Rani Mukherjee has a soft spot for all the three Khans!

Rani Mukherjee is one of the few actresses to have worked with all the three Khans of Bollywood. She recently confessed that she has a soft spot for all the three Khans, Salman, Shahrukh and Aamir Khan, with whom she worked at a very young age.

Rani told in a group interview: “I have a soft corner for Salman, Shahrukh and Aamir because at an impressionable age, I worked with them. I was 17-18. At that age, you look up to some people and that always remains irrespective of whatever happens.”

“Your comfort level with them is such that you can’t compare it with any other co-star. The kind of love and support they showed towards me when I was a newcomer will stay with me for life,” told the 34-year-old actress.

Rani worked with Salman in Chori Chori and later in Baabul. With Shahrukh, she was seen in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Paheli. And with Aamir Khan, she was seen in Ghulam then Mangal Pandey and the two were seen together once again in Talaash.

She told, “I always treated myself as a youngster or as a learner in front of two people – Aamir and Shah Rukh – as I started my career with them. So I do look up to them in a different way. I may not be shy in front of them any more, but I learn a lot from them. When they suggest anything to me, it’s important for me to take their suggestion.”

“I don’t really get stuck in a time warp where if my film is a success, I have to keep partying till the next one releases or if my film is a flop, I keep wallowing in sorrow until the next comes my way. My hard work in each film is always there. Till date, nobody has pointed out a flaw in my acting. At least they say Rani’s film didn’t work, but she was fabulous. I work towards maintaining that,” she told.

She said: “We are not saints, gods, spiritual human beings that we can sit and decide whether a film will do well or not. It is not in our hands.”

“You are a worker. How can your work give you frustration? From childhood, we’re taught that there will be good days; there will be bad days; you will win some and lose some. But because of that you don’t become negative, frustrated and depressed,” she further added.

According to Rani, choosing the right films are the most important, as it always brings out the best results.

“It could get saturated or monotonous if I would do the same characters again and again. That is why to save myself from that feeling, I take time out to choose roles that excite me,” she told.

Abhishek Bachchan will enact Rajiv Gandhi?

Abhishek Bachchan is most expected to be a part of the Rajiv Gandhi biopic, to be directed by Bhavna Talwar. However, the approval of Mrs Sonia Gandhi is yet awaited. Bhavna’s husband, Sheetal Talwar is the producer of the movie. The Talwars have an appointment with Mrs Gandhi, next month in Delhi.

The filmmakers have zeroed in on a couple of British and Indian actors, to essay the role of Rajiv, including Colin Firth, Riz Ahmed and Abhishek Bachchan. However, what’s proving more problematic is the casting of an actress, who could do Sonia Gandhi.

A source close to the project reveals, “Bhavna Talwar would be making the film in complete harmony with Mrs Sonia Gandhi. She would be kept in the loop about every development in the project. Now, casting for the Rajiv part which is on the verge of closure can be delayed a bit more. But when Sheetal and Bhavna Talwar meet Mrs Sonia Gandhi they must be able tell her the name of the actress who plays her.”

The producer tells, “It is only reasonable, don’t you think? We should be able to inform Mrs Gandhi who is playing her role. We’ve narrowed down the list to 5-6 foreign actresses. But we can’t reveal who will actually play Mrs Gandhi until we sign her.”

Buzz has it that Monica Bellucci is leading the race for the main lead. She is high on the list as she was to play Sonia Gandhi in the biopic that the late Jagmohan Mundhra was to make.

Sheetal tells, “We are not looking at stars to play Rajivji and Soniaji .We want actors who understand what they stand for. Rajiv changed not just our society in terms of technological progress, he changed Indian mindsets. We need an actor who understands the lofty ideals that he stood for.”

Priyanka Chopra is all set to test her mettle for enact Mary Kom!

Priyanka Chopra is all set to test her mettle to the core, as the actress will next be seen playing Mary Kom, the Indian Olympic medal winning boxer.

