Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, whose journey in showbiz began in 1996 after winning the Cinthol supermodel contest, says she is extremely lucky and proud of her achievements.
‘I just realised my journey has been quiet a long one, from 1996 to 2011. It’s only me who knows how much hard work and dedication has gone behind everything. I have been honest with my profession and brought the best of me on the screen,’ Bipasha told reporters here.
Dressed in a formal white outfit with black beads and sequin work on it, she came for the the launch of Versace collection of watches in collaboration with Timex Group.
‘I feel extremely lucky when I look behind in my life. I am proud of myself and also proud of what I am today. I used to dream of having such luxury brands and now I effortlessly own so many of them,’ said the 32-year-old, who has a fetish for watches.
‘The one object that I love the most is the watch. It is a must have possession for everybody. It is also my favourite gifting option.
‘All the watches that (actor) John (Abraham) owns are gifted by me. Now I think his collection is set to have a Versace watch,’ she said.
Read the original story on Yahoo News
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Mahesh Bhupahi, Lara Dutta get rude to media
Mahesh Bhupahi and Lara Dutta may be in romantic bliss right now but apparently they have certainly rubbed people from the media the wrong way during their wedding.
The industry is majorly pissed off with some even alleging that they were dished out with bad behaviour from Mahesh. Sources from Goa point out that when people from the fraternity asked the newly wed groom to pose for pictures, he sharply told them, “Who invited you here?” The couple also refrained from posing for pictures despite repeated requests. Lata, on the other hand, was courteous.
But she, too, is in the middle of controversy because of her better half. Gossip also has it that the photographers are planning to talk among themselves and ban the couple for sometime much like they did to Amitabh Bachchan some years back. “There was no need to give us such bad behaviour specially when we have always stood by the couple and covered each and every event of theirs so well for so many years now. All we wanted was a little co-operation. We know that they were busy and that it was a private thing but they are celebs and their lives are not meant to be private. If they wanted it to be private and media-free they should have gone to Honolulu or somewhere where no one would bother them. We were shocked that someone could be so rude to people on their wedding day. We were well-behaved. No one gate-crashed. We just stood outside and requested Mahesh to give us a picture.
He just took off on us. We have no problem with Lara but we are planning to boycott the couple for some time. Mahesh should get to know our grievance,” says a top photographer on conditions of anonymity. “Again, when Mahesh was playing tennis with his pals, he had no problem posing for pics. That’s odd. If you don’t want to pose with your wedding fineries on, why bother to pose otherwise? It was his wedding with Lara that people travelled to Goa for and not to see him play. Maybe they are looking to sell off their wedding pics to some magazine, maybe not, but Mahesh did not do himself any good with such behaviour,” the informer adds.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The industry is majorly pissed off with some even alleging that they were dished out with bad behaviour from Mahesh. Sources from Goa point out that when people from the fraternity asked the newly wed groom to pose for pictures, he sharply told them, “Who invited you here?” The couple also refrained from posing for pictures despite repeated requests. Lata, on the other hand, was courteous.
But she, too, is in the middle of controversy because of her better half. Gossip also has it that the photographers are planning to talk among themselves and ban the couple for sometime much like they did to Amitabh Bachchan some years back. “There was no need to give us such bad behaviour specially when we have always stood by the couple and covered each and every event of theirs so well for so many years now. All we wanted was a little co-operation. We know that they were busy and that it was a private thing but they are celebs and their lives are not meant to be private. If they wanted it to be private and media-free they should have gone to Honolulu or somewhere where no one would bother them. We were shocked that someone could be so rude to people on their wedding day. We were well-behaved. No one gate-crashed. We just stood outside and requested Mahesh to give us a picture.
