Director Anurag Kashyap with his cast during the screening of 'That Girl In Yellow Boots' The movie was first screened at the Venice Film Festival last year and since then it has received accolades in all international film festivals. On his expectations from the movie, Anurag said, “I am going with a blind eye for this movie and I am expecting the audiences to do the same.

We have been deliberately sitting on the movie for past one year because I wanted an international release for this film. I didn’t want Indian distributors to sell it as a sex Times Wellness http://www.

timeswellness.com movie because it is not one.

Only when Viacom 18 decided to become a part of it, we knew it was in the right hands.” After the screening there was a Q&A session with the director and the lead actors loaded with the questions of audiences Most of them wanted to know the various elements that the director used in the movie.

Anurag explained the nuances of being a filmmaker and how it’s not important to get in to the technicalities, but to go with the flow. On the other hand Kalki, who was also present (minus her yellow boots!), explained how she prepared herself for the character of Ruth (her character name in the movie).

“As I have co-written the story with Anurag, it was simpler for me to get into the character. Other than that, I prepared a playlist for the kind of songs that I thought Ruth will listen to.

It was mostly grunge and Muse type of songs. I would listen to them while shooting and I distanced myself from others to get into the character,” confesses Kalki.

Anurag Kashyap has been a part of SHAMIANA since its inception. When asked about his relationship with SHAMIANA, he claims, “SHAMIANA is like a family to me, I have been with them for the past 10 years and their first screening was of a play written by me.

” That Girl in Yellow Boots releases worldwide on September 2, 2011 (less)

She was addressing a joint press conference on the movie today with the director of the film Michael Winterbottom at the on-going International Film Festival in Goa. The Press Conference had the leading actress and the director of the movie interacting with the media about the film, the idea behind it, the making of the film and its presentation.

Speaking about her future projects, Freida Pinto said that a few of her projects were in the pipeline which she was currently working on. She looked forward to work in more India-centric projects and said that she would love to represent her country in projects which reveal the true identity of India on the international scale.

'Trishna' is a British drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom, starring Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed which is set in contemporary Rajasthan (less)

"This character is chucked out of the police job. Unknowingly, he commits a crime just to offer everything to his son.

What all he has to do in order to celebrate his son's birthday in particular is a remarkable sequence", says Naseer. "I as a Police Officer have my own reservations.

..

rest you may watch the movie and know more about it" Ask him about the Michael cop being compared with that of the cop in Ardh Satya played by Om Puri and he says. "No this police officer cannot be compared to Arth Satya's cop.

" Also his other film The Blueberry Hunt is being compared to Pankaj Parashar's film Jalwa that Naseeruddin Shah had done way back in the 80s. "In The Blueberry Hunt , I play the character of a recluse colonel, living in a forest.

But he is secured with high technical surveillance equipment, and also cultivates marijuana", explains Naseer about his role. "The cop in Jalwa brings the narcotics ring to books, shoots the head police officer but here the colonel grows marijuana.

And he talks to his favorite dog. So they are two different characters entirely".

� (less)

com on her latest film, That Girl In Yellow Boots and husband, Anurag Kashyap Kalki Koechlin (Pic: Varun Vazir) That Girl in Yellow Boots is co-written by both Kalki and Anurag. This is Anurag’s first film to have a global release.

The film also stars Naseeruddin Shah in a pivotal role and releases on September 2, 2011. Was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara a conscious effort to break from your image as an unconventional actress? No, it wasn’t.

I never consciously try to make an image for myself. I don’t want to have a forced image.

I want to be who I am and want that to be captured on camera candidly. ZNMD happened because Zoya (Akhtar) had liked my acting in Dev D and believed in me.

I agree, it’s a masala film but yet very relatable. I could imagine three boys going on a fun trip.

I am not bothered, if I am the heroine or how many lines I have. It’s about whether my character makes sense in the film.

My character in ZNMD was of an annoying girl who spoils the party. It was challenging and very different from my own personality.

How did you go about That Girl…? It was Anurag’s story and he narrated me the brief outline and asked me to write it. At first, I was very reluctant as the subject was intricate and he wanted a woman’s perspective on it.

When I began writing, the content came really easily. For instance, the story is based on a white-skinned girl, Ruth.

And I know what it’s to be one. The way people stare at you and the way guys assume you to be a flirt.

But then there were many aspects about which I had no idea and that’s when I would talk to Anurag. I spoke to some actors on this and did a lot of research.

The title of the film is peculiar. What’s your take on it? We should call it Peele joote waali ladki instead of That Girl In Yellow Boots.

(Chuckles) It is not a mass film and is releasing only in metros. We wanted a title that would stand out and match with our central character Ruth, who is an alien to the city of Mumbai and looks very odd which immediately makes you notice her boots.

What is the film about? It is about a young British citizen Ruth who comes to India in search of her father. The film begins with her already present in India for a year and is trying to renew her tourist visa.

She lives as an illegal immigrant and ends up doing odd jobs. The authorities don’t kick her out but take undue advantage of her.

The plot reveals how Ruth, in her desperate and stubborn search for her father, ends up losing herself. How different was it working again with Anurag? We were dating during the shoot of That Girl… and were able to understand each other much better.

He knew me better as an actor and could trust me more. I knew him better as a director and wasn’t shy to question him.

There was a lot more freedom. I could trust him while performing intimate scenes because I knew he wasn’t trying to do something cheap.

Was it difficult to perform intimate scenes in front of Anurag’s presence? I think Anurag had more trouble than me. (Giggles) Of course it’s very uncomfortable! My co-actor was more scared than me.

He was very scared to touch me but at the end of the day, it’s a part of our job. Do things become easy having Anurag on your side? The truth is Anurag casts me only when he feels I fit a particular role.

I am not a part of his Gangs of Wasseypur . I can never play a Bihari girl.

We have a mature, creative sensibility. On the other hand, there is a down side of being his wife.

People think I will only do certain kinds of films and a lot of commercial people don’t even think of approaching me. Have film festivals become a platform to test films before their release? Film festivals are important if you want to be taken seriously on a world platform.

A lot of Bollywood cinema works abroad mainly because we have such an amazing NRI population. We watch Hollywood films, but foreigners don’t watch our films.

Films from all over the world get under one roof with same human nature. Cinema is a beautiful way of communication.

Anurag recently made a comment that he won’t work with you again until it’s a light hearted film. Comment.

I would like to work with Anurag again. We have done two intense films together ( Dev D and That Girl… ) and it’s important that we work again in a different genre.

You don’t want to get stuck in a rut. I want to work with as many directors as possible because you learn different things from each one (less)

Freida, the quintessential Mumbai girl, took it upon herself to take her beau on a gastronomical trip of the city. So if it was Chinese at a popular Andheri restaurant on Monday night followed by a meeting with Freida's family in Malad, it was an all-Indian affair at a Carter Road joint on Tuesday afternoon.

In between, the couple also managed to sink their teeth into some fresh-roasted bhutta from a roadside vendor. Liked Indian bhutta, Dev? (less)

Ahmed, who left his day job as a travel agent to direct the movie about a poor perfume seller's struggle to go to Haj, however, says that he has not been able to get any help either from the Malayalam film industry or the government. "We will begin lobbying for the film next week.

There has been some help from abroad, especially from the people living in the Gulf region. No one from the Malayalam film industry has contacted me or offered support.

There has been no support from the government either," said Ahmed, whose film was screened at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival. Adaminte Makan Abu is one of the 63 films in the run for a nomination in the Best Foreign Language film category for the 84th Annual Academy Awards to be held in February next year.

