Don 2' starts this year Posted by naila , Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 12:45 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Everyone's speculating about ‘Don 2’. Farhan Akhtar, who directed the SRK starrer ‘Don’, had announced the sequel to the film quite some time back. While Farhan got busy with his acting assignments and SRK too decided to work on ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ first and ‘My Name Is Khan’ next, one kept wondering when Farhan and SRK would start the next installment of ‘Don’.

"Don 2 will start in October this year. We've locked the script and also the locations," Farhan and his producer-partner Ritesh Sidhwani tell me. The new Don will have two leading ladies. "Priyanka Chopra will be one of them. The second will be finalized in due course," Farhan states.

There's talk that the producers are also planning to start ‘Rock On 2’. "A lot of people want us to do that. Right now Abhishek [Kapoor, the director of Rock On] is working on another script. But if he finds a script that looks like a worthy follow up to Rock On, why not?" Farhan clarifies...LINK

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen named style icons; Lacey Schwimmer off 'DWTS' Posted by naila , at 12:41 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Last night, Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsenpicked up Icons of the Year awards in London at The Elle Style Awards 2010. .....LINK

Basso and Brooke unveils digital print dresses at London's Fashion Week

By Gregory Katz (CP) – 3 hours ago

LONDON — Basso and Brooke showed their signature tight, digital print dresses Tuesday as London Fashion Week neared its climax, with the highly anticipated Burberry collection set to be unveiled.

Fashion Week began in a subdued mood because of the recent death by apparent suicide of revered British designer Alexander McQueen, but the fast pace of shows - and the presence of celebrities including Janet Jackson, Naomi Campbell, Sienna Miller and others - has focused attention on the fashion talent being showcased.

The multicoloured Basso and Brooke dresses, including dramatic maxi-dresses with low cut backs, impressed the crowd which has come to see the designers as expert pioneers in the high fashion use of digital prints.

Among their fans are First Lady Michelle Obama, who has worn one of their designs, adding to the five-year-old brand's growing international reputation.

"That has to help," said Olivia Marks, a fashion journalist with showstudio.com. "They were one of the first people to do digital prints. It was more of the same, but the response coming out was people saying, 'Wow, that was really great.' It will definitely be popular with people who know the brand really well."

She said the consensus was that the influential Liberty store would showcase the brand's autumn and winter collection, which was seen as very wearable.

"They delivered what they were expected to, and it was very polished," she said.

The fall collection includes dresses with skintight sleeves designed to be worn with leather gloves. Some had fur collars as well.

The colours, even on a single dress, were so varied as to defy description. The more closely one looked, the more gradations one saw. The contrasting patterns and colours gave each piece a unique feel, and the patterns seemed to undulate as the models walked.

Only a few pieces used solid colours to set off the prints. Even the ankle boots were decorated.

The evening dresses provided the highlight, including some off-the-shoulder designs, one with a bright swath with an intricate yellow pattern. Some were set off by red, mid-length gloves, heightening the glamour...LINK

Katrina chooses Hrithik over Ranbir Posted by naila , at 12:37 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

He is a true style icon, and she, the sexiest woman, in Bollywood. Despite their almost carefree attitude to fashion, actors Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif together make a sizzling duo in their first ever shoot together for the cover of fashion glossy Harper’s Bazaar’s first anniversary issue.

The cover interview reveals that Kat is a brand-wary natural, while Hrithik is a self-confessed perfectionist. And despite the weight and beard he’s put on for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish, he has Katrina’s vote for India’s most stylish male star...LINK

Kristen Stewart Reflects On How Her Career Has Grown Since Filming 'Yellow ... Posted by naila , at 12:35 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Hollywood latest heartthrob Robert Pattinson has credited superstar Pierce Brosnan with teaching him to deal with crazed fans.

The British actor worked with the James Bondstar in upcoming movie Remember Me and was impressed how easily Brosnan handled the the attention they received when they went for dinner, Vogue magazine reported.