He just took off on us. We have no problem with Lara but we are planning to boycott the couple for some time. Mahesh should get to know our grievance,” says a top photographer on conditions of anonymity. “Again, when Mahesh was playing tennis with his pals, he had no problem posing for pics. That’s odd. If you don’t want to pose with your wedding fineries on, why bother to pose otherwise? It was his wedding with Lara that people travelled to Goa for and not to see him play. Maybe they are looking to sell off their wedding pics to some magazine, maybe not, but Mahesh did not do himself any good with such behaviour,” the informer adds.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Hitler goes to Berlin Film Festival
After unveiling the first look of his film on Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Film Festival, its maker says the film doesn’t glorify Hitler, but juxtaposes him against Gandhi’s ideology of peace
For the first Indian film to deal with the sensitive subject of Hitler’s life, the actors of Dear Friend Hitler have a fairly simple approach to their parts in the movie.
Instead of focussing on the controversial aspect of the subject, they’ve focussed on getting into the skin of their characters. After all, if Indian actors are to portray themselves convincingly on screen as Hitler and his associates, their ability to play their part well will make all the difference.
As Dr Anil Sharma, the film’s producer, shares, “When we took the out-takes of the film to the Berlin Film Festival, the audience was excited at the prospect of seeing a Bollywood actor play the part of Hitler. There was curiosity about it. If Ben Kingsley, who was British, continues to be the face of Gandhi in cinema, there is no reason why the audience will not be able to accept Raghuvir Yadav as the German dictator, here or in Germany.”
Yadav, who plays Hitler as he was in the last 10 days of his life, understands that it’s a difficult proposition, but hopes he’s been able to cross the cultural barrier. “It was difficult to play someone as complex as Hitler. I didn’t know what to focus on — the gestures, the character or the language. Finally, I had to get into the spirit of the character to bring all the nuances,” he says.
And if Neha Dhupia is to be believed, “There is very little of me or Raghuvir in the film, or so we have tried. Because this is about the characters we play. The idea is to be able to overcome the obstacles to communicate the emotion.” Neha, who plays Hitler’s wife, Eva Braun, in the film, adds, “The audience has to be entertained, and if a story is well told, nothing else matters.”
The outing at the film fest also gave the filmmakers a chance to clear some misconceptions about their movie. “We clarified that the movie is not about Hitler’s ideology, but how his ideology of violence conflicts with Gandhi’s ideology of peace. There is no glorification of Hitler’s character,” says Sharma.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
For the first Indian film to deal with the sensitive subject of Hitler’s life, the actors of Dear Friend Hitler have a fairly simple approach to their parts in the movie.
Instead of focussing on the controversial aspect of the subject, they’ve focussed on getting into the skin of their characters. After all, if Indian actors are to portray themselves convincingly on screen as Hitler and his associates, their ability to play their part well will make all the difference.
As Dr Anil Sharma, the film’s producer, shares, “When we took the out-takes of the film to the Berlin Film Festival, the audience was excited at the prospect of seeing a Bollywood actor play the part of Hitler. There was curiosity about it. If Ben Kingsley, who was British, continues to be the face of Gandhi in cinema, there is no reason why the audience will not be able to accept Raghuvir Yadav as the German dictator, here or in Germany.”
Yadav, who plays Hitler as he was in the last 10 days of his life, understands that it’s a difficult proposition, but hopes he’s been able to cross the cultural barrier. “It was difficult to play someone as complex as Hitler. I didn’t know what to focus on — the gestures, the character or the language. Finally, I had to get into the spirit of the character to bring all the nuances,” he says.
And if Neha Dhupia is to be believed, “There is very little of me or Raghuvir in the film, or so we have tried. Because this is about the characters we play. The idea is to be able to overcome the obstacles to communicate the emotion.” Neha, who plays Hitler’s wife, Eva Braun, in the film, adds, “The audience has to be entertained, and if a story is well told, nothing else matters.”
The outing at the film fest also gave the filmmakers a chance to clear some misconceptions about their movie. “We clarified that the movie is not about Hitler’s ideology, but how his ideology of violence conflicts with Gandhi’s ideology of peace. There is no glorification of Hitler’s character,” says Sharma.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Ryan wishes Lara-hesh a happy new life
We caught up with the upcoming Bollywood actor Ryan Pinto in quite a jovial mood, in the capital recently.