The director says that while working as a travel agent he experienced the struggle of people going to Mecca and was inspired to document it in a movie. The movie, written, directed and co-produced by Ahmed, is a family drama starring Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab.

Kumar and Wahab sell all their belongings but are not able to collect enough money for Haj. Abu (Kumar) even cuts off the tree in front of his house.

Later, he regrets his selfish act and plants a sapling and prays at a mosque on the Haj morning. Bollywood, which has been looking to South to reproduce good stories, is interested in remaking the film in Hindi, Ahmed said without revealing names.

The director said his next film would be an historical drama. Tweet (less)

Says Meesha, "I've been to India many times. The last time was less than a month ago.

But this is the first time that I'll be going to India to shoot a movie. I'm really excited.

" Meesha had auditioned for her part in Jan/Feb 2010. "I went for a screen test in Lahore .

It happened early last year. I learnt later that I had bagged a role.

With all big projects, there is a time for announcing everything. That's why I have begun talking about it now and not earlier.

" "I'm really excited to be shooting with the likes of Shabana Azmi and Om Puri in the film. I know for a fact that Riz Ahmed will be shooting in Delhi.

He is an integral part of the movie and hence, he will be shooting there full time. As for the Hollywood stars, I can't say anything," she says (less)

During a segment break of the show, the Slumdog Millionaire actress admitted to Kimmel that she's serious about Dev and wants to take their relationship to the next level. Since going public about their relationship, Dev and Freida have often spoken about the challenges of maintaining it despite gruelling work schedules.

Dev is based in London while Freida in Los Angeles . On the Kimmel show, Pinto revealed they try and find ways to spend time despite shuttling between the two cities.

However, this is the first time Freida has hinted about taking their relationship to the next level. A source reveals, "Freida has discussed a possible engagement with her parents in the coming months.

The only thing coming in the way is their work commitments. While Dev is set to appear on a TV show in the US, Pinto has taken on two new projects that begin in early 2012.

They are working towards finding a suitable date." While marriage will follow eventually, they aren't in a rush to get to the altar.

Meanwhile, Pinto's spokesperson maintains that there are no plans of an engagement. "Freida is not getting engaged anytime soon.

She is on the final leg of promotions for her film and has got two more films due for release early next year. She's extremely tied up with her work commitments and is not planning on settling down anytime soon.

" (less)

One, Shah Rukh Khan has decided to essay a prince for his next. Reportedly, the actor, who was supposed to work with Vishal Bhardwaj and Sajid Nadiadwala in the film adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's 2 States, had a closed door meeting with the filmmakers, last week.

A source informed Mumbai Mirror that SRK, who is currently shooting for YRF's untitled project, discussed his reluctance to do two back-to-back romantic films. The actor suggested working on one of Bhardwaj's film adaptations of Shakespeare instead.

The source explained, "Shah Rukh clearly told producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bharadwaj that he didn't want to work on another love story. He is already doing a romantic film with Yash Chopra and so, to go straight into the romantic space again seems redundant.

Shah Rukh suggested that he go into the Maqbool-Omkara space with Vishal." Reportedly, the actor will essay Prince Hamlet in Bhardwaj's film adaptation of the Shakespearean classic.

"Shah Rukh loved what Vishal did with Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan in Omkara. They plan to shoot the Bollywood adaptation of Hamlet in the remote areas of This will be Bhardwaj's third Shakespearean adaptation.

In the past, the director based his films Maqbool and Omkara on Shakespeare's Macbeth and Othello respectively. Despite repeated attempts, SRK, Bhardwaj and Nadiadwala remained unavailable for comment.

Significant screen adaptations of hamlet Hamlet (Germany, 1920) by Svend Gade & Heinz Schall Hamlet (UK, 1948) by Laurence Olivier Hamlet (aka Richard Burton's Hamlet) (1964) by Bill Colleran and John Gielgud Hamlet (UK, 1969) by Tony Richardson BBC Television Shakespeare Hamlet (TV, UK, 1980) by Rodney Bennett Hamlet (USA, 1990) by Franco Zeffirelli Hamlet (UK, 1996) by Kenneth Branagh Hamlet (USA, 2000) by Michael Almereyda (Modern Retelling) The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark (2007) (AUS, 2007) by Oscar Redding (less)

Though still playing in narrow release, the film has found enthusiastic audiences and has been a critical darling since premiering at last May's Cannes Film Festival, positioning it as the first silent movie with serious awards prospects since the first years of the Oscars in the late 1920s. In an age of elaborate computer effects and digital 3-D projection, The Artist is such a throwback to early cinema that it comes off as something entirely fresh.

"It's very relaxing for people to actually go to this movie," said Dujardin, nominated for best actor in a musical or comedy for his role as a silent-era star whose career implodes when talkies take over. "It's a new visual and emotional experience for people.

..

. It's really strange and rare to not hear anything in the theater.

" Tied for second-place at the Globes with five nominations each are George Clooney's family tale The Descendants and the literary adaptation The Help, both competing for best drama. Also in the running for best drama: Martin Scorsese's family adventure Hugo ; Clooney's political thriller The Ides of March ; Brad Pitt's sports tale Moneyball ; and Steven Spielberg's World War I epic War Horse.

For best musical or comedy, The Artist is up against: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cancer story 50/50 ; Kristen Wiig's wedding romp Bridesmaids ; Woody Allen's romantic fantasy Midnight in Paris ; and Michelle Williams' Marilyn Monroe tale My Week with Marilyn. Along with honors from trade groups such as the directors, actors and writers guilds, the Globes help sort out key contenders for the Oscars, whose nominations balloting closes Friday, with nominees announced Jan.

24. British comedian Ricky Gervais returns as host for the third-straight year, despite uneasy moments a year ago when he took sharp swipes at celebrities and Golden Globe organizers themselves.

It paid off with a boost in TV ratings for the show, though, so the Globes invited Gervais back. A win Sunday can firm up a film's prospects to triumph at the Oscars, though the Globes have had a bad track record predicting eventual best-picture winners in recent years.

Over the last seven years, only one Globe best-picture winner -- 2008's Slumdog Millionaire -- has gone on to claim the top honor at the Oscars. Before that stretch, the Globes had been on an eight-year streak in which only one of its two best-picture recipients went on to become the Oscar champ.

Last year, The Social Network won best-drama at the Globes and looked like the early Oscar favorite. But momentum later swung to eventual Oscar best-picture winner The King's Speech.

The Globes generally do a better job predicting who might take home the acting Oscars. A year ago, all four actors who won Oscars earned Globes first -- lead players Colin Firth for The King's Speech and Natalie Portman for Black Swan and The Fighter supporting stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.

Along with Clooney, Pitt and Williams, other established stars nominated for Globes include Meryl Streep in the Margaret Thatcher tale The Iron Lady, Leonardo DiCaprio in the J. Edgar Hoover saga J.

Edgar, Glenn Close in the Irish drama Albert Nobbs and Kate Winslet in the stage adaptation Carnage. The lineup also features many newcomers to the awards scene, among them Wiig for Bridesmaids, Gordon-Levitt for 50/50, Michael Fassbender for the sex-addict drama Shame, Rooney Mara for the thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Brendan Gleeson for the Irish crime tale The Guard.

The Help picked up three acting nominations: Viola Davis for dramatic actress and Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain for supporting actress. Adapted from Kathryn Stockett's best-seller about black maids speaking out about their white employers during the civil rights movement, the hit drama has been a career-maker for many of its collaborators, including first-time director Tate Taylor, a childhood friend of Stockett, and producer Brunson Green.

"It's a testament to pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and not taking no for an answer," said Spencer, a longtime friend of Tate who had been toiling in small parts before The Help. ''Kathryn was an underdog, and Tate and I and Brunson.