"He's totally recognisable, and he makes no effort to tone it down. Some people were glancing over at us in the restaurant, and he just went over and introduced himself," Pattinson said...LINK

Basso and Brooke unveils digital print dresses at London's Fashion Week Posted by naila , at 12:32 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

LONDON - Basso and Brooke showed their signature tight, digital print dresses Tuesday as London Fashion Week neared its climax, with the highly anticipated Burberry collection set to be unveiled...LINK

Nice one Cheryl - but why did it take you so long! Posted by naila , at 12:26 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Cheryl Cole today officially announced her split from Chelsea footballer husband Ashley. Photograph: Daniel Deme/Lindsey Parnaby/EPA Her statement was brief, but not frustratingly so: it pretty much said it all...LINK

Carlton Towers fire kills nine Posted by naila , at 12:15 PM, in Labels: WORLD

People being rescued from Carlton Towers on HAL Airport Road in Bangalore where a major fire broke out on Tuesday. BANGALORE: In a tragic reminder of the abysmal disaster response system of the city, nine people, three of them women, died and 68 were ...LINK

Govt to uphold rule of law, supremacy of Parliament: Gilani Posted by naila , at 12:14 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that the government attaches high priority to upholding the rule of law and supremacy of the Parliament...link

Pakistan calls for broad agenda for talks Posted by naila , at 12:12 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi warned on Tuesday that Thursday's Foreign Secretary-level talks with India would not achieve progress if its scope was limited to “a narrow agenda” of terrorism-related issues...link

‘My Name is Khan’ makes record $1.86 million in America Posted by naila , Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 2:58 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Grossing an estimated $1.86 million at the box office in its first weekend, Shah Rukh Khan starrer My Name Is Khan has broken the record for the largest opening weekend ever for a Hindi film in North America.

The Fox Searchlight release directed by Karan Johar averaged $15,500 from 120 theatres across the United States and Canada over Feb 12-14 weekend. The previous record was held by Mr. Khan’s musical extravaganza Om Shanti Omwhich grossed $1.76 million from 114 theatres when it was released over the Diwali holiday weekend in 2007.

My Name Is Khan opened Friday with $444,000, rose 65 percent to $734,000 Saturday, and is estimated to dip 7 percent to $682,000 on Sunday, Valentine’s Day.

Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday in the U.S. will lead to a four-day debut of more than $2 million. The film also generated the highest per theatre average of any film in the Top 20 over the weekend.

Meanwhile My Name Is Khan is getting good reviews from U.S. critics with variety.com saying “This riotously overstuffed and enormously enjoyable drama races forward with incredible drive.”

Trade publication Hollywood Reporter in a review from Berlin said, “It’s well worth the 162-minute journey” noting “Shah Rukh Khan comes to America (although in a Bollywood film) and shows why he is an Indian mega-star.”

“The thing about some Bollywood superstars is that they are actually fine actors as well as charismatic performers. So it’s not surprising in My Name Is Khan to see Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan — he’s light years beyond a mere superstar in Hindi cinema’s cosmology — challenge himself to expand his acting range and possibly his international fan base.”

“This is a movie not built for subtlety, but it does tackle a subject American movies have mostly avoided — that of racial profiling and the plight of Muslim-Americans. It also allows Shah Rukh Khan to display his talent to an even wider audience,” it says.

The Los Angeles Times called it “a sweeping epic in the melodramatic Bollywood manner yet emerges as a potent, engaging and timely entertainment.” The film “is a potent, energetic heart-tugger and Khan and Kajol, major Bollywood stars, are highly appealing and equal to the demand of their emotion-charged roles.”

“At its best My Name Is Khan, set mainly in America, is an affecting fairy tale about the perils of goodness,” said the New York Times.

“Khan is one of a handful of Hindi films (New York, Kurbaan) about Indians living in a paranoid, post-9/11 America, and there’s something fascinating about looking at this country through a Bollywood lens, even when the story is a kind of fairy tale.”

