a small family get-together over dinner at her swanky new place in Bandra.
Says Kareena, “It was just family for my Mom. That’s the way she likes it. That’s the way I wanted it to be. Yes, my dad was there too. And of course Saif. He’s very much part of the family.”
Reluctant to reveal any more detail about the magical evening, Kareena says, “My mom is my world. I’d do anything with her. Postponing mine and Saif’s trip to NY was nothing. What did I give my mom? My time and my love. That’s all she wants.”
Seeing him blend with the Kapoors at Kareena’s mom’s birthday, it is easy to see Saif is now the unofficial son-in-law of the family.

کیا پاکستانی پنجاب کے تین دیہات ہندوستان کے قبضے میں ہیں اور کسی کو اس کا علم تک نہیں؟

انگریزی روزنامہ ہندوستان ٹائمز کے مطابق فیروز پور ضلع میں بین الاقوامی سرحد پر واقع کثیر آبادی والے تین گاؤں ریوینیو ریکارڈز کے مطابق پاکستان کے قصور ضلع کا حصہ ہیں حالانکہ یہ زمین ہندوستان کی ہے۔
اخبار کے مطابق یہ ’کلیریکل‘ غلطی تقسیم کے وقت ہوئی تھی جس کی کبھی تصیح نہیں کی گئی۔
اگرچہ زمین کے اس ٹکڑے پر دونوں ملکوں کے درمیان کوئی تنازعہ نہیں ہے لیکن اس غلطی کی مقامی لوگوں نے بھاری قیمت ادا کی ہے کیونکہ شاید ریوینیو ریکارڈز میں شامل نہ ہونے کی وجہ سے ترقیاتی پروگراموں میں بھی اس علاقے کو نظر انداز کر دیا گیا۔
نہالے والا، کالو والا اور بیار میں گزشتہ برس تک بجلی کی لائن تک نہیں تھی۔ لیکن مقامی لوگ بھی خاموش بیٹھے رہے۔ اس کی وجہ شاید یہ تھی کہ زیادہ تر لوگ تقسیم کے وقت پاکستان سے آئے تھے اور انہوں نےاس زمین پر کاشت شروع کر دی تھی۔ لیکن ان کے پاس مالکانہ حقوق ثابت کرنے کے لیے کوئی دستاویزات نہیں ہیں۔
اخبار کے مطابق گاؤں والوں نے بھی ہمیشہ یہ کوشش کی کہ وہ کسی کی نظر میں نہ آئیں کیونکہ انہیں یہ خوف تھا کہ کہیں انہیں ان زمینوں سے بے دخل نہ کردیا جائے۔ اسی لیے وہ نہ زمین خریدتے ہیں اور نہ بیچتے۔
نہ وہاں سڑکیں ہیں، نہ سکول، نہ ہسپتال لیکن ان لوگوں کو ووٹ کا حق حاصل ہے۔ گاؤں تک صرف کشتی پر سوار ہوکر ہی پہنچا جاسکتا ہے کیونکہ یہ علاقہ دریائے ستلج اور پاکستان کی سرحد کے بیچ واقع ہے۔
ضلع انتظامیہ نے اس بات کا اعتراف کیا ہے کہ ہندوستان کے ریکارڈز میں تقریباً سو ایکڑ زمین کا کوئی ذکر نہیں ہے۔

Shahid and I wont disappoint: Kareena

Kareena Kapoor and her ex-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor were a hit pair in Jab We Met and the actress says they won't disappoint fans as an on-screen couple in their much delayed Milenge Milenge either."I know people have expectations from us individually and as a pair. And they won't be disappointed. It's a very sweet film. And not dated at all though it got delayed. I'm as proud of Milenge Milenge as I am of any of my films," said Kareena, who is currently dating actor Saif Ali Khan. The romantic comedy by director Satish Kaushik has been in the making since 2005. Defying all talks that she has been sidelining her only pending assignment with Shahid, Kareena said she had been running in and out of the studio to complete the dubbing before she leaves for a shoot in New York. "We're all professionals here. For me it doesn't matter who the leading man in Milenge Milenge is. For me what is important is that I made a commitment to two of my favourite people in the industry - producer Boney Kapoor and director Satish Kaushik - who've stood by me from the beginning of my career. How can I let them down? Boney wants a summer release for his film. I've to complete my dubbing before I leave," said Kareena. "I'm running in and out of two dubbing studios. I've already completed most of the dubbing," she added. Milenge Milenge is special because the former couple will be seen together after Imtiaz Ali's lovable Jab We Met in 2007.

X-Men's Jackman leaves his mark on Hollywood 'Walk of Fame'

Australian actor Hugh Jackman left an indelible mark on Hollywood Tuesday, planting his hands and feet in the cement on Tinseltown's 'Walk of Fame.'Two months after hosting the Oscars, the 40-year-old actor left his mark in the sidewalk in front Grauman's Chinese Theatre in North West Los Angeles.The star belonging to Jackman -- who has appeared in the "X-Men" series and with compatriot Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" -- is located next to cinema icons Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart.The event was part publicity stunt for his upcoming film "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" which made news in recent weeks as a pirated copy leapt around the internet.

Iqbal Bano passes away

Subcontinent's great and Pride of Performance ghazal, thumri and classical singer Iqbal Bano died in Lahore at a local hospital after brief illness. She was 74, a private TV channel reported. Bano was born in Delhi in 1935. She won the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Pride of Performance) medal in 1974 for her contributions to the world of Pakistani music.She was musically talented, with a sweet and appealing voice. From the young age, Bano developed love for music. In Delhi, she studied under Ustad Chaand Khan of the Delhi Gharana, an expert in all kinds of pure classical and light classical forms of vocal music.He instructed her in pure classical music and light classical music within the framework of classical forms of thumri and dadra. She was duly initiated Gaandaabandh shagird of her Ustad. He forwarded her to All India Radio, Delhi, where she sang on the radio.Iqbal Bano was invited by Radio Pakistan for performances, she being an accomplished artist. Her debut public concert was in 1957, at Lahore Arts Council, before an elite crowd. Music lovers feted her beyond imagination. With each recital, she generated more and more public appeal.She was considered a specialist in singing the works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. She has given such musical relevance to the ghazals of Faiz that Bano and Faiz are apparently inseparable in popular imagination. Because of Faiz's imprisonment and hatred of the Pakistani Government towards him, Bano roused a strong crowd of 50,000 people in Lahore by singing his passionate Urdu nazm, "Hum Dekhenge."Iqbal Bano could sing Persian ghazals with the same fluency as Urdu. She was always applauded in Iran and Afghanistan for her Persian ghazals. Her recitals stick to the old classical style that lays more stress on the raag purity.Basically a ghazal singer, Iqbal Bano has also sung many memorable Pakistani film songs. She had provided soundtrack songs for famous Urdu films like Gumnaam (1954), Qatil (1955), Inteqaam (1955), Sarfarosh (1956), Ishq-e-Laila (1957), and Nagin (1959).

