Pooja Missra alleges favouritism: Mahek uses Salman Khan

Controversial 'Bigg Boss' contestant Pooja Missra has alleged favouritism on the show for evicted model-actress Mahek Chahal, who is likely to make a wild card entry into the house again.

Missra, who was evicted from the show due to her violent behaviour, claimed to have been wrongly projected on the show.

She later entered the show as the Hindi translator for Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who made an exit this week. But talks of Mahek's wild card entry seem to have agitated Missra.

"My eviction from the house on the grounds of me being violent was wrong and my second entry in Bigg Boss just proved that. Moreover, the wild card entry of Mahek into the house again is proof enough that there is favouritism happening in the house, " Pooja told reporters here. Mahek was evicted from the show on December 11.

Also, there were allegations by Pooja Bedi that Mahek was favoured by the show's host, Salman Khan as she has worked with him in 'Wanted' and 'Main Aurr Mrs Khanna'. Pooja also feels that the footage where Mahek is seen excessively talking about Salman has been edited. However, Mahek, termed the allegations as baseless.

"It's all a lie, never have I spoken about Salman in the house. So what if I have done two films with him. All these are cooked up stories, to create controversy. I was nominated six times and it was due to audience votes that I could stay for a long time in the house, " Mahek told.

About her wild-card entry, she said, "The entry will be purely on basis of audience votes. Now, I seriously, wish to come on the show and clear out things."

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Hrithik steals the show!

You've seen the teaser promo of AGNEEPATH on the internet, now you can see it on the big screen. The theatrical promo of Karan Johar's AGNEEPATH, directed by Karan Malhotra, hit screens on friday along with DON 2. Bollywood film analysts and critics (who have watched the new promo) react. One of the acclaimed film critic says, "After I saw the theatrical promo, I felt that this film has no room for subtlety. There's hardcore action, blood and gore, and lots of drama. I haven't seen Hrithik Roshan do such action in a long time. Rishi Kapoor looks interesting as the bad guy. Also Hrithik, in his own style, is making it clear that he is not trying to ape Amitabh Bachchan from the original film. His character is younger, more driven and proactive, and at the end of the promo he comes across as ruthlessly cold and in control while speaking to Kancha Cheena. The promo was so unlike what you would expect from a remake. It looks larger than life, meaty and glossy. It makes me want to watch it. With the promos, the film has created its own box office market space." 

Says a Trade analyst and film critic, "The raw appeal of the promo simply stunned me like a zor ka jhatka! It has released with DON 2. The first promo of DABANGG, when it had released during Christmas 2009, was most talked about and this one will be too. This promo is more powerful than the teaser promo, as it has dialogues."

On Hrithik's impact in the promo, he adds, "After a long time, Hrithik will be seen in a massy, action-oriented role. He is seen bashing up people. Till now, Hrithik's roles were limited to a few boundaries - with AGNEEPATH he will break those boundaries."

Comments another trade analyst, "I haven't seen the theatrical promo but I loved the first teaser of AGNEEPATH. It gives a very grand feeling and although I am not a fan of the original film, this teaser-trailer was so compelling that it held my complete attention watching Hrithik and Sanjay Dutt together. Chikni Chameli was the icing on the cake! Sanju's get-up is menacing. Hrithik wants to do something different in each film and AGNEEPATH will be his first out-and-out action film. You can see the intensity on his face in the promo, and know he will give an intense performance in the film. There's a lot of curiosity surrounding the film."

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Emraan Hashmi turns 'Hitman Hashmi'

With the trade vouching for him as one of the most saleable stars in the industry today, Emraan Hashmi aka Hitman Hashmi has proved yet again that he is the "darling of the masses".

Says an acclaimed critic, "Emraan Hashmi has proved it in the past and again withTHE DIRTY PICTURE that he is the darling of the masses. His strength lies in his mass appeal. His choice of films, his choice of roles is worth noting which explains why his films automatically open to very good houses when they release."After films like MURDER and its sequel, JANNAT, RAAZ 2 and THE DIRTY PICTURE, the actor famously known as 'hero of the masses', has carved a niche for himself, with a fan base that very few in the industry enjoy. A favorite at the box office, Emraan Hashmi has also managed to get cash registers ringing for films made on small budgets. While MURDER was made on a budget of 19cr, the film grossed over 58 Cr worldwide, JANNAT collected Rs.32,47,00,000 in 5 weeks, a considerable amount for its small budget. MURDER 2 collected 36.5 crores in its first week while RAAZ 2 grossed over Rs.30 crore at the box office, making it the highest grossing horror film in India


Seconding that says Ekta Kapoor, "Emraan Hashmi has done great work with us both in THE DIRTY PICTURE and OUATIM...He's the kind of actor who guarantees success, he has a massive fan following and his association with Balaji is going to be longstanding."