“Skillfully directed by Karan Johar and with an evocative score by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, Khan jerks tears with ease, while teaching lessons about Islam and tolerance,” the Times said...link

Hermione hot in Hollywood Posted by naila , Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 1:52 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

EMMA WATSON, who came to fame playing the swot Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, has been named Hollywood's highest paid female actor.

The 19-year-old British star earned £20 million ($36 million) last year, according to Vanity Fair's list of Hollywood's top 40 earners.

She came 14th overall and was one of only two women in the top 20. Cameron Diaz was the other.

Golden girl ... Emma Watson in London for fashion week's Burberry show.Photo: AFP

Potter co-stars Daniel Radcliffe, the highest paid actor at No. 6 with £26 million, and Rupert Grint (15th, £20 million) made it on to the list behind top earner,Transformers producer Michael Bay, with £78 million.

A regular sight in the front rows of fashion shows in London and Paris, Watson last year won a lucrative advertising deal with Burberry and this year launched a clothing collection in collaboration with ethical label People Tree.

Steven Spielberg was No. 2 with more than £53 million in earnings.

Director James Cameron'sAvatar recently overtook his last film, Titanic, to become the highest grossing movie ever made. His earnings, estimated at £31 million, ranked him No. 4.

Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Nicolas Cage and Russell Crowe are all on the list, compiled after interviews with agents, lawyers, studio executives and, sometimes, th...link

Aishwarya Rai Will host a TV Show Posted by naila , at 1:43 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

After leading Big Screen,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is contemplating becoming a chat show host after her husband Abhishek and her super star father inlaw Amitabh Bachchan.The Discussion for will Aishwarya host a show or not? is not decided yet.The more expectations are that Bollywood Queen Aishwarya demand’s heavy price money to host the show.The show will be aired on Colors channel.It’s now depend on Aishwarya that will she host a show or not...link

Abhishek, Priyanka tweet for SRK Posted by naila , at 1:41 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

Finally someone from the film idustry has spoken out on the SRK vs Sena issue.

Abhishek Bachchan and fellow actor Priyanka Chopra has both tweeted about the incident and their full support to SRK.

"All that has been happening over the past few days is very unfortunate and sad! I believe that sports, arts & culture should be above politics," Abhishek wrote.

"My family and I have faced many such incidents in the past. And all I wish for is peace and harmony to prevail over all citizens."

Priyanka Chopra wrote "Being away from home feels strange at times like this.. with the team of MNIK (My Name Is Khan) all the way. SRK, Karan kajol I support!"

Priyanka who has worked with SRK in a couple of films also wrote: "I'm so proud of you! This is a huge violation of our democracy! You are right! Hope you know that we all support you always!! Go My Name is Khan!"..link

My Name...' won't make a statement: SRK Posted by naila , at 1:39 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

It has some religion, a bit of politics and it's set in the backdrop of a world shaking event, but for Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan his latest venture is not so much about Islam post-9/11 as it is entertainment.

"The film is mainly entertainment," Shah Rukh said in a lengthy interview with IANS over the phone from New York on a trip last week to promote his new film, My Name Is Khan (MNIK), releasing in the US Feb 12.

"If some issue is taken back home, I always tell people if they can take back a little more than an empty pack of popcorn, that's interesting...that's an added advantage to an entertaining film."

Shah Rukh, who plays a Muslim Indian with Asperger's syndrome living in the US, finding his marriage to a Hindu single mother (played by Kajol) crumbling post-9/11, wouldn't agree that it's the Islam angle that is grabbing the most attention in the US.

"A film normally deals with lots of issues, comedy, or it's a tragedy or a serious film or a dramatic love story like ...Khan is meant to be," he said. "If one starts talking or deciding on issues before a whole film is seen, it's kinda not right to do, specially as a filmmaker.

"Normally, a film is more than the sum of its parts. It's not like it's a love story, it's got a Karan Johar touch to social cinema, it has an angle of religion, it also has a part of politics, it has a world-shaking incident as a backdrop, it also has a lot of sweet songs. It combines all that.