Ash still a bigger brand internationally

She may no longer be the face of brands like Coca-Cola and Nakshatra diamond jewellery in India, but Aishwarya Rai is still riding high on successful and long-standing international endorsements.Aishwarya has completed nearly a decade of endorsing Swiss luxury watch brand Longines and international soap Lux. She has also been the brand ambassador of global hair care brand L'Oreal since 2003. Noted ad-man Prahlad Kakkar says Aishwarya is sought by well-known brands because she is more than just an actress and is often perceived as an ambassador of India. "Aishwarya was never a big or major endorser of Indian products. She has an impressive list of international brands to her name and that's because she is not just an actress who can be judged on hits and flops, but the fact that she is a representative of the Indian woman and is an ambassador of the country," said Kakkar, who made Ash famous as Sanju in a 1993 TV commercial for Pepsi. Even representatives of the brands that Aishwarya endorses feel she adds a new dimension to their products. "Aishwarya has been associated with us since 1999 and it is a big help. Not only in this country but also globally," Charles Villoz, Vice President (sales) of Longines International, had earlier said. "People across the world love Bollywood films and they go houseful. Wherever we have travelled (with Aishwarya) the response has been overwhelming. She is a global face and we would like to continue this association as long as possible," Villoz said. For Aishwarya, who has made her presence felt internationally through English language films like Bride and Prejudice, Mistress of Spices, Provoked and Pink Panther 2, signing films and endorsements has been a very selective affair. When she was approached to promote L'Oreal's skin whitening cream, the beauty queen-turned-actress refused as she didn't want to endorse such a product especially in India, where one's skin colour is an issue, said a source close to Aishwarya. "Whether it is films or endorsements, I am - and have been - very selective about my work. I take up work which suits me and fits in my schedule," said Aishwarya. "I don't take projects that I cannot handle because I believe in totally fulfilling the commitments made by me," she added. A lot had been said about Aishwarya's dipping popularity as Bollywood's reigning endorsement queen when 24-year-old Katrina Kaif replaced her as the face of Nakshatra jewellery last year. And speculation was rife about the reason behind the replacement, with some saying that Katrina was roped in to add more youthfulness to the brand. But it was apparently Aishwarya who decided to dissociate herself from the brand. "There was a lot of buzz when Katrina stepped in as the brand ambassador for Nakshatra. But it wasn't that Aishwarya was dethroned, because the brand was branching out into different accessories," the source close to the former Miss World said. "Ash had earlier signed De Beers for their brand Nakshatra. Later De Beers sold this brand to the Gitanjali group and they started branching out into accessories like hair bands, clips, etc. That's when she decided to disassociate herself from the brand and later it went to Katrina," the source told.Aishwarya, who celebrated her second wedding anniversary with actor husband Abhishek Bachchan on Monday, also had personal reasons to withdraw her association with Coca-Cola, one of the biggest brands she was endorsing in India. "Aishwarya was never asked to leave endorsing a product, it was always her own decision. When she left Coca-Cola, it was a decision taken only after she was going to marry Abhishek because the Bachchans no longer believe in promoting and endorsing aerated drinks," the source added. According to industry insiders, Aishwarya takes home nearly Rs 1 billion from advertising assignments annually.

Teen heartthrob takes '17 Again' to box office top

Youthful fantasy '17 Again, ' starring US teen heartthrob Zac Efron, shot to the top of the North American box office over the weekend, final figures showed Monday.The film, which also stars Matthew Perry as a man whose life hasn't turned out quite as planned, earned 23.7 million dollars during its first three days in theaters, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.Washington-based "State of Play" took an A-list cast to the second spot, raking in 14 million dollars, also in its opening weekend.Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren, the thriller centers on reporters and police trying to solve the murder of a young lawmaker's mistress.Miley Cyrus vehicle "Hannah Montana: The Movie," fell to third place after holding the top spot. The film version of the popular Disney TV series took in 13.4 million dollars for a total of 56.9 million in just two weeks."Monsters and Aliens," an animated tale of a rag-tag group of monsters who save the world from destruction, dropped one spot to fourth place, earning 13.2 million dollars to bring its total to 163.1 million over four weeks.Car chase movie "Fast & Furious," starring Vin Diesel, earned 11.8 million dollars, bringing total receipts to 136.2 million dollars.Action sequel "Crank: High Voltage" took in seven million dollars in its opening weekend for the sixth spot.Seth Rogen's twisted mall-cop comedy "Observe and Report" was in seventh place with 4.2 million dollars, while Nicolas Cage's time-travel action drama "Knowing" took in 3.6 million dollars for eighth.Buddy comedy "I Love You, Man," starring Paul Rudd in search of a male best friend ahead of his impending wedding, earned 3.3 million dollars for a total take of 64.6 million dollars over five weeks.Rounding out the top 12 was horror film "The Haunting in Connecticut" at the tenth spot with 3.1 million dollars, followed by graphic novel-turned movie "Dragonball Evolution" and comedy tale "Adventureland."

Happy 2nd Anniversary Abhi-Ash

Bollywood’s super couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan celebrate their second wedding anniversary today on April 20th.
Apparently the hot couple is off to a week long vacation at an undisclosed location.
A source says, “Last year Abhishek was slogging it out in Miami for Dostana and Aishwarya joined him there for their wedding anniversary. This year they were again supposed to be working, though happily together, for the next schedule of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan on their anniversary.”
But due to Mani Ratnam’s recent health scare, the duo have got ample time for themselves due to no shooting schedule.
The source adds, “In fact Mani had suggested he’d start the schedule later to give Abhishek and Aishwarya a chance to take time off for their anniversary. But the couple had refused. It’s only now when the schedule is pushed ahead that they’ve decided to take that anniversary holiday.”
We wish you a very happy anniversary Abhi-Ash, may you stay together till the end of your lives.