If sources are to be believed Emraan Hashmi is also the latest to join the club of the highest paid actors in the industry going by his consistent track record. Says a trade analyst, "Every actor raises his price after delivering hits. Business-wise there's a comfort level with Emraan now."

Currently the actor is shooting for JANNAT 2 and Raj Kumar Gupta's GHANCHAKKAR.

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Sonam Kapoor ups the hotness quotient

The initial promos of PLAYERS had promised to present Sonam Kapoor like never before and now with her song 'Yeh Ladki Hai Nadaan' from PLAYERS on the air, it is quite apparent that she has managed to up the hotness quotient. While the song is definitely a far cry from the 'plain jane' image she has carried right from SAAWARIYA to MAUSAM, Sonam insists that her 'hottest look ever' comes from her confidence instead of skin show."Many of Sonam's peers are getting into full-on skin show like never before. You can see it all around you. While someone out there is busy shedding her next door image, another is exuding oomph with on-the-face sexuality whereas a couple of them are doing the kind of item numbers that are so uncharacteristic of them," says a Bollywood insider without taking names, "However Sonam isn't falling prey to any of these short term measures. She is being patient and creating her own space, as has been the case with her dad as well for last three decades. She is wearing confidence instead of short clothes and that shows."


This is evident from the fact that while Sonam did get into a colonial mood for AISHA, when it came to a chic avatar in an Abbas-Mustan film, she decided to play her age and got into far trendier costumes.

"I realise that to be sexy, all you need to do is confidence instead of showing skin", says Sonam, "It isn't about wearing small clothes and strutting around in them because that won't necessarily make you look sexy. You can wear a good combination of jeans, top and shoes and still come up with the hottest ever look that would make people stand up and notice."

We are noticing for sure Sonam.

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Is Bipasha Basu really important to RACE 2?

With Bipasha Basu insisting that her role in under-production RACE 2 is just a guest appearance that she is doing mainly for Abbas-Mustan, it has pretty much turned out to be a dampener for her fans who were expecting a much bigger part for the lady. Though the role is currently being kept under the wraps, insiders insist that it is all a part of a well designed strategy.

"It is good that Bipasha herself has spoken about the role since this pretty much dissolves all rumours surrounding her inclusion in RACE 2," says an expert, "On a lighter note, with Bipasha's screen time being bare minimum in the film, the trio ofDeepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel can breathe easy because Abbas-Mustan can now be expected to concentrate better on their role and presentation."When asked about how she would continue the character of Sonia that she played in RACE, Bipasha simply said 'no idea'. She added though that she has been assured her guest appearance would be important to RACE 2. "Moreover, a very important part of being in an Abbas-Mustan film is that they bring really cool style and flavour to the characters. They are extremely stylish directors and I am sure there would be something good reserved for me even though it's a guest appearance," she says.


Abbas-Mustan are much more upbeat about Bipasha's inclusion in the film though and insist that it is as important as the other lead actors. While not quite commenting that it is a guest appearance, Abbas Burmawala says, "Bipasha brings in continuity from RACE to RACE 2. She starts the story from where it had ended. She is really important to the film."

We would want to see that as well.

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Real Heroes Big B & Akshaye Khanna are now common man

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan  and acclaimed actor Akshaye Khanna may hold a stature of a luminary; but, it looks like they are interested in being a 'Common Man'!

Well we are talking about their characters in their respective upcoming films. Recently the news was afloat in the industry that Amitabh Bachchan will star in filmmaker Shirish Kunder's next project titled COMMON MAN, an inspiring story that every person can relate to & inspire them to realize their uniqueness & achieve success through it. Whereas Akshaye Khanna is playing the frustrated disillusioned common man in writer-director Rumi Jaffrey's forthcoming film GALI GALI MEIN CHOR HAI.Where Amitabh Bachchan plays a common man who does something extraordinary and fights against all the odds to achieve the unbelievable using his unique skills, Akshaye depicts the plight of a common man and raises voice against the corrupt system.


So guys wait and watch to see how Amitabh Bachchan and Akshaye Khaana enthrall you in their 'common man' avatar in the coming year!

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Heather Graham says yes to SRK, no to Aamir Khan

Buzz is that the Hollywood hottie refused to do 'Dhoom 3' but recently chatted with Shah Rukh for a possible Bollywood debut 

It could have been her debut in Bollywood, if Hollywood hottie Heather Graham hadn't refused Dhoom 3, opposite Aamir Khan.