In the midst of promoting his film “Masti Express”, directed by Vikram Pradhan, he told us, “Frankly, I didn’t expect such an overwhelming response from the audience. I know as an upcoming actor, it’s difficult to make a mark in a Bollywood film. But I shall work hard and try to give my best in the coming years to make that mark in the industry.” So, does he have any dream role in mind? He, who plays a role of a high-school boy in the movie, uttered, “Yes, why not? I would like to experiment with all kinds of roles and would love to be seen doing action scenes. After all, this is just the beginning.” Ryan, a close friend of tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, sounded upbeat about Lara and Mahesh’s wedding. He attended their wedding in Goa too. “Mahesh and I go long back. We have played tennis together and I’m happy for him. I wish both of them a happy new life together,” he said.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
In the midst of promoting his film “Masti Express”, directed by Vikram Pradhan, he told us, “Frankly, I didn’t expect such an overwhelming response from the audience. I know as an upcoming actor, it’s difficult to make a mark in a Bollywood film. But I shall work hard and try to give my best in the coming years to make that mark in the industry.” So, does he have any dream role in mind? He, who plays a role of a high-school boy in the movie, uttered, “Yes, why not? I would like to experiment with all kinds of roles and would love to be seen doing action scenes. After all, this is just the beginning.” Ryan, a close friend of tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, sounded upbeat about Lara and Mahesh’s wedding. He attended their wedding in Goa too. “Mahesh and I go long back. We have played tennis together and I’m happy for him. I wish both of them a happy new life together,” he said.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
‘Patiala House’ draws good response overseas
Akshay Kumar-starrer “Patiala House”, about the relationship between a father-son, has opened to a good response in UK and Canada.
The movie has grossed approximately USD 1.8 million at the overseas box office. The US accounts for USD 500,000.
In the US it was opened in 68 screens with top five grossing reported from Santa Clara and Fremont in California; North Brunswick in New Jersey and Flushing and Farmingdale in New York.
In Canada, it was opened on 14 screens with top grossing from Brahmpton, Toronto and Etobicoke in Ontario and Vancouver in British Columbia, B4U said in a press statement here.
“Audience reaction to Patiala House has been extremely encouraging. With Akshay’s huge fan base overseas, we were confident that Patiala House would be a big draw,” said Sunil Shah, head of B4U’s film division.
“Akshay’s departure from boisterous comic roles to play a more serious British Asian character in this poignant family drama has been appreciated by critics and audiences; with the opening weekend followed by the forthcoming ICC cricket world cup teamed with Akshay”s star power, we are looking forward to the film”s positive run at the box-office...” he said.
Directed by Nikhil Advani and starring Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia and debutant Hard Kaur, Patiala House released worldwide on February 11.
The film follows the story of the Kahlon family, focussing particularly on the relationship between Parghat Singh Kahlon aka Gattu played by Akshay Kumar and his father, played by Rishi Kapoor.
Set predominantly in Southall, the plot sees Rishi Kapoor trying to hold on to his Indian values in a land that he does not believe is home. Akshay Kumar, a talented cricketer, is torn between following his dreams of playing for England and his respect for his father.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The movie has grossed approximately USD 1.8 million at the overseas box office. The US accounts for USD 500,000.
In the US it was opened in 68 screens with top five grossing reported from Santa Clara and Fremont in California; North Brunswick in New Jersey and Flushing and Farmingdale in New York.
In Canada, it was opened on 14 screens with top grossing from Brahmpton, Toronto and Etobicoke in Ontario and Vancouver in British Columbia, B4U said in a press statement here.
“Audience reaction to Patiala House has been extremely encouraging. With Akshay’s huge fan base overseas, we were confident that Patiala House would be a big draw,” said Sunil Shah, head of B4U’s film division.
“Akshay’s departure from boisterous comic roles to play a more serious British Asian character in this poignant family drama has been appreciated by critics and audiences; with the opening weekend followed by the forthcoming ICC cricket world cup teamed with Akshay”s star power, we are looking forward to the film”s positive run at the box-office...” he said.
Directed by Nikhil Advani and starring Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia and debutant Hard Kaur, Patiala House released worldwide on February 11.