Adnan Sami says his life is in danger

Singer and actor Adman Sami Khan said on Monday that his life in Mumbai is in danger as he is continuously receiving death threats.Speaking reluctantly about the death calls, Adnan said: "The first call came at around 9.30 am on Thursday followed by one every half hour. It was very clear in its intention. The person on the other end warned me to lay off someone or face the consequences. But I didn't act intimidated at all. The caller clearly named the person on whose behalf he was calling. I was horrified and appalled beyond words. Can anyone normal or sane stoop so low?""I've also approached the Indian home ministry and the highest authorities have assured me optimum cooperation. The support I've received during the time of my stress from outside and inside Bollywood is overwhelming," media reported quoting Adnan.Adnan immediately informed the Mumbai authorities that his life is in danger."They've very kindly beefed up my security. The number of security personnel around me has gone up drastically. But I'm not feeling safe any longer. I want people to know who's to blame if something happens to me," he said."I feel everyone close to me is now in danger. So I've decided that they should all stay as far away as possible from the house. My mother, who was in Islamabad for her father's funeral, is back in the house to look after my father. But I'm asking my entire family and friends to be nowhere near me. My mom won't travel anywhere with me. I'd never be able to forgive myself if they came to any harm. "

Gritty drama shines at Hong Kong Film Awards

A gritty, low-budget docudrama set in one of the most poverty-stricken districts of Hong Kong dominated the city's annual film awards."The Way We Are", which is set in the Tin Shui Wai border town far from the towering skyscrapers and ostentatious wealth of downtown Hong Kong, took home four of the top gongs at Sunday's ceremony, including best director and best actress.The district, near the border with China and known locally as the "City of Sadness", has been hit by a string of suicides and domestic violence cases in recent years.Most tragically, in 2007 a woman killed her two children by throwing them from the 24th floor of her building, before leaping to her own death. The film aims to shine a brighter light on the everyday lives of people in the area.While "The Way We Are" lost out to "Ip Man", a biopic of the kung fu master of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, for best film, there was little doubt the night belonged to director Ann Hui and veteran actress Paw Hee-ching.Paw, who will turn 60 this year, became the first Hong Kong star to win the best actress award since 2004, as mainland actresses such as Gong Li have monopolised the prize."I had never thought I would get any award here. I worked in this film only because I supported Ann Hui (the director)," the teary actress said at Sunday's awards ceremony."There was no money, no all-star cast. There was only a director with great enthusiasm and excellent work attitude, who managed to turn a film like this into a spectacular achievement," said Paw.Paw said she was delighted to win the award in the 100th anniversary of the city's film industry and overturn the dominance of mainland Chinese actresses."These days, it's becoming rare to have Hong Kong actresses grabbing the top honours," Paw, who plays a single mother in the film, told reporters after the awards.After becoming a movie powerhouse in the 1970s on the back of its martial arts innovations, Hong Kong's movie industry has struggled in recent years, although its top stars remain hugely popular across Asia.To counter the industry woes, there have been increasing collaborations between Hong Kong and mainland filmmakers targeting the large market of cinema-goers in China, which often means mainland actresses bag big roles.Critics have also said that young Hong Kong actresses are more interested in making money than developing their craft.Hong Kong action supremo John Woo's historical war epic "Red Cliff", said to be the most expensive Asian-financed film to date, grabbed five gongs in the technical categories, but failed to pick up any of the night's big awards.Rising star Nick Cheung, better known as a comic, bagged the best actor award for playing a kidnapper in action-packed thriller "The Beast Stalker". "The process of transformation was quite lonely and tough," he said.The best new performer award went to the youngest nominee this year, Xu Jiao, for her lively performance in Stephen Chow's sci-fi movie "CJ 7"."I am very touched. Father, I got full marks this time!" the 11-year old said after grabbing the award.

Will it be 3 Idiots vs My Name is Khan?

It is now official that Aamir and Shah Rukh, the two reigning Khans of Bollywood, have a love-hate relationship.The two love to take digs at each other publicly and then blame the media and the fans for blowing their spats out of proportion, and yet they are also capable of coming together and sharing a stage when it comes to a serious issue like the producers' strike.The latest in their turbulent friendship is that Aamir Khan reportedly wants his next film 3 Idiots to clash with the SRK starrer My Name is Khan.According to sources, Rajkumar Hirani, the director of 3 Idiots, is not keen to take on the intimidating trio of SRK, Kajol and Karan Johar, especially since this is the long awaited on-screen reunion of SRK and Kajol, easily one of Bollywood's best loved couples.However, Aamir is determined, and sources even say that he may have deliberately taken a holiday with his kids in order to delay the film.The big question is, why is Aamir so keen to clash with this movie? Is it because of the Diwali release, or is it because of his fond memories of getting one-up on Shah Rukh at the end of 2008, when Ghajini broke all box office records, leaving behind an otherwise successful Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Let's see who fate favours this time.