..

. They'd only done independent films and shorts, and now they're in the big leagues.

" The Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 85 entertainment reporters for overseas outlets. The ceremony, carried live on NBC, is a more laid-back affair than the Oscars, with Globe guests sharing dinner and drinks that can loosen up stars' tongues when it comes to presenting or accepting awards.

Behind the scenes, the HFPA and the Globes' longtime producers, dick clark productions, continue to fight in federal court over which entity has the authority to negotiate multi-million dollar broadcast rights to future shows. Although this year's telecast was never in serious jeopardy, the HFPA is anxious to try to negotiate a better deal with other networks.

While Hollywood will be in party mode right through the Feb. 26 Oscars, not every nominee will join the fun.

Midnight in Paris director Allen, a notorious no-show at awards ceremonies, said he does not believe in competition among films. "Who's to say Steven Spielberg's film is better than Martin Scorsese's or better than Francis Coppola's? These guys are all wonderful filmmakers, and everybody does his best," Allen said.

"Who's to say what's best? You can say that's your favorite, and that's fine. .

..

But to say it's better than another film, it's a very subjective judgment. Someone else may feel, 'No, I think this is the better film.

' It's unquantifiable." Tweet (less)

Prateik and British model Amy are being spotted together a lot thanks to the movie's promotion, adding fuel to the fire about their relationship status. However, the only subject Prateik preferred to talk about was his character in the film.

"I am playing the character of a middle class Maharashtrian boy who is around 25 years of age and wants to become a film director. Then Amy's character enters his life and he falls in love at first sight and then he wants both the things.

He wants to become a film director and get his love as well," said Prateik, who was last seen in "My Friend Pinto". The son of actor Raj Babbar and late actress Smita Patil , Prateik made his Bollywood debut with "Jaane Tu.

..

Ya Jaane Na" in 2008. Since then, he has starred in films like "Dhobi Ghat", "Dum Maaro Dum" and "Aarakshan".

He is also filming for "Isaaq", an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" (less)

If talks are to be believed, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Anurag Kashyap had a little tiff sometime ago and weren't on talking terms. It's Kalki who helped them patch up.

When we got in touch with Kalki, recently, she said, "I met Mr. Bhansali and we got along really well.

I didn't go out of my way to get them to patch up or anything. They just started talking.

" So will she also be a peace maker between Salman Khan and hubby Anurag Kashyap? The two are known to have had a little difference of opinion post the release of Dabangg, when Anurag apprently felt that his brother Abhinav Kashyap wasn't treated too well. "Really?" asked Kalki Koechlin.

"I don't know of any problem between Anurag and Salman. I haven't heard of anything like that.

" (less)

His fantasy thriller The Cell also opened at number one in August 2000. For Pinto, Immortals marks her second top spot debut of the year following her sci-fi epic Rise of the Planet of the Apes from August which has grossed more than $450 million worldwide to date.

Singh's stylish Greek mythology-inspired epic "Immortals" beat out the combined grosses for the two other new films on Friday including Adam Sandler's latest comedy Jack and Jill that grossed $10 million as well as director Clint Eastwood's new biopic J. Edgar starring Leonardo DiCaprio which earned $4.

3 million. Immortals also generated the third biggest opening day of the year for any R-rated film, and the best among non-sequels.

A stylish and visually spectacular 3D action adventure, Immortals relates the story of a power-hungry king who razes ancient Greece in search of a legendary weapon and a heroic young villager who rises up against him in a thrilling quest as timeless as it is powerful. Immortals is produced by Gianni Nunnari ( 300 ), Mark Canton ( 300 ) and Ryan Kavanaugh ( The Fighter ).

Tweet (less)

" Aiyaa is an Anurag Kashyap production along with Viacom 18. Southern actor Prithviraj will star opposite me.

It's a quirky love story. I am playing the role of a Maharashtrian girl and Prithviraj is playing the role of a south Indian boy.

I am very excited. It's a very interesting film and I am looking forward to it," said Rani.

The film not only marks the Bollywood debut of Prithviraj but will also be the maiden Bollywood venture of National Award winning Marathi film director Sachin Kundalkar. The 33-year-old Rani was last seen as a journalist in No One Killed Jessica , which was based on the 1999 Jessica Lall murder in Delhi.

Apart from Aiyaa , Rani is also shooting for Reema Kagti's untitled film with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Tweet (less)

Scott Fitzgerald's classic which has Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead. "It was my last day of the shoot at Great Gatsby and Baz Luhrmann has been a huge revelation.

One always admired his work and had admired him as a person during our brief encounter before filming started. But these few days spent with him and the entire way in which he works, has been a massive learning exercise," Bachchan posted on his blog bigb.

bigadda.com.

The actor feels there is a lot that our industry needs to learn and imbibe from the West. "I may have been a very small part of this film, but a very large part of the film shall remain with me.

I have observed and witnessed new technologies, new production methods, management and the delegation of work with the utmost ease and, above all, the sincerity of the execution of whatever responsibility has been taken on by each person," he wrote. "We have envied the West and its methodology and its immense presence in the trade of film and filmmaking.

I know now why. Their concentration and desire to bring in the best there is in terms of clarity of vision and the execution to perfection, puts them in a category that makes them a different breed altogether.

There is much to learn and imbibe, to share and experiment with," he added. Amitabh's next stop is Brisbane, where he is going to receive an honorary doctorate from the Queensland University of Technology.

Tweet (less)

Mira was at the shrine for about an hour and prayed with the two actors. But if sources are to be believed, this isn't the only way that she's seeking blessings.

A few days ago, Mira also shot a qawwali scene for the movie with Meesha and Riz, which she is also believed to have discussed with the dargah officials. Apparently, Sufi singers from Pakistan were cast especially for this particular sequence.

On being contacted, dargah in-charge Syed Afsar Ali Nizami confirmed her attendance at the shrine, but refused to comment on the visit. But those in the know of the movie's shooting details say that the crew has been shooting for 12-14 hours at a stretch at times.

The movie's producer, Lydia Dean Pilcher , who has produced Mira's earlier projects "Amelia" and "The Namesake" as well, is also in the country. On Friday night, Shabana Azmi was also in town for the movie's shoot (less)

"I wrote it in dialogue form like one does for theatre, and Anurag changed it to the cinematic format," says Kalki, still basking in the success of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara . The film, releasing tomorrow, is the moving story of a an illegal British immigrant who comes to India in search of her father.

Desperation drives her to work at a massage parlour. Anurag says he drew inspiration from real-life stories and picked up many situations from newspaper reports.

"The film is about exploitation, child abuse and incest. I wanted to break the formula many directors and actors find themselves in.

The film has been screened at two of the biggest festivals - Venice and Toronto - and has generated tremendous response," he says. Presented by Viacom18 Motion Pictures' youth studio Tipping Point Films, That Girl in Yellow Boots has many characters loosely based on figures that Kalki came across while growing up in India.

"It's a very intense film. My character is stubborn and unsociable," says Kalki, who cut herself off from people during the making to stay in the mood of the character.

"I stopped talking completely. I would wear headphones and listen to heavy metal and rock all day long during the shoot.

It was tough because I am a very happy person," she laughs. The film was shot within 13 days and was primarily framed in tight spaces like apartments, narrow bylanes, massage parlours, local trains and rickshaws, leading to a sense of claustrophobia and unease through the film.

Besides That Girl in Yellow Boots, a strong association between Tipping Point Films and the avant-garde Anurag Kashyap can be seen in the forthcoming film Michael, starring Naseeruddin Shah, which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. There's also the much awaited epic Gangs of Wasseypur (less)

The director, after his last film Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year, decided to take a sabbatical from direction and go back to where he started from - film editing. A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "The break to edit Mira Nair's film is Shimit's way of going back to his roots.

