[ItzToday.com] Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi to attend dinner with Barack Obama

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• Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi to attend dinner with Barack Obama
• Mariah Carey is busy spending time with pregnancy books
• Troubled Actress Lindsay Lohan to reconnect with old friends
• Emma Watson gets emotional of the weath earned from 'Harry Potter'
• ShahRukh Khan get wishes, success from Bollywood on his 45th Birthday
• Sara Khan's beau Ali Merchant to enter 'Bigg Boss' House
• Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai's 'Action Replayy' to do romantic comedy this Diwali
• 45 turned ShahRukh Khan is all ready for a superhero avatar
• Govinda's daughter Narmada Ahuja debut film to begin by January
• Rohit Shetty's 'Golmaal 3' all set to make fun
• Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar to act together
• YRF claims 'Band Baaja Baaraat' not to be funded by Ranveer Singh's father
• YRF: Rajnikanth is not in 'Dhoom 3'

Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi to attend dinner with Barack Obama Posted: 02 Nov 2010 09:05 AM PDT Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Bollywood veterans Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi for dinner with US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle in the capital Nov 7. "Javed and I invited by Prime Minister for dinner with Obama on 7th November," Shabana, a well-known actress and social activist, posted on the microblogging site Twitter. Shabana seems quite excited about the meeting, and is quite sure that Obama will manage a second term as president. "USA full of doubts whether he will get a second term. I'm pretty sure he will," she added. Obama, who arrives in Mumbai Nov 6, lands here Nov 7 when the prime minister is slated to host a private dinner at his 7, Race Course Road residence. On Nov 8, there will be a grand banquet for the Obamas at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He leaves Nov 9.

Mariah Carey is busy spending time with pregnancy books Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:58 AM PDT Singer Mariah Carey, who is expecting her first child next year, is so determined to be a good mother that she is spending hours reading pregnancy books. The "Hero" singer, who confirmed her pregnancy with husband Nick Cannon last week, has also completely changed her eating habits, reports contactmusic.com. "Mariah has turned ultra health conscious. There is nothing unhealthy in the house. No junk food, no alcohol, nothing. Nick is making sure she has everything she needs including fetching her just about every book on babies and pregnancy ever written. Mariah is 41 and she's leaving nothing to chance," said a source close to the couple. But one thing that Carey is not able to avoid is high heels. "I came home yesterday to help my wife get ready for her video shoots and she has these 19-inch heels on. So I go into the closet searching for some flats for my wife. She got a lot of damn shoes - it's like a Macy's. And Mariah Carey does not own one pair of flat shoes," he said. Carey defended herself, insisting she does own flat shoes - but did not want to wear them. "To be fair, I had some boots from Aspen, some Dior boots. Ski boots. And then we did find some flats and then they were a regular ballet slipper, like a beige, and I was like, 'I don't think so.'" she said. After persuading Carey to don ski boots, the 30-year-old presenter is now planning a shopping trip to buy the singer some more practical footwear. "Basically, I got Mariah Carey, the high-heel queen, to put on some flats. And this is amazing. I'm going shoe shopping today, needless to say, to buy you some flat shoes."

Troubled Actress Lindsay Lohan to reconnect with old friends Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:53 AM PDT Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan is trying to reconnect with her old friends from the rehabilitation centre. The troubled actress, who is currently in a court-ordered rehabilitation stay at the Betty Ford Clinic in California until early January 2011, is said to be using her two-hour weekly internet usage time to reconnect with her friends, who tried to tell her about her problem with excessive drinking and drug taking. "At the moment she is finding it tough being in rehab and she misses her friends and family," femalefirst.co.uk quoted a source as saying. "Lindsay has not made any great friends inside the clinic, she is just trying to keep her head down and get on with things," the source added.

Emma Watson gets emotional of the weath earned from 'Harry Potter' Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:45 AM PDT Actress Emma Watson says she had no idea how much money she made from the "Harry Potter" franchise and "felt sick" and "very emotional" when she realised she was a millionaire. The 20-year-old was cast to play Hermione Grainger in the wizard movie franchise when she was just nine years old and was given an allowance of just 50 pounds a week until she turned 17. Watson, who has an estimated 20 million pounds ($32 million) fortune, said: "By the third or fourth film, the money was starting to get serious. I had no idea. I felt sick and very emotional." In a bid to cope, she enrolled in a course at Coutts bank to learn how to manage her money properly, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Watson, who is now studying at Brown University in the US, recently underwent an image makeover. "For the nine years I was on 'Harry Potter' I was contractually obliged not to cut my hair, not to tan. All the normal things girls do, I couldn't. So when I got the chance to change my appearance, this is what I did," said the actress who now sports very short hair.