The film follows the story of the Kahlon family, focussing particularly on the relationship between Parghat Singh Kahlon aka Gattu played by Akshay Kumar and his father, played by Rishi Kapoor.
Set predominantly in Southall, the plot sees Rishi Kapoor trying to hold on to his Indian values in a land that he does not believe is home. Akshay Kumar, a talented cricketer, is torn between following his dreams of playing for England and his respect for his father.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Mallika to perform with John Legend
Mallika Sherawat is set to share the stage with nine time Grammy award winning musician John Legend.
Sources from the music fraternity say that the American artist and actor who has also been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, will put up a performance with Mallika. The desi, sassy siren is set to travel to the US to sign on the dotted line. The event will also see Mallika flaunt her vocal skills as the two are expected to break into a duet.
We hear that Mallika has been working on her singing skills in LA, her second home now, and has hired someone to train her for the show. “The show will be all about glitz and glamour. Mallika will have a sizzling new wardrobe for the two-hour long show,” says an informer.
The insider also suggests that Mallika will make John shake a leg. “John and Mallika will also put up a power packed dance performance. John isn’t familiar with Bollywood style of dancing, so he will be trained in it for a particular song. Otherwise, it will have all hip hop, energetic dance numbers,” says our source.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Sources from the music fraternity say that the American artist and actor who has also been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, will put up a performance with Mallika. The desi, sassy siren is set to travel to the US to sign on the dotted line. The event will also see Mallika flaunt her vocal skills as the two are expected to break into a duet.
We hear that Mallika has been working on her singing skills in LA, her second home now, and has hired someone to train her for the show. “The show will be all about glitz and glamour. Mallika will have a sizzling new wardrobe for the two-hour long show,” says an informer.
The insider also suggests that Mallika will make John shake a leg. “John and Mallika will also put up a power packed dance performance. John isn’t familiar with Bollywood style of dancing, so he will be trained in it for a particular song. Otherwise, it will have all hip hop, energetic dance numbers,” says our source.
Read the original story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Monday, February 21, 2011
Deadly quake rocks New Zealand, topples buildings
Reuters, WELLINGTON: A strong quake killed and trapped people beneath rubble and sparked fires and toppled buildings in New Zealand's second-biggest city of Christchurch on Tuesday.
It was the second quake to hit the city in five months.
Local TV showed bodies being pulled out of rubble strewn around the city center, though it was unclear whether any of them were alive. But police reported multiple fatalities after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck during the busy lunchtime.
"I was in the square right outside the cathedral -- the whole front has fallen down and there were people running from there. There were people inside as well," said John Gurr, a camera technician who was in the city center when the quake hit.
Authorities ordered major hospitals up and down the country to make room for quake victims but there was no word on how many might have been killed or were trapped beneath collapsed buildings. There were reports of a shortage of ambulances.
Christchurch's mayor described the city of almost 400,000 people as a war zone. Emergency crews picked through the rubble, including a multi-storey office building whose floors appeared to have pancaked on top of each other.
"A lady grabbed hold of me to stop falling over...We just got blown apart. Colombo Street, the main street, is just a mess...There's lots of water everywhere, pouring out of the ground," Gurr said.
SILT, SAND AND GRAVEL
Christchurch is built on silt, sand and gravel, with a water table beneath. In an earthquake, the water rises, mixing with the sand and turning the ground into a swamp and swallowing up sections of road and entire cars.
TV footage showed sections of road that had collapsed into a milky, sand-colored river running right beneath the surface. One witness described the footpaths as like "walking on sand."
Unlike last year's even stronger tremor, which struck early in the morning when streets were virtually empty, the streets, shops and offices were thronged with people when the shallow tremor hit.
It hit at 12:51 pm (2351 GMT Monday) at a depth of only 4 km (2.5 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site.
"It's huge, it's just huge," a priest told a TV reporter outside the remains of the city's stone cathedral, part of which had been reduced to a pile of large sandstone blocks.
"I just don't know whether there are people under this rubble," he said, before he appeared to add in a quiet voice: "I think so."