سب سے لمبا انسان ہونے کا نیا دعویدار

چین میں دنیا کے سب سے طویل القامت شخص ہونے کا ایک نیا دعویدار سامنے آیا ہے۔
چینی صوبہ حنان کے علاقے تیانجن سے تعلق رکھنے والے سابق باسکٹ بال کھلاڑی ژہاؤ لیانگ کے طویل القامت ہونے کا پتہ اس وقت چلا جب وہ اپنے پاؤں کا علاج کروانے کے لیے ہسپتال پہنچے۔ ہسپتال میں ڈاکٹروں نے جب ان کا قد ناپا تو وہ دو اعشاریہ چار چھ میٹر یا آٹھ فٹ ایک انچ سے کچھ کم نکلا۔
اگر اس پیمائش کو تسلیم کر لیا جائے تو وہ اس وقت دنیا کے سب سے لمبے شخص سے دس سنٹی میٹر یا تین اعشاریہ نو انچ لمبے ہیں۔ اس وقت دنیا کے سب سے طویل القامت شخص کا اعزاز چین ہی کے ستاون باؤ زیشن کے پاس ہے۔ باؤ زیشن سات فٹ آٹھ اعشاریہ نو پاچن انچ طویل ہیں اور ان کا نام سنہ 2005 میں گینیز بک آف ورلڈ ریکارڈز میں درج کیا گیا تھا۔
تاہم اب ستائیس سالہ ژہاؤ اپنے سب سے زیادہ طویل القامت ہونے کا دعوٰی پیش کر رہے ہیں۔ جب تک گینیز بک آف ورلڈ ریکارڈ کے ماہرین ان کے اس دعوے کی تصدیق نہیں کر دیتے انہیں باقاعدہ طور پر دنیا کا سب سے لمبا آدمی نہیں مانا جائے گا۔ چین کے سرکاری خبر رساں ادارے ژن ہوا کے مطابق ژہاؤ سنہ 2006 تک بیروزگار تھے اور اس کے بعد ہی انہوں نےگلیوں میں اپنے فن کا مظاہرہ کرنا شروع کیا تھا۔

Asin wins an international award

She is the biggest sensation down south and her Bollywood debut will go down in history as one of the biggest and most successful films ever. She is none other than Asin.This lass after making her Hindi film debut with ‘Ghajini’ opposite Aamir Khan, has been in news for all the right reasons. And now adding another feather to her hat is her latest achievement of getting the Best Actress award for her role in Kamal Haasan's Tamil film ‘Dasavathaaram’ by the Singapore-based International Tamil Film Awards (ITFA). The ITFA, which recognizes the contribution of film personalities and actors towards Tamil cinema on an international scale, will present the award to the actress at a ceremony which will be held on May 16 in Singapore.

Oprah to make Twitter debut

Twitter is aflutter over Oprah. The megastar talk show host plans to send her first message, or 'tweet,' on the hot micro-blogging service on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' on Friday.Oprah announced the creation of her Twitter account, @oprah, on her Facebook page on Thursday and attracted more than 34,000 followers in just a few hours.She said the guest on her show on Friday would be the man she described as the "King of Twitter" -- Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher.Kutcher, who is married to actress Demi Moore, is currently engaged in a high-profile battle with 24-hours news channel CNN to be the first to gather one million followers on Twitter.Kutcher, who uses the handle @aplusk on Twitter, was about 30,000 followers short at 2130 GMT on Thursday while CNN's breaking news feed, @cnnbrk, needed another 25,000 followers to reach one million.Oprah is the latest celebrity to begin using Twitter, which allows users to pepper their followers with messages of a maximum 140 characters.Other well-known users include British actor and playwright Stephen Fry, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.

Bollywood stars bank on IPL success

The involvement of some of Bollywood's biggest stars in the Indian Premier League (IPL) means the world's best one-day cricketers are not the only draw when the competition starts this weekend.Leading figures in India's Hindi-language film industry are closely involved in the eight teams who will battle it out for Twenty20 supremacy in South Africa from Saturday.Top actor-producer Shahrukh Khan part-owns Kolkata Knight Riders, actress Preity Zinta has a stake in King's XI Punjab and fellow star Shilpa Shetty has taken a share in defending champions Rajasthan Royals.Action hero Akshay Kumar is brand ambassador for Delhi Daredevils, movie hearthrob Hrithik Roshan is flying the flag for the Mumbai Indians, while screen siren Katrina Kaif is supporting the Bangalore Royal Challengers.Top performers and music directors have also got in on the act, producing music videos for many of the teams that owe much to Bollywood's song and dance routine tradition.In their oversized filmstar sunglasses and designer clothes, Shetty, Zinta and Kaif added much-needed glamour to the gathering of corporate suits at the auction for new players in the resort state of Goa earlier this year.For the actors, many of whom who have been making the rounds at promotional events before the start of IPL's second season, merging cricket and film makes perfect sense given the fanatical following that both have on the subcontinent."Cricket is not a sport in our country, it's a religion," said Shetty in February after she and her partner, British Asian businessman Raj Kundra, bought a 16-million-dollar stake in the Rajasthan Royals."I am very passionate about cricket and who better to invest in than the current reigning IPL champions. It completes the success story for the IPL team by merging with Bollywood."Shahrukh Khan, who stumped up 75 million dollars with his business partners for the Knight Riders franchise, said he got involved to help promote sport as a profitiable career option for young people."For me, it will be great to change the lives of youngsters who need to go out and channel their youthful aggression for good purposes rather than putting it to destructive use," he said.But with the IPL as much a commercial as a sporting exercise, the glitzy, fast-paced tournament tempts stars and corporate firms alike with the promise of big bucks."They (Bollywood stars) have got involved because people today are not just actors. They want to be entrepreneurs. They want to explore all business avenues and not just the film industry," film critic Taran Adarsh told AFP."The fact that they're coming together for the second time means that the first time was lucrative for them."Indian cricket's governing body made nearly 1.75 billion dollars from the sale of television rights, 108 million dollars from promotion and about 700 million from franchises, according to cricinfo.com.About 240 million dollars in sponsorship are riding on the event this year alone, India's Economic Times newspaper said last month.For Kundra, using Shetty's "tremendous" following in Britain, Australia and South Africa is another way of making Rajasthan Royals a global sporting brand."Bollywood joining cricket is about cricket's undersold potential," he said.Ironically, the only loser could be Indian cinema itself: multiplex owners -- already hit by a producers' strike over box office takings -- fear empty theatres through April and May as millions tune in to the IPL instead.