Apparently of the handful of Hollywood stars, including Oscar winner Natalie Portman and Eva Longoria who had been approached to star in Dhoom 3, Heather was on top of the list.

However, very recently, the actress expressed her desire to work with another Khan - Shah Rukh.

Says a source, "The producers (of Dhoom 3) were looking for an international face since some time, as this is touted to be the biggest film of the franchise till date.

They were pretty convinced that they would be able to rope in one of the leading ladies from Hollywood to star opposite Aamir.

In fact they had a few meetings with Heather's managers, but for some reason things did not work out."

Interestingly this is not the first time Heather has received her ticket to Bollywood.

The actress who was in India recently for the Goa film festival met up with SRK who also expressed a keen interest in working with her.

She was even quoted saying, "I am overwhelmed at this kind of welcome from India. I had heard a lot about Shah Rukh, but did not realise he was so popular.

We discussed a lot of things and I am eagerly waiting to see what can be worked out."

Does this imply that she prefers SRK to Aamir? Adds the source, "That cannot be said, but apparently there were some date and money issues with Yashraj.

That's why she couldn't say yes to the project." Heather's Bollywood dreams will now have to wait. For now, we'll have to do with Katrina zooming into the Dhoom mode. Yashraj, however, denied approaching Heather Graham.

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Nargis Fakhri on a X'mas break

Bollywood's newest discovery, Nargis Fakhri, is taking a much-needed break in her hometown, New York City.

Nargis, who's been inundated with film offers post Rockstar, has gone home to spend the Christmas holidays with her mother and close friends. Busy making plans with her mom, Nargis talks to CS about her favourite festival from NYC:

NYC calling
I've come to the New York City to spend the holidays with my mum and friends. It's a great feeling to be back home, even if it's just for a few weeks, as I have not been home for Christmas in a very long time.

Last year, I was in New Delhi as we were shooting there and the years before that I was travelling all over the world. So it's nice to be here. Spending time in NYC for Christmas is a great experience.

I believe that everyone should come here at least once in their life to feel the energy in this city during this time of the year.

The bond of love
It's going to be a quiet Christmas. My sister may join us and a few friends may drop by, but nothing big is happening. I think the festival is all about being next to each other, being able to talk, laugh and spend time with each other.

Also, my mum is just so happy to have me with her that she wants to spend time with me. We may cook and watch films at home.

And though I love sweets, I'm not going to make any at home. We have some amazing bakeries here in NYC, so I'll just hop into one and buy myself loads of goodies. Then come back home and watch my favourite films like Scrooged with Bill Murry.

Light it up
While growing up, Christmas at home meant decorating the tree. I would string up the lights and decorations at night and end up waking up on the floor right by the tree the next morning.

There is something about the smell of pine trees and the hypnotising lights that make you feel warm and safe.

Snowy dovey
And then, when it snows on Christmas Eve, it's like magic. You wake up the next day and all you see is that beautiful blanket of white clean snow.

My sister and I used to wake up early and run and play outside, making snow angels and building snowmen. It was a good time. I actually miss that, so maybe I will get lucky this year. I hope it snows soon!

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2011: Most underrated and overrated films of the year

Box office is unpredictable. Sometimes the best of movies sink without a trace and the trashiest of them rake in the moolah. Our take on who deserved better and who got plain lucky

2011, as every year has sprung at us contrasts and surprises. We rate some of the movies that we think deserved a better fate and also those which got more than what it deserved.

Under-rated movies of 2011

Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster
It might have managed to break even, but this Tigmanshu Dhulia movie deserved far better.

I am Kalam
It won the National Award for the brilliant performance by child star Harsh Mayer.

But this delightful little film didn't manage to get back the returns that would encourage more people like Nilamadhab Panda to come up with such gems.

Shor In The City
A groundbreaking film, some critics wouldn't hesitate to call it the best film of the year. But Shor in the City didn't really manage to make much noise at the box office.

Stanley Ka Dabba and Chillar Party
In a place where children's films are rarely made, these two little movies stole our hearts.

But unfortunately, they didn't manage to generate good business. Had it done better other filmmakers would perhaps have been inspired to look into this genre.

Dum Maaro Dum
This Rohan Sippy thriller had some nail-biting moments and was an entertainer. And was better than a lot of senseless movies that went on to become super duper hits.

Sahi Dhandhe Galat Bande
With heart in its right place and decent enough execution, this debut film by Parveen Dabas should have been given more encouragement than it got.

Force
It might have had its shortcomings, but Force is definitely one of the better action films that we have seen recently. It deserved better response.