Prime Minister John Key, who called an emergency cabinet meeting for later in the day, told parliament he could not rule out casualties: "We are aware of significant damage to buildings that had people in them at the time."
The quake helped knock the New Zealand dollar down to $0.7541, 1.2 percent off late U.S. levels, on fears the damage could dent confidence in the already fragile economy.
Shares in Australian banks and insurers, which typically have large operations in New Zealand, fell after the quake. But credit rating agency Fitch said the tremor would not of itself trigger a downgrade of New Zealand sovereign rating.
The tremor was centered about 10 km (six miles) southwest of Christchurch, which had suffered widespread damage during last September's 7.1 magnitude quake but no deaths.
"There has been a lot of damage, our TVs have been smashed and there are big cracks in the house. Neighbors have lost brick fences," Nicholas Hextall, who lives in central Christchurch, said by phone. Power and water had been cut.
The region has been struck by thousands of aftershocks since the original quake.
New Zealand, which sits between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, records on average more than 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which about 20 would normally top magnitude 5.0.
(Additional reporting by Bruce Hextall in Sydney; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Jonathan Thatcher)
It was the second quake to hit the city in five months.
Local TV showed bodies being pulled out of rubble strewn around the city center, though it was unclear whether any of them were alive. But police reported multiple fatalities after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck during the busy lunchtime.
"I was in the square right outside the cathedral -- the whole front has fallen down and there were people running from there. There were people inside as well," said John Gurr, a camera technician who was in the city center when the quake hit.
Authorities ordered major hospitals up and down the country to make room for quake victims but there was no word on how many might have been killed or were trapped beneath collapsed buildings. There were reports of a shortage of ambulances.
Christchurch's mayor described the city of almost 400,000 people as a war zone. Emergency crews picked through the rubble, including a multi-storey office building whose floors appeared to have pancaked on top of each other.
"A lady grabbed hold of me to stop falling over...We just got blown apart. Colombo Street, the main street, is just a mess...There's lots of water everywhere, pouring out of the ground," Gurr said.
SILT, SAND AND GRAVEL
Christchurch is built on silt, sand and gravel, with a water table beneath. In an earthquake, the water rises, mixing with the sand and turning the ground into a swamp and swallowing up sections of road and entire cars.
TV footage showed sections of road that had collapsed into a milky, sand-colored river running right beneath the surface. One witness described the footpaths as like "walking on sand."
Unlike last year's even stronger tremor, which struck early in the morning when streets were virtually empty, the streets, shops and offices were thronged with people when the shallow tremor hit.
It hit at 12:51 pm (2351 GMT Monday) at a depth of only 4 km (2.5 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site.
"It's huge, it's just huge," a priest told a TV reporter outside the remains of the city's stone cathedral, part of which had been reduced to a pile of large sandstone blocks.
"I just don't know whether there are people under this rubble," he said, before he appeared to add in a quiet voice: "I think so."
Prime Minister John Key, who called an emergency cabinet meeting for later in the day, told parliament he could not rule out casualties: "We are aware of significant damage to buildings that had people in them at the time."
The quake helped knock the New Zealand dollar down to $0.7541, 1.2 percent off late U.S. levels, on fears the damage could dent confidence in the already fragile economy.
Shares in Australian banks and insurers, which typically have large operations in New Zealand, fell after the quake. But credit rating agency Fitch said the tremor would not of itself trigger a downgrade of New Zealand sovereign rating.
The tremor was centered about 10 km (six miles) southwest of Christchurch, which had suffered widespread damage during last September's 7.1 magnitude quake but no deaths.
"There has been a lot of damage, our TVs have been smashed and there are big cracks in the house. Neighbors have lost brick fences," Nicholas Hextall, who lives in central Christchurch, said by phone. Power and water had been cut.
The region has been struck by thousands of aftershocks since the original quake.
New Zealand, which sits between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, records on average more than 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which about 20 would normally top magnitude 5.0.
(Additional reporting by Bruce Hextall in Sydney; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Jonathan Thatcher)
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