And his job in The Reluctant Fundamentalist is going to be tougher that it seems. He would have to make Delhi look like Lahore.

Also, Mira needed shots of Old Delhi and other crowded parts of the city. So, she persuaded Shimit to handle the second unit.

Shimit was reluctant since he is editing the film. But Mira dragged Shimit into directing the second unit" Keifer Sutherland comes to India Needless to say, the key actors, including Kiefer Sutherland (better known as Jack Bauer, his character in the American television series 24) was in the national capital with his co-actors to shoot for the film.

In fact, the actor, who left the country last week after finishing his part in the film, became a talk of the unit with his camaraderie with Azmi. Sutherland and Azmi not only bonded over their common passion - acting, but also their common friend Anil Kapoor.

Sutherland who worked with Kapoor in the tele-series 24, was seen chatting with Azmi about the very man. "Riz Ahmed, Shabana Azmi and Keifer Sutherland talked a lot about Anil Kapoor.

They also chatted about the diaspora and Indian cinema. Om Puri however, remained largely aloof from the idle talk, lost in his own world," revealed a source.

Creating Lahore in Delhi The Delhi schedule of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is however, not all about happy friendships. After trying her best to get permission to shoot in Lahore, the place the novel is based, Mira Nair finally decided to recreate the Pakistani city in Delhi.

However, this decision too seemed to pose a problem for the filmmaker. Though, Nair obtained the necessary permission to shoot in Delhi, the fact that the national capital has to masquerade as Lahore, did not go down too well with certain sections of the government and bureaucracy.

A source close to the film revealed, "We're shooting in Delhi. But it's meant to be Lahore.

We can't broadcast this fact. Any hint of the geo-political translocation could cause trouble.

So we've all been sworn to complete secrecy. No one mentions the 'L' word on location and we are not supposed to give out the locations where we're shooting even to our close family and friends.

Strictly no visitors and guests allowed." (less)

The deal was announced on the day it was screened for the press and the film industry at TIFF. Michael, which makes its world premiere in TIFF's Contemporary World Cinema section, has proven to be a success in the world market.

The feature film debut of Ribhu Dasgupta is a 98-minute film that follows the lives of people as they merge and get lost in Kolkata's landscape. Naseeruddin Shah essays the character Michael, a police officer, and Mahie Gill plays the nurse who befriends Michael.

While Kashyap's film has had an excellent start thanks to the screening at TIFF, Pankaj Kapur's big ticket film Mausam faced a major setback. One day before the screening, the filmmakers withdrew what was considered to be India's most prized entry at TIFF.

Mausam's filmmakers released a statement to the press explaining why the last moment decision was taken. They stated that the film could not be screened publicly because of delays in censorship and related permissions from the Indian Air Force.

Back home, Mausam due to the same problem, has now been delayed for a week. The film which was scheduled to release on 16 September will now release a week later.

When contacted, TIFF's co-director Cameron Bailey said, "Audiences in Toronto have been powerful champions for the promotion and growth of Indian cinema abroad. It's a shame that our audiences will be left disappointed.

" Reportedly, due to the latest turn of events, future blockbuster choices from India are expected to undergo more stringent guarantees on participation at TIFF (less)

Bhansali felt like Kashyap was poaching from him and there was a cold war between the two for a while. However, that changed recently due to Kalki's intervention.

Describing how the patch-up happened a source says, "Kalki was doing some patch work for My Friend Pinto and Kashyap happened to land on the sets. Bhansali was also around and Kalki broke the ice between the two and made them talk.

The two sat down and it felt like there was no major problem in the first place." (less)

Freida, along with director Michael Winterbottom, co-producers Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra as well as composer Amit Trivedi, will attend the screening. The story is based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles .

Set in contemporary Rajasthan, the film has Trishna (Freida) meeting a wealthy young British businessman Jay Singh (Riz Ahmed) who has come to India to work in his father's hotel business. After an accident destroys her father's jeep, Trishna goes to work for Jay, and they fall in love.

But despite their feelings for each other, they cannot escape the conflicting pressures of a rural society which is changing rapidly through industrialisation, urbanisation and, above all, education. Trishna's tragedy is that she is torn between the traditions of her family life and the dreams and ambitions that her education has given her.

The film had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and received rave reviews from critics. The film will have worldwide release in 2012.

For the India release, it will be dubbed in eight languages. Tweet (less)

"I am lucky that I have a good metabolism rate. If you are in a good, happy space, you are working hard and you are not overeating, then you get to eat everything you can as long as you keep exercising and eat sensible food," the 29-year-old said at the launch of Kalli Purie's book Confessions of a Serial Dieter .

"It does not mean that you are on a diet all the time. It's just you eat everything in moderation," she added.

However, Kalki does not like to sweat it out in the gym. "Yoga is something I have been doing on-and-off.

For me, it's swimming. Swimming and yoga.

I am not much of a gym person. I don't like to build muscle, but yoga and swimming is what I do," said Kalki, who was last seen in My Friend Pinto .

In 2011, she also garnered praise for her work in her husband Anurag Kashyap's Shaitan and Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara . Just three years old in Bollywood, Kalki carved a niche with her performance in her debut film Dev D (2009) and also walked away with the Filmfare best supporting actress award.

She will next be seen in Dibakar Banerji's Shanghai , releasing Jan 26. She will be seen alongside Emraan Hashmi and her Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara co-star Abhay Deol.

Tweet (less)

Freida, along with director Michael Winterbottom , co-producers Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra as well as composer Amit Trivedi, will attend the screening. The story is based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles".

Set in contemporary Rajasthan, the film has Trishna (Freida) meeting a wealthy young British businessman Jay Singh ( Riz Ahmed ) who has come to India to work in his father's hotel business. After an accident destroys her father's jeep, Trishna goes to work for Jay, and they fall in love.

But despite their feelings for each other, they cannot escape the conflicting pressures of a rural society which is changing rapidly through industrialisation, urbanisation and, above all, education. Trishna's tragedy is that she is torn between the traditions of her family life and the dreams and ambitions that her education has given her.

The film had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and received rave reviews from critics. The film will have worldwide release in 2012.

For the India release, it will be dubbed in eight languages (less)

Since the film's release on January 26 seemed jeopardised by the leading man's unexpected health setback, any further delay seemed impossible. Disregarding all caution including that from producer Karan Johar, the actor shot last week, albeit under very heavy medical monitoring.

A source said, "Hrithik wasn't allowed to do strenuous scenes. He shot only the dialogue portions.

The action sequences have been pushed to later and may be done with a body double if necessary." Confirming the actor's return to the sets, father Rakesh Roshan said, "Hrithik shot for three days for Agneepath .

He is taking it very slowly and carefully." Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra rushed back to the country, to resume shooting.

With her Agneepath co-star Hrithik injured and her Barfee co-star Ranbir Kapoor busy promoting Rockstar , PC managed to put in all her time to making her music album. A source said, "She had clearly told Anurag Basu and Rakesh Roshan to call her back whenever she is required.

Last week both the filmmakers received calls from Priyanka asking, 'Sir, when do you want me back?'" Director Anurag Basu said, "We resume filming Barfee this week in Ooty and Kochi." Tweet (less)

Ahmed, who left his day job as a travel agent to direct the movie about a poor perfume seller's struggle to go to Haj, however, says that he has not been able to get any help either from the Malayalam film industry or the government. "We will begin lobbying for the film next week.