YouTube orchestra seeks harmony out of diversity

Musical -- and world -- harmony will be on display Wednesday when the YouTube Symphony Orchestra plays at New York's Carnegie Hall.Ninety-six musicians from no less than 33 countries, ranging from Cuba to Australia and South Korea to Sweden, are to play works from composers including Bach, Mozart and John Cage in the famous music hall.And they've only been given three days with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra music director Michael Tilson Thomas to get it right.In a first for the music world, the orchestra was chosen from 3,000 applicants in 70 countries who auditioned via the YouTube video sharing website.In honor of the occasion, the program will also include the specially composed Internet Symphony No. 1 "Eroica," by contemporary Chinese composer Tan Dun.At a practice session on Tuesday, the gamble of trying to turn complete strangers into perfect music partners seemed to be paying off."I was astonished because I thought it would take a lot longer to get ready," said cellist Pierre Charles, 27, who studies at the Jussieu university in Paris. "The sound was right straight away."Others said that regardless of how the performance goes, playing at Carnegie was an experience of a lifetime."I am an amateur player and for me, it is a very honorable and valuable experience to be here and broaden my life and my music," said oboe player Koichi Osada of Yokohama, Japan."This event will help people to become more familiar with classical music, even people who have not been interested in classical music. I hope all the people will listen to the video created after the concert."Colombian trombonist John Wilson Gonzalez, 27, also described a "marvelous experience" being in New York. "It was unimaginable that I could get to play in Carnegie Hall, a mythical theater where only the great musicians play.""There are musicians from all over the world -- professionals, amateurs, students. I don't know what sort of level it will be, but it's been really interesting."The auditions were not the only offbeat aspect of this online-inspired orchestra: Tan Dun's special symphony will feature percussion instruments made from automobile brake discs along with more traditional instruments."It could be described as something between a summit conference, scout jamboree or musical get-together. It'll be the first time that people from so many different countries will have had a chance to discover one another online and then actually meet up and make music together," Thomas told NPR radio.

Michael Jackson auction called off: official

A huge sale of Michael Jackson memorabilia due to take place next week has been cancelled, the auction house organizing the sell-off confirmed Tuesday.Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions, told AFP that the hotly anticipated sale had been scrapped after a settlement had been reached with the eccentric pop star's legal team.Jackson's management company had been attempting to halt the April 22-25 auction despite earlier approving the sale.

Murugadoss wants to direct Shahrukh

After teaming up with Aamir Khan in the hit movie Ghajini, Tamil director Murugadoss now wants to work with Shahrukh Khan and says he is working on a story right now."Yes, I'm working on a subject. I had a meeting with Shahrukh Khan once and I discussed a story with him. But frankly nothing has been finalised. We are still to meet many a times before a decision is taken," said Murugadoss at the launch of new Kannada film Suryakanthi. Murugadoss' Ghajini, a remake of a Tamil hit, grossed about Rs 250 crore. "Hindi film industry is big. The budgets are huge and we have freedom to narrate the film in a big way. I would like to direct one more Hindi film and then return to make South Indian films," he said. The director says he incorporated several changes in the script of Hindi remake after watching Memento. "I watched Memento before writing the script of Ghajini. But one thing I have to emphasise here is that the characterisation of the hero was changed after I saw Memento. In my original script, I had made the hero as a handicapped person after sustaining injuries. But I had changed it and included the memory loss syndrome after seeing Memento," said Murugadoss. The director also said he had several rounds of discussion with lead actor Aamir who helped him to create a different script. "You can see the change in ambience, narration in the Hindi version of Ghajini. I couldn't have made a frame to frame remake of the (Tamil) film. I agreed with Aamir Khan that the climax needs to be changed. And his suggestions were really helpful in adding valuable commercial elements in the film. Aamir Khan is a brilliant actor and director," said Murugadoss. Apart from Aamir starrer, Murugadoss has so far directed three Tamil films - Dheena, Ramana, Ghajini. He has also directed Telugu film Stalin that had Chiranjeevi in lead role. All his five films have been big hits. A graduate from the Bharathidas University, the 37-year-old director says he writes his own scripts and that reading books and interacting with people help him in writing good stories. "A director should have a world view. His vision can not be limited when he takes up different type of films. I am interested to know many things and would like to do more research whenever I intend to work with innovative concepts," said Murugadoss.

Shahid? Shhhh... says Priyanka!

:While Priyanka Chopra was shooting for Dostana in Miami, she wasn’t even thinking of Shahid Kapoor, the alleged new man in her life. But then Vishal Bahradwaj, who was casting for Kaminey wanted Priyanka to play the part of Sweety so badly, that he flew down all the way to Miami just to give her a narration. Of course, Piggy Chops was blown away by the script, and once she started shooting for the film, she was blown away by her co-star, too. Shahid swept her off her feet, just like that. We guess the steamy scenes did it for them. But unlike other actresses, Piggy isn’t telling, and refuses to wear her boyfriend on her arm. “I’m just not like that,” she maintains.So while her lips were sealed when asked about her man, Harman then, she remains shhhh... about Shahid now. Who has the key to this ‘lip-lock’?

Will Freida be world's most beautiful?

:Indian actress Freida Pinto is now being feted as a modern 'Helen of Troy' by Vanity fair magazine, which is conducting a poll to find the world's most beautiful woman.The magazine has given out a list of 19 names, out of which one will be adjudged the world's most beautiful woman.Although names of Hollywood superstars like Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman are missing, debutant Pinto has found a place on the list."Of the billions of women on this planet, only 19, we believe, could start wars. These modern-day Helens of Troy come from both hemispheres and include legends and ingenues," said the magazine about it's chosen list.The list is an eclectic mix of personalities. From Hollywood, actresses like Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, made to the list. While from the political circles, Queen Rania of Jordan and France first lady Carla Bruni stand tall to give a tough competition. Interestingly two of Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriends also feature on the list, Gisele Bundchen and current love interest Bar Rafaeli.