Seemingly, Priyanka has been roped in by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Mary Kom’s biopic. It is learnt that PeeCee will have to undergo rigorous training for four long months, and that too, from Mary Kom herself. She will learn the basics of boxing, i.e. the foot-and-arm movement, feinting, sparring etc and also there would be a grinding session, as Priyanka will move into bouts and throw actual punches at the opponents. She will have to bear a few punches too.

Priyanka will have to be physically and mentally strong.

Buzz doing the rounds is that Priyanka will be staying with Mary Kom and her family, in Manipur, as it is very important for her to understand her character.

A source tells, “She needs to understand how Mary has struggled to perfect her sport even though she had to play mother to twins and take care of her husband. There are a lot of things about Mary’s family that nobody knows. For instance, Mary’s father became aware of his daughter’s affinity to boxing only after he read about her achievements in the newspaper. By spending time with the family, Priyanka will get to know about such stories.”

The actress will begin her training early next year.

Now a film on Bigg Boss concept with Salman Khan?

Well, so the makers of Bigg Boss have decided to make it big! the show, whose season 6 is currently on air, will now be made for the silver screen. Yes, you heard it right!

Endemol India, producers of Bigg Boss in collaboration with Select Media Holdings Pvt Ltd’s film production arm, Moving Pictures, will produce the film and will be a horror comedy. The movie will go on floors next year and will be based on the experiences of the contestants from this and the previous seasons. Now, the question is will the popular host Salman Khan be approached for the film?

Deepak Dhar, CEO of Endemol India told: “The success of Bigg Boss has achieved epic proportions, where we have seen that it has become a part of people’s daily lives. One of the biggest advantages is its ability to cut across people of all age groups. We are certain that we will be able to replicate the success and recreate the unpredictability of this format on the silver screen as well.”

According to Nitin Tej Ahuja, director, Select Media Holdings Pvt Ltd, Bigg Boss has a great cinematic potential. “Bigg Boss is one of the most popular entertainment properties in India, and therefore a perfect fit for us as a production house focused on quality commercial cinema.”

“As a concept and a format, Bigg Boss inherently has fabulous cinematic potential and we are looking forward to working with Endemol India in bringing this very exciting property to the big screen,” further added Ahuja.

Contestants are being approached to act in the movie as the cast yet has to be finalized. The producers should unquestionably approach Salman Khan because if Salman Khan gives a nod, then they already have a winner on their hands! What say?

Priyanka Chopra is very close to my heart: Shahrukh Khan

Keep in mind the rumors spread about Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra’s affair during the shooting of Don? Well, it’s said that piggy chops became very close to Shahrukh Khan during that time. But when Shahrukh’s wife Gauri heard about this issue, she made sure that Priyanka never attended any of their functions or gatherings.

However, Shahrukh and Priyanka never spoke about this neither did they accept it, they just decided to keep quiet about the entire issue. But recently, Shahrukh Khan came out and disclosed that Pee Cee is a close friend and one of the few people who is closest to his heart.

Shahrukh told, “(I) Feel extremely sorry, for she (Priyanka) wasn’t shown the respect I show her, or other women. Priyanka Chopra is one of the closest friends that I have, she is very close to my heart, and always will be.”

And back then it was none other than Shahrukh’s closest friend Karan Johar who accused Priyanka on the social platform Twitter. Maybe Shahrukh wasn’t too happy with this and Karan later on confessed that he didn’t do the right thing. But Priyanka wasn’t even bothered and later on patched up with Karan on his birthday.

Anil Kapoor is willing to cast his daughter on the TV show ’24′!

Anil Kapoor is very thrilled about his forthcoming reality show. The actor lately spoke about the show and about how he would like to have his daughter Sonam Kapoor be a part of it.

’24′, is the Indian adaptation of the award-winning American tv series ’24′, Anil told that he is sure that 24 will do well in the country and he is willing to cast his daughter, only if there’s a role suitable for her.