Kashmakash 
It had the sensitivity typical of Rituparno Ghosh's films and Rabindranath Tagore's story and sublime poetry.

It also had wonderful performances by the Sen sisters. This one should have been given a chance.

The overrated movies of 2011

Ready
Singham
Murder 2
F.A.L.T.U Bheja Fry 2

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Anushka Sharma's cool quotient

"I would love to visit the Alps in winter and try my hand at skiing. I have never done it before, but I am sure it will be great fun, " says actor Anushka Sharma.

Although the pretty lady loves winters, she finds that the season does take a toll on her beauty quotient. She shares her winter memories and beauty regime with CS:

Bangalore babe
I grew up in Bangalore, and the winters there are simply beautiful. I really miss the lovely weather when compared to Mumbai. In winters, I love wearing jackets and sipping on hot chocolate.

I also enjoy gorging on hot jalebis during this time of the year. My most memorable winter in India was when I was travelling up North with my family a few years back. It was the first time I saw snow in India; it was gorgeous.

Freezing fun
When I was in college, I remember one incident when winter was just about to start. A bunch of friends and I had gone out for a party wearing dresses.

But as soon as it became dark, it started freezing! None of us had a jacket or a scarf, and so we couldn't step out of the party. Finally, we forced our guy friends to give us their jackets and left the venue!

In my hair
And so, I'll tell every girl to stay better prepared in winter. Taking proper care of your hair and skin is a must. For me, a hot coconut oil conditioning treatment works wonders as it provides the necessary nourishment and moisture to your scalp and hair.

I recommend oiling your hair every time you wash it to regain the moisture. Also, avoid excessive use of blow dryers/hair curlers in winters as they severely dry your hair.

You can prepare a homemade hair mask -- a mixture of egg and warm coconut oil to give your hair the deep conditioning it requires during the winters.

A pack full
For your skin, natural ingredient based moisturisers work best as they keep your skin moisturised and supple all through the day. A mixture of milk and honey comes handy anytime for a radiant glowing skin.

A pack of papaya and banana helps you get rid of dry skin. Both these fruits are rich in vitamins and water and have a good impact on dry skin. I follow this regime religiously as I believe that healthy hair and skin is a reflection of a healthy you!

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Rana Daggubatti extremely miffed!

The actor apparently felt betrayed by the agency that was handling his work, as they were conducting business on his name without his knowledge

Thanks apparently to a major mismanagement by his former celebrity management agency, Rana Daggubatti has found himself in an uncomfortable position. Apparently, the agency made a professional commitment in his name and even accepted a cheque without the actor's knowledge.

A source from the company, which currently represents Rana claims, "Rana was signed up with Carving Dreams till June but is now with KWAN. A producer, wanted to sign the actor for his film, so he contacted the former agency thinking that they still manage his work.

The agency signed the deal with the producer and even took the signing amount, without the knowledge of Rana." The source adds, "The actor who was initially clueless finally found out what was going on when the producer got in touch with his current managers.

When Rana confronted the agency they agreed that they were in talks with the producer on his behalf and that they had not encashed the cheque. However the actor apparently learnt from the producer's end that the cheque had certainly been encashed."

Though Rana remained unavailable for comment, his spokesperson confirms the story. She says, "This is a very unfortunate incident. Rana upholds a very professional approach to work. This episode has really upset him as it's completely against his work ethics."

A spokesperson from Rana's former agency says, "Rana is a friend of our director Banty Behl. He is just an acquaintance, not our client."

However, when we spoke to Behl, he gives a different version of the story. "We represent Bipasha Basu. Rana used to be with us till a few months ago but not any more.

Bipasha is doing this producer's film. The producer was very keen on having Rana as the male lead. So I approached him in good faith since he is a good friend. He heard the script and liked it.

I was negotiating the money with the producer on the actor's behalf. I accepted the signing amount agreed upon by Rana. He was very keen to do the film but his dates were unavailable.

So the actor told me that it wouldn't be fair to take the signing amount." The director also insists, "I recently returned the cheque to the producer."

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Christmas Special: Christian stereotypes in Bollywood

With Christmas putting the focus on the Christian community, a look at whether Bollywood is moving away from stereotypes 

There are no 36 Chowringhee Lanes here, surely. Bollywood remains cluttered with stereotypical depictions of the Christian community, with hardly any room for innovation, let alone for a groundbreaking character study like Violet Stoneham in Aparna Sen's evocative film on the desolation of the Christian community.

One must say though, that there were several eminently memorable Christian characters in films of the past years. For instance, Lalita Pawar's Mrs D'Sa in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anari and of course Amitabh Bachchan's Anthony in Manmohan Desai's (Manji as he was called) Amar Akbar Anthony.