Bipasha wants to be a director

After eight years of being in front of the camera, Bipasha Basu says she has begun to understand the technical aspects of filmmaking. She is aiming to direct a film and says she will be 'fantastic' from behind the camera."I've learnt on the job. I now understand script, character, choreography and camera angles. So I guess I do see myself directing a film because I know I'll be fantastic with things from behind the camera," said Bipasha, who entered films with 2001 hit Ajnabee. It all started with her interest in the way she looks. "Nowadays, I take a lot of interest in the way I look. I've become conscious of what suits me. I wont do anything that I don't follow or don't feel comfortable in. Fortunately, we've such capable choreographers. They know I'm not a professional dancer. So they give me movements that are fun, more me," said Bipasha for whom styling has become crucial. "I've extra-long limbs. So, I need steps that don't dwarf the other dancers. I understand all that now. For one of the songs in Aa Dekhe Zara I went for very Afro-American look. It was the look that I thought suited the situation. My other song was very funky and flamboyant. I want to create variety and excitement for myself. It's the only way I can keep audiences interested," she added. Bipasha, 30, also loves performing live on stage. "I'm now getting a hang of it. Even John (Abraham) has gotten over his inhibitions about dancing. The idea is to just let go and have fun. First you've to get to that stage of relaxation on screen. The stage follows," she said. Bipasha's home is now renovated and she's ready to move back in at May end. "It's now reached the final stage of completion, the lights are being installed, the surfaces are being polished," said the actress who is planning a big house-warming party. Bipasha has given hits like Aankhen, Jism, No Entry, Corporate, Dhoom 2, Race and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

Song-a-day Mann a budding Internet star

Jonathan Mann is an Internet minstrel, writing a new song every day to serenade his growing online audience.His inspiration grounded in the music of Bob Dylan, the 26-year-old Mann cranks out often irresistible ditties on topics ranging from bank bailouts to penguin parties and an Oreo cookie's love for a glass of milk."It is about sitting down and opening the floodgates and letting it come out," Mann said from a chair at a desk in a corner of a small bedroom that doubles as his recording studio."I'm a three-chord kind of guy, very short and simple. The lyrics are the prime thing."Mann began writing a song a day on January 1 as part of an annual Fun-A-Day project organized by a group of US artists.The project calls on people to express themselves each day of the month with a new creation, whether it be a poem, a dance, a song, a drawing or some other form of artistic expression.At the end of January, Mann was having too much fun to quit."I'm happiest when I'm creating and if I can make that part of my daily thing, why stop?" Mann asked rhetorically.Mann's songs give voice to his perspective on anything from politics and economics to life, love and the hit science fiction television show "Battlestar Galactica"."There are laws of probability," said Mann. "If I write 31 songs in a month, I have a pretty good chance one of those is going to be excellent and the more I do it hopefully the better they get."He also bases songs on requests he gets at his rockcookiebottom.com website. Mann's enthusiasm for baking cookies prompted his girlfriend to once warn him he might hit a "rock cookie bottom".The phrase so struck Mann that he made it his Web home.Mann launched his online career with a GameJew persona in 2005. His character was based on the Mario hero of pioneering Nintendo videogame "Donkey Kong". Mann's outfit consisted of Mario's red hat and overalls.GameJew sang about and reported on the world of videogames, for which Mann had a passion. He even serenaded Shigeru Miyamoto with a tune he wrote just for the legendary Nintendo videogame designer."At the heart of everything, my biggest strength was song writing," Mann said. "I had a small but loyal audience."Music and videogames have always been entwined in Mann's mind."At 12 years old I put down a videogame control and I literally picked up the guitar," said Mann, who dates his song writing career from that moment."I started out aping Bob Dylan, but as I've grown I've taken on my own style."Mann said he fell out of "obsessive love" with videogames and was in search of a new artistic endeavor when he learned of the Fun-A-Day project."I try to always write things from my perspective," Mann said. "I've always been sort of left-leaning politically. I want to get away from the anger in those sorts of messages and get some of the naivety."A "Zombie Banks" song Mann wrote equates using public dollars to keep failing financial institutions on life support to nurturing the living dead found in horror films or videogames."If you let that zombie live they end up biting you and you become a zombie too," Mann said."You shoot that zombie in the head. You burn the corpse and you start again and that is what we should do with the banks. That is what the song says."Mann, who shares a cluttered Berkeley apartment with his girlfriend and a roommate, said he is eking out a living doing freelance online or commercial video jobs but work dried up as the economy melted down.Mann figures that at his current pace, he will have written about 22,000 songs by the time he is 85 years old."I don't see myself stopping any time soon," Mann said. "Barring some kind of unforeseen brain damage thing, where some weird part of my brain gets turned off and I lose the ability to be creative."Mann said he has grappled with the question of ensuring a song gets written on the day of his death."Do you wake up at midnight to make sure you write a song that day?" Mann asked before deciding that silence might be a fitting final chord to a song-a-day life.

Will Nicole Kidman work with Arjun Rampal?

We know that our cool Rampal boy has become Mr.Popular post Rock On, but c’mon, we can’t believe that he’s actually more sought-after than Hollywood superstar, Nicole Kidman. But tell you what guys....this is damn true (More true than the SRK- Aamir patch up, huh!). Apparently when Arjun was shooting the much talked about advertisement in Udaipur with Nicole, the locals there were far more interested in meeting Rampal than Ms. Kidman. Obviously our desis are much more into locals stars, and hardly that familiar with Hollywood stars. Also, in the pure, good-looks area, our gorgeous Rampal scores no less than Tom Cruise, na? We heard that Arjun needed as much security as Nicole because of his huge fan following, so much that even the gori chori was quite amused. Now let’s hope that Nicole is so impressed that she’ll want to work with our rockstar again. This time it could be on her side of the world. Hollywood, of course! A mega-scale musical would make a perfect plot for our Rock On star and the Moulin Rouge beauty. Wotsay, quite an idea, eh?

پنجاب کی رقاصائیں سندھ بدر

سندھ کے ضلع قمبر شہداد کوٹ میں جاری بسنت میلے میں فن کا مظاہرہ کرنے والی رقاصاؤں نے جمعیت علمائے اسلام فضل الرحمان کے ایک مقامی راہنما اور کارکنوں کے کہنے پر علاقہ چھوڑ دیا ہے۔ انہیں پردے کے لیے اجرک تحفہ پیش کرتے ہوئے دو گھنٹے کے اندر علاقے سے نکل جانے کو کہا گیا تھا۔

جمعیت علمائے اسلام فضل الرحمان گروپ کے صوبائی سیکرٹری اطلاعات مولانا عبدالرزاق عابد لاکھو نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ انہوں نے انڈس ہائی وی پر اپنے علاقے وگن میں جاری بسنت میلے کی شکایت ضلعی پولیس انتظامیہ سے کی تھی اور ان کے تعاون سے رقاصاؤں کو علاقہ چھوڑدینے کو کہا تھا۔