Anil said at the launch of 24: “If there is a character which suits Sonam or Sonam thinks will suit her, then why not? We will definitely pitch, these days we have to talk to Sonam’s managers.”

“24″ is an American television series that started in 2001 and ran till 2010, with a total of 192 episodes.

Anil Kapoor featured in the eighth season of the show as Omar Hassan, president of the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan.

When Anil was asked about his favorite television show, he said: “I liked ‘Buniyaad’, which was directed by Ramesh Sippy ji. I loved that.”

In the meantime, Anil Kapoor is also gearing up for his forth coming suspense Race 2, which also stars Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham. Deepika Padukone and Jacqueline Fernandes are also in the lead roles.

Priyanka Chopra is “inspiring” singing talent: Zeenat Aman

Zeenat Aman

Priyanka Chopra

Zeenat Aman, yesteryears’ stunning actress who walked the runway for designer Riyaz Gangji, at the India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW), said, today’s Bollywood actress’s are very talented especially Priyanka Chopra, pointing out her “inspiring” singing talent.

“All the girls today in the industry are multi-faceted and multi-talented. They are doing everything with self-belief. Each one has their own style statement. I like Vidya Balan in a Sabyasachi Mukherjee sari or Katrina Kaif in western garments.”

“Having said that, I really like Bollywood actress’s are very talented especially Priyanka Chopra, pointing out her “inspiring” singing talent…. especially the singer in her is very inspiring for young stars,” the 61 year old told.

Also talking about her experience on the ramp, Zeenat told, “This is not the first time I am walking for them. I walked for them several times back also. I really like the clothes that they made, especially the structured jackets and flowy outfits. They take into account the comfortability factor. It’s also age appropriate.”

“I think women of all age-groups want to look pretty,” she further added.

Zeenat started her modeling career after she was the second runner-up in the Miss India contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific title in 1970.

“I am very comfortable on the ramp. It’s where I started my journey from, so life has come full circle, thanks to all the designers for whom I walked,” she said. The beautiful actress also said that she will soon come back on the silver screen next year, with some of her releases.

Aishwarya Rai leaves Mehboob Studio due to avoid Salman encounter!

Aishwarya Rai was at the Mehboob Studios lately, shooting for a hair product that she endorses, while Salman Khan was in the same studio interacting with the media for his upcoming film Dabangg 2. The two were well aware of each others presence and hence were a little extra cautious of not crossing each others path.

A source told, “Aishwarya arrived at Mehboob Studios around 12.30 pm and proceeded to stage No 3 for the shoot. Salman arrived by 4 pm and was at stage No 1. While Aishwarya left the venue at 7 pm, Salman was there till late night.”

The source further added, “As the security people were strict, no one could take Aishwarya’s entry and exit snapshots. Even though a lot of media were present for the Salman event, Aishwarya made a quiet exit.”

There was a time when Ashwarya and Salman were synonymous to each other. But now, things are clearly different. Seems like things will never get normal between the two.

In the meantime, Aishwarya Rai, on December 1, celebrated World AIDS Day at Art Centre of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Hospital in Mumbai.

Interacting with the media, Aishwarya told, “The numbers (of AIDS patients) have come down considerably by the latest statistics and that’s a very positive sign; in fact, the programme in India has been recognized as a success, which is encouraging to hear.”

She further added, “However, there is a lot of work that needs to get done and the efforts will continue to remain on.”

Manisha Koirala goes to US for further tests and treatment!

While reports state that actress Manisha Koirala has been diagnosed with cancer, Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital, where the actor was admitted, has said that she was discharged on Friday morning and is “absolutely hale and hearty.” The exact reason behind her illness is not yet clear.

“Manisha was discharged (Friday) morning. She has requested not to disclose anything about her health… so I am not allowed to speak about it,” Krishnakant Dasyam, spokesperson of Jaslok Hospital, said.