There has been some help from abroad, especially from the people living in the Gulf region. No one from the Malayalam film industry has contacted me or offered support.

There has been no support from the government either," said Ahmed, whose film was screened at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival. Adaminte Makan Abu is one of the 63 films in the run for a nomination in the Best Foreign Language film category for the 84th Annual Academy Awards to be held in February next year.

The director says that while working as a travel agent he experienced the struggle of people going to Mecca and was inspired to document it in a movie. The movie, written, directed and co-produced by Ahmed, is a family drama starring Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab.

Kumar and Wahab sell all their belongings but are not able to collect enough money for Haj. Abu (Kumar) even cuts off the tree in front of his house.

Later, he regrets his selfish act and plants a sapling and prays at a mosque on the Haj morning. Bollywood, which has been looking to South to reproduce good stories, is interested in remaking the film in Hindi, Ahmed said without revealing names.

The director said his next film would be an historical drama. Tweet (less)

Journalists from the Bengal media who were in attendance at the press conference pointed out that she had left out Tapan Sinha and other greats from her list of favourites. "I was asked for only one name.

I am getting attacked for giving one name!" said Pinto in mock irritation. Commenting on Mrinal Sen, she said: "I think he was one of the most amazing film makers.

" Bengal was a land which gave India a lot of technical geniuses when it came to film making, she added. Pinto, who became a household name with her portrayal of Latika in Danny Boyle's " Slumdog Millionnaire ", also did not rule out acting in Bengali films.

"Let's wait and watch," she said (less)

I remember I could not fit my dates for Singularity . Roland Joffe (director) wanted me to train for a month and I could get only a week.

There was a time when Roland would have dropped me because I was not giving enough time for the preparations," Bipasha told PTI. "Everyone was in Australia for a month and I was the only one who came in for a week.

I came and shot Palyers in Goa and went back to Australia and by that time everyone had learnt how to ride a horse and I had not even started." Bipasha, who is one of the main leads in the movie, plays a Maratha warrior Tulaja Naik in the period drama, set against the backdrop of first Anglo-Maratha war.

Singularity will also see the actress doing some of the most dare-devil stunts, which she says were very exhausting. "It was very demanding physically.

I had to ride a horse, do a battle scene fighting 50 men and climb the mountain and come back. I would say this film made me very brave.

I did everything even though I was not prepared that much." The 32-year-old actress is currently promoting Players , an official remake of Hollywood heist drama The Italian Job and her third outing with Abbas-Mustan after Ajnabee and Race .

The film releases on January 6. Despite bagging the lead role in Singularity and starring in The Italian Job remake, Bipasha does not want to go out of her way to do Hollywood movies.

"I was lucky that Singularity fell into my lap. But it is tough.

Freida (Pinto) has been able to do it successfully because she was beginning her career. We are already well settled here (Bollywood).

It is very difficult to start and struggle again all over for something that could happen or not." The Italian Job has been remade twice in Hollywood but Bipasha does not fear comparison from the previous movies as she believes the Bollywood version is contemporary and sharper.

"I am not worried about comparisons because this film is way higher. That film was in 1993 and it is 2012.

We have kept the basic plot line but have added new sub-plots and twists. It is a complete package," says Bipasha.

The actress, who will be seen doing some perfect con scenes in the movie is happy to reunite with the director duo, who directed her debut film Ajnabee . "You have to be a cool girl or a guy to work with Abbas-Mustan.

They know how to use me as an actor. My character is very dynamic in the film.

She is an automobile expert and full time con artist. I get to spend time with lot of machines and men in the movie.

" Bipasha will next be seen in Jodi Breakers with R Madhavan. Tweet (less)

Prateik and British model Amy are being spotted together a lot thanks to the movie's promotion, adding fuel to the fire about their relationship status. However, the only subject Prateik preferred to talk about was his character in the film.

"I am playing the character of a middle class Maharashtrian boy who is around 25 years of age and wants to become a film director. Then Amy's character enters his life and he falls in love at first sight and then he wants both the things.

He wants to become a film director and get his love as well," said Prateik, who was last seen in My Friend Pinto . The son of actor Raj Babbar and late actress Smita Patil, Prateik made his Bollywood debut with Jaane Tu.

..

Ya Jaane Na in 2008. Since then, he has starred in films like Dhobi Ghat, Dum Maaro Dum and Aarakshan .

He is also filming for Isaaq , an adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . Tweet (less)

Having completed filming in Atlanta and New York, Mira is expected to being shooting in Delhi sometime very soon. Nair's movie narrates the story of a young Pakistani (played by Riz) working on Wall Street whose life drastically changes following the 9/11 attacks, when he leaves behind his adopted country and the American woman (played by Kate Hudson ) he had fallen for.

Filming began in the end of September. Days later, Nair mentioned on a microblogging site "Kate Hudson and @rizmc - kya chemistry hai!".

By October 14, filming of the US portions was over. Meanwhile, photos of the Hollywood star shooting in New York or spending time with son Ryder and fiance Matthew Bellamy have grabbed attention.

Her new hair colour (or wig?) as well as how trim she looks just three months after the birth of her son (Bingham Hawn Billamy) with Matthew have also become a talking point. While the debate over whether Kate looks better as blonde or brunette continues, there is also speculation over whether Kate and Liev (Naomi Watts' partner) will be flying down to Delhi, where a Pakistani setting will be recreated.

Riz, who had earlier filmed for Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna" with Frieda Pinto in Rajasthan, will be coming down to Delhi soon though he didn't divulge the filming dates in this country when CT got in touch with him. What he did say, however, was that he would be performing in a gig in Pune in November.

Said Riz, who is as passionate about music as he is about acting, "I am playing in Pune on November 20." The cast includes Shabana Azmi , Om Puri and Adil Hussain (of "Life of Pi" fame).

Industry sources said that Adil, who is now in New York to film "English Vinglish" with Sridevi , is expected to return to India on November 10. The actor will be playing the character of Mustafa and will begin filming his portions in Delhi from November 21.

Another interesting Indian connection for the film is that "Chak De! India" director Shimit Amin will be editing the movie (less)

I've lost count of how many times I've seen 'The Italian Job'. Although I have to admit I've seen Caine's version more times than Mark Wahlberg's.

It's a cult film," said Abhishek in a statement. The film, directed by Abbas-Mustan and starring Sonam Kapoor , Bipasha Basu , Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bobby Deol , will be the first big release of 2012 when it hits the screens Jan 6 (less)

"I am lucky that I have a good metabolism rate. If you are in a good, happy space, you are working hard and you are not overeating, then you get to eat everything you can as long as you keep exercising and eat sensible food," the 29-year-old said at the launch of Kalli Purie's book Confessions of a Serial Dieter .

"It does not mean that you are on a diet all the time. It's just you eat everything in moderation," she added.

However, Kalki does not like to sweat it out in the gym. "Yoga is something I have been doing on-and-off.

For me, it's swimming. Swimming and yoga.

I am not much of a gym person. I don't like to build muscle, but yoga and swimming is what I do," said Kalki, who was last seen in My Friend Pinto .

In 2011, she also garnered praise for her work in her husband Anurag Kashyap's Shaitan and Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara . Just three years old in Bollywood, Kalki carved a niche with her performance in her debut film Dev D (2009) and also walked away with the Filmfare best supporting actress award.

She will next be seen in Dibakar Banerji's Shanghai , releasing Jan 26. She will be seen alongside Emraan Hashmi and her Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara co-star Abhay Deol.

Tweet (less)

Tannishtha on the other hand, had dabbled in Indian cinema with Abhay Deol starrer Road Movie. Directed by Dev Benegal, the film after opening at the Toronto Film Festival in 2009, won a lot of accolades across the globe.