جے یو آئی کے ترجمان کےمطابق ان کے چھ راہنماؤں پر مشتمل وفد مقامی پولیس افسر کے ہمراہ رقاصاؤں کے پاس پہنچا اور انہیں رقص بند کرنے کو کہا۔ مولوی لاکھو کےمطابق انہوں نے رقاصاؤں کی دو سربراہ خواتین کو پردے کے طور پر اجرک کا ’تحفہ‘ پیش کیا اور انہیں فوری طور پر علاقہ چھوڑ دینے کو کہا۔

بسنت میلے میں اٹھارہ رقاصائیں اپنا فن پیش کر رہی تھیں جو مذہبی تنظیم کے وفد کی آمد کے بعد ایک گھنٹے کے اندر علاقہ چھوڑ گئی ہیں۔ وگن میں بسنت میلہ دس روز کے لیے لگایا گیا تھا مگر منتظمین کے مطابق مذہبی تنظیم کی شکایت کے باعث انہوں نے تین دن میں بسنت میلے کا اختتام کردیا ہے۔

سندھ کو عام طور پر صوفیا کی سرزمین کہا جاتا ہے اور صوفیانہ کلام عوام کی اکثریت میں مقبول ہے مگر گزشتہ چند ماہ سے جمعیت علمائے اسلام فضل الرحمان گروپ کے کارکن محفل ِموسیقی کے خلاف اپنے اکثریتی علاقوں میں اعتراض کرتے رہے ہیں۔

انہوں نے ایک سوال کے جواب میں کہا ہے کہ سندہ کے صوفی بزرگوں کے کلام پر انہیں اعتراض نہیں اور اسی لیے انہوں نے کبھی عابدہ پروین یا علن فقیر کی محفل پر اعتراض نہیں کیا ہے مگر وہ فحاشی اور عریانی کی اجازت نہیں دیں گے اور بقول ان کے ’پنجاب کی رقاصاؤں کو اجازت نہیں دیں گے کہ وہ سندہ کی سادہ لوح عوام کی جیبیں لوٹ لیں۔‘

‘India, Pakistan, US must tackle al-Qaeda together’

The threat posed by al-Qaeda and its allies can be met only with the joint efforts of arch rivals India and Pakistan, as well as the United States, the top US envoy to the region said on Wednesday. “For the first time since Partition (of the Sub-continent in 1947), India, Pakistan and the United States face a common threat, a common challenge and we have a common task,” US Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke told reporters in New Delhi.

“Now that we face a common threat we must work together,” said Holbrooke, who held talks here with senior Indian officials following visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan. But in his joint briefing with Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Holbrooke stressed that Washington had no intention of pushing New Delhi into resuming a peace dialogue with Islamabad. There are also concerns that Pakistan wants a solution to disputed Kashmir as an element of any regional peace efforts, a condition that India rejects. “We did not come here to ask India to do anything. We did not come here with any requests,” Holbrooke said, adding that his only brief was to “inform and consult with” Indian officials.

Those comments appeared aimed at addressing Indian concerns that Washington was intent on mediating a rapprochement with Pakistan. “We must work together...The national security of all these countries is clearly at stake,” Holbrooke said. Earlier, both the US leaders met with Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and discussed the regional situation with special reference to the war on terror. Holbrooke said the challenges would not be easy and regional threats and challenges had to be met with regional responses. He said India was an important power in the region and its role was ‘absolutely critical’ in many positive ways.

He condemned Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who has recently warned that two suicide bombings would be carried out in Pakistan per week unless the US stopped the missile strikes. “He is a terrible man, a great danger to Pakistan, to Afghanistan. He is as bad as any other actor in a very dangerous region,” he said. He said the purpose of their visit to the region was to hold consultation with ‘regional partners’ what could be done together. He said the use of military power alone to counter terrorism was no longer valid. A civil-military combination was important for stability, peace and good governance.

انڈیا انتخابات: سب چلتا ہے

تو سشما سواراج کے خیال میں لالو پرساد یادو جلاد ہیں، لالو کے خیال میں سشما ڈائن ہیں، لالو کی اہلیہ اور بہار کی سابق وزیر اعلی رابڑی دیوی کے خیال میں موجودہ وزیر اعلی نتیش کمار اور ان کے ایک سیاسی رفیق ایک دوسرے کے سالے ہیں لیکن لالو نتیش کو اپنا بھائی مانتے ہیں۔

اگر آپ تھوڑے کنفیوز ہوگئے ہوں تو اس میں حیرت کی کوئی بات نہیں۔ یہ الیکشن کا دور ہے، زبان کے پھسلنے اور وفاداریوں کے بدلنے کا وقت ہے، اس وقت سب چلتا ہے۔

لالو اپنا سیکولر کردار ثابت کرنے کے لیے ورون گاندھی کو ’رولر‘ کے نیچے کچلنا چاہتے ہیں، ورون گاندھی آپکو معلوم ہی ہے مسلمانوں کے ساتھ کیا کچھ کرنا چاہتے ہیں، صحافی وزیر داخلہ پر جوتے پھینک رہے ہیں، وزیر داخلہ صحافی کو مسکرا کر فوراً معاف بھی کر رہے ہیں، سکھ رہنما جوتا بردار صحافی کے لیے دو لاکھ روپے کے انعام کا اعلان کر رہے ہیں اور صحافی کا بھائی کہہ رہا ہے کہ وہ صرف وزیر داخلہ کی توجہ حاصل کرنا چاہ رہے تھے۔

سیاسی رہنما ووٹروں میں نوٹ تقسیم کر رہے ہیں اور پکڑے جانے پر اسے خاندانی روایت اور غربت دور کرنے کا منصوبہ بتا رہے ہیں، لالو کی گرفتاری کے وارنٹ جاری ہوگئے ہیں، اب لالو کا دعویٰ ہے کہ ان کی بات کے لفظی معنی نہ نکالے جائیں، وہ تو قانون کے روڈ رولر کی بات کر رہے تھے، امیدوار اپنے اثاثوں کا اعلان کر رہے ہیں، سونیا گاندھی اور راہل گاندھی دونوں ہی بے گھر و آسرا ہیں، اگر سرکاری مکان سے نکال دئے جائیں تو نامعلوم بے چاروں کا کیا ہو اور ممبئی سے دنیا کا یا کم سے کم ہندوستان کا سب سے دولت مند سوشلسٹ رہنما میدان میں ہے جس کے پاس صرف سوا سو کروڑ روپے کے اثاثے ہیں۔