ShahRukh Khan get wishes, success from Bollywood on his 45th Birthday Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:30 AM PDT A host of Bollywood celebrities like Arjun Rampal, Diya Mirza and Bipasha Basu have wished good luck and success to superstar Shah Rukh Khan on his birthday Tuesday The actor, who turned 45, is in Berlin to shoot for his forthcoming film "Don 2". However, his colleagues reached out to wish him through micro-blogging site Twitter. Arjun Rampal: "Have a fabulous day and a fantastic year. We will miss you here in Mumbai, big hug!" Riteish Deshmukh: Wishing my favourite actor Shah Rukh a very yuppieee burrday. Knowing him and watching him is a constant learning experience. Big Hug Diya Mirza: Happpppy Birthdayyyy!!! You are the Best! Have a fantastic day and year ahead. We love you! Bipasha Basu: Happy birthday! Super super super star! Rise and shine even more. Farah Ali Khan: Wishing you a very happy birthday and years full of happiness, health, wealth, prosperity and lots of love always. Genelia D'Souza: May your birthday be filled with love, luck and happiness. Have a great day! Jay Sean: Have a great year - much continued success. Bless. Vishal Dadlani: Hope you have your most spectacular year yet, and then successively better ones. Shah Rukh's best friend Karan Johar, who was supposed to be with him in Rome for the red carpet of their film "My Name Is Khan" last week, posted: "So its SRK'S birthday... a Tweet is warranted! To the man responsible for my career and dreams! Thank you... and love u lots bhai (brother)." Actor Roshan Abbas too gives a lot of credit for his career to Shah Rukh. "Amongst the millions, here is one who owes you a lot! Hope I can pay back all the favours one day! Happy birthday boss," posted Abbas.

Sara Khan's beau Ali Merchant to enter 'Bigg Boss' House Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:22 AM PDT TV actress Sara Khan is set for a sticky situation. While she has been gladly warming up to actor Ashmit Patel on "Bigg Boss 4", now her long-time beau, actor Ali Merchant, is entering the reality show Wednesday for a weeklong-stay. Sara, who is popular for her role in "Bidaai", has been in a widely publicised relationship with Ali since the past three years. But upon entering "Bigg Boss 4", her behaviour suggested all isn't well between the two. Sara also started getting closer to co-participant Ashmit, and even shared a goodnight kiss and some candid moments in his arms. It seems like Ali has crumpled under the pressure of the Ashmit-Sara proximity and is entering the show to set things right. Sara had been shifted to a secret room in the "Bigg Boss" house last week, and she had been witnessing Ashmit's cuddly moments with Pakistani actress Veena Malik from the secret room. But now Sara is back in the house, but little does she know that even before she can confront Ashmit for his behaviour, her own boyfriend Ali will be there to settle scores with her on the show.

Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai's 'Action Replayy' to do romantic comedy this Diwali Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:15 AM PDT After a down-on-luck stint and a repeated thumbs down on the big screen, Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai have teamed up to gamble it out in romantic comedy "Action Replayy", which is releasing Friday. Produced and directed by Vipul Shah for approximately Rs.40 crore, the movie is hitting over 1,800 screens in India and abroad on an extended weekend that commences with Diwali, considered to be an auspicious and coveted gateway for big ticket outings in Bollywood. The story rewinds into the 1970s era and the movie will see Akshay and Aishwarya for the first time as a romantic couple. The supporting cast - Randhir Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Kirron Kher, Om Puri, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Rannvijay Singh, Sudeepa Singh and Rajpal Yadav - are expected to spice up the romantic-comedy. "'Action Replayy' is wholesome entertainment and has something for everyone. The tone is light but there are moments that will tug at your heart," said Akshay who featured in 2004 release "Khakee" that also had Aishwarya. But they were not pitted against each other. Aishwarya said: "I'm so glad that I finally got to work with Vipul and Akshay... we got to work on a subject where we've pushed the envelope in the comedy genre." In recent times, Akshay's movies didn't do well, neither has Aishwarya had any big hit to boast about. While Akshay has disappointed fans with outings like "Housefull", "De Dana Dan", "Blue", "Kambakkht Ishq", "8X10 Tasveer" and "Chandni Chowk to China" since last year, Aishwarya, who remained absent from the big screen in 2009 returned this year with Mani Ratnam's bilingual dud "Raavan" with husband Abhishek Bachchan. The former beauty queen heaved a sigh of relief with her recent release "Enthiran" ("Robot") though the movie overshadowed her act thanks to the presence of Tamil superstar Rajnikanth in the lead. So both the actors are hoping to hit the bull's eye with "Action Replayy". Based on Shah's hit play of the same name, the film revolves around Bunty (Aditya), who is fed up of his parents - father Kishen (Akshay) and mother Mala's (Aishwarya) constant bickering. He believes his life would have been better if his parents would have had a love marriage instead of an arranged one. His parents' constant fighting puts Bunty off marriage and he always runs away from his girlfriend, Tanya (Sudeepa Singh), whenever she tries to discuss marriage. Tanya's grandfather, Professor Anthony Gonsalves (Randhir Kapoor), however, gives him the choice to either marry Tanya or forget her. In order to bring about a change in his life, Bunty steals the professor's time machine late and transports himself to the 1970s and tries to make his folks' marriage a love story. Throwing light on her character, Aishwarya said: "Mala is boisterous and tomboyish, but only in the first half of the film." Shah organised a special screening of his film for the Indian cricket team in Ahmedabad Monday. The movie is releasing with Rohit Shetty's "Golmaal 3". Asked about the box office competition, Shah told IANS: "I don't think so. Let the audience decide which one they want to see. I only want to concentrate on my own film as we have given the best of our abilities for this one."

45 turned ShahRukh Khan is all ready for a superhero avatar Posted: 02 Nov 2010 08:02 AM PDT In film after film, Shah Rukh Khan has romanced the screen as the ultimate lover boy. As he turned 45 Tuesday, the unconventional looking youngster who took Bollywood by storm 18 years ago was set to blaze a new trail by turning superhero in "Ra.One". Shah Rukh, who has over 60 films under his belt and millions of fans across the globe, enjoyed his birthday in Berlin where he is shooting for "Don 2". "I have not had so much fun on my birthday before…learnt ripsticking...Duggu (Hrithik Roshan), Sussanne, Raveena and the gang of 'Don 2' partied," he posted on his Twitter page. He also thanked all his Twitter fans "around the world" for making him "feel so special" on his birthday. The actor is going for a image makeover with his home production "Ra.One". "People like Shah Rukh like reinventing themselves. They like challenges and they like donning different characters. When you are 20-21, you can play a college lover boy easily but he understands that once you are above 35 or so, you can't just do the same thing, so he reinvents," film critic Omar Qureshi told IANS. "He is very smart and he knows what works. I'm sure when he thought of doing a superhero thing he knew that it will work," he added. Shah Rukh made his film debut with "Deewana" in 1992. In the initial days, he essayed charaters with grey shades in "Baazigar", "Darr" and "Anjaam". But it was his dream role in "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" that got him a firm place in romantic sagas and turned him into the nation's heartthrob. Later "Pardes", "Dil Toh Pagal Hai", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Dil Se", "Mohabbatein", "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" and "Veer Zaara" helped him climb the ladder of superstardom swiftly. With a string of hits, the superstar, also called King Khan, became a phenomenon that defies explanation. That didn't stop Shah Rukh, the son of a freedom fighter, from taking up unconventional roles in "Swades" and "Chak De" and earning praise from audiences and critics alike. He also dabbled in production and television. The actor, who began his career with popular television serial "Fauji" in the late 1980, went on to host "Kaun Banega Crorepati" and "Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hain". The actor, who has 13 Filmfare Awards and a Padma Shri, this year tried to be different by doing the issue-based "My Name Is Khan" which highlights prejudices against Mulsims after 9/11. The year 2011 will see him both as don and superhero. While "Don 2 - The Chase Continues" is a sequel to Farhan Akhtar's "Don" also starring Om Puri, Priyanka Chopra and Kunal Kapoor, "Ra.One" is a science fiction story where Shah Rukh will be seen as a superhero laden with extraordinary powers. "'Ra.One' is a simple story of a father and a son. There have been a lot of movies and songs dedicated to mothers but unfortunately, fathers are ignored. I being a father myself and a part of cinema, decided to give them all some space through my film," Shah Rukh said. "The film is dedicated to all the fathers in the world. I hope this film will help bring fathers at the front and make me a hero in the eyes of my son," he added. The actor has two children - son Aryan, 13, and daughter Suhana, 10 - with wife Gauri Khan. Shah Rukh is expected to do some daredevil stunts in "Ra.One", which is being directed by Anubhav Sinha and also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. It is being produced under Shah Rukh's production banner, Red Chillies Entertainment. Will the superhero avatar reinforce Shah Rukh's superstar status? Watch on.