"To me as a filmmaker, or part of a film, any aspect of the film can only be decided once one has seen the whole film. But there's no denying that there is an aspect of religion in the film."

Nor would Shah Rukh look at this and other recent Bollywood films about the fate of Indian Muslims in the US post-9/11 as an effort to redress any negative images people may have formed about Islam over the last nine years.

"Films normally are for entertainment. One doesn't really make a conscious decision to make a statement with it. Within entertainment, if a statement gets made, it's really nice for a filmmaker.

"You know, maybe 3 Idiots talks about education, but it's an entertaining film. Similarly Chak De! India talks about patriotism, but it's a sports film.

"You can have issues related in a film, but when filmmakers of commercial proportions like Karan, myself and Kajol and all get together, it's not to highlight an issue because it's too expensive as a commercial venture to make a film about an issue and not entertain."

To Shah Rukh, "the most interesting part of the fact as an actor is that I'm playing a character who's got Asperger's. It's also not in any which way to show it in a light which is not nice...but for an actor that's a great thing to do, you know, to play a (person with a) disorder like this which very few people know about."

"Hopefully, I'll be able to convince people about it when they see (the film). I don't think at least commercial filmmakers from India really make a big-time film which is localised or even localised by an international issue," he said.

"Commercial we will only know once the film releases," said Shah Rukh when asked if MNIK isn't one of Karan Johar's least commercial offerings so far.

"...Yes, the only thing it has amiss is big set dance pieces, but we just felt with the disorder we were dealing with, it would look very unrealistic for the character Rizwan Khan to indulge in dancing of the order of we normally see in a Hindi film of Karan's, or you might have seen earlier.

"Except for that, I think the venture is extremely commercial," he said.

"In the last five years, there's a whole paradigm shift as to what people accept as a commercial film," Shah Rukh said describing it as "Karan's evolution from making and keeping up with the trends of new commercial cinema in India and elsewhere".

On professional challenges he faced during its filming, Shah Rukh said it was a "very difficult" character to play. "If I was to just put it simply, it's very seldom that I've really gone ahead and played a character which exists in real life.

"And whenever you're dealing with a disorder or a near...atypical situation, the first thought is that the sort of parameters you have to set that in no which way you are derogatory or deriding the disorder.

"You have to make the protagonist very proud of what it is. The second part is you have to come as close to reality in depicting that characterisation and so one had to study a lot and one does get worried..."

But a couple of people affected with the same disorder who were shown the film had told them "...it's a great portrayal, it's very close to someone with this kind of disorder".

"Of course, having said that, I have taken a few cinematic liberties with it, because I've used three or four traits which may not exist simultaneously in one person and tried to create one character who has Asperger's, called Rizwan Khan."..link

I'm very proud to be an Indian: Shah Rukh Khan Posted by naila , at 1:35 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

The biggest star in Bollywood is under attack from an extremist Hindu party with a history of violence for expressing support for cricketers from Pakistan, India’s arch rival.

Shahrukh Khan, a Muslim actor, reignited a diplomatic spat last week when he lamented that no Pakistani player had been bought by the clubs competing in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), the wealthiest cricket tournament...link

Victims of Chehlum blasts laid to rest Posted by naila , at 1:34 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

Funeral prayers for 14 victims were held in Saudabad area where hundreds of mourners turned up to attend the funerals and express their condolences to the bereaved families on Saturday...link

Government must target militants in Karachi: MQM Posted by naila , at 1:32 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

The MQM demanded on Saturday that the government must conduct an operation against militants holed up in different areas of Karachi...link

Karachi violence blow to Pakistan economy Posted by naila , at 1:31 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

KARACHI - A wave of political and sectarian violence sweeping Karachi threatens heavy financial losses in the country's economic hub, where analysts fear Islamists are bent on fanning maximum instability.