After Brick Lane, Tannishtha had been signed on for Charlie's Angels star Lucy Liu's project. However, Joe Wright's adaptation of Anna Karenina is Tannishtha's biggest break in western cinema till date.

She has been cast as a gypsy named Masa. A source from the sets of the film told Mumbai Mirror, "Tannishtha's character of the gypsy has nothing to with her being an Indian.

Masa could be a woman of any nationality. That Joe Wright thought of casting Tannishtha in such a major role in his project is amazing" The film is currently being shot in London.

Speaking about the actors and their camaraderie on the sets of the film, the source added, "Tannishtha is having a ball shooting. Though this is the director Joe Wright's third film with Keira Knightley, not for a minute does Tannishtha feel out of place.

In fact Tannishtha, Keira and Jude Law are quite a threesome in London at the moment. The three have been getting along quite well.

" Tannishtha, however remained unavailable for comment (less)

Michael Winterbottom's saga Trishna is the British filmmaker's take on Thomas Hardy's harsh and melancholic novel Tess of d'Urbervilles, adapted to the social injustice that exploits destitute women in India today. Akshay Kumar's production Breakaway , on the other hand, documents the revolt of first generation Canadian-Indian youth from their immigrant families in a sport-driven story.

Trishna stars Freida Pinto in her biggest and most ambitious role yet since her discovery in the 2008 blockbuster hit Slumdog Millionaire . Director Winterbottom's transposition of Hardy's story is overtaken by his strong sense of visual India.

Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind has incorporated a blend of landscapes and teams it with city life. Music composers Shigeru Umebayashi and Amit Trivedi have kept to a traditional music score.

Freida's look in the film epitomizes the Rajasthani village girl, with her tightly drawn single plait, unflattering salwar-kameez, and no make-up. She is the central force in the film.

It documents her struggle as she tries to get her family out of poverty and her relationship with Jay, the playboy property owner of a five-star hotel. While the film is an intriguing adaptation, the character Trishna is too one-dimensional in her submission to contain the heartrending denouement of the original Tess.

Riz Ahmed as Jay, again an unresolved character, manages to convey the tragedy of his own aimless, cushioned life. The next entry, Breakaway, made entering the old-world Elgin Theater for the screening a very difficult feat.

Huge crowds lined the streets on either side to watch producer Ajay Virmani present a line-up of Punjabi dancers, an elephant on one side and on the other Akshay Kumar . The film, which was scripted by Vinay Virmani, has a deliberate pacey, sunny-side-up look and feel, capturing the spirit of Punjab.

The group of Sikh lads is led by Rajveer Singh (Vinay Virmani), whose ambition is to excel in Canada's leading sport, ice hockey. His father (Anupam Kher) disapproves strongly, even more so when the sport leads Rajveer to become enamoured by a Canadian girl.

The film opens doors to a cultural exchange between Canada and India (less)

While he's still open to playing rustic loverboy, Ranveer doesn't want to get stereotyped. So he's on the lookout for projects where he gets to play different characters and shock fans.

A source reveals, "He's a huge fan of Anurag Kashyap and loved Vikramaditya's work in Udaan. There's a good chance that he will lap up films with these two.

Shaad is also keen on working with him and has sent him strong feelers." (less)

She is expected to get $3.5 million a year.

"Since it is a two-year deal, it makes it a $7 million deal. In Indian rupees, it comes out to be approximately Rs.

35 crore. It is higher than what any Indian female celebrity has ever been paid," said a source close to the 27-year-old Indian model-turned-actress.

"It's a policy never to comment on brand deals..

. Brand Freida stands for very rare, unique and irreplaceable values and imagery, making her the ideal choice for a brand with a global appeal and an Indian focus," said Anirban Das Blah, managing director of KWAN, the agency that handles Freida's endorsements in India.

Freida made it big internationally with her appearance in Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire . Thereafter, she featured in films like You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Rise of the Planet of the Apes .

She will soon be seen playing the Oracle priestess Phaedra in Tarsem Singh's Immortals", which will release Nov 11. Her other upcoming projects include Jean Jacques Annaud's Black Gold and Michael Winterbottom's Trishna .

Tweet (less)

The 69-year-old was shooting in Sydney , Australia, for the adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic which has Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead.

"It was my last day of the shoot at 'Great Gatsby' and Baz Luhrmann has been a huge revelation. One always admired his work and had admired him as a person during our brief encounter before filming started.

But these few days spent with him and the entire way in which he works, has been a massive learning exercise," Bachchan posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.

com. The actor feels there is a lot that our industry needs to learn and imbibe from the West.

"I may have been a very small part of this film, but a very large part of the film shall remain with me. I have observed and witnessed new technologies, new production methods, management and the delegation of work with the utmost ease and, above all, the sincerity of the execution of whatever responsibility has been taken on by each person," he wrote.

"We have envied the West and its methodology and its immense presence in the trade of film and filmmaking. I know now why.

Their concentration and desire to bring in the best there is in terms of clarity of vision and the execution to perfection, puts them in a category that makes them a different breed altogether. There is much to learn and imbibe, to share and experiment with," he added.

Amitabh's next stop is Brisbane , where he is going to receive an honorary doctorate from the Queensland University of Technology (less)

"There are lots of suitors, you make the right friendships and they don't judge you there. People don't perceive you with preconceived notions.

In India, I feel trapped in my image. People think you are the same way you are on screen.

Thankfully, the films I'm doing now will break that myth." How did you break into Hollywood? Honestly, it was tougher in Bollywood ! There's no nepotism in Hollywood, so I found it much easier.

They welcomed me and showed me so much love. For me, it was always about being independent, because here women don't get too many opportunities.

When I met President Barack Obama some time ago, he said, "America salutes the spirit of independence, that's what America is built on, and now you have done it and we are proud of you." Those words will be with me till my dying day.

I really had nothing to lose by going there. I don't doubt myself.

Even when I ran away from home and came to Mumbai, who would have thought I'd be there someday? You got to have passion and faith. You live only once! Are you worried about getting typecast as the stereotypical Indian girl there? Not anymore.

I did feel that in the past, because there was a time when Spanish-speaking people were cast as maids, African Americans were portrayed as gangsters, and all terrorists were Middle Eastern people. But now I think they are writing good parts for ethnic people.

I think with Slumdog Millionaire and Freida Pinto doing so well, things are changing. Experimenting with different genres is really exciting.

I think young directors are braver than actors there and here. They have the courage to cast me in these characters.

How do you react to those who believe your career is over? n My obituary has been written SO many times that it really doesn't bother me now. I think women are still treated in a regressive fashion, so for me, where I started and where I am today has been a fun rollercoaster ride.

Is there any bad blood with the Bhatts? I have no issues with them. If I get a good script from them I will do it.

They gave me one of my biggest hits Murder and I loved working with them. Mahesh Bhatt keeps texting me.

In fact, when I met Obama, he was the only person from the industry who called me and said, "Aaj toh yahan maatam chaya hoga!" Emraan was recently quoted saying kissing Mallika wasn't really fun. Your reaction? That's his opinion.

I had more fun kissing the snake in Hisss. For me, the snake was the best kisser.

..

my best lover ever! Are you dating anyone? I have become a nun! If there was someone I was seeing or interested in, then I would definitely talk about it. There are some interesting men who've asked me out, but everytime I think of concentrating on love, some project comes along.

It's true but I'm busy making a career. You have to give your 100 per cent here; either you do this or you have a love life.