Govinda's daughter Narmada Ahuja debut film to begin by January Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:53 AM PDT Govinda's daughter Narmada Ahuja, whose debut film has been delayed, says the script has been finalised and the project will hit the production stage early next year. "The status of that project is we have finalised the script. Everything is done and we are now working on it. Most probably the first schedule of the film will go on the floor in January or maximum February," Narmada, 20, told IANS. The daughter of Bollywood's popular funny man Govinda, Narmada too will start her acting journey with a romantic comedy. "The film is a young, fresh romantic comedy. Even the production house is not new, but they are coming out with a film after a gap of a few years. That's what made me keen on doing this film. I already have another film lined up after this. "I can't talk about the project because they will announce the film according to their own convenience. They'll do that probably at the end of this year," said the youngster who learnt the ropes of acting at the London Film Institute. When asked about her co-actor in the film, Narmada said: "All I can say is that my co-star in the film is not a newcomer. I can't reveal any other detail." She says her father's suggestions helped her in making up her mind about her career. "Every father gives tips to their kids before they start their profession. My father too gave me a couple of tips. The most important thing that he told me was that no matter what you do, do it with your full heart; give it your 500 percent; and do it only if you are passionate about it because it shows on camera if you are not really into your work. "That's one thing that really made me focussed about my career and made me more professional about it," said Narmada. Since she will be working in a romantic comedy, does she have her father's comic timing? "I really can't judge that right now because I have not started shooting. But you never know, I might come up with something like he does, once we start working on the film," said Narmada who enjoys her father's hits like "Deewana Mastana", "Swarg", "Hero No. 1" and "Partner". Narmada also defies the notion that star kids get things easily in Hindi filmdom. "I don't think it's easy for us to enter the industry. At least it was not easy for me because I myself didn't want to get into the industry without any preparation. Once you know that you are well groomed and you're sure you can deliver, then only you should go for it. That grooming part is not very easy," said the upcoming actress.

Rohit Shetty's 'Golmaal 3' all set to make fun Posted: 02 Nov 2010 07:46 AM PDT After the success of "Golmaal" and "Golmaal Returns", director Rohit Shetty is back with yet another mindless comedy "Golmaal 3", which releases Friday. The director has not only repeated the same cast that consists of Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade, he has also retained the main elements of the previous instalments. After "Golmaal", "Golmaal Returns" and "All The Best: Fun Begins", "Golmaal 3" is Shetty's fourth Diwali release and all his previous films raked in moolah at the box office. So will he be lucky this time too? Ajay says the film is crazier than its predecessors. "We've kept the family audience in mind. So it's a clean comedy that the entire family can sit together and watch, without anyone cringing in their seats," he said. But "Golmaal 3" clashes with Vipul Shah's romantic comedy "Action Replayy", which stars Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai. But Shetty and Ajay are unfazed by the competition. "It has happened earlier too that 'Golmaal Returns' and 'Fashion' both released together and both worked well," said Shetty. Ajay said: "We would want both the films to do well. Of course we want our film to do little better, who wouldn't? It is good for the industry that we have big releases coming together." The film, reportedly made at a budget of Rs.40 crore, promises to deliver rib-tickling moments, ageless romance and heart warming scenes. Produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision and distributed by Eros International, it is the story of hatred between two bunch of siblings within a family. Interestingly, this family eats together, prays together, lives together but "can't stand each other". Shot in exotic locations of Goa as well as Mumbai, the film also stars Kunal Khemu, Mithun Chakraborty, Ratna Pathak Shah, Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra, Vrajesh Hirjee, Ashwini Kalsekar and others. Ajay (Gopal) and Shreyas (Laxman) are siblings as are Tusshar (Lucky), Kunal (Laxman) and Arshad (Madhav). Shreyas doesn't get along with his brother and the whole comedy revolves around their animosity. Rohit has a penchant for mixing comedy with action and stunts - he did it successfully in hits like "Golmaal", "Golmaal Returns" and "All The Best". In his latest offering too he seems to have retained that element. The characters in the film have some strange traits - while Tusshar continues to play a dumb man, Shreyas will be seen stammering, Ajay as a short tempered guy and Kareena as a violent, foul-mouthed brat who abuses people at the drop of a hat. Kunal and Johnny are also set to take the audiences on a laughter ride with their respective characters. While Kunal plays a garrulous character, Johnny is someone who forgets everything. Just like his lead actor, the director also claims that the sequel will be more fun to watch. "On the demand of the audience we have made 'Golmaal 3'. It's not a slapstick comedy, you can enjoy the film with your family. This time the script of the film is bigger, better and includes a lot of fun elements," said Shetty.

Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar to act together Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:41 AM PDT After scorching the screens in 2001 with their cult outing "Dil Chahta Hai" (DCH), Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar have teamed up again for a suspense drama. Co-written by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, the movie will be directed by Kagti. It will go on floors in February next year. The 45-year-old Aamir, who took a break from acting after the release of his blockbuster "3 Idiots" (2009) to concentrate on his home productions "Peepli Live", "Dhobi Ghat" and "Delhi Belly", has joined hands again with Farhan and his producer partner Ritesh Sidhwani. "I found the script written by Reema and Zoya really exciting and I am looking forward to working with Ritesh and Farhan once again," Aamir said in a statement. Both Farhan and Ritesh are equally excited to team up with Aamir, who will co-produce it with the duo's Excel Entertainment. "It feels great to be collaborating with Aamir a decade after 'DCH'. We had been hoping to do a film together since then and I'm thrilled that it is finally happening with this script," said Farhan. Ritesh said: "I have been waiting to work with Aamir since 'Dil Chahta Hai' and its finally happening,. It's special this time as we are also producing it together... I can't wait to start filming." The film is scheduled for a 2011 release.

YRF claims 'Band Baaja Baaraat' not to be funded by Ranveer Singh's father Posted: 02 Nov 2010 03:31 AM PDT Yash Raj Films' (YRF) upcoming project "Band Baaja Baaraat" has not been funded by debutant Ranveer Singh's businessman father, says the spokesperson of the production house. "'Band Baaja Baaraat' has not been funded by debutant Ranveer Singh's father. He was chosen at an audition where he excelled and was therefore selected," Rafiq Gangjee, vice president (marketing & communications), YRF, said in a press statement. A report in a daily indicated that Ranveer's father invested in the Rs.10-crore film, and that no talent-hunting procedure was organised to find out the male lead. YRF has denied it all. "For a Studio like Yash Raj Films, which is spearheaded by a much respected doyen of the film industry, Yash Chopra, we do not need to stoop to this and nor do we select our cast based on them funding us," added Gangjee. Releasing Dec 10, "Band Baaja Baaraat" also features Anushka Sharma. It is about two young people - Shruti and Bittoo - who are just out of Delhi University and get together to start a business venture as wedding planners. The film is directed by Maneesh Sharma, who assisted Aditya Chopra as an associate director on "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi".

YRF: Rajnikanth is not in 'Dhoom 3' Posted: 02 Nov 2010 02:58 AM PDT Yash Raj Films (YRF) has described as untrue reports that southern superstar Rajnikanth might feature in a key role in action-adventure film "Dhoom 3". "An article in a trade publication suggests that Mr. Rajnikanth may be approached for a pivotal role in 'Dhoom 3'. While Yash Raj Films has the utmost respect for the actor, the truth is that no such plans have been made," Rafiq Gangjee, vice president (Marketing and Communications), YRF, said in a press statement. "The script is still under finalisation and all casting will be done post that," he added. While "Dhoom" featured John Abraham as the villain, "Dhoom 2" saw sizzling action from Hrithik Roshan. All impending announcements regarding YRF's projects - including news about "Dhoom 3" as well as Yash Chopra's new directorial, will be made in January 2011, according to Gangjee.

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