Stereotypes
Years later, when Katrina Kaif got a chance to play a Catholic girl in Raj Kumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, she did her research, bought her own clothes from the pavements of Bandra, studied how the Catholic girls behaved, what clothes they wore to parties and to church.

Recalls Katrina, "At that point of time, I had been working very hard to get rid of my accented Hindi. But for Jenny's character both Rajji and I felt my Hindi was just fine. I wanted to dress and talk like a typical Catholic Bandra girl.

I didn't want her to come across as stereotypical, but still typical. Does that make sense?"

But these stabs at secularism did not really translate into genuine insights into the psyche and workings of a community until Aparna Sen's 36 Chowringhee Lane focussed on the desolation of a Catholic single woman.

The film's fabulous authentic detailing of Jennifer Kapoor's character, her inner and outer lives served to mirror the community's ethos with unparalleled integrity.

Bhansali
One Bollywood filmmaker who has spent a very large part of his creative time in the Christian-Catholic community is Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The epic filmmaker's first directorial venture, Khamoshi: The Musical was set in a Goan Christian family. Manisha Koirala played Annie the beautiful daughter to a deaf and mute couple Joseph (Nana Patekar) and Flavia Braganza (Seema Biswas).

The attention to getting the cultural and religious details right was amazing. Again in the highly acclaimed Black and Guzaarish Bhansali returned to the Catholic community. Says the filmmaker, "My fascination for the Christian religion and the community go back to my childhood. We lived in a chawl.

For me, my school and my teachers and the whole quiet, spacious environment of my Christian school was symbolic of a life I couldn't live at home. My love for churches and the religion is unconditional.

In Black, I actually paid homage to my Anglo-Indian teacher in school." Sanjay Bhansali lights candles at a church in Bandra every Wednesday. His latest production, My Friend Pinto (which he did not direct) again featured Catholic protagonists played by Prateik and Kalki Koechlin.

Prateik as Michael Pinto paid a tribute to Saeed Mirza's Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai. At some point in the film, Prateik referred to Albert as his uncle.

Mirza's film is the uncle of all Hindi films on the Catholic community. It was a rare attempt to look at the problems faced by the community with candour and conviction.

Anthony
The Big B says about the experience, "It was a pleasant departure. The very name Amar Akbar Anthony for a film came at a time where there were more sober and domestic titles, so it was surprise to me, particularly because Manji was starting his home production with this film and I felt he was making a grave mistake. But he was right as always.

The attitude of Anthony, his lingo, style, and clothing were all Manji's brainchild. I merely followed what he demanded. The character detailing all came from Manji and I think it came from his keen observation of the Christian community, living mostly out of Bandra.

One of his most important sequences was shot in the backyard of this very unique suburb. He himself was very conversant with the language of this community. Yes, it was a language style that was alien to me, but if you have lived long enough in Mumbai, it is unlikely that you can miss it."

Normal
Naseeruddin Shah's portrayal of Albert Pinto remains an exemplary effort to play a Catholic character stripped of caricatural characteristics. Naseer was believable because he wasn't bothered about getting the accent right.

Neither was the talented Lilette Dubey who gave a sterling performance as a hyper-strung Anglo-Indian woman Emily Lobo in Anjan Dutta's Bow Barracks Forever.

Says Lilette, "As a rule in the earlier films specially, the Christian community was pretty much stereotypical. They were portrayed as goodhearted people who spoke funny Hindi, like Lalita Pawar in Anari or Premnath in Bobby.

But the characters in films about the Anglo-Indian community have become more nuanced. Emily in Bow Barracks Forever, was a layered character with a range of emotions. I even won the best actress award at the Madrid International Film Festival for my performance."

Waiting
Filmmaker Ken Ghosh sums up the malaise that afflicts portrayals of minority communities, "It used to be very caricatural. In recent times I can only think of Arjun Rampal and Shahana Goswami's characters in Rock On.

These were done effectively and without exaggeration." Going by the recent track-record it is easy to see why Albert Pinto would have smiled had he seen the way his imaginary nephew Michael Pinto portrayed their community in My Friend Pinto."

In K S Sethumadhavan's 1975 blockbuster Julie, Laxmi played a Catholic girl who is impregnated by the boy next door. The father (Om Prakash) and the mother Nadira were applauded for their performances.

But the Anglo-Indian community was far from flattered by their portrayal as a persecuted, isolated community. Things have changed since then, but even now, the community, awaits a film that would portray their lives as normal rather than quirky and the characters more realistic and fleshed out.

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