Right now, more than a man it's the scripts that are exciting me (less)

Did you know what you were doing?" A stunned Leigh, who debuted as screenplay writer and director with "Sleeping Beauty", shot back, "Of course I knew what I was doing!" Time to hire a better scriptwriter, Anurag? (less)

The film is now being made in two parts that will hit the theatres back to back. A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "Anurag from the very beginning thought that it would be appropriate to make the film in two parts.

And Viacom 18 agreed with him on this." Gangs of Wasseypur is a film based on the coal mines in Dhanbad , Jharkhand and the mafia monopoly in the area.

When contacted, Anurag Kashyap confirmed that there will be two parts to the film that'll release over two consecutive weeks. However, he informed that the editing is still underway and only part one has been completed so far.

Sunil Bohra, producer of the film, elaborated, "We want to release it in March. We also have to finalise the time frame within which the two parts need to be released.

" (less)

But unfortunately what I shoot tends to require a lot of money. If I was writing stuff, I might write for Indian films and right now I think the films I (make) seem like the tail-end of a dying genre," Singh said in an e-mail interaction.

"I just look at it and say how I can put my DNA into a film that right now is at pulse of pop culture and I don't think right now Mahabharata's going to be on the hit list of that pop culture any time soon. So it's unfortunate," he added.

Singh, who spent his formative years in in India, graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He started his career by directing music videos and commercials of Nike and Coca-Cola.

The 50-year-old says he doubts he will be able to fit into Bollywood. "I've only seen one Bollywood film in the last 25 years.

It was by Aamir Khan-- Lagaan . "I loved that film and it's the only (Indian) one that I've seen.

I have very little to do with Bollywood, but I probably would. I think the person who made the best Bollywood films in Hollywood was Douglas Sirk.

I'd rather do one here. If I go back, I don't know if I'd fit in," said Singh.

Meanwhile, Singh's Immortals , an epic tale of treachery, vengeance and destiny, starring Freida Pinto, Henry Cavill and Mickey Rourke has hit the screens. For Rourke's character, Singh took inspiration from Raavan from Indian epic the Ramayana .

"I've been an atheist since I was nine years old. And my mom is really religious, so we have a strange relationship.

But if my mother was right, what would be the reason that the gods could let anything bad happen in the world? The seed of the film came from there," he said. "So mythology or religious texts I wasn't familiar with any.

However if I was to really pin point an Indian inspiration, then it'll be Mickey Rourke's character King Hyperion that resembles Ravana from the epic Ramayana . "I did actually show him some clips of the character just to give him the idea of what sort of savage intensity I was looking for," Singh added.

Singh is all praises for actress Freida who plays Phaedra. "When I met Freida, I just said, she's it.

She's phenomenal looking. She's very dedicated and a real professional.

She felt like the most natural part of the movie for us. There was no question that we wanted Freida Pinto," he said.

Tweet (less)

Director Manish Tiwary is all set to begin filming his adaptation of Romeo and Juliet titled "Issaq" from October 20. There's an interesting twist to the classic tale of love - the inclusion of the Naxalite angle.

Says Manish, who had directed "Dil Dosti Etc", "I wanted to set my movie in the contemporary world. The story of Romeo and Juliet ends in a tragedy.

I wanted to explore what happens to an emotion like love in a non-loving atmosphere. Romeo comes from a violent mafia background and all his understanding has got to do with guns.

Pitted against his clan is a Naxalite group. I have not taken any sides since both of them have their own points of view.

I wanted a dramatic conflict in my film and introducing the Naxalite angle adds a new layer to my plot." While Prateik is busy preparing to play Rahul and get the Banarasi accent right, a new girl has just been cast in the role of Juliet.

"She is new and is called Bachhi in the movie. Prashant plays a Naxalite in the film.

I have always admired Prashant's acting and my casting him has nothing to do with him acting in "Murder 2". He plays an expat who ignites the Naxalite cause," the director adds.

Is there any chance of introducing any real-life characters involved in the Naxalite movement? "No. There is a Ramleela sequence in the climax.

It might be shot in the documentary style. But I don't wish to rope in any real-life Naxalite leaders," he says.

Meanwhile, Prashant is excited to have bagged the role of a Naxalite. "This is one role that Shakespeare never included in his Romeo and Juliet.

I have just returned to Mumbai after shooting my first Malayalam movie. I'm now busy with recording my own album.

I will be off to Banaras on October 22. This is a one-schedule movie and shooting should be over by December," the actor says.

Three composers - Sachin Jigar, Krishna and Sachin Gupta - are scoring the music. While majority of the shooting will take place in Banaras, portions of it will also be shot in Allahabad.

Incidentally, author Kunal Basu had begun an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet too that was supposed to be directed by Aparna Sen. Though there hasn't been any further talk about this project, Basu had set his adaptation in the cynical world of land mafias and had said that his version could well have been called, love in the times of land garb (less)

"There are lots of suitors, you make the right friendships and they don't judge you there. People don't perceive you with preconceived notions.

In India, I feel trapped in my image. People think you are the same way you are on screen.

Thankfully, the films I'm doing now will break that myth." How did you break into Hollywood? Honestly, it was tougher in Bollywood ! There's no nepotism in Hollywood, so I found it much easier.

They welcomed me and showed me so much love. For me, it was always about being independent, because here women don't get too many opportunities.

When I met President Barack Obama some time ago, he said, "America salutes the spirit of independence, that's what America is built on, and now you have done it and we are proud of you." Those words will be with me till my dying day.

I really had nothing to lose by going there. I don't doubt myself.

Even when I ran away from home and came to Mumbai, who would have thought I'd be there someday? You got to have passion and faith. You live only once! Are you worried about getting typecast as the stereotypical Indian girl there? Not anymore.

I did feel that in the past, because there was a time when Spanish-speaking people were cast as maids, African Americans were portrayed as gangsters, and all terrorists were Middle Eastern people. But now I think they are writing good parts for ethnic people.

I think with Slumdog Millionaire and Freida Pinto doing so well, things are changing. Experimenting with different genres is really exciting.

I think young directors are braver than actors there and here. They have the courage to cast me in these characters.

How do you react to those who believe your career is over? n My obituary has been written SO many times that it really doesn't bother me now. I think women are still treated in a regressive fashion, so for me, where I started and where I am today has been a fun rollercoaster ride.

Is there any bad blood with the Bhatts? I have no issues with them. If I get a good script from them I will do it.

They gave me one of my biggest hits Murder and I loved working with them. Mahesh Bhatt keeps texting me.

In fact, when I met Obama, he was the only person from the industry who called me and said, "Aaj toh yahan maatam chaya hoga!" Emraan was recently quoted saying kissing Mallika wasn't really fun. Your reaction? That's his opinion.

I had more fun kissing the snake in Hisss. For me, the snake was the best kisser.

..

my best lover ever! Are you dating anyone? I have become a nun! If there was someone I was seeing or interested in, then I would definitely talk about it. There are some interesting men who've asked me out, but everytime I think of concentrating on love, some project comes along.

It's true but I'm busy making a career. You have to give your 100 per cent here; either you do this or you have a love life.

Right now, more than a man it's the scripts that are exciting me (less)

Freida, along with director Michael Winterbottom, co-producers Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra as well as composer Amit Trivedi, will attend the screening. The story is based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles .

Set in contemporary Rajasthan, the film has Trishna (Freida) meeting a wealthy young British businessman Jay Singh (Riz Ahmed) who has come to India to work in his father's hotel business. After an accident destroys her father's jeep, Trishna goes to work for Jay, and they fall in love.

But despite their feelings for each other, they cannot escape the conflicting pressures of a rural society which is changing rapidly through industrialisation, urbanisation and, above all, education. Trishna's tragedy is that she is torn between the traditions of her family life and the dreams and ambitions that her education has given her.