Pakistanis doubt Taliban chiefs in Baluchistan Posted by naila , at 1:28 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

AP QUETTA, Pakistan -- If Afghan Taliban fighters and their top leaders are roaming around this remote part of Pakistan as the US alleges, the police chief here says he hasn't seen them...link

Iran to enrich uranium to 20 pc Posted by naila , at 1:26 PM, in Labels: WORLD

A large explosion at a Connecticut power station has killed at least two people and injured scores. But rescue workers warned of the possibility of many more deaths...link

Re-Introducing Viktor Yanukovych Posted by naila , at 1:25 PM, in Labels: WORLD

Five years in the political wilderness has taught Ukraine's apparent next president that the world does not end with the democratic rotation of power...link

Pakistani military captures Taliban stronghold in volatile tribal area Posted by naila , at 1:20 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

KHAR, Pakistan - Pakistani security forces have seized a key Taliban stronghold in a northwestern area that the government had declared free of militants a year ago following a military offensive but has experienced periodic violence since then...link

I've done no wrong: Shah Rukh Posted by naila , Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 3:41 PM, in Labels: Entertainment

MUMBAI: Stepping into the city in the midst of the raging controversy over his IPL statement and the apprehension over the release of his film My Name Is Khan, actor Shah Rukh Khan said on Saturday that while he was a proud Mumbaikar, .....LINK

Pakistan city mourns twin bomb attacks Posted by naila , at 3:38 PM, in Labels: Most Popular

Thousands of people have attended a funeral in Karachi for some of those who died in bomb attacks on a bus and then a hospital where casualties were being treated, as the toll reached 33...LINK

Sit-in on highway over bombings Posted by naila , at 3:35 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

Funeral prayers of victims who lost their lives in two blasts during chehlum procession of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) being offered at RCD ground Malir...LINK

Pakistani on hunger strike in NY for Aafia's release Posted by naila , at 3:33 PM, in Labels: Pakistan

NEW YORK: A Pakistani man went on hunger strike in front of the UN building on Friday in protest against the conviction of neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui and demanded her release....LINK

School bombing exposes Obama's secret war inside Pakistan Posted by naila , at 3:31 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

THE discovery of three American soldiers among the dead in a suicide bombing at the opening of a girls' school in the northwestern Pakistan town of Dir last week reignited the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country...LINK

Indian offer accepted, with caveats Posted by naila , at 3:29 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

NEW DELHI: India's proposal for foreign secretary-level talks in New Delhi this month has been more or less accepted by Pakistan with the caveat that it should be a step towards a full engagement on important issues, including Kashmir ...LINK

Pakistan city mourns twin bomb attacks Posted by naila , at 3:26 PM, in Labels: TOP STORIES

Troops of Pakistan's paramilitary force rush to a bus damaged by bomb explosion in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday. (Fareed Khan/Associated Press)

Two bombs targeting Shia Muslims exploded in Pakistan's largest city Friday, one outside a hospital treating victims from the first blast hours earlier.

At least 22 people were killed and more than 50 others wounded.

Police Chief Waseem Ahmad appealed to Shias in the teeming, chaotic city of more than 16 million to remain calm.

The most recent bomb was outside the entrance to the emergency ward at Jinnah Hospital, said witness Imran Ahmad. The first bomb was attached to a motorcycle, detonating as a bus carrying Shia Muslim worshippers drove by.

Local TV footage showed security officials examining the twisted metal pieces of the wrecked motorbike. The bus nearby appeared severely damaged. Windows in nearby buildings also shattered.

The bus carried mainly women and children headed to a Shia religious gathering, senior police official Javed Akbar said.

Dr. Simi Jamali said at least 11 bodies were brought to a local hospital.

Karachi has seen a number of attacks aimed at minority Shias in recent weeks, including one that killed dozens at a procession for a religious holiday and sparked subsequent riots. Extremists from Pakistan's Sunni Muslim majority have been blamed.

Pakistan's Sunnis and Shias generally live in peace, but extremists from the two sects have targeted one another's leaders and worshippers.

Karachi is a port city and the main commercial hub in Pakistan. It has a history of political, ethnic and religious violence. The Taliban, a Sunni Islamist movement, also are believed to use Karachi as a place to rest and raise money....LINK