راجستھان میں بہوجن سماج پارٹی کے سبھی چھ رکن اسمبلی کانگریس میں شامل ہوگئے ہیں، اور بہار میں لالو کے واحد سالے سادھو یادو بھی۔

یہ دنیا کی سب سے بڑی جمہوریت کی ایک تصویر ہے۔دوسری تصویر اس وقت سامنے آئی جب کسی نے لالو سے پوچھا کہ کانگریس کے لیے آپ مزید کچھ سیٹیں چھوڑنے پر کیوں تیار نہیں ہوئے؟

لالو نے جواب دیا کہ ’بھائی جب میں اپنے سالے کے لیے سیٹ نہیں چھوڑ سکا تو کانگریس کے لیے کیسے چھوڑ دیتا؟‘

لالو کو آپ کچھ بھی الزام دیجیئے، اقربا پروری کا الزام نہیں دے سکتے!

Obama seeks $83.4 bln more for Iraq, Af war

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is asking lawmakers for 83.4 billion dollars more to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through 2009, White House aides said Thursday.

"The supplemental will likely go to Congress today," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters, using the term for a request for money outside the usual budget process. Another White House aide provided the dollar figure.

"A supplemental is required in order to fund the new strategy in Afghanistan and fund the process in Iraq that will lead to a drawdown of all of our combat troops," said Gibbs.

The request is likely to include aid money for Pakistan as part of the revamped Afghan war strategy, and could include help for the Palestinians, another US official said.

Obama had firmly opposed using supplementals to fund the two wars and grouped them in his regular budget for fiscal year 2010, which begins October 1, but the US military needs money now.

"We can't wait until the appropriations process is done in September or August or September to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in June," said Gibbs.

"The honest budgeting and appropriations process that the president has talked about falls somewhat victim to the fact that this is the way that wars have been funded previously," the spokesman said.

But "this will be the last supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan," he promised.

Rahman’s 'Jai ho….' did not deserve an Oscar: Jagjit

Ace Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh said how A R Rahman's song in Slumdog Millionaire 'Jai Ho' won two Oscars as he finds the song overrated.

Singh gave his judgment during the launch of his new album ‘Inteha’.

The 68-year-old legend said that he is very happy that the country has won the Oscars, but at the same time he couldn’t understand on what basis the song was selected for the Oscars.

“Getting an Oscar is no doubt a great achievement but the song, for which we got the award, is not so special. Frankly I did not understand on what basis it was awarded,” he said.

He also said that the lyrics of the son were perplexing, and why it has turned so popular that everyone from Indian political parties to International pop bands is willing to use it.

When asked that Gulzar had penned the lyrics for the song with whom he has given many hits, Singh answered, “When I work with Gulzar Sahab I categorically tell him to write such poetry which my fans and I can understand.”

Singh doesn’t have a good judgment about today's Bollywood music as he said, "it lacks profound poetry and soulful tunes".

Inteha, which was released by sitarist Anoushka Shankar 35000 ft above sea level, has eight songs that are mainly romantic. Of course, there are some songs on life and philosophy too, adds a source.

Kareena's non-filmi look

Kareena Kapoor may love the song-and-dance routine that Bollywood films are known for, but for her next film she has opted for a non-filmi look.

Designer Aki Narula who has created the look for Kareena said, “Kareena will sport a mis-n-match kind of a look this time around, so that the character seems real.

The clothes won’t be over the top for sure. I am sure that the trend will catch on and look very real on screen.” Kareena adds, “Though it is a hardcore commercial film, I have consciously chosen non-filmi clothes.”

SRK-Aamir come together for producers

It was a rare sight to see as Bollywood superstars SRK and Aamir joined their hands together to support producers and distributors in the ongoing multiplex row.
Producers are demanding a 50-50 revenue sharing ration with multiplex owners, however multiplex owners dont want the current ratio 40 - 48% to be changed.
Spokesmen Aamir Khan said, “It is our responsibility to explain our problems and issues to our audiences. We as entertainers feel sorry for not being able to show new films for sometime and we are here to explain our side of the argument.”
“There is a need to re-look at revenue sharing model. The gross and net profits made by the films have increased over the years but the share of producers and distributors remains the same.”
SRK also voiced his opinion and explained that the awesome twosome Khans have not come for any publicity but are just asking for “fair rights for Friday nights”.
So folks, do you support the two Khans?

Hrithik & Suzanne heading towards Splitsville?

If reports are to be believed, nothing is right between Bollywood’s cute couple Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne Khan, as the latter has allegedly walked out of her marriage along with her two kids and has shifted to her parents house in Juhu. The reason behind the rough patch in their marriage is, Hrithik’s alleged affair with his Kites firangi co-star Barbara Mori.
A source reveals, “Hrithik and Susanne have been having problems for a while now. Initially, everyone thought that Barbara was just another phase in his life. Nobody expected Hrithik to get so serious about her. Susanne has been trying to come to terms with it. But when nothing worked, even her parents supported Susanne in her decision to leave him.”
“The couple hasn’t been making public appearances together for months, including at awards functions. However, when the talk of trouble in their marriage began getting louder, they made an appearance together at Amrita Arora’s wedding, but their body language spoke volumes.Last week, they even made an appearance at Manish Malhotra’s fashion show but something went wrong after that.”
Parents of Suzanne have supported her in her decision, “Both Sanjay and Zarine Khan have given her the emotional strength to take the right call. All they want for their daughter is her happiness.”
However Hrithik’s family is keen to make things work again for the couple, “They are hoping to find a solution to the problem once Hrithik is back in town. Something major must have happened between the couple in the last three days because Susanne walked out of the house when Hrithik was away.”
However Hrithik denied the split news, saying, “It is too funny!! Yes Sussanne shifted to her parents’ place with the kids 2 days ago and I was to join her on my return as there is a white ant treatment going on in my house and a section of my floor is being renovated.
I’m with Sussanne right now having a picnic with my kids and in-laws!!”
Phew! Wonder what to believe!