Friday, February 19, 2010

Aish rubbishes rumours of her pregnancy


In a letter to a leading Mumbai daily, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has dismissed the rumours of her pregnancy and come out hard on the newspaper with strong words. The former Miss World and daughter-in-law of Bollywood icon Big B has accused the daily for being ‘irresponsible’ and blamed them for printing such news without confirming with her or her family or her spokesperson. She has said that she is shocked by such behaviour by a reputed daily and advised them to follow the principle of confirming the news first and then printing it. She dismissed the reports of her being pregnant. Aishwarya is suffering from a stomach TB.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Actor Aamir Khan has resigned from a panel formed by the government to discuss amendments to the Copyright Act, saying he was "disi

BERLIN (Reuters) - Shah Rukh Khan said on Friday he was "scared" and "hurt" by Shiv Sena's reaction to recent remarks he made in support of Pakistani cricketers.
The 44-year-old heartthrob, in Berlin to present his latest movie "My Name is Khan", also told reporters that he wanted to see the row settled quickly.
"I really want everybody to be happy ... and I'll make sure that by the time I get back to India that everybody is happy," said Khan.
"I don't want any aggression, any problem. I get very, very disturbed and scared and emotionally hurt when things like this happen."
He was referring to protests by Shiv Sena after he criticised the fact that no Pakistani cricketers had been picked for the Indian Premier League.
Earlier this week more than a thousand Shiv Sena workers were taken into preventive custody by police and security was beefed up at cinemas in Mumbai on Friday as the group targeted the opening of My Name is Khan.
Some theatres were initially reluctant to screen the movie for fear of violence, raising concerns among some analysts that Mumbai's image as a cosmopolitan business hub could suffer and that the city was being undermined by parochial politics.
Shiv Sena, which runs the Mumbai municipality, draws political sustenance from hardline Hinduism and an ultra-nationalism that includes strident opposition to Pakistan.Khan said he was tired of the bickering, and stressed he was merely an entertainer.
"So much has been said, so much has been spoken, and with all due respect to everybody around the world, including in my country India, in my city Mumbai ... right now I'd just like to sit down here, walk the red carpet, have some champagne, enjoy the film.
"We as filmmakers should never ever look beyond the fact that we are here to serve the audience. That's how I see it. I truly believe that my job is to make sure people smile. I have no self-centredness or ego about it."
My Name Is Khan, directed by Karan Johar, is about a man named Rizvan Khan, a respectable Muslim played by Khan who suffers from Asperger syndrome, a mild form of autism.
Khan falls in love with a single mother, played by Indian actress Kajol, who runs a hair salon. But their budding romance is interrupted by the spread of prejudice against Muslims following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Toronto, Dec 18 – Bollywood star Akshay Kumar announced here Thursday that he would make a cross-cultural film on Canada with ice hockey as the theme

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Actor Aamir Khan has resigned from a panel formed by the government to discuss amendments to the Copyright Act, saying he was "disillusioned and sad" by media reports which he claimed showed him in a bad light.
Two Mumbai tabloids reported on Tuesday Khan and writer Javed Akhtar had a heated altercation during a meeting of the committee formed by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal.
The Mumbai Mirror reported that Akhtar took exception to Khan's suggestion that lyricists do not make much of a contribution to the impact of a song. Khan said the news reports were false.
"I feel I have a lot to contribute to the ongoing debate but I cannot make any meaningful contribution in this atmosphere," the 44-year-old actor said in a letter to Sibal, a copy of which was circulated to the media.
"Aggression of this type leaves me feeling very disillusioned and sad and I am unable to function."
Khan, Akhtar and filmmaker Ramesh Sippy were among those named members of the committee, according to an official release on Sunday.
The release quoted Sibal as saying the existing situation in the film industry did not do justice to lyricists and music composers and amendments would ensure that authors will not be able to assign intellectual rights to the film producer.
Writers in Bollywood have for long been a neglected lot and even though The Film Writers Association of India is coming up with a model contract to ensure writers get a fair deal, producers don't seem to take it seriously.