The film had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and received rave reviews from critics. The film will have worldwide release in 2012.

For the India release, it will be dubbed in eight languages. Tweet (less)

She is expected to get $3.5 million a year.

"Since it is a two-year deal, it makes it a $7 million deal. In Indian rupees, it comes out to be approximately Rs.

35 crore. It is higher than what any Indian female celebrity has ever been paid," said a source close to the 27-year-old Indian model-turned-actress.

"It's a policy never to comment on brand deals..

. Brand Freida stands for very rare, unique and irreplaceable values and imagery, making her the ideal choice for a brand with a global appeal and an Indian focus," said Anirban Das Blah, managing director of KWAN, the agency that handles Freida's endorsements in India.

Freida made it big internationally with her appearance in Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire . Thereafter, she featured in films like You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Rise of the Planet of the Apes .

She will soon be seen playing the Oracle priestess Phaedra in Tarsem Singh's Immortals", which will release Nov 11. Her other upcoming projects include Jean Jacques Annaud's Black Gold and Michael Winterbottom's Trishna .

Tweet (less)

I remember I could not fit my dates for Singularity . Roland Joffe (director) wanted me to train for a month and I could get only a week.

There was a time when Roland would have dropped me because I was not giving enough time for the preparations," Bipasha told PTI. "Everyone was in Australia for a month and I was the only one who came in for a week.

I came and shot Palyers in Goa and went back to Australia and by that time everyone had learnt how to ride a horse and I had not even started." Bipasha, who is one of the main leads in the movie, plays a Maratha warrior Tulaja Naik in the period drama, set against the backdrop of first Anglo-Maratha war.

Singularity will also see the actress doing some of the most dare-devil stunts, which she says were very exhausting. "It was very demanding physically.

I had to ride a horse, do a battle scene fighting 50 men and climb the mountain and come back. I would say this film made me very brave.

I did everything even though I was not prepared that much." The 32-year-old actress is currently promoting Players , an official remake of Hollywood heist drama The Italian Job and her third outing with Abbas-Mustan after Ajnabee and Race .

The film releases on January 6. Despite bagging the lead role in Singularity and starring in The Italian Job remake, Bipasha does not want to go out of her way to do Hollywood movies.

"I was lucky that Singularity fell into my lap. But it is tough.

Freida (Pinto) has been able to do it successfully because she was beginning her career. We are already well settled here (Bollywood).

It is very difficult to start and struggle again all over for something that could happen or not." The Italian Job has been remade twice in Hollywood but Bipasha does not fear comparison from the previous movies as she believes the Bollywood version is contemporary and sharper.

"I am not worried about comparisons because this film is way higher. That film was in 1993 and it is 2012.

We have kept the basic plot line but have added new sub-plots and twists. It is a complete package," says Bipasha.

The actress, who will be seen doing some perfect con scenes in the movie is happy to reunite with the director duo, who directed her debut film Ajnabee . "You have to be a cool girl or a guy to work with Abbas-Mustan.

They know how to use me as an actor. My character is very dynamic in the film.

She is an automobile expert and full time con artist. I get to spend time with lot of machines and men in the movie.

" Bipasha will next be seen in Jodi Breakers with R Madhavan. Tweet (less)

Initially, there were reports that it was filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar's film 'Khelen Hum Jee Jaan Se' starring Abhishek Bachchan that was causing a hurdle in the release of 'Chittagong' since the two films are based on same subject. "Anurag is a good friend.

He liked the film a lot and told me about it. We are jointly presenting the film and we will try and ensure that the film has a wide release like any other commercial film," Bohra said in a statement.

'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey', a period film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, starring Abhishek and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles, was based on the Chittagong Uprising of 1930. The film which was released last December, was a box office failure.

Directed by Bedabrata Pain, Chittagong starring Manoj Bajpai in the lead, is scheduled to release early next year. The film is set against the backdrop of a little known saga in 1930s British-occupied India - where a group of schoolboys and young women, led by a teacher, Masterda Surya Sen, played by Bajpai dared to take on the British Empire.

"The delay was a blessing in disguise as it gave us some more time to do the patch work better. I am honoured that filmmakers such as Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rakeysh Mehra, Ketan Mehta and others have loved the film.

I am thrilled that the film is getting released now," Pain said. Tweet (less)

"It was a double. I'm relieved I don't have to deal with that issue," Pinto said.

While Pinto who is dating her Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel managed to stay covered up in the film, her co-star Stephen Dorff was less fortunate. "I had no clothes throughout the whole movie.

I only had this little leather piece around my neck for the whole movie," Dorff said. Tweet (less)

The entry of Gabriel stirs the great Indian musical melting pot in a new flavour of globalisation. Apparently Panda whose film is about ecological imbalances in nature, is negotiating with Peter Gabriel who has in principle, given his nod to scoring music for the film.

When contacted, Panda who is currently wrapping up his second feature film Jal Bin Jalpari is reluctant to reveal his plans. He finally lets out, "Yes, Peter Gabriel is my great God of music.

To discuss this would be premature at the moment. But Gabriel is the only musician who can do justice to this film.

" The film, says Panda, is about the cruelty we inflict on nature. "It spans over a time period between 2002 and 2020.

Richard Gere plays the Sutradhar, a foreigner in India. I'm looking at Freida Pinto in a major role.

" It has been a long journey from making I Am Kalam to roping in Peter Gabriel. "In this short period of my life from a poor tribal background in Orissa I've become a globetrotter, travelling to as many as over 50 countries with I Am Kalam.

My writers are always surprised that I never give reference to any cinema when I develop a script. The Richard Gere project will also be original.

" Panda was scheduled to leave for the UK to meet Gabriel after January 1. Tweet (less)

Had a long chat. All izz well now," Arbaaz tweeted Monday.

The party took place Sunday midnight. Arbaz also posted a picture of the two of them in a side-hug pose with each other, displaying happy times.

The Twitter war between the two filmmakers began after it was announced that Arbaaz will direct the sequel of 2010 blockbuster Dabangg, helmed by Anurag's brother, Abhinav. According to reports, Anurag had felt Abhinav was asked to leave the project.

So in anger, he posted negative comments about Khan brothers - Arbaaz and Salman. What followed was an exchange of bitter retaliation.

Once Anurag learnt that Abhinav had opted out of "Dabangg 2" himself, peace prevailed. But it is only now that Anurag and Arbaaz have buried the hatchet.

"Dabangg 2" features Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, and southern star Prakash Raj as the villain. The film will release towards the end of 2012.

Tweet (less)

Scott Fitzgerald's classic which has Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead. "It was my last day of the shoot at Great Gatsby and Baz Luhrmann has been a huge revelation.

One always admired his work and had admired him as a person during our brief encounter before filming started. But these few days spent with him and the entire way in which he works, has been a massive learning exercise," Bachchan posted on his blog bigb.

bigadda.com.

The actor feels there is a lot that our industry needs to learn and imbibe from the West. "I may have been a very small part of this film, but a very large part of the film shall remain with me.

I have observed and witnessed new technologies, new production methods, management and the delegation of work with the utmost ease and, above all, the sincerity of the execution of whatever responsibility has been taken on by each person," he wrote. "We have envied the West and its methodology and its immense presence in the trade of film and filmmaking.

I know now why. Their concentration and desire to bring in the best there is in terms of clarity of vision and the execution to perfection, puts them in a category that makes them a different breed altogether.

There is much to learn and imbibe, to share and experiment with," he added. Amitabh's next stop is Brisbane, where he is going to receive an honorary doctorate from the Queensland University of Technology.

Tweet (less)