The actress was rushed to the hospital last Wednesday after she fell unconscious. Reportedly, Manisha has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Slamming the media, the hospital CEO Dr (Col.) R R Pulgaonkar said, “Manisha is fine. She is a human and can fall sick. We have to respect the privacy of our patients. She was treated but I can’t reveal details. It is not right to speculate.”

In the meantime, Manisha was freshly spotted at the airport, on her way to the United States. Apparently, she is going there for further tests and treatment.

The actress has decided not to speak about the illness until the process of healing begins formally.

Manisha Koirala is known for her performance in movies such as ‘Bombay’, ‘Khamoshi’ and ‘Company’. The actress has worked in several Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam movies and hails from a prominent family in Nepal.

Shekhar Kapur’s ambitious film ‘Paani’ with Hrithik!

Hrithik Roshan has at last bagged Shekhar Kapur’s film titled Paani. The movie will be produced by Yash Raj Films.

As a source tells a magazine, “Now that Shekhar has finally found a producer in Aditya Chopra, looks like things are now falling into place. Earlier, the director was often rebuked as to who would want to see a project like Paani!”

This is Shekhar Kapur’s most determined film.

Shekhar Kapur lately tweeted about the movie, “Paani’ is a film, but much more. ‘Paani’ is a passion, but much more. ‘Paani’ is a mission.”

The story of Paani was written 15 years ago, by Shekar Kapur and was initially announced with Vivek Oberoi in the lead. It is heard the filmmaker even approached Ranbir Kapoor for the lead role. However, Ranbir was too busy to give a nod for Paani.

Paani is a fantasy movie, where wars over water have broken out. The movie tells the story of a financially poor man, who stealthily visits the elite parts of the city where he comes across a beautiful woman and they fall in love. The movie will go on floors by mid-2013.

Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman will compose its music and will apparently be made on a budget of $30 million.

Aamir Khan’s ‘Talaash’ based on a real life incident with Zoya!

So, Aamir Khan’s Talaash has released and has already been confirmed as a blockbuster. The suspense of the movie has taken most of the audience by surprise. But the best part about the film is the climax, something you would never even think of. Now, very few people know that the climax of the film is based on a real life incident concerning writer Zoya Akhtar.

Zoya told that it was this experience that led her to the idea of Talaash.

Zoya told in a statement: “I had an experience which I could not explain to myself and to others while I was on my way back from a south Mumbai party spot.”

“It was near Haji Ali. All six of us, who were traveling went through this. And this experience which I went through, became the vital ingredient of the story of ‘Talaash’. I spoke to Reema (Kagti) about this and it became the initial trigger point of the script that we wrote together,” she added.

Directed by Kagti, the film has opened with rave reviews. It also features Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor and has minted 50 crores in its first weekend. 

Anushka Sharma’s fuller pout hullabaloo!

Anushka Sharma looks a bit special these days. There is a subtle change in the way she looks, and people who have known the actress for a while now, can absolutely spot the difference.

Anushka now sports a fuller pout and this has been drawing a lot of attention, off late... Has she got a lip job done?

Says a source who was with the actor during the promotions of Jab Tak Hai Jaan, “I interact with her on a daily basis and was surprised to see her full lips. She has done a lip job for sure.”

The source said, “I saw her through the shooting schedule and then during the film’s promotion, but never spotted such puffy lips ever before. I was surprised by that sudden change.”

Well, we still don’t know if that fuller pout is courtesy a surgeon’s scalpel or a new genre of lipstick... Only Anushka can tell us. Nevertheless, the actress still looks pretty as always.

In the meantime, Anushka is all set to start working on Rajkumar Hirani’s P.K which headlines Aamir Khan in the lead. She has completed filming for Vishal Bhardwaj’s Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, opposite Imran Khan.

The same source adds, “I don’t know if “fuller lips” is the requirement of her next film.”