Akshay Kumar runs for Canadians


Toronto, Dec 18 – Bollywood star Akshay Kumar announced here Thursday that he would make a cross-cultural film on Canada with ice hockey as the theme even as he ran in bone-chilling temperature for the Winter Olympic torch relay. .
“I love ice hockey, and I am in the processing making this film. I will start work on it next year,” the “Singh is Kingg” hero said here while participating the torch relay race for the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver.
But he could not complete the 300-metre torch run as protesters opposing the staging of the Olympics blocked the race.
Since ice hockey is very popular among all Canadians, Akshay said he wants to show how this game has bridged cultural differences between different people.
Hinting that he might also make a Punjabi film, he said,”I am Punjabi and I love the language. I have just done a small role in a Punjabi film, and I won’t rule out any film in the future.”
Akshay, who owns a house and has permanent residence status here, said Canada is “like a second home to me. I love Canada. Though the weather here is cold, people are very warm.”
He said his connection with Canada has deepened over the years since he came here first in 1995.
“Seven-eight of my films have been shot in Toronto and Vancouver, and six of them have done very well. So I have special connections with this country,” he said.
He also recalled the help extended by Canadians when his father was brought to Toronto for medical treatment some time ago.
Thanking Canada for inviting him to run with the Olympic torch, he said, “It is a dream come true.
“I am honoured and privileged to have been selected as an official torchbearer for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic torch relay. I would like to thank Canadians for this honour and recognition,” he said.
He said he was also happy about Toronto hosting the ‘Bollywood Oscars’ in 2012. “I am very happy that the event is coming to Toronto. It will be a great honour for Canada.”
However, he was not very happy about his films his year, saying that “this year three to four films (of mine) didn’t do that well.”
Later in the evening he ran with the Olympic torch on the famous Yonge Street in the heart of Toronto in bone-chilling winter. Even the minus eight-degree temperature failed to deter people as thousands lined up both sides of the street to have a glimpse of the star.
However, Akshay could not finish his 300-metre run as protesters blocked the street to highlight the treatment of Native Indians by the Canadian government.
Hundreds of policemen intervened to remove the agitators who kept shouting slogans against the holding of the Olympics on lands taken away from the original natives of Canada.
Akshay was one of the international torch-bearers selected by the Olympic organizing committee.

Salman Khan sets the dance floor on fire in Khan Kya Gyaan


February 19, 2010: Earlier we reported that Salman Khan would be seen giving commentary in his upcoming film ‘Prem Kaa Game’ but this is not all that he’s doing in the film. The latest that we learnt about Salman bhai is that he is also all set to shake his booty on the dance floor and set it on fire by grooving to ‘Khan Kaa Gyaan’ dance number.
Our reliable source from the sets of ‘Prem Kaa Game’ says, “Besides, narrating the story of the film ‘Prem Kaa Game’, Salman Khan has also performed on ‘Khan Kaa Gyaan’ dance number which comes at a very interesting point in the film.”
Continuing they add, “It’s being said that Salman Khan has done a cameo in the film which holds no truth, as Salman Khan is present in the major chunk of the film.”
‘Prem Kaa Game’ is a family entertainer and stars Arbaaz Khan, Tara Sharma, Johnny Lever, Malaika Arora, and Madhuri Bhattacharya.

Big B blasts media report on Aishwarya's health

An angry Amitabh Bachchan has blasted, what he called a ‘false’ and ‘insensitive’ media report on his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai's health saying, "I shall not tolerate it."
A city based tabloid, published a report saying Aishwarya had been trying to conceive for some time but has been unable to do as she is suffering from stomach tuberculosis.
Bachchan, who was “too incensed and angered" by the claims of the tabloid, posted the copy of the report on his blog calling it the "lowest quality of journalism".
"I write to you today in deep anguish, pain and disgust. This article is completely false, completely fabricated, unsubstantiated, insensitive and of the lowest quality of journalism there ever was," Bachchan wrote on his blog.
"I am the head of my family. Aishwarya is not my daughter-in -law, she is my daughter, a woman, a lady in my house and home. If anyone will speak derogatorily about her, I shall fight for her till my last breath. If you have something to say to the men in the house, Abhishek or me, I shall bear it. BUT.. if you shall make injudicious remarks on the women in my home, I shall not tolerate it !!!," Bachchan added.